text:
Updated 02/28/2014
Across the road from a beach, this "inn" is essentially a high-end motel, with spacious, spotless rooms and suites. Beds have fluffed and freshly covered duvets; you won't find musty bedspreads here. All rooms have balconies; pricier rooms have lake views (across the road), wet bars, and kitchens. Coffee and cider are available all day in the lobby.
3300 Lake Tahoe Blvd., at Fremont Ave., South Lake Tahoe, California, 96150, United States
530-542–0330; 800-877–1466
Website: www.innbythelake.com
Hotel Details:
Updated 02/28/2014
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California state and local government agencies looking for more revenue have long been looking at real estate sales to increase their tax take. Last month, the California Court of Appeal for the Second Appellate District...more
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25 October 2013 17:37 [Source: ICIS news]
LONDON (ICIS)--The European polystyrene (PS) market has grown long this week in anticipation of a price drop in November, due to recent declines in feedstock styrene monomer spot prices, according to market sources on Friday.
The falling styrene spot price has pushed more PS buyers to the side-lines in anticipation of a lower styrene contract price in November, which is likely to be translated into a PS price reduction.
"This week is a bit calm, many customers are waiting for lower prices in November," one northwest Europe producer said.
"[PS] it's a margin business and depends on styrene," another producer said, noting that volatility in pricing over the past few months has left its margins thin.
Despite anticipating a drop in the feedstock styrene monomer in November, producers will likely be seeking to protect their margins and are only likely to offer some of the styrene price drop to their PS customers.
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Cheap AKL to St. Moritz flights
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Browse the most popular airlines servicing the Auckland (AKL) airport. Visit their flights pages to learn more about the most popular routes these carriers fly.


text:
PEMBROKE — Lumbee Tribal Chairman Paul Brooks on Wednesday presented the annual State of the Tribe address, a presentation in which he revealed his vision for the future of the Lumbee people.
"We are continuing to push forward toward our goal of self-determination,..We take what we have, multiply it and put our people to work," he said. "… I pledge to continue working with this government to reach our goals and meet the needs of our people."
Brooks presented his 15-minute vision for the tribe before a crowd of about 150 tribal members who gathered for the event at the Pembroke Boys & Girls Club. The Lumbee Tribe's constitution requires that the chairman present to tribal members his annual State of the Tribe address the first week of July.
Brooks recognized the importance of the Lumbee Homecoming, calling it an "exciting time of year in the land of the Lumbee."
"The Lumbee Homecoming resonates in everyone's heart," he said. "This is my people. This is my home. This is my culture… Homecoming brings us all together."
Brooks proceeded to briefly describe projects and programs currently being administered by the tribal government.
The recent purchase of the former N.C. Indian Cultural Center from the state is offering "endless possibilities" to tribal members, Brooks said. He said that plans are to revitalize the property that houses the amphitheater that was used to present the outdoor drama "Strike at the Wind," as well as include a golf course, pool, picnic area and lake.
The chairman emphasized commitment by the tribal government to the tribe's elders and economic development. He said there will soon be a new 50-unit elderly housing complex located not far from the tribal government offices on N.C. 711. Economic development projects, he added, will bring work for a significant number of tribal members.
Economic projects specifically mentioned included StarBurst, a renewable energy cluster project that could create as many as 400 jobs, and the tribe's move toward 8A certification that will make it easier for the tribe to acquire federal contracts and create hundreds of jobs.
Brooks said that the tribe will continue this year to assist tribal members who qualify for home rehab assistance, mortgage assistance, home replacements, and other housing and financial services. Homes will continue to be built in the four tribe-owned subdivisions, he said.
In addition to housing-related programs, Brooks said in his address that there will continue to be programs to deal with other needs of tribal members. There are programs, he said, that address domestic violence, vocational rehabilitation, and health issues such as cancer and obesity.
Programs for tribal youth and veterans are also high on the tribal government's list of priorities, according to Brooks.
This year, the tribe will have a total budget of $22.5 million to use for providing all of the its housing and non-housing programs. Of this total, about $19.6 million is federal housing money that can be used only for housing and housing-related programs and services.
Overall, the chairman's remarks went over well with those who heard the annual address.
"I think his vision probably is on target," said Lesaundri Hunt, speaker of the Lumbee Tribal Council. "I am sure there are some other things they (administrators) can pursue that he is not able to mention at this time."
Larry Townsend, a member of the Tribal Council, also gave the chairman high marks for his presentation.
"I support his vision," Townsend said. "… He set out a good road map."


text:
12 March 2014 11:44 [Source: ICIS news]
Focus story by Will Beacham
AMSTERDAM (ICIS)--Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) markets globally are facing an overcapacity crisis as wave after wave of new capacity comes onstream in China.
That was the message delegates heard at the second ICIS PET conference. In a lively presentation, Francesco Zanchi, CEO of business services group GSI Global Service International revealed some startling figures which demonstrate the gravity of the situation.
Global PET demand for 2014, he claimed, will increase 6% from 2013 to 19.7m tonnes/year whereas supply will increase 20% to 29.4m tonnes/year, leaving the market around 50% over-supplied.
The main problem is China where a large proportion (3.5m tonnes) of the oversupply exists for 2014. Local demand there is 4.2m-4.5m tonnes with capacity of around 8m tonnes. He described the astonishing spate of capacity additions in China as a "revolution in 10 years."
He forecasts a surge in Chinese exports from 1.85m tonnes in 2013 to 2.2m-2.3m tonnes this year. Chinese PET facilities will achieve operating rates of only around 65% this year.
"China is pushing the world into an unsustainable overcapacity crisis," he said.
The situation in Europe, he said, is also deteriorating. The region has traditionally been a net importer of PET because capacity lagged demand. That is set to change this year as two new projects are scheduled to come onstream: Lotte's 200,000 tonne/year plant in the UK and Indian group JBF Industries' 440,000 tonne/year facility in Belgium.
These additions will be partially offset by closures at La Seda de Barcelona in Italy (180,000 tonne/year) and Indorama at Workington (160,000 tonne/year) which a delegate confirmed has now shut down.
Other new PET projects which have been delayed or cancelled include Indorama's 230,000 tonne/year Poland project and a La Seda de Barcelona project in Italy (150,000 tonnes/year).
That, said Zanchi, still leaves around 300,000 tonnes/year of new capacity in Europe. But that's not the end of the story. Players in Egypt and Turkey are also adding a total of 900,000 tonnes of capacity, and much of that will be targeted at Europe.
In addition, a new free trade agreement (FTA) means tariff barriers are being lowered to zero for South Korea, allowing it to export around 300,000 tonnes/year of PET towards Europe.
Turkey, Thailand, Egypt and Indonesia all have 0% duty arrangements, meaning a total of 2.4m tonnes of PET capacity will be targeted on Europe. Operating rates in Europe are likely to plummet from over 80% in 2013 to around 60-65% by 2015/16.
"I don't create panic, I just give you the numbers," said Zanchi.
After all this depressing news, Zanchi sought to reassure the audience that there could be some positive developments for Europe's PET sector, both consumers and producers.
The FTA with South Korea should cut the price of both PET and feedstock purified terephthalic acid (PTA), boosting the region's competitive position. "I believe more competitive European PET prices will stimulate demand," he said.
Earlier, Nexant Consultant Stuart Hardy, forecast that huge volumes of purified terephthalic acid (PTA) capacity being added in China will lead to chronic oversupply, low operating rates, and increased competition for European exporters.
He said around 17m tonnes of new PTA capacity is forecast to be added in China from 2014 to 2017, leading to "terrible" margins, low operating rates and periodic plant shutdowns of even the largest plants.
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text:
The 10th Chunlan Cup kicked off on March 26, 2014, in Taezhou, China. The Chunlan Cup is an invitational tournament for 24 top players from around the world. This year's North American and European representatives – Jiang Mingjiu 7p and Fan Hui 2p – are certainly no strangers to the Western Go community…
Chunlan Cup
The Chunlan Cup is an invitational Go tournament for 24 top players from around the world. In addition to players from China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, a European and a North American representative are also invited.
The top 8 seeded players proceed directly to round two, while the remaining 16 play a single elimination round, knocking out 8 players. After the first round, the remaining 16 players compete in a knockout tournament, culminating in a best of three final.
The tournament is sponsored by Chunlan Group, a Chinese conglomerate with interests in the air conditioning, domestic appliance, automotive, finance and alternative energy industries.
The Chunlan Cup uses Chinese rules, with a komi of 7.5 points, and offers a prize of $150,000 USD to the winner.
Don't miss Lee Sedol vs Gu Li this weekend – Plus, weekly Go wrap up
Go Commentary: Chen Yaoye vs Lee Sedol – 9th Chunlan Cup Final
This is the last game from the final of the 9th Chunlan Cup, played between Lee Sedol and Chen Yaoye. Chen won the first game of the final, but Lee made it tie with game two, and this was the deciding game. Lee and Chen had played five games together before this final, and their head to head record stood at 4-1 in Lee's favor…
Chen Yaoye wins 9th Chunlan Cup, finally achieves international success
Chen Yaoye to challenge Lee Sedol for his first international title – 9th Chunlan Cup
The quarter finals and semifinals of the 9th Chunlan Cup were played on December 4 and 6, 2012, in Hangzhou, China. Of the final 8 players, the only Korean to win his quarter final match was the defending champion, Lee Sedol, who defeated Piao Wenyao. Won Seongjin fell to Jiang Weijie, Kim Jiseok was knocked out by Kong Jie and Park Junghwan was unable to overcome Chen Yaoye…
Go Commentary: Lee Sedol vs Qiu Jun – 9th Chunlan Cup
This game is from the second round of the 9th Chunlan Cup. It's between Lee Sedol (9p) and Qiu Jun (9p). In this game there was a huge life and death battle and an enormous group was killed. It's really rare to see such a huge group get chased and captured in top pros' games, so I hope you enjoy watching it. Let's have a look at the game…
Just 8 players left in the 9th Chunlan Cup
On March 30, 2012, the quarter finalists for the 9th Chunlan Cup were decided. The Chunlan Cup is an invitational Go tournament for 24 top players from around the world. Play started on March 28 in Taizhou, Jiangsu province, China. After two days of play, 16 of the 24 contenders had been eliminated…
Go Commentary: Xie He vs Lee Sedol – 8th Chunlan Cup
This game is the third and deciding match of the 8th Chunlan Cup final between Lee Sedol (9p) of Korea and Xie He (7p) of China. Lee Sedol once said "Xie He is the toughest one to play against" in an interview about 5 years ago. Let's see whether that's changed or not. In this game (game three) as well as game two, Lee played a new pattern starting with 18 in the top right.
Lee Sedol wins 8th Chunlan Cup
The third and deciding match of the 8th Chunlan Cup final between Lee Sedol (9p) of Korea and Xie He (7p) of China was played on June 30 2011 in Chongqing. Lee prevailed against Xie and finally added Chunlan Cup to his already impressive trophy cabinet. Interestingly enough, even after the last three matches, Xie's win-loss record against Lee is still 6-4 in Xie's favor.
Lee Sedol and Xie He one all in the 8th Chunlan Cup
On June 27 2011, the finals of the 8th Chunlan Cup kicked off with a best of three games between Lee Sedol (9p) of Korea and Xie He (7p) of China. Lee won the first match on June 27, playing black. Xie answered today by winning the second match. Will Xie He win his first international title or will Lee Sedol finally conquer the Chunlan Cup?


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News about Haskell
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Welcome To Alexander Chevrolet Buick GMC of Dickson
Getting a new car in Dickson TN is an exciting time, especially when you do business with the experts at Alexander Chevrolet Buick GMC. We have one of the widest selections of Chevrolet GMC Buick dealerships in Dickson, and we're proud of it. Because we offer so many different types of makes and models, we are able to offer Dickson area drivers with choices between what vehicles would best suit their lifestyle. Whether you need a fuel-efficient sedan to run errands, or you need a powerful SUV to haul the family and all of their cargo around, at Alexander Chevrolet Buick GMC, we are sure to have what you need.
In addition to our excellent selection of new cars in Dickson TN, we have a top-notch staff of well-trained automotive service technicians who are able to provide you with service when you need it, a group of financial gurus who are able to get you an affordable auto loan, and a team of friendly customer service experts who will always greet you with a smile. Next time you're looking to get a new car from a reliable Chevrolet GMC Buick dealership in Dickson TN, come to Alexander Chevrolet Buick GMC! You won't regret it.
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Alexander Chevrolet Buick GMC221 Highway 46 South
Dickson, TN 37055
Read Our Reviews


text:
Lesson 1
Objective: The student will be able to identify Ayn Rand's theme of Individualism versus Socialism in the novel by categorizing the main characters and their roles in presenting Rand's arguments.
1) Using the text, select passages that express the following:
1. The idea that there comes a point when all rules are established and there is no room for any further thought or creativity.
2. How Roark's behavior identifies him as an individualist rather than a mindless follower.
3. The symbolism Rand employs to show the enormity of the challenges Roark will face in becoming an architect.
4. Show Roark's process of critical thinking and discuss this in class.
5. From Chapter Two, identify the passages that define Peter Keating's character.
6. Be able to contrast Peter Keating and Howard Roark.
Read Chapters 3 and 4 and write a paragraph describing the difference in Peter's and Roark's efforts to succeed. Be prepared to discuss those...
This section contains 5,716 words
(approx. 20 pages at 300 words per page)


text:
Evercool is back with another graphics card cooler, and we have high hopes for this one. It looks almost like a toy, but the design could prove very smart. One immediate bonus of the cooler is that it only retails for $20, but let's see if it's worth it.
To stress test this video card that I love to hate, I ran a few benchmarks. First, I ran 3D Mark 2001 in a loop of 10 times. Afterwards, I ran a loop of 3D Mark 06 10 times also. The temps were recorded using Lavalys Everest 2.8. That program allows you to log all of your system temps to an html file, which gives you the results in a clean manner.
Normally, a comparison to a stock cooler would be appropriate, but that has since been destroyed and burned out of spite. So, I will be comparing the VC-RHC to the recently reviewed Arctic Cooling Accelero X1, both using Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste. Testing was a challenge because it was a very warm day and the room temp hovered between 80°F and 85°F. During testing with the Accelero, the room temp was 80°F and the VC-RHC was tested with a room temp of 81°F.
Compared to the AC Accelero, the VC-RHC kept right up, despite having an extra degree in the rooms temp. The idle temp proved far better, and the averages were very close. The maximum temp was 2°C higher, which could have been helped by the extra room temp.
The VC-RHC proves again to have a much lower idle temp than the Accelero… an entire 8°C lower! All around, the VC-RHC proved better than the Accelero in terms of ambient temp.
When I first received this cooler, I wasn't expecting much. My opinions on the cooler turned around though, after the testing concluded. It kept up to the Accelero X1, and even surpassed it in the ambient temp tests. The ambient results are likely aided by the 'cool' way that the VC-RHC dissipates heat, which proved to be a good one.
One huge bonus of this cooler is that it only costs $19.99US at most e-tailers, which is $10 less on average to the Accelero. I am still not a huge fan of the look of the cooler, but I am quite pleased with it's performance. One thing I worried about were the lack of the memory heatsinks. I ran a loop of 3D Mark 05 for 6 hours with the VC-RHC and had -no- problems whatsoever. So the design of the cooler makes up for the lack of the memory heatsinks.
I do wish the installation was easier on the nerves though. It took me near an hour to get the cooler installed, and I still wasn't happy about having to 'force' the cooler into place. Hopefully this is not the case with all video cards. After a quick Google search for other reviews, I didn't notice anyone mention this problem.
Overall, this is a good cooler, but it has many problems that hold back from a great score. I am awarding the VC-RHC a 7 out of 10.
If you wish to discuss this review, please feel free to jump into our related thread. You do not need to register in order to post in our content threads, but please choose a nickname.


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Ukrainian president ends unilateral ceasefire
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said he was abandoning a unilateral cease-fire in the conflict with pro-Russian separatists and sending military forces back on the offensive after talks with Russia and European leaders failed to start a broader peace process.
Poroshenko's decision, announced shortly after the much-violated 10-day cease-fire expired, raises the prospect of renewed escalation of a conflict that has killed more than 400 people.
A grave Poroshenko made a televised address early Tuesday vowing that "we will attack, and we will free our country." The cease-fire expired at 10 p.m. Monday.
There was no immediate sign of a response from Russia early Tuesday.
The idea behind the truce announced June 20 was to give pro-Russian rebels a chance to disarm and to start a broader peace process including an amnesty and new elections. Poroshenko, a wealthy candy magnate elected May 25, had already extended the cease-fire from seven days.
But rebels did not disarm, and the cease-fire was continually violated, with both sides blaming each other. Rebels called the cease-fire fake and did not yield to Poroshenko's latest push to get them to turn over key border crossings with Russia and permit international monitoring.
"The unique chance to put the peace plan into practice was not realized," Poroshenko said. "This happened because of the criminal actions of the fighters." He said the militants violated the truce "more than a hundred times."
Poroshenko said the government was ready to go back to the cease-fire "at any moment, when we see that all sides are keeping to the basic points of the peace plan."
"Peace is, was and will be my goal," he added. "Only the instruments of achieving it are changing. ... The defense of Ukraine's territorial integrity, of the security and lives of peaceful citizens, demands not just defensive but offensive action against the terrorist militants."
Poroshenko said he made the decision after a meeting of the national security council. "After discussion of the situation, I, as commander in chief, took the decision not to continue the unilateral cease-fire."
"Ending the cease-fire, this is our answer to terrorists, armed insurgents and looters, to all who mock the peaceful population, who are paralyzing the economy of the region ... who are depriving people of a normal, peaceful life," Poroshenko said in his speech.
Poroshenko's decision followed four-way talks in search of a solution with Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande on Monday as the deadline approached. He issued a statement after the talks ended, saying the key conditions needed to continue the cease-fire had not been met.
European leaders and the U.S. have urged Russia to use its influence with the rebels to ease the bloodshed and have threatened to impose another round of economic sanctions against Moscow.
While Putin has expressed support for the cease-fire, the West has accused Russia of sending weapons and fighters across the border into Ukraine. Russia says any Russians there have gone as private citizens.


text:
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Digital-Vending Services International, LLC ("Digital-Vending") filed a patent infringement action against The University of Phoenix, Inc. and Apollo Group, Inc. ("Defendants"). During the course of the litigation, the Magistrate Judge granted Defendants' motion for sanctions for Digital-Vending's spoliation.
After the matter settled, Digital-Vending and the Defendants filed a consent motion to vacate the Magistrate Judge's opinion and order granting Defendants' motion for sanctions for spoliation. As part of the consent motion, the parties informed the court that the Defendants had withdrawn their motion for sanction and that Digital-Vending and the Defendants had settled the case. The parties also informed the court that as part of the settlement Defendants had agree to join the consent motion and that Digital-Vending had dismissed its appeal to the Federal Circuit with prejudice.
The court then proceeded to reject the consent motion, finding that it was inappropriate and the court would not hide Digital-Vending discovery abuse. "The Court will not agree to hide the discovery abuse of the plaintiff in this case by withdrawing the October 3, 2013" order.
Digital-Vending Services International, LLC v. The University of Phoenix, Inc., Case No. 2:09-cv-55 (AWA/TEM) (E.D. Va. Feb. 5, 2014)
DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations.
© Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP
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Certified Sig Sauer & Glock ArmorerWe work on most all modern firearms.Night / Fiber Optic Sights, SRT kits, Trigger Jobs, Talon Grips, Barrels, Polishing and more.Custom AR Rifle builds, Repairs & Upgrades. Cowboy Single Action Revolver, Lever Action Rifle, Shotgun tune ups, custom action jobs, repairs, etc. We have a new sight press for the hard to remove factory sights on Springfield XD series, S&W M&P Shield and other similar pistols. We "fit" new sights to your gun so they can be drift adjusted or remove later.
Ask us for a price quote. Note: We do not offer rust removal, firearm refinishing or coating services.
Firearm Transfers $20.00 (8:30am-6:00pm weekdays, Weekends by appt.) Discount for First Responders, Military, ASC Members and TX CHL Holders. NFA Transfers (Class 3) $85.00Are you outside our area and need an FFL? Search here:
Grumpy's Guns was born out of a passion for preservation of our Second Amendment rights, while being strong supporters of the shooting sports, hunting and personal protection. We will provide the best products at competitive prices and customer service second to none.


text:
Portlights replacement for C&C26
All, My First Post!!
I need to remove the hazy portlights on New Horizons and replace them with opening ports.....there is about a half inch gap between the deck molding and the interior liner. Does anyone have any thoughts on the best way to
fill that gap, or is epoxy sealed plywood, pretty much my only solution.
Thanks for the suggestions!!
New Horizons
Milwaukee WI
I'd see about getting a 1/2 inch thick sheet of plastic starboard King StarBoard, or something similar, and just cut appropriate shaped trim ring inserts. I think the original ports on that boat are sort of long, are you going to have to shrink the openings?
There are a couple of models out there that are slightly larger than
the existing portlights. Plan on getting some of those for the saloon, the ones in the forecabin/head area are normal sized, so will not be an issue.
Thanks for the starboard idea!
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£2,250 pcm
6 bedroom Detached
An imposing six bedrooom detached family home offering three reception rooms and a double garage with guest accomodation above.
£2,000 pcm
5 bedroom Detached
An exceptionally well presented five bedroom detached house situated within the prestigious development in the grounds of the former Melton Grange Hotel. Located within walking distance of Woodbridge School.


text:
City Council Approves East Boston-Only Vote On Suffolk Downs Casino
The Boston City Council voted Wednesday to schedule an East Boston-only vote on the Suffolk Downs casino host agreement on November 5.
Scott Brown Rips Ed Markey For Noncommittal 'Present' Vote On Syria
Former U.S. Senator Scott Brown is criticizing newly-elected Senator Ed Markey for his stance on Syria.
Boston es mi Ciudad – Boston is my City
August 3, 2013 According to statistics, there are 42,000 Latinos in Boston who are eligible to vote, but only half of them are registered. Also on average, only 50% of the registered voters actually go […]
Dates Set For Special Mass. US House Election
A date has been set for the special election to fill Sen.-elect Edward Markey's seat in the U.S. House.
NH House Considers 20-Cent Cigarette Tax Hike
New Hampshire's House is considering raising the tobacco tax 20 cents — a dime less than Gov. Maggie Hassan counted on in her budget.
Gay Marriage Support In Rhode Island Gets Boost From Episcopal Bishop
Episcopal Bishop Nicholas Knisely says he supports gay marriage not in spite of his faith but because of it, and says gays and lesbians deserve the same marriage rights as any other couple.
Toucher & Rich: Weird Political Ads
It's election season and people across the country will be voting for more than just who will be president. There are a lot of offices in different states that need filling. And with every election season comes a fresh boatload of political ads.
Opinion: Obamacare Should Win It For Mitt Romney
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Edna St. Vincent Millay
Edna St. Vincent Millay (mĬlā´), 1892–1950, American poet, b. Rockland, Maine, grad. Vassar College, 1917. One of the most popular poets of her era, Millay was admired as much for the bohemian freedom of her youthful lifestyle as for her verse. During the early 1920s she lived in Greenwich Village, New York City, and wrote satiric sketches for Vanity Fair under the pseudonym Nancy Boyd. Among her friends were Edmund Wilson and John Peale Bishop.
Renascence, her first volume of poetry, appeared in 1917 and was praised for its freshness and vitality. It was followed by A Few Figs from Thistles (1920), Second April (1921), and The Ballad of the Harp Weaver (1922; Pulitzer Prize). She also was a member of the Provincetown Players, a group that produced several of her verse dramas, including Aria da Capo (1920) and Two Slatterns and a King (1921).
In 1923 she married Eugen Jan Boissevain, a Dutch coffee importer, and moved to "Steepletop," a farm near Austerlitz, N.Y. Although her socially conscious later poetry is generally considered inferior to her early work, it exhibits her absolute mastery of the sonnet form. Among her later volumes are Fatal Interview (1931), a superb sonnet cycle; Conversation at Midnight (1937); and Make Bright the Arrows (1940). She also wrote the libretto for Deems Taylor's opera The King's Henchman (1927) and, with George Dillon, she translated Baudelaire's Flowers of Evil (1936). Eugen Boissevain died in the autumn of 1949, and Millay died less than a year later. In 1976, "Steepletop" opened as an arts colony.
See her collected poems, ed. by N. Millay (1956); her letters, ed. by A. R. Macdougal (1952); biographies by J. Gould (1969), D. M. Epstein (2001), and N. Milford (2001); study by N. A. Brittin (rev. ed. 1982).
Edna St. Vincent Millay: Selected full-text books and articles
Diane P. Freedman.
Southern Illinois University Press, 1995
Anne Cheney.
University of Alabama Press, 1975
Edna St. Vincent Millay.
Harper & Row, 1941
Edna St. Vincent Millay.
Harper & Brothers, 1943
Edna St. Vincent Millay.
Harper & Brothers, 1922
Mary B. Moore.
Southern Illinois University Press, 2000
Alice Kessler-Harris; William McBrien.
Greenwood Press, 1988
Nina Miller.
Oxford University Press, 1999
Margaret Foster Leclair; Beekman W. Cottrell; Erwin R. Steinberg; A. Fred Sochatoff; Dorothy W. Goodfellow.
Carnegie Institute of Technology, 1955
Edna St. Vincent Millay.
Harper & Brothers, 1932
Edna St. Vincent Millay.
Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1927
Laurie Champion.
Greenwood Press, 2000


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Home > Archives
Published: Tuesday July 12, 2011 MYT 5:37:00 PMUpdated: Tuesday July 12, 2011 MYT 5:38:32 PM
KUALA LUMPUR: A working paper on the proposed Private Retirement Scheme (PRS) is expected to be completed soon, before being implemented by year end, said Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai.
Donald Lim said the Securities Commission (SC) was working out details on the management and implementation of the PRS.
"It includes among others, amendments to the Capital Markets and Services Act 2007, drawing guidelines and having discussions with the relevant authorities involved," he said when answering a question by Senator Ahmad Hussin at Dewan Negara here Tuesday.
Ahmad Hussin had wanted to know the importance of setting up a private pension fund for the people.
Lim said the implementation of the PRS was aimed at promoting greater diversity in the management of long-term savings when they retire, through voluntary saving initiatives, in addition to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).
"The scheme will be enhanced by providing various options to save and invest, in addition to the compulsory savings required under the EPF," he said.
He added that individuals who were not part of or contribute to the EPF can use the scheme to plan their retirement benefits.
"It will help individuals who are self-employed and businessmen," he said. - Bernama
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You don't defend against this crap you attack against it. Black is the one defending with the Fred. White openings are not defenses.
2.exf5 Nf6 3.d4 and black has a long term problem with his e pawn, comprimised king safety, and nothing to look forward to but suffering.
Whatever you do don't play 3. Be2?? instead and allow Fred's Bongcloud variation
I guess the GMs can stop trying to find advantage against the sicilian, since in the future everyone will play your novelty 4.. Kd7!!, with clear equality. Maybe the improvement for white is at 1. e4, which should be changed to f4!!, with the obvious idea 1. f4 e5 2. d3!! exf4 3. Kd2!! with clear advantage
Why don't u just play 1.d3 f.b. 2.Kd2 (LOL!)
I just haven't seen games featuring "the Fred" thing, I realized that it existed some days ago, and did some research (not quite a serious one)
Kf7 is also metioned in one of the first post in this quite old thread:
A few points about this opening. I played it sometimes during my junior years - just to prove myself I can win a game even with odds.
I. White is not obliged to accept the pawn. White can also play 2. e5 with decent and everlasting space advantage as black has no more f7-f6 to undermine white's center. White can transpose into gambit himself with 2. d4 or 2. Nf3 if he wants to.
II. (1. e4 f5 2. exf5) 2. ... Kf7? is bad, bad, bad move! Black hopes for 3. Qh5+?! g6 4. fxg6+ Kg7 5. gxh7 Rxh7 6. Qg5+?! Kh8 with rich play for sacrificed material, but now both 3. Nf3 and 3. Bc4+ give white decisive advantage (material, development, initiative).
III. After 2. ... Nf6(!) again, white finds himself on the important crossing: try to refute it in a radical way, or just play solid chess and enjoy being pawn up, or make some positional compromises to lure black into giving up more material. OTOH, black has no choices, he must play desperately.
III a. Muzio with reversed colors 3. g4?! e5! 4. g5?! Bc5 5. gxf6 0-0 (e.g. 6. fxg7 Bxf2+!) - IMHO this can't be recommended for white. Although whole piece up, white will suffer with weakened kingside and black controlling center.
III b. Solid 3. d4 d5 4. Bd3 - I consider this to be the main line of the whole system. White threatens just to keep pawn up, resume the development and maintain positional advantage. 4 ... c5! This is MY invention, my novelty or whatever you call it, and I am quite proud of it. I played dozens, maybe hundreds training games against computer in early 90's in this line to prove black has decent chances. E.g. 5. dxc5 e5 6. fxe6 Bxc5 7. Nf3 0-0 8. 0-0 Bxe6 White remains pawn up, but the open f-line gives black interesting chances. Or 5. c3 Nc6 6. Nf3 cxd4 7. cxd4 Ne4! 8. Bxe4?! dxe4 9. Nh4 Bxf5! 10. Nxf5 Qa5+ and 11. ... Qxf5 =/+.
III c. 3. Be2 - I know, some computers like it, but now 3. ... Kf7 is playable: 4. Nf3 g6 5. fxg6+ hxg6 6. Ne5+!? Kg7 7. Bd3 Rh6 and black captures center with pawns and with h-line gets huge compensation for a pawn, because white's attemp 8. Ng4?! Nxg4 9. Qxg4 e5! 10. Bf5? Qf6! doesn't work.
Are tactics really the way to go?
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Need Help!!! On my next moves
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Wrecking dat kingside
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playing nice
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Pretty checkmate
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Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected leader, was ousted by the military in July 2013 following days of mass street protests by Egyptians demanding that he be removed because of his divisive policies
An Egyptian criminal court on Monday sentenced 22 people to death after convicting them of storming a police station outside Cairo and killing an officer on July 3, 2013 - the day the military overthrew an elected but divisive Islamist president.
Just what would constitute an insult however was unclear. Such a law would infringe on the freedom of expression guaranteed by the nation's new constitution
The swiftness and harshness of the rulings on such a large scale underlined the extent to which Egypt's courts have been politicized
Morsi is on trial with 130 others, including Muslim Brotherhood leaders, and militants from the Palestinian Hamas group and Lebanon's Hezbollah
Egypt's army chief, Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who led last summer's coup ousting the Islamist president, was promoted Monday to the military's top rank, field marshal, an honour that could be a prelude to his stepping down to run for president in elections due by the end of April.
Egypt's election committee says 98.1% of voters have approved a new, military-backed constitution
Egypt's security authorities launched a sweep of arrests of Muslim Brotherhood members on Thursday and warned that holding a leadership post in the group could now be grounds for the death penalty after it was officially declared a terrorist organization, stepping up the government's confrontation with its top political nemesis.
Whem Mohammed Morsi's trial begins in November, Egypt will have two former presidents facing similar charges -- inciting murder and violence -- stemming from their attempts to avoid being ejected from office.
Egypt's interim prime minister said Saturday his government is putting priority on increasing security to restore peace and improve the country's economy


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Dive into Victory: Summers-Port Divers, Swimmers Cruise Past Host Wedgwood
By Pete Hayes, The Telegraph, Alton, Ill.
Jul. 11–FLORISSANT — Members of the Summers-Port dive team take a back seat to no one these days — including their swimming cousins.
The Summers-Port Sharks divers rolled to a 37-26 victory over Wedgwood on Thursday in a Southwestern Illinois Swim Association dual meet. It was part of an easy double-dip. The S-P swimmers also won going away, 477-114. The swim meet ran late into the night. Complete individual swim results were not available at press time, but readers can go to www.
thetelegraph.com for final stats.
"I'm really happy with the way the team dived tonight," Summers-Port dive coach Jessie Miller said. "It's a really good group to work with."
The victory was the second dual win of the season for the Sharks divers. They have one dual remaining next week against Paddlers of Granite City. Saturday, they will take part in the Sunset Hills Dive Invitational Meet in Edwardsville.
The Summers-Port divers look to be the big ducks in the pond these days, but according to Miller, that pond has been shrinking in recent seasons.
"(Diving) is kind of shrinking in SWISA," Miller said. "Two teams (Waterworks and Gaslight/Splash City) don't have teams and most of the other teams are smaller than they used to be."
Such isn't the case with Summers-Port, however. Just like their counterparts on the swim team, the numbers aren't a problem.
"We've got 35 divers," Miller said. "That's a little larger than last year."
Summers-Port is the defending SWISA champion, but just two seasons ago, they were edged by Paddlers of Granite City for the SWISA Championship Meet crown. This season, even the Paddlers team is smaller than in previous seasons.
Not that Summers-Port couldn't use a few more in specific age groups, especially 13-14 and 15-18 boys. Defending SWISA 15-18 boys champion Christopher Lindsay elected not to compete this summer, diminishing the numbers in two already depleted age groups. Undaunted, Miller hit the recruiting path — to the Sharks' Godfrey pool.
"I even went out and watched some kids in the afternoons at (Summers-Port's) pool," Miller said. "I was looking for kids who might have potential."
Thursday at Wedgwood, the Sharks got first-place finishes from Amber Sorgea (15-18 girls) with 177.95 points, Emma Franklin (113-14 girls) with 147.25 points, Donetta Sandidge (11-12 girls) with 89 points, Meredith Walters (8 and under girls)with 30.15 points and Caden Akal (8 and under boys) with 37.05 points. Summers-Port also had strong performances by several divers who were competing under exhibition status and thus earned no team points.
Sorgea, who dives year-round with a club that trains at Washington University in St. Louis, also works as Miller's assistant coach.
"Amber's great," Miller said. "She's a lot of help with the younger kids and she's a very good diver, too. She's very serious about it."
Besides Sorgea, other team leaders according to Miller include Andrea Hentrich, 13, Natalie Macias 913, Emily Estes, 13, Emma Franklin , 14, Rachel Williams, 12, Matt Monroe, 11, Cole Akal, 8, and Caden Akal, 7.
"Emma and Rachel did very well tonight," Miller said. "But they were diving exhibition."
Going the exhibition route is one familiar to both Miller and her counterpart, swim coach Nancy Miller. The Sharks have so many more athletes than the opposition, some have to dive exhibition just to get a chance to dive in each meet.
"Hopefully, diving will grow," Miller said. "There's more interest this summer, maybe because of the Olympics, but numbers aren't a problem for us anyway. I just hope the other teams can get more divers."
To see more of The Telegraph or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.thetelegraph.com/.
Copyright (c) 2008, The Telegraph, Alton, Ill.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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PCSO to pursue lower lease rates for lotto equipment
MANILA, Philippines — The state-controlled Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) is seeking lower lease rates from lotto equipment service contractors, citing the need to boost available charity funds and to comply with directives from the government's oversight bodies to ensure a fair deal for the government.
This is amid a heated verbal and legal battle with the local gaming unit of large Malaysian conglomerate Berjaya which has been protesting the PCSO's alleged violation of an exclusive equipment leasing deal and forging of a new contract with Berjaya's rival firm without a prior bidding.
In a statement on Sunday, PCSO manager for lotto operations Remeliza Gabuyo said the leading operator in Luzon, the Berjaya-owned Philippine Gaming and Management Corporation (PGMC), had yet to agree to lowering the lease rate from the present 10 percent of retail receipts excluding paper supply.
On the other hand, the statement cited that another service provider, the Pacific Online Systems Corp. (POSC) had agreed to the lower lease rate in June, resulting in P9 million in savings for PCSO from June to December 2012.
POSC has signed with the PCSO an agreement to extend its equipment lease, which expired on Sunday (March 31). The extension will be up to July 2015 and the new lease rate will be at 7.7 percent, paper supply included.
From the point of view of the PCSO, the additional reduction in the lease rate will mean more savings and more funds for addressing the medical requirements of the country's marginalized sectors.
Gaby said that had the PGMC likewise agreed to the same terms, the PCSO would have saved an additional P35 million per month from June to December 2012. She added that the PCSO could have then used the same savings for the urgent medical and health needs of indigent patients, thus arriving at a "win-win" situation beneficial to all stakeholders.
PCSO chair Margarita Juico pointed out that the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee had noted in its official, final report that the lease rate of the lotto equipment was disadvantageous to the government while the Commission on Audit observed the rates to be unjust.
The Senate directed the present PCSO board to seek a rate lower than the present 10 percent, which was negotiated during the term of Manuel Morato who was PCSO chair from 1994 to 1998. Morato has been charged with plunder and electioneering charges before the Sandigbanbayan and the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, respectively, for other transactions, she noted.
Juico added that under their contract, the lessors were supposed to upgrade equipment every two years to keep the terminals and other hardware and software at optimum efficiency. She noted that the terminals were over 16 years old.
While the PCSO is not a profit-oriented institution, it has to remain viable to fulfill its mandate of being the principal government agency raising funds for health programs, medical assistance and services and charities, which are national in character, according to Juico.
PCSO reported that as a result of its revenue raising initiatives, sales grew by 15 percent last year, grossing P36.4 billion. Gross receipts are divided into three funds: prize (55 percent), operations (15 percent) and charity (30 percent).
Juico pointed out that savings would result in higher allocations for all three funds. Prize money will increase, operations will be more cost-effective and charity activities will expand to reach more people in need, she said.
"PCSO is not an institution for profit. Rather, it was created to extend charity assistance and help partner-institutions become more efficient in living out our shared vision whether this is to help ease the medical burden of the underprivileged or to provide educational grants or to establish low-cost housing in calamity-stricken areas or to promote sports, wellness and healthy lifestyles," Juico said.
"While we understand and respect that our service providers are business entrepreneurs who naturally need to have certain returns on invested capital, we urge that they be fair, reasonable and have a heightened sensitivity towards PCSO's own needs to satisfy all our stakeholders both in the government and private sector. At the end of the day, we have a critical mission to fulfill for our people and we do not intend to abdicate that role by, so to speak, dropping the ball at anytime, anywhere," Juico added.
PGMC said it based its lawsuit on two grounds (1) alleged violation of its exclusivity agreement between PCSO and PGMC over the Luzon area; and (2) prohibition against entering into government contracts without a prior public bidding. PCSO, on the other hand, was effectively claiming that this was not a new contract and that there was no exclusivity in territory under the old contract with PGMC.
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[February 11, 2013]
Wholesale Internet Implements Noction IRP to Improve Network Performance
PALO ALTO, CA, Feb 11, 2013 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Wholesale Internet, a company specialized in providing internet services such as Colocation and Dedicated Servers, has announced its deployment of Noction Intelligent Routing Platform (IRP) to intelligently route traffic across multiple IP networks. Under the agreement, Wholesale Internet has installed Noction IRP in its Kansas City based datacenter.
Noction IRP will provide Wholesale Internet with intelligent route control, performance monitoring and reporting for the IP network.
IRP's active probes will detect increased latency or packet loss through each connected ISP and automatically reroute traffic through higher performing routes. Deployed at the enterprise network edge, the platform will allow Wholesale Internet to take control of its network by adjusting and keeping predefined bandwidth commit rate levels for each provider link. "Noction IRP is one of those products that, once we deployed it in our network, we wondered how we had ever been in business without it," said Wholesale Internet founder, Aaron Wendel.
Most multi-homed networks rely solely on Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), a basic protocol that operates between many networks that make up the Internet, to determine which route to take for any given destination. Since BGP is unaware of the path quality between two networks, performance can suffer. Noction IRP proactively reviews each network for the best performing route and directs traffic according to its performance policy, which includes such metrics as latency and packet loss. The deployment of IRP reduces the operational load of manual traffic management via router policies manipulation and improves the stability and predictability of the network.
About Noction Noction is a privately funded technology company with offices in North America and Europe. Founded in 2010, Noction is providing BGP network performance automation, enabling enterprises to take full advantage of the maximum network performance for business-critical applications such as e-commerce, VoIP, and media streaming across IP networks. For more information please visit www.noction.com or call +1 (650) 618-9823.
About Wholesale Internet Wholesale Internet, Inc. is an internet service company based in downtown Kansas City, MO. Incorporated in 1999, Wholesale Internet specializes in providing internet services such as Colocation, and Dedicated Servers. For more information please visit www.wholesaleinternet.net or call +1 (816) 256-3031.
Contact information: Noction, Inc.
www.noction.com Email Contact +1-650-618-9823 SOURCE: Noction, Inc.
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There's much more to Google's free email service than an inbox. Here's how to turn Gmail into a major productivity booster.
Better Gmail scripts
Better Gmail is a one-stop collection of 25 of the best scripts that you can enable and configure through a single dialog box.
Firefox users must first install the Greasemonkey add-on. Opera incorporates its own scripting environment compatible with Greasemonkey scripts. As we went to press, the scripts in Better Gmail had not been updated for compatibility with Gmail's recently revamped interface.
Until that happens, you can switch back to the earlier Gmail interface by clicking the 'Older version'link in the site's upper-right corner.
- Read, label, archive Gmail
- Assigning Gmail labels
- Fetch mail from other accounts
- Label Gmail automatically via filters
- Creating Gmail filters
- Gmail digs IMAP
- IMAP and POP3 support for Gmail
- Chat with your AIM buddies
- Improving on near-perfection
- Get the latest internet news and reviews on Broadband Advisor
- Visit Business Advisor for the latest IT news and reviews to help your business grow


text:
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Green Card Stories
Author: Introduction by Laura Danielson and Stephen Yale-Loehr, Stories by Saundra Amrhein, Photographs by Ariana Lindquist
The American Immigration Council is proud to support the publication of Green Card Stories. Green Card Stories (due to be printed in November 2011) is an incredible tribute to the diverse backgrounds that make up our immigrant population in America today. The American Immigration Council's mission is to "strengthen America by honoring our immigrant history by shaping how Americans think about and act towards immigration now and in the future" and we can't think of a better way to further our mission than through this beautiful and touching book.
Not only can you pre-order books for yourself, your office, family members, clients, etc. you can also pre-order a book to donate to your local school, library or community center or you can donate a book to one of the Council's designated "hot spots" where education on immigration is needed most. Could your Member of Congress use a thank you or a gentle reminder of who our immigrant population is? Donate a copy of Green Card Stories to a Congressional office. All donated books will be delivered free of charge with a note indicating your generous gift.
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Oscars by the Numbers
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Surprising stats from the most famous awards show of them all
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Surprising stats from the most famous awards show of them all
The Rhubarb Patch: A well-regulated militia
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To: David Lombardo, founder and president of the Second Amendment Foundation for Education & Research, Shorewood, Il. Thanks for having me on your radio show to talk guns the other night. A comment I made got your attention, and since...
On Demand has free "featurettes" for movie fans during awards season
Story | Feb 20, 2013
The Academy Awards are coming up fast, but for movie fans who want to start the party early, On Demand is offering an insider's look at what goes into the making of award-winning films. Free On Demand "featurettes" delve into the motivations,...
Brand X Files: Brit takes a hit. Hitler baby art. Facebook beats Google.
Story | Mar 17, 2010
Happy St. Patrick's Day, Los Angeles, here's your Brand X morning news round-up: Brit takes a hit in the housing market: Spears' six bedroom house originally listed at $7.9 million. Now back on market for just $5.5 million. (TMZ) Danish artist dresses her...


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CitationsU.S. Preventive Services Task Force (2011). Vision screening for children 1 to 5 years of age:
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation
statement. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Available online: http://www.pediatrics.org/cgi/doi/10.1542/peds.2010-3177.Other Works ConsultedAmerican Academy of Ophthalmology (1992, revised 2007). Esotropia and Exotropia.
Preferred Practice Patterns. San Francisco: American Academy of Ophthalmology. Available online:
American Academy of Ophthalmology (1992, revised 2007). Pediatric Eye Evaluations:
Screening and Comprehensive Ophthalmic Evaluation. Preferred Practice Patterns. San Francisco: American Academy of Ophthalmology. Available online:
http://one.aao.org/ce/practiceguidelines/ppp_content.aspx?cid=621682dc-7871-4351-830e-545b1273d84c.Braverman RS (2011). Amblyopia and strabismus section of Eye. In WW Hay Jr et al., eds., Current Diagnosis and Treatment: Pediatrics, 20th ed., pp. 438–440. New York: McGraw-Hill.Madan A, Good WV (2005). Epidemiology of vision
impairment in children section of Disorders of the eye. In HW Taeusch et al.,
eds., Avery's Diseases of the Newborn, 8th ed., chap.
101, pp. 1546–1548. Philadelphia: Saunders.Mills MD, Khazaeni LM (2006). Strabismus. In FD Burg
et al., eds., Current Pediatric Therapy, 18th ed., pp.
1096–1098. Philadelphia: Saunders.Trobe JD (2006). Strabismus. In Physician's Guide to Eye Care, 3rd ed., pp. 137–139. San
Francisco: American Academy of Ophthalmology. West CE, Asbury T (2008). Strabismus. In P
Riordan-Eva, JP Whitcher, eds., Vaughan and Asbury's General Ophthalmology, 17th ed., pp. 229–248. New York: McGraw-Hill.
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Meta-analysis handles randomized trials with no outcome events in both treatment and control arms inconsistently, including them when risk difference (RD) is the effect measure but excluding them when relative risk (RR) or odds ratio (OR) are used. This study examined the influence of such trials on pooled treatment effects.
Analysis with and without zero total event trials of three illustrative published meta-analyses with a range of proportions of zero total event trials, treatment effects, and heterogeneity using inverse variance weighting and random effects that incorporates between-study heterogeneity.
Including zero total event trials in meta-analyses moves the pooled estimate of treatment effect closer to nil, decreases its confidence interval and decreases between-study heterogeneity. For RR and OR, inclusion of such trials causes small changes, even when they comprise the large majority of included trials. For RD, the changes are more substantial, and in extreme cases can eliminate a statistically significant effect estimate.
To include all relevant data regardless of effect measure chosen, reviewers should also include zero total event trials when calculating pooled estimates using OR and RR.
A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of a particular treatment quantitatively synthesizes all available trial data and provides the least biased estimate of that treatment's effect. Results from individual studies are statistically combined to provide a weighted average estimate of overall treatment effect. In one common weighting scheme known as the inverse variance method, the treatment effect from each study is weighted by the inverse of its variance. For binary outcomes, the pooled effect measure is usually expressed as either a difference of proportions (risk difference, RD), a ratio of proportions (relative risk, RR), or a ratio of the odds (odds ratio, OR) of intervention and control group patients experiencing an event. The variances of the effect measures for individual studies are determined by two parameters: the number of study subjects in each group, and the number of these subjects with outcome events. Standard meta-analytic procedures also produce an estimate of heterogeneity, which is the extent of variability in treatment effects of individual trials beyond what would be expected by chance. For example, I2 is one summary measure of heterogeneity and is the proportion of total variation among trials due to between-trial variation [1]. Using the inverse variance method of pooling studies, the weight of each study can be adjusted in the presence of significant heterogeneity by using the random-effects model [2].
In many studies of patients at low risk of developing the outcome that the intervention is designed to prevent, no subjects in either the intervention or the control group, or both, experience an outcome event. Meta-analyses using RR or OR as the effect measure traditionally include only studies with zero events in either the intervention or the control group, but not both. In contrast, meta-analyses using RD as the effect measure include studies with zero events in either or both groups [3,4].
The main argument for excluding zero total event trials (trials with zero events in both treatment and control arms) when the pooled effect measure is RR or OR is that they make no contribution to the magnitude of the treatment effect [5,6]. Although these trials do not contribute to producing a pooled treatment effect greater or less than nil, they do provide relevant data by showing that event rates for both the intervention and control groups are low and relatively equal [7]. Excluding such trial data potentially creates the risk of inflating the magnitude of the pooled treatment effect. Indeed, others have argued that zero total event trials should be included "to take into account the samples sizes of these studies" [8]. In addition, some published meta-analyses have included zero total event trials applying the standard continuity correction of 0.5 [9], which is commonly used for trials with zero events in only one arm [10,11]. Others have proposed different continuity corrections that perform better when the numbers of patients in the intervention and control groups are severely imbalanced [5].
The continuity correction is added to each cell of a 2 by 2 table for trials with zero events in one or both arms. When combining such trials using the inverse-variance method, continuity corrections are required to calculate individual trial effect estimates and variances (OR and RR) or to calculate individual trial variances (RD). Continuity corrections are less important or not required for other methods used for fixed effects analyses that do not incorporate between-study heterogeneity, such as Mantel-Haenszel methods and Peto OR [3-5]. Continuity corrections are also not required using Bayesian approaches that incorporate heterogeneity, although Bayesian methods require estimates of prior probabilities that are often based on subjective assessments and opinion [12].
Given these conflicting opinions and practices, the objective of this study was to examine, using illustrative examples, the influence of zero total event trials when the inverse variance method is used to pool RD, RR, and OR treatment effects.
We selected 3 illustrative published meta-analyses that demonstrated a range of proportions of zero total event trials (among all trials with outcomes data), treatment effects, and heterogeneity [13-15]. For each binary effect measure, the meta-analysis was conducted including and excluding zero total event trials using the inverse variance random-effects model. For individual trials with no events in one or both groups, a continuity correction of 0.5 was added to each cell for each effect measure, as implemented in Review Manager 4.2 [4]. Calculations were carried out using standard equations and confirmed with Review Manager where possible.
For the meta-analysis of low-dose dopamine [13] (Figure 1), the proportion of zero total event trials is large (>70%). Given the absence of a significant treatment effect among trials with at least 1 event, the inclusion of the zero total event trials decreases the confidence intervals of the pooled effect estimates but not the estimates themselves. This decrease in confidence interval is greatest for RD.
Figure 1. Meta-analysis investigating the use of low-dose dopamine to prevent or treat renal dysfunction [13]. Endpoint: mortality (total of 109 events in 1523 patients in the intervention group and 105 events in 1454 patients in the control group). The first three horizontal bar charts show the proportion of trials, patients, and outcome events in the meta-analysis of all "Trials with No Zeros" (trials with at least one event in both the intervention and control arms), "Trials with One Zero" (trials with no events in either the intervention or the control arm), and "Trials with Two Zeros" (trials with no events in both the intervention and control arms). The next three pairs of bar charts show the total weighting of all trials with no zeros, one zero, and two zeros, respectively, in the final pooled RD, OR, and RR. The first bar in each pair refers to a meta-analysis that includes only trials with at least one event in either the intervention or the control arm ("Event trials"). The second bar includes both trials with and without events ("All trials"). For each effect measure, a corresponding plot indicates the pooled treatment effect estimate with its 95% confidence interval (white circles when event trials only are included and black circles when all trials are included), and the I2 heterogeneity measure. The RD is plotted on a linear scale, and OR and RR are plotted on the same logarithmic scale. Abbreviations: RD = risk difference, OR = odds ratio, RR = relative risk.
For the meta-analysis of antibiotics to prevent rheumatic fever [14] (Figure 2), the proportion of zero total event trials is smaller but still >50%. Including the zero total event trials reduces the magnitude of the treatment effect. However, the smaller treatment effect remains statistically significant, in part because of a simultaneous decrease in the width of the confidence interval resulting from the inclusion of more trials. As with the first example, the reduction in pooled treatment effect is greatest for RD. In this example, heterogeneity is either reduced or eliminated for each of the effect measures.
Figure 2. Meta-analysis investigating the use of antibiotics to treat sore throat [14]. Endpoint: acute rheumatic fever within 2 months of treatment (total of 37 events in 5656 patients in the intervention group and 74 events in 4445 patients in the control group). For a description of bar charts and plots see figure legend for Figure 1.
In the third example (Figure 3) of heparin to prevent non-fatal pulmonary embolism [15], all trials have at least one arm with zero events, but only a third are zero total event trials. In this extreme example, inclusion of the zero total event trials also decreases the treatment effect for each pooled effect measure. However, the effect on RD is substantial and causes the statistical significance (2-sided p < 0.05) of the pooled RD to be lost.
Figure 3. Meta-analysis investigating the use of prophylactic subcutaneous unfractionated or low-molecular weight heparin after hip fracture repair to prevent deep vein thrombosis [15]. Endpoint: non-fatal pulmonary embolism (total of 8 events in 245 patients in the intervention group and 0 events in 292 patients in the control group). For a description of bar charts and plots see figure legend for Figure 1.
Trials in which no patient develops the outcome of interest are conventionally included in estimates of pooled RD, but not RR and OR. We explored this inconsistency using 3 published meta-analyses and found that when zero total event trials are included, there is a relatively small reduction in the magnitude of the pooled RR and OR and the confidence intervals, resulting in a slightly more conservative estimate of treatment effect. In contrast, for RD where zero total event trials are traditionally included, the effect is more pronounced, and in 1 extreme case, inclusion of zero total event trials negated an otherwise statistically significant treatment effect. Therefore, excluding zero total event trials could change the clinical implication of a meta-analysis that used RD exclusively to pool similarly extreme data.
The greater effect of zero total event trials on RD versus RR and OR occurs because trials with low event rates have a much higher weight in the pooled estimate of RD compared to the other measures (graphically depicted in reference [16]). Because the pooled RR and OR is dominated by trials with at least 1 event in both groups, it is relatively insensitive to the inclusion of low-weight zero total event trials. Even when significant heterogeneity is present, which increases the relative weighting of low-weighted zero total event trials in random effects analyses, the changes in these pooled estimates are still relatively small (see Figure 2).
We present an extreme example (Figure 3) where the inclusion of zero total event trials in a meta-analysis using RD as the effect estimator negates a statistically significant treatment effect obtained when such trials are excluded. However, such situations would be expected to occur rarely because the inclusion of these trials has opposite impacts on the treatment effect (which becomes closer to nil) and its confidence interval (which narrows). For RR and OR, where the changes are smaller, it is even more unlikely that inclusion of zero total event trials would negate the statistical significance of a treatment effect, especially when the meta-analysis contains trials with at least 1 event in both groups.
The addition of zero total event trials decreased heterogeneity in the examples provided. One might have expected that heterogeneity would be increased by adding zero total event trials to a group of trials, each with at least 1 event, that on average show a non-zero treatment effect. However, in these examples the treatment effect was similar between zero total event trials and event trials. Therefore, the net effect of including more trials in the meta-analysis was to reduce heterogeneity. This arises because the Q statistic, which provides an assessment of heterogeneity, has a null Chi-squared distribution with degrees of freedom equal to one less than the number of trials. If heterogeneity increases only slightly as more trials are added, the increase in Q is small relative to the increased degrees of freedom and Q is less likely to be statistically significant. Similarly the I2 measure of heterogeneity (calculated as 100%·[Q-degrees of freedom]/Q) decreases. Figure 2 illustrates this effect. Prior to the addition of the zero total event trials, there is a significant treatment effect and substantial heterogeneity for each of the effect measures. After adding the zero event trials, the treatment effect is smaller but still significant, and the degree of heterogeneity, expressed as I2, is reduced or eliminated for each of the effect measures.
For the RD effect measure, the weighting of the zero total event trials in the pooled result is comparable to the proportion of such trials in the meta-analysis. Therefore, including a large proportion of zero total event trials with identical results (i.e. a RD of exactly 0) may result in reduced heterogeneity by simply overwhelming the other results even if there is marked heterogeneity among the remaining trials. Even in the presence of equal underlying event rates in the treatment and control groups one would expect some random variation around a RD of 0; however, zero total event trials are frequently small which makes it less likely to observe any events in either arm. Thus, these small underpowered studies contribute to an exaggerated decrease in heterogeneity. One would expect this to be less of a factor for OR and RR because the weighting of zero total event trials in the effect measure is lower, and sometimes significantly lower, than the proportion of such trials included in the meta-analysis (for example see figures 1 and 2).
We used a continuity correction of 0.5 since this is the correction most commonly used [3,4]. Sweeting et al [5] have recently proposed two alternative continuity corrections, one based on the reciprocal of the group (i.e. treatment or control) size opposite the zero cell, and the second based on an empirical estimate of the pooled effect size using the studies in the meta-analysis with events in both the treatment and control arms. Applying these corrections instead of 0.5 in two of our examples (dopamine and antibiotics to prevent rheumatic fever) gives very similar results. For the third extreme example (heparin to prevent non-fatal pulmonary embolism), there are no trials with events in both the treatment and control groups, preventing the use of the second alternative correction. Inclusion of zero total event trials using the continuity correction based on the reciprocal of the opposite group size negates a statistically significant treatment effect obtained when such trials are excluded for all three effect estimators [similar to RD in Figure 3, the lower bounds of the 95% confidence interval for the RR and OR effect estimators also cross unity if this alternative correction is used (results not shown)]. Using this correction in our case examples shows that including or excluding zero total event trials can change the clinical implication of a meta-analysis pooling similarly extreme data, regardless of the effect measure used.
We focused on the impact of zero total event trials on summary effect measures in meta-analyses using inverse variance weighting, which is the only commonly used method that can incorporate between-study heterogeneity in a random effects model. We chose published illustrative meta-analyses that combined high- and low-risk patients. We did not consider other issues such as the choice of effect measure, appropriateness of combining high- and low-risk patients, the choice of a fixed vs. random effects model, or other methods for addressing heterogeneity.
In contrast to our illustrative examples combining high- and low-risk patients, two recently published simulation studies provide comprehensive comparisons of multiple meta-analytic methods when baseline event rates are low [5,17]. These studies, both of which excluded zero total event trials for the OR simulations, suggest that in general the commonly used continuity correction of 0.5 biases the Mantel-Haenszel and inverse variance OR estimators [5,17]. The simulation study that examined RD demonstrated that when events are rare, using RD widened confidence intervals and thus lowered statistical power compared to other methods [17]. Finally, although the inverse variance method is the only non-Bayesian method that incorporates between-study heterogeneity, the same authors found that it gives biased effect estimates when event rates are low. Although this bias is present at moderate event rates and effect sizes, it becomes greater than 1% when event rates are very low (± 1%) or treatment effects very large (RR ± 0.5) [17]. The overall event rates in our examples were 7.7% [13], 1.1% [14], and 1.5% [15], respectively.
In summary, the exclusion of zero total event trials from meta-analyses increases the effect size compared to meta-analyses that include these trials. The magnitude of this increase is relatively small for RR and OR, but more substantial if RD is used to pool the results. Zero total event trials are currently included only if RD is used as the effect measure. We believe these trials should also be included if RR or OR are the effect measures to provide a more conservative estimate of effect size (even if this change in effect size is very small for RR and OR), and to provide analytic consistency and include the same number of trials in the meta-analysis, regardless of the summary effect measure used. Inclusion of zero total event trials would enable the inclusion of all available randomized controlled trial data in a meta-analysis, thereby providing the most generalizable estimate of treatment effect.
OR – odds ratio
RD – risk different
RR – relative risk
Competing interests
The author(s) declare that they have no competing interests.
Authors' contributions
JF was involved with the conception and the design of the study, acquisition, analysis and interpretation of data, and drafted the manuscript. NA and JB were each involved with the design of the study, analysis and interpretation of data, and critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
This study received no specific funding. The authors would like to thank Dr. Hwee Teoh for helping create the figures, and to acknowledge the reviewers for helpful comments.
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