text:
How Does Your Site Thank Your Users?by QArea Team on August 7, 2014
There should always be time to say 'thank you'! The success of your site is nothing without its dedicated users. So how to express your feelings in a way that is both pleasant and fit for business? Your website, your visit card, can do that for you with some slight adjustments. The profit is limitless. So where to begin with?
How does a web page thank users?
Where can your site express its feelings? Quite everywhere, whether its navigation functions, language, design or performance, it all can speak for itself. Your site needs to deliver the content your user is seeking for, rather than simply things that you want them to see. And, nevertheless, the site can't just be transformed into a list of things that perfectly fit everyone's needs. A balance has to be kept. So how can that be achieved?
- Segment your target audience. To communicate in an appropriate way you need to know who your users are, what they want and what they like. It is critical to find out who is visiting your site in the shortest terms. A specified site that gives a narrow circle of users exactly what they want has more chances of success and is easier to maintain. There are dozens of strategies which allow you to get the information about your end-users. It is easier to work with somebody you know, right?
- Personalize. Now, that you know the people visiting your site you can design the web page accordingly without causing them to get irritated or confused. There are lots of possible options in this field. Remember one rule, the content has to be located in such a way that your users won't experience trouble finding what they are currently looking for. And they can find some bonuses on the go. If your site is selling flashlights, make sure it's easy for your user to find it. And be positive he will see a side-bar which is telling him about some batteries he may also purchase. And don't show him adds of toy dinosaurs or frying pans, nobody's searching for such a combination, right?
- Micro–sites. Having a small micro-site targeted on an even more narrow audience is definitely something worth experimenting with. Practice shows that they are quite appropriate for various enormous resources. This way your every customer will get the attention he's in need of. And managing several small things is quite easier than a gigantic organism, where one mistake in the structure can lead to all of your users seeing an error message on their screens.
- Sharing is a good thing. Sharing is a good thing, we all know that from pre-school and even earlier. And it is even better when you don't need to share your stuff and still gain profit. Give your users some good sharing tools. If your page is a fishing site for example, you won't be able to publish all fishing-related content. And your users will help you with that. Two or more people will love sharing their stories, tactics and achievements. That will make them feel important at this resource, and they will come back over and over. The fish is on the hook.
- Don't forget analyzing your performance. Take some time to see how things are going on your site, check its performance. You'll get to know what is currently working, what to fix, what your users are missing, etc. Analyzing all that data will definitely get you further than you were before.


text:
Legacy Well being & Wellness has served RoyOMartin staff and dependents since 2011. Rush invites you to take a look at the info that present how the Medical Center stacks up. We're additionally proud to supply useful wellness incentives for adults and children that encourage nutrition and healthy consuming, like the USDA's MyPlate marketing campaign.
Optimum health to me means that I'm bodily fit, I am in a positive frame of mind and I do not get sick simply (free from illness). Consider alternative meeting methods to include well being promotion actions and ideas throughout the workday. FSAFEDS provides three totally different FSAs: a health care flexible spending account, a limited expense well being care flexible spending account, and a dependent care versatile spending account. There are a number of ways Federal companies can evaluate their worksite well being and wellness applications. Why, Steve Jobs of Apple and iPad/iPhone fame had hundreds of thousands possibly billions however even all that was not sufficient to win in opposition to most cancers.
If an individual has diabetes or an auto-immune illness, for instance, following a plan for proper weight loss program and medicine,regular exercise, sleep, and mental properly-being would maintain that person in optimal well being. Bringing collectively a state-of-the-artwork facility with prime researchers and scientists, our objective is to create the nation's go-to research facility for wellness and integrated applications providing entire-particular person help. An FSA is a program supplied by employers that allows their workers to pay for eligible out-of-pocket health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax wages. FOH may also present workers that may work with businesses to develop a comprehensive occupational health program. Alvernia College's Well being and Wellness Center isn't an emergency care middle.
The Centers for Disease Management and Prevention (CDC) provides a the right way to" guide for planning and implementing evaluation actions in worksite well being promotion programs. Superior Leave: An company could, however shouldn't be required to, advance annual and/or sick leave to those staff who don't have sufficient paid depart available for health services, examinations, and comply with-up therapies. Versatile Work Schedules: Company officers should encourage staff to make use of flexible work schedules (non-obligation time) to participate in health promotion activities.
Counselling & Psychological Providers gives students with entry to professional licensed psychologists, psychotherapists and counsellors will collaborate with you to realize psychological health, wellness and pupil success. Learn to successfully advocate for wellness initiatives while educating the community via a holistic approach that encompasses features of behavioral and bodily well being. Moreover, Legacy Health & Wellness Apply Supervisor John Corridor, MHA, FNP, also serves as a healthcare provider on the clinic. Potential improvement in employee health and wellness by participating in more physical activity all through the work day.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Job Description
At CoStar, we're in the business of equipping our clients with what they need to succeed.
We create opportunity through a combination of reliable tools, resources, and deep understanding on over 5 million commercial real estate properties in today's market. Our sales teams help our client find relevant information, meet the right people, and make the deals that are critical to their success.
Join us in representing CoStar, the undisputed leading provider for commercial real estate data, analytics and market intelligence.
As a CoStar Sales Executive you will be responsible for managing an ever growing book of business working with existing clients to broaden their use of our products; CoStar Suite, LoopNet and Apartments.com. At CoStar you will receive a first class onboarding experience where you will learn how the different players in Commercial Real Estate operate, what is important to them and what solutions we have that meet their needs. You will have your own book of business, an endless supply of well qualified leads to develop, excellent products to sell, an excellent career development path.
CoStar Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer; we maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing


text:
Authorship should reflect individuals' contribution to the work concept, project, implementation or interpretation. All co-authors who contributed to the publication should be listed. Persons who are not authors but made substantial contributions to the article, should be listed in the acknowledgements section. The author should make sure that all co-authors have been listed, are familiar with and have accepted the final version of the article, and have given their consent for submitting the article for publication. Authors who publish the findings of their research should present the research methodology used, an objective discussion of the results and their importance for academic purposes and practice. The work should provide reference to all the sources used. Publishing false or intentionally untrue statements is unethical.
Conflict of interests and its disclosure
Authors should disclose all sources of their projects funding, contribution of research institutions, societies and other entities as well as all other conflicts of interests that might affect the findings and their interpretation.
Standards for reporting
Authors of articles based on their own research should present detail of performed work and discuss its importance. Data the work is based on should be presented in details. Statements that are not true or intentionally inaccurate will be treated as unethical and prohibited conduct.
Access to data and their retention
Authors should provide unprocessed data regarding the work submitted for reviewing or should be prepared to ensure access to such data. Authors should retain the data for at least a year's time from the publication.
Multiple, unnecessary or competing publications
In general, authors should not publish materials describing the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Submitting the same work to more than one editor concurrently is unethical and forbidden.
Confirming sources
Authors must only submit acknowledge and reference all publications that affected the submitted work and must acknowledge each instance of using other authors' work.
Substantial errors in the published work
If authors find substantial errors or inaccuracies in their work, they will be obliged to notify the Editorial Board Secretary without delay. In case the article has already been published, the author should cooperate with the Editor in order to retract the article or publish an adequate erratum.
Originality and plagiarism
Authors must only submit original works. They should make sure that the names of authors cited in the work and/or cited fragments of their works are properly acknowledged or referenced.
Ghost/guest authorship
Ghost authorship is when someone makes a substantial contribution to a work but he/she is not listed as an author or his/her role in the publication is not acknowledged. Guest authorship takes place when someone's contribution is very small or inexistent but his/her name is listed as an author.
Ghost and guest authorship are manifestations of a lack of scientific integrity and all such cases will be disclosed, involving a notification of component entities (institutions employing the authors, scientific societies, associations of editors etc.). The Editorial Board will document every instance of scientific dishonesty, especially the violation of the ethical principles binding in science.
In order to prevent ghost or guest authorship, authors are requested to provide declarations of authorship.


text:
Executive Assistant at Snap Inc.
Snap Inc. is a camera company. We believe that reinventing the camera represents our greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate. Our products empower people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together.
We're looking for an Executive Assistant to join Team Snap! Working from our Los Angeles, CA headquarters you'll be someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment. In addition to being organized, analytical, strategic, and resourceful, you must possess strong business judgment and communication skills needed to interact with a variety of people and job functions. High enthusiasm, creativity, and resourcefulness are crucial, as is a high level of professional integrity and confidentiality.
What you'll do:
Anticipate needs and provide high-level executive administrative support
Manage a complex calendar and schedule
Coordinate complex travel arrangements
Interact regularly and build relationships with executives across various teams at Snap
Organize team professional events
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Strong familiarity with Google enterprise products (Gmail, Calendar, Docs) and a passion for implementing technology to increase efficiency
Experience with planning team events and off-sites
Ability to quickly learn new technologies, programs and applications
Someone who's highly organized and detail oriented with a proactive work-style
Strong scheduling and coordination skills, and comfortable with last-minute changes
Someone who thrives in a fast-paced, quickly changing startup environment with an optimistic approach to work and life
Incredibly proactive and able to take initiative and work efficiently with little direction
Minimum Qualifications:
3+ years of experience providing high-level administrative support at the executive level
Preferred Qualifications:
1+ years of experience working in a tech/startup environment
At Snap, we believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices working together will enable us to create innovative products that improve the way people live and communicate. Snap is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other protected classification, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please don't be shy and contact us at [email protected].


text: I was always curious about the implication of math or specifically calculus in our real lives. People used to tell me that math was a great part of our lives, simple as to grocery shopping to complicated engineering equations. But how exactly is math really used in our daily lives? This type of question has been frequently asked within myself and I was determined to write something that could relate to many people as well as my own area of interest. I have to say that my interest was promoted as a kid. The suspenseful alcohol wipe. The initial squeeze. The slight pressure and the feeling as a slender metal rod injects mysterious, foreign liquids into your body. To my sister, this was D-Day; the Reckoning. To me, an exhilarating adventure. I stared down with awe at the long and sharp needle entering my body as it fed what seemed to be magic healing liquids to my 5-year-old self. I'm proud to say I accumulated some fame around the hospital as my doctor used to call me the 'brave little girl' because I never cried or complained about getting shots ever since I was a baby. The nurses even ended up giving me the privilege of sanitizing my own arm before a shot. These nurses were not a necessity for me because I would calmly clean the spot for the shot and patiently wait for the doctor to give me the medications. People said that I was brave, but that wasn't really it. Rather, I didn't cry because my curiosity trumped the pain. Growing up, these shots and needles rather developed my interest in the field of human biology. I was interested in exploring the medical field which derived me to choose a topic that correlates with the human body. Searching for possible topics intrigued me to write a paper that examines the relationship between calculus and the rate of the intravenous fluid entering in our human body. As I was looking around for an area of research, I discovered the Hagen Poiseuille's Law. The equations involved with this law show the factors that influence the rate of flow in a tube. This investigation aims to find the factors that affect the rate by examining the Hagen Poiseuille's Law and how this equation shows the the relationship between the resistance of a tube and its radius, length, and the fluid's viscosity. This paper will also discuss how this relates to every practice embedded in the medical field. I also hope the readers will learn the significance usage of calculus in our daily lives.Background:Interestingly, Gotthilf Heinrich Ludwig Hagen in 1839 and Jean Léonard Marie Poiseuille in 1938 experimentally derived this equation independently. Hagen Poiseuille's Law, also known as Hagen Poiseuille's equation, provides the velocity of a flow through a pipe as the function of the radius, =f(r). This paper will utilize this basic equation to derive the Hagen Poiseuille's Law. Assumptions: Before working with the Hagen Poiseuille's equation, we must appreciate several assumptions when working with this equation:The liquid flows through only circular tubes. The fluid is laminar. Laminar means that the flow is in a parallel pathway with no disruptions.The fluid itself is a newtonian fluid. Newtonian fluids are defined as those forces that are proportional to the rates of change of the fluid's velocity vector as one moves away from the point in question in various directions. For example, like water and air are types of newtonian fluid. Even though blood is not a newtonian liquid, its physical characteristics are sufficiently similar to water, so blood is assumed to be a newtonian liquid. Understanding Viscosity:One of the aims involves the relationship of the resistance of the tube and the fluid's viscosity. So the question is, what is viscosity? First, imagine a tube filled with water moving from left to right. The individual molecules in water do not flow or move in a smooth way, instead, it varies intramolecular forces which causes some pulling and some pushing, resulting in the internal friction. Viscosity is a measure of a fluid's resistance to flow and deformation by stress due to internal friction. It approximates the common notion of "thickness". Viscosity is dependent on temperature but independent on the pressure. This is evident when we are cooking. We notice that the substance decreases in viscosity as it is heated longer. However, in some cases, such as sauces, gets thicker when it's cooked longer due to the increase in molecular interchange and evaporation. Derivation of Hagen Poiseuille's Law:=velocity r= the distance from the center of the tube to the edge of the tube. Beginning with the equation, =f(r)=?, the diagram below (figure 1) shows how the velocity will be closer to zero as it gets closer to the edge and how the velocity gets faster as it moves to the center.Figure 1Figure 2 Since we know that Pressure=ForceArea, then the Force=PA . So what is the force that is driving the fluid into the tube? Figure 2 shows the basic diagram with pressure, radius and length labeled.on the tube. Looking at this figure, we can determine the driving force equation by using, Force=PA. Assuming that P1 has a higher pressure and the fluid flowing to the direction of the arrow, the pressure in this case would be P1-P2. Next, pressure is multiplied by the area of the cross section of the fluid, r2. We conclude that, FD=(P1-P2)r2. This equation is the force that is driving the fluid through the tube and we will call that FD.Now we have to figure out the retarding force which is what is holding the fluid traveling through this tube. This involves viscosity and how the size of the portion of the fluid that comes through that is being retarded by the friction. This is basically the friction force of viscosity of the fluid. The retarding force is given to us as, FR=-Advdr. This force keeps the fluid from flowing through the pipe. represents the coefficient of friction and area is the surface area of the fluid which is circumference of the cross section multiplied by the length of the tube FR=-2rLdvdr. Now, why is there a negative sign in front of the equation? This is because as the liquid goes further away from the center, the velocity decreases so it is a negative change in the velocity as the function of r. *An important thing to notice in these equations is during the constant travel of the fluid, FD=FR. If the driving force is larger than the retarding force, than the fluid is accelerating and vice versa. FD=FR(P1-P2)r2=-2rLdvdr. We are trying to find the velocity as a function of rso for somehow we have to solve this equation for velocity. Notice that there are things that we can cancel on both sides. After, we are going to isolate dvdron one side.(P1-P2)r2=-2rLdvdr(P1-P2)r=-2Ldvdr-dvdr=(P1-P2)r2LBefore we integrate both sides, we want the differential drto be on the right side of the equation.-dv=(P1-P2)rdr2LNow we will start integrating. When integrating, keep in mind that (P1-P2)2Lis a constant and to include the c(constant) after the integration. -dv=(P1-P2)2Lrdr-v=(P1-P2)2Lr22+cAfter the integration, we want to solve for the c,constant. When r, the radius of the liquid, is equal to R, the diameter of the tube, then the velocity of the liquid will equal to 0. Let's try and plug this information into the equation.0=(P1-P2)4LR2+cc= -(P1-P2)4LR2 (we will add this equation back into -v=(P1-P2)2Lr22+c)-v=(P1-P2)4Lr2-(P1-P2)4LR2Now we can combine and simplify the equation.-=(P1-P2)4L(r2-R2)Since there is a negative sign, we will move it to the right side which results in flipping the R and r.=(P1-P2)4L(R2-r2)Notice that v is is the function of the r2which makes it a parabolic equation. However, (R2-r2)shows that it is an inverted parabola instead of a regular parabola that is opening up. Figure 3 below shows the graph of the fluid's velocity in respect to the radius. Figure 3Poiseuille's Law and the Discharge Rate:Since we understand the derivation of the Poiseuille's Law, we can now apply this concept to calculate the discharge rate of the fluid coming through a pipe, understanding that the velocity of the fluid forms a parabolic shape. We are going to say the discharge rate by definition is the amount of volume per unit that comes through the pipe is equal to the cross section area times the velocity. We are going to express the function as Q. If Q=dVdt=Av, then dQ is the discharge rate of a "sleeve" of fluid coming through the pipe. The sleeve is the position of a distance, r away from the pipe and it has a thickness of dr.Therefore we can say that,dQ=vdA Since we know the v, we can plug it into the equation. And the A, area, of course would equal to the circumference times the thickness (dr).dQ=(P1-P2)4L(R2-r2)2rdrThis equation would be the discharge rate of the small little amount. To find the discharge rate of the entire pipe, we will integrate it this from r=0 to R.Q=0RdQ=(P1-P2)24L0RR2rdr-0Rr3drIntegrating this function gives us,Q=(P1-P2)2LR2r22-r440RQ=(P1-P2)2LR2R22-R44Q=(P1-P2)2LR44Q=(P1-P2)8LR4 This equation calculates the amount of fluid that will flow through the pipe depending upon, the radius of the pipe, the length of the pipe, coefficient of viscosity of the fluid, and the difference of the pressure between the segment of the pipe. Medical Application:Hagen-Poiseuille's Law can be applied into the medical field when it comes to determining the rate of the IV, also known as a intravenous fluid. Even though this equation only refers to Newtonian fluids and straight tubes, this equation clearly depicts the relationship in blood vessels with radius and viscosity. You can apply this to determine which one is the most suitable IV.Example:A hypotensive patient requires immediate infusion of intravenous saline. If the goal is to infuse the saline as fast as possible, which is the preferred route of administration: a standard triple lumen central line (length 20 cm, radius of each lumen 0.84mm), or a standard 16 gauge peripheral IV (length 4 cm, radius 1.2 mm)? We can start by using the Hagen Poiseuille's Law Q=(P1-P2)8LR4 (P1-P2)=8LQr4And given that the (P1-P2)=QR, we can derive the corollary to Poiseuille's Law to solve this problem.R=8Lr4We can compare the resistance to the central line and the resistance to the IV. If the ratio is greater than 1, than the resistance to the central line is greater so we must use the IV and vise versa. RCLRIV=8LCLrCL48LIVrIV4Simplifying and plugging in the given values, we get, RCLRIV=LCLrCL4LIVrIV4=(20cm)(0.84mm)4(4cm)(1.2mm)421This means that a central line port has about 21x the resistance as a 16 gauge IV. IV fluids will infuse 21x as fast through the IV compared to a central line.Conclusion: Hagen Poiseuille's equation shows and calculates the flow rate of the fluid depending on its radius, length, and viscosity. Surprisingly, this implications are often used by many doctors and scientists when deciding upon the best medications for their patients. I also think that this derived equation can be used in many other fields such as physics and biology. By taking my time to explore and research on this Hagen Poiseuille's equation, I became more fond in the field of biology and how this correlated to the length and viscosity of blood veins. Researching a little more than the equation, I found something that was really intriguing in the field of medicine. I learned that this equation can be used to find the discharge rate and how much the patient has improved from the intravenous fluids. However, I think I could have made some changes and improvements to my paper. I think I could have included more statistics to this paper rather than just focusing on the calculus part of the derivation. Also, I could have made the mathematics part shorter and included the implications of this equation in the world and how it affects the lives of individuals today. Also, instead of using graphs and pictures from other research professors, I could have include more of my own graphs. Despite all the possible changes to this paper, this exploration paper has strong grounds to how the Poiseuille's equation came to life and how it relates to the discussion of length, radius and viscosity. After writing this paper, I am more determined about what I want to be when I grow up. I would like to further my studies in this field of biology and math in the future. Overall, I really enjoyed writing this paper.


text:
Kim Jones-Fearing MD DFAPA
Dr. Jones-Fearing is Graduate of Howard University College of Medicine. She completed her psychiatry residency at Georgetown University and has over 20 years of experience in the field of psychiatry. She is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and active in advocating for mental health access to treatment. Her areas of interest include mood disorders, attention deficit disorder and anxiety disorders. Dr. Jones-Fearing sees patients at all four of our FCS Outpatient Mental Health Clinic locations.


text:
This program is designed to provide advanced drivers with a data based coaching day that will aid in the fine tuning of their driving technique, measure the efficacy of various experiments, provide a means of comparison with other drivers and instructors, and establish individual base lines to monitor progress in many significant areas.
How It Works
Students will be driving Scandia F-2000 race cars equipped with GPS based data loggers. Critical data, such as lap times, segment times, speed, r.p.m. and bi-axis g-forces will be recorded. Number of sessions and over all track time will be determined based on each individual's program, but will generally far exceed that of a normal testing day. Data will then be downloaded and made available to drivers. In addition to the generation of a track map, data will be available by session, lap and corner (segment). Between sessions, drivers and instructors will review, analyze, and compare data, with an eye towards identifying problems and improving upon results. Line and technique experimentation will also be encouraged. Basic car setup analysis and experimentation may also be included.
How It Will Help
All drivers, in varying degrees, are faced with limitations that impede their development. In-car information processing, post session recall, and in many cases, objective analysis are among the most significant.
Data acquisition expedites the development process by providing an objective, empirical record of what transpires on the track, and allows for in depth post session analysis. It also records progress from lap to lap and session to session, quantifies the results of experiments, and provides a method of comparison with other drivers.
Goals of the Program
While the intention of the program is to remain flexible, with respect to each driver's goals and requirements, typical areas the program is aimed at include:
Establishing & reaching braking thresholds
Establishing & reaching cornering thresholds
Improvement in footwork
Line Experimentation
Technique Experimentation
Consistency/Mistake Minimization
Smoothness/Minimizing Inputs
Reducing "Coast"
Finding max entry speed
Shifting technique
Developing new techniques
In short, it is an additional tool to help you become a faster and more consistent driver.
Who Is It For?
While this program would almost certainly benefit any driver, it is probably of greatest value to more experienced drivers; those who's learning curve has begun to flatten out, and are finding it difficult to get that extra "10th."
Enrollment is limited.
If you're interested in enrolling in this program, please follow this link.


text:
Find all the information you need about travel to Orkney during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Experience the islands from home, thanks to our talented food, drink and crafts producers.
Bring a taste of the islands to your own home. Shop for a range of Orkney food, drink and crafts online.
With hundreds of miles of coastline and beautiful beaches you'll have no trouble finding your own space in Orkney.
Thinking of more than just a holiday? Find out about life in Orkney and opportunities for work, study and business.


text:
Key request workflow on Android PSDK
Client code passes data to an Android API.
On Android, your client code should pass in the license server URL and accompanying license acquisition data using the following API:
class DRMManager { ... /* * Set the license server URL and attached request properties that the PSDK should use for the passed in drm type. * * drmType: "com.widevine.alpha" for widevine. "com.microsoft.playready" for playready. * licenseServerURL: self explanatory. * requestProperties: key value pairs to be attached as HTTP headers to all license request sent to the passed in license server URL. Pass in * NULL if none is needed. */ public static void setProtectionData(String drmType, String licenseServerURL, Map<String, String> requestProperties); }
After successfully calling this API, your code can then start content playback the usual way. If the you are using Expressplay, you can either pass the token as part of the license server URL or as a request property and strip out the token from the license server URL.
Some Android devices support both Widevine and PlayReady. On such devices the customer may want to force PSDK to decrypt the content using a particular DRM if the content has multiple DRM headers. This can be done by calling the following API before playback:
class MediaPlayer { ... /* * drm: pass in "com.widevine.alpha" for widevine or "com.microsoft.playready" for playready * */ public void setDRMScheme(String drm) throws MediaPlayerException }


text:
AS a carpenter, Warrnambool's Lucas Brown is used to some hard work.
So when the chance came to deploy overseas with the Army Reserve, Lucas did not think twice.
The Lance Corporal is now on his second trip to the Solomon Islands, as part of Operation ANODE, which is the Australian Defence Force's contribution to the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI).
"I'm a section 2IC (Second-in-Command), so I'm in charge of the administration and welfare of the guys in my section. We're heading home soon so everyone's starting to relax and enjoy the experience," he said.
While many of his counterparts are experiencing life on deployment for the first time, Lucas, 23, says he's loved the chance to try a new position this time around.
"I first deployed here in 2010 as a platoon signaller, so it was a completely different role and it's been really interesting being able to do two different jobs on separate rotations.
"It has been very interesting this time around. The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) were always assisted by us on patrols but we've given them all the responsibility now so it's great to see they've really stepped up and are looking after themselves."
The military contribution to RAMSI will shortly return home and allow the RSIPF to do the job on their own with limited assistance from RAMSI's Participating Police Force.
"They're doing a great job. A lot of the Australian police here talk really highly of the RSIPF and think they're doing excellent work within the community. They've come a long way over the last few years so there's not much for us to do any more."
Lucas says he's looking forward to getting back home to catch up with his parents and four older sisters and helping out in the family business.
"I'm a carpenter/builder in Warrnambool, my father runs Ian Brown Washing Machine Services and I used to work for him when I was younger so I'll help out there for rest of the year.
Before he gets back to work, Lucas plans to head off on an overseas adventure of a different kind and he will not be packing his uniform.
"I'm planning a trip to Europe for seven weeks. I'm going to Prague, Berlin, Vienna, and Croatia. Plus I've got some mates in Germany at the moment so we'll meet up and go to Oktoberfest in Munich which will be great."
He said of the highlights of the deployment has been getting the chance to train alongside the 30 Tongan soldiers who form part of the Australian-led Combined Task Force 635 in Solomon Islands.
"The Tongans are awesome, I love them! Those are guys I'll go anywhere with. I've made some really good friends.
"We did a survival training week where we were assisted by the Tongans and they took us out in to the jungle and taught us a lot and they're always good for a laugh."
We welcome you to take our 20 second survey and help us improve the site.
We welcome you to take our 20 second survey and help us improve the site.


text:
Dr Justin Hunt will be doing a talk-back on the 13th February for a new production of the HIV Monologues at Miranda London.
The show is £12 for students (plus booking fee). Attend on the 13th February for a Q&A with Professor Hunt and some medical professionals working at Dean Street discussing the socio-cultural issues surrounding HIV/AIDS in London.


text:
This video is absolutely funny. Have you ever tried to imitate your dog? Have you ever noticed how he reacts when he just sees you doing that? This brilliant owner did, and the way his boxer dog reacted was the funniest ever, and the most adorable. He imitated his boxer dog's actions, and also his face reactions. What I like most about this video is the boxer dog's reaction, I feel like he is saying, "What happened to my owner, why is he doing like this?," I felt like the dog was very confused about what's happening, especially when it came to the treat part, the boxer dog felt the victory. The owner imitated him perfectly, the looks, the barks, the moves, the four legged walking – it was the same, it was totally funny that you won't stop laughing on this.
A boxer dog is the best to imitate, they are amazing, and they are very lovely. It's one of the most adorable breeds ever. The boxer dog is the smartest and the strongest of all. A Boxer dog is smart, incredible, and so protective. Their life span is from 9 to 10 years, and litter average from 6 to 8 puppies. The boxer dog's coat is short haired and smooth which makes it easy to groom. A boxer dog is curious and full of energy which makes them always active and playful; boxer dogs are easy to train and learning new skills and tricks, being a "full of energy" dog making him a great partner in adventures and games. A Boxer dog doesn't like to be treated harshly, so when you put him/her on training, make sure it's under funny conditions.
Watch this funny owner imitating his boxer dog, and if you find it cool, share it with your family and friends.


text:
We have a pool of volunteers from different churches in Wellington, Hutt Valley and Porirua who are dedicated to making a difference in our community. We are a non-denominational Christian organisation. You don't need qualifications or experience just a caring heart and a willingness to lend a helping hand.
All volunteers attend a training day which covers drug and alcohol information, communication skills, legal knowledge and evangelism. We also like our people to be trained in first aid and courses are run from time to time.
Volunteers are rostered on in a team of 4-6 people to go out every three to six weeks on Friday or Saturday nights. Without the assistance of these volunteers Drug-ARM would not be able to go out on the streets as we do.
Date: Saturday 14 November 2020
Venue: River of Life Centre, 774 High Street (corner of High Street & Lincoln Avenue), Lower Hutt
Time: 9.30am to 3.00pm (approx)
If you are interested in becoming involved in the Drug-ARM street van ministry, this training is a pre-requisite to joining the team. New volunteers will learn from professionals working with people with addictions, drug trends, communication skills, street stories, how to keep safe on the streets and evangelism. New volunteers are asked to complete an application form and have it signed by their church pastor/leader. At the end of the training day new volunteers have an informal interview with two committee members to discuss their application and answer any questions they may have.
We encourage anyone interested in joining Drug-ARM to go out with a team as a guest before becoming a volunteer. To arrange this please email: email@example.com and someone will be in touch with you.
If you have any questions about becoming a volunteer, would like to go out as a guest with a team, and/or would like to request an application form, please email: firstname.lastname@example.com – we would love to hear from you!
Please contact us if you would like to get involved. We are always looking for more people to join us!


text:
MOORHEAD, Minn. — Voters in Minnesota's 7th Congressional District might be poised to do something really strange. They might be willing to blatantly give away their power so their representative has a different letter behind her name.
It's 2020. Why should we expect anything to make sense?
Longtime Rep. Collin Peterson, a conservative Democrat, is in the fight for his political life against Michelle Fischbach, a Republican. Smart money says things will have to go exactly right for Peterson to retain his seat. The 7th will vote strongly for President Donald Trump.
This is baffling. Not because of the politics, which are obvious, but because of practicality. Peterson is the chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, one of the most powerful positions when it comes to influencing U.S. farm and ranch policy.
Collin Peterson (D) 75% Michelle Fischbach (R) 22% Other 3%
Who will you vote for in Minnesota's 7th Congressional District race?
Thank you for voting!
Collin Peterson (D)
Michelle Fischbach (R)
And he's right here from the 7th District, where 85% of the land is in crops and the economy revolves largely around farming.
"It's a once in a lifetime thing to have the chairman of House ag be the representative who's from your district," says Kelly Erickson, a farmer from Hallock, Minn. "If Collin is gone, it's not going to happen again."
Yet there's a good chance Peterson could lose to Fischbach, a partisan who knows little of agriculture and will have no influence in the House if she wins.
Like we said, strange.
That's why Erickson and others connected to Moorhead-based American Crystal Sugar started the Committee for Stronger Rural Communities, a Super PAC tasked with helping get Peterson re-elected. Erickson is on the Crystal Sugar board of directors and serves as the CSRC chair.
"We all feel it's really important that Collin gets re-elected," Erickson said. "It's not just sugar beets. It's all sectors of ag. Everybody in ag knows that Collin is very important to agriculture."
The CSRC is nearing its goal of raising $1 million. Some of the cash will be used for television and digital ads supporting Peterson, the first of which just went up.
It features Erik Bakke, a farmer from Ulen, Minn., who is also a Crystal Sugar board member. The gist is that Peterson, because of his moderate nature, is the only one who can get things done for 7th District farmers.
"Our district is so rural and so dependent on agriculture that it's a little surprising (the race) is even close," Bakke said. "But politics are getting so polarized, and it's just such a different atmosphere. I think it's important to remember that we have a guy from the 7th District who can get things done for us. Collin delivers."
In a 2019 New York Times article, Bakke was presented as a Trump voter who supports Peterson. When asked if he was voting for Trump again, Bakke demurred by calling himself "undecided at this point."
"You sometimes wonder if anybody out in D.C. is thinking about the best interests of the people back home," Bakke said. "I know that if we had more Collins in D.C., we'd get more accomplished."
Whether the rest of the 7th District feels that way remains to be seen. And that includes farmers, who might be willing to trade their power for a different letter.


text:
Microsoft offer to buy Yahoo! -- or Google's plans to intervene -- but it looks like round one has Yahoo! saying "no thanks" to Microsoft's $44.6 billion buyout offer. Apparently some of the number crunchers inside Yahoo! feel like the number is too low of a valuation, while others want to get tied up with Google to improve search revenues -- which some seem to think might have some antitrust implications. Pah, "antitrust implications." At least Microsoft remembers when men were men, and monopolies were monopolies.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]


text:
Fortop ESCHA distrubiter Netherlands, Belgium and UK
ESCHA new supplier fortop
With the German connector- and housing manufacturer ESCHA, we immediately represent a brand that complements our product portfolio at the right spot. A lot of our customers are regularly searching for individual connectivity for their specific applications. We are now looking forward to providing that exactly for our customers. Moreover, ESCHA has a comprehensive portfolio with high-grade and reliable round connectors as well as custom-made solutions which also perfectly complement our previous range of supply."
Worldwide network
"We are pleased to have located fortop as a sales partner who demands the same of himself as we demand of ourselves: enthusiasm for technology, focus on high-grade products, and solutions as well as lots of emphasis on details.", says Dipl.-Ing. Ralf Rodert, Sales Management at ESCHA and adds: "fortop is well-networked and disposes of relevant industry experience. Together with fortop, we plan to enhance ESCHA presence in the market, conquer new markets and provide our common customers with the typical ESCHA service."
ESCHA offers its products and services around the globe through own sales- and worldwide sales partners network. With production sites in Germany, Czech Republic, and China as well as licensed production the USA and Mexico, the company guarantees high availability and constant quality of its products. View products by ESCHA in the webshop.
ESCHA data cables ESCHA M12 Power ESCHA Sensor and actuator cables ESCHA power cables


text:
Stroud prepares for massive civil unrest if a hard Brexit goes through
Strategic planning or business as usual?
Strategic planning or business as usual?
Work starts at the old Rooksmoor Mills site
Pizza at the new shopping centre development
Work has started on the Sub Rooms with a huge amount of scaffolding covering the front and sides to facilitate the repairs to the roof.
Is the 16th Centry Whitefriars monastery under Gloucester bus station?
Shopping centre refit brings the worlds supply of scaffolding into Stroud.
Merrywalks shopping centre is to get a new name.
Some photographs of the Merrywalks shopping centre before it gets redeveloped.
A number of building are being pulled down on the Lightpill industrial estate.
Copyright © 2020 | WordPress Theme by MH Themes


text:
Sign up to our newsletter
Don't worry, we won't give your email to any third parties
and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Despite being an economics graduate with a career as a loan analyst, Joe decided it was time for a career change. After a gratifying experience dabbling in basic UX and product design side projects, combined with a lifelong interest in...


text:
(WFLA) – A leading research group claims harmful levels of a weed killer linked to cancer are showing up in foods and cereals marketed to children.
An analysis by the non-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG) found trace amounts of glyphosate in a number of products including Cheerios and Quaker Oats granola bars.
Scientists tested 29 products and found that almost three-quarters of the samples they tested contained higher levels of glyphosate than deemed safe, according to the report.
"That does not mean, 'Stop eating this bowl of Cheerios right now!' But then when you think about how people eat these oats," Olga Naidenko, senior science adviser at EWG told Mother Jones. "That's when those numbers start to come into concern."
Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup, is the most widely used herbicide in the country due to the widespread adoption of GMOs. According to the IARC, the herbicide has additional chemical ingredients that are "probably carcinogenic to humans."
Last Friday, a groundskeeper was awarded $289 million in damages after a jury found glyphosate was a significant cause of his terminal cancer.
Monsanto (which is now owned by Bayer) said on Monday it planned to challenge the verdict on the grounds that the judge should have barred scientific evidence.
"More than 800 scientific studies, the US EPA, the National Institutes of Health and regulators around the world have concluded that glyphosate is safe for use and does not cause cancer," said a company representative.
The full list of products tested and results from the EWG is available below:
Potentially unsafe levels of glyphosate
- Back to Nature Classic Granola
- Barbara's Multigrain Spoonfuls, Original, Cereal
- Bob's Red Mill Steel Cut Oats
- Cheerios Toasted Whole Grain Oat Cereal
- Giant Instant Oatmeal Original Flavor
- Great Value Original Instant Oatmeal
- Kellogg's Cracklin' Oat Bran oat cereal
- Lucky Charms (without marshmallows)
- Market Pantry Instant Oatmeal, Strawberries & Cream
- Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars, Oats 'n Honey
- Nature Valley Granola Protein Oats 'n Honey
- Quaker Dinosaur Eggs, Brown Sugar, Instant Oatmeal
- Quaker Old Fashioned Oats
- Quaker Simply Granola Oats, Honey, Raisin and Almonds
- Quaker Steel Cut Oats
- Umpqua Oats, Maple Pecan
Safe levels of glyphosate
- Back to Nature Banana Walnut Granola Clusters
- Bob's Red Mill Organic Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
- Kellogg's Nutrigrain Soft Baked Breakfast Bars, Strawberry
- KIND Vanilla, Blueberry Clusters with Flax Seeds
- Nature's Path Organic Old Fashioned Organic Oats
- Whole Foods Bulk Bin conventional rolled oats
No glyphosate detected
- 365 Organic Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats
- Cascadian Farm Organic Harvest Berry, granola bar
- Kashi Heart to Heart Organic Honey Toasted cereal
- Nature's Path Organic Honey Almond granola
- Simple Truth Organic Instant Oatmeal, Original


text:
With only 2 months to go until the start of Lion Camp's 2019 safari season, our managers Vicky and Wayne are back in camp and busy getting everything ready for our reopening on 20 May. It's an incredible time to be at Lion Camp. The wafwa (oxbow lagoon) in front of camp is full of water making it possible to climb into a boat moored to the main area deck and travel out to the Luangwa River.
The team aren't the only ones in camp this time of year – we've had lions sleeping in the workshop, the vehicle park and on the main entrance steps! One of our local leopards was spotted last week in the staff dining area and outside the kitchen and as you can imagine, there are also plenty of hippos in the lagoon in front of camp. Vicky was absolutely thrilled to see a brand new baby hippo the size of a warthog in the lagoon a couple of days ago.
This year the Luangwa River burst its banks at many points and filled its oxbow lagoons. Thanks to its treehouse design Lion Camp stayed dry but you might recognise this sausage tree as one of our favourite sundowner spots. Don't worry, by the time the season starts it will be on dry ground once again.
Some of the new and exciting projects that are going on in camp at the moment include a complete renovation of the Lion Camp rondovels. These rondovels were part of the original Lion Camp many years ago and are being renovated to house a small gym, photographic studio, shop area and a small nature library. We are also removing the step between the sleeping and lounge area in the luxury suites so the suites will be on one level throughout.
We are very excited to announce that in 2018 Lion Camp became one of the first carbon neutral safari camps in South Luangwa through purchasing verified carbon offsets from Biocarbon Partners. In line with the our sustainability ethos, this initiative not only neutralises the carbon footprint of our operations but supports the protection of the forests around the national park, benefiting local communities as well as the wildlife inhabiting these areas.
Going carbon neutral is the latest step in Lion Camp's efforts to reduce its ecological footprint and ensure minimal impact on the environment.
This year Lion Camp is offering a bush dinner to all guests staying with us 3 nights or more. We'll be serving the same delicious cuisine paired with fine South African wines but in a bush location under the stars. Follow us on Instagram or Facebook for Bush Dinner photos when the season starts.
Our 2020 rates have been released and we are pleased to announce that there is no overall increase from 2019. In an effort to simplify our rates we have moved to 2 seasons, a peak season in August & September and a shoulder season in May, June, July and October.
Stay 4 Pay 3
We are also excited to let you know that our Stay 4 Pay 3 special is being extended to 2020 bookings confirmed before 31 December 2019.
Honeymoon Special 2019 & 2020
Honeymoon couples can now enjoy a free upgrade to our stunning Sunset Suite. This suite was designed with honeymoon couples in mind. It is the most secluded of our suites, set in a prime location at the end of the walkway. It has a wrap around deck on 2 sides with 180 degree views of the plain and an outside bath.
For more information and terms & conditions for these rates & specials please email: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan called it quits after 10 years of marriage, but he still has fond memories!
Quaid said on "Megyn Kelly Today" Monday, "[It was] my most successful relationship."
"When we met, you know, I was the big deal. And then my career [came to a halt]," Dennis admitted. "We'd go out on the streets of New York and it would be like, 'Meg! Meg!' And I have to admit it, I actually did feel like I disappeared. I didn't think I was that small, but I was. It was a growth opportunity. I learned from that."
After Dennis and Meg were divorced, he married Kimberly Buffington, but they ended their marriage after 12 years. He is now dating model Santa Auzina, 32.
The 64-year-old shared, "I like to be in a relationship. I do. It's more fun."
Dennis is also not letting the age difference affect his relationship with Auzina. He said, "We don't think about it. I'm sure a lot of other people do, but hey, they'll just have to get used to it."


text:
No Products in the Cart
Don't get yours in a twist this Christmas! We have a huge variety of colours, sizes and styles on offer, that makes decorating your home so much easier. Tinsel is great for use on trees, garlands, wreaths, walls or doors - in fact, just about anywhere!


text:
Grognak the Barbarian (Fallout 4)
|For an overview of this item's appearances throughout the Fallout series, see Grognak the Barbarian.
Grognak the Barbarian
Three of the 10 issues of the magazine
Every issue of Grognak the Barbarian you collect adds a rank in the Barbarian perk, which grants a slight increase to melee and unarmed damage."— Fallout 4 loading screen hints
Grognak the Barbarian is a perk magazine in Fallout 4.
Grognak the Barbarian was a series of comic books published and manufactured by Hubris Comics in the mid-21st century. These pre-War comic books portray the fictional adventures of an epic hero in a prehistoric fantasy setting.
These magazines consist of a 10-issue run that, upon reading, award an additional rank into the Barbarian perk, which upon unlocking, raises the critical damage of melee and unarmed attacks by 5%.
|Location description
|Base ID
|Wicked Shipping fleet lockup
|Southwest end of the main warehouse in the small office, on the desk with the key.
|Andrew Station
|On the bed of the comic book fan's apartment, just north of the station.
|Sanctuary Hills
|On the counter inside the Sole Survivor's house.
|Corvega assembly plant
|On the top floor of the plant, beside Jared's terminal. Going up the stairs and jumping across a collapsed catwalk it required to get to Jared's room.
|Vault 75 or Vault 81
|Boston Common
|In the bandstand, near the skeleton, close to Park Street station entrance.
|Mass Pike interchange
|On the toilet inside the Gunner camp, by the Power Armor Station.
|Back Street Apparel
|On a table in the middle of the "living room" on the upper floor of the store.
|Hyde Park
|In the raider camp on the roof of the buildings south of the main road.
|Museum of Witchcraft
|On the table in the dungeon, upper floor, south wall.
Behind the scenes
- The issue entitles "Cometh the Trickster" is a reference to Thief: The Dark Project A stealth game in which the primary antagonist was named the Trickster, with a very similar physical appearance. The scene pictured mimics the cutscene in which the Trickster first reveals his true nature. The issue is notably found in a recreation of Lead Designer Emil Pagliarulo's childhood bedroom. Before being hired by Bethesda, Emil was a level designer on Thief's Gold edition, as well as it's sequel, designing some of Thief II's most popular missions.
- The mechanics of stealth in Fallout 3, New Vegas and Fallout 4 are based on the same light and sound stealth metrics of the original Thief game, albeit simplified.
- This forms one of a few references to Emil Pagliarulo's time at Looking Glass Studios.


text:
Happening now in France
Places to go
Things to do
Plan your trip
Festivals, exhibitions, concerts and major events... On France.fr and everywhere in France, there's always something going on. In light of the measures France has taken concerning coronavirus, we advise readers to consult the relevant organiser's website for specific updates on each event.
"Joan Miró: the color of my dreams" exhibition in Paris
Until 4 February
The Festival of Lights (Fête des Lumières) in Lyon
Until 9 December
Practical info
Coronavirus COVID-19: the situation in France
Consult French government recommendations on the travel and health measures in place.
General information and practical conversions
Currency, electrical voltage, units of measurement... useful day-to-day information for your stay…
Music, maestro! A round of applause for the musicians on the metro and in the jazz clubs, as well as the orchestra and singers at the Opera. We'll rummage through bargain bins in record shops, and make even the guitars blush in the music shops in Pigalle. Concerts and festivals, we'll try it all: from rock in Saint-Malo to blues in Juan-les-Pins, musicals in Aix-en-Provence and piano in La Roque-d'Anthéron, and even heavy metal at Hellfest. And on 21 June, we'll celebrate national music day in the streets.
Filter by
with a touch of France
Ready for a concert in your living room?
If you can't come to the music, let the music come to you! This is the Philharmonie de Paris'…
France through the speakers
8 (almost) daily live concerts with French…
Music won't stop just because we're stuck at home! French artists are taking note and a certain…
At home journeys
4 up and coming talents in the French electronic…
An icon in the French electro scene, Agoria, the DJ and producer from Lyon, is launching "Re:…
France in your ears
3 unusual audio escapes for lockdown
Confinement boredom starting to set in? Now's the time for some audio escapism by way of three…
Practical Information


text:
Ford has teamed up with Amazon to bring Alexa into its cars, the automaker announced at a press dinner at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
The integration will let Ford users with SYNC 3 access Alexa, Amazon's cloud-based voice service, inside the car to do things like check the weather, play audiobooks, add items to shopping lists, and even control Alexa enabled smart home devices.
For example, you could tell Alexa to set your smart thermometer to a certain temperature or turn on the lights at your house while you're driving. Ford will begin rolling out this feature in its vehicles with SYNC 3 this summer.
What's more though, the automaker also announced that owners of some vehicles will be able to also use Alexa while at home to perform certain vehicle functions beginning later this month.
Owners of the Ford Focus Electric, Fusion Energi, and the C-MAX Energi will soon be able to use their Amazon Echo or Dot at home to do things like lock or start the car remotely by simply saying "Alexa, ask my FordMobile to lock my car," or "Alexa, ask my FordMobile to start my car."
Owners of these vehicles will also be able to check the range of their vehicle using Alexa voice commands.
Ford said it plans to offer these Alexa-to-vehicle commands in more vehicles with SYNC Connect at a later date.
The integration is made possible by Ford's SYNC 3 AppLink, which is a linking technology that connects your smartphone and its applications to the car's controls system and display.
Last year at CES, Ford showed off concepts of ways Alexa could be used with a connected vehicle, but the company said it decided to actually pursue the integration because it's what made most sense for its customers.
"We're looking for what is going to deliver the best experience inside the vehicle, and we are looking to embrace technology. We are not running away from technology, we are not afraid of it," Don Butler, Ford's executive director of connected vehicle and services, told Business Insider. "We want to deliver what is best for customers."
NOW WATCH: How Amazon can become the world's first trillion-dollar business
Business Insider Emails & Alerts
Site highlights each day to your inbox.
Follow Business Insider Australia on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.


text:
AHRQ Annual Report Shows More Americans Have Health Insurance and Receive Safer Care, but Gains Remain Uneven Among Minorities
August 15, 2017
AHRQ Stats: Coverage for Patients With Chronic Conditions
About 15 percent of Americans under 65 with no chronic conditions lacked health insurance throughout 2015, down from about 23 percent in 2013. The trend was similar among nonelderly adults with at least one chronic condition, whose uninsurance rate dropped to about 9 percent in 2015 from 16 percent in 2013. (Source: AHRQ, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Research Findings #36: Uninsurance and Insurance Transitions, 2012-2013 through 2014-2015: Estimates for U.S., Non-Elderly Adults by Health Status, Presence of Chronic Conditions, and State Medicaid Expansion Status.)
Today's Headlines:
- AHRQ Annual Report Shows More Americans Have Health Insurance and Receive Safer Care, but Gains Remain Uneven Among Minorities.
- Patient Mortality Declines Shown at Hospitals Using Surgical Checklist Program.
- Highlights From AHRQ's Patient Safety Network.
- AHRQ Seeks Nominations to Its National Advisory Council.
- Community Health Center Patients More Likely To Have Insurance After Medicaid Expansion and Subsidies.
- AHRQ in the Professional Literature.
AHRQ Annual Report Shows More Americans Have Health Insurance and Receive Safer Care, but Gains Remain Uneven Among Minorities
AHRQ's 2016 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report shows that the quality of health care continues to improve gradually each year but gains remain uneven among minorities. Some of the biggest improvements are in measures of "person-centered care," such as communication between doctors and their patients, and the safety of medical care, such as fewer complications among hospital patients who were taking anticoagulants other than warfarin.The report also indicates that fewer people were uninsured, as 11 percent of people under age 65 were uninsured in 2016 compared with 18 percent in 2010. However, most disparities in health care quality continued to persist, with no significant improvements for any racial or ethnic groups, especially people in poor, low-income and uninsured households as well as blacks and Hispanics. As a companion to the report, AHRQ's Chartbook on Patient Safety provides new data on dozens of safety measures, such the rate of central line-associated bloodstream infections decreasing by more than 40 percent between 2009 and 2014. Access an AHRQ Views blog on AHRQ's new report and chartbook.
Patient Mortality Declines Shown at Hospitals Using Surgical Checklist Program
Patient deaths following surgery declined significantly from 2011 to 2013 at South Carolina hospitals where staff completed a voluntary checklist of patient safety safeguards, according to an AHRQ-funded study. The mortality rate following inpatient surgery declined 22 percent among patients at 14 hospitals that completed the checklist-based safety program. The checklist included safeguards such as identifying patients by name and date of birth before administering anesthesia, confirming surgical procedures to be performed and having an advance team briefing about the operative plan and potential difficulties. As a team-based tool, the checklist was designed to promote stronger communication among surgical staff to increase patient safety. The study's authors concluded that broad, ongoing participation of both frontline clinicians and hospital leadership is necessary to produce behavioral change among surgical teams. The study found no change in mortality rates among 44 other hospitals statewide that did not complete the program. Access the abstract of the study, which was published in the Annals of Surgery.
Highlights From AHRQ's Patient Safety Network
AHRQ's Patient Safety Network (PSNet) highlights journal articles, books and tools related to patient safety. Articles featured this week include:
- Association of changing hospital readmission rates with mortality rates after hospital discharge.
- Effects of the I-PASS nursing handoff bundle on communication quality and workflow.
- Prescription opioid analgesics commonly unused after surgery: a systematic review.
Review additional new publications in PSNet's current issue or access recent cases and commentaries in AHRQ's WebM&M (Morbidity and Mortality Rounds on the Web).
AHRQ Seeks Nominations to Its National Advisory Council
Nominations are being accepted to AHRQ's National Advisory Council, a 21-member volunteer panel that meets three times a year to advise the agency's director and the HHS secretary on matters related to AHRQ's mission. Nominees may nclude experts in health care quality and improvement, clinical practice, health insurance, health care administration, economics, informatics, health care law, public policy or the private sector. The agency also welcomes nominees from small health care systems as well as state and local human services organizations. The nomination deadline is Aug. 27.
Community Health Center Patients More Likely To Have Insurance After Medicaid Expansion and Subsidies
In states that expanded Medicaid under provisions of the Affordable Care Act, primary care visits to community health centers where a patient had no insurance dropped by 57 percent between 2012 and 2015, a new AHRQ study showed. That compares to a 20 percent decline in the uninsured rate in states that did not expand Medicaid. In addition, the rate of visits paid for by private insurance were 2.7 times higher in non-expansion states, but did not increase in states that expanded Medicaid. Researchers examined electronic health record data in 13 states from more than 875,000 patients between the ages of 19 and 64 who had more than one ambulatory visit to a community health center between 2012 and 2015. Access the abstract of the article, which was published in the Journal of Primary Care & Community Health.
AHRQ in the Professional Literature
A new era in quality measurement: the development and application of quality measures. Adirim T, Meade K, Mistry K, et al. Pediatrics 2017 Jan;139(1). Access the abstract on PubMed®.
Free and total p-cresol sulfate levels and infectious hospitalizations in hemodialysis patients in CHOICE and HEMO. Banerjee T, Meyer TW, Shafi T, et al. Medicine 2017 Feb;96(6):e5799. Access the abstract on PubMed®.
Experience with decision support system and comfort with topic predict clinicians' responses to alerts and reminders. Bauer NS, Carroll AE, Saha C, et al. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2016 Apr;23(e1):e125-30. Epub 2015 Nov 13. Access the abstract on PubMed®.
Provider variation in responses to warnings: do the same providers run stop signs repeatedly? Beeler PE, Orav EJ, Seger DL, et al. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2016 Apr;23(e1):e93-8. Epub 2015 Oct 24. Access the abstract on PubMed®.
Active subjects of passive monitoring: responses to a passive monitoring system in low-income independent living. Berridge C. Ageing Soc 2017 Mar;37(3):537-60. Epub 2015 Nov 13. Access the abstract on PubMed®.
The high and rising costs of obesity to the US health care system. Biener A, Cawley J, Meyerhoefer C. J Gen Intern Med 2017 Apr;32(Suppl 1):6-8. Access the abstract on PubMed®.
The long-term impacts of Medicaid exposure in early childhood: evidence from the program's origin. Boudreaux MH, Golberstein E, McAlpine DD. J Health Econ 2016 Jan;45:161-75. Epub 2015 Nov 19. Access the abstract on PubMed®.
Inference and sample size calculation for clinical trials with incomplete observations of paired binary outcomes. Zhang S, Cao J, Ahn C. Stat Med 2017 Feb 20;36(4):581-91. Epub 2016 Nov 10. Access the abstract on PubMed®.


text:
Physicists have known that supermassive black holes at the center of galaxies, also known as active galactic nuclei (AGNs), produce the ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) detected on Earth. However, the mechanism behind this was unknown. A team of scientists from the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in Menlo Park, California, has now come up with a theory that depicts black holes as giant particle accelerators in space.
The mechanism
The rotation of AGNs emits astrophysical jets, or beams of ionized matter, in both directions along the axis of rotation. Most of the jets' energy is stored in powerful magnetic fields that assume a helical shape. The previous simulations done by SLAC scientists had modeled the jet plasma as a fluid. But for this specific study, the team went ahead and modeled the plasma as individual particles.
To be exact, the team's supercomputer ran simulations of 550 billion particles and observed as they moved through the jet, focusing their activity near the "kink instabilities," a region where the jet twists and bends. They discovered that continuous wiggling of the magnetic field produced an electric field. The kink instabilities tangled the magnetic field line to an extent that particles crossed them and were accelerated by the electric fields into energies that could turn into UHECRs.
"What is distinctive and exciting about our recent work… is that it shows that a mechanism that operates naturally in the magnetic field structure known to exist in AGN jets can simultaneously explain the generation of high-energy radiation and high-energy cosmic rays," Frederico Fiuza, who led the study, said to APS Physics.
Neutrino visitor
In another breakthrough, scientists from the IceCube Collaboration have recently traced the origins of a high-energy cosmic particle called a neutrino that traveled 3.7 billion light years to arrive on Earth. It was identified by sensors of the IceCube detector deep inside the Antarctic Ice.
IceCube is an international observatory that consists of more than 5,000 photomultiplier tubes inside a grid that covers one cubic kilometer of ice. When a neutrino hits an atomic nucleus on the ice, it generates a blue light called Cerenkov radiation. With this specific neutrino, the photomultipliers of IceCube picked up blue light and alerted the scientists.
"This identification launches the new field of high-energy neutrino astronomy, which we expect will yield exciting breakthroughs in our understanding of the universe and fundamental physics, including how and where these ultra-high-energy particles are produced… For 20 years, one of our dreams as collaboration was to identify the sources of high-energy cosmic neutrinos, and it looks like we've finally done it!" Doug Cowen, a founding member of the IceCube collaboration, said in a statement (CNN).
The neutrino was identified as having come from a galaxy that has a supermassive, spinning black hole (blazar) in its center and is about 4 billion light-years away from Earth. Though IceCube scientists were able to zero in on the source of the neutrinos, they are yet to finalize where exactly they were produced. "It is clear that the supermassive black hole provides the accelerator power," Francis Halzen from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, said to The New York Times.
The reason why neutrinos attract the interest of physicists is that they have no electrical charge. As such, they are not affected by intergalactic magnetic fields or other forces that might scramble their paths. So if the scientists identify a specific neutrino, it is possible to trace it back to its source with very high accuracy.
Follow us on Twitter or subscribe to our weekly email


text:
Read and rate Travel Journal Entries for Nusa Tenggara Timur, Indonesia
Dec 6, 2009 - West of flores
At 6.30am we took the local bus to labuanbajo. It was a long journey ( 10 hrs ride) but it was almost comfortable as for one time the bus was not full and we had enough space to be at ease. We arrived late in the afternoon to Labuanbajo and we found an hotel which was expensive ( 15$ for the double bungalow…) we wanted to go to Seraya islands the 2 following days if we could find a boat trip to Lombok for after. We went to the travel agencies around and everyone told us that the only boat was on the following morning for a 4days 3nights...Jump to full entry
Dec 5, 2009 - Locals tribes
We woke up around 9am and went to a restaurant around to get our (favorite) breackfast ( banana pancake and mango shake ) we said goodbye to Toine and Sylvester and Rita and we took the bus to Bajawa.. After 7 hours ride, we arrived to Bajawa. The bus stopped just in front of the hotel we choose in the LP ( Edelweis ) and we took a room after being a bit surprised about the price which was really higher than we thought. A guy of the guesthouse, called Alphonse start telling us that he could organize for a good price a tour of the locals...Jump to full entry
Dec 3, 2009 - An amazing sacred volcano
When someone knoc the door I thought I was dreaming. It was really hard to get out the bed… 2 guys were waiting for us. There were 2 scooters, one for each. They drop us almost on the top ( we only had to walk 20 min ) The sun was rising when we arrived to the first 2 lakes. The view was really amazing. The colour of the lakes is indescribable. A mix of deep blue and green. We walked until the view point where we stayed around 1h30. There was the Holland guy ( our neighbor ;-) and a French guy. We decided to go back all together. The walk...Jump to full entry
Dec 2, 2009 - Here we are ! Flores Islands.
We took a local bus from Larantuka to Maumere early in the morning and a car ( with 11 people inside !!! ) from Maumere to Moni. ( the bus journey was much better than the car…)we arrived early in the evening to Moni. Once arrived to Moni, a man insisted to show us a place to stay even if we really wanted to go to a guest house we say on the LP we decided to check as it was already dark and we didn't want to walk in the night with our backpack after a 7 hours journey. We saw a really basic and cheap room ( homestay). We hesitated ( we...Jump to full entry
Dec 1, 2009 - The Incredible Ferry Journey
We arrived to the pier and everyone was looking us especially me… We did not feeling really at ease and I just tried to hide it with my big smile still on my face for everyone even to the no smiley people. We arrived in a big waiting room which was full of Indonesian people, and huge goods bags. Jon was worried and told me that we must had took the cab class. We thought it will be a really long journey. People never stop to look at me, but personally I didn't feel unsafe, just maybe a bit for our bags and stuff more than everything else....Jump to full entry
Apr 26, 2009 - Surfari (Rote, Indonesia)
Stayed the past few days at a camp run by Greg Rogers, Tripp's brother. We had no waves the whole time I was there so didn't get to learn. The resort is Nembrella Beach Resort. Saw a "green flash" sunset for first time ever. This is a phenomena that only happens when sun sets over water on a perfectly clear day. The water takes away colors in the spectrum in reverse order from the air in the atmospher so that ROYGBIV (red, orange, yellow, GREEN, blue, indigo, and violet) dissapears on each end one by water one by air and notice GREEN is in...Jump to full entry
Trip Journal
Sep 15, 2008 - Flores - Abschied von Ankermi
Einen Monat sind wir jetzt da, abgesehen von dem kurzen Ausflug zu den Waljägern auf Lembata, und die Zeit ist uns nicht lang geworden. Unter den "Sail Indonesia"-Teilnehmern waren viele, die einen Großteil ihres Lebens auf den Meeren in allen Teilen der Welt zugebracht haben, mit denen man aber durchaus nicht nur über ihren Sport reden konnte, zB mit Ulla und Peter aus Schweden. Er ist gebürtiger Ungar und war mit seinen Eltern nach dem 2. Weltkrieg nach Wien gekommen und seine Eltern sind dort auch vor Kurzem gestorben. Er selbst ging...Jump to full entry
Trip Journal
Sep 6, 2008 - Ende, Flores
We caught a bus back to Ende a day early for our flight back to Bali (so we could be sure we'd make it!), and had a pretty easy journey back (we're used to travelling inside a smoke-filled boom box now, even with a driver who's determined to make everyone sick! - the scenery makes up for it!). Ende is really spread out, so it feels huge. The tiny part by the harbour was frenetic, but the outskirts (where we stayed) were peaceful, and getting our flights reconfirmed (again) and finding good food were surprisingly easy.Jump to full entry
Sep 3, 2008 - Moni, Flores: Kelimutu, waterfall swimming & banana porridge
We loved Moni, and after 3 days of morning bus journeys, thoroughly enjoyed stopping still for a few days! Moni is a beautiful village, surrounded by rice paddies and Kelimutu volcano, with hot springs and a beautiful waterfall - perfect! We spent lots of our time here at the waterfall, and Tara made some young local friends swimming under (and through!) it. We also took motorbikes up to see the multicoloured lakes at the top of Kelimutu: there are 3 of them, one turquoise, one black, and one brown. The 3 hour walk back down was tiring...Jump to full entry
Aug 27, 2008 - Labuanbajo, Flores
Tara made full use of the 8 hour ferry trip to Flores, and slept and read most of the way - Da got chatting to John, who'd cycled there from England! We arrived at Labuanbajo in Flores, and stayed for 5 nights. It's a fishing village turned tourist town because of the Komodo National Park, and we enjoyed our time here. After a day of arranging our flight back to Bali and deciding how to visit the Komodo dragons (that easily took a day - nothing in Indonesia can be done quickly!), Tara spent 3 days diving (Da snorkled this time 'cos the...Jump to full entry
Aug 26, 2008 - Buses through Bima to Sape, Sumbawa
Today was a long but successful day of bartering, patience, and beautiful scenery which took us from the beach to Hu'u village by motorbike, then (after a long wait followed by a one-and-a-half hour tour of the village to see if anyone else wanted to go) to Bima by Bemo (shared minivan), then, after a very good and cheap Bakso lunch, to Sape by another Bemo. We slept well, ready to get the morning ferry to Flores.Jump to full entry
Aug 24, 2008 - Flores - das neue Ankermi
Flores - das neue Ankermi Nusa Tenggara, unter diesem schönen Namen faßt man die Inseln im Südosten des indonesichen Archipels zusammen, alles was östlich von Bali liegt, also Lombok, Sumbawa, Komodo und Rinca, Flores natürlich, die größte in diesem Inselhaufen und danach die Inseln des Solor- und Alor-Archipels. Dass wir hier so gerne her fahren, liegt nicht nur an dem Korallenmeer mit seinen herrlichen Riffen zum Schnorcheln sondern vor allem an Claudia und Kermi, die hier ein Ressort und eine Tauchbasis betreiben. Seit knapp einem Jahr...Jump to full entry
Trip Journal


text:
04 February 2019 by Valerie Smolders
Decreased glycolysis as metabolic footprint of endothelial cells in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension
Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is caused by non-resolution of thrombi that obstruct main pulmonary arteries and secondary cause vascular remodeling of the pulmonary vasculature. Endothelial cells (EC) lining the vascular wall are an important component in vascular disease development. We speculated that metabolic dysregulation of EC contribute to cellular changes that promote vascular remodeling in CTEPH.
This study used endothelial cells (EC-CTEPH, n=12) isolated from specimen extracted at pulmonary endarterectomy.1 Healthy human pulmonary artery endothelial (HPAE) cells were used as control group in all experiments performed. Expression levels of metabolic enzymes were studied at mRNA and protein level by RT-PCR and western blot, respectively. Glucose consumption and lactate production was measured in the supernatant overlying EC-CTEPH and HPAE using BGEM test cards.
Results are summarized in Table 1. EC-CTEPH showed significantly lower mRNA levels of all glycolytic enzymes analyzed compared to HPAE. Additionally, protein levels of HK2, PFKFB3 and LDH-a were reduced in EC-CTEPH compared to HPAE. Transcript levels of PDK1, inhibitor of PDHA1, and GLUD1, involved in glutamine metabolism, were also downregulated. Fatty acid and pentose phosphate metabolism did not present significant differences between EC-CTEPH and HPAE. A lower glycolytic flux in EC-CTEPH, when compared to HPAE, was observed in terms of glucose consumption (52.9±20.3 vs 44.5±21.4 mg/dL of glucose not consumed)† and lactate production (8.4±2.0 vs 9.3±1.5 mmol/L)†, although no statistical significance was reached.
Our results showed that EC in human CTEPH present a reduced glycolytic metabolism compared to healthy EC. TCA and glutamine metabolism were also downregulated in EC-CTEPH. Other metabolic pathways such as FAO and PPP did not show a compensatory upregulation. More studies need to be performed to determine the role of our findings in EC-CTEPH pathogenesis.
1 Tura-Ceide et al. European Respiratory Journal, 48 (suppl 60) 2016. PA3606
Supported by grants H2020-Marie SkƗodowska-Curie ITN (No. 675527), SEPAR (188/2013,164/2016), SOCAP, FCHP, Fondo de Investigación
Sanitaria (PI15/00582), Miguel Servet by Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CP17/00114) (OTC).


text:
The purpose of this session is to share interesting cases of sino-naso-orbital tumors and tumor-like conditions, selected from the AIRP archives, with radiologic-pathologic correlation. While many of these diseases require biopsy for definitive diagnosis, any radiologist who deals with face or neck imaging can benefit from a review of the differential diagnosis for sino-naso-orbital masses and characteristic radiologic features that may help to narrow the differential diagnosis, as well as an opportunity to learn about characteristic histologic features that our pathologist colleagues use to make the final diagnosis. Developed in conjunction with American Institute For Radiologic Pathology.
Learning Objectives:
Robert Shih, MD - This speaker has nothing to disclose
Robert Foss, MS, DDS, MS - This speaker has nothing to disclose
You must be logged in and own this session in order to
post comments.


text:
Lexis School of English
Full Time English
« Back to School Enquire about this Course Visit School Website »
Accommodation Homestay / Residence / Hotel / Self-catering
Price Range £125.00 per week - £190.00 per week
Price Includes Morning English classes
Beginners Beginners Welcome
Class Size 16 maximum
Course Length 1 weeks - 48 weeks
Town / City & Region London , London
Tuition Style Group
Tuition Hours Per Week 15.0
Ages 16 - 99
Course Type General
Other Information
This is a full time, immersion English language course and you will be in class every day; listening to, practising and speaking English. You will also have time to explore and enjoy London with Lexis or independently and even visit other UK cities at the weekends.
Reading for gist i.e to understand the general meaning of a text
Reading for specific detail
Understanding different kinds of text e.g. emails, letters, text messages, articles, reports, reviews, instructions
Writing different kinds of text e.g. emails, letters, text messages, articles, reports, reviews, instructions
Using the appropriate style / register i.e. formal vs informal language
Organising your text so it is easy to read
Expressing your ideas so that the reader can understand what you want to say
Listening for gist i.e. to understand the general meaning
Listening for specific detail
Understanding different accents
Understanding meaning according to general intonation and sentence stress
Everyday conversation
Talking about various topics e.g. family, interests, work, home, travel and study
Giving presentations
Asking and answering questions
Vocabulary & Phrases
Vocabulary for talking about yourself, your family, home, job, studies etc.
Idiomatic expressions & slang
Formal vs informal vocabulary
Understanding and using phrasal verbs
The English tense system
Countable and uncountable nouns
Understanding and using prepositions correctly
Modality in formal and informal context
Understanding British English pronunciation
Word stress and Word linking
Silent letters – British English is full of them
Sounds and spelling
Intonation in different types of sentences and questions
Intonation for different purposes e.g. to express different emotions
Introduction to other types of English pronunciation
« Back to School Enquire about this Course Visit School Website »


text:
It is my nephew's 2nd birthday party this weekend. He's HUGE into tractors, and LARGE into water – so I whipped up a bit of tractor-theme hooded towel for him! He can use it at house after the bathtub, or to wrap up and get cozy in after swimming or playing in the sprinklers!
Think about yourself stress-free by the Aegean Sea with this 100% real Turkish cotton tub sheet. These tub sheets are yarn-dyed for vibrant, lasting colour; made in Turkey, machine cleanable and guaranteed to turn various heads this summer season. The Jacquard-woven pattern and fringed edges give this bath sheet a really authentic Mediterranean feel and appear.
Or, chances are you'll discover it to your taste to buy groceries within the mall, or discount shops to find cartoon character towels and accessories. You'll have many colors to choose from and kids will like the colors since most of them are bright and cheerful. You most likely will need to mix the colors with your different lavatory accessories and wall coloration. If you are redoing all the equipment, just begin with the character towels and blend in other toilet equipment, resembling a bathe curtain and tub rugs.
Existing tile colours, like fixture colors, are sometimes regarded as a given, although ceramic tile will be painted or tiled over in the event you're prepared to take the trouble. You can work with current tile colours in the identical manner as coloured fixtures. If in case you have historic tile or really wild tile colours and designs, though, it could work best to feature them and construct the entire shade scheme around them.
Vibrant, primary colours are commonly used in fish rest room decor. It is a common theme for children's loos. Children love clear bathe curtains stamped with bright, bold fish and walls painted with the coordinating vibrant shades. They're going to additionally get pleasure from drying off with shiny towels lined in matching fish. This is a nice way to make having a bath enjoyable for the children. You might have toys that are just like the colors and the types and make it really feel like their very own special room.


text:
While on a family holiday to Amsterdam 20 years ago, a father's compulsive gambling led to a lost son. Camillus Sim is an ex-gambler who went from lottery winner to running from loan sharks. Darren Boon meets the man who was Ruined by gambling, raised by God
CAMILLUS SIM WAS on a family holiday in Amsterdam when his son went missing. He and his wife, Eunice, had wanted to visit a casino, but their six-year-old Joshua was not allowed inside.
So the parents took him to a nearby restaurant, ordered for him the biggest ice-cream sundae, and promised to return in 20 minutes.
"We took more than 20 minutes," said Camillus, aged 53, as he recalled the panic and anxiety he felt when they couldn't find Joshua. Searching frantically, they eventually found him at the casino entrance. Relieved, Camillus quickly forgot the episode in the ecstasy of his casino winnings.
This story appears in Camillus' recently published memoirs "Casino – A Christian Testimony".
He had earlier contributed a testimony in the Catholic Spirituality Centre (CSC) publication 'Touch of God' after a retreat. Despite encouragement from CSC friends, he felt he wasn't ready to write a book, not until the Singapore government announced its plan to build a casino here.
"Christians should know the dangers of gambling," said Camillus and he hopes that the book will help enlighten those already "in bondage" to gambling.
The book was completed in a year, and was published this March.
What Camillus found most difficult was reliving his rock bottom experience when he fled with his family from loan sharks and creditors. Fearing for his son's safety, Camillus even took Joshua, then in Secondary Two, out of school.
That was not his first time playing with fire. Earlier, the former air steward had racked up a huge loan shark debt.
One of Camillus' sisters sold her house to help, and another, a Catholic, together with several friends from Marriage Encounter, raised several thousand dollars to help clear his debts. But Camillus soon returned to his old ways, borrowing money, again from loan sharks, to bet heavily during the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
On hindsight, Camillus realised his foolishness in thinking that he could win enough to pay his debts. Just because he had won that much before, he thought he could do it again.
His finest gambling moments include winning $42,000 on a cruise ship casino while simultaneously striking first prize in a 4D draw. He had also won both the first and third prizes in a single 4D draw, and the second and starter prizes in another draw. This false sense of security and a feeling of invincibility lured him deeper into the gambling abyss.
His string of good luck began after Camillus prayed to the Four-Faced Buddha. Then an unbeliever, he sought "deities and gods and non-Christian gods" – from the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple at Waterloo Street to Novena Church – to pray for luck.
"I was just thinking about money… always just money and money," he recalled.
He started gambling by dabbling in 'tikam-tikam' (a popular 1960s gambling game), mahjong and Blackjack, but it was roulette that hooked Camillus when he first visited an illegal casino. The tone of his voice rose when he spoke about the spin of the wheel.
After a windfall, Camillus quit his job as a flight steward and started a Thai massage parlour, spending his weekends gambling on cruise liners.
"I thought I could be a professional gambler. So my job was actually… a second occupation. I wanted gambling to be the first," he said. But it didn't work out for him.
"In the end, it was really bad," he said wistfully.
While on the run from his creditors, Camillus was invited to attend a Sabah retreat conducted by Father Vincent Lee.
There, he "rested in the Holy Spirit" and felt his burdens lifted. He received an inner peace telling him that "life is not all about money", and he broke down and cried uncontrollably.
"I felt that I had to change, repent and start from scratch," said Camillus.
Father Lee helped Camillus to find God who said to him, "I will love you with an everlasting love… you will find Me if you seek Me with all your heart."
Encouraged by another retreatant, Camillus went to the parish of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) and met then parish priest Father James Yeo, who invited him to join the RCIA.
Eventually, Camillus was declared bankrupt until being discharged this year. He was prompted to contact his creditors, including the loan sharks, to settle his debts.
Starting out again has been hard, but Camillus is grateful for God's intervention and graces, and for the people sent to help him, including friends who bought him a second-hand van to aid him in his work at the IHM parish bookshop, which he has been running since 2002.
"The ME group has journeyed with me … since the Sabah retreat. They were my sponsors. They gave me a place to stay when I was on the run," he said.
When money is scarce, he is sometimes tempted to buy 4D tickets, but the Holy Spirit always reminds him of his former gambling lifestyle, so he prays to God and perseveres in his newfound life.
Working in church and actively participating in ministries such as RCIA and charismatic prayer groups has helped, as have attending daily Mass and spending time in Eucharistic adoration.
"I've stopped gambling totally," declared Camillus. "I don't even spend one dollar on 4D."
So great has his transformation been that it has influenced his mother, a Buddhist of many years, to become Catholic. Thanks to Camillus' example, Michael Gomez, a friend from their air steward days, has also given up gambling.
As for Eunice, who helps Camillus run the IHM bookshop, witnessing her husband's "180-degree" transformation and new happiness in life has led her to believe in God and the Church.
"It was this new life and the way he sought to live it [that] gave me the faith to trust in God and become a member of the Church," she shared.
Despite his gambling, Eunice believes that Camillus has always been "a responsible husband and father". Her real challenges came after they realised that they were deep in debt.
"As a wife and mother, I took this problem as my own and we strived to set things straight together," she shared.
Their son Joshua, now a fresh university graduate with Honours, said that the whole experience has given him a new perspective in life.
"Studying and going to school used to be something dreaded, but I have come to realise that it really is a luxury," the 26-year-old said. "I have come to appreciate my family as more than just people I meet on Chinese New Year, but as a source of constant love and support. In our most difficult times, family support guided us through like a bright star in the darkest night."
To Joshua, Camillus is a hero. Even though the family was struggling to make ends meet, Camillus never stopped Joshua from "dreaming of a university education or feeling disadvantaged in any way".
Although sacrifices were made, Joshua said that his father "remains as he is always – cheerful and approachable, with a zest for life that comes only from finding a purpose in it".
The opening of two casinos in Singapore does not change matters for compulsive gamblers who would always find ways to get their fixes, said Camillus, adding that those considering entering a casino should not, because "as humans, we are weak, and the temptation" to be "seduced into the grandeur of the casino … is strong".
While Camillus regrets dragging his family into his mess, he treasures the experience of finding God through it. "If I didn't go through all this, I don't know if I would find Him so real in my life," he said.
Despite its title, Camillus hopes that the focus of his book would not be on gambling, but rather on God's grace, transformation, conversion, and family.
"Casino – A Christian Testimony" is sold at $15 at various Christian bookstores and Catholic parishes.
[email protected]