text:
Connecting Families to Senior Living
Call a Senior Living Advisor
(877) 311-6099
Looking for senior living communities in your area? Our compassionate Senior Living Advisors can help you find the best communities for your needs and budget. Take the senior care assessment or
talk to a Senior Living Advisor today at: (877) 311-6099
701 5th Ave Suite 3200 Seattle, WA 98104 206-285-4666
View Larger Map
Call toll-free: (877) 311-6099 8 a.m.-9 p.m.
A Place for Mom
Get the latest tips, news, and advice on aging and caregiving.
View our privacy policy.
A Place for Mom is the largest assisted living referral service. We are paid by our participating communities, therefore our service is offered at no charge to families.
Privacy | Terms | Sitemap | Contact
Copyright ©2015 A Place for Mom, Inc. All rights reserved.


text:
- Access
- Accommodation
- Aids, Equipment, Wheelchairs
- Assistance dogs
- Assistive Technology
- Clothing and Fashion
- Continence Care
- Employment
- Exercise, Sport, Recreation and Rehabilitation
- Financial - Benefits, Funding, Pensions, Grants
- Health and SCI Facts
- Home Modifications
- Hot Topics
- Legal matters
- Library
- Links
- NDIS FAQs
- Public Toilets
- Publications of SCIA
- SCI Research
- Transport - Public, Driving, Hiring
- Travel and Travel Accommodation
- What Next? Videos
Regional Services
Do you live in rural NSW and have a SCI?
Are you interested in learning more about the support available to you?
Spinal Cord Injuries Australia has Regional Officers in a number of areas of NSW to provide assistance to individuals and organisations.
They provide information, support and assistance to people with severe physical disabilities, their families and carers and other local services.
Information and advocacy is provided in relation to a wide variety of issues such as:
- Access and home modifications
- Equipment
- Personal care
- Respite
- Recreation
- Transport
- Accommodation
- Peer support
- Counselling
Regional Officers are available to make home or hospital visits. They regularly attend meetings and public forums to raise awareness of the needs of people with severe physical disabilities. Part of their role is to identify barriers and gaps in services and actively lobby for additional or more appropriate services.
Northern Rivers
New England
Illawarra and South Coast Resource
Give Us Feedback Was this article helpful?
- Accommodation
- Australian Disability Enterprise (ADE)
- The David Prast Leadership Program
- Employment - SCIA Workforce
- Exercise Therapy
- Information Services
- Injury Prevention - Teamsafe
- NSW Accessible Toilets Project
- Occasional and Emergency Community Services
- Peer Support
- Policy and Advocacy
- Regional Services
- SCIA Events & Activities
- SCIA Grant Scheme
- SCIA Research

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Microwave - Filter Replacement
|If your GE Spacemaker
microwave has a recirculating charcoal filter, it will need to be replaced
(Charcoal filters cannot be cleaned.)
A few tips on recognizing when a charcoal filter should be replaced:
The following suggestions are basic, and may not be specific for your model.
For specific instructions on accessing and replacing the charcoal filter, please consult the Owner's Manual.
Download a free copy of the Owner's Manual and/or Installation Instructions.
To view a short video on how to install a charcoal filter:
Play Video
To remove charcoal filter:
To install the new filter:
Replacement filters can be ordered from GE Parts. Purchase a GE part or accessory on-line.
Note: While it is understood that knowing exactly when to replace an ineffective filter could save money and improve the operating efficiency of the range or microwave venting system, it is not possible for GE to provide an average life, or to rate the filters based on hours of usage. This is because cooking styles vary greatly from person to person, and the grease that comes from cooking is the major contributing factor leading to a charcoal filter becoming ineffective.


text:
Posted on Aug 16, 2012 • By Gel • Categories: Gallery , Interviews , News & Rumours • (4) Comments
People has released an interview and behind the scenes video of Jackson and his son's photoshoot with the magazine. Check it out below!
Screencaptures from the interview/photoshoot have also been added to the gallery. Enjoy!
– Photoshoots > Screencaptures > People Magazine
Aug 17 Melody says:
It's just too cute! I almost cried the first time I saw it because of how sweet and beautiful he is with his son.
Aug 17 Denise says:
I almost started crying while I was watching this! So cute!
Aug 17 Jackson Rathbone & Son In People Magazine! - Breaking Dawn Part 2 says:
[…] [source: People via JRO] […]
Aug 18 Lulu says:
0:32 Awww, that face XD
Leave a Reply


text:
TMZ is reporting that both Rick Springfield and Flavor Flav ran afoul of the law this weekend.
Flavor Flav was pulled over for a "routine traffic violation" on Friday night in Las Vegas, but arrested when he was found to have warrants for four outstanding traffic violations. He took to Twitter to protest that his initial "violation" was actually just the curiosity of a "Rookie Ass Cop" and that the violations have been settled.
More troublingly, Rick Springfield was pulled over last night in Los Angeles and arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, just hours after appearing at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books to promote his memoir Late, Late at Night. TMZ also obtained his mug shot. Springfield has not yet commented on the matter.


text:
South East Queensland
Electricity Network Demand
This agreement is between ENERGEX Ltd ("ENERGEX") and you (the "Licensee") and these terms & conditions govern your use of the materials and may only be used by individuals who are of the age of consent in the jurisdictions in which they reside or corporations who have capacity to be bound by this agreement.
ENERGEX grants the Licensee a fee-free, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-perpetual, limited-use license to use the material contained in this section of the ENERGEX web site in the manner out in paragraph 3, on the terms and conditions contained in this agreement. You shall not use the material for any purpose other than the uses permitted in this agreement. If you want to use the material for any other purpose, you must first obtain the appropriate licence from ENERGEX. We may audit your use of the material at any time. ENERGEX retains all ownership and intellectual property rights in the material. This license is limited to a period of one (1) month from the date of down loading the material.
The material whether images, photographs, artwork, video, audio, or text is owned by ENERGEX, and is protected by copyright laws. Subject to the rights granted to you under this agreement, you acknowledge and agree that the entire right, title, and interest in and to the material, shall remain with ENERGEX. The Licensee agrees use reasonable endeavours to protect ENERGEX's rights in the material.
ENERGEX grants to the Licensee a licence to use, reproduce, publish, exploit, communicate or broadcast the material, in any media, anywhere in the world provided that:
(i) the material may not be edited, cropped, altered, recompiled or modified in any way, whether in whole or in part;
(ii) the material may not be used to imply or state any unauthorised association with ENERGEX; and
(iii) the material may not be used for any Illegal or unlawful purposes.
In making use of the material the Licensee shall acknowledge of ENERGEX's rights.
To the extent permitted by the Trade Practices Act and relevant State legislation, the sole obligation of ENERGEX in relation to the material or any part, shall be under this agreement and all other warranties, conditions, representations and undertakings which may be lawfully excluded, limited or modified, are here by excluded, limited or modified to the fullest extent permitted by law and liability shall be limited to the obligations under this agreement, provided that should there be any inconsistency between this agreement and the provisions of legislation which cannot be so excluded, limited or modified, then the legislation shall prevail. In the event that the material is supplied to the Licensee as a `consumer' of goods or services within the meaning of that term in the Trade Practices Act as amended and/or similar State legislation, nothing in this agreement excludes or restricts or modifies any condition, warranty, right or remedy which pursuant to the Trade Practices Act or similar legislation is so conferred and has not been so excluded, restricted or modified. If the material the subject of the agreement is a product not ordinarily acquired for personal, domestic or household use or consumption pursuant to s 68A of the Trade Practices Act and similar provisions of relevant State legislation, then ENERGEX hereby limits its liability to payment of an amount equal to the lowest of:
(i) the cost of replacing the material or any part;
(ii) the cost of repair of the material or any part; or
(iii) the cost of having the material resupplied.
Subject to clause 4 above, ENERGEX has no liability to the Licensee in respect of any and all loss or damage whether arising in contract, tort (including negligence) or otherwise which may be suffered or incurred or which may arise directly or indirectly due to the Licensee's use of the material.
ENERGEX shall not be liable to you or any third party for indirect, special, economic, consequential, or punitive damages including without limitation, damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of business information, liabilities to third parties arising from any source, or other pecuniary loss, regardless of the nature of the claim, arising out of your use of, suitable for use or inability to use, the material.
The Licensee hereby indemnifies ENERGEX for any loss, damage or other liability incurred by the Licensor directly or indirectly as a result of a claim brought by a third party against ENERGEX in respect of the materials used by the Licensee.
ENERGEX may terminate this Agreement at any time. Upon termination of this Agreement, you shall cease use of the material, return all material to ENERGEX, and deliver to ENERGEX a written certification that you have complied with your termination obligations under this agreement.
This click-wrap or shrink-wrap license is the entire agreement and understanding between you and ENERGEX with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements, representations, negotiations, proposals, and understandings, whether written or oral, concerning the subject matter hereof.
This agreement may not be amended or modified except in a writing signed by authorized representatives of both parties to this Agreement.
This agreement shall be governed by the laws of Queensland. The application of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods is expressly excluded.
You require Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print documents.
|13 19 62
|13 62 62
|13 12 53
|132 500


text:
Polybutylene terephthalate
Polybutylene terephthalate Prices, markets & analysis
If you buy or sell Polybutylene terephthalate or related products, you need up-to-date global pricing data and the background information to help you understand it.
Our network of price reporters across Asia, Europe and the US enables us to deliver this. We publish their insights in our comprehensive daily and weekly price reports, plus we offer the news and analysis you need to put pricing information into context.
Polybutylene Terephthalate Overview Transcript
Polyacetal or POM and polybutylene terephthalate also known as PBT are covered under the engineering plastics umbrella.
POM is a crystalline plastic often used for technical applications due to its strength, ductility and good machineability. Its properties make it suitable for click connections, for example, with bicycle light holders. The material is known for its stiffness, strength and hardness up to 120 degrees Celsius, and is as elastic as many metals. It is wear-resistant and has a very low friction coefficient.
PBT is a semi-crystalline white or off-white polyester similar in composition and properties to polyethylene terephthalate, though it has slightly lower strength and stiffness. PBT is softer, but it has higher impact strength and very similar chemical resistance. It is usually preferred for industrial-scale moulding because it has quicker crystallisation. It is widely used in electronic, electrical communication fibre optic and automotive industry.
The cost of feedstock methanol influences the POM price. The PBT price is highly influenced by the raw material costs of dimethyl terephthalate and butane diol.
How we can help
Polybutylene terephthalate news and market information products from ICIS
We offer the following regional Polybutylene terephthalate analysis and news coverage to keep you informed of factors and developments affecting prices in the Polybutylene terephthalate marketplace.
Price reporting
Price Reporting – More information about the price reports we publish on Polybutylene terephthalate
Independent price assessments and market coverage by region
Related products
Related products – You might also be interested in the information we publish on these related products
You may also find useful
Price history
Price History – More information about the historical price data we publish on Polybutylene terephthalate
Track historical price data
News & analysis
News & Analysis - News & market analysis specifically relating to Polybutylene terephthalate
Breaking news of latest developments affecting the markets.
Insight and analysis of factors driving prices.
Relationship chart
Upstream of Polybutylene terephthalate
Polybutylene terephthalate
Downstream of Polybutylene terephthalate
Market overview
Polybutylene terephthalate: Market overview
Updated to Q2 2015
The Asian polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) spot market is poised to remain stable-to-firm in the second quarter of 2015, as the seasonal peak demand period in northeast Asia during April to May is expected to lend support to prices.
However, expectations of significant upward price movement remained curbed by declines in upstream crude oil values seen in mid-March, which led to drops in the spot values of PBT's feedstock, purified terephthalic acid (PTA). Furthermore, the Asian market remained amply supplied with PBT, resulting in expectations of limited impact from improved demand.
Meanwhile, in the Indian market, demand is likely to rise following the end of the fiscal year on 31 March. Market sources believe that India-based importers would be more willing to commit to fixtures and discussions with the beginning of the new fiscal year.
News & analysis
Polybutylene terephthalate news & analysis
Pricing Intelligence
Pricing information
Regional price assessments, published daily or weekly, enabling you to keep track of trading prices, understand price drivers/fluctuations and set a benchmark for contract price settlements. ICIS offers reports on over 180 commodities across the global petrochemical, energy and fertilizer markets. Information covered in our price reports includes:
- Spot and contract price assessments
- Market commentary on trends and developments
- Transactions reported and confirmed
- Plant and production news
Information is accessed online, via the ICIS dashboard service and is configurable to suit your preferences.
Price forecast services
Produced by the ICIS Consulting team, these reports give a robust rolling 12-month price forecast, trade balances and in-depth analysis into where markets are heading – providing a valuable tool to support your short- to medium-term plans.
Dashboard – Easy access to ICIS pricing data
ICIS pricing intelligence is delivered to you online via the ICIS dashboard. Here you can view your reports and also access other useful services including related news, analysis, historical data and market alerts.
ICIS dashboard also makes it easy for you to create pricing charts, download price history and export data to create tailored analytical models.
Margin reports
ICIS weekly margin reports deliver the detail you need to understand how production costs and prices are affecting margins, enabling you to judge the likely impact on your business and optimise your upstream and downstream business decisions.
Supply and Demand Window on ICIS Dashboard
The Supply and Demand Window on the ICIS Dashboard provides a snapshot view of historical and forecast information for supply and demand, production capacity and trade flows – a key tool to help safeguard future investments within the chemicals market.
Industry News
News service
24-hour global coverage of breaking news in the petrochemical industry, including updates on production, shutdowns and key transacted deals, keeping you informed of market developments as they happen. The ICIS news service allows you to customise the market alerts delivered to your email inbox, providing the business-critical information you need straightaway.
ICIS Chemical Business magazine
If you want to keep updated on the factors driving price movements in the global chemical markets, ICIS Chemical Business provides a summary of the information you need to support your business decisions. Every week, our global team of experts digests and summarises the key issues and their potential impact on the market – all in one magazine.
Market Studies & Analysis
Annual studies
ICIS publishes global annual studies, as well as dedicated reports on domestic China markets, which will help you navigate the complex petrochemical, oil and gas industries in the medium-to-long term. Our studies and reports provide expert analysis and forecast data on supply, demand, production and capacity for specific markets.
Supply & Demand Data
An expert view of supply and demand comprising four fully-reconciled databases, giving you access to extensive data for more than 100 markets. Information is included on global and regional trade flows, production, capacity and sources of demand in the short-, medium- and long-term. Data can be downloaded, customised and queried to support your planning requirements and your strategic decisions.
Training & Conferences
Training courses
ICIS provides specialist training courses across the global petrochemicals, base oils and fertilizers industries. Our training team of industry experts can help you increase your knowledge of the industry and gain the insight and know-how needed to operate and trade effectively.
Find out more about ICIS training courses >>
ICIS produces a series of highly informative and timely conferences. Extensive research is carried out to ensure that each programme delivers the information you need and addresses current industry issues. We source speakers who have the appropriate expertise and experience to deliver excellent quality papers.
Find out more about ICIS conferences >>
Global markets
Working closely with you to understand your strategies, challenges and ambitions, the ICIS consulting team deliver tailored advice and solutions to suit your unique requirements. With many years' experience of guiding business leadership teams, we show you how market conditions can make a positive or negative impact on your long-term plans.
China markets
ICIS expert consultants can provide your organisation with the insight, intelligence and data needed to build and grow your business in China. We can help you to gain a clear view on the short and long-term supply and demand picture in the chemicals, energy, iron and steel, non-ferrous metals and paper and pulp markets in China.
Regional coverage
- Asia
- China
- Middle East
- Europe
- Latin America
Polybutylene terephthalate or PBT is a semi-crystalline, white or off-white polyester similar in both composition and properties to polyethylene terephthalate (PET). It has slightly lower strength and stiffness than PET. PBT is softer, but it has higher impact strength and very similar chemical resistance. It is usually preferred for industrial scale moulding due to quicker crystallising. It is widely used in electronic, electrical, communications, fibre optics and automotive industries.
Read more about the ICIS polybutylene terephtalate price reporting methodology
About Polybutylene terephthalate
Polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) is included in the engineering plastics umbrella.
PBT is a thermoplastic polyester resin that has good impact strength, heat resistance and flow properties. It has many automotive applications such as mirror housings, fans, fuse boxes, cowl vents, and motor and ignition system components.
It also has uses in electrical and electronic products such as connectors, chip sockets, terminal boards, switches and circuit breakers.
Relationship chart
Upstream of Polybutylene terephthalate
Polybutylene terephthalate
Downstream of Polybutylene terephthalate


text:
News, trends and ideas we're tracking today.
Posts filtered on Tag
Teacher on leave after sex charge
Television station KRIV reports this afternoon that a teacher in the Spring Independent School District is on administrative leave due to a charge of aggravated sexual assault. The victim, who has not been identified, is a student at Roberson Middle School. From the report: Andre Levelle Thomas, 32, who taught at Roberson Middle School, is […] [Read More]
Spring ISD to hold class Monday because of Feb. 4 storms
Spring Independent School District officials post on the official website that Monday, May 30, will be a regular school day for students and staff to make up for the day lost on Feb. 4 because of bad weather. Neither Tomball ISD nor Klein ISD have changed their calendars for the Memorial Day holiday. (No classes, […] [Read More]


text:
The Stonehouse Old Brewery
About this show
Remember the days of putting together a well thought out mix tape for a loved one? The subtle art and magic, that comes through picking the perfect order of some of your favorite songs, for the sole purpose of sharing them with your fellow being, is a form of art that's dwindled over the years.
On Sunday, December 16th, (Victorian Christmas) bring some copies (between 10-20 or more) of a mixtape you have hand crafted to trade with family, friends, and/or strangers.
--> Please make sure your copies are on CD or Cassette. (A thumbdrive would be okay, however, thumbdrives are expensive, and it does become difficult to control the order of play, which is key to a good mixtape)
We'll be transforming the big room of the Stonehouse into a warm comfy living room, to chill, trade, share, and listen to "good" music. We'll have cocktail waitresses so no one has to get up. Plan on just relaxing, and fully submerging yourself in the company of others who enjoy good tunes.
DJ's for the night:
Mr. Rogers
*** We will have a full on DJ booth containing all the gear needed to play Laptops, CD's, vinyl, and cassette. So feel free to bring music in any format you want to share.
FREE or Donation
See Mr. Roger's Event: www.facebook.com/events/173184206152859/
...more info TBA


text:
Treasurer training class to be hosted in Granville County
Jul. 12, 2013 @ 09:15 AM
The Granville County Board of Elections will be hosting a Treasurer Training Class on Wednesday, July 31, 2013 from 2 to 4:30 p.m. in the large conference room at the Richard H. Thornton Library, located at 210 Main Street, Oxford. The State Board of Elections will be conducting the training. Any treasurer in Granville County or any other county that needs the training can attend. To register for the class, contact the State Board of Elections at (919) 733-7173, or email your name, committee name, date and time of the class to the State Board email address at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Pump Features:Other Hand Pumps and Foot Pumps Datasheets
from Keller America, Inc.
This pump enables easy pressure generation, both for suction-pressures and pneumatic pressures up to 20 bar. The pump incorporates a fine adjustment- and shut off valve and is very well suited for the testing of manometers and pressure transmitters. [See More]
- Discharge Pressure: -14.5 to 435.1
- Pump Features: Shut off valve; Portable
- Media: AirGas
- Market Segment: GeneralUse; Testing of pressure transmitters
from SC Hydraulic Engineering Corporation
Compact air operated liquid pumps. Wetted sections available in 316L Stainless Steel (L3) and Carbon Steel (L3C). Seven ratios available in each material, capable of pressure exceeding 18,000 psig. Compact pumps are used commonly for jacks, punches, clamping, holding, bolt tensioning, presses,... [See More]
- Pump Type: Hydraulic; PistonPlunger; Water
- Inlet Size: 0.250
- Discharge Pressure: 14000.0
- Discharge Size: 0.250
from Johnson Pump, An SPX Brand
Full-capacity, hand-powered bilge pump perfect for installation in tight spaces. This rugged, yet sleekly designed, single-chamber diaphragm pump provides first-rate performance and is a snap to install. It can be fitted in minutes from one side of the bulkhead with just four screws, self-sealing... [See More]
- Pump Type: BilgeBallast; Water
- Inlet Size: 0.984 to 1.496
- Discharge Pressure: 1.5
- Discharge Size: 0.984 to 1.496
from Star Hydraulics, Inc.
This double acting pump delivers oil whenever the pump handle is moved in either direction. This feature provides a more even flow of oil than the single piston pump, which delivers oil when the piston moves in but no oil when it moves out. [See More]
- Pump Type: Hydraulic; PistonPlunger; Water
- Inlet Size: 0.562
- Discharge Pressure: 4000.0
- Media: Oil; Liquids


text:
Retirement Plans - Introduction
There are several types of individual and employer-based retirement plans that may be available to your clients. The Series 65 exam will test you on your knowledge of the eligibility and tax treatment of these plans, as well as the suitability of the plans for different types of clients.
Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)


text:
If you're like most hunters, early spring is an exciting time for you. You've been waiting all winter to get back to the woods. Turkey and deer hunting seasons are so close you can almost taste them. But why wait until hunting seasons officially open, when pre-season scouting offers the perfect excuse to start your forest forays early?
Scouting is the most important pre-season activity a hunter can do, for a number of reasons. The most obvious is that in order to be an effective hunter, you must know where your game will be and when they will be there. Becoming familiar with the day-to-day activities of your quarry will put you one step ahead when hunting season finally arrives.
When to scout
The best time to go pre-season scouting depends on the reason you're doing it. Some hunters want to familiarize themselves with the patterns of their game in general. This can be done year-round and is a good idea if you want to simply learn more about the species.
However, if you plan to scout specific game in order to hunt them, you should go as close to your planned hunting trip as possible. Most hunters will say to scout no sooner than a week before the hunt. Many hunters will plan a few extra days into their trip and spend the first day or two scouting. This method allows you to familiarize yourself with the patterns of the specific game you will be hunting.
What to look for
There are a few things to keep in mind when scouting:
- Food sources. First, pay close attention to the animals' food sources. Knowing your game's eating habits can help you anticipate where and when a deer or turkey will be—a powerful tool for a hunter. Scouting food sources also allows you to scope out good cover for when you are actually hunting. Take note of what time of day the animal comes out to eat, too. For example, you may know the best grazing spot for elk, but if you show up at the wrong time of day you'll be in for a long wait.
- Water sources. It's also important to scout for water sources. Fresh water is essential to any woodland animal, and knowing where your game gets that water is another great tool to have. It's a good idea to spend at least a few days scouting for both food and water sources. This lets you get a feel for when the animals eat and drink, what sort of routes they take to get to the sources, and where they run off to if spooked.
- Patterning. While you're scouting for food and water sources, pay close attention to the routes your game take. This is called patterning. Patterning helps you narrow down where game will be and when, and can eliminate needless waits. The more time you spend patterning, the better chance you'll have of knowing where you need to be.
- Terrain. You should also have a good understanding of the area you'll be hunting in. Are there any cliffs or ravines animals may avoid? Any lakes or streams they favor? Where are the heavily wooded areas, and where the grassy plains? Where do the animals go when it rains? When it's warm? Cold? Take along a topographical map or aerial photograph of the area in which you'll be hunting, and make notes about what you observe.
- Signs of life. If your scouting doesn't amount to many sightings, don't despair. Animals leave plenty of clues when it comes to their whereabouts. Tracks are an obvious one. Keeping an eye out for animal tracks lets you know where your game has been as well as where potential predators have been. Droppings are another obvious tell. Knowing the type of droppings your game makes can help you spot high-traffic areas. If you're hunting deer, rubs are another great find. Rubs are worn spots caused by a deer or elk rubbing his antlers and forehead against a tree. Rubs are used by deer to mark territory, and they are a great indicator of a high-use area.
What to bring
Even if you won't be doing any actual hunting on your scouting trip, it's a good idea to bring along some of your hunting gear, including your binoculars and a map of the area. A sturdy hunting knife is always a good survival tool to have on hand, and a reliable LED flashlight is another must-have for any trip into the wild.
Finally, bring a notebook and pen, and make sure you record your findings. Keeping track of what you see and when you see it will prove invaluable when it comes time to hunt. The more often you scout, the more data you will have to refer to and the better able you'll be to predict game patterns.
So grab a notebook, a map, and some warm clothes and get out there and scout. You'll be glad you did.
~Ben Nystrom, 2010
Tags: hunting gear, hunting knives, led flashlight


text:
SEATTLE, WA – FEBRUARY 2: Seattle Seahawks fans celebrate while watching the Super Bowl at Fuel, a bar on February 2, 2014 in Seattle, Washington. The Seahawks defeated the Denver Broncos 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII. (Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images)
Seattle Seahawks & NFL News
Seattle Seahawks news, including Seattle Seahawks trades, statistics, roster and draft news, Hawks and NFL rumors, game scores and game schedule information


text:
St. Charles Representatives Team Up to Stop Foreigners from Driving in Missouri
Categories: Immigration, News
|Chuck Gatschenberger
First there's Chuck Gatschenberger (R - St. Charles County) who -- when not filing legislation having to do with expanding gun rights, drug-testing the poor and repealing federal health care legislation -- has filed no fewer than three bills this session aimed at keeping foreign-language speakers off Missouri roads.
They are:
- HB 2139: Would allow the state only to administer a driver's license exam in English. (Currently the Missouri Highway Patrol administers the exam in Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese, Japanese, Bosnian, Korean, Chinese, French, German, Greek and Italian.)
- HB 2140: Prohibits the Director of the Department of Revenue from supplying or permitting the use of foreign-language interpreters in connection with the required Missouri driver's license written and driving tests.
- HB 2143: Requires an applicant for a Missouri driver's license to be a United States citizen.
Gatschenberger likes to say that the bills are designed to promote safety. Never mind that foreigners visiting Missouri can drive on their home country's driver license -- regardless of whether or not they understand English.
No, as immigration attorneys note, Gatschenberger's bills are all about discriminating against non-native Americans.
"These bills would effectively prohibit any refugee, foreigner working here on a H-1B visa, or even a new U.S. citizen without a command of English from getting a driver's license in Missouri," Ken Schmitt, an immigration attorney in south county, tells Daily RFT.
|You knew Cynthia Davis had to be involved with this, didn't ya?
"Believe me, it's already impossible for an undocumented worker to get a driver license in Missouri," says Schmitt.
But wait! Gatschenberger has competition in his quest to stop immigrants from driving. His colleague Cynthia Davis (R - O'Fallon) has filed her own legislation to require that the driving exam only be administered in English.
Davis' HB 1231 was voted "do pass" out of the International Trade and Immigration committee last month.
Related Content:
Missouri State Rep. Chuck Gatschenberger Wants to Confiscate Drivers' Licenses of Class-Cutters
Rep. Cynthia Davis Says She's Really Not the Worst Person in the World
State Rep. Cynthia Davis Wants Guns in Churches
Sponsor Content


text:
The Aggies moved to 6-5-2 and 0-3-0 in the conference while the Broncos improved to 5-7-1 and 2-0-0.
Freshman midfielder Mary Kate Koziol led the Aggies with three shots. Redshirt freshman Mikaela Bitner and freshman Erin Wosick split time in goal with seven combined saves.
NM State continues its WAC road trip at


text:
Select Local Merchants
Tigelleria Organic RestaurantRead MoreTigelleria Ristorante: A User's Guide Organic Italian Cuisine | Gluten-Free and Vegan Options | Curated Wine List | Steep Happy Hour Discounts Sample Menu Appetizer: burrata Entree: gnocchi al granchio with crab and shrimp Dessert: homemade gelato When to Go: happy hour on weekdays from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., during which certain wines and spirits are 30% off and appetizers are 50% off. Inside Tips Reservations are recommended, especially on Friday and Saturday. Many of the dishes can be adapted to gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan dietary needs. The restaurant opens for lunch only on Tuesday–Friday, and closes between 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on these days. In the Kitchen: Owner and Executive Chef Elisabetta Benetollo—a native of Venice, Italy—adapts family recipes to create meals from organic and locally sourced ingredients. She named her restaurant after a cast-iron pan used to make tigella, a circular bread with a crisp crust and soft center. She's joined by Chef Jose Mendoza, who previously worked at Il Fornaio. Vocab Lesson Burrata: a ball of cheese consisting of a thin shell of mozzarella on the outside, and a rich blend of cheese curd and cream on the the inside. Derived from the Italian for "buttered" or "buttery." Tagliatelle: long, flat egg noodles, similar to fettuccine. While You're in the Neighborhood Before: Browse comics and collectibles at Heroes Comic Books (24 E. Campbell Avenue) before your hands get all covered in marinara sauce. After: If nothing on the extensive dessert menu catches your eye, fill up on sweets at Psycho Donuts (2006 Winchester Boulevard).76 E Campbell AveCampbell, CA US
Courtyard San Jose CampbellRead MoreProperty Location With a stay at Courtyard by Marriott San Jose Campbell in Campbell (Campbell - Los Gatos), you'll be minutes from The Pruneyard Shopping Center and close to Winchester Mystery House. This hotel is within close proximity of Winchester Mystery House and Santana Row Shopping Center. Rooms Make yourself at home in one of the 162 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and MP3 docking stations. Relax and take in city and pool views from the privacy of your room. Wired and wireless Internet access is complimentary, while 32-inch flat-screen televisions with satellite programming provide entertainment. Private bathrooms with bathtubs or showers feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers. Rec, Spa, Premium Amenities Enjoy recreational amenities such as an outdoor pool and a fitness facility. This Art Deco hotel also features complimentary wireless Internet access, a television in the lobby, and a picnic area. Dining Satisfy your appetite at the hotel's restaurant, which features a bar. Dining is also available at a coffee shop/café. At the end of the day, relax with your favorite drink at a bar/lounge. Cooked-to-order breakfasts are available daily for a fee. Business, Other Amenities Featured amenities include a 24-hour business center, a computer station, and audiovisual equipment. Planning an event in Campbell? This hotel has 1737 square feet (156 square meters) of space consisting of small meeting rooms and banquet facilities. Free parking is available onsite.655 Creekside WayCampbell, CA US
DoubleTree by Hilton Campbell-PruneyardRead MoreProperty Location With a stay at The PruneYard Plaza Hotel in Campbell (Campbell - Los Gatos), you'll be minutes from The Pruneyard Shopping Center and close to Winchester Mystery House. This hotel is within close proximity of Winchester Mystery House and Santana Row Shopping Center. Rooms Make yourself at home in one of the 171 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and DVD players. Complimentary wireless Internet access is available to keep you connected. Bathrooms feature shower/tub combinations, makeup/shaving mirrors, and designer toiletries. Conveniences include desks and complimentary weekday newspapers, as well as multi-line phones with voice mail. Rec, Spa, Premium Amenities Be sure to enjoy recreational amenities, including an outdoor pool, a spa tub, and a fitness facility. Additional amenities include complimentary wireless Internet access, concierge services, and gift shops/newsstands. Dining Take advantage of the hotel's room service (during limited hours). Business, Other Amenities Featured amenities include complimentary high-speed (wired) Internet access, a 24-hour business center, and business services. Planning an event in Campbell? This hotel has 6000 square feet (540 square meters) of space consisting of conference/meeting rooms, small meeting rooms, and banquet facilities. Free parking is available onsite.1995 South Bascom AvenueCampbell, CA US
Margaret's French BakeryRead MoreIn the 1960s, Margaret took her first trip to Paris and fell in love with the sights and sounds that filled the teeming streets. But mostly, she fell in love with the flavors. "I ate my way through that city," she says with a laugh. When she returned to the States, she could not find anything that measured up to what she'd tasted in France, so Margaret, who'd been cooking since the age of 10, began trying her hand at re-creating the flavors and textures that left her enamored with the City of Lights. When she opened her first shop in 1983, she began crafting croissants, brioches, and tarts. Now, in her appointment-only headquarters, Margaret and her team continue to create those French confections as well as custom cakes, which serve as impressive centerpieces at weddings and natural habitats for tiny, well-dressed couples. Fondant and marzipan from Switzerland shield the towering creations, which are filled with Belgian chocolate and locally grown fresh fruit. Popular creations include a cake steeped in strawberries and Grand Marnier, a chocolate-raspberry mousse torte, and a princess cake, which layers spongy vanilla génoise, raspberry preserves, and Amaretto cream filling. Margaret especially relishes the challenge of sculpting unusual cakes. In her kitchen, she holds her breath while putting the finishing touches on a batter-based construction sculpted into the shape of a stack of tires, which she is building for the wedding of two Jeep lovers.750 McGlincy Ln, Ste 105Campbell, CA US
Grill 'EmRead MoreIt's rare to find a restaurant that grills steaks and burgers exactly how you want them, every time. But Grill 'Em Steakhouse and Bar makes that juicy-on-the-outside, charred-on-the inside dream a reality by putting you, the customer, behind the grill. It's all the tender perfection of grilled-at-home meats without the cleanup. Grill-it-Yourself Burgers and Steaks Grill 'Em's 6' x 2.5'-foot communal grill is a carnivore's eden where patrons focus on the cooking—and the kinship. Quaff a beverage and chat with friends as you cook a thick burger or juicy steak to your ideal temperature: medium, well done, or rare pink, if that's your pleasure. Besides classic beef patties, burgers also come stuffed with cheese or made with bison meat or vegetarian beans. Refer to Grill 'Em's guide to learn the details of their premium steak cuts, which include rib eye, top sirloin, new york strip, and filet mignon. The Green Stuff: Salads and Sides Of course, man doesn't live by filet mignon alone. While you're grilling, Grill' Em's kitchen churns out sides such as baked potatoes, mac and cheese, and sauteed veggies to pair with your meal. Servers can deliver an order of pot stickers and wings to your table as you sit down with your perfectly griddled burger. Chow down as you play tiddly-winks with sandwich pickles or watch the game on one of Grill 'Em's 10 large-screen HDTVs.2509 S Bascom Ave.Campbell, CA US
Sedusa StudiosRead MoreSedusa Studios' women-only studios sport expansive dance spaces with a dozen 20-foot dance poles and a troupe of highly experienced instructors. Step lively in a 60-minute muscle-toning Introductory Sensual Dance and Pole Dance class, which demonstrates basic moves, positions, and firefighter lingo to spark dancer/pole camaraderie. The Video Vixen Dance Workout class helps students build strength by teaching choreography inspired by the moves in current music videos. Booty-pop like the stars during the one-hour class while whittling thighs, abs, and glutes down into a seductively statuesque form. The Pussycat Dance class aims to shape up clients with previous pole experience, as they tone and learn new moves. The high-energy Go-Go Dance class teaches a combination of Latin, disco, and hip-hop styles. All the classes, guided by experienced female teachers. combine fitness and flirty dancing in a comfortable, nonjudgmental atmosphere, lending ladies the knowledge and know-how to tempt a partner, enjoy a night at the club, or spice up an upcoming PowerPoint presentation.1300 Dell AveCampbell, CA US


text:
This item in the Independent got me thinking (but then, pretty much everything does):
"Cinema chains could refuse to show major films in a showdown with two leading studios over home viewing.
Warner Brothers and 20th Century Fox are expected to soon launch a premium online video-on-demand service, allowing people to watch movies on their TVs and computers a month after they are first screened.
Cinema companies are outraged by the proposals, which would greatly reduce the standard gap of four months between cinematic openings and films becoming legally available for the small screen. They believe it would greatly cut into profits by reducing their time window for luring audiences into cinemas and have warned that it would cause many cinemas to close down.
Their cause is supported by 23 of the world's most successful directors – including James Cameron, Kathryn Bigelow, Guillermo del Toro and Michael Mann – who attacked the plans in an open letter published in Hollywood trade magazine Variety.
Last year, the UK's three largest cinema chains announced they would refuse to screen Tim Burton's film Alice in Wonderland due to Disney's plan to release the movie on DVD a month earlier than usual. Although Cineworld and Vue eventually relented, Odeon went through with the boycott.
The prospect of this occurring on a much wider scale is looking likely, with cinemas in the US already cutting the number of promotional trailers they are showing for both studios.
Under the studios' scheme, which will be launched in the US, customers would pay $30 (£18) to rent a single movie digitally. Though this is a relatively high price for an individual film, they believe it is cost-effective for families for whom the convenience of watching from the sofa rather than the cinema would be a prime incentive. There is also speculation that Google will sign deals with Sony and Universal to stream films through YouTube in competition with iTunes and Amazon."
So the issue is not "movies you can watch on TV", because that was always the case with the advent of television. The issue is to get movies on TV soon after theater release or straight to DVD (for crappy horror films), so the "I'll wait for the DVD / on-demand" becomes a more attractive and realistic option, especially with very large HD TV sets.
As one of these curmudgeons who cannot stand people who eat / chew gum / drink / chat / do whatever on their cell phones during movies, I recognize the trend. But on a larger scale, this is clearly in line with the privatization and individualization of movie-watching. This is privatization in the sense of retreating into the private sphere for an activity that used to be social (common and collective).
This is individualization in the sense that, even as a private experience, you could still have the whole family watching the same film on their big-ass HD TV (think, the Mannion family movie night which is private but social, then shared more widely with readers, see the right sidebar on Lance Mannion's blog). But this is truly individualization as every household member could be watching a different film on different platforms (TV, iPads, computers, smart phones, etc… a trend discussed here). And, of course, no more concession money for movie theaters as people could eat their own junk food at home.
Needless to say, there will always be theater audiences for movies like Avatar (and the same people will buy the DVDs or watch on HD TV when available). The issue is for "smaller" films (foreign, independent) that have a smaller audience to start with. Basically, the movie producers might make determinations as to which films "deserve" to be on the big screen as opposed to thrown straight to streaming on-demand. And we know what kinds of decisions this will lead to: more Thor, less Little Miss Sunshine. More disaster films, less character-driven productions. Which means, more guys films, less chick movies (paging Anita Sarkeesian), when chicks movies is understood as everything that is not a guys film.
And now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go watch something from my Netflix Instant queue.


text:
Guest Reviews: The Bickelmanns
This is our 10th cruise and by far the best we have experienced – including Silversea, which was considerably more expensive.
The best cruise dining we've had in Windows and the dining rooms.
An amazing range of onboard activities and entertainment, equal to that of much larger ships.
A delight full mix of nationalities among the crew, service that actively looks for opportunities to accommodate the passengers and heighten their cruise experience.
Officers are always visible around the ship.


text:
In an interview with CBS New York's "The Couch," actress and "Big Bang Theory" star Mayim Bialik talks about her involvement with DeVry University's National HerWorld Month.
Now in its 16th year, DeVry University's HerWorld program educates high school girls about in-demand careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and inspires them to achieve their college and career goals. Bialik is partnering with DeVry University for National HerWorld Month to show high school girls how they can make a difference in their world through STEM.


text:
A method for automated analysis of textural differences present on an image volume. The image volume includes a plurality of volume elements, and each volume element has a gray level. The method includes defining a volume of interest (VOI); performing texture measures within the VOI; and classifying the VOI as belonging to a tissue pathology class based upon the texture measures. Computer readable media encoded with computer readable instructions for carrying out these functions. An apparatus that includes an image input adapted to receive a diagnostic medical image. The image includes a plurality of pixels, and each pixel has a particular gray level. The apparatus also includes a display for displaying a graphical user interface and the received image; and a processor adapted to perform texture measures on one or more groups of pixels within the image and classify each group of pixels to a tissue pathology class based upon the textures measures. The processor is further adapted to (1) associate a color to each group of pixels indicative of the group's tissue pathology class, (2) cause the display to display one or more of the colors on the image at the location of the associated group or groups of pixels, (3) permit a user to manually associate a tissue pathology class to a group of pixels, and (4) cause the display to display the manually-associated tissue pathology class.
1. A method for automated analysis of textural differences present on an image volume, the image volume comprising a plurality of volume elements, each volume element having a gray level, the method comprising:
using a computer to perform the following steps:
removing structures within the image volume by assigning a particular gray level to the volume elements that form the structures;
after the removing, defining a volume of interest (VOI) from which at least one of the structures has been removed;
displaying the VOI;
performing texture measures within the VOI; and
classifying the VOI as belonging to a tissue pathology class based upon the texture measures.
2. The method of
performing at least one first order texture measure within the VOI to describe a frequency of occurrence of all gray levels assigned to volume elements of the VOI; and
performing at least one second order texture measure within the VOI to describe spatial interdependencies between the volume elements of the VOI.
3. The method of
eliminating the first order and second order texture measures that are redundant or fail to properly distinguish a particular tissue pathology class.
4. The method of
forming volume element regions within the image volume by assigning volume elements located adjacent one another a common gray level provided the adjacent volume elements' gray levels differ by an insignificant amount.
5. The method of
6. The method of
7. The method of
determining the number of times a particular gray level "i" of a volume element "x" within the VOI and a particular gray level "j" of another volume element within the VOI are separated by a distance of approximately two pixels in a direction "N" relative to volume element "x".
8. The method of
centering a volume element block about each volume element of the VOI;
determining the average of absolute gray level intensity differences of each possible volume element-pair separated by a distance "d" within each volume element block; and
assigning the volume element, about which each volume element block is centered, a stochastic fractal value based upon the average absolute gray level intensity differences obtained.
9. The method of
assigning the volume elements of the VOI only one of two binary values dependent upon their respective gray levels;
mapping each image onto a grid of super-volume elements of increasing size "e";
determining the number of the super-volume elements that are one binary value within the VOI; and
determining a geometric fractal value of the VOI based upon the determined number of super-volume elements that are the one binary value.
10. The method of
providing known samples of particular tissue pathology classes;
performing first order and second order texture measures from the samples; and
storing the first order and second order texture measures obtained from the samples.
11. The method of
determining the probability that the VOI belongs to a particular tissue pathology class based upon the stored texture measures and the texture measures performed on the VOI; and
the classifying comprises classifying the VOI to the particular tissue pathology class for which the probability is the highest.
12. The method of
assigning a color code to the VOI indicative of the tissue pathology class of the VOI.
This is a continuation of co-pending application Ser. No. 09/022,093, filed Feb. 11, 1998 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,466,687, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/037,067 filed Feb. 12, 1997. The entire text of this provisional patent application is specifically incorporated by reference without disclaimer.
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates generally to the detection and diagnosis of tissue pathology using an image.
Pulmonary emphysema is a common, debilitating, and progressive disorder of the lungs that may result from smoking. The disorder is caused by destruction of the alveolar walls of the lung parenchyma (i.e., lung tissue), which results in an abnormal enlargement of air spaces distal to the terminal bronchiole. Enlargement of these air spaces in the lungs impedes the exchange of oxygen in the air for carbon dioxide in the bloodstream. As a result of this impeded process, an individual experiences breathlessness, making ordinary tasks, once thought simple, labor intensive.
While emphysema causes tissue in the lungs to atrophy, other pulmonary diseases, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and sarcoidosis (sarcoid), cause the build-up of tissue in the lungs. Albeit the effects of emphysema and IPF and sarcoid might seem to be directly opposite from one another, IPF and sarcoid also suffer the same negative symptom of chronic fatigue. That is, IPF and sarcoid also impede the carriage of oxygen from the lungs to the bloodstream like emphysema.
In addition to those pulmonary parenchymal diseases discussed above, peripheral small airways diseases, such as cystic fibrosis and asthma (along with over one-hundred other pathologies) also exist, which can adversely affect the lungs of an individual as well.
The debilitating effects of these pulmonary diseases are progressive and often permanent. Therefore, accurate diagnosis of these disorders at their earliest stage is extremely critical so that measures can be taken to thwart their advancement before significant damage occurs.
Pulmonary function tests have been conventionally used to indicate the presence of pulmonary diseases. However, these tests are not always able to properly distinguish between the abnormalities of the lung that result from one particular disorder from another.
Chest radiographs (i.e., X-ray projections) have also been used for diagnosing pulmonary diseases. However, because of problems resulting from structural superposition associated with projection images and inter and intra-observer variability in analysis, visual examination of these X-ray derived images are moderately reliable when a particular disease is well developed, and are effectively unreliable for identifying mild to moderate stages of the disease. Furthermore, external factors such as film speed, X-ray beam voltage, anode heel effect, and variations in chest wall thickness-may adversely impact the radiographic density of the X-ray. Thus, the diagnosis of pulmonary disorders based upon radiographic density has proven to be unreliable as a result of these external factors.
X-ray computed tomography (CT), using X-ray energy, has proven to be more sensitive in demonstrating lung pathology, and, thus, more reliable than chest X-ray projection imaging in detecting pathological changes in lung tissue that are indicative of pulmonary diseases. CT's greatest contribution is its ability to provide a view of the anatomy without interference from overlying and underlying structures within the body cavity. Tomographic imaging (from multiple energy sources) are proving to provide complimentary information. Although X-ray CT is currently the preferred imaging method for evaluating the lung, use of high concentration oxygen and hyperpolarized gases, such as helium and xenon, have made it possible to begin thinking about nuclear magnetic resonance imaging for use in the assessment of lung parenchymal and peripheral pathology.
While X-ray computed tomography provides advancement over the chest radiograph in visually depicting the characteristics of pulmonary diseases, diagnosis of these diseases has remained dependent upon the subjectivity of the trained observer (e.g., radiologist) who reads the CT image. The trained observers' visual perception of different textures present on the CT images can be highly subjective, and thus, variations in accuracy is common between the trained observers. Furthermore, visual assessments provide limited sensitivity to small textural changes on the CT image. Thus, an early case of the pulmonary disorders may go undetected due to the physical limitations of the human eye, and the capacity of the brain to interpret the data. This would pose a serious disadvantage to the welfare of the patient, especially since the debilitating effects of these pulmonary diseases are often irreversible.
The present invention is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of, one or more of the problems set forth above.
One of the present methods is a method for automated analysis of textural differences present on an image volume. The image volume includes a plurality of volume elements, and each volume element has a gray level. The method includes defining a volume of interest (VOI); performing texture measures within the VOI; and classifying the VOI as belonging to a tissue pathology class based upon the texture measures.
One of the present apparatuses is an apparatus that includes an image input adapted to receive a diagnostic medical image. The image includes a plurality of pixels, and each pixel has a particular gray level. The apparatus also includes a display for displaying a graphical user interface and the received image; and a processor adapted to perform texture measures on one or more groups of pixels within the image and classify each group of pixels to a tissue pathology class based upon the textures measures. The processor is further adapted to (1) associate a color to each group of pixels indicative of the group's tissue pathology class, (2) cause the display to display one or more of the colors on the image at the location of the associated group or groups of pixels, (3) permit a user to manually associate a tissue pathology class to a group of pixels, and (4) cause the display to display the manually-associated tissue pathology class.
One of the present computer readable media is a computer readable medium that includes machine readable instructions for: receiving a diagnostic medical image, the image comprising a plurality of pixels, each pixel having a particular gray level; displaying a graphical user interface and the received image; performing texture measures on one or more groups of pixels within the image; classifying each group of pixels to a tissue pathology class based upon the textures measures; associating a color to each group of pixels indicative of the group's tissue pathology class; displaying one or more of the colors on the image at the location of the associated group or groups of pixels; permitting a user to manually associate a tissue pathology class to a group of pixels; and displaying the manually-associated tissue pathology class.
The file of this patent contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Patent and Trademark Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which:
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims
Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nonetheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.
Turning now to the drawings and specifically referring to
To prepare the CT slice for the objective analysis procedure, an image processing stage commences at step 110 where segmentation of the slice occurs. Referring to
Subsequent to the segmentation process, it is advantageous to take some objective measures of the scanned parenchyma, such as first order texture and fractal measures (described later), utilizing the 11-bit segmented slice. Other objective measures, such as second order texture measures (also described later), are optimally obtained after additional image processing of the segmented slice. Therefore, the segmented slice is duplicated at step 115 such that the original segmented slice is used to take the first order texture and fractal measures, while the duplicate segmented slice is processed further in preparation for taking the second order texture measures.
To enhance the results of the second order texture measures, the duplicate segmented slice is converted, at step 120, from an 11-bit format containing 2,048 gray levels to an 8-bit format with 256 gray levels. Following this conversion, the process of edgementation occurs on the 8-bit duplicate segmented slice at step 125.
Edgementation is an algorithm used for defining regions within the CT slice, where the actual gray levels of the pixels within the defined regions are substantially similar. That is, the process assigns an "average" gray level to those adjacent (or neighboring) pixels of the image slice that differ in gray level by an insignificant amount. As a result, regions are defined by pixels that are assigned the same gray level.
The edgementation technique is employed for the purpose of defining the primitives within the image slice. Since emphysematous tissue is characteristic of large dark holes in the parenchyma, the edgementation technique creates large primitives with low gray levels in the emphysematous regions of the image slice, whereas normal regions give rise to smaller or larger primitives with presumably higher gray levels.
Referring to
As a result of the edgmentation technique, regions (defined by combined pixels) are created on the edgemented slice where the gray levels of those pixels within the region differ by an insignificant amount.
It should be noted that the "combining" of pixels is done in a visual sense by assigning the same gray level to the adjacent pixels (provided that these adjacent pixels differ in actual gray level by a negligible amount to that of pixel x). Thus, the adjacent pixels that are assigned the same gray level will appear to have been combined visually with pixel x, and hence, a small region on the image is formed.
A further description of the edgmentation process can be found in "Computer Analysis of Cardiac MR Images", by M. Blister, ETRO/IRISVUB, Vrije Universeit Brussel, Brussels, Belguim, 1990, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Returning to
At step 135, the features of the region of interest on both the original 11-bit segmented slice and the 8-bit edgemented duplicate slice are "extracted" (i.e., determined) by taking various measurements (e.g., first order, second order, and fractal measures). These measurements provide a quantitative, and thus objective, assessment of the region of interest and are described in detail hereinbelow.
Multiple Feature Extraction
First Order Texture Measures
The first order texture measures are determined from the region of interest (ROI) of the original 11-bit segmented CT slice having 2,048 gray levels. To calculate these first order texture measures, a gray level distribution (i.e., a histogram) is created to display the occurrence frequencies of all the gray levels in the ROI. In other words, the histogram is a plot that visually indicates the total number of pixels in the ROI that possess a particular gray level.
There are two types of first order texture measures that provide an objective assessment of the gray level histogram of the image slice. One of these types is the gray level distribution measures that describe the overall lightness/darkness of the image as well as its shape, asymmetry, and peakedness. Specifically, these gray level distribution measures are the Mean, Variance, Skewness, Kurtosis, and Gray Level Entropy and are obtained from the formulae provided below.
I Gray Level Distribution Measures
II. Percentile Measures
The second type of first order measures, the percentile measures, provide an additional assessment of the histogram over that provided by the gray level distribution measures. These percentile measures are the:
These percentile measures aid in determining whether the lung parenchyma is diseased as a result of emphysema or other type of pulmonary diseases (e.g., idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis IPF or sarcoidosis). If the lowest fifth percentile gray level of a suspect tissue pathology is significantly lower than that of the norm (i.e., the lowest fifth percentile gray level of a healthy lung), this could typically indicate that the tissue pathology of the lung is emphysema. However, if the highest fifth percentile gray level were significantly higher than the norm, this could typically indicate that the pulmonary tissue pathology is due to either IPF or sarcoidosis.
Second Order Texture Measures
While the first order texture measures provide an indication of the frequency of gray level occurrence within the image, they fail to adequately describe quantitative texture features such as the contrast and local inhomogeneities of the image slice. Accordingly, a series of second order texture measures are taken from the 8-bit edgemented duplicate slice to obtain spatial interdependencies between image elements of the slice, thus providing an adequate characterization of differences in texture of the lung parenchyma.
Specifically, the second order texture measures used to help determine the presence of pulmonary tissue pathology are the run-length matrix measures and the co-occurrence matrix measures. These texture measures are derived from the 8-bit edgemented duplicate slice and are discussed hereinbelow.
I. Run-Length Matrix Measures
To obtain the run-length matrix measures, a run-length matrix is constructed by analyzing the gray levels of the 8-bit edgemented duplicate slice. The size of the matrix is the number of gray levels present in the image by the number of pixels that represent the width or height of the ROI. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, the size of the matrix is 256�512. The run-length matrix is formed by determining the gray level "run-lengths" that exist within the image slice, where a "run-length" is the number of consecutive, collinear pixels "j" that possess the same gray level "i" within the slice. In other words, a run-length is the number of pixels (having the same gray level) that can be traversed in a "string" of pixels before a difference in gray level occurs.
To determine these run-lengths of the image slice, reference is made to
Because the ROI of
Referring to
Referring back to
In short, the above process determines the number of consecutive pixels j of a pixel-string that possess the same gray level i. This process is performed for each of the pixel strings depicted in
Since the physical size of a pixel may differ between one image and another, in accordance with one embodiment, the run-lengths j are actually determined in terms of a unit of measurement (e.g., millimeters) as opposed to the number of pixels as described above. That is, two pixel-lengths is approximately 1.172 mm.
Additionally, although in the illustrated embodiment the "run" is defined as a set of consecutive, collinear pixels having the exact same gray level, the "run" could be defined by a set of consecutive, collinear pixels which fall within a certain range of gray levels. The latter, i.e., falling within a certain range of gray levels, would be more advantageous if the image were not edgemented.
Five measures that describe the gray level heterogeneity and tonal distribution of the image are the short run emphasis, long run emphasis, gray level non-uniformity, run length non-uniformity, and run percentage. These measures are derived from the run-length matrix, which was constructed above, and are specifically provided below.
II. Co-Occurrence Matrix Measures
The co-occurrence matrix and its derived parameters recognize that the texture and tone of an image have a mutual dependence and describe the overall spatial relationships that the gray tones of an image have to one another. The co-occurrence matrix is formed by determining the number of times a particular gray level "i" and a particular gray level "j" are separated by a given distance "d" along a direction φ of the image slice. Since, in the illustrated embodiment, the edgemented duplicate slice has 256 gray levels, the size of the matrix is 256 by 256. The formation of the co-occurrence matrix will be better understood from the process illustrated in
Referring to
A further description of the first and second order measure techniques can be found in "Textural Features for Image Classification", by R. M. Haralick et al., I.E.E.E. Transactions Systems, Man and Cybernetics, Vol. 3, pp. 610-621, 1973, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Fractal Analysis
Fractal analysis provides an effective tool for quantitatively characterizing complex natural structures, such as the pulmonary branching structure, which are not well described by classical geometry. In fractal analysis, the complexity of the structure is expressed by the fractal dimension, which reveals how well a fractal object fills the Euclidean space in which it is embedded. The fractal dimension closely resembles a human's intuitive notion of "roughness", thus as the value of the fractal dimension increases, the rougher the texture becomes. Analysis of the lung parenchyma's texture identifies the presence of the amount of structure within the parenchyma. And, ultimately such analysis segregates the lung parenchyma into various tissue pathology classes.
Two types of fractals utilized in the analysis process of the present invention are the stochastic fractal and the geometric fractal. The geometric fractal describes the pulmonary branching structure strictly on a black and white (or "binary") image that augments such branching structure; whereas the stochastic fractal describes the relationship of gray levels. The stochastic fractal dimension, calculated using fractional Brownian motion model concepts, acts as a pre-processing stage for the calculation of the geometric fractal dimension (GFD).
Referring to
Returning back to
The process commences at step 1000 where each possible pixel-pair separated by a distance "d" is determined within the 5�5 pixel block. Initially, the separation distance "d" is selected as a value of one pixel-length such that all neighboring (i.e., adjacent) pixels, for each and every pixel in the 5�5 block, separately form a pixel-pair. Referring again to
Returning back to
Referring back to
Once the SFD value is obtained, the significance of pixel x is again important, as this SFD value is assigned to pixel x (i.e., the pixel located at the center of the 5�5 pixel block). The SFD is similarly calculated for each and every pixel of the ROI, i.e., each and every pixel of the ROI "plays the rote" of pixel x. Therefore, at step 860 it is determined whether or not every pixel within the ROI has been defined as pixel x. If not, the process reverts back to step 800 where another pixel within the ROI is selected to calculate its SFD value. At the point where a new pixel x is defined, the 5�5 pixel block is essentially shifted such that the new pixel x is at the center of the 5�5 block (note
The stochastic fractal (SF) image created is essentially an enhancement of the 11-bit original segmented image. Specifically, the SF image intensifies the edges of the image, thus causing the pulmonary structure to be more pronounced. This is especially beneficial for the calculation of the geometric fractal dimension (GFD), which assesses the amount of structure that makes up the lung parenchyma. The process utilized for the calculation of the GFD for the ROI is illustrated in
The process begins at step 1100, where a new image is created by performing a gray level thresholding technique on the stochastic fractal (SF) image. With this technique, all pixels of the SF image which are equal to or greater than gray level 800 are made "black" and all of the pixels that possess a gray level below 800 are made "white." Thus, a new "binary" image is formed that comprises only pixels which are black or white. Essentially, the purpose for this gray level thresholding technique is to eliminate minute or undeveloped structures of the image such that the more pronounced or dominant structures can be focused upon for assessing a particular tissue pathology class to the area in question. Subsequent to forming this binary image at step 1100, the process continues to step 1110 where the binary image is super-imposed on a grid of "super-pixels" of increasing size "e." The process of super-imposing the binary image with these "super-pixels" will be better understood with reference to
As shown in
Subsequent to super-imposing the image slice on the super-pixel grids of increasing size e, at step 1120 (
The geometric fractal dimension (GFD) provides a quantitative indication of a particular tissue pathology in the ROI for which it was calculated. A lower value GFD (i.e., a fewer amount of black super-pixels) will indicate a lack of structure in the lung parenchyma; whereas, a higher value GFD will indicate more structure (i.e., an increased presence of black super-pixels). Accordingly, a lower GFD value could suggest emphysematous tissue since there is a lack of structure due to breakdown of the alveolar walls of the lung parenchyma. On the other hand, a higher GFD value could suggest an increased presence of more structure, e.g., thickening of the blood vessels, which is characteristic of IPF and sarcoid.
A further description of fractal analysis theory can be found in "Fractal Analysis of High-Resolution CT Images as a Tool for Quantification of Lung Tissue pathology", by R. Uppaluri et al., Medical Imaging 1995: Physiology and Function from Multidimensional Images, Vol. 2433, pp. 133-142, 1995, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Optimal Feature Selection
The set of features that were determined from the ROI in step 135 of
In order to perform the optimal feature selection technique, the "divergence" measure is utilized along with a correlation analysis procedure. Specifically, the divergence measure is used to indicate the "strength" of a feature in determining a particular class of tissue pathology; whereas correlation analysis is utilized to remove the redundant features.
When a Gaussian distribution of features is assumed, the divergence of a set of features x is defined as:
Assuming that the total number of features is R, it is desirable to determine which subset of features N, taken together, is optimal from R (i.e., most useful for determining a class of tissue pathology). Accordingly, the divergence of R features can be calculated one at a time and, thus, N of those features with the highest divergence value is chosen.
Providing that Gaussian statistics are assumed and the features are evaluated one at a time, the divergence measure of the ith feature is:
The divergence measure, provided for above, is only defined for a two-class situation (e.g., emphysema and normal tissue). However, in order to account for additional tissue pathology classes (i.e., where k>2), the sum of the paired divergences is used as an optimization criterion.
If two of the features are highly correlated, those features are redundant and, thus, are of little value in determining different types of tissue pathology classes. Accordingly, to identify the degree of correlation between the features, correlation analysis is performed. Again, assuming that the total number of features is R, a correlation matrix C is formed which is R�R in size, such that:
Since 0≦pij 2≦1, where pij 2=0 for uncorrelated features and pij 2=1 for correlated features, pij 2 essentially is a similarity function for the features.
The final N features (i.e., the optimal features) are selected by ordering the R original features by the divergence measure and retaining only those features whose absolute value of pij (i≠j), with all previously accepted features, does not exceed 0.8.
A further description of the optimal feature selection process can be found in "Introduction to Mathematical Techniques in Pattern Recognition", by H. C. Andrews, Wiley, New York, 1972, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Classification of Tissue Pathology Patterns
1. Training the Classifier
The analysis of the image slice described heretofore performs a series of first order, second order and fractal measures on the slice, thus quantitatively assessing the image. However, these quantitative measures are mere calculations and, therefore, these calculations need to be translated into a corresponding tissue pathology class to provide meaningful results to the user of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention employs a classifier which classifies the ROIs of the image slice into six different tissue pathology classes, in accordance with one embodiment. The tissue pathology classes are emphysema-like, honeycombing, ground glass, broncho vascular bundles, nodular pattern, and normal, all the characteristics of which are provided for below.
In order for the classifier of the present invention to properly translate and classify the optimal features N (as determined in step 140) into the proper tissue pathology class, the classifier needs to be trained (or initialized) based upon prior samples (or examples). Accordingly, at least two trained observers (e.g., pulmonologists) independently assess a series of sample images of the lung (i.e., a "training set" of images). Each one of the trained observers outlines regions on the image slice and classifies each region to a respective tissue pathology class based upon his or her prior experience. Only those regions of the image slice which the trained observers agree upon a particular tissue pathology class, are provided as samples to the classifier of the present invention. Subsequent to the "agreed-upon" image samples being classified by the trained observers, the images are quantitatively assessed using the techniques of steps 105 through 135 of
The aforementioned process for training the classifier need only be performed once prior to performing a diagnostical analysis of subsequent CT images. However, the classifier can be updated with additional samples. Furthermore, the classifier can be trained with samples of additional tissue pathology classes in addition to the six tissue pathology classes described above.
2. Classification of Tissue Pathology by the Classifier
Once the classifier has been provided with the tissue pathology samples, the classifier takes the optimal features N, obtained in step 140, and classifies the ROI as a particular tissue pathology class at step 145 using the features N and the samples.
The actual classification process is accomplished utilizing a Bayesian (non-linear statistical) classification scheme, which is based upon a minimum loss optimality criterion and is constructed using a posteriori probabilities.
In order for the classifier to determine which tissue pathology class a particular ROI of the image slice belongs to, the probability of the ROI matching a particular tissue pathology class needs to be determined. This is accomplished using the probability density function p(x|ωr) formula shown below, which indicates the probability that an "unclassified ROI belongs to a particular tissue pathology class.
Subsequent to calculating the probability that the ROI belongs to each particular tissue pathology class ωr, the a posteriori probability can be computed from a priori probabilities using Bayes formula:
In equation (29) above, the values of P(ωr) and p(x) are constants and thus cancel out of the equation. Accordingly, the a posteriori probability P(ωr|x) is approximately equal to the probability density p(x|ωr). From these a posteriori probabilities determined for each tissue pathology class ωr of the training set, the tissue pathology class to which the ROI belongs is the tissue pathology class associated with the highest probability P(ωr|x) as shown in equation (30) below.
Subsequent to determining the tissue pathology class to which the ROI belongs, the process ends at step 150 where a color-coded classification label is assigned to the classified region. Since the 31�31 ROIs overlap by 15�15, the color coded classification label is assigned to the 15�15 block centered in the ROI. The color-codes that can be assigned to this 15�15 block are emphysema-like—black, honeycombing—blue, ground glass—navy blue, broncho vascular bundles—red, nodular pattern—yellow, and normal—sky blue. In addition, if the highest probability, obtained from equation (30) above, yielded a tissue pathology class of less than 90%, a color-coded label of white is assigned to the region, thus indicating that the region could not be classified with at least 90% confidence.
A further description of the Bayesian classifier can be found in "Image Processing, Analysis, and Machine Vision", by M. Sonka et al., Chapman & Hall, London, 1993, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The System
Referring to
The memory 1330 further stores the objective parameters associated with the sample images of the training set, after the system 1300 is trained (initialized), in order to perform the classification process.
System 1300 further includes user-input devices 1340 that allow the user to interact with system 1300 and a display 1350 that provides the objective analysis of the CT image in visual form to the user by indication of the color-coded tissue pathology class regions of the image. In accordance with the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the user-input devices 1340 are a computer mouse, which permits the user to select a plurality of "on-screen" options from display 1350, and a keyboard for entry of numerical data. However, other types of user-input devices can be used in lieu of the mouse, such as a trackball, touchpad, touchscreen, voice recognition, sole use of the keyboard, or the like without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
The display 1350, shown in more detail in
The user can load a CT image by selecting the LOAD IMAGE button 1405 with the mouse 1340. Subsequent to selection of this button, the desired CT image 1475 is displayed in an image display section 1470. The user is further given the option to adjust the contrast of the image 1475 via a CONTRAST button 1460 that appears at the bottom of the display 1350. When the user selects the CONTRAST button 1460, a contrast adjustment scale 1510 appears at the bottom of the screen, as depicted in
The graphic user interface section 1400 further includes an ANALYZE button 1410, which has the system 1300 evaluate the loaded image 1475 in its entirety. After the ANALYZE button 1410 is selected, a dialog window 1610, as shown in
As opposed to having the entire image slice evaluated, the user can select a particular region on the image slice 1475 such that system 1300 will evaluate only the selected region. This is accomplished by the DRAW button 1420, which allows the user to define the region of interest on the displayed image 1475. It is important to note that the region of interest selected by the DRAW button 1420 is different than the aforementioned region of interest (i.e., the 31�31 ROI window) described previously for calculating the objective texture measures. Evaluation is performed within the drawn ROI using 31�31 windows in one embodiment. The DRAW button 1420, on the other hand, permits the user to focus on a particular region of the displayed image 1475. After selecting the DRAW button 1420, the user places a mouse pointer on the displayed image 1475 and "draws" a rectangular region 1480 via the mouse 1340 on a desired region of the image 1475, thereby defining the region of interest. The rectangular region 1480 can be of any size desired by the user. The user is also given the option to edit (or re-define) the rectangular region 1480 by selection of the UNDO button 1425; to save the defined region in memory 1330 by selection of the SAVE button 1430; or terminate the draw option altogether by selection of the QUIT button 1435. Subsequent to defining the region of interest with the DRAW option, the user can select the ANALYZE button 1410 to have only the defined region evaluated by system 1300.
The user also has the option to display various color-coded output images via a series of "Show Classes" options, defined by the four graphic buttons 1440-1455 that appear on the graphic user interface section 1400. The SHOW REGIONS button 1455 permits the user to display, as shown in
The SHOW SPECIFICS button 1440 permits the user to view the tissue pathology classes separately or to view a subset of all the tissue pathology classes simultaneously. Subsequent to selection of the SHOW SPECIFICS button 1440, as shown in
The VALIDATE button 1415, on the graphic user interface 1400, enables "observer validation" of the CT slice. This option permits the user to classify the 15�15 blocks (centered in their respective 31�31 ROIs) independently of system 1300. When the VALIDATE option 1415 is selected, the display 1350 shows
Those skilled in the art will now see that certain modifications can be made to the apparatus and methods herein disclosed with respect to the illustrated embodiments, without departing from the spirit of the present invention. And while the invention has been described above with respect to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is adapted to numerous rearrangements, modifications, and alterations, and all such arrangements, modifications, and alterations are intended to be within the scope of the appended claims.
For example, although the present invention has been described as an application performed by a computer system, it is conceivable that the present invention be developed as a system solely dedicated for diagnostic medical image analysis or could also be developed as an integral part of the diagnostic medical image equipment (e.g., CT scanner) itself. Furthermore, although the present invention herein described is directed to the analysis of computed tomography (CT) images, the present invention could also be adapted for analysis of other types of diagnostic medical images, such as (but not limited to) X-rays, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), etc. In addition, although the present invention is directed to the analysis of pulmonary tissue pathology, the invention could be adapted for analysis of other tissue pathology of the body and not solely limited to the lung region. Furthermore, although the first and second order texture measures and fractal measures have been described as being performed on a two-dimensional image slice, it will be appreciated that such analysis could be performed three-dimensionally by analyzing a volume of the lung (through a set of CT slices simultaneously) without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
For example,
Patent Citations
Non-Patent Citations
Referenced by
Original Image


text:
Rio Career Fair set for March 28
RIO GRANDE, Ohio -- The annual Rio Career Fair is scheduled for noon to 3 p.m. on Thursday, March 28, at the University of Rio Grande/Rio Grande Community College.
Designed for graduating Rio Grande seniors and alumni, the career fair also is free and open to the public. More than 30 prospective employers are expected.
The event is hosted by New Student Advising Office, Testing & Career Services at Rio Grande.
"The university is pleased to host an event at which quality employers and quality job candidates are introduced to one another," Susan Haft, director of the New Student Advising Office, Testing & Career Services at Rio Grande, said in a news release. "Anytime that a Rio student or graduate, or a member of our community, is able to secure employment, we all benefit."
Employers currently registered to attend include Bellisio Foods, Charleston Area Medical Center, Constellium, Fastenal Co., Holzer Health System, Home City Ice, Jackson County Broadcasting, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Ohio Valley Home Health, Reliable Staffing Services LLC, Rio Grande Community College, Southern Ohio Medical Center, Stage Stores Inc. (Jackson Peebles), US Army Healthcare and WESBANCO Bank.
For an updated list of scheduled employers and more information about the career fair visit Rio.edu/career-fair or call 740-245-7276. Employer registration continues through March 22.
"Rio Grande produces qualified candidates. Their career fair is welcoming, organized and informational," Constellium spokesperson Hanna Hern said. "There are Rio Grande alumni working at our facility and we look forward to recruiting more."
For more information about the University of Rio Grande/Rio Grande Community College visit Rio.edu or call 800-282-7201.


text:
American Fork, UT Auto Repair Center
Greenwood Service Inc.
Greenwood Service Inc. is your reliable auto repair center in American Fork, UT. We offer quality services at reasonable rates. Your safety and convenience are our top priorities.
Check out our complete auto repair services:
- Alignments
- Tune-ups
- Oil changes
- Clutches
- Diagnostics
- Engines
- Suspensions
- Transmissions
- Exhaust systems
- Tires
- Brakes
- Heating and air conditioning
Contact Greenwood Service Inc. today at 801-756-2851 for more details.
Contact Information


text:
Click Here to Watch the Whole Video in HD at BiLatin Men
Featuring amateurs and gangsters in solos and gay latin porn videos.
This Hot New Sex Scene With to Sexy Latinos Fucking Hard and Rough and the Facial Wow!! Check This Out and More Bilatinmen
Pixels: 320X240 | Bitrate: 350K
Pixels: 640X480 | Bitrate: 700K


text:
Programs and Activies
Building academic and general life skills are essential for long-term success of our youth. In addition to treating their skin problems and physical illnesses, we teach social and general life skills. We believe that empowering our youth with these key competencies has a direct impact on their self-esteem and self-efficacy. This is a core component of CARRY's mission.
Medical & Social Support
CARRY is the only known non-profit organization addressing the painful skin issues of at-risk and foster youth in the United States. We conduct dermatologic clinics and provide other medical services for at-risk and foster children in foster group homes, homeless shelters, and after school programs.
Gala/Fund Raising
CARRY is a non-profit organization that primarily relies on private funding to continue to serve the community. Your donations and fundraising contributions facilitate support of our existing programs as well as the expansion and creation of new programs that support the mission of CARRY.


text:
Privacy and Cookies
Spring Airlines' IPO prospectus confirms that the carrier has signed an agreement with Airbus for an additional 30 A320s.
The deal, inked last November, is however still subject to regulatory approval by the Chinese authorities.
In its prospectus filed with the China Securities Regulatory Commission yesterday, the carrier adds that it plans to grow to a fleet of 60 aircraft by the end of the 12th five-year plan period (2011-2015). Spring has a fleet of 39 A320s as of end 2013.
The fleet growth is necessary for the airline to expand its network, strengthen its bases, as well as to meet market demand, it adds. A part of the incoming aircraft will be direct purchases, while others will be secured on leases.
The carrier adds that it will have to return four A320s to lessors this year, as their leases expire.
Spring adds that as China places more importance on the low-cost carrier sector, there will also be more policy changes to support budget operators. It thus expects operations as well as revenues to grow.
The carrier's chairman wang zhenghua previously told Flightglobal it plans to grow to a fleet of 100 jets by 2018, which will include the re-engined A320neo.


text:
Connect With Us800-299-9470
How Will My Product(s) Be Delivered?When purchasing a large appliance from AppliancesConnection, a representative will contact you 48 hours prior to arriving to your location to schedule a delivery date and a 4 hour time window. Upon delivery, your product will be unloaded and ready for you to open and inspect. If you have chosen White Glove service, the item will be placed in your room of choice and the debris will be removed.
Learn more about our shipping policy.
Free Scheduled DeliveryDelivery will be scheduled when item reaches your local distribution center. Signature will be required.
SUMMIT SCFF51OS Series features versatile frost-free all-freezers perfectly sized and featured for convenient use in home kitchens or outdoor spaces.
The SCFF51OSCSS is a 24" wide all-freezer designed for built-in or freestanding use. The cabinet and door are fully wrapped in 304 grade stainless steel for a professional look designed to hold up to the outdoor elements. The door includes a factory installed lock for added security and a towel bar handle in brushed stainless steel.
Inside, the SCFF51OSCSS is designed for true convenience and low maintenance operation. The frost-free design ensures users won't have to manually defrost the 4.9 cu.ft. interior, while adjustable shelves offer flexible storage solutions. Recessed LED lighting provides an attractive, energy efficient display. A digital thermostat (located in the unit's kickplate) makes temperature management easy and intuitive.
With solid construction and a striking design, the SCFF51OSCSS makes an ideal finish for any outdoor kitchen.
U.L. approved for outdoor use Weatherproof design rated safe for outdoor operation
Frost-free operation No-frost convenience eliminates the need to manually defrost the unit
Built-in capable Make the best use of space by installing your freezer under the counter and flush with other cabinets
Fully finished cabinet Allows the freezer to be used as a freestanding model
Stainless steel construction Exterior cabinet and door are fully wrapped in weatherproof 304 grade stainless steel
Digital thermostat Electronic controls offer easy and intuitive temperature management
Recessed LED light Elegant lighting with an on/off switch located on the control panel
Factory installed icemaker Produces a steady supply of ice for added entertaining convenience
Adjustable shelves Rearrange your freezer space to accommodate all shapes and sizes or remove shelves for a simple clean-up
Factory installed lock Keyed lock for a secure interior
Professional towel bar handle A curved handle in brushed stainless steel offers a solid grip with professional elegance
100% CFC free Environmentally friendly design without ozone-damaging chemicals
Sign Up & Get Exclusive Deals and Rewards


text:
Raffi Hits the Road
Monday, February 4th, 2013
Hey music fans! Longtime children's favorite recording star Raffi just announced a 2013 U.S. tour—the first in a decade! If you live near one of these cities, be sure to get tickets and sing along to Bananaphone, Baby Beluga, and Five Little Ducks for me. All were favorites of my oldest son, now 18.
Cities include: Berkeley, Santa Barbara, New York, New Haven, Boston, Washington, D.C., Minneapolis, and Aurora, IL.
Add a Comment
Tags: Music, Music Tours, Raffi | Categories: CD, Favorite Things, Kids, Music