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FAISALABAD, Oct 29 (APP):State Minister for Climate Changes Zartaj Gull Monday said that a comprehensive and viable policy was at the anvil to meet the challenges related to environment and global warming.
Talking to media and earlier addressing a seminar on 'Battling Climate Changes and Water Crises' at University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) here, the minister said the previous governments failed to facilitate the masses. She added that the present government was keen to make Pakistan clean and green.
She observed that Pakistan and India had already signed an agreement that they would not dump their waste along the border but Indian government violated it last year which resulted in heavy smog in Pakistani Punjab."We will ensure proper implementation on this agreement with continuous diplomatic linkages", Zartaj Gull added.
Dumping site outside the city areas would also be allocated which would be monitored in a scientific manner to convert waste into energy, she said.
The government had already issued directives to close down all sub-standard brick kilns and industrial units to avoid recurrence of smog related issues during upcoming winter, she said.
The minister said that PTI had the credit of launching billion trees tsunami, adding, the move would be extended to entire country by sensitizing the communities to contribute their role in planting and taking care of the saplings.
Regarding water issues, she said with concern that Pakistan has storage capacity of 30 days as against the bench mark of 1000 days. She said that previous governments ignored this important national issue. "South Punjab is already facing acute shortage of water while the availability of water in other areas is also reducing each day".
Regarding potable water, she said that it was yet another issue which was being undertaken by PTI government. Clean drinking water was being provided not only in cities but also in rural areas in the country, she said. A well defined SOP has been laid down and it will become mandatory for Local Bodies institutions to provide potable water in their respective areas.
The minister said that this previous self-styled government ruined the power loom sector while PTI government has allocated Rs. 44 billion for the revival of export sector. She told media that APTMA has also assured to revive at least one hundred units which were non-functional for the last many years.
She was critical of the unnecessary hue and cry raised by the opposition, saying that PTI enjoys full confidence and support of the masses and it will implement its welfare agenda in addition to strengthening Pakistan politically and economically.
She said the previous governments failed to take strong stand on Kulbhushan case and Indus Water Treaty at international level due to which Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was threatening to stop water of Indus River and build dam by breaching the treaty.
"However, PTI government under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan will plead Pakistan case strongly and defend its all boundaries at international fora", she added.
Earlier, Vice Chancellor UAF Dr Zafar Iqbal Randhawa also addressed the seminar and stressed the need to sensitize people to conserve water.
Later, the state minister planted a sapling in the lawn of University of Agriculture Faisalabad.
Comprehensive policy soon to overcome environment challenges: Minister
FAISALABAD, Oct 29 (APP):State Minister for Climate Changes Zartaj Gull Monday said that a comprehensive and viable policy was at the anvil to meet the challenges related to environment and global warming.


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We stopped by today's celebration of Caltrain's 150th Anniversary at the Menlo Park Caltrain station. It was a wonderful family event – lots to see and enjoy. Here are some photos of today's celebration!
Menlo Park, California 94025 and Atherton, California 94027
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Eurachem Publications
This section includes al of Eurachem's current Guidance documents.
There are no articles in this category. If subcategories display on this page, they may have articles.
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- Publications overview
Withdrawn and superseded Guides
This section contains references to available electronic copies of Eurachem guidance documents that have been superseded or withdrawn. They are provided primarily to assist historical comparisons and to provide a reference to past practice. Some may also include dated, but still useful, material such as examples of older analytical techniques.
NOTE: These documents no longer constitute Eurachem policy and are not recommended for use in practising laboratories other than for background information. Users are encouraged to adopt the most recent edition of superseded publications. References to current publications can be found here.
Reading list
Introduction and Scope
This reading list has been prepared by members of the Eurachem Education and Training Working Group. It is based on bibliographies originally produced by TrainMiC (www.trainmic.org) and LGC - under the UK's Chemical and Biological Metrology programme (www.lgcgroup.com/nmi) - but has been substantially updated. The main focus pf the references contained in the list is metrology in chemistry, with a particular focus on quality assurance. However, it is anticipated that that references will also be of interest to those working in other disciplines. It is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all publications relating to quality in analytical measurement. The aim is to provide references to a selection of websites, standards, guides and books which will hopefully be of use to all those involved with chemical analysis (and related disciplines), including laboratory staff, students, lecturers and trainers.
Many of the references provided in this list are available to download free of charge, in particular documents published by Eurachem, JCGM, Euramet, Eurolab, ILAC, EA and accreditation bodies such as UKAS.
The aim is to update the bibliography annually. The Working Group welcomes suggestions for additions to the bibliography. Please send any additional references to the Working Group Chair, Vicki Barwick.
The complete reading listNote 1 can be downloaded in pdf format here (pdf, 133kb).
The following articles provide the same material in web-readable format.
Note: Eurachem provides this list for information and is not responsible for the content or advice given in the resources listed.
Note 1. PDF last updated 2019-01-07
The reading list, by Topic
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Information leaflets
Editable templates for Eurachem publications are held here. Templates are only available to Executive Committee members; other Eurachem document developers should apply to the Secretary.


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How train up for Battle Field?
The Rules available and applicable to battle field is 'To Win or To Die' in the field. There is no choice to step back.
Which type of character is now need to achieve ?
During summer the forest is full of drought. All animals are affected by starvation. One Tiger is also affected by starvation. It find a dead elephant in its path, even though full of hungry it won't go for that dead one. It's not its behavior , it could hunting the prey and eat. It's only sustains the quality. Like wise people should known for his victory in the field or could die bravely in the battle field.
Even Needle is better than Sword in the Battle. When our soul is filled by fury about our aim.
Two types of strategy usually followed in the battle field. One is the proper training before entering; And the other one is getting train up in the field itself. Based on the withholding capacity of the people.
Success is the continuous learning process. When you stopped the learning, Success will also be stopped. One Famous poet in his poem, ' However I lived my life in different manner and get experience from it. I have the qualification to tell how to lead a life in a perfect manner.' The thing is about get advice and idea from the experienced person on the related field is one of the key factor of Success. Experience is not only based on the Practical attempts and it's widely related to knowledge about the field. A man fall down from the Tenth floor of the building, then what will happen to him ?
Confirmed, Strong broken bones. Is that any experience need to describe what will happen to him ? Knowledge is Enough. Knowledge protects from Failure.
Battle Field have some strong discipline, it not allows the fear person to enter. A basic factor is to buried the fear and confident about it. It not turn up again. If you failed in the battle, you will get an experience and if you win, you will guide up comers. Nothing is impossible in the world. We just need a strategy to attain the Victory. Changing a Strategy is permitted whenever you get failure in attempts. Not to change a goal instead.
We all know about the Competitive exam, there are 100 questions given to the candidates. And for that they allotted 60 minutes to solve. Without the time limit, everyone can find and solve the answer for all the 100 questions. But, what they need is the person who solve the maximum number of questions within the time limit, become a qualified person. The Main factor is, the Time. The World need a person who succeed in right time, it wants.
The Parents believed their children for a certain period only. The Administration also believing their employees for a certain time only. As like, the World gives a particular time to everyone, to show up their talents. If you are not showing up anything, there is no more chance. Delayed action, Delayed Victory, Delayed Decision making are treated as failure too. No rewards for that delayed things. We should aware and active in the battle field.
A small story, ' There are three persons advised to cut down three trees with their individual axle. Time allocation is given as one hour for each person. The first two persons were started their work to cut down. The Last one, takes nearly 75 percent of his time to sharpen his axle. From the remaining 15 minutes, he cuts down the tree smartly. But the other two were not done their work'. The content of the Story is to analyze the field, that you are going to taken and study all the loop and corner. Improve the knowledge about the field, especially about the unexpected things and Negative values.
We are all see in the world, New beginners in all the field but they couldn't withstand for the long. What is the reason and Why ?
( Read this post after the advertisement… )
The reason is, they did not analyze their field properly and unknown about the negative impacts. The World is full of competition and Cunning. If you fell down means, they run over you and submerged you. Not give another chance to rise. They clear of all your evidence from this world. The World have peculiar disease, it should keep the Victory persons in its history page. No record will be maintained for the others.
Just a Victory is not enough, but Victories is a continuous manner. We must be a unstoppable and destructive force. No one have an idea about to stop our Success. Once we entered into the race of competition, No Grace, No Mercy, No Adjustment and No Compromise ! Only, we need a victory as a full fruit. No bite for others, No right for others and No share for others. There is a fruit only for you.
Success is not an easy for us. But, the failure is not new for us. We always ready to face the failure, but not to leave grab over the victory. The World is not in need of you; You have a need from this world. If you give everything to the world, it accepts. But if you ask a small thing from this world, it denies.
Remember, World have not any shoulder to accommodate you in your failure time.
If you cry, the world will laugh at you;
If you laugh, the world too laugh with you.
Oh, World ! You thought that I am going to fall down; Never it happen.
No Mercy in the battle field, Victory is the only choice".
( This is a Guest post by Pandi thangam Paulraj, who is an Engineering Graduate servicing under the Ministry of Railways. He is an avid and self efficient, A natural farming lover. He loves to bring the traditional Tamil lifestyle to the society.)
Kindly share your views / comments with a smile 🙂


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One-Time Art Workshops
Our recurring art classes for adults are only part of our instructive offerings at the Cultural Arts Center. We also host a variety of shorter, more in-depth learning experiences on a wealth of subjects, from creative writing to raku pottery.
Class and workshop registration is handled through the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department's registration site. If you do not have an account, you will need to sign up for one before registering for any classes or workshops.
Summer Workshop Series
Our greatest concentration of artistic workshops takes place during the summer. The Cultural Arts Center Summer Workshop Series brings in talented artists from all across the country to present specialized workshops. These sessions usually take place in full-day classes over the course of about a week.
Mark Your Calendars!
2020 Visiting Artist Workshop Week
June 22 – 26, 2020
Cloissoné Enameling
Techniques For Enriching Cloissoné Enameling: Adding Texture, Pattern, and Markings
Instructor: Amy Lyons
Register at: http://bit.ly/2Uaq0wx
Color in the Landscape
Explorations in Color Mixing, Field Prep Techniques, and Landscape Study Through Painting
Instructor: Karen Rumora
Register at: http://bit.ly/2O7yUXI
Exploring Surface Design
Surface Design Applications for Ceramics
Instructor: Eric Rausch
Register at: http://bit.ly/2RVo20a
Special Workshop Sessions
"Calligraphy – It's Not Just For Bibles Anymore!" – A Calligraphy Workshop with Carol Kimball & Sandy Schaadt
Learn the art of beautiful writing in this basic, introductory course with Carol Kimball & Sandy Schaadt, members of the Calligraphy Guild of Columbus. You'll learn the fundamentals of hand lettering in this three hour program. Fee includes handouts and guide sheets, and only costs $20!
Saturday March 7th, 2020 | 10AM – 1PM
Book Arts Studio, 3rd Floor
Cost: $20
Register today: http://bit.ly/3bSMrfP
"It's Always the Write Time" – A Creative Writing Workshop with Mimi Chenfeld!
It's Always the WRITE TIME; a day of creative writing. Starting with warm-up exercises, loosening ideas for writers of all levels, all genres or undecideds! Just as our bodies need to be flexible and strong before we can choreograph dances, we need to strengthen our freedom of spirit, openness, flexibility and courage and willingness to be playful and enjoy the PROCESS of creativity and the written word! This will be an amazing process full of surprises and open doors welcoming exciting ideas.
This will be a joyful, warm, safe gathering of writers and ideas! Bring lots of paper, dress comfortably, bring a lunch, open minds and hearts necessary! Our only limit is TIME!
Saturday March 21st, 2020 | 10AM – 2PM
Book Arts Studio, 3rd Floor
Cost: $15
Register today: http://bit.ly/39c74Bt
The Cultural Arts Center Workshop Experience
Our periodically scheduled workshops, most of them taking place over the summer, are designed to be concentrated experiences focused on specific areas of artistic expression. They allow attendees to try something new without having to commit to our standard 7-8 week classes, and often explore mediums and art forms not typically offered in our lengthier classes. Subjects offered have included:
- Calligraphy
- Creative writing
- Japanese raku pottery
- Jewelry setting
- Oil painting
- Ceramic molds
- Sewing


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Sign up today to receive 5% off your first order and other loyalty rewards!
Log in
Ok so I really like this 2x2, and I think it's pretty good. At the current setup, it can easily corner cut 45 and has pretty good reverse. However, I have found that this cube tends to corner twist a lot during solves, and I have gotten an internal pop. I'm not sure if this is common among 2x2s or not because the only others I have are a LingPo and Rubik's brand. This is currently my main, and I find that I get better times on this than the LingPo. I really like the stickerless shades on this. Overall I would recommend this cube, just don't loosen it too much.
This is a great cube and it is a quick one too. I like how the turns move quick and nice. This is a great cube and I would recommend to buy it.
This cube is absolutely amazing it's my new backup but it's missing magnets...
Sold Out


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Each year, the Vascular Birthmarks Foundation (VBF) presents their Physician of the Year (POY) award to a doctor who has been nominated by patients served through the VBF community. The award is presented at their annual conference. This year the award will be presented at the Lenox Hill Hospital in NYC on Saturday, October 6, 2018 at 8:30am.
The annual award is for outstanding service in the diagnosis and treatment of vascular birthmarks.
VBF is honored to announce the 2018 recipient of the Physician of the Year award is Dr. Teresa O of the Vascular Birthmark Institute of New York. Dr. O has been a key diagnostician and treatment specialist for over 10 years.
The families who nominated Dr O stated that she had "changed our lives for the better" and also "was so kind, considerate, and explained our options so that we could make the best decision for our daughter's hemangioma."
Congratulations to Dr. Teresa O, the 2018 VBF Physician of the Year.
Dr. O with Madelynn's family.
Receiving award from Linda Shannon, President of VBF.
Madelynn's mother shares Madelynn's hemangioma journey.
Posted on behalf of
210 East 64th Street, 7th Floor
New York City, NY 10065


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Tips for Making a Cold Winter Survival Kit for your Car Don't get left in the cold this winter when an emergency strikes! Car issues leave you on the side of the road? Be prepared with the essentials to get you through your troubles. Car Emergency Essentials: In the winter months, ...Read More »
Winter is coming! Avoid the Polar Vortex inside
Quick Fixes to Winterize Your Home and Keep the Polar Temperatures Out Winter is coming and that means cold, snow and ice are headed our way! There may be polar temperatures outside, but we don't want them in our homes! Taking a few measures to protect your home can save ...Read More »
Survive Winter with Your Sanity in Tact
10 Tips to Help You get through the Winter Winter is upon us…As you may have noticed. With the icy cold comes snow, ice, blizzards, dry air, and sickness, all trying to make us miserable. Don't worry, we're here to help! Here are some tips and tricks to combat the ...Read More »
Beat the Winter Blues
6 Ways to Help Your Sanity this Winter Beat the winter blues this year! It's about that time…The dreary days and cold weather are getting you down. Don't let Mother Nature get the best of you! Here are a few easy coping tips to get you through to the bright ...Read More »
Heating Costs: Simple Tips to Save Big This Winter
Save Big On Heating Costs This Winter The sky is getting gray, the days are getting shorter and temperatures are shifting. making a couple of quick adjustments to your home can help with your heating costs this year. With a colder than average winter on deck for this year, saving ...Read More »


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I think our Thanksgiving Day was the quietest, most relaxing on record for me. I felt like I really had things together, which is no small miracle. I have to admit I was feeling a little down because so much of Thanksgiving is centered around The Big Meal and so much of The Big Meal usually consists of foods I can't (or shouldn't) eat because of my allergies.
And I really hate that something like that gets me all depressed. So I took the bull by the horns and decided what I would really miss - pumpkin pie - and found a dairy-free recipe online, and whipped it up the night before. It was fabulous. I ate dairy-free pumpkin pie the following two mornings for breakfast.
There are a few things that I give the "Is this worth it?" test. I ask myself, "is this cake/pie/bread/whatever worth the stomachache/headache/sore throat/itchy skin it might cause me later if I eat it right now?" That's the difference between having a lethal allergy and one that only makes you feel like you're dying (or want to). Sometimes it's worth it. Most of the time is isn't. But enough about that. Because really? The BEST part of Thanksgiving was spending time with my family.
On Thanksgiving Day we went next door to my in-laws' for dinner. It was just seven of us: me and Steve, Sam and Rachel, mom and dad and grandma. Perfect. We ate, then while the guys went hunting Rach and I crashed in the living room and watched TV and took a nap.
It was snowing that perfect, pretty snow, too. So we took a couple pics outside.
I'm so happy to have Steve home for the holidays.
And this girl ... God help me.
Rachey (stifling a laugh) and her Great-Grandma Jane.
Then Saturday we headed north to my Uncle Steve's house in Elk Rapids. We've been having this Thanksgiving get-together with my dad's side of the family for ... holy smokes, more than a decade now.
By my count we had 25 people. Perfect. I think as I get older I appreciate these family gatherings more and more.
Rachel colors with cousin Izzy.
My first time meeting my cousin Annie's (and her husband, Greg's) baby boy, Edison.
Squeeee! So fun having a baby around.
Food! Buffet style.
I snapped this picture right before we left. It was one of those moments when you just kind of stand back and take it all in. We are so blessed to have extended family we all love and get along with.
We're back to the grind this week - the kids back to school, me back to ... whatever it is I do depending on the day, and Steve taking care of things that need fixing or doing while he has the time, being that he's laid off and all. Hunting season is over (for firearms anyway) so there is a bunch of stuff hanging around that needs to be packed up and put away.
It's nice to have Steve here. I'm hoping we can sneak in a date night sometime soon, but I really enjoy just having him here. We have a lot of catching up to do. Such is The Pipe Life: miss them like crazy while they're gone, cram in the family time whenever and wherever you can.


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Two year BPA providing all USDA agencies with access to subject matter expertise for Infrastructure optimization and Cloud Adoption. USDA is the "lighthouse agency" for GSA's IT Modernization Centers of Excellence (CoEs).
Pool A – Application or Content Re-hosting
Migrate applications or content ("lift and shift") to USDA landing zones that include NITC and Public Cloud.
Pool B – Application and System Re-platforming
Re-platform systems ("fix and shift") for more complex applications and upgrading infrastructure, software & Systems.
Typical Migration Timelines
- Experience supporting 15 USDA offices and agencies, bringing award winning experience and understanding of the mission and technical standards.
- 1,000+ Cloud and DevSecOps Experienced Professionals.
- 10+ Years Experience in Migration to NITC.
- 2,500+ Public Cloud Implementations.
- Gartner Magic Quadrant Recognized, DevSecOps Accelerator Framework.
- Internal Centers of Excellence for Agile, DevSecOps and Cloud.
- Highest level partnerships with AWS, Azure, Salesforce and ServiceNow.
- No-Cost planning / pre-discovery.
Ace Info Solutions
11490 Commerce Park Dr
Suite 340
Reston, VA 20191
Phone (703) 391-2800
[email protected]
Contract Number: GS-35-0305
Order Number: 47QFDA18A0027
Michael Cosgrave
Senior Vice President of Growth and Business & Development
Work: 703.391.2800
[email protected]
Vinay Manne
Director/Program Manager
Work: 703.889.3019
[email protected]
Keith Rose
Senior Program Manager, USDA
Mobile: 913.269.3501
[email protected]


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Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A new slate of polls shows pro-life candidates holding leads in a handful of top Senate races, close in others and losing in Delaware. As Lifenews.com has noted, there is a chance pro-life advocates could take control of the Senate from pro-abortion leaders, including Harry Reid.
In New Hampshire, pro-life Republican Kelly Ayotte for the third month in a row earns more than 50% of the vote against Democratic Congressman Paul Hodes.
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely voters in New Hampshire shows Ayotte with 51% support to Hodes' 44%, unchanged from a month ago. Three percent (3%) prefer some other candidate, and two percent (2%) are undecided....
Pro-family activism is changing policy and influencing decisions from school boards all the way to the US Congress. CLICK HERE and join us today!
Welcome to our website!
You have come to the home of one of the largest conservative grassroots political organizations in America.
Christian Coalition of America offers people of faith the vehicle to be actively involved in impacting the issues they care about - from the county courthouse to the halls of Congress.... (READ MORE)
© 2020 - Copyright - All Rights Reserved - Christian Coalition of America - Roberta Combs, President - PO Box 37030 Washington, DC 20013 - 202-479-6900


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In My Life On The Road, Gloria Steinem tells her story, starting with the traveling life her parents, especially her father, chose for their family, and continuing with the many, many trips that she took as an activist and a public speaker. The best parts for me were the personal bits, especially her close relationship with her father and her eager curiosity about everyone she meets (something she probably inherited from her dad). She seems to be able to speak with everyone she meets and get people to open up and tell her their very personal stories.
There are also many discussions of politics, which I found turned easily shrill and occasionally naive. For instance, her insistence that Native Americans treated women equally seems pollyannaish when she writes that the councils were made up exclusively of males.


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1 "OPEN PLAN: STEVE MCQUEEN" (WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART, NEW YORK; CURATED BY DONNA DE SALVO WITH CHRISTIE MITCHELL) The power of this show was a testament both to McQueen's cinematic genius and to the intelligent design of the Whitney's fifth floor. The largest column-free space to display art in New York, it is flexible and accommodating, the ideal space for McQueen to unfold his haunting End Credits (2012), a nearly six-hour film composed primarily of close-up images of documents from the FBI's file on the performer and activist Paul Robeson (1898–1976). The austerity of the space enhanced the effect of the oversize screens and clinical narration, creating a truly immersive experience. The details of the agency's ruthless and painstaking surveillance of Robeson may be obscured in the heavily redacted documents, but in the context of today's political climate, the film's
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Hair Goddess Tank-Top
Hair Goddess Tank-Top
$ 19.99
Your hair is a crown that never comes off but can be styled in various ways. A goddess always makes sure her crown speaks as loud as her personality does. Wear it proudly. No matter how you wear your hair, the world knows that you're a goddess.
- Note - Our tank tops run big. It's best to choose one size smaller to fit your size.
- All of our T-shirts are made of 100% ringspun cotton.
- We'll start creating your shirt after you place your order. The design process takes about 2 days and then we immediately ship it out to you. Processing takes 2-3 business days and shipping takes 3-4 days.
- If you order Friday night or on a weekend, your order will be processed the following Monday, Central Standard Time.
- Free shipping to the U.S.
Have an idea you'd like to see on a shirt? We'd love to hear it. We are working on expanding our selection and are open to ideas. If we can design it, we'll either name the shirt after you or shout you out in the description for the shirt. Click on Contact Us and shoot us an email or message us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, or Instagram.


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Control your TiVo device with Alexa
Control your TiVo device without lifting a finger. When you pair your TiVo device to your Amazon Echo device, you can put your remote aside – just ask Alexa instead!
Put your Alexa to work with our TiVo system, and it works on the secondary units we provide as well!
With TiVo and Alexa, your smart home just got a little smarter.
Pairing your TiVo device with Alexa
To pair your device
- Press the TiVo button on your remote to go to the Home screen, then choose Apps.
- Select the Alexa app.
- On the pairing screen, note the activation code and the name of your TiVo device – you'll need these during setup. If you have more than one TiVo device, make sure each one has a unique and easily-recognizable or you will not be able to complete setup.
- Open the Amazon Alexa app on your mobile device.
- Open the navigation menu, and select "Skills & Games."
- In the search box, enter "TiVo."
- Select "TiVo" from the list, and follow the on-screen instructions. You're all set!
- To pair additional TiVo devices, select "Manage and Link Devices" in the TiVo skill, then choose "Link another device."
Alexa commands
- "Alexa, pause" to pause playback.
- "Alexa, play" to resume watching.
- "Alexa, fast forward." To fast forward at higher speeds (up to three times faster), say "Alexa fast forward again."
- "Alexa, previous" is like pressing the Instant Replay button (jumps back 8 seconds).
- "Alexa, skip" or "Alexa, next" will skip a commercial break on SkipMode®-enabled shows.
- "Alexa, change the channel to < number>." "Alexa, change channel to " (e.g., CBS or ESPN). You must set up your Zip code in the Alexa app to enable this command. (Go to Settings, choose your device, then verify the Zip code under 'Device Location.')
- "Alexa, go to Guide" opens the TiVo program guide.
- "Alexa, go to Home" opens the TiVo Home screen.
- "Alexa, go to settings" opens the TiVo settings screen.
- "Alexa, launch " opens a streaming video app. Available apps include Prime Video, Netflix, HBO GO, and YouTube.
Note: Commands like "Pause" or "Play" are also used in other Alexa skills (e.g. music skills). To use them, you may need to add "on TiVo" when you issue the command (for example, "Alexa, play on TiVo"). This will bring your TiVo device "in focus" -- that is, it makes Alexa aware that TiVo is the device being used.
Similarly, if there's been no activity on your TiVo device for approximately 60-90 minutes (e.g., if you have been watching a single show or channel for a long time), you will need to add "TiVo" to the command ("Alexa, pause on TiVo"). Tip: Use simple short commands ("Alexa, pause," not "Alexa, pause the TV").


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599 Harris Hill Road
Elmira, NY 14903
Chemung County Buildings & Grounds Department
Click here to view the requirements for having a caterer and/or alcohol and/or inflatables at your function.
Opens the third Saturday of June and closes mid-August. Hours are weather permitting.
Water Safety - in the event of thunder or lightning the pool will be closed. It will remain closed until 30 minutes from the last thunder or lightning observation. There are no refunds due to weather.
Patrons must abide by the rules of the pool. A detailed list of swimming rules is posted at the pool.
- Floatation devices are not allowed. NO EXCEPTIONS.
- No prolonged breath holding or breath holding games.
- Everyone 2 years and older must pay.
- Children up to age 7 MUST have an Adult (18 years of age or older) IN THE WATER with them at all time.
- Children less than 16 years of age MUST at all times be accompanied by an adult responsible for their safety.
- SWIM DIAPERS are the only diapers allowed in the pools.
- You must be 10 years old and 4 feet 6 inches tall to go off the high dive.
- You must be able to swim by yourself to the ladder to go off the low dive.
- Lap Lanes are for Lap Swimmers ONLY.
on Friday, June 7th from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Early registrations will not be accepted.
2019 Season Pass Application
Harris Hill Park operated by:
217 Madison Avenue
Elmira, New York 14901
Park Hours:
10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. daily
The ChemungCountyBuildings and Grounds Department announces that there will be a bow hunting permit lottery for Harris Hill Park.
Names, addresses, and phone numbers will be taken Tuesday, September 1st through Thursday, September 10th, 2020. Please submit the above information either by email to: email@example.com, by phone or in person to:
Chemung County Buildings and Grounds Department
217 Madison Avenue, Elmira, New York 14901 (607)737-2843)
Hours of Operation: 7:00am – 3:30pm. (Closed 12:00-12:30)
The drawing of 10 names will be held on Monday, September 14th, 2020.


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Have you noticed piles of dog hair collecting in the corners of your home? Does your dog cover you in hair when grazing against your leg? If so, you may be wondering if what you are feeding your dog has any affect on this shedding. While varying breeds will have varying levels of shedding, it is unlikely that your dog's food is contributing to his shedding in the first place.
Shedding and Health
Shedding is completely normal and likely unrelated to what food you are feeding your pooch. The only time that shedding is a concern is when it is accompanied by patches of bald skin, scabs, or other visible skin irritations. Again, this is likely not caused by the food that you are feeding to your dog. Consult your veterinarian if skin irritation is present along with the shedding.
Shedding from Malnutrition
While shedding is usually not a cause for concern, excessive shedding can be a result of malnutrition. If you have been feeding your dog a steady diet of dog food that includes the proper nutrients for a balanced diet, you should not have to worry about this. If you have recently adopted a dog from a shelter who appears to be shedding quite a bit, you may want to call the shelter to find out about your dog's past history of nutrition. Malnutrition can be easily fixed with the addition of proper dog food into your pooch's diet.
Shedding Prevention with High Quality Foods
You may have heard that certain high quality foods will help your dog to shed less. This is a convincing marketing strategy, but it is not true. If you feed your dog high quality food, then you will find that the shedding rate is still the same, but the fur being shed is now very shiny and healthy. Your dog will likely continue to shed the same quantity of fur when you switch him to a high quality food diet.
Things to Try
If you are overly frustrated with the shedding it would not hurt to try to switch your dog's food or add a fatty acid supplement simply to see if that helps at all. Sometimes it takes a few different dog food brands to figure out what is best for your pet. One brand by help a bit with shedding but could cause an upset stomach. You will simply have to use trial and error to decide what is best for your family and your dog.
Photo Credits
- Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images


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FDA Lifts Ban On GE Frankenfish1 year, 5 months ago
Posted on Apr 18, 2019, 9 p.m.
Ban on a brand of genetically modified salmon after Congress blocked the frankenfish from import to the USA until the agency finished labeling guidelines to inform consumers about what they are eating has been lifted by the US FDA.
The genetically modified fish are the creation of Massachusetts based biotech AquaBounty Technologies. Using a growth hormone regulating gene from Pacific Chinook salmon along with a promoter gene from the eel like marine animal ocean pout the company figured out how to grow genetically modified Atlantic salmon that can be harvested year round instead of only during the spring and summer.
The frankenfish won FDA approval in 2015 which was the first approval of a genetically engineered animal intended for food use, Congress then blocked the FDA from allowing the fish to be sold in the USA until finalization of labeling guidelines to alert consumer that the fish had been genetically altered/engineered; later that year Congress went on to also pass a law that directed the USDA to set national mandatory standards for disclosing bioengineered foods.
The FDA announced they had taken important steps to provide labeling guidelines related to the GE salmon and is officially deactivating the 2106 import alert that prevented the salmon from entering the USA.
"With the deactivation of the import alert, AquAdvantage Salmon eggs can now be imported to the company's contained grow-out facility in Indiana to be raised into salmon for food. As was determined during the FDA's 2015 review, this fish is safe to eat, the genetic construct added to the fish's genome is safe for the animal, and the manufacturer's claim that it reaches a growth marker important to the aquaculture industry more rapidly than its non-GE farm-raised Atlantic salmon counterpart is confirmed." adding that they had analyzed potential impacts of the frankenfish would have on the environment and found no "significant impact."
Not all are happy about this deactivation that comes amidst a lawsuit filed by a coalition of groups challenging the FDA approval. According to George Kimbrell of the Center for Food Safety the company's own testing shows that it is not 100% certain these frankenfish would be sterile, and concerns about them getting into the environment would grow if the company's operations were to expand.
AquaBounty expects to get final certification for their growing location facility in the next few weeks, and from then it will take around a year and a half to grow fish to a harvest size of 10 pounds after they arrive. Since the ban limited quantities have been sold in Canada, if all goes to plan the company plans to have its first harvest by Fall 2020.
"Approximately 350,000 tons of Atlantic salmon are consumed in the United States with more than 95% of it imported. FDA's actions will allow for production and sale to begin here in the U.S., bringing opportunity for investment in rural America, creating American jobs, while also reducing dependence on seafood imports," CEO Sylvia Wulf said in a statement.
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This article is not intended to provide medical endorsement, advice, diagnosis or treatment.


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Castleview LTC
Edition 1, Volume 1
Club Championships
Calling all members… it's club championships time and this year the Committee has elected to try something slightly different. The competition will consist of ladies and men's doubles and the pairings will be picked by the tournament directors. So just enter one or two events then sit back and wait in eager anticipation to see who you're paired up with? Could it be
Roger or Novak, Serena or Caroline? No… it's a members-only eventunfortunately! There will be three competitive sections, Grades 1,2,3, Grades 4 & 5, and Grade 6. The competition will commence on Monday 19th of November with finals day on Saturday December 1st. The cost is €10 per event and you can enter up to two events. Closing date for entry is Friday16th November and sheets are up in the clubhouse. PIC-Court Number 1 in all its glory! Enter the Competition!
Are You Using ClubManager On Your Mobile Yet?
Are you using Castleview's online court booking system ClubManager yet? Once you're set up it's really easy to book courts, cancel courts, or invite other members to play matches from the comfort of your own couch. You can also enter Tennis Ladders and other events. Every paid-up member who has an email address and mobile number can use the court booking system. So if you're not already using ClubManager talk to any Committee member who will be delighted to help set you up!
Anna Harpur Competition
Friday the 2ndNovember saw Castleview LTC team members bused down to Tramore Tennis Club for the second and final leg of the annual Anna Harpur Cup.
Castleview were leading after the first home leg, however, it didn't stay that way for long. Conditions on the night were absolutely dreadful and, in the end, Tramore were victorious, finishing 14 matches to 10. A huge thank you to Tramore for a fantastic social evening with great food and congratulations to Tramore on winning the Anna Harpur cup again this year.
Captain Bridget O'Dwyer commented "Tramore deserved the win on the night, but we will be back fighting for this cup next year".All members are welcome along on these social and competitive nights out… watch the notice boards and social media for the next one!
Tramore Victors!
Times Are-A Changing
New CLub Sign, New Mobile Number, New WhatsApp Group!
You may have noticed some changes around the place. We have a new sign on the main door at the New Street carpark entrance.
The sign takes advantage of the easy promotional opportunities on offer in the public carpark and it helps create awareness of the fact that there's a tennis club in the town and we're looking for new members! The club also has a new telephone number, in fact it's a mobile number, 089-4390673. The mobile allows the club to leverage modern communication technologies that make communicating with members and prospective members quicker, easier and more cost effective.
The mobile allows us to text and email and we've set up a new club WhatsApp group for quick and easy messaging to members about upcoming events and issues. To join the Castleview WhatsApp group just download the App from iTunes or Play Store on your mobile and request to join "Castleview LTC Group". It's a member only group and it's broadcast only, so you won't get lots of annoying "thumbs up" notifications on your mobile.
Tennis Parents Course With Lucy Penkova
All members are invited to take part in this short evening course on Tuesday the 18th Decemberat 6.30pm in the club. The course is designed to help parents, or indeed any members, understand how to introduce appropriate drills and competition to juniors regardless of age or ability.
A number of committee members did this course in Ballypatrick Tennis Club recently and had a really fun evening. It's also possible to go on to qualify for a Tennis Leaders certificate. Lucy Penkova is aQualified Tennis Coach and is Tennis Ireland's Munster Development Officer. Contact Club Captain Bridget O Dwyer for further information, email@example.com and hurry because places on this course are limited.
- Skills Awards & Associated Activities
- Introduction to Courts (ROGY) balls (Red/Orange/Green) & Associated Activities
- Tournaments/Safeguarding
- Competition, Formats, Scoring Systems & Associated Activities


text: ever since the new quest missions were added, a new and interesting phenomenon has occurred: many players in my rival list have 499 mafia size (or close to that). i know a few in the forum have wrote about this, but i wanted to start a thread to get a sense of what forum members think about the new development and whether this really helps players from being attacked? my personal observation has been that i tend to ignore anyone with less than 500 mafia size as i go through my rival list during PvPs, so the strategy must be effective. is that the consensus of the forum?


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What's inside the Download Package
When you download the theme from your account on Themeforest you can chose to download the entire package or just the theme. The theme package is a zip file which contains following structure:
- Alyoum-child.zip – the child theme files are located in the /code folder.
- Documentation – theme general info and a link to the (this) documentation.
- Licensing – general license information.
- patch – contains the files modified from the previous version, it's useful if you made modifications on the code and you want to replace only the files which were modified in the latest update.
- Changed_files.html – a list with the files added or modified in the latest update.
- Alyoum.zip – the WordPress theme.
- Version.txt – a list with the modifications made in each update.


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Basel celebrates Swiss National Day (Bundesfeier) on 1 August.
The banks of the Rhine are lined on both sides with food and market stalls.
The occasion offers food, fireworks and guaranteed fun.
Good enough reason to jump aboard a train and head to Basel.
While Swiss National Day is only one day of the year, Basel still offers the visitor plenty to see and do on the other 364 days of the year.
Situated in the north-west of Switzerland, Basel is easy to reach.
The Deutsche Bahn train went direct from Hamburg to Basel and the journey took around six hours.
They have great offers from Germany to Switzerland and other countries in Europe as well.
Arriving in the center of Basel, it's just a short walk to one of the many nearby accommodation options.
Basel Facts
- Basel is the oldest university city in Switzerland
- Third largest city in Switzerland after Zurich and Geneva
- Borders Germany and France
- Population: approx. 175,000
- Language: German
- Currency: Swiss Franc
- Passport: Required
Basel – getting there and around
Basel is easy to reach by road, air, train, and even by boat along the Rhine.
It is serviced by Basel and Mulhouse EuroAirport with good flight connections from across Europe.
Rail is an ideal way to reach Basel as it is easy to reach from many parts of Europe.
The trains run like clockwork (what else would you expect from Switzerland!) and you arrive in the center of the city.
Basel SBB station (the railway station) is a sight to see in itself.
It's housed in a historic building, and inside you will find a 16,000 m2 shopping center with over 50 shops.
Once you've arrived, Basel is easy to navigate on foot with most sights within walking distance.
The city is also serviced by an excellent public transport network.
Another option is hire a bicycle at the station to get around, or alternatively bring your bike with you on the train to Switzerland.
Basel on Google maps
Attractions and what to see and do in Basel
Basel museums
There are almost 40 museums to choose from when visiting Basel.
Here's just a few to start you off:
- Kunstmuseum (regional artworks)
- Museum Tinguely (permanent collect of works from the renowned Swiss artist, Jean Tinguely)
- Foundation Beyeler (masterpieces of classic modernism)
- Dollhouse Museum (a collection of toys exhibited over four floors)
- Basel Paper Mill (Swiss Museum for Paper, Writing and Printing)
Visiting on the first Sunday of the month is a bonus, as many museums offer free entrance.
The Rhine
The mighty Rhine runs through the city of Basel.
Seeing the city from the water provides a unique view of the city, and you can join one of the many daily cruises available.
Locals and tourists alike take the passenger ferries that cross the river back and forth daily.
It's a very green form of travel as the ferry is propelled by nothing more than the river's current, and guided by a steel cable.
Along the way the ferrymen regale the passengers with stories.
In the summer, you can swim in the river alongside the locals.
And a visit to one of the 'buvettes' on the banks of the Rhine is not to be missed.
They are open from April to October, and are the perfect place to relax outdoors and enjoy a coffee, cool drinks, snacks and ice-creams.
Traditional food
No visit to Basel is complete without sampling some of the local delicacies.
Fondue – cheese or chocolate – is found overall.
Then there's Basler Leckerli, a small gingerbread biscuit, and Maessmogge, a regional and seasonal sweet specialty.
Basel is also well-known for its roasted flour soup, which is traditionally served at carnival.
The place to head if you want to try the traditional Basel honey cake is the historic bakery, Laeckerli Huus on Gerberstrasse 57.
As well as the celebrations held for Swiss National Day on 1 August, Basel is also home to a number of other exciting events.
The Basel Autumn Fair takes place in October and November, and is the biggest fun fair in Switzerland.
Then there are the traditional Christmas markets in November and December on the Barfuesserfplatz and Muensterplatz, which are among the largest in Switzerland.
Basel Fasnacht (Carnival) begins on the first Monday after Ash Wednesday and it is three full days of festive fun.
Modern architecture
The city offers an exciting blend of old and new.
There are a number of really exciting modern constructions, of which the Messeturm is just one.
This towering building stands at 105 meters and has over 30 floors.
On the top floor is a bar which is a great place to grab a drink, listen to some music, and take in the amazing views.
Basel old town
The Marktplatz in the middle of the medieval old town is great place to start your tour.
In fact, a great way to orient yourself is to follow the free guided walk that you'll find in the 'Art in the City' brochure.
It will take you on a cultural walk through the historic center, pointing out things along the way such as the 16th century, red sandstone Town Hall, and the 12th century Gothic cathedral where you'll find the tomb of the 16th century Dutch scholar, Erasmus.
From high up in the cathedral tower, you'll see one of the best views of the city.
Finish your old town walk with a stroll along the shops in Spalenberg, and stop along the way for coffee or chocolate (you are in Switzerland after all!).
Things to do around Basel
Not far from the center of the city, is the beautiful and tranquil Botanical Garden.
Around 20 kilometers outside of Basel, you'll find the Augusta Raurica.
The well-preserved ruins at this open-air museum will immediately transport you back to Roman times.
This archaeological site gives you a great understanding of how the Romans lived.
You can get there by rail. It's a ten-minute train ride from Basel, followed by a 15-minute walk to the museum.
Bus, bike and boat are also options. In the summer months, a boat runs from Basel to Augst or Kaiseraugst. From there it's a 20-minute walk to the site.
Where to stay in Basel? Hotel-tips here …
Treat yourself to a little luxury
The Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois dates back to 1681, but the rooms have definitely been updated since then!
Situated on the banks of the Rhine, it's the most luxurious hotel in the city.
Sophisticated and chic describe Hotel Pullman Basel.
Close to both the heart of the city and the Messe Basel Congress and Exhibition Center, it's an ideal spot to stop for a night or two.
The charming Krafft Basel is a 3-star boutique hotel with a 5-star heart.
A little piece of history on the Rhine, Herman Hesse famously wrote his novel 'Steppenwolf' here.
Art and accommodation
Teufelhof is both hotel and cultural center.
This art-themed hotel is housed in a historical building in the heart of the old town, and it's just a few minutes walk from the Kunsthalle (Contemporary Art Gallery).
It's also a great spot for lunch.
Plenty of choice
There are over 100 places to stay in Basel, and there is accommodation to suit all budgets.


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The Defense Ministry recently decided to significantly increase the security around Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, Channel 10 News reported Monday evening.
According to the report, the decision was made after graffiti was recently spray-painted near Mandelblit's house, and due to the large number of demonstrations taking place outside his home.
The demonstrators, who in recent months have increased the frequency of their demonstrations outside Mandelblit's home, call out slogans against him and claim that he should not be dealing directly with the investigations relating to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
In recent days, a guard has been stationed near Mandelblit's house and other technological security measures have been taken to protect him, according to Channel 10 News.
At the same time, the police are working to locate those who spray-painted the graffiti near the Attorney General's home.
It has been claimed that Mandelblit faces a conflict of interest when it comes to the investigations against Netanyahu, due to the fact that he previously served in the government as Cabinet Secretary.
Mandelblit has explained that he does not intend to excuse himself from the investigations, because doing so would be "disgracing my post".


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Vessel centerline has been used in computing edge gradients and searching for border positions,1 to derive video-densitometric profiles,2 for measurement of vessel diameter,3 for calculation of lesion symmetry,4 and as the basis for three-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction of vessel segments or of the entire arterial tree.3,5
Many techniques in the literature propose to detect vessel centerline by thinning algorithm.6–8 These algorithms are notoriously sensitive to noise and can result in ambiguous results at bifurcations. The results will lead to inaccuracies in width, vessel direction, and touristy measurements. Several articles have introduced tracking-based techniques for extraction of the vessel centerlines.9–12 In these approaches, vessel centerlines are extracted segment-by-segment while the vessel boundary associated with each segment is delineated. These algorithms require user intervention to determine the seed point. The axial tangent of the seed is then generated. This tangent helps to define a cross-sectional plane (normal plane) by shifting forward the current one along the tangential direction, on which the vessel is segmented and the next axial point is calculated as the centroid of the planar segmentation. This process keeps iterating until a termination criterion is met or the user preempts the tracing.
In most images, however, noise and low-contrast pose significant challenges to the extraction of vessel centerline. For example, the central intensity of some vessels differs from the background by as little as 3 gray levels, yet the background noise standard deviation is 2.3 gray levels. Narrow vessels (in diameter ) often have the lowest contrast. In these cases, a disconnected vessel centerline may be obtained and, more importantly, the aforementioned methods9–12 may only produce an incomplete extraction of the vessel centerline.
Some authors attempt to overcome these problems by improving vessel tracking.13–17 For example, Manniesing et al.15 presented an approach for vessel centerline tracking based on surface evolution. In this work, the main idea is to guide the evolution of the surface by analyzing its skeleton topology during evolution. Friman et al.16 proposed a multiple hypothesis template tracking approach for the segmentation of small 3-D vessel structures. This work also contributes a novel mathematical vessel template model, with which an accurate vessel centerline extraction is obtained. Wong and Chung17 proposed a probabilistic framework for vessel centerline tracing. In order to obtain a satisfactory vessel centerline extraction with the above methods, user guidance on centerline tracing is necessary. Otherwise, these methods will unavoidably lead to the extraction of disconnected centerline or a failure to extract complete centerline.
The main purpose of the present paper is to design an algorithm, which is robust and accurate and requires no human interaction for extraction of vessel centerline. The vessel centerline extracted by the proposed method is continuous and complete. Our methods consisted of the main three steps: (1) enhancing small vessel by processing with a set of line detection filters, corresponding to the 13 orientations; (2) extracting vessel centerline segment candidates by a thinning algorithm; and (3) grouping and selecting vessel centerline segmentations by a global optimization algorithm. We validate the method quantitatively on a number of synthetic data sets and real computed tomography (CT) angiography data sets.
Because of noise and low-contrast, disconnections occur in vessel centerline detection. In order to obtain complete vessel centerline, we will focus on these centerline disconnections. The tracing methods may unavoidably lead to the extraction of disconnected centerlines if no user guidance is provided, we will locate disconnections firstly, and then show how the global optimization algorithm may be used in grouping them to select optimal connections.
Extracting Vessel Centerline Segment Candidates
In this section, we focus on extracting vessel centerline segment candidates for subsequent processes. Starting by enhancing small vessel, we then employ histogram-based threshold method to extract vessel region. Finally, we introduce a thinning algorithm to obtain vessel centerline segment candidates.
Preprocessing for small vessel enhancement
In the step of vessel enhancement, the vessels are enhanced and the noises are suppressed. Multiple scale filtering based on the analysis of the Hessian matrix and its eigenvalues have received a large amount of attention in the vessel enhancement.18 In addition, Gabor filters19 are applied to images at different scales in order to account for vessels of different widths. However, some small and weak vessels still cannot be detected because they are not successfully enhanced at any of the multiple scales. Further, how to extract accurate vessel width has not been sufficiently discussed in these multiscale schemes.
To improve the discrimination between the small and weak vessels and the background noise, the image is processed, corresponding to the 13 orientations. Figure 1(a) shows six kinds of major directions in 3-D images on a cubic grid; the 13 orientations are denoted by SD, ED, ND, WD, ES, SW, S- (South direction), D- (Down direction), E- (East direction), USW, USE, UNE, and UNW [see Fig. 1(b)]. The set of convolution kernels used in this operation is shown in Fig. 2. For each voxel, the highest filter response is kept and added to the image. This resulting image is the base of all subsequent operations used for the detection of vessel centerlines.
Extraction of vessel region
In order to obtain the vessel region, we employ the Parzen window estimate20 for automatic threshold selection. The Parzen window integrates image histogram information with the explicit spatial information about voxels of different gray levels to estimate the threshold value.
Assume be the gray value of the voxel located at the point (). In an image of size with gray levels, let , , and denote the number of points in . According to the Parzen window technique, for the point space , its probability density function can be approximated as the following,
Let be a threshold which separates all gray levels into two classes, the background class and the vessel class. These two classes constitute the corresponding probability spaces and their probability density function and can be formulated as follows using the Parzen window estimate,
In general, a thresholding method determines the optimal gray value of based on a certain criterion function. In order to achieve this goal, we should choose such that the class and the class can be well separated. Here, we adopt the following criterion function,
Using this threshold , each voxel of the image is divided into vessel region and background region: the voxels having an intensity that exceeds the threshold are referred as vessel region (see Fig. 3), and the remainder as background region.
Extracting the segment candidates of the vessel centerline
In this section, we extract the segment candidates of the vessel centerlines by thinning 3-D binary images obtained in Sec. 2.1.2. We give a brief description of the thinning algorithm, and a detailed description of this algorithm has been published previously.6
In the thinning algorithm, we use directional strategy in which each iteration step contains 12 successive parallel reduction operations according to the 12 directions. Thinning algorithm deletes border points of binary image in 12 iteration steps, and the process is repeated until no border points can be deleted. The ordered list of the deletion directions is proposed: (US, NE, WD, ES, UW, ND, SW, UN, ED, NW, UE, SD), as shown in Fig. 4.
Deletable points in a subiteration are given by a set of matching templates. A black point is deletable if at least one template in the set of templates matches it. Templates are usually described by three kinds of elements, "filled circle" (black), "open circle" (white), and "." ("don't care"), where "don't care" matches either a black or white point in a given picture. In order to reduce the number of masks, we use additional notations. The first subiteration assigned to the deletion direction US can delete certain U- or S-border points; the second subiteration associated with the deletion direction NE attempt to delete N- or E-border points, and so on. The set of templates (containing 16 templates) is presented in Fig. 5. The deletable points of the other subiterations can be obtained by proper rotations and/or reflections of the templates in Fig. 5.
A black point is deletable if it can be deleted by at least one template in ; is nondeletable otherwise. The thinning algorithm goes around the object to be thinned according to the 12 deletion directions. As shown in Fig. 6, the thinning algorithm directly extracts "skeleton (vessel centerline)".
Grouping and Selecting Candidate Segments
As shown in Fig. 6, vessel centerlines are composed of a good number of candidate segments. Let us suppose that there are candidate segments, that means the number of possible connections is . Thus, the complexity of our algorithm with possible connections is . Since the use of only simple image processing techniques will unavoidably lead to the extraction of false segments or a failure to extract complete segments, we present the following scheme for grouping and selecting the candidate segments.
In Fig. 7(a), there are four segments, two of which cross each other. At an intersection point trace segments tend to split, as shown in Fig. 7(b). In this case, there are four possibilities for connecting two segments. If we follow only one segment, we select one possibility, which is the most likely connection [Fig. 7(b), left]. However, when we select two connections simultaneously, other possibilities may be better [Fig. 7(b), right]. In general, such situations may occur in several places. Therefore, in order to select globally optimal connections, it is necessary to consider all the possibilities for connections simultaneously.
We formulate the problem as a combinatorial optimization problem which can be solved by a Hopfield-style network. For possible connections in an image, let () represent the probabilities that possible connections are true. Let be the symmetric matrix that expresses the compatibility relations between the possible connections. Let represent the amount of certainty of each possible connection based only on local measurements. We find minimizing
Dynamic programming and gradient-descent methods are two widely used techniques in the optimization problem. Dynamic programming prescribes a search which tracks backward from the final step, retaining in memory all suboptimal paths from any given point to the finish, until the starting point is reached. The result of this is that the procedure is too computationally expensive for the large-scale problem. As mentioned above, the number of possible connections is extremely huge. Hereto, we use a gradient descent optimizer. The main advantage of this optimizer compared with the dynamic programming optimizer is that it causes a significant reduction in computation time. Let be the gradient vector, where . By the restriction of , the update of can be expressed as follows,
The update Eq. (6) is iterated until is satisfied.
We then select connections satisfying as the best connections. In the following, we describe the method for the detection of possible connections and determination of the compatibility relations and certainty .
We detect possible connections based on the smoothness and relative distance measures between two endpoints. The smoothness measure, , is defined asFig. 8 (the detection of end points was described in Ref. 6). This measure is small when two segments are smoothly connected or do not contain long gaps. The relative distance measure is defined as
We embed into Eq. (5) the constraints which are used to select the optimum connection pattern among the detected possible connections. First, we assume that segments do not branch off. Therefore, if there are more than two possible connections at the same end point, they are incompatible. This relation can be represented as5) is performed in order to find maximizing among all the compatible connection patterns. Thus, should be large enough so that the compatibility constraint must be absolutely satisfied. is concerned in the determination of the desired connections.
The iteration is terminated when any new connection is not selected after the grouping process. Furthermore, the gaps of the elected connections are filled using the B-spline.
Finally, the selected and grouped curves are identified as vessel centerlines (Fig. 9), and the remaining components (points and segments) are discarded as noise.
We validate the proposed method quantitatively on a number of synthetic data sets, liver artery from abdominal CT, and pulmonary vessel from chest CT. In addition, a comparison is made with two state-of-the-art centerline detection methods using the liver artery from abdominal CT.
Validation of the Algorithm on Synthetic Data
An important consideration in the evaluation of a vessel centerline extraction algorithm is its validation. For methods which have been designed to work on segmented tubular structures, such as ours, quantitative validation on medical images is a challenge because a ground truth centerline is typically not defined. Thus, we have chosen to evaluate our approach quantitatively by creating synthetic tubular structures with known centerlines.
We created several ground truth centerlines by either using a fixed shape or by drawing them by hand. For each centerline, we then centered a sphere at one location and then translated the sphere along it. The volume swept by the moving sphere thus defined a synthetic tubular structure with a known ground truth centerline. The specific examples we created were:
• Helix: A helical centerline with a sphere of constant radius designed to test the method when both curvature and torsion are present in the anatomical structure.
• Spiral: A 3-D spiral with small gaps simulating low-contrast areas is generated to test the robustness of the method.
• Tree: A hand drawn tree-like centerline with a sphere of varying radius designed to test the ability of the method to handle complex branching structures.
Figures 10 and 11 show the results of applying our algorithm to the original and noisy versions of the objects with known centerlines, again with the same color coding. The figures indicate that the overlap between the ground truth and computed centerlines is very strong for every synthetic object considered. A quantitative analysis was carried out by computing the amount of overlap, the average distance and the maximum distance between points on the ground truth and computed centerlines. The results are shown in Table 1 for the original objects and their noisy versions.
Table 1
Validation of the centerline extraction algorithm for the synthetic objects.
|Overlap (%)
|Mean distance (mm)
|Maximum distance(mm)
|Helix structure
|Noisy helix structure
|Spiral structure
|Noisy spiral structure
|Tree structure
|Noisy tree structure
The amount of overlap is consistently above 98% except for the noisy tree which has an overlap of 97.3%. The maximum distance is within 1.57 mm. However, the average distance is never more than 0.1 mm and in most cases is far less. These results provide some insight into how the method would behave for real medical data. First, the helix tube example shows that the method can handle structures with curvature. Second, the spiral phantom displays the ability of the approach to handle small vessel with small gaps. Third, the method can handle complex tree structures with small branches. Overall, our results provide quantitative evidence that the proposed algorithms perform well.
Extracting the Centerlines of Liver Artery from Abdominal CT
In liver surgery planning, the liver arteries play an important role in determining the optimal resections and in predicting blood supply to remaining liver tissue. The main problem in segmenting the liver arteries is that they are small and very poorly contrasted in the CT data, see Fig. 12. Another complicating factor is that the arteries run next to the larger portal veins, which increase the risk of segmentation leakage.
Eight abdominal CT angiography data sets were acquired using 64-row and dual-source CT scanners. The acquired image volumes are typically of the size with a pixel resolution of about and a slice thickness of 1.5 mm. The liver regions in the images were roughly hand-segmented by a radiology specialist and used as a mask. In our study, the manually marked center points of the vessels by two radiologists were used as the gold standard for quantitative evaluation of the extraction accuracy of the vessel centerline. The radiologists provided gold standards by manually tracking the vessel tree and marking the center of the vessels using a graphical user interface (GUI) developed in our laboratory. On the GUI, the sagittal view, axial view, and coronal view of the CT images corresponding to the region where a vessel is being tracked are displayed on a monitor. The GUI has functions allowing the user to cine-page through the CT slices, scroll in and out of individual vessels, adjust window setting, and zoom to improve visualization. The user can manually track the vessel trees by marking the vessel center points in any one of the three views at each vessel branch and the center point location will automatically propagate to all three views. Using the GUI, the radiologists marked the centerline for each branch, and labeled the anatomical level of the arteries. After marking center points of the arteries, the reconstruction of the discrete center points was performed using B-spline interpolation.
In this section, a comparison is made with two state-of-the-art centerline detection methods. We briefly review the concept of both algorithms.
• Wörz method: Wörz and Rohr21 utilized an incremental process that starts from a given point of the vessel and proceeds along the tangential direction. Along the tangential direction a prediction is placed, then corrects the prediction by searching for the point of maximum vesselness in an orthogonal plane. Because of the variations of vessel they introduced an adaptive model at the new position to improve the prediction. The tracking process starts from a seed point. If the tracking process terminates prematurely, further seed points will be added.
• Agam method: Agam et al.22 used a set of filters to extract centerlines, which is based on the eigenvalues of a correlation matrix of regularized gradient vectors. In this method, vessels are modeled by tubular segments where each tubular segment is approximately a cylinder with a Gaussian intensity profile at the section plane. Based on this model, the centerline is in a direction which is orthogonal to all the gradient vectors inside the vessel.
The vessel centerlines of the liver images included in the database were again segmented using the Wörz method, Agam method, and our method. Segmentation results of hepatic artery for three CT liver volumes are shown in Fig. 13. As shown in Fig. 13, the Wörz method and Agam method failed to extract small vessels in low contrast areas (rectangular regions). For the Wörz method, the tracking process terminated at the low contrast area, more seed points should be given for further process. Even when four seed points were given, the Wörz method still failed to extract the completed centerline in case 3. For the Agam method, the correlation-based filters can detect both small and large vessels due to the use of multiple sets of eigenvalues of the correlation matrix. However, the Agam method also failed for some small vessels. Averaged across all CT data sets, the overlap with the human expert extractions was used for accuracy evaluation. Accuracy results for the comparison are presented in Table 2. The results show that our method achieved the highest segmentation accuracy in comparison with these methods.
Table 2
The overlap (%) between manual extraction and the computed extraction by three different methods on the eight liver artery data sets.
|Data set numbers
|Wörz method
|Agam method
|Our method
Extracting the Centerlines of Pulmonary Vessel from Chest CT
Many of the published vessel segmentation and tracking methods provided accurate results in 2-D or 3-D images for vascular structures in the retina, brain, heart, etc. However, few studies have been conducted for segmentation, tracking, and reconstruction of the pulmonary vessel tree on CT images because the pulmonary vessels are more complicated compared to the vessels in other parts of the body in several aspects: widely distributed CT values, large variations of vessel sizes, and the complicated branching structures.
We used three chest CT angiography data sets taken by 64-row and dual-source CT scanners. The volume size is with an in-slice pixel resolution of and slice thickness was 1.5 mm. In our vessel segmentation scheme, the lung region is first extracted to reduce computation time and avoid the effects caused by other nonvascular structures such as ribs, motion artifacts of the heart, and the edges of the heart and chest walls. An automatic segmentation method23 was applied to the volume of the scan within the patient body to extract lung regions.
For the three clinical cases, there is no "ground truth" to prove the presence or absence of the vessels and their sizes. In our study, the manually marked center points of the vessels by three radiologists were used as the gold standard for quantitative evaluation of the segmentation accuracy of the vessels. A total of 2655, 2782, and 2853 vessel center points were marked by radiologists, respectively, for cases 1, 2, and 3. It is a demanding task for radiologists to mark the center points manually along small peripheral vessels on images displayed on a computer monitor. The radiologists decided to stop marking the center points on the peripheral vessels at certain levels, leaving some vessels not marked. Therefore, a visual inspection was performed to evaluate those vessels that were not marked by radiologists. Figure 14(b) shows an example of the manually marked vessel center points (red points) superimposed on the computer segmented vessel centerline. Figure 14(c) shows another view from the automatically segmented vessel centerlines shown in Fig. 14(b). It can be seen that many of the small vessels not marked by radiologists were extracted by our segmentation method. These small vessels were estimated to be smaller than 2 mm in diameter by manual measurement using an electronic ruler on the computer GUI. The accuracy of the vessel centerline segmentation was evaluated using three data sets. Averaged across three data sets, average distance to the ground-truth centerlines, was 0.32 mm.
A fully automatic framework for vessel centerline extraction based on a multistep scheme has been presented. Our approach includes three major steps: (1) enhancing thin vessel, (2) extracting vessel centerline segment candidates, and (3) grouping and selecting vessel centerline segment. Not all of these steps are always required. For the thick vessels (in diameter ), vessel enhancement step may be omitted.
This approach has five main advantages. First, compared to existing vessel centerline tracking approaches, it does not need user intervention; and an automatic vessel centerline extracting is performed by using a global optimization algorithm. Second, with a filter of 13 orientations, the approach can detect low-contrast and narrow vessel. Third, some methods often fail to connect segments belonging to one vessel in low contrast areas, our approach can fill gaps in blood vessels. Fourth, our framework avoids incomplete and disconnected extraction of the vessel centerline. And fifth, the approach is robust to noise and can produce vessel centerline extractions that have level of variability similar to those segmentations obtained from human raters.
Quantitative evaluation of vessel centerline accuracy is a challenging problem because there is no ground truth for the vessel centerline extraction for clinical cases. Although a tubular phantom can be constructed with known vessels, it is difficult to construct a realistic phantom with a complete arterial tree mimicking complicated vascular structures. In a recent study by Shikata et al.24 about 2000 points were manually placed along the pulmonary vessels in each case as true vessel points for quantitative evaluation of a pulmonary vascular tree segmentation method. This method will provide an estimate of the fraction of the vessel tree segmented by the computer relative to that marked manually if the representative points are placed with reasonably balanced distribution in the entire pulmonary vascular tree.
It is a demanding task for radiologists to mark the center points manually along small peripheral vessels on images displayed on a computer monitor. The radiologists decided to stop marking the center points on the peripheral vessels at certain levels, leaving some vessels not marked. Therefore, a visual inspection was performed to evaluate those vessels that were not marked by radiologists (Fig. 14).
In our experiment using the chest CT data sets, three patient cases were used. Although the number of cases is small, the total number of center points that mark the entire pulmonary vessel tree down to very small vessels, for example, the segmental and sub segmental levels of arteries is quite large (more than 8290 for three cases). The evaluation including quantitative comparison and visual inspection on these three cases allows us to obtain a reasonable assessment of the vessel centerline extraction performance in this preliminary study.
The computation time has also been considered, which might be critical in some applications. In the present study, the methods have been programmed using MATLAB 6.5 in an Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-4440 computer, 3.2 GHz, 16 G RAM. The processing time of the proposed method was about 8 min for one liver artery system and about 72 min for one chest CT angiography data.
We have successfully developed an automatic method for the 3-D vessel centerline extraction in CT images. Experimental results on synthetic and clinical data sets have shown that our method can extract complete and continuous centerline in the problematic regions that contain small and low-contrast vessels, and gaps between vessels. The extraction algorithm has high robustness toward noise and can produce vessel centerline extractions that have level of variability similar to those obtained manually. This study suggests that the proposed framework can be good enough to replace the time-consuming and tedious slice-by-slice manual extraction approach.
In the future work, we plan to get a complete segmentation of the vessels. These structures need to be filled starting from the detected centerlines.
The authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for constructive suggestions. This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 61073124; the National Basic Research Program of China (973) under Grant 2011CB707701.
Yuanzhi Cheng received his PhD degree from Osaka University, Osaka, Japan, in 2007. He is currently an associate professor in the School of Computer Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology. He has published more than 30 papers in scientific journals. His research interests are concentrated on pattern recognition, medical image processing, and computer-assisted surgical system.
Yadong Wang is currently a professor in the School of Computer Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology. His research interests include pattern recognition, machine learning and bioinformatics. He has published more than 60 papers in scientific journals.
Shinichi Tamura received his PhD degrees in electrical engineering from Osaka University, Osaka, Japan, in 1971. He is currently a professor in the Center for Advanced Medical Engineering and Informatics, Osaka University. He has published more than 260 papers in scientific journals and received several awards from journals, including Pattern Recognition and Investigative Radiology. His current research activities include works in the field of medical image analysis and its applications. He is a fellow of IEEE.


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Upper limb amputations are most commonly caused by accidents, infections, burns, tumors, disease, and/or birth conditions, with trauma and cancer being the lead causes. With a wrist disarticulation, the limb is amputated at the wrist, whereas with a forearm amputation (transradial), the amputation runs from the elbow to the wrist. These types of injuries can result from trying to block impact during a car accident or fall, or as the result of working with heavy machinery or under other dangerous conditions. Sometimes they result from infection or from other medical procedures.
Elbow dislocations and transhumeral amputations tend to result from catastrophic injuries, whereby the bones of the arm (humerus) or forearm (radius and ulna, forming the lower parts of the elbow) are dislocated. Approximately 20,000 to 30,000 people undergo amputations every year for one reason or another, and they can be complete or partial.
There are close to 2 million people in the United States living with a loss of a limb or extremity. Trauma from a car crash or workplace accident represent 45% of all amputations. (Source: Amputee Coalition). Motor vehicle accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents or a pedestrian being struck by a car, motorcycle or bike as well as workplace injuries and falls all may lead to an amputation. Below knee amputations are the most common amputation.
The arm is a very complicated structure and is capable of lifting and carrying great amounts of weight and bending in all types of directions. We rely heavily on our arms. Our arms play a major role in helping us perform some of our basic daily functions. They also allows us to swing a golf club, shoot a basketball and perform some of the many other activities that rely on the arms. The arm consists of three bones, two joints and several muscles, tendons and nerves. All these parts play an important role in helping the arm function. Without the proper care or treatment an injury to one area can result in complications that will affect to entire arm.
There are two types of dislocated elbows: a partial dislocation (subluxation) and a complete dislocation. A partial dislocation occurs when the ulna bone and or radius bone partially separates from the humerus and elbow joint. A complete dislocation occurs when the ulna bone and or radius bone completely separates from the humerus or elbow joint.
It might feel like there is only one bone in the forearm but there is two. The ulna and radius bones make up the forearm. The ulna and radius bones start at the wrist and run all the way up to the elbow. Both bones combine at the wrist to make the wrist joint and both extend to the elbow to form the elbow joint.
A biceps muscle will not grow back after it tears away from the forearm bone. Someone with a torn lower bicep will have to rely on other muscles to help stabilize the elbow, bend the arm and rotate the forearm. A torn lower biceps can result in a 30% reduction in elbow bending strength and a 40% reduction in forearm rotation strength. We rely heavily on our biceps and a lower biceps tear can have a serious impact on our day-to-day lives.
Ulnar nerve injuries are caused by trauma, the aging process and pressure. The most common cause of ulnar nerve injury is ulnar nerve entrapment. The ulnar nerve can get entrapped or compressed (impinged) on its way from the shoulder to the hand. Ulnar nerve entrapment or compression occurs most frequently at the elbow.
Radial head fractures are a common fracture and they account for approximately 20% of all elbow fracture injuries. People between ages of twenty and forty are most prone to this type of elbow fracture. Women are more likely to sustain a broken radial head.
This injury is so common because it is often associated with slip and fall accidents. Our instinct tells us to stick an arm or hand out in order to brace for a fall. Often times when we do this our elbow either sustains a direct impact or an indirect impact which occurs when the impact from a fall travels up the hand, to the forearm and into the elbow joint.
A broken distal humerus occurs when there is a fracture in the bottom end (distal region) of the humerus bone. This region is also known as the humeral head. A fractured distal humerus is a kind of elbow fracture. A fracture in one of the three bones that make-up the elbow joint will constitute an elbow fracture.


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You know how we're cutting down all the trees and soon there won't be any left? Forested areas have actually increased since 1990.
We all know that the New Woke Times lies and lies and lies, usually by omission, but it is really galling to look at one such egregious case really closely and smell that shit close up. Yup, it's another unarmed teen shot by police in the US. Are we splitting off into two parallel universes, but really slowly? It's like the world is one big Rorschach test, but with only two interpretations.
I can't get enough of these: more predictions of global ecological catastrophe that did not come to fruition. Actual newspaper articles.
You need to know about this. Long, long ago, when I was an earnest young lad with long, long hair, I saw a doco on the telly about a transgender issue. There was a baby boy whose circumcision went horribly wrong. A psychologist named John Money from New Zealand, of all places, was of the opinion that gender is just a social construct and that if the boy was made into a girl, and raised as such, he'd never know the difference and everything would be just fine. Rah rah rah, you say, we know the spiel. But wait: this was in 1966, and Money was the first to propound such theories.
He went around telling everyone how right he was and how well it had worked out, even while the boy's life was falling apart. You can read more about it here. In the 1990s it was accepted that Money was way off, but somehow – I know not how – his philosophy has crept back into the mainstream, and is now dogma.
Insane policies do not emerge from nowhere, like ghosts. They come from academic theories developed by individuals, some mad, some mistaken, some with ulterior motives – conscious or otherwise. And the fact that almost all experts agree on something should not deter skeptics from asking the right questions and delving deeper.
Next: we teach boys that marriage doesn't work. I also recommend the articles linked at the end.
Related: people are having divorce parties now. All the positive examples of such are when ladies throw them; the one bad example was hosted by an 'abusive' man. See if you can gueeeeessss which newspaper this is gunna be in before you hover or click.
They're being too open about it now, hence thirty-something women are finding it harder and harder to find a good man to settle for then divorce.
A book defending free speech has been pulled by the publisher. No doubt it will be published elsewhere – and then banned by Amazon. Mah right of association, and PS, no Visigoths are allowed in my cafe.
Lifting weights is fun. I agree. Cardio is hard, and the last five minutes of a half-hour run are not fun. But weights are fun. Upper-body day is a piece of piss.
Serious question: do you find Adam's hawt chicks in Hawt Chicks and Links hot or not? Am I secretly gay? I like nekkid pics with pimples, moles, visible ribs/folds, and the odd stray pube. Just me?
I think this is connected to how I can't fantasize about rooting celebrities. After a while I think, I'm not buying it, and move on to the ugly girl with big tits I saw that day in the mall instead.
Ethiopia's Prime Minister got the Nobel Peace Prize for finally ending hostilities with Eritrea – yet the Eritrean President who also signed got jack shit. Hope he's spitting blood.
Speaking of that country I have a weird obsession with, this will get anyone with rudimentary economics knowledge banging their head on something hard. Five millennia from now, future governments will still be putting price controls on teleporters then wondering why there's suddenly a shortage of them, and then they'll blame greedy capitalists and shoot them with lasers.
Australian Prime Minister savaged by dead sheep.
Renegade7X's review of Joker.
Japanese schools love getting their kids to make human pyramids (in PE, not those Abu Ghraib ones), but the injuries are piling up.
Who said Japan is weird? Certainly not the 22-year-old student allegedly meeting suicidal women online in order to kill them.
Speaking of not-weird Japan, don't post photos of yourself if you have an autistic stalker because he might zoom in on your eyes, use Google Earth to locate the train station he sees there, and then wait in the station and attack you.
And then there was the Japanese man who stepped outside for a smoke in Paris – and someone swiped his $840,00 watch. Yes, the number of zeroes is correct.


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How to send money from your card
• Click on the purple 'New Transfer' button at the bottom of the page.
• Choose the recipient's country by clicking the drop-down box next to the 'Recipient gets' line.
• Enter the amount you wish to send or to be delivered to the recipient.
• Choose the transfer method. This could be 'to card' or 'to account'. Please note that some transfer methods may be missing, depending on your recipient's country.
• Check the transaction fee and the delivery time.
• Fill out the recipient's details. Requested details may differ depending on the transfer method and the destination country.
• Type in your card details (card number, expiry date, CVV) and select 'Continue'. Please note that your card issuing country must match your Paysend registration country, i.e. if you're signed up in the US with a US phone number, you will be able to use only US cards to send money.
• Select 'Continue'.
• Check and confirm your transfer details.
• If your card supports 3D Secure, you will be redirected to your bank's 3D Secure authentication page (also known as Visa Secure, Mastercard Identity Check, etc.) where you will need to enter the password or a one-time code to authenticate yourself to your bank and confirm the charge.
For customers from the US: when you use your card to make a Paysend transfer for the first time you will also be asked to verify your card by a 5-digit security code sent through a $1 test charge to your card. The charge will be refunded either when you successfully verify your card or at the end of the 48-hour waiting period. For more information about card verification, please refer to the 'Card verification' section.


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As a wedding planner, I really have been so fortunate and blessed to work with clients that I really connect with. It seems that my clients and I always have something in common, and Julie and Tim were no exception. I'm a very proud native of Southern Maryland, so when Julie contacted me and said that...Read more
Category Archives: Destination Feature
Greater Virginia Beach
September 15, 2012, Bridal Shower & Bachelorette Party: Virginia Beach What a treat to drive to the beach for a bridal shower and bachelorette party! Although it was a bit bizarre following signs for the Outer Banks when I wasn't heading for my family's annual Nags Head pilgrimage!
Becca Bee Events teamed with...Read more


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The Redeemed Witchdoctor
The Redeemed Witchdoctor
How we wish you could have been here to listen to the poems our students wrote and read in Cheri's class today! They spoke with passion--even tears. But since you could not join us, may we share just one with you?
The following poem was written by one of our students who formerly was a witchdoctor before coming to African Bible University to mine the treasures of God's Truth. Tim has trained him in Systematic Theology class, and Cheri has taught him in Literature and Creative Writing.
The RedeemedOut of the dark craftiness and cunnings that covered me,
Darkened as deeply doomed corners of dumb graves
The cords of sin entangled me without breathing space
Haughty spirits in control, sucking my bloodSin separated me as far as East from West
In foolishness, as the prodigal from the father's love
Thus, Satan led me wandering as a sheep from his shepherd
Turned me scoundrel; plotting evil, perversity and painBut Christ has redeemed me from the tyrannical rule
Freed me graciously, as a gazelle from the hunter's hand
Rescued me like a bird from the snare of the fowler
Through grace, love and kindness, atoning for all my sinsChrist sets a garland of grace on my head; I am forgiven!
Satan's cords that enslaved me are broken once and for all
Christ's punishment justified me, providing new identity in Him
Promising a happy home and a heavenly crown of splendor.
Redeemed indeed! No longer a witchdoctor, but a servant leader in Christ! Just one example among the many students we help equip here at African Bible University. We know that through your prayers and support, you are here with us! We thank you!
Because God is redeeming a people for Himself!
Tim and Cheri


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Philly Cheese Steak Taco Bowls™
Whiz or Whizout? Pat's or Geno's? Whatever you choose, you can't go wrong with turning your favorite cheese steak into a taco!
30 Minutes Prep
30 Minutes Total
8 Servings
Ingredient List
- 1 lb boneless beef sirloin steak
- 1 teaspoon Montreal steak grill seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 large onion, cut in half lengthwise and thickly sliced (2 cups)
- 1 large green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
- 1 package Old El Paso™ Soft Tortilla Bowls
- 1/2 cup (from 15-oz jar) Kraft™ Cheez Whiz™ original cheese dip
- Trim excess fat from beef. Cut beef into 1/4-inch strips; place in medium bowl. Add grill seasoning and salt; toss to combine. Set aside.
- In 12-inch nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Remove from heat; cover and keep warm.
- In same skillet, cook beef strips over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until no longer pink. Add cooked onions and bell peppers; heat through.
- Meanwhile, heat bowls as directed on package. In small microwavable bowl, microwave cheese dip uncovered on High 30 to 45 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until smooth and warmed. Divide beef mixture evenly among warmed bowls. Drizzle 1 tablespoon cheese dip on each bowl. Serve immediately.
Expert Tips
- Beef is easier to cut into thin strips if partially frozen first for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Kraft™ Cheez Whiz™ is the authentic way to top this sandwich, but provolone or American cheese run a close second.


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Missouri City family among 7 dead in Canadian plane crash
A Houston-area pilot and his family were among the seven people killed in a small plane crash Wednesday evening near the Canadian city of Kingston, according to authorities and news reports.
Otabek Oblokulov died in the crash, along with his wife and their 3-, 11-, and 15-year old children, CBC News first reported. A couple from the Toronto area also was killed in the crash.
The Fort Bend Central Appraisal District lists Oblokulov as the owner of a home in Missouri City.
FAA records list Oblokulov — who was certified as a private pilot in May 2018 — as the owner of a single-engine Piper PA-32, the same model that went down near Kingston, according to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.
Flight records show Oblokulov's plane made a series of short flights around Ontario, including Buttonville and St. Catharines, in the days before the crash.
The Transportation Safety Board has sent a team of four investigators to the scene of the crash, where they're examining and documenting the wreckage.
At a briefing Thursday, TSB investigator Ken Webster said the investigation was in its early stages, but officials confirmed the destination was Quebec City and at some point Oblokulov opted to land in Kingston.
Oblokulov had radio communication with the Kingston airport, though the nature of the discussion between the tower and plane was unknown, Webster said.
"I hope we will be able to provide some answers in the future," Webster said.
Based on the crash scene, he said it appeared the plane collided with the ground at a very steep angle.
Kingston Police Constable Ash Gutheinz said Thursday there's "no indication" there were any survivors from the crash.
Gutheinz said the area was under a wind advisory at the time, and while winds may not have been as bad as predicted, it was certainly "blustery."
This report contains material from the Associated Press.


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