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Surf camps in France are perfect for families, couples, and all levels of surfers. We'll have you know that this gorgeous country has great surfing potential. Notable surf spots here include Wissant in Normandy, Lacanau and Le Pin Sec in Gironde, and many more! On top of that, you can also indulge in France's fine wines and amazing food. So, stay close to the waves, but also revel in everything this destination has to offer. Join a surf holiday in France now and enjoy the relaxing atmosphere!
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The European surfing scene has seen a spectacular rise in popularity over the last decades, supported by a strong community that keeps on getting bigger. Surf camps have flourished along the Atlantic coast, tailored to all levels and budgets.
With Hawaii, Australia, and Indonesia often stealing the spotlight, Europe may not be the first place that comes to mind when thinking about the world's best surfing destinations. But it's certainly one of the most impressive.
In recent years, stand-up paddleboarding has exploded in popularity and has become one of the fastest growing sports in the world. It is a fun way to get out on the ocean, river or lake, get some exercise, and simply have a good time.


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Ventilago viminalis – Supplejack (seed)
Ventilago viminalis is a small tree, up to 6m tall with a dense crown. Starting life as a woody climber (a bit like native Capers) before becoming a tree with age. Native to semi arid regions of Northern Australia. Aboriginals mashed the roots and bark in water and used it for toothache, rheumatism, swellings, cuts and sores (Lassak & McCarthy. Australian Medicinal Plants). its ashes were also mixed with native tobacco. The bark contains triterpenes and a number of anthraquinone derivatives.
Care and Cultivation of Ventilago viminalis
Sow Ventilago viminalis just under the surface of a good quality seed raising mix in part to full sun, keeping just moist until germination. Drought hardy and attractive small tree.
15 seeds per packet
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subset: commoncrawl


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Summer tends to be fleeting here in northern New England, so we enjoy every minute of it! To kick off the season – and the annual Fields of Lupine Festival – The Rocks Estate will celebrate its 32nd Annual Wildflower Festival June 2.
|Pink Lady's Slipper at The Rocks Estate
If you'd like to learn more about botany, are wondering which wildflowers and plants are edible, or just love to roam the woods and enjoy nature's beauty, the Wildflower Festival has something you'll love!
Several workshops and tours are planned to entertain and educate visitors throughout the day, including birding walks through the historic Rocks Estate, a discussion on identifying various wildflowers, and the Floral Edibles workshop, where participants will learn which local native plants are edible – from fiddleheads and rhubarb to wild leeks and Johnnie Jump-Ups – and how to incorporate them into delicious meals at home.
Walks along the Mile Path, which is open only to guided tours, will also be offered during the Festival. The Mile Path meanders through the Estate, where the Glessner family, original owners of The Rocks, collected and planted an array of flowers. Guides will highlight the rich history of the Glessner family, who summered here beginning in the late 1880s, and the natural world they loved so much. The Mile Path walks are limited to 15 people per tour and fill quickly, so reservations are strongly advised.
The Wildflower Festival runs this Saturday, June 2, from 10 a.m. through 4 p.m. The cost for the day-long Wildflower Festival is $15 and includes lunch and all programs. A $5 discount is given with each lupine festival book presented. For more information or to make reservations, please email us at firstname.lastname@example.com give us a call at (603) 444-6228.


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Artist: Foals Track: "Electric Boom" Album: Antidotes Listen
An unwavering, high-tension-wire electricity runs through this song -- taut, tight and sustained. Like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, this band's primary strength is an ability to fuse rock and electronica into a tinder ready to explode at any second. They're better when they make you wait on edge than when they're pushing the scattered, schizo sound of Hot Hot Heat. Much of their full-length debut is finely polished and completely engaging. Be sure to check out "The French Open" as well.


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Michael Baum
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth
Department of Political Science
Higher Education
1997: Ph.D. in Political Science, University of Connecticut. Title of dissertation: "Political Culture and the Consequences of Revolutionary Change: Workplace Democracy and Local Politics in Rural Portugal." Ph.D. fields—Comparative Politics (Western Europe), International Relations and African Politics.
1988: M.A. in Political Science from the University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario. Major— Comparative Politics of Developing Areas (specializing in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America). Minor—Political Theory.
1987: B.A. in Political Science from Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pa. Major—Political Science. Minor—Philosophy
Teaching Experience
· 2002-present, Associate Professor of Political Science, UMass-Dartmouth,
· 1997-2002, Assistant Professor of Political Science, UMass-Dartmouth
Other Experience
· Jan 1, 2004-present, Chair of Department of Political Science, UMass-Dartmouth
· May 2007- present, President, Faculty Senate of UMass-Dartmouth
· 2002-present, Affiliate, Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies at Harvard University and Co-Chair of its Iberian Studies Group http://www.ces.fas.harvard.edu/people/affiliates/baum.html
· 2000-2002, Affiliate, Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies at Harvard University and Co-Chair of its Portuguese Studies Group
· 1997-present, Member of the Executive Board of the Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture, UMass-Dartmouth
· 2008-present, Member UMass International Relations Council (IRAC)
Academic and Professional Honors and Fellowships
· CIES Fulbright Scholar Award for teaching & research in Portugal, May-August, 2000.
· Fulbright Dissertation Fellowship Award to Portugal, Ph.D dissertation field research, 1993-94.
Refereed Journal Articles
1. Baum, Michael and Ana Espírito-Santo (forthcoming in 2009). "The Causes of the Adoption of a Gender Quota Law in Portugal," GENDER PARITY AND QUOTAS IN EUROPEAN POLITICS: A SYMPOSIUM FOR WEST EUROPEAN POLITICS.
2. Freire, André and Michael Baum (2003). "Referenda Voting in Portugal, 1998: The Effects of Party Sympathies, Social Structure and Pressure Groups," European Journal of Political Research 42 (1): 135-61.
3. Baum, Michael & André Freire (2001), "Political Parties, Cleavage Structures and Referendum Voting: Electoral Behaviour in The Portuguese Regionalization Referendum of 1998," South European Society & Politics 6 (1):1-26.
4. Freire, André & Michael Baum (2001a), "O Referendo Portugûes Sobre a Regionalização numa Perspectiva Comparada" [The Portuguese Referendum on Regionalization in Comparative Perspective]. Penélope: Revista de Hisória e Ciências Sociais (No. 24): 147-79.
5. Freire, André & Michael Baum (2001b), "Uma Análise das Legislativas de 1999 com Dados Agregados," ["An Analysis of the Legislative Elections of 1999 with Aggregate Data"]. Sociologia, Problemas e Prácticas, Vol. 37: 115-40.
6. Freire, André & Michael Baum (2001c), "Partidos políticos, movimentos de cidadãos e referendos em Portugal: os casos dos referendos do aborto e regionalização," ["Political Parties, Citizen's Movements and Referendums in Portugal: the cases of abortion and regionalization"], Análise Social Nos. 158-9 (Spring-Summer): 9-41.
7. Baum, Michael (1998), "Self-Management and Political Culture: the impact of the agrarian reform in the Alentejo, 20 years later" [Autogestão e Cultura Política: o impacto da reforma agrária no Alentejo vinte anos depois] Análise Social, Nº 148 (May-June): 709-40.
8. Baum, Michael (1997). "Workers' Control and Political Culture Change: Portugal's Alentejo Twenty Years After the Revolution," South European Society and Politics, Vol. 2 (No.4, Summer): 1-35.
9. Baum, Michael (1996-97). "Review Essay: Portuguese Political Culture Since April 25, 1974," in Portuguese Studies Review, 5(No. 2, Fall-Winter): 84-92.
Chapters in Refereed Books
1. Baum, Michael. (forthcoming in late 2009 or early 2010) "Incomplete Modernity or Typically Modern? Portuguese National Identity in an Era of Rapid Transition," in S. Royo (ed.) Portugal in the 21st Century: Politics, Society and Economics. Lanham, Md.:Lexington Books.
2. Baum, Michael and Ana Espírito Santo. (2007a). "As desigualdades de género na participação política em Portugal: uma perspectiva longitudinal", in Freire, André, Marina Costa Lobo, et al. (eds.), Comportamento Eleitoral e Atitudes Políticas dos Portugueses: Eleições e Cultura Política. Lisboa: Imprensa de Ciências Sociais (ICS), 111-156.
3. Baum, Michael and Ana Espírito Santo. (2007b). "Exploring the Gender Gap in Portugal: Women's Political Participation", in Freire, André, Marina Costa Lobo, et al. (eds.), Portugal at the Polls in 2002. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 173-200.
4. Baum, Michael and Ana Espírito-Santo. (2004), "Desigualdades de género em Portugal: a participação política das mulheres" [Gender gaps in Portugal: the political participation of women], in A. Freire, M. C. Lobo and P. Magalhães, Portugal a Votos: as eleições legislativas de 2002, University of Lisbon: ICS Press. pps. 261-99.
5. Baum, M. and Freire, A. (2003), 'Parties and Territory in Portuguese Politics', in J. Bukowski, S. Piattoni, and M. Smyrl (eds.), Between Europeanization and Local Society: Political Actors and Territorial Governance, edited by J. Bukowski, S. Piattoni and M. E. Smyrl. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield.
Encyclopedia Articles
1. Baum, Michael (2001), "Portuguese Trade Union Organizations" in Europe After 1945, Vol. II. New York: Garland Publications, pp. 1039-40.
2. Baum, Michael (1997). "Portugal,"in The Encyclopedia of U.S. Foreign Relations, Vol. III (B. W. Jentelson & T.G. Paterson, Eds.), New York: Council on Foreign Relations and Oxford University Press: 410-13.
Books Under Contract, not yet published
1. (under contract). Michael Baum (Ed.). Civil Society after Democratization: Portuguese Democracy Twenty-Five Years after the Revolution. Under contract for publication with Lexington Books, Rowman & Littlefield's publisher of academic titles.
2. (under contract). Uma cultura de participação? A política do pós-Reforma Agrária no Alentejo. Doctoral dissertation translated for publication in Portuguese in Colecção Análise Social, Instituto de Ciências Sociais-University of Lisbon Press. Will be published pending edits.
Non-Peer Reviewed Articles
Baum, Michael. (2007). "A América Vota: Uma Análise das Eleições de 2006 para o Congresso dos EUA" [America Votes: An Analysis of the 2006 US Congressional Elections] Finisterra: uma revista de reflexão e crítica. No. 55-56-57 (Spring): 179-95Index here.
Baum, Michael. (2005). "Elections and Electoral Systems in a Democracy: How You Vote Matters" Chapter in Political Perspectives: Essays on Government and Politics 2nd. ed. Kenneth L. Manning and John Fobanjong, editors. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt.
Book Reviews
(2005). Review of Antonio Costa Pinto's Contemporary Portugal, in South European Society & Politics Vol 10 (1, April): 155-57.
(2004). Review of Paula Godinho's Memorias de Resistência: Couço 1958-1962. Lisbon: ICS, Colecção Análise Social: 365 pps in Análise Social No. 170.
(1999). Review of Antonio Costa Pinto's Modern Portugal, in South European Society & Politics Vol. 4(1).
(1998). Review of Antonio Costa Pinto's Modern Portugal, in Portuguese Literary & Cultural Studies Vol. 1 (1).
Conference Papers Published
"O Poder Local e a Participação Política: A Cultura Política dum Concelho Alentejano numa Perspectiva Comparada" in O Município no Mundo Português: Seminário Internacional. Centro de Estudos de História do Atlántico, Funchal, Madeira: Secretária Regional do Turismo e Cultura, 1998: 171-82.
"História dum Estudo: A Cultura Política do Alentejo numa Perspectiva Comparativa," Imenso Sul. (October, 1998).
Manuscripts in preparation
"How Contingent is the Consensus? Europeanization and Public Support for EU integration in Portugal".
"Measuring Attitudinal Support for Gender Equality in Europe".
Other Scholarly/Professional Activities since 2001
Coordinator and instructor, "Portugal and the European Union", developed a new study abroad program for UMass-Dartmouth, in collaboration with ISEG-UTL, Technical University of Lisbon, July 1-29, 2001-2006, presently recruiting for Summer 2009.
Co-Chair of Iberian Studies Group, Center for European Studies, Harvard University. May 2, 2008- Organized talk by Portugal's Secretary of State for Education, Dr. Jorge Pedreira, and served as discussant for his presentation on the politics of education reforms in Portugal.
Invited presenter for a short course on Bringing Portugal and Spain into the Political Science Syllabus, at the American Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, August 30, 2006. Title of presentation, "Portugal and Europeanization".
MA thesis advisor for Dra. Ana Espírito-Santo (ISCTE, Lisbon), who successfully defended her thesis in July 2006 with distinction-classification muito bom.
Invited by Prince of Asturias Chair, BMW & Marshall Center for European Studies at Georgetown University to present a paper for the international conference on the 20th Anniversary of Portuguese & Spanish Membership in the European Community. Paper title: The Europeanization of Portuguese Public Opinion. March 17-18, 2006.
Asked by the U.S. State Department to provide expert analysis to US Ambassador-designate to Portugal, Mr. Alfred Hoffman. Gave 3-hour lecture on various aspects of Portuguese society, politics & economy. October 3, 2005.
Co-authored paper presented at the international conference Electoral Behaviour and Political Attitudes: Portugal in the European Context, Social Sciences Institute of the University of Lisbon. Title of paper: "The Gender Gap in Portuguese Political Participation: A Longitudinal Analysis." January 27-28, 2005.
Presented paper "Como medir 'a consciência feminista'? Niveis de apoio para a igualdade de géneros em Portugal e Espanha" [How to measure 'feminist consciousness': Levels of support for gender equality in Spain and Portugal]at the panel on Dimensions of Inequality in Portugal and Brazil, VIII Luso-Afro-Brazilian Congress of the Social Sciences, Coimbra Portugal, 16-18 September 2004.
"Exploring the Gender Gap in Iberian Politics: Support for Gender Equality in Portugal and Spain"delivered at the Council for European Studies' 2004 Conference of Europeanists, Chicago, IL, March 11-14, 2004.
"Gender, Feminism, and Postmaterialism: A New Measure of Feminist Consciousness and its Impact on Mass Political Behavior", presented at 2nd Annual Portuguese Political Science Association, Lisbon, Portugal. January 2004.
Served as discussant for a paper presented by Dr. Jorge Pedreira at Harvard University's Iberian Studies Group, April 1, 2003. Organized his visit to Harvard and a talk at UMass-Dartmouth entitled "The Problems of the Portuguese Middle Classes: 1960-present". The latter was co-sponsored by the Center for Portuguese Studies.
"Exploring the Gender Gap in Portugal: Women's Participation in Comparative Perspective". Invited discussant and paper presenter for the International Conference, Portugal a Votos I, 27 and 28 February 2003, Lisbon, FLAD.
Baum, Michael & André Freire, "Second-Order Elections in Democratic Portugal, 1975-2001" invited paper presentation at Conference on Portugal and Southern European Politics, University of California at Berkeley, Center for European Studies, October 31 – November 2, 2002.
"Transitions from Authoritarian Rule Revisited: lessons from Portugal in the 1960s", invited paper presenter at 2nd CPHRC International Conference, The Portuguese New State: The Final Years held in Paris, 27-28 September, 2002.
André Freire and Michael Baum, "Election Order and Electoral Cycles in Democratic Portugal, 1976-2001". Paper presented at 98th American Political Science Association (APSA) Meeting, Boston, MA. August 29 – September 1, 2002.
2002-2004. Asked by the Council for European Studies to serve on its selection committee for the Luso-American Development Foundation fellowships for summer pre-dissertation research to Portugal. Meeting in Chicago at Conference for European Studies, March 14-16, 2002. Teleconference for 2003 competition.
Member of the International Advisory Board, Penélope: Revista de Hisória e Ciências Sociais. http://www.celtaeditora.pt/Revistas.asp
Member, Board of Management of the Contemporary Portuguese Politics & History Research Center, Lisbon [Available] http://www.cphrc.fsnet.co.uk/about/board.htm
2001-present, Affiliated Researcher, Portuguese National Electoral Studies Project, Instituto das Ciências Sociais (ICS-UL), Dr. António Barreto (PI).
Asked by the Luso-American Educational Commission (Fulbright Office in Lisbon) to serve as the Principle Investigator for an international conference entitled The Fulbright Brainstorm, focused on the theme "Elections and Democracy", held in Lisbon on February 1-2, 2002. Over 20 international experts on electoral behavior and system reform participated. Presented a paper on the "Gender Gap in Portuguese Politics".
Served as discussant for a paper presented by Omar Encarnácion at Harvard University's Iberian Studies Group, November 30, 2001.
Co-organizer of the international conference "From Isolation to Integration: 15 Years of Spanish and Portuguese Membership in Europe," Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University, November 2-3, 2001. Chaired the panel on national identity. Over 30 scholars participated. [Program Available] http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~ces/events/isolation.html
Asked by the Luso-American Educational Commission (Lisbon) to serve on its selection jury for Fulbright awards to the United States. June 19, 2001.
Chief organizer & Chair, international roundtable on "Who Governs Southern Europe," Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University, May 3, 2001. Panelists included the likes of Prof. Juan Linz, Yale University. Papers published as CES Working Papers.
Chair of Panel, The Gender Gap in Southern Europe: Women's Political Participation in Comparative Perspective, and presented paper "The Gender Gap in Portugal," at the Mediterranean Studies Conference, Aix-en-Provence, May 23-26, 2001.
"É preciso pensar antes mudar" [Available Online at theContemporary Portuguese Politics & History Research Centre page]. http://www.cphrc.fsnet.co.uk/history/hi-el-pres/pensar.htm
2009: In preparation. EU-US Atlantis International Mobility Program in Atlantic Citizenship Trends (IMPACT). Collaborative grant proposal between UColorado-Boulder, UMass-Dartmouth, Catholic University, Lisbon, Portugal and Univ. of Trier-Germany for mobility and training of students and faculty. Proposed grant for 2009-13, UC-Boulder is lead campus and PI of grant.
2003: Luso-American Development Foundation grant ($1500) for developing the UMD Summer Study Abroad Program in Lisbon, Portugal. All monies went to participating students in the form of Scholarships.
2002: Luso-American Development Foundation grant ($4000) for developing the UMD Summer Study Abroad Program in Lisbon, Portugal. Three thousand dollars went to participating students in the form of scholarships.
2001: Luso-American Development Foundation grant (3000 Euros) for translation costs of dissertation manuscript, to be published as Uma cultura de participação?: a política do pós-Reforma Agrária no Alentejo (ICS-University of Lisbon Press).
2001: Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs grant ($3075) for developing the UMD Summer Study Abroad Program in Lisbon, Portugal. All the money went to participating students in the form of scholarships.
2001: Luso-American Development Foundation grant ($7000) for developing the UMD Summer Study Abroad Program in Lisbon, Portugal. Five thousand dollars went to participating students in the form of scholarships.
2000: CIES Fulbright Scholar Award for Portugal, May-August, 2000.
2000: UMD Healey Foundation award for research in Portugal
2000: Luso-American Development Foundation grant ($1500) for research in Portugal, one month
2000: SACHEM curriculum development award for a course to be co-taught in SP01 with Dr. Jean Doyle on "Transitions to Democracy".
1999: Luso-American Development Foundation grant ($7500) for organizing the conference Contemporary Portugal: Reflections on 25 Years of Democracy .
1999: Instituto Camões grant ($7500) for organizing the conference Contemporary Portugal: Reflections on 25 Years of Democracy.
1999: UMass-Dartmouth Public Service Grant.
Service Roles
June 1, 2003-present, Chair of Department of Political Science, UMass-Dartmouth
· Departmental Curriculum Committee (committee of whole)
Social Science Academic Council Member, 2003-2008
Member, Education Department DFEC, served for both Contract Renewals and Annual Evaluation, Spring 2008.
· May 2007- present, President, Faculty Senate of UMass-Dartmouth
· Member, Faculty Senate- monthly meetings. 2004-present.
· Co-Chair of NEASC self-study group for reaccredidation, AY 2008-09
· Member, SWOT team on human capital assessment. AY 2006-07.
· Coordinator and instructor, "Portugal and the European Union", developed a new study abroad programfor UMass-Dartmouth, in collaboration with ISEG-UTL, Technical University of Lisbon, 2001-2006, presently recruiting for Summer 2009.
· Scholar of Year Committee, various years
· Search & Screen Committee for new director of International Programs Office (2007 and 2009)
· Service Learning Fellow, AY 2008-09
· Member, Portuguese Studies Exec Board (several meetings/year), 1997-present
· Member, Portuguese Studies Endowed Chair Committee- 2-3 meetings/year
· Women's Studies Affiliate
· Member, International Studies Advisory Group – a new ad hoc committee of the Faculty Senate, Richard Panofsky, Chair, that is examining all aspects of study abroad and international programming on campus. 2008-present
Co-Chair of Iberian Studies Group, Center for European Studies, Harvard University, 2000-present.
External Reviewer for the following peer-reviewed journals:
· European Journal of Political Research
· South European Society & Politics
· European Societies (Routledge)
· Comparative Politics
· Comparative Political Studies (Univ. of Washington)
· Party Politics (Sage Publications)
· Journal of Women, Politics, & Policy
· Penélope (Celta Editora)
· International Studies Perspectives (ISP)
· Análise Social (Univ. of Lisbon)
· ICS-University of Lisbon Press
Member of Editorial Review Board · Finisterra (Portuguese peer-reviewed journal), 2006-present
Institutional Memberships
American Political Science Association (APSA)
Portuguese Political Science Association (ACPP)
Other invited lectures
1. "A New Index for Measuring Support for Gender Equality," MA in political science graduate seminar presentation, ISCTE, University of Lisbon, June 2004.
2. "The Gender Gap in Portuguese Politics: Quality Issues for Portugal's Democracy" Brown University, October 6, 2003.
3. "The State of Research on the Gender Gap in Political Participation Worldwide: Methods and Findings," Graduate seminar presentation, ISCTE, University of Lisbon, June 27, 2003.
4. "The Development of Political Science as a Discipline in the United States," University of Azores, ISEG, ISCTE, and Univ. Nova de Lisboa, May-June, 2000.
5. "A Sociedade Civil e Democracia Directa: O Impacto dos Referendos de 1998," ISCTE & Univ. Nova de Lisboa, June, 2000.
6. "Estudos de Caso em Ciencia Politica," ISCTE, June 2000.
7. "Portugal's Revolution and Transition to Democracy," at a local Rhode Island Dia de Portugal (Day of Portugal) celebration, April, 2000.
8. "Portugal and the EU: Lessons for Eastern Europe", as part of the international symposium on Europe in the 21st century, Fulbright International Institute, University of Arkansas, April 3-4, 2000.


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Twitter Announces Native Video Ads and a New Polling Feature
Mobile viewing spiked in the past year
Twitter announced a limited beta test of native video ads Wednesday at the Twitter Flight developer conference in San Francisco.
Developers will have access to more than 170 buyers on the MoPub digital advertising marketplace as well as support for direct ad partners. The company has not yet announced the beta testers who can use video ads similar to those found in Twitter's timeline.
Twitter's video product has become a powerful force. The company said earlier this month that video views have increased by 150 times in the past year, with mobile devices accounting for 90 percent of those views. A study by Nielsen earlier this year found that purchase intent was 28 percent higher for people who chose to watch a Twitter video ad than those who saw the same video as a preroll or midroll ad during a 22-minute program.
Kate Herbert, senior director of the MoPub platform and exchange services, announced the external native video ads and provided a preview of the experience:
Our native video solution empowers any developer to monetize with native video ads just like those on Twitter https://t.co/ywy3aqYyM4
— Twitter Flight (@Flight) October 21, 2015
Twitter also announced a polling feature that Jeff Seibert, senior director of Twitter's developer platform, said should knock out the less-than-perfect "favorite" or "retweet" method of polling currently available.
The new feature, which can be used on mobile or desktop, makes it easy for users to create a two-option poll. Viewers can vote and see results in real time.
"For poll creators, it's a new way to engage with Twitter's massive audience and understand exactly what people think," wrote product manager Todd Sherman in a blog post. "For those participating, it's a very easy way to make your voice heard."
Coming soon! We're rolling out the ability for everyone to create polls on Twitter: https://t.co/pH5a8q9Ujz pic.twitter.com/ijAKEMUdf1
— Twitter (@twitter) October 21, 2015


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- Locate Bio management attending forthcoming BioEquity and BIO 2019 conferences
NOTTINGHAM, UK, 15 May 2019 – Locate Bio Ltd ("Locate"), a cell and gene therapy company using its proprietary next generation technologies to develop breakthrough and potentially curative therapies, today announces that it has received an additional £2.0 million of investment from Mercia Technologies PLC (AIM: MERC) and its third party fund, the Midlands Engine Investment Fund. The investment will allow the company to expand the application of its technologies, including its promising gene therapy technology IntraStem™, into new high value therapy areas both to broaden its in-house development pipeline and provide additional partnering opportunities.
Mercia Technologies PLC ("Mercia") is the UK national investment group focused on the identification, creation, funding and scaling of innovative technology businesses with high-growth potential from the UK regions. The £2.0 million financing announced today comprises £1.8 million of direct investment from Mercia and with the remaining amount coming from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund, which the Group manages on behalf of the British Business Bank. Mercia's direct equity stake is now 21.6%.
Nick Staples, CEO of Locate, said: "Locate is in an exciting phase of growth and these new funds will allow us to further develop our non-viral gene therapy technology IntraStem while continuing to utilise our TAOS platform for cell delivery and other applications, as we look to expand our in-house pipeline. These next generation technologies overcome current industry challenges in the fast-growing gene and cell therapy fields, providing a major business opportunity for Locate."
Peter Dines, Chief Operating Officer and Head of Life Sciences & Biosciences of Mercia, said: "Locate has continued to make important progress in developing its TAOS® and IntraStem™ technologies. These proprietary technologies have the potential to address multi-billion pound markets in the exciting and fast-growing areas of gene and cell therapy. We look forward to continuing to support Nick and the Locate team move this cutting-edge technology forwards."
Locate's CEO, Nick Staples and other members of senior management will be attending BioEquity on 20-21 May in Barcelona and BIO 2019 on 3-6 June in Philadelphia and will be available for meetings.
For more information, please contact:
|Locate Bio Limited
|+44 (0)115 784 0041
|Nick Staples, Chief Executive Officer
|Media: Richard Hayhurst
|Mercia Technologies PLC
|+44 (0)330 223 1430
|Mark Payton, Chief Executive Officer
|Martin Glanfield, Chief Financial Officer


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Attended the consultative forum on the draft Customs Administrative Order (CAO) on Dispute Settlement and Protest. The CAO prescribes the policies, guidelines and procedures dispute settlement and protest in the BOC. The scope of the CAO shall cover the right to administrative and judicial remedies of an aggrieved importer or exporter by a decision of the BOC pertaining to dispute settlement or protest arising from customs valuation, rules of origin, tariff classification under certain circumstances, and other customs issues.
Objectives of the CAO are the following: a) To provide fair and expeditious resolution of dispute settlement and protest arising from customs valuation, rules of origin, tariff classification under certain circumstances, and other customs issues, b) To help ensure uniformity and consistency in the application of customs policies, rules and regulations on dispute settlement protest, c) To align the administrative and judicial remedies provided by law with the standards set out in the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC), the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Agreement on Trade Facilitation, and other international trade facilitation agreements, and international best customs practices.
With regards to the submission of position paper on the CAO, SPIK leaves the matter to FPI.
Industry Stakeholders Consultation RIV-A, RIII and NCR DTI – DPWH Convergence Program On Road Connectivity for Industry and Trade Development, January 12, 2017 – Penthouse Boardroom, BOI Industry and Investments Building, Makati City
The Industry Stakeholders Consultation was presided by Ms. Maria Corazon Dichosa-Halili, Executive Director, of BOI. Representatives of Nine (9) of the twelve (12) Priority Industries in Regions IV-A, RIII and NCR which includes the Chemical Industry were invited. The consultation is the coming into fruition of the Signing of the Memorandum Agreement for the DTI-DPWH Convergence Program between DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez and DPWH Secretary Mark Villar during the Manufacturing Summit 2016 last November 29, 2016 at the Makati Shangri-la.
Director Constante Llanes, DPWH Central Office Planning Service presented the draft of the DTI- DPWH Convergence/Roads Leveraging Linkages of Industry and Trade (ROLL IT) Program which is patterned after the success of the DOT-DPWH Convergence Program, or the Tourism Road Infrastructure Program (TRIP).
The Objective of the ROLL IT Program is: Facilitate the efficient and more coordinated among the two Departments to identify, prioritize, and implement road access infrastructure leading to various industries and economic zones in a technically-correct and politically-participative process.
SPIK is pleased to announce the Board of Directors and Officers 2017- January 23, 2017.
The election of Officers was done during the first board meeting in Administrative Year 2017 held at Shangrila Makati. We would like also to thank director Ric Casabuena President and CEO of C.B. Andrew for sponsoring the meeting. SPIK also extends its thanks to the outgoing President, Directors and Committee
Congratulations and we wish you success in the exercise of your mandate to ensure the sustainability and importance of SPIK in 2017 and in the years to come as Chemical Industry implements the Roadmap.
Public Consultation on the Draft Administrative Order on Household/Urban Hazardous Substances – January 27, 2017, Region IVA, Calamba City Hall, Brgy. Real, Calamba, Laguna
The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) and the Center for Cosmetics Regulation and Research (CCRR) conducted a public consultation on the Revised Rules and Regulations on the Licensing of Establishments Engaged in the Manufacture and/or Distribution; Registration or Other Authorization; and Labelling of Household/Urban Hazardous Substances at the Calamba City Hall. This is a nationwide activity of the agency simultaneously done in other regions.
The draft Administrative Order came as a surprise to the stakeholders because it effectively revises and repeals AO 2015-0038 issued by DOH in September 2015. The regulation also expanded the coverage of the regulated H/UHS under VI. General Guidelines which includes in VI.12 –All raw materials that are not covered by any other regulatory agencies such as EMB-DENR, DDB, FPA and PNP (issuance) shall be under the jurisdiction of FPA. SPIK will submit a Position Paper on the issue because the regulation adversely affects many of our members who by the nature of product chemicals are already saddled with too many regulations
First Technical Working Group (TWG) Meeting for the Chemical Cluster – January 31, 2017, BOI Penthouse Boardroom
1st Technical Working Group (TWG) Meeting for the Chemicals Cluster for 2017.
SPIK President Mr. Dennis Tirthdas co-chaired the 1st Technical Working Group for the Chemical Cluster last January 31, 2017 in BOI Penthouse. Where they discuss the issues in ease of doing business matters, improve trade and investment promotion activities, address environment issues and work on human resource development, product development and innovation.
Prepared by:
Executive Director


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| 7.3°C Belfast
The energy watchdog is to look into claims networks are charging vastly different prices to customers for some routine jobs.
Small-scale work like moving an electricity meter can range from a few hundred pounds to more than £5,000, depending on which network carries it out, according to an investigation by The Times.
Installing or moving meters are considered small-scale jobs and networks should not make a profit from such work, t he regulator Ofgem said.
For bigger jobs like connecting to a new supply Ofgem said it encourages competition to offer customers "real choice".
The Times said it found the cost of a new electricity supply ranged from £840 to almost £3,000 in different areas.
It also claimed the difference between networks in providing a new gas supply could be as much as 400%.
A spokeswoman for Ofgem confirmed it would " ask network companies to explain the differences highlighted by the investigation".
She added that customers should challenge firms if they think they are being overcharged .
" Consumers should always be provided with a quote before having a job done, and if they feel they are being overcharged we would encourage them to challenge the network companies.
"If their issue is not resolved within eight weeks, they may be able to refer the complaint to the Ombudsman and ultimately customers can bring disputes to Ofgem so that we can investigate the cost and see if they're justified."


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Join us in the kitchen! Experience the passion behind the new Convotherm 4. Our Moffat Culinary Specialist will assist you to master the specific techniques on the new Convotherm 4 combi steamer.
- "We chose the Convotherm for the same reason - it looks great and is simply a fantastic piece of equipment."
Upper East Side - Bondi, NSW, Australia
- "We had experience with one Convotherm combi oven and three from other companies. Within a month small issues had arisen with the other three. But the Convotherm combi continued to deliver year after year... so obviously that had a big influence on the decision this time."
Shane Beattie – Te Puia – whare kai, New Zealand
- "The Convotherm does everything we ask of it, and the self-cleaning is a breeze..."
Daniel Simpson - Mobius Bar & Grill - Pullman Sydney Airport, NSW, Australia
- "The Convotherm electric 20.10 combination oven steamer is the most essential piece - runs 24 hours a day and is the most used piece of equipment we have. We exploit every feature of the machine - especially the overnight cooking and power saving facilities. I just couldn't live without it." – The Waves has installed three Convotherm Electric steamer ovens."
Craig Stelmack – The Waves Sports Club – Bundeberg, QLD, Australia
easyTouch and easyDial
2 designs, 7 sizes each
For each combi you will find the right accessories: appliance stands, banquet, cleaning and maintenance products, trays and grids, and much more.


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Akram Vignan is a practically applied spiritual science and is a 'shortcut' path to liberation.READ more
|31 October
|31 October
"May the world attain Ultimate Peace and may some attain Liberation"Read More
Located 20 kms from Ahmedabad, Simandhar City is a place for spiritual progress. It is known as "A Clean City, Green City & Pure City!!!"Read More
A unique non-sectarian Temple inspired by Akram Vignani, Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan.
Positive and Negative Egoism!
There was a Brahmin (priestly upper caste). He was the only Brahmin in the whole village. The poor man died! His wife was already dead. He had two children, one was a year and a half, and the other was three years old. Both the parents died, leaving behind these two children. So the whole village convened to decide about the welfare of the two Brahmin boys. No one was ready to adopt them. There was a Marvadi Brahim travelling through, he stepped forward saying, 'Brothers, I do not have a son. If you give me one child, I'll take him'. So this Brahmin from out of town took the three year old. Now there was no one to take the one and half year old. Who would take on the hassle? Would they toil for their own children, or someone else's child? There was a Sudra (lower caste) amongst them who comes forward and says, 'Sir, I do not have a child, if you give him to me, I will raise him.' The villagers decided that otherwise the child would die so they said, 'give him to the Sudra instead!' And so they give the child to the Sudra. So he was raised by the Sudra, until he was eighteen, while the other boy was now twenty years old.
The boy brought up in the Brahmin household started picketing, against alcohol in front of the brewery. Both the boys had the same mother. And since the other one came under the Sudra's influence, he began brewing alcohol. While the boy who remained under the Brahmin's influence, started picketing against alcohol consumption, and other such things. A great Gnani Purush was passing through the village and someone asked him, 'Sir, which one of these two boys will attain moksha? Will it be the one that brews alcohol or the one who opposes it?' And the Gnani replies, 'Son, one is doing the egoism of not to drink alcohol, while the other is doing the egoism to drink alcohol; they are both egotistic (ahankari), and in my realm, neither of the two will attain moksha.' This is the rule of the world. Understand the rule.
These ascetics do the egoism of renunciation (tyaga), while those do the egoism of acquisition (graham): neither will reach there. He who has no such thing as acquisition or renunciation, whose intent is natural and pure (sahaj), and that is the way he lives, eats and drinks, for him there is moksha. Will you not have to understand this? Why is this? This is not some lawless kingdom. This is exact (right), it is according to law. Not even for a moment does it step out of bounds of this law. In your courts there is sham and falsehood, so if you want to meddle, you can do it there.
1) There is tremendous energy in the word 'yes' and tremendous weakness in the word 'no'.
2) Comfortable (favorable) circumstance 'polishes' one and uncomfortable (unfavorable) circumstances 'moulds' one. What problem do we have with either of the two?
3) Any good thing will be ruined by talking negatively about it; similarly bad thing will improve by speaking positive about it.
4) 'Negative' does not become 'positive' and 'positive' does not become 'negative'. Because both are dualities and 'one' (Self, Atma) is beyond duality.
God (Bhagawan) does not look at any of your actions(kriya). God He looks at where you do egoism. God says, 'you did egoism, so you must go back. We do not want the disease of egoism. 'I have done renunciation; I have never touched alcohol', - we do not want to hear such things. You will be rewarded for that; you will receive the fruits of whatever you have done. All I want [concerned with] is that you have not done egoism.'
How does renunciation (tyaga) oblige others? Since you had done the acquisition (grahan), it is now time for you to renounce. But what if you had not done the acquisition in the first place? Because you got married, you now have to renounce the wife; but what if you didn't get married in the first place? Would one ever have the need to renounce? But here, one wants to enjoy the pleasure of renouncing. 'I renounced', he will say.
Book Name: Aptavani 10 (U) (Page #469 Paragraph #4 to Page #470 Paragraph #2)


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North Carolina still implements "alienation of affection" and "criminal conversation" laws which allow one spouse to sue the other spouse for money based on the allegations of emotional harm to the marital relationship caused by an affair of the offending spouse with a third party, provided that the couple was married and not separated at the time that the affair occurred. These lawsuits are filed by the innocent spouse not only against the offending spouse, but can also be filed against someone, such as an in-law or a near relative, who has caused the marriage to end.
Requirements for Alienation of Affection Claim
In order to obtain success in alienation of affection claim, the complainant has to show that:
(1) the marriage entailed love between the spouses in some degree;
(2) the spousal love was alienated and destroyed; and
(3) the defendant's malicious conduct has caused or has contributed to the loss of affection.
North Carolina "alienation of affection" and "criminal conversation" laws provide a three-year statute of limitations which allows the innocent spouse to file the alienation lawsuit within 3 years that the alleged offense occurred without the need to prove that the offending spouse was engaged with extra-marital sexual act.
Alienation of Affection Lawsuits in NC
If an alienation of affection lawsuit is filed against you, you need to defend yourself and seek the legal services of an experienced North Carolina family law attorney because it's possible for the plaintiff to recover a significant award as demonstrated in the following three cases:
(a.) In 2010, a jury in Guilford County ordered a female paramour to pay $9,000,000 in damages to her innocent spouse.
(b.) In 2010, a Pitt County Superior Court Judge who presided over a trial without a jury awarded $5,900,000 "bench verdict" to the innocent spouse.
(c.) In 2011, the Wake County Superior Court Judge ordered a "bench verdict" of $30,000,000 in favor of the innocent wife.
If you're planning on filing a lawsuit against someone for alienation of affection and/or criminal conversation, you need to consider the cost and the possibility of winning a large verdict. It's worthy to note, however, that while these cases can end in large verdicts, they can make it difficult for you to peacefully proceed with your divorce case.
§ 52-13. Procedures in causes of action for alienation of affection and criminal conversation
(a) No act of the defendant shall give rise to a cause of action for alienation of affection or criminal conversation that occurs after the plaintiff and the plaintiff's spouse physically separate with the intent of either the plaintiff or plaintiff's spouse to make the physical separation remain permanent.
(b) An action for alienation of affection or criminal conversation shall not be commenced more than three years from the last act of the defendant giving rise to the cause of action.
(c) A person may commence a cause of action for alienation of affection or criminal conversation against a natural person only.


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Castlebar School in Ealing are hosting a 'Special Selections' marketplace event - comprised of taster sessions in a variety of SEN approaches and strategies applicable to both mainstream primary and special schools.
This event will showcase the following:
This one-day training session is led by Martine Pillette, an independent MFL consultant and author and will cover areas such as spontaneous talk at KS3-4, grammar for communication, speeding up progress in lessons and assessment. The session has a cost but is FREE for Challenge Partners schools.
The programme for the day is summarised below:
St Clement Danes School in Hertfordshire are hosting an afternoon session of memory techniques, delivered by educational psychologist Dr. Martijn van der Spoel. Martijn will explain the psychology of studying - explaining not only the 'how' but the 'why' of successful learning which will help students retain knowledge for longer periods.
Mrs Ais Ryan and Mrs Sue Savin will share in a second session they have developed, as Heads of English and Maths respectively, to meet the demands...
John Keats Primary School
391 Rotherhithe New Road
020 7803 4970
Charity Number: 1149266


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Pledge Survey 2017
Bristol City Council want to know what you think about the Pledge. Is it working? Is the Council keeping the promises it made to you ?
Have a look on the Pledge pages on this website and then click on this link and let them know what YOU think


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Even by the standards of BMW Motorrad GS adventurers, Frenchman Eric Massiet Du Biest is extraordinary. His latest expedition saw him lead dozens of riders through some of the toughest terrain on the planet, in the GS Gringo Rally. Eric himself is a rider who truly embodies the GS spirit – he is fearless in the saddle and says the element of the GS lifestyle which appeals to him most is the freedom.
"The limitless capabilities of this bike give me the freedom to go where I want," he says. "The bike perfectly demonstrates my attitude to life: you don't take the road, you share it. The Gringo rally – where all riders use a GS – is about discovering the Andes between Ushuaia and Antofagasta, north Chile. We did two trips: the route from Ushuaia to Antofagasta with 28 GS motorcycles and 40 people, and the return journey – Antofagasta to Ushuaia – with 28 motorcycles and 50 people.
"Each of the trips was a 26-day, 7,000-km [4,400-mile] adventure, with at least 1,800km [1,100 miles] of dirt roads. This is one of the very few moto events in the world where you can enjoy dirt roads as a pillion and free from stress, due to the fact that full backup is provided. This year's rally incorporated Chilean deserts, the Atacama desert, which is the driest in the world, and the Altiplano, the highest part of the Andes, which are up to 4,931m [16,178 ft] high."
The rally was as punishing as it was exciting, with dust storms, 60-knot winds, muddy rainforest tracks, treacherous mountain roads and more than 180 miles of riding per day.
"The riders were amazed by the scenery and the roads we took," says Eric. "They had the experience of a lifetime and were changed by it. The experience made them start to see life differently, to ask questions about working life and about the philosophy we always explain in our briefing: today is the first day of the rest of your life.
"A sense of humor is important during the adventures – if someone falls, we laugh; if they get lost, we laugh; if they're grumpy, we play more jokes on them. We will hunt out a bad mood and do all we can to expel bad vibes – the result is that within a short time, the group becomes like a crowd of teenagers riding wild horses. Our job is to keep them safe and happy and it is a good job to have!"
Of all those who set out on the Gringo rally, just two failed to cross the finish line – one broke his leg and another his foot. But while a broken bone will stop even a GS rider, a broken bike is another story.
"We had a rider in our second group, Alain Doc Chevaldin, who came off while doing 130km/h [80 mph] on a sand and gravel road. His GS lost 20 cm [7.8 in.] in length and was a write-off – and Alain was knocked unconscious and spent a week in hospital. However, he managed to not break a single bone! He rejoined the group two days before Ushuaia. We were carrying his destroyed GS in our backup truck and he insisted on getting back on it inside the truck, so that he could still arrive in Ushaua aboard his machine! He is a true, full-blooded GS rider."
As for Eric himself, he is still riding the faithful GS – Max – who has been with him throughout his past adventures: "Max and I are strong teammates. We jump together, ride together and have incredible complicity. I know some would say: 'it's just a bike' but hey, it takes me to amazing places!
"We play games together – when I see a challenge, like a hill, a riverbed, an outcrop of rocks, we'll try it together. I still fall quite a lot, especially when riding in soft mud or sand, but the bike can withstand it.
"We have done a lot of miles together – on 11/11/11, at 11.11am, Max's clock reached 111,111km. That has taken us four years and 90,000 of those kilometers were doing rallies and surveys. Our next target is to do 300,000km by 2015. After that, I may look for another BMW. Or Max may look for another rider, you never know…"
As one of the best examples of what it means to be a GS rider, Eric was the ideal man to produce a book about the legendary model. He teamed up with friend Alan Berson, who managed a BMW Motorrad workshop for 20 years, to create the GS Book. Berson says, "It's 336 pages long, with 450 beautiful photos and the story of each model since 1980, as well as 22 photo stories from GS riders who have taken amazing trips. It's all about the legend of this amazing icon in international motorcycling and the men and women who helped make it into a lifestyle."
This year will be another busy one for Eric – the 2012 rally will be called GS Dundee and take place in Australia. He will also launch a new four-wheel-drive adventure trip in association with MINI France, and will continue to promote GS Days and the GS Trophy France.


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Join us to stay up to date
Introducing every boss babe's BFF. This sleeveless button through blouse exudes Parisian chic and looks darling paired with your fave black pants. Tuck it into a pencil skirt to kick those style vibes up another notch.
- Embroidery stitch detail on centre front- Contrast binding on armhole and neck- 100% viscose- cold hand wash. Dry cleanable. - Model is 179cm tall & wears size S/8
Style Number: A140.19S.32459


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Archeology or sustainability
Laurie Busch Two-Dimensional
I made this piece while preparing a technical paper regarding the sustainabliity of automotive interiors. It is a story about the larger issue of the sustainability of our planet and the history of humans to bury trash. The text is taken from the lyrics of Billy Joel's song "We didn't start the fire" and is meant to evoke the question "Is that an excuse?" And I hope this piece is an opportunity to further the discussion of the sustainability of new products of all kinds.
Entry Details
- Art form: 2-D
- Depth: 2inches
- Medium: Mixed Media
- Width: 72inches
- Year created: 2012
- Height: 54inches


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We have gone from having little understanding of why we eat mushrooms to recognizing it is the best food source of vitamin D. Now the science has been tidied up as this item shows.
This pretty well suggests that mushroom growers will no be treating mushrooms with UV in order to maximize the vitamin D content. This will then allow the growers to advertise the vitamin D at the stands were you and I buy mushrooms.
Shortly, we can count on this knowledge becoming commonplace.
I think that mushrooms will become way more popular and the preferred source of vitamin D.
A scientific 'go' for commercial production of vitamin-D enhanced mushrooms
by Staff Writers
A new commercial processing technology is suitable for boosting the vitamin D content of mushrooms and has no adverse effects on other nutrients in those tasty delicacies, the first study on the topic has concluded.
The technology, which involves exposing mushrooms to the same kind of ultraviolet light that produces suntans, can greatly boost mushrooms' vitamin D content. It appears in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and FoodChemistry.
Ryan Simon and colleagues note that many people do not get enough vitamin D in their diets. Few natural foods are high in the vitamin, and there are limits on what foods can be fortified to boost the vitamin D content.
Although few people realize it, mushrooms are an excellent natural source of vitamin D. Some producers have embraced results of earlier studies, suggesting that exposing mushrooms to ultraviolet B (UVB) light can significantly boost the vitamin D content.
The scientists set out to answer several questions about commercial-scale UV light processing of mushrooms. Among them: Does it produce consistently high levels of vitamin D and does it adversely affect other nutrients in mushrooms?
They compared button mushrooms exposed to UVB light, those exposed to natural sunlight and those kept in the dark.
The UVB-exposed mushrooms got a dramatic boost in vitamin D (700 percent more of the vitamin than those mushrooms exposed to no light) and the UVB processing had no effect on levels of vitamin C, folate, riboflavin, niacin and a host of other essential nutrients


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To Whom It May Concern:
FIRST NAME LAST NAME has been a student teacher in my sixth grade class for sixteen weeks. She has been a part of a two-teacher team with 59 students, 8 of whom have learning disabilities. FIRST NAME has been responsible for teaching two sections of Language Arts, two sections of math, and one section of 8th grade Language Arts.
Ms. LAST NAME will have had the experience of teaching two chapters of math for ten weeks. During this time she has planned and implemented the daily homework, weekly quizzes and unit tests. FIRST NAME has successfully demonstrated her awareness of different learning styles and has adequately adjusted assignments to meet the varied needs of students. Her units were thoroughly prepared and implemented. She was successful in monitoring and adjusting to various schedule changes in order to complete it during her time of teaching.
FIRST NAME's experience in Language Arts included teaching a unit on short stories. This involved teaching the elements of literature. She completed this unit using the text book series and developing her own activities including a travel brochure, plot diagrams, and culminating with a community service project that involved making children's books for local doctors' offices, pediatric wards, and women's shelters.
Ms. LAST NAME also spent four weeks teaching eighth grade Language Arts. During this time she taught the novel, Nothing but the Truth. This unit included writing a news article, an essay, and a unit test. She also taught the writing process and several short stories.
FIRST NAME possesses a positive and enthusiastic personality. She has a great rapport with the students she has worked with. She is well dressed, articulate, and always ready with a smile and a kind word. I have found that other team members have accepted her as a strong working member of our team and she has had a positive working relationship with each one of them, as well as with other staff members.
I am confident that Ms. LAST NAME will be an asset to any staff that she works with. She is confident, knowledgeable, and has the skills of a seasoned teacher. I believe that she will continue to grow and become even more effective as a teacher with further opportunities. Please feel free to contact me for more information at PHONE, SCHOOL, E MAIL OR OTHER.


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Delegations to the ban treaty negotiations in 2017 need to take a position on the following issues
There has been much debate about the wisdom of negotiating a ban on nuclear weapons without the nuclear-armed states involved in the process. (See here, here, and here for a selection.) There has also been some work on what such a ban treaty might include with respect to substantive prohibitions (use, possession, transfer, financing etc.). Less has been written about the complex technical matters negotiators must confront. Here are four of them. Continue reading "Four questions for nuclear ban treaty negotiators"


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By Garth Jones
Recently I was asked to troubleshoot a problem about an error message appearing when System Center 2012 Configuration Manager (CM12) reports were accessed from a remote console.
Although this doesn't solve the problem directly, my recommendation was to tell them to stop accessing reports, whether SSRS or ASP (CM07), from the console. In my opinion, the browser is the best option for viewing reports.
There are several good reasons why you should always use the browser:
•Running reports (SSRS or ASP in CM07) via the CM console consumes additional memory on both the client PC and the SMS provider server.
•It is slower to run reports via the console.
•Not all reports run exactly the same way in the console versus browsers (such as IE); you can see this issue particularly with custom SSRS reports that drill down from one report to another.
•Finally, what I think is the most important reason you shouldn't access reports from the console: Do you really want to train a Manager on how to use the console? Wouldn't using a browser be the far easier thing to do?
I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on this matter, so send me a tweet @Enhansoft.


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Teen Skepchick's Reality Checks 3.01
- The thickest parts of the Arctic ice cap are melting faster. [via ScienceDaily]
- Questions about consciousness that brain scientists are trying to address. [via The Guardian]
- A 'miracle tree' substance can help produce clean water. [via Gizmodo]
- The teen brain suffers more long-term damage from concussions. [via Scientific American]
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Eligibility in doing waste to energy consultancy for iran as a result of tender organized by Finland export promotion organization (2016)
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These engaging, short animations focus on a variety of financial topics and illustrate key financial concepts and current events. Choose any of the videos below and then click the start arrow to watch.
Financial planning is a process that can help you reach your financial goals by evaluating your whole financial picture.
Investing in stocks and stock funds can help you pursue financial goals, but consider the risks and rewards first.


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15/11/2017 - Budget should end the public sector pay cap
Next week's Budget must end the public sector pay cap say Solidarity and other Unions.
Research from the IPPR think tank revealed yesterday that much of the cash spent on higher wages after lifting the 1 per cent cap would almost immediately return to the Treasury in the form of higher tax revenue and lower benefit payments.
It calculated that a pay rise for cash-strapped public-sector workers in line with inflation over the next two years would cost £5.8 billion.
However, according to the study, once income tax receipts and national insurance were combined with lower benefit payments, this figure falls to £3.5bn.
It would also boost spending and in turn bring more cash into government funds.
TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady warned ministers to do their homework, describing the report as "compulsory reading" for them.
"Raising public-sector pay would boost spending in local economies and would help the public purse by raising tax revenues and reducing the cost of in-work benefits," she added.
The research, supported by general union GMB, showed how public-sector pay had been "significantly eroded" over the past seven years.
A schoolteacher outside London is now paid nearly £3,000 less in real terms than in 2010-11. Nurses have also received an effective £3,000 pay cut over the same period.
GMB national officer Rehana Azam said: "Recruitment and retention problems are impairing public services for everyone as staff are pushed to breaking point. The public-sector pay pinch is hurting, but it isn't working.
"It is a moral outrage that in one of the world's richest economies, public-sector workers are left homeless, skipping meals and relying on foodbanks."
Unison general secretary Dave Prentis warned that the country and its public services could not afford the pay cap to stay in place a moment longer.
"Unless Chancellor Philip Hammond (pictured) comes up with the extra money to fund a decent wage rise for all public servants in next week's Budget, there'll be a high price to pay.
"As experienced staff leave for better-paid jobs in other parts of the economy and employers can't pay enough to attract new recruits, the staffing crisis grows."
Pat Harrington, general secretary of Solidarity said: "Both the moral and practical case for removing the pay gap are clear. This budget should end it."


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Read the full article
This article was originally published in issue #42
To read the article in its entirety, view the digital magazine
Faith is an interesting guitar company that seems to have carved a considerable niche for itself, particularly among younger players who aren't too hung up about historical brand names, and who want an affordable, higher quality guitar than the run of the mill offerings which, however good they are today, are often a bit characterless. We have had quite a few Faiths in for review at GI over the years and never been less than very impressed. I certainly had a lot of fun playing two small scale Nomad series travel models, both of which produced tone far greater than you would imagine possible from small bodied guitars.
Both our review guitars are part of the Faith Nomad series and they come equipped with a built in active Faith CnR-3 pre-amp pickup section which features a tuner and 3 band EQ. The guitars even come with a sturdy Nomad gig bag. The build quality is exceptional and the sound of these small guitars is quite the opposite of their appearance. They sound big, resonant and crisp, despite their size.
Essentially, these two are very similar guitars made from different but identically satin finished woods. The mini Neptune is all mahogany (and solid mahogany at that - no laminates here!) while the mini Saturn features the traditional combination of solid spruce for the top with mahogany back and sides and is more like a dreadnought in shape against the rounded more 'Folk' styled Neptune. Both sport mahogany necks featuring the same scale length of 590mm and a finger board radius of 16". As we've come to expect from Faith, all the details are right, from the well constructed X bracing inside to the Macassan figured ebony of the bridge down to the Indian ebony bridge pins with abalone dots. These are both very classy looking instruments!
The sound in the room whilst I was playing was impressive, especially for the size of them - very loud, clear and resonant. Chords rung out and sustained with no trouble at all. The necks are small, of course, as these are travel guitars but they didn't feel fiddly to play. This is actually a useful extra feature as it means these two Nomads are not only great for travel but would be ideal for younger players or anyone else with smaller hands.
The electronics work as well as you'd hope they would and would be equally useful on stage through a PA or via a decent quality acoustic amp (it would need to be decent quality to deliver the rich tone of these two beauties).
So...which do you prefer? Given they are almost the same price, it comes down to looks and tone. Looks, only you can decide on but as you might expect, the spruce topped version is a bit zingier, even if it has more of a Dreadnought shape. While the mahogany Nomad is warmer - but never woolly. Being made of solid woods you can expect these two both to improve and mature with age, so that's something else to look forward to! Have a listen to our video and decide for yourself but best of all visit a shop and try them side by side. I don't think you will be disappointed.
This article was originally published in issue #42
To read the article in its entirety, view the digital magazine


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Did Google Just Build its Own Version of Digg?
iGoogle is Google's popular homepage product, where users can create custom homepages with widgets and unique backgrounds. Google released iGoogle gaming themes last month, but this new discovery might be a whole lot more interesting: there is an iGoogle gadget floating around with functionality similar to Digg, called What's Popular.
Steve Rubel, a senior VP of Edelman Digital, caught the similarities between the iGoogle Gadget and the social media voting service Digg. The Google gadget allows users to find what's popular on the web by 1) submitting links, 2) voting on links, and 3) letting an algorithm do the rest. To most of us, this does sound a lot like Digg.
This widget clearly has features that overlap with Digg, but it's not a website or service of its own. Yet the question must be asked: could Google build a social media service from this widget that could compete with Digg or StumbleUpon? Would they want to?
Comparing Features: What's Popular vs. Digg
To understand why this specific gadget is raising eyebrows, you need to understand its features and how it works. It's much simpler than Digg or Reddit, but works on the same premise.
Central to the gadget is the ability to submit articles. It's as simple as copying and pasting a link - the gadget does the rest, although titles and descriptions can be changed, just like on Digg. It's important to note that you can add items without crediting yourself - it can be done anonymously, and there seems to be no rewards for submitting links that become popular.
Once items are added, anyone with the gadget can vote items up or down (like Reddit). The gadget shows how many upvotes the item has received (called pops). Articles with enough upvotes (and ones viewed favorably by the algorithm) rise to the top. The gadget even divides content between stories, videos, and images - another Digg feature.
It's still unknown how much traffic this iGoogle gadget drives to websites or how much it could drive in the future.
What is Google's Goal with What's Popular?
Google has clearly taken a page or two from some of the top social media discovery websites around - namely Digg, StumbleUpon, and Reddit. This gadget makes it very simple and easy to add links and vote on links.
However, it's still just an iGoogle gadget, not a full-fledged service. It will not drive traffic to a website like Digg, StumbleUpon, or even Yahoo Buzz can, decreasing its current value. It's not hard, however, to see the What's Popular gadget becoming an extension of a larger service with the same functionality (Google Pop, anyone?). Don't forget about the huge userbase already using iGoogle - that alone could drive masses of traffic to websites.
Google has shown interest in the social media discovery space in the past. In fact, at one point last year, Google was close to acquiring Digg. An iGoogle gadget could be an easy way to "test the waters" before jumping in themselves.
The evolution of this little widget could be something to watch.


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Consider this: in the very near future, rock stars will wear thick-framed glasses and know how to code.
At Kineton, we don't just think that people can be judged on the company they keep, but that a company is nothing more than the people it has. That's why our philosophy is entirely people-oriented. Our employees are not replaceable; every single person brings something to the table that no one else could bring. Our success is wholly based on the people we work with.
Our close relationship with universities ensures two things: we have direct relationships with today's best and brightest minds, and that the most deserving people are on the fast-track to start their careers with us.
If you think you've got what it takes, we can guarantee it won't be long before you will become part of our team. We want an employment path that employs the best individuals with us as quickly as possible.
If you have an engineering, technology, automotive, communications, or otherwise relevant background we'd love to hear from you – come see how you can be part of the team.
Upload your CV
Think you've got the numbers to join us? Fill out the module below, introduce yourself, tell us your story and upload your CV.
We're always looking for new talents to strenghten our team!


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One of the worst feelings in the world is to lose a loved one. It is one of the greatest tragedies that anyone has to live through. The loss, grief and untold amount of pain can be paralyzing. As lawyers who work with the family members of victims in Texas, we know the ramifications very well. If the death of your loved one is due to the actions of someone else, we will help you hold them liable for what they did.
While we know that money cannot undo what has been done, but if you are entitled to compensation, our Texas wrongful death lawyers will help you stand up for your rights.
The Texas wrongful death attorneys at Frekhtman & Yusuf will help you get the justice for your loved ones that they deserve. If you have any questions, call Frekhtman & Yusuf at (877) 425-2993.
If your loved one has been a victim, you as the surviving family member in Texas has two options: first is to opt for survival actions and second is to go for the wrongful death claim. If your loved one survived the accident but later passed away, then you should opt the survival action. However, the wrongful death claim is for the surviving family members and their loss.
Punitive damages may be available in some cases as well, but only in situations where the death was caused by a "willful act or omission or gross negligence of the defendant." (Tex. Civ. Code Title 4 Sec. 71.009)
At Frekhtman & Yusuf, our Texas wrongful death lawyers understand how difficult it is to lose a loved one. We will make sure that you will get justice and receive the maximum compensation. We work on contingency fee basis, which means you don't worry about paying our fees unless we win the case for you. We can provide you a free consultation at any time. You can call our Texas accident attorneys at (877) 425-2993 and book a free consultation.


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Visiting Fellows 2015-16
Anatoly Detwyler
I recently completed my dissertation, "The Aesthetics of Information in Modern Chinese Literary Culture, 1919-1949," at Columbia University's East Asian Languages and Cultures Department. My research focuses on the historical and creative interconnections between the modern global communications revolution of the 19th and 20th centuries, on the one hand, and the rise of modern literature and art during China's dynamic "New Culture" period, on the other. I argue that in a variety of foreign and nativized forms, the entity of information provided China's writers critical leverage for engaging with the changing epistemology of the modern subject. Through a variety of formal experimentation and topical engagement with information, writers innovated important new modes of writing and reading, in the process aligning Chinese literature with a nascent information age. As a Fellow at the CHI, I will expand my dissertation into a book manuscript. I will concurrently pursue several ongoing "digital humanities" projects that use the quantitative analysis of textual corpora to rethink the history of literary form and the sociology of production in modern China.
Laura Helton
Laura Helton is a historian of American and African American literature and memory from the nineteenth century to the present. Her research interests include social histories of the archive, gender and knowledge production, collections and collecting practices, print cultures of the long civil rights movement, and the making of historical narratives. She holds a PhD in history from New York University and was most recently a fellow at the Carter G. Woodson Institute for African and African American Studies at the University of Virginia. She is currently working on a book manuscript,Collecting and Collectivity: Black Archival Publics, 1900-1950, which examines the emergence of African American archives to understand how historical recuperation shaped forms of racial imagination in the early twentieth century. She is co-editor of a forthcoming issue of Social Text, "The Question of Recovery: Slavery, Freedom, and the Archive." Her recent public humanities work includes a partnership between NYU and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture that seeks to increase access to "hidden" collections. She will join the Department of English at the University of Delaware as an assistant professor of print and material culture studies in 2017.
Bonnie Mak
Bonnie Mak is an associate professor at the University of Illinois, jointly appointed in the Graduate School for Library and Information Science and the Program in Medieval Studies. At the Center for Humanities and Information, she will develop her book-length project, Confessions of a 21st-Century Memsahib, a critique of the digital materials with which scholarship is increasingly conducted. She will also continue her collaboration with graphic designers and librarians on a project, Designing an Argument: A Collaboration in Scholarly Publication, that tests the boundaries of scholarly publication by articulating a complex humanistic argument in the language of scientific diagrams. Mak's research interests include manuscript, print, and digital cultures; the cultural production and circulation of knowledge; manuscript studies; book history; medieval and early modern collecting; and the history of archives and libraries. Her first book, How the Page Matters (2011), examines the interface of the page as it is developed across time, geographies, and technologies. She has been the recipient of grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Newberry Consortium for Renaissance Studies, and the Huntington Library.


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Vulkan set to enable higher framerates on Mac
Valve are celebrating a big step in their push to improve gaming on non-Windows PCs after sponsoring an open-source release of software which lets devs use the zippy Vulkan graphics API on Macs. I won't get too technical but: the MoltenVK tool runs the Vulkan API through Apple's own Metal framework, bypassing Apple's OpenGL drivers of ill repute. What do these acronyms actually mean for players? Valve's own testing has seen the Mac version of Dota 2 run at framerates up to one-third faster with Vulkan than OpenGL. Obviously gains are situational and it mean nothings if developers don't use the API, but it seems a firm foundation to lay. Congrats, Maccers.
A highly technical analogy: while OpenGL lets games communicate with graphics cards like a couple at a dinner party passively-aggressively arguing through another guest all "Could you please tell me dearest wife that it would be fantastic, just wonderful, if she could find the time in her BUSY SCHEDULE to pass me the bowl of green pixels…", Vulkan is a little more free and willing to grab the green pixels itself. Please do not tell our hardware editor Katharine that I explained something highly technical using scenes from a middle-class BBC sitcom.
Jeremy Laird took a deeper look at Vulkan in 2016 but tbh I imagine he basically says exactly the same as me. Yup.
"We have been running substantial production loads through the Vulkan tools on Mac, including Dota 2 which is now running faster than the native OpenGL version," Valve's Pierre-Loup Griffais said in yesterday's announcement. "These efforts are aimed toward reducing development and porting costs for any developer supporting multiple platforms."
How much of a difference does Vulkan make? It varies from system to system, a graph from Valve's Dota 2 experiments shows, but it all seems to be positive. Valve also share a video with a really good scenario for Dota 2's Mac Vulkan support, at times peaking at over 50% faster than the OpenGL version:
This isn't public yet, mind. Valve say they'll officially add Vulkan support to Dota 2 on Mac "in the comings months".
MoltenVK isn't new software but creators The Brenwill Workshop did charge for it (starting at $248 for a single-user license), so Valve sponsoring the open-source release will get it into the hands of many more developers. Valve have also sponsored an SDK from LunarG. This is all is done together with the Vulkan lords of the Khronos Group and also brings Vulkan to iOS devices but look, let's stop with the acronyms and abbreviations here.
What's important for players is: it may now be easier for devs to make games which run well on Mac (though let's bear in mind 'easier' is not the same as 'easy'). Vulkan still isn't supported by many games even on Windows, though it does have big-name support from Doom and Rust and Star Citizen is switching over too. More platform support should lead to more game support.


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Foobooz Jobs: Help Wanted
We've seen an uptick in ads placed on Foobooz Jobs. Among the open positions:
- Ranstead Room Bartender
- Vetri line cook
- And all positions at Rich Landau's V Street
And employers, looking to reach potential employees who are energized by Philadelphia's restaurant scene? Foobooz Jobs is the more focused and cheaper alternative to Craigslist.
Restaurant Jobs in Philadelphia [Foobooz]


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Double click when single left click function is used
Anyone know a solution to this? I try to click with the left button and it ends up double clicking. It also has trouble when click + hold is performed.
Does anyone has the record of microchip or replacement microchip part number?
definitely yes! How to fix this?
Same problem but no solution


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For reporting purposes I wanted to export the Windows 10 Build versions. Not only the Major build version (1709/1803 etc) but also the minor (which patch level). This is how I did that :
Create a new Software title (Inventory/Software) and fill the custom Inventory Rule with the following code :
RegistryValueReturn(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion,CurrentBuildNumber,text)
Make sure that you select all your Windows 10 devices. Be sure to save the software package. Now create another Software with the following custom Inventory code :
RegistryValueReturn(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion,UBR,text)
After a force inventory you notice the 2 custom Inventory rules when viewing the device info :
Windows 10 Build versions info here.


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Her recordings include Rachmaninoff's complete transcriptions; with the Lydian Quartet, Leo Ornstein's vast Piano Quintet; flute and piano works of Sigfrid Karg-Elert; and waltz transcriptions of Godowsky, Rosenthal, and Friedman. Miss Weber recorded Liszt's last Hungarian Rhapsody, one of only two living pianists to be included in a compendium of historic performances by nineteen legendary artists. This disc subsequently won the International Liszt Prize. Her Naxos recording of Leo Ornstein's radical works introduced the charismatic composer to a worldwide audience. She is heard in Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time on Ongaku Records and her newest disc, Cascade of Roses (Dorian Sono Luminus),features works of twenty-one composers from Adolf Jensen to Billy Mayerl.
She is a member of the piano faculty at Boston Conservatory and MIT. Miss Weber produced the tones for Ivory, the worldwide bestselling virtual piano software.
She is a Steinway artist.


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Since eating fresh Dungeness crab from Fisherman's Wharf this weekend, I've been thinking of little of else—dreaming of wandering along the Embarcadero back to the crab and chowder stalls. But I haven't had the time, so instead I dug out a favorite crab recipe of mine: Fresh Fettuccine with Creamy Crab Sauce.
While the author waxes lyrical about one of my least favorite wines—a local chardonnay—I've made the recipe a few times and always use something other than chardonnay with spectacular results (usually, whatever's open in the fridge). The creamy, anise-y flavor of the sauce is an addictive compliment to the sweet, briny crab.
This recipe was created by Chronicle staff writer Tara Duggan.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 leek (white and light green parts only), washed well and thinly sliced
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup Chardonnay
12 ounces fresh fettuccine
1/2 pound fresh lump crabmeat, picked through for cartilage
3/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon
INSTRUCTIONS: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
Melt the butter in a large skillet, then add the oil and heat gently. Add the leek and shallot, then saute gently until very tender, about 15 minutes. Add the wine and simmer for about 2 minutes.
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
As the pasta cooks, add the crabmeat and cream to the sauce, and simmer gently until just warmed through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and remove from heat.
Combine the pasta, sauce and tarragon with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. If needed, add some of the reserved cooking water to thin the sauce.
Serves 4 to 6
PER SERVING: 415 calories, 14 g protein, 35 g carbohydrate, 23 g fat (11 g saturated), 120 mg cholesterol, 142 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.


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Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
"Informative, considered and caring Practitioners delivering first class mindfulness tools, techniques and meditation practices to reduce stress and anxiety with encouragement to 'live in the moment'. Highly recommend as invaluable 'me time'." Ruth
"Lovely course with knowledgeable practitioners who guided me week by week to live in the moment and also gave me the tools I needed to alleviate the stress of every day life. Thank you." Kathy
Mindfulness in the Workplace
"A great lunchtime introductory session covering the basics: stepping out of autopilot, looking at things from a beginner's mind, short and longer meditations." Sage (Salford)
Mindfulness In Schools
"I would like to thank you for the mindfulness sessions you delivered. They really contributed to a relaxing day, helping us to prepare for half term. The staff team all said they really enjoyed the activities and many said they would like to try mindfulness again." Gary Anders, Headteacher, The Orchards, Green Fold School
"The Mindfulness for Children's Programme delivered by Sue and Caroline was outstanding; the course content was fun, engaging and relevant. The children thoroughly enjoyed the six-week programme and have recognised the value of being in the moment, allowing themselves time and space in order for them to deal effectively with what life brings. Sue and Caroline are exceptional teachers; they work incredibly well together, which further enhanced the learning experience of the children. I too participated in the six-week programme and believe there is a real need for Mindfulness in education both for children and teachers." Mr. Hewson, Deputy Head, St. Mary's RC Primary, Eccles


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Shrine of Capacity
This article is a stub. You can help GODUS Wiki by expanding it.
Shrine of Capacity increase the maximum occupancy of all nearby Abodes by +1
Acquisition and unlocking[edit | edit source]
As of version 2.1 the Shrine of Capacity is unlocked with the Improved Housing Card.
Card text[edit | edit source]
Placing the Shrine of Capacity will increase the capacity of all Abodes nearby.
Details[edit | edit source]
Note[edit | edit source]
This effect cannot be stacked.


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As if pregnant women don't have enough to worry about! An interesting paper by a group I used to work with just came out in JAMA Psychiatry: Gestational Influenza and Bipolar Disorder in Adult Offspring. The authors report that children born to mothers who caught the flu during pregnancy have an almost four-fold risk of developing bipolar disorder.
The idea that suffering from an infection during pregnancy predisposes your child to develop psychiatric disorders isn't a new one. A group that includes a lot of researchers at Columbia University and Kaiser Permanente has been working in this area for a long time. In the past, most of their research has focused on schizophrenia. For decades, people had been bandying about theories on the prenatal environment and schizophrenia (I discuss some of them in this book chapter, in case you are interested). There is a well known finding that birth month affects schizophrenia risk, for example. People born in winter/early spring are more likely to develop the disorder. Scientists and doctors had hypothesized that low vitamin levels or exposure to influenza during a particularly vulnerable period of gestation could explain this link–but without a good dataset, it was hard to get a good feel for the processes at work. Imagine the problem from a scientist's perspective: somehow, you have to reliably link what happened during pregnancy with mental health outcomes decades later. In the United States, our healthcare system is so fragmented that it's really tough to do this. Let's say that I'm diagnosed with schizophrenia at my age: 32. What are the odds that a researcher is going to be able to locate my mom's health records from pregnancy? What are the odds that they even still exist? And then imagine someone trying to do the same for 100 other people like me AND for many more individuals who don't have schizophrenia, to serve as a comparison group. Not very likely, right? One solution came from a very unique insurance/healthcare company: Kaiser Permanente.
The Prenatal Determinants of Schizophrenia study started with a group of about 12,000 babies born during the years 1959-1967 in the Bay Area, whose mothers were enrolled in the Kaiser Permanente Health Plan. Kaiser still has all the medical records from their mothers' pregnancies, as well as their records from childhood and beyond. What's even more incredible is that biological samples from many of the mothers, taken during pregnancy, are available to test for various things (like antibodies to influenza). The same goes for blood samples from the fathers and, in some cases, even cord blood samples. You can imagine that this sort of setup is a treasure trove for researchers. Decades after these people were born, investigators were able to identify the individuals who had developed schizophrenia. Then, by comparing the prenatal conditions encountered by people with schizophrenia to those experienced by individuals from the same group without the disorder, they could learn more about which factors appeared to increase risk. This study has yielded all sorts of fascinating findings. When I was working with this group, I found that higher maternal levels of the n-3 fatty acid DHA, which is important in fetal and infant brain development, were linked to an increased risk of schizophrenia in offspring. It's not clear why this would be–maybe higher levels of DHA indicate that a woman ate more seafood, which could contain mercury or toxins bad for a baby. The data on maternal infections collected in this project are much clearer, though: influenza, toxoplasmosis, respiratory infections, and genital/reproductive tract infections have all been linked to a higher risk of schizophrenia in offspring.
How general are these results? Do prenatal infections also increase the risk for other psychiatric disorders? Or are there different prenatal risk factors for each psychiatric disorder? Recently, Alan Brown (Columbia University) and colleagues have been developing a new study on the prenatal determinants of bipolar disorder, also using the Kaiser Permanente cohort, to get at these very questions. They have identified almost 100 individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder (their "cases") whom they can compare to "controls"–people who were also born into the Kaiser Permanente system but didn't develop bipolar disorder. By combing through old medical records, these investigators were able to identify about 30 mothers who had been diagnosed with influenza during pregnancy. They could then determine if babies born to mothers who had the flu were more likely to develop bipolar disorder. And because they have a wealth of information about the families enrolled in the healthplan, they were able to control for important factors such as socioeconomic status, how old the mother was, whether the mother had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, etc. This study was particularly exciting because the finding was relatively strong. A lot of times in public health, some risk factor appears to increase the risk of developing a disease by 20% or so. When that happens, you worry that the finding could be spurious–maybe some factor is acting as a confounder and you were unable to completely remove its effect. Here, the results are pretty dramatic. These babies were FOUR times more likely to develop bipolar disorder, and the statistical difference in risk between them and people who were not exposed to the flu during gestation was very significant. I expect we will see this finding replicated in other studies in the future.
As the research progresses, I'm curious to see how the prenatal risk factors for diseases such as schizophrenia and bipolar differ–if they differ. The same genetic profile can predispose people to multiple psychiatric disorders, like schizophrenia, bipolar, and depression. Exposure to famine during pregnancy has been linked to both schizophrenia and bipolar in offspring. At this point, prenatal influenza infection has also been linked to both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Are we likely to find any prenatal risk factors that are specific for a psychiatric disorder like bipolar?
One of the things I like about this vein of research is that if these findings are replicated, and we all agree that getting the flu during pregnancy puts your baby at risk for bipolar disorder, there is an easy solution. We know that getting the flu during pregnancy is bad for the mother and baby for a whole host of additional reasons, so it's already recommended that pregnant women get the flu shot. For those who worry that the vaccine might be dangerous for the fetus or that the shot may not be effective enough to be worthwhile, take heart! This year a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that getting the vaccine reduced the risk of getting the flu by roughly 70% in pregnant women and that the vaccination posed no threat to the fetus (and may actually have prevented fetal deaths). Many risk factors for psychiatric disorders are not easily changed, but this doesn't appear to be one of those cases. It's one of those rare public health stories that could have a happy ending!