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Find Jurijs:
My educational background:
Master degree in Computer Science (M.Sc.) from Transport and Telecommunication Institute (Riga, Latvia), graduated at 2010. I passionate about Data Science, so I've finished Data Science specialization at Coursera.org (John Hopkins University), Big Data XSeries at edX.org (BerkeleyX), series of short courses from other sources like BigDataUniversity.com and PluralSight.com and others. So I constantly do self-education online. I enjoy it.
Some of my greatest achievements to date:
From last year, I would highlight the speaking about Data Science Specialization (Coursera), and participation at the Oracle Innovation Days in Riga, Latvia where I spoke on 'Oracle Advanced Analytics: insurance claim fraud detection'.
A cool approach to big data I've come across:
Blue chip companies like Google are constantly demonstrating cool Big Data applications. Just to name one here, I like Google Self-Driving Car Project. Just image how far they can go in personalizing your trip whether you go shopping or taking a road trip.
Where my passion for big data comes from:
Big Data has lots of applications; one of them – analytics, so, I'd refer this question to my passion for Statistics which came to me when I was studied this discipline at TTI.
A piece of advice I live by:
In order to keep your client happy about what you do, you have to deliver more than he expected from you. In other words, "give more than you take" works everywhere.


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A regular Commissioner Meeting will be held at the Foster County Courthouse at 3:30 PM on the first and third Tuesday of each month. For questions or information about the agenda, please contact the Auditor's Office at (701) 652-2441.
For the latest agenda, please click HERE.
Vanguard Appraisal
05-31-2019 to 12-31-2019
2019 Foster County Commissioner Meeting

subset: commoncrawl


text: Tweet the truck using hashtag #TexasChurned to sample the dueling flavors. Texas Churned: Ben & Jerry's Tour the Lone Star State Ben & Jerry's is launching an official "Texas" flavor and resident Texans are invited to vote for one of two contending flavors: Bar-B-Que Peach or Bourbon Pecan Pie.The tour van is making its way through the state's major metropolises and will be in Houston until July 4th. I know it's late notice, but there's still time to contact Ben & Jerry's via twitter to find out how you can catch up with the #TexasChurned team, sample both flavors FOR FREE, and then vote for your favorite online.Or, you can road trip to Austin, the next stop.I would really like to think that with regards to ice cream, as Houston goes, so goes the Lone Star State.UPDATE: Breaking news, readers. I have secured a visit from the van on Friday morning. Will report back on the flavors! Newer:Taste-Testing Ben & Jerry's Texas Flavor CandidatesOlder:Sundae, Argentine-Style PostedJuly 1, 2015 AuthorJoanna O'Leary Tagsice cream, Texas, democracy, Ben & Jerry's


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How to Order School Uniform:
We have a uniform which consists of sky blue or maroon polo shirt, with a maroon sweatshirt or cardigan, grey trousers or skirt. Parents are requested to send their children in clearly named uniform. Our uniform supplier is Elizabeth's Embroidery. Uniform can be ordered online at www.elizabethsembroidery.com using the password 'cps'.
School shoes should be completely black and without a heel. Children are encouraged to come to school in wellies or other footwear when the weather is bad and change into their school shoes.
School PE kit is a maroon t-shirt with black shorts. Pupils must bring a change of sensible footwear for PE, i.e. well-fitting plimsolls for indoor use and trainers for outdoor lessons. For safety reasons, jewellery is discouraged and children will be asked to remove it for PE lessons and swimming.
A PDF order form can be downloaded by clicking here.


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Abdominoplasty or "Tummy Tuck" is a good operation for a woman who wishes to correct the changes of the abdomen after pregnancy. It is also appropriate for a man or woman who have lost weight and wish to shape the abdominal area further. Abdominoplasty can treat several areas of the abdomen. Extra skin and stretchmarks are removed, the underlying stomach muscles tightened and the waist shaped.
There are several variations of an abdominoplasty and they range from a mini-abdominoplasty to a full body lift.
In a mini-abdominoplasty, the length of the incision is kept as short as possible. It is an appropriate operation for a person whose skin looseness and stretchmarks are mostly in the lower abdomen.
A full abdominoplasty also treats the upper abdomen. The separation of the stomach muscles which occurs after pregnancy can be repaired. Liposuction is often used to treat the sides of the stomach.
A circumferential trunk lift is appropriate for a person who has lost a significant amount of weight and is left with loose skin of the front and back. Dr. Samimi will discuss these different options with you at length and help you choose the most appropriate procedure.


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I'm about half way through Closing the Food Gap by Mark Winne and getting really mad. So many of the issues in the news today were identified so many years ago. Mark and his confreres started working on food and community issues in Hartford, CT in the SEVENTIES and were developing creative solutions to food deserts and food insecurity in urban areas. How is it possible that we would still be dealing with the same issues today?
In his book, Mark is candid about successes and failures — like a community co-op that closed after 19 months because of a lack of management expertise and financing. But beyond financing, he says, co-ops and farmers markets succeed when they appeal to a "well-educated member/customer base with a highly evolved food consciousness." What lower income communities want is easy access to an up-to-date chain supermarket with broad selection and lower prices.
While our region does have fairly good grocery store representation in our cities, there remains a food chasm between local food producers and low income consumers. The chain stores carry token amounts of local produce but to eat local/organic you must go to the co-op, farmers markets, or invest $450 in advance in a CSA — all of which are barriers to busy, cash strapped families.
So this morning my frustration dissipated just a little when I read what the Capital District Community Gardens is doing. Since 2007 Community Gardens has been hosting Veggie Mobiles, which deliver fresh, locally grown produce to low income neighborhoods. On Wednesday, they launched an online marketplace — a "Virtual Veggie Mobile" — stocked by more than a dozen local farmers from around the region. This wholesale marketplace will serve group homes schools, hospitals, day care centers, restaurants and convenience stores. It's an ambitious and holistic approach to bridging the food chasm. To learn more, or sign up your organization to purchase whole foods wholesale, visit market.cdcg.org.


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Fascial Stretch Therapy at P3 Gold Coast
Fascial Stretch Therapy (FST) is a unique form of assisted stretching, unlike anything you have ever experienced before! An assisted form of stretching that is performed on a massage table with comfortable straps used to stabilize the limb or part of the body that is not being worked on, thus facilitating complete relaxation of the person being stretched and enhancing the effectiveness of the actions of the therapist. It is safe for all ages and flexibility levels.
FST has a proven track record of 20 years of enhancing elite and professional athletic performance while decreasing your chance of Injury and improving recovery.
Fascia is a flexible connective tissue structure that attaches under your skin and covers your entire body. Much like a spider web holding everything together. When fascia is tight your movement and potential is restricted resulting in average sporting performance. Flexibility does not exist as a general physical characteristic, but it is joint specific and joint action.
Up to 42% of your flexibility potential is in your fascia & 47% of your flexibility is locked up in your joint capsule.
Facial Stretch Therapy is truly the future of sports recovery! With the huge thanks to Cat McNab for
applying her outstanding range of knowledge in FST. My body has become more flexible, I've recovered
faster and more efficiently and she has discovered many weaknesses in my body since now we have
improved to prevent any possible injury.
What makes FST so different from traditional stretching, massage or Yoga?
FST sessions focus on multiple fascial lines while using traction to target the stiffness or compression in your joint capsule which then results in a release of surrounding tissues being released.
Fascial traction is an essential component that is used in FST which gets the joint capsule open by decompressing the joint and eliminates the jamming of joint while stretching. It creates optimal mobility of the joint capsule that dramatically helps the effectiveness of ROM increases and flexibility gains.
· Increases the level of relaxation.
· Increases the good endorphins.
· Reduces the pain levels during stretching.
· Releases adhesions in the joint capsule and other connective tissue.
· Traction allows for maximal lengthening of all the connective tissues from deep inside the joint capsule, ligaments, tendons, muscle tissue and all the connective tissue throughout the body.
Fascial Stretch Therapy (FST) is a unique manual assisted technique that was created for athletes in 1995. It's been used successfully at the Olympic, professional and collegiate levels.
Current athletes from different sports use FST worldwide:
AFL (past & present players), Brisbane Heat cricketer, NFL (over 14 teams), Major league baseball, Canadas National hockey league, NZ Rugby teams, Pro Golfers, NCAA Basketball players, Tri-athletes Guatemalan Men's & women's soccer teams, World Class Cross fitters, Olympic level Track & Field & Speed Skaters, American Women's Soccer Team, World Champion Weightlifters and a Current UFC champion.
Why is FST so special?
· Improves athletic performance
· Enhances recovery from exercise
· Decreases aches & pains
· Reduces risk of injury
· Eliminates trigger points
· Increases joint space for longer lasting results
· Improves muscle activation and relaxation
· Improves flexibility
· Gives you an edge over your competitors
· Pain-free treatment!
Ph: 07 5576 8507 Email: email@example.com
Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 8am - 9pm Sat: 8am - 4pm Sun: 8am - 4pm


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Eilhoff (Arminia Bielefeld)
Eight saves had Arminia within seconds of their first road win in 13 months, but poor marking cost Arminia a chance to break this jinx. Nonetheless, they came away from a trip to Frankfurt with points after being outplayed and out-shot.
Porcello (Karlsruhe)
Scored one goal and set up the second as KSC ended Wolfsburg reign as the last undefeated. In addition, he played well on the defensive side.
Geromel (Koln)
Most plaudits went to his teammate Mohamad for the goal, but Geromel was the one leading the back line and organizing. He put in an outstanding performance against Schalke.
Neven Subotic (Dortmund)
Stop me if you've heard this before…..but amazing. He was always there when Stuttgart managed to break through the midfield to end the threat before it got close to net.
Patrick Ochs (Eintracht)
Dangerous throughout the match for Frankfurt. His beautiful feed to Kohler in the dying minutes saved Funkel's job.
Petit (Koln)
Put in one of the best performances to date this campaign for any team. He was leadership personified.
Kuba (Dortmund)
Consistently exploited the slow Magnin and the space left free by Pardo's injury to torment Stuttgart's defense.
Huszti (Hannover)
Sure the free-kick was amazing, but he was tireless and effective all game and would have had a second had Forssel squared the ball late.
Mesut Ozil (Werder Bremen)
Diego who?
Thomas Hajnal (Dortmund)
He formed an outstanding partnership with Kuba and scored a cracker. Nonetheless, it was down to him and Augusto, and I felt that Augusto will be a permanent in the XI and Hajnal did score two against Udinese in midweek.
Aaron Hunt (Werder Bremen)
Hunt set up Ozil's first and scored the third. He is sometimes the forgotten forward at Werder, but he was the best forward in the Bundesliga this week.


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The SS-220 is a VHF antenna with a 25" whip that covers a frequency range of 218 – 222 MHz and is center tuned to 220 MHz. The compact antenna is suitable for both land and sea application and is hermetically sealed in a stainless steel canister to ensure life longevity. This American made product is hand wound and factory tuned to ensure peak performance.
- The GAM SS-220 antenna is center tuned to 220 MHz
- Hand-wound loading coil is factory tuned and tested to insure peak performance at a specified frequency
- Stainless steel coil housing
- Coil is hermetically sealed to prevent moisture damage
- No ground plane required
- GAM Model No. SS-220
- Length (Stainless Steel Whip): 25"
- Number of Sections: 1
- Connector Supplied: SO-239
- Application: 220 MHz
- Fully Assembled Dimensions 28" X 1" X 1"
- Gain: 3 dB 5.1 dBi
- Max. Output Power: 150 Watts
- Note: Cable Sold Separately
- Use RG 58 for runs less than 20 feet
- Use RG-8X for runs over 20 feet


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When Abbott Labs officially announced their intent to split into two publicly traded companies before the market opened on October 19th, 2011, my boss asked me to run a quick sum-of-the-parts (SOTP) valuation on the two companies. He was ready to trade on the news.
As a buy-side analyst and trader, I was familiar with the company and knew I had to act fast - most likely, the company had already communicated the news to sell-side analysts, who would soon be offering their valuation insights to their largest institutional investors. Since this split would not be completed until "the end of 2012" and represented a tax-free distribution, the arbitrage game was suddenly on.
After pouring over the official press release, I quickly pulled up Abbott Labs' ABT, -0.14% 2010 Annual report: I needed segment information with operating earnings, and found that on page 52 of the report. This is a game of extrapolation, so I began to compile a rough valuation table based on their 2010 numbers. I then carried those numbers forward based on their projections in the press release and the Street's consensus numbers. See table below. I have updated it for ABT's 2011 closing price and its current price as of January 13, 2012.
Sum-Of-The-Parts Valuation for Abbott Labs: Spin-off into 2 Separate Companies
ABT-Combined: Diversified Medical Products and Research-based Pharmaceuticals
|2011E (consensus)
|2012E (consensus)
ABT-Legacy: Diversified Medical Products Business
Products: Branded Generics outside U.S., Diagnostics, Devices, & Nutritional Biz
|Avg. P/E of comps
^Comps: COV, BCR, MYL, BAX, JNJ
ABT-SpinCo: Research-based Pharmaceuticals
Products: Branded Pharma (Humira, Lupron, Synagis, Kaletra, Creon, Synthroid, etc) + Biologics R&D Assets
|Avg. P/E of comps
^Comps: PFE, MRK, BMY, NVS JNJ
My first goal was to separate the two split companies and compute their 2011 & 2012 projections. Based on page 52 in ABT's annual report, the 2010 annual revenues for the Nutritionals, Diagnostics, Vascular devices and Other businesses were $15.3B. These are businesses within the newly formed Diversified Medical Products company. However, ABT did not break out the Generics ex. U.S. (the last component to the Diversified Medical Products company) vs. the branded drug businesses (the Research-based Pharmaceuticals company) within their $19.9B Pharmaceuticals segment.
Digging further into ABT's annual report on page 65, they give an International Pharmaceuticals revenue number of $8.3B in 2010. On that same page they give the Humira figures for 2010: $6.5B ($2.8B U.S. & $3.7B Int'l). The company has previously stated that Humira represents most, if not all, of their branded drugs sales overseas, so backing out the $3.7B in 2010 international HUMIRA drugs sales leaves roughly $4.6B of Generic ex. U.S - the other component of the Diversified Medical Products company.
2010 Revenues
Pharmaceuticals: $19.9B
*International Pharma: $8.3B
*Domestic Pharma: $11.6B
Humira: $6.5B
*In'tl $3.7B
*Domestic $2.8B
By adding the components together, I estimated that 2010 annual revenues for the Diversified Medical Products company was about $19.9B. That left the Research-based Pharmaceuticals at about $15.3B, based on ABT's $35.2B in annual revenues for 2010. I then returned to page 52 in ABT's annual report and found the Non-GAAP operating earnings for each segment, in order to calculate the proportional Non-GAAP operating earnings/share for each business (excluding the Other segment which is not included in Non-GAAP calculations). These figures are based on the 2010 Non-GAAP operating earnings per share of $4.17, highlighted in the annual report.
2010 Non-GAAP Op. Earnings (in millions), Non-GAAP Op. Earnings %, Non-GAAP Op. Earnings/Share:
At that point, I knew that the 2010 Non-GAAP operating earnings/share for the Diversified Medical Products business (Nutritionals, Diagnostics & Vascuar) was $0.97 + the Generics ex. U.S. Since the Generics ex. U.S. represents about 23% ($4.6B) of the $19.9B Pharmaceuticals revenues, the best I could do to calculate the 2010 Non-GAAP operating earnings number for that business was to assume that figure also represented the % of operating earnings. This equates to $3.20 times 23%, or $0.74, leaving the Diversified Medical products segment with a 2010 Non-GAAP operating earnings/share number of $1.71 ($0.97 + $0.74). The Research-based Pharmaceuticals segment (Humira and the other branded drugs) was then left with $2.46 in 2010 Non-GAAP operating earnings ($4.17 - $1.71), which is consistent with management's past comments that "Humira accounts for more than 20 percent of Abbott's sales and more than 40 percent of total operating income."
Once I figured out ABT's 2010 metrics, I was able to extrapolate the future earnings projections for the two separate companies, based on management's comments in the press release:
Diversified Medical Products: "It will continue to target double-digit ongoing earnings-per-share growth, with opportunities for geographic expansion, particularly 40 percent of its sales in high-growth emerging markets and growing...with significant margin expansion."
Research-based Pharmaceuticals: "It will continue to generate the majority of its revenue from developed markets...with the potential to deliver accelerating revenue growth in the coming years...mostly from Humira, which is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease and other conditions, and had sales of $6.5B in 2010 and expected to grow in low teens in 2011."
The company provided 2011 revenue estimates for each business segment in its press release, and consensus earnings estimates are $4.65 for 2011, in-line with company guidance. Considering the Diversified Medical Products business expects "double-digit ongoing earnings-per-share growth," I assumed this business would continue with a generous 12% annual earnings growth (they would have said "low teens" if it was higher). This puts 2011E earnings/share for the business at about $1.95. The Research-based Pharmaceuticals business will then earn about $2.70.
Extrapolating the "ongoing" 12% growth rate for the Diversified Medical Products business into 2012E, the earnings estimate for that segment will then be about $2.20. With consensus estimates for 2012E earnings at $5.0, I estimated the Research-based Pharmaceuticals business will earn about $2.80. This jibes with management's lukewarm comments about the growth of this business in 2012 on the conference call:
"To that end, we expect this portfolio, including Humira's sustainable robust growth outlook to help us achieve an expected total top line growth profile for the new company of flat to low single-digit sales growth in 2013 and '14, consistent with Wall Street consensus and similar to our pharmaceutical peers. Factored into this growth outlook are realistic expectations for our more mature lipids franchise, which we've said in the past will see generic entrance beginning in mid-2012."
After I figured out the 2012 earnings estimates for each segment, I needed to assign a multiple (P/E) on each business based on their comparable peers. This is where equity valuations get distorted, and where our current market's "risk-on, risk-off" mantra manifests itself in such volatile swings. I wanted to assume fairly aggressive earnings growth for each business, despite the amount of revenue that ABT does overseas. With Europe in a secular decline, that headwind will likely spill over to many of the emerging economies this year where ABT does a majority of its business. That will likely compress multiples (P/E's) for every international company. Still, I wanted to price the multiples of the two businesses at premiums to their comps, to get an approximate ceiling on valuation.
Valuation Table
|2012E Earnings
|2012 P/E of Comps
|Diversified Medical Products
|Research-based Pharmaceuticals
|Less: ABT Debt/share
Considering the "double-digit earnings growth with geographic expansion driving significant margin expansion" in the Diversified Medical Products business, I assumed that the market can justify a generous multiple premium of 3x the comps of this business. Margin expansion is the main driver behind a premium multiple. Similarly, despite fierce generic competition on the branded drugs in the Research-based Pharmaceuticals business, Humira's continued growth and its potential use for other indications by 2015 can lend a generous multiple premium of 2x its other comparable companies. These are very aggressive premiums on the 2012 multiples of their comps, considering the Diversified Medical Products business earns so much of its profits from a tenuous international market, and the Research-based Pharmaceuticals business earns so much of its profits from one drug, Humira (its other branded drugs are in decline, while its portfolio of R&D assets are long-term binary events susceptible to stringent FDA approval and CMS reimbursement policies).
Before the spin was announced on October 19, 2011, ABT's stock was trading at $52.44 before the market opened, representing a P/E of 10.5x the FY12 EPS estimate of $5.00. Clearly, the spin was meant to unlock the value in the representative multiples that each business could fetch. The conference call started at 9am EST, a half -hour before the market opened and, after twenty minutes into the call, I suggested to my boss that we load up on shares. We bought a substantial amount on the open at $52.85. From my rough valuation work, this stock was worth just north of $56 on a post-spin basis.
Subsequently, on January 3rd, 2012 when it hit my $56.40 target, instead of selling our long position and forfeiting the dividend (record date of January 13th, 2012), we sold an equivalent amount of Jan 57.5 calls. And we will continue to write those near-month 57.5 covered calls whenever the stock trades above my $56.40 target. This will enable us to collect a call premium and still participate in the dividend yield, in case ABT's stock drifts lower in any "risk-off" market where multiples contract, despite stable earnings projections.
ABT reports their Q4 and 2011 year-end numbers on January 25th before the market opens. For those terribly afraid of the market but confused on what to do with their spare cash, ABT is a great substitute for a money market holding. Even with a "risk-off" trade in the market, ABT stock will have a $50 floor if its multiple pares back to equal its comps. And even with its value-unlocking spin-off lingering at year-end, the upside on any "risk-on" trade is likely limited to about $58 based on the aggressive growth assumptions I've demonstrated. A range-bound stock with a hefty dividend is a great alternative to money market funds that currently have negative real returns, especially if you add optionality into the picture.
Additionally, it is quite evident that investment bankers are pitching every medical company to spin-off their separate businesses. First it was Elan ELN, +0.00% and Abbott ABT, -0.14%, then it was Covidien COV, +0.00%. Now there is chatter that Medtronic MDT, +0.35% and Stryker SYK, +0.77% will be next, possibly even Johnson & Johnson JNJ, -0.06%. These actions all bode well in support of ABT's premium spin-off multiple, and is another reason this stock is one of the safest bets for 2012 in terms of capital preservation and dividend yield.
DISCLOSURE: My firm currently owns a long position in ABT stock.


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KENT Gold
KENT Gold UF provides pure water to protect your family against waterborne diseases. The state-of-the-art hollow fibre UF membrane does not allow any bacteria and cysts to pass through it. This makes drinking water pure, without using any harmful chemicals such as Chlorine, Bromine or Iodine.
Gravity-based Water Purification
KENT Gold is first-of-its-kind gravity-based water purifier, which is based on the superior UF technology. The hollow fibre hydrophilic UF membrane with a pore size of 0.1 microns ensures that no micro-organisms such as bacteria and cysts pass through it, ensuring 100% microbe-free water.
High Storage Capacity
Kent Gold has 13 litres of purified water storage capacity and an additional 7 litres in the raw water tank, ensuring continuous supply of purified water.
Activated Carbon Pre-filter
KENT Gold water purifier has an Activated Carbon Filter that facilitates better disinfection of water and make the water 100% safe and pure for consumption.
Smart Design
KENT Gold water purifier has an elegant table-top design that can be placed on any flat surface. It comes with a high-base stand so that a glass can be easily filled without limiting the purifier to be placed on the edge of a table/slab.
World's Top Quality Certifications
This water purifier is tested and certified for its performance and quality by world's renowned laboratories, such as the WQA (USA & India) .These achievements guarantee that KENT not only gives the most purified water but is also trusted by millions.


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How to evaluate changes in a playback system.
First know that it's your system and that playback is art. There is no such thing as "absolute sound" or "perfect fidelity" and not everyone values the same things in music or listening.
Some facts to consider:
- Playback systems function as a system and any change within it will very likely affect how you hear it. A change anywhere within a system can and should impact the system's sound.
- We can never assume that an assembled array of playback equipment, or any single device, is perfect.
- The perfect recording does not exist.
- Things change over time.
- People are easily fooled.
- Each person listens and hears differently.
- All systems are different and a device under test will perform differently in them.
- Systems will sound different at different levels and most people tune for a particular listening level, music, or coloration emphasis.
- Unless you are the producer, recording engineer, tracker, mix guy and mastering man (rarely even the same team let alone the same person) responsible for the recorded material, with a vast understanding and experience with your recording and playback systems, you can never know the recording's nature and accuracy. Besides, isn't music about fidelity of emotion? (If you roll in at a Zu demo, chattering about how you know what a particular recording is supposed to sound like… well, let's just say it's hard to take your comments seriously and it's possible that we'll call you out if you start stinking up the room.)
- General listening-specific assumptions can be made after a large enough sampling of systems and observers has been taken. But these are only relevant to the state-of-the-art of playback systems within their sampled generation. Loudspeakers that are known to sound good in today's systems will generally sound bad when used within a system from the '40s or '50s. That is not to say a loudspeaker from the '40s will sound bad in today's systems—it's all about the matchup and knowing where you the listener places value.
So, acknowledging all of these things, how do we approach the evaluation process? It's easy to present situations that cause a desired result, both in oneself and in those you wish to influence. For the most part, it's quite easy to recognize performance changes relative to primary system attributes. Shades and gradients of primary and secondary attributes are much harder to wrap your ears around, but it is usually within the combined secondary attributes that we find the magic we are looking for.
Cable Evaluation
Zu makes cables, so let's take a look at cable evaluation. If observers are really trying hard to hear a difference between cables because they believe the difference will be subtle, this will compound the potential for outside or psychological influence. If the observer has a predisposition towards a model or brand, there will likely be subconscious events that will shape the outcome.
Also, if a demonstrator wants to influence the observer, there are several tricks he or she may use to produce the desired results:
- The second time listening to the same material- the "second set"- results in increased awareness by the observer, particularly after a brief calm or distraction. Therefore the second device tested is usually psychologically perceived as sounding better.
- Observers usually relate a small increase in amplitude (1 – 3dB) to increased fidelity, especially if the cut is played at a level that is lower than you would experience it in real life (low-level listening is distortion). The closer the intensity of sound is to what we expect, the better we think it sounds.
- A demonstrator may use playback of recordings that are known to work with or against the bias.
- A demonstrator may use playback with equipment that works with or against the bias.
- Observers are influenced by the demonstrator. Combine this with the "second set" phenomenon and the demonstrator can easily skew data.
- Rumor, reputation, price, looks of the device and personal investment effect our values.
What a Fair Test Looks Like
The only way to know the performance of a device is to follow some semblance of scientific observation. A double blind test, within a large enough sampling of gear and people, is best- as long as the observers keep their notes to themselves until the completion of the study. But even then, the whole system thing is pretty massive.
A simple cable test should consist of two or more observers and a controller, all of whom have at least a basic understanding of musical acoustics and can accurately communicate using musical or scientific terms. The controller must not communicate anything to the observers during the test except the test number. The controller must also account for any change in amplitude between the two cables prior to running the test. (Electrical characteristics of a cable influence power transfer between transmitter and receiver.)
Then there is the very large topic about recorded material and how it factors in, but a song or two should be selected and the set played twice without change to the system. This is so the observers can listen to the music the first round and then take notes as she or he listens to the set the second time.
There should be two cables to be observed; three usually increases the level of complexity and duration to unusable limits in terms of information and listener fatigue. Observers are not allowed to know which cable is under test or know the device cycle.
The controller randomly changes between the two cables, sometimes leaving one cable in for multiple cycles and so on. The evaluation session should not last longer than an hour.
All of these factors combined should make for a fair test.
But the bottom line is that you must search for your sense of sound and trust yourself-you know what you are looking for. If you don't, you won't find it in the forums.


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I also love going to a My Favorite Things party where we each bring 5 of our favorite things and go away with 5 new things. I'm bringing book lights and foot cream - for a soothing night ritual.
And neighborhood New Year's Eve parties are the best. Usually we get to bring the kids who run around in the basement while the adults socialize upstairs with the food. Ahh. Ring in the new year right, then walk home! We used to have it at our house when the boys were younger, now we let others have the joy of hosting.
How do you celebrate? What little favorite things would you share? And what goodies do you like to bring to parties?


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The Lomonosov crater in Mars' Northern District is believed to be the source of massive tsunamis that swept across the planet's surface. The asteroid is believed to have caused 150m- high waves, supporting the theory that Mars' northern lowland region once supported a large ocean.
Steve Clifford and Francois Costard found evidence of a possible ancient shoreline:
"We found typical tsunami deposits along the dichotomy between the northern hemisphere and southern hemisphere of Mars, it supports that there was, at that time, a northern ocean," said Costard of the sediment distribution on the northern plains.
Evidence of a lobate flow deposit was found on the dichotomy boundary Clifford explains:
"These lobate deposits propagate uphill from the northern plains and do so in close association with a potential palaeo-shoreline. The predictions of the numerical modelling that François and his colleagues have done provide a very persuasive case for an ocean at this time there's also a second set of landforms that we see along the coastline called thumbprint terrain.... the reflection of the tsunami waves from the coast and their interaction with a second set of tsunami waves, predicted by the numerical modelling, would have resulted in sediment deposition that's very similar to what we actually observe on Mars."
Image: The thumbprint terrains probably formed when two sets of tsunami waves interacted, JGR - PLANETS
This particular area was previously thought to have been formed as a result of mud volcanoes, glaciers or mud flows. If there is evidence of a giant tsunami 3 billion years ago, then there must have been an ocean in the northern plains.
"That's the key point here; it indicates that there was a substantial amount of water in residence on the Martian surface at this time and that has likely implications for the total inventory of water on Mars." Says Clifford.
The impact crater responsible for the two giant tsunami waves is a 120km wide bowl named Lomonosov respectfully named after Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov a Russian polymath from the 18th century. Two large waves formed from the impact- "It was a really large-scale, high speed tsunami. At the very beginning, a crater of 70km in diameter was created by the impact. This expelled a huge volume of water, with wave propagation at 60m/second."
The first of the two waves was 300m high, it would have reached the palaeo-shoreline within hours crushing on hills and plateaus.
An ocean on Mars could hint at signs of life. Such biology on Mars would make the planet more inhabitable. Clifford is optimistic:
"There is ambiguity in all the various lines of evidence that have been cited regarding whether Mars is water-rich or water-poor. But the morphologic evidence that's been presented here is a very persuasive case for a water-rich planet."


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A wonderful review for The Driftwood Manor's album For The Moon from Folk Radio UK:
"This album is pure poetry – the writing is so engaging and beautifully crafted. The musicianship is so skilful, and the vocal arrangements unique. More than just listening to it, you feel it; it washes through you and seeps into your skin. And you find yourself becoming a wave too."
– Fran Lazarski, FRUK
Read the full review: http://www.folkradio.co.uk/2016/09/driftwood-manor-for-the-moon/
Get the album from our Bandcamp site or via the player below:
For The Moon is distributed in the UK and Ireland via Proper Music Distribution Ltd – availabe through all online and high street stores.


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How I Can Help You Sell Your Home
Helping find a buyer for your home is only one facet of a real estate professional's job. There are many more aspects including explaining the basic real estate practices and principles and all the related paperwork, Performing a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) to help determine your home's value, helping to prepare your home for sale, listing your home, marketing your home, keeping you informed throughout the process. When the sale begins, it's important to work with someone who will assist you with the paperwork, negotiate on your behalf, make sure deadlines are met, and work with the escrow company.
When you work with us, you will:
- Have a skilled negotiator working on your behalf, one who is committed to looking after your best interests
- Reduce the number of days your home is on the market
- Become familiar with the terms, processes and paperwork involved in selling your home
- Have confidence your home will be properly marketed and will enjoy exposure to more buyers and agents with qualified buyers
- Receive regularly updated market information that will enable you to make informed decisions
- Enjoy peace of mind, knowing all the details of your purchase are being taken care of by an experienced and knowledgable team


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House prices increased 1.2 percent in the second quarter, the 16th consecutive quarterly price rise, lower than the 1.45 percent increase in the first quarter, Xinhua cited the FHFA's House Price Index.
The FHFA's House Price Index said US house prices rose 0.2 percent in June from the revised level of May, the lowest growth rate this year.
"Although too early to tell whether it is a sign of a slowdown, the monthly appreciation rate in June was more modest than we have seen in a while," said FHFA principal economist Andrew Leventis.
The FHFA data said the house price appreciation in the second quarter still far exceeded the pace of overall inflation. Compared with last year, house prices rose 5.4 percent from the second quarter of 2014.


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They're here! The lilacs are in bloom!! I pulled out my step ladder and shears and went to the task of snipping and shaping a bouquet for our dining table. Their fragrance is the most amazing joy! Breathe deep!!! Ahhh... I strongly suspect this is what heaven smells of.
I hope you are enjoying the earth's awakening, the rebirth and the flowers where you are! I could never tire of springtime blooms!! How about you? What's blooming in your area? Did you pull out your ladder to snip some lilacs for your table as well? :) Thanks for stopping by, friends!


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How to Begin LGBT Couple Counselling
Beginning Couple Counselling.
You're in a same-sex couple relationship, thinking about meeting with Dean Richardson for Couple Counselling… but how do you begin? Let me show tell you how:-
- Step one: decide that both you and your partner wish to engage with couple counselling (if one of you does not, couple counselling can't really do anything to help the relationship).
- Step two: look at my available appointments and choose one or more days and times that you could attend weekly.
- Step three: contact me (using my online contact form).
- Step four: if the appointment is still available, I'll reserve it for us and ask you to send a £30 deposit to confirm our first appointment read about counselling fees (your deposit is refundable if you cancel the first session with 48 hours notice). If the appointment is no longer available, we'll negotiate a day and time.
- Step five: once I've received your deposit, our appointment will be configured and all you need to do is turn up together.
Does that sound straightforward?
During the first session will talk about what the couple relationship needs from counselling. We'll begin discussing how we're going to work together, and we'll begin discovering what needs to be uncovered.
You both can end counselling at any time you think we're done (or done enough), and I'll discuss this with you too.
|Couples & Individuals (Havant, Hampshire)
Visit HavantCounselling.com…
|6pm or 8pm
|Not Available
|Short Waiting List / evening appointment due to become available soon (contact me)
|Not Available
|Not Available
About LGBT Couple Counsellor Dean Richardson.
You could choose any counsellor.
But… when you consider that this is probably the most personal and the vulnerable you're going to be with your partner, you'd likely want to choose someone you could trust with your relationship.
- Someone who was sensitive and effective with you and your partner's sexuality and ways of relating.
- Someone who demonstrates adept professional skills with lesbian female, gay male, and mixed sexuality couple relationships, who speaks plain English (and who can swear like a virtuoso, along with you both as much as you might need - or not at all), and works co-operatively with the couple's relationship (he doesn't sit in silence, or just goes: "Hmm" for 50 minutes).
- Someone who is an accredited member The National Counselling Society (Accreditation being a process that validates a counsellor's substantial experience and attention to an ethical practice) and who is a member of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Union of Great Britain.
Plus, Dean is has postgraduate qualifications Couple Counselling (not all counsellors have such specific qualifications… I know, right?!) and focuses on LGBT relationship counselling as a speciality.
Yeah, you'd choose a local gay couple counsellor.
Simple choice, really 😉
Got a Question? Don't Hold Back…
If you have a question about gay & lesbian couple relationship counselling in Havant and Waterlooville, or want to ask about making your first appointment, feel free to drop me a line any time…
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Twitter #twesume – the new LinkedIn?
Twitter #twesume - the new LinkedIn?
With its ability to connect us to almost anyone, Twitter bridges a gap between personal and professional lives for many users - a shaky prospect given recent headlines. But would you include the platform in the recruitment process?
Twitter is now encouraging users to submit a #twesume (that's a resume or CV to you and me) to the site in a bid to help businesses find their ideal candidate or help Twitter users promote themselves and potentially find their dream job.
Many companies have already taken to the #twesume trend by posting career opportunities to the site, looking for potential employees through the social platform and job seekers are submitting their resumes to employers in a short 140 character resume or by more creatively using Twitter latest platform Vine to post creative six second long video resumes - a lot of pressure to make an impression in a such a short space of time.
So is Twitter the new LinkedIn? Maybe not, but it is a great way to share job opportunities to a wider audience, connect with the right people and create a lasting impression in a short few Twitter Vine moments. Watch a fantastic example from Twitter Vine user Dawn Siff who was looking for a career in media and actually got it - albeit not all down to the Twitter Vine resume alone but it certainly caught people's attention. https://vine.co/v/b6wxtwrwP7P
We certainly got an influx of CVs when we advertised a social media position on the platform in late 2012…we've even recruited a few team members who got in touch through Twitter - so will you be using the channel for recruitment? Tweet us….@equatoragency


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Online Journal Celebrates 25th Anniversary With Writing on Social Change
Mobius Magazine publishes poetry, prose poems and short fiction on social change, and was previously reviewed on The Review Review in Summer 2011. As mentioned in that review, Mobius calls itself a 'Journal of Social Change'. This is a pretty broad theme and while it's not exactly political, its political leanings are fairly evident. Featured in this edition were stories, poems and prose-poems about war, religion, immigration, manhood, modern technology and nuclear fallout.
This Winter 2014 edition marks the 25th anniversary of the magazine. That's a pretty long life for a literary journal and its success can be put down to the longstanding involvement of its key staff, most notably its founder and Executive Editor, Fred Schepartz. This issue contains 10 poems, 4 short stories and an editorial. Whether by design or accident, all the authors in this collection are from or reside in the USA.
The ten poetry pieces were all excellent and are very definitely aligned with the theme of 'social change'.
"An Apology" by Emily Zhang is an angry, terse and beautiful reproach against pointless wars. The war theme continues with Heath Brougher's prose-poem "Necessity", Beth Cato's poem "Sorry", Abraham Younes' "Right of Return" and Gary Lark's "Much Improved."
In "Bring Me the Head of Yukio Mishima", Wade German takes lines, or part-lines, from Mishima's short story "Patriotism" and weaves them into a poem. I'm not prudish about the idea of re-using other people's work to create something new. It's an interesting experiment and tells a very different story from Mishima's.
Karen Greenbaum-Maya's "Passing Through" is a prose poem, or perhaps more of a vignette, in which we follow a Jewish woman walking through the 'Bible Belt Cafe' around Christmas-time. In Deonte Osayande's "Henry Ford Hospital, 2007", we sit in a hospital waiting room after an accident. The poem has a beautiful rhythm and only those final words, "he called your love an abomination", suggest the cause of the underlying emotional tension.
I felt that "Praise Song" by Stevie Edwards was the most polished and complete piece in the whole journal. The poem is a sort of ode to her Republican father and explores one family's complicated relationships in 20 well-formed lines.
"The New Navigator" by Mark Danowsky is a very short poem which reveals all the frustration of modern life. I particularly liked the closing lines "If only we had options / to override like the good old days / when everything went wrong all the time."
The sense of not having options, of being trapped in a world where people or things make bad decisions for us, is perhaps the best way to describe the overall feeling or connecting thread of the journal. It is evident again in the four fiction pieces, which are a curious collection of stories. Each piece is very different in voice and style but they all still follow a more-or-less conventional structure.
At 5500 words, "Corrugated Righteousness" by Janna Moretti is a long short story. Moretti manages to pack a lot in and the pace never lags. The story follows young Sam as he constructs a toy town in his bedroom, copes with his overbearingly twee mother and his veteran dad, and the usual bevy of schoolyard friends and bullies. Sam is a believable character, who is both vulnerable and a little scary.
"La Laguna" is also long, but is another satisfying read. The story of a Mexican immigrant looking for a better life in Tucson for himself and his sister is by Eric Z. Weintraub, who is working on a collection of stories about immigration. "La Laguna" won first prize in the USC's Undergraduate Writers' Conference.
The last two stories are considerably shorter. "Mr Green the Funnyman" by Elizabeth Alexander is a collection of a girl's remembrances about the professional party clown of her childhood. Alexander subtly explores racism and classism, and it's difficult to say if the story is fiction or fact (not that it matters; it was my favorite story).
"Snuffy's Last Walk" by Jack E. Dunning is an unusual addition, given the more political leanings of the other stories. It's the tale of a rescued dog and his family, and with that title there are no surprises. Poor little Snuffy.
Editor Fred Schepartz pulls no punches in his Editorial. Schepartz comments on the Wisconsin gubernatorial election, saying "Scott Walker was democratically elected, and he has ruled like a tyrant." If you feel like disagreeing with Schepartz on either his political or literary views, be careful before sending in a snarky email: Mobius publishes anything nasty on its hate mail page.
My main criticism with this as a journal is that it's not easy to navigate. The 'current issue' page is simply a list of titles and authors - no blurbs or previews. To reach a story you need to click on its title and then afterwards return to the contents page. A sidebar menu with all the stories, or even a 'read next' button would aid navigation a great deal, and there's no option to read offline. However, this is really a minor quibble in what is otherwise an interesting collection of stories and poems.


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I'm a founder, mentor, speaker and—above all else—entrepreneur. I encourage business partners to ask the right questions, navigate challenging decisions, and find those tough answers that are sometimes difficult to face. As someone who has built, exited, led, and invested in over 13 companies, I know what it takes to transform your business. And it all starts over coffee.
An entrepreneur since day one, I started my first business in my teens. Since then, I've created, advised, and invested in many organizations. In my talks, I discuss experiences, successes, and most importantly failures that helped me deeply understand revenue creation. You'll leave with a new appreciation of coffee, creating customers, engaging employees, and generating shareholder value—in that order.


text: Sneezing all year round. Sniffling and coughing. Cold symptoms that would pop up every other week. I lived with these symptoms for nearly two years, and for some unfathomable reason, I never thought it required medical attention. That's until I got sick and had to go on antibiotics days before my weddings in July 2017.Read More


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|You are in: Health
Tuesday, 21 July, 1998, 11:52 GMT 12:52 UK
Look this way, please
It has long been said that the real way to find out what someone thinks is to look into their eyes.
But some specialists believe that staring at the iris - the coloured part of the eye - can tell a whole lot more.
Iridologists believe that tell tale signs in the iris can reveal health problems in the rest of the body.
They use a map of the eye drawn up in the 19th Century to make their diagnoses.
Owl observation
The map was drawn up by a Hungarian scientist who noticed a brown mark on the iris of an owl with a broken leg. He subsequently noted the same mark in a human with the same condition.
Treatments are based on natural, herbal remedies.
Iridologist Dr N Succar, a trained medical doctor, said: " We can tell many things. It is a method of diagnosis, it is quick, non-invasive and without any pain.
"We can say whether somebody has high cholesterol, the condition of the colon, the condition of the nervous system, whether somebody has stress and to what extent, chronic or recent.
"It can be an inherited weakness or it can be something happening."
Very sceptical
She said: "There are no doubt certain medical conditions which you can diagnose by looking in the eye. High cholesterol is a classic one, anaemia is another. You could also maybe tell if someone has got an underactive thyroid gland.
"But to start diagnosing someone's colonic or digestive function - apart from jaundice - in their eyes is very far fetched.
Dr Leonard said there was no scientific basis for the claims of iridology. In one research study iridologists were given pictures of the eyes of patients with a diagnosed gall bladder condition to make their own diagnosis.
"They did not get it right any more than by chance," Dr Leonard said.
"This particular thing could be very alarmist, and it could give inaccurate diagnosis."
Not trained
Dr Leonard warned that most iridologists were not medically trained and were diagnosing potentially serious conditions.
"If people want to see an iridologist fine, but if it is suggested that you have got some type of disorder please, please go and see your own GP and have some more conventional tests done to check it out."
Before becoming an iridologist, Dr Succar had been very sceptical about the practice.
"With every patient I see it confirms a lot of things.
"Research has been done in the US for 20 years and in some states it is on the national health service."
Dr Succar added that patients were always referred on to a GP if a problem was diagnosed which required further testing.
"I emphasise that your GP will help you in their way, and I will help you in my way with natural remedies."
See also:
08 Jun 98 | Medical notes
01 Jun 98 | Health
Internet links:
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Dr. Coker graduated from the UAMS psychiatry residency program in 2016. She then completed a year as an instructor, focusing on psychiatric disorders during pregnancy and the postpartum period. She received the Marion B. Lyon New Scientist Development Award from the Arkansas Children's Research Institute examining the impact of nicotine on neonatal abstinence syndrome. She works closely with the Center for Distance Health and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology to provide consultation services throughout the state and to update the ANGELS psychiatry guidelines on an annual basis. She is available to provide consultation on psychiatric conditions pertaining to pregnancy and the postpartum period through the ANGELS call center, angels.uams.edu.
UAMS doctors treat a broad range of conditions some of which may not be listed below.


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{Clover Canyon dress c/o Bloomingdales, Ash Sandals, SheInside blazer, SEE tortoise sunnies}
Everyone have a good weekend? Mine was lovely, alas, as always it was too short. Isn't that always the case though? This is the full outfit post from day one of Lucky FABB. I was going for business-chic and this Clover Canyon dress was exactly what I needed to pull it off. The studded wedge sandals and the white blazer were the perfect extras to style this little number with.
You can shop my Lucky FABB look below!
Ash Sandals · Bloomingdale's Cocktail Dresses · Nasty Gal Blazers
Photography by Donna
Photography by Donna


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Newsletter January – February 2014: Dental Clinic
First 5 San Diego Sponsors Dental Clinic
CDA Cares San Diego took place at the Del Mar Fairgrounds on December 7-8, 2013. First 5 San Diego was proud to partner with the California Dental Association to sponsor this two-day dental clinic event. The event was designed to relieve people of all ages from dental pain and infection, by providing oral health services and education and assistance with finding a dentist for follow-up care to low-income individuals and families. Services included cleanings, fillings, extractions, root canals, and full dentures.
An estimated 10 million Californians experience barriers to dental care. The California Dental Association Foundation and CDA host CDA Cares, a program that allows volunteer dentists, with the assistance of other dental professionals and community volunteers, to provide dental services at no charge to more than 2,000 patients at each event.


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Two Quinnipiac University students have spent part of their summer researching muscular and neurodegeneration in fruit flies in the hopes that their findings could eventually be applied by researchers to combat diseases such as ALS.
Evan Dalaker of New Boston, New Hampshire, and Nick Girard of Pembroke, Massachusetts, both sophomores in the biology program, worked with Lani Keller, assistant professor of biology, over the course of eight weeks to microdissect and measure the muscle size of fruit flies after genetically modifying them with an ankyrin mutation that induces neurodegeneration and muscle atrophy.
"We use fruit flies as a model organism to study neuro and muscular degeneration," said Keller. "This is a very simple animal model for very complex human diseases."
According to Keller, the students found they could suppress muscle atrophy in the fruit flies by knocking down the molecule NF- both genetically, and pharmacologically with the drug pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC).
Though the findings are just one small part of a complex puzzle, they do have biomedical relevance.
"Most people that have motor neuron diseases such as ALS for instance end up dying not because their legs or their arms can't move, but because their diaphragm isn't working anymore," said Keller. "So if we can somehow suppress this muscle phenotype, it might really help with neurodegenerative diseases."
The research project is part of the university's Interdisciplinary Program for Research and Scholarship (QUIP-RS), where students work side-by-side with a faculty mentor during the summer and receive $5,000 in support of their collaborative efforts.
"I really like the unknown about research-trying to answer a question that nobody has quite answered yet," said Dalaker. "Even today Dr. Keller told me that what we're doing is great, but she wants us to sit down and think about the next step. We have these findings but it's the 'now what?' question that I would really like to try to understand and answer."
According to Keller, the students will have ample time to expand on their summer research. She hopes to work with them throughout the next three school years, and publish and present their findings at a national conference.
"In class we're sitting there and learning about what other people have already done and it can get a little tiresome," said Girard. "Whereas in lab, it's cool because we're actually finding things. It's that unknown aspect, where I'm maybe one of the first people to even know about this, where is this going to take me in the long run, and where is it going to end up."
Quinnipiac is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution located 90 minutes north of New York City and two hours from Boston. The university enrolls 6,500 full-time undergraduate and 2,500 graduate students in 58 undergraduate and more than 20 graduate programs of study in its School of Business and Engineering, School of Communications, School of Education, School of Health Sciences, School of Law, Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine, School of Nursing and College of Arts and Sciences. Quinnipiac consistently ranks among the top regional universities in the North in U.S. News & World Report's America's "Best Colleges" issue. The 2015 issue of U.S. News & World Report's America's "Best Colleges" named Quinnipiac as the top up-and-coming school with master's programs in the Northern Region. Quinnipiac also is recognized in Princeton Review's "The Best 379 Colleges." The Chronicle of Higher Education has named Quinnipiac among the "Great Colleges to Work For." For more information, please visit www.quinnipiac.edu. Connect with Quinnipiac on Facebook at www.facebook.com/quinnipiacuniversity and follow Quinnipiac on Twitter @QuinnipiacU.
This item was posted by a community contributor. To read more about community contributors, click here.


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Cassie Scoble
Cassie Scoble is a Research Associate in the Hutley Lab. Cassie completed her undergraduate degree at Deakin University in 2004, studying Environmental Science (Conservation Ecology). She went on to work at the Victorian Department of Primary Industries (DPI) for seven years, primarily focussing on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) systems for control of soilborne pathogens in vegetable production.
Recently Cassie completed a First Class Honours (Botany) degree at LaTrobe University, which focussed on evaluating plant-derived volatiles as potential novel control options for soilborne pathogens of vegetable crops.
Cassie has also spent time working for a private consultancy focusing on management of insect pests in broad acre crops and many years volunteering for various not-for-profit organisations.
Research Interests
- Integrated Pest Management
- Soilborne Pathology
- Sustainable agriculture
Professional Affiliations
Australasian Plant Pathology Society


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Showing 1-1 of 1
By: Mercer, Eric
Price: £10.00
Publisher: Clarendon P: 1962
Seller ID: 27234
Condition: Very Good in Very Good dust jacket
Please note this is a heavy item and will incur extra shipping charges.; Original blue cloth, gilt lettering to spine, in pictorial dw, dw slightly edgeworn, fore-edge & top edge spotted, 96 b&w plates. ; Oxford history of English art;vol.7; 9.13 X 6.57 X 1.11 inches; 287 pages View more info


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Business News of Tuesday, 18 August 2015
Source: GNA
The Pentecost University College Graduate School (PUCGS) has organised a seminar on the mid-year budget review as part of the process to contribute to national development.
The annual event aims at discussing the tax components of the National Budget Statement and also to review the effects of the taxes during the year.
Professor Kwame Boasiako Omane-Antwi, Vice Rector and Dean of PUCGS, in an address read on his behalf, said the university has a Standing Committee tasked to review tax, economic and good governance issues on yearly basis to enable members to share their professional views with students and the public.
On July 21, Mr Seth Terkper, the Finance Minister presented a mid-year review of the budget to Parliament in which he outlined the extent to which the 2015 Budget had been implemented and the short-term structural measures to be implemented in the second half of the year to consolidate the gains made.
The Vice Rector said the specific macroeconomic targets for 2015 include Overall real GDP (including oil) growth rate of 3.5 per cent, overall non-oil real gross domestic products (GDP) growth rate of 2.7 per cent, end of year inflation target of 11.5 per cent, and overall budget deficit equivalent to 6.5 per cent of GDP.
Prof Omane-Antwi said government's measures to stabilise the economy include intensifying reporting and monitoring of foreign exchange inflows, retention and use, under the country's laws and agreements to provide better information to the markets.
He said PUCGS is of the view that the figures presented and the current developments in the macroeconomic environment showed that the economy made some recovery in the first half of 2015 fiscal year.
"It is, however, important for the managers of the country's economy to recognise the inherent challenges that continue to militate against sustainable growth and deal with them swiftly," he said.
Touching on the 40 Year Development Plan, Prof Omane-Antwi said it is an excellent initiative needed to guide the country in its development efforts.
He said the plan if implemented would ensure sustainable development and called for the involvement of the citizenry.
Prof Omane-Anwti proposed the establishment of a desk at the Secretariat of National Development Planning Commission to receive contributions from the public while the final document is voted upon in a referendum.
He said the democratic governance system of two-four terms in office for presidents be changed to one term of seven years.
"We believe that this arrangement will help prosecute the 40- year Development Plan better as presidents would have a long period to be action oriented and focused on the development agenda rather than re-election plans," he said.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Prof Cletus Dordonoo, Chief Executive Officer of ClayDord Consult, a knowledge- based group of enterprises, said the recent energy crisis is affecting the tax revenue.
Prof Dordonoo, who chaired the function, said the absence of reliable energy would increase the cost of doing business as companies would have to seek backup power and also spend money on fuel.
He said most companies in such situations tend to lay off workers as the first option to sustain their operations while payment of corporate tax suffer due to a decline in profit.
Prof Dordonoo urged government to seriously channel its focus to resolve the energy crisis, to help keep companies in business.


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Imagine a mountain, the type of thing that you might go skiing on in the winter. Now picture yourself running up and down said mountain for nine miles and just for kicks why don't you throw in some really sadistic obstacles? Things like fire and mud and just to make it more fun why not throw in some live wires? Yeah, live wires. You know just string them over that mud pit there so that you'll get zapped as you're trying to get across to the other side. We'll call it the electric eel. What's that you say? You'd like a dumpster full of ice cubes to jump into as well? Done. Congratulations you've just entered the world of the Tough Mudder, an event so intense that in order to compete you must sign a waiver releasing the planners from liability should you happen to die somewhere along the course. SLIDESHOW: ONE TOUGH MUDDER
Let me be clear, this event is a sports photographer's paradise. The mud alone would be enough to combat every extra inning baseball game you've ever shot (what's that you say, 17 innings and not a single good picture?) but then throw in the ice cubes, the fire, the electrified wires, and a bunch of contestants so focused on getting through the thing that they have no idea you're even there and well… you get the point.
You might assume that a photographer on her way to cover such an event would think to bring some sort of suitable covering for her equipment. I would love to tell you that I busted out the expensive rain covers for my cameras and wrapped them up lovingly, keeping a microfiber cleaning cloth in my pocket to quickly wipe away any debris that got on my lens. But that would be a lie. I carried three cameras with me and threw caution to the muddy, muddy wind.
The first obstacle is the one the Tough Mudder calls the "Arctic Enema" the competitors run straight up the mountain and then come back down to jump into dumpsters filled with ice cubes. Since there were no PR people to stop me from doing so (did I mention that there are no PR people telling you what not to do in photographic paradise?) I climbed up on the edge of the dumpster to shoot the competitors as they jumped in and swam towards me to get out. The reactions ranged from those who screamed to those who laughed and of course those who swore. It goes without saying that I got soaked, but I managed to keep one patch of my t-shirt dry so that I could wipe water off the lens every few minutes.
Since the race went off in three heats it was hard to decide where to go next. When I arrived to get my credentials in the morning I was given a trail map of the mountain marked with each obstacle and told that I could walk anywhere I wanted to on the course. It was obvious that there were some obstacles on the nine mile course that I was going to have to give up on seeing because they were just too far out of the way. I picked out the ones that sounded good and tried to make a rough plan of attack figuring on when the heats might end up at each obstacle.
With this in mind I hiked up to the "Electric Eel" next to get the first competitors as they jumped into the pool of mud making their way under strings of electrified wires. Getting down low and shooting with a 300mm lens I was able to focus on the splash of muddy beads of water that went up around the people as they tried to get through. Each competitor had a different strategy of getting past the live wires. Some would hesitantly pick their way through the wires while others opted to swim hard and fast to get out of there as quickly as possible. The fast people were the ones who I kept an eye out for to make the tight splash photos and the slow and meticulous ones were better for the wide reaction shots from the side again getting low and trying to get as close as possible without getting the camera wet.
The day went on like this, from one photogenic obstacle to the next I shot people in all sorts of precarious and awesome visual situations. As I hiked from one obstacle to another spectators would make comments about how tough it must be to "carry all of that camera gear", while this is a remark I often hear at sporting events it seemed particularly insane in contrast to the people that they had come to watch. Running up the side of a mountain with wet shoes, pulling themselves by their arms and legs over ropes strung out over the water, and signing death waivers all seems far more impressive than schlepping around a few cameras.
All day I had been trying to illustrate in photographs the toughness that it takes to get through this course and the toll that it takes on the people who participate in it. For some reason the spectators made me realize how much I kind of wanted to partake in this event myself. Although the live wires are a bit of a turn off, there's something about conquering a mountain that is rather appealing. It is possible that next year I'll be diving into a vat of ice, but then again maybe that's just the mud talking.


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How Much Does America REALLY Know About Germany?
Germans think Americans know nothing about Germany and nothing about the German language, but not only is it not true, it's possible to learn something about Germany and German from Americans. I recently learned what "Ich habe genug" means. I learned it from Maira Kalman, the great artist, who has a brilliant blog on New York Times website that consists only of paintings with captions.
I always thought, like Maira Kalman, that it means "I've had it up to here." In fact, Germans today think it means that and use it like that. But it doesn't. Or at least not always. Or at least it didn't in the 17th century. Read her blog: http://kalman.blogs.nytimes.com/


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F.lli Barzon Hydraulics has been established in 1960 as turning company, and today it relies upon an over-1500 sqm production site. The company know-how, strongly oriented to customer satisfaction, is expressed in the production ofcarbon and stainless steel hose fittings and special turned parts manufactured in compliance with third party projects.
F.lli Barzon Hydraulics carries out CNC turning and milling of hydraulic fittings sized up to 12″, develops prototypes, and industrializes its products.
F.lli Barzon wide machine inventory includes:
- no. 3 multi-spindle lathes
- no. 7 4-/6-/8-axis lathes
- no. 2 18-axis CNC lathes with sliding headstock
- no. 2 CNC operation centres
Company production includes:
- Hose hydraulic fittings sized from 1/4″ to 12″
- Special parts based on drawings
-Carbon and stainless steel adapters sized from 1/4″ to 4″
- SAE 3000 and 6000 flanges, sized from 1/2″ to 3″, moulded, blocks
- Precision turned parts
- Second-operation machining
At F.lli Barzon Hydraulics, the following materials are processed:
- Alloy steels and steels intended for high speed machining
- Stainless steels (AISI 303, 304, 316, etc.)
- Brass
Thanks to several investments in technology, such as digital data collection at quality control and production step control stages, just to quote the latest one, Fratelli Barzon Hydraulics has been working for several years as OE supplier and today has brought its products at an unrivalled quality level.
Company CNC machine department manufactures standard, special and drawing-based hydraulic fittings made of carbon and stainless steel featuring DIN, SAE, BSP, JIC, ORFS, NPT and NPTF threads and flanges. Production range includes diameters up to 350, in high volumes.
F.lli Barzon Hydraulics deals with marketing of hydraulic components and accessories; valves, quick couplings, gaskets, distributors, pumps, filters, cylinders, mini control units, and many other items, always on stock.
F.lli Barzon Hydraulics, which has been on the Italian market for years, today exports to Europe and the Mediterranean region thanks to a profitable internationalization project.
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Lance Reed is forced by a psychotic stranger to confront his duplicitous past. Seeking retribution for a crime, the man forces Lance to reveal his inner most secrets by systematically removing his limbs.
Director: Trent Haaga
Cast: Will Keenan, Timothy Muskatell, Chad Ferrin
USA 2011 79 min.
PAL Region 2
Language: English
Subtitles: Dutch
Screenformat: 16/9 - 1.78:1
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0
No additional info
You could also be interested in the following products :


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At a glanceThe Bright Starts Comfort and Harmony Bouncing Cradle is suitable from birth, and offers a comfortable, generously-sized seat with two recline positions.
Features and benefits for Bright Starts Comfort and Harmony Bouncer - Sandstone
- 2 recline positions
- 7 melodies with volume control
- Vibrating function
- Removable toy bar with two plush toys
- Removable head support pillow and bolster insert, with padded foot area
- Machine washable seat pad
- Requires 3 x C batteries
- Suitable from birth
Requires 3 x C batteries (not included)
With two comfort recline positions and a generous sized seat, the beautifully comfortable Comfort and Harmony Bouncing Cradle will soothe and calm your little one.
The Bouncer has several different functions: the bouncing motion along with the removable toy bar and two soft toys will keep baby entertained, whilst the vibration mode will soothe them. There are also seven different melodies to listen to and the volume can be turned down when baby is sleepy.
The Bright Starts cradling bouncer has been designed with comfort at every touch point. There is a head support that can be removed as the child grows and a cushioned foot area. Soft plush fabrics are used and embroidery detailing adds the finishing touches to this gorgeous bouncer.
Don't Forget...
A cosy blanket can be just the thing to help soothe your little one to sleep in their bouncer. Mothercare has a gorgeous selection that are the perfect size for this or for use in the car seat and pushchair whilst out and about.
Fabric composition: 100% Polyester
Safety warning: Warning - Do not use the reclined cradle once your child can sit unaided.Warning - This reclined cradle is not intended for prolonged periods of sleeping
What's in the box
- 1 x Frame
- 1 x Seat pad
- 1 x Toy Bar
- 1 x Music and Vibe Unit


text: Hi all. I have a great investment opportunity for someone who is looking to do a 1031 Exchange, purchase a multi-unit income producing property, purchase a river front vacation property that produces income or even a potential flip. I have a very unique river front multi-unit multi-parcel property on Hwy 116 that you or someone you know may be interested in. It belongs to a long time friend of my family who has lived there for 30+ years and is now selling it. It pretty much pays for itself and would be a great investment for someone who wanted to live in one unit and rent out the others, rent some of the units and use one as a vacation home or AirBNB or rent out all the units. Let me know if you or someone you know is interested and I can schedule a showing! Here is a link to the details with pics and a drone video. My number is (925) 577-8692


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text: Horrific Moment Robber Stamps On Man's Head During Attack Please Share Facebook Twitter Google+ EmailEmbedCopy and paste this HTML code into your webpage to embed. This is the shocking moment a shopkeeper was beaten unconscious by a masked robber who stamped repeatedly on his head. Horrific moment robber stamps on mans head during attack. What do you think of this post?Interesting (2)Sucks (0)Boring (0)Useful (0)Awesome (0) LAW and ORDER January 6, 2017 CCTV, Crime No Comments Tags:attack, robber


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We've been on our travels again, this time visiting clothing brand dhb who have some bright, distinctive clothing coming for the summer in their Blok range plus high-end Goldline kit that's about as understated as it gets.
The new Blok designs feature neon graphics and are inspired by jockey racing silks. You're probably going to either love them or hate them, we're guessing.
The main picture (above), for example, is the dhb Blok Jack Jockey Short Sleeve Jersey and, as you can see, it's based on a Union Jack design. It's a polyester top with an anti-bacterial finish and a full-length YKK zip. The list price is £49.99 although you can pre-order for £44.99 on the Wiggle website at the moment. The range will ship next month.
This one is the women's version of the Blok Southern Criss Cross – DHB sell a lot Down Under too. A men's version is available too. The prices are the same across the range for both men's and women's jerseys: £49.99, currently reduced to £44.99.
Arm warmers are available to match all four jerseys in the range. This is the dhb Blok Big Punkt design. The arm warmers are priced at £18.99, currently reduced to £17.09 a pair.
The Blok range also includes legwear with neon accents designed to go with all of the jerseys, in both men's and women's versions. The bib shorts, which feature CyTech Elastic Interface seatpads, are priced at £59.99 (currently reduced to £53.99) while the bib tights use the same pads and are £69.99 (currently reduced to £62.99). The tights are made from the same Action 205 Lycra as the shorts, so they're not a winter weight.
dhb now organise most of their clothing into their Active, Performance and Professional lineups. The Active clothing is the most accessible in terms of price while the Professional clothing is for those who make higher demands: slimmer cuts, more technical fabrics, and so on. On top of that, dhb are offering a Goldline jersey and shorts in both men's and women's versions. Goldline is their highest spec, the women's versions being used by the Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling team.
The slim-fitting jersey (£69.99) is made from five different Italian fabrics and has a whole load of different features. It comes with bonded (rather than sewn) seams at the back, for example, the idea being to reduce bulk and friction, and you get mesh panels at the centre rear and underneath the arms for extra ventilation. The cuffs are seamless mesh and the rear pockets are laser cut. dhb claim a weight of just 133g for the medium sized version, so this is very much a lightweight summer option.
The Goldline bib shorts (£89.99) come with a CyTech Elastic Interface Comp HP chamois that's designed to keep you comfortable for more than six hours in the saddle. Again, these are made from Italian performance fabrics and they have flatlock seams, bonded bib straps and a mesh stretch back panel.
If you are still after winter kit, the 2.5 layer Cosmo Waterproof jacket (£59.99, currently reduced to £53.99) looks like a good option (we have one in for review here at road.cc at the moment but we're nowhere near publishing our findings yet). It has a waterproof rating of 20,000mm (that's high, if you don't speak the lingo) and a breathability rating of 30,000g/m2/24hr (so's that). It's slim fitting, has 3M Scotchlite reflective details, and is available in men's and women's versions, both in various colours.
The dhb Vaeon Roubaix Pro Padded Bib Tights are currently £71.99 (list price £79.99, men's and women's versions are available). They're made from a fleecy, elastic Lombardia fabric and the seatpad, usually the most crucial feature, is the Tour model from Cytech – and Cytech really do know how to make a good seatpad. If you're not into the red panels shown, you can get white or grey instead. Some size/colour combos aren't available at the moment although you can order them.
dhb also have a whole new hi-viz road range called Flashlight on the way. It's aimed specifically at commuters and winter trainers, and it'll be launched in the spring. We've seen a few of the items but we don't have any photos to show you yet.
The Flashlight clothing and features 3M reflective trims to provide 360° visibility. You won't be surprised to learn that it'll be priced to compete with Altura's Night Vision range with jackets from £59.99, jerseys from £34.99 and shorts from £34.99 too. Tights will start at £44.99. We'll give you pics as soon as we get them.
For details on the whole range head over to www.wiggle.co.uk.
Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now pushing 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.


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RoboCaller Spoofed My Cell, Now Angry People Call Me Nonstop
Rodger is screwed. A telephonic bot is using his cellphone number as the caller ID as it spam calls thousands of people. It's probably a scam, too, because the message it leaves tells people that if they've had their credit card canceled recently, to press "1" and then enter their credit card number. Rodger knows exactly the message that's left because loads of these people are angrily calling back his cellphone.
UPDATE: Took Matter Into Own Hands After RoboCaller Spoofed Cell
UPDATE: AT&T says they are tracking down the exchange where the robospam calls are coming from and trying to put a stop to them.
Rodger writes,
"Hundreds of people are being called, apparently from my phone number, and they are being told that their credit or debit card was cancelled and to press "1" and enter their credit card number. The problem for me is that many of these people are calling me to see what is going on and it is getting quite bothersome. Can you give me some advice as to how I can get this to stop? Can you assist in making this go away?
It started at 10am Sunday morning when all the calls were going to the 734 area code and today they are all going to the 402 area code. In between a few to 248 and 770. Many of these potential victims are calling me and I want it to stop. As a result, I am being victimized myself.
The cell number that shows up in their caller ID is mine: XXX-400-XXXX and it appears that this scam is only calling cellphone numbers. I sell AS/400's, my number is perfect."
The only thing we can Rodger can do is change is his number. He is loathe to do it because it's a marketing tool for his server-selling service. We asked his provider, AT&T, if they have any ideas but haven't heard back yet.
It's a really stinky situation Maybe there's another number out there he could try that is good for marketing? And just send out an email to all your clients notifying them about the change? It's a shame though because in this economy who wants to lose out on potential business because you're forced to change your phone number by a bunch of scambots?
Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.


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How to choose a SAN switch for SMBs
Storage environments in SMBs can range from a few servers and a couple of terabytes, to hundreds of servers and hundreds of terabytes. In this tip, Greg Schulz discusses some of the features to look for in a SAN switch in iSCSI, FCl, FCoE or InfiniBand-based SANs environments.
Storage environments in small to midsized businesses (SMBs) can range from a few servers and a couple of terabytes, to hundreds of servers and hundreds of terabytes. Entry-level storage area networks (SANs) can be built using iSCSI and general-purpose Ethernet technology.
Larger storage environments can leverage Fibre Channel. Or, in the future, they can use Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), combined with Data Center Ethernet (DCE), which is what Cisco Systems calls premium, low-latency, lossless Converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE).
With all of these options, what are some other features to look for in a SAN switch, regardless of if it is for iSCSI, FCl, FCoE or even InfiniBand-based SANs for SMB environments?
Scalability means many different things, from performance to availability to the number and type of ports and protocols supported. For example, Ethernet switches can have 10/100 Mb, 1 GbE or 10 GbE ports. They can be fixed or flexible to use different types of transceivers, including copper or optical, as well as uplink ports for attachment to backbone network switches. In a Fibre Channel SAN environment, this would be called a trunk or Inter-Switch Link (ISL). For Fibre Channel switches, the ports most likely will be 2 Gb, 4 Gb or 8 Gb.
Reliability, availability and serviceability
Things to look for in a SAN switch include redundant power supplies and cooling fans for applications where high availability is required. You also want to be able to update firmware or software on-the-fly (non-disruptive code load), as well as the ability to activate those changes on-the-fly (non-disruptive code activation).
For larger SAN switches, modularity can mean the ability to add new switch blades or line cards with more ports either disruptively or non-disruptively for expansion purposes. Management tools, including diagnostics and interfaces with popular SNMP or SMI-S protocols, help with problem notification, determination and resolution.
SAN switch security and management tools
From a management and security standpoint, items to look for when considering different SAN switches for SMB environments include ease-of-use features such as non-disruptive upgrades of software or maintenance updates, as well as integration with existing management tools.
Security tools and features to look for include integration with RADIUS for authentication of management functions, as well as for access to secured switch ports. Another item to look for is N_Port ID virtualization support, which is useful in VMware and other server consolidation environments to create a unique Fibre Channel World Wide Port Name (WWPN) on a shared physical adapter.
There are many different packaging, associated pricing and physical environmental considerations for SAN switches. There are desktop and rackmount switches, as well as blade switches. What type of packaging is best depends on your needs and other requirements.
SAN switch pricing
Trying to compare switches on a price-per-port basis can lead to an Advil-sized headache, given the various types of ports, copper, optical, long range or short range, speed and functionality, performance, and packaging. Some switches will be more expensive on a per-port basis based on performance, protocols and other features. For example, not surprisingly, a 1 GbE switch should be much cheaper on a per-port basis than 4 Gb or 8 Gb Fibre Channel switch, as well as a 10 GbE switch, however, the performance per port will also differ.
Ethernet ports are generally seen as less expensive than Fibre Channel ports; there are some surprises between 8 Gb Fibre Channel and 10 GbE. For example, Hewlett-Packard has a starter kit that contains four 8 Gb Fibre Channel PCIe adapters, optical transceivers, cabling and an eight-port 8 Gb Fibre Channel switch. This kits costs less than $9,000, whereas 10 GbE single-port adapters with optical transceivers are in the $800 to $1,000 range at venues like CDW.
About this author: Greg Schulz is founder of the StorageIO Group and author of the books "Resilient Storage Networks — Designing Flexible Scalable Data Infrastructures" and "The Green and Virtual Data Center".
For more information about SAN switches, read Chapters 4, 5, 6 and 9 of "Resilient Storage Networks – Designing Flexible Scalable Data Infrastructures," as well as Chapter 9 of "The Green and Virtual Data Center."


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Alumni & Community Users
Members of the community who are not affiliated with UA Little Rock may apply for limited library privileges and the library encourages alumni and community users to visit and use the resources at the library.
K-12 School Visitors
Ottenheimer Library welcomes visits from local schools to use research databases and other materials. Please contact the library for further information.
Traveler Databases
Arkansas residents have free access to databases provided by the Arkansas State Library project. (This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.)


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OMGI rebrands Chinese equity offering
Old Mutual Global Investors (OMGI) has announced that its USD66.5m Old Mutual Greater China Equity Fund will become the Old Mutual China Equity Fund as of 20 November 2015, subject to regulatory approval.
Going forward, the Fund, which is a sub-fund of the Old Mutual Global Investors Series plc, will have flexibility to focus more on equities related to mainland China, with the specific requirement that there must be a minimum exposure to Taiwan removed.
Hong Kong based fund manager Diamond Lee (pictured), who managed the fund since January 2015, comments: "Following this modification to the fund, I will have more flexibility to allocate investments across China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. I hope to add more value for clients by having greater freedom to focus on China, whose importance is only likely to rise in the long term."
Moreover, the benchmark index used for referencing long term performance will change from the MSCI Golden Dragon Index to the MSCI Zhong Hua 10/40 Index.


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Saturday, October 23rd is approaching, and with it four — count 'em — four Canadian Skepticamps, to be held in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Ottawa, and Toronto. It's an unprecedented phenomenon, etched in the heavens and foretold by Nostradamus.
For those whose dowsing rods point toward the acknowledged centre of the universe, I wanted to provide a preview of what you can expect from the day. Simply put, it's going to be awesome. If these four events were humours, then Toronto's would clearly be Blood — sanguine, courageous, hopeful, amorous, and centered on the liver. If you live in other cities, I pity your unfortunate phelgmaticism.
Skeptic North contributors are well represented, taking five of the nine speaking slots. Michael Kruse will speak on naturopathy, and Scott Gavura will provide a consumer's guide to natural health products. Steve Thoms will talk about skeptical activism, I'll talk about magical thinking, and Jeff Orchard will win the prize for best topic idea with "It's not enough to just be right. Can we overcome the irrational pitfalls of human psychology? Maybe, maybe not. I say, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."
The event also features some of the leading lights in the Toronto skeptical community. Conspiracy Skeptic Karl Mamer will talk about, well, conspiracies, and Toronto attorney Michael MacKay will give us an overview of libel law on the internet as it relates to skepticism. Finally, two of our friends from CASS — Behzad Elahi and Iain Martel — will show us how to make sense of medical literature and discuss the philosophical challenge of falsifiability in science and pseudoscience.
This jam-packed agenda has been organized by skeptical stalwart Richard Murray, and will be hosted at the Centre for Inquiry, which has generously provided a home for the event. We expect the day to be interactive, so come armed with questions and be prepared to be challenged!
Skepticamp Toronto
When: Saturady October 23rd, 12-5 pm. Drinks to follow.
Where: in the Library of CFI Toronto, 216 Beverley Street
Registration: do it now online
Questions: email@example.com


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Amazon Apologizes for Kindle '1984' Boondoggle
Amazon's Jeff Bezos apologized Thursday to those hurt most by Amazon Kindle '1984' flap: the company's customers.
Gawker, among others, discovered this post from Bezos in Amazon's Kindle Community.
"This is an apology for the way we previously handled illegally sold copies of 1984 and other novels on Kindle," Bezos wrote. "Our 'solution' to the problem was stupid, thoughtless, and painfully out of line with our principles. It is wholly self-inflicted, and we deserve the criticism we've received. We will use the scar tissue from this painful mistake to help make better decisions going forward, ones that match our mission."
Bezos signed the missive, "with deep apology to our customers" and then his name and title.
Amazon was originally found to be deleting certain books from George Orwell off of its Web site, and by extension, off of customer Kindles. Amazon later claimed that the e-book vendor itself did not have rights to the book, and Amazon was within its terms of service to delete the books from the Kindles. But Amazon later apologized, saying it would not remotely delete e-books in case of a repeat incident.
In related Kindle news, analysts asked Amazon chief financial officer Thomas J. Szkutak about the possibility for an international Kindle launch during this week's earnings call. "In terms of Kindle international, it's certainly an opportunity," according to a transcript provided by SeekingAlpha.com. "Customers have certainly expressed an interest and we have a long-standing practice of not talking about what we might do, but certainly it's clearly an opportunity."
This post originally appeared on AppScout.


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This 2019, a number of scholarships are University of Wisconsin–Madison, USA, for candidates who wish to study in the United States of America. The University is offering fully funded fellowships to international students to cover 54 courses of study. Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for this program.
The University of Wisconsin–Madison (also known as University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, or regionally as UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States.
Founded when Wisconsin achieved statehood in 1848, UW–Madison is the official state university of Wisconsin, and the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System.
Scholarship Value: The student researcher receives $3,000, and faculty/staff research advisor receives $1,000 to help offset research costs (e.g., supplies, faculty or student travel related to the project).
The stipend can be declined if it is not needed to support the student's research. Declined stipends would be pooled to offer additional Hilldale Fellowships at University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Application: Qualified candidates are to apply by email with the following documents.
- An abstract of the proposed research (200 words or less, may be single-spaced)
- Introduction and literature review, detailing the originality and significance of the proposed project
- Methods section, describing plans for data collection and analysis
- Timeline for completion of project
- Conclusion/future directions
- References (may be single-spaced)
Application Deadline: The application deadline is February 2019. Apply direct to the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Email: email@example.com.


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The original headline said: "Friends, we hear you and we know that the body-text font size in the new design is too small and it will be fixed very soon (tmatt said, writing this in a headline so that the text will be large enough for all of you to read, wink, wink)." I removed it to make the "recent posts" feature shorter, etc. etc. So now we begin the text of the post with: OK, OK.
Please consider this an open thread for further comments and advice on the new GetReligion design. Leave your comments here and, if you wish, repeat comments that you have sent us in private emails.
Almost all of you have been very positive about the new look and we thank you. It is here to stay.
We also hope, with the new logo, to have a CafePress shop up for GetReligion swag and, who knows, maybe other stuff in the future. Look CafePress over and tell us what you'd like. No, readers on the left, we will not consider a GetReligion thong. An official line of M.Z. Hemingway baby items is another matter.
So let us know what you think about the new look, but be kind. And you can also let us know people that you want us to interview with the 5Q+1 feature.
We're listening. Honest.
P.S. Yes, I know that the tops of the letters in the font in the monster headline on this post are touching the letters on the line of text above them. But hey, I broke every headline rule in the book to write that monster. We don't write two line heads. Things will be fine.
So there.