SA:Redmond critical of "jobs for the boys"

AAP General News (Australia)
08-18-2011
SA:Redmond critical of "jobs for the boys"

Opposition Leader ISOBEL REDMOND has accused the South Australian government of a jobs
for the boys approach in making appointments to boards and other key positions.

The Liberal leader wants independent panels to pick candidates for such jobs and more
transparency.

She says today's appointment of former Education Minister JANE LOMAX-SMITH as chairman
of the board of the South Australian Museum is and example that could be questioned.

Ms LOMAX-SMITH, who was a Labor government minister for eight years, lost her seat
in the 2010 state election.

Ms Redmond said positions should be advertised with an independent panel to determine
which applicant has the best qualifications.

AAP RTV tjd/wz

KEYWORD: APPOINTMENTS (ADELAIDE)

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: UK decision exposes Howard's lack of Iraq plan: Greens

AAP General News (Australia)
02-22-2007
Fed: UK decision exposes Howard's lack of Iraq plan: Greens

The Greens say Britain's decision to slash the number of its troops on Iraq .. exposes
JOHN HOWARD'S lack of strategy for the war.

Senator BOB BROWN has rejected the prime minister's assertion that the British are
withdrawing their forces because southern Iraq's becoming more stable.

He syas that's at odds with Mr …

FED:Swan talks tough, Stevens more soothing

AAP General News (Australia)
04-21-2011
FED:Swan talks tough, Stevens more soothing

By Colin Brinsden, AAP Economics Correspondent

CANBERRA, April 21 AAP - People will be forgiven for gnawing their fingernails in the
run-up to the May 10 budget given the heated political rhetoric over potential spending
cuts.

But one thing seems almost certain.

The Reserve Bank isn't about to inflict more angst on the public with an interest rate
rise any time soon.

While, Treasurer Wayne Swan continues to talk about his fourth budget being "tough",
the same cannot be said for central bank governor Glenn Stevens on the outlook for interest
rates.

"We'll be doing things in this budget that won't be popular," the treasurer told the
Queensland Media Club in a pre-budget address on Wednesday.

"Spending cuts are rarely vote winners. This will be a tough budget for one reason
and one reason only - it is what needs to be done for the economy and for the country."

In contrast, the Reserve Bank's April 5 board minutes released this week shouldn't
be giving borrowers sleepless nights.

The last line on the minutes was hardly an indication that the central bank is poised
to lift its cash rate soon.

"(Board) members ... did not see a case to change the cash rate."

There was none of the usually wording that would indicate a change was around the corner
such as "appropriate for the time being".

That's not to say there won't be one or two upward tweaks in interest rates before
the year is out.

Next Wednesday's consumer price index (CPI) shouldn't raise the collective heartbeat
of Governor Stevens and his team, even though at face value it will look pretty ugly.

Economists are expecting at least a one per cent jump in the March quarter CPI report,
which will lift the annual rate above three per cent, the top end of the central bank's
comfort zone.

But the Reserve Bank is fully prepared for this price shock, as it is for a weak outcome
for economic growth, or gross domestic product (GDP), for the same period when the national
accounts are released in June.

"In the short term ... the economic data were likely to be significantly affected by
the earlier floods and cyclone," the minutes said.

"Headline (CPI) inflation was likely to be quite high in the March quarter, while GDP
would be held down, to a greater extent than earlier assumed, by the lost coal production
and the delays in resuming mining operations."

"In reaching its decision, the board would look through these fluctuations."

A spike in food prices after the natural disasters in Queensland and a jump in oil
prices due to political conflict in the Middle East and north Africa are likely to be
the main driving force for the expected CPI rise.

Otherwise, as this week's international trade price data showed, the strength of the
Australian dollar - as it heads towards the stratosphere above 107 US cents - is largely
keeping the price of imported foreign goods in check.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics import price index rose just 1.4 per cent in the
March quarter to be only 0.2 per cent higher over the year.

Thursday's producer price index, which gauges the impact of cost pressures on what
businesses pay for materials, also showed that in the final stage of production inflation
is being domestically generated.

That said, the Reserve Bank will also be keeping a more watchful eye next week on underlying
measures of inflation, which are more crucial to the interest rate outlook.

These measures gauge whether inflation is becoming deep-rooted in the economy, excluding
volatile swings in items like food and fuel.

Commonwealth Securities chief economist Craig James expects there should be a clear
distinction between the CPI and the underlying outcomes.

"There is the rampant discounting undertaken by retailers in an attempt to get consumers
to part with their cash," he said.

"As a result the underlying rate may have only risen 0.6 per cent, keeping the annual
growth in the lower end of the two-three per cent target band, near 2.1 per cent."

So for the time being at least, the Reserve Bank can sit on the sidelines.

But there seems to be little sign that it is about to cut rates, even though it has
growing list of worries from overseas.

Given the outlook for the economy, in particular the high level of the terms of trade
and the prospective further large increase in investment, it considered current rates
were appropriate to ensure inflation remained consistent with its target in the medium
term.

But the recent tragic events in Japan will not only have an impact on Australian exports
to our second largest trading partner, but the central bank says the Japanese disaster
has increased uncertainty around the near-term global outlook.

"There were also other continuing uncertainties, including the sovereign debt problems
in Europe and the impact of higher oil prices on the large advanced economies where recoveries
were less well established," the minutes said.

The United States might be added to that list after international rating agency Standard
& Poor's warned the world's largest economy that its AAA rating would be at risk unless
it started reducing its budget deficit in the next couple of years.

The warning gave Mr Swan another reason to talk tough on the budget.

"What's happening in the US is only another reminder why it's so important for countries
to have a credible fiscal consolidation strategy," Mr Swan said in Wednesday's address.

"While we adopted our strict fiscal strategy at the height of the GFC ... the US is
struggling to put one in place now."

While he said he will take "no joy" in making cuts to the budget, an easier alternative
would be to put them off until later.

"But that would result in even harsher cuts down the track."

For once, the board minutes were so much more soothing."

AAP cb/sb/jl/

KEYWORD: BUDGET11 (AAP BACKGROUNDER)

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

FED:Queensland still needs you, Bligh appeals

AAP General News (Australia)
02-01-2011
FED:Queensland still needs you, Bligh appeals

Queensland Premier ANNA BLIGH is asking people to adopt a generous spirit towards the
federal government's controversial flood levy.

She's admitted there's been "a little bit of confusion" about the levy .. and has told
ABC radio .. "Australia, Queensland still needs you.

Opinion polls indicate strong opposition to the planned levy to help fund the rebuilding
of roads, rail lines, bridges and other public infrastructure.

Ms BLIGH says she thinks many Australians feel they've already made generous donations
.. and says these are going directly to Queensland families and individuals.

AAP RTV rl/ajw/

KEYWORD: FLOODS LEVY BLIGH (CANBERRA)

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

QLD:Crown wants tougher penalty for cop

AAP General News (Australia)
08-24-2010
QLD:Crown wants tougher penalty for cop

By Christine Flatley

BRISBANE, Aug 24 AAP - Federal prosecutors are appealing a sentence given to a Queensland
police chief who imported illegal firearm parts.

Former head of Water Police Alan Jeffrey Magarry was sentenced in Brisbane Magistrates
Court last month to a $4000, two-year good behaviour bond.

No conviction was recorded after Magarry pleaded guilty to three counts of importing
prohibited goods under the Customs Act.

Magarry was charged following an investigation by customs officials into four parcels
sent to his home from the United States.

The parcels contained illegal machine gun conversion kits.

Magarry was formally stood down from police duties in November, and is still awaiting
the outcome of a police ethical standards investigation.

Lawyers acting on behalf of acting commonwealth director of public prosecutions John
Thornton last week lodged documents in the Brisbane District Court indicating they were
seeking to appeal the sentence on the grounds it was "manifestly inadequate".

No date has been set for the appeal.

AAP cf/pjo/was

KEYWORD: MAGARRY

� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Tas: Bartlett invites McKim into cabinet = 2

AAP General News (Australia)
04-16-2010
Tas: Bartlett invites McKim into cabinet = 2

The offer says that Mr McKim would be bound by cabinet confidentiality, but is not
obliged to vote with the government on "matters of significant concern".

Despite a clause saying Mr McKim would be required to support the government in matters
of supply and in confidence and no confidence motions, Mr Bartlett said it was not a deal,
which he had spoken out against during the election campaign.

"I define this as a letter of invitation to Mr McKim and a set of protocols that go
with that," he said.

"But I accept that commentators, people in Tasmania and further afield will call it
a variety of things.

"What it's called doesn't matter that much. What it is, is a genuine attempt to make
this parliament work."

Mr Bartlett said the government was now in uncharted waters.

"This has never happened in Tasmania before," he said.

"We won't always agree, and that's for sure.

"But what's important, and the things we do agree upon is that we do our best by Tasmanians."

Shortly before the letter of offer was made, Mr McKim said he would take any offers
of ministry to his party room.

"As the model (of government) is being developed, I think that it is now reflecting...

a model which may well allow for a cabinet to function properly with members from different
political parties," he said.

MORE pbc/jlw/

KEYWORD: POLLTAS 2 HOBART

2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Rees calls for national health body

AAP General News (Australia)
12-02-2009
NSW: Rees calls for national health body

By Nick Ralston, State Political Reporter

SYDNEY, Dec 2 AAP - NSW Premier Nathan Rees is proposing Australia's healthcare system
should be run by a single body overseeing regional health authorities, saying his plan
would put an end to blame-shifting.

Mr Rees said his envisaged National Health Commission wouldn't result in a "federal
takeover" of health but would involve both levels of government, clinical experts and
community groups setting policy directions.

All current health funding would be pooled and then allocated to regional health authorities
- based on existing area health service boundaries.

Regional health authorities would then integrate all health care including prevention
and screening through to GPs, allied health, hospitals, rehabilitation and aged care.

"This would provide a seamless patient journey, ensuring care matches patient needs,
rather than bureaucratic silos," Mr Rees told parliament.

"The current incentives for cost-shifting and blame-shifting would be reduced if not eliminated."

Mr Rees said he was willing to trial the concept in one of NSW's area health services,
saying he believed the reform model would forever change the nature of health care in
Australia.

And while stressing his proposal was "genuine", Mr Rees said the detail would have
to be worked through with the other states and the commonwealth.

"Let's get beyond the false dichotomy between a federal takeover and states' rights," he said.

"Let's build a wellness system, instead of just a health system.

"A system based on quality care planned locally and delivered locally."

In the lead-up to the 2007 federal election, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Canberra
would consider taking over the hospital system if the states did not lift their game.

However, a National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission's report, released in July,
stopped short of calling for a full federal takeover of hospitals.

But under reforms suggested by the commission, the commonwealth will take over responsibility
for all primary care and outpatient services, as well as a public dental system.

It has also left open the option of the commonwealth funding 100 per cent of hospital
admissions further down the track.

Mr Rees said on Wednesday that the report was a "good start", but the reform process
must go "even further".

Opposition health spokeswoman Jillian Skinner said Mr Rees' proposal sounded more like
a "thought bubble", saying it lacked framework, costings and no detailed planning.

AAP nr/evt/jl

KEYWORD: HEALTH

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

FED: Anzac celebrates national character - Smith

AAP General News (Australia)
04-25-2009
FED: Anzac celebrates national character - Smith

SYDNEY, April 25 AAP - On Anzac Day Australians not only remember lives lost in war
but national traits of fairness, humour and mateship, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith has
told crowds at the Gallipoli dawn service.

Thousands of Australians and New Zealanders descended on Anzac Cove in Turkey to attend
the dawn service at the place where the Anzac legend was born more than 90 years ago.

The pilgrims honoured troops from both countries, who landed on the beach in the early
hours of April 25, 1915.

More than 8,000 Australians died during the disastrous eight-month Gallipoli campaign.

Mr Smith told the crowd that every Anzac Day Australians came together to celebrate
national characteristics that came to the fore at Gallipoli.

"Short moments on the beach, and long months in the trenches, in conditions of the
greatest adversity have taken on profound significance over time - they now say something
about our characteristic as a people and our spirit as a nation," he told the solemn dawn
service, held at the Anzac Commemorative Site.

"Every year now, as Australians throughout the world gather to commemorate Anzac Day
and remember lives lost, we also celebrate our national characteristics, our values and
our virtues.

"The great Australian notion of a fair go, of looking out for one's mates, of a sense
of humour in adversity, and the sure and certain knowledge that however bad circumstances
might be, there was always someone else worse off who needs a helping hand."

Gallipoli had taken on "extraordinary" meaning for all Australians, he said.

"The soil on which we stand today has extraordinary significance for our people and
our nation," he said.

"It is a place of terrible loss, solemn memory and now immense national pride."

Mr Smith paid tribute to the New Zealand soldiers who fought beside their Australian
comrades, as well as the Turkish soldiers who repelled their advance.

"Here, on this peninsula, it is also impossible not to see that Gallipoli was a defining
moment for the Turkish people and the Turkish nation as well," he said.

"Over the years, Australians have come to learn much of the courage and sacrifice of
the Turkish soldiers, often less well equipped than our own, who died defending their
homeland.

"We have learned of the remarkable respect that grew between the soldiers who faced
each other in battle across a line of trenches. We have seen that respect grow into a
wider respect between our nations."

Mr Smith, New Zealand Governor-General Sir Anand Satyanand and representatives from
the Turkish, British, French and other governments laid wreaths at the commemorative site.

Sir Anand said the deep bonds of friendship between Australians and New Zealanders,
strengthened under fire in the Gallipoli campaign, continued to this day.

"The strength of the Anzac spirit is also evident in the goodwill of New Zealanders
and Australians who have travelled to Gallipoli to commemorate those gallant soldiers
who served and died here," he said.

"Because of their service, few of us will ever be called upon to endure what they went through.

"That legacy is a mighty gift that we should always cherish."

AAP ab/jl

KEYWORD: ANZAC GALLIPOLI UPDATE

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Vic: Mother and son attacked at traffic lights

AAP General News (Australia)
12-20-2008
Vic: Mother and son attacked at traffic lights

MELBOURNE, Dec 20 AAP - A woman and her son have been set upon by a group of young
men as their car was stopped at traffic lights in Melbourne's north.

Police said the 66-year-old woman was driving her 37-year-old son along Melrose Drive,
in Tullamarine, about 6.45pm (AEDT) on Friday when a group of males in a blue Holden Commodore
overtook them, sounded the horn and yelled abuse.

The Holden then stopped in front of the woman and a passenger threw a beer bottle at her car.

When she stopped at a red light at an intersection, the group of men jumped out of
their car and punched and kicked her vehicle - smashing two windows and causing panel
damage to the passenger side.

The men then kicked and punched the son through the broken window, before speeding
off in their car.

Police have called for witnesses to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit its website.

AAP mok/cdh

KEYWORD: ASSAULT

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Ten: Tennis results =4

AAP General News (Australia)
08-15-2008
Ten: Tennis results =4

Men's singles quarter-finals

8-James Blake (USA) bt 1-Roger Federer (SUI) 6-4 7-6 (7-2)

Women's singles quarter-finals

5-Elena Dementieva (RUS) bt 4-Serena Williams (USA) 3-6 6-4 6-3

9-Vera Zvonareva (RUS) bt Sybille Bammer (AUT) 3-6 6-3 6-3

Li Na (CHN) bt 7-Venus Williams (USA) 7-5 7-5

more cc

KEYWORD: OLYR08 TEN RESULTS =4 BEIJING

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Call for legal ban on photos of dead bodies =2

AAP General News (Australia)
04-06-2008
NSW: Call for legal ban on photos of dead bodies =2

Fair Trading Minister LINDA BURNEY says the government doesn't support a mandatory
code of conduct for the industry.

She says most complaints relate to consumers knowing what they'll be paying for so
they can compare prices .. and that was addressed in reforms introduced last year.

AAP RTV wjf/jmt

KEYWORD: FUNERALS 2 SYDNEY (REOPENS)

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Rudd wastes no time with Kyoto ratification

AAP General News (Australia)
12-04-2007
Fed: Rudd wastes no time with Kyoto ratification

KEVIN RUDD's started his prime ministership with a bang .. ratifying the Kyoto Protocol
as his first act of government having barely been sworn in.

Mr RUDD'S signing of the climate agreement yesterday brought applause from environmental
groups and delegates to the United Nations' climate conference in Bali.

It leaves the United States as the only major economy to boycott the Kyoto pact ..

which sets binding emissions targets that force countries to reduce or cap their greenhouse
gas output.

Mr RUDD says his decision to ratify Kyoto so soon after being formally inducted as
prime minister shows how serious he is about tackling climate change.

With the ratification process now in train .. Australia will be a full member of the
Kyoto Protocol by March.

AAP RTV dcr/af/psm/

KEYWORD: LABOR (CANBERRA)

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Governments need to focus on water demand, not supply

AAP General News (Australia)
04-20-2007
Fed: Governments need to focus on water demand, not supply

CANBERRA, April 20 AAP - The federal government must focus on urban water demand, not
just supply, to address the Murray-Darling Basin water crisis, a water policy expert says.

Prime Minister John Howard yesterday warned that irrigators in the Murray-Darling Basin
would not be allocated water for their crops from July unless there was heavy rain in
the coming weeks.

But Australian National University expert Quentin Grafton said the government should
look at the demand of water usage by urban households instead of looking at supply issues.

"We tend to focus on supply," Dr Grafton said.

"It hasn't rained, leading to massive reductions in terms of water storages, therefore
there can't be seasonal allocations in July."

He said governments needed to concentrate on ways of reducing demand for water, suggesting
a water price rise would be more effective than current restrictions.

"The way to adjust demand is price and we are not using that method," he said.

"Instead we have water restrictions which are not providing enough signals to households
to use water wisely."

Dr Grafton also said better economic analysis was needed to ensure money spent on water
was used in the right way.

Some previous policies were not thought through enough and money allocated for water
in the future would not be used wisely unless its purpose was properly analysed, he said.

Dr Grafton said rain would eventually come, but questioned where and when it would
relieve farmers.

But a senior scientist was not so optimistic, saying predictions of rain were irresponsible.

Graeme Pearman, who formerly headed the CSIRO's division of atmospheric research, said
a substantial amount of rain was unlikely to come soon.

"(Talking) to farmers and (being) affected by the emotional state they are in is very
traumatic, but it is not an excuse for making projections and suggesting that we will
get rain when it's not really scientifically possible to do that at this stage," Dr Pearman
told ABC Radio.

AAP sw/mfh/cjh/bwl

KEYWORD: WATER GRAFTON

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

FED: Stanhope says bushfire criticism is inaccurate

AAP General News (Australia)
12-19-2006
FED: Stanhope says bushfire criticism is inaccurate

CANBERRA, Dec 19 AAP - ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope says a coroner's criticism of
his government over the 2003 Canberra bushfires is inaccurate.

Mr Stanhope said the ACT government would prepare a response to the criticism outlined
in coroner Maria Doogan's inquiry findings, handed down today.

Mrs Doogan slammed the government's Emergency Services Bureau for inadquately planning
for, and fighting, the bushfires which killed four people and destroyed hundreds of homes.

Mr Stanhope said he would outline the inaccuracies in the government's detailed response,
which would be available in February next year.

"As you are aware there are also a number of quite critical comments in relation to
myself, I don't agree with them, I don't believe they are sustained by the evidence or
that there are any basis for them," he told reporters.

MORE sld/sb/jt

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES INQUIRY STANHOPE

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Qld: Cowgirl follows Mum's path

AAP General News (Australia)
08-12-2006
Qld: Cowgirl follows Mum's path

A Victorian cowgirl plans to emulate her mother's world champion success .. after taking
the Mount Isa Rodeo by storm today.

TANYA DISTON .. from Narnargoon .. south of Melbourne .. is preparing to leave her
tiny home town at the end of the year .. for a shot at fame and fortune .. in the United
States.

The 17-year-old wants to join the ranks of her mother .. 1978 open barrel race world
champion YVONNE DOWNES .. and become a career cowgirl.

And she's on her way .. after taking out the coveted junior barrel race .. in Mount Isa.

AAP RTV dd/srp

KEYWORD: RODEO (MOUNT ISA)

) 2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Cannabis seized after police tipped off

AAP General News (Australia)
04-06-2006
NSW: Cannabis seized after police tipped off

SYDNEY, April 6 AAP - Sydney police have seized 142 cannabis plants worth $300,000
after officers were tipped off about a hydroponic cultivation operation.

A search of an unoccupied house in Lansdowne, in Sydney's west, revealed the plants
growing in three rooms in a hydroponic set up, police said.

A 43-year-old man was arrested at a house in nearby Fairfield West and later charged
with cultivating an indictable quantity of a prohibited drug.

He is due in Fairfield Local Court today.

AAP pc/mon

KEYWORD: CANNABIS

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Oracle eyes more app server growth

Chandra Devi
New Straits Times
12-02-2004
Oracle eyes more app server growth
Byline: Chandra Devi
Edition: Computimes; 2*
Section: Business Computing

ORACLE Corp sees significant growth prospects for its application servers in the Asia-Pacific, which is the fastest-growing market for the company.

According to its senior vice president, development, application server Thomas Kurian, the exponential market growth in the region is driven by the high economic growth rates especially in India and China.
Companies in the region are heavily investing in technology as a means to compete globally. The trend, Kurian says, is for these companies to move applications from the desktop computer to the Internet. There's a big push to use the Internet to drive businesses in all countries across Asia, and this is driving the growth of the application server market, he adds.

Kurian sees a wave of Internet enablement to run organisations happening in the Asia-Pacific. Most companies are building business applications on the Internet technology architecture, and instead of depending on piecemeal software, which can be costly to deploy and maintain, they are looking for an integrated software stack, he explains.

Another trend driving the application server market is the rapid adoption of radio frequency identification and business-to-business in the region, he adds.

Oracle is currently No. 2 in the application server market behind IBM Corp. However, in terms of incremental market share and growth rate in the last four years, Oracle has grown the fastest, Kurian says. Between 2002 and 2003 for example, Oracle's share growth was 2.6 per cent, compared to IBM's 1.7 per cent and BEA Systems' 1.2 per cent.

Kurian attributes Oracle's fast growth rate to its Application Server 10g technology innovation, which was a major release for the company. He says the reasons for swift customer adoption for 10g are easy and automated upgrade, and the fact that the integrated yet open and modular technology works in a heterogeneous environment.

He adds that Oracle's technical strategy to deliver service- oriented architecture of application with middleware platform built on the Enterprise Grid has also been a selling point.

On the company's strategy to accelerate application server market growth, Kurian says Oracle will focus on the small and medium-sized enterprise space and introduce new products to fit the needs of SMEs.

Besides opening up new markets with specially packaged and priced products such as Oracle Application Server Standard Edition One for SMEs, he says the company has developed a dedicated direct sales team trained in application server technology.

Another strategy, Kurian adds, is to heighten the company's channel presence. Besides aggressively recruiting and training independent software vendors, systems integrators and value-added resellers, Oracle has also invested in developer programmes to attract more developers. The company has about 20,000 partners globally under its partner network programme who specifically focus on the application server market.

(Copyright 2004)

pre-empt spot

pre-empt spot An advertising spot for a particular period of airtime on television, bought in advance at a discount for use only if another advertiser does not offer to take up that time at the full rate.

Thanks, Mike.(Comcast, MediaOne merger)

Negotiations to outflank AT&T lead to Comcast's $60 billion purchase of Media One

Thank AT&T's Michael Armstrong for unintentionally bringing Comcast Corp. and MediaOne Group Inc. together.

The two cable operators started out merely looking to plot against the AT&T chairman in his push to lure cable partners into a critical new phone venture. But those early talks sparked a vastly more expansive deal--one that set price records in the cable industry and likely will create the nation's second-largest MSO.

By acquiring MediaOne for $60 billion, Comcast will control a portfolio of cable systems serving 11 million subscribers with major concentrations in markets including Miami, suburban Boston, suburban Washington and Detroit. As Comcast president Brian Roberts sees it, the additional clusters and national reach will make it easier to offer advanced services such as high-speed Internet, digital cable and telephone.

But just as importantly, the stock-swap acquisition is a straight financial play. Roberts is taking advantage of the soaring value of Comcast shares, which is just as outsized as the price he is paying for MediaOne shares. Also, Comcast expects to substantially improve MediaOne's relatively inefficiently managed cable operations, whose 38% cash-flow margin falls far below Comcast's 48% margin.

Comcast readily acknowledges that combining the operations will generate $500 million-$700 million in lower expenses --in part by cutting 5% of the two companies' 34,000 workers.

The deal offers what Time Warner Inc. Gerald Levin characterized as a "psychodrama" over MediaOne's relationship with that company through its 26% ownership of Time Warner Entertainment. MediaOne Chairman Charles Lillis and Levin have long had a fractious relationship, but Time Warner suddenly finds itself with new leverage over its partner.

Levin last week was conciliatory, saying he was "a happy partner" with Comcast and didn't plan to use certain elements of the TWE partnership agreement to impede the MediaOne deal or squeeze concessions regarding TWE.

The deal could change Comcast as well. MediaOne has been fairly aggressive in deploying new technology, pushing hard on offering Internet and telephone services on its systems. The MSO has long been what Roberts characterized as "a close follower," preferring not to heavily invest capital until revenues are clearly in sight.

The company currently has no cable telephone operations and MediaOne's push could influence that position. However, Comcast management may wait until technology issues that could make telephone service much cheaper are sorted out.

Roberts said that subscribers and investors should expect Comcast to be in all those new businesses.

"This company is, in my opinion, a super-cap, growth, pure play broadband company," he said.

Lillis agreed, saying, "Neither of us would be able to do that as an individual company as well as we can do it together."

Lillis is to be vice chairman of the combined operation, but Roberts and his father, Chairman Ralph Roberts, are clearly in charge.

Roberts bragged that the merger gives Comcast strong local system clusters: half of the two companies' system portfolios overlap.

But the deal doesn't really create much in the way of new "superclusters." For example, MediaOne is already dominant in Boston, Atlanta and Miami. Comcast is big in Baltimore.

"They filled in the holes beautifully in Sacramento and Detroit, but in the top 30 markets I didn't see anything," said Bear, Stearns & Co. analyst Ray Katz.

Lillis and Roberts said that once their phone-venture talks shifted into a merger dance, it took less than three weeks to actually cut a deal.

Initially, the two cable operators had linked last December with Cox Communications Inc. to team up against AT&T as the long-distance carrier pushed to cut joint ventures with MSOs. The goal: to create a cable platform for telephone traffic.

AT&T got there part of the way by acquiring Tele-Communications Inc.'s 10.7 million-subscriber cable operation. But it needs alliances with many other cable operators to create a truly national telephone network to bypass onerous access charges levied by local phone monopolies.

The three MSOs watched Time Warner secure cash payments that could exceed $5 billion in exchange for allowing AT&T to run phone traffic over the MSOs' 11.9 million cable subscribers. By negotiating jointly, the three MSOs figured their combined 15 million subscribers would give them at least as much leverage at Time Warner.

The Cox agreement is still alive. But it was in those discussions that Roberts and Lillis say they realized they should do a bigger deal. As they studied how to present the combined systems for AT&T's consideration, Roberts decided to push for a merger. "I remember calling Chuck after one of those meetings and saying, "We've got to get married'," Roberts said.

Lillis has long been seen as a short-termer, with many industry executives believing that MediaOne--which was spun off from former telco parent U.S. West Inc.-would cash in quickly.

But MediaOne executives insisted that Lillis has for months spent his energy trying to buy, not sell. He approached Cox and Adelphia Communications Corp., but neither wanted to sell.

The numbers are staggering. The $60 billion price is $10 billion more than AT&T paid for Tele-Communications Inc. last month, largely because MediaOne has major non-cable investments. Analysts pegged the deal between 17 and 22 times cash flow, depending on the analysis. One year ago, major system groups sold for just 11 times cash flow.

But Comcast executives look at it a bit differently. Their stock has quadrupled in the two years since Microsoft Corp. seized investor attention by shelling out $1 billion for the company to jump-start deployment of advanced services. An adviser to Comcast said that rise has left the company trading at 17 times cash flow. "If you look at the cost savings, that's the same as the MediaOne valuation."

By using hugely "appreciated" currency--he disagreed at the suggested adjective "overinflated"-to buy MediaOne's equally "appreciated" stock, the deal is a wash for Comcast's shareholders. "Now we grow the business," the adviser said.

                              Comcast's Clusters  Market              Subs Mkt. [*] Market               Subs Mkt. [*]                    (000)    share                     (000)    share Miami                861      87% Washington            632      47% Springfield          157      79% Knoxville             140      46% Richmond, Va.        213      74% Minneapolis           331      44% Atlanta              804      70% Los Angeles           837      26% Fresno               183      70% Philadelphia          538      26% Jacksonville, Fla.   254      68% Hartford, Conn.       190      24% Sacramento           486      67% Indianapolis          150      24% Boston             1,067      63% West Florida          291      20% Baltimore            399      62% New York/New Jersey   689      15%   (*.)Percentage of cable homes in market Source: Comcast 

Webcast Alert: TDS and U.S. Cellular to Webcast Second Quarter Operating Results Conference Call.

CHICAGO, July 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (NYSE: TDS, TDS.S) and United States Cellular Corporation (NYSE: USM) announce the following webcast:

What:	TDS and U.S. Cellular Second Quarter Operating Results Conference Call Webcast
When:	Aug. 8, 2011 @ 8:30 EDT
Where:	http://www.videonewswire.com/event.asp?id=81248
How:	Live over the Internet -- Simply log on to the web at the address above.
Contact:	Julie D. Mathews, Manager, Investor Relations 312/592-5341

If you are unable to participate during the live webcast, the call will be archived on the Web site www.teldta.com

Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (NYSE: TDS, TDS.S), a Fortune 500 company, provides wireless, local and long-distance telephone, and broadband services through its business units, U.S. Cellular (wireless) and TDS Telecom (wireline).

U.S. Cellular (NYSE: USM), the nation's sixth-largest wireless carrier, provides a comprehensive range of wireless products and services, excellent customer service and a high-quality network in 26 states.

SOURCE Telephone and Data Systems, Inc.; U.S. Cellular

Review of Moodle 2.0.(Product/service evaluation)

 REVIEW OF MOODLE 2.0  Title                     Moodle 2.0  Platform                  Mac OS X, Windows, Linux  Minimum hardware          Disk Space: 160MB free (min) requirements              Memory: 256MB (min), 1GB (recommended)  Publisher (with contact   http://moodle.org information)  Support offered           Context help, Moodle Docs, Moodle Tracker,                           Moodle.org Forum, Moodle Partners, self-help                           tutorials, and Moodle on social network                           sites  Price                     Unlimited use for basic functions in 35                           languages; scaled fees for fully developed                           courses in five languages (English, French,                           German, Italian, and Spanish)  Target language           Multiple languages (more than 70 languages)  Target audience           Any level of students  Price                     Free 

INTRODUCTION

With the rapid increase of digital technologies and the popularity of the Internet in recent years, a new definition of literacy has emerged. "New literacies" extend beyond traditionally held views of literacy as the ability to read and write to include an expanded definition, which includes a wide range of skills: the ability to locate and evaluate information effectively and efficiently; facility with making meaning by aligning new information with prior knowledge; and an ability to synthesize, critically analyze, and create new information within the context of larger social practices (Coiro, 2003; Coiro, Knobel, Lankshear, & Leu, 2008; Greenhow, Robelia, & Hughes, 2009). In order to help students acquire new literacies, it is essential to engage learners in developing deep cognitive processing, to activate their prior knowledge, to promote collaborative inquiry, and to encourage creativity in all language skills (Cummins, Brown, & Sayers, 2007). This review evaluates the potential of Moodle 2.0 for helping students master such a wide range of abilities and competencies by examining Moodle 2.0 using the following guiding criteria adapted from Cummins and his colleagues (2007):

1. Providing cognitive challenges and opportunities for deep processing of meaning

2. Relating instruction to prior knowledge and experiences

3. Promoting active self-regulated collaborative inquiry

4. Encouraging extensive involvement in all language skills

5. Developing multiple strategies for effective language learning

6. Promoting identity investment

WHAT IS MOODLE 2.0 ABOUT?

Moodle (Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment) is a free and open-source course management system based on the social constructionist model of pedagogy. The design of Moodle emphasizes creating collaborative interaction and student-centered online learning environments. The open network allows any interested users to contribute their ideas, information, and support, and also to create additional modules and features that allow unlimited innovation. Moodle has been described as software "created through participation rather than via publishing" (Lankshear & Knobel, 2006, p. 45).

Due to the involvement of the community, a newer version of Moodle (Moodle 2.0) was released in 2010, and this revised version includes many new features. Although itemizing every change is beyond the scope of this review, the new features have resulted in a management system that is more personalized (e.g., my private files, and an improved My Moodle page); more user-friendly (e.g., portfolio support, repository support file picker, and a new HTML editor); more organized (e.g., themes, quiz navigation, flagging questions, question bank, tagging, and blocks); more educationally challenging (e.g., course completion and prerequisites, rewritten Wiki and workshop modules, and enablement of conditional activities); and more collaborative (e.g., comments, ratings, and community hubs).

EVALUATION OF MOODLE DESIGN

Examining Moodle 2.0 with the six principles proposed by Cummins et al. (2007) reveals several positive strengths and some potential challenges.

Providing Cognitive Challenges and Opportunities for Deep Processing of Meaning.

Opportunities for cognitively challenging activities can be provided in different Moodle modules and plug-ins that instruct language learners to think about and represent particular topics in multiple ways. To take just one example, the glossary module gives opportunities for participants to create and organize a list of definitions, such as an online word library. Individuals can determine how the information is organized (e.g., keywords and categories) and represented in post-typographic formats (e.g., videos, graphics, audios, texts, etc.) in order to make a shared sense or meaning for the community (see Figure 1 for an example of a glossary module). With Moodle 2.0, multiple glossary definitions can be rated and commented on by users to negotiate and evaluate each other's work. The active and in-depth processing of new or unfamiliar vocabulary promotes both "higher-order thinking" and "lower-order thinking" (Cummins et al., 2007). This instruction of vocabulary via the learners arguably helps them develop depth and breadth of vocabulary knowledge.

[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

In another example, a forum module is a useful space for stimulating discussion by using post-typographical formats. The main contribution of this module is that learners get to decide the flow of the content, while the role of the instructor can be as facilitator rather than as primary information giver. This module can enable learners to bring different perspectives and knowledge to a theme, thus promoting the abilities of meaning negotiation and critical thinking.

Additionally, instructors can also have learners create questions to assess each other's comprehension by utilizing a quiz module, including a variety of question types (e.g., multiple-choice, matching, short answer, ordering, true/false, and more). The process of student creation provides an opportunity for students to synthesize, critically analyze, and create new ways of transforming information. Notably, the activity not only allows students to decide what is important but also can potentially empower them as learners and thinkers by offering opportunity for greater autonomy. However, to create such a meaningful problem-solving activity is complicated, time-consuming, and may require technical support (e.g., basic HTML knowledge).

Relating Instruction to Prior Knowledge and Experiences.

Tools such as the mindmap module and questionnaire module can facilitate student brainstorming and prediction of content as students build background knowledge in a new area. A mindmap module is a type of mapping/graphic organizer that can be used by teachers to create warm-up activities for students to link new information with prior knowledge and for instructors to determine what additional knowledge needs to be developed before introducing the main topic. For example, the teacher may have students develop ideas relevant to Alzheimer's and then provide articles that discuss perspectives not/rarely mentioned in the activity. Instructors can also create a survey activity by utilizing the questionnaire module to set up specific connections for students to activate their prior knowledge (see Figure 2 for an example of a questionnaire module).

The examples above illustrate a reliance on the teachers' ability to provide clear instructions and to be aware of prior knowledge held by learners. A major challenge for Moodle 2.0 might be the extra effort required by course designers to provide appropriate instructions, although Moodle 2.0 offers a space for teachers to develop meaningful activities. The majority of participants in MoodleDocs are developers, administrators, or/and teachers. However, little support is designed specifically for language learners to ask related questions. Features that would enhance the learners' experience might include a list of frequently asked questions, technical support for students, or a set of instructions for various basic activities such as participating in a module, uploading files, or importing/exporting files from other sources.

[FIGURE 2 OMITTED]

In short, Moodle contains several useful tools for teachers to evaluate students' prior knowledge and experiences but the effort to provide clear instructions needs further consideration.

Promoting Active Self-regulated Collaborative Inquiry

Collaboration and social interaction can be embedded in almost every module and block via chat (e.g., chat room), discussion (e.g., forum and comment functions), or work with peers to get ideas (e.g., Wiki). The new Wiki module now is more consistent with other Wiki formats such as Wikipedia. It provides more administrative options to enable instructors to easily and effectively provide a "knowledge-building" environment for students to develop, create, and share information together while online (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 2006) (see Figure 3 for an example of an interactive Wiki module). The particular challenge for the Wiki type of tool is that it requires users to maintain it properly and for teachers to build a learning environment which recognizes it as a valuable source.

[FIGURE 3 OMITTED]

Encouraging Extensive Involvement in All Language Skills

According to Cummins et al. (2007), involvement is the key to the development of proficiency. Design that encourages active involvement in all language skills is elaborated in Moodle 2.0. For instance, the RSS feeds block enables instructors to link to authentic reading materials (e.g., online newspapers and articles) from external Websites. The voice device NanoGong (not yet compatible with Moodle 2.0) can be embedded in almost every module. Another audio and video recording device PoodLL Language Laboratory package (will be compatible with Moodle 2.0 soon) includes two assignments, two activities and three questions types. This means that listening and speaking activities can be created anywhere to encourage practice of these language skills. Besides, with the new repository support in Moodle 2.0, authentic resources such as YouTube and Flickr can be easily integrated into a Moodle site. Writing opportunities can also be created in any of the following modules: assignment module, lesson module, personal profile, journal module, blog module, and forum module. All these features not only encourage students to practice language skills but also to make language learning happen in more "real-world" settings. Additionally, creating activities by incorporating different modules can be easily achieved, so different language skills can be linked; for example, a chat session transcript can be analyzed for grammar and spelling errors in a Wiki or forum module.

Developing Multiple Strategies for Effective Language Learning

Language learners need to know how to use a range of strategies before, during, and after learning, such as self-management, self and peer evaluation, and the use of post-typographic materials to fit a variety of learning styles. Moodle 2.0 provides multiple opportunities for teachers to develop tasks during which students can practice such skills.

Organization

The first feature that allows users to practice organizing effective information is page layout. A Moodle page is organized in blocks to enable users to track important information. In Moodle 2.0, however, all blocks are consistently implemented in every page and can be customized by users. Another change in Moodle 2.0 from Moodle 1.9 is in two settings of its interface: navigation block and setting block. A navigation block helps users quickly and easily access items, such as site pages, courses, my profile, etcetera. With the setting block, users can directly locate items they have permission to edit across the Moodle site. Second, the new development of My Private File provides opportunities for users to integrate personal or external documents and media (initial plug-ins include: Alfresco, Flickr, GoogleDocs, Picasa, and YouTube) (see Figure 4 for a sample of My Private File). In My Private File, students can easily arrange the appropriate materials to effectively represent information through post-typographic materials.

Evaluation Strategies

Moodle 2.0 supports a wide variety of evaluation strategies, providing built-in comment boxes for instructors to provide feedback, user ratings, a quiz module, and a workshop module.

[FIGURE 4 OMITTED]

The workshop module has been completely redesigned for Moodle 2.0 and emphasizes peer assessment activities. It contains multiple types of assessment forms and allows the learner, peers, and instructors to evaluate the quality of one's work. The quiz module allows users to design a variety of question types and store these in a question bank to be re-used or modified for multiple quizzes. It also includes quiz reports and statistics to give students instant feedback, so they can compare results to their own goals. Another major improvement from Moodle 1.9 in the module is the possibility of flagging questions during a quiz attempt (see Figure 5 for the flagging example). This function allows students to go back to review answers they are unsure of. Thus, users can monitor what needs to be further understood. These functions allow easy access to both qualitative and quantitative assessments. With this function, users can easily track or arrange important or interesting information. According to this criterion, teachers can utilize Moodle 2.0 to facilitate students' development of multiple learning strategies.

[FIGURE 5 OMITTED]

Promoting Identity Investment

Tools to support involvement and identity are available in several blocks on Moodle. Cummins et al. (2007) state that it is critical to carry out "identity texts insofar as students invest their identities in these texts (written, spoken, visual, musical, or combination in multimodal form) that then hold a mirror up to students in which their identities are reflected back in a positive light" (p. 219). The My Moodle page outlines learner profiles, activity reports, tags, notes, and their private files, as well as records the user's way of thinking, responding, and acting in each task. Also, Moodle 2.0 allows student identity to be represented in multiple ways, including visual or iconic images, letter identification, voice, videos, or a combination of these.

CONCLUSION

Moodle 2.0 is a powerful software package that can be used for language learning. Its primary strength lies in its technical features. It is important to note here that the tools mentioned above are just some of Moodle 2.0's capabilities, and more modules, blocks, and plug-ins can be added. Many of the technical issues mentioned in this review in need of improvement will undoubtedly become part of the next set of issues addressed by the many Moodle developers and users (often called "Moodlers"). In its current iteration, however, Moodle 2.0 has strong pedagogical potential and allows instructors flexibility in creating activities based on the perceived needs, intentions, cognitive traits, and learning strategies of their students. Moodle 2.0 has the power to enhance efforts by teachers to provide carefully designed learning environments so that their students can be successful.

REFERENCES

Coiro, J. (2003). Reading comprehension on the Internet: Expanding our understanding of reading comprehension to encompass new literacies. The Reading Teacher, 56(5), 458-464.

Coiro, J., Knobel, M., Lankshear, C., & Leu, D. (2008). Central issues in new literacies and new literacies research. In J. Coiro, M. Knobel, C. Lankshear, & D. J. Leu (Eds.), Handbook of new literacies research (pp. 1-22). New York: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Cummins, J., Brown, K., & Sayers, D. (2007). Literacy, technology, and diversity: Teaching for success in changing times. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon/Pearson.

Greenhow, C., Robelia, B., & Hughes, J. (2009). Web 2.0 and classroom research: What path should we take? Educational Researcher, 38(4), 246-259. doi:10.3102/0013189x09336671

Lankshear, C., & Knobel, M. (2006). New literacies: Everyday practices and classroom learning (2nd ed). London: Open University Press.

Scardamalia, M., & Bereiter, C. (2006). Knowledge building: Theory, pedagogy, and technology. In K. Sawyer (Ed.), Cambridge handbook of learning sciences (pp. 97-118). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Review by Tsun-Ju Lin, Washington State University

Tsun-Ju Lin is a doctoral student in Language and Literacy Education in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Washington State University. While pursuing her degree, she is working as an online language course developer and education technology consultant in the Department of Foreign Languages and Cultures at WSU. Her research interest is supporting learner engagement in technology to facilitate FLLs' language competence. E-mail: tsunjulin@gmail.com

Net income dips at SDM despite robust front end.(Business)

TORONTO -- With prior-year results propped up by a onetime gain, Shoppers Drug Mart (SDM) saw first quarter net income slip 3.9% on a 2.7% sales gain. However, earnings--which met analysts' expectations--rose over adjusted prior-year results.

Net income for the 12 weeks ended March 26 fell to $117.5 million (Canadian), or 54 cents per diluted share, from $122.3 million, or 56 cents per share, in the 2010 quarter, when the company booked a $12 million pretax gain on a sale/leaseback transaction. Backing out that item, earnings increased by 3.4% over 2010's adjusted figure of $114 million.

Sales reached $2.35 billion, up from $2.28 billion. Results missed the $2.38 billion average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson Reuters, as the chain's prescription business continued to be squeezed by recently implemented drug system reform initiatives in certain provinces--principally Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec--as well as the effects of higher rates of generic drug utilization. The difficulties in the pharmacy were countered by strong front-end sales growth in all regions of the country.

Chainwide, pharmacy sales receded 0.4% to $1.15 billion, or 49% of revenues, down from a 50.6% share a year ago. Front-end business, meanwhile, vaulted 6% to $1.20 billion.

On a same-store basis, sales were up 2%, as a solid 4.4% gain at the front end was diluted by a 0.4% decline in pharmacy. Management notes that continued growth in prescription volume was offset by a reduction in the value of the average prescription--due largely to lower generics reimbursement rates. Prescription counts advanced 3.9% chainwide and by 3.7% on a same-store basis. All told, generics accounted for 56.6% of prescriptions filled, up from 53.2% a year ago.

It was a far different stow at the front end, where management notes that "effective marketing campaigns, differentiated and impactful promotions, and solid program execution at store level drove sales growth and market share gains in the company's core health, beauty and convenience categories."

During a conference call chief financial officer Brad Lukow told analysts that a growing proportion of front-end sales were coming from promotions, thereby crimping margins.

Still, gross margin for the quarter improved 25 basis points to 37.8%. But this was countered by an 89-basis-point jump in operating and administrative (O&A) expenses (including amortization and the aforementioned prior-year gain) to 30.22% of sales. With that, operating income decreased 5.3% to $177.9 million.

Commenting on the decline in operating income, management stated that "benefits realized from further gains in productivity and efficiency were partially offset by increased amortization and higher operating expenses at the store level associated with the company's network growth and expansion initiatives, and by continued investments in pricing and promotional activities."

After factoring in a 5.5% increase in interest expense to $14.6 million, pretax income dropped 6.2% to $163.3 million. This was countered somewhat at the bottom line by a lower effective tax rate in the 2011 quarter.

"We are pleased with our performance in the first quarter of 2011," David Williams, director and interim president and chief executive officer, said in a statement. "This is a particularly solid result, considering that we are in the midst of working through a difficult period of transition as we adjust our business and service model in response to government reform initiatives and the resultant funding and reimbursement pressures on our pharmacy business."

During the quarter 18 drug stores were opened or acquired (including 11 relocations), while three smaller units were closed. The chain also completed four major drug store expansions, while 12 established locations were remodeled to smaller prototype formats.

At quarter's end the network had a total of 1,316 stores, including 1,245 drug stores (1,185 Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix stores and 60 Shoppers Simply Pharmacy/Pharmaprix Simplement Sante stores), 63 Shoppers Home Health Care stores, and eight Murale stores.

                            Current   Previous                             close     close       Net       %Chain drug stocks           5/9/11    4/18/11    change    changeDow Jones Composite         4366.93   4179.39    +187.54    +4.49  AverageCVS Caremark                  37.48     33.89      +3.59   +10.59Rite Aid                       1.15      1.05      +0.10    +9.52Walgreens                     43.10     39.64      +3.46    +8.73                            52-week   52-week                   P/EChain drug stocks            high       low     Div.   Yield   ratioDow Jones Composite         4438.86   826.97  AverageCVS Caremark                  37.64    26.84    0.50    1.4     15Rite Aid                       1.47     0.86     --     --      --Walgreens                     47.11    26.26    0.70    1.7     18                            Current   Previous                             close     close       Net       %Canadian drug stocks *      5/9/11    4/18/11    change    changeJean Coutu Group             10.99     10.17      +0.82    +8.06Shoppers Drug Mart           41.37     40.25      +1.12    +2.78                            52-week   52-week                   P/ECanadian drug stocks *       high       low     Div.   Yield   ratioJean Coutu Group             11.10      7.88    0.24    2.2     14Shoppers Drug Mart           41.96     32.57    1.00    2.4     15* Figures are in Canadian dollars.                            Current   Previous                             close     close       Net       %Internet drug stores        5/9/11    4/18/11    change    changedrugstore.com                3.78       3.89      -0.11    -2.83                            52-week   52-week                   P/EInternet drug stores         high       low     Div.   Yield   ratiodrugstore.com                3.94      1.48      --     --      --                            Current   PreviousParent companies &           close     close       Net       %      5combo operators             5/9/11    4/18/11    change    changeAhold (combos)               13.74     13.27      +0.47     +3.54AmerisourceBergen (GNP)      42.22     39.29      +2.93     +7.46Cardinal Health (Medicine    45.30     41.32      +3.98     +9.63  Shoppe)Kroger (combos)              24.29     23.70      +0.59     +2.49McKesson (Health Mart)       84.74     79.59      +5.15     +6.47Supervalu (combos)           10.50      8.84      +1.66    +18.78Parent companies &          52-week   52-week                   P/Ecombo operators              high       low     Div.   Yield   ratioAhold (combos)               14.27     12.05     --     --      14AmerisourceBergen (GNP)      42.50     27.09    0.40    1.0     18Cardinal Health (Medicine    45.49     29.69    0.86    1.9     16  Shoppe)Kroger (combos)              24.93     19.08    0.42    1.7     14McKesson (Health Mart)       84.99     57.81    0.72    0.9     19Supervalu (combos)           14.24      7.06    0.35    3.3     --                            Current   PreviousOther retailers              close     close       Net       %                            5/9/11    4/18/11    change    changeSears (Kmart)                77.00     79.83      -2.83    -3.55Target                       50.00     49.95      +0.05    +0.10Walmart                      55.10     52.35      +2.75    +5.25Other retailers             52-week   52-week                   P/E                             high       low     Div.   Yield   ratioSears (Kmart)               115.45     59.21     --     --      66Target                       60.97     48.23    1.00    2.0     13Walmart                      57.90     47.77    1.46    2.7     12

Open-source protocol frees images trapped in PACS.

Medical Device Daily European Editor

PISA, Italy -- By the end of this year radiology workstations will offer a new capability for the web-based transfer of diagnostic quality medical images with other hospitals.

You may wonder why this is not already possible.

In a digital age when teenagers easily trade snapshots on iPhones, it seems impossible that the impressive imaging workstations found in hospitals are unable to send images to other medical centers.

Yet as any woman with a lump in her breast has learned, the transfer of medical images between specialists today is achieved with old-fashioned, 20th century compact discs.

To the point where radiology departments are overwhelmed with stacks of CDs sliding off shelves and scattered on desktops with more arriving by special couriers, patients and even taxi drivers everyday.

The first problem in transferring images over the internet is the confidentiality of patient information, though you may wonder how secure your breast images really are on a CD laying around radiology reading stations.

The bigger problem is interoperability, the compatibility of data stored on these muscular picture archiving and communication systems (PACS).

Not only are these systems not interoperable, the lack of compatibility between systems from different manufacturers is intentional, part of a long-standing commercial strategy.

While vendors say they conform to international standards, such as Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM), each also adds small lines of software coding and tags to images to frustrate image transfer and keep customers captive to their equipment.

Buried under CDs and infuriated to see teenagers easily swapping photos, radiologists have had enough as prisoners of their PACS systems.

A first effort was the recently introduced new generation of vendor-neutral systems that for an additional charge can bolt on to existing PACS to free up images for transfer.

By the end of this year radiologists will have a free solution in the form of an open-source protocol called Cross-Community Access for Imaging (XCA-I) being developed by Chicago-based Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) in a joint effort with DICOM.

"This is the CD Buster that will give you access to images when you want, where you want on any system capable of pulling DICOM data," promises Chris Lindop, who leads the Interoperability & Standards group for GE Healthcare (Chalfont, UK) and is the lead author for the new integration profile with the open-source association IHE.

At the IHE European Connectathon held here last week, a connectivity marathon among 117 health IT systems in the development pipeline, Lindop was running multiple verification tests for the new protocol.

XCA-I levels the playing field for medical image transfer by providing a capability that can be added to all existing software, whether proprietary, built-to-purpose PACS or independently developed vendor-neutral systems.

"This is far more than peer-to-peer exchanges, it is designed to break barriers between organizations to enable a secure image exchange," said Lindop.

Enabled exchanges could be hospital-to-hospital, community-to-community or between massive health information enterprises, such as Kaiser Permanente and the Mayo Clinics. Equipped with the XCA-I retrieving gateway, a DICOM-capable computer system can pull images through an access broker " and then you can do what you need with the image, displaying it, storing it, or sharing it within your network," said Lindop.

Vendors integrating XCA-I will validate the interoperability of their systems at the IHE North American Connectathon to be held in Chicago in January 2012.

After this testing the new capability will progressively become available as an upgrade to existing imaging systems, though some vendors are expected to informally preview the new image transfer features at the Radiology Society of North America (RSNA) exhibition in Chicago in November, 2011.

The IHE Integration Profile is currently in the final stages of public comment with IHE, and the corresponding DICOM supplement 149 is currently out for letter ballot as it moves toward approval.

XCA-I applies Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) for moving images and uses the DICOM standards for image transfer syntax that now carry more meta data.

"We are on the frontier of DICOM development with XCA-I, making the first step toward web-based DICOM services," said Lindop.

A new feature of the XCA-I protocol will be the ability to use "fuzzy" search terms for patient data, which Lindop prefer to call cross-enterprise discovery queries.

The disparity, diversity and dysfunctions of patient identification between systems, and even within the same hospital, continue to pose a significant challenge to sharing digital records.

Looser search terms mean an Emergency Department can enter a number of variation on a patient's name or identity in the query box to find images and medical records.

BroadLogic and ZTE announce new approach for digital TV over EPON.(NEW PRODUCTS)

BroadLogic Network Technologies Inc., a supplier of mixed-signal semiconductor solutions for global digital cable TV markets, and ZTE, a global supplier of telecommunication and network solutions, are teaming to offer and showcase a brand new solution that uses Ethernet passive optical network (EPON) infrastructure to deliver digital TV video-on-demand (VoD) and broadcast services to cable subscribers in multiple-dwelling units (MDUs). The integrated solution, which includes ZTE's C300 10G optical line terminal (OLT), and BroadLogic's Internet Protocol to Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (IP-to-QAM) Node reference design, offers cable operators an economical way to provide VoD and broadcast services for high-density population areas such as high-rise buildings. It was demonstrated publicly for the first time during the China Content Broadcasting Network (CCBN) Exhibition, March 23-25, 2011.

10G EPON enables high-definition (HD) and standard-definition (SD) digital TV services to be delivered via an EPON-to-QAM gateway that takes advantage of EPON systems already in place for data services. This new approach consists of an EPON-to-QAM gateway housed in an outdoor enclosure supporting as many as 128 QAMs. It connects BroadLogic's high-density silicon-based QAM solution and a 10G EPON system from ZTE. The same EPON system can be used to offer VoD services cost-effectively. Other digital TV services, including linear and switched broadcast, also can be offered.

According to Richard Peske, VP of marketing at BroadLogic, "ZTE is a global leader in PON technology. By integrating a QAM interface with an EPON optical network unit, or ONU, a cable operator can easily offer digital TV services without building new video distribution networks. This is an attractive way to deliver VoD services to MDUs now, and easily add broadcast services when they are required."

"BroadLogic brings unique silicon solutions to an EPON-to-QAM gateway," said Mr. Yongxing Zhu, vice general manager of Fixed Networks Group at ZTE. "The 10G EPON-to-QAM gateway we are showing gives cable operators a low-cost, reliable way to provide high-quality digital TV."

The EPON-to-QAM demonstration at CCBN 2011 included:

- BroadLogic's IP-to-QAM full hardware and software reference design using the BL85000 TeraQAM chip;

- ZTE's ZXA10 C300 1G/10G EPON OLT;

- ZTE's ZXA10 F100 10G EPON ONU.

BroadLogic and ZTE also recently demonstrated a solution for delivering broadcast video over EPON for the North American market.

Total column ozone measurements at Visakhapatnam using Microtops--II sun-photometer.(Visakhapatnamt, India)(Report)

Introduction

Ozone is one of the naturally occurring trace gas that make up our atmosphere. The atmosphere serves three critical functions: it provides life-giving oxygen, keeps the earth warm, and protects us from deadly ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Most of the atmosphere consists of nitrogen and oxygen (the air we breathe). These gases do not hold heat so they do not keep us warm. They also do not protect the earth from UV rays. For those functions you have to turn to the trace gases found in the atmosphere, commonly referred to as greenhouse gases. They are: water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and nitrous oxide. These trace gases function like the transparent covering of a greenhouse, allowing sunlight to filter through to the earth's surface, and then trapping the heat. Without the greenhouse effect the earth's temperature would drop far below zero each night. One of the most important constituents in the middle atmosphere is ozone, because it is the only atmospheric species that effectively absorbs ultraviolet solar radiation from 2000[degrees]A to 3000[degrees]A, protecting plant and animal life from exposure to harmful radiation. (Brasseur & Solomon 1986).

Ozone is the key trace constituent that participates in the chemistry and radiation of the earth's middle atmosphere. Hence a decrease in stratospheric ozone will result in increase in ultraviolet B radiation, which will have negative impacts on human health. UV rays are associated with skin cancer. The "UV index" is used in summer months to let people know how long it is safe to stay in the sun. A decrease in the ozone correlates to an increase in skin cancer. This is important because the ozone has been in a steady rate of depletion and holes in the upper ozone layer have developed. However as ozone is toxic to the living system (Nandita D.Ganguly and K.N.Iyer 2005). Thus there is a great need to monitor the atmospheric ozone concentration.

The significant depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer, which shields the earth from much of the biologically effective solar ultra-violet radiation, is mainly due to anthropogenic activity on the earth. This has become a major scientific concern (Bener 1972; Dave and Halpern 1976; Halpern et al. 1974). Solar radiation is unevenly distributed throughout the world and it shows wide variability with latitude, altitude and season in addition to its dependence on ozone and other factors like solar zenith angle, air pollution, humidity, clouds etc. Since solar ultraviolet radiation is the prime energy source, its variability is expected to cause changes in the atmospheric temperature (Brasseur and Simon 1981). It is reported that a 1% decrease in stratospheric ozone could cause about 2% increase in UV-B radiation (Cutchis 1974). This increase may vary depending on specific wavelength, season and solar zenith angle (Bais et al. 1994).

About Instrument

The Microtops II Sun photometer is a portable instrument (Morys et al., 2001). It is designed for use as a hand-held manually operated instrument. The physical and operational characteristics of the instrument are detailed in the "User's Guide," which is publicly accessible on the Internet (http://www.solar.com/manuals.htm). The Sun photometer measures solar radiance in five spectral wave bands from which it automatically derives Total columnar ozone. The five wavelengths may be specified while ordering the instrument, such that appropriate filters are custom designed and installed by the manufacturer.

Experimental set-up

The MICROTOPS-II is a five-channel hand-held microprocessor based sun-photometer with a full field of view of 2.5[degrees]. The instrument has five optical collimators aligned to aim in the same direction. A narrow-band interference filter and photodiode suitable for the particular wavelength range are fitted with every channel. All the channels face directly the solar disc simultaneously, when the image of the sun is centered at the cross-hairs of the sun target. When the radiation capture by the collimators falls on to the photodiodes, it produces an electrical current proportional to the received radiant power, which is amplified and is converted into digital form in a high resolution A/D converter. Signals are processed in a series of 20 conversions per second. Out of the five channels at 305, 312, 320, 940 and 1020nm, the first three filter channels are used to derive atmospheric total column ozone and the other two for water vapour and aerosol optical thickness.

Data and analysis

The total column amount of ozone at Visakhapatnam and its variations have been studied using Ozone Monitor sun-photometer (Microtops--II) data respectively over the period from 2005 Feb to 2007 Dec. The columnar unit of ozone is measured in Dobson unit (DU). It represents the height of a stack of ozone molecules at the surface of the Earth at 00 C and 760 mm of Hg, collected from a column of air above the stack. It cannot measure nighttime ozone. This technique works only during daytime and can be used to measure total ozone columns and vertical distribution. A hot summer and dryness in non- rainy seasons characterize the climate of Visakhapatnam.

Results and Discussion

Diurnal variation

The effect of photochemical production of ozone on diurnal variations in the total column ozone is observed every day. The total column ozone maximum is observed between 11:30 and 12:30 IST and the minimum in the evening time. It is observed that the evening time total column ozone lies within the range of 260 to 290 Du throughout the year except in May where the average is about 300 Du. It is noted that the total column ozone decreases rapidly in the evening time mostly in the dry season, whereas it decreases gradually in the wet season. The rapid increase in the total column ozone is observed after sunrise and may be attributed to vertical mixing. During the period from 2005 to 2007 it is observed that the diurnal variation of total column ozone is increasing from February to May after that it shows a decreasing trend up to the month of December. This type of increasing and decreasing trend is continued to all the observed years but the amount of total column ozone has been changing year by year.

Seasonal variation

The monthly mean total column ozone data shows seasonal variations in the similar manner in every year with maximum in summer, whereas it decreases during monsoon and reaches minimum in December. Thereafter it gradually increases throughout the winter and reaches the peak in summer. This trend is consistently observed in all the years from 2005 to 2007. The monthly mean Total Column Ozone data values are plotted against months for the years Feb.2005 to Dec.2007. (Fig.2). Chakrabarty & Chakrabarty (1979) have observed similar results for other Indian stations. Table 1 gives the monthly averaged values of total column ozone at Visakhapatnam during the period from 2005 to 2007.

The amount of total column ozone is found to be increased in 2006 compared to the year 2005 and it slightly decreased in 2007 as compared to 2006. It is observed that the amount of annual mean total column ozone is 300.0 Du in 2005, 316.2 Du in 2006 and 315.6 Du in 2007. The variations in the total column ozone (low/ high) would be caused by chemical and dynamic destruction processes related to the low/ high temperatures and weak/ active photochemical reactions due to less/ high intense solar radiation. The annual variations in the temperature over the earth's surface are controlled by the sun-earth relationship. The same mechanism controls variations in the ozone production/ loss in the atmosphere.

[FIGURE 1a OMITTED]

[FIGURE 1b OMITTED]

[FIGURE 1c OMITTED]

[FIGURE 2 OMITTED]

[FIGURE 3 OMITTED]

[FIGURE 4 OMITTED]

Acknowledgements

The authors sincerely acknowledges the Department of Science and Technology (DST), New Delhi for providing the Equipment under FIST programme.

References

[1] Bener, P., 1972: Approximate values of intensity of natural UV radiation for different amounts of atmospheric ozone. Final Tech. Report, US Army, Contract DAJA37-68-C-1017, European Research Office, US Army, London, GBR

[2] Bais, A.F., C. S. Zerefos, C. Meleti, I. C. Ziomas, K. Tourpali, V. Karaouza, and D. Balis, 1993: Variability of solar UV-B radiation at high and middle latitudes during EASOE 1991/92. Journal of Geophysical Research., 98, 5199-5204.

[3] Brasseur, G. & Solomon, S., 1986. Aeronomy of the middle atmosphere, D.Reidel Publishing Company.

[4] Brasseur, G, and P. C. Simon, 1981: Stratospheric Chemical and Thermal Response to Long-Term Variability in Solar UV Irradiance. Journal of Geophysical Research., 86, 7343-7362.

[5] Chakrabarty, D. K. and Chakrabarty, P., 1979. Ozone results from Indian stations using Dobson instruments, Proceedings of the NATO advanced institute on Atmospheric Ozone, 123-127.

[6] Cutchis, P., 1974: Stratospheric ozone depletion and solar ultraviolet radiation on earth. Science.

[7] Dave, J. V., and P. Halpern, 1976: Effect of changes in ozone amount on the ultraviolet radiation received at sea level of a model atmosphere. Atmospheric and Environment. 10, 547-555.

[8] Frost, G.J., Trainer, M., Allwine, E., Buhr, M., Calvert, J., Cantrell, C., Fehsenfeld, F., Goldan, P., Herwehe, J. and Hu' Bler, G., et al., 1998, Photochemical ozone production in the rural southeastern United States during the 1990 Rural Oxidants in the Southern Environment (ROSE) program. Journal of Geophysical Research, 103, pp. 22 491-22 508.

[9] Halpern, P., J. V. Dave, and N. Braslau, 1974: Sea-Level Solar Radiation in the Biologically Active Spectrum. Science, 186, 1204-1208.

[10] Kirchhoff, V.W.J.H., 1988, Surface ozone measurements in Amazonia. Journal of Geophysical Research, 93, pp. 15 850-15 860.

[11] Khalil, M.A.K. & Rasmussen, R.A., 1994. Global decrease of atmospheric carbon monoxide. Nature, 370,639-641.

[12] Morys, M., F. M. Mims III, S. Hagerup, S. E. Anderson, A. Baker, J. Kia, and T. Walkup, Design, calibration, and performance of Microtops II handheld ozone monitor and Sun photometer, Journal of Geophysical Research., 106, 14,573-14,582, 2001.

[13] Nandita D.Ganguly and K.N.Iyer., 2005. Study of variations in Columnar Ozone Concentration at Rajkot, Journal of Indian Geophysical Union. Vol.9, No.3, pp.189-196

[14] Subbaraya, B.H. & Lal, S., August 1999. Space Research in India: Accomplishments and Prospects.PRL Alumni Association, Ahmedabad.p.1, 9.

[15] World Meteorological Organization, 1989, Scientific Assessment of Stratospheric Ozone, WMO Report No.20.

G. Bharathi and B. Mahendranath

Department of Meteorology & Oceanography, Andhra University, Visakhapatnamt-530003, A.P., India

E-mail: mahendranth@gmail.com

 Table 1: Monthly averaged values of Total Column Ozone in Du at Visakhapatnam from February 2005 to December 2007.  MONTH   2005 (Du)   2006 (Du)   2007 (Du)  JAN                   301.1       301.8 FEB       275.3       311.1       307.6 MAR       305.3       325.2       315.1 APR       311.8       330.1       331.5 MAY       316.6       336.0       336.6 JUN       313.5       324.0       325.7 JUL       299.4       323.0       323.1 AUG SEP       294.6       317.1       318.4 OCT       291.0       313.2       313.2 NOV       288.0       299.4       300.3 DEC       287.0       298.5       298.3 

Remote and Web Technology Builds New Business Strengths.(Feature)

Remote and Web Technology Builds New Business Strengths

By Karen Duane Johnson

The capability of the Internet and wireless technology opened the doors of endless possibility for remote and Web-based monitoring. Once heavily dependent upon staffed security officers, now this 24/7 monitoring solution relies on the use of real-time technology, including live and recorded video across multiple locations via the Internet, as an aid for security officers. Central stations are seeing increased efficiency and response times due to improved technology. Today the alarm monitoring sector, according to industry estimates, is a $20 billion a year market thanks to the advancements in remote monitoring technology and the diverse role it plays.

One area of dramatic growth was in commercial applications: remote monitoring of temperature from any Web-enabled device; of an electric power distribution network and even boiler and burner monitoring software.

"The commercial applications took off first," said Tim O'Connor, director, Call Center Operations, Ackerman Security Systems, Atlanta. "Remote access commercially is very big right now. Feature-wise, anything we can provide to the commercial client that is automated through the central station, that's what our clients are looking for."

Expanding the reach of monitoring has meant an increase in business for central stations and the companies that provide software solutions. Offering real-time monitoring solutions through which clients can access and manage their security needs is just one way central stations are meeting the demand of technology savvy customers. Customers now have options.

In the case of a burglary incident, they can decide who is alerted first and how, whether through e-mail alerts via the Internet, a personal digital assistant (PDA) or their text-enabled cell phone. Other features offered are the ability to check on an alarm's status, view the system's history, arm or disarm and restrict or allow users. These advanced capabilities are creating a flood of new opportunities for central stations who realize that technology, not manpower, will make the difference for them in the future.

The end-user, according to O'Connor, is embracing the automation which contributes to the lowering of soft costs and overhead. "There are reductions in workforces going on in many industries including ours," said O'Connor. "What the alarm provider has realized is they too would like to reduce costs in order to be more viable in the future--technology has allowed that to happen. Technology is working for all of us."

As technology increases so too does the demand for experienced professionals to manage its use and potential.

"There is a great effort to have central stations become more trained and certified so that the monitoring services meet a certain level of quality," said Chris Moorhead, COO, CMOOR Group, Louisville, Ky. The Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA), Vienna, Va., also continues its push to make sure managers and operators have targeted training. "The Five Diamond program that CSAA offers has trained thousands of operators to ensure the industry has qualified operators with a broader knowledge of their jobs and the entire industry," said Moorhead.

The technology driving this includes the workings of CCPI systems, local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN) and other Web-based software that is browser reachable, according to O'Connor. "PDAs are interacting with our central station as well. Visual video and access control from many manufacturers assists in the total capabilities we have to offer," he said.

Realizing the potential pushing central stations forward, Alarm.com jumped into the arena in 2000 as a technology provider hosting wireless services and partnering with central stations.

"We first started with the wireless Web applications and then began selling to dealers in 2004 with the understanding that people are addicted to the Web using it for everything from banking to what the weather is outside," explained Alison Slavin, vice president of Product Management, Alarm.com, Tysons Corner, Va. "The technology was there on the Web side, we just needed to provide the wireless connection," said Slavin. The company provides its customers with a digital system which feeds and gathers information to and from system sensors between where the system is, the central station and the Web.

Now, customers can be hands-on but off-site in maintaining full control working with their central station.

"With the industry heading towards IP and integrated video, home security means additional features at lower overall costs," said O'Connor, adding that soon customers will be able to have it all at a price that is not prohibitive.

http://contracts.cygnuspub.com/KarenDuaneJohnson_8CK3_W-Y_L-Y_R-Y.asp