The payments bank sees average monthly remittances of close to Rs 5,000 crore from daily wage earners working in various factories, construction sites, small businesses, plumbers, carpenters, cab drivers, among others.

The Directorate of Human Space Programme of the city- headquartered ISRO has sought proposals for 18 tentative technology development areas. Four Indian Air Force fighter pilots are currently under training in Moscow and are likely to be potential candidates for the first manned mission to space.​​

The Covid-19 outbreak brought the world to its knees, leading to sealing of borders, ban on travel, and postponement or cancellation of all major sporting events. So, here they are now, confined to their homes with the Games delayed by a year, no competitions, no proper training and no sign of light at the end of the tunnel.

**NEW DATE: April 20**  Agency FOIA professionals are invited to join OIP and OGIS for a joint Best Practices Workshop on FOIA and technology featuring the Chief FOIA Officer Council Technology Subcommittee.

**Now Virtual at New Time** The previously scheduled Best Practices Workshop on FOIA and technology featuring the Chief FOIA Officer Council Technology Committee will now be held online.

Many victims of domestic abuse are currently left no option than to shelter in place and to stay in their home with their abuser to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. As a result, many communities are implementing creative solutions, often working remotely and incorporating the use of technology, to protect victims and prevent violence.

On April 27, ICITAP’s Central America mission conducted a webinar titled “Pathology and Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) During the COVID-19 Pandemic” for hundreds of subject matter experts from throughout the Western Hemisphere. Chaired by ICITAP-Central America’s Attaché, the 80-minute webinar began with a pre-recorded media interview from the Dominican Republic, which highlighted the critical work currently carried out by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) in Washington, DC.

"At trial, the Antitrust Division argued that Sabre’s acquisition of Farelogix would extinguish a crucial constraint on Sabre’s market power and would result in higher prices and less innovation. While we are disappointed with the court’s decision, we appreciate the court’s thoughtful consideration of this important case. We will closely review the court’s opinion and consider next steps in light of our commitment to preserving competition for the benefit of the American consumer."

Sabre Corporation and Farelogix, Inc. announced today the termination of their merger agreement.

Dallas News: A Dallas blogger’s images of parked planes show just how far the airline industry has fallen. “Andy Luten usually takes pictures of planes in the air, taking off or landing. But in the depths of the COVID-19 downturn, the 37-year-old financial software consultant in Dallas wanted to put his hobby to work showing … Continue reading Dallas News: A Dallas blogger’s images of parked planes show just how far the airline industry has fallen

The state labor secretary says her department has made great strides in ironing out problems with the unemployment website and is trouble shooting errors.

The state labor secretary says her department has made great strides in ironing out problems with the unemployment website and is trouble shooting errors.

Stephen Cole, Jennifer Hill, Luke Keele, Ilya Shpitser, and Dylan Small write: We wanted to provide an update on our efforts to build the Society for Causal Inference (SCI). As you may recall, we are creating the SCI as a home for causal inference research that will increase support and knowledge sharing both within the […]

Will Marble writes: I’m a Ph.D. student in political science at Stanford. Along with colleagues from the Stanford medical school, law school, and elsewhere, we recently completed a white paper evaluating the evidence for and tradeoffs involved with shelter-in-place policies. To our knowledge, our paper contains the widest review of the relevant covid-19 research. It […]

The other day I wrote about the challenge in addressing the pandemic—a worldwide science/engineering problem—using our existing science and engineering infrastructure, which is some mix of government labs and regulatory agencies, private mega-companies, smaller companies, university researchers, and media entities and rich people who can direct attention and resources. The current system might be the […]

WordPress has a huge community that is rapidly growing. Whether you run a blog or business, you can always stay up to date and get help from people. Let’s say you are creating your first website and have the least knowledge of WordPress or its environment. You may want to customize your theme or plugin...

On Saturday, March 28, 2009, Grand Canyon National Park will host Archeology Day in honor of "Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month".  https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/2009-03-17_arch_day.htm

https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/grand-canyon-school-rediological-study.htm

On Saturday, March 27, 2010, Grand Canyon National Park will host Archeology Day in honor of "Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month." https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/2010-03-02_arch_day.htm

On Saturday, March 19, 2011, Grand Canyon National Park will host Archeology Day in honor of “Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month.” https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/2011-02-28_arch_day.htm

test https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/grca-archeol-exhibit-open.htm

On Saturday, March 24, 2012, Grand Canyon National Park will host its 5th annual Archeology Day in honor of Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/2012-02-24_arch-day.htm

Grand Canyon to Celebrate Archaeology Day on March 23 https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/grand-canyon-national-park-to-host-archaeology-day-on-march-23.htm

On Saturday, March 22, 2014, Grand Canyon National Park will host its seventh annual Archaeology Day celebration, commemorating Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/grand-canyon-national-park-to-host-archaeology-day-on-march-22.htm

The National Park Service announces a solicitation for award of up to three contracts to provide logistical services in support of administrative river trips along the Colorado River within Grand Canyon National Park. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/2017-07-05-grand-canyon-seeks-river-contracts.htm

The National Park Service has selected three companies to provide logistical services in support of administrative river missions along the Colorado River within Grand Canyon National Park. The apparent awardees are Ceiba Adventures, Inc, Colorado River & Trails Expeditions, and Grand Canyon Whitewater, LLC. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/2017-09-08-nps-selects-river-logistics-companies.htm

In recognition of Grand Canyon National Park's 99th birthday, the National Park Service and Grand Canyon Association unveiled the logo for the park's upcoming 2019 Centennial. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/centennial-logo.htm

Wildlife biologists will be putting GPS collars on ten adult elk between late August and October of this year to gather movement data of the elk at Grand Canyon National Park. The GPS collar information will be used to inform the development of a draft elk management plan. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/wildlife-biologists-to-begin-gathering-gps-data-for-elk-at-grand-canyon-np.htm

An international team of paleontologists has united to study important fossil footprints recently discovered in a remote location within Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. A large sandstone boulder contains several exceptionally well-preserved trackways of primitive tetrapods (four-footed animals) which inhabited an ancient desert environment. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/newly-discovered-fossils.htm

The Ikes Fire is being utilized to fulfill its natural role within a fire-dependent ecosystem while providing for point protection of identified sensitive natural and cultural resources. Resource objectives include reducing hazardous fuels, promoting forest regeneration, improving wildlife habitat, and restoring more open forest understory. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/ikes-fire-ecological-benefits-20190814.htm

Workers at the famous crowdfunding site Kickstarter became one of the first hi-tech workforces to unionize, creating Kickstarter United to ensure fairness.

The post One of the First Technology Companies to Unionize: Kickstarter Employees Win Vote appeared first on Good News Network.

Mount St. Helens' explosive eruption on May 18, 1980, was a pivotal moment in the field of disturbance ecology.

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A study of commercial timber harvesting activities in Oregon and Washington was conducted from 2011 through 2015 to characterize current tree utilization, logging operations, and assist with estimating the amount of woody biomass left onsite after harvesting.

Over the past 7 years, a strong collaboration has emerged between the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest ecosystem research group and the Spring Creek Project for Ideas, Nature, and the Written Word, an independently funded program for nature writing based in the Department of Philosophy, Oregon State University. The program is called Long-Term Ecological Reflections and it brings together scientists, creative writers, and environmental philosophers to consider new ways to conceptualize and communicate views of long-term ecological change in forests and watersheds and the participation of humans in that change. The program is designed to parallel the Long-Term Ecological Research program, a national science program initiated in 1980 and involving the Andrews Forest. Both programs focus on primary inquiry and have 200-year planning horizons, which have resulted in some uniquely farsighted perspectives and astute ecological observations.

Morels are prized edible mushrooms that fruit, sometimes prolifically, in many forest types throughout western North America. They are collected for personal consumption and commercially harvested as valuable special (nontimber) forest products. Large gaps remain, however, in our knowledge about their taxonomy, biology, ecology, cultivation, safety, and how to manage forests and harvesting activities to conserve morel populations and ensure sustainable crops. This publication provides forest managers, policymakers, mycologists, and mushroom harvesters with a synthesis of current knowledge regarding these issues, regional summaries of morel harvesting and management, and a comprehensive review of the literature.

Log moisture content has an important impact on many aspects of log home construction, including log processing, transportation costs, and dimensional stability in use. Air-drying times for house logs from freshly harvested trees can depend on numerous factors including initial moisture content, log diameter, bark condition, and environmental conditions during drying. In this study, we evaluated air-drying properties of young-growth Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr) and of western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) from logs harvested in southeast Alaska.

Hey Divi Nation! Thanks for joining us for the next installment of our weekly Divi Design Initiative where each week, we give away brand new freebies. This Monday, we shared a brand new Winery Layout Pack. To help you get your website up and running as soon as possible, we’re sharing a brand new blog […]

The post Get a FREE Blog Post Template for Divi’s Winery Layout Pack appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

Participatory (collaborative, multiparty, citizen, volunteer) monitoring is a process that has been increasing in popularity and use in both developing and industrialized societies over the last several decades. It reflects the understanding that natural resource decisions are more effective and less controversial when stakeholders who have an interest in the results are involved in the process. An adequate number of such projects have now been organized, tried, and evaluated such that sufficient information exists to recommend a comprehensive approach to implementing such processes. This handbook was written for managers and scientists in the United States who are contemplating a participatory approach to monitoring biological resources, especially biodiversity. It is designed as a how-to manual with discussions of relevant topics, checklists of important considerations to address, and resources for further information. Worksheets for developing, implementing, and evaluating a monitoring plan are posted on a companion Web site. The subject matter is divided into 3 stages of a monitoring project encompassing a total of 22 topical modules. These modules can be used in any sequence on an ongoing basis. Stages and modules include (1) planning-documentation, goals, indicators, collaboration, decisions, context, organization, participants, communication, incentives, design, and resources; (2) implementation-training, safety, fieldwork, sampling, data, and quality; and (3) followthrough-analysis, reporting, evaluation, and celebrations. Collaboration always involves colearning, so documenting choices, plans, and activities with the Web site worksheets is integral to the manual's effectiveness.

Morels are prized edible mushrooms that fruit, sometimes prolifically, in many forest types throughout western North America. They are collected for personal consumption and commercially harvested as valuable special (nontimber) forest products. Large gaps remain, however, in our knowledge about their taxonomy, biology, ecology, cultivation, safety, and how to manage forests and harvesting activities to conserve morel populations and ensure sustainable crops. This publication provides forest managers, policymakers, mycologists, and mushroom harvesters with a synthesis of current knowledge regarding these issues, regional summaries of morel harvesting and management, and a comprehensive review of the literature.

Hemlock dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium tsugense [Rosendahl] G.N. Jones) is a small, inconspicuous parasite that has significant effects on tree growth and stand structure in coastal forest ecosystems of western North America. Most previous research focused on the effects of hemlock dwarf mistletoe on timber production. Previous clearcut harvesting of large areas that removed virtually all infected trees and forestry practices that established even-aged stands of trees effectively prevented or minimized future hemlock dwarf mistletoe impacts. Under this regime, further research on hemlock dwarf mistletoe was considered unnecessary. However, current forestry practices that restrict clearcut harvesting to small openings and retain live trees to preserve attributes of old-growth forests create conditions that appear highly favorable for enhanced seed production by hemlock dwarf mistletoe, early spread of the mistletoe to infect young trees, and, consequently, increased growth impacts to residual trees over time. More information is needed on the biology and impacts of hemlock dwarf mistletoe in coastal western hemlock retention harvested forests in the United States of America and Canada. Further work is recommended to develop sampling and monitoring procedures to determine hemlock dwarf mistletoe spread and impacts. We also need to investigate several unusual aspects of hemlock dwarf mistletoe biology and development such as long-distance seed dispersal and persistence in old-growth forests. Detailed tree, stand, and forest-level models are needed to monitor and project hemlock dwarf mistletoe effects over a wide range of ecological conditions and management regimes in coastal forests.

This proceedings compiles papers presented by extensionists, natural resource specialists, scientists, technology transfer specialists, and others at an international conference that examined knowledge and technology transfer theories, methods, and case studies. Theory topics included adult education, applied science, extension, diffusion of innovations, social marketing, technology transfer, and others. Descriptions of methods and case studies collectively covered a wide range of current approaches that include combined digital media, engagement of users and communication specialists in the full cycle of research, integrated forestry applications, Internet-based systems, science writing, training, video conferencing, Web-based encyclopedias, and others. Innovations transferred were best management practices for water quality, forest reforestation practices, a land management system, portable timber bridges, reducedimpact logging, silvicultural practices, urban forestry, and many others. Innovation users included forest-land owners; land managers; logging industry; natural resource professionals; policymakers; public; rural and urban communities-and those in the interface between these two; and others. Technology transfer and related efforts took place in countries throughout the world.

This paper synthesizes the existing literature about traditional and local ecological knowledge relating to biodiversity in Pacific Northwest forests in order to assess what is needed to apply this knowledge to forest biodiversity conservation efforts. We address four topics: (1) views and values people have relating to biodiversity, (2) the resource use and management practices of local forest users and their effects on biodiversity, (3) methods and models for integrating traditional and local ecological knowledge into biodiversity conservation on public and private lands, and (4) challenges to applying traditional and local ecological knowledge for biodiversity conservation. We focus on the ecological knowledge of three groups who inhabit the region: American Indians, family forest owners, and commercial nontimber forest product (NTFP) harvesters.

Old growth revisited: integrating social, economic, and ecological perspectives.

This synthesis provides an ecological foundation for management of the diverse ecosystems and fire regimes of North America, based on scientific principles of fire interactions with vegetation, fuels, and biophysical processes. Although a large amount of scientific data on fire exists, most of those data have been collected at small spatial and temporal scales. Thus, it is challenging to develop consistent science-based plans for large spatial and temporal scales where most fire management and planning occur. Understanding the regional geographic context of fire regimes is critical for developing appropriate and sustainable management strategies and policy. The degree to which human intervention has modified fire frequency, intensity, and severity varies greatly among different ecosystems, and must be considered when planning to alter fuel loads or implement restorative treatments. Detailed discussion of six ecosystems--ponderosa pine forest (western North America), chaparral (California), boreal forest (Alaska and Canada), Great Basin sagebrush (intermountain West), pine and pine-hardwood forests (Southern Appalachian Mountains), and longleaf pine (Southeastern United States)--illustrates the complexity of fire regimes and that fire management requires a clear regional focus that recognizes where conflicts might exist between fire hazard reduction and resource needs. In some systems, such as ponderosa pine, treatments are usually compatible with both fuel reduction and resource needs, whereas in others, such as chaparral, the potential exists for conflicts that need to be closely evaluated. Managing fire regimes in a changing climate and social environment requires a strong scientific basis for developing fire management and policy.

Forests of the Pacific Northwest have been an epicenter for the evolution of truffle fungi with over 350 truffle species and 55 genera currently identified. Truffle fungi develop their reproductive fruit-bodies typically belowground, so they are harder to find and study than mushrooms that fruit aboveground. Nevertheless, over the last five decades, the Corvallis Forest Mycology program of the Pacific Northwest Research Station has amassed unprecedented knowledge on the diversity and ecology of truffles in the region. Truffle fungi form mycorrhizal symbioses that benefit the growth and survival of many tree and understory plants. Truffle fruit-bodies serve as a major food souce for many forest-dwelling mammals. A few truffle species are commercially harvested for gourmet consumption in regional restaurants. This publication explores the biology and ecology of truffle fungi in the Pacific Northwest, their importance in forest ecosystems, and effects of various silvicultural practices on sustaining truffle populations. General management principles and considerations to sustain this valuable fungal resource are provided.

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) is a valuable species that is declining in the Blue Mountains of northeastern Oregon. This publication is a compilation of over 20 years of aspen management experience by USDA Forest Service workers in the Blue Mountains.

Rehabilitation and timber-salvage activities after wildfire require rapid planning and rational decisions. Identifying areas with high risk for erosion and soil productivity losses is important. Moreover, allocation of corrective and mitigative efforts must be rational and prioritized. Our logic-based analysis of forested soil polygons on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest was designed and implemented with the Ecosystem Management Decision Support (EMDS) system to evaluate risks to soil properties and productivity associated with moderate to severe wildfire and unmitigated use of ground-based logging equipment. Soil and related data are from standard National Cooperative Soil Surveys. We present results from one national forest management unit, encompassing 6,889 soil polygons and 69 438 ha. In the example area, 36.1 percent and 46.0 percent of the area were classified as sensitive to impacts from severe wildfire and unmitigated use of logging equipment, respectively, and there was a high degree of correspondence between the map of units sensitive to wildfire and the map of units sensitive to heavy equipment. We discuss options for extending the current model and considerations for validating key model components.