text:
ITC sees new transmission infrastructure as a critical component in achieving urgent and necessary climate change goals around the world, specifically in theUnited States. The company has identified this need as a business opportunity and ITC has focused its business on "identifying [grid] solutions for how to integrate wind and other renewable resources." The result is the "Green Power Express," which is a broad network of 765 kilovolt transmission facilities that has been designed to move up to 12,000 megawatts of renewable energy from wind-rich areas to major Midwest load centers. The entire project is currently estimated to cost approximately $10 to $12 billion and is expected to be in service by 2020. The Green Power Express is also expected to result in a reduction of up to 34 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, which is equivalent to the annual emissions of seven to nine 600 megawatt coal plants or up to 11 million automobiles.
Portfolio 21 believes ITC will play an essential role in modernizing the United States' ability to harness its full potential of renewable energy assets, reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and assist states in meeting their renewable portfolio standards. Nevertheless, we have asked the company to increase its transparency surrounding its direct and indirect environmental impacts.
To the best of our knowledge the above information is accurate and was obtained from sources we believe to be reliable. Neither the information presented above nor any opinion expressed shall be construed as an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy the security. The views expressed are those of portfolio management as of 12/31/13 and may not reflect current opinions or subsequent events.


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Register now for free, or sign in with any of these services:
I got my driver's permit on my 16th birthday. Seriously, THAT DAY. I had my (first) driver's test exactly six months later. I failed, because I cut off a left turn. But then I passed my next one.
But driving is the greatest thing in the world. It might be a little expensive now, and scary at times, but if you are smart and responsible about it (stop texting) its great. Have fun man.
No Semicolons? Also, factual error, I left for Disneyland as soon as I left The Patriot-News.
I love it, excellent post

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|composer, Actor-studied in Tartu conservatory of music, as DP in Germany - he conducted male chorus in Stuttgart, arriving in USA conducted various chorus and choir grps., composed numerous songs wife - Aino Rouk Loigu 3 sons - Juri, Andrus and Tarmo
|Collection ID:
Collection acquired from the Estonian Archives in the U.S.A., Lakewood, New Jersey, in 2003-2005.
The Loigu, Valdeko collection is available for public research.
The Loigu, Valdeko collection is the physical property of the Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota.
For further information regarding the copyright, please contact the IHRC.
The Loigu, Valdeko Papers, Estonian American Collection, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota


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What do you think? Give us your opinion. Anonymous comments allowed.
Reply-3#57 - cakezs (08/03/2013) [-]
If you get a ****** waiter at a restaurant, do this, but with a coaster instead of paper, and throw a few coins in there as a tip.
Reply-1#72 to #68 - killthebilly (08/03/2013) [-]
Dunno where the **** you live, but it ain't like that in Denmark.
#73 to #72 - TigerShark (08/03/2013) [-]
well that's how it is in most large restaurants in the states
Reply-1#92 to #73 - killthebilly (08/04/2013) [-]
Damn. But actually, i noticed while being in the states for 3 weeks this summer. It's kinda sad.
#88 to #79 - TigerShark (08/03/2013) [-]
the people who clean the tables off when customers leave.


text:
A method and apparatus for control of optical trap arrays and formation of particle arrays using light that is in the visible portion of the spectrum. The method and apparatus provides a laser and a time variable diffractive optical element to allow dynamic control of optical trap arrays and consequent control of particle arrays and also the ability to manipulate singular objects using a plurality of optical traps. By avoiding wavelengths associated with strong absorption in the underlying material, creating optical traps with a continuous-wave laser, optimizing the efficiency of individual traps, and trapping extended samples at multiple points, the rate of deleterious nonlinear optical processes can be minimized.
1. A method of manipulating a biological material using a focused beam of laser light, comprising the steps of:
providing a focused beam of laser light in the visible wavelength range to form conditions for an optical trap, the laser light having a wavelength such that the selected material exhibits a selected absorption coefficient in the wavelength range of the laser light which permits manipulation without substantial damage to the biological material;
providing a plurality of the optical traps with the focused beam of laser light, the plurality of optical traps manipulating the biological material; and
controlling the power level of each of the optical traps, the laser light wavelength and the selected resulting absorption coefficient to avoid substantial damage to the biological material.
2. The method of
3. The method of
4. The method of
5. The method of
6. The method of
7. The method of
8. A method of manipulating a biological material using a focused beam of laser light, comprising the steps of:
providing a continuous-wave, focused beam of laser light having a wavelength such that the material possesses a weak absorption coefficient in the wavelength range of the laser light;
providing at least one optical trap for manipulating a discrete portion of the biological material; and
controlling the power level of the at least one optical traps in conjunction with the weak absorption coefficient to avoid alteration of a substantial portion of genetic code of the biological material.
9. The method of
10. The method of
11. The method of
12. The method of
13. A system for manipulating a biological material using a focused beam of laser light, comprising:
a focused beam of laser light having a wavelength range wherein the maximum wavelength is less than the minimum wavelength of infrared light, the focused laser light forming an optical trap and having a wavelength such that the biological material possesses a weak absorption coefficient in the wavelength range of the laser light; and
a plurality of the optical traps for manipulating discrete portions of the biological material,
wherein the power level of each of the optical traps is controlled and along with the weak absorption coefficient enables avoiding at least the alteration of the genetic code of a biologically significant amount of the biological material.
14. The system of
15. The system of
16. The system of
17. The system of
18. A method of manipulating a material using a focused beam of laser light, comprising the steps of:
providing a focused beam of laser light in a wavelength range less than the wavelength range for infrared light to form conditions for an optical trap;
providing a plurality of optical traps for manipulating discrete portions of the material; and
controlling the power level of each of the optical traps but avoiding substantial damage to the material.
19. The method of
20. The method of
21. A method of manipulating a material using a focused beam of laser light, comprising the steps of:
providing a continuous-wave, focused beam of laser light having a wavelength such that the material possesses a weak absorption coefficient in the wavelength range of the laser light;
providing at least one optical trap for manipulating the material; and
controlling the power level of the at least one optical traps and also the weak absorption coefficient to avoid substantial alteration of the material.
[0001] This invention was made with U.S. Government support under Contract No. DMR-9730189 awarded by the National Science Foundation, through the MRSEC Program of the National Science Foundation under Award No. DMR-9808595, and through a GAANN fellowship from the Department of Education. The U.S. Government also has certain rights to the invention.
[0002] The present invention is directed generally to a method and apparatus for control of optical traps or optical tweezers. More particularly, the invention is directed to optical tweezers formed using visible light that can be used to manipulate a variety of light sensitive materials, such as living biological materials, without substantial damage or deleterious effects upon the material being investigated or manipulated.
[0003] It is known to construct optical tweezers using optical gradient forces from a single beam of light to manipulate the position of a small dielectric particle immersed in a fluid medium whose refractive index is smaller than that of the particle. The optical tweezer technique has been generalized to enable manipulation of reflecting, absorbing and low dielectric constant particles as well.
[0004] Some systems have therefore been developed which can manipulate a single particle by using a single beam of light to generate a single optical trap. To manipulate multiple particles with such systems, multiple beams of light must be employed. The difficulty of creating extended multiple-beam traps using conventional optical tweezer methodology inhibits their use in many potential commercial applications such as the inspection of biological materials generally, and also the fabrication and manipulation of nanocomposite materials including electronic, photonic and opto-electronic devices, chemical sensor arrays for use in chemical and biological assays, and holographic and computer storage matrices.
[0005] An optical tweezer uses forces exerted by an intense and tightly focused beam of light to trap and manipulate dielectric particles, typically in fluid media. Prior descriptions of optical tweezers emphasized their potential utility for biological applications such as capturing cells, or their components, for research, diagnostic evaluation, and even therapeutic purposes. These same reports also emphasized the inherent and persistent occurrence of damage or changes caused by optical trapping methods when using visible light. In particular, it has been observed that green light of wavelength λ=514.5 nm from an Ar ion laser has caused various deleterious effects on biological material: red blood cells literally explode, the chloroplasts of green plant cells were destroyed, and the continued application of a green laser light has caused the death of trapped ciliated bacteria. Damage from the green laser light in the first two examples clearly resulted from strong absorption of green light by hemoglobin and chlorophyll, respectively, leading to rapid heating and catastrophic destruction. The mechanism of the third type of damage, dubbed "opticution" by those in the art, was not immediately obvious. Subsequent studies have identified optically-induced mutagensis to be a likely mechanism for the cells' death by virtue of the use of optical tweezers.
[0006] Considerably less damage to biological materials was observed when comparable materials were optically trapped with infrared light from a Nd:YAG laser operating at λ=1064 nm. Largely on the basis of these and similar early observations with a single optical tweezer, researchers came to the conclusion that infrared illumination is operationally superior to visible illumination for optically trapping biological materials. That is, use of infrared light did not cause any apparent deleterious effect upon biological material.
[0007] Laser-induced damage can be desirable, however, in special circumstances. For example, pulsed optical tweezers operating at λ=532 nm have been singled out for their ability to cut biological materials, such as chromosomes. Optical tweezers used in this way are known as optical scissors or optical scalpels. Even so, the prospects for nondestructively trapping biological materials with visible light had previously been considered by those in the art to be an unacceptable method of optical trapping and manipulation due to the well documented and accepted deleterious effect on biological material.
[0008] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved method and system for using at least one optical trap from light in the visible or ultraviolet portion of the spectrum.
[0009] It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for control of visible light optical traps that has an increased level of efficiency, effectiveness and safety for use.
[0010] It is yet another object of the invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for control of visible light optical traps that is relatively simple to align by virtue of using light visible to the human eye.
[0011] It is still a further object of the invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for control of visible light optical traps where localized regions can be accurately trapped.
[0012] It is an additional object of the invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for control of visible light optical traps wherein the samples being manipulated are not overly heated or otherwise altered due to light absorption.
[0013] It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for control of optical traps wherein the optical traps have highly improved tracking accuracy.
[0014] It is an another object of the invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for using visible light for optical tweezers for use on any material whose electronic, mechanical, chemical or biological state is highly sensitive to optical tweezers having a high intensity light pattern.
[0015] It is still another object of the invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for control of optical traps with a variable power level which provides efficient optical trapping but without alteration of the desired chemical, biological, electronic or mechanical state of the material.
[0016] In accordance with the above objects, it has been discovered that damage or unwanted alterations inflicted by visible optical tweezers on biological matter, and other materials sensitive to high intensity light, can be reduced to acceptable, de minimis or even zero dimensions and levels, in part through appropriate design of the optical trapping system and method. In addition, it is believed that wavelengths in the ultraviolet can also be used for particular small size objects and particular types of materials by taking advantage of the features of this invention. Consequently, such optical tweezers can have widespread applications in biological systems and other systems having light sensitive materials and possess a number of advantages over infrared optical tweezers.
[0017] Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings described below wherein like elements have like numerals throughout.
[0018]FIG. 1 illustrates a method and system which includes some conventional features for a single optical tweezer;
[0019]FIG. 2 illustrates a method and system which includes some conventional features for a single, steerable optical tweezer;
[0020]FIG. 3 illustrates a method and system using a diffractive optical element;
[0021]FIG. 4 illustrates another method and system using a tilted optical element relative to an input light beam;
[0022]FIG. 5 illustrates a continuously translatable optical tweezer (trap) array using a diffractive optical element;
[0023]FIG. 6 illustrates a method and system for manipulating particles using an optical tweezer array while also forming an image for viewing the optical trap array;
[0024]FIG. 7A illustrates an image of a four by four array of optical tweezers (traps) using the optical system of FIG. 6; and FIG. 7B illustrates an image of one micrometer diameter silica spheres suspended in water by the optical tweezers of FIG. 7A immediately after the trapping illumination has been extinguished, but before the spheres have diffused away;
[0025]FIG. 8 illustrates a method and system for manipulating particles using an optical tweezer array while also accelerating the filling of optical traps;
[0026] FIGS. 9A-9D illustrate the use of optical trap control methodology wherein the optical traps are formed by a holographic diffractive optical element; and
[0027]FIG. 10 illustrates the use of optical trap control methodology wherein a microscope images the particles and a personal computer is used to identify the particles and calculate a phase only hologram to trap the particles.
[0028] In order to best understand the improvement of the invention, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate several methods and systems which include some conventional features. In an optical tweezer system 10 of FIG. 1, optical gradient forces arise from use of a single beam of light 12 to controllably manipulate a small dielectric particle 14 dispersed in a medium 16 whose index of refraction, nm, is smaller than that of the particle 14. The fundamental nature of the optical gradient forces is well known, and also it is understood that the principle has been generalized to allow manipulation of reflecting, absorbing and low dielectric constant particles as well. Any of these techniques can be implemented in the context of the invention improvements described hereinafter and will be encompassed by use of the terminology optical tweezer, optical trap and optical gradient force trap hereinafter.
[0029] The optical tweezer system 10 is applied by using a light beam 12 (such as a laser beam or other very high intensity light sources) capable of applying the necessary forces needed to carry out the optical trapping effect needed to manipulate a particle. The objective of a conventional form of the optical tweezer 10 is to project one or more shaped beams of light into the center of a back aperture 24 of a converging optical element (such as an objective lens 20). As noted in FIG. 1 the light beam 12 has a width "w" and having an input angle � relative to an optical axis 22. The light beam 12 is input to a back aperture 24 of the objective lens 20 and output from a front aperture 26 substantially converging to a focal point 28 in focal plane 30 of imaging volume 32 with the focal point 28 coinciding with an optical trap 33. In general, any focusing optical system can form the basis for the optical tweezer system 10.
[0030] In the case of the light beam 12 being a collimated laser beam and having its axis coincident with the optical axis 22, the light beam 12 enters the back aperture 24 of the objective lens 20 and is brought to a focus in the imaging volume 32 at the center point c of the objective lens focal plane 30. When the axis of the light beam 12 is displaced by the angle � with respect to the optical axis 22, beam axis 31 and the optical axis 22 coincide at the center point B of the back aperture 12. This displacement enables translation of the optical trap across the field of view by an amount that depends on the angular magnification of the objective lens 20. The two variables, angular displacement � and varying convergence of the light beam 12, can be used to form the optical trap at selected positions within the imaging volume 32. A multiple number of the optical traps 33 can be arranged in different locations provided that multiple beams of light 12 are applied to the back aperture 24 at the different angles � and with differing degrees of collimation.
[0031] In order to carry out optical trapping in three dimensions, optical gradient forces created on the particle to be trapped must exceed other radiation pressures arising from light scattering and absorption. In general this necessitates having the wave front of the light beam 12 to have an appropriate shape at the back aperture 24. For example, for a Gaussian TEM∞ input laser beam, the beam diameter w should substantially coincide with the diameter of the back aperture 24. For more general beam profiles (such as Gauss-Laguerre) comparable conditions can be formulated.
[0032] In another system in FIG. 2 which includes some conventional features, the optical tweezer system 10 can translate the optical trap 33 across the field of view of the objective lens 20. A telescope 34 is constructed of lenses L1 and L2 which establishes a point A which is optically conjugate to the center point B in the prior art system of FIG. 1. In the system of FIG. 2 the light beam 12 passing through the point A also passes through the point B and thus meets the basic requirements for performing as the optical tweezer system 10. The degree of collimation is preserved by positioning the lenses L1 and L2 as shown in FIG. 2 to optimize the transfer properties of the telescope 34. In addition, the magnification of the telescope 34 can be chosen to optimize angular displacement of the light beam 12 and its width w in the plane of the back aperture 24 of the objective lens 20. As stated hereinbefore, in general several of the light beams 12 can be used to form several associated optical traps. Such multiple beams 12 can be created from multiple independent input beams or from a single beam manipulated by conventional reflective and/or refractive optical elements.
[0033] In one preferred embodiment of an overall optical manipulation system shown in FIG. 3, arbitrary arrays of optical traps can be formed. A diffractive optical element 40 is disposed substantially in a plane 42 conjugate to back aperture 24 of the objective lens 20. Note that only a single diffracted output beam 44 is shown for clarity, but it should be understood that a plurality of such beams 44 can be created by the diffractive optical element 40. The input light beam 12 incident on the diffractive optical element 40 is split into a pattern of the output beam 44 characteristic of the nature of the diffractive optical element 40, each of which emanates from the point A. Thus the output beams 44 also pass through the point B as a consequence of the downstream optical elements described hereinbefore.
[0034] The diffractive optical element 40 of FIG. 3 is shown as being normal to the input light beam 12, but many other arrangements are possible. For example, in FIG. 4 the light beam 12 arrives at an oblique angle β relative to the optic axis 22 and not at a normal to the diffractive optical element 40. In this embodiment, the diffracted beams 44 emanating from point A will form optical traps 50 in focal plane 52 of the imaging volume 32 (seen best in FIG. 1). In this arrangement of the optical tweezer system 10 an undiffracted portion 54 of the input light beam 12 can be removed from the optical tweezer system 10. This configuration thus enables processing less background light and improves efficiency and effectiveness of forming optical traps.
[0035] The diffractive optical element 40 can include computer generated holograms which split the input light beam 12 into a preselected desired pattern. Combining such holograms with the remainder of the optical elements in FIGS. 3 and 4 enables creation of arbitrary arrays in which the diffractive optical element 40 is used to shape the wavefront of each diffracted beam independently. Therefore, the optical traps 50 can be disposed not only in the focal plane 52 of the objective lens 20, but also out of the focal plane 52 to form a three-dimensional arrangement of the optical traps 50.
[0036] In the optical tweezer system 10 of FIGS. 3 and 4, also included is a focusing optical element, such as the objective lens 20 (or other like functionally equivalent optical device, such as a Fresnel lens) to converge the diffracted beam 44 to form the optical traps 50. Further, the telescope 34, or other equivalent transfer optics, creates a point A conjugate to the center point B of the previous back aperture 24. The diffractive optical element 40 is placed in a plane containing point A.
[0037] In another embodiment, arbitrary arrays of the optical traps 50 can be created without use of the telescope 34. In such an embodiment the diffractive optical element 40 can be placed directly in the plane containing point B.
[0038] In the optical tweezer system 10 either static or time dependent diffractive optical elements 40 can be used. For a dynamic, or time dependent version, one can create time changing arrays of the optical traps 50 which can be part of a system utilizing such a feature. In addition, these dynamic optical elements 40 can be used to actively move particles and matrix media relative to one another. For example, the diffractive optical element 40 can be a liquid crystal phase array undergoing changes imprinted with computer-generated holographic patterns.
[0039] In another embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, a system can be constructed to carry out continuous translation of the optical tweezer trap 50. A gimbal mounted mirror 60 is placed with its center of rotation at point A. The light beam 12 is incident on the surface of the mirror 60 and has its axis passing through point A and will be projected to the back aperture 24. Tilting of the mirror 60 causes a change of the angle of incidence of the light beam 12 relative to the mirror 60, and this feature can be used to translate the resulting optical trap 50. A second telescope 62 is formed from lenses L3 and L4 which creates a point A′ which is conjugate to point A. The diffractive optical element 40 placed at point A′ now creates a pattern of diffracted beams 64, each of which passes through point A to form one of the tweezer traps 50 in an array of the optical tweezers system 10.
[0040] In operation of the embodiment of FIG. 5, the mirror 60 translates the entire tweezer array as a unit. This methodology is useful for precisely aligning the optical tweezer array with a stationary substrate to dynamically stiffen the optical trap 50 through small-amplitude rapid oscillatory displacements, as well as for any application requiring a general translation capability.
[0041] The array of the optical traps 50 also can be translated vertically relative to the sample stage (not shown) by moving the sample stage or by adjusting the telescope 34. In addition, the optical tweezer array can also be translated laterally relative to the sample by moving the sample stage. This feature would be particularly useful for large scale movement beyond the range of the objective lens field of view.
[0042] In another embodiment shown in FIG. 6 the optical system is arranged to permit viewing images of particles trapped by the optical tweezers 10. A dichroic beamsplitter 70, or other equivalent optical beamsplitter, is inserted between the objective lens 20 and the optical train of the optical tweezer system 10. In the illustrated embodiment the beamsplitter 70 selectively reflects the wavelength of light used to form the optical tweezer array and transmits other wavelengths. Thus, the light beam 12 used to form the optical traps 50 is transmitted to the back aperture 24 with high efficiency while light beam 66 used to form images can pass through to imaging optics (not shown).
[0043] An illustration of one application of an optical system is shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B. The diffractive optical element 40 is designed to interact with the single light beam 12 to create a 4�4 array of collimated beams. A 100 mW frequency doubled diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser operating at 532 nm provides a Gaussian TEM∞ form for the light beam 12. In FIG. 7A the field of view is illuminated in part by laser light backscattered by sixteen silica spheres trapped in the array's sixteen primary optical tweezers 10. The 1 μm diameter spheres are dispersed in water and placed in a sample volume between a glass microscope slide and a 170 μm thick glass coverslip. The tweezer array is projected upward through the coverslip and is positioned in a plane 8 μm above the coverslip and more than 20 μm below the upper microscope slide. The silica spheres are stably trapped in three-dimensions in each of the sixteen optical tweezers 10.
[0044] In FIG. 7B is shown the optically-organized arrangement of spheres {fraction (1/30)} second after the optical tweezers 10 (traps) were extinguished but before the spheres had time to diffuse away from the trap site.
[0045] In various embodiments the basic optical trap modes described hereinbefore can be used in various useful methodologies. Furthermore, other embodiments include apparati and systems which can be constructed to apply these methods to enhance operation and use of the optical traps. In particular, the optical traps can be controlled and modified, and various embodiments employing these features are described hereinafter.
[0046] A variety of new uses and applications of optical traps can arise from time varying construction and dynamic change of optical trap configuration. In one form of the invention an array of optical traps can be advantageously manipulated in the manner shown in FIG. 8. In the illustrated optical system 100, the diffractive optical element 102 splits the collimated laser beam 104 into several (two or more) laser beams 106 and 108. Each of the several laser beams 106 and 108 are transferred into a separate optical trap in an object plane 118. Each of these several laser beams 106, 108 are transferred to the back aperture 110 of the objective beam 112 by action of a conventional optical arrangement, such as the telescope formed by the laser 114 and 116. The objective lens 112 focuses each of these several beams 106, 108. In a preferred form of the invention a movable knife edge 120 is disposed to be movable into the path of the several laser beams 106, 108, thereby enabling selective blocking of any selected one(s) of the several laser beams to selectively prevent formation of a portion of the optical traps. Such a methodology and structure enables construction of any desired array of optical traps by use of appropriately designed knife edges or apertured knife edge structure and like such structures.
[0047] An illustration of the use of such optical trap control methodology is shown in FIG. 9 wherein optical traps are formed by a holographic form of diffractive optical element 122. The movable knife edge 120 of FIG. 8 can block all but one line 124 of its optical traps, and by systematically moving the knife edge 120, each of the lines 124 can be established. This enables systematic filling of optical traps 132 with particles 126. This methodology allows filling of the optical traps 132 with a variety of different types of the particles 126 and also avoids the typical problem of the particles 126 tending to fill preferentially the outer portions of an array of optical traps. Such preferential filling can block filling of the inner optical traps. This controlled formation of the optical traps also permits precision formation and change of optical trap arrangements.
[0048] In addition to exerting detailed control over filling of an array of the optical traps 132, devices can be provided to accelerate filling of the optical traps. For example, in FIG. 8 is shown a functional block 128 indicative of a device to (1) output selected particles 126 (see FIG. 10), (2) apply the particles 126 under pressure differential (through electrophoresis or electro-osmosis), (3) apply a temperature gradient and (4) translate the entire optical trap array through a suspension containing the particles 126 in a manner like a fishing net. Experimentation has determined the particles 134 can be filled into the optical traps 132 starting with a particle concentration of about 10−4 μm−3 and a reasonable flow rate of about 100 μm/sec to fill one row of the line 124 or an array pattern in about one minute of time. A fully developed array of the particles 126 can be made permanent by transferring the array onto a substrate or by gelling the fluid which is suspending the particles. Such a procedure also can allow construction of a large variety of different particle arrays and coupled arrays of the particles 126. Using the previously-described characteristics and functionalities of the optical traps 132, each of the particles 126 can also be further interrogated, imaged and manipulated for operational uses and investigative purposes.
[0049] In yet another embodiment the optical traps 132 can be dynamically changed responsive to a specific optical requirement, which can be effected by use of a computer program with desired instructional information such that one or more of the optical traps 132 can be used to modify, remove, or add particles at various optical trap sites or allow various manipulations of a single object. Further, one or more of the optical traps 132 can be moved and their character changed (such as changing the shape or strength of the trap) for dynamic manipulation of any object, such as a cell of a plant or animal. This can be particularly advantageous when manipulating a delicate structure or when there is need to perform complex manipulations of an object. Heretofore, such objects were handles by a single brute force trap which could cause damage to the object or not provide the degrees of freedom often needed to perform a desired function.
[0050] In addition, in another process the particles 126 can be dynamically sorted by size. One can also image an array of the particles 126 in the manner shown in FIG. 10. A microscope 138 can image the particles 126, and a personal computer 140 can identify the particles 126 and calculate a phase only hologram 142 (for the diffractive optical element 144 of FIG. 8) to trap said particles. A computer controlled spatial light modulator 143 can then implement the computer designed hologram 142 by causing application of a pattern of phase modulations to the laser beam 144. This can also be dynamically varied for any of a variety of purposes. The modified laser beam 148 (also see the several laser beams 106, 108 in FIG. 8) are focused by the microscope to create an array of the optical traps 132 (also known as tweezers) which traps the particles 126 on image screen 150. Each of the particles 126 can then be individually manipulated to assemble a desired structure to sort the particles 126 or to otherwise manipulate, inspect or alter the shape of the object of interest.
[0051] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, visible light tweezers can be used advantageously. In other forms of the invention, for particular sizes of materials matched to ultraviolet light or for uses which are less sensitive to ultraviolet light, the invention can also be expanded to wavelengths shorter than visible light, including ultraviolet light. Heretofore, tweezers for use in living biological material have been formed from infrared light for the reasons described hereinbefore. Optical tweezers in general can damage biological systems through at least three principal mechanisms: (1) mechanically disrupting physical interconnections; (2) heating; and (3) in the case of biomaterials, photochemical transformation of biomolecules (these are merely exemplary mechanisms and other mechanisms are possible). The first mechanism includes processes such as drawing into the optical trap the phospholipids constituting a membrane and then expelling them as micelles or vesicles. Such processes are inherent in the operation of optical tweezers and do not depend on the wavelength of light being used. These destructive processes can be minimized by using the least possible and most efficient trapping force for a given application. Heating results from absorption of the optical trapping photons, as typified by the destruction of hemoglobin-rich red blood cells by green laser light. Most biological materials, however, are essentially transparent to visible light and in fact absorb more strongly in the infrared. For example, water has an absorption coefficient of about μ∂=3�10−4 cm−1 at λ=500 nm (visible range) compared with μ∂=0.1 cm−1 at λ=1 μm (infrared range). Infrared based optical traps should therefore heat water some 300 times more efficiently than visible light based traps. The difference is far less pronounced for other components of biological systems. For example, most proteins and polysaccharides have molar absorption coefficients of: μ∂≈0.1 cm−1 /M for visible light and μ∂≈0.01 cm−1/M for infrared radiation. Hemoglobin is an exception, with a comparatively enormous molar absorption coefficient of μ∂≈104 cm−1/M in the visible light part of the spectrum. In the absence of such a strong absorption condition, visible light should lead to no worse heating than infrared, and indeed may well be preferable because of the prevalence of water in biological systems.
[0052] Photochemical transformations proceed either through resonant absorption of one or more photons to a discrete molecular state, or through non-resonant absorption to a broad molecular band. Most relevant resonant transitions take place in the infrared (for vibrational transitions) to the visible (for electronic transitions). Most relevant resonant transitions depend so strongly on the frequency of light, however, that they are highly unlikely to be driven by the monochromatic light from any particular infrared or visible laser. Transitions to broad bands take place mostly in the ultraviolet end of the optical spectrum and so should not be driven either by infrared light or by visible light.
[0053] "Opticution" (described hereinbefore) is believed to be driven principally by photochemistry, rather than by heating or mechanical disruption, and thus it is important to understand why visible (or ultraviolet in some cases) optical tweezers can result in deleterious effects on biological and other materials having similar photochemistry responses (or other optically driven events which lead to deleterious effects in any type of material, such as light sensitive chemical states, light sensitive electronic states or even sensitive mechanical structures at the microscopic level). Such materials can include, for example, small molecule drugs, doped semiconductors, high temperature superconductors, catalysts and low melting point metals.
[0054] For example, living organisms' resistance to photochemical degradation at visible wavelengths would appear to be a natural byproduct of their evolution in sunlight. However, the flux of visible light from the sun is smaller than that in a typical 1 mW optical tweezer by some six orders of magnitude. The intense illumination at the focal spot of an optical tweezer greatly increases the rate of multiple-photon absorption in which two or more photons cooperate to drive a single optical transition. Multiple photon events require photons to arrive simultaneously, and so the level of occurrences of such events depend strongly on the light intensity. The strong focus of an optical trap does indeed provide the high-intensity light environment needed to drive such multiple photon processes.
[0055] Multiphoton absorption can be more damaging in visible tweezers than in infrared due to the simultaneous absorption of two visible photons which delivers the equivalent energy of a single ultraviolet photon. Likewise this can be extended to ultraviolet photons having wavelengths in which two or more such photons are required to deliver light energy which would alter the chemical, biological, electronic or mechanical state of a material. Two-photon absorption of infrared light, on the other hand, delivers the equivalent energy of a visible photon and therefore does not usually suffice to drive photochemical or like optical transformations. Achieving relevant photochemistry events with infrared light would therefore require three- or even four-photon absorption. Because higher-order absorption processes are less likely than lower order processes, visible optical tweezers appear to be more likely than infrared tweezers to induce deleterious photochemistry, such as chromosome recombinations in biological materials. This is believed to be the mechanism by which tightly focused pulses of light at λ=532 nm form an optical scalpel capable of precisely cutting chromosomes.
[0056] The approximate rate Wn of an n-photon absorption in the focal volume of an optical tweezer should scale as follows:
[0057] where P is the power in the beam and σ is the photon capture cross-section for the absorber. As is shown by the above equation, lower-order processes at shorter wavelengths occur much more frequently than higher-order processes at longer wavelengths, at least for beams of equal power.
[0058] Optical tweezers, however, are far more efficient when created with light of shorter wavelengths than infrared light (e.g., visible and in some cases ultraviolet). As a result, such optical tweezers require much less power to match the trapping force of infrared tweezers. This comparative advantage of such tweezers opens the door to their use for micromanipulation of biological materials (and for any other highly light sensitive materials as described hereinbefore). The magnitude of the optical gradient force drawing dielectric material to the focus of an optical trap scales roughly with the inverse fourth power of λ in the Rayleigh approximation:
[0059] Therefore a visible trap operating at, for example, λ=532 nm requires only {fraction (1/16)} the power to achieve the same trapping force as an infrared trap operating at λ=1064 nm. The relative reduction in power immediately translates into a reduction in the rate W2 of two-photon absorption events for the visible trap. Therefore, the likelihood of substantial damage is drastically reduced and can even enable infliction of virtually no damage to the subject material. Furthermore, by careful selection of the wavelength of light used (visible or even ultraviolet in some cases), absorption windows of a material being inspected can be used to select the wavelength of light to reduce the absorption of light and thereby reduce the damage or alteration of the material.
[0060] The trapping efficiency of an optical tweezer can be increased still further, and the power requirements correspondingly reduced, by appropriately shaping the wavefront of the trapping beam. For example, it has previously been demonstrated that an optical trap constructed from a donut-mode laser beam whose intensity vanishes at the optical axis requires far less power to achieve the axial trapping force of a conventional optical tweezer formed with a Gaussian TEM∞ mode. While it is clear that shaping the wavefront can improve trapping efficiency, thereby reducing two-photon absorption, no studies have reported an optimal wavefront profile. Therefore, still further improvements are available with engineering of the trapping wavefront's characteristics.
[0061] While the time-averaged power establishes the trapping force of an optical tweezer, its peak power sets the rate of occurrence of two-photon processes. Consequently, continuous-wave visible optical tweezers should also be less damaging than traps derived from pulsed lasers.
[0062] The local irradiation, and thus the rate of two-photon processes, can be reduced still further by applying multiple separate traps to a system, as described hereinbefore, rather than just one trap. Distributing the trapping force on an extended sample among N optical tweezers therefore reduces W2 by a factor of N.
[0063] A system (biological or otherwise) with discrete photosensitive components can be further trapped with visible (or ultraviolet in some cases) light tweezers, provided that care is taken to position the light traps away from sensitive areas of the subject material.
[0064] Further, some samples, such as many biological materials, absorb light strongly in the visible range and therefore cannot be trapped with visible optical tweezers. For the great number of systems largely transparent to visible light, various steps can be used to minimize the rate of deleterious nonlinear optical processes. Without limitation, these can include:
[0065] 1. Given a choice of a range of visible light wavelengths, one can avoid the use of light wavelengths associated with strong absorptions characteristic of the type of material.
[0066] 2. One can create traps with a continuous-wave (CW) laser, rather than with a pulsed laser.
[0067] 3. One can trap an extended sample at multiple points, rather than at just one.
[0068] 4. One can make each trap as efficient as possible. For example, one can take advantage of wavefront shaping to minimize the power required to achieve a desired trapping force.
[0069] The concepts of creating traps with a continuous-wave (CW) laser and avoiding those associated with strong absorptions can be applied generically to all optical tweezer systems. Trapping extended samples at multiple points and maximizing the efficiency of each trap, however, could be more difficult to implement in conventional optical tweezer systems, but are well within the domain of intended uses of holographic optical tweezers. In particular, holographic optical tweezers ("HOTs") can create an arbitrary number N of optical traps in arbitrary positions so as to trap an extended biological sample (or other highly light sensitive material) at multiple points. The simplest of these multiple trapping patterns also could be created by rapidly scanning a single tweezer among the desired array of traps. This can be particularly useful in biological samples, or other highly light sensitive materials, since not all of the power needs to be imparted on a single point of the sample. By instead distributing the power over a number of points, the overall damage to the sample will be significantly reduced in a manner similar to a "bed of nails." Achieving a desired time-averaged trapping force in each of the N scanned traps, however, would require N times the peak power in each trap. Consequently, HOTs have an inherent advantage over scanned tweezers when it comes to trapping materials nondestructively.
[0070] HOTs also can produce more complex continuously evolving patterns of traps than can scanned-tweezer systems. This would be an advantage if optical tweezer manipulation is intended to move or sort biological or highly light sensitive materials.
[0071] Holographic optical tweezers also can tailor the wavefronts of the individual beams making up the array of traps and can direct each beam accurately into the trapping system's focusing optics. Consequently, optical tweezers formed with a HOT system can dynamically minimize the amount of power needed to achieve a desired trapping force.
[0072] The above qualitative example guidelines can be used for minimizing the rate of radiation or other light initiated damage inflicted on biological systems (or other highly light sensitive materials) by optical trapping with visible light. By following these guidelines, it is possible to obtain acceptable small rate of damage for a particular application. The use of visible light in an HOT system would therefore have at least several advantages for applications to biological systems:
[0073] Optical efficiency. Microscope objective lenses suitable for forming optical tweezers typically are optimized for use at visible and ultraviolet wavelengths and suffer from a variety of defects when used to transmit infrared light. Trapping with visible light thus takes optimal advantage of the designed properties of conventional optics. Infrared systems, by contrast either must use more costly special-purpose optics, or else will suffer from optical aberrations which will somewhat diminish their potential benefits relative to visible trapping systems.
[0074] Safety. The human visual system includes a protective blink reflex which reduces the chance that a stray beam of light from a visible trapping system could damage a user's eyesight. No such reflex protects a user's vision in the infrared.
[0075] Ease of alignment. Visible optical trains are much easier to align than infrared.
[0076] Availability of two-photon processes. Two-photon processes can be useful in some biological applications, for instance in creating optical scissors and scalpels. The same optical train which creates damage-minimizing configurations of visible optical traps can be reconfigured in real time to produce individual beams optimized for two-photon absorption, but with maximum power usage efficiency. Thus the same system could trap, cut, and generally induce photochemical transformations in its samples using a single laser for excitation to for one or a matrix of optical traps.
[0077] Reduced heating. Infrared systems probably heat their samples through direct absorption by water to a greater extent than do visible systems. This excess heating could explain some of the damage reported in infrared trapping experiments on living systems.
[0078] Improved trapping accuracy. The trapping volume of an optical tweezer scales with the wavelength of light. Visible light therefore can trap more accurately localized regions than infrared.
[0079] Improved tracking accuracy. Optical traps sometimes are used to track the motions of trapped objects, for instance through the time evolution of the light scattered by trapped particles into the far field. The resolution of such tracking techniques scales with the wavelength of light and thus would be improved with traps formed in visible light relative to infrared.
[0080] It is also possible that a variety of biological and also nonbiological materials can be manipulated in a manner described above with varying wavelengths, laser types, and experimental conditions. The particular parameters that are used will be dependent upon the material to be manipulated and the optical, chemical, mechanical and electrical states which are sensitive to light. More particularly for example, the absorption characteristics of the material at certain wavelengths in the visible range may have a significant bearing on the wavelength of the laser beam used for the manipulation. For example, the use of certain types of green laser light can be successfully used with certain materials but not with others (such as chloroplasts in certain types of plants). For nonbiological materials, such as electronic devices, one can select visible light wavelengths which do not exhibit strong absorption by the components of the device.
[0081] It is also noted that the visible portion of the spectrum has often been considered to be in the range of about 400 nm to about 700 nm. It is possible, however, that a broader wavelength range could be used in accordance with the broader aspects of the invention. For example, the window of transparency for water is between about 200 nm and about 800 nm, and an even larger range could be used in certain situations.
[0082] The following non-limiting examples demonstrate the efficacy of visible optical tweezers for manipulating living biological samples. In particular, we have demonstrated long-term trapping using light at λ=532 nm using a frequency-doubled Nd:YVO4 laser.
[0083] Large numbers of yeast cells (generic varieties from a package of Fleischman's Yeast) have been trapped in culture medium and have observed several generations of budding during continuous illumination. During these tests, light having a wavelength of 532 nm from a frequency-doubled Nd:YV O4 laser was used to trap the yeast cells. The yeast included various strains of S. cerevisiae in aqueous solution at room temperature. Individual cells were trapped with about 1 mW of continuous-wave laser light. In one demonstration, sixteen cells were confined to a four by four array. Of these sixteen cells, about half appeared to be budding daughter cells and forming colonies after six hours.
[0084] Light having a wavelength of 532 nm from a frequency-doubled Nd:YV O4 laser was used to trap a plurality of cheek epithelial cells. Swabbed cells were suspended in aqueous solution at room temperature and deposited onto glass cover slips. Optical tweezers were trained on the nuclei and vacuoles of various cells for up to ten minutes. When regions of the cell membrane were trapped strongly enough to displace a suspended cell through its culture medium, its internal processes did not appear to be significantly, as determined by visual inspection. Normal cell function appeared to resume after the tweezers were extinguished.
[0085] Light having a wavelength of 532 nm from a frequency-doubled Nd:YV O4 laser was used to trap wheat chancre cells. The cells were obtained in solid medium and deposited onto glass cover slips before optical trapping at room temperature. Continuous optical trapping was not sufficient to disrupt the cell wall. Visual inspection of illuminated cells provides qualitative results similar to those obtained with cheek epithelial cells.
[0086] While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects as set forth in the claims provided hereinafter.
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Robinson's Island
Developer: Pixonic LLC
✿ Release Date: Feb 05, 2012
✿ Version: 1.136
✿ Size: 163.21 MB
Need help? Use our Robinsons Island Walkthrough or sign up and make your contribution today.
This iOS application is compatible with iPhone 3GS/4, iPad 1/2, iPod Touch 3rd/4th.
Pixonic LLC has already given us Little Helper HD on Jul 29, now delivering another great Adventure & Role Playing game and iphone app on the store. The review includes the developer's description, customer ratings, user reviews and screenshots for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
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BUILD A PARADISE all your own! Escape the dusty city and go for a tropic ride! The ADVENTURE begins today!
The plane has crashed, and you are the sole survivor. You look around and see palm-trees basking in the tropical sun this could be a nice place to live, after all. It may take a bit of work to make it the home you deserve, but it still beats the heck out of sitting in an office!
First you have to clear the workspace. Trees, rocks and grass make excellent building materials. Chop a little kindling to get a fire going. And you may just find something of interest beneath those moss-grown boulders or inside tree-hollows.
Coming up next is your OWN FARM. Or a botanical garden. Or, better yet, an orchard or a ranch—you name it. As luck would have it, there is a whole shipment of seeds and continental animals on that plane. Different strokes for different folks. Mango and papaya ain't no fun? Why, grow cabbage aplenty! Giraffes too gaudy? You can keep a chicken or twenty and a herd of pigs. What could be better than greasy scrambled eggs-and-bacon to start a tropical morning with?
Nature takes its course, and predators are abundant on the island, but so long as you got brain to go with brawn, your sheep and goats will be safe. Once you build a workshop, you can work a piece of ironwood into a hefty club. Fasten a knapped quartz rock to it, and you get a hand-axe to ward off that pesky wolf. Don't stop there—more adventures await!
Adventures on the island are many and varied. What's in the TREASURE chest that washed up ashore? Who's on that mystical ship rocking in the waves? And is that a pirate's ghost creeping about? You can't fight apparitions with a hand-axe. That's where your friends come in!
As a Robinson, you can HIRE your Men Fridays to do menial work from all over the social network world: Facebook, Game Center and OpenFeint. You can give them gifts ranging from boas to chimpanzees to encourage them to work for their Master Robinson. Make your paradise the most prosperous and thriving enterprise of all paradises lost!
Robinson is the first survival-in paradise kind of game for iPhone, from the makers of "Little Helper"! Download it now and JOIN THE RANKS OF ROBINSONS!
Get now this application with your unique ID and secured password.
This application support GameCenter feature for achievements and leaderboards.
Universal iOS application for both iPad and iPhone.
Application Screenshots
How to download the GameDownload Robinsons Island app for free for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and iPad mini.
Download Robinsons Island on PC or Mac:
1. Go to the Robinsons Island application page in your iTunes.
2. Click the button to download the Game.
3. Sync your iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad or iPad mini with iTunes to install the Robinsons Island app.
Download the Game With iOS App Store:
1. Open the App Store on your iDevice.
2. Search for Robinsons Island.
3. Click the button to download and install it on your device.
4. Enjoy.
You can securely create an apple profile with your information, but you have to be registered to iTunes in order to get the Robinsons Island app to your device.
If you don't have an active account, please register to iTunes store with a credit card number. In case you are not interested to open an account with your credit card, you can select the option 'None' during the secured registration.
*This Robinsons Island application may be available in some countries.
How to play
here you will find every thing you need to help you pass and complete all levels, includes guides / walkthrough, hints, tips & cheats, you will find here the best solutions and answers for all levels in this Adventure.
User Ratings
It's a great game but I can NEVER find smoky leaves and it's really getting annoying so if you could fix that it'd be great.
It's okay I don't care for the need to have neighbors to complete anything. Totems need to be easier to get. My friends don't want
game invasions through Facebook and I don't want the game to be conne
I have been playing for months and STILL have not completed the hut or tree house or any of the buildings. Seems to me the only
way you can complete it without it taking months is to pay for it. I lik
Lots of challenges. I have played it awhile. Stopped playing when I got really busy. Then started playing again and was able to
pick up where I left off. I especially like the challenges that don't ha
Cute but frustrating.No help available so don't know what you are doing or how to accomplish goals!
I love playing the game. But I hate that I need friends to build it and make it larger. None of my friends want to play it. So
will probably just delete the game. Really wish their was a game like thi
App keeps crashing with latest update. Please fix.
I previously gave this app a better review but now I am downgrading my rating due to how insanely slow this game plays if you
don't engage with Facebook for friends and tribe members. I saw more of th
This is a really fun farming type game, the only drawback is that they don't make it easier to create add more villagers when you
don't have other friends playing the game
As much as I love this game I don't have a Facebook or the money to spend to get tribe members, so I tried to collect the items I
need but I've been playing for a few days and haven't even gotten one
Trying to get the materials for buildings seems futile without buying totems. I do not make in-app purchases, so I tried filling
out all kinds of offers for free totems and never received the totems.
Nice game but too many requirements for tribe size or using real money.
Although there have glitches along the way, this game is an all time favorite. Whimsical characters and offers absolute escape to
an alternate reality. FB is necessary. Highly recommend.
(3★) This version.
Something's wrong. Bugs and glitches. Can't open menu and x out of things.Will play if fixed.
This new update my game locks up sometimes. But just about every time I try to go to one of my other islands. My screen goes black
and the game shuts down. Please fix
Great game, would be nice if I could play it on my Mac
Fun game however it requires to many totems to be bought
just had to redownload the game after i got tolevel 95 and it was stuck none of m purchases transfered over as it ended up as a
waste of time
Cant open the game after the update.
Just starting playing and I love it. Easy to play and get rewards.
I liked the game but got sick of it freezing up. The frustration became too much.
Tank you for very interesting and good game
The newest update keeps freezing up! Fix it quick! ;)
Fun to play but so slow to gain resources or move forward through quests
Played this for years now and still enjoy :)
Game crashes often. Dolphinarium quest not publicized adequately, and very difficult to find pots, bottles, rope and mosaics.
Would be nice to have more variety in daily quests.
Thanks so much I love this game! 3 Cass
Game will close down unexpectantly over and over. Very frustrating!
Takes too muuuch money to play!Do not connect to Facebook to well.
This is actually pretty good if you ask me
(5★) Appreciate
I love this game! It will not work on my tablet but I live playing it on my phone. I have so much fun on this game. I want to
thank the creators for making it.
:)!Love this game - so addicted!
Very buggy. It never connects to Facebook either.! Im trying to add a friend and it just refuses to connect. Talk about
It makes lazy days even better!
(5★) Animal problem
Having a problem pony is behind hippos. Game will not let me move hippos to get to poor pony
I cannot connect it to Facebook. I have not been able to figure out how to visit my friends and help them! And I cleared
everything and have not come across and of the smoky leaves so I bought one sur
It is really addicting! So much fun! I do wish it was a bit easier to add friends but it is a lot of fun!
I think it is fun because I love villages
(5★) Fun App!
Fun app, great graphics! Really love it!
How do you get in the garden shop? The one you redeem kites in?
Fustraiting it forcloses and resets tasks needs to fix it -_-
Weheheeeell this blows. I was almost at level 20 until I downloaded the "upgrade". Everything was erased and I now have to start
over. The last version was fun so ill give it a chance but wow thanks a
Needs to be easier, want to much, much money
(4★) Pretty good
I would play it all day but the two flaws are that the grass grows back to fast and some of that stuff is impossible to get
This has been a fun game to play but it needs some fixes right now. This scarecrow pops up constantly so you use up all your
energy just trying to chase it away. Please fix and provide some answers
How does this work? I lost a bunch of totems playing. Thanks in advance
Imma addict.I continue playing. Follow me on twitter @smOOOvDRU
Need a way to add friends other than Facebook
Wish it was easier as far as getting new tools & upgrading. I hate having to depend/ask Facebook friends.
I like this game but it would be better if you can earn totems easier like a daily reward at the end of the week. I would also
like it if you can ask your game center friends for resources or quest it
The game is very addictive and challenging.
(5★) Yay
Not racist anymore. Add me. Pinky promises
Fun game that is surprisingly challenging, so it keeps me coming back for more. When I first got it, it crashed a lot, but that
seems to be mostly solved now.
Really Good Game. I only have to bad things to say. It is kind of slow paced and I feel like you should get more totems fore the
prices. Other than that there is absolutely nothing wrong with this.
I jus wish I had more to do cause I barely play now.
Wish I could get more on my tribe without using FB. I have no friends that play this game but I am stuck just cleaning off my
island for now.by myself
Has an artificially Hugh rating because it bribes people to rate a five
(5★) Good game
You should be able to invite friends from game center
(5★) Lame
Have to spend real money if you want to make any progress
This is a great app! I play it every day!
(5★) Robinson
Love it but wish totems were a little easier to get.
(5★) Addictive
Great to pass the time. Cute and addictive.
I love his game because it is based on one of my favorite books The Adventures Of Robinson Crusoe
(5★) I like this game
It passes the time I just wish it was easier to get other survivors
(4★) Fun
Fun way to pass the time. Would be better if you could play it for longer periods of time.
(5★) Addicting
Very fun and addicting, only downfall is no tribe
(4★) Fun, but requires "friends"
You basically have to use open feint to add friends if you want to get anywhere. But it is a cute game.
Total 67 reviews with ratings for this app.
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Blizzard do not destroy Jaina Proudmoore's character. Make her who she once was, not full of rage and vengeance.,If you are curious about me or about my writing aspirations, feel free to pst me. Paladin-Sorcerer at your service! My Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/Aeluron Big fanboy of Yrel now. Love her now
Anyways..............picking where we left off....
But now I've gone and thrown it all away
- - - Updated - - -
Kil'jaeden was not the one who started the art of Necromancy. The Dreadlords were the ones that started the art of Necromancy.
- - - Updated - - -
Someone ruined our chain of lyric posting and now the Vision of Perfection is not too pleased. RUN 4 UR LIVES.
Allright, you've had your fun, now please cut out the off-topic silliness. Either make a reply discussing the OP or go to youtube to watch the Bohemian Rhapsody video, but I'll get unhappy if you continue quoting lyrics.
Oh snapples ^ =5
Anyways, yeah, back to the OP, Warlocks are mui mui powerful. As to why I named this thread "The time of perfection is nigh approaching", well, as we all know the Burning Legion will be back, and I have this theory that Warlocks will be the most spoiled class during that expansion, and will get all the cool demonic looking gear, and new Demons, and perhaps we'll be given a spell that allows us to create a sand castle replica of Azeroth and destroy it, causing the real Azeroth to explode.


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By John J. KruzelAmerican Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 22, 2010 Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and his Canadian counterpart discussed bilateral defense issues here today, including Canada's future role in the NATO mission in Afghanistan.
The meeting between Gates and Canadian National Defense Minister Peter MacKay covered the projected U.S.-Canadian defense relationship over the next five years, and areas of mutual interest such as the countries' shared border area, the Arctic, and relief efforts in Caribbean nations.
"The relationship between the U.S. and Canada is vitally important to both of us," Gates told reporters at the Pentagon following his meeting with MacKay. "I look forward to continuing this dialogue in the future."
MacKay described the talks as a "substantive and productive" discussion on the enduring defense relationship between Ottawa and Washington. He said the recent Olympic Games in Vancouver highlighted bilateral cooperation with the United States.
MacKay added that security preparations are ongoing ahead of G-8 and G-20 summits to be hosted in Canada.
"We've demonstrated a very close working relationship and commitment to continental security, [and] we're looking to areas of further cooperation," MacKay said. "At a military-to-military level in places like Afghanistan, … our countries continue to work together in a very sophisticated and very important way to provide for the type of security both at home and abroad that both of our countries and our populations expect."
Canadian military forces number nearly 3,000 of the roughly 45,000 allied troops operating in Afghanistan as NATO's International Security Assistance Force. American troop levels are around 83,000, according to the latest available figures.
Asked about Canada's future in Afghanistan, MacKay said Canada would end its combat role next year, concluding a decade of fighting alongside its NATO partners there.
"By 2011, Canadian will have been in Afghanistan for 10 years," he said, adding that Canadian troops are without the restrictions that limit how some contributing countries' forces operate. "We plan to continue combat operations until mid-summer of 2011."
Gates is slated to hold talks this week with a Pakistani delegation, with the war effort in Afghanistan expected to be a major focal point of discussions.
"I'm looking forward to the meetings this week with the Pakistani delegation," said Gates, who meets later today with Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the Pakistani army's chief of staff, and later this week with other Pakistani officials.
"What we are interested in is looking at the long-term in the relationship between the United States and Pakistan," Gates said, "how we can strengthen our relationship, and how we can help Pakistan in dealing with the security challenges that face them, but also face us and NATO as well."
Related Sites:State Department Background Note on Canada


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Hi I'm P. Rasmussen
About Me
I was reared in and now live in Utah; but have also lived in Minot, North Dakota; Denver, Colorado; Peru; and Taiwan. I work in the computer industry. I really enjoy being a grandfather; it's the greatest. My current favorite "hobbies" are serving several minor roles in my Mormon church and volunteering for Amateur (HAM) radio service projects. I like to listen to uplifting music and my current favorite is "The Piano Guys" on YouTube - they are 2 musicians who are also Mormons.
Why I am a Mormon
I grew up in an LDS family and was baptized the day I turned 8 years old. Some may think I was brain-washed but that is NOT so. I developed a testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ and a testimony that He restored His Gospel and authority as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I prayed and the Holy Spirit confirmed that testimony -- I know it is true. I love Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the great family with which they blessed me.
Personal Stories
How can we develop greater harmony in our homes?
Love one another; be understanding; be patient; and be forgiving.
Please explain the part prayer plays in your life?
I pray frequently and receive answers to them. I am thankful for the privilege of praying to Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ (our Mediator) and receiving answers via the Holy Ghost. I know that God knows me and loves me; the Holy Ghost has manifest that to me.
How I live my faith
I really enjoy attending church meetings every week. I pray daily and before meals. Occasionally I teach a lesson about the gospel to a class of adult males who hold the priesthood office of High Priest. Like many Mormon Church units, we publish a newsletter once a month -- I am the editor. I am also the webmaster for my ward. I really enjoy sharing information about the Gospel, about emergency preparedness, and timely topics for my neighbors.


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German engine specialist MTU has belatedly inaugurated a dedicated blisk production facility at its Munich headquarters.
The building had been due to open in late 2012.
The manufacturer invested around €65 million ($85 million) to construct, over the past 20 months, a new hall on the site of production facilities that were torn down.
The 10,000m² (108,000ft²) site has been laid out to increase annual blisk fabrication from the current 600 to 3,500 units by 2016.
Some 200 staff members will be employed to produce bladed disks for high- and intermediate-pressure compressors in turbofan and turboprop engines, says MTU.
But the facility has been highly automated to keep production costs down despite Germany's high salary levels.
At the heart of the site is a 96m-long (315ft) material distribution system, which automatically transports the components to the different workstations.
While all workpieces will be labelled with radio-frequency identification tags, the computerised distribution system calculates the optimal workflow depending on the production stations' current utilisation.
MTU plans to install 20 milling machines, seven combined turning and milling machines, and eight equipment measuring units.
Blisks will be produced for the Pratt & Whitney PW1000G geared-turbofan family, the PW800 business-jet powerplant and Europrop International's TP400-D6 turboprop for the Airbus A400M military transport.
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Westover Hills apartments acquired
By Valentino Lucio : January 15, 2013
Commercial real estate firm HFF has announced the acquisition of an apartment complex in Westover Hills.
HFF helped secure financing for Westover Oaks, a multifamily property built last year at 7727 Potranco Road, according to a news release. The firm worked on behalf of Venterra Realty, which manages a portfolio of multifamily assets that total more than $850 million, the release states.


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How do you pack your kit?
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Platinum Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 5,012
Re: How do you pack your kit?
Originally Posted by
I have a bag for my snare and an upright rolling cart for all my hardware, cymbals are in a Zildjain cymbal safe. Drums are naked. 3 trips total. I've come to the conclusion that cases are a waste of my time and an extra storage hassle.
This is about how I do it, too. SKB cases for the two snares I bring (one for backup), cymbals in a bag, hardware in a bag, but drums go nekkid. I watched too many drummers have too easy a time moving their drums without bags or cases and thought that would be really nice.
The beauty is that my kit has enough rash on it for me to not be overly concerned about a few more scratches here and there. Carrying stacked toms in one trip and a kick and snare the next is just so easy. Hardware and cymbals after that and I'm in!
I'm very careful about the heads though - even though they're the cheapest thing to replace, they're also the business end. I can play with a scratched tom or kick much easier than I can with a punctured head!
When (and if) I get my next new kit, it's all be in cases. I like pristine, but once it's gone (as with my current kit), I'm free to make things easier on myself!
My kit: It's not just good, it's good enough.
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As you pursue full-time, part-time and internship opportunities, it's likely you will be faced with remote interviewing techniques such as phone interviews*. Phone interviews are similar to in-person interviews, but have their own unique challenges. These tips will help you master the phone interview and move on to the next round!
Phone Interview Tips
*In addition to phone interviews, you are highly encouraged to utilize Montage Talent. Montage Talent allows you to conduct live video conference interviews with a webcam.


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Type an artists name or song title in the space above for a
quick search of Classic Country Music Lyrics website.
prices on Books, Kindles
Country Music Cds
and Country Gospel Cds.
to download Classic Country MP3s
Country Gospel MP3s most only $.99 or less.
Branded Manwritten and recorded by Merle Haggard G C GI'd like to hold my head up and be proud of who I am D7But they won't let my secret go untold G C GI paid the debt I owed them but they're still not satisfied D7 GNow I'm a branded man out in the cold C GWhen they let me out of prison I held my head up high D7Determined I would rise above the shame G C GBut no matter where I'm living the black mark follows me D7 GI'm branded with a number on my name Repeat #1 C GIf I live to be a hundred I guess I'll never clear my name D7Cause everybody knows I've been in jail G C GNo matter where I'm living I've got to tell them where I've been D7 GOr they'll send me back to prison if I fail Repeat #1 tag: D7 GNow I'm a branded man out in the cold
for the easiest way possible. Copy and paste lyrics and chords to the
key changer, select the key you want, then click the button "Click
Here". If the lyrics are in a long line, first paste to Microsoft Word
or a similar word processor, then recopy and paste to key
Classic Country Music Lyrics home | Merle Haggard lyrics
classic is just one of the many great songs Merle has, it's an easy
song for us to play, the chords are simple with a moderate tempo
melody. Copy and paste Branded Man lyrics and chords, practice and enjoy.
Acoustic Guitars
Electric Guitars


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Mew: "Beach"
Posted by aubin on Friday, April 30, 2010 at 4:30 PM (EDT)
Danish prog-pop act Mew have posted a new video from their 2009 album, No More Stories....
Warner Music Group (6 comments)
Please login or register to post comments.What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?
countervail (April 30, 2010)
I'm gonna start a way better Prog-Pop act named Mewtwo.
scientistrock (April 30, 2010)
ZachLeg (April 30, 2010)
Jonnyrawker (April 30, 2010)
Weeeiiiird video. But. Mew is freakin weird. And. One of my favorite bands out there. Just epic.
robalobadob (May 1, 2010)
That video is bizarre but amazing!
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It's flocks away: Owl Girl battles feathered fiends
Weird News /
PESKY seagulls were on a wing and a prayer when the Daily Star Sunday sent a secret weapon to protect tourists from attacks.
These 'women' are actually the next level of SEX DOLLS
Latest News /
SEX fiends, listen up!
Best of fiends: Killer mums Mairead Philpott and Amanda Hutton 'pal up' in jail
Latest News /
AN evil mum who starved her son to death in his cot has a new prison best pal – child killer Mairead Philpott.
Paris Jackson destroyed by fiends on Facebook
Latest News /
PARIS JACKSON'S family yesterday blamed Facebook bullies for her suicide attempt and said: "It destroyed her."
7/7 fiends' pals freed from jail
Latest News /
TWO Islamic extremists who were close friends of the July 7 bombers have been released early from prison.
Best of fiends
Just Jane /
WE'VE had a spiteful feud with neighbours for the past two years.
9 more pervs on prowl at the BBC
Latest News /
BBC chiefs are investigating nine other alleged sex fiends among their staff, it was revealed yesterday.
Gig review: Jane's Addiction, Koko, Camden Town, London
Playlist /
LA rock fiends Jane's Addiction have had more reunions than most '90s boybands, but fans are rejoicing this time around.
Lad hacked to bits by machete fiends
Latest News /
A TEENAGER had his arm and leg all but hacked off by a gang wielding machetes.
Hunt for al-Qaida gun fiends: Spies foil plot to hit London
Latest News /
TERROR nuts who plotted to mount murderous Mumbai-style attacks in Britain are still at large, it emerged last night.


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Posted at: 06/27/2013 7:14 AM
Updated at: 06/28/2013 7:45 AM
By: Jennie Olson
A Minneapolis father whose four-year-old son shot and killed his younger brother with a gun left under a pillow learned his fate Thursday.
Even though Kao Xiong didn't pull the trigger, a jury convicted him for his son's death. Xiong was sentenced to 10 years of probation, 100 hours of community service, 100 hours of service in the Sentencing to Service program, and 30 days in jail already served.
Back in December, Xiong's four-year-old son got a hold of a loaded gun that didn't have a working safety on it. Xiong had hidden the gun under a bedroom pillow where that little boy found it and accidentally shot and killed his two-year-old brother.
The case is a tragedy for everyone involved, and one that Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman says could have been prevented.
A jury found Xiong guilty of second-degree manslaughter and child endangerment. When the guilty verdict was read last month, several of Xiong's family members were crying hysterically and were visibly emotional over their loved one's conviction.
This isn't the only recent case of a Twin Cities father being convicted for failing to keep a loaded gun out of his child's hands. Jacob Xiong, no relation to Kao Xiong, was found guilty back in December on child endangerment charges.
His two-year-old son was shot by his older brother at a St. Paul home. He survived, and Jacob Xiong was not sentenced to time in prison. Instead, a judge gave him two years' probation and ordered he speak to the Hmong community about understanding gun safety.


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Caribbean Gamer Cruise 2013
Caribbean Gamer Cruise 2013 - Carnival Cruise Lines, New Orleans
Sun, Feb 24, 2013 (12:00 AM) - Sun, Mar 03, 2013 (12:00 AM)
Game at sea and compete in a pre-qualifier for the Gen Con 2013 NACC! For the fourth year, Mayfair Games is joining Gamer Cruises to hold a Settlers of Catan Tournament, taking the winner to the NACC Championship at GenCon in August 2013. Flight, Hotel, Badge and Seat in the semi-final round providing the chance to become the Gencon Catan Champion! Sailing from New Orleans, spending a couple of days prior to the cruise eating, drinking and otherwise carousing on Bourbon Street. Then boarding the Carnival Conquest where your shipboard adventure includes the following… Check below for the full intinerary of this gaming adventure at sea! Day Port of Call Sun, Feb 24 New Orleans, LA Mon, Feb 25 Gaming At Sea Tue, Feb 26 Gaming At Sea Wed, Feb 27 Montego Bay, Jamaica Thu, Feb 28 Grand Cayman Fri, Mar 1 Cozumel, Mexico Sat, Mar 2 Gaming At Sea Sun, Mar 3 New Orleans, LA


text: Prev | Next Purchase this photo Bishop Nash/For The Herald-Dispatch Huntington's Arick Nicks (4) lines up for a free throw against Hurricane on Friday, Feb. 14, 2014 at Huntington High School. Gallery: Highlanders edge Hurricane, 50-48 Feb. 14, 2014 @ 10:01 PM Bishop Nash The Huntington Highlanders squeezed past the Hurricane Redskins, 50-48, Friday night in Huntington. ()


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See what events are coming up and taking place in the industry and in your area.
Looking for an ASA Member in your area? Get their information here.
Get the latest and most up-to-date news on ASA and the industry.


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Magna International Inc. announces a C$1.3 billion ($1.1 billion) plan to take its three automotive component units, Decoma International Inc., Tesma International Inc. and Intier Automotive Inc., private. Magna has made proposals to each unit to purchase the remaining shares it does not already own. Magna also says it no longer will pursue a spin-off of its Magna Steyr auto assembly unit. Magna, which expects its plan to close by January, says the privatization of the units would make it ...
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Carpet Cleaning Rancho Palos Verdes
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Customer Testimonial Video:
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and coops live long or die hard (RIP North Country). As Greg implies, small farms must be sauistnable economically and that is a function being able to unload product efficiently at a good price. This same fantasy of a farmers market in every neighborhood also conflicts with a farmers need to make a days trip worth it to the Cities. Anyone ever ask a farmer what we need? I would rather see the coops expand first before proliferating to ensure a trip to the Cities is energy-wise and economically feasible. I applaud the LHC members for such loyal support and seeing the wisdom of expanding. I think they were waiting on that building for years as Lunds and or Kowalksis fought it out and wrangled over the property. I'd rather see LHC there then a poser store if you know what I'm saying .Brian from Ames Farm Watertown MN
"I guarantee that uecstmastors and others all over will be using every detail of this kids' story they can get to point this out to the kids."This could be the topic of "Scoutmaster's Minutes" for the next year. When I joined the Boy Scouts in fall 1968, it was the Autumn after an Explorer Post got caught in some semi inclement weather in the Sierra Nevadas and several Scouts and possibly adult leaders died of hypothermia. That initiated about two years of Scoutmaster's Minutes on being prepared, and a LOT of first aid demonstrations and lectures on the signs and symptoms of hypothermia and what to do about it.It made a big impression on me, I can tell, you even today.
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- By on May 3, 2012 at 1:47 pm
- By on May 3, 2012 at 1:47 pm


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More in SERVO Magazine
Hardware Serial Port Adapter
I'm working on a new robot application for the BasicBoard from Beginner Electronics.com. I chose one of the tractor type bases from budgetrobotics.com as seen in Figure 1. This is a great little base to build a robot from. In the process of doing this, though, I wanted to get the expansion serial port on the BasicBoard working for future add-on sensors and other future ideas. That extra serial port connection ends up pointing to the front of the robot so this could be really handy...
From the column BasicBoard Robotics
SERVO Magazine (October 2008)
By William Smith


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The Dana Show Blog
The Cars: Since You're Gone, Good Times Roll, Just What I Needed R.E.M.: The Orange Crush Golden Earring: The Twilight Zone The Eagles of Death Metal: Stuck In The Metal With You, High Voltage Rock N' Roll, I Wanna Be In LA Marvin Gaye: I Heard it Through The Grapevine Motorhead...
Chaka Khan: I'm Every Woman David Bowie: Changes, Jean Genie, Suffragette City The Eagles of Death Metal: I Only Want You, Cherry Cola The Cure: Fascination Street Steve Miller: Abracadabra Queen: Another One Bites The Dust Yes: Owner of A Lonely Heart INXS: Need You Tonight CCR...
Conan did some shows in Dallas, so he decides to become a Texas Deputy.
Eric Holder's new idea for gun safety is gun bracelets. Oh yeah that will work!
ZZ Top: Got Me Under Pressure, Sharp Dressed Man, Gimme All Your Lovin' The Who: My Generation, I Can See For Miles, Summertime Blues, Magic Bus, I Can't Explain Metric: Youth Without Youth The Allman Brothers Band: Midnight Rider, Ramblin' Man, Jessica
Dana talks to Rep. Todd Rokita about balancing budgets and health care
Dana was on Megyn Kelly's show last Friday where she called the wage gap between men and women a myth.


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C|net and Webware have announced their list of user-submitted nominations for the 2009 Webware 100. Of the numerous nominations, GoGrid was then later selected by the Webware editors as one of the final 100 in the list. This is a "People's Choice" type of award around the best Web 2.0 applications and services. More information about the Webware 100 can be found here.
To jump right to the voting for GoGrid, under the Infrastructure & Storage category, please click here or click the logo below.
There are 10 categories that users can vote on, as well as an 11th category where the Webware editors select an additional winner. The categories are:
- Audio and music: Music streaming and download, podcasting, audio book services, recommendation systems.
- Browsing: Tools to access online content, including browsers, start pages, RSS readers, widgets, and runtime engines
- Commerce: Retail, auctions, marketplaces, travel, event tickets, and real estate
- Communications: E-mail, chat, voice
- Infrastructure and storage: Web app platforms and tools; online storage and synchronization products
- Location-based services: Mapping, friend finders, business locators, geographic services (new category for 2009)
- Photo and video: Photo storage, sharing, and editing; video storage, playback, streaming, editing, and animation
- Productivity: Tools for work and organization
- Search and reference: Data and ways to find it; search tools and knowledge repositories like wikis
- Social and publishing: Social networking, shared online environments, content management, blogging, and micro-blogging
- Editors' awards: To be announced, but these will include awards for up-and-coming products, design, innovative use of technology, and so on.
GoGrid was nominated under the "Infrastructure and storage" category and we couldn't be happier. We have been providing Infrastructure "in the Cloud" since our launch at the beginning of 2008. Others have already "seen the light" as evidenced by our Linux World 2008 Product Excellence Award of "BEST OF SHOW."
(more…) «Vote for GoGrid in the 2009 Webware 100!»


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If you'd like to tap into some local knowledge, check out Travel Inn Vallejo, a popular choice with local travelers. Locals also have good things to say about Courtyard Fairfield Napa Valley Area in Fairfield, Best Western Plus Inn & Suites at Discovery Kingdom, and Fairfield Inn By Marriott Vacaville.Read More
Bargain hunters headed to the Fairfield area should take a look at Americas Best Value Inn Vallejo. This hotel is highly rated, in particular, by people who enjoy scoring the best deal possible. Great values can also be found at Comfort Inn Cordelia in Fairfield, Comfort Inn Vallejo, and Quality Inn & Suites Napa Valley. Traveling with family? Best Western Plus Heritage Inn is particularly popular with folks traveling with their families. Homewood Suites by Hilton Fairfield-Napa Valley Area in Fairfield is also a family favorite. Leisure travelers aren't the only ones heading to the Fairfield area. One great option for those going on business is Best Western Heritage Inn. Additional well-ranked business properties include Americas Best Value Inn in Vacaville and Holiday Inn Express Benicia. If you don't have much advance notice, take a look at Courtyard by Marriott Vallejo Napa Valley, a favorite among last-minute travelers. Ramada Vallejo in Vallejo, Courtyard by Marriott Vacaville, and Super 8 Vallejo/Napa Valley are other popular last-minute picks.Hide