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Extending Learning Time for Disadvantaged Students - Volume 2 Profiles of Promising Practices - 1995 A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n Total Action Against Poverty (TAP) Summer Youth Employment Program - Strong employment component - Nontraditional, individualized instruction The Summer Youth Employment Program is one of more than 30 programs coordinated by Total Action Against Poverty (TAP), a community action agency located in Roanoke, Virginia. In existence for more than 20 years, all of the programs focus on a common theme: helping low-income individuals achieve self-sufficiency through education and training. The Summer Youth Employment Program, funded through the Job Training Partner-ship Act (JTPA), operates at several sites in Virginia. In 1993, the Roanoke program profiled below served 190 youth between the ages of 14 and 21. Students may participate in academic or work portions, or both. The academic program, first offered in 1982, offers six to eight weeks of basic remedial classes, Monday through Friday mornings, for 25 hours a week with a minimum of 90 hours over the course of the summer. The work program places students with nonprofit employers in the afternoons for 30 to 40 hours a week. Students are drawn from 6 high schools and 8 to 10 middle schools in the Roanoke area. According to their scores on the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE), these students function at academic levels between third and tenth grade. Slightly less than 10 percent of the students have limited English proficiency. A similar percentage are classified as physically handicapped; less than half of all students are in special education programs. Forty-five percent of the students are Anglo; 45 percent are African American; and 10 percent are Asian, Haitian, or Puerto Rican. Program eligibility is based on place of residence, age, income level, physical handicaps, and whether the student's family receives public assistance. Almost half of the students live in public housing projects, and between 85 and 90 percent of the students live below the federal poverty line. Approximately 10 percent of participating youth are either not school-age (over age 18) or have dropped out of school. Students are referred to the program by community agencies, the department of social services, and schools. Major Program Features - Planning and design. Federally funded summer employment programs have existed in Roanoke for more than 20 years, beginning with funds from the Manpower Development Training Act (MDTA) and the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA). The program is currently funded through JTPA. Program planners emphasize basic remedial education because many of the youth enrolled in the program have academic deficiencies that hamper their employment opportunities. In accordance with JTPA requirements, all youth must be evaluated upon entering the program; students who test at least two grades below grade level receive remediation. The Roanoke program teaches students to express themselves orally and in writing and provides meaningful work experiences. Recognizing that these youth are at extremely high risk for dropping out of school, the program tries to stimulate their interest in school and encourages them to seek post-secondary training. Each year, TAP staff write to schools and work sites asking for letters of commitment that describe the potential work opportunities for students at that site. Sites that participated during the previous year are asked to assess the quality of the program and its management, indicate whether the site will be offered again as a student workplace, and note the number of students that can be served at the site. TAP has further contact with the schools through referrals from school counselors and principals. The program is publicized to students primarily by word of mouth. - Academic focus. Classwork, which accounts for 20 to 25 hours a week, focuses on communication skills, reading, writing, and vocabulary. The program director describes her approach as nontraditional: students do not sit in rows and take notes, memorize facts, or take quizzes. Instead, they may interview elected officials, discuss their responses, and report the conversations in a newsletter. Because most students have difficulty obtaining basic information, many activities focus on oral question-and-answer sessions or presentations. The project director also maintains contact with the students' regular teachers and principals who, in addition to guidance counselors, refer children to the program. Instruction is individualized, based on student scores on the achievement test. The program emphasizes one-on-one relationships between instructors and students; because the maximum student-teacher ratio is 15:1, and each class has an aide, teachers can develop close relationships with each student. Teachers also may work with a single student while the others use computers for remedial exercises. Teachers take classes to tour radio and television stations, city hall, and the local courts. Since 1992, the program has offered ESL classes in addition to basic education, as well as a class for physically handicapped students. The instructors are often certified teachers, and all have experience using nontraditional teaching methods and working with disadvantaged students. Teachers are recruited from local schools and universities. The program uses remedial text books and materials, purchased with grant funds, such as New Beginnings in Reading and GED program resources. - Organizational management/structure. The program is administered by the youth services division of TAP. The director of youth services writes the grant applications each year and is in charge of program planning and implementation, including hiring teachers and aides and planning the curriculum in conjunction with teachers. The assistant program director visits the job sites and works as a liaison between the job site superintendent, the student, and the program counselor, making sure that students fill out time sheets correctly and honestly. The assistant director also files a monthly report to TAP that counts the number of students and sites involved in the program and whether the sites are academic- or work-oriented. Three sites offered classes for TAP in 1993, including an occupational school for handicapped students and a community college. The largest employer of students in the summer program is a local hospital, where students work on grounds maintenance crews, in dietary services or child care, and as housekeepers or clerks. - Professional environment. The program hires teachers who have experience working with disadvantaged, at-risk students in nontraditional settings and using such teaching methods as summarizing ideas and concepts, storytelling, and leading group discussions in a noncompetitive environment. Most of these instructors are certified teachers. Teachers do not receive professional development in the summer program because of the short time span. - Funding. Funding for the program in 1993 was $200,000, provided by JTPA. These funds cover teachers' salaries; student wages (for classes and work hours); materials; transportation to classes; and some fringe benefits, such as worker's compensation. Students receive a bus pass for public transportation to their classes but not to their work site. Space for the classes often is contributed by a local community college or occupational school. Students are paid minimum wage for attending class and their jobs. The TAP agency also provides some in-kind administrative support. - Parent and community involvement. There is no effort made to involve parents in the program, other than to keep them informed about their children's placement and schedule. According to the program director, the program has a very good reputation in the community, with community organizations such as the Roanoke Fifth District Employment and Training Consortium referring many of their youth to the program. Local department stores and businesses contribute volunteers and in-kind donations, such as gift certificates, restaurant meals, and leather briefcases that are used as incentives and graduation gifts for students. - Cultural inclusiveness. ESL classes are offered to those students identified as having limited English proficiency. - Assessment and accountability. Every student takes the TABE before and after the program. This test, which is required by JTPA, measures vocabulary, writing skills, math comprehension, and language mechanics. In addition, the program co-ordinators monitor the students' performance at their work sites, including attendance records and the quality of work. Federal monitoring also occurs to ensure that the program meets all JTPA regulations. One of the biggest obstacles the program has had to overcome is convincing youth who are at risk for dropping out of school to enroll in what amounts to summer school. In fact, when the remediation requirement was added to the program, many youth declined to participate. The program had to convince these adolescents that the summer experience would be very different from the traditional school setting they were used to. Now, because of positive word-of-mouth communication among students, the program has no trouble getting students to participate. To entice students who would rather be at a job site to attend the academic remediation, TAP pays the students the same stipend offered by the job site: $4.25 an hour. Sources did not report any problems with space, transportation, or school relations. Evidence of Success The completion rate for the program is close to 90 percent, which program coordinators consider a measure of success because the program serves such a high-risk population. As one program administrator said, "All the other programs don't want these kids--this is a last stop for them. If you can get them through a program, it's a miracle." In addition, 95 percent of these students return to school in the fall. As one individual involved with the program commented, "Some of these kids would without a doubt fall by the wayside if not for this program." All of the students in the program have achieved post-program TABE scores at the same or higher level than their pre-program scores; most scores rise by at least three months, as measured on a grade-level basis. Students who are working in a full-time job at the end of the summer are not post-tested. [Summer Program For At-Risk Students] [Teen Outreach Program (TOP) Association Of Junior Leagues International]

Extending Learning Time for Disadvantaged Students - Volume 2 Profiles of Promising Practices - 1995 A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n Total Action Against Poverty (TAP) Summer Youth Employment Program - Strong employment component - Nontraditional, individualized instruction The Summer Youth Employment Program is one of more than 30 programs coordinated by Total Action Against Poverty (TAP),

What does HB 6441 propose to do? HB 6441 will create the Illinois Health Information Exchange and Technology Act and establish a State authority to operate the Illinois Health Information Exchange. What is Health Information Exchange? Health Information Exchange (HIE) enables the use of electronic health records by healthcare providers and patients in a private, secure, interoperable environment. It gives doctors and other clinicians a more comprehensive understanding of their patients’ full medical histories, which helps them deliver better care. Electronic health records provide patients with more information about the care and treatments they receive and empower patients to be more involved in the healthcare decisions that impact them and their families. Why is a Statewide HIE Necessary? Supporting the adoption of electronic health records among healthcare providers in Illinois, and building the infrastructure necessary to make HIE possible, are essential components of the State’s plan to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of healthcare. The Illinois Health Information Exchange and Technology Act will create a State authority with public and private representation to facilitate the secure exchange of electronic health records to deliver better healthcare. This public-private model has already been adopted with success in other states. What are the Primary Benefits of a Statewide HIE? - Improved healthcare quality and outcomes for Illinoisans - Reduced health disparities - Reduced medical errors and duplicative services - Enhanced coordination of patient care among providers - Controlled healthcare costs - Increased patient ability to manage their family’s care Why Should Illinois Create a Statewide HIE Now? The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (federal stimulus), established HIE as a national priority and provides financial incentives, education, and training opportunities to states to significantly accelerate the adoption of electronic health records and build HIE infrastructure. Governor Quinn has made HIE a priority component of his administration’s efforts to maximize Illinois’ share of federal dollars to transform healthcare, develop the state workforce and expand broadband access to all regions of the state. The State Health Information Exchange Cooperative Agreement grant program was established by the federal government to promote the development of state HIEs across the country; Illinois was awarded $18.8 million for this purpose. The Illinois Office of Health Information Technology, which was recently created by the Governor’s Executive Order, is the State entity responsible for coordinating all of Illinois’ HIE efforts, overseeing this federal grant and supporting the creation of a statewide HIE. What other Federal Funding is at Stake? The ARRA dedicates more than $30 billion to programs that support HIE; including grants for broadband access, technology infrastructure, and technical assistance to healthcare providers. Beginning in late 2010, Medicaid and Medicare providers and hospitals that adopt electronic health records and meet federal “meaningful use” criteria will be eligible to receive payment incentives that are 100% federally funded. These incentives total $17 billion nationally and could bring hundreds of millions of new federal dollars to Illinois healthcare providers over the next 10 years. The eligibility criteria for the provider incentive payments include the ability to exchange data and report quality measures. The State, therefore, has an urgent and compelling interest in accelerating the adoption of electronic health records and developing mechanisms for providers to exchange data, and improve the quality of healthcare. How will the Privacy and Security of Health Data be Protected? Ensuring the privacy and security of Illinois patients’ health information is a cornerstone of HIE. The State has been participating in national privacy and security planning efforts since 2007, with work already completed through the Health Information Security and Privacy Collaboration (HISPC), an initiative of the US Department of Health and Human Services. The HISPC established the foundation for strong privacy and data security protections for the sharing of patient information across providers. In addition, new federal regulations have been established to reduce security breaches and additional federal privacy and security standards will be required for all certified electronic health record systems. The State authority created by HB 6441 will ensure strict adherence to state and federal laws put in place to protect patient health information, including delineating patient rights, creating patient consent forms, defining parameters for health researchers and outlining responsibilities of healthcare workers’ safeguarding of health information. Why is a State Authority Needed? Building a statewide HIE requires infrastructure that would be cost-prohibitive for any one public or private entity to develop; reliance on individual and local exchanges would not allow the participation of all providers and patients and result in further health disparities and fragmented care among geographic regions and socio-economic groups. A State authority will be established with public and private governance to run the day-to-day operations of the HIE, enforce privacy and security policies and ensure that all Illinois patients and providers have access to the benefits of a statewide exchange. How will healthcare Stakeholders Provide Input? Support for HIE in Illinois has been well-established and growing since 2005, when Public Act 94-646 created the Electronic Health Records Task Force. The report mandated by that Act recommended that Illinois create a public-private partnership governed by a board of directors representative of healthcare stakeholders. HB 6441 is the product of a comprehensive and broad-based community engagement process that includes consumer advocate organizations, physicians and other clinicians, behavioral health providers, insurers, hospitals, universities, employers, and state and local government agencies. These and other stakeholders are represented on the Illinois HIE Advisory Committee, which meets monthly to provide input on the State’s efforts. For more information on the State’s HIE efforts, please visit www.hie.illinois.gov; for information on the federal programs, please visit www.healthit.hhs.gov. List of organizations supporting HB 6441 (in formation): - Alliance of Chicago Community Health Services - American Academy of Pediatrics, Illinois Chapter - Blessing Hospital - Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois - Chicago Community Trust - Children's Memorial Hospital - Cook County Health and Hospitals System - Hammond Henry Hospital - Healthcare Consortium of Illinois - Health Information and Management Systems Society - Illinois Academy of Family Physicians - Illinois Chamber of Commerce - Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network - Illinois Hospital Association - Illinois Public Health Institute - Illinois Science and Technology Coalition - Illinois State Medical Society - McAlpine Consulting for Growth - Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council - Northwestern Memorial Hospital - Quality Quest for Health of Illinois - Rush Health System - Sandlot/Sandlot Connect HIE - SEIU Healthcare Illinois - Sinai Health System - Southern Illinois Healthcare - UIC School of Public Health - University of Chicago Hospitals

What does HB 6441 propose to do? HB 6441 will create the Illinois Health Information Exchange and Technology Act and establish a State authority to operate the Illinois Health Information Exchange. What is Health Information Exchange? Health Information Exchange (HIE) enables the use of electronic health records by healthcare providers and patients in a private, secure, interoperable environment.

Several USGS scientists and specialists have worked with NASA on the planning, day-to-day operation and image processing for Spirit and Opportunity on the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Project. Two Astrogeology scientists, Ken Herkenhoff and Larry Soderblom, are MER Co-Investigators. Ken Herkenhoff was also the Payload Element Lead (PEL) for the Microscopic Imager. The Mars Exploration Rover mission launched in the summer of 2003. Rover Spirit landed 3 January 2004, and Rover Opportunity landed 24 January 2004. Both rovers have been very successful and are have had their missions extended beyond the initial three month mission plan. Although Spirit's mission has officially ended, the USGS continues to use and process images taken during its time on Mars.

Several USGS scientists and specialists have worked with NASA on the planning, day-to-day operation and image processing for Spirit and Opportunity on the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Project. Two Astrogeology scientists, Ken Herkenhoff and Larry Soderblom, are MER Co-Investigators. Ken Herkenhoff was also the Payload Element Lead (PEL) for the Microscopic Imager. The Mars Exploration Rover missio

Sporting Venues and Events Major sporting venues within the City of Perth include the Western Australian Cricket Ground (WACA) and Glouster Park Raceway. Western Australian Cricket Ground (WACA) The Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) established in 1885 is the home of cricket in Western Australia. Located in East Perth, this premier sporting ground has a capacity of 20,000 people and is home to many international, national and local cricketing fixtures, with the Western Warriors playing all home games here. For further information visit http://www.waca.com.au Glouster Park – Harness Racing Harness Racing began in Western Australia in 1910 with the formation of the Western Australian Trotting Association. The original home for trotting was the WACA however in the 1930’s it moved to Gloucester Park which remains the premier destination for harness racing in Western Australia today. Located in East Perth, Gloucester Park holds races all year round, with the season running from 1 September through to the 31 August. For more information contact the Western Australian Trotting Association. Perth is the base for many Western Australian sporting teams that play in both national and international competitions. The city itself is host to a number of events throughout the year ranging from the City of Perth Triathlon attracting both national and international athletes to the popular Active Foundation City to Surf community fun run which attracts up to 34,000 participants annually. Further information regarding major sporting events can be found by clicking on the events tab in the right hand navigation bar.

Sporting Venues and Events Major sporting venues within the City of Perth include the Western Australian Cricket Ground (WACA) and Glouster Park Raceway. Western Australian Cricket Ground (WACA) The Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) established in 1885 is the home of cricket in Western Australia. Located in East Perth, this premier sporting ground has a capacity of 20,000 people and is

Even before coming to work at University of Mary Washington I carried a large bias towards the force that is ds106; having taught in and doing it again (hey the doors are open for the summer version a la Camp Magic Macguffin), I am in the middle of the MOOC woods not really worrying if there are trees or not. Or maybe, if a Massive Open Online Course falls in the woods… ok, enough useless metaphors. There’s enough static flying in the webs about MOOCs but I was pleased to have caught the conversation at the Digital Campus podcast Ya Big MOOC where Dan Cohen, Mills Kelly, Amanda French, and guest Audrey Waters provided interesting viewpoints and recognition of ds106 (not that we need more people clamoring for credit) Some brief notes- Mills praised ds106 for not being the “correspondence model” of Coursera and Udacity (which now I know from the podcast is pronounced “You Da City”) as an old model of distance education. He described this approach as if content goes online and you work through it then you will know something — an instructivist model On ds106, he said “This is what MOOCs ought to be” that it takes advantage of inherent qualities of the Internet. Audrey waters says it is “of the web and for the web” (hey I thought I coined that) and ds106 stands in contrast to other moocs in that it is really about community of learners, Audrey’s experience in some of the other MOOCs is that she won’t be missed if she is not in the course, that it is isolating. I should add that despite completing only 1/2 of a first You Da City course, I still get emails congratulating me for making it to week 4: Congratulations! You’ve made it more than halfway through the course! Unit 4 and homework 4 are both up. This unit is on search and complexity, which I hope you enjoy learning as much as I enjoyed teaching. I know this course has been challenging, but if you’ve made it this far I have no doubt that you can finish. If you have any questions, or just want to take part in interesting discussion, feel free to visit the forums. Despite the million dollar infrastructure, they don’t even know where I am at. The group pondered Why now? for MOOCs, why the fervent interest. They speculated a global demand for the branded experienced, but also questioned whether Stanford, Harvard, MIT will take as value/credit a student entering their institution with MOOC experience- its good enough for us to brand our X version for people to use elsewhere but not good enough for people coming to us? I can say with almost 100% assurance, ds106 will never have a cheapened x in front of it. There is a lot that is unique abut ds106, it has kess to do with the structure, technology (which are integral though) and more about its leveraging the social nature of the network that was drawn in from the start. But tio does not mean that there cannot be more courses in this mode and not just the Ya Big MOOC kind. I’d have more to say, but I have to get back to camp. The ds106 It’s Own Space by CogDogBlog, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Even before coming to work at University of Mary Washington I carried a large bias towards the force that is ds106; having taught in and doing it again (hey the doors are open for the summer version a la Camp Magic Macguffin), I am in the middle of the MOOC woods not really worrying if there are trees or not. Or maybe, if a Massive Open Online Course falls in the woods… ok, enough useless metaphor

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Standard Occupational Classification The information on this page relates to the 2010 SOC, please see the 2000 SOC System for information on the previous version of the SOC. 47-5013 Service Unit Operators, Oil, Gas, and Mining Operate equipment to increase oil flow from producing wells or to remove stuck pipe, casing, tools, or other obstructions from drilling wells. May also perform similar services in mining exploration operations. Includes fishing-tool technicians. Illustrative example: Well Servicing Rig Operator Broad Occupation: 47-5010 Derrick, Rotary Drill, and Service Unit Operators, Oil, Gas, and Mining Minor Group: 47-5000 Extraction Workers Major Group: 47-0000 Construction and Extraction Occupations List of SOC Major Groups SOC User Guide Last Modified Date: March 11, 2010

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Standard Occupational Classification The information on this page relates to the 2010 SOC, please see the 2000 SOC System for information on the previous version of the SOC. 47-5013 Service Unit Operators, Oil, Gas, and Mining Operate equipment to increase oil flow from producing wells or to remove stuck pipe, casing, tools, or other obstructions from drilling wells

Elementary Education Endowment Files Files of the Charity Commission (otherwise in CHAR), Education Department, and Board of Education relating to elementary educational endowments. The dividing line between elementary and secondary education foundations is often indistinct. Where the provisions of a foundation clearly embrace both elementary and secondary education and separate files have been created, the elementary, or primary, endowment file is confined to its own field; anything affecting the foundation as a whole appears on the secondary education endowment file. 'General' foundations applicable to the whole or a large part of the county or a large ecclesiastical division also appear at the end of the county; cross references have been made for foundations covering more than one county. Foundations in county boroughs appear in alphabetical order, incorporating the title of the beneficial area, when it is not the whole county borough, as first part of the foundation title. The separate group of 'General' foundations at the end of the list refers to those not concerned with a particular county in England and Wales. The group also includes a small number of charities applicable to other countries. Foundations which have been transferred from one area to another owing to a change in boundaries are shown where they are now situated, but foundations which have moved from one place to another are listed, so far as pre-1936 papers are concerned, in the area in which they were on 31st March 1935. The list follows a geographical arrangement and foundations are grouped under the civil or ecclesiastical areas comprising or containing the beneficial area. (The beneficial areas of foundations do not always follow the same boundaries as existing civil or ecclesiastical areas.) Cross references have been made where the foundations cover two or three parishes but where many parishes are involved the foundation is shown under a 'General' heading at the end of the county. Files from special series (1903 to 1921 aproximately) dealing with estate management and approval of schemes, have been listed after the general file in the case of each endowment, school or institution. where separate files were created in respect of 'Estate Management' or 'Schemes' these have been incorporated in the series and listed immediately following the main file of the foundation. Charity Commission, 1853 Ministry of Education, 1944-1964 The Board of Education Act, 1899 transferred to this department the powers exercised by the Charity Commissioners relating to educational charities and provided that any question as to whether an endowment was educational or eleemosynary (related to alms) should be determined by the Charity Commissioners. The Charity Commissioners, when necessary, made determination orders whereby the part of the charity which was educational was divided from the rest. Where a foundation was considered to be solely educational the determination was usually made by letter addressed to the Board of Education and in these cases, the existing files of the Charity Commissioners were transferred to this department. The majority of the educational 'parts' of charities have acquired a separate body of trustees and have become separate foundations; a number however, remain under the control of the trustees of the eleemosynary parts. Found an error? Suggest a correction to help improve our descriptions. Users have not yet tagged this record Use the form below to include your knowledge of this record. If your description includes any citable references, please add these to the "Citable References?" field on the right, remebering to seperate each reference with a comma, for example (FO 176/1/1, FO 178/2/1, and so on...)

Elementary Education Endowment Files Files of the Charity Commission (otherwise in CHAR), Education Department, and Board of Education relating to elementary educational endowments. The dividing line between elementary and secondary education foundations is often indistinct. Where the provisions of a foundation clearly embrace both elementary and secondary education and separate files have been cr

The Indianapolis Office of Sustainability and the Department of Code Enforcement offer reduction in permit fees for projects achieving certain green building criteria. Property owners and developers constructing new buildings or completing major renovations on existing buildings are eligible to receive the incentive. Projects located within Indianapolis or Marion County are eligible. There are six green building categories. Meeting the minimum criteria for three categories qualifies the project for a 30% rebate on permit fees. For each additional category that the project meets, it will receive an additional 10% off permit fees. The maximum rebate amount is 50%. The six categories are: - Water Quality/Quantity - Innovation Design Detailed requirements of each of the categories are available on the program web site. In order to qualify for the energy category, the building must meet ASHRAE 90.1-2007 guidelines and/or utilize on-site renewable energy. Residential buildings must use EnergyStar rated (or equivalent) HVAC systems, lighting systems, and appliances. In order to apply for the permit rebate, the applicant must fill out the Green Building Incentive Worksheet and submit it with all required construction documents for the initial permit review. The worksheet is available on the program web site.

The Indianapolis Office of Sustainability and the Department of Code Enforcement offer reduction in permit fees for projects achieving certain green building criteria. Property owners and developers constructing new buildings or completing major renovations on existing buildings are eligible to receive the incentive. Projects located within Indianapolis or Marion County are eligible. There are six

Fermilab stores tens of petabytes of scientific data in its mass storage system. A petatbyte of information is equal to 10^15 bytes. The laboratory stores data long-term using a tape storage system called Enstore. Researchers can access this data directly on-site or through disk caching software called dCache both on-site and off-site. dCache, together with Enstore, allows researchers located away from Fermilab to access the data stored on the tapes. The software works somewhat like a Web browser cache that locally saves information about sites frequently visited so that it does not need to reload that data on subsequent visits. dCache retrieves data from the tapes and can provide high-performance access to frequently accessed files. Some dCache disk storage systems at Fermilab store large amounts of data; the US CMS Tier 1 disk caching system can store 3 petabytes, and its capacity will be increased as the Large Hadron Collider comes online.

Fermilab stores tens of petabytes of scientific data in its mass storage system. A petatbyte of information is equal to 10^15 bytes. The laboratory stores data long-term using a tape storage system called Enstore. Researchers can access this data directly on-site or through disk caching software called dCache both on-site and off-site. dCache, together with Enstore, allows researchers located away

Federal Office Building (FOB) 8 Environmental Assessment GSA proposes to implement exterior improvements at Federal Office Building (FOB) 8, located at 200 C Street, SW, Washington, DC. The purpose of the proposed action is to modernize the existing facade with additional areas of glazing, provide a security screening pavilion as a building addition, and transform a surface parking area into a public plaza. The project also proposes perimeter security primarily in public space surrounding the building. Currently the building is unoccupied and the interior has been demolished. The need for the proposed action is to provide the required level of security for the proposed tenant, the Architect of the Capitol. GSA has finalized the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the project. The EA analyzes four alternatives, including a no action alternative for the proposed exterior improvement project. The three action alternatives each present different concepts for the location of perimeter security and the design of the plaza on the north side of the building. Each alternative has been analyzed for its impact on the natural and manmade environment. Environmental Assessment Conclusion A Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) was finalized on January 10, 2010. No substantial comments were received. An Environmental Impact Statement will not be prepared. Action Selected for Implementation GSA initially identified Alternative A as the preferred alternative. However, based on analysis provided within the EA and public comments received, GSA selected Alternative B, which provides protection to the building and results in lesser impacts to the human environment than Alternative A. The following documents are available for download; please click on chapter name to begin downloading: |FOB8 Draft EA Chapters 1 and 2||676k||8/5/2009| |FOB8 Draft EA Chapter 3||5.93m||8/5/2009| |FOB8 Draft EA Chapters 4 and 5||440k||8/5/2009|

Federal Office Building (FOB) 8 Environmental Assessment GSA proposes to implement exterior improvements at Federal Office Building (FOB) 8, located at 200 C Street, SW, Washington, DC. The purpose of the proposed action is to modernize the existing facade with additional areas of glazing, provide a security screening pavilion as a building addition, and transform a surface parking area into a pub

National Center for Homeless Education The National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) provides research, resources, and information enabling communities to address the educational needs of children experiencing homelessness. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the Center serves as a clearinghouse of information for people seeking to remove or overcome educational barriers and to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for children and youth experiencing homelessness. The Center also supports educators and service providers through producing training and awareness materials and providing training at regional and national conferences and events. The Center is part of the larger organization of the SERVE Center at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. (NCHE) Type of Resource:

National Center for Homeless Education The National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) provides research, resources, and information enabling communities to address the educational needs of children experiencing homelessness. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the Center serves as a clearinghouse of information for people seeking to remove or overcome educational barriers and to improve

DOE As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) Innovations This page provides summaries of ALARA projects and improvements conducted at various DOE sites. These innovations are new or modified devices, processes, or controls that minimize external or internal exposure (or the potential for exposure), contamination, or radioactive waste. DOE/Contractor facilities are encouraged to share information by submitting descriptions of ALARA Innovations they have developed, and to visit this site to see what others have developed. Links to REMS Report ALARA Projects Submit an ALARA Project Any questions, contact: Certified Health Physicist Office of Health and Safety Department of Energy

DOE As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) Innovations This page provides summaries of ALARA projects and improvements conducted at various DOE sites. These innovations are new or modified devices, processes, or controls that minimize external or internal exposure (or the potential for exposure), contamination, or radioactive waste. DOE/Contractor facilities are encouraged to share information by

Note: This message is displayed if (1) your browser is not standards-compliant or (2) you have you disabled CSS. Read our Policies for more information. To many Hoosiers, the mention of coyotes evokes images of cowboys and campfires, the open plains and perhaps a spine-tingling nocturnal chorus by wild “prairie wolves” overlooking the vast western expanse. They would be surprised to discover that coyotes (Canis latrans) are native to Indiana soil. Prior to the settlement of Indiana, coyotes were primarily restricted to original prairie regions to the state. With the clearing of forests for farming, coyotes have consistently expanded their distribution. Today, coyotes are found throughout Indiana. The coyote closely resembles a German shepherd dog in size and conformation, but it carries its tail below the level of its back instead of curved upward. The upper body is a grizzled gray or buff, with a reddish brown or gray muzzle. The lower body is white,cream-colored or reddish yellow. Coyotes have bushy tails, long slender snouts, pointed ears and comparatively long legs. Coyotes are rather large members of the dog family. Their weights range from 20 to 50 pounds, and they measure from 40 to 50 inches in length from nose to tail tip. The average weight in Indiana is about 30 pounds, and males are frequently heavier than females. Coyotes may pair up for life. They mate in February, and a litter of five to 10 pups, is born in a den during April. The den is often located in a bank or on a hillside, or it may be an enlarged woodchuck or rabbit burrow. Sometimes, rock outcroppings or caves are used, and at times, dens may be constructed on level ground. When the pups are old enough to take solid food, they are fed by both parents. They begin playing at the entrance of their den at 3 to 4 weeks of age, and by 10 weeks of age they may leave the den completely. Both the male and female coyote are involved in the pup’s young lives. They provide them with food and instruct them on how to hunt until the fall months when the youngsters are nearly full grown and ready to begin life on their own. One reason coyotes have continued to persist into modern times is that they can accept a varied diet. Their main diet is small mammals. Since they are excellent “mousers,” these rodents are very important in the overall food supply. Rabbit is for dinner. Poultry, livestock, wild fruit, songbirds and sometimes game birds can all be found in the coyote larder. Because coyotes sometimes prey upon livestock, they have been looked upon with disfavor by sheep and cattle raisers. In their defense, usually one or two coyotes in an area find livestock a favored source of food. Often times, only the weak or very young animals are taken. Good husbandry on the part of the sheep or cattle raisers can substantially reduce livestock loss to coyote. Coyotes were considered rare or uncommon in Indiana until the early 1970s. Since then, they have shown their ability to adapt to the Hoosier landscape in increasing numbers and will continue to persist with little human assistance. Hunting and trapping should continue to be actively pursued as a method of population control. When livestock depredations do occur, it should be recognized that problem coyotes should be considered unwelcome members of the native Indiana wildlife community. Fur buyer reports of coyote pelt purchases show coyotes are present in all sections of the state. Coyote pelts first became noticeable in the fur harvest of 1971 when 30 hides were reported sold. The numbers of pelts annually purchased during the early and mid 1970s doubled and tripled in some years. By 1978, about 2,500 pelts were purchased by Indiana fur buyers. Since then, statewide coyote abundance has continued to increase at a much slower rate as coyotes continue to expand into previously unoccupied habitat.

Note: This message is displayed if (1) your browser is not standards-compliant or (2) you have you disabled CSS. Read our Policies for more information. To many Hoosiers, the mention of coyotes evokes images of cowboys and campfires, the open plains and perhaps a spine-tingling nocturnal chorus by wild “prairie wolves” overlooking the vast western expanse. They would be surprised to discover that

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows: SECTION 1. Section 5 of chapter 167C of the General Laws is hereby repealed. SECTION 2. Said chapter 167C is hereby further amended by adding the following section:- Section 11. A bank, may receive deposits, renew time deposits, close loans, service loans, and receive payments on loans and other obligations in the commonwealth or in any other state as an agent for another banking institution, whether located within the commonwealth or in another state. The banking institution acting as such agent shall not be deemed to be a branch of the principal banking institution. A banking institution acting as such agent shall not conduct any activity which it would be prohibited from conducting as a principal under any state or federal law, or, as a principal, have any such agent conduct any activity which such institution would be prohibited from conducting under any state or federal law. Any such agency relationship shall be consistent with safe and sound banking practices and all applicable regulations of the commissioner. For the purposes of this section, a banking institution shall mean a bank, federal bank, foreign bank, out-of-state bank and an out-of-state federal bank as such terms are defined in section 1 of chapter 167.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows: SECTION 1. Section 5 of chapter 167C of the General Laws is hereby repealed. SECTION 2. Said chapter 167C is hereby further amended by adding the following section:- Section 11. A bank, may receive deposits, renew time deposits, close loans, service loans, and receive

Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES) recently received an award from Xcel Energy for their continued engagement and success as a partner in Xcel's Conservation Improvement Program. Due to Metropolitan Council Environmental Services’ cost- and energy-saving measures, Xcel Energy has awarded MCES its 2012 “Xcel Energy Efficiency Partner”. This is the third time MCES has received the award (previously in 2009 and 2010). Xcel’s Minnesota Efficiency Partner program recognizes customers and trade partners for their substantial energy efficiency efforts, and highlights efforts to help the environment by implementing and promoting energy-efficiency improvements. MCES, one of three divisions of the Metropolitan Council, collects and treats wastewater at its seven regional treatment plants. It also develops plans to preserve and manage the region's water resources. MCES treatment plants process an average of 260 million gallons of wastewater every day from more than two million residents. The Minneapolis-St. Paul area’s population will grow in two ways in the coming decades: it will grow in size, and it will grow in diversity. The Metropolitan Council has predicted that by 2040, the population of the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area will grow by 893,000 people to a total population of 3,743,000, and that 43% of residents will be people of color in 2040 – up from 24% in 2010. The region’s Hispanic population is expected to nearly triple, from 168,000 in 2010 to 479,000 in 2040. The region will also see a more diverse student population. The population of color under age 25 will double in size by 2040 up from 335,000 in 2010 to 676,000. This change will then be reflected in Minnesota’s workforce as that population moves from school into the job market further down the road; likewise, the workforce by 2040 will reflect the diversity of today’s under-25 population. Governor Dayton speaks at the 2012 Disabilities Day Rally in the Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda. The Partners in Policymaking Program recently celebrated its 25th Anniversary, marking a quarter century of advocacy, education, and inspiration for people with developmental disabilities and their families. Since 1987, the program – led by the Department of Administration’s Developmental Disabilities Council (DDC), has provided leadership training for parents of children with developmental disabilities and adults with disabilities. By helping these individuals self-advocate and form relationships with elected officials and policymakers, the program empowers them to positively shape the policies and services that impact their lives. -Lieutenant Governor Yvonne Prettner Solon during her trip to Germany This week, Lieutenant Governor Yvonne Pretter Solon is leading a 16-member delegation in Germany, joined by Iowa’s Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds. The delegation is made up of experts from Minnesota and Iowa that will study Germany’s energy and power systems, in the search for finding more energy efficient methods that could aid in creating and maintaining a more sustainable Minnesota. What is it About? A group of experts from Minnesota and Iowa are in Germany this week learning about energy solutions that could help Minnesota. The trip is organized by the University of Minnesota’s Center for German and European Studies together with Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economics and Germany’s Foreign office. The group will hear from both Germany’s economics and environment ministries in hopes to learn more about their renewable energy projects. Although widely known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Minnesota is also home to 90,000 miles of rivers and streams and more than 800,000 registered watercraft. The vast number of lakes, rivers, and streams throughout Minnesota led the state to establish what is now the oldest and largest water trails system in the nation. This is why Governor Dayton has proclaimed July 14, 2012 to be State Water Trails Day in Minnesota. View the Governor’s Proclamation here. The Water Trails System, managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), is comprised of a series of recreational routes mapped and managed for canoeing, kayaking, boating, and camping. One of the most scenic trails is the 155-mile Lake Superior Water Trail, which hugs the shores of the world's largest freshwater lake. The newest addition to the water trail system, the Cedar River State Water Trail, flows from just north of Austin, Minnesota to Southeast Iowa, where it joins the Iowa River. The DNR is encouraging all Minnesotans to experience the state's water systems Saturday. You can see more about it and learn more about Minnesota’s State Water Trail system, including locations, outfitting, and safety information, at the DNR website. If you are new to paddling and want to gain some skills for the water, check out the offerings in the "I Can Paddle!" program. This is on ongoing part of the DNR's "I Can!" outdoors course offerings, which includes instruction in camping, fishing and climbing. Governor Mark Dayton kicked off Minnesota’s largest veterans career fair this morning by proclaiming July “Hire a Veteran” month. Today at the Minnesota Veterans Career Fair the Governor urged businesses to hire veterans and noted their skills and leadership abilities are what Minnesota employers are looking for. “Hiring veterans is one of the best investments businesses can make in the future success of their companies and of our state,” Governor Mark Dayton said. “Veterans have the skills Minnesota employers are looking for, including leadership, intelligence, dedication, and loyalty. They also have proven their abilities to perform at the highest levels under all kinds of pressures and conditions.” Governor Dayton’s office also recently hired a Minnesota Veteran, Amanda Ingvaldson, after she returned from serving with the Minnesota National Guard in support of ‘Operation Iraqi Freedom. By increasing the public’s awareness of the high unemployment rate of veterans, “Hire a Veteran” month not only gives veterans an opportunity to work but it also promotes good business in Minnesota. The Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area is going to grow a lot in the next few decades, and Governor Dayton is proud to be leading Minnesota into a new era of increased output, population, and diversity. According to demographic changes projected by the Metropolitan Council, the Twin Cities metro area will see substantial growth in overall population, population diversity, economic output and jobs over the coming three decades. The Council projects that by 2040, the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area will grow by 893,000 people, to a total of 3,743,000, and that 43% of the metro population will be people of color (up from 24% in 2010). This is a slower growth rate per decade – at roughly 9 or 10 percent – than the 15 percent the metro area witnessed in the 1980s and 90s. This past Tuesday, July 3, the National Education Association (NEA) honored Governor Mark Dayton with the 2012 America’s Greatest Education Governor Award. The annual award recognizes and honors governors who have made major, state-level education strides that improve public schools. The award was presented by NEA President Dennis Van Roekel before approximately 9,000 educators. Governor Dayton is the fifth recipient of the award. In regard to the award, Governor Dayton said, “I am very honored to receive this award from educators across America,” said Gov. Dayton. “As a former public school teacher, I know how challenging their jobs are. I promised that my administration would make education and jobs my highest priorities. This award shows we’re making progress.”

Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES) recently received an award from Xcel Energy for their continued engagement and success as a partner in Xcel's Conservation Improvement Program. Due to Metropolitan Council Environmental Services’ cost- and energy-saving measures, Xcel Energy has awarded MCES its 2012 “Xcel Energy Efficiency Partner”. This is the third time MCES has received the aw

For the more information about the air resources of the National Park Service, please visit http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/. Horse Ridge Natural Area Horse Ridge Natural Area is distinguished by a high quality example of western juniper woodland in vigorous condition. Location: Deschutes County, OR Year designated: 1967 For additional information see: Please remember, National Natural Landmarks (NNLs) are not national parks. NNL status does not indicate public ownership, and many sites are not open for visitation. Last Updated: June 28, 2012

For the more information about the air resources of the National Park Service, please visit http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/. Horse Ridge Natural Area Horse Ridge Natural Area is distinguished by a high quality example of western juniper woodland in vigorous condition. Location: Deschutes County, OR Year designated: 1967 For additional information see: Please remember, National Natural Landmarks (NN

Should I Get a Copyright or a Creative Commons License? By: Donna Ray Berkelhammer. This was posted Monday, January 21st, 2013 Copyright is a bundle of exclusive rights that are automatically granted to a copyright owner (artist, musician, author, choreographer, programmer) once the work is “fixed in a tangible medium” — written, recorded in audio or visual form, stored in a computer memory system. These rights are: - Copy the work; - Distribute the work; - Display the work; - Modify or create derivative works of the work; - Perform the work; and - In the case of sound recordings, to perform the work publicly by means of a digital audio transmission. Copyright law protects original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, photographs, drawings, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture. Recipes and web sites sometimes can be protected. Copyright protects the expression of ideas, but does not stop other people from creating their own expression of the idea. It does not protect domain names, titles, slogans, most logos, band names, company names, facts, ideas, systems or methods of operation. Unless you get a federal registration, you cannot sue for infringement and your ability to get damages will be greatly reduced. Registered works are entitled to certain presumptions under the law, and are eligible for statutory damages and attorneys fees, which makes the case much simpler and more efficient to bring. Otherwise you have the costly and burdensome job to prove the actual damages you suffered from the infringement. Registration requires submitting a form, a copy of your work and a fee of as little as $35 for online registration to the U.S. Copyright Office. But what if you want other people to be able you use your work, or part of your work? You don’t have to sell the entire work, but can grant someone a license to use your work under certain terms and conditions. How could you let people find your work and tell them how they can use it? That’s exactly what Creative Commons does. It is a nonprofit organization that enables the sharing and use of copyrighted works with free legal tools.You can register your work with Creative Commons and select the conditions under which people can use your work or build on it. If you are looking for content, if you find it at Creative Commons and abide by the license terms, you can rest easy that you have not committed copyright infringement. - Creative Commons and how do to use it! (dsynegrafix.wordpress.com) - How to Set Up a Creative Commons License for Google’s Image Search (raventools.com) - For The Creative ‘Common Good’ (scribd.com) - Copyright and Fair Usage Policy (thetechnologycafe.com) - Where It All Began – Creative Commons is Turning 10 (urbantimes.co) - A Guide To Copyright Law for Online Businesses (rypmarketing.com)

Should I Get a Copyright or a Creative Commons License? By: Donna Ray Berkelhammer. This was posted Monday, January 21st, 2013 Copyright is a bundle of exclusive rights that are automatically granted to a copyright owner (artist, musician, author, choreographer, programmer) once the work is “fixed in a tangible medium” — written, recorded in audio or visual form, stored in a computer memory system

The Minister was speaking at a visit to a street in Ger y Bont in the Rhondda that has been transformed by money for the Welsh Government’s strategic energy programme, ARBED. The Minister met and visited the home of a Penywaun couple whose home had been transformed by ARBED improvements including re-cladding, wall insulation and new windows and doors. He also met a local man, Robert Smith who has found work in the area as a result of ARBED funded improvements. The funding will see a further 957 homes in Wales benefitting from the installation of energy saving and renewable energy generating technology through the Welsh Government’s successful ARBED scheme. Investment will be targeted at some of Wales’s most deprived areas and will help Welsh householders to slash their fuel bills whilst also reducing their reliance on traditional forms of energy that are damaging to the environment. Speaking about the extra £8.8m, Environment Minister John Griffiths said: “Ensuring that Welsh homes are more energy efficient is vital if we are to successfully tackle fuel poverty. “It is also a key part of our efforts to provide new job opportunities, to stimulate Wales’ green economy, to support the construction industry and to achieve the challenging carbon reduction targets set out in our Climate Change Strategy. “I am delighted that we are using this European funding to ensure that homes in some of Wales’ most deprived areas become much more energy efficient." Collectively, ARBED funding will ensure that almost 5,000 households across Wales benefit from energy saving measures such as solid wall insulation, draft proofing and heat pumps. This latest funding follows a £37m ARBED investment announced earlier this year and is backed by the European Regional Development Fund. It will help to increase local skill levels and will result in the creation of 49 new jobs focused on the production and fitting of energy efficient products, taking the total number of jobs created by phase 2 of ARBED to 283. During the first phase of ARBED, which ran from 2009 to 2011, 6,000 homes across Wales were transformed by the installation of energy efficiency measures. The programme also saw over 4,500 weeks of training being delivered in Wales and 80% of the technology being installed by companies that were Welsh or have a large employment base in Wales. ARBED is delivered in partnership with local authorities and Welsh Housing Associations.

The Minister was speaking at a visit to a street in Ger y Bont in the Rhondda that has been transformed by money for the Welsh Government’s strategic energy programme, ARBED. The Minister met and visited the home of a Penywaun couple whose home had been transformed by ARBED improvements including re-cladding, wall insulation and new windows and doors. He also met a local man, Robert Smith who has

Term: January 18, 1963 - January 20, 1967 Born: July 19, 1917 William Warren “Bill” Scranton, born into a wealthy family, prepared for public service from the time he was a young boy. Although Scranton’s parents, Worthington Scranton and Marion Margery Warren Scranton, were residents of the city of Scranton, William Scranton was born on July 19, 1917, in his ancestral town of Madison, Connecticut, where the family was vacationing at a cottage. Worthington Scranton descends from John Scranton who left England to settle in Madison in 1637. William Scranton’s great-grandfather, Joseph H. Scranton, moved to the city of Scranton, then called Slocum Hollow, in 1846 to join his cousins George Whitfield (1811–1861) and Seldon Scranton. George and Seldon bought most of the downtown area and, as founders of the Lackawanna Steel Company in 1840, were the first in the Western Hemisphere to use the necessary technology to manufacture iron rails for railroads. One out of six rail tracks used in America were made in Scranton. George W. Scranton was also elected to and served in Congress 1859–1861 and his cousin, Joseph Augustine Scranton (1838–1908) served in Congress 1881–1896. In 1866, the city was renamed Scranton in honor of George Scranton and the Scranton family who were responsible for the city’s industrial growth. Joseph A. Scranton, in addition to be elected to five terms in Conguress, was the postmaster general of Scranton, and the founder of the city’s newspaper, the Scranton Daily Republican. Joseph’s brother-in-law, David Davis, played a major role in the election campaign for Abraham Lincoln. William Scranton’s mother, sometimes referred to as “The Duchess” and whose paternal Warren ancestors descended from the Mayflower Warrens, was also a major political influence. Margery Scranton was very active in the Republican Party for forty years and was a national committeewoman for twenty-three years. Young William followed his mother to presidential conventions, met presidents, future Pennsylvania governors, senators, and congressmen. Ironically, when Scranton ran for Congress in 1960, Mrs. Scranton discouraged her son from seeking political office. As a child, he suffered from asthma and his mother believed that he was too frail to withstand the party infighting and stress associated with campaigning. His mother died that same year before seeing her son win his election. The wealth of the governor’s immediate family was actually credited to his grandfather, William Walker Scranton, who founded the Scranton Gas Works and Water Company, which was sold by Scranton’s father Worthington for $25 million in 1928. The timing of the sale before the stock market crash of 1929 insured that the family would live a privileged existence in a new mansion at Marworth during the Great Depression. The previous mansion, built in 1871, is today the graduate offices of the University of Scranton. The abject poverty of the people of Scranton during the Depression made a deep impression on the family. The family became very involved in voluntarism. The Worthington Scranton branch campus of Pennsylvania State University was named in honor of the governor’s father for his civic and industrial contributions to the community. William Scranton began his schooling at the Scranton Country Day School, founded by his parents, with his basic schooling completed at Fessenden School in Newton, Massachusetts, and the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut. Scranton went on to earn his bachelor of arts degree at Yale University in 1939. Before earning his law degree (LL.B.) at Yale Law School in 1946, his studies were interrupted by World War II. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corp as an aviator—even before the attack on Pearl Harbor—in October 1941. As an Airport Transport Command pilot, Lieutenant Scranton did not see combat, but he played an important role in moving combat planes from Brazil to North Africa, as well as training pilots in the Middle East and the China-Burma theatre of war. Discharged with the rank of captain at the end of the war, Scranton was able to complete his law studies and pass the Pennsylvania Bar exam in August 1946 and begin his law practice with O’Malley, Harris, Warren & Hill in the city of Scranton. Scranton would remain active with the Air Force Reserve for another twenty years before retiring with the rank of lieutenant colonel. It was during World War II, on July 6, 1942, when Scranton married a neighbor he had known from childhood, the former Mary Lowe Chamberlin. Her widowed mother married J. Curtis Platt, another Scranton descendant. Mary’s stepfather was the leader of the movement to rename the city of Slocum Hollow after George Scranton. Four children were born to William and Mary Scranton: Susan, William Worthington, Joseph Curtis and Peter Kip. Scranton's active involvement in the activities and campaigns of the Republican Party led to him being noticed by Secretary of State John Foster Dulles and President Dwight D. Eisenhower. He was appointed in 1959 as a special assistant to the secretary and was retained that same year by succeeding Secretary of State Christian A. Herter. Although Scranton only served until 1960 when he first ran for Congress, in administering the secretary's private office and interpreting United States foreign policy for the press, he had access to almost everything that came across the secretary’s desk.. He represented the United States at conferences in Latin America, at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and at the United Nations, all of which would prove to be valuable experience for an international role after serving as governor. In 1960, Scranton campaigned for Congress in the Tenth District with a Democratic registration advantage of about 50,000 voters and without a Republican victory in twenty-two years. Campaigning vigorously in six counties, including door to door canvassing, attracting young voters, and strong party unity, he was elected to the Eighty-seventh Congress over his opponent, incumbent Stanley A. Prokop (1909–1977), by a margin of about 17,000 votes. Once in Congress, Scranton was appointed to the Banking and Currency Committee, but the freshman representative was not afraid to speak his mind and vote how he thought would best serve his constituents, as opposed to succumbing to partisan politics or precisely following the “party line.” He supported the legislative views of Democratic President John F. Kennedy on 54 percent of congressional votes. He was liberal on civil rights, social security benefits, supported aid to dependent children, and voted for an increase in the minimum wage. Considering himself to be an “internationalist,” Scranton favored the creation of the Peace Corps. However, he was conservative on matter of fiscal spending and first decided on a basis of if there was a need to be met by government before supporting the commitment of tax dollars. Because he did not walk a consistent line as a liberal or conservative, he received only moderate ratings from opposing organizations interested in conservative or liberal agendas. On the other hand, while his independent discrimination annoyed political ideologues, Scranton was building bi-partisan appeal among voters across Pennsylvania. By 1962, state Republicans had lost two gubernatorial elections in a row, to Democrats George M. Leader and David L. Lawrence, and, in a close national presidential election in 1960, Kennedy carried Pennsylvania in the win column. Republican Party leaders believed that Scranton could appeal to both Democrats and Republicans and revitalize the party. Facing possible divisive primary opposition from Congressman James Van Zandt of Altoona, Scranton told party leaders that he would run only if all sixty-seven county GOP chairmen would endorse him. Sixty-six of sixty-seven did so and Van Zandt decided instead to run for the U.S. Senate. The ticket was balanced with Raymond P. Shafer of Meadville, Crawford County, for lieutenant governor. Shafer was a classmate of Scranton’s at Yale, but Shafer, who would succeed Scranton as governor, was a strong campaigner and was a hometown star athlete and war hero as a PT boat commander, traits that played well to compliment the Scranton campaign. The election, however, proved to be one of the most acrimonious and bitter in state history. Scranton ran against Democratic Philadelphia Mayor Richardson Dilworth (1898–1974), who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1950. Dwight Eisenhower campaigned for Scranton and senatorial candidate Van Zandt, while President Kennedy stepped in to rally voters to elect Dilworth and senatorial candidate Joseph Clark, who preceeded Dilworth as Philadelphia's mayor. Through emotional attacks and other name calling by Dilworth, Scranton appeared to remain calm and performed particularly well during the first gubernatorial television debate in state history. Dilworth’s impulsive campaign style worked well in defeating an entrenched Philadelphia Republican machine for the mayor’s office, but worked against him among more conservative voters across the state. While Van Zandt lost the race for the Senate, Scranton carried sixty-two out of sixty-seven counties and won by nearly half a million votes out of 4.5 million cast. With a Republican majority in both chambers of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania, Scranton was in a good position to be an effective governor. Scranton’s programs generally received good legislative support and a steady stream of bills were signed into law. Major reforms were created in the educational system, not the least of which was the creation of a community college system, a State Board of Education, and the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency that would prove to be of valuable help to student access to higher education for decades to come. The governor called for realignment of the state’s legislative districts, a Department of Mental Health, and the creation of a Council of Science and Technology after advocating new technical training programs. In addition, Scranton initiated a program to promote Pennsylvania in national and world markets and make the state more attractive to industries and buyers of Pennsylvania products and services. He received funding for the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority and created the Governor’s Committee of 100,000 Pennsylvanians as ambassadors to sell the state’s potential. To resolve a fiscal crisis, Scranton signed a bill increasing the state sales tax from 4 to 5 percent and raised taxes on liquor and cigarettes, although the tax increases dropped the governor’s popularity rating. Just as his work in Congress drew notice for being drafted as the gubernatorial nominee, Scranton drew national interest as a possible presidential candidate in 1964. With the assassination of President Kennedy on November 22, 1963, who had been considered likely to be reelected, the Democrats were less certain with President Lyndon B. Johnson, Kennedy’s vice president who became president upon Kennedy’s death. However, while a “draft Scranton” movement began to gather momentum, Scranton did not actively seek the nomination, although he let it be known he would accept the vice presidency. A growing opposition to the nomination of Arizona's Barry Goldwater as the GOP standard-bearer led many Republicans to join the Scranton bandwagon, but Scranton’s statements that he was not a candidate slowed the groundswell of support. Scranton expressed concerns that party unity was more important and refused to join those verbally attacking Barry Goldwater. Then on June 12, 1964, Scranton announced that he was a candidate for president. Scranton’s late public start in the campaign and Goldwater’s strong organization proved to be a barrier to the nomination. In addition, a letter prepared by a member of Scranton’s campaign staff and sent to Goldwater without the governor’s approval of the wording, but signed as though Scranton sent it, stated that “Goldwaterism has come to stand for nuclear irresponsibility” and a “whole crazy-quilt collection of absurd and dangerous positions.” The next day the letter was copied and circulated among Republican convention delegates and damaged Scranton’s regard among them. Goldwater won the nomination with 883 delegates on the first ballot while Scranton had 214 delegate votes, winning majorities in among ten state delegations, including Pennsylvania as a "favorite son." Scranton returned to the governor’s office to continue his agenda for state government. He announced in 1966 that he would never again seek public office, although he was elected as a delegate to the state constitutional convention that took place in 1967–1968. Like several predecessors, he pushed for a referendum to revise the constitution, campaigning for voter approval with former Governor Leader across the state. The effort finally succeeded and Scranton played a low key role as co-chairman of the convention’s judiciary committee. One of the outcomes of the convention allowed governors to succeed themselves for a second term. The change, however came after the completion of Scranton’s term of office. Scranton returned to private business for a time in banking, broadcasting, and manufacturing, but he was not finished with public service. He also served on the boards of IBM, Scott Paper, Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company, Pan American World Airways, Mutual of New York, Glen Olden Company, and Sun Oil Company and was a trustee of Yale University. He served as vice president and director of International Textbook Company, director of Scranton-Lackawanna Trust Company and, later, president, when that company merged with Northeastern National Bank and Trust Company. A pioneer in television in northeastern Pennsylvania, he formerly served as chairman of the board of Northeastern Pennsylvania Broadcasting, Inc. His telecommunications background helped him to make important contributions in 1969 as a member of the International Telecommunications Satellite Consortium (INTELSAT). Among his many civic activities, Scranton served as director of the Boys Club of Scranton; Family Service of Lackawanna County; vice president, President's Council, University of Scranton; trustee, Westminster Presbyterian Church; director and member of the Scranton Chamber of Commerce; member-at-large, National Council of Boy Scouts; vice president of the board of directors, Geisinger Memorial Hospital and Foss Clinic in Danville. He has received the B'nai B'rith Americanism Award and the St. David's Society Distinguished Citizens Award. In 1968, President Richard Nixon approached Scranton to become secretary of state. Scranton turned down the job, but accepted a role as a special envoy to the Middle East. True to speaking his mind, Scranton recommended a more even-handed policy in the Middle East, but his remarks offended the American Jewish community and caused Nixon to disassociate his administration from this recommendation. Still, the president continued his confidence in the former governor in 1970 after four students were killed by the National Guard at Kent State University in Ohio. Scranton served as chairman of the Commission on Student Unrest and the “Scranton Report” identified the principal causes of campus violence and made specific recommendations to benefit students and colleges, as well as law enforcement. Again, sticking to his vow not to run for public office, he turned down a draft to run for the U.S. Senate in 1969, but Scranton continued to accept less political public roles. He served on the Presidential Price Commission (1971-72), the United States Railway Board (1974-75), White House Fellowships Commission, Carnegie Commission on Higher Education, vice chairman of the Urban Institute and chairman of the Municipal League. When Vice President Gerald Ford became president after the sudden resignation of President Nixon, Ford appointed his friend and Chi Psi fraternity brother at Yale, William Scranton, to his four-member transition team. Scranton made recommendations to Ford for a smooth change of administrations at a time of national crisis. On February 25, 1976, Ford appointed Scranton as United States Ambassador to the United Nations. Although Scranton served only until January 1977, he made a lasting impression on U.N. delegates. His style of diplomacy, a higher priority for human rights over political considerations, and skill in arbitration earned the respect of many Third World countries and nations embroiled in opposing conflicts. Scranton’s “speak softly and carry an olive branch” approach reflected favorably on world opinion of the United States and softened the hard-line rhetoric of his predecessor that had alienated some countries. During the Republican National Convention of 1976, speculation again grew as to whether President Ford would select Scranton as his vice presidential running mate. However, Ford selected Senator Robert Dole of Kansas. That November, Ford and Dole lost the election to Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale and Scranton left the U.N. with the start of the new administration. On June 7, 2000, Scranton became the third recipient of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission’s Pennsylvania Founders Award. Presented by Governor Tom Ridge, the criteria of this honor is for a living person who represents the ideals of William Penn in individual rights, religious toleration, representative government, public support of education, and free enterprise. As of July 2009, Scranton remains the oldest living former governor and resides in his native Lackawanna County. His son, William W. Scranton III, served as Pennsylvania's lieutenant governor from 1979 to 1987 under the administration of Governor Dick Thornburgh.

Term: January 18, 1963 - January 20, 1967 Born: July 19, 1917 William Warren “Bill” Scranton, born into a wealthy family, prepared for public service from the time he was a young boy. Although Scranton’s parents, Worthington Scranton and Marion Margery Warren Scranton, were residents of the city of Scranton, William Scranton was born on July 19, 1917, in his ancestral town of Madison, Connecticut,

A newly found, buried deposit of frozen carbon dioxide -- dry ice -- near the south pole of Mars contains about 30 times more carbon dioxide than previously estimated to be frozen near the pole. This map color-codes thickness estimates of the deposit derived and extrapolated from observations by the Shallow Subsurface Radar (SHARAD) instrument on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The orbiter does not pass directly over the pole, and the thickness estimates for that area (with smoother transitions from color to color) are extrapolations. Red corresponds to about 600 meters or yards thick; yellow to about 400; dark blue to less than 100, tapering to zero. The scale bar at lower right is 100 kilometers (62 miles). The background map, in muted colors, represents different geological materials near the south pole. The estimated total volume of this buried carbon-dioxide deposit is 9,500 to 12,500 cubic kilometers (2,300 to 3,000 cubic miles). Known variations in the tilt of Mars' rotation axis can significantly reduce or increase the proportion of the planet's carbon dioxide that is sequestered into this newly discovered deposit, climate models indicate. The Martian atmosphere is about 95 percent carbon dioxide, and this deposit currently holds up to about 80 percent as much carbon dioxide as the atmosphere does. Several-fold swings in the total mass of the Martian atmosphere can result from growing and shrinking of dry ice deposits on time scales of 100,000 years or less, the models indicate. SHARAD was provided by the Italian Space Agency. Its operations are led by Sapienza University of Rome, and its data are analyzed by a joint U.S.-Italian science team. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the spacecraft.

A newly found, buried deposit of frozen carbon dioxide -- dry ice -- near the south pole of Mars contains about 30 times more carbon dioxide than previously estimated to be frozen near the pole. This map color-codes thickness estimates of the deposit derived and extrapolated from observations by the Shallow Subsurface Radar (SHARAD) instrument on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The orbiter doe

30 percent of the refugees in the Doro refugee camp in South Sudan have not received shelter. The protection team of the Danish Refugee Council is working against the clock to assess and provide solutions to the most urgent needs by the most vulnerable refugees. "I have been sleeping outside under a tree," Samari Ibrahim says pointing to the spot she normally chooses. She is living alone in the Doro camp. "My children are all dead," she says, not knowing her own age, just aware that "I am old now."

30 percent of the refugees in the Doro refugee camp in South Sudan have not received shelter. The protection team of the Danish Refugee Council is working against the clock to assess and provide solutions to the most urgent needs by the most vulnerable refugees. "I have been sleeping outside under a tree," Samari Ibrahim says pointing to the spot she normally chooses. She is living alone in the Do

Mercy Corps distributes school and hospital supplies in Kabul From the hands of students in Issaquah, Washington to desks of children in Kabul, Afghanistan, a Mercy Corps relief mission is helping to deliver much needed aid while also bringing people together. On Wednesday, Mercy Corps handed out school kits to students at Naswan #12 High School in the Khair Khana district of the Afghan capital. The kits, which were assembled last month by students at Cougar Ridge Elementary School in Issaquah, Washington, included colored pencils, paper, chalkboards and chalk. Naswan #12 is one the largest high schools for girls in all of Afghanistan with nearly 500 students. It has only recently reopened and like many schools in Afghanistan is in desperate need of basic supplies. "The students were very excited to receive the paper, pens and other supplies," said Mercy Corps' Laura Guimond who helped distribute the items. "For the most part these schools have nothing and to hand out these supplies is a tangible way of jump starting Afghanistan's schools while also showing Afghan children that students in the United States care about them," Guimond said. Mercy Corps workers also distributed baby quilts and newborn kits including diapers, soap and clothes to mothers and their newborn babies at the Malalai Hospital in Kabul on Wednesday. The hospital has the largest maternity ward in Kabul, averaging 120 births a day. The relief supplies are part of a $2 million shipment that arrived on a Boeing 747 earlier this week and were donated by organizations, businesses and concerned citizens in the United States. Mercy Corps will continue to deliver supplies this week to hospitals and schools in the Kabul area as well as to Helmand province in southern Afghanistan.

Mercy Corps distributes school and hospital supplies in Kabul From the hands of students in Issaquah, Washington to desks of children in Kabul, Afghanistan, a Mercy Corps relief mission is helping to deliver much needed aid while also bringing people together. On Wednesday, Mercy Corps handed out school kits to students at Naswan #12 High School in the Khair Khana district of the Afghan capital. T

The 2011 Geminid Meteor Shower Dec. 13, 2011: The 2011 Geminid meteor shower peaks on the night of Dec. 13-14, and despite the glare of a nearly-full Moon, it might be a good show. "Observers with clear skies could see as many as 40 Geminids per hour," predicts Bill Cooke of the NASA Meteoroid Environment Office. "Our all-sky network of meteor cameras has captured several early Geminid fireballs. They were so bright, we could see them despite the moonlight." The best time to look is between 10 pm local time on Tuesday, Dec. 13, and sunrise on Wednesday, Dec. 14th. Geminids, which spray out of the constellation Gemini, can appear anywhere in the sky. "Dress warmly and look up," says Cooke. "It's that simple." The source of the Geminids is near-Earth asteroid 3200 Phaethon. Most meteor showers come from comets, so having an asteroid as a parent makes the Geminids a bit of an oddball. "This is the thing I love most about Geminids," says Cooke. "They're so strange." Every year in mid-December, Earth runs through a trail of dusty debris that litters the orbit of 3200 Phaethon. Comets vaporizing in hot sunlight naturally produce such debris trails, but rocky asteroids like 3200 Phaethon do not. At least they're not supposed to. The incongruity has baffled researchers since 1983 when 3200 Phaethon was discovered by NASA's IRAS satellite. One clue: 3200 Phaethon travels unusually close to the sun. The asteroid's eccentric orbit brings it well inside the orbit of Mercury every 1.4 years. The rocky body thus receives a regular blast of solar heating that might somehow boil jets of dust into the Geminid debris stream. In 2009, NASA's STEREO-A spacecraft saw this process at work. Coronagraphs onboard the solar observatory watched 3200 Phaethon as it was swinging by the sun. Sure enough, the asteroid doubled in brightness, probably because it was spewing jets of dust. "The most likely explanation is that Phaethon ejected dust, perhaps in response to a break-down of surface rocks (through thermal fracture and decomposition cracking of hydrated minerals) in the intense heat of the Sun," wrote UCLA planetary scientists David Jewitt and Jing Li, who analyzed the data. Jewett and Li's "rock comet" hypothesis is compelling, but they point out a problem: The amount of dust 3200 Phaethon ejected during its 2009 sun-encounter added a mere 0.01% to the mass of the Geminid debris stream--not nearly enough to keep the stream replenished over time. Perhaps the rock comet was more active in the past …? "We just don't know," says Cooke. "Every new thing we learn about the Geminids seems to deepen the mystery." Led by Cooke, the Meteoroid Environment Office has just released an app for iPhones and iPads to help citizen scientists count meteors and report their observations to NASA. The "Meteor Counter" is available for free from Apple's app store: Cooke hopes sky watchers everywhere will use it to monitor the mysterious Geminids. ACTIVITY IN GEMINID PARENT (3200) PHAETHON -- The Astronomical Journal, 140:1519–1527, 2010 November (3200) Phaethon: A Rock Comet by David Jewitt and Jing Li, UCLA Complete instructions for using the Meteor Counter app are available at: http://meteorcounter.com/ NASA astronomer Bill Cooke is head of the NASA Meteoroid Environment Office

The 2011 Geminid Meteor Shower Dec. 13, 2011: The 2011 Geminid meteor shower peaks on the night of Dec. 13-14, and despite the glare of a nearly-full Moon, it might be a good show. "Observers with clear skies could see as many as 40 Geminids per hour," predicts Bill Cooke of the NASA Meteoroid Environment Office. "Our all-sky network of meteor cameras has captured several early Geminid fireballs.

Making a Mosaic 5 Mar 2008 (Source: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory) During MESSENGER's flyby of Mercury on January 14, 2008, the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) acquired images to create eight different mosaics. Shown here is an image context sheet with small thumbnail versions of the MDIS Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) images that were captured as the spacecraft approached the planet and used to create a high-resolution mosaic of Mercury. The MDIS instrument is mounted on a pivot, which enables the camera to point in different directions and see different portions of the surface. Both small motions of the spacecraft and movement of the pivot were used to take the images that compose this mosaic sequence. This mosaic has images in 5 columns by 11 rows, but images of just black space or of the unlit, dark planet are not shown on this context sheet. MDIS started this mosaic 55 minutes before MESSENGER's closest pass by Mercury. The first image of the mosaic was taken in the lower left corner, and images were subsequently acquired by moving across a row and then up to start the next row. An image where Mercury's surface fills the image is about 500 kilometers (310 miles) across. Image names, which are abbreviated under each image in this context sheet, are derived from the mission elapsed time when the image was taken, which is approximately the time in seconds since launch. The mosaic was planned to have about 10% overlap between neighboring images, to ensure that a mosaic could be formed without any gaps. The resulting mosaic is ultimately created by using the time of each image and corresponding information about the spacecraft location and viewing geometry at that time to place all of the images onto a common map of Mercury. Additional information and features from MESSENGER's first flyby of Mercury are online at http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/mer_flyby1.html.

Making a Mosaic 5 Mar 2008 (Source: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory) During MESSENGER's flyby of Mercury on January 14, 2008, the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) acquired images to create eight different mosaics. Shown here is an image context sheet with small thumbnail versions of the MDIS Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) images that were captured as the spacecraft approached the

Budget, Government Spending, and National Debt In early February of each year, the President submits a budget proposal to Congress. This budget proposal deals only with discretionary spending and serves as an outline to how much money the federal government plans on spending. The House and Senate Budget Committees debate this proposal, come up with their own proposals, and draft a piece of legislation called a Budget Resolution by April 15. The Budget Resolution establishes the overall framework and level of annual federal spending. Before going too deeply into this issue, it's first important to understand the different parts of the federal budget and how the spending process works. In Fiscal Year 2011, the Federal government spent $3.8 trillion and collected $2.2 trillion in tax revenues. Total federal spending is broken up two parts: mandatory and discretionary. Mandatory spending, roughly 60% of all federal spending, is the spending that occurs each year automatically, not subject to debate, and not part of the overall appropriations process such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Discretionary spending is the money Congress authorizes and appropriates each year through the legislative process. Only discretionary spending, roughly 40% of all federal spending, is debated and authorized each year. Article 1, Section 9, Clause 7 of the U.S. Constitution says, “No money shall be drawn from the Treasury but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.” The appropriation bills are debated and enacted each year to provide for all non-mandatory spending programs. Security-related discretionary spending accounts for roughly 24% of the total spending; non-security discretionary spending accounts for roughly 12% of the total spending; and debt servicing, or interest payments on our debt, account for roughly 4% of the total spending. Where I stand on budget, spending and debt issues We must work to balance the budget and begin paying down our debt: The national debt recently passed $15 trillion, and will hit $16 trillion within a year. That is unsustainable and does significant economic harm in both the short-term and long-term. In the short-term, it adds uncertainty about future interest rates and tax rates to the job market. That uncertainty causes investors and job creators to hold on to their capital, rather than investing it in job creation. In the longer-term, it could result in an interest rate spike that leads to massive loan defaults, home foreclosures, and corporate bankruptcies that put millions out of work. Because our debt growth is largely the result of annual budget deficits, we must put ourselves on a path to balancing the budget as quickly and reasonably as possible, and then must begin paying down our debt. We will only get our budget under control if we get serious about reforming our mandatory spending programs: If we eliminated all discretionary spending, including security and non-security discretionary spending, we still would be adding to our national debt. The fact is that because mandatory spending makes up nearly 2/3 of the entire budget, we must look for efficiencies in programs like Medicare and Social Security if we ever hope to shrink our debt. At the same time, it is the only way that we can keep those programs solvent. The good news is that if we act now, we can exempt anyone at or near retirement age from any changes in services and benefits. That's why I've only supported legislation to reform Medicare, for example, if it exempts people age 55 and older. The longer we wait, however, the fewer people we will be able to exempt. If we want to get our budget and debt under control, and if we want to preserve these programs for future generations, then we must begin looking at changing our mandatory spending programs now. - We should add a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Washington has shown it isn't willing to get serious about fiscal responsibility and put our budget into balance. That's why I support adding a Balance Budget Amendment to the Constitution so that future Congresses are required to spend no more than we have. 49 states, including Indiana, have some sort of Balanced Budget requirement, and individual Hoosiers would quickly go bankrupt if they spent like the federal government. Washington should operate on those same grounds. What Do You Think?

Budget, Government Spending, and National Debt In early February of each year, the President submits a budget proposal to Congress. This budget proposal deals only with discretionary spending and serves as an outline to how much money the federal government plans on spending. The House and Senate Budget Committees debate this proposal, come up with their own proposals, and draft a piece of legisla

Describe the Statutory Authority of this Service Title 3.2 of the Code of Virginia establishes the powers for the Commissioner, the Board of Agriculture & Consumer Services, the Divisions and Program Areas within the Department, and other entities related to the promotion of agricultural interests and providing consumer protection. Section 3.2, Chapter 1directs the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services to advise the Governor on the state of the agricultural industry and to work closely with all agencies concerned with rural resources development. Section 3.2, Chapter 1 requires the Commissioner to see to the proper execution of the laws relating to the subject of his agency. This section also requires the Commissioner to investigate and promote subjects relating to the improvement of agriculture. Title 3.2 and other titles establish responsibilities for the promulgation of regulations and the Commissioner’s duties for administering these regulations. The Virginia Administrative Process Act (Title 2.2, Chapter 40) establishes specific requirements that the Department must follow in reviewing and making regulations. Although not considered as mandates, agency public participation guidelines adopted as required by the APA affect the process for making regulations. The Virginia Register Act (Title 2.2, Chapter 41) establishes requirements relating to the public availability of information about state agency regulations. State agencies must file information concerning regulations with the Registrar of Regulations for publication in the Virginia Register of Regulations and the Virginia Administrative Code. The Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (Title 2.2, Chapter 37) establishes requirements concerning the disclosure of records held by the Department that are requested by the public. This Act also establishes requirements concerning the conduct of board meetings. Based on the requirements of this Act, the Department has adopted certain policies relating to the conduct of board meetings and the disclosure of records that affect the agency’s handling of requests from the public for access to records. The FOIA also establishes requirements concerning public notification of meetings. State agencies, boards, etc., are required to provide notice of public meetings. Normally this notice is provided by publication of the meeting information in the Virginia Register of Regulations. Currently there are twenty boards associated with the Department that hold at least one meeting a year for which such notice must be provided. Section 58.1-3239 of the Code of Virginia, which relates to special tax assessment of land for preservation purposes, establishes the State Land Evaluation Advisory Council, which includes the Commissioner and certain other state officials. Section 58.1-3240 establishes the duties of the Commissioner for providing uniform standards to localities for determining whether real estate qualifies as being devoted to agricultural use for the purposes of tax assessment. The current standards make the Commissioner responsible for interpreting these standards at the request of local commissioners of revenue. Several state laws that create different boards, foundations and councils make the Commissioner a member of trustee with certain duties and responsibilities. Some of these include the following: Sheep Industry Board (Title 3.2, Chapter 21), Virginia Agricultural Council (Title 3.2, Chapter 29), Chippokes Plantation Farm Foundation (Title 10.1, Chapter 2), Virginia Horse Industry Board (Title 3.2, Chapter 17), Radiation Advisory Board (Title 32.1, Chapter 6), State Certified Seed Board (Title 3.2, Chapter 40), and Plant Pollination Advisory Board (Title 3.2, Chapter 28). The Agricultural Stewardship Act (Title 3.2, Chapter 4) establishes requirements concerning the Commissioner’s handling of complaints received about water pollution involving agricultural activities, the investigation of these complaints, the approval of plans to correct any pollution problems, assurance that such plans are implemented in accordance with a timetable established by the Act, and the publication of an annual report on the handling of complaints. The Virginia Personnel Act and related federal and state regulations and policies affecting personnel matters establish requirements that the Department must fulfill in the management of human resources. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) is mandated by federal and state laws regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or physical ability. The federal and state laws and executive orders listed below guarantee these rights. This list is not all-inclusive, but rather documentation of key mandates which govern personnel matters. -Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended. -The Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972 -Equal Pay Act of 1963 -Higher Education Act of 1972, as amended. -Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended. -Executive Order 11246 as amended by Executive Order 11375 -Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. -Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 -Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) -Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 -Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures of 1978 -Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Amendments Contract Work Hours and Safety -Family and Medical Leave Act State laws, policies and procedures affecting printing and the publication of materials impact the Department. The special mandate relating to VDACS publications is § 3.2-4725 that requires VDACS to publish notices of certain license revocations. There are no specific mandates which relate to this service area. However the same mandates which relate to the service area that involve programs which are administered by each Division, would also apply to the Division Director’s Office, as well as mandates which fall under the Commissioner’s Office that relate to the programs conducted in each of the three program divisions. Activities conducted in this service area are mandated under Title 2.2 of the Code of Virginia which relates to the administration of state agencies. Other mandates are contained in Chapter 935 of the 1999 Virginia Acts of Assembly and policies established by the central agencies of state government. Chapter 723 (Item 68 and Item 767, F1 and F2) approved May 3, 1991 authorized the Department of General Services to assess a rental charge to occupants of buildings it controls, operates and maintains.

Describe the Statutory Authority of this Service Title 3.2 of the Code of Virginia establishes the powers for the Commissioner, the Board of Agriculture & Consumer Services, the Divisions and Program Areas within the Department, and other entities related to the promotion of agricultural interests and providing consumer protection. Section 3.2, Chapter 1directs the Board of Agriculture and Consume

Eruption at Mount Merapi, Indonesia The eruption of Mount Merapi continues after almost two weeks of nearly constant activity. On November 8, 2010, the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Center reported an ash cloud at 25,000 feet (7,600 meters), stretching at least 60 nautical miles (110 kilometers) west-southwest of the summit. The Indonesian Government established a danger zone extending 20 km (12 miles) from Merapi. Despite widespread evacuations, the eruption has killed at least 156 people, according to CNN. The primary dangers are avalanches of hot volcanic gases and rock, called pyroclastic flows, and mudslides of volcanic material mixed with rainwater, called lahars. According to the Jakarta Globe, lahars streaming down the Code River reached Yogyakarta, 30 km (19 miles) from Merapi. This natural-color satellite image shows the eruption plume on the morning of November 8, 2010. Light gray ash rises above and mixes with nearby clouds. The image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard Terra. - CNN. (2010, November 7.) Indonesian volcano spews more scorching ash; death toll reaches 156. Accessed November 8, 2010. - Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Center. (2010, November 8). Volcanic Ash Advisories Received in Last 7 Days. Accessed November 8, 2010. - Jakarta Globe. (2010, November 8). In Yogya, the Biggest Threat From Merapi Is to Livelihoods. Accessed November 8, 2010. This image originally appeared on the Earth Observatory. Click here to view the full, original record.

Eruption at Mount Merapi, Indonesia The eruption of Mount Merapi continues after almost two weeks of nearly constant activity. On November 8, 2010, the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Center reported an ash cloud at 25,000 feet (7,600 meters), stretching at least 60 nautical miles (110 kilometers) west-southwest of the summit. The Indonesian Government established a danger zone extending 20 km (12 mi

State Water Resources Research Institute Program Project ID: 2009DC106B Title: Development of Web-based Rainfall Statistical Analysis Tool for Urban Stormwater Management Analysis (Phase II) Project Type: Research Start Date: 3/01/2009 End Date: 2/28/2010 Focus Categories: Models, Wastewater, Methods Keywords: Analytical models, Urban stormwater models, statistical analysis, Storm event analysis Principal Investigator: Behera, Pradeep K. Federal Funds: $ 8,536 Non-Federal Matching Funds: $ 10,942 Abstract: The analysis of urban stormwater pollution is a primary step in developing cost-effective solutions for wet-weather flow problems. Often the solutions are proposed based on limited monitoring and modeling efforts due to their exorbitant cost. Con,tinuous simulation models have been used to analyze the existing watershed and stormwater pollution condition and to develop alternative solutions. The example of continuous simulation model includes EPA SWMM. As these models are resource intensive, often development of watershed-wide simulation models is avoided during planning-level analysis. On the other hand analytical probabilistic models are computational efficient compared to continuous simulation models and can be easily used to develop the watershed-wide model. Especially, for the District of Columbia sewer system, analytical models can be easily applied to analyze the existing water pollution problem and to develop alternate solutions. The primary input to the analytical stormwater model is statistical parameters of the long-term rainfall record. The federal agencies such as NOAA and NCDC provide the meteorological data which are typically used by the continuous simulation models. The rainfall records are generally pre-processed for the use in the stormwater models. However, analytical models use the same long-term rainfall records in a different manner. The long-term rainfall records are statistically analyzed and fitted with several probability distribution functions. The parameters of best fitted probability distribution functions for the rainfall characteristics such as storm event volume, event duration, event intensity and inter-event time, are used in the analytical models in lieu of continuous record. The proposed web based statistical tool will provide the user much functionality. They include (i) extraction of rainfall records from the NOAA and NCDC sites; (ii) preprocessing of data for statistical analysis; (iii) fitting of probability distribution functions and estimation of their parameters. Progress/Completion Report, 2009, PDF

State Water Resources Research Institute Program Project ID: 2009DC106B Title: Development of Web-based Rainfall Statistical Analysis Tool for Urban Stormwater Management Analysis (Phase II) Project Type: Research Start Date: 3/01/2009 End Date: 2/28/2010 Focus Categories: Models, Wastewater, Methods Keywords: Analytical models, Urban stormwater models, statistical analysis, Storm event analysis P

|October 14, 2002| To Whom it May Concern: I am writing to oppose the draft guidelines proposed by the ATBCB. As I understand it, the proposal would require the placement of audible pedestrian signals at all intersections with walk and don't walk signs and detectable warnings at all intersections. Blind pedestrians have traveled the streets of this country safely for many years without the need for these devices, and in my opinion, there is no need to require them to be virtually everywhere. Instead, the board should make rules that take a less radical approach to determining where these devices should be used, and in the rare instance when their use would be beneficial, vibrotactile signals should be used rather than the noisy, disorienting audible signals that are proposed. As for the requirement that detectable warnings be installed at all intersections, I believe this is an extreme and unnecessary approach to accessibility. It is a simple matter for most of us to determine where the sidewalk ends and the street begins at the vast majority of intersections in this country. Detectable warnings should only be used when there is virtually no slope or drop off between sidewalk and street. I am a taxpayer and have been for many years. I want my tax money spent on tools that will assist me as a blind pedestrian. However, I don't want money spent on fundamentally flawed rules and regulations. I believe the proposals made by the Access Board clearly fall into that category, and I would urge you to consider a less costly and more effective means of insuring that the streets of our nation will be accessible to me and other blind people. index previous comment next comment

|October 14, 2002| To Whom it May Concern: I am writing to oppose the draft guidelines proposed by the ATBCB. As I understand it, the proposal would require the placement of audible pedestrian signals at all intersections with walk and don't walk signs and detectable warnings at all intersections. Blind pedestrians have traveled the streets of this country safely for many years without the need fo

Click image for caption and other photo information. Above: A new device that permits researchers to compare five different doses of insect repellents--along with a control. The device, the K&D Module, was designed by Drs. Klun and Debboun. (Image courtesy J. Klun. Not available at 300 dpi Promising New Compound for Fending Off Insects By Rosalie Marion Bliss June 2, 2003 A new chemical compound developed cooperatively by scientists with the Agricultural Research Service and the U.S. Department of Defense looks promising as the key active ingredient in new, safe insect repellents for U.S. military personnel and eventually for the general public. ARS has patented the new compound, called SS220, and it is currently undergoing toxicology tests required for registration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. ARS, USDA's chief in-house scientific research agency, has several specialized laboratories with expertise in studying biting insects such as mosquitoes, ticks and flies that can transmit diseases to humans. DOD launched a Strategic Technology Objective three years ago to identify and develop a new standard military insect repellent to replace DEET, a repellent developed 50 years ago by ARS for the military. DEET is the most widely used repellent in the world and has prevented uncounted cases of malaria and other vector-borne diseases in both civilians and military. During the research project, researchers sought a new repellent effective against a wider range of mosquito species, and compatible with commonly used plastics such as in eyeglass frames and military equipment. The Strategic Technology Objective involved representatives of of Entomology of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) in Silver Spring, Md., and ARS' Chemicals Affecting Insect Behavior Laboratory (CAIBL), which is part of the ARS Henry A. Wallace Beltsville (Md.) Agricultural Research Center. Entomologist Jerome A. Klun, who heads the CAIBL team working with the military's infectious disease research program, collaborated with WRAIR's Mustapha Debboun, a medical entomologist, to develop a clear, six-chamber device with which to safely screen candidate compounds on human volunteers' skin. Preliminary laboratory tests involved the controlled release of lab-reared, disease-free mosquitoes over treated skin to demonstrate the compound's protective qualities. The team will now test the ingredient's staying power through vigorous activity and exposure to water in the field. The initiative aims to further refine the cosmetic aspects of SS220 formulations. SS220 is a highly effective chemical compound, called a stereo isomer, which Klun isolated from a mixture of compounds that was first synthesized by ARS scientists in 1978. CAIBL's chemical team developed a three-step process which led to preparation of large quantities of SS220 required for testing. The ARS Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) will license the USDA technology under policies set forth in the Federal Technology Transfer Act. Companies interested in licensing this USDA technology can obtain a license application online or from the OTT.

Click image for caption and other photo information. Above: A new device that permits researchers to compare five different doses of insect repellents--along with a control. The device, the K&D Module, was designed by Drs. Klun and Debboun. (Image courtesy J. Klun. Not available at 300 dpi Promising New Compound for Fending Off Insects By Rosalie Marion Bliss June 2, 2003 A new chemical compound d

Free Access to Professional Literature The Uniform CPA Examination consists of multiple-choice questions and condensed case studies called simulations. Within the simulations, candidates must do an online search of professional literature databases to answer questions. Here are some ways that candidates, students, educators, and schools can get access to helpful online resources. CPA Exam Candidates: Free On-line Access to Professional Literature Package CPA exam candidates can get a free six-month subscription to professional literature used in the computerized CPA Examination. This online package includes AICPA Professional Standards and FASB Original Pronouncements. Only candidates who have applied to take the CPA exam, and have been deemed eligible by state boards of accountancy, will receive access to this package of professional literature. This online package of literature will familiarize CPA Exam candidates with the use of online accounting resources. However, the interface used by the online package is not exactly the same as that used in the operational CPA Examination. Candidates are strongly encouraged to also review the CPA Exam tutorial and sample tests found on the cpa-exam.org site. The sample tests reflect the functionality and interfaces used in the actual examination.

Free Access to Professional Literature The Uniform CPA Examination consists of multiple-choice questions and condensed case studies called simulations. Within the simulations, candidates must do an online search of professional literature databases to answer questions. Here are some ways that candidates, students, educators, and schools can get access to helpful online resources. CPA Exam Candidat

Statement on President's Budget Request for NIH Harold Varmus, M.D. Director, National Institutes of Health Department of Health and Human Services House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education February 23-24, 1999 Mr. Chairman and Committee Members: I am pleased to be here today to represent the NIH for the sixth time in the annual appropriations process. In his budget plan for FY2000, the President is requesting $15.933 billion for the NIH, an increase of $320 million or 2.1 percent above the amount appropriated to us in FY 1999. By any measure, the amount we received in FY 1999 from the Congress and the Administration — an increase of $2.030 billion or 15 percent above our FY 1998 level — was dramatic, especially in an era of fiscal austerity. This generous FY 1999 budget has allowed us to initiate many new and important programs, which I will discuss later, and to improve conditions throughout the medical research enterprise. The funds requested for FY 2000 will permit us to continue our FY 1999 initiatives and will bring us just above the level outlined last year in the President's plan to increase the NIH budget by 50 percent over five years. Rationale for Support of the NIH: Winning the War Against Disease Throughout the world, the NIH is considered the leading force in mankind's continuing war against disease. Over several decades of medical research, we have learned that disease is a complex and evolving enemy — one that draws upon the combined forces of heredity, environmental insults, infectious agents, the aging process, personal habits, and other factors, and acts upon a variety of tissues and organs. And we have also learned that disease can be fought in many different ways — with medicines and vaccines, with surgical procedures and medical devices, with behavioral modification and environmental remediation. Our enlarging conceptions of disease and the means to control it underscore the magnitude of the war that needs to be waged. As in military encounters, the strategy includes the gathering of intelligence about the enemy — the causes of disease, its distribution in the human population, and its progression in individuals — and about the terrain on which the battle will be fought — the cells and organs of the human body. In addition, the battle demands the development of weapons (drugs and procedures to prevent and treat disease) and the training of soldiers (laboratory and clinical scientists). All of these are functions that the NIH has assumed, often in collaboration with our partners abroad, in other agencies and funding organizations, and in the private sector. At the end of a century in which the average life expectancy in the United States has increased by nearly thirty years, victory over disease and disability has become an understandably popular and realistic goal. Support for this goal has been further enhanced by the advent of an era in which the world is largely at peace and our nation is experiencing remarkable economic prosperity. These factors have contributed greatly to the growth of our budget over the past few years. But interest in the work of the NIH has also expanded as the public learns more about the evolving threats to health that accompany the aging of our population, the appearance of new and altered infectious agents of disease, the growth of components of our population that have traditionally experienced the poorest health, and the unequal distribution of medical resources among nations and segments of our own society. Because the burdens of illness — the cost of care, the loss of manpower, the psychological impact, and the raw suffering — have such detrimental effects on social groups, the fight against disease is increasingly viewed as one of the great communal responsibilities of advanced nations. The Administration recognizes the several responsibilities assigned to the NIH in this fight: to amass intelligence about biological systems and about the mechanisms by which they fail; to develop defenses and weapons against disease; to train the personnel who will wage the war; and to transmit news of progress on the battle fronts to the public and providers of health care. Progress Against Disease: Intelligence Gathering The NIH has a rich history of success in its many roles in the battle against disease. In their opening statements, the Institute and Center Directors will provide many examples of new weapons that they have developed for preventing and fighting disease effectively. I will instead highlight some recent accomplishments that illustrate the stunning power of our intelligence gathering devices and the speed with which new intelligence is translated into new battle strategies. The first — the result of a ten year project sponsored jointly by the NIH and the Welcome Trust in England and a watershed event in the history of biology — is the complete deciphering of all of the genes of a multicellular organism, the intensively studied roundworm, Caenorhabditis elegans. This tiny organism has a delicious anatomical simplicity; the adult form contains only 959 cells, each with known physiological functions and an origin precisely traceable back to the fertilized egg (Figure 1). Despite its small size, C. elegans performs many of the activities enjoyed by mammals — digestion, sensation, sexual reproduction, muscular movement — and has fully one-quarter as many genes (19,099 compared to the 80,000 estimated for man) (Figure 2). Most significantly, the similarity of many worm genes to human genes is readily recognizable: over 70 percent of the human genes catalogued to date are related to genes present in the worm. These include several genes implicated in important human diseases, including Alzheimer's Disease, diabetes, cancer, and musculoskeletal disorders. Because gene functions and interactions are much easier to decipher in worms than in mammals, many important features of biological systems and their disorders are being learned swiftly from this tiny organism, now that every one of its genes is known. Another important means for gathering critical intelligence about biological systems depends on the increasingly powerful set of tools used to survey the three dimensional organization of proteins. This year, two dramatic discoveries have been made about proteins that are associated with cell membranes and therefore notoriously difficult to decipher. One such class of proteins — the potassium channel proteins — form a conduit that allows the efficient passage of potassium, the charged atom (ion) needed for electrical impulses in the brain, muscle, and sensory organs, from the outside to the inside of cells. The structural features of one such potassium channel, isolated from the soil bacterium, Streptomyces lividans (Figure 3), can explain how potassium can move so quickly through these fatty membranes and how the channel can discriminate so precisely between potassium and very similar ions, like sodium and calcium. Because the makeup of potassium channels is so similar from one to the next, the structure determined this year can be used to predict what others will look like, including the several hundred potassium channels in man and other mammals and the 80 or so known from genomic sequencing to exist in the worm, C.elegans. This is important because mutations in human genes that instruct cells to make potassium channels cause certain forms of epilepsy, abnormal heart rhythms, congenital deafness, and likely other disorders. And the recently deciphered shape of the channels can now serve as a guide to the design of drugs that might beneficially affect their behavior. Equally complex information has been obtained about another group of membrane proteins — two proteins on the membranous surface of HIV and two on the surface of susceptible human cells (Figure 4). These are the four proteins that interact to allow HIV to gain entry to cells, initiating infection and ultimately disease. Studies of the shapes and interactions of these proteins — and of the crucial changes in shape that accompany the steps in viral entry — have provided new ideas for the design of vaccines and the synthesis of drugs intended to block the virus from entering cells. Indeed, in just the few months since these changes in shape were described, vaccine strategies for attacking the virus during its journey into cells have been successfully tested in model systems, and chemicals that interfere with the entry process have been synthesized. Thus, intelligence gathering through structural biology provides promising ways to fight viral infection — by HIV or other viruses — with immune responses and chemistry. Spending the FY 1999 Appropriation These and many other recent successes of biomedical science have helped to inspire increased appropriations for the NIH. Nevertheless, the $2 billion increase awarded to the NIH in FY 1999 has understandably prompted concerns about our planning practices; some have even wondered openly whether we could usefully spend the new funds in one year. Under the President's Budget for FY 2000, the NIH will mainly continue FY 1999 programs, so it is especially appropriate to review here the spending patterns and initiatives undertaken this year in order to demonstrate that we are spending the increase wisely now and will continue to do so in FY 2000. To facilitate the presentation of so many scientific activities, conducted through a wide variety of mechanisms in many Institutes and Centers, I have displayed the categories of spending in a series of charts (Appendix A) that indicate the amounts of new money devoted to research project grants, centers, research and development contracts, intramural research, training awards, and other mechanisms, and I have listed some of the specific programs that will be initiated or expanded through each mechanism. The charts also indicate the amounts that will be spent on inflationary increases, salary and stipend increases, and increases in average size of awards in FY 1999. Additional new initiatives, to be undertaken in FY 2000, are described in our Congressional Justification documents, classified within several NIH Areas of Research Emphasis; these include contributions to the Administration's trans-agency plans to improve information technology and bolster defenses against bioterrorism. To maximize funds available for these programs within the President's Budget Proposal for FY 2000, we do not anticipate increasing the sizes of competing or non-competing awards or augmenting salaries or stipends. The charts that depict our spending of the increase in appropriated funds in FY 1999 and the lists of programs to be added or expanded in FY 2000 are telling reminders of the long- and short-term planning undertaken annually throughout the NIH. Because of the number and variety of research objectives, it is not possible to provide a full account of the programs here. However, many of their goals can be encompassed within four large themes: - (1) Exploiting genomics. All of biology is undergoing fundamental change as a result of new methods that permit the isolation, amplification, and detailed analysis of genes. The completion of the analysis of genomes of viruses, bacteria, and yeast, as well as C.elegans, has dramatically demonstrated the utility of such information and inspired new technologies for analyzing genetic variations and the roles of genes, and the proteins they encode, in health and disease. The NIH is pursuing an accelerated plan to complete a rough draft of the human genome by 2001 and to deliver a finished product by 2003. We have initiated a program to sequence the genome of the mouse, arguably the most significant animal model for human disease, and we are assembling genetic information about several other disease-causing and model organisms as well. This new information will be used to assess predisposition to disease, predict responses to environmental agents and drugs, design new medicines and vaccines, and detect infectious agents, including the agents of bioterrorism. (2) Reinvigorating clinical research. New developments in genetics, drug discovery, stem cell research, and other fields are creating opportunities for revolutionary change in the practice of medicine — but at a time when clinical research is perceived to be under siege and perhaps even in decline. To confront this situation, the NIH has initiated several new training and career development programs for clinical investigators; intensified our clinical trials activities, including the establishment of clinical trials networks; augmented funding of the General Clinical Research Centers and created other Centers for clinical research on diseases such as asthma, Parkinson's Disease, and mental illness; taken steps to strengthen clinical research in the intramural program, including continued construction of the new Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center; and developed an NIH clinical trials database, in accord with the FDA Modernization Act of 1998. To further expand patient access to clinical research protocols, we have worked with the American Association of Health Plans to begin to define acceptable terms under which their member organizations would refer patients to clinical trials and agree to pay the costs of care for those enrolled in NIH trials. (3) Harnessing other disciplines. Medical research has traditionally depended heavily on discoveries made by physicists (e.g. isotopes and X-rays), engineers (e.g. biomaterials and instruments), and chemists (e.g. synthetic drugs and laboratory reagents). Recent advances have further increased our needs for scientists in these disciplines and others, including computer science, mathematics, and subfields of engineering. We are trying to meet these needs by attracting scientists in other fields to biology and medicine through program announcements that invite applications from such investigators; the creation of the Bioengineering Consortium (BECON); investment in instrumentation development; participation in the President's Information Technology Initiative (ITI); construction of new beam lines for structural biology at DOE's Synchotron facilities; and development of interdisciplinary training programs and centers for drug development and other purposes. (4) Eliminating health disparities. Recent epidemiological surveys indicate that the benefits of healthy living conditions and advanced medical knowledge have not reached all components of our own society or all nations on the globe. Varying rates of disease, disability, and mortality exist among people belonging to different ethnic and racial groups, living in different parts of the United States, experiencing different socio-economic status, and engaging in different patterns of behavior. These differences are important points of departure to learn what accounts for the variable burden of disease and to identify targets for efforts to eliminate disparities in health status. Many new research programs at the NIH are intended to understand and to remove the origins of these disparities in the United States and abroad. In our efforts abroad, we are working closely with the World Health Organization, under the new leadership of Dr. Gro Brundtland, and we are giving special attention to infectious diseases (including malaria, HIV, emerging infections, and tuberculosis) as well as many chronic illnesses that pose increasing problems in developing countries as their populations age. Administrative Functions at the NIH The large increase awarded to the NIH in FY 1999 has also focused attention on our administrative practices, as well as on our plans to spend the funds, with the legitimate concern that an organization of such size should be operating with efficiency, fairness, and rigor. In response to similar concerns raised by the House Appropriations Subcommittee in 1997, the NIH contracted with Arthur Andersen and Associates to undertake an extensive review of our administrative functions. The outcome of that study was presented to the Subcommittee last year. This year we can report that implementation of 72 of the 80 recommendations is either complete or in progress. These changes range from the mundane but vital (e.g. marked improvements in mail delivery) to the fundamental (e.g. creating a Center for Information Technology). The CIT, headed by our first Chief Information Officer, is performing several essential roles in response to needs for streamlined administrative practices and to changes in biology that demand more computer science. For example, the NIH has met all of its milestones for achieving Year 2000 compliance for its computer systems, it is improving its methods for preserving clinical and research data in the intramural program, and it is undertaking an extensive review of future computer needs in biomedical sciences. This review, to be completed by June, 1999, has informed our choice of projects within the Administration's Information Technology Initiative for FY 2000. The organization of our peer review system, largely under the direction of the Center for Scientific Review, is a traditional focus of attention for NIH-supported scientists and advocacy groups; this is especially so with the recent changes that have occurred in biomedical science and the need to design review mechanisms for novel and interdisciplinary research. The CSR has begun a comprehensive reorganization of its study sections, with advice from an external Panel on Scientific Boundaries for Review. In addition, with the advice of the Peer Review Oversight Group, public representatives have been added to review panels, when appropriate. The NIH has been seeking other ways to extend the already numerous interactions with our various public constituencies. Responding both to the interests of many disease advocacy groups and to the Congressionally-mandated Institute of Medicine report entitled "Scientific Opportunity and Public Need," we have designated Offices of Public Liaison in all Institutes and Centers and in the Office of the Director; established an NIH Director's Council of Public Representatives; begun a revision of our booklet describing the priority setting process; expanded the budget planning activities for FY 2001 to include more public opinion; and planned workshops to examine ways to measure and interpret the burden of disease. In addition, public representatives will participate in the drafting of strategic plans for each Institute and Center and in the review of our GPRA Performance Plan. Under FY 1999 appropriation law, the NIH is required to establish a National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. We have rapidly formed the Center (final approval was provided by Secretary Shalala on February 1, 1999), chartered a new Advisory Council, nearly finished the search for a permanent Director, and expanded the research portfolio to make full use of the new funds provided for the NCCAM in FY 1999. In proposing the NIH increase for FY 2000, which is consistent with the goal of increasing NIH's budget by nearly 50 percent over 5 years, the Administration has voiced its support for the NIH's many roles in a multifaceted war against disease. With your continued help, we can insure that these advances occur on many fronts. I will be pleased to answer any questions you might have.

Statement on President's Budget Request for NIH Harold Varmus, M.D. Director, National Institutes of Health Department of Health and Human Services House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education February 23-24, 1999 Mr. Chairman and Committee Members: I am pleased to be here today to represent the NIH for the sixth time in the annual appropriations

Facts About Sickle Cell Disease SCD is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders. Healthy red blood cells are round, and they move through small blood vessels to carry oxygen to all parts of the body. In someone who has SCD, the red blood cells become hard and sticky and look like a C-shaped farm tool called a “sickle”. The sickle cells die early, which causes a constant shortage of red blood cells. Also, when they travel through small blood vessels, they get stuck and clog the blood flow. This can cause pain and other serious problems such infection, acute chest syndrome and stroke. Types of SCD Following are the most common types of SCD: People who have this form of SCD inherit two sickle cell genes (“S”), one from each parent. This is commonly called sickle cell anemia and is usually the most severe form of the disease. People who have this form of SCD inherit a sickle cell gene (“S”) from one parent and from the other parent a gene for an abnormal hemoglobin called “C”. Hemoglobin is a protein that allows red blood cells to carry oxygen to all parts of the body. This is usually a milder form of SCD. HbS beta thalassemia People who have this form of SCD inherit one sickle cell gene (“S”) from one parent and one gene for beta thalassemia, another type of anemia, from the other parent. There are two types of beta thalassemia: “0” and “+”. Those with HbS beta 0-thalassemia usually have a severe form of SCD. People with HbS beta +-thalassemia tend to have a milder form of SCD. There also are a few rare types of SCD: HbSD, HbSE, and HbSO People who have these forms of SCD inherit one sickle cell gene (“S”) and one gene from an abnormal type of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a protein that allows red blood cells to carry oxygen to all parts of the body. The severity of these rarer types of SCD varies. Often, the signs of disease and complications are similar to those of a person with “HbSS”. Sickle Cell Trait (SCT) People who have this form of SCD inherit one sickle cell gene (“S”) from one parent and one normal gene (“A”) from the other parent. This is called sickle cell trait (SCT). People with SCT usually do not have any of the signs of the disease and live a normal life, but they can pass the trait on to their children. Cause of SCD SCD is a genetic condition that is present at birth. It is inherited when a child receives two sickle cell genes—one from each parent. SCD is diagnosed with a simple blood test. It most often is found at birth during routine newborn screening tests at the hospital. In addition, SCD can be diagnosed before birth. Because children with SCD are at an increased risk of infection and other health problems, early diagnosis and treatment are important. You can call your local sickle cell organization to find out how to get tested. Complications and Treatments People with SCD start to have signs of the disease during the first year of life, usually around 5 months of age. Symptoms and complications of SCD are different for each person and can range from mild to severe. There is no single best treatment for all people with SCD. Treatment options are different for each person depending on the symptoms. The only cure for SCD is bone marrow or stem cell transplant. Bone marrow is a soft, fatty tissue inside the center of the bones where blood cells are made. A bone marrow or stem cell transplant is a procedure that takes healthy cells that form blood from one person—the donor—and puts them into someone whose bone marrow is not working properly. Bone marrow or stem cell transplants are very risky, and can have serious side effects, including death. For the transplant to work, the bone marrow must be a close match. Usually, the best donor is a brother or sister. Bone marrow or stem cell transplants are used only in cases of severe SCD for children who have minimal organ damage from the disease. - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities Division of Blood Disorders 1600 Clifton Road Atlanta, GA 30333 TTY: (888) 232-6348 New Hours of Operation

Facts About Sickle Cell Disease SCD is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders. Healthy red blood cells are round, and they move through small blood vessels to carry oxygen to all parts of the body. In someone who has SCD, the red blood cells become hard and sticky and look like a C-shaped farm tool called a “sickle”. The sickle cells die early, which causes a constant shortage of red blood

2007 NAICS Definition This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in (1) retailing new and/or used boats or retailing new boats in combination with activities, such as repair services and selling replacement parts and accessories, and/or (2) retailing new and/or used outboard motors, boat trailers, marine supplies, parts, and accessories. Cross-References. Establishments primarily engaged in-- - Retailing new surfboards or wind sail boards--are classified in Industry 451110, Sporting Goods Stores; - Retailing used surfboards or wind sail boards--are classified in Industry 453310, Used Merchandise Stores; - Providing boat repair services without retailing new boats--are classified in Industry 811490, Other Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance; - Retailing new or used personal watercraft--are classified in U.S. Industry 441221, Motorcycle, ATV, and Personal Watercraft Dealers; and - Operating docking and/or storage facilities for pleasure craft owners--are classified in Industry 713930, Marinas. Index entries that bring you to this industry: - Boat dealers, new and used - Boat trailer dealers - Marine supply dealers - Outboard motor dealers - Power boat dealers - Sail boat dealers - Used boat dealers

2007 NAICS Definition This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in (1) retailing new and/or used boats or retailing new boats in combination with activities, such as repair services and selling replacement parts and accessories, and/or (2) retailing new and/or used outboard motors, boat trailers, marine supplies, parts, and accessories. Cross-References. Establishments primaril

Study of Lung Proteins in Patients With Pneumonia This study will examine the different types of proteins present in the lungs of patients with pneumonia to explore the causes of different types of the disease. Pneumonia is a condition that causes lung inflammation AND is often caused by an infection. It is usually diagnosed by lung x-rays and listening to the chest with a stethoscope. This method can diagnose pneumonia, but it does not provide information on the cause of the inflammation - information that might be helpful in guiding treatment. This study will measure proteins in the lungs of patients to see if certain proteins are associated with specific forms of pneumonia, and can thus serve as biomarkers for disease. Patients undergoing diagnostic bronchoscopy at the NIH Clinical Center may participate in this study. Patients will undergo bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage as scheduled for their medical care. For this procedure, the patient's mouth and throat are numbed with lidocaine; a sedative may be given for comfort. A thin flexible tube called a bronchoscope is advanced through the nose or mouth into the lung airways to examine the airways carefully. Saline (salt water) is then injected through the bronchoscope into the air passage, acting as a rinse. A sample of fluid is then withdrawn for microscopic examination. Researchers in the current study will use some of the fluid obtained from the lavage to examine for protein content. In addition to the bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage, participants will have about 2 tablespoons of blood drawn to compare blood test results with the results of the lung washings. Patients' medical records will be reviewed to obtain information on past medical history, current medical treatment, vital signs, and results of x-ray tests. |Official Title:||Biomarkers and Protein Mass Expression Profiles in Bronchoalveolar Lavage From Patients With Lung Infiltrates| |Study Start Date:||February 2004| The objective of this study is to analyze bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from patients with lung infiltrates in order to discover new biomarkers and protein expression patterns that are associated with specific types of pulmonary disease. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a standard method to obtain lower airway samples to evaluate pulmonary infiltrates in order to diagnose infection, malignancy or non-infectious inflammation. After collecting the lavage, the clinical microbiology laboratory concentrates the formed elements (i.e. pathogens and cells) for stains and culture and discards the BAL supernatant. The supernatant however is a rich source of proteins and other molecules. We hypothesize that BAL fluid supernatant will be an important source of biomarkers that reflect host-pathogen interactions. The analysis of protein mass profiles and biomarker identification in BAL fluid supernatant may help develop new diagnostic methods and extend our understanding of mechanisms of lung inflammation due to infectious causes. The study population will include all patients undergoing bronchoscopy for clinical indications at the Clinical Center who provide informed consent for chart review and proteomic analysis of BAL supernatant, as described in this protocol. We hope to acquire BAL samples that reflect a spectrum of community-acquired and opportunistic pathogens associated with pulmonary disease. In addition analysis of a range of non-infectious pulmonary processes (e.g. acute lung injury, acute respiratory distress syndrome and engraftment syndrome) is important to develop measures of sensitivity and specificity. This is a prospective observational study. The expected outcome is to develop a database of protein mass profiles of BAL fluid linked to specific microbiologic diagnoses. Our expectation is to acquire 1000 specimens from the Clinical Center with a range of clinical diagnoses including bacterial, viral, parasitic and fungal infections and sterile inflammation. When a sufficient number of samples in an individual category is collected (approximately 20-30), the samples will be analyzed with current proteomic techniques. |Contact: Debra Reda, R.N.||(301) email@example.com| |Contact: Anthony F Suffredini, M.D.||(301) firstname.lastname@example.org| |United States, Maryland| |National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike||Recruiting| |Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892| |Contact: For more information at the NIH Clinical Center contact Patient Recruitment and Public Liaison Office (PRPL) 800-411-1222 ext TTY8664111010 email@example.com| |Principal Investigator:||Anthony F Suffredini, M.D.||National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)|

Study of Lung Proteins in Patients With Pneumonia This study will examine the different types of proteins present in the lungs of patients with pneumonia to explore the causes of different types of the disease. Pneumonia is a condition that causes lung inflammation AND is often caused by an infection. It is usually diagnosed by lung x-rays and listening to the chest with a stethoscope. This method

ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome) is a condition of severe inflammation and excess fluids in the lungs that impairs their function of oxygen uptake to the point of needing a ventilator (breathing machine) to help them obtain enough oxygen into the body. Because of the high amounts of gas that the ventilator has to give to these patients, high pressures may develop deep into the lungs and produce complications for the patient. However, physicians sometimes cannot recognize it because it requires special equipment to measure pressure deep in the lungs. The goal of this study is to determine if the amount of this pressure can be calculated using mathematical formulas and the routine numbers provided by ventilators. The study consists on making the conventional measurement of this deep pressure and at the same time calculate this same pressure from other measurements that the ventilator routinely provides, to see if the calculated value can replace the more complicated conventional measurement. The measurements will be done by: - placing a small device along the tubing connecting the patient to the ventilator; - giving medicines to relax the muscles (if the patient is not already receiving them); and - making the ventilator hold the patient's breath for a few seconds to take measurements. This is repeated after the breathing rate of the ventilator is increased or decreased mildly. Risks related to the medicine to be used and the measuring maneuvers are rare but include transient narrowing of windpipes, transiently low heart rate, blood pressure or blood oxygen, and allergic reactions. This is not a treatment. The information obtained during the study will be shared with the treating doctors who may find it useful to make adjustments to the ventilator. The patient may receive no direct benefit from being in this study; however, the findings may contribute to better care for this kind of patients in the future.

ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome) is a condition of severe inflammation and excess fluids in the lungs that impairs their function of oxygen uptake to the point of needing a ventilator (breathing machine) to help them obtain enough oxygen into the body. Because of the high amounts of gas that the ventilator has to give to these patients, high pressures may develop deep into the lungs and

Debate on the evolution of extreme poverty in European towns Martin Hirsch, President of Emmaüs France Strasbourg, 27.03.2007 - In the presence of Martin Hirsch, President of Emmaüs France, the members of the Congress examined a report by Etienne Van Vaerenbergh, which refers to a fresh analysis of developments in the situation and action taken at local level. ''The recommendations in the report'', said Etienne Van Vaerenbergh, ''include framing integrated policies and national programmes in close consultation with local and regional authorities and setting up ''local partnership committees'' bringing together municipal officials and charitable organisations involved in this field''. The report also recommends specific measures such as making free municipal travel widely available. Interview with Martin Hirsch, President of Emmaüs France Adopted texts and documents

Debate on the evolution of extreme poverty in European towns Martin Hirsch, President of Emmaüs France Strasbourg, 27.03.2007 - In the presence of Martin Hirsch, President of Emmaüs France, the members of the Congress examined a report by Etienne Van Vaerenbergh, which refers to a fresh analysis of developments in the situation and action taken at local level. ''The recommendations in the report''

The Open Space Subvention Act The Open Space Subvention Act (OSSA) was enacted on January 1, 1972, to provide for the partial replacement of local property tax revenue foregone as a result of participation in the Williamson Act and other enforceable open space restriction programs (Government Code §16140 et seq.). Participating local governments have received annual payment on the basis of the number of eligible acres, quality (soil type and agricultural productivity), and, for Farmland Security Zone contracts, location (proximity to a city) of land enrolled under eligible enforceable open space restrictions. Open Space Subventions have totaled more than $876 million since 1972, but were eliminated from the 2012-13 state budget. Statistics are available in Appendix C of the 2010 Williamson Act Status Report. The Department of Conservation continues to work with assessors offices and planning departments to document participation in the Williamson Act Program. The FY 2012 participation survey is now available. For more information on the OSSA, visit this page.

The Open Space Subvention Act The Open Space Subvention Act (OSSA) was enacted on January 1, 1972, to provide for the partial replacement of local property tax revenue foregone as a result of participation in the Williamson Act and other enforceable open space restriction programs (Government Code §16140 et seq.). Participating local governments have received annual payment on the basis of the num

RULE 1.6 CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION (a) A lawyer shall not reveal information relating to the representation of a client unless the client gives informed consent, the disclosure is impliedly authorized in order to carry out the representation or the disclosure is permitted by paragraph (b). (b) A lawyer to the extent the lawyer reasonably believes necessary: (1) shall reveal information relating to the representation of a client to prevent reasonably certain death or substantial bodily harm; (2) may reveal information relating to the representation of a client to prevent the client from committing a crime; (3) may reveal information relating to the representation of a client to prevent, mitigate or rectify substantial injury to the financial interests or property of another that is reasonably certain to result or has resulted from the client's commission of a crime or fraud in furtherance of which the client has used the lawyer's services; (4) may reveal information relating to the representation of a client to secure legal advice about the lawyer's compliance with these Rules; (5) may reveal information relating to the representation of a client to establish a claim or defense on behalf of the lawyer in a controversy between the lawyer and the client, to establish a defense to a criminal charge or civil claim against the lawyer based upon conduct in which the client was involved, or to respond to allegations in any proceeding concerning the lawyer's representation of the client; (6) may reveal information relating to the representation of a client to comply with a court order; or (7) may reveal information relating to the representation of a client to inform a tribunal about any breach of fiduciary responsibility when the client is serving as a court appointed fiduciary such as a guardian, personal representative, or receiver. Comment See also Washington Comment . [Washington revision] This Rule governs the disclosure by a lawyer of information relating to the representation of a client. See Rule 1.18 for the lawyer's duties with respect to information provided to the lawyer by a prospective client, Rule 1.9(c)(2) for the lawyer's duty not to reveal information relating to the lawyer's prior representation of a former client and Rules 1.8(b) and 1.9(c)(1) for the lawyer's duties with respect to the use of such information to the disadvantage of clients and former clients. A fundamental principle in the client-lawyer relationship is that, in the absence of the client's informed consent, the lawyer must not reveal information relating to the representation. See Rule 1.0(e) for the definition of informed consent. This contributes to the trust that is the hallmark of the client-lawyer relationship. The client is thereby encouraged to seek legal assistance and to communicate fully and frankly with the lawyer even as to embarrassing or legally damaging subject matter. The lawyer needs this information to represent the client effectively and, if necessary, to advise the client to refrain from wrongful conduct. Almost without exception, clients come to lawyers in order to determine their rights and what is, in the complex of laws and regulations, deemed to be legal and correct. Based upon experience, lawyers know that almost all clients follow the advice given, and the law is upheld. The principle of client-lawyer confidentiality is given effect by related bodies of law: the attorney-client privilege, the work product doctrine and the rule of confidentiality established in professional ethics. The attorney-client privilege and work-product doctrine apply in judicial and other proceedings in which a lawyer may be called as a witness or otherwise required to produce evidence concerning a client. The rule of client-lawyer confidentiality applies in situations other than those where evidence is sought from the lawyer through compulsion of law. The confidentiality rule, for example, applies not only to matters communicated in confidence by the client but also to all information relating to the representation, whatever its source. A lawyer may not disclose such information except as authorized or required by the Rules of Professional Conduct. See also Scope. Paragraph (a) prohibits a lawyer from revealing information relating to the representation of a client. This prohibition also applies to disclosures by a lawyer that do not in themselves reveal protected information but could reasonably lead to the discovery of such information by a third person. A lawyer's use of a hypothetical to discuss issues relating to the representation is permissible so long as there is no reasonable likelihood that the listener will be able to ascertain the identity of the client or the situation involved. Authorized Disclosure Except to the extent that the client's instructions or special circumstances limit that authority, a lawyer is impliedly authorized to make disclosures about a client when appropriate in carrying out the representation. In some situations, for example, a lawyer may be impliedly authorized to admit a fact that cannot properly be disputed or to make a disclosure that facilitates a satisfactory conclusion to a matter. Lawyers in a firm may, in the course of the firm's practice, disclose to each other information relating to a client of the firm, unless the client has instructed that particular information be confined to specified lawyers. Disclosure Adverse to Client [Washington revision] Although the public interest is usually best served by a strict rule requiring lawyers to preserve the confidentiality of information relating to the representation of their clients, the confidentiality rule is subject to limited exceptions. Paragraph (b)(1) recognizes the overriding value of life and physical integrity and requires disclosure reasonably necessary to prevent reasonably certain death or substantial bodily harm. Such harm is reasonably certain to occur if it will be suffered imminently or if there is a present and substantial threat that a person will suffer such harm at a later date if the lawyer fails to take action necessary to eliminate the threat. Thus, a lawyer who knows that a client has accidentally discharged toxic waste into a town's water supply must reveal this information to the authorities if there is a present and substantial risk that a person who drinks the water will contract a life-threatening or debilitating disease and the lawyer's disclosure is necessary to eliminate the threat or reduce the number of victims. [Reserved.] [Reserved.] A lawyer's confidentiality obligations do not preclude a lawyer from securing confidential legal advice about the lawyer's personal responsibility to comply with these Rules. In most situations, disclosing information to secure such advice will be impliedly authorized for the lawyer to carry out the representation. Even when the disclosure is not impliedly authorized, paragraph (b)(4) permits such disclosure because of the importance of a lawyer's compliance with the Rules of Professional Conduct. Where a legal claim or disciplinary charge alleges complicity of the lawyer in a client's conduct or other misconduct of the lawyer involving representation of the client, the lawyer may respond to the extent the lawyer reasonably believes necessary to establish a defense. The same is true with respect to a claim involving the conduct or representation of a former client. Such a charge can arise in a civil, criminal, disciplinary or other proceeding and can be based on a wrong allegedly committed by the lawyer against the client or on a wrong alleged by a third person, for example, a person claiming to have been defrauded by the lawyer and client acting together. The lawyer's right to respond arises when an assertion of such complicity has been made. Paragraph (b)(5) does not require the lawyer to await the commencement of an action or proceeding that charges such complicity, so that the defense may be established by responding directly to a third party who has made such an assertion. The right to defend also applies, of course, where a proceeding has been commenced. A lawyer entitled to a fee is permitted by paragraph (b)(5) to prove the services rendered in an action to collect it. This aspect of the Rule expresses the principle that the beneficiary of a fiduciary relationship may not exploit it to the detriment of the fiduciary. [Reserved.] [Washington revision] A lawyer may be ordered to reveal information relating to the representation of a client by a court. Absent informed consent of the client to do otherwise, the lawyer should assert on behalf of the client all nonfrivolous claims that the information sought is protected against disclosure by the attorney-client privilege or other applicable law. In the event of an adverse ruling, the lawyer must consult with the client about the possibility of appeal to the extent required by Rule 1.4. Unless review is sought, however, paragraph (b)(6) permits the lawyer to comply with the court's order. See also Washington Comment . Paragraph (b) permits disclosure only to the extent the lawyer reasonably believes the disclosure is necessary to accomplish one of the purposes specified. Where practicable, the lawyer should first seek to persuade the client to take suitable action to obviate the need for disclosure. In any case, a disclosure adverse to the client's interest should be no greater than the lawyer reasonably believes necessary to accomplish the purpose. If the disclosure will be made in connection with a judicial proceeding, the disclosure should be made in a manner that limits access to the information to the tribunal or other persons having a need to know it and appropriate protective orders or other arrangements should be sought by the lawyer to the fullest extent practicable. [Washington revision] Paragraphs (b)(2) through (b)(7) permit but do not require the disclosure of information relating to a client's representation to accomplish the purposes specified in those paragraphs. In exercising the discretion conferred by those paragraphs, the lawyer may consider such factors as the nature of the lawyer's relationship with the client and with those who might be injured by the client, the lawyer's own involvement in the transaction and factors that may extenuate the conduct in question. A lawyer's decision not to disclose as permitted by paragraph (b) does not violate this Rule. Disclosure may be required, however, by other Rules. Some Rules require disclosure only if such disclosure would be permitted by paragraph (b). See Rules 1.2(d), 3.3, 4.1(b), and 8.1. See also Rule 1.13(c), which permits disclosure in some circumstances whether or not Rule 1.6 permits the disclosure. See also Washington Comment . Acting Competently to Preserve Confidentiality A lawyer must act competently to safeguard information relating to the representation of a client against inadvertent or unauthorized disclosure by the lawyer or other persons who are participating in the representation of the client or who are subject to the lawyer's supervision. See Rules 1.1, 5.1 and 5.3. When transmitting a communication that includes information relating to the representation of a client, the lawyer must take reasonable precautions to prevent the information from coming into the hands of unintended recipients. This duty, however, does not require that the lawyer use special security measures if the method of communication affords a reasonable expectation of privacy. Special circumstances, however, may warrant special precautions. Factors to be considered in determining the reasonableness of the lawyer's expectation of confidentiality include the sensitivity of the information and the extent to which the privacy of the communication is protected by law or by a confidentiality agreement. A client may require the lawyer to implement special security measures not required by this Rule or may give informed consent to the use of a means of communication that would otherwise be prohibited by this Rule. Former Client The duty of confidentiality continues after the client-lawyer relationship has terminated. See Rule 1.9(c)(2). See Rule 1.9(c)(1) for the prohibition against using such information to the disadvantage of the former client. Additional Washington Comments (19 - 26) The phrase "information relating to the representation" should be interpreted broadly. The "information" protected by this Rule includes, but is not necessarily limited to, confidences and secrets. "Confidence" refers to information protected by the attorney client privilege under applicable law, and "secret" refers to other information gained in the professional relationship that the client has requested be held inviolate or the disclosure of which would be embarrassing or would be likely to be detrimental to the client. Disclosure Adverse to Client Washington's Rule 1.6(b)(2), which authorizes disclosure to prevent a client from committing a crime, is significantly broader than the corresponding exception in the Model Rule. While the Model Rule permits a lawyer to reveal information relating to the representation to prevent the client from "committing a crime . . . that is reasonably certain to result in substantial injury to the financial interests or property of another and in furtherance of which the client has used the lawyer's services," Washington's Rule permits the lawyer to reveal such information to prevent the commission of any crime. [Reserved.] [Reserved.] The exceptions to the general rule prohibiting unauthorized disclosure of information relating to the representation "should not be carelessly invoked." In re Boelter, 139 Wn.2d 81, 91, 985 P.2d 328 (1999). A lawyer must make every effort practicable to avoid unnecessary disclosure of information relating to a representation, to limit disclosure to those having the need to know it, and to obtain protective orders or make other arrangements minimizing the risk of avoidable disclosure. Washington has not adopted that portion of Model Rule 1.6(b)(6) permitting a lawyer to reveal information related to the representation to comply with "other law." Washington's omission of this phrase arises from a concern that it would authorize the lawyer to decide whether a disclosure is required by "other law," even though the right to confidentiality and the right to waive confidentiality belong to the client. The decision to waive confidentiality should only be made by a fully informed client after consultation with the client's lawyer or by a court of competent jurisdiction. Limiting the exception to compliance with a court order protects the client's interest in maintaining confidentiality while insuring that any determination about the legal necessity of revealing confidential information will be made by a court. It is the need for a judicial resolution of such issues that necessitates the omission of "other law" from this Rule. Withdrawal After withdrawal the lawyer is required to refrain from disclosing the client's confidences, except as otherwise permitted by Rules 1.6 or 1.9. A lawyer is not prohibited from giving notice of the fact of withdrawal by this Rule, Rule 1.8(b), or Rule 1.9(c). If the lawyer's services will be used by the client in furthering a course of criminal or fraudulent conduct, the lawyer must withdraw. See Rule 1.16(a)(1). Upon withdrawal from the representation in such circumstances, the lawyer may also disaffirm or withdraw any opinion, document, affirmation, or the like. If the client is an organization, the lawyer may be in doubt about whether contemplated conduct will actually be carried out by the organization. When a lawyer requires guidance about compliance with this Rule in connection with an organizational client, the lawyer may proceed under the provisions of Rule 1.13(b). Other This Rule does not relieve a lawyer of his or her obligations under Rule 5.4(b) of the Rules for Enforcement of Lawyer Conduct. [Amended effective September 1, 2006; September 1, 2011.] Click here to view in a PDF. |Courts | Organizations | News | Opinions | Rules | Forms | Directory | Library| |Back to Top | Privacy and Disclaimer Notices|

RULE 1.6 CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION (a) A lawyer shall not reveal information relating to the representation of a client unless the client gives informed consent, the disclosure is impliedly authorized in order to carry out the representation or the disclosure is permitted by paragraph (b). (b) A lawyer to the extent the lawyer reasonably believes necessary: (1) shall reveal information relati

What makes the climate change? The Earth’s climate is influenced by many factors, mainly by the amount of energy coming from the sun, but also by factors such as the amount of greenhouse gases and aerosols in the atmosphere, and the properties of the Earth’s surface, which determine how much of this solar energy is retained or reflected back to space. The atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) have significantly increased since the beginning of the industrial revolution. This is mainly due to human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels, land use change, and agriculture. For instance, the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide is now far higher than in the last 650 000 years and has been growing faster in the last ten years than it has been since the beginning of continuous measurements around 1960. It is very likely that, overall, human activities since 1750 have had a global warming effect on the Earth.

What makes the climate change? The Earth’s climate is influenced by many factors, mainly by the amount of energy coming from the sun, but also by factors such as the amount of greenhouse gases and aerosols in the atmosphere, and the properties of the Earth’s surface, which determine how much of this solar energy is retained or reflected back to space. The atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse g

Statement to the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air, Wetlands and Climate Change by Dr. Richard Sandor Chairman and CEO Environmental Financial Products LLC Hearing to receive testimony on compliance options for electric power generators to meet new limits on carbon and mercury emissions contained in S. 556 Tuesday, January 29 2002 Feasibility and Initial Architecture of a Voluntary The debate over appropriate actions to address the risks arising from changes in the Earth’s climate—the “greenhouse effect”—suffers from two major information gaps. The first is a lack of consensus regarding the damages that could occur to the environment without action to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The scientific process may not precisely predict the nature and implications of climate changes that would occur if society does not make significant changes in energy and land use patterns associated with higher levels of GHG emissions. That is, the costs of inaction and the benefits of taking mitigation actions are uncertain. The second information gap is lack of understanding of the monetary costs associated with undertaking mitigation to reduce greenhouse gasses. The absence of hard, proven data on greenhouse gas mitigation costs reduces the quality of the climate policy debate. The nature of the implied cost-benefit analysis underlying the climate debate suggests that for any particular level of benefits accruing from action to mitigate climate change, a high cost of mitigation will lead policy makers to take less action. If mitigation costs are proven to be low, it appears policy makers would support stronger action to address climate change. At this time, however, we lack the data for realizing the costs involved in pursuing climate mitigation actions. To help fill this gap, Environmental Financial Products, in collaboration with the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, received a Millennium grant of $374,000 from the Chicago-based Joyce Foundation in May 2000. With $900 million in assets, the Foundation has been a longtime and well-respected funder of efforts to protect the natural environment of the Great Lakes region. The grant, part of a series supporting work on significant intergenerational issues, enabled us to explore the feasibility of designing a voluntary market to help answer the second question: the cost of steps to reduce climate change. A second grant to fund the design phase of the market was granted in August of 2001. The ultimate objective of the proposed Chicago Climate Exchange is to generate price information that provides a valid indication of the cost of mitigating greenhouse gases. By closing the information gap on mitigation costs, society and policymakers will be far better prepared to identify and implement optimal policies for managing the risks associated with climate change. Overview and Methodology This report presents a feasibility analysis and initial architecture for a voluntary pilot greenhouse gas emissions trading program that would be launched in the Midwest and expanded over time. The objectives of the pilot program—hereafter called the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX)—are: Proof of concept: · demonstrate the ability to cut and trade greenhouse gases in a market system involving multiple industrial sectors, mitigation options and countries; · initiate greenhouse gas reductions through a modest size but scalable program; · form a basis of experience and learning for participants; · introduce a phased, efficient process for achieving additional GHG reductions in the future. · provide realistic information signaling the cost of mitigating greenhouse gases; · enhance the quality of climate policy decision-making by providing hard data on mitigation costs to the public and policymakers. The strategy used to assess the feasibility of a pilot GHG market relied on several research methodologies. A theoretical economic assessment accompanied by quantified data guided the structure of the study. The proposed market architecture was influenced by lessons from other successful emissions, financial, and commodity markets. The successful USEPA SO2 emissions trading program to reduce acid rain served as a model for the design of key elements of the Chicago Climate Exchange. The research is a continuing work in progress. The current stage of the process is to incorporate industry input to refine the initial proposed market terms and conditions. This process will yield a working prototype for which an attempt to build a consensus will be initiated. That consensus design would represent a functional architecture for the first phase of a market. Implementing the proposed market design and incorporating lessons from practical experience are core elements of the program. The negative effects caused by the release of greenhouse gases are currently not priced. Consumers and businesses do not fully take account of such effects in their economic decision-making because there is no price on the use of the atmosphere. The goal of the proposed pilot greenhouse gas trading program is to establish the market for discovering the price for reducing emissions. The core steps are to limit overall consumption of the atmosphere (GHG emissions) and establish trading in instruments that allow participants to find the most cost-effective methods for staying within a target emission limit. The market price of those instruments will represent a value signal that should stimulate new and creative emission reduction strategies and technologies. Emissions trading is a proven tool that works with and harnesses the inventive capabilities of business. Reflecting international consensus and successful precedent, the items to be traded in the pilot market—GHG emission allowances and offsets—are instruments representing one ton of carbon dioxide (CO2) or their equivalent (CO2e). For every ton of CO2 emitted, a participating emission source must relinquish one allowance or offset. Potential For A Market Initiated in the U.S. Midwest The Midwest represents a microcosm of the U.S. The region’s economy is as large as the economies of the United Kingdom (U.K.) and the Netherlands combined and has annual GHG emissions equal to those of the U.K. plus France (1.375 billion tons CO2). The region’s industrial diversity—including a broad range of energy, heavy manufacturing, transport, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, electronics and forestry—make it well-suited as a starting point for a robust and representative greenhouse gas emissions trading market. The feasibility analysis suggested a hypothetical target market covering 20% of all Midwest emissions. The scale of such a market and the proposed GHG mitigation goals are summarized in Table A. The Table portrays a proposed GHG reduction schedule calling for emissions in the first year of a pilot market, 2002, to be 2% below 1999 levels (the baseline year) and falling a further 1% each year from 2003 through 2005. (in million metric tons CO2 equivalent) Estimated Midwest 1999 emissions 1999 emissions of a hypothetical 20% coverage market Cumulative baseline emissions during 2002-2005 under for the 20% coverage scenario Cumulative 2002-2005 CCX emissions target for hypothetical 20% coverage program (2% below 1999 levels during 2002, 3% below 1999 in 2003, 4% below in 2004, 5% below in 2005) Four-year Mitigation Demand (baseline emissions – target) 38.5 mil. tons CO2e The hypothetical 20% coverage Midwest market appears to provide sufficient scale for a pilot market that could be representative of a larger market. Total emissions covered in such a market would equal the emissions of Scandinavia (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden) and would be more than double the emissions covered in the successful internal GHG market operated by BP. While broad coverage is an ultimate goal, the main benefits of a pilot—proof of concept and price discovery—can be realized with a modest size but a diverse set of participants. Table B summarizes the core elements of the proposed market architecture. Indicative Term Sheet Market Architecture for the Chicago Climate Exchange 2002: emission sources and projects in seven Midwest states (IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI), offsets accepted from projects in Brazil; 2003-2005: emission sources and projects in U.S., Canada and Mexico, offsets accepted from projects in Brazil. Greenhouse Gases Covered Carbon dioxide, methane and all other targeted GHGs Emission Reduction Targets 2002: 2% below 1999 levels, falling 1% per year through 2005 Industries and Firms Targeted Primarily “downstream” participants: power plants, refineries, factories, vehicle fleets; approximately 100 firms initially targeted; individual entities or operating groups must produce over 250,000 tons CO2e to become a participating emission source Fully interchangeable emission allowances (original issue) and offsets produced by targeted mitigation projects Eligible Offset Projects - Carbon sequestration in forests and domestic soils - Renewable energy systems activated after 1998 - Methane destruction in agriculture, landfills and coalbeds - Offset projects must be over 100,000 tons CO2e; smaller offset projects must aggregate reductions to meet the requirement Annual Public Auctions 2% of issued allowances withheld and auctioned in “spot” and “forward” auctions, proceeds returned pro rata Central database to record and transfer allowances and offsets; interfaces with emissions database and trading platform Standardized CCX Electronic Market, private contracting Uniform documentation provided to facilitate trade Accounting and Tax Issues Accounting guidance suggested by generally accepted accounting principles; precedent exists for U.S. tax treatment Self-governing structure to oversee rules, monitoring and trade The following summarizes the mechanics of the proposed system: 1. Participating emission sources agree to the prescribed emission limits and standardized emissions monitoring and reporting rules. 2. Participating emission sources receive a four-year stream of emission allowances equal to their target emission level. 3. Emission offsets may be generated by independently verified GHG mitigation projects. 4. Starting in 2002, annual allowances and offset holdings must cover annual emissions. 5. Participants can comply by cutting their own emissions or purchasing emission allowances from those who make extra emission cuts or from offset projects. 6. Failure to fulfill commitments triggers automatic non-compliance penalties. 7. Periodic auctions and organized trading will reveal market prices. Tradable emission allowances and offsets exist and are transferred as records in a publicly accessible computerized tracking system called the Registry. Each unit is assigned a unique identification number. A variety of best-practice methods for measuring or calculating GHG emissions will be applied, including continuous emissions monitoring, fuel records and mass balance calculations. Methods for addressing new entrants and facilities and partial ownership of emission sources have been proposed but need further refinement based on industry input. Emission offsets reflect mitigation actions generated by individual projects undertaken by entities not qualified to be emission sources (generate less than 250,000 tons CO2e emissions reductions per year). When possible, standard rules and conservative reference emission values can be used to determine offset project effectiveness. Offsets are earned by undertaking specified mitigation projects that must be independently verified. Multiple small offset projects will be grouped into 100,000 ton pools. Offset projects must follow standardized registration, reporting and verification processes. This design feature is intended to produce fungible instruments that will be recognized in other emerging carbon markets. Examples of eligible offset projects include: · Carbon sequestration from forest expansion, and domestic no-till agricultural soils and agricultural tree and grass plantings; · Electric power generated by wind, solar and geothermal systems; · Methane capture and destruction (e.g. from agricultural waste, landfills and coal mines). Selected categories of offsets can be implemented in Brazil. This feature allows the pilot market participants to develop expertise on issues associated with cross-border transactions, including the opportunity to develop trading across differing legal and regulatory systems. Brazil also represents a natural location as it has extensive linkages to many Midwest businesses, presents a variety of low-cost mitigation opportunities, and its policymakers are actively preparing for the international carbon market. Annual auctions of emission allowances will be held to help stimulate the market and publicly reveal prices. To complement private contracting, an electronic mechanism for hosting CCX trading will provide a central location that facilitates trading and publicly reveals price information. Several existing trading systems will be considered for use in the CCX market. Trading will be encouraged by provision of uniform trade documentation and by listing standardized spot and forward contracts on the CCX electronic market. Market Administration Issues, Public Policy Context Administration of the CCX market by an efficient, corporate style governance system, with an elected Board of Directors and a strong Chief Executive, is recommended. The rules structure and decisions of the governing body should be codified through a Rulebook. Under the guidance of the Board and the Rulebook, a professional staff should be responsible for making most operational decisions and managing outside vendors. In order to assure the market incorporates current best practices, several expert advisory committees will be convened, including committees on rules and enforcement; market operations and technical specifications; and emissions and project monitoring, verification and audits. The capabilities of various service providers who might construct and/or operate an emissions and emissions trading registry were examined. In order to assess the options available for implementing important elements of the CCX market, EFP staff has examined the capabilities of various service providers who might construct and/or operate an emissions and emissions trading registry. Discussions have been held to assess the capabilities of such vendors ranging from multinational providers of trading technology to vendors of specific technology. EFP also met with a B2B trading platform for the forest products sector, which is used and recommended by two CCX participants. Each group offers potentially attractive features that will be further examined. Negotiations with potential trading system partners should commence as soon as possible to enable a second quarter 2002 system activation. Conversations have also been ongoing with clearing organizations, including an organization that has achieved a AAA credit rating from Standard & Poor's, a $100 million default insurance policy and a credit facility of $200 million. EFP has also worked to build links to other emerging GHG markets (e.g. the UK), multilateral organizations, national governments, corporations, non-governmental organizations and financial and commodity exchanges. Professional research on the accounting and tax issues associated with participating in the CCX was conducted under subcontract by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. An extensive body of guidance on both accounting and tax issues associated with emissions trading has been established in the U.S. Preliminary indicative guidance is provided on proper accounting and income tax treatment for issues associated with enrollment in the market, trading, swaps, auctions and participation costs. A variety of legislative proposals have provided further indication that participation in CCX will help position participants to intelligently influence and benefit from possible future regulations. Legislative proposals to require reductions in power plant CO2 emissions, and to assist or reward farm and forest carbon sequestration, could introduce a policy environment that provides competitive advantages to CCX participants. Industry Outreach, Response In order to identify potential CCX participants, a database containing salient information on major Midwest emission sources was assembled and screened based on various criteria. Many Midwest businesses have already initiated climate change programs, and some industries, including the electric power industry, are already involved in emissions trading. Approximately 100 companies met the screening criteria. Additional screening identified forty firms that received first-round invitations to participate in forming the market. Sectors represented in this list include: electric power, auto manufacturers, petroleum refining, transport, pharmaceuticals, forest and paper, chemical manufacturers, and computers and telecommunications. The outreach and communications effort has also included speeches and presentations, authored articles and dissemination of the CCX message through the media. This has resulted in four published articles authored by EFP executives, coverage in twenty-seven print and electronic media sources, five radio interviews, one web cast and twenty-five presentations at industry conferences, congressional hearings and other events in eight countries (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, Morocco, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom). Environmental Financial Products LLC initiated empirical research to assess interest among potential participants in the Chicago Climate Exchange. That effort, which is continuing, has included extending invitations for participation to a diverse group of entities. The invitations asked for a response consisting of a letter indicating a non-binding intent to help form final rules for CCX, and, provided the rules are consistent with the entity’s interests, a non-binding intent to participate in the CCX market. To date forty-six targeted entities have given affirmative responses. Included are major manufacturers such as DuPont and Ford Motor Company, leading diversified energy companies such as American Electric Power and Cinergy, major international financial entities such as Swiss Re, agricultural businesses such as Growmark and Agriliance, and the two largest forest products companies in the world, International Paper and Stora Enso. The international presence in the CCX includes major Mexican corporations such as CEMEX and Grupo IMSA and a leading generator of electricity in Brazil (Cataguazes-Leopoldina). A new sector has been added: two major municipalities in North America (Chicago and Mexico City) have also agreed to participate in the design phase. We believe this new sector will add some important dynamics to the market and allow for incentives to achieve environmental improvements in cities. Appendix A provides a brief description of the entities from which a positive response has been received to date. High-Level CCX Advisory Board The Hon. Richard M. Daley, Mayor of the City of Chicago, accepted the invitation to become the Honorary Chairman of the CCX. A high-level Advisory Board has been formed to receive strategic input from top world experts from the environmental, business, academic and policy-making communities. Members of the Board include internationally recognized environmental leaders such as Maurice Strong and Israel Klabin, former governors of U.S. states (James Thompson and David Boren), and individuals who have served in senior positions in major businesses and academic institutions, such as Donald Jacobs and Jeffrey Garten. The dignitaries serving on this Board can help inform corporate and governmental decision-makers and contribute to the formation of a robust group of CCX market participants. Appendix B provides a brief biographical summary of each of the individuals who have agreed to serve on the CCX Advisory Board. The research methodology applied a “bottom-up” approach. The investigators focused their initial analysis at the micro level. The research identified six major sectors: electric power, energy (oil and gas systems), manufacturing, forest products, waste/landfills and agriculture. Individual interviews and discussions were then held with representatives of these sectors to gather input on a set of draft market rules. The researchers also considered two categories of offsets, those generated domestically (e.g. agricultural soil sequestration and renewable energy systems) and those offsets created in Brazil (e.g., forestry-based projects, fuel switching). The decision to build the model from the micro to the macro level is based on a philosophical framework that has become a cornerstone of the CCX design: the creation of a set of common standards that can facilitate the operation of a market. An apt analogy might come from monetary policy theory. Policymakers are often faced, when setting a monetary regime, with choice of following a “rules” or “discretion”-based approach. It is our belief that the CCX should strive to be as much of a rules-based system as possible. Our experience as professional market inventors and participants is that a system that makes use of common practices and a set of standard rules has greater chances of being viable. Current activity in the design phase involves building consensus on the initial architecture by further incorporating industry input through a Technical Committee comprised of experts, including representatives of the entities identified in Appendix A. Meetings of the Technical Committes for the Agriculture, Electricity, Industry, Landfill and Forestry Products sectors were held in December 2001 and January 2002. These detailed discussions with participants and service providers are being undertaken in order to identify a consensus on the market architecture and implementation plan. This effort will aim to finalize emission baselines, targets, timetables, as well as rules on emissions monitoring, non-compliance penalties, new entrants, and jointly owned facilities. Proposed rules must be finalized for emission offset standards, mechanics of aggregating offsets and project verification. A simultaneous effort is being undertaken to select vendors for the registry and trading platform, and to enroll project verifiers. The consensus market design will be codified in the CCX Rulebook, which will also establish the responsibilities and operating procedures of the CCX governance structure. The subsequent steps will be preparation and launch of the first phase of the pilot market. Further iteration will involve refinement of market operations based on actual experience with the market, and expansion to allow increased participation and broader geographic coverage. Pre-launch preparation of the market will entail official enrollment of participating emission sources, activation of the Registry, and placing emission allowances in the accounts of participants. Launch of the market will require initiation of the emission monitoring and reporting procedures, accepting applications from offset projects, and activation of the electronic trading mechanism. Operation of the market during the first year will include execution of the first auction, acceptance of quarterly emission monitoring reports, issuance first-year offsets based on independent verification reports, and the compliance “true-up” subsequent to year end. A process for expanding the market will be established in order to allow for orderly growth of participation. Agriliance: Agriliance is a partnership of agricultural producer-owners, local cooperatives and regional cooperatives. Agriliance offers crop nutrients, crop protection products, seeds, information management, and crop technical services to producers and ranchers in all 50 states as well as Canada and Mexico. It has sales and marketing offices in St. Paul, Minn., and Kansas City, Mo. Agriliance, LLC was formed on February 3, 2000, as an agronomy marketing joint venture between Cenex Harvest States Cooperatives, Farmland Industries, Inc. and Land O'Lakes, Inc. Alliant Energy: Alliant Energy Corporation is a growing energy-service provider with both domestic and international operations. Headquartered in Madison, Wis., Alliant Energy provides electric, natural gas, water and steam services to more than two million customers worldwide. Alliant Energy Resources Inc., the home of the company's non-regulated businesses, has operations and investments throughout the United States, as well as Australia, Brazil, China, Mexico and New Zealand. American Agrisurance represents the third largest crop insurance company in the United States. From its home office in Council Bluffs, Iowa, the company writes business in 37 states. American Agrisurance markets crop insurance coverage to producers as a source of risk protection. Its extensive product line includes Multiple Peril Crop Insurance, Market PricePlus™, Crop Revenue Coverage, Crop Revenue CoveragePlus®, Revenue Assurance, Income Protection, MVPwheat™, MVPcorn™,MVPsoybeans™, Crop Hail Insurance, Companion Hail Insurance, Field Grain Fire, and Named Peril Insurance. American Electric Power (AEP) is a multinational energy company based in Columbus, Ohio. AEP owns and operates more than 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity, making it America´s largest generator of electricity. The company is also a leading wholesale energy marketer and trader, ranking second in North America in wholesale electricity and wholesale natural gas volume. AEP provides retail electricity to more than 7 million customers worldwide and has holdings in the U.S. and select international markets. Wholly owned subsidiaries are involved in power engineering and construction services, energy management and telecommunications. BP p.l.c. is the holding company of one of the world's largest petroleum and petrochemicals groups. BP’s main activities are exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas; refining, marketing, supply and transportation; and manufacturing and marketing of petrochemicals. BP has a growing activity in gas and power and in solar power generation. BP has well-established operations in Europe, North and South America, Australasia and Africa. Calpine: Headquartered in San Jose, CA, Calpine has an energy portfolio comprised of 50 energy centers, with net ownership capacity of 5,900 megawatts. Located in key power markets throughout the United States, these centers produce enough energy to meet the electrical needs of close to six million households. Calpine was ranked 25th among FORTUNE magazine's 100 fastest growing companies and it was recently ranked by Business Week as the 3rd best performing stock in the S&P 500. Carr Futures/Crédit Agricole Indosuez: Carr Futures, a subsidiary of Crédit Agricole Indosuez, is a global institutional brokerage firm headquartered in Chicago. Carr holds memberships on all major futures and equity markets worldwide, and consistently ranks among the largest futures brokerage firms in the world. CEMEX is a leading global producer and marketer of cement and ready-mix products, with operations primarily concentrated in the world's most dynamic cement markets across five continents. CEMEX combines a deep knowledge of the local markets with its global network and information technology systems to provide world-class products and services to its customers, from individual homebuilders to large industrial contractors. Cinergy Corp.: Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, Cinergy Corp. is one of the leading diversified energy companies in the U.S. Its largest operating companies, The Cincinnati Gas & Electric Company (Ohio), Union Light, Heat & Power (Kentucky), Lawrenceburg Gas (Indiana), and PSI Energy, Inc. (Indiana), serve more than 1.5 million electric customers and 500,000 gas customers located in a 25,000-square-mile service territory encompassing portions of Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. The interconnections of Cinergy's Midwestern transmission assets give it access to 37 percent of the total U.S. energy consumption. Chicago is the fourth largest city in the United States and the Midwest’s major industrial and financial center. The city is home of world-renowned financial exchanges and international corporations. Approximately 8 million people live in Chicago’s metropolitan area. CMS Generation is the 10th-largest U.S.-based company developing and operating independent power projects around the world. CMS Generation owns interests in independent power plants totaling more than 9,742 gross megawatts and more than 4,621 megawatts are under construction. CMS Generation currently operates plants in 10 countries, including the United States, India, Morocco, Argentina, Chile and Thailand. Three of its plants-in North Africa and Australia-are the largest independent power plants on their continents. Cia Força e Luz Cataguazes-Leopoldina is a 100-year old holding company, and a major shareholder on five regional electricity-service providers – CFLCL, CENF, CELB, SAELPA and ENERGIPE, located in four different Brazilian states, with assets valued at US$1 billion and over 1.6 million customers. Headquartered in Cataguazes, Minas Gerais, the company supports, among other initiatives, an extensive power generation program, consisting mostly of hydro and combined-cycle thermal power plants. Ducks Unlimited - The mission of Ducks Unlimited is to fulfill the annual life cycle needs of North American waterfowl by protecting, enhancing, restoring, and managing important wetlands and associated uplands. Since its founding in 1937, DU has raised more than $1.6 billion, which has contributed to the conservation of almost 10 million acres of prime wildlife habitat in all 50 states, each of the Canadian provinces and in key areas of Mexico. Some 900 species of wildlife live and flourish on DU projects, including many threatened or endangered species. DU is the leading land restoration organization in North America and has much experience partnering with private landowners to deliver projects. Restoration activities such as reforestation and establishing grasslands serve to sequester carbon. DuPont: DuPont is a science company, delivering science-based solutions that make a difference in people's lives in food and nutrition, health care, apparel, home and construction, electronics, and transportation. Founded in 1802, the company operates in 70 countries and has 93,000 employees. DTE Energy is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. DTE Energy’s principal operating subsidiaries are Detroit Edison, an electric utility serving 2.1 million customers in Southeastern Michigan, and Michigan Consolidated Gas, serving 1.2 million customers in Michigan. Exelon Corporation is one of the nation's largest electric utilities with approximately five million customers and more than $15 billion in annual revenues. The company has one of the industry's largest portfolios of electricity generation capacity, with a nationwide reach and strong positions in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Exelon distributes electricity to approximately five million customers in Illinois and Pennsylvania and gas to 425,000 customers in the Philadelphia area. The company also has holdings in such competitive businesses as energy, infrastructure services and energy services. Exelon is headquartered in Chicago. FirstEnergy, headquartered in Akron, Ohio, is a registered public utility holding company whose subsidiaries have annual revenues of more than $12 billion, and electricity sales of approximately 124 billion kilowatt-hours. Its seven electric utility operating companies--Ohio Edison, The Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company, Toledo Edison, Metropolitan Edison, Pennsylvania Electric, Pennsylvania Power and Jersey Central Power & Light--comprise the nation's fourth largest investor-owned electric system, based on serving 4.3 million customers in a 36,100-square-mile service area that stretches from the Ohio-Indiana border to the New Jersey shore. FirstEnergy subsidiaries and affiliates provide a wide range of energy and energy-related products and services, including the generation and sale of electricity; exploration and production of oil and natural gas; transmission and marketing of natural gas; mechanical and electrical contracting and construction; energy management; and telecommunications. Ford Motor Company is the world’s second largest automotive company. Its Automotive operations include: Ford, Mercury and TH!NK brands; wholly owned subsidiaries Volvo, Jaguar, Aston Martin and Land Rover; Mazda (33 percent ownership); and Quality Care and Kwik-Fit. Ford Financial Services, providing automotive financing and other services, and The Hertz Corporation, providing car rental services, are the other major components of Ford Motor Company. Ford’s vision is to become the world’s leading consumer company for automotive products and services. Ford Motor Company cares about preserving the environment for future generations, and is dedicated to providing ingenious environmental solutions that will position them as a leader in the automotive industry of the 21st century and contribute to a sustainable planet. GROWMARK, Inc.: GROWMARK, headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois, is a federated regional cooperative that provides agriculture-related products and services primarily in Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin and Ontario, Canada. FS-brand farm supplies and related services are marketed to farmers in these areas by nearly 100 GROWMARK member cooperatives. Visit the GROWMARK Web site at www.fssystem.com. Grupo IMSA, a holding company, was founded in 1936 and is today one of Mexico’s leading diversified industrial companies. The Group operates in four core businesses: steel processed products; automotive batteries and related products; aluminum and other related products; and steel and plastic construction products. With manufacturing facilities in Mexico, the United States and throughout Central and South America, Grupo IMSA currently exports to all five continents. In 2000 Grupo IMSA’s sales reached US$2.2 billion, of which close to 45% was generated outside Mexico. Grupo IMSA shares trade on the Mexican Stock Exchange (IMSA) and on the NYSE (IMY). Interface, Inc. is a global manufacturer, marketer, installer and servicer of products for the commercial and institutional interiors market. The Company is the worldwide leader in the modular carpet segment, which includes both carpet tile and two-meter roll goods. The Company's Bentley, Prince Street, and Firth brands are leaders in the high quality, designer-oriented sector of the broadloom segment. The Company provides specialized carpet replacement, installation and maintenance services through its Re:Source Americas service network. The Company's Fabrics Group includes the leading U.S. manufacturer of panel fabrics for use in open plan office furniture systems. The Company's specialty products operations produce raised/access flooring systems, antimicrobial additives, adhesives and various other specialty chemical compounds and products. International Paper: With over 12 million acres of land managed in the United States alone, International Paper is one of the world’s largest private landowners. International IP has significant global businesses in paper and paper distribution, packaging and forest products, including building materials. Iowa Farm Bureau Federation: The Iowa Farm Bureau is a Federation of 100 county Farm Bureaus in Iowa. The organization was founded in 1918 and is currently comprised of more than 154,000 member families throughout the state. Numerous legislative, educational and service-to-member programs are provided for the members’ benefit. The Iowa Farm Bureau’s mission is to help farm families prosper and improve their quality of life. It is an independent, non-governmental, voluntary organization. It is local, statewide, national and international in its scope and influence and is nonpartisan, nonsectarian and nonsecret in character. IT Group, Inc. is a provider of diversified, value-added services in the areas of consulting, engineering and construction, remediation and facilities management. Through the Company's diverse group of highly specialized companies, clients can take advantage of a single, fully integrated delivery system and expertise to meet their global environmental needs. Its broad range of services includes the identification of contaminants in soil, air and water and the subsequent design and execution of remedial solutions. Manitoba Hydro is a major energy utility headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba serving 403,000 electric customers throughout Manitoba and 248 000 gas customers in various communities throughout southern Manitoba. Virtually all electricity generated by the provincial Crown Corporation is from self-renewing water power. We are the major distributor of natural gas in the province. The Corporation's capital assets-in-service at original cost exceed $8 billion, making it the fourth largest energy utility in Canada. Mead Corporation a forest products company with $4.4 billion in annual sales, is one of the leading North American producers of coated paper, coated paperboard and consumer and office products, a world leader in multiple packaging and specialty paper, and a producer of high-quality corrugating medium. In management of the company's more than two million acres of forests, Mead is committed to practicing principled forest stewardship and using resources in a responsible and sustainable manner. Headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, Mead has more than 15,100 employees and offices and operations in 32 countries. Mexico City is Mexico’s capital and its seat of government. The city is also the country’s major center of commerce, finance and the arts. Mexico City is the world’s largest metropolis, with over 20 million people. Midwest Generation: Headquartered in Chicago, Midwest Generation, a subsidiary of Edison Mission Energy, owns 13 electricity generating units in Illinois and Pennsylvania. With a total generating capacity of over 11,400 megawatts, Midwest Generation can generate enough electricity to meet the needs of more than 13 million homes. Midwest Generation is exclusively in business to sell wholesale power in competitive electricity markets. The company is currently undertaking a major program to reduce emissions from its coal-fired plants. National Council of Farmer Cooperatives: NCFC’s mission is to protect the public policy environment in which farmer-owned cooperative businesses operate, promote their economic well-being, and provide leadership in cooperative education. NCFC remains the only organization serving exclusively as the national representative and advocate for America’s farmer-owned cooperative businesses. Navitas Energy is an independent power producer that develops, owns and operates renewable energy production facilities in the United States. Navitas currently has over 650 MW of clean energy under development, leveraging the environmental benefits of wind energy with the dispatchability of combustion turbines to produce a cleaner blend of affordable electric energy. NiSource Inc., is a holding company with headquarters in Merrillville, Ind., whose operating companies engage in all phases of the natural gas and electric business from exploration and production to transmission, storage and distribution of natural gas, as well as electric generation, transmission and distribution. Its operation companies provide service to 3.6 million customers located within the high-demand energy corridor that stretches from the Gulf of Mexico through the Midwest to New England. NUON is one of the largest multi-utility companies in the Netherlands, serving more than 2.5 million residential and business customers with electricity and, in many instances, with gas, water and heat as well. The company is in the forefront in the marketing of green energy and renewable energy generation in the Netherlands and is extending its knowledge and experience in the area of renewable energy internationally. Nuon’s activities in the field of renewable energy include wind power, small hydropower, thermal and photovoltaic solar energy, landfill gas, biogas, biomass and ambient heat. Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is an Ontario based company, whose principal business is the generation and sale of electricity to customers in Ontario and to interconnected markets. OPG's goal is to be a premier North American energy company while operating in a safe, open and environmentally responsible manner. OPG's focus is to produce reliable electricity from competitive generation assets, power trading, and commercial energy sales activities. ORMAT: ORMAT is the world leader in distributed reliable remote microturbine power units (also known as Closed Cycle Vapor Turbo Generators). ORMAT's operations use locally available heat sources, including geothermal energy (steam and hot water), industrial waste heat, solar energy, biomass, and low grade fuels. Pinnacle West Capital Corp: Based in Phoenix, Ariz., Pinnacle West is the parent company of APS and Pinnacle West Energy. APS is Arizona's largest and longest-serving electric utility, serving more than 857,000 customers, and Pinnacle West Energy is the company's unregulated wholesale generating subsidiary. Among the utilities listed in the S&P 500, Pinnacle West is ranked in the top 10 percent for environmental performance by an international investment advisory firm. The Company also is ranked in the top 10 percent by Fortune magazine for total shareholder return over the last five years. PG&E National Energy Group, headquartered in Bethesda, Md., develops, owns and operates electric generating and gas pipeline facilities and provides energy trading, marketing and risk-management services in North America. The National Energy Group operates power production facilities with a capacity of about 7,000 megawatts, with another 10,000 megawatts under development, and more than 1,300 miles of natural gas transmission pipeline with a capacity of 2.7 billion cubic feet per day. (PG&E National Energy Group is not the same company as Pacific Gas and Electric Company, the California utility, and is not regulated by the California Public Utilities Comission.Customers of Pacific Gas and Electric Company do not have to buy products or services from PG&E National Energy Group in order to continue to receive quality regulated services from Pacific Gas and Electric Company.) STMicroelectronics: STMicroelectronics is the world's third largest independent semiconductor company whose shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange, on Euronext Paris and on the Milan Stock Exchange. The Company designs, develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) and discrete devices used in a wide variety of microelectronic applications, including telecommunications systems, computer systems, consumer products, automotive products and industrial automation and control systems. In 2000, the Company's net revenues were $7.8 billion and net earnings were $1.45 billion. Stora Enso: Domiciled in Finland, Stora Enso is an integrated global forest products company producing magazine papers, newsprint, fine papers and packaging boards, areas in which the company holds a leading global market position. Stora Enso is the world's second largest papermaker and also conducts extensive sawmilling operations. Stora Enso's global sales total approximately EUR 13 billion, with annual paper and board production capacity of about 15 million tonnes. The company has some 45,000 employees in more than 40 countries. Its shares are listed in Helsinki, New York and Stockholm. Stora Enso North America (formerly Wisconsin-based Consolidated Papers, Inc.) a Division of Stora Enso Oyj, is North America’s leading producer of coated and supercalendered printing papers for the printing and publishing industries and is a premier producer of specialty papers, paperboard and paperboard products. Suncor Energy, Inc. is a Canadian integrated energy company that explores for, acquires, produces, and markets crude oil and natural gas, refines crude oil, and markets petroleum and petrochemical products. Suncor has three principal business units: Oil Sands, Exploration and Production, and Sunoco. Oil Sands produces light sweet and light sour crude oil, diesel fuel and various custom blends from oil sands and markets these products in Canada and the United States. Exploration and Production explores for, acquires, develops, produces and markets crude oil in Canada and natural gas throughout North America. Sunoco refines and markets crude oil and a broad range of petroleum and petrochemical products in Ontario and the United States. Swiss Re: Founded in 1863 in Zurich, Switzerland, Swiss Re is the world's second largest reinsurer, with roughly 9,000 employees and gross premiums in 2000 of CHF 26 billion (USD$15.3 billion). Standard & Poor's gives the company its AAA rating; Moody's rates it Aaa. Swiss Re does business from over 70 offices in 30 countries. The world over, Swiss Re offers insurers and corporates: classic (re)insurance covers, alternative risk transfer (ART) instruments, and a broad range of supplementary services for comprehensive risk management. Temple-Inland Inc. is a diversified forestry, forest products and financial services company. Its three main operating divisions include a Paper Group, which manufactures corrugated packaging products; a Building Products Group, which manufactures a wide range of building products and manages the Company's forest resources consisting of approximately 2.2 million acres of timberland in Texas, Louisiana, Georgia and Alabama; and the Financial Services Group, which consists of savings bank, mortgage banking, real estate, and insurance brokerage activities. The Nature Conservancy: The Nature Conservancy, a nonprofit organization founded in 1951, is the world's largest private international conservation group. TNC has protected over 12,089,000 acres of land in the United States. TXU Energy Trading is a player in the highly competitive energy trading market. Through its headquarters in Dallas and regional offices across the country, it sells natural gas and electricity to more than 6,700 retail commercial and industrial customers across the US. The company also offers a wide selection of other energy products and services including comprehensive risk, asset and portfolio management. Waste Management, Inc. as a leading provider of comprehensive waste management services, Waste Management serves municipal, commercial, industrial and residential customers throughout North America. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, the Company's network of operations includes 284 active landfill disposal sites, 16 waste-to-energy plants, 73 landfill gas-to-energy facilities, 160 recycling plants, 293 transfer stations and more than 1,400 collection facilities. Combined, these resources allow Waste Management to offer a full range of environmental services to approximately 25 million residential and two million commercial customers nationwide. Wisconsin Energy Corporation, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., is an $8.4 billion holding company with a diversified portfolio of subsidiaries engaged in electric generation; electric, gas, steam and water distribution; pump manufacturing and other non-utility businesses. The corporation’s utilities subsidiaries serve more than one million electric and 950,000 natural gas customers in Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. David L. Boren is the President of the University of Oklahoma. Mr. Boren has had a distinguished career in public service as a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives (1967-1975), Governor of Oklahoma (1975-1977) and as a U.S. Senator (1979-1994). As a U.S. Senator, Mr. Boren was the longest-serving Chairman of the Senate's Select Committee on Intelligence. Mr. Boren was educated at Yale and attended Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. He also earned a law degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. Lucien Y. Bronicki is the Chairman of Ormat International, an Israeli company leader in the field of innovative technology solutions to geothermal power plants, power-generation from industrial waste heat and solar energy projects. Mr. Bronicki has been Chairman of Ormat since he founded the company in 1965. Mr. Bronicki holds various professional affiliations and memberships, including Chairman World Energy Council’s Israeli National Committee, Member of the Executive Committee of the Weizmann Institute of Science and member of the Board of Ben Gurion University. He is also the recipient of several business and science related awards. Ernst Brugger is Founding Partner and Chairman of Brugger Hanser & Partner Ltd. in Switzerland, a business consulting firm with international experience and range. He is also a professor at the University of Zurich, chairman and member of the board of various companies and a member of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Dr. Brugger serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sustainable Performance Group, an investment and risk management company which invests in pioneering and leading companies which have taken up the cause of sustainable business Elizabeth Dowdeswell is internationally recognized for her global and highly diverse experience in building consensus and managing change. She advises both public and private sectors on environmental issues worldwide. Ms. Dowdeswell is a former Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Before joining UNEP, Ms. Dowdeswell was the Assistant Deputy Minister of Environment Canada. In that capacity she played a leading role in global efforts to negotiate the treaty on climate change adopted at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. She was Canada's permanent representative to the World Meteorological Organization, principal delegate to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and Canadian Chair of the Great Lakes Water Quality Board. She is currently a Visiting Professor at the University of Toronto, a senior associate at Royal Roads University and an associate fellow of the European Centre for Public Affairs. She also serves on the governing and advisory boards of several institutions. Ms. Dowdeswell is the author of numerous publications in both the popular press and professional journals. Jeffrey E. Garten is dean of the Yale School of Management. Formerly undersecretary of commerce for international trade in the first Clinton Administration, he also held senior economic posts in the Ford and Carter administrations. From 1979 - 1992, he was a managing director first at Lehman Brothers, where he oversaw the firm's Asian investment banking activities from Tokyo, and then at the Blackstone Group. Currently a monthly columnist for Business Week, his latest book is "The Mind of the CEO" (2001)." Donald P. Jacobs is Dean of the Kellogg Graduate School of Management and its Gaylord Freeman Distinguished Professor of Banking. Under his leadership, the Kellogg School has become a leader in the field of business and finance and is consistently ranked as one of the top five business schools in the United States. Dean Jacobs is a former Chairman of the Board of Amtrak (1975-1979) and currently serves on several corporate boards. His work on banking, corporate governance and international finance has been published in many scholarly journals and he holds several honorary degrees and professional awards. Dennis Jennings is the Global Risk Management Solutions Leader for PricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC) Global Energy and Mining Industry Practice. Mr. Jennings previously served as the Dallas/Fort Worth Energy Industry Market Leader; Co-Chairman of the U.S. Oil and Gas Industry Program; and on Steering Committee of the International Energy Practice. Mr. Jennings is experienced in all sectors of the petroleum industry (upstream, downstream, domestic and international) and the service industry. His responsibility have included leading PwC’s global risk management practice for the energy and mining industry, providing financial advice and performing due diligence reviews on numerous merger, acquisitions and divestiture efforts by major international corporations. Israel Klabin is the president of the Brazilian Foundation for Sustainable Development, a major Brazilian non-governmental organization devoted to issues of environmental and sustainable development policy. Mr. Klabin is the former chairman of Klabin SA, one of the largest forestry companies in Latin America. He is a former mayor of Rio de Janeiro and was one of the main Brazilian organizers of the United Nations Conference on the Environment (Rio 92). He is also actively involved in several philanthropical activities. Bill Kurtis has had a distinguished career in broadcasting for over 30 years, as a news anchor in Chicago and later of the national CBS Morning News. He started his own company, Kurtis Productions, when he returned to Chicago in the mid 1980's and currently hosts shows on the Arts and Entertainment network. Mr. Kurtis is involved in The National Science Explorers Program, Electronic Field Trips and the Electronic Long Distance Learning Network, all aimed at teaching children about science. Mr. Kurtis and his shows have been the recipients of several awards. He serves on the board of directors of organizations devoted to natural history and the environment, including the National Park Foundation, the Nature Conservancy and the Kansas State Historical Society. Jonathan Lash is President of the World Resources Institute (WRI), a Washington, DC-based non-governmental organization that provides solutions to global environment and development problems. From 1993 until 1999, Mr. Lash served as co-chair of the President's Council on Sustainable Development, a group of government, business, labor, civil rights, and environmental leaders that developed recommendations for national strategies to promote sustainable development. For two years before joining WRI, Mr. Lash directed the environmental law and policy program of the Vermont Law School. From 1987 to 1991, Mr. Lash headed the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, having served the previous two years as Vermont's Commissioner of Environmental Conservation. He is the author of several books on environmental topics. Thomas E. Lovejoy, is a world-renowned tropical and conservation biologist. Dr. Lovejoy is generally credited with having brought the tropical forest problem to the fore as a public issue, and is one of the main protagonists in the science and conservation of biological diversity. In 1987, he was appointed Assistant Secretary for Environmental and External Affairs for the Smithsonian Institution and is Counselor to the Smithsonian’s Secretary for Biodiversity and Environmental Affairs. Dr. Lovejoy is also Chief Biodiversity Advisor to the President of the World Bank and the Bank’s Lead Specialist for the Environment in Latin America. From 1989 to 1992, he served on the President's Council of Advisors in Science and Technology (PCAST), and acted as scientific adviser to the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (1994-97). He was the World Wildlife Fund's Executive Vice President from 1985 to 1987. Dr. Lovejoy is the author of numerous articles and books. David Moran is vice president of ventures for the Electronic Publishing group of Dow Jones & Company and president of Dow Jones Indexes. Mr. Moran became president of Dow Jones Indexes on a full-time basis in June 1998. He was elected to a one-year term as chairman of STOXX, Ltd., an index creator that is a joint venture of the German, Paris and Swiss stock exchanges and Dow Jones, in April 1999. He is also chairman of Dow Jones Sustainability Group Index GmbH. Prior to joining Dow Jones, Mr. Moran was an associate with Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler, a New York City law firm, from 1979 to 1985. Dr R K Pachauri is the Director-General of the Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI) which does original work and provides support in energy, environment, forestry, biotechnology, and resource conservation to governments, institutions, and corporates worldwide. Dr Pachauri is currently a Vice-Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; a Director of the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (a Fortune 500 company); and a Member of the Board of Directors of the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Japan. He has been President (1988) and Chairman (1989*90) of the International Association for Energy Economics and is President of the Asian Energy Institute since 1992. He has been a member of numerous committees and boards, including those of the International Solar Energy Society, World Resources Institute, World Energy Council, and has acted as an Advisor to the Government of India, reporting directly to the Prime Minister. Dr Pachauri has also served as a member of the faculty of several prominent academic and research institutions and has published 22 books and several papers and articles. He was recently awarded the Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian awards. In July 2001 Dr Pachauri was appointed a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India, which is chaired by the Prime Minister. Les Rosenthal is a former Chairman of the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) and a principal of Rosenthal Collins, a leading Chicago-based commodities and futures trading firm. During his time as member of the Board and Chairman of the CBOT, Mr. Rosenthal was instrumental in advancing the cause of new and innovative exchange-traded products such as Treasury Bond futures and insurance derivatives. Mary L. Schapiro is President of NASD Regulation, Inc. (NASDR) and a member of the Board of NASD, Inc. NASDR was created as an independent National Association Securities Dealers, Inc. (NASD) subsidiary responsible for regulating 5,500 member brokerage firms, 670,000 individual registered representatives and oversight of The Nasdaq Stock Market. Ms. Schapiro was formerly the Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Ms. Schapiro also served as a Commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Ms. Schapiro was an active member of the Technical Committee and the Developing Markets Committee of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) and has worked extensively with developing markets on capital markets regulatory structure. In May 2000, Ms. Schapiro was named the Financial Women's Association Public Sector Woman of the Year. Maurice Strong is a former Secretary General of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the Rio Earth Summit) and Under-Secretary General of the United Nations. He is currently the Chairman of the Earth Council, a non-governmental organization dedicated to the cause of sustainable development. In June of 1995, he was named Senior Advisor to the President of the World Bank. From December 1992 until December 1995, Mr. Strong was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ontario Hydro, one of North America's largest utilities. Mr. Strong is an advisor to the United Nations, and has been a director and/or officer of a number of Canadian, U.S. and international corporations. James R. Thompson is a former four-term Governor of Illinois and currently a managing partner of Winston and Strawn. During his last term as Governor, Mr. Thompson was involved in the implementation of the sulfur dioxide (SO2) market created by the 1990 Clean Air Act. During his last term as Governor he was the Head of the Global Climate Change Task Force at the National Governors' Association (1988-1989). Governor Thompson is also a director of the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). Sir Brian Williamson is the Chairman of the London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange (LIFFE), one of the world’s largest exchanges. Mr. Williamson has been involved in trading financial futures for almost three decades in London, New York and Chicago. He held senior executive positions for prominent trading firms and was a member of the International Advisory Board of the Nasdaq Stock Market, becoming Chairman in 1996. He was also Governor-at-Large of the National Association of Securities Dealers in Washington DC. (1995-1998). Robert K. Wilmouth is President and CEO of National Futures Association (NFA). NFA, the industry-wide, self-regulatory organization for the futures industry. Mr. Wilmouth has served as NFA's President since 1982. Formerly, he served as President and CEO of the Chicago Board of Trade for approximately five years following a 27-year career in the banking industry, which included a term as President of the Crocker National Bank of San Francisco. He was Chairman of LaSalle National Bank for over two decades, is currently a member of the Economic Club of Chicago, the Chairman of the Consultative Committee of IOSCO, a Lifetime Trustee of the University of Notre Dame and a former Chairman of its Investment Committee. Mr. Wilmouth is a graduate of Holy Cross College and holds a Masters degree from the University of Notre Dame.

Statement to the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air, Wetlands and Climate Change by Dr. Richard Sandor Chairman and CEO Environmental Financial Products LLC Hearing to receive testimony on compliance options for electric power generators to meet new limits on carbon and mercury emissions contained in S. 556 Tuesday, January 29 2002 Feasibility and Initi

(Remarks as prepared for delivery) The purpose of this hearing is to examine the Bush Administration’s record on important public health and environmental matters. Unfortunately, instead of reviewing accomplishments—we look back on years filled with environmental rollbacks that serve special interests, and do not serve the American people. Today, this Committee will shine a light on the Bush Administration’s efforts to undermine EPA and the Department of the Interior’s mission to protect public health and the environment. A clear picture of the Bush Administration’s environmental record can provide a roadmap for the next Administration and Congress which will be useful in the effort to reverse these dangerous decisions. Time and again, the White House has interfered in EPA decisions that should be based on science and the law. Time and again, EPA has ignored the law and the advice of its own scientific experts. Let’s take a look at a few examples of this disturbing record: In one of its first official acts, the Bush EPA announced that it was suspending the newly strengthened standard for arsenic in tap water. After a public outcry and legislation blocking it, EPA finally retreated. EPA proposed to do what it called the “CHEERS study” jointly with the chemical industry, in which low-income families were offered gifts and other incentives if they agreed to enroll their newborn children in pesticides studies in their homes over a two year period. After a great outcry, EPA cancelled the study. EPA recently tried to revive a study much like CHEERS, but retreated after our Committee’s staff asked detailed ethical questions about it, which EPA could not answer. EPA set a weaker clean air standard for toxic soot than its independent scientific advisors, children’s health advisors, and its own scientists recommended. Soot kills thousands of Americans every year, especially children and the elderly. EPA also rejected the advice of its own scientists, scientific advisors and children’s health experts, and set a weaker health standard for smog than the scientists recommended. Smog poses a serious health risk to millions of people, killing thousands of people every year. EPA set a weaker standard for lead pollution in air, and for lead paint cleanup, than its independent scientific advisors recommended. As we all know, lead is highly toxic to children and can reduce IQ, cause learning and behaviour problems, and damage children’s developing brains. The courts, including Bush-appointed judges, have repeatedly struck down EPA rules that weakened public health protections. Judges have used strong language to express their frustration with EPA’s failure to comply with the law, saying for example “only in a Humpty Dumpty world” would EPA’s explanations make sense, or that EPA “employs the logic of the Queen of Hearts” in Lewis Carroll’s classic Alice in Wonderland, in two EPA clean air cases. According to a recent GAO report prepared at my request, EPA political officials worked with the White House and the Pentagon to undermine the process for evaluating toxic chemical risks. The Bush Administration’s system puts polluting agencies like DOD in the driver’s seat, with an ability to secretly stop or weaken EPA actions to control toxic chemicals like perchlorate, TCE, and other pollutants. EPA has severely weakened its Office of Children’s Health Protection and largely ignored its Children’s Health Advisory Committee, as we learned from GAO just last week. EPA’s record on global warming could hardly be worse. Despite the President’s campaign promise to regulate carbon dioxide emissions, the White House reversed course and rejected actions to control global warming pollution. It literally took an order from the U.S. Supreme Court in Massachusetts v. EPA to force EPA to begin to address the problem. Even then, the White House blocked EPA from issuing its proposed “endangerment finding” under the Clean Air Act, which would have given the green light to action on global warming. The Bush Administration denied the California waiver, which would have allowed California and other states to set limits on global warming emissions from vehicles. EPA management, after meetings at the White House, reversed the agency’s plans and ignored unanimous career staff recommendations for the first time in 40 years under the Clean Air Act. EPA has slowed down its Superfund program to practically a crawl. Over the last seven years, the pace of Superfund cleanups has dropped by about 50% compared to the last seven years of the prior administration, from about 80 cleanups per year to 40 or less. We just learned that EPA has decided that it will not set a health standard for the toxic rocket fuel perchlorate in our drinking water, even though EPA data show that up to 16.6 million people are exposed to unsafe levels. Perchlorate is especially risky for infants and children, because it interferes with their thyroid, which controls normal development. On occasion, EPA has taken a positive step, including the issuance of cleanup orders to the Department of Defense, though more work is needed to ensure DOD follows through. Unfortunately, the Bush record of rollbacks overshadows these efforts. The Department of Interior record is causing concern as well. The Bush administration has also proposed to dramatically weaken the rules under the Endangered Species Act—another 11th hour attempt to undermine environmental protections in a manner that is not authorized by law. The Endangered Species Act is one of America’s most successful environmental laws. Indeed, just last year, the Fish and Wildlife Service removed the Bald Eagle—the very symbol of our country—from the Endangered Species List. The Bush Administration has proposed to rewrite the rules so that the most expert agencies in protecting endangered species, the Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service, can be largely cut out of the process when agencies that want to build roads or big projects and must make a decision about whether their actions “may affect” a listed species. These two agencies are America’s primary wildlife agencies and have extensive expertise in assessing, protecting, and recovering threatened and endangered species. We have two distinguished panels and I look forward to the testimony of the witnesses and to questions.

(Remarks as prepared for delivery) The purpose of this hearing is to examine the Bush Administration’s record on important public health and environmental matters. Unfortunately, instead of reviewing accomplishments—we look back on years filled with environmental rollbacks that serve special interests, and do not serve the American people. Today, this Committee will shine a light on the Bush Admin

Solar flare pushes plasma cloud toward Earth A large solar flare erupted from the Sun earlier today, launching a coronal mass ejection (CME) into space. This plasma 'cloud' is expected to pass Earth in 2 to 3 days, potentially causing increased nighttime auroras. No major effects on Earth are expected. The solar flare occurred at about 05:05 CET today, and the resulting CME was detected by the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) instrument on board the ESA/NASA Solar & Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) mission. The solar flare was categorised by scientists as an 'X-class' flare; these are major events that can trigger planet-wide radio blackouts and long-lasting radiation storms. If a CME is associated with a flare, the arrival of the CME at Earth can trigger a geomagnetic storm. For the CME detected this morning, which is expected to arrive around 7 or 8 March, no major geomagnetic impacts are expected due to the angle of approach of the cloud of plasma particles toward the Earth. "We had another significant solar event early this morning. While an X-flare is considered 'large,' the geomagnetic impact is expected to be only minor to moderate, as the travelling CME is expected to mostly miss the Earth," said Juha-Pekka Luntama, Head of Space Weather at ESA's Space Situational Awareness programme office. "In fact, there is already some increase in the flow of energetic particles from the Sun toward the Earth due to an earlier, but smaller 'M-class', solar flare; both these are part of a continuing trend of increased solar activity." It is important to monitor, track and assess space weather events such as solar flares. Such events are more than capable of affecting space-based telecommunications, broadcasting, weather services and navigation through to power distribution and terrestrial communications, especially at northern latitudes.

Solar flare pushes plasma cloud toward Earth A large solar flare erupted from the Sun earlier today, launching a coronal mass ejection (CME) into space. This plasma 'cloud' is expected to pass Earth in 2 to 3 days, potentially causing increased nighttime auroras. No major effects on Earth are expected. The solar flare occurred at about 05:05 CET today, and the resulting CME was detected by the Lar

Cronin M. F., N. A. Bond, C. W. Fairall and R. A. Weller (2006): Surface Cloud Forcing in the East Pacific Stratus Deck/Cold Tongue/ITCZ Complex. J. Climate (19), 392-409. doi:10.1175/JCLI3620.1Full text not available from this repository. Data from the Eastern Pacific Investigation of Climate Studies (EPIC) mooring array are used to evaluate the annual cycle of surface cloud forcing in the far eastern Pacific stratus cloud deck/cold tongue/intertropical convergence zone complex. Data include downwelling surface solar and longwave radiation from 10 EPIC-enhanced Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TAO) moorings from 8°S, 95°W to 12°N, 95°W, and the Woods Hole Improved Meteorology (IMET) mooring in the stratus cloud deck region at 20°S, 85°W. Surface cloud forcing is defined as the observed downwelling radiation at the surface minus the clear-sky value. Solar cloud forcing and longwave cloud forcing are anticorrelated at all latitudes from 12°N to 20°S: clouds tended to reduce the downward solar radiation and to a lesser extent increase the downward longwave radiation at the surface. The relative amount of solar radiation reduction and longwave increase depends upon cloud type and varies with latitude. A statistical relationship between solar and longwave surface cloud forcing is developed for rainy and dry periods and for the full record length in six latitudinal regions: northeast tropical warm pool, ITCZ, frontal zone, cold tongue, southern, and stratus deck regions. The buoy cloud forcing observations and empirical relations are compared with the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) radiative flux data (FD) dataset and are used as benchmarks to evaluate surface cloud forcing in the NCEP Reanalysis 2 (NCEP2) and 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-40). ERA-40 and NCEP2 cloud forcing (both solar and longwave) showed large discrepancies with observations, being too large in the ITCZ and equatorial regions and too weak under the stratus deck at 20°S and north to the equator during the cool season from July to December. In particular the NCEP2 cloud forcing at the equator was nearly identical to the ITCZ region and thus had significantly larger solar cloud forcing and smaller longwave cloud forcing than observed. The net result of the solar and longwave cloud forcing deviations is that there is too little radiative warming in the ITCZ and southward to 8°S during the warm season and too much radiative warming under the stratus deck at 20°S and northward to the equator during the cold season. |Divisions:||Physical Sciences Division|

Cronin M. F., N. A. Bond, C. W. Fairall and R. A. Weller (2006): Surface Cloud Forcing in the East Pacific Stratus Deck/Cold Tongue/ITCZ Complex. J. Climate (19), 392-409. doi:10.1175/JCLI3620.1Full text not available from this repository. Data from the Eastern Pacific Investigation of Climate Studies (EPIC) mooring array are used to evaluate the annual cycle of surface cloud forcing in the far ea

Review Criteria For Assessment Of Rheumatoid Factor (Rf) In Vitro Diagnostic Devices Using Enzyme-Linked Immunoassay (Eia), Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (Elisa), Particle Agglutination Tests, And Laser And Rate Nephelometry This guidance was written prior to the February 27, 1997 implementation of FDA’s Good Guidance Practices, GGP’s. It does not create or confer rights for or on any person and does not operate to bind FDA or the public. An alternative approach may be used if such approach satisfies the requirements of the applicable statute, regulations, or both. This guidance will be updated in the next revision to include the standard elements of GGP’s. REVIEW CRITERIA FOR ASSESSMENT OF RHEUMATOID FACTOR (RF) IN VITRO DIAGNOSTIC DEVICES USING ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOASSAY (EIA), ENZYME LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT ASSAY (ELISA), PARTICLE AGGLUTINATION TESTS, AND LASER AND RATE NEPHELOMETRY. This is a flexible document representing the current concerns and suggestions regarding Rheumatoid Factor (RF) in vitro diagnostic devices employing EIA, ELISA, agglutination, and laser or rate nephelometry. It is based on (1) current basic science, (2) clinical experience, (3) the Safe Medical Devices Act of 1990 (SMDA) and (4) FDA regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). As advances are made in science and medicine, these review criteria will be re-evaluated and revised as necessary. The purpose of this document is to provide guidance and clarification on information to present to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before a device to detect and/or quantitate RF in clinical specimens can be cleared for marketing. Devices to detect or quantitate RF isotypes other than IgM may require additional data. This generic type of device is intended for use in clinical laboratories or physician's office laboratories* as an in vitro diagnostic test for the qualitative, semi-quantitative, and/or quantitative measurement of RF by EIA, ELISA, particle agglutination tests, and laser and rate nephelometry. * Devices may be cleared for use in alternative testing sites when additional data are submitted to demonstrate equivalent performance in these settings. PRODUCT CODE: DHR REGULATION NUMBERS: 21 CFR 866.5775 Rheumatoid Factor immunological test system. Identification. "A Rheumatoid Factor immunological test system is a device that consists of the reagents used to measure by immunochemical techniques Rheumatoid Factor (antibodies to immunoglobulins) in serum, other body fluids, and tissues. Measurement of Rheumatoid Factor may aid in the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis." CLASSIFICATION: Class II (Performance Standards) PANEL: Immunology (82) REVIEW REQUIRED: Premarket notification (510(k)) I. CLINICAL INDICATIONS/SIGNIFICANCE/INTENDED USE Rheumatoid Factors are immunoglobulins of any isotype with antibody activity directed against antigenic sites on the Fc region of human or animal immunoglobulin G (IgG). After the discovery by Waaler 1 and the independent rediscovery by Rose and co-workers 2 that the sera from patients with rheumatoid arthritis agglutinated sheep erythrocytes coated with rabbit anti-sheep erythrocyte antibody, it was determined that the serum factor responsible for the agglutination was a high-molecular immunoglobulin of the IgM class. IgM-RF is the main isotype identified by clinically available diagnostic assays for RF detection. Assays for RF are the most widely used serological tests as an aid for the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).1,2 As rheumatoid arthritis develops in an individual, the most consistent serological finding is an increase in the concentration of RF in blood and synovial fluid. 1,2 RF has been reported to occur in approximately 70-80% of patients with confirmed RA. 3,4,5 The concentration of RF tends to be highest when the disease peaks and tends to decrease during prolonged remission. This high RF frequency in RA cases makes their detection useful as a diagnostic tool, however these factors are not unique to Rheumatoid Arthritis. RF is found in 1 to 4% of the general population. RF is present in 75% of adult patients with the highest incidence of RF occurring in persons over 65 years of age and nearly all patients with Felty and Sjogren's Syndrome. Increased titers may accompany a variety of acute immune responses, particularly viral infections and a number of other diseases (infectious mononucleosis, tuberculosis, leprosy, various parasitic diseases, liver disease, sarcoidosis, and systemic lupus erythematosus). 6 Raised levels of IgM, IgG, and IgA RF have been reported in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Several groups have reported that a high level of IgA RF is prognostic for a more severe disease outcome. 7,8,9 When RF Isotype levels are compared with radiological abnormalities of the joints, the strongest correlation is with raised levels of IgA RF. High levels of IgA RF withing three years of the onset of symptoms have been associated with a more severe disease after six years of onset. 9 Literature from as early as 1984 suggests that the detection of IgA RF in early disease indicates poor prognosis and justifies a more aggressive course of treatment. 10 Some studies have indicated that IgG RF correlates with disease status more closely than IgM RF. Two different groups demonstrated that raised levels of IgG antiglobulins are virtually confined to the sera of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and not other arthritides. 12,13 The most striking clinical association with IgG RF appears to be RA vasculitis. 11,12 Conventional methods for the measurement of RF-IgM have depended upon the agglutination of particles (e.g. latex, charcoal, bentonite, or erythrocytes) coated with human or animal IgG. The latex agglutination test is sensitive, but it can result in a fairly high number of false positives. 21 Nonspecific agglutination of latex particles by sera from normal individuals is not uncommon. 22 Quantitative serological tests such as EIA, RIA, and nephelometry utilize the advantage of objective instrument measurement on a single sample dilution. A concise discussion may be provided which included the following as appropriate. The discussion can be supported with key literature citations. - Clinical indication, significance, and intended use. - Background description of the rheumatic disease involved, including the type of population affected (sex, age, etc.). - Significance of a positive result (disease indication and follow up testing). - Significance of false positive and false negative results. - A brief historical summary of all test methodologies used to detect the antibody(ies). - Merits/advantages and limitations/disadvantages of the device methodology(ies) compared to other available methodologies. II. DEVICE DESCRIPTION: The determination of substantial equivalence is based on the specific intended use (what analyte is detected and the indications for use) and the technology/methodology utilized in the device. Discuss the principles of the device methodology and whether it is well-established or new and unproven. A. ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOASSAY (EIA) OR ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT ASSAY (ELISA) EIA or ELISA are used for the qualitative, quantitative or semi-quantitative determination of IgM RF in human serum. Purified RF antigen (human IgG) is attached to the wells of a polystyrene micro-titer plate. Diluted patient specimens, controls and calibrators are incubated at room temperature in the microwells. Any RF-IgM antibody present binds to the immobilized human IgG to form antigen-antibody complexes. Unbound antibody is washed from the wells, and enzyme-conjugated anti-human IgM is added. The enzyme conjugate binds to the antigen-antibody complex. Excess conjugate is washed away and a specific substrate added. Bound enzyme conjugate begins a hydrolytic reaction causing color development. After a specific time, the reaction is stopped. The intensity of the generated color is proportional to the amount of RF specific IgM antibody bound to the wells. The results are read on a spectrophotometer (ELISA reader). The net absorbance is calculated by subtracting the absorbance value for the specimen blank from the value for the antigen coated microwell. A calibration standard that is assayed with each plate is then used to calculate the RF-IgM activity in I.U./mL. from the net absorbance value. B. PARTICLE AGGLUTINATION TESTS The earliest tests, and those still most widely used clinically rely on the agglutinating properties of the IgM class of RF. IgG, usually human or rabbit, is bound to a particulate carrier, and the presence of RF is then detected by agglutination or flocculation of the respective indicator system. Carrier particles frequently used include latex, charcoal, bentonite, and erythrocytes. Semi-quantitative analysis to determine the antibody content of a serum involves doubling dilutions of the serum and determination of an end point (the last doubling dilution at which agglutination can be visualized). The reciprocal of this dilution is known as "antibody titer". C. LASER AND RATE NEPHELOMETRY Mixing antigen and antibody under antibody excess conditions results in the formation of antigen-antibody complexes whose concentration can be determined by light dispersion. When a beam of light is passed through tubes containing a fixed amount of antibody and variable concentrations of antigen, the concentration of immune complexes formed in the tube will determine the extent of light scattering. The amount of light scattered will be measured at angles varying from 0 ° to 90 °. Since antibody concentration remains constant, the light scattered is proportional to the concentration of antigen in the mixture. III. CLINICAL AND NONCLINICAL LABORATORY STUDIES: SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS: FDA requests different types and amounts of data and statistical analyses in pre-market notification applications to market in vitro diagnostic devices. The amount and type of data requested depends on the intended use, technological characteristics of the new device, whether the test is qualitative or semi-quantitative and on certain claims made by the manufacturer. All claims for substantial equivalence and specific performance characteristics for using the device should be supported with data. It is recommended that all protocols for in vitro testing are included. Present test data results with analyses and conclusions. Summaries of results and explanations for unexpected results and any additional testing performed are helpful. Charts (scattergrams, histograms, etc.) may be used as part of the analyses and conclusions when appropriate. A. ANALYTICAL/LABORATORY/IN VITRO STUDIES Validation of the Cut-off Descriptive information and laboratory data to show how the cut-off point (distinction between positivity and negativity or medical decision limit) was determined by the assay is important. - a. The population(s) used should be defined using the following parameters: - i. Number of samples in the normal population (used to determine initial screening dilution) with samples summarized according to gender and age groups. 16 - ii. Number of specimens included in each disease group summarized according to gender and age groups. - iii. Geographical area(s) from which the population was derived. - iv. Graphical (e.g., scattergrams, histograms) representation of population characteristics. b. It is recommended that the statistical method used to determine the cut-off point(s) be described. c. If an equivocal zone is used, a definition of the basis for the equivocal zone should be included. a. A brief description of the antigen(s) and antibody(ies) used in the assay is appropriate. Purification and characterization descriptions are needed. b. If any recombinant technology was used in the preparation of the antigen(s), a description of the method used is needed. Assay Specificity/Interfering Substances Potentially cross reacting or interfering substances encountered in specific specimen types or conditions, e.g., hemolysis, lipemia, microbial contamination, additional analytes or other autoantibodies present, and storage or freeze-thawing should be evaluated. When interfering substances are shown to affect results, instruct the user that samples containing those substances should not be tested. a. The optimal conditions based on specimen storage stability studies should be presented. Evaluate false positivity and negativity (if applicable). - b. If the use of plasma is claimed, present data to show that each anticoagulant recommended for use does not interfere with the assay. - i. For each anticoagulant, 10 matched serum and plasma specimens which are positive at the cut-off point should be tested. - ii. Similarly, it is suggested that 10 matched negative serum and plasma specimens be tested. These studies may not be indicated if the assay has a high dilution factor (i.e. 1:100). c. Indicate if interference from other autoimmune antibodies could occur. d. If the assay kit employs mouse monoclonal antibodies, include a warning that specimens from patients who have received preparations of mouse monoclonal antibodies for diagnosis or therapy may contain human anti-mouse antibodies (HAMA) and may show either falsely elevated or depressed values when tested. e. A discussion of the possible interference from high levels of IgM RF and/or IgA RF (prozone or hook effect) when trying to measure IgG-RF is suggested. Include the following performance characteristics: a. Analytical Sensitivity (if applicable) The analytical sensitivity or detection limit is defined as the lowest quantity differentiated from zero (95% confidence intervals or 2 standard deviations (SD) above the mean of the Zero control are commonly used). 16,17 The Zero standard (Zero diluent) may be run at least 20-25 times in the same run and the mean of the Zero standard and 2 SD of the mean (counts, OD's, etc.) calculated. If low levels of the analyte are not clinically significant, determination of the detection limit may be irrelevant. b. Relative Sensitivity and Specificity The relative sensitivity and specificity as determined by comparison to a legally marketed RF device or to a reference method should be determined and reported in the Performance Characteristics section of the package insert. c. Linear Range The linear range of the assay with normal and abnormal specimens covering the entire reportable range of the assay should be validated. 18 - d. Reproducibility and Repeatability Studies 16,17,18,19,20 Controls simulating patient samples or actual patient runs representing at least two clinically significant levels near medical decision limits (normal or elevated) each day for 20 days to permit separate estimation of between-day, between-run and within-day standard deviations (SDs), as well as within-run and total SDs. 20 - i. Qualitative/Semi-quantitative Tests: In devices with a titration format, e.g., latex agglutination assays, it is suggested that intra-run reproducibility be within the commonly accepted limits of plus or minus one two-fold dilution. - ii. Quantitative Tests: Total, between- and within-day and between- and within-run means and coefficients of variation of imprecision for each set of values are helpful. - iii. Means, SDs, and Coefficients of Variation: It is recommended that the appropriate means, SDs, and/or coefficients of variation with confidence levels according to number of times the sample is repeated and are included in the Performance Characteristics Section of the Package Insert. The number of runs per day are also helpful. e. Prozone or High-Dose Hook Effect Studies Test a sample with the highest titer available, serially diluted and undiluted. If prozone problems are encountered, the Performance Characteristics section of the package insert should indicate the titer at which prozone problems were detected and a procedure for the user to follow to correct the problem. Where appropriate, describe the appearance of a prozone reaction for subjective tests. f. Alternative Testing Sites Include reproducibility studies performed in these settings. It is recommended that in-site testing for new technologies include at least three independent alternative testing sites. At each of the three sites, the precision and accuracy of the device could be evaluated. A statistically valid number of split samples should be tested by the site personnel and by professional laboratory personnel, and the results compared, to determine how the device performs in the hands of the intended user. - d. Reproducibility and Repeatability Studies 16,17,18,19,20 Compare the new device to a legally marketed device. Include the package insert for the legally marketed device. A recognized reference method (if available) is to be employed for comparison to enable a fair evaluation of the proposed device's performance characteristics, particularly if there are broad differences in methodology/technology between the new device and the legally marketed device. a. Qualitative/Semi-quantitative Tests: It is recommended that the studies be performed on an adequate number of positive and negative specimens to support statistical significance. (An appropriate number may be suggested by a statistician.) The data comparing the device to a legally marketed predicate may be presented in a 2 X 2 table. b. Quantitative Tests: An assay is considered quantitative only if a recognized reference material of known concentration is available for standardization of a calibrator or standard used in the assay to calculate results. If the same reference material is used in the new device as in the predicate device to substantiate the quantitative claim, comparison data may be presented to show correlation between the two assays when running the reference material as samples. Serially diluted reference material assayed by the new device and the predicate device should show equivalent results. Compare results obtained using positive RF samples free from interfering substances from a minimum of 40 persons covering the whole assay range (from low to high levels of antibodies). 19,21 A linear regression comparing the device to the predicate device if the assays are quantitative is helpful. c. Comparison Discrepancies: Equivocal results or discrepancies between the new device and the comparison method could be resolved using clinical diagnosis or other legally marketed devices. Specimen Collection and Handling Conditions State specimen collection, storage and handling conditions in the package insert and provide data or appropriate literature references in the submission to substantiate claims. Computer Controlled Medical Devices For information regarding computer assisted clinical laboratory devices, refer to "Review Guidance for Computer Controlled Medical Devices Undergoing 510(k) Review" available from the Division of Small Manufacturers Assistance (DSMA), 1-800-638-2041. B. CLINICAL INVESTIGATIONS In certain instances it may be necessary to require clinical data to establish safety and effectiveness. When a new or unfamiliar methodology, technological feature, or modification of the analyte, such as isotypes of RF other than IgM RF, are introduced in a device category, clinical performance will be necessary to support a claim of substantial equivalence. For 510(k) submissions, perform a clinical study done at three independent clinical sites. One of these sites may be the manufacturer. The investigators should be identified by institutional name and address. Adequate Clinical Investigations a. Experimental design should be adequate to prove all claims for the intended use and specific performance parameters for using the device. If RF isotypes other than IgM are measured, provide literature references explaining the clinical significance. It is recommended that clinical data be presented to support these claims. Indicate correlations between isotype levels and clinical disease activity. b. Describe all protocols for clinical studies and establish monitoring to assure that all sites consistently adhere to the protocols. c. Determine the sample size, prior to beginning the study, that will be statistically sufficient to support the testing hypothesis. - d. Sampling Method: Describe sampling method used in the selection and exclusion of patients. - i. Patient selection: Include samples from individuals with diseases or conditions that may cause false positive or false negative results with the device. Ideally, a prospective study is preferred. However, if a retrospective study is used, include all eligible patients who meet the patient selection criteria as specified in the protocol. - ii. Account for all patients and samples. Insure that data points are included for every sample for every patient. - d. Sampling Method: Establishing Reference Ranges a. Normal individuals: Establish a normal reference range with a statistically sufficient number of samples from normal persons characterized by age, sex, geographical location and any other factors that would influence the values obtained. 22,23 - b. Patient groups: - i. Confirm that the new device detects the percentage of positives generally expected for each disease for which the device is intended. Use a statistically sufficient number of patients characterized by age, sex, geographical location, any symptoms of disease, clinical presentation, and any other factors that would influence the values obtained. 22,23 - ii. False results: Provide reports, if any, of false positive and false negative results for each disease as appropriate. c. Sample Types Claimed: Investigate all sample type(s) claimed in the intended use statement unless other data proves that there is no difference between them. - b. Patient groups: IV. LABELING CONSIDERATIONS The following are additional details for some of the points in the statute [502(f)(1)] and regulations [21 CFR 809.10(b)]. Include the draft package insert for the new RF device in the 510 (k) submission. Support the statements throughout the document with key literature citations. A. INTENDED USE Briefly describe the intended use based on the technology/methodology used in the device. Include the following information: - Whether the assay is qualitative, quantitative, or semi-quantitative. Please remember that in order to claim to provide a quantitative result, the calibrators or standards must be calibrated to a reference material of known, established value. - Specimen type(s). - Indicate if the device is for use in clinical laboratories and/or alternative care sites. The Limitations section should include any specific training required for test performance. A typical Intended Use statement would be: "ABC's *** test system is an in vitro diagnostic device for the quantitation of RF in human serum by nephelometry and is intended as an aid in the diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis." B. QUALITY CONTROL (QC) The package insert should recommend levels of quality control samples and their number, matrix type, placement, and interpretation to ensure that the system meets its performance claims. Include a statement that if controls do not behave as expected, assay results are considered invalid and should be repeated. Controls should be handled in the same manner as patient samples. For example, if the patient sample is diluted or titered the control material should also be diluted or titered using the same diluent. Give an adequate description of expected results and interpretation. EIA OR ELISA a. Explain the procedure for calculating the value of the unknown including a sample calculation. b. Explain the procedure for determining the cutoff values and indicate what action should be taken when an equivocal value is obtained (e.g. the sample should be retested or analyzed in a different assay system). c. Explain the procedure for repeating samples which are above the linearity of the assay. Give instructions for dilution of samples including the dilution factor and type of diluent to be used. PARTICLE AGGLUTINATION TESTS a. If the test is semi-quantitative, explain the procedure for determining titer on samples that are positive. b. Indicate the minimum level of RF the qualitative screening method will detect. c. Give a clear description of the appearance of a positive result. LASER AND RATE NEPHELOMETRY a. Indicate the measuring range of the nephelometer and include instructions for diluting samples which exceed this range. b. If results are not calculated by the instrument, include any calculations that may need to be performed to derive the results. c. State which isotypes of RF are being measured. D. LIMITATIONS OF THE PROCEDURE It is suggested that a statement of limitations of the procedure is incorporated including the following: - A negative result does not exclude rheumatoid arthritis. Approximately 25% of patients with a diagnosed case of rheumatoid arthritis may present with a negative result for RF. 24 - Certain non-rheumatoid conditions, connective tissue disorders and a variety of other disease states such as hepatitis may elicit a positive RF test. - RF exists in three major immunoglobulin classes: IgA, IgG, and IgM. Most test systems for RF are designed to detect IgM RF because the molecules are large and react more readily with human IgG coated on the solid phase of the test system. Consequently, these tests will only detect RF of the IgM class. - Reproducible results with an EIA or ELISA system require careful pipetting, strict adherence to incubation periods and temperature requirements, as well as thorough washing of the test wells and thorough mixing of all solutions. - Hemolytic, icteric, or lipemic samples may interfere with nephelometry, turbidimetry, EIA, or ELISA. Indicate what the user should do with samples that exhibit these characteristics. E. EXPECTED VALUES - The expected value in the normal population is negative. However, apparently healthy, asymptomatic individuals may have RF. These individuals usually have low titers. The incidence of false positives increases with age and is similar in females and males. - The frequency (percent) of rheumatoid arthritis patients in which RF is detected by the assay should be indicated. - The clinical significance of a positive test must be determined by evaluation of the patient's total clinical picture. - Waaler, E. On the occurrence of a factor in human serum activating the specific agglutination of sheep blood corpuscles. ActaPathol. Microbiol. Scan. 1940;17:172-178. - Rose HM, Ragan C, Pearce E, and Lipmann MO. Differential agglutination of normal and sensitized sheep erythrocytes by sera of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 1948;68:1-11. - Cathcart ES. Rheumatoid Factors in Laboratory Diagnostic Procedures in the Rheumatic Diseases. 2nd ed. Cohen AS (ed.). Boston, MA: Little, Brown, & Co., 1975;104. - Freyberg RH. Differential Diagnosis of Arthritis. Postgrad. Med. 1972;51(20):22-27. - Lawrence JS, Locke GB and Ball J. Rheumatoid Serum Factor in Populations in the U.K.I.Lung Disease and Rheumatoid Serum Factor. Clin. Exp. Immunol. 1971;8:723. - Linker JB III, and Williams RC Jr, Tests for detection of rheumatoid factors, In: Rose NR, Friedman H, and Fahey JL, Eds. In: Man. Clin. Lab. Immunol, 3rd Ed. Wash,DC: ASM;1986:759-761. - Jonsson T and Valdimarsson H. Is measurement of rheumatoid factor isotypes clinically useful? Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. 1993;52(2):161-4. - Jonsson T and Valdimarsson. Clinical significance of rheumatoid factor isotypes in seropositive arthritis. Rheumatology Intl. 1992;12(3):111-3. - van Zeben D, Hazes JMW, Zwinderman AH, Cats A, van der Voort EAM and Breedveld FC. Clinical significance of rheumatoid factors in early rheumatoid arthritis: results of a follow up study. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. 1992;51(9):1029-35. - Teitsson I, Withrington RH, Seifert MH and Valdimarsson H. Prospective study of early rheumatoid arthritis. I. Prognostic value of IgA rheumatoid factor. Annals of the rheumatic diseases. 1984;43:673-678. - Silvestris F, Goodwin JS and Williams RC Jr. IgM, IgA and IgG rheumatoid factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and normal donors. Clinical rheumatology. 1985;4:392-398. - Allen C, Elson CJ, Scott DGI, Bacon PA and Bucknall RC. IgG antiglobulins in rheumatoid arthritis and other arthritides: relationship with clinical features and other parameters. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. 1981;40:127-131. - Pope R M, McDuffy S J. IgG rheumatoid factor. Relationship to seropositive rheumatoid arthritis and absence in seronegative disorders. Arthritis Rheum. 1979;22:988-98. - Singer JM and Plotz CM. The Latex Test, I. Application to the Serological Diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Am. J. Med. 1956;21:888. - Waller M, Toone EC and Vaughn C. Study of Rheumatoid Factor in the Normal Population. Arthritis Rheum. 1964;7:518-520. - Vadlamudi SK, Stewart WD, Fugate KJ, Tsakeris TM Performance characteristics for an immunoassay. Scand J Clin Lab Invest 1991;51:134-138. - Peters T, Westgard JO. Evaluation of methods, Chapter 7. In: Tiets NW, editor. In: Fundamentals of Clinical Chemistry, 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders Co;1987:225-37. - National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards. Evaluation of the linearity of quantitative methods; proposed guideline,1986. Order code EP6-P. - Information for authors. Clin Chem. 1991;37:1-3. - National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards. Evaluation of precision performance of clinical chemistry devices - 2nd ed; tentative guideline, 1991:1-56. Order code EP5-T2. - National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards. User comparison of quantitative clinical laboratory methods using patient samples; proposed guideline, 1985;6(1). Order code EP9-P. - Ash KO. Reference Intervals (Normal Ranges): A Challenge to Laboratories. Am. J. Med. Tech. 1980; 46:504-11. - National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards. How to define, determine, and utilize reference intervals in the clinical laboratory; proposed guideline. Villanova, PA 1991. Order code C28-P. - Shimmerling RH, Delbanco TL. The Rheumatic Factor: An Analysis of Clinical Utility. The American Journal of Medicine, 1991;91:530.

Review Criteria For Assessment Of Rheumatoid Factor (Rf) In Vitro Diagnostic Devices Using Enzyme-Linked Immunoassay (Eia), Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (Elisa), Particle Agglutination Tests, And Laser And Rate Nephelometry This guidance was written prior to the February 27, 1997 implementation of FDA’s Good Guidance Practices, GGP’s. It does not create or confer rights for or on any person a

|The Mountain-Prairie Region| U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 134 Union Boulevard Lakewood, Colorado 80228 April 24, 2007 Wilson 406-449-5225, ext 205 UPPER MISSOURI RIVER FLUVIAL ARCTIC GRAYLING The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced the withdrawal of the fluvial Arctic grayling of the upper Missouri River from the list of species being considered for protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Service has determined that listing this population of Arctic grayling at this time is not warranted because it does not constitute a distinct population segment as defined by the ESA. Under the ESA, “species” is defined broadly to include species, subspecies, and also to include distinct population segments of vertebrate species. A distinct population segment (DPS) is a portion of a vertebrate species or subspecies population that is geographically discrete from the rest of its kind and also is significant to its survival. Discreteness refers to the isolation of a population from other members of the species and is evaluated based on specific criteria. If the population is determined to be discrete, the Service evaluates its significance based on available scientific information to determine its importance to the taxon to which it belongs. If the population is determined to be discrete and significant, the Service evaluates it for endangered or threatened status based on ESA standards. The Service’s 1994 status review identified the fluvial (river dwelling) form the Arctic grayling in the upper Missouri River drainage as a DPS based on geographical isolation and behavioral distinctiveness. The Service continues to conclude that this population is discrete from other populations of the same taxon based on physical and behavioral factors. However, currently available genetic information indicates the fluvial Arctic grayling of the upper Missouri River drainage do not differ markedly in their genetic characteristics from adfluvial (lake and reservoir dwelling) Arctic grayling native to the Missouri River system. The fluvial Arctic grayling, therefore, is not considered biologically or ecologically significant based simply on genetics. The 2005 candidate assessment also asserted that the loss of the fluvial Arctic grayling of the upper Missouri River would result in a significant gap in the range of the taxon because these fish are the only existing fluvial graying population in the contiguous United States and represent the southernmost extent of the species. However, a federal court recently ruled in an unrelated case that in designating a DPS, the Service must find that a discrete population is significant to the taxon as a whole, not to the United States. Therefore, the Service has determined, based on current available information, the loss of the Montana population of fluvial Arctic grayling would not result in a significant gap in the range of the species. Because the Service is unable to conclude at this time that the fluvial Arctic grayling population of the upper Missouri River is significant, it does not qualify as a distinct population segment and is not a listable entity under the Act. The Service continues to encourage cooperative conservation and restoration of fluvial Arctic grayling in the upper Missouri River and supports the efforts of Montana, Fish, Wildlife and Parks in cooperation with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, and the Service to work with local landowners to protect the Big Hole River population. In 1994, the Service published a petition finding and 12-month status review concluding that listing the fluvial Arctic grayling indigenous to the upper Missouri River was warranted but precluded by higher listing actions. In May 2003, the Center for Biological Diversity and Western Watersheds Project filed a complaint challenging the Service’s continuing warranted-but-precluded determination. In a settlement agreement, the Service agreed to send a final determination to the Federal Register on or before April 16, 2007. This revised 12-month finding is being published as a final listing determination per the settlement agreement. The Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) is a freshwater fish in the same family (Salmonidae) as salmon, trout, and whitefish. A distinctive morphological characteristic of this fish is its large, sail-like dorsal fin. Arctic grayling is an obligate cool- or cold-water species. Individual fish can range widely, moving tens of miles on a seasonal or annual basis between spawning, rearing, and sheltering habitats. Arctic grayling are native to drainages of the Arctic Ocean, Hudson Bay and northern Pacific Ocean in North America and Asia. Two distinct populations historically inhabited waters in Michigan and Montana. Although no further action will result from this finding, the Service will accept additional information and comments from all interested parties concerning this finding and will reconsider this determination if appropriate. New information concerning the taxonomy, biology, ecology, and status of the Arctic grayling of the Upper Missouri River can be sent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Montana Field Office, Attention: Arctic Grayling Coordinator, 585 Shepard Way, Helena, Montana 59601. This finding will be published in the Federal Register on April 24, 2007. This finding and other information concerning Arctic grayling will be available on the Service’s web site at: http://mountain-prairie.fws.gov/species/fish/grayling/grayling.htm The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 547 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies. - FWS - Email Us: MountainPrairie@fws.gov Region Press Releases FWS Mountain-Prairie Region Home Page • FWS National Website Privacy • Department of the Interior • FirstGov • Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Who We Are • Questions/Contact Us

|The Mountain-Prairie Region| U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 134 Union Boulevard Lakewood, Colorado 80228 April 24, 2007 Wilson 406-449-5225, ext 205 UPPER MISSOURI RIVER FLUVIAL ARCTIC GRAYLING The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced the withdrawal of the fluvial Arctic grayling of the upper Missouri River from the list of species being considered for protection under the Endangered S

If you want to remember anything, then go to sleep The first reports of enhanced memory consolidation during sleep came from studies investigating declarative memory for verbal material. Jenkins and Dallenbach in 1924 published in American Journal of Psychology, found less forgetting of nonsense syllables after sleep periods than after wakefulness. Fowler et al. in 1973 published in Science, found higher retention of paired-associate words when subjects slept during the first half of the night than when they were awake during daytime. A more recent study confirmed this finding, controlling for circadian rhythm by testing subjects that slept or stayed awake during the first or second half of the night (Plihal and Born 1997, Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience) Experiments done in Dr. Jan Born’s lab at the Department of Endocrinology, University of Lubeck, Germany to investigate the effect of sleep within few hours of learning or after some intervening time on enhancement of memory. They have chosen 12 American students with no prior knowledge to German language and divided them into four experimental conditions, learn morning-test morning, learn evening-test evening, learn morning-test evening and learn evening-test morning. Subjects were given 24 pair English German vocabulary list to learn and tested by recalling the German words correspond to the English words given in a written format and then calculate the correct answers. These students have regular sleep pattern throughout the experiments. It shows that people learn in evening tend to remember more than those learn in the morning. This is because they go to sleep after three hours of their learning task while those that learned in the morning they go to sleep after 15 hours of the experiment. This may suggest that sleeping may help in recall. In a second experiment to confirm that, it is the sleep after learning and not the time of learning which result in enhancement of memory. Two groups of students were given task to learn. The first group went to sleep after the learning experiment while the second group where kept awake. The test done after 48 hors of the experiment with a normal schedule in the second day. They have found that the group, which slept after learning, remembers better than those who kept awake. This may indicate that sleep after learning may prove beneficial on memory in human. Tags: Learning , Memory , Sleep , Wakefulness This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License.

If you want to remember anything, then go to sleep The first reports of enhanced memory consolidation during sleep came from studies investigating declarative memory for verbal material. Jenkins and Dallenbach in 1924 published in American Journal of Psychology, found less forgetting of nonsense syllables after sleep periods than after wakefulness. Fowler et al. in 1973 published in Science, found

Feb 01 2011 Sponsored by: Sen. Orrin G. Hatch Summary of the Legislation: A bill to amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to provide that act shall not apply to any gray wolf. Removes the gray wolf from the endangered species list. The full text of the bill available through the Library of Congress here. News Articles about this Legislation: On February 2, 2011 this bill was referred to Senate committee. It was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. To understand the process of how a bill becomes a law click here. This Bill has 11 Co-sponsors including: Senators: The following groups have written letters of support: Please click on the name of the group to see their letter.

Feb 01 2011 Sponsored by: Sen. Orrin G. Hatch Summary of the Legislation: A bill to amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to provide that act shall not apply to any gray wolf. Removes the gray wolf from the endangered species list. The full text of the bill available through the Library of Congress here. News Articles about this Legislation: On February 2, 2011 this bill was referred to Senate

Executive Order Number 09-12 (PDF, 90 KB) Establishment of the Admissions Review Commission WHEREAS, fairness and transparency in the administration of an educational system is a fundamental aspect of the public trust; and WHEREAS, as Governor of the State of Illinois, it is my duty to ensure the fair and equitable treatment of candidates for admission to the various State Universities; and WHEREAS, allegations of preferential treatment and undue influence have been raised with respect to the admissions process of the University of Illinois; and WHEREAS, an independent commission is necessary to consider and recommend improvements to the practices and policies governing the admission of applicants to State Universities; and THEREFORE, I, Patrick J. Quinn, Governor of Illinois, pursuant to the authority vested in me by Article V of the Illinois State Constitution of 1970, hereby order as follows: There is hereby created the Admissions Review Commission (hereinafter the "Commission") as an independent advisory body having the duties set forth in this document, with respect to the Office of the Governor. The purpose of the Commission is to review State University admissions practices and policies and to make recommendations as to any reforms that would improve the fairness and transparency of the admissions process. The Commission shall: - Examine and evaluate the standards and criteria used to evaluate applicants for admission; - Examine and evaluate any practices and policies, and the impact thereof, of affording applicants favorable consideration based on relationships with, or advocacy by, appointed or elected public officials, or persons affiliated with such officials; - Examine and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of State University admissions practices and policies, taking into account, among other factors, the “best practices” of other selective university systems; - Review and consider the investigative findings of the Office of the Governor, Office of General Counsel regarding State University admissions practices and policies; and - Submit, no later than August 8, 2009, a written report outlining its examination and evaluation, and making recommendations to the People of Illinois and to the Governor for improving the fairness and transparency of University admissions processes. - The Commission shall be composed of a Chairperson and six (6) independent members, for a total membership of seven (7) Commission members. The Chairperson and the Commission members shall be appointed by the Governor. The Chairperson and the Commission members shall serve without compensation. - The term of the Commission members shall terminate on August 8, 2009 - The Commission shall function as an independent advisory body, with the discretion to arrange its affairs and proceedings in the manner it deems appropriate. - The Commission may, at its discretion, appoint individuals to serve as staff persons. In addition to whatever policies or procedures it may adopt, all operations of the Commission will be subject to the provisions of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/1 et seq.) and the Illinois Open Meetings Act (5 ILCS 120/1 et seq.). This section shall not be construed so as to preclude other statutes from applying to the Commission and its activities. - EFFECTIVE DATE This Order shall take effect immediately upon its execution. Issued by Governor: June 10, 2009 Filed with Secretary of State: June 10, 2009

Executive Order Number 09-12 (PDF, 90 KB) Establishment of the Admissions Review Commission WHEREAS, fairness and transparency in the administration of an educational system is a fundamental aspect of the public trust; and WHEREAS, as Governor of the State of Illinois, it is my duty to ensure the fair and equitable treatment of candidates for admission to the various State Universities; and WHEREA

Aviation Environment and Airport Safeguarding Aviation is vital to the Australian economy, employing thousands of people and linking Australia to the rest of the world. The Department of Infrastructure and Transport manages many environmental concerns in order to maintain a viable, competitive and safe aviation industry. The Department has a longstanding commitment to ensuring that the environmental impacts of aircraft noise and aviation emissions are minimised and will continue to seek and implement practical solutions to minimise those impacts. The Department continues to work to safeguard both communities and airports from inappropriate off-airport developments that could threaten public safety and the current future viability of aviation operations at Australian airports. The Department's role is to provide policy advice to the Australian Government, as well as administering legislation and regulations relating to the aviation and airports industry, including the implementation of a broad policy agenda outlined in the Government's Aviation White Paper. The Department takes responsibility for aviation environmental issues, noise policy, working with portfolio agencies on safety matters, and development of a unified national framework to safeguard communities and airports from inappropriate off-airport development and encourage complementary planning outcomes in the vicinity of airports. The following links provide information about aircraft noise, aviation emissions and airport safeguarding. This section contains information about the review of Australian Standard 2021, airport curfews, noise regulations, noise disclosure and building insulation programs. It also provides information on how to lodge a complaint about aircraft noise. This section contains information on the carbon footprint generated by aircraft operations in Australia and the role Australian aviation plays in the reduction of aviation's contribution to climate change. A National Aviation Emissions Action Plan has been developed to manage Australia's aviation carbon emissions. This section contains information on safeguarding of airports and the communities around them, including the National Airports Safeguarding Framework, the review of Australian Standard 2021–2000, Protection of Airspace, and Land Use Planning. This section contains historical publications relating to aviation environmental issues and airport safeguarding.

Aviation Environment and Airport Safeguarding Aviation is vital to the Australian economy, employing thousands of people and linking Australia to the rest of the world. The Department of Infrastructure and Transport manages many environmental concerns in order to maintain a viable, competitive and safe aviation industry. The Department has a longstanding commitment to ensuring that the environment

Information from regional IOOS buoy is used to improve marine operations. In a partnership between regional IOOS partner PacIOOS and the University of Hawaii, four wave buoys are operated and maintained around the Hawaiian Islands. IOOS data delivered from one wave buoy located outside the main harbor of Lanai, Hawaii – Kaumalapau Harbor – has improved oil import operations to the island. In commemoration of Scarlet Knight’s historic Atlantic Crossing in 2009, the U.S. IOOS Program Office and Rutgers University organized a site visit on august 9, 2011, to recognize Rutgers and the network of partnerships and collaborations IOOS facilitated that were involved in this successful mission. Information from regional IOOS buoy is used to assist a wide array of marine operations. Cook Inlet receives significant vessel traffic, as 95% of Alaska's goods arrive by barge through the inlet on the way to the Port of Anchorage. Additionally, an active sport fishing fleet departing from Homer and Anchor Point has desired a buoy for many years. Circulation patterns are complicated in the inlet, which also experiences high winds, seasonal sea ice, and tides up to 36 feet in places.

Information from regional IOOS buoy is used to improve marine operations. In a partnership between regional IOOS partner PacIOOS and the University of Hawaii, four wave buoys are operated and maintained around the Hawaiian Islands. IOOS data delivered from one wave buoy located outside the main harbor of Lanai, Hawaii – Kaumalapau Harbor – has improved oil import operations to the island. In comme

Ask a Librarian Library of Congress Manuscript - Mixed Formats Photo, Print, Drawing Show Featured Items Moultrie, Colquitt County, Georgia. [January 3, 1945], HQ Twelfth Army Group situation map. [Preliminary sketch of the battle of Gettysburg [Map of Chancellorsville battlefield, May 3-4, 1863]. Southern Mississippi and Alabama showing the approaches to ... Franquelin's map of Louisiana. Plan of the siege of the Havana surrenderid [sic] Aug. 12, 1762 ... Map of the Washita river in Louisiana from the Hot Springs to ... [Plan of Fort Henry and its outworks.] Map showing the line of the Connecticut & Western Railroad and ... Map of rail road surveys from Worcester to Baldwinville & N.H. ... Korea demilitarized zone. Battle of Monocacy. Map of Grand Canyon National Park. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina-Tennessee, ... Grand Canyon of the Colorado. A map of Kentucky from actual survey Map showing the route and connections of the Wheeling and ... [Sketches of portions of Madison County, Va.]. Missouri territory formerly Louisiana. A map of the Internal Provinces of New Spain. [July 3, 1944], HQ Twelfth Army Group situation map. Chickasha, Grady County, Oklahoma. Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Watsonville, Santa Curz County, California. Carte particulière d'une partie de la Louisianne ou les fleuve ... [Sketch of the Manassas battlefield]. Italy : Special strategic map. Collections with Maps No results found for Remove a constraint: Original Format: Map Contributor: Boyd, G. M Check for spelling errors and typos Get additional search tips by visiting our

Ask a Librarian Library of Congress Manuscript - Mixed Formats Photo, Print, Drawing Show Featured Items Moultrie, Colquitt County, Georgia. [January 3, 1945], HQ Twelfth Army Group situation map. [Preliminary sketch of the battle of Gettysburg [Map of Chancellorsville battlefield, May 3-4, 1863]. Southern Mississippi and Alabama showing the approaches to ... Franquelin's map of Louisiana. Plan of

(1928- ), Roanoke and Petersburg Psychologist, Educator, Elected Official, Artist A native of Roanoke, Florence Saunders Farley (1928– ) earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Virginia State College (now Virginia State University) in 1950. After completing her degree, she entered the Women’s Army Corps, where she became a second lieutenant and the first African American female training officer at Fort Lee, Virginia. In 1955, she married Richard Farley. After leaving the military, Saunders completed her master’s degree in psychology at Virginia State, and is believed to be the first clinically licensed African American psychologist in Virginia, and perhaps the first African American to serve as staff psychologist at the Central State Hospital, an institution then serving an all-black clientele. Saunders later became chief psychologist at the institution. In 1962 Farley joined the faculty at Virginia State and served for several years as the chair of the Department of Psychology. She is now retired. Farley completed her PhD at Kent State University in 1977. Farley began her political career in 1973 when she became the first woman elected to the Petersburg City Council and a member of Virginia’s first majority black city council. She won reelection in 1978 and 1982. In 1984, after the resignation of Mayor R. Wilson Cheely, Farley became the first female mayor of Petersburg and the first African American woman to become mayor of a Virginia city. Farley has continued to be active in the Petersburg community, serving from 2002 to 2006 on the Petersburg School Board, and for a period holding the post of vice chair. She has also received acclaim as a textile artist, exhibiting her needlework at libraries and museums across the state. SEE Photographs of Florence Farley as a young woman.

(1928- ), Roanoke and Petersburg Psychologist, Educator, Elected Official, Artist A native of Roanoke, Florence Saunders Farley (1928– ) earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Virginia State College (now Virginia State University) in 1950. After completing her degree, she entered the Women’s Army Corps, where she became a second lieutenant and the first African American female training of

On July 20, 2007, Massachusetts enacted an Act Providing Incentives to the Motion Picture Industry ("the new Act"). See St. 2007, c. 63. This Act made revisions to statutory provisions enacted by a prior Act with the same title that was signed into law on November 23, 2005 (the "prior Act"). See St. 2005, c. 158; amended by St. 2005, c. 167. The new act is effective on applications received on or after January 1, 2007. For taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2006 and before January 1, 2023, Massachusetts allows two credits for motion picture production companies who meet certain qualifications requirements. Production companies who incur at least $50,000 of production costs in the Commonwealth are eligible for income and corporate excise tax credits equal to 25 percent of the total Massachusetts payroll for the production, excluding salaries of $ 1 million and higher. In addition, production companies whose Massachusetts production expenses exceed 50 percent of the total production cost receive an income and corporate excise tax credit of 25 percent of the total Massachusetts production expense. Production companies who expend over $50,000 in Massachusetts production costs during a consecutive twelve-month period are eligible for a sales tax exemption. A detailed explanation of the Film Credit Incentive, including a definition of a qualified motion picture production company can be found in Technical Information Release 06-1 as well as Chapter 158 of the Acts of 2005. Further information can also be found in DOR Directive 07-1 and Letter Ruling 06-1. Additionally, the Department has a Technical Information Release TIR 07-15, that further explains the updated law and is available for review. Note: Technical Information Release 06-01, Letter Ruling 06-01 and DOR Directive 07-01 were issued under the prior film credit Act. The discussion of law section of these public written statements is modified, in part, by the new law as outlined in Technical Information Release 07-15. For example, under the new law a production company must incur a least $50,000 in qualified expenses, not the higher threshold of $250,000 which was effective in 2006. In addition, the new withholding rules explained below and contained in 830 CMR 62B.2.3, Motion Picture Production Company Withholding , modifies, in part, DOR Directive 07-01, in particular Directives number 5 and number 6. Agreed Upon Procedures Independent Accountant's Report on Applying Agreed Apon Procedures Effective December 8, 2008 film credit applications that are submitted with at least $250,000 of qualified film credit expenses must contain an Independent Accountant's Report on Applying Agreed Upon Procedures ("AUPs") or an Audit (See TIR 07-15, footnote 14). The AUPs must be performed by a Massachusetts CPA. Productions with less than $250,000 of qualified film credit expenses may choose to include the AUPs or an Audit with their film credit applications, but it is not required. The Department will not assert transferee liability if the original film credit application is submitted with the AUPs or Audit (See DOR Directive 07-01 for a description of transferee liability). New Withholding Rules Production companies must now register and withhold on payments to independent contractors (1099s) and loan-outs made on or after February 18, 2010. Waivers from withholding will no longer be issued, however, a valid withholding waiver issued to a loan-out before February 18, 2010, for a production that commenced filming before February 18, 2010, will remain effective for the production for which the waiver was issued. Production companies must register and make withholding payments on the Department's Web File for Business web site under the performer withholding registration page. For administrative efficiency, this new type of withholding --- "MPPC Withholding" --- will share the payment and registration web functions with performer withholding, but is not subject to the performer withholding rules. The employer withholding rules and registration for w_2 employees remains unchanged. An authorized representative of the production company, an authorized representative of the loan-out and the individual providing services to the loan-out must sign the Loan-Out Allocation Form . For more details and examples explaining the new withholding requirements see the regulation, Motion Picture Production Company Withholding. 2013 Applications and Forms: Form FP - Application for Payroll/Production Credit Form TSA - Film Credit Transfer or Sale Application Form STE - Application for Sales Tax Exemption Form ST-12 - Exempt Use Certificate Form LOA - Lean-Out Affidavit/Allocation Massachusetts Department of Revenue Film Credit Unit 200 Arlington Street, Room 4300 Chelsea, MA 02150 John Lordan, Director Bureau of Desk Audit Massachusetts Department of Revenue FAX : 617-660-0370 For further information, visit the the Massachusetts Film Office at www.mafilm.org.

On July 20, 2007, Massachusetts enacted an Act Providing Incentives to the Motion Picture Industry ("the new Act"). See St. 2007, c. 63. This Act made revisions to statutory provisions enacted by a prior Act with the same title that was signed into law on November 23, 2005 (the "prior Act"). See St. 2005, c. 158; amended by St. 2005, c. 167. The new act is effective on applications received on or

close print view review is made of all the material collected about the prisoner, including the presentence report. A classification committee, which includes a custody staff member, makes the final decision at what level (there are five classifications levels - I through V) to house the prisoner based on recommendations made by a processor who has evaluated all the reports and test results. The major concerns for the classification committee are the potential for escape and misbehavior while in prison. An individual's past escape history from custody is examined along with behavior while in jail. Enemies, if known and identified by either staff or the prisoner, are kept separated throughout their incarceration while those offenders needing special protection are assigned to "protection units" within various prisons. can also be made to accommodate special needs prisoners such as placement in a federal prison for those offenders who would be difficult to protect in the Michigan system. Attempts are also made to classify the individual to an institution that offers programming that can meet the prisoner's special needs such as substance abuse, sex offender counseling, basic education or vocational training.

close print view review is made of all the material collected about the prisoner, including the presentence report. A classification committee, which includes a custody staff member, makes the final decision at what level (there are five classifications levels - I through V) to house the prisoner based on recommendations made by a processor who has evaluated all the reports and test results. The m

To Infinity and Beyond! Buzz Lightyear has a new mission. He is going to the International Space Station. He will help NASA astronauts bring a new piece to the space station. Buzz Lightyear is flying into space on the space shuttle Discovery in May. He will ride with the crew on the STS-124 shuttle mission. The mission is taking a new laboratory to the space station. The new laboratory is called "Kibo." Kibo means hope in Japanese. NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency are working together to add the new lab to the space station. Kibo is made of several pieces. The pieces are flying to the station a few at a time. Once at the station, the pieces are put together like a big puzzle. The new lab is about the size of a large bus. It will be the station's largest laboratory. In the lab, astronauts will study a lot of things, like medicine, the human body and Earth. Buzz will stay on the station for about six months. He plans to ride home on the space shuttle Endeavour in November. Flying in space is Buzz Lightyear's dream. NASA and Disney Parks are making his dream come true. Buzz's spaceflight is celebrating a new attraction at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. The new attraction is called Toy Story Mania! NASA and Disney/Pixar are celebrating Buzz's spaceflight and the STS-124 mission by challenging students with five "mini-missions" in the NASA Kids' Club. Today's students will be the people who make NASA's future happen. That is why NASA is helping students learn. NASA wants to get students excited about things like science and math. That way, those students can be the scientists, engineers and astronauts of the future. Load the Shuttle Help Buzz Lightyear get ready for liftoff! Buzz needs help loading parts and supplies into the space shuttle. To solve the puzzle, think about how much the parts weigh and how much space is on the shuttle. Countries around the world have helped build the International Space Station. In this game, match the name of the country with how that country helped humans learn about spaceflight. Help Buzz find hidden objects on a space station. Learn how space technology changes lives everyday. All of the hidden items were made with the help of NASA. Predict how to pick-up and connect the space station's new Japanese module "Kibo" to the space station by moving the robotic arm. Toys in Space Have you ever wondered what a yo-yo or a soccer ball would do in space? Help Buzz find out by flying him to platforms with toys on them. Check back while the shuttle is in space for special messages from Buzz Lightyear. Buzz Lightyear To Infinity and Beyond! Games Now in Space: STS-124 STS-124 Mission Patch Explorer NASA Kids' Club Heather R. Smith/NASA Educational Technology Services

To Infinity and Beyond! Buzz Lightyear has a new mission. He is going to the International Space Station. He will help NASA astronauts bring a new piece to the space station. Buzz Lightyear is flying into space on the space shuttle Discovery in May. He will ride with the crew on the STS-124 shuttle mission. The mission is taking a new laboratory to the space station. The new laboratory is called "

Arthur E. "Gene" Goldman John C. Stennis Space Center Gene Goldman served as the director of NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Miss. As director, he provided executive leadership, overall direction and management of the center. He was responsible for implementing NASA's mission in the area of rocket propulsion testing, developing and maintaining NASA's world-class rocket propulsion test facilities, and ensuring Stennis serves as the systems engineering center for applied science activities assigned by the agency. He served as a federal manager hosting an integrated multi-agency federal laboratory. Stennis is a unique federal city that is home to more than 30 federal, state, academic and private organizations, as well as numerous technology-based companies. Prior to being named director, Goldman served as deputy director at Stennis from 2006 to 2008. Before arriving at Stennis, he served two years as manager of the Space Shuttle Main Engine Project at NASA's George C. Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Prior to that time, he was deputy manager of the Space Shuttle Main Engine Project for five years. Goldman began his NASA career in 1990. Before joining NASA, he worked for three years as engineering manager for the Tennessee Valley Authority in Athens, Ala.; seven years as a project engineer/manager for Gulf States Utilities in Baton Rouge, La.; and four years as project engineer with the Tennessee Valley Authority in Hartsville, Tenn. He was inducted into the federal civil servants' Senior Executive Service in 2004, after having completed the NASA SES Candidate Development Program. He completed the Senior Executive Fellows Program at Harvard University in 2002, and the Congressional Operations Program at George Washington University in 2003. Goldman is the recipient of numerous awards: the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal in 2002; the NASA Certificate of Appreciation in 1997; and the Marshall Space Flight Center Director’s Commendation in 1992. Goldman earned the Registered Professional Engineer-Civil certification in 1983. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Mississippi State University.

Arthur E. "Gene" Goldman John C. Stennis Space Center Gene Goldman served as the director of NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Miss. As director, he provided executive leadership, overall direction and management of the center. He was responsible for implementing NASA's mission in the area of rocket propulsion testing, developing and maintaining NASA's world-class rocket prop

"History isn't boring, once you get to know the people," says children's author Jean Fritz. "In my writing, I give people their place." In the last fifty years Fritz has written about many of the major figures in U.S. history, from Benjamin Franklin to Harriet Beecher Stowe to Teddy Roosevelt. Fritz worries that children do not find history interesting because there is too much emphasis on memorizing facts. "You have to learn it all factually," she says, "but you have to feel it, too. So you teach about how Mrs. Madison took down a portrait of Washington, cut it out of the frame and saved it before the British burned the White House." These are the kinds of stories Fritz includes in her biographies and histories. Shh, We're Writing the Constitution captures the personalities of the Founding Fathers and the difficulties they faced as they met in Philadelphia in the hot summer of 1786 to draft the constitution. In And Then What Happened, Paul Revere?, Fritz helps readers to visualize a blueprint of Boston as it existed in 1775, and takes them along with the patriot from the beginning to the end of his famous ride. In The Cabin Faced West, Fritz uses a family story about her great-great-grandmother, Ann Hamilton. "I always knew it was a good story," she says. The story is set in 1784 and tells of young Anne, whose family has just moved to the isolation of western Pennsylvania. Anne is feeling lonely and yearns for her old home in Gettysburg when George Washington comes riding down the road, stops by, and stays for supper. Fritz knows something about childhood isolation. She was born in China and lived there for the first thirteen years of her life, the daughter of missionary parents. She was often lonely and out of place in the international community that surrounded her. Books helped her through her solitude. She read the classics such as The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories. At age five she announced she was going to be a writer. "I never felt truly American," she says. "When I finally got to America I wanted to put down roots, and did it through history." She graduated from Wheaton College in Illinois in 1937 and also studied at Columbia University in New York City. She worked as a research assistant, a children's librarian, and a teacher before publishing her first book in 1954--a picture book about cats titled Fishhead. She has not stopped writing since, and has won many awards and honors, including the Regina Medal from the Catholic Library Association and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award from the American Library Association. The research is what Fritz likes best: uncovering unknown facts about her subjects. She visited each of Patrick Henry's four homes and visited England and France for her biographies of King George III and the Marquis de Lafayette. An octogenarian confined to a wheelchair, Fritz still goes out pursuing her stories, most recently participating in a dig in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, searching for clues about what befell the lost colony at Roanoke, the subject of her next book. "The question I am most often asked, is how do I find my ideas?" Fritz writes. "The answer is: I don't. Ideas find me. A character in history will suddenly step right out of the past and demand a book. Generally people don't bother to speak to me unless there's a good chance that I'll take them on." History is her life's work. "It's important to learn the ideals of the country, and not forget them," she says. When asked who is her favorite figure in history, Fritz replies, "Washington. He was the soul of integrity and he was there when we needed him."

"History isn't boring, once you get to know the people," says children's author Jean Fritz. "In my writing, I give people their place." In the last fifty years Fritz has written about many of the major figures in U.S. history, from Benjamin Franklin to Harriet Beecher Stowe to Teddy Roosevelt. Fritz worries that children do not find history interesting because there is too much emphasis on memoriz

Light Sensitive Coloration Name: Alyssa L. I was curious. Does the sun have anything to do with the color of fish scales? I know if you leave a goldfish in a dark room, it will eventually turn white. But does that also mean light blubs and/or colored lightblubs also have something to do with it too. I mean, if you were to leave a red light blub on over the tank that your fish was in, will it turn red? No, the color of the light bulb will not affect the color of the scales. It will affect the way our eyes see the color reflected from the bulb. Click here to return to the Zoology Archives Update: June 2012

Light Sensitive Coloration Name: Alyssa L. I was curious. Does the sun have anything to do with the color of fish scales? I know if you leave a goldfish in a dark room, it will eventually turn white. But does that also mean light blubs and/or colored lightblubs also have something to do with it too. I mean, if you were to leave a red light blub on over the tank that your fish was in, will it turn

Isle Royale moose probably are intergrades of the eastern subspecies Alces alces americana and the northwestern subspecies A. a. andersoni (Peterson, 1955:6). The only available weights of wild Isle Royale moose are a few supplied by Murie (1934). However, Kellum (1941:5) kept six Isle Royale moose and their offspring in corrals on the Michigan mainland from 1936 to 1941, weighed them each month, and obtained the following information: These weights may be high, for the moose were fed maximally and had little room for exercise. Skuncke (vide Peterson, 1955:77) produced a growth curve for European moose (Alces alces alces) based on weights of 637 animals from Sweden. This shows that cows with calves achieve maximum weight, about 750 pounds, when 5 years old; cows without calves average about 850. Bulls weigh about 900 pounds when 5 years old and approximately 1,050 pounds in their 11th year. This subspecies supposedly is slightly smaller than most North American subspecies. From the data of these authors and from Simkin (1962), it seems probable that adult Isle Royale cows average about 800 pounds, and bulls, 1,000. The food of moose varies with the season; Peterson (1955) discussed the general food habits of the species. On Isle Royale, moose depend primarily on aspen, white birch, balsam fir, and mountain ash for winter food. Aldous and Krefting (1946), who made an extensive and detailed analysis of the island's winter moose food, listed 28 browse species. Summer food consists of leaves and twigs of many of these species, plus various forbs and aquatics. Hazelnut, large-leaved aster, thimbleberry, pondweeds, and water lilies are among the favorite summer foods. The aquatics are sought from early May to late August, especially by bulls. Murie (1934) presented an annotated list of the island's summer moose foods, and Brown (n.d.) discussed the gross changes in vegetation wrought by the high moose population. Incidental observations made on moose pelage change indicated that the summer coat first became apparent about mid-June and that by mid-July, all animals had new pelage. Calves had winter coats by the end of August. Great variation was noticed in the degree of antler development among various bulls. Antler formation began several weeks earlier in bulls with large antlers, presumably older individuals. Bulls with large palms were observed about the same time as animals at least 2 years old were noted with nothing but antler pedicels. The following observations provide a general idea of the amount of variation: Antlers had been shed by most bulls by early February when the winter studies began. However, a few animals were seen with cervina-type antlers during February, and the latest we noticed a bull with antlers was March 12. The first extensive aerial census of moose on Isle Royale was made by Aldous (Aldous and Krefting, 1946) in February 1945, with a Waco five-seated biplane. Eight parallel strips were flown, and a 30 percent coverage of the island was obtained; 122 moose were seen. Allowing for an arbitrary 20 percent error, the workers estimated the size of the population at 510. Another count in 1947, reported by Krefting (1951), produced an estimate of 600 animals. Cole (1957) made the next aerial census, but he attempted a complete count. A Piper Cub was used to fly narrow strips at 400 to 500 feet altitude until moose or tracks were located. Often only one of a group of animals was spotted, so the pilot spiraled the aircraft downward to about 100 feet, and the running moose were counted. Cole observed 242 animals, and tracks of another 48, and estimated the population at 300. He believed that in favorable weather 90 percent of the island's moose could be counted by this method. Trotter (1958) in Ontario also was impressed with the results of an intensive-search method of survey. He compared results of three types of censuses made on the same areas: (1) intensive survey by helicopter, (2) transects with a Beaver aircraft, and (3) intensive search with the Beaver. He concluded (p. 6) that ". . . the intensive search method [with Beaver] produced uniformly high counts of moose, whereas the transect method count was low and not consistent enough." During the present study, Cole's method was used. The island was divided into convenient-sized plots with natural boundaries, a technique suggested by Trotter. With the 90-horsepower Aeronca Champ traveling 70 to 80 m.p.h. at 400 to 500 feet altitude, we flew strips paralleling the length of the island. Strips varied in width with terrain and cover but approximated one-eighth of a mile, and they overlapped to insure complete coverage. Duplicate counts of the same moose usually were avoided easily because strip length was short (3 to 6 miles) and locations of previously counted animals could be remembered from one strip to the next. Since I counted moose each day only after observing the wolves, censusing took several days. Each night the possibility existed that moose from a censused area would wander into an uncensused area and vice versa. Because no reason was found for animals to travel consistently only in or out of a censused area, I assumed that these movements would compensate for one another. Each time we observed a moose, even in an open area, we "buzzed" it at about 100 feet, causing it and any nearby unseen individuals to run and be counted. (Lack of fresh snow rendered tracking useless.) This procedure is time-consuming, but results in a much higher count. Banfield et al. (1955) also found that frequently moose are not seen from the air until frightened from their beds. The first census was attempted in 1959, from March 8 to 13. Because of a low gasoline supply, I counted only two-thirds of the island; 176 moose were seen. Eighteen animals had been recorded on the uncensused third incidental to wolf observations, so there was a minimum of 194 moose on the island. This figure undoubtedly was low. In 1960, many more moose were seen incidental to other work than had been observed the previous year, probably because of better weather. A complete census was taken between February 13 and March 2, involving 45 hours of flying on 10 days, and 529 moose were seen. On the area censused in 1959, 439 moose were found in 1960. The difference (263) between counts during the 2 years obviously cannot be attributed entirely to reproduction. Although other factors may be involved, I believe that the most significant cause of the disparity is variation in weather conditions, especially in wind velocity. Banfield et al. (1955:521) stressed that "unfavorable weather conditions such as strong winds and snowstorms may force big game to take shelter in forests and thus become harder to see from the air." In 1959 strong winds frequently forced us to discontinue censusing, whereas 1960 was characterized by clear and calm days. Observations in 1960 showed that on windy days significantly fewer moose frequented openings. The most important effect of wind variation on moose censuses should be emphasized, for, apparently, much greater differences in counts can becaused by this factor than would usually be caused by variations in population. For instance, if Cole's census was hindered by strong winds, his count could have been much too low. Even the 1960 census could below. However, I do not believe that a much higher count will be achieved unless the population does increase, for apparently optimum conditions prevailed during that census. Any other factor, such as time of day, which may influence the location of moose in reference to conifer cover may affect a count profoundly. Even under the best conditions, many moose undoubtedly are missed. Once when one moose was spotted, circling and diving eventually revealed six other animals were with it; if the one had not been seen, seven would have been missed. Often the pilot sighted moose that I overlooked, but he could not observe much since he had to keep the plane on course. Because many moose are missed during aerial censuses, some authors suggest that a compensatory figure be applied to the results. By comparing aerial and ground censuses on the same area, Edwards (1954) decided that aerial-census figures would be more accurate if increased by 22 percent. Banfield et al. (1955) agreed that aerial estimates are about 20 percent low. Peterson (1955) reported that on St. Ignace Island, where conifer cover is dominant, only about a third of the moose present could be counted from the air. During a ground census in Montana, Knowlton (1960) observed 53 moose; in the same area, he counted only 15 from an aircraft 8 days later. Because of these factors, I believe that a conservative estimate of the number of moose on Isle Royale in March 1960, was 600. The approximate density then is 3 per square mile. Peterson (1955:202) summarized reported population data from Minnesota, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Ontario, and concluded the following: Moose densities in western North America are not directly comparable to those in the east because, in the former area, summer and winter ranges frequently are miles apart, and reported winter densities are only temporary. In general, western densities are much higher than densities in eastern regions (Peterson, 1955). For instance, Spencer and Chatelain (1953) estimated that the best winter range in south central Alaska (willow, birch, aspen, and cottonwood) can support 5 to 10 moose per square mile "under proper use." Moose inhabit all of Isle Royale and most of the surrounding islands. Some areas have higher densities than others, however, and local variations are evident between summer and winter distributions. The burns (figure 7) and swamps seem to have the highest concentrations during all seasons, but especially in winter (figure 13). The paucity of animals on the northeast third of the island in winter probably is caused mostly by a shortage of browse, although lack of extensive swamps also may be a factor. According to Peterson (1955), snow usually does not confine moose to swamps at it does deer, but moose do seem to use swamps for protection from wind. Tracks show that many moose headquarter in swamps and venture from these each day for food. In spring there is a notable shift of moose to the northeast third of the island. Evidently the attraction there is aquatic plants which thrive in the many beaver floodings in the area. (Terrestrial herbs do not appear on Isle Royale until late May, but apparently aquatics begin to grow by early May.) I have seen 8 bulls and yearlings in Ojibway Lake at one time and 12 other moose with in half a mile of the lake. It is unusual to spend a few hours in this location in May or June and not see moose. Use of marshy areas decreases throughout July and August and ends almost completely in September. Peterson (1955) noticed a similar usage pattern of lakes and streams by moose in Ontario. Accurate knowledge of the sex ratio in any moose population is difficult to obtain, for the sexes differ considerably in behavior, habits, and distribution. Schierbeck (1929) in Nova Scotia found a ratio of 2,232 bulls to 6,175 cows, and Spencer and Chatelain (1953) reported a bull-cow ratio of 38 to 62 for 5,319 Alaskan moose. However, Pimlott (1953) and Peterson (1955) found even sex ratios in large samples from Newfoundland and Ontario, respectively. Conversely, Pimlott (1959a) stated that kill data from Newfoundland, Sweden, and Norway, and fetal and observational data from Newfoundland show a preponderance of males. Nevertheless, he admitted (p. 447) that ". . . a reasonable doubt exists that the sex ratio of the population actually departs from 50:50." In Montana, Knowlton (1960) found a summer ratio of 100 cows to 206 bulls (based on 248 identifications), whereas the observed winter ratio for 104 animals was 100 cows to 131 bulls. The sex ratio of hunter-killed moose in the same area was 15 cows to 16 bulls, and of 27 calves in winter was 100 females to 92 males. Knowlton discussed possible reasons for observation of an unbalanced sex ratio when such actually does not exist. Because of the errors inherent in the method, no attempt was made to determine, on the basis of ground observations, the sex ratio of the Isle Royale moose population. Such information was obtained by a method probably less subject to bias. An aerial survey was made during 11 hours between October 27 and 31, 1959. The same technique was employed as described for the winter moose census, although a 90-horse power Piper Cub on floats was used, piloted by Jack Burgess of Tower, Minn. D. L. Allen and I alternated as observers. Coverage included the entire area northeast of a northwest tangent to the southwest end of Hatchet Lake (approximately 40 percent of the island), and 150 moose were seen. Of these, 33 were calves, 57 were bulls, and 60 were antlerless. Of the antlerless, 32 definitely were cows, since they were accompanied by calves; the other probably also were females, for according to information by Peterson 1955:90) and Cringan (1955:240246) yearling bulls normally have antlers. However, in Montana, Knowlton (1960) observed animals identified as yearlings, with only 3/4 to 1-1/2-inch buttons as late as September 26, so possibly some apparently antlerless moose on Isle Royale actually had antlers. Nevertheless, because we obtained close aerial views of most animals, and because we did observe spikes and other small antlers on 14 moose, I believe that this type of error was small, and that the census indicated a balanced sex ratio. According to Murie (1934), the rutting season on Isle Royale extends from mid-September to mid-October, with its height in late September. These dates coincide in general with those furnished by Peterson (1955) for the rutting season in Ontario. Murie saw the first calf of a season on May 28 and believed that the peak of calving occurred in late May and early June. Information from the present study corroborates this. Cooperators reported the following earliest dates for first calves seen: May 26, 1959; May 20, 1960; May 19, 1961. The last observation was by W. Leslie Robinette, of the U.S. Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, who judged the calf to be a few hours old. Peterson reported that Ontario moose also calve in late May and early June. The possibility of an unusually early birth on Isle Royale was indicated by the size of twin fetuses removed from a moose found dead on April 24, 1959, and examined on May 8. The male weighed 17-1/4 pounds and was 29 inches long, and the female weighed 16 pounds and was 28-1/2; inches long. Both had open eyes and were completely covered with hair; their incisors had erupted but were still soft (figure 80). No weights of newborn or fetal twins were found in the literature, but probably a twin would weigh a few pounds less than a single calf. Murie (1934) examined a fetus on May 20 which weighed 22 pounds and was 36 inches long. The smallest of four healthy newborn calves in captivity in Michigan weighed 24 pounds, although a fifth, which died when 2 days old, weighed only 13 pounds (Kellum, 1941). An attempt was made to determine the approximate number of calves produced annually by the moose population. Observation forms were distributed to Park Service personnel, commercial fishermen, and other summer residents. These people were asked to record every moose sighting, even if they thought they saw the same animals every day. Since several cooperators seldom left their own sections of the island, many of the reports probably involved relatively few animals. In 1959, 291 observations were made by 14 cooperators (including the investigator) after May 26, when the first calf was seen, and calves composed 25 percent of them. A critical statistical evaluation of this type of sampling cannot be made, for the number of different animals observed is unknown. If 100 different individuals were observed, the 95 percent confidence limits would be .17 and .33. In 1960, 20 cooperators reported 359 observations, of which calves composed 15 percent. The 95 percent confidence limits would be .10 and .20, if 150 different animals were seen. All biases in this method would tend to decrease the calf percentage. A higher proportion of yearlings probably is observed than exists in the population, for these recently independent individuals lack the caution of more mature animals and probably also wander more. Secondly, a cow often ventures afield without her calf, especially before the calf is very old (Peterson, 1955). During the remainder of the summer, young moose frequently stray from their parents far enough to be missed by an observer. Another source of bias might be the summer concentrations of bulls, for when an observation is made, several animals may be involved. The latter bias would be important only when relatively few cooperators are reporting, such as during this study. Other authors (Peterson, 1955; Pimlott, 1959b) also have concluded that surveys of this type indicate lower percentages of calves than actually are present. In Montana, Knowlton (1960) found a ratio of 100 cows to 69 calves (based on 137 observations) in summer, and 100 to 78 (80 observations) in winter, suggesting the unreliability of summer figures. On Isle Royale, Murie (1934) encountered a similar trend. In summer, he found 26 percent of 103 cows followed by calves, whereas in autumn, calves accompanied 40 percent of 42 cows, and in spring, 46 percent of 83 cows. Although there are several possible explanations for these unexpected trends (including small sample sizes), the most likely seems to be a summer bias against calves. In Newfoundland, Pimlott 1959b:399) found that "the percent age of cows observed with calves (35) was approximately half the percent age of pregnant cows (73), the difference being caused by observational biases Therefore, calf-total population ratios obtained in summer during the present study must be considered minimum. The only such ratio obtained in autumn resulted from the aerial survey made in late October 1959. Of the 150 moose seen, 33, or 22 percent, were calves. (The 95 percent confidence limits are .16 and .28.) Reported twinning rates for North American moose populations vary from 2 percent to 28 percent, on the basis of field observations (Pimlott, 1959b), although some local herds might not include any twins (Knowlton, 1960). Four of the eight rates considered by Pimlott were between 11 percent and 18 percent. On Isle Royale, 20 (38 percent) of 53 cows seen with calves in the summer of 1959 were accompanied by twins. If only 25 different cows were seen, the 95 percent confidence limits would be 19 percent and 57 percent. If the lower rate is assumed, the number of calves per cow-with-calf is 1.19. (Also see page 170.) The most significant moose-population statistic is the yearling-total population ratio. As will be shown later, if an Isle Royale moose survives its first year, chances are excellent that it will live several more. Thus, application of this ratio to the estimate of total population size provides an estimate of annual recruitment. The few yearling-total population ratios which have been obtained for Isle Royale are shown in table 13. TABLE 13.YEARLING-TOTAL POPULATION RATIOS REPORTED FOR ISLE ROYALE During aerial censuses in late winter, short-yearlings (=calves) some times are difficult to distinguish. However, Cole (1957) noted from previous groundwork with Isle Royale moose that when a cow and calf are spooked, they flee together; pairs of adult moose spilt up. Using this information during his aerial survey, he attempted to classify short-yearlings. He believes that possibly 58 (23 percent) of the 252 animals observed were in this category, but his conservative estimate was 15 percent. During the present study, an attempt was made each winter to sample the yearling-total population ratio. In 1959 a low fuel supply prohibited extensive circling and diving, so not all moose observed were aged. Among the 176 animals seen, there were 52 pairs: 18 cows with calves, 18 pairs of 2 adults, and 16 undetermined pairs. In addition, two cows with twins were seen. If it can be assumed that half of the undetermined pairs were cows with calves, then 17 percent of the sample was composed of calves (95 percent confidence limits are .12 and .22). In 1960, 89 (17 percent) of 529 moose observed were calves, and since this sample probably was almost a total count, the 95 percent confidence lim its are .16 and .18. Only 133 animals were sampled in 1961, and calves composed 10.5 percent (95 percent confidence limits are .06 and .15). Apparently, this was an exceptionally poor year, for the ratio is the lowest reported from Isle Royale. Since the previous summer's sample indicated that calves composed only 15 percent of the population (compared with 25 percent for 1959), perhaps the calf crop was small. The average yearling-population ratio probably is about 17 percent, because this is the mean of all the reported figures and because it constituted three of the seven estimates (table 13). Unfortunately, adequate information concerning the general health of Isle Royale moose was not obtained. Since Isle Royale is a National Park, wildlife is protected by law, so no hunter-killed carcasses were available for examination; and no animals could be collected during the present study. In all, only six relatively intact carcasses were examined: two adults which died as a result of accidents, two wolf-killed adults, and two wolf-killed calves. Only the lungs, livers, and hearts of five of these were searched for parasites, but the stomachs and intestines of the six also were inspected. In addition, the bones of 48 other (wolf-killed) moose were examined. Although information from these sources applies primarily to wolf-killed moose, it was established that certain parasites and diseases occur in the Isle Royale herd. The Winter Tick. The following excellent account of the life history and significance of the winter tick (Dermacentor albipictus) is provided by Cowan (1951:42): Additional life history details are furnished by Cameron and Fulton (1927). It has not been proved that ticks are a primary cause of moose mortality, although many weak, emaciated, or dead animals have been found heavily infested (Cameron and Fulton, 1927; Lamson, 1941; Olsen and Fenstermacher, 1942; Peil, 1942; Hatter, 1950a; Peterson, 1955). Olsen and Fenstermacher selected mostly ailing and abnormally acting moose to examine, and these may have been infested secondarily; a third of the 36 moose examined harbored no ticks, whereas others harbored thousands. Hatter (1950b) found that high moose mortality in British Columbia resulted from a tick-malnutrition complex, and Ritcey and Edwards (1958) concluded that ticks alone do not seriously weaken moose. Murie (1951) believes that the many dead elk which he found heavily tick-infested were parasitized secondarily, but he did suspect ticks of killing one young moose. Whether ticks are a primary or secondary factor, they do affect moose populations significantly. Hickie (1936) reported heavy tick infestations on Isle Royale moose, but found that wild-trapped individuals kept in corrals showed no ill effects from the parasites. However since most animals which he found dead of malnutrition were heavily parasitized, possibly ticks were partly responsible for their deaths. Although Cole (1956) did not mention finding these parasites on Isle Royale moose, he noticed that several animals had lost considerable hair in February and March, a good indication of tick infestation. Only three intact carcasses could be examined for ticks during the present study. A calf killed by wolves in mid-March 1960, had a "moderate" infestation. A 4-year-old bull, which died as a result of an accident in late January 1961, harbored approximately 2 ticks per square inch on about half its body, but a wolf-killed bull (probably at least 13 years old) was infested with approximately 10 ticks per square inch in several places on his rump. The hides of most wolf-kills were torn and scattered, so the degree of infestation could not be determined from these. However, all seven of those that could be checked for ticks in 1961 harbored them. The hide of one very old individual was relatively intact; a high tick population (14 per square inch in places) was present. Lamson (1941) reported a density of 12 ticks per square inch on 116 square inches of a Maine moose. Because of irritation from these ectoparasites, infested animals rub against trees (Fenstermacher and Jellison, 1933). The hair comes off easily where ticks are numerous (Wallace, 1934), and the neck and flanks usually are denuded first. Naked areas are noticed on many Isle Royale moose by late February. Between mid-May and early June 1960 and 1961, large bare areas were evident on all of 65 animals observed plainly. These denuded areas may have resulted from shedding, which occurs at this time (Peterson, 1955). However, since so many moose in February and March are in this condition, and since most moose show such large naked areas weeks before new hair is apparent, I believe the condition results from tick infestations (figure 84). If that is so, most, if not all, Isle Royale moose are parasitized by ticks to some extent. Hydatid Cysts. These cysts contain the larvae of the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus, which in habits the intestine of the wolf and other carnivores. Eggs and mature proglottids pass out with the feces and into water or onto vegetation. The intermediate host, which may be a moose or any of several other big-game species, ingests the eggs while eating or drinking. Schiller (1954) demonstrated that mice could be infected experimentally by blowflies (Phormia regina) fed on infected feces, so this method of transmission also may be important. After an egg hatches in the digestive system of the herbivore, the larva enters the blood stream, circulates, and eventually encysts in a lung (usually). The cyst grows and, after about 5 months, reaches one centimeter in diameter (Faust, 1949); numerous brood capsules containing more larvae begin to form (Monnig, 1938). Cysts frequently reach golfball size in moose, but Chandler (1955) reports one containing 10 to 15 quarts of fluid (host not mentioned). The life cycle is not complete until the cyst is eaten by an appropriate carnivore, in which the larvae become adults. Apparently, the parasite is widely distributed, for it has been reported from Minnesota (Olsen and Fenstermacher, 1942), Ontario (de Vos and Allin, 1949), Manitoba (Hadwen, 1933), Saskatchewan (Harper et al., 1955), Alberta (Cowan, 1948), British Columbia (Cowan, 1947), Northwest Territories (Banfield, 1954), and Alaska (Rausch, 1959). Peterson (1955) found that Echinococcus was the most common parasite encountered in Ontario moose. The reported incidences of infection in moose vary between 30 percent and 68 percent (table 14). TABLE 14.REPORTED INCIDENCES OF INFECTION OF MOOSE WITH HYDATID CYSTS ("ECHONOCOCCUS GRANULOSUS") Hydatid cysts may affect animals seriously, for they sometimes occur in large numbers. Although Ritcey and Edwards (1958) found a mean of 7.7 and a mode of 1 cyst in the lungs of 23 infected moose, 1 harbored 32. They provided (p. 143) the following description of the effects of heavy infection: Other sick, abnormally acting, or weak moose with heavy hydatid infections were reported by Law and Kennedy (1933), de Vos and Allin (1949), and Peterson (1955). Cowan (1948) examined an elk lung which was replaced almost completely with cysts, and Fenstermacher (1937) found 50 cysts in the lungs of one moose, and 250, replacing about three-quarters of the lung, in another. The first record of hydatid cysts from Isle Royale was reported by Sweatman (1952:481); he stated that "five of eight moose were found infected in 1933 on Isle Royale by Dr. D. Coburn." During the present study, three of the four adult moose examined harbored these parasites. The most heavily infected was a cow about 8 years old with 57 cysts (5 to 20 mm. in diameter) in her lungs. Because such a heavy infection was found and because wolves have been devouring moose for several years on Isle Royale (and therefore propagating the worm), it seems probable that the parasite infects a majority of the island moose. There is more than one possible explanation for the present occurrence of Echinococcus on Isle Royale. Coyotes or foxes, which probably spread the parasite before 1933, might have continued to do so. Although probably neither of the smaller canids killed moose undoubtedly both fed on carcasses. Cowan (1948) suspected coyotes of maintaining hydatid tapeworms in Alberta. According to Riley (1939), foxes are primary hosts of the parasite in Europe, although he knew of no records of fox infection in the United States. Another possibility is that wolves visited Isle Royale occasionally and spread enough eggs to propagate the species. However, the most likely explanation is that the progenitors of the present wolf population harbored adults of Echinococcus when they arrived. Taenia hydatigena. Cysts of this species usually are found in the livers of various big-game animals. After a cyst is eaten by a wolf or other suitable carnivore, the larva develops into a tapeworm which dwells in the intestine of this primary host. If the eggs, which are passed with the carnivore's feces, are eaten by a moose or other ungulate, they hatch in the intestine, and the larvae migrate to the liver where they encyst. Cowan (1951) reported that in Alberta and British Columbia the incidence of infection with this parasite is high, but that seldom are there over 12 cysts per animal. In Minnesota, the opposite was found. There were 75 cysts in one moose (Fenstermacher, 1937), but only 5.8 percent of 34 moose were infected (Olsen and Fenstermacher, 1942). Sweatman and Plummer (1957) reported that 15 of 17 moose from Ontario harbored Taenia hydatigena cysts. Of 32 moose autopsied in British Columbia, 84 percent were infected (Ritcey and Edwards, 1958). The only comment on their effect was that they cause no apparent harm (Cowan, 1951). No previous record was found of this parasite on Isle Royale, but during the present study, Taenia hydatigena cysts were discovered in two of four moose livers examined. One contained 5, the other 10. These specimens were identified by W. W. Becklund of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and were deposited in the U.S. National Museum Helminthological Collection as 57208 and 57210. Jaw Necrosis. Of 91 moose mandibles and/or upper jaws from Isle Royale, 13 (14 percent) were swollen, porous, and abscessed (figure 86). No attempt was made to isolate a causative organism, but the symptoms are similar to those described for "lumpy jaw," or actinomycosis (Monlux and Davis, 1956). According to these authors, "an anaerobic microorganism, Actinomyces bovis, which is more closely related to fungi than to true bacteria, produces these lesions involving the jaws." The disease infects either or both jaws, and since many of the moose remains found had upper or lower jaws missing, the incidence of this disease probably is higher than the figures indicate. In 1929 and 1930, of the 20 remains of Isle Royale moose, 11 (55 percent) showed similar symptoms (Murie, 1934). The causative organism requires a laceration or abrasion through which to enter the jaw. Most infected specimens collected during the present study were from old moose, and the abscess usually centered around the first molar. This molar is the oldest and, therefore, the first to wear below the gum line. When this occurs, apparently the occluding upper molar wears into the gum, permitting entry of the pathogen. While attempting to age moose by tooth wear, Passmore et al. (1955:233) found that "necrotic lesions appeared to have developed very readily when excessive wear had reduced the height of any tooth below that of the normal gum line." Ritcey and Edwards (1958) reported that 5 of 34 autopsied moose had actinomycosis, and that it was most severe in old animals. Murie (1944:117120) discussed actinomycosis and related disorders in detail. He believes that the disease is chronic and that heavy infections can be debilitating. Certainly the abscesses and misshapen jaws and teeth resulting from actinomycosis would impair proper mastication, which might be serious to herbivores. Lungworm (Dictyocaulus). This nematode infects the bronchial passages of moose and other big game, and its larvae are coughed up and out, or are swallowed and passed with the feces. They eventually climb low vegetation to await ingestion by a new host (Cowan, 1951). Olsen and Fenstermacher (1942) discovered Dictyocaulus viviparus in 42 percent of 33 sickly moose from Minnesota, and Lamson (1941) reported D. hadweni (considered by some workers as a synonym for D. viviparus) from a Maine moose. Heavy infections can be debilitating, as the following from Cowan (1951:53) shows: During the present study, Dictyocaulus sp. was found accidentally in one moose. While counting Echinococcus cysts in the excised lungs of an animal examined on August 26, 1960, I noticed a live lungworm. It was identified by M. B. Chitwood of the U.S. Department of Agriculture as Dictyocaulus sp. and was placed in the U.S. National Museum Helminthological Collection as 56879. No carcasses were examined for this parasite, and since it has not been reported previously from Isle Royale, no information is available on incidence of infection or significance to the island herd. Other Parasites and Diseases. In summer, most moose on Isle Royale are pestered by swarms of flies, and there are raw spots near the hocks on at least a few animals. Murie (1934) observed similar lesions on Isle Royale moose. Peterson (1955) reports the condition from Ontario animals, and believes that it probably results from the collective efforts of the insects. Both authors identified specimens of the pests as moose flies (Lyperosiops alcis). Whether the deer-flies (Chrysops) and black flies (Simulium), abundant on Isle Royale, also parasitize moose is unknown. Undoubtedly, flies are a great nuisance, but the amount of harm they cause has not been determined. Since complete pathological examinations of moose were not attempted during the present study, there probably are other parasites and/or diseases not yet discovered in the Isle Royale herd. Peterson (1955) summarized the information available on moose parasites and diseases, and discussed approximately 25 species. In areas without wolf populations, moose probably succumb to a variety of factors such as malnutrition, old age, diseases, and accidents. Most of these factors cause a gradual decline, so in areas with high wolf populations, dying animals probably are eliminated by predation, and mortality caused directly by any other factors should below. Such seems to be the case on Isle Royale. Since the 15 to 16 wolves alone eat (and probably kill) an average of 1 moose per 3 days in winter, presumably few moose get a chance to die directly of causes other than predation. Information on moose mortality was obtained from investigation of as many carcasses and old remains as could be located. These were discovered by two methods. In winter, the aircraft was used to track wolves to carcasses which they fed upon. Some moose were seen killed, and tracks showed that wolves killed several of the other animals which they ate. In many cases, the network of wolf tracks around a "kill" prevented positive determination that the wolves had dispatched the moose. However, except in two cases, no reason was found to indicate that they had not, and chances are good that even the two excepted moose were killed by wolves. Therefore all remains found fed upon in winter will be considered kills; any error resulting from this assumption undoubtedly is small. Fifty-six such kills were found, 51 of which were investigated on the ground. Although most of these were taken by the large pack, several eaten by the smaller packs are included. The second method used to locate moose remains was ground search in spring and summer. Reports from alerted Park Service personnel and other field men facilitated this work. (W. L. Robinette and L. W. Krefting, of the U.S. Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, provided information from 18 remains they examined during a 3-week browse survey in 1961.) A total of 72 remains are included in this "random" sample, and these should represent year-round mortality from most sources and over a period of several years. Accidents constitute the only moose mortality factor that is relatively unrelated to predation. Only three accidental moose deaths came to my attention during this study. A cow about 5 years old was found on a rocky shore near Rock Harbor Lodge on April 24, 1959, by a construction crew. This animal had heavy kidney, heart, and omental fat and her femur marrow was normal. No wolf wounds were found, but small patches of hair were sheared from her head and legs, and the four right posterior ribs were broken. The cow may have fallen through ice and drowned. Peterson (1955) believes that this type of mortality is especially important in early winter and spring. The carcass of a month-old calf washed up on Scoville Point some time before July 25, 1959, when it was reported; no sign of wolf attack was found. Possibly the animal drowned. Peterson (1955:193) reported that "drowning seems to be an important factor in calf losses Murie (1934) found remains of two Isle Royale moose which probably had drowned. The third known moose death for which wolves were not responsible occurred on January 31, 1961. A 4-year-old bull had tangled his antlers and neck in an extension cord near a building at Windigo. He spent several days there, becoming increasingly entangled. Park Service personnel were eventually forced to kill the bull. Murie (1934) found remains of 6 animals that had been mired or had caught a foot in roots, but no indications of this type of mortality were found during the present study. Wolf predation undoubtedly is the most significant moose mortality factor on Isle Royale. A possible measure of its importance is afforded by data from randomly discovered moose remains. Such remains frequently can be judged "eaten by wolves," or "not eaten." (Characteristic signs of wolf feeding are: widely scattered bones; separation of the vertebral column into two pieces; and obvious chewing on the edges of the scapulae, the posterior-ventral angles of the mandibular rami, and the ends of long bones. Chewing is evident even after the bones have lain for several years.) Remains of 47 moose were found which could be judged "eaten" or "not eaten." Of these, 34 (72 percent) had been chewed by wolves. Most of those showing no wolf work were well weathered, and some may have dated from the "pre-wolf" period. Of course, wolf-chewed moose bones do not mean necessarily that wolves killed the moose; Isle Royale wolves do eat carrion. On June 23, 1959, I investigated the putrid carcass of a bull lying a few feet offshore in Chickenbone Lake. Fully formed antlers without velvet indicated that the moose had perished in autumn or early winter. Wolves recently had detached two legs and eaten them on shore. By July 7, the entire carcass had been dragged ashore and eaten. However, apparently the wolves sometimes wound a moose and leave it. (The bull mentioned above might have been such a victim.) A wounded animal might wander far before dying, and in summer might decompose before the wolves discover it. The bones would not appear chewed, even though wolves were responsible for the animal's death. Data from such remains would tend to compensate for data from remains of an animal that the wolves had eaten but not killed.

Isle Royale moose probably are intergrades of the eastern subspecies Alces alces americana and the northwestern subspecies A. a. andersoni (Peterson, 1955:6). The only available weights of wild Isle Royale moose are a few supplied by Murie (1934). However, Kellum (1941:5) kept six Isle Royale moose and their offspring in corrals on the Michigan mainland from 1936 to 1941, weighed them each month,

Media Contact: Agatha Bardoel (email@example.com)| Communications and External Relations First-ever sub-nanoscale snapshots of renegade protein in Huntington's Disease OAK RIDGE, Tenn., May 18, 2011 An ORNL-University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine collaboration has for the first time successfully characterized the earliest structural formation of the disease type of the protein "huntingtin" that creates such havoc in Huntington's Disease The incurable, hereditary neurological disorder is always fatal and affects 1 in 10,000 Americans. SANS data allow the mature fibril structure of the mutant huntingtin peptide aggregates to be more carefully probed. Inset: transmission electron microscopy demonstrates the fibrillar nature of these huntingtin aggregates. (Image courtesy C. Stanley, T. Perevozchikova, V. Berthelier, University of Tennessee) HD is caused by a renegade protein that destroys neurons in areas of the brain concerned with the emotions, intellect and movement. We all have the normal huntingtin protein, which is known to be essential to human life, although its true biological functions remain unclear. Normal huntingtin contains a region of 10 to 20 glutamine amino acids in succession. However, the DNA of HD patients encodes for 37 or more glutamines, causing instability in huntingtin fragments that contain this abnormally long glutamine repeat. In consequence, the mutant protein fragment cannot be degraded in a normal way and instead aggregates on itself to form deposits of fibrils in neurons. Researchers originally thought the deposits, which appear under the microscope as "clumps," were the cause of the devastation that ensues in the brain. More recently they think the clumping may actually be a kind of biological housecleaning, an attempt by the brain cells to clean out these toxic proteins from places where they are destructive. So what are the toxic species? When and where do they occur? To answer this question, Christopher Stanley, a Shull Fellow in the Neutron Scattering Science Division at ORNL, began to work with Valerie Berthelier, a UT Graduate School of Medicine researcher who studies protein folding and misfolding in HD. The pair wanted to explore the structures of the earliest aggregate species believed to be the most toxic. Using the Bio-SANS (small-angle neutron scattering) instrument at ORNL's High Flux Isotope Reactor, Stanley and Berthelier took snapshots of a 42-glutamine mutant huntingtin peptide at Angstrom resolution (tenths of billionths of a meter), as it self-aggregated over time. They were able to determine the size and mass of the mutant protein structures?from the earliest small, spherical precursor species composed of two (dimers) and three (trimers) peptides?along the aggregation pathway to the development of the resulting later-stage fibrils. They were also able to see inside the later-stage fibrils and determine their internal structure, which provides additional insight into how the peptides aggregate. "This is a great instrument for taking time-resolved snapshots. You can look at how this stuff changes as a function of time and be able to catch the structures at the earliest of times," Stanley said. "When you study several of these types of systems with different glutamines or different conditions, you begin to learn more and more about the nature of these aggregates and how they begin forming." The samples are aqueous solutions of the peptide contained in cuvettes that have quartz windows. The researchers followed a very careful protocol to ensure that they started with a peptide solution absent of any preformed aggregates. In the current work, they investigated the pathological "disease-relevant" 42-glutamine peptide chain. Their follow-up work involves the study of a normal length 22-glutamine peptide. At the HFIR Bio-SANS instrument, the neutron beam comes through a series of mirrors that focus it on the sample. The neutrons interact with the sample, probing its atomic structure, and then the neutrons scatter, to be picked up by a detector. From the data the detector sends of the scattering pattern, researchers can deduce the size and shape of the diseased, aggregating protein, at each time step along its growth pathway. SANS was able to distinguish the small peptide aggregates in the sample solution from the rapidly forming and growing larger aggregates that are simultaneously present. In separate experiments, they were able to monitor the disappearance of the single peptides, as well as the formation of the mature fibrils. SANS also demonstrated the internal composition of the later-stage mature fibrils: loosely packed and quantitatively consistent with the hollow tube-like ß-helix model proposed by Nobel Laureate Max Perutz. "The structural parameters we defined for the early-stage peptides, the dynamics of fibril formation, and the end-state fibrils will be of great value in more carefully discerning their roles in the aggregation pathway," Stanley said. The research also gives them a path for the development of drugs to treat the condition. Now that they know the structures, the hope is to develop drugs that can counteract the toxic properties in the early stages, or dissuade them from taking the path to toxicity. "The next step would be, let's take drug molecules and see how they can interact and affect these structures," Stanley said. At the UT Graduate School of Medicine, Berthelier can do in-cell studies to see if cells treated with such drugs live longer or die sooner. At the HFIR Bio-SANS, experiments with drug molecules could discern in what way a drug affects the mutant huntingtin structure. "Is it preventing certain structures from forming, how does it affect aggregation, or is it aggregating at all now? Then we can see in a rational way how it is affecting the protein aggregates, perhaps preventing what can become the disease inside the brain cell," Stanley said. For now, the researchers are excited that they have a method that is useful in the further study of HD aggregates and applicable for the study of other protein aggregation processes, such as those involved in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. "That is the future hope. Right now, we feel like we are making a positive contribution toward that goal," Stanley said.

Media Contact: Agatha Bardoel (email@example.com)| Communications and External Relations First-ever sub-nanoscale snapshots of renegade protein in Huntington's Disease OAK RIDGE, Tenn., May 18, 2011 An ORNL-University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine collaboration has for the first time successfully characterized the earliest structural formation of the disease type of the protein "hunting

- Issue 2 | - January 2010 Even Superheavies Need a Little Protection Superheavy elements synthesized in cold- and How heavy can the periodic table go? Scientists have long had the capability to create new, “superheavy” elements by fusing lighter nuclei. The existence of a system formed in a heavy-ion fusion reaction is often brief, however, because the nucleus heats up in the process and must find a way to shed energy and cool back down to a more stable state. Often this is accomplished through fission, where the nucleus simply breaks apart. While much progress has been made in recent years, it’s still a challenge to find the optimal combination of beam and target—as well as the kinematic conditions—to maintain the structural integrity of the superheavies and lead to the formation, at reasonable rates, of new elements. This is due in part to the relationship between fission barriers and excitation energy—the energy difference between the ground and excited state. The conventional wisdom has been that fission barriers, which stabilize the nucleus, tend to disappear at higher excitation energies. Calculated inverse barrier damping parameter for even-even superheavy nuclei The fastest decrease of fission barriers with excitation energy is predicted for deformed nuclei around N =164 and spherical nuclei around N =184 that are strongly stabilized by shell effects. On the other hand, for the transitional nuclei around N=176, synthesized in hot fusion reactions, the barrier damping is relatively weak. Using microscopic density functional theory, nuclear theorists from the University of Tennessee/Oak Ridge National Laboratory carried out calculations [1,2] showing that fission barriers of excited superheavy nuclei vary rapidly with particle number, pointing to the importance of shell effects even at large excitation energies. The results are consistent with recent experiments where superheavy elements were created by bombarding an actinide target with 48-calcium; yet even at high excitation energies, sizable fission barriers remained. Not only does this reveal clues about the conditions for creating new elements, it also provides a wider context for understanding other types of fission, such as that used in reactors to provide energy. “Fission barriers of compound superheavy nuclei,”J.C.Pei, W.Nazarewicz, J.A. Sheikh, and A.K. Kerman, Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 192501 (2009). “Systematic study of fission barriers of excited superheavy nuclei,” J.A. Sheikh, W. Nazarewicz, and J.C. Pei, Phys. Rev. C 80, 011302(R) (2009). This work was supported in part by the National Nuclear Security Administration under the Stewardship Science Academic Alliances program through Grant DE-FG03-03NA00083 and by the US Department of Energy, Nuclear Physics, under Contract Nos. DE-FG02-96ER40963 (University of Tennessee), DE-AC05-00OR22725 with UT-Battelle, LLC (Oak Ridge National Laboratory), and DE-FC02-07ER41457 (UNEDF SciDAC Collaboration).

- Issue 2 | - January 2010 Even Superheavies Need a Little Protection Superheavy elements synthesized in cold- and How heavy can the periodic table go? Scientists have long had the capability to create new, “superheavy” elements by fusing lighter nuclei. The existence of a system formed in a heavy-ion fusion reaction is often brief, however, because the nucleus heats up in the process and must fin

January 29, 2010 Nevada Senator Harry Reid meets with Lilly Ledbetter and women’s rights advocates celebrate the one year anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Washington D.C.—Nevada Senator Harry Reid welcomed Lilly Ledbetter and women’s rights advocates today to commemorate the one year anniversary of the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which gave women and minorities the means to fight discrimination in pay. Reid led the Senate in making Fair Pay a priority in 2009. The Act restored civil rights protections to ensure equal pay for equal work. “Together with Lilly Ledbetter, whose compelling story is honored in this bill, and the advocates for women’s rights, we celebrate this first anniversary of the Fair Pay Act,” said Reid. “We have taken huge strides to end pay discrimination based on gender and I look forward to a future where the Fair Pay Act will continue to help all workers get a fair shake.”

January 29, 2010 Nevada Senator Harry Reid meets with Lilly Ledbetter and women’s rights advocates celebrate the one year anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Washington D.C.—Nevada Senator Harry Reid welcomed Lilly Ledbetter and women’s rights advocates today to commemorate the one year anniversary of the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which gave women and minorities the

About international climate change Australian has a role in a number of international measures that support the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The Australian Government recognises that international action at multilateral, regional and bilateral levels can contribute significantly to emission reductions and is actively pursuing opportunities in these areas. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Australia's international climate change obligations are set out in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Within the UNFCCC, the department is responsible for matters relating to the development and transfer of low emission technologies from developed to developing countries (see article 4, paragraph 5). Consequently, the department works closely with the Department of Climate Change on international climate change negotiations. Australia's international strategy also involves practical action-based engagement through technology transfer and capacity building arrangements with key emitting and trading partners. These project focused arrangements include: Additionally, Australia is engaged in other multilateral forums which indirectly contribute to the goals of the UNFCCC, such as: - Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum - US lead Major Economies Meeting on Energy Security and Climate Change - G8 Gleneagles Plan of Action on Climate Change, Clean Energy and Sustainable Development. Australia has endorsed the subsidiary Kyoto Protocol and is committed to meeting its Kyoto Protocol target. The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement created under the UNFCCC in Kyoto, Japan in 1997. For more information about international climate change go to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change website.

About international climate change Australian has a role in a number of international measures that support the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The Australian Government recognises that international action at multilateral, regional and bilateral levels can contribute significantly to emission reductions and is actively pursuing opportunities in these areas. United Nations Framework Convent

Utah Administrative Code The Utah Administrative Code is the body of all effective administrative rules as compiled and organized by the Division of Administrative Rules (Subsection 63G-3-102(5); see also Sections 63G-3-701 and 702). NOTE: For a list of rules that have been made effective since April 1, 2013, please see the codification segue page. NOTE TO RULEFILING AGENCIES: Use the RTF version for submitting rule changes. R396. Health, Disease Control and Prevention, Immunization. Rule R396-100. Immunization Rule for Students. As in effect on April 1, 2013 Table of Contents - R396-100-1. Purpose and Authority. - R396-100-2. Definitions. - R396-100-3. Required Immunizations. - R396-100-4. Official Utah School Immunization Record (USIR). - R396-100-5. Exemptions. - R396-100-6. Reporting Requirements. - R396-100-7. Conditional Enrollment and Exclusion. - R396-100-8. Exclusions of Students Who Are Under Exemption and Conditionally Enrolled Status. - R396-100-9. Penalties. - Date of Enactment or Last Substantive Amendment - Notice of Continuation - Authorizing, Implemented, or Interpreted Law (1) This rule implements the immunization requirements of Title 53A, Chapter 11, Part 3. It establishes minimum immunization requirements for attendance at a public, private, or parochial kindergarten, elementary, or secondary school through grade 12, nursery school, licensed day care center, child care facility, family home care, or Head Start program in this state. It establishes: (a) required doses and frequency of vaccine administration; (b) reporting of statistical data; and (c) time periods for conditional enrollment. (2) This rule is required by Section 53A-11-303 and authorized by Section 53A-11-306. As used in this rule: "Department" means the Utah Department of Health. "Early Childhood Program" means a nursery or preschool, licensed day care center, child care facility, family care home, or Head Start program. "Exemption" means a relief from the statutory immunization requirements by reason of qualifying under Sections 53A-11-302 and 302.5. "Parent" means a biological or adoptive parent who has legal custody of a child; a legal guardian, or the student, if of legal age. "School" means a public, private, or parochial kindergarten, elementary, or secondary school through grade 12. "School entry" means a student, at any grade, entering a Utah school or an early childhood program for the first time. "Student" means an individual enrolled or attempting to enroll in a school or early childhood program. (1) A student born before July 1, 1993 must meet the minimum immunization requirements of the ACIP prior to school entry for the following antigens: Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Polio, Measles, Mumps, and Rubella. (2) A student born after July 1, 1993 must meet the minimum immunization requirements of the ACIP prior to school entry for the following antigens: Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Polio, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Hepatitis B. (3) A student born after July 1, 1993, must also meet the minimum immunization requirements of the ACIP prior to entry into the seventh grade for the following antigens: Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis and Varicella. (4) A student born after July 1, 1996 must meet the minimum immunization requirements of the ACIP prior to school entry for the following antigens: Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Polio, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis A, and Varicella. (5) To attend a Utah early childhood program, a student must meet the minimum immunization requirements of the ACIP for the following antigens: Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Polio, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Haemophilus Influenza Type b, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Pneumococcal, and Varicella vaccines prior to school entry. (6) The vaccinations must be administered according to the recommendations of the United States Public Health Service's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) as listed below which are incorporated by reference into this rule: (a) General Recommendations on Immunization: December 1, 2006/Vol. 55/No. RR-15; (b) Immunization of Adolescents: November 22, 1996/Vol. 45/No. RR-13; (c) Combination Vaccines for Childhood Immunization: May 14, 1999/Vol. 48/No.RR-5; (d) Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis: Recommendations for Vaccine Use and Other Preventive Measures: August 8, 1991/Vol. 40/No. RR-10; (e) Pertussis Vaccination: Use of Acellular Pertussis Vaccines Among Infants and Children: March 28, 1997/Vol. 46/No. RR-7; (f) Use of Diphtheria Toxoid-Tetanus Toxoid-Acellular Pertussis Vaccine as a Five-Dose Series: Supplemental Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices: November 17, 2000/Vol. 49/No. RR-13; (g) Preventing Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis Among Adolescents: Use of Tetanus Toxoid, Reduced Diphtheria Toxoid and Acellular Pertussis Vaccines: March 24, 2006/Vol. 55/No. RR-3; (h) A Comprehensive Strategy to Eliminate Transmission of Hepatitis B Virus Infection in the United States December 23, 2005/Vol. 54/No. RR-6; (i) Haemophilus b Conjugate Vaccines for Prevention of Haemophilus influenzae Type b Disease Among Infants and Children Two Months of Age and Older: January 11, 1991/Vol. 40/No. RR-1; (j) Recommendations for Use of Haemophilus b Conjugate Vaccines and a Combined Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis, and Haemophilus b Vaccine: September 17, 1993/Vol. 42/No. RR-13; (k) Measles, Mumps, and Rubella-Vaccine Use and Strategies for Elimination of Measles, Rubella, and Congenital Rubella Syndrome and Control of Mumps: May 22, 1998/Vol. 47/No. RR-8; (l) Updated Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP for the Control and Elimination of Mumps: June 9, 2006/Vol. 55/No. 22; (m) Poliomyelitis Prevention in the United States: May 19, 2000/Vol. 49/No. RR-5; (n) Prevention of Varicella: June 22, 2007/Vol. 56/No. RR-4; (o) Prevention of Hepatitis A Through Active or Passive Immunization: May 29, 2006/Vol. 55/No. RR-7; and (p) Preventing Pneumococcal Disease Among Infants and Young Children: October 6, 2000/Vol. 49/No. RR-9. (1) Schools and early childhood programs shall use the official Utah School Immunization Record (USIR) form as the record of each student's immunizations. The Department shall provide copies of the USIR to schools, early childhood programs, physicians, and local health departments upon each of their requests. (2) Each school or early childhood program shall accept any immunization record provided by a licensed physician, registered nurse, or public health official as certification of immunization. It shall transfer this information to the USIR with the following information: (a) name of the student; (b) student's date of birth; (c) vaccine administered; and (d) the month, day, and year each dose of vaccine was administered. (3) Each school and early childhood program shall maintain a file of the USIR for each student in all grades and an exemption form for each student claiming an exemption. (a) The school and early childhood programs shall maintain up-to-date records of the immunization status for all students in all grades such that it can quickly exclude all non-immunized students if an outbreak occurs. (b) If a student withdraws, transfers, is promoted or otherwise leaves school, the school or early childhood program shall either: (i) return the USIR and any exemption form to the parent of a student; or (ii) transfer the USIR and any exemption form with the student's official school record to the new school or early childhood program. (4) A representative of the Department or the local health department may examine, audit, and verify immunization records maintained by any school or early childhood program. (5) Schools and early childhood programs may meet the record keeping requirements of this section by keeping its official school immunization records in the Utah Statewide Immunization Information System (USIIS). A parent claiming an exemption to immunization for medical, religious or personal reasons, as allowed by Section 53A-11-302, shall provide to the student's school or early childhood program the required completed forms. The school or early childhood program shall attach the forms to the student's USIR. (1) Each school and early childhood program shall report the following to the Department in the form or format prescribed by the Department: (a) by November 30 of each year, a statistical report of the immunization status of students enrolled in a licensed day care center, Head Start program, and kindergartens; (b) by November 30 of each year, a statistical report of the two-dose measles, mumps, and rubella immunization status of all kindergarten through twelfth grade students; (c) by November 30 of each year, a statistical report of tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, hepatitis B, varicella, and the two-dose measles, mumps, and rubella immunization status of all seventh grade students; and (d) by June 15 of each year, a statistical follow-up report of those students not appropriately immunized from the November 30 report in all public schools, kindergarten through twelfth grade. (2) The information that the Department requires in the reports shall be in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. A school or early childhood program may conditionally enroll a student who is not appropriately immunized as required in this rule. To be conditionally enrolled, a student must have received at least one dose of each required vaccine and be on schedule for subsequent immunizations. If subsequent immunizations are one calendar month past due, the school or early childhood program must immediately exclude the student from the school or early childhood program. (1) A school or early childhood program with conditionally enrolled students shall routinely review every 30 days the immunization status of all conditionally enrolled students until each student has completed the subsequent doses and provided written documentation to the school or early childhood program. (2) Once the student has met the requirements of this rule, the school or early childhood program shall take the student off conditional status. (1) A local or state health department representative may exclude a student who has claimed an exemption to all vaccines or to one vaccine or who is conditionally enrolled from school attendance if there is good cause to believe that the student has a vaccine preventable disease and: (a) has been exposed to a vaccine-preventable disease; or (b) will be exposed to a vaccine-preventable disease as a result of school attendance. (2) An excluded student may not attend school until the local health officer is satisfied that a student is no longer at risk of contracting or transmitting a vaccine-preventable disease. Enforcement provisions and penalties for the violation or for the enforcement of public health rules, including this Immunization Rule for Students, are prescribed under Section 26-23-6. immunizations, rules and procedures March 15, 2010 July 25, 2008 For questions regarding the content or application of rules under Title R396, please contact the promulgating agency (Health, Disease Control and Prevention, Immunization). A list of agencies with links to their homepages is available at http://www.utah.gov/government/agencylist.html or from http://www.rules.utah.gov/contact/agencycontacts.htm.

Utah Administrative Code The Utah Administrative Code is the body of all effective administrative rules as compiled and organized by the Division of Administrative Rules (Subsection 63G-3-102(5); see also Sections 63G-3-701 and 702). NOTE: For a list of rules that have been made effective since April 1, 2013, please see the codification segue page. NOTE TO RULEFILING AGENCIES: Use the RTF version

Good resources can assist you in your day to day planning and work with clients and students. We have created this collection of resources to assist you in finding what you need quickly. As well we will post articles and information about new developments, tools and continue to grow the list of resources. Quick links, new information, Help your child make good career decisions. You can play a role when it comes to researching occupations, looking at Post-Secondary Programs and helping your student create a good financial Many resources to help you to plan your education and career options. Resources available through the Career Information Hotline.

Good resources can assist you in your day to day planning and work with clients and students. We have created this collection of resources to assist you in finding what you need quickly. As well we will post articles and information about new developments, tools and continue to grow the list of resources. Quick links, new information, Help your child make good career decisions. You can play a role

GPS and Command Link Assured Operation Echo Ridge proposes to develop a comprehensive realtime emulator capable of synthesizing a wide variety of waveforms such as GPS, interferers, and other GNSS signal classes. The system would create an arbitrary number of coherent wavefront RF output channels, synthesize atmospheric and terrain induced perturbations, and emulate propagation affecting phenomena resulting from plasma effects and EMP, and signal manipulation based on 6-DOF receiver motion sensing. The emulator will be based on a platform developed through Air Force and Army Phase I and II SBIR funding entitled DYSE, or Dynamic Spectrum Environment emulator. DYSE has been developed to address similar emerging test needs through the following key attributes including: emulating RF environments by converting RF to/from digital samples, and synthesizing RF sources and environmental effects in the digital domain between multiple physical and virtual systems under test; employing real-time signal processing functions carried out on PC-based CPU, GPU (Graphics Processor Units) and other hardware acceleration; applicable to a very broad variety of RF system development and testing, including communications, radar, jamming, navigation, and cognitive radio; emulating time-varying system platform motion and dynamics, and their effects at the RF level. Small Business Information at Submission: Echo Ridge, LLC 11127 Elmview Place Great Falls, VA - Number of Employees:

GPS and Command Link Assured Operation Echo Ridge proposes to develop a comprehensive realtime emulator capable of synthesizing a wide variety of waveforms such as GPS, interferers, and other GNSS signal classes. The system would create an arbitrary number of coherent wavefront RF output channels, synthesize atmospheric and terrain induced perturbations, and emulate propagation affecting phenomena

Print version ISSN 0038-2353 S. Afr. j. sci. vol.108 no.1-2 Pretoria 2012 Department of History, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa Book Title: Sharpeville: An apartheid massacre and its consequences Author: Tom Lodge Publisher: Oxford University Press, Oxford; 2011, R271.00* Review Title: Sharp-nosed at Sharpeville Vereeniging, a drab and sooty industrial spot south of Johannesburg, was the spot where the British and the Boers signed the peace treaty of May 1902 which ended the South African War and paved the way to the first New South Africa. It was also there that, 94 years later, Nelson Mandela signed the final draft of his country's new post-apartheid constitution into law, sealing the arrival of the second New South Africa. Symbolically, it was a telling choice of place, and in more ways than one. Because that adoption ritual took place in Vereeniging's African township of Sharpeville, the location where in March 1960 South African police opened fire with live ammunition on Pan Africanist Congress (PAC)-led African demonstrators who had assembled to protest against the detested pass laws of the apartheid regime. That notorious episode, bequeathed to history as the Sharpeville massacre, is the subject of Tom Lodge's compelling account of what happened in the early 1960s and what the convulsive consequences were for South African politics. As the author (by a long chalk the most informed, astute and discriminating scholar of South Africa's Black resistance politics) observes, the full historical significance of the killings at Vereeniging has never been considered in depth. After all, like the 1976 Soweto rebellion, the Sharpeville massacre has long been invested with symbolic importance as a transitional or epochal moment in the history of apartheid, even though, in the short term, March 1960 may appear as little more as a discomfiting burp for the Nationalist government as it continued to digest the bumper harvest of an orderly and prosperous 1960s. Yet, while studies abound of June 1976 and the role of that uprising in the eventual unravelling of the apartheid order, there has been surprisingly little research into, and writing on, the Sharpeville crisis. Tom Lodge pays generous tribute to the existing skinny body of writings, in so doing reminding us that the only complete study of this bloody incident has been that by the then Anglican Archbishop of Johannesburg, Ambrose Reeves, in his condemnatory 1961 Shooting at Sharpeville. In this sense, even though there may be few major surprises about the basic series of events triggered in March 1960, this is a pioneering book, the first really hefty scholarly analysis of Sharpeville and a wide-ranging assessment of its overall meaning for apartheid society and South Africa's subsequent relationship with the rest of the world. This detailed illumination of the Sharpeville explosion interprets it not as some inevitably brutal reflex on the part of a booted apartheid system, but as a tremulous political drama, providing readers with a worm's eye view of the complicated local political and social context within which the crisis erupted. While Sharpeville is a long book, it is well sustained by its strengths. One strength is its sober, quietly discriminating tone. Professor Lodge pursues a strongly people-centred approach and is deft in balancing rigorous critical analysis of actions with a judicious understanding of why people on both sides may have acted in the way that they did. Another of this book's strengths lies in its imaginative choice of anecdotal detail, at times often moving or grimly amusing. Thus, we learn that more elderly antipass demonstrators brought along fold-up chairs in expectation of a few relaxed hours on a sunny March day. Or, that earlier that morning African police in the township had been goaded by women who lifted their skirts at them in an expression of sexual derision, deriding their manhood. A third and very large part of the power of this study comes from its exhaustive range of sources. Ambrose Reeves's early popular account of the crisis rested squarely on the record generated by the 1961 official Commission of Inquiry. Philip Frankel's more recent 2001 monograph, An ordinary atrocity, which focused upon the police and local officialdom, plumbed the Department of Justice records. For what is likely to become the definitive Sharpeville history, Tom Lodge has been able to trawl a sea of new archival and other sources. This material includes interviews with ordinary survivors and eyewitnesses and influential Pan-Africanist political activists, and the array of evidence submitted as testimony to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 1996. Sharpeville makes ample use of its fresh evidence, frequently in strikingly emotive ways, such as in the searing reflection by Sekwati Sekoana, one-time 1956 Treason Trial defendant and present curator of the local museum. In a piece of folklore oral testimony quoted on the last page of this story, he recalls that following the killings, it started to rain. Contaminated by the blood of the victims, the rainwater drained away into a dam at the eastern edge of the township, filling it. Since then, it has remained full. Before the massacre, the dam used to be a recreational attraction, with its water also being used for washing and drinking. But since March 1960 the lake has remained deserted, 'nobody has used the water since', declares Sekoana, '...not for fifty years. Nobody goes there. Never.' As the author concludes of his lengthy account, it is hardly surprising that for so many of the township's inhabitants, 'their home place remains a vicinity of restless spirits, tormented ghosts' (p. 347). A fourth reason why Sharpeville is such a rattling good read is its meticulous telling of a sprawling story, as it provides not merely a gripping reconstruction of the fiery motive forces which led to the massacre and its politically repressive consequences, but goes on to tackle much wider vistas. These include historiographical matters, such as the influence of radical Marxist interpretations of South Africa's political economy after the crisis, in which the rapid growth of the 1960s came to be seen as proof that apartheid and industrial capitalism were natural bedfellows. As the book notes, with economic growth faltering by the end of the decade, that simple proposition had become simplistic. And the scope of the volume's story also includes stories, as Lodge probes the White South African world through its politically revealing fiction, drawing on novels such as Nadine Gordimer's The conservationist and Etienne le Roux's Seven days at the Silbersteins. Part of this wider context is, of course, the incendiary atmosphere of those early 1960 days. So, revisiting his own 1970s doctoral research on the PAC, Lodge highlights the significance of the simultaneous antipass march in Cape Town by PAC-inspired migrant workers, and its own weight in helping to prolong the post-Sharpeville political crisis. What counted there was not just the merciful outcome of the police holding their fire. At the time, it was more that the police backed down, permitting marchers to retain the streets. As Lodge observes, for the PAC it was 'an important victory. They had succeeded in compelling the police to negotiate and offer concessions'. And 'in the short term', the stand-off between Pan-Africanist leaders and the Cape Town police bolstered the authority of their movement, helping 'to strengthen the PAC's hold on the townships' (p. 143). No less - probably more - important for the claim to Sharpeville as an epoch-making historical event are the underlying, almost gravitational, consequences which Tom Lodge depicts in a set of broadly swept chapters. With this, the aftermath of the massacre becomes a tale of two halves. In the comfortable opening half, the White state was able to draw on the frightening spectre of Black violence to entrench its standing amongst Whites and to legitimise its repressive actions to contain extra-parliamentary political resistance. The second half was, however, rather more nervy and unpredictable as most of it was played overseas. Sharpeville's most substantial impact was, as this book argues convincingly, more international than domestic. Although the then prime minister, Hendrik Verwoerd, shrugged it off, the repercussions of Sharpeville led to apartheid South Africa's first real diplomatic setback, its enforced exit from the Commonwealth in 1961. Beyond this, Sharpeville became a midwife to the global antiapartheid movement which emerged in the 1960s, its memory part of the glue which fixed together that coalition, and also a factor in the strategic reconstruction of antiapartheid political struggles by an exiled diaspora of ANC and PAC political leadership. Today, 50 years after that tragic event, Tom Lodge's story provides an insistent reminder of how the embedded memory of 1960 continues to cast a haunting shadow. Within it lies, as Lodge reveals in typically acute passing observations, the classic mix of historical change alongside continuity. Today, as elsewhere across the Vaal region, the township's local government electoral wards return ANC candidates, as the moribund 'Pan-Africanists receive short shrift in the voting booths' (p. 346). At the same time, older Sharpeville political traditions still retain some of their pulse. Sam Kolisang was chairman of the township Advisory Board 60 years ago - he was an official civic leader who remained at its head for years after the shootings. One of the board's present councillors is his son. As Lodge concludes, leaving aside such recent acquisitions as its Human Rights Precinct, in appearance Sharpeville would be easily recognisable to anyone returning after an absence of half a century. It is a stark view of its destiny that should be acknowledged and understood, as with the human lives explored so empathetically in this insightful depiction of the first crucial event in which apartheid ran out of luck. Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa © 2012. The Authors. Licensee: OpenJournals Publishing. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License. * Book price at time of review

Print version ISSN 0038-2353 S. Afr. j. sci. vol.108 no.1-2 Pretoria 2012 Department of History, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa Book Title: Sharpeville: An apartheid massacre and its consequences Author: Tom Lodge Publisher: Oxford University Press, Oxford; 2011, R271.00* Review Title: Sharp-nosed at Sharpeville Vereeniging, a drab and sooty industrial spot south of Johannesbu

Please Note: You are viewing the non-styled version of the Ohio State Highway Patrol Web site. Either your browser does not support Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) or it is disabled. We suggest upgrading your browser to the latest version of your favorite Internet browser. The Ohio State Highway Patrol Auxiliary is an all-volunteer force which provides assistance to troopers in the course of their duties. Among the duties of an Auxiliary officer are crash scene and traffic stop assistance, traffic control, disaster relief and special detail support. The OSHP Auxiliary was formed in 1942 when many commissioned troopers began entering the armed forces during World War II. At that time, membership was limited to the members of the American Legion which was largely made up of war veterans who were unlikely to be drafted into service. After the war, the Auxiliary was a critical component of Ohio's Civil Defense Plan, with officers assigned to vital crossroads to assist with evacuation and convoy movement. Today, Auxiliary members contribute thousands of hours in an assortment of functions. Each is required to log a minimum of 120 hours per year to remain active. Membership is no longer limited to American Legionaires, and the requirements to become an Auxiliary are as follows: Applicants are required to pass a medical examination which must be conducted by a physician at the applicant's expense. Applicants must additionally pass written and physical tests, then complete OSHP Auxiliary training. Members are also required to conform to grooming standards and purchase a uniform. To inquire about a possible position in the OSHP Auxiliary, call your nearest Patrol post , e-mail OSPAux@dps.state.oh.us, or apply online here.

Please Note: You are viewing the non-styled version of the Ohio State Highway Patrol Web site. Either your browser does not support Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) or it is disabled. We suggest upgrading your browser to the latest version of your favorite Internet browser. The Ohio State Highway Patrol Auxiliary is an all-volunteer force which provides assistance to troopers in the course of their du

SBB recently caught up with a few past winners of the NIDA Addiction Science Fair Award to find out what the teens are doing now. Not everyone has followed a science path, but they are all in college pursuing their interests. In this series, the winners offer advice for today’s high school students trying to figure out what to do after graduation. Yamini Naidu from Portland, OR, impressed judges for the NIDA Addiction Science Fair Award with her project on methamphetamine addiction. After winning the award, she was invited to present her research to NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow and other scientists. As a result, she received the opportunity to spend summer 2012 as an intern working in NIDA’s Intramural Research Program (IRP) in Baltimore, MD. Yamini first became interested in neuroscience after her uncle passed away from a stroke. She felt driven to pursue research related to that disease, even though other members of her family weren’t particularly science oriented. “I think one of the best ways to get involved in science is to do a science project that interests you. We had a middle school program where all kids had to do a project; that was my introduction to science.” She started working with her teachers in middle school and later in high school for support. “That gave me contacts and relationships with other people interested in science. They helped me act on my interest.” Discovering Lessons for Life “Dr. Volkow is an inspiration to me,” said Yamini. “She revolutionized the idea of drug addiction as a disease and not a character defect. I admire the way she encourages young people.” The NIDA internship also opened a lot of doors for her. “It gave me a new perspective on science research. I had so much support from people at the IRP. I enjoyed the experience so much; I wanted to stay much longer.” Yamini encourages other teens to pursue their dreams. “Don’t worry about failing or not living up to standards. Take one step at a time, and you’ll be able to help make a difference.”

SBB recently caught up with a few past winners of the NIDA Addiction Science Fair Award to find out what the teens are doing now. Not everyone has followed a science path, but they are all in college pursuing their interests. In this series, the winners offer advice for today’s high school students trying to figure out what to do after graduation. Yamini Naidu from Portland, OR, impressed judges f

- USAID History - Annual Letter - Office of the Administrator - Europe and Eurasia - Latin America and the Caribbean - Middle East - Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance - Economic Growth, Education and Environment - Office Of Economic Policy - Office of Development Credit - Office of Education - Office of Energy & Infrastructure Programs - Office of Forestry and Biodiversity - Office of Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment - Office of Global Climate Change - Office of Land Tenure and Resource Management - Office of Microenterprise and Private Enterprise Promotion - Office of Trade & Regulatory Reform - Office of Water & Development - Food Security - Global Health - Legislative and Public Affairs - Policy, Planning and Learning - Foreign Assistance - Independent Offices - Mission Directory - Staff Directory - Advisory Committee - Mission Directors - Operational Policy (ADS) - Resource Portal Kit Batten was appointed as the USAID Global Climate Change Coordinator in January 2011. In this capacity, Batten coordinates all climate change activities across all bureaus in the Agency. Prior to her appointment at USAID, Batten was senior science and policy fellow and program director at the Heinz Center’s Institute for Science Communication and Policy Development. In this role, she taught scientists from academia, government and NGOs how to communicate about the results of their research with policy makers and the media. Batten previously served as the science advisor to the Deputy Secretary of the Interior where she focused her efforts on the communication of climate change science, adaptation strategies for cultural and natural resources, and mitigation strategies, including helping lead the creation of Interior's Climate Science Centers and Landscape Conservation Cooperatives. Prior to her appointment at the Department of the Interior, Batten was a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress where she directed the energy and climate change policy team. Batten has also served in the offices of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) as legislative assistant and Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) fellow. As a postdoctoral associate, Batten worked for the National Ecological Observatory Network at the American Institute of Biological Sciences. Batten has strong working relationships with members of Congress, White House offices, Federal agencies, NGOs, universities and other stakeholders. Batten has frequently participated in television, radio and print media communication about science, climate change policy and energy policy. She received a B.A. in chemistry from Oberlin College and a M.S. and Ph.D. in ecology from the University of California, Davis. Last updated: March 15, 2013

- USAID History - Annual Letter - Office of the Administrator - Europe and Eurasia - Latin America and the Caribbean - Middle East - Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance - Economic Growth, Education and Environment - Office Of Economic Policy - Office of Development Credit - Office of Education - Office of Energy & Infrastructure Programs - Office of Forestry and Biodiversity - Office o

Describes how social scientists and natural resource managers work together to develop cooperation and public help in solving complex natural resource issues. Links to the use of public surveys in a project for black-tailed prairie dog management. Portal for Missouri River Infolinks, a clearinghouse to multiple links giving Missouri information, photo gallery, river weather forecast, projects and features, maps, meetings, history, and science research. Webpage based on USGS Open File Report 98-139 links to information on the San Francisco Bay estuary to study dredge disposal effects, fish habitats, sediment transport, rock pinnacles and navigation, and consequences of a large oil spill. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the types and quantities of raw materials used by U.S. manufacturers and consumers have changed over time. This fact sheet quantifies the amounts of those materials used, other than food and fuel.

Describes how social scientists and natural resource managers work together to develop cooperation and public help in solving complex natural resource issues. Links to the use of public surveys in a project for black-tailed prairie dog management. Portal for Missouri River Infolinks, a clearinghouse to multiple links giving Missouri information, photo gallery, river weather forecast, projects and

U.S. Reinstates Trade Preference Benefits for Liberia "By reinstating Liberia’s GSP eligibility the United States is providing strong support to recently elected President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s efforts to increase employment, diversify exports, and stabilize society," said Ambassador Portman. "Liberia is emerging from nearly two decades of war. GSP will be a useful tool in helping to rebuild Liberia and bring hope to its people. The benefits were suspended in 1990 because of worker rights concerns. President Sirleaf has made improving worker rights a high priority. This includes repeal of a decree to prohibit strikes and inviting the International Labor Organization (ILO) to assist Liberia in bringing its laws and practices into conformity with its ILO obligations. Liberia 's reinstated benefits under the GSP program will become effective in two stages. Eligibility as a developed beneficiary developing country (BDC) will occur fifteen days from today, allowing Liberia to export a number of products duty-free to the United States. After a 60-day period of Congressional review (which begins today), Liberia will become a least developed BDC, which will provide Liberian businesses with the ability to export additional products to the United States free of duty. The GSP program was created by the Trade Act of 1974 to promote economic development of developing nations. Under the program, 137 beneficiary developing countries export approximately 3,450 different products duty-free to the United States. Least developed BDCs are eligible to export another 1,400 products duty-free. In the first 11 months of 2005, exports that have entered the United States duty-free under the GSP program have amounted to nearly $25 billion in trade. Almost all textile and apparel products are ineligible for duty-free treatment under the GSP program. As a result of the Administration’s reinstatement of Liberia’s GSP benefits, nearly one-quarter of Liberia’s current non-rubber exports will now enter the United States duty-free.

U.S. Reinstates Trade Preference Benefits for Liberia "By reinstating Liberia’s GSP eligibility the United States is providing strong support to recently elected President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s efforts to increase employment, diversify exports, and stabilize society," said Ambassador Portman. "Liberia is emerging from nearly two decades of war. GSP will be a useful tool in helping to rebuild Lib

Seasonal watering statements for Wimmera, Campaspe and Loddon systems The Victorian Environmental Water Holder (VEWH) has authorised the continued release of environmental flows in the Wimmera, Campaspe and Loddon systems. Environmental watering activities in the above systems had already commenced prior to the establishment of the VEWH on 1 July. These activities were authorised by the Minister for Environment and Climate Change. From 1 July, the entitlements relevant to these systems were transferred from the Minister for Environment and Climate Change to the VEWH, as the new independent body for holding and managing Victoria’s environmental water entitlements. The VEWH is required to issue seasonal watering statements authorising the continuation of these environmental watering activities. The VEWH is currently working on a seasonal watering plan which will set the scope for remaining environmental watering activities across Victoria during 2011-12. Once the plan is released, seasonal watering statements will be issued to communicate decisions on the environmental watering activities to be undertaken. Seasonal watering statements can be made at any time during the season, and are generally linked to specific river systems. Depending on the nature of the system and the entitlement being used, there may be one or multiple statements made for a particular system throughout the water year. In addition to communicating decisions on environmental watering activities, the seasonal watering statements also authorise a catchment management authority or Melbourne Water to order and deliver water in the Water Holdings on behalf of the VEWH. In this section - Environmental water planning section

Seasonal watering statements for Wimmera, Campaspe and Loddon systems The Victorian Environmental Water Holder (VEWH) has authorised the continued release of environmental flows in the Wimmera, Campaspe and Loddon systems. Environmental watering activities in the above systems had already commenced prior to the establishment of the VEWH on 1 July. These activities were authorised by the Minister f

U.S. Department of Energy's Biomass and Alternative Methane Power Contracts Promise Energy Cost Savings at Federal Sites March 15, 2002 NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: Chris Kielich, 202/586-5806 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 15, 2002 WASHINGTON, DC -- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced that five energy service companies have been selected to use performance-based contracts to reduce energy use, manage utility costs and promote renewable energy at federal facilities by using biomass and alternative methane energy sources. Biomass includes dedicated energy crops and trees, agricultural crop residues, aquatic plants, wood and wood residues, animal wastes and other organic waste materials. Alternative methane is generated in landfills, wastewater treatment plants and coalbeds. "In his National Energy Plan President Bush directed the federal government, the nation's largest energy consumer, to lead by example," Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham said. "The contracts the Department of Energy is awarding today encourage innovative, biobased energy technologies to reduce federal energy consumption, without cost to the American taxpayers. Our goal is to make bioenergy cost-competitive with traditional energy sources." The energy service companies selected for the Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) program for biomass and alternative methane are: - Constellation Energy Source, Baltimore, Md. - DTE Biomass Energy Inc., Ann Arbor, Mich. - Energy Systems Group, Evansville, Ind. - Systems Engineering and Management Corporation, Knoxville, Tenn. - Trigen Development Corporation, Baltimore, Md. Working with DOE's Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), these companies will develop, finance and implement projects that guarantee energy-related cost savings at federal facilities by using biomass and alternative methane fuels. In return, the companies receive fixed payments derived from the energy cost savings achieved. Since the capital investment comes from the private sector, the projects do not require government funding. The projects performed under these contracts can be at any U.S. federal site throughout the world. Although biomass and alternative methane fuel applications utilizing steam or other on-site power generation will be integral to each project, a variety of other conservation measures such as retrofits to lighting, motors, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems will be included to reduce energy costs. The total value of these contracts is estimated to be up to $200 million, with energy-related cost savings in excess of that amount. FEMP has issued three other ESPCs intended to help federal facilities adopt specific emerging technologies that are market-ready but not yet widely used. The other technology-specific ESPCs focus on solar thermal concentrating systems (high temperature solar devices that generate electricity or provide heat used in boilers and laundries), photovoltaics and geothermal heat pumps. For more information on the Biomass and Alternative Methane ESPC, please visit the DOE FEMP web site at www.eren.doe.gov/femp/financing/espc/biomass.html. Release No. R-02-042

U.S. Department of Energy's Biomass and Alternative Methane Power Contracts Promise Energy Cost Savings at Federal Sites March 15, 2002 NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: Chris Kielich, 202/586-5806 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 15, 2002 WASHINGTON, DC -- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced that five energy service companies have been selected to use performance-based contracts to reduce energy us

The primary goal of AVTA is to provide benchmark data for technology modeling, and research and development programs, by benchmarking and validating the performance of light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles that feature one or more advanced technologies, including: - Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle technologies - Extended range electric vehicle technologies - Hybrid electric, pure electric, and hydraulic technologies - Advanced electric drive technologies and engine technologies - Advanced energy storage (i.e., batteries) technologies and chemistries - Advanced climate control, power electronic, and other ancillary systems technologies - Internal combustion engines burning advanced fuels (i.e., 100% hydrogen and hydrogen/CNG-blended fuels) The AVTA also tests fueling systems such as conductive and wireless grid-connected electric drive vehicle fueling infrastructure. By benchmarking the performance and capabilities of advanced technologies, the AVTA supports the development of industry and DOE technology targets. The testing results are also leveraged as input to component, system, and vehicle models, as well as hardware-in-the-loop testing. The AVTA develops vehicle test procedures with input from industry and other stakeholders to accurately measure real-world vehicle performance. These test procedures are then used to test production and pre-production advanced technology vehicles on dynamometers and closed test tracks as well as in government, commercial, utility, and industry fleets. The AVTA tests produce unbiased information about vehicles with advanced transportation technologies, which reduces the U.S. dependence on foreign oil, while improving the nation's air quality. The AVTA also produces information resources that support the decisions fleet managers and the public make when acquiring advanced technology vehicles. The testing results are presented in easy-to understand formats that allow users to compare the performance of different types of vehicles. The AVTA's primary testing partner is ECOtality North America. Argonne National Laboratory's Advanced Powertrain Research Facility and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) both provide the AVTA with dynamometer testing support. The AVTA also works with more than 100 fleet testing partners in North America to jointly conduct fleet testing of advanced technology vehicles in real-world applications. This cooperative research serves to provide the AVTA with vehicle test-environment diversity, access to unique testing capabilities, and the ability to leverage DOE funding. Idaho National Laboratory National Renewable Energy Laboratory May 22, 2013 May 15, 2013 May 15, 2013 May 13-17, 2013 June 10-12, 2013 June 24-27, 2013

The primary goal of AVTA is to provide benchmark data for technology modeling, and research and development programs, by benchmarking and validating the performance of light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles that feature one or more advanced technologies, including: - Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle technologies - Extended range electric vehicle technologies - Hybrid electric, pure electric, and

Title VI Access to AP Courses OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY The Office for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education issues this guidance in order to provide State educational agencies and local educational agencies with information to ensure that when students are provided the option to participate in Advanced Placement and other challenging academic courses and programs, access to, admission into, and the administration of such courses are provided on a nondiscriminatory basis consistent with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. Part 100. This guidance represents the Department's current thinking on this topic. It does not create or confer any rights for or on any person. This guidance does not impose any requirements beyond those required under applicable law and regulations. If you are interested in commenting on this guidance, please email us your comment at OCR@ed.gov or write to us at the following address: Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, D.C. 20202-1100. MAY 22, 2008 I am writing to clarify how Federal civil rights laws apply to local educational agencies (LEAs) that provide students the option to participate in Advanced Placement (AP) courses.1 As you work to ensure that our Nation's students are academically prepared to compete successfully in the expanding global economy, it is advantageous for students to be exposed to, and complete, a rigorous secondary school curriculum. LEAs2 across the country are increasingly providing students the opportunity to enroll in AP courses, which are an important component of this rigorous curriculum. Notwithstanding the educational advantages of AP course completion, however, a third of American public high schools--many serving disadvantaged or minority students--do not currently offer AP courses.3 As you know, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in the United States Department of Education (the Department) is responsible for enforcing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) and its implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. Part 100. Title VI and its regulations prohibit discrimination based on race, color, or national origin by recipients of Federal financial assistance. The Title VI regulations state, in relevant part: No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program to which this part applies.34 C.F.R. § 100.3 (a). To promote educational excellence for all students and to ensure nondiscrimination in secondary school curricula, the Department will vigorously enforce the nondiscrimination requirements of Title VI as they relate to the provision of AP courses. Although the Department recognizes the importance of rigorous high school curricula, including AP courses, for all students, the nondiscrimination statutes enforced by OCR (specifically, for purposes of this letter, Title VI) do not themselves require that an LEA offer AP courses. However, if an LEA offers AP courses to its students, Title VI requires that AP courses be made available on a nondiscriminatory basis, without regard to a student's race, color, or national origin. If the Department determines that a recipient discriminated against students based on their race, color, or national origin in the provision of AP courses at high schools, in the admission to AP courses at high schools that offer these courses, or in the administration of AP courses, the Department will make a finding that the recipient has violated Title VI.4 These violations may result in enforcement action if not corrected voluntarily. A more detailed discussion of the application of the Title VI regulations to AP courses is provided further below. Importance of AP CoursesThe Department of Education's Strategic Plan 2007-2012 (the Strategic Plan) identifies as one of its key priorities "encourag[ing] more rigorous and advanced coursework to improve the academic performance of our middle and high school students." To further the goals of No Child Left Behind, the Strategic Plan emphasizes the importance of AP coursework. The Department currently administers AP-related grant programs authorized by Title I, Part G of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by No Child Left Behind, 20 U.S.C. §§ 65316537, including the Advanced Placement Incentive Program at 20 U.S.C. § 6535, that provide supplemental funds to State educational agencies, LEAs, and national nonprofit educational entities to expand access to AP programs for low-income individuals. The impact of AP access has been studied in recent years by the Department and the College Board, among other entities. An academically intense high school curriculum that includes AP or other rigorous courses is highly predictive of college completion.5 Students who complete at least one AP examination are more likely than their peers to complete a bachelor's degree in four years or less.6 Students who enroll in AP courses also have higher college grade point averages and four-year graduation rates than students who do not enroll in AP courses.7 Participation in AP Courses Completion of high school with the skills to succeed in college is increasingly critical to the success of our Nation's youth, and national data show increasing student participation in AP courses. AP courses allow students to take college-level curricula while in high school. Currently, 37 AP courses are offered in 22 academic subject areas. According to the College Board, 15,505 secondary schools in the United States (U.S.) offered AP courses during the 2006-2007 school year, and between 2002 and 2007, the total number of high school graduates who took an AP exam increased from 473,330, or 18.1% of high school graduates, to 698,182, or 24.9% of high school graduates.8 Importantly, the College Board has also found that the number of AP exams taken by minority students is increasing as well. Since 1995, the number of AP exams taken by Native American students has doubled, the number of AP exams taken by African American students has tripled, and the number of AP exams taken by Latino students has quadrupled.9 However, although AP participation rates among minority students are increasing, minority students are often underrepresented in such courses. For example, according to the Department's most recent Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), during the 2005-2006 school year, African American students represented 13.4% of graduating seniors in U.S. public schools, but represented only 7.9% of students enrolled in AP courses. Similarly during the 2005-2006 school year, American Indian and Alaska Native students represented 1.1% of graduating seniors in U.S. public schools, but represented only 0.5% of students enrolled in AP courses.10 In terms of the students who took AP exams during the 2006-2007 school year, according to the College Board, African American students represented 14.0% of graduating seniors in U.S. public schools, yet they comprised 7.4% of AP exam takers. During the 2006-2007 school year, Native American and Alaska Native students represented 1.1% of graduating seniors in U.S. public schools, but they comprised 0.6% of AP exam takers.11 Generally, statistical data alone are not sufficient to support a finding of a violation, but may be sufficient to warrant an investigation when presented in conjunction with other facts. These facts may include--but are not limited to--the recipient’s policies and procedures for determining admission to AP courses and the recipient’s actual practices in this regard. Specific applications of the Title VI regulations to the provision of, admission into, and administration of AP courses are discussed below. Providing AP Courses at High Schools In relation to the provision of AP courses, discrimination prohibited by Title VI and its regulations includes denying, on the basis of race, color, or national origin, an individual any service, financial aid, or other benefit provided under the program. 34 C.F.R. § 100.3 (b) (i). For example, if an LEA decides to provide AP courses, in determining which high schools will offer these courses, LEAs may not implement an AP program in a manner that denies students the opportunity to participate based on the student’s race, color, or national origin. Therefore, LEAs may not refuse to provide AP courses at a school based on the race, color, or national origin of the students enrolled in that school. Admission to AP coursesFor admission to AP courses, discrimination prohibited by Title VI and its regulations includes denying, on the basis of race, color, or national origin, “an individual an opportunity to participate in the program through the provision of services or otherwise or afford[ing] him an opportunity to do so which is different from that afforded others under the program.” The regulations also prohibit treating an individual differently from others, on the basis of race, color, or national origin, with respect to admission, enrollment, eligibility, membership, or other requirements or conditions that individuals must meet in order to participate. 34 C.F.R. § 100.3 (b) (v-vi). High schools use various methods to enroll students in AP courses. For example, some high schools allow students to “self-select” AP courses. For these schools, guidance policies or practices should not guide or “steer” students either into, or out of, AP programs based on a student’s race, color, or national origin. Other high schools use or consider factors such as course prerequisites, prior academic performance, or teacher or counselor recommendations in determining or influencing which students may enroll in AP courses. Regardless of the factors considered, such AP admission processes must not treat students differently based on a student’s race, color, or national origin. Each LEA is responsible for ensuring that Title VI is not violated in the LEA’s schools and programs, including ensuring non-discrimination in AP courses. Administration of AP courses In the area of administration of AP courses, Title VI and its regulations prohibit restricting an individual in any way in the enjoyment of any advantage or privilege enjoyed by others under the program on the basis of race, color, or national origin. 34 C.F.R. § 100.3 (b) (iv). Thus, as in other courses, students in AP courses must not be discriminated against based on their race, color, or national origin, in any aspect of AP course administration. For example, students in AP courses must not be subject to illegal discrimination in the allocation of books, laboratory equipment, or other course-related resources, in the qualifications or credentials of their AP course teachers, in determining grades for the course, or in other aspects of the administration of AP courses. Title VI and its regulations also prohibit subjecting a student to segregation or separate treatment in any matter related to the student’s receipt of any service, financial aid, or other benefit under the program. 34 C.F.R. § 100.3 (b) (iii). Thus, students enrolled in AP courses may not be subject to segregation or separate treatment on the basis of race, color, or national origin. The regulations also prohibit providing, on the basis of race, color, or national origin, any service, financial aid, or other benefit to an individual that is different, or is provided in a different manner, from that provided to others under the program. 34 C.F.R. § 100.3 (b) (ii). For example, in order to take the AP examination at the end of an AP course, students must pay a fee. Because this fee could potentially discourage students from participating in the AP program, many SEAs and LEAs voluntarily provide AP examination fee subsidies to students. Funds for some of these “subsidy” programs are supplemented by grants awarded through the U.S. Department of Education’s AP Test Fee Program authorized at 20 U.S.C. § 6534. In most such “subsidy” programs, AP fee subsidies are provided based on the financial need of the student. Although Title VI does not require LEAs to provide such fee subsidies, if fee subsidies are provided, they must be provided in a manner that does not discriminate based on race, color, or national origin. Providing educational opportunities to all students is critical to the prosperity of our Nation. To ensure that students have the skills necessary to compete in the highly competitive global economy, I urge you to evaluate whether your LEA--at the district and individual school level--is providing equal educational opportunities to all students, including in the provision of AP courses. I encourage you to use the information provided in this letter to continue to evaluate whether your LEA is in compliance with these anti-discrimination requirements. Upon request, OCR provides technical assistance to help LEAs to voluntarily comply with the civil rights laws enforced by OCR. If you, or your agency, school district, or school, need additional information or assistance on these or other matters, please do not hesitate to contact the OCR enforcement office that serves your state or territory. The contact information for each office is available at: http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/CFAPPS/OCR/contactus.cfm. Thank you for your cooperation and assistance in this important matter. |Stephanie J. Monroe| 1 Although this letter focuses on access to AP courses in high schools, if discrimination based on race, color, or national origin occurs in other programs that provide rigorous academic curricula--for example, International Baccalaureate (IB) programs--the same Title VI provisions would apply. Additionally, the same Title VI provisions would apply to all other secondary schools that offer such courses. 2 This letter focuses on AP courses provided by LEAs. However, when State educational agencies (SEAs) are involved in the provision of, determining admission to, or the administration of AP courses, the same Title VI provisions would apply. 3 Planty, M., Provasnik, S., and Daniel, B. (2007). High School Coursetaking: Findings from The Condition of Education 2007 (NCES 2007-065). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics; U.S. Department of Education, Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2007-12, Washington, D.C., 2007; The College Board, Press Release: Increase in Advanced Placement Student Success Achieved in All 50 States (2006); The College Board, Advanced Placement Report to the Nation 2006, 10 (2006). 4 If a district is operating under a court desegregation order, the terms and conditions of the court's desegregation order effectively establish the standard for racial nondiscrimination for the district. Where such a court order addresses AP courses, OCR, therefore, must defer to the court regarding the race discrimination aspects of AP courses. 5 Adelman, C. The Toolbox Revisited: Paths to Degree Completion From High School Through College. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, 2006. 6 Wayne Camara, The College Board, College Persistence, Graduation, and Remediation (2003). 7 The College Board, Advanced Placement Report to the Nation 2007, 12-13 (2007) (citing Linda Hargrove, Donn Godin, & Barbara Dodd). 8 The College Board, AP Report to the Nation 2008, 2, 47 (2008). 9 The College Board, AP Participation by Underserved Students at U.S. Public Schools, 1995-2005 (2006). 10 United States Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 2006 Civil Rights Data Collection, available at www.ed.gov/ocr. These numbers are national projections for the 2006 CRDC. The projections are based on a rolling stratified sample of districts and schools, and on reported data from approximately 6,000 districts that responded to the survey. 11 The College Board, AP Report to the Nation 2008, 9 (2008).

Title VI Access to AP Courses OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY The Office for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education issues this guidance in order to provide State educational agencies and local educational agencies with information to ensure that when students are provided the option to participate in Advanced Placement and other challenging academic courses and programs, access to, ad

Definition: A spatial access method where successive levels are split along different dimensions into nonoverlapping cells. Objects are indexed in all cells they intersect. See also skd-tree. Note: After [GG98]. If you have suggestions, corrections, or comments, please get in touch with Paul E. Black. Entry modified 17 December 2004. HTML page formatted Fri Mar 25 16:20:34 2011. Cite this as: Paul E. Black, "extended k-d tree", in Dictionary of Algorithms and Data Structures [online], Paul E. Black, ed., U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology. 17 December 2004. (accessed TODAY) Available from: http://www.nist.gov/dads/HTML/extendkdtree.html

Definition: A spatial access method where successive levels are split along different dimensions into nonoverlapping cells. Objects are indexed in all cells they intersect. See also skd-tree. Note: After [GG98]. If you have suggestions, corrections, or comments, please get in touch with Paul E. Black. Entry modified 17 December 2004. HTML page formatted Fri Mar 25 16:20:34 2011. Cite this as: Paul

This release presents results compiled from Household Use of Information Technology (HUIT) data collected from the Multipurpose Household Survey (MPHS) for 2010-11 and the Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC) for 2009. EFFECTS OF ROUNDING Where estimates have been rounded, discrepancies may occur between the sums of the component items and total. STRUCTURE OF THIS RELEASE There are two components to this release: web based information and datacubes. This release includes information related to: household internet and computer access; type of household internet access; personal internet use; internet and computer use by persons with a disability; and internet and computer use by persons aged 60 years and over. Web based information includes graphs with associated commentary. Detailed data classified by geographic and socio-economic variables are presented in the datacubes. For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070 or Paul Schollum on (08) 9360 5933. This page last updated 23 February 2012

This release presents results compiled from Household Use of Information Technology (HUIT) data collected from the Multipurpose Household Survey (MPHS) for 2010-11 and the Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC) for 2009. EFFECTS OF ROUNDING Where estimates have been rounded, discrepancies may occur between the sums of the component items and total. STRUCTURE OF THIS RELEASE There are two c

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2010 June 20 Explanation: What are those strange filaments? Background galaxies. Gravity can bend light, allowing huge clusters of galaxies to act as telescopes, and distorting images of background galaxies into elongated strands. Almost all of the bright objects in this Hubble Space Telescope image are galaxies in the cluster known as Abell 2218. The cluster is so massive and so compact that its gravity bends and focuses the light from galaxies that lie behind it. As a result, multiple images of these background galaxies are distorted into long faint arcs -- a simple lensing effect analogous to viewing distant street lamps through a glass of wine. The cluster of galaxies Abell 2218 is itself about three billion light-years away in the northern constellation of the Dragon (Draco). The power of this massive cluster telescope has allowed astronomers to detect a galaxy at the distant redshift of 5.58. Authors & editors: Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply. A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC & Michigan Tech. U.

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2010 June 20 Explanation: What are those strange filaments? Background galaxies. Gravity can bend light, allowing huge clusters of galaxies to act as telescopes, and distorting images of background galaxies into elongated strand

This information is for reference purposes only. It was current when produced and may now be outdated. Archive material is no longer maintained, and some links may not work. Persons with disabilities having difficulty accessing this information should contact us at: https://info.ahrq.gov. Let us know the nature of the problem, the Web address of what you want, and your contact information. Please go to www.ahrq.gov for current information. Lack of quality communication during primary care visits may contribute to disparities in health between blacks and whites, according to findings from a new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. They found differences in patient-physician communication during medical visits with white and black patients. Doctors were less likely to engage black patients in conversation, and the tone of visits with black patients generally was less friendly than with white patients. Poor doctor-patient communication may be partly to blame for health disparities, since more active participation of patients in conversations with their doctors has been linked to better treatment compliance and health outcomes, explains Rachel L. Johnson, M.D., Ph.D., lead investigator. In a study that was supported in part by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (F31 HS13265), Dr. Johnson and her colleagues analyzed audiotapes and questionnaire data from 458 patients who visited 61 physicians in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area in 1998 and 2002. They found that physicians tended to dominate conversations with black patients, with physicians talking 73 percent more than patients. In conversations with white patients, physicians talked 43 percent more than patients. Also, black patients and their doctors sounded less interested, engaged, and friendly, compared with conversations between white patients and their physicians. The researchers recommend communication skills programs for medical students, residents, and practicing physicians that focus on patient-centeredness and how to build rapport with patients, which will benefit patients in general and racial/ethnic minority patients in particular. They also encourage physicians to more actively engage black patients in conversations about their health, so that they become more confident participants in their own health care. This, in turn, may help to reduce racial disparities in health status. See "Patient race/ethnicity and quality of patient-physician communication during medical visits," by Dr. Johnson, Debra Roter, Dr.P.H., Neil R. Powe, M.D., M.B.A., and Lisa A. Cooper, M.D., M.P.H., in the December 2004 American Journal of Public Health 94(12), pp. 2084-2090. Return to Contents Proceed to Next Article

This information is for reference purposes only. It was current when produced and may now be outdated. Archive material is no longer maintained, and some links may not work. Persons with disabilities having difficulty accessing this information should contact us at: https://info.ahrq.gov. Let us know the nature of the problem, the Web address of what you want, and your contact information. Please

SCHOOL DISTRICTS - EQUIPMENT PURCHASES - TAX LEVIES - BOND ISSUES EQUIPMENT PURCHASES 1.A school district may not impose a bond levy and issue negotiable bonds solely for the purpose of acquiring computers, other equipment, or furniture.2.A school district may not impose a six-year levy of taxes under article 7, section 2, of the state constitution, solely for the purpose of acquiring computers, other equipment, or furniture.3.A school district which undertakes a modernization project involving major structural changes may use six-year levy proceeds for the project and the project may include the acquisition and installation of new and replacement equipment and furniture. SCHOOL DISTRICTS - TAX LEVIES - LIMITS OF BONDED INDEBTEDNESS SCHOOL DISTRICTS ‑- TAX LEVIES ‑- LIMITS OF BONDED INDEBTEDNESS Chapter 253, Laws of 1955, (The Ryder Plan) does not affect the limits of bonded indebtedness for school districts. SCHOOL DISTRICTS - TAX LEVIES SCHOOL DISTRICTS ‑- TAX LEVIES Section 1, chapter 255, Laws of 1951 has no effect upon section 37, chapter 266, Laws of 1947 and section 37 remains in full force and effect. TAXATION - TAX LEVIES - TIMBER - TREASURER Distribution Of Timber Excise Tax Revenues - When county timber excise tax revenues received during the third and fourth quarters of a year are insufficient to fully satisfy the first and second priorities for revenue distribution under RCW 84.33.081(2) and (4), distributions made to lower-priority districts during the first and second quarters of that year may not be taken back and redistributed to first- or second-priority districts. - School district property tax rates may not be adjusted during a tax year when timber excise tax revenues fall short of projections used in calculating the tax rate and levying property taxes for the year.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS - EQUIPMENT PURCHASES - TAX LEVIES - BOND ISSUES EQUIPMENT PURCHASES 1.A school district may not impose a bond levy and issue negotiable bonds solely for the purpose of acquiring computers, other equipment, or furniture.2.A school district may not impose a six-year levy of taxes under article 7, section 2, of the state constitution, solely for the purpose of acquiring computers, o

The Great Weather Race Number of players: 2 to 6 - Print out the game board and cards. - Cut out the game board, character game pieces, and weather cards. - Use a die from another game. - Choose your character game piece. - Everyone should take turns rolling the die. The player with the highest number gets to go first. - Player 1 roles the die and moves the character game piece the number of spaces on the die. - Player 1 takes a card and decides what outfit should be worn for the weather on that card. Ask an adult who is playing with you if you are right. - Now the other players take their turns and repeat steps 6 and 7. - Remember if you land on the bridge, you can take a short cut. The first one to the finish line wins!

The Great Weather Race Number of players: 2 to 6 - Print out the game board and cards. - Cut out the game board, character game pieces, and weather cards. - Use a die from another game. - Choose your character game piece. - Everyone should take turns rolling the die. The player with the highest number gets to go first. - Player 1 roles the die and moves the character game piece the number of space

Routine Annual Fire Inspections The Fire Prevention Division, under direction of the city's fire marshal, conducts annual fire and life safety inspections of occupancies, which include apartment buildings, hotels, businesses and public buildings. Our goal is to inspect every occupancy on an annual basis, with emphasis on high-hazard occupancies. Firefighters and inspectors enforce the Bellevue City Fire Code and the International Fire Code during these inspections, working to detect fire hazards and see that they are eliminated. This should result in fewer and less destructive fires. A secondary purpose is to promote safe practices by causing an awareness of fire and its potential for occurrence. Inspectors recommend procedures that improve fire safety. Additionally, this program familiarizes firefighters with the physical arrangement of Bellevue's buildings and the hazards therein. This knowledge will enable firefighters to respond to emergency situations more efficiently and with greater personal safety. When an occupancy fails to meet a provision of the fire code, the owner will be notified and given reasonable time to fix the problem. A reinspection will confirm that fire and life safety standards are met. When all normal enforcement efforts are exhausted without compliance, violations shall be pursued through legal action. Scope of the Annual and Life Safety Inspection Program a. All occupancies other than one‑ and two‑family dwellings and their appurtenant structures. b. Except on request of the rightful occupant, the following will not be routinely inspected: - Dwelling units within apartment buildings. - Occupied guest rooms of hotels and motels. - Individual storage units in apartment buildings or mini‑storage type occupancies. c. Home occupation businesses will be evaluated by the Fire Prevention Division and an inspection file established when hazards are determined not to be typical of those found in the home. When such businesses are inspected, only the area associated with the business use shall be inspected – not the residential portion of the dwelling. The basic inspection frequency shall be once per year. This frequency can be modified for those occupancies with a high life hazard or having hazardous materials or processes. New Construction and Tenant Improvement Inspections The Fire Prevention Division provides permitting, plan review and inspection services to ensure that buildings and systems are constructed in accordance with the International Fire Code. Permitted activities and inspections include additions, redesigns, relocations, alterations or removal of: - Fire alarm systems - Fire sprinkler systems - Fixed fire suppression systems (including hood and duct systems and FM 200 type systems) If you have more questions or needs regarding the plan review process please contact 425-452-4122 or proceed to our New Construction and tenant Improvements page. Special inspections are intended to identify code violations or reveal unsafe situations which may present themselves during special events, peak occupancy times or in response to a citizen complaint. Please proceed to the Inspection Requests page for further direction on how to request this type of inspection.

Routine Annual Fire Inspections The Fire Prevention Division, under direction of the city's fire marshal, conducts annual fire and life safety inspections of occupancies, which include apartment buildings, hotels, businesses and public buildings. Our goal is to inspect every occupancy on an annual basis, with emphasis on high-hazard occupancies. Firefighters and inspectors enforce the Bellevue Cit

Viet Nam and Laos have committed to boost cooperation in developing rural, border and remote areas. The commitment was made at a meeting between a delegation of the Steering Committee for Northwest region of Viet Nam , led by Deputy Head Bui Thanh Thu, and Deputy Minister of the Lao Government Office Mek Phanlak during the Vietnamese delegation’s visit to Laos from Dec. 19-23, 2011. At the meeting, the two sides reviewed the results of cooperation in rural economic development and the construction of village groups in border and remote areas to improve the living conditions of the two countries’ people. The two sides also affirmed developing the village groups is a correct direction, helping residents develop production, benefit from the country’s socio-economic development and contribute to maintaining border security. In future, Viet Nam and Laos will continue to exchange experience and information and boost infrastructure construction and rural transportation as well as cooperate to build a Viet Nam-Laos borderline of peace, friendship and development./.

Viet Nam and Laos have committed to boost cooperation in developing rural, border and remote areas. The commitment was made at a meeting between a delegation of the Steering Committee for Northwest region of Viet Nam , led by Deputy Head Bui Thanh Thu, and Deputy Minister of the Lao Government Office Mek Phanlak during the Vietnamese delegation’s visit to Laos from Dec. 19-23, 2011. At the meeting

PDF version of User's Guide CEMHYD3D: A Three-Dimensional Cement Hydration and Microstructure Development Modelling Package. This user's manual provides updated documentation and computer program listings for version 2.0 of the three-dimensional cement hydration and microstructure development model (CEMHYD3D) developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Originally documented and distributed in 1997, several substantial enhancements and modifications have been included in the new release. The following topics are covered in this documentation, as they were in the original version: acquisition and processing of two-dimensional scanning electron microscope and x-ray images; creation of a starting three-dimensional microstructure based on a measured particle size distribution for the cement powder and information extracted from the two-dimensional composite image; and execution of the cement hydration and microstructure development program. Additional noteworthy features of the new version of the model include: direct modelling of the induction period during cement hydration; isothermal, adiabatic, or user-programmed temperature curing conditions; a calcium silicate hydrate gel (C-S-H) whose molar stoichiometry and specific gravity (molar volume) vary with temperature; improved pozzolanic reactions between cement and silica fume (fly ash); and the incorporation of various forms of calcium sulfate (dihydrate, hemihydrate, and anhydrite) into the hydration model. In addition, a prototype internet-accessible database containing two-dimensional composite SEM images, quantitative phase analysis results, and measured cement particle size distributions is now available to provide key input information for the three-dimensional modelling process. Documented example datafiles are provided along with the examples given in the guide. Complete program listings are provided in the appendices. This manual and all of the computer programs it describes are freely available for downloading via anonymous ftp from NIST.

PDF version of User's Guide CEMHYD3D: A Three-Dimensional Cement Hydration and Microstructure Development Modelling Package. This user's manual provides updated documentation and computer program listings for version 2.0 of the three-dimensional cement hydration and microstructure development model (CEMHYD3D) developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Originally documented an

Where You Live State and Regional Contact Information To get information about your EPA Regional Office (Each EPA Regional Office is responsible within its states for the execution of the Agency's programs.), state or territory relating to indoor air quality issues (e.g., radon, indoor air quality, asthma, mold, IAQ Tools for Schools, etc.) click on your state in the map below, or choose your state in the pull-down menu below and click the button to go directly to your state. View Frequent Questions/Ask a Question Search frequently asked questions or submit your own question or comment in our Frequent Questions Database. In addition to questions and answers relating to indoor environments, you may use this database to find information on any of our topic areas, for example, Asthma, Radon, Mold and Moisture, Smoke-free Homes, Indoor airPLUS and General Indoor Air Quality Issues. Incluido son preguntas y respuestas en español. You may also use this link to subscribe to any new information or updated information relating to any of the topics that may be posted on our website. You can also click on your state, commonwealth, or territory below. Additional EPA Resources |Concerned Citizens Resources| |Healthy School Environments| |Regional Radon Training Centers| |IAQ Tribal Partners Program|

Where You Live State and Regional Contact Information To get information about your EPA Regional Office (Each EPA Regional Office is responsible within its states for the execution of the Agency's programs.), state or territory relating to indoor air quality issues (e.g., radon, indoor air quality, asthma, mold, IAQ Tools for Schools, etc.) click on your state in the map below, or choose your stat

The purpose of the study was to examine more systematically the nature and structure of the social interaction objectives that individuals pursue in their everyday social relations. A pilot study was conducted to obtain a set of naturalistic social goals. Subjects in two studies were given the task of classifying these goals according to their similarities, and multidimensional scaling analyses were conducted in order to examine the dimensionality of subjects' cognitive representations of their social goals. In study one, 70 undergraduates from Ohio State University were asked to suggest the social goals they most often pursue in their interactions with others. Subjects identified and labeled 20 social goals, which were then grouped by 64 undergraduates from York University. This grouping revealed three goal dimensions: an information versus sociability focus, a self-gain versus relationship focus, and a task versus social manipulation focus. The three-dimensional solution reflected a highly interpretable representation of the dimensions underling subjects' cognitive representations of social interaction objectives. To examine the replicability of the findings in study one, subjects in study two (54 undergraduates from York University) were presented with the same stimuli and task. The ordering of social goals for each of the three dimensions appeared very similar to those obtained in study one. The results of the two studies revealed a highly reliable structure describing subjects' cognitive representations of their social interaction objectives. (LH) Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association (92nd, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, August 24-28, 1984).

The purpose of the study was to examine more systematically the nature and structure of the social interaction objectives that individuals pursue in their everyday social relations. A pilot study was conducted to obtain a set of naturalistic social goals. Subjects in two studies were given the task of classifying these goals according to their similarities, and multidimensional scaling analyses we

Volunteering / exchanges>European voluntary service - Bulgaria Last update: 17/05/2013 @ 11:40:09 - Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organisations - Group representing national organisations that promote intercultural education, understanding and peace through voluntary service. Check out the membership list and contact details if you want to volunteer in Europe. - http://www.alliance-network.eu/index.php?page=Page-2 [EN] - EVS: Cooperation for Voluntary Service Bulgaria - Want to learn about Bulgaria? This voluntary organisation offers a public service in the area of international youth work. There are also three hosting organisations. Read more about them. - http://www.vfp.org/directory/BulCvsInfo.htm [EN] - EVS: Practical Information - A wealth of information about EVS, including a description, and details on how to apply and who is eligible for the voluntary service. - http://www.aba.government.bg/bg/Bd/Archive/142002/dobrovolci.htm [BG] - Free Youth Centre - The emphasis in this organisation’s programme is on social activities, especially working with disadvantaged children. Sign up as a volunteer; the application form is only in Bulgarian. - http://fyc.vidin.net/programsen.html [BG][EN] - Voluntary Civil Service– Bulgaria - This is the Bulgarian branch of the well-known Civil Service International organisation. It works primarily in the environmental field and acts as both a sending and hosting organisation for the European Voluntary Service. - http://www.bluelink.net/cvs-bg/index.htm [EN]

Volunteering / exchanges>European voluntary service - Bulgaria Last update: 17/05/2013 @ 11:40:09 - Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organisations - Group representing national organisations that promote intercultural education, understanding and peace through voluntary service. Check out the membership list and contact details if you want to volunteer in Europe. - http://www.alliance-networ

Improved Tracking and Additional Actions Needed to Ensure the Timely and Accurate Delivery of Compensation and Medical Benefits to Deployed Civilians GAO-09-1019T, Sep 16, 2009 The Department of Defense (DOD) and other executive agencies increasingly deploy civilians in support of contingency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Prior GAO reports show that the use of deployed civilians has raised questions about the potential for differences in policies on compensation and medical benefits. When these civilians are deployed and serve side by side, differences in compensation or medical benefits may become more apparent and could adversely impact morale. This statement is based on GAO's June 2009 congressionally requested report, which compared agency policies and identified any issues in policy or implementation regarding (1) compensation, (2) medical benefits, and (3) identification and tracking of deployed civilians. GAO reviewed laws, agency policies and guidance; interviewed responsible officials at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the six selected agencies, including DOD and State; reviewed workers' compensation claims filed by deployed civilians with the Department of Labor from January 1, 2006 through April 30, 2008; and conducted a survey of deployed civilians. GAO made ten recommendations for agencies to take actions such as reviewing compensation laws and policies, establishing medical screening requirements, and creating mechanisms to assist and track deployed civilians. At the time of this testimony, the agencies were in various stages of taking action. While policies concerning compensation for deployed civilians are generally comparable, GAO found some issues that affect the amount of compensation--depending on such things as the pay system--and the accuracy, timeliness, and completeness of this compensation. For example, two comparable civilian supervisors who deploy under different pay systems may receive different rates of overtime pay because this rate is set by the employee's pay system and grade/band. While a congressional subcommittee asked OPM to develop a benefits package for all civilians deployed to war zones and recommend enabling legislation, at the time of GAO's review, OPM had not yet done so. Also, implementation of some policies may not always be accurate or timely. For example, GAO estimates that about 40 percent of the deployed civilians in its survey reported experiencing problems with compensation, including danger pay. GAO recommended, among other things, that OPM oversee an agency working group on compensation to address differences and, if necessary, make legislative recommendations. OPM generally concurred with this recommendation. Although agency policies on medical benefits are similar, GAO found some issues with medical care following deployment, workers' compensation, and post deployment medical screenings that affect the benefits of deployed civilians. Specifically, while DOD allows its treatment facilities to care for non-DOD civilians following deployment in some cases, the circumstances are not clearly defined and some agencies were unaware of DOD's policy. Civilians who deploy also may be eligible for benefits through workers' compensation. GAO's analysis of 188 such claims revealed some significant delays resulting in part from a lack of clarity about the documentation required. Without clear information on what documents to submit, applicants may continue to experience delays. Further, while DOD requires medical screening of civilians before and following deployment, State requires screenings only before deployment. Prior GAO work found that documenting the medical condition of deployed personnel before and following deployment was critical to identifying conditions that may have resulted from deployment. In June 2009, GAO recommended, among other things, that State establish post-deployment screening requirements and that DOD establish procedures to ensure its post-deployment screenings requirements are completed. Each agency provided GAO with a list of deployed civilians, but none had fully implemented policies to identify and track these civilians. DOD, for example, had procedures to identify and track civilians but concluded that its guidance was not consistently implemented. While the other agencies had some ability to identify and track civilians, some had to manually search their systems. Thus, agencies may lack critical information on the location and movement of personnel, which may hamper their ability to intervene promptly to address emerging health issues. GAO recommended that DOD enforce its tracking requirements and the other five agencies establish tracking procedures. DOD and four agencies concurred with the recommendations; one agency did not.

Improved Tracking and Additional Actions Needed to Ensure the Timely and Accurate Delivery of Compensation and Medical Benefits to Deployed Civilians GAO-09-1019T, Sep 16, 2009 The Department of Defense (DOD) and other executive agencies increasingly deploy civilians in support of contingency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Prior GAO reports show that the use of deployed civilians has raised q

[Location: Location_Category='CONTINENT', Location_Type='ANTARCTICA', Detailed_Location='Davis'] Copepod faecal pellets and carbon flux in the coastal sea-ice zoneEntry ID: Copepods Abstract: This dataset contains samples collected at O'Gorman Rocks and Ellis Fjord near Davis station from December 1997 to March 1998. Depth-stratified zooplankton samples were obtained for determination of zooplankton abundance and biomass. Water samples were collected for the determination of chlorophyll a concentration, protist identification and abundance, and the concentration of particulate and ... dissolved organic carbon. Sediment trap material was collected for the analysis of faecal pellets (identification and CHN analyses), protist identification and abundance, and the measurement of particulate organic carbon concentration. Zooplankton grazing experiments were performed in the laboratory at Davis station and zooplankton were also collected for CHN analyses. Data from this project arose from projects ASAC 963 and ASAC 2229. (Click for Interactive Map) Start Date: 1997-12-03Stop Date: 1998-03-04 Latitude Resolution: 1 degree Longitude Resolution: 1 degree ISO Topic Category Access Constraints None Use Constraints None Data Set Progress Role: TECHNICAL CONTACT Phone: +44 1904 434059 Fax: +44 1904 432998 Email: dwh5 at york.ac.uk The University of York The Environment Department The Centre for Ecology, Law and Policy Country: United Kingdom Role: DIF AUTHOR Phone: (301) 614-6898 Email: Tyler.B.Stevens at nasa.gov NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Global Change Master Directory Province or State: MD Postal Code: 20771 Balmford A, Moore J, Brooks T, Burgess N, Hanson LA, Lovett JC, Tokumine S, Williams P, Woodward FI & Rahbek C (2001) People and Biodiversity in Africa. Science 293: 1591-1592. La Ferla B, Taplin J, Ockwell D, Lovett J C (2002) Continental Scale Patterns of Biodiversity: can higher taxa accurately predict African plant distributions? Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 138. In Press. Lovett, J.C., Rudd, S., Taplin, J., Frimodt-M?ller, C. (2000). Patterns of plant diversity in Africa south of the Sahara and their implications for conservation management. Biodiversity and Conservation 9: 33-42. Extended Metadata Properties (Click to view more) Creation and Review Dates DIF Creation Date: 2002-06-26 Last DIF Revision Date: 2012-12-21 Future DIF Review Date: 2003-06-26

[Location: Location_Category='CONTINENT', Location_Type='ANTARCTICA', Detailed_Location='Davis'] Copepod faecal pellets and carbon flux in the coastal sea-ice zoneEntry ID: Copepods Abstract: This dataset contains samples collected at O'Gorman Rocks and Ellis Fjord near Davis station from December 1997 to March 1998. Depth-stratified zooplankton samples were obtained for determination of zooplankt

Reflection Seismic Survey Project DescriptionThe Reflection Seismic Survey (RSS) project will record a deep seismic reflection traverse across the Mt Isa Inlier with the purpose of imaging crustal geometry. In particular, the traverse is designed to define the position and nature of the boundaries between the Mt Isa Block and basement provinces to the east and west. It will also define the internal structure of the elements that make up the Mt Isa Block and nature of the boundaries between. Particular attention will be given to defining the nature of major shear zones at depth in an attempt to map possible fluid pathways through the crust. The seismic results will be used to develop a 3D structural model of the Mt Isa and adjacent regions. This 3D compilation will be used to constrain models of the tectonic evolution of the region. For more information, link to http://www.agcrc.csiro.au/projects/1016AO/#Summary [Summary provided by AGCRC]

Reflection Seismic Survey Project DescriptionThe Reflection Seismic Survey (RSS) project will record a deep seismic reflection traverse across the Mt Isa Inlier with the purpose of imaging crustal geometry. In particular, the traverse is designed to define the position and nature of the boundaries between the Mt Isa Block and basement provinces to the east and west. It will also define the interna

Sir John Daniel from the Commonwealth of Learning was interviewed by Creative Commons’ Timothy Vollmer recently about his ideas on open education. He is one of the wisest, most gracious members of this community, and I just loved some of the answers. Many of the COL member states are located in the global south. How does an OER policy affect global south states differently than the global north? I’m exaggerating quite a bit here, but we’ve observed that in the north people are more focused on producing OER and that in the south people are more focused on how they can use OER. Just a few months ago I was at the Open Courseware Conference in Boston. Perhaps three-fourths of the presentations there focused on producing OER, while only a small number were about re-purposing and reusing OER content. This has to change for the OER movement to take off. In the south, there’s a cautious attitude of “there’s lots of stuff available, why not use it?” We’ve been encouraging the north to take a more universal approach and think multidirectionally. This is why we’re delighted that a school like the University of Michigan is using OER from Malawi and Ghana in its medical programs. Why should the University of Michigan create OERs about tropical diseases when there are folks that live in the tropics that can do it better? So, we encourage people to see OER production and use as a multi-directional flow. Yes! Open education should certainly be about mutual sharing and cooperation! It should be about breaking down barriers that copyright industries have reinforced over the years, rather than amplifying one party’s voice at others’ expense. I think that Sir Daniel’s observations are accurate and an unfortunate trend in the OER movement which is often masked by claims about quality and access. Open source and open access are often explained in terms of the benefits of sharing to the individual (after all, we talk about Open Educational Resources as products, things, artifacts, consumables, rather than Open Educational Systems, for example). Copyright licenses reinforce this because they’re applied to a specific work and there is little focus on an ecosystem of sharing. I guess this also has to do with the way in which we measure “how much information” we possess and how we understand quality. In the West, there is “so much information” and so we need to share it with those “in need”. But if information is truly unlike physical objects, we should see the Internet as a way not just to transfer information goods from one place to another, but to share resources the other way too. If we cared as much about cooperation and understanding, then OERs would look a lot different. Right now, one-way sharing is valued more than two-way sharing. But is it necessarily more valuable to give someone a gift continuously than to humbly receive as well? How about a structure for mutual sharing rather than a model for helping us to more easily consume? I also really loved his answer to the question regarding international cooperation. The work of intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) is very important, but to the outside observer it is sometimes not apparent what IGOs do. What does COL do to “encourage and support governments and institutions to establish supportive policy frameworks to introduce practices relating to OER”? If I may be so bold, I think your question reflects an American bias. The United States and other large, powerful countries tend to operate bilaterally. Smaller countries prefer the facilitative, collaborative approach of working via intergovernmental organizations. UNESCO is the extreme example, where 193 countries operate democratically, and everyone’s voice is at least in principle equal. When I worked at UNESCO, I was surprised how seriously the member states took the recommendations that were developed. They trust that sort of process more than directives that come at them bilaterally. You can read the whole thing here.

Sir John Daniel from the Commonwealth of Learning was interviewed by Creative Commons’ Timothy Vollmer recently about his ideas on open education. He is one of the wisest, most gracious members of this community, and I just loved some of the answers. Many of the COL member states are located in the global south. How does an OER policy affect global south states differently than the global north? I

This artist's concept of a proposed Mars sample return mission portrays an aeroshell-encased spacecraft approaching Mars. This spacecraft would put a sample-retrieving rover and an ascent vehicle onto the surface of Mars. The rover would deliver previously cached samples to the ascent vehicle, which would then lift the samples off the planet to rendezvous in orbit with another spacecraft for taking the samples to Earth. NASA and the European Space Agency are collaborating on proposals for a mission to gather samples of Martian rocks and bring them to Earth after 2020. This illustration depicts preliminary concepts, not finished design. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Browse Image | Medium Image | Full Res Image (NASA's Planetary Photojournal)

This artist's concept of a proposed Mars sample return mission portrays an aeroshell-encased spacecraft approaching Mars. This spacecraft would put a sample-retrieving rover and an ascent vehicle onto the surface of Mars. The rover would deliver previously cached samples to the ascent vehicle, which would then lift the samples off the planet to rendezvous in orbit with another spacecraft for takin

The protection of intellectual property rights is a key priority for the United States. IP crimes cost businesses and governments billions of dollars every year, discourage innovation and research, and even put human and animal life in danger. Many people are unaware of pirating operations' links to organized crime and terrorism, counterfeiters' use of human trafficking and child labor, accidents caused by counterfeit car parts and airplane parts, deaths and injuries caused by counterfeit medicines, fires caused by pirated electrical equipment, and damages to crops and the environment caused by pirated agrochemicals. The U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Department of State have many resources to aid businesses and governments in the protection of Intellectual Property Rights around the world. A wealth of information on protecting IP is freely available to U.S. rights holders. Some excellent resources for companies regarding intellectual property include the following: - For information about patent, trademark, or copyright issues -- including enforcement issues in the US and other countries -- call the STOP! Hotline: 1-866-999-HALT or register at www.StopFakes.gov. - For more information about registering trademarks and patents (both in the U.S. as well as in foreign countries), contact the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) at: 1-800-786-9199. - For more information about registering for copyright protection in the US, contact the US Copyright Office at: 1-202-707-5959. - For more information about how to evaluate, protect, and enforce intellectual property rights and how these rights may be important for businesses, a free online training program is available at www.stopfakes.gov. - For information on obtaining and enforcing intellectual property rights and market-specific IP Toolkits visit: www.StopFakes.gov. This site is linked to the USPTO website for registering trademarks and patents (both in the U.S. as well as in foreign countries), the U.S. Customs & Border Protection website to record registered trademarks and copyrighted works (to assist customs in blocking imports of IP-infringing products) and allows you to register for Webinars on protecting IP. - The U.S. Commerce Department has positioned IP attachés in key markets around the world. You can get information from Dorian Mazurkevich, the IP attaché who covers Nicaragua, at: Dorian.Mazurkevich@trade.gov. In addition to U.S. government resources, there are many other organizations that aid in the protection of Intellectual Property Rights, such as the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition, the World Intellectual Property Organization, the International Intellectual Property Alliance, and others. All downloadable documents on this page are provided in PDF format. To view PDFs you must have a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader. You may download a free version by clicking the link above.

The protection of intellectual property rights is a key priority for the United States. IP crimes cost businesses and governments billions of dollars every year, discourage innovation and research, and even put human and animal life in danger. Many people are unaware of pirating operations' links to organized crime and terrorism, counterfeiters' use of human trafficking and child labor, accidents

The Maternal-Fetal Surgery Network was created in 2001 in response to the rising number of maternal-fetal surgeries for nonlethal conditions, such as myelomeningocele, despite a lack of evidence that the benefits of in utero surgery outweighed the increased risks to the fetus and the mother. The NICHD Pregnancy and Perinatology Branch (PPB) supports the Maternal-Fetal Surgery Network. The Maternal-Fetal Surgery Network includes three fetal surgery sites plus a Data Coordinating Center (DCC). The PP Branch's program scientist provides oversight and guidance to the Network and its sites. The Maternal-Fetal Surgery Network was created to conduct a randomized clinical trial to evaluate in utero surgery versus standard post-natal surgery to repair myelomeningocele, the most severe form of spina bifida. The Network's primary study, the Management of Myelomeningocele Study (MOMS), was a collaborative, multicenter trial that began in 2003. The results, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, showed that children who had received in utero surgery between weeks 19 and 25 of gestation were less likely by one-third to require a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt or to die. Surgery also reduced by one-third the presence of hind brain herniation and doubled the number of children who could walk independently; however, there were significant complications, including dramatically higher rates of preterm birth. You can read more about the findings at http://www.nichd.nih.gov/news/resources/spotlight/pages/021011-spina-bifida-MOMS.aspx. The Network is now conducting a follow-up study, MOMS 2, to evaluate outcomes at ages 5 to 8 years. Specifically, the study is to determine whether prenatal repair of myelomeningcele affects adaptive behavior, cognitive functioning, motor level and function, brain morphology and microstructure, urologic health, and other aspects of the health of the child at school age. The study will assess the need for shunts and assistive devices, developmental milestones, and bowel and bladder function in these children. In addition, the impact of prenatal surgery on the reproductive health of the mother and on family well-being will be evaluated. - The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia - University of California, San Francisco Benioff Children's Hospital - Vanderbilt University Medical Center The George Washington University (GWU) Biostatistics Center serves as the DCC for the Network.

The Maternal-Fetal Surgery Network was created in 2001 in response to the rising number of maternal-fetal surgeries for nonlethal conditions, such as myelomeningocele, despite a lack of evidence that the benefits of in utero surgery outweighed the increased risks to the fetus and the mother. The NICHD Pregnancy and Perinatology Branch (PPB) supports the Maternal-Fetal Surgery Network. The Maternal

NIH Research Matters September 26, 2011 Gene Linked to Optimism and Self-Esteem Why can some people make it through difficult times with little trouble while others crumble under the same circumstances? A new study suggests that the answer lies—at least in part—in your genes. Scientists have long known that people with certain psychological traits, or resources, can fare better in challenging situations. Three of the most widely studied psychological resources—optimism, self-esteem and mastery (the feeling that you can master your environment and achieve what you want)—are good predictors of a person’s physical and psychological health. These 3 resources have been shown to help people weather stressful events and beat back depression. Because these psychological resources tend to run in families, scientists had suspected a genetic component. Earlier studies found evidence that particular variants, or alleles, of the OXTR gene might be linked to stress-related traits and other psychological characteristics. OXTR codes for the receptor for oxytocin, a hormone that contributes to positive emotion and social bonding. Dr. Shelley E. Taylor and Shimon Saphire-Bernstein of the University of California, Los Angeles, and their colleagues set out to determine if these OXTR alleles might also contribute to optimism, mastery and self esteem. The scientists asked 326 volunteers to complete questionnaires that measured the 3 psychological resources and also assessed depressive symptoms. The researchers analyzed the DNA from the participants’ saliva to find variations in the OXTR gene. The study was funded by NIH’s National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the National Science Foundation. As reported on September 13, 2011, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers found that people who had 1 or 2 copies of the OXTR gene with an “A” (adenine) allele at a particular location tended to have more negative measurements than those with 2 copies of the “G” (guanine) allele. People with an A allele were less optimistic, had lower self-esteem and felt less personal mastery than people with 2 G alleles. In addition, the A allele was linked to higher levels of depressive symptoms. Follow-up analyses suggested that the effects of OXTR variants on depression are largely mediated by the gene’s influence on psychological resources. The scientists say their findings are the first to link OXTR directly to specific psychological resources. But the gene itself is far from the only factor influencing these traits. "Some people think genes are destiny, that if you have a specific gene, then you will have a particular outcome. That is definitely not the case," says Taylor. “This gene is one factor that influences psychological resources and depression, but there is plenty of room for environmental factors as well.” The researchers are now planning studies to search for additional genes that might work with OXTR to affect behavior and responses to stress. —by Vicki Contie - Stressed Out? Stress Affects both Body and Mind: - The Power of Love: Hugs and Cuddles Have Long-Term Effects: NIH Research Matters Bldg. 31, Rm. 5B64A, MSC 2094 Bethesda, MD 20892-2094 About NIH Research Matters Harrison Wein, Ph.D., Editor Vicki Contie, Assistant Editor NIH Research Matters is a weekly update of NIH research highlights from the Office of Communications and Public Liaison, Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health.

NIH Research Matters September 26, 2011 Gene Linked to Optimism and Self-Esteem Why can some people make it through difficult times with little trouble while others crumble under the same circumstances? A new study suggests that the answer lies—at least in part—in your genes. Scientists have long known that people with certain psychological traits, or resources, can fare better in challenging situ

“Recovery is the journey. It is what you are doing now, whatever that is. Recovery is possible. You may have had so many losses, but your life can be so much better,” says Michele Misurelli, Coordinator of the Unsung Heroes Program at the Schizophrenia Society of Alberta, Calgary, Canada. She is also a member of the participatory research team at The University of Calgary that produced Hearing [our] Voices: A Participatory Research Study on Schizophrenia and Homelessness. Michele and eight other members of the Peer Support Unsung Heroes Program at the Schizophrenia Society of Alberta, Calgary Chapter worked in collaboration with Dr. Barbara Schneider. All of the Peer Support Unsung Heroes Program members live with schizophrenia and have experienced housing instability. They conducted interviews and focus groups with 30 people who live with schizophrenia as part of the project. Their research examined the tension between care and control in the relationship between people who live with mental illness, and housing and medical service providers. “Before I met Barbara Schneider, I had only given fingerprints, or watched lights on a computer. Research had always been done to us, as subjects. But I think that people who are living with the experiences of mental illness are the experts,” says Michele. After eight years of research, the group is now sharing their findings all over Canada through video productions, a reader’s theater, a photo voice project, a graphic novel, and a book. “Barbara is a woman with a vision and she really helped to empower us and give us a platform. She helped us to articulate our needs and have a voice,” says Michele. She explains that their research gave her the self-confidence to speak out about injustices in the system. “It allowed us to put the pieces of the puzzle back together, rather than being taken apart. It allowed us to rebuild our lives with dignity and respect. By contributing to the field, we refuted that people living with mental illness just take up space,” says Michele. Michele was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1988, and has since traveled her own path of recovery through illness and health. For anyone living with mental illness, periods of illness do not unalterably define who we are, though they change our perceptions and affect our lives. It is a journey in and out of varying states of mind. This journey impacts many areas of a person’s life including relationships, housing, family, finances, employment, meaning, and self-esteem. Michele sees these challenging periods as filled with loss. “There have been so many losses with schizophrenia. I have lost education, identity, purpose, and friends. I have also had a chance to rebuild my life,” says Michele. Initial signs of challenges to follow occurred while Michele was studying political science in college. She experienced fatigue, an unexpected drop in her grades, and a lack of motivation. Following a car accident and head injury, she began to fall asleep for entire class periods. She did not know what was happening to her. “I couldn’t understand any of it as I had always been a good student and eager to learn and I was sleeping adequately,” says Michele. Following her first year of school at the university level, Michele began to experience hallucinations. She explains that the thoughts she experienced during this time are fixed false beliefs. For people who experience schizophrenia, these beliefs are usually associated with what the person is exposed to. Michele understands that because she was exposed to political science, her hallucinations and delusions were political in nature. “I was very fearful of Russia, and I believed that communists were following me to class, placing bombs underneath my car. If I didn’t turn my car on, then I would be safe. It was like Russian roulette, and it was very illogical. My fears increased; they were unrelenting. One day I went to my car thinking that they were going to kill me, but the bomb never went off. At that point, I drove home and never returned to the university and never withdrew. I received failing grades in all of my courses,” explains Michele. After leaving the university, Michele held a job but faced persistent hallucinations and fixed false beliefs. Eventually, she left her job and experienced a long period of severe housing instability. Michele isolated herself in her apartment. She recalls having no food, experiencing day and night reversal in which she would be vigilant all night with fear and sleep all day. Hallucinations that impacted all of her senses increased in severity. “I smelled skunks and perfume that were not in the apartment, and coffee that was not brewing. I didn’t even drink coffee. It seemed that my body was raised above my bed and that I had electricity flowing through me,” says Michele. She tasted, smelled, felt, and saw things that did not exist outside of her thought disorder. One morning she woke up screaming, believing that communists had performed brain surgery and torture with a pick through her ear canal. It was at this point that she called her mother for help. Her diagnosis at the hospital led to anger and a frustration that the medical professionals were part of the ongoing conspiracy she understood to be real. She was placed on medications that she describes as horrible. “They made my mind blank. I was a like a catatonic mushroom. I just stared unrelentingly and nothing was happening in my brain,” says Michele. For ten years following Michele’s diagnosis she experienced poverty, housing instability, an army of medications that did not work. She moved in and out of what she describes as “sick periods.” In ten years Michele was hospitalized seven times. Each time resulted in a release after ten days. She moved housing locations thirty times, from one unaffordable substandard apartment to another. “Rent took my entire paycheck. I lived in houses with mold and mice, in dungeons with no windows,” says Michele. She believes adequate housing is essential to success. She now lives in a house thanks to Habitat for Humanity. “If it hadn’t been for Habitat, I would not have gotten out of the places I was living,” says Michele. Today Michele has found medications that support her cognitive functioning and her quality of life. Her daughter is 17 and is going to the university. Michele has support from family and friends and meaningful employment doing what she loves. Michele is clear to articulate what she wants from service providers: honesty, respect, and mutual decision-making. Check out the "Related Items" to the right of the screen.

“Recovery is the journey. It is what you are doing now, whatever that is. Recovery is possible. You may have had so many losses, but your life can be so much better,” says Michele Misurelli, Coordinator of the Unsung Heroes Program at the Schizophrenia Society of Alberta, Calgary, Canada. She is also a member of the participatory research team at The University of Calgary that produced Hearing [ou

There has been a steady increase in state-subsidized children's health coverage since implementation of the Governor's eligibility policy in early 2005 and the legislative directive to cover all kids by 2010. - Given the current economic climate and the January 01, 2009 expansion of state-subsidized coverage to all children in families with incomes below 300% of the federal poverty level (FPL), this growth is forecasted to continue. Highlighting this anticipated increase, the November 2009 Caseload Forecast Council (CFC) estimates diverge substantially from those put forward in March 2009. - November 2009 Caseload Forecast Council estimates that caseload will be approximately 789,161 by June 2011, an increase of 113,520 from August 2009. As of August 2009, over 95,763 more children were receiving state-subsidized health care coverage (DSHS and BHP) since July 2007 when the SB 5093 expansion policy was implemented. Between May 2009 and August 2009, more than 15,000 additional children were receiving state-subsidized health care coverage. - In 25 months, the State had already reached and more than doubled its target of 38,500 new children covered by June 2009. - DSHS alone achieved this goal by August 2008, little more than a year after the 2-year target was set (see the graph on the DSHS AHFK Enrollment tab to the left). - As of August 2009, 671,541 children were enrolled in Apple Health for Kids; this represents 40% of all children in Washington State. - By June 2011, Apple Health for Kids will be providing health coverage for 785,061 children (46%) in Washington State.

There has been a steady increase in state-subsidized children's health coverage since implementation of the Governor's eligibility policy in early 2005 and the legislative directive to cover all kids by 2010. - Given the current economic climate and the January 01, 2009 expansion of state-subsidized coverage to all children in families with incomes below 300% of the federal poverty level (FPL), th

The Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) in 1998 confirmed that a vast region of Mars south of the Elysium volcanoes is covered by a relatively young lava surface that was very fluid when it erupted--so fluid that it ran more than a thousand kilometers (more than 600 miles) across a region known as the Elysium Basin and a channel named Marte Vallis. This result was initially reported by MOC scientists in October 1998 (CLICK HERE for the previous Elysium Basin release). The picture above expands upon these results. MOC image 38804 (above) shows a portion of Marte Vallis. Marte Vallis has been thought by some to have been carved by a giant water flood. However, the picture shown here does not have any flood features. If there ever was a water flood, all of the evidence in this particular location (at 7.1°N latitude and 182.7°W longitude; CLICK HERE for a context image) has been covered-up by a vast lava flow. When it was forming, the lava flowed from the lower left, toward the center right, then curved to the left and flowed toward the top-center of the frame. The center of the lava flow in image 38804 has a wide, shallow channel bounded by steep, discontinuous walls--also known as levees. Such leveed channels are commonly the conduit through which some of the later stages of molten rock are transported along a lava flow. The margins of the lava flow are broken into plates--some of them several kilometers across. These plates were once part of a hard, rock crust that floated on molten lava. As the lava flowed down Marte Vallis, huge chunks of this crust broke off at the margins of the flow and floated a few kilometers away from where they had originated. Long after the lava had cooled and hardened, a distant meteorite impact splashed ejecta across the martian surface such that a field of small craters--known as secondary craters--formed on top of the lava flow shown here. MOC image 38804 was taken on June 25, 1998. This subframe shows an area 15.8 km by 45.8 km (9.8 miles by 28.5 miles) in size. The image here has a resolution of about 31 meters (101 feet) per pixel. North is approximately up, illumination is from the right. Malin Space Science Systems and the California Institute of Technology built the MOC using spare hardware from the Mars Observer mission. MSSS operates the camera from its facilities in San Diego, CA. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Surveyor Operations Project operates the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft with its industrial partner, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena, CA and Denver, CO.

The Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) in 1998 confirmed that a vast region of Mars south of the Elysium volcanoes is covered by a relatively young lava surface that was very fluid when it erupted--so fluid that it ran more than a thousand kilometers (more than 600 miles) across a region known as the Elysium Basin and a channel named Marte Vallis. This result was initially report