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Heading into the heart of hurricane season 10 months after Sandy slammed the New York metropolitan area, Wall Street has had time to reassess and revamp backup plans.
Sandy's storm surge caused the first weather-related, 48-hour closure of markets since the Great Blizzard of 1888.
"You could say Sandy forced the hand of the trading firms," said David Weiss, an analyst with the consulting firm Aite Group.
"A confluence of trends" that lend themselves to overall system resiliency was, however, already under way, Weiss added. The commoditization of server hardware suitable for trading and back-office systems, for example, has helped give rise to third-party data centers that can help financial-sector companies reduce risk.
You Can watch an IDG News Service video of the metro area's data centers, here.
Meanwhile, researchers sound increasingly urgent alarms about the risks posed by climate change. What was once considered a safe increase in water temperature now appears to "commit" the area to a sea level rise "nearly twice the height of Hurricane Sandy's peak storm surge at The Battery in New York City," wrote Benjamin H. Strauss in a recent analysis published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Data centers serving the metro area's financial services business are not going anywhere, however. To meet the low-latency network requirements of certain types of trading, data centers need to be near the exchanges and trading firms that use their computing resources.
Even though the New York Stock Exchange maintains a trading floor at 11 Wall St. and major market participants have offices and headquarters in Manhattan, data centers are located across the Hudson River in New Jersey. Exchange data centers are in Carteret, for Nasdaq; Mahwah, for NYSE Euronext, including the Arca all-electronic exchange; Secaucus for Direct Edge; and Weehawken, for BATS.
Data center operators including Savvis, Equinix and Telx, which have co-location agreements with the exchanges and telecom companies, have facilities scattered throughout Manhattan and the New Jersey metro area.
Certainly major storms present risks far greater than data outages: Deaths linked to Sandy numbered more than 50 in New York and more than 30 in New Jersey. While most people in the area were concerned about the loss of lives, homes and power, there was grumbling in financial circles about the halt to trading and outages in communications systems.
Depending on who's talking, the market closure for Sandy was a responsible, communal decision, or a sign that trading systems are not as resilient as they should be.
"People look to the New York Stock Exchange as being the symbol of American capitalism, and to see the exchange go down for two days without an adequate backup plan is very, very unfortunate," said Arthur Levitt, former chairman of the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, on a Bloomberg Radio interview.
The NYSE, the other exchanges and data centers firmly reject the idea that they were not ready for the storm.
The closure was an industry decision, not one made by the NYSE only, exchange officials say, adding that the risks involved in having staff trying to get to work was of primary concern. The NYSE's backup plan to trade off-floor on the Arca all-electronic exchange was tested and ready to be implemented, they say.
However, major trading firms reportedly voiced reservations about whether their systems were quite ready to trade on Arca with the NYSE trading floor closed. Many also felt that they would have to dispatch their own IT workers to midtown New York or Wall Street offices in order to manage the change-over, which, during this time of crisis, would not be desirable.
"There are lots of moving parts and a tremendous amount of coding that goes into these networks," said Alex Tabb, partner and chief technology analyst at consulting firm Tabb Group. "Even if you are connected to Arca and doing most of your trading there, a closure of the trading floor could have an effect."
Trading system algorithms are written to automatically check different exchanges to route an order to the market offering the best price, Tabb explains. If they can't check the trading floor as they normally should, they may not execute an order, even if other exchanges are open.
Given the possibility that flooding and trading system glitches might have prevented at least some major market participants from trading, or taken them offline in the middle of the storm, the decision made before Sandy hit to close the exchanges was understandable, Tabb notes.
"What you don't want is a disorderly closure," Tabb said.
In any case, had the markets been open the day after Sandy, Nasdaq would have been ready, officials say.
The company's headquarters in downtown Manhattan were deemed uninhabitable, and the company had to failover to remote systems, but like the NYSE, Nasdaq says its data center remained up and running.
"We didn't effectively close," said Lou Modano, senior vice president of the exchange's Global Infrastructure Services, via a statement sent by a spokesman. "We complied with the industries' request and market participants. We had no issues with our facilities or flooding -- we were always ready to go."
The Wall Street neighborhood itself was hit hard. Two Citigroup buildings lost power, with the 111 Wall St. offices sustaining severe flooding. Meanwhile, diesel pumps at InterNAP's data center at 75 Broad St., several blocks from the NYSE, were destroyed by flooding. A big Verizon switching station at 140 West St. near the World Trade Center was knocked out.
On balance, though, considering that many Wall Street firms are in or near FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) Flood Zone A areas and many New Jersey data centers are in marshy lowlands, remarkably few trading-related facilities had severe operational problems during the storm.
But it's easy to imagine that a slightly higher storm surge would have caused much more water damage. Floodwaters breached the New Jersey Turnpike in the area of the Nasdaq's Carteret data center, and though exchange officials say there was no issue of flooding at the data center, staff at a hotel a few hundred yards away said floodwaters were so high they were trapped at work during the height of the storm.
Although Equinix officials say their data centers in Secaucus never stopped operating, they are located in neighborhoods flooded by the storm, according to data mapped out by WNYC's Data News team.
The exchanges have backup data centers, but distance and connectivity issues pose trading-system hurdles for those facilities that are far outside the metro area. Nasdaq's backup data center in Ashburn, Virginia, for example, is too far away to enable for the low-latency transactions needed by the high-frequency trading (HFT) and algorithm-based order routing that more local processing can offer, according to data center professionals.
For example, roundtrip latency from Telx's new NJR3 data center in Clifton, N.J., to metro area exchanges is under 400 microseconds, "fast enough for algorithmic order routing," according to Shawn Kaplan, general manager of financial services for Telx.
Latency time for collocated systems are even faster. One-way latency from Savvis' NJ2 data center in Weehawken to exchanges collocated within the facility (with data speeds of 1G bps) is 64 microseconds, according to the firm's website.
Even lower latency times, measured in nanoseconds, are required by HFT.
In contrast, a new long-distance microwave link launched by Nasdaq and the CME Group, which owns the New York Mercantile Exchange, offers one-way latency of under 4.25 milliseconds between CME's data center in Aurora, Illinois, and Carteret. That's more than an order of magnitude slower than latency times achieved among data centers in the metro area (one millisecond equals 1,000 microseconds, one microsecond equals 1,000 nanoseconds). The link will be used for market data, not order routing.
A tremendous amount of effort, then, goes into making sure that metro area data centers and networks are disaster-resilient.
The NYSE, for example, has proposed a rule change to the Securities and Exchange Commission that would streamline the process of using Arca as a backup when the trading floor is closed, due to a major emergency or even a minor one such as a water-main break.
The NYSE's proposed "Print to P" plan essentially allows Arca to mark opening and closing quotes as if they came from the NYSE trading floor itself. This would be done so the quotes can be ingested by trading firms' systems to recognize this new source of data without any reconfiguration.
With the NYSE, many firms look for the opening transactions, marked as N (for the NYSE), which kick off their daily trading algorithms. Other firms require the NYSE closing quotes, also marked as N, for calculating net access values for mutual funds. When the NYSE is down, opening and closing quotes will be marked as both N and P (which stands for an Arca exchange). Intra-day quotes on Arca will simply be marked as P.
"The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change offers a practical solution that will be compatible with most market participants' current system coding, which will allow the proposed rule change to be quickly and efficiently implemented and avoid the costs and delays associated with system reprogramming," according to the NYSE's SEC filing.
Market makers such as Citigroup are working with the NYSE on the Print to P plan.
Lessons learned from the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, have helped Wall Street prepare for storms as well. After 9/11 knocked out telecom systems, for example, NYSE Technologies created its own Secure Financial Transactional Infrastructure network.
Power is also key in data center construction. The NYSE's Mahwah data center, which opened in 2010, sits on two power grids as does Telx's new NJR3, which opened in June. In addition, data centers all have their own generators. NJR3, for instance, has 12 3-megawatt generators.
Perhaps the biggest lesson from Sandy itself was that businesses have to have backup plans for people who lack transportation, noted Weiss, recalling gas station closures. "It doesn't do much good to have data centers up and running if no one else can get to them," he said. The "virtualization of not just technology, but of staffing," with the Internet enabling remote work, is important for any backup plan, Weiss said.
"Systems including our CRM (customer relationship management) tool -- how we communicate with our customers and our other facilities -- that's all Web-enabled as are all our inventory systems, our power monitoring and control systems," said Michael Terlizzi, executive vice president for operations at Telx.
Financial sector businesses in the area also realize, however, that they sometimes also need to move people around and need to have plans in place to do that. Citigroup, for example, moved quickly to accommodate the employees from 111 Wall St. at other locations in the area, and provided transportation.
Sandy hit just 14 months after Hurricane Irene slammed the Northeast. In a sober-minded mood while inspecting the World Trade Center after Sandy, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said "Anyone who says there is not a change in weather patterns is denying reality."
With climatologists predicting that global climate change will cause more frequent flooding of the metro area, few doubt that another big test of Wall Street's storm preparedness will come, quite possibly sooner rather than later.


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The job search process can be an exciting, yet daunting task for job seekers. Those re-entering the job search market – and those entering for the first time – are finding that applying for a job is not as quick and simple as it used to be. A process that used to involve merely submitting a resume and cover letter is now much more detailed, and job applicants are finding the process to be more time consuming than ever.
While applying for a job still involves the submission of a resume and cover letter, many companies are also having applicants create user names and profiles and fill out questionnaires before they are able to submit their applications. This can add tens of minutes – if not more – to the job search process, and can't be avoided if an online submission is required. The good news is we've collated some feedback from recent job applicants and have put together some tips below that might help you speed up the process:
Have your cover letter ready to go:
Before you start applying, have a basic cover letter written that can be tweaked and amended according to the job you're applying for.
Select the option to pre-fill answers, if available:
Some programs are designed where you can upload your resume, and it will pre-populate answers to an online questionnaire based on the information in your resume. This way, you don't have to write your name, contact info, work history/dates, etc, over and over again. Select this option if it's available – it will definitely save you time! Make sure, however, that you double-check it to make sure the information has been populated correctly.
Save your written answers to questionnaires in a separate document:
Many job applications will include supplemental, but generic, questions to be answered. Questions such as "explain any employment gaps over the past 10 years" or "what are your salary requirements?" If you find yourself answering questions like this, copy/paste your answers and save them in a separate document on your computer – chances are that you will see the same questions again on another application. This way, you will have your answers all ready to go!
The most important tip – be patient!
While it may seem like you are answering the same questions over and over again, remember that you application and answers will be evaluated by a hiring manager who knows nothing about you. Sell yourself to them – take time and care to answer all questions accurately and professionally. Don't get frustrated and rush your application.
© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com/
The Job search market can be a tricky place to navigate. Whether you are just starting out, moving up the ladder or changing your current situation, RedStarResume have all the resources to help improve your chances of success.

subset: commoncrawl


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Launch date set for fifth Hubble servicing mission
The launch date for the fifth and final Servicing Mission to the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has been officially set by NASA managers to 10 September 2008. During the 11-day flight, originally termed Servicing Mission 4, space shuttle Atlantis and its seven astronauts will repair and improve the observatory?s capabilities through 2013.
Mission planners have been working since last fall, when the flight was announced, to determine the best time in the shuttle manifest to support the needs of Hubble while minimizing the impact on the International Space Station (ISS) assembly. The Hubble mission will also support an additional ?launch on need? flight. In the unlikely event a rescue flight becomes necessary, shuttle Endeavour is currently planned to lift off from Launch Pad 39-B at NASA?s Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA. However, managers are constantly evaluating the manifest to determine the best mission options.
Space Shuttle missions beyond the Hubble flight are still being assessed. Shuttle and ISS program officials will continue to consider options for the remainder of the shuttle flights in order to complete construction of ISS by 2010 when the shuttle fleet will be retired. Those target launch dates are subject to change.
The Hubble Space Telescope is an international cooperative project between NASA and the European Space Agency.
Credit:NASA & ESA
About the Image
Id: | ann0707 |
Type: | Photographic |
Release date: | 7 June 2007, 20:00 |
Related announcements: | ann0707 |
Size: | 1904 x 2860 px |
About the Object
Name: | Atlantis Space Shuttle |
Type: | Unspecified : Technology : Spacecraft |
Category: | Launch/Servicing Missions |


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Benjamin Spock
Our editors will review what you've submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
- In full:
- Benjamin McLane Spock
- Byname:
- Dr. Spock
- Born:
- May 2, 1903, New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
- Died:
- March 15, 1998, La Jolla, California (aged 94)
- Subjects Of Study:
- child development
- infant and toddler development
Benjamin Spock (born May 2, 1903, New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.—died March 15, 1998, La Jolla, California) American pediatrician whose books on child-rearing, especially his Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care (1946; 6th ed., 1992), influenced generations of parents and made his name a household word.
Spock received his medical degree in 1929 from Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons and trained for six years at the New York Psychoanalytic Institute. He practiced pediatrics in New York City while teaching the subject at the Cornell University Medical College from 1933 to 1947. Spock wrote Baby and Child Care partly to counteract the rigid pediatric doctrines of his day, which emphasized strict feeding schedules for infants and discouraged open displays of affection between parent and child. Spock, by contrast, encouraged understanding and flexibility on the part of parents, and he stressed the importance of listening to children and appreciating their individual differences. From its first appearance in 1946, Baby and Child Care served as the definitive child-rearing manual for millions of American parents in the "baby boom" that followed World War II. Spock's approach was criticized as overly permissive by a minority of physicians, and he was even blamed for having helped form the generation of young Americans that protested the Vietnam War and launched the youth counterculture movement of the 1960s.
Spock taught child development at Western Reserve University (now Case Western Reserve University) in Cleveland, Ohio, from 1955 to 1967, when he resigned in order to devote himself more fully to the antiwar movement. Spock's bitter opposition to U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War during the 1960s led to his trial and conviction (1968) for counseling draft evasion—a conviction overturned on appeal. In 1972 he was the presidential candidate of the pacifist People's Party.
Spock's many other books on child care include Dr. Spock Talks with Mothers (1961), Raising Children in a Difficult Time (1974), and Dr. Spock on Parenting (1988). He also wrote Decent and Indecent: Our Personal and Political Behavior (1970). In 1989 Spock on Spock: A Memoir of Growing Up with the Century, edited by Spock's second wife, Mary Morgan, was published. By the time Spock died in 1998, his Baby and Child Care had sold nearly 50 million copies worldwide and been translated into 39 languages.


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Bust Out Your Mood Ring For Our Polyester Party on March 16th!
Join us for a Polyester Party Saturday, March 16th at Red Lion Hotel on Blue Lakes Blvd in Twin Falls from 7pm to 11 pm. Nate Bird of KOOL 96.5 will be spinning all your hot disco favorites from the 70s!
No Host Bar! FREE Appetizers! Booths! Games! Prizes! It's what's happenin'! It's righteous, man!
Sponsors & Contests
257 Main Ave. West, Twin FallsGet your tickets today at Poindexter's!
When you get your tickets for the Polyester Party at Poindexter's you'll get 10% off your Super 70's costume rental!
The Best Costume contest is hosted by who else? Poindexter's! Poindexter's is awarding a $35 gift certificate to the winner!
Business Hours:
Monday – Friday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am - 4:00 pmYou can't party without Poindexters!
Red Lion Hotel
1357 Blue Lakes Blvd N, Twin Falls | (208) 734-5000Best 70s Hair Contest!
Feather, Fluff and Fork it out and you could win a gift basket from Moxie's!
Comfort and convenience await you at Red Lion Hotel Canyon Springs. Located in the heart of Twin Falls, one block from the beautiful Snake River Canyon and spectacular Shoshone Falls and one block from College of Southern Idaho.
1357 Blue Lakes Blvd N, Twin Falls | (208) 734-5000
Scentsy is sponsoring the Best Dancer ContestMeet Kelley and also ask her about Velata Chocolate & Cheese Fondue.
If you'd like to host a Scentsy Party, or attend the next one, please email Kelley at firstname.lastname@example.com or call (909) 286-9241.
Travolta Look-A-Like Contest
Townsquare Media is sponsoring the Travolta Look-A-Like contest and the winner will get a $100 gift certificate to Sportsman's Warehouse!
Southern Idaho's Super HitsSpinnin' the hits of the 60's, 70's, and 80's! Request line: (208) 735-0800. We are Southern Idaho's Super Hits - KOOL 96.5!
Visit us online at KOOL965.com.


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BAE Systems has been awarded an $82 million contract to modernize and deliver 23 upgraded Assault Amphibious Vehicles (AAV7A1) for the Brazilian Marine Corps. The vehicles, which will be the Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability/Rebuild to Standard (RAM/RS) variant, will significantly enhance the current capabilities of the Brazilian Marine Corps.
"These new vehicles will have major capability enhancements, which will give the Brazilian military an amphibious vehicle with improved speed and reliability beyond the current configuration," said Deepak Bazaz, director of new and amphibious vehicles at BAE Systems. "We have a strong track record of supporting the Brazilian military and will continue that close working relationship throughout this program."
Under the terms of the contract, BAE Systems will provide 23 AAV7A1 RAM/RS vehicles and supply all tools and test equipment to support vehicle maintenance. The company will also provide an initial sustainment capability to the Brazilian Marine Corps to include spare parts and field service support, as well as training for the vehicle users.
The AAV7A1 RAM/RS variant provides a more powerful engine and drive train, as well as an upgraded suspension system, allowing the vehicles to meet or exceed original AAV7A1 performance requirements. The RAM/RS variant also provides improved mobility and repair capabilities while transporting troops and cargo from ships.
Work on the contract will take place at BAE Systems' York, Pennsylvania facility. Production is anticipated to start in June with vehicle deliveries beginning in February 2017. Final delivery to Brazil is expected to take place by the end of 2017, when the training and support for these vehicles will begin.
"BAE Systems has served the Brazilian military for more than 15 years and is also working on other vehicle enhancement programs here, such as the Brazilian Army's upgrade of its M113B vehicles to the M113A2 Mk1 configuration," said Marco Caffe, the company's general manager for Brazil. "In the fall of 2015, we completed our 150th M113 upgrade."


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Finally, after a year of dreaming, working and tweaking details, I am pleased to announce Hot Glue Gun Helpers are finally available! Visit our official shop here!
Protect your work surface and your fingers.
Heat-resistant and non-stick.
Use a small drop of glue for tiny gluing.
Press into hot glue with no risk of burns.
Also works with
Mod Podge
FolkArt Paint
Craft Glue
Protects work surface.
Acts as a landing pad for a heated glue gun.
Heat resistant mat that hot glue will not stick to.
Cooled hot glue peels clean from the mat.
Washes clean with soap and water.
Can be rolled for storage.
Stain resistant.
Finger Caps
Multiple Sizes - S, M, L, XL
Protects tips of fingers while pressing.
Hot Glue will not stick to the finger caps.
Allows for "faster crafting": your fingers are protected.
Heat resistant and nonrestrictive.
Helpful for beginner crafters.
Helpful for crafters with arthritis.
Pointed Paddle
Heat resistant and non-stick.
Tips allow for using a small drop of glue.
Paddle end allows for a soft press.
(Floral crafts: The paddle will not crush the petals.)
The long wand allows for the user to reach into "nooks and crannies."
Non-Stick Tweezers
Allows the user to place small items (rhinestones & beads) into hot glue.
Heat resistant tip that Hot Glue will not stick to.
Better placement of items: the tweezer offers more control than fingers.
Easy for the user to grip around or press from the top.
Allows the user to smear hot glue.


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Friday, June 12, 2009
On Monday, June 15, at 7:00 pm. - (McCay Day Eve), Executive Chef Jim LaPerriere is coming to Spring Lake District Library to prepare Welsh Rarebit. Welsh Rarebit (which has nothing to do with our long-eared, cotton-tailed friends) is a savory melted cheese dish, which occasionally spawns some interesting comic nightmares, if you aren't careful. Enjoy some samples and take home some recipes. (Pre-registration required)
2 comments:
- theflippist said...
This comment isn't related to this specific posting, but I'm having trouble finding a contact email link so pardon me. I am a flipbook maker/art student and all around animation fan and I actually just stumble on your blog while looking up Windsor McCay info. I was really pleased and excited to see what you are doing and wish you all the best. I am from Michigan and people really deserve to know that we "have" such an amazing artist and animator from our state. I wish I could come for the dedication you all are having...sounds like an excellent time. I'm writing because I would like to know if you can recommend a good Windsor McCay book? I am looking for a big book with lots of McCay comics/drawing/artwork. I know there are several websites with good images, but I would really like to own a book that is chock full of good colored images. Any suggestions? - Jun 16, 2009, 12:44:00 AM
- Morpheus said...
Hi Bajojo,
There are lots of great Winsor McCay books out there. Canemaker's biography is pretty definitive. As far as finding collections of McCay's artwork, I've tried to note and/or review books on this blog as I come across them. If you check the list of categories found on the right hand side of the Meeting McCay blog, you'll see a line that says "books." This would be a great place to start! - Jun 18, 2009, 2:45:00 AM


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Scientists discover 'switch' critical to wound healing
Patients with diseases such as diabetes suffer from painful wounds that take a long time to heal, making them more susceptible to infections that could even lead to amputations. A*STAR's discovery paves the way for therapeutics to improve healing of such chronic wounds, which are a significant burden to patients.
Scientists from A*STAR's Institute of Medical Biology (IMB) have identified a molecular "switch" that controls the migration of skin cells necessary for wounds to close and heal. This is especially significant for diabetics and other patients who suffer from chronic wounds, wounds that do not heal or take years to do so, which are vulnerable to infections and could lead to amputations. This switch mechanism may hold the key to developing therapeutics that will reduce or prevent chronic wounds.
The scientists discovered that a tiny "micro-RNA" molecule, called miR-198, controls several different processes that help wound healing, by keeping them switched off in healthy skin. When skin is wounded, the manufacture of miR-198 quickly stops and the levels of miR-198 drop, switching on many wound healing processes.
In the non-healing wounds of diabetics, miR-198 does not disappear and wound healing remains blocked. This therefore identifies miR-198 as a potential diagnostic biomarker for non-healing wounds. These findings were recently published in the prestigious journal Nature.
Chronic wounds in patients with diabetes are a major global health burden and the most common cause of lower extremity amputations. In Singapore, diabetes is the fifth most common medical condition diagnosed and one in nine people aged 18 to 69 has diabetes. Unfortunately, chronic wounds are currently poorly understood and insufficiently treated. Chronic wounds also tend to affect the elderly and disabled patients, especially those confined to a wheelchair or bed-bound.
"Moving forward, we hope to translate this research into improved patient outcomes. We can now build on this research, to see how we can modulate the defective switch in chronic wounds by targeting miR-198 and its interacting molecules, to develop new strategies for treating chronic wounds," principal investigator at IMB and lead author of the paper, said. "Our research provides a comprehensive understanding of the mechanism of the wound healing process."
Professor Birgitte ane, Executive Director of IMB, said, "This switch appears to be an entirely new regulatory component in wound healing, and probably a very important one. Poor wound healing is a major healthcare burden, and this discovery is particularly timely in the face of aging populations and the sharp global rise in diabetes. The finding gives us a platform from which to develop therapies that could significantly reduce chronic wounds and improve healthcare."
An FSTL1-miR-198 molecular 'see-saw' switch
The information necessary to expressmicroRNA-198 (miR-198) and follistatin-like 1 (FSTL1) protein are found in a single "message" produced by the cell. However, miR-198 and FSTL1 protein cannot be produced at the same time – it can only be one or the other. These two molecules also have opposite roles: miR-198 (found in unwounded skin) inhibits skin cell migration and wound healing, whereas FSTL1 protein (expressed after injury) promotes skin cell migration and wound healing. A regulatory switch dictates their expression, and hence controls the "see-saw" between inactive resting skin cells and the cell migration necessary for wound healing.
Dr. Sampath and her team showed that healthy unwounded skin contained high levels of miR-198 but no FSTL1 protein. They demonstrated that these high levels of miR-198 prevent skin cell migration by suppressing several genes, such as PLAU, LAMC2 and DIAPH1[4], which are needed for different aspects of the wound healing process. However upon injury, miR-198 is switched off in the wound by a signal from transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1). This allows FSTL1 to now be made instead, and the skin migration genes to be unblocked, promoting migration of skin cells into the wound area to drive skin wound healing.
The scientists further examined skin samples of chronic non-healing ulcer wounds from patients with diabetes mellitus. They observed that, unlike healthy skin that had been injured, there remained high levels of miR-198 (inhibiting skin cell migration and wound healing) and an absence of FSTL1 protein (promoting skin cell migration upon wounding), indicating that this "switch" is defective in chronic wounds.
More information: Sundaram, G. et al. See-saw' expression of microRNA-198 and FSTL1 from a single transcript in wound healing, Nature, February 10, 2013. doi:10.1038/nature11890


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- A human group (Proto-Eurasians) moved Out of Africa, starting to become differentiated from Africans
- At a later time, different Proto-Eurasian groups became effectively separated by geography and started diverging from each other, eventually evolving to become Europeans, East Asians, Australian Aborigines, etc.
- Under this model, different Eurasian groups are expected to have exactly the same position vis a vis Africans, once drift is accounted for. Each population's divergence from Africans can be analyzed into two components, e.g., an African-Proto-Eurasian one, and a Proto-Eurasian-Chinese one. The genetic drift (away from Africans) in the first part is the same for all non-African populations (e.g., Chinese or Tuscans), while in the latter it is dependent on population history.
- There is clearly something "common" between West Eurasians (even North Europeans) and Sub-Saharan Africans that is not shared by East Asians, a factor X which brings them closer to each other than would be expected by the SROOA
- The best candidate of this "common" element (Y-haplogroup E) does not have the expected distribution.
- West Eurasians are shifted relative to East Eurasians by x% to San Bushmen (who have some of the highest frequencies of non-E chromosomes), and are expected to be least affected by any sort of West Eurasian->Africa back-migration. C
- West Eurasians are shifted relative to East Eurasians by y% to Yoruba (who have extremely high E-haplogroup frequencies), and are expected to be more affected by West-Eurasian->Africa back-migration than the San are.
Genome Research doi:10.1101/gr.119636.110
Human population dispersal "Out of Africa" estimated from linkage disequilibrium and allele frequencies of SNPs
Brian P. McEvoy et al.
Genetic and fossil evidence supports a single, recent (less than 200,000 yr) origin of modern Homo sapiens in Africa, followed by later population divergence and dispersal across the globe (the "Out of Africa" model). However, there is less agreement on the exact nature of this migration event and dispersal of populations relative to one another. We use the empirically observed genetic correlation structure (or linkage disequilibrium) between 242,000 genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 17 global populations to reconstruct two key parameters of human evolution: effective population size (Ne) and population divergence times (T). A linkage disequilibrium (LD)–based approach allows changes in human population size to be traced over time and reveals a substantial reduction in Ne accompanying the "Out of Africa" exodus as well as the dramatic re-expansion of non-Africans as they spread across the globe. Secondly, two parallel estimates of population divergence times provide clear evidence of population dispersal patterns "Out of Africa" and subsequent dispersal of proto-European and proto-East Asian populations. Estimates of divergence times between European–African and East Asian–African populations are inconsistent with its simplest manifestation: a single dispersal from the continent followed by a split into Western and Eastern Eurasian branches. Rather, population divergence times are consistent with substantial ancient gene flow to the proto-European population after its divergence with proto-East Asians, suggesting distinct, early dispersals of modern H. sapiens from Africa. We use simulated genetic polymorphism data to demonstrate the validity of our conclusions against alternative population demographic scenarios.


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- Home
- Government
- Departments R - Z
Departments R - Z
Risk Management
The Risk Management Department's mission is to minimize the potential for losses of the City's human, fiscal and physical assets; and to ascertain the impact losses have on the organization so that resources can be directed toward the needs of other City programs.
Special Events
Want to host an event in Garland? Here's what you need to know to begin the process.
Stormwater Management
The program's mission is to maintain natural and man-made drainage ways in free-flowing condition, reduce the risk of localized storm water flooding, educate our residents and businesses, reduce stormwater pollution as required by Federal law, as well as to manage floodplain development and the municipal drainage utility system.
Street Department
The Street Department's mission is to provide high quality service to the citizens of Garland by maintaining, repairing and replacing streets, alleys, and other related infrastructure.
Tax / Revenue Recovery
The City of Garland Tax Office and Revenue Recovery Department is dedicated to great customer service and excellent stewardship of the City's tax, code abatement and emergency services collections.
The Transportation Department provides for the safe, convenient, and efficient flow of vehicular and pedestrian traffic within the city.
Utility Customer Service
Customer Service provides account related services for City of Garland utility customers, which includes the opening and closing of utility accounts.
Water Utilities


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- Home
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- County Executive Office
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- Working for Napa County
Working for Napa County
As an organization, the County is dedicated to improving the lives of citizens and reflecting the best of the community's values: integrity, accountability and service. County employees are servants of the public, and are held to the standards set forth in the Board of Supervisors' statements of Vision, Mission and Values. The dedicated men and women who find careers at Napa County see public service as a calling, and perform to the best of their abilities daily. We know that through our efforts, we contribute to the health, safety and quality of life for our neighbors, our friends and our families.
The Napa Valley
With its world-renowned wines, restaurants and resorts, the Napa Valley has given its name to an idyllic lifestyle of laid-back sophistication. The Valley is also home to 130,000 residents who share a strong sense of community and a legacy of preserving and protecting their rich agricultural heritage. Located in the heart of California's pre-eminent wine region, Napa County is also part of the dynamic San Francisco Bay metropolitan area. With its sunny Mediterranean climate and proximity to the mountains and the ocean, the County offers residents easy access to virtually unlimited shopping, dining, cultural and recreational opportunities.
Most of Napa Valley residents live in one of the County's five incorporated cities or towns, ranging from Napa, the County seat, with a population of 74,000, to Yountville, with 3,280 residents. With its strategic location, natural and cultural resources, history of responsible land use planning and attractive quality of life, Napa County offers its residents the ideal mix of small town living and big city amenities.
The County Organization
A general law county, Napa County is governed by a five-member Board of Supervisors, elected by district for four-year terms. The Board of Supervisors appoints a County Executive Officer, who is responsible for providing overall management for County's operations, including day-to-day supervision of the County's appointed department heads.
The County has a budget of more than $270 million and 1,300 employees who provide services through 18 departments. Five departments are managed by elected officials and the remainder are managed by department heads appointed by the Board of Supervisors based on the recommendation of the County Executive Officer. County services include:
- Airport operations
- Elections
- Emergency operations
- Environmental management
- Land use permitting
- Library services
- Public health
- Public safety
- Road maintenance
- Social services
Human Resources
Physical Address
1195 Third Street
Suite 110
Napa, CA 94559
Phone: 707-253-4303Fax 707-259-8189
Monday - Friday
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.


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After waiting several hours to start the game, the New York Yankees held on a few more minutes for the go-ahead run.
Only 500 fans or so were left in the stands early Wednesday when the Yankees finished off a rain-delayed 5-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles at 2:15 a.m., helped when a video replay upheld Francisco Cervelli's tiebreaking homer.
With few options left for a makeup date, the messy game began at 11:08 p.m. after a delay of 4 hours, 3 minutes with roughly 1,000 fans in the stands. The Yankees and Major League Baseball were in constant contact before the first pitch.
"I guess baseball wanted us to wait," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.
Umpire crew chief Gary Darling confirmed it was MLB's call on when to finally start. As for the soggy conditions, "it was never bad enough for us to stop," he said.
Cervelli hit his shot in the seventh inning off Tommy Hunter (3-3). Two fans reached near the left-field wall to grab it and Orioles manager Buck Showalter argued the ball was in play. The umpires reviewed the play, then confirmed their original home-run call.
"They will tell you, even though they didn't tell me, that they need indisputable evidence to overturn what the decision was on the field," Showalter said. "I haven't looked real good at it. I know what the players saw."
Brett Gardner followed with a home run, and the AL East-leading Yankees won their sixth in a row.
It was a sloppy affair, full of wild throws and fielding misadventures — four errors and two wild pitches, among them.
Rain fell throughout the night, whipped by gusting winds. Puddles formed and the grounds crew spent nearly as much time on the field as the players, dumping bag after bag of diamond dust in hopes of drying out the pitcher's mound, batter's box and basepaths.
"The dirt was too wet, but you got to play," Cervelli said.
During a 10-minute break in the fifth, the sound system played "Fixing a Hole" by the Beatles while the Yankees huddled under the dugout roof and Showalter spoke to the umpires.
Baltimore left fielder Matt Angle had the most glaring problem with the tough environment. He got twisted around when Cervelli lifted a fly in the fifth, dropped the ball for an error, slipped trying to recover and wound up with mud all over the front of his uniform as a run scored.
The fans had a hard time keeping their feet, too. In the fifth, two men chased a foul ball behind the plate, lost their balance on a metal walkway and splashed to the ground with a thud. They got an ovation for their effort.
All fans from the announced attendance of 44,573 — the amount of tickets sold — were allowed to move down to the expensive seats. There was no announcement about that over the public-address system — instead they were told individually. The Yankees also said tickets for this game could be redeemed for a free seat during the 2012 season.
The game ended so late, in fact, that the announcers on the Yankees' YES television network kept reminding viewers this was live action, not a post-midnight replay.
This was not, however, the longest delay at Yankee Stadium. In 2009, a game between the Yankees and Washington was held up by rain for nearly 5½ hours.
Several games in the majors were delayed by rain Tuesday on what was already shaping up as a difficult week for New York and the Orioles. The teams are scheduled to play again Wednesday at 1:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium, then meet in Baltimore on Thursday at 1:05 p.m. for the makeup of a previous rainout.
"Doubleheaders are hard on your guys," Girardi said. "Both scenarios weren't great."
Showalter echoed that sentiment as he looked ahead.
"We're trying to make sure we're competitive. It's not always the people who just played in the game until 2 or 3 in the morning," he said.
Cory Wade (4-0) won in relief. Mariano Rivera earned his 39th save of the season and 598th of his career.
Matt Wieters hit a two-run homer for the Orioles.
Chris Piteo of Springfield, Mass., was among the fans who waited out the delay.
"This is my one chance to see a game here this season," he said. "It's not like I can come any day to Yankee Stadium."
With him were his sister, Marcy, and her two sons, ages 12 and 10. They were all aware that Wednesday was a school day back home.
"We're already discussing the options," she said with a smile.
NOTES: The Yankees lead the majors with 200 home runs. … Baltimore INF Mark Reynolds leads the majors with 27 errors. … Chris Davis struck out on a breaking ball that bounced off his left foot, but reached first base on the wild pitch by Yankees starter Phil Hughes. … Yankees DH Jorge Posada connected in the third inning against Hunter. His previous home run also came against Hunter, on Aug. 26. … Reigning Miss America Teresa Scanlan sang "God Bless America" during the seventh-inning stretch.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.


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Abram Samoilovitch Besicovitch
Quick Info
Berdyansk, Russian Empire (now Ukraine)
Cambridge, England
Abram Samoilovitch Besicovitch's parents were Samuel and Eva Besicovitch who were Karaims both by race and religion. Samuel Besicovitch had been a jeweller but his jeweller's shop had hit hard times through theft and he gave up the business and became a cashier. It was a somewhat unusual family, Samuel being forty years of age and Eva being fifteen when they were married, but it was a close knit family who strongly supported each other. All the six children, four boys and two girls, were highly talented, with Abram Samoilovitch as the fourth in this family of six who would all excel in their studies at the University of St Petersburg. Eva Besicovitch married so young that she never had the opportunity of a proper education, but the children always felt that their mathematical talents came through her.Besicovitch showed remarkable mathematical talents at a young age and his father strongly encouraged him by demanding that he push himself to the limit in solving mathematical problems. He was taught by Markov at the University of St Petersburg where he originally intended to work in mathematical logic but he changed topics to study analysis since the library was not good enough in the logic area. He graduated from St Petersburg in 1912 and, influenced by Markov, published his first paper on probability theory.
In 1916 Besicovitch married Valentina Vietalievna who was herself a mathematician and somewhat older than Besicovitch. This in itself presented problems since, as Valentina Vietalievna was of the Orthodox faith and Besicovitch was a Karaim, they were not allowed to marry. Besicovitch was accepted into the Russian Orthodox Church so that the marriage could take place.
The University of Perm opened in 1916 as a branch of the University of St Petersburg but political events in the country soon began to dominate all else. The Revolution of October 1917 became inevitable when Alexander Kerensky, the prime minister, sent troops to close down two Bolshevik newspapers. Lenin, who had been in hiding, made a public appearance telling the Bolsheviks to overthrow the Government. On the morning of October 26, after hardly any bloodshed, Lenin proclaimed that the Soviets were in power. In 1917 the University of Perm became an independent institution and in that year Besicovitch was appointed professor of mathematics there. Soon after this the Russian nation was plunged into civil war. The Red Army was formed in February 1918 with Trotsky as its leader. The Reds opposed the White Army formed of anticommunists led by former imperial officers. Friedmann, who was one of Besicovitch's colleagues at the University of Perm, wrote on 27 April 1918:-
Perm is surprisingly calm, and everything is done in the city in family fashion, in a good way, even the training of the Red army, which is 30-40 strong.However, by 20 December 1918 the situation had deteriorated:-
Perm has come under an unlucky star. There is a rapid, overall and fairly chaotic evacuation. The University is in the second line of evacuation, but no transport or packing materials have been supplied so far, and the evacuation is at a standstill. ... I personally am not inclined to leave the city ...A week later the White Army occupied Perm. They controlled the town until August 1919 when the Red Army took control again. As the Red Army had approached, all the staff except Besicovitch had left the University. Friedmann wrote:-
The only person who kept his head and saved the remaining property was Besicovitch, who is apparently A A Markov's disciple not only in mathematics but also with regard to resolute, precise definite actions.Perm suffered badly in the troubles of 1919 despite the best efforts of Besicovitch to protect the books and other university property. In the following year, with the Civil war still raging, he accepted a chair at Petrograd University (St Petersburg changed its name to Petrograd in 1914 and then to Leningrad in 1924). However, it was not easy for anyone teaching in the universities because of government policies. Besicovitch had to teach people without any educational background and he was very unhappy. He tried to find ways to leave.
Besicovitch left Petrograd for Copenhagen in 1924 and there worked with Harald Bohr. He had been awarded a Rockefeller Fellowship but his applications for permission to work abroad had been refused. He escaped across the border with a colleague J D Tamarkin under the cover of darkness. He managed to reach Copenhagen where he was supported financially for a year with the Rockefeller Fellowship. His interest in almost periodic functions came about through this year spent working with Harald Bohr.
After he visited Oxford in 1925 Hardy, who quickly saw the mathematical genius in Besicovitch, found a post for him in Liverpool. He taught there during the session 1926-27 then he moved to Cambridge. Besicovitch's wife had remained in Russia when he had escaped in 1924 and the marriage was dissolved in 1928. Two years later Bessy, as he was known, married Valentina Alexandrovna, the sixteen year old daughter of a family he had befriended during the difficult time in Perm.
At Cambridge Besicovitch lectured on analysis in most years but he also gave an advanced course on a topic which was directly connected with his research interests such as almost periodic functions, Hausdorff measure, or the geometry of plane sets. One feature of his teaching is certainly worthy of mention, namely the weekly problem competition which he ran. This provided both enjoyment for the undergraduates but it also gave the better undergraduates the opportunity to improve their research skills by getting to grips with difficult problems. As Burkill writes in [4] (see also [7]):-
The solutions submitted were carefully read and annotated by Besicovitch and the announcement "Perfect solutions of Problem 12 were sent in by M and N" spurred several young mathematicians on to develop their analytic powers.In 1950 he succeeded Littlewood to the Rouse Ball Chair of mathematics at Cambridge. He held this chair until he retired in 1958. For eight successive years following his retirement he visited different universities in the United States. He then returned to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he spent in total over 40 years of his life.
Before looking at some of the highly original contributions which Besicovitch made to mathematics, we give S J Taylor's overview of his contributions [7]. It is worth noting that S J Taylor was one of Besicovitch's research students:-
Besicovitch was an exceptionally open-minded mathematician, and it was this readiness to consider all possible alternatives which made his contributions to mathematics characteristically surprising. When solving a problem most mathematicians need to make a commitment as to the nature of the solution long before the solution has been found, and this commitment interposes a psychological barrier to the consideration of other possibilities. Besicovitch never seems to have been troubled in this way. He could exercise the whole of his powerful mathematical intellect on the investigation of unlikely options and in the process illuminated the diversity of mathematical knowledge and obtained results which were astounding to his contemporaries and are surprising today.His work on sets of non-integer dimension was an early contribution to fractal geometry. Hausdorff, in 1918, had extended Carathéodory's theory of measure to sets having finite measure of non-integral order. Besicovitch, around 1930, extended his density properties of sets to those of finite Hausdorff measure. Domb writes in [5]:-
... Hausdorff and Besicovitch [were] the two mathematical pioneers on whose work Mandelbrot's development of fractals is based.Kenneth Falconer, one of the leading experts on fractal geometry, seeing me [EFR] writing this article commented:-
Besicovitch was my inspiration!Besicovitch was famous for his work on almost periodic functions, his interest in which, as we mentioned above, came from his time in Copenhagen with Harald Bohr. In 1932 he wrote an influential text Almost periodic functions covering his work in this area.
One of the achievements, with which he will always be associated, was his solution of the Kakeya problem on minimising areas. The problem had been posed in 1917 by a Japanese mathematician S Kakeya and asked what was the smallest area in which a line segment of unit length could be rotated through . Besicovitch proved in 1925 that given any , an area of less than could be found in which the rotation was possible. The figures that resulted from Besicovitch's construction were highly complicated, unbounded figures.
Other areas on which Besicovitch worked included geometric measure theory, Hausdorff measure, real function theory, and complex function theory. In addition to this work on deep mathematical theories, Besicovitch loved problems, particularly those which could be stated in elementary terms but which proved resistant to attack. Often he showed that the "obvious solution" to certain problems is false. An example of such a problem is the Lion and the Man problem posed by Richard Rado in the mid 1920s. The problem is:-
A lion and a man in a closed arena have equal maximum speeds. What tactics should the lion employ to be sure of his meal?Of course, despite the colourful description, this problem was to be interpreted mathematically in the sense that the lion and the man were points in a circle. The solution generally accepted for this problem by around 1950 was that however the man moved, the lion first aimed to get onto the line joining the man to the centre of the arena (which it could always achieve) and then keeping on this radius however the man moved, it would end up catching the man. Besicovitch showed that this was false and that the man had a path which meant that the lion would never catch him, although he would come arbitrarily close.
In [4] Burkill describes Besicovitch's work in these terms:-
At one time or another he shed new light on many aspects of the classical theory of real functions. He was more likely than anyone else to solve a problem which had seemed intractable, commonly the solution needed, by way of proof or counter-example, an ingenious and intricate construction. This work was more congenial to him than the abstract developments of, for example, functional analysis.Besicovitch received many honours for his work. He received the Adams Prize from the University of Cambridge in 1930 for his work on almost periodic functions. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1934, and in 1952 received the Sylvester Medal from that Society:-
... in recognition of his outstanding work on almost-periodic functions, the theory of measure and integration and many other topics of the theory of functions.In 1950 he was awarded the De Morgan Medal from the London Mathematical Society.
Burkill describes his personal characteristics in [4] saying:-
His intellectual gifts were matched by his generous sympathy which endeared him to pupils, colleagues and a wide circle of friends.In [2] this charming picture is drawn:-
Besicovitch spoke tolerably good English in his first years in Britain in the 1920s, but, perhaps on account of his marriage in 1928 to a Russian wife, his English remained that of a Russian. The definite article was superfluous for him, as in his dictum "mathematician reputation rests on number of his bad proofs" ... He was an enthusiastic teacher both of graduates and undergraduates, and was a "character" particularly in his later years, winning the affection both of mathematicians and of a wider circle.
References (show)
- S J Taylor, Biography in Dictionary of Scientific Biography (New York 1970-1990). See THIS LINK.
- Obituary in The Times
See THIS LINK - K J Falconer, The geometry of fractal sets (Cambridge, 1985).
- J C Burkill, Abram Samoilovitch Besicovitch, Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society of London 17 (1971), 1-16.
- C Domb, Of men and ideas (after Mandelbrot), Fractals in physics, Venice, 1989, Phys. D 38 (1-3) (1989), 64-70.
- N S Ermolaeva, Russian mathematics abroad (the first wave) (Russian), Priroda (11) (1994), 80-86.
- S J Taylor, Abram Samoilovitch Besicovitch, Bull. London Math. Soc. 7 (1975), 191-210.
Additional Resources (show)
Other pages about Abram Samoilovitch Besicovitch:
Other websites about Abram Samoilovitch Besicovitch:
Honours (show)
Honours awarded to Abram Samoilovitch Besicovitch
Cross-references (show)
Written by J J O'Connor and E F Robertson
Last Update October 2003
Last Update October 2003


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AES San Francisco 2010
Live Sound Seminar LS1
Thursday, November 4, 9:30 am — 11:15 am (Room 131)
LS1 - The Greening of Live Audio for Medium and Small Operators
Tony Tissot, 4dB Sound
Bill Gelow, VP Engineering, Bosch/Electrovoice
Pat Quilter, Senior Amplifier Designer, QSC Audio Products
David Scheirman, Tour Sound Director, JBL Professional
Jeff Touzeau, Author of The Green Musician's Guide, President of Hummingbird Media, Inc.
Noah Waldron, Capsicum Pro Audio & Visual
How can smaller live audio providers embrace practices that are environmentally sound? What are the latest Earth-friendly methods and the most conscientious equipment choices? What options exist for lessened environmental impact through reduced power draw, decreased transportation, and labor costs?


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I'm considering a number of desktop distros for use in our office. It seems like SLED matches what I want more than any other distro, especially home user focused distros. In an attempt to learn more about it, I made a SUSE Studio account and got to playing just to learn what I can.
I have at least an above average amount of Linux experience. I run it on my home machines exclusively (running ArchLinux) and manage our Linux server at work just fine. My knowledge is a bit lacking in Linux server/workstation interactions, especially when it comes to SUSE (which I haven't used before).
Now my goal here is threefold:
All workstations should be running an identical OS with identical software. This part seems easy. If I make a SUSE Studio appliance for all our machines and use that, mission accomplished.
I should be able to make system-level changes remotely to all our machines at once (as opposed to SSHing them one by one). I haven't played with it much but I've read that YaST is designed to do such things?
I want user information to be stored on our (non SUSE) server. This is where things get especially fuzzy for me. If each workstation's software is identical then in theory if the user's home folder is stored on the server, a user could log in from any machine on the network and have all their stuff right there. This also greatly simplifies the backup process since all user data is in one spot (/home on the server). I don't know if this is a bad idea or not but it seems really cool. In SUSE Studio I only saw options to manually add users so I don't know of SLED supports anything like this out of the box or not.
I'd appreciate if somebody could clear up my confusions here and point me down the right path to have smooth server-workstation integration in our office.


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Hey, today is the birthday of manga superstar Takehiko Inoue! How, oh how, shall I choose to observe this special occasion? Well, since I never pass up an opportunity to do so, I'll suggest you celebrate by once again recommending that you buy yourself a volume or seven of Inoue's brilliant Real (Viz).
If you're sick of hearing me make recommendations of this kind, well, that's just tough, because it truly is one of the best series of any provenance to be published in English in the last ten years. It just is.
And if that's not enough, I'll simply have to hit below the belt, because you know what? You people owe Inoue, not just for his own great comics, but for the fact that, were it not for Inoue, there might be no Fumi Yoshinaga as we know her. Yoshinaga came from the world of doujinshi, fan-created comics. And do you know what one of the series was that she repurposed to her own glorious ends? That's right. It was Inoue's Slam Dunk.
So if the fact that Real is amazing isn't enough for you, if the fact that it's Inoue's birthday isn't enough for you, do it for Yoshinaga. There must be sufficient incentive in there somewhere.


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4399.0 - National Health Survey: SF36 Population Norms, Australia, 1995
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 30/10/1997
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Contains population norms compiled for the eight dimensions of health covered by the SF36 questionnaire (physical functioning, role physical, bodily pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, role emotional and mental health), together with the physical and mental health summary scales derived from this instrument. Norms are presented for various population groups, defined by demographic, socioeconomic and health characteristics. Document Selection These documents will be presented in a new window. |


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Partnership to advance next phase of radiation exposure device project
Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute has announced a partnership with Life Technologies Corporation as it enters the next phase of a multimillion-dollar, multi-institutional research project to develop a medical device to rapidly assess an individual's exposure to radiation in the event of a nuclear incident.
The project enters a $9.33 million contract option as part of a five-year, $35.44 million project funded by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This phase will focus on prototype development of a gene-expression based system for individuals exposed to abnormal levels of radiation.
"We are pleased that Life Technologies is joining our team as a commercial partner," said Lee Cheatham, deputy director of ASU's Biodesign Institute and lead investigator of the project. "We have completed initial scientific feasibility and now must develop a working device. Life Technologies' experience in delivering FDA-cleared assay systems to the marketplace is a great fit for this project. Their strong product focus will ensure that we develop for BARDA an effective and easy-to-use system."
"In the event of a nuclear emergency, potentially thousands of people would need to be screened per day," said Ronnie Andrews, president of medical sciences at Life Technologies. "We are very proud of the robustness of our instruments that they would be selected for this type of application."
The partnership is designed to develop genetic assays that would be run on several Life Technologies real-time PCR instruments including the Applied Biosystems 7500 Fast Dx and the QuantStudio Dx. All of these instruments perform a reaction called real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction), a method of rapidly producing DNA from a small starting amount, detecting genetic matches if present and reporting the results.
Since the project was launched in 2010, ASU has led the research activities, demonstrating that the science of gene expression is a viable approach to directly measure radiation exposure. Of the 11 project teams launched in 2010, the ASU team is one of six continuing development.
Developing the system required the identification and validation of biomarker signatures to provide an accurate indication for the level of absorbed radiation. Joshua LaBaer, director of the institute's Virginia G. Piper Center for Personalized Diagnostics is leading the biomarker effort. Sally Amundson, Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, is providing extensive experience in the identification of radiation responsive genes and biodosimetry measurements. Researchers from Translational Genomics Institute in Phoenix, HTG Molecular in Tucson, and the University of Arizona have also contributed to the early phases of the project.
The ASU effort is part of BARDA's congressionally mandated program to develop medical countermeasures against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats, and against pandemic influenza and emerging infectious disease outbreaks and other natural and intentional threats to public health.


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Sales Tax
Sales Tax Newsletters
The following quarterly newsletters highlight sales tax activity within the City of Arroyo Grande. For more information, please contact the Administrative Services Department.
Most Recent Newsletter (PDF) | View All Sales Tax Newsletters
Annual Local Sales Tax Allocation Reports
In November 2006, the voters of Arroyo Grande approved Measure O-06, which established a half-cent local sales tax to meet City needs identified in the City's long range financial plan. The following four categories of needs were projected:
- Infrastructure improvements, including the street, drainage and creek systems;
- Transportation projects;
- Public safety needs; and
- Facility upgrades to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.
To ensure accountability, the measure included a provision requiring the City to publish and distribute an annual report to each household on the revenues and expenditures from the sales tax proceeds.The following annual reports highlight local sales tax activity within the City of Arroyo Grande. For more information, please contact the Administrative Services Department.
Most Recent Annual Report
Learn More About Sales and Use Taxes
The California Department Tax and Fee Administration collects state and local sales and use taxes and allocates a portion of those taxes to the City. The Local Use Tax, like the Sales Tax, helps to fund vital services in our community, as noted above. To learn more about sales and use taxes, please visit the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration or view the Quick Links below.


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Bubble mail:
"Hi Bubblevisor love the blog
This is my 91 zephyr 750. This started as a frame engine and wheels and a box of bits bought for £200. It was always meant to be a cheap project (total about £1500). The frame has been modified with a loop at the back the wheels, frame and tank where painted black. The mudguards are both made from one and all brackets were made in the shed. A lot of bits have been binned including idiot lights. I made the seat myself from scratch. The airbox was modified to let the seat fit and all electrics are under the seat. Hagon off road shocks I had lying about are on the back. The exhaust is the original downpipes mated to megaphone silencers (very nice sound). The bars are GSXR400 clipons which fit straight on to zephyr forks. It's not meant to look immaculate and is very practical and comfortable. It is fully road legal and had its first run out for the NW200 which was wet and miserable with only one race but the zephyr was fine. The bike sort of just developed as it went. Hope you like it. Looking forward to my next build.
Nice bike Sam, thanks!


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It's not Big Bird, but it sure is another reason to defund PBS. GRIT TV host and former Air-America Radio host Laura Flanders, substituting for Bill Moyers on PBS's "Moyers & Company," interviewed Color of Change executive director Rashad Robinson on September 28. The two liberals used their taxpayer funded platform to attack the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
ALEC is a non-profit organization that promotes state-based policy initiatives. It's been heavily criticized by the left for its politically conservative stance on many issues. In March 2012, a group of lefty organizations including the Schumann Center for Media and Democracy, the Center for Media and Democracy (which are not the same group, despite the similarities in name), the Center for American Progress, People for the American Way, United Republic, Common Cause and Color of Change, launched a campaign to pressure the corporations that funded ALEC to withdraw their support.
Flanders praised the work of Rashad's group throughout the interview. "Your organization hasn't been around for a hundred years, doesn't have millions of dollars, what gave you the idea that you could take them on?"
Encouragement probably came from none other than … Bill Moyers.
Moyers heads the Schumann Center for Media and Democracy, which has given away $1,360,000 to groups like the Center for Media and Democracy, Center for American Progress, People for the American Way and Common Cause who are leading the attack on ALEC. Billionaire George Soros also donated substantial sums of money to those same organizations. And with "Moyers & Company," on PBS, Robinson could be assured of an unabashedly friendly TV outlet to help with the PR
Flanders let Robinson promote his organizations agenda for most of the 10 minute, 43 second interview. She even prodded him to further pressure ALEC members to pull out. "Is there any corporation that wasn't among the forty that left that you're frustrated by, that refused to budge?" Robinson listed several corporations that he would like to see pull out of ALEC, and promised that Color of Change would "continue to hold them accountable for the other ways they hurt our communities."
The campaign against ALEC, dubbed "ALEC Exposed," had already managed to pressure several of ALEC's donors to pull their funding from the group, including Kraft, McDonalds, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola.
Bill Moyers really doesn't like ALEC, as evidenced by his serial attacks on the group.
In a documentary entitled "The United States of ALEC" which aired as an episode of "Moyers & Company" on September 28, Moyers and the Center for Media and Democracy's Lisa Graves attacked the ALEC for half an hour.
Though Moyers has been criticized for his connections to the groups involved in ALEC Exposed, they were never mentioned in the eight stories about ALEC that have appeared on Moyers' website in 2012. But as president of the Schumann Center, Moyers has funded four of the groups involved in the attack on ALEC:
- Center for American Progress ($1,100,000)
- Center for Media and Democracy ($250,000 in the 2000s and $75,000 in the 90s)
- People for the American Way ($10,000)
- The Schumann Center was also listed as a foundation donor in Common Cause's 2011 annual report, although the amount of money given was unspecified.
On October 4, billmoyers.com cited the work of the Schumann-funded Center for Media and Democracy, calling it a "progressive watchdog group," but again neglected to disclose the connection between this group and Bill Moyers.
The same four organizations that received funds from Moyers have also received money from Soros's Open Society Foundation since 2000, totaling, $12,338,491:
- Center for American Progress ($5,784,991)
- People for the American Way ($4,200,000)
- Common Cause ($2,153,500)
- Center for Media and Democracy ($200,000)
The Open Society foundation also gave $300,000 to Color of Change in 2010.
Moyers is an inveterate and outspoken left-winger. He has spoken in favor of liberal causes, including Occupy Wall Street, on "Moyers and Company." He even went so far as to compare Occupiers to abolitionists and suffragettes. He has also called the gun-rights group the National Rifle Association "the enabler of death — paranoid, delusional and as venomous as a scorpion. With the weak-kneed acquiescence of our politicians, the National Rifle Association has turned the Second Amendment of the Constitution into a cruel and deadly hoax."
The Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics expressly states that "Journalists should avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived," and that they should "remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility," and, furthermore, that journalists should "shun secondary employment, political involvement … if they compromise journalistic integrity."
Of course, Moyers probably isn't in violation of the code for journalists. He's an activist and a PBS institution. But he's no journalist.


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My usual solution to the problem of too many books is to buy a new bookshelf. But if you're able to part with some of yours, libraries elsewhere would like them. AHA Today, the American Historical Association blog, has suggestions, including Bridge to Asia, which sends books to China and Southeast Asia.
If readers know of organizations that provide books to Africa, Latin America and to U.S. libraries, please add a comment.


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ASUS' Super-Slim Tablet Prototype [Tablets]
Source: http://gizmodo.com/5555274/asus-shows-off-another-super+slim-tablet-prototype
When ASUS introduced two sizes for its Eee Pad alongside the Eee Tablet the other day, we thought that was enough. However, UMPCPortal spotted a super-slim "Epad" on Intel's booth at Computex, which actually looks even better than Monday's announcements.
The Intel spokespeople at the booth said it was merely a prototype for now, but the video below shows it's running Windows 7 and looking very finished. One USB port, a power port and 3.5mm jack are located on the base of the tablet, with a biggish button in a similar location to the iPad's 'home' button. UMPCPortal says "it looks like it's currently on the Menlow platform," which debuted in 2008 and suits these slinky MIDs.
Will ASUS announce this at a further date? Your guess is as good as ours—but I sure do hope so. [UMPCPortal via CarryPad via SlashGear]


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Sponsor: The Sated Sheep opened in February of 2015 in Dripping Springs Texas by Allison Wilcox. After practicing as a clinical psychologist for 30 years, Allison began looking to do something different..to focus on being a part of and building community, which led her to open The Sated Sheep. Allison shares, "I really believe that you change the world one moment and one soul at a time, and that a big part of that is education. I spend a lot of time just talking with folks who come in about where the yarns come from, how they are made, what the story is behind the person/company who made them etc. That's super important to me personally and I try, as much as I can, to have that reflected in the choices I make in the shop." The Sated Sheep is passionate about making craft accessible to everyone and they've partnered with the local library to offer free classes twice a month.
So if you're in the Austin or Dripping Springs Texas area or just passing through, make sure to seek out The Sated Sheep. Stop in for coffee or tea beer or wine, and try some of their homemade raw dark chocolates, relax during the Tuesday evening happy hour, join one of their exciting classes or peruse the shop. Mark your calendar because on Mondays, a local massage therapist takes over the shop and one can book a massage for themselves or bring friends to sit and knit or crochet and take turns getting a massage and receive 10% off in the shop. You can find The Sated Sheep at thesatedsheep.com and on Instagram @thesatedsheep
Fiber folk: I've long admired Jessica and her work, for her simplistic approach to natural dyeing, love of books, tempting baked goods and warm and welcoming heart for this fiber community. She has a very interesting background, having first delved into natural dyeing while studying librarianship in graduate school and it's led her all the way to making a home in Vermont along with her husband and two adorable sons. I hope you enjoy hearing her story as much as I have and getting to know this inspiring woman. You can find Jessica at sugarhouseworkshop.com and on Instagram @sugarhouseworkshop.
Sponsor: Scratch is an innovative new yarn and craft supply shop located in Lebanon, New Hampshire. They're committed to providing a beautifully curated selection of yarns and supplies for knitters, as well as roving, tools, and kits for needle felters. Their shop also features embroidery, sewing, and select fine art supplies. Scratch operates with the guiding notion that makers are curious and creative, and should be able to find exciting, high quality materials to work with all in one place.
Scratch is also home to the areas only handcraft focused makerspace–home to a sewing bar, multiple looms, common workspace, a tool library, and more! Explore their full schedule of classes, and weekly Craft Night focused on building the creative community in the Upper Valley.
You can find Scratch online at scratchmakerspace.com, and on Facebook & Instagram: @scratchmakerspace
Giveaway: The winner of last weeks episode giveaway is Nancy. You've won a skein of their Alpaca handspun worsted weight yarn from Your Daily Dose of Fiber. Congratulations!
This week's giveaway is sponsored by Making Magazine and to celebrate the launch of their most recent issue, No. 3 DOTS, they're giving away a copy along with a yard of Robert Kaufman's double gauze chambray dobby fabric to make the Starry Sky Skirt by Rae Hoekstra. This issue also features today's guest along with many other makers, projects and patterns. To enter leave a comment on this post.
Music by Jónsi.


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Author: Leslie R. Schover, Ph.D. |
Leslie R. Schover, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and sex therapist at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Dr. Schover has written this book based on years of clinical experience "to help youor a loved one to enjoy sex and make informed choices about pregnancy in spite of cancer treatment." She provides information on the causes and treatment of sexual dysfunction and fertility after cancer. She also provides techniques for the reader to try at home.
The book is divided into four sections. Part I discusses cancer and cancer treatments impact on sexuality. It gives recommendations on how to become sexually active again after cancer. Part II focuses on the most common sexual problems after cancer and how to treat them. Important topics such as loss of desire, impotence, and painful intercourse are addressed. Part III is devoted to fertility and pregnancy for those patient who are still interested in having children. Part IV is dedicated to specific sexual topics. Chapters in this section include "Gay and Lesbian Cancer Survivors" and "Sex and the Single Survivor". There are excellent chapters on resuming sex after cancer treatment, treatmentof erectile dysfunction, enhancing sexual desire, and overcoming pain during sex.
There is an outstanding resource section at the end of the book. This includes recommended books, videos, and audiotapes. There is a listing of products such as lubricants and vaginal dilators to enhance sexual experiences. A listing of mail order outlets for sexual oriented material is also provided. There are also resource information networks organized by topics of interest at the conclusion of this section.
The book is easy to read and well organized. It is a wonderful resource for anyone interested in enhancing their sex life after cancer treatment. Dr. Schover addresses a wide range of issuesaffecting all ages and sexual orientations. This book is also an excellent resource for the health care provider. It is highly recommended by OncoLink.


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TechRadar Verdict
Though a trifle lightweight and lacking in punch, it has a lively, coherent and musically informative sound
- +
Curved sides and lacquered finish
- +
Engrossing sound
- -
Balance and neutrality both suspect
Why you can trust TechRadar
We first heard from Swedish company Audio Pro some time around the end of the 1970s. In those pre home cinema days, a subwoofer was something new, and Audio Pro's B2.50 ACE-Bass device turned out to be a very effective unit indeed.
Audio Pro is still very much in the subwoofer business, and even though its products were not distributed in the UK for many years, it certainly doesn't seem to have done the company any harm.
Indeed, Audio Pro has clearly prospered, as its website currently lists ten separate ranges of speaker, while new UK importer CSE Solutions lists fifty different models from the brand, even though a number of those represent variations on similar themes. That's certainly true of this Avanti A.10 DC, where the 'DC' postscript stands for Design Collection.
The DC variation on the standard Avanti A10 costs £450 per pair, whereas its non-DC equivalent is a much less painful £320 per pair. The specifications for both versions of this little two-way design are identical, apart from the surface finish. Instead of the Italian or graphite walnut used in the standard version of the loudspeaker, the DC variant has an eight-layer, high-gloss painted/lacquered finish, in white or black.
It's an attractive little speaker, with dramatically curved sides that almost eliminate the back panel, giving a boat-shaped plan view. This has the triple advantage of increasing stiffness, avoiding rear-panel reflections and spreading the frequencies of internal standing waves.
The narrow back is just wide enough to accommodate a tiny port, and the single terminal pair are set vertically. The main driver is a small 130mm cast frame unit, with a 95mm paper cone and twin voice-coil arrangement. The neodymium magnet tweeter is a little unusual in that it employs a 19mm fabric diaphragm (hence a lower inductance voice coil), with bandwidth claims of up to 40kHz.
First impressions of the Avanti A.10 DC were very positive, as its lively character made it very easy to engage with. It might be small, with the limited bass power and weight that follows as a matter of course, but it boasts the sort of lively agility and delicacy that makes it a very good communicator of musical messages.
A major contributing factor is certainly the excellent acoustic behaviour of that tough little enclosure, which ensures freedom from boxiness. Add in some rather fine time coherence between the two drivers and you are left with superior stereo imaging with fine focus, air, space and transparency.
Excellent detail projection is undoubtedly an attractive feature, but is also almost certainly an exaggeration and a departure from neutrality arising from the upper-mid peak seen in the measurements. The overall tonal balance is a trifle bright - not because there's too much treble, but because the bottom end could do with a bit more weight, warmth and punch low down.
Is that fancy high gloss lacquer finish really worth an extra £130 though? At £450 this DC version of the A.10 is a trifle costly in view of its measured response limitations. Overall, though, it remains an exceedingly entertaining and communicative little speaker, which, at £320 without the fancy finish, would rate a 'Best Buy'.
The TechRadar hive mind. The Megazord. The Voltron. When our powers combine, we become 'TECHRADAR TEAM'. You'll usually see this author name when the entire team has collaborated on a project or an article, whether that's a run-down ranking of our favorite Marvel films, or a round-up of all the coolest things we've collectively seen at annual tech shows like CES and MWC. We are one.