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New Innovative National Center for Blood Group Genomics Created by NYBC in Kansas City
Kansas City-based laboratory will be first to specialize on a national level in precision medicine applied to blood transfusion, to increase safety and minimize complications
New York New York Blood Center (NYBC), along with its partner organization Community Blood Center of Greater Kansas City (CBC), today announced the creation of the National Center for Blood Group Genomics. Based in Kansas City, the focus of the new laboratory and research center will be national in scope, targeting the testing of blood donor and patient samples from across the nation. The new center is scheduled to open by the end of 2016.
The mission of this National Center of Excellence is to apply precision medicine through the use of genomics for the treatment of hematological malignancies, inherited and acquired anemias, autoimmune diseases and transplantation when selecting products for transfusion. Matching patients and blood donors based only on the ABO and Rh type has not changed materially since the 1950's, despite the discovery of more than 300 other blood group antigens. The center will specialize in providing "precise-matched" blood products to avoid complications, properly screen patients for the suitability of various transfusion treatment regimens, and improve the overall practice and safety of transfusion medicine. Researchers will focus on developing the next generation of testing, as well as training future leaders in the field of genomics.
Mark Schmidtlein, NYBC board member and former chair of CBC said: "This is exactly the kind of unique medical and economic development our board hoped for in deciding to join with the New York Blood Center."
"The National Center for Blood Group Genomics will combine state-of-the-art methods in serological investigation and DNA blood group analysis to resolve complex cases of blood type matching, determine clinical significance, and provide consultation for selection of blood for transfusion to hospitals around the country," said Christopher D. Hillyer, M.D., President and CEO of NYBC.
The National Center for Blood Group Genomics builds upon NYBC's 50 years of groundbreaking research in fields of hematology, transfusion medicine, immunohematology, genomics and immunogenetics. Dr. Pablo Rubinstein, MD, a pioneer in the fields of immunogenetics and cord blood transplantation, founded the world's first public cord blood bank at NYBC in 1992. Dr. Connie M. Westhoff, SBB, PhD, will lead the new initiative. Dr. Westhoff, Director of Immunohematology, Genomics, and Rare Blood at NYBC, is a nationally known expert in blood group genetics and in molecular testing for transfusion medicine.
About New York Blood Center
Now more than 50 years old, New York Blood Center (NYBC) is a nonprofit organization that is one of the largest independent, community-based blood centers in the country. NYBC's mission is to serve the 20 million people in the New York metropolitan area—and more broadly, our nation and our world—by alleviating human suffering and preserving human life using our medical expertise.
Each year, NYBC provides approximately one million blood products to nearly 200 hospitals in the Northeast. NYBC also provides a wide array of transfusion-related medical services. NYBC is also home to the world's largest public cord blood bank, which provides stem cells for transplant in many countries, and a renowned research institute, which – among other milestones – developed the Hepatitis B vaccine and innovative blood purification technology.
About Community Blood Center of Greater Kansas City
Community Blood Center (CBC) partnered with the NYBC in 2014 to better serve hospitals in the Greater Kansas City metropolitan area, as well as eastern Kansas and western Missouri. CBC provides nearly 200,000 blood products per year to 70 area hospitals – and relies on volunteer donors each day to meet the need for life-saving gifts of blood.
Website: savealifenow.org


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ABsolute QPCR SYBR Green Fluorescein Mix
- High Sensitivity & Specificity – hot start enzyme Thermo-Start® DNA Polymerase
- Optimised buffer containing active SYBR® Green I
- Reproducibility – All mixes undergo extensive QC to ensure batch to batch consistency
- Broad dynamic range
ABsolute™ QPCR SYBR® Green Mixes are optimised for SYBR® Green I assays and contain all the components necessary to perform Quantitative PCR, with the exception of template and primers. The 2x QPCR SYBR® Green Mix contains optimal levels of active SYBR® Green I dye and Thermo-Start® DNA Polymerase supplied in a proprietary reaction buffer that enables detection of low copy number targets. The ABsolute QPCR SYBR Green Fluorescein Mix contains additional fluorescein reference dye.

subset: commoncrawl


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Ahwenepa.com, an e-commerce platform, offers creative fashion designers across Africa the opportunity to market and monitor performance whiles giving freedom to buyers to order and get exactly that.
At a recently held pitch event organized by TURN8 a Dubai based seed accelerator, they were the last to pitch because technical hitches prevented them from doing so earlier and still determined to take the chance. Lo and behold, they emerged the victors and are to apply to the accelerator.
Since The Spirited Hub is determined to bring you the best innovative and change driven startup ventures from Africa to motivate you. The ever proactive founder did us the honor of letting us in on his company and a dose of motivation to propel you. He is the DOER… Read on and be inspired.
Can you please give a brief detail about you?
I'm Henry Nii Ayi Cobblah, born and grew up in Takoradi a Ga and a Fanti as well,funny. I schooled at Ghana Secondary Technical School-GSTS and then to Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to study Computer Science and completed in 2013. I set up iSolveAfrica Limited, in 2012 whiles at KNUST to provide innovative solutions for Africa, which we have to date created about 298 websites and mobile applications in and outside Ghana.
So there came Ahwenepa in May 2013, as one of the outstanding solutions we provided for African Fashion Designers and Fashionistas.
That's quite a remarkable acheivement right from school. Okay, can you explain to us what you offer the fashion industry at Ahwenepa.com, and how you have performed so far?
Ahwenepa is a customisable online global marketplace for strictly African fashion and lifestyle products. Our aim is to create more micro & medium sized entrepreneurs with innovative African Fashion Designers and products strictly selected with quality.
A global marketplace to meet different designers who manage their own products online or get their items managed and sold online with targeted marketing skills and high-grade analysis. We currently have over 120 designers and still pushing in more. We have corporate and personalised services for customers from large and small-scale institutions and individuals.
The feature that stands out is CustoME that is, the Live Customisation of the product online. It is a Drop off, Packaging & Delivery service by the platform making it seamless for sellers to sell and buyers to buy. Buyers have the easier form to order what they want and not what is available with a standard local and international payment systems based on location.
Buyers get options like Cash on Delivery, Quick Delivery & Easy Replacement. The seller also gets instant cash payment & maximum return. There are features like the "make and feel", which focuses on the sellers & the time story to their innovative designs.
We protect designers' ideas and designs with our packaging concept and USSD Verification on purchase.
QUALITY, INNOVATION, CONVENIENCE, ORIGINALITY AND AFFORDABILITY is what we seek to get into the market stream.
We are still building and so when we get to the point where we have most features ready we believe it will catch up with the emerging online market evolution in Africa. "Ahwenepa Nkasa, Locally Prioritised, Globally Preferred."
There is a notion that consumers in this environment are yet to embrace fully the transaction of businesses over the internet especially to do with trust issues. What is your position on that?
We believe in the start of businesses and finding better ways to make your clients find your service convenient for them. So we believe it's a growth trend to be hooked on to. But if we don't start what will we hold on to, to learn and accept when ready? We want to position ourselves in the market for brand visibility, trusted and then move to provide the right solutions to customers then to make them stay to make it a normal part of life – Customer Retention. Our environment is gradually accepting it as a trend and therefore we have to be positioned to give such solutions to people.
Are a lot more creative designers perceiving e-commerce platforms like yours as viable avenues to market their goods?
Well, we need to make them believe in it and see it as a strategic line to tow to get their innovative designs out to the globe than in their comfort zone. It is a process and change takes time and so it's for us to make them not just believe but feel the benefits.
For those of us who do not understand what the word "Ahwenepa" is, what does it mean and why did you choose it as your brand name?
Ahwenepa is a Twi word (language of the Akans in Ghana) which means well woven. People normally confuse it to be quality beads. Well, this name was chosen because we wanted an African identity for an African product. Ahwenepa sounds well with our vision and quest to promote quality and innovative creations across Africa and beyond.
How did this fast rising startup company start and can you say it is achieving its goal?
It started with my co-founder's appreciation of African fashion and in-depth understanding of marketing and with me having the mindset to solve African related issues with technology. We started as a classified site to allow designers to display and market their products for free and also as a research tool for the African fashion industry.
We realized the marketing (online or traditional), packaging, delivery, originality of products and customization issues designers faced and so moved on to an e-commerce website and mobile app in May 2014 where we had am amazing launch at the Zepto showroom at Spintex.
We are on course and get better by the day.
Many out there are unable to achieve their dreams of starting their own businesses due to lack of capital. You have started your journey quite well. Tell us how you came by the initial funding for your business idea? Have there been external fundings as well?
Interesting! Well, we believed in starting with what you had. So we used leveraging. With my team at iSolveAfrica we built the website and on course with the mobile app. Since my co-founder is skilled in marketing we used free social media tools and so started with brand visibility and organic advertisement. A good percentage of the work had then started. Now we get designers to believe in the idea and so we start with little sales and we are moving. Currently raising funds and investments for the bigger groundbreaking points which will be exciting, to see us on the big stages by God's grace.
You know what, just start with what you have and find someone who can believe in it to help out. Don't be scared to share your ideas with potential activist.
Has mentoring played any significant role in your growth?
Awesome people have contributed a lot of ideas and experiences. You sure need to open up the idea for criticisms and encouragement but one thing to note is to make sure it's a problem you will be dedicated to solving. We also have had to dedicate a year to learn from the grounds to make sure we know what the system provided and how it works. We're still learning.
Has your perception about entrepreneurship changed since you started your venture? What have you learnt that you can share with the world?
As a team and myself, we have learnt a lot in terms on building a team and combining skills, financial issues, customer service and more. What I can share is make sure you know what you want to do and learn.
If you don't learn you don't know much and if you don't know much you can't do much.
Initial ideas can change but the zeal for solution to the problem should stand to get the best.
What is that one life experience you are applying to your business for long-term success?
It will certainly be web and mobile development (Technology) skills. It's awesome to be behind the main idea and get it executed to fit the environment and my team members equally bring on board awesome experience and skills to add up. Be related to the solution and understand what it adds.
For those who want to enter this e-commerce space, what will be your candid advice for them to avoid pitfalls?
Get a niche. Most people want to create the next Amazon and eBay platforms. But I believe in solutions for a niche. You can't sell anything and everything unless you have the means to the end. Also know the culture and people you want to sell to. Be innovative and be different.
As the founder of this promising startup with over 120 designers marketing their products on your website, what mistakes have you made and what lessons can you share with us?
When we started, we wanted to sell for every designer till we got to the "FAKE PRODUCT" point where some designers were presenting fake or non-quality products. This has now helped us to get to the position where we don't compromise on quality and originality.
One unavoidable component of any business is the challenges that you have to face. What are the challenges in running Ahwenepa.com and how are you overcoming them?
Cashless payment difficulty with customers. Most customers prefer cash on delivery system which I think should be on the low. For delivery issues, we are currently dealing with that in collaboration with an app service called GNALET. There is the problem of imitation of products which we are now tackling with the USSD verification for clients.
This should create some level of confidence for most customers. Simply, what is your principle for doing business?
Quality, Innovation, Convenience, Affordability and Integrity.
Are there plans to expand into other African markets?
We have started representations in some African countries like South Africa, Nigeria, La Cote d'Ivoire and Kenya. Extending our reach as we seek to have quality from most of the African countries. We are also building strategic partnerships to help our growth.
Superb! Where can Africa expect to see Ahwenepa.com in a few years to come?
We want to be present in over 20 African countries and also make inroads into the international market. We have Africans all over the world and we believe they would love to showcase their culture and so we will be here to help them get these products. It's a big dream but we won't stop being doers of this dream.
How rewarding and exciting has being an entrepreneur been for you as a young African CEO?
Being the DOER in here gives me much pleasure to see products being delivered and the smiles of both the designers and customers. We are constantly inspired to get the best out there and not just sales. The feedback always make me smile. We can do it and it's a mindset to be Doers. I know there are a lot more out there to be done and more solutions bears out there.
What will be your words of motivation to the many who will want to be in your shoes and a message to your clients?
Let us be the "WHY NOT" thinkers and not be the "WHAT IF" and "HOW" breed. We are the answers we seek.
Thank you, Henry!
Mr Henry and the Ahwenepa team are marching on to bring the best of experiences for fashion lovers and creative designers across Africa! Visit Ahwenepa for your own collections and accessories from top designers out there.
Are you motivated to bring your idea to see the light of day? Don't stop at anything, the world is there to be explored. See you at the top.
These are some notes to take from Henry Nii Ayi Cobblah;
- A business idea can spark from the strengths of the co-founders
- Research is key when you want to enter an existing industry
- Start small and start with what you have, eventually believers will join in pushing your dream
- Don't be scared to open up your idea for criticism
- Your business concept should be relevant to a niche
If you want to share your experience as a startup founder on TSH to Africa, send a brief detail of your business to firstname.lastname@example.com
Was this interview inspiring? Leave us your comment.
Follow #TSH on Facebook and Twitter for more change making interviews.


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City of OlatheHome Menu
Olathe Fire Key Documents
Strategic Plan
The Strategic Plan (36 pages) with its foundation based in community and membership input, revisits our pillars (mission, values and vision) and sets forth a continuous improvement plan that offers a road map for a justifiable and sustainable future.
Plan of Action
The Plan of Action (POA) is designed to guide the implementation of the vision and goals of both the Strategic Plan and Business Plan. We are committed to making progress on the POA initiatives throughout the year.
Past POAs: 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012.
The 2018 POA Progress Report provides verification of our accomplishments related to the action items for a respective year. Past POA Progress Reports: 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012.
Community Risk and Emergency Services Analysis and Standard of Cover
The Community Risk and Emergency Services Analysis and Standard of Cover (203 pages) is a rational and systemic way of looking at the services provided by an emergency response agency. The purpose of the CRESA-SOC is to assess community risk, define performance standards, plan station locations, determine staffing levels, measure service delivery performance, support strategic planning and more.
Past CRESA-SOC: 2012.
Fire Station Location and Optimization Report
The Fire Station Location and Optimization Report (254 pages) is grounded in a fact-based analysis of existing conditions and future needs. Current conditions were assessed by studying community risk data such as call loads, population densities and existing home and business vulnerabilities. Future needs were determined through the examination of forecasted call volumes and population densities and by studying future land use and growth area build-out projections. This comprehensive study is vital to create a reliable picture of the credible coverage challenges faced today and in the future.
Business Plan
The Business Plan is a set of business objectives, goals, initiatives and activities believed to be important to us, City key leaders and the community.
Company Performance Benchmarks
Company Performance Benchmarks (21 pages) are the criteria used to measure crew operational readiness in a number of essential tasks. They are the acceptable norms against which the quality of crew performance can be measured. CPBs reflect the strategy, tactics and tasks that we employ during incidents. The CPBs are based on department policy guidelines and benchmark practices.
Mobile Integrated Health Infographic
The Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) team responds to people who have requested or been referred for service, but likely do not require emergency care. The MIH team performs a medical assessment, determines needs and helps connect the patient with the appropriate care solution in the community.
City of Olathe Emergency Operations Plan
The Emergency Operations Plan (328 pages) defines the scope of preparedness and emergency management activities for the City of Olathe.
Rapid Damage Assessment Plan
The Rapid Damage Assessment Plan (15 pages) provides a process for decision‐makers to quickly gain situational awareness of possible damage to Olathe following an incident such as tornado, ice storm, etc.
Rapid Damage Assessment Guide
The Rapid Damage Assessment Guide (48 pages) was developed for use by OFD to provide rapid damage assessment team members a tool to quickly assess conditions within the City of Olathe following a significant event such as a tornado. The guide is a supplement to the Rapid Damage Assessment Plan.
Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan
In accordance with the DMA 2000, the purpose of the Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan (790 pages) is to identify and sustain actions designed to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from natural and other hazards, as well as to ensure that each participating jurisdiction is eligible to obtain federal funding under the Hazard Mitigation Grant and the Flood Mitigation Grant Program. Through this plan Region L, and its participating jurisdictions, have evaluated the hazards affecting the area, updated the risks these hazards present to the respective jurisdictions, revised their mitigation goals, and identified and/or updated feasible mitigation activities for the participating entities.
Year in Review
Public Protection Classification (ISO Rating 1)
The Public Protection Classification (PPC) Summary Report (2015) is a comprehensive document published by an independent company that serves insurance companies, communities, fire departments, insurance regulators, and others by providing information about risk. ISO collects and evaluates information from communities in the U.S. on their structure fire suppression capabilities. The data is analyzed using Fire Suppression Rating Schedule and then a Public Protection Classification.
Past PPC summary reports: 2013.
Public Protection Classification Rating Infographic
The Public Protection Classification Rating Infographic helps explain information about a community's property/casualty insurance risk.
NFPA Annual Fire Experience Survey
Performance Dashboard
This interactive, mobile-friendly Performance Dashboard is used to measure key performance indicators. The content is updated at the beginning of each month, providing ongoing measurement of baseline performance and insight into our service.


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National Securities Regulator on the Ropes? Quebec Court of Appeal Rules Proposed Cooperative System Unconstitutional
May 15, 2017
On May 10, 2017, the Quebec Court of Appeal ruled that the proposed cooperative capital markets regulatory system (Cooperative System) is in significant respects unconstitutional, although it ruled that the federal government's proposed Capital Markets Stability Act (CMSA) was, excepting one aspect, within federal jurisdiction.
The government of Quebec, which is opposed to the establishment of the Cooperative System and which desires to preserve provincial regulation of securities, directed a reference on the constitutionality of the Cooperative System to the Quebec Court of Appeal in 2015. A five-judge panel of the Court of Appeal heard arguments in November of 2016.
The government's reference asked the court to rule on two issues:
- Whether the implementation of a pan-Canadian securities regulator under the authority of a single regulator, in the model proposed in the memorandum of agreement (Memorandum of Agreement) among the governments of Canada, Ontario, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and the Yukon (Participating Jurisdictions) was constitutional
- Whether the federal government had the jurisdiction to enact the CMSA under the general branch of the federal trade and commerce power
In 2013, the federal government and the governments of Ontario and British Columbia launched the Cooperative System in response to the 2011 decision of the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) defeating the Canadian government's previous initiative to establish a single national securities regulator (Securities Act Reference). Since then, the other Participating Jurisdictions have signed on as members of the Cooperative System.
Under the Cooperative System, a single regulator, the Capital Markets Authority (Authority), would receive delegated powers from the Participating Jurisdictions to administer both the CMSA and a uniform Capital Markets Act (CMA), which would be adopted by all participating provinces and territories in the Cooperative System to replace their respective current Securities Acts.
The CMA is intended to address matters of provincial or territorial jurisdiction in the regulation of capital markets and the CMSA is intended to address systemic risk in national capital markets, national data collection and criminal law matters. The legislation establishing the Authority has not yet been published.
On the first question, four of the five judges on the panel held that the implementation of the Cooperative System would be unconstitutional because it would fetter the parliamentary sovereignty of the participating provinces and would effectively provide provinces with a veto over federal regulations.
Because the legislation establishing the Authority has not yet been released, the majority of the court focused on the Memorandum of Agreement provisions that outline the structure of the Authority in deciding that the structure of the Cooperative System was unconstitutional.
The Memorandum of Agreement provides for a council of ministers (Council) consisting of the federal minister of finance and the minister responsible for capital markets regulation from each participating province or territory. Among its other powers, the Council would be required to approve regulations proposed by the board of directors of the Authority and any changes to the CMA. Participating provinces and territories would be bound to make any changes to the CMA that were approved by the Council.
The four-judge majority held that this power of the Council over changes to the CMA rendered the Cooperative System unconstitutional. By requiring the participating provinces to adopt changes to the CMA that were adopted by the Council, the Cooperative System would "impose real limits on the parliamentary sovereignty of the participating provinces" and was therefore unconstitutional.
Similarly, the majority determined that the ability of the Council to approve or reject regulations under the CMSA undermined the constitutional validity of the CMSA by providing provincial ministers with an effective veto over regulations made under federal power.
The fifth judge would have declined to answer the question on the constitutionality of the Cooperative System because the Memorandum of Agreement was not a law but rather an agreement among the various parties and, as a result, was not subject to judicial review. The dissenting judge appeared, however, to agree with the majority that the provisions of the Memorandum of Agreement limiting the power of a participating province to amend its own CMA would not be constitutional if they were included in a piece of legislation.
The court unanimously held that the CMSA was constitutional, although four judges determined that certain sections that dealt with the role and powers of the Council were unconstitutional and would, unless removed, render the CMSA as a whole unconstitutional. The court held that the CMSA fell within federal jurisdiction because its primary focus (or "pith and substance") was to "promote the stability of the Canadian economy by managing systemic risks related to capital markets having the potential to have material adverse effects on the Canadian economy."
Despite the finding that the substance of the CMSA was within federal jurisdiction, the majority held that the role of Council set out in certain sections of the CMSA — in particular, the power to reject regulations under the CMSA — was "completely irreconcilable with the purposes" of the CMSA and was unconstitutional. These provisions would, in the view of the majority, render the entire CMSA as proposed unconstitutional.
The fifth judge also found that the CMSA was constitutional and disagreed with the majority view that the powers of the Council were unconstitutional. Rather, in the fifth judge's view, the CMSA was constitutional in its entirety because Parliament is free to delegate its legislative authority in any manner it sees fit. The mere presence of provincial ministers on the body that exercises delegated legislative authority would not, in the fifth judge's view, invalidate the delegation of powers.
Under the most recently published schedule, the Participating Jurisdictions agreed to attempt to implement the Cooperative System by June 20, 2018 and expected the Authority to be operational in 2018. The Quebec Court of Appeal ruling may push back the timeline for implementation as the Participating Jurisdictions consider how to proceed with the implementation of the Cooperative System in light of the decision.
One option is to push ahead with implementing the Cooperative System in a form modified to address the Council's powers that the Court of Appeal identified as incompatible with parliamentary sovereignty and the division of powers between the federal and provincial governments.
Another, and more likely, option is for the federal government to seek the SCC's opinion on the Cooperative System. If it chooses this option, the federal government could either appeal the Quebec Court of Appeal's decision to the SCC or direct a separate reference to the SCC. The SCC's decision would take precedence over that of the Quebec Court of Appeal.
Notably, in the Securities Act Reference, the SCC specifically pointed to a "cooperative approach that permits a scheme recognizing the essentially provincial nature of securities regulation while allowing Parliament to deal with genuinely national concerns" and noted that such a system would be "supported by Canadian constitutional principles and by the practice adopted by the federal and provincial governments in other fields of activities."
Blakes has published a series of Bulletins regarding various aspects of the Cooperative System and summarizing comments received on the drafts of the CMSA, the CMA and the CMA regulations (please see our various Bulletins posted on our website).
For further information, please contact:
John Tuzyk 416-863-2918
Liam Churchill 416-863-3057
or any other member of our Capital Markets group.
Posted in: Capital Markets
Blakes and Blakes Business Class communications are intended for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice or an opinion on any issue.
We would be pleased to provide additional details or advice about specific situations if desired.
For permission to reprint articles, please contact the Blakes Client Relations & Marketing Department at email@example.com. © 2019 Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP


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Perthshire: There is a running joke in Scotland that it has more pandas than Conservative members of parliament.
The centre-right unionist party has been an endangered species in Scotland for two decades -- it has one MP compared to two pandas at the Edinburgh zoo -- but that could change on June 8.
Ebullient Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has turned a party once consigned to the scrapheap into a fighting force in next week's British general election, ready to upset the dominant Scottish National Party's plans for independence.
"There's so much more to Scotland than just the SNP," Davidson told AFP during a campaign stop in the Perthshire hills this week in which she drove and posed on top of a Land Rover Defender off-road SUV.
Davidson's jovial media persona -- never shy of mounting a tank or a buffalo or appearing on comedy programmes -- has made her one of the most charismatic figures in an otherwise dour campaign.
Some opinion polls suggest the Conservatives could make major gains, winning up to 12 seats in Scotland.
And if the Conservatives win handily on a national level, experts say it could bolster Prime Minister Theresa May's arguments against holding an independence referendum.
Scotland rejected independence by 55 percent in 2014 but the SNP went from strength to strength the following year.
It won all but three of the 59 Scottish seats in the British parliament and swiftly laid plans for a second independence referendum.
The Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats helped hold Britain together in the 2014 referendum campaign but quickly returned to their traditional squabbling and won just one Scottish seat each.
Labour, which reigned over Scotland for decades before the SNP's ascent, fell into disarray under Jeremy Corbyn's divisive leadership -- leaving the Conservatives to pick up most of the unionist support.
Breaking ground
Davidson, 38, is one of three female leaders in the Scottish Parliament, alongside SNP First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale.
"When I was growing up the two most important people in the country were the Queen and Margaret Thatcher, so I thought women could do anything," Davidson said.
"The first political memory was probably Margaret Thatcher resigning.
"My best mate's mum said when she explained to us that she had been replaced by John Major, I asked her if it was possible for a man to be prime minister."
She is engaged to her Irish partner Jen Wilson and is an outspoken advocate for gay rights.
"The wedding has been slightly postponed, but we'll get to it eventually," she said.
Last summer she was invited to Northern Ireland, a part of Britain which does not allow gay marriage, to give the annual pride lecture for Amnesty Internation.
"I was probably the only unionist protestant who was marrying an Irish catholic that they could find to advocate gay marriage," she said.
"I would dearly love to see equal marriage in Northern Ireland. The arguments that are being used against it now are exactly the same arguments that were used in Scotland and Ireland, but the sky hasn't fallen in."
'We could win again'
Davidson cast her first vote as a teenager in 1997 -- the year Tony Blair's New Labour ended 18 years of Conservative British rule.
"I watched every single Conservative seat in Scotland fall, so I've waited a really long time for a comeback," she said.
"If this proves to be that time then it will have been a really hard road back."
Davidson was elected the party's Scotland leader in 2011.
She cemented her position in 2016 by leading the Conservatives to second place in the Scottish Parliament election, winning a quarter of the 129 seats in the Edinburgh-based legislature.
"I always said we could win again as the Conservatives -- and that is exactly what we have done," she said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)


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About ORCID
What Is ORCID?
Researchers and scholars face the ongoing challenge of distinguishing scholarly activities from those of others with similar names. They need to be able to easily and uniquely attach their identity to scholarly work, such as articles, citations, grants, patents and datasets. As individuals collaborate across disciplines and institutions, they must interact with an increasing number and diversity of information systems. Entering data over and over again can be time-consuming, and often frustrating. ORCID is an open, non-profit, community-based effort to reduce that frustration.
ORCID provides a registry of unique researcher identifiers and a transparent method of linking research activities and outputs to these identifiers. An ORCID iD is a persistent unique identifier that follows an individual throughout their career, and looks something like &ldrquo;0000-0003-0423-208X."
ORCID records hold non-sensitive information such as name, email, organization, and activities such as publication, grants, patents and other scholarly works. ORCID provides tools for individuals to manage data privacy.
See What is ORCID for additional information.
Why Get An ORCID Identifier?
Benefits of getting an ORCID iD include:
- Ensuring researchers get credit for their work
- Reducing time to identify scholarly output (see "Publisher integration," below)
- Enabling scholars to keep track of and report on their work with funders, publishers and institutions
- Repurposing data for use in CV generation, citation repositories, HKU ResearcherPages, annual reports, faculty web-sites, and other systems (see "Grant submission integration," below)
- Tying individuals to their scholarly work should make finding academic papers easier and more accurate
Publisher integration: Elsevier, Thomson Reuters, Nature and other major publishers have begun integrating ORCID iDs into the manuscript submission process, and embedding ORCID identifiers across their scientific and scholarly research ecosystem. This will save authors time during submission, and enable automatic updating of author bibliographies when articles are published. That information can be ingested into HKU systems, at each scholar's discretion.
Grant submission integration: US NIH, NSF and other agencies are planning to integrate ORCID iDs into the ScienCV platform, for linking researchers, their grants, and their scientific output. The US federal government has been working to create a fed-wide profile system to streamline the grants and contract application process and reduce the data entry burden for investigators, and ORCID holds promise to be part of the solution. Funders in other countries are doing similar.
What Does The Process Entail?
There are benefits to having HKU initiate your ORCID record creation, or reporting an existing ORCID, as it paves the way for data exchange between HKU and ORCID on behalf of each scholar.
When HKU initiates the process, we will upload your name and HKU email address to create your ORCID record. Your email will be set as "public" within ORCID, (for more on ORCID privacy settings, see the ORCID Privacy Settings). You always have the ability to change these settings – the ORCID record is controlled by you, not HKU.
ORCID will send you an email for you to claim your record. During the claim process they will suggest you set the default privacy setting for new works to be "public." Data labeled as either "public" or "limited" will be accessible by HKU. You may be asked to allow HKU to be a Trusted Party (gain access to "limited" data), as a final step after claiming your ORCID record. If you do not claim your record within 10 days, it will become publicly visible. You can still claim the record at any time, and we encourage you to do so.
For those not in HKU ResearcherPages, you can opt to add works using alternative means, such as the ORCID to Scopus integration. This option is available even if you have never used Scopus before. To use this, once logged into ORCID, choose "Update works", then "Also see Import Research Activities", to get the "Scopus to ORCID" option. You can use the same process but choose "CrossRef Metadata Search" to search CrossRef's metadata on journal articles, conference proceedings and monographs, and add results to your ORCID profile. Additional information on the CrossRef Metadata search can be found here. Thomson Reuters will be adding integration to Web of Knowledge from within ORCID soon.
If you have questions for HKU on this process, you can email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Creating Your ORCID / HKU ResearcherPage Synchronization
HKU will use the ORCID API to claim ORCID for those with HKU ResearcherPages in The HKU Scholars Hub, and populate the ORCID with data from the ResearcherPage.
Please click here to download the steps to connect ORCID to your ResearcherPage.
And click here to download the steps for ORCID profile visibility settings.
HKU faculty and students without a ResearcherPage may go to the ORCID site and manually register for one.


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Corporate Philanthropy
Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program
Federation Early Learning Services is an approved Educational Improvement Organization through the Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC), which allows participating corporations to make designated contributions that are eligible for tax credit. A contribution to the FELS can receive up to 90% of the gift total as a tax credit: your $15,000 gift could result in a credit as high as $13,500! Also, your contribution may be deducted for federal tax purposes. Your generosity would provide valuable support to our school readiness programs and services to the 1,000 children and families that we serve annually.
Sponsorships are available for our yearly fundraiser, Love Our Kids Gala, which brings together 200+ supporters of excellence in early childhood education. Advertising and sponsorship packages are available to meet your needs. Sponsorships are also available to support educational programs in our centers.
United Way
Designate FELS as your donor choice: #44 for Local, #4101-0089 for State and #16951 for Federal when you make your United Way contribution.
Volunteer/Pro Bono Work
Corporate individuals or groups looking to volunteer, please contact VP of Development. Opportunities can include: reading to children, assisting with project at the many Centers or with special events.
Donations of your professional services is another way to support FELS and our mission.
Donations beneficial in supporting the mission of FELS will be considered and are greatly appreciated. Your in-kind gift is recognized according to the IRS rules and regulations.


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Madras Cuff Moonstone
$138 $238
A statement cuff in gold with an organically-shaped semi precious stone and a lightly hammered finish. Just one of these will complete any look to perfection!
24k gold fill. Cuff measures 2 3/8" tall and 2" wide at the widest point, with some slight give to fit most wrists.


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Boxster 5HP19FL Automatic Transmission
Boxter Automatic Transmission ZF 5HP19FL remanufactured
remanufactured transmission with OEM parts und the latest upgrades. computer simulator tested valvebody and Dyno tested transmission, works 100% includes torque converter and one year standard warranty, ready to install !
Notification will be sent to your e-mail address every time the item price is decreased.
Market price: $4500.00 , save 46%


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I can't wait to tell you guys all about my latest find! I picked this top up online last week while it was on sale at Neiman Marcus, and I'm still obsessed with it. I've been a huge fan of Rebecca Taylor for years now so I knew it'd be a quality purchase. It's currently selling for $157 (originally $450), but I bought it for $117 or so during 4th of July blowout sales. What do you guys think of her clothing – are you a fan or not so much?
If you're looking for a unique statement top, I highly recommend this piece. It's super pretty, and the deets couldn't be more on point. The empire waist creates the illusion of longer legs, and the v-neckline (lined with lace) is just the right amount of sexy.
I styled my new top with a tight bandage skirt from BCBG for balance. TIP: if you're wearing a voluminous piece, pair it with something form-fitting to highlight your figure. For example, if you're sporting loose pajama pants, throw on a tight crop! Or, if your shirt has a flowing silhouette like mine, wear it with skinny jeans or a bandage skirt. The last thing you want to do is drown in your clothing. Now, since my shirt's all sorts of fancy, I kept things simple by throwing on a pair of killer heels and carrying my Chanel-inspired crossbody (similar).
Bag: BagInc (similar) || Shoes: AMICLUBWEAR || Skirt: BCBG || Top: Rebecca Taylor
To browse more outfit inspo, click here!


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Issued: Sunday, 29 October 2017
The Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) has noted with dismay and utter disgust the front page article entitled: "Gangster Republic" that the Sunday Times published today. With this piece of low-down sewer 'journalism' the Sunday Times (it should actually more appropriately be called the Sunday Slimes, and from henceforth this is exactly what we will call it), has managed to outdo even its own rock-bottom sub-zero ethical standards.
The Sunday Slimes has now joined the worst of journalism in their proverbial FAKE NEWS pigsty, wallowing in the mud of embedded advocacy journalism, fabricated news and downright lies. In their eagerness to serve their White Monopoly Capital owners and paymasters the editor and journalists have destroyed the once proud Sunday Times, and turned it into a tabloid rag that specialises in smear campaigns and fake news. Its reputation is in tatters, and it is reduced to being a pawn in White Monopoly Capital's campaign of mass deception to keep our people poor and under economic subjugation.
The Sunday Slimes has been running a biased anti Dr. Dlamini Zuma smear campaign for a considerable period now. It is instructive to recall the fake news that they published about Dr. Dlamini Zuma having a home at the President's private residence in Nkandla, and how they have derisively tried to reduce her identity to being the 'ex-wife' of the President. This utter rubbish that they published they were forced to retract and to apologize for, after Dr. Dlamini Zuma lodged a complaint with the Press Ombudsman.
Throwing all journalistic ethics and caution to the wind the Sunday Slimes has chosen to impose themselves onto the ANC Presidential contestation and to promote one particular candidate. They blatantly jump to the defence of this candidate at every possible opportunity. Simultaneously they run a vicious fake news campaign against Dr. Dlamini Zuma, whom they evidently want to prevent at all costs from being elected as the President of the African National Congress.
Their opposition to Dr. Dlamini Zuma is driven by the fear of their White Monopoly Capital (WMC) masters that she will successfully implement Radical Economic Transformation, and bring an end to their control of the South African economy and their concomitant exploitation of the black majority (especially Africans).
Just last week we have warned that we were aware that vicious attacks against Dr. Dlamini Zuma, and others that are associated with her ANC presidential campaign, have commenced. At the time we noted that this smear campaign had already started in the social media, and warned that further negative campaigns have been planned and were about to be launched, also through the mainstream media. With this front page fake news article of the Sunday Slimes that has now come to pass.
A careful read of today's Sunday Slimes article reveals not a single fact or verification of the wild allegations that are being made. The sole verifiable piece of 'evidence' that is presented is a photograph of Adriano Mazotti with Dr. Dlamini Zuma. This photograph is disingenuously presented as 'evidence' of Dr. Dlamini Zuma's 'close relationship' with Mazotti, while the photograph actually proves absolutely nothing beyond that it had been taken. Similarly to hundreds (if not thousands) of photos that Dr. Dlamini Zuma takes, as a public figure, with the many people who approach her on a daily basis to be photographed with. In the era of social media these photographs often get posted, re-posted and tweeted and re-tweeted numerous times with Dr. Dlamini Zuma not having any control over how they are used. All reasonable persons know that such photographs are not evidence of any relationship/association (not even to talk of a perverse flight of the imagination that it proves a 'close relationship'!). The reality is that beyond this photo this smear article is not based on a single verifiable fact, it is solely conjured up out of corridor gossip and cheap propagandistic conjecture.
In the inside pages of the Sunday Slimes they proceed with the very same smear campaign, claiming that the Gedleyihlekisa ANC Branch, where Dr. Dlamini Zuma is a member, had rejected her as presidential candidate, and of course they do not fail to emphasise that the branch supposedly favours Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa. This despite of the fact that the ANC Ethekweni Regional Executive Council had dissolved the branch (a decision which was upheld by the ANC KZN Provincial Working Committee [PWC]), and that it does not even qualify to hold a Branch General Meeting (BGM), nor to send any delegate to the ANC National Elective Conference in December. The Sunday Slimes tries to create the impression that the branch had been dissolved because of their purported rejection of Dr. Dlamini Zuma. The facts are that the branch had been dissolved because of organisational chaos, and having failed to campaign for the ANC during last year's Local Government elections. At the time of the decision by the KZN Ethekweni REC to dissolve the branch, the REC had not even known that there was any intention not to back Dr. Dlamini Zuma by some individuals associated with a faction of this now defunct branch. Yet, the Sunday Slimes sees it fit to quote the former (now non-existing) so-called 'Branch Secretary' of this dissolved branch extensively about his purported support for Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa. Although there was, and could be no link between the purported support for Ramaphosa and the branch having been dissolved for organisational reasons, the Sunday Slimes persists in trying manipulate the facts in order to create the impression of such a link. Once again fake news is literally being manufactured in the service of their deliberate smear campaign against Dr. Dlamini Zuma.
There can be no doubt that this intensified smear campaign has been carefully timed in order to coincide with the many ANC Branch General Meetings (BGM's) that are being held today. Clearly the intention of the Sunday Slimes is to try and influence the outcome of these BGM's with the fake news that they published. We have no doubt that they will fail dismally. The branch members of the ANC are cadres with great political insight and consciousness. The Sunday Slimes must not insult our intelligence. The members of the ANC can see right through their dirty tricks and sleazy smear efforts.
MKMVA concurs with the media statement that the ANC Women's League (ANCWL) issued last night that Dr. Dlamini Zuma has absolutely nothing to hide. She is a person of the highest integrity, and has served her country and the African continent with distinction in various Executive Positions, both as a long standing member of the National Executive (Cabinet) in South Africa and Chairperson of the AU Commission.
The ANC presidential campaign of Dr. Dlamini Zuma is a people's campaign that places the needs and interests of our people first. She is deeply concerned about the untenable and growing gap between the few (primarily white) rich and the majority of (primarily African) poor and exploited South Africans, and she knows that this is an untenable situation. That is why her campaign slogan is: RADICAL ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION NOW OR NEVER.
As MKMVA we declare, together with the ANCWL and the ANCYL and a clear majority of members of the ANC, that we will not allow the likes of the Sunday Slimes to derail us from achieving our goal to implement the Second Phase of our National Democratic Revolution. Together with the ANCWL we warn the Sunday Slimes, and all other mainstream WMC media who made common cause with their fake news campaign, to keep their hands off Dr. Dlamini Zuma. We call on all our cadres and every member of the ANC to protect our leader and the cause that she stands for the fullest.
Issued by Carl Niehaus, MKMVA National Executive Committee member and National Spokesperson.


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Great Reasons for your child to be a part of SCAD World School
- Small class numbers for bigger focus: SCAD World School is a co-educational, residential (with day/week-boarding facilities) school and the maximum strength when we grow to full strength (from Nursery to Grade 12) will be 1500 students and 150 teachers. The maximum class size would be 20 for Primary, Middle and High School. Our student/faculty ratio would not exceed 10:1.
- A blended curriculum: At SCAD World School, our curriculum integrates the best of teaching approaches from across the world. Children learn in a world-class study environment through methodologies that are a combination of Western approaches to teaching, aimed at ensuring clarity of concepts, and the Indian methodology of practice driven towards perfection.
- Strengthening our society: One of the core aspects of our Vision, is our 'Community and Social Responsibility' program across all grades that works at getting all students involved with the community around us for meaningful service experiences.
- Gifted faculty: We have teachers from across the country and different nationalities with tremendous experience in International education. Most of our teachers hold advanced degrees and many others will be working towards additional qualifications.
- Projects: At SCAD World School, projects are designed to aid comprehensive understanding in each student. Students will be encouraged and guided to engage in extended research projects around agreed upon topics such as social justice and world religions.
- World windows: The SCAD World School is working towards establishing partnerships with a few specific schools from across the world, so as to enable our students to engage in joint projects with their foreign counterparts; also giving them opportunities in to getting an exposure to their cultures.
- Role models: Due to the available bank of Alumni who have passed out from the various arms of our parent institution SCAD, our students will get ample opportunities to interact with dynamic individuals who have made a name for themselves in Society.
- Not just a school, a community: A school is not just for students! An active Parent Participation programme contributes to school life in many ways. The school will organize workshops, trainings, and activities for parents to participate, on their own and also with their children.


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Added to Your Shopping Bag
The Baltimore Orioles Clubhouse Collection Hoodie features an Orioles patch at the left chest alongside a curated, screen-printed team logo with the New Era flag found at the left sleeve. 80% Cotton/20% Polyester. The model is 6ft 2in tall wearing a size Large.
Care Instructions:
· Machine wash with cold water
· Delicate cycle
· Use only non-chlorine bleach
· Tumble dry low, remove promptly
· Machine wash, inside out
· Do not iron
· Do not dry clean
Made of 100% Polyester Knit
- Style#: 12123772
- Color: CUSTOM


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You'll get over it.
You needed none of the things you bought at Marshalls.
You're not as fat as you think you are.
Problems are only problems until your kid gets very sick. Everything else is trivial.
It's never too late to start something new.
Food really is love.
Lay with your kids before bed. That's when they ooze the most love and secrets.
Consider other perspectives than your own.
Take time for yourself.
Read The Alchemist every few years.
The ocean heals everything.
Bike riding is ageless.
When in doubt, smile.
Tell dirty jokes.
You're not always right.
Happiness is an inside job.
A fresh haircut & highlights can make you feel goooooood.
Tomorrow will always be better than your worst day.
When in doubt, go out. Sunshine is a magical thing.
Pets make families happy.
Admit when you're wrong.
Family dinner is important.
Tell people what they mean to you.
Be real with your kids.
Always add more garlic.
Always add more cheese.
Say you're sorry. Show you're sorry.
Crowd mentality should be questioned.
Podcasts are productive ways to pass time.
Your mother knows best.
Money doesn't buy happiness, but it does help.
Surround yourself with good people.
You don't have to go to church to be good.
There's no better sound than laughter.
Wine tastes best in Sonoma.
Homemade is always better.
Socializing is good for the soul.
Allow yourself to be vulnerable.
Having made another human will never not be weird.
There's a lesson in everything.


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Careers for the 21st Century Video Library (Set of 21 DVDs)SKU:CKDE21SET
Regular price
This 21 DVD video library provides an exciting way to learn about more than 170 career opportunities. Each DVD covers a specific career group and describes 8 or 9 key occupations within that group. Each occupation is covered in a six-minute segment and includes interviews with one or two people at their workplace doing the tasks that they normally do in the course of their job. A narrator describes the workers' job duties and responsibilities, wage and salary range, employment outlook, helpful high school classes, the work environment, and preferred qualities and aptitudes. Each video is approximately 50 minutes in length, for a total of 18 hours. The videos in the series are:
- Administration & Management Occupations
- Building Trades
- Business & Administrative Support Occupations
- Computer Occupations
- Engineering Occupations
- Financial Occupations
- Health Assessment & Treating Occupations
- Health Service Occupations
- Health Technologists & Technicians
- Human Services Occupations
- Marketing & Sales Occupations
- Mechanics & Repairers
- Media & the Arts Occupations
- Medicine & Related Occupations
- Personal & Building Service Occupations
- Production Occupations
- Professional Specialty Occupations
- Scientific Occupations
- Teaching & Related Occupations
- Technical & Related Occupations
- Transportation & Material Moving Occupations
Each DVD in the Emerging Careers series provides a Spanish language track and dual language closed-captioning.


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Explore Membership
About Our Course Owners
Contact the NGCOA
Manage My Account
Refer a member
Site Search | Help
NGCOA Course of the Year Nominees Represent
Some of the Best of the Modern Era
CHARLESTON, S.C. (Jan. 23, 2013) – The nominees for the NGCOA's Course of the Year Award include three public courses and the ultra-private Donald Trump-owned Trump National, all from golf's modern era.
The award recognizes member-owned courses that excel in four categories: course quality, ownership and management, contributions to the community and contribution to the game. The Course of the Year winner, which will be announced on Feb. 6 at the NGCOA Annual Conference in San Diego, will come from a group of modern-era courses that are distinguished in each area.
Oak Quarry Golf Club in Riverside, Calif., which opened in 2000, winds through the jagged terrain of Riverside's historic Jensen Quarry, giving golfers some captivating scenery to go along with a resort-like experience at the family-owned facility.
Redstone Golf Club (Tournament Course) in Humble, Texas, is the home of the PGA Tour's Shell Houston Open and annually draws the praise of tour pros for its excellent conditioning. Redstone has helped the tournament generate approximately $25 million for charity since it began hosting the event. When the pros aren't in town, the course, which opened in 2006, welcomes public play.
Despite its rural surroundings, golfers make the pilgrimage to Sand Creek Station in Newton, Kan., to play replicas of some of golf's most famous holes, including the Road Hole at St. Andrews and the Redan hole at North Berwick, Scotland. Staff members at the course that opened in 2006 – from the golf shop to the maintenance crew – are trained to offer outstanding customer service with the goal of exceeding expectations.
The Old Course at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., opened in 2004, four years before the New Course, which opened in 2008. Both courses offer championship conditioning on a daily basis for some of New York's most famous politicians and sports stars as well as families. In addition to a strong commitment to environmental sustainability, Trump National offers generous support of local charitable foundations and organizations.
The NGCOA also will recognize winners of the Award of Merit for long-term contributions to the game, the Jemsek Award for Golf Course Excellence, the Don Rossi Award for significant contributions to the NGCOA, the Champion Award for service to course owners at the state level, the Player Development Award for success in attracting new players to the game and the Paul Porter Award for commitment, service and leadership to a chapter or international affiliate.
The NGCOA's Annual Conference is the golf industry's largest gathering of owners and operators of daily fee, private, resort and municipal courses. The conference, which will be held Feb. 3-8, offers educational and networking opportunities and guest speakers. NGCOA members and non-members can register for the conference at www.ngcoa.org/conference.
The conference occurs in conjunction with the Golf Industry Show, Feb. 6-7, at the San Diego Convention Center. The show, which is presented by the NGCOA and GCSAA, showcases the golf industry's latest products and services throughout an expansive exhibit area and offers a wide range of educational opportunities.
© 2000


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Sony Mobile Communications
We sat down recently with a few of the brains behind Xperia Z1 to talk about how our flagship smartphone came to be – product planner, Asuka Matsumura; designer, Keita Hibi; material and finish designer, Nami Katayama; Sony DI camera engineer, Nobuyuki Matsushita; Sony Mobile camera engineer, Kenichi Kamezaki; experience planner, Ryoko Amano and display engineer, Fumiyuki Ito.
It's a highly extensive piece, covering: design, inspiration, creative back-story, standout features… so, enjoy.
Building on the concept of Xperia Z (launched in the spring of 2012), Xperia Z1 realises a substantial evolution…
Matsumura: With Xperia Z1 we were working to create a device that goes beyond the traditional bounds of a smartphone. People expect this of a modern mobile device, but we wanted to go beyond expectations and develop something that provoked sheer wonderment. By that, we mean that the smartphone has to become part of the user's life without making them compromise. Whether it is being in awe of the camera's ability to capture memories in low light or being unable to take eyes off that familiar image because it looks just as remembered – that is what these technologies really mean.
Hibi: OmniBalance design is all about creating smartphones that balance competing requirements, so for example in Xperia Z1 we wanted to create a smartphone that was equally comfortable both upright and horizontal, with no real centre of gravity. Another example of OmniBalance would be to talk about how we balance form and functionality. Aluminium normally limits mobile signal, but with Xperia Z1, we were able to use the one-piece aluminium frame to act as an antenna – so we were balancing the aesthetic requirement for a seamless premium casing, with the functional necessity for a mobile antenna.
Katayama: Another example would be the coating we used on the frame. It was treated using a process called "double amlumite" treatment – this both protects and colours the outer frame whilst making it clearly distinguishable (and balanced) from the glossy flat surfaces.
The word aluminum connotes solidity, something synonymous with metal. However, Xperia Z1 appears both streamlined, and rounded from different angles. How did you create this unique look?
Hibi: By shaping aluminum material, we were able to create a three-dimensional shape of the aluminum frame just as we imagined it. With plastic parts, it's more difficult to create single custom shapes, as many molding processes use dyes. With an aluminum "cutting" process, we can carve the outline precisely – this allowed us to give Xperia Z1 a solid, clean-cut appearance, with four completely round edges. I think that these rounded, smooth edges are an integral part of Xperia Z1's identity.
Katayama: For colouring, we used "double alumite treatment" in the aluminum frame. Alumite treatment employs a chemical reaction to protect the surface of aluminum material against oxidization (rust) and allows precise colouring on a micron basis. Without using aluminum, it would have been impossible to create a seamless blend of distinct colours and textures, whilst keeping the colour tone sharp. The frame of the white model, which takes advantage of the aluminum's "original" colour, underwent two different processes – sand blasting to degloss material with fine particles, and the smoothening so the material retains a gloss finish. This makes the edges of the phone different from the flat surfaces – I think we succeeded in creating a striking two-tone, two-colour finish!
Hibi: Aluminum is a robust material, so it's suitable for use in a device that you carry around every day. It is also possible to pursue quality in terms of texture and forming accuracy. Not only does the aluminum frame encasing Xperia Z1 play an integral part as the antenna, but it is used for ornamental purposes as well.
Adopting a frame made of machined aluminum is both functional, and provides industrial beauty only unusually seen in high-end cameras. Pick up an Xperia Z1 phone andfeel the OmniBalance design, with the texture of the aluminum frame. The consistent form is immediately recognizable as "Xperia", as "Sony".
Xperia Z1 features the 1/2.3-inch "Exmor RS for mobile" sensor and the Sony G Lens™ with a bright F2.0 aperture, which gives it a high level of sensitivity comparable to that of the latest compact digital cameras.
Kamezaki: The camera in Xperia Z1 is designed to move beyond conventional smartphone imaging capability, so that users can create the kind of beautiful shots that will preserve moments and memories. To do this we had to go right back to basics with our smartphone camera design…
Matsushita: I was amazed by how fast paced the mobile design process was; with requirements changing constantly. We were able to merge the two design cultures very well, and find a way of working that allowed us to experiment , but collaborate productively within that rapid-pace environment. Ultimately, we created something unique, and to hear that the fruit of our work created "the best overall image quality of all leading smartphones" was immensely satisfying.
In addition to capturing memories, Xperia Z1 offers Xperia camera apps through Sony's "Smart Social Camera" platform, including "Social live" for broadcasting video live to Facebook, and "AR effect" to overlay fun moving objects on whatever might be in front of the viewfinder.
Amano: We see a smartphone camera as more than just a way of capturing photos. We wanted to create a new, different camera experience – our effort to develop new camera applications began when we asked ourselves, "What kind of camera experience could we create for smartphones by combining Xperia smartphone tech with Sony's digital imaging innovation?" The result: "Info-eye™" works in conjunction with the search function to let you not just see but learn at the same time. "Timeshift burst" records a number of images in two seconds – a second before and after pressing the shutter – to ensure you capture special moments. We had many, many (often crazy!) ideas that we kept in mind for years, wondering how or if they might be possible. We considered and implemented these ideas one by one, during the creation process.
Combining a smartphone with a camera drastically changes the way we enjoy photos – "Social live", lets you share moments with friends; they can enjoy an event via streamed video to Facebook, and join the experience by posting comments. This kind of thinking is very much where I expect the future of smartphone photography lies – the inclusive, shared and preserved.
Ito: "X-Reality for mobile" builds on the advances made by "Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2." This used four technologies for noise reduction, contrast enhancement, colour management, and sharpness, and the super resolution technology in X-Reality is similar. It employs the same mechanism featured in recent BRAVIA TVs and optimizes the image quality for the kind of close up viewing that we expect in Xperia Z1. The technology analyzes images frame by frame, guesses and compensates for missing information resulting from image data compression or other processing.
Patterns of such image processing are stored in a database, and an optimal pattern is chosen from the database for a specific type of image, such as a movie or animation. This allows an adjusted image to be displayed on the screen instantaneously, which, if done manually, would take several days.
Ito: "X-Reality for mobile" offers a great foundation for imaging but we knew from the start that the real beauty of images cannot be delivered by hardware alone. Producing beautiful images is impossible without tuning the image quality in terms of colour and sharpness. In the initial stage of development, we held a meeting attended by not just members working on Xperia but also engineers in charge of Sony's image-related products – PlayStation, BRAVIA, and Cyber-shot. At this meeting, we discussed how the different quality adjustment technologies could be used to individually optimise certain use cases (video / gaming / camera etc…) and as a result we created a set of guidelines on image quality adjustment defining how we could approach this. Xperia Z1 is the first smartphone model developed under those guidelines.
Ito (cont'd): "TRILUMINOS Display for mobile" creates a wider palette of rich colours than can be represented in TV broadcasts, making it possible to express the depth of a bright blue sky or the softness of a ripe fruit stereoscopically. When I first saw images on Xperia Z1, they were so impressive that I couldn't help but let out a gasp of astonishment. Through our collaboration, using both hardware and software, we've created new unique proprietary technologies – this is a real achievement and testament to the vision we set out on for Xperia Z1.


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Supporting Area
2011 Children's Wing Hall
By valuing your personal style, keeping our ego at bay, and designing with grace and professionalism, we build strong relationships with our team, our vendors, and you.
2011 Children's Wing Hall
2013 Guest Cottage
2014 Mad Men Cave
2016 She Dreams In Color Bedroom
Cornerstone Interiors is a second-generation design firm. While being small, the firm has served people in California, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana and New York. This company is home to two full time designers, a design assistant/ project manager, an office manager and a book keeper.


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by Jennifer R.
The first thing that came to my mind when we started planing our wedding was how on Earth were we going to afford such a large reception! Then, it dawned on us. Since our wedding was going to be toward the end of the summer, Why don't we just have a large cookout! It would be cost effective and casual enough so that our WHOLE family could have a good time.
Click here to read or post comments
Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Your Wedding Reception Ideas.


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Design: Mikkel Vandborg
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Product information
See more photos
Egglight is designed with a view to creating a beautiful decorative object, whether switched on or off, and to ensuring the functional requirements of a pendant light are met.
Dimensions: Height 13 cm - Width 8 cm
Mikkel Vandborg, b. 1989, is a trained cabinetmaker, which has given him a deep understanding of the possibilities offered by different materials. His designs reflect these careful considerations.
Andersen Furniture A/S | Zeta 1 | DK-8382 Hinnerup | Tel. + 45 86 20 80 40 | E-mail: email@example.com


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Email Support | Sales
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As of July 14, 2015, Microsoft will no longer be offering security updates for Windows Server 2003. This means that if your business is one of the many still using systems that run Windows Server 2003, you need to start considering a migration plan as soon as possible. With the end-of-support date just a few short months away, you haven't got a moment to lose.
In this post, we'll briefly touch on the consequences of failing to migrate before the end-of-support date, and then spend some time talking about the advantages of upgrading to Windows Server 2012 R2.
Once Microsoft pulls its support for Windows Server 2003, it means that the company will no longer provide updates or security patches for the operating system. Organizations that are still running Windows Server 2003 after July 14 will be completely responsible for ensuring the stability and security of their own IT infrastructures, there are numerous reasons why upgrading to a newer operating system would make more sense.
Systems still running Windows Server 2003 after end of support will instantly become vulnerable to attack. In order to keep running a server on 2003 after the deadline, organizations would have to manually add protection to the server, in the form of intrusion detection systems, network segmentation, and advanced firewalls. In addition to the time and hassle required to perform these additional steps, there are also the high costs: David Mayer, Practice Director of Microsoft Solutions for Insight Enterprises, said in a Q&A that organizations that choose not to migrate away from Windows Server 2003 should expect to pay an additional $1,500 a year per server to provide the needed level of extra protection.
In addition, there's also the lack of updates to consider. As critical bugs and performance issues arise in Windows Server 2003, they will simply remain unaddressed. This means that your organization will likely have to continue dealing with a variety of security and performance issues for as long as you continue to use 2003.
Finally, continuing to use Windows Server 2003 could lead to compliance issues. Industry regulations set standards which usually require businesses to run on supported platforms. Failing to do so could result in lost business, as well as high non-compliance fees.
Instead of looking at end of support as a problem to be avoided, savvy IT organizations will see it as an opportunity to start taking advantage of a newer and more advanced offering from Microsoft. Organizations that make the upgrade now will be able to enjoy the many benefits of Windows Server 2012 R2, including:
If you know that you need to start working on a migration plan soon, but aren't sure where to get started, the professionals at Aventis Systems can help. We can offer you all of the Microsoft solutions you need, and help you execute a streamlined migration process. Contact us today to learn more.
Check out our on-demand webinar "Keen Insight into Server 2012 R2" or browse the slides below for a fun and quick feature spotlight.


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If the idea of Black Friday shopping gives you the blues, cheer up.
A few innovative approaches can help you find lower prices without having to camp outside a big box store.
Use discounted gift cards
Joanie Demer, a co-owner of thekrazycouponlady.com, recommended going to websites such as raise.com and giftcardgranny.com to buy discounted gift cards, a strategy that works year-round. Savings average from 8 to 12 percent. "It's not a ton, but it adds up," she said in an interview.
Instead of buying a gift card before shopping, add up your purchases in the store and use an app from the site to download the amount you need. This will help curb overspending, she said.
Timing is important
People who do all of their holiday shopping on the Friday after Thanksgiving are not getting the best deals, Ms. Demer said.
The sweet spot for the best bargains is Dec. 10-18, but, she warned, shopping from Dec. 19 onward is not good because retailers know you are desperate, and they are less likely to cut prices.
She added that 95 percent of the Black Friday bargains to be found in brick-and-mortar stores — with the exception of "doorbusters," those deeply discounted items intended to draw shoppers in — can be found online. If you are not keen on crowds, shop online.
Abandon your virtual shopping cart
The week before Black Friday, fill your virtual shopping cart with merchandise, then log out of your account — don't just close your tab but fully log out of the site — said Kyle James, the founder of rather-be-shopping.com.
"By doing so, in many cases, it will trigger an automated coupon sent to your inbox pleading for you to come back and complete your purchase with the coupon," Mr. James said in an email.
The coupon offers may be for free shipping or discounts of up to 20 percent off a purchase, he said. "It's a passive-aggressive way to get a deal."
Have a live chat online
Sometimes getting a price break can be as simple as asking.
Activate the live chat feature that many online retailers have and politely ask for a coupon for free shipping or a percentage off your purchase.
"These live chat operators are trained to see this person has stuff in their cart and they're prepared to make a purchase — let's throw them a bone," Mr. James said in a telephone interview.
Shop on eBay
Doorbuster merchandise is usually in such limited supply that only the most dedicated shoppers — those who camp outside the store to be the first ones in at opening hour — will get what they want. The remaining shoppers become a "captive audience, and now they'll go out and buy a bunch of stuff at near full price or full price," Mr. James said.
Many of those people will turn around and sell the heavily discounted items on eBay, he said. Because they are looking to turn a profit quickly, their markups will be modest.
Look for price matches
Downloading the Amazon app can be a useful way to compare prices in stores against the online retail giant. "It's a good tool to make sure you're not making a stupid purchase," Ms. Demer said.
Many big box stores will match a lower Amazon price if you present proof of the lower price at the customer service desk. That rule is in place year-round, but many stores make an exception for Black Friday. Dick's Sporting Goods and Bed Bath & Beyond are among the few retailers who will still honor the price match on Black Friday, she said.
Shop strategically
Skip the shopping cart, because navigating crowded store aisles with one will only prolong your visit, Ms. Demer said. She recommended taking an oversize reusable shopping bag instead.
It's also best to avoid bringing your spouse and children to the store, she said.
"The more people you bring, the more money you're going to spend and the more angry you're going to become," she said. "Chaos and impulse buying, it's all much worse."


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RT: Interesting that Nolan's film seems to meld together two major sources of British WWII self-image: the doughty sea rescue by British small boats of hundreds of thousands of trapped soldiers on the Belgian beaches, and the contemporary 1940 air war against the Nazi invasion known as the 'Battle of Britain' ( (though not a part of the film, The Blitz of London would be the third of these heroic tropes.) While the film 'Dunkirk' certainly seems a memorial to the moral clarity of the past, it is also inevitably a reflection on our present-day incapacity to live beyond ironic self-reflection and bitter partisanship. Yet more importantly, in making a war film without ever representing an enemy, Nolan has allowed us the opportunity to examine our own hopes and fears as being what they are and not as a sign of noble purpose. This is a brilliant film for more than its technically proficient beauty, and a reason to compare it to the great Kubrick moral investigations 'Paths of Glory,' '2001 a Space
Patrick McEvoy-Halston: Interesting; like the idea of melding. We do see the Germans, though. I felt that was part of what Tom Hardy's character accomplishes in the end... he punctures into, not the Blitz, or Battle of Britain, but the successful subsequent continent invasion -- Operation Overlord; Normandy. I thought the film shows us a false existential crisis. The young troops have taken a step outside their regular lives and are in a place of dread, and aren't sure upon their return if their country -- their seniors, especially, who are featured in the film -- is with them.
But it's false precisely because as troops they exist beyond, as you call it, present-day ironic self reflection and bitter partisanship, or as another way of saying it, beyond a democratic impetus and only on a path to willing self-sacrifice and war, so there was no real way their grim-mooded country would have abandoned them.
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Patrick McEvoy-Halston: If this was who they were, those who when "faced with decisions that could mean life or death for themselves and others, mastered their emotions and acted thoughtfully, responsibly, honorably, potentially self-sacrificingly for the good of a collective mission that they're all aware of: to get back to Great Britain in order to defend it against a likely attack by Germany," then who wouldn't want to emulate them... have them as a legitimate source of daddy issues? But they seem a little more silly when what they're up to becomes, not emulating daddy, reaching up and out to something greater, but those regressing from being already partly individuated adults back into good sons doing whatever hell their mother country bids of them... all so that they can bathe in the reception of acceptance, love and gratitude of a nation, full of maternal projections.
It struck me as falsely existential... young men out there on their own, unsure not only if they'll get back but how they'll be received when they do. It's false, for, for being willing sacrifices, and for deferring independent judgment for playing the part their elders want for them... for being all that you ascribe to them, we never sensed they were at risk of abandonment. If they all died there on the beach, WE would have called out to them to let them know how we loved them... how proud we were of them. It's not only or primarily victory we asked of them; but that they risked death and died so that the virtue of a country could be reborn again.
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KB: I'm really interested in this criticism of the film which has emerged from a number of leading voices. I'm not a huge Nolan fan but this film really worked for me. The only thing that matters is survival. That most animal of instincts. I found humanity everywhere in the film, in the little moments. Contrast that against the magnitude of the events taking place and you have a wonderful balance. I don't think we need to know anything more of the characters than what we're given. Their lives are ordinary, their feelings written on the faces and in their body language. Surprised people think it's unemotional. It's restrained certainly, again in contrast to the majesty of the score and cinematography, but it's all there I think - in the undercurrent.
Patrick McEvoy-Halston: If the only thing that matters is survival, why is there such a concern in the film whether people approved of them... that people saw what they had accomplished or had tried to accomplish? Tom Hardy's character doesn't seem to allow much for the importance of survival, but quite a bit for... let's be a bit ungenerous here, the applause of his mates as he becomes a legend out of history? I'm being a bit crass with Hardy, though... I was actually moved by his decision to help, even if I didn't think it portrayed as all that hard a one... well, you know what, if I turn around a military ship full of people will vanish into the sea... I'm sure I could dissuade myself from indulging in such a feast of an encounter! It was also a thrill to see the 17-year-old act with such intelligence and leadership. To be under assault, and yet keeping your head and your reasoning ability intact -- how wonderful to experience yourself like that!
KB: I think there's grounds to argue that the concept of war, which I think defines the action of the film, only cares about survival. The cinematic storytelling reflects that. I don't think Hardy's character was thinking of the applause down below - literally just trying to take his opposite number down. That was his goal. Rylance's character's goal was merely to save as many soldiers as possible. Again, saving lives is the key. That was the whole point of Dunkirk. It wasn't in any way a militaristic offensive. It was an evacuation, a defeat - but hundreds of thousands of lives were saved and that's why it was viewed victoriously by Churchill and more generally by the civilian public. The film reflects that quietly during the coda but I still think survival is it. Styles' character even quips it: all we did was survive.
Patrick McEvoy-Halston: They survived... AND were approved -- isn't the nature of their reception what prompted Styles' remark... so also part of the film? Our experience of it is as a survival film, but also as much a reception film -- what survival, and loss... what heroic actions, begat in terms of approval or scorn. I actually agree that there is a sense that Rylance and Hardy's characters are only thinking on assisting, on saving lives... but since they also end up being both either granted the status of approval-granters (Rylance) from doing something that was appreciated and approved, or simply under heavy reception of approval (Tom Hardy--war god), it's difficult to situate ourselves within them and not be lying to ourselves if we imagined we weren't doing so also for the love and glory their actions gave to them, though the opportunity is certainly afforded us.
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AN: Disagree. Anonymity was a crux of the movie. All those nameless, barely seen humans. Many of whom lost their stories on that beach or subsequent beaches. That is the horror.
I was very moved. To the point where days later I was still questioning why and what did I see.
I was born in Scotland. My father and grandfather, my uncles all served.
One lost a limb. Others their lives.
Well done, as one of the faceless I connected.
97-year-old Dunkirk veteran: 'it was just like I was there again'
Among the moviegoers at the premiere of Dunkirk on…
Patrick McEvoy-Halston: And if the Germans make a film equivalent to this, delineating the service of all their anonymous throng in WW2, with their limbs and lives lost, their stories, far too early terminated, this would be a good cause to... wonder how much to exult when films make giving so much value to the faceless, a sign of our moral improvement?
AN: Of course not. That's what is accosted. Our moral center. All these people whose lives were cut short. It's repugnant.
Those in power repeatedly use the anonymous as cannon fodder. Is one side better than the other? I believe it was much clearer then than now. But to those on the field the terror was equally as real, one to the other.
Most of the film is spent with hordes all facing home. The yearning was palpable.
Patrick McEvoy-Halston: The article you link us to is about a heroic man who earned tons of war medals and who still garners "proper" salutes, possessed of wise tales on the horrors of war; about what kids these days need to understand on how the affairs of the world aren't just entertainment. What's missing in the loss is a genuine sense OF loss... they all seem to have acquired so much sanctity, thereby. Doesn't a tearful mother lean near them, sad for their loss?... in our imaginations, but perhaps in their own as well? Aren't they more deserving of it, for their being used and neglected? If they actually weren't at all, wouldn't a perfect image be frustrated and prove an annoyance one's temporarily cornered into having to abide?
He may not have told about how the war was about those in power using the anonymous as cannon fodder, but this sort of narratizing is probably more popular with classes of people who are always for war (Michael Bay does it a lot, which his audience licks up) than it is even with liberal peaceniks, so if he did it'd be digested as without confusion as a meal you were actually expecting.
I like your comment about the yearning being palpable. I agree that it was.


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