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A new bridge is suspended above the southbound lanes of the 215 Freeway in Grand Terrace after a full closure and hours worth of work.
In a first for Southern California, a stretch of the freeway was closed in both directions late Friday night and into Saturday morning in order for workers to lift a massive steel train bridge onto concrete columns over southbound lanes.
It's a scene that will repeat itself for three more weekends this month, as Caltrans, in partnership with San Bernardino Associated Governments, the Riverside County Transportation Commission, and the Federal Highway Administration conduct the "Spring Sting."
Officials are encouraging motorists to avoid the stretch of freeway between Barton Road and Iowa Avenue during the work. Officials announced a closure for the 215 Freeway from 11:30 p.m. Friday night to 11:30 a.m. Saturday morning, and another closure from 11:30 p.m. Saturday night to 11:30 a.m. Sunday morning, for each of the four weekends in April. On Saturday morning, Caltrans announced a closure for Saturday night was not needed.
The project creates three new rail lines across the 215 as part of a major project to bring car-pool lanes to the 215 from Riverside to San Bernardino.
A heavy mobile transporter called a Self Propelled Module Transporter, or SPMT, from the Alameda-based Sarens Group, brought one of the six 1.1 million pound spans across the freeway early Saturday morning.
"What that takes is about 55 people on their game, to be sharp, and understanding each of their roles, and a lot of logistics that need to happen around that operation," said Joseph Carlo, project manager for the contractor, Minnesota-based Ames construction. "A lot of planning of execution over months and months has led up to this night tonight."
Near the work, BNSF freight trains were roaring past on an existing bridge that will be dismantled in favor of the new bridges.
The Sarens Group, which operates the SPMT, used the same kind of heavy machinery to move the Endeavour space shuttle from Los Angeles International Airport to the California Science Center in 2012. The bridge, however, is seven times the weight of the space shuttle.
Workers had built the train bridges just off of the freeway, for the constructed pieces to be placed over the freeway. The process is a departure from the traditional method of construction over the freeway, which would have taken months for completion, and would have meant longer delays, officials said.
"As far as something like this and definitely in District 8, this is new innovation," said Terri Kasinga, spokeswoman for Caltrans District 8, which covers San Bernardino and Riverside counties. "Caltrans was able to work with the contractor and come up with this plan to save, not only time, but money to the taxpayers and most importantly, impacts to the motorists.
"We know the Inland Empires freeways are congested all the time and to close this freeway for many months, on the weekends, and at night to build these bridges over the freeway, would have been too much of an impact on traffic," he said.
During the closures, a designated detour routed traffic through an industrial area between the Iowa and Barton exits.
An employee at a restaurant specializing in breakfast said Saturday morning's shutdown likely contributed to the smaller-than-average crowd at the diner, which overlooks the freeway.
Money for the $176 million project comes from Measure I, federal and state funding.
Manny Yogarajah, senior Caltrans engineer on the project, said the work was progressing quickly early Saturday morning, and that the Saturday night closure, scheduled as a contingency, was not needed. Caltrans officials said the public should visit its Twitter account #Caltrans8 for official updates on future closures.
While full closures of both northbound and southbound lanes are scheduled for Friday and Saturday nights, full closures of the northbound 215 are scheduled Wednesdays and Thursdays in April, from 11 p.m. Wednesdays to 5 a.m. Thursdays.
Each night of bridge placement work costs $350,000, Yogarajah said.
Yogarajah said Caltrans will again close the freeway later in the fall for another two weekends in order to place the third remaining bridge span over the freeway. Dates and times for that work have yet to be determined, officials said.
Information about the project can be found at www.caltrans8.info and www.sanbag.ca.gov.
On Twitter: #Caltrans8
Road closures due to 215 Freeway rail/bridge project are as follows:
Full closures of north and southbound 215 Freeway, from Iowa Avenue to Barton Road, Fridays and Saturdays, April 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25 and 26
(11:30 p.m. Fridays to 11:30 a.m. Saturdays).
Full closure of the northbound 215, from Iowa Avenue to Barton Road, Wednesdays and Thursdays: April 9, 10, 16, 17, 23 and 24
(11 p.m. Wednesdays to 5 a.m. Thursdays)
For more information, visit caltrans8.info.


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BP Comment Quick Links
|Strength of Schedule Report
January 25, 2013
In A Pickle
Average Love
My pet peeve as a consumer of writing on and analysis of baseball is a failure to properly employ a sensible baseline. This frequently occurs via the writer not applying any baseline at all, instead presenting statistics or other performance indicators denuded of context. In Hall of Fame arguments, what does it mean that Bert Blyleven won 287 games? Is that a lot, given the era he played in, the teams he was a part of, the number of games he started? What about Fred McGriff's 493 home runs? What do these numbers mean?
Or think about the ways MVP arguments sometimes proceed, where one candidate has a .390 on-base percentage and another has a .580 slugging and a third stole 42 bases at an 82 percent clip and a fourth had a 2.30 ERA in 210 innings. Do you know who to vote for in this scenario? It depends on what year it is, right?
Sometimes the second scenario arises because the writer is unsophisticated and does not recognize that numbers are meaningless without an anchor. Sometimes, though, there's an implied baseline that's theoretically common knowledge among readers, which is fine if you know who your readers are. A lot of us basement blogger types don't feel the need to reiterate every time we write what a good TAv is or how many WARP is enough WARP to be happy.
I've cheated. In that last sentence, I intentionally chose stats that are entirely designed to be comparable across eras. The baseline for TAv, for instance, is defined rather than empirically determined. For other stats, however, the league context changes. If we're not careful, if we don't keep our eye on the ball, offense can nose-dive and strikeouts can shoot through the ceiling and we can find ourselves impressed by Wei-Yin Chen's 7.2 whiffs per nine while missing that his strikeout percentage was actually below average for the year. Or we could get frustrated at Mark Ellis's mediocre .258/.333/.364 batting line without recognizing that he was actually seven points above the league average for second basemen in True Average.
Luckily, we have a report right here on this website that tells you positional batting lines back to 1950 so you can always figure out for yourself whether that first baseman in 1974 was a stud or a doofus. (Probably doofus. Have you seen 1974?)
What that report doesn't do is put a recognizable human face to the batting lines, and that's the service I'm here to provide. In this article, then, is 2012's All Mr. Average team, where I've chosen players as close as possible to the MLB-average line for their position by TAv, with an emphasis on finding someone who fits the average slash line, because the shape of average performance matters and because players in extreme parks who have perfectly average TAvs can confound the mental model more than they clarify: if I tell you that Everth Cabrera is a league-average shortstop with the stick, you might get the impression that league shortstops slugged .324. Shortstops can't hit, but they're not that bad. More importantly, Cabrera isn't that bad, either—Petco Park is just killer, especially for someone who bats lefty (or who, like Cabrera, bats lefty more than 70 percent of the time).
I also want to note that what we're not talking about is the average full-time starter. That would result in substantially higher lines by virtue of dumping out the garbage -- the teams that never find a solution at the position and shuffle through mediocrity all year, for instance, and the teams that lose their starter for significant periods of time and have to give many times more at-bats to inferior backups than they'd hoped. No, what we're talking about is the performance the league saw at that position in the aggregate—starters, backups, platoons, weird one-game appearances by out-of-position players, emergency Triple-A callups who shouldn't even be in the majors, the whole shebang. The point here isn't to advocate for the players below as a value proposition (among other things, we're not considering defense and baserunning)—it's, as I noted above, simply to put a human face and a human body and a human swing mechanic on the abstract set of numbers that represents average.
(The slash lines here are AVG/OBP/SLG/TAv.)
First base: .262/.336/.442/.278
As it is, as it was, as it ever shall be, you'd better bop if you want to play the cold corner. The only question, from year to year and decade to decade, is what "bop" means, exactly.
The 2012 answer to that question is embodied in Bryan LaHair, who hit .259/.334/.450/.276. This is of course hilarious because Bryan LaHair won't even be in Major League Baseball next year, having signed a two-year deal to play in Fukuoka. (That's in Japan.) Obviously, splits have something to say about that (.202/.269/.303 in the second half. That would be above-average for a pitcher), which is also unfortunate from the perspective of visualizing "average": LaHair was never average. He was either stunningly and weirdly good (for like a month) or he was awful, not even playable (all the rest). If you can, though, put the whole package together in your head-organ, because Bryan LaHair is what an average first baseman looks like.
Second base: .257/.318/.383/.254
Danny Espinosa played 126 games at second (and 36 at short) and led the league in strikeouts. He also hit .247/.315/.402/.255 and spent most of the year batting sixth or seventh (but never eighth). I honestly don't know what to tell you about Espinosa, which is kind of the danger about centering a column around the question of "who is the most average." It can get boring!
Wait, wait, where are you going? Come back. I promise I'll make it worth your while.
Here, look, Espinosa is sometimes heavily bearded. Keep that in mind about average second basemen. Beards.
Shortstop: .257/.310/.378/.249
It doesn't happen every year, but shortstops didn't fall very far from second basemen in 2012, despite no Robinson Cano–level talent buoying the entire position.
There aren't great options at short for our all-average team, mainly because the aforementioned Cabrera and Brandon Crawford straddle the mean True Average, but both play in run-suppressing parks, so their slash lines are misleading. Instead, look at Jhonny Peralta: .239/.305/.384/.244. Peralta had his worst year with the bat since 2006 and, for what it's worth to this discussion, doesn't appear to be able to play much defense anymore, either. He also stole one base in three tries. For all that, though, he was basically league-average as long as he was within a few inches of home plate, so do what you can to avoid the overall package from infecting your view of his hitting.
At the low-offense positions, an exercise like this can hammer home more than anything a concrete illustration of positional scarcity.
Third base: .266/.327/.427/.269
Third basemen hit like outfielders this year. I hope that this sentence creates delightful daydreams of Miguel Cabrera playing center.
Our league-average guy, though, is, shockingly, not Cabrera, but Hanley Ramirez: .246/.322/.428/.267. (Note that this is his Miami line, not his full season.) Like Peralta, Ramirez has seen better days. Like Peralta, Ramirez is probably not a shortstop, defensively. (He may not even be a third baseman—FRAA put him nearly 13 runs below average at the position in just 790 1/3 innings in Miami.)
And like Peralta, Ramirez has a perfectly average bat for his position. Or I guess for the position he played more often in 2012, since it appears that he's a shortstop again and damn the incredible number of seeing-eye singles and/or torpedoes. Either way, if you're thinking about third base league-wide and your mind's eye goes to the bad version of Hanley Ramirez, you're doing it right.
Catcher: .248/.318/.400/.258
Honestly, the second basemen should be ashamed of themselves, getting outhit by catchers.
Our most average catcher by a systematic accounting of which player had his stat line fall closest to the ideal is Martin Maldonado, but since nobody knows what Martin Maldonado is or does, let me note Russell Martin: .211/.311/.403/.255. The batting average was low in 2012, but that's out of character, and the rest of the line is a dead ringer.
The other reason I like Martin is because, despite being a famous scouting success story of someone who didn't catch until he was already a professional ballplayer, he's my archetype of a catcher. He's compact and solidly built and he does this with his lips a lot. He's a catcher. It's nice how that worked out.
Left field: .261/.326/.431/.270
Left field is classically for bopping lumberers (it's where the A's stuck Jason Giambi briefly when first base and designated hitter were blocked up with Mark McGwire and Geronimo Berroa/Jose Canseco), but these days, the Jason Kubels are less prominent than the Melky Cabreras and Alex Gordons and Ryan Ludwicks and Carlos Gonzalezes. Defensive stats don't love these players all equally, but they're not Jason Giambi.
Unfortunately, Captain Average in left field is harder to find than examples of Captain ... uh, Captain Athletic And Good At Defense Or At Least Better Than Jason Giambi At It. The best I can do for you, discarding Juan Pierre and Daniel Nava for being too OBP-heavy and Michael Morse and Carl Crawford (weirdly) for having too much power, is point out Dayan Viciedo's .255/.300/.444/.266 line. Viciedo is beefy and in certain ways looks like what a left fielder "should" be, but one suspects "most average" is not what White Sox fans hoped for in that respect. And yet Chicago, led by Viciedo, saw their left field amalgamation outhit those of Detroit and Tampa Bay, each of which teams won at least 88 games in 2012.
Center field: .265/.330/.418/.271
The center field offensive renaissance/corner outfield offensive stagnation has been noted in a variety of places. We will not rehash it here. Except to the extent we already have by having this paragraph.
Shane Victorino played mostly left pasture in Los Angeles, but before he was traded there, he was the everyday center-man in Philadelphia, where he hit .261/.324/.401/.272. Pretend Victorino's mad 2011 never happened and this line is more or less what you get from his entire career. This is what he is: uninspiring in most phases of the game (don't sneeze at 39 steals in 45 attempts in 2012, though) and a completely reasonable hitter for center field.
The only thing that gives me pause about choosing Victorino as our representation of average is that I'd wager that 58 percent of you think only of these when I say his name. Just try not to. Think of him batting. Try!
Right field: .262/.327/.434/.273
Well, hell, that's basically exactly left field. Unfortunately, the crop of available players is exactly like left field, too—Tyler Colvin has too much slugging because of his park and Gregor Blanco doesn't slug at all, for instance.
In the end, here's what I'm running with: imagine the guy halfway between David DeJesus (.263/.350/.403/.273) and Nelson Cruz (.260/.319/.460/.274). This person was born in the ocean somewhere in the vicinity of Bermuda (which is the closest thing I can find between New Jersey and the Dominican Republic), goes about six feet, 215 pounds, and, I don't know, is married to someone he loves very much. Look, dammit, this Doctor Moreau stuff is hard. You try it.
I'm skipping designated hitter because it's not so much a position that people play as a spot that gives a manager flexibility in half-resting his regulars, rotating reserves through the lineup, and playing matchups. This is also not a new observation—I mention it only to explain why I'm not mentioning it.
One of the tenets that sabermetric-ish writers have focused on over the years is the idea that average is good. If you have a team full of average players, you're going to win a lot. You'd like to have stars, sure, but you'd really like not to spend money and roster spots and playing time on the dregs of the league.
As I noted in the introduction, most of the above players are not actually average overall (Hanley Ramirez, for instance, kills his value with his LOLfense, while Nelson Cruz, at least by FRAA, brings the noise in a good way), but I'd hope that this recitation of the list of average hitters does reinforce the appreciation we have for the positive value of average.
Jason Wojciechowski is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @jlwoj
4 comments have been left for this article.
BP Comment Quick Links
Jack Thomas
When I went to the report it listed position 0 through 11. What are positions 0 & 11?
Jan 24, 2013 16:04 PM
I would pay money to watch Miguel Cabrera in center field.
Jan 25, 2013 06:18 AM
John Carter
It is duly noted that this is not a fair comparison, but most teams did have a full time DH for most of the season. Here are the combined stats of the regulars who played most of their games at DH (Billy Butler, Adam Dunn, Edwin Encarnacion, Jonny Gomes, Travis Hafner, Kendrys Morales, David Ortiz, Luke Scott, and Delmon Young) in BA/OBA/Slg.: .267/.350/.488. None of those DHs had stats very close to that. Dunn and Gomes had OBAs in the .370s. Hafner's Slugging was only .438 and his Batting Average was only .228. Morales had a .467 Slugging, but only a .320 OBA. However, considering that the part time DHs would certainly have dragged the average down considerably, Kendrys Morales is probably a better than average DH not a worse than average DH, but resembles the average most closely: .273/.320/.467.
Jan 25, 2013 14:38 PM
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subset: commoncrawl


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NAPERVILLE, Ill. OfficeMax has introduced "Holiday Party Bingo," an iPhone application that works alone or in conjunction with the companion Facebook app to give holiday party-goers the opportunity to connect around upcoming events, nominate friends or coworkers for playful categories, and share party photos in real-time, according to a company press release. Holiday Party Bingo for iPhone is a free iPhone application available from the App Store and accessible on Facebook.
The app lets users create their event at Holiday Party Bingo on Facebook, invite friends or coworkers, and customize their Holiday Party Bingo board by selecting twelve categories. Categories range from "Last Man Standing" to "Most Elftastic," "Appetizer King," and "World's Wildest Dancer." Those who are invited by the host are directed to a special event page on Facebook where they can make predictions about the holiday party by nominating friends or coworkers for a category on the Holiday Party Bingo board. Party-goers who visit the Facebook page also receive a special code giving them access to the Holiday Party Bingo board on their iPhones. During the live event, guests can view their custom party board, take photos upload photos to Facebook. After the event, party-goers have the chance to view and tag party photos in a special Facebook slideshow and view the winners for each Holiday Party Bingo category. Guests can also order a keepsake 2011 calendar through OfficeMax ImPress featuring the photos and categories.
"It's a tradition at OfficeMax to spread cheer during the holiday season, and this year, we're bringing cheer and delight to party-goers across the country with the launch of our new Holiday Party Bingo mobile application," said Bob Thacker, SVP marketing and advertising for OfficeMax. "Through this application, we hope to offer party-goers an innovative and new way to interact around holiday events, share experiences, and keep the holiday fun going before and after each event."


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When you purchase access codes to our software using this site, your personal payment information is sent directly to the payment processor over an encrypted connection. We never see or handle this data and its security is guaranteed by payment processor you selected to transact your payment. For more information, you can read about PayPal's security measures here or Kagi's buyer's FAQ here.


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Mayor John Cook wants the City Council to reject a referendum that would stop the demolition of City Hall because the city's attorneys have said such ballot measures are illegal.
If they are illegal, Cook said he may charge the city more than $500,000 in legal fees he incurred in fighting a recall drive that resulted from a ballot measure over health benefits for gay and unmarried partners of city employees.
The council gave initial approval to the ballot measure about City Hall earlier this month, and a final vote to put it on the May ballot is scheduled for Tuesday.
Petitions with measures going to voters have become more frequent since a November 2010 ballot measure ending health benefits for gay and unmarried partners of city employees.
Cook and his lawyer, Mark Walker, argue that the City Charter never contemplated such ballot measures. They would allow five percent of the electorate to paralyze city government by calling time-consuming, expensive elections any time residents disagreed with an act of council, Cook and Walker said.
Cook said the 2010 measure should never have been on the ballot in the first place. The mayor said that because of then-City Attorney Charlie McNabb's legal advice, he might be forced to bill the city for the $535,000 in legal fees in fighting a recall attempt.
Cook also said the City Council needs to clarify what powers it and the public have under the City Charter and stop futile ballot measures that waste advocates' time and cripple the city government.
"To me, the law is very clear," said Cook, who leaves office in a few months.
But city Rep. Susie Byrd, an advocate of the ballpark project who also was the focus of the recall, said she believes citizens should have the right to put referenda on the ballot.
"Although I don't always agree with the petitions, I support citizens' right to bring their objections to council or put something on the ballot," she said. "I think it's a good thing when citizens are involved in the legislative process."
An Austin judge declined to address the matter last week when he ruled from the bench that the city could go ahead with the demolition of City Hall as part of a project to build a Triple-A minor league baseball stadium despite two petitions to put the matter on the May ballot.
Opponents of the project are angry that it was never put to a vote.
Attorneys representing the city filed papers with the Austin court arguing that it did go to voters.
All that was on the November 2012 ballot was whether to fund part of the stadium project with hotel taxes and whether to designate the plan as a "venue project." The city council committed itself to the $50 million project in June -- just days after it was publicly announced.
A member of the city's legal team, Dallas attorney Norlynn Price, did not respond last week to questions about the claim that the stadium project went to El Paso voters.
She and her team also argued that the City Charter doesn't allow for ballot measures to overturn ordinances passed by the City Council.
"Principals of statutory interpretation compel the conclusion that the city charter affords no right to place the proposed matters on the ballot, let alone delay (stadium construction) while the referendum process continues," they wrote.
The council will vote Tuesday on whether to put one such measure, filed by Salvador Gomez, on the ballot, while it has rejected a petition for another, filed by David Ochoa.
Under the City Charter, citizens can petition the council to place an initiative on the ballot by gathering signatures of a number of registered voters equal to at least five percent of the number who voted in the last city election. If the council rejects the petition, gathering a second such petition would require the council to put the measure on the ballot anyway.
The city's lawyers now make a critical distinction between "initiative" and "referendum," which the charter says can only be used to rule on collective-bargaining agreements between the city and its employees.
Black's Law Dictionary "defines 'referendum' as 'the process of referring a state legislative act, a state constitutional amendment, or an important public issue to the people for a final vote,'" the legal team representing the city in the ballpark litigation wrote in a brief it filed with the Austin court. "Initiative, on the other hand, allows the proposal of new law not already passed by the legislature."
In other words, a vote to undo the council's decisions concerning the ballpark and destruction of City Hall would be a referendum, which is not allowed under the charter.
City Attorney Sylvia Borunda Firth said petitions to reverse votes by the council can slow down city business.
She said the purpose of a representative democracy is that citizens express their viewpoints by choosing elected officials who make legislation.
"Really, these petitions should be few and far between; they shouldn't be so frequent," she said. "It makes it difficult if every time we have legislation that someone doesn't like, we have to go through all these petitions and legal actions. That's what (City Council) elections are for."
Stephanie Townsend Allala, an El Paso attorney who has helped lead the effort to stop the demolition of City Hall, could not be reached for comment.
Just verifying that signatures on petitions belong to registered voters is a time-consuming process, said Municipal Clerk Richarda Momsen.
How much time can vary dramatically depending on the quality of the petition, Momsen said.
"The number of hours and amount of work really depends on how good the petition is. But it's a pretty intensive process that takes up a good amount of time."
The clerk's office spent about 180 hours authenticating Ochoa's petition to save City Hall.
By comparison, Momsen said it took her staff nearly 700 hours to verify recall petitions for Cook, Byrd and city Rep. Steve Ortega.
Gomez, the sponsor of one of the City Hall petitions, sponsored one of the recall petitions as well.
He and other organizers attempted to recall the elected officials because they voted to restore health benefits to gay and unmarried partners of city employees after the November 2010 referendum ended them. Cook, Byrd and Ortega "stole our votes" was the rallying cry.
Cook racked up more than a half-million dollars in legal bills arguing that the recall effort was undertaken illegally. The Eight Court of Appeals emphatically agreed last year, and the Texas Supreme Court this year declined to take up the case.
The mayor is considering whether to bill the city for his expenses because he now believes the 2010 referendum should never have taken place.
"We got bad legal advice," Cook said.
Walker, Cook's attorney, said he wasn't sure when the legality of referenda would again be considered by a court.
Firth said Tim Sulak, the Austin judge who last week ruled that City Hall can be demolished, might take up the matter in his written order.
"Hopefully, the final judgment will give us some clarity on this issue."
Marty Schladen may be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com; 546-6127.
Evan Mohl can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com;546-6381.


text:
Local bourse hits resistance near 7,500 points
TAIPEI -- The local bourse closed little changed after profit-taking eroded most of its early gains ahead of stiff technical resistance at around the 7,500-point mark, dealers said.
The early gains invited many investors to pocket profits as concerns over the global economy continued to affect market sentiment throughout the trading session, they said.
The weighted index closed up 4.23 points, or 0.05 percent, at 7,422.59, after moving between 7,397.80 and 7,442.55, on turnover of NT$83.37 billion.
The market opened up 3.80 points and moved to the day's high in a knee-jerk reaction to a rising Wall Street overnight.
Hua Nan Securities analyst Stan Chang said many investors were watching closely whether Thursday's policymaking meeting of the European Central Bank will yield any liquidity easing measures to boost the economy.
"Before the meeting concludes, many investors at home and abroad preferred to lock in profit and take the money and run," Chang said, referring to the lackluster performance in regional markets, such as Hong Kong and Shanghai.
Chang said that because Wall Street was to be closed today for the U.S. Independence Day holiday, investors here tended to turn cautious because of a lack of fresh leads to guide further actions.
"The technical resistance at around 7,500 points in the local bourse appeared very strong. Amid cautious market sentiment, it will be hard for the market to break the barrier in the short term," Chang said.
In yesterday's trading, the cement sector scored the highest gains among the major eight sectors of the market, finishing up 1 percent. Financials rose 0.7 percent, food shares gained 0.3 percent, construction stocks added 0.2 percent, and the paper and pulp sector closed up 0.1 percent.
But textile stocks fell 0.3 percent, and machinery and electronics shares and plastics and chemical stocks closed down 0.2 percent.
In the financial sector, E. Sun Financial rose 4.49 percent to NT$16.30, and Mega Financial gained 1.33 percent to NT$22.85 on hopes of closer financial ties across the Taiwan Strait, dealers said.
|Copyright © 1999 – 2017 The China Post.
|Back to Story


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After years of telling friends, "When we remodel our house to Passive House standards we will use 80% less energy than similar homes in the area," and crossing our fingers that the data proved out, we are delighted to share with you our first year's energy data for living in Midori Haus.
What is Midori Haus? The name simply means "green house" since Midori is the Japanese word for green and Haus is the German spelling for house. The house was originally built in 1922, a…Continue
Added by Chie Kawahara on March 18, 2014 at 12:07pm — 6 Comments
© 2017 Created by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Powered by


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That's right folks, let's prototype Perl programs using bash! Why would you inflict such a thing on the world?
... Yes, shell functions which contain Perl functions which are then fed to perl and the result pulled back into the shell function and spat back out.... But sometimes there's shell code that shells out to perl!
If you like that, you should see the guts of MakeMaker sometime.
I think it was Schwern himself who said that MakeMaker needs to die.
Heh. I was in the room for that, more than once.


text:
http://www.pdga.com/discussion/showthre ... 835&page=2
Originally Posted by justice View Post
You guys crack me up!
It's been so long since I posted on this board that it took me 3 days to figure out my log in stuff!
Yes, we finally have official approval from the city to use a second course.....CIRCLE C!
I will post an official schedule with pools later this evening, but it is looking like Pros & MA1 will be playing Circle C twice.
A second course does NOT mean double the # of players, but it does mean a few more spots than usual.
Yes, we will still be using tee times.
Yes, the 2 meter rule will be active for both courses.
Yes, we will still start tee times at 7:45 a.m......both courses.
whats everyone think?
so would we(mpo/ma1) play Circle C on saturday and Pease on sunday? hopefully we get some updates soon. I doubt I even go practice at pease if I only have one round on a course I know in my sleep


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Resellers increasingly are adopting cloud services — but the technology might not be what is swaying the decision. It might be all business. Justin Moore, CEO of Axcient, and Renee Bergeron, VP of managed services and cloud computing for Ingram Micro North America, recently shared their insights with Business Solutions magazine.
Moore says, "Resellers are starting to feel a push from two sides: from end user companies that are turning to them to help select, evaluate, implement, integrate, and manage cloud solutions, and from ISVs looking to increase their channel power to supply solutions to those end user companies."
Moore quotes a Gartner report, Forecast Overview: Public Cloud Services, Worldwide, 2011-2016 (4Q12 update published Feb. 8, 2013) that anticipates the SaaS market will grow steadily at a rate of 19.5 percent through 2016, with spending projected to increase 143 percent over the same period to $32.8 billion.
He also cites a Forrester Research report As SaaS Goes Mainstream, ISVs Invest in Channel Support Tools that says with the increased adoption of cloud solutions, ISVs are changing their sourcing strategy and are looking to solution partners who can supply and centrally manage their entire end-to-end SaaS portfolio. Forrester estimates that by the end of 2013 the partner channel will account for 27 percent of all SaaS software revenues for ISVs.
"As part of the broader adoption of cloud-based service and maturing of this market, end users need, in particular, solutions providers who can assist with the integration of cloud-based solutions into the business' other applications and general workflow," says Moore. He points out that there are two benefits for resellers who realize that the market is changing and that there is "a definite appetite" for cloud-based offerings. One, they will be better positioned to take the role as true business advisors to their clients, and, two, they will also have more bargaining power when deciding which cloud solutions they will choose as part of their portfolios.
Small VARs Lead Cloud Services Pack
Bergeron sees small VARs adopting cloud services faster than large VARs, MSPs, and direct market resellers DMRs. "Of the 4,000 resellers who buy cloud services from Ingram Micro Cloud, 60 percent are small, SMB-focused VARs," Bergeron comments. "They see cloud services as an opportunity to gain market share against larger VARs, which appear more focused on on-premise solutions."
She adds that large VARs could be deterred from moving large portions of their on-premise business to cloud services because of the potential cash flow impact of the move. "With cloud services, revenue is recognized over a much longer period of time. You have to prepare your business for this difference in cash flow even though the revenue potential will be the same or greater," Bergeron says.
Another possible deterrent according to Bergeron is the lack of training and expertise among technical and sales staff. "You cannot sell cloud services in the same way you sell on-premise solutions," Bergeron explains. "The buyers of cloud solutions are also different than the buyers of on-premise solutions, which means developing new customer relationships with CMOs or line–of-business owners who are looking at cloud solutions and have a budget to purchase them."
Bergeron adds that VARs could also shy away from providing cloud services over concerns for reliability, data security, and "the simple fear of reselling cloud services and the negative perception of the cloud broker role for some."
Adapting To New Model Can Mean Higher Profits
Moore lists reasons companies decide to move forward to offer cloud solutions, including lower up-front costs, faster deployment, ease of use, and mobile support. Moore says offering cloud services differs from offering traditional on-premise applications, with their high up-front costs, annual maintenance fees, and predictable release cycles. "In fact, resellers who are able to change their business model to fit within cloud-solution needs are the ones who will end up with higher margins and more profitability," Moore adds. This means translating lower up-front costs into sustainable profitable relationships, and adapting sales compensation models to reward reduced churn rates.
Bergeron adds, "The most frequent pitfall I see is tied to resellers adopting a cost -plus model to establish their customer's price. That's a mistake. In the cloud, resellers can go beyond a traditional cost-plus model, and price the cloud solution for the value it brings to the customers. This will allow resellers to make much better margins than with on-premise solutions."
Best Practices Should Include Security — For Data And For Your Business
Moore advises resellers to institute best practices for selling cloud services, including service level agreements (SLAs) for all clients, with the level based on the number of customers and needs of the client base. Moore says Axcient recommends a three-tier tech support team. Tier 1 is responsible for technical support and customer service via phone and email, where the majority of client issues originate and are closed. Tier 2 investigates and troubleshoots issues that escalate from the Tier 1 queue. Tier 3 provides an interface between technical support and development teams. Moore adds that resellers may need to work with their vendors for support levels 2 and 3.
It's Not Too Late
Moore says if VARs have not yet begun offering cloud services, they should not think they have missed their opportunity. "A very small portion of the IT market has been penetrated by cloud services. While there is a huge surge in activity, there is still plenty of business to be had, over $30 billion worth, and it's not too late for a channel partner to participate."
Before moving to the new business model, Moore says to consider your sales and tech support teams' training and your accounting department's ability to bill monthly. "If you do not have the required talent or systems in place, you can either hire new employees that are specialized in these areas or hire a consultant to guide your business through the transition," he explains. "How smoothly the transition goes will all come down to your staff."


text:
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text:
Anthony Ruffo, along with a contingent of his supporters sitting in the court pews behind him, peered up at Judge Paul Marigonda intently listening to his findings, all ready to cheer on their friend's impending victory in court Feb. 21.
Ruffo — one of Santa Cruz's most influential surfers — had plans that afternoon to head downtown after his day in court, to celebrate his continued freedom.
His downtown plans, however, were immanently changed when Judge Marigonda remanded Ruffo on the spot. He sentenced Ruffo to two years in state prison, two years in a sheriff's custody program, and one year of county probation supervision for selling methamphetamine.
Ruffo, 48, did go downtown that day — to Santa Cruz County jail.
In 2011, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 109, which shifted the responsibility for incarcerating low-risk inmates from the state to counties. As part of this law, the state continues to incarcerate offenders who commit serious, violent or sexual crimes, but the counties supervise, rehabilitate and manage low-level offenders as a means of saving the taxpayer millions of dollars.
This "prison realignment" was a blessing for Ruffo. His sentence was automatically reduced to serve one year in a county jail, rather than a state prison.
"Ruffo was in shock when he arrived. He couldn't even speak.The man was infinitely broken," said Sergeant Steve Gagnon, watch commander of Rountree Medium Facility in Watsonville.
Gagnon explained the good fortune to his newest tenant upon his admittance.
"Ruffo, you are very fortunate not to be serving five years in a state prison with the big boys, mark my word," Gagnon said. "You will eventually count your blessings that your stay is here."
As the 1985 O'Neill Col dwater Classic winner began his sentence, he had a choice to make. He could spend his waking hours reminiscing on waves he had ridden, lifting weights or watching daytime television. Or, he could start a new chapter in his life by taking advantage of the educational programs available to inmates.
Ruffo said he decided to help himself. He applied to enter the fledgling Reclaiming Integrity, Self Awareness and Empowerment (RISE), a pilot program instituted by the Santa Cruz Sheriff's Office and Community Action Board. It was installed to reduce relapsing by providing structure, services, and support to low-risk inmates returning to the community after incarceration.
"Inmates have to show positive interest, so when Ruffo approached us to take part in the RISE program, we interviewed him, and he was deemed to be a good candidate," said Jason Murphy, the RISE program coordinator.
The man with saltwater in his veins spent his days doing laundry and going to class. He was determined to shed himself of the ego and pride that had previously driven him and consciously followed the program curriculum. He strived to rebuild his self-esteem and fix what was broken deep within his soul.
Ruffo, who had tried to help other addicts before his incarceration, came to realize that he could not help others until he had learned to have a healthy, understanding and loving relationship with himself.
Having graduated from the RISE program, Ruffo was eligible to participate in the Alternative Custody Program that allowed him to be released wearing an electronic ankle monitor. On Oct. 26, the terms of his release were carefully spelled out by Gagnon, and Ruffo was returned to his home in Santa Cruz.
Gagnon, also a longtime Santa Cruz surfer, knew Ruffo's inner strength would be tested during his tenure under the ACP program. Among the rules of Ruffo's conditional release, he wasn't allowed to surf.
Ruffo re-entered society with the help of the Friends Outside organization, a nonprofit community based organization that helps those who have been incarcerated find a new direction. With its help, Ruffo built a schedule and a resume, which enabled him to attend classes, look for work and, above all, stay out of the place that he so desperately wanted to return to: the ocean.
In early November, the surfing world's spotlight shined not only on Santa Cruz for the Coldwater Classic, but also on Ruffo, who sat among the surfing dignitaries to watch the event. Many of the sport's elite — Brad Gerlach, Nat Young, Adam Replogle, and Pat O'Neill and others — sought out Ruffo to shake his hand and wish him well. Some of the world's top 34 surfers sought out his advice on how to best manage the Lane.
But words from one particular surfer, none other than 11-time world champion Kelly Slater - resonated with Ruffo.
"The champ asked me how I was doing, and that he had been worried about me," Ruffo said. "To not only have Slater, but so many others during the contest come up to me with well-wishes, not only meant the world to me, but made me realize that I was under the scrutiny of the surfing world."
After his release, Ruffo could smell the sea air, taste the salt as he watched his friends tear up the waves, but he couldn't go in himself. His addiction - for the ocean, not drugs or alcohol - was eating away in his mind. It was the only place that he felt centered, spiritual and soulful.
And so Nov. 18 turned into a fateful day for Ruffo. It was the day that the first forecasted heavy winter swell was set to hit Santa Cruz. And it was the day that Ruffo made a calculated mistake.
Choosing to live again on the edge, Ruffo took matters into his own hands by donning his wetsuit, grabbing his board and heading out into the lineup. He decided it was time for him to surf.
"I fell victim to my own addictive thinking. I broke a golden rule and it landed me back in jail," Ruffo said.
A day later, Ruffo was returned to Rountree after breaking the terms of his release, where again he was greeted by Gagnon.
"He came back scared. We were all very sad to see him back in custody, figuring that he must have used again," said Gagnon, who said there was a silver lining in Ruffo's return.
"We gave him a mandatory urine analysis and it came back as clean as a whistle," Gagnon said. "If the results would have been dirty, he would have been shipped off to San Quentin to serve the remainder of his sentence."
Ruffo had two weeks to think about whether his surf session was worth it.
"Sometimes the only way we learn good judgement is through bad judgement," Ruffo said he realized, knowing that, again, he had let himself down, along with his family, and friends.
Ruffo is again living the remainder of his sentence under the Alternative Custody Program, under the watchful eye of the community that he lives in.
His expectations have been made clear. For Ruffo, there is no longer room for error. He can choose to fall behind or stay straight and realize his dream of qualifying for the 2013 Coldwater Classic at Steamer Lane.
Just making it there, and making it clean, could be considered a win, and who among us wouldn't want to see that?
Neil Pearlberg is a surf columnist with the Santa Cruz Sentinel. He can be reached by email at email@example.com


text: Somehow I'd missed seeing this movie until last year—this is one of my favorite scenes. It's amazing how effortless the puppeteers make this look. If Kermit were a regular bike rider, his legs would have been even more drool-worthy for Charles Durning and his customers. And then there's the bike's geometry, which looks a little off. Perhaps Schwinn designed a special "frog" model?


text:
Want to save thousands of dollars over time? Spend one day a year re-evaluating your insurance policies.
At that time, examine your homeowners, auto and life insurance policies to make sure you're still getting a great deal relative to your coverage levels.
If that sounds dull, imagine a trip to a Caribbean beach you paid for with money you've shaved off premiums.
Here's what you should look for during your annual insurance checkup:
Homeowners insurance: First, make sure you're adequately covered. Some homeowners make the mistake of covering their house only for the amount they paid. But if you snagged a great deal on your home, you may have bought it for less than the cost to rebuild.
Use a website such as AccuCoverage.com to find the "replacement cost" of your home -- which is the cost of reconstructing your house from scratch at today's prices.
Make sure you have sufficient coverage for your possessions as well. Policies will vary with regard to how much they'll reimburse for damage to your "chattel personal," which is industry-speak for "your stuff." If you own any items of particular value, such as art, antique furniture or jewelry, you may want to buy additional insurance. I once bought insurance to specifically cover a high-performance bicycle.
Auto insurance: Did you finance your car? Many lenders require you to carry comprehensive and collision coverage for the vehicle's purchase price until your loan is fully paid. Once your car is very old and not worth much, consider dropping comprehensive and collision.
Auto insurance companies are introducing new products and services that reward good driving habits. Progressive, for example, rolled out a Snapshot program in which an electronic device in your car offers a personalized insurance rate based on your driving habits. This service didn't exist five years ago -- and it's just one example of how insurance companies are rolling out new technologies that could potentially lower your rate.
Life insurance: Perhaps you bought life insurance for yourself or a loved one five years ago. Back then, both you and your spouse worked, you only had one child and your mortgage balance was $150,000.
But in the intervening years, you (or your spouse) left the workforce, causing the family to rely on one income. You had another child. You also bought a larger house, increasing your mortgage balance to $250,000.
You can see why there would be need to adjust your life insurance accordingly. Among other things, make sure your life insurance adequately covers the cost of hiring people to perform tasks that the deceased previously did.
Paula Pant blogs at AffordAnything.com about creating wealth and living life on your own terms. She's traveled to nearly 30 countries, owns five rental properties and owes her great life to strong money-management principles. Follow Paula on Twitter @AffordAnything.


text:
Perhaps a Redickulous Thought...?
Game Time Start: 7:00 PM EST
Where: The Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
Officials: D. Stafford, B. Kennedy, G. Zielinski, B. Forte
Media Notes: Indiana Notes, Orlando Notes
Television: NBATV, FSI
Local Radio: WIBC 93.1 FM
NBA Feeds:
- NBA Audio League Pass (available free to NBA All-Access members)
- NBA League Pass Broadband (subscription req'd)
REMINDER: Per PD policy, please do not share a link to, describe how to search for, request a link to, or request a PM about streaming video of a NBA game that is not coming directly through the NBA. Not even in a "wink-wink, nudge-nudge, know-what-I-mean" round-about sort of way. Thank you
Series & Season Records:
0 42-25
Home: 23-11
1 38-29
Away: 17-17
Upcoming Games: May 2 May 5 May 8 May 11 May 13 at
vs vs
If Necessary
If Necessary
If Necessary
7:30 pm 2:00 pm TBD TBD TBD
Projected Starting Lineup: C PF SF SG PG HIBBERT WEST GRANGER GEORGE HILL Projected Starting Lineup: C PF SF SG PG DAVIS ANDERSON TURKOGLU RICHARDSON NELSON
Leandro Barbosa, sprained ankle, probable
Darren Collison, sore groin, probable
Glen Davis, sprained ankle, probable
Dwight Howard, herniated disc, out
Eight Points, Nine Seconds PreviewReview: Tim Donahue: Becoming an Uptempo, Power Post Team
The proximate causes of the Pacers' game one loss have been well discussed.
Missed shots, turnovers, missed free throws, and a four-minute scoreless
stretch to end the game by Indy conspired with a couple of plays beautifully
designed by Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy to give home court advantage to
the underdog Magic. However, to me, most of those were just things that
happened. Disappointing, sure, and certainly harmful to the Pacer playoff
goals, but I didn't find them particularly troubling. I was more bothered by
the way the game was played than by any individual plays. Specifically, it
bothered me how slowly this game was played.
Past as Prologue
The Pacers were supposed to handle the shorthanded — and just plain short
— Magic in short order. When 8p9s posted our predictions, we weren't any
more optimistic about Indiana's advantage than most third-party projections.
A "gentleman's sweep" was widely predicted. And 8p9s, I, and the rest of the
NBA prognosticating world made that prediction despite Orlando's 3-1 record
over Indiana in the regular season series. There was one very clear and valid
reason: those games had Dwight Howard, and these games would most
certainly not.
So, it was pretty much my worst-case scenario when I found myself watching
a game on Saturday night that looked very much like the regular season
contests between these squads. In fact, it had an almost startling resemblance
a game played on another Saturday night way back in February. The night
before the Super Bowl, Orlando beat Indy 85-81 in a game where the Pacers
held the Magic to only 92 points per hundred possessions but could muster
only 88 per themselves. You'll forgive me thinking I've seen a ghost when I
watch Orlando win 81-77 in a game during which they were held to a little
over 92 per, but only permitted the Pacers to score 88 per hundred.
All night long, all I could think was, "Too slow."
When asked about it on Sunday, Paul George acknowledged that the players
felt it, too. "Yeah. We wanted to make [running] an emphasis," he said.
"Coming into the game, we wanted to run more and really challenge them to
guard us in the open court. They did a good job of running to get back."
This was a common refrain among the Pacer players. "We do have to
continue to push the pace a little bit more," said Darren Collison. "We've got
to use our speed to our advantage. We played right into Orlando's hands with
that type of pace."
Danny Granger said the Pacers had discussed tempo after the loss. "Honestly,
[tempo] was another issue that we talked about why we lost."
Your Move, Pacers
Pacer coach Frank Vogel touched on this subject before the game on Saturday.
"Tempo is always important," he said. "No matter who we're playing, we want
to run. Stan Van Gundy is one of the best coaches in the NBA. He has his team
prepared — no matter who's in uniform — to handle what your team's strengths
are. It's going to be a series of adjustments."
And after losing home court advantage a mere 48 minutes into the postseason,
it is Vogel's Pacers who...CONTINUE READING AT 8p9s
ENJOY ALL OF 8p9s POST-SEASON COVERAGE HERE
MAGIC BASKETBALL Jason Richardson's crunch time shooting
While most people will talk about the Los Angeles Clippers putting together one
of the greatest comebacks in NBA playoff history, storming back from a 24-point
deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Memphis Grizzlies by the score of 99-98
on the road in Game 1 of their first round playoff series, lest everyone forget that
the Orlando Magic put together a comeback of their own (albeit on a much smaller
scale) in their Game 1 victory against the Indiana Pacers.
After Darren Collison made a jumper off the dribble near the left baseline to give
the Pacers a seven-point lead at 77-70 with 4:05 left in the fourth quarter, the
Magic went on an 11-0 run to — like the Clippers — close out the game and steal
a Game 1 on the road.
At the epicenter of Orlando's comeback was Jason Richardson.
With the score at 77-72 following a difficult floater high off the glass by Jameer
Nelson off the dribble in the paint while fading away from the rim, Richardson
made back-to-back three-pointers to give the Magic a lead they would never
relinquish. And ironically enough, both three-point shots were generated from
plays drawn up by head coach Stan Van Gundy following a timeout.
You know, the same head coach that Dwight Howard wants fired.
In any case, Van Gundy's designs...CONTINUE READING AT MAGIC BASKETBALL
Hickory-High Jordan Kahn: Indiana and Orlando: Game 1 Video Playbook
Jordan Kahn breaks down the latest NBA trends in video form. You can find more of
his work at Basketball Things and follow him on Twitter @AyoitsJordan.
A couple of huge three-pointers from Jason Richardson down the stretch gave
Orlando an upset victory over Indiana in Game 1. Let's take a look at the plays
Orlando ran to get Richardson open.
Before getting to the fourth quarter, Orlando set up Richardson's first three-pointer
with a curl to the basket in the third quarter. Orlando starts the play in their horns
set, and Jameer Nelson first gives it up to Glen Davis. Nelson continues into the
lane where Richardson rubs Nelson's defender off of him so Nelson can pop back
to the top to receive the ball. Instead of continuing through to the weakside of
the floor, Richardson spins back around and runs off of a down screen from Davis.
He curls around the screen and hits a runner in the lane. Video of the full play
is below.
Jumping ahead to crunch time, Orlando is in the horns set again, and Nelson
and Richardson perform a similar off-ball exchange. This time, however,
instead of getting a screen from Davis to run to the wing, Richardson gets a
double screen from Davis and Ryan Anderson for an open three at the top of
the key. By the looks of things, Paul George is anticipating Richardson popping
out to the wing again and is trying to stop him from getting there. His denial
works against him, as it gives Richardson a clear path to the top of the key.
The full play is below.
On Richardson's next three-pointer...CONTINUE READING AT HICKORY-HIGH
140 Characters of (Non-PD) Coverage Pacers
Mike Wells @MikeWellsNBA
Jared Wade @8pts9secs
Tim Donahue @TimDonahue8p9s
Tom Lewis @indycornrows
Ian Levy @HickoryHigh
Orlando Sentinel @joshuabrobbins
Magic Basketball @erivera7
Orlando Pinstripe Post @BQRMagic


text:
Unfreakinbelivable, Only in AmericaQuote:
Las Vegas thinks there's a decent chance that Jeremy Lin is fronting when it comes to his interest in reality star Kim Kardashian.
The New York Knicks guard turned global sensation said in an interview aired on Monday's Good Morning America that the two are not a likely romantic match. USAToday.com has the quote.
"Stuff about me dating Kim Kardashian, I mean, I have no idea where that came from and all these other rumors," said Lin, adding he doesn't think they're each others "type."
Gossip website MediaTakeOut.com reported last week that Kardashian, 31, thought Lin, 23, was"cute" and that she was interested in going on a date with him. Kardashian, of course, divorced New Jersey Nets forward Kris Humphries after just 72 days of marriage back in October. Kim's sister, Khloe, is married to Dallas Mavericks forward Lamar Odom.
The speculation surrounding Kardashian and Lin has led gambling website Bovada.LV to post odds on whether Lin and Kardashian go on a date, settling the line at 5/1. For the bet to pay, the pair must go on a date prior to the conclusion of the 2012 NBA Finals.
This is not the first time Lin has attracted attention from Vegas oddsmakers. Last week, we noted that Lin's strong play as a starter improved New York's odds at winning the 2012 NBA Finals from 40/1 to 18/1. Lin is also 40/1 to win the 2012 NBA MVP award.
Go ahead and take a shower. After reading this post, you've earned it.
had to laugh though.


text:
Two weeks ago we announced the Office Customer Preview and introduced the new Office to the public. Since then, we've all been excited to finally talk about the work we did over the last couple of years on all the applications, servers, and services that make up the Office product family.
My name is Scott, and I'm a lead program manager on the team in Office that is responsible for both Word and Publisher. Last week, those who have been following our posts know, Tristan gave a great overview of the new Word, and this week I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to provide a high level look at what we did with Publisher in this release.
In the weeks to come, more folks from the team will follow up with more details about specific features, how they work, and our thinking behind them.
Vision for the new Publisher
In every product cycle, the planning phase ends with a sense of where each application product team wants to invest, as well as how that work aligns with the goals and vision of Office as a whole. It is a great balance that lets us both deliver on big bets across the organization, and leverage the expertise each team has about what their customers need.
This release is no exception. Starting from the already incredible breadth of functionality in Publisher, we chose to invest in targeted ways in a number of specific places – either in support of shared functionality across the suite, or in improving the core scenarios at the heart of Publisher.
Part of the new Office
There is so much that I believe is great about the new Office, and I hope you're following our blogs, trying it out, and providing us feedback. If you are, you no doubt experienced a lot of what makes this release special, from the fresh, clean design with unrelenting focus on quality of experience, to the simplicity of saving to the cloud, and having your recent documents list roam with you whenever you're connected and signed in.
As you explore the new Publisher, you'll find a lot that is familiar from the other applications – the new Start screen, the updated template experience, cleaner UI that is familiar, but with fewer lines and distractions, and the various redesigned tabs in the Backstage.
Better Looking Publications
Going beyond the visual updates, and integrating all that great new shared functionality, we really wanted to move the ball forward in terms of allowing customers to quickly and easily create better looking publications, from business collateral to personal projects and greeting cards.
Towards that end, we worked to enhance our graphics and effects capabilities, in many ways catching up with Word and PowerPoint, and enabling Publisher to create more visually stunning output. We added popular effects such as softer shadows, glows, and reflection, which you can apply to pictures, shapes, or text, along with new presets in the Styles galleries, offering great looking combinations of effects that can be applied with a single click. Net, you should no longer have to go to PowerPoint to apply a particular effect to an image that you want in your publication!
In addition to improving the tools we're putting in your hands to allow you to make your own publications better looking, we also put those tools in the hands of our template designers. Publisher already offers incredibly powerful templates for a wide variety of publication types, but with the new Publisher we expanded the set offered online, creating new, modern looking templates that make it easier than ever to get started and quickly create a gorgeous, professional quality publication.
We'll continue to add to the set of templates available, so you always have fresh choices for both business and personal uses.
Working with Pictures
Another core aspect of authoring publications, whether a business card, a flyer, or a greeting card, is more often than not working with images. This is especially true when it comes to photo albums, or other picture heavy publications, which are an important and growing document type as people have more and more digital images they want to share.
In the vein of trying to make everyday tasks easier, we streamlined a number of things related to dealing with pictures and other graphical elements:
- Inserting many pictures at once no longer results in a stack of images piled up at the center of your page. Instead, when you insert multiple images, they automatically come in as thumbnails, conveniently tiled in the scratch area next to the page. Similarly, if you already have pictures on your page and you want them out of the way, you can send them out to the scratch area arranged as thumbnails.
- Live picture swap allows you to more easily swap one photo for another, or try an image out in different picture placeholders on the page, by simply dragging the swap icon in the center of the image. While dragging, you can live preview the result, and drop it in place, or keep going to find a better spot.
- Finally, as in other applications in the new Office, inserting online pictures is only a few clicks away, whether from your own SkyDrive or Flickr, or images or clipart from Office.com or Bing Image Search.
In addition, when you're all done with your photo layout, the new Publisher makes it easy to export all the pages in your album as high quality images files, so you can easily print them at your favorite photo printing store or online service.
Try It Out
That's it for now. In the coming days and weeks we'll expand on this, going into more details about the things I introduced above. In the meantime, try it out for yourself at the Office Customer Preview, and let us know what you think.


text:
First time here? Check out the
Ask a Question
How to remove the pop up ready to backup?
Answer possibly found in:
How do I uninstall "Strongvault Online Backup"?
As far as I can see, the application is just like any other, meaning that it does not need additional uninstall steps rater than an ordinary program. As it's software, you can use its uninstaller...
The above answer did not totally
all references to StrongVault. Instead, the system persisted in trying to find StrongVault, causing error messages, and blocking all other operations. I...
StrongVault is a virus................ It cannot be
It'a not showing up on my control panel so that I can
it,but it's annoying because it won't let me get online it has just taken over my computer which is a dell desktop.Need help getting it...
I need help to
it as well, someone on a another site mentioned to use windows FIX it, but that also recieved an error, for some terrible reason. All my cleaners can't find strongvault virus,...
same here i
it but it still causes
up messages whenever i r click anything im scared
I was able to remove strongvault and strongvaultapp with Microsoft's "fix it" it works, thanks. I don't know what it does but I warning lights came on when McAfee said it was trying to access a...
As above, I went to Microsoft, downloaded Fix It and strong vault is gone. I don't know what it was doing or what Fix It did, but that puppy is gone. My computer seems faster and smoother now,...
I'm very skeptical about installing or using programs I am not familiar with. I installed an audio converter program, and prior to installation I ran a security scan on the program. The scan came...
Thank you all for your kind comments! Glad I could help. I know how frustrating these problems can be, so when I found that "Fix-It" was the solution, I just had to tell everybody! Good luck,...
i got hit with it after installling a netgear wireless adaptor driver, after countless crap programs i found this site, also thank cliff your a life (and computer) saver.
I was also able to uninstall with Fix-It. Thank goodness. I'm pretty sure I picked up this malware from a FreeCorder toolbar download.
This program worked beautifully. It found and deleted a program called strongvault which was causing a lot of problems and not showing up for being able to uninstall.
The answer by Cliff Lowe about Fix-It was good for me also . Thanks Cliff , no hangers here !
I'm trying to use the microsoft fix it link but it keeps saying that the trouble shooter is invalid or expired. Any other tips?
Many thanks for the Microsoft "fixit" solution for it
Strongvault virus. Thanks too to the poster who described the "clock" app which might have imported the strongvault virus.
I,too;cannot uninstall this lousy product!! Going to the control panel and clicking "uninstall" does not work on this lousy no good product!I will continue until it is gone from my pc!
Im useing the "fix it" but its not
it for me what else can be done?
I've tried multiple times to use Microsoft's Fix it program, and it is not working...
Strong Vault is very easy to
, but it is hidden so use microsoft software: http://iam-infotech.blogspot.com/2013/02/strong-vault-online-
I was having problems doing an uninstall for Strongvault
System. I found the answer: do a forced shut down by holding the start up button until you computer shuts down. When you restart your...
It is hidden and cannot be remove easily. You have to use a software which is the only safe way. Visit this blog cause this is the only working for me. Strong Vault Online
thanks so much to cliff and everyone else for working hard on getting a meaningful answer to this problem .. I thought I successfully
strong vault but alas it started
up again. Now...
I have tried everything to delete this.Microsoft fix it,many malware programs.By accident I wanted to close unused programs ,so I hit ctry-alt-del,I saw strongvault in there.I right clicked and hit...
I normally use CNet as a preferred site for downloading free software - I trusted CNet and have never had problems in the past, but this Stupid Strong Vault evidently tagged along with the eps...
Yes, Cliff Lowe's solution worked for me, also. Much appreciated!
Get a best choice to search a online backup... seo company india seo in jaipur seo india seo
When I try and run Microsoft Fix-it it gives me an error saying it can't connect to the server....When I downloaded the portable version it told me the same thing... Any suggestions
Ive tried microsoft "fix it" but it cant find strongvault in the unistall screen. there are a few that are "name not avialble" so i click on the "not listed" option and it tells me to enter the...
I was hit by this Strongvault too (and a "Delta Search" that came with it). I think we should compose a list of where the strongvault hides. I will start with my experience. I contracted this thing...
Also Lavasoft Adware free antivirus with antispyware help me uninstall it after I tried just about everything
I was able to remove this app using Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel.
The best and easiest way in my opinion is to launch your PC into safe mode (With windows 7 I think you hit F8 while it is booting) which starts Windows with the bare minimum programs to make your PC...
it may if you havent,t locked it first cheak to see it it is then you can try and uninstall the program most anti virus have this feature too make sure the pregram you are trying to get rid of...
I saw that stronvault was running in Task manager. I would end task, but it only came back on the next reboot. i read blogs, tried this, downloaded that, nothing worked!! GRRRRRR. Microsoft Fixit...
Question I have Windows 8 it's a new computer and I have that
up for online back up which I can see here is due to Strong Vault which I
but I know now why it doesn't work. I tried the...
First you have to delete the actual folders in order to use MicrosoftFixit. [Start] > Type in [Strong Vault App] > Right click on the icon > Choose [Open File location] > Delete all...
I found that MS Fix-It worked. But, there where two programs in Fix-It program under the name of strong-vault only one of them could be successfully installed.
Please read on this post to force your unwanted StrongVault and/or other bloatware to uninstall.
Strong Vault is deemed as a scamware.It can be downloaded as a free addition in several internet download packages. Usually, it appears as an application that helps users to do online backup easily...
More questions related to «How to remove the pop up ready to backup»
How do I remove ImproveSpeedPC application
up box and Backup Duty Lite from my computer?
— These applications are considered malware and they should be removed as soon...
How can I remove the pop-up window?
— Unfortunately, there is no way to eliminate the pop-up window that appears...
Why Downloader.AUO keeps
-up on my Internet Explorer? How can I remove it?
— Try running AdwCleaner to get rid of the annoying pop ups or adds installed in...
How to remove
Driver Plus?
— Try using Revo Uninstaller. Even if it can't uninstall the application...
Strongvault Online Backup
— It seems that your MSI installer has problems and now the registry are all...
How do I remove Strong Vault Online Backup permanently?
— Thanks Cliff, you are the MAN. I used the Fixit prog from MS., and it worked...
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Anders Honore wrote:Are you saying bodhicitta is a dispensible part of Dzogchen?
Compassion is an innate quality of one's primdordial state i.e. the basis. You can't really give up bodhicitta, and you can't really create it. It can be covered over by obscurations, but those are adventitious. When you recognize your condition as it is, compassion for others naturally arises.


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Family getaway
A Family Fun Package at Cavallo Point Lodge in Marin County includes breakfast, lunch and dinner for children from the kids room-service menu, nanny service for one evening for up to four kids and an in-room movie with cookies and milk.
For parents, there's a morning yoga class and the outdoor meditation pool.
Rates start at $450 for a contemporary room with two queen beds on selected dates.
Use the "family" promotion code when making reservations at 888-651-2003 or www.cavallopoint.com.
Details: 601 Murray Circle, Sausalito.
Wine Country dinner
Stay at Sonoma County's Gaige House on a midweek night in June, and receive a Wine Country dinner for free.
The "Dinner Is on Us" promotion offers guests a $70 gift certificate for dinner at the Glen Ellen Inn restaurant.
Room rates range from $275 for a deluxe queen to $475 for the Gaige's Creekside Suite.
Details: 13540 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen. 800-935-0237; www.thegaigehouse.com.
— Linda Zavoral, staff
Prices do not include taxes, surcharges or other fees unless noted. Deal availability may be limited. Restrictions such as blackout dates and advance-purchase requirements may apply.


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No, not about what position we draft at.
This question is about what position would you like to see the Pacers improve at.
For the sake of this question we will assume one thing.
1. Whoever we draft will not start.
So since this person will be a bench player & I'm not really concerened with who is out there I just wanna know.
What position would you like to see the Pacers draft at?
Backup point, shooting, small, power or center?
Which spot do you think we are weakest at on the bench?


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Do you want to be on the forefront of security technologies? Does designing solution to difficult problems sound like an exciting role for you? Qualys is opening a new office in the Seattle area an looking for highly motivated individuals to help design and develop cutting edge security products. You will be part of small team working on a new and exciting product that will help evolve SaaS and be a leader in a new and emerging security space!
Person should be fluent in C/C++, SQL, some C#, low level windows knowledge, and have core networking skills. Security in the client application space and malware knowledge is a plus.
Additional Skills:
|West, MS
United States
|Web Site:
|1600 Bridge Parkway
Redwood Shores, CA 94065
United States


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Shop By Category
Home::Soccer::Goalkeeping::Goalkeeper Accessories
Goalkeeper Accessories
There's no reason to go into battle without the best protection possible. At SoccerGarage.com, we carry all of the game's best goalkeeper gear and accessories from Reusch goalkeeper pads to Storelli head guards and goalkeeper chest protection.
With the amazing deals in our clearance section, you can find some cheap soccer balls in all colors and price ranges. If you're looking to outfit your team, we also have hundreds of cheap soccer jerseys on sale as well.
Goalkeeper Accessories


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Vitamin C Skin Care Part II: Facial Moisturizers
Welcome back to the second installment of my series on vitamin C-enhanced beauty products. To read about a small sampling of serums on the market, click here. Today we take a closer look at a few facial moisturizing lotions that contain vitamin C to help smooth, brighten and tighten your skin!
Say goodbye to dull and blotchy skin with this new Px Prescriptives Vibrant-C Skin Brightening Cream Moisturizer ($46 ). It's a face cream that subtly lightens the skin, boosts clarity and evens out the skin tone. It also helps to diminish visible age spots (any dark spots, really). To use, just gently massage a little bit onto your face and neck.
For two more vitamin C-enhanced facial moisturizers,
Bioque C-Plus Vitamin C Moisturizing Cream ($45) contains L-ascorbic acid (yes, that's vitamin C) to help protect skin from aging while also helping collagen production. All you need is a little bit to start seeing the effects. Apply to your face and neck twice a day. It's even safe for sensitive skin, but a patch test is recommended.
Trish McEvoy Even Skin C Cream ($68) is a super-strong antioxidant-filled face lotion that makes skin look and feel smoother, younger and tighter. It has a wonderful and light citrusy smell to it—and it leaves your face glowing and less blotchy.


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At Bob's Red Mill, "unprocessed" foods are our bread and butter. We pride ourselves on keeping true to the ingredients we use. You know the drill by now- one pound in, one pound out. No preservatives, no weird chemicals, just grains, beans or seeds. When Andrew from Eating Rules approached us to write a blog post for October: Unprocessed, we jumped at the opportunity to become a member of this group and take on his challenge in our own lives.
What is October: Unprocessed? Struck by the realization that much of the food we eat in the United States is full of chemicals for flavor, freshness, color, as well as excessive levels of sugar, fat and salt, Andrew challenged himself to take a month off from all of these excessively processed foods. That was in October of 2009. This year, he's taking it to a new level and challenging everyone to try a month without processed foods.
What is a "processed" food? This is sort of a nebulous territory- 'processed' can mean many different things. If you want to be strict about it- even an egg from a chicken has been 'processed' if it came from the grocery store. Fortunately, Andrew isn't asking us to go that far. His definition is as follows: Unprocessed food is any food that could be made by a person with reasonable skill in a home kitchen with readily available, whole-food ingredients.
That can mean different things to different people. I like to think of it in terms of Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food, which basically says- if your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize it as food, it isn't. Even then, it's a little fuzzy, but I'm taking up his challenge anyway. Yep- even while we're trekking through Scotland in our quest to win the Golden Spurtle again, I'll be passing on the convenient convenience foods. I hate to admit that I ever eat them anyway, but I admit it- I, too, occasionally indulge in candy bars, soda pop and other sinful snacks.
One particular challenge in my household (yes, I did talk the hubs into taking the challenge too) is that we're dairy free and vegetarian. So where do I draw my "processed" line? I think this will apply to a lot of people on the gluten free diet or with other food issues. When you try to eat foods that are out of the 'norm', you find yourself eating foods that are a little on the questionable side. You find yourself wondering what IS that weird ingredient in the vegetarian sausage? Soy sour cream? That can't be 'unprocessed.' Regular sour cream passes the test with flying colors and the soy version has less bad fats and cholesterol, but it also has a slew of weird stuff. Where does soy butter come into play? You get my drift. We're cutting out anything that's obviously processed- kiss my soy and veggie meats goodbye- unless I make them myself- and out with the fake sour cream and fake cheeses. We shouldn't be eating them anyway- at least not in any appreciable quantity. I'm keeping the soy margarine and my KIND bars, thank you very much.
I challenge you to join us and take on a month of consciously choosing your food. We have several people taking the challenge here at Bob's and we'd love your company. Head on over to Eating Rules and sign up for the challenge. Andrew has given a few guidelines to make the challenge functional for all types and is hosting guest posts from bloggers of every type all month long. Good luck! I'll keep you posted on my progress and keep me posted on yours if you choose to join us.


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Stone Creations specializes in artfully designing and skillfully cutting natural stone for enduring beauty.
Our granite countertops enhance beautiful homes throughout the U.S. As the most diverse surfacing company in
Northeast Wisconsin, our showroom offers hundreds of samples from quarries around the world to set your space apart.
Select from granite, marble, limestone, onyx, quartzite, Corian®, Zodiaq®, Viatera®, Silestone®, recycled glass, or concrete
to define your personal style. Complete your space with our ceramic, glass or porcelain tile. In addition, we offer unique
services to further distinguish your surfaces, including water jet cutting, sandblasting, and hand and laser etching.
Your inspiration awaits, call 1-866-STONEPRO to begin your experience today.
Showroom Hours: Monday - Friday: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Saturday: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
We observe most holidays, please call us for holidays hours.
Christmas we will be closed:
December 23rd, 24th, 25th and 26th
New Year's we will be closed:
December 30th, 31st and January 1st


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Trevis Takes a Brief Break
Hi everyone,
It's Rose, Trevis's editor. He's having a tough week – an exacerbation of his symptoms – and decided to take a break from posting anything new on the blog. I'm sure he'd be glad to hear from you all, so send him your good wishes here or on Facebook.
Meanwhile, here's a report from today's news about research into beta amyloid, the protein that many scientists believe causes Alzheimer's, as a possible future cure for multiple sclerosis. The research is very preliminary and has only been done on mice, so we're a long way off from human trials or use. But it's an interesting avenue for MS research. The more information the better, right?
Help me and Trevis out by telling us what you'd like to hear about this week. Any favorite blogs from the past that you want to remind others about? Let me know in the comments or via e-mail at email@example.com.
Don't forget that you can also follow Trevis via his Life With MS Facebook page, on Twitter, and his new group on MS Connection.org. Check out his bi-monthly blog for the UK and look for his new monthly blog for the National MS Society. And finally, don't forget to check out TrevisLGleason.com.


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Brown Bag AllStars have continued to play with the idea of what it means to be a Hip Hop collective in our modern era. The group has largely shunned excessive posse cuts and altogether outings in favor of more concentrated solo releases proudly bearing the stamp of the ensemble as a whole nonetheless. Koncept, for his part, has proven confidently capable of holding down an entire record, though his discography is weighted more heavily towards shorter EP's like this most recent one.
Malt Disney is a condensed, cohesive effort that benefits from DeeJay Element's being behind the boards the whole time. Element's skills are on full display as he airs out the sample in the beginning of "Open Tab." The six-track EP feels whittled down and free of filler despite being anchored by incessant party talk throughout. Koncept's raps are crass but fun and carry an air of tongue-in-cheek arrogance the whole way. While he manages a light-hearted humor on nearly every verse, his strongest attribute is an ability to simply own a track with his signature vocal presence. That said, he tends to lean heavily on the same unique, melodic cadence. Thankfully, the approach isn't overly tiring and opens up his ability for dexterous, multisyllabic rhyme schemes.
The Malt Disney concept is executed to full effect as the EP opens up with Disney's unmistakable trademark melody being stomped out with a thud; from the onset the feeling is one of a party being crashed. DeeJay Element's clever chopping and sequencing of soul samples carries the release through easy transitions—aided by the occasional alcohol-themed skit—and helps avoid any listening fatigue (fellow Brown Bag producer J57 is responsible for the EP's continuously thumping basslines as well). Lyrically, Koncept sticks to his brashness for the most part and shows off an uncanny knack for rhythm with every line. The flashes of introspection are highlights, like when he thinks critically about his own drinking on "Open Tab," rhyming, "I got these bad bitches / Hip tatted, switch that up, mad bitches / Stop livin' off your dad's riches / That's mad bitches / Livin' off my dad's liver / Can't get out my dad's slippers / Liquor sippin' got my fingers twitchin'/ That's what dad gives 'em…" Overall the EP is dominated by a shit-talking, party Rap feel that suits Koncept perfectly.
Akie Bermiss, an increasingly common hook writer and singer for the Brown Bag camp, is featured on two tracks and continually adds a welcome flair to every song he graces. The Tanya Morgan assisted "Space Mountain" is a quick change of pace and finds all three rappers with battle-ready quips. This track also features an all-too-short DeeJay Element outro with accompanying cuts. The final bonus cut, "Give It Up," featuring Lawrence-town emcee REKS is a grimy selection that closes out Malt Disney fittingly.
Overall, Koncept has captured another moment more than worthy of the Brown Bag AllStar stamp. Malt Disney isn't the most ambitious of releases, but finds Kon comfortably in his zone the whole way. In an age of relentless rough-cut loosies, this release is a short and sweet EP with high production value. While the beats are smooth and there are plenty of quotables, the best part of Malt Disney may be that its emcee just sounds like he's having a good time.
DX Consensus: "EP Worthy"


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Diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease Using Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Full Text View
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- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
The hypothesis of the study is that the dopaminergic cell death located in the basal ganglia of the brain in patients with Parkinson's Disease can be detected by diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging, specifically by diffusion kurtosis imaging. The preliminary result was published in Radiology 2011. The current study proposed to investigate the following issues:
- validation of diagnostic sensitivity and specificity
- differential diagnosis capability between PD and PD+ syndrome
- prognosis capability
In the first year, patients with Parkinson's disease will be recruited from the outpatient clinics of movement disorders in ChangGung memorial hospital Linkou, Taiwan. The diffusion parameters in basal ganglia will be compared with a group of healthy controls. In the second year, patients with progressive supranuclear palsy and patients with multiple system atrophy will be recruited for assessment of differential diagnosis. The patients with Parkinson's Disease will return for assessment of disease severity and in the third year, for the outcome evaluation.
|Parkinson Disease
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Observational Model: Case Control
Time Perspective: Prospective
|Official Title:
|Diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease Using Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- differential diagnosis [ Time Frame: end of the second year ]To differentiate patient of PD from PD + using diffusion MRI
- prognosis [ Time Frame: end of the third year ]To predict the outcome of patient with PD using the diffusion MRI at baseline
|Study Start Date:
|July 2012
|Study Completion Date:
|September 2015
|Primary Completion Date:
|September 2015 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
Parkinson's Disease for follow-up
Parkinsons"s Disease with severity match
Parkinsons"s Disease with severity match: 30 subjects
Healthy age matched controls
Healthy age matched controls: subjects = 112
Parkinson Plus Syndrome Group M
Parkinson Plus Syndrome Group P
Detailed Description:
Currently there existed no specific diagnostic test of Parkinson's Disease. Accurate diagnosis is of great interest because of the reduction in health cost and disease co-morbidity, improvement in effective treatment course and avoidance of un-necessary intervention. Our preliminary result showed superior performance from diffusion kurtosis imaging, a new development in MRI since 2007, on the diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease when compared to conventional diffusion MRI. The study proposes to validate the diagnostic value of diffusion kurtosis in major basal ganglia regions using a cross-sectional study and to assess the prognostic value through 3-year longitudinal follow-up. Furthermore, the iron content as well as global white matter involvement in both PD and PD plus syndrome patients will be assessed. The difference in MRI information between PD and PD plus syndrome patients will then be addressed in a comprehensive manner.
One hundred and twelve patients with Parkinson's Disease will be recruited in the first year and followed up for 3 years. Another 112 healthy controls will be included. This is to validate the diagnosis and assess the prognosis. Another 30 patients with Parkinson's Disease, 15 patients with progressive supranuclear palsy and 15 patients with multiple system atrophy will be recruited in the 2nd year for differential diagnosis. The imaging protocol will include both diffusion tensor and diffusion kurtosis imaging. Susceptibility weighted imaging will be included for iron content estimation. The targeted anatomy will include regional changes in basal ganglia, midbrain as well as thalamus, and global white matter changes using tract based spatial statistics. The statistical analysis will use receiver operative characteristics to assess the diagnostic performance, Spearman's ranked correlation for correlation with disease severity and net reclassification improvement for differential diagnosis. The prognostic value will be determined by the decline rate and the quality of life.
The end points of the project are to differentiate patients of PD from PD plus syndrome, and to predict the clinical outcomes using diffusion MRI. Patent application will be filed in the first year. The analysis of medical device software and software life cycle processes and the evaluation of risk management to medical devices will be filed at the end of the third year.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|40 Years to 80 Years (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
|Sampling Method:
|Non-Probability Sample
Inclusion Criteria:
Parkinsons"s Disease for follow up: 112 subjects
- Patients should fulfill the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in USA ( NINDS ) Diagnostic Criteria for Parkinson Disease(37) for "probable" PD, except for the age of onset.
- Able to tolerate the disability during the "drug-off" state, at least for 12 hours.
- Able to understand and provide signed informed consent. 4. Early to moderate stage defined as Hohen and Yahr stage 1-3, subjects = 100
Parkinsons"s Disease with severity match: 30 subjects
- Patients should fulfill the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in USA ( NINDS ) Diagnostic Criteria for Parkinson Disease(37) for "probable" PD, except for the age of onset.
- Able to tolerate the disability during the "drug-off" state, at least for 12 hours.
- Able to understand and provide signed informed consent. 4. Severity matched with PSP (subjects = 15)/MSA (subjects= 15), the severity was judged by Hohen and Yahr stage
Healthy age matched controls: subjects = 112 1. Healthy subjects without a clinically significant abnormal laboratory values, and/or clinically significant or unstable medical or psychiatric illness. 2. Able to understand and provide signed informed consent. 3. Age range and gender matched with Parkinsons"s Disease for follow up.
Parkinson Plus Syndrome Group M ( Multi System Atrophy, subjects = 15 ):
1. MSA Patients should fulfill the NINDS Consensus statement for the clinical diagnosis of probable MSA(38) 2. Able to tolerate the disability during the "drug-off" state, at least for 12 hours. 3. Able to understand and provide signed informed consent 2012/04/20 第二版 14
Parkinson Plus Syndrome Group P (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, subjects = 15):
- PSP Patients should fulfill the NINDS-SPSP and Litvan criteria(4) for probable PSP
- Able to tolerate the disability during the "drug-off" state, at least for 12 hours.
- Able to understand and provide signed informed consent.
Exclusion Criteria:
The following exclusion criteria apply to all groups.
- Cardiac pacemaker implantation.
- Implantation of intracranial metal device.
- Significant major systemic disease, such as renal failure, heart failure, stroke, AMI/unstable angina, poor controlled diabetes mellitus, poor controlled hypertension.
- Pregnant or breast feeding women.
- Moderate to severer dementia.
- Severe dyskinesia
- Any documented abnormality of brain in the brain by MRI and 18FDG PET studies, which might contribute to the cognitive function, such as hydrocephalus or encephalomalacia, will be excluded. Mild cortical atrophy will be allowed.
- History of intracranial operation, including thalamotomy, pallidotomy, and/or deep brain stimulation.
- Significant physical disorder or neuropsychiatric disorder.
- Except the medication for parkinsonism and related symptoms, subjects who received any medication that can pass the blood-brain barrier will be excluded.
- Except the medication for parkinsonism and related symptoms, subjects who chronically take any drug for more than 10 years will be excluded.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01715727
|ChangGung Memorial Hospital, Linkou
|TaoYuan county, Taiwan, 333
|Principal Investigator:
|Jiun-Jie Wang, PhD
|ChangGung University
|Responsible Party:
|Wang . Jiun-Jie, Associate Professor, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01715727 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|October 25, 2012
|Last Updated:
|August 3, 2016
Keywords provided by Wang . Jiun-Jie, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital:
diffusion kurtosis imaging
parkinson disease
differential diagnosis
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Parkinson Disease
Parkinsonian Disorders
Basal Ganglia Diseases
Brain Diseases
Central Nervous System Diseases
Nervous System Diseases
Movement Disorders
Neurodegenerative Diseases
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


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Did You Know?
A female lemur carries her newborn to a new nest site in her mouth.
Potter Park Zoo welcomed the birth of a female Eastern bongo, a critically endangered antelope-like animal native to central Kenya, as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Program.
"We're proud of this successful bongo birth and pleased to add to the population of these rare animals," says Dr. Tara Harrison, veterinarian at Potter Park Zoo. "Our Eastern bongos allow visitors of the zoo to see an animal they would almost never be able to see in the wild."
The female bongo was born July 25, 2013 and marks the second bongo calf to be born at Potter Park Zoo in the last two years, and she brings the zoo's bongo population to five. She's joins her mother Bella, father Bock, brother Beau and friend Phoebe at the zoo.
Ron Surratt, program leader for the Eastern Bongo Species Survival Plan, said they manage around 130 bongo with 100 percent known genetics.
"The birth of an Eastern (Mountain) bongo calf is very significant as this species may have as few as 100 animals left in the wild," he said. "The captive population of bongo serve as a hedge against extinction for the species. My congratulations to the staff at the Potter Park Zoo for this significant birth."
Surratt added that there are efforts underway in Kenya intended to boost the genetics of the wild population from a captive breeding facility at the Mount Keny+a Wildlife Conservancy.
Eastern bongos are critically endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and they are found exclusively in a remote region in central Kenya. They are the only Tragelaphus (antelope-like animals) in which both sexes have horns, and it's because of their horns that they are hunted by humans. There are believed to be approximately 365 bongos in accredited institutions in North America as part of the AZA Species Survival Plan program.
Potter Park Zoo will be doing a social media poll to help name the baby bongo. Tweet and post on the Potter Park Zoo Facebook page name suggestions – Potter Park Zoo staff will be taking your suggestions for naming the new bongo.
The baby bongo and her mother, Bella, recently joined Bock, Phoebe and Beau, and are currently on exhibit!


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Illustration Friday: Artist Olive Jeffers
Thomas James
Thomas James is an Illustrator who has worked with The New York Times, WIRED, Pentagram, Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, and many others. You can see his portfolio at thomasjamesillustration.com.
Latest posts by Thomas James (see all)
- Pick of the Week for JAZZ - September 22, 2017
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