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Maibritt Ulvedal Bjelke
MUB expo text
MUB expo text bilingual
Galerie Pugliese Levi is pleased to announce its opening in Berlin. The inaugural exhibition will show recent works by the Danish painter Maibritt Ulvedal Bjelke. Opening reception on Saturday, March 18th, 2017 at 18:00, in the presence of the artist.
Galerie Pugliese Levi opens in Auguststraße with a solo exhibition by the Danish artist Maibritt Ulvedal Bjelke. The work of the artist is shown for the first time in Germany.
The works of Maibritt Ulvedal Bjelke fascinate the viewer by their color. The juxtaposition of different, very narrow strips of paper, on which only colored sections can be seen, produce an apparent flicker. From a distance, the small and large formats of Static Paintings (from 7.5 × 10 × 3.5 cm to 180 × 180 × 3.5 cm) are very lively and three-dimensional. The applied collage technique creates randomly arranged new patterns and structures, which demonstrate the infinite combination possibilities of form and color and, when closely scrutinized, reflect the craft process. The large format static paintings are presented here for the first time ever.
The work of another group of works is painted with seemingly fleeting stripes, but not with the brush, but by a dripping technique: diagonal, horizontal, vertical - always with a clear integration of the white background into the rhythm of the colors. Dynamic and break-up of the lines result from the combination of different formats, e.g. Two triangles forming a square, six triangles forming a hexagon, or multi-part rectangles.
For Maibritt Ulvedal Bjelke there is at first no concrete idea for a picture, the painting process itself and the color give the creation of the picture before and thus open up the entire picture space. Her works are images for their own sake, objects in space, which can be filled with meaning and emotions by the viewer and are completely devoted to him.
PR2017-Galerie_Pugliese_Levi-Bjelke-EN.pdf
MUB selected works
chroma-flirt no. 02
darcy no. 01–16 series II
7.5 × 10 × 3.5 cm each
static-romance no. 02
grande-toquade
toquade no. 04
mikado-like no. 04
twisted-toquade no. 05 series I
english-tangram no. 02
MUB bio
Maibritt Ulvedal Bjelke was born in 1967 in Copenhagen and studied paining at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where she lived until 2011. She currently lives and works in St Leonards-on-Sea, UK.
Bjelke has been invited to participate in a number of artists' residencies around the world, including The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation in Connecticut (2007) and the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre in Latvia (2009). Her work has been widely shown in France (Galerie Maria Lund, Zürcher, Suzanne Tarasiève) — in Denmark (Galleri Weinberger, Banja Rathnov Galleri & Kunsthandel) — in Switzerland (Galerie Proarta) and in the United States (DCA Gallery).
Her paintings are in a number of prestigious international collections, including The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, Mark Rothko Art Centre, Cerrutti, Giorgio Armani France, General Motors, Copenhagen Art Foundation.
Recent solo shows include Colour Galore at Galerie Maria Lund in 2018, and Chromatic Matters at the Mark Rothko Art Centre in Latvia in 2019. Maibritt Ulvedal Bjelke showed her work in Germany for the first time in occasion of the inaugural show at Galerie Pugliese Levi in 2017, followed by two other solo exhibitions in 2018 and 2020. A catalogue is available on request.
CV MUB march 2020 .pdf
MUB catalogue
Paperback with flaps
48 pages, 24 color plates
Published by Galerie Pugliese Levi
Please contact the gallery if you wish to receive a catalogue.
Flip through catalogue online


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← Is That a Razr in Your Pocket, or is the FBI Glad to See Me?
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Pentagon Rushes to Build Mega-Complex at Gitmo — Before Dems Take Congress?
Today's Miami Herald has a great story on the Pentagon's unseemly rush to build "in three months, a mini-city on an abandoned airfield to stage the trials — two new courtrooms with space for two more, dining, housing and work space for up to 1,200 military and civilians working at the trials, and media, conference and classified information centers."
The Pentagon is invoking emergency authority to fast-track funding of a comprehensive war-crimes court compound at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, according to a letter to Congress obtained by The Miami Herald.
Department of Defense spokesmen would not say when — if ever — the Pentagon had last invoked similar authority.
Nor would they specify which military construction already approved by Congress would be frozen to fund the courtroom project, which could cost as much as $125 million, according to U.S. government documents.
Since Congress hasn't appropriated funds for this, the emergency money for the secret no-bid contract is coming out of something else — the war effort, if you will.
Hard to escape the feeling that the rush here is that once the Democrats are in Congress they won't allow this sort of travesty, and Rumsfeld wants to, as Menachem Begin used to put it, "make facts" on the ground.
This entry was posted in Guantanamo. Bookmark the permalink.
2 Responses to Pentagon Rushes to Build Mega-Complex at Gitmo — Before Dems Take Congress?
Phill says:
If the funds have not been appropriated then the sensible thing to do would be to send the contractor a note explaining the situation and the fact that they should expect to be returning the funds when constitutional government is restored.
Alternatively attach a rider to a critical bill that stipulates than no contractor who has received funds from a program not authorized by Congress can bid on or receive funds under any government contract until the funds have been repaid in full with interest.
Go Democrats! says:
Phill,
Are you kidding me? I am a Democrat (obviously by my name), but as far as I am concerned we need to build a stronger interrogation room/court tribunal in Cuba. For Constitutional reasons, we cannot build one in America, but there is no other way to combat terrorism. They fight with flame torches, and we can only counter it with a cigarette lighter? Come on buddy… let's be realistic here. America's values may have to drop slightly, but there is no other way to destroy terrorism when the terrorist army is willing to die for their cause.
Think about it… when someone is willing to die for their cause, then the whole institution of warfare changes… now there cannot be any POW's, or truces… there are only two choices, either ALL of them die, or ALL of us die. Quite frankly, I'd rather wipe them all off the map.
There was only one way to stop the kamikazees of WW2.. and that was drop the atomic bomb (not once… but twice!). Perhaps there was another option I guess, and that is to fight 15-30 years of war and let millions of people die… oh wait, that's whats happening in IRAQ right now.
I may be a Democrat… but I support this project in Guantanamo.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Bangkok Hotel Lotus Sukhumvit is a 4-star hotel strategically located in Sukhumvit Soi 33. Ideal for business trips and holidays alike, the EmDistrict is 2 minutes walk from the hotel, with BTS Phrom Phong easily accessible nearby. The rooms are comfortable and spacious and our facilities include a restaurant, a bakery/bar, an outdoor swimming pool, fully equipped gymnasium with sauna and spa. The area around the hotel is vibrant and has a range of restaurants and bars located within and around Soi 33.


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Elevator music (also known as Muzak, piped music, or lift music) is a type of background music played in rooms where many people come together (that is, with no intention whatsoever to listen to music), and during telephone calls when placed on hold. There is a specific sound associated with elevator music, but it usually involves simple instrumental themes from "soft" popular music, or "light" classical music being performed by slow strings. This type of music was produced, for instance, by the Mantovani Orchestra, and conductors such as Franck Pourcel and James Last, peaking in popularity around the 1970s.

More recent types of elevator music may be computer-generated, with the actual score being composed entirely algorithmically.

Other uses
The term can also be used for kinds of easy listening, piano solo, jazz or middle of the road music, or what are known as "beautiful music" radio stations.

This style of music is sometimes used to comedic effect in mass media such as film, where intense or dramatic scenes may be interrupted or interspersed with such anodyne music while characters use an elevator. Some video games have used music similarly: Metal Gear Solid 4 where a few elevator music-themed tracks are accessible on the in-game iPod, as well as Rise of the Triad: Dark War, GoldenEye 007, Mass Effect, and Earthworm Jim.

Opposition
There are a number of societies, such as Pipedown, that are dedicated to reducing the extent and intrusiveness of piped music.  This campaign group proposes that some people can be deeply annoyed by piped music, and even find it spoils their enjoyment in recreation or drives them out of shops.  They suggest that eight out of 10 people have left an establishment early because it was too noisy.   The Good Pub Guide 2017 called for a ban on piped music in pubs, already the case in houses managed by the Samuel Smith Brewery.

References

Elevators
Easy listening music
Industrial music services

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


For Captain Marvel fans, we're all still riding the high of learning Brie Larson will be the woman who will bring Carol Danvers to life on the big screen in 2019. While we've got a bit of a long wait to see Captain Marvel shake things up in the MCU—even if she does appear in Infinity War, that movie doesn't release till 2018—talk is already starting about what we can expect to see in her standalone film. According to Captain Marvel screenwriter Nicole Perlman, fans of the source comics might be a bit surprised when they meet her on the big screen.
Perlman recently appeared on the podcast Any Time with Vin Forte to talk more about the film, and she explained the story of how Carol Danvers becomes Captain Marvel will veer away from the origin story in the comics. The reasoning behind this is simple: there are a lot of superhero movies out there, y'all, and by 2019, there will be even more. Whether you prefer Marvel or DC, there's no denying that a lot of the superheroes out there mirror each other pretty well. Captain Marvel has an origin story that involves having received her powers thanks to radiation from the Kree Psyche-Magnitron machine mixing her genes with those of a Kree alien named Mar-Vell, who physically shielded Carol from the Psyche-Magnitron's blast. Kree genes plus radiation blast made our beloved Carol Danvers a superhero. That story, while awesome, is strikingly similar to the origin story of the DC Comics hero, The Green Lantern, and Perlman wanted to be sure Carol's story didn't get shrugged off by movie audiences as too much of a Green Lantern copy.
So not only will Perlman and the team behind Captain Marvel have to change up Carol's origin enough to separate it from Green Lantern's story, but they'll also have to keep it unique enough to not feel like a recycled Marvel plot line. (And we've already got super-soldiers, a Norse god, an archer, a rich genius, an assassin, a science experiment gone wrong... so a lot of ground has been covered already). And while they're doing all of that, the MCU needs to stay true to Carol herself. Ultimately, if Captain Marvel of the movies doesn't feel like Captain Marvel of the comics, they'll lose a solid chunk of fans.
Of course, Marvel has proved time and again that they are more than capable to do great work bringing our favorite comic book heroes to life. Nicole Perlman herself was a writer for Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor, so we definitely know she's got the writing chops to keep Carol Danvers amazing while also making her story unique. Still, it's always a bit nerve-wracking to hear a major story change will happen right out of the gate.
What do you think of the Captain Marvel film changing Carol's origin story? Do you think it will make the film stronger, or hurt the character? Let's talk about it in the comments!


Therma-Tone Slim Review – Ingredients Benefits or Side Effects!
Keto Thrive Review – This Ingredients Helps? TRUTH!
Crepe Erase Review- Scam Or Legit? MUST READ!
South Beach Diet Keto Review – Is it Worth it? Shocking Secret Exposed!


Pit bull type dogs make up the largest percentage of dogs in shelters across the US and make up approximately 40% of all dogs euthanized each year. Established in December of 2016, Save-A-Bull Rescue has dedicated itself to the rescue, rehabilitation, and adoption of pit bull type dogs that would otherwise be overlooked. Firmly fastened with our efforts of rescuing at-risk dogs, is our vision of a fully informed public—to be accomplished only by tireless community outreach and education.
All of the dogs pictured below are waiting for their forever homes. Click on their picture to learn more.


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Advances in Materials Science and Engineering
Advances in Materials Science and Engineering / 2018 / Article
AbstractIntroductionMaterials and MethodsResults and DiscussionConclusionsConflicts of InterestAcknowledgmentsReferencesCopyright
Advances in Building Technologies and Construction Materials 2018
Volume 2018 |Article ID 9739853 | 10 pages | https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/9739853
Seismic Behavior of Rammed Earth Walls with Precast Concrete Tie Columns
Xinlei Yang 1,2 and Hailiang Wang1,2
1School of Civil Engineering, Tianjin Chengjian University, No. 26, Jinjing Road, Xiqing District, Tianjin 300384, China
2Tianjin Key Laboratory of Civil Buildings Protection and Reinforcement, No. 26, Jinjing Road, Xiqing District, Tianjin 300384, China
Academic Editor: Robert Cerný
Received03 Dec 2017
Published13 Mar 2018
Rammed earth (RE) constructions are widespread in underdeveloped rural areas in developing countries. However, these RE constructions are often susceptible to earthquake damage due to their poor seismic performance. Precast concrete tie columns and ring beam (tie bars) were proposed to improve the seismic behavior of RE constructions. Four RE walls, including a traditional RE wall and three RE walls with precast concrete tie columns and ring beam (tie bars), were tested under reversed cyclic loading, and the seismic behavior of these tested specimens was evaluated in terms of failure pattern, energy dissipation, displacement ductility, and stiffness degradation. The results showed that a significant increase of the load-bearing and deformation capacity could be achieved with the application of precast concrete tie columns in combination with RE. The load-bearing capacity and deformation capacity of traditional RE wall were increased by an average of 113% and 417%, respectively. These test results could provide reference to the design and construction of the environmental-friendly structures in rural areas.
Rammed earth (RE) dwellings are widespread in underdeveloped rural areas of western China, which has several advantages over other buildings, including low cost, easy availability, thermal comfort, and low intervention with surroundings. However, RE constructions have drawbacks of sensitivity to water, propensity to shear failure, and lacking systemic engineering design concerning earthquake. They are susceptible to earthquake damage owing to low compressive strength, shear strength, and durability [1–5].
Many efforts have been undertaken to enhance the mechanical properties of rammed earth. Niroumand et al. [6] investigated the influence of nanotechnology on material characteristics of rammed earth, and the results showed that nanoclay could increase the level of compressive strength in rammed earth walls and be used as a cohesive material in the soil mixture. Venkatarama Reddy and Prasanna Kumar [7] studied the relationship among soil density, moisture content, and compressive strength and found that the compressive strength of rammed earth was very sensitive to its dry density and moisture content. Cheah et al. [8] conducted an experimental study of the shear strength of a stabilized RE material reinforced with sisal and flax fibres. The results showed that a shear failure of the triplet test appeared along the weak interface between layers, but specimens failed along diagonal shear plane at the triaxial test. Bouhicha et al. [9] conducted a study to investigate the influence of fibre length and fibre fraction on compressive strength, flexural strength, and shear strength of rammed earth. The results proved that adding straw could decrease shrinkage damage, reduce the curing time, and improve the mechanical property. Bui et al. [10] analyzed the role of the moisture content on the mechanical characteristics and illuminated the importance of suction to RE specimens. There are limited numbers of studies on the improvement of the performance of rammed earth buildings using various reinforcement technologies. Bu et al. [11] studied the effect of the split-level construction or pin keys on shear strength of rammed earth walls and found that the two methods were effective in improving the shear strength of construction with respect to the traditional method.
Generally, many experimental investigations have been conducted to enhance the mechanical properties of rammed earth by improvements in material characterization (chemical, physical, mechanical, and durability) and possible additions (lime, cement, straws, and fibres). However, there are limited investigations addressing the issues of the attempt to enhance seismic performance of rammed earth buildings by means of structural strengthening solutions. In this paper, precast concrete tie columns and precast concrete tie beam (tie bar) were proposed to improve the seismic behavior of RE constructions, and the effectiveness of these structural strengthening solutions is validated by conducting cyclic loading tests. The test results could provide data to support the RE construction practices.
2.1. Materials
In this study, the used soil was taken from Gongyi County in Henan Province, China, which is located in the East Loess Plateau. The properties of selected soil are outlined in Table 1. Generally, compaction characteristics of rammed earth are evaluated by two important parameters, that is, optimum moisture content (OMC) and maximum dry density (MDD). By the standard Proctor tests, OMC is 16.5% and MDD is 1710 kg/m3.
Property Parameters Value
Grain size distribution Gravel fraction 28%
Sand fraction 44%
Silt fraction 13%
Clay fraction 15%
Atterberg limit Liquid limit 27.8%
Plastic limit 17.7%
Plastic index 10.1%
Proctor test Optimum moisture content 16.5%
Maximum dry density (kg/m3) 1710
Summary of soil properties.
In view of the availability, economy, and ease of construction, cement was selected as a stabilizer. Ordinary Portland cement of 42.5 grade was used in the experimental investigations. In the experimental investigations, 10% cement by dry mass of soil was used for production of test specimens. In the test specimens, the diameter of corrosion resistant zinc-coated wire used as tie bars is 2.6 mm. Table 2 summarizes the properties of the steel bars. During the construction of each wall, 150 × 150 × 150 mm cubes were prepared to test compressive strength of cement-stabilized rammed earth (CSRE). The average compressive strength was in the range of 4.5∼8.4 MPa.
Bar type Yield strength (MPa) Ultimate tensile strength (MPa) Elastic modulus (GPa) Ultimate elongation (%)
Φ6 356 418 202 22.4
Φ2.6 352 435 202 15.4
Mechanical properties of reinforcing bars.
2.2. Specimen Design and Construction
This research conducted experimental investigations on four 1/3-scale 1600 × 1200 × 200 mm (L × H × W) RE walls under lateral cyclic loading; considering the requirement of loading equipment, the height is 1400 mm actually. The dimensions and reinforcement details of the tested specimens are shown in Figure 1.
Specimen Q-1 was designed as a traditional CSRE wall without tie columns and tie beam (tie bar) and used as a control specimen, as shown in Figure 1(a). Specimen K-1 was designed as a frame, which consisted of a precast concrete tie beam and two concrete tie columns, as shown in Figure 1(b). The other three specimens were CSRE walls with the precast concrete tie columns, and those tie columns had the same dimensions and reinforcement details. Structural characteristics of each tested specimen are briefly summarized in Table 3.
Specimen Structural characteristics Remarks
Q-1 Without tie columns Control specimen
K-1 Precast concrete tie columns + precast concrete tie beam
Q-2 Precast concrete tie columns + precast concrete tie beam + CSRE
Q-5 Precast concrete tie columns + one wire tie + CSRE
Q-7 Precast concrete tie columns + three wire ties + CSRE
Summary of structural characteristics of the tested specimens.
Specimen Q-2 was designed as a reinforced CSRE wall with a precast concrete tie beam and two concrete tie columns, as shown in Figure 1(c). Specimen Q-5 is similar to Specimen Q-2; however, one wire tie is used instead of the precast concrete tie beam, as shown in Figure 1(d). Specimen Q-7 was designed as a reinforced CSRE wall with two precast concrete tie columns and three wire ties starting at 400 mm from the top of the foundation beam that were spaced at 400 mm along the wall height, as shown in Figure 1(e). In order to prevent slippage between the CSRE wall and the steel ground beam, two rows of bolts were installed on the surface of footing and performed well as expected.
Dimensions and details of test specimens (unit: mm). (a) Q-1. (b) K-1. (c) Q-2. (d) Q-5. (e) Q-7.
Using precast concrete tie columns and tie beam could avoid negative effects of moisture on strength of CSRE. The precast concrete tie columns and tie beam had the dimensions of 80 mm × 80 mm × 1400 mm and 80 mm × 80 mm × 1440 mm, respectively, and were constructed using C30 concrete. The longitudinal reinforcement used in the precast concrete column was four Φ6 plain bars, and the transverse reinforcement was Φ2 galvanized iron wire. The longitudinal reinforcement of precast concrete tie beam was four Φ6 plain bars, and the transverse reinforcement was Φ2 galvanized iron wire. The dimensions and reinforcement details are shown in Figure 2.
Details of the precast concrete tie column (a) and tie beam (b).
The soil was prepared to their optimum moisture content determined by the compaction test and compacted inside aluminum alloy I-beam molds to form walls. The test wall is composed of several layers of earth and constructed on a steel ground beam. The earth was poured into molds in layers approximately 350 mm thick and then compacted with a pneumatic compactor rammer. The thickness of each layer after compaction maintained roughly at 200 mm. In order to guarantee the cohesiveness between layers, compacting in corners and spraying water at each layer surface were accomplished manually.
2.3. Test Setup and Instrumentation
A servohydraulic actuator with 150 kN maximum load and a ±250 mm displacement range was used to apply a quasistatic lateral loading to 1200 mm height in two opposite directions. A hydraulic jack was used to carry out a constant axial load to the top of the wall to simulate gravity actions. Specimen K-1 was only subjected to horizontal reversed cyclic loading without the vertical load. The loading devices and the site of test setup are shown in Figures 3 and 4, respectively.
The schematic drawing of loading devices.
The picture of the test setup.
For each test wall, a total of five displacement sensors were used to record the displacement developed at different loading stages, as shown in Figure 5. Displacement of the ground beam relative to strong floor was measured by number D0. Displacement of the ground beam relative to wall was measured by number D3. Lateral displacement of wall was measured by numbers D1 and D2, which were installed at loading position centerline. The diagonal strain of the wall is recorded by numbers D4 and D5, which were positioned in the diagonal direction.
Measurement layout of instrumentation.
2.4. Test Procedure and Loading Characteristics
A constant axial load of 26.43 kN simulated to gravity actions was applied to the wall and was maintained constant throughout each test. The applied axial load at the top of the walls includes the dead loads (self-weights of the roof and wall) and the live load (0.5 kN/m2), which was defined by the similitude law. It represents a normal stress of 0.08 MPa, as in current rammed earth walls in a one storey house in China.
After application of the axial load to the top of the steel beam, low-rate lateral cyclic loading of increasing amplitude-simulated lateral earthquake loading was applied to a height of 1200 mm. The test walls were loaded in a displacement- (drift-) controlled mode at a constant rate of 0.2 mm/s, and two fully reversed cycles were applied at each drift. The selected drift was intended to cause displacements that investigated inelastic deformations of the wall corresponding to earthquake action.
Each test was initiated at interval steps of 0.1% drift ratios until 0.8%. In the range of 0.8%∼2% drift ratios, the specimen was cycled at interval steps of 0.2%. In the range of 2%∼4% drift ratios, the specimen was cycled at interval steps of 0.4%. When the drift ratios reached 4%, interval steps of 0.8% drift ratios were imposed to the specimens until failure or instability. The lateral cyclic loading protocol is shown in Figure 6.
Loading history.
3. Failure Process and Modes
The final failure modes of tested specimens observed are shown in Figure 7. Specimen Q-1: the damage was initiated at a drift ratio of approximately 0.2%, at which time the first horizontal crack appeared at a distance of 230 mm from the bottom of the wall. The horizontal crack propagated in size and evolved into a horizontal penetrating crack at 0.3% drift ratio. As the drift increased, the wall was separated into two portions by this horizontal penetrating crack, and the relative slippage was observed at a drift ration of 0.8%. The cracking patterns of Specimen Q-1 are shown in Figure 7(a). Specimen Q-2: a horizontal shrinkage crack forming at 200 mm below the loading position evolved into a horizontal penetrating crack at a drift of approximately 0.2%. When increasing displacement in both the positive and negative directions, the horizontal cracks propagated to both sides of the columns and local shear failure was observed on columns at a drift of approximately 2.4%. The ultimate failure mode refers to Figure 7(b). Specimen Q-5: a horizontal shrinkage crack at the central region of the wall evolved into a penetrating crack at a drift ratio of 0.1%, and horizontal cracks occurred on both sides of tie columns at a drift ratio of 0.8%. The test was stopped at 6.4% drift ratio, and at the end of the test, the bearing capacity was not reduced except for the presence of out-of-plane displacements of the wall. The ultimate failure of the wall refers to Figure 7(c). Specimen Q-7: in the middle section of the wall, a horizontal shrinkage crack penetrated into wall core at a drift of 0.2% and the crack width increased remarkably as the drift increased. Flexural cracks emerged on both sides of precast concrete tie columns at a drift ratio of 0.6%. Specimen Q-7 was loaded at increasing drift until 9.6%, at which time the test was terminated because of out-of-plane displacements of the wall. The ultimate failure mode refers to Figure 7(d). Specimen K-1: the flexural cracks of Specimen K-1 were observed on both ends of columns at a drift ratio of 0.4% and propagated gradually along the height with the drift increasing. The concrete in the joint region spalled and crushed off at a drift ratio of 9.6%. Additionally, the column longitudinal reinforcement exposed progressed. The ultimate failure mode refers to Figure 7(e).
It could be seen from Figure 7 that the failure modes of these wall specimens were dominated by a shear failure mechanism. The horizontal penetrating cracks were mainly formed along a layer interface, illustrating that the layer interface is the weak regions in rammed earth walls. For Specimen Q-2, the earth under the precast concrete tie beam was not compacted to be very dense due to space constraints and formed a weak region, which causes the local failure appearing on both sides of precast concrete tie columns ahead of expected theoretical design attributed to uneven distributed load. The performance of Specimen Q-5 is similar to that of Specimen Q-7, in terms of crack development and reduction process of bearing capacity, respectively. With increasing drift amplitudes, the confinement effect exerted by precast concrete tie columns and wire ties gradually played a role and the load-bearing capacity of tested specimens increased slowly. Although the load had dropped to 85% below the peak value, the increase of strength at late stage of loading can be regarded as capacity reservation.
Failure mode of tested specimens. (a) Specimen Q-1. (b) Specimen Q-2. (c) Specimen Q-5. (d) Specimen Q-7. (e) Specimen K-1.
4.1. Overall Response
The hysteresis curves are the most important characteristic for assessing the seismic performance of tested walls under cyclic loading in terms of the energy dissipation capacity, the ductility performance, strength deterioration, and stiffness degradation of the wall. The hysteresis loops (load versus story drift) of four test specimens are presented in Figure 8.
Hysteresis curves of specimens. The hysteretic response of (a) Q-1; (b) Q-1 and Q-2; (c) Q-1 and Q-5; (d) Q-1 and Q-7.
It could be seen that Specimen Q-1, as a control specimen, exhibited poor hysteretic properties with a remarkable strength drop after peak load, with this unfavorable performance attributed to lack of precast concrete tie columns in the wall. Other three wall specimens with precast concrete tie columns exhibited a stable lateral load versus drift hysteretic response, especially Specimens Q-5 and Q-7, showing that the seismic performance of rammed earth walls can considerably be improved through the use of precast concrete tie columns and wire ties.
The hysteresis loops of specimen Q-2, Q-5, and Q-7 presented a fusiform shape during initial loading. With increasing cracks, and after spalling and crushing of earth, the curve shape gradually changed into reverse S, which illustrated that cracks progressed adequately so that impossible to recover and residual deformations appeared in the later stage.
The ability of a structure to survive an earthquake depends to a large extent on its ability to dissipate the input energy. The good energy dissipation capacity indicates the capacity of the structure to perform satisfactorily in the inelastic range. The amount of cumulative energy dissipated is plotted versus the roof drift in Figure 9. The energy dissipation capacity of Specimen K-1 is significantly inferior to other three specimens at the same drift, which illustrates that the rammed earth plays a major role in energy dissipation capacity. After comparison of Specimen Q-1 and other three walls, it could be found that the cowork between tie columns and walls was effective on significantly improving the capacity of the energy dissipation. The energy dissipation capacity of each rammed earth wall specimen was similar at the same drift, which indicated that the energy was mainly dissipated by rammed earth.
Comparison of cumulative energy dissipation of specimens.
4.2. Skeleton Curves
The comparison of skeleton curves of the RE walls is shown in Figure 10. The skeleton curve of Specimen Q-1 shows a peak load at a drift ratio of 0.2% and rapid degradation in strength properties with increasing displacement, which indicates that Specimen Q-1 did not perform as well as other three walls in terms of bearing capacity and deformability capacity. The strength of specimens Q-2, Q-5, and Q-7 reached peak load almost simultaneously at a drift ratio of 1.2%. Specimen Q-2 did not perform as well as Specimens Q-5 and Q-7, showing that wire ties are more effective than tie beam on enhancing deformation capacity. Finally, it could be concluded that the proposed precast concrete tie columns are effective on dramatically improving the performance of the seismic and deformability.
Comparison of skeleton curves of specimens.
4.3. Ductility Capacity and Bearing Capacity
The ductility capacity is identified as an important parameter for earthquake-resistant constructions, which could be calculated as the ratio of ultimate displacement to the yield displacement. Using the ultimate displacement and calculated yield, the ductility capacity value is determined as follows:where is determined as corresponding to a 15% drop of the peak load and is the displacement corresponding to the yield load.
The peak load, the ultimate displacement, the yield load, the yield displacement, and ductility value of the test walls are presented in Table 4. Although the ductility value of Specimen Q-2 was slightly lower than that of Specimen Q-1, the deformation capacity of Specimen Q-2 was significantly higher than that of Specimen Q-1. The ductility value of Specimens Q-5 and Q-7 is 18.79% and 38.1% higher than that of Specimen Q-1, respectively, which shows that the application of precast concrete tie columns and precast concrete tie beam (wire ties) could significantly improve the deformation capacity of the test walls. The ductility value of Specimens Q-7 is 16.28% higher than that of Specimen Q-5, attributed to the increase in the number of wire ties.
Parameter Py (kN) (mm) Pmax (kN) Δmax (mm) Pu (kN) (mm) Mean value of μ
Q-1 POS 18.78 1.39 18.78 2.40 15.96 7.62 5.48 5.74
NEG −16.65 −1.35 −19.04 −2.40 −16.18 −8.09 5.99
Q-2 POS 26.14 4.77 40.73 9.60 34.62 16.24 3.40 3.27
NEG −29.09 −5.21 −46.25 −12.00 −39.31 −16.35 3.14
Q-5 POS 25.84 5.58 38.40 16.80 32.64 38.83 6.96 6.82
NEG 26.29 −5.76 −44.35 −14.40 −37.70 −38.47 6.68
Note. POS: positive direction; NOG: negative direction. Py: the yield load; : the displacement corresponding to the yield load; Pmax: the peak load; Δmax: the displacement corresponding to the peak load; : determined as corresponding to a 15% drop of the peak load; Pu: the load corresponding to .
Global displacement ductility values of test specimens.
The result clearly shows that the yield load and the yield displacement of Specimens Q-2, Q-5, and Q-7 are significantly higher than control Specimen Q-1. Compared with control Specimen Q-1, the ultimate bearing capacity of other three specimens was increased by 95%∼130%, which were confined by precast concrete tie columns and precast concrete tie beam (wire ties). The maximum bearing capacity of Specimen Q-2 is the largest among four wall specimens, and the maximum bearing capacity of Specimen Q-5 was similar to that of Specimen Q-7, showing that effect of the precast concrete tie beam is better than that of tie bars in terms of maximum bearing capacity.
4.4. Stiffness Degeneration
Stiffness degradation is one of the most important criteria for evaluating the performance of test walls, when subjected to simulated lateral earthquake loading in successive low-rate reversed cycles. The stiffness at different cycles was determined using (2). This calculation only involves the first reversal cycle. The comparison of stiffness degradation for all specimens is shown in Figure 11.
Stiffness degeneration curves.
The initial stiffness of the confined walls (Q-2, Q-5, and Q-7) is close to that of the control specimen, Q-1, which is attributed to low lateral stiffness of the frame (K-1). The secant stiffness of Specimen Q-1 is only approximately 40% of the other three walls at a drift ratio of 0.8%. The walls confined by precast concrete tie columns had a lower rate of stiffness degradation compared to Specimen Q-1, attributed to the restriction from precast concrete tie columns and precast concrete tie beam (wire ties).
4.5. The Influence of Tie Column and Tie Beam (Wire Ties)
Figure 12 shows a comparison of bearing capacity of five specimens at different drifts. "Q-1 + K-1" denotes the summation of the bearing capacity of Specimens K-1 and Q-1 at the specific drift. Because the test of specimen Q-1 was terminated at a drift ratio of 0.8%, it is assumed that the subsequent bearing capacity remains constant.
Comparison of strength of specimens at specific drifts. Comparison of strength between (a) Q-2 and Q-1; (b) Q-5 and Q-1; (c) Q-7 and Q-1.
Referring to Figure 12, it can be seen that there is little difference between the bearing capacity of Specimens Q-2, Q-5, and "Q-1 + K-1" when the drift is not beyond 0.3%, which shows that the action of two precast concrete tie columns and one precast concrete tie beam (wire tie) is weak. The bearing capacity of Specimen Q-7 is bigger than that of "Q-1 + K-1," and this could be due to the fact that there are three wire ties; therefore, the combined action of two precast concrete tie columns and three wire ties is stronger than that of one wire ties. On the whole, the effect of precast concrete tie columns and precast concrete tie beam (wire ties) on the bearing capacity is not obvious at the initial stage of loading. When the story drift is beyond 0.3%, the effect of precast concrete tie columns and precast concrete tie beam (wire ties) on the bearing capacity is more and more obvious as the story drift increases.
Four rammed earth walls were tested under lateral cyclic loading, and the seismic performance were discussed in terms of bearing capacity, stiffness degradation, and displacement ductility, and so on. Based on the results of this investigation, the following conclusions could be drawn:(1)A majority of cracks were observed in the middle section of the wall attributed to the low shear strength in layers. Hence, it is necessary to consider the possibility of split-level construction and pin keys to improve the shear strength.(2)The proposed construction measures are effective on significantly improving the performance of bearing capacity and deformability.(3)The effect of precast concrete tie columns and precast concrete tie beam (wire ties) on the bearing capacity is not obvious at the initial stage of loading; however, when the story drift is beyond 0.3%, the effect is significant.(4)In general, the application of wire ties instead of a tie beam is practical and effective, and the number of wire ties has an effect on the seismic performance of the RE walls.
The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper.
This work was supported by Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China (Grant no. 2015BAL03B02).
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Copyright © 2018 Xinlei Yang and Hailiang Wang. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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Will Michigan School Shooting Lead to Greater Liability Exposure for School Leaders?
Last week's deadly shooting at Oxford High School in Michigan is likely to intensify the potential of future civil litigation against school administrators for alleged failures to assess and react to the potential for violence.
Ethan Crumbley, a 15-year-old sophomore, has been charged in the shooting that killed four fellow students and injured seven others, including a teacher. His parents have also been charged with involuntary manslaughter for failing to intervene on the morning of the attack during a meeting with school leaders about his conduct, including drawings described as "disturbing." Administrators allowed Crumbley to return to class after his parents refused to withdraw him from classes. The shooting attack followed in the early afternoon.
"While I don't foresee more prosecutions in this specific case based on the facts we now know, I suspect this incident will lead to the creation of more aggressive 'best practices' for school administrators," says Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann appellate partner David Coale. "If districts and administrators fail to follow their own policies it almost certainly would lead to lawsuits."
For more information or to interview David Coale, please contact Sophia Reza at 800-559-4534 or sophia@androvett.com.
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Reflection is an important part of the learning process. One tool I developed for reflection is the Chrome extension SlideShot. It automatically takes a screenshot every minute. Students have the option to manually add screenshots as well. Clicking finish on the extension automatically creates a Google Slides presentation of the screenshots. Each slide contains a text box that allows students to reflect on what they were strategizing during that screenshot.
Now out is my newest Chrome extension, Alice Keeler Webcam Record, that will allow students to record using their webcam for 30 seconds. The recording is automatically added to Google Drive and the link to the recording is placed on the clipboard for easy sharing.
Webcam Record is available in the Chrome Webstore: install it here.
Since Webcam Record saves directly to Google Drive students can easily add video reflections to their Google Slides SlideShot presentation.
In this example, I started with a factoring puzzle (alicekeeler.com/factoringpuzzle). The objective being to figure out what 3 numbers multiplied to obtain the edge numbers. This requires strategic thinking.
Students start by clicking on the SlideShot Chrome extension to start the screenshot process.
Students make a copy of the puzzle by going to alicekeeler.com/factoringpuzzle or through Google Classroom if the teacher provided each student a copy.
Students use the "Make Puzzle" menu to create a new puzzle.
As student strategizes by placing guesses for numbers in the puzzle, it is recommended that the student manually takes screenshots from the SlideShot Chrome extension.
Student chooses "Finish" in the SlideShot.
Google Slides are automatically created.
Student can choose to add a title slide.
Student views a slide with a screenshot.
Using the Webcam Record Chrome extension student can start a webcam recording.
The video saves directly to Drive.
Use the Insert menu to insert Video.
Student chooses Google Drive as the location of the video.
The student selects the webcam recording they just did.
Resize the video on the slide to the desired size.
Amazing, I love it 🙂 Merci !


Sweepstakes will be held from 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time ("ET") on April 1, 2019 through 11:59 p.m. ET on April 22, 2019 ("Sweepstakes Period").
1. ELIGIBILITY: OPEN TO LEGAL U.S. RESIDENTS RESIDING IN THE CONTIGUOUS UNITED STATES OR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA THROUGHOUT THE PROMOTION PERIOD WHO ARE 21 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AT THE TIME OF PARTICIPATION. Potential winners may be required to provide proof of legal U.S. residency if requested by Sponsor to determine eligibility and as a condition of prize award. Employees, officers and directors of National Cable Communications, LLC (the "Sponsor"), King's Hawaiian and their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliated companies, TV production partners, local ad sales systems, participating local advertisers, advertising and promotion agencies, promotional suppliers, and the immediate family members (spouses, siblings, children, parents and their respective spouses, regardless of where they live), or members of the same households (whether related or not) of such employees, officers and directors are not eligible to enter or win. VOID OUTSIDE THE DESIGNATED STATES AND WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
2. TO ENTER: During the Sweepstakes Period, enter online at www.familyfunsweeps.com by completing the online entry form with all required information and submitting as instructed. All entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET on April 22, 2019 in order to be eligible. Limit one (1) entry per person per email address and per household for the entire Sweepstakes Period. Entries received from a person or email address or household after the first entry received from that person or email address or household will be void. In the event of a dispute regarding the identity of the person submitting an online entry, the entry will be deemed to be submitted by the authorized account holder of the email address submitted at the time of entry and he/she must comply with these Official Rules. "Authorized account holder" means the natural person who was assigned an email address by an Internet access provider, service provider or other online organization that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address.
3. RANDOM DRAWING: On or about April 29, 2019 a random drawing will be conducted from among all eligible entries received to award one (1) Grand Prize (as described below) and six (6) runner-up winners (as described below). Potential winners will be notified by telephone, postal mail, email and/or express mail, at Sponsor's sole discretion. Potential winners will be required to execute and return an affidavit of eligibility, liability release and, unless prohibited by law, publicity release within seven (7) days of date of issuance. Inability to contact potential winners within three days, the return of prize notification as undeliverable, the failure to return required documents within the time period specified, the Winner's failure to communicate with sponsor in a timely fashion as determined by Sponsor, or noncompliance with these Official Rules will result in the prizes being forfeited and, at Sponsor's discretion, prizes may be awarded to an alternate winner. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received.
4. GENERAL: By participating, entrants agree [a] to these Official Rules and decisions of Sponsor and judges, which shall be final and binding in all respects relating to this Sweepstakes; [b] to release, discharge and hold harmless Sponsor, Prize Providers, King's Hawaiian and their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliated companies, participating local ad sales systems, participating local advertisers, advertising and promotion agencies and promotional suppliers, and their respective directors, officers, agents, representatives and employees (collectively, the "Promotion Entities"), from any and all injuries, liability, losses and damages of any kind resulting, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from their participation in the Sweepstakes or their acceptance, use or misuse of the prize (including any travel or activity related thereto) including, without limitation, personal injury, death and property damage, and claims based on publicity rights, copyright, trademark, defamation or invasion of privacy; and, [c] to the use of their name, likeness, statements, biographical information, voice, address (city and state only) and/or photograph on a worldwide basis in perpetuity and in any and all media, now or hereafter devised, without additional compensation, permission or notification (unless prohibited by law) and agree to execute specific consent to such use if asked to do so. If winner is 21 or older but still considered a minor in his/her state of residence, Sponsor reserves the right to award the prize in the name of his/her parent or legal guardian who will be responsible for fulfilling all requirements imposed on winner set forth herein and must accompany such winner on trip as his/her guest. Promotion Entities are not responsible for and shall not be liable for [a] electronic, hardware or software program, network, Internet or computer malfunctions, failures, or difficulties of any kind, including without limitation, damage to participants' systems due to entry in the Sweepstakes, server malfunction or by any human error or other errors or difficulties of any kind whether human, mechanical, electronic, computer, network, typographical, printing or otherwise relating to or in connection with the Sweepstakes, including, without limitation, errors or difficulties which may occur in connection with the administration of the Sweepstakes, the processing of entries, the announcement of the prize, or in any Sweepstakes-related materials; [b] failed, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer, cable, satellite, Internet Service Provider (ISP) or telephone transmissions or telephonic communications; [c] lost, late, garbled, inaccurate, misdirected, damaged, delayed, undeliverable or incomplete entries; or [d] any condition that may cause the Sweepstakes to be disrupted or corrupted. Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to cancel or suspend the Sweepstakes should fraud, misconduct, technical failure, viruses, bugs or other causes corrupt the administration, security or proper play of the Sweepstakes. If terminated, Sponsor may, at its discretion, award the prize via a random drawing from among all non-suspect, eligible entries received prior to termination. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process, or who disrupts the administration of this Sweepstakes, who intends to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other entrant or Sponsor representative or who is otherwise in violation of these Official Rules and void all associated entries. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN INDIVIDUAL TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEB SITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THIS SWEEPSTAKES MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS, AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO DISQUALIFY AND SEEK DAMAGES AND OTHER REMEDIES (INCLUDING ATTORNEY'S FEES) FROM ANY SUCH INDIVIDUAL TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. All entries and entry information become property of Sponsor and will not be returned. All applicable federal, state and local regulations apply. Entry must be made by the entrant only at the authorized website address. Entries may not be made by any other individual or any entity, and/or originating at any other Internet website or e-mail address, including but not limited to commercial sweepstakes subscription notification and/or entering service sites. Any individual who enters by any of the methods described above will be disqualified and all associated entries will be void. Use of script, macro or any device to automate entry is prohibited and all associated entries will be void. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prize (or portion thereof) with one of comparable or greater value, at its sole discretion. No other substitution or transfer is permitted.
By accepting the prize, Winners agree to hold Sponsor, King's Hawaiian and each of their affiliates, parent, subsidiaries and employees harmless against any and all claims and liability arising out of the use of the prize or any other participation in this Sweepstakes. Winners assume all liability for any injury or damage caused or claimed to be caused by participation in this promotion or redemption or use or misuse of any prize. All prizes are provided "as is" and without warranty of any kind.
5. ENTRY INFORMATION: Please note that by entering this Sweepstakes and by checking the "opt-in" boxes (as applicable), you are signifying your consent to receiving promotional and other mailings from King's Hawaiian (Sponsor), participating cable providers (as applicable) and their promotional partners, with whom they may choose to share your information. Consenting to receive such mailings is optional, does not have to be agreed to in order to be eligible to enter the Sweepstakes and does not improve your chances of winning.
The Approximate Retail Value ("ARV") of Grand Prize is three-thousand-two-hundred-dollars-and-no-cents ($3,200.00). If Grand Prize Winner elects to partake in any or all portions of his/her Prize with no guests, the Prize will be awarded to Winner and any remainder of the Prize will be forfeited and shall not be subject to further or alternative compensation. Similarly, if Grand Prize Winner and/or Guest elect to not partake in any portions of his/her Prize, that portion of Prize will be forfeited and shall not be subject to further or alternative compensation. All elements of the Prize must be redeemed at the same time, and no changes will be permitted after confirmation of any redemption. Any difference between stated ARV and final ARV of Prize will not be awarded. If Winner is between the ages of 21-24 he/she must be accompanied by an adult of at least twenty-five (25) years of age in order to check into the on-site hotel and rental car. Specific travel dates and arrangements are subject to air travel, holiday, blackout dates, and other prize and travel restrictions. Trip must be within one (1) year from the end-date of the promotion or Prize will be forfeited. Reservations are subject to availability and black-out periods. Trip must be booked at least sixty (60) days prior to intended departure date. Travel dates are subject to Prize Provider and Sponsor approval. ARV of Prize may vary depending upon the points of departure, ground transportation, and/or airline fare fluctuations; any difference between stated ARV and final ARV of Prize will not be awarded. Prize consists only of the elements expressly set forth above; no other elements or expenses (including, without limitation, insurance, meals, unspecified ground transportation, phone calls, gratuities, incidentals, souvenirs, gasoline, etc.), are included in the Prize and all such expenses are the sole responsibility of Winner. Winner is responsible for any air travel taxes and/or expenses, including applicable departure taxes or fees, inspection charges, and security charges. Once issued, tickets are nontransferable and may not be reissued once travel has commenced. Open tickets may not be issued and stopovers are not permitted. Travel arrangements must be made through Prize Provider. All Prize elements must be redeemed at the same time.
*If Winner(s) resides within a 100-mile radius of Los Angeles, California, round-trip ground transportation to/from hotel may be provided in lieu of air transportation portion of prize package, at the discretion of Sponsor. No compensation or substitution will be provided for difference in prize value, if any.
The total ARV of ALL prizes is three-thousand-eight-hundred dollars ($3,800.00).
Prize Packages have no cash equivalent and may not be redeemed for cash.
Grand Prize winner will receive a 1099 tax form from the Sponsor for the actual retail value of the prize.
7. WINNER NAMES: For the name of Winner (available after May 30, 2019) mail a hand-written request and a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: National Cable Communications, Attn: NCC Promotions, 405 Lexington Avenue 6th Floor NY, NY 10174, for receipt by May 30, 2019.
8. SPONSOR: This Sweepstakes is sponsored by National Cable Communications, LLC, 405 Lexington Avenue 6th Floor, New York, NY 10174. Neither King's Hawaiian nor any affiliates or subsidiaries thereof are sponsors of this Sweepstakes.
9. ADMINISTRATOR: This Sweepstakes is being administered by National Cable Communications, LLC, 405 Lexington Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10174.


Offering great delicious food at affordable prices in a relaxing setting.
With breathtaking floor to ceiling mountain views as your backdrop, experience the award-winning service and culinary delights of The Terrace Restaurant at The Denman Hotel.
This German/Austrian style lodge has a cosy restaurant and bar with European character. With friendly and personal service, the restaurant offers rustic, hearty and appetising meals with traditional schnitzel a speciality.
Fully licensed a-la-carte restaurant featuring both Australian and International including the popular and reknowed fondue – which is available nightly.
Central Road 2625 is based on a journey. From the moment you step into our warm nostalgic cafe you'll reminisce on your past travels with our food representing a fresh international vibe. Located in Thredbo's Village Square.
Sante Churrasco is an authentic Brazilian-style BBQ house in the rodizio style. Located in The Village Square.
Thredbo's most delectable secret. Indulge in Italian Trattoria fare, carefully curated wine list and relaxed surroundings.
The T-Bar Restaurant, one of Thredbo's most popular licensed restaurants, is centrally located in the Village Square. With an Australian high-country theme, an inviting bar and an open fire, the warm atmosphere is hard to beat anywhere.
Relax with coffee with friends at The Bakery. Enjoy freshly baked bread, delicious pastry pies, healthy salad rolls and tasty treats.
Offering a menu of mouth-watering burgers, delicious ribs and wings, oodles of comfort food, heaps of tasty bar snacks, great salads and sensational desserts that will get your tastebuds jumping.
Enjoy a delicous donuts and coffee before and//or after a day on the mountain. Located at Friday Flat.
Perfect on-snow pit stops with easy grab & go style meals, a cafe and a bar to celebrate your day on the slopes.
On the High Noon run - a great stop for breakfast and lunch - coffee, hot chocolate and great service.
Famous for its European influenced cuisine and wine list, iconic Kareela Hutte is the ultimate on-slope dining experience.
Ideal on-mountain breakfast and lunch stop for skiers and riders. Enjoy a big selection of European and modern dishes and drinks.
Located half way between Jindabyne and Thredbo on the Alpine Way. Boasting award winning schapps and gin, Austrian inspired food and contemporaray art it is a must do when visiting the Snowy Mountains Summer or Winter.
Generous, French Farmhouse style cuisine using seasonal produce with home-grown herbs and garden vegetables in summer. Winter hours - lunch and dinner. Summer hours - Thursday to Sunday.
Providing honest country style service in a relaxed environment whilst delivering wholesome, affordable comfort food you simply can't resist.
Boasting inspiring views of the Lake Crackenback waterfront and mountains, Cuisine offers authentic, flavoursome dishes, incorporating produce from the local region.
Please note above information correct at time of writing (May 2018). It is advisable to call restaurants as opening times may vary during summer and winter.


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Shareholders Achieve Major Corporate Sustainability Improvements
New analysis reinforces importance of long-term sustainability planning from portfolio companies
New Report from Shareholders Spur Action on Climate Change: Company Commitments From the '14-'15 Proxy Seasons http://bit.ly/1k792cZ
Thursday, October 15, 2015 - 8:00am
NEWSROOM: Ceres
October 15, 2015 /3BL Media/ - Following another record-breaking season for climate-related shareholder resolutions and company engagements, the sustainability advocacy nonprofit group Ceres today released a report on the implementation of corporate commitments made to shareholders. The analysis found that shareholder resolutions and company dialogues helped spur over 100 corporate commitments in 2014 and 2015 to address critical sustainability challenges including reducing greenhouse gas (GHG), limiting fossil fuel industry risks, and protecting forests. The analysis also found that the majority (73 percent), though not all of the commitments, have been fully met.
"More than ever, companies are hearing loud and clear that investors are concerned about growing sustainability risks and want to see tangible steps to manage and reduce these risks," said Chris Davis, Director of Ceres' Investor Program. "Long-term investors—from socially responsible and religious funds to major pension funds and asset managers—are increasingly focused on environmental, social and governance factors that will drive future company performance."
Shareholders Spur Action on Climate Change: Company Commitments From the 2014 & 2015 Proxy Seasons is based on information provided directly by investors. Through the analysis, 34 investors reported on how their engagements are creating tangible results, describing 31 commitments on sustainability reporting, 28 commitments on greenhouse gas reductions, 18 commitments on sustainable agriculture and deforestation, 15 commitments on carbon risks to the fossil fuel industry, and 9 commitments on other topics, including governance, water management and political involvement. Investors provided specific examples of their impact, including:
Green Century Capital Management and the New York State Common Retirement Fund filing a resolution and engaging with Archer Daniels Midland – one of the top three suppliers of agricultural commodities globally – to adopt a no-deforestation policy for its global supply chains. In doing so, ADM became the first major supplier to begin implementing a no-deforestation policy for both soy and palm oil production.
Trillium Asset Management engaging 3M to set a quantitative renewable energy goal of sourcing 25 percent of its electricity needs from renewable sources by 2025. In doing so, 3M will add nearly 800,000 megawatt hours of renewable energy use globally – primarily from wind and solar.
Boston Common Asset Management and other investors engaging with PNC Financial Services Group to embed environmental and social risk management into its overall business model, including board level oversight, enhanced high-risk sector policies, client due diligence, and improved disclosure. Among the key PNC commitments is eliminating the extension of credit to coal producers with greater than 25 percent production from mountaintop removal (MTR) mining.
During the 2015 proxy season, 167 resolutions related to or motivated by climate change were filed, surpassing previous years records. Many resolutions focus on sustainability reporting, greenhouse gas emissions and sustainable agriculture. While investors expressed encouragement for the implementation of corporate commitments to date, they remain concerned about the escalating risks that climate change poses to the global economy, society, and the planet, and will continue monitoring implementation and engaging companies on pressing sustainability issues.
Read the analysis at: http://www.ceres.org/resources/reports/shareholders-spur-action-on-climate-change-company-commitments-from-the-2014-2015-proxy-seasons/view
About Ceres
Ceres is a nonprofit organization mobilizing business and investor leadership on climate change, water scarcity and other sustainability challenges. Ceres directs the Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR), a network of over 100 institutional investors with collective assets totaling more than $13 trillion. Ceres also directs Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy (BICEP), an advocacy coalition of 34 businesses committed to working with policy makers to pass meaningful energy and climate legislation. For more information, visit www.ceres.org or follow on Twitter @CeresNews.
CATEGORY: Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment
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BlackRock CEO Letter on Sustainable Investing Is a Game Changer for the Global Investor and Corporate Community
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Radiologists call for national strategy to address medical imaging overuse
Overutilization of medical imaging services exposes patients to unnecessary radiation and adds to healthcare costs, according to a report appearing online and in the October issue of the journal Radiology that calls on radiologists to spearhead a collaborative effort to curb imaging overutilization.
"In most cases, an imaging procedure enhances the accuracy of a diagnosis or guides a medical treatment and is fully justified, because it benefits the patient," said the article's lead author, William R. Hendee, Ph.D., distinguished professor of radiology, radiation oncology, biophysics and bioethics at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. "But some imaging procedures are not justified, because they are unnecessary for the patient's care. These are the uses of imaging that we, as medical physicists, radiologists, radiation oncologists and educators, are trying to identify and eliminate."
The growth in medical imaging over the past two decades has yielded important and life-saving benefits to patients. Medical imaging has allowed millions of patients to avoid more invasive diagnostic and treatment procedures. However, overutilization of medical imaging services can be detrimental to patients by exposing them to unnecessary radiation. Between 1980 and 2006, the annual U.S. population radiation dose from medical procedures increased seven-fold, according to the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements.
In August 2009, the American Board of Radiology Foundation hosted a two-day summit with more than 60 participating organizations to examine the causes and effects of imaging overutilization.
The summit identified several key forces influencing overutilization, including payment mechanisms and financial incentives in the U.S. healthcare system, the practice behavior of referring physicians, self-referral, defensive medicine, patient expectations and duplicate imaging exams.
"There are many causes of overutilization of imaging in medicine," Dr. Hendee said. "Some of these causes, such as self-referral to physician-owned imaging facilities and defensive medicine to shield against potential lawsuits, are beyond radiology's influence to correct and must be dealt with more globally within medicine. However, some of the causes do occur within radiology, and the profession is hard at work to address them."
Summit participants offered several suggestions to reduce overutilization, such as a national collaborative effort to develop evidence-based appropriateness criteria for imaging, greater use of practice guidelines in requesting and conducting imaging exams, decision support at the point-of-care, education of referring physicians and the public, accreditation of imaging facilities, management of self-referral and defensive medicine, and payment reform.
The Radiology report outlines several of these suggestions and states that these efforts will require the cooperation and active collaboration of many groups, including radiologists, physicists, oncologists, referring physicians, payers of healthcare services, patient and public interest groups and vendors of medical imaging equipment.
A second summit called "Improving Patient Care through Effective Communicating in Imaging" was held in Washington, D.C., August 5-6, 2010.
In June 2009, the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and the American College of Radiology established the Joint Task Force on Adult Radiation Protection to address concerns about patient radiation exposure from medical imaging procedures. The task force subsequently broadened the participating primary member institutions to include the American Association of Physicists in Medicine and the American Society of Radiologic Technologists and is in the process of developing the "Image Wisely" campaign for adult radiation protection.
"Addressing Overutilization in Medical Imaging." Collaborating with Dr. Hendee were Gary J. Becker, M.D., James P. Borgstede, M.D., Jennifer Bosma, Ph.D., William J. Casarella, M.D., Beth Erickson, M.D., C. Douglas Maynard, M.D., James Thrall, M.D., and Paul E. Wallner, D.O.
Radiology is edited by Herbert Y. Kressel, M.D., Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass., and owned and published by the Radiological Society of North America, Inc. (http://radiology.RSNA.org/)
RSNA is an association of more than 44,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists committed to excellence in patient care through education and research. (RSNA.org)
For patient-friendly information on radiation dose and safety, visit RadiologyInfo.org.
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1 thought on "Radiologists call for national strategy to address medical imaging overuse"
It is so important to eliminate risks when it comes to your health! You don't want to be exposed to any more radiation than is completely necessary. I trust Desert Valley Radiology to keep me safe and healthy.


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Sure Dividend
High-Quality Dividend Stocks, Long-Term Plan
The Sure Dividend Investing MethodMember's Area
Monthly Dividend Stock In Focus: Shaw Communications
Updated on February 26th, 2020 by Bob Ciura
Shaw Communications (SJR) is a rare stock. It is based in Canada, and is the only telecom stock with a monthly dividend. The stock is listed in both New York and Toronto, and we'll be using the latter throughout this article, unless otherwise noted.
While the U.S. telecoms like Verizon (VZ) and AT&T (T) pay quarterly dividends, Shaw's monthly payouts allow investors to compound their dividend growth more quickly.
Indeed, Shaw is one of just 58 stocks that pay monthly dividends.
Click here to download your free spreadsheet of all 41 monthly dividend stocks now.
The other advantage for Shaw is it is outside the highly-competitive U.S. wireless market.
Shaw is growing subscribers and revenue, which fuels its 4%+ dividend yield. In addition, its impressive growth leaves the possibility for dividend increases moving forward.
This article will discuss Shaw's business model and why the stock could be an attractive option for income investors.
Shaw Communications was founded in 1966 as the Capital Cable Television Company. It has since grown to become Western Canada's leading content and network provider, catering to both consumers and businesses. The company produces about $4.1 billion USD in revenue annually and has a market capitalization of $9.7 billion. The stock is listed in both Canada and the U.S.
Shaw is a diversified telecommunications company. The company recently consolidated its four prior reporting segments into just two major segments, Wireless and Wireline. The Wireless segment includes service and related equipment, while the core Wireline segment includes consumer and business services.
Source: Investor Overview Presentation
In terms of service revenue, Shaw's segment breakdown is as follows:
Wireless (23% of revenue)
Wireline (77% of revenue)
Shaw provides customers with a wide variety of services, including satellite video, fiber-coax network connectivity, and mobile phone services, among others. The company serves consumers and small to medium businesses in its service area, which mostly includes Canada. The bulk of the company's revenue is from consumer services.
Shaw has struggled a bit in recent years to grow earnings as it has undergone a strategic transformation.
Shaw, in the past three years, has acquired Freedom Mobile, divested the Shaw Media and ViaWest businesses, and acquired wireless spectrum. These changes have left the company more focused on its long-term goals of sustainable growth.
Going forward, we believe there is still plenty of growth potential for the company.
The company's Q1 earnings report was released on 1/13/20 and results were strong. Consolidated revenue increased by 2.1% to $1.06 billion USD. Adjusted EBITDA increased 8.1% year-over-year to $451 million USD.
The company added 67,000 customers to the Freedom Mobile segment. Wireless service revenue increased 18.1% as the customer base grows to over 1.7 million customers. First quarter average billing per unit ("ABPU") grew by 4.5%. Postpaid churn increased for the quarter to 1.5%, primarily attributed to the intensity of competitive offers during the holiday shopping period.
Free cash flow increased 12.3% to $140 million USD, due to lower capital expenditures and cash taxes. Net income was down 12.4% from last year to $125 million USD for the first quarter of 2020. But this was almost entirely attributable to equity income recorded in Q1 2019 for the sale of the company's investment in Corus Entertainment Inc.
Management is guiding for 2020 adjusted EBITDA to grow 11% to 12% (excluding IFRS 16, adjusted EBITDA would grow 4% to 5%), with capital expenditures of $0.84 billion USD and free cash flow of $537 million.
In addition, continued revenue growth and margin expansion should help drive earnings higher, marking another step forward in the company's ongoing transformation.
Shaw could continue to generate strong revenue and free cash flow growth through its Total Business Transformation strategy. Essentially, Shaw is looking to reinvent its operating model in order to not only better meet the needs of customers, but to reduce costs at the same time.
This will help drive customer engagement, which should hopefully lead to better retention rates, and significant cost savings. Savings from this program are expected to reach $200 million in fiscal 2020. This will help improve not only earnings, but free cash flow as well via lower capital expenditures.
In total, we see Shaw growing earnings at 6% annually for the foreseeable future through a mix of revenue growth and margin expansion. Fiscal 2020 is another important step forward towards the company's growth plan, and we are optimistic on the company's prospects.
Shaw's current monthly dividend rate is approximately $0.098542 per share in Canadian dollars, and it has paid the same monthly dividend rate since March 2015. On an annualized basis, this comes out to roughly $1.18 per share. Investors should consider that since Shaw is based outside the U.S., the dividend is exposed to currency risk as the dividend is declared in Canadian dollars.
As currencies fluctuate, the dividend rate is subject to change, once it is translated back into U.S. dollars. Based on prevailing exchange rates, Shaw's dividend comes out to approximately $0.89 per share in U.S. dollars. At a recent price of ~$19 in the US, the dividend yield is 4.7%. Shaw's yield is lower than AT&T's 5.6% yield, but is higher than Verizon's 4.3% yield. Shaw has the added advantage of monthly dividend payouts, which could be appealing for income investors desiring even more frequent payments.
Another important consideration for investing in foreign companies is withholding taxes. Dividends received in Canadian dollars are typically subject to a 25% withholding tax (15% for most U.S. investors). However, there is an exception for Canadian stocks – the withholding tax is waived for U.S. investors who hold the stock in a qualified retirement account, such as a 401(k) or IRA.
Shaw's history of returning capital to shareholders is significant, even if it hasn't raised the payout since 2016.
Source: Investor Overview Presentation, page 10
The dividend was raised briskly up until 2016, but Shaw's major business transformation caused it to pause on payout increases. Indeed, this pause was necessary given the deterioration in the company's ability to finance the dividend.
Fiscal 2019 free cash flow, for instance, was $545 million, while the dividend cost $384 million. When we view the dividend of $1.18 per share in the context of earnings-per-share, which came in at just $1.42 last year, we see a similar picture of sufficient coverage.
As a result, we view the dividend as sustainable, barring a major recession or business downturn. Shaw's free cash flow guidance and earnings outlook have both improved significantly and we see the company growing its way out of the precariously financed dividend situation.
Certainly, investors would have liked dividend increases in the past few years, but Shaw simply couldn't afford it. Now, we believe those days to be over and growth in the payout can resume at some point in the relatively near future.
Importantly, Shaw's balance sheet is healthy. It has an investment grade credit rating from Standard & Poor's and a net-debt-to-adjusted EBITDA ratio of 2.5x at the end of last quarter. Its leverage ratio is well within its target range of 2.5x-3.0x.
When investors think of telecoms, they likely think of AT&T and Verizon. These are both very strong dividend stocks, but there may also be strong telecom stocks outside the U.S. that are worth considering.
Shaw has a strong business model, growth potential thanks to revenue increases and margin expansion, and its 4.7% yield is now safer than it has been in recent years. Plus, Shaw gives investors the added bonus of dividend payments each month.
Overall, we see Shaw as attractive for investors that want a relatively high yield that is also paid monthly, although AT&T remains our top pick in the telecommunications sector.
Thanks for reading this article. Please send any feedback, corrections, or questions to support@suredividend.com.
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I don't get down to Edmonton often. In fact, it had been months. The last time I went, there was still a fair bit of construction and a few points with long stretches of single lane traffic. And while I knew that 99-percent of the highway had been twinned, it didn't really hit home until I drove it for myself.
The first time I drove up to Fort McMurray was in 1996. Highway 63 was a single lane highway - at the time, a rather benign stretch of pavement. However, as the economy picked up and went from simmer to a rolling boil, Highway 63 became known as the Highway of Death and various other monikers. The volume of traffic, the behaviour of the drivers, the wide loads, and the weather all combined to take too many lives.
When a single collision took the lives of 7 beautiful people, the community rose up and said "enough is enough". The government responded and tasked then MLA Mike Allen with leading an effort to come up with a set of recommendations that would fast-track the completion of the twinning and provide some short-term strategies to improve the safety of the highway immediately.
I was there when the announcement was made that the twinning would be complete by 2016. It was a cold fall day and a mix of media and government leaders gathered on a stretch of pavement to make the formal announcement.
Now that the billion dollar project is complete, it is important to remember the effort that went into it. Hundreds, if not thousands, of men and women used their skills to shape the landscape, overcome technical challenges, and deliver a great product well ahead of schedule.
I drove the speed limit the entire way home from Edmonton to Fort McMurray. Being able to drive 110 km/hr on the twinned highway cut the time of the trip and the stress normally associated with the drive. In fact, once I got on the twinned portion of Highway 63, I didn't have a single solitary moment of stress; it was one of the smoothest rides I have ever had.
My thanks to everyone who had a hand in making the twinning of Highway 63 a reality. It is an asset for everyone in Wood Buffalo and in many ways, for the entire province. We are grateful.


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Water user associations
From wocatpedia.net
Water User Associations (WUAs) are self-governed organisations of farmers who pool their financial, technical and human resources for the use and maintenance of a defined watershed, including irrigation agriculture, livestock production and fisheries. WUA members can range from small-scale or peasant farmers, e.g. in India, to large commercial farmers, e.g. in California.[1] For policy-makers, planners and technical experts, WUA forms a conceptual and institutional tool to transfer water management from a higher political level to the actual users of water resources for agricultural production. This bottom-up organisational form of water governance aims to lead to "effective, comprehensive, integrated and sustainable" reform in water management in order to enhance perceived gaps in irrigation performance.[2]
1 Description and origins of WUAs
2 GIZ approach
3 Good practice example from Jordan
4 Risks and challenges
Description and origins of WUAs
The establishment of WUAs marks "a transfer of responsibilities and authority from the political level (government agencies) to non-governmental organisations".[2] WUAs manage water at the lowest level in a participatory and democratic manner (see table below), where the users of water, namely farmers, can elect leaders, collect water fees, implement maintenance and resolve potential conflicts over water use internally. It marks an alternative to other organisational forms governed by either the public or private sector.
The organisational concept was first introduced by Elinor Ostrom et al. in "Rules, Games, and Common-Pool Resources" (1994) to propose how to govern scarce resources at the lowest level of decision making and use.[3] In the development sector, the WUA concept has found widespread acceptance amongst many leading organisations involved in water governance strategies, such as GIZ, FAO, IWMI, and the World Bank, in order to effectively govern water resources pressurised by climate change and over-allocation. Results from the field have shown that if water users themselves directly decide the use of water, the performance of irrigation schemes increases, thus providing social and economic incentives to farmers to manage water more effectively (see section 3).
WUAs have been implemented in various countries across the world. Each country's needs and prerequisites must be thoroughly assessed before the first phase is launched. The social fabric of each country must be considered with great care. For example, the establishment processes of WUAs in African countries around small dams such as Burkina Faso were specifically designed to promote a pro-gender approach.[4] In addition, environmental analyses of water availability, the application of agronomic tools such as crop water requirements, and analyses of soil structures must play a pivotal role in the advisory services provided to the executing authorities that establish WUAs.[5]
A wide range of water user organisations has existed for centuries across the world, governed by a variety of legal facets. Today, traditional legal governance forms of watershed management pose particularly significant challenges to modern forms of WUAs due to the collision of customary law application with that of modern law.[6]The challenges and risks of modern adaptations of WUAs in developing countries such as Ethiopia will be outlined in section 4.
Source of financing
Managin capacity
board of directors from line agencies and regional govts.
heavily regulated
primarily water charges, possibly some subsidy
specialised and professional
can handle large scale complex tasks
responsible to local or state govt.
land taxes and other local govt. revenues
limited due to multiple roles, may rely on contracting
Irrigation district
WUA elects board of directors
some govt. oversight
water charges, secondary revenue
possible subsidies
moderate to sophisticated
can handle medium to large scale, with technical guidance
Mutual company
land and water rights shareholders elect board of directors
little govt. regulation
secondary revenue, may be profit-making entity
generally suitable for small to moderate scale
owners or shareholders
water charges or other profits of business
scale limited by size of capitalisation of company
agreement with sponsor organisation
paid by sponsoring organisation
can be specialised and professional
scale limited by size and company
Water user association
representatives elected by members
water charges or land tax
small scale where direct management by users is possible
Source:FAO, GTZ and IWMI (1999) p.41.[2]
GIZ approach
GIZ has actively engaged in the international debate in the development sector to promote the application of WUAs in developing countries. As a result, four phases have been identified for the successful development of WUAs.[7]
Source: GTZ (2010)[7]
Phase 1 begins with an analysis of the existing performance gaps in an irrigation scheme, followed by a sensitive solicitation of government support for a transfer of responsibilities from a government institution to a non-governmental WUA. This phase is also called "confidence building among all stakeholders", which can range from members of government to farmers. If all stakeholders can be convinced,
Phase 2 is the establishment of the institutional settings. Commissions, representational of all stakeholders, are advised on how the strategic reform can be coordinated. As in Phase 1, there is a need for the technical advisors to apply constant consensus building methods throughout the establishment of WUAs. During this process stakeholders meet and discuss together the required changes in workshops, seminars and other meetings. Stakeholders also meet and discuss with political decision makers, as well as convey their local knowledge to the involved external technical advisors from GIZ.
Phase 3 addresses crucial policy and legal issues for a successful implementation of WUAs. First, government subsidies must be gradually reduced until they are eliminated. The goal is for water users to pay for their own water usage without costly government subsidies distorting the actual price of water. Secondly, legal changes to current water law and administrative responsibilities are mandatory as WUAs face severe challenges when confronting strong government bureaucracies and powerful local governments if they have no formal water rights. Implementation of necessary legal amendments are a pre-requisite for the successful establishment of WUAs. Finally, the organisational form of the new WUA is addressed to guarantee the accountability of service provision. From the earliest stages of a WUA, all stakeholders are included in each step to foster trust and transparency.
Finally, in Phase 4 a plan is drawn up for implementation of the WUA: capacity building; assistance with hydrological data; legal advice; and planning, design, construction and financing of technological improvement projects, such as better irrigation technology (FAO, GTZ and IWMI 1999).
GIZ advises the devolution of water management powers in various countries across the world, e.g. Jordan, Egypt, Ethiopia and Burkina Faso.
Good practice example from Jordan
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is one of the most water-impoverished economies in the world. With an annual per capita availability of less than 150m3 of internally renewable water resources, the country falls dramatically below the water poverty line of 1000m3 per capita/year. Water efficiency therefore plays a major role in meeting the demands of future socio-economic development in the Kingdom. Jordan is a country with long experience in irrigation agriculture. The 1950s and 1970s saw a substantial expansion of irrigation agriculture to meet population growth. However, over the following decades, maintenance problems occurred due to an unclear distribution of executive powers.[8]
The Jordan Valley irrigation schemes suffered from poor water efficiency in the 1990s. Despite a technological upgrade from surface irrigation to drip irrigation, no real water efficiency gains were made, and irrigation cost recovery was not achieved.[9] Moreover, the irrigation systems leaked significant amounts of water as a result of inadequate maintenance. In 2001, the Jordanian Ministry of Water and Irrigation decided to work with GIZ on an implementation strategy of WUAs in the Jordan Valley (see map below). It was projected that the water provision services in the Jordan Valley would positively benefit from a transfer of irrigation management services from the Jordan Valley Authority (JVA) to WUAs. The aim was to enable the participation of farmers in decision-making processes over water usage and maintenance of existing system in order to increase water efficiency, reduce leakages and thus achieve cost recovery of water resources for the Jordanian government.
Since the introduction of WUAs, the scarce water available in the Jordan Valley is being used more efficiently in irrigated farming, and farmers are showing greater acceptance to pay water fees for cost recovery of services. Water leakages have also decreased due to the adequate maintenance of irrigation systems by WUAs. For example, in the Al Kafrein area in the Jordan Valley, the daily water use decreased by 50% from 12.000 m3/day to 6.000 cm3/day.[10] Around 30% of the farmers in the Jordan Valley have been trained in the use of treated wastewater for irrigation according to environmental and health standards (see Management of Water Resources Programme in Jordan website).[11]
Source: German-Jordanien Programme on Management of Water Resources (2010)[10]
The project in Jordan has faced many difficulties since its establishment. Mistrust and resistance of farmers, in particular those with large land holdings, has caused continuous challenges over the years. In addition, technical difficulties occurred due to water shortages and a worn out distribution network. These challenges were addressed through the promotion of open dialogue and full transparency, in order to encourage farmers to work on joint solutions which would include and convince all farmers. The technical problems were addressed by timely technical support and information provision on best practices in agriculture.
As indicated earlier, WUAs have a long tradition in many parts of the world. However, examples from Egypt and Ethiopia show that successful implementation of WUAs may face severe challenges: lack of autonomy or customary law, and inapt capacity development. Thus, the successful establishment of WUAs depend on all stakeholders involved.
In Egypt, the autonomy of self-governed WUAs overlaps with the responsibilities of local government and agricultural cooperatives. This overlay has caused significant constraints for the mandate of WUAs. Although WUAs have formally gained the required status of self-governing institutions, the "rules of the game" are greatly impacted by agricultural cooperatives and local government. While local government in Egypt is responsible for development plans, is it the agricultural cooperatives which provide inputs such as fertilisers, direct and control agricultural production, and purchase the produce at fixed prices from the farmers to sell on to the consumer. Both the local governments and agricultural cooperatives are controlled by the central government; hence an interference on the farm level may constrain the independent development of WUAs, e.g. decisions on cropping or expansion of irrigation schemes.[12] Farmer surveys undertaken in Kafr El Sheikh and Beheira (2010) have illustrated that further devolution of resource management via local government and cooperatives is one of the current obstacles to the success of WUAs.[13]
Farmers in Ethiopia, on the other hand, are used to customary law that has often led to an over-allocation of water resources because decisions were made by more powerful traditional social actors. Irrigation is a relatively new concept in Ethiopia, a country where an estimated 132 billion cm of water is potentially available for human use. However, the upgrading from rainfed farming to small scale irrigation has served to embed the challenge of water over-usage in irrigation, thus negatively affects cropping and soils.[6]
↑ GIZ (2009): Preparation of Regulation for Irrigation Water Users Associations. Summary. Addis Ababa: GIZ.
↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit and International Water Management Institute (1999): Transfer of Management Services Guidelines. FAO: Rome.
↑ Ostrom, Elinor, Gardner, Roy and Walker, James (editors) (1994): Rules, Games, and Common Pool Resources. Ann Arbor, University of Michigan Press.
↑ Ministère de l'Agriculture, de l'Hydraulique et des Ressources Halieutiques a Burkina Faso (2003): Projet "Petits Barrages du Sud-Ouest" (PEBASO). Ouagadougou: GTZ.
↑ Ministry of Agriculture Natural Resource Sector (2011): Guideline on Irrigation Agronomy - A Tripartite Cooperation between Germany, Israel and Ethiopia. Addis Ababa: GIZ.
↑ 6.0 6.1 Ministry of Agriculture Natural Resources Management Directorate (2011): Small-Scale Irrigation Situation Analysis and Capacity Needs Assessment - A Tripartite Cooperation between Germany, Israel and Ethiopia. Addis Ababa: GIZ.
↑ 7.0 7.1 Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) (2010): Topic Sheet: German-Jordanian Programme – Management of Water Resources: Water Users' Associations. Eschborn: GTZ.fckLRhttp://star-www.giz.de/dokumente/bib-2010/gtz2010-3095en-water-user-associations-wua.pdffckLR[2013-02-18].
↑ Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit, International Food Policy Research Institute and International Water Management Institute (2001): Governing Maintenance Provision in Irrigation: A Guide to Institutionally Viable Maintenance Strategies. Wiesbaden: GTZ.
↑ Huppert, Walter and Urban, Klaus (2002): Irrigation Management in the Jordan Valley – The neglected issue of "Principal-Agent" problems. In: Journal of Applied Irrigation Science, Vol. 37, No. 2/2002, p. 199-218.
↑ 10.0 10.1 German-Jordanian Programme on Management of Water Resources (2010): Water User Associations: the story of participative irrigation management in the Jordan Valley. Amman: GIZ.
↑ GIZ Management of Water Resources Programme: http://www.giz.de/themen/en/18151.htm [2013-19-02].
↑ German-Egyptian Water Resource Management Reform Programme (2010): Comparison between Local Administration, Agricultural Cooperatives, and Water User Organisations. Cairo: GIZ.
↑ German-Egyptian Water Resource Management Reform Programme (2010): Benefits of Collective Action: Cases of Collective Action from Kafr El Sheikh and Beheira. Cairo: GIZ.
Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit, International Food Policy Research Institute and International Water Management Institute (2001): Governing Maintenance Provision in Irrigation: A Guide to Institutionally Viable Maintenance Strategies. Wiesbaden: GTZ.
German-Jordanian Programme on Management of Water Resources (2010): Water User Associations: the story of participative irrigation management in the Jordan Valley. Amman: GIZ.
Ministry of Agriculture Natural Resources Management Directorate (2011): Small-Scale Irrigation Situation Analysis and Capacity Needs Assessment - A Tripartite Cooperation between Germany, Israel and Ethiopia. Addis Ababa: GIZ.
Ministry of Agriculture Natural Resource Sector (2011): Guideline on Irrigation Agronomy - A Tripartite Cooperation between Germany, Israel and Ethiopia. Addis Ababa: GIZ.
Huppert, Walter and Urban, Klaus (2002):. Irrigation Management in the Jordan Valley – The neglected issue of "Principal-Agent" problems. In: Journal of Applied Irrigation Science, Vol. 37, No. 2/2002, p. 199-218.
GIZ in Egypt: http://www.giz.de/en/worldwide/319.html [2013-02-18].
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Ever since Dangal's Fatima Sana Sheikh was announced to be part of Vijay Krishna Acharya's Thugs of Hindostan, there has been speculation on whether Aamir will be 'romancing' the young actress in the film.
The idea seems somewhat repugnant in the light of the fact that Fatima played the actor's daughter in Dangal, and an informed source nixes the idea of the romance angle in the new Yash Raj movie.
Apparently, it was Vijay's idea to approach Katrina, after a number of actresses turned down the part. "The heroine's role was sketchy, to begin with. It's now been fleshed out for Katrina's sake," the source says.