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Concerts & Tickets
Concert Detail
Special Event
Hugh Laurie
Sunday, October 13, 2013, 7:30 p.m.
Schermerhorn Symphony Center
Concert presented without orchestra
You know him as one of television's most famous doctors – "House" star Hugh Laurie performs for the first time in Nashville at the Schermerhorn. For one night only, Laurie will perform songs from his acclaimed debut Let Them Talk and his recently released Didn't It Rain. While Laurie's first album focused on the sounds of New Orleans, his new album follows the blues upstream and into the American heartland with songs by W.C. Handy, Jelly Roll Morton, Dr. John and The Animals.
Parking Info
Learn about your parking options for this concert: Click here.

subset: commoncrawl


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I've been doing this "technology" thing for a number of years now, and each career change I've made has fallen into one of two categories. Either: a) a fortuitous opportunity I could not have envisioned; or, b) a desperate escape from a crumbling situation. The best example of the latter came with my very first job out of college–at the trough of the "dot com bust"–when I literally turned in my two-weeks notice at the start of a meeting that had been called by my manager for the purpose of telling me that I–after two years of surviving all the others–was a casualty to a round of layoffs. (Sidebar: that company is no longer in existence.)
On the other end of the spectrum are those times where I have made a move from one opportunity to another because of overriding personal, family or career goals. Often, those changes have been spurred on by opportunities that dovetailed nicely with said goals. Once such example was when I chose to leave a job I loved with a great non-profit in order to move my family back to Texas. I still miss that place and those people, but we don't regret for one minute making the decision to be back in Texas, and close to family (Except when it's over 100-degrees, which is every day from May to October).
This is another one of those "fortuitous opportunity" times. And with mixed emotions, I'm announcing that today is my last day at Microsoft.
When I joined Microsoft nearly two years ago as a Developer Evangelist based in Austin, I truly expected that I would be a part of this organization for some time. I've had the great pleasure to spend nearly all of my time focused on the web (ASP.NET MVC, HTML5, CSS and JavaScript, to be specific) and have even had opportunities to participate in Microsoft's ever-widening journey into the world of Open Source (A few examples). I had the pleasure of working with some amazing individuals, got to meet some industry luminaries, spoke at Tech Ed to an audience of over 600 people, organized a few events, wrote a crap ton for MSDN Magazine, blogged, created some screencasts and had the privilege working side-by-side with an individual I consider a lifelong friend.
But personal concerns conflicted with the goals I had laid out for my career, and personal (namely, family), always wins. From day one, I had made it clear to my manager, his manger and anyone else who would listen that my desire was to move into a Product or Program Management role as a next step in my career at Microsoft. It became clear very quickly, though, that in nearly all cases, such a job required a migration to Redmond. My wife and I had some serious conversations about the matter, and decided that after moving away from Colorado (surely, God's Picture Window ™) to return to Texas, we should stay put for a while. As early as last summer, we knew that a move to Redmond (or anywhere) for the next step in my career was out.
At that point, I set myself to focusing on my current role as a Web Evangelist with Microsoft, without worrying about what would come next. After another 3-4 years, I told myself, we'd think about the future. But "what was next" came much sooner than expected when I was presented with an opportunity to step into a role I'd wanted to tackle, and to do so without the condition I move myself or my family. In "Godfather" terms, it was the career offer I couldn't refuse. After much consideration, conversation and consternation–the three "Cs" of any important decision–my wife and I decided that the change was a good one.
And so, on Monday, I begin a new chapter, this time as Product Manager for Kendo UI (http://kendoui.com) at Telerik. I've used Telerik products for years, and I've always appreciated the quality and breadth of their tools. Late last year, they jumped into the HTML5 and Mobile space with Kendo UI, a suite of tools for building HTML5 and Mobile applications with JavaScript and CSS. I've been impressed from day one, and I'm really excited to join the team and help with driving this great product forward. I'm looking forward to working with brilliant folks like Todd Anglin and Burke Holland (Blog), as well as a few other former-Microsofties like Chris Sells, Doug Seven and John Bristowe. It's an exiting time to be a part of the open web, and an exciting time to join Telerik. I feel privileged to be able to do both.
I'm not going to lie to you and pretend that life at Microsoft was without its share of frustrations, but I think we all know that no organization populated by people is without its share of annoyances and daily struggles. In spite of any of those those, I want to be clear–especially in the face of so much negativity swirling around Microsoft–that I am leaving on the best of terms, especially with those individuals I had the pleasure of working with and for over the last two years. Those of you who know me personally know that I'm nobody's fanboy. And even though I will continue to be open with my opinions in the future, I have the utmost respect for the brilliant people of Microsoft and believe that they collectively deserve more credit for attempting to respond to a shifting technology landscape then they often receive.
Here's what this all means from a community perspective: though I am changing employers and the eventual makeup of my day-to-day job, I expect to remain involved with community: in Austin, online and beyond. In the short term, I'll be at SxSW and CodePaLOUsa next month, and I hope to see you at one (or both) of those events as well. Longer-term, you can expect that I will continue organizing the HTML5.tx conference. I had too much fun doing it last year not to. I'll also probably find my way out for events every once and again. As always, I continue blogging here–never often enough–as I have since December of 2004, and I'll be on Twitter–more often than I should–at http://twitter.com/brandonsatrom. I'm also working on a book, but more on that one later.
In the meantime, thanks for following-along here for the Microsoft phase of my journey. Hope you'll stick around for the next one!
http://twitter.com/davidwesst David Wesst
Good luck man! Saw you present at TechEd 2011 and it was a great walk through HTML5. Say hi to Bristowe for me.
http://www.userinexperience.com Brandon Satrom
Thanks David! And will do.
Sagar Ganatra
All the best Brandon!!
http://netcave.org Alan Stevens
Congrat, Brandon. Your team is lucky to have you. Looking forward to seeing you next month at CodePaLOUsa!
http://twitter.com/Teleputer Steve Miller
Welcome to the family. This is an amazing company with incredible products and people.
Edward Adjei
Am happy for you. You are one of the few guys out there I look up to.
http://twitter.com/fuseboxOpera Colin Smith
Congrats dude!
Matthew Bray Nimeth
Congrats on another chapter. I will continue to follow your career with great enthusiasm.
http://www.userinexperience.com Brandon Satrom
Thanks Sagar!
http://www.userinexperience.com Brandon Satrom
Thanks Alan! See you then!
http://www.userinexperience.com Brandon Satrom
Thanks Edward, you are very kind!
http://www.userinexperience.com Brandon Satrom
thank you, sir.
http://www.userinexperience.com Brandon Satrom
Thanks Steve. I look forward to meeting you.
Awesome! Sounds like a great move for you, congrats. One day, we'll not fail to grab a drink together after work
All the best! You've been so helpful for my team over last couple years, we all are very thankful, and hoping your blog, presentations, screencasts will be even more so in your new endevour.
http://www.userinexperience.com Brandon Satrom
Thank you very much! Glad I could be of help to you and your team, and feel free to ping me if there's anything else I can do.
http://www.userinexperience.com Brandon Satrom
Thank you, sir! Hope you and the family are doing well!
http://www.userinexperience.com Brandon Satrom
One day soon, yes. How about next week sometime?
http://www.dscleaning.co.uk/ Richmond Cleaning Company
I have been reading your blog for some time now. And I must say, you really know how to present your words for the audience. good luck on your new endeavour. keep up the good work.
http://www.nakov.com/blog/2012/11/30/telerik-awarded-best-employers-for-2012-in-bulgaria/ Телерик за поредна година е работодател #1 на България за средни предприятия! | Svetlin Nakov's Blog
[...] Brandon Satrоm напуска позицията "Developer Evangelist at Microsoft" и се включва да работи към екипите на българската софтуерна фирма Телерик през 2012 г. [...]
- No public Twitter messages.
Tags.net analogy architecture asp.net asp.net mvc BDD blog C# CoffeeScript communication composition conference conferences css3 ddd design development EA events fun google HTML5 javascript knockout language links microsoft mvc mvccontrib mvvm oss screencast series speaking tdd technology travel ux video WatiN web 2.0 wf win8 workflow writing


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Mar 05, 2013 EbenGregory News 5
While promoting her upcoming album 'Talk A Good Game', Kelly Rowland was asked about the not-so-nice comments made by Keyshia Cole about Michelle Williams' Super Bowl performance, with Destiny's Child. She replied…
Reports The Jasmine Brand:
It didn't even make it on my radar until other people brought it up. It didn't even matter. We had a wonderful performance, and that's all I cared about. I was with my sisters and the three of us matter to each other, and that's all that counts. We matter to a lot more people, with all due respect, than her. So, I really don't care what she said.
This is EbenGregory.com…telling you when someone includes the line, 'With all due respect', disrepect is right behind it. Right Kelly?
Right kelly?
Right Kelly?
Right Kelly?
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Pingback: celeb news and gossip usa | celeb news and gossip, word | celebrity, word()
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That third gif made me spit my damn sunflower seeds out LOL


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Progress in the field of human ancient DNA studies has been severely restricted due to the myriad sources of potential contamination, and because of the pronounced difficulty in identifying authentic results. Improving the robustness of human aDNA results is a necessary pre-requisite to vigorously testing hypotheses about human evolution in Europe, including possible admixture with Neanderthals. This study approaches the problem of distinguishing between authentic and contaminating sequences from common European mtDNA haplogroups by applying a multiplexed Single-Base-Extension assay, containing both control and coding region sites, to DNA extracted from the Tyrolean Iceman.
The multiplex assay developed for this study was able to confirm that the Iceman's mtDNA belongs to a new European mtDNA clade with a very limited distribution amongst modern data sets. Controlled contamination experiments show that the correct results are returned by the multiplex assay even in the presence of substantial amounts of exogenous DNA. The overall level of discrimination achieved by targeting both control and coding region polymorphisms in a single reaction provides a methodology capable of dealing with most cases of homoplasy prevalent in European haplogroups.
The new genotyping results for the Iceman confirm the extreme fallibility of human aDNA studies in general, even when authenticated by independent replication. The sensitivity and accuracy of the multiplex Single-Base-Extension methodology forms part of an emerging suite of alternative techniques for the accurate retrieval of ancient DNA sequences from both anatomically modern humans and Neanderthals. The contamination of laboratories remains a pressing concern in aDNA studies, both in the pre and post-PCR environments, and the adoption of a forensic style assessment of a priori risks would significantly improve the credibility of results.
It is often hoped that the fields of ancient DNA (aDNA) and population genetics will converge to provide novel insights into human prehistory, but there have been very few convincing aDNA studies conducted on human remains, due to the difficulty of differentiating between authentic results and contaminating DNA [1-4]. This problem is particularly acute when the putative endogenous sequences are similar to possible contaminants, and for this reason the most credible research has been restricted to the investigation of remains with highly distinctive, individual or population-specific, genetic signatures, e.g. [5-8]. Consequently, a number of high-profile human aDNA studies have been questioned on the grounds of insufficient proof of authenticity [1,9-12].
Traditionally, the molecular tool for the identification of both endogenous human DNA and potential contaminant sequences has been the comparatively high levels of polymorphism found in the first and second hypervariable sections (HVS1, HVS2) of the mitochondrial (mtDNA) control region. The rapid rate of evolution in this short stretch of the molecule increases the likelihood of encountering multiple distinctive single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in single overlapping polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products. However, in practice, the utility of the control region for this purpose is often compromised by elevated levels of homoplasy, where identical sequences can be shared between different haplotypes. This has lead to an increasing use of hierarchical coding region SNPs to better discriminate between separate haplotypes with identical HVS1 sequences [13]. Whilst this is relatively unproblematic for modern DNA samples, in the case of ancient samples, such as the Iceman, the production of control and coding region sequences in separate PCRs makes it difficult to unequivocally rule out contamination as the source of individual results [12,14,15]. So, paradoxically, the most credible examples of this approach are those where the control region motif is already distinctive in its own right, and the provision of a single additional SNP often provides no significant additional resolution, as with the five Amerindian mtDNA haplogroups, e.g. [16,17].
The most critical factor affecting the accurate genotyping of mtDNA data comprised of both SNPs and control region sequences is the reliability of interpreting unlinked PCR products. These may be subject to sporadic contamination and differential amplification of endogenous and contaminant DNA. One way to address this issue for SNPs is to simultaneously characterise multiple polymorphic sites in a two-stage multiplex reaction using a linear Single-Base-Extension (SBE) mini-sequencing reaction [18-22]. These can overcome many of the problems inherent in providing phylogenetic resolution for human aDNA samples and, in principle, may be able to differentiate between endogenous DNA and a possible contaminant from the same mtDNA haplogroup. Here, we extend this principle to genotype both control region polymorphisms and hierarchical coding regions SNPs within a single multiplexed SBE reaction (K-plex). This is used to obtain a detailed genotype of the Tyrolean Iceman's mtDNA using three separate extracts made from samples of bone and faecal material. The robustness of the results are explored through controlled contamination experiments using SBE reactions and quantitative PCR, and by providing an evaluation of the a priori possibility of obtaining an identical genotype from contaminants originating within the laboratory. The discussion includes a detailed reanalysis of the original study of the Iceman's mtDNA [14] and the conclusions serve to highlight the problems of achieving authentic results from European aDNA samples in general, and the fallibility of independent replication, in particular.
Cloned Sequences
The results from initial PCR amplification and direct sequencing of the three new DNA extracts are reported in Figure 1 and Table 1 and characterise the Iceman's diagnostic control region polymorphisms. The first hyper-variable section (HVS1) between nucleotide positions (nps) 16040 and 16401, revealed three consistent polymorphisms (16224C-16311C-16362C), relative to the revised Cambridge Reference Sequence (rCRS) [23,24], in all clones from all samples (see additional file 1 showing clones covering the key sites nps 16311 and 16362 from all three extracts). There were no positive results obtained from the corresponding extraction blanks and negative controls used in each amplification. The results suggest that the mtDNA belongs to K1* by virtue of matching the revised Cambridge Reference Sequence (rCRS) [24] at nps 497 (K1a), 498 (K1c) and 5913 (K1b), whilst being derived at nps 1189 and 10398 (both K1). Importantly, the presence of the transition at np 8137 is unique within contemporary hg K [13], and the mutation at np 16362 was not reported in the original study of the Iceman's mtDNA [14].
Additional file 1. Cloned HVS1 sequences from the Iceman. HVR1 sequences covering diagnostic SNPs at nps 16311 and 16362, obtained from three extracts of the Iceman's DNA (BPE1, HB49, HB50).
Format: EPS Size: 507KB Download file
Figure 1. PCR results for the three extracts of the Iceman's DNA (HB49, HB50, BPE1). The results place the Iceman's mtDNA into a new (undefined) phylogenetic position (K1*) whilst also reporting the transitions at nps 8137 and 16362. Human mtDNA mutations are scored relative to the revised Cambridge Reference Sequence (rCRS) [23,24], so the Tyrolean Iceman's mtDNA is 'ancestral' at the three positions (C497T, G5913A, 498delC) that define K1a, K1b, and K1c. The sites tested in, 1 [14], 2 [15] and 3this study, are shown to compare the phylogenetic discrimination achieved. Critically, the 16362C polymorphism was not reported in the original study [14] and not tested for in [15]. A recent study [25] explored the entire mtDNA genome of the Iceman by singleplex PCR and has reported all of the polymorphisms listed in Table 1.
Table 1. Singleplex PCR results for the bone (BPE1, HB50) and faecal (HB49) extracts of the Iceman's mtDNA, showing all polymorphisms obtained in separate sets of cloned sequences.
K1 SBE multiplex
Due to the difficulty inherent in proving that results matching the reference sequence at nps 497, 498 and 5913 were not due to contamination [12], a multiplex SBE assay (K1-plex) was designed to test for these three HVS1 polymorphisms (16224C-16311C-16362C), plus nine hierarchical SNPs from both the control and coding regions. The multiplex results revealed transitions at nps 1189, 1811, 9698, 10398 and 14167 (Table 2), indicating membership of the human mtDNA sub-haplogroup K1 [13], as previously suggested by [15,25]. In addition, because the Iceman's sequence matches the rCRS at nps 497, 498, and 5913 (diagnostic of K1a, K1c, and K1b, respectively), we can extend previous suggestions that the Iceman's genotype does not belong to any of the three known clades of K1, and should be referred to a new (undefined) paraphyletic clade, of K1 [25] (Figure 1). A transition at np 8137, previously discovered by singleplex assay of the Iceman's mtDNA, was confirmed by the multiplex SBE results, and is currently unique within hg K [13]. All multiplex results were cross-checked by cloned single-plex PCR results to investigate the potential for false positives in the SBE reaction. The allelic state of each of the 11 SNPs matched the multiplex results (details of all singleplexes are given in Table 1).
Table 2. Multiplex Single Base Extension results for the HB50 bone extracts of the Iceman's DNA using the K1 multiplex.
Crucially, the actual SBE traces (Figure 2) show that the results originated from a single effective population of DNA templates because there were no additional alleles at any of the sites tested. The use of multiplexed SBE also ensured that those hg K1 diagnostic sites matching the rCRS (nps 497, 498, 5913) were not a result of contamination, or sample mix-up, because all were typed concurrently in a single assay, together with other SNPs (16362C, 8137T) diagnostic of the Iceman's mtDNA. Real-time PCR quantification (see additional file 2) indicated that the multiplex assay was initiated with the equivalent of ~36,000 molecules of mtDNA capable of amplifying 60 bp and that inhibition was not detected. This effective copy number is consistent with the absence of repetitive damage motifs amongst the clones and the lack of allelic drop-out in the SBE results [26].
Additional file 2. qPCR results for the Iceman (extract HB50). The blue diamonds are the various dilutions of the reference standard, and the red ones represent the Iceman extract. This gives the estimated starting copy number per microlitre of extract (~18 k).
Format: EPS Size: 196KB Download file
Figure 2. Representative electropherogram of the K1 multiplex assay conducted on the HB50 aDNA extract made from the Iceman's bone, reporting all three HVS1 mutations revealed in the singleplex assays (16224–16311–16362) and eight additional phylogenetically informative SNPs. The SBE results are differentiated by a combination of the alleles and their electrophoretic mobility, determined by the length of the primers (see Table S4). All alleles are called relative to the strand of origin targeted in the SBE reaction; those from the reverse strand should be complemented to be consistent with the rCRS (see Table S2). Positions 5913 and 498 (the smaller peak of the two) have coalesced slightly due to departures from the predicted electrophoretic mobility of the SBE primers. Minor peaks to the left and immediately adjacent of some SNP positions represent background noise, due to variation in length of some SBE primers and can be ignored. There is some background noise evident on the A system but only the peak at the 16362 position is in the correct position to represent contamination (see Fig. 3).
Contamination controls
To further test the potential effect of contamination on the results, a second K1 multiplex assay was performed with the addition of various quantities of a second DNA extract (hg J) to imitate the role of modern contaminant. This produced clearly observable double peaks (representing different alleles at the same site) across a large range of dilutions (Figure 3), confirming the presence of two populations of templates. The lowest quantity of contaminant detected by the multiplex assay was measured by real-time quantitative PCR to be equivalent to ~4% of the total starting copy number. As the proportion of the contaminant increases, so do the secondary peaks, but even at levels of ~20% it is still possible to unambiguously distinguish the two separate populations of templates. This result strongly supports the conclusion from the cloned HVS1 sequences (Figure S1) that the same single endogenous population of templates is represented in the three extracts of the Iceman's DNA.
Figure 3. Results of the contamination assay showing the G/A system from three different multiplex SBE reactions (MP1, MP2, MP3), initiated with the Iceman's DNA mixed with three different amounts of an hg J contaminant. Because the contaminant has ancestral alleles at nps 16224, 16311 and 16362, this causes additional peaks to appear in the A system (highlighted). The small peak to the left of 16362A in each case is background noise (i.e. not due to primer length variation which would produce multiple peaks of varying size, see the G system in Figure 2. This does not interfere with the base calling because it is outside the range of either the 00497 or 16362 SBE primers. The sensitivity of this method is demonstrated by its ability to detect the second population of templates (hg J) at the level of ~4%; even at levels of ~20% contamination, the results for the Iceman's mtDNA are unambiguous and unaffected by the contaminant. The ability to test multiple sites in a single reaction, in the presence of contaminants, without the need to clone individual PCR products, represents a significant advantage of the SBE methodology.
We also typed the mtDNA of all workers involved in the study, from the removal of the samples from the mummy in Italy to the extraction of the DNA in Oxford and no individual had mtDNA belonging to hg K. Although positive results from extraction blanks and PCR negative controls did not occur during the present study, a human contaminant was identified amongst earlier work conducted in the Oxford isolation facility. This was from a modern source of hg K mtDNA with the control region motif 16224C-16311C (i.e. without 16362C) and was eliminated by modification to laboratory protocols regarding common consumables (see Methods).
This hg K contaminant, together with all aDNA extracts with putative European mtDNA prepared in the isolation facility, is listed in additional file 3 but these sequences include no examples of hg K with 16362C. Therefore, at the time that the research into the Iceman's mtDNA was conducted, the probability of obtaining a matching hg K contaminant in the Henry Wellcome Ancient Biomolecules Centre appears to have been extremely low.
Additional file 3. Table of mtDNA haplotypes. List of mtDNA haplotypes of all results from aDNA extracts an negative controls (NC) with putative European human mtDNA prepared in the ABC isolation facility in Oxford. rCRS means that there were no mutations observed relative to the revised Cambridge Reference Sequence.
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This file can be viewed with: Adobe Acrobat Reader
The significance and authenticity of the transition T16362C
Revisiting the mtDNA of the Tyrolean Iceman has raised the issue of how to differentiate between conflicting but highly similar sets of aDNA results, in this case from independent studies of the same individual [[14,15,25], this study]. Although each study obtained hg K mtDNA in their PCR products, only two reported the 16362C polymorphism [[25], this study]. Therefore, there would appear to be multiple sources of hg K mtDNA templates involved because of this difference in the control region motifs. It is important to note that this single base change (T>C) cannot derive from post-mortem damage to the mtDNA molecule because this results in C>T changes only, from the deamination of cytosine to uracil, which is read as a thymine, and appears as a G>A on the opposite strand [27]. Therefore, an erroneous T>C transition could only derive from an artefact of PCR, but the chances of this occurring in multiple amplifications from our three samples, and for the same artefact becoming fixed in every PCR product, appear to be remote. The lack of variation at all the sites we tested, both in cloned sequences and SBE assays, is only consistent with the presence of a single population of mtDNA templates from all three extracts with the control region motif of 16224C-16311C-16362C, for which the a priori probability of these deriving from a common contaminant, either of the laboratory or the sampling procedure, has been demonstrated to be extremely low.
Phylogenetic evidence of authenticity
The likelihood of the current results representing the endogenous DNA of the Iceman is substantially increased by the haplotype falling outside of K1a/K1b/K1c, combined with the unique hg K transition C8137T, matching the results of [25]. A Genbank search reveals two contemporary coding region genomes (SO44 from [28] and Oc05 from [29]) that can be securely assigned to the same paraphyletic K1* position as the Iceman and which share three coding region polymorphisms (see Figure 4). Only one, a Dutch sample (SO44 from [28]) has a published control region sequence, but this also displays the T16362C transition. We propose that these two genomes define a new clade K1d defined by the coding region motif of 4856C-5592G-8901G. This finding provides some support for the proposal of a single European paraphyletic clade of mtDNA hg K1 defined by the 16362C polymorphism [25]. However, the use of a single mutational hotspot (i.e. np 16362, which occurs at least eight times on the hg K background alone) for this purpose is usually discouraged [30]. If all these genomes belong to a single clade, then convention suggests that it should be named K1d, following the cladistic rules for the hierarchical ordering of haplogroups and sub-haplogroups formalised by [31].
Figure 4. Phylogenetic tree of the main branches of human mtDNA hg K1 showing the western European paraphyletic lineages falling outside of K1a, K1b and K1c. All mutations are transitions unless indicated by a letter. Dotted lines indicate samples for which replicated whole genome data is not available; SNPs denoted in bold are those tested in the K1 multiplex; the tree is rooted in African hg L3. All lineages with 16362C are grouped by parsimony into a single potential European paraphyletic clade. The clade of K1d is defined by three coding region mutations shared between SO44 and Oc5 from [29]. Together with a single example of K1* from Iran [13] (not shown), these represent the sum total of hg K1 mtDNA lineages currently known to fall outside of K1a\K1b\K1c, amongst a worldwide survey of over 1000 haplogroup K samples (1Howell et al., 2003 [28]; 2this study; 3 Genbank direct submission).
The perils of contamination
The difference between the conclusions of the original study and the current consensus of the Iceman's mtDNA control region might appear to be trivial. Yet the implications are actually of the utmost importance and warrant a detailed reanalysis of the original data. This is because the absence of the 16362C allele amongst the results of Handt et al [14], suggests that they genotyped a different hg K individual. Reanalysis of the original data reveals the presence of at least two populations of templates (Figure 5a). One of these is a variant of human mtDNA hg J (defined by the motif 16069T-16126C-16390A) [21,32], whilst the other observable haplotype (16093C-16224C-16311C) is a common occurrence within hg K [13].
Figure 5. a/b Graphical representation of the sequences obtained for the Iceman from Handt et al. 1994. (a) Cloned HVS1 control region sequences from [14] (the nucleotide positions are listed in the top row, whilst the first column refers to the number of each clone). There are two clearly identifiable European mtDNA haplotypes belonging to hg K (16093C-16224C-16311C, clones 1–11 and potentially 19–43), and hg J (16069T-16126C-16390A, clones 12–16). The absence of both 16093C and 16126C from the shortest (100 bp) amplification product (clones 44–55) indicates the presence of at least three populations of templates. Positions of template switching ('jumping PCR') are indicated by brown highlighting, and evident by the replacement of the expected mutation either by the rCRS (no letter), or a polymorphism from a different template. Critically, there are no examples of the 16362C polymorphism in any templates covering this position. (b) Results from the independent replication [37] which were only indirectly sequenced (not cloned), identifying just the two control region transitions basal to hg K (16224C-16311C). This suggests that these results derived from a second hg K contaminant, differing from those of Figure 5a through the lack of the 16093C transition, and from the Tyrolean Iceman by the absence of the key T>C transition at np 16362.
Appropriate Molecular Behaviour
The published consensus sequence excluded the transition detected at np 16093 on the basis that it did not feature in the 100 bp product [14]. This short sequence was argued to have been more likely to represent the endogenous DNA on the basis of appropriate molecular behaviour [14]. This concept predicts that the shortest amplification product, in the presence of modern contaminants, is more likely to represent the endogenous DNA [33,34] (but see also [35]). As we have demonstrated that the mtDNA of our Iceman extracts does not contain the 16093C allele, it is conceivable that the 100 bp product of Handt et al. [14] did originate from DNA endogenous to the sample. Support for, or against, this conclusion can be sought from the clones for sequences including np 16362. It was recently suggested that the lack of the 16362C allele amongst the Handt et al. sequences may partly be attributable to the production of chimeras amongst these longer amplicons [25]. The obvious mixture of alleles at nps 16093, 16311 and 16390 (clones 1, 4, 6, 7, 10, 12, 16, 17, 19–21, and 24–26; Figure 5a) demonstrate that either these sites were subject to post-mortem damage or hg K mtDNA templates were involved in 'jumping PCR' events with contaminants [36]. Yet, of all the clones covering the upper portion of the control region sequence (1–17, and 28–34), none contain the key transition at np 16362. This suggests that the extraction actually contained a different source of hg K mtDNA to the single mtDNA sequence recovered in [25] and the present study.
The fallibility of independent replication
Given the absence of 16093C and 16362C amongst the replication results of Handt et al., the only plausible conclusion is that these derived from a second, entirely different, hg K source. These results, combined with a unique haplotype in [25] and the present study, strongly suggests that both laboratories in the original study suffered from hg K contamination. The mtDNA profiles of the staff in the primary laboratory of the first study were not provided [14]; although a subsequent publication of the replicated results [37] disclosed that a member of the secondary laboratory staff was hg K (16224C-16311C), substantially increasing the likelihood for contamination occurring. It is important to note that the independent replication step, in this case, did not technically fail. Instead, the analysis did not manage to distinguish between these two non-identical sources of hg K mtDNA, neither of which appear to have derived from the Iceman. The fallibility of the original, independently replicated, study emphasizes why unlinked singleplex PCR results may not be sufficient proof of authenticity. This is particularly problematic where novel aDNA genomes are defined by long stretches of sequence matching the rCRS, and motifs including C>T changes that can arise as a product of post-mortem modifications to DNA templates [25].
Recommendations for future human aDNA research
Criteria of authenticity
We suggest that any contamination risk assessment in human aDNA research would be improved through the incorporation of an analysis of the a priori probability that the extract will be contaminated. Human aDNA studies are now routinely providing genetic characterisation of individuals who have been involved in the manipulation of a sample, e.g. [17]. For an accurate evaluation of the true risk, in a way that would satisfy common international standards in forensic science, it is also necessary to supply data on false positives and other previous amplification of similar genotypes from the laboratories concerned. The presence of hg K mtDNA amongst the common reagents of the laboratory in the present study confirms how consumables can be a source of contamination [38], with obvious implications for the efficacy of independent replication. The findings of the present study provide clear evidence why, as with any scientific investigation, all reasonable efforts to falsify human aDNA results should be made, even when controls such as independent replication are known to be fallible under certain circumstances [39]. This is clearly the case for human aDNA research carried out on European remains in European laboratories.
Identifying DNA haplotypes using multiple SNPs
The use of the K1-plex demonstrates the potential power of discrimination achievable by linking control and coding region sites in a single SBE multiplex. Although the fortuitous circumstances of a unique maternal lineage cannot be expected in the majority of human aDNA studies, this kind of multiplexed approach should in many situations be able to identify where DNA templates from two or more discrete individuals are present. So, the standards applied here should not be taken as a reference for other research using human DNA extracts that fall squarely into more mainstream situations. Nevertheless, the linking of all loci in one multiplex SBE reaction can still improve the security of interpretation, whilst assisting in the identification of possible contamination events and helping to conserve irreplaceable aDNA extracts.
This study has highlighted the potential fallibility of the interpretation of human aDNA results, and the need for a forensic style assessment of risks associated with the production of data. Independent replication remains a core component of authentication strategies for human aDNA studies, and it is paramount that this test is applied critically to function properly. More stringent controls are required to move the field forward, both a priori and a posteriori, for the production and interpretation of data; in particular, the disclosure of all possible sources of contamination in aDNA studies using generic hominin primers. In PCR-based studies, this data should include genetic profiles of the workers involved for whichever target loci are being investigated.
The use of multiplex SBE assays offer one solution for authenticating human aDNA results and screening novel genome data. In the present study the K1 multiplex accurately genotyped the Iceman's mtDNA and has independently confirmed it belongs to a novel lineage of mtDNA hg K. A novel aspect of this approach is the ability to link SNPs from both the control and coding regions of the mtDNA genome in a single reaction, reducing the possibility of contamination affecting the results. In a controlled contamination experiment, the SBE methodology correctly identified the endogenous genotype of the Iceman and the relative quantities of the modern mtDNA contaminant.
Two samples of bone removed from the ileum, and one of faecal matter from the rectum were digested in temporally separated extractions (4 ml total volume) by a previously published protocol [22]. One extraction blank was produced for each sample, and PCRs also included negative controls.
The specialist Ancient Biomolecules Centre (ABC) at Oxford was used to extract DNA, and set up PCR reactions. The ABC is physically isolated, subject to stringent anti-contamination procedures, equipped with positive air pressure and UV lighting, and has a DNA laboratory and equipment (glove box, instruments, full body suits, protective masks, etc.) dedicated solely to ancient human specimens. The thermal cycling reactions and subsequent downstream work took place in a separate laboratory located in the Department of Zoology.
Initial singleplex PCRs on the control region were conducted with primers listed in additional file 4 and cloned by previously published protocols [22]. Several hierarchical SNPs from the human mtDNA phylogeny together with haplogroup K specific SNPs were identified [13,40] using additional singleplex PCR primers designed to be compatible under multiplex PCR conditions [26].
Additional file 4. Table of Singleplex PCR primers used in this study. The first and fourth columns give the 5' ends of the forward and reverse primers, respectively.
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The three control region SNPs, located in the singleplex PCRs, were combined with key SNPs from major clades of the hg K phylogeny, to form the K1 multiplex. A selection of higher order hierarchical SNPs from the human phylogeny were also included to check the consistency of results across additional loci [13,40]. This integration of all diagnostic sites into a single assay reduces the range of explanations required when results do not conform to expectations because the possibility of sample mix up is eliminated.
The initial multiplex PCR was performed using 2 μl of DNA extract in a 25 μl reaction volume using primers listed in additional file 5 by a previously published protocol [22]. SBE reactions were performed in a total volume of 5 μl with 0.5 μl purified PCR product, 2.5 μl SNaPshot™ reaction mix (AB) and 0.5 μl SBE primer mix (SBE primers listed in additional file 6). Negative controls were included in both stages of the assay to assess the potential for contamination.
Additional file 5. K1 multiplex PCR primers. The fourth and the sixth columns give the 5' ends of the forward and reverse primers, respectively, whilst the second column indicates the position of the site being targeted in the SBE reaction.
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Additional file 6. K1 multiplex SBE primers. The name of the Single-Base-Extension primer indicates the site being tested and the strand orientation, whilst the last column gives the possible ancestral and derived alleles.
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Automated allele calls were made using macros constructed in Genotyper 3.7 (AB). Primer concentrations were adjusted to give balanced amounts of products and peak heights, concentrating on the SBE reaction [19]. All primers were synthesized and reverse-phase HPLC purified by Biomers.net GmbH (Ulm, Germany). A detailed protocol for the optimization of SBE multiplexes is available elsewhere [26].
Quantitative PCR (qPCR) was conducted on the HB50 aDNA bone extract and a modern DNA sample (belonging to the mitochondrial hg J) in 25 μl reaction volumes, using SYBR Green PCR master-mix (AB), 300 nM human-specific primers, synthesized template standards (see additional file 7) and an ABI Prism 7000 Sequence Detection System (95°C for 10 min, followed by 40 cycles of 95°C for 15 sec, and 60°C for 60 sec). All samples were run in triplicate with two 1:4 serial dilutions. The standards were also run in triplicate with 1:9 dilutions ranging from 106-102 copies per μl. The adjusted R2 value of all assays performed was equal to a minimum of 99%, and PCR efficiency, in each case, was calculated with the formula [41] to be ~2 (see additional file 2).
Additional file 7. Quantitative PCR primers and synthetic standards. The name of the primer indicates the position immediately 3' of the primer sequence.
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Once the effective copy number of the modern DNA was known, a range of dilutions were run against the HB50 extract in a relative quantification, using the same primers and conditions, until the reported copy number of both the ancient and modern extracts were equivalent. The multiplex contamination experiments were then performed using successive serial dilutions of the hg J contaminant mixed with constant quantities of the aDNA extract to seed the multiplex PCR. This procedure provides a detailed measure of the sensitivity of the SBE methodology for identifying and estimating the amount of contamination present in an aDNA extract through the incorporation of additional peaks at segregating sites.
All contamination experiments, thermal cycling reactions and downstream work took place in a separate laboratory located in the Department of Zoology. All relevant personnel in this study had their mtDNA typed. The two researchers who took the samples from the Iceman have mtDNA matching hg H and hg J1b. All aDNA work in Oxford (extractions, singleplex and multiplex PCRs) were carried out by PE, who is hg H.
Figures were prepared using Inkscape Vector Illustrator compiled for use in Ubuntu Linux. The real-time PCR plot was created using the R statistical package http://www.r-project.org webcite. The manuscript was written using the LyX document preparation system http://www.LyX.org webcite.
Authors' contributions
PP and AC were responsible for the original idea of the study. PE conceived, designed and performed the experiments; analysed and interpreted the data; drafted the manuscript. JJS participated in the design of the study; designed the multiplex, and helped to draft the manuscript. IP performed analysis of modern DNA samples and edited the manuscript. PB helped with the design of the study and helped to draft the manuscript. JB helped to design and run the real-time PCR quantitation and helped to draft the manuscript. EV supplied the samples. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
AC provided the laboratory facilities for the work. PE was supported by the National Environment Council of Great Britain, and Magdalen College, Oxford; JJS by a grant from Plan Nacional I+D+I (MEC. 18.08.43B.780); AC by the Wellcome and Leverhulme trusts; IP and PP were supported by the Health Care Assessorate of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano and the South Tyrolean Sparkasse Foundation.
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Phone: (717) 267-2400
Website: http://www.statefarm.com/agent/US/PA/Chambersburg/Abel-Castro-HSBL96BKKGE
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AbelCastroStateFarmAgent
Type of business/service: Insurance agency
Products/services: The agency offers more than 100 products, covering auto, home and life insurance, in addition to banking and financial products.
Hours of operation: The agency is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to noon.
Staff: Abel Castro is joined by Chris Wagaman, Debbie Stoops, and Brik Miller.
Background: Castro officially took over the agency on Jan. 1. Prior to becoming a State Farm agent, Castro worked for Forrester Lincoln for 5 years. He is a longtime Chambersburg resident, attended Chambersburg Area Senior High School, and holds his degree in computer electronics and engineering technology. He is also a member of the Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce. Castro and his family, wife Jackie and daughter Jocelin, live in Chambersburg.
In their words: "My goal is to help the people of Chambersburg and the surrounding communities to manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected, and realize their dreams. Being a State Farm agent fuels my desire to make a difference in the lives of the people around me," Castro said. "My team and I will take pride in meeting your insurance and financial needs.
If you know of a new business in the area that you would like to see featured in the weekly business profile, contact Marcus Rauhut at firstname.lastname@example.com or at 262-4752.


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Good-For-You Valentine's Gifts
The current theme of Manhattan's new concept shop: wellness. We asked Story's creator for her February 14 favorites from the collection.
Shopping is fun again, thanks to Rachel Shechtman, founder of STORY, the new concept shop in west Chelsea that's completely made over every four to eight weeks around a different theme. Through March 3rd you'll find the most innovative collection of wellness goodies we've ever seen in the playfully-designed space complete with live green wall, porch swing and oversized bean bag chairs. Here, Shechtman shares her favorite picks from the current collection for the fitness-inclined Valentine:
T Spheres Massage Balls
"Who doesn't need an aromatherapy-infused massage ball? They're great for traveling."FIND IT
Wei of Chocolate
"Everything from this line is vegan, gluten free and fair trade. My favorite is the one with Himalayan pink salt."FIND IT
Leatherhead Medicine Ball
"Love this brand. They also make basketballs and footballs. They're all completely functional, but they just look really old school."FIND IT
Pluck Sunny Side Out
"For a healthier breakfast in bed."FIND IT
Herb Garden for Wine Lovers
"It's a kit for growing oregano, English thyme, basil bouquet, Italian parsley and summer savory, which all pair well with fine wines."FIND IT
Smarty Pants Vitamins
"They're all natural and have vitamin D, which isn't as common in multi vitamins. Plus they taste great."FIND IT
Jiva Apoha Oils
"These sold out fast, and we just got more. They're amazing."FIND IT
Wyatt Little planter
"A porcelain sneaker planter. Brilliant."FIND IT
DL Co Candles
"A manly candle, with a great musky scent."FIND IT


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Blog: Why your CV is no longer enough
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Estimating risk has situational components – crossing the road in traffic might depend on how fast the traffic is moving and how fast you can run, writes Peter Ellen.
March 10, 2013 6:12 by kippreport
One of the factors we (need to) take into account when we look at how we lead our lives is 'how much risk can I tolerate in order to achieve my goals?' This question is relevant to whether we accept a job with a high fixed salary, but little chance of a performance-related bonus or one with a lower fixed salary, but a chance of a big bonus; whether we choose a sun-bathing beach holiday or 'bungee jumping for beginners'' or whether we cross the road using a footbridge or take our chances in the traffic.
In each of these situations, we make some calculation (not necessarily on a piece of paper) about the rewards associated with a course of action (higher income, more exciting holiday, shorter, faster journey) and the risks we are running (loss of income, personal injury or fatal accident). These calculations are guided by our judgement, based on previous experiences (ours and others') of the likely success or failure of the different course of action available to us.
Without risk, there is no reward – we know this. Our lives contain an element of risk anyway, some of it out of our control (climate change, financial system collapse etc.) but our choices in life are guided by our judgement the risk-reward equation.
Saving and investing are no different from other activities we undertake. There are no 'No Risk' options (i.e. choices that enable you to achieve your goals that carry a guarantee that you won't lose some or all of your money), but you can find options that run on a scale of low risk to high risk. The first question to ask, of course, is how much risk do you need to run to achieve your goals, and, basically, you can say that the higher the return you require on your money to achieve your goals, the more risk you have to run to achieve it.
However, once this question has been asked and answered, you can say putting your money under your bed will guarantee no gain in value, but the most obvious risk you run is the erosion of value through inflation (and you could be burgled, of course). At the other end of the scale, you could bet your money on a slot machine or a horse, where the rewards are great (you could double your money in a few minutes) but the risk is high (you could lose it all in the same time).
Estimating risk has situational components – crossing the road in the traffic might depend on how fast the traffic is moving and how fast you can run, whether you have done it before, and what you know about traffic accidents. Investment risk is no different.
Ask yourself the following questions…
How much of your money are you prepared to lose (or are able to lose) while searching for higher returns?
Do you think it would be better to put all of your money in one investment (or one type of investment) or spread it over several?
Do you have the right information to make the investment decision?
How do you rate your experience as an investor – expert, experienced, regular, novice or none-at-all?
How do you deal with uncertainty? (Higher risk investments tend to fluctuate in value more than lower risk ones. If you go for a high-risk high-return approach, you may have to tolerate ups and downs).
Most importantly, what sort of person are you? Are you the sort of person who looks for the rush of excitement or do you prefer safety and security?
Understanding risk and your own appetite for risk are key factors in being able to make investment decisions in line with your own personality, values, goals and pocket. If you talk to a financial adviser, he or she will be able to help you draw your own 'risk profile' and advise you on the sort of portfolio you should establish to meet your goals within your risk appetite.
It doesn't matter whether you have $100 or $100,000 to invest, getting the right advice is critical to your financial well-being.
Peter Ellen is Operations Director at Nexus Insurance Brokers www.nexusadvice.com and has extensive experience in the area of sales management and leadership, sales and sales management development and operations management. He has worked in the industry for 28 years in senior management positions and as a consultant, working with regulators, product providers and distributors. To contact Peter for advice with any insurance and investment advice please email him at [email protected]
1 Comment
Very true … there is no FREE MEAL …. so every investment choice of ours has some risk in it … acknowledging it is the first step in investing.
'Fuelling Cobone's growth going forward'
March 10 2013
Emirates Airline eyes 10-year amortising Sukuk issue
March 11 2013


text:
Posted on 7 June 2014
- 10:00
Our versatile midfielder is in the much-talked about Belgian squad for the tournament finals in Brazil, along with Club-mates Jan Vertonghen and Mousa Dembele.
And as the Red Devils prepare to face Tunisia tonight, kick-off 7.45pm, in their final warm-up game ahead of the famous tournament, the 24-year-old reckons the sense of togetherness in the Belgian camp can only help their bid for glory.
"During the summer we have to stay more than one month together, so we have to stick together out on the pitch as well," he said.
"We're lucky because we have a good group, a young group, and we've known each other for a long time now.
"But with the start of the tournament coming up, we just have to make sure we are ready for this World Cup."
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© Tottenham Hotspur Ltd 2015. All rights reserved.
All photography copyright Getty Images (unless otherwise stated)


text:
Some children flaunted their way to the stage while others shyly strolled but every student at Silva Valley School participated in Friday, Feb. 28's costumed vocabulary parade inside the gym.
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Some children flaunted their way to the stage while others shyly strolled but every student at Silva Valley School participated in Friday, Feb. 28's costumed vocabulary parade inside the gym.
Set to upbeat music, students from junior kindergarten through fifth grade got to show off the one word they'd chosen to emulate. From everyday words like watermelon to the obscure (yurt), most words became hilarious (sirloin) and all were witty by showing the definition of words through costume.
Adapted from the children's book "Miss Alaineus, A Vocabulary Disaster" by Debra Frasier, where the characters participate in a vocabulary parade and contest, the idea of hosting vocabulary parades has caught on at schools across the country during Read Across America Week, which coincides with Dr. Seuss' birthday on March 2.
"Our new library associate Ashley Bose is truly the reason this whole week has transpired," Principal Kathy Holliman said. "Ashley is new to our district and she's done an amazing job promoting literacy and the joy of learning and vocabulary enrichment. It's been so fun to watch a new employee take off."
The vocabulary parade was the culmination of Read Across America Week at Silva Valley. On Monday, Feb. 24 the school had more than 40 parents read favorite children's books to classes and then the adults discussed their careers.
On Wednesday, Feb. 26, the Golden Book Exchange was held; students were encouraged to bring in gently used books, which were then sorted by age.
"All 636 students went home with a new book," said Holliman. "We used to do a pajama day (during Read Across America week) but this is the first year we've done a whole week of it."
Holliman said the challenges during the week were to make sure each child received a book and that each child had a costume for the parade but it all worked out.
Every grade had winners selected for most creative use of a word, most creative homemade costume, most unique/challenging word and best definition. The winners enjoyed an ice cream party that same day.
Kids chose their own vocabulary words and built buzz before the parade by placing their word for all to see.
"Our students have been building a giant word wall filled with every type of word imaginable, from the ordinary to the extraordinary," said library associate Bose. "New words have been posted daily. Never before has vocabulary been such a popular subject. Students are talking about their words, how they found them and what the words mean. By the end of the parade, they were giggling, laughing and guffawing at words ranging from the hilarious to the mundane."
As for the process, four weeks ago students were instructed to "think of a juicy word that would have an interesting costume design."
As for costumes they were told, "You may recycle all sorts of items around your home to make a creative homemade costume: boxes, poster-board, hats, paper bags, fabric, tin foil, etc."
To make the costume complete they needed to make a large vocabulary sign/label. "You can carry the word, make a headband or hat, or have it as part of your costume. Your word just needs to be visible somewhere on you," the instructions said.
Second-grader Anna Rose chose the word crumple.
"For my costume I crumpled up a bunch of pieces of paper and glued them onto my shirt," she said. "My sign has letters all crumpled up." Anna said the word that stands out to her from the week is orbit. "It means stuff going around your head … I mean stuff going around."
Anna's brother Matthew is in fourth-grade and he chose singe.
"We singed my white T-shirt and my sign," he said. "We took a lighter and held the lighter close to the sign to write 'singed.'"
"I love to hear them ask, 'What is that word? What does it mean?'" said Holliman. "I hope the event gave kids a curiosity for words, which will extend to their reading experience and make them want to keep learning and reading."


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The Absolute Sound FLAC article
The Absolute Sound FLAC article
Jan 7 2012, 04:19
Post #1
Group: Members
Posts: 9
Joined: 28-August 07
Member No.: 46568
My father subscribes to "The Absolute Sound," and in the latest issue they have an article about FLAC. Of course they have no (or very minimal) double-blind testing (something both my father and I believe is necessary for any review to be valid) and a history of endorsing bullshit, so we take their results with a truckload of salt.
They score their comparisons on a scale from 0-200 points, with CD audio as 100 points. The scores are generated by A/B comparison (not A/B/X) to a variety of reference qualities. The first issue crops up with this. 0 = Kazoo. 50 = 320kbps MP3. 100 = Red Book CD, 44.1khz/16 bit. 110 = 48khz/24 bit upconverted CD. 120 = 88/24 upconverted. 130 = 96/24 upconverted. 150 = 176/24 upconverted. 160 = 192/24 upconverted. 170 = 192/32 upconverted. 180 = SACD/HRx/High-res downloads. 200 = "Master Tape?". There are no references between 50 and 100. Furthermore, a "very large" difference of 50 points would "require only one A/B comparison and is so large that a 24-hour hiatus between listening sessions would still elicit the typical audiophile expression of 'Holy Cow! This is a night and day difference!'"
Both their reference systems used on-board sound cards capable of 192khz S/PDIF output into a PS Audio PWD DAC. Motherboard brand and model is not disclosed. Actual sound-card model is not disclosed.
This seems quite suspicious to me. I have been unable to successfully detect differences between 320kbps CBR MP3, wave ripped from CD using Exact Audio Copy, and CD Audio using Foobar2000's ABX comparator plugin. I used Epica's "Design Your Universe" tracks "White Waters" and "Burn to a Cinder" as my references this time. I used the onboard audio of my motherboard (an ASUS P6X58D Premium, Realtek ALC889 audio, with 24-bit/192khz default output set in Windows 7) and a set of Grado SR-60 stereo headphones. My CD drive is a Lite-On iHAS424. I don't have a fancy $4000 DAC. My ABX test results were no better than guessing, nowhere near a "night and day" difference audible with a 24-hour gap. I sincerely doubt that the lower quality of my headphones and DAC would be enough to mask such a difference. Thus, I doubt their measurement scale's accuracy.
They did their playback comparisons using JRMC (proprietary) with 192/32 realtime upsampling. They never once mention using the reference FLAC encoder/decoder, or even FLAC frontend.
The top 3 programs in sound quality were:
JRMC: 150 score for HRx 176.1khz/24-bit to FLAC
dBPowerAmp: 145
Foobar2000: 140
Original HRx wave file: 180
So they're claiming a large drop in sound quality.
Later they claim that converting from FLAC to WAV with Foobar can increase sound quality (where would the extra data be coming from?) and that other programs decrease sound quality. In all cases they claim a decrease in sound quality when compared to the original CD.
They also (via listening tests, no md5 hashing or such) claim that Wav->FLAC->Wav conversions create cumulative degradation. This is, of course, a very big claim.
So I took a wav file (a rip of "White Waters", mentioned above) and used the FLAC reference encoder to compress it. Then to decompress. I compared the MD5 hashes of the two .wav files, and they were the same. Just in case some strange miracle had occurred and I'd found an MD5 collision I compared the SHA-512 sums, and those were also the same. The two files were bit-for-bit identical. Just for fun, I repeated the wav->FLAC->wav process 10 times, and the files still had identical hashes. I then ABX tested the original and final files, and was unable to do better than guessing.
TL;DR: Bullshit detected.
Jan 11 2012, 11:28
Post #2
Group: Members
Posts: 168
Joined: 1-April 09
Member No.: 68578
The fact that FLAC is lossless, and should always produce the exact same result the uncompressed counterpart, I don't get the rating system.
Shouldn't 0 be nothing? I.e. white noise or silence?
I don't know that magazine, and therefore I don't know how well respected that magazine is. But those kind of magazines or webzines tend to make errors here and there. I remember an article on Tom's Hardware, which is a very well respected source of hardware reviews and examination. But they reviewed a device once and were talking about the custom controller in there and were speculating about production value, procedures and all that. Later in the article it was revealed, that it is a chip made by Xillings and next to it a picture of it...
...it was clearly an FPGA.
The whole article about the chip made no sense, of those three full pages of text about 40% were bullshit/simply wrong. I believe it is the same with this article you described. The article doesn't make sense, it's like comparing text files: Copy a plain text file, compress one with LZMA and then uncompress it, then check if they're still identical. So maybe it's not the magazine at fault, maybe just the author of the article. Was probably an intern or something, writing it.
This post has been edited by polemon: Jan 11 2012, 11:33
Jan 13 2012, 00:06
Post #3
Group: Members
Posts: 2817
Joined: 18-December 03
Member No.: 10538
The article doesn't make sense, it's like comparing text files: Copy a plain text file, compress one with LZMA and then uncompress it, then check if they're still identical. So maybe it's not the magazine at fault, maybe just the author of the article. Was probably an intern or something, writing it.
um, no, it wasn't.
Jan 13 2012, 16:03
Post #4
Group: Members
Posts: 168
Joined: 1-April 09
Member No.: 68578
um, no, it wasn't.
Oookaaay, well, like I said, I never heard of the magazine before.
|Lo-Fi Version
|Time is now: 1st December 2015 - 21:32


text:
Bel Air Collection Resort And Spa Los Cabos
Bel Air Collection Resort And Spa Los Cabos
Hotel Guest Rating: 7.3/10
Km. 29 Carretera Transpeninsular S/N Cp
San Jose Del Cabo 23400
Welcome to the Bel Air Collection Resort And Spa Los Cabos
Rooms with kitchenettes are right on the beach at the Bel Air Collection Resort and Spa Los Cabos, which also boasts an outdoor pool and an on-site restaurant.
Hotel Features
This low-rise resort property has 97 rooms with high-speed internet access, cable TVs with DVD players and kitchenettes. Guests can go for dip any time of year at the outdoor pool surrounded by palm trees. Follow that with a soak in the hot tub. Plan parasailing or a dining outing at the hotel's tourist desk. Dine in at for breakfast, lunch and dinner at the on-site restaurant. Top off the night with a drink at the bar.
Hotel Location
The hotel is right on the beach, about two miles from central San Jose del Cabo and within a mile of two golf courses. Guests can walk a quarter-mile to the shops at Plaza Peninsula. Los Cabos International Airport is nine miles away. The amazing rock outcrops at Land's End on the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula are 20 miles away.
Guest Favorites
The Bel Air Collection Resort and Spa Los Cabos gives Priceline guests beach access, a landscaped outdoor pool and an on-site restaurant.
Bel Air Collection Resort And Spa Los Cabos Amenities
- 24-hour front desk
- 24-hour room service
- 24-hour security
- Air conditioning
- Alarm clock
- AM/FM radio
- Baby sitting
- Barber shop
- Beauty shop/salon
- Bell staff/porter
- Breakfast served in restaurant
- Business center
- Cable television
- Car rental desk
- Children's nursery
- Cocktail lounge
- Coffee shop
- Color television
- Complimentary in-room coffee or tea
- Concierge desk
- Concierge floor
- Connecting rooms
- Continental breakfast
- Currency exchange
- Dinner served in restaurant
- Direct dial telephone
- Doctor on call
- Early check-in
- Exercise gym
- Fire safety compliant
- Fitness center on-site
- Food and beverage outlets
- Front desk
- Full american breakfast
- Full business center
- Full service housekeeping
- Gift/News stand
- Hairdresser/barber
- Hairdryer
- High speed internet access
- High speed internet access for laptop in public areas
- High speed internet connection
- Housekeeping - daily
- Internet services
- Iron
- Ironing board
- Jacuzzi
- Kitchenette
- Late check-out available
- Laundry/Valet service
- Lobby coffee service
- Lounges/bars
- Lunch served in restaurant
- Massage services
- Non-smoking
- Non-smoking rooms (generic)
- On-site business center
- On-site business center is staffed
- On-Site parking
- Parking
- Parking lot
- Phone services
- Photocopy center
- Public area air conditioned
- Remote control television
- Room service
- Room service - limited menu
- Secured parking
- Security
- Solarium
- Spa
- Toilet
- Tour/sightseeing desk
- Turndown service
- Valet cleaning
- Valet parking
- Wakeup service
- Wireless connectivity
- Wireless internet connection
- Wireless internet connection in public areas
Hotel Information
Please note that there are renovation works around the property and you may experience some noise. These works will last until November, 2015. Guests are required to show a photo identification and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply.
Hotel Guest Reviews of the Bel Air Collection Resort And Spa Los CabosOur hotel ratings and reviews are from real hotel guests. Priceline.com ensures that its reviews are guests-only by proactively sending hotel surveys to customers after they've completed their hotel stays. In the post-stay surveys, priceline.com hotel customers are asked a number of questions about their stay and the hotel. On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the best, the survey asks guests to rate their overall experience and specifically rate the hotel's cleanliness, staff and location. Priceline.com does not allow site visitors to post unsolicited hotel reviews.
November 23, 2015
Family Traveling with Young Children
January 7, 2015
April 5, 2014
A little trouble with our bill in that they didn't seem to understand that I had paid priceline already. Still resolving a double charge. It will get worked out, I'm sre, but be aware.
June 17, 2013
January 26, 2012
May 18, 2011
Staff friendly, restaurant ok, spacious king size suites with ocean view, don't reserve the single rooms or you will be stuck in back with no view and small room. Long way to rooms from lobby and pool you will need a bellboy with cart and can take a long time waiting for one.
(1 - 6 of 6 reviews)
Most Popular Guest-Rated Hotels in Los Cabos
- Casa Dorada Los Cabos Resort & Spa
- Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort
- Sheraton Hacienda Del Mar Resort And Spa
- The Westin Resort & Spa, Los Cabos
Most Popular Business-Friendly Hotels in Los Cabos
Most Popular Romantic Hotels in Los Cabos
- Casa Dorada Los Cabos Resort & Spa
- Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Resort & Spa - Luxury All Inclusive Adult
- Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort
Most Popular Family-Friendly Hotels in Los Cabos
- Melia Cabo Real All Inclusive Golf & Beach Resort
- Grand Fiesta Americana Los Cabos All Inclusive Golf & Spa
- Pueblo Bonito Rose


text:
R.M. Stoudt
R.M. Stoudt located in Jamestown is Your Local Jamestown Ford Dealer when it comes to the purchase or lease of a New Ford or Used Vehicle in Jamestown and the surrounding area. R.M. Stoudt is committed to Customer Service on all Ford Cars, Ford Trucks and Ford SUVs, and our Ford Service Department is here to help you Save Time & Money. We have a great inventory of New Ford Vehicles & Pre-Owned Cars. Please give us a call anytime if you have questions.
Sales: 888-856-7544 Service: 888-724-3564


text:
Creekside, Grand Ridge students create city of the future
June 14, 2011
By Christopher Huber
The day after Ron Ciraulo's fourth-graders presented their futuristic city project to city leaders, Kameron Gurol, Sammamish's director of community development, personally commended the teacher for the students' high-quality work.
"For somebody like that to go out of his way to stop and tell you, 'Hey, we were really impressed with that' … The surprise for me was that it was such a huge hit for council and staff members," Ciraulo said. " I think they were really impressed with the quality of work these kids were doing."
Ciraulo's gifted fourth-graders (the SAGE program) at Creekside and Grand Ridge elementary schools recently finished their yearlong Polyhedraville city-building project. As a team, the 29 students presented the 8-by-8-foot, 3-D model to the Sammamish City Council on June 7. Group leaders had rehearsed facts and features to highlight about the project, which covered lessons in math, social studies, community planning, building codes, communication and government.
"It was actually kind of fun. I was a little bit nervous," said Cole Hinkelman, a Creekside fourth-grader.
On the first day of school last August, the students were given a challenge: It's 200 years in the future and the world is overpopulated. Compete to design a community for one of the few remaining undeveloped areas of the world.
"My favorite part would probably have to be creating our ideas, building our buildings," Grand Ridge student Brian Park said. "Through your imagination, you can kind of roam free and create whatever you want."
The students had to address what types of buildings would be used, how the city would be organized and what city planners have to consider when planning development. To help the students understand using a comprehensive plan, Emily Arteche, a lead planner with the city of Sammamish, visited each class, Ciraulo said.
"I felt good and proud of myself because we worked hard on it. It turned out to be a really good city," said Sami Bening, of Creekside. "To show it to the City Council was really fun with my team and my friends."
Early in the process, the students learned about polyhedrons — three-dimensional geometric solids with flat faces and straight lines. They were tasked with designing their own idea of a futuristic city. Each class then voted on the best one. For the next eight months, they worked in small groups on eight smaller portions of the city grid.
All the while, Ciraulo taught about architecture, engineering, collaboration, self-assessment and budgeting — each student had $50,000 to build a house and one other building, he said. Because the students were working at two different schools, Ciraulo developed the online Polyhedraville Wiki, which stored important project files, facilitated class votes and helped the students ask each other questions.
"Certainly, one of the greatest challenges to the success of the project was constructing the city in two different locations," Ciraulo said. "This made effective communication critical."
Ciraulo said this was the ninth year he's conducted the project with fourth-graders.
"I really liked the project because it's very unique. I've never experienced anything like it," said Aubrey Wisdom, a fourth-grade SAGE student at Grand Ridge. "My favorite part was designing the buildings, because there were many different polygons you could choose from."
Students said they had never completed such a large project, but it was rewarding in many ways.
"I like how we had to work together to create the whole city," Cole said.
He said it was challenging to build the larger buildings to scale from the miniature model.
"We kind of had to move some stuff around," he said. "My favorite part was actually making my building and my house, because I could design it however I wanted."
Aubrey said one of the more difficult parts was to make sure the roads from the Grand Ridge half connected with the roads on the Creekside half of the city. The classes joined their halves together two weeks before the City Council presentation, Ciraulo said.
"The project touches on so many of their capabilities," he said. "To see how much they invested through the year, I think the rewards were significant for them."
Christopher Huber: 392-6434, ext. 242, or email@example.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.
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