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Research Article | Open Access
Mohammad Z. Al-Hamdan, James F. Cruise, Douglas L. Rickman, Dale A. Quattrochi, "Characterization of Forested Landscapes from Remotely Sensed Data Using Fractals and Spatial Autocorrelation", Advances in Civil Engineering, vol. 2012, Article ID 945613, 14 pages, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/945613
Characterization of Forested Landscapes from Remotely Sensed Data Using Fractals and Spatial Autocorrelation
The characterization of forested landscapes is frequently required in civil engineering practice. In this study, some spatial analysis techniques are presented that might be employed with Landsat TM data to analyze forest structure characteristics. A case study is presented wherein fractal dimensions (FDs), along with a simple spatial autocorrelation technique (Moran's ), were related to stand density parameters of the Oakmulgee National Forest located in the southeastern United States (Alabama). The results indicate that when smaller trees do not dominate the landscape (<50%), forested areas can be differentiated according to breast sizes and thus important flood plain characteristics such as ratio of obstructed area to total area can be estimated from remotely sensed data using the studied indices. This would facilitate the estimation of hydraulic roughness coefficients for computation of flood profiles needed for bridge design. FD and Moran's remained fairly constant around the values of 2.7 and 0.9 (resp.) for samples with either greater than 50% saplings or less than 50% sawtimber and with ranges of 2.7–2.9 and 0.6–0.9 as the saplings decreased or the sawtimber increased. Those indices can also distinguish hardwood and softwood species facilitating forested landscapes mapping for preliminary environmental impact analysis.
1. Introduction
The characterization of forested landscapes is frequently required in civil engineering practice. Examples include estimation of quantities for clearing prior to construction projects, environmental impact analysis, and characterization of hydraulic roughness for flood plain studies. Increasingly, professionals are considering the use of remotely sensed data to aid in these estimations. In 2003, the Federal Highway Administration funded a project, conducted jointly by Mississippi State University and the University of Alabama in Huntsville, AL, USA. to evaluate the efficacy of using remotely sensed data in the planning and environmental impact analysis of transportation systems. Since transportation lines (both road and rails) frequently must traverse forested areas, one major focus of the project was the use of remotely sensed data to characterize these landscapes.
The specific transportation needs that directed the project were to characterize the hydraulic roughness of flood plains for bridge design and environmental impact analysis. Recent studies have confirmed the importance of rigid, unsubmerged vegetation in determining flow depths and velocities in shallow flow situations such as commonly encountered in wide flood plains [1–4]. The studies highlight the importance of stand density (ratio of obstructed area to total area) and trunk diameter. Musleh and Cruise [1] showed the relationship between these variables and classical hydraulic roughness parameters such as Manning's and the Darcy factor. Accurate land cover and species identification are also important aspects of environmental impact analysis, particularly in identification of wetlands under the forest canopy.
Several sources of remotely sensed data are currently available that might be useful for forest characterization purposes. The data can be from satellite or aircraft platforms and can be from either passive or active instruments. A large amount of research has been performed using active remotely sensed data, particularly airborne radar to estimate forest parameters [5–11]. Most passive remotely sensed data are much more easily accessible and cost effective than are active data. A significant amount of research has been performed on forest biomass estimation using passive instruments, particularly radiometric data [12–24]. However, studies that employ passive radiometric data (e.g., Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM), NOAA Advanced Very High-Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), or the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)) usually focus on the estimation of indirect measurement of biomass or canopy coverage such as the Leaf Area Index (LAI) or Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Thus, it would be of great benefit if passive radiometer data could be employed to characterize forest structure such as stand density and trunk size.
In this study, some spatial analysis techniques are presented that might be employed with Landsat TM data to analyze forest structure characteristics. The spectral characteristics (7 bands) and spatial resolution (30 m) of TM data make it very suitable for use in the analysis of even moderate-sized forested areas. In an earlier paper by Al-Hamdan et al. [25], the authors examined the impact of spatial and spectral resolution of remotely sensed data on the spatial indices that might be used for landscape characterization. That study concluded that Landsat TM might possess the ideal attributes for this purpose. A case study is now presented wherein fractal dimensions, along with a simple spatial correlation technique, were related to stand density parameters of the Oakmulgee National Forest located in the southeastern United States (Alabama).
2. Fractal Analysis and Spatial Autocorrelation Methods
One of the most essential issues in interpretation and analysis of remotely sensed data is the observation and measurement scale [26]. Scale is crucial to the characterization of geospatial data because many environmental processes and patterns are scale-dependent [27]. Recently developed spatial analysis approaches from a variety of science disciplines offer the possibility of highly efficient statistical characterization, analysis, and identification of spatial data in remotely sensed images. Spatial autocorrelation and fractal measurement are methods that have been developed to characterize the scaling property of spatial data [28]. Although the fractal technique and other textural analyses have been applied extensively [29–42], its use as a spatial technique for characterizing remote sensing images needs to be evaluated more in terms of its utility to help characterize forest growth characteristics such as stand sizes [25, 26, 43, 44], as demonstrated in this study.
2.1. Fractals
Classical geometry cannot provide tools for analysis of the forms of most spatial patterns of nature because they are so irregular and fragmented [44]. Fractal geometry was developed as a mathematical basis for characterizing complex natural patterns [45]. In classical geometry, a point has an integer topological dimension of zero, a line has one dimension, an area has two dimensions, and a volume has three dimensions [26, 44]. However, the fractal dimension (FD) is a noninteger value that exceeds the Euclidean topological dimension [44, 45]. The FD can vary between zero and one, between one and two, or between two and three; for a point pattern, a curve, or a surface, respectively [26, 44]. As the geometrical complexity of a perfectly flat two-dimensional surface () increases so that it begins to fill a volume, the FD values approach 3.0 [44].
The foundation for fractal analysis is self-similarity, which can be defined as a property of a curve or surface where each part is indistinguishable from the whole [26, 44–46]. In order to define the theoretical FD, the degree of self-similarity is used and expressed as a self-similarity ratio [26, 44, 45]. Thus, the FD of a curve can be defined as [26, 44] where is the number of similar copies and is the scale reduction factor.
Measuring the length of the curve using various step sizes by a procedure called the walking-divider method [46] is a common way to estimate the FD value of a curve (e.g., a coastline) [26, 44]. In the case of irregular curves, the length increases as the measurement interval decreases, and a linear regression can capture such an inverse relationship between total line length and step size [26, 44, 47]: where is the line length, is the step size, is the slope of the regression, and is a constant. For the case of a curve, FD can then be calculated by
For a raster-based remotely sensed image (surface), FD can be estimated in a similar approach using a method that is called the isarithm method [44], which was evolved from Goodchild [46], Shelberg et al. [48], and Lam and De Cola [49]. With the isarithm method, a mean FD from individual FD values of gray-scale contours is computed [26]. For each isarithm brightness value and each step size, the algorithm classifies each pixel below the isarithm value as white and each pixel above this value as black [26, 44]. Each neighboring pixel along the rows or columns is then compared to determine whether the pairs are both black or both white; if they are not of the same color, then an isarithm lies between the two neighboring pixels. The total number of boundary pixels is used to approximate the length of each isarithm line [26, 47]. A linear regression is performed using the logarithms of the total length of the boundary and the step size. The regression slope is used to determine the FD of the isarithm line [26, 44], where Equation (4) differs from (3) because as a flat surface grows more complex, FD increases from a value of 2.0 and approaches 3.0 as the surface begins to fill a volume [26]. The final FD of the surface is the average of the FD values for those isarithms having a coefficient of determination "" greater than or equal to 0.9 [26, 44, 47, 50].
It has been shown in many previous forestry research studies [51–60] that there is a significant positive relationship between crown width and the Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) for both hardwood and softwood species. Thus, an increase in the stand diameter implies an increase in the crown width and vice versa. As illustrated in Figure 1 [25], if continuous small crown trees are covering two adjacent remotely sensed pixels of a similar area, the result is two homogenous surfaces. Thus, the integration of the brightness levels within each pixel (i.e., pixel value) will be similar in magnitude. If the pixel values do not vary significantly, the result is less complexity in terms of fractals (smaller FD) and more homogeneity in terms of autocorrelation [25]. On the other hand, if the pixels are covered with large crown trees, the result is nonhomogenous adjacent pixels leading to more complexity in terms of fractals and less homogeneity in terms of autocorrelation [25].
2.2. Spatial Autocorrelation
Another index that can be used to analyze the spatial autocorrelation of images is Moran's . Moran's [61] is an index of spatial autocorrelation which reflects the differing spatial structures of the smooth and rough surfaces [47]. Thus, it is a potential technique in characterizing and estimating measures of forest-related surface roughness based on crown diversity. Moran's is a spatial correlation statistic and is calculated from the following formula [47]: where is Moran's spatial autocorrelation at distance is weight at distance , so that is 1 if point is within distance of point , otherwise is deviation (i.e., for variable ). = the sum of all the weights where .
Moran's can vary from +1.0 for perfect positive autocorrelation (a clumped pattern) to −1.0 for perfect negative autocorrelation (a checker board pattern) [44]. Moran's is different from the FD in that the FD is focused on the object shape, size, and the tortuosity of the edges of these objects [47]. Moran's does not explicitly consider the shapes and sizes of objects once the weights, , in (5) are determined [47].
3. Case Study
Oakmulgee National Forest is located in central Alabama and encompasses an area of 128,638 ha (317,861 acres) (Figure 2). According to the US Forest Service inventory analysis, there are three size classes present within the forest data sets, namely, sawtimber, poletimber, and saplings. This size classification was based on the diameter at breast height (DBH) of the tree trunk. The DBH values for those classes are greater than 22.86 cm (9.0 in), from 12.7 cm (5.0 in) to 22.6 cm (8.9 in), and from 2.54 cm (1.0 in) to 12.45 cm (4.9 in), respectively. Forest species includes softwood and hardwood trees. Longleaf-slash pine, shortleaf-loblolly, and cypress are examples of softwood trees (Figure 3(a)). White oak, red oak, hickory, sweetgum, ash, and yellow-poplar are examples of hardwood trees (Figure 3(b)). The forest database included digital maps linked to attribute tables containing the stand characteristics (i.e., tree types, sizes, and species) of the forest.
Other spatial data were also collected to characterize the region for geoidentification and location purposes. These data included state and county maps, roads, streams, and topographic images (digital line graph data) that were useful in providing visual locations of points within the forest area. The sources of these data were the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) and the US Bureau of the Census Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing System (TIGER).
The remote sensing data consisted of Landsat TM images of the forest area taken in summer 1999. The TM instrument records energy reflected in seven bandwidths as shown in Table 1. As shown in the table, the spatial resolution of the Landsat TM images is 30 meters except for band 6 which is 120 meters. For consistency purposes, the data recorded in Band 6 were excluded from these analyses. The source for the Landsat TM images was the EROS Data Center of the United States Geological Survey (USGS). This study focused on a comparison of samples identified from the same Landsat TM scene. Thus, the authors believed that it was not necessary to atmospherically correct the satellite data because any atmospheric effects would prevail for all of the study sites; that is, all samples would have similar atmospheric effects. Additionally, previous work employing spatial statistical techniques in the Image Characterization and Modeling System (ICAMS), particularly fractal analysis of remote sensing data, has implied that there is little influence of atmospheric effects on the overall statistical analysis results [26, 43, 62].
4. Image Characterization and Modeling System (ICAMS)
ICAMS is a software module that was developed to measure, characterize, and model multiscale remotely sensed data [62, 63]. It contains a robust set of fractal measurement algorithms embedded in a GIS-type architecture. It contains a number of spatial measurement methods that can be used to address a variety of significant issues related to scale and fractal analysis.
The main functions of ICAMS are image input, image characterization, specialized functions, and image display and output. The image input subsystem includes basic image processing functions, such as file transformation, georeferencing, image registration, and a variety of image viewing capabilities [62]. The image characterization subsystem provides users with an array of spatial and nonspatial measures for characterizing image data. The non-spatial measures include basic descriptive statistics measures (i.e., mean, mode, median, and variance) and histograms. The spatial measures include fractal analysis [49], variogram analysis [64, 65], spatial autocorrelation indices [66, 67], and textural measures such as local variance [68]. The specialized subsystem of ICAMS provides aggregation routines for aggregating pixels to simulate multiscaled data for scale effect analyses [26]. The image output subsystem contains functions to output original images or derived products in two-dimensional or three-dimensional form. ICAMS provides the ability to calculate the FD of remotely sensed images using the isarithm method [49], variogram [65], and triangular prism methods [69]. Lam et al. [70] found that the isarithm method calculates the FD fairly accurately and more so than the other two methods, thus the isarithm method was used in this study.
5. Procedure
The procedure followed in the case study is illustrated in Figure 4. Raster and vector data were collected for the Oakmulgee National Forest as described previously. The raster data (TM images) were then imported into the ER Mapper remote sensing software package in order to trim, locate, and crop the images of the study area and to export the data to the ARCINFO 8.2 GIS package. The relevant vector data (state and county lines, roads, streams, DLG (topographic) data, and National Forest delineations) were also imported into ARCINFO and overlaid onto the raster images. Figure 5 illustrates some attributes of the data set. Samples were collected randomly covering of all parts of the forest. As shown in Figures 2 and 5, the area is bisected by the Cahaba River, so care was taken to obtain a representative number of samples from both sides of the river. In addition, the elevation of the forest ranged from 60 m to 170 m above mean sea level with an average of 130 m. So, again care was taken to obtain samples representative of all topographic conditions so as not to bias the results. Criteria for the selection of the window (number of pixels in a sample) were based on the resolution, minimum mapping unit size, and nature of the classes (size of the regions, characteristic scale, directionality, and spatial periodicity) to be identified [71]. It is understood that a smaller window size does not convey sufficient spatial or texture information to characterize land surfaces. On the other hand, if the window size is too large, too much information from other surfaces could be included and hence the algorithm might not be efficient. The sample size for this study was chosen to be 100 × 100 pixels based on the average sample size used in the research literature [28, 71]. As shown in Figure 5(e), a total of 52 samples were collected for Oakmulgee National Forest. It can be noted that the sample size in the study area was larger than 30 and hence the distribution of the sample means can be approximated reasonably well by a normal distribution for statistical purposes [72].
Information was then collected for each sample including size class (sawtimber, poletimber, saplings), species groups (hardwood and softwood), age, and elevation using the national forests vector GIS data obtained from the Forest Service and the digital elevations GIS data obtained from the Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) Data Center. For each sample, the percentage of each size class and species group was determined using the digital map of the national forest based on the area covered by each size class and species group in the GIS. Also, the average elevation for each sample was determined using the Digital Line Graph (DLG) data in the GIS. Table 2 shows the in situ forest data and the average elevations for all samples collected from all the study area. The raster (TM) data of the area were then imported to the GIS module, ICAMS, where the spatial analytical techniques of fractals and autocorrelation were conducted and the spatial indices of FD and Moran's were found. Figure 6 shows an example of two subset images from TM Band 1 and their associated FD and Moran's . The FD and Moran's values were found for all bands of Landsat TM and for all 52 samples. The averages of FD and Moran's for each sample were then calculated using the results of all Landsat TM bands except the thermal Band 6. Finally, the results were analyzed in terms of the relationships between the image complexity indices and the forest characteristics.
*Sawtimber: diameter at breast height (DBH) > 9 inch, poletimber: DBH = 5–8.9 inch, and saplings: DBH = 1–4.9 inch.
6. Results
6.1. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) Tests
First, the ability of the spatial complexity indices to distinguish between the different size classes and species groups was examined. ANOVA is a technique that is useful to test for the equality of several means simultaneously. It is a method for splitting the total variation of the data into meaningful components that measure different sources of variation [73]. One-way ANOVA is analysis of variance when there is one independent variable while two-way ANOVA is analysis of variance when there are two independent variables.
To study the effectiveness of remote sensing analytical techniques to distinguish between two size classes (i.e., two independent factors) and also between two species groups, a number of two-way ANOVA tests [73], were conducted using the average spatial analytical indices (i.e., FD, Moran's ) as the dependent factor and the tree size classes or species groups as the independent factor. Rejecting the null hypothesis that the column effects are equal to zero means rejecting the hypothesis that there is no difference in the percentages of the two size classes or the two species groups. As discussed previously, the average values of FD and Moran's were computed from the samples using the results of all TM bands except band 6 (thermal infrared).
Two-way ANOVA tests were conducted for two of the size classes at a time. The significance level was chosen to be 0.05 in order to be consistent with the research literature in the areas of remote sensing and land characterization [47, 51, 74, 75]. The first test rejected the null hypothesis of no difference between the percentages of sawtimber and poletimber classes at the 0.05 significance level using the average FD as the dependent variable. Similarly, ANOVA rejected the null hypothesis of the percentage of trees in the sawtimber and saplings size classes using the average FD. ANOVA also rejected the null hypothesis for the percentage of trees in the poletimber and saplings size classes using the average FD at the 0.05 level. Thus, it appears from these results that there is sufficient fidelity in the FD computed from the TM data that one can distinguish between timber size classes with a reasonable degree of statistical confidence.
The same battery of tests was also run using the average Moran's as the dependent variable with similar results. The two-way ANOVA test results appear to show that Moran's values computed from TM data can also be employed to distinguish between timber size classes with reasonable statistical confidence.
Two-way ANOVA tests were also conducted using different species (i.e., softwood and hardwood) as the independent factors. The tests rejected the null hypothesis of no difference in percentage of hardwood and softwood trees in the samples using both the FD and Moran's as dependent variables at the 0.05 significance level.
6.2. Regression Analyses
The FD is plotted against the percentage of forest trees in each class category in Figures 7 through 9. First, the figures demonstrate that the FD has definite boundaries depending on the percentage of trees in the larger (sawtimber) and smaller (saplings) classes. The maximum FD is 2.89 for a sample with a saplings percentage of 0% and sawtimber percentage of 90%. Conversely, the minimum FD was 2.67 for a sample with a sapling percentage of 66% and sawtimber percentage of 34%. The figures also illustrate that the FD remains fairly constant around the value of 2.7 for samples with either greater than 50% saplings or less than 50% sawtimber. These observations are consistent with the reasoning outlined earlier, that is, trees with smaller crown widths will produce more homogeneous canopies (smaller FD) than will trees with larger crown widths. It appears from these results that when the percentage of smaller trees (saplings) within the forest becomes greater than 50%, then the canopy image becomes so homogeneous that the lower fractal bound is reached. Thus, the FD cannot be determinative for sapling percentages beyond 50%.
However, in the region between the boundaries, there appears to be a fairly linear relationship between the FD and the percentage of class category. Samples with greater than 50% saplings or less than 50% sawtimber were excluded from the data set (a total of 10 samples) and linear functions were fitted to the remaining data as shown in Figures 10–12. Both Figures 8 and 11 show that there is considerable more scatter in the poletimber data than is present in the other two classifications. This observation is also consistent with the general concept discussed previously in that the poletimber represents a forest structure that is dominated by neither small trees nor large trees and thus these samples would demonstrate a greater range of image complexity (and greater variation in FD) than would the sawtimber or saplings samples.
The situation is similar in the case of Moran's statistic (Figures 13–15). Again, the statistic appears to demonstrate definite bounds with a maximum of about 0.9 for samples with greater than 50% saplings and a minimum of about 0.6 for a sawtimber percentage of 94%. Again, as in the fractals case, there appears to be a fairly linear relationship between Moran's and the class percentages between the boundaries (Figures 16–18). However, as in the case of fractals, Moran's cannot be considered a definitive measure of stand density for samples with greater than 50% saplings.
As for the species groups, there appears to be a fairly linear relationship between the FD and the species group percentages as well as between the Moran's and the species group percentages (Figures 19–22). All the regressions showed an increase (positive slopes) in FD and a decrease (negative slopes) in Moran's as the hardwood percentages increased while all the regressions showed a decrease (negative slopes) in FD and an increase (positive slopes) in Moran's as the softwood percentages increased. The explanation is the same as given for the stand sizes case because softwood trees (e.g., Pine trees) are mostly with small crowns, while hardwood trees (e.g., Oak trees) likely have large crowns. As a matter of fact, the species group case had even stronger correlations with the average spatial indices than the DBH case. This can be due to the fact that remote sensing data do not measure DBH directly, but they measure crown reflectivity by satellite sensors. So, for a given species group, the reflectance value recorded by satellite sensors is a function of exposed projection area (canopy closure). The strong relationship between the spatial indices and both types of species groups hardwood and softwood is very important to the potential prediction process of the trunk diameter from the spatial indices, because it suggests that whether the tree is a softwood or a hardwood would not affect the relationship between its trunk size and the spatial indices. In other words, having different species groups would not skew the potential trunk size predictions. Thus, potential forest tree trunk size prediction models would be valid for any species groups.
7. Conclusions
The results of the case study presented herein appear to confirm the basic theory pertaining to the application of fractal and spatial analyses to forest canopies. The relationships between image complexity and forest stand characteristics appear to be confirmed up to a point. However, it appears that as the percentage of smaller diameter trees becomes greater, and particularly if it exceeds 50%, then the canopy image obtained from Landsat TM data becomes sufficiently homogeneous so that the spatial indices reach their lower limits and thus are no longer determinative.
It also appears, at least for the Oakmulgee forest, that the relationships between the spatial indices and forest class percentages within the boundaries can reasonably be considered linear. The linear relationship is much more pronounced in the sawtimber and saplings cases than in samples dominated by medium sized trees (poletimber). The large variation in the poletimber data is consistent with the theory of image complexity of forest surfaces as put forth in this work.
From a civil engineering applications perspective, the results indicate that up to a point where smaller trees dominate the landscape, forested areas can be differentiated according to breast sizes and thus important flood plain characteristics such as ratio of obstructed area to total area can be estimated from remotely sensed data. This would facilitate the estimation of hydraulic roughness coefficients (e.g., Manning's ) for computation of flood profiles needed for bridge design. Even in the case where smaller trunks do dominate, then the knowledge of that fact alone would also facilitate the estimation of the required parameters. Likewise, remotely sensed indices such as fractals or Moran's can distinguish hardwood and softwood species with good accuracy. Thus, forested landscapes can be mapped for preliminary environmental impact analysis.
These results appear to indicate that both fractal dimensions and spatial autocorrelation indices hold promise as means of estimating forest stand characteristics from remotely sensed images. However, additional work is needed to confirm that the boundaries identified for Oakmulgee National Forest and the linear nature of the relationship between image complexity indices and forest characteristics are generally evident in other forests. In addition, the effects of other parameters such as topographic relief and image distortion due to sun angle and cloud cover, for example, need to be examined.
This work was supported by a grant from the US Department of Transportation "Applications of remote sensing and related spatial technologies to environmental assessments in transportation." The assistance of the project manager, Dr. Roger King of Mississippi State University, and the USDOT program director, Dr. K. Thirumalai is gratefully acknowledged. The authors would also like to thank Dr. Nina Lam of Louisiana State University and Dr. Charles Emerson of Western Michigan University for their assistance.
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Copyright © 2012 Mohammad Z. Al-Hamdan et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


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- This event has passed.
Wikipedia Editathon
16th November, 2013 at 10:00 am - 4:00 pmFree
Wikipedia is one of the five most used websites in the world and we want to make sure that Scottish women are visible there. Come along to the Olympia at 10am or 1pm and learn how to use Wikipedia, improve its articles and add information and photos. If you feel confident using Wikipedia already then just drop in any time between 10am and 4pm and spend some time editing with us. If you are not confident on the computer, don't worry, you can pair up with someone or just help with finding out information on the women to update them.
Saturday 16th November, 10am to 4pm
Bridgeton Library, The Olympia Building
This event is a partnership with GWL Women Make History group and Wikimedia UK. The session will be facilitated by Graeme Arnott of Wikimedia UK, Anabel Marsh, from our Women Make History group and Laura Dolan, Lifelong Learning Assistant at the Library.
No booking is necessary. Just come along to one of the information sessions at 10am or 1pm or drop in any time between 10am and 4pm. Please bring some information with you on a woman who you would like to update on Wikipedia – and there will be some books and information available for you to find out about some interesting women on the day.

subset: commoncrawl


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A combined mastopexy and augmentation -– preferred by many women seeking breast plastic surgery -- is as safe as doing the two procedures separately, according to a retrospective, single-center analysis.
The overall re-operation rate was 23.2%, including 13.3% for tissue-related and 9.9% for implant-related reasons, according to Michael Bradley Calobrace, MD, and colleagues at Calobrace Plastic Surgery Center in Louisville, Ky.
The tissue-related re-operation rate was similar to the 10.2% seen in a series of patients who had just a breast lift, Calobrace and colleagues reported in the January issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
The simultaneous procedure is preferred by many women because it is cheaper than two separate operations and has fewer risks, the researchers noted.
Action Points
- A combined breast lift and augmentation, preferred by many women seeking breast plastic surgery, is as safe as the two procedures separately, researchers found.
- Note that the overall re-operation rate was 23.2%, and the tissue-related re-operation rate was similar to the 10.2% seen in a series of patients who had just a breast lift.
But they added that the double procedure is technically more challenging, and some critics have suggested it increases the risks while decreasing certainty about the final result.
To help clarify the issue, they analyzed 430 consecutive mastopexy operations performed in their center over 5 years, including 332 that included a simultaneous augmentation.
The 98 mastopexy-alone cases were evaluated for comparison.
Among the 332 simultaneous operations, they reported:
- 235 were primary cases and 97 were secondary cases.
- The overall complication rate was 22.9%, including 20.4% in the primary cases and 28.9% in the secondary cases.
- Tissue- and implant-related complication rates were 15.1% and 7.8%, respectively.
- The most common complications were capsular contracture, poor scarring, and recurrent ptosis seen in 13, 11, and 11 patients, respectively. They were also the most common indications for re-operation, at 11 for each one.
- There were no deaths, pulmonary embolisms, deep venous thromboses, or major tissue losses of any type.
Of the 98 mastopexy-only procedures, 75 were primary cases and 23 were secondary, Calobrace and colleagues reported. The complication and re-operation rates were 12.2% and 10.2%, respectively – roughly comparable to the tissue-related rates in the simultaneous procedures.
The researchers noted that re-operation rates for implant-related reasons, published by two major implant suppliers, were between 19% and 24%, higher than 9.6% seen in the 332 simultaneous procedures they carried out.
Taken together, the data suggest, they argued, that "the re-operation rate of combining the two procedures is not more than additive when compared with published values."
In addition, they noted, staging the two procedures creates an immediate 100% re-operation rate, in addition to the rates for each procedure separately.
"With appropriate patient selection and a carefully planned operative approach," they concluded, "our data demonstrates a one-stage procedure can be safely performed with acceptable complication and re-operation rates."
The study had no external support. Calobrace reported financial links with Mentor and Allergan. The journal said other authors did not make any financial disclosures.
Primary Source
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Source Reference: Calobrace MB, et al. "Simultaneous augmentation/mastopexy: A retrospective 5-year review of 332 consecutive cases" Plast Reconstr Surg 2013; 131: 145-156.


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the cost of IVF treatment in Makati ciepends on several factors including the experience of the fertility doctor, complexity of the couple's case as well as utilization of donated sperms, eggs or embryos. The requirement of additional treatments such as ICSI treatment and Assisted hatching procedure along with IVF also increases the cost.
Need help in Selecting your treatment
The following IVF centres in Makati are successfully serving couples with the latest and advanced fertility treatments for achieving the best results.
Healthway Dental and Medical Clinic
Rufino street, Makati
Amorsolo Street, Makati
Kalayaan, Makati
Dian St, Makati
Ela's Fair Treatment Cost makes sure that the patients receive fair treatment prices and suggestions vvhich are purely unbiased bringing the transparency in the system at no additional costs.
It provides the user with the range of fertility treatment cost based on the success rates of the treatment which enable them to make smart and wise decision.
It provides the user with the range of fertility treatment cost based on the success rates of the treatment which enable them to make smart and wise decision.
The prices for any fertility treatments are calculated by taking into consideration the market price of the treatment at various fertility centres and hospitals in the respective city.
The success rate of IVF treatment in Makati is around 70%. The success rates of IVF treatment in Makati depends on several factors including stimulation protocol utilized by the fertility doctor, advanced medical technology at the hospital as well as features of andrology and IVF lab.
Not necessarily. In one of the recent researches in the field of IVF procedures, 1 out of every 34 babies born from IVF treated mothers is twins or triplets. So, you can see the ratio and understand the chances of occurrence of twin or triplet pregnancy.
Absolutely, The prices of the IVF treatment are revised and updated so that couples with different treatment budgets can easily apply for the treatment and have their own babies. Moreover, couples can also opt for Ela medical loan.
I was feeling that I was overcharged when I received the quotation of IVF treatment from a doctor nearby me. Ela helped us with transparency and we took the right decision.
Ela's Fair treatment cost calculator helped us save a lot of money. Now, we utilize it to find the best and affordable costs of fertility treatments. Appreciating feature!
I really liked the costs which Ela FTC provides as the success rates are also mentioned with the costs of the treatment. There is good transparency in the costs as well.
My husband and I were planning to opt for fertility treatment. But we were confused regarding where to find the right costs. Ela FTC helped us to find the right prices.
Laparoscopy is a surgical diagnostic procedure, which is helpful in detecting the internal organs of abdomen such as the stomach, small and large intestines, pancreas, gallbladder and liver. It is also known as diagnostic laparoscopy and is a minimally invasive and low-risk procedure, which requires only small incisions.
Laparoscopic procedure is conducted using a medical instrument known as a laparoscope to look at the abdominal and pelvic organs or permit small-scale surgical procedure. A laparoscope is a fibre-optic, long and thin instrument with a high-intensity light and a high-resolution camera at the front. A laparoscope is inserted in the abdominal wall through an incision or cut. With the movement of the laparoscope, the camera sends images to a video monitor.
Laparoscopy helps a laparoscopic surgeon to see inside the human body in real time, without open surgery. Laparoscopic surgeon can obtain biopsy samples while conducting the laparoscopy procedure. The laparoscopy cost in Makati varies from one clinic or hospital to another. There are various other factors as well on which the laparoscopy cost in Makati depends such the past patient reviews and qualifications and expertise of the doctors.
Laparoscopy is conducted to diagnose and treat problems related to reproductive organs. It helps a doctor laparoscopic surgeon to detect the cause of any sort of dysfunction in abdomen, such as pain or excessive bleeding. It can also help in finding reasons for infertility and treating the same. Situations under which laparoscopy takes place are:
Over time, Makati has become a medical hub of various medical treatments including Laparoscopy surgery. People from not only Makati, but other states as well are coming to undergo several treatments. The reason behind this haul is the affordable Laparoscopy cost in Makati. The Laparoscopic surgeons and medical professionals too are the most reputed and well recognized. Laparoscopy is considered to have higher success rates despite having a low cost. At the IVF centres in Makati, the laparoscopy cost in Makati starts from Rs. 33, 500 and can go up with respect to the location and success rates. With higher laparoscopy success rates, the laparoscopy cost in Makati increases. For example, the laparoscopy cost in Makati with higher success rate ranges from Philippine peso.152737.45 to Philippine peso.179499.13. Elawoman provides a Fair Treatment Cost calculator to find and calculate the cost of the respective treatment based on their success rates. Following table represents the laparoscopy cost in Makati based on the success rates from fair to high.
Philippine peso.83921.67
Philippine peso.110683.36
Philippine peso.108771.81
Philippine peso.154648.99
Philippine peso.152737.45
Philippine peso.179499.13
Laparoscopy is recommended in conditions like unexplained infertility issues. Laparoscopy can also be used to remove cysts, fibroids or open blocked fallopian tubes. Hence, laparoscopy is used to treat the conditions in the female reproductive organs, which cause infertility in women. Laparoscopy is also suggested to some of the patients before starting any fertility treatment because it helps in improving their treatment's success rates.
Laparoscopy is as an outpatient procedure. The patient can go home the same day of the surgery. It may be performed in an IVF hospital or an outpatient surgical center.
The patient is given general anesthesia at the beginning of surgery. In general anesthesia, the patient is allowed to sleep through an intravenous (IV) so that he/she may not feel any pain. With IV, the anesthesiologist can give special medications and provide hydration with fluids. The doctor advises patient to be fasting for 8 hours before the time of surgery. Some patients are also asked to take some antibiotics depending on the severity of the surgery.
During laparoscopy, the surgeon makes an incision below the belly button and then inserts a cannula to inflate abdomen with carbon dioxide gas. This gas allows the doctor to see abdominal organs more clearly. Once the abdomen is inflated, a laparoscope is inserted through the incision. The camera attached to the laparoscope helps in displaying the images on a screen, allowing internal organs to be viewed in real time. The instruments are removed post laparoscopy procedure. The incisions are then carefully closed with stitches or surgical tape. Bandages are then placed over the incisions.
Laparoscopic surgery is minimally invasive surgery and is as safe as traditional open surgery. The laparoscopic operation takes place when the laparoscope is inserted through a small incision near the belly button (umbilicus). The laparoscopic surgeon initially looks in the abdomen to ascertain that laparoscopic surgery may be safely performed.
You can book an appointment at elawoman.com if any of the following symptoms develop after undergoing a laparoscopy surgery:
Generally, the discomfort goes away in a couple of days post laparoscopy surgery. The patient is advised to rest for a week and can usually resume all the normal routine activities after that. The patients can book an appointment at elawoman.com to schedule a follow-up visit with the doctor about two weeks after laparoscopy.
If you need any sort of medical intervention from the most eminent doctors in the field of gynecology, obstetrics and infertility, visiting elawoman.com is the best option. Here you will get all your questions answered by our specialized and experienced team. Feel free to know more about laparoscopy cost in Makati and for any other fertility and gynaecology related problems.


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Forthcoming changes in RVL submission procedures & charges
From Monday 31st March 2014, the Regional Veterinary Laboratories are introducing a range of changes as follows:
- A requirement to tag all bovine foetuses before submission. This is a legal requirement enshrined in the 2012 BVD Order. For those exceptional cases where no tag is available, we have issued advice to farmers and vets outlining the alternative ways to comply with the legal requirement to follow up on a bovine abortion in a herd.
- A revised post mortem charge is being introduced that will now incorporate the cost of waste disposal in addition to the existing post mortem fee for some types of animal carcasses. The total RVL charge under the new arrangement (PM fee + Waste Charge) will be in line with current knackery charges for fallen animal disposal.
- Bank card & cheque payment facilities will be provided at each RVL to collect the waste disposal charges which are payable on submission of a carcass.
- The current PM fee will be charged to the referring vet, and ultimately passed on to the farmer by the vet when the PM result is reported.
- Based on a recent decision by the Revenue Commissioners, VAT on all laboratory fees will be charged at a rate of 23%
Further details on these changes are on the information leaflet here: RVL Changes Animal Keeper Leaflet (pdf 310Kb)


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Price: $71.25
Quantity: 1 available
Book Condition: Very Good+ with no dust jacket
Slight darkening to spine & rear cover. Upper outer corner has been bent, but lays flat. Tight & clean. Spine is uncreased (looks unread), with small binding wrinkle at top.; Paperback; 5 1/2x7 1/2"
Title: The Case of the Golden Blonde: Sherlock Holmes Versus Arsene Lupin
Categories: Other,
Edition: First Edition
Publisher: NY, Atomic Books, Inc.: 1946
Binding: Original Wraps
Book Condition: Very Good+ with no dust jacket
Item: 1.00 Item
Seller ID: 8200
Keywords: Fiction Literature Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Holmesiana


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News Release Details
EAC receives $10,000 grant from the Qwest Foundation to develop hybrid online courses
[Click Image to Enlarge] None
By Todd Haynie
THATCHER, AZ—Eastern Arizona College recently received a grant from the Qwest Foundation to improve and update teachers' skills in the delivery of instruction. Specifically, the grant will be utilized for developing hybrid-online courses to supplement the course offerings already available to local high school students in grades 11 and 12 and to provide pre-entry classes in motivation, critical thinking, study skills, and test-taking skills.
Hybrid-online is defined as courses that have face-to-face and online components. Combining the two elements of instruction can benefit the student by allowing for self-paced learning while still providing personal interaction with the teacher.
"Our goal is to provide an alternative method of teaching and learning for students in the local high schools," said Jeanne Bryce, EAC dean of instruction. "Skillfully-developed, hybrid-online courses will provide greater opportunity for students to get skills necessary for success at the college level."
EAC's advantage in obtaining the grant is that it is a member of the Graham County Wireless Interactive Instructional Consortium. This consortium provides students and teachers online learning via 2-way video/audio from seven local school districts to the College. Students from these local schools can actually view the class and interact with the instructor or with each other, right from their home school.
"This program exemplifies what the Qwest Foundation sets out to do on two fronts," said Pat Quinn, Qwest Arizona president. "Education and preparation for higher education are core values for Qwest. Anytime we can demonstrate our Spirit of Service and help to educate those in our service territory, it's a winning combination for everyone involved."
The Qwest Foundation awards grants through community-based programs in the area of preK-12 education. The foundation considers programs that effectively use technology to improve preK-12 public school instruction, promote innovative models to strengthen this education, improve the skills and leadership of educators and parents, and promote innovative early childhood education programs.


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This time last year, the Columbus Blue Jackets' Nationwide Arena was reported to be turning a $500,000-a-year profit since its takeover by Franklin County in a much-maligned bailout plan — a profit that disappears once you take into account that the county is subsidizing arena operations with $4 million a year in subsidies. And how are things going now?
The arena spent most of its second year under public ownership operating at a deficit.
A recent rally, thanks to special events that included Bruce Springsteen, Cher and Demi Lovato, has nudged the arena $426,000 into the black, according to the latest revenue report.
Again, that's "in the black" if you don't count the annual county subsidies to the arena, meaning the building is actually losing more than $3 million a year, but Franklin County taxpayers are making up the difference.
And why is this, tell us, Columbus Dispatch?
Put simply, the contracts allow everyone else to make money from the arena except taxpayers.
The Blue Jackets take all concession and parking revenue for all hockey-related events. Performers, such as Springsteen, demand a certain percentage of all ticket sales (usually 85 percent or more) before agreeing to come to Columbus.
The public also pays for improvements inside the arena, such as the nets on the hockey goals. More than $900,000 in public money was spent in the past year to replace and repair seats.
That's right: Columbus area taxpayers are paying for hockey nets for a team that keeps 100% of the revenues from hockey games. Also, cue the jokes about why they need to replace seats when they've barely been used in the first place.


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I injured my shoulder at work and then through a year of swimming, racquetball, yoga and other physical activities, I aggravated it to the extent that I had constant pain. I first saw Dr. Codsi after working with his PA and trying some treatments including physical therapy and injections which decreased but did not alleviate the pain. Dr. Codsi recommended Heller therapy which was a huge improvement and alleviated the majority of my pain for a few months but then it returned. Before having surgery I went to a physician in Seattle for a second opinion and he said if another injection did not help then I would need surgery. He gave me an injection which was excruciatingly painful and did not help with the shoulder pain whatsoever, unlike my previous steroid injection. I talked with Dr. Codsi the next day and decided to have surgery.
Comparing the two offices of the Seattle physician and Dr. Codsi's office I would have to say that Dr. Codsi's office staff were extremely friendly, helpful and made me feel as if they had all sorts of time to spend helping me with my concerns. I did not feel the same way in Seattle.
After surgery, true to what Dr. Codsi had warned me, it took at least 6 months for the majority of healing, and truly a year before I had full recovery. I did need physical therapy after surgery and again even greater help was Heller therapy to get greater range of motion back. I do not have complete range of motion but I do have about 95% use of my shoulder. I am swimming again, I play racquetball for up to 2hrs. at a time, and I have no problem doing yoga or any other activities I previously enjoyed. I may have brief discomfort in my shoulder after these activities, but it quickly goes away.
I have recommended Dr. Codsi to other people who have likewise had very positive experiences and outcomes. At all times I felt that he not only listened to my concerns, but had the knowledge and skills to help treat my problem, was honest with what I could expect from all options and did not simply rush into surgery but gave me ideas and suggestions for other conservative treatments.
I injured my shoulder falling off of a truck during the day at work while performing my usual duties as a Lineman for the power company. It became worse over the next couple weeks to the point where I could not move my arm. This was frightening due to the fact that my job depended on the full function of my upper body to execute my regular duties. My other concern was that I live by myself and had no one to depend on for help physically. The pain was excruciating and made me miserable during the day as well as keeping me up at night.
Adding to this was the frustrating process of paperwork through L&I and wondering if there was permanent damage that would change my life forever. It wasn't looking good as odds seemed to be against me.
I was referred to Dr. Codsi and after meeting him, I felt like there was finally someone on my side. His office took charge of everything from paperwork, maintaining employment with a job I love, and making my home life more comfortable.
After surgery, I felt immediate relief from the injury and they made sure I had every advantage towards recovery with almost no distractions.
Today I am living my life as if nothing ever happened, and I am amazed of the outcome after once feeling as if there was no hope of doing the things I love. It was an amazing experience that I can never forget that I could not find anywhere else. I owe it to myself and Dr. Codsi and his staff for making this possible.
They are the best at what they do and I wouldn't recommend anyone else.
I endured constant nagging pain for 6 ½ years after re-injuring a previous rotator cuff surgery. I have always known that I can endure a high level of pain, but six plus years is obstinate!
I met Dr. Codsi when Dr. Hartley of your Stanwood clinic treated my 94 year old mother for a fall she obtained at the feed store. Dr Hartley told me "He's one of our best; he only works on elbows and shoulders." I also heard the word shoulders… Mom had a small elbow chip break. While briefly waiting to see Dr. Codsi, I noticed a medical paper in a frame on his wall regarding rotator cuff surgery. I read it as fast as I could and recognized myself in that article. I appreciated the kind care, common sense, and attention to detail Dr. Codsi showed to mom and me. When I brought mom in for the follow-up visit, I was able to read more of the rotator cuff article and asked him for the complete copy. Upon talking, Dr. Codsi told me that the Everett Clinic also is able to do surgery for Group Health, for which I've been a member for about 40 years. That was it! I hoped that he would be the doctor for my rotator cuff surgery that I know I long past needed. I was thrilled he agreed.
The upper arm, back, shoulder and neck pain VANISHED the morning Dr. Codsi finished surgery. I now smile when I remember him saying, "You'll be a new woman." I'm the same woman but very exceedingly thankful for Dr. Codsi's understanding, his fantastic medical skills, superb knowledge and outstanding medical care. My shoulder was given a new chance of being normal again! I am very thankful that he's my doctor. My surgery is a gift of health.
Having a regular shoulder again, and no pain is a real gift! I feel like a new woman.
After several years of dealing with pain in my left shoulder and the progressively decreasing range of motion and quality of life with the prescribed physical therapy from my insurance company/health care provider, I requested to be seen outside of my network. I was directed to The Everett Clinic and was able to have Dr. Codsi examine my shoulder. During the examination, Dr. Codsi was very thorough and immediately took my care in his hands. After a few short visits, it was discovered that I had a growing calcium deposit in my left shoulder and all the previous therapy was aggravating it even more. We scheduled an operation immediately and, not knowing what to expect, Dr. Codsi and his wonderful staff eased my worries and helped me through the operation. During and directly after the operation, everything went great.
I was required to return to my insurance company/health care provider for physical therapy for my operation recovery, but because the therapist could not see me for several weeks, my shoulder froze with scar tissue. Again, I requested to be seen and return to Dr. Codsi at that time. It was recommended that I undergo another surgery to clean out the scar tissue and so I did. I cannot begin to explain how excited I am now since my shoulder has been fixed by Dr. Codsi. My quality of life was on a constant downfall because I was not able to do all of the things that I love like skiing, snowboarding, rock climbing, exercising, swimming and even being able to sleep peaceful at night. I am now able to do all of those things and more since I have the strength and mobility that I used to have. Because of Dr. Codsi and his highly professional and wonderful staff, I would highly recommend Dr. Codsi to anyone.


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Make A Charitable Bequest
A charitable bequest is how donors benefit a favorite cause through their will or living trust. Including a bequest to FSC in your will or trust is an easy way to make a difference.
Charitable bequests can work to the benefit of your estate's primary beneficiaries courtesy of the current tax laws and is a wonderful way to provide a pre-planned gift.
Advantages to you:
- It doesn't affect your current cash flow or assets.
- It's easy to make and to change if your circumstances change.
- You retain full use and complete control of your property for life.
- It may save you estate taxes later.
- Every dollar of your thoughtful gift is fully tax deductible through Fortuna Senior Services, Inc. 501(c)3 private nonprofit corporate status.
- Plus, you have the satisfaction and pride of knowing your legacy will continue to benefit future generations after you're no longer here.
You can make a legacy gift of any size with a simple directive in your will or living trust.
"But I have family. Shouldn't I leave my entire estate to them?"
This is the number one caution when making a bequest. The fact is, depending on the current tax laws, leaving a gift to charity in your name can reduce the estate tax burden on your heirs. Consult a financial advisor or estate attorney to see how would work in your instance.
There are many events that signal it's high time to review your will - a physical change of address, a change in marital status, the birth of a child or grandchild, the demise of a loved one. Statistics tell us some forty percent, including seniors, have not even written a will. Without a will, you re leaving the disposition of your estate up to the government. Step one, contact a financial planner or estate attorney or qualified paralegal to ensure you have a will and to make sure it is up to date, that it includes establishing a charitable gift if that is your wish. Step two, let FSC know of your plan to lend your support. It s important we know what you want done with your eventual gift. And FSC will want to thank you.
There are a few differences in bequests, depending on what you want to leave, and how you want it done, calling for very specific language. Here are three examples to help direct your gift:
1. Specific Bequest:
"I give, devise and bequeath to Fortuna Senior Services, Inc. PO Box 336, Fortuna, CA 95540, tax ID No. 20-0322659.
- 1) the sum of $______, or,
- 2) ___% of my estate, or,
- 3) ___ shares of stock in ABC Company, or
- 4) my interest in (describe the real property, parcel number #___ located at ___.)"
2. Residual Bequest:
"I give, devise and bequeath to Fortuna Senior Services, Inc., address, tax ID No. 20-0322659 [all or a percentage] of the residue of my estate." (Residue is defined as that which remains after debts and expenses of administration, legacies and all other devises have been satisfied.)
3. Contingent Bequest:
"In the event that [name of beneficiary] does not survive, I give devise and bequeath the deceased beneficiary s gift to Fortuna Senior Services, Inc., PO 336, Fortuna, CA 95540, Tax ID number 20-0322659] ."
APPRECIATED STOCKS AND BONDS, IRA BALANCES: With careful planning, charitable gifts of long term appreciated securities or real estate can create very favorable tax benefits for you and your heirs such as elimination of paying long-term capital gains tax or receiving an income tax charitable contribution. If you re 70 or over, through the end of 2009, you can transfer up to $100,000 directly from a traditional IRA to a charity. You won t be able to claim a tax deduction for the contribution, but you won t owe income tax on the withdrawal either.
TRUST DISTRIBITIONS: Charitable Trusts offer an opportunity to make a substantial gift to Fortuna Senior Services, Inc. while retaining the annual income produced by these assets. You will retain income for your life and the life of your spouse. This gift can also be structured to create a substantial tax break over a period of years.
INSURANCE: You may own some form of life insurance. Life insurance can play a very important part in Planned Charitable Giving. Life insurance for charitable purposes can be accomplished by (1) the transfer of ownership of an existing policy to Fortuna Senior Services, Inc. or (2) the purchase of life insurance which names Fortuna Senior Services, Inc. as the beneficiary and/or owner.
Talk with your financial advisor for more information on these types of gifts.
* The Federal Taxpayer ID for Fortuna Senior Services, Inc. is 20-0322659


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I'm always wowed and inspired by her presentations. She does a great job combining culture and CX.
I wrote down everything she said. I loved her BUILD model. Very entertaining, very informative and actionable.
I was personally inspired by Ingrid's content and immediately began assessing all of the broken bits at our companies as a result!
I always find her insights and advice to be such a welcome change from the cluttered and complicated offerings
She knows how to captivate her audience.
Ingrid was a powerful and motivational speaker!
Ingrid was engaging and really drove home the need for experience to be at the forefront.
Engaging and relevant.
Ingrid was great!
Meet Ingrid
Serial Customer Experience Officer
Ingrid Lindberg is a serial Customer Experience Officer (CXO). As the first person to hold the title of CXO, she has been transforming companies with her approach to customer experience for 20 years. Her work has spanned the Fortune 500 - including Finance, Healthcare, CPG, Telco and Retail, working with companies to create differentiating customer experience strategies and cultures. She most recently was the President of Kobie Marketing, a leader in loyalty marketing.
She's a global keynote speaker, an author and through her company, Chief Customer, acts as a guide to organizations as they drive their customer experience strategies and people-centric culture changes.
See why Ingrid gets such positive feedback, favorable reviews, and is often quoted for saying super interesting stuff.
STRIDE 2017 – Design Experience
UX WEEK – Designing Enterprises
Need an inspiring and entertaining speaker who can take the complex theories of customer experience and turn them into measurable practice? Use the form below to tell us about your event.
Schedule a Talk
Chief Customer guides you in developing a customer experience program that impacts every piece of your organization, transforming your business results.


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Woof Wear's logo includes the strap line 'Protection by Design'.
This is not just another advertising slogan – it is Woof Wear's commitment to the continuous design and development of products using cutting edge technology.
You can see how we carefully think about every product through the choice of materials and the inclusion of clever techniques – ranging from the 'Release Profile Sole' (patent pending) which aids rider safety to the concealed pocket in the suit bag to keep dressage tails crease free. We believe that even the smallest design features can turn a good product into a great one.
We use 3d Computer Aided Design to develop our horse boots and the latest 3d scanning techniques to create a library of 'virtual' horses legs in all shapes and sizes on a computer. This allows us to design the boot to fit different legs before we make the product.
The result is a horse boot which gives optimum fit, comfort and protection.


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Christian Francis
Attorney at Law
Practice Areas
- Appellate Litigation
- Breach of Contract
- Cease & Desist Letter
- Demand Letter
- Mediation
- Product Liability
- Settlement Agreement
- Other Lawsuits & Disputes Matter
- Bankruptcy
- Debt Collection
- Other Debt & Bankruptcy Matter
- Outside General Counsel
Client Reviews
"Attorney Francis was extremely professional and knowledgeable as my Defense lawyer, could not have been more attentive to my plight, During the worst time in my life I couldn't have been in better hands, I will be forever grateful at how he handled my case."
Work History
Tullio DeLuca Law Office
Associate Attorney
Jul 2017 - Present
Civil and commercial litigation, debt-related litigation, and bankruptcy
Burns White LLC
Associate Attorney
Nov 2014 - Jul 2017
Civil and Commercial Defense
Scartelli Olzsewski P.C.
Associate Attorney
Feb 2014 - Nov 2014
Civil and commercial litigation, criminal law
Minora, Minora, et al.
Associate Attorney
Aug 2013 - Feb 2014
Civil and commercial litigation, criminal law, and misc. business transactions


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Top Apple Keynote 2017 Announcements That you might have missed
Unknown 06:31:00
September is the month for a New iPhone. Today at Apple's fall event apple lauched their new Flagship phone iPhone X which was the showstopper with a new bezel-less design, OLED screen, and many more. Alongside they also launched the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, the New Apple Watch Series 3 (which Now supports LTE), and the Apple TV with 4K resoulution.
Fell asleep during the keynote? No problem, i got you covered. Here are five Important announcements from yesterdays Keynote.
The Below Images Are Collected from The Verge
The Now Iphone x (10) is Finally Here
Welcome Apple's new flagship phone which is the iPhone X (which is pronoucned as "iPhone 10"). As you already saw the leaks it has a new Super Retina display with a new Body design. The new screen is 5.8inch OLED panel with support for HDR (both Dolby Vision and HDR10).
There is no home button in this phone, instead Apple decided to put a new 3D scanning system which they are calling Face ID that unlocks your phone using facial recognition. They also added wireless charging, and a new animated emoji feature for messaging whcih they are calling Aniemoji.
The cameras are got an upgrade with dual 12-megapixel rear cameras with dual optical image stabilization, and an improved front camera that supported portrait mode.
The iPhone X(10) comes in two colors which are space gray and silver. It'll come in two storage configurations —
64GB for $999, and 256GB for $1,149.
The New iPhone 8 and 8 Plus feels like 7S
Along side with the iPhone X two more iphones were announced before announcing iphone 10. These are iPhone 8 and the Iphone 8 plus.
These phones got an update by adding a new glass back (for wireless charging purpose), a powerful A11 Bionic processor, improved cameras, and many more. It feels like a nice upgrade to the iPhone 7, but it kind of feels more like a 7S.
The iPhone 8 is priced at $699 for a 64GB model, while the iPhone 8 Plus will start at $799 (also for 64GB), although both phones will also have a 256GB model for $849 and $949.
Preorders will begin on Friday, September 15th, with the new devices set to ship September 22nd.
The Apple Watch Now Supports LTE
The New Apple Watch Series 3 is the newest version of Apple's wearable and guess what ? it is coming with a very big feature which is LTE connectivity, now you don't have to be connected to your phone.It will work with the same phone number that your iPhone has. The design is mostly the same
It'll be out September 22nd, starting at $329 for the non-cellular version, and $399 for the cellular-equipped model.
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The NMPA and plaintiffs Warner/Chappell Music, Peermusic and BMG (Bug Music Inc.) were granted $6.6 million for copyright infringement from various websites under the umbrella of LiveUniverse and its owner, MySpace founder Brad Greenspan, on Oct. 9.
The U.S. District Court of California awarded awarded damages of $12,500 per infringement for 528 copyrights, including "China Girl," "Moondance," "Georgia On My Mind" and "(Don't Go Chasing) Waterfalls."
The first-of-its kind case established liability for posting unlicensed song lyrics websites, which potentially generate millions in advertising revenue.
"Although the music industry continues to feel the impact of their work being illegally provided online, this victory and legal precedent will serve to aid songwriters and music publishers as they continue the fight to protect their creative rights in the digital world," commented NMPA President and CEO David Israelite.
The publishers were represented by Arent Fox intellectual property partners Ross Charap and Paul Fakler.
"One of the principal purposes of our lawsuit was to obtain a large statutory damage award which would serve as a warning to persuade illegal lyric site operators that it makes good business sense to become licensed and avoid having their site shut down and damages awarded against them," said Charap.
Greenspan himself received more than $60 million from the sale of Myspace to News Corps, which he unsuccessfully challenged in court on the grounds the company had been undervalued. He founded LiveUniverse, featuring dozens of social media sites under its umbrella including the three that were at the heart of this lawsuit.
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About the AuthorEric T. Parker oversees operations and contributes editorial for MusicRow's print magazine, MusicRow.com, the RowFax tip sheet and the MusicRow CountryBreakout chart. He also facilitates annual events for the enterprise, including MusicRow Awards, CountryBreakout Awards and the Rising Women on the Row. [email protected] | @EricTParker
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Clarksville rapper DUB wants to bring the bars back with his latest visual release, "Operation" produced by Danny the3rd.
The colorful music video directed by DUB Filmz and Productions accompanies DUB's smooth flow and golden age lyricism, as the rapper vents his frustration over the current state of hip hop.
Watch "Operation" below, and look out for DUB's forthcoming project, Dreams of the Dreamless 2 set to release October 17th.
Twitter: @TheyCallMe_Dub
Instagram: @thename_dub


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THURSDAY, Oct. 14 (HealthDay News) -- A treatment for major depression that uses intense magnetic pulses to stimulate the brain, previously shown to reduce acute symptoms for brief periods, appears to work over the longer term when teamed with antidepressants, researchers report.
"We wanted to address the question of whether the benefit of TMS [transcranial magnetic stimulation] can be sustained over a reasonable time," said study leader Dr. Philip Janicak, a professor of psychiatry at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. "Based on this trial, the answer is yes."
While the study is too small to be definitive, "it indicates that we can maintain the benefit of TMS over six months, and do it safely -- there were no further risks associated with the use of TMS in combination with antidepressant drugs," said Janicak.
The study was published in the October issue of Brain Stimulation.
Researchers randomly assigned 301 people diagnosed with major depression to either real or "sham" magnet therapy for six weeks. The sham treatment felt similar to the real one, but delivered very little of the pulse intensity of the real treatment.
The 142 people who received and responded to the real therapy then entered a 21-day transition phase. During this time, they were tapered off TMS and started on antidepressant medication, a standard treatment to prevent relapse.
Of those 142 people, 121 (85 percent) completed the transition phase without relapsing, and 99 agreed to enter a 24-week, follow-up study.
During this six-month period, only 10 of the 99 (10 percent) relapsed. Of 38 people whose symptoms worsened, requiring additional TMS sessions, 32 of them (84 percent) improved and avoided relapse. Altogether, 75 percent maintained full response to the treatment.
The study provides valuable information, said Tony Tang, an adjunct professor of psychology at Northwestern University. "We now know that with two safeguards in place -- one, that TMS responders are put on maintenance antidepressant medication, and two, they receive additional TMS treatments if their symptoms worsen -- TMS can work" for an extended period, he said.
Because depression tends to recur, it is important to consider any treatment's long-term performance, added Tang. "In that regard, the best treatment is high-quality CBT [cognitive behavioral therapy]. CBT works as well as maintenance antidepressant medications in preventing relapses, but without the side effects and costs of long-term medication." But if neither CBT nor antidepressants work, TMS may be an option, he said.
In TMS, an electromagnetic coil placed on the head delivers brief magnetic pulses through the scalp and into the part of the brain linked to depression, the left prefrontal cortex. The pulses, about as strong as those in a standard MRI scan, stimulate the nerve cells in that region. It's thought that this stimulation "resets" electrical activity in this region, thereby improving depression.
A study of 190 people with major depression published earlier this year, which also compared real and sham TMS, found that the real thing significantly improved major depression in those who hadn't been helped by antidepressants. In that study, after three weeks of treatment, 14 percent of people who received real magnet therapy recovered from their depression, compared to 5 percent of those who received the sham treatment.
In 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first TMS device to treat depression in adults who weren't helped by at least one antidepressant. Treatments last about 40 minutes and are given five days a week for four to six weeks. Magnet therapy can cause mild side effects, including headaches and discomfort at the coil site.
Some 250 treatment centers around the country offer magnet therapy. People are either referred by their doctor or are evaluated by a center to determine their suitability for the treatment.
Since TMS isn't typically covered by health insurance, most people pay out of pocket. Standard treatments cost $7,000 to $12,000. However, some insurance companies will pay for the treatment after an internal review, and at least three insurance groups cover it on a policy-wide basis, said Janicak.
The study was funded by Neuronetics, Inc., which makes the TMS device used in the study.
More information
There's more on the treatment of depression at the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health.


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(edit - nevermind, see below)
Hello. I'm a developer currently working on the Torque Game Engine DTS Exporter for Blender.
One of the most requested features from users of the exporter is the ability to export animations that are created using the various constraint types. Right now, it is only possible to export animations created using "targetless IK" and FK. For more complex rigs, it is highly desirable to be able to use the other constraint types.
In order to make this happen, I need access to the final calculated bone transforms after all constraints have been applied. I was under the (apparently) mistaken impression that the new pose API in Blender 2.41 would help to solve this problem. I have run a number of tests using the "bf-blender / Windows 2.41RC1 (2006/1/17) RC BUILD" and it is quite clear that the poseMatrix property of the posebones does not take any of the constraints into account.
Would it be possible to give us read only access to this data in a future version of blender?
Joseph Greenawalt
Need access to final calculated bone transforms
Scripting in Blender with Python, and working on the API
Moderators: jesterKing, stiv
Post Reply
6 posts • Page 1 of 1
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2006 6:27 am
Need access to final calculated bone transforms
Last edited by jsgreenawalt on Tue Jan 24, 2006 7:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2006 6:27 am
Nevermind I feel incredibly stupid. The poseMatrix already contains the values I need. The problem was that I was running my test scripts from one of the aux screens (ctrl-left arrow) with no 3d view visible. This was causing my code that was supposed to be cycling through the frames to do nothing. My appologies for requesting a feature that already exists
how exactly are you cycling through the frames? i had a 3d view visible but this didn't seem to work for me like in my example in this thread: http://www.blender.org/forum/viewtopic. ... sc&start=0
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2006 6:27 am
Here's my latest test script:
I am using another bone in my armature as the constraint target (don't know if it will work w/ empties), Have tested with "track to", "copy rotation", and IK. Seems to be working well so far.
Code: Select all
import Blender
from Blender import *
arm = Blender.Object.Get('Armature')
armData = arm.getData()
act = Blender.Armature.NLA.GetActions()['Action']
def getPosesForFrame(frame):
print "At Frame %i" % frame
Blender.Set("curframe", frame)
pose = arm.getPose()
for bonename in armData.bones.values():
print "Bone %s poseMatrix:" % bonename.name
print pose.bones[bonename.name].poseMatrix
print "*****************************"
print "*****************************"
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- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2006 6:27 am
Post Reply
6 posts • Page 1 of 1


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Poony allows you to conveniently send, pick up or buy everything you need.
Choose the Pooner closest to you and make your request. Poony knows no limits!
At home or in the office, the Pooner will come wherever you want.
If you want to request more information, you can contact us by email. We will reply as soon as possible.


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Pricing & Packages
Emily did a fantastic job! I adore my photos! She made me feel beautiful and comfortable in front of the camera." - Heather L
1 hour
50 edited images of your choice
3-5 outfit changes
1-2 weeks turn around time
Engagements & Bridals
1 hour shooting time
3 outfit changes
75 high quality images via online gallery
1 - 2 weeks turn around time
Wedding Packages
Prices range from $2000 + up! Most packages include either bridal and/or engagements.
Special rates may apply.
Please contact for further information!
Contact me
Do you shoot destination weddings?
Yes! I LOVE to travel! If your wedding is one of my bucket list travel spots - you'll receive a small discounted rate!
Will there be a second shooter?
Yes! Most likely with our longer wedding day packages there is always a second shooter. For smaller and intimate (50 and under) weddings, not as likely unless requested.
Can I extend the session on the day of?
Yes! To extend your session, there is an additional $100 fee.
For wedding days there is a $250 per hour fee.
Do you have locations?
Yes! Once you reach out to me I can send you a link with all of our local locations as well as some towards dallas area and east texas depending on what style you are wanting and where you're located.
Do I have to order prints through you?
No, each session + wedding includes a print release. We have a professional printing company we use but it is not required. If you choose to print locally, we recommend costco over walmart and walgreens.
What do I need to do to book?
Please use our contact form or email us at email@example.com


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Kjaer Weis
Eye Shadow
Why Shen Loves It: Beautiful shades and blendable textures, these eyeshadows bring the glamor. Kjær Weis cosmetics have been created from the highest quality natural and organic materials, sourced from around the world. Raw substances and natural preservatives have been extracted from minerals, plants and wildflowers specifically chosen for their color, scent and affinity with the skin. Each compact comes with your chosen color, and refill pans are available in simple paper cartons that are fully recyclable. Even the refills were designed to be beautiful. The goal was to maintain both sustainability principles and a high standard of design.
.043 oz
Ingredients: Talc, octyldodecyl stearoyl stearate, bambusa arundinacea (bamboo) stem powder, copernicia cerifera (carnauba) wax, non-gmo tocopheryl acetate (nature-identical), gardenia florida (gardenia) fruit extract, lonicera caprifolium (honeysuckle) flower extract, lonicera japonica (honeysuckle) flower extract, zinc stearate. may contain + / - : mica, iron oxide (ci 77491), iron oxide (ci 77492), iron oxide (ci 77499), titanium dioxide (ci 77891).


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Derby Club
10490 Gandy Blvd. Send to Phone
727-812-3339 | Make Restaurant Reservations | Menu
OpenLunch Wed. & Sat. (seasonal; call ahead), Dinner Fri.-Sat.
- Valet parking & parking lot
- Dress code: Casual
- Full bar
- Reservations suggested
- View
- Wheelchair accessible
* Click here for rating key
: While dining at the Derby Club is limited to the eight or so months that the greyhounds are racing in St. Petersburg, this restaurant has sustained itself as a mecca for prime rib lovers. The Wednesday lunch buffet is also a perennial hit. The prime rib buffet is served each evening, augmented by a rotating variety of additional items like ham, pork or roast duck. Included are all-you-can-eat king crab legs and shrimp. There are no à la carte entrées but there is a large selection of desserts like Key lime and pecan pies, banana splits and hot fudge sundaes. If those sound like desserts tykes would love, alas, diners must be at least 12 years old to eat in the Derby Club and at least 21 to line up at the parimutuel windows adjacent to the dining room. There's also a dollar admission charge to the Derby Club. Since there are closed-circuit TV sets at every table, diners can watch their money run around the track---or just enjoy the view.
Check GAYOT's list of
Top Kosher Wines.
Wine of the Week Review by GAYOT


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Very good quality CR dry zipper,can be use for drysuit,immersion suit.fire fighting suit.waterball,dry bag..........
Below is the reasons for chooseing JQJ zippers:
1-365 days warranty.
2-18 years manufacture experience,and already cooperate with many drysuit manufactuers &repair.
3-free DHL quickly delivery
For wholesale or need more support,pls visit www.jqjcn.com
See technical specs below:
Write Your Own Review
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