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Implantable medical grafts fabricated of metallic or pseudometallic films of biocompatible materials having a plurality of microperforations passing through the film in a pattern that imparts fabric-like qualities to the graft or permits the geometric deformation of the graft. The implantable graft is preferably fabricated by vacuum deposition of metallic and/or pseudometallic materials into either single or multi-layered structures with the plurality of microperforations either being formed during deposition or after deposition by selective removal of sections of the deposited film. The implantable medical grafts are suitable for use as endoluminal or surgical grafts and may be used as vascular grafts, stent-grafts, skin grafts, shunts, bone grafts, surgical patches, non-vascular conduits, valvular leaflets, filters, occlusion membranes, artificial sphincters, tendons and ligaments.
1. An implantable medical graft, comprising:
a. a tubular graft member comprising a vacuum deposited metal film having a first surface, a second surface and a thickness intermediate the first surface and the second surface wherein said thickness is less than 75 μm; and
b. a plurality of microperforations formed in and passing through the thickness of the vacuum deposited metal film and communicating between the first surface and the second surface.
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10. An implantable medical device, comprising a generally tubular, non-coiled, graft member consisting essentially of:
a. a vacuum deposited metal film having a first surface, a second surface and a thickness intermediate the first surface and the second surface; and
b. a plurality of microperforations formed in and passing through the thickness of the vacuum deposited film and communication between the first surface and the second surface, each of the plurality of microperforations having an open surface area less than about 2 mm2 when the body member is in a non-diametrically enlarged state.
11. The implantable medical graft according to
12. The implantable graft according to
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The present application corresponds to and claims priority to provisional patent application U.S. Ser. No. 60/302,797, filed Jul. 3, 2001 and is a continuation in part of co-pending, commonly assigned U.S. patent applications Ser. No. 09/443,929, filed Nov. 19, 1999 and Ser. No. 09/532,164 filed Mar. 20, 2000.
The present invention relates generally to implantable metallic medical devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to implantable medical devices, including, for example, surgical and endoluminal vascular grafts, stent grafts, skin grafts, shunts, bone grafts, surgical patches, non-vascular conduits, valvular leaflets, filters, occlusion membranes, sphincters, artificial tendons and ligaments. More specifically, the present invention relates to implantable medical grafts fabricated of metallic or pseudometallic films of biocompatible materials having a plurality of microperforations passing through the film. The plurality of microperforations may serve multiple purposes, including, for example, permitting geometric deformation of the film, imparting a fabric-like quality to the film, and imparting flexibility to the film. The term "fabric-like" is intended to mean a quality of being pliable and/or compliant in a manner similar to that found with natural or synthetic woven fabrics.
The inventive implantable grafts are fabricated entirely of self-supporting films made of biocompatible metals or biocompatible pseudometals. Heretofore in the field of implantable medical devices, it is unknown to fabricate an implantable medical device that comprises a graft at least as one of its elements, such as a stent graft, entirely of self-supporting metal or pseudometal materials. As used herein the term "graft" is intended to indicate any type of device or part of a device that comprises essentially a material delimited by two surfaces where the distance between said surfaces is the thickness of the graft and that exhibits integral dimensional strength and that has microperforations that pass through the thickness of the graft. The inventive grafts may be formed in planar sheets, toroids, and in other shapes as particular applications may warrant. However, for purposes of illustration only, the present application will refer to tubular grafts. For purposes of this application, the terms "pseudometal" and "pseudometallic" are intended to mean a biocompatible material which exhibits biological response and material characteristics substantially the same as biocompatible metals. Examples of pseudometallic materials include, for example, composite materials and ceramics. Composite materials are composed of a matrix material reinforced with any of a variety of fibers made from ceramics, metals, carbon, or polymers.
When implanted into the body, metals are generally considered to have superior biocompatibility than that exhibited by polymers used to fabricate commercially available polymeric grafts. It has been found that when prosthetic materials are implanted, integrin receptors on cell surfaces interact with the prosthetic surface. The integrin receptors are specific for certain ligands in vivo. If a specific protein is adsorbed on a prosthetic surface and the ligand exposed, cellular binding to the prosthetic surface may occur by integrin-ligand docking. It has also been observed that proteins bind to metals in a more permanent fashion than they do to polymers, thereby providing a more stable adhesive surface. The conformation of proteins coupled to surfaces of most medical metals and alloys appears to expose greater numbers of ligands and preferentially attract endothelial cells having surface integrin clusters to the metal or alloy surface relative to leukocytes. Finally, metals and metal alloys exhibit greater resistance to degradation of metals relative to polymers, thereby providing greater long-term structural integrity and stable interface conditions.
Because of their relatively greater adhesive surface profiles, metals are also susceptible to short-term platelet activity and/or thrombogenicity. These deleterious properties may be offset by administration of pharmacologically active antithrombogenic agents in routine use today. Surface thrombogenicity usually disappears 1-3 weeks after initial exposure. Antithrombotic coverage is routinely provided during this period of time for coronary stenting. In non-vascular applications such as musculoskeletal and dental, metals have also greater tissue compatibility than polymers because of similar molecular considerations. The best article to demonstrate the fact that all polymers are inferior to metals is van der Giessen, W J. et al. Marked inflammatory sequelae to implantation of biodegradable and non-biodegradable polymers in porcine coronary arteries, Circulation, 1996:94(7):1690-7.
Normally, endothelial cells (EC) migrate and proliferate to cover denuded areas until confluence is achieved. Migration, quantitatively more important than proliferation, proceeds under normal blood flow roughly at a rate of 25 μm/hr or 2.5 times the diameter of an EC, which is nominally 10 μm. EC migrate by a rolling motion of the cell membrane, coordinated by a complex system of intracellular filaments attached to clusters of cell membrane integrin receptors, specifically focal contact points. The integrins within the focal contact sites are expressed according to complex signaling mechanisms and eventually couple to specific amino acid sequences in substrate adhesion molecules. An EC has roughly 16-22% of its cell surface represented by integrin clusters. Davies, P. F., Robotewskyi A., Griem M. L. Endothelial cell adhesion in real time. J. Clin. Invest. 1993; 91:2640-2652, Davies, P. F., Robotewski, A., Griem, M. L., Qualitiative studies of endothelial cell adhesion, J. Clin. Invest. 1994; 93:2031-2038. This is a dynamic process, which implies more than 50% remodeling in 30 minutes. The focal adhesion contacts vary in size and distribution, but 80% of them measure less than 6 μm2 , with the majority of them being about 1 μm2, and tend to elongate in the direction of flow and concentrate at leading edges of the cell. Although the process of recognition and signaling to determine specific attachment receptor response to attachment sites is incompletely understood, availability of attachment sites will favorably influence attachment and migration. It is known that materials commonly used as medical grafts, such as polymers, do not become covered with EC and therefore do not heal after they are placed in the arteries. It is therefore an object of this invention to replace polymer grafts with metal grafts that can potentially become covered with EC and can heal completely. Furthermore, heterogeneities of materials in contact with blood flow are preferably controlled by using vacuum deposited materials.
There have been numerous attempts to increase endothelialization of implanted medical devices such as stents, including covering the stent with a polymeric material (U.S. Pat. No. 5,897,911), imparting a diamond-like carbon coating onto the stent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,573), covalently binding hydrophobic moieties to a heparin molecule (U.S. Pat. No. 5,955,588), coating a stent with a layer of blue to black zirconium oxide or zirconium nitride (U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,951), coating a stent with a layer of turbostratic carbon (U.S. Pat. No. 5,387,247), coating the tissue-contacting surface of a stent with a thin layer of a Group VB metal (U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,463), imparting a porous coating of titanium or of a titanium alloy, such as Ti—Nb—Zr alloy, onto the surface of a stent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,670), coating the stent, under ultrasonic conditions, with a synthetic or biological, active or inactive agent, such as heparin, endothelium derived growth factor, vascular growth factors, silicone, polyurethane, or polytetrafluoroethylene, U.S. Pat. No. 5,891,507), coating a stent with a silane compound with vinyl functionality, then forming a graft polymer by polymerization with the vinyl groups of the silane compound (U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,908), grafting monomers, oligomers or polymers onto the surface of a stent using infrared radiation, microwave radiation or high voltage polymerization to impart the property of the monomer, oligomer or polymer to the stent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,932,299). However, all these approaches do not address the lack of endothelialization of polymer grafts.
It is, therefore, desirable to fabricate the inventive graft of metallic and/or pseudometallic materials. The inventive metal devices may be fabricated of pre-existing conventional wrought metallic materials, such as stainless steel or nitinol hypotubes, or may be fabricated by thin film vacuum deposition techniques. In accordance with the present invention, it is preferable to fabricate the inventive implantable devices by vacuum deposition. Vacuum deposition permits greater control over many material characteristics and properties of the resulting formed device. For example, vacuum deposition permits control over grain size, grain phase, grain material composition, bulk material composition, surface topography, mechanical properties, such as transition temperatures in the case of a shape memory alloy. Moreover, vacuum deposition processes will permit creation of devices with greater material purity without the introduction of large quantities of contaminants that adversely affect the material, mechanical or biological properties of the implanted device. Vacuum deposition techniques also lend themselves to fabrication of more complex devices than those susceptible of manufacture by conventional cold-working techniques. For example, multi-layer structures, complex geometrical configurations, extremely fine control over material tolerances, such as thickness or surface uniformity, are all advantages of vacuum deposition processing.
In vacuum deposition technologies, materials are formed directly in the desired geometry, e.g., planar, tubular, etc. The common principle of vacuum deposition processes is to take a material in a minimally processed form, such as pellets or thick foils, known as the source material and atomize them. Atomization may be carried out using heat, as is the case in physical vapor deposition, or using the effect of collisional processes, as in the case of sputter deposition, for example. In some forms of deposition, a process, such as laser ablation, which creates microparticles that typically consist of one or more atoms, may replace atomization; the number of atoms per particle may be in the thousands or more. The atoms or particles of the source material are then deposited on a substrate or mandrel to directly form the desired object. In other deposition methodologies, chemical reactions between ambient gas introduced into the vacuum chamber, i.e., the gas source, and the deposited atoms and/or particles are part of the deposition process. The deposited material includes compound species that are formed due to the reaction of the solid source and the gas source, such as in the case of chemical vapor deposition. In most cases, the deposited material is then either partially or completely removed from the substrate, to form the desired product.
A first advantage of vacuum deposition processing is that vacuum deposition of the metallic and/or pseudometallic films permits tight process control and films may be deposited that have regular, homogeneous atomic and molecular pattern of distribution along their fluid-contacting surfaces. This avoids the marked variations in surface composition, creating predictable oxidation and organic adsorption patterns and has predictable interactions with water, electrolytes, proteins and cells. Particularly, EC migration is supported by a homogeneous distribution of binding domains that serve as natural or implanted cell attachment sites, in order to promote unimpeded migration and attachment.
Secondly, in addition to materials and devices that are made of a single metal or metal alloy, henceforth termed a layer, the inventive grafts may be comprised of a layer of biocompatible material or of a plurality of layers of biocompatible materials formed upon one another into a self-supporting multilayer structure because multilayer structures are generally known to increase the mechanical strength of sheet materials, or to provide special qualities by including layers that have special properties such as superelasticity, shape memory, radio-opacity, corrosion resistance etc. A special advantage of vacuum deposition technologies is that it is possible to deposit layered materials and thus films possessing exceptional qualities may be produced (cf., H. Holleck, V. Schier: Multilayer PVD coatings for wear protection, Surface and Coatings Technology, Vol. 76-77 (1995) pp. 328-336). Layered materials, such as superstructures or multilayers, are commonly deposited to take advantage of some chemical, electronic, or optical property of the material as a coating; a common example is an antireflective coating on an optical lens. Multilayers are also used in the field of thin film fabrication to increase the mechanical properties of the thin film, specifically hardness and toughness.
Thirdly, the design possibilities for possible configurations and applications of the inventive graft are greatly enhanced by employing vacuum deposition technologies. Specifically, vacuum deposition is an additive technique that lends itself toward fabrication of substantially uniformly thin materials with potentially complex three dimensional geometries and structures that cannot be cost-effectively achieved, or in some cases achieved at all, by employing conventional wrought fabrication techniques. Conventional wrought metal fabrication techniques may entail smelting, hot working, cold working, heat treatment, high temperature annealing, precipitation annealing, grinding, ablation, wet etching, dry etching, cutting and welding. All of these processing steps have disadvantages including contamination, material property degradation, ultimate achievable configurations, dimensions and tolerances, biocompatibility and cost. For example conventional wrought processes are not suitable for fabricating tubes having diameters greater than about 20 mm diameter, nor are such processes suitable for fabricating materials having wall thicknesses down to about 5 μm with sub-μm tolerances.
While the inventive self-supporting metal or pseudometal graft may be fabricated of conventionally fabricated wrought materials, in accordance with the best mode contemplated for the present invention, the inventive graft is preferably fabricated by vacuum deposition techniques. By vacuum depositing the metal and/or pseudometallic film as the precursor material for the inventive graft, it is possible to more stringently control the material, biocompatibility and mechanical properties of the resulting film material and graft than is possible with conventionally fabricated graft-forming materials. The inventive self-supporting graft may be used alone, i.e., the whole implantable device may be made of a single graft, or it may be a part of a structure where the graft is used in conjunction either with other grafts, or in conjunction with other structural elements, such as scaffolds, stents, and other devices. The term "in conjunction" may mean actual connection, such as that made by welding, fusing, or other joining methods, as well as being made from the same piece of material by forming some area of the piece into a graft and some other area of the piece into another member or part of the device.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided a self-supporting graft member having a plurality of microperforations passing through the wall thickness of the graft. The graft member may assume virtually any geometric configuration, including sheets, tubes or rings. The plurality of microperforations may serve to impart geometric compliance to the graft, geometric distendability to the graft and/or limit or permit the passage of body fluids or biological matter through the graft, such as facilitating transmural endothelialization while preventing fluid flow through the wall of the graft under normal physiological conditions. The plurality of microperforations may also impart a fabric-like quality to the graft by imparting pliability and/or elastic, plastic or superelastic compliance to the graft, such as that required for longitudinal flexibility in the case of a vascular graft.
In a first embodiment, the graft may be made from plastically deformable materials such that upon application of a force, the microperforations geometrically deform to impart permanent enlargement of one or more axes of the graft, such as length in the case of a planar graft, e.g., a surgical patch graft, or diameter, such as in the case of a tubular graft, e.g., a vascular graft. In a second embodiment, the graft may be fabricated of elastic or superelastic materials. Elastic and/or superelastic materials will permit the microperforations to geometrically deform under an applied force in a manner that allows for a recoverable change in one or more axes of the graft.
In each of the first and second embodiments of the invention, the graft may be fabricated in such a manner as to have fabric-like qualities by controlling the film thickness, material properties and geometry of the plurality of microperforations. Furthermore, in such cases where minimally invasive delivery is required, such as for endoluminal delivery of vascular grafts, the first and second embodiments allow for delivery using balloon expansion and self-expansion, respectively, or a combination of both. Minimally invasive delivery may also be accomplished by folding the graft for delivery similar to the manner in which an angioplasty balloon is creased and fluted or folded. The graft may be delivered by unfolding the device in vivo either by assistance such as by using a balloon, or by the graft material's plastic, elastic or superelastic properties or by a combination thereof. After delivery, the plurality of microperforations may be patterned in such a manner as to allow for additional dimensional enlargement of the graft member by elastic or plastic deformation such as a radially expansive positive pressure.
For some applications it is preferable that the size of each of the plurality of microperforations be such as to permit cellular migration through each opening, without permitting fluid flow there through. In this manner, for example, blood cannot flow through the plurality of microperforations (in their deformed or un-deformed state), but various cells or proteins may freely pass through the plurality of microperforations to promote graft healing in vivo. For other applications, moderate amounts of fluid flow through the plurality of deformed or un-deformed microperforations may be acceptable. For example, endoluminal saphenous vein grafts may be fabricated with microperforations that serve the dual function of permitting transmural endothelialization while also excluding biological debris, such as thrombus from passing through the wall thickness of the graft, effectively excluding detrimental matter from entering the circulation. In this example, each of the plurality of microperforations in either their deformed or undeformed state, may exceed several hundred microns.
Those skilled in the art will understand that a direct relationship exists between the size of pores and the overall ratio of expansion or deformability of an implantable graft. Generally, therefore, it is appreciated that pore sizes must increase in order to increase the effective attainable degree of expansion or deformation of the graft.
For applications where large deformation and small pore size are both requirements, in accordance with another aspect of the inventive graft embodiment, it is contemplated that two or more graft members are employed such as diametrically concentric grafts for tubular configurations. The two or more graft members have a pattern of a plurality of microperforations passing there through, with the plurality of patterned microperforations being positioned out of phase relative to one another such as to create a tortuous cellular migration pathway through the wall of the concentrically engaged first and second graft members as well as a smaller effective pore size. In order to facilitate cellular migration through and healing of the first and second graft members in vivo, it may be preferable to provide additional cellular migration pathways that communicate between the plurality of microperforations in the first and second graft members. These additional cellular migration pathways, if necessary, may be imparted as 1) a plurality of projections formed on either the luminal surface of the second graft or the abluminal surface of the first graft, or both, which serve as spacers and act to maintain an annular opening between the first and second graft members that permits cellular migration and cellular communication between the plurality of microperforations in the first and second graft members, 2) a plurality of microgrooves, which may be random, radial, helical, or longitudinal relative to the longitudinal axis of the first and second graft members, the plurality of microgrooves being of a sufficient size to permit cellular migration and propagation along the groove, the microgrooves serve as cellular migration conduits between the plurality of microperforations in the first and second graft members, or 3) where the microperforations are designed to impart an out of plane motion of the graft material upon deformation, thereby keeping a well defined space between the planes originally defining the facing surfaces of the grafts.
The graft member or members may be formed as a monolayer film, or may be formed from a plurality of film layers formed one upon another. The particular material used to form each layer of biocompatible metal and/or pseudometal is chosen for its biocompatibility, corrosion-fatigue resistance and mechanical properties, i.e., tensile strength, yield strength. The metals include, without limitation, the following: titanium, vanadium, aluminum, nickel, tantalum, zirconium, chromium, silver, gold, silicon, magnesium, niobium, scandium, platinum, cobalt, palladium, manganese, molybdenum and alloys thereof, such as zirconium-titanium-tantalum alloys, nitinol, and stainless steel. Additionally, each layer of material used to form the graft may be doped with another material for purposes of improving properties of the material, such as radiopacity or radioactivity, by doping with tantalum, gold, or radioactive isotopes.
With the foregoing as background, we turn now to a description of the present invention with reference the preferred embodiments thereof and with reference to the accompanying figures. As noted above, the inventive microporous metallic implantable devices may assume a wide number of geometric configurations, including, for example, planar sheets, tubes or toroids. For ease of reference, however, the accompanying figures and the following description of the invention will refer to tubular implantable graft members. Those skilled in the art, however, will understand that this is merely an exemplary geometric configuration and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to tubular members or be limited in application to graft members.
With particular reference to
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of microperforations 20 is patterned in such a manner as to define deformation regions of the body member 12. The thickness 18 is between 0.1 μm and 75 μm, preferably between 1 μm and 50 μm. When fabricated within these thickness ranges, the graft 10 has a thickness 18 which is thinner than the wall thickness of conventional non-metallic implantable grafts and that of conventional metal endoluminal stents.
The plurality of microperforations is patterned in a regular array forming a regular array of microperforations 20 in both the longitudinal and circumferential axes of the body member 12. For purposes of reference, the pattern of microperforations 20 will, hereinafter, be described with reference to a planar X-Y axes, which in a tubular member will correspond to the longitudinal or circumferential axes of the tubular member. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that reference to X-axis or Y-axis when applied to a tubular member may be used such that the term "X-axis" may correspond to either the longitudinal axis or circumferential direction of the tubular member and the term "Y-axis" may refer to the corresponding circumferential direction or longitudinal axis or the tubular member.
It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that individual different geometric patterns may have associated intended uses, function or mechanical requirements of a particular device. Thus, the particular intended use of the implantable member 12 will be a consideration in the selection of the particular geometric pattern for the plurality of microperforations 20. For example, where the implantable member 12 has an intended use as a free-standing implantable endoluminal vascular graft, a large circumferential expansion ratio and longitudinal flexibility may be desirable. Thus, a particular geometry of the plurality of microperforations 20 that offers these properties will be selected. The plurality of microperforations 20 also affect the material properties of the implantable member 10. For example, the geometry each microperforation 20 may be altered so that each microperforation 20 exhibits stress-strain relief capabilities or the microperforations 20 may control whether geometric deformation of the microperforations 20 are plastic, elastic or superelastic deformation. Thus, both the geometry of the individual microperforations 20, the orientation of the microperforations 20 relative to the X-Y axis of the implantable member 10 and the pattern of the microperforations 20 may be selected to directly impart, affect or control the mechanical and material properties of the implantable member 10.
Different geometric patterns for the plurality of microperforations 20 in accordance with the preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in
The first geometry 30 of the plurality of microperforations 32 a, 32 b illustrated in
In each of
In accordance with a fourth geometry of the plurality of microperforations 20 illustrated in
Those skilled in the art will understand that each of the microperforations 20 are capable of undergoing deformation upon application of a sufficient force. In a tubular geometry, the graft 12 may deform both circumferentially and longitudinally. As is illustrated in
As depicted in
Thus, one embodiment of the present invention provides a new metallic and/or pseudometallic implantable graft that is biocompatible, geometrically changeable either by folding and unfolding or by application of a plastically, elastically or superelastically deforming force, and capable of endoluminal delivery with a suitably small delivery profile. Suitable metal materials to fabricate the inventive graft are chosen for their biocompatibility, mechanical properties, i.e., tensile strength, yield strength, and their ease of fabrication. The compliant nature of the inventive graft material may be employed to form the graft into complex shapes by deforming the inventive graft over a mandrel or fixture of the appropriate design. Plastic deformation and shape setting heat treatments may be employed to ensure the inventive implantable members 10 retain a desired conformation.
According to a first preferred method of making the graft of the present invention, the graft is fabricated of vacuum deposited metallic and/or pseudometallic films. With particular reference to
Thus, the present invention provides a new metallic and/or pseudometallic implantable graft that is biocompatible, compliant, geometrically changeable either by folding and unfolding or by application of a plastically, elastically or superelastically deforming force, and, in some cases, capable of endoluminal delivery with a suitably small delivery profile and suitably low post-delivery profile. Suitable metal materials to fabricate the inventive graft are chosen for their biocompatibility, mechanical properties, i.e., tensile strength, yield strength, and in the case where vapor deposition is deployed, their ease of deposition include, without limitation, the following: titanium, vanadium, aluminum, nickel, tantalum, zirconium, chromium, silver, gold, silicon, magnesium, niobium, scandium, platinum, cobalt, palladium, manganese, molybdenum and alloys thereof, such as zirconium-titanium-tantalum alloys, nitinol, and stainless steel. Examples of pseudometallic materials potentially useful with the present invention include, for example, composite materials and ceramics.
The present invention also provides a method of making the inventive expandable metallic graft by vacuum deposition of a graft-forming metal or pseudometal and formation of the microperforations either by removing sections of deposited material, such as by etching, EDM, ablation, or other similar methods, or by interposing a pattern mask, corresponding to the microperforations, between the target and the source during deposition processing. Alternatively, a pre-existing metal and/or pseudometallic film manufactured by conventional non-vacuum deposition methodologies, such as wrought hypotube or sheet, may be obtained, and the microperforations formed in the pre-existing metal and/or pseudometallic film by removing sections of the film, such as by etching, EDM, ablation, or other similar methods. An advantage of employing multilayer film structures to form the inventive graft is that differential functionalities may be imparted in the discrete layers. For example, a radiopaque material such as tantalum may form one layer of a structure while other layers are chosen to provide the graft with its desired mechanical and structural properties.
In accordance with the preferred embodiment of fabricating the inventive microporous metallic implantable device in which the device is fabricated from vacuum deposited nitinol tube, a cylindrical deoxygenated copper substrate is provided. The substrate is mechanically and/or electropolished to provide a substantially uniform surface topography for accommodating metal deposition thereupon. A cylindrical hollow cathode magnetron sputtering deposition device was employed, in which the cathode was on the outside and the substrate was positioned along the longitudinal axis of the cathode. A cylindrical target consisting either of a nickel-titanium alloy having an atomic ratio of nickel to titanium of about 50-50% and which can be adjusted by spot welding nickel or titanium wires to the target, or a nickel cylinder having a plurality of titanium strips spot welded to the inner surface of the nickel cylinder, or a titanium cylinder having a plurality of nickel strips spot welded to the inner surface of the titanium cylinder is provided. It is known in the sputter deposition arts to cool a target within the deposition chamber by maintaining a thermal contact between the target and a cooling jacket within the cathode. In accordance with the present invention, it has been found useful to reduce the thermal cooling by thermally insulating the target from the cooling jacket within the cathode while still providing electrical contact to it. By insulating the target from the cooling jacket, the target is allowed to become hot within the reaction chamber. Two methods of thermally isolating the cylindrical target from the cooling jacket of the cathode were employed. First, a plurality of wires having a diameter of 0.0381 mm were spot welded around the outer circumference of the target to provide an equivalent spacing between the target and the cathode cooling jacket. Second, a tubular ceramic insulating sleeve was interposed between the outer circumference of the target and the cathode cooling jacket. Further, because the Ni—Ti sputtering yields can be dependant on target temperature, methods which allow the target to become uniformly hot are preferred.
The deposition chamber was evacuated to a pressure less than or about 2-5�10−7 Torr and pre-cleaning of the substrate is conducted under vacuum. During the deposition, substrate temperature is preferably maintained within the range of 300 and 700 degrees Centigrade. It is preferable to apply a negative bias voltage between 0 and −1000 volts to the substrate, and preferably between −50 and −150 volts, which is sufficient to cause energetic species arriving at the surface of the substrate. During deposition, the gas pressure is maintained between 0.1 and 40 mTorr but preferably between 1 and 20 mTorr. Sputtering preferably occurs in the presence of an Argon atmosphere. The argon gas must be of high purity and special pumps may be employed to reduce oxygen partial pressure. Deposition times will vary depending upon the desired thickness of the deposited tubular film. After deposition, the plurality of microperforations are formed in the tube by removing regions of the deposited film by etching, such as chemical etching, ablation, such as by excimer laser or by electric discharge machining (EDM), or the like. After the plurality of microperforations are formed, the formed microporous film is removed from the copper substrate by exposing the substrate and film to a nitric acid bath for a period of time sufficient to remove dissolve the copper substrate.
A 5 μm thick NiTi graft having a pattern of microperforations consisting of parallel staggered longitudinally oriented linear slots, each slot being 430 μm length, 25 μm width, and having 50 μm diameter fillets on each end of each linear slot, was mounted onto a 6 mm NiTi stent and delivered endoluminally to the left carotid artery of a swine. After 28 days, the swine was euthanized, and the graft explanted from the left carotid artery. Samples were prepared using standard hematoxylin and eosin staining procedures, and microscope slides prepared. As illustrated in
While the present invention has been described with reference to its preferred embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand and appreciate that variations in materials, dimensions, geometries, and fabrication methods may be or become known in the art, yet still remain within the scope of the present invention which is limited only by the claims appended hereto.
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Ordered this with some spare Birthday money I got last week after seeing a great review & swatches on here for the Rihanna lipglass & lipstick for MAC.
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Like all MAC Lip Glasses, Pink Lemonade is sticky–but it lasts long and has wonderful opacity. It's a bright flamingo pink with some sheen that makes you lips look plump; it also layers well over lipstick. I like to layer it over MAC Lipstick in Creme Cup to create that perfect glossy pink lip color.
A unique lip gloss available in a wide variety of colors that can create a high-gloss, glass-like finish or a subtle sheen. Designed to be worn on its own, over Lip Pencil or Lipstick, Tinted Lipglass is the perfect product for creating shine that lasts. It's pigmented, very shiny and can impart subtle or dramatic color. It contains jojoba oil to help soften and condition the lips. Tinted Lipglass is packaged in a convenient bottle with a sponge-tip applicator that provides a quick, smooth, even application.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Dear Editor
This letter is in response to past letters to the editor regarding an obvious contempt toward those who pursue a more scientifically based reasoning for how we got to where we are as Homo Sapiens.
In these letters there is talk of Evolutionists who attempt to ridicule God, although ridiculing God doesnt strike me as their primary goal. It would seem to me that a lifelong scientific search dedicated to finding a viable answer to the Whys and Hows of humanitys condition may be closer to the truth. I am not writing here in order to quote scripture or Dawkins, for that matter, I will leave that to others more schooled in Teleology, Irreducible Complexity, Spontaneous Generation, Alvin Plantingas ideas, the Immutable Laws of Nature, and Creation based Theology.
I would only say that it can clearly be said that, No one still abiding on this Earth knows or has empirical (meaning observation by the senses) understanding of how it all began. We as Christians believe or have faith in some form of intelligent design by God. Darwinists, believe or have faith in a scientifically and with limited empirical evidence, in a process of Natural Selection over 4 billion years of time, though the pieces of the puzzle continue to form a picture.
But the big question seems to be an eternal dividing point. What or who is the origin of it all? One side says, A being of infinitely superior complexity came from nowhere that we know of and created it all from nothing.
The other side says that a Big Bang of tremendous proportions occurred out of nowhere with nothing at just the right time and started it all off. Likewise one side says both men and women were created by God in his own image in order to be in eternal loving relationship with him. Also, the other says humans were a somewhat accidental result of lower life forms (organisms) evolving into our present state through natural selection.
Both Genesis and Origin of Life explanations fall abominably short, although we do know empirically that natural selection is still occurring. So in conclusion, where, how, and or who remains a mystery. No one was there.
On either side of the argument one axiom remains true .you CAN believe something of this nature very strongly and still be WRONG. I imagine the instant we close our eyes for the last time, we will either see it all clearly or see nothing at all. As for me, Im reminded of Genesis: 1 verse 2, And the Spirit Of God Moved
So have a little faith in the unseen. In the words of St. Augustine, Faith is to believe in what you do not yet see; the reward for this faith is to see what you believe!
K. Kenneth Weathers
1714 Central Ave.
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text:
By John
Do not look now but suddenly, like out of thin air, the rise of Pinterest is upon us.
A Washington Post writer describes the new network as 'crack for women.' In fact, women are a target demographic of the social web network.
What Ben and his team started to see a few months ago was a rapid incline in visitors to come from all over the United States and the UK. Now Pinterest has over twelve million monthly views and shows no sign of slowing down anytime.
Pictures of anything you can imagine are being seen by millions across the new social site. Books, sport photos, technology gadgets, clothes, women, men, beer, animals; if it comes to mind, it has probably been pinned.
"I think what's interesting is that from a strong base of women it's starting to branch out and we haven't seen that with a lot of other social networks," said Interent Startup Guru Mark Evans.


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The middle of August, I realized that a fibrotic cyst I had been watching through mammograms each year had started growing larger. I felt an urgency to find out--I knew if something was growing, something had to be done as quickly as possible. It was time for my yearly mammogram, so I arranged for one on August 31. The mammogram did show the cyst was larger so as soon as I got the report back, I made an appointment with the doctor for Thursday, September 15.
I had a sonogram on Thursday at the clinic, and the report stated that the cyst was now considered a mass with irregular edges. The following day, Friday, the doctor examined the sonogram and encouraged me to have a lumpectomy the following Tuesday, September 20. As it turned out, I just had a Consult with the surgeon on that Tuesday, and a Lumpectomy the following Tuesday, September 27.
Thursday, September 29, the hospital called me and said the doctor wanted to talk to me. I knew right then that it wasn't good. My son happened to be at my house and he took me to the hospital. The report was "infiltrating poorly defined ductile carcinoma" and, in the doctor's opinion, the breast would have to be removed. I asked about my right breast and the doctor said it would be better to keep it and watch it with mammograms every year.
My emotions were going everywhere and my mind could hardly wrap itself around what was happening so quickly, but my logic was telling me what needed to be done. A good friend suggested I have both breasts removed (she had gone through the same thing), and my logic agreed. I also talked to other women who wished they would have had both breasts removed. So, I called the doctor and told him my wishes and he agreed, that at my age, there was a good chance of cancer showing up in my other breast.
On Monday, I went to the hospital and did Pre-Op, and on Tuesday, October 4, I had a double mastectomy. The surgical staff was wonderful and the hospital took good care of me. I went home on Thursday with drain tubes and 79 staples and from there my family and home health took over my care.
The doctor also took out three lymph nodes and then we had to wait on that lab report. If the nodes were clean then I could be considered cancer free. We had to wait until the following Tuesday, but finally, I got the report that there was no cancer in the lymph nodes. Can I say there was much rejoicing going on?
The lab report also said that there was already cancer growing in my right breast. Some told me it was a good thing I insisted it be removed. But I think it was a God thing. I think He was the logic urging me to move as quickly as possible and that is why, I think, the cancer did not have a chance to get in my lymph nodes.
So many prayed for me and showed me how much they cared by coming to see me and with cards and flowers and phone calls. (Some people don't realize how much they are cared for until they die, but I got to experience it while I was still alive).
And prayers were answered. I have had no pain from the operation. (I took some pain medicine to make my children happy - they were afraid I was being brave). I am healing well and am doing so much better than most think I should be. I am almost back to normal and ready to get on with New Beginnings. I am stronger in the Spirit than I have ever been. My plan was for God to remove the cancer from my breast and people would give Him the credit. His plan was and is much bigger and much more far-reaching. Thank you all for being there for me.


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BERZ10035 In Stock
Get that celebrity red carpet look with these Peardrop with Oval CZ Earrings. These peardrop earrings glisten in any light and drop gracefully from the ear. These earrings are sure to compliment any glamorous look whether out on the town or strutting your stuff on the red carpet. These gorgeous earrings dangle 1.5 inches long and the 3/4 inch wide bottom complements any red carpet look! These earrings are rhodium plated, they look so stunning that no one will know the difference!
Eve's Addiction.com wants you to be a happy customer. We want you to be completely satisfied with the sterling silver jewelry that you receive from us, as we only sell high quality silver and cubic zirconia cz jewelry. We do understand that you may not like your purchase for some reason.
You may return or exchange your jewelry within 60 days of purchase if you are not satisfied with it. The jewelry must be returned in its original condition for a refund or exchange. Engraved, personalized, photo, monogram, name and initial, chocolate and clearance items are not returnable or exchangeable.


text:
6mm, 340.0 fps
KJW M9 Full Metal Airsoft Green Gas / Propane Blowback Pistol
30-day limited warranty
List Price $149.99 Save $40.00 (26%)
Want it delivered 08-06-2015?
Order it in the next 15 hr and 6 min and choose Next Day Air Morning at checkout. Details
Average Customer Review4.5 (7 reviews)
Create an online reviewand share your thoughts with other customers
Things I liked:Nice looking gun a great copy of the real 92 FS
Things I would have changed:The orange tip needs to be removed but I know the stupid law requires it. Option for full auto would be nice.
What others should know:Great gun for the price and I use it for training. If you have the ral gun this is perfect for training.
Things I liked:Heavy weight, looks very realistic, loud.
Things I would have changed:Peinture quality, accuracy.
What others should know:Magazine might be CO2 leaking.
Things I liked:This is a very nice looking gun right out of the box. The mag. is very easy to fill with green gas and is pretty efficient with it to! The magazine is double stacking which means that the gun can hold mare bb's (in this case, 26 bb's). This is the best gun that i have for the price and is very durable. It has fallen out of my holster a few times because I didn't close the strap on the holster but it doesn't have a single dent or scratch on the FULL METAL frame!
Things I would have changed:The FPS for GBB's at my local group is 300 and depending on where you read the specs for this gun, they may say that is has more or less than 300 but my group didn't chronograph it that time so I was good xD
What others should know:I would suppose that this is the way it is with all gas pistols, but buy a spare mag.
Show Other ReviewsCreate an online review and share your thoughts with other customers
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text:
Paul Mangen was hired in May of 2009 as the men's and women's swim coach at Saint Leo University. The Celina, Ohio native has built an extensive coaching resume over the past 10 years.
Through his leadership, Mangen continues to guide the Saint Leo University swim programs to unprecedented heights, both academically and athletically.
The 2013-14 season started with the promise of success and the Lions did not disappoint while under Mangen's guidance. The men's team saw great success in Mangen's fifth season, reaching the NCAA Division II National Championships, where they finished 17th overall. In addition, the program saw four school records fall, while setting an outstanding six Sunshine State Conference records. The men's team was decorated in accolades as well, piling up four SSC Swimmer of the Week Awards, two national swimmer of the week awards, one Sunshine State Conference Champion, four NCAA All-Americans, two Academic All-Americans, and the programs first-ever SSC Male Swimmer of the Year.
On the women's side, the program saw two swimmers qualify for the NCAA National Championships, where they finished 26th. The Lions saw ten program records fall as well as two Sunshine State Conference Records, while two swimmers were named Sunshine State Conference Champions and NCAA All-Americans (Nicole Weber & Stephanie Martinez). Weber also became the program's first-ever Sunshine State Conference Female Freshman of the Year. Academics were another bright spot for the Women's Swim program, a the squad finished 4th nationally in team grade point average, boasting two Academic All-Americans and four swimmers with perfect 4.0 GPAs.
The 2012-13 season showcased the potential of the national caliber swimming programs under Mangen, setting the tone in the Sunshine State Conference with four conference champions and establishing eight conference records along the way. I head-to-head competition the Lions swam to a 10-4 record, an improvement over the 9-5 final tally the previous year, all while breaking 22 school records.
Five Lions (Michael Cozzi, Milton Alberto-Requejo, Pavel Trenda, Matheus Assis and Gabriel Keown) led the program to a 13th place finish at the NCAA National Championships in Birmingham, Ala., earning six Top-8 swims and 18 top-16 finishes.
To cap off the season, two swimmers earned CSCAA Academic Honors and two were inducted into the National College-Athlete Honor Society. Both men's and women's programs earned CSCAA All-Academic Team honors and Assis was named Male Swimming of the Meet at the SSC Championships. Finally, Pavel Trenda was voted SSC Male Swimmer of the Year.
2011-12 was another step in the right direction for Mangen and his Lions. Directing the team to 16 broken records during the year, Mangen's group finished with a record of 9-5, including the team's highest national ranking to date, 21st. Additionally, senior Tim Olson placed himself in the NCAA Championships in the 50 and 100 yard Freestyle, as well as the 100 yard Butterfly. It marked the first time in program history that both the men's and women's teams finished with an above .500 record in conference (9-5).
The Lions went from 3-8 record in 2010 to a respectable 8-7-1 (5-6-1 in SSC) in 2011. Both programs finished the season ranked 23rd nationally, had six individuals qualify provisionally for the NCAA National Championships, two conference individual champions, (both set conference records), 26 new team records were set and four student-athletes earned Academic All-America honors.
Mangen was a 14-time Bluegrass Mountain Conference champion and was named the 2003 swimmer of the year.
He was selected by the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Association as the 2003 male scholar-athlete of the year. He was an eight time, NCAA All-America selection and also earned Academic All-America honors twice during his undergraduate career.
Mangen began his head swim coaching career at West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, W.V. where his athletes captured one national championship, five NCAA All-America honors, set 13 school records and two conference records (WVIAC/ BGMC). In addition, his teams won 22 conference individual championships and three conference team titles (WVIAC/ BGMC).
After three years at Wesleyan, Mangen moved from Division II to Division I as the No. 1 assistant coach of Wright State (OH). He also served as swimming and diving recruiting coordinator for both programs. While at WSU, the program regained the Horizon League conference championship two of three years and added a second place finish. The athletic accomplishments while at WSU included three NCAA Division I qualifying swims, five Horizon League records, 13 school records, 29 individual conference championship swims, and four relay conference titles.
A 2003 graduate of Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, WV, with a bachelor of science degree in Sport Management, Cum Laude, and also holds a Master's of Business Administration.
In addition to his head coaching duties, Mangen is also the Director of Aquatics and is responsible for all aspects of the Saint Leo Aquatic Center and related programs.
Coach Mangen resides in San Antonio, Fla. with his wife Melissa, their son, Jack, and daughter Reese .
Lions under Mangen...
|School Records
|Conference Records*
|Conference Champions*
|NCAA Placing
|13-0-1 (.964)
|11-0-1 (.958)
|13 (Men) 27(Women)
|9-8 (.529)
|8-8 (.500)
|10-4 (.714)
|10-4 (.714)
|9-5 (.643)
|9-5 (.643)
|8-1-7 (.500)
|5-1-6 (.417)
|3-8 (.272)
|0-6 (.000)
* Saint Leo participated in the Bluegrass Mountain Conference through the 2009-10 season.


text:
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This story was updated at 7:30 a.m. July 17.
A man who died after being run over by a car during an attempted armed robbery in Fairmount Heights has been identified
Bradford Anson McCoy, 30, of the 2300 block of Vermont Avenue in Landover was driving in Fairmount Heights around 12:19 a.m. when he noticed an acquaintance and three other men and parked his vehicle nearby to speak with them in the 1200 block of Oates Street, Prince George's County police said.
While the group was speaking, three unknown, armed and masked suspects approached them and announced a robbery, ordering each of them to the ground, county police said. Police said one suspect then approached a white car nearby with a woman inside and she was ordered to hand over her keys but panicked and attempted to drive away, running over McCoy, who was pronounced dead at the scene, said Cpl. Clinton Copeland, a county police spokesman.
According to county police, McCoy was driving a Comcast contract vehicle during the time of the incident. The suspects used it to flee the scene but the vehicle was later recovered by the Metropolitan Police Department.
Following the incident, the woman remained on scene and cooperated with the county police investigation. The other victims were also questioned, said Copeland, who noted that the investigation is ongoing as police are still seeking the responsible suspects.
The Prince George's department is asking anyone with information of the incident or suspects to contact the Criminal Investigations Division at 301-772-4230 or Crime Solvers at 866-411-TIPS.


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Hazel Price was born in Logan County. Her mother was Martha Chafin before she met and married Robert Sanders. Together the two had eight children - one boy and seven girls of which Hazel was the youngest. Hazel grew up in what is now known as Sanders Bottom.
On Feb. 3, 2103, the long-time Madison resident turned 105 years young.
She left home when she met and married her Grady Price, who was a barber in Madison for many years. She worked in Madison as a seamstress at Ellis' Department Store. Together the Price's lived in West Madison where she raised her two children- one son Jerry Price of Madison and the late Wanda Price Banwell of Farmington Hills, Michigan.
Hazel has resided at Boone Nursing and Rehabilitation Center since 2006 on the advice of her doctor. To celebrate her birthday, her family and nursing home staff joined together to host a party in her honor, which was held in the dining room of the facility. Those in attendance were not only her family, facility staff, pastor and the friends made since being admitted to the nursing home, but also her friends that she has gotten to know through the Christian Motorcycle Association. Hazel enjoys participating in the Annual Thunder on the Hill motorcycle cruise in which is hosted by the facility each May. Hazel participated in her first motorcycle ride at the age of 100. She has ridden each May since and cannot wait until this May so she can ride again.


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ECA736 - Arts Education Curriculum Study 6
Unit details
|2015 unit information
|Enrolment modes:
|Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Cloud (online)
|Credit point(s):
|EFTSL value:
|Offering information:
* Dance, Drama and Media studies not available in Cloud (online) mode.
|Cohort rule:
(For students enrolled in course E760 only)
|Unit chair:
|E Hirsh
|Campus contact:
J Grenfell (Cloud (online))
E Hirsh (Burwood (Melbourne))
ECA731 or ECA735
To complete a sequence of units in the selected arts specialism, students must meet the prerequisites outlined in the guidelines published by the Victorian Institute of Education for each Arts methodology area. The prerequisites are:
• ART which may be the areas of: Art, Craft, Computer-generated Art, Sculpture, Photography, and recognising expertise in materials such as pottery, ceramics, textiles, wood and metal) Major study in relevant area(s) of Art which includes at least one quarter of a year of practical Art content.
• MUSIC (a) Major study in Music which includes Practical Music or (b) Major study in Music together with AMEB Grade VI equivalent or Year 12 Practical music or (c) Major study in Music which includes Practical Music specialising in one or more musical instruments.
• DANCE Sub-major study in Dance or Performance Studies (Dance)
• DRAMA Major or sub-major in drama and/or theatre studies including some practical drama and heater ajor including THEATRE STUDIES) Sub-major study in Drama, Performance Studies (Drama) or Theatre Studies (including practical Drama)
|Incompatible with:
|Contact hours:
Campus: 1 x 3 hour Seminar per week.
Cloud (online): Learning experiences are via CloudDeakin.
ECA736 students should note that arts discipline methodology specialisms are available for Campus and Cloud (online) study strictly as follows:
• Dance - available at Burwood (Melbourne)
• Drama - available at Burwood (Melbourne)
• Media- available at Burwood (Melbourne)
• Music - available at Burwood (Melbourne), or Cloud (online)
• Visual Arts – available at Burwood (Melbourne), or Cloud (online)
This unit focuses on the post-compulsory years of schooling, years 11 and 12, and aims to develop students' abilities to research, create, implement and critically evaluate innovative teaching and learning practices in their selected specialism. Students actively participate in blended, located and cloud based (online) teaching and learning environments and with digital technologies. They engage in critical and analytical discourse to devise and evaluate arts classroom practice and workplace simulations that integrate pedagogy, curriculum and technology.
Portfolio: 2000 word count equivalent essay or portfolio or presentation appropriate to the specific arts education area. 40%
Curriculum and Assessment Project: 3000 word count equivalent website or portfolio or presentation appropriate to the specific arts education area. 60%
Unit Fee Information
|Student Contribution Rate*
|Student Contribution Rate**
|Fee rate - Domestic Students
|Fee rate - International students
* Rate for all CSP students, except for those who commenced Education and Nursing units pre 2010
** Rate for CSP students who commenced Education and Nursing units pre 2010
Please note: Unit fees listed do not apply to Deakin Prime students.


text:
Common Read
The Common Read program was established as part of the Delphi Project, which is a residential and intellectual experience for incoming freshmen. The Common Read will be infused in freshmen courses and even adopted in more advanced classes across the curriculum.
SUMMER #GetTogether—TALK TO THE WORLD
Arnold, the main character in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, uses drawings and artwork because he wants to "talk to the world." This summer, we want you to create something that would tell anyone, no matter where they're from or what language they speak, who you are.
How to Participate:
- CREATE a piece of art, a sculpture, a silent film, a food dish, a piece of music… anything that you want to use to talk to the world!
- FOLLOW UWF Student Transition Programs at @UWFSTP on Twitter and LIKE us on Facebook.
- POST a link or picture of your work and the date of your orientation session on our Facebook page using the hashtag #GetTogetherUWF or TWEET it to @UWFSTP with the hashtag #GetTogetherUWF.
- CHECK our Facebook and Twitter pages throughout the summer for submissions from new UWF students just like you! Take time to like, comment and interact with UWF students whose artwork you appreciate!
- BRING your #GetTogether projects to the Common Read discussions on Tuesday, August 26 so you can talk about your work and the book with your fellow UWF students!
About the Author
Winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, the PEN/Malamud Award for Short Fiction, a PEN/Hemingway Citation for Best First Fiction, and the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, Sherman Alexie is a poet, short story writer, novelist, and performer. He has published 24 books including What I've Stolen, What I've Earned, poetry, from Hanging Loose Press; Blasphemy: New and Selected Stories, from Grove Press; and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, a novel from Little, Brown Books for Children. He also recently published the 20th Anniversary edition of his classic book of stories, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. Smoke Signals, the movie he wrote and co-produced, won the Audience Award and Filmmakers Trophy at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival.
A Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Indian, Alexie grew up in Wellpinit, Washington, on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Alexie has been an urban Indian since 1994 and lives in Seattle with his family.
About the Book
In his first book for young adults, bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings by acclaimed artist Ellen Forney, that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live.
How was the Common Read Selected?
Every year, a committee comprised of UWF professors, students, librarians, staff and administrators participates in selecting the upcoming Common Read book. Book nominations are solicited both formally and informally, and, once a list of potential choices has been generated, the committee winnows those choices through a democratic process of discussion. The final selection is chosen by committee vote.
What are the goals of the program?
The Common Read Program has four main goals:
- To engage entering and currently enrolled students in a university-wide intellectual and cross-disciplinary program.
- To model for students the types of critical thinking and nuanced investigation and interpretation that will be central to their success at UWF.
- To increase the regional visibility and community connections of UWF's programs.
- To enrich the shared experiences and cultural awareness of faculty, staff, students, and the community.
What groups participate in the Common Read?
Individual Departments within the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities; Advising; Academic Foundations Seminar; Delphi Program; Composition Program; UWF Book Club; High School Articulation Conference; and Orientation.
How do I get a copy of the book?
Students who attend an on-campus orientation will receive a copy of the book. Campus members may also purchase a copy of the book through the university bookstore or online.


text:
Drug Compare
Generic: apap/caffeine/phenyltoloxamine/salicylamide
It is used to relieve mild to moderate pain from headaches, the common cold, flu, or a sinus infection
What should I watch for while using this medicine?Tell your doctor or healthcare professional if your symptoms do not start to get better or if they get worse.
You may get drowsy or dizzy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do anything that needs mental alertness until you know how this medicine affects you. Do not stand or sit up quickly, especially if you are an older patient. This reduces the risk of dizzy or fainting spells. Alcohol may interfere with the effect of this medicine. Avoid alcoholic drinks.
Your mouth may get dry. Chewing sugarless gum or sucking hard candy, and drinking plenty of water may help. Contact your doctor if the problem does not go away or is severe.
This medicine may cause dry eyes and blurred vision. If you wear contact lenses you may feel some discomfort. Lubricating drops may help. See your eye doctor if the problem does not go away or is severe.
If this medicine makes it hard for you to sleep at night, take your last dose a few hours before bedtime.
Do not take other medicines that contain acetaminophen with this medicine. Always read labels carefully. If you have questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
If you take too much acetaminophen get medical help right away. Too much acetaminophen can be very dangerous and cause liver damage. Even if you do not have symptoms, it is important to get help right away.
What side effects may I notice from receiving this medicine?Side effects that you should report to your prescriber or health care professional as soon as possible:
Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your prescriber or health care professional if they continue or are bothersome):
Copyright © 2005 - 2015 Healthline Networks, Inc. All rights reserved for Healthline. Healthline is for informational purposes and should not be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment recommendations. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy


text:
No Text
No Text
more product information
Recommend: Yes
I was surprised at the large size of this calendar. It is not laid out in the traditional way, which might make it hard to use, but if you look at the photos you can see that. It is big, beautiful, and seems very sturdy.
Recommend: No
It is beautifully old fashion.
I can not tell the Date or the Day without looking at another.
I ordered it because I thought that it was Wall Calendar and easily seeing Day and Date.
I have Cerebral Palsy and I can not use it as a Calendar. I'm disapointed for the first time of ordering.
Absolutely beautiful. Brings back memories of days gone by. Reminds me of my grandmother that loved to quilt. Just looking at it gives me a peaceful feeling :). Delivery was quick. Product is well made.


text:
Men's Timberland 10" Steel Toe Wellington Work Boot 87559
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Men's Timberland Steel Toe Wellington Work Boot 87559
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ANSI/ASTM I75 & C75 Approved
Men's Timberland Steel Toe Excave Wellington Work
Rugged Full-Grain Leather and Fabric Upper for
Comfort and Durability
Cement Construction for Flexibility and Reduced
Break-In Time
Unique "Fingergrip" Pull-On Feature for Ease of
Mesh Lining with Agion Antimicrobial Treatment for
Odor Control and Comfortable Feet
Steel Shank for Structural Support
Contoured Single-Density Open-Cell Polyurethane
Footbed with Agion Antimicrobial Cover for Breathable
Comfort and Odor Control
Molded EVA Sole Inserts for Added Cushioning
Non-Marking, Slip, Oil & Abrasion Resistant Rubber
Lug OutsoleFeatures Ladder Lock Outsole Radius
Electrical Hazard Rated
Color - Brown
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Count me as an ex customer too. Man, I am wondering now if everybody's going to cave into all of this. Sounds like the NRA is already caving in, they are willing to make "meaningful contributions". What does that mean???
Count me as an ex customer too. Man, I am wondering now if everybody's going to cave into all of this. Sounds like the NRA is already caving in, they are willing to make "meaningful contributions". What does that mean???
The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference- they deserve a place of honor with all that is good. George Washington
"A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government."
George Washington
Below is the comment I sent to CTD. I had 2 items in my shopping cart when I saw this thread.
"I just wanted to let you know that I visited your face book page before checking out and saw your post regarding firearm sales. I will be taking my business elsewhere. Permanently!
You either support lawful firearm ownership or you do not. It is clear to me that you do not and therefore I will NOT support your business."
A nice public dispaly on their part, but do you think they're just going to 'donate' all that merchandise they're no longer selling online? What a crock.
A PMag for $59? a 10/22 mag for $49? Wtf.....
Danbury, Conn. (CBS CONNECTICUT) Dicks Sporting Goods, one of the biggest sports retailers in the world, said it has removed all guns from its store closest to the Newtown, Conn., shootings, and is suspending the sale of semi-automatic rifles nationwide.
Dicks Sporting Goods Suspends Semi-Auto Gun Sales Nationwide « CBS Connecticut
Rather ironic, as AKs and AR15s are already "Not" for sale in Connecticut.. So they stopped selling something they are not selling?
See yah "dick head" Boycott...
Just got off the phone with my sister, who owns our family home on Long Island sound.. Just to the south east, of this terrible incident..
Those in mourning, local news CT..
"Please stop your agendas, PLEASE, leave us alone."
The antis are so on this sickening terrible tradgey.. The people are begging them to leave them the hell alone.. PLEASE antis stop..
Friggen animals all.....
R.I.P. little ones, you are not forgotten..
Last edited by 4thIDvet; 12-18-2012 at 06:23 PM. Reason: Add..
"Man needs but two things to survive alone in the woods. A blow up female doll and his trusty old AK-47" - Thomas Jefferson 1781
They are cutting their own throats by doing this and helping the anti-gun crowd in the process.
" The world is a very dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who do nothing about them." - Albert Einstein, 1879-1955
Used to buy all my 7.62x39 ammo from cheaper than dirt. Not no more. According to some, I am a Troll, but maybe CPD should be eliminated from advertising. I sent an E-mail to them and point blank asked them if they have stopped. No response Their line was awfully busy.
Just got an E-mail back from CPD. From a Scott Downs, product technition. He confirmed the no gun policy. E-mailed them back to stop sending me any more catalogues as I would do my shopping "elsewhere".
Big Don, will you post his reply?
I've tried twice and get an error message that my post is too short. Who can I foward their E-mail to?
Bushmaster is up for sale by Cerburus. The story said their clients might not see it that way.


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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Chattanooga Lady Mocs softball team (26-23) fell 3-0 in Birmingham, Ala., Tuesday evening to the UAB Blazers (34-14) at UAB Softball Field for its final non-conference game of the season.
Chattanooga's offense went to work in the first inning and applied pressure to the Blazers early. Freshman Sam Taylor (Chickamauga, Ga.) reached on an infield single to extend her hitting streak to 14 games and senior Sara Poteat (Thomaston, Ga.) threw down a textbook-bunt, reaching first on the slow roller down the first baseline. Freshman Anyssa Robles (Lawrenceville, Ga.) fouled out down the first baseline, allowing Taylor to tag up and move to third, but the runners were stranded on the corners following a strikeout and fielder's choice to end the inning.
Sophomore Taylor Deason (Clarksville, Tenn.) was handed the start for Chattanooga and ran into some early-inning trouble in the second after cruising through the first. The Blazers' Megan McGrath led off with a single and a batter hit by pitch put two runners on with no outs, but Deason was able to record three straight outs – including two strikeouts – to end the inning.
Deason faced a similar situation in the third inning. UAB put two runners on and the sophomore was able to finagle two outs back-to-back. Despite being one out away from ending the inning with no runs scored, Blazer Kristen McGrath launched a home run over the left field fence to put UAB up 3-0.
Searching for a run in the fifth inning, Sam Taylor came up short with a fielder's choice to second base to force out Alyssa Taylor, who reached first on a leadoff single. Poteat followed up with a fielder's choice, as well, to force out Sam Taylor. Poteat was then stranded on first as Robles batted into a 1-3 groundout.
The Lady Mocs threatened again in the top of the sixth as Tydingco was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and sophomore Sarah Beth Roberts (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) reached on an error to board two runners with one out. Despite the fielding miscue and just one out, a 4-3 double play brought the inning to an end to keep Chattanooga scoreless.
Chattanooga was retired in order in the seventh inning by UAB starting pitcher Lannah Campbell, as the junior pitched seven scoreless innings and allowed just six hits en route to her 10th win of the season.
Deason was handed the loss, her 10th of the season, while giving up three earned runs on eight hits while striking out four over six innings of work. Junior Stephanie Rieck (Chandler, Ariz.) was a team-best 2-for-3 on the night with a couple of singles.
UTC forfeited the second game of the doubleheader. The Lady Mocs next head to Elon to wrap up the Southern Conference slate before traveling to Greensboro, N.C. for the SoCon Tournament.


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Arsenal will table an improved £13m bid for Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye after their initial £10m offer was rejected.
Aly Cissokho will join Liverpool on a season-long loan deal while Brendan Rodgers hopes to beat Tottenham to Willian's signature.
Paolo di Canio is set to make Greek winger Charis Mavrias his 11th summer signing and is also keen on Juventus full-back Paulo de Ceglie.
Arsenal will have to pay at least £20m if they're to land Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye.
Crystal Palace have had a bid for Aaron Cresswell rejected by Ipswich.
Everton will step up their interest in Wigan midfielder James McCarthy while also pursuing an interest in Gareth Barry and Aleksandr Kolarov.
Liverpool are keeping a close eye on FC Groningen's 16-year-old striker Richairo Zlvkovic.
Stoke are readying a £5m bid for Rennes striker Mevlut Erdinc and the French side are willing to sell.
Arsenal have been told that Yohan Cabaye is available but will cost in the region of £20m.
Tottenham are monitoring Luis Neto and Adem Ljajic while hoping for a decision from Willian.
Manchester United are thought to be prepared to pay £35m for Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini - but Everton value them at £45m.
Newcastle will hold out for £20m for Yohan Cabaye after rejecting a bid of around half that amount from Arsenal.
Willian is expected to decide whether to join Tottenham or Liverpool.
Micah Richards could be set for a move to Arsenal after the Gunners set their sights on the Manchester City defender.
Valencia full-back Aly Cissokho is set to become Liverpool's fifth summer signing.
Arsenal are set to bid for Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba while Arsene Wenger is also pursuing Ashley Williams and Michu from Swansea.
Manchester United are likely to make separate bids for Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines are a combined £28m bid was labelled 'derisory and insulting' by Everton.
Arsenal are prepared to go for broke in the transfer market with bids for Michu, Ashley Williams, Yohan Cabaye and Micah Richards.


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Botham was commentating for 9 for the whole 98/99 Ashes, apparently Chappelli refused to do ANY stints with him. Though i do remember a short one that didnt go so well.
I had given up on the Channel 9 commentary team ages ago...
I am starting to think its an Australian thing..I might be wrong..but over the last few years...I think its the Australian commentators who talk mostly crap...Yeah other commentators can be bad too but for different reasons like Gavaskar is biased when it comes to Tendulkar..but people like Warne, Slater, Taylor, Healy just keep on talking crap...I will never forget when during the second test match between Pakistan and Australia and Pakistan were 30 runs short with 3 wickets in hand and Warne started to talk about Bollinger's dad...
Warne's good IMO. Very sharp and honest. Gets distracted easily, but that's because it's Shane Warne.
Originally Posted by Peter Mooresforever 63*
Well when he is analysing the game..he is very intelligent and that is not surprising..he was one of the most intelligent cricketers..but more often than not I find him talking crap rather than analysing the game which is what he is supposed to do..as you said, he gets distracted too easily..
What's everyone think of Greg Blewett btw? Not heard him much but been reasonably impressed when I have.
Mark Waugh is really good I reckon. Bit on the negative side but says it how it is
Mark Waugh
"He's [Michael Clarke] on Twitter saying sorry for not walking? Mate if he did that in our side there'd be hell to play. AB would chuck his Twitter box off the balcony or whatever it is. Sorry for not walking? Jesus Christ man."RIP CraigosKnowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it into a fruit salad
Cricket Web's 2013/14 Premier League Tipping Champion
- As featured in The Independent.
"The PFA does not represent players when they have broken the law and been convicted on non-football matters."
- Gordon Taylor in 2009 following Marlon King's release after a prison sentence for sexual assault & ABH
Dream Team - The Thinking Man's Box
Tim Lane
Damein Fleming
I find Slater, Blewett, and Greig far better commentators, more thoughtful and analytical when they were on the English airwaves. They go back into autopilot and speak a bit of **** to Aussie audiences.
- Winner of the 2011 and 2012 CricketWeb AFL tipping competition
- Winner of the 2011, 2012 and 2013 CricketWeb NRL tipping competition
Tim Lane... wow...
Parmi | #1 draft pick | Jake King is **** | Big Bash League tipping champion of the universeCome and Paint Turtle
Bruce McAveny rates Tim Lane the best all round sports commentator in Australia iirc.
WWCC - Loyaulte Mi Lie
"People make me happy.. not places.. people"
"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life." - Samuel Johnson
"Hope is the fuel of progress and fear is the prison in which you put yourself" - Tony Benn
#408. Sixty three not out forever.
Ian Healy notes that there hasn't been too many runs scored down the ground, and says that England need to bowl there more often. Might be the fact that the pitch is green as, making it difficult to drive, and they've nicked off four blokes and had us 5/60, reckon they've probably bowled OK.
did enjoy the bit about smith's grip though.
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Three South Aiken High School students were taken into custody today about 8:45 a.m. after Aiken Public Safety officers found a gun in their car.
The students - two of them 17 and the other a juvenile - never entered the school building, said Principal Bryan Skipper. Soon after, he sent out a robo-call to all parents.
"We wanted to make parents aware this did occur, and that the students had no contact with other students," Skipper said. "It was handled by law enforcement and administration outside the school."
He said a former South Aiken parent had earlier notified the school about the situation. The parent indicated having pulled up next to the students' car on the highway and saw a revolver in the car, Skipper said.
"The kids had ID badges and based on their descriptions, we were able to identify who they were," Skipper said.
The School Resource Officer and back-up Public Safety officers were waiting for the students and apprehended them, the principal said. "We're grateful for the former parent," he said. "Without that information, we would have had no knowledge of the situation."
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It is in this cases where "Uncle Dana" should show what he is capable of.
To spread F bombs left and right and to call everybody "morons" is something that even a little kid can do.
Let's see what he can do here. There is a moron that compares MMA to child porn and says extremely stupid bullshit. Well, let's see what Dana White can do in this case. Can he make this senator change his mind?
But obviously he can do nothing. No one senator will take seriously a guy that dresses and acts like an immature 14 year old boy.
If Zuffa has any interest in bringing the UFC to SD, they should send anyone except Dana White. Lorenzo Ferttita is much more intelligent and I believe he can give a reasonable explanation of why that idiot is wrong.
Dana White will come with his Dickhouse T-shirt, some jeans and Converse and is going to begin spreading F bombs left and right.
Everybody praises Dana White so much, well let's see what he can do here.


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LINEUP CONFIRMED: CASSANDRA WILSON vocals, GREGOIRE MARET harmonica, BRANDON ROSS guitar, JON COWHERD piano, LONNIE PLAXICO bass, JOHN DAVIS drums Casandra Wilson is the most prominent jazz vocalist of her generation from Jackson, Mississippi. She combines country, blues and folk music into... find out more Tap to see more
Top UK piano player Barry Green presents his Trio featuring Olly Hayhurst on Bass and Jeff Williams on Drums "We h a ven't h a d a nything like this in New York for over twenty ye a rs". Wynton M a rs a lis The Ronnie Scott's L a te L a te Show! MOND A Y - THURSD A Y... find out more Tap to see more
Acoustic Jazz Lounge , Doors open 6pm , £8 on the door, Music starts at 8:00 PM The Acoustic Jazz Lounge project is a three set event celebrating music, arts and culture. Every Monday at Ronnie Scott's Bar from 8pm to midnight, Italian saxophonist Renato D'Aiello... find out more Tap to see more


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Windows 8 has been reimagined to focus on your life. The beautiful, fast, and fluid design is perfect for a range of hardware: from compact, touch-enabled slates and lightweight laptops, to large, powerful all-in-ones with high-definition screens. It's smooth, intuitive, and gives you instant access to your people, apps, and stuff, so you spend less time searching and more time doing.
Note before you download: Windows 8 Consumer Preview is pre-release software that may be substantially modified before it's commercially released. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the information provided here. Some product features and functionality may require additional hardware or software. If you decide to go back to your previous operating system, you'll need to reinstall it from the recovery or installation media that came with your PC.
Additional requirements to use certain features:


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YouTube launched a multi-video uploader that lets you upload videos that are up to 10 minutes in length and up to 1GB in size. You need to install a software (Windows-only, for now), but you'll upload videos from your browser.
The advantages are that you can upload bigger files, you can select more than one video (even all the videos from a folder) and it's allowed to leave the page while the videos are uploaded. The disadvantages: YouTube installs an application that runs in the background and automatically launches at startup. Youtubeuploader.exe uses a lot of memory even when you're not uploading videos to YouTube and also launches Google Updater.
Google Video has a similar tool, but it doesn't work from a browser and you can't enter the metadata before uploading your videos. On the other hand, Google Video doesn't mention any limits for your videos.
A blog post from March 2006 explains why YouTube decided to limit uploads to short videos. "We've gotten a fair amount of emails lately about the new 10 minute limit we've implemented for video uploads. For those of you not familiar with this change, we've always had a 100MB file limit for uploads. We also recently implemented a 10 minute length limit. This change won't impact the vast majority of our users. We know that over 99% of videos uploaded are already under 10 mins, and we also know that most of our users only watch videos that are under about 3 minutes in length. (...) We poked around the system a bit and found that these longer videos were more likely to be copyrighted videos from tv shows and movies than the shorter videos posted."
On a related note, YouTube introduced more categories from which you can select when flagging videos. "When users flag a video, it is reviewed by real-life humans at YouTube who check to see if the video should be removed, age-restricted or left alone," explains YouTube. I think it's hard to decide when a video infringes copyright or YouTube's policies, but it could be an interesting exercise to launch a new YouTube section that contains flagged videos, where "trusted" users could vote if the videos deserve to be removed.
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