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Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy
On-line version ISSN 2411-9717
Print version ISSN 0038-223X
J. S. Afr. Inst. Min. Metall. vol.111 n.11 Johannesburg Nov. 2011
Net present value maximization model for optimum cut-off grade policy of open pit mining operations
M.W.A. AsadI; E. TopalII
IMining and Materials Engineering, McGill University, Canada
IIMining Engineering and Mine Surveying, Western Australia School of Mines, Curtin University of Technology
The optimum cut-off grade policy maximizes the net present value (NPV) of an open pit mining operation subject to the mining, processing, and refining capacity constraints. The traditional approaches to cut-off grade determination ignore the escalation of the economic parameters such as metal price and operating costs during life of an operation, and consequently lead to unrealistically higher values of the objective function. Further, the NPV of a mining operation declines due to the depletion of the available reserves, causing a decline in the optimum cut-off grade, i.e. higher cut-off grades in the early years of an operation and lower cut-off grades during the later years. Hence, low grade material mined in the earlier years may be stockpiled for processing during later years to offset the effect of escalating economic parameters on NPV. This paper demonstrates the combined impact of introducing economic parameters, escalation and stockpiling options into the cut-off grade optimization model. The model promises an enhancement in NPV as illustrated in a case study incorporating practical aspects of an open pit mining operation.
Keywords: mining, modelling, cut-off grade, stockpiling, optimization.
Cut-off grade is the criterion that discriminates between ore and waste within a given mineral deposit1,2. If material grade in the mineral deposit is above cut-off grade it is classified as ore, and if material grade is below cut-off grade, it is classified as waste. Ore, being the economically exploitable portion of the mineral deposit, is sent to the processing plant for crushing, grinding, and concentration of the metal content. The product of the processing plant is called concentrate, which is fed to the refinery for production of refined metal. Hence, an ideal open pit mining operation consists of three stages i.e. mine, processing plant, and refinery3,4.
Long-range production planing of an open pit mining operation is dependent upon several factors; however, cut-off grade is the most significant aspect, as it provides a basis for the determination of the quantity of ore and waste in a given period5. Eventually, the profit over time may be enhanced only by flow of high grade material to the processing plant. This strategy supports the objective function and, depending upon the grade-tonnage distribution of the deposit, higher NPV may be realized during earlier years to recover the initial investment6,7. However, as the deposit becomes depleted, the NPV as well as the cutoff grade decline; hence, cut-off grade policy and the production plan defined as a result of this policy dictate phenomenal influence on the overall economics of the mining operation8,9.
The optimum cut-off grades, which are dynamic due to the declining effect of NPV, not only depend on the metal price and cash costs of mining, processing, and refining stages, but also take into account the limiting capacities of these stages and grade-tonnage distribution of the deposit. Therefore, the technique that determines the optimum cut-off grade policy considers the opportunity cost of not receiving future cash flows earlier during mine life, due to the limiting capacities of any of mining, processing, or refining stages10,11. However, metal price and operating costs of mining, processing, and refining change during mine life, and this happens quite often, due to the longer life of most of the open pit mining operations. Ignoring the effect of these changes in the economic parameters on the optimum cut-off grade policy would lead to unrealistic production plans12,13.
Further, the declining effect of NPV allows higher cut-off grades in the early years of mine life and lower cut-off grades in the later years, due to depletion of high grade material. Therefore, depending upon the existing circumstances in an open pit mining operation, the production plans may also include the flexibility of providing stockpiles of low grade ore mined in the earlier years to be processed later as it becomes economical to do so. This enhances not only the life, but also the NPV of a mining operation. The management of stockpiles of low grade ore is possible using the following two options14:
1. The stockpile is utilized parallel to the mining operation. This means that material is sent to the processing plant either from mine or stockpile. This decision is based on the overall economy/profitability of the operation.
2. The stockpile is utilized after the mine is exhausted. This simplifies the decision-making, since the stockpile acts as an additional portion of the deposit, where all available material is economical. However, the high grade material in the stockpile is scheduled to be utilized earlier than the low grade material.
In this study, the second case is chosen owing to ease of operation. Therefore, keeping in view the prospect of a contribution to the mining industry, we propose an extension in the established Lane's theory of optimum cut-off grades15,16. The proposed cut-off grade optimization model considers not only dynamic metal price and cost escalation, but also results in the creation of a stockpile of low grade ore during the mine life and its utilization as ore after the exhaustion of the deposit. Lane's original theory has been modified by Dagdelen3,4, Dagdelen and Kawahta6, Bascetin9, Osanloo and Ataei11, Asad12,13,14, Dagdelen and Asad17, Ataei and Osanloo18, Osanloo et al.19, and King20, but these studies did not attempt to analyse the combined impact of economic parameters escalation and stockpiling on NPV. We implement the iterative algorithmic steps of the modified model in Visual C++ programming language to develop alternative cut-off grade policies in a case study of a hypothetical copper deposit. The results demonstrate the effect of the change in economic parameters and the stockpiling option on mine planning with an increase/decrease in NPV.
The model
Prerequisites for the application of a cut-off grade optimization model include the development of ultimate pit limit or pit extent and pushback (a manageable portion of the deposit inside the ultimate pit limit that may be mined, processed, and refined in a number of years/periods) design, ore reserves in terms of mineral grade and tonnage distribution in each pushback, and mining, processing, and refining stage capacities, the operating costs of these stages, and the current metal price.
The objective function of cut-off grade optimization model is to maximize the NPV of the operation subject to mining, processing, refining, and stockpile capacity constraints, which may be represented mathematically as follows:
Subject to:
where n = period (year) indicator, N = total life of operation (years), Nm = mine/deposit life (years), P = profit ($/year), d = discount rate (%), M = mining capacity (tons/year), C = concentrating or milling capacity (tons/year), R = refining capacity (tons /year), S = stockpile capacity (tons), p = metal selling price ($/ton of product), m = mining cost ($/ton of material mined), c = concentrating or milling cost ($/ton of ore), r = refining cost ($/ton of product), f = administrative/ fixed cost ($/year), Qm = quantity of material mined (tons/year), Qc = quantity of ore processed (tons/year), Qr = quantity of concentrate refined (tons /year), Qs = quantity of material stockpiled (tons/year).
The model relies on the fact that the capacities of the mining, processing, and refining stages limit the operation either independently or jointly. While an individual stage causes constrained production, it leads to the determination of refinery limiting economic cut-off grades for mining, processing, and refining, represented as γm, γc, and γr, respectively. However, if a pair of stages is limiting the operation, then the output from each constraining stage must be balanced to utilize the maximum capacity of these stages. This requires the determination of three balancing cut-off grades pairing mine-processing plant, mine-refinery, and processing plant-refinery, represented as γmc, γmr, and γcr, respectively. Ultimately, the optimum cut-off grade γ is selected between the limiting economic and balancing cut-off grades.
As the grade and amount of low grade stockpile material in a period n is also dependent upon the determination of optimum cut-off grade, the solution to this problem may be presented in two sequential steps. The first step determines the optimum cut-off grade, and the second step defines the grade and amount of stockpile material.
Optimum cut-off grade
Dynamic metal prices and operating costs influence limiting economic cut-off grades, while the grade-tonnage distribution of the deposit is the only factor affecting balancing cut-off grades13. The optimum cut-off grade among six limiting economic and balancing cut-off grades is calculated as follows:
Assuming that the grade-tonnage distribution of a pushback consists of K grade increments i.e. (γ1, γ2), (γ2, γ3), (γ3, γ4), ---, (γK-1, γK), and, for each grade increment, there exist tk tons of material. In general, if k * represents grade increment (γk, γk+1) and the lower grade in k * i.e. γk is considered as the cut-off grade, then quantity of ore to, quantity of waste tw, and the average grade of ore - γ are the given in Equations [7], [8], and [9]:
If y is the metallurgical recovery, then Qmn, Qcn, and Qrnare sequentially determined according to any one of the following three conditions:
1. Set:
2. If Qcn> C or Qrn> R from condition 1, then set:
3. If Qrn> or Qmn> M from condition 2, then set:
Mining the next Qmn amount of material may require time τ. For calculating the profit generated from Qmnat the end of time τ, Equation [6] may be updated as:
Since the objective function is to maximize the NPV of future profits, assuming that ς is the maximum possible net present value of future profits at time zero (i.e. now) and Ω is the maximum possible net present value of future profits (Pτ+1 to PN) at time τ, then the scenario may be presented as shown on the time diagram in Figure 121.
Knowing the discount rate d:
The increase in present value ν is realized through mining the next Qmn of material and the difference of ς and Ω represents this increase. Knowing that τ is the short interval of time, Equation [12] may be written as:
Substituting Equation [10] into Equation [13] yields the basic present value expression that dictates the calculation of the limiting economic cut-off grades:
Mining, processing, or refining capacities define time τ, leading to three values depending upon the actual constraining capacity i.e. , respectively.
Substituting these values into Equation [14] generates the basic equations for limiting economic cut-off grades:
In Equation [15], the mine has a bottleneck that limits the operation and therefore delays the opportunity of achieving future positive cash flows. Hence, the opportunity cost is distributed per ton of material mined. In this scenario, ore may be processed and refined as soon as material is mined. Therefore, cut-off grade should be such that the processing and refining costs are covered. This shows that every unit of material for which [(pn- rn)γmy] is greater than the processing cost cn, should be classified as ore. Thus, the mine limiting cut-off grade, which invokes constraint 1 (Equation [2]), becomes:
Similarly, in Equation [16] the processing plant has a bottle-neck that delays the operation, and the opportunity cost is distributed per ton of ore processed. The cut-off grade is chosen such that in addition to processing and refining costs, it pays the opportunity cost of not receiving the future cash flows. Thus, the processing plant limiting cutoff grade, which invokes the second constraint (Equation [3]), becomes:
Also, in Equation [17] the refinery is responsible for delaying the future cash flows, and the opportunity cost is distributed per unit of concentrate refined.
Therefore, the refinery limiting cut-off grade, which invokes the third constraint (Equation [4]), becomes:
The balancing cut-off grades depend upon the grade tonnage distribution of an individual pushback. Therefore, these cut-off grades are deduced from the grade-tonnage distribution curves representing quantity of ore per unit of material mined, recoverable metal content per unit of material mined, and the recoverable metal content per unit of ore, as given in Figures 2, 3, and 4, respectively.
The mine and processing plant balancing cut-off grade is the one which invokes the first and second constraints (Equations [2] and [3]). The mine and processing plant will be in balance when quantity of ore per unit of material mined equals the ratio C/M.
For the grade category k*, the ratio of ore tons to total tons mined, represented as mc(k*) is:
Knowing this ratio, the mine and processing plant balancing cut-off grade is determined from the curve presented in Figure 2. As ratio C/M lies between mc(k *) and mc(k *+1) on the y-axis, the corresponding value on the xaxis representing the mine and processing plant balancing cut-off grade γmc is determined by linear approximation as follows:
Similarly, the mine and refinery balancing cut-off grade is the one that invokes the first and third constraints (Equations [2] and [4]). The mine and refinery will be in balance when the recoverable metal content per unit of mined material equals the ratio R/M.
For the grade category k*, the ratio of recoverable metal content to the total tons mined, represented as mr(k*) is:
Knowing this ratio, the mine and refinery balancing cutoff grade is determined from the curve presented in Figure 3. As ratio R/M lies between mr(k*) and mr(k*+1) on the yaxis, the corresponding value on the x-axis representing the mine and refinery balancing cut-off grade γmr is determined by linear approximation as follows:
Also, the processing plant and refinery balancing cut-off grade is the one that invokes the second and third constraints (Equations [3] and [4]). Therefore, the processing plant and refinery will be in balance when the recoverable mineral content per unit of ore equals the ratio R/C.
For the grade category k*, the recoverable metal, represented as cr(k*) is:
Knowing cr(k*), the processing plant and refinery balancing cut-off grade is determined from the curve presented in Figure 4. As ratio R/C lies between cr(k*) and cr(k*+1) on the y-axis, the corresponding value on x-axis representing the processing plant and refinery balancing cutoff grade γcr is determined by linear approximation as follows:
Once the three limiting economic cut-off grades i.e. γm, γc, and γr, and three balancing cut-off grades i.e. γmc, γmr, and γcr are determined, the optimum cut-off grade γ is selected from among them. The equations of limiting economic cut-off grades reveal that for a mining operation, the optimum cutoff grade may never be less than γm, since it represents the lowest (break even) cut-off grade. Also, the optimum cut-off grade may never exceed γc, since this may schedule some of the valuable ore to the waste dumps. Therefore, the optimum cut-off grade γ lies between γm and γc i.e. γm < γ< γc. If represents the median value, then the following criterion dictates the selection of the optimum cut-off grade:
Creation of stockpiles
The creation of stockpiles follows the determination of the optimum cut-off grade γ. The optimum cut-off grade classifies the following:
1. The material above optimum cut-off grade i.e. tons of ore to(γ). This material is sent to the processing plant
2. The intermediate grade stockpile material i.e. tons of potential ore between the lowest cut-off grade γ1 and the optimum cut-off grade γ, represented as ts(γ1, γ)
3. The material below the lowest cut-off grade γ1 i.e. tons of waste tw(γ1). This material is sent to the waste dumps.
As described in the previous section, the grade-tonnage distribution of the pushback consists of K grade increments i.e. [γ1, γ2], [γ2, γ3], [γ3, γ4],.......,[γK-1, γK], where each grade increment of a pushback consists of tk tons of material. If the optimum cut-off grade γ exists in the k' grade increment i.e. [γk', γk'+1], and the lowest cut-off grade γ1 exists in k'' grade increment i.e. [γk'', γk''+1] and assuming that optimum cut-off grade γ = γk' and lowest cut-off grade γl= γk'', then:
If T represents the total available tons in the pushback, then:
Similarly, the quantities mined Qmn, processed Qcn, and refined Qrn may be defined as a function of optimum cut-off grade γ using the three conditions given in the previous section.
The grade-tonnage distribution of stockpiles i.e. the grade increments and available tons in each grade increment is deduced from the grade-tonnage distribution of the pushback. If α represents the difference between the lowest cut-off grade increment i.e. k'' and that of optimum cut-off grade increment i.e. k', then:
Now, if α > 0, then the stockpile tons for respective grade increments are determined using Equations [34], [35], and [36]:
1. The tons of material in the first stockpile grade increment, which is same as that of lowest cut-off grade, i.e. k'', may be determined as:
2. The tons of material in stockpile grade increments from (k''+1) to (k'-1), represented as k''', are:
3. The tons of material in the last stockpile grade increment, which is same as that of the optimum cutoff grade, i.e. k', may be determined as:
Similarly, if α = 0, i.e. the lowest cut-off grade and the optimum cut-off grade exist in the same grade increment, which may be represented as k'''', then the tons of material in the stockpile only grade increment are:
A demonstration of the computations presented in Equations [34], [35], [36], and [37] is offered through an example in the next section.
Copper deposit case study
Consider a hypothetical copper deposit divided into three pushbacks15. Table I presents capacities, price of copper, operating costs, and escalation rates for this open pit mining operation. Table II gives the grade-tonnage distribution within ultimate pit limits for all three pushbacks.
The process of determination of the optimum cut-off grade and the creation of stockpiles presented in the previous sections is computation-intensive; therefore a dialogue-based application in Visual C++ implementing the iterative algorithmic steps is used for the development of optimum cut-off grade policies in this case study. The algorithmic iterations continue in anticipation of the NPV convergence, i.e. the calculation of the optimum cut-off grade for a period n is repeated until no further improvement in NPV is possible. A description of these steps is as follows:
1. Set n to 1 and iteration i to 1
2. Compute available reserves Qn. If Qn = 0, then go to step 10, otherwise go to next step
3. If i = 1, set V to 0
4. Set ς = V
5. Compute:
a. γm, γc, γr, γmc, γmr, and γcr
b. γ using Equation [27]
c. to(γ), tw(γ), and (γ) using Equations [7], [8], and [9], respectively
d. Qmn, Qcn, and Qrn using the conditions described in the model
e. N based on the limiting capacity identified in step 5(d)
f. Pn using Equation [10]
g. V = .
6. If i = 1, check for ς convergence (i.e. compare V (step 5(g)) with previous V (step 4). If ς is converged (within some tolerance, say $500 000.00), then go to step 7, otherwise go to step 4
7. Knowing γ, compute stockpile grade-tonnage distribution using Equations [34], [35], [36], and [37]
8. Knowing that Qmn is mined and Qcn is processed, adjust the grade-tonnage distribution of the deposit
9. Set n = n + 1 , go to step 2
10. If i = 1, then knowing Pn from period 1 to N, find the Ωn i.e. present value of future cash flows at period n, and go to step 11. If i = 2, then stop
11. Compute the optimum cut-off grades policy using ς = Ωn for corresponding year n, and go to step 4.
The steps in the algorithm generate alternative policies presented in Tables III, and IV. Table III shows the optimum policy without escalation and stockpile consideration. As indicated in Table III, the optimum cut-off grade in year 1 is 0.50%. At this cut-off grade, 17.85 million tons of material is mined, and 10 million tons of ore is processed which results in 90 000 tons of refined copper. Hence, the operation has excess mining capacity, while processing plant and refinery are limiting the operation. Therefore, 0.50% optimum cut-off grade refers to the processing plant and refinery balancing cut-off grade (Equation [26]). This pattern continues until year 6, and it is worth mentioning that in the same year the reserves in pushback 1 are exhausted and mining from pushback 2 is commenced. From year 7 through year 10, mine and processing plant are limiting the operation and the 0.53% optimum cut-off grade refers to mine and processing plant balancing cut-off grade (Equation [22]). It is worth clarifying that from one year to next, the grade-tonnage distribution dictating the balancing cut-off grades is adjusted uniformly (i.e. without any change in the structure of distribution) among the intervals. Consequently, the optimum cutoff grade corresponding to the limitation of similar pair of stages remains constant as observed from years 1 to 6 and years 7 to 10. Similarly, from year 11 to the life of operation, i.e. year 17, the flow of material from the mine to refinery is limited due to full utilization of the processing plant capacity. Hence, the optimum cut-off grade during these years refers to the processing plant limiting economic cut-off grade (Equation [19]), and it is declining with exhaustion of the reserves and a consequent decline in the present value of the remaining reserves. The objective function, i.e. maximum NPV of the open pit mining operation, is predicted to be $735 770 000 as shown in the optimum policy in Table III.
Table IV presents the optimum policy allowing escalation of economic parameters without the stockpiling option. The price escalation is 0.80% per year, which indicates that in year 1 the metal price is $2100.00 per ton of copper.
However, it escalates to $2405.00 per ton of copper in year 17. Similarly, operating and fixed costs escalate from year 1 through year 17. As specified in Table IV, the trend of optimum cut-off grades from years 1 through 17 follows the same model as presented in the previous policy. However, the minimum optimum cut-off grade has increased from 0.21% to 0.27% in year 17. This shows that the operation ensures flow of comparatively high grade material even in the final years to pay off the escalated operating and fixed costs. The impact of price and cost escalation leads to 1.7% decrease in maximum NPV in year 1, i.e. from $735 770 000 to $723 350 000.
Table V shows a comprehensive breakdown of the optimum policy, allowing both escalation of economic parameters and stockpiling option. Owing to the similar grade-tonnage distribution and initial values for the economic parameters, an equivalent trend is followed for selection of the optimum cut-off grades and the resultant flow of material from mine to refinery. Table V indicates that NPV (last column) is declining with exhaustion of reserves (column 2 and 3) from year 1 to year 22. It describes the process of discounting the annual cash flows to calculate Ωn (last column corresponds to step 11 of the algorithm) for a particular period, which is then used to compute the optimum cut-off grade. For example, processing capacity is limiting the operation during year 15, hence γ = γc, and keeping the escalated values of economic parameters, γ may be calculated as follows:
Table V also demonstrates the accumulation of stockpile material from years 1 to 17. As the lowest cut-off grade remains 0.27% (from Table IV) and the optimum cut-off grade during year 1 is 0.5036%, they exist in 4th and 9th grade increments of the Pushback 1 (see Table II), respectively. Therefore, the stockpile material consists of six grade increments, presented as:
[0.27, 0.30], [0.30, 0.35], [0.35, 0.40], [0.40, 0.45], [0.45, 0.50], [0.50, 0.5036]
The amount of material in the first stockpile grade increment is determined using Equation [34]:
The tons of material from the 2nd to 5th stockpile grade increments are determined using Equation [35]:
Similarly, the tons of material in the 6th stockpile grade increment are determined using Equation [36]:
Therefore, approximately 3.4 million tons of material is scheduled to stockpiles in year 1. A total of 54.81 million tons of raw material is accumulated in stockpiles from years 1 through 17, which otherwise is scheduled to waste dumps in the previous policies. Stockpiling option promises an increase of five years in the operation's life along with a 1% increase in NPV from $723 350 000 to $730 419 555.
The optimum cut-off grade policies indicate that the impact of escalation on the objective function could be enormous in cases where operating and fixed costs are escalating at higher rates. This may change some of the economic open pit operations to an uneconomic scenario. It is observed that the operation presented in the case study becomes unprofitable during later years at an escalation rate of 6 per cent per year in the operating and fixed costs. Therefore, long term mining plans should always include escalation of economic parameters to establish the feasibility of the mining venture.
The results also reflect that the creation of stockpiles scheduled approximately 55 million tons of additional ore for processing, which facilitated in neutralizing the effect of escalating economic parameters through enhancement of the life of operations along with NPV. However, it is clear that allowing the creation of long-term stockpiles is a strategic decision, and exercising this option depends exclusively upon the operating conditions of an open pit mining operation. The proposed methodology is limited in its application to the metallic ores; therefore, while making this important decision, one must give a serious consideration to issues such as material deterioration and compaction during long exposure to the environment. Similarly, loss of values may take place due to leaching, and oxidation may introduce processing complexities and result in reduced recoveries.
The proposed cut-off grade optimization model considers the escalation of economic parameters, particularly, the operating and fixed costs, with a vision that mine planning activity is focused on survival strategies under harsh economic situations. As such, it is a contribution to the mine planning community in terms of facilitating the evaluation of different economic alternatives, ultimately ensuring the optimum utilization of resources coupled with appropriate policy formulation for making major mining investments.
The model does not consider uncertainty in economic parameters, especially, the uncertainty associated with the metal price. Also, it is limited to the creation of long-term stockpiles. Therefore, the development of cut-off grade optimization models taking into account metal price uncertainty and allowing the processing of stockpile material during mine life are some of the areas for future research.
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Paper received Mar. 2010; revised paper received Feb. 2011.
© The Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 2011. SA ISSN 0038-223X/3.00 + 0.00.


text:
March 2, 2009 WIC Update
SUBJECT 1: WIC Equipment
SUBJECT 2: Updated WIC Nutrition Education Resource Request form (WIC 7)
SUBJECT 3: National Children's Dental Health Month
- WIC Equipment: Due to new equipment being installed and old equipment being surplused as a result of MOWINS, the Local WIC Providers (LWPs) are being reminded to check the accuracy of the equipment received and/or removed against the DH-60 before signing the DH-60. The LWP must also keep a copy of the signed DH-60 on file. The local WIC provider shall add new WIC purchased equipment to their inventory list and document the disposal date and method for equipment that is removed.
All equipment that the LWP receives from the state WIC office is on loan to them. The local WIC provider is responsible for appropriate security and use of any state owned equipment while it is in their possession. No tagged WIC equipment may be disposed of without permission from the state WIC office. The state WIC office will determine the proper paperwork that needs to be prepared based on the type of equipment being removed from service. Please refer to WOM policies 1.04900, 1.05000, and 1.05100 for more information. If you have any questions, please contact Linda Rost at firstname.lastname@example.com.
- Updated WIC Nutrition Education Resource Request form (WIC 7): The WIC Nutrition Education Resource Request form (WIC 7) has been updated to include the following new items:
- Playing with Your Baby (#1092)
- Playing with Your 4-6 Years Old (#1094)
- Playing with Your 1-3 Year Old (#1093)
- Exercise During Pregnancy (#1095)
Please begin using the updated WIC 7 form. If you have any suggestions and/or questions, please contact Takako Tagami at firstname.lastname@example.com.
- National Children's Dental Health Month - Washington, DC: As the country celebrates National Children's Dental Health Month, many health care professionals, teachers, and parents are promoting the benefits of good oral health to children. Although it is easy to find accurate information about the proper way to brush and floss, parents often receive conflicting information about breastfeeding and oral health. This has presented a barrier to continued breastfeeding beyond six months of age, when an infant typically begins to develop normal oral flora (bacteria) with the eruption of primary teeth. Attached is information from the United States Breastfeeding Committee regarding oral health.
WIC-7 Nutrition Education Material Request Form
Breastfeeding and Oral Health News Release

subset: commoncrawl


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Nearly four years ago the life of Dina Kadisha, a young Iranian Jewish filmmaker, was completely transformed when she journeyed to Ethiopia with the New York-based American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and its volunteers on a humanitarian aid mission to help the country's remaining Jewish population. "In addition to the extensive relief work I witnessed, I had an opportunity to be a part of an extraordinary rescue mission- evacuating the Falash Mura (Ethiopian Jews) to safety in Israel," said Kadisha who is in her 20's and resides in Los Angeles. The amazing impact of giving back to Jews and non-Jews worldwide through the JDC not only prompted Kadisha to volunteer on other humanitarian missions but to also produce a short film called "Operation Promise: Exodus from Ethiopia" chronicling the tireless efforts of the JDC on behalf of Ethiopia's Jews.
After its inception nearly a century ago, the JDC has been at the forefront of providing immediate humanitarian support to Jews in need worldwide and also to non-Jews suffering due to a natural disaster or other calamity. At the same time today the JDC has been fortunate enough to recruit a new generation of visionary young Jews such as Kadisha who are interested in leading international Jewish humanitarian aid efforts. In fact, the creative energy that helped launch the JDC's newly establish Los Angeles Chapter came from both Kadisha and Jennifer Yadidi, another remarkable young Iranian Jewish community activist. (On a side note, for years I have been a big fan of Jennifer's non-profit work on behalf of L.A.'s homeless).
Last month at an evening event held inside "Plush", a trendy Beverly Hills nightclub, these two young ladies first introduced more than 60 of L.A.'s hip and successful young Jewish professionals to the scope of the JDC's international relief work. I was fortunate enough to join the party which combined great music, a fun mingling atmosphere with the goal to encourage Jewish professionals in their 20's and 30's to get involved with the JDC. The evening was a smashing success and has since caused a great "buzz" in the local community. "The feedback we had from our event has been overwhelming," said Kadisha. "Young Jewish professionals in Los Angeles have been very excited and eager to get involved with the JDC and their humanitarian work". These two young Jewish professionals have not only energized other young professionals to give financially to the JDC, but more importantly to volunteer their time and travel overseas in physically helping individuals in serious need.
The apple certainly does not fall far from the tree for Kadisha and I'm certainly not surprised to see her involved and successful in supporting an amazing non-profit like the JDC. Her own family and her maternal family (the Nazarians) have for several decades been heavily involved in launching and supporting a wide range of philanthropic Jewish and Israel related causes. "I've been very lucky to be surrounded by great role models in my family who have been involved in philanthropy and influenced me to give back—so it was very appealing to me to get involved the JDC", Kadisha told me in a recent interview. Historically speaking, the majority of Jews living in Iran, two or three generations ago were living in extreme poverty in their ghettos. So it is all the more remarkable when today their successful descendants living in the U.S. are giving back to other Jews around the world who are poverty-stricken.
Whether the JDC has been providing aid to earthquake victims in Haiti earlier this year or to Jews living in the former Soviet Republics, the organization has had a major impact in coming to the rescue for thousands who were in need. "Every Jew anywhere in the world is a stakeholder of the JDC," said Kadisha. "Many Jews don't even know that their parents or grandparents across the world were beneficiaries of the JDC during the last 100 years". In the end, I tip my hat to the JDC for having the vision to welcome Dina Kadisha and Jennifer Yadidi on board with their organization. Moreover it is young Jewish professionals such as as Kadisha and Yadidi that today make me very proud to be an Iranian American Jew living in Southern California. Thank you ladies!
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June 8, 2010
Phillips Distilling literally invented flavored vodka in the 1950s. Unfortunately, the only people still drinking Phillips' flavored vodka 60 years later were also born in the 1950s. Enter UV: our ultra-hip, ultra-violet re-invention of this dusty spirit; and a glowing example of what happens when you get into the hands (and down the throats) of 21-30 year old trendsetters.
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Looks righteous to me. What is your dough to get that lovely layered texture?
BigFoot, GREAT pics! That 1st one of the wood and flames is artist quality. Great looking pie.If I might ask what type of wood are you burning?Mark


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Father Robert Aliunzi, a priest of the Apostles of Jesus and pastor of St. James Parish in Glendale, Ariz., is more than familiar with the needs of Ugandan youths. The 47-year-old native of Uganda — who became an orphan at age 6 and had to fend for himself and his siblings while on the run from soldiers — is now getting financial help for youths in Uganda who want to go to school but can't afford it. Read about his work here in a story by Joyce Coronel of The Catholic Sun, diocesan newspaper of Phoenix.
Priest raises awareness about his homeland
Posted on May 26, 2009 by Carol Zimmermann


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Sanpan 2500 FE WB...The Ultimate Party Pontoon!
September 26, 2013
Combining the hugely popular Sanpan web bar and family entertainment deck layout, the Sanpan 2500 FE WB is the ultimate party pontoon. With luxurious pillow-top furniture (including two captain-style seats in the bow), LED mood lighting, an amazing sound system, and a newly redesigned bar/lounge, this boat is made to help you take the fun to the water. And since it's rated for up to 14 passengers (17 if you opt for the triple-tube package!), you won't have to leave anyone behind!


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Am I the first?
Eh up sports fans,
I did a search on this and came up with a blank. I've just been diagnosed by an orthopaedic surgeon as suffering from femeroacetabular impingement, which all you physiology experts will work out is trouble caused by irregular bone matter in the ball and socket joint of the thigh and hip.
Choices I've been given are keyhole surgery or give up running. Some choice. So has anyone been diagnosed and/or had surgery / other course of action to get it sorted?
Officially I haven't given the go-ahead for surgery but there doesn't appear to be a whole lot of choice, and I just want to get it sorted and get back running. Just want to make sure I'm doing the right thing.
Phil - I have pmed you.
I have actually been on a day course for trainees practising a similar operation on sawbones (anatomical models) and its pretty grusome, but FAI has almost zero chance of self retification so if the pain is serious enough then they almost always recommend surgery (even though there is a risk it can make the condition worse).
I would say you would need the diagnosis confirmed with 3d scans if possible as a first point of call.
NGUG - thanks for the info. Yes it's a delicate region and I don't want to think too long about what will be going on down there but as long as it gets sorted that's the main thing. Now that you're back running, does it feel as though it's completely back to normal? Is it the sort of thing that might be likely to reoccur?
Curly - thanks again for any referral information. Much appreciated.
Fido - many thanks for the info. Yes I suspect mine's not so manageable since the 'impingement' in question is extremely noticeable (even though it doens't show up on an MRI!) so I think there will be some serious chiselling involved, or whatever they do.
NGUG - I'm in London. Any referral info gratefully received.
No, just a straightforward MRI, no funny stuff.
Curly's given me some very useful referral info (thanks again!) which i've passed on to my GP. I'm hopeful of being seen next by someone who is a bit of an authority on the procedure, so I would hope that if they're not entirely happy with the current ortho's diagnosis they could refer me for further scans if necessary.
I realise i'm a bit late with this, but I thought i'd write it anyway in case anyone else sticks Hip Arthroscopy into the search tool.
In 2007 (aged 28) I was a keen footballer and runner, but noticed what I thought was a slight groin strain before a match. Went through all the usual rest routine but it remained for three months so I went to the GP. Physio didn't fix it, after which I went through 18 months of misdirection and misdiagnosis from a host of physios, specialists, and orthopaedic surgeons.
During this time i kept running (they all said it was fine), despite the increasing pain i'd feel when I was doing it. Luckily a doctor friend of mine did a secondment in orthopaedics and got her boss to see me as a favour. One arthogram/x-ray later and i was diagnosed with FAI due to a bone growth on my femur and damage to the acetabulum.
The decision to have surgery was a no-brainer as I was in a lot of pain, my body was totally lopsided and I just wanted to get back to sport. I had the arthroscopy in Dec 2009 and began the recovery. Sadly my expectations were a little bit high, as the surgeon told me the damage to my cartilage in my hip was so bad that I would definitely get arthritis and need a hip replacement later in life. He advised me to give up football and running completely ( I was quite shocked at 30 years old) - I haven't kicked a ball since and limit my running to the very infrequent 30mins here and there.
To the point - I am still in pain all over my lower body (the body compensating for one injury causes another - knees, hip, groin, ankle, you name it). I can't run. I can't play football. I do maintain the subscription here to inspire me, and in all honesty I don't regret the operation - the damage was already done and i'm not in as much pain as prior to it. It was the two years of misdiagnosis that did for me I think.
I guess if I could give some advice from my disappointing experience it would be to value your rights as a patient above all else and don't be afraid to get second, or third opinions. I don't think FAI will just fix itself so this relatively fledging surgery may be the only solution at the moment.
I don't mean to be one of the "hard luck stories", and i'm sure a lot of people have positive outcomes. Sadly for me running is now a thing of the past and I'm stuck with volunteering at races to be part of the occasion these days
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Hi all,
I have cake of this from vendor in Malaysia. Bought without tasting as this guy is quite reputable and there wasn't any sample left.
The first time I brew this tea, I consciously pick out a the largest patch with least tip. This brew is tasty. On the subsequent brews, I pick out the leaves as normally would. However from now onwards, the tea has the sourish inbetween teeth after taste.
Brew parameters:
7-10g, 150ml, 95-97c, 4-10sec steeping.
Does anyone else have this cake or some insights?


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Light, Lighter, Lighest - Page 6
Our travels are soon intersected by the tracks of a small mountain lion. They are pressed into the trail's long-dried dirt, indicating that this feline passed by quite some time ago. We look closely at the trail and find more non-human tracks. "Hoof prints here. Mule deer?" Bryon says from about 50 meters down the trail. We also note a wrinkled "S" sign that a snake slithered through. I find these prints contrary to my instinct that little can survive in a desert. With the aridity, the heat and the scarcity of food, what would even want to? Then I remember that I am doing just fine, so perhaps my logic is illogical.
Another of the day's highlights is playing like kids on the Joint Trail. For a mile, singletrack passes through a couple of different joints between rocks that are, in some places, just hip wide. Though it's the middle of the day, the joints are shaded and the rock is cool. While I wouldn't want to be in these deep slots during a raging rainstorm, with Bryon's company and stable weather, it feels like the perfect spot for now.
Chesler Park, an almost-circle of waist-high grasses surrounded by rock needles, wows us along the last couple miles back to our campsite. The contrast of hard rock and soft grass is striking, stark. "It's a playground for the eyes," I say to Bryon, but the breeze carries my unheard words into the wilderness. When we arrive back to our campsite, we lie on the slickrock and snack on soy jerky. We re-set our camp, too, including our tent's fly after noting the first incoming clouds. Then we take a pack-less jog to and from the spring for a resupply of liquid gold before settling into a silent Canyonlands night.
Our third day is a 10-mile, circuitous jaunt back to the Elephant Hill Trailhead. The route flips eastbound for a few miles before hooking north, and we leave the needles behind. Here, the view grows wide and long. We can see for 50 or more miles and the rock on which we run seems to platform itself from here to way over there. With this space and perspective, as well as the knowledge that I have everything I need on my back, I feel the lightest yet.
The clouds have been thickening all morning, tumbling rain onto us in spells. When they fall, the raindrops splat audibly on the slickrock. The storm arrives in full force just as we catch sight of the car. We toss our fastpacks into the backseat and drive away from one adventure and toward the next, carrying with us a lightness that makes me certain we can go anywhere and do anything.
The Fastpacking Need-to-Know
Pack. Most ultralight packs provide few ways to adjust for fit and comfort. So, choose a pack that feels good the moment you try it on. If running is a part of your plan, keep size on the small side (25 liters maximum for ladies and 30 for men is a good standard). My favorite fastpack is the Inov-8 Race Pro 22 (inov-8.com).
Tent. While mild-weather trips may not require a sleeping structure, an ultralight tent is welcomed in the cold, rain and snow. Ultralight tents often sacrifice living space and breathability for weight, so shop wisely. We use Big Agnes products, the Copper Spur UL2 for spring/summer/fall and the String Ridge 2 for winter (bigagnes.com).


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'Godmother of Title IX' to give keynote speech at Cedar Crest College
Allentown, Pa. (March 9, 2012)—On the 40th anniversary of Title IX's induction into public policy, Bernice Sandler, Ph.D., will discuss women's rights. Her speech, "Title IX: The Education Law that Changed it All," will address how this legislation changed the environment for women from athletics to the workplace. This program is free to the public on March 22 at 7 p.m. in the Samuels Theatre/Tompkins College Center.
Sandler has been involved with Title IX's development, passage and implementation since 1970. Often referred to as the "athletic law," Title IX is applied to almost all areas of education from kindergarten through graduate school. It could well be the most important law passed for women since the right to vote in 1920. For her extensive work with this legislation, the New York Times has called her "the godmother of Title IX."
The federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in educational institutions is Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972 (amending the Higher Education Act of 1965). The law states, "no person in the United States shall on the basis of sex be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance." In 1987, the amendment expanded the definition of program or activity to include all of the operations of an educational institution, governmental entity or private employer that receives federal funds.
Cedar Crest College's Executive Director of Women's Leadership and Student Development, Cynthia Fulford, Ph.D., is excited that students and the community will have the opportunity to hear Sandler speak about her passion and advocacy work for women's rights.
"[Sandler's] been so instrumental in the passing of women's rights in the 20th and 21st century," said Fulford. "Not only has she experienced the chilly climate in the workplace, but she continues to take the initiative to fight for the rights of women in our society. She is an inspiration to anyone who dreams of bringing change for a better humanity."
Sandler was the first person appointed to a congressional committee to work specifically on women's issues. She was also the first chair of the now defunct National Advisory Council on Women's Educational Programs, having been appointed by Presidents Ford and Carter. She has received numerous awards including 13 honorary doctorates and a doctorate in counseling from the University of Maryland.
Sandler is a Senior Scholar at the Women's Research and Education Institute in Washington, D.C. She is well known for her expertise in women's equity at all levels of education, and especially in sexual harassment and policies and strategies concerning equity for women and girls.
For more information, contact the Office of Women's Leadership and Student Development at 610-606-4666 ext. 3762, or send e-mail to email@example.com.


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Turkey moray
The turkey moray, Gymnothorax meleagris, is a moray eel of the family Muraenidae, found in the Indo-Pacific oceans at depths down to 36 m. Its length is up to 1.2 m. They live in holes in the reef to quickly emergo to grap passing fish by surprise attack. They sense prey by detecting smell through the water.
- Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2006). "Gymnothorax meleagris" in FishBase. June 2006 version.


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Japanese Technology from the Future Friday!
This week Honda donated over $1 million to earthquake recovery in China's Yunnan province and sadly we're the only URL on the planet saying anything about it, the U.S. Navy and Japanese DoD are building an unmanned fuel cell-powered submersible, and DMP released the world's smallest GPU!
• • •


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C2 – Two man canoe Casey Eichfeld and Rick Powell secured their Olympic selection today. They finished 7th in the heats (a personal best) while Austin Crane and Scott McCleskey ended up outside the top 15 and therefore did not move forward into the semis/finals. Even if Eichfeld/Powell finished last in the semi finals they are unbeatable for the US spot and are therefore off to Beijing.
C1 – One man canoe Benn Fraker (10th), Tad Dennis (25th) and Jeff Larimer (22nd) all moved in to the semi finals with few problems this afternoon. Their battle for the C1 Olympic berth will continue into the weekend.
K1W – One woman kayak Heather Corrie recovered from a "50" on her first run with a blazing second run to finish 36th and will move into the semis. Caroline Queen will join Corrie in the semis with a comfortable 16th place finish. Unfortunately, Zuzana Vanha had a devastating 2nd run to finish 47th and will not advance to the semi-finals.
K1 – One man kayak In K1, Scott Mann (10th), Scott Parsons (5th) and Brett Heyl (3rd) all paddled well and advanced to this weekend's semis, so nothing regarding the K1 Olympic team has been decided yet.
COMPLETE RESULTS AVAILABLE AT http://kanu-schwaben-augsburg.de


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by Anton Shilov
The chairman of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the world's largest contract maker of semiconductors, said that while Globalfoundries, a joint-venture between Advanced Micro Devices and Advanced Technology Investment Company, is a very dangerous competitors, TSMC will still remain the largest and the most successful contract manufacturer on the globe.
"We consider Globalfoundries to be a formidable competitor. I really think the battle will be a high casualty one. My job is to minimize the casualties on my side," said Morris Chang, the chairman of TSMC, during a conference with analysts, reports IDG News Services agency. Casualties will be represented by money, he clarified.
Mr. Chang believes that Globalfoundries' fab 2 that will worth $4.2 billion represents a strategy of "total commitment". The fab 2, which will be the most advanced semiconductor manufacturing facility when it is built, requires tremendous investments and costs more than the factories operated by contract makers. As a result, Globalfoundries targets mostly leading-edge customers who require very advanced process technology. Nevertheless, Mr. Chang claims that TSMC will still remain the world's largest contract maker with clients willing to pay a lot for manufacturing state-of-the-art chips.
The chairman of TSMC brought an example: at the Battle of Stalingrad during the World War II, the German generals were ordered to maintain their position at Stalingrad after they were surrounded by the Russian troops.
"Like Stalin, I have no doubt of the outcome," said Mr. Chang.
One of the advantages that Globalfoundries has over TSMC is its leading-edge bulk and SOI manufacturing processes that are co-developed with IBM and other partners. As a result, Globalfoundries does not have to spend tremendous amounts of money on development of fabrication processes. However, TSMC already has a large customer base as well as an array of process technologies aimed at mainstream chips, which means that the company receives relatively consistent revenue streams.
Answering the question about potential acquisitions, Mr. Chang said that among the rest of the contract chip business, only Chartered Semiconductor of Singapore was worth buying.
For Chartered it is crucial to have a new investor willing to help the company. According to sources with knowledge of the matter, the semiconductor company has not started to invest into next-generation fabs, which means that in about a year or two from now Chartered will not be able to compete for designs that require 32nm or 28nm process technologies. Earlier this year unofficial information transpired that Advanced Technology Investment Company had made a take-over proposal by Chartered.


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He makes a lot of contact and has decent power, but he doesn't walk enough or have enough speed to be a #2 hitter in any lineup.
July 13, 2009
C.J. Retheford scouting report
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Bipolar disorder, formerly called manic depression, causes extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression). When you become depressed, you may feel sad or hopeless and lose interest or pleasure in most activities. When your mood shifts in the other direction, you may feel euphoric and full of energy. Mood shifts may occur only a few times a year or as often as several times a week.
Although bipolar disorder is a disruptive, long-term condition, you can keep your moods in check by following a treatment plan. In most cases, bipolar disorder can be controlled with medications and psychological counseling (psychotherapy).
There are several types of bipolar and related disorders. For each type, the exact symptoms of bipolar disorder can vary from person to person. Bipolar I and bipolar II disorders also have additional specific features that can be added to the diagnosis based on your particular signs and symptoms.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), published by the American Psychiatric Association, lists criteria for diagnosing bipolar and related disorders. This manual is used by mental health providers to diagnose mental conditions and by insurance companies to reimburse for treatment.
Diagnostic criteria for bipolar and related disorders are based on the specific type of disorder:
Bipolar II disorder is not a milder form of bipolar I disorder, but a separate diagnosis. While the manic episodes of bipolar I disorder can be severe and dangerous, individuals with bipolar II disorder can be depressed for longer periods, which can cause significant impairment.
The DSM-5 has specific criteria for the diagnosis of manic and hypomanic episodes:
For both a manic and a hypomanic episode, during the period of disturbed mood and increased energy, three or more of the following symptoms (four if the mood is only irritable) must be present and represent a noticeable change from your usual behavior:
To be considered a manic episode:
To be considered a hypomanic episode:
The DSM-5 also lists criteria for diagnosis of a major depressive episode:
Signs and symptoms include:
To be considered a major depressive episode:
Signs and symptoms of bipolar I and bipolar II disorders may include additional features.
The same DSM-5 criteria used to diagnose bipolar disorder in adults are used to diagnose children and teenagers. Children and teens may have distinct major depressive, manic or hypomanic episodes, between which they return to their usual behavior, but that's not always the case. And moods can rapidly shift during acute episodes.
Symptoms of bipolar disorder can be difficult to identify in children and teens. It's often hard to tell whether these are normal ups and downs, the results of stress or trauma, or signs of a mental health problem other than bipolar disorder. And children who have bipolar disorder are frequently also diagnosed with other mental health conditions.
The most prominent signs of bipolar disorder in children and teenagers may include severe mood swings that are different from their usual mood swings.
If you have any symptoms of depression or mania, see your doctor or mental health provider. Bipolar disorder doesn't get better on its own. Getting treatment from a mental health provider with experience in bipolar disorder can help you get your symptoms under control.
Many people with bipolar disorder don't get the treatment they need. Despite the mood extremes, people with bipolar disorder often don't recognize how much their emotional instability disrupts their lives and the lives of their loved ones.
And if you're like some people with bipolar disorder, you may enjoy the feelings of euphoria and cycles of being more productive. However, this euphoria is always followed by an emotional crash that can leave you depressed, worn out — and perhaps in financial, legal or relationship trouble.
If you're reluctant to seek treatment, confide in a friend or loved one, a health care professional, a faith leader or someone else you trust. He or she may be able to help you take the first steps to successful treatment.
Suicidal thoughts and behavior are common among people with bipolar disorder. If you think you may hurt yourself or attempt suicide, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.
Also consider these options:
If you have a loved one who is in danger of committing suicide or has made a suicide attempt, make sure someone stays with that person. Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately. Or, if you think you can do so safely, take the person to the nearest hospital emergency room.
The exact cause of bipolar disorder is unknown, but several factors may be involved, such as:
Factors that may increase the risk of developing bipolar disorder or act as a trigger for the first episode include:
If you have bipolar disorder, you may also have another health condition that's diagnosed before or after your diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Such conditions need to be diagnosed and treated because they may worsen existing bipolar disorder or make treatment less successful. They include:
Left untreated, bipolar disorder can result in serious problems that affect every area of your life. These may include:
You may start by seeing your primary care doctor or you may choose to see a medical doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating mental health conditions (psychiatrist).
Before your appointment, make a list of:
Take a family member or friend along, if possible. That person may provide more information or remember something that you missed or forgot.
Some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
Don't hesitate to ask questions at any time during your appointment.
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Be ready to answer them to reserve time to go over any points you want to spend more time on. Your doctor may ask:
When doctors suspect someone has bipolar disorder, they typically do a number of tests and exams. These can help rule out other problems, pinpoint a diagnosis and also check for any related complications. These may include:
Although bipolar disorder can occur in young children, typically it's diagnosed in the teenage years or early 20s. It's often hard to tell whether a child's emotional ups and downs are normal for his or her age, the results of stress or trauma, or signs of a mental health problem other than bipolar disorder.
Bipolar symptoms in children and teens often have different patterns than they do in adults and may not fit neatly into the categories used for diagnosis. And children who have bipolar disorder are frequently also diagnosed with other mental health conditions such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or behavior problems.
Your child's doctor can help you learn the symptoms of bipolar disorder and how they differ from behavior related to your child's developmental age, the situation and appropriate cultural behavior.
Treatment is best guided by a psychiatrist skilled in treating bipolar and related disorders. You may have a treatment team that also includes a psychologist, social worker and psychiatric nurse.
Depending on your needs, treatment may include:
The primary treatments for bipolar disorder include medications and psychological counseling (psychotherapy), and may include education and support groups.
A number of medications are used to treat bipolar disorder. The types and doses of medications prescribed are based on your particular symptoms.
Medications may include:
Talk to your doctor or mental health provider about side effects. If side effects seem intolerable, you may be tempted to stop taking your medication or to reduce your dose on your own. Don't do it. You may experience withdrawal effects or your symptoms may return.
Side effects often improve as you find the right medications and doses that work for you, and your body adjusts to the medications.
Finding the right medication or medications for you will likely take some trial and error. If one doesn't work well for you, there are several others to try.
This process requires patience, as some medications need weeks to months to take full effect. Generally only one medication is changed at a time so that your doctor can identify which medications work to relieve your symptoms with the least bothersome side effects. Medications also may need to be adjusted as your symptoms change.
A number of medications for bipolar disorder can be associated with birth defects. Discuss these issues with your doctor:
Psychotherapy is a vital part of bipolar disorder treatment and can be provided in individual, family or group settings. Several types of therapy may be helpful. These include:
Depending on your needs, other treatments may be added to your depression therapy, such as:
Treatments for children and teenagers are generally decided on a case-by-case basis, depending on symptoms, medication side effects and other factors.
You'll probably need to make lifestyle changes to stop cycles of behavior that worsen your bipolar disorder. Here are some steps to take:
Alternative medicine is the use of a nonconventional approach instead of conventional medicine. Complementary medicine is a nonconventional approach used along with conventional medicine.
There isn't much research on alternative medicine and bipolar disorder. Most of the studies on alternative or complementary medicine that do exist are on major depression, so it isn't clear how well most of these work for bipolar disorder.
If you choose to use complementary medicine in addition to your physician-recommended treatment, take some precautions first:
Coping with bipolar disorder can be challenging. Here are some strategies that can help:
There's no sure way to prevent bipolar disorder. However, getting treatment at the earliest sign of a mental health disorder can help prevent bipolar disorder or other mental health conditions from worsening.
If you've been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, some strategies can help prevent minor symptoms from becoming full-blown episodes of mania or depression:
Original article: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bipolar-disorder/basics/complications/con-20027544
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Welcome Message from Chair
The Department houses the accounting, economics and finance faculty at Delaware State University. We offer:
• a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting,
• a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration Economics, and
• a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration Finance.
Our mission is to provide a student-centered learning environment to develop accounting, economics and finance professionals with a national and global perspective. We emphasize the development of technical competencies through academic excellence, innovation, integrity in teaching, professional development, applied and instructional research, preparation for advanced studies, and outreach.
Our students have many opportunities to become involved in the university through our student organizations, including Delaware State University's student government association (http://www.desu.edu/student-affairs/student-organizations [1]), the Accounting and Finance Club, the Investment Club (icapower.com/ndas/dsuiclub [2]), and the student chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants http://www.nabainc.org/ [3], the International Honor Society Beta Gamma Sigma and the Omicron Delta Epsilon International Honor Society in Economics.
The college offers a variety of scholarships to help students fund their education [4] and prepare for the next step in their careers.
Contact us today!
Dr. Bernadette Ruf, PhD.
Department of Accounting, Economics, and Finance
College of Business
Delaware State University
1200 N. DuPont Highway
Dover, DE 19901-2277
Phone: 302.857.6911
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com [5]


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Boston Elementary Schools Promote Peace and Cooperation
July 31, 2000
A number of innovative and effective crime prevention and law enforcement programs and a lot of hard work city-wide have combined to bring Boston's crime rate to its lowest point in 30 years. While Mayor Thomas M. Menino is widely credited with orchestrating the dramatic improvement in the crime problem - violent youth crime, in particular - he, in turn, is quick to credit programs such as Peace Games for helping Boston's young people keep violence out of their lives and the lives of others.
"It's not enough to have more police on the streets," says Mayor Menino. "Our young people need to be offered positive alternatives to violence and despair. They need to know that people care about them and that, if they play by the rules, there is a good life ahead for them."
A peace education program for elementary school children, Peace Games was founded on the belief that, just as they learn to read or ride a bike, children learn how to fight, hate and kill. The program is demonstrating that if violent behavior can be learned, so can peacemaking skills.
Originally conceived by University of Connecticut Professor Francelia Butler as an annual one-day festival through which hundreds of children could share their visions and plans for peace, Peace Games was brought to Harvard University in 1992 in an effort to expand its reach and services. There, over the next four years, college volunteers such as the program's current executive director, Eric Dawson, expanded it to include a peace and justice curriculum. In 1996 Peace Games became an independent, non-profit organization which began pairing volunteers from area universities with Boston elementary school students. In 1997 it became a member of the Massachusetts Service Alliance and the Americorps national service network. The program currently is operating in elementary schools in Boston's Roxbury, Jamaica Plains and Mattapan neighborhoods and in neighboring Cambridge.
Here's how the program works: once a week, students at every elementary grade level, kindergarten through eighth grade, attend Peace Games classes which are planned and taught by teams of Americorps members and college volunteers. Each year focuses on a different age-appropriate theme. Kindergarten classes, for example, talk about friendship while fifth-graders learn about conflict resolution and eighth-graders discuss identity and justice. Students progress through the Peace Games program just as they would a math or science class - week by week, year by year, building their peacemaking skills. And the fact that young people are conducting the classes, serving as positive role models for the children, is seen as another plus.
Across the nine school years, through the use of games, projects and discussions, the Peace Games curriculum encompasses the basics of cooperation, communication and conflict resolution. At the end of each program year, after 18 weeks of classes, the children are challenged to put their education into action by creating community service projects aimed at making their schools and neighborhoods safer. Projects, intended to stimulate learning by doing, have ranged from educating a community about racism to creating peaceful schoolyards to organizing a community clean-up.
Peace Games today also includes:
And just as it did when it was created by Professor Butler, Peace Games continues to rely on celebrations to inspire children to be involved in violence prevention issues. Each program year culminates with a Peace Games Festival that, with volunteer help, brings together students from across Boston for a day of playing and learning. This year's festival drew 1,000 children, many of their parents, 500 volunteers and 200 school staff members.
"Typically, children are seen as witnesses, victims and perpetrators of violence," says director Dawson.
Since its introduction to the Boston area eight years ago, the program has served 7,500 children, involved 1,500 family members, and recruited 1,000 college volunteers. The $1.5 million annual budget is supported about equally by the federal government, foundations and corporations, and individuals. This fall, Peace Games Los Angeles will begin serving students in Southern California.
Mayor Menino says that getting involved in preventing violence and teaching peacemaking skills works to reduce crime and strengthen communities, and he urges other mayors to follow the Peace Games example and "give all our young people positive opportunities to curb the potential for negative behavior."
Information is available on the Peace Games website - www.peacegames.org - and from Eric Dawson at (617) 628-5555 or at email@example.com.


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NMU student dies in dorm room
Frederick J. 'Fred' Northey
BETTENDORF, Iowa – Frederick J. "Fred" Northey, 78, a resident of Bettendorf, Iowa, died on Wednesday, January 2, 2013, at the Good Samaritan Nursing Center in Davenport, Iowa.
Private family services will be held Saturday at the McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Home of Bettendorf. There will be no visitation. He will be laid to rest at Davenport Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Asbury United Methodist Church of Bettendorf where he was a longtime and faithful member.
He was born January 14, 1934, in Negaunee, Michigan, the son of Sydney Arthur and Florence (Haines) Northey. Fred earned his Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Michigan Tech University, his Master's degree in mathematics from the University of Michigan and an additional Master's degree in electrical engineering from Notre Dame University.
On July 30, 1960, he was united in marriage to Phyllis A. Anderson in Negaunee, Michigan. She preceded him in death on December 10, 1989.
Fred began his career in electrical engineering for the Bendix Corporation in Mishawaka, Indiana where he worked for 13 years. He later worked at the Rock Island Arsenal as an electrical engineer and retired as an Operations Research Analyst on September 30, 2003, after 32 years of faithful service.
Fred loved sports of all kinds and was an avid Michigan Wolverines fan. Friends will always remember Fred as a quiet, gentle man who always had a warm smile for everyone.
Those left to honor his memory include his daughters, Jill P. (Mark) Otte of Fischers, Indiana, Linda A. (Mike) Sanders of New Berlin, Wisconsin and Anita K. Northey of Cincinnati, Ohio; his son, Alan F. Northey of Bettendorf; his grandchildren, Megan and Ryan Otte and Anna and Kayla Sanders; and his sister, Mary (Paul) Matthews of Negaunee, Michigan.
In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by his brothers, Sydney, Robert, Raymond and James; and his parents.
Condolences may be expressed to the family by viewing Fred's obituary at www.McGinnis-Chambers.com


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Don't Get Caught on the Wrong Side of the Fiscal Cliff Trade
Updated with Moody's reaction to fiscal cliff deal in 16th and 17th paragraphs.
NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- Markets are bringing in the New Year with a record stock surge on news lawmakers won't push the U.S. economy over the so-called fiscal cliff.
Wednesday's stock rally, which stands as one of the sharpest opens to a year on record, may tell some investors that the worst case scenario of a fiscal cliff-driven recession is out of the cards and prove nearly two months of wrangling over a deal in the wake of President Obama's re-election was a non-story for Wall Street traders, as stocks rose modestly.
Still, investors cheering the late night Tuesday deal should be weary of being caught on the wrong side of the fiscal cliff, even after the New Year's Day deal.
Investors cheering the cliff are pushing the likes of consumer tech giant Apple(AAPL) , fast flying mega-cap lender Bank of America (BAC) and luxury goods retailer Saks(SKS) higher. When Wednesday's trading ends, the question will be whether optimism will be borne out in earnings?
As the House of Representatives began voting on the cliff deal, Peter Tchir, founder of TF Market Advisors , was unenthusiastic about a resolution. "
"Most people will get smaller paychecks next year... Why is everyone cheering what is a tax hike?" adds Tchir in the client note, which notes that corporations face a stiff challenge in improving upon first quarter 2012 earnings. "Last year we had some monster data and some great weather in Q1. Hard to say how much of that was seasonal adjustments, but we may see some negative impact if last year's Q1 numbers were overstated," he adds.
Notably, income taxes will rise on the nation's top earners and a majority of workers will see a payroll tax hit in the wake of the deal. Meanwhile, weak holiday season for retailers leading up to the 25th hour deal in Congress indicate the uncertainty surrounding the cliff may have already taken a toll on businesses, which could be reflected in the first few quarters of 2013.
"There will be no self-inflicted US recession this year and investors are quickly moving to discount that fact in response,' wrote Andrew Wilkinson, chief economic strategist at Miller Tabak & Co., in a note to clients.
Still, investors appeared to do a good job discounting that any resolution to the fiscal cliff would be messy, short-sighted and last-minute. From the President Obama's November re-election to Monday's close ahead of New Years, the S&P 500 was virtually unchanged. That muted reaction even reflected no deal by market close of the ball drop in Times Square.