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In a CDMA cellular radiotelephone system, a soft handoff (SHO) is performed when a mobile station communicates with a new inter-generation base station, without interrupting communications with the old base station. Currently, a SHO can only be used between CDMA channels having identical frequency assignments and within the same system generation (i.e., 2G2G, or 3G3G, where 2G is a second generation system, and 3G is a third generation system). The proposed IS-2000 standard for a 2G3G handoff is a hard handoff or "Break-Before-Make" procedure, which greatly reduces the quality of service (QOS). The present invention allows for SHO between second and third generation CDMA systems (2G3G and 3G2G), by modifying the proposed messaging structure. This provides a smooth service transition when a mobile station travels from one service area (i.e., 2G), to another service area (i.e., 3G), using the SHO or "Make-Before-Break" approach.
1. A method to be performed by a mobile device, the method comprising:
receiving a first data signal from a first system that uses a first modulation scheme;
receiving a second data signal from a second system that uses a second modulation scheme, the second modulation scheme being different from the first modulation scheme;
receiving from a system controller modulation information identifying the modulation scheme used by the second system;
performing a soft handoff between the first and second system by:
using the received modulation information to select a soft handoff procedure from a plurality of soft handoff procedures including a first procedure and a second procedure;
if the first procedure is selected:
demodulating and decoding the first data signal while independently demodulating and decoding the second data signal; and
dropping the first data signal upon determining that the second data signal is stronger than the first data signal;
if the second procedure is selected:
demodulating the first data signal while independently demodulating the second data signal;
combining the first and second data signals and decoding the two signals together; and
dropping the first data signal upon determining that the second data signal is stronger than the first data signal.
2. The method of
the first system is an IS-95 CDMA system and the second system is an IS-2000 CDMA system.
3. The method of
the first and second modulation schemes differ in that they have different spreading rates.
4. The method of
each modulation scheme has a spreading rate, a data rate and a coding rate; and
the received modulation information identifies the spreading, data, and coding rates of the second modulation scheme.
5. The method of
using the received modulation information to determine whether the first and second modulation schemes have the same spreading, data, and coding rates.
6. The method of
the first procedure is selected if the first and second modulation schemes have the same data rates but different spreading and coding rates.
7. The method of
the second procedure is selected if the first and second modulation schemes have the same data and coding rates, but different spreading rates.
8. The method of
determining that the strength of the first data signal has dropped below a threshold energy value.
9. The method of
the received modulation information specifies the threshold energy value.
10. The method of
determining that the number of good frames that have been decoded from the second data signal meets a threshold number of frames.
11. The method of
the received modulation information specifies the threshold frame number of frames.
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/110,666, filed Dec. 2, 1998, entitled "Forward Link Inter-Generation Soft Handoff Between 2G And 3G CDMA Systems".
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to communication systems, and more particularly, to a method for forward link inter-generation soft handoff between second generation (2G) and third generation (3G) Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
One commonly used type of cellular radiotelephone communication system is referred to as a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system. In a CDMA system, the radio signals share the same frequency spectrum at the same time, in contrast to previous Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) or Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) systems. One current CDMA standard, known as the second generation standard or 2G, is designated as TIA/EIA-95-A/B (or IS-95-A/B), and is herein incorporated by reference. More recently, a new third generation (3G) CDMA standard has been proposed and has been designated as IS-2000 (previously IS-95-C) or CDMA2000, and is herein incorporated by reference. As the new 3G systems are installed, cellular systems will contain a mix of both old 2G systems and the new 3G compatible systems.
In a typical CDMA cellular radiotelephone communication system, a mobile station communicates with a base station having the strongest available signal. In order to track the available signals, the mobile station maintains a list of available base stations. Specifically, each base station in the CDMA system transmits an unmodulated "pilot" signal on a set of predetermined frequencies. A mobile station receives the pilot signals and determines which pilot signals are the strongest. A "searcher" unit located in the mobile station commonly performs the signal detection and strength measurement functions.
The results from the searcher are reported to the current (i.e. active) base station. The base station then instructs the mobile station to update a list of available base stations maintained by the mobile station. The list is sub-divided into three operative sets—an active set, a candidate set, and a neighbor set. The active set contains a list of the base stations with which the mobile station is currently communicating (typically 1-4 base stations). The candidate set is a list of base stations which may move into the active set, and the neighbor set is a list of base stations which are being monitored, but less frequently.
As the mobile station moves and its currently active base station signal weakens, the mobile station must access a new base station. Based upon the results of the searcher, and the instructions received back from the base station, the mobile station will update its sets, and communicate with a different base station. In order for communication transmissions to appear seamless to the user of the mobile station, the communication link must be handed off to the next base station. Ideally, this handoff would establish a new link before terminating the first link. This type of handoff is known as a soft handoff (SHO) or "Make-Before-Break."
Presently, a SHO cannot occur between two different generations of CDMA systems. The 3G system has been designed to provide backward compatibility with the 2G system at the signaling and call processing level. However, since these two systems employ different modulation schemes and spreading rates, they are not naturally compatible at the physical layer. Therefore, at the service boundaries between the 2G and 3G systems, a hard handoff, also known as a "Break-Before-Make" method, has been proposed.
In this type of hard handoff, the connection with a currently active base station (i.e., 2G) is terminated before the new service with the new base station (i.e., 3G) is established. This type of service disruption lowers the quality of service (QOS) for the cellular telephone user. In this scenario, if the mobile station is engaged in a voice service, the user will most likely experience unpleasant voice quality degradation or even call drop. If the mobile station is transferring data, significant transmission delays (due to retransmission errors) will likely occur. In fact, the current standard causes a minimum of 10 frames to be lost, before service is restored.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a soft handoff between two different generations of CDMA systems, in order to avoid the disadvantages associated with the currently proposed hard handoff scheme.
The present invention is a modification to the proposed IS-2000 specification, in order to provide soft handoffs on forward links between two different generations of CDMA systems. In general, the present invention modifies the proposed messaging structure to allow for reporting of the generation type of the base stations. Two different embodiments are disclosed, as well as two possible soft handoff procedures. The present invention is not limited to the disclosed preferred embodiments, however, as those skilled in the art can readily adapt the teachings of the present invention to create other embodiments and applications.
In a first embodiment, a system configuration parameter is added to the General Handoff Direction Message, and Extended Handoff Direction Message. The Neighbor List Message and Extended Neighbor List Message are updated to include information concerning both systems' base stations. A selection based soft handoff is used to perform the handoff between inter-generation systems. The selection is based on the signal strength of the received pilot signals.
In a second embodiment, four parameters are added to the PILOT_PN record of the General Handoff Direction Message. The four parameters are a generation identification parameter, a radio configuration parameter, a drop timer parameter and a drop threshold parameter. Based upon the values of the generation identification parameter and the radio configuration parameter, either a selection based soft handoff or a true handoff is performed. The true handoff combines signals from both generation systems, before dropping a current base station in favor of the stronger other generation base station. The drop parameters may be used to provide a sufficient time overlap for the two different base stations, and to allow a system designer to tune the network.
The exact nature of this invention, as well as its objects and advantages, will become readily apparent from consideration of the following specification as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof, and wherein:
FIG. 1 is diagram illustrating one possible IS-2000 deployment scenario;
FIGS. 2 and 3 are tables illustrating a Neighbor List Message;
FIG. 4 is a table illustrating one embodiment of the modified Neighbor Configuration Table;
FIG. 5 is table showing an embodiment of the modified PILOT_PN record;
FIG. 6 a table illustrating the permissible inter-generation soft handoffs according to one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a table illustrating the additional parameters added to the PILOT_PN record of the General Handoff Direction Message according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 8 is a table of the simulation parameter settings used for an AWGN computer simulation;
FIG. 9 is a table of the simulation parameter settings used for a fading computer simulation;
FIG. 10 is a graph of the results of the AWGN computer simulation;
FIG. 11 is a graph of the results of the fading computer simulation; and
FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a CDMA system configured to operate according to the present invention.
The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor for carrying out the invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art.
The current second generation (2G) CDMA systems, designated as TIA/EIA-95-A/B (or IS-95-A/B) systems, are being upgraded and will ultimately be replaced by the third generation (3G) CDMA systems. The air interface of the 3G (IS-2000) system uses a new modulation scheme to allow better spectral efficiency, as well as different spreading factors. However, a part of the new 3G system, which operates within the same channel bandwidth as the old 2G system, is required to be compatible with the 2G system at the signaling and call processing level. The reverse link of the 3G system, though, employs coherent demodulation, whereas the reverse link of the 2G system employs non-coherent demodulation. Thus, in the 3G specification, there was no attempt to make these two systems compatible at the physical layer.
Additionally, the forward links of the two systems use different modulation methods (QPSK (3G) vs. BPSK (2G)), which require some modifications within the new 3G system's demodulator. However, since the IS-2000 terminal (i.e. mobile station) must be able to operate in the IS-95-A/B network, the new 3G terminal is required to be able to switch its mode of operation from one system to the other automatically.
In practice, it is impractical to perform a reverse link SHO between 2G and 3G systems because the 3G base station cannot demodulate a 2G reverse link and vice versa (coherent vs. non-coherent, different modulations, etc.). However, according to the present invention, a method for performing a SHO on the forward link is disclosed that can be implemented with only a few minor modifications to the proposed 3G systems.
A mobile station receiver comprises a "rake" receiver and several other components. The rake receiver consists of several (at least three for narrow band CDMA), demodulating elements (or "fingers"). These multiple demodulating elements or fingers function like a garden rake to "rake" in the signals, thus the name. Each of these demodulating elements is capable of independently tracking and demodulating a multipath component received from a single base station or a signal from several base stations (up to the number of demodulating elements in the rake receiver). Therefore, it is possible to configure one demodulating element according to the 2G standard and at least one other demodulating element to the 3G standard. Thus, a single mobile station can be used across a mixed generation system.
In one preferred embodiment, the deployment model of the 3G system consists of a partial overlay of the current 2G (IS-95-A/B) networks 10,12 and the new 3G (IS-2000) network 14, as shown in FIG. 1. As the mobile station travels from one generation 121 to another generation 141 of the network, according to the proposed hard handoff, the station will be forced to drop the current service before it re-establishes the service on the other generation network. According to the present invention, a few modifications to the standard proposed message formats in the IS-2000 specification are made, in order to provide a SHO for the forward link. Specifically, changes to the messaging structure are proposed to allow for the reporting of 3G base stations. The present invention thus allows for a soft handoff between two generations of systems, which allows for maintaining the QOS across the generation boundaries.
The present invention creates a mechanism for informing the mobile station about the surrounding network, such as the network parameters (data rates, etc.) and whether the network is a 2G, 3G, or 2G/3G mix. This can be achieved by an addition of a 1-bit field into the General Handoff Direction Message, and Extended Handoff Direction Message. Additionally, each base station in the 2G/3G service overlap area must have all the other system's base stations stored into the Neighbor List Message and Extended Neighbor List Message. This can be achieved by adding a new definition to the NGHBR_CONFIG field.
Preferably in the network deployment, the same base station controller will supervise the two different generations of base stations. Therefore, for the generation overlay area, the Neighbor List Message and the Extended Neighbor List Message include both types of systems. FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate the definition of the Neighbor List Message 20,30. The Neighbor Configuration Table 40 is then modified as shown in FIG. 4, wherein the underlined entries are examples of the proposed modifications. Specifically, two new channel configuration entries 401, 402 have been added (one for the 2G and one for the 3G system).
After receiving the Neighbor List Message or the Extended Neighbor List Message, the mobile station measures the pilot signals in the active, candidate and neighbor sets and reports the strengths to the base station, using the Pilot Strength Measurement Message. This procedure is performed by the searcher, which computes the strength of each pilot by adding the ratio of the received pilot energy per chip, Ec, to the total received spectral density (noise and signal), lo.
Since the base station knows which of the detected and reported pilots are associated with second or third generation system, the base station can use this information to manage the forward link SHO capability. Specifically, compatible base stations are added to the mobile station's active set. This is done through the General Handoff Direction Message (GHDM) and Extended Handoff Direction Message (EHDM). A field indicating the generation (2G, 3G) 51 of the associated PILOT_PN record 50 is also added. The PILOT_PN record 50 of the message can be modified, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 5. The underlined field "2G/3G_CHAN_CONFIG" 51 has been added.
Before the GHDM message is sent to the mobile station indicating that the forward link SHO between the 2G and 3G systems should be performed, the base station controller allocates the necessary channel resources for each of these two systems (since, as noted above, the same controller supervises both generations).
Since each mobile station contains at least three demodulating elements (fingers) in its rake receiver, it may assign one of these fingers to a demodulated signal arriving from the 2G base station, while the remaining fingers demodulate the signal arriving from the 3G base station (or vice-versa). According to the proposed specification, each IS-2000 mobile station must be capable of demodulating an IS-95-B signal, therefore it is possible to demodulate these two signals independently (note that in an overlay deployment the two modulation signals will be orthogonal to each other). Additionally, since the computational requirements (channel decoding) and the interleaver memory of IS-2000 mobile stations are large (to sustain the maximum data rates), the capability to demodulate and decode these two independent channel configurations are already within the capability of the currently defined mobile stations.
According to this embodiment of the present invention, the SHO procedure may be performed as follows:
1. If the mobile station is in the 2G/3G overlay area, the base station includes pilots belonging to both systems into the Neighbor List Message (NLM).
2. The mobile station measures the pilot strength of all base stations (2G and 3G) and reports them to the base station.
3. If the 2G (or 3G) pilot Ec/lo>T_ADD threshold, the base station includes this pilot into the mobile station's active set.
4. The mobile station continuously demodulates the current generation base station assignment.
5. The mobile station assigns one or more demodulating fingers to the "other generation" base station signal, and it demodulates and decodes the information independently from the current assignment.
6. After decoding the first good frame from the "other generation" base station, the mobile station starts a Tm counter, and upon its expiration, reports the event in Handoff Completion Message (the Tm counter must be defined, as is used to determine the SHO timing).
7. The base station may now drop the "other generation" pilots (channels) from the mobile station's active set, thus completing the SHO.
The above described embodiment is a selection based SHO, or inter-generation selection based SHO (ISBSHO), that is, in an overlay region the mobile station receives two base station signals (one from each generation) and decides which signal is stronger. The base station with the strongest signal is then selected and the weaker signal is dropped as described above.
A second type of SHO is referred to herein as a "true" SHO. As defined herein, a true SHO occurs when the two signals from the two different generation systems are actually combined together, before one signal is dropped. Currently, when a mobile station is communicating with a base station, a finger is assigned to each multi-path component. The signals are then combined together before the bit is decoded. The true SHO of the present invention proposes assigning a least one finger to the "other" generation signal, such that after the signals are demodulated and interleaved, the soft symbols are combined and decoded to produce an output bit. Thus, in contrast to the first embodiment of the present invention, the mobile station is actively using two signals from two different inter-generation base stations simultaneously, in an overlay region. Once one signal becomes too weak (i.e. the signal strength drops below a threshold), that signal is dropped and the mobile station communicates only with the stronger base station.
A true SHO approach, however, can only be used if the coding rates of the two different signals are the same. If the coding rates are different, the signals must be decoded sequentially, and the selection based SHO must be used. Thus, in mixed generation and signal environment, sometimes a selection based SHO scheme is required. When a true SHO can be performed, though, it is preferred. A second embodiment of the present invention will now be described which implements a true SHO, when possible.
The table shown in FIG. 6 specifies when each type of inter-generation soft handoff is permitted. As seen in the table, the 2G systems support two data rates (RS-1 and RS-2), while the 3G systems may have five or more data rates. As illustrated, in addition to the SHO between RS-1RC-1 and RS-2RC-2, a true SHO (SHO) can be performed when the coding and the data rates transmitted on both forward links are the same (i.e. RS-1RC-4). The inter-generation selection based soft handoff (ISBSHO) can be performed when both forward link data rates are equal but the coding rates are different (i.e. RS-1RC-3 and RS-2RC-5). As new configurations are added, the present invention may be applied as described herein, based upon the data and coding rates.
When performing a true SHO, the mobile station assigns one or more of its fingers to demodulate the IS-95A/B base station signal and the remaining fingers to the IS-2000 base station. The received signal is demodulated according to the modulation and spreading parameters of the respective base station, and the demodulated symbols are combined in the maximum ratio (MR) fashion before decoding, similar to the normal SHO. For the 2700 bps and 1500 bps rates of RC-4, after demodulation, the symbols are de-punctured and then only the information symbols (not the CRC symbols) are combined. When performing an ISBSHO, the received signal is demodulated according to the modulation and spreading parameters of the IS-95A/B and IS-2000 base stations. Signal components from the same base station are added in an MR combiner and then decoded sequentially by the decoder. The best frame can be then selected based on the frame quality.
Since an IS-2000 mobile station is capable of receiving and demodulating both an IS-95A/B and an IS-2000 signal, a simple extension to the message structure will allow the simultaneous demodulation of signals from both generations permitting soft handoffs. This can be achieved by adding four new fields to the PILOT_PN record 70 of the General Handoff Direction Message. The following four new parameters are added to the PILOT_PN record 70 of the General Handoff Direction Message: a generation identification parameter (IS-95B_IS-2000) 71, a radio configuration parameter (RADIO_CONFIG) 72, an inter-generation drop timer parameter (IG_T_DROP) 73, and an inter-generation drop threshold (IG_DROP_TSHD) 74. These additions are illustrated in the table of FIG. 7.
The IS-95B_IS-2000 field 71 is used to identify the generation type (2G or 3G) of a base station. The RADIO_CONFIG field 72 specifies the data rate, spreading rate and code rate (i.e. all the modulation parameters). For example, if the IS-95B_IS-2000 field 71 is a "0" (2G), then only 1 bit is used for the RADIO_CONFIG field 72 to specify the data rate—"0" for RS-1, and "1" for RS-2. If the IS-95B_IS-2000 field 71 is a "1" (3G), the RADIO_CONFIG field 72 defines which configuration is applicable (RC-1-RC-5). Additional 3G configurations are envisioned, so in the preferred embodiment the RADIO_CONFIG field 72 has been shown as 4 bits, however fewer bits may be used, or additional bits added to provide for even more configurations.
The IG_T_DROP field 73 is a timer used to determine the length of the SHO. For example, the IG_T_DROP timer 73 may be implemented dynamically, so that each base station specifies its value independently. This would allow the network to be "tuned" dynamically. In a preferred embodiment, the range of values of the IG_T_DROP timer 73 is 0-15 frames. Finally, the IG_DROP_TSHD field 74 is a threshold value that uses an energy measure to determine when to drop a base station. Specifically, the IG_DROP_TSHD field 74 uses the Ec/lo energy measure to determine when a signal is too weak to be of any use, and is therefore dropped. In a preferred embodiment, the IG_T_DROP timer 73 is used for the selection based SHO, while the IG_DROP_TSHD threshold 74 is used for the true SHO. However, the two measures may also be used together to further refine the SHO mechanism. Once one signal is dropped, the mobile station is tuned to use only the other base station.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the SHO procedure may be performed as follows:
When a mobile station is in the IS-95A/B-IS-2000 overlay area, pilots belonging to both generations are included in the Neighbor List Messages (NLM) or Neighbor List Update Message (NLUM).
The mobile station measures the pilot strength of all base stations (2G and 3G) and reports their strength to the active base station in the Pilot Strength Measurement Message (PSMM).
If the inter-generation candidate pilot Ec/lo reported in the PSMM message is larger than the T_ADD threshold, the base station includes this pilot in the GHDM message, indicating system generation, radio configuration and handoff parameters.
The mobile station then assigns one or more demodulating fingers to the "other-generation" base station signal, and demodulates and decodes the information depending on the radio configuration and handoff parameters.
When all the inter-generation handoff requirements specified in the GHDM message (IG_T_DROP and/or IG_DROP_TSHD) are satisfied, the mobile station terminates its transmission on the "current" generation link (using the SHO permitted as shown in FIG. 6) and starts transmitting on the "other" generation link.
The mobile station completes the inter-generation handoff by sending the Handoff Completion Message.
Computer simulations of the true SHO are shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. Simulations were run in an AWGN and a fading environment. For the AWGN case, the simulation parameters were set as shown in FIG. 8. The RS-1 curve shows the FER when just the single path from the IS-95B base station is used. The RS-1RC-4 curve shows the gain when one path from each base station is used in a true inter-generation SHO scenario. The simulation parameters for the fading case are shown in FIG. 9, with the mobile station speed set at 30 km/hr. For the fading environment, the RS-1 curve shows the FER when just the single path from the IS-95B base station is used. The RS-1RC-4 curve shows the gain when one path from each base station is used in the true inter-generation SHO scenario. The ISBSHO performance was not simulated since the performance gains are well understood by those skilled in the art and depend only on the power of the link from each of the two different generation base stations.
As described, the present invention provides a simple mechanism to facilitate inter-generation soft handoffs on a forward traffic channel in a mixed-generation CDMA cellular radiotelephone system. The inclusion of a true inter-generation soft handoff into the IS-2000 standard can significantly simplify the deployment of 3G systems, since there is no need to include IS-95B channel elements in the IS-2000 base stations. Also, the soft handoff overcomes the shortcomings of the proposed hard handoff procedure, without increasing the system complexity or hardware requirements. No additional complexity is added to the mobile stations since each IS-2000-1x mobile station must already be capable of demodulating an IS-95-B signal, and it can demodulate two different generation signals independently.
An example of a CDMA system 120 incorporating the present invention is shown in FIG. 12. A mobile station 124 communicates with a first base station 122. As the mobile station moves, it must be handed off to a closer base station 123. As new 3G systems are introduced, a CDMA system 120 will have a mixture of both 2G and 3G systems. According to the present invention, a common base station controller 121 controls both the 2G and 3G base stations 122, 123. In this case, for example, the first base station 122 may be a 2G system and the second base station 123 may be a 3G system.
If the mobile station 124 and the second base station 123 are configured according to the present invention, the mobile station 124 makes a forward link with the second base station 123, before terminating the link with the first base station 122. This "soft handoff" improves the QOS for the mobile station, as compared to a hard handoff. Interestingly, this improvement can be accomplished without significant additional hardware complexity.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiments can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. For example, additional messages may be added or the data structures modified in the proposed IS-2000 specification to produce the same results as those described herein. Furthermore, the present invention may be extended to the European CDMA implementations, to allow handoff between GSM and W-CDMA. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.
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Whitehaven Beach and Hamilton Island Cruise
The only way to experience one of the world's best beaches and the Whitsundays largest resort island is in style and comfort aboard a large, high-speed and air-conditioned cruising catamaran.
- Cruise in style and comfort aboard a large, high-speed and air-conditioned cruising catamaran
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- Visit cosmopolitan Hamilton Island, the largest resort in the South Pacific
- Choice of lunch venues on Hamilton Island
- Enjoy 2.5-hours of free time exploring Hamilton Island with a courtesy bus departing the marina every 15-minutes
Recent Photos of This Tour
Cuddle a koalaPhoto by: saz
United Kingdom, 05 2012
Harbour ViewPhoto by: saz
United Kingdom, 05 2012
Harbour RoadPhoto by: saz
United Kingdom, 05 2012
Yacht ClubPhoto by: saz
United Kingdom, 05 2012
Harbour viewPhoto by: saz
United Kingdom, 05 2012
Typical streetPhoto by: saz
United Kingdom, 05 2012
To WhitehavenPhoto by: Jack D
Australia, 04 2009
What You Can Expect
A visit to cosmopolitan Hamilton Island is a definite Whitsundays must-do! Hamilton Island is the largest island resort in the South Pacific and boasts an exciting mix of things to see and do. Seven pools, boutiques, galleries, bars, a number of restaurants, over 40 optional activities, walking trails and a koala and wildlife gallery are just a few of its features. Enjoy a pub lunch (main meal only) at Marina Tavern or a two-course multi choice lunch at Manta Ray Cafe
Picturesque Whitehaven Beach is one of the Whitsundays premier natural attractions - seven kilometres (five miles) of glistening white silica sand complemented by crystal clear waters. Renowned as one of the top ten beaches in the world, Whitehaven Beach is located on Whitsunday Island, the largest island in the region and is fully protected and uninhabited due to its National and Marine Park status. Its shallows are graced by various species of turtles, and these ancient creatures are often sighted during daily visits.
Customer Reviews
March 2015
Great trip, plenty of time at both whitehaven and Hamilton. Boat and all staff were fantastic!
March 2015
Very good trip. Especially as the boat went all round the Whitsunday Islands. We loved it.

subset: commoncrawl


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National Ad Federation: Addyland – Concept, Design, Implementation


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Reviews for Toyota Celica years:
Owners' Reviews
1991 Toyota Celica Reviews and Owner Comments
3 ReviewsWrite Your Review
Overall Score (3 reviews)
1991 Toyota Celicadianas, Cleveland, OH, January 11, 2012 11:45On my 1991 Toyota Celcia I had to replace my fuel pump twice. First one only lasted a year and half.Rookie
1991 Toyota Celicakatiestodd, Kelso, WA, November 30, 2011 14:59I bought a 91 celica gts, and i like it, however, id love it if it ran, i drove it home the day i got it, the very next day it died, it would try to start but wouldnt hold. We replaced the fuel pump, and charged the battery, now the car wont even turn over.....any suggestions, or ideas.Rookie
1991 Toyota CelicaVisitor, San Antonio, TX, March 28, 2010 16:04Cool Car.chick Magnet!!


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GQ's digital edition designed specially for your device
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This week, Jay-Z does a Kanye, Pierce Brosnan Bonds it up at Versace and some other guys give us reasons to care about the womenswear shows. Presenting the top ten best-dressed men of the past seven days in pictures...


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Discussion in 'Fly Fishing Forum' started by plaegreid, Aug 13, 2014.
Has anyone figured out how this thing works? Is the fish being pushed or pulled?
Sucked. Keeps them ing.
So this video shows only fruit going through the toobz, but it's essentially the same system. From their website: "The systems are based upon patented technology which creates a seal around an object and when a pressure differential is introduced, the object moves"
Also, the music and the garage make this video o-mazing:
So somewhere between sucking and blowing. I like that.
More fish launches!


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When South Africa was awarded the World Cup there were vocal and legitimate concerns from around the world wondering if the country could indeed pull it off. South Africa was still reeling from decades of apartheid. Significant portions of it were poor and crime-ridden. There were debates if the billions of dollars needed for stadiums would be better spent on the country's infrastructure and social programs.
In the days before the games visiting journalists were issued dire warnings about potential holdups and extreme crime.
Then, the World Cup began and, mostly, in the end it was a rousing success.
The games were entertaining and while the country remains plagued by social ills like poverty the country still did itself proud.
Off the field, a nation that was once the scourge of the planet and stood for ugly oppresion welcomed the world as a free nation. That means something. That stands for something.
On the field, the United States had close losses, there was the anarchy on the French team, the Italian crash, and of course Diego Maradona, the Ozzie Guillen of the World Cup.
The tense Netherlands-Spain final game came down to the last seconds and there was, of course, the annoying vuvuzela.
The flopping in soccer is so disgraceful it makes the NBA flopping look good but let's not allow one dumb thing to ruin a solid World Cup.
Not bad. Not bad at all for a country some didn't think could make this work in the first place.
Blog Entry
Since: Jun 9, 2010
Posted on: July 11, 2010 6:34 pm
Sad moment
I've been on vacation in Holland for three weeks and I'm leaving tomorrow. Very sad moment here. People popping fireworks that they spent money on. It's like a f-cked up ending of a movie.
Having said that, the Dutch have a strong soccer infrastructure, and play such with an aggresive style, but congratulations to Iniesta for setting an example of what a professional diver, I mean soccer player, to all the future soccer players of Spain.
The referee ended Van Bommel's playing style within 3 minutes after Van Bommel tackled a Spanish player aggressively, and gave 9 total players yellow cards, some of them deserved, but it obviously played to the advantage of Spain's style of "playing soccer".
Robben has two of the best chances of the match. The first one, Arjen gets unlucky and the goalie can thank his toe for saving what would have essentially, in my opinion, ended the match. Robben's second chance, Puyol's attempt at a literal "windmill" tackle on Robben, another show of Spain's style of "playing soccer", might possibly haunt Arjen forever.
If Holland makes it to penalty's there's still a chance, but Iniesta gets some room, takes the ball nicely on the foot, gets a wicked bounce, and scores. Beautiful goal. But the game should have ended differently.
Since: Jan 14, 2007
Posted on: July 11, 2010 6:31 pm
A great World Cup
Great...It's soccer.
Since: Aug 21, 2006
Posted on: July 11, 2010 6:29 pm
A great World Cup
I'm not defending diving in general, or Spain, HOWEVER, the diving didn't start in earnest until after the center referee lost control of the match by allowing the Netherlands to resort to thuggery without appropriate penalties. The CLEAR turning point was the boot to the chest that didn't get the sendoff it deserved after a series of hits that should have been carded. From that point on, Spain just tried to do whatever they could to force him to make a call. It was an ugly game, and I didn't see any evidence that the center was favoring one side or the other, he just had a horrible game and we had to either suffer through it or turn it off.
Since: Aug 21, 2006
Posted on: July 11, 2010 6:23 pm
Every sport has its dirty laundry
There's holding on every play in the NFL, traveling/palming the ball on nearly every possession in the NBA, PEDs in baseball and cycling, holding and thuggery in the NHL, etc. etc. Soccer is a contact sport, and the speed of the game and frequency of collisions makes it nearly impossible to make correct split-second decisions about whether a defender is going for the ball or the body. Or going for the ball but missing badly. It's not realistic to expect the calls on the field to get much better without more on-field referees. HOWEVER, a great idea I've heard is to use instant replay after the game to penalize diving. Accumulating yellow cards leads to suspension from games, so it could act as a deterrent to know that getting away with it on the field in one game could still come back to bite you with a suspension in the next. Go out and referee some U14 and higher soccer games and you'll have a different opinion on how challenging it is to get the calls correct when there's contact.
Since: Mar 22, 2008
Posted on: July 11, 2010 6:14 pm
A great World Cup
yep its official. their is a worst ref than the usa match. that england jacka$$ ref ought to be banned for life
cheeky! the spain cheekies! thanks to an english yellow loving idiot who should be ashamed of how he made the last game a joke with their yellow card happy handouts. the only way spain scores if the cheeky english idiot makes it 10 vs 11. thanks england for supplying yet another joke that fifa will ignore
spain ought to be ashamed of themselves. fake falling at its finest. yeah the cheeky english ref fell for it! congratulations for that.
would have loved to seen the cheeky spainards in penalty kicks. the cheeky ref couldnt hand them the win then
Since: Aug 16, 2006
Posted on: July 11, 2010 5:49 pm
A great World Cup
I hope I never hear a vuvuzela on an ESPN sound bite again for the rest of my life. I don't think I could've stood it to watch an entire game.


text:
Bean Sprout Cucumber And Crab Salad
|Fresh bean sprouts
|3⁄4 Pound
|1 Small (May Use 1/2 Large Sized)
|White crab meat
|1 Cup (16 tbs)
|Light soy sauce
|3 Tablespoon (Japanese)
|Rice vinegar
|3 Tablespoon (Japanese)
|Cider vinegar
|2 Tablespoon, mixed with 1 tablespoon water and 1 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar
|1 Tablespoon
|Granulated sugar
|1 1⁄2 Tablespoon
|Sunflower oil
|1⁄2 Cup (8 tbs)
|To Taste
|Freshly ground pepper
|To Taste (White / Black Colored)
1 In a large saucepan, bring 9 cups water to a boil with 2 tbsp salt.
2 Rinse the bean sprouts.
3 Remove any green seed cases and any wilted sprouts.
4 Add to the boiling water and blanch for only 2-3 minutes.
5 Drain quickly and transfer to a colander to cool.
6 Rinse and dry the cucumber.
7 Cut off both the ends and cut the cucumber in half.
8 Using a very sharp vegetable knife, remove the skin in strips along with ¼ inch of flesh underneath. Discard the seed bearing section.
9 Shred the peeling and put them in a large bowl of iced water.
10 Chop the crabmeat coarsely.
11 In a large bowl, mix the crab meat with the bean sprouts and well drained cucumber strips.
12 Mix the ingredients with the tips of your fingers.
13 Cover and refrigerate for 1-1 1/2 hours.
14 Prepare the dressing just before serving, in a bowl, mix the vinegar with 2 pinches of salt and the soy sauce.
15 Using a small whisk beat in the oil, adding a little at a time so that it forms an emulsion.
16 Transfer the salad on individual serving dishes and sprinkle with the prepared dressing.
17 Serve at once.


text:
|« Back to Article
Former TSU official's fate is now in the jury's hands
Ex-CFO Quintin Wiggins could get life in prison in school's spending scandal
By Dale Lezon | May 2, 2007
Photo By Nathan Lindstrom/For the ChronicleFormer TSU Chief Financial Officer Quintin Wigggins appears in the 338th Harris County Criminal Court for closing arguments Tuesday in his trial. He is accused of authorizing the improper use of university money.
Quintin Wiggins' attorneys concluded his defense Tuesday with the same message they delivered at the start of his trial: that the former Texas Southern University chief financial officer may have been negligent, but he did not intentionally break any laws.
Harris County prosecutors countered that Wiggins illegally sidestepped procurement and purchasing policies by allowing hundreds of thousands of university dollars to be spent on furniture, landscaping and a security system at the home of then-TSU President Priscilla Slade.
"I hope (your verdict) will send a message," Assistant District Attorney Donna Goode told jurors in closing arguments. "By your message, you'll say no one is above the law."
After hearing three weeks of testimony, the jury deliberated briefly Tuesday. They will resume deliberations today.
Wiggins, 46, is charged with one count of misapplication of fiduciary property over $200,000. If convicted, he faces a sentence ranging from five to 99 years or life in prison.
Defense attorneys insist that Wiggins did not intentionally break the law.
He relied on the advice of others for some purchases and did not know about other expenditures, they said.
"He did nothing wrong," defense attorney L. Mikele Daniels told jurors in the court of state District Judge Brock Thomas.
But Goode said Wiggins knew he was not following the university's and the state's procurement policies.
Wiggins resigned in March last year after the TSU Board of Regents placed him on paid leave in connection with the investigation.
Slade, 55, is scheduled to stand trial on Aug. 10 on two counts of misapplication of fiduciary property over $200,000. Former TSU Vice President Bruce Wilson, 53, charged with one count of misapplication of fiduciary property, is set for trial on Sept. 28.
Slade was fired in June after TSU attorneys concluded that she had failed to follow university policies and state laws while spending more than $260,000. A criminal investigation concluded that more than $1.9 million was spent during her tenure on such purchases as artwork, club memberships, spa treatments and sports tickets.


text:
Beef and Kraut Soup
|Beef shank crosscuts
|2 Pound
|Cooking oil
|2 Tablespoon
|1 Medium, chopped to make 1/2 cup
|1 Clove (5 gm), minced
|Whole cloves
|Bay leaf
|2 Teaspoon
|1⁄8 Teaspoon
|Canned sauerkraut
|8 Ounce, snipped (1 Can)
|Canned tomatoes
|8 Ounce, cut up (1 Can)
|1 Medium, peeled, cored, and chopped
|Green pepper
|1 , chopped to make 1/2 cup
|1 Teaspoon
1.In a saucepan, heat oil and brown the beef, remove and set aside.
2.In the same pan add onion and garlic to drippings and cook till onion is tender.
3.To the pan, add beef, cloves, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and 4 cups water; cover and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours.
4.Remove the beef from the pan and discard the bay leaf and cloves.
5.When cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones; cut up meat and return to broth; discard bones.
6.Add the un-drained sauerkraut, un-drained tomatoes, apple, green pepper, and sugar and bring it to boil.
7.Cover and simmer for another 20 minutes more or until pepper is tender.
8.Arrange the meat and vegetables to a serving bowl and divide the broth among the soup bowls and top each serving with sour cream.


text:
In a sleeve catheter for supplying medicine to the walls of a vessel or tubular organ in which a number of outer lumina extend longitudinally around a central lumen, the outer lumina have radial discharge openings in the area of the head portion of the catheter, which is slidable onto a balloon catheter in order to be disposed at least partially on the balloon of the balloon catheter so as to be expandable thereby into abutment with the inner wall of a vessel to be dilated whereby medicine can be supplied through the discharge openings in the outer lumina under pressure directly to the tissue of the vessel adjacent the outer lumina, thereby applying the medicine solely to the area engaged by the outer surface of the head portion.
1. A sleeve catheter for the wetting and infiltration of a vessel wall or other tubular organ by a fluid, particularly a liquid medicine, said sleeve catheter comprising a head portion with a central lumen and a number of outer lumina extending, in cross-section, in a circle around said central lumen, each having discharge openings formed in the head portion thereof,
said sleeve catheter having, during operation, a balloon catheter arranged therewithin so as to be disposed at lead partially on the balloon of said balloon catheter,
said head portion of said sleeve catheter including, at its outside, longitudinally extending radial grooves arranged between said discharge openings and extending to a limited depth so as to provide adjacent the inner wall of said sleeve catheter for a hinge structure allowing said radial grooves to open so as to facilitate expansion of said sleeve catheter for engaging the inner wall of a vessel to be expanded upon inflation of said balloon, and said discharge openings being preformed such that they open only upon expansion of said sleeve catheter by the application of the balloon pressure,
and means for supplying said fluid to said outer lumina under pressure so as to be applied to said vessel wall via said discharge openings when said head portion is expanded into engagement with the inner vessel wall to be treated.
2. A sleeve catheter according to claim 1, wherein said discharge openings are preformed such that they are opened by the application of an additional pressure to the outer lumina.
3. A sleeve catheter according to claim 1, wherein longitudinally extending radial grooves are provided between said outer lumina also in the inner wall of said lead portion adjacent the central lumen and extend from the inner wall to a limited depth adjacent the outer wall of said sleeve catheter so as to form at said outer wall a hinge structure allowing said grooves to open so as to further facilitate expansion of said sleeve catheter.
4. A sleeve catheter according to claim 1, wherein said discharge openings are preformed in such a way that they are opened successively with increasing pressure beginning at the distal end of the head portion and continuing toward the proximal end of the head portion.
5. A sleeve catheter according to claim 1, wherein said head portion includes six to twenty outer lumina distributed over its circumference.
The invention relates to a sleeve catheter for the wetting and infiltration of a vessel wall with a fluid particularly, medicine, preferably during routine treatment with a balloon catheter.
For the treatment of constricted passages in arteries, balloon dilation is recognized as an only little invasive but very effective and elegant method. Experience however shows that this treatment method has a high recurrence rate in the order of about 30% of the treated patients, that is, within a period of several months, for example, between 3 and 6 months, passage constriction will reoccur. It has been shown that this is at least partly caused by cell growth which is caused by the balloon dilation, that is, by expansion and rupture of the tissue. It is therefore desirable to provide the vessel area which is subjected to such balloon dilation additional treatment which counteracts such tissue growth.
Various methods for growth-inhibiting treatment are known, particularly, the application of energy, for example, by means of a laser or the localized treatment with special medicine. As carrier for the localized treatment with medicine it is known to use wire wall supports (so-called stents) whose use however is complicated and which cannot be removed.
It has also been proposed to use balloon catheters with perforated balloons so that, during the dilation procedure, medication can be administered for penetration into the tissue. However, this proposal was found to be unsuitable since already at the beginning of, and during, balloon expansion, uncontrollable amounts of medicine are lost so that it becomes impossible to apply a defined amount of medicine to the tissue wall areas to be treated for wetting of the tissue and infiltration into the tissue wall. During inflation of the balloon, that is, before the balloon wall abuts the vessel wall, a substantial amount of the medicine is released and this prematurely released amount of medicine does not reach the vessel layers to be treated and, consequently, an undesirably high dosage is required if the particular vessel area to be treated is to be exposed to a sufficient amount of medicine. Another disadvantage is seen in the fact that only an insufficient amount of pressure can be generated with a perforated balloon which may not be enough to expand the restricted vessel area.
It is desirable to overcome the disadvantages as described in connection with a perforated balloon, wherein however the effectiveness and the elegance of balloon dilation should be maintained and medication treatment of the tissue and the vessel wall should be facilitated during the same procedure without essential additional time input. It is therefore the object of the invention to improve the established balloon catheter procedure such that, on one hand, the high recurrence rate can be reduced by the simultaneous administration of medicine, and, on the other hand, the medicine is administered in the desired dosage and is applied essentially only to the tissue areas to be treated.
In a sleeve catheter fop supplying medicine to the walls of a vessel or tubular organ in which a number of outer lumina extend longitudinally around a central lumen, the outer lumina have radial discharge openings in the area of the head portion of the catheter, which is slidable onto a balloon catheter in order to be disposed at least partially on the balloon of the balloon catheter so as to be expandable thereby into abutment with the inner wall of a vessel to be dilated whereby medicine can be supplied through the discharge openings in the outer lumina under pressure directly to the tissue of the vessel adjacent the outer lumina, thereby applying the medicine solely to the area engaged by the outer surface of the head portion.
The arrangement according to the invention has the advantage that the sleeve catheter is slidable onto a portion of the deflated balloon of a balloon catheter, so that the low balloon profile as required for the insertion of the catheter into constricted vessel area is essentially maintained. Inflation of the balloon forces the head portion of the sleeve catheter into engagement with the tissue to be treated so that, during the dilation procedure the medicine can be applied, under pressure, through the outer lumina directly to the tissue to be treated whereby it enters solely this tissue. In this manner all toxic compounds or gene-technologically designated medicine adapted to inhibit undesirable cell growth in the treated area can be injected directly and only into the tissue area to be treated.
In a further embodiment according to the invention the perforations are preformed such that they are opened by application of the balloon pressure. They may also be preformed in such a manner that they are opened by the application of additional pressure to the outer lumina.
In order to facilitate the expansion of the head portion of the sleeve catheter, in another embodiment, the head portion is provided at its outside between the discharge openings with longitudinally extending radial notches. Expansion can be further facilitated by providing longitudinally extending radial notches also in the inner wall, between the outer lumina, which is disposed adjacent the inner lumen of the catheter.
In order to administer the medicine as locally as possible, that is, only in the close proximity of the constricted vessel area, or stenosis, it is advantageous if the discharge openings are preformed in such a manner that they are opened gradually with increasing pressure, beginning at the distal end, toward the proximal end of the head portion. Depending on the location where the sleeve catheter is to be used in connection with a balloon catheter, in vessels or in organs, it may be advantageous to administer different amounts of medicine for wetting the tissue or infiltration into the tissue. It is therefore within the scope of the present invention to provide distributed over the circumference of the head portion, six to twenty outer lumina.
The advantages and features of the invention are apparent from the following description of an embodiment described below with reference to the drawings and defined in the claims.
FIG. 1 shows the head portion of a sleeve catheter disposed on a balloon catheter;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the front end of the balloon catheter with the head portion of the sleeve catheter disposed thereon;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the inflated balloon with an expanded head portion of the sleeve catheter,
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along lines IV--IV of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 5 shows the connecting structure for the operation of the balloon catheter and the sleeve catheter.
FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show the details of a sleeve catheter 10 disposed on a balloon catheter 11. The sleeve catheter is slipped onto the balloon catheter such that the head portion 16 extends at least partially over the balloon 12 which is mounted on a flexible guide rod 14 as shown in FIG. 2. In these relative positions the two catheters are inserted into a vessel or an organ. The outer lumina 18 terminate in the head portion of the sleeve catheter and they extend over the full length of the sleeve catheter up to the connecting structure which is shown in FIG. 5 and explained below. As shown the outer lumina 18 are arranged in a circle around a central lumen 20 wherein 6 to 20 outer lumina may be provided depending on the size and the application area of the sleeve catheter.
It is also possible to provide only one or two lumina which extend along the sleeve catheter and which are divided in the head portion into several outer lumina. The cross-section and the arrangement of the lumina are adapted to a particular application.
In the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4 which is taken across a head portion 16 disposed on a balloon catheter 11, there are eight outer lumina 18 which are provided with discharge openings 24 leading to the outside of the head portion. These discharge openings 24 are so designed that they open only toward the end of balloon pressure application and then discharge a medicine contained in the outer lumina 18. It is also possible to preform the discharge openings in such a way that they open only by application of additional pressure applied via the connecting structure.
In order to facilitate expansion of the head portion 16 it is provided, at least on the outside, with radial grooves 22 which extend longitudinally between the discharge openings 24 and to a limited depth spaced from the inner wall of the head portion so as to provide for a hinge structure allowing the radial grooves 22 to open up and expand the head portion with only small pressure requirements. In order to further reduce the pressure required for the expansion of the head portion further radial grooves 23 may be provided at the inside of the head portion adjacent the central lumen 20, the grooves 23 extending longitudinally between the outer lumina 18. If two radial grooves 23 are provided at opposite sides of a radial groove 22, three-hinge structures are formed which further facilitate expansion of the head portion.
With this arrangement the head portion can be pressed in sufficiently tight contact with the vessel walls by the pressure of, for example, 5 to 8 bar required for full expansion of the balloon so that the medicine, when applied through the outer lumina 18 and the discharge openings 24, will not flow away but will be applied to the inner wall surface in a highly localized fashion such that it will penetrate the wall and then infiltrate the inner layers in sufficiently high concentrations.
For good distribution of the medicine during dilation when the head portion is firmly pressed against the expanded tissue by the pressure built up in the inner balloon, that is, in order to inject the medicine essentially in the center area of the constriction being treated, the discharge openings 24 are preferably preformed in such a manner that they open with increasing pressure beginning at the distal end of the head portion toward the proximal end. With this arrangement it is insured that the injected medicine is not carried away but is applied in sufficiently high concentration to the tissue layers as desired and subsequently infiltrates into the deeper wall layers. The amount of medicine released into the vessel after deflation of the catheter which normally takes place after about 60 seconds is then relatively small and it is diluted in a material way so that as far as the dose is concerned it is irrelevant for the total body system even if a large dose was applied localized to the treated vessel area. For application, primarily already well known cell-toxic compounds are used whose effects can be well determined but also genetically designed medicine may be used.
Utilization of pressure generators (indeflator) as normally used in connection with balloon dilation permits injection and infiltration of medicine into the tissue under any desired pressure and in any desired predetermined amount.
FIG. 5 shows a connecting structure for an indeflator and for an operating mechanism for injecting a medicine. The connecting structure comprises a Y connector with a terminal 32 for scavenging and a terminal 34 for the indeflator. The balloon catheter 11 is connected to this Y connector. The sleeve catheter 10 which surrounds the balloon catheter 11 is provided at its rear end with a connecting structure 36 which has a terminal 37 through which the medicine is supplied by means of a pressurizer which is not shown in the drawing. Within the connecting structure 36 the terminal 37 is connected to the outer lumina 18 of the sleeve catheter.
With this connecting structure arrangement the balloon dilation can be performed independently of the application of the medicine so that the medicine can be administered independently and in predetermined amounts.
For the treatment of coronary vessels the invention provides fop a substantial advantage in that the elegance of the balloon dilation method is maintained and the procedure is not extended because the medicine is injected during the normal dilation procedure during which, furthermore, an exactly defined amount of medicine is administered within a well determined vessel area.
However the arrangement according to the invention is suitable not only fop treatment of coronary vessels but also fop kidney vessels and vessels in extremities and, depending on the conditions, also for vessels in the head of a patient. It may also be used For the wetting and infiltration of growth-inhibiting compounds in vessel portions of organs or tubular systems such as the urethra or the bile duct or other vessel-like organs. The arrangement according to the invention is also particularly well suited for the treatment of cancerous areas with growth-inhibiting compounds (in this case cytostatics). The arrangement further permits treatment of tubular structures riddled with carcinoma without endangering or blocking passage therethrough that is also malicious sicknesses in the area of the trachea or the intestines can be treated in accordance with the invention without disturbing passage through the affected areas. Also for the treatment prostate hypertrophy medicine can be administered in the described manner.
Patent Citations
Referenced by
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text:
Stores »
What a great idea. Use when you have no cabinets to store items.
Beauty Eye Mascara Makeup Helper
We are a community of shoppers sharing our best finds from across the web.
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text:
Originally written on Next Impulse Sports | Last updated 12/7/12
Santa Claus has officially made the naughty list today for insulting a three-year old boy and his mother. The little boy was sporting a Toronto Maple Leafs beanie, which prompted Santa to tell him that he "shouldn't be wearing that [because] they suck." I personally don't see the harm in honesty, but if you know anything about Toronto natives, you know that they will not stand for such a disparaging remark about their precious Maple Leafs. The outraged mother logged onto Facebook to speak out about this grouchy mall Santa, who also told the young boy that his red plaid jacket made him look like Paul Bunyan. It should come as no surprise that Santa was fired shortly after. The way I see it, Santa was just trying to save the young boy years of heartache and disappointment. Besides, it's only a matter of time before he figures it out for himself. Here's a photo via the mother's Facebook: Ok, seriously? He totally looks like Paul Bunyan. Via Toronto Sun Article found on: Cosby Sweaters
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text:
Soooo, I hope I don't get flamed for this, but at least I didn't post it in Line-Up/Artists section lol
Anyway, I'm looking for good music blogs or Tumblr accounts to follow from the boardies here. I've lurked these boards for a long time now and really respect most of everyone's taste. I've learned about a lot of new bands/artists from these boards and want to continue to do so. It just seems that I'm lurking on my Tumblr account more often from my phone than I am on the Coachella boards. So if you guys have music related Tumblr accounts or just cool blogs in general, I'd love to follow you guys.
Here's mine: http://probablynothingcoolonhere.tumblr.com/
P.S. Feel free to follow me too, if you'd like. I'm not trying to gain followers by this, but just merely looking for some cool new accounts to add to my newsfeed. Thanks


text:
Sales & Service
At Diamond Restoration Services, our goal is to help you clean and restore your home or business, and make the process comfortable for you. We are a experienced cleaning Restoration Services company with a wide range of skills. We can help you with all phases of restoration services, including insurance coordination. Our twenty years of experience and level of work ethic gaurantees you the job to be done efficiently. Diamond Restoration Services has highly experienced and dedicated team, Specializing in restoration cleaning services. Bank owned, commercial, single family homes, REO, industrial, owner occupied, short sales, and multi unit dwellings.
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Sewage clean up, Mold mitigation
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text:
The transaction will strengthen Frankfurt and New York as key financial centers, while benefiting Paris and London as well as Luxembourg. Each of the group's national exchanges, including those in Amsterdam, Brussels, and Lisbon, will keep its name in its local market and all exchanges will continue to operate under local regulatory frameworks and supervision. The combined group will work closely with regulators in all markets to facilitate transparency and standardization of capital markets globally.
The combined group will have 2010 combined net revenues of EUR[1]4.1 billion/US$ 5.4 billion, and 2010 EBITDA of EUR 2.1 billion /US$ 2.7 billion, thus becoming the world's largest exchange group by revenues and EBITDA. Based on 2010 net revenues, the combined group will earn approximately 37% of total revenues in derivatives trading & clearing, 29% in cash listings, trading & clearing, 20% in settlement & custody, and 14% in market data, index & technology services.
Reto Francioni, Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Boerse, said: "This combination will create significant value for all stakeholders. This transaction brings together two of the most respected and successful exchange operators in the world to lead the way in global capital markets and set the standard for growth, quality and market reach. The combination makes sense for all of our constituencies. Shareholders of both companies will benefit from unique growth opportunities and synergies. Clients will have unparalleled access to markets, products, information, world-class technology, clearing services and settlement – globally and around the clock. From a regulatory perspective, we are committed to remaining the world's most transparent and best regulated platform."
He added: "This combination positions the group for a unique growth opportunity as clients seek more transparency, greater confidence in pricing and premier quality execution. In addition, we expect that the combined group will be a highly attractive partner for capital markets in Asia-Pacific and other parts of the world."
Duncan Niederauer, Chief Executive Officer of NYSE Euronext, said: "Reto and I are committed to bringing together the best of both organizations to create the premier global exchange group and a leader in the rapidly evolving global financial arena. This transaction is a catalyst for the development of a global capital markets community, delivering the best, most transparent, and innovative services for clients and issuers, wherever they are. Our respective shareholders will also benefit from a significantly enhanced growth profile, the opportunity to achieve substantial cost synergies, unparalleled cash flow generation, and very strong credit metrics."
He continued: "The increasing globalization and interconnectedness of capital markets, and the rapidly growing presence of alternative trading venues that operate with less transparency and far fewer regulatory requirements, will position the new company as a true global player well placed to drive the long-term strength and competitiveness of transparent and regulated markets."
Governance and Location: A True Partnership
The four NYSE Euronext executives are Duncan Niederauer as CEO, based in New York, Dominique Cerutti as Head of Technology Services & IT, based in Paris, Lawrence Leibowitz as Head of Cash Trading and Listings and John K. Halvey as General Counsel, both based in New York. The four executives coming from Deutsche Boerse are Andreas Preuss as Head of Derivatives, based in Frankfurt, Jeffrey Tessler as Head of Settlement & Custody, based in Luxembourg, Frank Gerstenschlaeger as Head of Market Data & Analytics and Gregor Pottmeyer as Chief Financial Officer of the combined group, both based in Frankfurt.
Andreas Preuss will assume the role of Deputy CEO and President. Dominque Cerutti will assume the role of President, and Lawrence Leibowitz will assume the role of Chief Operating Officer.
Creating Shareholder Value
The cost synergies are expected to be realized at an annual run rate of 25% by the end of year 1, 50% by the end of year 2, and 100% by the end of the 3rd year following consummation of the transaction. Implementation and restructuring costs are estimated to be approximately 1.5-2.0x the expected full run-rate cost synergies. The transaction is immediately accretive to adjusted earnings for both NYSE Euronext and Deutsche Boerse shareholders.[2]
An Ideal Strategic and Operating Fit
The combined Cash Trading & Listings business will create an exchange group with the deepest pool of liquidity for U.S. and European equities. The New York Stock Exchange's listings franchise, already home to the world's leading global brands, will be further strengthened by the increased global profile of the new group, enhancing its status as the most attractive capital raising venue for companies from all around the world. Further, the combination of Euronext and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange will deliver a truly pan-European regulated and transparent equities exchange, while preserving the strong national roles of our five locations.
The combination also brings together high growth market data & analytics, index, and technology services businesses, and will create a broad portfolio of multi-asset class pre-and post-trade data, the internationally recognized STOXX indices, and a fast-growing technology services and trading infrastructure provider. The combined group will offer clients a broader and richer range of information products, analytical and trading tools as well as global connectivity and access.
On the post trade side, the successful Clearstream business of Deutsche Boerse with its strong and growing presence in Asia would be even better positioned for future growth, as the combined group will have an enlarged and truly global customer base.
The combined group would also serve as a benchmark regulatory model, facilitating transparency and standardization in capital markets globally, while continuing to operate all national exchanges under local regulatory frameworks and respective brand names.
Combination under newly formed Dutch holding company
Ultimate ownership of the combined company
The transaction is subject to approval by holders of a majority of the outstanding NYSE Euronext shares and to a 75% acceptance level of the exchange offer to Deutsche Boerse shareholders as well as approval by the relevant competition and financial, securities and other regulatory authorities in the U.S. and Europe, and other customary closing conditions. The transaction is expected to close at the end of 2011.
Principal financial advisers to Deutsche Boerse are Deutsche Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC. Principal financial advisers to NYSE Euronext are Perella Weinberg Partners, and BNP Paribas. Legal advisers are Linklaters to Deutsche Boerse and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, Stibbe N.V. and Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP to NYSE Euronext. Further financial advice is being provided by Credit Suisse, Goldman, Sachs & Co., Morgan Stanley & Co. Inc., and Societe Generale.
For NYSE Euronext:
Rich Adamonis
Hering Schuppener Consulting:
Sard Verbinnen & Co.
Investor Contacts:
For NYSE Euronext
Global Investor, Analyst and Press Conference – Today, February 15 at 17:00 CET and 11:00 EST
Dial-in Information:
Safe Harbour Statement
Investors and security holders are urged to read the proxy statement/prospectus and the offer document regarding the proposed business combination transaction if and when they become available because they will contain important information. You may obtain a free copy of the proxy statement/prospectus (if and when it becomes available) and other related documents filed by NYSE Euronext and Holding with the SEC on the SEC's Web site at www.sec.gov. The proxy statement/prospectus (if and when it becomes available) and other documents relating thereto may also be obtained for free by accessing NYSE Euronext's Web site at www.nyse.comand Deutsche Boerse AG's Web site at www.deutsche-boerse.com. The offer document will be made available at Holding's Web site at www.global-exchange-operator.comfollowing clearance by the BaFin.
This document is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell shares of Holding, Deutsche Boerse AG or NYSE Euronext. The final terms and further provisions regarding the public offer will be disclosed in the offer document after the publication has been approved by the BaFin and in documents that will be filed with the SEC. Holding reserves the right to deviate in the final terms of the public offer from the basic information described herein. Investors and holders of NYSE Euronext shares and Deutsche Boerse AG shares are strongly encouraged to read the offer document and all documents in connection with the public offer as soon as they are published, since they will contain important information.
No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and applicable European regulations. Subject to certain exceptions to be approved by the relevant regulators or certain facts to be ascertained, the public offer will not be made directly or indirectly, in or into any jurisdiction where to do so would constitute a violation of the laws of such jurisdiction, or by use of the mails or by any means or instrumentality (including without limitation, facsimile transmission, telephone and the internet) of interstate or foreign commerce, or any facility of a national securities exchange, of any such jurisdiction.
This announcement and related materials do not constitute in France an offer for ordinary shares in Alpha Beta Netherlands Holding N.V..The relevant final terms of the proposed business combination transaction will be disclosed in the information documents reviewed by the competent European market authorities.
[1] Combined net revenues based on 2010 actual revenues of Deutsche Boerse (excluding other operating income) and NYSE Euronext.
[2] Deutsche Boerse prepares its financial statements in accordance with IFRS while NYSE Euronext prepares its financial statements in accordance with US GAAP. Adjusted earnings are derived from the combined projected earnings, before making adjustments to convert NYSE Euronext's financial results from US GAAP to IFRS, and have been adjusted to exclude one time deal costs, amortization of intangible assets and the expected one-off costs of achieving synergies. Adjusted earnings are not a measure recognized under IFRS or US GAAP and, therefore, may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies.