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Chapter: Chapter 1: Introduction
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 1: Introduction." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. Development of Transactional Data Specification for Demand-Responsive Transportation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25619.
13 : Introduction 1.1 About This Research Project This project focuses on a key building block for enabling demand responsive transportation services in the U.S. to more fully, and easily, participate in the era of "New Mobility". The primary product of this effort is a comprehensive data specification for the ordering and scheduling of trips and vehicles in demand responsive transportation services—the transactions that are at the heart of providing these types of services. Transactional data specifications include the mechanisms for the software systems of various service providers to routinely exchange such information so that inter-operability among services becomes feasible. This report (1) presents new transactional data specifications for demand responsive transportation, (2) makes a case for why key stakeholders in the public sector—those that fund and provide demand responsive services—should adopt and build out these specifications, and (3) provides some tools to help them do so. Once implemented, the proposed transactional data specifications will improve the availability, cost-effectiveness, and quality of demand responsive transportation services. The primary beneficiaries include: • Customers will benefit because transactional data specifications can facilitate increased availability of demand responsive services. • Demand responsive service providers will benefit because they can better utilize their vehicles, serving more customers at a lower cost per trip, and more seamlessly inter-operate with public transportation organizations and others who fund these services. • Publicly supported transportation organizations will benefit from being able to improve the cost-effectiveness of DRT services as it becomes possible to use multiple transportation providers for a single service program, while also fostering competition among them. • Government transportation funding programs will benefit by more efficiently and effectively using public resources to fund transportation services and by improving mobility services to local communities. Experience in Denmark over the past 10 years demonstrates that improvements can occur when transactional data specifications become integral to demand responsive transportation. Making this a reality in the U.S. would represent an important building block for more effective use of demand responsive transportation for public purposes. 1.2 What Is Demand Responsive Transportation? Demand Responsive Transportation (DRT) covers a wide range of on-demand services. For this report, DRT broadly refers to transportation services in which vehicles only operate in response to ride requests, and in which vehicles are routed in such a way to transport passengers from their origin to their destination. In contrast to fixed route transit, in which the passenger must access the service, in DRT the service mostly or completely tailored to the passenger's specific trip. Rider trip requests are scheduled through an automated or manual system. Vehicles are scheduled and routed in accordance with the specific elements of the demand for service; the scheduling system considers origin, destination, desired pickup time and/or desired arrival time, vehicle requirements, and other trip requirements.
14 Using this broad definition as applied to both public and private transportation services, DRT includes the following: • Dial-a-ride services, the term historically used to refer to public transit shared ride DRT services for the general public, or similar services geared towards seniors. • ADA complementary paratransit services, shared ride DRT required by the Americans with Disability Act (ADA); restricted to individuals who are unable to use available fixed route services because of some type of disability condition. • On-Demand/Flex/Micro-Transit services (all these terms refer to essentially the same thing), contemporary versions of shared ride DRT service using more advanced technology and potentially using service concepts such as virtual stops or dynamic routes, provided for public transportation purposes for community circulation or first mile/last mile access to rail transit and express bus services. • Ride hailing services, for-hire on-demand transportation services engaged by a smartphone app, such as those of Uber, Lyft, Via and other transportation network companies (TNCs), most commonly using vehicles owned by the drivers who connect to the service network via a driver app. These services may be of a shared ride nature, e.g., Uber Pool, Lyft Shared, Via Van, as well as for individually-directed taxi-like trips. • Taxi services, which is for-hire transportation providing on-demand rides for any paying passenger using vehicles that are clearly identified as being taxis. Together, these demand responsive services provide transportation to a wide variety of passengers, with or without mobility impairments, in both urban and rural communities. Figure 1-1 shows two of the many types of vehicles that are used for DRT services. We recognize that historically the "DRT" acronym has referred to public transportation types of services that are shared ride in nature, hence excluding general for-hire transportation in which the vehicle is under the exclusive control of the rider. Taxis or similar services provided by ride hailing services (i.e., Transportation Network Companies such as Uber and Lyft) are typically in this latter category, but have also been used for public transportation purposes in certain situations. For the purposes of this report, DRT is defined broadly, to include all forms of demand responsive transportation in the transactional data specification. As emphasized above, DRT services for public transportation purposes typically involve unrelated parties sharing a vehicle which is under the control of the system, not each individual rider. Figure 1-1: Examples of Vehicles Used for DRT Service
15 Examples include services for the general public—often referred to as "Dial-a-Ride"—that exist in hundreds of communities throughout the U.S., as well as services operated by publicly-funded human service organizations, ADA paratransit services, and many airport shuttle services. In this report DRT services that feature mandatory sharing of the vehicle by un-related parties are referred to as shared ride DRT. 1.3 What Is Transactional Data for DRT? Transactional data are the data created for each ride occurring in a DRT service spanning a "trip lifecycle" that begins with a trip booking request and ends when a customer is delivered and the financial settlement information needed for the trip has been exchanged among the customer, the service provider, and any third party funding entity. Transactional data contain all pertinent trip details in a reservations and scheduling system, such as origin and destination location and time of the requested pickup or delivery. These data are then used to assign the appropriate vehicle and service for a trip, be it with or without wheelchair access, special assistance for passengers with health issues, or other special needs specific to a trip. Figure 1-2 provides a definition. The specific elements included in DRT transactional data are discussed in detail later in this report. 1.4 The Technology and Market Context of Transactional Data Specifications Technology platforms have become the centerpiece of much of what is often referred to as "New Mobility" services. New Mobility services include ride hailing, bike sharing, car sharing, electric scooters, and other smart phone enabled travel mode. These service platforms are also able to be accessed via Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) applications providing an integrated view of all urban transportation options, including multi-modal trips and certain transactional and payment capabilities. Platforms are now the gateway to most mobility services—of whatever type—that are available on-demand. This essential connection between technology and New Mobility services provides the background for the direction of this study. The importance of a transactional data specification is integrally connected to the need for inter-operability among multiple technology systems; connected digital platforms promise more effective approaches to providing DRT. Figure 1-3 shows how DRT transactional data specifications fit into the larger data framework that is developing for public transportation services. This framework began with the development (by Google) of the General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) and is moving rapidly in the direction of MaaS platforms that encompass all forms of available mobility services and can include open Transactional data includes information necessary for transportation service providers (e.g., operators, agencies) to book and complete a DRT trip, such as: - Origin - Destination - Requested time (pickup / arrival) - Passenger attributes (e.g., wheelchair) - Actual pickup time - Actual arrival time - Trip fare (to passenger) - Trip cost (to provider) Figure 1-2: Definition of Transactional Data
16 source trip planning tools such as Open Trip Planner that promise to make basic MaaS functionality widely available. Figure 1-3: DRT Transactional Specification in Transit Data Context As Figure 1-3 illustrates, transactional data specifications are poised to play a key role in a public transportation future in which demand responsive services are one of the important elements of local mobility. In particular, they make it simple for DRT services to be included in MaaS systems, not merely from the perspective that a service is available, but also to book rides on the service and pay for those trips. This is essential if such services are to realize their potential for first mile/last mile access to high capacity rail and bus transit and for community circulation in environments in which fixed route bus service is ineffective and costly. Transactional data specifications in conjunction with technology platforms also offer the possibility of more effective resource utilization for DRT services. Traditionally, such services— whether in the public or private sector—have been managed by a single software system in a closed environment that is incompatible with the software systems of other transportation service organizers or service providers. Service integration either vertically or horizontally could occur Discovery Data Specifications General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) GTFS describes fixed-route services. GTFS-RT describes real time location and ETA GTFS-Flex describes DRT services. Trip Planning Creates an itinerary from origin to destination. May be multimodal -- user presented with options and selects a mode. May be intermodal with GTFS-Flex. Transactional Data Specifications Describes a DRT trip with data messages and data elements. Validation tool provided. DRT Transactions Trip data can be exchanged among scheduling software systems or through a data hub. Financial Systems Fares and fare payment systems. DRT fees for service provision. DRT fee billing/payment systems Source of funding considerations. DRT Scheduling Booking, scheduling, dispatching. Multiple service providers Multiple scheduling systems Mobility as a Service (MaaS) A comprehensive technology platform that enables users to discover, schedule, and pay for trips across multiple modes.
17 only if all participants used the same software or if bespoke data specifications were developed to enable inter-operability, which has rarely occurred. The result: demand responsive transportation is an area in which coordination across suppliers/service organizers in ways that improves service and efficiency is virtually non-existent in the U.S. In order for technology platforms to make possible more coordinated, integrative approaches to service organization and delivery for demand responsive transportation services, data inter- operability across software systems is essential. This research project has considered the methods of achieving inter-operability and identified the development of transactional data specifications as the preferred solution to achieving software/data inter-operability and facilitating service coordination across demand responsive transportation systems. Such data specifications are essential to a future in which these services can readily involve multiple service sponsors, funding sources, and transportation providers inter-operating via—or across—technology platforms. 1.5 Examples of Transactional Data Specifications in Transportation Transactional data specifications are used in many market contexts. The combination of data specifications and technology platforms has fundamentally changed other transportation markets; two highly relevant examples are the online travel agencies and demand responsive transportation for public transportation purposes in Denmark. Online Travel Agencies Online travel agencies (OTAs) like Orbitz and Expedia revolutionized how consumers select a travel itinerary and purchase airline tickets and other travel services. The OTA platforms became feasible because of data technology developments circa 2000 that made it possible to inter- operate—using standardized data flows—with the technology systems used by the airlines and the global distribution systems (the latter manage transactions for many airline ticket bookings). Standardized data made price/service comparisons among airlines seamless. Consumers— platform users—could view and compare information about services and prices on multiple airlines without searching among multiple airline web sites and then select and book their preferred flight and pay for their tickets, all using the OTAs. Over time, the scope of what these platforms can accomplish for consumers has expanded (seat assignments, baggage fees, etc.) as all parties (airlines, global distribution systems, OTAs) agreed on additional data specifications, a process that continues to evolve. The OTAs are examples of consumer payment-based platform-enabled transportation services. They represent a specific type of an e-commerce service targeted at individual consumers—the entire process is handled through private sector mechanisms. In contrast, FlexDanmark is an example of platform-enabled transportation services constructed on a public sector foundation. The FlexDanmark organization—itself a government-chartered enterprise—has developed the world's largest demand responsive transportation system on a foundation whose essential elements are third-party funding sources from the public sector and a comprehensive technology platform.
18 FlexDanmark: Denmark's Nationwide DRT FlexDanmark is the platform for DRT delivery throughout Denmark. Organized into Denmark's six large regional public transportation service districts, DRT services are available to the general public and other target populations, with a large health-care related transportation component. Overall ridership is about 18,000 trips per weekday. Funding is provided by over 500 public sector (or quasi-public sector) entities including municipalities, human service organizations, hospitals and other health care organizations, and school districts. Service providers include over 500 private transportation contractors—taxi companies, school bus contractors, medical van providers, and others, all of whom must meet certain performance standards. The FlexDanmark platform includes comprehensive functionality for trip booking—via both agents in call centers and direct on-line access for many agencies, trip scheduling, assignment of transportation service providers and vehicles, vehicle tracking, and financial transactions for funding sources and service providers. The FlexDanmark central platform inter-operates with the scheduling/dispatching systems of all of the transportation service providers using standardized data protocols and flows, based on a Scandinavian transactional data specification scheme (the SUTI standard) developed specifically for demand responsive transportation. The SUTI specification—to which adherence is mandatory for all transportation service providers (i.e., their software systems must be able to exchange data messages with the FlexDanmark platform using SUTI "language")—is the foundation for the inter- operability that enables multiple providers and/or multiple service purchasers (e.g., hospitals, municipalities) to be able to "speak" with the FlexDanmark platform—and hence indirectly with each other. This world class DRT system depends fundamentally on a comprehensive transactional data specification. 1.6 Who Are the Stakeholders for DRT Data Specifications? The DRT industry is comprised of a variety of organizations with different roles. This includes public sector organizations—whose roles in DRT can include organizing/sponsoring services, funding the service, and/or managing service as well as directly operating the service, as well as private sector entities that may operate DRT services or provide technology of various types. Adoption of the recommended transactional data specification will require buy-in and action from stakeholders. The primary stakeholders for DRT data specifications, and the most important target audience for this report, are the following types of organizations and actors: • Public transportation agencies: In the United States, public transportation agencies (including municipalities and counties when they play this role) typically fund and manage DRT services such as dial-a-ride, ADA paratransit, and the emerging on- demand/flex/micro-transit services. A public transit agency may operate the services directly, or it may contract a private company to operate these services; the latter is more common. • Human service agencies: Human service agencies, typically private non-profit organizations, may also directly provide DRT services. Often these services are oriented to the elderly, persons with disabilities and/or mobility limitations, or other human service clients.
19 • Federal Transit Administration: While FTA provides policy leadership and funding programs for public transportation, it has not to date perceived its mandate to extend to providing regulations for data standards for operation of transportation programs and services. Policy makers at FTA clearly understand the desirability of data specifications for all aspects of public transportation where data interchanges can improve outcomes. • State DOTs: As significant funders of public transportation in many states, particularly for small cities and rural/semi-rural areas where DRT services are more likely to be found, state DOTs have reasons for a policy interest in the adoption of data specifications. But like FTA, this is not an area where virtually any state DOTs have been involved to date. • Other public funders of transportation service: A significant amount of DRT service is funded through health care or human service transportation programs. This includes Older Americans Act services, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and a variety of other public sector funded programs. The organizations in this category do not directly operate DRT for their clients, but fund the services that are provided by others, typically private transportation contractors, often including taxi companies. • Technology providers: Private companies that provide specific technology (typically software) systems or services in the DRT industry. This includes: software systems that are used to schedule and manage DRT trips; larger software platforms that include trip planning and fare payment capabilities and also provide integrated mechanisms to engage DRT services for consumers; hardware-based technology with embedded software such as mobile data terminals and handheld devices. Some of these companies have literally hundreds of customers, and others have a handful. With the advent of a new generation of on-demand services, in conjunction with developments in technology, there has been a significant expansion of the number of companies in this category. • Private transportation operators: A variety of private companies provide DRT services to publicly funded agencies or to businesses. Some operate under contracts in which the vehicles, DRT software, and other technology are provided by the service organizer. Others are required to provide vehicles and technology, along with drivers, as part of the contract. Depending on the structure of the contract, these companies may provide their own vehicles, drivers and operational staff as well as specialized software for DRT and/or ADA paratransit and other technology (e.g., mobile or tablet computers in the vehicle). Private operators include national companies (e.g., First Transit, TransDev, MV Transportation) as well as regional and local companies. They also include taxi companies in many settings. • Taxi operators: Taxi operators occupy a special position, as they derive the majority of their revenues from private for-hire services—as with TNCs—yet have been used for public sector-funded demand responsive transportation services for many decades in many cities around the country. Now facing an existential threat from the TNCs, the taxi sector has been a partner to the public transportation sector that has certain advantages compared to TNCs and whose preservation is considered important by many involved in DRT.
20 • Transportation Network Companies (TNCs): Private providers of ride-hailing (or ride- sourcing) services. They typically have a technology platform that manages the entire service, accepting trip requests from customers initiated via a smartphone application, and then assigning rides to specific vehicles. This includes companies such as Uber and Lyft for taxi-like service (which includes shared taxi services such as Uber Pool and Lyft Shared) and Via for shared-ride van services. It bears emphasizing that the TNCs are larger economic entities than any of the other organizations in the DRT industry. • Researchers and Consultants: Academic researchers and consultants who work on projects in the DRT industry may also find this report to be relevant to their work, particularly the community of data specialists in the public transportation and on-demand services sectors. The latter recognize the importance of data specifications in all forms of urban mobility. 1.7 Benefits and Challenges of Implementing Specifications Benefits The benefits of transactional data specifications vary according to the interest of the stakeholder. For public transportation agencies and publicly funded entities that operate or fund DRT services, the implementation and use of transactional data standards would help them to better achieve three important policy goals. 1. Improve Coordination. Data specifications for DRT services can improve productivity and effectiveness by better enabling existing DRT providers to share riders and group passengers traveling along similar paths and reduce the number of empty seats on return trips. For difficult to serve lengthy regional or rural trips, it will allow providers to schedule vehicle trips that combine a variety of passengers so the cost per passenger is reduced. 2. Create Opportunities for Improved Cost-Effectiveness of DRT Services. Many DRT services are costly and strain the resources of the organizations that fund them. There are multiple reasons for this, but transactional data specifications that enable multiple DRT service providers—and particularly those not previously involved but able to provide non-dedicated vehicles—to be engaged so that the supply of service can be more closely tailored to demand patterns creates opportunities for more cost-effective DRT. FlexDanmark has been particularly effective in taking advantage of these non-dedicated vehicle providers, and studies in Denmark indicate that it is able to deliver service for significantly less cost per passenger trip than the DRT services that existed prior to its introduction. 3. Strengthen Private Sector Involvement. Digital interaction capabilities that encompass both the source of DRT trips (trip booking systems) and the software systems of DRT providers-- which require a data specification that spans these domains--will enable transportation and human service agencies to more easily use a variety of DRT providers, many of which are in the private sector. A few agencies have developed efficient approaches to serve multiple types of trips with diverse purposes and destinations by creating fleets from multiple sources,
21 including contracting some service to taxi companies and other private providers1. A uniform approach for transactional data would make it much easier for a multitude of small providers to participate in the delivery of DRT services. The expected benefits are similar to what FlexDanmark has experienced, namely lower costs and a more robust network of service providers. Challenges There are at least three key challenges that must be overcome for the benefits of transactional data specifications for DRT to be realized. • Widespread adoption takes time. It takes time to develop, implement, and institutionalize the use of specifications. While GTFS is an example of the effective use of a specification, it is important to remember that it took well over a decade for widespread adoption. Early adopters do enjoy some benefits, but it is not until a significant number of entities adopt a standard that the benefits multiply. • Change is difficult. Change itself is often the most formidable challenge. Adopting a new way of doing business requires change among public agencies, DRT service providers, and technology companies. This will require adaptation, learning a new "language" and establishing new business rules and quality control mechanisms. • Lack of leadership or champion. A fundamental challenge to the adoption of the recommended transactional data specifications by the DRT industry is that there is no current group or entity leading this effort. To date, no stakeholder has demonstrated sufficient interest or willingness to take a leadership role in promoting transactional data specifications for DRT. Without a leader it will be difficult to carry such an initiative far enough to realize the complete benefits. A champion would inform others about the benefits of adoption of data specifications, provide technical materials (such as language for procurement documents), and oversee a process to develop and maintain the integrity of the specifications. This latter process is important so developers can depend on the specifications for use in creating a technology platform. 1.8 Strategies for Successful Adoption of Data Specifications Existing Systems While establishing a specification-based digital infrastructure for demand responsive transportation in the U.S. will be challenging, successful models exist for achieving this. As explained in Chapter 3, several European countries have adopted transactional data specifications developed initially in Sweden (SUTI standards), and there is now a process that spans multiple 1 A brokerage model is often cited as desirable, with a single agency controlling many different providers using a single scheduling system. The ACCESS service in Pittsburgh and throughout Allegheny County is an example of this, serving a population of 1.2 million in an area of 745 square miles. They provide services for over 140 agencies using six providers and over 300 vehicles, so each provider's fleet is fairly large. Contrast this with FlexDanmark which serves a population of 6 million in a much larger area (875,500 square miles) and uses 500 providers, many of which are small "mom and pop" providers. Larger forms of the broker model are feasible with the right underpinnings.
22 countries by which those data standards are governed and can evolve. But while the technical approach to the SUTI data specifications provided an excellent framework for this research project, the way in which those specifications have been adopted and subsequently governed cannot be simply transferred to the U.S. context in view of the more authoritative role of the central government in Scandinavian countries. The successful systems from Sweden and Denmark do provide important guidance to the U.S. situation, the key lesson being that it is the governmental (or quasi-governmental) organizations that fund local transportation services who are the entities which must act decisively to initiate the process of specification adoption. Specification implementation will only occur when such entities insist upon it as a condition for doing business with them or their service provider agents. For transactional data specifications to be widely adopted, it is desirable that one or more organizations that represent public sector funding sources assume a leadership role in such an initiative. For assuring the specification can continue to be developed while maintaining the integrity necessary for use in technology platforms, such leadership and a process of governance will be necessary. Support Materials The research team developed materials to assist public agencies and other funding sources in understanding the transactional data specifications developed in this project so that they can advocate for, and potentially lead, a process that could result in industry-wide adoption of these (or comparable) specifications. The research report includes information that will facilitate the adoption and use of transactional data specifications for DRT including: • Materials to market the specifications, specifically a document that makes the business case for the proposed specifications; • Stand-alone technical materials, including a software tool that can validate data flows for consistency with the proposed specifications, that can be used to develop specification- compliant data exchanges; • Requirements that can be included in Requests for Proposals that can be used by organizations to stipulate that DRT services that they contract for or fund and scheduling software they purchase must be compliant with the proposed transactional data specifications for DRT. For the interested few to use these materials could result in a "bottoms up" approach to specification adoption, one that is relatively novel and could take a few years to make an impact across the entire industry. However, if even a relatively small number of organizations or states, adopted this approach to technology procurement it might lead to a much broader movement within a year or two and stimulate an industry-wide adoption of transactional data specifications. The experience from Europe with the SUTI standards indicates that DRT transactional data specifications can be developed and adopted by those who fund these services. To support continued development of the specifications and maintain the integrity necessary to develop the technology platforms that will allow entities to realize the full benefits of having specifications, a means of governance will be needed.
23 The purpose of this report is to provide those who wish to engage in this process with the rationale, knowledge, and practical tools to adopt and promote the widespread use of transactional data standards for DRT in the U.S. 1.9 How This Report Is Organized This report consists of five chapters and eight appendices. The first and fifth chapters are oriented to a broad audience, covering all stakeholders who have an interest in the development and adoption of transactional data standards for DRT. In Chapters 2, 3, and 4 the report focuses on the process of developing specifications that are functional for DRT providers and practical for technology vendors. These three chapters provide information on what was considered in developing the specifications and the result of the research, a proposed specification. Chapter 5 returns to a broader discussion of implementation. The appendices provide technical documentation of the specification and tools for implementation. Chapter 1: Introduction This chapter provides an overview of demand responsive transportation and of transactional data. It identifies the report's target audience. It also previews the rest of the report. Chapter 2: Considerations in Developing the DRT Transactional Data Specification This chapter discusses the key factors that were considered to develop the proposed DRT transactional data specification. These factors include core design principles such as simplicity and flexibility, market considerations, and the specific functional requirements for a DRT transactional data specification. Different technical models for implementing a DRT transactional data flow are described and a preferred model is presented. Chapter 3: Examples of Transportation Data Specifications This chapter presents five examples of common data formats in the transportation industry, beginning with an example from the airline industry. The second and third examples pertain to the General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) that is commonly used to provide information about fixed route transit services and a new extension for flexible transit services. The last two examples—one from the Denver region and another from Scandinavia—are most relevant to this project and present examples specific to DRT transactional data. Chapter 4: Summary of the Specification This chapter presents an overview of the proposed DRT transactional data specification. Important technical elements, such as the data communication approach and types of data elements, are explained. Additional technical details can be found in Appendices 4 and 5, which contain the full documentation for the proposed specification. Chapter 5: Conclusions and Future Considerations The final chapter presents a short summary and key conclusions from this research project. Notable future considerations for implementation, such as governance for the specification moving forward, are also discussed.
24 Appendix 1: Members of the Industry Advisory Panel This appendix contains a list of the industry experts on the advisory group that participated in some or all of the industry Advisory Panel meetings. Appendix 2: Engaging Industry Experts In this project, a group of industry experts was engaged to advise the development process. This appendix summarizes the research team's interactions with the industry experts throughout the duration of this project. The industry Advisory Panel participants took part in regular virtual meetings (calls) to provide input on the specification implementation. In the early stages of the project, team members conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with the members of this group to document their views of the benefits, challenges, and best approaches to developing a DRT transactional data specification. This appendix contains the protocol for those interviews. Appendix 3: Industry Advisory Panel Final Meeting Presentation This appendix contains the presentation provided to industry Advisory Panel members on the final meeting of the project with this group. It summarizes the project and outlines important future considerations, such as governance issues. Appendix 4: Detailed Specification Description This appendix contains the full documentation for the proposed DRT transactional data specification. This appendix is intended for audiences with background in software development and/or information technology. Appendix 5: XML Listing of Specification This appendix contains the XML listing of the specification. Appendix 6: Validation Tool This appendix describes the tool that was created during this project to validate the specification. The tool is publicly available on a website whose URL is published in the appendix. Appendix 7: Marketing Document This appendix contains a short (one page) marketing document that can be given to managers at transit agencies and/or other DRT service providers. It briefly explains (1) what a DRT data specification is; and (2) why DRT providers should adopt it. It is written in a non-technical manner. Appendix 8: Request for Proposals (RFP) Language This appendix presents two sets of text that could be used in a request for proposal (RFP) for paratransit scheduling software that would adhere to the proposed DRT transactional data specification. The first could be used by a transit agency and/or other DRT service providers in a request for proposal for procuring software; the second could be used in an RFP to assure that DRT services that are procured operate with technology that is compliant with the specifications.
Next: Chapter 2: Principles and Considerations in Developing the Transactional Data Specification »


Honeywell International Inc. Emerson Electric Co., KITZ Corporation, Bürkert Fluid Control Systems, Schlumberger Limited, Flowserve Corporation, AVK Holding A/S, Rotork Plc., General Electric Company, and Goodwin International Ltd. are to name a few prominent participants in the global control valves market.
Presence of numerous well-diversified regional and international manufacturers makes the global control valves market highly fragmented and competitive. In order to survive in such a cutthroat environment, most big international players are seen resorting to mergers and acquisitions of smaller local players to expand inorganically. This not just helps players to increase their geographical footprint but also to diversify their product portfolios. They are also working on product extensions through technological innovations to bolster their positions.
As per a report by Transparency Market Research, the global control valves market will likely rise at a CAGR of 6.4% during the period between 2017 and 2025. At this rate, the market which was worth US$6.01 bn in 2016 will likely become worth US$ US$10.46 bn by 2024.
Depending upon the type of actuation technology, the global market for control valves can be divided into manual control valve, pneumatic control valve, hydraulic control valve, and electric control valve. Of them, the segment of pneumatic control valve accounted for maximum share in revenue in the market in 2016.
Geographically, the key segments of the global market for control valves are North America, South America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. North America, among them, holds a leading share in the market at present. In the near future too, the region will likely retain its leading share by rising at a 5.1% CAGR from 2017 to 2025. Exhaustive activities in the exploration of shale gas, which require control valves to regulate the pressure or temperature throughout upstream, midstream, and downstream activities, is mainly serving to propel the market in the region.
Majorly fuelling the global control valves market is the high growth in the pipelines sector. The focus on industrial development is estimated to positively impact the market by boosting uptake of industrial valves. "As a thumb rule, valves are often placed at a pipeline distance of less than 10% of the total length of the pipeline for efficient and easy control of gas in the oil and gas and other related industries. Hence, rise in adoption of pipeline is directly proportional to the rise in adoption of valves," explains the lead analyst of the report.
Another prominent growth driver for the global control valves market is the thrust on the renewable energy projects. Rapidly increasing number of solar thermal energy plants have increased the application areas of valves. All these have driven up demand for globe valves, ball valves, butterfly valves and others in the application areas of renewable energy plants.
This review is based on the findings of a TMR report, titled, "Control Valves Market (Actuation Technology - Manual Control Valve, Pneumatic Control Valve, Hydraulic Control Valve, and Electric Control Valve; Type - Ball Valve, Butterfly Valve, Cryogenic Valve, and Globe Valve; Application - Power Generation, Oil and Gas, Chemical Industry, Food and Beverages, Automotive, Pharmaceuticals, and Wastewater Management) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017-2025."


text: Q: How to create child process for particular function? my requirement is to read 10,000 records(each nearly 1MB size) and save data to MongoDB in node js application. For this i have written one function to do this. Due to this i have some impact on node js application performance. When i am reading node docs i found that child process for a particular js file. Is this correct? if Not, Please suggest me how to create a separate process to only do this and then it should be killed. If Correct, will  the performance of main node process degrade?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Vol. 8, No. 15
Editor: Tom Willard
Deafweekly is an independent news report for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community that is mailed to subscribers on Wednesdays and available to read at www.deafweekly.com. These are the actual headlines and portions of recent deaf-related news articles, with links to the full story. Minor editing is done when necessary. Deafweekly is copyrighted 2012 and any unauthorized use is prohibited. Please support our advertisers; they make it possible for you to receive Deafweekly.
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Last issue's most-read story: NBC SNUBBED MISS DEAF AMERICA AT SUPER BOWL / Chicagoist
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INDIANA BILL SPARKS DEBATE IN DEAF COMMUNITY
Many people from Indiana's deaf and hard of hearing community converged on the Statehouse Thursday. They were there to debate a bill that would take the outreach and consultation services out of the Indiana School for the Deaf and set up a new Center for Deaf and Hearing Impaired Education in the state. / WTHR
See Also BILL SAYS DEAF SCHOOL WOULDN'T RUN NEW DEAF EDUCATION CENTER / Indiana Public Media
FCC 'LOCK-IN' PLAN: HURTING DEAF CONSUMERS
The FCC fears that under a per-user plan, it might be possible for each user to register with multiple VRS providers, resulting in the FCC's paying more than the amount ($100) established for each user. To prevent such a fraudulent occurrence, the FCC proposes that each user be "locked in" to ONE VRS provider, for a certain period of time (possibly 1-2 years). I am personally opposed to such a plan, and in discussions with friends, I have found that I am not alone. / Deaf Echo
ELIMINATION OF DEAF CLASS FROM MERCED SCHOOLS RILES PARENTS
Angelina Chavez doesn't feel comfortable having her soon-to-be 7-year-old in a classroom with older students. Her daughter, first-grader Adeline Orozco, is deaf. She will be in a K-5 classroom beginning next school year. Orozco is among several students who will be affected by a decision by the Merced County Office of Education to eliminate three Deaf and Hard of Hearing classes. Officials say the move was a result of declining deaf enrollment and budget challenges. / Merced Sun-Star
VANDALS DAMAGE BUSES AT SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF
Windshields shattered, windows smashed: a devastating display of vandalism Monday at the Rhode Island School for the Deaf. "This really hinders us in terms of money being what it is. It's difficult, very difficult to deal with," said Bill Stavros, the school's assistant of buildings and grounds. Stavros said buses were vandalized Saturday while people were at the school for a basketball tournament. / Turnto10.com
AGENCY THAT TRAINS SERVICE DOGS FINALIST FOR TECH MAKEOVER
Local nonprofit organization NEADS/Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans is one of five finalists throughout the nation in the running to win a $100,000 technology makeover from Toshiba's charitable giving foundation, Toshiba for Good. NEADS trains highly skilled assistance dogs for wounded veterans, other men and women, and children who have a range of disabilities. / Sentinel & Enterprise
Urbandale, IA
VISUAL SMOKE DETECTORS AVAILABLE FOR IOWA'S DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING
The State Fire Marshal has received a $40,000 grant from State Farm Insurance to purchase sound/visual smoke alarms and install electric smoke alarms in the homes of hearing-impaired people in Iowa. This grant is for all deaf and hard-of-hearing in our community and not limited to those households with deaf or hard-of-hearing children. / Patch.com
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My Yesterdays by Merv Garretson
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A semi-autobiography including stories of Gallaudet University and its presidents and other staff members. Frank discussions of the author's personal life; Commentaries on deaf culture, sign language and advocacy activities, domestic and international; Experiences as an educator facing oppressive (audistic) attitudes from hearing professional co- workers, As an advocate for deaf rights and communication access through presidency of the NAD and board member of various organizations, including the World Federation of the Deaf. Brief autobiographical items on well-known deaf and hearing people. Brief stories of the author's travel and other experiences. And excetera!
Contact: MGarre2568@aol.com
DEAF MP MAKES HISTORY WITH TRANSLATED SPEECH
Green MP Mojo Mathers made history in Parliament today after her maiden speech was translated live into New Zealand sign language. Thirteen other Green MPs also had their speeches translated in honour of Mathers as the first deaf person in Parliament. The move comes off the back of claims that Parliamentary Services are discriminating against the Green Party MP by refusing to pay the $30,000 needed for an in-House electronic note taker. / TVNZ
See Also ONLINE PROTEST OVER 'DEAF MP' DECISION / Voxy
DEAF SLAVE DID NOT UNDERSTAND BORDER STAFF, JURY TOLD
A deaf girl allegedly trafficked to the UK from Pakistan and imprisoned in a cellar where she was abused and raped was spoken to by UK border officials when she arrived in the country, a court heard yesterday. The girl, who cannot be named, is believed to have been aged between 10 and 12 when she arrived in the country. However, giving evidence in court using sign language and via an interpreter, the girl said she could not understand what the passport officials were saying to her. / The Independent
LIVING OUTSIDE THE HEARING WORLD
For several years cochlear implants have offered some deaf people the chance to have a "sensation of sound." So why would some deaf teenagers choose not to have the implant even if they had the option? The issue of cochlear implants and efforts to "cure" deafness is a very sensitive subject among the 19,600 deaf teenagers in the UK. Indeed, many young deaf people are proud of deaf culture. / BBC News
'WE NEED EACH OTHER'
The words are so powerful it is hard to believe an 11-year-old wrote them. Hope Rehman, a Grade 6 pupil at Robarts School for the Deaf in London, with the help of mom Kate's typing skills, has written a letter to Elgin-Middlesex-London MPP Jeff Yurek, worried her school may close. "I feel I am proud of being deaf," Hope wrote. "I don't feel ashamed or embarrassed. I feel complete. Robarts is not only my school, it is my family. I don't want it to go away." / London Free Press
Edmonton, AB, Canada
DEAF COMMUNITY PUTS HOPE IN NEW PHONE TECHNOLOGY
Getting heard isn't easy when you're deaf. Changing a doctor's appointment, ordering pizza, dialing 911: all are next to impossible without hearing. But Edmonton's deaf community hopes Canada's telecommunications regulator will change that. Linda Cundy provides a concise summary of the debate over mandating the national adoption of a Video Relay Service -- an interpreter and webcam phone system -- after an 18-month trial for approximately 300 Alberta and British Columbia households ended last month, at a cost of over $3.2 million. / Edmonton Journal
DEAF, HARD-OF-HEARING CALLERS WILL BE ABLE TO TEXT MESSAGE 911
When James Henderson called 911 he was desperate to get help for his wife Nancy, who was choking. But Henderson is deaf and when he wasn't able to communicate the details of the emergency on the call, it took more than 40 minutes for help to arrive. The incident had a happy ending when the pill that had blocked Nancy's throat dislodged and she was able to recover on her own. But it underscored the difficulties that people who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech impairment face when they are trying to reach 911. / The Vancouver Sun
Ranchi, India
COPS 'KILL' DEAF-MUTE IN RAID
Latehar police on Tuesday exhumed a body 14 days after it was buried in the forest of Nagarnao in Burwadih. The body of Lukas Minj was exhumed after the brother of the deceased lodged an FIR against "unidentified people" accusing them of killing the "hearing and speech impaired" and burying him. The FIR was lodged by William Minj with Burwadih police alleging that his 31-year-old brother was killed on January 31 while grazing cattle. / Times of India
DEAF AND DUMB GIRL ABANDONED IN HOSPITAL
Blessing Namara, aged 13 is both deaf and dumb and gives a sweet smile that shows very white teeth when you approach her hospital bed. Unfortunately, behind her charming smile hides the misery of a teenage girl who was abandoned at the reception desk of CoRSU hospital, Kisubi on January 15 this year. An unidentified woman said she was only helping the orphaned girl when she brought her to the hospital. Sadly before the administration concluded how she could be helped, the woman vanished leaving her behind. / New Vision
Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
SURFING THE SILENT WAVES
As a young documentary filmmaker, Ayako Imamura had been wrestling with feelings of emptiness. Deaf since birth, the 32-year-old Nagoya native has shot about 30 short films documenting the lives of deaf people in Japan since 2000. But at one point in her career, she realized that her creative energy had come from her anger at -- and the frustration with -- the lack of social support for the deaf. And while she aspired to be a bridge between the deaf and hearing communities, she felt that she herself had put up a barrier between her and those who didn't use sign language. Then she met Tatsuro Ota. / The Japan Times
DEAF CHILD WANTS TO REMAIN IN REGULAR SCHOOL
Question: I have a deaf child who is transferring from a regular school to a special school. I'm worried about her adjustment since she is used to interacting with hearing people, although she knows how to sign. She doesn't like the idea and she wants to stay in her current school. I just wanted her to interact with other deaf children her age. Am I making a right decision? -- Worried Mom / Manila Bulletin
JOIN IN DEAF KARAOKE
Karaoke singers are sometimes criticised for being tone deaf, but at this year's Fringe a group of singers is being applauded. Charity Deaf: Can Do is hosting a one-off night of "Deaf Karaoke", with proceeds from the event to go towards providing speech pathologists, occupational therapy and technology to help people with hearing problems. / Guardian Messenger
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Communication Access and Accommodation Card
This New Year print your own personalized card to use when you visit your doctor or any health care office. You can make your own card to state your communication and language needs. Click on the "Create Card" button when you have filled in the blanks below. Print the card and keep it with your other identification cards.
Show the card to let doctors and other health care providers know about your language and communication needs. When you first schedule an appointment too, let the office know what you need in advance to ensure you have a visit where communication flows smoothly.
You can check this out in front page in www.healthbridges.info.
HealthBridges is a website which offers behavioral health, advocacy and resource information for people who are Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of hearing.
Happy New Year from the HealthBridges Team!
IN SCHOOL FOR DEAF'S GARDEN, LESSONS ARE TAKING ROOT
When the Delaware School for the Deaf put in a vegetable garden last November, the middle and high school students were responsible for building the raised beds and filling them with soil. It can be tough to get kids this age excited about anything, let alone physical labor, but University of Delaware Master Garden Mary Ellen Hillegas says that the students plunged right in. By getting "tweens" and teens enthusiastic, it sounds like the DSD garden already is a success, even though it hasn't yet harvested a single radish or spinach leaf. / The News Journal
CHURCH HOLDING HEARING-IMPAIRED SERVICES
Steven Glass lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Glass, 44, was born deaf, an impairment that saw him attend school in Talladega before going on to Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. and ultimately complete his education at RIT, the National Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester, N.Y. But Glass visited his family in Dixon's Mills recently and inadvertently brought to the attention of some that church services in this part of the country are rarely deaf friendly. / The Demopolis Times
Talladega, AL
ASD STUDENTS GET FIRST SIGNING DOLL FROM LIONS CLUB
\Alabama School for the Deaf students met a new friend Monday. The school's first signing doll was presented in the school's auditorium. The doll comes in the form of a rabbit for both boys and girls to play with, and is equipped with a hearing aid and an "I Love Signing" shirt. "The Lady Warrior," as she is being called, will live in the library so that every student has access to her. / The Daily Home
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The Sprint Relay Store Business Solutions offer smart solutions and great values for the deaf and hard of hearing businesses and employee needs. We can offer a great business package depending on the size of your business and what you need! Contact Jim Skjeveland for more information James.Skjeveland@sprint.com, VP 605-370-5165 or voice 605-376-4081.
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WORKING WORLD
BIG TENT JOBS AIMS TO PLACE DISABLED IN THE WORKFORCE
With the unemployment rate among the disabled being double that of the overall population, there is an apparent pool of untapped talent among the disabled. And, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, nearly one-third of workers with a disability were employed part-time compared with one-fifth of those without a disability. With this in mind, Adam Kaplan, founded Big Tent Jobs in Southfield last March. His company focuses on placing college-educated people with disabilities and marketable skills in positions at leading companies in Southeast Michigan. / The Oakland Press
DEAF MEDICAL STUDENT A STANDOUT AT UVM
Liz Abernathey took a short walk from her chair to a stage and back Friday, but those few steps celebrated a much longer journey. "I'm excited!" she beamed. In a ceremony inside the University of Vermont's chapel, Abernathey and her fellow first-year students from UVM's College of Medicine got the white coats they'll wear when they shadow physicians on their rounds at Fletcher Allen Health Care. Vermont's largest hospital is affiliated with UVM. Abernathey is Deaf. / NECN
Mansfield, OH
REHAB CENTER OFFERS HEARING HELP
James Lehr works in Mansfield, lives in Cardington and has children -- and grandchildren -- scattered around the Midwest. He enjoys playing sports and socializing with friends and family. Lehr, 50, communicates with his voice and his hands. He spends part of each day in different worlds: the hearing and the deaf. "My preference is the deaf world because I can communicate easier," he said through a translator using sign language. "But I work in the hearing world and, in many ways, live in the hearing world." / Mansfield News Journal
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Do you want to sign a contract with just one VRS company?
That's one of the major changes the FCC is considering.
Watch Convo's CEO Robin Horwitz share in ASL about three possible major changes to VRS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8H1sUoTaSw
What has Convo been doing about this? What can you do? http://www.convorelay.com/blog/?p=1087535748
A DEAF ACTOR FINDS A RICH ROLE OFF-BROADWAY
The role of Billy in the new off-Broadway play "Tribes" presents a rich vein for an actor: a deaf adult child confronts hearing parents who have shunned sign language and most of deaf culture, insisting instead that their son rely on lip-reading and at times fragmented speech. Russell Harvard plays the part in the bitterly comic British family drama by playwright Nina Raine starting previews this week at the Barrow Street Theatre in New York. Harvard, a 30-year-old Texas native who is deaf, grew up with sign language and uses it in the play. / The Wall Street Journal
See Also DAVID CROMER'S 'TRIBES': A DIRECTOR REVEALS HIS MOTIVATION / The Wall Street Journal
"CAN SIRI AND APPLE TV GIVE ME CAPTIONING?" A DEAF FATHER ASKS HIS HEARING SON
"This episode resonated within the growing deaf culture I have been connected to, and emanated into a larger circle, because of the technological limitations of TV and Video. Captioning hasn't really improved in the 30+ years my father has been exposed to it, and in fact, it isn't even readily available on everything yet! Growing up with a deaf father really has never been an 'issue' for me, and in fact, I never really 'understood' what it meant until recently. / The Good Men Project
GO AWAY WITH ... KAMBRI CREWS
When bill collectors called the Crews house, they talked to Kambri, the hearing child of deaf parents. Today, Kambri Crews, a 40-year-old author, having watched her charismatic father beat her mother, tells her compelling life story filled with love, hope and fear, in her thoughtful and sly memoir "Burn Down the Ground" (Villard, $25). / Chicago Tribune
OSCARS: MARLEE MATLIN ON HER BEST ACTRESS WIN
Marlee Matlin won the 1987 Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of the beautiful but embittered deaf girl in Children of a Lesser God. Matlin lost her hearing when she was only 18 months old, but she grew up acting on the stage, where she was discovered by the film's producers when she was still 19 years old. Children of a Lesser God was her first movie role. / EW.com
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UK Feature:
If you're living in the United Kingdom and think your suffering from hearing loss, or just want a new hearing aid, visit Amplifon - for Hearing Aids and more.
ORGANIZATION SPEAKS ABOUT UK, DEAF FAN SETTLING LAWSUIT
Charles Mitchell won't be able to hear the crowd noise or announcements when he goes to a University of Kentucky football game this fall, but he will be able to track announcements and read the words to "My Old Kentucky Home." Mitchell, a deaf football season ticket holder from Lancaster, and the university have settled a lawsuit over closed-captioning at Commonwealth Stadium. / LEX18
NYSD PLAYERS IN HARMONY ON THE COURT
When Matt Eby gives his players instructions in his team huddle, everyone in the gym knows what he's telling them. When he wants to get his players' attention during a game, he has to wait until they are on his side of the court. For most basketball coaches, limitations such as these would be frustrating. So how does Eby, who coaches the New York School for the Deaf boys basketball team and is deaf as well, deal with these limitations? It's not as difficult as one might think. / LoHud.com
DEAF SWIM COACH TEACHING LESSONS BEYOND THE POOL
With a crook of his finger, Michael Dobner summons Brenton Ho to the side of the pool. Ho swims over to the Kentridge High School coach, who kneels to share some good news he has written on a white eraser board: Ho qualified for the district meet. Wearing baggy shorts, sandals and a white visor, Dobner is a master communicator. He has to be. He is a deaf man, and must rely on a blend of scribbles, signing, lip reading, facial expressions and spoken words. / Seattle Times
SOCIETY OF WORLD DEAF MAGICIANS TO MEET
Sponsored by the Organizing Committee of the Finnish Association of the Deaf and the Society of World Deaf Magicians, the 14th World Deaf Magicians Festival will take place in Helsinki, Finland on April 22-29, 2012. For more information, please see the website: http://www.kl-deaf.fi/world-deaf-magicians-festival
West Trenton, NJ
SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF HOLDS KICKOFF DINNER
The Marie Katzenbach School for the Deaf in Trenton, which takes students from all over New Jersey, including a number from Morris County, will hold a kickoff dinner for its fundraising campaign at on Monday, Feb. 27, at 6:30 p.m. Among the state dignitaries who will be at the kickoff will be Merrill Osmond, solo artist and lead singer of the Osmonds, and his son Justin. / Patch.com
BLACK DEAF FORUM AT UNION COUNTY COLLEGE
On Feb. 25, the Union County College S.I.G.N. Club invites the public to attend their annual Black Deaf Forum. Presenting will be Claudia Gordon, the first Deaf African-American lawyer from Washington, D.C. All members of the public, including interpreters and deaf members of the community, are invited to attend this free event. It will be held from 1-3 p.m. in the Roy Smith Theater on the Cranford campus. A reception will follow. / NJ.com
You can advertise your job openings here for just $20 a week (up to 100 words, 10 cents each add'l word). To place your ad, send the announcement to mail@deafweekly.com.
Do you have in-demand skills in IT / Engineering / Finance & Accounting / Sales & Marketing? We are recruiting for over 60 job openings at leading companies who are eager to hire D&HH professionals. Learn more and submit your resume for consideration at Big Tent Jobs.
Mental Health Program Consultant (Mental Health Specialist)
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division
Minnesota Department of Human Services
Two positions available:
St. Cloud, MN
$ 46,312-$ 68,257 annually / Full benefits
This position provides culturally affirmative mental health services to D/HH adults coping with mental health issues. The main responsibility of the Mental Health Specialist is to provide psychotherapy/ counseling services and the remaining of time will include clinical case management/coordination, consultation, training, aftercare planning, and community placement assistance for D/HH adults.
Fluency in American Sign Language (ASL)
At least 2 years advanced profession experience, OR 1 year advanced professional experience plus 2 years professional experience providing direct mental health services to D/HH individuals.
Master's Degree in Counseling, Psychology, Social Work or behavioral-health related field
Licensed or license-eligible for LPC, LPCC, LP, LICSW or LMFT in the state of Minnesota
Contact: Dr. John Gournaris
e-mail: john.gournaris@state.mn.us
The Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is seeking applicants for Information Coordinator for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. The position is located in Frankfort, Kentucky.
-- Bachelor Degree
-- Two years of administrative experience providing services to the deaf and hard of hearing
-- Good organizational skills with the ability to multitask
Preferred Requirements:
-- Ability to communicate efficiently using American Sign Language
Duties include collecting and reviewing information pertaining to deafness and coordinating dissemination of information. Identifying services available to consumers and develop a system to maintain current information useful to state agencies, parents, and consumers on a statewide basis. Maintain database information keeping it accurate and current as well as tracking requests handled. Maintain information on the web as it pertains to the directory. Biannually publish a statewide directory of services to the deaf and hard of hearing for consumers and their families. Maintain agency library to provide deaf related materials to constituents. Oversee data entry and duties pertaining to the KCDHH Library. Represents the agency on boards, committees, and attends meeting directed by the Executive Director; other duties as assigned.
Please direct any questions to Rachel Morgan at 632 Versailles Road, Frankfort, KY 40601, 502-573-2604 V/T, Rachel.Morgan@ky.gov.
For more information please visit: http://www.kcdhh.org/bulletin/jobopportunities.html
Deadline for Application: Open until filled
The Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, or disability in employment.
The Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is seeking applicants for Interpreter I. The position is located in Frankfort, Kentucky.
-- Temporary/Permanent license as an interpreter issued by the Kentucky Board of Interpreters for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
-- High School Diploma
Duties for this position include providing interpreting/transliterating services for deaf and hard of hearing staff for meetings, conferences, workshops, interviews, telephone calls, etc., including one to one and group settings. Prepare written translations of speeches, legal materials, and other instructional and educational materials. Participate in special workshops and in-service training activities to further professional development. Assist the Telecommunication Access Program in processing applications, working with consumers and understanding of the equipment being provided. Assist in maintaining financial documentation/filing and other daily office tasks.
Assist the Access Center with projects, research and assignments as determined by the Executive Director. Conducts research and provides assistance on special projects as assigned by the Executive Director; other duties as assigned.
Therapeutic Staff Support—TSS Professionals
Looking for an enticing job that challenges your character and skills? Look no further! Working with children in an apprenticeship role will instill you with new skills that can be used in fields such as: psychology, education, business and government.
You will learn the magical art of healthy working relationships in the classroom, conjuring boundaries with children and learn the valuable trade of managing children's behaviors.
You will be provided with resources and support from the behavior specialist on a weekly basis. Have strong "people's person skills? You will find this job to be a good fit, and for those who strive to be a "people's person" the behavior specialist s will teach you valuable skills to help you be successful in the workplace environment.
TSS candidates must possess a bachelors degree in Psychology, Social Work, Human Services or related field and one year previous work experience with children or at minimum 60 college credits and three years work experience with children.
TSS Aide candidates must possess a high school diploma and two years of verified volunteer or paid work experience with children.
All applicants must be proficient in American Sign Language (ASL).
Case assignments are generally in a school setting, however some clients require services in the home. Work hours vary from ten to thirty hours per week based on approved client hours and staff flexibility to accept more than one assignment. Work is available in Philadelphia and Bucks County.
For immediate consideration please email your resume to mstoll@warwickfamilyservices.com or via fax to 267-525-7014.
For additional information about our company log on to our website: www.warwickfamilyservices.com
FACULTY POSITION OPENING
Northridge, California 91330
Department: Deaf Studies
Effective Date of Appointment: August 2012
(Subject to Budgetary Approval)
Rank: Assistant/Associate Professor (Two Tenure-Track Positions)
Salary: Dependent on Qualifications
Qualifications: Earned doctorate in Deaf Studies, Linguistics, American Sign Language (ASL), or closely related field of study. ABD candidates will be considered, but doctorate must be completed by the time of appointment (August 2012). General knowledge of linguistic principles of ASL and an understanding of sign language interpreting processes with ASL as the foundation. Possess strong and effective teaching methods in various aspects of ASL and/or related courses in Deaf Studies. Extensive knowledge of Deaf Culture and the Deaf community. Evidence of successful teaching experience at the college level. Demonstrated evidence of recent scholarly publications or equivalencies and activities or evidence of potential for such scholarly accomplishments. Ability to interact effectively with both Deaf and hearing people. Evidence of positive relationships and collegiality with university students, staff, and colleagues. Evidence of participation in ASL/Deaf Studies and Deaf community organizations on local, state, and national levels. Commitment to the Deaf bilingual/bicultural experience and its foundation in basic human rights. Native/native-like fluency in ASL. Basic understanding of curriculum development. Demonstrated commitment to teaching and mentoring a diverse student population.
CSUN is a Learning Centered University. The successful candidate will be expected to join faculty and staff in a commitment to active learning, to the assessment of learning outcomes, and to multiple pathways that enable students to graduate.
At time of appointment, the successful candidate, if not a U.S. citizen, must have authorization from the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services to work in the United States.
Evidence of degree(s) required at time of hire.
Responsibilities: Teach American Sign Language and Deaf Studies content courses. The standard teaching load is twelve (12) units per semester (plus committee assignments). A reduced load will be assigned during the first year of teaching. The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to and participate in the life and development of the department (including curriculum and program development); engage in scholarship and community service and to remain current in their field; serve on departmental, college, and/or university committees, and to participate in other service as needed.
Application Process: Applicants should submit: (1) a letter of application that includes statements of teaching and research interests, (2) a current curriculum vitae that includes educational background, prior teaching experience, and evidence of scholarship and/or related professional experience, (3) evidence of teaching effectiveness/potential (including sample syllabi and summaries of student evaluations, if available), (4) photocopies of all earned degrees and certificates, and (5) the names and contact information of at least three professional references.
Application Deadline: Screening to begin on February 24, 2012. Position to remain open until filled.
Inquiries and nominations should be addressed to:
Flavia S. Fleischer, Chair
Department of Deaf Studies
Northridge, California 91330-8265
California State University, Northridge, one of the largest of the 23 campuses of The California State University system, is located twenty-five miles northwest of central Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley, a suburb with a multi-ethnic population of over one million people. The University enrolls approximately 35,000 students (27,000 FTEs) from diverse ethnic backgrounds, served by 4,000 faculty. Nine Colleges offer baccalaureate degrees in 70 degree programs, master's degrees in 58 graduate degree programs, 1 doctorate graduate program and 55 teaching credentials in the field of education, and various opportunities in extended learning and other special programs. For more information about the University, check our website: http://www.csun.edu/.
In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, California State University, Northridge has made crime-reporting statistics available on-line at http://www-admn.csun.edu/police/clery-report-2009.pdf. Print copies are available in the library and by request from the Office of Public Safety and the Office of Faculty Affairs.
Applicants who wish to request accommodations for a disability may contact the Office of Equity and Diversity, (818) 677-2077.
The university is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, sexual identity, sexual orientation, sexual expression, gender, marital status, age, disability, genetic information, disabled veteran or Vietnam-era veteran status.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi exuded confidence on Monday that India would continue to be the fastest-growing large economy, and could be the second-largest economy in the world by 2030.
"Leading agencies such as IMF and World Bank project the same trend to continue in the coming years. In an uncertain global economic environment, India has shown tremendous resilience as an anchor of the world economy," Modi said addressing the inaugural address of Petrotech 2019 here.
Modi said, currently, India is a fastest-growing large economy in the world... and it "recently became the sixth-largest economy in the world. According to a recent report, by 2030 India could be the second-largest world economy." As per a Standard Chartered report, India is likely to pip the United States to become the world's second-largest economy by 2030. China will on the top spot surpassing the US, which will be in the third place, the report said.
On the roller coaster movement of crude oil and pricing of petroleum, he said, "We need to move to responsible pricing which balances interests of both producers and consumers. We also need to move toward a transparent and flexible market for both oil and gas, only then we can serve the energy needs of humanity in an optimal manner." He also said that India has made rapid strides in achieving COP21 targets and are on way to achieve those.
He said, "India has the fourth-largest refining capacity in the world. This will further grow up by about 200 million metric tonnes by 2030. Our national biofuel policy has enacted last year... research on second and third generation biofuel is being promoted. 12-second-generation biorefineries are being set up in 11 states." Talking about energy policy of India he said, "We have adopted an integrated approach in energy planning. During the last Petrotech Conference in 2016, I mentioned four pillars for India's future - energy access, efficiency, sustainability, and security." He was of the view that energy justice is also a key objective for him and a top priority for India.
"Toward this end, we have developed and implemented many policies. The results of these efforts are now evident. Electricity has reached all our rural areas. This year, we aim to achieve 100 percent electrification of households in India through a targeted programme called Saubhagya. As we raise production, we also aim to reduce losses in transmission and distribution," he added.
He also said, "Access to clean cooking fuel provide major benefits, especially to women and children from exposure to smoke pollution. LPG connections have been given to over 64 million or 6.4 crore households." Petrotech 2019, the 13th international oil and gas conference and exhibition, being organized under the aegis of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
The three-day event, from February 10 to 12, will showcase the recent market and investor-friendly developments in India's oil and gas sector. Over 95 energy Ministers from partner countries and 7,000 delegates from around 70 countries are expected to be part of the event.


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text:
Ammonia fueled sports car: Marangoni Toyota GT86 Eco Explorer
By Julian Atchison on April 25, 2013
Click to learn more. The Marangoni Toyota GT86 Eco Explorer. Source: Marangoni Tyres.
A new sports car that uses ammonia fuel is touring the motor shows of Europe. The Marangoni Toyota GT-86 Eco-Explorer is an ammonia / gasoline hybrid, designed by Italian tyre-maker Marangoni, which claims 111 miles of zero-emission driving from one tank of ammonia.
The Eco Explorer was first shown at the Geneva Motor Show (March 7-17) in Switzerland, and then at the Gadget Show Live in the UK (April 3-7) and Top Marques in Monaco (April 18-21). Its next stop is Tuning World Bodensee in Friedrichshafen, Germany (May 9-12).
The GT86-R Marangoni has been fitted with the NH3 engine system, offering dual fuel supply. The car can in fact run on petrol, as originally equipped, or use ammonia stored in a separate tank.
Toyota GT86-R Marangoni Eco Explorer press release, 28 Feb 2013
Marangoni's press release features extensive photographs and technical info:
One litre of ammonia costs just 20 cents, and the 30 litres that the Toyota GT86-R tank can hold are enough to travel around 180 km. At engine speeds up to 2,800 rpm, the car can be fuelled on ammonia alone, then switching to direct injection and petrol at higher engine loads. Consequently, for city driving the car can almost completely run on ammonia. Due to the high energy output of ammonia the original and exciting performance potential of the GT 86 is maintained.
The NH3 design has been developed by Bigas International, a company that for more than 40 years has been focusing on the use of alternative energy sources. The system uses a special pressure reducer, called RI21JE, and a special control unit to make sure that all safety and reliability requirements involving the use of ammonia are met. This system completely eliminates fine dust particle emissions and significantly reduces CO2 emissions. The trials completed by BIGAS International as part of the Savia project analysed every aspect relating to compliance with current safety and pollution standards, testing the effectiveness of the solutions adopted on different prototypes over extended periods.
Click to play. The UK Press Tour of the Marangoni GT86-R Eco Explorer, from Marangoni Tyre's channel.
The Eco Explorer may be the most widely publicized vehicle to come out of the SAVIA project, a public/private initiative in Italy, but another interesting project under development is a range-extender for electric hybrid vehicles, using ammonia for its carbon-free liquid fuel.
The range-extender electric hybrid project uses a garbage truck as its development vehicle (the Effedi Gasolone 35, diesel model), and for this they also developed a safety system: plug-and-play sensor modules that monitor levels of ammonia and other emissions around the cockpit area, and at the fuel tank, catalytic reactor, and tail pipe.
SAVIA (Sistema di Alimentazione di Veicoli ad Idrogeno ed Ammoniaca, translates as Vehicle Power Systems from Hydrogen and Ammonia) includes project leader Pont-Tech, with partners EDI – Progetti & Sviluppo, Acta Energy (who are also partners in Project Alkammonia), BIGAS, University of Pisa, and Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, with co-funding from Regione Toscana.
The Marangoni Eco Explorer was reviewed in the UK by AutoExpress.co.uk:
By fitting an LPG tank under the boot that allows the GT 86 to be run on compressed ammonia, Marangoni claims to have given it a CO2-free range of 111 miles … The good news is that, despite the additional weight, the Eco Explorer is still just as enjoyable to drive as a standard GT 86, so on track the agile chassis and responsive steering make it great fun. Plus, the engine now revs quicker and sounds much better.
VERDICT: As a speculative look into the future of fuels, the Eco Explorer is an interesting experiment. But it works better as a glimpse of what a more powerful GT 86 could be like. The performance upgrades and those wide tyres haven't spoiled the superbly balanced chassis, and even though the stiffer ride won't suit everybody, this is still an utterly fantastic car to drive.
Marangoni GT 86-R Eco Explorer Review (Paul Bradbury), 19 April 2013
Other mentions in the UK press included the Birmingham Mail and The Observer.
Authors Julian Atchison
Categories Demonstration Project Commercial Technologies
Geographic Regions Europe Italy United Kingdom
Topics Transportation Fuel Dual Fuel
JulianAtchison
Next up: The AmVeh – an ammonia fueled car from South Korea »


ASD-CAPW2000 Power Connector | DamenCNC B.V.
For the bigger Delta Servo motors this type of connector is used for the power connections. Its used from 2000W upwards. The servo motor has an integrated contra connector. Keep in mind we also offer complete cable sets. In that case you dont need this connector, it is integrated the set. The connection is a solder type connection. There are many pins to be soldered. Its only recommended for the experienced clients.


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text:
Did Jefferson Believe in the Afterlife?
Historians/History
tags: Thomas Jefferson
by M. Andrew Holowchak, Ph.D.
M. Andrew Holowchak is the author of many books about Thomas Jefferson including "Framing a Legend: Exposing the Distorted History of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings" (2013).
There is a general scholarly consensus that Thomas Jefferson believed in an afterlife, given numerous references to the hereafter in his letters, messages, and addresses. For instance, in his The Religious Life of Thomas Jefferson, Charles B. Sanford, citing two of Jefferson's letters to Adams (9 Aug. 1816 and 8 Dec. 1818), maintains that Jefferson was "influenced by Adams' arguments about spirit to find room in belief in immortality among the wondrous attributes of certain forms of matter." Elsewhere he says: "Matter had many mysterious properties, such as magnetism gravity, and the power of the brain to think. Why not immortality for human beings?" E.S. Gaustad in an essay titled "Religion," maintains that the immortality of the soul was for Jefferson a "guarantor of morality." He summarizes: "Justice and goodness must ultimately prevail, else this is not a moral universe." Eugene R. Sheridan, in his estimable introduction to the Princeton edition of Jefferson's two reconstructions of the Bible (1804 and c. 1820), acknowledges that Jefferson entertained doubts concerning an afterlife, "but, on the whole, hope triumphed over despair." In "The Religious Pilgrimage of Thomas Jefferson," Paul Conkin says that Jefferson "was always confident of life after death." John Ragosta, in "Thomas Jefferson's Religion and Religious Liberty," argues that Jefferson's insistence, pace Calvin, that one is to be judged by one's deeds "suggests some belief in an afterlife," though he admits the issue is far from settled.
The general consensus, however, is based on persiflage. There is reason to be guarded. All references by Jefferson to an afterlife in writings are terse. Even of deity, whose nature he considers too boundless for human cognizance, Jefferson does allow himself some discussion—e.g., he writes of deity as material and of such capacities to create and sustain the cosmos (TJ to John Adams, 15 Aug. 1820)—yet he never lapses into serious discussion of an afterlife in any writings, where he seems open to it as a possibility. Such references should not be taken as evidence of belief, for belief, as Jefferson wrote formally to Adams (22 Aug. 1813), is assent to a rationally intelligible proposition, and the notion of an afterlife seems not to be rationally intelligible—at least, not in the metempirical manner in which it had been historically discussed.
Consider for instance Jefferson's response to Rev. Isaac Story (5 Dec. 1810), who writes of belief in the transmigration of souls. Jefferson replies that he has nothing to say on the subject. Revelation is silent on the issue and "the laws of nature have withheld from us the means of physical knowledge of the country of spirits." Thus, he has consigned himself to what he, following Montaigne, often calls the "softest pillow" of ignorance (e.g., TJ to Hugh White, 25 Apr. 1812). To John Adams (5 July 1814), Jefferson states, "Plato … is peculiarly appealed to as an advocate of the immortality of the soul; and yet I will venture to say that were there no better arguments than his in proof of it, not a man in the world would believe it." Given the counterfactual expression, Jefferson commits himself to better arguments for the immortality of the soul than Plato's—arguments sufficient to elicit the consent of some persons—but nothing more can be said. Given his reply to Story, I suspect he does not hold such arguments in high regard.
Yet we do know, as Sanford concedes, that Jefferson unequivocally commits himself to materialism, and there is no reason to believe, given the philosophical and scientific literature that Jefferson read, that he was ever anything but a full-fledged materialist. Consider this passage from the August 15 letter to Adams.
I can conceive thought to be an action of a particular organisation of matter, formed for that purpose by it's creator, as well as that attraction is an action of matter, or magnetism of loadstone. when he who denies to the Creator the power of endowing matter with the mode of action called thinking shall shew how he could endow the Sun with the mode of action called attraction, which reins the planets in the tract of their orbits, or how an absence of matter can have a will, and, by that will; put matter into motion, then the materialist may be lawfully required to explain the process by which matter exercises the faculty of thinking. when once we quit the basis of sensation all is in the wind. to talk of immaterial existences is to talk of nothings. to say that the human soul, angels, god, are immaterial, is to say they are nothings, or that there is no god, no angels, no soul. I cannot reason otherwise.
Thus, mind or the soul is some sort of matter; so too is deity. So the question of an afterlife reduces to the question of whether psychic matter is indissoluble, or as Carl Richard thinks in "A Dialogue with the Ancients," whether for Jefferson there can be an instauration of matter, once decayed.Richard says that Jefferson believed in the dissolution of the soul upon dissolution of the body, but adds that Jefferson believed in the resurrection of the body after death.
Four important letters offer evidence that Jefferson has lifted his head from the softest pillow of ignorance, because the science in his day had begun to shed light on what Jefferson had earlier perceived to be wholly a metempirical concern. One is early; the others are late in life.
The first letter, indicative of early skepticism apropos of the soul leaving the body "at the instant of death," is to boyhood friend John Page (26 July 1764). Jefferson recounts a story from a magazine that concerns a man, drowned and submerged in water for some 24 hours. The man was brought back to life by a method such as "to give the vital warmth to the whole body by gentle degrees, and to put the blood in motion by inflating the lungs." We are taught, he continues, that when the bodily parts completely cease to function, the "soul leaves the body." He sums, "But does not this story contradict this opinion?"
To John Adams (14 Mar. 1820), Jefferson—referring to the works of Dugald Stewart, A.L.C. Destutt de Tracy, and Pierre Jean George Cabanis—offers an argument in two parts. First, he proceeds analogically. Thought is to the material organ of the brain as is magnetism is to a needle or elasticity is to a spring—merely a product of the matter thus structured. Dissolve the matter of the magnet and spring and their magnetism and elasticity cease. It is likewise with thought. "On ignition of the needle or spring, their magnetism and elasticity cease. So on dissolution of the material organ by death, its action of thought may cease also, and nobody supposes that the magnetism or elasticity retire to hold a substantive and distinct existence. These were qualities only of particular conformations of matter; change the conformation, and its qualities change also."
The question now becomes whether matter can be so structured that thought can occur. Following Locke, Jefferson considers deity endowing matter with thought. He asserts, "When I meet with a proposition beyond finite comprehension, I abandon it as I do a weight which human strength cannot lift, and I think ignorance, in these cases, is truly the softest pillow on which I can lay my head." Immediately, he adds: "Were it necessary, however, to form an opinion, I confess I should, with Mr. Locke, prefer swallowing one incomprehensibility rather than two." In sum, matter endowed with thought is less incomprehensible than "an existence called spirit, of which we have neither evidence nor idea, and then … how that spirit, which has neither extension nor solidity, can put material organs into motion."
In late-life letters to John Adams (8 Jan. 1825) and to Francis Adrian van der Kemp (11 Jan. 1825), Jefferson excitedly refers to experiments by Flourens and Cabanis on vertebrates. Writes Jefferson to Adams of Flourens, after removing cerebrum of some vertebrates, finding that "the animal loses all it's senses of hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling tasting, is totally deprived of will, intelligence, memory, perception," though it retains the power of locomotion, given external stimuli. After removing the cerebellum from vertebrates, "the animal retains all it's senses, faculties & understanding, but loses the power of regulated motion, and exhibits all the symptoms of drunkeness." Puncture of the medulla elonga results in instantaneous death. Jefferson adds: "I wish to see what the spiritualists will say to this. whether, in this state, the soul remains in the body deprived of it's essence of thought, or whether it leaves it as in death and where it goes?"
Three days later, Jefferson to Adrian van der Kemp again writes of Flourens's experiments, which demonstrate that the cerebrum is the "organ of thought" and "possesses alone the faculty of thinking." He wishes to know whether the soul remains in the body when the brain is deprived of thought and, if it does leave, where it goes, if the thoughtless body still lives.
The letters to Adams and van der Kemp offer abundant evidence of doubt concerning the soul's capacity to survive without the body. Given the cerebrum is the seat of sensation, perception, intelligence, memory, and thought, and given that the cerebellum is responsible for regulated motion, all the functions attributed to soul seem to be explicable by the brain. The conclusion seems plain that the soul just is the brain and the cerebrum is the intellective soul—a view that is consistent with much of the literature in contemporary philosophy of mind. With death, the body, and the brain with it, merely decay.
Finally, there is also the prose from Laurence Sterne's Tristram Shandy that Jefferson copies to a sheet of paper. "And every time I kiss thy hand to bid adieu, every absence which follows it, are preludes to that eternal separation which we are shortly to make." This is the second half of a passage on the folded paper—the first half written in the writing of Jefferson's wife—which contained a lock of Martha Jefferson's hair. This reference to "eternal separation," written to his wife, perhaps moribund when composed, is persuasive.
Such letters are weighty evidence of doubt concerning life after death. They make it probable that Jefferson's many flippant references to the hereafter to correspondents and in political addresses and messages are mere instances of his cordiality and kindness—viz., a willingness to greet correspondents on their terms, not his own.
At day's end, it is likely that Jefferson, given his purchase of materialism, never really took seriously belief in an afterlife—at least, not late in life.