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WHY MOST NIGERIAN MEN HAVE LOW SPERM COUNT
Professor of Anatomy and Reproductive Endocrinology, Medical Art Centre, Ikeja, Lagos, Oladapo Asiru, traces the history of in vitro fertilisation in Nigeria and gives reasons for increasing infertility in the country, in this interview with NIYI ODEBODE.
There has been controversy over the history of in vitro fertilisation in Nigeria. Can you give a brief history of the practice?
The experimental work on in vitro fertilisation was started in Nigeria in 1983 by Dr. Akin Abisogun and me. When we succeeded in performing IVF in experimental animals, we started it in humans in the latter part of 1983. For the first time, in 1984, it led to a pregnancy. The first pregnancy ended up as a miscarriage. Following that, it became a big household event. Our success generated a visit of the then Minister of Health, Dr. Emmanuel Nsan, to our centre as well as a visit by his successor, Prof. Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, who established a ministerial panel to look into our work.
Prof. Osita Giwa-Osagie and I were successful in achieving the feat, which was among the few in the world. By 1986, we had delivery from gamete intra fallopian transfer. In 1989, we succeeded in having a baby girl born from IVF. The mother was a woman whose two fallopian tubes had been removed in England as a result of an ectopic pregnancy. She came to Nigeria, we were able to do IVF for her and she got pregnant on the first attempt. The Lagos University Teaching Hospital's magazine published it. Mr. Onajomo Orere of The Guardian reported it when Mr. Lade Bonuola was the editor. It was also reported by Ms. Luisa Agunyi-Ironsi of Tell magazine.
By 1998 and 2001, two other doctors joined the IVF programme in Nigeria. Today, we have about 15 IVF centres.
With your explanation, what would you say about a claim that the first IVF baby in Nigeria was delivered in Abuja in 1998?
It is totally incorrect. The first IVF baby was delivered in 1989. She is still alive. It was well publicised as I had said. The woman was interviewed. When the publicity became too much, her lawyer wrote to us that we should stop it.
What are the recent developments in assisted reproduction?
We are moving to another level in assisted reproduction, which is pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. Before we can take a woman through IVF, we will have a biopsy to know the genetic composition of the embryos. We can know the male and female embryos. We can decipher an embryo as a sickle cell embryo or whether an embryo will have leukemia in future or whether it will have diabetes. We can know the abnormalities that occur in foetus by looking at the embryo. For example, if an AS person marries an AS person, we can select the embryo that is not SS and transfer it to the mother.
We can do this at the embryo level, which is about four days in the laboratory. We have set up the technology in collaboration with my colleague, Dr. Satishkumar Sharma of Craaft Clinic, Mumbia, India. We have about 25 patients going through it. At the end of the day, the pregnancy and the baby will be normal because we would have selected the embryo. We are doing it for those that are very old, those who have had failed IVF and those who have had repeated miscarriages. Many people, who are pregnant, lose the pregnancies because the embryos are not normal.
If you go through IVF, if you have three embryos, if one of them is not good, it will affect the other two. If you remove the bad one, and use the two good ones, the pregnancy will survive. What we do simply is to discard bad embryo and take those that are good and transfer them into the woman.
What is the financial implication? It is expensive, but it is better to go through it than to spend money on IVF and not get pregnant. The technology was developed in Chicago. My colleauges from America, who were supposed to come, were afraid of coming to Nigeria because they felt they would be detained and kidnapped.
When you are transferring technology, your partners must come here and use your system. I went to India and Chicago. I felt that it could be done in Nigeria. We have people who need it, especially the sickle cell people. Instead of asking them to go to America, which is very expensive, we can do it here. Even in America, there are about four centres that are main centres. We plan to make this place a centre of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis in Nigeria.
We can then have satellite centres coming to use the facilities here. You have not talked bout the cost implication. You know IVF is between N800,000 and N1m. With this technology, you will need another $3000. Government can assist by removing taxes and cutting duties on the drugs, which are very expensive.
You mentioned miscarriages. What causes miscarriages?
The commonest cause of miscarriage is abnormality in embryo. Nature will not allow abnormality to occur. If the child is going to be abnormal, there may be a miscarriage. We have found out that a high percentage of miscarriages are due to abnormality of the embryo which are equally environmentally induced, such as exposure to X-ray, chemical and toxins.
There are many centres that claim to do infertility treatment, particularly assisted conception and reproduction. Can you differentiate between the two?
Some people think that if you take the sperm and introduce it to the woman, that is assisted reproduction technology. No, that is assisted conception. In assisted reproduction technology, you must take the sperm and take the egg and manipulate them outside the body, in the laboratory, and take it to the woman. Some people do not need IVF; they only need artificial insemination. If I have a woman that is 22 years and trying to conceive and there is cervical hostility, artificial insemination is sufficient. But by the time women are getting old, there is no time for trial and error. IVF is the answer.
I must add that there are some people who are not medical doctors but claim that they are doing infertility treatment and IVF. They are all over Lagos deceiving couples who need treatment. People are being deceived because of the prevalence of infertility in Nigeria. What are the causes of infertility? We have male factors.
Most of our men in this country have low sperm, particularly those ones I see in my clinics. And what are the reasons? They include infections, alcohol, cigarette smoking, occupational hazards, pesticide, toxic pollution in the environment, use of artificial sweeteners like saccharine and wearing of tight pants.
For women, the causes include infections, blockage of tubes and occupational hazards which affect ovaries.
Are more people coming for IVF in Nigeria?
There is more awareness of IVF in Nigeria. More people are coming for it because they know there is a solution. More men are now coming out. They know there is a solution. However, many people are not ready to come out to say that they have done it.
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Through donor sperm, we've produced 2000 babies – Prof Giwa-Osagie
When Prof Osato F. Giwa-Osagie (OON) and a few of his colleagues at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) disclosed, in the early 1980s, that they could assist couples having infertility problems to achieve pregnancies through other means, not many believed them. In fact, their claims were subjected to close scrutiny by two panels set up by the Federal Government before being given a clean bill of health.
However, these In-Vitro Fertilisation pioneers were forced to go it alone due to government's unwillingness to offer adequate support and assistance to them at the time.Subsequently, Giwa-Osagie, who is the president of the Nigerian Fertility Society (NFS), went solo because as he put it, "I was not prepared to be intellectually dead."
In 1987, he set up the Advanced Fertility Clinic (AFC) in Lagos and the decision paid off.
In this exclusive interview, the renowned gynaecologist and obstetrician speaks on the evolution of his specialised practice in the last 21 years among other issues.
Advanced fertility centre at 21
It has been quite challenging. When I came back to Nigeria in 1978, 30 years ago, I found that virtually every gynaecologist considered himself to be a specialist in treating infertility. But I soon realised that most of them were treating infertility as generalists would do, not as sub specialists or super specialists. So, I took it up at that level. I applied modern techniques. Indeed, we kept adding more modernisations to improve the efficiency of the processes we were doing to increase the convenience both for the practitioners and the patient, and, therefore, to cover more and more causes of infertility. These included ultra-sonography and sperm banking, among others. That's how it has evolved.
Twenty one years down the line, we remain committed to making a difference in the lives of our patients. With our pioneering role in assisted reproduction, we are committed to bringing the benefits of modern science to the healthcare of men and women of all ages. We practise medicine with empathy and regard our patients as our ambassadors at large. Through the use of advanced technology and motivated staff, we are producing results of international standard in a patient friendly atmosphere.
It was a humble start but we are moving ahead. But as I said earlier, it has been a challenging experience at 21.
Sperm bankingInitially, all we did was just check the tubes, check for ovulation and give the patient some drugs to stimulate ovulation. Most people were not doing artificial insemination. In fact, the first papers on artificial insemination were published in the 1970s by people like Prof Akingba, Prof Chukwudebelu, Prof Ladipo. But when we set up Advanced Fertility Centre in 1987, we set up a human sperm bank, which was the first in the whole of West Africa, East Africa and Central Africa. Nobody else at that time had a human sperm bank.
Now, why did we need a sperm bank? We needed a sperm bank because it allows you to store the sperm so that it can be used for the patient, if, for instance, her husband is not around. It allows you to use sperms that had been screened for people who cannot produce sperm just the way you use blood bank to serve people who need blood.
Of course, when assisted conception became more advanced, sperm banking became imperative. For instance, in the age of HIV/AIDS, you are no longer allowed to do insemination using fresh semen. So, what is done is that you freeze the semen, you test the donor twice to make sure that they are negative for HIV, hepatitis before you can now use it to inseminate of for In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF). You cannot do that unless you have a sperm bank. It means now, in effect, that any place that is doing something like IVF must have a sperm bank whereas it was a novelty when we started.Advent of IVF in NigeriaSecondly, with Prof Ashiru at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and Prof Abisogun, we again, had started IVF in the whole of West, East and Central Africa. I know this because I keep records of what is going on in my special area so I know who is doing what, where and when.
After we succeeded in IVF in 1984, we had the first baby in 1989, almost 20 years ago. We were not able to continue in the public hospital because the Federal Government, at the time, was not prepared to fund the process. You have to have equipment, you have to have drugs and you have to have a means of getting money that you will use to maintain the equipment and pay for the drugs for the patient. That mechanical was not available as in early or mid 1980s at Nigerian teaching hospitals. So, we had to make a choice. Prof Ashiru decided to go to USA. He was there for some years but has since come back and started his own practice. I stayed. I decided that if I was to stay in Nigeria, I must be able to do what I am interested, in otherwise I would go intellectually dead. And I was not prepared to be intellectually dead. With the assistance of some family members, friend and old school mates, we were able to purchase and instal sperm bank, utrasonagraphy as well as pay for our embryologist, Mrs B.O. Kayode to go abroad and train in sperm preservation and the embryology of IVF so that she became the first female IVF embryologist in the whole of West Africa.
Once we had that in place, we started offering it to patients. This was how the IVF was set up at Advanced Fertility Centre then at Surulere, Lagos. We moved to Onikan in 2001 and of course, we updated our equipment. We now do ICSI. It allows you to inject one egg one sperm, which for those who have very low sperm count.
We've had over 2000 pregnancies of donor sperms. We've been having successful IVF pregnancies and deliveries since around 1988. We had our first set in our new location at Onikan, Lagos, in 2001. It was a set of twins. We have also been successful in getting pregnancies using donor eggs for people who don't have ovaries and don't menstruate at all. We have success there, including menopausal women, women who are no longer menstruating. These are all techniques available in assisted conception world-wide. They are now available in Nigeria.
At 21, Advanced fertility centre is a thing of obvious satisfaction to me.But even more satisfying to me and my colleague, Prof Ashiru, is that we started IVF in West Africa when people thought it was not possible. Many of our colleagues criticised us and said we were making false claims. There were two panels set up by the Federal Government to look at our work and confirmed that we were doing the correct thing.
Today, there are 14 IVF centres in Nigeria and that for me is a thing of great joy. You start something and many people join in, you should be happy about that. Out of the 14, seven are in Lagos, three in Abuja, one in Benin City, one in Aba, two in Port Harcourt and I understand one will be starting soon in Enugu. The one at the National Hospital Abuja, which AFC assisted to start, was the first government-funded IVF centre in Nigeria, followed by the one at UBTH, Benin City. So, that is satisfying to the pioneers and it made my staying in Nigeria and not going abroad worthwhile.
If you go abroad, everything is ready for you, between three and six months you are already doing the procedure. We started it from scratch here and we had no support from the government at all at that time. Now the climate is more civilized, better informed and people know that these things are available and can make informed choices.
From the pint of view of my practice, the turning point was when I was able to give sufficient confidence in some people to make them prepared to assist me to fund what I wanted to do. You can have very bright ideas but if you cannot get the money from the bank, friends or relations, you cannot get anywhere. That is a constant truth. But I was lucky I had that breakthrough in the mid'80s, which was why I was able to start in 1987. The next thing was when we were able to obtain a loan from the United Bank's for Africa (UBA) to reequip our hospital and modern machines which is the situation we are in now.
It is not easy to repay loans but we thank God that we were able to handle that in AFC.
Assessment of healthcare under democracy
In the field of healthcare, the major positive thing I have seen is that the whole issue of maternal and child health is being taken more seriously than ever before. And the health system is being geared towards attempting to achieve the Millennium Development Goals as they apply to mother and child health.
Secondly, under the democratic dispensation, HIV/AIDS started to be tackled very seriously. I remember when even enlightened people, in place like Lagos were saying it didn't concern them. This was because they were still suffering from the believe that HIV/AIDS only affected homosexuals or those that had blood transfusion. But now everybody knows that in Africa the major route of spreading HIV/AIDS is through sex, heterosexual sex.
CondomsThe level of advocacy and, indeed, the enlightenment campaign by journalists is amazing in the last eight years or so. So, we've made much impact in terms of HIV/AIDS. And as my own support to the fight against HIV/AIDS, I have been distributing condoms free at various places I go. I travel much in this country and I know what men can do when they are out of their homes. I see them surrounded by young ladies in hotels all over Nigeria and I say to them when we meet socially, if you must have sex with the these ladies that you hardly know or even ladies that you know but obviously you cannot vouch for you might as well use condom.
Initially, people would think that maybe you are encouraging promiscuity, but the truth is that if people could abstain from sex there would be no unwanted pregnancies, there would be no sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS would go down tremendously. The fact, however, is that people cannot abstain from sex and many of them cannot help but have sex with more than one partner. Now, when you have sex with more than one partner, you can never be sure where that partner has been or would be. Therefore, if you are going to do that, you must protect yourself. Far from encouraging promiscuity. That strategy is to assist those who cannot obtain but we still believe that abstinence is the cheapest and the surest way of not catching HIV/AIDS in Africa.
Through donor sperm, we've produced 2000 babies – ...


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package com.thinkaurelius.titan.diskstorage.indexing;

import com.thinkaurelius.titan.diskstorage.StorageException;
import com.thinkaurelius.titan.diskstorage.TransactionHandle;

import java.util.List;
import java.util.Map;

/**
 * External index for querying.
 * An index can contain an arbitrary number of index stores which are updated and queried separately.
 *
 * @author Matthias Broecheler (me@matthiasb.com)
 */

public interface IndexProvider extends IndexInformation {

    /**
     * This method registers a new key for the specified index store with the given data type. This allows the IndexProvider
     * to prepare the index if necessary.
     *
     * It is expected that this method is first called with each new key to inform the index of the expected type before the
     * key is used in any documents.
     *
     * @param store Index store
     * @param key New key to register
     * @param information Information on the key to register
     * @param tx enclosing transaction
     * @throws StorageException
     */
    public void register(String store, String key, KeyInformation information, TransactionHandle tx) throws StorageException;

    /**
     * Mutates the index (adds and removes fields or entire documents)
     *
     * @param mutations Updates to the index. First map contains all the mutations for each store. The inner map contains
     *                  all changes for each document in an {@link IndexMutation}.
     * @param informations Information on the keys used in the mutation accessible through {@link KeyInformation.IndexRetriever}.
     * @param tx Enclosing transaction
     * @throws StorageException
     * @see IndexMutation
     */
    public void mutate(Map<String,Map<String, IndexMutation>> mutations, KeyInformation.IndexRetriever informations, TransactionHandle tx) throws StorageException;

    /**
     * Executes the given query against the index.
     *
     * @param query Query to execute
     * @param informations Information on the keys used in the query accessible through {@link KeyInformation.IndexRetriever}.
     * @param tx Enclosing transaction
     * @return The ids of all matching documents
     * @throws StorageException
     * @see IndexQuery
     */
    public List<String> query(IndexQuery query, KeyInformation.IndexRetriever informations, TransactionHandle tx) throws StorageException;

    /**
     * Executes the given raw query against the index
     *
     * @param query Query to execute
     * @param informations Information on the keys used in the query accessible through {@link KeyInformation.IndexRetriever}.
     * @param tx Enclosing transaction
     * @return Results objects for all matching documents (i.e. document id and score)
     * @throws StorageException
     * @see RawQuery
     */
    public Iterable<RawQuery.Result<String>> query(RawQuery query, KeyInformation.IndexRetriever informations, TransactionHandle tx) throws StorageException;

    /**
     * Returns a transaction handle for a new index transaction.
     *
     * @return New Transaction Handle
     */
    public TransactionHandle beginTransaction() throws StorageException;

    /**
     * Closes the index
     * @throws StorageException
     */
    public void close() throws StorageException;

    /**
     * Clears the index and removes all entries in all stores.
     * @throws StorageException
     */
    public void clearStorage() throws StorageException;

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Probate | Bale & Associates, LTD.
Why Should I Hire a Probate Attorney to Handle an Estate in Westerville, Ohio?
When a loved one passes there is a lot to attend to, but most importantly it is time to remember and process the passing. Dealing with the administration of an estate involves an intrusion into this stressful time.
There are many steps in the administration of an estate that need to be taken in sequence while meeting certain deadlines set by law. Until these matters are settled in the right way, the court will not sign off on the estate and assets cannot be dispersed. That is why the attorneys of Bale & Associates are here to help. I understand what a sensitive time this is and that you need help protecting what is yours, and most important in this is your peace of mind.
Fortunately, I can offer you the services that will allow you to navigate the probate process and ensure that everything gets done correctly. You deserve to have the estate settled right, without a lot of hassles and delays, and it is always stressful even with support because of the delay in completing the process; while estates are often open for six months after death, it is also common that they are not completely administered for up to a year or more after death.
1. Moving through the process as quickly as possible in a way that will take only months instead of years.
2. Filing all the necessary legal paperwork and documents; apply for tax identification numbers for the estate.
3. Making sure all the paperwork is filed so the executor has the ability to pay bills, access accounts and otherwise carry out the directions of the deceased.
4. Ensuring that creditors are notified; post all necessary bonds.
5. Ensure that any court fees and other expenses are paid.
6. Gather any information that may need to be shared with businesses and organizations and write or call them as needed.
7. Ensure that all probate and non-probate account transfers are made and then draft deeds to the proper parties.
8. Ensure that all legally reported bills are paid.
9. Ensure that the proper insurance is set up for all necessary assets.
10. Ensuring that all final income tax matters are settled correctly.
11. Determining all estate tax consequences that apply.
12. Ensuring that retirement accounts are distributed in a matter to minimize taxation.
13. Negotiate any credit claims involving credit card debt, medical expenses and any outstanding bills.
14. Handle the sale of personal property and real estate.
15. Arrange for payment of the fiduciary fees for handling the estate, or see that they are properly waived.
16. Acquiring whatever releases are needed to distribute the estate to the heirs.
17. Handle the final closing of the estate.
Every estate is unique, though generally there are required steps in notifying creditors, beneficiaries, and filing various reports with the court. Let our professional legal staff make sure everything gets done right the first time.


A 6-Step Guide to Laying Paving Stones Yourself — Hilgersom Inc.
Paving stones are a great addition to any landscape. They come in a variety of colours, textures, sizes, and patterns, and installing paving stones is something that most do-it-yourselfers can do.
Get creative with where you want to lay paving stones, whether it be a large patio or a winding pathway. Once you've determined the layout, mark the perimeter. Be sure to mark 4-6" beyond your paving stone's edge to allow for additional base gravel necessary to secure your edging restraint. Using string lines and garden hoses to mark edges of the paving stone will help you visualize shapes better.
Now that you know where to dig, begin removing the grass and soil from your work area. For pedestrian traffic, the area should be excavated about 8-9 inches from finished grade, which will allow enough room for about 5 inches of road crush (base gravel). Ensure that the base gravel is packed in layers suitable for the size of plate tamper you are using. When using standard paving stone (2⅜" thick), the final height of road crush should be 3.5 inches below finished grade.
After the road crush has been laid and packed, spread a layer of sand over top that will become the bedding sand for the paving stone. Often, we like to use 1-inch square tubing embedded in the sand to help us establish our elevations/heights. For most paving stone, keep the height of the stone a half-inch higher than finished grade to allow for final plate tamping after the stone has been laid. With the bars set, screed across them with a 2x4 to create an even surface. Walk over or pat down the sand to ensure it's a consistent density, then screed a second, final time after which you can carefully remove the 1-inch tubing. Removing the tubing will leave a channel, but that's not a problem; simply fill in and smooth over the channels with a trowel until you're left with a nice level surface.
When creating your pattern, lay the pavers snuggly side by side. It's important not to set or push the paving stones into the sand — you're going to let the plate tamper do that later. The type of paving stone and pattern will determine where you'll want to begin laying the brick, always trying to keep cuts to a minimum. With some installations, you may be creating or following a pattern. At our landscape centre, we can help with patterns and provide the necessary literature to help guide you.
It's important to use a jointing material to finish your paving stone. Depending on the application, you may choose to use a regular fine sand or polymeric jointing sand that will harden after activation but remain flexible. When using polymeric sand, follow the product instructions closely!
Use a plate compactor to tamp the area. You can use a hand tamper for smaller areas, but a plate compactor makes the job much easier. The plate tamper will push the paving stone into the bedding sand while also vibrating the jointing material into the cracks. If you're installing paving stone with textured tops, a plate tamper with a protective mat underneath may be required.
And that's paving stone installation in a nutshell. If you have any questions or need ideas, come to our landscape centre where we'll show you our paving stone selection and all our accessories. We've been installing paving stone for over 30 years now, so we know what we're talking about!


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Home / Hollywood / Hollywood news :: AWWW: Is this why Beyonce looks at Lebron James in some kind of way?
Hollywood news :: AWWW: Is this why Beyonce looks at Lebron James in some kind of way?
Bestarewa August 01, 2018 0
AWWW: Is this why Beyonce looks at Lebron James in some kind of way?
dailyadvent.com
LeBron James and his foundation 'LeBron James Family Foundation' on Sunday, in collaboration with the Akron (Ohio) Public Schools, launched a new elementary school for at-risk children in his hometown. The school called the I Promise School was created to be a place where at-risk students can attend school and be given an opportunity to thrive despite difficult family and life situations.
The idea of the school is modeled around LeBron's early childhood where he missed much of the fourth grade because of his living conditions.
In a snippet of a video posted on the uninterrupted Instagram page, LeBron said: 'I know these kids… Basically more than they know themselves, I've walked those streets, I rode the same bikes they ride on… I went through the same emotions – the good, the bad, the adversity…. Everything that these kids are going through – the drugs the violence, the guns everything that they are going through as kids I know'.
Another video shows the basketball champion telling why he built the school. "I know exactly what these 240 kids are going through… I've been there. They're the reason why this school is here today," he says.
It has been reported that the 'I Promise School' will begin with two grades – third and fourth – with plans to expand in the coming years.
The school has a longer school day and longer school year with more than 40 staff members to accelerate the development of children who qualify for the program based on performance and socioeconomic factors.
ESPN further reports that for those who complete the program, James has arranged for free tuition to the University of Akron starting in 2021. He has also created a program for parents of the at-risk children to return to complete their high school education.
James was born on December 30, 1984, in Akron, Ohio to a 16-year-old mother, Gloria Marie James. His father, Anthony McClelland, was reportedly Gloria's casual boyfriend with an extensive criminal record. Gloria raised James on her own. When James was growing up, life was often a struggle for the family, as they moved from apartment to apartment in the seedier neighborhoods of Akron while Gloria struggled to find steady work. Realizing that her son would be better off in a more stable family environment, Gloria allowed him to move in with the family of Frank Walker, a local youth football coach, who introduced James to basketball when he was nine years old.
James did not start playing organized basketball until he was in the fifth grade. He later played Amateur Athletic Union(AAU) basketball for the Northeast Ohio Shooting Stars. The team enjoyed success on a local and national level, led by James and his friends Sian Cotton, Dru Joyce III, and Willie McGee. The players were inseparable and dubbed themselves the "Fab Four", promising each other that they would attend high school together. In a move that stirred local controversy, they chose to attend St. Vincent–St. Mary High School, a predominantly white private Catholic school.
James is an active supporter of non-profit organizations, including After-School All-Stars, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Children's Defense Fund, and ONEXONE. He also has his own charity foundation, the LeBron James Family Foundation, which is based in Akron. Since 2005, the foundation has held an annual bike-a-thon to raise money for various causes. In 2015, James announced a partnership with the University of Akron to provide scholarships for as many as 2,300 children beginning in 2021. In 2016, he donated $2.5 million to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture to support an exhibit on Muhammad Ali. In 2017, he received the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award from the NBA for his "outstanding service and dedication to the community". In November of that same year, the Akron School Board approved the "I Promise" Elementary School, a public school created in a partnership with the LeBron James Family Foundation to help struggling elementary school students stay in school. James later reflected that it was his most important professional accomplishment of his life.
Throughout his career, James has taken stances on controversial issues. On several occasions, he mentioned a feeling of obligation to effect change using his status. Those include the War in Darfur, the Trayvon Martin case, the now-former NBA owner Donald Sterling's racist comments in 2014, the Michael Brown verdict, and the death of Eric Garner. Following a racist incident at his Los Angeles home in 2017, James stated, "being black in America is tough. We got a long way to go for us as a society and for us as African Americans until we feel equal in America." Later on that same year, in the aftermath of the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, James questioned President Donald Trump's Make America Great Again slogan by stating "It's sad what's going on in Charlottesville. Is this the direction our country is heading? Make America Great Again huh? He said that" and "Our youth deserve better!!" James also called Trump a "bum" after the president rescinded a White House invitation to Steph Curry. On the other end of the spectrum, on February 16, 2018, Fox News journalist Laura Ingraham told James to "Shut up and dribble" as a response to his political agendas.
In June 2008, James donated $20,000 to a committee to elect Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. Later that year, James gathered almost 20,000 people at the Quicken Loans Arena for a viewing of Obama's 30-minute American Stories, American Solutions television advertisement. The advertisement was shown on a large screen above the stage, where Jay-Z later held a free concert. In November 2016, James endorsed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Cybersecurity industry leaders announce launch of Industrial Control System (ICS) Village
March 2, 2018 - Cybersecurity industry leaders Bryson Bort, CEO of SCYTHE and Chairman of GRIMM, Beau Woods, Cyber Safety Innovation Fellow at The Atlantic Council and leader in the volunteer I Am The Cavalry initiative, Larry Vandenaweele, Cyber Security Manager at PwC Australia, and Thomas VanNorman, Director of Application Engineering at Veracity Industrial Networks, announced the launch of the non-profit Industrial Control System (ICS) Village.
The ICS Village is a traveling interactive experience that showcases ICS technologies and highlights the security controls that enable them to power the secure operations of chemical processing plants, pulp and paper manufacturing facilities, power generation systems, oil and gas processing, telecommunications networks and other elements of critical infrastructure. The village is designed to increase awareness and educate the public on protecting these systems and facilities. The ICS Village is also developing an engaging digital presence to broaden the reach beyond live events.
ICS security was notably thrust into the headlines in recent years when hackers used automated malware to induce a power outage in Ukraine in 2015 and again attack its power grid in 2016.
The ICS Village is designed to deliver a safe, yet realistic environment where researchers can learn to assess, enhance and defend industrial environments using real components such as Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), Human Machine Interfaces (HMI), Remote Telemetry Units (RTU), actuators and miniature robotic arms to simulate a realistic environment by using components commonly found throughout different industrial sectors. Offering a customized, simulated, real-world environment for security researchers to interact with ICS devices and systems, the ICS Village will kick off a national tour of cybersecurity conferences starting with the 2018 RSA Security Conference in San Francisco, California on April 16-20, 2018.
In addition to hands-on training to security research teams, the ICS Village is developing a digital platform that will aid in the effort to combat major, realistic threats to ICS, such as power grid hacks. The ICS Village will make its debut in its current form at the 2018 RSA Conference in RSA's ICS Sandbox. It will feature GRIMM's "Howdy Neighbor" model "smart" house that simulates how multiple interactive smart home products can be hijacked by attackers of various skill levels to expose real-world vulnerabilities in addition to live speaking sessions from key ICS security thought leaders.
In addition to the founding members of the ICS Village, Parsons Cyber has signed on as a Platinum Sponsor while Dragos and Claroty have signed on as Gold Sponsors. Silver Sponsors include Nozomi Networks and Veracity. Bronze Sponsors include Airbus, CryptoniteNXT, Cybati, Gravwell, and Unisys.
Programmable Controllers, Factory Automation, DCS & Batch Controllers, Process Automation, Plant & Asset Management, Cybersecurity, Manufacturing Operations Management
Taking an Incremental, Multi-Stage Approach When Upgrading Aging DCS Systems
By Stephen Armstrong, Freelance Industrial Writer
With some DCS systems now decades old, system users often know they need to upgrade but find the...


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Caracas, the Vibrant City of Venezuela
Caracas, officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital city of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, and the main administrative, financial, political, commercial and cultural center of the Venezuelan nation
Caracas, officially Santiago de León de Caracas. It is the capital city of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The main administrative, financial, political, commercial and cultural center of the Venezuelan nation. Its location is in the central north-Coastal zone of the country. 15 km from the coast of the Caribbean Sea and within a mountainous valley at an average altitude of 900 meters above sea level.
Varied cultural offerings, green areas, monumental historic sites and emblematic modern architectures are part of the attractions that captivate those who travel to Caracas, the vibrant capital of Venezuela.
Natal House of the Liberator Simon Bolivar:
The birthplace of Liberator Simon Bolivar, the starting point to begin the tour of the main tourist sites of Caracas. Corresponding to the birthplace of this famous hero in 1783. The person who contributed to inspire and concretely decisive independence in several countries of the continent.
Currently, the house is set up as a museum, with various paintings depicting the life of Simon Bolivar. As well as invaluable pieces of the original house, personal objects, and clothing. The house is famous as a National Monument since July 2002.
Museum of Colonial Art of Caracas:
this late XVIII century country house, now home to the Caracas Museum of Colonial Art, is another of Caracas's best tourist attractions for history buffs while preserving valuable objects and items from the colonial era.
It was originally built as a country house dedicated to rest. In an environment of coffee plantations, sugar cane, and fruit trees. At the time of independence,on numerous occasions the Liberator Simon Bolivar paid visits to this place. He was the person who will express his desire to retire to live there. Since 1961, it functions as a museum.
Botanic Garden:
the Botanical Garden is part of the University City of Caracas, housing 70 hectares. Here more than 2,500 plant species coexist, and many endemic to Venezuela and others from diverse corners of the planet.
This space is one of the best tourist places in Caracas, for those who seek an educational space of contract with nature, achieving through their organization in thematic sectors, a greater knowledge of different ecosystems and typologies of plants. Examples of these educational areas are the tropical moist forest, the xerophytes garden or the orchid.
The Ávila National Park:
This national park, also known as National Park Waraira Repano, is undoubtedly the most famous of the tourist sites of Caracas, preserving in its more than 80 thousand hectares, diverse ecosystems racing from 120 meters above sea level, to 2,765 meters going through arid scenarios of xerophytes vegetation to the cloud forest.
The park is also one of the most famous recreation areas of the city. Allowing from long walks, bicycles tours, to gastronomic delight, in one of the famous restaurants in the small town of Galipán. Another attraction is the ascent by cable car, which runs from Caracas to Pico El Ávila.
Las Mercedes:
It is one of the touristic areas of Caracas. Here the most luxurious hotels, exclusive restaurants, designer shops, shopping malls and art galleries are in bulk. It is also an area famous for its lively nightlife, with plenty of bars and nightclubs.
The heart of the Las Mercedes is the Plaza Alfredo Sedal, where different cultural events and activities help outdoors. Another of its iconic sites is the Centro Comercial Paseo Las Mercedes, with several Shops, restaurants, a hotel, cinema and a theater.
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Caracas Caribbean Sea family trip Holidays Latin America Santiago de Leon de Caracas South America trip Venezuela
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It doesn't matter where you are in the world, who you are or what you do – we all have laundry to do!
Conceptual artist Mahlia Amatina invites you to discover 'Around the World in 80 Washing Lines', an interactive autism-friendly art exhibition depicting 80 washing lines across the globe. The exhibition will tour both galleries and launderettes in the South of England, inviting visitors to discover the story behind each garment and washing line. The installation explores the connections and similarities of each washing line using a combination of photographs, textiles and a multi-sensory catalogue of effects including touch, smell and sound. Come join the journey.


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Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA)
Strengthening national capacity and regional solidarity for sustainable tuna fisheries
FFA Members
Ecosystem Approach (EAFM)
Vessel Day Scheme
US Multilateral Treaty
FISHERIES OPERATIONS
Monitoring, Control, Surveillance
Niue Treaty
FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT
Non-FFA Jobs
Regional Fisheries Management Organization
FFA Annual Economic Indicators Reports
FFA Trade and Industry News (TIN): Quarterly
Future of Fisheries Roadmap and Report Cards
New Zealand commits NZD 4.9 million to help stop illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing in the Pacific
FFA Study: Assessing the Contribution of Landings from Locally Based Commercial Tuna Fishing Vessels to Food Security
Market and Industry Dynamics: Western and Central Pacific Ocean Distant Water Tuna Purse Seine Fishery
Moana Voices
FFA TRADE AND INDUSTRY NEWS Volume 12: Issue 2	March-April 2019
By Liam Campling, Elizabeth Havice and Mike McCoy [1]
Fisheries Trade
Brexit and the UK-Pacific Islands Economic Partnership Agreement
Seafood industry concerns regarding mounting US-EU trade war
Overview of PNA Official's Annual Meeting
US swordfish closure adversely impacts Hawaii longline fleet
Tuna Industry
Bolton buyout of Tri Marine? Implications for Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands skipjack and yellowfin tuna fishery achieves Fair Trade certification
Potential loan breathes new life into PNG's proposed industrial zone
US processors update: Price fixing settlements continue, StarKist Samoa faces fines and labour shortages
New Marine Stewardship Council Chain of Custody measures to combat labour abuse
The UK and the European Union negotiated a Brexit withdrawal agreement in November 2018. But these initial 'divorce' proceedings were rejected by the UK House of Commons in January and again (twice) in March 2019.
In this context a 'No Deal' scenario became likely – this is where the UK crashes out of its membership of the EU without any transitional arrangement to negotiate an EU-UK trade agreement.
As pointed out in prior issues of FFA Trade and Industry News, Brexit poses a commercial threat to canned tuna exports from PNG to the UK.[2] In March 2019, the UK announced customs duties for 21 seafood products that would take immediate effect in the case of a 'No Deal'. Canned tuna imports would be hit by a 24% tariff which mirrors the current EU standard Most-Favoured Nation (MFN) tariff. Products not listed would be duty free – these are products covered by the EU system of autonomous tariff quotas, including salmon, whitefish (other than monkfish), pelagic fish and bivalve molluscs.[3]
In this context, PNG and Fiji agreed to a new trade deal with the UK. The UK-Pacific Islands Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) is based on the EU-Pacific Interim EPA and will take effect if the latter ceases to apply to the UK as a result of Brexit.[4] Tariff preferences applied by the UK to goods from Papua New Guinea and Fiji will remain the same, as will UK preferences in PNG and Fiji markets.[5]
The 'global sourcing' (or change in tariff classification) rule of origin for canned tuna remains intact in the UK-Pacific Islands EPA. Indeed, it is reproduced verbatim from the EU-Pacific IEPA text. This raises a question as to whether the review clause will be triggered requiring examination of 'development effects and the effective conservation and sustainable management of the resources' three-years post-notification.[6]
The UK-Pacific EPA continues to allow for other Pacific countries to accede to the Agreement. For example, in December 2018, the EU agreed to Samoa's accession to the EU-Pacific EPA, which has since been ratified by Samoa's Parliament. The UK has made clear that "if Samoa wished to accede to the Agreement its application to do so would require the consent of the UK, Fiji and Papua New Guinea".[7] The UK-Pacific Agreement also reaffirms the commitment to negotiate a comprehensive EPA – beyond the current Agreement's focus on goods with "all interested Pacific Islands".[8]
In April, the EU granted the UK's Conservative Government an extension to the Brexit process to 31 October 2019. This 'Halloween Brexit' gives the government another six months to reach agreement with the opposition Labour Party on the UK's current withdrawal agreement. If this fails, Members of Parliament will have to agree to an alternative, which could include a second referendum.[9] Given deep polarisation within and between the UK's political parties it remains an open question as to whether the additional six months will make any difference. For example, the Conservative Party is split between a pro-Brexit right wing – the 'Brexiteers', those who want a 'soft landing' (the current negotiated withdrawal agreement) and those who would prefer to stay as full members of the EU.
Brexit is widely touted as the biggest crisis facing the UK Government since World War II. The UK Seafood Industry Alliance points out that 'No Deal' "will distort normal patterns of supply and demand - and potentially add to costs and margin pressures. In other words, a whole new level of uncertainty."[10] The new UK-Pacific IEPA provides a degree of certainty to exporters in Fiji and PNG should a No Deal eventuate on 31 October 2019.
Seafood industry concerns regarding mounting US-China and US-EU trade wars
International attention has been drawn to the ongoing US-China trade war. In early May, 2019, the Trump Administration increased tariffs from 10 per cent to 25 per cent on 5,745 tariff lines of Chinese goods; and the Chinese retaliated by announcing it would impose tariffs on US goods and services worth US$60 billion beginning 1 June 2019.[11] As reported in prior issues of Trade and Industry News, these tariffs will affect imports of tuna loins as China is the leading loin supplier to the US market and low-tariff loins have been the central logic of Bumble Bee and Chicken of the Sea's large processing operations in the mainland US.[12]
In the meantime, trade tensions have been mounting between the US and EU, as well. The origin of the conflict is a long-running WTO dispute over subsidies offered to aeroplane manufacturers - by the US to Boeing and the EU to Airbus. Recently, the US said it was considering tariffs on about US$11 billion of EU goods as a response to Airbus subsidies.[13] In April, the WTO found that the US had failed to remove some Boeing subsidies in a dispute that has been running for 15 years. In response, the European Commission published a preliminary list of products from the US upon which it may impose countervailing measures. In total, the list includes products estimated at around US$20 billion.[14]
Seafood products have become a potential causality in this escalating war. The US list included seafood items such as salmon and octopus.15 The EU's list included a long list of seafood products; it included frozen albacore and frozen yellowfin tuna for onward processing into cans, however, the US is not a major supplier of these products to the EU. Industry association National Fisheries Institute (NFI) has spoken up to raise concerns that American seafood producers are now set to be disadvantaged on account of a dispute unrelated to their sector.[16]
No countermeasures have yet been implemented. Both the US and the EU have emphasised that they do not want to see a 'tit-for-tat' trade war and instead hope the two sides can come to resolution through dialogue. Both sides indicate that a WTO-appointed arbitrator should determine the appropriate level of countermeasures. In the next step, the EU will draw up a final list of countermeasures based on the current proposal, accounting for the arbitrator's decision.
On 18-22 March 2019, the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) Officials held their annual meeting in Palau. During this meeting, PNA Fisheries Officials reviewed and endorsed a number of initiatives which are planned for implementation in 2020.
Officials agreed to textual revisions to the PNA's Third Implementing Arrangement to the Nauru Agreement (3IA) which will prohibit all bunkering (re-fuelling) in the high seas as a licencing condition for purse seine vessels fishing in PNA members' EEZs. Consideration is also being given to improving control of bunker/tanker vessels through vessel tracking, registration on PNA's Vessel Register and observer monitoring. This move is in line with a strategy of the Pacific Island Forum Leaders' Roadmap for Sustainable Fisheries which calls for progressively restricting fishing on the high seas through licensing conditions. At the moment the WCPFC and other international processes appear to be unable to level the playing field between heavily-regulated EEZs and strongly-defended freedoms of the high seas and to prevent Pacific Island SIDS EEZ fishery conservation measures being undermined by cheaper fishing outside their borders. Forum leaders have encouraged Pacific Island SIDS to continue to take action through the only direct means at their disposal – the application of harmonised licencing conditions.[17]
Since the implementation of PNA's Purse Seine Vessel Day Scheme (VDS) in 2007, access fee revenue has increased considerably. In 2011, PNA members set a minimum benchmark price for bilateral fishing days of US $5,000/day. In 2015, this increased to US $8,000 and has remained at this level ever since. The minimum benchmark price has done its job of providing confidence to Parties to negotiate, and the price of a vessel day now floats above this minimum depending on its perceived value. PNA members are now typically receiving well above the minimum benchmark price for both bilateral and multilateral fishing days. For several years, five PNA members have pooled some of their fishing days which provides purse seine vessels who are not licenced under the US Multilateral Treaty or FSM Arrangement with the flexibility of utilising a single pool fishing day in any of five PNA EEZs – these days are obviously more valuable than bilateral fishing days. Other PNA members are selling bilateral fishing days by competitive tender, with preferential allocation given to fleets/vessel owners willing to pay the highest price. PNA members are also now considering longer-term allocation of fishing days as an additional way to derive higher value from the VDS, where fishing days would be valid for longer than one-year, providing a higher level of certainty to PNA members and industry. This was one of the key purse seine VDS initiatives discussed during the officials' meeting. A presentation was also delivered by an investment fund manager to discuss options for PNA members to invest VDS revenues.[18]
PNA parties also provided updates on progress with full implementation of the longline VDS. Following the success of the purse seine VDS, PNA members opted to establish a similar scheme to strengthen management and economic benefits derived from the tropical longline fishery in PNA waters. One non-PNA member country has also expressed an interest in participating in the longline VDS.[19]
PNA Officials also reviewed recommendations for the text of a FAD registration and tracking measure, which were developed in a working group session in February 2019, following two FAD management workshops held in 2018 and the development and testing of a full FAD registration and tracking information management system. After extensive trials and scientific analysis, the system is ready to roll and this measure is expected to come into force 1 January 2020, following review by PNA Officials and consideration for endorsement by Ministers at the end of May. PNA Officials also continued discussions on PNA's new strategic plan and the three business plans that will support it focussed on strengthening the PNA office; growing PNA's influence on tropical tuna management; and, identifying and capturing additional economic development opportunities.[20]
PNA Officials' recommendations will be presented to PNA Ministers for final endorsement in Palau from 27-31 May 2019.
On 19 March 2019, the Hawaii-based shallow-set pelagic longline fishery was closed by US Federal fisheries management officials when an annual fleet-level limit of interactions with loggerhead sea turtles was reached. Regulations that govern the fishery include a hard cap of a total of 17 interactions with loggerheads and 26 leatherback sea turtles that when reached causes the fishery to be immediately closed. Interactions are defined as situations where sea turtles come in contact with the fishing gear; interactions need not be confirmed fatalities. The fishery is monitored by on-board observers who cover 100% of the fleet. When closed, Hawaii longline vessels are prohibited from shallow-set fishing north of the Equator for the remainder of the calendar year.
In various international meetings, representatives of the US Government's fisheries management structure have described the US management system's actions and policies as 'leading the world in social and environmental sustainability'. But what happens when the bureaucratic machinery set up to operate such a system fails or is seriously compromised? The current situation in the Hawaii-based shallow-set longline fishery provides an example.
The pelagic longline fishery based in Hawaii consists of two components: a deep-set fishery that targets bigeye tuna and a shallow-set fishery that targets swordfish. Some vessels also undertake what are called "mixed trips" where swordfish and albacore/yellowfin are targeted using similar gear configurations. The shallow-set portion of the Hawaii-based longline fishery fishes primarily in areas north of the Hawaiian Islands and consists of an estimated 20 of the 140 vessels allowed in the Hawaii-based fleet. According to the Western Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Council, the shallow-set longline fishery landed 2,791,000 lbs (1,265 mt) or 7% of all commercial landings in Hawaii in 2015. The head of the Hawaii Longline Association has been quoted as saying that the value of the Hawaii swordfish fishery varies from $2.5 million to $7.5 million per year and has accounted for between 24% and 55% of all US domestic swordfish landings.[21]
Interactions with loggerhead turtles take place because both swordfish and loggerheads occur in areas of the North Pacific where currents, sea temperature fronts and other oceanographic factors tend to congregate prey for both species.[22] Loggerheads spend much of their time at or near the surface in these geographic areas, making them susceptible to shallow-set longlines intended for swordfish.
The number of allowed sea turtle interactions has been a source of contention among the industry, regulators and environmental groups since at least 2004 when the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) implemented the limit of 17 loggerhead interactions. The fishery was closed in March 2006 when the loggerhead limit was reached, and again in 2011 when the limit of 16 interactions with leatherback turtles was reached. In 2012 the limits were revised upwards from 17 to 34 interactions for loggerheads and from 16 to 26 for leatherbacks. In the following four years, 2013-2017 interactions remained below the original 17 and 16 limits that had been in place. Nonetheless, several environmental groups sued NMFS, claiming that increasing the interaction limits put sea turtles at risk. In May 2018, a court order closed the fishery and replaced the 34/26 interactions with the original 17 and 16 in October 2018.[23] Eventually NMFS agreed to settle and revert back to the original 17 and 16 limits, beginning in 2019.
While the legal activity was taking place in late 2018, NMFS was working on a biological opinion that would form the basis of new regulations and new limits if warranted. That biological opinion was supposed to be completed by October 2018, but NMFS missed the deadline and then was further delayed by the US Government shut-down that lasted 35 days in early 2019. Fishermen started fishing under the 17 and 16 interaction caps in January 2019, which brings us to the 19 March 2019 closure, when the loggerhead interaction limit was reached.
The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council had been waiting for NMFS to complete a new biological opinion for the fishery that would enable the interaction cap for loggerhead turtles to be once again modified. A draft opinion was released by NMFS on 28 March 2019, increasing the collective limits to 36 for loggerheads and 16 for leatherbacks. The manner in which this might be implemented puts NMFS at odds with the Council again. The Council wants an individual vessel trip limit of five loggerhead and/or two leatherback turtle interactions. According to the Council's proposal, if a vessel reaches either of the limits during a single fishing trip, the vessel must return to port but would be allowed to target swordfish again on the next trip (assuming the overall caps had not been reached).[24]
NMFS, on the other hand, wants to place an annual limit on individual vessels of six loggerhead turtle and two leatherback turtle interactions. If a vessel reaches those limits it would be prohibited from the shallow-set swordfish fishery for the remainder of the year. While this position and that of the Council remain unresolved, environmental groups are waiting in the wings and may challenge the increased limits as they have in the past.
In April 2019, Undercurrent News broke the story that Bolton[25] Bolton is a large privately-owned fast-moving consumer goods company, which has historically maintained a very low public profile. In March 2019, not long after his 100th birthday, Mr. Joseph Nissim, Bolton's founder, passed away. His daughter, Marina Nissim, took over as CEO in 2017. Bolton Foods, a subsidiary of Bolton Group, controls several of Europe's canned tuna brands, including Rio Mare (Italy's number 1 brand), Calvo and Isabel (Spain's number 1 and 2 brands) and Saupiquet (France's number 2 brand).[26]
Bolton and Tri Marine have worked together as strategic partners in the canned tuna supply chain for more than 25 years, with Tri Marine serving as Bolton's exclusive supplier of frozen cooked loins for its plant in Italy. In 2013, Bolton acquired an undisclosed, but significant minority shareholding in Tri Marine.
Renato Curto, the CEO of Tri Marine and its controlling shareholder, immediately released a statement in response to the Undercurrent News report stating that 'nothing has changed'.[27] But, Curto did make clear that 'conversations have been held and are continuing . … [on] considering deepening the relationship between our groups'.
A Bolton-Tri Marine merger would certainly cement Bolton's standing as a world-leading tuna firm of a similar scale to Thai Union. Acquisition of Tri Marine would provide Bolton with an opening into raw material trading, which is an area of the tuna business in which Bolton currently does not have a presence. Bolton's historic experience is in shelf-stable tuna processing and brand ownership; in recent years it extended into vessel ownership, through its shareholdings in Saupiquet, Calvo, Garavilla and Tri Marine.
The Solomon Islands Government will likely be watching the evolution of this deal closely, should it go ahead. Tri Marine owns a fleet of seven Solomon-Islands purse seiners and four pole-and-line vessels, which supply raw material to Soltuna, Solomon Islands' tuna processing facility. In 2010, Tri Marine became a 51% shareholder of Soltuna, together with several Solomon Islands Government entities. However, even prior to Tri Marine becoming a shareholder, Soltuna (formerly Soltai) was contract-processing frozen cooked loins for Tri Marine to supply Bolton. Realistically, given Bolton has been closely connected to Tri Marine's Solomon Islands fishing and processing operations for over ten years, a Bolton buy-out of Tri Marine is likely to have little impact on Tri Marine's operations there and will serve to strengthen the importance of Solomon Islands to Bolton's tuna business.
Of greater concern for Solomon Islands Government than a Bolton buy-out of Tri Marine is continued duty free access to EU markets, which underpins the viability of tuna canning/loins processing in Solomon Islands. Currently, Solomon Islands relies upon duty-free access under the Everything But Arms (EBA) initiative for least-developed countries (LDC). As reported in a recent issue of FFA Trade and Industry News, the Solomon Islands' was scheduled to graduate from LDC status in 2021.[28] However, the Solomon Islands' Government made a successful request to the United Nations General Assembly for an[29] This buys Soltuna several years of grace, while Solomon Islands negotiates continued EU-duty free access under an Interim or Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with the EU, once it loses its LDC status.
Solomon Islands is the first Pacific Island country to receive certification under Fair Trade USA's Capture Fisheries Program. Skipjack and yellowfin tuna caught by National Fisheries Developments Ltd.'s (NFD) fleet of small purse-seiners and pole-and-line vessels and processed by Soltuna is now eligible to carry the Fair Trade Certified logo. As mentioned in the previous article, NFD and Soltuna are subsidiaries of global tuna company, Tri Marine.[30]
Fair Trade USA is a North American third-party standard for 'fair trade' products with a mandate to ensure safe, equitable working conditions and sustainable livelihoods for people involved in producing Fair Trade Certified goods, as well as environmental protection and transparent supply chains. Typically associated with agricultural products produced by small-scale farmers such as coffee, cocoa and coconuts, Fair Trade USA expanded to fisheries and launched its wild seafood program in 2014, with the intention of bringing the benefits of fair trade to small-scale fishermen and their communities. One of the fundamental elements of the program is a guaranteed price premium for Fair Trade Certified products which is paid into a Community Development Fund for farmers/fishers and their communities.[31]
To become Fair Trade Certified, NFD needed to formally establish a Fisher Association comprised of vessel crews. The Fisher Association then elected a Fair Trade Committee to help identify and plan areas where Fair Trade premiums paid into the Community Development Fund can be used. According to Fair Trade requirements, at least 30% of the premium needs to be used for environmental projects. NFD also needed to demonstrate policies are in place relating to fundamental human rights including prevention of discrimination and abuse, freedom from forced labour and human trafficking, protection of children/minors and freedom of association. In addition, minimum requirements need to have been met relating to wages, working conditions and occupational health and safety. Lastly, the purse seine and pole-and-line fisheries needed to meet requirements relating to resource management including effective systems for fishery documentation and data collection, healthy stocks, biodiversity and ecosystem protection, governance and waste management.[32]
NFD's Fair Trade Certification compliments its Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification for sustainable fishing obtained in 2016 and demonstrates Tri Marine's ongoing global leadership in environmental sustainability and social accountability. Given Fair Trade USA certification is tailored to small scale fisheries and rewards social and environmental improvements on a community level, this provides NFD (and Soltuna) with a niche marketing opportunity to brand-owners and retailers demanding sustainable and socially responsible tuna products.
Over the last decade, industry groups and government officials in Papua New Guinea have sought to develop the Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ) as a shipping and processing hub in Madang on the north coast of the country. The project would be the country's first special economic zone (SEZ), though over the past several decades SEZs have been a common and controversial development tool.[33] While the PMIZ is still in its early phases and the legal provisions of the zone have not been elaborated, SEZs are generally areas that have corporate, trade and labour laws that are distinct from the rest of the country and are designed to enhance economic competitiveness of firms in the pursuit of attracting foreign investment, promoting export-oriented growth and generating employment. SEZs commonly offer tax breaks to and exemptions from tariffs for business operating in the zone; they also often include labour provisions on wages, rights to unionise, workplace safety and government responsibility for labour rights.
The future of the PMIZ has been embattled in conflicts over land ownership and broad concerns over the potential legal, environmental and labour dimensions of the project. There are also questions over whether the endeavour would be enough to make domestic processing commercially significant in the highly competitive global processing sector, especially given the expansion – and subsequent concerns over the commercial viability – of processing ventures in nearby Lae.[34]
Despite these concerns, the project has remained of interest as a part of a broader effort to bring processing and benefits from the global tuna industry 'onshore' in the Pacific. Papua New Guinea's Planning Minister has announced PNG's ongoing intention to solicit a US$168 million concessional loan from the Chinese Exim bank to build a fishing wharf and container wharf that would service the PMIZ, and an aim to have ten canneries operating in the zone. The terms of the loan have not been made public, but concessional loans aimed at developing countries generally include provisions such as below-market interest rates or repayment grace periods. China Exim Bank links loans to the participation of Chinese contractors in projects and require a certain percentage of materials, equipment and services to come from China.
As the project has gathered some momentum, reporters questioned the Central Government on where and how prior funds devoted to the project have been used.[35] When it was revealed that the Department of Lands and Physical Planning had issued ten titles to land inside the PMIZ, Madang Provincial Government officials demanded a right to review the titles and have a say in the development process. The Minister of Trade and Commerce countered that the terms of the concessional loan from the Chinese Exim bank will detail the roles and responsibilities of the Madang Provincial Government, the National Fisheries Authority and the Department of Commerce and Industry in how the project will unfold.[36] The PNG government is hoping to sign the loan agreement with China Exim in late April 2019 at the Second 'Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation', a meeting of nearly 40 leaders of foreign governments.
The US canned tuna price fixing scandal continues to make news as the 'Big Three' processing firms continue to reach settlements and receive fines. In March 2019, Chicken of the Sea settled lawsuits with Target and US Foods.[37] Though the terms of the settlements will remain sealed, Chicken of the Sea noted that the agreement has both financial and commercial programs, the latter of which are likely aime[d ]at helping the brand improve its reputation and standing with consumers, as was the case for its settlement with WalMart.38 Also in early April, news broke that StarKist had tentatively agreed to a fine of at least US$50 million for its participation in the conspiracy to fix canned tuna prices. The fine could be as high as US$100 million, which StarKist argues could bankrupt the company. The US$100 million maximum was determined using federal sentencing guidelines and an estimated sales volume of US$600 million of canned tuna between 2011-2013. Reportedly, StarKist plans to request an evidentiary hearing to present evidence of its (in)ability to pay the fine.[39] Starkist also reached agreement with some of its largest customers, including Target and distributors US Foods and Sysco. These agreements resolved lawsuits that had alleged that companies had been damaged by the canner's price fixing. The terms of the settlement were not made public. StarKist reached similar agreements with over 30 retailers that were represented in several different complaints.[40]
As a note, several US buyers have filed a class action suit alleging they were harmed by price collusion engineered by large salmon farmers. There are several similarities with the canned tuna price fixing scandal, including that it involves some of the biggest firms in the sector, will likely follow the same trajectory through the courts, and resolutions will involve big sums of money. The global nature of the salmon aquaculture market means that even though the alleged conduct happened in Norway, it had global ramifications on prices of salmon produced in Canada, Chile the UK because of the way that global commodity prices converge, meaning that legal actions may take place in many countries.[41]
Back in the realm of tuna, StarKist Samoa in Pago Pago faced a new fine from the US Environmental Protection Agency. In 2018, the firm paid a US $6.5 million penalty to resolve a violation of federal environmental law involving its waste water dumping. However, in April 2019, the US Environmental Protection Agency has fined StarKist Samoa again for violating the terms of its settlement. The new US$84,500 fine is a penalty for repeatedly discharging wastewater into the Pago Pago harbour and deliberately re-routing wastewater to avoid steps in the agreed treatment process.[42] Related, reports have suggested that StarKist has been considering additional production in American Samoa.[43] The move would necessitate an amendment to the Pago Pago facility National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit. Government officials in American Samoa are supporting the amendment because of potential economic boosts, however, progress has been delayed while StarKist resolves current challenges.[44]
It is well known that Starkist's plant has long relied on labourers from neighboring Independent Samoa. This exchange was historically facilitated by a guest worker programme, which has been controversial on grounds that it supports the Samoan economy, rather than the American Samoa economy. For a time, the guest worker permit program was suspended. However, in January 2019, it was reinstated on account of soft demand for the positions in Pago Pago.[45] Early in 2019, StarKist Samoa hired 200 workers from Independent Samoa, indicating that there was little interest in the jobs locally and that they would prioritise American Samoans in hiring.[46] Demonstrating sufficient labour is important to any plan to expand production in the US Territory.
New Marine Stewardship Council Chain of Custody measures to combat labour abuse[47]
Since 2014, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has taken a serious policy stance on forced labour, announcing that companies successfully prosecuted for forced labour violations would be ineligible for MSC certification. Following extensive stakeholder consultations on MSC labour requirements which commenced in 2016, MSC introduced a requirement effective from 28 February 2019 that all fisheries participating in the MSC program must complete a declaration detailing measures they have in place to mitigate the presence of forced or child labour by 31 August 2019.
In order to extend forced and child labour requirements beyond certified fisheries to entire MSC seafood supply chains, MSC has also introduced new requirements into its updated Chain of Custody Standard (Version 5.0) released on 28 March 2019. All MSC Chain of Custody (CoC) certificate holders (currently over 4,500 seafood companies and subcontractors) will be assessed to determine the level of risk of labour violations occurring during processing, packing/re-packing and manual offloading in the countries they operate in. Companies assessed as higher risk will require on-site, independent third-party social audits under one of three MSC-approved labour audit programs: Amorfi Business Social Compliance Initiative, Sedex Members Ethical Tarde Audit and Social Accountability International's SA8000 certification. Only companies operating in countries considered to be of lower risk will be exempted from this requirement. In order to qualify, the country needs to be deemed lower risk in two or more of the following globally recognised indicators: Country Risk Assessment process for SA8000; International Trade Union Confederation Global Rights Index; Ratification of five or more UN Conventions on forced or child labour, human trafficking or seafood/fishing; or, the US Department of Labour List of Goods made with incidence of forced or child labour. These requirements are applicable from 28 September 2019 for new companies obtaining MSC CoC certificates. Existing CoC certificate holders will be required to sign a statement agreeing to complete a labour audit before their next audit (typically within 12 months).
These additions to MSC's fisheries and chain of custody certification standards will help to provide seafood buyers and ultimately, consumers, with greater confidence that fishing vessels and land-based companies handling MSC-certified seafood are not engaging in forced or child labour abuse.
1 Prepared for the FFA Fisheries Development Division by Dr Liam Campling, School of Business and Management, Queen Mary University of London, Dr Elizabeth Havice, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Mike McCoy, independent consultant, all Consultant Fisheries Trade and Market Intelligence Analysts, Fisheries Development Division, FFA. Desktop publishing by Antony Price. The authors would like to thank Mike Batty for his input on an earlier draft of this briefing. The contents of this briefing (including all analysis and opinions) are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the positions or thinking of the FFA Secretariat or its Members.
2 Liam Campling, Elizabeth Havice and Mike McCoy 2017, 'Special Feature: Possible impacts of post-Brexit UK trade policy on the canned tuna trade', FFA Trade and Industry News, 10(4) July-August. See also: Elizabeth Havice, Mike McCoy, Liam Campling 2016, 'Brexit: Potential implications for the Pacific Islands', FFA Trade and Industry News, 9(4) July-August. Available at: https://www.ffa.int/trade_news
3 Seafish, 'Temporary rates of customs duty on seafood imports after EU Exit', last updated 9 April 2019. Available at: https://www.seafish.org For full details see: UK Department for International Trade, 'MFN and tariff quota rates of customs duty on imports if the UK leaves the EU with no deal', 29 March 2019. Available at: https://www.gov.uk
4 Interim Economic Partnership Agreement between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the one part, and the Pacific States, of the other part. Published 20 March 2019. Available at: https://www.gov.uk
5 Department for International Trade 2019, 'Continuing the United Kingdom's trade relationship with the Republic of Fiji and the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ("the Pacific States")', Presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for International Trade, March 2019. Available at: https://www.gov.uk
6 UK-Pacific IEPA, Protocol II, Article 6, p.583
7 George Hollingbery, Minister of State for Trade Policy, Department for International Trade, 'Explanatory Memorandum on the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the one Part, and the Pacific States, of the other Part', Command Paper No: CP 76. Available at: https://www.gov.uk
8 UK-Pacific IEPA, Preamble, p.3
9 Rob Watson 2019, 'Brexit: What will six-month extension mean? Short and long story', BBC News, 11 April. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk
10 Andrew Kuyk from the UK Seafood Industry Alliance as quoted by John Evans 2019, 'Latest Brexit developments add "whole new level of uncertainty"', IntraFish, 15 April 2019. Available at: http://www.intrafish.com
11 Steve Bittenbender, 2019. 'Trump says tariffs will continue on Chinese imports', Seafood Source, 21 March. Available at: http://www.seafoodsource.com; 'USTR finalizes tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports in response to China's unfair trade practices', Office of the United States Trade Representiative,18 September 2018. Available at: http://ustr.gov
12 Elizabeth Havice, Liam Campling and Mike McCoy, 2019. 'Tariff hike deferred again as the US and China reportedly near deal to cool the trade war', FFA Trade and Industry News, 12 (1): Jan-Feb. Available at: http://www.ffa.int
13 John Evans, 2019. 'NFI: Seafood is "collateral damage" in US-EU trade war', Intrafish News, 17 April. Available at: http://www.intrafish.com
14 Jason Holland, 2019. 'Europe's USD 20 billion tariff countermeasure proposal puts US seafood in the firing line', Seafood Source, 17 April. Available at: http://www.seafoodsource.com
15 Jason Huffman, 2019. 'US' retaliatory tariffs threaten to hit imported EU salmon, octopus, sardines', Undercurrent News, 9 April. Available at: http://www.undercurrentnews.com
16 John Evans, 2019. 'NFI: Seafood is "collateral damage" in US-EU trade war', Intrafish News, 17 April. Available at: http://www.intrafish.com.
17 Forum Fisheries Agency officials, pers. comm. 3 May 2019.
18 'PNA gets 'healthy tuna' report, works on key management initiatives', 2 April 2019; 'PNA officials prepare for big agenda in Palau', 6 March 2019; 'PNA's outside-the-box thinking benefits islands, improves resource sustainability', 26 April 2018. Available at: http://www.pnatuna.com
19 PNA, 6 March 2019.
21 www.undercurrentnews.com April 4, 2019
22Polovina et al. (2003) Forage and migration habitat of loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) sea turtles in the central North Pacific Ocean. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2419.2003.00270.x
23 NOAA website, Bycatch – Sea turtle interactions in the Hawai'I shallow-set longline fishery – 2019 interactions, accessed May 2019. Available at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/
24 WPRFMC 'New turtle limits recommended to re-open swordfish fishery', 15 April 2019. Available at: http://www.wpcouncil.org
25 Tom Seaman 2019, 'Bolton set to take full control of Tri Marine; US fleet could stay with Curto', Undercurrent News, 5 April 5. Available at: https://www.undercurrentnews.com/2019/04/05/bolton-set-to-take-full-cont...
26 For a detailed company overview, see: Havice, Elizabeth and Liam Campling (2018), Corporate Dynamics in the Shelf-stable Tuna Industry, Honiara: Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency. Available at: https://www.ffa.int/node/2113
27 Renato Curto 'Message from Tri Marine Chairman & CEO', 5 April 2019. Available at: http://www.trimarinegroup.com/2019/04/05/message-from-tri-marine-chairma...
28 Liam Campling, Elizabeth Havice, Mike McCoy 2018, 'Solomon Islands set to graduate from LDC status, threatening duty-free access to EU for tuna loins', FFA Trade and Industry News, 11(3) May-June. Available at: https://www.ffa.int/trade_news
29 United Nations General Assembly, Resolution 73/133, 13 December 2018. A/RES/73/133. Available at: https://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/73/133
30 'Tri Marine announces Fair Trade Certification of Solomon Islands Tuna Fishery', Tri Marine Media Release, 14 May 2019. Available at: http://www.trimarinegroup.com
31 Fair Trade Certified – Website: http://www.fairtradecertified.org; accessed 14 May 2019.
32 Fair Trade USA, Capture Fisheries Standard Version 1.0.0., 15 November 2017. Available at: http://www.fairtradecertified.org
33 See e.g., Thomas Farole and Gokhan Akinci, 2011. Special Economic Zones: Progress, Emerging Challenges, and Future Directions, Washington, DC: The World Bank.
34 Liam Campling, Elizabeth Havice and Mike McCoy, 2018. 'Rebate programme presents new challenges for PNG processing', FFA Trade and Industry News, 11(3): May-June. Available at: http://www.ffa.int
35 'Unresolved issues emerge over major PNG marine project', Radio New Zealand, 22 March 2019. Available at: http://www.radionz.co.nz; 'Questions over PNG govt use of money for marine venture', Radio New Zealand, 29 March 2019. Available at: http://www.radionz.co.nz
36 Gorethy Kenneth, 2019. 'Ten PMIZ licenses issued will be reviewed', Post Courier, 1 April. Available at: http://www.postcourier.com.pg; Gorethy Kenneth, 2019. 'Mori blasts Madang govt on PMIZ review', Post Courier, 2 April. Available at: http://www.postcourier.com.pg
37 'Thai Union's Chicken of the Sea settles price-fixing suits with Target, US Foods, Sysco', Undercurrent News, 21 March 2019. Available at: http://www.undercurrentnews.com
38 Cliff White, 2019. 'US Foods, Sysco, Target resolve price-fixing lawsuit against Chicken of the Sea', Seafood Source, 25 March. Available at: http://www.seafoodsource.com
39 '$100m price-fixing fine could "bankrupt" StarKist', Undercurrent News, 10 April 2019. Available at: http://www.undercurrentnews.com
40 'StarKist settles price-fixing suits with Target, US Foods, Sysco', Undercurrent News, 3 April 2019. Available at: http://www.undercurrentnews.com
41 Jason Smith, 2019. 'US suit alleging European salmon sector collusion could unfold similarly to tuna price-fixing case', Undercurrent News, 25 April. Available at: http://www.undercurrentnews.com
42 'StarKist's American Samoa facility fined $84,000 by EPA', Undercurrent News, 17 April 2019. Available at: http://www.undercurrentnews.com
43 'StarKist could increase production in American Samoa', Radio New Zealand, 11 December 2019. Available at: http://www.radionx.co.nz
44 Bernadette Carreon, 2019. 'EPA fines StarKist for another environmental violation in American Samoa', SeafoodSource, 17 April. Available at: http://www.seafoodsource.com
45 'American Samoa resumes guest worker scheme to save cannery', Radio New Zealand, 21 January 2019. Available at: http://www.radionewzealand.co.nz
46 'Starkist's American Samoa cannery seeing reduced demand for processing jobs', Undercurrent News, 1 March 2019. Available at: http://www.undercurrentnews.com
47 MSC, 'New measures introduced to combat forced and child labour in seafood businesses', 29 March 2019; MSC Chain of Custody Standard: Default Version, Version 5.0. 28 March 2019. Available at: http://www.msc.org
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Almagest, the history and philosophy of science undergraduate journal at the University of Toronto, is now accepting submissions for the 2018-2019 year.
Papers shall be chosen for publication which show novel contribution to the subject written about, excellent prose, and a thorough understand of the material at hand. We encourage papers not only of a philosophical or historical background, but of any discipline that might tie into the history and philosophy of science.
1. It must be related to the history and philosophy of science (and technology) in some form. Papers from STEM fields certainly fall into this category.
2. It must be prepared for blind review (no information on the file that would indicate your identity).
3. It must be no more than 5000 words.
4. Citations must be provided using the Chicago Manual of Style.
5. Must be submitted in English.
6. Must be submitted as a .pdf, .docx, or .doc file.
7. Must be submitted before the deadline (11:59 PM on January 3rd, 2019).
The authors of the chosen papers will work closely with our editorial team as we refine your paper to an excellent standard at which point it shall be published in our upcoming 2018/2019 journal!
Any questions should forwarded to the same email.


History says the Cardinals should land at least a serviceable starter at the top of the second round.
John Dorsey's draft history across stints as a decision maker with three teams shows a penchant for taking at least one offensive lineman every year. Here's some of what is on his menu for that course in this month's draft.


text:
Rani Mukerji is back with Hichki!
by User Not Found | Dec 19, 2017
The acclaimed actress' forthcoming film is an uplifting, inspiring entertainer.
Rani Mukerji's next, Hichki, celebrates self-belief, resilience of human spirit and hope. The film is about turning disadvantages into opportunities and staring down at challenges and ultimately winning over them. She plays the role of Naina Mathur who has a nervous system disorder, Tourette Syndrome that forces an individual to make involuntary repetitive movements or sounds.
The trailer has been attached to the most awaited action entertainer of this year, Tiger Zinda Hai. YRF's Hichki has been directed by Siddharth P. Malhotra and has been produced by Maneesh Sharma. The film is set to release on March 23, next year.
#HichkiTrailer
And It's A Wrap For Hichki Shoot!
Rani Mukerji Kickstarts Shooting For Hichki!
Rani Mukerji Returns To Acting With HICHKI
This news is downloaded from yashrajfilms.com at 20-January-2022 05:05 https://www.yashrajfilms.com/news/detail/2017/12/19/rani-mukerji-is-back-with-hichki


text:
GOVERNOR BAKER SIGNS COMPREHENSIVE PAY EQUITY BILL
Women's Bar Association of Massachusetts
27 School Street, Suite 500, Boston, MA 02108
Ph: 617.973.6666 Fax: 617.973.6663 www.womensbar.org
Kristin Shirahama
wba@womensbar.org
Patricia Comfort
pcomfort@womensbar.org
WBA plays instrumental role on legislation to close gender wage gap
BOSTON, MA – August 1, 2016 – The Women's Bar Association of Massachusetts (WBA) today commends the legislature for passing and Governor Charlie Baker for signing into law S 2119 – An Act to Establish Pay Equity.
The comprehensive bill helps address the gender wage gap by clarifying the definition of comparable work, a longtime priority of the WBA. The bill also allows employees to discuss their salaries without the threat of retaliation from their employer and bans the practice of requiring salary history on job applications before a job offer is made. The bill also encourages employers to evaluate their own pay practices and implement changes to end pay disparities voluntarily.
The WBA formed its Pay Equity Task Force in September 2014 to research the gender pay gap and propose legislation to help close the gap. The WBA Task Force, co-chaired by Nina Kimball and Deborah Benson, along with the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Organization of Women (MassNOW) drafted the originally filed bill sponsored by Representatives Jay Livingstone (D-Boston) and Ellen Story (D-Amherst) and Senators Patricia Jehlen (D-Somerville) and Karen Spilka (D-Ashland).
At the beginning of the 2015-2016 legislation session, the WBA, MassNOW and the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW) founded the Massachusetts Equal Pay Coalition, which consisted of more than 50 organizations that worked over the course of the session alongside legislators, Attorney General Maura Healey and the business community to help advance the bill.
"The WBA applauds both the Governor and legislature for acting on this important legislation. I am especially proud of the work the WBA did in initiating the bill and working tirelessly over the session with fellow advocates to educate legislators and ensure its passage. Massachusetts was the first state to pass an equal pay law over seventy years ago, yet women in the Commonwealth still make only 82 cents for every dollar earned by a man. This legislation takes concrete steps to help close the gender wage gap and will enable women and their families to thrive," stated WBA President Kristin Shirahama.
The legislation goes into effect on July 1, 2018. The Attorney General is tasked with issuing regulations to implement the law.
About the Women's Bar Association of Massachusetts
Founded in 1978 by a group of activist women lawyers, the Women's Bar Association boasts a large membership of accomplished women lawyers, judges, policy makers, and law students across Massachusetts. The WBA is committed to the full and equal participation of women in the legal profession and in a just society. The WBA works to achieve this mission through committees and taskforces, and by developing and promoting a legislative agenda to address society's most critical social and legal issues. Other WBA activities include drafting amicus briefs, studying employment issues affecting women, encouraging women to enter the judiciary, recognizing the achievement of women in the law, and providing pro bono services to women in need through its sister organization, the Women's Bar Foundation. For more information, visit
www.womensbar.org.


text:
Q: Ring of Formal Laurent Series which are Dedekind domains Let $R$ be an integral domain and $R((x))$ be the ring of formal Laurent series over $R$. (The answer to this question has a good explanation for our ring.)

Is it true that $R$ is a Dedekind domain if and only if $R((x))$ is a Dedekind domain? If not, is there any better necessary and sufficient condition for $R((x))$ to be a Dedekind domain?

Note that in case of $R[x]$, $R[x]$ is a Dedekind domain if and only if $R$ is a field. (We can use a similar proof to this one.) The same goes for $R[[x]]$ with a similar proof, and for $R(x)$ since $R(x)=S^{-1}R[x]$ where $S=\{1,x,x^2,\ldots\}$. Unfortunately, the same thing doesn't happen in $R((x))$, since if $R$ is a field, then $R((x))$ is a field also. (The proof is also available in that earlier question whose link I've put above.) If we weaken the condition of $R$ to be a Euclidean domain, then $R((x))$ will also be a Euclidean domain. (This has been discussed here.) Hence, of course $R$ being a field is not a necessary condition to make $R((x))$ a Dedekind domain. Thus, a question sparks in my head:

What is a necessary and sufficient condition for $R$ to make $R((x))$ a Dedekind domain?

Thank you very much in advance.

A: If I am not mistaken the following sequence of arguments eventually shows that if $R$ is a principal ideal domain, then $R((x))$ is a principal ideal domain too. I thought that from this fact through an appropriate localization argument one could show that $R((x))$ is Dedekind if $R$ is. But this turned out to be more complicated than expected - if it is true at all.
The case of a field $R$ is well-known.
In the sequel rings are always commutative .
(1) For an arbitrary ring $R$ the map $\phi: R[[x]]\rightarrow R,\;\sum\limits_{k=0}^\infty a_kx^k\mapsto a_0$ is a surjective ring homomorphism.
(2) For a noetherian ring $R$ the rings $R[[x]]$ and $R((x))$ are noetherian.
The first statement is a well-known extension of Hilbert's Basis Theorem. The second statement follows from $R((x))=\{1,x,x^2,\ldots\}^{-1}R[[x]]$.
(3) Let $R$ be a principal ideal ring and let $I\subseteq R[[x]]$ be a prime ideal with the property $x\not\in I$, then $I$ is a principal ideal.
Proof: let $s$ be a generator of $\phi(I)$ and $g\in I$ an element with $\phi(g)=s$. For an arbitrary $f=\sum\limits_{k=0}^\infty a_kx^k\in I$ one then has $a_0=b_0s$, hence $f-b_0g=c_1x+c_2x^2+\ldots\in I$. Since $x\not\in I$ this shows that $f$ has the form
$f=b_0g+xh_0,\; b_0\in R,h_0\in I.$
Recursively this gives a sequence $b_0,b_1,b_2\ldots\in R$ such that
$f=b_0g+b_1xg+b_2x^2g+\ldots =(b_0+b_1x+b_2x^2+\ldots )g$,
hence $g$ generates $I$.
(4) If $R$ is a principal ideal domain, then $R((x))$ is a principal ideal domain.
Proof: the prime ideals of $R((x))$ by localization correspond bijectively to the prime ideals of $R[[x]]$ not containing $x$. By (3) these primes are principal. We conclude that $R((x))$ is a noetherian domain in which every prime ideal is principal. In particular $\dim(R((x)))=1$ by Krull's Principal Ideal Theorem. Now by (Matsumura, Commutative Ring Theory, Thm . 20.1) one concludes that $R((x))$ is factorial and hence a principal ideal domain.
Note: the factoriality of $R((x))$ by (Matsumura, Commutative Ring Theory, Thm . 20.2) implies the factoriality of $R[[x]]$. This is interesting, because in general it is not true that $R[[x]]$ is factorial if $R$ is.

A: Following a path different from the one started with in my previous post it seems that one can indeed prove that $R((x))$ is a Dedekind domain if $R$ is a Dedekind domain: In the sequel I am always assuming that $R$ is not a field. Dedekind domains can then be characterized as 1-dimensional, noetherian, integrally closed domains. By (2) of my previous post it therefore suffices to prove $\dim(R((x)))=1$ and that $R((x))$ is integrally closed.
Integral closedness: In general it is not true that $R((x))$ is integrally closed if $R$ is. By (R.Gilmer, Multiplicative Ideal Theory, Theorem 13.09) however $R((x))$ is integrally closed if $R$ is completely integrally closed and by (R.Fossum, Divisor Class Group of Krull Domains, Theorem 3.6) and (Matsumura, Commutative Ring Theory, Theorem 12.4) every noetherian, integrally closed domain is completely integrally closed. Hence for a Dedekind domain $R$ the ring $R((x))$ is integrally closed.
Dimension: Let $I$ be a proper ideal of $R[[x]]$ with the property $x\not\in I$. Then the ideal generated by $I$ and $x$ is a proper ideal: assume that $(I,x)=R[[x]]$. Then there exists $f\in R[[x]]$ and $g\in I$ such that $g+xf=1$. Therefore $g=1-xf$, which shows that $g$ is a unit, a contradiction.
The property just proven shows that prime ideals $I$ of $R[[x]]$ with $x\not\in I$ are not maximal. Now if $R$ has dimension $1$ one knows (R.Gilmer, Multiplicative Ideal Theory, Theorem 30.06) that
$\dim(R[[x]])=\dim(R)+1=2$, hence such ideals must have height $1$ or $0$. Passing to $R((x))$ by localization at $\{1,x,x^2,\ldots\}$ yields $\dim(R((x)))=1$.
Note: as for the conclusion $R((x))$ Dedekind implies $R$ Dedekind (R. Gilmer, Multiplicative Ideal Theory, Theorem 13.10) at least shows that $R$ is integrally closed.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


John McDevitt has been a reporter and editor at KYW Newsradio 1060 since April of 1999, but he's been in the all-news family for more than a decade.
McDevitt grew up in Drexel Hill (Delaware County), graduating from Monsignor Bonner High School, and in 1991 from Temple University, where he got a BA degree in radio, television, and film.
Following an early dream, McDevitt moved to Southern California to pursue acting. While in Hollywood, he began working at KYW's sister station in Los Angeles (KFWB) as an editorial assistant, helping anchors and editors create news reports.
He worked his way up at KFWB, eventually getting his big break as a news reporter to cover a large outbreak of wildfires — because most of the rest of the staff was at an office party at the time.
After several years, McDevitt returned to the Philadelphia area and KYW Newsradio, where he works as an editor and reporter.
One of John's personal passions is traveling. In recent years he's been to Ireland, Australia, and eastern Europe.
Fire Defenses Tested On Old City's Historic Christ Church After Notre Dame Cathedral FireWith scaffolding soon to go up for summer restoration work, what happened in Paris to Notre Dame Cathedral is very much on the mind of church leaders.
TSA Utilizing K-9 Agents To Sniff Out Explosives, Speed Up Passenger Screening CheckpointsIt takes a big security team to keep everyone at the airport safe and the unsung heroes include specially trained canines.
Center City's First Medical Marijuana Dispensary Holds Open House To Educate PublicAn open house was held Thursday for the public to gather information and learn about the products being offered.
Sounds Of The City Come Together For Unique Philadelphia Orchestra SymphonyThe Philadelphia Orchestra debuts its community-based commission later this week with thousands of recorded sounds and vioces from the area blended in.
Bucks County Canine Competes For America's Top DogVoting is underway for America's top dog. A dog from Bucks County is among contestants for the 2018 American Humane Hero Dog Awards.


Meijer: Get Two Bottles of Kraft Dressing and Produce For $2.48 or Less!
This week Meijer has Kraft Dressing on sale for $1.99 each. There is also a promotion to get $2-off produce instantly when you buy two bottles of Kraft Dressing.
*Note: there are mperk coupons over here. Check the produce tab. This will give you additional savings on top of the promotion. There is a 50-cent Driscoll's coupon here to use on Driscoll's brand fruit products.