text:
THE SQL Server Blog Spot on the Web
Spring is a conferences' season and the upcoming one is no exception. I will be speaking at PASS Business Analytics Conference 2013, which will be the first event this year, so I'd like to spend a few words about my sessions.
PASS Business Analytics Conference 2013 April 10-12, 2013 | Chicago, IL – United States
This conference is targeted to Business Analytics professionals. Thus, I expect to meet both BI Developers, Excel Advanced Users, Data Analyst and, of course, the new Data Scientist role (if you have a business card with such a definition, please drop me one, so I can demonstrate to skeptic people that this figure actually exists!). I have two sessions:
Self-service business intelligence looks promising, empowering information workers to grab amazing insights from data. But are Excel 2013 and DAX language knowledge enough to analyze data? The answer in most cases is no – information workers will also need an ability to properly model their data and the skill to use some new tools to reshape data in the correct way. In this session, we will analyze some common problem scenarios where data analysis is difficult due to the shape of the model and see how to solve them.
In theory, I expect two different audiences at the two sessions, but I know that there will be people attending both, especially who provides tools to end users. I'd like to receive feedback about what you would expect to see in such sessions (regardless you will attend or not!), so that I check if I defined the correct expectations for the audience.
If you want to attend, register before March 15 in order to get a discounted price. You can also save $200 by using the code BAC228BL. See you in Chicago!
Great choice of topics! Wish I was going to the conference.
IMHO the modern DW strategy should start with self-service as a means of early validation of requirements and immediate business value. I still believe in the need for proper data management architectures, and think that industry models have matured and are still valid. The only real changes are the way requirements are managed thru self service and hence also the sequence of task execution. The target data management solution remains largely the same, with the addition of complimentary new technology. Your thoughts on what's still valid and what changes interests me.
Your second topic is even more interesting. I have trained many business users to use PowerPivot. The technology is easy to teach and to learn. However this is not the case for building rich analytical models. Typically this is not the dimensional modeler mindset, but for those who can apply these techniques, are equipped with super powers. For those who don't, they still benefit hugely, but more from a productivity perspective than better insight. Your insight into identify and correcting modeling challenges in the face of an Excel community that have acquired habits based on previous toolset limitations is what I would like to hear about. My experience has been that those who latch onto the idea that proper modeling will be most beneficial, have the most to gain ... Including how well this ties into your first topic as an efficient means of taking self service models back to the data management platform.
Best wishes with your sessions!
Thanks for the feedback!
I will try to write some article or blog post about the DWH topic - in short, the overall infrastructure does not change from a strategical point of view, but I see differences in the "last mile", because the shape of Data Mart might be different than what we have today. For self-service BI, using business keys is not an option and surrogate Keys might be not so useful if not confusing. This is not a good reason to avoid star schema and surrogate Keys, but the point is how to expose this data to data analysts.
I know this is just a small slice of the overall discussion, but it is the interesting one providing data to self-service BI environments.
About self-service data modelings, I think that is like you said: "a good data warehouse is still the best starting point for any kind of analysis". You can use the data warehouse pre-modeled to drop some data into a Power Pivot and make your own analysis.
About this conference, I'm hoping that news about native mobile BI from MS. Mobile platforms has been forgotten and put aside from Microsoft. The world is claiming for freedom provided by mobile devices.


text:
LowellArts Exhibition: Livin' is Easy at LowellArts
A collection of colorful paintings and drawings by six Michigan artists will make up a summertime exhibition at LowellArts titled Livin' is Easy. Artists will include: Justin Bernhardt, Lisa Mull, Kerry Rolewisz, Craig Cossey, Mariel Versluis, and Olivia Timmons. The subject of the pieces range from depictions of beautifully weathered objects, local Michigan waterways, animal and aquatic life forms to whimsical figurative work. Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.lowellartsmi.org
Saturday, 03 August, 2019
Other Dates For This Event:
Phone: 6168978545
Website: Click to Visit
Save this Event:iCalendar
Google Calendar
Yahoo! Calendar
Windows Live Calendar
Share this Event:Email to a Friend

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Bus Route Status: Normal Service (All Buses Are On Schedule) Navigation Location: Home > About Coast RTA
Please fill out this form completely. Uncompleted forms will be discarded.
Fields marked with * are required.
The page you are sending to your friend is About Coast RTA
* This is a printer friendly version of the original page, made to save you ink and paper.


text:
Kids Accessories
Track and store the number and speed of pitched balls with manual and electronic counters. They're used by umpires, coaches, and spectators for team reporting and to keep kids from injuring arms. They're great for league play or impromptu games and are designed for accuracy and ease of use. Choose the standard style for basic counting and the memory model for advanced scouting and record keeping.


text:
|Whole Egg Leche Flan is very creamy!
My MIL usually sneaks into the kitchen to get a slice of this when we get together even before dinner is served on some special occasions. "It kinda grows on you," she said. (Her initial acceptance was mild, now she's kinda addicted to it, so whenever I get lots of fresh eggs from them, I make one for them.)
Some think that egg whites prevent the leche flan from turning very creamy. This is still creamy, and the outcome has a lot to do with the technique in preparation. I do it slow and low (long, 1-hr baking in a water bath on low temp of 295 deg F). Some think using the strainer is the best way to make it smooth. I (the radical me) have made use of the pulse setting of a blender (short bursts only) to make a homogenous mixture with minimal waste (Have you tried using the strainer for this purpose? Then you know how hard it is to push the eggwhite through the mesh, and how hard it is to clean it up later). I like this reecipe not only because it tastes so good in my opinion (I got the recipe from Milkmaid label sometime when I was still in high school), but also it does not make me crazy trying to figure out what to do with the egg whites (like the recipe using egg yolks only). And more importantly, egg white is mainly protein, and egg yolk is mostly cholesterol. So, I really do not want to waste protein and make the egg flan cholesterol-laden, when I can have very rich-tasting leche flan this way (any of my friends who have tasted this can attest to that. In fact, whenever we get together and they see a leche flan on the table, they blurt out "Yehey! Pinagdasal ko yan na gumawa ka ng leche flan. Buti gumawa ka!" I have tasted the yolk-only flan, and to me, it is just too rich, like the cheesecake that my SIL makes and I am not crazy about (nor is my husband, so I am not too motivated to make one). Hence, I have been making this for >20 yrs (steamed when I was in PI on moderate heat for 30 minutes covered with foil, now baked in water bath for 1 hr or so at 295 F).
UPDATE as of March 2008: I brought this as my contribution to a fund-raising activity we had at work, and according to my co-workers, many were asking who made this rich cheesecake-like dessert, and they were raving about it. It was such a big hit!
1/2 cup white sugar
4 whole eggs
1 can condensed milk (14-oz)
1 can evaporated milk (15-oz)
1 tsp vanilla (alternative: few drops of McCormick lemon extract essence)
(optional: 1 8-oz cream cheese + 1 additional egg for cheesecake-like flan)
NOTE: I prefer to use the oven, using water bath method.
1. Caramelize the sugar in an 8-inch round aluminum pan over low heat (#3 on my stove setting). You may swirl the pan around (use tongs to hold) or stir with a spoon once it starts to melt. It can easily scorch and will be bitter if that happens, so keep an eye on that (takes about 20-30 mins before it start melting, and I prefer a bit of bitterness like that of coffee).
UPDATE (11-21-08): You may want to try caramelizing sugar in the microwave. Place 1 cup of sugar in microwave-safe cup (Pyrex is ok) and add enough water (about 2-3 tbsp) to wet all of the sugar. Microwave for about 4-5 minutes, keep watching starting on the 4th minutes and wait until it turns into amber-colored liquid per your preference (if you want it lighter, stop earlier). Grab with gloves on (this is very hot!) and then pour into the pan that you are going to cook your flan in, whether small custard cups or 8-in round baking pan. (Make sure your pan sits on a towel or trivet to protect your tabletop/countertop. Quickly tilt to coat before it hardens. (Tip: You may want to let your pan sit on hot water so the caramel would not harden right away once it touches the pan.) See video below.
2. While still hot and fluid, swirl to distribute the caramel to the sides and bottom of the pan.
3. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool and let the caramel solidify.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the steamer (alternatively, you may use the oven, heated to 295 degrees).
5. Mix the rest of the ingredients while heating the steamer (or oven) using the pulse setting in a blender (push the pulse button for about 3 seconds 3 times or until the mixture appears homogenous). Avoid prolonging the blending such that it creates lots of bubbles.
6. When steamer (or oven) is ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan.
7. Cover with foil before placing in steamer (If using oven, place the pan uncovered into a larger pan with water such that water reaches about 1 inch up the sides of of the leche flan pan- aka water bath). Steam for 30 minutes on medium heat (or bake for about 1 hr at 295 deg F).
8. Check for doneness (I prefer wiggling it rather than using toothpick. If it wiggles at the center pretty much like jello, that is done for me. If it is too fluid, I steam/bake some more.).
9. Let cool before serving (I prefer it chilled for 3 days with foil cover before eating. My in-laws and husband prefer it fresh from the oven).
10. Run a knife around the edges of the flan. Invert onto a deep platter (or pan) to serve.
P.S. This and other recipes were featured in Hannaford fresh magazine (article on page 10) for the May-June 2007 issue, but they revised some of my recipes (probably because they deemed the revisions would cater better to their general readers).
UPDATE as of 4/2/09: Here's a comment from Anna of France (she made the comment under Custard Cake):
i tried your leche flan recipe,and its perfect recipe,leche flan using egg whites,napa wow talaga ako sa texture nya..so creamy, and you are right na super rich talga pag eggyolks lang..thank you atlast my recipe na ako sa leche flan na hindi ma waste ang whites.;
thank u so much for being so kind sharing recipes like this.


text:
50 Cent Speaks To Kendra G About People Saying He Took Ja Rule's Style By Singing In His Songs! (Doing What He Clowned On Ja For Doing) "Hes Trying To Hit High Notes"
Kendra G interview with 50 cent
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
Police report tops Purdy council agenda
August was a quiet month for officers with the Purdy Police Department, according to Purdy Police Chief Jackie Lowe in his September report to the Purdy City Council.
Lowe reported one serious matter regarding a registered sex offender who was allegedly following the Purdy cross country track team members during practice. He said the man's vehicle, a red Monte Carlo, was also spotted near the Purdy school and at Monett's South Park.
Officers continue to be alert for the man's presence near areas where youth tend to congregate. The matter is also under investigation by officers with the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
In other business, Ted McIntire, a public works employee, reported water efficiency was at 84 percent for the month of August. One leak was found and repaired and two others located.
City Clerk Debbie Redshaw told aldermen that a city resident had come in to advise her that he had turned his single-dwelling residence into a multi-family unit, with three separate dwellings. He asked if the city would install another two water meters so that each resident would be responsible for their own "portion" of the utilities.
Aldermen said that as the landlord of the multi-family dwellings, he was responsible for adding the meters, which would run about $300 each for cuts to the pavement and installation. It was the concensus of the council that as the landlord, he would also be responsible for three separate minimum water bills and three separate trash fees for the units.
In other business, aldermen:
* Approved initiating condemnation proceedings on a property on Gabby Gibbons Drive.
* Discussed the definition of "eyesore" and determined a legal clarification from the city attorney was needed.
* Approved purchase of tires for a city truck and backhoe at a cost of $1,640.
* Approved the cost of six trees for the city park at a cost of $1,300.
* Approved monthly expenditures in the amount of $24,366.13.
The next regular meeting of the Purdy City Council will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 11 at City Hall.


text:
Of course by "precious info" I mean that omgawd-I-need-to-save-that recipe, craft, or swoon worthy Tom Hardy image.
I don't know why this didn't dawn on me earlier, but this morning it hit me like a ton of bricks: Pinterest—as much as I love thee—is horrible at storing information. In my meager little hunt for a meatball entrée, I came across quite a few incorrectly pinned (a peeve for another time) recipes, as well as recipes where the link was dead. Which means, I'm stuck looking at delicious food images of entrées I'll never be able to recreate. Luckily >this gal!< is technically inclined and knew to look for the cached page. Score!
In an attempt to make life easier for others, I attempted to place the recipe itself as the description of the pin, however, you're limited to 500 characters. The recipe I wanted to save had 679, and no matter how I abbreviated and removed excess characters, it wasn't fitting.
After fighting the character limit for a few moments, I raised the white flag and opened up Evernote. I'm still an on-again/off-again Evernote user (though I have bookmarked Whitson's article on how to use Evernote correctly and give it a full go once again) so it's usually moments like this when I open it.
I do utilize an IFTTT recipe that auto-saves any pin I create in Pinterest to Evernote, but that's not going to solve any dead links.
If you're a Pinterest user, I implore you to check the links of the pins you're repinning. What you think you are pinning may be spam, linked incorrectly (e.g., it links to the main page, not the article the pin references), or bring you to a 404, aka a "ha ha it's no longer here!" page. Go to the source and save important items elsewhere (Evernote, for example). Delete broken links. One day, when you're in a crafty mood, you'll thank me.


text:
When: 2006-11-25
Collection location: Whitethorn, California, USA [Click for map]
I was asked to teach a class as part of the Sanctuary Forest hikes and docent training program. Overall it was very poor collecting in the Briceland area this year. I believe the reason was an early cold snap which shutdown most of the mycorhizal species. This list are species that were brought to the class for identification. There is a separate list for specimens actually found in the Sanctuary Forest.
Species Lists
Created: 2006-11-29 00:44:10 CST (-0500)
Last modified: 2006-11-29 00:44:10 CST (-0500)
Viewed: 29 times, last viewed: 2020-06-06 23:19:32 CDT (-0400)


text:
- Vote Count : 224
- Status : Released
- Film Note : -movie_rating-
- Youtube Id : -youtube_id-
- Original title : Homefront
- Tagline : How far would you go to protect your home?
- Release Date of film : 2013-11-27
- Societies of production : Open Road Films
- Languages spoken : English
- Duration of movie : 100
- Movie Genre : Action, Thriller,
- Average rate : 6.7
- Jason Statham Character (Phil Broker)
- James Franco Character (Gator)
- Winona Ryder Character (Sheryl Mott)
- Rachelle Lefevre Character (Susan Hatch)
- Kate Bosworth Character (Cassie Bodine)
- Clancy Brown Character (Sheriff Keith Rodrigue)
- Frank Grillo Character (Cyrus Hanks)
- Christa Campbell Character (Lydia)
- Omar Benson Miller Character (Tito)
- Nicole Andrews Character (Ms. Etherby)
- Celeste Star Character (Michelle (biker chick))
- Stephanie Grote Character (Dancer)
- Amin Joseph Character (Senior Agent)
- Joe Chrest Character (DEA Agent)
- Izabela Vidovic Character (Maddy)
Homefront Synopsis:
Homefront Watch free streaming full HD movies without downloading, Watch Homefront Full movie online streaming free and fun and satisfying Homefront Free Movie Stream only here Today, we can see that hundreds thousands of people looking for free Homefront and watch it on their sweat house with internet connection. Happy, you can reach hundreds of thousands of satisfied members who became tired of waiting for DVDs in the mail or pay for download, and now you can watch for free Homefront Film, get some free new movie online free watch and download new movie new releases and the hottest classics on our site with HD quality. It's fast. It's easy. And best of all, it is free to try
... Download Homefront Movie Online Megashare ...
Gary Fleder Job as : Director, Sylvester Stallone Job as : Screenplay, Chuck Logan Job as : Novel, Sylvester Stallone Job as : Producer, Les Weldon Job as : Producer, John Thompson Job as : Producer, Kevin King-Templeton Job as : Producer, Barbara Fiorentino Job as : Casting, Kelli Jones Job as : Costume Design, Theo van de Sande Job as : Director of Photography, Mark Isham Job as : Original Music Composer,
Yes, now you can Watch Homefront Full Movie Online Streaming and get the link to Homefront Full Movie Online Streaming In HD Ici


text: Hi, Anyone using Citrix EdgeSight? Reviews? This communication is intended for the use of the recipient to which it is addressed, and may contain confidential, personal and or privileged information. Please contact us immediately if you are not the intended recipient. Do not copy, distribute or take action relying on it. Any communication received in error, or subsequent reply, should be deleted or destroyed.


text:
popularity of animation
3D 84 Mall Adventure Time Animation Animation Flim best animated movies best animated movies in 2018 best virtual reality games Cosmos Laundromat film Force of the Will Games GIF Animator Inside Out Intro Simpsons Juton League of Legends Little Nightmares Minions Pixar Pokemon Generations Presentation short film Smite Stop Motion Strange Magic Taking Flight Teaser The Absence of Eddy Table The art The Boy and The Beast The Dam Keeper The Good Dinosaur The Legend of Zelda Trailer videogame virtual reality games William Dube Zootopia and Moana Плей игрок клуб личной мобильный официальный
Increasing popularity of animation
Animation is a challenging method of creating a series of static images that minimally differ from each other. From previous times to this new generation, animation has always been an important part of television. Remember your favorite cartoon shows of childhood. The skill of animation was something that drove you towards them. Animation has now become an important part of our lives. From kids to budding youngsters, you can see everyone enjoying animated cartoons and movies, as they are funny and entertaining. Visit here http://generationguy.com/ to know more like this article.


text:
In this tutorial the Guru discusses the basis of working with the various synthesis sections in Harmor.
Image-Line customer can download the Charles Deluxe project used in this tutorial below.
Download the Charles Deluxe Harmor Demo Project here. Note: You need FL Studio 10.0.8 or later to run this project, get it here. This tutorial provides an overview of the various sections of Harmor and some of the not-so-obvious but powerful features.
Check the manual and see the development & demo videos at YouTube.
Pricing: Introductory price $99 and will revert to $149 on October 1, after the sale. Get in quick!
Thanks to Charles Deluxe for the demo project.
SoundCloud - http://soundcloud.com/charlesdeluxe
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/chrdeluxe
Formats: FL Studio Native (requires FL Studio 10.0.8 update) and VSTi.


text: Initially launched in 2008 as a collection of women's fashion tops, New York-based Parker clothing has quickly gained popularity for its unique, sophisticated aesthetic and effortless day-to- night pieces. Today, the label offers a full line of women's apparel, riffing on the classics and producing flattering, modern silhouettes. Pairing audacity with tradition to create fun, hip pieces that are always fresh and on-trend, Parker clothing is the definition of edgy elegance.


text:
France Is Hard: French Rapper "Booba" Throws A Bottle Of Jack Daniels At Some Dude In The Crowd!
Corentin reports "watch at the 2:00 mark This weekend in Paris, France was the Urban Peace Show. Rapstar Booba got beef with the public. At 2:00 Booba says "Hold on Turn it off..You want a bottle of Jack in your head or what??! .. Son of a b*tch" then throw the bottle! ahah Shit is funny!"
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
|Image Used With Permission Under a
Creative Commons License Agreement
Figuratively, walking in the shoes of someone else can be a learning experience. It's difficult to REALLY do it, of course. But if you're lucky you might have an opportunity to do it. An opportunity like I had during the Fall 2014 semester.
For about six weeks, I was asked to take on some of the responsibilities of the communications director in my school district. Our previous director resigned, and the process to hire a new person began. In the interim, communications processes needed to continue. I was happy to help.
During that relatively brief period of time, I learned a few things directly dealing with communications and public relations. But I learned a much larger life lesson. Something I sort of knew in theory, but which has been solidified in my mind through experience. And it's a lesson I hope to be always mindful of going forward.
The lesson?
No matter how much we think we know about what someone does, we really only know bits and pieces of what they do based on our points of interaction with them.
There's a corollary to the lesson, too.
When we judge a person's actions/performance, we base our conclusions on a relatively small amount of information.
These lessons probably don't sound very profound. I need to find ways to word them better. But perhaps some examples will help clarify what I learned, and give you some food for thought as well.
How often have you found yourself in the following situations, or similar ones?
- A child is misbehaving in a public place, and the parent isn't dealing with it the way you think they should. You find yourself thinking, "What is wrong with them? If that were my kid, I'd ___________."
- An issue comes up in your school, and an administrator addresses it in a way that makes no sense to you. You find yourself thinking, "That was crazy! That administrator should have _________."
- You've had multiple conferences with a parent over concerns about their child, but no matter what you agree on, the parent doesn't follow through with what they said they'd do and the situation doesn't improve for the child. You find yourself thinking, "What a shame. That parent doesn't care about their child."
I could go on, but I think you get the gist by now. As I dealt with communications responsibilities and issues, things which I had wondered about as an observer of the public relations and communications in our district became more understandable. I also became aware of responsibilities that I didn't even know fell under the purview of the department.
When we deal with students, parents, colleagues, administrators, or people in the checkout line at the store, we are getting a "tip-of-the-iceberg" glimpse at their lives. Even if we interact with people on a consistent basis over a long period of time, we never have a full picture of the journey they are making. What other concerns they are working on besides the ones we might bring to them. How something else in their sphere of life might take precedence over something we feel is of utmost importance.
And so, going forward, when I catch myself thinking, "If I were __________, I'd sure be doing _________ instead of ___________," or something similar, I'm going to try and follow it up with, "But I know I don't know all of the factors involved. And I also know they have different experience to bring to the situation. It will be interesting to see how this turns out."
I'm hoping an attitude like this will lead to less stress (i.e. less worry about things that are not under my influence or control) and more compassion for those around me.
All original work in this post by Sandy Kendell is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Please see specifics on my re-use policy in the right-hand column of my blog before re-posting/re-using any of my blog content.


text:
Life & Culture Newsletter
Latest news and features on arts & entertainment, sports, travel, food & wine and more.
The Morning Tipoff
A daily roundup of the top sports headlines and analysis, plus, features and video.
Real Estate
From aspirational residences to major commercial deals.
On Wine
ay McInerney and Lettie Teague provide incisive criticism and accessible advice on the world of wine.
Front Lines examines news and trends concerning women and how women's increased influence in business and politics is altering male-female relationships.
Sign up for Life Newsletters & Alerts


text:
Suresh then tells raja with a great deal of inconvenience he would land an administrative position and not clerk by and by for raja. Sowmya, her mom and saroja are listening to and feelssurprise and irritated. They are irate how suresh is not kidding about uniting raja with sowmya. They begin thinking truly thinking on the most proficient method to prevent suresh from indicating genuine enthusiasm on sowmya's issue.
The scene now moves to Prakash house.
Devathai 05-09-15,Devathai 05-09-2015 Sun Tv Serial Online,Devathai 05-09-15 Tamil Serial online,Devathai 05/09/2015 Today Episode Online,Devathai 05-09-15 05th September 2015,Watch Devathai 05-09-15 Sun Tv Serial Online,05-09-15 Devathai Watch Online,Devathai Serial September 2015 Of 05
© 2020 Tamil Serial Today - All rights reserved. Powered by Novavideo


text:
A Randomized Trial to Prevent Congenital Cytomegalovirus (CMV) (CMV)
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01376778
Recruitment Status : Active, not recruiting
First Posted : June 20, 2011
Last Update Posted : February 27, 2020
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a common virus that usually presents with few if any side effects. When first infected, some people may have symptoms similar to mononucleosis (i.e., fatigue, weakness, fever, swollen glands). Most people in the United States are infected during childhood or as adults if they work around children. Pregnant women, who have not been infected with CMV in the past and become infected during pregnancy (i.e. a primary infection), may cause their babies to get infected with CMV. Babies that are infected may develop permanent disabilities including hearing loss and a small portion will die from the infection.
Currently it is not routine practice to screen pregnant women for CMV infection. Additionally, there is no agreement about how to evaluate and manage pregnant women infected with CMV for the first time. There is also no evidence that treatment is beneficial for the baby.
The purpose of this research study is to determine whether treating pregnant women who have a primary CMV infection with CMV antibodies will reduce the number of babies infected with CMV.
|Condition or disease
|Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection Maternal Cytomegalovirus Infection
|Drug: CMV hyperimmune globulin Other: Placebo
|Phase 3
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common congenital infection, with approximately 44,000 congenitally infected infants in the U.S. per year. A substantial proportion of these infants will die or suffer permanent injury as a result of their infection. The severity of congenital infection is greatest with primary maternal CMV infection. Currently, there is no proven method of preventing congenital CMV infection, and the approach to primary maternal CMV infection in the United States is haphazard and ineffective. One small, non-randomized study suggests that maternal administration of CMV hyperimmune globulin may significantly reduce the rate of congenital CMV infection following maternal primary infection. The MFMU CMV Trial will address the primary research question: does maternal administration of CMV hyperimmune globulin lower the rate of congenital CMV infection among the offspring of women who have been diagnosed with primary CMV infection during early pregnancy?
The research study is funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Fourteen medical centers across the country are participating in this research study. In all, 800 pregnant women who are identified with a primary CMV infection will be enrolled in this research study. The children of these women will be evaluated and tested at one and two years of age.
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Estimated Enrollment :
|800 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Parallel Assignment
|Double (Participant, Investigator)
|Primary Purpose:
|Official Title:
|A Randomized Trial to Prevent Congenital Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
|Study Start Date :
|April 2012
|Actual Primary Completion Date :
|December 2018
|Estimated Study Completion Date :
|August 2021
Active Comparator: CMV hyperimmune globulin - Cytogam®
Infusion of Cytogam®, Cytomegalovirus Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human) (CMV-IGIV)
Drug: CMV hyperimmune globulin
The study's active drug is Cytogam® which is an immunoglobulin G (IgG) containing a standardized amount of antibody to CMV. This drug contains pooled adult human plasma selected for high titers of antibody for CMV, and is administered intravenously at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight.
Other Names:
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
IV 5% albumin diluted 1 to 9 with 5% Dextrose in water (D5W)
Other: Placebo
The matching placebo consists of AlbuRx® 5% diluted 1:9 with D5W. AlbuRx® 5% contains pooled adult human plasma.
- Composite Outcome [ Time Frame: 3 weeks of life ]The primary outcome is defined as fetal loss (spontaneous or termination), confirmed fetal CMV infection from amniocentesis, neonatal death before assessment of CMV infection can be made, or neonatal congenital CMV infection. Neonatal congenital CMV infection is diagnosed by urine or saliva collected by 3 weeks of age that is positive for CMV by culture (the intent will be to obtain in the first two days of life). In the event that Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is positive but culture is negative, a repeat culture must be positive by 3 weeks of age.
- Gestational hypertension [ Time Frame: 42 weeks of pregnancy ]
- Preeclampsia [ Time Frame: 42 weeks of pregnancy ]
- Placental abruption [ Time Frame: 42 weeks of pregnancy ]
- Gestational age at delivery [ Time Frame: 42 weeks of pregnancy ]Gestational age at delivery and preterm birth < 37 weeks' gestation or < 34 weeks' gestation
- Adverse reactions and side effects [ Time Frame: Up to 42 weeks of pregnancy ]
- Fetal and neonatal mortality [ Time Frame: 24 months ]
- Primary outcome excluding terminations [ Time Frame: 3 weeks of life ]
- Head circumference [ Time Frame: 3 days of life ]Measured within 72 hours of birth
- Birth weight [ Time Frame: 1 day of life ]
- Growth restriction [ Time Frame: 1 day of life ]Growth restriction defined as <5th percentile weight for gestational age, assessed specifically by sex and race of the infant based on United States birth certificate data
- Microcephaly [ Time Frame: 3 days of life ]
- Symptomatic CMV infection [ Time Frame: 3 weeks of life ]Symptomatic CMV infection defined as CMV isolated from an amniocentesis, or urine or saliva during the first three weeks of life and at least one of the following: jaundice, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, growth restriction, failure to thrive, intracerebral calcifications, microcephaly, hypotonia, seizures, petechial rash, hearing loss, interstitial pneumonitis, thrombocytopenia, anemia, hepatitis, chorioretinitis, or CMV in cerebrospinal fluid
- Intraventricular hemorrhage [ Time Frame: 1 day of life ]Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) as determined by cranial ultrasounds performed as part of routine clinical care and classified based on the Papile classification system
- Ventriculomegaly [ Time Frame: 1 day of life ]
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) [ Time Frame: participants will be followed for the duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 4 weeks ]This diagnosis will be reached when an ophthalmologic examination of the retina has been performed and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is diagnosed at Stage I (demarcation line in the retina) or greater.
- Respiratory distress syndrome [ Time Frame: participants will be followed for the duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 4 weeks ]Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) defined as the presence of clinical signs of respiratory distress (tachypnea, retractions, flaring, grunting, or cyanosis), with an oxygen requirement and a chest x-ray that shows hypoventilation and reticulogranular infiltrates.
- Chronic lung disease [ Time Frame: 28 days of life ]Chronic lung disease, or bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) defined as oxygen requirement at 28 days of life.
- Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) [ Time Frame: participants will be followed for the duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 4 weeks ]Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), defined as modified Bell Stage 2 or 3. Stage 2: Clinical signs and symptoms with pneumatosis intestinalis on radiographs. Stage 3: Advanced clinical signs and symptoms, pneumatosis, impending or proven intestinal perforation.
- Hyperbilirubinemia [ Time Frame: participants will be followed for the duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 4 weeks ]Peak total bilirubin of at least 15 mg% or the use of phototherapy
- Neonatal infectious morbidity [ Time Frame: participants will be followed for the duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 4 weeks ]
- Sepsis (within 72 hours and > 72 hours after birth).
- Suspected sepsis.
- Pneumonia.
- Seizures / encephalopathy [ Time Frame: participants will be followed for the duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 4 weeks ]
- Length of hospital stay [ Time Frame: participants will be followed for the duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 4 weeks ]Length of hospital stay, need for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) or intermediate care admission and length of stay if admitted
- Infant or child death [ Time Frame: 2 years of age ]
- Sensorineural hearing loss [ Time Frame: 12 and 24 months corrected age ](unilateral and bilateral)
- Chorioretinitis [ Time Frame: 2 years of age ]Chorioretinitis defined by ophthalmologic exam
- Cognitive and Motor Scores from the Bayley Certified Scales of Infant Development III [ Time Frame: 12 and 24 months corrected age ]
- Infant/Child composite outcome [ Time Frame: 2 years of age ]
Composite outcome at 24 months including any of the following attributable to congenital CMV infection:
- Sensorineural hearing loss (unilateral and bilateral)
- Developmental delay defined as Cognitive score < 70 or Motor score < 70 on the Bayley III
- Chorioretinitis
- Fetal loss or death of neonate, infant or child
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|Child, Adult, Older Adult
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
Diagnosis of primary maternal CMV infection on the basis of one of the following:
- A positive CMV Immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody and low-avidity maternal CMV Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody screen
- Evidence of maternal seroconversion with development of CMV IgG antibody following a prior negative CMV screen
- Gestational age at randomization no later than 23 weeks 6 days based on clinical information and evaluation of the earliest ultrasound; or no later than 27 weeks 6 days for women with a positive IgM, negative IgG initially screened before 23 weeks who are rescreened after 2-4 weeks and have evidence of IgG seroconversion.
- Singleton pregnancy. A twin pregnancy reduced to singleton (either spontaneously or therapeutically) before 14 weeks by project gestational age is acceptable.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Maternal CMV infection pre-dating pregnancy as defined by a high IgG avidity index or a positive IgG in the presence of a negative IgM.
- Known hypersensitivity to plasma or plasma derived products
- Planned termination of pregnancy
- Known major fetal anomalies or demise
- Maternal Immunoglobulin A (IgA) deficiency
- Planned use of immune globulin, ganciclovir, or valganciclovir
- Maternal renal disease (most recent pre-randomization serum creatinine ≥ 1.4 mg/dL; all women must have serum creatinine measured during the pregnancy and prior to randomization)
- Maternal immune impairment (e.g., HIV infection, organ transplant on anti-rejection medications)
- Findings on pre-randomization ultrasound suggestive of established fetal CMV infection (cerebral ventriculomegaly, microcephaly, cerebral or intra-abdominal calcifications, abnormalities of amniotic fluid volume, echogenic bowel or ascites). Abnormally low amniotic fluid volume is defined as no fluid prior to 14 weeks or maximum vertical pocket < 2 cm on or after 14 weeks gestation. Abnormally high amniotic fluid volume is defined as > 10 cm.
- Positive fetal CMV findings from culture (amniotic fluid) or PCR.
- Congenital infection with rubella, syphilis, varicella, parvovirus or toxoplasmosis diagnosed by serology and ultrasound or amniotic fluid testing.
- Intention of the patient or of the managing obstetricians for the delivery to be outside a Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network (MFMU) Network center
- Participation in another interventional study that influences fetal or neonatal death
- Unwilling or unable to commit to 2 year follow-up of the infant
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01376778
|United States, Alabama
|University of Alabama - Birmingham
|Birmingham, Alabama, United States, 35233
|United States, California
|Stanford University
|Stanford, California, United States, 94305-5317
|United States, Colorado
|University of Colorado Denver
|Aurora, Colorado, United States, 80045
|United States, Illinois
|Northwestern University
|Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60611
|United States, New York
|Columbia University
|New York, New York, United States, 10032
|United States, North Carolina
|University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
|Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States, 27599
|Duke University
|Durham, North Carolina, United States, 27710
|United States, Ohio
|Case Western Reserve-Metrohealth
|Cleveland, Ohio, United States, 44109
|Ohio State University
|Columbus, Ohio, United States, 43210
|United States, Pennsylvania
|Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
|Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19104
|Magee Womens Hospital of UPMC
|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15213
|United States, Rhode Island
|Brown University
|Providence, Rhode Island, United States, 02905
|United States, Texas
|University of Texas - Southwestern Medical Center
|Dallas, Texas, United States, 75235
|University of Texas - Galveston
|Galveston, Texas, United States, 77555
|University of Texas - Houston
|Houston, Texas, United States, 77030
|United States, Utah
|University of Utah Medical Center
|Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, 84132
|Study Director:
|Caroline Signore, M.D., MPH
|Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
|Principal Investigator:
|Rebecca Clifton, PhD
|George Washington University
|Study Chair:
|Brenna Anderson, MD
|Brown University
Cytomegalovirus immune globulin
CMVIG infusions
Communicable Diseases
Cytomegalovirus Infections
Herpesviridae Infections
DNA Virus Infections
Virus Diseases


text:
February 27th, 2013
Kim K. talks babies before marriage
When Kim Kardashian's sister Kourtney began having kids with her boyfriend sans engagement ring, Kim couldn't hold back her judgment.
"I was like, 'You're not married! How could you do this?' I was really firm and strict," the 32-year-old tells Cosmopolitan magazine in its April issue. "But she was like, 'Marriage isn't what I want.' And later, I realized she had a better family life than I did."
And now Kim's in the same boat. The reality star and businesswoman is still technically married to Kris Humphries, her estranged husband of 72 days, but not to Kanye West, the father of her soon-to-arrive child. Her romance with West, Kardashian says, "is where I probably always should have been."
Read more from Kim K.'s interview with Cosmopolitan
"[Marriage] is something I know that we both want in our future, but I don't have this sense of urgency about it," she adds. "I have this best friend who understands me and helps me through all my tough experiences, and vice versa, you know? It just feels like this is it for me. ... I used to think, Well, can you really have it all? The truth, the excitement, and the passion? Now I know you can."
The two have made a happy home together if that racy French magazine cover, on which Kardashian and West appear to be in the middle of a very private moment, is any indication.
And yet, after two failed marriages, Kardashian isn't in a rush to walk down the aisle again.
"I saw fast marriages like Khloe and Lamar's and that was what seemed to work," she says. "[Now] I say give it a good six months before you commit. Feelings change, even if it seems so lustful."
soundoff (86 Responses)
Post a comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
About this blog
Our daily cheat-sheet for breaking celebrity news, Hollywood buzz and your pop-culture obsessions.


text:
One-on-One Assessments
- Inform instruction with real-time student data
- Access thousands of customizable assessments
- Create customized Parent Letters and Flashcards
What the Experts Say
I LOVE ESGI! So quick and easy and the parent communication tools are fabulous!
Some tests just give you data. ESGI gives you tools to improve instruction and meet the needs of each child in your classroom.
Oh, my ESGI is the BEST! I don't know how I taught without it for so many years!
I wish someone had told me about this years ago. My time is precious and because of ESGI, I am not pulling my hair out when doing assessments.
I totally agree. I would throw a BIG FAT FIT if I didn't have it now. #cantlive without it
I have saved sooooooo much time and have gotten so much valuable information too. I'm so happy to be able to use ESGI and my new tests with my T.K. students. I know you'll be happy too.
I used ESGI for the first time last spring and love, love, love it. I was finished with report card assessments in one day.
ESGI had changed my life and I can't imagine assessing any other way now.
ESGI isn't just about collecting data…it's about USING the data to change the way you teach! ESGI is about assessment FOR teaching not only assessment OF teaching.
ESGI Features
2000+ Preloaded Assessments
TEKS, ILKIDS, Spanish Reading Tests, Guided Math, Reading Intervention, SEL and more!
Create Your Own Assessments
Use our "Test Explorer" to create custom assessments tailored to your specific standards.
Charts, Graphs, and Reports
Visualize student performance with individual and group level reporting.
Customized Parent Letters
Send home or use at parent conferences to outline areas of improvement.
Share Assessments
Share assessments within your district and save time!
Free Administrator Accounts
District Administrators or Principals can use ESGI to view district, school, or teacher level class totals report by assessment.
Schedule Parent Conferences
Use the "Parent Conferencer" tool to schedule parent conferences.


text:
ORGANIZER: Liberty Bay
EVENT: 2016 Tour de South Shore
EVENT DATE: Oct 01, 2016
Liberty Bay Credit Union wrote -
2016 TOUR de SOUTH SHORE Bike/Walk
Wompatuck State Park, Hingham, MA
The McCourt Foundation's annual 25/50 Bike event is going to be even bigger this year as we introduce a 5K Walk! Now everyday athletes as well as avid cyclists can get involved to support and honor loved ones with these diseases in a fun, healthy, community event. Participants can join an established team, start a new team or go solo. Each participant is challenged with the goal to raise $200 to help the fight against MS, Alzheimer's, ALS and Parkinson's disease.
The bike will travel through the towns of Hingham, Cohasset, Scituate, and Norwell with Police details throughout the course.
Start Location: Wompatuck State Park, Hingham, MA
- 6:30 am Registration
- 7:30 am 50 Mile Bike
- 8:30 am 25 Mile Bike
Start Location: Wompatuck State Park, Hingham, MA
The walk will take place within the park on the walking trails and will be well marked.
- 8:00 am Registration
- 9:00 am 5K Walk
At the end of the event, enjoy a real fun Tailgate with Lunch, Cold Beverages and entertainment at our Athletes Village.
The event will occur, Rain or Shine!
For complete details, visit our event webpage
The McCourt Foundation is a 501c3 Nonprofit Charitible Foundation. All donations are tax deductable to State and Federal laws.


text:
To organize posts into three columns (edit: semantically more correct would be to call it 'three posts per row' as this is the way the posts are organized), you first need to generate a column dependant css class for each post; this will be added to the post div within the loop.
The core trick to generate different css classes for posts in the first coliumn, the second column, and the last column:
<?php $column = ($column == '') ? 'first' : (($column == 'first') ? 'middle' : (($column == 'middle') ? 'last' : 'first' )); ?>
This line of code needs to be within the loop, just before the post div.
To achieve more or less the same, you could obviously also use a counter variable and the modulus operator, as i have elaborated on in my earlier article 'More-Than-Zebra style WordPress loop'. However, the above method is simpler and easier to apply within a single line of code.
The second step is to add this as a css class to the post div:
a – assume a theme without the use of 'post_class()'; the typical opening div would look like:
<div class="post" id="post-<?php the_ID(); ?>">
This is changed into:
<div class="post <?php echo $column; ?>" id="post-<?php the_ID(); ?>">
b – in a theme using the 'post_class()', the new code would look like:
<div <?php post_class($column); ?> id="post-<?php the_ID(); ?>">
Third and last step: to tell the browser what to do with the new css classes, add some styles to style.css of the theme:
/* .first, .middle, .last styling of posts on home page for three column */ .first, .middle, .last { width: 32%; float:left; clear:none!important; } .first { margin-right: 2%; clear:both!important; } .middle { margin-right: 2%; }
Final details depend on the existing theme.
edit & ps:
if you just want to mark the first post in each row – for instance to add the 'clear:both;' and a different margin there – try to work with:
(example for 5 columns)
<div <?php $column = ($wp_query->current_post%5 == 0) ? 'first' : ''; post_class($column); ?> id="post-<?php the_ID(); ?>">


text:
Contribute to ReadWriteThink / RSS / FAQs / Site Demonstrations / Contact Us / About Us
Learn All Year Long
Kids and teens should read and write even when they are out of school. Why is this so important?
ReadWriteThink has a variety of resources for out-of-school use. Visit our Parent & Afterschool Resources section to learn more.
Home › Parent & Afterschool Resources › Activities & Projects
MyTube: Make a Video Public Service Announcement
Activity Description
Chances are that the teens you know are watching television and videos, possibly even some videos posted on the YouTube website. What better way to get them involved in topics and issues that are important to them than by asking them to make and edit their own videos? After watching and discussing some online public service announcements (PSAs), help teens write their own script and film a PSA.
Why This Is Helpful
Teens need to be able to understand and respond to the many messages they get from the Internet and television (also called multimedia messages). This activity helps teens to think about how information can be presented and how they might create their own persuasive argument or message. The practice here is important not only for the kinds of essay writing they have to do in school but also for the ability to help them build critical thinking skills to be able to analyze and evaluate what they read, see, and hear in the media.
This activity was modified from the ReadWriteThink lesson plan MyTube: Changing the World With Video Public Service Announcements.


text:
Presenting an integrated approach to ethics that covers interhuman ethics, the ethics of the natural environment (including animals), and the ethics of the built environment, this work argues that the relational quality of responsive cohesion represents the most fundamental value there is.Fox, Warwick is the author of 'Theory of General Ethics Human Relationships, Nature, And the Built Environment', published 2006 under ISBN 9780262062558 and ISBN 0262062550.[read more]
You can find lots of answers to common customer questions in our FAQs
View a detailed breakdown of our shipping prices
Learn about our return policy
Still need help? Feel free to contact us
View college textbooks by subject
and top textbooks for college
With our dedicated customer support team, 30-day no-questions-asked return policy, and our price match guarantee, you can rest easy knowing that we're doing everything we can to save you time, money, and stress.


text:
To a certain extent Razer has made its own life difficult with the BlackWidow Ultimate. This $125 mechanical keyboard offers an impressively responsive typing experience, but we don't find its backlighting or spare USB jack and audio ports enough to justify the cost next to the otherwise identical standard BlackWidow that costs just $80. Without the $80 model, we would have few reservations recommending the BlackWidow Ultimate to gamers in the market for a luxury keyboard. As it stands, we can only suggest the Ultimate version if you find backlighting and a few extra inputs to be worth an additional $40.
Though the Razer BlackWidow Ultimate joins the standard BlackWidow and only two mechanical keyboards from SteelSeries in the gaming market, there's been an overall boom in mechanical keyboards in the past few years. You can find some recent reviews here.
Of the keyboards on that list, two of them, the Das Keyboard and the Rosewill models, use the same Cherry MX Blue switches as the Razer BlackWidow and BlackWidow Ultimate.
The Das costs about $130, and the Rosewill comes in around $100. For the SteelSeries keyboards, the 7G will run you about $150, and the 6GV2 costs $100. Thus, the BlackWidow standard edition looks like the best deal going for a keyboard with Cherry MX Blue switches.
Whether Cherry MX Blue switches are the best depends on your preference. They produce a satisfying clacking sound when you type, but they are also loud. If you share a dorm room or otherwise live in close quarters, you may want to consider a keyboard like the Das Model S Professional Silent keyboard, which uses the quieter Cherry MX Brown switches.
You can also find different switches in the $250 Topre Realforce 103UB or the $120 Matias Tactile Pro 3.0. Each switch offers particular characteristics in terms of key activation point, travel distance, resistance, and other factors, all of which combine to create the overall feel of a mechanical keyboard. We find that the Cherry MX Blues delivers exactly the amount of resistance, springiness, and solid feel we're looking for in a keyboard for typing or gaming.
Though we like the switches in the BlackWidow and BlackWidow Ultimate, our one complaint about the keys has to do with their layout, specifically that of the Function keys. Rather than spacing them above the number keys evenly, Razer has squished them toward the center of the keyboard. The result is that the Function keys sit closer together than necessary, which can make it hard to single them out quickly.


text:
Flu-Season Sodas: Taylor's Tonics
A friend of mine came down with pneumonia last week. It hit him hard. Laid him up at home for a day or so. Then I saw him at a concert, not forty-eight hours after he'd been in the hospital, with a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other. It was a good show, and I couldn't blame him for wanting to be there, but I was a little bit worried for his health.
I didn't preach. He was having a good time, and I knew that I'd probably be doing the same thing if I were in his position. Later on in the night, though, when I saw him doing shots at the bar, I had to say something.
"Man, are you sure you should be doing this?" I asked him.
"It's all good," he said. "It's Jägermeister. It's a tonic."
I won't endorse the use of Jägermeister to treat pnuemonia, but it seemed to work for him. He's gotten better. A few days later, though, I began to feel some symptoms. My throat hurt, my head ached. I had a hard time waking up. Willpower couldn't stop the trickle of complaints from erupting into a full-blown flu that kept me in bed for a couple of days. I thought I'd recovered, then woke up dizzy and feverish again this morning. Damn. I needed a tonic.
For lack of Jäger, I turned to soda. Several weeks ago, I came across Taylor's Tonics at a World Market in Charleston. I bought the two sodas on the shelves, Chai Cola and Maté Mojito. Not present were the Cola Azteca, with coffee, cocoa, cinnamon, and cayenne; the Maté Colada, with yerba maté, coconut water, and aloe vera; or seasonal gingerbread, candy cane, cranberry, and eggnog sodas.
Taylor's Tonics is a small company based in San Francisco, where founder Taylor Peck also owns a specialty-soda emporium called The Fizzary. The sodas and store are decorated with Victorian flairArt-Nouveau drawings, curlicues, snake-oil script. Peck's sparkling herbal tonics do call back to the era when Coca-Cola was marketed as a medicinal drink. But, like many of today's small producers, Peck practices revisionist history. His flavors are fresh, with historical points of reference but no historical precedents.
Chai tea and cola are two iconic spice blends with some overlapping ingredients. The elements of Chai Cola, per the side of the bottle: black tea, ginger root, cinnamon bark, yerba maté, cardamom, clove, cane sugar, vanilla, ginger.
The sodasedimented with dark spicespours with a tall head, smells like a musky tea shop, and tastes like a wintry blend of sweet, vanilla-rich cola and fiery chai. The chai takes top billing, but the cola tempers each sip with a familiar acidity. The mixture is too spice-heavy to chug. Drink it over ice, and slowlythe concurrent processes of cooling and watering-down keep a rocky group of seasonings in line.
The Maté Mojito is marketed as a "sparkling, soft version" of the mojito cocktail, energized with an infusion of yerba maté. At 28 grams per bottle, the sugar content is around half that of other sodas I've reviewed. The added nettle leaf promises to "soothe the system." Not a bad drink for a bedridden patient looking for a little energy.
It pours clear, from a sediment-flecked green bottle, and smells like mint tea. It tastes like mint tea, too, with a squeeze of lime and just a hint of grassy maté. The Maté Mojito is bright and fizzy and, though well-caffeinated, wonderfully under-sweetened by industry standards.
I would not keep either of these sodas in twenty-four packs in the refrigerator. I would not pack one in my lunch every day. I will, however, keep them on hand to sip from time to time. They are tonics, after all. Strong ones. Interesting ones. In small doses, very good ones. And maybe it's the maté talking, but, since I finished that glass of Maté Mojito, I think I am feeling a little bit better.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


text:
More Pendulum Studios interviewing power! In addition to our interview with executives Robert Taylor and Michael McCormick (found here), we also had the opportunity to speak with Character Artist Patrick Switzer. He went into great detail about the use of ZBrush at Pendulum. Enjoy!
(Note: The artwork on this page is by Pendulum Studios, and is not necessarily the personal work of Patrick Switzer.)
Your name and Job title?
My name is Patrick Switzer. I'm a Character Artist at Pendulum Studios.
What Projects have you worked on? What projects have you used ZBrush on? How did ZBrush help you with that project?
In the last year I've worked on several titles and projects including "Silent Hill 5", "Tomb Raider", and "American Sign Language". We've used ZBrush in all of these projects (excluding "Silent Hill") for displacement map generation. We've also done a lot of in-house development on AlterEgo. We were able to use ZBrush to create "super displacements", which would be driven by specific blendshapes and areas on the face, which in turn was driven by AlterEgo and the facial mocap data. Using these super displacement maps allowed us to get wrinkle detail around the face, eyes, forehead, details that would require an incredibly dense mesh to attempt with the animation model. ZBrush gave us the freedom to achieve that level of detail transparently, at no extra cost.
What's been your favorite project and why? How was ZBrush used on that project?
I think every project comes with its own unique challenges and rewards. Certainly the things I have the opportunity to work presently have me very excited. Working on developing facial blend shapes for AlterEgo has been both the greatest challenge and reward, and so that really stands out for me. It really comes down to the fact that we're trying to do what everyone has been trying to do since the dawn of CG: We're trying to create convincing and feasible facial animation that can be done en masse. I think it's exciting to be a part of that. ZBrush helps us achieve the nuances and wrinkles that are needed to hopefully delve across the uncanny valley.
What's it like working at Pendulum?
Pendulum is a fairly small company of about 20-30. What's great about that is the amount of responsibility and creative freedom the artists here have. Pendulum is also a very open and social environment. We're a closely knit group socially and also professionally. It's a wonderfully balanced familial environment where everyone's opinion has value and weight.
What kind of work do you like to create? Monsters, heroes, cartoon...?
I'm a sucker for detail work. Anything that gives me an opportunity to go nuts with that is a draw. I'm not particularly attached to any genre or style... In fact, I prefer variety. I'm sure I couldn't be more vague, but I suppose the type of work that caters to my tastes is usually fictional fantasy creatures, characters and the like.
How did you get started in what you do? What was your journey? How did you get to be a Character Artist at Pendulum?
As a child I tended to be creative and into doing little sketches, but it was only one of many interests and it never really occurred to me that it might be a viable career choice. My real journey started around perhaps the 9th grade. I remember being awe struck by some of the CG work at that time. It also happened that I got introduced to initially Bryce 3D and then 3DS Max 3.1 by a friend of mine. It very quickly clicked for me that I really wanted to do CG professionally. After focusing on all kinds of art and video production through high school, I proceeded to spend a short period of time studying fine art in college and finally ended up on the door step of a brand new animation & visual effects school opening up: Lost Boys Learning (of the visual effects studio Lost Boys Studios). A year later, I had a demo reel and took an internship at Pendulum that led to my current position.
What did you study in school? Do you think schools should teach ZBrush?
As mentioned, I studied fine arts for a period. At Lost Boys, I studied in all areas of visual effects, but ended up with a focus on modeling and texturing. Students who want to focus on modeling would benefit from having experience with ZBrush or its cousins. That said, software ultimately comes second to artistic talent and students will need to learn more than how to use ZBrush to be successful.
How marketable do you think knowing ZBrush makes you to the industry?
I think ZBrush has proven to be a pioneer in the area of high resolution sculpting and has become an industry standard. Those with prospects of working as a modeler in the CG industry would do well to have ZBrush on their resume.
What do you love about ZBrush?
I love forgetting about polygons and edges and verts and just focusing on sculpting. I've got to hand it to ZBrush; this is what it does best.
Does ZBrush help you express yourself in ways other software might not?
For my purposes, I use ZBrush as production software. It is a means to an end and a piece of a larger puzzle. When I'm in ZBrush and working, I'm able to sculpt freely in ways that very few applications have made possible. ZBrush has consistently proven to have the most depth and power out of any high resolution sculpting piece of software on the market. It breaks down the technical hurdles in modeling and lets the artist focus on the creative element.
Tell us a bit about integrating ZBrush into your pipeline.
ZBrush is obviously part of our asset development pipeline. We'll do all of our base models and UV's in Maya. Once those are done we'll bring them into ZBrush and sculpt all the high-res detail before moving on to texturing. This way we can paint our textures according to the work we do in ZBrush. I tend to work with a lot of layers to be able to adjust my broader sculpting work and my higher frequency details separately. Once we're done there, we'll export the ZBrush work as displacement maps and render the asset out in shot.
ZBrush has a lot of depth and features that make it a complete program. A lot of really cool things can be done all within ZBrush. For myself I use it for straight up displacement sculpting as a production tool. This is something that can be done in other programs, but I do it in ZBrush because I prefer ZBrush.
What was it like working the old way? Pulling verts... What is it like working the new way?? Billions of polys...
Oh I still do my share of vert pulling. Having a great animation mesh is still something that exists in production. I don't do this work inside ZBrush. However, a lot less work has to be done now on cut edges for every little detail. As long as you have enough detail in your base mesh to maintain proper structure and form, the rest can be put on ZBrush's shoulders. There are days I still feel a bit guilty when sculpting with millions of polys on my screen and the performance is like butter. It's just so easy and natural. Other days I definitely take it for granted.
What work have you produced that ZBrush made possible?
I've created entire monster characters that would look like plastic toys without ZBrush. ZBrush has allowed me to offload a lot of modeling work that would otherwise just add too much density to the animation mesh. Another example would be creating crows feet, wrinkles on the forehead, etc. While technically achievable on the animation mesh, those details add too much extra density to even approach the level of quality you can get out of a ZBrush displacement map.
I think ZBrush is fast. Using ZBrush for me was less about speeding up something I did in a different application beforehand and more about doing things I couldn't do in another application. Overall, ZBrush is a seamless integration into my creation process.
How has ZBrush changed the quality of your work?
Drastically. ZBrush opened up the flood gates on high-res modeling. Any amount of detail is now possible and detail is a pretty close cousin to quality.
Would you recommend ZBrush to artists that are looking to get into the industry?
Absolutely, ZBrush has become an industry standard and is here to stay. Learn it. The more knowledge of ZBrush you can master, the better prepared you will be getting into the industry.
Did you have to fight to get to where you are? What advise would you give to emerging artists that want to do what you do?
The CG industry has pretty high standards. I don't think anyone has got to where they are without a great deal of determination, dedication and passion, myself included. My advice to emerging artists is not even so specific as to practice drawing or study this or that. These are regimes that we know benefit us already. The most important thing is to challenge yourself creatively and mentally. That is the only way to better yourself and train your eye. Try things you're not comfortable doing. Open your eyes and observe. Think about and analyze everything you do. Just remember that while an artist's hands are his tools and skill, his eyes are making all the creative decisions and employing all his experience and knowledge to ultimately make his work good or bad.
How do you think ZBrush has changed the playing field for artists? More traditional artist friendly? Less technical?
I think this is what it's helping achieve, yes. As the industry continues to push the quality bar higher and higher, consumers are going to want more and more content at said quality level. Allowing a greater number of less technically minded artists to have jobs where they can employ their more creative/traditional talents is not only a benefit, it's a necessity.
Thanks to Patrick for sharing your background, techniques and insights!
To all ZBC members, be sure to check out the Pendulum video interview found here. Also don't forget about all the other interviews that we've done so far, which can be viewed at the ZBrush Artist Interviews forum.


text:
A place to comment on the various pieces of media released to the public.
Use this control to limit the display of threads to those newer than the specified time frame.
Allows you to choose the data by which the thread list will be sorted.
Order threads in...
Note: when sorting by date, 'descending order' will show the newest results first.
Forum Rules


text:
WWE Superstar and Chicago-area native CM Punk added another tattoo to his collection Tuesday at Family Tattoo in Roscoe Village. "I did a tattoo of a dead fish on the back of his (left) shoulder," said tattoo artist Matt Wes. "It was a friendship tattoo he got with Natalie Slater of (bakeanddestroy.net). There's a story behind the tattoo that means something to their friendship."
Elsewhere around Chicago, the Bulls' Derrick Rose unveiled a new basketball court at Murray Park Playground Tuesday. Powerade donated $20,000 to the Chicago Park District to restore the courts after Rose won the NBA MVP award. "It's emotional just being here," Rose said at Murray Park. "My house growing up is just two blocks away."
Zac Efron was spotted at Public House Sunday. He told staff he's currently filming "Heartland" and "The Paperboy." The Bears' Lance Briggs, Israel Idonije, Brandon Meriweather, Nick Reed and Corey Wootton hung out at Bull & Bear following their loss to the Green Bay Packers Sunday.
Twitter @aboutluisgomez


text:
For the best experience we use cookies. Read our cookie guide.
Request a Catalogue
Folding Tables
Activity Tables
Early Years Tables
Enviro Dining Tables
Classroom Tables
Enviro Coffee Tables
Enviro Outdoor Tables
Table Sets
Bistro Tables
Table Accessories
Stacking Benches
Enviro Benches
Folding Chairs
Plastic Stacking Chairs
Banqueting Chairs
Multi Purpose Chairs
Wooden Chairs
Bistro Chairs
Chair Accessories
Table Trolleys
Chair Trolleys
Dining Room Units
Tray Storage
Trolley Parts
School Staging
Event Staging
Conference Staging
Performance Staging
Choir Staging
Build Your Own Stage
Noticeboard Accessories
Wall Art
Early Years
Home & Leisure
Sign in and add to Wishlist
Vantage Folding Tables
With a smart grey polyurethane edge a folding table now with a Lifetime guaranteeHeavy duty table for heavy duty use Ideal for semi-permanent situationsAvailable in 760mm and 698mm height only (760mm not available on 915mm long tables)The perfect product where strength and sturdiness are all important. Our Vantage folding table has strength and stability comparable with a fixed leg table and is ideal when a heavier duty solution is required. Featuring a flush top, smart grey polyurethane edge and Posi-lock folding technology which offers ultimate support for display, meetings or even holding heavy office equipment. As durable as it is, our heavy duty table can still be folded away and kept out of sight until it is needed again. The fail safe folding mechanism enables the table to be simply folded up and down with no pinch points, and the legs have been designed to fold back under the table in a controlled manner. Once folded the tables have a depth of 120mm and can be stored one on top of the other. The lightest 915mm long table weighs 13.75kg and the largest 1830mm long table 24.25kg so the product is still light enough to carry by two people. The table top is finished in wipe-clean plastic laminate in a choice of woodgrains, patterns or solid colours.The Vantage folding table adds another dimension to the Gopak range and is the most solid sturdy folding table produced to date. However, please note Vantage tables are heavier than the standard lightweight tables in the Gopak range.All Gopak folding tables are made with care by our skilled and experienced production staff, and you can be assured that if you decide to buy a Vantage folding table, you are buying a product that will give you year's worth of service, making this a very worthwhile investment for you or your organisation.
Other products which may be of interest include metal folding chairs, upholstered chairs and banqueting chairs.For further information on the right height of tables for your needs, please refer to our height guide.
How long will my order take to arrive?This product is manufactured to order and delivery will typically be made within 10 days of receipt of your order. If you require goods by a specific date please include this in the "shipping Information" when completing your order and we will endeavour to meet your deadline.
How much will it cost to deliver?We deliver all items free of charge to any UK Mainland address with the exception of Scottish Highlands (£18.00 per consignment), Isle of Wight (£7.50 per consignment) and Offshore.
How do you deliver?We use a courier for all delivers which will be made between 8.30am to 5.30pm and as a signature is required, please ensure there is someone available to accept the goods. Your order can be upgraded to a morning delivery for which will we make a small charge of £10 per consignment.
What if something goes wrong with my delivery?Please refer to the FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions) section www.gopak.co.uk/faq
Excellent robust folding tables which fit well together, are very stable and can be moved around easily without legs popping out unexpectedly.
Large Vantage tables - very stable folding tables with a neat leg-locking mechanism - simple to use and a robust frame. The tables are quite expensive, but I'm trusting that they will be very robust. I had some ex-education Gopak folding benches for over a decade and a half at my previous theatre and despite them being well over15 years old - they were in perfect working order and presumably still going strong.
Stars * :
We love our new packing table. We have tried many space-saving folding tables and this is the only one that is up to the job. The pea-green colour is a delight too. And made in the UK! What more could we ask. Thank you Gopak!
Great, sturdy table.
sturdy and available in range of heights
I am very pleased with the table- it is are well made and good looking.
Lovely sturdy table, ideal for sewing workroom.
Excellent sturdy table, perfect for my sewing workroom
A solid table. I bought it to use as a sewing table but haven't used it to sew yet! I don't expect any problem
lovely yellow colour - attractive to look at.
Lovely strong table but one leg is 3-4 mm too short so I need to prop it up.
good table
The table is just what we wanted. Very sturdy and fits our requirements exactly. The build is exceptionally good.
It's high quality and value for money. You get what you pay for.
We haven't used it yet, but it looks very good


text:
QUESTION OF THE WEEK- Do you have a carbon monoxide detector?
Claudia Duncan: "No, our home didn't come with one, but it's new construction so I don't think we have to worry about leaks."
Gary Brown: "No, we do not. I had no idea we needed one. Smoke detector, yes, but carbon dioxide, no."
Eric Mothanter: "Honestly, I have no idea. I assume we do. I hope our landlord's keeping us safe."
2 comments
At my work, we encourage anyone with a source of combustion fuel to get one. This includes gas or oil furnaces, gas hot water heaters, wood/pellet stoves, fireplaces. Any of these can emit dangerous levels, even if they are working fine, but the outlet flue gets blocked by leaves,squirrel's nest etc. I have one, and it went off when my older furnace developed a leak in the heat exchanger. A CO detector is different from a smoke alarm.
Watch "The Obama Deception" for free on youtube, and listen to the Alex Jones Show attentively whenever possible either at infowars.com or on a shortwave radio, which you should buy if you don't have one. You can also listen to that batty old fart Brother Stair on the shortwave too. He's already spent $22 million dollars of God's money to demean, yell, and scream at people all around the world in the name of the Lord!


text:
Bohemia By Medusa Dollmaker Cross Stitch Kit (MDOBOH2)Gecko Rouge modern cross stitch are proud to announce that we have teamed up with ©Medusa Dollmaker
14 count: 28.71 x 40.00 inches
18 count: 22.33 x 31.11 inches
25 count: 16.08 x 22.40 inches (stitched using two or one strand over one stitch)
With this professionally packed cross stitch kit you will receive the following:
• Full glossy colour cover for reference
• A black and white pattern with symbols
• Pre-sorted DMC Stranded Cotton on thread cards
• 14,18 Count DMC Aida or 25 count DMC magic guide evenweave, complete with an extra 2-3 inch border around each side.
•Tapestry Needle
• Full instructions with diagrams
• Our kits are made to order so please take note of the processing time before purchase to avoid any disappointment. The manufacturing time will vary depending on the volume of orders pending.
Medusa Dollmaker' work is also available as fine prints which can be purchased directly from: www.medusathedollmaker.com
©Medusa Dollmaker ©GeckoRouge (cross stitch patterns)
We are an official distributor of licensed products and have been given permission to use this artwork
|Identifier Exists:
|Medusa Dollmaker