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Environmental Considerations in Transport

Dr. Pawan Kumar, Associate TCP
Town & Country Planning Organization, M/o Urban Development, Govt. of India, New Delhi.

1.0 Introduction

The availability and usage of different motorized modes of transport not only affect the environment but also contribute to global warming and climate change. Similarly, planning, designing and development of transport projects and construction of transport infrastructure also impact the environment and therefore environment considerations and their assessment is vital. It is well known fact that transport has significant detrimental effects on both built and natural environment along with human beings. Such effects have lifelong impacts and therefore the same may be mitigated at different stages of planning, designing, construction and operation. In this context, it is important to carry out the assessment of the consequences of programs, policies and projects related to transport on environment at micro and macro level.

2.0 Environmental Considerations in Transport

Transport is a means to carry man, materials, machines, goods, etc. from one location to another location by using various methods/modes. In fact, it involves mobility of people, carrying of goods, and delivery of services from local level to global level. In other words, such mobility needs creation of world class transport infrastructure, environmental sustainable modes of transport and good governance. On the contrarily, such transport infrastructure projects / plan implementation /policies formulation have repercussions on various environmental components such as air quality, noise pollution, carbon emission, public health, etc. Therefore, environmental considerations are important to assess in plan formulation and project implementation which is described in Table 1.

Table 1: Environmental Considerations in Transport Plans Formulation and Projects Implementation
S.N. Plans Formulation & Projects Implementation Affected Components Environmental Considerations
i. Location of Project Human Population including built & natural environment. Control of soil erosion, air pollution, disposal of waste to protect human health
ii. Components of plans / projects Route alignments, corridor development, transit nodes, etc. affect urban fabric and environment. Considerations for landuse & ecology, air/water/noise pollution, visual impacts, etc.
iii. Construction of urban roads Human habitation along the roads / expressways, etc. in terms of severance, surface vibrations, etc. Check for dust generation, air pollution, noise pollution, etc.
iv. Construction of foot over bridges (FOB), flyovers, bridges, et. Impact on surface/ ground water hydrology, noise level, visual intrusion, etc. Check for underground water quality, noise pollution along the transit corridors particularly in residential areas.
v. Underground infrastructure such as underground stations, bus terminals, multimodal integration hub, etc. Impact on water ecology, underground vibration, natural drainage, etc. Protection of water qualities, water bodies, natural slopes, etc.
vi. Public Transport System such as ARTS, BRTS, LRTS, MRTS, PRTS, etc. Commuters, air quality, built environment & plantations along the transit corridors, etc. Check for air quality, noise exposure, loss of trees, landscape change & ecological change, etc.
vii. Transport infrastructure in hilly Terrains Impact on flora & fauna, natural environment, geological conditions, etc. Protection of natural environment
viii. Provisions of Public Transport Terminals such as Bus Depots, ISBT, Railway Terminals, Multi Modal Interchange Stations, Rail-Bus Integration Nodes etc. Impact on micro environment, air, noise, surface water, etc. Checks for air pollution, noise pollution, oil pollution, dust generation, etc.
ix. Manoeuvre & Movement Affecting schools, hospitals, residential areas, periphery of water bodies, etc. Provisions to avoid air /noise pollution in such areas.
x. Road side Landscape Affecting natural beauty, roadside plantation, agriculture lands, natural vegetation, etc. Route planning and geometric design of roads to preserve natural beauty &amp; vegetation.

Generally, major transport infrastructure projects need environmental analysis which is done under certain environmental legislations. Further, it is important to estimate and address the impacts of transport infrastructure development at both micro and meso level. Therefore, Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) are used as step-by step methodology for environmental analysis.

3.0 Strategic Environmental Assessment

The Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) introduces environmental considerations in decision making process at early stage of policy decision and plan formulation which further allows decision makers to focus on environmental effects of tactical choices. It helps to consider wide range of alternative proposals and mitigation measures earlier than EIA at project level. According to Asian Development Bank, SEA cannot be restricted to environmental considerations only as most of the time, implementation of programs and policies also effect social and economic developments which further cause indirect environmental deprivation.

In other words, Strategic Environmental Assessment is a process:
  • to evaluate environmental consequences of a proposed policy, program and plan initiative,
  • to incorporate preventive and mitigated measures at appropriate levels of decision making process along with socio-economic considerations.
Further, Strategic Environmental Assessment, as a part of systematic decision support process for statutory & non-statutory proposals, other policies/plans/ programs, may be focused on impact assessment and improvement strategies. The same may be emphasised on good governance, institutional setup, scientific ways to policy formulation mechanism, and public participation which are directly and indirectly dealing with/affected by environmental, social and economic effects of program, policies and plans. Furthermore, SEA may be applied widely and apparently to assess policies and programs prepared by the Govt. through suitable methods and effective techniques.

3.1 Strategic Environmental Assessment in Transport Policy, Program, and Plan

In India, Strategic Environmental Assessment in Transport Policy, Program, and Plan has not yet been considered by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Govt. of India but its considerations at Policy, Program, and Plan formulation stage can be helpful to understand and choose various options and planning interventions at macro level. Finally, selection of such actions, interventions and activities may help to choose projects which have minimum impacts on the environment in long term even after 5 to 10 years. Table 2 describes various steps to conduct SEA in transport policy and program.

Table 2: Steps in Strategic Environmental Assessment in Transport Program, Policy and Plan
S.N. Steps Descriptions Remarks
i. Screening & Scoping It is applicable for all city level mobility plans including traffic plans. Useful for those programs which may be associated directly and indirectly with transport infrastructure development.
ii. Establishing the Baseline Baseline refers existing conditions before any urban mobility policy / program / plan implementation against which subsequent changes may be referenced. Useful for all urban mobility policy/program/plan which may affect environment directly or indirectly by the proposed plan and planning interventions.
iii. Impact Assessment It is to carrying out impact assessment. It may include assessment of objectives and recommendations /outputs of program /plan. Useful in assessment of potential impacts, secondary impacts, unforeseen impacts, cumulative impacts, etc. Useful in identification and assessment of need of alternative scenarios.
iv. Mitigating Impacts It includes elude and prevent environmental impacts at planning level of the program/plan and identify alternate transport options. Useful to minimize and control adverse environmental impacts through planning interventions such as selection of alternate sites, modified alignment, use of updated technology, etc. at implementation level.
v. Monitoring and Evaluation Formulation of Monitoring Plan and identify criteria for evaluation. Useful at different level of plan implementation and operation stages.

3.2 Strategic Environmental Assessment of Gujarat State Highways Program It was an initiative taken by the Govt. of Gujarat with the help of World Bank to improve the State Highways. It was aimed at widening and strengthening a set of economically feasible State Highways. The project feasibility study selected 8 18 km of roads for improvement with the available budget. The environmental team undertook the Sectoral Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the total 818 km of roads. The objectives of the SEA were:
  • to perform an environmental screening of the project corridors in order to classify each road corridor as high, medium or low levels of impact.
  • to provide practical plan for mitigating and monitoring the impacts which would occur as result of the road rehabilitation and construction activities as well as due to future operation of the road corridors.
  • to design and implement Environmental Management Unit (EMU), intended to act as a unit implementing the Environmental Action Management Plan and Resettlement Action Plan on behalf of Gujarat Road and Building Deptt., Govt. of Gujarat.
The major components of Highway programs and SEA outputs have been described in Table 3.

Table 3: Strategic Environmental Assessment of Gujarat State Highways Program
S.N Highway Program Components Details of Program Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Components Outcomes and Learning Experience
i. Road Improvement (widening/ strengthening ) 818 km of State Highways were selected under this program.

Project was financed by the World Bank.

Team was constituted to undertake SEA for this program
SEA was conducted to assess impacts of proposed program on both natural environment and social environment.

Methodology was framed to collect data on natural and social environmental features along the corridor of impacts including no. of residential /commercial units likely to be affected, adjacent land uses, loss of trees, water bodies, archaeological sites affected, etc.

Assessment was done and impacts were classified as low, medium and high level impact.

Impact assessment on both natural and social environment was done during construction and operations of the road corridors.

SEA suggested mitigated measures during early design stage such as:

-To avoid unnecessary displacement by modifying project alignment, reducing the width of the corridor or modifying design,

-To reduce the width of the right-of-way(RoW) or corridor of impact wherever possible,

-To ensure access to business and residential areas that may have been impacted by construction,

-To use the land outside the RoW controlled by Gujarat Road and Building Deptt. , but not needed after construction, to relocate people,

-To minimize the losses to users of public property, such as the tree plantations within the RoW, restricting the cleared zone to an absolute minimum width within given design and safety constraints,

-To find new plots and houses on the open market for relocating,

-To provide roadside amenities such as bus stops, lane markings for non-motorized traffic along the paved shoulder
Based on low, medium and high level impact, the same was categorised as short term and long term impacts.

Mitigation measures were recommended during construction and operation phases.

Preventive and Mitigation actions were suggested in order to minimise impacts on air, water, noise, flora & fauna.

Environmental Management Action Plan was prepared with mitigation measures in the construction and operation phases of the project.

Resettlement Action Plan was prepared to compensate for the losses in terms of land, livelihood, structure damage, community property, other assets, etc.

Two corridors (bypasses) were identified for new construction and were classified as high impact category project.

Other parts of corridor were classified as medium and low impact category project.

Mitigation measures under EMAP were needs to be implemented.
ii. Periodic maintenance (asphalt overlays)
iii. Institutional Development
Source: (i). Roads & Building Deptt, Govt. of Gujarat (1998) Gujarat State Highways Project, Sectoral Environmental Assessment, E-228, Vol.-I, Final Report-2A (ii) Development of Toolkit on Environmental Analysis: SEA and EIA under SUTP (2014), MoUD.

4.0 Environmental Impact Assessment

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was developed as a tool to assess and reduce adverse impacts on the environment caused by implementation of the projects. In fact, the EIA needs a comprehensive assessment of environmental considerations and mitigation of impacts during pre-construction, construction and operation stages. Further, Environmental Management Action Plan as outcome is required to minimize the environmental impacts.

In other words, Environmental Impact Assessment is referred to Project and generally concerned with local environment. According to UNEP, the main objective of EIA is to promote environmental sound and sustainable development through identification of appropriate alternatives and mitigation measures to reduce adverse impacts on the environment caused by the projects.

4.1 Environmental Impact Assessment in Transport Project

In India, EIA study is an essential part of the “environmental clearance” process for the scheduled development projects under Environmental Protection Act 1986.Further, EIA Notification 2006 (amended in 2009 and 2011) has classified the projects under Category A and B. Category A (Central Level) projects includes expansion and modernization of existing projects requires clearance from M/0 Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Govt. of India and Category B1 requires clearance from State EIA authority constituted by the Govt. of India.

Further, as per Notification, transport infrastructure projects such as highways, airports, ports & harbours have been identified as projects requiring EIA. Recently, other urban transport infrastructure projects such as MRTS, BRTS, expressways, etc. also conduct EIA for the benefit of the city and region.

Table 4: Environmental Impact Assessment in Transport Projects
S.N. Stages of Project Environmental Components Remarks
i. Planning and Design Stage Natural Environment: Micro-climate, land, water, vegetation, flora & fauna, etc.

Built Environment: Buildings, structures, materials, energy conservation, aesthetics, etc.

Social Environment: socio-economic aspects, land prices, land uses pattern, loss of utilities, public health & safety, etc.
All environmental components need to be quantified in pre-project and post-project stage to understand the consequences of the impacts.

Public hearing is an important component of the EIA process.

Provisions of EIA Notification 2006 (amended in 2009 and 2011) must be followed.
ii. Construction Stage
iii. Operation Stage

4.2 Environmental Impact Assessment of Bus Rapid Transit System Ahmedabad

EIA of Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) Ahmedabad is one of the examples to understand, assess and explore environmental consideration in both construction and operation phase. Table 5 describes components of EIA, outcomes and various measures required at different phases of projects.

Table 5: Environmental Impact Assessment of BRTS Ahmedabad
S.N Details of Program Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Components Outcomes and Learning Experience
i. Operation of BRTS Ahmedabad started in October 2009 by Ahmedabad Janmarg Limited.

System is planned as integrated multi modal transport system of main and feeder lines to connect major origins and destinations in the city.

Project was developed on PPP model.
EIA was conducted to address environmental issues due to Phase-I of the project.

EIA considered impacts during Planning and Design Stage, Construction Stage and Operation Stage.

EIA considered impacts on: Natural Environment, Built Environment, Social Environment and Other Specific Impacts.

Impacts were classified and compared with pre-project and post-project scenario.

Environmental Management Action Plan was prepared with mitigation measures.

Mitigation Plan of Impacts was prepared for all three phases of the project.
Pre-Construction: Creation of Social Forestry Program through local communities in planting and maintenance of trees.
During Construction: Equalization of Soil out & fill. Avoid spillage as much as possible.

Avoid water source lost, pollution, etc. as much as possible.

Minimize Air /water / noise pollution.

Noise limits for equipment as per norms.

Cutting of trees only in unavoidable situations with compensatory afforestation, etc.
During Operation

Contingency Plan for vehicular spills.

Maintain of storm water, drainage system, etc.

Road side Tree plantation. Monitoring of Noise Levels. Checking vehicular pollution.

As per EIA notification, the adopted approach is in order to a large extent and may be applicable for EIA of other urban transport infrastructure project. Further, such findings may be replicated in other cities for environmental preservation to promote sustainable development.
Source: Development of Toolkit on Environmental Analysis: SEA and EIA under SUTP (2014).

BRTS Bus Stop ( ISRO ) , Ahmedabad
BRTS Bus Stop ( ISRO ) , Ahmedabad

5.0 Environmental Considerations for Alternate Modes of Transport

5.1 Aerial Ropeways (Cable Car)

Modern transport is technology driven vehicles which carry both men and materials. The selection of technology depends on various factors such as to meet travel demand, urban fabric, density pattern, life-cycle costs, environmental impacts, etc. The conventional public transport systems such as MRTS, BRTS, LRTS, buses, etc. have their own importance to meet travel demands in respective areas. Contrarily, the same may not hold good in mountainous areas and hilly terrains due to geographical, topographical and natural constraints. In this context, several unconventional transit technologies are developed with specific purposes for specific geographical regions/areas to provide comfortable, environmental sustainable and efficient mobility. One of such technologies is aerial ropeway(cable car) which is widely used in geographical constrained areas and areas with topographical barriers. As per EIA Notification 2006 (amended in 2009 and 2011) , all Aerial Ropeway Projects falls under “Physical Infrastructure including Environmental Services” category need Environmental Clearance which details are given in Table 6.

Table 6: Aerial Ropeways Project requiring Environmental Clearance as per EIA Notification, 2006
Project or Activity Category with Threshold Limit Condition
  Category-A Category-B
1 2 3 4 5
7 (g) Aerial Ropeways All projects located at altitude of 1000.00 mt and above.

All project located in notified ecologically sensitive areas.
All projects except those covered in column 3 General Conditions*
Source: EIA Notification 2006.

Note: * Any project or activity specified in Category 'B' will be treated as Category 'A' if located in whole or in part within 10.00 km from the boundary of (i.) Protected areas notified under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, (ii.) Critically polluted areas as identified by the Central Pollution Control Board from time to time, (iii.) Eco-sensitive areas as notified under section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, such as Mahabaleswar Panchangi, Matheran, Pachmarhi, Dahanu, Doon Valley and (iv.) Inter-state boundaries and international boundaries Provided that the requirement regarding distance of 10.00km of the inter-state boundaries can be reduced or completely done away with by an agreement between the respective states or UTs sharing the common boundary in the case the activity does not fall within 10.00Kms. of the areas mentioned at item (i), (ii) and (iii) above.

Gangtok Aerial Ropeway
Figure 2: Gangtok Aerial Ropeway, Sikkim

During 2010, then Ministry of Environment and Forest, Govt. of India decided to bring out EIA Sector Specific Manuals for 37 development projects and “EIA Guidance Manual for Aerial Ropeways” is one of them. The manual of each sector contains Model TOR of that sector, technological options, process for cleaner production, waste minimization, monitoring of environmental quality and procedure of obtaining environmental clearance under certain regulations.

Ropeways in Singapore
Figure 3: Aerial Ropeways in Singapore

Aerial ropeway (Cable Car) is known as aerial tram, sky tram, aerial tramway, etc. and also called as Udan Khatola, Gagan Khatola, etc.in India. It is considered as Environmental Sustainable Transport (EST) due to following reasons:
  • Relatively low carbon foot prints.
  • Electric engine /motor used at Stations which cause less pollution.
  • Greenhouse gas emissions credit system just like Medellin Cable Car, Colombia.
  • Cable car vehicles have no motors and therefore no noise and air pollution along the route.
  • Little disturbance in micro environment during both construction and operation.
Further, the suitable Cable Car technology may provide viable and feasible transit mode and development of aerial ropeway fulfills all three criteria of smart city i.e.
  • Creation of infrastructure,
  • Smart solution for smart mobility in undulating terrain
  • Suitable for area based development.(Retrofitting / Redevelopment / New Development )
In Indian context, there is lot of potential to explore the use of aerial ropeway as mass transit. The Govt. departments, transport agencies, cable car manufacturers, etc. need to take interest and initiatives to use and promote the same as alternative mode of transport.

5.2 Tram (Light Rail Transit)

Now-a-days, varieties of transport modes are available in Indian cities. Instead of putting a new system, there is always scope to upgrade the existing system from low capacity to medium capacity with less travel time and more comfort along with modern facilities within affordable cost. In this context, revival of tram and a shift from tram to Light Rail Transit have its own potential to change the face and image of public transport in small and medium sized Indian cities.

Trams were first introduced in Delhi in 1908 but the service was stopped due to congestion in 1960s. In July 2015, the Govt. of Delhi had planned to reintroduce trams as public transport in Chandani Chowk area but the same was scrapped due to high infrastructure cost (i.e. Rs 800.00crore for 4.3 km long track) and it was decided to run e-buses in September 2015. After the interfering of the Hon’ble Delhi High Court in January 2017, Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation has been assigned to prepare a comparative study of plying of trams and e-buses in the Walled City of Delhi.

Revival of Trams
Figure 4: Revival of Trams in the Walled City as Part of the Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Plan (HT Photo published in HT Delhi Edition dated 24.01.2017)

However, DMRC has prepared DPR for Tramway System in Chandani Chowk Area, and environmental study was carried out for the proposed alignment in April 2015. The impacts were assessed for various phases of project cycle. The impacts were categorized as negative and positive due to
  • Project Location,
  • Project Design,
  • Construction Phase and
  • Project Operation.
Table 7: Environmental Impacts Checklist for Tramway System in Chandani Chowk Area (DMRC 2015)
S.N. Parameters Negative Impacts No impacts Positive impacts
A. Impacts due to Project Location
A1. Displacement of People
A2. Change of Land use and Ecology
A3. Loss of Cultural and Religious Structures
A4. Socio-economic Impacts
A5. Loss of Trees
A6. Drainage & Utilities Problems
B. Impact due to Project Design
B1. Platforms - Inlets and Outlets
B2. Ventilation and Lighting
B3. Station Refuse
B4. Risk due to Earthquakes
C. Impact due to Project Construction
C1. Top Soil Erosion, Pollution and Health risk
C2. Traffic Diversions
C3. Risk to Existing Buildings
C4. Problems of Soil Disposal and Seepage Risk
C5. Dust Generation
C6. Increased Water Demand
C7. Supply of Construction Material
C8. Construction and Demolition Waste
C9. Batching Plant and Casting Yard
C10. Noise
D. Impact due to Project Operation
D1. Oil Pollution
D2. Noise
D3. Water supply and sanitation
D4. Pedestrian Issues
D5. Visual Impacts
D6. Station Illumination
D7. Employment Opportunities
D8. Enhancement of Economy
D9. Mobility
D10. Safety
D11. Traffic Congestion Reduction
Source: DPR for Tramway System in Chandani Chowk Areas, DMRC, April 2015.

Further, areas of tree plantation cleared needs to be replaced according to Compensatory Afforestation Policy under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980. Trees need to be planted against every tree felled as per norms by the Forest Department, Govt. of Delhi.

Toyama Tram
Figure 5: Road Space for Tram and other Modes of Transport, Toyama (Japan)

6.0 Discussion and Concluding Remarks
  • Due to global warming and climate change, environmental concern in transport policy and transport infrastructure project is vital. It needs integration of environmental aspects in policy, plan and program formulation and project implementation so that preventive, mitigated and preparedness provisions and strategies may be incorporated at appropriate level before final decision sand execution.
  • At project level, environmental concern in pre-construction, construction and post-construction phase help to identify potential environmental implications and adopt strategies to mitigate such impacts. Environmental and sustainable development has socio-economic, cultural and public health dimensions which are assessed during conducting SEA and EIA. Therefore, selection of appropriate transport options is more appropriate and scientific.
  • Public consultation is an important part of EIA process for all projects under categories “A” and “B1”. Such provisions make EIA procedure more transparent and inclusive. Environmental cost benefit analysis recommended by expert appraisal committee at screening and scoping stage, incorporates value addition in EIA study.
  • However, SEA and EIA as environmental analysis tools have own significance in both plan (program) formulation and project implementation. It is important to recognize importance of SEA in Indian context and provide statutory status of the same. Further, scope of EIA may be extended to cover major and mega transport infrastructure projects apart from port & harbour, highways, aerial ropeways and airports.
  • The aerial ropeways have a great impact on environmental conservation. It reduces the fleet of motorized vehicles on the road used to transport man, materials, tea-leaves from estate to factory, vegetables from production belt to consumption market, etc. particularly in hilly areas. In fact, it leads to reduced carbon generation, reduced cost of road maintenance and reduced environmental degradation caused by heavy motorized vehicles.
  • Sometimes, the retrofitting and new development of the areas in hilly States may be benign with development of “area and need based mode of transport”. The planning of aerial ropeways corridor, construction of lower terminal stations, upper terminal stations, development of surrounding areas near towers, etc. may promote implementation of transit oriented development in newly developed and redeveloped areas in hilly terrains.
  • Tram is a sub-category of LRT rather than distinct transport mode but it may be a good feeder mode for close transit systems such as metro, monorail, suburban rail, etc. However, operation of tram may reduce personalized vehicles in CBD areas, walled cities, historical core areas, etc. and replace minibus, auto, cycle rickshaw, etc. which may further reduce demands for parking spaces, vehicular pollution, road accidents, etc. In this context, an initiative needs to be taken to establish Tram as one of the modes of environmental sustainable transport and also recognize as alternative mode of public transport.
7.0 References
  • Asian Development Bank (1997), Environmental Impact Assessment for Developing Countries in Asia, ADB Publication.
  • Kumar, Pawan (2007), Land Development Project and EIA in Urban Development in Ta’i, Murphy, P. and Rana, P.S.(Editors-2007), Environmental Impact Assessment : An Indo-Australian, Book well Publication, New Delhi, pp 235-241.
  • Kumar, Pawan (2015), Revival of LRT (Tram) in Urban Area, Case Study: Hiroshima (Japan), 8th Urban Mobility India Conference, Nov 24-27, 2015, New Delhi.
  • Kumar, Pawan (2016a), Cable Car (Ropeway): An Alternate Mode of Transport, Indian Journal for Transport Management, July –September 2016, pp 136-144.
  • Kumar, Pawan (2016b), Light Rail Transit in Urban India: Scopes and Opportunities, 4th Annual South Asia Transport Infrastructure Conference 2016, Sept 19-20, 2016 at New Delhi.
  • Kumar, Pawan (2017), Tram to Light Rail Transit for Smart Mobility, Architecture- Time, Space & People (Journal of Council of Architecture), February 2017, Vol 17, Issue 2,pp 36-44.
  • Ministry of Urban Development (2014), Development of Toolkit on Environmental Analysis: SEA and EIA under SUTP Program, MoUD, New Delhi.
  • MoEF (2006), EIA Notification, Gazette Notification. (Published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part-II, and Section 3, Sub-section, dated 14th September, 2006)
  • Roads & Building Deptt (1998) Gujarat State Highways Project, Sectoral Environmental Assessment, E-228, Vol.-I, Final Report-2A, Govt. of Gujarat.
  • UNEP (2002) EIA Training Resource Manual Division of Technology, Industry and Economics and Trade Branch, Geneva.
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MBSS 2012 - All Set to Take place in Mumbai

MBSS 2012

The fourth edition of Metal Buildings & Steel Structures Expo 2012 (MBSS'12), an International event on modern methods for fast track construction is scheduled to take place from 12th to 14th April, 2012 at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai (India). Organised by INIS Enterprises, the event this year is expecting to attract around 75 exhibitors and 4000 visitors and has continued to get the support of key industry associations – Institute for Steel Development and Growth (INSDAG), Indian Association of Structural Engineers (IASE), Steel Wire Manufacturers Association of India [SWMAI] and other influential trade bodies who have pledged their support to this important industry initiative.

A journey that began in 2009 on a humble note to promote the use of steel and allied metals in construction has taken a big leap ahead and proudly introduces the fourth edition of MBSS'12 strengthening its strong vision to see India's building infrastructure rise above. The outstanding concept of this sensational and futuristic event has fetched accolades throughout the nation from all verticals of this industry. The companies synonymous with structural steel fabrication and pre-engineered metal building solutions within India and abroad are participating in this event.

Use of steel as a construction material has seen phenomenal growth in the last few years. Although steel buildings have been used in the commercial and industrial sectors for a long time, they are increasingly gracing the skylines of countries all over the world. Currently, Steel building construction in India is in its infancy though pretty dominant in the Industrial & Infrastructural segment, the building sector is yet to perceive its utmost significance. However, India has emerged as an important global structural steel consumption centre – driven by rapidly growing economy, increasing acceptance for structural steel and large investments in construction sector. India has a potential to more than double its Structural Steel consumption over the next decade. India is gradually moving towards low cement and medium structural steel consumption, indicating increasing preference for Structural Steel.

Steel is the only choice for the modern fast track construction because of its cost effectiveness in long run, flexibility, sustainability, ductibility, etc. Besides having many advantages as a construction material, steel has a major environmental advantage which is its recyclability. Recycling steel saves primary resources, reduces waste and saves energy. Unlike most other construction materials, steel is 100% recyclable and can be recycled again and again with no loss in its inherent properties. This is the notion emphasized in the event ‘Metal Buildings & Steel Structures Expo.

The participants of this event are the trailblazer of the structural steelwork fabrication and the pre-engineered building systems industry. The event concept is not only encouraged by them but also endorses their confidence seeing their constant participation.

MBSS 2012

The Gold Partner for the event is Jindal Steel & Power Limited. Some of the other participants includes Kirby Building Systems India Ltd., Jindal Steel & Power Ltd. (JSPL), Mahavir Steel Industries Limited, Tiger Profiles & Insulation LLC, MPIL Steel Structures Ltd. (Multicolor Projects India Ltd), Qingdao Baoduo Steel Structure, Modern Prefab Systems Pvt. Ltd, Marvel Machine Tools Pvt. Ltd, Manaksia Ltd., Hyderabad, Nyka Steels Pvt. Ltd., Pennar Engineered Building Systems, Surface Finishing Equipment Company, Corros Metals Pvt ltd., Rishi International, U. P. Twiga Fiber Glass Ltd., Pioneer Intertrade Pvt. Ltd., Pradman Engineering Pvt. Ltd., Pinnacle Building Technology FZE, Wuxi Yangtong Mechanical Equipment Co. Ltd., M/S Rockwool (I) Limited, Era Buildsys Limited, Jiangsu World Steel Structure Engineering Group Co.,Ltd, Vardhman Precision Profiles & Tubes Pvt. Ltd., Jindal Pipes, Shandong FIN CNC Machine Co., Ltd., Uma Bharti Enterprises, Electromech Material Handling Systems (India) Pvt Ltd.

The event not only proves to be an ideal platform for exploring new business opportunities but also goes a step ahead in dissemination of knowledge about the world-class technology/services through a day long round table conference hosted alongside the expo on 13th April, 2012. Deloitte, a global consulting organisation is the Knowledge Associate for this event.

The theme of the Conference is ‘Steel Structures in India – An Opportunity to Evolve'. Key demand drivers facilitating growth and demand in Construction Industry comprise of Infrastructure, Industry & Buildings and therefore the session of the above conference will deliberate on the same. It will focus on the challenges and opportunities in the sector, which will be addressed by respective industry experts. The symposium will bring in key facts and innovations in an integrated steel building design & construction not only in the infrastructure/ industrial projects but also in high rise buildings segment.

With the vision set to make this industry initiative a strong networking forum for the Steel Structures Industry, INIS Enterprises is dedicated to meet every expectation of the exhibitors and visitors giving them a perfect place to do business with a promise that people will definitely take home with them the knowledge, leads, experience & more.

Qingdao Baoduo Steel Structure Co., Ltd

Qingdao Baoduo Steel Structure Co., Ltd. is a professionally managed company known for its reputed steel structure. Located in Qingda Industrial Park and established in 2001, the company specializes in light or heavy steel structure designing, manufacturing & installing.

With floor space of 26000, workshop area of 15000, the company owns the light/heavy H steel production line, BOX production line, C/Z purlin production line and various types of profiling steel sheet machines. The annual production capacity: main steel structure of 20000 mts, secondary steel of 15000 mts, various profiling steel sheets of 300000 sq.m per annum.

Quality, leading-edge technologies and continual innovations are its entrepreneurial concept. Through 10 years of accumulation and deploitation, Qingdao has formed its own complete set of building system for the wall and roof of steel structure, and also has accumulated rich experience in the waterproofing and insulation technology, which helps it to offer quality assurance to its clients.

MBSS 2012

Recently the company has developed a new project Qingdao Bentai Electromechanical Co., Ltd and features are described below:
  1. Size: 21000 m2, span:48 m, column space 12 m
  2. Type: muti-slope,multi-span
  3. Base: Concrete and steel foundation bolts
  4. Column and beam: Material Q345 (S355JR) or Q235(S235JR) steel, all bolts connection, straight cross-section or Variable cross-section
  5. Bracing: X or V or other type bracing made from angle, round pipe etc.
  6. C or Z purlin: size from C100~C320,Z160~Z300
  7. Roof and wall panel: single colorful corrugated steel sheet 0.326~0.6mm thick, YX26-205-820(820mm wide)
  8. Accessories: semi-transparent skylight belts, Ventilators, down pipe, out gutter etc
  9. Surface: Paint or hot dip galvanized
  10. Packing: main steel frame without packing load in 40'OT,roof and wall panel load in 40'GP.

MGS Architecture March - April 2012

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EIOPA statement on actions to mitigate the impact of Coronavirus/COVID-19 on the EU insurance sector

18. 03. 2020 | Press Release of the EIOPA

The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA), in close communication and cooperation with the other European Supervisory Authorities and the European Systemic Risk Board, has been monitoring the Coronavirus/COVID-19 situation very closely as the outbreak continues to cause disruption to households and businesses.

It is increasingly clear that the outbreak is having significant consequences for the global economy, including financial services.

Insurers are likely to face progressively difficult conditions in the immediate future, both in terms of navigating challenging market conditions and in maintaining operations, while taking steps to protect employees and customers.

Key messages

Business continuity

1. It is particularly important that insurers are able to maintain the services to their clients. In this sense, insurance companies should be ready to implement the necessary measures to ensure business continuity.

2. In order to offer operational relief in reaction to coronavirus, national competent authorities (NCAs) should be flexible regarding the timing of supervisory reporting and public disclosure regarding end 2019. EIOPA will coordinate the specifics of the approach.

3. Furthermore, in the short term, EIOPA will limit its requests of information and the consultations to the industry to essential elements needed to assess and monitor the impact of the current situation in the market.

4. EIOPA is extending the deadline of the Holistic Impact Assessment for the 2020 Solvency II Review by two months, to 1 June 2020. In the coming days, EIOPA will communicate details on postponing additional reporting and information requirements.

Solvency and capital position

5. Under Solvency II, EU insurance companies are required to hold sufficient eligible own funds on an on-going basis to cover their Solvency Capital Requirement. The risk-based Solvency Capital Requirement enables insurance undertakings to absorb significant losses and give confidence to policyholders and beneficiaries that payments will be made as they fall due.

6. Furthermore, the Solvency II framework includes a ladder of supervisory intervention between the Solvency Capital Requirement and the Minimum Capital Requirement, which is the minimum level of security below which a company's financial resources should not fall. This allows for flexibility in cases of extreme situations, including measures to extend the recovery period of affected insurers, for example, as foreseen by Article 138 of the Solvency II Directive.

7. Moreover, recent stress tests have shown that the sector is well capitalised and able to withhold severe but plausible shocks to the system.

8. The Solvency II framework also includes a number of tools that can be used to mitigate risks and impacts to the sector. EIOPA and the NCAs stand ready to implement these tools, if and when necessary, in a coordinated manner, to ensure that policyholders remain protected and financial stability is safeguarded.

9. Nevertheless, insurance companies should take measures to preserve their capital position in balance with the protection of the insured, following prudent dividend and other distribution policies, including variable remuneration.

10. Notwithstanding existing tools and powers, and together with national authorities and the other ESAs and the ESRB, EIOPA will continue to monitor the situation and will take or propose to EU institutions any measure necessary in order to mitigate the impact of market volatility to the stability of the insurance sector in Europe and safeguard the protection of policyholders.

Source: EIOPA

Reproduction is permitted provided that the source is acknowledged.


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Maintaining and Evolving Complex Platforms Successfully

Oscar Farga, Senior Software Developer and Tech Lead, shares his perspective on what it takes to be successful on long-running digital transformation projects.

Oscar Farga filming

What does a Netcentric AEM Tech Lead do?

An AEM Tech Lead manages the technical implementation of new requirements based on client specifications and a detailed blueprint, ensuring state-of-the-art development processes and quality.

Since every client has different requirements, each solution is bespoke. As a result, our tasks and responsibilities vary widely from project to project. For example, on long-running projects, our day-to-day tasks and activities may change as we work as a team to code, recode, release, repair, adapt, fine-tune and improve. This is actually what makes our job very exciting.

Interview with Oscar Farga

Where on the Digital Transformation path do you come in?

My team of developers and Adobe certified experts work primarily in the Solutions Development phase where we take the specifications defined by our Requirements Engineers and launch the implementation process. However, my job doesn’t start or end there as I’m involved throughout the Experience Development phase to ensure coherency throughout and continuous improvement.

Along the development journey, we deliver thousands of features, repair defects, adapt and improve entire systems. In each of these tasks, we deploy only the highest quality code in accordance with both our clients’ and our own standards.

Tell us about the biggest challenges your team faces on the transformation journey.

Concerns around user behavior and resistance to change

No one likes change, and from a productivity standpoint, it can be overwhelming for users to learn new ways of working and break old habits with legacy systems. For many people, the reaction is to resist change and that can make the implementation process more challenging.

As we develop new systems, we need to take into account the implicit migration in user behavior. Users are not expected to start over or adapt immediately when we migrate to a new tool or environment. When implementing to a new system we try to keep things as simple as possible for users by mimicking the legacy system as much as possible. This way, users are not surprised by the need to immediately re-learn new features or tools.

Our success in developing solutions that minimize disruption stems from actively listening to every relevant stakeholder and involving the key business units throughout the process. Therefore, accountability does not fall solely on the change management or transformation teams, but includes the specifications, development and testing teams as well.

Technical debt

Technical debt in software development is the implied cost of additional rework caused by taking the “easy way” now rather than applying the best long-term solution. This is usually caused by the need to get things working quickly using code that is easy to implement. However, this requires a lot of refactoring down the line as the system grows and becomes more complex.

Like financial debt, technical debt incurs interest stemming from the extra work needed in future development. We can choose to continue paying the interest that accumulates over time, or we can pay down the principal by refactoring the easy solution into a better overall design.

In long-running projects, technical debt can be a major issue and must not be underestimated. In our experience, we have had to conduct maintenance work or refactor parts of a system that are not new, but need to be replaced to keep the whole system operational.

Handling complexity in an ever-evolving digital landscape

Continuous advancement in web technologies and standards push us to constantly evolve our methods to create more powerful websites in terms of responsiveness, accessibility, SEO and progressiveness. This shifting landscape has made us agile and always prepared to adapt to dynamic conditions.

How do you perform changes in an ever-evolving digital landscape?

We have dedicated teams that support our clients as they navigate through a dynamic and fast-paced business landscape. Our four pillars of our success are:

Pillar 1: Specifications Team

The specifications team consists of Requirements Engineers – programmers and developers – who are dedicated to analyzing and documenting applications. These engineers have an extremely high-level understanding of each specific system as they are tasked with making sense of every detail.

This team has to think about backward compatibility, content and the co-existence of colliding functionalities that often complicate the development process. Their key to success is writing clear specifications and producing detailed blueprints in order to formulate the recipe needed.

Pillar 2: Solutions Development and Testing

This team implements the specifications and client requirements as outlined by Requirements Engineers. By following this outline as our single source of truth, we’re able to develop exactly what is needed and this is why we’ve been so successful with implementations.

Development can be complex when you think about backward compatibility, existing content, and co-existence of colliding functionalities. In Adobe Experience Manager (AEM), for example, we have several templates with different structures, look and feel, which are used for different purposes as well as components that deliver concrete functionalities. However, we may want to use the components in the different templates and sometimes want them to behave and look differently. Our Solutions Development and Testing team have the required expertise to seamlessly integrate components or templates to keep a system consistent.

Project Managers orchestrate onsite and offsite development team members to rollout releases and changes according to detailed project timeline, using continuous integration to ensure that we have valid and viable applications and functionalities at all times.

Pillar 3: Infrastructure

Systems engineers develop the infrastructure and transform the project into reality. They set up virtual environments, enable deployment, and improve the caching system and interface with customer IT services.

Pillar 4: Support

In long-running projects, real support services are mandatory. Therefore, the same development team that works on a project also provides continuous support. In addition, Netcentric has a stand-alone support team consisting of technical engineers with knowledge of processes and methodologies who are able to troubleshoot common production problems e.g. editing or publishing a page. Larger problems are escalated to the development team.

What are the secrets to your success?

It’s definitely our ability to work as a cohesive team. It’s critical to foster an environment based on trust within teams, clients and key stakeholders to achieve long-term success.

Our clients count on us day after day to deliver the right solutions and solve their problems. Making ourselves available to our clients everyday ensure that we always understand their core needs and never let them down.

It’s also being agile enough to accommodate continuous change. Changes are supposed to be positive, but with increasing complexity comes unforeseen challenges for clients and developers. When developing for complex and long-running projects, for example, we have to re-engineer systems, refactor and improve the architecture incrementally. To achieve this easily, we develop systems that are built by blocks that are consistent, cohesive, loosely-coupled and that have a logical relationship, so that when one block or module is changed, it doesn’t affect the others.

Finally, we’ve been successful because we take the time to fully understand and make sense of our clients’ needs. We follow the specifications and blueprints of our Requirements Engineers as our single source of truth when developing and deploying new solutions.

What do you love most about your job?

It’s the privilege and opportunity to work with a long-standing client and deliver dozens of releases, thousands of features, repairing defects and improving systems. From my experience working on large-scale and long-running projects, I’ve humbly learned to listen, adapt, fix, recode, add and improve.

This journey may be pitted with challenges, but the experience as a developer has been exceptionally rewarding. It’s wonderful being part of the bigger picture – working as a team to provide continuous support to fine-tune and perfect solutions for global companies.

Oscar Farga

Senior Software Engineer

With a career spanning nearly 20 years, Oscar is a highly experienced and senior Java web developer and team mentor. Developing portals, intranets, e-commerce websites, web applications and advanced digital signatures, over the years he has also built up and led successful teams, delivering complex projects in a wide variety of business verticals. These range from public administration, banking, broadcasting, retail, online gaming, automotive to pharmaceuticals. Oscar loves funk music, travelling and learning languages. He is also committed to the preservation of primates.

More Developer Circle

  • Using Private Dependencies in Cloud Manager Builds

    Georg Henzler

    Principal Solution Architect

    Georg has grown up with the web space from the very beginning and has helped enterprises to design their solution for it from the time when images were first added to their web sites. Today he shapes the way Netcentric delivers IT projects technically by continuously evolving the development process and automating infrastructure to the last slash. Amongst being a committer for Apache Sling (the web framework in AEM) he has contributed to many other open source projects and talks regularly at tech conferences. He loves Netcentric for its culture of "Share, discuss and bring ideas to life"!

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Technically Capable & Responsive Team

As head of Quality for a medical device manufacturer in the RTP area I have utilized Net Friends for IT support for just under 10 years. Without exception they have been great to work with. As anyone who has been down the road knows, IT issues can be 'challenging'. It is reassuring to know that I could turn to a technically capable and responsive team such as Net Friends. Ah! Lest I forget: Net Friends always has a positive attitude and is willing to respond with a priority commensurate with the customer needs. I highly recommend them.

Head of Quality
Medical Device Manufacturer
Knowledgeable, Professional, Courteous

I am very grateful to Wes for helping me get my VPN set up. He is knowledgeable, professional, courteous and patient. He responds promptly to inquiries and resolves problems in a short time. So thankful for his expertise and help! Thank you to Wes!

Duke University
Proved Your Value

You guys proved your value with this project and you'll be our vendor for IT stuff going forward.

Local Software Management Company
Quick and Helpful

Thanks! Great, quick, and helpful response!

Crocodile Creek
Quick Resolution

Thanks for your help and quick resolution to the problem!

NetVisor Customer
"Lifesavers" Countless Times!

I have to say that our staff and I have been so pleased with Net Friends and we have called you guys “life savers” countless times! Net Friends’ responsiveness and follow-up with each and every question, no matter how small, is outstanding. I think it’s safe to say that Provide is going to stick with Net Friends for a long time!

Maggie B.
Provide, Inc.
The Service Is Great

Everyone is always professional and when I call for help, the service is great.

Wendy C.
Google Review
Gets It & Can Deliver

Thank you so much for all of your help with this ERP implementation; there is no way we could have done it without you. It’s great to have someone we can rely on who just "gets it" and can deliver, especially in the 11th hour of a project with 4 separate partners going-live at once.

Crocodile Creek
Best Decision

Really great working with Net Friends — one of the best decisions was putting you and your firm in charge of our IT needs — you and your team are exceptional.

Promethera Biosciences
Supported by Net Friends since 2004 from start-up to acquisition
Well-Oiled Machine

Our IT Security runs like clockwork thanks to Net Friends...which makes the entire LCHC operation run like a well-oiled machine.

Phil Harewood, CEO
Well Done

I think the IT department is doing a fantastic job. Well done.

Janice O.
Beyond All Expectations

In my opinion RHCC would not be operational at the level we currently are without [Net Friends] dedication and efforts that go above and beyond all expectations.

Tim Hall, CEO
Thank You!

I have always been completely happy with the service, the expertise, and the people I have the pleasure of working with at Net Friends. Thank you for taking the fear out of technology for me!

Joyce H.
Extensive Knowledge

Net Friends' expertise and extensive knowledge of the hardware, software, and complex VLAN network architecture required for our project has been impressive.

Net Friends Customer
Apple Consultants Network Review
Impressive Response Time

We have been very impressed by the response time and the anticipation of any problems that may arise.

Robyn M.
Raleigh-Based Law Firm
Delivers Consistently

As a small but extremely busy non-profit, quick and reliable service is our top priority. Net Friends delivers this consistently.

American Dance Festival
Couldn't Be Happier

Every time I call everyone is always helpful. They answer all my questions and take the time to explain the answers.

Jessica C.
Excellent IT Service

We've used Net Friends at our Emerge Pediatric Therapy office for IT needs that extend[ed] outside of our office's understanding, from networking issues to resolving issues with failed hard drives and such. They've been truly valuable in keeping us up and running when there's issues that we can't figure out on our own.

Dan H.
Fabulous Response Time!

If an IT expert comes out to our site that person is so courteous and explains in layman's terms what needs to be done to fix an issue and then takes care of the problem for us. We have been approached by other IT service providers, but we are so happy with Net Friends that we would not even consider changing.

Jane O.
Good Service, High Standards

I have watched this company grow from the beginning for all the right reasons: good ethics, good service, high standards that all benefit the customer.

Pat S.

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Cost Per Engagement, a.k.a. engagement mapping

An online advertising payment model which attempts to measure the value of a user's engagement with a company's brand. Similar to CPM, where a publisher is paid for a certain number of page impressions, CPE is a brand awareness advertising model that was developed in response to video and mobile advertising. The theory is that users are spending time looking at your video or mobile ad for a longer amount of time than if it were just impression based, and that there is a value to that, even though they may not make a purchase or take an action.

Engagement mapping specifically refers to a method of tracking online advertising initiatives for all user actions before making online purchases.

See also : CPA  CPL  CPT
NetLingo Classification: Online Marketing


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21st Century Skills That Students Will Need

By in expert-voice, Our Expert Talks

While we are only two decades into our new century, the combination of historic, exponential development and introduction of social media–which has also imparted exponential changes to all our lives–means that educators are feverishly trying to construct/reevaluate the skills that students will need to succeed in school and thrive in a workforce that is evolving everyday with the parameters mentioned above.

The key word “educators”, the adults, are writing these bold initiatives and mission statements for kids…

Full stop. That is how things have always been done–adults evaluating the needs of kids without, you know, really consulting kids. If you want to build a new ship, you shouldn’t start with the same materials/ideas that might not construct the ship that is needed.

Or, wanted.

George Couros, who is the author of The Innovator’s Mindset, and has a quarter-of-a-million Followers on Twitter, is heavily invested in the idea of redesigning the culture and practice of education now and for the future. George often thinks not just through the minds and imagination of teachers, but that of students as well.

There is no doubting that students will need a list of skills to be successful as contributing and thriving citizens in world that will never change as slowly as it is right now. However, it would be a fatal error if we only harvested those skills from educators–especially educators who are architects in designing a school system that needs a drastic overhaul.

The number one skill, although it is more of an attribute, that students will need is to be curious.

Every critical skill that students will develop over the course of their lifetime will flow in and out of being more curious about their world. Curiosity is a self-sustaining and self-directed engine that never runs out of fuel. But, if we can’t install it during school, then we drastically reduce the chances that it will be adopted later in life.

And, as intimated by the questions on the first image, we need to know what students are curious about. We need to build learning around their emerging curiosities–students need to be partners in designing curriculum and space for curriculum that is wired into their sensibilities and learning modalities.

Generally speaking, we have analog teachers teaching digital teens. This isn’t a criticism. This is just a fact. And, if we don’t acknowledge this divide, then we will most likely teach kids in a way that is not aligned to their most authentic selves. It will be challenging then to believe that students will leave school more curious than when they started.

There is another skill that is entwined with being curious. That would be being fearless. The world of tomorrow is going to bring unprecedented challenges and problems for students to tackle and work through. With successes will come failure, maybe even more failure than expected. Fear of failure will not only hobble their journeys in life, but it will skew their beliefs having negative ideas about failure–when nothing could be further from the truth.

There is a couple of blind spots anytime we try to build a list of skills/attributes that students will need to be successful. These blind spots are created by the word “successful” itself. As we can see by the Winston Churchill quote, society’s typical definition of success does not involve the reality of failure. And, to share this myth with our students is almost immoral. Not only do we distort the idea of what success could mean, we limit its parameters to achievement. But, what happens when students fall short, as they will–as they should–of achieving goals, aspirations, and dreams? What next? Did we impart the skill of resilience? Did we impart maintaining enthusiasm to go onto the next…failure? No. The proof would be the amount of anxiety and stress that students have today compared to when I was a kid in the 70’s. That is because we played. We played a lot. We played a lot without adult supervision.

There is a very powerful TED Talk on this by Dr. Peter Gray called The Decline of Play and The Rise of Mental Illness. In this talk and in his books, Gray has dove deeply into the psychology of play. At the heart of the power of play is this:

Through play the child learns to take charge of the

World and not simply respond passively to it.

Play becomes the most important thing for kids to do–which they were born naturally to do. It becomes a survival skill. When children don’t play, and continue to get coddled and smothered by adults, they become weaker, more fragile, and less curious.

21st century skills must be defined through and supported by curiosities of students that enable fearlessness and nurture the power of play. Without this, students will be limited in their potential. With this, they will be boundless. As educators, we have a moral imperative to ensure that the potential for all students is towards infinite possibilities…


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An Update to Our Healthcare Partners

June 17, 2020

Dear Valued Healthcare Partners,

For many of you, COVID-19 has been one of the most trying times of your career, if not your personal lives as well. And now, the reminders of persistent racism in our nation and the resulting violence in our communities have resulted in a new wave of anxiety and uncertainty for all of us. We hope you, your families and your practices are doing well throughout these events.

Please know that Nevro stands firmly against unfair discrimination on any basis, including race. We are committed to a diverse workforce and to equal treatment and respect for all our team members. In turn, our team is committed to you and your patients. We know that is why we’re here, and that is our mission.

Despite the turmoil around us, that commitment has not wavered. In this letter I have further updates on some new patient insights and new product approvals.

Insights into Pain Patient Needs

In an effort to better understand how chronic pain patients are feeling about exploring treatment options during COVID-19, we fielded a survey in mid-May to 175 prospective patients who previously completed the SCS questionnaire on our patient site
The survey provides unique insights for you, so we packaged the results in a seven page report that summarizes the findings. This report is available online here and below are a few highlights.

  • The patients surveyed were well qualified for SCS
    • 93% of respondents have experienced chronic pain for over twelve months and 68% indicated a pain score of 7 or higher.
  • Most patients felt comfortable about seeking near-term care:
    • 73% of participants saying they are likely or extremely likely to see a pain specialist over the next three months.
  • Some patients cited a few specific concerns about next steps in their care:
    • 26% of participants cited that their primary reason for postponing treatment is due to their fears of contracting COVID-19 in a healthcare setting
    • An additional 22% cited concerns with high out-of-pocket costs.

The report further outlines steps providers can take to alleviate patient safety concerns and also reviews patient thoughts on telemedicine. We hope this information is useful to you.

Global Patient Support

Our dedication to patient support and long-term outcomes is fundamental to our company and is something we continue to invest in and report back to you. I’m pleased to provide some updates on our further progress made just since the start of the pandemic:

  • Globally, our organization has now conducted approximately 100,000 phone calls with patients
  • During these calls, over 11,000 implanted patients have had their therapy optimized.
  • 43% of these patients have seen an improvement in their pain relief.

These results are thanks to our unique ability to provide ongoing patient support through our patient care infrastructure of phone-based therapy support specialists, field-based teams, and the NevroCloud patient management platform.

Product Approvals Continue

Our commitment to Clinical Research, R&D, and new product development has remained steady throughout the pandemic. In my last communication I shared the Omnia system had been CE marked and was on the verge of launching in Europe. Cases with Omnia have now been performed in countries across Europe and our physician customers are expressing excitement about gaining access to the versatility of the platform.

Additionally, I am pleased to share that we have received TGA approval for Australia and have just learned that Omnia will be added to the Prostheses List on July 1st. Our local team is fully trained and ready to launch Omnia on this date. With this latest milestone Omnia has now been approved and will soon be available in all our major markets globally.

Loss of a Legend

Our community was recently met by a great loss as we learned of the passing of Lisa Stearns, MD, a legend in the Pain community who served as a role model to countless physicians around the globe. She was a caring and compassionate provider for those in pain and was a pioneer for helping patients suffering from pain associated with cancer. She will be remembered not just for her significant professional accomplishments, but also because she embodied the best of humanity.

Thank you for your continued partnership and we wish you and your loved ones good health.

D. Keith Grossman

Chairman, CEO and President, Nevro Corporation


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New Age Islam
Fri Aug 07 2020, 05:30 PM

Islam, Women and Feminism ( 21 Jun 2016, NewAgeIslam.Com)

Comment | Comment

This Woman Discarded Her Traditional Clothes in Protest at ISIS Former Islamic State Sex Slave Tells Congress the Terror Group Must Be ‘Terminated’

Photo: “This outfit is a fraud - it is a deception, when we used to wear it with our free will, it was beautiful. When it became obligatory and enforced it became despised. I don’t want it anymore,” -Radi Suleiman says.

Twitter Trolls Are Reporting Middle Eastern Women Who Support LGBTQ Causes, Punishment Could Be Death

In Canada, Muslim Woman Attacked In Supermarket, Pig’s Head Left at Mosque

Thousands Shared This 'Perfect' Story about A Man Confronting A Muslim Woman on A Bus – But Is It True?

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

This Woman Discarded Her Traditional Clothes in Protest at ISIS

June 22, 2016

Radi Suleiman first takes of the veil that covers her face and then the scarf that covers her head and throws both away from her. “When we used to wear it with our free will, it was beautiful. When it became obligatory and enforced it became despised. I don’t want it anymore,” she says.

Suleiman, 39, lived in ISIS-controlled Raqqa in northern Syria but has since escaped to Lebanon with nine of her 11 children.

Sitting in an well-kept refugee tent in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley, she hates ISIS. At first she thought their presence would be relatively benign, until it started imposing rules on women about their dress – demanding they cover their heads and faces in public, and then forcing women to marry foreign fighters. “This outfit is a fraud – it is a deception,” she says.

As a Muslim women she says wearing the hijab is an important part of her culture, however, when a dress code is enforced – particularly in such an oppressive way—it becomes something to “despise.”

All of the armies kill and slaughter – the Kurds, the Iraqi army, the Free Syrian Army, Assad’s Army, but ISIS is “the most evil and criminal organisation,” she says.

They put the slaughtered bodies on the bridges to display them and “bring children and make them look at them”, she recalls. These children have “evil in their hearts” because of what they’ve seen – “you can’t even trust kids anymore” – you never know who they are with and who is training them, she says.

“I have seen things you can’t imagine,” says Suleiman. “I saw how they cut the hands and legs of men before they slaughter them,” she recalls.

Now, she pays $100 a month rent for the refugee tent near Zahle. Her tidy kitchen and neat bedrooms are testament to her defiance against the fate that has befallen her and millions of other Syrians in recent years.

Twitter Trolls Are Reporting Middle Eastern Women Who Support LGBTQ Causes, Punishment Could Be Death

June 22, 2016

A group of Twitter trolls are going after Muslim women and girls, and could potentially cost these women their lives. According to The Daily Beast, the trolls claim to be from the Middle East and are reporting Muslim women and girls who have expressed support for LGBTQ people to local authorities, who could potentially punish their pro-LGBTQ views with death.

The Daily Beast reported that a Twitter account called @old_gaes, whose account was created this month is now empty of any tweets, sent out a screencap of a tweet sent by a young Muslim girl, @Pharaohoe, who reportedly lives in Kuwait. The tweet composed by @Pharaohoe, an account that no longer exists, contained a passage from the Koran where the word "domain" had been replaced with a slang term for the word "vagina."

@old_gaes tweeted the screencap with a message in Arabic, saying, "This is the end of another atheist and we should continue exposing every Arab atheist child to their parents who do not know of their atheism," according to The Daily Beast. The Daily Beast further reported that the official Twitter account of the Dubai police department responded to one of @old_gaes' posts where the user called out a pro-LGBTQ woman and asked for details to be sent over email.

On Monday, The Daily Beast reported that @Pharahoe tweeted "they fucking found me," "im gonna puke," and "i'm deactivating guys." She deleted her Twitter account shortly after. Before @old_gaes cleared their Twitter account, The Daily Beast writes that they and supporters on Twitter were celebratory about @Pharahoe's account going dark.

A woman who only identified herself as Afra spoke to The Daily Beast, saying that she and others have repeatedly reported @old_gaes and similar accounts who repeatedly threaten the safety of LGBTQ and ex-Muslim women living in the Middle East. Additionally, she imparted how dangerous their tweets are.

A woman who spoke to The Daily Beast anonymously said, "Twitter is absolutely useless. They don’t take this sort of thing seriously. I don’t know what the solution is." Afra said that "He’s [@old_gaes] so dangerous. I don’t know how his account is still up."

Twitter did not immediately reply to Complex's request for comment.

In Canada, Muslim woman attacked in supermarket. Pig’s head left at mosque.

June 22, 2016

A Muslim woman and her infant child weren’t even safe in the supermarket.

On Monday, a woman and her four-month-old son were enjoying some late afternoon shopping at the Superking Supermarket in London, Ontario. According to a statement by London Police, at approximately 5 p.m., a woman wearing a shirt exclaiming “CANADA,” neon pink slip-on shoes and wide-legged black pants approached the unnamed victim and her baby and allegedly began screaming at them.

The suspect then reportedly attempted to rip off the victim’s hijab and, once it was askew, began tearing at her hair. Finally, she left the area but not before the victim snapped a few pictures of her.

In the photos, the woman stands with her face contorted with anger. She’s pointing an accusing finger at the camera. In one, her mouth is gaping, her eyes are narrowed and one hand is balled into a fist — the picture of hatred.

“We would like to find out ourselves what … the motive was,” London Police spokesperson Sandasha Bough told CBC. “After that, then we will continue with the investigation. It’s definitely very concerning for anyone to be assaulted for no apparent reason.”

The victim sustained minor injuries.

It’s the second aggression against Muslims in Canada since the beginning of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting observed by Muslims around the world.

The other occurred around 2:30 a.m. Sunday

A man had finished praying at the Quebec City mosque. As he opened the door to leave, he noticed a package on the doorstep.

It must have looked like a nice present at first glance, with bushy ribbons decorating the top, accompanied a note with the words “Bonne appétit” written in thick, black capital letters.

A closer look would reveal an odd detail: The picture of a pig, exposing its underbelly in a seductive sprawl, the kind bikini models long ago made famous.

An even closer look would reveal it to be a grotesque package.

Wrapped in the crinkly cellophane, under bright bows, was a bloody, fleshy mass: A severed pig’s head, still dripping fluids. Observant Muslims do not consume pork and leaving a pig’s head at a mosque has become an all-too frequent gesture of hate among anti-Muslim bigots across the globe. A similar incident occurred in Philadelphia last year.

The president of the mosque did not appear worried about catching the perpetrator.

“It is a waste of time, money and energy. We have high-definition cameras,” Mohamed Yangui told CBC. “We will certainly find the person who did this.”

Yangui thinks it’s an isolated incident — he said this happens about once a year — and he thinks the mosque has a good standing in the community.

“We love everyone,” Yangui said. “We have no problem with anyone and we respect people. We hope it’s mutual. And we are always here to give the image of the good Muslim to all Quebecers.”

Others, though, feel differently.

“I’m tired, I’m exhausted. I am hurt and I’m disappointed,” Saleha Khan of the National Council of Canadian Muslims told CBC. “Part of me doesn’t want to give up hope, because if I give up hope, I’ll probably curl up and never want to come out in public. You just sort of buckle down and say, OK, I’ve got more work to do now.”

At an open house held Sunday in Quebec City to discuss relations between Muslims and the community, Jean-Yves Duclos, the federal minister responsible for the Quebec City region, condemned the act.

“Any form of intolerance, hatred and unjustified incomprehension has to be condemned,” he said. “We must continue to promote inclusion and integration.”

Both investigations remain open.

Thousands Shared This 'Perfect' Story About A Man Confronting A Muslim Woman On A Bus – But Is It True?

June 22, 2016

A Facebook post about an encounter on a bus in Wales has gone viral this week, being shared more than 21,000 times in a little over 24 hours.

It was posted by music promoter Tom Bradbury, who wrote: “The most perfect thing I have ever seen just happened on the replacement train bus service between Newport and Cwmbran: White man sat in front of a mother and her son. Mother was wearing a niqab.

"After about five minutes of the mother talking to her son in another language the man, for whatever reason, feels the need to tell the woman 'When you're in the UK you should really be speaking English'.

"At which point, an old woman in front of him turns around and says, 'She's in Wales. And she's speaking Welsh'.

His story proved immensely popular, and has been reported on by the Times, the BBC and the Huffington Post among others.

However, many observers are now questioning whether the story is too good to be true.

Several people have pointed out that the story bears a remarkable similarity to another story that has apparently been doing the rounds for years. Here's one version of it:

He also told the South Wales Argus: "The woman's response was … just so perfect.

"It made the few of us in the surrounding seats laugh and the guy seemed to shrivel up a little bit and mumble something to himself, but stayed quiet afterwards."

New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Womens in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Womens In Arab, Islamphobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism


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Cambridge claims ‘greenest’ supercomputer, honours pioneer

A supercomputer developed by the University of Cambridge's High Performance Computing Service (HPCS) is being named Wilkes, honouring Cambridge computing pioneer Maurice Wilkes. He was the man behind EDSAC, the first programmable computer to come into general use.

Designed and built by HPCS, Wilkes boasts an energy efficiency of 3361MFLOPS/W, making it one of the 'greenest' of its kind. Dr Paul Calleja, director of the HPCS, said: "Energy efficiency is the biggest single challenge in supercomputing today and our new system makes an important step forward in this regard."

The Dell based system uses NVIDIA gpus and, as such, is also the UK's fastest gpu supercomputer, with a sustained performance of 250TFLOPS; equivalent to 4000 desktop machines running as a single system.

The gpu system, which has been designed to be as scalable as possible, uses an Infiniband network from Mellanox which provides a system bandwidth of 100Gbyte/s and the ability to pass more than 137million messages per second.

One of the primary uses of Wilkes is as a test bed for the development of a computing platform for the Square Kilometre Array. This element of the project is being led by Cambridge and Wilkes is set to play an integral role in this process.

Graham Pitcher

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