Refugees in the world's largest refugee camp will soon be able to go for higher education at the world's first university being set up near a camp for its inhabitants.
The campus is being set up by Kenya's Kenyatta University (KU) near the sprawling ?city? of tents of Dadaab, where more than 500,000 people are sheltering from war and famine. It will serve both refugees and local Kenyans.
Humanitarian officials hail it as a first for refugees, while education experts say it's a creative solution for cases of long-term conflict in Africa.
?Providing education can help solve conflicts in troubled zones in the long-term. With education people get sobered up. They also feel actualized and have hope for the future,? says Dr, Josephine Gitome, the director of KU?s Center for Refugees and Empowerment which is implementing the project.
Think you know Africa? Take our geography quiz.
KU has partnered with Borderless Higher Education for Refugees (BHER), a Canadian and Kenyan development partnership together with international organizations and institutions to establish the Kenyatta University Dadaab Campus.
BHER is a partnership which makes educational programs available to refugees where they need it. It is providing education through online distance courses in Dadaab and along the Thai-Burma border.
?Refugees who have completed secondary school almost universally voice the desire to attend university, but to date international scholarships in the Global North remain the only opportunity.These scholarships are few and benefit 1 percent,? Professor Wenona Giles of York University, the BHER lead partner, said in the Kenyan media.
Some Kenyans and officials have been pushing to relocate the camp to Somalia. However, the university hasn't generated much controversy because it also serves local residents and could remain even if the camp is closed.
?It?s on our soil and so we are the greatest beneficiaries,? said Farah Maalim, a member of Parliament from the region, in a newspaper announcement.
The campus is a big leap forward and a win-win situation for Kenya and the refugees, according to Dominik Bartsch, regional head of operations of the United Nations refugee agency.
?It will serve as an incentive for refugee children to complete school and proceed to obtain higher qualifications,? said Mr. Bartsch at the official launch of the campus on Oct. 9.
The first students start in January of 2013, and will study for certificates, bachelor diplomas in fields including Finance, Marketing, Project Management, Education, Public Administration, Community Mobilization, and Peace and Conflict studies. There will be regular courses with lectures beginning in the morning and ending in the evening, along with distance learning and weekend options.
Moses Mukhwana, an official of the Lutheran World Federation at the camp says many refugees who could not access university education were very enthusiastic.
?They will not need passes as often is the case when they have to join institutions out of the camp," he says, referring to identity cards that require registration with the Kenyan government. "We also hope for improved co-existence."
Mohammed Bashir, a 25-year-old refugee who serves as the camp's webmaster, said in a telephone interview; ?This is the best thing that can happen to us refugees.?
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon defended its decision not to deploy forces to Benghazi, Libya, as soon as the U.S. mission came under attack on September 11th, saying it would have been irresponsible to put forces in harm's way without better information.
President Barack Obama's response to the attacks in Libya has been a contentious issue in the hard-fought U.S. presidential race, with Republican opponents raising questions about his administration's truthfulness and competence.
Obama supporters have in turn accused Republicans of making unfounded accusations in an effort to score political points from the death of a U.S. ambassador and the three others killed in the Benghazi attack.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Republican John Boehner, asked in a letter to Obama on Thursday about whether military options and assets were offered "during and in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attack."
"Can you explain what options were presented to you or your staff, and why it appears assets were not allowed to be pre-positioned, let alone utilized?" Boehner asked.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told Pentagon reporters that U.S. forces were on a heightened state of alert already because of the 11th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington by al Qaeda.
But he said there simply wasn't enough information to responsibly deploy forces to Libya at the time of the attack.
"You don't deploy forces into harm's way without knowing what's going on, without having some real-time information about what's taking place," Panetta said.
Lacking that information, Panetta said he, General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, and General Carter Ham, head of the U.S. military's Africa Command, felt they couldn't "put forces at risk in that situation."
"This happened within a few hours and it was really over before, you know, we had the opportunity to really know what was happening," Panetta said.
In the aftermath of the attack, Panetta reminded reporters that the Pentagon deployed a Marine fleet anti-terrorist security team to Tripoli and had Navy ships off the coast.
"And we were prepared to respond to any contingency. And certainly had forces in place to do that," he said.
The administration initially attributed the violence to protests over an anti-Islam film and said it was not premeditated. Obama and other officials have since said the incident was a deliberate terrorist attack.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has attributed the shifting explanation to "the fog of war."
A State Department email made public this week showed that two hours after the attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission compound in Benghazi, the Department's Operations Center advised officials at various U.S. agencies that a militant group called Ansar al-Sharia had claimed credit on Twitter and Facebook for the attacks.
U.S. officials, including Clinton, on Wednesday said that such Internet postings did not constitute hard evidence of who was responsible for the attacks.
The State Department has set up an independent review board to investigate the background and response to the attacks.
The U.S. Senate intelligence committee on Thursday said it will hold hearings in November - after the November 6 presidential election - on security and intelligence issues raised by the September 11 attack in Libya.
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Suicide in children and adolescentsPublic release date: 14-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Sonja Mak s.mak@update.europe.at 43-140-55734 European College of Neuropsychopharmacology
Dr. Paramala J. Santosh, Maudsley Hospital, London, UK
This press release is available in German.
Suicide in children and adolescents has long been a matter of great concern to modern society, particularly for clinicians who deal with mental health problems of children and adolescents. For instance, in 1910 the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society with Sigmund Freud among the attending experts held a conference, dealing with what was perceived to be a growing epidemic of youth suicide (Greydanus & Calles, 2007). At the beginning of the 21st century, suicide and suicide attempts by children and adolescents continue to be a major public health problem, and topical research and surveys have clearly highlighted suicide as one of the commonest causes of death among young people.
Epidemiology of suicide
Suicide is one of the major causes of death worldwide and suicide rates vary according to region, sex, age, time, ethnic origin, and, probably, practices of death registration. Most people who die by suicide have psychiatric disorders, notably mood, substance-related, anxiety, psychotic, and personality disorders, with high rates of comorbidity.
Suicidal cognitions and behaviours can occur both independently and together. Risk of onset of suicidal ideation increases rapidly during adolescence and young adulthood, and then stabilizes in early midlife. The prevalence rates in adolescents cross-nationally are reported to be 19.8.0% for suicide ideation, and 3.1%.8% for suicide attempts (Nock et al, 2008a). The incidence of suicide attempts reaches a peak during the mid-adolescent years, and at that age mortality from suicide, which increases steadily through the teen years, is the third leading cause of death.
Suicide in childhood and early adolescence is rare. However, in adolescents and young adulthood suicide rates increase to mean worldwide annual rates of suicide among 5 year olds of 0.5 per 100,000 for females and 0.9 per 100,000 for males, and for 15? year olds 12.0 per 100,000 for females and 14.2 per 100,000 for males, respectively (Pelkonen & Marttunen, 2003). Males often outnumber females in worldwide youth suicide statistics, although this is variable between different countries.
Suicide rates in elderly people have fallen in many countries, whereas those in young people have risen (Hawton & van Heeringen, 2009).
Risk factors for suicide
Important contributors to self-harm and suicide include genetic vulnerability and psychiatric, psychological, familial, social and cultural factors. For instance, the relationship between psychiatric disorders and adolescent suicide is well established. Mood disorders, substance abuse and prior suicide attempts are strongly related with youth suicides (Pelkonen & Marttunen, 2003). The effects of media and congestion are also relevant, with the internet having an important contemporary role, as well as family history of suicidal behaviour, family adversity and upbringing, social alienation, exposure to suicidal behaviour by others and in the media, and availability of means (Hawton et al., 2012; Hawton & van Heeringen, 2009; Pelkonen & Marttunen, 2003).
The progression from suicidal ideation to self-harm and then to suicide is by no means absolute. Self-harm may escalate and this may be a marker for subsequent suicide: Suicide risk among self-harm patients is hundreds of times higher than in the general population (Owens et al., 2002). The risk of suicide attempt is significantly increased in those with suicidal ideations and planning, and risk of completed suicide is increased in patients who abscond from medical care or take precautions against discovery. Providing continuity of care for high-risk youth is a challenge, since they are often noncompliant and commonly drop out or terminate their treatment prematurely (Pelkonen & Marttunen, 2003).
Reportedly less than half of young people who have committed suicide have received psychiatric care (Pelkonen & Marttunen, 2003).
Approaches to suicide prevention
Prevention of self-harm and suicide needs both universal measures aimed at young people in general and targeted initiatives focused on high-risk groups (Hawton et al., 2012). The main target of effective prevention of youth suicide is to reduce suicide risk factors. In particular, recognition and effective treatment of psychiatric disorders, e.g. depression, as well as restriction of access to means for suicide, are essential in preventing child and adolescent suicides (Pelkonen & Marttunen, 2003). Furthermore, available evidence suggests that various treatment modalities are useful in the treatment of suicidal youths, e.g. cognitive behavioural therapy and specialized emergency room interventions.
Efforts to prevent subsequent attempts at suicide have not generally been successful, and many children and adolescents are not receiving treatment for the mood and other psychiatric disorders that are risk factors. Evaluation of suicide risk should be carried out regularly in order to attempt early intervention as part of suicide prevention programmes.
To address this, a consortium of child mental health specialists across Europe, led by Dr. Paramala Santosh, London, UK, worked as part of the EU FP7 funded Suicidality: Treatment Occurring in Paediatrics (STOP) project, and specifically developed the Suicidality: Treatment Occurring in Paediatrics (STOP) Suite of Suicidality Measures, measuring suicidality, medication side effects, and risk and protective factors. These patient-reported outcome measures (PROMS) are hosted on the so called HealthTracker, a web-based multimedia health monitoring system. The STOP project is being piloted in children and adolescents to identify whether the patient reported measures can pick up suicidal ideation and behaviour allowing for alert systems to be set up and to warn clinicians about increased suicidal risk, resulting in early intervention, especially when new medication is initiated.
As part of this project, a detailed review of psychosocial factors associated with suicidality in children and adolescents was conducted. Studies of psychological factors, life events, temperamental factors, medication-related factors, and associated medical problems were reviewed. According to the findings, the majority of youth who have completed suicide had significant psychiatric problems, including depressive disorders and substance abuse disorders. Stressful life events and medical conditions were often reported to precede a suicide and/or suicide attempt. Youth suicide was marked by a distinct male preponderance, and some temperamental factors may mediate suicide risk.
Another aspect of the web-based HealthTracker monitoring system hosting the STOP Suicidality measures is its use in pharmacovigilance to detect medication-associated suicidality when new drugs are introduced into the market.
Conclusion
Suicide and suicide attempts by children and adolescents are today a major public health problem. During the mid-adolescent years, the incidence of suicide attempts reaches a peak and mortality from suicide is the third leading cause of death.
Major risk factors for suicidal behaviour include genetic vulnerability, mental disorders (e.g. mood disorders, substance abuse), family adversity, social alienation, family history of suicidal behaviour, exposure to suicidal behaviour by others and in the media, availability of means, and previous self-harm.
Since less than half of young people who have committed suicide have received psychiatric care, broad prevention strategies are paramount needs in healthcare and social services. In particular, clinicians need to know how to identify individuals at greatest risk for suicide.
As part of suicide prevention, evaluation of suicide risk should be carried out on a regular basis in order to attempt early intervention. The EU-funded Suicidality: Treatment Occurring in Paediatrics (STOP) Programme was developed to provide suicidality measures, and is being piloted in children and adolescents to alert clinicians about increased suicide risk and prompt early intervention.
###
References
1. Suicidality: Treatment Occurring in Paediatrics (STOP) Project - EC FP7 Grant Agreement No 261411
2. Hawton K & Heeringen KV. Suicide. Lancet 2009;373:1372-81
3. Hawton K, Saunders KE, OConnor RC. Self-harm and suicide in adolescents. Lancet 2012; 379:2373-2382
4. Nock MK, Borges G, Bromet EJ, et al. Cross-national prevalence and risk factors for suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts in the WHO World Mental Health Surveys. Br J Psychiatry 2008a;192:98-105
5. Nock, MK., Borges, G., Bromet, E.J., Cha, C.B., Kessler, R.C., Lee, S. Suicide and suicidal Behavior. Epidemiology Review 2008b;30:133-154
6. Owens, D., Horrocks, J., House, A. Fatal and non-fatal repetition of self-harm: systematic review. British Journal of Psychiatry 2002;181:193-9
7. Pelkonen M, Marttunen M. Child and adolescent suicide: epidemiology, risk factors, and approaches to prevention. Paediatr Drugs 2003;5:243-65
8. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service; 2001. National Strategy for Suicide Prevention: Goals and objectives for action. Rockville, MD: Author.
9. United States Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General's call to action to prevent suicide, 1999 [online]. Available from URL: www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/calltoaction/calltoaction.pdf [Accessed 2007 Apr 24]
10. United States Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General's call to action to prevent suicide, 1999 [online]. Available from URL: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/calltoaction/calltoaction.pdf [Accessed 2007 Apr 24]
11. World Health Organisation. Suicide rates, country reports and charts [online]. Available from URL: www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/country_reports/en/index.html [Accessed 2006 Jun 2]
Correspondence:
Dr. Paramala J. Santosh, Dip NB (Psych), MD, PhD, FRCPsych
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Clinical Academic Group,
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Michael Rutter Centre, Maudsley Hospital, De Crespigny Park, London SE 5 8AZ, United Kingdom
E-mail: paramala.1.santosh@kcl.ac.uk
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Suicide in children and adolescentsPublic release date: 14-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Sonja Mak s.mak@update.europe.at 43-140-55734 European College of Neuropsychopharmacology
Dr. Paramala J. Santosh, Maudsley Hospital, London, UK
This press release is available in German.
Suicide in children and adolescents has long been a matter of great concern to modern society, particularly for clinicians who deal with mental health problems of children and adolescents. For instance, in 1910 the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society with Sigmund Freud among the attending experts held a conference, dealing with what was perceived to be a growing epidemic of youth suicide (Greydanus & Calles, 2007). At the beginning of the 21st century, suicide and suicide attempts by children and adolescents continue to be a major public health problem, and topical research and surveys have clearly highlighted suicide as one of the commonest causes of death among young people.
Epidemiology of suicide
Suicide is one of the major causes of death worldwide and suicide rates vary according to region, sex, age, time, ethnic origin, and, probably, practices of death registration. Most people who die by suicide have psychiatric disorders, notably mood, substance-related, anxiety, psychotic, and personality disorders, with high rates of comorbidity.
Suicidal cognitions and behaviours can occur both independently and together. Risk of onset of suicidal ideation increases rapidly during adolescence and young adulthood, and then stabilizes in early midlife. The prevalence rates in adolescents cross-nationally are reported to be 19.8.0% for suicide ideation, and 3.1%.8% for suicide attempts (Nock et al, 2008a). The incidence of suicide attempts reaches a peak during the mid-adolescent years, and at that age mortality from suicide, which increases steadily through the teen years, is the third leading cause of death.
Suicide in childhood and early adolescence is rare. However, in adolescents and young adulthood suicide rates increase to mean worldwide annual rates of suicide among 5 year olds of 0.5 per 100,000 for females and 0.9 per 100,000 for males, and for 15? year olds 12.0 per 100,000 for females and 14.2 per 100,000 for males, respectively (Pelkonen & Marttunen, 2003). Males often outnumber females in worldwide youth suicide statistics, although this is variable between different countries.
Suicide rates in elderly people have fallen in many countries, whereas those in young people have risen (Hawton & van Heeringen, 2009).
Risk factors for suicide
Important contributors to self-harm and suicide include genetic vulnerability and psychiatric, psychological, familial, social and cultural factors. For instance, the relationship between psychiatric disorders and adolescent suicide is well established. Mood disorders, substance abuse and prior suicide attempts are strongly related with youth suicides (Pelkonen & Marttunen, 2003). The effects of media and congestion are also relevant, with the internet having an important contemporary role, as well as family history of suicidal behaviour, family adversity and upbringing, social alienation, exposure to suicidal behaviour by others and in the media, and availability of means (Hawton et al., 2012; Hawton & van Heeringen, 2009; Pelkonen & Marttunen, 2003).
The progression from suicidal ideation to self-harm and then to suicide is by no means absolute. Self-harm may escalate and this may be a marker for subsequent suicide: Suicide risk among self-harm patients is hundreds of times higher than in the general population (Owens et al., 2002). The risk of suicide attempt is significantly increased in those with suicidal ideations and planning, and risk of completed suicide is increased in patients who abscond from medical care or take precautions against discovery. Providing continuity of care for high-risk youth is a challenge, since they are often noncompliant and commonly drop out or terminate their treatment prematurely (Pelkonen & Marttunen, 2003).
Reportedly less than half of young people who have committed suicide have received psychiatric care (Pelkonen & Marttunen, 2003).
Approaches to suicide prevention
Prevention of self-harm and suicide needs both universal measures aimed at young people in general and targeted initiatives focused on high-risk groups (Hawton et al., 2012). The main target of effective prevention of youth suicide is to reduce suicide risk factors. In particular, recognition and effective treatment of psychiatric disorders, e.g. depression, as well as restriction of access to means for suicide, are essential in preventing child and adolescent suicides (Pelkonen & Marttunen, 2003). Furthermore, available evidence suggests that various treatment modalities are useful in the treatment of suicidal youths, e.g. cognitive behavioural therapy and specialized emergency room interventions.
Efforts to prevent subsequent attempts at suicide have not generally been successful, and many children and adolescents are not receiving treatment for the mood and other psychiatric disorders that are risk factors. Evaluation of suicide risk should be carried out regularly in order to attempt early intervention as part of suicide prevention programmes.
To address this, a consortium of child mental health specialists across Europe, led by Dr. Paramala Santosh, London, UK, worked as part of the EU FP7 funded Suicidality: Treatment Occurring in Paediatrics (STOP) project, and specifically developed the Suicidality: Treatment Occurring in Paediatrics (STOP) Suite of Suicidality Measures, measuring suicidality, medication side effects, and risk and protective factors. These patient-reported outcome measures (PROMS) are hosted on the so called HealthTracker, a web-based multimedia health monitoring system. The STOP project is being piloted in children and adolescents to identify whether the patient reported measures can pick up suicidal ideation and behaviour allowing for alert systems to be set up and to warn clinicians about increased suicidal risk, resulting in early intervention, especially when new medication is initiated.
As part of this project, a detailed review of psychosocial factors associated with suicidality in children and adolescents was conducted. Studies of psychological factors, life events, temperamental factors, medication-related factors, and associated medical problems were reviewed. According to the findings, the majority of youth who have completed suicide had significant psychiatric problems, including depressive disorders and substance abuse disorders. Stressful life events and medical conditions were often reported to precede a suicide and/or suicide attempt. Youth suicide was marked by a distinct male preponderance, and some temperamental factors may mediate suicide risk.
Another aspect of the web-based HealthTracker monitoring system hosting the STOP Suicidality measures is its use in pharmacovigilance to detect medication-associated suicidality when new drugs are introduced into the market.
Conclusion
Suicide and suicide attempts by children and adolescents are today a major public health problem. During the mid-adolescent years, the incidence of suicide attempts reaches a peak and mortality from suicide is the third leading cause of death.
Major risk factors for suicidal behaviour include genetic vulnerability, mental disorders (e.g. mood disorders, substance abuse), family adversity, social alienation, family history of suicidal behaviour, exposure to suicidal behaviour by others and in the media, availability of means, and previous self-harm.
Since less than half of young people who have committed suicide have received psychiatric care, broad prevention strategies are paramount needs in healthcare and social services. In particular, clinicians need to know how to identify individuals at greatest risk for suicide.
As part of suicide prevention, evaluation of suicide risk should be carried out on a regular basis in order to attempt early intervention. The EU-funded Suicidality: Treatment Occurring in Paediatrics (STOP) Programme was developed to provide suicidality measures, and is being piloted in children and adolescents to alert clinicians about increased suicide risk and prompt early intervention.
###
References
1. Suicidality: Treatment Occurring in Paediatrics (STOP) Project - EC FP7 Grant Agreement No 261411
2. Hawton K & Heeringen KV. Suicide. Lancet 2009;373:1372-81
3. Hawton K, Saunders KE, OConnor RC. Self-harm and suicide in adolescents. Lancet 2012; 379:2373-2382
4. Nock MK, Borges G, Bromet EJ, et al. Cross-national prevalence and risk factors for suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts in the WHO World Mental Health Surveys. Br J Psychiatry 2008a;192:98-105
5. Nock, MK., Borges, G., Bromet, E.J., Cha, C.B., Kessler, R.C., Lee, S. Suicide and suicidal Behavior. Epidemiology Review 2008b;30:133-154
6. Owens, D., Horrocks, J., House, A. Fatal and non-fatal repetition of self-harm: systematic review. British Journal of Psychiatry 2002;181:193-9
7. Pelkonen M, Marttunen M. Child and adolescent suicide: epidemiology, risk factors, and approaches to prevention. Paediatr Drugs 2003;5:243-65
8. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service; 2001. National Strategy for Suicide Prevention: Goals and objectives for action. Rockville, MD: Author.
9. United States Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General's call to action to prevent suicide, 1999 [online]. Available from URL: www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/calltoaction/calltoaction.pdf [Accessed 2007 Apr 24]
10. United States Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General's call to action to prevent suicide, 1999 [online]. Available from URL: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/calltoaction/calltoaction.pdf [Accessed 2007 Apr 24]
11. World Health Organisation. Suicide rates, country reports and charts [online]. Available from URL: www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/country_reports/en/index.html [Accessed 2006 Jun 2]
Correspondence:
Dr. Paramala J. Santosh, Dip NB (Psych), MD, PhD, FRCPsych
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Clinical Academic Group,
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Michael Rutter Centre, Maudsley Hospital, De Crespigny Park, London SE 5 8AZ, United Kingdom
E-mail: paramala.1.santosh@kcl.ac.uk
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public speaking infront of a group of critical strangers is universally mans greatest fear. Personally, I used to share echo this sentiment. I?ll admit it?s something I?ve avoided when possible. I?m not completely frightened per say ? in the past I just didn?t feel comfortable speaking in front of a group of people whom I don?t know.
Part of me feels as though I don?t have much to contribute of value, (translation: who cares what some dumbass like me has to say?) so why potentially embarrass myself in front of a group of strangers? The risk-reward didn?t seem to check out? Much like how terrified I was starting this blog.
The issue is vulnerability ? we struggle to step outside the comfort and safety of our daily routines to which w can control.
A Transformation
I?ve come to realise I?m in a somewhat unique situation (narcissistic rant coming). I?ve accomplished my goal of startimg a career the social media landscape ? making the transformation from full-time amateur athlete / student to working at a upstart tech company.
I was given the opportunity to speak to a group of university students a couple of months ago. The speaking gig was hardly something to boast about, it was a panel with three others. The subject of said panel? How to pursue a?career in e business. The audience comprised of Undergraduate Business School students looking to carve out a career in the digital space.
Given that I was in a similar position to these students a year ago ? I thought it a great chance to share advice and maybe weave a few tales of my journey.
Sharing and Competition ~ #Winning?
Any pre-game butterflies immediately vanished when I introduced myself to the eager students ? before i knew it, I even got a laugh or two out of the audience (shocker right?).
Sharing any knowledge I may have is pretty rewarding. Coming from a psychology background, I love to help people ? ?the fact that these students cared what I had to say is a pretty amazing feeling.
Coming from an athletic background, I actually compare public speaking to competing in sport. My mindset shifted to competition mode when the panel started? For some crazy reason I wanted to ?outperform? my fellow panelists (who were all amazing by the way).
Simply put? I wanted to win.
Express Yourself ~ The Rush
Starting this blog was terrifying. Much like anything else, there?s a learning curve. Getting comfortable with sharing my thoughts in writing took time, public speaking is similar.
Surprise surprise? like anything else, it takes practice.
The rush I got from public speaking was pretty amazing.?I was shocked at the response from the students of my Alma Mater. I?m hooked ?and I can?t wait to speak more frequently.
Are you scared of public speaking? Does it get easier with practice?
Blogging, Networking, Renaissance Man, Social Media
The Obama campaign said Saturday it was pairing Clinton with another heavyweight, rocker Bruce Springsteen, at a rally this coming Thursday in Ohio, one of the most pivotal states.
By Andrew Miga,?Associated Press / October 13, 2012
Former President Bill Clinton shakes hands with supporters after speaking at a "Hoosier Common Sense" rally for Indiana Democratic Senate candidate Joe Donnelly and Democratic Indiana gubernatorial candidate John Gregg in Indianapolis, Friday, Oct. 12, 2012.
Michael Conroy/AP
Enlarge
Bill Clinton is back in the game big time, serving as President Barack Obama's surrogate in chief and relying on his oratorical skill and folksy style to help Democratic candidates.
Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of The Christian Science Monitor Weekly Digital Edition
His high-profile role also gives him the chance to enhance his legacy as Democratic elder statesman and global humanitarian. He can build up political IOUs should his wife, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, decide to run again for president down the road.
Out of office since 2001, Clinton is proving that he retains a strong appeal with voters, especially in conservative states where Democratic candidates aren't eager to appear with Obama. The ex-president is a leading expert in the art of the political comeback ? a skill the struggling Obama could use now.
Also, there's this uncomfortable truth: Obama needs Clinton to generate support with white, working-class and independent voters who were drawn to Clinton and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, but who haven't warmed to Obama.
Bill Clinton: 5 reasons he is helping Obama
"If there's one thing we've learned in this election season, by the way, it is that a few words from Bill Clinton can do a man a lot of good," Romney joked in remarks at the Clinton Global Initiative last month, a nod to Clinton's convention speech.
The Obama campaign said Saturday it was pairing Clinton with another heavyweight, rocker Bruce Springsteen, at a rally this coming Thursday in Ohio, one of the most pivotal states.
In Indianapolis on Friday to boost Senate Democratic hopeful Joe Donnelly, Clinton said he hadn't expected to be so involved in the 2012 campaign. But Hillary Clinton is busy as America's chief diplomat and daughter Chelsea works for a broadcast network, he noted.
"So you're stuck with me," Clinton told the crowd.
Obama and other Democrats ? maybe even Clinton himself, bitter at the way Al Gore campaigned largely without him in 2000 ? wouldn't have it any other way.
Obama himself has cracked that he should appoint Clinton "secretary of explaining stuff."
The lighthearted tone and determined cooperation between Obama and Clinton is hard-won and may not end with the 2012 campaign.
The bruising 2008 Democratic primary between Obama and Hillary Clinton damaged relations between the families. Obama's appointment of Hillary Clinton as secretary of state, and her successes in the job, healed the relationship enough for Clinton to step in to help with Obama's re-election.
If Obama has Bill Clinton to thank for a second term, one way to pay back the debt could be Obama's support for a Hillary Clinton campaign of the future.
Among voters generally, Bill Clinton is more appealing than Obama. A CBS News/New York Times poll in September found 66 percent of registered voters with a favorable view of Clinton, compared with 45 percent for Obama.
"He's got a way of communicating complex ideas in plain ways that no one else has," said Greg Haas, who ran Clinton's 1992 campaign in Ohio and who is Democratic chairman in Franklin County, which includes Columbus. "No one in my lifetime. He's in a class by himself."
Clinton symbolizes good economic times for many voters, including a federal budget that was balanced under his leadership. His convention speech rebutted Romney's attacks on Obama and accused Romney of pushing an economic plan that is doomed to fail. Clinton lends Obama credibility on the issue that voters consistently name as their top concern: the economy.
With all-in-one PCs growing in popularity because of their space-saving designs, there's also been a correspondingly burgeoning market for traditional desktop PCs with slimmer profiles. Enter the Lenovo Essential H520s ($449 direct), a desktop that can discreetly fit in some pretty tight workstations thanks to a compact profile that is, in Lenovo's estimation, roughly half the size of a traditional desktop. The H520s can be configured in several ways, and our review unit's configuration landed it under $500. It's a decent performer and most of its faults, like the absence of USB 3.0 connectivity and the inclusion of an older, second-generation "Sandy Bridge" processor, are forgivable when taking its price into consideration. That said, though, there are smaller and more forward-looking entry-level desktop PCs that are better choices for small businesses looking to save space and boost productivity.
Design and Features
The H520s is housed in a chassis that measures 12 by 4.1 by 14.2 inches (HWD). It's slightly taller and wider than the Acer Aspire AX1930-UR10P and significantly larger than the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92p Tiny, but slim and compact enough to discreetly fit in the even the most cramped desk spaces. The H520's black matte-finished chassis is fairly subdued, though it sports a handsome front panel that juxtaposes a brushed metallic finish with touches of glossy black plastic and thin, silvery strips. A vertical slot-loading DVD burner is built into the brushed aluminum portion, while the upper plastic section houses a media card reader, dual USB 2.0 ports, and audio-out and microphone-in jacks. The upper lip of this area is also where the power button is located. The rear of the H520s houses four USB 2.0 ports, VGA and HDMI outputs, an Ethernet port, and audio-out and microphone-in jacks. Overall, the H520s has a decent port selection, though two of its USB 2.0 ports will be occupied by the included wired keyboard and mouse. Moreover, the H520s lacks more forward-looking ports, like USB 3.0, which can be found in the Lenovo M92p Tiny. Still, the inclusion of an HDMI output is a nice touch that isn't found in all systems within this price range, like the Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 71.
Though it's not nearly as diminutive as the Acer AX1930-UR10P, the H520s has roughly the same capacity for internal expansion. The system's 6GB of DDR3 RAM occupies both slots on the motherboard; there's no additional space to add any new hard or optical drives. There's an available half-height PCIe x16 slot and, though there are three free PCIe x1 slots on the motherboard, two are blocked by the H520s's power supply. Unlike the Acer AX1930-UR10P and Lenovo M92p Tiny, though, the H520s does feature integrated Wi-Fi, leaving users free to add, say, a half-height, low-power graphics card in what is otherwise limited PCIe real estate.
The H520's 1TB 7,200rpm hard drive mercifully comes with less preloaded software than one would expect in a sub-$500 system. With surprisingly few exceptions (namely a Google toolbar and Windows Live Essential), most of the preloaded software serves a useful purpose, like full versions of McAfee Antivirus Pro and the CyberLink Power2Go burning suite. There's also a Starter version of Office 2010?which only features Word and Excel, and with limited functionality.
Performance
Our review unit came equipped with a 3GHz Intel Core i5-2320 "Sandy Bridge" second-generation processor and an integrated Intel HD 2000 GPU, and was an overall decent performer. Intel HD Graphics 2000 isn't Direct X11 compatible, however, so the H520s couldn't run the Lost Planet 2 DX11 or 3DMark 11benchmark tests. This is fairly common among entry-level systems, like the Acer AX1930-UR10P and Lenovo Edge 71, so it's not terribly surprising. The H520s's PCMark7 score of 2,864 points trumped the rest of its class, edging past the Lenovo Edge 71 (2,826 points) by a whisker while outperforming both the Lenovo M92p Tiny (2,491 points) and Acer AX1930-UR10P (2,371 points) by a wider margin.
The H520s excelled in our multimedia tests. It completed our Handbrake video encoding test in a class-leading 1 minute 21 seconds, outpacing the Lenovo M92p Tiny (1:30) by a narrow margin and easily besting the Lenovo IdeaCentre Q180 (7:24). Likewise, its CineBench R11.5 score of 4.9 points breezed past the competition, including the Lenovo M92p Tiny (3.24) and Acer AX1930-UR10P (3.2). Our Photoshop CS5 test was the sole instance in the multimedia arena where the H520s didn't come out on top, as its time of 3 minutes 39 seconds fell behind the Lenovo M92p Tiny (3:21) and was two seconds short of the Acer AX1930-UR10P (3:37).
Like the rest of its class, the H520s no gaming rig, so it's no surprise that it scored 13 frames per second (fps) in medium-quality settings and 2fps in very high-quality settings. The scores were were on par with the those of the Acer AX1930-UR10P (12fps and 2fps, respectively) and slightly below those of the Lenovo M92p Tiny (18fps and 2 fps, respectively).
The Lenovo H520s combines decent performance and good value into a compact chassis. Still, it's not as forward looking or as compact as the current Editors' Choice for entry-level business desktop PCs, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92p Tiny, and for that reason the latter remains the system to beat.
BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS:
COMPARISON TABLE Compare the Lenovo H520s with several other desktops side by side.
More desktop reviews: ??? Lenovo H520s ??? Sony VAIO Tap 20 (SVJ20215CXW) ??? Lenovo ThinkCentre M92z ??? Dell OptiPlex 9010 Small Form Factor ??? Toshiba LX835-D3230 ?? more
FAMILY TIES: The Lindauer painting of Kewene Te Haho with direct descendants, 10 years ago. From left, Clinton Kewene and his son Joshua, 3, Mabel Kewene (the chief is her great, great grandfather), and Albert Kewene at Waikato Museum of Art and History.
The authenticity of a supposedly 120-year-old Gottfried Lindauer painting of a Maori chief from the Waikato is in doubt after two forensic tests by experts proved inconclusive.
Trust Waikato paid $121,000 for the painting of Tainui tribal chief Kewene Te Haho, which has hung in the Waikato Museum of Art and History for a decade.
Auckland Art Gallery has conducted two tests on the painting, and is now in the midst of a third, after an unnamed member of the public pointed out the work had showed no sign of aging.
Dr Bev Gatenby, chief executive of the philanthropic Trust Waikato, said the painting had been bought at an International Art Centre auction in 2001.
She did not know when the third forensic test would be completed and the results available.
"They are quite technical chemical tests, there's quite a big effort," she said.
Asked what would happen if the Trust Waikato painting was proved to be a fake, Dr Gatenby said: "We will make a decision as to what the next steps are. The trust has been buying paintings for 10 years and the trust has a system in place."
Auckland Art Gallery principal conservator Sarah Hillary, who is conducting the tests, was not available for comment.
The painting was expected to sell for as much as $160,000 when it was auctioned in Auckland in March, 2001. After the sale, Trust Waikato's art buyer Stuart Stubbs said the painting was in "very good condition" considering it dated from the 1890s, although an exact date was unknown. Nineteenth-century Waikato paintings were scarce, he said at the time, because of the ferocity of the land wars.
The Times understands Roger Blackley, senior lecturer of art history at Victoria University's School of Art History, Classics and Religious Studies, expressed concerns with the authenticity of the painting but he declined to comment until after the results of the last tests had been shared.
Trust Waikato art adviser Ann McEwen also declined to comment.
The painting is one of two of Kewene Te Haho, a dominant chief of the sub tribes Ngati Naho, Ngati Whawhakia and Ngati Haua of Aotea Harbour near Kawhia, in public ownership. The other painting is in Auckland Art Gallery and is posed differently.
Yet another version of the painting is for sale online at artrecord.com, but you have to register for a fee. The Australian website did not answer an email from the Waikato Times on whether their painting was an original Lindauer or a copy.
The artrecord.com painting is one of 61 Lindauer paintings currently for sale.
Peter Wells, of Wells auctioneers in Auckland, said Lindauer was known to have made copies of previous paintings on demand, based on photographs.
Descendants of the chief were surprised to hear of the investigation.
"It's a pretty good fake if it is," said Teddy Kewene, a Whangerei-based great, great grandson of the chief. "He had a presence in the room. If it does turn out to be a fake and the price plummets I'd be pretty happy to hang it on my wall."
Albert Kewene, a Kawhia-based great, great grandson of the chief, said the family had always wondered why his ancestor had sat twice for Lindauer.
"It's a magnificent painting, and it's got a different depiction to the Auckland Art Gallery one."
Jive Software is hovering below its post-IPO low, after an investment bank lowered its rating on the company, citing research that shows enterprise companies are taking a cautious view of private social networks that we see from Salesforce.com, Yammer and a host of other competitors.
An outbreak of fungal meningitis has been linked to steroid shots for back pain. The medication, made by a specialty pharmacy in Massachusetts, has been recalled.
Latest numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
Illnesses: 184
Deaths: 14
States: 12; Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
KitchenAid 9-Speed Digital Display Hand Mixer candy apple red ? With (Free Dough hooks, whisk, milk shake liquid blender rod attachment and accessory bag) Candy Apple RedReviewed by on Oct 12
This hand mixer has a comfortable soft grip handle for extended mixing, whipping and kneading. nine speed electronic control with digital le
This hand mixer has a comfortable soft grip handle for extended mixing, whipping and kneading. nine speed electronic control with digital led display makes the tasks so easy. You can go from slow stir with soft start feature to high whip-with the touch of a finger. comes with whisk to get perfect egg whites into fluffy peaks. Knead yeast though effortlessly. MiPosted by 220.55
Includes hand mixer, turbo beater accessories, liquid blender rod, dough hooks, whisk, and accessory bag
Locking swivel cord for easy right- or left-handed use
Beautiful candy apple red
Swivel cord
This hand mixer has a comfortable soft grip handle for extended mixing, whipping and kneading. nine speed electronic control with digital led display makes the tasks so easy. You can go from slow stir with soft start feature to high whip-with the touch of a finger. comes with whisk to get perfect egg whites into fluffy peaks. Knead yeast though effortlessly. Mix ingredients for your favorite desserts. The sleek, speedy KitchenAid Architect hand mixer puts professional power in the palm of y
Cooking at home is the best way to save cash, but it?s nice to go out sometimes, too. Check out Frugal Foodie on Fridays for a selection of the latest coupons for casual and fancy fare.
This week: meals that benefit breast cancer charities, BOGO burritos and Oktoberfest buffets, among other deals.
Casa Ristoranti Italiano
The Fort Wayne, Ind., restaurant is offering $5 off coupons for its fifth anniversary.
Rubio?s
Buy one burrito, get one free with a print coupon from the company?s website. Participating locations only. Deal ends Oct. 17.
Western New York Restaurant Week
From Oct. 15 through 21, participating restaurants are offering specially priced dinners for $20.12.
Olive Garden
Through Nov. 18, the new ?Dinner Today, Dinner Tomorrow? promotion offers a free takeout entr?e with the purchase of a select dinner entr?e for $12.95. Participating locations only.?
Munich Haus
For Octoberfest, the Chicopee, Mass., Biergarten will offer a buffet and a stein of beer for $19.50 on select nights.
Tumbleweed Southwest Grill
With the $20 ?My Treat? deal, get one small queso, two Tex Mex dinners and two margarita sundaes. Offer expires October 31
Baking for Breast Cancer
For October, participating Central New York restaurants are offering special desserts to benefit breast cancer charities.
Pei Wei
Watch the chain?s ?Go to Thailand? video from the company?s website to get an emailed coupon for buy-one-get-one-free Sriracha chicken. Participating locations only. No end date specified.
Monarch at Hotel ZaZa
The Houston bar is one of several this month offering ?cocktails for the cure.? This month, $5 glasses of Mum?s Napa Valley rose and specialty cocktail ?The Pink Paloma? will go to Susan G. Komen For the Cure.
Wawa
Use a print out coupon from the company?s website and buy one pumpkin muffin to get a second one free. Participating locations only.? Expires Oct. 31.
Frugal Foodie is a journalist based in New York City who spends her days writing about personal finance and obsessing about what she?ll have for dinner. Chat with her on Twitter through @MintFoodie.?
SANAA, Yemen (AP) ? Yemen's security forces have detained a U.S. citizen suspected of having links to al-Qaida, a Yemeni official said Wednesday.
Authorities arrested the suspect Monday in a hotel in the southern city of Shabwa, which was an al-Qaida stronghold until a military offensive earlier this year pushed the militants into the surrounding mountains, the official said. The man was carrying two U.S. passports and a German one, and had been shuffling from one mosque to another in the nearby eastern city of Marib before moving on to Shabwa, according to the official.
U.S. Embassy spokesman Louis Fintor said the mission was aware of the report.
"We are aware of the reports and seeking further information from Yemeni authorities regarding the individual's citizenship and identity," he said.
The Yemeni official said security forces transferred the man on Tuesday to the capital, Sanaa, where he was being questioned by intelligence officers. He added that the suspect told officials he had been "spreading religious awareness" in Saudi Arabia before moving to Yemen few months ago.
The official declined to give further details. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.
Yemeni authorities have detained a number of Westerners, Asians, and other foreigners over alleged links to al-Qaida, suspecting that any foreigner who visits cities such as Shabwa that were until recently under the control of al-Qaida-linked militants could have ties to the terrorist network.
Yemen's government has been locked in a fierce battle with the militants, who took advantage of the country's recent political turmoil to seize control of a large swath of territory in the country's south.
The military pushed the militants out of a string of cities and towns in a bloody offensive in June, although al-Qaida-linked fighters have retained training camps in mountainous areas surrounding the cities and have continued to carry out suicide attacks targeting top intelligence, military and security officials in the south.
On Tuesday, Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi was in Shabwa for a series of meetings with tribal leaders.
In video of the meeting aired on state TV, Hadi he urged the tribes to unite with the government in the fight against al-Qaida. He also warned them against providing shelter to militants, saying the government "will not tolerate anyone who helps al-Qaida."
The same day, authorities discovered three decapitated bodies that had been dumped in an open-air market in the eastern province of Marib. Local media reported that CDs found next to the bodies showed the men confessing to being government informants against al-Qaida and placing tracking devices on cars that became targets for U.S. drone strikes. One of the men said he worked for a tire repair shop and used to plant chips in militants' vehicles while replacing their tires.
The killings could deal a blow to the government's efforts to build trust with local tribesmen in the fight against al-Qaida.
Washington, which considers Yemen's al-Qaida branch to be the terror network's most dangerous offshoot, has launched dozens of drone attacks targeting the group's leaders.
Although men do not face the same hormonal changes with aging that women do, the male biological clock still ticks, and over time changes in a man?s appearance can lead to a negative self-image, which can take a toll on mental and physical health. Today, men are turning to plastic,?cosmetic surgery in an effort to help break the cycle of interaction between appearance and negative self-image. Because of this emerging trend, more male patients will be asking their trusted primary care providers for advice in navigating the potentially treacherous world of plastic,?cosmetic surgery. This article provides a no-nonsense overview of plastic,?cosmetic procedures, for physicians who want to be in a position to counsel their male patients throughout their life cycle.
Whether in the public eye or leading a more private life, many men put forth energy, effort, and income to maintain a healthy, youthful appearance. Increasing access to more affordable, innovative, and less invasive forms of plastic,?cosmetic surgery has resulted in more men turning to cosmetic procedures in an effort to look and feel younger. In fact, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons 2010 Report of Plastic Surgery Statistics indicates that of the 12.6 million plastic surgery procedures conducted annually, over 1.1 million were performed on men ? a dramatic increase from the 225,009 procedures performed on men in 2000. Demonstrating their cost-effectiveness in these challenging economic times, minimally invasive procedures, such as botulinum toxin injections and fillers, were up more than 9% from the prior year in 2010-2011. The more costly operative procedures that men undergo in large numbers include nose reshaping, liposuction, cosmetic eyelid surgery, and facelifts, as well as surgery to correct male breast enlargement.
The ideal cosmetic plan maintains a life-stage balance of facial and body appearance that allows one to look their best throughout adult life. At earlier stages in life, avoiding excessive sun exposure, toxins from smoking, and recreational drug use will help to stall the progression of environmentally related aging changes. Later, avoiding significant weight fluctuation minimizes the development of loose or flabby skin. Body issues unrelated to such lifestyle factors as diet and exercise are best addressed once bone and soft tissues have reached maturity. For some, a time may come when surgery is considered for body issues unrelated to lifestyle, and plastic surgery may be the best option to help maintain a healthy self-image.
Dr. Kaye is a fully registered Plastic Surgery Consultant in Germany, Spain and the UK.
When selecting a plastic surgeon, patients should be sure to consider expertise and board certification. It is important to do the research and be patient with the selection process, because it can take some time. Patients should consider the procedure carefully and discuss with the surgeon whether a procedure is the right step to help meet their goals; this is an important part of the process because cosmetic surgery is not the answer for everyone. Patients should consult with their physician so that they can ask the correct questions in order to move forward appropriately.
A board-certified plastic surgeon will help identify patients whose body image goals and objectives may not be met with an operation alone. Postponing surgery with referral to a nutritionist, exercise trainer, or internist may be the appropriate outcome of the initial consultation. For surgery that is entirely elective, all patients should be close to their ideal health before having an operative procedure. If lifestyle choices and habits are not addressed preoperatively, the results of most cosmetic surgeries will be transient and therefore ultimately not worthwhile.
The following is a guide to help men look and feel their best throughout the lifespan.
Men in Their 30s
A man?s circulating testosterone level begins to decrease after age 30 years, with loss of lean muscle mass averaging 1% a year. Because of this, the most important thing a man can do to keep himself looking youthful is to continue building and maintaining his muscle mass. A regular program of cardiovascular fitness paired with weight training is essential to mitigate the natural aging process of decreased muscle mass. Proper hydration and attention to rest and diet are reflected in a healthier, more youthful appearance.
At this stage, age-maintenance procedures that are less invasive and are cost-effective can deliver results that look far more natural than other, more radical surgical choices. Skin care, sun avoidance, and proper use of sunblock are also crucial at this and every life stage.
Men in Their 40s
The use of botulinum toxin injection and fillers has become much more common among men in their 40s and 50s, who are beginning to deal with the loss of facial skin elasticity. Because a man?s face has a more robust blood supply than a woman?s face, surgeons performing any personal enhancement treatments on the face must consider such factors as the depth of skin peeling, energy levels for light base treatments, and frequency of past use of topical medications. The most common aesthetic procedure for men in this age group involves rejuvenation around the eyes. Blepharoplasty, when done well, can help revitalize a man?s face in a discreet manner, without announcing to the world that a cosmetic procedure was performed.
Men in Their 50s and Beyond
Men in this age group will typically experience increasing skin accumulation along the jawline and the neck; this is often referred to as ?jowls.? Traditional approaches for face and neck lifts do not work particularly well on men because the scars cannot be hidden under the hairline, as with women. To avoid the problems caused by hairline alteration, an alternative operation to a traditional face and neck lift is performed: Using a geometric incision pattern to remove the excess neck skin hides the scar in the area between the bottom of the chin and the Adam?s apple. The presence of hair follicles in the beard also helps camouflage the scar.
?Regardless of age, encourage your patients to take a planned, realistic, and conservative approach to achieving their ideal body image. Less favorable cosmetic surgery outcomes among men, such as those seen in Bruce Jenner, Mickey Rourke, and Burt Reynolds, can and should be avoided with the guidance and support of surgeons who demonstrate a clear understanding of what cosmetic surgery options are available, along with knowledge of overarching health concerns.?
Nose reshaping, Rhinoplasty Liposuction Cosmetic eyelid surgery, Blepharoplasty Facelifts Botulinum toxin injections (Botox) and fillers Dr. Kai O. Kaye, Board-certified plastic surgeon
Citizens and households are responsible for a large share of global energy and electricity consumption and the related greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. Residential energy demand is also rapidly increasing, due to a higher degree of basic comfort and level of amenities: larger homes, new services and new appliances and equipment (in particular information and communications technology, ICT), which is putting a strain on the economies and energy infrastructures of both developed and developing countries.
Energy efficiency improvements in residential appliances, heating and cooling equipment, ICT equipment and lighting can play a key role in achieving a sustainable energy future and socio-economic development, and at the same time mitigate climate change. Energy efficiency measures related to residential appliances, heating equipment and lighting are in most cases highly cost-effective CO2 emission reduction actions, and offer good opportunity to increase the security and reliability of energy supply. In developing countries efficient residential appliances and lighting are vital to reduce household energy costs, to improve living conditions while reducing local pollution. In addition to technical progress on efficiency, large energy savings and carbon reduction can only be achieved with a paradigmatic change in consumer behaviour in the context of usage patterns of energy using products. These changes must be aided by ?smart? product design providing automatic optimisation of energy and water resource usage for a given task and providing readily accessible feedback to the consumer to catalyse optimum usage patterns.
These themes are echoed in a growing number of policy commitments and in strategies calling for action at local, regional, national and global levels. The challenge, now, is to ensure market, policy, trade and information barriers do not impede the timely development, delivery and proper use of energy efficient residential equipment, resulting in a missed opportunity for climate change mitigation, security of energy supply and socio-economic development, particularly considering the present global economy. Last, but not least, the consumer must accept these changes and not misuse energy saving on one side by energy consumption for other purposes.
In addition, smart appliances and equipment, smart meters and communication protocols, allow households to be a key part of the smart grids, with storage, load flexibility and generation capabilities through renewable energies and demand response and system energy savings.
The international community of stakeholders dealing with residential appliances, equipment, metering and lighting (including manufacturers, retailers, consumers, governments, international organisations and agencies, academia and experts) have already gathered six times at the International Conference on Energy Efficiency in Domestic Appliances and Lighting (EEDAL) (Florence 1997, Naples 2000, Turin 2003, London 2006, Berlin 2009, Copenhagen 2011) to discuss the progress achieved in technologies, behavioural aspects and policies, and the strategies that need to be implemented to further progress this important work.
The previous EEDAL conferences have been very successful in attracting an international audience, representing a wide variety of stakeholders involved in policy implementation and development, as well as the manufacturing and promotion of energy efficient residential appliances and lighting. The EEDAL conference has established itself as an influential and recognised international event where participants can discuss the latest developments, establish synergies and build international partnerships among stakeholders.
Following the success of the previous EEDAL conferences, the University of Coimbra and the European Commission Joint Research Centre, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, the International Energy Agency, and the Collaborative Labeling and Appliance Standards Program (CLASP), are pleased to announce:
the 7th International Conference on
Energy Efficiency in Domestic Appliances and Lighting ? EEDAL?13
11-13 September 2013
Coimbra, Portugal
EEDAL'13 will provide a unique forum to discuss and debate the latest developments in energy and environmental impact of residential appliances and lighting, heating and cooling equipment, ITC equipment, smart meters and smart grids, consumer behaviour, the policies and programmes adopted and planned, as well as the technical and commercial advances in the dissemination and penetration of technologies and solutions, particularly: energy efficient residential appliances, consumer electronics and ICT, heating and cooling equipment and lighting.
The three-day conference will include plenary sessions where key representatives of governments and international organisations, manufacturers and academia will present their views and programmes to advance energy efficiency in residential appliances and lighting, for example, through international co-operation on product information and eco-design requirements. Parallel sessions on specific themes and topics will allow in-depth discussions among participants. The conference will also host ad-hoc workshops to review and advance international collaboration and will provide opportunities strengthen existing and promote new initiatives and partnerships.
Call for Abstracts
To contribute to the success of the conference and to facilitate the adoption of new energy efficient technologies, a change in consumer behaviour, and the development of new policies and strategies to increase energy efficiency, to mitigate climate change and to foster sustainable development, we invite you to participate in the conference and the debates and to submit abstracts on the following topics. Papers can focus on polices, programmes including monitoring, evaluation and international collaboration), smart grids and smart metering, new technology developments and user behaviour. All papers shall address new and original developments. For the sessions on technologies, in particular only papers focusing on new advanced solutions will be considered, in addition papers shall not be of commercial nature. Some potential topics for papers are listed below; other suitable paper topics that meet the above criteria will also be considered.
Topics related to Consumer Behaviour, Polices and Programmes:
1. Opportunities for International Co-operation: focusing on where international co-operation is helpful or necessary to drive innovation and competition: on proposed or new initiatives, policy measures and programmes and on specific issues such as standardisation, harmonisation, test methods convergence, implementation and compliance, and benchmarking.
2. Climate Change: impact of appliances, lighting and residential programmes, potential of clean development mechanism (CDM), joint implementation (JI), green investment scheme (GIS), carbon credits, and other funding mechanisms.
3. Lifestyles and Consume Behaviour: looking ahead at how demand for new products and services is developing; exploring the scope for changes in consumer behaviour by fostering sufficiency and a change in life style. Influence of social networks towards a more sustainable behaviour.
4. Focus on Developing Countries and Economies in Transition: different approaches and strategies, policy framework, institutional aspects, capacity building needs, establishment of testing labs, new international partnerships.
5. Strategies for Increasing Efficiency: new policy tools, consensus building, voluntary vs. mandatory approaches, policy analysis and evaluation, stimulating innovation (nationally and internationally), new programmes and barrier analysis, strategy development, priority setting, monitoring and review.
6. Standards and Labels (mandatory, voluntary, endorsement label and quality marks): design of and evaluation of programmes, impact of programmes, engineering and statistical analysis, the importance of compliance and enforcement, searchable databases, implementation of the EU Eco-Design Directive for Energy Related Products and EU labelling Directives, new EU labelling scheme, including new studies, ENERGY STAR, international harmonisation initiatives.
7. Measurement Methods and International Harmonisation: role of international standardisation bodies, harmonisation of test methods as a mean of removing trade barriers, convergence of test methods, new generation of test methods for intelligent appliances and equipment, potential for harmonizing around efficiency ?tiers? rather than common specifications.
8. Public and Green Procurement: policy design and evaluation, instruments, implementation, results, potential for harmonisation (within and among countries).
9. Market Transformation Programmes: programme design and implementation, promotion campaigns, advertising campaigns, tools for information and advice for multipliers and end-users, other tools to promote the market transformation.
10. End-use Metering and Home Automation: programme design, methodologies, campaign results, advanced meters, informative billing, role of home automation is saving energy.
11. Demand Response: electricity tariffs for the residential sector (time-of-use, peak time rebate, critical peak pricing, real-time pricing), automated response by ?smart devices? (smart thermostats, Home Area Network devices), programme design, programme evaluation, successful examples.
12. Energy Services, Energy Efficiency Funds, Demand Side Management and ESCOs: provisions of energy services, utilities' obligations, white certificates, DSM programmes, ESCOs role and potential in the residential sector, dedicated energy efficiency funds.
13. Programme and Policies Monitoring & Evaluation: methods for the monitoring and evaluation of programmes and polices, indicators, benchmarking, top down and bottom-up methodologies. Evaluation of energy and carbon savings.
14. Implementation and Enforcement of Policies: market surveillance and control, testing regime, products database to help enforcement, international collaboration.
15. Non Energy Issues and Benefits: wider sustainability, including water and resources consumption, life cycle analysis and eco-design, sustainability standards, waste implications during and at end of product life, impacts on job creation, fuel poverty and innovation.
16. Financing: innovative solution for financing efficient residential building, building refurbishment, renewable energy sources, and efficient appliances and
equipment, including CDMs.
17. Home and Residential Building Retrofit Programmes: selection of efficient equipment in home retrofit programme (e.g. HVAC, lighting, etc.), implementation of retrofit programmes, consumer acceptance, financing, role of installers and manufacturers.
Topics related to specific Technologies:
1. Residential Appliances/White goods (Refrigeration, Laundry, Dishwashing, Cooking): components? efficiency, R&D, technologies, test methods, usage patterns, programmes, market trends, consumer behaviour, and the influence of product energy and resource usage feedback systems on that behaviour.
2. Residential HVAC and Water Heaters (Central Heating Boilers, Heat Pumps, Room Air-conditioners, Fans, Solar heaters), Water Heaters (gas, electric and solar), and Water Circulation Pumps: R&D, technologies, test methods, consumer behaviour, programmes, market trends, links to non-domestic markets.
3. Consumer Electronics (Televisions, Set Top Boxes, PVRs, DVDs, Audio, Digital TV services, Power Supplies, Telephony), Office Equipment1, Broadband Communication Equipment, and Low Power Modes: R&D, technologies, test methods, consumer behaviour, programmes, market trends, stand-by losses, active and low power mode, technology transfer from non-domestic market
4. Residential Lighting (Luminaires, control systems and Light Sources): LEDs, CFLs, R&D, technologies, test methods, consumer behaviour, programmes, market trends, lighting usage, distribution and perception in the residential sector.
5. Motor Technologies for appliances (motors for air-conditioners, fans, washing machines, refrigerators, circulation pumps, etc.) and Motor Control Technologies 1 Office equipment use and energy saving technology in the residential sector (VSDs, power electronics): R&D, technologies, test methods, programmes, market trends.
6. On-site (residential) Power Generation: micro-generation, integration of renewable energy sources, electricity distribution issues for the residential sector.
7. Net Zero Energy Residential Building and positive buildings: specific HVAC equipment for passive houses (very low energy houses), integration of equipment and appliances with whole building design, passive techniques, high efficiency ventilation, renewable energy sources.
8. Smart Appliances, Home Automation, Smart Homes, and Smart Grids: smart appliances and equipment, smart meters and communication protocols, home energy management systems, households to be a key part of the smart grids, with storage and generation capabilities through renewable energies and demand response. Electrification of transport and implication for home energy systems, Domestic networks (security, automation, etc.) and their impact on energy consumption, Internet connected appliances, intelligent and advanced meters, technologies for real time pricing product energy and resource usage feedback systems using LAN communication to smart phones, tablets and PCs.
Instructions for Authors
Authors interested in submitting papers are requested to send an abstract not exceeding 400 words in length and not less than 200 words. The abstract must be in English, typed, and shall contain the following information:
1. Main author name and affiliation, authors for correspondence with full postal address, tel. and fax numbers, and e-mail, and co-authors names and affiliation.
2. The relevant topic selected from the list above
3. Up to five keywords
4. Abstract
Abstracts are due by November 23th, 2012
Abstracts shall be e-mailed to gueorgui.trenev@ec.europa.eu
Conference Information
For further information visit the conference website:
? www.eedal-2013.eu
http://iet.jrc.ec.europa.eu/energyefficiency/upcoming-events
or call Paolo Bertoldi at +39 0332 78 9299
Conference Deadlines
2012 November 23: abstracts are due to conference secretariat
2012 December 21: notification of abstracts acceptance
2013 March 10: draft papers are due to the conference secretariat
2013 May 10: reviewers? comments will be sent to authors
2013 June 28: final papers due to the conference secretariat
2013 September 11-13: conference takes place in Coimbra, Portugal.
Mike Warren is a nationally known author, investor, and instructor specializing in investing in judgments and liens which are secured by real estate. Mr. Warren holds a double MBA in real estate and finance and is CEO of a diversified investment and consulting firm.![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 14-Oct-2012
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Our review unit came equipped with a 3GHz Intel Core i5-2320 "Sandy Bridge" second-generation processor and an integrated Intel HD 2000 GPU, and was an overall decent performer. Intel HD Graphics 2000 isn't Direct X11 compatible, however, so the H520s couldn't run the Lost Planet 2 DX11 or 3DMark 11benchmark tests. This is fairly common among entry-level systems, like the Acer AX1930-UR10P and Lenovo Edge 71, so it's not terribly surprising. The H520s's PCMark7 score of 2,864 points trumped the rest of its class, edging past the Lenovo Edge 71 (2,826 points) by a whisker while outperforming both the Lenovo M92p Tiny (2,491 points) and Acer AX1930-UR10P (2,371 points) by a wider margin.
