text:
Register your product to gain access to bonus material or receive a coupon.
CCNA Cloud CLDADM 210-455 Official Cert Guide Premium Edition and Practice Test
- By Chris Jackson, Hank A. A. Preston, Steve Wasko
- Published Mar 1, 2017 by Cisco Press. Part of the Official Cert Guide series.
Premium Edition eBook
- Sorry, this book is no longer in print.
- About Premium Edition eBooks
- Copyright 2017
- Dimensions: 7-3/8" x 9-1/8"
- Pages: 530
- Edition: 1st
- Premium Edition eBook
The exciting new CCNA Cloud CLDADM 210-455 Official Cert Guide, Premium Edition eBook and Practice Test is a digital-only certification preparation product combining an eBook with enhanced Pearson IT Certification Practice Test. The Premium Edition eBook and Practice Test contains the following items:
- The CLDADM 210-455 Premium Edition Practice Test, including four full practice exams and enhanced practice test features
- PDF and EPUB formats of the CCNA Cloud CLDADM 210-455 Official Cert Guide from Pearson IT Certification, which are accessible via your PC, tablet, and smartphone
About the Premium Edition Practice Test
This Premium Edition contains an enhanced version of the Pearson IT Certification Practice Test (PCPT) software with four full practice exams. In addition, it contains all the chapter-opening assessment questions from the book. This integrated learning package
- Enables you to focus on individual topic areas or take complete, timed exams
- Includes direct links from each question to detailed tutorials to help you understand the concepts behind the questions
- Provides unique sets of exam-realistic practice questions
- Tracks your performance and provides feedback on a module-by-module basis, laying out a complete assessment of your knowledge to help you focus your study where it is needed most
Pearson IT Certification Practice Test minimum system requirements:
Windows Vista (SP2), Windows 7, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10; Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5 Client; Pentium class 1GHz processor (or equivalent); 512 MB RAM; 650 MB disc space plus 50 MB for each downloaded practice exam; Access to the Internet to register, download test engine, and access exam databases
About the Premium Edition eBook
Learn, prepare, and practice for CCNA Cloud CLDADM 210-455 exam success with this Official Cert Guide from Pearson IT Certification, a leader in IT certification.
- Master CCNA Cloud CLDADM Exam 210-455 exam topics
- Assess your knowledge with chapter-ending quizzes
- Review key concepts with exam-preparation tasks
- Practice with realistic exam questions
CCNA Cloud CLDADM 210-455 Official Cert Guide is a best-of-breed exam study guide from Pearson IT Certification, a leader in IT certification. Cisco cloud experts Chris Jackson, Hank Preston, and Steve Wasko share preparation hints and test-taking tips, helping you identify areas of weakness and improve both your conceptual knowledge and hands-on skills. Material is presented in a concise manner, focusing on increasing your understanding and retention of exam topics.
CCNA Cloud CLDADM 210-455 Official Cert Guide presents you with an organized test-preparation routine through the use of proven series elements and techniques. Exam topic lists make referencing easy. Chapter-ending Exam Preparation Tasks help you drill on key concepts you must know thoroughly. Review questions help you assess your knowledge, and a final preparation chapter guides you through tools and resources to help you craft your final study plan.
Well regarded for its level of detail, assessment features, and challenging review questions and exercises, this study guide helps you master the concepts and techniques that will enable you to succeed on the exam the first time.
The study guide helps you master all the topics on the CLDADM exam, including
- Cloud operating models, journeys, and roadmaps
- Cisco cloud automation and orchestration suites
- Cloud administration and operations: managing users, groups, and virtual machines
- Automating cloud infrastructure with UCS Director
- Building service catalogs and user portals
- Deploying virtual application containers
- Chargeback, billing, and reporting
- Performance and capacity management
- Cloud health monitoring and maintenance
- Cloud troubleshooting
Table of Contents
Introduction xxiv
Part I Cloud Admin Fundamentals
Chapter 1 A n Introduction to Cloud 3
"Do I Know This Already?" Quiz 3
Foundation Topics 6
What Is Cloud? 6
History of Cloud 6
Mainframe Computing 6
The Rise of the Virtual Machine 7
Virtual Private Network 8
Application Service Providers 8
Amazon Web Services 8
Cloud Computing Today 9
NIST Definition 9
Essential Characteristics 10
Service Models 11
Deployment Models 12
SDN and Cloud 13
An SDN Definition 13
The Challenges SDN Solves 13
SDN Is a Cloud Enabler 14
Applications and Cloud 15
Traditional Applications 15
Virtualized Applications 16
Cloud-Native Applications 17
Chapter 2 Cloud: A New Operations Model for IT 21
"Do I Know This Already?" Quiz 21
Foundation Topics 24
IT Operations, Past, Present, and Future 24
Waterfall 24
Lean 26
Agile 27
Moving Faster 28
The Future of IT Operations 29
IT as a Broker of Services 30
The Rise of DevOps 30
Service Catalog 36
Self-Service Portal 39
Chapter 3 The Cloud Operation Journey 43
"Do I Know This Already?" Quiz 43
Foundation Topics 46
Embracing Cloud 46
Shadow IT 46
The Journey Starts Here 48
Cisco Domain Ten 49
Domain 1: Unified Infrastructure 50
Domain 2: Abstraction and Virtualization 50
Domain 3: Automation and Orchestration 51
Domain 4: User Portal (Self-Service Portal) 53
Domain 5: Service Catalog 54
Domain 6: Financials 55
Domain 7: Platform and Data 56
Domain 8: Applications and Analytics 56
Domain 9: Security and Compliance 57
Domain 10: Organization, Governance, and Operations 57
Part II Cloud Technologies
Chapter 4 Cisco Cloud Automation/Orchestration Suites 63
"Do I Know This Already?" Quiz 63
Foundation Topics 66
Cisco Cloud Solutions 66
Automated Service Delivery 66
Cisco ONE Enterprise Cloud Suite 68
Cisco Intelligent Automation for Cloud 69
Cisco OpenStack Solutions 70
Introducing UCS Director 72
UCS Director Architecture 73
How UCS Director Works 75
Installation Components of UCS Director 76
Multinode Deployment 76
UCS Director Self-Service Portal 77
Orchestration with UCS Director 78
UCS Director Orchestrator 79
Workflow Designer 80
Building a Workflow 80
Triggers 81
Activities 81
Validating Workflow 81
Approvals 82
Rollback 83
UCS Director Baremetal Agent 83
How BMA Works 85
Exam Preparation Tasks 87
Review All Key Topics 87
Define Key Terms 87
Chapter 5 Cisco Prime Service Catalog 89
"Do I Know This Already?" Quiz 89
Foundation Topics 92
Introducing Prime Service Catalog 92
Managing Requests for IT Services 93
On-Demand Service Delivery 94
Prime Service Catalog Concepts and Components 96
End-User Storefront 97
Stack Designer 97
Portal Designer 98
Service Designer 101
UCS Director 102
RabbitMQ 102
Puppet 103
Intercloud Fabric for Business 103
Navigating the End-User Storefront 103
Logging In 103
Locating Services 105
Browsing for Services 105
Searching for Services 107
Service Overview 109
Ordering a Service 110
Viewing Order Status Details 111
Stack Designer 113
Stack Designer Templates 113
Configuring an Application Template with Stack Designer 116
Heat Orchestration 123
Exam Preparation Tasks 125
Review All Key Topics 125
Define Key Terms 125
Chapter 6 Cisco Cloud Infrastructure 127
"Do I Know This Already?" Quiz 127
Foundation Topics 130
How Automation and Orchestration Relates to Infrastructure 130
Physical Switching 131
Nexus Series Switches 131
The Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extenders 132
Cisco Nexus 3000 Series Switches 135
Cisco Nexus 4000 Series Switches 135
Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switches 136
Cisco Nexus 6000 Series Switches 136
Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches 137
Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches 138
Cisco Cloud Programmability of Nexus Switches 138
Introduction to Application Centric Infrastructure 139
Application Network Profiles and How They Work 140
Infrastructure Automation and UCS Director 142
Virtual Switching 143
Virtual Switching Overview 143
Nexus 1000V 144
AVS Architecture and Components 145
Virtual Application Cloud Segmentation (VACS) 146
VACS Containers 148
VACS 3-Tier Internal Container Template 149
VACS 3-Tier External Container Template 150
Building a VACS Container with Gateway of Choice 151
Intercloud Fabric 152
Why Hybrid 153
How It Works 155
Intercloud Fabric for Business 155
Intercloud Fabric for Providers 155
Secure Network Extender 155
Secure Network Extension to the Public Cloud 156
Exam Preparation Tasks 158
Review All Key Topics 158
Define Key Terms 158
Part III Cloud Administration and Operations
Chapter 7 Managing Users and Groups 161
"Do I Know This Already?" Quiz 161
Foundation Topics 164
Overview of Users and Groups 164
Prime Service Catalog 164
Managing Connections Between Prime Service Catalog 172
UCS Director 173
Local Users in UCS Director 173
Local Groups in UCS Director 176
LDAP Integration for UCS Director 178
Default Roles in UCS Director 183
Configuring a New User with a Single Role 188
Exam Preparation Tasks 194
Review All Key Topics 194
Define Key Terms 194
Chapter 8 Virtual Machine Management 197
"Do I Know This Already?" Quiz 197
Foundation Topics 200
Understanding VM Virtualization in Cisco ONE Enterprise Cloud Suite 200
Overview of End-User VM Operations in UCS Director 203
Adding a Virtual Hypervisor to UCS Director 203
Installing PowerShell Agent 205
Standard VM Operations 207
Advanced or Custom VM Operations 210
Custom VM Action Policies 212
Setting VM Options for End-User Selection 230
Understanding Common Administrative Workflows on VMs in UCS Director 232
Prime Service Catalog VM Integration 235
Linking UCS Director and Prime Service Catalog 236
Exploring "My Stuff" 239
Taking VM Actions in Prime Service Catalog 240
Exam Preparation Tasks 243
Review All Key Topics 243
Define Key Terms 243
Chapter 9 Automating Cloud Infrastructure with UCS Director 245
"Do I Know This Already?" Quiz 245
Foundation Topics 248
UCS Director Policies, Pools, and Virtual Data Centers 248
Virtual Data Center and Policies 248
System Policy 250
Computing Policy 252
Network Policy 253
Storage Policy 255
Cost Model 256
Action Policies 257
vDC Categories 259
IP, Subnet, and VLAN Network Pools 259
Static IP Pool Policy 260
IP Subnet Pool Policy 261
VLAN Pool Policy 262
Physical Infrastructure Policies 262
UCS Policies 262
UCS Director Orchestration 265
Workflows 265
Workflow Properties 266
Workflow Designer 269
Workflow Creation Walkthrough 270
Extending Orchestration 275
Cloupia Script 275
Custom Tasks 276
Custom Approval Task 276
Custom Workflow Input 277
Cisco Community 277
UCS Director Service Requests 278
Service Request Actions 281
Reservations 283
Exam Preparation Tasks 284
Review All Key Topics 284
Define Key Terms 284
Chapter 10 Building a Service Catalog and User Portal with UCS Director and Prime Service Catalog 287
"Do I Know This Already?" Quiz 287
Foundation Topics 290
UCS Director Catalogs 290
Standard Catalog 290
Advanced Catalog 295
Service Container Catalog 296
VDI Catalog 297
Prime Service Catalog Fundamentals 297
The Showcase 298
Categories 299
Services 300
Connecting and Importing to Prime Service Catalog 300
Customizing Auto-Created Services 303
Ordering a Service with Prime Service Catalog 304
Finding Services and Their Details 305
Placing an Order 307
Checking and Monitoring Status of an Order 309
End-User Order Management in Prime Service Catalog 309
Administrator Service Request Management in UCS Director 311
Accessing and Managing New Resources 311
Managing "My Stuff" Within Prime Service Catalog 312
Using the UCS Director End-User Portal 313
Exam Preparation Tasks 316
Review All Key Topics 316
Complete Tables and Lists from Memory 316
Define Key Terms 316
Chapter 11 Deploying Virtual Application Containers 319
"Do I Know This Already?" Quiz 319
Foundation Topics 322
Understanding UCS Director Application Containers 322
Types of Application Containers 323
Fenced Virtual Container 324
VACS Container 325
Container Template Setup 327
Fenced Virtual Containers 327
VACS Containers 335
Creating Container Catalogs 343
Managing Deployed Containers 344
APIC Containers 346
Exam Preparation Tasks 347
Review All Key Topics 347
Complete Tables and Lists from Memory 347
Define Key Terms 347
Chapter 12 Chargeback, Billing, and Reporting 349
"Do I Know This Already?" Quiz 349
Foundation Topics 353
UCS Director Reporting 353
Cloud Infrastructure Reports 353
Physical Infrastructure 356
Virtual Infrastructure 363
CloudSense Analytics 368
UCS Director Chargeback 372
Cost Models 373
Chargeback Reports 377
Budget Policy 379
Exporting Metering Data for External Integration 381
Exam Preparation Tasks 382
Review All Key Topics 382
Define Key Terms 382
Part IV Cloud Management, Monitoring, and Reporting
Chapter 13 Cloud Performance and Capacity Management 385
"Do I Know This Already?" Quiz 385
Foundation Topics 389
Performance Management in UCS Manager 389
Monitoring Hosts/Blades 389
Monitoring Bandwidth 389
Monitoring CPU/Memory 391
Monitoring Other Components 392
Monitoring Infrastructure 392
Monitoring Ethernet Bandwidth 393
Monitoring Fibre Channel Bandwidth 395
Performance/Capacity Management in UCS Central 396
Seeing Available Host Capacity 397
Statistics and Reporting 398
Standard Reports 398
Custom Reports 400
Capacity Management in UCS Director 404
Dashboard Statistics 404
CloudSense Reporting 404
CloudSense Reports in UCS Director 405
CloudSense Assessments in UCS Director 406
CloudSense Report Builder in UCS Director 407
Performance Management in UCS Performance Manager 410
Dashboard 410
Dashboard Topology 411
Monitoring Infrastructure 412
Application Groups 414
Available Reports in UCS Performance Manager 416
Cisco UCS Capacity Reports 416
Cisco UCS Reports 416
Enterprise Reports 417
Performance Reports 417
Configuring Serviceability Options 418
Syslog 418
Network Time Protocol 420
Domain Name Service 422
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol 423
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol 425
Exam Preparation Tasks 427
Review All Key Topics 427
Define Key Terms 427
Chapter 14 Monitoring and Maintaining the Health of Your Cloud 429
"Do I Know This Already?" Quiz 429
Foundation Topics 432
UCS Director Dashboards 432
Dashboard Widgets 432
Infrastructure Summary Dashboards 433
System Dashboard 435
Fault Severities and States 438
Cloud Monitoring 439
Infrastructure Event and Fault Monitoring 439
Performance Monitoring 440
Service Request Monitoring 441
Visibility and Troubleshooting Through Logs 444
UCS Director Logs 444
Prime Service Catalog Logs 446
Backing Up the Cloud 448
Backups in UCS Director 449
Backups in Prime Service Catalog 450
Foundation Topics 452
Exam Preparation Tasks 452
Review All Key Topics 452
Complete Tables and Lists from Memory 452
Define Key Terms 452
Chapter 15 Final Preparation 455
Tools for Final Preparation 455
Pearson Cert Practice Test Engine and Questions 455
Install the Software 455
Activate and Download the Practice Exam 456
Activating Other Exams 457
Premium Edition 457
The Cisco Learning Network 457
Memory Tables 457
Chapter-Ending Review Tools 458
Suggested Plan for Final Review/Study 458
Using the Exam Engine 458
Summary 459
Glossary 461
Appendix A Answers to the "Do I Know This Already?" Quizzes 469
Appendix B Memory Tables 473
Appendix C Memory Tables Answer Key 477
Online Elements
Appendix A Answers to the "Do I Know This Already?" Quizzes
Appendix B Memory Tables
Appendix C Memory Tables Answer Key
Appendix D Study Planner
Other Things You Might Like
- Cisco Certified Design Expert (CCDE 400-007) Official Cert Guide Premium Edition and Practice Test
- Premium Edition eBook $71.99
- CCNA Cloud CLDFND 210-451 LiveLessons: Understanding Cisco Cloud Fundamentals
- Downloadable Video $119.99


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Graduation Neon Sign, Led Neon Light, Neon Sign, Custom Party Neon Lamp, Home Bedroom Decoration, School Wall Decor, Congratualtion Neon gift
Purchase Protection: Shop confidently on TrilogyGift knowing if something goes wrong with an order, we've got your back for all eligible purchases — see returns & exchanges
The biggest strength of LED Neon Sign is its longevity. Compared to glass Neon lights, LED lights have a lifespan five times longer and are highly resistant to harsh weather conditions. In addition, this sign has the following advantages:
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Order Process:
Step 1: The customer places an order for a custom neon sign and pays a deposit of $19.99. They also provide specific design requirements to our Designer team.
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Step 3: Once the customer and our team agree on the design and price, the order proceeds to the production phase, which typically takes 4-6 business days. After production, the shipping process takes an additional 7-15 business days.
In the event that the customer is not satisfied with the design or price, we offer a full refund. The refund process usually takes 2-5 business days.
Please note that "business day" refers to weekdays (Monday to Friday), excluding weekends and public holidays.
Quick Details:
Product Name: Custom Neon Sign
Type: LED Neon Lights
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1 x Suitable power adapter and plug with a switch
Installation accessories such as screws, chains, etc.
If you have any further questions, feel free to ask.
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Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
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Customer Support
© 2023 TrilogyGift, All rights reserved.

subset: commoncrawl


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Blue CZ Stones Silver Evil Eye Charm Red String Protection Bracelet
- 24/7 Customer Service
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- 1 Year Warranty on All Products
- Adjustable Size
- Handmade with Care
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- Red String
Red String is a representation of protection, good luck, strength, faith and connection. A Symbol of purity, bravery and generosity. It's believed it removes unwanted energy.
Wearing the string can remind you of the importance of who you are and what you stand for.
Cubic Zirconia - shines in all colors of the rainbow and has brilliance that is a lot more colorful than that of a real diamond.
We provide free Standard Shipping for all orders in the USA. And free Standard International shipping for orders of $75 and above.
Typically to prepare your order for shipping takes 1 day however, some orders may ship within as few as 4 hrs and some may take even less.
In your shopping cart, you will receive a Delivery Date. Our system calculates this date considering the total amount of time to process your order including: packaging and transit time to the delivery address.
We are confident that you will be satisfied with our products. However, you may return your items for any reason within 30 days from the date of delivery and we'll be happy to offer an exchange or a refund, please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com and we'll be happy to assist.
Major brands in our industry markup their products 8-10x the actual cost. We do things differently. We've built relationships with the best manufacturers and sell directly to you.
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Author: EMail | Price: 34.99 | License: Shareware
O/S: Win 10 32Bit | Category: Photo | Downloads: 32
Requirements: Works on Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10
Pixillion Premium Edition is a JPEG and image file format conversion software for Windows. Pixillion Image Converter can convert files from and to JPEG and other file formats like gif, tiff, png, pdf and more. Before converting your file Pixillion allows you to view the image within the application as well as displaying the current file parameters. With Pixillion you can quickly and easily convert your image files into JPEG or other image file formats you may need to host on web sites, reduce file size for sending via email or storing on a CD. Pixillion Premium Edition features: * Converts between gif, jpg, pdf, png, bmp and many other formats * Rotate, resize andpress digital photos * PDF encoding has the extra option of choosing between page size * Load images directly from a CD or Windows folder * View your images and formatrmation before converting


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Teach More, Tech Less
Get your teachings online in minutes
Our simple tools simplify your life and improve your bottom line
Get discounted pricing on all paid plans
Yoga teachers often reach out to me with website questions and they often tell me that the tech of creating and updating a website is overwhelming. So, when I found out about OfferingTree I knew this would be the answer for any yoga teacher in need of a simple and quick website.
Once I got to know the team over at OfferingTree, then I was really impressed. They have fantastic customer service and they listen to what yoga teachers need. I like how setting up a website with OfferingTree allows for some customization, but at the same time limits decision fatigue. This allows yoga teachers to get online quickly, so they can focus on teaching yoga.
If you would like to hear a conversation that I had with Alex and Eddie of OfferingTree, here is the link to that inside The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook group.
– Shannon Crow from The Connected Yoga Teacher
How We Help You
Website design can be complicated and time consuming. With OfferingTree you can create an attractive, mobile-ready, professional website in 10 minutes (that's not a typo). Your site will showcase what you teach and when so your clients and students can find you, follow you and register for your events. Simple and effective. See a sample site
If scheduling with you is hard, your clients will give up and move on. With our easy-to-use scheduling and appointment booking tool, you can keep your clients up-to-date and make it easy for them to register for your offerings. The OfferingTree calendar allows your students and clients to reserve a spot in upcoming classes or book a private session with total ease. Watch a short demo
We support that you're trying to help people, and we understand you need to make a living in order to help others. Being able to accept secure online payments, offer memberships and packages with support for sliding scale payment gives you and your clients greater flexibility. Our low transaction fee payment processing (that can be passed onto the purchaser if you wish) will keep you and your clients happy. Accept payments in 30+ countries. Watch a short demo
Staying engaged with your students is the key to client retention. Our client database stores all of your client information in one easily-accessible location and lets you monitor which of your students are attending classes. With this information, you can follow-up, offer deals and keep your students coming back for more.
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Keep your following in the loop with our easy-to-use email marketing tools. Our drip email marketing tool automatically sends custom emails when people subscribe from your site, and our newsletter tool allows you to quickly send a professional newsletter to targeted audiences. No need to learn a complex system with our easy-to-use tools.
Memberships & Packages
Sell your own memberships and packages right from your OfferingTree website or embed our membership and schedule snippets onto your existing website. Memberships and packages are great because they make it really easy for your most loyal students and clients to book your services and also allow you to collect recurring payments.
No more back and forth communication about scheduling your appointments and private sessions. Set up times when you are available and your clients can then book an available time slot that works best for them. Using online payments the session can be paid for ahead of time. All within your website! Watch a short demo
Share your knowledge with your students by blogging. We make it easy for you to publish your own blog on your website. This helps potential students find you because search engines prefer sites with original content. Get noticed and grow your practice. Watch a short demo
Our easy-to-use dashboard contains all the information you need to manage your business. From site visits to class popularity, you can see what people like so you can provide these key teachings to your community.
Teaching Online Using OfferingTree
How to Grow with Offering Tree
- Create Your Website
- Build Your Content
- Promote Your Site
- Engage Your Clients
Our Blog
How to Make Your Yoga Studio Run Well with Amanda Kingsmith
What makes an awesome yoga studio? It is more than the space – check out this blog post with 5 tips to make sure your yoga studio is the best it can be.
Webinar: 5 Key Metrics for Success with Kristin Abel
Calling All Studio Owners! Do you LOVE talking about the numbers, metrics and data in your business? Or are you more interested in being face-to-face with your clients, and can't find a lot of joy in boring spreadsheets? If you are more closely aligned with #2 - we...
5 Key Metrics for Studio Success by Kristin Abel
Depending on how detailed you want to be with your studio reporting, there are several metrics you can track in your business. But who has time for that? Even those of us who love running reports and analyzing data want to be able to hone in on the most important metrics quickly and with ease, so that we can get on to doing what we need to grow our businesses. On this blog post, Kristin Abel explains which metrics you absolutely should be focusing on – and how to make the most of them.
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Frequently asked questions
Don't see your question below?
Contact us at [email protected] and we're happy to answer your specific question.
What is OfferingTree?
Can I use OfferingTree with my existing website?
Can I sell or rent videos / recordings / courses?
Do you provide a website?
What fees do you charge?
OfferingTree charges a monthly subscription fee (see our pricing above) and our lowest cost plan includes a small transaction fee that we let you absorb or pass along to your clients (see our pricing above) -- other companies don't always give you this choice and add on extra transaction fees! If you buy or transfer a custom domain, then we charge you a one-time fee of $15, which is what it costs us to buy or transfer the domain for you.
Do you integrate with Zoom?
Can I use something other than Zoom?
Can you do donation-based and sliding scale pricing?
Why use OfferingTree? How are you different?
Unlike other companies, OfferingTree is specifically designed for health and wellness professionals who don't want the hassles of learning technology or managing tons of logistics. You can be up and running in 30 minutes or less. OfferingTree is a "business in a box" solution so you don't need to manage plugins or mess with code. We're also a benefit corporation that actively supports wellness access and education
Do you offer support?
We provide a variety of support from real human beings. We provide email support and an active user community where you can ask questions. By request, we can arrange video or phone calls. We also provide education and training with free monthly webinars. OfferingTree includes tutorial videos for all of our features and an online Q&A forum. To get the fastest support, simply click the "Help" button
Do you allow waivers?
Will I get my own domain name? What if I have an existing domain?
Yes! When creating your account, you'll be asked to choose an option for your website address. Pick the "Use a domain you've already purchased" option and we'll get in touch with you on how we can use that domain for your OfferingTree site.
If you already have a site you like and you just want to use OfferingTree functionality on your existing site we can do that too! Most of our popular features can be embedded right in your existing site!
Don't already own your own domain. No problem! You can purchase one during the signup process.
What happens if I cancel my subscription?
If you cancel a monthly paid plan, we'll stop all future billing. You can use all of the monthly plan's features until the end of that month. Please note that we do not issue refunds for any of our monthly paid plans.
If you cancel an annual paid plan, we'll stop all future billing. You can use all of the annual plan's features until the end of your current annual bill cycle. If you cancel an annual plan within the first 14 calendar days of your credit card being charged the annual fee, then you can request a refund from us with no questions asked.
If you purchased or transferred a domain to us, we're happy to transfer the domain back to you so you can use it however you wish.
If you have any additional questions / concerns or just wish to connect with us, please email us at [email protected].


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After I mixed up the dye baths, I turned to my daughter and said, " These are the last dye baths I'll ever mix up in this house." Then, after I set the dye baths, I turned to my daughter and said, " These are the last dye baths I'll ever set in this house."
This morning, as I boil out that fabric to make it ready to ship to happy sewers, guess what I'm thinking?
Yep. But, I don't think I'm thinking it because I'm sad, I think it comes more out of gratitude.
I doubt I would having voluntarily picked this particular part of my life's path, but it is my path and it has led to quite a few things that I'm very grateful for as well as an awareness of all that is already present and of which I am thankful.
So, I've loved living in my house, watching my children and business grow in this place, and learning about myself here, but I am so looking forward to being with my children, sewing, dyeing, creating, and enjoying the special people in my life ( especially one very special person) in my new home.
I took some pictures yesterday and in gathering them to present here I realized that though some are related what links them all is that they are captured moments. Happy moments. And, honestly, what more could a person ask for than to have their day include a series of happy moments.
I'd like to share them here with you, captioned, of course. If you're so inspired, share some of your happy moments with me, either through a link in the comments section, or by sending me an email, or on instagram.
Putting a second pattern on this fabric.
Readying fabric to go into the discharge bath before over dyeing.
Found this tabletop(?) years ago along the side of the road. Have finally resolved to restore it and make it into a table for my new place. Great pattern, huh?
Fabric, post-discharge, drying on the fence. Love the secondary pattern created by the light shining through and illuminating the pattern of the chain link.
Went to swim team practice and found these toy rings at the bottom of the pool. I look glamorous, don't I?
My puppy, Charlie-Tucker, says there's furniture just gets in the way of perfectly lovely floor space.
Sneak peek at the samples that came yesterday for my new collection for Moda!


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Enewton Extends Classic Gold 2MM Bead Bracelet
Regular price$44.00
Shipping calculated at checkout.
How is the fit?
Runs Smaller
True To Size
Runs Larger
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- Measures 7.5"
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- Returns must be requested and post-marked to us within 14 days from the date received.
- Your item/s to be returned must be in new condition (tags still attached, no odor, pet hair, not contain any markings from deodorant, make-up or other user damage/wear/tear)
- Returns are eligible for STORE CREDIT ONLY. For website orders a gift card will be issued to the email address associated with your order. For orders placed through our app, a credit will be issued to your app account.
- Sale items and accessories are FINAL SALE and cannot be returned. This includes accessories and other non-clothing items, intimates, and leggings. If these items are returned, the refund will NOT be processed. A handling and shipping fee will incur if you wish to have the item returned back to you.
- Shipping charges (original and return) are the customer's responsibility.
- Please return to: Pearl's Boutique, 221 Main Street, Smithfield, VA 23430
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Indonesian Corporate Debt Catches A Strong, Tropical Wind
As the equatorial nation's sovereign debt gains international favor, local corporate bonds find a broader and deeper-pocketed array of investors.
Global news and insight for corporate financial professionals
As the equatorial nation's sovereign debt gains international favor, local corporate bonds find a broader and deeper-pocketed array of investors.
Supermarkets choose between joining forces with third-party delivery services or buying them outright to serve customers faster and better. Saving costs on the last mile remains challenging.
China finds itself in a position to lead as the developing world begins to invest in renewable projects.
Clubs offer the ultrarich safe spaces to talk money with financial equals.
The banking industry's leading lights have largely adjusted their business plans to a world of tighter regulations, higher capital requirements and less leverage. Now, they are taking on new competitors by embracing the very information technology that has disrupted their business.
Profiling the Best Bank honorees of 2016
Scott Galit is the CEO of Payoneer, a leading private financial services company focused on digital money transfers and e-commerce payments. He sat down with Global Finance to discuss challenges and opportunities in the space for emerging financial technologies and traditional banks alike.
Some green shoots lurk beneath the region's raging civil wars, economic woes and political unrest.
Profiling the World's Best Subcustodians of 2015
SIBOS Supersection 2015 | Commercial Paper Programs
Regulatory changes and GE Capital's exit from the commercial paper market could pose a big problem for corporate treasury departments.
SIBOS Supersection 2015 | Fintech – Innovation Centers
In today's virtual world, fintech development can take place anywhere. With funding for start-ups split 50:50 between traditional financial centers and elsewhere, the race is on to attract the hottest young firms.
SIBOS Supersection 2015 | Bank Relationship Management
Basel III and other regulatory developments are causing a sea change in bank-corporate relationships. It is up to corporate treasurers to lead that process.
Regional wealth funds, free-trade zones and the Saudi Stock Exchange are expected to boost GCC economic growth and spur development—even if oil doesn't cooperate.
Trends | Crowdfunding
With traditional lenders facing stricter liquidity requirements as a result of the global financial crisis, crowdfunding is becoming an increasingly appealing source of financing for corporates.
BBVA's President and COO Carlo Torres Villa on the explosive growth of online banking and mobile banking.
Corporate Cash | Corporate Asset Management
Corporate treasurers, a cautious lot, are taking baby steps to add risk.
Capital Markets | Foreign Exchange
The surging dollar, falling euro and plunging emerging-markets currencies had a record $32 billion negative impact on the earnings of companies in North America and Europe in the first quarter, according to Scottsdale, Arizona‒based FiREapps, which helps corporations measure and manage foreign exchange exposure.
Global Finance presents the winners of its annual World's Best Subcustodian awards.
GCC Regional Report 2015 | Trade
GCC With oil prices not expected to top $100 a barrel anytime soon, breaking down trade barriers is the one sure way to boost the GCC's economic prospects.
SIBOS Supersection 2015 | Trade Finance Innovation
The impact of the trade finance shortfall is particularly significant for small and medium-size enterprises.


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Cookbook:Welsh Fruit Bread (Bara Brith) I
Cookbook | Ingredients | Recipes | Welsh cuisine
Bara brith, sometimes known as "speckled bread" (the literal meaning of the original Welsh-language name), is a fruit bread which originated in Wales. It is traditionally made with raisins, Zante currants and candied peel.
In Argentina bara brith, which was brought to the country by the Welsh settlers who started arriving in Chubut province in 1865, is known as torta negra ("black cake") and is a traditional food item there.
There are many different recipes for this bread, which is baked and sold commercially in some parts of Wales. The bread has a limited shelf life and is best eaten as soon as possible.
In Wales the fruit is traditionally soaked overnight in cold tea.
Variation I Edit
This recipe is adapted from Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course and Delia Smith's Illustrated Complete Cookery Course.
Ingredients Edit
To make 1 loaf:
- 8 fl oz (225 ml) milk
- 2 oz (50 g) brown sugar, plus 1 teaspoon
- 4 level teaspoons dried yeast
- 1 lb (450 g) strong plain flour
- 1 level teaspoon salt
- 3 oz (75 g) butter or margarine
- 1 level teaspoon mixed spice
- 1 egg, beaten
- 12 oz (350 g) mixed dried fruit
- Clear honey, to glaze
- 2 lb (900 g) loaf tin, well greased
Procedure Edit
- Warm the milk in a small pan until hand-hot. Put it into a bowl with 1 teaspoon of sugar and the yeast. Leave it in a warm place for about 15 minutes until a froth appears.
- Sift the flour and place in a large bowl with 2 oz (50 g) of sugar and the salt. Rub the fat into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs then stir in the mixed spice. Add the egg and frothed yeast. Mix to a dough in the bowl before turning it out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic. Place back into a bowl and cover with plastic film or a damp cloth. Leave it to rise in a warm place for about 90 minutes.
- After it has been left to stand 'knock down' the dough and knead again, adding the fruit slowly. Place into a bread tin and put the tin into an oiled plastic bag. Leave to rise for about 35 to 40 minutes and pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5, 190°C (375°F).
- When the dough has risen and springs back when pressed take the tin out of the bag and bake in the centre of the oven for about 30 minutes. Cover the top of the loaf tin with aluminium foil to stop it burning and bake for another 30 minutes. Take out of the oven and tap the bottom of the loaf, which should sound hollow, if not bake it for another 5 minutes. Brush the honey onto the top of the loaf and cool it on a wire rack. Slice it thinly and serve buttered.
Variation II Edit
This variation is also popular and uses baking powder and bicarbonate of soda as raising agents, rather than yeast. As above, soaking of the dried fruit in tea, for several hours, is essential to the taste and succulence of the loaf.
Ingredients Edit
- 12–14 oz brown or wholemeal flour
- 3–4 oz brown sugar
- 4 oz dried fruit (soaked in black tea)
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1 egg
- Glacé cherries (optional), chopped
Procedure Edit
- Soak the fruit in tea for several hours. Retain the fruit and the tea.
- Mix the flour, sugar, spice, baking powder and bicarb.
- Strain the dried fruit and add to the dry ingredients then start to mix.
- Add the egg, and continue to mix.
- Add the black tea in small amounts mixing as you go.
- Continue to add the tea until the mixture is thick, but runny—that is, it clings to a spoon, but any excess drops off easily. If you have used up all your tea, a drop of milk can be added instead to achieve this consistency.
- Add the chopped glace cherries, which will further increase the moisture of the batter.
- Pour into a greased baking tin, and bake at 190°C for approximately 90 minutes. Loosely cover the top with foil for the first hour, to avoid burning. Once cooked, turn out and cool.
- Serve sliced with butter and a cup of tea.


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The bathing suit your next vacation needs.
The orange color is vibrant and brings out the perfection of every skin tone. The top can be worn several ways. And snakeskin print is everything this summer. Set the trend!
Available in orange
Adjustable spaghetti straps
Thick straps for comfort
Soft material
Model is wearing size small
All swimsuits are FINAL SALE
Returns Policy
We have a 10-day return policy, which means you have 10 days after receiving your item to request a return. To be eligible for a return, your item must be in the same condition that you received it, unworn or unused, with tags, and in its original packaging. You'll also need the receipt or proof of purchase. To start a return, you can contact us at email@example.com. If your return is accepted, we'll send you a return shipping label, as well as instructions on how and where to send your package. Items sent back to us without first requesting a return will not be accepted. Damages and issues -- In the rare event that you receive a damaged, defective or wrong item please contact us immediately so that we can evaluate the issue and make it right. Exceptions / non-returnable items -- Certain types of items cannot be returned, like lingerie, swimsuits, bodysuits or personal pleasure items for obvious reasons. Unfortunately, we cannot accept returns on sale items or gift cards. Exchanges -- The fastest way to ensure you get what you want is to return the item you have, and once the return is accepted, make a separate purchase for the new item. Refunds -- We will notify you once we've received and inspected your return, and let you know if the refund was approved or not. If approved, you'll be automatically refunded on your original payment method. Please remember it can take some time for your bank or credit card company to process and post the refund too.
All orders are shipped using USPS First Class Mail which typically arrives within 5-8 business days, but delays are now to be anticipated. Please use the tracking information provided in your shipping confirmation email to monitor your package(s) new delivery date. Please be patient while higher than normal shipping volumes and staffing shortages from the COVID-19 pandemic, shipping carriers (including USPS), are no longer guaranteeing shipping times. STANDARD SHIPPING POLICY Most orders placed before 12 PM EST will ship within 1-2 business days (Monday through Friday). Orders placed over the weekend will be shipped in 1-2 business days. All packages ship USPS Mail. Your shipping confirmation email will provide you with tracking information. NOTE: USPS will provide an estimated delivery date per tracking number. Service delays, weather, as well as other conditions can impact final delivery. Please check the USPS website using the tracking number provided for updates.


text:
The Santa Fe and Whittier Narrows dams have Dam Safety Safety Class II – URGENT (Unsafe or Potentially Unsafe), but there isn't a press release about that on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' website.
You know what there is a press release for? This:
LOS ANGELES–More than 30 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District team members welcomed the addition of a much-anticipated break room on the 11th floor during a ribbon cutting ceremony here Jan. 19.
Col. Mark Toy, district commander, said one of the first things he did after taking command July 1, 2010, was to examine employee work stations and brainstorm ways to improve them. One of the things Toy noticed was there was nowhere for workers to take a break and recharge their batteries throughout the workday. Since the compression of the building at 915 Wilshire Blvd. was completed last year, there was no designated location for employees to relax.
"You can't work 14 hour days and then [take a] break in the hallways, parking lot or the bathrooms. I was really concerned there wasn't a place for our people to get away from work. Now we have a great flat screen TV, really nice furniture and vending machines," said Toy.
Completion of the break room was made possible thanks to a partnership and coordination between the executive office; Lincoln Properties, which manages the building; the Logistics Office and General Services Administration.
Email: email@example.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune


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Apple aphids in Ohio
Creators:Cutright, Clifford Reginald
Issue Date:1930
MetadataShow full item record
Publisher:Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station
Series/Report no.:Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station. Bulletin. 464
Rights:This material has been made available for research and educational purposes only. Copyright and other restrictions may apply to this item. Users are responsible for obtaining the necessary permissions to reprint, reproduce or make other uses of this material. We are eager to hear from any copyright owners who are not properly identified.
Items in Knowledge Bank are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.


text: Model Kit Accessories Home / Modelling Kits / Model Kit Accessories / No 224 Dark Slate Grey Matt No 224 Dark Slate Grey Matt No 224 Dark Slate Grey Matt £2.75 Stock Status: In Stock You Will Earn 2 points with this purchase Add to your Wish List Information Specifications Reviews |DescriptionPlease note that this item can only be delivered to UK addressesUsageA solvent-based, fast-dry paint developed for use on plastic model kits but which can also be used on other substrates. Matt, Satin, Gloss, Metallic, Metalcote and Clear finishes are available (finish varies by colour)SubstrateA wide range of surfaces including most plastics, wood, glass, ceramics, metal, cardboard, sealed plaster, sealed hardboard and more (always try on a small test area to check suitability)Coverage14ml tin covers approx. 0.3m² depending on thickness of applicationApplicationBrush straight from the tin. Airbrush with a suitable thinner such as Humbrol Enamel Thinners. Two thin coats are preferable to one thick coat. The usual thinning ratio is 2 parts paint to 1 part thinner. Note that Metalcote colours are designed to be polished when fully dry.Drying timeGloss: 1-2 hoursMatt & Satin: 20-40 mins touch dry, up to 24 hours for hard dryMetallics: hard dry in approx. 10 days. Drying times will vary according to ambient temperature and humidity. Recoat: 6 hours minimum (preferably overnight)How to clean:Brushes: use Humbrol Enamel ThinnersAirbrush: flush thoroughly using Humbrol Enamel Thinners. Product is permanent once dry. Brand: T&GW Product Code: 2883 Weight: 0.3kg Customer reviews No reviews left yet Write A Review Sort byMost RecentTop Rated No reviews have been left for this product, be the first to leave a review


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The real value of diversity
I always thought leaving New York City would be good for me because when you live there, the push to get the best of everything is very strong. New Yorkers are maximizers, a term coined by psychologist Barry Schwartz for someone who is always thinking they can do better. These people are generally unhappy.
There's a spectrum, for sure. But if maximizing were a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest in NYC everyone is in the 6-10 range. And the 6s think they're really laid back. I wanted to be in the 1-5 range, where research shows that people lead much happier lives.
I knew I'd need to leave New York City to do that. In Madison, WI, I have to admit, I remained a maximizer. I got a lawyer from Chicago to sue the schools for their incredibly poor compliance with IDEA. I flew to LA for haircuts. I refused to stop flying American Airlines even though smaller, scrappy airlines had more flexible schedules out of Wisconsin.
But the truth is that you do become who you live with, and the maximizer is slowly being knocked out of me. Which has been my goal all along. Research shows that people are happier in rural towns than in cities, primarily because there is no way to be an maximizer. (I have argued before, many times, that people who live in cities don't care about happiness, so it doesn't matter that they are not happy.)
In the maximizer world, I live in the 1-5 range right now. Where I live I look like a crazy maximizer, because everyone here is a 1-5 and I'm a 5. When I visit my friends in New York City, I seem a little bit off.
The best way to see myself in relation to city people is to recall common conversations. Here are questions that city people ask me all the time:
1. Do you have real animals?
I could answer this question a million ways and the city person would get no information. For example, I can say, "yes, sheep, pigs, cows, chicken." You don't know how many. I could have 100,000 chickens and two lambs for example. Also, you don't know what kind. I could have wool sheep or dairy sheep, I could have meat cows or dairy cows. So it's a question that has no answer. I say yes.
2. Do the pigs smell bad?
This is always the followup question to the more general animal question. People want to talk about how bad the pigs smell. City people love talking about manure. They think it's funny. It's like Captain Underpants—The Adult Version. But if someone chooses to live on a pig farm, they are obviously not bothered by the pig smell. And probably, a pig farmer looks at pigs and things they're cute:
So asking about the pig smell would be like me saying to a New Yorker: "Does the noise bother you?" Of course it doesn't—they live in NYC.
3. How are the schools?
Bad. The answer is bad. Because a city person is not asking while placing their kids in one of those high schools with a 48% dropout rate. People ask this question while walking through their suburban sprawl kitchen into their media room. And the tax base they create with this house makes the tax base of a rural farm community seem like a third-world country. So, it's true, the schools are not good. But there's a price you pay no matter where you live. The corollary would be, "Do you live next door to Central Park?" No. Of course you don't. You gave up living near nature in order to live in the inherent excitement of NYC in a place you can afford.
4. Do you want to go out for dinner?
No. That's why I live in the country. There is nowhere to go that is as good as my house. And we grow our own food. And we eat at 5pm so don't ask me at 5pm if I want to go out. Dinner is already made.
5. How many bedrooms?
This is the question that follows, "I got married and moved to the farmhouse with my kids." A New Yorker thinks, "Upstate NYC with a dining room to serve 50 people plus the photographers from Country Living magazine to document it." Newsflash: Real farm houses are small because they are heated with either gas, which is very expensive for a farm, or with wood, and no one wants to have to chop the wood for a fifteen room house.
I have found that the biggest cultural gap between rural life and city life has been the maximizer mindset. To a maximizer, a rural person looks stupid, or delusional. And to a rural person, the city person looks insecure and uptight. Both assessments are right, really. But I have found that it's more interesting to try to understand both sides than criticize both sides.
It's easy to criticize someone else for having no clue about diversity. It's hard to really spend time understanding someone else's situation in order to see the gaps between you and that person. Really understanding cultural diversity is really understanding the gaps. And in those gaps is where you gain a better understanding of yourself.


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A lot of the focus in search engine optimization concentrates on ranking for valuable keyword phrases. But are results for your pages that do rank in the search results visually optimized to drive click through to your site? Try these search result optimization techniques to bring some bling to your search results.
The sample search results from Google shown above are highlighted in red and green for a reason: This is a great tactic to use for the holiday season. More practically, though, the red boxes indicate items present in the search result thanks to what Google calls "Rich Snippets," and the green boxed items are simply updates to the title tag or meta description for that page. Taking advantage of these thechniques can help your search result stand out from the crowd of 10 blue links to win the click, even if it isn't ranked first in the search results.
Let's cover rich snippets first. Many sites contain reviews or video or pricing information, but not all of them have these visual cues included in search results. The search engines rely on structured data in the HTML code of the webpage to identify the content that belongs in these rich snippets. If the content is already on the page, using a structured markup format like Microdata, Microformats or RDFa will alert the search engines that the marked up content should be considered for inclusion in a rich snippet. Keep in mind that optimizing for rich snippets won't improve your rankings, they will only help you stand out when you already rank.
For example, the ratings stars on the listing for Shoes.com are possible because they added the following structured markup to the ratings information already present on the page. The code impacts search results only, not the display of the content on the page. In the case of Shoes.com, their BazaarVoice reviews implementation includes the structured markup in their CSS files. But it can also be done outside of CSS files.
Rich snippets are a more eye-catching way to visually optimize search results because they tend to include pops of color. However, title tags and meta descriptions can also be optimized to contain long-term offers or calls to action that can increase click through as well. In addition, developers are usually not required to optimize title tags and meta descriptions, making it faster to implement.
In a search result, title tags are typically used as the blue underlined link. Meta descriptions can be used as the black text under the link that describes the page. If the title tag or meta description don't contain the keywords the customer is searching for, the engines may pull keyword-inclusive text from the page to display in the search result instead, so make sure to use the important keywords for the page in your title tags and meta descriptions.
For example, Heels.com used their title tag and meta description to highlight both the price of the item, which is lower than competitors', and their free shipping policy. When paired with the video rich snippet in their search result, that's a very powerful visual combination to influence customers to choose their store over competitors.
Jill Kocher is a seasoned SEO professional and all-around technogeek. By day, she manages Resource Interactive's SEO practice here in Chicago and serves as contributing editor at Practical eCommerce. By night, Jill landscapes her home in the far northern suburbs of Chicagoland while enjoying a glass of wine and thinking about SEO some more. Family discussion centers primarily around SEO, analytics, social media, mobile apps, android, iOS, how-was-your-day and cats.


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Employers make a push for 'medical tourism'
U.S. health care costs have gotten so outrageous that some small employers save money by flying workers to foreign countries for inexpensive medical procedures.
(FSB Magazine) -- Steve Chavez is willing to go to extremes to combat rising health care costs. The president of Integrated Control Systems, a 180-employee Albuquerque construction firm, Chavez has watched costs for his workers' orthopedic claims - damaged rotator cuffs, etc. - soar over the past three years.
Health insurance premiums for Integrated (icsicontrols.com) jumped 32 percent last year, bloating its overhead by 12 percent. That's why, starting this spring, Chavez is taking drastic measures, encouraging workers in need of major medical procedures to seek care in such far-flung locales as Costa Rica, India and Singapore - a growing practice known as medical tourism. Chavez estimates that overseas treatment will cut his medical costs by more than 10 percent year over year and help him avoid "another 20 to 30 percent rise in premiums."
Until recently, medical tourists were mostly individuals seeking low-priced cosmetic and elective surgery not covered by insurance. But more than one million Americans will travel overseas for procedures this year, and a rising proportion are getting insurers or employers to pay part of the cost.
It's easy to see the appeal for a cash-strapped employer. Surgery overseas costs 30 to 80 percent less than it does in the U.S., thanks to lower fees for even top-quality doctors and hospitals. The average charge for a coronary artery bypass is about $75,500 in the U.S., vs. $11,400 (including roundtrip airfare) at the Fortis Mohali hospital in India. A knee replacement in Singapore runs about $17,800 - roughly half the typical U.S. price.
While global medical tourism has yet to make major inroads with U.S. employers, some small employers and benefit providers such as BlueCross BlueShield of Texas (bcbstx.com) are starting to take the idea seriously. As FSB went to press, benefits providers, employers and health care executives were scheduled to meet in Las Vegas on April 30 at the industry's first trade show. "Medical tourism is starting to take off in the U.S.," said Senator Herbert Kohl (D-Wisconsin) at a recent hearing. Experts predict that the medical tourism industry will grow to $40 billion by 2010.
There is, of course, a huge stumbling block to growth: convincing workers to fly 12 hours or more to have surgery. That's where GlobalChoice healthcare (globalchoicehealthcare.com), an Albuquerque firm that helps connect U.S. employers and patients with foreign physicians, comes in. The firm, which is actively courting business owners, finds hospitals, sends records and schedules surgeries. It acts as a concierge, arranging air travel, hotel reservations and even sightseeing excursions. But perhaps most important, it aims to reassure patients that they will receive quality care.
GlobalChoice uses providers in India, Mexico and Singapore, and screens doctors to make sure they speak English and were trained in Europe or the U.S. It works only with hospitals that have received accreditation from the Joint Commission International (jointcommissioninternational.com), a subsidiary of the group that screens U.S. clinics and hospitals. "Quality overseas can be much better than it is at home," says Jeffrey Seders, an insurance broker in Los Gatos, Calif., who works with GlobalChoice. "There are hospitals within driving distance that I wouldn't go in."
GlobalChoice serves small and midsized companies in two ways. Self-insured firms deal directly with GlobalChoice to arrange employees' travel and treatments. Other employers use GlobalChoice through their health insurers. Either way, GlobalChoice charges a per-employee, per-month fee, much like a health-insurance premium. Employees might be responsible for a co-pay or deductible, depending on their health plan. GlobalChoice then covers all medical and travel expenses for an overseas surgical procedure. So far GlobalChoice has signed up two providers, including McKee Benefits Service (mckee-enrollment.com), says CEO Ken Erickson.
Erickson, 45, launched the company in 2005, catering to early retirees for whom Medicare coverage had not yet kicked in. To expand, he is also targeting self-insured companies such as Integrated Control that can barely afford benefits for workers. "Seeking treatment overseas may mean the difference between offering health insurance or offering no benefits at all," says Erickson. A handful of other U.S. firms, including IndUShealth (indushealth.com) and PlanetHospital (planethospital.com), arrange medical trips, but GlobalChoice is the first to target businesses.
Not everybody is welcoming medical tourism. Last year Blue Ridge Paper Products, a self-insured firm in Canton, N.C., was set to send one of its employees to India for rotator cuff and gall bladder surgery. The United Steelworkers union intervened, sending letters of protest to the Senate and House committees with jurisdiction over health care. Employees "are now being confronted with proposals to literally export themselves," the letter read. Blue Ridge canceled its plans.
Hoping to avoid that kind of conflict, Chavez will continue to provide some domestic coverage for doctor visits, including post-surgical care. At Integrated Control, employees now pay 50 percent of the cost of major medical procedures performed in the U.S. and 25 percent for those done overseas. "Once a few daring souls try it and everything turns out all right, other employees will embrace the idea," says Chavez. To that end, he is willing to be a guinea pig. "I need my rotator cuff done," he says, "so I'll probably go first."
Would you travel to a foreign country to have surgery? Do you feel that employers should encourage medical tourism? Let us know. To give feedback, please write to email@example.com here.
From the May 1, 2007 issue


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A Japanese company has developed an electrical cable that can be stretched. Asahi Kasei says the cable, called Roboden, will expand by up to 40 percent of its length before hitting its limit.
It was originally developed for use in robotics, where cables sometimes need to snake around joints that pivot or extend. Typically, spare cable has to be built into the wiring to accommodate this movement, and that can get snagged. Roboden can closely follow the robot's body and stretch as needed.
Asahi Kasei is demonstrating the cable at this week's Ceatec electronics show in Japan, where it is looking for additional uses for Roboden.
It works like this: The inside of the Roboden cable has an elastic core and wire is wound around the core in a spiral. A second stretchy sheath covers the entire thing. The spiralled wire means there is enough inside the cable to allow it to be stetched without incident.
One potential use is in gadget cables. Anyone who has pulled a cable by accident and sent a gadget crashing to the floor will attest that current USB cables don't stretch at all.
It could also have a use in portable gadget cabling for devices like power adapters and headphones. No matter how well the cables are coiled on devices, a day inside a backpack always manages to unravel the wire and leave a mess of digital sphaghetti. With Roboden, the cable will remain coiled up if a little stretch is put in when winding it tidily.


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There is a time and a place for them but we can't lie, we're over the look so we set out to design a cool alternative to the traditional terracotta pot and saucer. We went with the handmade ceramics approach and made the rims of each pot scalloped to give them an organic feel. The wavy lines of the edges give the pots just enough movement to look interesting. This ain't no Basic planter!
With 11 colour ways from bright and punch primary colours like Red, Orange and Yellow to the modern White and Black, the Tika Planters coordinate with any décor. Your plants are going to love their new Tika Planter. When they're grown too big to fit into the Big Tika, there is an 8" Mofo version to make repotting your houseplants super easy. If you're propagating, there is even a smaller 3" version that you can use.
Product Details
- Material: ceramic
- Dimensions: 5" diameter, 5" tall
- Finish: fully glazed, bright and shiny
- Cleaning: warm soapy water
- Indoor pot and saucer
- Detachable saucer and 1/2" drainage hole
- Perfect for mini succulents, cactus, fresh herbs
- 5" houseplant size, also available in 3" and 8"
- Great for window sill gardening, home office, excellent gift idea
- Blends in with all décor from boho chic to modern Scandinavian
- Pairs well with a Pony Tail Palms, Philodendron, Dracena
Customer Reviews
Great plant spot! Perfect size if you are just starting to grow a succulent (im growing a aloe plant)


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Importing WebStorm Settings on First Launch
While working with WebStorm, you've definitely customized settings (for example, editor behavior, or keyboard shortcuts) to fit your needs.
Having installed and launched a newer version of WebStorm (when the
config directory doesn't yet exist for the new version),
you might want to re-use the settings of the previous versions.
For this purpose, WebStorm automatically shows a dialog box with the following options:
- I want to import settings from the previous version: If this option is selected, WebStorm automatically detects the home directory of the previous version, and imports settings from this location.
I want to import settings from custom location: If this option is selected, you can specify the desired directory where the settings are stored.
Type the path manually, or click the browse button to select settings from the previous version using the file chooser dialog.
- I don't have a previous version of WebStorm, or I don't want to import settings: If this option is selected, then all the previous settings (if any) will be ignored.
Click the radio-button of the desired option to re-use or ignore the legacy settings.
See Also
Last modified: 22 March 2017


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Simon Cowell has surgery for broken back after bike accident
Simon Cowell underwent surgery to repair a broken back, the result of an electric bicycle accident, and was recovering at a hospital, a spokesperson said Sunday, Aug. 9.
"Simon has broken his back in a number of places" after falling from the new bike he'd been testing in the courtyard of his Malibu home Saturday, the representative said. Family members were present.
The entertainment mogul was "doing fine" and remained under observation after the operation at an unidentified hospital, the spokesperson said.
Cowell's partner, Lauren Silverman, accompanied him to the hospital and has been able to see him briefly. Cowell's overnight, six-hour surgery included placement of a metal rod.
Despite the ordeal, he mustered the strength to post a "massive thank you" to doctors and nurses treating him. Cowell, known for his tart-tongued comments about contestants, also shared some advice.
"If you buy an electric trail bike, read the manual before you ride it for the first time," he tweeted Sunday night.
The couple's son and Silverman's child by a previous marriage were with Cowell when the accident happened.
Cowell's injury will force him to miss the beginning of this season's live shows on NBC's "America's Got Talent". The live shows will begin Tuesday and Wednesday without him, the network said.
He created the talent show, now in its 15th season, and serves as a judge. The show's other judges are Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Sofia Vergara, with Terry Crews as host.
Cowell also has been a judge on "Britain's Got Talent", "The X Factor" and "American Idol". CC
Simon Cowell to star with 6-year-old son in new 'Scooby-Doo' film
WATCH: Marcelito Pomoy awes crowd on 'America's Got Talent: The Champions', earns semifinals spot
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Marina & Waterfront Parks
- City Marina
- City Marina Maintenance & Repair Assessment Report - October 2013
- Marina Feasibility Study - February 2017
- Waterfront Parks
- Busker Information Card
The City has adopted an ordinance to grant a minimum of five (5) years franchise to moor an historic or a replica historic tall ship for sightseeing tours, private charters, private events and educational programming and to allow the design, construction, upgrade of City infrastructure to accommodate the historic or a replica historic tall ship and related operations and services in the City Marina. Download the Additional Terms and Specifications for the Franchise Ordinance
City Marina
0 Cameron Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
For boating enthusiasts, the marina is a 3 mile cruise from Washington DC and Maryland. In addition to affording a spectacular view of the Potomac River, the City Marina has overnight boat slips plus additional short-term docking space on sea walls and adjacent areas. The City Marina offers docking for pleasure boats and commercial vessels. For boaters who wish to stay overnight, restroom and shower facilities are available. One 30 amp electrical connection and water hose bib (in season) are available for each boat slip. Alexandria is a dog friendly city ,in fact, there is a public access dog park within easy walking distance of the marina. Please note: Dogs must be on leash and under owner's control at all times. Owner must clean up after dogs.
- Marina Cameras
- Marina Diagram
- Hours of Operation
- Docking
- Tour & Charter Boats
- Waterfront Commission
- Data from the U.S. Geological Survey installed tide gauge at the City Marina
Hours of Operation
- April - October: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- November - March: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Closed some City Holidays
Pleasure boats requesting short term docking space are encouraged to contact the Dock Master on VHF channel 16. Short term docking space is available on a first-come-first-serve basis.
For additional information, call the Dock Master's Office at 703.746.5487.
To receive fee information, call 703.746.5487.
- City Marina Rules & Regulations
- Pleasure Boat Transient Short Term Docking
- Short-Term Docking (up to 4 hour stay): $20 (available on first come - first served basis. No reservations accepted).
- Pleasure Boat Overnight Docking
- Docking Reservations: Reservations for pleasure boat overnight docking for the boating season will be accepted beginning in April of each year. Reservations will be accepted for overnight docking only. Please click here for docking application and for additional information and fees.
- Each boat slip has one (1) 30 amp electrical connection and water hose bib available.
- T-Head docking is available for boats over 40 feet in length.
- Each T-Head has 50 amp electric available. The North T-Head has one(1) 100 amp electric connection available.
- Overnight visiting pleasure boats must checkout and depart the City Marina by Noon
- Docking Reservations: Reservations for pleasure boat overnight docking for the boating season will be accepted beginning in April of each year. Reservations will be accepted for overnight docking only. Please click here for docking application and for additional information and fees.
- Charter, Cruise, Business & Commercial Vessel Docking
- Limited docking is available. Applications will be processed on a first come first served bases.
- Commercial Vessel Reservation Form
- Commercial Vessel Regulations
- The east end of the Torpedo Factory South Pier can accommodate vessels up to 80 feet in length and offers one(1) 50 amp service. Water is available in season.
- The east end of the Founder's Park North Pier can accommodate vessels up to 220 feet in length. Please call for information regarding electric availability. Water is available in season.
- Reservations are required for charter, cruise, business & commercial vessel docking.
- Boat Slip Wait List Information
The City Marina has year-round leased berths for vessels up to 40 feet in length. At the present time all leased berths are full however, a wait list has been established. If you would like to place your name on the Boat Slip Wait List please complete and mail the online application.
- Sightseeing Boat Tours & Charters - Sightseeing, Charters and Water Taxi service is available at the City Marina. Water Taxi Sightseeing cruises includes Washington's monuments and the Mount Vernon Estate. Water Taxi service is available to Georgetown, Mount Vernon and the National Harbor and Gaylord National Convention Center. For additional Information, visit City Cruises or call 800.459.8105.
Waterfront Commission
The purpose of the Alexandria Waterfront Committee is to study and deal with issues relating to private and commercial uses of the waterfront. The Committee is composed of 21 members representing a particular neighborhood, community or City committee. For additional information and to review meeting minutes and handouts, click here.


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Education reform has turned into such a bitter battleground, it's easy to forget it was forged over a search for common ground: the best way to teach children and maximize their learning potential.
Instead, the policy debate has become so polarized that it often seems detached from the very people it is aimed at helping — parents trying to figure out the best path to a decent education for children with different needs and abilities.
Take the South End mother who recently wrote to state Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz of Jamaica Plain. With a son on the autism spectrum who attends a district elementary school and a daughter at a charter school, this mother has a foot in two camps that are typically cast as competing with each other.
But her message transcends the divisiveness of the current debate, which is all about raising the cap on charter school spending — a move that would in effect increase the number of available slots. "I think we should be working to improve public schools so they all can be great," this mother wrote to Chang-Diaz, who co-chairs the Education Committee and is in the thick of the current fight to lift the cap.
Good luck to that hopeful mom and anyone else with a naive, can't-we-all-get-along mindset. Today's ed reform landscape is as toxic as every other political battleground. You're either for charter school expansion — or with the teachers' unions.
The goal of getting all schools to great has morphed into an all-out push to create more charter schools as the antidote to poorly performing district schools. If you challenge that assumption in any way, you're likely to be vilified as a union apologist and lover of the mediocre-to-poor status quo.
To be sure, there's a clear appetite for an escape route from bad public schools. The Pioneer Institute, which is strongly lobbying Beacon Hill to lift the cap on charter school spending, says that, in the state's 17 lowest-performing school districts, there are over 10,000 students waiting for charter spots to open. Earlier this year, the House passed a bill that would allow charter spending to increase by 5 percent over five years. The Senate is slated to take up the issue this week.
Chang-Diaz says she sees both sides of the issue, but she has been pushing for conditions that are unpopular with charter proponents. Right now there's a formula to compensate districts for the money they lose when students leave for charter schools. Under one proposal that Chang-Diaz favors, the charter cap would rise only if the Legislature fully funds the formula. Under a second proposal, a charter school could not apply for new seats if its students have a higher attrition rate than that of the overall district. Chang-Diaz wants to toughen the House language on that score.
Charter school proponents view any restrictions as obstacles to reform — a reflection of urban teachers' unions' desire to undermine efforts to increase charter school slots.
Chang-Diaz rejects that narrative. She insists she is simply weighing the desire to expand opportunity for kids on charter wait lists against the competing need for resources in the district schools. "There are things at stake on both sides," she said.
The South End mother who wrote to Diaz agrees. When I spoke with her, she said the Beacon Hill debate over lifting the cap means little to her. "I just don't think it fixes the problem," she said. "Just lifting the cap is not going to make the schools that aren't performing well perform better." (I agreed not to use her name; she's apprehensive about any fallout for her children.)
With all the focus on charter schools, she wonders, what about kids — like her son — who attend a district school by choice? Or what about those who return to district schools if a charter is not a good fit? That could be the end result for her family, given her son's special needs. On paper, she said, the charter school is open to her son. In reality, its more rigid structure may not work for him.
This mother sees many good things happening at the district school her son now attends. And while she is happy with the charter school her daughter attends, it's not perfect either.
She can see what others can't — the children in the middle of this ideological minefield.
None of them should be forgotten.
Joan Vennochi can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow her on Twitter @Joan_Vennochi.


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Songwriter/producer/artist Timbaland has been named songwriter of the year at ASCAP's 2008 Rhythm & Soul Music Awards.
Other winners at the 23 June event in LA included:
- R&B/hip-hop song of the year: Lost Without U by Robin Thicke
- Rap song of the year: Make Me Better by Fabolous featuring Ne-Yo
- Ringtone of the year: This Is Why I'm Hot by Mims
Timbaland also won songwriter of the year at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards earlier in 2008. Here he was recognised for his work on four songs: Ice Box by Omarion, Make Me Better and two Justin Timberlake songs, My Love (featuring TI) and Until The End Of Time (featuring Beyoncé).
New Edition members Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Bobby Brown, Ralph Tresvant, Ronnie DeVoe and Johnny Gill were presented with the Golden Note Award.
ASCAP is the US's performing rights organisation, representing more than 320,000 musician and publisher members. Full award results are at the ASCAP website.


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The deduction of mortgage interest from federal income taxes subsidizes homeownership, making it more affordable to become a homeowner. Or so we've been told. It is a highly popular tax break, yet one that is not without criticism. For example, it turns out the mortgage interest deduction (MID) primarily benefits those who would choose to own homes anyway while encouraging them to simply buy bigger and more expensive homes. Those who are on the margin between renting and owning tend not to itemize deductions, thus they cannot benefit from the MID. As a result, if the goal is to increase the homeownership rate, the MID is an ineffective tool. Furthermore, it creates a distortion in the choice between financing owner-occupied housing with debt or other assets, and in the choice between investing in residential real estate or other assets.
Despite its popularity among voters, the mortgage interest deduction has long been a target for elimination. Most recently, President Obama's deficit reduction commission (Simpson-Bowles) had it in its sights. While there is general sentiment among voters that the mortgage interest deduction is a good idea, there is little understanding of its impact. In order to understand the potential impact of closing this loophole, this study examines specifically who benefits from the MID and how much they benefit. It also provides an estimate of how much tax rates could be reduced if the deduction were eliminated but revenues were held constant as well as a discussion of other possible changes to the mortgage interest deduction.
In December 2012, Reason Foundation published an update to the data in this study: "Unmasking the Mortgage Interest Deduction – Update 2012."


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SLI / CrossFire Article Index
FurMark, FluidMark, TessMark and ShaderToyMark are all OpenGL applications. Unless the OpenGL application is a commercial video game, you have to tweak a bit to make it CrossFire or SLI compliant. Here are some tricks you can apply to take advantage of the multi-GPU support in FurMark or in any other OpenGL application.
1 – Common rule: FULLSCREEN
To take advantage of SLI or CrossFire, you have to run the OpenGL application in FULLSCREEN. Both SLI and CrossFire only work in fullscreen. Currently there's no way to get SLI / CF system running in windowed mode… with gaming hardware (GeForce or Radeon based cards). I recently discoverd that you can do multi-GPU in a windowed application with CrossFire PRO (FirePro graphics cards).
2 – How to enable SLI support
SLI is NVIDIA multi-GPU technology. Thanks to SLI you can use several GeForce graphics cards at the same time to speed up the 3D rendering. There are several ways to enable SLI with an OpenGL application like FurMark:
2.1 – first thing, be sure that SLI is enabled. Just select Maximize 3D performance in NVIDIA control panel (or NVCPL):
2.2 – The application has a SLI profile provided by NVIDIA (like popular OpenGL video games: Quake Wars, Wolfeinsten, etc.): you have nothing to do. Just start your application in fullscreen, that's all.
2.3 – The application does not have a SLI profile like FurMark. In that case try the following tricks:
2.3.1 – The correct way: enabling SLI in NVCPL is not enough. You have also to manually set the SLI rendering mode to AFR1 (Alternate Frame Rendering 1) in NVCPL (Manage 3D Settings entry on the left):
This setting is enough for FurMark. And to be sure your SLI cards are working together, you can enable the SLI Visual Indicator:
Once your SLI is okay, start a FurMark test in fullscreen and you should have something like this:
FurMark 1.9.0 loves SLI
FurMark 1.9.0 loves also the 3-way SLI
2.3.2 – The dirty way: the file renaming trick (part 1): renaming FurMark.exe in etqw.exe is a simple solution to make SLI working. etqw.exe is the Enemy Territory Quake Wars game and it's an OpenGL game. Then renaming FurMark.exe in etqw.exe will allow FurMark to use etqw SLI profile.
2.3.3 – The file renaming trick (part 2): etqw does not work? Then try to rename FurMark.exe in SeriousSam.exe. Serious Sam is also an OpenGL video game and has a SLI profile.
2.3.4 – do you have another trick? Post a comment to share it.
Next page: how to enable CrossFire support.
SLI / CrossFire Article Index


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Cracks are showing in Russia's leadership as a slowdown in the economy is beginning to cause rifts at the heart of the government, with one academic telling CNBC on Thursday that the economy poses the biggest threat to the country's leadership.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev warned on Wednesday that while Russia's economy had not performed badly in 2012, falling commodity prices risked pushing the country into a recession, but the government will stick to its adopted fiscal rule, he told parliament on Wednesday.
Medvedev's comments came after the Russian economic ministry cut the country's economic growth forecasts for 2013 to 2.4 percent this year from 3.6 percent. Russia's economy has posted slower growth for five consecutive quarters.
(Read More: Russia Cuts 2013 Economic Growth Forecast by a Third)


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12 Books
Franz Kafka was born in 1883 in Prague, where he lived most of his life. During his lifetime, he published only a few short stories, including "The Metamorphosis," "The Judgment," and "The Stoker." He died in 1924, before completing any of his full-length novels.
At the end of his life, Kafka asked his lifelong friend and literary executor Max Brod to burn all his unpublished work. Brod overrode those wishes.
© 2023 Dharya Information Private Limited


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N.C. State, UT Scientists Secure $2M to Improve Produce Safety
Caption for photo at right: Cantaloupes are among the crops that could benefit from postharvest washing with naturally occurring mircrobials to help prevent E. coli, Listeria and Salmonella contamination in organic produce. Photo by Justin Moore, N.C. State University.
(Download a hi-res photo.)
KANNAPOLIS, NC – A group of scientists at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture and North Carolina State University are working together to improve the safety of organic produce – naturally.
Their study, "Alternative Post-harvest Washing Solutions to Enhance the Microbial Safety and Quality of Organic Fresh Produce," began last fall.
The four-year, multidisciplinary project is supported by a nearly $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) program. Dr. Qixin Zhong, an associate professor in the UT Department of Food Science and Technology, leads the initiative.
"The goal of the project is to provide safe, alternative, sustainable and effective treatments to reduce foodborne illnesses caused by E. coli, Listeria and Salmonella contamination in organic produce," said Zhong.
The group hopes to provide those effective treatments in the form of alternative organic antimicrobials — naturally occurring substances such as organic essential oils that fight pathogens like E. coli — added to postharvest wash water.
"To improve microbiological safety of organic produce, there is an urgent need to develop washing practices that not only enhance sanitation effectiveness but also fulfill the requirement of organic fresh produce," said Zhong.
As part of the project, the researchers also will evaluate the economic feasibility of their work and impact on the shelf life of various types of organic produce.Researchers and Extension specialists from the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture and North Carolina State University are partnering to work on a nearly $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) program.
"The research team is very eager to make sure the outcomes from this project will be applicable to organic growers throughout the United States," said Faith Critzer, a UT Extension specialist and faculty member of the UT Department of Food Science and Technology.
To achieve that goal, researchers partnered with a group of organic produce growers who will provide feedback throughout the study. In addition, the team will share research findings through webcasts, written fact sheets and a series of workshops held in Tennessee and North Carolina.
The UT Institute of Agriculture provides instruction, research and public service through the UT College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources; the UT College of Veterinary Medicine; UT AgResearch, including its system of 10 research and education centers; and UT Extension offices in every county in the state.
North Carolina State University's project team includes an interdisciplinary group of faculty from the Plants for Human Health Institute, N.C. Cooperative Extension and the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences, all of which are part of the university's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences(CALS). CALS' mission is to improve the economic, environmental and social well-being of North Carolina and the world.
Project partners include Dr. Qixin Zhong, associate professor in the UT Department of Food Science and Technology; Faith Critzer, UT assistant professor and food safety extension specialist; Dr. P. Michael Davidson, UT professor of food microbiology; Dr. David Lockwood, UT professor and extension specialist in fruit and nut crops; Dr. Annette Wszelaki, UT assistant professor and commercial vegetable extension specialist; Jonathan Baros, farm and agribusiness management with PHHI; Dr. Jeanine Davis, NCSU associate professor and extension specialist in organic crops; Dr. MaryAnne Drake, NCSU professor in sensory analysis and flavor chemistry; Diane Ducharme, GAPs program coordinator and extension associate in horticulture and food safety with PHHI; and Dr. Penelope Perkins-Veazie, professor and postharvest physiologist with PHHI.
(Download a PDF of the news release.)
Media Contacts
University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (lead)
Dr. Faith Critzer, Assistant Professor and UT Extension Specialist, 865-974-7274, firstname.lastname@example.com
North Carolina State University
Justin Moore, Extension Communications, 704-250-5433, email@example.com
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text: Brass Pull Handles in India - Get top Door Hardware & Window Fittings manufacturers, exporters, suppliers, dealers, and there contact details & address of Architecture & Interiors services in our city @ Indian Business Pages. Get address, maps, contact person name & more info. Register your business now with IbpHub.


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One of my new ideas for the podcast is a dedicated review series of iOS and Android wine-related applications. I've posted about mobile apps over the years but it seems the time is right for a regular series of reviews since new apps seem to be popping up more rapidly these days. As I see promising apps I'll post these first looks to give readers a heads up on apps that might be useful before I review them more fully later.
My first app is called Vivino and is available in iOS, Android and Blackberry flavors being one of the few such cross platform wine apps. And the idea is both simple and brilliant; a photo-based tasting notes app. I think this has a lot of potential given the rise of apps like Instagram and picplz for sharing photos. Vivino is essentially the same idea for sharing wines.
But at this early stage, the Android beta is an ill-behaved, non-integrated work in progress. Once you open it up it couldn't be more simple. Clicking on the "Add wine" button opens your camera app and you take a photo of the wine you want to save. They are uploaded to your account and some time later metadata is automatically added with details about the wine. The only problem is this adding of metadata only works about 30% of the time and even then seems to be unreliable. Worse, the app doesn't let you edit or add anything manually or integrate with an online account so you could add this data later on your computer. I also noticed for whatever reason the app hit GPS more often than other apps (what does it need GPS for in the first place?) so if you let the app run in the background your battery will run down faster.
Without integration to an online account or the ability to add information about a wine manually I can't recommend the current Android version. I'll check out the iOS version but since I have an older iPod Touch I can't test this fully. Hopefully this app will improve over time because the idea is a very good one. Post your experiences with the app on the Blackberry or iPhone versions in the comments.
via Lifehacker