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If a deal between Yahoo Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO) and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. happens, the timing couldn't be worse for all involved.
Last year, Jack Ma, the Chinese billionaire who controls Alibaba Group, made headlines when he said that he was "very interested" in buying Yahoo. At the time, the Internet portal was reviewing its "strategic options" following the ouster of CEO Carol Bartz.
Nothing seems to have come of this overture, and Yahoo's board decided — again — to go it alone, hiring Scott Thompson, the former head of eBay Inc.'s (NASDAQ:EBAY) PayPal unit, as CEO.
It's too bad Yahoo didn't take Ma up on his offer since both companies are now in weaker bargaining positions.
Shares of Yahoo have tumbled nearly 18% over the past 52 weeks.
And Alibaba Group, which is private, probably should have taken its publicly traded Alibaba.com private a year ago since China's economy is slowing. In the first quarter, China's economy grew by 8.1%, the fifth straight quarter of slower growth. Alibaba.com shares have declined 2.64% over the past year.
Yahoo's 40% stake, which it acquired in 2005, is worth about $14 billion, which is roughly the size of its current market capitalization. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the Sunnyvale (Calif.) company is in talks "to sell a portion of its stake" back to Alibaba. How much isn't clear, but it seems unlikely that Yahoo would unload the whole thing given the huge tax bill such a sale would trigger. The possible monetization of Yahoo's Alibaba investment has been rumored for years, but nothing has ever come of it, and there's no reason to believe the latest media scuttlebutt will lead to a different result.
Setting aside the questions of hindsight, the questions Yahoo investors need to ask is what will happen if the company's board, which hasn't impressed anyone in years, manages to pull off an Alibaba deal. A windfall of a couple of billion dollars would be nice, but investors aren't going to let Yahoo, which has about $1.7 billion in cash on its books, build a cash reserve akin to Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL). Yahoo would have to do something with it.
The portal could pay a special dividend, though it wouldn't make up for the years of mismanagement that has destroyed tens of billions in shareholder value. A sale of 20% of Yahoo's Alibaba stake ($2.8 billion) could easily net enough cash for Yahoo to buy New York Times Co. (NYSE:NYT), which has a $939 million market cap, if the Sulzberger family could be persuaded to sell.
The Graham family, which controls Washington Post Co. (NYSE:WPO), might be tempted to sell its newspaper business, which in the last quarter saw its operating loss nearly double, to $22.6 million, as print advertising at its flagship newspaper fell 17%.
Although AOL Inc. (NYSE:AOL) CEO Tim Armstrong denied a report that he wants to sell the tech blogs TechCrunch and Engadget, which have been a huge headache for management, perhaps he could be persuaded to sell them or other sites if the price were right.
In short, the possibilities that the Alibaba cash could provide are endless. All it takes is imagination. That, unfortunately, is a quality Yahoo management has lacked for nearly a decade.
Jonathan Berr does not own shares of any of the aforementioned companies.


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The International Monetary Fund could ask Australia to contribute as much as $US8 billion to a new $US500 billion raising to help protect "innocent bystanders" from the euro zone crisis.
The federal government said yesterday it was ready to increase Australia's exposure to the IMF, but the US and many developing countries are refusing, insisting the euro zone puts more of its own cash on the line.
With the world economy likely to grow at its slowest pace since the global financial crisis in 2009 and the risk of a euro zone collapse ever closer, IMF managing director
An IMF spokesman later said the IMF was "exploring options on funding". He said staff estimates suggested about $US1 trillion was needed to manage a potential crisis but the IMF says it is about $US500 billion short. The European Union offered last month to chip in up to $US150 billion to $US200 billion of that figure.
But non-euro zone EU countries such as Britain are reluctant and yesterday the US Treasury ruled out any funding. This leaves Asian and developing countries and Australia to make available another $US300 billion or $350 billion.
Patrick De Fontenay, adjunct professor at the ANU Crawford School of Economics and Government, and a former director of the IMF Institute, said it was in Australia's interest to contribute but that if the US and the poorer developing countries refused, Australia might have to contribute a share of that $US300 billion equal to double its normal quota of 1.3 per ent. That would be about $US8 billion.
Prime Minister
But shadow treasurer
Australia currently has an exposure of about $11.3 billion to the IMF, but, Deloitte Access Economics director Chris Richardson, who worked at the IMF in the early '90s, said the fund usually drew down only a small portion of the total credit lines available to it so Australia would probably not have to borrow the full amount it pledged.
He said the IMF had always been repaid and it paid a financial return on money borrowed. "This will not be a cost to Australia. It is a financial investment," Mr Richardson said.
IMF first deputy managing director David Lipton made a pitch for more cash to Asian countries at a speech in Hong Kong this week, arguing that the funding would be spent much more widely than in Europe.
"The goal is to be able to augment the resources Europe will be putting into tackling its problems, but also to be able to meet the needs of 'innocent bystanders' around the world. In a globalised world, the need for firewalls is global," Mr Lipton said.
Edwin Truman, a former senior US treasury official and now a research fellow at the Petersen Institute for International Economics, said in a phone interview from Washington, that he thought increasing the IMF's resources was a good idea but was sceptical that the IMF could raise the money, and if it failed that could undermine confidence.
"That conveys the message that the fund is underfinanced. That does not promote confidence in the fund and in the system as a whole," Mr Truman said. He said the US was reluctant to pledge money during an election year although it had led the last effort to boost IMF funds during the first round of the global financial crisis in 2008 and '09.
He said Asian countries were likely to push for more control of the IMF in exchange for any extra funding, but the IMF was yet to implement a deal struck by the G-20 in 2010 which would reduce the European representation on the 24-member IMF board by two.
The Australian Financial Review

subset: commoncrawl


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Michael Jones
High School: Attended Waukesha West High School in Waukesha, Wis. as a freshman and sophomore; Fort Zumwalt West High School in O'Fallon, Mo. as a junior; and University City High School in St. Louis, Mo. as a senior ... Helped his teams advance to the postseason each season, including a State Championship as a freshman with WWHS ... Also played basketball ... Honor student.
Personal: Full name is William Michael Jones ... Son of Delynne and Mike Jones ... Has an older brother, Robb, and an older sister, Katie ... Born on June 22, 1995 in St. Louis, Mo. ... Majoring in broadcasting.
|Follow SouthernMissFootball:
|Follow @SouthernMissFB


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GI Joe Spring Pier 2 Pier Run/Walk
Hermosa Beach
Sat 03/02/2013
5K, Elite, Military, Other
GI Joe Presents:PIER 2 PIER RUN/WALK"From Hermosa Beach Pier To Manhattan Beach Pier And Back In The Sand"Saturday, March 2nd 2013 starts at 7 am @ the Hermosa Beach PierRetro run is at 8:15 amARE YOU READY? Online registration closes on Thursday, February 28th 2013. Save time on race morning by registering early!!1st & 2nd place winners (male & female) will receive a (Village Runner) gift certificate toward new running shoes. T-shirts, Goodie Bags and Raffle Prizes.~ Beat the fastest time of Patrick (male) and of Annie (female) former runners & WIN $100 CASH! GI JOEs 2013 TAG LINE IS: JUST BRING IT!!Come join all the enthusiastic participants as they run/walk from HERMOSA BEACH PIER to MANHATTAN BEACH PIER and Back (2 miles in the sand each way and it feels like a 5k run)!!! Sign up as a team which will help your team (Save on the registration fee!) FINISH LINE PICTURE:$7 Prepaid picture participants, be sure to check in at registration desk with Jaype Charles and advise the photographer that you have already paid for a finish line picture online. He should have your name on the list.On race day, last minute sign ups interested in purchasing a finish line picture, please advise the photographer and include a $10 fee. Make sure you meet up with Jaype the (Photographer).POST PARTY:Stick around for the Post Event Party, being held at Cantina Real. With loads of fun and lots of give away raffle prizes, you don't want to miss out! All Sign up for the run are FREE ENTRY STICK AROUND & WIN A TRIP TO CANCUNEnter your school, your church, coach/teacher. One of the biggest prizes is a $500 Scholarship donation from Sports Authority for Pier-To-Pier Run/Walk participantsNON PROFIT ORGANIZATION: HELPLINE YOUTH COUNSELING, INC. AND GRANDPARENTS AS PARENTS. BENEFITS:Your school, your church, coach/teacher. One of the biggest prizes is a $500 Scholarship donation from Sports Authority for Pier-To-Pier Run/Walk participantsVOLUNTEERS NEEDED:If you have a friend or family member that is running in the event and you want to cheer them on, please join us to help with registration, t-shirts, and awards! To volunteer, email today [email protected] we appreciate any help provided. Last Minute Sign Up And/Or Package Pick Up Locations are (SPECIAL PROMOTION 20% off these dates @ SPORTS AUTHORITY): In Torrance - Saturday, February 23rd 2013 @ 11 am to 3 pm In Hawthorne - Sunday, February 24th 2013 @ 1 pm to 5 pm_____________________________________________________________________________WALK-IN SIGN UP:Village Runner In Manhattan Beach- 1840 North Sepulveda Blvd, MB 90266Village Runner In Redondo Beach- 1811 South Catalina Ave, RB, 90277Now let's get busy... If you have any questions, call GI Joe at (310) 980-9339.Sincerely,Joe Charles www.MBbootcamp.comEvent schedule and timesStart at 7 am @ The Hermosa Beach Pier.Retro run is at 8:15 amLate sign up need to be at the Hermosa Beach Pier by 6 amMost Runners & Walkers are finish by 8:15 amAfter Party @ Cantina Real, start by 8:30 am and finsih by 10:00 am See you there...
- Address:1 Pier Avenue
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Fibers, hair, soil, wood, gunshot residue and pollen are only a few examples of trace evidence that may be transferred between people, objects or the environment during a crime. Investigators can potentially link a suspect and a victim to a mutual location through trace evidence. For example, a fiber sample obtained from a suspect's person can be identified through scientific analysis as originating from a garment worn by the victim. The analysis of the fiber evidence can help establish if the victim and suspect were in the same area.
Trace evidence examiners would greatly benefit from advancements in this forensic discipline. To increase the value of trace evidence, NIJ seeks to fund research to improve and enhance the ability of the forensic science community to identify, analyze and interpret evidence. Areas of interest include:
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Description: ENDURING LITERATURE ILLUMINATEDBY PRACTICAL SCHOLARSHIP Mark Twain's darkly comic short classic set in the antebellum South stands as a literary condemnation of slavery and racial inequality. EACH ENRICHED CLASSIC EDITION INCLUDES: A concise introduction that gives readers important background information A chronology of the author's life and work A timeline of significant events that provides the book's historical context An outline of key themes and plot points to help readers form their own interpretations Detailed explanatory notes Critical analysis, including contemporary and modern perspectives on the work Discussion questions to promote lively classroom and book group interaction A list of recommended related books and films to broaden the reader's experience Enriched Classics offer readers affordable editions of great works of literature enhanced by helpful notes and insightful commentary. The scholarship provided in Enriched Classics enables readers to appreciate, understand, and enjoy the world's finest books to their full potential.SERIES EDITED BY CYNTHIA BRANTLEY JOHNSON
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All the information you need in one place! Each Study Brief is a summary of one specific subject; facts, figures, and explanations to help you learn faster.
List price: $4.95Copyright year: 2004Publisher: Simon & SchusterPublication date: 11/1/2004Binding: PaperbackPages: 256Size: 4.25" wide x 6.75" long x 1.00" tall Weight: 0.286Language: English
Mark Twain was born Samuel L. Clemens in Florida, Missouri on November 30, 1835. He worked as a printer for a time, and then became a steamboat pilot. He traveled in the West, writing humorous sketches for newspapers. In 1865, he wrote the short story, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, which was very well received. He then began a career as a humorous travel writer and lecturer, publishing The Innocents Abroad in 1869, Roughing It in 1872, and, co-authored with Charles Dudley Warner, Gilded Age in 1873. His best-known works are The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876), Mississippi Writing: Life on the Mississippi (1883), and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884). He died of a heart attack on April 21, 1910.
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There are a number of growth drivers across the digestives space, starting with the biggest proton-pump inhibitor to make its way from behind the pharmacy bench to over-the-counter aisles since the original "Purple Pill" was switched in 2003. Once Procter & Gamble switched Prilosec OTC, it became one of the best-selling nonprescription medicines out of all categories. And now that Pfizer is bringing to OTC the $6 billion in prescription business tied to what is now known as the "Purple Pill," Nexium, there's no reason to think the latest PPI may soon stake its claim as one of the largest OTC brands.
(For the complete category review, including data, click here.)
But there are other iconic digestive brands making a resurgence in the space. Bayer has boosted sales of Alka Seltzer to $16 million, up 580.5%, with the introduction of Alka Seltzer Fruit Chews. Similarly, the company has increased sales of its Phillips Fiber Good brand with the introduction of a gummy line with sales of $6.3 million, up 2,603.1%.


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Golden Hue
painting by artist Pam Holnback
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Guide to the Alexander Hobbs Diary and Bible, 1861-1863 MS 370
Biographical Note
Alexander Hobbs was a 21 year old private, a volunteer recruit in the 42nd Massachusetts Infantry Regiment of the Union Army. He was captured on 1 January 1863 at the Union defeat in the Battle of Galveston, and subsequently held prisoner in Houston. He later proceeded to Union-controlled New Orleans where he remained on parole until the 42nd Massachusettes was officially discharged on August 20 1863.
Scope and Contents
The Hobbs diary records his experiences as a volunteer recruit in New England, his participation in the Battle of Galveston, and his life as a prisoner in Houston. Included in the collection is the Bible he apparently carried with him during this period. The Bible contains notes of soldiers' deaths and burials, and a rough list of the dates Hobbs arrived at various locations during his Civil War service.
Access Restrictions
This material is open for research.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish from the Hobbs diary must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center.
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Alexander Hobbs Diary, 1862-1863, MS 370, Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University.
Acquisition Information
Purchased from Goodspeed's, Boston, Massachusettes, November 1982, with funds provided by Mr. & Mrs. Edgar E. Lackner.
Detailed Description of the Collection


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Notes On Your iPod
Own an iPod? Then this is something you just have to try! You can do this at any age too. Students at any grade level can do this or if you're someone who just likes to write a good bit of reminder notes to yourself, you can do this. Or, if you happen to know someone who might be able to take advantage of this tip, give them a head's up!
Personally, I am a student myself and if your iPod is your life, like mine is, there are not too many places you will go without it. I actually have a class where most of my assignments and notes are on the computer or on a Web site. I used to print the notes or the assignments out every day, but then I ran into a couple problems. The papers got dirty, they wrinkled up, they got thrown away by accident or they just got lost. All of that wastes paper and ink, so I wanted to come up with an alternative. I did just that and I'm here to share it with you today!
I now put my notes on my iPod. Yes, you heard me right! I rarely forget my iPod, so the information I need is always there for me and it is so convenient. I can look up my information from just about anywhere I am and guess what; you can too!
Here is how you do it. Now, if your notes happen to be on the Internet (in an e-mail, etc.) and you are some place where you don't have access to the Internet, you can save your data on a floppy disk for now. You can also do this with a flash drive if you prefer. Go ahead and copy and paste [1] your notes onto the disk and save them.
Now, here is how you save your work to the floppy disk. Put the disk in the floppy disk drive on your computer, which is probably the second drive on your computer tower. (If you're using a flash drive, just insert it into the USB port you want to use. Then just follow the rest of the directions the same, but in terms of a flash drive). The drive may be somewhere else, depending on the type of computer system you are using. The disk will slide right in and you will hear a clicking sound. This means you have the right drive and the disk is ready to be used.
Now, once you get back to a place where you have an Internet connection, find where your notes are posted and pull them up on your computer screen. You will need to open the program Notepad as well. To do this, go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, Notepad. Click on Notepad and it will open up.
Once that's open, click back to where your notes are and just let Notepad stay in the background. Click on the Edit file and a list will come down. Go to the bottom of the list and click on Select All. This will highlight the whole page. Now, go back up to Edit and click on Copy. Now, bring Notepad back up on your screen again. Once you have that done, go to Edit and choose Paste.
Next, go to File in the Notepad window. Click Save As and another window will open. Now, find the "Save in" area at the top of the box and click on the down arrow to choose A:/ Floppy. Now, go down to the "File name:" spot and type in whatever you'd like to name your notes. Make sure the name relates to your notes, so you will be able to find them easily the next time you need them. Once you've done that, click the Save button. Now, you can take out your floppy disk or your flash drive.
Now, when you want to access your notes again, you can insert the disk back in the floppy drive, open the Notepad program and go to File, Open. From there, you'll see a place that says "Look in" and this will be where your computer will look for your notes for you. Click on the down arrow and choose A:/ Floppy. You will then see the name you saved your notes under and you can double click on that to open your notes.
If your notes are in an another program, such as Word, WordPerfect, etc., open that program and locate your notes. When you find them, just copy and paste them into Notepad and save them so you can proceed with the iPod part of this tip.
Now, get your iPod. You should have two cords that came with your iPod. One is to charge it and the other is to transfer music to it. Get the cord that goes into your USB port. Put one end into your computer and the other in your iPod. When you plug your iPod in, your iTunes will open as well. You can just close that out for now.
Now, switch back to the Notepad window once again and go to File, Save As. A window will come up that looks something like the picture below. Your window may look a little different, depending on what you have saved on your computer already. Click on the down arrow.
A list will then come down. Go and click on whatever you named your iPod. For example, I named my iPod "The Blue Box" and it is listed under the N:/ drive on my computer. So, click on whatever you named your iPod. After you have done that, go and double click on the Notes folder. A window that looks something like this will come up:
Click the Save button and then look at your iPod. It will say "Don't Disconnect." Most of the time, when it is through transferring the data, a checkmark will come up on the iPod screen to let you know when it's safe to disconnect it.
To check and see if your notes were successfully transferred to your iPod, go back into the Notepad program and go to File, Save As again. Click on your iPod, double click on Notes and you will see your Notes come up.
To check them on your iPod, go to Extras and then go to Notes and there they will be! You can even listen to your music while you are looking over your notes. Just go to Songs, pick the song you want to hear and then go back to your notes. How cool is that?! Hope you enjoy!
~ Tweety


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In the year 2000, we introduced an exclusive limited edition of Heidi from the classic book by Johanna Spyri of life in the Swiss Alps. Heidi was featured on the cover of DOLLS magazine and was acclaimed as one of the most captivating child dolls of the year.
Made as an exclusive edition for RJW Retailer LITTLE SWITZERLAND DOLLS in Huntington, New York, Heidi stands 17" tall and is fully jointed and constructed of the finest all wool felt. She has a hand-knotted wig made of the finest custom-dyed mohair and her sculptural felt hands are among the first sewn with individual fingers. Heidi's sweet molded felt face has delicately hand painted features including striated eyes.
Heidi's charming costume includes a felt skirt and a muslin peasant blouse. Her felt weskit is hand embroidered in black thread in a leaf vine pattern. Cotton undergarments, custom-knit wool stockings, and rugged hand-cobbled leather boots complete her period ensemble. As a final perfect touch, a wreath of handmade felt flowers encircles her head.
In her arms, Heidi gently holds "Snowflake" - a baby goat made of fine mohair plush. Snowflake measures 6" and has felt hooves and hornbuds, a jointed neck, and glass eyes. Around Snowflake's neck is a leather collar with a custom-made brass bell.
Heidi was produced in a limited edition of 500 pieces which sold out quickly. She came enclosed with Snowflake in a deluxe presentation box with a signed and numbered certificate of authenticity and the forms for owner registration.
DIRECT PURCHASE: The Heidi offered here is number 297 in the limited edition and comes directly from the R. John Wright archives in pristine as-new condition. The purchase price of $2,475.00 includes shipping & insurance in the domestic United States. [For overseas shipping rates, contact the RJW office.] NOTE: This is the only Heidi available from the R. John Wright Archives.
TO ORDER ONLINE: Please select the option below which best describes your request. All orders are subject to availability.
Click this button to access the order form. You may also place your order request via phone: 1-802-447-7072.


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Our Birmingham Divorce Firm stands for Dedication, Communication, and Real Solutions.
Family law is an area of law that deals with Alabama Divorce, contested divorce, annulment, child custody, child support issues, visitation, alimony, adoption, paternity issues, prenuptial agreements, DHR cases and divorce modification. Elizabeth opened her family law firm in Homewood, Alabama to assist clients with real solutions when faced with family law issues. Every lawyer that works at The Zwiebel Law Firm has experience dealing with divorce, child custody, child support and alimony issues.
Whether your case is brand new or has been lingering in the legal system, we can help bring you solutions. A Divorce in Alabama can change the family dynamic in such ways that cause a new definition of how your parenting role will be and how the relationship with your spouse will be in the future. A divorce, whether contested or uncontested, may involve child custody, child support, visitation, alimony, and property settlements. If you are facing a divorce, our Alabama Divorce Attorneys are here for you. We understand the impact that your life will experience during and after divorce. Even post separation cases where child custody, visitation, and child support may be at issue can be stressful.
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We take great pride in protecting parent's rights in any case involving DHR and family court. Keeping the lines of communication open is The Zwiebel Law Firm's Golden Rule. We return all calls within 24 hours. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day and your phone call is returned by our professional staff. Call us today (205) 623-1001. If you are facing an emergency family law crisis, you do not have to wait until Monday morning to discuss it with our attorneys – email us from our contact page. Your information goes directly to an attorney who can respond to your emergency. You will see that we care about your problems. Our attorneys offer personal and in-depth attention. Our Birmingham Divorce Attorneys know that problems do not just happen during normal business hours.
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freedomRail Nickel Closet Rod Stop Set of 2 (Set of 2)
Item #: 046964250730 Stock Status: In Stock
Freedom Rail
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Give your new closet a contemporary, finished look by installing a pair of Nickel Rod Stops into your hanging closet rod. These end caps safely cover the cut edge of a Custom Size Nickel Hanging Closet Rod to provide a great finishing touch, and also prevent clothing hangers from sliding off the end of the rod. The closet rod stops are sold as a set of two to accommodate a single closet rod.
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Most even remotely familiar with cricket know Sachin Tendulkar as a legendary player whose passion for the sport has hardly known any limitation. Not many though would not know that a young Sachin also bunked cricket practice as a boy.
Speaking to children at NDTV's Coca Cola Support My School campaign in Mumbai on Sunday, the legendary cricketer revealed this 'detail' about his childhood. Asked about the significance of teachers in his life, Sachin made a special mention of his cricket coach. "Teachers are very important in a person's life. I remember my cricket coach in particular. Ramakant sir (Ramakant Acharya) was always an inspiration. In fact, me and a few friends bunked practice a few times but he always used to ride his scooter to find and get us back," he said.
Explaining his views on how to balance between fun and serious studies, Sachin said there were times he felt like skipping practice and hanging out with his friends but either his coach or brother always found him. "What is important is that when you play, you play but study with full concentration when it is time for that. I did feel like skipping practice 10-15 times but always had a guiding hand to help me."
After an international career spanning decades, Sachin's main advice to youngsters in the country is not about playing or practicing or studying. It is about following what the heart says. "You can be a cricketer or an actor or whoever you want to be. You can be only if you follow your heart," he said.
Like any youngster then, this man was no different in his aspirations. Like possibly no other cricketer, this man followed his heart and made his and scores of dreams come true.


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Since Princeton University subscribes to digital subject collections of Springer books, individuals are entitled to purchase print copies for ~$25. The most popular title purchased according to a recent report is "Galaxy Formation". These copies are black & white only. At the upper right, click on:
- Buy a Print Copy (USD 24.95)
- Because your library offers access to Springer eBooks, you can have a printed copy of this book delivered to you from SpringerLink for just EUR 24.95 (free shipping)


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Sephora Pop-Up Travel Brush
Pop this in your bag or get a few and leave one in the car, desk drawer...wherever. $1 from the sale of each brush will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
The perfect travel companion,Tags: travel, hair brush, SephoraAdded 6 Years Ago from Sephora


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Bookmark this site
WASHINGTON, DC (August 2007) — The Federal Reserve Board has voted to stop requiring merchants to provide receipts for debit-card purchases of less than $15. The new rule takes effect August 6.
Regulation E, which implements the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, had mandated the availability to consumers of receipts for transactions initiated at electronic terminals. The National Automatic Merchandising and the American Beverage Association argued for the change, as did Visa International.
The Board explained that the ruling "is intended to facilitate the ability of consumers to use debit cards in retail environments where making receipts available may not be practical or cost-effective."
In written comments filed with the Federal Reserve early this year, NAMA had argued that the interest of consumers would not be compromised by the $15 paper-receipt exemption. The widespread availability and use of computers, cellphones and automated banking systems allow consumers to check their account balances at any hour of the day or night, obviating the need for a printed transaction record.
NAMA senior vice-president and chief counsel Thomas E. McMahon explained the importance of the ruling. "The cost to install a paper receipt printer in a vending machine – about $670 – was prohibitive and effectively denied our industry the debit card option," he noted. "The amendment will make the debit card option feasible for operators, and should provide consumers, who are increasingly comfortable using debit cards for low-priced purchases, with the convenience of debit card use in the vending channel."
He added that the rules governing receipt issuance in credit card transactions are made by the card associations. In general, merchants are not required to provide receipts for transactions under $25.
"This accomplishment is another example of NAMA's effectiveness in representing the vending industry before government, whether local, state or national," McMahon pointed out.
USA Technologies (Malvern, PA) welcomed the decision. The company, which produces the popular ePort system for cashless payments, believes that the Federal Reserve Board has removed a major barrier for the large-scale adoption of cashless acceptance in the multi-billon dollar-vending, kiosk, laundry and other small-ticket self-serve markets.
The ruling will benefit consumers by giving them the ability to enjoy the convenience of paying with debit at millions of new unattended point-of-sale (POS) locations, USAT explained.
"The decision to eliminate the need for merchants to provide consumers with receipts has significant implications for our business," said George Jensen, chairman and chief executive officer. "Of the $2.4 trillion spent with credit and debit cards in 2006, 36.2% or $868.8 billion was spent using debit cards. Debit purchases have steadily increased from approximately 9% in 1997, indicating a rapidly growing preference for debit."
USA Technologies worked closely with NAMA and the card companies to persuade the Federal Reserve to eliminate the need for a receipt for transactions under $15.
"Cashless has become the preferred method of payment in the U.S., and we believe the decision will lead to an acceleration in adoption of cashless technology, driving greater convenience for consumers and opening up new business opportunities for vending and the self-serve market," Jensen emphasized.
"It is a powerful incentive that we believe will be instrumental in encouraging global players to enter the cashless vending and self-serve market," he added. "USA Technologies is negotiating with major brands in the card, vending and POS industries, and the decision to eliminate the need for receipts for transactions under $15 removes a significant business obstacle."
USAT cited a report by Summit Research estimating that North American consumers spent more than $475 billion at self-checkout lanes, ticketing kiosks and other self-service POS locations in 2006. Expenditures at these types of self-service kiosks are expected to rise 33% in 2007.


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Debit Cards
If your Debit Card is lost or stolen, please contact your local Peoples Bank location immediately.
If after bank hours, please call the 24-hour customer service number at 1-866-546-8273, and they will assist you.
Peoples Bank currently operates ten ATMs that our customers may use at any time at no charge. Our ATMs are currently located at the following locations:
- Peoples Bank, Akron -- Available 24 hours a day.
- Peoples Bank, Rock Valley -- Available 24 hours a day.
- Pump 'N Pak, Rock Valley -- Available during store hours.
- Peoples Bank, Sioux Center -- Available 24 hours a day.
- Keith's Corner, Lester -- Available during store hours
- Peoples Bank, Sheldon -- Available 24 hours a day.
- Sheldon Plaza -- Available during store hours.
- Peoples Bank, Jasper -- Available 24 hours a day.
- Peoples Bank, Hawarden -- Available 24 hours a day. Also capable of handling deposits to your accounts.
Customers may use any Privileged Status ATM anywhere in the country, at any time without being charged a fee. Just look for the Privileged Status symbol when selecting an ATM. The Privileged Status symbol and a list of Privileged Status ATMs can be found at the link at the top of the page.
Don't forget about some of the other benefits of having a Debit card:
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- Debit Cards are generally accepted anywhere a credit card is accepted.
- Debit Cards are more convenient than writing checks.


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It's always hard seeing films with posthumous performances. I don't mean watching a Jimmy Stewart classic or a Marilyn Monroe comedy. I mean watching Heath Ledger's Joker or James Gandolfini in Enough Said. Here, we have Philip Seymour Hoffman (who died in February) in one of his final roles. Sadly, even his brilliant, charismatic performance isn't enough to help this film.
Hoffman plays Gunther Bachman, a spy in an anti-terrorism unit in Germany. When a Chechen Muslim, Issa Karpov (Grigoriy Dobrygin), enters the country illegally, all eyes are on him as various government agencies wait for the other shoe to drop. Meanwhile, Bachman and his group suspect that an influential Muslim doctor, Abdullah (Homayoun Ershadi), is secretly funding radical Islamic groups using his charitable organization as a front. With the help of a legal advocate, Annabel Richter (Rachel McAdams), Bachman slowly realizes that Karpov is an innocent victim. Bachman's team is tasked with exposing Abdullah, while helping the Karpov gain asylum.
I will be honest: I found the movie tedious. It's as if the filmmakers let an agenda supercede the story. If the point of the movie is to highlight the incompetence (or malevolence or dysfunction) of anti-terror groups, OK, we get it. I guess I was hoping for a really wonderful, intelligent story. Making a statement at the expense of the plot is inexcusable. In the end, I shrugged my shoulders and thought: So, what else is new? It's a 5.


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The relief market has been booming since the beginning of the offseason with big names like Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen and Mark Melancon signing record shattering deals already. While those three are off the board, there is still a glut of relievers on the market including Neftali Feliz and Greg Holland.
One name, however is starting to see his market pick up, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN. Right-handed pitcher Joe Blanton, a former starter who saw a career renaissance after converting to a reliever, has been drawing a large amount of interest. Cited as a possibility is a return to the Dodgers, per Crasnick.
Other teams potentially searching for veteran bullpen help are the Reds — who have yet to sign a major league free agent this offseason — along with the Brewers, Padres, Blue Jays, Pirates and Nationals. Blanton could command a two-year contract, despite his age, as he just turned 36 a few weeks ago. Regardless, he stands to earn an increase on his meager $4 million 2016 salary.
The big man posted a strong 2.48 ERA over 80 innings pitched, held up by a strong 3.33 FIP. This marks his second consecutive strong season. I would anticipate a contract in the $6-8 million range based on the market.null


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Two hearts in Love -red : CreatingNature - ArtFire Jewelry
This pendant has 2 glitter hearts inside with a "Valentine" mix of glass beads scattered through out. Clear iridescent glitter is used for the background, to add a nice sparkle. Pendant measures approx 1 1/2" x 1 1/4". You will receive one 20" ribbon necklace to match (not shown). If you would like a different size or a specific color please let me know. All jewelry is carefully packaged and shipped in a small gift bag or box. (colors may vary) Thanks for looking!


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INTERNATIONAL CRICKET: Alastair Cook has indicated his time as England captain could be close to an end after the one-day international series against Australia was meekly conceded in Sydney.
England have endured a horror tour down under, losing all eight games against Australia in 86 days on tour including the 5-0 Ashes whitewash.
That has left the spotlight on their 29-year-old captain and, after the defeats have piled up, Essex batsman Cook has conceded it has left him contemplating his future.
"I think I'm going to have to make a decision on that after you take stock of the next two games (to end the series)," he said.


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Fountain receivers Chapter 11 petitions dismissed
Chapter 11 bankruptcy petitions filed by a receiver on behalf of Fountain and related entities have been dismissed by Judge Erik Kimball in the bankruptcy court of the Southern District of Florida. The order was in response to a motion by Joseph Wortley to dismiss the cases. Wortley is at least a partial owner of…more


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Vampire Weekend turns a chilly night into a chill beach party
Published June 5, 2014
Things were looking dire early Wednesday morning for the Vampire Weekend concert at the BMO Harris Pavilion. Luckily, mother nature heard the Milwaukee music community's prayers. Even if the weather remained soggy, it's hard to imagine many complaining after indie darlings hit the stage Wednesday night with a buoyant 90-minute set, packed with the band's signature smartly turbocharged beach-infused beats.


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This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
Both sexual reproduction and unisexual reproduction are adaptive strategies for species survival and evolution. Unisexual animals have originated largely by hybridization, which tends to elevate their heterozygosity. However, the extent of genetic diversity resulting from hybridization and the genomic differences that determine the type of reproduction are poorly understood. In
Among vertebrates, unisexual individuals have been reported in fish, amphibians, and reptiles [
In this research, we performed RNA sequencing for gibel carps and for diploid crucian carps to determine functional differences between them, and differentially expressed genes. We also investigated tri-allelic polymorphism in gibel carp. These studies provide hints on the genetic diversity within unisexual fish and the regulatory mechanisms concerned with unisexual reproduction. The transcriptomes of the crucian carp complex provide a representative resource for further functional and comparative analyses.
The diploid and triploid individuals are quite similar morphologically and are difficult to differentiate by their appearance. The ploidy of the sequenced populations was determined by flow cytometry (
One goal of this study was to construct a representative transcriptome resource for the crucian carp complex. We applied saturation analysis to ascertain whether sequencing coverage was sufficient to draw a comprehensive picture of the transcriptome for the crucian carp complex. For each fish, rarefied libraries were constructed by randomly sampling from 10% to 100% of the transcriptome data. Then we produced new assemblies at each of the defined levels to illustrate possible differences in gene discovery rates. The curve for each species was already saturated (
The length distributions of gibel carp transcripts and diploid crucian carp transcripts.
To identify the protein-coding genes, we first carried out homolog searches. Homolog searches against fish Ensembl proteins, fish Ensembl transcripts, the NCBI non-redundant protein (nr) database, and UTRdb revealed 46,630 putative protein-coding genes in gibel carp and 44,402 in diploid crucian carp (
Summary of the annotation of transcripts of gibel carp and diploid crucian carp.
|Gibel Carp
|Diploid Crucian Carp
|Homolog search
|Fish Ensembl proteins
|Fish Ensembl transcripts
|NCBI "nr" protein database
|NONCODE database
|NCBI "nt" transcript database
In gibel carp, we also found 4340 transcripts either homologous to known non-coding genes in the NONCODE database or aligned to NCBI "nt" transcripts, indicating that they may be non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). A total of 1877 transcripts in diploid crucian carp were putative ncRNAs. The remaining unknown 3056 gibel carp transcripts and 6300 diploid crucian carp transcripts had neither protein-coding potential nor known homologs, indicating that they were probably transcribed from intergenic regions of the gibel carp and diploid crucian carp genomes.
To evaluate the accuracy of our assemblies, 12 pairs of paralogs in gibel carp and diploid crucian carp were randomly selected for RT-PCR and specific primers were designed for the selected transcripts. All of the selected transcripts could be amplified (
The speciation time between diploid crucian carp and gibel carp has not been reported previously. A secondary peak in the distribution of orthologous
For analysis of speciation time, we used the rate of 3.51 × 10−9 substitutions/synonymous site per year obtained for fourfold degenerate sites of 47 mammalian genes [
Hybridization could elevate the genetic diversity of the unisexual species at its inception [
Given the tri-ploidy in gibel carp, theoretically tri-allelic polymorphism might be observed in many genomic regions. However, the frequency of tri-allelic polymorphism in gibel carp is unknown. To investigate the level of tri-allelic polymorphism, we plotted the allele number per polymorphic site. Among 509,699 polymorphic sites in gibel carp, only 7681 belonged to tri-allelic polymorphism while the remaining loci were di-allelic.
The di-allelic polymorphism in the triploid population could come from the following genotypes in individuals, including AAB, BBA, BBB, or AAA. Because di-allelic polymorphism was prevalent in the genome, mono-allelic genotypes and di-allelic genotypes widely existed in most polymorphic loci while the tri-allelic genotypes (ABC) would distribute in only few loci. To validate our hypothesis, we further investigated the proportion of tri-allelic genotypes by microsatellite genotyping in each individual. A total of 3953 microsatellites were identified in 3258 gibel carp transcripts and 4153 microsatellites in 3382 diploid crucian carp transcripts. In each of the two species, the top microsatellites were di-nucleotide motifs (54.2% and 53.7%,
A previous study using microsatellite genotyping in 94 gibel carp individuals also found that most loci were homozygous or diploid heterozygous [
Microsatellites and SNPs identified within these two species will be useful for future molecular selection and breeding. Because most transcripts in the two fish were protein-coding, the identified SNPs were mainly located in protein-coding genes. The SNPs in the coding regions could change protein sequences and functions. In addition, SNPs in the UTRs might affect the regulation of miRNAs to target genes [
As described above, only a few genomic loci in gibel carp showed tri-allelic heterozygosity, reflecting the evolution of ploidy after hybridization. To investigate gene expansions in gibel carp resulting from inter-species hybridization, we compared molecular functions and pathways between the two forms. Such comparisons may also indicate possible mechanisms underlying the phenotypic differences. Using homologous assignment, we assigned 4041 GO terms to 50.1% of the gibel carp transcripts (27,310 of 54,459). A similar percentage was assigned in diploid crucian carp (50%, 4066 terms to 26,957 transcripts). These two fish shared 3891 GO terms, indicating that most of their molecular functions were common to the two fish. We then used WEGO to find significantly enriched GO terms in gibel carp using diploid crucian carp transcripts as the background. In the molecular function category, only four GO terms, including binding and transferase activity, were significantly overrepresented while four terms, mainly transporter activities, were underrepresented in gibel carp (
KEGG pathway analysis mapped 7132 gibel carp transcripts to 162 zebrafish KEGG pathways. A total of 6966 diploid crucian carp transcripts were mapped to 162 zebrafish pathways and used as a background to compare pathway differences. The statistically enriched pathways are shown in
The enriched molecular functions in gibel carp and diploid crucian carp (
|GO Term
|Percentage of Transcripts (%) *
|Gibel carp
|nucleic acid binding
|transferase activity
|transferase activity, transferring phosphorus-containing groups
|DNA binding
|Diploid crucian carp
|transporter activity
|transmembrane transporter activity
|passive transmembrane transporter activity
|substrate-specific transmembrane transporter activity
|substrate-specific transporter activity
The enriched pathways in gibel carp and diploid crucian carp identified by KOBAS (
|KEGG Pathway
|Percentage of Gibel Carp Transcripts (%)
|Percentage of Diploid Crucian Carp Transcripts (%)
|Gibel carp
|Ubiquitin mediated proteolysis
|Progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation
|Fanconi anemia pathway
|Diploid crucian carp
|Neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction
|Cell adhesion molecules
|Tight junction
Gene expansion or loss may lead to some enriched functions or pathways in one species. As expected, most molecular functions and pathways were common to these two fish and only a small number were enriched in each species. These differences in molecular functions and pathways might be responsible for the unisexual gynogenesis of gibel carp. Interestingly, the gibel carp transcripts were enriched in the progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation pathway. This pathway is reported to increase the maturation promoting factor (MPF) [
Gene expansion analysis can provide hints on the possible mechanisms leading to phenotypic differences. Differential gene expression analysis may also help us investigate these mechanisms. We identified 314 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the pooled tissues between diploid crucian carp and gibel carp, which accounted for only 1.7% of orthologous pairs. That is, most of the orthologous genes had similar expression levels in these two forms. Hierarchical clustering on the basis of expression patterns indicated that the DEGs were classified into two major groups (
Expression profiling of differentially expressed orthologous genes in the two species. Hierarchical clustering shows that these genes can be classified into two groups (Group I and Group II). The group II could be further divided into two types.
In the second group, the orthologs were highly expressed in one form but had low expression in the other. This group was further divided into two types: (1) highly expressed in diploid crucian carp; (2) highly expressed in gibel carp. Of 307 genes in the second group, 76 belonged to the first type while most of the DEGs (75%, 231 out of 307) were attributed into the second type. The genes of the first type were transporter-associated genes or signaling protein-associated genes. In contrast, the highly expressed genes in gibel carp were concerned with the immune-response, cell junctions, transferases, and binding functions.
Differentially expressed genes validated by RT-qPCR. (
To validate our RNA-Seq results, 20 genes with statistically significant differential expression were selected for quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis in the two populations. These genes participated in functions associated with the immune-response, cell junctions, transferases, transporter activities, molecular binding, and signaling. Overall, except for two genes without significant differences, the expression patterns of 18 genes by RT-qPCR were significantly different and similar to those indicated by the RNA-Seq analysis (
The differential expression analysis with the RNA-Seq and RT-qPCR suggests that these molecular functions might be involved in the phenotype differences. The most important phenotypic differences relate to their modes of reproduction. Therefore, we further investigated the expression patterns of these 20 genes in the gonads with RT-qPCR. Of 17 genes with significant difference, the patterns of 12 (71%) in the gonads were consistent with those in the pooled tissues (
Transcriptome comparison provided another layer of possible mechanisms for phenotypic differences resulting from differences in gene expression. Although the comparison demonstrated that most orthologs had similar expression levels, our analysis identified some differentially expressed genes. Taken together, these data provide important information on the distinction between unisexual triploids and sexual diploids.
We collected two populations of mature female gibel carp and female diploid crucian carp (each population,
In each fish, tissue samples were excised from the brain, muscle, liver, skin, kidney, gill, intestine, gonad, spleen, and heart. Total RNA was extracted from each of the ten tissues using the Trizol Kit (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA) and followed by DNase I (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA) treatment according to the manufacturer's protocol. For each individual, equal quantities (1 µg) of the RNA from the ten tissues were pooled. Finally, the pooled RNA from ten individuals of the same population was checked with Bioanalyzer 2100 (Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, USA) for the integrity. The RNA integrity number (RIN) values for both fish were 7.8, indicating that the quality satisfied the following commercial Illumina sequencing and RT-qPCR [
The library construction from purifying mRNA to enriching DNA fragments was performed with the Illumina TruSeq RNA Sample Prep Kit (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA). Briefly, for each fish, polyA mRNA was extracted from 10 µg RNA using poly-T oligo attached magnetic beads. During the elution of the polyA RNA, the RNA was fragmented and primed with random hexamers using the fragment and prime mix (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA). Following the Prep Kit, the purified RNA was fragmented under the conditions: 94 °C for 8 min followed by a final hold at 4 °C. The fragmentation resulted in libraries with sizes ranging from 300 to 400 bp. The cleaved RNA fragments primed with random hexamers were reversely transcribed into first strand cDNA with Superscript II reverse transcriptase (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA). The process was performed under the following conditions: incubation at 25 °C for 10 min followed by 15 min at 42 °C; then 70 °C for 15 min; final hold at 4 °C. After the second strand cDNA was synthesized and a single "A" nucleotide was added to the 3' end of the blunt ds cDNA fragment, the adapters with a single "T" nucleotide on the 3' end were ligated to the fragments. Finally, those DNA fragments with adapters on both ends were enriched using PCR. The amplification was performed under the conditions: initial denaturation at 98 °C for 30 s; then 15 cycles at 98 °C for 10 s, at 60 °C for 30 s, and then at 72 °C for 30 s; final extension at 72 °C for 5 min. The libraries were then sequenced on an Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform (Illumina, Inc., San Diego, CA, USA) with read lengths of 2 × 100 nt.
For each individual, the raw transcriptome reads were processed using SolexaQA [
To ascertain whether sequencing depth was sufficient to draw a comprehensive picture of the transcriptome for the crucian carp complex, we constructed different libraries by randomly sampling from 10% to 100% of the transcriptome data. The reads from different libraries were assembled using Trinity and CAP3. Then, the assembled transcript numbers were plotted for different read numbers. A curve was drawn to indicate if sequencing effort was deep enough.
To identify protein-coding genes, we used a combination of homolog searches and an
To annotate the functions of the genes, we assigned Gene Ontology information [
To validate the assembled transcripts, the pooled RNAs were used for cDNA synthesis. We randomly selected 12 pairs of paralogs and designed specific primers for them (
Since there are no available annotated protein sequences or complete genome sequences for these two fish, the proteome-based ortholog detection strategies, such as Inparanoid [
The approach used to estimate the
To compare the diversity level between two populations and study the proportion of tri-allelic polymorphism in gibel carp, we estimated the SNP allele number per polymorphic locus. For each species, we aligned the sequencing reads to the representative transcripts with the CLC Genomics Workbench (
The prevalent di-allelic polymorphism in the population indicated that the tri-allelic genotypes (ABC) would exist in only few loci in genome. Thus, we examined the proportion of the tri-allelic heterozygosity by genotyping microsatellite loci in each individual of the sequencing population. Microsatellites were identified using Msatfinder (
As a consequence of inter-species hybridization, the proportion of genes in a protein family might be higher in gibel carp than in diploid crucian carp, leading to species-specific gene expansion of particular protein-families, and enriched molecular functions. This preliminary comparative study of gene expansion in molecular functions could provide clues concerning the functions that might underlie the phenotypic differences between these two fish, particularly in their reproductive modes. To study the distinct molecular functions and pathways within the different phenotypes, we identified significantly enriched GO terms in gibel carp transcripts using diploid crucian carp genes as the background using WEGO [
Differential gene expression might also explain the phenotypic differences. Sequencing reads were mapped to the assembled reference transcriptomes of the two species using Bowtie [
To categorize the DEGs according to their expression patterns, a heat map chart was constructed by transforming the normalized data to a log2 scale for visualization. Hierarchical clustering on the basis of expression was performed using the "gplots" package of the R program. The DEGs were further clustered into different groups based on their functional annotations.
We selected twenty DEGs and used RT-qPCR to validate their expression levels in the pooled tissues and in the gonads of triploid gibel carp and diploid crucian carp. The pooled RNA samples were used for RT-qPCR. We followed the Minimum Information for Publication of Quantitative Real-Time PCR Experiments (MIQE) Guidelines [
In this study, we performed transcriptome sequencing for two forms of
Supplementary Information (PDF, 449 KB)
This study was supported by the grants from China Ministry of Science and Technology 863 Hi-Tech Research and Development Program (2011AA100401 and 2011AA100402), Special Scientific Research Funds for Central Non-profit Institutes, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences (2014A11JC07 and 2014C010).
Jiong-Tang Li and Xiao-Wen Sun conceived and designed the experiments. Chun-Yan Li and Jiong-Tang Li conducted the bioinformatic analysis and were involved in writing the manuscript. You-Yi Kuang, Ru Xu, Zi-Xia Zhao, Guang-Yuan Hou, and Hong-Wei Liang were involved in one or more processes of samples collection, data analysis and manuscript preparation.
The authors declare no conflict of interest.


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UCAR News Release
New Radar System May Help Airplanes Avoid In-Flight Icing
BOULDER—The buildup of ice on airplanes in flight is a major wintertime hazard for small and commuter planes. The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is testing a new system this month that may pinpoint water droplets in clouds that cause icing, potentially enabling pilots to avoid dangerous areas.
The system, known as S-Polka, combines two existing radars that use different wavelengths. By studying the differences between the images that are reflected back to each radar, scientists hope to find tiny water droplets that are difficult to distinguish using either radar alone. The project is being funded by the National Science Foundation, which is NCAR's primary sponsor, and the Federal Aviation Administration.
"This will take out a lot of the guess work," explains Marcia Politovich, director of NCAR's icing program. "We think it will show exactly where the water is. That information could ultimately turn into an important warning system for pilots."
Scientists and engineers at NCAR are deploying S-Polka through the end of March at NCAR's Marshall facility southeast of Boulder. The system consists of a powerful polarized radar, known as S-Pol, that operates at a frequency of 3,000 MHz, and a polarized Ka-band radar, that operates at 35,000 MHz. The S-Pol radar produces detailed images of clouds and precipitation, whereas the Ka-band radar can detect weaker clouds that are not precipitating. By comparing the images from each radar, researchers hope to find areas in clouds that harbor water droplets.
Finding cloud water droplets has long posed a scientific challenge. The droplets are 50 microns or less in diameter, or just one-tenth the size of raindrops. They may remain in liquid form even when the surrounding air temperature drops below freezing. They are most dangerous at this time because they adhere to the wings of aircraft and then freeze, reducing the plane's aerodynamic properties. Unfortunately, existing radar often cannot detect the droplets if they are surrounded by larger raindrops or snow. Even if small cloud particles are detected, a radar signal cannot indicate whether they are water droplets or ice crystals.
"When it comes to cloud particles, we can't interpret the standard radar echo," explains NCAR's Jothiram Vivekanandan, the lead scientist on the project. "This research is very challenging."
The two radars have been mounted on a single pedestal at the Marshall facility. They are precisely aligned to look at the same defined area at the same time. Researchers will compare the radar images with data collected from a University of North Dakota Citation research airplane flying in the test area to determine whether the radar system is pinpointing water droplets. After data are collected this month, the researchers will focus on creating algorithms (mathematical procedures) that will identify and measure droplets within the radar images accurately. If all goes well, the instrument will undergo final tests in a couple of years and be considered for implementation at airports.
Notable Icing Crashes
To receive UCAR and NCAR news releases by e-mail, fill out our
The National Center for Atmospheric Research and UCAR Office of Programs are operated by UCAR under the sponsorship of the National Science Foundation and other agencies. Opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any of UCAR's sponsors. UCAR is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.
Prepared for the web by Carlye Calvin
Last revised: Wednesday, August 30, 2006 11:39 AM


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Program Description
The Capital Improvement and Preservation Fund is a state bond funded program that seeks to preserve and improve existing privately owned, state or federally assisted affordable rental developments. Eligible properties include housing at risk of losing affordability restrictions due to the potential for the prepayment of its mortgage or housing in which a project-based rental assistance contract has expired.
Eligible Applicants
For-profit and non-profit developers and local housing authorities are eligible to apply for CIPF funds.
Eligible Activities and Affordability Requirements
CIPF funds can be used for the acquisition, refinance and/or rehabilitation of existing rental property.
At least half of the total units in the project must be occupied and affordable to households at or below 80% of area median income, using U.S. Dept. of HUD data. In addition, no less than 5% of the total units must be available and affordable to households at or below 50% of area median income as determined by HUD. These rental and occupancy restrictions will be in place for a minimum term of 40 years from the date of the closing on the CIP funds.
Funding Limits
DHCD will award $40,000 per unit for projects with more than 25 units with a per project maximum of $2,000,000. DHCD will award $50,000 per unit for projects with 25 units or less with a per project maximum of $1,250,000.
Loan Terms
CIPF monies are structured as a 40-year deferred payment loan at 0% interest. DHCD reserves the right to structure the loan with an interest rate above 0% for any CIPF loan. All CIPF loans are non-recourse and secured by a mortgage on the property.
Selection Criteria
- demonstrated risk of prepayment resulting in significant loss of affordable units
- appropriate scope of rehabilitation or construction
- appropriate total development cost for properties included in proposal
- financial viability of the project
- degree of local support, including local funding commitments
- evidence of readiness to proceed
- incorporation of sustainable development principles
How to Apply
CIPF uses the One-Stop Application format. Applicants seeking CIPF as the sole source of DHCD funding may submit an application at any time. If an applicant seeks additional funding from one of DHCD's competitive resources, the application must be submitted during one of DHCD's Rental Funding Rounds.
Additional Program Information
CIPF Guidelines
CIPF Terms and Conditions
DHCD Design Guidelines
Rental Completion Report
For additional information please call the CIPF staff at (617) 573-1300.


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I suppose, I'm only filling this out in hopes that you read it and think, yes, I like him and want him in my life. To be as fair as possible more friends seems like a good idea.
My life has been filled with smiles. I've been able to travel the globe a few times. My father was in the military, my mother a homemaker, advocated heaps of vacations, thus a childhood of world travel. I'm honored to be the eldest of seven off spring. School was an absolute pleasure where I learned that I naturally excel and thinking for myself was paramount for success. Sports and competition played a major role in my development as a child giving me a wide range of experiences. After college, I bounced around anywhere from a salesman, to a flight attendant, to a poker dealer, to building a foundation to live without limitations. Following my dreams, I left the grid, tried my hand at living alone on a deserted island, and have found my way into living with everything I need around me. Healing the wounds of generations, I choose to use my ability to forgive, to love with compassion and to find the wisdom that enables peace to thrive.
Inspired to find my partner because the love inside feels so exhilarating. Growing to share appreciation, adoration, sexual chemistry, and freedom with a beautiful woman. Being critical or negative is something I desire to transcend, consciousness is very sexy. Creating beauty, spreading joy, and nurturing love are great ways to win my heart.
I am free, kind, and happy
I find myself living in the jungles of Hawaii, trying to do my best to live off what the land provides and to live within my values. I'm building a foundation of my life based upon these ideals of love, compassion, joy, wisdom, ease, freedom, bliss, kindness, peace, forgiveness, and integrity. It sounds very idealistic and to a point it is, I really do the best I can with what I have.
I see so much potential for greatness and excellence in just about everything. Being honest to the core, especially with myself, I refuse to lie to myself no matter how delusional it may seem, I do what I can when I can to be true to myself. I live my life with integrity, I still have grand ideas and like to hold onto hope as if it will someday bring the solution to consumerism.
You will notice my great smile, my beautiful eyes, my perfectly tanned skin, my flowing hair, my beard, if your overwhelmed, no worries, I'll catch you.
Favorite Movie: Meet Joe Black, Our Idiot Brother, Office Space, Tombstone, Friday, Thomas Crown Affair, Superbad, Serendipity, American Beauty, Seven Years in Tibet, Grandma's Boy, A Life Less Ordinary, Into the Wild, Cast Away, Love Actually, What Dreams May Come, I will not and do not watch horror movies
Favorite Television: Survivor, How I Met Your Mother, and Big Bang Theory are the few that come to mind.
Favorite Music: In no particular order and somewhat of a paradox, Jack Johnson, Grateful Dead, Bob/Ziggy/Damain Marley, Eric Clapton, Brittney Spears, Snoop, George Strait, Jimmy Buffet, Don Williams, Willie Nelson, Janet Jackson, Michael Buble, Rolling Stones, Norah Jones, Marvin Gaye, LL Cool J, Frank Sinatra, Eddie Vedder, Donovan Frankenreiter... I listen to Anothiny Robbins, Marshall Rosenburg, Louise Hay/Abraham Hicks, Pema Chodron, Thich Nhat Hanh, or a Ted Talks.
Favorite Food: Spaghetti, Macaroni & Cheese, Bread, Potatoes(Sweet, Russet, and starchy things like Taro and Breadfruit), Chicken, Beef, Fish, Pork, Corn, Watermelon, Tomatoes, oh I love Oranges, simple is usually good, organic and local is important, homegrown is best.
Food - I lived on a small island, castaway style. Food gave me a purpose some days, other days the enjoyment was in preparing it, food is far more than something to eat.
Water - More than drinking it, I love taking baths, soaking in hot tubs, playing in the ocean, even laying by a pool.
Friendship - As much as it's important to be self-reliant, with good friends life is so much more fun.
Happiness - I try to wake up each day happier than the previous, happiness is my biggest goal and achievement each day
Relaxing - For my mental stability, I relax and enjoy comfort
Hope - Cheesy indeed. Doesn't make it less true.
I come up with ideas all of the time that I think are mine, but no, someone else stole my idea years ago. Yet, I'm surprised each time.
I would like being kind, compassionate, loving, nurturing, gentle, and mindful to come with less effort and be more natural.
* you want to smile more
* you want to or live close to nature, live off the grid
* you want to make my day, probably my week
* you have good advice (Seriously, good advice only)
* your broken heart is ready to mend
* free thinking doesn't offend you
* want to make a new friend
* like interesting people that follow their dreams
If you happen to be interested in making a match, it's important to me that you know or at the very least desire to know how to get your needs meet. Connected with the beautiful soul that resides with your being. If you can't be honest with yourself, there is little hope, some, but little hope that I will be able to decipher the truth. Be ready to love and be loved.
Whether you message me or not, have a great day and best of luck to you finding whatever you may be looking for.


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Max Payne is one of the most popular third-person shooter video game developed by Remedy Entertainment (Max Payne and Max Payne 2) and Rockstar Studios (Max Payne 3). The third part in the series was released back in 2012 which was a huge hit and gets highly acclaimed reviews for its story and action.
To be very clear in the beginning, Max Payne 4 has not been officially announced and this site is dedicated to provide all kind of news and updates about it which comes from reliable source.
Simply jump to the portion you are looking for:
The History:
The history about the Max Payne video game is pretty interesting. It started with Max Payne, which was originally developed by Remedy Entertainment in 2001. Later on, second part, a sequel to the first part was released in 2003. The series was considered to get end here, but after almost 10 years of gap Rockstar released Max Payne 3 game in 2012 which was sold like hot cakes. In the first week itself approximately 3 million units of Max Payne 3 were shipped. With Max Payne 3, Rockstar sets a new standard to the game franchise. And now, is the life of Max Payne continues with Max Payne 4? Well, we have to wait and see.
Max Payne – 2001
Max Payne 2 – 2003
Max Payne 3 – 2012
Max Payne 4 – 2020?
Max Payne 4 Release Date
Since the gap between Max Payne 2 and Max Payne 3 is around 10 years, so people are expecting next part, Max Payne 4 to release sometime around 2020 – 2022. But this is just expectation and none can confirm you the release date of Max Payne 4.
Sadly, till now no source claims Max Payne 4 is in works. This clears Rockstar has no sooner plans for Max Payne 4 and most probably the game will take time to come. As we said, this is just rumour and none can confirm you release date of Max Payne 4. We can just hope, it comes fast.
Max Payne 4 Feature: Wishlist
Bullet Time:
Bullet Time is one of the most popular feature of Max Payne game. The feature has been constantly improved in every part of this game. In Max Payne 3, Bullet Time gives Max Payne several seconds in real time to take out an enemy to prevent his death. This Bullet time allows him to slow time down and ensure he hit targets with greater accuracy. By Bullet time you can also see Bullet hitting the enemy in slow mode.
In Max Payne 4 advance Bullet time with new features are expected to come. This ability of Max Payne to slow down time while shooting can be used for many other purposes except shooting.
Max Payne 3 delivers realistic graphics featuring Rockstar Advanced Game Engine [RAGE] and the Euphoria Dynamic Animation Engine. The environmental condition and Max Payne look in the game is almost real. As Max Payne 4 is expected to release sometime after 2017 which means still many years to go. In this meantime, Rockstar most probably will announce a new game engine which will further improve the graphics. And this more realistic graphics are expected to be part of Max Payne 4.
The official website for Max Payne is www.rockstargames.com/maxpayne/
MaxPayne4Game.com is a dedicated Max Payne 4 fan site keeping you up to date with all the latest news and facts. You can also subscribe to our site and join us on Facebook to stay in touch with us.
Share your valuable comments, feedback, feature wishlist, gameplay or anything you want to share about Max Payne 4. Simply use the comment box below.


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Pittsburgh Laurels & Lances
An observation: The Steelers never made the NFL playoffs this season. The Penguins and the NHL continue their player lockout. The Pirates are busy preparing for a 21st straight season of Major Losing Baseball. Heck, isn't it about time for some Pittsburgh "leader," egged on by some investor looking to slough off his capital costs onto others, to propose building a taxpayer-financed arena to lure an NBA franchise to give us an "insurance policy" against such sporting failures? Ahem.
Another observation: Officials in Aspinwall have begun enforcing an ordinance requiring sidewalk snow removal within 12 hours of the snowfall. Other communities have similar rules with varying grace periods. And it's a safety no-brainer — everybody from kids walking to school to letter carriers bringing the mail often find the walking tough going. But there are those, either because of age or illness, who cannot comply. Here's to good neighbors lending a helping shovel and a smattering of snow and ice melt.
A third observation: For some inexplicable reason, more than a few homeowners in more than a few communities think it perfectly acceptable to shovel their driveway and sidewalk snow into the street. It's not. And it's not simply ignorance but dangerous stupidity. For if the hazard they create causes an accident, well, they can and should be held liable. (As should local municipalities that, in the fall, mandate that leaves be gathered on the street at curbside for pickup. That's a hazard, too.)


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CARE workers from Beaconsfield have been put on 'red alert' to help vulnerable residents who may be trapped in their homes by snow.
Kate Hetzel, managing director of Carewatch, has made all her staff available for immediate live-in care due to the continuing severe weather conditions.
The firm's office in Burkes Parade has been covering calls 24-hours-a-day and staff are walking to the shops to buy essential groceries for many clients across the South Bucks and Maidenhead areas.
One carer packed a bag Friday morning fearing she would not make it home, and at the request of a client's daughter stayed with the client over the weekend.
Kate added: "She still had not been home Monday morning but hopefully will have made it by now. It doesn't stop with the carers either – my care manager took a roast dinner round to one of our live-in clients as she had no cooker...
"We want to offer families reassurance that our teams can get to their relatives and stay with them for the duration of the snow – we have even set up a special number for immediate response.
"No one should be left vulnerable in their own home. My team are on hand to move in and keep all safe in situations where extended family live too far away to get to elderly relatives.
"So much can go wrong from a safety aspect as well as day to day living. Many families just do not have the good fortune of relying on neighbours – it is just not worth taking a risk which is why our team decided to run the red alert operation. We are informing all hospitals of our plans too."
If you or someone you know needs the company's services this week call the dedicated number 07912732405.


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- Sold for: Start Free Trial or Sign In to see what it's worth.
- Item Category: Furniture & Furnishings
- Source: eBay
- Sold Date: May 04, 2008
- Channel: Auction House
LOT Vintage ROSETTE & TIMBLE IRONS/Pastry/Cookie/CanapeYou are bidding on a vintage lot of rosetta and timble irons for making wonderful decorative pastries. You are getting everything in the picture I think it's a couple sets combined (not sure these were my aunts), includes instructions and several molds and handles. If t's a question on shipping charges please ask before you bid and before the auction ends. NO MATTER WHAT THE SHIPPING CALCULATOR SAYS YOU WILL NOT PAY MORE THAN $9 SHIPPING ON THIS ITEM. Sorry we do not ship internationally. Thanks and happy bidding.