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Kao Corporation, Beauty Research Center, 2-1-3 Bunka, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 131-8501, Japan
Tokyo University of Agriculture & Technology, Graduate School of Bio-applications & Systems Engineering, 2-24-16 Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
To quantitatively evaluate skin chromophores over a wide region of curved skin surface, we propose an approach that suppresses the effect of the shading-derived error in the reflectance on the estimation of chromophore concentrations, without sacrificing the accuracy of that estimation. In our method, we use multiple regression analysis, assuming the absorbance spectrum as the response variable and the extinction coefficients of melanin, oxygenated hemoglobin, and deoxygenated hemoglobin as the predictor variables. The concentrations of melanin and total hemoglobin are determined from the multiple regression coefficients using compensation formulae (CF) based on the diffuse reflectance spectra derived from a Monte Carlo simulation. To suppress the shading-derived error, we investigated three different combinations of multiple regression coefficients for the CF. In vivo measurements with the forearm skin demonstrated that the proposed approach can reduce the estimation errors that are due to shading-derived errors in the reflectance. With the best combination of multiple regression coefficients, we estimated that the ratio of the error to the chromophore concentrations is about 10%. The proposed method does not require any measurements or assumptions about the shape of the subjects; this is an advantage over other studies related to the reduction of shading-derived errors.
The concentrations of chromophores in skin provide important information for making a diagnosis, and images can provide additional information, such as the size of a lesion, that aid visual understanding. Therefore, many studies have been conducted to evaluate the concentration of chromophores,1–6 and some of these studies discuss imaging, in which visible light spectroscopy is usually used to achieve high spatial resolution.7–13 Multiple regression analysis (MRA) based on the Beer–Lambert (B–L)3 law is a simple way to correlate the chromophore concentrations with the reflectance of skin. The B–L law has been applied to the three-layer skin model of epidermis, dermis, and fat, with the assumptions that no scattering occurs in the epidermis or dermis and no wavelength dependency exists in the reflectance from the fat layer.3 With these assumptions, the optical path length becomes constant and does not depend on wavelength. Therefore, in accordance with the B–L law, the absorbance (the logarithm of the inverse of the reflectance) can be expressed as a linear combination of the absorption coefficient spectrums of melanin, oxygenated hemoglobin, and deoxygenated hemoglobin, and a constant term. The constant term comes from the reflectance of the fat layer. The regression analysis uses the absorbance spectrum as a response variable and the extinction coefficient of each of the chromophores as the predictor variables. Although the implementation is easy, the model is quite different from actual conditions, and it leads to inconsistencies between the actual and the fitted spectrums.4,14,15
To improve the estimation, the modified B–L method has been introduced.4,5 Although the method is based on the B–L law, the optical path length is allowed to be wavelength dependent. This added degree of freedom allows a part of the scattering effect to be included, and it improves the coefficient of determination.4,5 In this method, as the predictor variables in the MRA, the product of each absorption coefficient and the wavelength-dependent path length was used. However, the method assumes that the optical path length is independent of the concentrations of chromophores, and thus the results are still different from measurements of the actual phenomenon. Neither the nonlinearity between the concentration and the absorbance nor the cross-talk between the chromophores has been taken into account.1,14,15
In order to fully account for the effect of scattering in the estimation of chromophore concentrations, several methods have been considered; these include methods based on random work theory,12 Kubelka–Munk theory,8 a support vector machine,11 and an empirical method aided by a Monte Carlo simulation (MCS).1,9 Although scattering effects are fully considered in these methods, the methods are susceptible to shading-derived errors caused by the incomplete estimation of the irradiance.8,11,12 This is a serious problem for visual understanding and quantitative evaluation of the chromophore imaging. Here, "shading" is the spatial distribution of irradiance. Shading results from the incident angle of the light, the spectral radiant intensity of the light source, and the distance from the light source. If the actual irradiance on the surface of a subject is lower than the estimate, then the apparent reflectance decreases and the chromophore concentrations will be overestimated; this tends to occur on the fringe areas of the subject. Therefore, for a precise calibration of reflectance, besides the radiant intensity distribution of the light, the shape of the subject also must be assessed (unless the areas of interest are limited to small, flat areas in which the irradiance can be fully assessed).1 The problem with shading is common among methods that consider nonlinear scattering effects in imaging.10
Several studies have attempted to correct for the shading effect. In these studies, the shape of each subject was measured13,16 or the curvature effect was otherwise extracted12 and taken into account. However, these approaches require hardware modifications and additional measurements or else assumptions about the shapes of the samples.
Incidentally, in the simple and modified B–L methods, in which the absorbance is expressed as a linear combination of each chromophore component with a constant term, the shading-derived error is not observed in the images of chromophore concentrations. The effect of surface curvature is proportional to irradiance, and in the absorbance, it is a constant term, independent of wavelength. Therefore, the effect of surface curvature will appear only in the constant term and will not appear in the image of the chromophore concentrations.
In order to fully account for the scattering effect and to reduce the shading-derived artifact, we propose an approach based on the MCS-aided empirical method.1,9 In this method, the simple B–L method is used to derive multiple regression coefficients related to the concentrations of melanin, oxygenated hemoglobin, and deoxygenated hemoglobin. Then, the multiple regression coefficients are converted to the concentrations of melanin and total hemoglobin (sum of oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin) using compensation formulae (CF), which are derived from the diffuse reflectance spectra of human skin, numerically calculated in advance by a MCS.17 In the previous method,1,9 the constant term of the multiple regression coefficients, as well as the regression coefficients of melanin and total hemoglobin, were used in the CFs. Although the use of the constant term is important for estimating the absolute values of chromophore concentrations, it can cause the shading-derived error in reflectance that results in an overestimation of the chromophore concentrations. Since the shading-derived error is concentrated into the constant term during the first step of the MRA, selecting the optimal combination of multiple regression coefficients has the potential to satisfy both of the requirements. In vivo experiments with a human forearm were performed to confirm the usefulness of the proposed approach for improving the robustness of the method against the estimation error in the irradiance.
According to the B–L law, the absorbance spectrum A(λ), which is derived from the reflectance spectrum R(λ) as A(λ)=log(1/R(λ)), can be approximated with the following formula:1,9Display Formula
Our proposed method obtains prior estimates of the relationship between the MRA1 regression coefficients and the chromophore concentrations of the MCS. With the MCS, a spectrum can be calculated from a given set of chromophore concentrations according to the skin model described in Sec. 2.2. Then, a set of regression coefficients can be derived from the spectrum using MRA1. By calculating regression coefficients for several sets of concentrations, sets of regression coefficients can be associated with particular chromophore concentrations. Polynomial, exponential, or logarithmic functions, or a combination of these functions, can be used as the form of the CFs. In this study, we used a polynomial form because it can be solved analytically by MRA. To derive the CFs for calculating the concentrations from the regression coefficients, another multiple regression analysis (MRA2) was used. Here, we considered the original concentrations from the MCS to be the response variables and their products with the regression coefficients from MRA1 to be the predictor variables; we will call this MRA2. In symbolic form, MRA2 is expressed as Display Formula
We used the same skin model and the same parameters that were used in the previous studies1,9 as follows: a two-layered model of the epidermis with uniform melanin and an underlying dermis with uniform oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin was used; the thicknesses of the epidermis and dermis were 0.06 and 4.94 mm, respectively. The refractive indices n were assumed to be 1.4, independent of wavelength and layer. The refractive index of the external area was set to 1. The absorption coefficients of the epidermis and dermis were assumed to be εm(λ)Cm and εoh(λ)Coh+εdh(λ)Cdh, respectively. Here, Cm, Coh, and Cdh are the concentrations of melanin, oxygenated hemoglobin, and deoxygenated hemoglobin in each layer. For εm(λ), we used the average absorption coefficient of a monomer melanosome with a concentration of 1 mol/l; this was approximated as 6.6×1011×λ−3.33, where the unit of λ is nanometers.18 For εoh and εdh, we used the extinction coefficients of oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin, respectively, converted to the concentration of 45 hematocrit in blood.19 The scales of Cm, Coh, and Cdh were the ratios of the concentrations to those under which εm(λ), εoh(λ), and εdh(λ), respectively, were derived. To characterize the scattering, a reduced scattering coefficient μs′(λ) is required; this is derived from μs′(λ)=μs(λ)×(1−g), using the scattering coefficient μs(λ) and anisotropy g, which are the primitive parameters of scattering.20,21 The value of μs′(λ) for both the epidermis and dermis was 2×105×λ−1.5+2×1012×λ−4; the first term represents Mie scattering, the second one represents Rayleigh scattering,20–22 and the unit of λ is nanometers.
The MCS (using the program MCML17) was used to derive the spectra for various concentrations of chromophores; am, aoh, adh, and a0 were then calculated using MRA1. The calculated melanin concentrations Cm were set from 1% to 10% in 1% intervals, the hemoglobin concentration Cth (=Coh+Cdh) was set from 0.2% to 1% in 0.2% intervals, and the oxygen saturation CStO2 (=Coh/Cth) was set from 0% to 100% in 20% intervals. The wavelength was set from 500 to 600 nm in 20-nm intervals, and the number of photons under a single condition was 105.23 From the MCS calculations under the various conditions, a total of 300 spectra were generated. In the MCS, the incident angle was set to 0 deg and, for statistical accuracy, the reflectance was integrated over the entire reflected angle. Although the outgoing angle was not the same as in the actual measurement condition (see Sec. 2.6), it is appropriate if Lambertian reflection is assumed; it gives a first-order approximation of internal reflection.24 For each combination of (Cm, Coh, Cdh), after the reflectance spectra were converted to absorbance spectra, am, aoh, adh, and a0 were calculated using MRA1.
Shading has an effect on the results of MRA1, and thus consequently, on the estimated chromophore concentrations. Assuming Lambertian reflection and using θi to denote the angle between the surface and the incoming light, the irradiance is cos θi times that of normal incidence, independent of wavelength. Therefore, the apparent reflectance can be expressed as R′=R×cos θi, where the actual reflectance is defined as R. Also, the apparent absorbance A′ can be expressed as A′=log(1/R′)=A+log(1/cos θi), where the actual absorbance is A=log(1/R). Since the second term is independent of the wavelength, a0 becomes log(1/cos θi) larger than it is in the case of normal incidence.10
We assumed that a light, a camera, and a cylindrical subject of radius r are arranged as follows. The cylinder is placed so that the center is at the origin and the axis of symmetry lies along the x-axis, the camera lies on the z-axis, and the light source is in the zx-plane (Fig. 1). The light vector S→ can be expressed as (sin θS,0,cos θS) at any point on the subject. Similarly, the normal vector N→ at the point (x0,y0) is (0,y0/r,1−y02/r2). Therefore, the incident angle (the angle between S→ and N→) is cos−1(cos θS·1−y02/r2). Under this arrangement, the incident angle depends on the y-coordinate and increases with increasing distance from the x-axis, so a0 also increases. The intensity of the reflected light is expected to depend less on the viewing angle θo than on the incident angle, because, in the case of Lambertian reflection,24 the observation point does not affect the intensity of the reflected light.
Notation of positional and angular relationships for a point on a cylindrical subject in relation to a light source and a camera. Each symbol represents S→: light vector, N→: normal vector, V→: viewing vector, θi: incident angle, θo: viewing angle, θS: angle between S→ and V→, r: radius of the cylindrical subject, (x0,y0): coordinate value of a point on the subject.
From the description in Sec. 2.3, for MRA1, we assumed that the shading effect would appear mainly in the a0. Therefore, when using the regression coefficients of MRA1 to estimate the chromophore concentrations, removing a0 from the CFs will eliminate the shading effect.
Note that the form of the polynomial equation is the key factor of our method. Removing a0 from the CFs will reduce the estimated errors in the chromophore concentrations that are due to shading-derived errors in the reflectance. However, this will decrease the accuracy of the CFs, because a0 also includes information related to the concentration of each chromophore. To compensate for the absence of a0, we separate ath into aoh and adh. To determine the appropriate CFs, we considered using the following three types of a→ in Eq. (2) and examined each with various choices for the regression coefficients. Display Formula
The chromophore concentrations were estimated with each CF from the spectrum made by the MCS and compared with the inputs of the MCS, which were the expected values. For this calculation, the skin model described in Sec. 2.2 (the same skin model parameters used for MRA2) was used.
The right forearms of Japanese males (N=5) in their 20s to 40 s were measured with the measuring device described in Sec. 2.6. For each subject, the forearm was placed horizontally and images were captured. This was done for two different postures: the inner forearm facing front (angle 1) and facing ∼45 deg upward (angle 2). To correlate the positions on the forearm, several points were marked in a reticular pattern at a distance of 2 cm from neighboring points. After performing MRA1, the chromophore concentrations were calculated as images by using the CFs.
The averaged values of the chromophore concentrations in a 10×10 pixel (2.5×2.5 mm2 when the surface faces front) area at the middle of horizontally neighboring marks were calculated for each CF.
The following apparatus was prepared (Fig. 2). A camera (CV-M7+CL; jAi, Yokohama, Japan) was set in front of the subject. A liquid-crystal wavelength-tunable filter (VariSpec; CRi, Hopkinton, Massachusetts; full width at half maximum: 10 nm) and a polarizer were set in front of the camera. Two halogen lights were set at the left and right sides of the camera in such a way that the angle between the camera and the lights was 30 deg. An infrared cut filter and a polarizer, which was set to be orthogonal to the polarizer in front of the camera, were set between each light source and the subject; this was done to reduce the specular reflection from the skin surface.10
Schematic of the measuring system.
Images were captured using a personal computer and by varying the transparent wavelength of the VariSpec. The resolution of the camera was 4 pixel/mm on a subject facing frontwards, and the pixel depth was 10 bits. The transparent wavelength was set from 500 to 600 nm, with an interval of 20 nm. The measurement time was about 10 s in total. Although we used a color camera, we used only the green channel. For calibration, we captured images of a gray card besides images of subjects, and the pixel values were converted to reflectance in a pixel-by-pixel manner. In the calibration, the pixel value of the white chart was also used, and it was set below the subject. The reflectance can be derived from this calibration if the surface of interest is perpendicular to the line of sight. However, if the surface of interest is not perpendicular to the line of sight, the shading-derived error in the reflectance, i.e., the calibration error in the reflectance, will be increased according to cos θi, as shown in Fig. 1.
In the statistical analysis of the estimated and expected values of chromophore concentrations from the MCS, the standard deviation, σ, of each condition was defined as Display Formula
In the statistical analysis of forearm skin, the variance V was determined as Display Formula
For CF1, CF2, and CF3, the relationships between the original Ci and the estimated ci (i=m, th) are shown in Fig. 3. The σ were 0.025, 0.481, and 0.084 for the melanin concentration estimated with CF1, CF2, and CF3, respectively, and 0.008, 0.092, and 0.016 for the hemoglobin concentration measured with CF1, CF2, and CF3, respectively. The errors increased in the order of CF1, CF3, and CF2.
Correlations between the original and the estimated values of (a) melanin and (b) hemoglobin, using CF1; (c) melanin and (d) hemoglobin, using CF2; and (e) melanin and (f) hemoglobin, using CF3. Horizontal axis: original values; vertical axis: estimated values. The unit of the horizontal and vertical axes is %.
Images of the inner forearm from sets of spectra images are shown in Fig. 4, and Fig. 5 shows the images of the regression coefficients of the framed area in Fig. 4(a). Although the systematic variation from the center to the fringe (upper and lower sides in the pictures) cannot be found in am [Fig. 5(a)] or ath [Fig. 5(b)], the value of a0 became greater at the fringe [Fig. 5(e)]. In aoh [Fig. 5(c)] and adh [Fig. 5(d)], the values became slightly larger and smaller at the edges, respectively, but the degree to which this happens is smaller than it was for a0. The value of aStO2 was affected by the trend of aoh and adh and decreased slightly at the fringe [Fig. 5(c)]. The average and standard deviation of each regression coefficient of the sites A, B, C, and D in Fig. 4(a) were calculated, and the values were as follows: am=(2.1±0.2)×10−4; ath=(1.6±0.1)×10−6; aoh=(8.5±0.9)×10−7; adh=(7.6±1.1)×10−7; a0=(2.2±0.2)×10−1; and aStO2=(55±5)%.
Representative example of measured images (appearance) from different angles. The inner side of the forearm faced (a) straight or (b) upward. The hand is to the left side. To correlate the positions, points were marked in a reticular pattern. The symbols drawn on the pictures are the measured points for Fig. 8. The framed area in (a) is the area shown in Figs. 5 and 6.
Representative example of images of the multiple regression coefficients: (a) am; (b) ath (=aoh+adh); (c) aoh; (d) adh; (e) a0; and (f) aStO2 (=aoh/ath). The area of the images is the area surrounded by a border in Fig. 4(a). The background is masked in black. The value of each regression coefficient corresponds to the brightness. The lower limit is zero for all images, and the upper limit ("Max") is 5×10−4 for am, 4×10−6 for ath, 1×10−6 for aoh, 1×10−6 for adh, 1 for a0, and 100% for aStO2. The reticular pattern is made up of points marked on the skin, and it can be clearly seen in (e).
Next, the chromophore concentrations were estimated with each CF. Figure 6 presents the images of a representative example of these. In CF1, the values of cm and cth increased from the center to the fringe, but in CF3, no such tendency could be observed. This tendency is also seen in Fig. 7. From the cross-section, the values of CF3 near the center were close to those of CF1 [Figs. 7(a) and 7(b)]. On the other hand, the fluctuations of CF3 are larger than those of CF1. In CF2 also, a systematic variation could not be found, but the fluctuations were larger than those of CF3. The differences between these and the values with CF1 were especially observable in cth [Fig. 7(b)]. The averages and standard deviations of the magnified area in Fig. 7 were 5.7±0.6%, 4.7±1.5%, and 5.1±1.2% for melanin with CF1, CF2, and CF3, respectively, and 0.19±0.05%, 0.10±0.08%, and 0.18±0.05% for hemoglobin with CF1, CF2, and CF3, respectively.
Estimated cm and cth with each CF. (a)–(b) with CF1: (a) cm and (b) cth; (c)–(d) with CF2: (c) cm and (d) cth; (e)–(f) with CF3: (e) cm and (f) cth. The value of each estimated concentration corresponds to the brightness; the lower limit is zero for all images, and the upper limit ("Max") is 10% and 0.25% for the images of cm and cth, respectively. The dotted line and the characters "X" and "Y" in (a) represent the cross-section and ends represented in Fig. 7. The background is masked in black. The reticular pattern is made up of points marked on the skin.
Cross-sections of the estimated (a) cm and (b) cth, with CF1, CF2, and CF3. CF1: gray broken lines, CF2: dotted lines, CF3: solid black lines. The plots shown above are the magnified figures of the framed areas. The cross-sections were taken along the dotted lines in Fig. 6(a), and the sides X and Y correspond to the positions noted in Fig. 6(a). The unit of the vertical axes is %.
Finally, cm and cth estimated from different angles at the same site were compared, and the results from a representative example are shown in Fig. 8. The differences between the values of different angles at each position with CF3 were smaller than those with CF1. The values of σ for the representative example for melanin and hemoglobin (Fig. 8) were, respectively, 1.8% and 0.15% for CF1, 0.3% and 0.02% for CF2, and 0.3% and 0.01% for CF3. The values of σ for melanin and hemoglobin for all sites and all subjects were, respectively, 1.3% and 0.15% for CF1, 0.4% and 0.02% for CF2, and 0.3% and 0.02% for CF3. Figure 9 shows a plot of cm and cth for all subjects and all points for CF3.
Correlation between the estimates from different angles (angles 1 and 2) of the melanin and the hemoglobin concentrations at each position of the representative example (same subject as in Fig. 4). (a)–(b): cm calculated with (a) CF1 and (b) CF3; (c)–(d): cth calculated with (c) CF1 and (d) CF3. The symbols and legend (A to D) are the same as those used in Fig. 4. The unit of the horizontal and vertical axes is %.
Correlation between the estimates from different angles (angles 1 and 2) of the melanin and the hemoglobin concentrations at each position for all subjects. (a): cm; (b): cth calculated with CF3. The diagonal solid line represents y=x, and the diagonal gray broken line represents y=x±1.96σ, which is the 95% confidence interval assuming the V follows a Gaussian distribution. The unit of the horizontal and vertical axes is %.
Under the condition that the forearm was set horizontally and the lights were set at the left and right sides of the camera, the incident angle at the upper and lower sides were greater than that at the center. Therefore, the irradiance at the surface became smaller. As we expected (see Sec. 2.3), the shading effect appeared in the a0 image [Fig. 5(e)], and became greater at the fringe. As a consequence, with CF1 [Figs. 6(a) and 6(b)], since the formula contains a0 [Fig. 5(e)], the effect of the shading can be seen in the estimation of chromophore concentrations. This tendency seems to be larger for hemoglobin than for melanin. With CF3 [Figs. 6(e) and 6(f)], which does not contain a0, the artifact is hardly seen, as expected. The improvement is shown more clearly in Fig. 8. Each position on the subject should have the same chromophore concentrations even if the measurement angle is changed. Thus the points plotted in Fig. 8 should be on the line x=y. Obviously, the points plotted for CF3 were closer to x=y than those for CF1, which were quantified with σ. From these results, we conclude that the estimation errors in the chromophore concentrations that are due to the shading-derived error in the reflectance, were greatly reduced by the proposed approach. With CF3, the σ were 0.3% and 0.02% for cm and cth, and the ranges of cm and cth were 3% to 6% and 0.15 to 0.25%, respectively (Fig. 9), which demonstrates that the ratio of the error to the chromophore concentrations is about 10%.
Near the center, where irradiance was evaluated correctly, CF3 estimated the same values, on average, as did CF1 (Fig. 7). In other words, CF3 is as accurate as CF1 when there is less of an effect of shading. Furthermore, the values are within the expected ranges of concentration: cm, cth, and aStO2 for the representative example were 5.0±0.7%, 0.17±0.01%, and 55±5%, respectively, which agrees with the average values for Japanese subjects as reported in the literature.1,22
In the case of CF2 [Figs. 6(c) and 6(d)], although the shading effect was suppressed, the fluctuation was large. Moreover, the average value is very different from the value with CF1 near the center (Fig. 7). This tendency was notable for cth. This probably came from the error between the expected and estimated chromophore concentrations, which can be seen in Figs. 3(c) and 3(d).
Although in Sec. 2.2, we assumed Lambertian reflection for the angular dependency of reflection from skin as a precondition of the constancy of reflectance with varying outgoing angles, this precondition can be loosened. Lambertian reflection proved to be an inaccurate approximation for several real-world objects.24 However, in the proposed method, to the extent that the angular dependency of the reflected light is proportional between wavelengths, the chromophore concentrations will not be affected by the viewing angle. This is because the multiplication of the reflectance by an independent factor of the wavelength will be included in a0 in the same way that the shading effect is included in a0. From the fact that the variation from the center to the fringe does not explicitly appear in the multiple regression coefficients other than a0 (Fig. 5), we infer that the loosened precondition is almost true when the viewing angle increases from the center to the fringe, as does the incident angle. Nonetheless, the penetration depth seems dependent in some way besides the shading effect on the incident angle and viewing angles. At the very edge of the forearm, aoh and adh became slightly smaller and larger, respectively [Figs. 5(c) and (d)], which can be explained by a shallower penetration depth with a larger incident angle. The oxygen saturation in a shallower region is expected to be lower than that in a deeper region,25 which is the trend seen in the derived images.
There are some side effects from removing a0 from the CFs, and these should be improved. First, although the fluctuations with CF3 were smaller than those with CF2, they were still larger than those with CF1 (Figs. 6 and 7). We tried increasing the maximum degree of CF3 from two to three, but the fluctuations did not improve (not shown). The fluctuations are due directly to aoh and adh, but did not appear in ath [Fig. 5(b)]. This indicates that the noise in aoh and adh should be removed in order to reduce the noise in cth. Next, the melanin images from CF3 show what seem to be veins [Fig. 6(e)]. This comes from the am image [Fig. 5(a)], and the compensation did not seem to work well without a0. Although the average values for CF3 were the same as those for CF1 (Fig. 7), this can create a serious problem in visual understanding. To reduce these problems, although the regression coefficients for the MRA1 will be converted to chromophore concentrations with CFs, maximizing the accuracy of MRA1 may be effective in terms of the propagation of errors. This means that the more linear the relationship between the regression coefficients of MRA1 and the respective chromophore concentrations, the smaller the estimation error will become. Therefore, for MRA1, employing the modified B–L method instead of the simple B–L method may be effective, because this will improve the correlation between the concentration and the respective regression coefficients of MRA1.
This technique for reducing the shading-derived error does not require any measurements or assumptions about the shape of the subjects and has no limitations as to skin type. In addition, the method is robust against the angular distribution of the reflected light, as discussed in the previous paragraph. However, the method as a whole has inherited some limitations from the base method. First, the estimated chromophore concentrations depend on the optical parameters and geometries used in the MCS. The thicknesses and scattering coefficients of the epidermis and dermis layer can vary with the individual, the site, and the condition of the skin (e.g., water content). Second, an adequate amount of light should be reflected from the dermis for a precise evaluation of the chromophore concentrations. In the case of darker skin, light is strongly absorbed in the epidermis, and the intensity of the light that reaches the dermis is weak. As a consequence, the error in the estimation of the chromophore concentration, especially of oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin, will be larger than that for lighter skin.
In the case of oily skin, the specular reflection is stronger than that of nonoily skin, but this was corrected by using a polarizer in our measuring system. However, the amount of sebum will affect the scattering power of the epidermis, and thus it will also affect the estimated chromophore concentration. The existence of sebum is expected to decrease the scattering power of the surface of the epidermis and thus increase the penetration depth. This may result in an overestimation of the chromophores.
This method is very useful for the diagnoses of skin spots or lesions, especially when they are so large that the surface curvature becomes non-negligible; an example of this is a port-wine stain.26 Also, in aesthetic evaluations in dermatology and cosmetology, evaluations of each body part (especially the face) as a whole are important.27 The robustness of this method against fluctuations in the intensity of the light source provide a practical advantage. In practical applications, the intensity of the light source is sometime not stable; for example, when using a flashbulb. However, to the extent that the spectrum of the light source is proportional, the derived chromophore concentrations will not be affected, since the effect is gathered into a0 in MRA1. This method is not limited to imaging: it can also be used for point measurements when the stability of the light source intensity cannot be guaranteed. On the other hand, the method cannot be applied when wavelength-dependent information cannot be utilized, such as for the derivation of the absorption and reduced scattering coefficient μa and μs′.16,28 In this case, the effect of shading will also cause errors in the estimated concentrations of chromophores.
In this article, we presented a method for quantitative evaluation of skin chromophores over wide regions. We achieved the reduction of shading-derived artifact by eliminating the constant term of the B–L method in the conversion of the regression coefficients to concentrations. This method is robust to errors in estimating the irradiance and also accounts for the scattering effect. Measurements of a forearm confirmed that, by optimizing the CF, the proposed approach can dramatically reduce the shading-derived artifacts and fully account for the scattering effect. The proposed approach will enable more accurate imaging of large areas, such as whole arms, hands, faces, or legs. Although the method has problems with noise and artifacts, these can be overcome by applying the modified B–L method to MRA1. This issue should be further investigated.
Biographies of the authors are not available.
Kenichiro Yoshida ; Izumi Nishidate ; Nobutoshi Ojima and Kayoko Iwata"Reduction of shading-derived artifacts in skin chromophore imaging without measurements or assumptions about the shape of the subject", J. Biomed. Opt. 19(1), 016009 (Jan 09, 2014). ; http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/1.JBO.19.1.016009
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TGIF hoarding card-makers and welcome to the weekend! And, since it's finally another Friday, it's time for another "Stamp Simply" challenge!
This week, Sharon has fallen in love! Oh, with a photo ... of an Indian bridal sari. Check out the fabulous colors, the texture, the shimmer of the fabric, the beading, and the patterns. WoW, this really is stunning, no?!?
So, today's challenge is to use this photo for your inspiration and just run with it ... take what speaks to you from this photo and show us your fab creations! Be sure to share with us what spoke to you from this gorgeous photo:
Omigosh, where to begin with this beautiful image?!?
I was inspired by the rich, luxe colors of this fabulous sari and the amazing textures. So, with color and texture in mind, I chose faux textured designer papers from Cosmo Cricket's "Souvenir" collection and created a fall-themed card:
To play along in this week's challenge ... and we hope you do! ... simply create a card or other paper project using the photo of the Bridal Wedding Sari for your inspiration. Then, upload it to your blog or online photo gallery and visit Sharon's blog, located HERE to link up your project in Mr. Linky, located HERE.
When uploading to an online gallery, such as Splitcoast Stampers, SNR, or Paper Craft Planet, please use keyword: "ssnotime158" so that we can find your project.
Need more inspiration? Don't miss the fabulously colorful projects created by the rest of the "Stamp Simply" team:
Our Fearless Leader, Sharon Johnson: No Time to Stamp?;
Barbara Anders: Paper Pursuits;
Jenny Gropp: One Krafty Kat;
Janine Orchard: 2 B Krafty;
AJ Otto: The Willow Garden;
Deb Saaranen: Dream in Color;
Barb Schram: Explore. Dream. Discover.; and, our amazing Guest Designer for September,
Chrissie Stokes: Simply One of a Kind.
If you'd like, you can see all of the Splitcoast Stampers gallery submissions, HERE.
We can't wait to see your Bridal Sari Inspired project!
Thanks so much for spending part of your very busy day with me ... hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Card Recipe:
- Card Stock: All Card Stock by Stampin' Up
- Designer Paper: Patterned Papers from the "Souvenir" Collection by Cosmo Cricket
- Stamp: Sentiment by PTI
- Ink: "Chocolate Chip" Dye Ink by Stampin' Up; "Old Paper" Distress Ink by Ranger
- Accessories: Antique Copper Index Frame and Brads from Antique Copper 'Hodgepodge Hardware' Collection by Stampin' Up
- Tools: Die-Cut Machine; Leaf Die by Spellbinders; Stampin' Dimensionals and SNAIL Adhesive by Stampin' Up
- Finished Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" (Side-Folded)

subset: commoncrawl


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National Institute of Immunology (NII) has issued a recruitment notification for the recruitment of Short Term Training through recruitment notification. Candidates who have completed M.Sc, MVSc, M.Tech can apply for the new recruitment notification from National Institute of Immunology (NII).
Eligible candidates can apply offline for the Short Term Training Job on or before 15/3/2016. Find more information about the vacancy like Age limit, Selection Process, Qualification, Application fee, How to apply etc can be found below.
Company Name : National Institute of Immunology (NII)
Vacancy Name : Short Term Training
Educational Qualification : M.Sc, MVSC, M.E/M.Tech
Total No of Vacancy : 01 Post
Salary : NA
Job Location : Across India
Last Date To Apply For This Job : 15/3/2016
Address For The Job Vacancy : National Institute of Immunology (NII), Across India
Detail of Post :
The Institute provides opportunities for outstanding students to carry out project work under the supervision of the Institute's scientists towards partial fulfilment of their postgraduate degrees (of at least SIX months' duration; session I: July-December; session II: January-June). The minimal eligibility criterion for consideration of the requests is first division or an equivalent grade (or at least 60% of aggregate scores) in all major examinations starting from the secondary school examination onwards. Following procedure should be followed by interested students:
Students who are pursuing masters degree (e.g. MSc, MVSc, MTech, integrated masters students in their 4th year etc.) may apply.
The requests must be forwarded through the Heads of Departments, and must provide the academic resumes of the recommended student(s) clearly specifying percentage marks obtained at various levels and the subjects covered, as well as the period of proposed project work.
Every department can forward a maximum of two requests.
Applicants must mention their broad area of interest and/or names of NII scientists s/he would like to work with. If individual names are provided SEVEN names in order of priority may be given. This will help us in choosing the right laboratory for the selected students but there is no guarantee that the student will always get to work with the chosen scientist.
Training opportunities can be offered only during the two time periods mentioned.
Selection Procedure :
Candidates can apply on or before 15/3/2016.
No detailed information about the selection procedure is mentioned in the recruitment notification.
How to apply ? :
Applications for January-June slot will be accepted only from 15th August to 15th September every year and only selected students will be informed by 31st October. Applications for July-December slot will be accepted only from 15th February to 15th March every year and only selected candidates will be informed by 30th April. Late applications will not be considered. Applications can be sent to the following email address: [email protected] The subject line should mention 'Six month Trainee application'. This must be followed by a hard copy application sent to: Administrative Officer, Academic Cell, National Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067. Due to infrastructure constraint the Institute will not be able to provide any accommodation at the campus. The trainee may make his/her own arrangements for accommodation during the period of the work. There are no fixed numbers available each year but requests are considered on the basis of available vacancies. Summer training opportunities Opportunities for summer trainees [6-12 week duration] in the Institute are available only through sponsored programmes such as the KVPY, INSPIRE, Summer research fellowship programme sponsored by Science Academies etc.. The Institute will not entertain direct applications from candidates seeking such placements.
Important dates to remember :
Last Date to Apply for this job 15/3/2016


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I absolutely love children! I find no greater joy than spending the day caring for them, helping them to grow into HAPPY, healthy individuals!
Jessica nanny Gender:Female Age:39 Preferred Wage ($/Wk): 300 - 400 Ref ID:135244
|10+ years Nanny
|10+ years Babysitting
|Drivers License
|Can care for
|Behavioral Issues
|Early Morning (6a-9a)
|Late Morning (9a-12p)
|Early Afternoon (12p-3p)
|Late Afternoon (3p-6p)
|Early Evening (6p-9p)
|Late Evening (9-12)
|Overnight (12a-6a)
Position Duration:Permanent / Part-time
Would prefer to:Live-out Preferred States:TX
My past childcare experience: I am a 38 year old professional Career Nanny. I have 20+ years of childcare experience. I have been a Career Nanny for the past 10 years. I began babysitting as a teenager, after college I became a Professional Career Nanny. I have worked for families in two states, California and Texas. I am also a Childbirth Doula. I have a college degree and I'm CPR & FIRST AID certified. My childcare experience is quite extensive. I have Household Manager experience. I do housework, meal preparation, errands, extracurricular activies, arts & crafts, field trips, playdates, pet care and personal assistant duties and the list goes on! I have wonderful references and a great driving record. I drive a reliable vehicle with full coverage insurnace. I am happy to do any required pre employment testing,including drug testing and background checks. I am seeking a Live-Out/ Part time Nanny position with a wonderful family!
Additional Comments: My work resume will be provided to prospective families at the time of the interview. Thank you


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It's snow watch 2011 here in San Francisco, and while it may be barely enough to count, it's still pretty exciting for us Bay Area residents. I've always been fascinated by snow-based dishes like snow ice cream and maple syrup snow candy, but I've never made them. For those of you who live in chilly climates, have you ever made something tasty with snow? What was it? And if you are lucky enough to have loads of powdery white fluff, I found a a recipe for snow-made maple syrup taffy on The Kitchn!
Join The Conversation
sugar on snow is amazing!!!
i haven't but i LOVE this idea!
Yes! Being a New-Englander, we always find a chance to make sugar on snow, which is what I believe is in the picture above! You heat maple syrup until it boils, then pour it on top of snow (yes, clean, fresh snow for the snow police) and it becomes a delicious chewy candy.
I never have. Just hasn't ever appealed to me. Plus we get snow so infrequently (and what we do get I would NOT eat! lol)
I live in Texas so snow is rare, but not un-heard of. I remember the few times it snowed in my childhood, my Mom made us snow ice cream. When it would start snowing, she would go put a big bowl outside to catch our snow, so we wouldn't have any dirty snow.
I made snow ice cream with my daughter and it was a big hit! http://littlelearnerslounge.blogspot.com/2011/01/snow-ice-cream.html
I don't think I could eat anything with snow in it. It just seems gross, like using rainwater. But we do use snow for our oysters. Fill a shallow bowl up with snow and put shucked oysters on top. They stay nice and cold. =)
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Rangers sign free agent F Asham; re-sign D Bickel
Associated Press | Last updated July 01, 2012
The New York Rangers have added grit and experience to their lineup by reaching a deal with forward Arron Asham on the first day of NHL free agency. A 13-season NHL veteran, Asham spent the past two years with Pittsburgh. He had five goals and 11 assists in 64 games last season. Overall, he has 92 goals and 206 points in 756 career games split between five teams. Asham broke into the NHL in 1998 with Montreal, and has also played for the Islanders, New Jersey and Philadelphia. Earlier on Sunday, the Rangers agreed to re-sign defenseman Stu Bickel, who had nine assists in 51 games in his first NHL season last year. New York had acquired Bickel in a trade with Anaheim in November 2010.
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"How do you feel now?" asked a reporter for a local investment magazine. "I mean, you're a contrarian…and you were right about so much?"
"Not exactly," we explained. "Yes, we saw the problem coming. And we expected the government would do all the wrong things – which it has. But we never imagined that they'd do so many stupid things all at once."
There are only two examples from modern history of depressions such as this – the '30s in America and the '90s in Japan. Both times, the governments did stupid things. But this time, the U.S. government has outdone them all. They've committed $13 trillion to programs that make no sense theoretically…and have never worked when they've been tried.
If you'll recall, the dog that bit the world economy was rabid with debt. The feds are trying the old 'hair of the dog' technique. But they've rounded up every mangy cur and stray bitch in the country. And now they're adding debt to the world economy at a much faster rate than ever in history.
Of course, as feral economists, we love it. We never thought we'd see such a thing. Gone are the mealy-mouthed reservations of cautious economists. Gone are the hesitant…hedged…halfway measures. They're pulling out on the stops. It's the pedal to the metal…it's hell for leather…
What a bold experiment! What a brave undertaking! What a crackpot thing to do!
They must think the planet is under attack from aliens. It's as if the survival of the human race were at stake. Nearly the entire output of the largest economy on the planet for an entire year – debt, not savings – is being spent to…to…to…well…to do what?
To try to stop the speculators from getting what they deserve!
But wait…it gets even madder. Of course, if you put food out in the alley, it's bound to attract rats.
Not surprising then, that the government's bailout cash is giving rise to an astonishing number of new fraud and money laundering accusations.
The complex nature of the bailout program makes it "inherently vulnerable to fraud, waste and abuse, including significant issues relating to conflicts of interest facing fund managers, collusion between participants, and vulnerabilities to money laundering," says an internal government report.
"You don't need an entirely corrupt institution to pull one of these schemes off," said an expert. "You only need a few corrupt managers whose compensation may be tied to the performance of these assets in order to effectively pull off a collusion or a kickback scheme."
But don't worry. The feds are on the case. They're said to be investigating. Just the way they did with Bernie Madoff. And who knows? Maybe the crooks will tell their families…and maybe the sons and daughters will turn them in, just like they did with Bernie.
There are always a few rotten apples in every barrel. But from here at Markets and Money's South American headquarters in Buenos Aires they all look brown to us. Even Business Week magazine opines that the whole bailout program is nothing more than a scheme to pick the pockets of the nation's retirees in order to give the money to rich bankers.
"Monday afternoon, Goldman Sachs (GS) reported much larger than expected first-quarter profits on the heels of the strong earnings Wells Fargo (WFC) reported last week.
"No one should be surprised.
"The Fed has permitted the banks and financial houses to park vast sums of unmarketable paper on its books – securities made nearly worthless by the misjudgment and avarice of bankers. In return, the Fed has provided these paragons of finance with fresh, cheap funds to lend at healthy rates on credit cards, auto loans, and even mortgages.
"While the Fed cuts the banks slack, the bankers are busy turning the screws on their debtors by raising credit card rates and fees, and harassing distressed borrowers with all the zeal the Roman army displayed sacking Palestine.
"It takes good banking skills to borrow at 3%, lend at 5%, and make a profit.
It takes much less business acumen to borrow at 2%, lend at 5%, and make a profit – which is exactly what has happened. The extra fees are just gravy.
"This all comes at a cost to someone – America's elderly.
"Many retirees depend on interest from certificates of deposit. Those rates are down dramatically and as CDs expire, retirees are compelled to reinvest their savings at lower rates and live on less income. They can take comfort that their sacrifices are helping pay off Wall Street's losses from the lavish bonuses that were paid bankers – for example, the $70.3 million Goldman doled out to CEO Lloyd Blankfein in 2007."
Bill Bonner
for Markets and Money


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19 terms
idioms with Tener
Tener años
to how many years old
Tener calor
to be hot
Tener celos
to be jeolous
Tener confianza
to be confident
Tener cuidado
to be careful
Tener la culpa
to be guilty
Tener dolor de
to be sore
Tener en cuenta
to take into account
Tener éxito
to be successful
Tener ganas de
to feel like
Tener hambre
to be hungry
Tener lugar
to take place
Tener miedo de
to be afraid of
Tener Prisa
to be in a hurry
Tener Razon
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to be lucky
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text:
Pioneer introduces 3 new home cinema systems with 3D compatibility
One of the major enhancements across the range is the systems' ability to pass 3D video signals over HDMI. The new line-up includes the 5.1-channel HTP-610 a brilliant solution for immersive high definition home cinema sound in the home entertainment space. For those looking to match their home cinema system to their flat screen TV, we offer the 3.1 channel HTP-SB510 sound bar style and the 2.1 channel HTP-FS510 front speaker system.
The HTP-610, HTP-SB510 and HTP-FS510 will be available from Pioneer's retail network from December 2010 onwards.
The HTP-610 is suited to anyone who wishes to make home cinema core to their living space.
The highly attractive "HTP" product range consists of a main subwoofer unit, incorporating a fully featured home cinema receiver, combined with three speaker set variations. All receiver subwoofer components are finished in a high-gloss, deep black, exuding a clean, minimalist feel that will enhance any living room environment.
Bringing together the best in design with the best in technology, these home cinema systems use the very latest innovations to bring movies to life. Each system includes three of the latest specification HDMI (v1.4a with 3D) inputs. Being fully compatible with upcoming 3D TV broadcast receivers, Blu-ray Disc players and game consoles, these connections allow HD audio to be processed in the system combined with digital transfer of both HD video and audio to a flat screen TV through a single HDMI cable.
Integrated decoders for the most advanced HD audio formats, including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, enable the systems to deliver sound to match the breathtaking depth and richness of high definition imagery. Measuring the sound field with the provided microphone, the Multi Channel Acoustic Calibration (MCACC) system creates the ideal acoustic environment. This technology uses the same functionality as a professional sound stage, bringing outstanding audio precision into the entertainment space.
For the ultimate iPhone or iPod experience – without the need for a docking station – all four systems come with a specialist cable providing a complete video and digital audio connection. The digital USB audio connection for iPhone or iPod allows skipping intermediate digital-to-analogue conversion steps, and guarantees the purest possible digital sound quality.
Rounding out these home cinema systems is an intuitive preset remote, which can also be used to control other Pioneer equipment.
The HTP-SB510 bar-style system is designed to complement flat screen TVs
Model configuration
Three speaker configurations ensure that you have the freedom to select the system that best matches your living room:
- HTP-610 5.1 channel – offering similar performance but in a more compact speaker design, the HTP-610 is a great option for users who enjoy the impact of 5.1 channel surround sound, but prefer smaller speakers. The system creates a clean setting with a dual centre speaker and four small yet high performance satellite speakers. It provides a power output of 6x 100W including the subwoofer. HTP-SB510 3.1 channel – slim, stylish, powerful, the HTP-SB510 sound bar system is designed to complement flat screen TVs. The system delivers powerful 3.1 channel surround sound, providing a power output of 4x 100W including the subwoofer. Adding the optional S-SB5R speakers creates a genuine 5.1 channel surround sound setting. HTP-FS510 2.1 channel – the HTP-FS510 is perfect for those who want to enjoy surround sound from speakers that blend in next to their flat screen TV. It too offers great looks with the glossy black and high quality grill jersey fascias and consists of two height adjustable, slim front speakers for 2.1 channel performance at 3 x 100W including the subwoofer.
In summary, the key specifications common across the range include:


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The 18-year-old hopeful - who failed to make it past the Judges' Houses stage of the competition last year - hopes he can emulate the success of the 'Bad Boys' singer, but admitted he had mixed feelings about returning to perform in front of Louis Walsh and new judges Gary Barlow, Tulisa Contostavlos and Kelly Rowland.
He explained: "I do think I'm under more pressure because Alexandra Burke won it the second time she came back.
"The vibe was much different with the new judging panel, they were really lively and warm, really nice but at the same time it was kind of like a clean slate but also with the other judges not being there they didn't have the chance to see how I've changed."
John received a standing ovation from the panel - which last year featured Louis, Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole and Dannii Minogue - with his rendition of Jennifer Hudson's 'Love You Like I Do' although he did agonise over his song choice.
He added in an interview with ITV1's 'This Morning': "Picking the song was quite hard because there I had to measure up to last year but once you get on that stage you just have to go for it and enjoy it.
"It's like an out of body experience being up in front of those judges, it feels like you're watching it at home on TV."
- More about:
- Gary Barlow
- Kelly Rowland
- Louis Walsh


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If there's any one actor whose name is most associated with films based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft, it would have to be Jeffrey Combs. Having done several Lovecraftian flicks, most famously Re-Animator, Combs is about to once again return to Miskatonic territory with The Darkest Evil, a new film adaptation of "The Dunwich Horror", Lovecraft's tale of a diabolical man named Wilbur Whateley who sets out to acquire the Necronomicon in order to unleash the mysterious "Old Ones" upon mankind.
This news came courtesy of an email the other day from a source who wishes to remain anonymous at this time since no official press release has been sent out just yet announcing that production has begun in Lafayette, Louisiana on the The Darkest Evil. Being produced by Bullet Films, the Louisiana-based subsidiary of Blackthorn Industries, a new production company formed by filmmaker Leigh Scott (Beast of Bray Road) and other ex-Asylum talent following a major behind the scenes fallout late last year … I guess you could call them all Asylum escapees. Get the net!
Scott will be directing The Darkest Evil, which also co-stars two other former Asylum regulars: Griff Furst and Sarah Lieving. As for Jeffrey Combs, he's been cast as the villainous Wilbur Whateley, a role played by Dean Stockwell in the loosely-adapted 1970 film version of The Dunwich Horror. In what can only be considered something of a casting coup, Dean Stockwell will also be co-starring in this version as well.
My source tells me The Darkest Evil will be getting a limited theatrical release in the fall. Expect much more info to come in the very near future. Stay tuned!
Discuss your darkest evil in the Dread Central forums!


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Sunday, December 17, 2006
A Little Too Much Adventure
It snowed here yesterday. As I left the house at 3:00 for my gym workout, the snow was just starting: a very fine snow that wasn't sticking yet. But when I left the gym at 5:00, there was an inch or two of accumulation, and the snow was very slick: the Special Slidey Snow, as Gary called it later.
I've only been driving for nine years, and I don't have much experience with snow. Our old Honda needed chains once, up in the mountains; the Ford I drive now has never needed them, although I dutifully keep the old chains in the trunk. On the road last night, I immediately started sliding -- there was no traction, and of course nothing had been plowed or salted yet -- and that made me apprehensive about the three miles home, all uphill, on a street that's notoriously bad in snow.
I drove very, very slowly (as all the other cars were doing, too) and managed to get onto the main road from which our street branches off. I was fishtailing the entire time.
Then I lost control of the car completely, and crunched into a curb. Luckily, I was only going ten or fifteen mph, and didn't crunch into another car or a person. I managed to pull away from the curb and continue up the street, but the traction wasn't getting any better, and I was really shaken from hitting the curb. And there was a lot of traffic: it was rush hour, and people were just coming home from Christmas shopping.
So I pulled over, put on my hazards, and called AAA on my cellphone. (I'm very ambivalent about cellphones, but boy, they're sure useful in emergencies!) It was 5:15. While I waited to be connected to AAA, I watched a truck rear-end an SUV in front of me. When the AAA guy finally came on the line, I told him, "I either need to be towed the two miles to my house, or have someone come help me put chains on. I've never done that by myself, and the one time I did it with help was seven years ago. Do you guys do that?" I felt like an idiot -- I could just imagine the AAA guy thinking scornfully, Stupid female driver! -- but I just didn't feel safe driving.
"That's not technically a roadside emergency," the AAA guy said. "We'd have to charge you. We're getting hundreds of calls right now, and if we sent a truck, it might not get there until 9:00. And if it's not safe for you to drive in this, it's not safe for us, either."
You have trucks with chains, I thought. I'm in a tiny Ford. But I didn't say that. I said, "Please put in the call, and if I can get help from someone else, I'll call you back to cancel it."
I was starting to get cold, and I didn't have enough warm clothing with me, because I'd thought I was only doing the tiny drive to the gym and back. (The moral of this story is: Always keep emergency supplies in the car!) I called Gary, who doesn't drive -- and has thus never had the terrifying experience of losing control of a car -- and thought my predicament was very funny. "You're stuck in two inches of snow two miles away? Why don't you just leave the car there and walk home?"
At that point, I got a little hysterical. "I'm not going to leave the car here, because this isn't a safe place. The car could be hit! I'm not going to walk home, uphill on a windy road, because I'm not wearing the right shoes for snow hiking, and because I could be hit. Other cars are losing control, too. Can you please call Katharine and see if she can come help me with the chains?"
Katharine's the friend we go to Maui with. She lives nearby. She has an SUV. She's from Vermont, and knows about snow. I felt horrible about calling her out in bad conditions, but trusted her to say no if she thought it was too dangerous or inconvenient.
I sat in the car, hazards flashing, and waited. Cars passed me. Nobody stopped to offer help, probably because they didn't want to lose their own momentum in the snow, and maybe also because these days, everybody trusts everybody else to have a cellphone and to have called for help. (And in fairness, I wasn't outside trying to flag anybody down.) I got colder. I was ashamed of myself for being a bad driver, for not having brought a hat or gloves, for bothering a friend. I started having lurid fantasies about AAA arriving at 9:00 and finding me dead of hypothermia in my tiny Ford on the side of a main road.
Then headlights pulled in behind me. Katharine had arrived with her son Tim. "He's a great driver," Katharine said, "and he knows all about snow. So he'll drive your car. Do you want to drive with him, or with me?"
"With you," I told her, and she and Tim laughed.
I apologized for bothering them, and they both pooh-poohed me. "This is what friends and neighbors are for," Tim said. "We're from Vermont. Helping people in bad weather is what you do." I gave him my keys and climbed into Katharine's toasty SUV.
Tim managed to drive the car onto a level side street; we followed him. Then he stopped, got out, and came over to talk to me. "Your right front wheel has a really bad wobble. I'll put the chains on, and then we'll see how it drives."
I got out. I'd looked at the car after I crunched into the curb and hadn't seen any damage, but when I looked this time, sure enough: the right front hubcap was badly dented. Tim tried unsuccessfully to put the chains on. I thought chains were one size fits all, but it turns out that the old chains from the Honda don't fit the Ford. Great.
Meanwhile, AAA had called me back to see what was happening. I told them to cancel the call, that we were going to have to leave my car on a side street, but that my friends would drive me home. "Listen," the AAA guy said, "just be glad you're okay, and that this didn't happen on the highway." Amen to that!
Tim pulled my car over to the curb, and we all got into Katharine's SUV, Tim driving. He started heading cautiously up my street, the hilly one with the curves. Half a mile from my house, we found the road blocked by a city bus that had spun out across both lanes. When I saw that, I started to feel better about losing control of my car. Maybe the problem really was the snow, and not my driving.
Tim took a detour around the bus. Past it, we found a snarl of other vehicles scattered in the middle of the road. "Oh boy," Tim said. "I'm not going to try to get through that. It's too dangerous. Susan, why don't you come to my house for dinner?"
So I did. On the way there, we watched a car do a 360-degree spinout, and I started feeling much better about my own mishap. At Tim's house, I chatted with his wife Maura and played with their adorable toddler Pippa. We ate spaghetti, salad, mashed potatoes. I drank hot tea. We talked about contingencies: "If we can't get you home later," Katharine said, "you can spend the night at my house." (She's within walking distance of Tim's.) "We'll sit in front of the fire and tell stories. It will be fun."
After dinner, we watched a bit of The Fellowship of the Ring (one of my favorite movies of all time, although the trek up Caradhras was a bit too reminiscent of what had just happened to me). At 8:45, we got into the SUV again. This time, there was hardly anyone on the road, and Tim got me home safely, although we passed another car that had spun out in the middle of a traffic circle. Its hazards were on, and the driver was standing next to it. Tim, bless him, rolled down his window. "Are you okay? Do you need help?" The driver said he was fine, and we drove the remaining block to my house without incident.
This morning, it's sunny. I called Tim about an hour ago; he said that Maura had slid trying to get out of their driveway, but that in a few hours, when the snow has melted, it should be safe to try to rescue my car and get it back to the house. My garage is closed today, so I can't take it straight there.
So I'm probably going to be stuck at home today: no church, no swimming, no hospital. Darn! (And today would have been the shift when I finally, after more than two years, racked up the 400 volunteer hours I'd have done in seven months if I'd stuck with CPE.) But I'm not going to drive a damaged car. We'll see what happens tomorrow: I'll call my garage and see if they or AAA can tow it. The garage is six miles away along two major streets, so I'd be nervous about driving the car, although I'll try that, with hazards on, if they think I should.
This morning's paper had a story about the storm: there were lots of accidents last night, although luckily no one was hurt. I certainly wasn't the only one having trouble, though.
So I have an enforced vacation day. Ugh! Well, I can do more internet Christmas shopping.
5 comments:
I live in an area where we're supposed to like and expect snow. I don't. It's harder for me to walk safely, and snow masks sounds and sensations I need as landmarks.ReplyDelete
I'm glad you're safe Susan, I can relate to your fear. It's good you have people who will help when you need them. Enjoy the day inside. Maybe you just need a day of rest.
Hi Susan,ReplyDelete
I agree with Nickie. A day of rest is good.
Your story reminds me of one my Grandma Sue loved to tell, about unexpectedly getting stuck at her friend's apartment during a blizzard. She felt ridiculous because her own home was only down the block. But she just couldn't walk it, and she was stuck there overnight with no toothbrush or change of clothes. I must have been six or seven when this happened, and I must have heard her tell it a million times. Maybe that's one reason they came with us down to Florida when my parents decided to move.
All the years I lived in Miami, I missed the seasons and particularly snow. Now a snowy Sunday is like a holiday, and we make a big deal of taking Nathan sledding down Cedar Hill in Central Park. But I have the greatest respect for how dangerous it can be. I've never had to drive in snow, and I hope I never do.
I hate snow. I hate walking in it because my dropped foot skates all over the place and I feel 100% insecure even if I've got my walking stick. I hate driving in it. I was up in the hills near us before we moved back, and there was just a dusting of snow. I steered right. The car went straight on. No damage, but the feeling is... well, you know.ReplyDelete
A day of rest. What a good idea. I think we should all have one every seven days (physician, heal thyself!)


text:
Click Image for Additional Pictures
Code: ROSGUARD
Standard Bearer
Private w/gun
Kay Bojesen: Guardsmen
Rosendahl, Denmark.
The guardsmen designed by
Kay Bojesen - a Danish classic.
The famous Danish guardsmen
made of wood have their roots
back in 1942, and have almost
become a symbol of Denmark.
The wooden guardsmen are
very popular as gifts to people
living abroad, and also serve
well as decoration.
The wooden guardsmen are
represent the highest quality
workmanship and are
decorated with pure gold leaf.
The small guardsman of
8.66" (22 cm) may be used as a
humorous and timeless design
on the shelf.
The guards are presented in a sentry box formed packaging, which received the Formland Prize in 1992.
This box wears the monogram with the approval of her majesty, Queen Margrethe of Denmark
Material: Beech Wood. Available Sizes:
Size: ca. 8.66" h
Available Guardsmen:
Private w/gun
FREE SHIPPING WITHIN THE US! Usually ships in 5-10 business days or sooner. Kay Bojesen: "Even though an old proverb says too much special knowledge makes you stupid I, as a craftsman, must say that having gone through an apprenticeship in the field of applied art, gives me certain advantages in the difficult art of design, as compared to those who partly or completely work from theoretical knowledge. Kay Bojesen was a silversmith, but through his wooden toys he became known as one of Danish applied art's great pioneers. His Grand Prix cutlery received its name when it won first prize in Milan in 1951.
PDF FileHighres (pdf: 210 KB)
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text:
Lauren CooleyFlorida Campus Correspondent
Lauren Cooley is a Florida Campus Correspondent, and reports liberal bias and abuse on campus for Campus Reform. Lauren is pursuing her Masters in Liberal Studies at the University of Miami. She the Founder and Executive Director of Campus Red, a Florida-based program designed to identify, register, and mobilize thousands of Republican voters on college campuses by going dorm to dorm, face to face, and peer to peer. Lauren has appeared on numerous outlets such as Fusion TV, Huffington Post Live, CBS, and One America News Network. She is also published at Townhall, the Christian Post, LifeZette, the College Fix, and BizPac Review.
46 Articles by Lauren Cooley
UF dorm to host 'counterspace grounded in the Black experience'Lauren Cooley May 24, 2017 - 11:00 AM EDT1,064 Shares
Profs get cash prizes for promoting 'multiculturalism' on campusLauren Cooley Apr 26, 2017 - 10:14 AM EDT237 Shares
Miami College of Design prepares to be submerged by 2040Lauren Cooley Mar 14, 2017 - 12:21 PM EDT145 Shares
UT instructors meet students in bars to avoid campus carryLauren Cooley Mar 07, 2017 - 3:49 PM EDT271 Shares
UCF prof: 'Right-wing doesn't want people to be educated'Lauren Cooley Mar 07, 2017 - 10:15 AM EDT813 Shares
USC creating 'emergency fund' for immigrant studentsLauren Cooley Mar 02, 2017 - 11:02 AM EDT167 Shares
UCF socialist club urges young children to 'kill Donald Trump'Lauren Cooley Feb 15, 2017 - 10:03 AM EDT754 Shares
Socialist group at UCF plans 'Whack-a-Trump Pinata' eventLauren Cooley Feb 07, 2017 - 4:04 PM EDT920 Shares
UCF socialist compares 'Leftist Fight Club' to trapshootingLauren Cooley Feb 07, 2017 - 9:37 AM EDT598 Shares
'Leftist Fight Club' trains UCF students to fight RepublicansLauren Cooley Feb 06, 2017 - 12:08 PM EDT72,398 Shares
Miami Dade SGA urges students to lobby against ACA repealLauren Cooley Feb 03, 2017 - 2:14 PM EDT113 Shares
USC students hold anti-Trump 'oath-taking' during InaugurationLauren Cooley Jan 20, 2017 - 11:12 AM EDT275 Shares
FIU student body prez circulates anti-Trump 'holiday message'Lauren Cooley Jan 04, 2017 - 3:55 PM EDT138 Shares
Miami TV retracts promo video mocking Trump supporterLauren Cooley Oct 17, 2016 - 9:35 AM EDT318 Shares
FIU urged students to attend pro-BLM 'Blackout' eventLauren Cooley Oct 07, 2016 - 11:53 AM EDT109 Shares
Report: Lena Dunham's alleged sexual assault falseLauren Cooley Dec 04, 2014 - 2:23 PM EDT1,142 Shares
Busted: Students use financial aid accounts for tax fraudLauren Cooley Dec 03, 2014 - 3:39 PM EDT156 Shares
UCLA students push university to divest from IsraelLauren Cooley Nov 26, 2014 - 10:37 AM EDT155 Shares
College pays students for getting a 'C' in mathLauren Cooley Nov 13, 2014 - 9:39 AM EDT166 Shares
UCF students couldn't identify gubernatorial candidates days before the midterm electionLauren Cooley Nov 08, 2014 - 4:49 PM EDT277 Shares
Florida school hosts sex workshop on Election NightLauren Cooley Nov 04, 2014 - 4:15 PM EDT142 Shares
South Carolina holds Garden of Eden-themed drag showLauren Cooley Oct 17, 2014 - 3:39 PM EDT101 Shares
Pro-pot bus tour rolls onto college campuses to 'get out the vote or f*ck it all'Lauren Cooley Oct 10, 2014 - 10:52 AM EDT207 Shares
Public university wanted to charge $17K for three years' worth of crime reportsLauren Cooley Oct 08, 2014 - 11:30 AM EDT110 Shares
Court: Public has no right to know what is being taught in public universitiesLauren Cooley Sep 19, 2014 - 11:21 AM EDT51 Shares
'How to Be a Lesbian in 10 Days or Less' returns to South CarolinaLauren Cooley Sep 08, 2014 - 11:18 AM EDT476 Shares
Florida students taxed for taking extra college classesLauren Cooley Aug 20, 2014 - 9:49 AM EDT132 Shares
Dept. of Education investigating Florida scholarship program over concerns of racist requirementsLauren Cooley Aug 01, 2014 - 3:03 PM EDT130 Shares
Community college student body launches petition to rid itself of 'out of touch' presidentLauren Cooley Jul 16, 2014 - 11:22 AM EDT94 Shares
John Wayne's family sues Duke University over trademark disputeLauren Cooley Jul 14, 2014 - 11:23 AM EDT59 Shares
University editorial board: students 'don't need' to study America's founding documentsLauren Cooley Jul 11, 2014 - 4:34 PM EDT243 Shares
Former Winthrop University president ordered email evidence of nepotism destroyedLauren Cooley Jul 10, 2014 - 1:17 PM EDT205 Shares
State of Florida gives failing marks to college that doesn't assign gradesLauren Cooley Jul 08, 2014 - 11:08 AM EDT183 Shares
University trustee chairman facing fraud charges over diaper factory scandalLauren Cooley Jun 30, 2014 - 3:05 PM EDT175 Shares
South Carolina's only historically black college on verge of losing accreditation, receives $6 million bailoutLauren Cooley Jun 25, 2014 - 4:55 PM EDT302 Shares
Winthrop University president suspended for corruption, threatens lawsuitLauren Cooley Jun 20, 2014 - 9:45 AM EDT1,483 Shares
Confederate Naval Jack in university chapel protected, South Carolina AG saysLauren Cooley Jun 10, 2014 - 2:13 PM EDT104 Shares
University cuts credit hours to become cheaper while raising tuitionLauren Cooley Jun 05, 2014 - 3:36 PM EDT58 Shares
College president arrested, accused of turning school into forced labor campLauren Cooley Jun 03, 2014 - 10:56 AM EDT726 Shares
University cuts Women's and Gender Studies, will teach Constitution insteadLauren Cooley May 19, 2014 - 11:31 AM EDT2,040 Shares
Clemson's head football coach: program doesn't violate separation of church and stateLauren Cooley Apr 25, 2014 - 3:48 PM EDT51 Shares
Public university publishes guide to its gender neutral restroomsLauren Cooley Apr 23, 2014 - 11:35 AM EDT87 Shares
'How To Be A Lesbian in 10 Days or Less' cancelled after legislative intervention, Butchy McDyke responds with videoLauren Cooley Apr 09, 2014 - 12:00 PM EDT251 Shares
University to teach students 'How To Be A Lesbian in 10 Days or Less' during seminarLauren Cooley Mar 31, 2014 - 6:36 AM EDT8,967 Shares
Furman University professors use Facebook to openly mock conservative student groupLauren Cooley Mar 19, 2014 - 12:52 PM EDT1,409 Shares
Presbyterian College play teaches women to find strength through 'c**t chant'Lauren Cooley Feb 20, 2014 - 1:24 PM EDT1,480 Shares


text:
Home >> Sports, Outdoors & Travel >> Sporting Accessories >> Sport Protectors >> Knee & Waist >> Black Hook and Loop Fastener Adjustable Elastic Knee Support Brace
|Product Name
|Knee Support
|Fit for
|Men, Women
|Fit Knee Girth
|35-40cm / 13.8"-15.7"
|Flat Size
|54 x 19cm / 21.3" x 7.5'' (L*Max. W)
|Main Material
|Cotton, Elastic Fabric
|Net Weight
|Package Content
|1 x Knee Support
Please measure the size of your knee to make sure this item fits before ordering.
- Features hook and loop fastener, adjustable and elastic design, black color, fit for both men and women.
- Protects your knee from possible injuries when doing outdoor sports such as football, basketball, etc.
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text: I am just planning a new structure and in this case I am resorting my Forums. It's a mess to sort Forums inside the XF Admin CP, because the Numer that sorts them, is only visible in Forumdetails. At a state of the art solutions this would be a great solution: http://jqueryui.com/demos/sortable/


text:
Rotary District 7610
2016-2017 Youth Speech Contest Overview
Speech Theme:
Rotary Serving Humanity
Contestants, who must be in grades 9 - 12, will speak on the Rotary theme: Rotary Serving Humanity. Each Club should hold a contest and select their winners. Club first place winners advance to the area contest held by Assistant Governors. Each first place winner in the Area contests will advance to compete in the District Final Contest. First, second and third place winners of the District Finals will receive cash awards: $1000 for first place, $500 for second and $250 for third. The District Speech Contest winner must be available to deliver their winning speech at the District Conference on Saturday, May 20, 2017 in order to receive their award (District Conference will be held at the Wintergreen Resort, Wintergreen, VA).
Assistant Governors should hold area contests with the winners from clubs in their area, and report to the District Youth Contest Chair the winner for their area no later than March 31, 2017. Finals for the District 7610 Speech Contest will be held Saturday, April 29, 2017. Location (address TBA) will be in Fredericksburg area. UPDATE: Finals will be held at 9:00 am in the auditorium at UMW Dahlgren Campus,4224 University Drive| King George, VA 22485.
The sponsoring Rotary Club will cover the cost of the student's participation in the District Final competition, will coordinate the student's attendance at the event (with a club representative) and if selected as the first place winner, will make arrangements for transportation to and participation in the District Conference youth plenary session and luncheon. Clubs must send a representative with the student they are sponsoring to both the District Speech Contest in Fredericksburg and the District Conference in Wintergreen. Clubs should plan to cover the cost of participation that typically includes transportation and lunch for the winning student and student's chaperone or parent who accompanies them to the district Conference.
Contest information is available to download from the District website and may be obtained from area AGs, Club Presidents, and the New Generations/Youth Service Chair by email request. Email reminders will be sent periodically to AGs, Club Presidents and Youth Program Chairs. Any questions may be directed to the Youth Contest Chair, Holly Graf, at email@example.com 757-846-1859.Resources:


text:
Pixy 15mL
Pixy 15mL 4.7 6
By Time Bomb
$ 4.99
Pixy by Time Bomb Vapors is a grape candy flavored e-juice reminiscent of that sweet and tasty purple pixy stick from your childhood. Likely one of the best grape flavored e-liquids on the market, Pixy is a must try!
Time Bomb - Pixy Specifications
- Flavor Base: Grape
- VG/PG Ratio: 60 VG / 40 PG
- Bottle Size: 15ml
- Bottle Type: Glass with Child-Resistant Dropper Cap
- Store at room temperature
Discover More: 60% VG / 40% PG Liquids Candy Flavored E-Juices E-liquids Time Bomb Vapors


text:
Temperley London
Aura embroidered silk-organza skirt
Need a second opinion? Ask your personal shopper:
- - Fits true to size, take your normal size
- - Midi-length, designed to be worn at the waist
- - Lightweight, non-stretchy fabric
- - Model is 177cm/ 5'10" and is wearing a UK 8
"Colors, proportions and design elements work together towards my vision of a modern, relaxed woman full of femininity, energy, emotions and dreams," says Temperley London founder Alice Temperley of her Resort '17 collection. This 'Aura' skirt is cut from crisp silk-organza and decorated with colorful dreamcatcher-inspired embroidery. Fully lined in stretch-silk for coverage, it falls to an elegant midi length that works just as well with heels or flats.
Shown here with: Stella McCartney Top, Tina Craig for Gianfranco Lotti Shoulder bag, Alaïa Sandals, Etro Earrings, Jennifer Fisher Ring, Kenneth Jay Lane Ring.
- - Black silk-organza
- - Concealed hook and zip fastening at side
- - 100% silk; lining: 93% silk, 7% elastane
- - Dry clean
Find out the shipping options available for your destination
Arrange your return for an exchange or refund within 28 days using our free collection service


text:
2013 Paul Reed Smith Korina McCarty 22 with Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard! This is a custom color Lake Placid Blue finish. Top wood and neck wood is Korina. Neck curve is a wide/fat. Original solid bird inlays. Stoptail on this one. Gold hardware. McCarty treble/bass humbuckers. 1 volume, 1 tone knobs. Weighs 7.3 pounds. Very clean overall, no dings or nicks. Says on the back of the headstock "Custom Built for USA Only" Obviously due to the domestic brazilian rosewood. Ships to within the States only because of that. Set up nice and low. Comes with the original hard case with case papers.
|Lake Placid Blue
|Original Hard
We accept credit cards, cash, checks, money orders, and bank wire's.
We use UPS, FedEx, Bax Global, Nippon Express or any other service requested buy the customer. Buyer pays for shipping cost.
We have a 24 hour approval period on our guitars. If not satisfied, we will refund your money upon return of the instrument in the same condition as it was shipped out. Customer pays all shipping, insurance and bank charges and a 6% restocking fee. Amps are sold AS IS and leave here is good working order. There is no return policy on our amps.Customers are responsible for all damage claims.


text:
It is time to call it quits with social media and will deactivate my FB account Saturday night (4 days from now). I will begin the New Year with "A Blank Slate" for a clean heart, clear mind, and open spirit. I plan think more about writing, and posting to my blog more often. And of course, I will be delighted for communications from and to those who wish to keep in touch.
I give it all to you, Lord Jesus
This mind
This soul
This heart
The spirit within
I am letting go
Letting it all go
All the muddled thoughts
All the mixed emotions
All the confused feelings
Too much, too many
Have scarred the very essence
Of this being
I give to you
This empty vessel
This blank slate
For you to make it new
For you to fill it up
Fill it to overflowing
With Your goodness
Your grace
Your light
Your love
Write what you will
On this blank slate
That is me
Waiting to be cleansed
And renewed
With Your Spirit, Lord Jesus
Copyright October 24, 2008


text:
I will be taking part in the following exhibitions this year:
Bath Spa University MA Open Studios, Dartmouth Ave, 25-27 January
Walcot Chapel MA Fine Art Residency. 13-20 Feb. Open Eve Mon 20 Feb, 6-8pm, Walcot Chapel, Walcot Gate, Bath BA1 5UG
'The Future Can't Wait', MA Show, Long Gallery, Black Swan Arts Centre, 2 Bridge St, Frome, Somerset BA11 1BB, 18 March – 5 April. Preview Fri 17 March 6-8pm
Wylye Valley Art Trail, 26 May – 4 June
Fresh Air '17, Quenington Old Rectory, Quenington, Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 5BN, 11 June – 2 July, open daily 10am-5pm, £5 Adults, children free
Bradford-on-Avon Sculpture Garden, 'Lynchetts', 15, Woolley Street, Bradford-on-Avon, 24 June – 2 July, 11am-6.30pm, closed Mon
Fifty BEES: The Interconnectedness of All Things, ACEarts, Somerton, 1-22 July, open Tues – Sat, 10am-5pm
Summer Sculptures, Glastonbury Abbey, Somerset, BA6 9EL, 1 July – 1 October (normal admission applies)
Evolver Prize '17, Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Honiton, 8 July – 26 August
NGS Open Garden, Benter, Somerset, 23 July, 10am-5pm
'Form and Fascination', Courts Garden National Trust, Holt, Nr Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, BA14 6RR, 9 September – 15 October (closed Wednesdays). Last entry to garden 5pm.
Somerset Art Weeks Festival 'Prospect', 'Ephemeral and Eternal', Round Tower, Black Swan Arts Centre, 2 Bridge St, Frome, Somerset BA11 1BB, 16 September – 7 October, 10am–4pm, Monday to Saturday, (open Sun 1 Oct) and Clay Hill Farm, Bridgwater, 23 September – 8 October
More details to follow on these and other exhibitions.


text:
It only takes a minute to get started. Fill out our simple sign up form and login to the website.
This step is optional but will seriously raise your chances of getting interest from other over 40s members on the site. Let people know a bit about yourself, your interests and upload your best photograph.
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Located someone who ticks all the boxes? Send a message to them or just a wink and see if they're interested. With a little luck you'll be on your way to discovering that special someone for you.
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text:
Nice cruise
Sail Date: January 01, 2010
Reviewed: 7 years ago
Traveled As: Couple
Room Type: Oceanview
This was a last moment decision.We were pleasantly surprised.The ship was absolutely clean,the cabins spacious.
The food was very good and the staff exceptionally friendly.
We had a good time.The shows were not to much our style and as on all the ships to loud.They were geared to the younger generation.Everything was well organized.I expected more things to do during the day.It was like any other cruise ship .Most other lines have better shows and more of it.
We had a good time.
Pros: The food and the many young couples on board,larger than usual cabins.
Cons: layout of the ship
Recommends Carnival Valor? Yes!
Category Ratings
Click table then swipe to view all columns.
Click table then swipe to view all columns.
|Ship Quality
|Food and Dining
|Cabin / Stateroom
|Service and Staff


text:
google analytics
measuring the effectiveness of your online marketing
we'll help you make informed decisions with google analytics
• How many hits did you website have last month compared to the same time last year?
• What is the increase of website traffic from mobile devices?
• What is the average time of a page visit (stickiness)?
• Which keywords did users use to find your site?
• How popular is specific content?
• What is your bounce rate?
• How did users find your website?
• What are your competitors doing?
• How effective was your last PPC campaign?
• How can we better structure your site for more effective results?
• Which content engaged your website visitors most?
These are just some of the questions we ask when conducting an SEO analysis with Google Analytics. Whilst Google Analytics itself may be free, it certainly isn't easy interpreting the data accurately. This can be the difference between a successful SEO campaign, and a waste of valuable business resources. Using Google Analytics to your advantage requires extensive marketing experience, and an understanding of Google algorithms to make informed online marketing decisions. At icu2, we will thoroughly examine your Google Analytics reports to provide you with valuable recommendations to make informed decisions regarding your website.
icu2 heartStarter™
If at first, the idea of managing your SEO seems a little overwhelming, our icu2 heartStarter™ package may be just what you are looking for. This basic package is designed to introduce you to Google Analytics, without blowing out the budget. The package includes the installation and configuration of Google Analytics, initial benchmarking and quarterly reporting.
scheduled analysis and optimisation
As part of an SEO schedule, icu2 will analyse your sites performance at regular intervals. This regular analysis can be conducted on a weekly, monthly or quarterly basis (depending on the nature of your site and competitiveness of your searches). Using Google Analytics amongst other state-of-the-art tools, we are able to provide measurable improvements on your search engine results, and make valuable recommendations to you regarding your websites content, structure, linking and much more to keep you moving up the rankings.
why you should use icu2 to manage your google analytics
• Improved ROI in online marketing
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• Improved rankings on search terms that are most valuable to your business
• Reduced expenses in employing full time SEO staff


text:
akshya tritiya, vivek oberoi, lucky, bangalore, baby, అక్షయ తృతియ, వివేక్ ఓబ్రాయ్, లక్కీ, బెంగళూరు, పాప
Story first published: Tuesday, April 21, 2015, 18:29 [IST]
English summary
On Akshya Tritiya is a very lucky day for Vivek Oberoi and his family. That's because Vivek and his wife Priyanka have been blessed with a baby girl. Priyanka has delivered the baby in Bangalore which is her home town.


text:
Women in the professions
December 05, 2006
In 2005, half of all persons employed in management, professional, and related occupations were women.
The share of women in specific occupations within this broad category varied.
For example, 6 percent of mechanical engineers and 32 percent of physicians and surgeons were women. In contrast, 86 percent of paralegals and legal assistants and 95 percent of dietitians were women.
These data on women and employment are from the Current Population Survey. To find out more, see BLS Report 996, Women in the Labor Force: A Databook (2006 Edition).
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Women in the professions on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2006/dec/wk1/art02.htm (visited June 27, 2017).
Recent editions of Spotlight on Statistics
STEM occupations: past, present, and future
A look at employment and wages in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics occupations.
Workplace injuries and illnesses and employer costs for workers' compensation
Workplace injury and illness data and the costs to employers for workers' compensation in natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations.
A look at the future of the U.S. labor force to 2060
Projected long-term trends in the growth, size, and composition of the labor force.
Union membership in the United States
Historical trends in union membership among employed wage and salary workers; union membership by a variety of demographic characteristics.


text:
NewGen Venture Partners is a private equity general partner firm headquartered in Palo Alto, CA , United States.
Ampy, the maker of AMPY MOVE, a wearable motion-charger that turns movement into power for smartphones, closed a $875k seed funding round.
Read more news concerning NewGen Venture Partners
A sampling of NewGen Venture Partners portfolio companies:
View all of the investments in their portfolio
Registration is fast, free and easy
Already a member?
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text:
All public logs
Combined display of all available logs of ACL Wiki. You can narrow down the view by selecting a log type, the username (case-sensitive), or the affected page (also case-sensitive).
- 09:10, 30 April 2009 Pdturney (talk | contribs) automatically marked revision 6846 of page Employment opportunities posted 2008 patrolled


text:
Hidden off-the-beaten-path destinations in Guanacaste, Costa Rica offer beautiful sights and neat … [Read more...] about Hidden places of Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Certificate of Excellence by Tripadvisor
All over the world, Certificate of Excellence winners, by Tripadvisor.com , are commemorating their … [Read more...] about Certificate of Excellence by Tripadvisor
Certificate of Excellence 2012
We are proud to have received from Trip Advisor a certificate of Excellence for this 2012. Our staff … [Read more...] about Certificate of Excellence 2012
Tripadvisor Review
A guest from Canada who handles student groups in Costa Rica for the summer vacation wrote the … [Read more...] about Tripadvisor Review
Up to 50% off !!!!
Costa Rica, this small nation, almost the size of West Virginia, is known as much for its leadership … [Read more...] about Up to 50% off !!!!
Hotel Review
This is a recent review from one of our guests at Hacienda Guachipelin, visible at TripAdvisor.com . … [Read more...] about Hotel Review


text:
Great Feeling Regular Perm
Available in Stores
- Beauty Club Card N/A Learn More
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- Formulated with Acid pH 6.9 technology
- Humidity and moisture resistant
- 1Control Processing Lotion
Roux Great Feeling Regular Formula Heat Activated Acid pH Perm for Normal, Resistant and Tinted Hair provides natural looking curls while leaving the hair looking and feeling conditioned and extremely manageable. Roux provides accurate perm results, there is no better perming method available.
Additional Information on recomended and recently viewd prods
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text:
NatalieGla... Model
RoscoeWModel Male Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
My MM URL: http://www.modelmayhem.com/roscoewburns
Mayhem # 2832491
About MeHey!
28 year old male who's working with local photographers to try build on my portfolio.
I have little experience within the field although I feel most comfortable infront of the camera and absolutely love meeting new creative people. I have a few tattoos which are visible in my pictures.
Please check out my portfolio and let me know what you think or if you are interested in working with me. Im a laid back kinda guy who takes direction very well.
Have you worked with RoscoeW? Add Credits for RoscoeW! >>
NatalieGla... Model
PhoenixPhoto Photographer
Alix McIntosh Photographer
Tommy Ga-Ken Wan Photographer
Rach W Photography Photographer
Anthony Amadeo Photographer
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text:
HFO MRA Services for IEHPs
The Access Centre within HealthForceOntario Marketing and Recruitment Agency is the hub for all internationally educated health professionals (IEHPs) in Ontario, Canada seeking information and advice about your licensing process and alternative career options.
If you are an IEHP who has recently moved to Ontario or a Canadian in medical school overseas, the Access Centre has a range of free services to support you:
Are you considering moving to Ontario? Learn more about the immigration process at Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
Become an Access Centre Client
Are you an internationally educated health professional - but not registered/licensed to work in Ontario?
Learn how you can move forward with your career in Ontario, Canada. Sign up with the Access Centre today.
We will ask you some questions about your previous education and experience which will help us understand how best to assist you.
If you have completed this registration form in the past, you do not need to register again. If you are not sure whether you should complete this form, send an email to firstname.lastname@example.com.
163 Queen Street East, 2nd Floor
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Toronto: 416-862-2200
North America: 1-800-596-4046 ext. 1
International: 1-800-596-4046 ext. 1
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


text: STUART, Fla., Sept. 16, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ecosphere Energy Services, LLC, a majority owned subsidiary of Ecosphere Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB:ESPH), a diversified water engineering and environmental services company, announced that it has agreed to a contract extension with WACCAW, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Newfield Exploration Mid-Continent, Inc. to increase its existing contract with EES to provide its Ozonix process to recycle water fracturing fluids for Newfield Exploration in the Woodford Shale. Ecosphere and Newfield have been working together in Oklahoma since November 2008. Newfield Exploration has pioneered the use of the Ecosphere Ozonix process to eliminate chemicals used in recycling fracturing fluids in shale plays. The new service contract increases the volume of fluid EES will process annually for Newfield. Aaron Horn, President of Ecosphere Energy Services stated, "Newfield Exploration is at the forefront of energy companies that have found a way to cost effectively recycle water without the use of chemicals. By using the Ecosphere Ozonix System services, Newfield is able to reuse the flowback and produced water from its drilling operations and save money while using environmentally friendly technology. The Ecosphere Ozonix process improves the quality of flowback and produced fluid for use on fracturing operations without the use of chemicals. The Ecosphere Ozonix process is a patented process that reduces the possibility for adverse operational conditions caused by scale, corrosion, bacteria fouling and plugging. It has been a pleasure working with the Newfield team. We look forward to continuing our work with them." John Ely, CEO of Ely & Associates also stated, "Newfield Exploration was the first energy company that began using Ecosphere's Ozonix process in its operations to eliminate certain chemicals that are needed to recycle flowback and produced waters for hydraulic fracturing. Working with Newfield in Oklahoma has allowed Ecosphere the opportunity to prove that the Ozonix process is a cost effective and viable alternative to using chemicals to kill bacteria and reduce scaling in fracturing fluids."