Researchers have developed a tool to predict whether a patient will suffer a second stroke within 90 days of a first stroke.“This is an important new tool because studies have shown that people who have a second stroke soon after a first stroke are more likely to die or have severe disability,” Dr. Hakan Ay, of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, said in an American Academy of Neurology news release…Read more here (BusinessWeek)
Austin O’Brien | Nick Boggess
Who they are: Student body presidential candidate Austin O’Brien is a freshman resident of O’Neill Hall from Granger, Ind., who plans to study political science and economics. He is currently creating a community service project as part of the First Year Challenge. Vice presidential candidate Nick Boggess, a freshman accounting major and Education, Schooling and Society minor, is a South Bend native living in Zahm House. First priority: O’Brien and Boggess would take advantage of their full-time residency in the South Bend area to begin working immediately and over the summer to strengthen the relationship between the city and the University to make South Bend a “college town Notre Dame students want to be a part of.” Top priority: To continue the pair’s first priority of improving South Bend as a college town, Boggess said working with the city to “blur the lines” between campus and the greater community to expand the University’s influence would be a primary goal. Best idea: O’Brien and Boggess propose creating a council of local university student body presidents to work directly with Mayor Buttigieg to integrate student needs with the greater South Bend community. Worst idea: Creating a “learning commons” to house all academic resources in one facility for all students. Attempting to centralize vaguely specified resources for students in five colleges under one roof makes little logistical or practical sense on Notre Dame’s compact campus. Most feasible: O’Brien hopes to engage directly with students regularly in meetings modeled after South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s “Mayor’s Night Out” sessions. Least feasible: A continually popular yet unsuccessful platform point of prospective student body presidents, O’Brien and Boggess want to expand Flex Point acceptance to include Eddy Street Commons. Nothing in their platform implies they could reverse this trend of rejection. Fun fact: O’Brien and Boggess, friends since their time at St. Joseph’s High School, won a local Battle of the Bands competition last summer with their pop-rock cover group The Excellence Stops Here. Notable quote: “As local residents, we have the benefit of seeing all the angles that you can possibly take, so that’s what I feel like would give us a big advantage when it comes to working especially with students here as well as those in the community.” – Boggess, on the merits of living in South Bend year-round Bottom line: The O’Brien-Boggess ticket expresses an admirable desire to integrate Notre Dame with the greater South Bend community, but their ideas are too broad and contain few specific plans of action to achieve the overarching goal of making South Bend a better college town. Though their perspective as local residents is unique, it diverted the pair’s focus too far from on-campus concerns. That said, their initiative in running as freshmen holds promise for future campaigns.
Vermont’s General Fund finishes year with surplus; Education, Transportation down
Vermont’s General Fund finishes year with surplus; Education, Transportation downMontpelier, VT – Secretary of Administration Michael K Smith announced on July 18, 2008, the fiscal year 2008 revenue results for the state of Vermont: the General Fund surpassed fiscal year 2008 revenue targets by $9.87 million; transportation and education fund revenues were below target for the fiscal year.General FundSecretary of Administration Michael K. Smith today released General Fund revenue results for the final month of fiscal year 2008. End-of-year General Fund revenues totaled $1,199.57 million, $9.87 million above the cumulative General Fund revenue targets for FY2008. Secretary Smith noted, “Unlike many states struggling with general revenue fund deficits, Vermont ended the 2008 fiscal year with a revenue surplus. This is very good news. General Fund revenues, for the month of June, finished under -$0.68 million or -0.63% below the consensus revenue target for the month, but revenue strength throughout the year was strong and contributed to the surplus.”The revenue targets reflect the most recent fiscal year 2008 Consensus Revenue Forecast that was agreed to by the Emergency Board in April. The State’s Consensus Revenue Forecast is normally updated two times per year in January and July; this year, there was an additional meeting held in April. The next Emergency Board meeting is scheduled for July 29, 2008 at 2:30 p.m. in the Pavilion Building.The majority of the higher than projected, year-to-date, General Fund revenue can be traced to the two income taxes. The Personal Income Tax (+$11.82 million or +1.94%) and the Corporate Tax (+$1.70 million or +2.35%) both completed the fiscal year ahead of the year-to-date April consensus forecast. The Sales and Use Tax ended the fiscal year at $225.45 million, which was -$4.48 million or -1.95% below the yearly target, but up 1.33% from the prior year. The Rooms and Meals Tax ended the fiscal year at $121.03 million, which was -$1.67 million or -1.36% below the yearly target, but up 5.34% compared to the prior year.Transportation FundSecretary Smith announced that the Transportation Fund finished the fiscal year at $223.05 million, which was -$3.14 million below the yearly target. Four out of the five major components of the Transportation Fund, including the Gasoline Tax, the Diesel Fuel Tax, the MV Purchase & Use Tax, and Other Fees were below their respective targets for the fiscal year. The Gasoline Tax ended the year at $62.59 million, which was -0.18% below yearly targets. The Diesel Tax ended the year at $16.59 million, which was -3.03% below yearly targets. The MV Purchase and Use Tax ended the year at $52.69 million, which was -2.42% below yearly targets. Using reversions of carryforwards ensures ending the year without a deficit and with a full 5% Transportation Fund stabilization reserve. This fund finished the month of June 2008 at $23.80 million, which is -$1.67 million below the monthly revenue target.Education FundSecretary Smith reported that the Education Fund cumulative revenue will finish the fiscal year at $158.87 million, approximately -$3.40 million or -2.09% below the cumulative revenue forecast of $162.27 million for the fiscal year. As a result of expenditures coming in lower than anticipated, the Education Fund will end the year without a deficit and with a full 5% Education Fund stabilization reserve. The preliminary June non-property tax Education Fund revenue (which constitutes about 13% of total Education Fund receipts) was below expectations by -$0.97 million.Conclusion”Unlike many states, Vermont is very fortunate to end the fiscal year with a General Fund revenue surplus. The Transportation and Education Funds will also balance after final adjustments are made. All of these results will be considered very carefully by the Emergency Board when they meet later in July to review the State’s Consensus Revenue Forecast for Fiscal Year 2009,” noted Smith.
First Woman Becomes President of Brazilian Oil Giant Petrobras
By Dialogo February 15, 2012 Maria das Graças Foster, a 58-year-old chemical engineer, became president of state-owned oil giant Petrobras on February 13 and promised continuity in the management of the company, which is planning investments worth almost 225 billion dollars between now and 2015. “It moves me a great deal to be the first woman in the world to lead an oil company of this size. It’s a big challenge, a big responsibility. I feel prepared,” Foster said upon taking the post, in the presence of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff. Foster, who began to work at Petrobras as a new graduate in 1978 and was serving as its director of gas and energy until February 12, specified that she wants to “provide continuity” to the management of her predecessor, José Sergio Gabrielli. “We have goals; we know where we want to get to,” she stated. The new president of Petrobras highlighted at a press conference that the five-year plan for 224.7 billion dollars of investments in oil and gas “is being maintained,” although she clarified that “there is no expectation that the investments will be increased.” She is also maintaining the firm’s objective of producing 6 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (BOE/d) by 2020 (compared to 2.02 million BOE/d in 2011). “I’m here as the first female president of Brazil to see the first woman in the world become the head of an oil company. I congratulate a 30-year employee of Petrobras for her tireless work,” Dilma Rousseff said. “With Graças, Petrobras will be in good hands. She will know how to provide continuity and expand Petrobras’s conquests,” she stated. Rousseff recalled that Petrobras has a presence in 28 countries, that the firm’s profits have increased fourfold in the last ten years, and that investment in research has increased 360 percent. “Count on me, Graças Foster,” the president concluded. Foster will seek to turn around disappointing financial results: in the fourth quarter of 2011, Petrobras recorded net profits of 2.95 billion dollars, half what it earned in the same quarter of 2010.
March 15, 2006 News and Notes
March 15, 2006 News & Notes News and Notes Leslie Lott of Lott & Friedland in Coral Gables spoke at the Law Education Institute’s National CLE Conference. Lott conducted a presentation on the latest developments in trademark and trade dress law, and recent federal and circuit court decisions. Additionally, Lott spoke at the Boating Writers International annual meeting about “Negotiating Writer’s Rights.” Garrett J. Biondo of Shaked & Biondo in Miami was elected treasurer of Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc. Brad E. Coren was granted admission to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States. Sagi Shaked of Shaked & Biondo in Miami was elected to a second term as a board member of the Dade County Trial Lawyers Association. Christopher B. Hopkins of Cole, Scott & Kissane in West Palm Beach was a guest lecturer on “Ten Steps of Arbitration Enforcement” at the Southern Lawyers Trial Association conference in New Orleans, LA. Frank M. Petosa of Petosa & Associates in Boca Raton was a featured speaker on “How to Prove and Demonstrate to the Jury that the Defense Medical Examiner is Nothing but a Truth and Veracity Witness for the Defense” at the 2006 Workhorse Seminar sponsored by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers in Orlando. Theodore Leopold of Ricci Leopold in Palm Beach Gardens was appointed to serve as a member of the board of directors for the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers. Howard J. Wiener of Fowler White Boggs Banker in West Palm Beach gave a presentation titled, “Asset Protection Planning for Florida Physicians” before the Florida Urological Society at their annual meeting. Joseph L. “Joe” Amos, Jr., recently presented “The Law of Jury Selection” and “Ethics in Voir Dire” as part of a continuing education seminar. A. Michelle Jernigan of Upchurch Watson White & Max Mediation Group took part in a legal issues conference hosted by Valencia Community College of Orlando. Jernigan co-presented the topic “Learning Centered Problem Solving: Alternative Approaches to Campus Dispute Resolution.” Michael Rosenberg of Packman, Neuwahl & Rosenberg served as co-chair and speaker at the 24th Annual International Tax Conference in Miami. His speech was titled, “Residency and Domicile — The Not So Obvious!” Valory Greenfield of Florida Legal Services was recognized by the Human Services Coalition of Dade County for her 10 years of continuous service to their board of directors. Harry N. Turk, Hilda Piloto, and Carlos F. Gonzalez of Arnstein & Lehr in Miami held an employment law and human resources luncheon briefing. The topic was “Employment Loyalty: The Importance of Noncompete and Nondisclosure Agreements in Florida.” Norman Wedderburn of Aventura was named president & CEO of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida. Loring N. Spolter of Ft. Lauderdale published “Your Workplace Rights: When an Immediate Family Member Suffers a Traumatic Brain Injury” in Premier OutLook. Brad Gould of Dean, Mead, Minton & Zwemer in Ft. Pierce was elected second vice-president of Big Brothers Big Sisters of St. Lucie and Indian River counties. Ramon A. Abadin was honored with an award from the Haitian Lawyers Association for his commitment and service to the group and the community. Akerman Senterfitt was presented with the Thomas L. Sager Award by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association. Colleen M. Fitzgerald of GrayRobinson in Tampa was elected to a two-year term on the board of directors of the Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County, Inc. Ruth Barnes Kingsolving of Carlton Fields in Tampa was elected to the board of directors of the Hillsborough County Bar Foundation. Robby Birnbaum of Greenspoon Marder in Ft. Lauderdale shared the keynote speaker position at the 2006 winter meeting of the U.S. Organizations of Bankruptcy Alternatives. Birnbaum spoke on regulatory compliance for businesses that offer alternatives to consumers dealing with the new bankruptcy code. Howard Talenfeld of Colodny Fass Talenfeld Karlinsky & Abate in Coral Springs was reelected president of Florida’s Children First. David Pratt of Proskauer Rose spoke at the Greater Ft. Lauderdale Tax Council. His topic was the “Bona Fide Sale for Full and Adequate Consideration Exception to the Application of §2036 and Family Limited Partnership Update.” Robert Power was installed as president of the Hispanic Bar Association of Central Florida. Rick Ellsley of Krupnick Campbell Malone Buser Slama Hancock Liberman & McKee in Ft. Lauderdale was admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and before the Supreme Court of the United States. He was also elected an executive officer of the Broward County Trial Lawyers Association. Victoria Chemerys of Holland & Knight in Miami was selected as a recipient of the 2005 Ronald Reagan Republican Gold Medal awarded by the National Republican Congressional Committee. Alexander M. Clem of Morgan & Morgan in Orlando served as guest speaker at the “Civil Justice for Victims of Crime” conference hosted by the the National Center for Victims of Crime. Paul Levine has published The Deep Blue Alibi, the second in the series featuring Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord. Mark Bonfanti and Jason Vail of Allen, Norton & Blue completed the Walt Disney World Marathon and raised over $5,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Alan Bookman, president of The Florida Bar, was the featured speaker at the Suncoast Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators’ “Managing Partners’ Dinner.” Bookman discussed the status of paralegal regulation. Barry S. Balmuth presented “Participating in Condemnation Proceedings” at the Florida Eminent Domain: Practice and Current Issues seminar sponsored by Half Moon. James B. Davis of Gunster Yoakley in Ft. Lauderdale was the kickoff speaker at the recent 14th Annual Symposium of the Planned Giving Council of Broward County. Davis spoke on the topic of “IRAs and Charitable Giving.” March 15, 2006 News and Notes
Your top five business etiquette questions… answered!
19SHARESShareShareSharePrintMailGooglePinterestDiggRedditStumbleuponDeliciousBufferTumblr,Wendy Moody Wendy Moody is a Senior Editor with CUInsight.com. Wendy works with the editorial team to help edit the content including current news, press releases, jobs and events. She keeps … Web: www.cuinsight.com Details Are you confident in how to handle certain professional scenarios? Although what is viewed as acceptable varies from business to business, basic office etiquette is usually universal no matter where you’re employed. Here are five common work situations and how to properly handle them.Can I say “no” to my boss without sounding rude?The answer is yes, you can say “no.” The key to this situation is ensuring your response is diplomatic, polite, and worded in a manner that softens your refusal. Instead of simply saying “no,” perhaps try “I would rather…” or “I’m afraid I won’t be able to, but…”When asked out to lunch, do I have to offer to pay?Typically, whoever extends the invitation should be responsible for paying for the meal. If you would like to chip in, don’t hesitate to do so. But, because you are technically the person’s guest, you should not be expected to pick up the check.Am I obligated to be social with my colleagues outside of work?If you are invited to a social gathering outside the office and you would rather not attend, you do not need to feel any pressure to go. Sure, getting to know your coworkers on a more personal level is not a bad idea, as it will inevitably bring you closer as a team. That being said, unless being together outside the office is part of your role in the company, you don’t need to do anything more than perform to the best of your abilities during regular business hours.Is it a good idea to add my workers to my social networking sites?This topic is tricky because of the prevalence of social media in our work and home lives. The best thing to do if your colleague sends you a “friend request” is to think carefully about how you will be perceived at work based on your social media activity. If keeping your personal life completely separate from your professional one is important to you, you may want to refrain from accepting your colleague as a “friend.” Remember, your profile and how you behave online is a reflection of you; social media mistakes can sometimes cost you your career.My workplace attire is casual, but how informal can I dress?Unlike days past where suits for men and dresses for women were the norm, many companies today are quite lax in their dress code. This can be an advantage for those that prefer being comfortable and relaxed with their work wardrobe. But, sometimes it’s hard to know how far is too far when walking the line between casual and frumpy. Look at it this way, just as your social media accounts are a representation of you as a person, so is your physical appearance.
Proactively manage interest rate risk
11SHARESShareShareSharePrintMailGooglePinterestDiggRedditStumbleuponDeliciousBufferTumblr While NCUA constantly monitors all risk, in recent years it has made interest rate risk (IRR) a particular priority.IRR reflects the concern that an investment’s value will change due to a variance in the absolute level of interest rates. That change affects the value of bonds more than stocks, and depends on the investments’ sensitivity to changes in the market. Credit unions can reduce overall risk by diversifying the duration of investments it holds at a given time.While to some degree IRR is inherent in all credit unions, it’s potentially a significant risk in certain organizations, due to mismatches of asset/liability maturity and the types of shares and deposits used to fund loans.So, it’s critical for the board to adopt safety and soundness practices to address NCUA’s new IRR review procedure—to stay in compliance and protect your credit union.During the past 10 years, many credit unions have grown significantly, in size and complexity. At the same time, risk management techniques have improved to support these organizations, and the same principles can protect smaller credit unions. continue reading »
Put Trump library at dump
Categories: Letters to the Editor, OpinionRe Jan. 29 letter, “Get Trump library in upstate New York”: I’d like to suggest the perfect location. How about next to the Joe Landry baseball field. Given the fact that they are mirror images of each other, I view this as something that our Niskayuna Town Board would unanimously agree upon.In my opinion, placing both of them on top of the Niskayuna landfill would be the perfect location.W.L. WertmanNiskayunaMore from The Daily Gazette:EDITORIAL: Beware of voter intimidationEDITORIAL: Find a way to get family members into nursing homesEDITORIAL: Urgent: Today is the last day to complete the censusFoss: Should main downtown branch of the Schenectady County Public Library reopen?Puccioni’s two goals help Niskayuna boys’ soccer top Shaker, remain perfect
Report: Frontline Quits Gener8 Maritime Pursuit
Norwegian tanker shipping giant Frontline has shelved its plans to purchase its US-based rival Gener8 Maritime, the Wall Street Journal reported.Fredriksen said earlier that he was looking into the purchase of a ship operator that ran at least 20 VLCCs, with Gener8 Maritime being singled out as the likely candidate.A vessel combination deal between Frontline and Gener8 Maritime, which operates a fleet of 23 tankers, would have created the world’s biggest tanker fleet, featuring 43 very large crude carriers.Frontline was linked with Gener8 Maritime after the Norwegian firm abandoned plans to acquire DHT Holdings after a number of unsuccessful bids for outstanding shares of common stock in the compatriot tanker owner.However, DHT’s Board turned down several offers from Frontline, deeming them inadequate.Following the latest dismissal of legal action against DHT Holdings by the Marshall Islands court, Frontline seems to have admitted defeat and is moving on.“We will not spend time pursuing the DHT track,” Reuters reported earlier today citing Frontline’s Chief Executive Robert Hvide Macleod as saying.Furthermore, prompted by the current market conditions in the sector, Fredriksen’s firm reportedly decided to abstain from merger and acquisition moves for the time being.World Maritime News Staff
The Nile Series: CCTV Crew Behind The Scenes
Join the CCTV Africa crew as they capture the splendor of the River Nile. It will be a memory that forever stays. Take a look.