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The Unexpected Renaissance of the Arab League
For decades, the Arab League has been seen as powerless, a federation of states with a worn-out organisation and without recognisable structures or political significance. It was an Arab paper tiger, something to laugh at on the international stage.
For many in the Arab world as well as for democracy activists, the League seemed to typify the "Arab sickness", a symptom of the malaise that was otherwise evident in the inertia that prevailed in the region's politics and the powerlessness of the people on the street. But the historic revolutionary events of the Arab Spring seem to have freed the institution from its self-imposed passivity and immaturity.
Libya intervention was the turning point
The unexpected new commitment on the part of the Arab League began in March during the Libya conflict, when, for the first time in its 66-year history, it approved an outside intervention in the affairs of one of its members.
In demanding a no-fly zone over Libya, it gave legitimacy to the NATO operation in the eyes of the Arab world and, in the process, abandoned the principle of non-involvement in the internal affairs of other Arab states. The change was remarkable: it was due primarily to the regional shifts in power brought about by the wave of revolutions, but also to the fact that the Arab people had once more become a power factor on the political stage.
Now, in the post-revolutionary Arab world, the possibility that public opinion might again cease to be part of the political decision-making process is no longer imaginable and has not been so ever since the overthrow of Ben Ali in Tunisia and Mubarak in Egypt, and since the Qatari news station Al Jazeera became a mouthpiece for the Arab revolution. It was only when it came to Bahrain that Al Jazeera made an exception, dismissing the uprising there as "riots with a religious background".
Spectacularly decisive towards the Assad regime
As far as the Gaddafi regime in Libya was concerned, it was hated by most of the league's members and found itself largely isolated in the region. But Syria is a different case. Both historically and culturally, it is part of the Arab core and one of the cradles of Arab nationalism. The Assad regime has always known how to put itself over to the people as a defender of Arab interests against the hegemony of the West. Syria also had strategic alliances with Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah – both powerful allies in the region.
It's against this background that one must judge the decision of the Arab League to exclude Syria as long as it fails to comply with the league's mediation plan. The move has an entirely different quality to the move against Libya.
Qatar and Saudi Arabia are the driving forces
But this unusual commitment by the league has little to do with enthusiasm for democracy in the countries that currently hold the most influence in the organisation, nor is it driven by support for the Syrian opposition. After all, almost all the members of the league have no qualms about suppressing peaceful protests and rejecting basic democratic reforms in their own countries. Indeed, it was Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates that sent troops to Bahrain in mid-March to help the government there put down the uprising against the rule of the Sunni royal house.
It's rather that the rich petro-monarchies, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, want to exploit the opportunities presented to them by the uprisings. The ruling family in Doha wants to turn its mini-emirate into a regional power and is making clever use of both chequebook diplomacy and Al Jazeera, which it deploys as an instrument of soft power.
The strategists in Riyadh, on the other hand, see this as a historic opportunity: the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in Iraq led to an increase in Iran's influence; the fall of Iran's ally, Bashar al-Assad in Syria, could well see Tehran's power in the region decrease again. Those in power around King Abdullah are firmly convinced that a post-Assad Syria would be dominated by Sunni powers who would feel closer to the "Sunni heartland of Islam" in Saudi Arabia than to the Shia theocracy in Iran. Furthermore, the Shia Hezbollah in Lebanon, which is Iran's Trojan horse in the Arab world, would be a more manageable entity without the Assad regime. This line is reinforced by the fact that the Hamas movement, which is a Palestinian branch of the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, has refused to support the brutal repression of the anti-Assad protests.
But it is not just the Arab Gulf monarchies' obvious fear of Iranian domination that has led the Arab League to its new interventionist policy; it is also the current weakness of the West. For the first time since the Second World War, the West is playing no real role in defining relationships in the Middle East. That should confirm the Arab League in its new course.
Loay Mudhoon
© Qantara.de 2011
Translated from the German by Michael Lawton
Editor: Aingeal Flanagan/Qantara.de


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Jojo planter lid & elbow 125mm
If you have any questions or need any advice, don't hesitate to contact us. Get all the building supplies and construction materials you need to complete your project. Whether it's a home build or a large-scale job, you can be sure that we have everything you need, all under one roof.Jojo planter lid & elbow 125mm

subset: commoncrawl


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Tensions are rising: H&M's next fashion label &Other Stories provides us with another hint for their wide-ranged variety of things that make our life a little more pleasant. The main themes in this video are detail and eternity, indeed important aspects when choosing the perfect jewellery.
Stay tuned for further updates!
More pictures after the jump.


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John Adrian Cowell was an award-winning British documentary filmmaker. His work highlighted disturbing environmental and social issues, prompting remedial action from government and non-governmental organisations, 'putting right the wrong'. He concentrated on two fields of investigation: the effects of industrialisation and migration on indigenous peoples of the Amazon region and the global politics of opium cultivation in Southeast Asia.
Cowell filmed in Brazilian Amazonia for over fifty years. He began by filming an expedition to find the geographical centre of Brazil led by the Villas Boas brothers (the famous pioneering anthropologists of Brazil) and went on to film their attempt to make first contact with the Panará tribe in The Tribe that Hides from Man. During this time, he became aware of the effects of deforestation on both people and the environment. His landmark series, The Decade of Destruction, filmed throughout the 1980s in Brazil, revealed the tragic and often fatal impact deforestation had on the indigenous peoples of the Amazon. He continued to make films about the environmental, socio-economic and political issues of this region until 2005.
In Southeast Asia, he covered, over a thirty-year period, the equally complex story of the opium trade and its relationship to the liberation aspirations of the Shan people (the largest hill tribe in Burma). Shan guerrilla forces struggled for independence from the Burmese throughout the long period of the country's military dictatorship, supporting their efforts by taxing the opium crop. Cowell's two series, Opium (1978) and The Heroin Wars (1996), followed 'the opium trail' from the poppy fields of the Shan State to the dealers, addicts and policy makers in the United States.
A Memorial Tribute to the Award-winning Documentary Filmmaker of the Amazon
Friday, 22nd March,
Excerpts from In the Ashes of the Forest (The Decade of Destruction series) will be shown with a panel discussion of how the issues highlighted in the film are still alive today.
Three of Cowell's films are available for download from Bullfrog Films. You will need to register and pay a small viewing fee. The films are from Cowell's American catalogue and are slightly different to the ones listed in the filmography, which were made for the British market.
In the Ashes of the Forest - Part 1
In the Ashes of the Forest - Part 2
Banking on Disaster
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A transnational cooperation project to promote DIY solutions for renewable energy production in rural communities.
Projects & Practice
A transnational cooperation project to promote DIY solutions for renewable energy production in rural communities.
Piloting a tool that helps assess the impact potential and necessary points of improvement of LEADER projects, already during the project's application phase.
An association used RDP support to turn the 'disadvantages' of long periods of cold and darkness in northern Sweden, into a unique selling point for tourism.
A sports club used RDP support to renovate its facilities and offer a space that contributes to the integration of immigrants in the local society.
A project that supports the integration of young immigrants into Swedish society and is organised by young immigrants themselves.
A newspaper offered training and mentoring, so that local people could become correspondents and give visibility to the daily life of small rural communities.
At a time when news reporting is often controlled by a few, large media channels, a LEADER project gave voice to small local communities.
In order to take advantage of the enormous potential of outdoor tourism, fostering cooperation and networking among the local actors is essential.
Setting up a micro-fund as an alternative way to provide guarantees or loans for small, local organisations.
A small successful food market initiative in Sweden used EAFRD funding to help migrants develop their skills, find employment and set up their own business.


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Mayor's Office
With road construction season under way, motorists can find updated information on street closures and detours on a city-wide map on the City website, lincoln.ne.gov (keyword: detours).
All current and pending major street closures are marked, along with recommended detour routes, and the map is updated every Friday afternoon. The map now posted includes the street closures for the Lincoln Marathon Sunday, May 6.
Each major street closure has a corresponding link to a project page, which includes additional information such as construction phasing, public meetings, contacts and related projects.
"We hope providing the most up-to-date, comprehensive and user-friendly information possible regarding street construction, closures and detours will help residents plan their routes," said Miki Esposito, Director of the City Public Works and Utilities Department. "We greatly appreciate the patience and cooperation of Lincoln's motorists, the business community and the citizens in general as we work to improve Lincoln's roadways and infrastructure."
To receive the information as soon as it's available, the public can subscribe to RSS notifications or e-mail alerts by using the links on the street closure and detour site.


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Medicines: packaging, labelling and patient information leaflets
How to package medicines for sale and what information you must provide to consumers and healthcare professionals.
MHRA approves all packaging and labelling information for medicines sold in the UK including the information that must be provided. Medicines must include a patient information leaflet (PIL) if the label does not contain all the necessary information.
You should read the relevant European and UK legislation before making an assessment submission.
Guidelines on the readability of the label and package leaflet of medicinal products for human use is available on the European Commission website.
Labelling for medicines
Labels must be clear. Healthcare professionals and patients must easily be able to identify the medicine by the label.
You should use the letters CD in an inverted triangle if your product is a controlled drug. This isn't compulsory but we encourage you to include this mark on your product's labelling.
All information on packaging for licensed medicines must be printed directly on to the packaging. Over-labelling must not be used.
Sample packs must have 'Free medical sample – not for resale' or similar wording on the outer packaging. Over-labelling must not be used.
To register a common pack (a pack that can be supplied in more than 1 member state) in the UK and another member state, the licence details for the product must be almost identical. This does not apply to marketing authorisation (MA) numbers and addresses. If you need to update the packaging to include an MA number it should be submitted as a notification.
Safety features legislation
The European Parliament and Council has approved and published a Delegated Regulation (EU2016/161) in the Official Journal of the European Union. This supplements the Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD) and introduces two mandatory safety features that will allow medicines to be verified and authenticated.
These safety features are:
- a unique identifier (a 2D data matrix code and human readable information) which will be placed on medical products that can be scanned at fixed points along the supply chain
- tamper evident features on the pack
The unique identifier comprises:
- a product code which allows the identification of at least the name of the medicine, the common name, the pharmaceutical form, the strength, the pack size, and the pack type
- a serial number which is a numeric or alphanumeric sequence of a maximum of 20 characters randomly generated
- a batch number
- an expiry date
If the member state to which the medicine is being supplied requires it, the unique identifier will also need to include the national reimbursement number. The unique identifier must be printed on the pack in a 2D data-matrix code and be printed in a way in which the information can be read by the human eye.
The Delegated Regulation does not specify which tamper-evident feature should be used. The choice of tamper-evident feature to be used will be for the marketing authorisation holder (MAH) to decide. A European Standard is available which gives guidance on the types of tamper-evident features which could be considered by MAHs. This is titled 'Tamper verification features for medicinal product packaging EN 16679:2014'.
The delegated regulation comes into force in the UK in 2019. MAHs will be required to place the safety features on the packaging of medicines which fall within the remit of the delegated regulation no later than 9 February 2019.
We are already receiving enquiries about how MAHs can tell us that they have taken the necessary steps to introduce the safety features on the packs of medicines impacted by the FMD. The European Commission has published advice to MAHs.
An implementation plan has been agreed and published for centrally authorised medicines on the website of the European Medicines Agency. A similar plan has been agreed by all member states for decentralised and mutual recognition marketing authorisations.
For nationally authorised medicines the MHRA will operate a similar scheme.
MHRA's implementation plan
For new marketing authorisations submitted from April 2016 the revised QRD template should be used and will include reference to the placement of the unique identifier on the packaging. If the tamper evident features are included on outer packaging you do not need to include any information about this in the dossier. However, if the tamper-evident feature is added to immediate packaging and it affects the container-closure system you will need to include information in sections 3.2.P.2.4 and/or 3.2.P.7 of the Notice to Applicants Volume 2B. The term "new marketing authorisation" applies to abridged applications, change of ownership, line extensions and to new active substance applications.
For marketing authorisation applications already under assessment you should update the dossier during the procedure and before the application is granted.
For existing marketing authorisations granted before the publication of the Delegated Regulation you must update your dossier before 9 February 2019. Any regulatory submission which affects the product information can be used to tell us that you will be complying with the provisions of the FMD by the due date.
Submissions which affect the product information include renewal, variation type II, variation type IB, variation type IA, national 61(3) applications and BROMI 61(3) notifications. Normal fee arrangements will apply.
You can introduce the safety features at any time between approval of these submissions and the 9 February 2019.
If you do not have any other regulatory submissions taking place which will conclude by 9 February 2019 and which impact on the product information you will need to make a separate submission to the MHRA under Article 61(3) of Council Directive 2001/83/EC. Normal fee arrangements will apply.
MHRA, the Department of Health and the Devolved Administrations will continue to work with the European Commission and other member states on implementation plans for the new regulation. We will also be working with stakeholders throughout the supply chain to secure implementation within the three years.
Further guidance will be published as it becomes available.
Patient information leaflets (PILs)
Unless all the information is on the pack, all medicines must include a PIL, regardless of how patients get them. PILs must:
- be easy to understand
- not contain personal information that can identify an individual, including names of staff members or digital signatures
Each product authorised under a marketing authorisation must have its own leaflet as explained in our best practice guidance on patient information leaflets. Also see MHRA guidance document .
Our assessment of PILs includes a review of the font, colours, text size and layout of the information to assure the accessibility and readability of the statutory information.
We also have guidance on information in the PIL to address areas of potential misuse or abuse of over the counter (OTC) antihistamine sleep aid and laxative medicines.
Warnings on labels and leaflets for medicines
Labels must include warnings for safe use of the medicine. All products that contain paracetamol must include statutory warnings.
Additional warning statements must be included on the packaging of specified medicines.
You must also follow the guidance on the development of artwork for medicines for codeine and dihydrocodeine if applicable.
You should include these warnings when making an application to register labelling and/or leaflets with us. Deviations from the proposed wording must be fully justified in your submission.
Braille on labelling and in PILs
All medicines must have the name of the medicine displayed in Braille on the labelling.
You must make you PILs available for blind and partially-sighted patients.
Braille can appear on more than one side of a product's carton. You must not use abbreviated Braille. Braille can appear on printed areas of the carton, as long as the underlying text is clear and visible.
You can submit changes to Braille on the labelling through a notification.
From 2016 the official Braille code in the UK is the Unified English Braille code (UEB)
Guidance concerning the braille requirements for labelling and the package leaflet
The British Standards Institute has guidance on the application of braille to the labelling of medicines.
Child-resistant packaging for medicines
Child-resistant packaging is used to make it difficult for young children to open medicines but easy for adults to use.
Packaging must be child-resistant if the medicine contains:
- aspirin
- paracetamol
- more than 24mg of elemental iron
You don't need to provide child-resistant packaging if your product is:
- effervescent
- in single dose units
An MA or variation must demonstrate that child-resistant packaging meets international standards for reclosable or non-reclosable containers:
reclosable packaging consists of container-closure systems that, when the closure is removed, permit access to more than 1 dosage unit and can be reassembled to form a child-resistant pack; reclosable containers must comply with international standard BS EN ISO 8317
non-reclosable containers are container-closure systems that once opened can't be reassembled to form a child-resistant package such as blister packs; such non-reclosable packs must must comply with international standard BS EN 14375
The British Standards Institute has published a consumer's guide to the standards for child resistant packaging.
If aspects of the packaging system change, it may be necessary to vary the MA and include additional evidence that the new packaging system has been shown to comply with relevant international standards.
Factors that can affect the child resistant properties of a container-closure system include:
- change in foil material
- change in blister material
- change in adhesive
- different orientation of blister pockets
- different wadding materials in closures
- inclusion of a liquid medicine in a container-closure system previously used for solid dosage forms
Submit information for full assessment
Product information which needs a submission for full assessment and approval must include change codes on the application form.
First approval of mock-ups following a granting of a MA where only text-only versions were submitted and approved as part of the MA application.
Changes to PILs which include significant changes to content and/or design and layout and must show continued compliance with user testing or bridging data. Changes to the leaflet in line with article 62 (allowing a MA holder to include extra statutory information on the label and in the PIL) also fall into this category.
Changes to pack design must always be submitted for full assessment. Changes include either layout of the information or changes to graphics on the pack, or both. If a third party has pre-approved the changes they will be assessed in 30 days.
Changes where we inform you about the change, for which a full application is needed. These may include but are not restricted to:
- approval of artwork for a new own-label supplier not previously known to us
- approval of artwork following a product name change where the changes proposed to the pack are considered to go beyond being relevant to the changes to the summary of product characteristics (SPC) being applied for
- introduction of new safety information following consideration by an expert advisory committee
- amendment of artwork following a complaint relating to patient safety
Changes which do not fall into 1 of the 4 categories above will not be accepted for assessment and will need to be re-submitted as a notification.
Notification scheme registration
You must inform us of all changes to the labelling and PIL of a product if those changes are not part of changes to the SPC.
If the proposed changes don't need to be submitted for full assessment you must register the changes using the notification scheme.
The notification scheme is based on your declaration that the packaging meets legislative requirements and supporting documentation has been submitted.
Although you need to notify us of the amendment, you are responsible for the information on the packaging and in the PIL.
Make a submission or notification
Once you have received approval from us, you must introduce the changes within 3 to 6 months, unless you have been told to introduce the new information early because of safety reasons.
You can submit changes to labels, leaflets and packaging for the same product at the same time using a notification or for full assessment.
A separate application must be submitted for each product name. The submission must also include all affected MAs, particularly when a leaflet may be shared across several MAs.
A number of changes to labels and PILs can be made with each submission or notification using the same notification form or application form. You can also group changes that would have been a notification on their own with changes that need to be submitted for full assessment.
Format of data for submission
For a single MA, all label, leaflet and label-leaflet mock-ups must be submitted as a set of consolidated PDF documents. For a single product there could be 3 documents containing either all of the labels, all of the leaflets or all of the label-leaflets for all pack sizes and presentations of the product.
Where a single MA includes more than 1 product - branded or generic - the associated labels, leaflets and label-leaflet mock-ups for all pack sizes and presentations of each product must be submitted as separate sets of consolidated PDF documents.
To vary a label, leaflet or label-leaflet you must resubmit the entire PDF document which may contain labels, leaflets or label-leaflets that are not part of the variation. The new version of the data should be identified within the document.
The names of the PDF files should be in the format Label-Brand/Generic/Distributor name or Leaflet-Brand/Generic/Distributor name or Label-Leaflet-Brand/Generic/Distributor name. See out guidance on.
The SPC and PIL will be published on GOV.UK so it is essential that any personal information about company employees, printing companies or their employees or any other similar information, is removed from all label, leaflet and label-leaflet mock-ups PDF documents.
Submission forms
Submission of applications must use the variations guidance.in Word format or the portal form in PDF format. This form is not for changes accompanying a variation. See
Guidance is available to help you submit a change.
Submission of notifications for self-certified changes to labels and/or leaflets must use either thein Word format or the portal form in PDF format.
If you are submitting electronically you will need to copy over the declaration statement and describe the changes applied for.
We acknowledge notifications within 14 days, after which any changes should be implemented immediately.
Complaints about labels, leaflets or packaging
We investigate complaints about the labelling and packaging of medicines made by patients, healthcare professionals or pharmaceutical companies.
We assess any complaint to decide if there is a safety issue or if there is no case to answer.
If a safety issue is identified the MA holder is required to respond – usually within 7 days.
We may identify other issues of regulatory compliance in addition to that raised in the complaint.
Investigations are usually completed in 30 days. It may take longer if the case requires detailed discussion or statutory action.
The complainant and the MA holder both receive a copy of the outcome report, which details the complaint and any action taken.
We do not reveal the identity of the complainant to the MA holder unless they are a competitor company.
UK and European regulation
UK regulation
The regulations for labelling and patient information leaflets are set out in The Human Medicines Regulation 2012 – Part 13.
European regulation
The regulations for labelling and patient information leaflets are set out in Title V of Council Directive 2001/83/EC which was amended by Council Directive 2004/27/EC and Council Directive 2010/84/EU.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has also produced guidance on labels, patient information leaflets and packaging.
To discuss the content of you application, email firstname.lastname@example.com.
To discuss submitting your application to us, email firstname.lastname@example.com.
To request further information, email email@example.com.
Last updated 20 April 2016 + show all updates
New section added on safety features legislation
First published.


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Croatia apartments and hotels guide: travelAdriatic.net!
TravelAdratic.net offers a wide choice of travel essentials for everyone looking to visit Croatia. We have become a leader in the industry thanks to the services available: hotel bookings, private accommodation with high quality, accommodation in traditional Croatian buildings such as small Robinson cottages located on Croatian islands and stone houses that are so common in Croatia. Adriatic cruises and tours are also available.
There are a wide selection of private apartments, villas and hotels available for a Croatian holiday. Use the search or browse feature to find accommodation in different parts of Croatia, including Istria, Dalmatia, Kvarner and mainland Croatia. Just click on the image or the name of the appropriate accommodation unit or the private apartment in your search results to see additional information about your potential selection. The details page will show you all the available apartments in along with rental prices and rates according to season.
Croatia is famous for being the land of thousand islands thanks to the coast of the Adriatic which is one of the most indented coasts of the world. There are 1185 small islets and islands, which form a 5,058 km long coastline, while the mainland coast is 1,777 km long. Krk island near Rijeka is the largest of the islands, with it's 462 square kilometers. Some of the other more known islands are Brac, Hvar, Pag and Korcula. Croatia has Mediterranean climate on the Adriatic coast. That means summers are warm and dry, winters are mild. It is one of Europe's sunniest coastlines as there are over 2,600 hours of sunlight each year. Moving away from the coast, inland territories have continental climate where summers are hot, winters snowy and cold.
Wildlife and nature of Croatia can be seen in eight different national parks. Some of the most known are Brijuni Islands, Krka, Komati Islands, Mljet island and Plitvice Lakes national parks. An outstanding range of natural and geological phenomena is found in these parks where different animal populations have also found home. There are a lot of activities to do in these parks, especially island Parks where visitors can hike, swim, dive or cycle. Most national parks also have accommodation available, see our website for information about different accommodation options. It is true that Spain, Greece and Italy are among the countries with the richest set of ancient architectural sights, but there are Roman temples, palaces, amphitheaters and other similar structures right here in Croatia as well. Croatia's Roman architecture is well preserved in cities like Zadar, Split and Pula.
Map search
When is the best time to travel to Croatia
Most visitors come to Croatia when it's warm, from April to September. It is nice to stay in Zagreb at that time due to the cultural season making the city an attractive destination. Depending on what you like, you can either attend the Queer Zagreb FM Festival or the Zagreb Biennial of Contemporary Music. Outdoor activities are especially popular from May to June. German and Italian tourists have not arrived yet so the prices of accommodation are affordable, yet the days are already sunny and long. School field trips also take place in May or June, which means that attractions and cultural sites can be filled with lots of loud youths with their teachers.
The most costly months for a visitor of Croatia are July and August – the top tourism season. Some popular places may become too crowded and hotel or private accommodation prices reach their highest point of the year. But there are also advantages of traveling in these summer months. There are more boat lines and more excursions organized that take you to the islands and sights that are otherwise not on the popular tourist tracks. September is not too hot anymore, making it the best time for visiting. The sea is still warm but the beaches and major tourist destinations are less crowded as kids have gone back to school. Accommodation rates have dropped to their off-season level and fruits like grapes and figs are ready to be harvested.
Expenses and money in Croatia
Croatia is cheaper from October to April than it is in summertime. Boat fares, car rentals, apartments, hotels and other accommodation is at its peak in summer, especially in July and August. The cost for a double room in a private house or apartment may then be around 300KN, rooms in a 3 star hotel depend on the location and cost around 500-1500KN. Apartment rentals in Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik stay the same all year round. Private owners like to add 30-50% as a surcharge when the apartment is rented for a short time stay, less than 3 nights. Some even request a 7 night stay minimum, especially in high season. Hotels don't normally have requirements for minimum stay. Backpackers should be prepared to spend around 200KN per day when staying in one place. If you stay in a nice hotel or a private room, eat in regular restaurants and move around the coastal area, it should cost around 400KN per day. But if you want to have the best hotel and eat at the best restaurant, be prepared to double that. Families are better off renting an apartment than staying in a hotel. A 1-bedroom apartment on the coast for three people is around 275-600KN per day. Apartments can cost more than hotels since they have more space, include a kitchen and can't earn extra from the hotel restaurant or a minibar. One possibility for saving money could be to use some inflatable camping beds to sleep four people in an apartment that is designed for two.
Apartments Croatia - TravelAdriatic.net preferred


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The Mental Health Associate provides care to the patients and maintains a safe environment under the direct supervision of the Registered Nurse. Responsibilities include but are not limited to: Group and individual patient supervision, facilitation of educational group activities and assisting with ADL's (i.e., Feeding, bathing, toileting, ambulating, etc.). All methods of practice shall conform to written hospital policies and procedures and be carried out to the highest achievable level of competence in a manner demonstrating concern and consideration. The Mental Health Associate will demonstrate the Barnabas Health philosophy to Total Quality Management by actively applying that philosophy in all dealings with both internal and external customers.
Position is 12 hours per week, following a period of orientation and training.
*Baccalaureate degree psychology or related field.
*Minimum one year experience, training or education in the field of treatment preferred.
*Must possess excellent communication, time management, and interpersonal skills.
*Experience as a nursing assistant or in a patient care setting helpful.
*Current BLS for Health Care Providers (CPR and AED) Program Certification, or able to obtain within 30 days of employment.
The Barnabas Health Behavioral Health Center (with Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus Behavioral Health Services) constitutes a freestanding 100-bed acute care psychiatric facility which provides inpatient and intensive outpatient programs for adults and older adults diagnosed with psychiatric and dual disorders.
Apply on company website


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Riccardo Betti named inaugural Robert L. McCrory Professor
Riccardo Betti, professor of mechanical engineering and of physics and astronomy at the University of Rochester, was named the inaugural Robert L. McCrory Professor at an installation ceremony on April 3. Endowed by an anonymous donor, the professorship honors Robert L. McCrory, who has been the director of the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) for three decades.
"Riccardo is an internationally recognized leader in the domain of fusion energy research," said Robert L. Clark, senior vice president for research and dean of the Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. "It is very special for the University to have a scholar of his caliber be the inaugural holder of the Robert L. McCrory Professorship."
"Professor Betti is an exceptionally talented scholar and I am honored with his appointment as the first scholar to occupy the Robert L. McCrory Professorship," said McCrory, who also expressed his gratitude to Raymond J. Mayewski, M.D., professor of medicine and chief medical officer at the University of Rochester Medical Center, who was "instrumental in securing the funding for the McCrory Professorship from a grateful anonymous donor." At the same ceremony, McCrory was himself named University Professor.
Betti is also the assistant director for academic affairs at the LLE. Prior to joining the LLE and the faculty of the University in 1991, Betti received his Ph.D. in nuclear engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Betti explained that his goal to perform fusion research attracted him to Rochester. "Fusion experiments are very expensive, and the scale of the experiments usually are outside the normal scale of a university experiment," Betti said. "So there are only very few places that have fusion experiments of this scale and that are associated with a university." In Rochester, Betti said, he could find both.
The University's LLE comprises the OMEGA 60 laser system (inaugurated 1995) and the OMEGA EP laser system (inaugurated 2008), which scientists from around the world utilize in their quest to develop nuclear fusion as a reliable energy source. "Fusion has the promise of an unlimited energy source for the future," says Betti. But bringing that promise to fruition, he cautions, is "incredibly complex."
Betti conducts research in two areas: inertial confinement fusion – with a focus on the hydrodynamic instability of inertial confinement fusion capsule implosions – and magnetic fusion energy.
In 2011, Betti received the Ernest Orlando Award from the U.S. Department of Energy for a series of theoretical discoveries he has made in the physics of inertial confinement fusion. He has also received the leadership award from the Board of Directors of the Fusion Power Associates "for the leadership he has been providing to the U.S. and world inertial fusion efforts," and the Edward Teller Medal from the American Nuclear Society for his "seminal contributions to the theory and understanding of hydrodynamic instabilities, implosion dynamics and thermonuclear ignition in inertial confinement fusion."
Betti is a fellow of the American Physical Society, the vice chair of the Division of Plasma Physics of the American Physical Society, and a member of the Board of Physics and Astronomy of the National Academy of Science. He served as chair of the National Research Council Plasma-Science Committee and vice chair of the Fusion Energy Science Advisory Committee. He has been the head of the theory department at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and visiting professor at MIT, University of Texas at Austin, the Institute for Theoretical Physics at the University of California at Santa Barbara and the Comissariat á l'Ènergie Atomique in Paris. He also holds a baccalaureate/master in nuclear engineering from the University of Rome.
Under McCrory's leadership, the LLE – the largest single laboratory and research program at the University – has established itself as a world-leading laboratory for the investigation of inertial confinement fusion. Since becoming its director, McCrory has been responsible for securing $1.6 billion in funding for the LLE. The laboratory has consistently received outstanding reviews from the DOE and the National Nuclear Security Agency.
McCrory received his bachelor's and doctorate degrees in physics from MIT. He began his research in inertial fusion at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and came to the University as a scientist in 1976. He was named director of the LLE in 1983 and professor of mechanical engineering in 1986. He was also appointed to vice provost in 2006 and vice president in 2011.
His honors include election as a fellow of the American Physical Society, and he has served on several National Academy of Sciences committees on military space policy and plasma science. He remains the national leader of the development of the direct-drive inertial fusion concept, and he has authored or co-authored more than 250 articles in scientific journals.
Category: University News


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Cover LGBT Legislation at Instinct
Instinct, the bimonthly magazine for gay and bi-sexual men, is always on the hunt for quality content from freelance writers.
Editor-in-chief Jeff Katz told Mediabistro that he appreciates writing that has a casual but personal voice. "Our tone is approachable and fun. We want to say the things you'd hope your best friend would tell you, so we're also a little bit sassy, sometimes a little provocative," he added, "but we're honest."
Katz is also looking for stories that pertain to issues facing the LGBT community. "As gay rights change and people are getting married and adopting children, we want to continue to reflect those stories. In the upcoming issue, we're doing a piece on finances to discuss how marriage laws play into power of attorney," he said. "I don't think that's a story that would've been done 10 years ago, but it's a nice change."
The best part? 30 percent of all pitches are accepted. For more, read How to Pitch Instinct [Mediabistro AvantGuild subscription required]
— Nicholas Braun
The full version of this article is exclusively available to Mediabistro AvantGuild subscribers. If you're not a member yet, register now for as little as $55 a year for access to hundreds of articles like this one, discounts on Mediabistro seminars and workshops, and all sorts of other bonuses.


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- Description
Animal Printed Cotton Bedding Sets
Getting a new set of bedding is a great way to give your bedroom a mini-makeover and give yourself the warmth and comfort you want.
Material: 100% Cotton
Pattern : Animal Printed
Uses: Home, Hotel and more
Available Sizes: Full, King, Queen & Twin
Bedding comes in the same sizes as mattresses like single, double, twin, full, queen, king easy to match your sheets and blankets to your mattress size.
Different style, size, colors are available.
Min.Order Quantity: 1 Twenty-Foot Container
Supply Ability: 10000 Piece/Pieces per Month
Port: JNPT
Payment Terms: L/C,T/T
Packaging Details : Polybag, Carton Bags and Outer Carton or customized
Delivery Details: 30 Days
- Additional Information
Additional Information
Call For Price No
- Reviews


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The iPad 3 will prevent Apple's share of the tablet market from eroding as quickly as once thought, market watcher IHS iSuppli has admitted.
Back in February 2011, iSuppli forecast that Apple's share of the tablet business would fall below 50 per cent in 2013. A year on, and it reckons that point won't be reach until 2015.
"With the arrival Windows 8 on ARM microprocessors postponed to 2013, and most of the Android competitors now regrouping, IHS has lowered the media tablet forecast for Apple competitors in 2012," said iSuppli tablet specialist Rhoda Alexander.
"This means Apple will continue to capture the majority of the market well into 2014."
Data source: IHS iSuppli
It's not just the iPad 3 that will help Apple do so. Keeping the iPad 2 on the books and cutting its price a little will help Apple reach out to punters put off by its relatively high prices, iSuppli said.
Releasing a smaller model - the rumoured 7.85in 'iPad Mini', say - will help too, we'd add.
Thanks to its low price, Amazon's 7in Kindle Fire led to a collapse in Android tablet pricing during H2 2011. The average street price for Android tablets fell 41 per cent during that time, iSuppli said.
iSuppli noted that it now believes 124m tablets will ship this year, up 90 per cent on 2011's total, 65m units. It predicted shipments will rise to 285m in 2015 - when just under half of that amount will be iPads - and 311m in 2016. ®


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in dis simple gui iam reading in the text from textfield tf and displaying the result in textfield trf.
the problem iam facing is quite amusing actually,when i run the gui for the 1st time,i get the correct output,ie if my text is say 'madam' i get the output saying 'madam is a palindrome'
i use the 'refresh' button to clear both fields .
when i give the input text,the second time,irrespective of my input,i keep getting the output dat entered text is a palindrome.
i set the input string 'in' to null after i completed the process of checking for a palindrome.
but that dosent seem to help either.


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I'm not a middle-of-the-roader and wasn't aiming for a compromise position with my discussion paper, "The Case for Open Journalism Now: A new framework for informing communities," published early this month by the University of Southern California's Annenberg Innovation Lab. Instead, I sought to identify and propel a culture shift that might build a healthier relationship among those who produce journalism and others who consume news and information.
Yet the values and emerging practices I call open journalism stand apart from the polarizing intramural debate on whether quality journalism in the future will come from institutions, information networks or individuals. (Answer: yes.) This intermittent fight, which broke out again following a recent Dean Starkman piece in CJR, forces people into corners. After a recent USC Annenberg event at the National Press Club where I gave a talk on this paper, a young journalism academic told me he hadn't read "The Case for Open Journalism Now" but added, "I'm probably against it — the whole thing."
Open journalism should be up for debate, like any idea, but it's built squarely on some of the traditional journalism values we're so quick to protect. "Open journalism" just gives it a name and now, a better roadmap for two-way journalism in the digital era (see the five tenets below).
My open journalism idea sees journalism as acts that provide service in the larger context of Internet-era communication. It recognizes that communities gain from skilled and expert journalism (there never has been enough) and that such work has the best hope of success through robust connections to sources, citizens and other contributors in a networked information universe.
Public affairs journalism, especially the time-consuming work of investigative reporting and accountability coverage that relies on accumulated knowledge and expertise, is indeed a public good and must be responsive to those it serves. Those who provide it need to build trust as well as tangible support such as digital subscriptions, e-book payments, organizational alliances, donations or philanthropic grants. In 2012 and beyond, in the communication age that has blossomed post-Internet, such support involves not blind faith but open and active connection.
Explore transparency
Consider the new "Explore Sources" tool unveiled by ProPublica last week as part of a story by Marshall Allen on a Texas woman's efforts to learn how her husband had died. Explore Sources (which readers can turn on or off) allows web viewers to click on highlighted information and view primary source material. News applications developer Al Shaw's blog post explained both the function of the tool and how it was built, concluding: "While Explore Sources is just an experiment, we look forward to finding new ways to use it to make our reporting process more transparent and accountable, and when we can we'll open-source the code so other newsrooms can show their work, too."
I began my work at USC Annenberg in June intending to focus on how journalism contributes to community engagement in public life and to spotlight experiments that seemed to be working. I quickly learned that Joy Mayer, a Reynolds Journalism Institute fellow, was finishing an academic year's work on this topic and that many interesting experiments were too young to assess in any fair way.
Rather than repeat Mayer's work and other recent explorations, I wanted to build on it. Away from the front lines of most mainstream news flow, I found a web-influenced culture responding in new ways to journalism values of serving community needs and making a difference. Peer-level collaboration was sparking invention and problem-solving, especially involving data journalism and investigative methods. Social media tools were enabling more direct dialogue among news providers and their sources, contributors and customers.
In a small but significant number of exceptions to the norm, and in the ideas of a number of writers and practitioners, I glimpsed a nascent but potentially transformative approach to journalism that could build trust and support (moral and practical) for informing communities in key ways amid media upheaval. Alan Rusbridger and The Guardian called their strategy "open journalism on the web."
Open journalism struck me as the right headline for framing journalism as a true public endeavor: accountable, responsible and accessible, like open government or an open kitchen or "Open Leadership," the title of a book by social media consultant Charlene Li.
My experience leading newsrooms in North Carolina and California taught me that ideas need both support and structure to turn into improvements. I wanted not just to argue for direction, but to offer useful guidance to practitioners — in any size of newsroom, nonprofit or commercial, and to individuals — on how open journalism can and does work for quality as well as relevance. I highlighted journalism action, not theories, demonstrating creative and often effective new approaches to the core mission of providing timely, accessible and high-quality coverage.
You can find examples and references linked throughout the discussion paper and highlighted in a sidebar element called "100 Ideas, Arguments and Illustrations for Open Journalism." Additionally, I offered "Action Steps for News People" in the five key categories I identified for open journalism to emphasize:
5 tenets of open journalism
- Transparency: Buzzword or not, this is a contemporary cultural value that connects deeply to journalism tradition. Yet it's a value news providers must more openly embrace in the processes and the presentation of news coverage. For instance, established media sites rest on "brand" and rarely explain their missions or practices. New information and news sites, perhaps because they're introducing themselves and working to build brands, routinely tell users who they are, what their editorial mission is, and how they're funded. The best of them provide easy links to staff at all levels and take the next steps to embracing "show your work" tactics such as posting original data, using blogging to explain how journalism is made, and inviting others to make use of resources. News organizations here and there are opening up or webstreaming news meetings, sharing working story lists, soliciting questions and input, and explaining how corrections are handled.
- Responsiveness and engagement as central functions rather than add-ons: Open journalism makes newsgathering and dissemination two-way practices that ask and answer questions and invest trust even while expecting to be trusted. This matters for community value but also has benefits as business practice. The Internet has changed the expectations of viewers and readers — more broadly, customers. Companies learn the hard way about failing to monitor or respond to user input, which now often happens via social media. In this environment, providers of news and information suffer when lines of communication are unmonitored (online story comments being the case in point) or miss opportunities when these lines operate as one-way channels (e.g., here's our story, what do you think?) By seeing engagement as part of newsgathering rather than as link promotion, journalists can pick up on news tips and promising sources and, in turn, make their work more useful by delivering on requests for certain information.
- Substantive and mutually rewarding participation: The interplay among news providers and others who exchange and supply information gets more attention than other aspects of open journalism and fuels the most debate (over citizen journalism, for instance, a term almost no one likes). Yet notable experiments such as HuffingtonPost's OffTheBus presidential campaign crowdsourcing effort in 2008 (back for 2012) are being joined by a rapidly expanding menu of ways that news and community information sites are tapping contributions and knowledge. On most news sites "user generated content" gets little respect or attention, and again the vandals who troll online comment sites consume far too much of the resources newsrooms have for interaction. We're ready for the next steps in understanding that people want to participate in life, not news sites. Some news sites are improving interaction tools, using forms and other mechanisms to streamline participation and engaging in more active social media dialogue with contributors.
- Collaboration: This is an overused word, perhaps, because true collaboration is less common than an expanding list of cross-promotion and content sharing. Yet the open-source ideas infecting some newsrooms via the influence of programmers and technology have produced direct benefits for some kinds of journalism. Practitioners working to analyze data and to map and graphically display their findings regularly share knowledge and software via traditional channels (such as Investigative Reporters and Editors) and new ones including the GitHub software website.
- Networked presence: Information-sharing happens online through many crisscrossing networks, from fan communities and social media to highly specialized knowledge blogs and discussion forums. It also happens in person, often in conjunction with digital community-building. News sites may be where most people, in one way or another, pick up headlines and traditional news, but other networks supply a vastly greater variety and style of information. By understanding the greater context and looking for ways to carry out their service missions, news providers can make an important leap forward from the gatekeeper role that defined journalism for so long. The next conceptual leap involves community-level collaboration around the goals of information as a service.
"The Case for Open Journalism Now" is one of the first "Future of Journalism" efforts by the Annenberg Innovation Lab, built as a simple website with a response function. Please add your thoughts, criticism and links. However far the Internet has taken us already, those who believe in quality journalism as public service have only begun to comprehend the opportunities ahead.
The only thing certain is that we're building journalism's future now through our actions and our omissions. I prefer the former.
Melanie Sill is the Executive in Residence at the USC Annenberg School of Communication & Journalism. Before joining USC Annenberg Sill was senior vice president and top editor at the Sacramento Bee in California and The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C. Raised in Hawaii, Sill earned her journalism degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard in 1993-94.


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i3 Features
Aqua Lung's innovative i3™ inflation system found exclusively in Aqua Lung BCs.
Its greatest asset is its simplicity and how intuitive it is to use. The i3 is simple and intuitive. Move the lever up to inflate; down to deflate your jacket. What could be easier? What's more, when dumping air from the BC, the i3 (patented) opens all of the new Flat E-Valves at once. Gone are the days of deciding which valve to reach for based upon your orientation in the water.
Features of i3:
- Intuitive design makes buoyancy control safer and easier
- Opens upper and lower dump valves simultaneously. No more thinking about which dump valve to reach for
- Over-molded lever prevents gloves from slipping off while using
- Increased flow rate over traditional inflators. Allows you to fill your BC faster
- Attached dust cap prevents contaminants from entering mechanism when not in use
- The i3 uses fewer parts and is easier to service compared to standard inflators
- Using the new LP hose grip, the LP hose can be attached or removed while wearing the BC. This will satisfy instructional agency requirements to disconnect and reattach LP hose while training
Features of Flat E-Valves:
- Extremely low profile reduces drag in the water
- Utilize a one-way valve to prevent water from back flushing in when all of the valves open
- Very easy to service
- Activated with push-rod technology making them very responsive


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For the last 14 years the denizens of the USENET group rec.arts.int-fiction have been keeping the Text Adventure flag flying with hundreds of new games and an annual competition to find the best of the year's crop. 2008 has seen 35 new entries with some real standouts both in quality of puzzles and a willingness to stretch the definition of text adventures/interactive fiction.
First prize this year went to Jeremy Freese for his game Violet. Written in Z-Code (a modern reworking of Infocom's original adventure engine) the game sees you trying to write a 1000 word article while dealing with some unusual distractions.
IF Comp 2008 Results: Congrats, Violet! [Grand Text Auto]


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PT EMS Paramitra
PT EMS Paramitra is one of the best IT Consulting and System Implementor in Indonesia. We provide products and services that enable the client to have total solutions. Solutions that enable our clients to utilize information as strategic resource, transformed to be more efficient and highly competitive, and to become highperformance businesses.
PT EMS Paramitra offers a range of strategic services by experience professionals with a deep knowledge of best practice, and focus to provide solutions that aligned to the customer's business objective, therefore we understand that you need to be able to discuss to the IT professional easily about the challenge you face and to describe overall requirements
PT EMS Paramitra puts together team of highly skill and individual and we had proven succeed and delivered best solution in implement Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System to our client specialized in Utility, Mining, Defense, Oil & Gas Industry
In the journey to deliver these values to our clients, we have invested our efforts and energy to build a methodology that boosts business value, empowers performance, and focuses on delivery. With this methodology we can reduce risks, execute with high performance, and deliver with high quality.
To be part of our phenomenal growth, we are looking for talented and outstanding people with strong initiative, integrity, responsible and hard working to join us in the following role:
Payroll Consultant (PYR)
Jakarta Raya
- Male, should not more than 28 years old
- An excellent university degree in Accounting with GPA above 3.00/4.00
- Fresh Graduate or maximum 2 years of related experience
- Familiar with Human Resource & Payroll Management is preferable
- Fluency in English (spoken & written) is mandatory
- Pleasant personality and able to work in a team
- Able to work under pressure and ready to work over time
- This position to be stationed at our Jakarta Office and will require frequent travel to client sites or overseas
(only short listed candidates will be proceed further)
visit us: www.ems.co.id and our partner: www.ventyx.com
Closing Date:22-05-13
PT Megah Sembada Industries
An expanding Manufacturing company which has been certified ISO 9001, are looking for the candidates.
Accounting Staff
Cibinong (Jawa Barat), Cileungsi (Jawa Barat)
Calculate cost of production, material usage and stock reporting
- Female age 25 - 28
- From well known Universities with Accounting degree
- GPA / IPK minimum 3.0
- Experience 3 - 5 years in the same position (costing).
- Computer literate & Basic costing knowledge
- Honest, loyal, responsible.
( CV. Max size 1 MB )
Closing Date:22-05-13
PT Cipta Karya Kreatif
We're Hiring!
"Instant Photobooth & Mini Studio Instant Photo or Photo Souvenir "Moments To Go" is an instant photo corner that provides a very unique and entertaining experience that everyone will surely enjoy and talk about. With our unlimited photo print packages, let your guests take pictures all night long. Do party props and costumes to add more fun and craze in taking photos.
"Moments To Go" guarantees a memorable event filled with arty and delightful buzz. "Moments To Go" is suitable for your memorable event & parties, i.e : corporate events, trade show, weddings, reunion, gathering, proms, birthday, etc
Finance & Accounting
Jakarta Raya
- Wanita, usia antara 20 - 30 tahun
- Pendidikan min. D3 Keuangan/ Akuntansi atau setara
- Dapat mengaplikasikan MS. Office
- Dapat membuat laporan Cash Flow
- Mengerti dan memahami tentang laporan keuangan
- Dapat membuat perencanaan anggaran operasional perusahaan
- Jujur, dan teliti
Microsoft word/PDF Only
Closing Date:22-05-13
PT Daya Maha Berkarya ( IRIS WORLDWIDE)
Iris Worldwide is a member of the NAVA+ group, an independent, integrated marketing communications agency with offices throughout Asia Pacific, Europe and the United States.
Today iris is one of the world's fastest growing agency networks and is 100% independent, which means it is agile in both scale and offerings and can therefore continually improve, innovate and adapt to remain focused on what really matters to clients.
From management consulting, advertising, CRM, digital, retail, experiential, PR and sponsorship, iris' 'Media Anything, Idea Everything' philosophy comes to life under one roof…literally.
The team has grown from just seven people in 1999 to over 750 people worldwide, based at iris Towers in London, Manchester, Paris, Amsterdam, Munich, Madrid, Jakarta, Delhi, Singapore, Sydney, Beijing, New York, Miami, Portland and Atlanta. Look out for iris in new markets this year, with expansion planned in Russia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Sweden.
Iris recognizes that people are its most important asset and invests heavily in talent attraction and retention, which was recognized when the agency came 10th in the Sunday Times '100 Best Companies\ to Work For 2009' and 5th in Crain's 'Best Workplaces in New York 2008'.
We're giving you the opportunity to start a career at an independent global creative agency, and deliver extraordinary ideas for some of the world's most recognized brands.
We are particularly interested in entrepreneurial self starters who truly have a passion for their work and career.
The available posts are:
Accounting Clerk
Jakarta Raya - Gd.Oleos 1, Mampang Prapatan Raya
- Daily responsibilities:
- Making journal.
- Making invoice.
- Candidate must possess at least a Diploma or Bachelor's Degree majoring Economics, Finance/Accountancy/Banking or equivalent.
- At least 1 year(s) of working experience in the related field is required for this position.
- Applicants must be willing to work in Gd.Oleos 1,Mampang Prapatan Raya.
- Preferably Staff (non-management & non-supervisor)s specializing in Finance - General/Cost Accounting or equivalent.
- Full-Time position(s) available.
your career with a bang?
Send your CV to:
Applications will be treated confidentially. Interested candidates shall submit an applications and
detailed resume stating the relevant information including current and expected salary and
the most updated photograph at the latest two weeks after thisadvertisement
(Put the POSITION TITLE as a subject of your e-mail)
Closing Date:22-05-13
Sekian Informasi "LOWONGAN KERJA AKUNTANSI" yang dapat kami sampaikan, semoga dapat membantu Anda dalam mencari pekerjaan di di profesi yang anda inginkan untuk bulan Mei 2013. Salam sukses....


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There is a simple answer: Muslim votes. The Samajwadi Party and the Left Front are absolutely delighted with the current turn of events. We can expect the Election Commission to announce the polling dates in West Bengal and Kerala very soon. The Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha still has some way to go but the political situation is so fluid that the jockeying for position has already begun.
The vote against Iran might not have made a particularly catchy election issue, but recent events have conspired to make it otherwise. I refer, of course, to the Cartoon Riots that have spread across the world. They have, once again, made it clear that there are some issues that concern Muslims across the globe irrespective of nationality. A large section of Muslims -- perhaps even the majority -- now seem to believe that the 'West' is conspiring against Islam, thus making the Danish cartoons and the efforts to rein in Iran seem part of a larger 'conspiracy.'
This perception leads both Mulayam Singh Yadav and his Marxist comrades to believe that the Congress has blundered. If the United States is anti-Muslim, and the Manmohan Singh ministry voted with the Americans against an Islamic power, then the Congress is itself inimical to Muslims. That is the logic that the Samajwadi Party and the Left want voters to believe.
As far as West Bengal is concerned this may be the first truly fair election since 1977, with the Election Commission determined to be as strict as it was in neighbouring Bihar. Personally, I think the Left Front will still romp home but the Marxists are taking no chances. Kerala should be, if anything, an even safer bet for the Left given the truly pathetic performance of the Congress-led United Democratic Front ministry. But margins of victory are traditionally small in Kerala, and every vote counts.
Conspiracy theories about a 'Christian West' manoeuvring to target the world of Islam carry a lot of resonance in southern India. I was in Bangalore
The two chief ministers who have led the UDF ministry in Kerala are Christians, namely A K Antony and Oomen Chandy. Antony is in charge of Karnataka, which is also represented in the Congress Working Committee by Margaret Alva and Oscar Fernandes (Christians both).
The chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, Rajasekhara Reddy, is a Christian, as is CWC member N Janardhan Reddy. Vayalar Ravi, who joined the Union Cabinet in the recent reshuffle, is married to a Christian. And so on and so forth. As my interlocutor put it, rather bitterly, south of the Vindhyas the only 'minority' recognised by the Congress is the Christian segment.
I am fairly certain that the same compilation has been made by the CPI-M. Marxist cadres are already spreading the word in Kerala that Mani Shankar Aiyar was shunted out of the petroleum ministry because he was pushing for the gas pipeline from Iran, thus inviting American wrath. Sonia Gandhi's 'neglect' of Muslim leaders from southern India and her government's friendship with the United States are really two sides of the same electoral coin.
The campaign to spread this impression seems to be faring quite well in Kerala (where I spent 10 days last week). But I honestly cannot say how much of an impact it will have on the election. The Antony and Oomen Chandy ministries made such a name for themselves for non-performance that it is hard to believe that any additional unpopularity would make much of a difference!
But if all this pleases the Left and Mulayam Singh Yadav, such talk goes down badly with the DMK and the Muslim League. Both parties are already enjoying the fruits of power, meaning berths in the Union Council of Ministers. Both also count, to a lesser or greater extent, on Muslim votes. With Prakash Karat and Mulayam Singh Yadav both raising the tempo about the Manmohan Singh ministry being 'pro-American' -- by implication 'anti-Muslim' -- the DMK and Muslim League are scared of guilt by association.
I am absolutely sure that we shall hear more, a lot more, about the American influence in Delhi, until the elections are held in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. But there is no truly serious debate about foreign policy in the future. The true aim is the Muslim vote.


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Breeders' Cup
Sponsored By
Breeders' Cup Classic: California Chrome Runs For RedemptionAll of the equine stars from the most prestigious 3-year old races this past spring and summer will meet in the Breeders' Cup Classic on Saturday at Santa Anita Park in California, where California Chrome is running for redemption.
Breeders' Cup: Game On Dude Poised (Again) To Get His Classic
A Solid Field Against 'The Dude' In The 2012 Breeders' Cup ClassicThis year's Breeders' Cup Classic is the second year in a row without a certifiable star. Even without the star power, it is the feature race during the Breeders' Cup two-day program of races this Friday and Saturday at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.
A 'Royal' Field Lined Up For The Breeders' Cup Ladies' ClassicThe Ladies' Classic is clearly the best race of Breeders' Cup weekend which is scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The field of eight fillies and mares have won a combined fifty-seven races from ninety-four starts, an incredible 60% winning percentage.


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| 7.6°C Belfast
Ben Whishaw is replacing Colin Firth as the voice of Paddington bear in the upcoming movie.
The James Bond actor is taking over after The King's Speech star Colin left Paddington last month, admitting that he was having trouble finding the Peruvian bear's voice.
Ben, 33, told the Daily Mail he was asked to audition for director Paul King's film "quite out of the blue" and was initially unsure about the project.
"I resisted a little bit, because I had a bad experience doing this kind of work in the past and I thought I was no good at it. But I was persuaded to go, slightly grudgingly,' he said.
The star said he is excited because his 18-month-old niece will be able to hear him in the live-action/CG blend film, which also features Nicole Kidman, Peter Capaldi, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins and Julie Walters.
But he confessed that he is mystified by the process of voicing the computer-generated bear.
"I just arrive and wear this funny helmet that has a camera attached to it. It's highly mysterious to me," he laughed.
Colin announced in June that he was dropping out of Paddington.
The Oscar-winning star, 53, used a term introduced by actress Gwyneth Paltrow and husband Chris Martin when they recently announced their separation, to reveal that he and the movie had parted ways.
"It's been bittersweet to see this delightful creature take shape and come to the sad realisation that he simply doesn't have my voice," he said.
"After a period of denial, we've chosen conscious uncoupling.
"I've had the joy of seeing most of the film and it's going to be quite wonderful. I still feel rather protective of this bear and I'm pestering them all with suggestions for finding a voice worthy of him."
Director King said the split was amicable and that although working with Colin was "a joy", they came to agree that the actor and the bear "didn't seem to fit".
The filmmaker said he now feels he has found his perfect Paddington in Ben.
He said: "He breathes and he speaks and he sounds like Paddington, rather than the most beautiful chocolate-voiced man [Colin] on the planet."
Duffel coat-wearing, marmalade-loving Paddington was created by Michael Bond for a series of books.
The film, due out in the UK on November 28, sees the bear despatched from his native jungle by his aunt Lucy, smuggled aboard a boat to England and named after the London station where he is found.
His misadventures with his adopted Brown family see him trying to evade a sinister taxidermist (Kidman).


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Using Structs
From ROBOTC API Guide
General Programming → Programming Tips Tricks → Using Structs
Structs are variables made of a collection of other variables. Again, this is not unique to ROBOTC, but still useful in general, and not as widely known to beginning programmers. I'll demonstrate with an example:
typedef struct{ int maxPos; int minPos; int armSpeed; int prevSensorValues[10]; } robotArm;
This is an example of a struct. If you have multiple arms on your robot, you can have a struct to hold the properties of each one.
A struct is implemented, and its components are accessed like this:
robotArm leftArm; leftArm.maxPos = 2000; leftArm.minPos = 150; leftArm.armSpeed = 100;
This tip was posted by magicode over at http://www.vexforum.com/showpost.php?p=220816&postcount=4.


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Because we understand the essential role of parks and recreation in creating healthy communities, NRPA has worked tirelessly to promote initiatives that help our members implement top-notch programs for fitness and nutritious eating. Our Commit to Health campaign supports the implementation and evaluation of Healthy Eating, Physical Activity (HEPA) standards in park and recreation sites across the country, like Maryland's Montgomery County Department of Recreation. Here, Manager of Youth Development Adriane Clutter gives us a behind-the-scenes look at how her agency took steps to implement HEPA standards in both public-facing programming and everyday activities among staff.
When facing a daunting task, high-stakes project or an attempt to change culture, I constantly hear the voice of my mentor and old supervisor asking, "How do you eat an elephant?" As the voice grows louder in my head, I begin to hear my usual reply, "I know, I know, one bite at a time."
Sometimes we have to present the "elephant" to our colleagues, staff and stakeholders in small pieces — where sweet success comes with every bite. The smallest changes can make the greatest amount of transformational gains. In youth development, we call this "motivation to mastery." It is like the first time you learn to put your face in the water and hold your breath. The next thing you know, you are standing on the edge of the diving board contemplating the leap. With every little accomplishment, you get the courage to go further and further. That same thing applies here. We just needed to start with something small, like pizza!
The Montgomery County Department of Recreation (MCDR) in Maryland has been providing high-quality, affordable programs that are safe and enjoyable for years, and we have accepted a new challenge to earnestly evaluate policy in an effort to eliminate practices that contradict healthy behaviors. Food, more specifically pizza in large quantities, was often the hook used by many departments to get kids in the door and into safe places — an example of good intentions with inadvertent consequences. I once thought about putting out an RFP to all the local pizza places because we ordered such high volume!
NRPA's Commit to Health initiative, forged in partnership with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and Partnership for a Healthier America, highlights an important function of park and recreation agencies that goes beyond simply getting people in the door to register for our programs. It includes the introduction of Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (HEPA) standards, which offer guidelines for agencies seeking to provide healthier eating options to members, guests, campers and visitors. The HEPA standards challenged MCDR staff to put into practice the sort of positive lifestyle choices we advocate for the communities we serve. We see them as more than just standards — they are indicators that help to paint a clear picture of what success in healthier habits looks like.
Most appealing, HEPA standards won't expire, unlike many other programs offered by recreation departments that typically have a beginning and end, run in life cycles, and ebb and flow as the political tides change. Often, healthy program initiatives are difficult to measure and staff members are likely to dismiss new efforts as just another good intention that eventually will fade away. This time, in Montgomery County, we decided things were going to be different.
The minute you mention the words "standards" or "policy," people start to panic as if the aforementioned elephant just crashed into the room. We knew we were going to need a new approach. We knew that the language of management had to reflect the culture we wanted to create. We began to use words and phrases such as "quality," "recognition," "new approach" and "doing business differently." Soon staff members started to associate themselves with higher standards of quality in both their personal efforts and in the programs they provide. Repetition has become a very important tactic — talking openly about the new standards at every opportunity, from staff meetings and business luncheons to personal conversations at the water cooler, has become an essential factor to success.
Small steps such as altering the snack inventory from greasy pizzas to fresh fruits and vegetables are indicative of MCDR's progress toward becoming a department entrenched in the philosophy of wellness. We at MCDR are aiming to integrate HEPA standards in everything we do, and we began by assessing our current practices. We knew that we had to help ourselves first before we would be in a position to help others, like when a flight attendant says, "When the mask drops from the overhead bin, secure your mask first, and then assist the persons next to you." We adopted a Healthy Eating Standard to indicate staff should not eat unhealthy foods in front of participants. We also made sure healthy options were available at staff meetings whenever food was served. This was an easy way for management to set the tone.
The Food Fun & Fitness program offered this summer is an example of how HEPA standards were integrated into MCDR's traditional public-facing programming. The program, offered in partnership with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), provided a balance of healthy activity to hundreds of children, while serving more than 14,000 healthy meals. The program was pivotal in ensuring that children had access to nutritious food and physical activity during the summer months. This new approach not only helped to tell our story, it also helped MCPS overcome the bias of the dreaded healthy school lunch. This Food Fun & Fitness video featuring children from the Fox Chapel neighborhood in Germantown, Maryland, is an example of MCDR's public declaration that access to quality health and physical activity is our greatest priority. This program shows how policy changes translate into on-the-ground success.
It has only been a few months since we began integrating HEPA standards into our programming and we are already seeing positive changes.
Here are five easy ways to introduce the HEPA standards in your department:
- Decide to Commit to Health — declare it publicly and in writing;
- Recruit others to join you;
- Create opportunities for small wins;
- Change your language; and
- Repeat and model your message everywhere you go, from the front desk staff to the board member
Learn more about Commit to Health, HEPA standards and how you or your agency can begin making healthier nutritional choices.
How can your agency make small changes to incorporate the HEPA standards? Share your thoughts in the comments below or on twitter with the hashtag #CommitToHealth.
Adriane Clutter is the manager of youth development for the Montgomery County Department of Recreation in Maryland. Judy Stiles, media and public relations specialist contributed to the development of this post.


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Every so often, you might want to disable something on your PC. However, you'll need to dig deep down in the Control Panel settings to make that happen. Here are five apps that let you disable everything from your Aero Glass effects to your keyboard at the click of a button.
1. Disable the touchpad with TouchFreeze
Changing specific settings to automatically disable the touchpad when typing could be cumbersome, so TouchFreeze comes to the rescue. You needn't fiddle with the Control Panel settings anymore – just install the utility and you're done – the touchpad will not be active during typing if TouchFreeze is running.
2. Disable Aero Effects with Aerofoil
Aerofoil is a simple utility that runs from the system tray and lets you disable all snazzy Aero Glass effects in Windows 7 with a single click. You can also use it to switch between multiple power plans you've created.
3. Disable the keyboard with Kid Key Lock
Kid Lock disables standard and special keys on your keyboard and mouse buttons. Pretty useful when you're going to clean your keyboard or if you have kids or pets in your home. The program runs from the system tray.
4. Disable the CapsLock key with Handicapslock
If you find yourself hitting the Caps Lock key often when you shouldn't, chances are you want to disable it. A Lifehacker reader created an AutoHotkey script that activates the Caps Lock key only when it's pressed twice, and you can download the same as an .exe from here.
We haven't tried this ourselves, but give it a go and let us know.
5. Disable UAC Prompts with TweakUAC
If you never want to get annoyed by those User Account Control notifications that often pop up, download TweakUAC and just hit Leave UAC off. The UAC is completely disabled, so you'll never get to see those again.
=== About the Author ===
Shankar writes at Killer Tech Tips, on everything ranging from keyboard shortcuts that make you productive to advanced Google search operators you may not know about. Check out his blog!


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Cycling review - Hoy crowned greatest Brit Olympian
London 2012 - Team GB utterly dominated the Track Cycling at the Velodrome. Chris Hoy took his Olympic gold medal tally to six with two more to become the country's greatest ever Olympian, and there were double successes for Jason Kenny and Laura Trott. On the roads, Tour de France victor Bradley Wiggins took gold in the Road Cycling Time Trial while Marianne Vos of the Netherlands won gold on The Mall in a thrilling climax to the women's Road Race.


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Dedicated to providing a safe environment for snowmobile enthusiasts riding in our county.
The Chautauqua Lake Snowmobile Club seeks to preserve and improve snowmobiling in our community so that future generations will be able to enjoy nature through snowmobiling as generations have done in the past.
read more >
Click Here To Learn How


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US President Barack Obama has written to outgoing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, applauding his "boldness and vision" in strengthening the bilateral strategic ties "that will have long-lasting impact" besides his resolve to reach out to Pakistan.
The US President also lauded Singh for his efforts to lift millions out of poverty and position India as a global leader.
Obama had also called up Singh last week to say he will miss working with him on a "day-to-day" basis.
"While it was a pleasure to talk to you on the phone, I wanted to respond to your thoughtful letter and put in writing my deep appreciation for your remarkable two terms in office," the US President said in the letter, which was in response to Singh's farewell letter to him.
Singh resigned on May 17, a day after BJP-led NDA got landslide majority in the Lok Sabha elections. Obama had called him hours later.
"With boldness and vision, during your ten years in office, you challenged our two nations to deepen our defense ties, engage in civil nuclear commerce, expand trade, and collaborate on clean energy technology while working through our differences," Obama wrote to Singh.
"I have tremendous gratitude for the critical role you have played in defining and expanding the strategic partnership between India and the United States," he said.
The US leader told Singh that his leadership helped "strengthen a strategic relationship that will have a long-lasting impact on our citizens and is already making the world a safer, more prosperous place."
Recalling their association, Obama said the two had joined to fight terrorism, prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and promote peace in Afghanistan.
"We also embarked on substantive, strategic exchanges that have helped shape our shared views of global developments, allowing us to coordinate and respond more effectively to breaking events," the US President wrote.
He said that even before he became President, he "greatly admired" Singh's dedication to alleviate India's poverty, primarily through economic reforms.
"Your efforts lifted millions out of poverty and positioned India for its transformation into a global leader."
He also commended Singh for his resolve to reach out to Pakistan, "which showed the path to a stable, peaceful South Asia."
Obama said he was "proud that the United States could play a role in your efforts to build a dynamic, prosperous nation, which I believe will bring great benefit to our countries and the world."


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Holyoke's 23-year-old mayor stunned his backers Monday when he reversed his position and said he is open to negotiating with a developer to bring a resort casino to the western Massachusetts city.
Holyoke's 23-year-old mayor stunned his backers Monday when he reversed his position and said he is open to negotiating with a developer to bring a resort casino to the western Massachusetts city.
Mayor Alex Morse ran on a staunch anti-casino platform in the November 2011 election when he defeated a mayor who supported casino gambling.
At a City Hall news conference that was punctuated by occasional jeers from casino foes, Morse defended his decision to consider a plan by Eric Suher, owner of a former amusement park on Mount Tom, to develop a casino, hotel and entertainment complex on the 70-acre site.
"Everyone knows that I have been strongly opposed to proposals to locate a casino in the city of Holyoke," Morse said in a prepared statement. "But when a business plan is presented to me, it is my responsibility to consider it."
Morse said he remains philosophically opposed to casino gambling, but was worried about the possible impact on Holyoke of a casino going up in nearby Springfield.
"For me, in an ideal world, we would not have a casino within our boundaries. My views on casinos have not changed and neither has my belief that a casino is unequivocally not our saving grace."
Casino foes said they were shocked by the mayor's reversal. One held a sign Monday reading "Morse lied to Holyoke." Another held a Morse campaign sign with an X drawn through it.
"Completely surprised, disappointed and feeling absolutely betrayed," said John Epstein, a business owner and lifelong city resident who has led the casino opposition.
Epstein, in an interview, said he and other casino opponents strongly supported Morse in his campaign last year against Mayor Elaine Pluta, delivering 6,000 flyers to households that highlighted his anti-casino stance.
"He just kind of fed us to the wolves," Epstein said of Morse's change of heart.
Shortly after he took office in January, Hard Rock International and Paper City Development abandoned a proposal for a resort casino at Wyckoff Country Club, citing the new mayor's opposition.
Morse indicated that he was still against a casino at that site, though Paper City executives have asked him to reconsider in light of his altered position on casinos.
Suher told The Republican newspaper he was in talks with Len and Mark Wolman, principals of the Waterford Group, about operating the casino. Waterford, according to its web site, was a former partner in the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn., and in the Twin River slot parlor in Lincoln, R.I.
Suher donated $350 to Morse's political committee in Dec. 2011, according to city records. Morse said there had been no "back room deals" leading to Monday's announcement.
As recently as last month, Morse wrote in an opinion column that a casino would undermine efforts to revitalize Holyoke's struggling economy. He said the gambling industry "produces nothing, sells nothing, and siphons money from the local economy," though he also acknowledged short-term benefits such as increased tax revenue.
Holyoke, a city of about 40,000 residents, had an average median household income of $31,948 during the past five years, less than half the median income for Massachusetts as a whole, according to the latest U.S. Census, which also found that 31 percent of residents lived below the federal poverty level.
Morse was a recent Brown University graduate when he became Holyoke's youngest-ever mayor, stressing a transition from the city's industrial past to a knowledge-based economy.
Springfield officials have expressed strong support for a casino in that city and are considering three separate proposals. Mohegan Sun, which has proposed a casino in Palmer, is also vying for the sole western Massachusetts casino license under the state's year-old gambling law.
Elaine Driscoll, a spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, said the panel has not yet been contacted about the Holyoke proposal. The commission has set a Jan. 15 deadline for would-be casino developers to submit preliminary applications and a $400,000, non-refundable application fee.
Epstein, who called Morse's reversal "political suicide," said opponents, would work to defeat the casino proposal in a referendum that would be required before the commission could consider the plan.
Holyoke voters, in 1995 and again in 2002, approved nonbinding ballot questions asking if they would support a casino in the city.


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ABT-888 and Temozolomide for Metastatic Breast Cancer and BRCA1/2 Breast Cancer
|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: NCT01009788
Recruitment Status : Active, not recruiting
First Posted : November 9, 2009
Last Update Posted : August 26, 2019
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
The purpose of this research study is to find out if the combination of ABT-888 and temozolomide is safe and effective in treating patients with metastatic breast cancer. ABT-888 works by obstructing a DNA enzyme called poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) which helps repair cancer cells damaged by chemotherapy. By blocking the PARP enzyme, the cancer cells are unable to repair themselves and as a result die. The other drug in this study is temozolomide. Temozolomide is designed to damage DNA in order to prevent cancer cells from reproducing. Because PARP inhibitors, such as ABT-888, prevent cancer cells from repairing their own DNA, they enhance the potential of chemotherapy therapy like temozolomide to induce cell death. The combination of ABT-888 and temozolomide has been used in a clinical trial for treatment of other cancers and information for this research study suggests that the combination may help to inhibit growth in breast cancer.
BRCA CARRIER EXPANSION COHORT: The purpose of the expansion cohort is to further evaluate the activity and safety of this combination in BRCA mutation carriers with metastatic breast cancer.
|Condition or disease
|Breast Cancer Metastatic Breast Cancer BRCA1 Gene Mutation brca2 Gene Mutation
|Drug: ABT-888 Drug: temozolomide
|Phase 2
- Each treatment cycle lasts 28 days. Participants will be given a supply of ABT-88 in the form of capsules which they will take twice daily on days 1-7 of each cycle. Temozolomide is also in capsule form and will be taken once daily on days 1-5 of each cycle.
- Participants will come into the clinic on day 1 of each cycle and will have the following tests and procedures performed: physical examination, vital signs and blood tests.
- On day 15 of cycles 1 and 2 and day 22 of each cycle, participants will have blood work done.
- An assessment fo the tumor by CT scan of the participants chest, abdomen and pelvis will be done every 2 cycles.
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Actual Enrollment :
|64 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Single Group Assignment
|None (Open Label)
|Primary Purpose:
|Official Title:
|A Phase 2 Study of ABT-888 and Temozolomide for Metastatic Breast Cancer and an Expansion Cohort in BRCA1/2 Mutation Carriers
|Study Start Date :
|November 2009
|Estimated Primary Completion Date :
|December 2020
|Estimated Study Completion Date :
|December 2021
Experimental: TMZ/ABT888
Combination therapy with temozolomide and veliparib
Drug: ABT-888
Capsules taken orally twice a day on days 1-7 of each 28 day cycle
Other Name: veliparib
Drug: temozolomide
capsules taken orally once a day on days 1 through 5 of a 28 day cycle
Other Name: TMZ
- To determine the objective response rate (ORR) of ABT-888 and temozolomide (TMZ) in metastatic breast cancer. [ Time Frame: 2 years ]To determine the percentage of all enrolled patients who have a partial or complete response
- To determine Safety and Efficacy in an Expansion Cohort of BRCA1/2 Mutation Carriers. [ Time Frame: 2 years ]An expansion cohort of 20 additional patients with BRCA1/2 Deleterious Mutations will be evaluated to further assess safety and efficacy of the combination of ABT888 and Temozolomide in metastatic breast cancer.
- To further characterize the safety and tolerability of ABT-888 and TMZ in patients with metastatic breast cancer. [ Time Frame: 2 years ]
- To evaluate progression free survival. [ Time Frame: 5 years ]To determine the median time to progression of all patients
- To evaluate the clinical benefit rate. [ Time Frame: 2 years ]to determine the percentage of patients who achieve a partial or complete response or stable disease
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 and older (Adult, Older Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Histologically or cytologically confirmed breast cancer that is metastatic (Stage IV) or locally advanced recurrent breast cancer that is unresectable and for which standard curative or palliative measures do not exist or are no longer effective.
- Measurable disease by RECIST criteria
- All immunohistochemical subtypes of breast cancer are eligible. HER2 positive breast cancer must have progressed on prior standard HER2 therapy or have a contraindication to anti-HER2 therapy.
- Must have at least 1 prior chemotherapy regimen for metastatic disease, with no limit on total number of prior therapies.
- 18 years of age or older
- Life expectancy of at least 12 weeks
- ECOG Performance Status of 0, 1, or 2
- Normal organ and marrow function as outlined in the protocol
- Archived tissue block or 25 unstained slides (from primary and/or metastatic tumor) if available for correlative exploratory studies. Absence of available tissue will not exclude the subjects from participating.
- CNS metastases are allowed if they are clinically stable without current evidence of symptomatic progression and do not require steroids, whole brain radiation therapy, or stereotactic radiosurgery. This may include brain metastases not previously treated if they are clinically stable as described above.
- Women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation.
- Women of child-bearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test within 14 days of registration.
- Patients must be progressing on their current therapy
- Prior exposure to single agent PARP inhibitor is allowed, but no prior exposure to PARP with a combination of chemotherapy is allowed.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Participants who have had chemotherapy, biologic therapy, small molecule targeted therapy or radiotherapy within 14 days prior to entering the study or those who have not recovered from adverse events due to agents administered more than 2 weeks earlier. Anti-cancer hormonal therapy must be stopped 24 hours prior to starting study treatment.
- Participants may not be receiving any other investigational agents.
- Prior therapy with TMZ is allowed except if participant has a history of allergic reactions attributed to TMZ, or if therapy was discontinued due to intolerance of or toxicity from TMZ.
- Leptomeningeal disease
- CNS involvement requiring steroids (except for patients who recently completed brain radiation and are on stable or tapering doses of steroids).
- Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, recent myocardial infarction, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements, or other comorbid condition that investigator believes may compromise participant's safe and effective participation in the trial.
- Concurrent radiation therapy is not permitted while on study
- Concurrent anti-cancer therapy is not permitted on study
- Pregnant and breast feeding women
- History of uncontrolled seizure disorder
- Individuals with a history of other malignancies are eligible if they meet the following criteria: a) the other malignancy was treated with curative intent and is deemed by the investigator to be at low risk of recurrence , AND b) a metastatic lesion has been histologically confirmed as breast cancer, c) individuals with the following cancers are eligible if diagnosed and treated: cervical cancer in situ, and basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin.
An expansion cohort will have the same eligibility requirements with the following notable exceptions:
- Patients must have known deleterious mutation of BRCA1/2
- Prior PARP inhibitor combinations with chemotherapy are allowed
- Any number of prior therapies is allowed, including first line
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): NCT01009788
|United States, Massachusetts
|Massachusetts General Hospital
|Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02114
|Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
|Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02115
|Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
|Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02115
|Principal Investigator:
|Steven Isakoff, MD, PhD
|Massachusetts General Hospital
|Responsible Party:
|Steven J Isakoff, MD, PhD, Attending Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|First Posted:
|November 9, 2009 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|August 26, 2019
|Last Verified:
|August 2019
|Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement:
|Plan to Share IPD:
Breast Neoplasms
Neoplasms by Site
Breast Diseases
Skin Diseases
Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating
Alkylating Agents
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Antineoplastic Agents
Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase Inhibitors
Enzyme Inhibitors