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Introduction of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (7vCRM) in several countries has led to a rapid, significant drop in vaccine-type invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in immunized children. In the United States and some other countries with high antibiotic use, a subsequent rise in serotype 19A IPD has been taken to indicate that the 19F conjugate in the vaccine provides no cross-protection against the immunologically related 19A.
We systematically assessed the clinical efficacy and effectiveness of 19F-containing vaccines against 19A disease or nasopharyngeal carriage by searching English-language articles in the electronic databases PubMed, Current contents, Scopus, and Embase from 1985 to 2008. The vaccine efficacy and effectiveness point estimates were consistently positive for modest protection against 19A IPD and acute otitis media (AOM). However, statistical significance was not reached in any individual study. No consistent impact of 7vCRM on 19A nasopharyngeal colonization could be detected. These findings are discussed in context of immunogenicity analyses indicating that 7vCRM induces functionally active anti-19A antibodies after the booster dose, and that other 19F-containing vaccine formulations may elicit higher levels of such antibodies after both primary and booster doses.
Taken together, these results suggest that 19F-conjugates can provide some protection against 19A disease. The magnitude of this protection in a given setting will likely depend on several factors. These include the anti-19A immunogenicity of the specific vaccine formulation, the number of doses of that formulation needed to elicit the response, and the burden of 19A disease that occurs after those doses. It is possible that a modest protective effect may be obscured by the presence of countervailing selection pressures (such as high antibiotic use) that favor an increase in colonization with antibiotic-non-susceptible strains of 19A.
Since the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (7vCRM; Prevenar™/Prevnar™; Wyeth Vaccines) was first introduced in the United States (US) in 2000, invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) due to Streptococcus pneumoniae vaccine-serotypes (4, 6B, 9V, 14, 18C, 19F, and 23F) has dramatically decreased among children and adults [1-6].
Serotypes 6A and 19A were not included in 7vCRM and several other pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) because it was anticipated that the immunological similarities of vaccine serotypes 6B and 19F, respectively, might elicit sufficient cross-protection [7]. There is now convincing evidence that the 6B conjugate contained in 7vCRM (in which the 6B polysaccharide is conjugated to a non-toxic variant of diphtheria toxin) provides a high degree of cross-protection against 6A IPD [8,9], acute otitis media (AOM) [10], and even offers a significant level of herd protection [8]. An efficacy trial with the 11Pn-PD vaccine candidate (in which 6B was conjugated to the non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae protein D) also suggested cross-protection against 6A AOM [11].
For serotype 19A, some preclinical studies support the possibility of cross-protection. For instance, serum from infants immunized with a 19F tetanus toxoid conjugate provided protection against lung infection caused by both 19F and 19A in a murine model [12]. Nonetheless, clear clinical evidence of cross-protection against 19A disease by 19F-containing PCVs has been lacking. Indeed, the rise in 19A IPD in certain populations well immunized with 7vCRM would seem to argue against it [1-6]. In the US, for example, the incidence of 19A IPD rose in children >5 from approximately 2.5 cases/100,000 in 1998-9 (prior to 7vCRM) to 9 cases/100,000 in 2005 [5].
However, analysis of clinical and post-licensure studies with 7vCRM and other pneumococcal conjugate vaccines suggests a more complex situation. This review discusses the literature on cross-protection against 19A disease and colonization provided by 19F-containing vaccines, and relates these results to recently published immunogenicity data.
Clinical efficacy and effectiveness data
Table 1 presents a review of prospective and retrospective clinical studies and post-licensure surveillance studies with 7vCRM and other 19F-containing vaccines. We wish to highlight two findings. First, in every analysis with 5 or more 19A cases (Figure 1), the anti-19A point estimate is positive, with values ranging from 13% to 67%. This suggests that the true efficacy or effectiveness is probably not null. Secondly, however, none of the anti-19A efficacy or effectiveness point estimates is, by itself, statistically significant.
Figure 1. Vaccine efficacy or effectiveness of 19F-containing vaccines against 19A disease. Depicted are point estimates with 95% confidence intervals from individual studies or metanalyses with at least five 19A cases. PS14-V, 14 valent polysaccharide vaccine; 7vCRM, 7-valent conjugate vaccine with crm197 carrier; 9vCRM, 9-valent conjugate vaccine candidate with crm197 carrier; 7vOMP, 7-valent conjugate vaccine candidate with outer membrane protein carrier; IPD, invasive pneumococcal disease; AOM, acute otitis media. See Table 1 for more study details.
Table 1. Studies examining efficacy or effectiveness of 19F-containing vaccines against 19A IPD and AOM
There is considerable variability in the point estimates in Table 1, which could conceivably be related to the different numbers of vaccine doses received by children in each study. There is support for this concept for 6B and 6A. Dagan et al., showed that whereas three primary doses (at 2,4, and 6 months of age) of 7vCRM significantly decreased both 6B and 6A nasopharyngeal colonization as measured in the 2nd year of life, two primary doses alone (4 and 6 months) decreased 6B but not 6A colonization [13].
Two of the studies in Table 1 may provide some insight here. First, the analysis with the lowest point estimate for 19A cross-protection (13% [95% confidence intervals, -79% to 58%]) is a weighted meta-analysis [14] of four randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, efficacy studies using 7vCRM [15,16] or the related 9vCRM vaccine [17,18]. Twenty six of the 28 19A cases included in this analysis were contributed by the two 9vCRM studies conducted in Africa in which no booster dose was given.
Also potentially supporting the importance of a booster dose is the heterogeneous post-marketing experience with 19A in the US. The original report on the impact of 7vCRM introduction in the US pointed to a 40% (p = 0.09) decrease in the incidence of serotype 19A IPD in children younger than 2 years of age between the pre-7vCRM years 1998-1999 and the first full post-7vCRM year 2001 [19]. This decrease contrasts with the rise in 19A disease detected starting in 2002 in the same active surveillance system [3] and which continued for several years [5]. The onset of the rise coincided with the severe shortage of 7vCRM in the US between 2001 and 2004 that resulted in many children receiving fewer than three primary doses and/or no booster dose [20].
In contrast to the IPD and AOM data summarized in Table 1, there does not appear to be evidence of a consistent 7vCRM effect on 19A colonization itself (Table 2), even among different analyses within the same vaccine study population [21-23]. In fact, in some 7vCRM carriage studies at certain ages or time points, an apparent increase in 19A carriage is observed (odds ratios greater than 1 or negative point estimates for efficacy) following vaccination, although these changes were generally not statistically significant [22]. This suggests that any effect of 7vCRM on 19A may be limited to prevention of disease once colonized, but not on preventing 19A colonization in the first place.
Table 2. Studies examining efficacy or effectiveness of 19F-containing vaccines against 19A carriage
Immunogenicity data
The ability of pneumococcal vaccines to induce functional anti-capsular polysaccharide antibodies is considered to be the major mechanism by which these vaccines prevent IPD [24,25]. Vaccine-induced antibody levels measured by ELISA [25] and especially by opsonophagocytic activity assays (OPA) against individual pneumococcal serotypes have been shown to correlate well with clinical effectiveness [26]. Henckaerts et al. [24] showed that, following three primary doses of 7vCRM, virtually no child (3%) developed anti-19A OPA above the threshold suggested to correlate with clinical effectiveness against IPD (i.e., OPA titer ≥8) [25,26]. More recent studies from three different laboratories are consistent with these findings [27-29]. In contrast, a booster dose, of 7vCRM elicited some anti-19A OPA activity, with approximately 25%-30% of children having OPA titers ≥8 [29,30].
Other pneumococcal conjugate vaccines with distinct chemistries and carriers may have different immunological properties. For example, it has been observed that the periodate oxidation step used to link the 19F polysaccharide to the CRM197 carrier protein in 7vCRM prior to reductive amination alters the antigenicity of the polysaccharide [31]. In three separate studies [29,30,32], 20%-30% of children receiving a 3-dose primary series of PHiD-CV (a recently licensed 10-valent
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Differences in OPA levels may reflect variability not only in the quantity, but also in the quality of the antibodies elicited by different conjugates. Nurkka et al. studied the functionality of cross-reactive antibodies induced by 7vCRM, 7vOMPC (polysaccharides conjugated to outer membrane proteins from Neisseria meningitidis, Merck Sharpe & Dohme), and 11Pn-PD, each with 19F conjugated to different carrier proteins [33]. In serum samples selected to have similar antibody concentrations as measured by ELISA, the 19A OPA titers were higher in the 11Pn-PD group than in the two other groups [33].
The clinical efficacy, effectiveness, and immunogenicity studies summarized here suggest that immunization with 19F-containing pneumococcal conjugate vaccines can provide some direct protection against 19A disease. Nonetheless, the limited anti-19A activity of 7vCRM in particular, which appears insufficient to prevent 19A colonization, was evidently also insufficient to prevent or reverse [5] a net rise in 19A disease in young children in countries where high antimicrobial use has led to greatly increased colonization by antibiotic non-susceptible strains, including certain clones of 19A [5,34-36]. This does not exclude the possibility, however, that the modest effect of 7vCRM on disease may have attenuated or slowed down the rise. In any case, a protective effect of 7vCRM against 19A is likely to be most readily detectable in fully immunized children following a booster dose, and unfortunately, much of the IPD burden occurs prior to that time [19]. On the other hand, certain vaccines with different conjugation methods and carrier proteins have shown immunological cross-reactivity against 19A, even following a primary dose series, and could conceivably show greater protection against disease. Whether they offer any protection against 19A colonization remains to be determined. Accordingly, the potential for clinically significant cross-protection against 19A (and 6A) disease needs to be independently considered for each new vaccine.
To systematically assess the clinical efficacy or effectiveness of 19F-containing vaccines against 19A disease or nasopharyngeal carriage, we searched for English-language articles in the electronic databases PubMed, Current contents, Scopus, and Embase from 1985 to 2008, with the latest search conducted 15 May 2009. The keywords used were "S pneumoniae" "19A", "19 A", "pneumococcal vaccine [MeSH Terms]", "carriage", "colonization", "invasive pneumococcal disease", and "acute otitis media." In addition, we also consulted recent reviews describing clinical trial results on nasopharyngeal carriage with 7vCRM for further references and, where possible, searched abstracts from major infectious diseases meetings in 2008 and the first half of 2009. For studies on disease, we only included reports in which the authors themselves provided vaccine efficacy or effectiveness calculations for 19A. The results are summarized in tabular format in lieu of a formal metanalysis, as the latter was considered inappropriate due to the large variability in study design (efficacy or effectiveness), vaccine dosing schedule, vaccines used, and disease endpoints (IPD, AOM). Because there were relatively few reports of vaccine effect on 19A nasopharyngeal carriage that included vaccine efficacy or effectiveness calculations, we also included studies where we could make those calculations based on case numbers.
• Summary
• Since the introduction of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (7vCRM), a rise in serotype 19A disease has been observed in the US and some other countries with high antibiotic use, and this has been taken to indicate that the 19F conjugate included in the vaccine does not provide any cross-protection against serotype 19A.
• However, clinical and post-licensure studies with several 19F-containing vaccines, including 7vCRM, consistently report modest clinical cross-protection against 19A disease in fully immunized individuals.
• Consistent with this finding, 7vCRM elicits anti-19A functional antibody responses that are detectable after the booster dose.
• New pneumococcal conjugate vaccines using different conjugation methods or carrier proteins which elicit earlier and/or higher functional anti-19A antibody responses could be more cross-protective against 19A disease than 7vCRM.
Prevenar/Prevnar is a trademark of Wyeth Vaccines.
Synflorix is a trademark of GlaxoSmithKline group of companies.
Competing interests
Financial support: GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals paid for all costs associated with the development and the publishing of the present manuscript. The corresponding author had full access to the data and final responsibility for submission of the publication.
Competing interests: Drs. Hausdorff, Hoet and Schuerman declare they are employed and own stock in GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, which has a licensed pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.
Authors' contributions
WPH reviewed the literature and, together with BH and LS, analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
The authors thank Dr Frederik Fierens (GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, Belgium) for critically reading the manuscript. Writing assistance was provided by Dr Julie Harriague (4clinics, France) and manuscript coordination by Dr Valentine Wascotte (GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, Belgium).
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From birth to age four I was lucky enough to frequently sit at the feet of my dear ol' pop in Parkville, Missouri, while he strummed his guitar with his brothers. Grandpa Rausch with a mountain dulcimer in his lap or a harmonica to his lips, mama singin' along . . . I danced in the cigarette smoke and played ball in the house with my sister and cousins. There was a bloody nose here and there and babies a-cryin', but above all the music never stopped....


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It's all very well saying that Redding should lose weight but if you're that much bigger and try to get down to the weight of a Marquez or Pedrosa, you're bound to lose both strength and stamina. Remember how Redding suffered in the heat of Sepang? Even if he managed to lose the weight, he'd still have an aerodynamic disadvantage trying to tuck in behind a screen/fairing of the same size. Accelerating and braking an extra 15kg will increase tyre wear, and fuel consumption will be affected by both weight and height. Being small and light has some disadvantages too, which means trying to come up with a fair handicap would be like running twins and fours together, and nobody in their right mind would think a formula could be devised to race those together when they each have their own unique strengths and weaknesess.....


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By AZoNano.com Staff Writers
Spatially and Time-Resolved Electro- and Photoluminescence
System Set-up
Sample Used
Micro-Electroluminescence Measurement
Time-Resolved Emission Spectroscopy (total area)
Time-Resolved Emission Spectroscopy (local)
Signal Propagation Through the Device
About WITec
A time correlated single photon counting module can be easily attached to the alpha300 or alpha5oo confocal microscope, thanks to the modular design of the WITec microscope series. Hence, several types of time-resolved and spatial measurements are possible such as fluorescence lifetime imaging or electro- and photoluminescence decay imaging. This article covers spatially resolved electroluminescence (EL) studies of a blue, light-emitting diode (LED).
Standard characterization techniques for optoelectronic devices include spatially resolved electro- and photoluminescence measurements. These are essential tools during lifetime and failure studies. Both methods, µPL and µEL, determine the luminescence decay spectrally and spatially resolve the same through a microscope objective. However, in µEL a bias voltage is utilized and in µPL a laser is utilized to excite the luminescence.
Figure 1. Micro electroluminescence setup based on an alpha300 for time resolved luminescence measurements
In case of the µEL, it is possible to drive the device under different electrical conditions, while in µPL the power and excitation wavelength of the exciting laser can be changed.
Figure 1 illustrates the µEL measurement setup based on an alpha300 microscope fitted with a time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) module for time-resolved measurements.
A short electrical pulse for triggering LED emission is generated using a pulse generator (HP 8082A). A high numerical aperture (NA) objective (6ox, NA= 0.7) collects the light illuminated from the LED. The objective forms an image, which is projected onto a multimode optical fiber (25µm diameter, NA=0.12). The fiber then picks up the light from a single point (0.42µm diameter, nearly diffraction limited) of the LED and guides it to a spectrometer fitted with a single photon counting detector and a BI-CCD camera. Sample was scanned using a piezo electric span stage with respect to the detection fiber.
Full luminescence spectra was acquired at every sample position while the single photon counting APD was employed to measure the time resolved luminescence decay at selected spectral positions. Owing to this reason, the NIM output of the APD (MPD PDM1CTC) was linked to a time-to-digital converter (TDC) extension board in the alpha control microscope controller. The time between the excitation pulse and the arrival of a luminescence photon at the APD is measured by the extension board. A histogram of these arrival times is used to plot the luminescence decay curve.
A commercial blue/green LED was studied with this set-up. These LEDs are normally based on InGaN III-V-compound semiconductors. A variation in the ratio between Indium (In) and Gallium (Ga) causes the semiconductor band gap to change from 3.49 eV (GaN) to 0.65 eV (InN), covering the complete visible spectrum.
Multi Quantum well structures are components of LEDs and semiconductor lasers. Producing homogeneous InGaN layers is a big challenge in thin-film epitaxy. Indium tends to form small clusters within the InGaN matrix due to phase separation. The varying Indium concentration results in a spatially 600 varying band gap, which changes the local emission spectrum of the diode. Figure 2 illustrates a microscope image of a blue LED at low magnification.
Figure 2. Video image of blue InGaN LED.
The variation of the emission spectra can be quantified with a µEL measurement at higher resolution. Inhomogenous broadening is seen although each spectrum is a local spectrum from a small region of the sample. Hence, a Gaussian curve fit is a good approximation for the emission spectra. Figure 3 depicts the Gaussian curve fit for the emission spectra.
Figure 3. Gaussian curve fit of the emission spectra. a): Average spectrum of image scan (Fig. 4) together with Gaussian fit curve; b): Single spectrum of image scan (Fig. 4) together with Gaussian fit curve.
The region between the two bond pads is shown in Figures 4a-c. The µEL image contains 270 x 270 = 72900 spectra with a 12ms integration time for each spectrum. The intensity, spectral width, and spectral position are obtained by fitting a Gaussian curve to the spectra. The intensity is shown in Figure 4a, the spectral center in Figure 4b, and the spectral width in Figure 4c.
Figure 4. μEL measurement at the region between the two bond pads on the LED.
The temporal decay of the emission at different wavelengths can be measured with a TDC extension board. The diode was excited with a short electrical pulse of 2ns duration at a repetition rate of 2MHz for this experiment. Three different time spectra at photon emission energies of 2.756eV, 2.611eV and 2.480eV, respectively are shown in Figure 5. These time spectra are far from single exponential because of the inhomogeneous distribution of Gallium and Indium.
For obtaining an average relaxation time, the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the emission time spectra was studied. Figure 6 shows the relaxation time against photon emission energy. The relaxation time falls from 15ns to 2ns with increasing energy. At peak of the emission spectrum, the strongest decrease of the relaxation time is observed.
Figure 5. Time spectra at 450nm <=> 2.756 eV (red), 475nm <=> 2.611 eV (green) and 500nm <=> 2.480 eV (blue).
Figure 6. Relaxation time (red) and intensity (blue) vs. photon energy.
The relaxation time also varies locally and is not just a function of photon energy. It is possible to acquire spatially-resolved time spectra at fixed wavelengths instead of emission spectra using the same set-up. From these time spectra, a map of local relaxation times can be calculated. Figure 7 illustrates the spatially varying relaxation times at photon emission energies of 2.756eV, 2.611eV and 2.480eV respectively.
The reason for this variation is multi-layered. A potential landscape for electrons and holes is created by the variation of the indium concentration. The carrier diffusion is restricted at flat and large potential valleys. This also impacts the local relaxation time since surrounding carriers will flow to this valley. Electrons and holes are trapped in the so-called quantum dots. This localization process increases the lifetime of the direct electron-hole-recombination dramatically.
Figure 7. Spatially varying relaxation times at photon emission -500 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 energies of 2.756 eV (450 nm), 2.611 eV (475 nm) and 2.480 eV (500 nm) respectively.(a): Relaxation time at 45onm;(b): Relaxation time at 475nm; (c): Relaxation time at 500nm.
The temporal decay of the emission does not just vary in space but also at its starting point. The luminescence emission is delayed for areas that have a larger distance to the bond pad of the back-side contact.
Thus, blue LEDs can be effectively studied using standard characterization techniques like spatially and time-resolved electro- and photoluminescence.
WITec is the leading manufacturer of confocal and scanning-probe microscopes for state-of-the-art Raman, Atomic Force (AFM), and Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscopy (SNOM). WITec's headquarters is located in Ulm, Germany, where all WITec products are developed and produced.
Branch offices in USA, Japan, Singapore, and Spain ensure a worldwide sales and support network. From the company's founding in 1997, WITec has been distinguished by its innovative product portfolio and a microscope design that enables combinations of the various imaging techniques within one system.
An exemplar of the company's breakthrough development is the world's first integrated Raman-AFM microscope. To this day, WITec's confocal microscopes are unrivaled in sensitivity, resolution and imaging capabilities. Significant innovation awards document WITec's enduring success and innovative strength.
This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by WITec GmbH.
For more information on this source, please visit WITec GmbH.
Do you have a question you'd like to ask regarding this article?
Cancel reply to comment
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If you are on a budget, consider an older cut-film camera. You can get roll film backs for some of them. Either get hold of
septums to use standard 2x3" sheet film or cut down 5x7 film into 4ths (or something like that - been a while since I used


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Re: Why is BO2 so laggy, compared to other COD games?BallSlapper May 2, 2013 5:09 AM (in response to JackFrost1)
You do realise that the host gets "punished" essentially when it comes to lag compensation?
I got absolutely destroyed tonight when I was hosting, getting shot before the other players had even appeared on my screen....
Re: Why is BO2 so laggy, compared to other COD games?SitRepPro May 2, 2013 6:54 AM (in response to BallSlapper)
I've had that a few times but I doubt it's exclusive to being host though. It's how artifical ping is administered to every player. But there are other issues with lag, which is why I don't go on during certain times, e.g. 4pm to 7pm weekdays. Saturdays can be iffy too. Guess it's players using shared connections and not having the best quality line that compound it. Not many people are going to use a dedicated line for gaming although I do myself since I pay for it and the only user of it.
Re: Why is BO2 so laggy, compared to other COD games?vims1990 May 2, 2013 6:37 AM (in response to JackFrost1)
Why is BO1 laggier than MW2?
Why is MW3 laggier than BO1?
Why is BO2 laggier than MW3?
See where I'm getting at it?
This cycle has been going on for years now. There's been lag issues in the recent COD titles. Before you say, "Oh but I didn't have lag issues in MW3"...think again.
I'm sure you can do a YouTube/Twitter/Google/COD forum search on lag with the other COD titles as well.
By next year, you'll be asking why COD Ghosts lags more than BO2.
Re: Why is BO2 so laggy, compared to other COD games?JackFrost1 May 2, 2013 6:54 AM (in response to vims1990)
Not at all. Firstly, ALL COD games are laggier then MW2. MW2 had a GOOD netcoding. However, BO2 is something special. Yes, MW3 had some serious issues. Insane delay and getting instant killed. However, BO2 takes that miles a head. In BO2 you get killed by an enemy behind you, while you shoot at him at front.
People pop out of nowhere, instant killing you (Even if you have Orbital VSAT in the sky). MW3 was annoying (And the worst COD game in the modern series). BO2 is my second favourite COD game (After COD4), however, BO2 is also the most laggy COD game out there. The amount of laggy bullshit surpases ANY other COD game out there, combined.
Only in BO2, can you get instant killed, while pre-firing at a corner with a VSAT in the sky. (Mainly because of the ridiculous high running/strafing speed, piss poor netcoding and funky camera angle).
Will Ghosts be laggy? Probably. Unless IW manages to pull a magic bunny out of the hat, with their next gen engine. Will Ghosts be more laggy then BO2? Doubt it.
As of now, MW2 will be remembered as the best connectivity COD game (As well as the worst gameplay mechanic COD - Danger close, Noob tubes and Commando), and BO2 will be remembered as the most laggy COD game.
Re: Why is BO2 so laggy, compared to other COD games?SitRepPro May 2, 2013 6:57 AM (in response to JackFrost1)
JackFrost1 wrote:
Not at all. Firstly, ALL COD games are laggier then MW2. MW2 had a GOOD netcoding.
Probably a combination of localised matchmaking and Stopping Power. When I play MW2 I can get nearly everyone from the UK a lot of the times but BO2 I'm usually in a mixed European lobby.
Commando wasn't all that tbh. Both SitRep and Ninja were better but you're forgetting One Man Army.
Re: Why is BO2 so laggy, compared to other COD games?vims1990 May 2, 2013 7:33 AM (in response to JackFrost1)
Well that's my point. No recent COD game has implemented a decent connectivity system as MW2
I can't technically explain why as I don't understand the mechanics that goes into designing a connectivity system but it could do with matchmaking, poor host selection or the engine itself.
An even playing field will never happen depending on where you're pinging to the host. You're either going to be ahead or behind the action.
I have the same issues as you but to be honest, it's never going to be perfect. I've stopped expecting all my games to go my way and try to deal with it.
This video may give you a better idea about BO2's connectivty.
Re: Why is BO2 so laggy, compared to other COD games?malditor May 2, 2013 6:49 AM (in response to JackFrost1)
For me, lag problems come in cycles. I'll have a few days where the game seems unplayable but then it settles down and gets better. This is usually right after a patch or update to the game. Not sure what is going on behind the scenes. The most recent patch, for example, the first day arms race came out the game ran great, yesterday I get on and start having a lot of issues with lag. Just happened to notice that the version number changed from what it was on release of the patch. No idea what they tweaked if anything to do with matchmaking or anything, but there was a significant difference in playability for me. So I'll give it another day or so to get straighted back out and start playing again.
Re: Why is BO2 so laggy, compared to other COD games?Err0r_6_Is_Back1_LOL May 2, 2013 6:54 AM (in response to malditor)
it all depend on who you are connecting to, and who is in the lobby and what their connections are
Re: Why is BO2 so laggy, compared to other COD games?malditor May 2, 2013 7:18 AM (in response to Err0r_6_Is_Back1_LOL)
.... I'm not that dense, I know it can change lobby by lobby depending on host. However there was a dramatic change in how the game lag was from one day to the next consistently. One night I had hardly any games that lagged the next almost every game lagged. Like I said, it's pretty typical from my experience until they iron out the kinks of the new patch.
Re: Why is BO2 so laggy, compared to other COD games?SitRepPro May 2, 2013 7:32 AM (in response to Err0r_6_Is_Back1_LOL)
The game used to select me as host when I was using my phone line, which has too low bandwidth to host and not very good ping tests either.
Re: Why is BO2 so laggy, compared to other COD games?Err0r_6_Is_Back1_LOL May 2, 2013 8:41 AM (in response to SitRepPro)
yeah i noticed i get picked as host more since i downgraded back to my previous internet plan, which still is good.. but when i have everything forwarded, and DMZ, and have 60down 5 up id never get picked for host
Re: Why is BO2 so laggy, compared to other COD games?Izjar11 May 2, 2013 7:33 AM (in response to JackFrost1)
JackFrost1 wrote:
Why is BO2 so unplayable laggy, compared to other COD games?.
Same thing was said since MW2. Each newer version of the game has its issues with latency and balancing it.
I firmly believe its because the majority of users are playing it making it so unstable. When you go back to the other games there are less users, less erratic connections trying to play.
Re: Why is BO2 so laggy, compared to other COD games?stonculd May 2, 2013 8:39 AM (in response to JackFrost1)
My online play for every COD can be described as inconsistent. Some I get better connections more of the time than not, some the other way around. Obviously this depends on where the host is and if I am hosting or not. Hosting just about guarantees a laggy match. The only COD that I couldn't get at least 50% good matches on was MW3. I bought that game multiple times on Xbox, and Ps3 hoping for it getting fixed, but it never happened. I like the maps and gameplay, but the lag was just a dealbreaker for me. Black Ops on the other side of things has been the best connection wise, with W@W being pretty good too. I think the solution may be to start a regional game league where you play only against people who are in your city, or within a certain distance to avoid this problem, because it seems no matter what fix is introduced someone will not be happy. If you have a slow internet connection, or live in the country just get used to the fact that online shooters are not going to work as well as for people with good internet connections that live in more populaced areas. This is how lag comp should be set up, the better the connection, the better the ping the better the gameplay period. These games should not work good for someone tethering through their 4G connection, or your crappy wireless internet service. This in my opinion is why people with really good pings and bandwidth are suffering, because the devs are trying to make the game work for people with bad pings, and low bandwidth so everyone is on a level playing field, but it will just never work. I also believe matchmaking also plays into this as well. I should never be dumped into a game against a bunch of guys in Georgia when I am in Portland Oregon, but it happens all the time. This is why I brought up the idea of regional leagues, maybe this could be a community made solution to a problem the devs cannot or will not ever be able to fix.
Re: Why is BO2 so laggy, compared to other COD games?zingaa May 2, 2013 10:56 AM (in response to JackFrost1)
BO2 is the only title I always have lag, very rarely had the problem in previous titles.
Re: Why is BO2 so laggy, compared to other COD games?iivrruummii May 2, 2013 11:00 AM (in response to JackFrost1)
The lag seems the same as it did in BO1.
Re: Why is BO2 so laggy, compared to other COD games?jeepchick May 2, 2013 11:03 AM (in response to JackFrost1)
There are multiple active threads on this topic. Do a search and contribute your thoughts to existing threads instead of making a new one on the same topic.
Claire JeepChick | Forum Moderator: Black Ops II
Questions/Concerns/Quibbles/Comments? Send me a PM


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India cuts ratesComment on this story
India's central bank cut its main interest rates by 25 basis points on Tuesday - its first reduction in nine months - in an effort to kickstart the slowing economy.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said the benchmark repo rate, at which it lends to commercial banks, would fall to 7.75 percent.
The cash reserve - which determines the amount of cash banks keep aside - was also cut by 25 basis points to 4.0 percent. - Sapa-AFP
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Tap Here to view the Mobile Optimized TFLN
I just made a drug deal 100% through snap chat
You must be Logged in to post a comment
is this even... possible?
Using the internet makes it a federal offense
So, you took a picture of money and he/she sent you a picture of your drug of choice?
I think you mean you "planned" a drug deal through snapchat. Until teleportation becomes a thing there was no way that deal was carried out via phone.
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Holiday Music: The Sounding Joy
PHOTO CREDIT: Smithsonian Folkways
Beloved childrens musician and folk singer, Elizabeth Mitchell, has released a new album just in time for the holidays. Called The Sounding Joy, this festive album is inspired by the 1953 American Folk Songs for Christmas songbook by Ruth Crawford Seeger, the step mother of famed folk singer, Pete Seeger, and features a cadre of special guests, including Natalie Merchant (10,000 Maniacs), Dane Zane and Pete Seeger's sister Peggy.
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Only some communities will require an additional application. If one or more of these special interest communities seems right for you, please be sure to complete the housing application and indicate the program(s) that match your interests as well as the required supplemental application.
Some special interest communities are available only to incoming freshmen and the Parkside Second Year Experience is open only to returning undergraduates.
Also, check to make sure you are eligible (e.g. certain qualifications are required to live in University Residential College at Birnkrant).
Somerville Place (Fluor Tower) – Contact the Center for Black Cultural and Student Affairs by calling (213) 740-8257, by e-mail or online.
Latino Floors (Fluor Tower) – Contact El Centro Chicano by calling (213) 740-1480 or visit their website.
Rainbow Floor (Century Apartments) – Contact the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Resource Center by visiting their website.
International Residential College at Parkside including the Schalom and Muslim floors and Women in Science and Engineering or Arts and Humanities College at Parkside including Performing & Creative Arts or Art & Architecture Floors – Supplemental applications found can be found here for these programs.
Parkside Second Year Experience (Parkside Apartments) – This program is available only to current freshman residents of IRC or PRB who are participating in University Housing Renewal.


text:
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 226 pounds
Class Year: 3V
Hometown: Orlando, FL
High School: Dr. Phillips
As a Recruit (profile)
Class: 2006 (High School)
Rating/Rankings: | 5.8
Rivals.com Rivals250 2006
Rivals.com Outside linebackers 2006 (16)
Senior clip (H.S.)
Senior clip (H.S.)
The Latest: Football awards handed out at banquet — 1/30/2010
As a prologue to Florida State's season-punctuating Gator Bowl football victory over West Virginia, the top performers of the 2009 campaign - on and off the field - were honored at Saturday night's banquet in the Union Ballroom. Quarterback Christian Ponder and linebacker Nigel Bradham received the...[details]
Recardo Wright College Videos
No College Videos Available.
Related Prospect Videos
Video Reel 1 — Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Video Reel 2 — Wednesday, December 14, 2005
2008 (Junior): At Florida State: Gained valuable playing time and experience at the middle linebacker position as the back-up to Derek Nicholson ...will enter fall practice once again listed as the primary back-up to pre-season first team All-ACC selection Nicholson...enters his junior year looking to build on the best game of his career recording four tackles in the 2007 Music City Bowl...named the most improved linebacker by the coaching staff following spring practice.Sophomore Year (2007): The back-up to Derek Nicholson at the middle linebacker position who played in six games...recorded seven tackles as he earned playing time at the linebacker spot and as a special teams performer...single tackles came against Colorado, Virginia Tech and Maryland...played in his second career bowl game against Kentucky after recording one tackle against UCLA in the 2006 Emerald Bowl...set a career high with four tackles in the Music City Bowl.Freshman Year (2006): Played in 10 games including the Seminoles' victory over UCLA at the middle linebacker position and on special teams...was the back-up to All-American Buster Davis...totaled 11 tackles for the season including a career-high three stops against Duke...earned playing time in each of the Seminoles' final 10 games of the season...recorded tackles in eight of his 10 appearances with multiple tackles coming in his collegiate debut against Rice and three coming in the Seminoles' victory over Duke.High School: Graduated from Dr. Phillips in 2006...a four-star player and the 32nd-ranked prospect on Rivals.com's Postseason Florida Top 100...the No. 16 outside linebacker in the nation by Rivals.com despite only having played football for two full years...recorded 148 tackles, nine sacks and seven fumble recoveries as a senior at Dr. Phillips...named a preseason All-American by PrepStar magazine in 2005 after making a team-leading 134 tackles as a junior in 2004...a Super Prospect by the Hodge Football Report as a senior...chose Florida State over Alabama, Iowa, Maryland and West Virginia.Personal: Born Feb. 22, 1987...major is social science.
Recardo Wright Audibles
No Audibles Available.
Headlines from Rivals.com Network
Football awards handed out at banquet — 1/30/2010, from Warchant.com
Scrimmage Insider: LBs showing signs of life — 8/22/2009, from Warchant.com
Insider Report: Freshmen progress report — 7/23/2009, from Warchant.com
Insider Report: Stewart looking for respect — 7/21/2009, from Warchant.com
Spring position preview: Linebackers — 3/11/2009, from Warchant.com
Preparing for big changes on defense — 12/12/2008, from Warchant.com
Aaron Gresham Q&A — 7/28/2008, from Warchant.com
Music City Bowl roster is finally clear — 12/22/2007, from Warchant.com
Sophomore linebacker doing things the Wright way — 7/23/2007, from Warchant.com
Geno Hayes prepared to lead — 2/22/2007, from Warchant.com
Insider Report: 'Crisis' at linebacker — 10/9/2006, from Warchant.com
FSU-Rice Notebook & Defensive Stats — 9/23/2006, from Warchant.com
Is Wright committed or not? — 1/31/2006, from Warchant.com
Will Tide pledge visit Florida State? — 1/10/2006, from BamaOnLine.com
Out of state doesn�t mean out of mind — 1/6/2006, from BamaOnLine.com
Is Wright still solid to the Tide? — 1/5/2006, from FlaVarsity.com
Video: Wright makes contact — 12/14/2005, from Rivals.com
Hat trick for Tide staff — 12/11/2005, from BamaOnLine.com
Weekly recruiting wrapup — 10/7/2005, from StudentSportsFootball.com
Will WVU have the Wright stuff for Recardo? — 9/23/2005, from WVSports.com
Wright is a hidden gem — 8/11/2005, from Rivals100.com
Recardo Wright is big time — 8/9/2005, from Rivals100.com
Fantastic Floridians — 6/7/2005, from Rivals100.com
Wright this name down — 2/15/2005, from Rivals100.com
Recardo Wright Scouting Report
No Scouting Reports Available.
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text: hi i'm new here and i wanted to ask a question what is the laplace inverse of 1 ? i have been told that it's laplace transform of dirac(t). but what is dirac(t) please i have looked every where in the web for it it's two marks bonus for me if i get it and it's due today.


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Candlewood Suites Boston-Braintree
Candlewood Suites Boston-Braintree
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By choosing the Candlewood Suites® Boston - Braintree hotel, you are making the best choice for a hotel near Boston. Located conveniently off of I-93, our hotel in Braintree, MA allows for shorter travel times to business meetings and leisure activities. With our free amenities and friendly staff, everything you need to have a pleasurable stay is at your fingertips.
Our hotel is located near the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, which is convenient for our corporate guests during their extended stay with us. Our suites have all the necessities and more, including free Wi-Fi service and a flexible workspace. With fully-equipped kitchens featured in all suites, both corporate and leisure guests enjoy cooking meals in the comfort of their suite. We also offer the Candlewood Cupboard filled with sundries and beverages for those get up and go days. With our free laundry service, Lending Locker and Lending Library, our guests find our hotel to have the comforts of home.
Entertainment options are endless with the area's most popular attractions like the JFK Library and the Freedom Trail. Get acquainted with the area via the Boston Trolley Tour that stops by every morning at 8 AM. Our hotel near Boston allows you to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city so you can relax and enjoy the city at your leisure. Feel at ease, when you extend your stay with us.
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comfortable, clean and courteous staff. Perfect for my needs
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Dear Harlan: Lately, I've been feeling discouraged with dating, and I need help. I'm 19 and have struggled with depression. It started after a guy I really liked during my senior year of high school rejected me. I went to therapy and did my work. After I overcame my depression, I made an online dating profile for the heck of it. For the first time, I met a guy who seemed really wonderful, caring and genuine. Then I found out he was seeing his ex-girlfriend behind my back. He chose to be with her. Since that happened back in October, I went on a really awful/awkward date with a guy, and that is about it!
I feel frustrated with dating. All of my friends are in relationships. I know I need to feel content being single, but I can't help wanting a relationship, too! Everything else in my life has fallen into place. I do well in school, I have a good job, I have wonderful friends and family, and I have dreams and goals for the future. But this one aspect of my life is a real struggle for me. Please help. I need your honest advice!
-- Discouraged
Dear Discouraged: Welcome to my world. One girl told me I was too fat to date. Another dumped me because she no longer loved me. Too many to count ignored my emails sent through online dating sites. Even as a married man, my wife doesn't always give me what I want when I want it. I've learned to tolerate rejection. Rejection is not about you or me -- it's about living life and taking risks.
Write to email@example.com or Help Me, Harlan!, 3501 N. Southport Ave., Suite 226, Chicago, IL 60657.
Dear Harlan: I broke up with my ex-boyfriend this past fall because he cheated on me numerous times. I am still fairly resentful. However, he's still friends with my roommate, and it makes me super uncomfortable to see them hanging out in my room.
-- Resentful
Dear Resentful: Your ex knows it's inconsiderate to hang out with his ex-girlfriend's roommate while his ex is in the room. But he doesn't care because you don't set boundaries.
Apologize to your roommate for not saying something sooner. Explain that it's really hard to be around your ex. Ask her to tell you when he's around or to not bring him around when you're in the room. Tell your ex the same. Find new friends and a professional who can coach you while you set boundaries.
Write to firstname.lastname@example.com or Help Me, Harlan!, 3501 N. Southport Ave., Suite 226, Chicago, IL 60657.


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The Magazine
How to Win the Peace in Afghanistan
America needs to stay the course.
Jul 1, 2002, Vol. 7, No. 41 • By ELIE D. KRAKOWSKI
After initial successes due far more to the Afghans' exhaustion from war and thirst for peace than to any military prowess of the Taliban, that radical movement proved unable to achieve military victory. The ensuing stalemate led to a gradual takeover of the Taliban by a combination of Wahhabi Muslims from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states, Pakistani Islamists, and an assortment of extremists from many countries (Uzbeks, Chechens, Chinese Uighurs, and others). Among all of these, it was Osama bin Laden, who arrived in Afghanistan in 1996, and his al Qaeda organization that dominated and soon came to be the key decision-makers in what passed as Taliban edicts in the outside world.
Many of the Taliban's notorious deeds--the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas, the scorched earth policy followed in some northern provinces, numerous massacres--were actually attributable to bin Laden and his Arabs. Afghanistan had become a global terrorism headquarters, training people from around the world in its over 30 terrorist camps. The objective shared by this rainbow coalition of extremists was the spread of the Wahhabi brand of radical Islam. Pakistani Islamists openly proclaimed their desire to replace the Pakistani government with one in the image of the Taliban. With regard to China, the aim was to create an independent Islamist state in the western Chinese border province of Xinjiang. The ultimate ambition was an Islamist empire extending from Pakistan in the south through Afghanistan and including the states of Central Asia.
That these goals were publicly and repeatedly declared did not mean that Washington so much as noticed them. The United States, almost until the end, continued to view events in Afghanistan through the Pakistani lens. Even Afghanistan's neighbors at first paid little attention, although the newly independent states of Central Asia, aware of their own fragility, were the first to sense the danger. From 1998 onward, as evidence mounted of the terrorist networks' extensive penetration, the regional governments became increasingly anxious. By 2000, high officials and other influential personalities in all the surrounding states including Iran saw not the Taliban but bin Laden and his Arab cohorts as the problem. In an extensive series of interviews in the region in 2000 and 2001, they told me that they did not know what to do, and that only the United States could break the logjam.
THE SITUATION in the summer of 2002 remains very serious and the risks high. Continuing sweeps by U.S. and British Special Forces have managed to keep the terrorist groups off-balance. But the inability to actually find al Qaeda or Taliban forces does not mean they are absent, only that the war has entered a hit-and-run phase. There is growing evidence that the terrorist forces have moved into Pakistan, which may be well on the way to becoming their new haven.
While they are apparently concentrated in the largely ungoverned North-West Frontier Province, there are also reports of al Qaeda and Taliban in Pakistani cities. Add the tens of thousands of armed Pakistani Islamists and their allies within the Pakistani government and armed forces, and the explosive nature of the mix becomes even clearer. Heightened violence including suicide bombers within Pakistan is likely, as are similar attacks in Afghanistan.
In addition, Afghanistan's neighbors appear to have resumed their old pattern of divisive intervention in anticipation of U.S. disengagement. While not yet fully certain this will occur, they are preparing for it by making sure they don't leave the field to others, and attempting to maximize their individual positions within the country.
They have been arming their favorite factions and otherwise encouraging ethnic and tribal confrontation. The Iranians, who once restricted their backing to Afghan Shiite groups, for several years have backed the Northern Alliance forces that continue to dominate the interim Afghan government. The Russians and Uzbeks have also backed the Northern Alliance. Elements within the Pakistani government continue to support their traditional favorites, the majority Pashtuns. Very active at the regional and local level, these neighbors remain somewhat cautious at the national level. They have shown some flexibility, while making sure of the continued dominance of the Northern Alliance forces in the new interim government.
Of these neighbors, Iran is the one whose behavior is the most disturbing. It has not limited its actions to interference within Afghanistan, but is actively (and with regard to Middle Eastern terrorist groups, openly) supporting and training terrorist groups in Central Asia, notably the Uzbek IMU.


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Would a real life transporter technically be 'murder' ?
View Single Post
January 20 2014, 01:27 AM
Location: "Who are you?"
Re: Would a real life transporter technically be 'murder' ?
Well, Scotty rigged up the transporter in a way that it didn't normally operate in. Any issues in squaring the behavior of the transporter in "Relics" with the transporter behavior in episodes like "Realm of Fear" can, I think, be attributed to Scotty's jury-rigging.
The first time anything like storing people inside the transporter was done was "Day of the Dove". There it was called "suspended in transit." Naturally, they didn't elaborate on what that means, and Scotty's characterization of it as "non-existence" is sufficiently vague to allow for different answers to the question of how much time Kang and his party perceived to have passed.
Of course, if you go back to "Obsession", there are multiple attempts made to rematerialize Kirk and Garrovick, so arguably their patterns were kept in a similar place. Also, the rejoining process in "The Enemy Within" could have had the Kirk(s) in the same place, as well. Is it what was later called the "pattern buffer"? Oh, most likely!
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Thailand forum
phuket or koh samui?
Joined Travelfish
3rd May, 2007
Posts: 1
I am planning on traveling with a friend to either one of these two islands for 3 days, but i'm having trouble deciding which island to go to. I'm going at the end of august and so I'm concerned about weather and wanted to know which one would be better in that regard. I also was wondering which one has better beaches or if they are comparable. We're looking for a place with nice beaches and snorkling and with some good restaurants and bars around. Also, lastly, which beaches in phuket and koh samui would anyone reccommend?? ... THANKS SO MUCH!!
#1 Posted: 4/5/2007 - 11:25
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Not much difference in the 2 islands really. Phuket is slightly more expensive for somethings and both are very touristy. I would rather go to Samui myself as its smaller and easier to explore. If you decide to go to Samui check out 'Tong Ta Kian Villas' inbetween Lami and cheweng. Quite, Nice beach good bungalows and rent the motobikes from him and explore! :)
#2 Posted: 7/5/2007 - 01:28
Check out my Thailand blog and photos. Its a work in progress.
[Profile page] [Messaging not enabled.]
Joined Travelfish
21st January, 2004
Location Indonesia
Posts: 7371
Total reviews: 24
Places visited:
At least 113
Good answer there by Antony -- Thong Ta Kian villas is indeed a terrific spot. If you lean towards Phuket, consider Kata or Kamala Beaches.
#3 Posted: 7/5/2007 - 07:56
See where I've been in Southeast Asia!
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Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (again)
- Uploaded By cakechickdani
- 2012-06-24 18:26:13
I have made multiple versions of this cake, and try to change it up a little each time. I think this one is my favorite so far and turned out extra cute. :)
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On Monday, Nov. 5, 2012, the Fort Myers Film Festival (FMff), in Fort Myers, Fla., was represented by the Thank Goodness It's Monday (TGIM) meeting. During the meeting new judges were introduced.
The TGIM meetings are open to its members and to the public. Guests can include actors, directors, producers and others in or interested in the entertainment industry.
At these meetings one can enjoy independent films that are taken into consideration for the 2013 film festival.
The Nov. 5 meeting, held at the Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center, introduced new judges. The judges were photographer Vanessa Rogers, NBC-2's Chad Oliver and artist Leoma Lovegrove.
Happy Half Hour began at 6:30 p.m. before the evening's entertainment and judging of films began.
The night's host was Eric Raddatz, and the co-host was Melissa DeHaven.
The musical guest was Spencer Saso.
Offered at this meeting was a transparent view of how the films are selected.
Also included was an official program, refreshments and networking.
"The series will continue through Feb. 25, 2013. The 3rd annual festival will be held March 20-24, 2013.
To see footage from interviews from this past year's festival go to www.youtube.com/fortmyersfilmfest or www.fortmyersfilmfestival.com to view photos from every Monday's event by Garth Francis Photography on Facebook. One can follow updates on Twitter." - Eric Raddatz
See why TGIM made Eric's top #SW Fla. picks this week here!
The Fort Myers Film Festival supports Lee County School filmmakers and Southwest Florida Children's Hospital.
The film festival is sponsored by many. For that listing, and more, go to FMff.
Suggested Links
- Winter Estates' April Schedule of Events released
- TGIM enjoyed indie documentary, 'A Schizophrenic Love Story'
- Ford's Garage, Music Walk and more await President Obama in Southwest Florida
- Great Grandma celebrates 89th birthday at Wisteria Tea Room & Cafe
- Shawn Genther's acting projects are his passion


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Theme articles
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Oct 10th 2012
Before You Buy 40
Kindle paperwhite, Jabra Solemate, Fitbit Zip
Hosted by Leo Laporte
Kindle paperwhite, Jabra Solemate and Fitbit Zip
Records live every Friday at 6:00pm Eastern / 3:00pm Pacific / 23:00 UTC.
Guests: Iyaz Akhtar, Liz RomeroReviews of the Kindle paperwhite, Jabra Solemate and Fitbit Zip Host: Leo Laporte
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Running time:: 26:30


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philosoraptor death 25 Points kill philosoraptor Medal Stats.
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Master of Sins 25 Points find and kill a miniboss Medal Stats.
Total Medals Earned: 11 (From 1 different game.)
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grey metallic woven framed shouder bag
designer's notes
Handbag lovers rejoice! Rafe New York designs have the right amount of function and flair to be a mainstay in your accessories collection.
color: Grey / Black / Gold Dot patterned woven with metallic threading and patent piping Beaded suede appliqués with chains along front Frame top with cut-out handles and hinged clasp closure 23'' link shoulder strap Suede lining with interior zip, patch, and cell phone pockets Measures 12'' at widest x 9'' tall at center x 3'' deep; weighs 1.5 lbs. All measurements are approximate Fabric / Leather; Imported; style# 213639900


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For $350 they received 62 writing concepts from 18 designers!
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Every year SolarCity sends out a holiday themed card to current lead and past customers. This card is also sent out by SolarCity employees to friends, families, and business contacts.
This card will be sent via email as well as paper.


text: Fan Storms Bieber Onstage in Dubai Piano flips as security pounces on rogue fan By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff Posted May 6, 2013 1:00 AM CDT STORY COMMENTS (15) (Newser) – Justin Bieber was unharmed after being grabbed by a stage invader at a Dubai concert today, though his piano came away worse for the wear. The star was at the piano playing "Believe" when a youth tackled him from behind, the Nation reports. Bieber's piano was overturned and left unplayable as security guards scuffled with the fan. The star managed to finish the song and returned for an encore after a short break. "Dubai," he later tweeted. "Nothing stops the show." Fan Storms Bieber Onstage in Dubai Back to story » A Bieber fan captured the incident on video. (eskW5Btg11s) Popular Video Stories The National (UAE) (Source Grid ») Billboard (Source Grid ») Celebrity • Entertainment entertainment • Dubai • concert • singer • Justin Bieber CLICK BELOW TO VOTE 60% 1% 2% 14% 6% 18% RETURN TO THE STORY To report an error on this story, notify our editors.


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Corporate Social Responsibility of Multinational Oil Corporations to Host Communities in Niger Delta Nigeria
Olufemi, Okoji, Ife Psychologia
The volatile nature of corporate-community relations, which has meant significant loss in oil revenue for government and decline in corporate profit for multinational oil corporations (MNCs), has elevated the obtaining of a 'social licence to operate' from the periphery to the heart of strategic business thinking within the Nigerian oil industry. As a result, multinational oil corporations (MNCs) have increasingly responded to this challenge by adopting partnership strategies as a means of contributing to community development, building a mutually beneficial relationship with local communities and reinventing themselves as a force for good in their host communities.
This paper critically examines different community development partnership (CDPs) initiatives' undertaken by Exxon Mobil and Elf oil Nigeria Limited within their corporate-community relations strategy in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. Given the huge environmental control costs and the profit-minded nature of Multinational oil corporations, industry self-regulation is unlikely to be effective where it conflicts with the primary objectives of multinationals. Thus, to turn multinational oil corporations into a more positive force for sustainable development, voluntary initiatives must, by virtual necessity, be combined with effective regulatory mechanisms. The paper concludes by exploring the implications for partnerships' initiatives and business-society relations in developing countries.
The Niger Delta consists of nine states, which make up the south-south geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The region is predominantly inhabited by different ethnic groups such as Ijaw, Istekiri, Urhobo, Ibibio and Edo. It extends over an area of about 70,000 square kilometres, which amounts to about 7.5% of Nigeria's total landmass and the coastline extends for 560 km, roughly two-thirds of the entire coastline of Nigeria (Niger Delta Environmental Survey, 1997). The region has a population of 27 million people, of which 75% live in rural areas (NDES, 1997). Decades of political and economic marginalization resulted in the neglect of the region by successive Nigerian governments and the initial hesitation of Multi national corporations to provide their social responsibilities in the region. This systematically enshrined poverty in the region.
Poverty level in the Niger Delta is very high ( NDES, 1997 ), About 70% of the communities lack access to clean water, no passable roads nor electricity supply, shortage of medical facilities, a large number of dilapidated schools were obvious while the region suffers from severe environmental degradation due to oil production Zanduliet (2002). Yet, the Niger Delta accounts for about 90% of national crude oil exports and 70% of government total revenue. To a considerable extent, the geographical location of the Niger Delta region and its resources determined the traditional occupation of the people: fishing and farming. As a result of the long neglect of the region by the Federal Government of Nigeria and the nonchalant attitude of the companies operating in the area development in the area is very low Abdullahi (1994).
The discovery of oil in commercial quantity at Oloibiri, in the present Bayelsa State in 1956 started a process of unbridled exploitation of natural resources, destruction of community livelihood support systems and communal disempowerment which has left in its wake severe stress and underdevelopment both on the environment and livelihood patterns of the indigenous population Uttinng (2005 ) . The health and livelihood of the inhabitants of the Niger Delta has been visibly impaired by environmental degradation.
The extraction and production of oil and gas by multinational oil corporations in collaboration with the Nigerian government has engendered not just neglect but denied access of local communities to farmlands and fishing grounds as long stretches of thriving forest and arable lands are cut open to allow for laying of pipelines for transportation of crude oil from flow stations and rigs to export terminals, refineries and reservoirs. …