Tag: time

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Business

International Shortages Throughout Coronavirus Reveal Failings of Simply in Time Manufacturing

Global Shortages During Coronavirus Reveal Failings of Just in Time Manufacturing

In der Geschichte, wie die moderne Welt konstruiert wurde, sticht Toyota als Vordenker eines monumentalen Fortschritts in der industriellen Effizienz hervor. Der japanische Autohersteller war Vorreiter der sogenannten Just-In-Time-Fertigung, bei der Teile punktgenau an die Fabriken geliefert werden und so die Bevorratung minimiert wird.

Im letzten halben Jahrhundert hat dieser Ansatz die globale Wirtschaft in Branchen weit über die Automobilindustrie hinaus fasziniert. Von der Mode über die Lebensmittelverarbeitung bis hin zur Pharmaindustrie setzen Unternehmen auf Just In Time, um wendig zu bleiben und sich an sich ändernde Marktanforderungen anzupassen und gleichzeitig Kosten zu senken.

Die turbulenten Ereignisse des vergangenen Jahres haben jedoch die Vorzüge des Abbaus von Lagerbeständen in Frage gestellt und gleichzeitig die Besorgnis neu belebt, dass einige Branchen zu weit gegangen sind und sie anfällig für Störungen machen. Da die Pandemie den Fabrikbetrieb behindert und Chaos im weltweiten Versand gesät hat, wurden viele Volkswirtschaften auf der ganzen Welt von der Knappheit einer breiten Palette von Waren heimgesucht – von Elektronik über Bauholz bis hin zu Kleidung.

In einer Zeit außergewöhnlicher Umbrüche in der Weltwirtschaft kommt Just In Time zu spät.

„Es ist eine Art Amoklauf in der Lieferkette“, sagt Willy C. Shih, ein internationaler Handelsexperte an der Harvard Business School. „In einem Rennen um die niedrigsten Kosten habe ich mein Risiko konzentriert. Wir sind am logischen Abschluss von all dem.“

Die prominenteste Manifestation eines zu starken Vertrauens auf Just In Time findet sich in genau der Branche, die es erfunden hat: Autohersteller wurden durch einen Mangel an Computerchips gelähmt – lebenswichtige Autokomponenten, die hauptsächlich in Asien hergestellt werden. Ohne genügend Chips zur Hand mussten Autofabriken von Indien über die USA bis Brasilien die Fließbänder stilllegen.

Aber die Breite und das Fortbestehen der Knappheit zeigen, inwieweit die Just-in-Time-Idee das kommerzielle Leben dominiert. Dies erklärt, warum Nike und andere Bekleidungsmarken Schwierigkeiten haben, Einzelhandelsgeschäfte mit ihren Waren zu führen. Dies ist einer der Gründe, warum Bauunternehmen Schwierigkeiten beim Kauf von Farben und Dichtstoffen haben. Es trug wesentlich zu dem tragischen Mangel an persönlicher Schutzausrüstung zu Beginn der Pandemie bei, der das medizinische Personal an vorderster Front ohne angemessene Ausrüstung zurückließ.

Just In Time ist nicht weniger als eine Revolution in der Geschäftswelt. Indem sie ihre Lagerbestände gering halten, konnten große Einzelhändler mehr Platz für die Präsentation eines breiteren Warenangebots nutzen. Just In Time hat es Herstellern ermöglicht, ihre Waren individuell zu gestalten. Und die schlanke Produktion hat die Kosten erheblich gesenkt und es Unternehmen ermöglicht, schnell auf neue Produkte umzustellen.

Diese Tugenden haben einen Mehrwert für Unternehmen geschaffen, Innovationen vorangetrieben und den Handel gefördert, so dass Just In Time auch nach Abklingen der aktuellen Krise seine Kraft behält. Der Ansatz hat auch die Aktionäre bereichert, indem er Einsparungen erzielt, die Unternehmen in Form von Dividenden und Aktienrückkäufen ausgeschüttet haben.

Dennoch wirft die Knappheit die Frage auf, ob einige Unternehmen zu aggressiv bei der Erzielung von Einsparungen durch den Abbau von Lagerbeständen vorgegangen sind, wodurch sie auf unvermeidlich auftretende Probleme nicht vorbereitet sind.

„Es sind die Investitionen, die sie nicht tätigen“, sagte William Lazonick, Ökonom an der University of Massachusetts.

Intel, der amerikanische Chiphersteller, hat Pläne skizziert, 20 Milliarden US-Dollar für die Errichtung neuer Fabriken in Arizona auszugeben. Aber das sind weniger als die 26 Milliarden US-Dollar, die Intel 2018 und 2019 für Aktienrückkäufe ausgegeben hat – Geld, das das Unternehmen hätte verwenden können, um die Kapazität zu erweitern, sagte Lazonick.

Einige Experten gehen davon aus, dass die Krise die Arbeitsweise von Unternehmen verändern wird, was einige dazu veranlasst, mehr Lagerbestände zu lagern und Beziehungen zu zusätzlichen Lieferanten aufzubauen, um sich gegen Probleme abzusichern. Andere wiederum sind zweifelhaft und gehen davon aus, dass – wie nach vergangenen Krisen – das Streben nach Kosteneinsparungen wieder andere Erwägungen übertrumpfen wird.

Die Knappheit in der Weltwirtschaft ist auf Faktoren zurückzuführen, die über die mageren Lagerbestände hinausgehen. Die Ausbreitung von Covid-19 hat Hafenarbeiter und LKW-Fahrer ins Abseits gedrängt und das Entladen und Verteilen von Waren, die in Fabriken in Asien hergestellt werden und per Schiff nach Nordamerika und Europa gelangen, behindert.

Die Pandemie hat den Sägewerksbetrieb verlangsamt und zu einem Holzmangel geführt, der den Hausbau in den Vereinigten Staaten behindert hat.

Winterstürme, die petrochemische Anlagen im Golf von Mexiko lahmlegen, haben dazu geführt, dass Schlüsselprodukte knapp werden. Andrew Romano, der den Vertrieb bei einem Chemieunternehmen außerhalb von Philadelphia leitet, hat sich daran gewöhnt, seinen Kunden zu sagen, dass sie auf ihre Bestellungen warten müssen.

“Sie haben einen Zusammenfluss von Kräften”, sagte er. “Es kräuselt sich nur durch das Angebot.”

Der steile Anstieg der Nachfrage führte dazu, dass Tiernahrung knapp wurde und Grape-Nuss-Cerealien für eine Weile aus den amerikanischen Regalen verschwanden.

Einige Unternehmen waren solchen Kräften besonders ausgesetzt, da sie bereits zu Beginn der Krise schlank waren.

Und viele Unternehmen haben ihr Engagement für Just In Time mit der Abhängigkeit von Lieferanten in Niedriglohnländern wie China und Indien kombiniert, was jede Unterbrechung des weltweiten Versands zu einem unmittelbaren Problem macht. Das hat den Schaden noch verstärkt, wenn etwas schief geht – etwa als dieses Jahr ein riesiges Schiff im Suezkanal festgefahren ist und den Hauptkanal zwischen Europa und Asien gesperrt hat.

„Die Leute haben diese Art von Lean-Mentalität übernommen und sie dann auf Lieferketten angewendet, in der Annahme, dass sie einen kostengünstigen und zuverlässigen Versand haben würden“, sagte Shih, Handelsexperte der Harvard Business School. “Dann haben Sie einige Schocks für das System.”

Just In Time war selbst eine Anpassung an die Turbulenzen, als Japan mobilisierte, um sich von den Verwüstungen des Zweiten Weltkriegs zu erholen.

Dicht besiedelt und ohne natürliche Ressourcen versuchte Japan, Land zu erhalten und die Verschwendung zu begrenzen. Toyota verzichtete auf Lagerhaltung und choreografierte die Produktion mit Lieferanten, um sicherzustellen, dass die Teile bei Bedarf ankamen.

In den 1980er Jahren emulierten Unternehmen auf der ganzen Welt das Produktionssystem von Toyota. Managementexperten förderten Just In Time, um den Gewinn zu steigern.

Heute im Geschäft

Aktualisiert

1. Juni 2021, 12:59 Uhr ET

„Unternehmen, die erfolgreiche Lean-Programme durchführen, sparen nicht nur Geld im Lagerbetrieb, sondern genießen auch mehr Flexibilität“, erklärte eine McKinsey-Präsentation 2010 für die Pharmaindustrie. Es versprach Einsparungen von bis zu 50 Prozent bei der Lagerhaltung, wenn Kunden seinen „schlanken und gemeinen“ Ansatz für Lieferketten annahmen.

Solche Behauptungen haben sich ausgebreitet. Dennoch sagt einer der Autoren dieser Präsentation, Knut Alicke, ein McKinsey-Partner mit Sitz in Deutschland, jetzt, dass die Unternehmenswelt die Besonnenheit überstieg.

„Wir sind viel zu weit gegangen“, sagte Herr Alicke in einem Interview. „Die Art und Weise, wie Lagerbestände bewertet werden, wird sich nach der Krise ändern.“

Viele Unternehmen taten so, als ob Herstellung und Versand ohne Pannen wären, fügte Herr Alicke hinzu, während sie Schwierigkeiten in ihren Geschäftsplänen nicht berücksichtigten.

„Da drin gibt es keine Art von Störungsrisiko“, sagte er.

Experten sagen, dass Unterlassungen eine logische Reaktion des Managements auf die im Spiel befindlichen Anreize darstellen. Investoren belohnen Unternehmen, die ein Wachstum ihrer Kapitalrendite erzielen. Die Beschränkung von Waren in Lagerhäusern verbessert dieses Verhältnis.

„Soweit Sie die Bestände weiter reduzieren können, sehen Ihre Bücher gut aus“, sagt ManMohan S. Sodhi, Supply-Chain-Experte an der City, University of London Business School.

Von 1981 bis 2000 haben amerikanische Unternehmen laut einer Studie ihre Lagerbestände um durchschnittlich 2 Prozent pro Jahr reduziert. Diese Einsparungen trugen dazu bei, einen weiteren Trend zur Bereicherung der Aktionäre zu finanzieren – das Wachstum von Aktienrückkäufen.

In den zehn Jahren vor der Pandemie gaben amerikanische Unternehmen laut einer Studie der Bank für Internationalen Zahlungsausgleich mehr als 6 Billionen US-Dollar für den Kauf eigener Aktien aus und verdreifachten damit ihre Käufe in etwa. Unternehmen in Japan, Großbritannien, Frankreich, Kanada und China erhöhten ihre Rückkäufe um das Vierfache, obwohl ihre Käufe nur einen Bruchteil der amerikanischen Gegenstücke ausmachten.

Durch den Rückkauf von Aktien wird die Anzahl der im Umlauf befindlichen Aktien reduziert und deren Wert erhöht. Aber die Vorteile für Investoren und Führungskräfte, deren Gehaltspakete hohe Zuteilungen von Aktien beinhalten, gingen zu Lasten dessen, was das Unternehmen sonst mit seinem Geld getan hätte – Investitionen in die Kapazitätserweiterung oder die Bevorratung von Teilen.

Diese Kosten wurden während der ersten Welle der Pandemie auffällig, als große Volkswirtschaften, darunter die Vereinigten Staaten, feststellten, dass es ihnen an Kapazitäten für die schnelle Herstellung von Beatmungsgeräten mangelte.

„Wenn Sie ein Beatmungsgerät brauchen, brauchen Sie ein Beatmungsgerät“, sagte Herr Sodhi. „Man kann nicht sagen ‚Nun, mein Aktienkurs ist hoch.‘“

Als die Pandemie begann, kürzten die Autohersteller die Bestellungen für Chips in der Erwartung, dass die Nachfrage nach Autos sinken würde. Als sie merkten, dass sich die Nachfrage belebte, war es zu spät: Der Hochlauf der Computerchip-Produktion dauert Monate.

„Die Auswirkungen auf die Produktion werden schlimmer, bevor sie besser werden“, sagte Jim Farley, der Vorstandsvorsitzende von Ford Motor, das seit langem eine schlanke Fertigung vertritt, in einem Gespräch mit Aktienanalysten am 28. April. Das Unternehmen sagte, dass die Engpässe wahrscheinlich die Hälfte des Jahres entgleisen würden seine Produktion bis Juni.

Der am wenigsten von der Knappheit betroffene Autohersteller ist Toyota. Von Anfang an verließ sich Toyota auf Zulieferer, die sich in der Nähe seines Standorts in Japan befinden, was das Unternehmen weniger anfällig für weit entfernte Ereignisse machte.

In Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, wartet Herr Romano buchstäblich darauf, dass sein Schiff einläuft.

Er ist Vice President of Sales bei Van Horn, Metz & Company, die Chemikalien von Lieferanten auf der ganzen Welt einkauft und sie an Fabriken verkauft, die Farben, Tinte und andere Industrieprodukte herstellen.

In normalen Zeiten hinkt das Unternehmen vielleicht 1 Prozent der Bestellungen seiner Kunden hinterher. An einem Vormittag konnte das Unternehmen ein Zehntel seiner Bestellungen nicht abschließen, weil es auf Lieferungen wartete.

Das Unternehmen konnte sich nicht genug von einem spezialisierten Harz sichern, das es an Hersteller verkauft, die Baumaterialien herstellen. Dem amerikanischen Lieferanten des Harzes fehlte selbst ein Element, das er von einem petrochemischen Werk in China bezieht.

Einer der Stammkunden von Herrn Romano, ein Farbenhersteller, hielt sich mit der Bestellung von Chemikalien zurück, weil er nicht genügend Metalldosen finden konnte, die er für den Versand seines fertigen Produkts verwendet.

„Alles kaskadiert“, sagte Herr Romano. “Es ist nur ein Durcheinander.”

Es war keine Pandemie erforderlich, um die Risiken einer übermäßigen Abhängigkeit von Just In Time in Kombination mit globalen Lieferketten aufzudecken. Experten warnen seit Jahrzehnten vor den Folgen.

1999 erschütterte ein Erdbeben Taiwan und stellte die Herstellung von Computerchips ein. Das Erdbeben und der Tsunami, die Japan im Jahr 2011 erschütterten, schlossen Fabriken und behinderten den Versand, was zu einem Mangel an Autoteilen und Computerchips führte. Überschwemmungen in Thailand im selben Jahr dezimierten die Produktion von Computerfestplatten.

Jede Katastrophe führte zu Diskussionen, dass Unternehmen ihre Lagerbestände stärken und ihre Lieferanten diversifizieren müssten.

Jedes Mal machten multinationale Unternehmen weiter.

Dieselben Berater, die die Vorteile schlanker Lagerbestände gefördert haben, evangelisieren jetzt über die Resilienz der Lieferkette – das Schlagwort der Stunde.

Die einfache Erweiterung von Lagerhäusern kann nicht die Lösung sein, sagte Richard Lebovitz, Präsident von LeanDNA, einem Supply-Chain-Berater mit Sitz in Austin, Texas. Produktlinien werden zunehmend individualisiert.

„Es wird immer schwieriger, vorherzusagen, welche Bestände Sie führen sollten“, sagte er.

Letztendlich werden die Unternehmen wahrscheinlich aus dem einfachen Grund, dass sie Gewinne erzielt haben, ihre Einführung von Lean weiter vorantreiben.

„Die eigentliche Frage lautet: ‚Werden wir aufhören, niedrige Kosten als alleiniges Kriterium für die Beurteilung der Geschäftstätigkeit zu verfolgen?’“, sagte Shih von der Harvard Business School. „Da bin ich skeptisch. Die Verbraucher werden nicht für Widerstandsfähigkeit bezahlen, wenn sie sich nicht in einer Krise befinden.“

Categories
Health

The Finest Time of Day to Train for Metabolic Well being

The Best Time of Day to Exercise for Metabolic Health

The exercise routines were identical, intermingling brief, intense intervals on stationary bicycles one day with easier, longer workouts the next. The exercisers worked out for five consecutive days, while continuing the high-fat diet. Afterward, the researchers repeated the original tests.

The results were somewhat disturbing. After the first five days of fatty eating, the men’s cholesterol had climbed, especially their LDL, the unhealthiest type. Their blood also contained altered levels of certain molecules related to metabolic and cardiovascular problems, with the changes suggesting greater risks for heart disease.

Early-morning exercise, meanwhile, did little to mitigate those effects. The a.m. exercisers showed the same heightened cholesterol and worrisome molecular patterns in their blood as the control group.

Evening exercise, on the other hand, lessened the worst impacts of the poor diet. The late-day exercisers showed lower cholesterol levels after the five workouts, as well as improved patterns of molecules related to cardiovascular health in their bloodstreams. They also, somewhat surprisingly, developed better blood-sugar control during the nights after their workouts, while they slept, than either of the other groups.

The upshot of these findings is that “the evening exercise reversed or lowered some of the changes” that accompanied the high-fat diet, says Trine Moholdt, an exercise scientist at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, who led the study in Australia as a visiting researcher. “Morning exercise did not.”

This study does not tell us how or why the later workouts were more effective in improving metabolic health, but Dr. Moholdt suspects they have greater impacts on molecular clocks and gene expression than morning exertions. She and her colleagues hope to investigate those issues in future studies, and also look at the effects of exercise timing among women and older people, as well as the interplay of exercise timing and sleep.

For now, though, she cautions that this study does not in any way suggest that morning workouts aren’t good for us. The men who exercised became more aerobically fit, she says, whatever the timing of their exercise. “I know people know this,” she says, “but any exercise is better than not exercising.” Working out later in the day, however, may have unique benefits for improving fat metabolism and blood-sugar control, particularly if you are eating a diet high in fat.

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Business

Automaker Stellantis plans for workers to work remotely more often than not

Automaker Stellantis plans for employees to work remotely most of the time

The logo of Stellantis, the fourth largest automaker in the world, which will start trading in Milan and Paris following the completion of the merger of Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot maker PSA, will be at the main entrance of the FCA Mirafiori plant in Turin, Italy on January 18, 2021 to see.

Massimo Pinca | Reuters

DETROIT – When Fiat Chrysler employees, now Stellantis, get their expected returns in offices later this year, they will do so with a new company and a more flexible work schedule.

The automaker is launching a hybrid work initiative called “New Era of Agility”. The goal is for the majority of the company’s employees to work remotely most of the time. This includes 17,000 employees in North America, the majority of whom work in the Detroit area. Shannon Dziuda, director of special human resources projects for Stellantis North America, told CNBC.

“We want the decision in a facility to be deliberate, based on what works best for individuals and the company, and to support the health and wellbeing of the team,” she said during an interview on Friday.

As part of the plan, the company expects employees who combine remote and in-office work to do an average of 70% remote and 30% on-site work, she said. The division is a guideline, not a mandate, according to Dziuda. This does not include hourly manufacturing workers or employees who must be physically present in laboratories or elsewhere to do their job.

The decision to create such a program was made after the company received feedback from employees, many of whom have been working remotely for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, Dziuda said. Similar announcements from General Motors and Ford Motor follow. However, GM and Ford have not published percentage guidelines.

Stellantis is planning a four- to six-week pilot trial for around 450 employees at the company’s North American headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan, starting in October. After that, Dziuda said, Stellantis will make changes to work areas and offices to meet the expected needs of all employees working on the new hybrid planning.

“The pilot will tell us what additional changes we may need to make to space, both physically and digitally,” she said.

The schedule for employees returning to offices is based on local and state regulations, but Dziuda said Stellantis currently plans to bring them back in late 2021 and early next year.

Around 15,000 people, including 12,000 employees, work at the North American headquarters and the technology center. About 10% are currently in the facility because their work requires them to be in the buildings.

Stellantis, like other companies, believes that its flexible work policy will help attract new employees.

“We want to be able to retain our top talent and attract new top talent and diverse talent,” said Dziuda. “As we know, a diverse culture leads to better innovations.”

According to a recent Prudential survey of 2,000 adults who were able to work from home during the pandemic, 87% want it to be possible after their coronavirus risk subsides.

Stellantis was formed in January through a $ 52 billion merger between Fiat Chrysler and French automaker PSA Groupe. Its CEO is Carlos Tavares, former CEO of PSA. Its chairman is John Elkann, who held the same position at Fiat Chrysler and is a descendant of the founder of the Italian automaker Fiat.

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Entertainment

Hari Ziyad Black Boy Out of Time Interview | E book Assessment

Hari Ziyad Black Boy Out of Time Interview | Book Review

Black boy from the time is the debut memoir by Hari Ziyad, who is among other things editor-in-chief of Racebaitr, Lambda Literary Fellow 2021 and prolific essayist. In a word, it’s exquisite.

At the heart of the memoir is the concept of abolition, which, according to Critical Resistance, refers to “a political vision aimed at eliminating detention, policing and surveillance, and creating permanent alternatives to punishment and incarceration”. In practice it looks like living together in an actual community: a real hug of our perceived other beyond institutions that would put people in cages and out of the public eye rather than social problems like homelessness, inadequate health care and unemployment to tackle. as trumped by the abolitionist icon Angela Davis. According to Ziyad, “It all comes back to the work we do to become free.”

Ziyad writes with a clarity and strength that surpasses any recent memories, and interweaves writing about abolition and carcinoma with a rousing series of letters to her younger self as part of her inner-child work. One of 19 children in a mixed family, Ziyad was born to a Hindu Hare Krishna mother and a Muslim father in Cleveland, OH. They are black, strange, and – like too many racial children are made – grew up painfully fast. But in her memoir, Ziyad dials back the clock and turns inward. As they peel off the fetters, they reveal to the black child and adult a plethora of truths about the need for blacks’ liberation, and when given the grace to grow freely they become variable.

Carcinogenic logic is so widespread that the work of abolition goes beyond dismantling prisons and wards that wreak havoc and penetrate deep into the psyche, which becomes a place of reproductive logic of carcinogenic until we consciously unlearn it.

Ziyad patiently reveals how harmful cancer is for black people and how intrinsically punitive thinking can be, how we understand our outer and even inner life. Carcinogenic logic is so widespread that the work of abolition goes beyond dismantling prisons and wards that wreak havoc and penetrate deep into the psyche, which becomes a place of reproductive logic of carcinogenic until we consciously unlearn it. Liberation is therefore as much inner work as outer work. Like a social archaeologist, Ziyad tries to discover his true self – the inner child – who lives beneath binary thinking and what shape it as misafropedia, or “the anti-black contempt for children and childhood experienced by black youth” . They encounter places of trauma and get away with nuances and new meanings by taking care of their inner child with the care of a loving parent. “I would like to offer colonized blacks – and especially myself – a kind of road map to win back those childhoods we sacrificed,” writes Ziyad, “or which were given up for us because of misafropedia.”

The joy of Black boy from the time is in the unconditional love it exudes for all blacks and how it cares for black children’s experiences. It is in its utter surrender to freer, more daring black futures; in his mind. It lies in the calm and wisdom of its author who is the kind of cultural critic and black liberation advocate that our political moment yearns for. Hailed by Darnell L. Moore as “the black-loving art that is both shotgun and balm”, Black boy from the time is just great, to the point that the best this reviewer can do is ask you to read it and know for yourself.

In February, I sat down one on one with Ziyad – then one on one plus a live studio audience (via Google Hangouts) as part of a speaker series at Group Nine Media – to talk about it Black boy from the time and the healing work of abolition in action.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Categories
Health

Reinventing the Uterus, One Organoid at a Time

Reinventing the Uterus, One Organoid at a Time

She held onto her dream of having children, but in 2001, shortly after her 40th birthday, the pain in her stomach became unbearable. On September 11th, when the Twin Towers fell, she rushed to the hospital in a fog of pain medication and underwent a hysterectomy with Dr. Isaacson. (Endometriosis pain is the leading cause of hysterectomies in American women aged 30 and over.)

“There was no decision,” recalled Dr. Griffith. “It was hysterectomy or death.”

Even after that, her illness returned twice. Then, in 2009, shortly after she turned to studying endometriosis, she faced a new obstacle: cancer.

Dr. Griffith likes to say that stage 4 breast cancer was a walk in the park compared to endometriosis. “Not like a super nice day – like a stormy day in the park,” she added. “But it was like people understood.” The colleagues wrote their cards, sent their meals and expressed their condolences. Her dean offered her a sabbatical semester.

Dr. Griffith soon learned that categorizing breast cancer research was way ahead of endometriosis. Doctors used molecular tests to classify patients into subtypes that dictated what targeted treatment they should receive. With endometriosis, “there are no metrics,” she said. “That was this big thing for me that crystallized like this.”

Dr. Griffith knew that her disease, like cancer, was not one disease but many, a Medusa of waving tentacles. She started with Dr. Lauffenburger, who had studied breast cancer for over a decade, to talk about how to take a similar approach to classifying endometriosis patients.

Together, they identified networks of inflammatory markers that tend to be associated with more painful manifestations of the disease and fertility, and published their results in Science Translational Medicines in 2014. The work has been cited as the first step in creating subtypes of the disease. “We really were together because it was his vision of systems biology, but filtered through my practical connection to the clinic,” said Dr. Griffith.

For the next year, she held lab meetings from her hospital bed between chemotherapy sessions. “We have literally changed our lab meetings,” said Dr. Nicole Doyle, a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Griffith’s lab at the time. “We just showed up for her chemotherapy treatments and sat with her there. This diagnosis had to adapt to her life, not the other way around. “

Categories
Business

You Nonetheless Have Time to Ask Faculties for Extra Monetary Support

You Still Have Time to Ask Colleges for More Financial Aid

DeRionne Pollard, president of Montgomery College, a three-campus community college in Maryland, said using the SwiftStudent tool was invisible to grant officials, but helped the students create a clear, comprehensive appeal.

“It enables and empowers students to stand up for themselves,” said Dr. Pollard.

In a survey last fall, college financial aid advisors reported a “remarkable” increase in requests for professional assessment reviews, according to the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. The group will conduct another survey next month to update their results.

Here are some questions and answers about financial support:

I am confused by my letters of help. How can I ensure that I am comparing offers correctly?

Colleges are encouraged to use standard auxiliary letter formats and avoid jargon, but not all do. Be careful to distinguish between “gift” aid such as grants and scholarships that do not have to be repaid and loans that do. Subtract the gift aid from the college’s cost of attendance – the total cost of tuition, housing, meals, books, and supplies – to get a net price. Do this for each school before considering how much of the cost you can recover from savings and income, and how much you would have to borrow to cover any deficits.

U.Aspire, a nonprofit committed to helping students afford college with less debt, has created a free online expense calculator that applicants can use to compare “apples to apples” offers of help. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau also offers an online bid comparison tool and the Institute for College Access & Success has a leaflet.

And remember: you are under no obligation to borrow all or any of the loans included in your auxiliary letter, said Jessica Thompson, vice president at the institute. On the other hand, some colleges may not include the maximum federal student loan amount to which you are eligible. So if you think you may need to borrow more, give the financial help office a call to discuss your situation, she said.

What documents do I need to file an appeal?

Colleges differ in how they rate an appeal. But collect anything that indicates reduced hours or wages, such as letters from employers, pay slips or unemployment records, and medical bills to represent your case, Ms. Warick said.

Can I make a deposit in more than one college?

Colleges disapprove of this practice because you ultimately won’t be able to attend more than one college. If you make two deposits, another student – one on the waiting list or a late applicant – will not be offered a place, Hawkins said. It also affects less affluent applicants who may not be able to afford more than a security deposit. Therefore, members of the admissions advisory association advise against it, he said.

Categories
Entertainment

The way to Watch the Oscars 2021: Date, Time and Streaming

How to Watch the Oscars 2021: Date, Time and Streaming

Who will present?

Last year’s winners – Laura Dern, Joaquin Phoenix, Brad Pitt and Renée Zellweger – as well as Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, Bong Joon Ho, Don Cheadle, Bryan Cranston, Harrison Ford, Regina King, Marlee Matlin, Rita Moreno and Reese Witherspoon and Zendaya.

Are the Oscars the same as the Oscars?

Yes.

What should you watch out for?

This year could be the first time that all four acting categories have been won by color nominees. That’s exactly what happened at the SAG Awards this month, and Oscar voters have followed for five of the last 10 years.

When it comes to the films themselves, David Fincher’s black and white Old Hollywood biopic “Mank” on the making of “Citizen Kane” tops all films with 10 nominations, including best picture and best director. But it’s a crowded race in second place with six nominations each for “The Father”, “Judas and the Black Messiah”, “Minari”, “Nomadland”, “Sound of Metal” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7” – All for the best picture, along with Emerald Fennell’s “Promising Young Woman”.

Who do you think will win?

Our projectionist columnist Kyle Buchanan has some guesswork, but there could be a number of wildcard winners this year.

Chadwick Boseman, who died of colon cancer in August at the age of 43, appears to be on hold to take home another posthumous win as best actor for his final film role as trumpeter in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. “Nomadland” has the inside trail for best picture after wins at the Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards (and best director’s wins for Chloé Zhao at every event), but a sleeper choice like “The Trial of the Chicago 7” or “Minari”, which was relegated to one of the best foreign language film victories at the Globes, might surprise us.

Categories
Politics

Biden, Setting Afghanistan Withdrawal, Says ‘It Is Time to Finish the Endlessly Warfare’

Biden, Setting Afghanistan Withdrawal, Says ‘It Is Time to End the Forever War’

Mr. Bush chose not to publicly question Mr. Biden’s decision.

“As he has maintained since leaving office, President Bush will refuse to comment on private phone calls or his successors,” said Freddy Ford, his chief of staff.

A number of Afghan governments failed to maintain control of large parts of the country for years after the first invasion. This is at the core of the American military’s “keep clear, build” strategy. While a number of Afghan leaders, backed by the United States and its allies, pledged to fight corruption, end the drug scourge and establish stable governance, all of these achievements have proven fragile at best.

Women have played a more prominent role in government, and girls have been trained to an extent not seen before the war began. However, the future of these achievements is in doubt if the Taliban gain more ground.

In a statement on Twitter, President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan said his country “respects the US decision and we will work with our US partners to ensure a smooth transition.” He added that his country’s security forces are “fully capable of defending its people”.

But privately, according to people who spoke to him, Mr. Ghani was annoyed about the American decision. He fears that this will encourage the Taliban and give them little to no incentive to stick to the terms of the deal they made with Mr. Trump a year ago. And many around Mr Ghani fear that his own government, whose influence has already waned, could fall if the Taliban decide to take the capital, Kabul.

“Just because we’re pulling out of Afghanistan doesn’t mean the war is over,” said Lisa Curtis, one of Trump’s top national security officials on Afghanistan. “It’s likely to get worse.”

Mr Biden is the first president to oppose the Pentagon’s recommendations that any withdrawal be “conditional,” meaning that security must be ensured on the ground before Americans withdraw. If military officials have argued for a long time, they would signal the Taliban to just wait for the Americans – after that they would offer little resistance to taking further control and possibly threatening Kabul.

Categories
Business

How a lot it prices to journey the world full time on a yacht

How much it costs to travel the world full time on a yacht

The Sueiros had it all – great careers, a community of friends and children enrolled in a top international school in Boston.

Will was a chartered accountant and Jessica ran a graphic design business from home. Life was “comfortable, uneventful, and routine,” said Jessica Sueiro.

“Life was good” for the Sueiro family before they traveled the world full time, but they wanted adventure and a worldwide education for their children, said Jessica Sueiro.

Courtesy Jessica Sueiro

However, they were over-budgeted and spent around $ 10,000 a month on their finances – not on a “pampered life” with fancy cars or weekend ski trips, Sueiro said, but on rent, private schooling and an “image” that is presentable had to be clothes and regular haircuts.

“We had the lifestyle we dreamed of,” said Sueiro. “But when we got it, we weren’t sure it was the way to go for our family.”

A “leap into the unknown”

The family went on a “summer test trip” to Paris to see if they could survive in a foreign country, Sueiro said.

“We not only survived, we also thrived,” she told CNBC. “We lived a lot less and were so happy.”

With two children, ages 6 and 10, the Sueiros sold 85% of their belongings, took out international health insurance, opted for paperless bills, and left Boston in 2014 “jumping into the unknown,” she said.

Since then, the family has visited more than 65 countries and members have traveled to all seven continents, Sueiro said.

The Sueiro family has lived in surf hostels, yurts, tree houses, pod hotels, boats, an RV and now a catamaran, Jessica Sueiro said.

Courtesy Roam Generation

For the first three years, the Sueiros lived in places for nine to twelve months, rented furnished houses, and traveled extensively, Sueiro said. The family lived in a 21-foot RV for the next 2 1/2 years, constantly moving and visiting every country in Europe as well as Morocco.

They had just arrived in Japan when the pandemic broke out. They eventually returned to France, where they have an extended stay visa, and bought a 38-foot catamaran that they have been living in since August 2020.

Yacht life for $ 2,500 a month

The Sueiros had very little sailing experience when they bought their boat, which makes traveling over water more difficult than over land – at least for now, Sueiro said.

She said she believes that “sailing will eventually become a much easier and cheaper way to travel,” despite boats “having a reputation for costing a fortune”.

“Our monthly budget since we’ve been full-time travelers has always been $ 2,500 a month,” said Sueiro, who includes health insurance but not school or business expenses. “Right now … we’re a little bit lower than that.”

There have been allegations that our children are not properly educated, that we must have family allowances, that we are lost souls.

After the initial cost of buying and equipping the boat, the bills “balanced out” and the family’s biggest recurring expenses are grocery, school, health and boat insurance, SIM cards and regular boat repairs, she said. The general rule, she added, is to allow 10% -30% of the boat purchase price for annual repairs and upgrades.

“There are many assumptions about this type of lifestyle … the number one by far is that you have to be rich,” said Sueiro. “I can’t speak for others, but I can tell you that we work a lot … we are also very economical.”

Jessica and her husband worked remotely for the first three years before starting WorldTowning, a travel coaching company for long-term travelers. Her group tours are starting again this fall and are almost sold out, she said.

The needs of a nomadic lifestyle

Items (including computers) valued at USD 10,000 were stolen from the Sueiros in Belgium. They were abused in Norway and are stuck in a rainy gorge in Turkey – at night.

“Our biggest ongoing difficulty, however, is judging how we live,” Sueiro said, adding that this has come from educators, potential employers, doctors and business customers.

“There have also been allegations that our children are not properly educated, that we have to have family allowances, that we are lost souls, irresponsible and much more,” she said.

Largo Sueiro attended a private school in Costa Rica and Ecuador.

Courtesy Roam Generation

The children have attended private and public schools and have been homeschooled (“or as we call it the world school”). Both want to go to university in the United States and the oldest, Avalon, 16, is preparing to take courses at online universities, Sueiro said.

“Will and I have adopted the philosophy that no one can vote on how we live our lives,” she said, adding that the current shift to remote work is softening attitudes towards alternative lifestyles.

Inspired by a movie

The Careys were a “normal family” who lived in a three bedroom house in Adelaide, Australia – until they were inspired to travel the world after watching a documentary about Laura Dekker, the youngest person to be alone Circled globe.

The couple saved more than two years, took sailing courses and bought a 47-foot boat “unseen” in Grenada, an island nation in the Caribbean.

The Careys worked for the Australian government, had a mortgage and credit card debt before sailing around the world, Erin Carey said.

Courtesy Roam Generation

“We basically jumped on board and did everything our own way,” said Erin with a laugh. “We ran aground, our engine failed … we had to be towed.”

Despite being “non-seafarers,” the couple and their three young sons sailed the Caribbean before crossing the Atlantic 18 months later, she said.

The family returned to their home in Australia at the beginning of the pandemic, but quickly realized that country life was not for them. The family was always “rushing” to school and sports activities, and the kids read less and stayed indoors more, Carey said.

We are a family of five and we spend probably around $ 4,000 a month.

“We didn’t spend time as a family,” she said. “There were very few moments at home when we really felt alive.”

The Careys sold their house and returned to their boat in the Azores this March.

The pros and cons of boating life

Despite the freedom and adventure, Carey said it was normal to get tired of the lifestyle because “it’s super hard to live on a boat”.

Cramped living spaces, blocked toilets, and no hot showers or cars (“we have to take our groceries everywhere”) are just the beginning. “Rolly anchorages”, a boat term for a rocking boat, prevent a good sleep.

But the days are not rushed. The kids take classes for two hours each morning through Acellus, an online school, while Carey runs a PR agency called Roam Generation from her yacht. Then the family can go on a hike or a museum, or the children can play or fish with other children in the marina. You have started reading again, she said.

“Kids on boats are really exceptional for some reason,” said Carey, who uses a private Facebook group called Kids4Sail to connect with other boat families.

Courtesy Roam Generation

Are children rare in the church? Not at all, said Carey.

The “cruise” community is well connected, and families with “boat children” visit each other.

“Often times, people change their plans and go where the kids’ boats are because happy kids make this lifestyle so much better,” Carey said.

Cruise: Not just for the ultra-rich

To finance life on a boat full time, some people save money to sail for a period of time while others sell or rent their houses. Others operate location-independent businesses from their boats. Many are retired.

“We’re a family of five and we spend probably about $ 4,000 a month,” she said. “There are people who do it for literally $ 500 a month and then obviously there are people who live on super yachts.”

Carey, whose family eats out several times a week and occasionally rents a car, believes what they spend is “pretty average” for cruise families.

Courtesy Roam Generation

With no mortgage or car, Carey said, “Life on the boat is cheaper than life in our home.” “Things on boats break all the time … so you have to be prepared.”

“Your sails are tearing, it’s going to be $ 5,000,” she said. “They say boot stands for ‘Bring Out Another Thousand’.”

Carey said while cruises were “much more difficult” in the Covid era, boat sales were “through the roof”. While the coronavirus caused some to return home, it spurred many others to start a lifestyle on board.

Carey is researching going to the Mediterranean next and then sailing back to the Caribbean around Christmas.

Cruisers (Halloween is celebrated here in Grenada) are mostly well-educated and motivated people, but “issues like wealth, social status or employment rarely come up,” said Carey.

Courtesy Roam Generation

“I think that’s the beauty of boating, it’s so unknown,” she said. “I really like that I literally have no idea where we’ll be in three months.”

Carey said that while boating is tough, “you just have to be really determined and persistent to find a way to make it work.”

Categories
Business

New airline Avelo thinks it is the proper time to begin flying as journey picks up

New airline Avelo thinks it's the perfect time to start flying as travel picks up

Avelo plane.

Source: Avelo

With the demand for air travel growing rapidly as the US reopens from the Covid-19 pandemic, Andrew Levy believes this is the perfect time to start a new airline.

Levy is the CEO of Avelo, a low-cost airline based in Burbank, California that will fly to eleven airports and markets in the western United States in late April – where there is little direct competition.

“We see light at the end of the tunnel and it’s coming soon,” Levy told CNBC as he sat in Avelo’s office. “We’re in a great place to start and especially to be up and running for the summer high season, which should be good.”

Levy originally wanted to start Avelo a year ago, but the pandemic quickly put an end to those plans. So Levy and his team have spent the last year making sure Avelo is ready when air traffic shows signs of returning. The pandemic has cost the aviation industry more than $ 380 billion, according to the International Air Travel Association.

Avelo’s strategy is to offer cheap fares to travelers in markets or near airports with little flight service. These include places like Grand Junction, Colorado; Eugene, Ore. And Ogden, Utah. These are markets or regions where travelers typically have to take trips through major cities like Denver or Salt Lake City.

Levy sees enormous potential in exploiting the disadvantages of larger airports.

“It takes a long time to get there, there are long lines and there are a lot of headaches and problems,” he said. “Small airports are honestly just a better experience and I think all customers would agree.”

Levy knows that a small airport strategy can pay off for a start-up airline if carried out properly. In the late 1990s, he helped Allegiant Airlines launch flights from small airports like Rockford, Illinois, which are about an hour northwest of Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. After helping Allegiant expand its business for several years, Levy moved to United Airlines. There he rose through the ranks and eventually became CFO before leaving in 2018.

Susan Donofrio, aerospace consultant FTI Consulting, believes Avelo can replicate Allegiant’s success.

“While the legacy airlines focus on recreational growth outside of their hubs, airlines like Avelo have left plenty of opportunities on the table to grow unchallenged in underserved markets,” said Donofrio.

Right now, Levy is focused on getting a clean start without the hiccups that often hinder startups. Avelo launches with a fleet of three Boeing 737s and plans to add three more this summer. Levy noticed that he had bought

Levy is delighted with the fact that he bought two of the planes at a discount from others in the industry to unload planes and save millions of dollars.

“The two we bought were likely a third lower (in price) than they would have been before Covid, leaving a $ 15 million discount between the two planes,” Levy said.