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India witnesses 40% increase in peak Internet traffic: Report

There was significant spike in downloads and uploads per user, owing to the high volume of work and streaming content across India.




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Kennel Technicians

Would you like to work in a rewarding position caring for animals? Are you a compassionate individual with a good understanding of animal behavior?  Do you have strong self-motivation, communication, and multi-tasking skills?   Catawba County Emergency Services is recruiting for multiple full-time Kennel Technicians to join our Animal Services team.
 
As a Kennel Technician, you will ensure all animals within the Animal Shelter receive proper care, cleaning, medical attention, and are inventoried appropriately.  Kennel Technicians work a 40-hour week, rotational schedule.  Some weekend work is required. 




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Co-Generation Plant Technician

Are you experienced in mechanical/electrical engine repair?  Would you like to work in a progressive environment?  Catawba County Utilities and Engineering Department is recruiting for a Co-Generation Plant Technician at the Blackburn Landfill. In this position, you will assist with proper maintenance and operation of the co-generation equipment and engines.  The work schedule includes a Monday – Friday day shift schedule with a rotating On-Call schedule for weekends and holidays. 




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Animal Services Manager

 Catawba County Animal Services is recruiting an Animal Services Manager who possesses high integrity, ample experience with and knowledge of animals, outstanding customer service skills, and dynamic leadership ability.  In this position, you will manage the overall operation of the shelter (intake, fosters, and adoptions) and animal control services within the county.  You are responsible for the health of animals within the shelter while ensuring all state and federal animal welfare laws are met as well as maintaining current state controlled drug licenses and federal drug enforcement guidelines and certifications. 




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Detention Officer

The Catawba County Sheriff's Office is currently recruiting for highly motivated individuals with excellent communication, interpersonal and problem solving ability to fill full-time Detention Officer roles.  In these positions, you will provide safety and security of inmates confined in the Catawba County Detention Facility as well as process inmates in and out of the Detention facility. 
 
The Catawba County Sheriff's Office responds to approximately 115,000 calls for service each year and is comprised of 245 Deputies, Detention Officers and Employees. The Sheriff's Office is responsible for responding to calls for service, court security, crime prevention, serving civil process and criminal
papers, sex offender registrations, investigating crime, providing School Resource Officers at County High and Middle Schools and CVCC, Narcotics, and the Detention Center that currently houses 260 inmates (close to 600 after expansion in 2020).
 
*ADDITIONAL SALARY INFORMATION:
  • A 2.5% salary increase is given upon successful completion of jail school.
  • Detention Officers with advanced degrees will receive extra pay based on highest degree obtained:  Associates ($.25 per hour), Bachelors ($.50 per hour), Masters ($.75 per hour). 
  • Detention Officers who possess a Law Enforcement Intermediate Certificate will receive an additional $.25 per hour.
  • Detention Officers who possess a Law Enforcement Advanced Certificate will receive an additional $.50 per hour. 
  • A salary increase is given annually upon a successful performance review (dependent upon budget availability).
  • Bilingual extra duty pay is provided upon successful completion of testing (dependent upon budget availability).
 
OTHER INFORMATION:
  • Detention Officers work 12.25 hour shifts, and get a three-day weekend off every other weekend (Fri-Sun), working 14 days out of a 28 day pay period.   
  • Applicants must be available to work day and night shifts. 
  • Pay is bi-monthly (every 14 days).
  • Excellent benefits are offered, including competitive pay, health insurance, dental insurance, and up to a 2% 401K match. 
  • Interview dates:  June 3 and 4, 2020 (Save these dates. Applicants chosen to interview will be contacted approximately one week before interview date to schedule interview.) 
  • To be considered complete the on line Catawba County application in entirety.




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WIC Director (Program Manager I)

Catawba County Public Health is recruiting for an outstanding, motivated leader with high level communication and collaboration skills to fill the role of the WIC Director.   In this position, you will provide programmatic leadership and management for the Women, Infants, and Children's (WIC) Program, which is a large supplemental food program.  This includes supervision of WIC staff, connecting WIC program to all public health and community programs, managing state and internal audit, budgeting, maintenance of caseload, program and project management, and extensive community outreach. 




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Amazon Web Services launches 3rd availability zone in Mumbai

Amazon Web Services (AWS), the Cloud arm of retail giant Amazon has announced the third availability zone in its Mumbai Cloud Region.




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National centre being planned to hold and manage all public data

These proposed regulations overlap and in some cases even contradict, and these issues have been flagged by global companies such as Google and IBM.




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Edge datacenters the next big thing in India: CTO and MD, NAM, Datacenter Dynamics

While Edge data centers will be providing an array of services independently, a more centralized data center can be backing them up with cloud services and analytics.




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India's data centre plan in anticipation of tsunami of data in country

With close to 450 million Internet users, India is already the largest market for companies like Facebook in terms of users.




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Tech trends which are transforming the fashion retail sector

India has tried its hands out in 4.0 technologies to pace up with the rapidly changing retail landscape. The use of AI, ML and data analytics has increased which are being used in functions like BOPIS, Click & Collect and Self-Kiosk.




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How data analytics helps brand leverage and receive a good ROI

Analytics allows firms to see the full picture that’s painted when all the data sources come together.




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How JK Tyre is taking the IT route for enhancing productivity, efficiency

Sharad Agarwal, Head-IT at JK Tyre looks at technology as an enabler which will drive productivity and efficiency within the firm.




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Here's how Magicbricks achieved 60% higher accuracy in lead generation

In conversation with ETCIO, Subodh Kumar, CTO, Magicbricks, shares how data comprising 75 attributes has helped the company generate 60% more quality leads




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Shriram General Insurance’s journey from analysis to analytics

The insurance firm is looking at ways to expand the business, improve claim processing by going deeper into machine learning and neural networks.




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Banking analytics trends to look in 2020

The future challenge is to develop analytic strengths that span the organisation and not just areas of expertise.




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Tata AIA Life makes 80% transactions self-serviced

Yusuf Pachmariwala, EVP & Head Operations, Tata AIA LI talks about the use of AI and ML at the Insurer to automate tasks and reduce fraud.




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Promoting biodiversity through agricultural field boundaries

New research in Estonia indicates that plant biodiversity in field boundaries varies with features, such as ditches, trees and nearby roads. It suggests that, in addition to common non-weedy plants, more consideration should be given to rare weeds by broadening of field boundaries and reducing the use of agrochemicals and fertilisers near these boundaries.




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Coordinating cross-border ecological networks

Establishing ecological networks across national boundaries is recognised as essential to supporting biodiversity. New research in Germany has indicated that these networks could be improved through greater exchange of knowledge and better links with land planning.




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Evaluating biodiversity and ecosystem services in France

A report commissioned by the French Government has calculated reference values for French ecosystems. These range from ???600 per hectare/per year for pastureland to ???2000 per hectare/per year for some types of forest. The methods used to calculate these values were carefully analysed.




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The importance of social and political context for classifying ecosystem services

It is important to have a single definition of 'ecosystem services', but a single classification scheme for services is not appropriate, according to researchers. There are many contexts in which ecosystem services can be used and the context should help to determine which classification scheme is the most appropriate for decision making.




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Dispelling myths around ecosystem service projects

A new study has compared conservation projects that focus on promoting only biodiversity with projects that focus on promoting both biodiversity and ecosystem services. The results dispel several myths surrounding ecosystem service projects and indicate they are as effective at addressing threats to biodiversity as their biodiversity counterparts.




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Improved biodiversity and ecosystem services go hand-in-hand

A new study has reinforced the view that biodiversity improvements and greater provision of ecosystem services are complementary. An analysis of projects that restored ecosystems indicated that restoration produced a 44 per cent increase in biodiversity and a 25 per cent increase in the provision of ecosystem services.




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REDD improves forest provision of ecosystem services

Actions to reduce emissions caused by deforestation and degradation (REDD) also enhance ecosystem services, according to a new report. Using a case study from the Amazon it indicated that REDD support schemes can also help maintain water levels and quality and protect soil from erosion.




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Mapping Europe's potential to provide ecosystem goods and services

New Europe-wide maps show the potential of landscapes to provide ecosystem goods and services over the next 20-30 years.




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Using 'best professional judgement' to rate the benthic zone

Assessing the environmental condition of sediments and bottom waters of coastal and marine ecosystems over wide geographic areas can be a problem when indicators used to evaluate specific ecological conditions cannot be easily compared. A recent study suggests that a common scale of assessment can be established by experts from different regions using "best professional judgement".




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Payment for environmental services needs government engagement

In theory, payment for environmental services (PES) is a market mechanism but, in practice, it depends on intervention from the state or community. This is the conclusion of a new review of case studies that indicates that PES relies on public bodies and communities to act as intermediaries in the trading of services.




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Urgent policy action needed to curb biodiversity loss

We are still losing biodiversity at an unprecedented rate, according to a new report prepared by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The report confirms that the world failed to meet the 2010 target to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss and calls for policy makers to take urgent, coordinated action to address the challenge of combating biodiversity loss and in so doing, address the linked challenges posed by climate change.




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Keeping historical records of protected areas

A new internet-based tool for tracking the changing boundaries of nature protected areas has been developed for Catalonia, which the researchers say could be used to help evaluate conservation in the Natura 2000 network.




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Tailor agricultural policies to meet local conservation concerns

Grassland bird species of European conservation concern are potentially threatened by changes in land use in the Iberian cereal-steppes. However, a recent study suggests not all bird species respond in the same way to similar management guidelines and agri-environmental schemes need to be adjusted to local conditions.




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Green space management benefits from public participation

The success of policy to maintain urban green areas depends on an adequate level of public participation, according to new research. The study compared two twinned European cities with different styles of green space management and found that public involvement may help maintain urban biodiversity.




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Scaling up ecosystem valuations for high level policymaking

A new European Environment Agency (EEA) report analyses approaches to estimating the value of ecosystem services on a large scale. The report provides suggestions for combining and scaling up data from individual, local studies to generate European or global valuations of ecosystems.




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Using game theory to predict conservation conflicts

'Game theory' is a mathematical framework that aims to predict the performance of individuals or groups by considering the interaction between them. New research has applied game theory to three different cases of biodiversity conservation to predict conflict and offer broad suggestions for overcoming disagreements.




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Mapping the ecological impact of dams near Natura 2000 sites

A recent study has developed a mapping system to show the impact on habitats and species caused by construction projects, such as dams, near Natura 2000 conservation areas. Using a Greek case study, the system was able to identify risks from a dam construction project to species including otters, toads and tortoises.




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Bringing the ecosystem services concept into forestry

Practical barriers may be hampering the application of an ecosystem services approach to forests. A new analysis has outlined three strategies to overcome these barriers: fostering private markets, managing public land and raising awareness of ecosystem services.




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Biodiversity benefits of organic farming could depend on context

Organic farming has often been found to have benefits for biodiversity, but the benefits can depend on the individual species and landscape in question. Research on vine farming in Italy suggests that the impact of organic methods on the number or diversity of pollinating insects may depend on local context. For example, the lack of connectivity between organic vine farms may limit benefits in some circumstances.




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Mosquito pesticide causes knock on problems for birds

Pesticides that kill mosquitoes could have indirect effects on other species, according to researchers. The study indicated that a well-known mosquito insecticide led to reduced numbers of eggs and chick survival for house martin birds.




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Conservation Systems improve resilience of biodiversity policy

Activists and policy makers are often considered to be separate influences on environmental issues. A new review suggests that the key to long-term conservation policy could lie in the creation of 'Conservation Systems'. These are a collective of activists, organisations and policy makers which could make biodiversity conservation efforts more resilient to major external changes, such as economic crises, change in government or conflict.




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Reducing the potential 'ecological trap' of solar panels

Solar panels are attractive to aquatic insects because they reflect light in a similar way to water, indicates recent research. This has ecological implications, especially if insects lay eggs on the panels. However, if panels are surrounded by white borders and divided by white grids, they are considerably less attractive to the insects.




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Current economic activity leaves an alien species 'invasion debt'

Past economic activity is more likely to explain the current pattern of biological invasions across Europe than recent human activities, according to a new study. It can take several decades before a newly introduced species becomes established and spreads, which may mean that recent invasions caused by current economic activities could create an 'invasion debt' for future generations.




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Organic farming can benefit birds in agricultural landscapes

A recent study has examined the effects of different farming practices on bird numbers and species found on farmland during the winter in six European countries. Overall, the greatest number of birds and species were on organic farms, especially when the farms were in landscapes where 80-99 per cent of the land was used for agriculture.




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Ecosystem Service valuation must use stakeholder knowledge

A recent analysis highlights the difference between the academic concept and the practical concept of ecosystem services. It suggests that academic science aims to discover and apply general and timeless concepts to measure ecosystem services, whereas in practice, stakeholders' valuations of ecosystem services vary with place and time.




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Protecting wildlife from radioactivity - ERICA in a real-world situation

Researchers have demonstrated how the ERICA Integrated Approach can be used to assess the effect of releasing radiation into the environment on local wildlife in a real-world situation. The study applied ERICA to a river in Norway and found that local wildlife was only exposed to low levels of radioactivity from the routine aquatic discharges of a nearby research reactor, although historical exposure was higher.




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Public priorities for conservation revealed in European survey

Conservation efforts should focus on species that have recently declined in number, are harmless or are perceived as high value, according to a European public survey. Participants also felt that disappearing habitats should be targeted for protection. The results suggest that, by choosing different criteria that more closely match the public's values and criteria, conservationists could improve public support for their work.




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Possible impact of climate change and fish farming on Atlantic salmon

Urban planning policy has had a powerful influence on the amount of green space in cities, according to a recent UK study. It found that a change in planning policy in 2000 led to a decline in urban green space in nine cities between 2001 and 2006, although the amount of green space in all but one of the cities studied has increased overall since 1991.




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Predicting the spread of the tiger mosquito in Europe

Researchers have identified areas of Italy that have a climate capable of sustaining a population of tiger mosquitoes, an invasive mosquito species that can carry several human diseases. The findings also indicate how these areas will expand as the climate changes in future.




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New holistic method for assessing Natura 2000 landscapes

High quality landscape assessments of areas protected under the Natura 2000 network are critical for effective long-term management plans. In a recent study, scientists have presented a integrated assessment of a Natura 2000 site in Sicily, Italy, which not only considers preservation of environmental features, as required by Natura 2000, but also human features, such as places of historical interest or industrial activity.




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Increasing green infrastructure ecosystem services in urban areas

A new model has been developed that could help metropolitan areas adapt to climate change by increasing ecosystem services provided by green spaces and farmland through calculating the percentage of evapotranspiring surface for different types of land use and the degree of fragmentation between ecosystems. To demonstrate how it works, researchers have applied this 'land use suitability strategy' model to an Italian municipality.




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Greater recognition of ecosystem services needed for food security

Global food security under a changing climate is possible if the vital role of healthy ecosystems is recognised, according to a recent study. The researchers suggest that an ecosystem-based approach must be integrated with other measures to tackle food security under climate change, to protect ecosystems and supply the essential services on which humanity depends.




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Successful conservation policy needs monitoring and knowledge

New research has explored how well different governance systems can achieve desirable conservation outcomes. Results confirmed the importance of adaptive management, which relies on regular monitoring to enable 'learning through doing' to refine actions, and suggested that leadership using expert knowledge was also significant in successful governance.