text: Open Knowledge Society (OKS) is doing a survey on scholarly research communication and the prospects of open access (OA) to the scholarly research dissemination. For this, we we have choosen a case study of National Agricultural Research System (NARS) of India for exploring the possibility of OA in publishing agricultural research. In Indian NARS, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) apex body at the centre, has a number of constituent establishments of agriculture research centers and at the state level, various state agricultural universities (SAUs) were established by their respective states. With over 90 ICAR research institutes and 42 agricultural universities spread across the country, this is one of the largest NARS of the world. Mainly the agriculture research output comes from publicly funded projects and many of the research centers and universities publishes research journals (peer-reviewed) and magazines even in local languages. Apart from these there are many professional societies in agriculture and related sciences publishing peer reviewed journals. But majority of these journals are traditional print journals due to which they are less visible to the outside world or for that matter to other fellow researchers who has no subscription of the journals nor his library. In Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), from India there are only 5 journals in the area of agriculture and animal sciences. Here is a lot of potential for the intervention and OKS sees that through Open Journal System (OJS) software, the research output can be made available to world. OKS would like to bring this point forward and hope it can bring some change and create awareness about OA publishing in Agricultural research in India. The survey reveled that there are more than 100 journals which are being published in India on agricultural research by the universities, research centers and professional societies. But these publishers are not aware of the goodness of online open access publications. There is a need for creating awareness among the authors and publishers to embrace the latest Internet technologies for publication of research journals by persuasion campaigns. OKS is keen to promote Open Access Publishing (OAP) using OJS by helping institutions to setup their journals and also build an indexing system for Indian agricultural journals. The result would definitely help Indian researchers and the end user farmer community and also helps other developing countries to improve their knowledge base.


text:
Shola Ameobi scored a fantastic late goal to give Newcastle United a 1-0 win over Queens Park Rangers in an otherwise dire match at St James' Park.
Ameobi, whose introduction from the bench livened up what had previously been a dreadful encounter, cut in from the right before unleashing a left-foot curler that flew past Robert Green into the bottom corner.
The 31-year-old, a fringe player this season, had replaced the ineffectual Papiss Cisse, Alan Pardew's decision vindicated as the Nigeria striker gave Newcastle some purpose up front.
The result moves Newcastle up to 13th, while QPR avoid returning to the bottom after Manchester City snatched a late winner against Reading.
The first half was terrible to watch, with neither side mustering an effort on target. Newcastle had more of the ball but mostly played it long, with their set pieces woeful and deliveries from wide well defended by Ryan Nelsen.
Highlights were non-existent, the best moment a fine tackle by Fabio on Cisse after a clever one-two with Demba Ba.
More typical of the half were some comically poor efforts from Ba and Cheick Tiote, the former wasting two well-positioned free-kicks with wild efforts into the crowd.
With five minutes of the half left, supporters fled to the bar in their droves, although the driving rain may have played a part in their decision-making.
The second half started with more promise as Adel Taarabt – hitherto quiet as his team-mates proved incapable of finding him – dribbled past four men before releasing Djibril Cisse, whose low drive was saved by Tim Krul.
Normal service soon resumed, with Toon favouring the long diagonal ball, and QPR struggling to get Taarabt on the ball – when they did, Cisse gave it away.
Shaun Wright-Phillips entered the play for the visitors and, while he offered width and enthusiasm, his touch was poor, the first act to run the ball out of play.
Newcastle also made changes, the withdrawal of Jonas Gutierrez and Cisse coming seconds after a fine cross from the former was poorly headed over by the latter.
Their replacements, Gabriel Obertan and Ameobi, fared better, the latter immediately earning a free-kick that Vurnon Anita swung on target, Green saving well.
Anita was finally finding his range as Green palmed out a cheeky corner that almost snuck in at the near post, as Newcastle suddenly found an extra gear.
Ameobi headed wide from a good position from another fine Anita delivery as the hosts took charge, showing more guile with the ball instead of lumping it aimlessly to the forwards.
Finally, Toon made the breakthrough, and it was fitting that local hero Ameobi should get the goal, deftly switching from his right foot to left before unleashing a beautiful finish across Green and in.
QPR piled men forward but it was too little too late and only served to further expose the lumbering Clint Hill, who was fortunate not to be sent off after – having just been booked – he hauled down Ba on the edge of the box.
Sylvain Marveaux's free-kick flew inches wide, while Green made a save from the French winger after a solo run following a QPR corner.
There was a late chance for the visitors when Jamie Mackie was brought down on the edge of the box, but Taarabt's free-kick was easily saved by Krul.
The whistle went soon afterwards and Newcastle celebrated only their fifth win of the season as QPR returned to losing ways immediately after their first victory of the campaign.
Ryan Nelsen (QPR) - A standout performance in a poor match as the veteran centre-back repelled high and low deliveries with poise and power. Unfortunately he was partnered by Clint Hill, who is not a Premier League level player.
NEWCASTLE: Krul 6, Simpson 6, Williamson 6, Coloccini 6, Santon 7, Perch 6, Tiote 6, Anita 6, Gutierrez 6, Cisse 5, Ba 5; Subs: Marveaux 7, Obertan 7, Shola Ameobi 7
QPR: Green 6, Ferdinand 5, Nelsen 7, Hill 4, Fabio 6, Mackie 6, Granero 5, Mbia 6, Faurlin 5, Taarabt 6, Cisse 6; Subs: Derry 6, Wright-Phillips 6, Hoilett 5
- Sports & Recreation
- Soccer
- Shola Ameobi
- Papiss Cisse
- Djibril Cisse

subset: commoncrawl


text:
TOWN OF NEWBURGH — Two men broke into a home on Balmville Road early Sunday morning, held the elderly couple who lived there captive and brutally beat them before fleeing with money and their car, said town police.
The two suspects, men in their mid-20s dressed in dark clothes and ski masks and with handguns, cut a screen and went through the side window into the home's kitchen, said police Lt. Thomas O'Connell.
They held the 78-year-old man and 72-year-old woman captive and stayed for "quite a while," O'Connell said, until they got some money the family had hidden.
Eventually, at about 4:20 a.m., the woman broke away, fled next door and called for help, O'Connell said. The two men stole a Toyota RAV4 from the driveway and fled toward the City of Newburgh. The car was later found in the city, he said.
Police said the two victims heads and faces were severely beaten. They were taken first to St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital in Newburgh, then to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla. O'Connell said the victims might have known the suspects.
No arrests have been made yet. "We have several leads," he said. "We have quite a few investigators working on it."
Anyone with information is asked to call town police at 845-564-1100.
Location, ST | website.com


text:
This week's Interesting Interview comes from 11Bit Studios. They are the company behind Sleepwalker's Journey, an innovative and beautifully designed puzzle game as well as Anomaly Warzone Earth and Funky Smugglers. If you haven't already, please check out our review of Sleepwalker's Journey and then read more about the team behind it below. Please enjoy this interview and keep a lookout and support this developer.
Hi, my name's Pawel Miechowski and I work as a writer and a pr manager for 11 bit studios – independent game developer from Warsaw, Poland. I'm in the gaming industry for a pretty long time, having been doing something in game development since mid 90s.
Bits are always even like 4-bit 8-bit etc. so uneven 11 stands for unusual connection because we want to make – and I believe we actually do – unusual games, with original gameplay or with game genres mixed like in Anomaly Warzone Earth where we flipped tower defense genre upside down.
The company was founded late 2009 by 4 guys who are now the core management team. When our first game, Anomaly Warzone Earth, hit the stores we were already a 12-man team. And now we're close to 30. I'd consider myself a core member and the founders and I have known each other for many years as since we were worked together at 2 different game development companies. And what brought us together? The strong need for working in independent way where we develop games we want and publish them on our own in digital distribution model.
That's not exactly my thing to hire new members but I'm sure what we're looking for is creative people who work in well organized way.
Hehe 🙂 I am a gamer since a kid and I always wanted and liked to work on games. And I'm afraid that's the only thing I know how to do.
That depends much on the profession. Programmers do completely different things than graphics guys and gameplay designers. If there's some field one feels strong about, like programming for example, than he/she should practice his skills and play a lot of games.
In my country there's a huge need for game programmers, designers etc. and not so many schools yet so I guess each new game development school is a good news to us.
I'm a graduate from University of Wroclaw where I studied journalism so writing was always my kind of thing. And my part in game design is mostly writing – dialogues, stories, interface text and also recording voice-overs with different actors from all around the world.
There was a game for Atari or for Amiga… I can't remember because it was quite long ago in the late 80s or early 90s. So this game was about a sleepwalking boy who had a dog to help him go through different levels full of traps etc. In our game there's no dog, but you just tap the screen and manipulate the world to help the boy safely reach his bed. Also, visually, the game is entirely different when compared to the old one. We made it kind of dreamy world with strange creatures, lullaby music and so on.
From the first prototype to the final game it took about 9 months but please note the core team for this game was only 3 guys.
Tough one. Maybe the part where the design is actually going into prototype and the game already needs to be funny when played?
Yep. There will be more levels.
The most fun was to make Funky Smugglers. And it's hard to say which one would be the hardest – as you say they're very different. I think it's the scale that makes things harder so the bigger a game, the harder to finalize it.
Totally weird 🙂
I guess it varies from team to team. Usually at first we make brainstorm and share ideas then the lead designers lock themselves and write ideas down to make them more precise and to see on the paper if such idea would work at all. Then if they see some potential the game goes to prototyping and it means that as fast as possible designers and programmers build up a working prototype, without any graphics, just with placeholders and they create basic gameplay. If it works fine and is fun it goes to further development.
We use our own editor called Liquid Engine. Thanks to this we can quickly port games to many platforms.
It is as easy as registering as a formal iOS developer. As far as I remember it costs $100 a year and you're ready to submit a game. If the game is not working well it won't make it through approval. So you need to fix issues and submit again. Very easy process.
It's an open platform for game developers so I see no cons except perhaps the fact that there are so many games in there that it is really hard to find the kind of games you're really interested in. I'd call it a problem with discovery of content.
Honestly, I don't know what exact improvement could be done but as I said it would be great to improve the way I can find games. If a game is not featured and you search for some kind of games, you're gonna find hundreds of games you don't want like too many free-to-play titles, too many under-cooked games and so on.
Not at all. I don't know if others clone our work, but if they do it means we're doing really good stuff 🙂
Hmmmm, I have nothing against IAPs unless the game forces me to spend additional money. That means a badly balanced game. If I can earn in-game currency just by playing the game it is all fine. Then I can buy some IAP to boost whatever I want or need in the game. But if I keep losing in a game all the time and I have to spend money on IAPs to start winning, then I hate such games.
I totally played through Jetpack Joyride. Last week I played Zeptolab's last game Pudding Monsters and I completed all stars in all levels because this game is brilliant. I also enjoy scoring some goals from time to time in FIFA 13.
I myself play football (the one called soccer in US) but many guys often go for paintball or ASG battling. And we play quite lot of board games. Anyway, whatever we do is always related to games 🙂
Halfbrick and Zeptolab – those are my favorite teams. Whatever they do it's always a great game.
Another tough question 🙂 I think the evolution is heavily dependent on the devices. The more powerful the devices, the more hardcore games will be there and the more console-like approach developers will have towards apps.
We make plans for each game. When the plan is done and the game is debugged it's ready to be released. Sometimes it means the release needs to be delayed because we didn't make the plan in time.
Some art game with a weird story 🙂 or some totally genre flipping game with for example time manipulation.
Chocolate. Lots of chocolate.
Soon we'll be announcing our biggest title so far. First it'll be available on Windows, Mac and Linux computers.
Many thanks for the interview and if you would like to be up-to-date with our games, please hop on our Facebook – 11bitstudios. Cheers!
when I'm reading this stuff I feel it was one of the coolest interviews I've done. Thanks Jasmine 🙂


text:
Index of content:
Volume 22, Issue 5, 01 May 1951
Applications of the Radiation from Fast Electron Beams22(1951); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1700002View Description Hide Description
The radiation from fast electron beams passing through a succession of electric or magnetic fields of alternating polarity is examined. The radiation of maximum frequency is emitted in the forward direction. If the deflecting fields are not too large, a semiqualitative argument shows that the maximum frequency is the lowest possible harmonic. The frequencies emitted are determined by studying the Doppler effect, and the angular distribution of radiated energy as well as the total radiation are calculated in a simple straight‐forward manner with reference to well‐known formulas of special relativity. The question of the coherence of the radiation is discussed. The spectral distribution of radiated energy is then calculated more exactly. It is concluded that several applications of the radiation appear possible. A scheme for obtaining millimeter‐waves of considerable power is outlined. The upper limit of the power in a band extending down to a wave‐length of 1 millimeter is calculated to be of the order of several kilowatts for a beam of one ampere and an energy of 1.5 megavolt. The use of the radiation for speed monitoring of beams with energies up to 1000 megavolt is discussed.
Electrical Breakdown over Insulators in High Vacuum22(1951); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1700003View Description Hide Description
In the investigated range of 5×10−3 to 10−7 mm Hg, the breakdown voltage over insulators in high vacuum is independent of pressure. Currents of 10−11 to 10−8 ampere were observed in the region below breakdown voltage by detecting x‐ray quanta with a Geiger‐Mueller counter. Pinhole camera x‐ray pictures revealed that practically all radiations originate from an area on the anode a distance from the insulator, with a weaker radiation coming from a ring immediately adjacent to the insulator. Current‐voltage relationships as usually observed in these experiments indicate a roughness factor and an emitting area on the cathode similar to previous findings in vacuum gaps. Current bursts were observed which did not develop into complete breakdown. Oscilloscopic observations revealed that sometimes at breakdown over insulators the voltage on the test sample drops to 2.5 kv; in other cases it falls to less than 100 volts. The low voltage arc‐like discharge extinguishes at a current of about one ampere for copper electrodes in contact with Pyrex glass. When a resistance in series with the test sample is increased to keep the maximum current below one ampere, no stable discharge is observed. As in a vacuum gap, the breakdown voltage over an insulator is increased by successive breakdowns. Part of this ``conditioning'' is permanent. The nonpermanent part is dependent on the state of the test sample prior to conditioning. The anode does not appear to influence conditioning. When the resistance in series with the test sample allows a discharge current above one ampere to flow, a fast conditioning usually occurs which results in a high permanent breakdown voltage.
An Electrical Method for Investigating the Nature and Behavior of Small, Airborne, Charged Particles22(1951); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1700004View Description Hide Description
A theoretical and experimental analysis of the current‐voltage (dc)characteristic of a parallel‐plate condenser through which the small, airborne, charged particles of an aerosol are passed continuously shows that a charge‐weighted distribution of radius (or radius squared)‐charge ratio may be obtained when certain experimental conditions are satisfied. Examination of such a distribution for an aerosol (particles less than a micron in diameter) before and after passage through a small (20‐liter) settling chamber shows that the classes of particles in the distribution that are easiest to collect in the condenser are also the classes that disappear most rapidly in the chamber. It is pointed out that the methods employed would become less tedious and more powerful when used with a dispersion of constant‐size particles, and that they are well adapted for certain fundamental investigations of aerosol properties.
Some Quantitative Data Bearing on the Scabbing of Metals under Explosive Attack22(1951); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1700005View Description Hide Description
Fracturing, or scabbing, of a material near a free surface as the result of a transient compressional stress wave of high intensity impinging on that surface has been observed for many years; however, little quantitative data that relate the fracture to the nature of the stress wave and the physical properties of the material seem to exist. The phenomenon has been investigated for five metals, 1020 steel, 4130 steel, 24S‐T4 aluminum alloy, brass, and copper, by using an explosive charge to induce a high intensity stress wave in the metal. The distribution of pressure within the wave was determined by a modified Hopkinson‐bar type of experiment.
Scabbing has been found to be governed principally by the spatial distribution of pressure within the wave and a critical normal fracture stress σ c that is characteristic of the material and perhaps the state of stress. Numerical values of σ c were obtained for each of the five metals.
Permanent Magnet Lenses22(1951); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1700006View Description Hide Description
Permanent magnets have been successfully utilized to energize magnetic lens pole pieces for high resolution electron microscopy at direct magnifications of 7000 times with 30‐kilovolt electrons, and 6000 times at 50 kilovolts. Stray magnetic fields, which have previously limited high magnification and high resolution, have been minimized by using two circuit gaps in parallel and by surrounding the assembly with a magnetic shield connected to the external pole pieces of the two gaps. Magnetomotive forces of 1400 gilberts have been obtained. A single magnet,magnets in bucking arrangement, and configurations involving magnets disposed either radially or parallel to the optical axis of the lens, have been successfully utilized. The effects of various magnetic circuit parameters on the design and operation of the lens system have been studied.
Internal Friction of Ferromagnetic Materials22(1951); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1700007View Description Hide Description
It is common knowledge that in cyclically stressed ferromagnetic materials an energy loss due to internal friction is observed; this part of loss disappears when the material is brought to saturation or above the Curie temperature. It is also known that a stress, applied to a ferromagnetic material, produces a motion of Weiss domains from their rest position.
The scope of this paper is to verify experimentally the following hypothesis: in cyclically stressed ferromagnetic materials,energy loss because of magneto‐elasticinternal friction is induced by a domain motion due to the applied stress itself.
The ratio Ir/Is (where Ir =residual induction, and Is =saturation intrinsic induction) has been chosen as an index of the domain position; its measure has been carried out by normal ballistic method on a permeameter rigged with a torsion applying device.
Energy loss was measured by means of a torsion pendulum; a coil allowed the saturation of specimen in order to separate magneto‐elastic from purely mechanical losses. Plotting curves of Ir/Is and of magneto‐elastic losses as a function of applied stress and comparing them for each tested material, it has been found that they, besides having the same shape, show abrupt slope variations at practically the identical value of stress. It has further been observed that a specimen presenting only a low percent variation of Ir/Is ratio (i.e., in which domains had slightly moved from their rest position) showed also moderate magneto‐elastic losses. These results appear to confirm assumptions made about the magneto‐elasticinternal friction in ferromagnetic materials. The reason why motion of domains takes place in an essentially irreversible way still remains unknown.
The Electric Tunnel Effect across Thin Insulator Films in Contacts22(1951); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1700008View Description Hide Description
Existing calculations on the tunnel effect through thin films in contacts apply to very weak and very strong electric fields. It is the main purpose of the present paper to complete the picture by the treatment of intermediate cases, which are important for many contact applications.
On the Diffraction of a Plane Electromagnetic Wave by a Paraboloid of Revolution22(1951); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1700009View Description Hide Description
The problem of the diffraction of a plane electromagnetic wave by the convex surface of a paraboloid of revolution is examined. Expressions for the components of the incident wave, the scattered wave, and the refracted wave are obtained and are written in such a form that boundary conditions can be satisfied over a paraboloidal surface ξ=ξ0. The analysis is then restricted to the case of a perfectly conducting paraboloid and a wave whose wave front is perpendicular to the axis of rotation. The amplitude of the scattered wave is plotted as a function of the distance along the axis of rotation for three paraboloids. One of these curves is compared with the scattered field produced by a sphere whose radius is equal to the radius of curvature of the paraboloid at the nose.
A Problem in Heat Conduction22(1951); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1700010View Description Hide Description
A steady‐state temperature distribution is found for the case of a periodically varying point source of heat, immersed in a homogeneous isotropic infinitely extended fluid, moving with a constant velocity. The phase velocity of the generated temperature wave is discussed. If the phase velocity in a stationary medium is V 0, and the fluid velocity v>V 0, the phase velocity in a moving medium is given by V=v[1+½(V 0/v)4 −(5/8)(V 0/v)8+…]. For practical cases one can usually assume V=v, with an error of less than 0.1 percent, even when V 0 is as large as 20 percent of v.
On the Accuracy of the Long‐Range Ballistic Rocket22(1951); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1700011View Description Hide Description
The accuracy of a V‐2 type ballistic rocket which is guided to the termination of propulsion and is in free flight thereafter is investigated. The effect of the rotation of the earth and the re‐entry into the atmosphere on the accuracy is considered and the errors due to lack of thrust control are analyzed.
Probe Technique for the Measurement of Electron Temperature22(1951); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1700012View Description Hide Description
Discontinuities in the slopes of Langmuir probecharacteristics for discharges in mercury vapor in the presence of argon or krypton gas were eliminated by heating the wire probe by electron bombardment before each reading. The results indicate that in many cases nonlinear probe plots are due to change in the contact potential of the probe and do not mean a non‐maxwellian distribution of electron velocities. Typical probe plots are given for discharges with and without striations, and also for a discharge in gas contaminated by a trace of CO or CO2. Electron temperature data are listed for representative pressures of gas and mercury vapor and for various discharge currents.
Some Mechanical Properties of Graphite at Elevated Temperatures22(1951); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1700013View Description Hide Description
The short‐time tensile breaking strength of various grades of graphite was measured as a function of temperature from room temperature to the sublimation point. A characteristic common to all the strength versus temperature curves is that the strength approximately doubles in going from room temperature to about 2500°C and then decreases rapidly to zero near the sublimation point. Graphite can be used as a structural material at temperatures much higher than those permissible with other materials. The density distribution within an original block is given for grade EBP graphite. The creep characteristics of grade ECA graphite under tensile stress at elevated temperatures were investigated. The testing temperature ranged from 2200 to 2900°C while the applied stress varied from 500 to 5500 psi. The range of ``steady'' creep rates measured extended from 3×10−8 to 2×10−4 in. per in. per sec. The activation energy and change in entropy defined by rate theory were calculated for the above conditions. Low frequency dynamic measurements of the Young's modulus of grade ECA graphite made at temperatures from 1000 to 2000°C showed an increase of the modulus with temperature.
Electromagnetic Scattering from Spheres with Sizes Comparable to the Wavelength22(1951); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1700014View Description Hide Description
By using suitably defined logarithmic derivative functions and the recurrence formulas due to Infeld, the problem of obtaining numerical answers for the scattering of a plane electromagnetic wave by a sphere can be simplified. This is particularly true if the sphere has a complex index of refraction. The nature of these logarithmic derivative functions is shown for one special case involving water spheres.
Experimental results are given for the back‐scattering cross sections of water spheres in the electrical size region 0.74≤2πa/λ≤5.90. These results were obtained at a wavelength of 16.230 cm using the standing‐wave method of measurement. It is believed that these were the first laboratory measurements of the back‐scattering cross section made on individual water spheres in this critical size region.
Comparison is made between the experimental and theoretical results.
Electrode Reactions in the Glow Discharge22(1951); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1700015View Description Hide Description
The reactions which occur at silverelectrodes in a normalglow discharge in air have been determined. These are: (1) formation of AgNO2 and some Ag2O at the anode at the rate of 3.4 μg/coulomb; (2) loss of metal from the cathode by chemical action at the rate of 3.5 μg/coulomb (probably the same reaction as (1) with subsequent loss of the reaction products by the greater heating of the cathode, but this hypothesis has not been established); and (3) normal sputtering loss at the cathode at the rate of 0.4 μg/coulomb. These processes result in building a conducting layer on the anode. If the electrode separation is so small that the anode extends into the region of the cathode fall, then the high electric field pulls the newly formed and not very coherent growth upon the anode across into a bridge between the electrodes.
Reflecting Surface to Simulate an Infinite Conducting Plane22(1951); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1700016View Description Hide Description
In measuring small microwave reflections back to the transmitting antenna, a finite reflecting surface which simulates the reflection of an infinite plane is desirable for calibration. Treating a flat reflecting surface by the methods of physical optics, the reflection can be represented as the sum of the contributions of Fresnel zones. Owing to the slow rate of decrease of reflections from successive zones, the shape of the surface has considerable effect on the accuracy with which its reflection simulates that of an infinite plane.
By means of the calculus of variations, an optimum shape is designed which, for a given antenna pattern, reflector size, and range of antenna to reflector distances, will give the closest simulation of the reflection of an infinite plane. Such an optimum surface of 23 wavelengths extreme dimensions has been constructed for use at 25 wavelengths from a dipole antenna. The maximum simulation error was calculated to be ±3 percent. The reflection from this surface has been measured and is within ±4 percent of that of an infinite plane over the range of 15 to 35 wavelengths from the antenna.
Negative Coaxial Cylindrical Corona Discharges in Pure N2, O2, and Mixtures Thereof22(1951); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1700017View Description Hide Description
Direct‐current corona studies were made on coaxial cylinders with inner cylinder at negative potentials in pure N2, pure O2, and mixtures of 1 percent 10 percent O2 in N2, and on clean dry air from 27‐mm to 760‐mm pressure. Observations of current potential relations from field intensified ionization currents to as near breakdown as possible were made noting thresholds for current transitions, pulsed discharges and other oscillographic as well as visual appearances. Negative wire corona does not exist as such in truly pure N2. Unless a high series resistance was in the line once the critical region of potential was reached, the gap broke down to an arc. With current limiting resistor bombardment of the filament with positive ions from the low order pre‐discharge released enough gaseous impurity so that after six minutes the resistor could be removed and the internal resistance of the negative ion space charge near the anode held the current at 2000 μa. The behavior indicated that breakdown was preceded by a low current Townsend discharge that cleaned up or conditioned the filament. In all the negative wire studies the onset thresholds vary with the past history of the wire, and the threshold potential at higher pressures overshoots the minimum operating potential of the discharge once it has set in. Studies with 1 percent O2 indicate that the threshold discharge with clean gas is a continuous current with a diffuse glow which in time contracts to a cathode spot with Trichel pulses. Similar behavior applies to air at lower pressure. The negative wire in O2 shows very heavy predischarge currents with relatively small current jumps when random Trichel pulses appear, and further small current jumps when the fixed spot with regular Trichel pulses appears. There is evidence for a continuous heavy background of Townsend discharge along the whole wire until the visible spot and heavy pulsed discharge appears. The duration of Trichel pulses in pure O2 is two to ten times those in air with point to plane geometry and two to three times those in air with coaxial cylindrical geometry. Lower pressures in pure O2 show many current transitions and transitions between discharge forms.
The Plastic Deformation of Pure Single Crystals of Lead and Copper22(1951); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1700018View Description Hide Description
Single crystals of 99.999 percent pure lead and copper were grown by the Bridgman method. A tensile creep apparatus is described. Measurements on copper at 23°C and at −190°C show that for resolved shearing stresses below 0.6 kg per mm2 the steady‐state creep rate is negligible (i.e., less than 10−6 per minute). The resolved yield stress for copper is 219±21 g per mm2 at both the temperatures used. In the case of lead, for resolved shearing stresses below 0.13 kg per mm2 the steady‐state creep is negligible at −190°C. The yield stress at that temperature is 96±8 g per mm2. Measurements were made on the steady‐state creep of lead at 25°C and 110°C. The results produced by annealing were investigated.
Relation between Gas Evolution and Physical Properties of Liquids22(1951); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1700019View Description Hide Description
Four heavy lubricating oils, three light lubricating oils, and three aircraft engine fuels were tested for viscosity, surface tension, and density, and a relation was established between the time rate of evolution and solution of air and the viscosity of the liquids. A definite relation was also found between solubility constants and half‐lives as well as between half‐lives of evolution and solution.
The Electric and Magnetic Constants of Metallic Delay Media Containing Obstacles of Arbitrary Shape and Thickness22(1951); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1700020View Description Hide Description
The dielectric constant and permeability of a metallic‐obstacle medium are obtained in this paper by various static methods. The equivalent shunt capacitive susceptance and series inductive reactance of the individual obstacles are also determined. In the first part of the paper, a correspondence is established between an infinitely thin conducting obstacle and an aperture in an infinitely thin conducting wall. With the aid of this correspondence, delay medium formulas are given for several obstacle shapes. Formulas are then derived for the effect on the magnetic field of moderate obstacle thickness. Finally, it is shown how the electric and magnetic constants may be evaluated by electrolytic tank measurements in the case of obstacles having completely arbitrary shape and thickness. This has been done for a typical delay medium, and the effect of obstacle thickness on the index of refraction is shown.
Lattice and Grain Boundary Self‐Diffusion in Silver22(1951); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1700021View Description Hide Description
The lattice and grain boundary self‐diffusion coefficients of high purity silver have been measured over extended temperature ranges. It has been found that the lattice diffusion coefficients are described by the equation, and are independent of the thermal history of the crystals within wide limits. The absolute grain boundarydiffusion coefficients fit the equation, and are independent of the grain size of the specimens.


text:
rogerfederer.com - Gerry Weber Open 2010
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Gerry Weber Open 2010
After the end of the clay season it's now finally time for the green surface! Roger will play the 18th Gerry Weber Open in Halle this week where he will try to capture a sixth tournament title and adjust the last details for Wimbledon. He will face Finland's Jarkko Nieminen (ATP 69) in the first round. He has never been defeated by Nieminen in any of their 10 matches so far. He could then play Columbia's Alejandro Falla (ATP 70) in round two before meeting Radek Stepanek (ATP 20) in the quarter-finals. A potential semi-final against Juan Carlos Ferrero (ATP 18) or Marcos Baghdatis (ATP 30) could then be the last step before a final clash with Nikolay Davydenko (ATP 5).
"It's been a while since I last played here in Halle," our champion commented as he was welcomed by tournament-director Ralf Weber and the founder of the tournament, Gerhard Weber. "I am happy to be able to play the Gerry Weber Open again."
Roger will make the most of this week to prepare for Wimbledon, starting with a doubles match together with Yves Allegro against Germany's Christopher Kas and Philipp Kohlschreiber today.
You were SO impressive out there Roger!
Some brilliant shots... excellent movement!
Keep it up... All the very best and good luck for the next round!
I'm sure the tit
come on
be aggresive
fire up the court
u r the best tennis player ! dont u see that!
good luck
I'm watching the match on a website called bet365... it works pretty much everytime!
You could give it a go?
Here's the link...
Excellent volleying too!
For some reason I canot see the chanelsurfing. I cannot use the other one
No matter
Go Roger GO!!!!
OR try:
http://atdhe.net/19986/watch-atp-gerry-weber-open (although I'm not sure this will work for everyone, sorry)


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Bell & Tower is an online newsletter for the faculty and professional staff of Franklin & Marshall College. This weekly email digest is delivered to you each Thursday. It includes news about your peers and new hires, key deadline reminders, policy updates, tips on community resources and more.
In the spirit of community, all faculty and staff are encouraged to share their news and notes through this newsletter using our online form.
ITS Welcomes New Staff
Information Technology Services would like to welcome two new professional staff members to our...Read More
See a Baseball Game, Support Children's Center
The Parent's Association of the College Hill Children's Center invites everyone to join them for...Read More
Sports Medicine Department Welcomes New Staff
The Sports Medicine Department welcomes three new athletic trainers to the Franklin & Marshall...Read More
A Celebration of Life Ceremony honoring Solomon Wank
A Celebration of Life Ceremony honoring Solomon Wank, Lewis Audenreid Professor of History,...Read More
Faculty Focus
Faculty Focus for August, a regular recap of the achievements and published works of the faculty...Read More
Velazquez is New Director of Student Accounts
Becky Velazquez has accepted the role of the director of student accounts at Franklin & Marshall...Read More
Join F&M's 2014 Heart Walk Team!
Sign up today to be a part of the 2014 Lancaster County Heart Walk! Join fellow Franklin &...Read More
Campus Grounds Update
Ted Schmid, Franklin & Marshalll College's director of grounds, reports on tree removal.Read More
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Students arriving on Franklin & Marshall College's campus in late August will find a few changes,...Read More


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Teacher-Data Reactions: Absorbing New Rankings With Caution
When New York City released a trove of data seeking to measure public schoolteachers' ability to boost student test scores, it touched off discussion among parents who will for the first time be able to access one measure of teacher quality.
Concerns over how parents might use — or misuse — the rankings of thousands of fourth- through eighth-grade teachers drove much a significant part of the debate over the release. The Wall Street Journal, along with other media organizations, published on Friday its own searchable database allowing readers to look up teachers by name and see one measure of how they rank against their peers. Search the database.
Our reporters discussed the data release with parents and educators. Below, some of their reactions to the nearly unprecedented information about schools and teachers that is now available.
A Parent Worries About Cheating — by Teachers
Elizabeth Miller, who has two children at the Brooklyn New School, an elementary school in Carroll Gardens, said she feared the use of student test scores in teacher evaluations would lead to cheating. "Evaluating teachers on their students is really dangerous," she said, arguing that both teachers and principals will have an incentive to manipulate student test results.
Miller, a mother of three who lives in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, has a child in pre-Kindergarten and another in the second grade; her husband is a New York City high school teacher. She said she will look at the reports for the fourth-grade teachers in her children's school but won't use them to make judgments.
"Would I want to form an opinion based on that? No," said Miller, 43 years old. "I would want to form my opinion from my contact with the school."
Miller said she worried that an emphasis on student test scores in teacher evaluations could spark a shift in the type of people attracted to teach in New York City. "It's going to attract a different type of person to become a teacher — a person who is more business-minded," she said. "I love the teachers at my children's school. Love them. They really care."
One Day Makes All the Difference, a Teacher Says
Maura Callan, a fourth grade teacher at P.S. 18 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, supports the concept of a fair teacher-evaluation system to increase accountability. But she worried that the current system doesn't tell teachers if they are doing their job right — and said she hoped that would change.
"I do believe in evaluating teachers but not on how a 10 year old is going to perform on that one test day," said Callan, 30 years old, who has been teaching for 10 years. "It doesn't show what they learned by any means. I don't feel that shows my effectiveness as a teacher."
The teacher-ranking system is designed to account for unequal circumstances in students' backgrounds, but Callan worried the model fails to adequately consider factors like parental involvement. No matter how hard a teacher works, she said time in the classroom often can't make up for a lack of parental support.
"There is no way to show what you put in for this kids," Callan said. "You can bend over backwards sometimes, and you still don't get the results you want."
Callan said having standardized tests administered several times a year would be a good first step. That could show how children progress through a year and would limit the impact of a student having a single bad test, she said.
But even then, student test scores shouldn't be the only measurement taken into account to evaluate teachers for tenure, salary or firing purposes, Callan said. Indeed, New York is planning a statewide model that will use tests or other measures of student work for up to 40% of a teacher's evaluation in the future.
"It's absolutely, positively ridiculous," Callan said. "I don't want my entire career based on how one 10-year-old does that one day."
A Harlem Teacher Says Rankings Will Be Forgotten
Jon Hoffmeier, a fifth- and sixth-grade math teacher at Knowledge and Power Preparatory Academy IV in Harlem, wasn't happy after learning that teacher evaluations would become public. But he doesn't think they'll have a lasting impact.
That's because they're flawed, confusing and don't provide meaningful evaluations, he said.
"I don't think it's going to have much traction," said Hoffmeier, 56 years old. "Who is going to take the time to look for me?"
The most recent report, from the 2009-10 school year, will have little value for evaluating what's happening in classrooms now, he said. Instead, the public disclosure about teacher evaluations will just be another example of what he sees as increasingly hostile treatment of teachers — and that doesn't bode well for the public-school system, he said.
"What do you think will happen when the economy gets good? A lot of teachers are going to leave the profession," Hoffmeier said. "That's where it's going to end up."
A Manhattan Teacher Distrusts a Quizzical Formula
The formula used to derive teachers' rankings looks like something off the blackboard in the films "Good Will Hunting" or "I.Q."
It takes into account previous reading and math test scores. Free- or reduced-price lunch status. Special education status. Whether the student speaks fluent English. How many suspensions and absences students received. Whether the student was held back. Whether they attended summer school. The student's race and gender.
Then it adjusts for those characteristics for the entire classroom.
The formula is supposed to help adjust for factors outside the teacher's control. But the formula is so intricate, worried teacher Monica Smith, that parents might misinterpret the information or stop trying to understand it at all.
"I'm just nervous of how people who don't know what goes into this number will use that information," said Smith, 30, who teaches sixth grade English and history at New York City Lab Middle School for Collaborative Studies in Chelsea.
Like many teachers, Smith said she distrusted how the Department of Education created the formula and whether it was reliable. "I have a lot of questions about how this is calculated," she said Smith.
Still, she looked at the good test scores at her school and said they don't seem to match up with the rankings her colleagues received, which were average.
"There feels like a disconnect there," Smith said. "I think it puts a lot of weight on one single day of students lives. I don't think teachers should be evaluated in a snapshot, there should be more of a holistic evaluation system."


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Warning. Spoilers will abound in this analysis. Turn back now if you haven't beaten the game.
The Bioshock series is no stranger to social criticism. The original installment featured a thinly veiled critique of Ayn Rand's Objectivist philosophy. Andrew Ryan (a thinly veiled anagram of the famous philosopher's name) embodied all that was wrong with this particular self-centered way of living. If one removes the ethical boundaries and laws contained within the social structure, selfish individuals (like Fontaine and Ryan) will elevate themselves to the status of gods to have their way with the so-called "parasites" of society. In their efforts to overcome the ethical laws imposed upon them by existence itself, both individuals turned Rapture into a dystopian hell-hole. If God truly is dead, as the famous Romantic philosopher Nietzsche so boldly declared, these two men were definitely not fit to take the mantle. And neither is Comstock.
Bioshock: Infinite's main antagonist has wrapped himself so tightly in his own ego-driven mania that he believes himself to be a prophet on high, one who has been granted the privilege to speak for the Divine himself. Somewhere along the way, after Booker's baptismal rebirth, it seems as if he developed a strong hatred of those who he killed at Wounded Knee. In an effort to enforce his judgement (or self-hatred), he fancies himself a figure-head for God and declares himself infallible. He never truly forgives himself for his sins. Instead, he builds a city in which he can enforce his xenophobic, racist, fear based religion. In an effort to control the people of Columbia, he builds a belief structure around a certain holy child, Elizabeth. He keeps the truth of her existence, the essence of her relationship to the Cosmos (the secrets of religion) locked away in a tower. And the one that will lead her astray, the alternate version of himself, the antichrist, is our own Booker Dewitt. He's created his own version of Christian Fundamentalism.
Organized Religion, when employed correctly, serves as a means for mankind to better itself. But when harnessed for evil and control of the masses, it benefits no one. When one's beliefs are specifically tied to some form of Dogmatism, judgement inevitably enters the picture. For Comstock, this judgement manifests itself in the labeling of young Booker Dewitt as a "false prophet," or "anti-christ" meant to lead the "lamb of Columbia" (read Jesus) away from her holy duties. What's ironic here is that our Booker is just an alternate version of Comstock. Comstock is essentially projecting his own inability to forgive himself upon his past alternate existence.
As everyone who's finished the game knows, the moment that determines Booker's future existence is his baptism (or the non-existence thereof). It is at this moment that Booker's two timelines split into two alternate Bookers: a self-pitying Dewitt, or a self-righteous hateful Comstock. But there's a third option here, and it's one that Booker deliberately chooses of his own free will. Allowing Elizabeth to drown him is the ultimate form of self-sacrifice and release of the ego. It's a transcendent form of baptism and re-birth that leads towards the one true authentic Booker. One might argue that this particular Booker's existence becomes null after the drowning, but they'd be missing a critical clue. After Booker's drowning, the camera pulls back in an almost "floating" like fashion, revealing that this Booker's soul rests easy in the immaterial realm. He's been reborn in the truest sense; he's cast off the physical and made peace with God/The Universve/What have you.
So what does this all mean?
That religion should not be bound to a certain set of ideological principles. When one attempts to bind God to one's own perception of the world, judgement and destruction inevitably ensue. It's only when one embraces self-sacrifice to the fullest extent and devotes him/herself to Love itself that one truly understands one's role in the Cosmos of the fabric of existence. If Infinite exists as a critique of modern day America, then it does not hesitate to expose the hypocrisy of the self-righteous religious fundamentalists of the world that would use something as beautiful as faith to engage others in lifestyles of destruction.


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View the original article at: http://www.countryweekly.com/news/phil-vassar-changes-labels
"I think that as artists change and grow musically, it's important to shake things up on the business side, too," says Phil. His biggest songs for Arista included his debut "Carlene," the No.1 "Just Another Day in Paradise," "That's When I Love You" and more. Phil recently released his Greatest Hits CD. He is recording a new album with producer Mark Wright, also the head of Universal Records South, scheduled for release in 2007.
[1] http://www.countryweekly.com/news/acm-nominees-announced-1
[2] http://www.countryweekly.com/news/stars-react-acm-nominations-0


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Tag: employee
A basset hound-bulldog mix named Brad Pitt died of heat-related causes after a Georgia animal control officer picked him up and left him in his truck all day, police say.
To make matters worse, the officer claimed the dog had been been hit by a car and was dead when he found him.
The atrocious behavior and blatant lie likely would have never come to light if not for a family's persistent efforts to find out the truth about their dog, who they named after the movie star.
Brad Pitt ran away from his home in Kennesaw in July, and the family launched an extensive search, driving around the area, posting flyers and reporting the dog missing to Cobb County Animal Control.
Animal Control employees told them repeatedly that no dog matching Brad Pitt's description had been there.
Then a neighbor called the family and told them he had seen Brad Pitt being loaded into a Cobb County Animal Control van.
Brad Pitt's owner, Holly Roth, called Animal Control again, and learned the dog had been found dead — at least according to the officer who picked him up, Matthew Cory Dodson. Dodson had told his supervisors the dog had been hit by a car and was dead when he found him.
Roth, doubtful of the account, continued looking for the truth.
Police investigators questioned Dodson, and he confessed to what happened, according to his arrest warrant.
Dodson told police he put the dog in a compartment of his county truck around 9:40 a.m. July 18 after picking him up in the Kennesaw area. He finished his work day without bringing the dog back to the shelter.
"Failing to do so in a timely manner resulted in said dog's death, likely from a heat related illness," the arrest warrant states.
Dodson was charged with cruelty to animals and obstruction, both misdemeanors.
He was arrested Thursday afternoon, but released from jail on his own recognizance about an hour later. A Cobb County police spokesman said Dodson has resigned from his position.
Holly Roth said the 17-month-old basset hound and English bulldog mix had been a gift for her daughter after her elementary school graduation.
"I'm still so sick to my stomach about it," she told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "He would've gotten away with it if I hadn't been prying."
Posted by John Woestendiek August 26th, 2015 under Muttsblog.
Tags: animal control, animal cruelty, arrest, basset hound, brad pitt, bulldog, Cobb County, employe, employee, false, georgia, heat, holly roth, kennesaw, lied, matthew cory dodson, matthew dodson, mix, obstruction, officer, truck
Comments: none
Police dog fired after biting doughnut man
A police dog in Florida has been fired after he escaped from his handler and bit a Dunkin Donuts employee in the store's parking lot.
According to Margate police, Coconut Creek Officer Carl DiBlasi had gone to the doughnut shop with his police dog Renzo to meet Coconut Creek Police Sgt. Brandi Delvecchio.
Renzo lunged at the sergeant when she tried to pet him through a half open patrol car window, The dog then jumped from the vehicle, ran across the parking lot and attacked a shop employee as he reached into his car for an apron, according to the Sun Sentinel.
The incident occurred Feb. 11 in the parking lot of the Dunkin' Donuts in Margate.
Renzo, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, had been with the department about a year and a half, and already had one strike against him: In November, he bit a Coconut Creek officer while tracking a suspect.
Coconut Creek Police Chief Michael J. Mann said the dog is now off the force.
"I have made the decision to retire K9 Renzo," he said. Renzo will go live with DiBlasi.
According to Margate police, Officer DiBlasi was in the car when Renzo lunged at the sergeant and jumped out the window. DiBlasi grabbed hold of the dog's harness, but couldn't hang on. The dog ignored his commands to stop and charged toward doughnut shop employee Robert Doherty, 37, Coral Springs, who saw him coming and jumped into his car.
Renzo bit his leg before he could close the door. Doherty suffered four bites, according to Margate police, who said they had to "pry" Renzo from his victim.
(Photo: Renzo, from Coconut Creek Police Department)
Posted by John Woestendiek February 23rd, 2015 under Muttsblog.
Tags: bite, bites, bitten, coconut creek, dog, donut, donuts, doughnut, doughnuts, dunkin donuts, employee, florida, K-9, k9, law enforcement, margate, police, police dog
Comments: 1
Sled dog slaughter leads to calls for ban
The slaughter of 100 sled dogs in Canada has reenergized efforts by some animal activists to ban or boycott dog sled rides, the Associated Press reports.
There are hundreds of North American businesses offering dog sled rides as part of winter vacation getaways — from New England to Alaska — but the industry is not regulated or licensed, and kennels go largely uninspected.
And some animal welfare activists suspect that the kind of "culling" that took place in British Columbia takes place regularly, if on a far smaller scale.
"I don't think society is willing to accept that animals, particularly dogs, should be killed just because they are surplus or don't suit the purpose they were born for,'' said Debra Probert, executive director of the Vancouver Humane Society, which has called for a provincial ban on tour businesses.
The 100 dogs killed last April belonged to Howling Dog Tours Whistler Inc., and its parent company Outdoor Adventures Whistler, located in British Columbia. The dogs were killed by a company employee, who shot some dogs and slit the throats of others.
The incident came to light when he applied for workers' compensation, saying he has suffered posttraumatic stress since carrying out the orders from his boss.
Documents from the workers' compensation probe said the company acquired the dogs in anticipation of extra business during the Olympic Games in Vancouver, and that the animals were destroyed after bookings fell. But in a letter to the editor published in the Vancouver Sun newspaper, Howling Dog's owner, Joey Houssian, said "some old and sick dogs needed to be put down'' and the company thought the worker assigned the task would perform the culling "in a professional and humane manner.''
Posted by John Woestendiek February 9th, 2011 under Muttsblog.
Tags: animals, british columbia, culled, culling, debra probert, dogs, employee, howling dog tours, killed, killing, outdoor adventures, pets, posttraumatic, shot, slashed, slaughter, sled dogs, stress, throats, tourism, vancouver humane society, whistler, winter, workers compensation
Comments: none
PetSmart fires manager for dog on the job
A PetSmart in New Jersey may be dog-friendly, but its recent firing of a staff member who brought his dog to work is making it look something less than employee-friendly.
Eric Favetta was fired from his job at the PetSmart in Secaucus for bringing his dog into the closed store while working a last-minute overnight shift.
Favetta, 31, a PetSmart employee since July 2008, placed his dog Gizmo in the store's empty day care facility while he spruced up the place for a special showing to potential business partners.
"I have always been the type of employee to go the extra mile," Favetta told the Newark Star-Ledger's "Bamboozled" column.
The store, which encourages its customers to bring pets inside, labeled his deed "theft of services," and fired him.
Favetta served nearly seven years as a dog handler for various military units in Afghanistan and Bahrain. He became operations manager at the PetSmart in Wayne and, based on his good record, was sent to Secaucus.
At 5 p.m. on Dec. 15, Favetta was asked to work a special overnight shift to prepare the store for a viewing by representatives for Martha Stewart's company, which was considering adding its product lines to PetSmart.
"I brought my dog with me because I knew if I didn't, he would have been home alone all day and all night until I returned home at 6 a.m. the next day," Favetta said. Gizmo, a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois, spent the night in the empty store's doggie day care facility as Favetta toiled.
Two weeks later, he was called on the carpet and fired.
PetSmart spokeswoman Jessica White explained the situation this way:
"In our eyes, our services business is huge, with our grooming and training and care. Those are viewed as sale items the same way items on the shelf are," she said. "To use the facilities and not pay for it — it falls under the same lines."
A few days later, PetSmart reconsidered and offered him another job. But Favetta has since moved on. He's now working as a dog handler for a company that uses animals to search for hazards.
(Photo: MITSU YASUKAWA/Newark Star-Ledger)
Posted by John Woestendiek January 20th, 2010 under Muttsblog.
Tags: animals, bamboozled, belgian malinois, company, day care, dog, dog friendly, dogs, employee, eric favetta, fired, firing, gizmo, manager, new jersey, newark star-ledger, operations, overnight, overtime, pets, petsmart, secaucus, shift, terminated, termination, theft of services
Comments: 4
Road dog starts new life with his rescuer
"Highway," at last, has a smooth road ahead.
The stray who survived for more than a year surrounded by converging freeways east of downtown Fort Worth now belongs to a former employee of the Humane Society of North Texas who helped rescue her 18 months ago. He adopted her last week.
"She's jumping around, wagging her tail, happy," Blake Travis, 25, of Watauga. told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which wrote about the dog, a reddish shepherd mix, two years ago — back when she was still a road dog.
During 2007, the dog was often spotted near the busy interchange at Interstate 35W, U.S. 287 and Spur 280. She slept beneath an overpass, crossed busy on-ramps and ambled alongside streams of speeding traffic.
Highway's nickname came from a motorist, Lori Adams of Arlington, who began stopping on her way to work to leave food and water for the dog. Another motorist contacted the Humane Society and asked it to capture the mutt before she was injured or killed.
Travis, a veterinary technician, and another Humane Society employee trapped the dog Nov. 28, 2007, and placed her with more than 400 other animals in the society's facility. She was basically feral," Travis said. "She hadn't had any human contact and didn't want any."
For a long time, the dog cowered in the back of her cage, but eventually she began socializing with other dogs and bonding with Travis.
Travis made that bond official last week, adopting Highway and taking her home.
(Photo: From the Star-Telegam by D.J. PETERS)
Posted by John Woestendiek May 28th, 2009 under Muttsblog.
Tags: adopted, blake travis, dog, employee, feral, fort worth, fort worth star-telegram, highway, homeless, humane society, humane society of north texas, rescued, shelter, staff, stray, texas
Comments: none


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In The News
Come Grow With Us
6 Oct 2011
We are currently seeking new companies to locate in the Greenhouse incubator. If you are in the energy, sustainability, or technology sectors and are interested in accelerating your growth, contact us.
You've taken your great idea for a business and have started to build on it. You are looking for a place to grow your business further, a place where you can build strong roots and let your ideas flourish.
Welcome to the Greenhouse!
Are you interested in getting hands-on, expert advice from those who have been there? Looking for a creative space where you can exchange ideas and stories with like-minded entrepreneurs.
We invite you to learn more about how the Greenhouse may just be the place to help your business shine.


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CLAYTON -- When 8-year-old Kai Welsh spotted a tarantula crawling across a Mount Diablo trail, he didn't freeze, flee or attack the giant hairy spider that frightens many people.
Under the supervision of adult nature hike leaders, the Walnut Creek boy let the male spider crawl over his hand, and continue its autumn journey to find a mate.
"He's not scary," Kai told other youngsters clustered around him last week in Mt. Diablo State Park's Mitchell Canyon. "He's very light. Some people find them scary, but he's not as scary as he looks."
Male tarantulas are leaving their burrows and crawling around in large numbers on Mount Diablo and many other places in the East Bay and South Bay this time of year in an autumn ritual to find mates before dying.
The spider's appearance scares some people. It has been characterized in fearsome images since the first federal surveyors wrote in the 1860s about giant spiders on Mount Diablo that were as big as birds and had fangs as big as those of rattlesnakes.
Naturalists, however, say the slow-moving tarantulas are docile, defensive and fragile.
You might call them wimps.
The big spiders would rather flee than fight. If confronted, they rear up and flick off sneeze-inducing hairs -- a material that once was harvested to make sneezing dust sold in old joke and gag stores.
If a tarantula bites a human harasser, the bite is less painful than a bee sting, spider experts say.
"Many people are scared of all spiders even though there are only one or two around here that are poisonous," said Gary Meneghin, a retired biologist and volunteer with the Mount Diablo Interpretive Society, a natural education group that leads "tarantula treks" on Mount Diablo. "The movie industry has made the tarantula out to be ferocious. Our modern culture has not embraced them, although in some Native American cultures, the tarantula is linked to the early creation stories."
Tarantulas spend most of their lives in underground burrows, and pop out to grab a meal when a beetle, cricket or other insect wanders by.
Unable to see well or move fast, the male tarantulas leave their burrow homes for good when they are seven to 10 years old. Then they mate and die.
These daring autumn crawls make the usually nocturnal creatures visible in places such as Mount Diablo, Sunol Regional Park, Black Diamond Preserve near Antioch, and Henry Coe State Park near Morgan Hill. Coe Park held a tarantula festival Saturday to celebrate the autumn ritual.
"It's not really a migration. It's a ramble," said Ken Lavin, a naturalist who led the interpretive society's hike on Mount Diablo last week. "It's their last mission, and then they're gone."
When the male finds a female's burrow, it taps on the ground -- mimicking the motion of insect prey -- to draw her out.
To avoid being eaten during mating, the male uses leg hooks to neutralize the female's fangs.
After the encounter, the male has a short life of weeks, days or even hours. He may starve, get eaten by birds or coyotes, freeze, or wither away if it's hot.
On the tarantula trek Wednesday during a heat wave, nature hikers discovered one tarantula in the middle of a trail after it apparently had died hours before in temperatures near 100 degrees.
"It's a tough life for a male tarantula," Lavin said.
The hikers came across three tarantulas before 6 p.m., and six more crawling around later during cooler temperatures. Prime tarantula viewing hours are two hours after sunrise and two hours before sunset.
Tarantula hike leaders have seen an average of about 15 tarantulas per trip this season.
"It's a good year for tarantulas," Lavin said. He attributes the abundance in part to favorable environmental conditions seven years ago when the parents of this year's males mated.
"I also think the cool, wet weather this year has helped," he said. "It's produced a lot of insects for the tarantulas to eat."
Staff writer Randy Myers contributed to this story.
Tarantulas are shy creatures with a bite no worse than a bee sting, but their fearsome appearance makes them a convenient Hollywood villain. Some notable movies with tarantulas:
Source: The Internet Movie Database
Tarantula treks are planned from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday starting at the Mitchell Canyon Visitor Center at Mt. Diablo State Park. Go to www.mdia.org and click on "bulletin board" for details.


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Ken Wilson: The Goldman Sachs Man Behind Your Bailouts
Goldman Sachs banker Ken Wilson (below left) has advised on most of the big deals that have saved financial institutions this past year. Now he is being asked to help save the country from those financial institutions.
Wilson was tapped by Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson to help him make sense of the mess around us all right now–the bank failures, lending problems, and the troubles of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Wilson even received a special call from President Bush to convince him to take the job, which will be unpaid until Jan. 1, at which point Wilson will return to Goldman Sachs.
You might wonder why Paulson and Bush would go to such lengths. Well, though Wilson's name probably is unknown on Main Street, he is one of the best-known names among Wall Street bankers who advise banks and other financial institutions on deals like sales and capital-raisings. His specialty is in advising financial institutions, and his long list of deals includes advising on the Banc One-First USA deal. He joined Goldman in 1998 from Lazard Freres.
Wilson's imprint has been on many major deals of the current crisis. As part of Goldman's team, he advised National City on its recent investment led by Corsair Capital. Wilson also advised Bank of America on its takeover of Countrywide Financial. He is advising Wachovia on its options for its loan portfolio.
The list of big deals on which he has played a role include advising Wachovia on its takeover of A.G. Edwards last year and being on the teams that brought together UBS and PaineWebber as well as Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette and Credit Suisse.
Not all of Wilson's deals have ended up happily ever after. He advised Household Financial on its sale to HSBC Holdings, which may have been a good deal for his client but turned out to be a mistake for HSBC, which had to contend with Household's scandals and a flood of weak loans.
From Goldman's perspective, the timing could be better: troubles at banks and other financial institutions continue to ripple out and demand just his sort of expertise–and think of the lost revenue. But there are teams of people to take care of those, and Goldman's decision to give Wilson the time now could pay off later: think of how much more in demand Wilson will be when he returns.


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FIRE CREWS from Humberside Fire & Rescue Service have attended incidents in our area recently.
- A motorcycle on fire on Tower House Lane, Saltend was dealt with this afternoon (6th August 2012).
- Also this afternoon on Aldbrough Road, Roos, a bonfire had spread to a trailer, catching alight to 4 half tonne bales of straw. As well as a jet hose and breathing apparatus, a mechanical digger had to be used to create a fire break.
- A rubbish bin fire was extinguished on Memorial Avenue, Withernsea.
This is just a small selection of the incidents tackled by the service. More information at the HFRS website, look at Incidents.
Visit: www.humbersidefire.gov.uk


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Aldon Smith's arrest for DUI and marijuana possession Friday morning hasn't swayed the 49ers' plan to play him Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.
"I expect Aldon to be back to work and playing Sunday," coach Jim Harbaugh said.
Harbaugh said any forthcoming discipline is "pretty exclusive to the league" and is expecting "the process" to play out before any potential suspension is imposed on Smith, the 49ers' sack leader since his 2011 rookie season.
"There will be consequences," Harbaugh added.
Asked for comment, Smith replied "not right now" as he headed to the weight room for a post-practice workout.
Less than 4 hours after San Jose police arrested him and he posted subsequent bail, Smith participated in the 90-minute practice, albeit in limited fashion because of a back injury that's hindered him all week.
"Seemed like he had his wits about him," Harbaugh said of how Smith practiced.


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Philippines Signs Peace Pact a Long Time in the Making
MANILA–The Philippine government and the country's largest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, signed a peace deal Thursday nearly 17 years in the making. The agreement with the group, which claims up to 11,000 fighters, sets in motion a process that could finally forge lasting peace and deliver development to the long-impoverished southern island of Mindanao.
Now that the deal has been signed, the government will have to draft a bill that will be submitted to Congress in order to set up a new regional government called the Bangsamoro. Once that bill passes, it will go to President Benigno Aquino III for approval. The bill will then be submitted to the area it's set to govern for a plebiscite. When the process is complete, an election will be held to select the officials who will govern the Bangsamoro.
Here's a timeline of how the process has evolved up to this point:
July 1997: The government signs a deal with the MILF in which both sides agreed to end hostilities and start down the path to peace through a round of talks. The deal comes shortly after Manila signed a peace agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front, an older group the MILF had split off from and eventually eclipsed.
October 1999: Peace talks begin, but an ultimatum from then-President Joseph Estrada to complete a peace deal by July 2000 eventually leads to renewed hostilities and the talks collapse.
2001: Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo takes office after Mr. Estrada is ousted in a popular uprising in January 2001. Within months, Ms. Arroyo's government signs a new agreement with the MILF to begin another round of peace talks. Malaysia agrees to facilitate the negotiations.
July 2008: After years of intermittent negotiations and attacks and counter-attacks between government and rebel forces, the two sides return to the negotiating table and strike a deal to expand the area governed by the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The ARMM is the name for the regional government that controls the predominantly Muslim areas in the southern Philippines that have opted to join it.
August 2008: The Philippine Supreme Court stops a proposal to expand the ARMM's coverage area due to widespread opposition. In September, the government dissolves the peace panel and scuttles the agreement to expanded ARMM's coverage to include other areas in Mindanao and some parts of Palawan province.
June 2010: President Benigno Aquino III creates a new peace panel just days after taking office. By August, Malaysia once again agrees to facilitate the talks.
April 2011: Exploratory talks begin.
August 2011: Mr. Aquino and Murad Ebrahim, chairman of the MILF, meet in Tokyo and agree to speed up the negotiations.
December 2011: Official negotiations begin.
April 2012: Peace negotiators agree to create a new regional government that will replace the ARMM.
October 2012: Mr. Aquino witnesses the signing of the framework agreement that has been reached with the MILF for the creation of the Bangsamoro, the new Muslim Homeland that will enlarge and replace the ARMM.
December 2012: Mr. Aquino appoints Miriam Coronel-Ferrer as new head of the government panel in charge of negotiating the peace agreement. He also signs an order creating the transitional commission that will draft the basic law for the Bangsamoro.
January 2013: Negotiators from both sides agree to create a third-party monitoring team to oversee the peace process and the final annex on normalization is forged. This is the final chapter in the peace deal, marking a historic end to a decades-long conflict. The final chapter is the most contentious since it deals with the decommissioning of rebel forces, creation of a local police force, removal of government soldiers with the Bangsamoro territory, disbanding of private armies and intensification of development efforts. The wealth and power sharing annexes were signed in late 2012.
March 27, 2013: The final peace deal is formally signed.


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This is a question I get asked regularly, and was asked only today in fact!
I don't know many people who don't worry about keeping enough important paperwork, and whether they may be caught out one day needing something vital that they have thrown/shredded/recycled.
Its a minefield out there!
So here I want to give you some hints and tips as to how to deal with those bills, statements etc…. – and hopefully help you to declutter that filing cabinet once and for all!
HOWEVER I do want to say that if you ever feel uneasy or unsure about a specific document, then always seek advice from a professional before you get rid of it – better to be safe.
What ways can I reduce the amount of paperwork coming in?
Most people ask the question about how long to keep their financial paperwork because it becomes unruly in the house – barely fitting into the designated filing area (if you have one)
Why do we need to keep it at all?
We keep paperwork because we may need to refer back to something in the future.
There may be a dispute, or a query, and we may need proof of something.
Perhaps identity proof (utility bills are commonly requested for proof of address for example), or proof of purchase (bank statements for example are good for this, or the receipt itself)
The fact is, we are very wary in todays world where identity fraud is prevalent, of not keeping records of everything financial.
The issue is though, that its burdensome and can be overwhelming to manage – so you may not be able to find what you need at a given time anyway. Also, what happens if you have a house fire and all that paperwork is destroyed?
Whats the answer?
There are a few tricks that you could use to manage the amount of actual paper you have, before you even really have to worry too much about the length of time you have kept the information for, and its probably worth looking into these to ensure you don't get overrun again once you have sorted everything out!
In todays technological world there are many ways to go.
Go online
A lot of places now prefer to use online statements as it saves money, postage fees, and hassle. If you can get your bills to be moved to this form then you have immediately cut down on the paperwork you have.
The companies would have to keep backups of all their files, including your statements, so you could always get hold of a copy if required, and you would always have a backup in case of a house fire etc…
Go digital
If a company doesn't offer this service, or you still prefer to have a copy yourself, then why not start to scan the paper statements into your computer, and create a file on the computer for each bill.
A LOT less space is needed!
Either of these ways would help to negate the worry of keeping too few years worth of financial records, as you would have much more space on your computer out of the way.
However, there are still times when only the original hard copy will do – and thats where the time scales become crucial. You can negate paperwork to some level, but there will never be a time when we can go completely paperless (I don't think).
So – here are the timings that I have found, and I hope that they help you too!
If you are looking after the records for the home:
How long should I keep Utility Bills for?
Up to 1 year is usually enough – some people even only have the last 3 months.
How long should I keep Bank Statements for?
For non business accounts, statements up to a year old should be plenty. This is usually enough time to be able to look back at any purchases made, or correct any mistakes.
If you get into the habit of checking statements as they come in, then you will be able to pick up on any discrepancies quite quickly and hopefully not have to worry about something from over a year ago.
How long should I keep receipts for?
Keep a receipt until:-
- The returns policy has run out (30 days usually) – and you are happy that you are keeping the purchase
- The warranty has run out
What about other home related paperwork?
Any important documentation related to your home or car should be kept in a secure place and for as long as you own that item.
Anything related to insurance policies should be kept until the next insurance certificate is sent to you – only have the policy documentation and the most recent certificate.
If you are asking for a mortgage, then this is usually when the most financial records and paperwork is required, and they usually ask for up to a years worth of your records, so a year is a good rule of thumb.
If you are looking after paperwork related to business or employment:
I always keep around 7 years worth of my business paperwork, which tends to be the rule of thumb for most people – the guidelines can change – so I have simply given links below to the HMRC website which has the most up to date information in detail for you.
I keep my records in large files (as large as you need to keep an entire years worth of paperwork in (A4 Leverarch is perfect for me) – and then I use tabs for each month. As I get any paperwork in I file straight away in the correct month, and then do my end of months books right at the start of the next month – printing off a summary sheet and adding it to the start of the previous month. This usually keeps things on track, and I can remember what was what so its easy to reconcile. Hope that helps!
If you are self employed:-
If you are an employee / company director:
If you have any other investments/income:
Keep any rental or other forms of income details for up to 7 years also – just to be safe!
With investments that are long term, keep for the full duration of the investment so that you have all the details you need.
Declutter as you file
Lastly – its always good to mention that once you have your paperwork and filing sorted, its definitely worth keeping things as they now are.
I suggest using a filing cabinet with tabs on for each different section (you could also colour code per person in the house to make things even more easy to find) i.e. CHRISSY – LIFE INSURANCE, CHRISSY – BANK STATEMENTS etc….
Get into the habit of putting the new filing into the front of each file, which will naturally move the older documents to the back.
When you add anything new, check whether you can get rid of whats at the back of the file – and keep the filing moving in this way to stop build up.
For example – once the new certificate comes in for your MOT, or car insurance – then the previous one is null and void so can be removed from that file immediately.
In this way you should be able to keep with pretty much the same volume of paperwork at any one time and keep things manageable.
One word of caution:-
When getting rid of ANY financial paperwork – please shred and destroy properly – you don't want to leave important papers for the wrong hands!
In summary
Try and keep your paperwork under control and manageable at all times as its no good to you if you can't find anything anyway.
If you are not self employed or working, and its purely home finances you are talking about, then 1 year is the maximum I would suggest keeping any paperwork for, or until any policy etc… has completed, whichever is the longer of the two.
If you are working or self employed, then check with the HMRC for up to date guidance, but most people keep between 5 and 7 years worth of records (all receipts, expenses, bills, payments etc…..)
If you can utilise paperless methods then that may be the way forward for you.
So – how long do you keep your financial records for?


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7.5% alc/vol
75 IBUs
Pale, Munich, Rye Malts
Chinook, Motueka Hops
Pairs with Indian Cuisine, Blue Cheese, Rice Pudding
Serve in a pint glass at 50-55º F
This American Pale Ale's hop profile is complimented with an ample amount of malt flavor. It's cold-conditioned on New Zealand hops creating an unmistakable citrus-like aroma. Cheers!
4.5% alc/vol
44 IBUs
Wheat, Munich, CaraAmber, CaraMunich, CaraFoam Malts
Cascade, Chinook, Crystal Hops
Pairs with Thai cuisine, cheddar cheese, and bananas foster
Serve in a pint glass at 40-45º F
Route 1 is a session IPA, noted for its hop forward flavor and low alcohol content. Pale amber in color and possessing a subtle malt presence, the smoothness of this ale makes it easy to lather, rinse, and repeat as needed.
25 IBUs
Caramunich, Wheat Malts
Select, Tradition Hops
Pairs with roast pork, gouda, and pear fritters
Serve in a pint glass or stange at 45-50º F
Copperhead Ale is Fordham's flagship beer and an interpretation of the American Amber Ale. Caramelized malts give this beer its sweet flavor and signature copper hue. Bravo hops attribute a slight bitterness to the finish.
5.0% alc/vol
18 IBUs
Vienna, Munich, CaraFoam Malts
Perle, Tradition Hops
Pairs with Salads, mild cheeses, and blueberry trifle
Serve in a pint glass, flute, or pilsner at 40-45º F
This Munich-Style Helles Lager is brewed in the tradition of great German Lagers. Munich and Vienna malts provide a honeyed backbone that is contrasted with the clean bitterness of Perle Hops. The result is a crisp and refreshing beer.
6.5% alc/vol
20 IBUs
Wheat, CaraAmber, Chocolate Malts
Perle, Tradition Hops
Honey, Ginger, All Spice, Clove, Cinnamon
Pairs with Turkey, Swiss Cheese, and pumpkin pie
Serve in a pint glass, or stange at 40-45º F
Our Fall Seasonal is light Amber in color with a medium body, spiced with Cinnamon, Ginger, Clove, Allspice and Pumpkin.
The legendary skipjack Rosie Parks once dredged for oysters on the Chesapeake Bay. Formerly the fasted of the fleet and a beauty to behold, she underwent construction and was relaunched on November 2, 2013.
This 5.0% stout contains
Chesapeak Bay Oyster shells.
5.0% alc/vol
29 IBUs
CaraMunich, Wheat, Various Roasted Malts
Glacier Hops
Additions: Oyster Shells to kettle boil
Serve in a pint glass or snifter at 45-50º F
8.0% alc/vol
23 IBUs
CaraMunich, Munich, Carafa Malts
Hallertau Hops
Serve in a pint glass, pilsner glass, mug, or stein at 45-50º F
Dark & rich with a big beer taste, Doppelbock is an exceptionally smooth, full-bodied dark lager with a bold character that is sure to brighten your spirits.
Wisteria Wheat is an ale to be shared with friends. It's bright golden color and subtle notes
of banana & clove make it a fine
compliment to any backyard affair.
5% alc/vol
11 IBUs
Pairs with Chicken, Salads and Fruit
Serve in a pint glass, or stange at 40-45º F


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The three parrot families sit somewhere between pigeons and cuckoos. First of them, the New Zealand clan numbers only three. That country's six parakeets mix in with the main world family (the Psittacidae), before which lies the cohort of twenty or so cockatoos. About a quarter of the way through the 350 Psittacidae species are six rosellas – all Australian. In fact, they immediately follow red-capped parrot and the ringneck.
The only rosella that occurs in the south-west is, not surprisingly, western rosella and this it was that gave me my 880th lifer. Round the motel I also caught up with New Holland honeyeaters for the sixth family member of the odyssey. Discounting chats, that little corner of Australia provides 15 honeyeaters. So for day two of the road trip, I wasn't doing too badly.
And of course the truly great thing about birding entirely new regions is that cruddy locations like motels deliver lifers. Unfortunately this motel delivered nothing else, like food or even access to food in the neighbourhood. Two nearby garages stocked crisps and sweets but nothing as solid as a sandwich.
Ah! The British sandwich: a readily available – even in garages – model of convenience stacked up against its world offspring. Two slices of bread packaging a filling. Note the use of the word packaging. Not struggling to contain some squidgy mass of meat, vegetables, condiments and sauces. Not that American model of a sandwich, which Australia also seems to have adopted. A behemoth that no gape could be wide enough to bite into.
But Australian sandwiches were later. Not even they were to be had now. Does this sound like I was having a good time? ⇐ ⇒


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This growth would remain impressive even if those who claim the improvement to be 1000-fold got it wrong by a factor of 100. The production processes of the 1990s used purification resins at a capacity of 15–18 g/L column volume. Today, we have capacity that is 3-fold higher, better flow properties, and longer lifetimes. Overall, industry has seen a 10- to 20-fold increase in productivity, which is quite similar to recent cell-culture improvements. In addition, this new capacity can help reduce variable costs to as low as 10–30% of first-generation levels for downstream processes alone. Although the latest resin generation has not been implemented into very large production processes for antibodies yet, it is entering new processes everywhere. Industry may assume, therefore, that current technology will cope for some time to come.
Most experts agree that the designers of manufacturing facilities did not anticipate the recent developments in cell culture that dramatically increased product yields. As a consequence, downstream processing equipment and associated tankage capacity—and to a lesser extent, downstream technology—will constitute a processing bottleneck if product titers continue to increase. But will they? Should they?The cost-reduction curve flattens out at capacities of 3–5g/L, and there are no signifcant gains above capacities of 6–7 g/L. On the contrary, new problems are created further downstream: Manufacturers will need to increase expensive filter areas and change purification processes to new resins. Alternatively, they could scale up, which brings significant capital cost and space constraints. Some manufacturers claim a paradigm shift away from current downstream technology is just under the radar screen. I disagree and here's why.
Because increased product titers, alongside new facility constructions have effectively increased manufacturing capacity, many mAb manufacturers are reporting significant overcapacity. This overcapacity is likely to affect the fixed-cost burden on manufacturing costs. A normal percentage in a new facility would be 60–70% of total cost of goods sold (COGS). Fixes to the downstream process and its variable cost will at best yield cost reductions in the low single-digit percentage range or will require significant capital for facility refurbishing.
Risks for failure of such an undertaking are not negligible. There are few technical alternatives capable of keeping batch failures low and helping to ensure product and patient safety while also offering a true shift in economy. Existing alternatives are likely to be found by competitors first, and thus available only at high licensing costs.
Such de-bottlenecking hardly deserves the name "paradigm shift," even if achieved with new technical alternatives. The cost problem simply cannot be addressed at the right level. Some may argue that the plasma industry, with its low-priced protein therapeutics intravenous immunoglobulin (i.v.-IgG) and human serum albumin (hSA), has successfully used alternative separation technology for decades to make multiton-scale production possible at low cost. But since the 1980s, the plasma industry has added chromatography steps to its processes to improve previously insufficient yield, purity, and safety. The leader in this industry today, Australian-based CSL, was the first to install a plasma fractionation plant that was based entirely on chromatography.
In addition, the production of insulin, another ton-scale protein drug, has undergone a complete processing renovation from low-yield purification processes that involve 15–20 steps and use chemical reaction and precipitation to a 4–5 step chromatography with great economical improvement. No logical person in the biopharmaceutical industry would want to return to those "good old technologies."
At present, I can see two possible scenarios, very similar in nature, in which the cost of making mAbs becomes out of reach. For most other situations, cost is not a driver for technology change (1).