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At the instigation of the philanthropists Boris and Ināra Teterev, the Foundation has established an award: the Badge of Honour. It is awarded to an organisation or a personality for special accomplishments in encouraging charitable and voluntary work or for the long and selfless work in a particular area or a project for the public good with outstanding success.
The Boris and Ināra Teterev Foundation's Badge of Honour. Photo: Janis Janums
The Badge of Honour is a medallion with a diameter of 35 mm, which is made of a gold-plated silver frame with a dark blue lapis lazuli in the centre. A stylized version of the Foundation's graphic badge is engraved on it in gold plate, accenting the importance in the achievement of success of those points where collaborations intersect, as well as reflecting the Foundation's work all over the world. The name of the issuer of the award, the Boris and Ināra Teterev Foundation, is engraved on the medallion's outer frame.
Laureates of the Badge of Honour:
long-standing director of the Mikhail Chekhov Riga Russian Theatre Edward Cekhoval
prof. Artis Sīmanis
formerly the long-standing Head of the Talsi Pensioners' Society Antons Kivlenieks
prof. Jānis Gardovskis
prof. Aleksejs Naumovs
Ruta Dimanta, Head of the Ziedot.lv Foundation
A Badge of Honour with a first edition number was presented to Ruta Dimanta, Head of the Ziedot.lv Foundation on 20 May 2016 during "Nowhere for a Pin to Drop", an event held to honour charitable and voluntary work.
Photographed: philanthropist Boris Teterev, Head of the Ziedot.lv Foundation Ruta Dimanta and Boris and Ināra Teterev Foundation Board Member Mareks Indriksons. Photographer: Ilmars Znotins
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It's a daunting task for a writer to make a title like Night of the Avenging Blowfish make perfect sense, but in his fine second novel John Welter (Begin to Exit Here, 1992) does so with Çlan. Secret Service agent Doyle Coldiron suspects he may be cracking up. Or at least having a nervous breakdown. What he is sure of is that he's lonely, and the only person who could save him, Natelle, a White House secretary, is married. So Doyle spends his time drinking with his fellow agents at their favorite bar, planning a covert baseball game against their arch rivals, the CIA: The time and location are classified (even the players don't know). When Doyle hears about a disgruntled White House chef's plan to serve canned luncheon meat at a formal state dinner, he decides not to take any action, partially because he wants to see how well the plan might work. Doyle could not have foreseen the aftermath, which includes a public reaction manifesting itself in tons of canned luncheon meat being sent to the White House; death threats by animal rights activists; and Doyle's own demotion from protecting the president to protecting a drunken ambassador from an island nation so small it must be penciled in to the map at hand. While all of this irreverent madness is delivered with great wit and humor, Welter retains firm control of the true story in his novel: one man's search for love in the '90s. Doyle's quest for romantic and spiritual love is bittersweet, surprisingly poignant, and, guided by Welter's sure hand, always emotionally true. Sometimes silly and frequently downright strange, this novel is full of insights into modern love that sneak up on the reader amid a lot of pleasantly off-kilter zaniness, making Night of the Avenging Blowfish a fun and satisfying read.


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Research | Open | Open Peer Review | Published: 05 May 2006
Air pollution and lung function among susceptible adult subjects: a panel study
Susanna Lagorio1,
Francesco Forastiere2,
Riccardo Pistelli3,
Ivano Iavarone4,
Paola Michelozzi2,
Valeria Fano2,
Achille Marconi4,
Giovanni Ziemacki4 &
Bart D Ostro5
Environmental Healthvolume 5, Article number: 11 (2006) | Download Citation
Adverse health effects at relatively low levels of ambient air pollution have consistently been reported in the last years. We conducted a time-series panel study of subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and ischemic heart disease (IHD) to evaluate whether daily levels of air pollutants have a measurable impact on the lung function of adult subjects with pre-existing lung or heart diseases.
Twenty-nine patients with COPD, asthma, or IHD underwent repeated lung function tests by supervised spirometry in two one-month surveys. Daily samples of coarse (PM10–2.5) and fine (PM2.5) particulate matter were collected by means of dichotomous samplers, and the dust was gravimetrically analyzed. The particulate content of selected metals (cadmium, chrome, iron, nickel, lead, platinum, vanadium, and zinc) was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. Ambient concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), and sulphur dioxide (SO2) were obtained from the regional air-quality monitoring network. The relationships between concentrations of air pollutants and lung function parameters were analyzed by generalized estimating equations (GEE) for panel data.
Decrements in lung function indices (FVC and/or FEV1) associated with increasing concentrations of PM2.5, NO2 and some metals (especially zinc and iron) were observed in COPD cases. Among the asthmatics, NO2 was associated with a decrease in FEV1. No association between average ambient concentrations of any air pollutant and lung function was observed among IHD cases.
This study suggests that the short-term negative impact of exposure to air pollutants on respiratory volume and flow is limited to individuals with already impaired respiratory function. The fine fraction of ambient PM seems responsible for the observed effects among COPD cases, with zinc and iron having a potential role via oxidative stress. The respiratory function of the relatively young and mild asthmatics included in this study seems to worsen when ambient levels of NO2 increase.
Throughout the 1990s, many epidemiological studies consistently reported adverse health effects at unexpectedly low levels of ambient air pollution [1]. Identification of susceptible sub-populations and mechanisms of effect involved are two clear research priorities [2, 3]. Several chronic clinical conditions are good candidates to define the "frail" population susceptible to the acute effects of PM pollution: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) including asthma, ischemic heart diseases (IHD), congestive heart failure, heart rhythm disorders, and diabetes [4].
The mechanisms of lung injury caused by particles among people with COPD have been reviewed [5]. The ability of particulate matter to induce oxidative stress in the airways has been proposed as an important biological mechanism [6]. The oxidative stress mediated by particles may arise from direct generation of reactive oxygen species from the surface of particles or from soluble compounds such as transition metals or organic compounds (poly-aromatic hydrocarbons) [7]. Oxidative stress might up-regulate redox sensitive transcription factors (via nuclear factor kappa B, NF-kB) in airway epithelial cells, thus increasing the synthesis of proinflammatory cytokines and resulting in cell and tissue injury [8].
In healthy and asthmatic volunteers, airborne particles increase bronchial responsiveness, airway resistance, and bronchial tissue mast cell, neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts [9]. A specific role for ultrafine particles and metallic content of PM (especially iron) has been advocated [10, 11].
The relationship between daily levels of air pollutants and respiratory function in patients with chronic respiratory diseases has been analyzed in various panel studies, with inconsistent results [12, 13]. Most studies concern asthmatic children, while far fewer observations relate to changes in peak expiratory flow rate [14–22] or in spirometric flow and volume [23–26] among adult or elderly asthmatics or COPD patients.
We conducted a time-series panel study of subjects with COPD, asthma, and IHD with the aim of answering the following question: have daily fluctuations of selected air pollutants a measurable impact on the lung function of subjects with pre-existing lung or heart disease?
Study subjects were selected among outpatients of the Pneumology and Cardiology Departments of the Catholic University Hospital in Rome (UCSC) included in routine clinical follow-up programs. Eligible for the study were residents of Rome, living in census tracts less than 2 km away from one of the six air monitoring stations considered in this study.
A number of clinical criteria was specified for each nosological category. Eligibility for the COPD panel included age from 50 to 80 years, a ratio of forced expiratory volume in one second to forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) less than 60%, partial oxygen pressure (SpO2) at arterial blood oximetry = 60–70 mmHg, normal values of carboxyhemoglobin (COHb), normal acid-base balance, no concomitant IHD, no need of oxygen therapy or breathing apparatus, no pacemaker, no cardiac arrhythmias, diabetes, Parkinson disease or chronic alcohol abuse, and no use of either psycho-chemical drugs or long acting bronchodilators; occasional use of short-acting bronchodilators was allowed.
Admittance to the asthmatic panel was allowed to subjects aged 18 to 64 years, positive at the bronchial reactivity test by hypertonic saline solution, with disease in the mild intermittent stage [27]. Occasional use of β-adrenergic stimulants was allowed, but assumption of steroids or other asthma-preventive drugs (either before, or during the study periods) was not.
Participation in the IHD panel was restricted to subjects aged 40 to 64 years, with stable angina or previous myocardial infarction (at least 1 year prior to recruitment), no concomitant COPD, no use of calcium channel blockers, no pacemaker, no atrial fibrillation (other arrhythmias admitted), diabetes, Parkinson disease or chronic alcohol abuse, and no use of psycho-chemical drugs.
In relation to smoking habits, participation in the asthmatic panel was restricted to never smokers. Never smokers, however, were almost absent from the clinical series of COPD and IHD outpatients; former smokers were then admitted to the COPD and IHD panels if they had given up smoking at least 1 year before enrollment (sustained quitters).
The study protocol was approved by the Ethical Committee of the UCSC. Twenty-nine patients with COPD (7 men and 4 women), asthma (5 men and 6 women) or IHD (6 men and 1 woman) gave their written informed consent to undergo repeated clinical examinations for two one-month periods, in the spring and winter of 1999.
Study time period
The time period of interest consisted of 67 days in total, from 24 May to 24 June and from 18 November to 22 December 1999. These periods were chosen based on historical time series analyses of air pollution levels in Rome, due to their high variability in air pollutant concentrations.
Study subjects were scheduled to be examined three days apart, at home (COPD and IHD panels) or at the Pneumology Clinic of the UCSC (asthmatic panel). Forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) were measured by spirometry. Spirometries were supervised, and done with the subject in a sitting position and wearing a nose-clip, following the suggestions of the American Thoracic Society [28]. Spirometries were always done in the afternoon (between 4 pm and 8 pm), at least 6 hours after a possible inhalation of short-acting bronchodilators. A heated Fleish tube n. 3 portable spirometer (Biomedin, Italy) was used in the COPD and IHD panels, and a light bell Stead-Wells spirometer (Biomedin, Italy) in the asthmatic group. Between instruments reproducibility, for both FVC and FEV1, was within 30 ml and the calibration procedures were regularly performed [28]. Pulmonary function indices used in the analyses are expressed as the percentage of the predicted values based on the subject- specific sex, age, height and weight [29].
Only amongst asthmatics we determined concentrations of nitric oxide (NO) in exhaled breath, an indicator of bronchial inflammation [30], using the analyzer model 280 (Sievers Instruments, USA). Subjects were breathing NOx free air prior to this test. Asthmatics were also asked to fill in a brief daily questionnaire collecting information about the occurrence of asthma attacks and β-2 agonist inhalations.
Study subjects' characteristics
Table 1 describes the characteristics of subjects at entry and the group-distribution of the outcome variables. As expected on the basis of the eligibility criteria, asthmatics were younger than COPD and IHD patients, and the group average values of FVC and FEV1 were sensibly lower among COPD cases compared to both IHD and asthmatic subjects. Overall, the 29 study subjects underwent a total of 449 spirometries. Due to dropouts, a variable number of observations per case was available. The average number of repeated observations was 15 in the COPD panel (ranging from 1 to 32 per subject), 24 in the IHD panel (from 12 to 32 per case), and 9 among the asthmatics (from 6 to 18 per person). All IHD patients were regularly treated with aspirin, statins and nitrates. No COPD or IHD patient made use of bronchodilators (short- or long-acting) during the survey periods, while 7 out of 11 asthmatics reported β-2 stimulant inhalations on one or more of the clinical monitoring days. As to previous smoking habits, all COPD patients were sustained quitters, all asthmatics were never smokers, while in the IHD panel the five male patients were sustained quitters and the single female participant was a never smoker.
Table 1 Characteristics of study subjects and group averages of lung function parameters over the survey periods
Mean daily temperature (T, Celsius), barometric pressure (BarP, mmHg) and relative humidity (RelHum, %) were available from the Rome weather station (Collegio Romano – Ufficio Centrale di Ecologia Agricola). The Department of Environment of the Latium Region provided us with hourly concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), and sulphur dioxide (SO2) recorded at the fixed sites for air-quality monitoring in Rome. These sites are equipped with continuous inlet samplers. NO2 is determined by chemiluminescence, CO by IR absorption, O3 by UV absorption, and SO2 by UV fluorescence.
We computed daily city means (24 h values, from 3 pm to 3 pm of the following day) based on data from varying type and number of sites, depending on the pollutant. For NO2 and CO, we calculated 24 h values from five fixed sites, three of which are located in densely populated areas in the center of Rome (Magna Grecia, Fermi, Libia) and two representing background areas (Preneste and Villa Ada). For O3, concentrations recorded at two background fixed sites (Preneste and Villa Ada) were used. For SO2, we used 24 h concentrations recorded at one urban site (Fermi) and one background site (Villa Ada). The NO2 and SO2 series were complete, while average daily concentrations for one single day were missing for CO and O3.
As to particulate matter, we could not use data from the Rome air-quality monitoring network, because PM2.5 was not routinely measured. Therefore, for the specific purposes of this survey, 24 h concentrations of PM10–2.5 and PM2.5 were measured at two selected fixed monitoring sites: Villa Ada and Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS). These sites, located about 3.5 km apart, were chosen because, based on historical PM10 monitoring data, are considered representative of low and high traffic areas in Rome, respectively. Air samples were collected by means of dichotomous samplers (Graseby Andersen, model SA 241) operating at 16.7 L/min, with an omni-directional aerosol inlet. This sampler has been designated as reference for PM10 by US EPA [31]. Sampling was carried out from 3 pm to 3 pm of the following day (in order to match the spirometry time schedule). Sixty-two 24 hour samples were collected, with 5 missing observations at the beginning of the winter survey. The dust on the couple of sequential polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) filters (polymethylpentane ringed, 2.0 μm pore size, 37 mm diameter; Gelman, USA) was gravimetrically analyzed to obtain average daily concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10–2.5. PM10 concentrations were calculated by adding the concentrations of the sampled fine and coarse fractions. The averages of PM concentrations measured at the two locations were used in the statistical analyses, as our best estimate of 24 h mean ambient concentrations for the Rome neighborhoods the panel participants lived in.
In the PM10–2.5 and PM2.5 samples, the content of selected metals (cadmium – Cd, chromium – Cr, iron – Fe, nickel – Ni, lead – Pb, platinum – Pt, vanadium-V, and zinc – Zn) was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The concentrations used in the analysis were calculated as the ratio of the metal amount in each PM sample to the air volume collected during the sampling.
As a side validation study, we measured indoor PM2.5 concentrations in a total of five homes of three study subjects per survey. COPD cases were preferentially selected for the side study due to their reduced mobility in comparison with asthmatics and IHD patients. Participation in the side validation study was burdensome to the study subjects: a technician had to come every day to change the sampler filter, and the sampler itself was noisy. Thus, we only succeeded in getting consent to participate from one IHD patient for both surveys, and from four COPD cases, for only one survey each. Participants in the side study were representative of the full study group in terms of housing typology (all lived in apartment buildings), floor [basement, first floor (two homes), second floor, fifth floor], and distance from the ISS or Villa Ada PM2.5 monitoring sites (varying from 0.3 to 5 km). Indoor 24 h air samples were collected on 59 days (from 28 May to 24 June and from 22 November to 22 December 1999) by Micro-Environmental Monitors (SKC, model 400) with a single-stage impactor, operating at a sampling flow rate of 10 L/min and equipped with a PM2.5 sampling inlet and PTFE filters (polymethylpentane ringed, 2.0 μm pore size, 37 mm diameter; Gelman, USA). Indoor PM2.5 mass concentrations were gravimetrically determined. The 24 h average concentrations of PM2.5from three homes per survey were used in the reproducibility analysis.
In a previous inter-method reliability study of PM10 measurements in outdoor and indoor air samples in Rome, based on two series of 12 parallel 24 h samples, a very good correlation between MEM and dichotomous samplers was observed (regression 1: y = 1.192x-3.275 - R2 = 0.9506; regression 2: y = 0.998x-1.332 - R2 = 0.9866) [32]. According to the European Standard EN 12341 criteria [33], the observed values of the determination coefficients are such that the MEM can be considered equivalent to the dichotomous sampler.
Correlations among outdoor pollutant levels, as well as those between indoor and outdoor PM2.5 concentrations, were evaluated by non-parametric tests (Spearman correlation coefficient) applied to variables in the original scale.
Outcome variables in each panel had observations missing, and there was unequal spacing (the interval between observations was not constant). There were a few missing observations in the exposure variables also (1 missing daily mean for both O3 and CO concentrations, and 5 missing daily means for PM2.5 and PM10–2.5). Missing observations, in the exposure or outcome variables, were not replaced with estimates.
The relationships between respiratory function indices and concentrations of air pollutants were analyzed using generalized estimating equations (GEE) for panel data [34]. An autoregressive correlation matrix of lag 1 was assumed, in order to account for possible correlations between repeated measures on the same subject. The statistical package STATA [35] was used for the analyses (XTGEE; the option "force" was specified in order to allow for unequally spaced observations). All the linear models included the within-subject between-period effect, using the dichotomous season variable (spring and winter). For the COPD and IHD panels, terms for daily mean temperature (°C), relative humidity (%) and day of the week (weekday/weekend) were included in the regression models. For the asthmatics panel, temperature and humidity terms were included in the regression models along with β-2 agonist use (yes/no), while the dummy variable weekday/weekend was not, because only 8 out of 108 spirometries were done on Saturday and none on Sunday. We considered the possibility of a non-linear effect of temperature by introducing a temperature-squared term in the regression models; however, since no evidence of model improvement was found in any of the panel-specific analyses, only a linear term was left. The daily variability of pulmonary function was examined with respect to the mean pollutant concentrations of the previous 24 hours and to the cumulative exposures over the previous 48 and 72 hours. Results from the analyses of lung function indices are reported as changes in percentage of predicted values per 10 μg/m3 increase in pollutant concentrations (except for CO where the unit increase is 1 mg/m3). In order to assess the relative effects of metals, we report changes in lung function per interquartile range of increasing concentrations.
Air pollutant concentrations
The distribution of environmental variable levels (pollutants and weather conditions) during the study period is described in Table 2. Average daily concentrations of both PM10 and PM2.5 were higher and more variable from day to day in winter than in spring. The two PM fractions did not exceed 123 μg/m3 and 100 μg/m3, respectively. The 24 h NO2 city means did not show statistically significant differences by season. The daily variability of CO concentrations, on the contrary, was sensibly higher during the winter than in spring survey. As expected, outdoor O3 levels were higher and more variable during the spring survey, but never exceeded 100 μg/m3. Average 24 h concentrations of SO2 were low and showed little variability both in spring and winter. We decided, therefore, a priori not to consider SO2 further in the analyses. Similarly, we did not include mean daily values of barometric pressure (BarP) in the regression models, due to its negligible daily variability.
Table 2 Concentrations of PM, metals from PM2.5, gaseous pollutants, and climatic conditions (1999 spring and winter)
In terms of relative concentrations, six out of 8 metals examined were more represented in the fine than in the coarse fraction of outdoor PM; therefore only metal concentrations from the PM2.5 fraction are reported in Table 2. Fe, Zn and Pb were present in sizeable concentrations in outdoor PM2.5 samples, whereas Pt, Cd, V, Cr and Ni were only present in traces.
Correlations among ambient variables are reported in Table 3. Outdoor concentrations of fine (PM2.5) and coarse (PM10–2.5) particulate matter were weakly correlated. Daily mean levels of PM2.5 were directly correlated with barometric pressure, CO and NO2 concentrations, inversely correlated with O3 and temperature, and unrelated to relative humidity. Average daily concentrations of PM10–2.5 were positively correlated with NO2, temperature, and to a lesser extent with O3, inversely correlated with relative humidity, and not correlated with CO. NO2 concentrations were neither correlated with CO, nor with O3. Daily mean levels of CO and O3 showed a strong negative correlation.
Table 3 Correlations among pollutants and weather variables
Correlations between ambient concentrations of PM2.5 and each metal and between metals were also examined (data not shown). PM2.5 daily means were highly correlated with Zn, Cd and Pb levels (ρ = 0.778, 0.714 and 0.694 respectively), moderately correlated with Cr, Pt, Ni and Fe (ρ = 0.565, 0.491, 0.475 and 0.463 respectively), and not correlated with vanadium concentrations (ρ = 0.151). Fe concentrations were scarcely correlated with both Zn and Pb (ρ = 0.318 and 0.328), and moderately correlated with Pt (ρ = 0.564). Pt was scarcely correlated with Zn and Pb (ρ = 0.299 and 0.421). Zn and Pb concentrations were moderately correlated (ρ = 0.663).
Daily indoor concentrations of PM2.5 (averages of 24 h samples collected at the homes of three subjects per survey) were highly correlated with average ambient PM2.5 (ρ = 0.81, p < 0.01). A reverse PM2.5 indoor/outdoor ratio was evident in the two seasons. Concordance was higher during the winter survey (ρ = 0.91, p < 0.01) than in spring (ρ = 0.59, p = 0.01), apparently due to a greater daily variability of ambient PM2.5 concentrations in winter than in spring, and not to home-specific characteristics (Figure 1).
Scatter plot of ambient* PM 2.5 and indoor** concentrations (μg/m 3 ), by season † and home ‡ *Averages of PM2.5 24 h concentrations (μg/m3) at two sites (Villa Ada and ISS). **PM2.5 24 h indoor concentrations (μg/m3) in each home participating in the side validation study. †Spring = 1 and Winter = 2. ‡1 to 5.
We observed a negative association between ambient PM2.5 and PM10 and respiratory function (FVC and FEV1) in the COPD panel (Table 4). The effect on FVC was evident both at a short lag (24 h) and in relation to cumulative exposures over the previous 24 and 48 hours. The effect on FEV1 appeared only when 72 hours of exposure were accumulated. A FEV1 reduction was also seen with increasing NO2 concentrations during the previous 24 and 48 hours. In the asthmatic panel, we observed decreasing values of FEV1 related to cumulative exposure to NO2 concentrations during the preceding 24, 48, and 72 hours (Table 4). No association between respiratory function indices and average concentrations of any of the pollutants (neither at various lags, nor as cumulative exposure over 48 or 72 h) was observed among IHD patients (Table 4).
Table 4 Variations in respiratory function per unit increase of air pollutant concentrations in the three panels
In the COPD panel, Zn concentrations were associated with FVC and FEV1 decrements at single 24 h lag and at cumulative 48 h and 72 h lags (Figures 2 and 3). The associations were similar in size but less consistent for Fe and Ni. No statistically significant negative association between concentrations of metals and lung function indices was observed in the asthmatic and IHD panels (data not shown).
COPD panel: changes in FVC per interquartile increase of selected metals from PM 2.5 samples during the previous 24, 48 or 72 hours* *Regression coefficients β (dots) and 95% confidence intervals (bars) from GEE models for panel data controlling for repeated individual observations, temperature, relative humidity, and day of the week, representing changes in FVC (% of predicted) per interquartile range increase of metal concentration (see Table 2 for the IQR values).
COPD panel: changes in FEV 1 per interquartile increase of selected metals from PM 2.5 samples during the previous 24, 48 or 72 hours* *Regression coefficients β (dots) and 95% confidence intervals (bars) from GEE models for panel data controlling for repeated individual observations, temperature, relative humidity, and day of the week, representing changes in FEV1 (% of predicted) per interquartile range increase of metal concentration (see Table 2 for the IQR values).
In the group of asthmatics, a total of 107 measurements of NO concentrations in exhaled breath were performed. Overall, there was no clear association of the various pollutants with this biological marker of inflammation.
This study suggests an effect of fine particles on lung function of COPD patients. The metallic content of PM2.5 seems to be of importance, given the observed negative effects of Zn, Fe and Ni concentrations on lung function indices. NO2 also was associated with FEV1 decrements among COPD cases. On the other hand, no effects of PM2.5 were found among asthmatics, whose respiratory function seemed to be negatively influenced by ambient NO2 concentrations. No pollutant-related lung function changes were observed among IHD subjects, with no pre-existing lung impairment.
We acknowledge several limitations of the study. Lack of personal exposure measurements is an important shortcoming. Lifestyles and housing conditions among our study subjects were not homogenous, and we cannot expect outdoor PM2.5 concentrations in our study to be a perfect indicator of personal exposure variability, as it was reported among elderly subjects residing in a retirement facility [36, 37]. However, the good correlation we observed between day-to-day variations in average outdoor and indoor PM2.5 should mitigate the possibility that findings among COPD patients are entirely due to errors in estimating personal exposure variability. Moreover, despite the high number of repeated observations per subject, the reduced number of patients in each diagnostic category gives a low power to the study, thus we cannot exclude the possibility that small effects were not detected because of the reduced sample size. Last, the present study shares with other studies of air pollution related health effects the drawback of multiple statistical testing.
There are however strengths of the study that are worth underlining. They include: (i) supervised lung function tests; (ii) many repeated observations per patient, which allowed accounting for within-subject variability; (iii) a variety of measured urban pollutants, including fine particles, coarse particles and transition metals. Furthermore, in the present study no association between respiratory function indices and average ambient concentrations of any pollutants was observed among IHD cases, whereas effects of the fine fraction of ambient particulate on lung function among COPD subjects were detected, which had a strong a priori hypothesis. In the light of such results, it seem less likely that the associations observed among COPD and asthmatic patients are chance findings due to the great number of relationships examined.
After considering validity issues, it is worth noting the results of other published works. To our knowledge, only two studies have evaluated lung function by supervised spirometry in relation to daily variation in air pollution among adults with COPD. In the panel study of Pope and Kanner [25], based on 2 repeated observations of 251 smokers with mild to moderate COPD, a 10 μg/m3 increase in PM10 was associated with an average decrease in FEV1 equal to approximately 0.2%. Brauer et al. [26], in their panel study of 16 COPD cases with moderate airway obstruction (FEV1 at baseline ≥ 0.75 l) observed a non-significant 1.1% decrease of FEV1 for 10 μg/m3 increase in ambient PM2.5. In four other studies [19–22], possible pollution-related effects on pulmonary function in COPD cases were examined by unsupervised measurements of peak expiratory flow (PEF). To our knowledge, our study is the first that was able to document a specific role of fine particles on lung function of COPD patients.
PM-related exacerbation of chronic obstructive lung disease may be sustained by multiple direct and indirect mechanisms [5, 38, 39]. There is empirical evidence and experimental support for direct damages to the respiratory mucosa (increased permeability and reduced mucociliar activity), for oxidative damage, and for secondary toxic effects mediated by pro-inflammatory cytokines. Relative to healthy subjects, patients with moderate-to-severe airway obstruction receive an increased dose from ultra fine particle exposure [40]. Transition metals [7, 8], as well as ultra fine particles [6], may induce oxidative stress and inflammatory response. We are not aware of previous panel studies of adult COPD cases examining pulmonary function changes in relation to the metallic content of airborne PM. The exploratory analyses presented in this paper suggest that metals from inhaled particulate have a biological effect on pulmonary function. The results on Zn and Fe are of specific interest. Both metals present in the fine fraction are likely to be traffic related as they originate from engine oils, brake, engine, exhaust systems and tire wear [41]. They have a high water solubility which has been directly related to oxidative damage [42].
Results from the asthmatic panel suggest a negative influence of NO2 on FEV1, but no effect of fine particles. Our finding that NO2 is related to lung function decrements both among COPD and asthma patients is of interest. It is difficult to believe that NO2 per se is responsible of the observed effects, given its low intrinsic toxicity. It has been suggested, however, that NO2 may be considered a very good marker of the combustion mixture from traffic sources, in particular of ultra fine particles [43].
No effect of O3 concentrations on the respiratory function of asthmatics was detected, even when the analysis was restricted to the spring survey. The latter finding could be explained by the relatively good clinical conditions of the asthmatics included in the study (all in the mild intermittent stage), the relatively low levels of O3 recorded during the study period, or simply lack of power. Although many panel studies of adult asthmatics have reported associations between asthma symptoms and both PM and O3 [13, 14], inconsistent results were observed with regard to lung function. Moseholm and coworkers [16] found that increased levels of SO2 and NO2 corresponded synergistically to decreased peak flow at levels above 40 μg/m3. In the asthmatic panel studied by Taggart et al. [24], changes in bronchial hyper-responsiveness were significantly correlated with 24 h mean concentrations of SO2, NO2 and black smoke, none of the criteria air pollutants seemed to affect FEV1, while previous-day NO2 levels were associated with FVC decrements. Ambient PM10 concentrations negatively affected PEF readings among the asthmatics followed by Peters et al. [17], with especially strong effects due to the number of ultra fine particles. Higgins et al. [19] observed PEF decrements associated with SO2 and O3 among the methacolin-reactors in their panel, but no independent effect of ambient NO2 levels. On the other hand, among the asthmatics followed by Hiltermann et al. [18], ambient concentrations of O3, PM10, black smoke and NO2 were found to be associated with increased symptom reports, but not with decreased PEF readings.
In conclusion our study, despite its limitations, suggests that the short-term negative impact of exposure to relatively low concentrations of air pollutants on lung function is limited to individuals with already impaired respiratory health. The fine fraction of ambient PM seems responsible for the observed effects among COPD cases, with zinc and iron having a potential role. These hints require confirmation from larger and more focused panel studies, using appropriate methods to overcome the problem of multiple comparisons [44].
AAS:
Atomic absorption spectrometry
BarP:
Body mass index [weight (kg) / height2(m)]
°C:
Celsius degrees
COHb:
Carboxyhemoglobin
COPD:
Fe:
FEV1 :
Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (% of predicted)
FVC:
Forced vital capacity (% of predicted)
GEE:
Generalized estimating equations
GMean:
Geometric mean
HbO2 :
Arterial blood oxygen saturation
IHD:
IQR:
Interquartile range
IR:
MEM:
Micro Environmental Monitor
Mm Hg:
Millimeters of mercury
μg/m3 :
Micrograms per cubic meterng/m3 = Nanograms per cubic meter
Ni:
NO2 :
O3 :
Number of observations
PEF:
Peak expiratory flow
PM10 :
Particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 10 μm
PM10–2.5 :
Particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter between 10 and 2.5 μm
PM2.5 :
Particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm
PTFE:
RelHum:
SO2 :
SpO2 :
Partial oxygen pressure
UCSC:
Catholic University Hospital
Zn:
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Holgate ST, Sandstrom T, Frew AJ, Stenfors N, Nordenhall C, Salvi S, Blomberg A, Helleday R, Soderberg M: Health effects of acute exposure to air pollution. Part I: Healthy and asthmatic subjects exposed to diesel exhaust. Res Rep Health Eff Inst. 2003, 112: 1-30. discussion 51-67.
Lay JC, Bennett WD, Ghio AJ, Bromberg PA, Costa DL, Kim CS, Koren HS, Devlin RB: Cellular and biochemical response of the human lung after intrapulmonary instillation of ferric oxide particles. Am J Resp Cell Mol Biol. 1999, 20: 631-642.
Zhou Y-M, Zhong C-Y, Kennedy IM, Pinkerton KE: Pulmonary responses of acute exposure to ultrafine iron particles in healthy adult rats. Environ Toxicol. 2002, 18: 227-235. 10.1002/tox.10119.
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Desqueyroux H, Momas I: Pollution atmosphérique et santé: une synthèse des études longitudinales de panel publiées de 1987 à 1998. Rev Epidemiol Sante Publique. 1999, 47: 361-375.
Desqueyroux H, Momas I: Impact à court terme de la pollution atmosphérique urbaine sur l'insufficence respiratoire par bronchopneumopathie chronique obstructive (BARPCO). Synthèse des études publiées de 1962 à Janvier 2000. Rev Epidemiol Sante Publique. 2001, 49: 61-76.
Lebowitz MD, Collins L, Holberg CJ: Time series analyses of respiratory responses to indoor and outdoor environmental phenomena. Environ Res. 1987, 43: 332-341. 10.1016/S0013-9351(87)80033-6.
Moseholm L, Taudorf E, Frøsig A: Pulmonary function changes in asthmatics associated with low-levels SO2 and NO2 air pollution, weather, and medicine intake. Allergy. 1993, 48: 334-344.
Peters A, Wichmann HE, Tuch T, Heinrich J, Heyder J: Respiratory effects are associated with the number of ultrafine particles. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1997, 155: 1376-1383.
Hiltermann TJ, Stolk J, van der Zee SC, Brunekreef B, de Bruijne CR, Fischer PH, Ameling CB, Sterk PJ, Hiemstra PS, van Bree L: Asthma severity and susceptibility to air pollution. Eur Respir. 1998, 11: 686-693.
Higgins BG, Francis HC, Yates CJ, Warburton CJ, Fletcher AM, Reid JA, Pickering CA, Woodcock AA: Effects of air pollution on symptoms and peak expiratory flow measurements in subjects with obstructive airways disease. Thorax. 1995, 50: 149-155.
Harre ES, Price PD, Ayrey RB, Toop LJ, Martin IR, Town GI: Respiratory effects of air pollution in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a three month prospective study. Thorax. 1997, 52: 1040-1044.
Linn WS, Gong HJr, Clark KW, Anderson KR: Day-to-day particulate exposures and health changes in Los Angeles area residents with severe lung disease. J Air Waste Manag Assoc. 1999, 49: 108-115.
van der Zee SC, Hoek G, Boezen MH, Schouten JP, van Wijnen JH, Brunekreef B: Acute effects of air pollution on respiratory health of 50–70 yr old adults. Eur Respir J. 2000, 15: 700-709. 10.1034/j.1399-3003.2000.15d13.x.
Shamoo DA, Linn WS, Peng RC, Solomon JC, Webb TL, Hackney JD, Gong H: Time-activity patterns and diurnal variation of respiratory status in a panel of asthmatics: implication for short-term air pollution effects. J Expo Anal Environ Epidemiol. 1994, 4: 133-148.
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Brauer M, Ebelt ST, Fisher TV, Brumm J, Petkau AJ, Vedal S: Exposure of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients to particles: respiratory and cardiovascular health effects. J Expo Anal Environ Epidemiol. 2001, 11: 490-500. 10.1038/sj.jea.7500195.
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Seaton A, Dennekamp M: Hypothesis: ill health associated with low concentrations of nitrogen dioxide – an effect of ultrafine particles?. Thorax. 2003, 58: 1012-1015. 10.1136/thorax.58.12.1012.
Bender R, Lange S: Adjusting for multiple testing – when and how?. J Clin Epidemiol. 2001, 54: 343-349. 10.1016/S0895-4356(00)00314-0.
The authors are grateful to Giorgio Cattani and Giordano Stacchini for the collection of PM samples, and to Drs Raffaele Antonelli Incalzi, Salvatore Basso, Raffaella Tiziana Benedetto, Anna Maria Della Corte, Leonello Fuso, Carmela Maiolo, Sandra Sammarro, Maria Serra, Salvatore Spadaro, Lorenzo Maria Tramaglino for the spirometries. A special thank goes to the two referees, Dr. Amanda Wheeler and Dr. Lewis Pepper, whose thoughtful suggestions helped us to greatly improve the presentation of results. The study has been funded by the Italian Ministry for the Environment (PR22-IS, 1998–2002).
National Centre for Epidemiology, Surveillance and Health Promotion, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299 00161, Rome, Italy
Susanna Lagorio
Department of Epidemiology, Rome E Health Authority, Via di Santa Costanza, 53 00198, Rome, Italy
Francesco Forastiere
, Paola Michelozzi
& Valeria Fano
Pneumology Department, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Moscati, 31 – 00168, Rome, Italy
Riccardo Pistelli
Department of Environment and Primary Prevention, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299 00161, Rome, Italy
Ivano Iavarone
, Achille Marconi
& Giovanni Ziemacki
California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), 1515 Clay St., Oakland, CA, 94612, USA
Bart D Ostro
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Correspondence to Susanna Lagorio.
SL conceived the study, participated in its design and in data analysis, coordinated its realization, made substantial contribution to the interpretation of results, and drafted the manuscript. FF conceived the study, participated in its design, made substantial contribution to the interpretation of results and participated in drafting the manuscript. RP participated in the design of the study, selected the study subjects and coordinated the clinical monitoring. II participated in data acquisition and data management, and carried out the statistical analysis. PM participated in the design and in the coordination of the data collection. VF participated in the data management and statistical analysis. AM and GZ coordinated the monitoring of atmospheric pollutants and the analysis of environmental samples. BDO participated in design of the study and made substantial contribution in the interpretation of results.
https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-069X-5-11
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patient
Force Vital Capacity
Ultra Fine Particle
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Ossineke is on U.S. 23 about 10 miles south of Alpena. The park includes a snack bar and gift shop. If you work up an appetite playing with the dinosaurs, you can actually go inside the brontosaurus, Connie's Café is just down the road. It is one of my favorites.
Park History PDF
Dinosaur Gardens - Ossineke, Michigan
Prehistoric Zoo - www.dinosaurgardensllc.com
In the summer of 1935, Paul Domke began work in the small town of Ossineke on what would become a world famous project, the Dinosaur Gardens - Ossineke's Prehistoric Zoo. Mr. Domke had searched for just the right spot for his project. He wanted a spot that would recreate an authentic environment for his giant creations.
The site he chose is a cedar lowland with huge ferns, majestic cedars and the Devil's River meandering through. Mr. Domke and his crew built a bridge over the river, they constructed a 1/2 mile trail through the wilderness and prepared picturesque spots to showcase the sculptures he planned to create. The first display was started in 1935 and later finished in 1936. During the years of artistic creation, every effort was made to preserve the natural state of the park environment.
Along the trail you will find depictions of an iguanadon, a velocirapter, a tar pit, a stegosaurus and many more. If you look closely, there is even a dinosaur fish sculpture near the bridge. The gardens include about 20 acres. In addition to the enormous sculptures, wildflowers abound, giant ferns grow among the cedar trees and on the ridge there are White Pines, Norway Pines and Hemlock trees.
The Dinosaur Gardens required nearly forty years to create and contains over 25 life-size dinosaurs from various periods of history. Unlike so many of these attractions that were created from the 1930's to the 1950's, this one has been preserved and is still in operation today. The bridge over the Devils River is still there. The pathway wanders through the cedars and dinosaurs are revealed as you hike through the ferns and trees. The workmanship on the displays is remarkable and the settings are very realistic. Visitors say they feel like little kids again as they wander through the gardens. I really enjoyed this place.


text:
Furious driver attacks a pedestrian as he guides a BLIND man across the road in an extraordinary road rage scuffle in Paris
The road rage video shows an enraged driver stop and get out of his car
The Audi driver slaps and shouts at a pedestrian who is guiding a blind man
The disabled pedestrian fortunately is not attacked as blows rain down
After an elderly lady steps in to break up the fight in Pairs the man drives off
By Joel Adams For Mailonline
A genuinely shocking road rage video has emerged of an angry driver shouting at a blind man who was trying to cross the road, and slapping the man's companion repeatedly around the head.
The driver rains blows down on the man's arms and face and at one point shouts angrily at the blind man, their faces just inches apart.
The footage, believed to have been filmed near Avenue Ledru-Rollin in Paris, captures the moment the cane of the disabled pedestrian strikes the front wheel arch of a large black Audi as it drives over a pedestrian crossing.
The blind man continues to cross the road, accompanied by another man, as the Audi driver slows to a halt in the middle of the city street. The driver, a middle aged man in a grey jacket, gets out and approaches the pair with his hands raised.
Motorist is so incensed by driver's reckless overtaking that... Woman screams racist abuse at Uber driver in Manchester...
Barely a word has been exchanged when the driver lands an open-handed blow on the side of the face of the blind man's companion, as the disabled pedestrian stands helplessly by, holding his cane.
The driver rains down blows and slaps towards the blind man's companion, repeatedly hitting the man's forearms and head as the two engage in an ungainly tussle in the middle of the road.
Heated words are exchanged as an elderly woman, who was a passenger in the Audi and may well be the man's wife, steps in to separate the driver from the two men.
At one point the angry driver shouts directly at the blind man, who continues to stay still holding up his white stick.
Then the man again assaults the pedestrian he hit first, before trying to shove the woman out of the way, seemingly in an effort to continue to escalate the fight.
In this still from the video the blind man (L) raises his cane and tries to beckon towards the scuffling pair to stop. The driver, in grey, continues to rain blows down on the pedestrian
The driver left his car running with the car door open as he marched over to shout at, and hit, the pedestrian. The man, in a black jacket, raised his arms towards his assailant
At one point the blind pedestrian even reaches out and briefly grabs the back of the driver's jacket
A crowd starts to gather, including a woman (above, light grey coat) who exits the passenger's side of the car and comes over to try to calm down the driver - possibly her husband
The driver even shouts angrily towards the blind man before being led back towards his car
Eventually after a small crowd gathers the driver, and his female companion, get back in the Audi and drive away.
The footage suggests that the altercation began as the pair on foot first stepped onto the pedestrian crossing.
The Audi drives straight across the black and white markings without pausing for the blind man - visibly carrying his cane - and the other man.
The man swings his cane out and it clips the car's front wheel arch, although whether this was accidental or a deliberate rebuke at the inconsiderate driving is not clear.
It is at that point the driver slows to a stop and gets out to launch his attack.
The beginning of the clip shows the Audi crossing the pedestrian crossing after the two men have stepped foot on it. The blind man's cane then hits the car's wheel arch
Furious driver attacks a pedestrian as he guides a BLIND man across the road


Born in 1901, Herman Pomerantz entered the business in the 1920s, and for some time worked with a partner named Max Silverman. In fact, Pomerantz designed jewelry until the mid 1950s, though the company continued making jewelry untill the 1960s. Herman Pomerantz died in 1967.
In addition to costume jewelry, H. Pomerantz Co NY produced metal belts and buckles. The jeweler used a variety of materials, including bakelite. Besides, the company produced beautiful buttons, including women's cuff buttons.


Celebrating the Sacrament of Eucharist for the first time should be an integral part of the ongoing religious experience of a child. Receiving First Communion further initiates a child into the life of the Christian community.
Parent/guardian will need to provide a copy of the child's Baptismal certificate if baptized in a Parish other than St Mark.
Parent/guardian and the child must attend and participate in the Sunday Mass every week.
The child must have completed the previous year of formal religious education in a Catholic school OR a parish catechesis program. The parish curriculum must have been completed either at home or in parish classes.
At St. Mark, children in 2nd grade who have completed their 1st grade year of parish catechesis or Catholic School education are eligible to begin catechesis for First Confession/First Holy Communion. Children must make their First Confession prior to their First Holy Communion.
Second graders should be enrolled in our Kindergarten through 5th grade Catechesis program. This program is offered on Sunday mornings 9:00 – 10:00 am and Monday evenings 6 – 7 pm.


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"Music, Film, and Branding"
June 19, 2012 / tedhope
guest post by Brian Godshall
I know how important music can be to your projects.I wanted to point out some new developments in the music business that may prove advantageous for any upcoming media you are producing. You may already be aware of some of these and some may be new to you. I hope this information is helpful. After you've taken a look at this, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
1. Putting brands together with music and indie films I have been working on some ideas and connections to put together a brand or brands with music and indie films. Specifically I am proposing that an advertiser can pay for some or all of the music rights in an indie film in exchange for co-promotional opportunities. If you have questions or are interested in this concept, please contact me directly. I expressly would like to hear about upcoming film projects and/or review scripts where source music is a key element to see which brand(s) may be appropriate for such opportunities.
2. 3/27/12 - DMNews - Madonna & Smirnoff - Hip Digital
Per Digital Music News Smirnoff announced in March a massive discount on a modified version of Madonna's latest album, MDNA. The 'Nightlife Edition,' which includes 7 album tracks, 4 Smirnoff exclusive remixes, and 3 additional remixes (apparently non-exclusive), is selling for just $3.50. The special collection was put together by Hip Digital, which specializes in just this sort of music branding alliance.
3. Less expensive music on YouTube clips I have a contact at Manhattan PR firm and they had posted a promo clip on Facebook for the Broadway play VENUS IN FUR. I've attached a link below. They used a popular song (from 2009 - Florence & the Machine/"Kiss with a fist") so I contacted them as how they got this (thinking maybe no one cleared it). However he told me, and my cursory research confirmed, that as of recently youtube has available a certain amount of current music for cheap (meaning $100-$200.00) for use on Youtube only. Anyway I thought it made the clip really "pop" and evidently it was all legal and it looks and sounds great.
If you think you have a client or need to see about this and want my help, let me know and I can look into it for you. I may be able do some initial work gratis - it may not even take that long.
4. With Romplr, fans can now connect to artists' music in a whole new personal way by creating their own versions of a song and being part of the creative process. In addition to the core song elements, fans can then record and share their mixes through Facebook Connect, through email or on www.romplr.com the online interactive music companion site. Heh, the song example on the home 'how to' page is Tone Loc's 'WILD THING' - from 1988. Check it out.
5. These Numbers May Change Your Attitude About Three-Strikes...Tuesday, February 21, 2012 by paul from www.digitalmusicnews.com
SOPA could be the first battle in an anti-piracy World War III, but there may be softer solutions to this problem. Just last week, prominent VC Fred Wilson outlined a plan that involved self-policing of bad actors by the tech community itself - without the bitter aftertaste of FBI raids and DNS takeovers. And across the Atlantic, France just presented some interesting stats related to its controversial three-strikes enforcement campaign. You know, the one that features warning letters and threats of access cutting, all under the banner of Hadopi. This effort has a bad reputation, but it's actually far softer than high-profile RIAA lawsuits that bankrupt file-sharers, some of which are still being prosecuted today. Hadopi claims that file-sharing is ebbing, though certainly apps like Spotify and the native Deezer have something to do with that. But a separate study out of Wellesley and Carnegie Mellon asserts that iTunes sales are now stronger in France relative to the rest of Europe.
But this may be the most interesting set of stats:
French population (2011): 65.8 million
Number of first-round letters: 822,000
Number of second-round letters: 68,000
Number of third-round letters: 165
So, the group that ultimately received a third letter is 0.02 percent of the group, and 0.00025 percent of the broader population. And, these aren't devastating, RIAA-style consequences: rather, the 'bad actors' will receive fines of 1,500 euros, a month of no internet access, or both (we've heard higher terms, but this is according to the latest information from the group). That's it.
It's softer, and just maybe an effective strategy.
"We suggest that with regard to mitigation of sales displacement by piracy, a national anti-piracy policy combined with educational efforts is much more effective in the longer term than a small number of high-profile lawsuits."
Wellesley/Carnegie Mellon researchers.
6. from Variety 4/27/12 -- DJs look to thefuture.com for mix royalties - With the mainstreaming of electronic dance music, the industry has had to confront a number of challenges adapting DJ culture to more established digital music platforms. Not the least of these issues is that longform DJ mixes -- which are to dance music fans what extended jams of "Dark Star" are to Deadheads -- are virtually impossible to find on mainstream Internet radio or streaming services.
Since DJ mixes can contain nearly unrecognizable snippets from countless songs, attempts to stream or sell them on aboveboard platforms can run into hurdles from the amassed rights holders involved. But a newly launched startup dubbed Thefuture.fm -- formerly Dubset -- is trying to clean up the space, offering what it claims is the first platform to offer fully legal streams of mixed audio.
The company utilizes an audio fingerprinting technology it calls MixScan to track every song incorporated into the mixes it provides and to allocate payments to both DJs and the rightsholders of all sampled material accordingly. Partnering with BMI, ASCAP, SESAC, SoundExchange and NARM, the service calculates royalty payments by analyzing the plays a particular mix receives, coupled with the presence of particular songs in the mix, then distributes payments to the appropriate bodies.
7. FINALLY some music branding trivia -- The Rolling Stones did this commercial jingle for RICE KRISPIES Cereal in 1963; the song appeared in a commercial that aired only in the UK in 1964. Here's the spot in question:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZBmhEMFdl0
Brian Godshall has handled music clearances and/or licensing for over 15 years for many dozens of independent films including more recent movies such as CAUCUS, PLEASE GIVE and JACK GOES BOATING as well as past films such as TOWELHEAD, BORN INTO BROTHELS, GARDEN STATE, GUNNIN' FOR THAT #1 SPOT, KINSEY, THE NAMESAKE, SONGCATCHER and many others. He looks forward to new ideas and changes in the independent film industry.
email: info@bgodshallclearmusic.com
web: www.bgodshallclearmusic.com
June 19, 2012 / tedhope/ Comment
branding, Brian Godshall, Guest Post, music, music royalites, piracy, Romplr


"It's a hell hole," Steve said.
Katie stared at the boxes stacked so neatly against the wall near the front door of the apartment and realized that Sarah really planned on leaving. Not that she really had any doubts about her roommate's desire to live with Nick and have a happy, fulfilling life, it was just now seeing the boxes, packed and labeled, that hit it all home.
Aside from Sarah leaving, which at the end of the day wasn't the worst thing in world, it was about the money. Katie couldn't stop thinking about it. She started an attempt at a job search for a second job but she knew that it would involve either restaurants or retail. She could not bear to see herself trying to take food orders from people while they looked at her, judging her, because of her little bit bigger than normal size.
What's good here? The burgers? Yeah, I bet they are… how many do you eat?
Katie's first job was at a burger place and the comments and stares never stopped. Each time someone asked for her suggestion, she felt more and more beat down, unsure if the person wanted an actual opinion or just an opening to pick on her.
She thought about asking for a promotion or raise at work but they just cut the yearly raise and let go four people because payroll had been staggering. Of course, it didn't help that the owner of the company paid out nice quarterly bonuses to himself and his top executives in excess of a million dollars.
Katie promised Sarah she'd make shrimp scampi for dinner, a last big dinner for the two of them to enjoy before Sarah left. It was only a matter of days, if that, before the boxes would be gone.
The smell of the shrimp and the garlic sauce filtered in the apartment and when Sarah came bursting through the door, she hurried to inhale the intoxicating smell.
Katie worked her way back to the kitchen to plate the food. In reality, she wanted to avoid any and all talk about moving and the notion that within a week, she'd lose a friend, a roommate, and someone who could pay half the bills for the apartment. Even in her mind, as she took off items… reducing her cell phone bill, canceling cable, eating pasta seven nights a week… nothing would come close to adding up to what she needed to pay for the apartment.
Katie turned her head and nodded at Sarah.
Sarah smiled and raised her eyebrows. She put her hands to her hips and had a guilty look on her face. A cute guilty look on her face. The same kind of face she had when she begged Katie to meet Nick's friend.
Katie turned and grabbed two plates from the cabinet. She made sure they were spotless clean – out of habit and rigid training from her parents, who used to own a restaurant – and she started to get dinner ready.


text:
Our global reach Americas Europe, Middle East & Africa Asia-Pacific
Global Reach/Europe, Middle East & Africa
When it comes to managing risks across multiple continents, reliable and ethically obtained intelligence is critical.
We have a dedicated Europe, Middle East and Africa practice based out of our Dubai and London offices. We have built considerable expertise in the region and regularly undertake investigations and FCPA due diligence for companies with interests there in a broad range of sectors.
With this experience comes an understanding of both the details of the investigative process (i.e., what information is publicly available and where it can be found); the political, business and cultural contexts; and the nuances of particular types of investigations, such as evaluating the risks associated with transactions in certain industries.
We are very familiar with all the key issues that concern our clients when considering operating in the region: international sanctions; allegations of terrorism financing; overt or concealed links between royals, government officials and business; the privileged role of the military in commercial life; and the impact of cultural business practices such as wasta and baksheesh.
Our team of regional experts is led by Martin Stone, a Managing Director of the firm based in London. An experienced investigator, political analyst, author and Arabic speaker, Martin directs the firm's anti-corruption, due diligence and business intelligence initiatives and travels frequently to Africa and the Gulf region.
Partner & Regional Head, EMEA
22-24 Ely Place
London EC1N 6TE
mstone@nardelloandco.com
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Independent Investigation into NYU Abu Dhabi Campus Allegations
Your best kept secret


Episode 2 – Where do we start?
Welcome to episode 2 of The State of You – I am Bindi – thank you for joining me.
In Episode 2 – we start the journey by asking Where do we start?
In this episode I'll give you some background on where to start when you've taken the fall and how we start to look at getting back up again. There's a lot of internal focus, it's a process and if you're willing to take the steps after the fall, it may help you get up a lot faster than I did. It will give you the principles to use as your arsenal to rise from the ashes and claim your life back.
So – where do we start? The honest answer is there is no exact answer – your situation will be different to mine and everybody else's. The key principles behind what you are experiencing can help you take steps – one by one – when you are ready.
With any significant change in life, it's important to recognise what is going on – not ignore it. You need to acknowledge what is happening to be able to deal with the change effectively and build resilience to get you to the next step. Recognising this can mean you are going to experience some hurt – give yourself the time to feel what has happened – be upset, let it all out, mourn and get it out of your system. The key here is not to fall back on destructive tendencies that could set you back – it could be easy to do whatever takes the pain away – but trust me – this serves no purpose and makes you feel worse than you already do – and in many cases makes you regret how much time you wasted feeling sorry for yourself. It's ok to be emotional – we as humans were built to experience emotion and in today's society it is like we are punished for shedding a tear, losing our temper or being overly happy – feel it – live it and experience it – you are not a robot – trust me – you have a heart for a reason.
Like any challenge on your horizon – you need a strategy – you need a plan. While you've taken the time to recognise what has taken place – you also need to embrace the silver lining and the good from this outcome. It might seem like there are none – but if you break it down – I am sure you can come up with at least a dozen great things that have surfaced from this event.
As you work on your strategy and your plan of attack, you also need to consider your purpose – what is it you can do now to make you feel fulfilled? What is it you can do to give to others whilst giving to yourself in return? The reason for this is two-fold – when you find your purpose – you find your groove and get yourself out of the rut – but when you give to others you also make yourself feel good in knowing you've given something back. The karma in that is that one day you might also need someone to do the same for you.
This leads to something I call the law of abundance – it's all about showing gratitude – be thankful for all that you have and see what can happen when you follow the simple act of helping others. It might lead you to being in the right place at the right time, it might network you with just the right person you need on your path, you might experience the most amazing connection with someone who can teach you so much – just when you needed it. In short – by giving with abundance, it will return to you in ways just as valuable as what you contributed.
Be kind to yourself – when you've fallen from grace – the last thing most of us want to do is take it easy on ourselves – we often beat ourselves up and find it hard to find our own self worth. Again – this self destructive serves no purpose other than to make you feel worse than you already do. Harness the power of proving to others you can rise above what has happened and come out swinging harder than you ever have. You have the power to do whatever you set your mind to – put it in drive and hit the pedal – now is your time.
One of the hardest steps to grasp and continue to hold is resilience – to keep getting back up and dusting yourself off when it seems you are taking hit after hit and nothing seems to cut through. It was Albert Einstein that said – the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. How often do we do this though? Way too often! If something is not working – change tact – a new approach – research a better way – don't quit and walk away after a few attempts of different strategies – refine, repeat and results will come.
One thing that can be difficult to see and understand in the eye of the storm is that you are exactly where you are meant to be – everything happens for a reason and it might be hard to get that when the nucleus of chaos surrounds you. Take a step back if you need to and soak it in – what does this all mean in the bigger scheme of things? Why are you here right now? What is the lesson that fate is trying to deliver? Often you won't see what the reason is for the event til well and truly afterward – it will be your lightbulb moment and you will see it with clarity – knowing in hindsight this was just a speedbump to make you see the things you were ignoring.
Take care of yourself because when it all falls apart – it can be easy to just throw everything out the window with little care for the consequences. This will make getting back up again a hell of a lot harder. Nurture your needs, listen to what your mind, body and emotions need – if you need to just vent to someone, then do it – if you need advice – go find it – if you need a massage and some time out – then for god's sake please do it. Do not even start to think you are being selfish – because right now you have to do what it takes to build your resilience and be ready for whatever comes next. Take the time to breathe and assess what you need and how you can reach the next goal.
Determination is going to be your best friend so focus on what your ultimate goal is and do not waiver from that – your drive should be fueled by the pain you are experiencing and how much you need to steer yourself away from that. There's an approach to communication, personal development and psychotherapy called Neuro-linguistic programming. The philosophy is that there is a connection between neurological processes, language and behavioural patterns learned through experience and that these can be changed to achieve specific goals in life. I have had first hand experience in this and it can be life changing. Let me give you an example – let's say you are trying to quit drinking or smoking – you need to give a positive association in your mind to how great you feel when you haven't smoked or had a drink – how your health has improved – how much money you saved – how you've got more energy and feel better. On the flipside you also need to give negative associations in your mind to all the horrible side effects of indulging in drinking or smoking – how awful you felt – how it impacted your health, how much it cost you, how it impacted your relationships and so on. The minute you can master this – you have any challenge in your life aced – drive yourself towards pleasure and away from pain – it's as simple as that! If you want to learn more about this – check out some of Tony Robbins work – it's a big part of what he does.
It goes without saying that you need to ignore others opinions on your situation – they don't understand it as intimately as you do and you know what – it's none of their business. The truth is – whatever anybody else thinks about you is their business and nobody else's. It's often said that a lion doesn't lose sleep over the opinions of the sheep. Focus on your purpose – forget their opinions and go forth and conquer – with or without their blessing. This can be incredibly hard to do – particularly if it is with someone you love – but ultimately they will see that you are unwavering in your approach and they will come around if they really love you. Stand up for yourself and don't let anyone bring you down in their quest to steer you off your path – if they can't support you through this – then they are best to move aside as you steamroll towards your intention.
I think it might be an ongoing message in my episodes – but don't give up! Just like a clock – keep ticking – just keep moving forward – aim for progress – not perfection – just keep going!
I hope episode 2 has helped you to consider where do we start.
Thank you for taking the time to listen to episode 2 – if you would like to share your story, please visit my website at www.thestateofyoupodcast.com and send me an email.
If you enjoyed episode two – please share your feedback – you can find me on Instagram @thestateofyou or subscribe to the podcast through my website.


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Work by Transart Alumna Ana MacArthur featured at Leonardo LASER Santa Fe event
Leonardo LASER Santa Fe event featuring work of
Ana MacArthur, Allison Kudla, and Victoria Vesna.
Friday, April 13th
6:30 Doors open
7:00 Talks begin
Santa Fe Art Institute
1600 St Michaels Drive
Join us for an evening of science and art hosted at the Santa Fe Art Institute. Our featured speakers include Victoria Vesna from UCLA, Allison Kudla from the Institute for Systems Biology, and Ana MacArthur from Santa Fe.
Ana MacArthur's history of working with light, light-based technologies, and biological fieldwork aims to understand key functions of light as utilized by organisms and to integrate those observations as ecological and metaphorical transformers while increasing the human/ non-human co-mingling. Based in Santa Fe but traveling for research, her cross-disciplinary practice-based research has collaboratively engaged scientists in solar innovation, photonics, behavioral biology, ceramic/ glass engineering, and materials science. She is a pioneer in dichromate (DCG) holography and co-founder of a DCG lab for 20 years located in Santa Fe, NM.
Dr. Allison Kudla worked as an artist-in-residence and faculty member at the Srishti School of Art, Design, and Technology in Bangalore, India. She currently lives in Seattle, Washington has been working at the Institute for Systems Biology since 2012. Her work has involved looking at the universe as an operating system, finding algorithms embedded in living biological systems and processes and framing them within an artistic context.
Dr. Victoria Vesna is an Artist and Professor at the UCLA Department of Design Media arts and Director of the Art|Sci center at the School for the Arts and California Nanosystems Institute. She has investigated how communication technologies affect collective behavior and perceptions of identity shift in creation to scientific innovation. She also has long-term collaborations with composers, nanoscientists, neuroscientists, evolutionary biologists.
This event is part of a weekend of art and science:
More information on the event, speakers, and parking at bioculturasantafe.com/events.
Transart Institute April 5, 2018
Transart faculty and advisor, Jean Marie Casbarian in Nonlinear Histories: Transgenerational Memory of Trauma
Transart InstituteTaylore Wilson April 6, 2018 Transart Institute
March 17: Daylong performance by Paolo Piscitelli with Birgit Larson, Robyn Thomas, Gabrielle Senza, Kayoko Nakajima, Andrea Haenggi
Transart InstituteTaylore Wilson March 16, 2018


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Vaal holds great prospects for economic growth
stadmin October 26, 2021
Gauteng Premier David Makhura says the revival of the Vaal into a green and inclusive economic zone is a key cog in the growth of the Gauteng economy.
He was speaking at the Sedibeng Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMME) Conference. The gathering comes hot on the heels of the inaugural Sedibeng Investment Conference, which raised at least R40 billion in investment commitments to the Vaal economy.
Makhura said efforts to spark the Vaal economy are some of the biggest undertaken.
"The regeneration of the Vaal into a new, smart, green and more inclusive economy is the single biggest inter-governmental investment effort and public-private initiative that focuses on the District Development Model (DDM) to make Sedibeng investor friendly, economically and financially viable, as well as environmentally sustainable," he said.
Makhura said the SMME conference presents an opportunity for government to engage with small businesses to find "interventions, opportunities and innovations" that will help grow SMMEs in the province.
"We are not here for a talk shop. Nor are we here to just cut a ribbon. The… conference must focus on how we get to shovel ready projects and turn the entire Vaal into a construction site in 2022.
"We must have a single-minded focus on getting shovel ready projects to the ground. We will do ribbon-cutting only when the projects are taking concrete shape on the ground," he said.
The Premier said government is also determined to ensuring that the Vaal triangle "becomes a cornerstone of a new Special Economic Zone and Vaal River Smart City".
This, he said, can be achieved through investment in infrastructure and public-private partnerships.
"We must shift the mindset of all stakeholders from treating the Vaal River and the Vaal Dam as a problem, to seeing the entire Vaal River system as an opportunity to build a Blue Economy, a new smart city, new logistics sector, and building the hub of the cannabis and hydrogen economy in the South of the Gauteng City Region," he said.
Source: South African Government News Agency
Flutterwave Enables New Europe-Africa Payment Corridors via Stellar
Coopération avec le gouvernement | GAC MOTOR pour les véhicules de transport public au Nigeria


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{Giveaway Closed} Party In The Pits With Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam® Path of Destruction
Congratulation to Chuck N. as he was selected as the winner!
Thank you to all who entered!
This giveaway is hosted by Feld Entertainment, on behalf of Monster Jam, see full disclosure at the bottom of this post.
Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam® Path of Destructionsm
Roars into M&T Bank Stadium
16 of the Biggest, Baddest Monster Jam Trucks to Wreak Havoc in Baltimore, MD
Continuing a tradition of motor mayhem, Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam® Path of Destructionsm returns to M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, MD for a one day only summer event on Saturday, June 8.
Adult ticket prices start at $25 with kids at $10. Total Access Passes and Gold Circle tickets are available on a limited basis. Path of Destruction will kick off with the all-access Party in the Pit from 2:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., with the show beginning at 7:00 p.m.
M&T Bank, home of the 2013 Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens, is a fitting venue for the nation's most elite Monster Jam trucks and two world champion drivers to compete. In addition to the jumps, wheelies, donuts, cyclones and freestyle action fans have come to know and love about Monster Jam, three new trucks are making their debut this summer: Zombiesm, El Diablosm, and Scooby-Doo™.
The outrageous, unpredictable stunts in Path of Destruction will also include thrilling action from Grave Digger®, Max-DSM, Advance Auto Parts Grindersm, Monster Energy, Lucas Oil Crusadersm, Son-uva Digger®, Grave Digger The Legend®, Monster Muttsm, Dalmatian, El Toro Loco®, Madusa®, Iron Man™, Mohawk Warrior® and Team Hot Wheels® Firestorm®.
During the Party in the Pit fans and families have an opportunity to meet and mingle with the stars of Path of Destruction as well as take photos and get autographs from their favorite drivers. Ticket holders can purchase Pit Party passes for $10 from the M&T Bank Stadium box office or Ticketmaster.com.
PATH OF DESTRUCTION
M&T Bank Stadium | Baltimore, MD | June 8, 2013
Total Access Pass - $75 All Seats
Gold Circle - $35 All Seats
100 Lower Level Seats - $25 Adults / $10 Kids (ages 2 -12)
200 Mid-Level Club Seats - $25 Adults / $10 Kids (ages 2 -12)
**All tickets are $2 more on the day of show**
***Kid's tickets are not valid on Total Access Passes or VIP seats***
Ticket Information: Tickets are available now at the M&T Bank Stadium box office, Wal-Mart, all Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com, or by phone at 1-800-745-3000.
Party in the Pits: Ticket holders can purchase Pit Party passes for $10 at the box office or on Ticketmaster.com.
Want to win a family 4 pack of tickets to the show? Enter below, and the winner will be drawn on Friday, May 31st!
This contest is open for residents of Baltimore and surrounding residents, 18 or older only. You must be able to get to the M&T Bank Stadium Box Office to pick up your tickets. Contest runs from now until Friday May 31, 2013 at 11:59. Winner will have 24 hours to respond. Passes will be prepared & ready for pick up at the box office, once email response has been received.
About Feld Motor Sports, Inc. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is the world leader in specialized arena and stadium-based motor sports entertainment. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. productions include Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam®, Monster Energy Supercross, Nuclear Cowboyz®, and AMSOIL Arenacross. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a division of Feld Entertainment, the world's largest producer of live family entertainment. For more information on Feld Entertainment, visit www.feldentertainment.com
*I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events. Even though I receive these benefits I always give an opinion that is 100% my own.


Acorn Recruitment is currently recruiting on behalf of our client, a rail transport provider.
They have an urgent requirement for Station Cleansing Operatives at Cardiff Central Station.
This is a temporary position which may become a long - term / permanent role.
* All aspects of environmental cleansing in & around the stations.
* WC cleaning (ladies and gents).
* Experience of using cleaning chemicals and equipment in accordance with Health and Safety requirements is essential.
* Monitoring / replenishing stock.
* Working to deadlines & working outside.
Applicants must be versatile and able to work on their own initiative to provide general cleaning duties throughout the station. You must be presentable, and able to communicate well with the team and general public.


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Heinrich Vogt (23 April 1875, in Regensburg – 24 September 1957, in Bad Pyrmont) was a German neurologist. He published papers on tuberous sclerosis and Batten disease, and was the author of a handbook on the treatment of nervous diseases.

In 1901 he obtained his habilitation for neurology, and six years later became a professor of psychiatry at the University of Göttingen. In 1909 he was named director of the department of psychiatry at the Senckenberg Institute in Frankfurt am Main. In 1911 he was appointed director of a neurological sanatorium in Wiesbaden. In 1925 he moved to the spa town of Bad Pyrmont, where he worked as a medical hydrologist. He later opened a research institute of balneology in Breslau, but when the city became part of Poland, he returned to Bad Pyrmont.

Vogt was amongst the first physicians to study "juvenile amaurotic familial idiocy" (Batten disease). He published two papers on the subject in 1905 and 1911.

In 1908, Vogt published a paper Zur Diagnostik der tuberösen Sklerose ("The Diagnosis of Tuberous Sclerosis"). He established three pathognomonic clinical signs for the condition: epilepsy, idiocy and adenoma sebaceum. These became known as "Vogt's triad" and helped define the condition for the next 60 years. This shouldn't be confused with the "Vogt's triad" seen in glaucoma, which is named after the Swiss ophthalmologist Alfred Vogt.

His two-volume Handbuch der Therapie der Nervenkrankheiten ("Handbook on the Treatment of Nervous Diseases") was published in 1916.

See also

Timeline of tuberous sclerosis

References

1875 births
1957 deaths
People from Regensburg
People from the Kingdom of Bavaria
Academic staff of the University of Göttingen
20th-century German physicians
German neurologists

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Big Idea Food started as a physical devotional for entrepreneurs that serves up dope biblical nuggets to energize your hustle. Since then, we've launched a weekly devotional email that continues to feed your spirit with God's word in a voice you can relate to. We also share inspirational social media content on the regular that will keep your creative juices flowing.
Our mission is to be a hub of relevant, biblical business resources for forward-thinking Christian entrepreneurs. By making these resources more accessible, we will empower you to execute all the world-changing ideas God has given you and to create the abundant life He has for you.
Big Idea Food will always be a place where you can get scripture-based inspiration specifically for your business. You can find Big Idea Food on Facebook, Instagram and in your email.


Are you tired of travelling to London or spending most of your day on the train? This exciting opportunity could be for you.
A new opportunity for an Employment Lawyer/Legal Executive to join a highly regarded friendly team in Maidenhead.
We are a legal services Company specialising in Employment Law and HR. We act for workers and responsible employers providing HR and Employment Law advice. We have a great team of professionals who take pride in providing high quality legal services.
This is an excellent opportunity for an Employment Rights Lawyer who will be responsible for conducting and managing a caseload of advice and/or representation matters involving all aspects of employment law, including unfair dismissal, discrimination and TUPE. You will be a qualified solicitor or legal executive with at least 4 years' experience of conducting employment law litigation.
Employer believes in equality and is an Equal Opportunities employer promoting diversity within the workplace.
A new opportunity for an Employment Paralegal to join a highly regarded friendly team in Maidenhead.


Thanks boss. All of you inspired me to write this.
Thank you. I am glad you liked it. I tried to be as truthful as possible.
In my time, I already thought we were a spoilt lot compared to people who'd gone for HO-ship when there was only 1 person on call for the whole Department. I shudder to think what this batch learns.
Rest assured there are many decent ones around. I hope this article brings some sense to them.


The Government is proposing a change to the definition of serious harm in the Health and Safety in Employment Act, to simplify the reporting of workplace injuries.
At present, the definition covers death, serious injuries such as amputation, crushing and burns, and some other severe conditions.
The proposed change divides serious harm into three categories, including trauma injury which leaves a person unable to perform normal duties for 10 days or more.
Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson says the changes will mean employers won't spend too much time dealing with minor matters.
Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union national secretary Andrew Little says minor injuries can often be a sign of a dangerous workplace and it wants more consultation over the changes.


GUK is a national provider of security services throughout the UK protecting in the region of £40bn worth of assets.
Established in 2003 they've grown rapidly with over a £24 million turnover whilst retaining their core value of ethical entrepreneurialism. They manage nearly 1500 sites across the UK and employ around 800 staff.
From day-to-day security operations to long-term risk management strategy, GUK is at the forefront of protection management across multiple sectors for the ultimate business security solution. From commercial, corporate and residential they work across numerous industry sectors including the Crown Estate, retailers, property owners & management agents, airports and airlines.


DIY: Adding new Parameters (sensors) to OBD2 for logging.
I put this together originally for my modded Rx8, but I figure other people will find this helpful.
Let me explain it a little better. With this you can add any 0-5volt sensor (for example measuring underhood temperature) to the CAN Bus so it can be read with standard OBD2 commands just like the stock sensors. You can even do 0-12v sensors or other kinds of sensors with the right coding/hardware.
- humidity? - a *LOT* - not so expected.
There is a lot of support available for it so writing a sketch to put the parameters on OBD2 shouldn't be hard.
Also the most likely reason you are having variance in FE with humidity is the effect on detonation the water in the air has. Your engine can advance more timing with humid air compared to dry air. There used to be a trick involving a bubbler and a mason jar with water that was popular for preventing detonation, but I've never tried it myself.


I also make Beautiful things for Beautiful people! Custom paper art for you or your loved ones. Commissions available!
Tonya the librarian has an unusual passion for books, even for a librarian. When her books are harmed she takes it personally. When people turn up dead over damaged books, there are questions to answer. When the killer is a weresquirrel, the questions become more confusing.
There is a certain pretentiousness in classical literature. Elegant writing filled with meaning both astounding and sublime. This is not that. Not horrific enough to be horror, nor humorous enough to be comedy, welcome to Chip's Dollar Dreadfuls. There may not be any fundamental truths, but there will be blood...so much blood.
I can't unread this. It's taken an hour and a half of my time I can't get back and I wish it had been more! When is the sequel??
Fast-paced rhythm and turnabouts that keep you on your toes, this story has much potential for sequels, prequels, and any other -quels! Fantastically silly/serious, the amount of tongue-in-cheek makes only *typing* this review possible.
I want to know more about the "Slenderman" in the book and his deathly hallowed book!!


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ACM cladding replacement progress: 45 towers yet to see any action
22 Jan 21 The post-Grenfell cladding replacement programme continues to make steady progress but there remain 45 high-rise buildings where remediation work has not even started.
ACM cladding on Grenfell Tower before the fire
The good news is that all high-rise buildings in the social sector and student buildings are now fully remediated or have work underway to remove unsafe aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding, according to latest statistics from the Ministry of Housing1.
The private sector is not doing quite so well, although 82% (176) of private sector buildings over 18-metres have either completed or started remediation. Of these, 89 (42%) have had their ACM cladding removed.
In total, as at 31 December 2020, of the 462 high-rise residential and publicly owned buildings identified with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet Building Regulations, remediation has either completed or started on 417 buildings (90% of all identified buildings).
During 2020 replacement work started on 159 buildings, compared to 90 in 2019 and 111 in 2018.
There are now 297 buildings (64% of all identified buildings in England) that have had their ACM cladding systems stripped off – an increase of 30 since the end of November; 216 (47% of all buildings) have fully completed remediation, with three buildings completed during December.
Of those with ACM cladding remaining, a further 120 have started remediation. Of the 45 (10%) of buildings yet to start, 13 were only identified in 2020, while seven are vacant so present no risk to resident safety.
The issue with cladding emerged after a fire caused the death of 72 residents of the high-rise Grenfell Tower in London on 14th June 2017. It soon emerged that the cladding system fitted in a recent refurbishment had acted as an accelerant, speeding the passage of smoke from floor to floor. The Ministry of Housing set up its Building Safety Programme to oversee the replacement of similar cladding systems across the country and the reform of the regulatory system for building works.
The government has banned combustible materials in the external walls of high rise residential buildings of 18 metres and over, and is consulting on extending the ban threshold to 11 metres height.
The Building Safety Programme also publishes monthly statistics setting out progress, or lack of, the cladding replacement programme in England.
These show that at the end of December 2020, 90% (417) of all identified high-rise residential and publicly-owned at-risk buildings in England had either completed or started remediation work to remove and replace unsafe ACM cladding – an increase of 31 buildings since the end of November 2020.
Most high-rise buildings with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet building regulations yet to be remediated are concentrated around urbanised areas England, notably Manchester and Greater London
Housing secretary Robert Jenrick MP said that the latest statistics "show that – despite the pandemic – significant progress has continued to have been made with remediation work either complete or on site on around 95% of buildings, rising to 100% in all social or student high rise buildings."
He said: "This is a big step forwards. While there is still more to do, we are helping make the highest risk buildings with dangerous cladding safer, more quickly."
Building safety minister Lord (Stephen) Greenhalgh, a former leader Hammersmith & Fulham Council, said: "Building owners are responsible for making sure that their buildings, and the people who live in them, are safe. However, some need to do more and it's unacceptable a minority are yet to start work. We are in contact with the remaining buildings where remediation has not started and we are clear if work does not take place urgently we will take further enforcement action."
1.https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/954319/Building_Safety_Data_Release_December_2020.pdf


BEIJING: French President Emmanuel Macron pleaded on Wednesday for European unity in the face of China's growing economic power as he wrapped up a visit to Beijing with several business deals, reports AFP.
The value of the deal was not immediately disclosed, but at list prices for the single-aisle planes it could total at least $18 billion. Airbus had already announced on Tuesday an agreement to increase production of the A320 in China.
In another breakthrough, China agreed to lift an embargo on French beef within six months. Macron and Xi also saw eye-to-eye on the battle against climate change, with both voicing their commitment to the Paris accord in the face of US President Donald Trump's pledge to withdraw from the pact.