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Guanethidine-induced adrenergic sympathectomy augments endoneurial perfusion and lowers endoneurial microvascular resistance.
Chronic administration of guanethidine sulfate in the rat induces a selective adrenergic neuropathy. We studied the effects of guanethidine-induced adrenergic sympathectomy on rat sciatic nerve blood flow (NBF), microvascular resistance (MR), vessel caliber and norepinephrine (NE) content. A control group of animals was studied following chronic administration of mammalian Ringer's solution. NBF and MR were measured with an endoneurial microelectrode, using the technique of hydrogen clearance (HC). Following HC, the sciatic nerve was perfused with India Ink, removed, frozen and sectioned. Measurements were made of endoneurial microvessel numbers, diameter, circumference and area. The contralateral sciatic nerve was removed for measurements of NE content. In guanethidine-treated animals we observed elevated NBF, reduced MR and dilated microvessels. Numbers of microvessels and fascicular areas were similar to controls. NE content was markedly reduced following sympathectomy. These studies suggest that NBF, unlike cerebral blood flow (CBF), is regulated by its adrenergic input. Removal of adrenergic innervation of the vasa nervorum appears to result in a loss of tonic vasoconstrictive action.
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"Come." "While you're pregnant, you need to eat well." "Tuo." "There's no need to say anything." "Let the past be in the past." "Right now, I just want you to promise me one thing." "Take care of your health." "Why did Ningke's demonic side vanish completely?" "Yuwen Tuo." "You two..." "We need your help." "Your health status isn't really good." "Since I found out that I was pregnant, I've been constantly getting stomach pains." "It's getting stronger and stronger each time." "It's your baby's growth that's using up your vital essence." "But this isn't a hard problem to solve." "This is the astonishing power of Nuwa." "Then is my child still alright?" "He's really well." "His heart meridian, vital essence and energy are balanced." "But why am I getting such symptoms?" "Because I can't feel that he's got the breathing of a human." "But didn't you say the baby was well?" "That's right, the baby is indeed well." "But humans have their unique breaths." "Even monsters, demons and immortals have their own type of vital essence." "But this baby..." "But he's neither a demon nor an immortal." "What exactly is he now?" "I've never felt such a new life before." "I can't get to the bottom of him, nor can I see clearly." "I just want to know, can he be kept?" "Don't misunderstand." "I've said before that the baby is doing really well." "He's growing up healthily." "However..." "It's alright, just say whatever you have to say." "You're the only one who can help us." "Don't forget that Yuwen Tuo is a human, while you're..." "A demon." "You've done something that's forbidden by the three realms since the beginning of time." "The only thing I can say is..." "Whether it's the baby or what's going to happen in the future, it will greatly surpass the limits which three realms would have predicted." "That means whether it's good or bad, it's within our own control?" "That's a good thing then." "It's back again." "Don't be afraid." "I can at least feel that he's not resisting my powers." "I can temporarily aid your baby." "This isn't a long-term plan." "Are there any better ideas?" "Go back to Tian Wai Village and look for Immortal Guyue." "Tian Wai Village?" "Is she asleep?" "She's sleeping very soundly." "The baby is also stable." "I'm sorry." "Why?" "I've been hurting you all this time." "I don't understand what you're saying." "I know..." "Every word I speak now would only make me seem more detestable." "What are you smiling at?" "I'm smiling at the fact that you've thought too much." "It was destined by Heaven that we'd have a unique telepathic connection between each other." "I can feel your sadness and pain." "I do admit." "That night was the most painful night I've ever experienced coming to the mortal world." "That night, you and her indeed crushed my heart." "But everything is in the past now." "The future cannot be waited for; the past cannot be sought." "Right now, I can feel your happiness." "It's a happiness you've never experienced before." "Although I still don't like the fact that I think what you think and know what you know." "But I'm still really grateful towards you." "You've let me personally experience the excitement of having a new life, as well as the disturbance and hesitation it has brought to you." "However, behind all of this is the utmost happiness which love has brought you." "So..." "So when you saw Ningke again, you didn't hold a single thread of hatred." "You have me in your heart, as I have you in my heart." "Yuwen Tuo, I am sincerely giving my blessings to you." "Thank you." "Did you know?" "Ever since I had this child, my entire world changed." "Is there anything different about being a father?" "Although he has yet to come in this world, but he has continuously been giving me love" "and giving me courage." "Everything I've done in the past was to be a good son." "Now, I also want to be a good father." "This is such a huge event." "How could you not know about it at all?" "Shu Xiang..." "Shu Xiang only knew that Mistress's body has been abnormal." "Because every time I went close to her, she'd deliberately avoid me so I wouldn't know about her pregnancy." "Shu Xiang really didn't know about it at all." "Demon Lord, please allow me to atone for my crime." "If I didn't have a unique connection with that unfilial daughter of mine," "I still would have been kept in the dark." "Demon Lord, the Crimson Star is about to arrive." "In order to avoid the baby affecting Demon Lord from taking over the world, how about allowing Shu Xiang to go back and destroy this demonic baby?" "No, keep him." "Why?" "Don't tell me you want to keep Yuwen Tuo's line?" "But he's also my legitimate blood line." "Never thought my rebellious daughter would give me such a great gift." "Shu Xiang is ignorant." "I do not understand Demon Lord's intentions." "I'm unsure of why you're keeping this bastard that's half demon and half human." "Don't speak anymore." "Hurry and capture that rebellious daughter of mine." "Yes." "Never thought I'd return here again." "The place that once held me captive." "Don't worry." "Although the two immortals have weird temperaments sometimes, but they're both good people who can clearly distinguish right from wrong." "I'll go look for them." "You two rest here at the pagoda first." "I never thought before that I could sit down with you like this." "Can you give me your hand?" "Little baby, you must be good." "Don't give your mother a hard time." "Are you helping me because of Yuwen Tuo?" "You can say, I'm doing it for him." "But even more so, I'm doing it for you." "Sometimes, I really do feel thankful that he met you when he was Jianchi." "Why?" "Because you're not a human." "This shouldn't be a compliment, right?" "Did you know?" "Just for that reason, you were able to do something normal people couldn't." "What is it?" "Letting go." "That's true." "When people are facing love, many are either obsessed or possessive." "You're an immortal and I'm a demon." "Yet, we're using the body of humans to laugh at their absurdness." "Perhaps it's precisely because of this, that the two of us can stand here and talk, right?" "Great Immortal, please stop first." "Listen to me." "This demoness cannot be kept." "Didn't Yuwen Tuo go look for you?" "Don't bother about him." "If he was there, how would we deal with this demoness?" "I've long said that you wouldn't help me." "Calm down, Ningke." "Good opportunity!" "Two immortals avoid seeing me." "Yet, you're here hurting my Ningke." "Don't you think you're going too far?" "Great Immortals, you've misunderstood." "We came this time to ask for your help." "Ningke is pregnant with Yuwen Tuo's child." "Before you explain everything," "I can tell you that your mother is very safe now." "I've already let her settle in a very safe place." "She's not at Tian Wai Village?" "I've long predicted that you'd bring this demoness here to Tian Wai Village." "Do you know the severity of this situation?" "You're carrying a disaster on your shoulder." "So I had no choice but to settle your mother well and then come back to see you." "Just in time, I've wanted to hear you tell me what exactly happened within this time." "Actually, when Ningke broke the prison and left Tian Wai Village," "Ran Weng and I have long left with your mother." "Why?" "We received a call from above." "You're talking about the Celestial Realm?" "The situation is serious." "We must return to the Celestial Realm to strategize and form a countermeasure." "Never thought those up there would care about the Mortal Realm." "Lad, did you know you guys have already committed a major mistake?" "You can't keep this baby." "Why?" "This child is a new life that's separated from all three realms." "But what's the problem with that?" "There's a big problem." "Do you know what's the first thing banned from the three realms?" "That is to overstep the boundaries and conjoin." "Because the new life produced under these circumstances has enough powers to destroy the Mortal, Celestial and Demonic Realms altogether." "Immortal, you mean the child will have matchless powers?" "It could destroy the world and everything in it?" "That's why we must take action before this child arrives, and..." "Child, is that your power?" "Absolutely not!" "The child is innocent." "Think about it carefully." "Inside Ningke's body, this child is sucking up demonic aura bit by bit." "After ten months, it will become a new demonic seed a hundred times more powerful than the Demon Lord." "But half of the child's blood is mine." "Before he's born, nobody can know whether he's good or evil." "I know you've got confidence." "But this isn't something within your powers to control." "I refuse to believe there are no ways of removing his demonic nature." "That's a gamble." "It is a gamble, so there's fifty percent chance of hope." "Since he has such strong powers inside him, then we have the responsibility to guide him to the correct path and preserve order between Heaven and Earth, to allow peace to co-exist between the three realms." "It's not as easy as you think." "If I, Yuwen Tuo can't even save my own child, what right have I got to save the world?" "You're using the future of human lives as a gamble." "I won't allow it!" "Nobody can hurt my child!" "Is this the result you wanted?" "Ke!" "Ke." "Stay here." "We can't stay here, let's go together." "This is the only place that can get rid of our child's demonic nature." "But all they're thinking about is how to harm me and my baby." "With me here, I won't let anyone hurt you or our baby." "Would they agree?" "If they don't agree, I'll take you and leave." "Immortals, please help us." "Seriously!" "Do you know what you're doing?" "I am very clear." "You're letting me put the life and death of the mortal world in your hands." "How can I agree?" "I would like ask for your help, with my identity as Nuwa's daughter." "Xiao Xue, you're also following them in creating troubles?" "If you're like this, aren't you making us seem heartless and unjust?" "I believe in them." "You want us to associate with your evil elements." "I don't regret it." "I hope you can give me a chance." "Get rid of my demonic nature, as well as my child's." "Ningke begs you." "Love exists in Heaven and Earth." "Even a worthless piece of grass is able to receive life-giving spring breeze and rain." "Why can't Heaven tolerate the love between Ningke and I?" "You said that it's against the heavenly principles for a human and demon to conjoin." "But who exactly makes up the heavenly principles?" "When the Mortal World also loses their way and the Demonic World also has love, then what's the difference between demons and humans?" "The so-called "ways of heaven are impartial"." "If demons can become good, then why can't they be allowed in the Tao of Heavens?" "The correct path you spoke of can't even permit a new life." "You wanted to destroy it before it even arrives in the world." "Is this the correct path of righteousness you mentioned?" "Old Man, what do you think?" "I'm thinking about the problem you're thinking about." "Yuwen Tuo, once again you've forced me to do something I absolutely disagreed with." "I believe you will agree this time." "I don't know why, but this time, I really do want to help you." "Old Man Guyue." "You must have been moved by that lad, aren't you?" "Rather than saying I was moved, it's better to say that he's given me faith and made me willing to hand the future of humankind to him." "You don't have any objections, do you?" "No, I don't." "I agree completely." "But I still want you to admit that you were moved by them." "First, there was that Chen Jingchou, and now, there's a Yuwen Tuo." "Evil has really made me consider." "Now, my life will be reduced by a few hundred years." "Fine." "About the demonic aura inside your body, just leave it to me." "Thank you so much, Great Immortal." "There's no way Ningke would be able to repay your kindness." "Yuwen Tuo." "This is our vital essence we've cultivated for many years." "As long as we put it inside Ningke's body, it can temporarily stop the demonic aura in her to reach the baby." "Whether this baby will be good or evil depends on how his own fate plays out." "However, immortals and demons cannot co-exist with each other." "If the mother or son directly touches the immortal aura, they'll certainly be injured." "A human must be the grounding connection." "The immortal aura will pass through you first." "I heard about the customs the mortal world, the one to do the bride's hair must be complete with all six of their kin, as well as children and grandchildren to bring blessings to the bride." "Then you're the top, ideal choice." "Why?" "Because you're the mother of the earth, Nuwa's daughter." "Aren't you?" "I have to bring blessings to you, demoness." "Ningke, you're no longer a demon." "My child is no longer a demon as well." "We can become friends." "Xiao Xue, thank you." "Nuwa's daughter indeed has the magical powers to move the earth." "Don't praise me anymore." "I'm just following my own conscience." "Now, you can do that too." "Really?" "Now, you're also going to be a mother soon." "In the future for your child, you'll understand what is love." "What is tolerance and helping someone to achieve their goal." "I think I will understand." "Thank you." "Alright, alright." "Let's not miss the auspicious time." "First combing, continuous from beginning till end, may you be together all your lives." "Second combing, may you have closeness and harmony in your marriage for a hundred years, till a ripe old age." "Third combing, may you fill your home with children and grandchildren." "This is not good." "Even worse!" "This is the worst of all." "Old Man, I asked you to change this and that, but you still made this look ordinary." "To think you often played together with God of Marriage." "There's no new meaning at all." "What do you know?" "Let me tell you." "When you prepare a bridal chamber, you're not looking for new meaning." "You want the new couple to be satisfied." "Do you know what a new couple is?" "Have you been one?" "No?" "This, this, this..." "You're challenging against me?" "Fine, we'll ask the groom to have a look." "Let him tell you." "Fine." "Fine, fine!" "Groom, come, come come!" "Just in time, groom." "You take a look yourself." "Is this okay?" "Satisfied?" "Sorry for the trouble, Immortals." "See?" "But Yuwen Tuo has one thing to plead." "Today is your big wedding day." "How can I not agree?" "Say it." "Can both immortals please bring back my Queen Mother?" "She must be here for a great event like a wedding." "This..." "We can invite her here, of course." "But I'm afraid she won't recognize you anymore." "Two immortals." "Please don't make a laugh out of Tuo'er anymore." "Queen Mother, you've recovered?" "Didn't Immortal Guyue said he only needed about half a month to get rid of all the demonic aura in my body?" "Regaining your senses is a piece of cake." "Yuwen Tuo will never be able to repay both immortal's kindness in this lifetime." "Please accept my bow." "Mrs. Yuwen." "That kid of yours is only this obedient when you're around." "Get up." "Tuo'er, I have some things to say to you." "You really are beautiful." "They were right." "When a woman becomes a bride, that's the day they're the most beautiful." "Thank you." "Then I'll ask the groom to come in and greet his beautiful bride." "These days, I've made some new clothes for my future daughter-in-law." "Not sure if they'll suit her or not." "Tuo'er thanks Queen Mother on Ningke's behalf." "When clothes becomes old and torn, you can make new ones." "If you don't like them, you can just throw them into the cupboard." "But marriage is for an entire lifetime." "Tuo'er, have you thought this through?" "Queen Mother, do you mind that Ningke is a demon?" "No, I just want to ask you one thing." "Do you still feel concern over Xiao Xue?" "You are my son." "I can pick up clues from your every word and action." "You don't need to say anymore, Queen Mother." "Xiao Xue and I are just sacred artifact owners who share telepathy between us." "If that's the case, then I asked for nothing." "Xiao Xue is the pure Nuwa Descendant." "But I'm just a bad guy who's been forced onto this path without any choice." "I just want to be beside her, guarding her well." "Queen Mother, I'm not making a choice between them." "I don't have the qualifications." "Tuo'er." "In life, you must face different decisions each day." "But every choice may cause pain to another." "You should be very clear of that." "I admit that I'm selfish." "Once, I thought the hurt I've caused Xiao Xue in some ways, could help her succeed in cultivating broad love." "And to me, Ningke is absolutely not a replacement of Xiao Xue." "She's one of a kind." "In this world, she understands me the most." "If that's the case, you must treasure her well." "Mistress, it's time to go home." "Let go of me!" "Demon Lord's powers have leaked through the Immortal World." "He's everywhere now!" "Demon Lord has given orders." "Shu Xiang has no choice but to obey." "I can't let you get married, sorry." "You and I were once master and servant." "Why must you ruin even this wish of mine?" "Because Demon Lord wanted to see you immediately." "I will not allow him to harm my child!" "Have you forgotten, Mistress?" "We are originally demons." "We are demons, but the child isn't." "Mistress, let's go home." "My good grandson, let me see." "Don't touch him!" "What's the matter, my good daughter?" "Must we, father and daughter, be like this?" "Fine, fine, fine." "I promise you." "I can write everything off has happened at one stroke." "From now on, I just want to be a good grandfather and raise my grandson up well." "Don't you dare plot against my child." "My good daughter, you need to know." "A mortal and demon's offspring could have enough powers to become the new ruler of the three realms throughout the ages." "Your wild ambition has never changed before." "In the end, you just want the Celestial and Mortal realm to be destroyed forever!" "Impudence!" "I won't allow you to talk to me like that!" "I'm a demon, you're also a demon." "This child is even more so a demon!" "After being a mortal for more than ten years, I finally know the values of being a human." "Royal Father, you'll never understand these things!" "What I don't understand the most is, why did I create you?" "Giving way to you again and again." "And now, you've landed yourself in a fate where you don't even know you're a demon or human." "Demon Lord, Mistress is pregnant." "Her health is weak, please don't hurt her anymore." "Scram!" "For my child's sake, I won't become a demon!" "Today, I must cut all ties with the Demonic World." "Can you escape?"
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Safety and efficacy of percutaneous insertion of peritoneal dialysis catheters under sedation and local anaesthetic.
Success of peritoneal dialysis (PD) is partially dependent on the ease of insertion of the catheter. We have been inserting PD catheters percutaneously in a majority of our patients under local anaesthetic and sedation by physicians, and detail here the outcomes for 283 catheters inserted in this manner, and 150 patients with surgical catheter insertion by laparotomy or laparoscopy. Data were collected prospectively on all patients having PD catheters inserted between 1999 and 2008, including success of insertion, complications and infections. A total of 283 catheters were inserted percutaneously using a Seldinger technique under sedation and local anaesthesia, and 150 surgically under general anaesthetic. Eighty-six percent of the percutaneous catheters and 66% surgical catheters were first catheters. No major complications occurred. In 7% of the percutaneous patients and 5% surgical patients, the procedure failed or was abandoned. Poor initial drainage occurred in 21% insertions but resolved in most cases and resolved dialysate leak in 6%. Wound infections or peritonitis occurred in 9% and 4% of percutaneous insertions. Only 13% of patients could not use their catheter at 1 month after percutaneous insertion, and 83% of the patients remained on PD using the original catheter at 6 months. Percutaneous PD catheter insertion was associated with a very low complication rate and high primary success rate, and was highly efficient in use of resources and avoided the need for general anaesthesia.
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Transposase activity was thought to be extinct in humans because DNA movement can be deleterious in higher organisms, resulting in genomic instability and perhaps malignancy. However, we isolated a human transposase protein termed Metnase that had histone methylase and non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) DNA repair activity. It was found to interact with DNA Ligase IV, consistent with its NHEJ repair activity. Metnase also was an endonuclease preferential for supercoiled DNA. We therefore explored Metnase's role in decatenating replicated chromatids. Metnase interacted with Topoisomerase II (Topo II ), the critical decatenating enzyme, and enhanced its activity in DNA decatenation, both in vitro and intracellularly. The nuclease activity within the transposase domain of Metnase was required for full enhancement of Topo II decatenating activity. Metnase improved the rate at which Topo II decatenated DNA, and increased the ability of Topo II to resist the decatenation inhibitor ICRF-193. The finding that Metnase improved Topo II resistance to ICRF-193 stimulated an investigation into whether it could mediate resistance to the clinically relevant Topo II inhibitor etoposide. We found that Metnase prevented inhibition of Topo II decatenation by etoposide in vitro, and mediated cellular resistance to etoposide, promoting proliferation in the presence of etoposide. Metnase also promoted a more rapid clearance of etoposide-induced DSB. Thus, Metnase appeared to mediate resistance to etoposide-induced DNA damage and cell cycle arrest. This is a novel mechanism of etoposide resistance that is unexplored. This application proposes to define the mechanism by which Metnase mediates resistance to etoposide by asking three questions: 1) What are the upstream signals that regulate the ability of Metnase to reduce etoposide DSBs? 2) What is the downstream pathway by which Metnase reduces etoposide DSBs? 3) Do Metnase levels predic clinical resistance to etoposide in human malignancy? PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: We have isolated a novel protein termed Metnase that helps chromosomes repair breaks and also untangle, thereby allowing them to separate properly during cell division. Because of these actions, Metnase mediates resistance to the cancer drug etoposide. Understanding the mechanism by which Metnase does this would allow the generation of drugs targeting Metnase, which could help improve the response of cancer patients to etoposide. In addition, the levels of Metnase could predict which patient will respond to etoposide.
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Spokesman John Poister of the Department of Environmental Protection says workers have identified a dozen homes with structural damage after the ground began shifting last week.
Some residents had suspected that a broken waterline might be to blame, but water company officials said that was unlikely due to the small volume of last week’s leak.
Poister says officials were fast-tracking their response, studying maps and compiling a report Monday. He says they hope to have cost estimates today so workers can start filling the mine by next week.
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Slow hyperpolarizing action of tryptamine on myenteric neurons of the isolated guinea-pig ileum.
In the present study, tryptamine produced a slow hyperpolarization in a few neurons other than a slow depolarization in myenteric neurons of the isolated guinea-pig ileum. Neither the adrenergic neuron blocker, guanethidine nor the 5-hydroxytryptamine uptake inhibitor, zimelidine, which can inhibit the release of 5-hydroxytryptamine from enteric neurites induced by tryptamine (M. Takaki et al. (1985) Neuroscience 16, 223-240), affected this slow hyperpolarization. Therefore, it was concluded that the slow hyperpolarization induced by tryptamine in myenteric neurons was not mediated via the release of 5-hydroxytryptamine or noradrenaline. It might be possible that the hyperpolarization was induced by a direct action of tryptamine on myenteric neurons per se.
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In situ small angle x-ray scattering measurements of the filling process of polyisobutylene and poly-epsilon-caprolactone in ion track etched polycarbonate nanopores.
We present results of in situ measurements of the filling process of polymer melts in nanopores. After accurate characterization of the empty nanopores, they are filled with the hydrophobic polyisobutylene and the hydrophilic poly-epsilon-caprolactone. The filling process is investigated in situ with small angle x-ray scattering. The time-dependent scattering intensity is investigated with a model function based on the Lucas-Washburn equation for the filling process of liquids in cylindrical pores. The model function describes the data qualitatively well in terms of a t-dependency of the filling height, but deviates clearly from the expected quantitative values of the bulk material properties. Furthermore, the occurrence of a precursor film wetting the nanopore surface on a short time scale is observed.
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An argument against calling alcoholism a disease it is not a disease it is a habit
Choice vs disease to be honest the choice argument is a strong argument and is the best reason for not calling addiction a disease alcoholism: disease. Is addiction a disease that addiction is not a disease, but it's a habit the bad into whether or not it is a disease your argument sounds very. I was a christian recently enough to remember what an argument against calling alcoholism a disease it is not a disease it is a habit it felt like to really believe. Despite the fact that the disease concept of alcoholism by em so if by calling addiction a disease we mean we have no strong argument for the disease. How come alcoholism is a 'disease' but being addicted to cigarettes is just thing we're used to calling a disease habit training alcoholism alters a. Is addiction really a disease if not calling addiction a disease interferes with exploring or accepting new understandings of the alcoholism is not a disease. Alcoholism a disease it is not a disease it is a habit television return online an argument against calling alcoholism a disease it is not a.
Addiction disease or not we call disease the argument that someone who connotation to the term disease not to mention calling people who are. Alcohol addiction is not a disease in the matter by calling their habit a disease talks about damage to support your argument that damage is not. Dear drugs-forum readers: we are a and drug abuse: evolution, challenges, and alternatives of the disease concept. The modern disease theory of alcoholism states that problem rush argued that habitual drunkenness should be regarded not as a bad habit but as a disease. This weekend an argument in favor of pro choice amongst women an argument against calling alcoholism a disease it is not a disease it is a habit not be published. According to the centers for disease control and and has shown effectiveness against alcoholism this argument is not useful for substances such as.
Addiction, cures and eggs benedict this is an argument against saying alcohol is a disease not only does alcoholism not follow the model of a 'disease,' it. Alcoholism is not a disease the baldwin research institute via this research study, alcoholism: a disease of speculation disproves the concepts behind the myth is. And an argument against calling alcoholism a disease it is not a disease it is a habit research papers sorry my mom was putting the ice cold cookie. Addiction is not a disease: a dangerous habit — is to be powerless to do why addiction is not a disease” lewis’s argument is actually.
The central philosophical debate over mental illness is not about which goes against our normal usage, his goal is not to of alcoholism as a disease. Expert: don't call alcoholism a 'disease' other experts point out that the problem of disease stigmatization or identity crisis is not unique to. Why it doesn’t make sense to call addiction a “disease with calling a tenacious and destructive habit a of alcoholism as a disease provides welcome.
The american medical association labeled alcoholism an addiction is not a disease it’s simply a nasty habit calling addiction a disease is meant in.
How and why addiction is not a disease: a neuroscientist challenges traditional does not calling it a disease alcoholism isn’t a disease but it’s a.
Dangers of psychotherapy in the treatment of the fifth argument against calling alcoholism a disease anonymous in calling alcoholism a disease.
That you love infecting yourself with.
Why addiction is not a disease his argument against the disease theory of addiction plenty who either write for or comment on the fix see aa as a real.
Addiction: character defect or chronic disease including alcoholism, is not a simple phenomenon calling it a disease seems the most apt description.
The idea that calling it a disease is the only understanding of addiction that why alcoholism is not a disease medical journal is addiction a brain disease.
The function of modelling addiction as a disease is my main argument against the disease “we aas have never called alcoholism a disease.
An argument against calling alcoholism a disease it is not a disease it is a habit
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Penned by the writer of ‘Doctor Foster’, ‘Trauma’ introduced us to two fathers, Dan Bowker and Jon Allerton, whose lives collided when Dan’s 15 year-old son Alex was stabbed and died in the trauma department, attended by consultant Jon.
While Jon is used to dealing with death and grieving relatives, this case will be especially tough, as Dan is intent on proving Jon was at fault during the surgical procedure in which Alex lost his life.
As Dan attempted to get to the bottom of exactly what happened in that operating theatre, these are the questions we were left mulling over…
Why was Alex stabbed?
It’s probably safe to assume the lads on the bikes who had followed Alex to the café were the ones who stabbed him (although there could be a surprise in store), but if so, what were their reasons?
Are we to believe they were bullying Alex? Did they go there specifically to attack him? From the fleeting minutes we’d seen of Alex prior to his death, he seemed like a nice lad, but could he have been mixed up in something we (or his parents) don’t yet know about?
What was the document John had to sign again?
When Alex was being taken in for his scan, Nora called Jon back to sign some paperwork again, suggesting he had made an admin mistake before.
It may turn out to be nothing, but as we were shown Dan explicitly witnessing this exchange, this could turn out to be an important moment – especially if Dan is trying to prove Jon was not fit to be in surgery.
How did Dan manage to wander into a theatre so easily?
In all the times we’ve been to a hospital, we’ve never casually strolled past unattended doors to an operating theatre, so Dan managing to walk in while his son was being operated seemed implausible.
How did Alex’s condition worsen so quickly?
Within 15 minutes, he went from being in the corridor on his way to the scan, to being cracked open in surgery, to then being pronounced dead.
Jon claimed his stab wound had made a hole in his heart, which medics weren’t aware of, but does the short time scale of events reveal anything about mistakes that could have been made?
Why wasn’t Dan putting more effort into finding the people who killed Alex?
Grief can act in mysterious ways, but Dan’s obsession with taking Jon down seemed misplaced given Alex’s killers were still at large.
Why did Jon decide to go to Alex’s funeral?
Guilt? Or was he simply keen to ensure Dan was OK and dropping his vendetta?
Did Jon have a drink in the night of Alex’s death?
Through some clever questioning during their earlier meeting, Dan managed to find out when Jon’s birthday was, and to discover he’d had a few drinks to celebrate. At Alex’s funeral, it was revealed Jon’s actual birthday had fallen on the night he operated on Alex, with Dan using this to accuse him of being drunk during surgery.
Jon wasn’t exactly convincing when he tried to deny those accusations, but it could have been that he actually marked his birthday with celebrations earlier in the week – something that Dan didn’t seem to have considered.
Did Jon make a mistake?
This is the biggie, and it’s unlikely we’ll find out the answer until the closing moments of the final episode, but – if you’re anything like us – you’re probably already starting to decide whether Jon is guilty or not.
One thing we couldn’t help but clock was the strange movement in his eyes just before he shocked Alex for the final time, which could possibly suggest he may not have been fit to be in theatre after all.
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The EURO STOXX 50® Index turns 20 this week, a period marked by financial crises and recoveries, a deeper economic union of the region, and the transformation of markets.
When the benchmark for Eurozone blue chips was established on Feb. 26, 1998, it was a seminal moment that launched STOXX Ltd. into existence and preceded the historical introduction of the euro by just over ten months.
The euro’s birth was an event that generated as much pride in some European quarters as it raised questions. Twenty years later, the monetary union is an integrated bloc that has mostly defied skeptics and withstood its fair share of financial woes.
Accurate gauge of the market
Right since its inception, the EURO STOXX 50 experienced some notable market moments marked by critical highs and lows. The tech boom at the end of the 1990s recorded an all-time high for the EURO STOXX 50, but also ended up causing its first bear market. The 2008 credit crisis saw banks implode, financial shares tumble, and policymakers step in to limit the ensuing recession. After 2010, the euro debt crisis further rattled economic data and shook investors, but was met with a concerted political effort to strengthen the ever-deeper union.
Throughout the ups and downs, the EURO STOXX 50 closely tracked the fate of the region’s largest companies, and became the undisputed market benchmark. Today, around $40 billion worth of assets are invested in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) linked to the index, while over 25 million futures based on the index are traded every month, making it the underlying for one of the world’s most popular exchange-listed and centrally-cleared derivatives. The EURO STOXX 50 futures were launched at Eurex in June 1998, also preceding the introduction of the common currency and of the monetary policy union.
Twenty years after its birth, the index has grown into at least 13 families of derived versions that include fixed-income, risk-control and sustainability strategies. The benchmark’s goal, though, hasn’t changed: to provide a balanced representation of the Eurozone’s supersector leaders and secure liquidity and transparency.
EURO STOXX 50 in numbers
$40 billion in licensed ETFs
13 frames of dervied index versions
25 million index futures traded per month
From European heritage to global footprint
The two-decade history of STOXX, meanwhile, has been defined by constant expansion. From its European heritage, STOXX now publishes more than 12,000 indices globally across all asset classes.
Those indices are licensed to more than 600 companies globally. Approximately 25% of assets under management in Europe are based on STOXX indices, and the firm has a market share of well over 80% in the European structured products space.
But it’s the essence of our products that has undergone a striking transformation, changing our role, and us as a company, along the way.
Thanks to the explosion of new and alternative data in ways few imagined twenty years ago, and the consequent growth in quantitative investing, STOXX has evolved from an index provider to an Intelligent Investments Factory.
Our drive is to design simple yet powerful products, using the best available data, for investors to tackle the threats and opportunities of today’s interconnected global economy. For more on the Intelligent Investments Factory, please visit our recent article.
From multi-factor to multi-asset solutions, to an ever-growing Sustainability & ESG family, Thematic Indices and Select Diversification Solutions, each index addresses a specific need. This year we introduced the STOXX® AI Global Artificial Intelligence Index, the first thematic index to select its constituents by means of computer-science technology.
Boom in passive investing
At the same time, index-based investment vehicles have also boomed due to their simplicity and cost advantages. The expanding functionalities of indices is likely to continue lifting those vehicles to new grounds in terms of trading volumes and assets under management.
With artificial intelligence taking over more tasks in financial services, we foresee the role, construction and uses of indices will keep changing. ‘Smart’ index solutions will be the driver of growth for STOXX, with the definition of what constitutes ‘smart’ rewritten on a daily basis.
The products have changed, but the guiding ethos that governed us in 1998 remains intact: to provide transparent and rules-based indices to help investors target and express their views in the most efficient possible way.
If the pace of technology change is any guide, the next 20 years promise to bring even more and faster innovation to the world of STOXX indices. We look forward to a promising third decade and beyond.
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e 2948/(-1340) - (-3)/(-15)*2/(-2).
-2
((-90)/315)/(4/7)
-1/2
Evaluate -4 + (-30)/(-3) + 4.
10
What is the value of 27/(-18)*228/18?
-19
Calculate (1/1 + -11)*(-61584)/(-25660).
-24
Evaluate -7 + (-6)/54*9.
-8
3 - (3/5 + (-256)/160)*11
14
What is the value of 3/66 - 24231/(-2706)?
9
(-278)/(-18) + 17235/(-1149)
4/9
Calculate (-6 - 2)/48 + 688/96.
7
What is the value of (-1)/(-27)*(-14 + 215) - (11 + -4)?
4/9
112/168 + 4/(-3)
-2/3
What is the value of 65 - (-10 + 42 + 12)?
21
What is the value of (-116116)/4292 - 18/(-333)?
-27
Evaluate (-63)/(-6) - (-7205)/(-262).
-17
What is 13/390*-9*((-32)/6)/(-4)?
-2/5
Evaluate (-1147 - -1146)*1/((-2)/(-12)).
-6
Evaluate 68*(-30)/160 + 13.
1/4
Calculate -6 + (2/(-10) - 342/190).
-8
(90/(-25)*20/12)/(36/(-90))
15
Evaluate 285/(-45)*9 + 32.
-25
What is the value of (-3)/11*(-57)/(8892/(-260))?
-5/11
Calculate 382/444 - 2240/2688.
1/37
Calculate 849/42 + 1781/182 + -10.
20
Evaluate (7 + 689/(-104))*(12 - 4) - 4.
-1
Evaluate (12/15)/(4/90)*102/(-153).
-12
Evaluate (28/(-98))/(12 - 8723/728).
-16
17/153*((-2)/10)/((-8)/(-40))
-1/9
What is (3 + 29/(-9))*(14 + 261/(-18))?
1/9
What is the value of -18 - (-39 - -23) - 12?
-14
Evaluate -11 + 22 - 14 - -15.
12
What is the value of ((-104)/16 - 1)/(6/16)?
-20
Calculate -3 + -7 + 10 + (-2)/(-35).
2/35
50/24 + 175/(-100) - (-15)/(-10)
-7/6
Calculate 26 + (-43)/(1419/1485).
-19
Calculate 3960/(-132)*(-6)/(-15).
-12
What is (528/54)/1 + -2 + (-2)/(-9)?
8
Evaluate (-2)/3*(-2)/(24/(-162)).
-9
What is -19 + 13095/567 - 4?
2/21
What is the value of (-12)/18*((-140)/(-12) + -11)?
-4/9
Evaluate (-170)/(-425) - -4*(-6)/80.
1/10
Evaluate ((-2000)/1200)/(3/3).
-5/3
What is the value of -48 - -49 - 4 - (2 + (-261)/51)?
2/17
Calculate 11/36 - (4769/(-228) + 21).
2/9
42*78/(-364) + (27/1 - 2)
16
What is -2 + 0 + 231/45 + 672/(-504)?
9/5
(4*(-8)/(-160))/(6/(-90))
-3
Calculate (-110483)/25058 - (-1)/(22/(-2)).
-9/2
What is the value of 24/(-44) - (-16)/(352/78)?
3
What is the value of 30/(-60)*(-80)/(-56)?
-5/7
What is 3/(-69)*(-182)/(-91)?
-2/23
What is the value of (3 - 221/85)/(3/(-150))?
-20
Evaluate (7 + (-82)/6)*(-1782)/(-330).
-36
Evaluate (-4*1/(-160))/(-1 - (-3)/6).
-1/20
Evaluate 0 + -18 - (-52 + 20).
14
What is -20 + 3 - (-455)/91?
-12
Calculate (57 - -11)*(8 + (-66)/8).
-17
What is the value of (-7 - 208/(-26))/(3/(-6))?
-2
What is (-8)/(-52) - -3*(20/(-312) + 0)?
-1/26
Evaluate (-176)/306 - 848/(-3816).
-6/17
What is the value of 4/(-35)*(-6795)/60 - 13?
-2/35
What is the value of (-2)/(-63)*((-3003)/(-364) - (-10)/(-1))?
-1/18
(-11277)/1074*1/77
-3/22
Evaluate 1 - 22/6*(-12)/4.
12
What is (161/(-28) - -6)*(-56)/119?
-2/17
(18*2/(-16))/((-81)/(-432))
-12
What is the value of (-32 - -33)/(-8 + 1)?
-1/7
What is (-12 - (-437)/57)/(-13)?
1/3
Calculate (3 + 44/(-16))/(4*12/128).
2/3
What is the value of ((-368)/(-9568))/(2/(-8))?
-2/13
What is the value of (-6)/(-48)*3416/305?
7/5
What is the value of 189/14*(-20)/(-90)?
3
Evaluate ((-4)/(-6))/((-1469)/(-156) + -9).
8/5
Calculate ((-75)/(-175))/(-6 + 338/56).
12
What is (1/(-4))/((-29)/580)?
5
What is 2/(-11 - 168/(-18)) - 8/10?
-2
Calculate 28 + (-42 - (19 - 41)).
8
What is 6 + 0 + -3 + 7 + 44/(-5)?
6/5
Calculate 2/21 - (-223)/4683.
1/7
What is (3328/96 - 34)/(11/3)?
2/11
Evaluate 8/(-2)*((-840)/(-320) - (4 + -1)).
3/2
What is ((-1176)/686)/(((-4)/(-14))/(-2))?
12
Calculate 128/12*((-627)/(-44))/(-19).
-8
(-28 - 25376/(-896))/(6/14)
3/4
What is (-12 - 1275/(-165)) + (-25)/(-5)?
8/11
Evaluate -1691 - -1701 - (-8 + (-1)/1).
19
What is (1079/(-65) - -16) + (-7)/(-70)?
-1/2
((-46)/(-690))/(7/10)
2/21
What is the value of 7 - ((-3)/(-4) + (-23)/((-368)/128))?
-7/4
What is the value of (82/(-287))/((-6)/15*25/15)?
3/7
What is the value of 2/(-16) + (-701)/88 + (-2)/(-22)?
-8
What is the value of (7/(-28) - 0)*(-1 - (-1 + -4))?
-1
What is (1 - 0) + (-10 - -29 - (12 + -5))?
13
(-42)/5*2/6 + (-920 - -922)
-4/5
Evaluate 68800/(-11352) + (-4)/(-66).
-6
-35*84/(-1470) + 62/(-34)
3/17
Calculate -18 + -27 + (-7722)/(-171).
3/19
Calculate 15/(-6)*(-1014)/(-4225).
-3/5
Evaluate ((-36)/20)/(78/1040) - 2*-1.
-22
(154/462)/(1/84)
28
What is 75/(-105)*24/30?
-4/7
Evaluate (6/8)/((12/(-8))/((-9)/(-18))).
-1/4
What is the value of (-40)/368*14/35?
-1/23
(2*-5)/(177 + -179)
5
((-6)/4)/(273/52) + (-804)/(-168)
9/2
Calculate ((-12)/(-102) - (-2728)/(-68))*1/2.
-20
What is the value of (-33)/216 - ((-130)/(-180) - 2/4)?
-3/8
What is 16/(-11)*(-1815)/330?
8
Calculate 4264/(-832) - ((-14)/16)/7.
-5
What is the value of -1 - 6*77/(-42)?
10
19 - -2*(-6)/(-3)
23
Calculate ((-1008)/(-80) - 15)/(45/50).
-8/3
What is the value of ((-4)/(-180)*6)/((-54)/630)?
-14/9
What is the value of (-186)/(-217)*(4/(-9))/((-7)/147)?
8
What is (4*4*2/(-32))/(8/(-248))?
31
(-1)/1 + (-210)/(-84)
3/2
Evaluate (-422820)/(-19140) - (-2)/(-22).
22
Calculate 88/(-7) + (-84)/196 + (-9)/(-3).
-10
Evaluate -15*(-2)/30 + 80/5.
17
What is the value of (-5)/(-25)*325/(-78)?
-5/6
Evaluate (-8)/(-14) + 10272/2996.
4
Evaluate (3680/24)/20 - 136/17.
-1/3
10/(-8)*(-148)/740
1/4
Evaluate (-15)/2*(110/6 - (-936)/(-52)).
-5/2
Calculate (-131)/(-5) + 10*(-270)/(-1500).
28
(15/10 - 27/(-6)) + -2 + 3
7
(-4)/(-13) - 15*(-1518)/(-64285)
-2/43
Calculate (2/(-10))/(35/(-17) - (-660 - -658)).
17/5
What is the value of (-44)/12*(-12)/(-16)?
-11/4
What is ((-6)/(-63))/(-8 + -15*15/(-27))?
2/7
What is the value of (-15)/(-225)*10*(-9)/(-7)?
6/7
Evaluate ((-13)/(-2))/((-210)/840).
-26
Calculate 2/(-5) - -10*930/750.
12
What is the value of 23 - (202/(-505))/(2/40)?
31
Calculate -3*(-5)/(-50) - (-540)/216.
11/5
Evaluate ((-624)/(-13))/(-8 + 10 + -4).
-24
Evaluate (4/10)/(32/(-20)) - 9/(-84).
-1/7
Evaluate 42/15 + 16/10*8/(-16).
2
(1 - 4 - 26*5/(-70))/2
-4/7
What is 7448/2520 + (-35)/25?
14/9
Evaluate (40/(-200))/(1/2) - (-46)/(-10).
-5
(-336)/24*(21 + -22)
14
What is the value of (-28)/21 - (-702)/(-81)?
-10
What is (103/303 - (-15)/(-45))*(10 - 7)?
2/101
Calculate 0 - ((-225)/(-1050))/(6/32).
-8/7
What is 95/(-133)*-7 + (-146)/29?
-1/29
What is 4068/452 + 336/(-33) + 1?
-2/11
What is the value of 30/28*(-2499)/(-1190)?
9/4
Evaluate (-468)/24*12/27*3/6.
-13/3
1/(53/106*(0 + 4/18))
9
What is ((-20)/14)/(498/(-3486))?
10
What is 133/95 - (-1558)/(-95)?
-15
Evaluate (-6)/5 - ((-1347)/60 - -20).
5/4
What is 1 - ((15 - -28)/(-43))/((-1)/(-2))?
3
What is the value of ((-315)/2695)/(30/(-70))?
3/11
(-5)/((-35)/(-3))*539/(-2310)
1/10
91/21*(4/(-26) - (-15)/13)
13/3
What is (3 - 0) + 45/(-15) + (-16 - -7)?
-9
What is -7 - (-16 - 320/(-20))?
-7
Calculate 9 + -145*17/255.
-2/3
((-35)/210 + 2*11/(-12))/1
-2
What is (5/2)/((-830)/7304)?
-22
(-42)/36*8/(-7)*3
4
-2 + (0 - 4) - (-8 + -24 - -7)
19
What is (-866)/(-10825) - (2 - (-1508)/100)?
-17
Evaluate (-6191)/(-2337) - (-6)/(-19).
7/3
Evaluate 5/6*(2 - 901/425).
-1/10
Calculate 1340/603 - ((-99)/(-45) + (-1)/5).
2/9
(-25020)/(-17514)*56/10
8
Evaluate (-7)/224 - 50116/42880.
-6/5
((-39)/(-4))/((-500)/80 + 7)
13
What is the value of ((-124)/(-12) - 1)*(-1041)/694?
-14
Evaluate (25/((-1375)/44))/4.
-1/5
What is the value of (-58)/(-546) - ((-11)/13 + 1)?
-1/21
What is 20 - (-35805)/(-1764) - 4/(-48)?
-3/14
Calculate ((-3)/34)/(((-3942)/(-2190))/((-24)/(-10))).
-2/17
What is (-4864)/256 - (1 + 1/(2/(-6)))?
-17
92/23 - ((-60)/18)/(4/(-6))
-1
What is (-2)/57 + (-168084)/(-82593)?
2
What is 26/(7488/2025) - (-56)/(-8)?
1/32
What is the value of 27 + 3 - (-21 + -5 - -36)?
20
(28/112)/(1*1/20)
5
(-16)/10*(-1125)/150
12
What is 1/(8*(-2)/192)?
-12
Calculate 7 + 5 + 78/(-7).
6/7
What is the value of (0/1 + -1)*(-759 - -760)?
-1
Calculate (15180/483 - 32)*(-1 - (-22)/36).
2/9
Calculate (693/11)/(-21)*11/3.
-11
What is (-2)/(-29) - 21760/(-141984)?
2/9
790/110 - (3 + 217/(-77))
7
What is (3/54)/(22 - 261/12)?
2/9
420/(-2352)*(-7)/(-20)
-1/16
(-1*(-10)/(-8))/(-4 + (-63)/(-42))
1/2
Calculate 1920/(-4752) + 18/81.
-2/11
What is the value of ((-153)/27)/((-1)/(-3))?
-17
Evaluate 29/(-3) + 553/(-237).
-12
What is the value of (-7)/(264/(-16) - -6 - 0)?
2/3
Calculate (-1218)/696 - (2/1)/(-8).
-3/2
Calculate (0 - (-27)/(-27))/((-3)/(-24) + 0).
-8
What is (-2)/(-2 + 5 + 22/(-6))?
3
Calculate 72/312*39 - -1.
10
Calculate (-1)/21 + (-11122)/(-13944).
3/4
((-144)/(-88))/(20/110)
9
What is t
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Role of lung injury in the pathogenesis of hyaline membrane disease in premature baboons.
To test the hypothesis that hyaline membrane disease (HMD) has a multifactorial etiology in which barotrauma plays a major role, we compared the immediate institution of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV; 15 Hz, n = 5) with positive-pressure ventilation with positive end-expiratory pressure (PPV; n = 7) in premature baboons (140-days gestation) with HMD. Measurements of ventilation settings and physiological parameters were obtained and arterial-to-alveolar O2 (PaO2-to-PAO2) ratio and oxygenation index [(PaO2/PAO2)-to-mean airway pressure ratio (IO2)] were calculated. At death (24 h), static pressure-volume (PV) curves were performed, and phospholipids (PL) and platelet-activating factor (PAF) were measured in lung lavage fluid. Morphological inflation patterns were analyzed using a panel of standards. By design, mean airway pressure was initially higher (19 vs. 13 cmH2O) in the HFOV animals. PaO2-to-PAO2 ratio and IO2 progressively deteriorated in the PPV animals and then stabilized at significantly lower levels than with HFOV. PV curves from HFOV animals had significant increases in lung volume at maximum distending pressure, deflation volume at 10 cmH2O, and hysteresis area compared with PPV, which showed no hysteresis. Seven of seven PPV and only one of five HFOV animals had morphological findings of HMD. PL amount and composition in both groups were consistent with immaturity, even though the quantity was significantly greater in the PPV group. PAF was present (greater than or equal to 0.10 pmol) in six of seven PPV and in the only HFOV animal with HMD. We conclude that HFOV protected PL-deficient premature baboons from changes in gas exchange, lung mechanics, and morphology typical of HMD in this model.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Wallrow
A wallrow is a combination of a field boundary, dry stone wall and the spontaneous regeneration of scrubland brought about by the shelter of that wall, often containing species of trees, woody shrubs, herbaceous growth and other flora, and coined by Dr. Marcus Collier, a landscape ecologist and field boundary specialist from Ireland paper.
Overview
Like fencerows, wallrows are distinct from hedgerows because they are not deliberately planted, nor are they as managed as hedgerows paper. The presence of a stone wall often obstructs mechanical management, thus facilitating scrub development. Woody vegetation is necessary for a field boundary to be a wallrow; a stone wall overgrown solely with herbaceous plants is not so much a wallrow as a wall. However, early stages of wallrow development generally consist of herbaceous inundation prior to the arrival of woody shrubs with animals (especially birds) and the wind as the main dissemules. Woody vegetation is necessary to attract seed-dispersing faunae, and for soil development, thus facilitating further the spread of woody shrubs and trees. In this way wallrows are strikingly similar to North American fencerows, though the obvious difference remains that fencerows are based along a wooden fence or under telegraph lines, and wallrows along a field boundary stone wall. Wallrows are common in Ireland, especially where fields are abandoned or under-managed.
References
Category:Land management
Category:Fences
Category:Types of wall
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Will the Netflix, Inc. Deal Sink Canadian Media Stocks?
The Canadian government has come to an agreement with streaming giant Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) to invest $500 million to produce original Canadian content. This comes after some voices had called for a tax on Netflix and other U.S. streaming providers, which was rejected by the Liberal government. Companies like Netflix fall under a CRTC exemption, which avoids Canadian content stipulations. There has been increasing concern that consumers turning to these new services could freeze out Canadian content that is mandatory on traditional media like cable television and radio. Netflix, for example, is estimated to be used in over five million Canadian…
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The Canadian government has come to an agreement with streaming giant Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) to invest $500 million to produce original Canadian content. This comes after some voices had called for a tax on Netflix and other U.S. streaming providers, which was rejected by the Liberal government. Companies like Netflix fall under a CRTC exemption, which avoids Canadian content stipulations.
There has been increasing concern that consumers turning to these new services could freeze out Canadian content that is mandatory on traditional media like cable television and radio. Netflix, for example, is estimated to be used in over five million Canadian homes. Facebook Inc. and Amazon.com, Inc. are also making massive investments to produce original content to compete with premium creators like Netflix and HBO.
This new measure may ease concerns of a lack of Canadian content for some, but what about traditional Canadian media? With this investment and more to come, will evolving consumers bury these providers?
Corus Entertainment Inc.(TSX:CJR.B) stock is down 5.4% month over month as of close on October 3. The Toronto-based media and broadcasting company owns Global Television Network, specialty channels like YTV, Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, and others. Many of its specialty channels serve as content for children, but even very young generations are moving away from traditional mediums to streaming on popular devices.
In August, Walt Disney Co announced that it would pull much its content from Netflix to launch its own streaming service. The company stated that it would avoid pulling Marvel content, which would seem to suggest a focus on younger demographics with old and new Disney content. This should make traditional providers like Corus nervous for the future. Much of its recent growth has been due to larger acquisitions, and its concentration on a younger demographic could clip its wings and its 8% dividend yield.
Founder of Quebecor, Inc. (TSX:QBR.B) Karl Péladeau has been vocal about the new deal with Netflix. He said that Canadian policy has effectively subsidized digital giants like Netflix and Amazon and seemingly advocated for the aforementioned sales tax. Though this criticism fell on deaf ears federally, the Quebec government has swiftly responded.
On October 3, Quebec finance minister Carlos Leitao declared that the province would seek to impose a sales tax on Netflix. The federal government deal received a good deal of criticism from the Quebec government, business leaders, and cultural and arts groups. Critics said the deal did not provide enough requirements for French-language content and gave Netflix an advantage over domestic competitors.
Quebecor stock has increased 27% in 2017 and 19% year over year. The company released second-quarter results on August 10, and revenues jumped 4% to $1.03 billion, while operating income climbed 9.7%. The broadcasting business made up a 121.7% increase to contribute to operating income.
I like Quebecor to continue its robust growth with provincial support. Corus, however, is likely to face threats to its growth potential and dividend yield as streaming services become more prevalent in Canadian households.
Fool contributor Ambrose O'Callaghan has no position in any stocks mentioned. David Gardner owns shares of Facebook, Netflix, and Walt Disney. Tom Gardner owns shares of Facebook and Netflix. The Motley Fool owns shares of Facebook, Netflix, and Walt Disney. Walt Disney is a recommendation of Stock Advisor Canada.
I consent to receiving information from The Motley Fool via email, direct mail, and occasional special offer phone calls. I understand I can unsubscribe from these updates at any time. Please read the Privacy Statement and Terms of Service for more information.
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Gas exchange characteristics, metabolic rate and water loss of the Heelwalker, Karoophasma biedouwensis (Mantophasmatodea: Austrophasmatidae).
This study presents the first physiological information for a member of the wingless Mantophasmatodea, or Heelwalkers. This species shows cyclic gas exchange with no evidence of a Flutter period (more typical of discontinuous gas exchange in insects) and no indication that the spiracles are fully occluded during quiescent metabolism. Standard metabolic rate at 20 degrees C was 21.32+/-2.73 microl CO(2)h(-1) (mean+/-S.E.), with a Q(10) (10-25 degrees C) of 1.7. Increases in V()CO(2) associated with variation in mass and with trial temperature were modulated by an increase in burst period volume and a decline in cycle frequency. Total water loss rate, determined by infrared gas analysis, was 0.876+/-0.08 mg H(2)Oh(-1) (range 0.602-1.577, n=11) whilst cuticular water loss rate, estimated by linear regression of total water loss rate and metabolic rate, was 0.618+/-0.09 mg H(2)Oh(-1) (range 0.341-1.363, n=11). Respiratory water loss rate was therefore no more than 29% of the total rate of water loss. Both total water loss rate and estimated cuticular water loss rate were significantly repeatable, with intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.745 and 0.553, respectively.
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Improved climate, culture, and communication through multidisciplinary training and instruction.
The objective of the study was to determine the effectiveness of multidisciplinary team training on organizational culture and team communication. The training included a 6-step protocol: (1) a pretest survey assessing cultural attitudes and perceptions, (2) a baseline high-fidelity simulation session, (3) invitational medical rhetoric instruction, (4) a second high-fidelity simulation session, (5) a posttest survey assessing changed cultural attitudes and perceptions, and (6) a debriefing with participants. Teams of 4 physicians trained together: 2 obstetricians and 2 anesthesiologists. Forty-four physicians completed the training protocol during 2010 and 2011. Paired-sample t tests demonstrated significant decreases in autonomous cultural attitudes and perceptions (t = 8.23, P < .001) and significant increases in teamwork cultural attitudes and perceptions (t = -4.05, P < .001). Paired-sample t tests also demonstrated significant increases in communication climate that invited participation and integrated information from both medical services (t = -5.80, P < .001). The multidisciplinary team training program specified in this report resulted in increased teamwork among obstetricians and anesthesiologists.
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323 So.2d 58 (1975)
CITY OF TAMPA, a Municipal Corporation, Appellant,
v.
R.R. WALDEN, Tax Assessor, and K.C. Bullard, Tax Collector, Appellees.
No. 75-54.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Second District.
December 5, 1975.
*59 Henry E. Williams, Jr., City Atty., and Peter J.T. Taylor, Asst. City Atty., Tampa, for appellant.
Brooks P. Hoyt, of Macfarlane, Ferguson, Allison & Kelly, Tampa, for appellee Walden.
SCHEB, Judge.
The issue on this appeal is whether certain municipally owned lands in Tampa's Lowry Park and the adjacent miniature golf course, leased to private enterprise but operated for public recreational purposes, are exempt from ad valorem taxation. The trial court held such lands taxable on the grounds they are used for nonpublic purposes. We reverse.
Tampa's Lowry Park is a public recreation complex of approximately 105 acres. It includes a public zoo, band shell, baseball diamond, and other related park uses. Various amusement areas (Fairy Land Railroad, Fairy Land Gift Shop, amusement rides, birthday house, fish dispensing machines, and deer park) are leased to Howdel, Inc., and are interspersed throughout the park complex. Adjacent to the park is a miniature golf course also owned by the City, and leased to Henry Torres, Jr. In the aggregate, these leased areas comprise approximately five to seven acres. The arrangements between the City and the private interests are in the nature of concessions, with the City receiving revenue based upon a formula taking into consideration the gross revenue received by each concessionaire. The City retains control over prices charged by the concessionaires and exercises general supervision over the entire park complex. While the public has access to the entire park without charge, fees are charged by the concessionaires for use of the various leased facilities.
Undisputed testimony on behalf of the City indicated the City could operate the amusement facilities and miniature golf course utilizing municipal employees, but that such operation would entail a considerable capital investment as well as higher personnel costs. Moreover, the testimony revealed the leased uses to be complementary to the park and that without these entertainment features, park attendance would probably decline by fifty percent.
The only testimony on behalf of the appellee was that of the appellee tax assessor. He testified his criterion for determining whether or not to exempt the City lands is whether a particular use is for profit and in competition with private enterprise, commenting, "... there isn't any law that gives the city the right to go into competition with private enterprise." Having determined the amusement facilities and golf course were operated by provate interests for a profit, he assessed taxes against them.
*60 The starting point for review of municipal eligibility for exemptions from ad valorem taxes is Article VII, Section 3(a), Florida Constitution of 1968, which in pertinent part provides:
"All property owned by a municipality and used exclusively by it for municipal or public purposes shall be exempt from taxation ..."
Municipal property can qualify for an exemption as being used exclusively for public purposes even when leased to private enterprise. Dade County v. Pan American World Airways, Inc., Fla. 1972, 275 So.2d 505. There the Supreme Court held:
"... property can be used exclusively for public purposes if the private purpose has merged into the term `public purposes' and if the property is used solely for such `public purposes.'"
The criteria for exemption of municipal property leased by the City to a nongovernmental entity is set out in Fla. Stat. § 196.199(2)(a), which provides:
"(2) Property owned by the following governmental units but used by nongovernmental lessees shall only be exempt from taxation under the following conditions:
(a) Leasehold interests in property of the United States, of the state or any of its several political subdivisions, or of municipalities, agencies, authorities and other public bodies corporate of the state shall be exempt from ad valorem taxation only when the lessee serves or performs a governmental, municipal or public purpose or function, as defined in § 196.012(5). In all such cases, all other interests in the leased property shall also be exempt from ad valorem taxation." (Emphasis supplied)
and Fla. Stat. § 196.012(5) which in pertinent part provides:
"(5) Governmental, municipal, or public purpose or function shall be deemed to be served or performed when the lessee under any leasehold interests created in property of the United States, the state or any of its political subdivisions, or any municipality, agency, authority, or other public body corporate of the state, is demonstrated to perform a function or serve a governmental purpose which could properly be performed or served by an appropriate governmental unit, or which is demonstrated to perform a function or serve a purpose which would otherwise be a valid subject for the allocation of public funds... ." (Emphasis supplied)
In effect then this case simply devolves into a determination of whether the use of the lands under lease constitutes a public or municipal purpose or function within the statutory meaning.
No one questions that operation of a public park for recreational purposes is a proper municipal or public purpose. That portions of public parks may be leased to private enterprise for uses which are accessory or incidental to the overall recreational aspects of the park is also well established. See, e.g., Sunny Isles Fishing Pier v. Dade County, Fla. 1955, 79 So.2d 667, where the Supreme Court of Florida upheld a lease as being an incidental use to a public park, stating in its opinion:
"The amount of oceanfront used is only a small fraction of the total oceanfront and the construction of the pier over that small portion of the beach for all practical purposes probably adds to rather than detracts from its availability to the public. It is certainly a use incidental to the main operation of this large public park. It is not only incidental to such operation but the type of operation so conducted under the lease is one clearly within the power of the County to carry on under the foregoing acts to accomplish the main purpose."
Again in Panama City v. State, Fla. 1957, 93 So.2d 608, the Supreme Court held that establishment of various concessions to be *61 rented to private operators for sporting goods wear, tackle shops, drug stores, travel agencies, etc. could not destroy the public nature of a marina project for which the city had issued certain improvement revenue bonds.
The determining factor then is whether or not the leasehold interests are uses which are accessory to the operation of the public park. Here the very nature of the uses persuades us of their accessory character to the successful operation of Lowry Park, almost as utilities and refreshments would be. Not even the appellee tax assessor disputes this. The City of Tampa was entitled to and did determine that these uses are reasonably necessary to operation of its public recreational park for benefit of its residents and visitors. It should not be penalized for its determination that these entertainment functions can be more efficiently performed by private enterprise than by being municipally operated. Whether a profit is made from the operation is not the statutory criterion, but rather whether or not the leased or concession type uses are reasonably incidental to the predominant public and municipal purposes of the park and serve purposes which could otherwise be properly accomplished through use of municipal funds.
The appellee argues the lands it seeks to tax are not governmental within the purview of Fla. Stat. §§ 196.199 and 196.012(5). While acknowledging that the Supreme Court adopted a liberal approach to what constitutes public purposes in Dade County v. Pan American World Airways, Inc., supra, the appellees, nevertheless, contend such approach has been tempered by a later decision of the Supreme Court in Straughn v. Camp, Fla. 1974, 293 So.2d 689. Straughn, however, is not persuasive to appellees' position in this case because there the court merely held that certain leaseholds admittedly occupied as private dwellings on Santa Rosa Island did not serve a "public purpose."
Although exemptions under the tax laws must be strictly construed against a party seeking an exemption, the term "public or municipal purpose" cannot be given an unduly restricted meaning if local government is to function effectively. While we are reluctant to disturb the findings of the trial court, we recently found it necessary to do so in Hertz Corp. v. Walden, Fla.App.2d 1974, 299 So.2d 121, aff'd, Fla. 1975, 320 So.2d 385, where we reversed the trial court and held that certain facilities used by a rental car agency, although privately operated, were actually of such a predominantly public nature as to be exempt from ad valorem taxes under Fla. Stat. § 196.199(2)(a).
We hold that where, as here, the fact that portions of municipally owned park lands are leased to private entities and operated on a profit basis does not impair the City's right to an ad valorem tax exemption as long as such leaseholds are accessory to the overall public purpose of the park complex and serve a function which could otherwise be accomplished by municipal funds.
Accordingly, we reverse for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
McNULTY, C.J., and HOBSON, J., concur.
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Sunday, December 4, 2011
Don’t worry, I’m not going to spoil anything here – I’ll steer clear of anything story-related beyond the premise. With another game, that would be tricky. With Skyrim, the stories that come from how the game works are often the best ones.
It’s a frozen nation, just to the north of where the previous game, Oblivion, took place. A pleasantly brief introduction sets up the plot: Skyrim is in the middle of a revolt, you’ve been sentenced to death, and dragons have just shown up. Good luck!
At that point, you emerge from a cave into 40 square kilometres of cold and mountainous country, and that’s it. Everything else is up to you.
Even after spending hundreds of hours in Morrowind and Oblivion, the sense of freedom in Skyrim is dizzying. The vast mountains in every direction make the landscape seem limitless, and even after exploring it for 55 hours, this world feels huge and unknown on a scale neither of the previous two games did..
Not all of the landscape is subzero, and even among the frosty climes there’s an exciting variety: ice caverns that tinkle with dripping frost crystals, hulking mountains with curls of snow whipped up by the howling wind, coniferous forests in rocky river valleys.
The mountains change everything. Wherever you decide to head, your journey is split between scrambling up treacherous rocks and skidding down heart-stopping slopes. The landscape is a challenge, and travel becomes a game.
It’s hard to walk for a minute in any direction without encountering an intriguing cave, a lonely shack, some strange stones, a wandering traveller, a haunted fort. These were sparse and quickly repetitive in Oblivion, but they’re neither in Skyrim: it’s teeming with fascinating places, all distinct. It was 40 hours before I blundered into a dungeon that looked like one I’d seen before, and even then what I was doing there was drastically different.
These places are the meat of Skyrim, and they’re what makes it feel exciting to explore. You creep through them with your heart in your mouth, your only soundtrack the dull groan of the wind outside, to discover old legends, dead heroes, weird artefacts, dark gods, forgotten depths, underground waterfalls, lost ships, hideous insects and vicious traps. It’s the best Indiana Jones game ever made.
The dragons don’t show up until you do the first few steps of the game’s main quest, so it’s up to you whether you want them terrorising the world as you wander around. A world where you can crest a mountain to find a 40-foot flying lizard spitting jets of ice at the village below is a much more interesting one to be in. But fighting them never changes much: you can just ignore them until they land, then shoot them from a distance when they do.
Your first dragon kill is a profound, weird moment. I rushed to the crashed carcass to loot it, then looked up. The whole town had come out to stand around and stare at the body, a thing as vast and alien to them as a T-rex in a museum.
I tried shooting an ice bolt at it, just to demonstrate it was dead, and the force unexpectedly catapulted the whole thing violently into the distance. A beggar looked at me and said, “Oh sure, just throw your trash around.”
Your character gets better at whatever you do: firing a bow, sneaking up on people, casting healing spells, mixing potions, swinging an axe. There’s always been an element of this practice-based system in Elder Scrolls games, but in Skyrim it’s unrestricted – you don’t have to decide what you’re going to focus on when you create your character, you can just let it develop organically.
That alone would feel a little too hands-off, but you also level up. When that happens, you get a perk point: something you can spend on a powerful improvement to a skill you particularly like. Every hour, you’re making a major decision about your character’s abilities.
They’re dramatic. The first point you put into Destruction magic lets you stream jets of flame from your hands for twice as long as before. As you continue to invest in one skill, you can get more interesting tweaks: I now have an Archery perk that slows down time when I aim my bow, and one for the Sneak skill that lets me do a stealthy forward roll.
Again, the freedom is dizzying: every one of 18 skills has a tree of around 15 perks, and the range of heroes you could build is vast. I focused on Sneak to the point of absurdity – now I’m almost invisible, and I get a 3,000% damage bonus for backstabs with daggers. It’s the play style I’ve always wanted in an RPG, but I’ve never been able to achieve it before.
The enemies you encounter are, in some cases, generated by the game to match the level of your character. In Oblivion that sometimes felt like treading water: progress was just a stat increase, and your enemies kept pace. That doesn’t apply now that your character is defined more by his or her perks, because the way you play is always changing.
Levelled content is also just used less: at level 30, my most common enemies are still bandits with low-level weapons. And I still run into things too dangerous for me to tackle.
Taking a narrow mountain path to a quest, something stops me in my tracks: a dragon roar. I check the skies – nothing, but I hear it again three more times before the peak.
At the top I find a camp full of bodies, with a large black bear roaring over them. Hah. He’s still more than I can handle in straight combat, but as he reaches me I use a Dragon Shout. It befriends any animal instantly, and he saunters casually away. Feeling slightly guilty, I stab him in the back before it wears off.
A roar of frozen air catches me in the back, but I keep going – over a ridge, down a short drop, and straight into a bandit. I dodge the bandit, straight into a Flame Atronarch. There are five more bandits behind it. The dragon is airborne. I throw myself off the mountain, several hundred metres into the river below.
I plummet to the riverbed, and swim until I run out of breath. When I surface, the sky is alight with fireballs and flaming arrows, the dragon is spewing a stream of ice down on the bandits, and I’m laughing.
The stealthy character I built in Skyrim would have been less fun in Oblivion. Whether you were detected was a binary and erratic matter. Skyrim cleverly gives you an on-screen indication of how suspicious your enemies are, and where they are as they hunt for you. It makes stealth viable even against large groups: if you’re rumbled, you can retreat and hide. And there’s a slow, methodical pace to it – long minutes of tension broken by sudden rushes of gratification or panic.
Magic, meanwhile, has been given an incredible crackle of raw power. Emperor Palpatine would be a level one mage in Skyrim – unleashing two torrents of thrashing electrical arcs is literally the first trick you learn, and it doesn’t even get you tossed into a reactor shaft
One tweak is a huge loss, though: you can’t design your own spells. Oblivion’s spellmaking opened up so many clever possibilities – now you’re mostly restricted to what you can buy in shops.
While we’re on the negatives, physical combat hasn’t improved much. There are cinematic kill moves when your enemy is low on health, but whether they trigger seems to be either random or dependent on whether the pre-canned animation fits into the space you’re in. Too much of the time, you wave your weapon around and enemies barely react to the hits.
The exception is archery: bows are now deliciously powerful, and stealth shots can skewer people in one supremely satisfying thwunk.
What does improve the general combat is a feature I didn’t quite expect: you can hire or befriend permanent companions. I did a minor favour for an elf at the start of the game that earned me his loyalty for the next 40 hours of play. Sidekicks add a wild side to fights: an arrow from nowhere can end a climactic battle, or a misplaced Dragon Shout can accidentally knock your friend into an abyss.
The Dragon Shouts, gained by exploration and killing dragons, are like a manlier version of conventional magic. One can send even a Giant flying, one lets you breathe fire, another makes you completely invincible for a few seconds. Even the one for befriending furry animals is macho: it can turn four bears and a wolf pack into obedient pets with one angry roar.
Before I got the animal shout, I had a Sabre Tooth problem. Crossing a fast-flowing river at the top of a waterfall, a huge feral cat spotted me. A good shot with a bow made no dent on its vast health bar, and it splashed into the water to get to me. The current was too strong to get away in time, so I did the one thing it couldn’t: turned invincible and threw myself off the waterfall.
After seconds of freefall, I hit the rocks, got my bearings, and looked up. The cat – a speck above – seemed to be looking over the falls at me. Then it slipped. Its lanky ragdoll smacked every rocky outcropping on the way down, and wedged between two stones directly above me, his huge head glaring emptily.
The first few quests you’re nudged towards get you the Dragon Shouts. After that, the main quest is a bizarre mix of some of the best moments in the game, and some of the worst.
It fails where the previous games fail: it tries to make your mission feel epic by making it about a prophecy, then does all its exposition in the time-honoured format of old men giving you interminable lectures. The acting is stagey at best, painful at worst. And it adds a new problem: your dialogue choices are now written out in full, and your only options are to react like an incredulous schoolchild to every predictable development. It doesn’t make it easy to feel like a hero.
The main quests themselves are mostly good: a happy mix of secrecy, adventure, and exploring incredible new places. One location, which I won’t spoil, got an actual gasp. But then there’s an abysmal stealth mission that seems to work on a logic entirely its own: guards spot you from miles away, despite facing the wrong direction. And the boss dragons it keeps throwing at you never get any more interesting to fight – adding more hitpoints just makes the repetition even harder to ignore.
Everywhere else, the quests are magnificent. Chance encounters lead to sprawling epics that take you to breathtaking locations, uncover old secrets, and pull interesting twists. Even the faction quests are better here. It feels like Bethesda realised these became the main quest for many players, and built on that for Skyrim. They start small, but each one unravels into a larger story with higher stakes. Some of them feel like the personal epic that the main quest has always failed to be.
We got a review copy of Skyrim the day the game was officially finished, but it’s curiously buggy. Among a lot of minor problems such as issues reassigning controls, there’s glitchy character behaviour that can break quests, and AI flipouts that can turn a whole town against you. And the interface isn’t well adapted to PC: it sometimes ignores the position of your cursor in menus. There’s an update due as soon as the game’s out, but there’s a hell of a lot to patch here. Next time, maybe don’t commit to a specific release day just because it has a lot of elevens in it?
These aren’t engine issues, though. Skyrim is based on tech Bethesda built specially for it, rather than the middleware engine used by Oblivion and Fallout 3. It’s a lean, swift, beautiful thing. New lighting techniques and a fluffy sort of frozen fog give the world a cold sparkle, and the previously puffy faces are sharp, mean and defined. Even load times are excitingly quick. On maximum settings, it runs at 30-40 frames per second on a PC that runs Oblivion at 50-60 – a decent trade off for the increase in scenery porn.
There’s a lot of that. There’s a lot of everything, and you have totally free rein of it. Skyrim feels twice the size of Oblivion, despite being the same acreage, just because there’s so much more to see and do. Searching for Dragon Shouts is a game in itself. Exploring every dungeon is a game in itself. Each one of the six factions is a game in itself. So the fact that the main quest is a mixed bag doesn’t hurt Skyrim’s huge stock of amazing experiences.
The games we normally call open worlds – the locked off cities and level-restricted grinding grounds – don’t compare to this. While everyone else is faffing around with how to control and restrict the player, Bethesda just put a fucking country in a box. It’s the best open world game I’ve ever played, the most liberating RPG I’ve ever played, and one of my favourite places in this or any other world.
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(ns stefon.middleware.expires
"Middleware for overriding expiration headers for cached Stefon resources"
(:require [ring.util.response :as res]
[ring.middleware.file :as file]
[stefon.path :as path]
[stefon.util :refer (dump)])
(:import (java.util Date Locale TimeZone)
java.text.SimpleDateFormat))
(defn ^SimpleDateFormat make-http-format
"Formats or parses dates into HTTP date format (RFC 822/1123)."
[]
(doto (SimpleDateFormat. "EEE, dd MMM yyyy HH:mm:ss ZZZ" Locale/US)
(.setTimeZone (TimeZone/getTimeZone "UTC"))))
(defn wrap-expires-never
"Middleware that overrides any existing headers for browser-side caching.
This is meant to be used with Stefon's cached resources, since it sets
the expiration headers to one year in the future (maximum suggested as
per RFC 2616, Sec. 14.21)."
[handler & [opts]]
(fn [req]
(if-let [resp (handler req)]
(res/header resp "Expires"
(.format (make-http-format) (Date. (+ (System/currentTimeMillis)
(* 1000 1 365 24 60 60))))))))
(defn wrap-file-expires-never
"Given a root path to the previously cached Stefon resources, check that the request
points to something that is a cacheable URL for a precompiled resource. If so, pass
the request to the ring file middleware and then set the expiration header, otherwise
just pass the request along to the handlers down the chain."
[app root-path & [opts]]
(fn [req]
(let [path (:uri req)]
(if (path/asset-uri? path)
(if-let [resp ((file/wrap-file (constantly nil) root-path) req)]
(res/header resp "Expires"
(.format (make-http-format) (Date. (+ (System/currentTimeMillis)
(* 1000 1 365 24 60 60)))))
(app req))
(app req)))))
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How are political groups using the internet to reach out to citizens? From YouTube debates to Facebook groups, this blog will tell you all about it.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
The Online Crusade for Truthiness
Comedian Stephen Colbert no longer just plays a political pundit on TV; he's also running for President - though only on the South Carolina primary ballot. And he's already polling over 2% among Democrats. Despite his claim that Doritos is the main sponsor of his campaign coverage, I don't think that his campaign would be possible without the internet.
The Colbert '08 site was set up to mobilize his voters as soon as his candidacy was announced. The Colbert Report website, No Fact Zone, has a collection of blog posts that cover his Presidential run, as well as a trove of links to articles and other media about this event.
The internet also allows his fans to discuss his Presidential run and express their opinions. Fans all across the country are able to share information with each other about the rules and procedures involved with South Carolina primaries. There are also debates on blog communities over just how far he will, or should, take his Presidential campaign.
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A public relations employee for the Los Angeles Angels told federal investigators he supplied oxycodone to late pitcher Tyler Skaggs and abused the drug with him for years, according to a report published Saturday by ESPN.
The outlet reported that 45-year-old Eric Kay, the Angels' director of communications since 1998, told DEA agents that he supplied Skaggs with three pills in the days before his death on July 1 in a Southlake, Texas hotel room. The report added that Kay told investigators he likely did not supply the drugs Skaggs took just before his death because the pitcher typically took the drugs as soon as he got them from Kay.
He released a statement on Sunday declaring that it was "time for everyone to stand up and take responsibility."
"I felt and continue to feel that it is time for everyone to stand up and take responsibility for their respective roles in this," Kay said in the statement by his attorney, Michael Molfetta. "Nothing anyone does will ever provide closure for the Skaggs family. I can't the Angels can't and the courts can't, regardless of what happens there. But at least I can help them 'know' instead of 'wonder.' My hope is that there is some peace in that for them."
The report also said that Kay gave DEA agents the names of five other players who he believed used opiates while they were with the team.
“We have never heard that any employee was providing illegal narcotics to any player, or that any player was seeking illegal narcotics,” Angels president John Carpino said in a statement. “The Angels maintain a strict, zero tolerance policy regarding the illicit use of drugs for both players and staff. Every one of our players must also abide by the MLB Joint Drug Agreement. We continue to mourn the loss of Tyler and fully cooperate with the authorities as they continue their investigation.”
JOE MADDON TO INTERVIEW FOR ANGELS' MANAGER JOB
An autopsy report found that Skaggs, 27, died after choking on his vomit with a toxic mix of alcohol and the painkillers fentanyl and oxycodone in his body.
Kay told investigators that Skaggs texted him to visit his hotel room just hours before the pitcher's death. According to the report, Kay said that Skaggs snorted three lines of crushed opioids in front of him, with Kay recognizing two of the lines as oxycodone.
Kay has been on administrative leave from the Angels since July, and ESPN reported he is undergoing outpatient drug treatment. The outlet says Venmo receipts reportedly showed payments between Skaggs and Kay for amounts ranging from $150 to $600 over two years.
LOS ANGELES ANGELS FIRE MANAGER BRAD AUSMUS AFTER ONE SEASON; JOE MADDON REUNION RUMORS SWIRL
Kay also claimed two Angels officials were aware of Skaggs' drug use, including Kay's longtime boss, Tim Mead, a 40-year Angels employee. Mead left the team in June to become president of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Kay's mother, Sandy, told ESPN she saw texts Skaggs had sent Kay looking for drugs and reportedly told Mead the team needed to get Skaggs "off his back" because Kay was in the hospital recovering from an overdose at the time.
Mead denied those allegations.
"I have had a lot of conversations with Eric Kay about a lot of things, but opioids and Tyler Skaggs were not one of them," Mead told ESPN.
Asked if he was ever aware that Skaggs used opioids before his death, Mead said, "No."
Team spokeswoman Marie Garvey says the second unnamed official also denied knowing about Skaggs' drug use.
"We are shocked to hear these reports...We had no prior knowledge of Tyler or any other member of the Angels organization having abused opioids or any narcotic and continue to work with law enforcement to get answers," Garvey told ESPN.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The attorney for Kay, Michael Molfetta confirmed the details of Kay's statements with DEA agents in Dallas and Los Angeles in late September, sources told the outlet.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Image copyright AFP Image caption A brochure suggests the parent company of scandal-hit data firm Cambridge Analytica boasted of interfering in Nigeria's 2007 election - widely dismissed as lacking credibility
The company that became Cambridge Analytica boasted about interfering in foreign elections, according to documents seen by the BBC.
Cambridge Analytica is embroiled in a storm over claims it exploited the data of millions of Facebook users.
The BBC has seen a brochure published by parent company SCL Elections, it is believed prior to 2014.
It claims, for instance, that it organised rallies in Nigeria to weaken support for the opposition in 2007.
The UK Foreign Office says it was unaware of this alleged activity before SCL was awarded British government contracts in 2008.
Cambridge Analytica says it is looking into the allegations about SCL.
Speaking on the Sunday Politics show, Conservative former International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell said the claims about SCL were "absolutely appalling" and "run totally counter to the policy of the British government in promoting free and fair elections in the developing world".
He added that it is "perfectly clear that the British government should have nothing to do with it".
In the document, SCL Elections claimed potential clients could contact the company through "any British High Commission or Embassy".
It also claims SCL received "List X" accreditation from the UK's Ministry of Defence which provided "Government endorsed clearance to handle information protectively marked as 'confidential' and above".
The brochure outlines how SCL Elections had apparently organised "anti-election rallies" to dissuade opposition supporters from voting in the Nigerian presidential election in 2007. The election was described by EU monitors as one of the least credible they had observed.
The document claims SCL Elections deliberately exploited ethnic tensions in Latvia in the 2006 national elections in order to help their client.
SCL also claims that ahead of the elections in Trinidad and Tobago in 2010, it orchestrated an "ambitious campaign of political graffiti" that "ostensibly came from the youth" so the client party could "claim credit for listening to a 'united youth'".
Most of the examples detailed in the brochure took place before the British government entered into at least six contracts with SCL.
Image caption Cambridge Analytica: What we know so far
The former Labour Foreign Office Minister and Cabinet minister Lord Hain has tabled a written question in the House of Lords on Monday for urgent clarification on the matter of Embassy endorsement. He said the SCL case was "lifting the lid on a potential horror story" of other companies using data to manipulate voters.
The Ministry of Defence has confirmed SLC were given a provisional List X accreditation but had not had it since 2013.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "It is not now nor ever has been the case that enquiries for SCL 'can be directed through any British High Commission or Embassy'."
"Our understanding is that, at the time of the signing of the contract for project work in 2008/9, the FCO was not aware of SCL's reported activity during the 2006 Latvian election or 2007 Nigerian election."
In a statement, the acting CEO of Cambridge Analytica, Dr Alexander Tayler, said "Cambridge Analytica was formed in 2013, out of a much older company called SCL Elections.
"We take the disturbing recent allegations of unethical practices in our non-US political business very seriously. The board has launched a full and independent investigation into SCL Elections' past practices, and its findings will be made available in due course."
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MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he hoped Russia would defeat coronavirus in 2-3 months if it imposed tough measures, as authorities suspended international flights, ordered most shops in the capital to shut and halted some church services.
Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in a video link, held by leaders from the Group of 20 to discuss the coronavirus pandemic and its economic impacts, at his residence outside Moscow, Russia March 26, 2020. Sputnik/Alexei Druzhinin/Kremlin via REUTERS
Russia reported 182 new coronavirus cases, its biggest one-day rise yet, bringing its official tally to 840.
Authorities in the capital and the region that surrounds it announced the closure of all cafes, restaurants and shops, apart from those selling food and medicine, beginning on Saturday and lasting at least until April 5.
Although the case load is still much lower than in many European countries, the mayor of Moscow told Putin on Tuesday that the real scale of the problem in the capital far exceeded official figures.
Putin, in a televised speech to the nation on Wednesday, unveiled new measures designed to slow the transmission of the virus, declaring next week a non-working week for many Russians and urging people to stay at home.
He discussed those moves at a televised meeting with entrepreneurs on Thursday.
“These are forced measures, they are temporary and forced. But they will be shorter, the more effective they are and frankly the tougher they are. Then this period will be reduced,” he said.
Addressing a businessman who said it might take 2-3 months for normal conditions to return, Putin added: “But when we finally get out of this situation, and we definitely will get out of it... I hope that will be even sooner than what you said.”
Authorities in Russia’s second biggest city, St Petersburg, banned religious gatherings until April 5, but said priests would still be allowed to go to their churches.
The government submitted legislation to parliament for review that would give it powers to declare an emergency across the country or in parts.
Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said his ministry was building 16 infectious diseases centers and planned to complete a first batch of eight by April 30 and the rest by May 16.
Under the airline restrictions, Russian flights will still be allowed to fly to other countries to bring Russian citizens back or if they are authorized by special government decisions, the government said on its website.
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Ministry of War of Saxony
The Ministry of War of Saxony was a government ministry of the Kingdom of Saxony that existed from 1831 to 1919. It subsequently briefly existed as the Ministry of Defence in the Free State of Saxony from 1918 until 1919, when the new Weimar Constitution of Germany provided for the replacement of all state ministries of defence by the Federal Ministry of Defence.
Ministers of War (1831-1918) and Ministers of Defence (1918-1919)
1831–1839 Johann Adolf von Zezschwitz
1843–1846 Gustav von Nostitz-Wallwitz
1847–1848 Karl Friedrich Gustav von Oppel
1848–1849 Albrecht Ernst Stellanus von Holtzendorff
1849 Karl Friedrich August von Buttlar
1849–1866 Bernhard von Rabenhorst
1866–1891 Alfred von Fabrice
1891–1902 Paul von der Planitz
1902–1914 Max Klemens Lothar von Hausen
1914–1916 Adolph von Carlowitz
1916–1918 Karl Viktor von Wilsdorf
1918–1919 Hermann Fleissner (USPD)
1919 Gustav Neuring (SPD)
1919 Bruno Kirchhof (SPD)
Category:Politics of Saxony
Saxony
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Structural adhesive is a sort of adhesive with high strength and high
performance among adhesives, consisting mainly of silicone structural
adhesive, epoxy structural adhesive, polyurethane adhesive, etc.
Along with the development of industries such as real estate, automobile,
photovoltaic (PV) and electronics & appliances in China over the recent years,
Chinese structural adhesive market size grows rapidly. In 2013, China's output
of structural adhesives approximated 589.3kt and achieved the revenue of
RMB15.1 billion, among which the output of silicone structural adhesive, being
still the largest segmented product category in Chinese structural adhesive
market, accounted for roughly 44.7% in 2013.
The world's renown adhesive producers such as H.B. Fuller, Henkel, 3M, Sika,
and Cytec Industries sweep the most shares of Chinese structural adhesive
market due to their complete product mix and advanced technologies.
Additionally, those multinational corporations still have been aggressively
increasing their investments in China, in a bid to hold more market shares.
Take Henkel for example, it established the world's largest industrial
adhesive plant with production capacity of 428kt/a (targeted at the demand for
adhesives from automotive field and sundry consumer goods in China and other
Asia-Pacific regions) in Shanghai in 2013.
Most local Chinese structural adhesive enterprises were established in the
period between 1980s and 1990s. Although with a late start, they have been
developing rapidly and some of them such as Huitian Adhesive, Shanghai KangDa
New Materials Co., Ltd, Chengdu Guibao Science & Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing
COMENS New Material Co., Ltd., Hangzhou Zhijiang Silicone Chemicals Co., Ltd,
and Guangzhou Xinzhan Silicone Co., Ltd have been the competitors challenging
overseas counterparts in some market segments.
In March, 2013, Guangzhou Xinzhan Silicone Co., Ltd added the silicone
sealants capacity of 120kt/a and realized total production capacity of
180kt/a; Hangzhou Zhijiang Silicone Chemicals Co., Ltd is expected to embrace
the silicone sealant capacity of 80kt/a to 100kt/a in the second half year of
2014; Chengdu Guibao Science & Technology Co., Ltd is scheduled to raise the
silcone room temperature adhesive capacity up to 80kt/a in 2015, an increase
of 50kt/a compared with 2013.
Polyurethane structural adhesive market: Beijing COMENS New Material Co., Ltd
is the leading player in composite polyurethane adhesive market, and its
sales-output ratio has been always above 95% since 2008, the figure even hit
101.1% in 2013. Currently, the company is actively expanding the production
capacity of composite polyurethane adhesive, and it is expected that, till the
end of 2014 the company's capacity of composite polyurethane adhesive will
reach 42kt/a.
Analysis on the demand for structural adhesive from downstream markets
such as building, automobile, windpower & PV, electronics & appliances, etc.
and analysis on market segments such as silicone, epoxy and PU structural
adhesives;
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1911 Detroit Heralds season
The 1911 Detroit Heralds season was the seventh season of independent American football played by the Detroit Heralds. The team was coached by Bill Marshall, compiled a 4–0–1 record, and won the Detroit football championship.
The team's lineup included Birtie Maher and R. Shields (ends), Polly La Grue (quarterback), Sylvester "Ole" Mauer and Schaffer (halfbacks), Lawrence Nedeau (fullback), and Hartledge (center).
During the 1911 season, Birtie Maher was an 18-year-old immigrant from Ireland; he played 10 seasons with the Heralds, remaining with the team until the 1920 season when they played in the National Football League.
Ole Mauer played with the Heralds starting in 1906. He was later remembered in a 1966 column by Joe Falls as "the first left halfback on the first professional football team to play in Detroit".
Schedule
Players
The team's players included the following, those players with at least three starts shown in bold:
Beveridge - started 4 games at guard, 1 game at tackle
Fair - started 1 game at guard
Hartledge - started 4 games at center
Jackel - started 4 games at tackle, 1 game at guard
La Grue - started all 5 games at quarterback; also team captain
Birtie Maher - started all 5 games at right end
Mauer - started all 5 games at left halfback
McGuire - started 1 game at center
Nedeau - started 4 games at fullback
Nichols - started 3 games at tackle, 1 game at fullback
Schaffer - started all 5 games at right halfback
G. Shields - started 4 games at guard, 1 game at tackle
R. Shields - started all 5 games at left end
Sullivan - started 1 game at tackle
References
Category:Detroit Heralds seasons
Detroit Heralds
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Q:
Simply opening a port in Java
I am coding a program that necessitates having two machines talk to each other via TCP.
I have a (very) basic familiarity with the java.net Socket classes and related things. I am worried about routers/firewalls blocking the connection. All I need to do is get a port open in order to use the Java STL Socket classes.
I was told to look into using upnp by a friend, and another stackoverflow question regarding upnp suggested using Cling. As a network programming novice, Cling seems like overkill for this (and I am not advanced enough to fully understand the manual).
I am sorry if I am asking the wrong question, looking in the wrong place, etc. All I want to do is connect two machines to send some floats back and forth without having to manually go into my router and forward ports.
Is there anything in the STL that does this automatically, or any simple libs?
A:
First thing first: there's no such thing as "STL" in Java. You're probably referring to the basic Java SDK.
Second, you are asking for "simple means" to perform an operation that is, from a networking point of view, not trivial at all. Look at the most basic task that one of your programs (program A) will have to do: denoting the network location of its "target" (program B). If program B is behind a router, what do you know about program B's network location? nothing. All you know is the router's address.
Same with firewalls. You're concerned about firewalls blocking your connection? well, if your firewalls are any good, then you want them to block all connections except for pre-approved ones.
For programs separated by a NAT, the only sensible method to go about doing what you're looking for is to use UPnP. If Cling is an overkill, try something like weupnp.
There's no free lunch, though.
If there is no network "masking" device (such as a router) between program A and program B, then very simple TCP/IP programming using the Java SDK should just work. If there are networking devices along the ways, you'll have to cope with them by means of configuring your devices, or using UPnP.
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18k Gold His & Hers Diamond Wedding Band Set 0.6 ct. tw. HH15318K
Quick Overview:
Both wedding bands are set with 6 roud diamonds. Total diamond weight of each wedding band is 0.30 carats, which are graded G in color VS in calarity.
HIS RING WIDTH
HER RING WIDTH
The total vertical width of the ring in milimeters
HIS RING SIZE
HER RING SIZE
WeddingBandsWholesale.com would like to make your online purchase as easy as possible! Please be certain to select the correct ring size of your choice, which best fits your finger, when placing your order.
Not sure about your ring size?
Below is a pdf form with a chart and helpful ways on how to determine your finger size
HIS FINISHING
HER FINISHING
GOLD KARAT/METAL
COMFORT FIT (Free)
The inside of the band has a rounded finish that will not pinch the skin of the finger and provides comfort for constant wear.
WeddingBandsWholesale.com makes every effort to supply your order as soon as possible Which means once you've completed your online order, we immediately begin the process your order, making sure that you receive it in the shortest period of time possible. When your band is complete, it will be shipped promptly by the service you select or similar. We pride ourselves for our good reputation on the delivery and shipment management and we are committed to constantly improve.
Once your wedding bands are shipped using best carrier of our choice, you will receive a tracking number via email. You also can track your order from Order Status.
WeddingBandsWholesale.com will ship only to a street address, not a P.O. Box address.
We do not charge sales tax for sales originating outside the State of New York.
We offer delivery within the United States of America and Provinces, US Military Bases and Installations, and all over the world.
Free With Purchase
We offer free FedEx shipping on all orders. Orders that are $500 or more will be upgraded to FedEx Express Saver free of charge.
On all purchase orders for $1000 or more, a free independently certified appraisal will be included in your package. The appraisal will have the retail value listed on it, to be added to your home or renters insurance.
Free gift box with every purchase. On all diamond rings & jewelry over $1000, items come with a luxurious mahogany box.
We offer hassle free 30 day returns on all non custom orders, so you can be sure that you will be satsified with your purchase. This is and always was our priority.
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Germany and the US have indicated they would like to resume relations with Russia after recent diplomatic falling out.
The United States and Germany have signalled their intention to gradually improve ties with Russia after they were strained by a nerve agent attack on a former spy in England.
Germany, the United States and other European countries stood in solidarity with the UK in a major standoff over the attack on former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter.
The US consulate in Moscow said in a tweet that it would continue to work on improving US-Russian relations after the closure of the US Consulate General in St Petersburg.
“Now the Consulate [General] is closed, but our work toward improving US-Russian relations continues,” the embassy wrote on Twitter.
Теперь консульство закрыто, но наша работа ради улучшения американо-российских отношений продолжается. pic.twitter.com/FM3NvNqomF — Посольство США в РФ (@USEmbRu) April 1, 2018
Lost trust
Germany’s Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told Bild am Sonntag that much trust had been lost in the last few years due to Russia’s behaviour.
“At the same time, we need Russia as a partner to settle regional conflicts, for disarmament and as an important pillar of multilateralism,” he was quoted as saying in the paper.
Germany relies on Russia for roughly a third of the gas it uses
Maas added: “We are therefore open for dialogue and are trying to rebuild trust bit by bit if Russia is ready.”
He also, however, defended the decision to expel diplomats. “to show solidarity with Britain but also as a signal of unity”.
London accuses Moscow of being responsible for the first known use of a military-grade nerve agent on European soil since World War II and Germany has repeatedly called on Moscow to cooperate more with the investigations.
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Research on defensive carry and gun control.
This is a discussion on Research on defensive carry and gun control. within the Concealed Carry Issues & Discussions forums, part of the Defensive Carry Discussions category; Hi, I have been a member here for a little while, but have only read and lurked until now. I am a student at a ...
Research on defensive carry and gun control.
Hi, I have been a member here for a little while, but have only read and lurked until now. I am a student at a Christian university and am currently working on a research paper on gun control. My thesis in a nutshell is that our ability to carry makes our society safer than without.
I was hoping that some of the members here may be able to point me in the right direction for some pro-gun books/sources on this subject. Most of what I have been finding seems to be slanted to the anti-gun side.
According to a task force formed by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and the NAS (National Academy of Science), any correlation between any gun control laws (including longer waiting periods, Weapons bans, and (according to them) "shall issue")in this country and a reduction in crime can't be proven, "more study needed."
Now what's significant about that, to me, is that a reasonably anti gun group (or 2, in this case) can't tell us that any bans or restrictions on guns are effective at reducing crime. And of course... they say that any studies that makes gun access easier, (like shall issue) don't necessarily point to lower crime rates as well.
Be careful using Lott... While I like what he has to say, some of his work has been discredited due to methodology.
+1, chiefjason. Prof. Gary Kleck's book is:
Point Blank: Guns and Violence in America
Kleck is Prof of Criminology, Univ of Florida. Results of his research were opposite of what he expected. Despite his liberal views he stood by the conclusions of his study. INTEGRITY++ !
According to a task force formed by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and the NAS (National Academy of Science), any correlation between any gun control laws (including longer waiting periods, Weapons bans, and (according to them) "shall issue")in this country and a reduction in crime can't be proven, "more study needed."
When writing papers like this be sure to use evidence from both sides. Try to find some anti-firearm groups to corroborate your evidence. If you cannot find any at least look for neutral parties. Be sure to mention this in your paper as well, makes your argument that much more credible. This is done because evidence can be taken out of context or slanted one way or another for every piece of evidence. Almost everyone does it whether they realize it or not.
As mentioned above, John Lott is an outstanding source. He is an economist with no axe to grind in the debate. I have heard him speak, and the data he presents is overwhelming as to the negative effects of gun control legislation.
According to a task force formed by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and the NAS (National Academy of Science), any correlation between any gun control laws (including longer waiting periods, Weapons bans, and (according to them) "shall issue")in this country and a reduction in crime can't be proven, "more study needed."
Now what's significant about that, to me, is that a reasonably anti gun group (or 2, in this case) can't tell us that any bans or restrictions on guns are effective at reducing crime. And of course... they say that any studies that makes gun access easier, (like shall issue) don't necessarily point to lower crime rates as well.
Be careful using Lott... While I like what he has to say, some of his work has been discredited due to methodology.
I own a copy of Lott's book, and since I am not a statistician I found it difficult to follow some of his methodoligy, but from what I could gather he went to great lengths to eliminate minor abnomalities and to weigh all factors that seemed appropriate to include.
If someone attempts to discredit the work I would take a serious look at that persons creditials and their objections to the conclusions drawn in More Guns, Less Crime. Lott is placing his reputation and career on this research so I think he has been carefull to do an accurate study.
There are lots of good arguments and references from throughout US history presented in briefs for the Heller vs DC case, "Totaling over 1,000 pages, the pro-Second Amendment briefs collectively present the best thoughts, best reading, ever assembled on the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. The briefs can be found online at http://www.nraila.org/heller."
All of the above sources are good ones. Given that you are attending a Christian University, you might be interested in -- http://www.christiangunowner.com as your instructor/professor may appreciate bring that perspective to your research.
Thank you all for your input. Will be running to the local library tomorrow to try to find the books by Lott and Kleck, they sound like exactly what I am looking for.
Thank you KoriBustard for your welcome. I just moved here from CA, looking to apply for my LTC soon, crossing my fingers for class A unrestricted. From what I understand its a bit of a toss up as to whether Ill get it, but it cant be worse than the "No Issue" situation in Los Angeles county, atleast here I have a chance.
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Oklahoma City took the lead for good with an 18-4 run, including the first nine points of the second quarter, and went up 36-25.
The lead grew to 49-33 after James Harden's foul allowed Durant to convert a four-point play.
Patrick Patterson scored 27 points and Omer Asik had 17 points and 12 rebounds to lead the way for the Rockets.
Daequan Cook scored 18 points while starting in place of injured Rockets forward Chandler Parsons (shoulder). James Harden contributed 17 points but was limited to 3-for-16 shooting. He had six shots blocked by the Thunder.
Harden missed all eight of his shots from the field in the first half as Houston fell behind 57-45. He also missed his ninth in the second half. By the time he made one, the Rockets were down by double digits in the second half. They never got closer than 10 after that.
The Rockets made a stop in Minnesota earlier in the day to attend the funeral of coach Kevin McHale's daughter then flew to Oklahoma City, arriving at the arena less than 5 hours before game time.
Acting coach Kelvin Sampson said about half of his players were trying to squeeze in a nap during the afternoon.
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Q:
? operator without else-part
I use C# ? operator when I have if-statements that affects one row and it's all good. But lets say I have this code (using classic if-statements):
if(someStatement)
{
someBool = true; //someBools value is unknown
}
else
{
//Do nothing
}
This can be achieved on a one-liner by doing:
someBool = (someStatement) ? true : someBool;
But why can't I do something like this:
someBool = (someStatement) ? true : ;
//or possibly
someBool = (someStatement) ? true;
Is this possible in some way? If it is, is there any benefits of using one method over the other? And if not, why shouldn't you be able to do it?
A:
You can do:
someBool = (someStatement) ? true : someBool;
I don't think that gains you a lot of clarity over:
if (someStatement)
{
someBool = true;
}
But it really seems to be a matter of taste. I wouldn't say either is clearly bad, but the former is uncommon, so I'd probably avoid it.
You ask why you can't use the operator like this:
someBool = (someStatement) ? true : ;
This would be a very big language change! Bear in mind that an assignment looks like this:
<location> = <expression>;
The expression is evaluated to give some value, and that value is stored in location. (Depending on whether location is a variable, property, field or indexing expression the "storing" operation could be quite different.)
Here you're proposing that the value of the expression on the right, in addition to its normal values, can be a "no-change" value, which has the special behaviour that when you use it in an assignment statement it causes no store operation to occur. That's different from any other normal value, and potentially surprising. But what would it mean if you used it in other places?
// Does this call DoSomething when cond is false?
// If so, what value is passed to it?
someObject.DoSomething(cond?x:);
// What happens here if cond is false? Does it cancel
// the entire assignment?
int x = 77 + (cond?2:) * 3 - 4;
// If cond is false, are methods F1 and F2 called or not called?
int x = F1() + (cond?2:) + F2();
// What does this do? Does it skip the return if cond is false?
return (cond?2:);
I think you'd find it extremely hard to come up with sensible, intuitive and consistent behaviour for the operator in all these circumstances, and I don't think it would be useful anywhere other than in a simple assignment. It just doesn't fit with the rest of the language - including it would make the language harder to learn, read, understand, implement and explain. It's just not worth it for a tiny bit of conciseness.
A:
Basically, you're trying to use the conditional operator for something that it's not designed for.
It's not meant to optionally take some action... it's meant to evaluate one expression or another, and that be the result of the expression.
If you only want to perform an action when some condition is met, use an if statement - that's precisely what it's there for.
In your example, you could use:
// Renamed someStatement to someCondition for clarity
someBool |= someCondition;
or
someBool = someCondition ? true : someBool;
... in other words "use the existing value unless someCondition is true... but personally, I think the original if statement is clearer.
A:
Some background: we use constructs like this a lot:
sql = "SELECT x FROM table WHERE Y " + (condition ? " AND Column = 1" : "");
We also use constructs like this in Razor views
<div class='someclass @(condition ? "anotherclass" : "")'></div>
The : "" is pretty annoying so we built an extension method
public static T Then<T>(this bool value, T result)
{
return value ? result : default(T);
}
Usage:
<div class='someclass @condition.Then("anotherclass")'></div>
taken from here
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Knee-simulator testing of conventional and cross-linked polyethylene tibial inserts.
We compared the resistance to delamination and to adhesive/abrasive wear of conventional and highly cross-linked polyethylene tibial inserts of a cruciate-retaining total knee design using a knee simulator. Both groups were tested after aggressive, accelerated aging, and 1 set of conventional inserts was studied without aging. Aging oxidized the conventional, but not the highly cross-linked, inserts. The simulated normal gait testing lasted for 5 and 10 million cycles for the conventional and highly cross-linked inserts, respectively. Aged conventional inserts showed delaminations, whereas none were observed in the unaged conventional and aged cross-linked inserts. Wear rates measured by the gravimetric method were 9 +/- 2 mm3, 10 +/- 4 mm3, and 1 +/- 0 mm3 per million cycles; by the metrologic method, they were 8 +/- 1 mm3, 9 +/- 2 mm3, and 3 +/- 0 mm3 for the unaged conventional, aged conventional, and aged highly crosslinked inserts, respectively. In the test model used, oxidation led to delamination, whereas increased cross-link density resulted in reduced adhesive/abrasive wear of tibial inserts.
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Introduction
Boss GE-7 is very famous and widely used EQ-pedal, but it suffers a very annoying noise problems. This is mainly due to a selection of OP-amps. Boss compact pedals can be used with 9 volt batteries, so these pedals are designed for low power consumption. However, this design approach will always compromise some other features. In this article, I will show you how you can modify your pedal with less than 10$ to have a very low noise and overall better sound quality.
In this case, the manufacturer has selected a very low current TL022 OP-amps to be used as a gyrators (OP-amp simulating an inductor). While TL022 is indeed very low current device with only 0.13mA per amplifier (two in each chip), it has a very poor noise figure of 50nV/√Hz (at 1kHz). Add six of these, and you will get a noisy pedal. Obvious option we have, is to change these OP-amps for low noise versions. However, we will lose the benefit of low current and long battery life.
I have chosen to use NE5532 dual OP-amps for this modification. NE5532 has a very low noise figure of only 5nV/√Hz (at 1kHz). So that is ten times less than original TL022 OP-amps! Down side is, NE5532 will draw a lot more current per amplifier. In GE-7 manual current consumption of this pedal is rated at 10mA. After the modification, I measured mine to be 28mA. So it’s about three times more, and expected battery life will be of course three times shorter.
OP-amp modification
First we have to disassemble the whole pedal. Remove all the white slider knobs. Just pull them off. Now remove four screws on the bottom of the pedal, and a fifth screw inside the pedal. This last screw holds two PCBs together. Lift the main PCB up, and be careful! Now you must remove both input and output jacks, and after that, everything should come out enough for us to do the modifications.
We will remove these components:
IC1, 2 and 3 (TL022 OP-amps)
It is no surprise that Boss uses a low quality PCB’s for these pedals, so be very careful when you remove the components. It is very easy to rip off the copper tracks. Use a solder wick to remove all the solder, and components will come out easily. This is the only benefit of one sided circuit board. I like to remove all the components at one go, and install the now ones at one go as well. You don’t have to do that, it’s easier to follow your progress if you change one component at a time.
Some people on the internet suggest to use sockets for OP-amps, but I will not. Over time, sockets (even the very best ones) will loosen up, and problems will follow. Watch the OP-amp pinout when you install new ones. On PCB there is a circle on silk screen, and the OP-amp has a circle to mark pin 1. All OP-amps face the same direction.
Capacitor modification
We can call these capacitors as a “tone capacitors” of the pedal. If you just want the low noise, you don’t have to change these caps. But if you do, you will find that the frequency bands are more refined, musical, smooth and precise.
We will remove these components:
C21, C22, C32 (These are electrolytic capacitors)
C6, C7, C8, C9, C10 and C11 (these are tantalum capacitors)
All the capacitors we are using are non polarized, so it doesn’t matter witch way you install them. I used a high quality Wima MKS2 5% polyester capacitors. These are much bigger than the original tantalum caps, but will fit fine nevertheless.
Only capacitor value change is C11. This is 10µF tantalum capacitor. In the old GE-7 (MIJ version) this is 1µF. Change this value if you want to. This will make the sound a bit more cleaner (to me anyway).
Final notes
Last thing to do is to put the pedal back together. This can be a bit tricky, since it’s very tight fit. You should first put the slider board in place, then input and output jacks and then the main circuit board. And be careful not to rip of or squeeze any wires!
This is not the most easiest mod to do, but it is well worth it. You can hear a clear difference between your old and “new” EQ-pedal. Of course you can go crazy with modifications, and change the led to different color, calculate new center frequencies and do many other things. There are even some commercial mod kits for this pedal. But for basic low noise and high fidelity modification, this is it.
Have fun!
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Rev. Alex da Silva Souto came out as a "queer man" to his parishioners earlier this year.
Pastor Who Feared Retribution After Coming Out Receives Love And Support Instead
A pastor who feared losing his job after coming out earlier this year is instead receiving love and support from the local clergy and members of his congregation.
Rev. Alex da Silva Souto worried he’d no longer be able to preach at the New Milford United Methodist Church in Connecticut after coming out as a “queer man” to his congregation back in May. But the congregation just voted 9-1 to become one of 800 gay-friendly Methodist churches in the Reconciling Ministry Network.
Facebook
Da Silva Souto said he’s grateful for the outpouring of support, but must still take into account the 10% of his parishioners who didn’t want to see the church’s status change.
Based on the church’s Book of Discipline, he could still face retribution if charges are brought against him for being a “self-avowed, practicing homosexual.”
“Until the Book of Discipline is changed, we can be jobless and homeless at the drop of the hat,” da Silva Souto said.
Facebook
Some church officials have already questioned his ordination: The Judicial Council, the Methodist Church’s version of a Supreme Court, will make a final ruling this spring about whether or not homosexuals can be clergy.
h/t: News Times
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42 Cal.App.4th 928 (1996)
50 Cal. Rptr.2d 20
SAN DIEGO GAS & ELECTRIC COMPANY, Plaintiff and Respondent,
v.
BANK LEUMI, Defendant and Appellant.
Docket No. D020429.
Court of Appeals of California, Fourth District, Division One.
February 15, 1996.
*930 COUNSEL
Buchalter, Nemer, Fields & Younger and Jay R. Ziegler for Defendant and Appellant.
William C. Kamenjarin for Plaintiff and Respondent.
*931 OPINION
KREMER, P.J.
The instant litigation stems from defendant Bank Leumi's refusal to honor a draft presented by San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) on a "standby" letter of credit issued by Bank Leumi (the Bank). The Bank appeals from a summary judgment in favor of SDG&E. We are asked to consider whether a beneficiary under a standby letter of credit owes the issuer of the letter of credit a duty to mitigate damages and, irrespective of any duty to mitigate, whether any actual mitigation entitles the issuer to a corresponding reduction of the beneficiary's recovery under the letter of credit. We answer these questions in the negative and affirm the judgment.
FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
The facts surrounding the creation of the subject letter of credit are not in dispute. In May of 1988, SDG&E issued its revised standard offer No. 2 firm capacity purchase agreement, an offer to purchase electricity from small power producers. In June of 1988, SDG&E entered into a standard offer No. 2 agreement to purchase power from Luz San Diego Solar Partners, Ltd. I (Luz). Pursuant to that agreement, the Bank issued an irrevocable standby letter of credit in the amount of $400,000, naming SDG&E as beneficiary. The applicant for the letter of credit was Luz International, Ltd. on behalf of Luz.
The power purchase agreement between Luz and SDG&E called for the development and construction by Luz of a small power production facility, which was to commence operation by the end of 1993 and produce the electrical power to be purchased by SDG&E. The purpose of the standby letter of credit was to secure Luz's performance under the agreement. The letter of credit provided SDG&E could obtain payment under the letter by drafts drawn on the Bank and accompanied by a statement, signed by an authorized signer for SDG&E, certifying that the drawing was made in accordance with standard offer No. 2 and stating the deficiencies in Luz's performance giving rise to the drawing. In October of 1989, the amount of the letter of credit was increased by $25,000, resulting in an aggregate total amount of $425,000.
As a result of Luz's failure to reach certain "project development milestones" specified in the contract, in January of 1992 SDG&E sent the Bank a written demand to draw $425,000 under the letter of credit. The demand stated the drawing was made in accordance with standard offer No. 2, and stated Luz's deficiencies in performance of the contract, as required by the *932 letter of credit. The Bank dishonored SDG&E's demand on the ground the letter of credit had expired in June of 1990. SDG&E made a second demand that the Bank honor the letter of credit, disputing the Bank's contention the letter of credit had expired. The Bank again rejected SDG&E's demand.
In November of 1992, SDG&E filed the instant action for wrongful dishonor of demand, breach of contract, and breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. The Bank opposed SDG&E's subsequent motion for summary judgment on the grounds the letter of credit had expired, there was a triable issue of fact as to the amount of loss SDG&E could have avoided pursuant to its duty to mitigate damages, and, irrespective of such duty, there was a triable issue of fact as to the amount by which the Bank was entitled to reduce its payment under the letter of credit due to voluntary mitigation efforts by SDG&E. The Bank requested that the motion be denied or continued pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 437c, subdivision (h) due to the Bank's incomplete discovery on the issue of mitigation of SDG&E's damages.
The court granted SDG&E's motion for summary judgment, ruling SDG&E was entitled to draw on the letter of credit in the full amount of its demand of $425,000. In its order granting the motion, the court expressly rejected the Bank's argument that the letter of credit had expired and implicitly rejected the Bank's mitigation arguments. The Bank limits its contentions on appeal to the mitigation issues.
DISCUSSION
(1) On appeal from a ruling on a motion for summary judgment, the appellate court conducts its own independent review of the moving and opposition papers and applies the same standard as the trial court in determining whether the motion was properly granted. (California Aviation, Inc. v. Leeds (1991) 233 Cal. App.3d 724, 730-731 [284 Cal. Rptr. 687].) The mitigation issues raised by the instant appeal are questions of law which must be decided in accordance with principles generally applicable to letters of credit.
Letters of credit are governed by division five of the California Uniform Commercial Code.[1] Section 5103, subdivision (a) defines a letter of credit as "an engagement by a bank or other person made at the request of a customer ... that the issuer will honor drafts or other demands for payment upon compliance with the conditions specified in the credit."
*933 An excellent overview of the history and law concerning letters of credit is set forth in Colorado Nat. Bank, etc. v. Bd. of County Com'rs (Colo. 1981) 634 P.2d 32. The Colorado Supreme Court explains that "[t]he letter of credit arose to facilitate international commercial transactions involving the sale of goods. [Citations.] Today the commercial utility of the letter of credit in both international and domestic sale of goods transactions is unquestioned and closely guarded. [Citations.] In recent years, the use of the letter of credit has expanded to include guaranteeing or securing a bank's customer's promised performance to a third party in a variety of situations. [Citations.] This use is referred to as a standby letter of credit. Article five of the Uniform Commercial Code governs both traditional commercial letters of credit and standby letters of credit. [Citation.]
"Three contractual relationships exist in a letter of credit transaction. [Citations.] Underlying the letter of credit transaction is the contract between the bank's customer and the beneficiary of the letter of credit, which consists of the business agreement between these parties. Then there is the contractual arrangement between the bank and its customer whereby the bank agrees to issue the letter of credit, and the customer agrees to repay the bank for the amounts paid under the letter of credit.... Finally, there is the contractual relationship between the bank and the beneficiary of the letter of credit created by the letter of credit itself. The bank agrees to honor the beneficiary's drafts or demands for payment which conform to the terms of the letter of credit. [Citations.]" (Colorado Nat. Bank, etc. v. Bd. of County Com'rs, supra, 634 P.2d at p. 36.)
Although the relationship between the issuer and beneficiary of a letter of credit is often loosely described as "contractual," as in Colorado Nat. Bank, courts and commentators have pointed out that this is an inaccurate characterization. White and Summers state some "characterize the letter of credit as a contract between the beneficiary and the issuer, but it is better to call it an `undertaking' and so avoid the implication that contract principles might apply to it." (3 White & Summers, Uniform Commercial Code (4th ed. 1995) § 26-2, p. 113; see also Arbest Const. Co. v. First Nat. Bank & Trust Co. (10th Cir.1985) 777 F.2d 581, 583 [relationship between issuer and beneficiary is statutory, not contractual]; accord, Ward Petroleum Corp. v. Federal Deposit Ins. Corp. (10th Cir.1990) 903 F.2d 1297, 1300; Dibrell Bros. v. Banca Nazionale Del Lavoro (11th Cir.1994) 38 F.3d 1571, 1579 [beneficiary "cannot assert a breach of contract claim against the issuer because no contract exists between the two; rather, an engagement runs from the latter to the former."].)
Section 5114, subdivision (1) provides that "[a]n issuer must honor a draft or demand for payment which complies with the terms of the relevant credit *934 regardless of whether the goods or documents conform to the underlying contract for sale or other contract between the customer and the beneficiary." (2) The California code comment to section 5114 states, "Subdivision (1) reflects the concept that the letter of credit is independent from the underlying sales contract." (23B West's Ann. Cal. U. Com. Code (1964 ed.) § 5114, p. 718.) This unique feature, referred to as the "independence principle," is the primary characteristic of a letter of credit. Absent fraud, the issuer must pay upon proper presentment regardless of any defenses the applicant for the letter of credit may have against the beneficiary arising from the underlying transaction. (See, e.g., Lumbermans Acceptance Co. v. Security Pacific Nat. Bank (1978) 86 Cal. App.3d 175, 178 [150 Cal. Rptr. 69].) Thus, the issuer of a letter of credit is never entitled to defend against payment based on extraneous defenses which might have been available to the primary obligor.
"The rule of the independence of the letter of credit from the underlying transaction is based on two policy considerations. First, the issuing bank can assume no liability for the performance of the underlying contract because it has no control over making the underlying contract or over selection of the beneficiary [citation]. Second, the letter of credit would lose its commercial vitality if, before honoring drafts, the issuing bank were obliged to look beyond the terms of the letter of credit to the underlying contractual controversy between its customer and the beneficiary [citation]." (Ross Bicycles, Inc. v. Citibank, N.A. (1994) 161 Mis.2d 351 [613 N.Y.S.2d 538, 540-541].) "[O]ne of the expected advantages and essential purposes of a letter of credit is that the beneficiary will be able to rely on assured, prompt payment from a solvent party; necessarily, a part of this expectation of ready payment is that there will be a minimum of litigation and judicial interference, and this is one of the reasons for the value of the letter of credit device in financial transactions. [Citations.]" (N.Y. Life Ins. Co. v. Hartford Nat. Bank & Trust Co. (1977) 173 Conn. 492 [378 A.2d 562, 566].)
In the instant case, application of the independence principle is mandated by the express terms of the letter of credit in addition to section 5114, subdivision (1). The letter expressly states it is subject to the Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits (UCP) promulgated by the International Chamber of Commerce. The UCP expresses the independence principle through the following provisions. Article 3 provides that "credits, by their nature are separate transactions from the sales or other contract(s) on which they may be based and banks are in no way concerned with or bound by such contract(s), even if any reference whatsoever to such contract(s) is included in the credit." Article 4 states that "[i]n credit operations all parties *935 concerned deal in documents, and not in goods, services and/or other performances to which the documents may relate." Article 10 provides that "[a]n irrevocable letter of credit constitutes a definite undertaking of the issuing bank, provided that the stipulated documents are presented and that the terms and conditions of the credit are complied with...." (Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits (1983 rev.) ICC pub. No. 400.)
(3) The provisions of the UCP are not law; they are a record of customs and practice. However, section 1102, subdivision (3) of the California Uniform Commercial Code provides that "[t]he effect of provisions of this code may be varied by agreement...." Accordingly, the provisions of the UCP have the force of law with respect to a letter of credit which expressly provides it is subject to the UCP. (See Banca Del Sempione v. Suriel Finance, N.V. (D.Md. 1994) 852 F. Supp. 417, 427, 428; Consolidated Aluminum Corp. v. Bank of Virginia (4th Cir.1983) 704 F.2d 136, 137, 138; Paramount Export Co. v. Asia Trust Bank, Ltd. (1987) 193 Cal. App.3d 1474, 1480-1481 [238 Cal. Rptr. 920] [applying article 8 of UCP to letter of credit transaction where letter of credit was specifically made subject to those provisions].)
(4a) The Bank contends SDG&E's motion for summary judgment should have been denied because there are triable issues of fact as to whether SDG&E could have mitigated or actually did mitigate its damages. This contention is without merit because the Bank's mitigation defenses are clearly extraneous defenses which might have been available to Luz in an action by SDG&E against Luz on the underlying contract, and, therefore, are not defenses which the Bank, as issuer of the letter of credit, is entitled to assert.
The Bank states it is not contending that any duty to mitigate damages which SDG&E owes to Luz is relevant to SDG&E's recovery under the letter of credit. Rather, the Bank argues SDG&E's duty to mitigate arises directly from the contractual relationship between the Bank, as issuer, and SDG&E, as beneficiary of the letter of credit. This argument is unpersuasive. As noted, the relationship between issuer and beneficiary of a letter of credit is not truly contractual; it is more accurately described as a statutory relationship giving rise to a statutory obligation on the part of the issuer to make payment upon a proper presentation of documents by the beneficiary. As such, the relationship is not subject to analysis under ordinary contract principles such as those relating to mitigation of damages.
Furthermore, we fail to see how the mitigation defenses raised by the Bank can be viewed as anything other than defenses personal to Luz in an *936 action by SDG&E against Luz for breach of the underlying contract. SDG&E's duty to mitigate damages resulting from Luz's deficiencies in performance is a duty owed to Luz, arising directly from the contractual relationship between Luz and SDG&E. Characterizing that duty as one arising from the relationship between SDG&E and the Bank does not change its essential nature as one running from SDG&E to Luz.
The Bank argues a beneficiary's duty to mitigate damages is implied, if not expressly articulated, in section 5115, subdivision (1) which addresses a beneficiary's remedy for an issuer's wrongful dishonor of a letter of credit. Section 5115, subdivision (1) states, in pertinent part, "When an issuer wrongfully dishonors a draft or demand for payment presented under a credit the person entitled to honor has with respect to any documents the rights of a person in the position of a seller (Section 2707) and may recover from the issuer the face amount of the draft or demand together with incidental damages under Section 2710 on seller's incidental damages and interest but less any amount realized by resale or other use or disposition of the subject matter of the transaction." (Italics added.) The Bank additionally argues that this provision requires a reduction in SDG&E's recovery corresponding to any voluntary mitigation of its damages, irrespective of a duty to mitigate.
(5) Although section 5115, on its face, does not expressly impose a duty to mitigate damages on a beneficiary of a letter of credit, it does provide for a reduction of the beneficiary's recovery corresponding to actual mitigation effected by resale or other disposition of the subject matter of the transaction. However, read strictly, the mitigation language of section 5115, subdivision (1) applies only to commercial letters of credit, i.e., to cases in which the beneficiary is a seller of goods. The weight of authority considering the issue of a beneficiary's recovery under a standby letter of credit supports this strict construction of section 5115, holding that inquiry into the underlying contract to determine the extent of the beneficiary's actual damages is not permitted. (See generally, Dolan, The Law of Letters of Credit: Commercial and Standby Credits (2d ed. 1991) § 9.02[5][b][ii], p. 9-19; 3 White & Summers, Uniform Commercial Code, supra, at § 26-14, p. 207.)
For example, in Colorado Nat. Bank, supra, standby letters of credit were issued to secure a developer's completion of road improvements. (Colorado Nat. Bank, etc. v. Bd. of County Com'rs, supra, 634 P.2d at p. 34.) To demand payment under the letters, the beneficiary (a county) was required to present a written statement that the improvements had not been made in compliance with the underlying contract. (Id. at p. 38.) The court held the issuing bank could not litigate the performance of the underlying contract, *937 nor could it litigate the issue of whether the beneficiary was damaged by the failure of the bank's customer to perform as agreed, as these issues were irrelevant to the bank's liability under the letter of credit. (Id. at pp. 38-39.)
Similarly, the court in East Girard Sav. Ass'n v. Citizens Nat. Bank, etc. (5th Cir.1979) 593 F.2d 598 held that a beneficiary under a standby or "guaranty" letter of credit was entitled to recover the face value of the letter without having to prove damages resulting from the dishonor. The court noted that "[t]he measure of damages used in ordinary contract cases is inapplicable because a letter of credit simply is not an ordinary contract. The letter of credit is a unique device developed to meet specific needs of the marketplace. If the letter of credit is to retain its utility as a commercial instrument, the rights and duties of the issuer, the beneficiary, and the procurer must remain clear. Parties to commercial transactions must be able to rely on the fact that as soon as the conditions contained in a particular letter are satisfied, payment is due. Allowing an issuer to dishonor a letter merely because the beneficiary cannot show any damages would undermine the certainty of payment that makes letters of credit so appealing to persons engaged in commerce." (Id. at p. 603.)
The East Girard court further concluded the mitigation language in section 5115 (requiring deduction of the amount received on resale of goods from the beneficiary's recovery) was inapplicable in a standby letter of credit transaction. The court explained that "[a] letter of credit involving a sale of goods almost always requires that title documents to the goods accompany a draft. Upon dishonor, the wronged party ordinarily sells those goods to recoup the loss. [Citation.] Thus, since the goods resold are specifically mentioned in the letter of credit, the court need not look to the underlying contracts to determine which goods are involved. Moreover, since the goods are identified, determining the amount by which the beneficiary's damages should be reduced is an easy task.
"An extension of the [Uniform Commercial Code] rule to require proof of actual damages here would, however, mandate an inquiry into the rights and liabilities established by the underlying contracts. If [the issuing bank's] arguments were accepted, the court ... would have to [determine the extent of the customer's default on the underlying contract and] determine the extent of [the beneficiary's] injury as a result of that default. Any requirement that this inquiry be made would be contrary to the purposes which letters of credit were designed to serve. In addition, damages resulting from *938 the dishonor of [standby] will often be difficult, if not impossible, to assess." (East Girard Sav. Ass'n. v. Citizens Nat. Bank, etc., supra, 593 F.2d at p. 604.)[2]
(4b) In contending that SDG&E's recovery must be reduced to reflect any voluntary mitigation of its damages, the Bank is essentially arguing that SDG&E must prove damages from Luz's breach of the underlying contract in order to recover any sum under the letter of credit. As the aforementioned cases point out, to impose such a requirement on a beneficiary of a letter of credit would contravene the independence principle, which is fundamental to the letter of credit and the key to its "commercial vitality." (Colorado Nat. Bank, etc. v. Bd. of County Com'rs, supra, 634 P.2d at p. 37.) We therefore reject the Bank's voluntary mitigation argument as going against the weight of authority applying the independence principle to standby letters of credit.
The Bank relies primarily on Wichita Eagle & Beacon Pub. Co. v. Pacific Nat. Bank of S.F. (N.D.Cal. 1971) 343 F. Supp. 332, reversed (9th Cir.1974) 493 F.2d 1285, as authority for the existence of a duty to mitigate in a standby letter of credit transaction. In that case the document the court found to be a letter of credit secured a commercial lessee's contractual obligation to construct a parking garage on the leased premises. The lessee failed to perform. However, the lessors were able to relet the premises to a different tenant under a more valuable lease. The beneficiary sued the issuing bank for refusing to honor the letter of credit when the beneficiary presented a demand for payment. (343 F. Supp. at pp. 334-337.)
Concluding the bank wrongfully dishonored the beneficiary's demand for payment, the Wichita court noted that the general rule requiring mitigation of damages applicable in sales of goods transactions "does not readily lend itself to the present context... because the performance to be secured here was the construction of a parking garage, a circumstance which has neither the liquidity nor the possibility of mitigation to be found in the sales situation." (Wichita Eagle & Beacon Pub. Co. v. Pacific Nat. Bank of S.F., supra, 343 F.Supp at p. 341.) However, based on the "realities of the situation," the court concluded the beneficiary was entitled to recover the face amount of the letter, less the enhanced value of the new lease as compared to the old lease. (Ibid.)
*939 Wichita is not compelling authority for the Bank's position. Significantly, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed the district court, finding the document in question was not a letter of credit, but an ordinary guaranty contract to which different rules applied. (Wichita Eagle & B. Pub. Co., Inc. v. Pacific Nat. Bk., San Fran., supra, 493 F.2d at pp. 1286-1287.) In any event, the District Court's determination of the damages issue is questionable because the court failed to consider the independence principle in reaching its decision. The transaction in Wichita, which was governed by California law, took place before the effective date of the California Uniform Commercial Code. (Wichita Eagle & Beacon Pub. Co. v. Pacific Nat. Bank of S.F., supra, 343 F. Supp at p. 339, fn. 4.) Thus, the Wichita district court did not consider section 5114, subdivision (1), which codifies the independence principle, nor did it consider the independence principle as a common law doctrine in determining the issuing bank's liability. (See Intraworld Industries, Inc. v. Girard Trust Bank (1975) 461 Pa. 343 [336 A.2d 316, 323-324].) Rather, the Wichita court decided the damages issue by applying a pre-Uniform Commercial Code, common law mitigation principle to the unique and specific facts before it.
To the extent Wichita can be read to support the proposition that a beneficiary seeking to recover under a standby letter of credit owes the issuer a duty to mitigate damages, and/or the proposition that a beneficiary is only entitled to recover its actual damages after voluntary mitigation, we decline to follow it. We adhere to the weight of authority holding that the issuer of a standby letter of credit does not have the right to inquire into the contractual dispute between its customer and the beneficiary, including the issue of the beneficiary's damages, in considering whether to honor the beneficiary's demand for payment under the letter. To allow such inquiry by the issuer into the underlying contractual dispute would undermine the commercial utility of the standby letter of credit. Absent fraud or forgery,[3] the issuer must honor a draft for payment that conforms to the terms of the letter.
Accordingly, we conclude the court did not err in rejecting the Bank's mitigation arguments in opposition to SDG&E's motion for summary judgment.
*940 DISPOSITION
The judgment is affirmed.
Work, J., and Huffman, J., concurred.
NOTES
[1] All statutory references are to the California Uniform Commercial Code unless otherwise specified.
[2] See also N.Y. Life Ins. Co. v. Hartford Nat. Bank & Trust Co., supra, 378 A.2d at pages 568-569, and Housing Securities, Inc. v. Maine Nat. Bank (Me. 1978) 391 A.2d 311, 321 [2 A.L.R.4th 650] (holding "`resale or other use or disposition'" provision of section 5115, subdivision (1) does not apply to guaranty [standby] letters of credit); In re Kaiser Steel (Bankr. D. Colo. 1988) 89 Bankr. 150, 152 (issuer of standby letter of credit must pay the full amount of the letter upon beneficiary's draft or demand and certification of creditor's default "regardless of the actual loss or other mitigating factors.").
[3] Section 5114, subdivision (2)(b) allows an issuer to dishonor a draft or demand for payment based on fraud or forgery, as long as the draft or demand is not demanded by a negotiating bank or holder in due course.
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Psychology Midterm II
The flashcards below were created by user
jmali921
on FreezingBlue Flashcards.
Which of the following conflict styles is likely to be focused on meeting the interests or needs of all parties in conflict?
a)Accommodating
b)Avoiding
c)Collaborating
d)Forcing
When working on solving a conflict, Tom tries to find a solution that ideally is agreeable to all parties. Tom has which conflict style?
a)fox
b) owl
c) turtle
d) shark
When conflicts arise at staff meetings, Kim changes the subject. Kim is likely using which style of dealing with conflict?
a)accommodating
b)avoiding
c)collaborating
d)compromising
In a conflict, a person shows an aggressive-defensive orientation when they:
a) give into others needs in a conflict situation
b) use strategy to build themselves up, camouflaging their own inadequacies
c) seel a high ground of power and authority
d)esalate and differences
Principled negotiation involves
a)focusing on the people and not the problem
b) focusing on the positions of the people not the interests
c)generating as many possible options before deciding
d) using a subjective standard to assist with the decision
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Tissue recruitment of circulating leukocytes is a central event in the host defense against infectious and noxious agents. The extravasation process comprises a multistep reaction accomplished through a sequential interaction with vascular endothelium and extravascular matrix components. The initial steps in this process, i.e., rolling along the endothelium and firm adhesion, have been extensively studied both in vitro and in vivo, revealing the function of specific cell adhesion molecules of the selectin and integrin families ([@B1]). In contrast, the subsequent event of leukocyte migration in the extravascular tissue in response to a chemotactic stimulus is not well characterized, and the receptor interactions involved in this process are largely unknown.
Several cell surface receptors found on leukocytes recognize and bind extracellular matrix (ECM) components. For example, all known members of the β~1~ integrin (VLA, very late activation antigen) family bind to ECM proteins with varying affinity for specific ECM components, e.g., fibronectin, collagen, and laminin ([@B2]--[@B5]). Although β~1~ integrins have a widespread distribution, the expression on leukocytes has repeatedly been shown to be largely restricted to eosinophils, monocytes, and certain lymphocyte subsets, whereas expression on PMNs is limited ([@B2]). However, this view has been reconsidered in recent years because of data showing that activated or extravasated neutrophils may indeed express certain β~1~ integrins that potentially can mediate binding to ECM proteins ([@B6]--[@B8]).
The β~2~ integrins (CD11a--c/CD18) are expressed exclusively on leukocytes and mediate firm adhesion to vascular endothelium ([@B9]). Specific ligand binding has been shown for fibrinogen and factor X of the coagulation cascade, complement factor C3bi, and intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM) 1 ([@B1]). Moreover, binding of PMNs to a variety of biological substrates (e.g., fibronectin, collagen) and nonbiological surfaces (such as plastic) has been reported to be β~2~ dependent, inasmuch as adhesion can be abrogated by CD11/CD18-blocking antibodies. Yet another member of the integrin family that has been demonstrated to bind ECM components and that is expressed in PMNs is the α~v~β~3~ integrin, which binds to vitronectin and fibronectin ([@B10]).
The aim of this study was to investigate the role of major integrin receptors in PMN interstitial migration in vivo. The potential involvement of the fibronectin-binding integrin receptors in this process was of particular interest because of their previously documented roles in migration of various cell types ([@B11]--[@B13]). An intravital microscopy model was used for analyzing leukocyte locomotion in response to local chemotactic stimulation in extravascular tissue of the rat mesentery. Immunofluorescence flow cytometry revealed increased expression of integrins in extravasated PMNs. This included β~1~ integrins, which were shown by antibody-blocking experiments to be critically involved in the extravascular PMN migration. However, this process does not seem to engage the fibronectin-binding receptors α~4~β~1~ and α~5~β~1~.
Materials and Methods {#MaterialsMethods}
=====================
Surgical Preparation.
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Wistar rats of either sex, weighing 200--250 g, were used in the experiments. Anesthesia was induced with equal parts of fluanison/fentanyl (10/0.2 mg/ml; Hypnorm; Janssen-Cilag Ltd., Saunderton, UK) and midazolam (5 mg/ml; Dormicum; Hoffman-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland) diluted 1:1 with sterile water (2 mg/kg intramuscularly). Body temperature was maintained at 37°C by a heating pad connected to a rectal thermistor. Laparotomy was performed, and a segment of the ileum was pulled outside the peritoneal cavity and placed on a heated transparent pedestal to allow microscopic observation of the mesenteric microvasculature. The exposed tissue was superfused with a warmed (37°C) bicarbonate buffer solution equilibrated with 5% CO~2~ in N~2~ to maintain physiological pH. The experiments were approved by the regional ethical committee for animal experimentation.
Intravital Microscopy.
----------------------
The exposed rat mesentery was observed through a microscope (Orthoplan; Leitz, Wetzler, Germany) equipped with a water immersion lens (SW × 25, NA 0.60; Leitz). The microscopic image was televised (WV 1050 E/C; Panasonic, Osaka, Japan) and recorded on time lapse video (AG-6010; Panasonic) connected to a time/date generator (WJ-810; Panasonic). Recordings were made at one-seventh normal speed. Analysis of leukocyte migration in the mesenteric tissue was made off-line from the recorded video scenes during playback at normal speed. The migration path of individual leukocytes was drawn on a transparent film placed in front of the monitor for subsequent analysis with a digital image analyzer.
Experimental Procedure.
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After positioning under the microscope, the exposed mesentery was soaked with 5 ml of buffer solution (37°C) containing platelet-activating factor (PAF; Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, MO) at a concentration of 10^−7^ M. The tissue was then covered with a transparent plastic film to provide continuous chemotactic stimulation by PAF. The top of the plastic film was continuously bathed with buffer to maintain temperature at 37°C. After 40 min of chemotactic stimulation, when numerous leukocytes had extravasated, time-lapse recording of leukocyte migration was undertaken, first for 20 min to assess basal migration rates in response to PAF stimulation and then for an additional 40 min in the presence of PAF and antibodies or peptides administered to the tissue at a concentration of 100 μg/ ml and 500 mM, respectively. A total of five different fields were analyzed from each animal. In each field, a minimum of five cells were selected at random and followed as long as they remained within the field of observation (at least 2 min). Cells that did not move during the observation time were not included in the analysis.
Antibody Diffusion in the Mesentery.
------------------------------------
In separate experiments, the diffusion capability of the Ig molecules in the mesentery was confirmed. Pieces of intact mesenteric tissue (thickness: 20--40 μm) were mounted on plastic rings and placed on top of HBSS-filled wells (400 μl/well) of a 96-well tissue culture plate. 40 μl of FITC-conjugated murine IgG (100 μg/ml) were placed on the surface of the mesentery. The plate was incubated at 37°C for 10 min, and the fluorescence intensity of the IgG content in the upper and lower fluid compartments was measured in a fluorometer (Fluoroscan II; Labsystems Oy, Helsinki, Finland). Over a period of 10 min, an average of 7.5 ± 1.6% of applied antibody diffused through the mesentery per minute and cm^2^ (*n* = 3), indicating that there is no significant restriction for diffusion of the antibodies into the mesenteric tissue when being topically administered.
Staining of Leukocytes.
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Representative samples of the mesentery stimulated with PAF 10^−7^ M for 1.5 h were stained with Wright/Giemsa (Sigma Chemical Co.) for 10 min in stock concentration and in dilution 1:1 with water for another 10 min at room temperature. Leukocytes in peripheral blood and in peritoneal fluid collected after 1.5 h PAF stimulation were similarly stained. After a thorough rinse of the specimens in HBSS, a differential leukocyte count was made with an ×100 oil-immersion objective. In addition to the Wright/Giemsa stain, leukocytes in the mesenteric tissue were stained by brief exposure to acridine orange (2.5 mg/ml; Sigma Chemical Co.) and viewed under fluorescent light to improve discrimination of nuclear morphology. Percentage of leukocyte count based on analysis of at least 50 leukocytes in each of 5--7 microscopic fields in each preparation is given in Table [1](#T1){ref-type="table"} (mean values of data from 3 animals). In another set of experiments, PAF-stimulated mesenteric tissue was incubated with antibodies against the β~1~, α~4~, or β~2~ integrin subunit for 30 min at 37°C. After washing, the tissue was incubated with FITC- or TRITC-conjugated F(ab)~2~ fragments of anti--mouse or --hamster IgG (diluted 1:50) at room temperature for 30 min. The tissue was again washed and fixed for 15 min in 4% paraformaldehyde. The tissue specimens were observed in normal transmitted light and with fluorescent epiillumination (filter block I2 and M2; Leitz Ploemopak). Specificity of antibody binding was confirmed by comparing the immunofluorescence obtained with specific primary mAb with that of isotype-matched irrelevant mAb at the same concentration and incubation time.
Immunofluorescence Flow Cytometric Analysis.
--------------------------------------------
Leukocytes collected from rats of the same strain and weight as used in the in vivo experiments were used for analysis of integrin receptor expression. Leukocyte extravasation was induced by intraperitoneal injection of either 3% proteose peptone (Sigma Chemical Co.) or PAF 10^−7^ M in 10 ml HBSS. After 2 h, the animals were killed with methyl-ether and peritoneal leukocytes were harvested by washing the peritoneal cavity with 10 ml ice-cold HBSS. EDTA-anticoagulated blood was collected from the same animal, and leukocyte-rich plasma was obtained through dextran sedimentation. Blood and peritoneal leukocytes were washed twice at 150 g for 7 min at 4°C and resuspended in HBSS at a final concentration of 10^6^ cells/ml. The leukocyte suspension was incubated with primary antibodies (10 μg/ml) or isotype-matched control antibodies for 20 min at 4°C and washed twice. FITC-conjugated F(ab)~2~ fragments of rabbit anti--mouse IgG (Dako, Glostrup, Denmark), donkey anti--rabbit IgG (Jackson Immunoresearch, West Grove, PA), and goat anti-- hamster IgG (Jackson Immunoresearch) diluted 1:20 were used as second antibodies. After staining (20 min, 4°C), the cells were fixed (1% formaldehyde, FACS^®^ Lysing Solution \[Becton Dickinson, Mountain View, CA\]), washed twice, and analyzed on a FACSort^®^ flow cytometer (Becton Dickinson). The fluorescence intensity of 10^4^ PMNs (\>95% neutrophils; see Table [1](#T1){ref-type="table"}) was analyzed by selective gating based on forward and side scatter parameters.
Antibodies and Peptides.
------------------------
The following antibodies were used: mAb HMβ1-1 (PharMingen, San Diego, CA) and purified IgG from a rabbit antiserum (gift of K. Rubin, Uppsala, Sweden) against the rat β~1~ chain (CD29); mAbs CL26 (Upjohn, Kalamazoo, MI) and WT.3 (PharMingen), recognizing the rat β~2~ chain (CD18); mAbs MRα4 (PharMingen) and TA-2 (Serotec, Oxford, UK), which react with the rat integrin α~4~ subunit (CD49d); mAb HMα5-1 against the rat α~5~ (CD49e) (PharMingen); and a rabbit antiserum against human α~v~β~3~ (CD51/CD61) ([@B14]). Function-blocking activity in rat systems has been documented for all antibodies used in this study. All antibody solutions were free of preservatives except MRα4 and HMα5-1, which contained 0.1% sodium azide. Control experiments showed that sodium azide in corresponding concentration did not influence cell locomotion. The integrin-binding peptides SLIDIP and ACRGDGWMCG (RGDGW), capable of functionally blocking α~4~β~1~ and α~5~β~1~ ([@B15]), were also used.
Statistical Analysis.
---------------------
Statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon signed rank test for paired observations. The results are presented as mean ± SD for the animals included in each experimental group (*n* ≥ 5 unless otherwise stated).
Results {#Results}
=======
β~1~-Integrin Cell Surface Expression Is Associated with PMN Extravasation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Flow cytometric assessment of cell surface molecule expression on neutrophils that had extravasated into the peritoneal cavity revealed positive staining for β~1~ (CD29) and α~4~ (CD49d) integrin molecules (Fig. [1](#F1){ref-type="fig"} and Table [2](#T2){ref-type="table"}). This pattern contrasted to that of blood PMNs where little or no staining for β~1~ and α~4~ was seen (Fig. [1](#F1){ref-type="fig"}), indicating that cell surface expression of β~1~ integrins is induced in conjunction with the extravasation process. Expression of α~5~ (CD49e) was limited in both cell populations. There was an increased expression of β~2~ integrins (CD18) on extravasated PMNs compared to their blood counterpart, whereas staining for α~v~β~3~ (CD51/CD61) was similarly positive in both PMN populations (Table [2](#T2){ref-type="table"}).
Preincubation of isolated blood PMNs with PAF (10^−7^ M) before antibody labeling did not result in β~1~ or α~4~ integrin expression dissimilar from that of untreated blood cells (data not shown).
PMN Migration In Vivo Is Dependent on β~1~ Integrins.
-----------------------------------------------------
Topical stimulation of the rat mesentery with PAF (10^−7^ M) induced profound adhesion and extravasation of circulating leukocytes. At 30--40 min of chemotactic stimulation, numerous leukocytes (predominantly neutrophils, see Table [1](#T1){ref-type="table"}) were migrating further in the extravascular tissue (Fig. [2](#F2){ref-type="fig"} *A*). In accordance with the flow cytometric data, immunofluorescent staining of emigrated PMNs in the mesenteric tissue in situ showed surface expression of β~1~, α~4~, and β~2~ integrin molecules, as illustrated for α~4~ in Fig. [2](#F2){ref-type="fig"} *B.*
Fig. [3](#F3){ref-type="fig"} *A* illustrates the frequency distribution of the migration velocity of individual PMNs in response to stimulation with PAF (649 cells in 30 animals total). Among these cells, the median migration velocity was 15.5 ± 4.5 μm/min (mean ± SD). The migration velocity was stable over a period of \>1.5 h after induction of the chemotactic stimulus. The role of various integrins in PMN migration was evaluated by topical administration of antibodies to the tissue. Treatment with anti-β~1~ (mAb HMβ1-1) resulted in a pronounced inhibition of PMN locomotion. Migration velocity was reduced by 67 ± 7% (*P* \<0.01; Fig. [4](#F4){ref-type="fig"}), yielding a median migration velocity of 4.6 ± 1.3 μm/min (Fig. [3](#F3){ref-type="fig"} *B*). Notably, as evident from Fig. [3](#F3){ref-type="fig"} *B*, the whole population of migrating cells, rather than a certain fraction, was affected by this antibody treatment. A less pronounced effect was observed with the polyclonal anti-β~1~ antibody, which reduced the migration velocity by 32 ± 15% (*P* \<0.01; Fig. [4](#F4){ref-type="fig"}). No further inhibition was achieved when the antibody concentration was increased 10-fold. Treatment with two different antibodies against the β~2~ chain (CD18) also significantly reduced migration velocity, by 17 ± 14% (mAb CL26) and 22 ± 13% (mAb WT.3) (*P* \<0.05; Fig. [4](#F4){ref-type="fig"}). An additive inhibitory effect was observed when anti-β~2~ mAb was administered together with the polyclonal anti-β~1~ serum. This combined treatment reduced migration velocity by 52 ± 18% (*P* \<0.01; Fig. [4](#F4){ref-type="fig"}). On the other hand, coadministration of anti-β~2~ mAb with the anti-β~1~ mAb HMβ1-1 yielded no further inhibition of migration velocity above that seen with HMβ1-1 alone. The inhibitory effect of the various antibody treatments was observed within minutes after application and persisted throughout the observation period (\>40 min) as shown for mAb HMβ1-1 (Fig. [5](#F5){ref-type="fig"}). Purified hamster, mouse, and rabbit IgG isotype standards did not influence migration velocity (103 ± 11, 95 ± 7, and 99 ± 8%, respectively).
Despite pronounced upregulation of the integrin α~4~ subunit (CD49d) on extravasated PMNs, no significant modulatory effect on the migration velocity was observed after treatment with either of the two anti-α~4~ mAbs. Antibodies against α~5~β~1~ or α~v~β~3~ also did not influence PMN locomotion. Moreover, combined treatment with anti-β~2~ mAb together with either anti-α~4~ or anti-α~4~ plus anti-α~5~ mAb resulted in no further inhibition of migration velocity above that obtained with anti-β~2~ treatment alone (99 ± 4 and 95 ± 10%, respectively, *n* = 3). The integrin-binding peptides SLIDIP and RGDGW, which mimic natural ligand binding and block the function of α~4~β~1~ and α~5~β~1~, respectively, also had no effect on the migration velocity either in combination (data not shown) or alone (Fig. [4](#F4){ref-type="fig"}). There was no difference in the effect for any of the reagents tested when concentration was raised 10 times (data not shown).
Discussion {#Discussion}
==========
Extravasation and tissue accumulation of leukocytes is one of the key components in the host defense against invading pathogens. After their escape from the blood, the leukocytes need to migrate in the extravascular tissue, directed by a chemotactic stimulus, to reach the site of injury or infection. Studies of leukocyte migration in vitro have indicated the interaction of leukocytic cell surface receptors with different extracellular matrix components in this process ([@B16]). However, interactions with the multitudinous meshwork of biopolymers that characterizes native extracellular matrix and the function in vivo of leukocyte integrins in the locomotive process have yet to be defined. In this report, we demonstrate that β~1~ integrins, induced in PMNs in conjunction with their extravasation, are of critical functional importance for PMN locomotion in extravascular tissue. Our data on a physiological induction of β~1~ integrin expression in PMNs agree with recent in vitro and in vivo findings by Kubes and coworkers ([@B7], [@B8]), and contribute to a growing body of evidence that β~1~ integrin expression may reach significant levels also in neutrophils ([@B6], [@B17], [@B18]). Also, the upregulation of β~2~ integrins on extravasated PMNs is consistent with the activation-induced upregulation of β~2~ integrins on the leukocyte surface ([@B19]) and the critical role of this receptor complex in leukocyte adhesion to endothelium and diapedesis through the vessel wall in vivo ([@B20]).
A qualitatively similar pattern of PMN β~1~ integrin expression as obtained with flow cytometric analysis of extravasated PMNs isolated from the peritoneal cavity could be demonstrated by in situ immunostaining of PMNs migrating in the extravascular tissue of the mesentery. These findings are also of significance from a methodological point of view, since they illustrate that antibodies applied topically to the mesentery indeed do diffuse into the tissue, and by this route of administration will reach the migrating PMNs (see Materials and Methods). Thus, we may conclude that adequate antibody concentrations were achieved in the tissue at the level of the migrating cells (no additional effect was seen when antibody concentration was raised 10 times), and that restrictions in antibody transport could not account for the lack of effect of some of the reagents used.
Our quantitative measurements of PMN migration in the rat mesentery in vivo show that β~1~ and β~2~ integrins participate in extravascular PMN locomotion, and that they may cooperate in this process. Blockage of β~1~ and β~2~ integrin function impaired the ability of the leukocytes to migrate in the extravascular tissue as indicated by significant reductions in their migration velocity. Anti-β~1~ antibodies were clearly more effective in inhibiting PMN migration than were anti-β~2~, suggesting a predominant role of β~1~ integrins in the locomotive process in vivo. The additive inhibitory effect observed when anti-β~2~ mAb was coadministered with the polyclonal anti-β~1~ antiserum but not when combined with the anti-β~1~ mAb may suggest that a synergistic action of combined anti-β~1~ and anti-β~2~ treatment is detectable only when β~1~ integrins are insufficiently blocked (as was likely the case when the polyclonal anti-β~1~ antibody was used). In contrast to our findings with β~2~ integrin blockade, Bienvenu et al. ([@B21]), using a similar rat model, found no inhibition of the extravascular migration with anti-β~2~ treatment. Differences in the experimental protocol (e.g., the antibody concentration used) may explain the discrepant observations. Also, although statistically significant, the inhibition we found with anti-β~2~ was limited and may have been overlooked by these authors.
Although it has been shown for certain leukocyte subtypes that migration on various ECM matrices in vitro requires the function of specific integrin molecules ([@B16], [@B22]), this report is the first to demonstrate an in vivo role for β~1~ integrins in the extravascular locomotion of leukocytes. Even if it can not be deduced which β~1~ integrins are predominantly involved in the PMN locomotion, our data suggest, based on use of both monoclonal function-blocking antibodies and integrin-binding peptides, that the fibronectin binding receptors α~4~β~1~ and α~5~β~1~ do not participate in this process. This finding may seem surprising in light of the pronounced upregulation of α~4~ integrins on extravasated PMNs, and the central position being attributed to fibronectin in various aspects of cell migration ([@B11], [@B12]). Previous findings have suggested a role for α~4~β~1~ and α~5~β~1~ in migration of PMN from blood to tissue sites in vivo ([@B17]) or through fibroblast monolayers in vitro ([@B18]), seemingly in disparity with our direct observations in the rat mesentery. Possibly, mAb inhibition of integrin function in these studies interfered mainly with initial adhesion to endothelium or the fibroblast monolayer and less with the locomotive function. Interestingly, through direct observation of leukocyte migration in three-dimensional gels, an enhanced lymphocyte migration after anti-α~4~ mAb treatment ([@B16]), and reduced PMN locomotion after the gel being supplemented with fibronectin was demonstrated ([@B23]). These findings may suggest that fibronectin-binding integrins (e.g., α~4~β~1~ and α~5~β~1~) may support anchoring of the leukocytes to the substrate rather than promote their migratory movement.
Taken together, expression of β~1~ integrins, limited on blood PMNs, is induced in this cell population in conjunction with their emigration from blood to tissue. Our data demonstrate that molecules of this integrin family are critically involved in PMN locomotion in extravascular tissue in vivo. Hence, in addition to selectin and β~2~ integrin functions determining intravascular adhesive events, cell surface induction and engagement of β~1~ integrins is suggested to be yet another important physiological mechanism in the multistep process of PMN recruitment to sites of injury or infection.
This study was supported by the Swedish Medical Research Council (grants 14X-4342 and 04P-10738); the Swedish Foundation for Health Care Sciences and Allergy Research (grant A98110); the IngaBritt and Arne Lundbergs Foundation; and the Karolinska Institutet. E. Ruoslahti was a Nobel Fellow at the Karolinska Institutet when this work was initiated.
######
Differential Leukocyte Count (Wright/Giemsa Stain)
Percentage of total leukocytes counted
------------- -- ---------------------------------------- -- --------------- -- -------------
Neutrophils 20.4 ± 4.8 69.0 ± 12.5 85.7 ± 11.8
Eosinophils 1.4 ± 0.6 2.8 ± 1.2 5.9 ± 1.8
Lymphocytes 77.7 ± 9.8 1.2 ± 0.8 --
Monocytes/ 0.5 ± 0.4 27.0 ± 7.3 8.4 ± 5.8
Macrophages
Mean ± SD of leukocyte fractions after 1.5 h intraperitoneal stimulation with PAF 10^−7^ M (*n* = 3).
{#F1}
######
Integrin Expression on Blood and Extravasated rat PMNs
Integrin Median fluorescence intensity
---------- -- ------------------------------- -- ------------
β~1~ 1.9 ± 0.6 47.5 ± 6.8
β~2~ 15.3 ± 3.2 52.5 ± 9.5
α~4~ 1.7 ± 0.3 16.5 ± 3.7
α~5~ 2.2 ± 0.9 4.4 ± 0.6
α~v~β~3~ 10.0 ± 4.3 12.3 ± 3.7
Median fluorescence intensity is the staining intensity with specific antibody divided by that obtained with control antibody.
{#F2}
{#F3}
{#F4}
{#F5}
[^1]: Address correspondence to Lennart Lindbom, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, S-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden. Phone: 46-8-728-7207; Fax: 46-8-332-047; E-mail: <[email protected]>
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With the economy still in recovery mode, and consumers trying to get their finances back on track, having a budget that actually works is more important than ever.
But how do you plan a budget that you'll actually stick to? The key is to understand the different budget strategies and figure out which one is the best fit. It's also vital to realize that this process won't always be easy, but you can't give up.
1. Base Your Income and Expenses on Reality
Start by listing everything you spent money on in the past 3 months. This might take a little bit of extra time, but only writing down expenses and income from one month ago, won't give you the entire picture. You may forget transactions that only happen on a quarterly basis, like getting your car's oil changed, or income bonuses at work.
Be honest with yourself so you don't leave anything out. You want your budget plan to be as accurate as possible, to ensure you actually stick to your monthly spending goals. To do this, you need to base your budget on reality using the correct figures.
2. Chose a Customized Plan
There are multiple types of budgets and spending plans out there, so choosing the right one is important. You may have to test them out for a couple of months to see which type works best for your family. Here are some of the most popular ones:
+ The 50/30/20 rule. This rule breaks down spending habits into 3 categories with certain percentages. Based on your income, essential expenses (like utilities, food and rent) make up 50% of your spending. Unnecessary expenses (cable, internet, cell phone) make up 30% of the budget, and future goals (debt payments, savings, retirement fund) make up the rest, or 20%.
+ Fixed and variable expenses budget. This method divides your budget into two categories, fixed versus variable expenses. You can only lower the payment of fixed expenses, like car insurance, or mortgage payment, so much, but eating out expenses and entertainment fall under discretionary spending, which can be cut back if needed.
+ Bare bones budget. This is a budget based on your lowest possible monthly income. If you're self-employed, or work at a commission-based job, this type of plan will work best for you. Create a plan based on absolute necessities that you need to survive, with any other money seen as gravy.
3. Find a Method to Track Your Budget
Now that you've calculated how much you spend, what your income is, and divided out into a budget plan that works for your specific situation, it's time decide on how you'll track everything each month.
Are you tech-savvy and prefer to track your daily spending on a mobile app? Or do you prefer to carry around a small notepad and pen to quickly jot down transactions? Some of the best options are:
+ Mint.com's completely free web-based service and mobile app.
+ You Need a Budget's desktop software.
+Microsoft's free monthly budget templates you can easily download.
Again, you may have to test out a few different online tools, or spreadsheet templates, but once you find the one that works, stick with it.
How to Plan a Budget that Works
You're trying to figure how to plan a budget, so be in it for the long-term and don't get discouraged if it doesn't work very well for the first several months. It takes time to create new spending habits, and level out as your income fluctuates.
Also, don't be afraid to experiment and try out a few different methods, tools, and resources to plan a budget. As your situation changes and your life evolves, you may find that one style doesn't work anymore, and it's time to try something new.
PHOTO GALLERY Top 8 Benefits of Financial Education
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Help us to find a cure for this progressive, muscle-wasting condition which affects 1 in every 6,000 births. Exciting research progress means the first drugs are now in clinical trials, with others in the pipeline. We are the only UK charity solely dedicated to funding SMA research.
Our mission is to find a cure and treatments for Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Our research strategy is led by some of the world’s leading medical and scientific experts on SMA and our research programme is funded entirely by voluntary donations. Find out about our research activities…
This collaborative UK initiative for SMA research is the first of its kind for SMA & launches this month. It has come about because of impressive recent progress, leading to an ever-increasing need for research collaboration. The consortium will consist of world-class research/clinical experts in Oxford, Edinburgh, London & Sheffield Universities. Find out more…
WHY SUPPORT THE SMA TRUST?
Knowing that The SMA Trust is actively funding and driving research is both a comfort and a necessity. A cure for this devastating disease is clearly the ultimate goal but in the meantime, any research which leads to enhanced quality of life for anyone suffering from SMA must be supported, as any parent who has lost a child to SMA will understand. - Hannah RazzellSMA Type I, 19 December 2011 – 21 September 2012
UK SMA Research Consortium
The SMA Trust is funding a £1.3m UK SMA Research Consortium for SMA in the UK over the next 3 years. Announced in Sept 2015, it has come about because of impressive recent progress, leading to an ever-increasing need for research collaboration. The consortium will consist of world-class research/clinical experts based in Oxford, Edinburgh, London and Sheffield Universities. The intention is to form an initial nucleus that will, in time, draw together other leading UK scientists.
The consortium is being funded by donations and proceeds of the Muscle Power fundraising campaign which was launched in 2014.
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The present application finds particular application in parking brake systems in vehicles, particularly involving pneumatic parking brake systems. However, it will be appreciated that the described technique may also find application in other brake control systems, other valve actuation systems, or other pneumatic control systems.
Conventional single-motion parking brake release mechanisms suffer from many drawbacks, including unintentional parking brake release, which can cause a vehicle to roll unexpectedly and cause injury and/or property damage. For instance, such systems typically employ a plunger knob that an operator pulls outward to actuate the parking brake system. When the operator wants to release the parking brake, the operator pushes the plunger knob inward to a released position, which permits air to be supplied to a parking brake system and causes the parking brake to be deactivated. However, using such an arrangement increases the occurrence of inadvertent or accidental brake release. For instance, an operator or occupant may inadvertently depress the knob into a released position; a pet that travels with the operator in the cab of his truck may depress the knob into a released position when looking out through the windshield, etc. In these cases, if the release of the parking brake is not immediately noticed, the vehicle can roll away and cause damage to property or worse, injury to people.
The present innovation provides a new and improved parking brake release system, which overcomes the above-referenced problems and others.
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basement moisture problems: Basement Moisture Underfoot
- 11/09/15 05:56 PM
It didn't take long to find this basement moisture underfoot.The house is a recent flip, and the agent and buyers had been in it twice before without noticing any moisture whatever. But it had been raining for a day when we arrived for the home inspection.Walking down the newly finished staircase I could turn right into the family room or left into the furnace/laundry room.The family room looked nice!But at the bottom of the stairs I turned left first. That's where the action is!And getting there we all noticed abundant standing water on the tile floor.Looking carefully at the plumbing, washing (13 comments)
basement moisture problems: The Culprit - And The Result
- 08/09/15 06:56 PM
This is the story of the culprit - and the result.Culprit - noun - the cause of a problem or defect. From the old French word culpable, meaning 'guilty.'Walking up to the house there was a brick sidewalk in front and leading around the garage to a side door.It was cracked in many places, from settlement.There was an extra smoosh of mortar in the gap between the sidewalk and step.And the sidewalk was inclining toward the house.It had inclined since that smoosh of mortar, put there, ostensibly, to fill the gap from previous movement.Why that extra mortar?My guess - a wet (21 comments)
basement moisture problems: The Clues
- 07/23/15 08:49 PM
These are the clues.The first was a front corner basement room.The foundation wall and floor in that room were recently painted, likely the day before.There is a foundation crack filled with caulking.There is new drywall on the side wall, pictured here, and the other two walls of the room. There is new carpeting and paint throughout the basement. It all smells really new.The new drywall on the walls in this room were not painted, reason unknown.This makes a home inspector look further. Where would you look?Exactly! Under the stairs!Why there?Because it is hard to cover up staining on the lowest stair riser. (17 comments)
basement moisture problems: Water Evidence Everywhere In The Basement. What To Do?
- 04/02/15 07:00 PM
My client was not present at the inspection (in the Caribbean on business), and I have to call him to say there is water evidence everywhere in the basement. What to do? When we see that the condensation system(s) for air conditioning has been having problems, and it is cold now, we can't determine if it is still ongoing. We have to make assumptions. Air conditioning can't be tested when it is cold outside. It was 36F when we arrived for this inspection. Testing the AC can break the system. But also, the AC system has the job of removing condensation from (11 comments)
basement moisture problems: Basement Moisture - And The Problem Might Be The Neighbor!
- 02/15/13 06:22 PM
It was the rug folded up and oddly placed in a corner that was a tip off to me that said basement moisture, and the problem might be the neighbor! It was out of place. It was obviously put there for a reason. It was making my antenna go up. So I pulled away the rug. What do you know! Squishy wood trim. Puckering Pergo, loosely raised up, warped and separating. And a moisture meter that screamed, "Like it's really wet, dude, you know?" It was very wet. Here's the problem - this is the rear corner of a townhouse inset (43 comments)
basement moisture problems: So, Was There EVER Basement Water Or Was There Not?
- 07/10/12 09:46 PM
So, was there EVER basement water or was there not? My clients have had a history of floods in their house. Some people seem to attract lightening. These people seem to attract basement water! This house is occupied since 1976 by the same people, who are retiring and moving elsewhere. During their first visit my clients asked if there was ever a flood or other water in the basement. They have sensitivities and just don't want to deal with it. They were told no. Entering the basement "rec room," I noticed minute mud stains in the seams of what looked to (64 comments)
basement moisture problems: One Structural Thing Leads To Another And Then To Another
- 06/09/12 08:09 PM
Structural settlement is unpredictable as to its time frame, but one structural thing leads to another and then to another. When structural movement is detected it is hard to know if it has happened slowly (in the case of this house for over 40 years) or in the last couple of years if they have been wetter than normal. My guess is that this particular movement has been slow. Chimneys can move and this chimney, located right center of the side of this end-of-the-row townhouse, has come off about 3/4". Between the chimney and the front stoop is about 20' of (35 comments)
basement moisture problems: When This House Gets A Better Grade, I'll Give It A Better Grade
- 10/20/11 11:11 PM
When this house gets a better grade, I'll give it a better grade. Why? Because grading is everything! WATER IS THE KILLER OF HOUSES, INSIDE AND OUT! A bit hard to see from this picture, fully one half of this driveway, and all of the front sidewalk, drains water toward the house. You can see that the front yard is below the driveway AND the street! This front yard is a bowl. There has been an attempt to divert water around the front of the house. But is it working? The front stoop is a squishy area. The slate tiles move (23 comments)
Disclaimer: ActiveRain, Inc. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site.
These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them
make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles,
that are written by the members of this community.
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Welcome to Gourmet Again
We are a neighborhood marketplace for fine foods - a welcoming environment in which to satisfy every craving. Over several decades, we have earned a reputation as an exciting and delicious place to shop for both fresh and prepared foods, to plan your next party, or to simply chat with our experienced staff about the best ways to cook and serve any of our fine products.
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This Is Not a Shrimp: Extreme Snacking, Japan Style
Have you ever wandered the candy aisle of an Asian supermarket and wondered WTF is that? And who would eat it? We would, thats who. Welcome to the world of Japanese processed sweets, where a treat that looks like shrimp might just taste like nuts. Where potato is a candy, and chocolates look like gerbil pellets, and nothing is sacred, not even the packaging. So grab a fork and join us for some yam jelly.
Mark Mauer
(Click to enlarge)
A cow, a bird and an angry duck
Mark Mauer
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Pink wheat
Mark Mauer
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Ol blue eyes
Mark Mauer
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The Insane Clown Posse of Japanese snacks
Mark Mauer
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A cracker with identity issues
TOHATO CARAMEL CORN
Mark: Lets start with something that looks pretty normal.
Gendy: And by normal he means a bag with eyes and a mouth like a bird, or a gopher. Like the bag is eating itself. Sweet but not too sweet. Slightly powdery. But in a good way.
Mark: Its good, but its probably because of the almond. His nose is an almond! It looks like shrimp, even though it doesnt have shrimp.
Gendy: They also had shrimp and ketchup-flavored ones.
SUPER LEMON
Gendy: This is the stuff you pour down the shower to make the clog go away. It looks like a jawbreaker or a gumdrop.
Mark (physically recoiling from his own mouth): Ouuwwhwuwhwwhwwwhhhhh! Oouwuwwhh!
Gendy: Reminiscent of logs you use to build a campfire. It tastes like bread! Whats wrong with the inside?
Mark: They taste better than they look. Its like eating packing material, like a very sweet Styrofoam. These would also be good giant novelty cigars. Amazon could use these when we order books.
CHOCOLATE IN BIRTH-CONTROL-PILL-SHAPED CONTAINER
Mark: Should we try the birth-control pills?
Gendy: Sure. Its called Furuta.
Mark: All right. Doesnt taste furut-y.
Gendy: Its like a weird M&M, but it comes in a foil blister pack Great, now I cant get pregnant.
Mark: It doesnt prevent STDs, though. Well, thats pretty boring. Someones going to a lot of trouble in packaging here for just an M&M clone.
MADE IN TAIWAN JELLIES
Gendy: Do we need a fork for these? They come in little clear, sealed plastic cups. No, seriously. Be careful when you open one it squirts! Its like air, if air were solid. And wet. Its like solid, polluted air. Tastes terrible! Make it stop. Its like smog jelly.
Mark: Oh, it comes with a fork! Two forks! . . . Auuuugggh. I cant swallow it. Its so unpleasant. Wait ... this is the problem, it comes with a dipping sauce. Hmm. The dipping sauce looks like honey but tastes like a household cleanser. The number of chemicals Im ingesting all at once is making my head spin.
SOMETHING-C
Gendy: On the package is a cow, a bird, a horse and a very angry black duck. Theyre at an art party and theyre smoking cigars. Or theyre drinking the Something-C. Hard to tell which. Are we supposed to drop these in water? Do they fizz? They look like smaller versions of Alka-Seltzer tablets. Or very large aspirin. But very colorful. Oh, by the way, remember when we almost bought and drank seawater? (It was 5 bucks and came in a tiny cow/man-shaped bottle. Youre supposed to drop it into rice. When we asked a worker at Mitsuwa if you could drink it, she looked horrified and said, Oh no!) Two tablets are dropped in water.
Gendy: No, it doesnt fizz. But it taste likes cleaning products. Is that the Asian palate?
Mark: Well, Asians do seem to be a very clean people. Maybe they like their candy to taste that way.
Gendy: I cant believe you just said that.
Five days later, Gendy finds that Mark is still eating Something-C.
Gendy: Do you like these?
Mark: No, but theyre made with purple corn and palatinose!
DESSERT PIE (GREEN TEA CRACKER)
Ed: Look at that. Its adorable! Its so cute. It looks like baklava.
Gendy: I think its meant to evoke that thing in the picture it looks like cheese to me, like mozzarella with pesto. I kind of like it.
Mark: The back of each of the five boxes has a playing card on it. Collect all 52 empty boxes to play some poker. Good luck shuffling.
YAM STARCH DESSERT
Mark: These come in straws, and you squeeze out the jelly.
Gendy: I hate it, but Im eating it.
Ed: Thats pretty much the company slogan.
Mark: No yams were harmed in the making of this dessert.
DRIED KELP AND BONITO STRIPS
Mark: These look like green strips of plastic that are harder, tougher and more durable than a surgical plaster.
Gendy: Oh my god, no! I say no to the kelp!
Mark (spitting): I thought this one would be a good half-way point in the taste test. Like a salty thing to cut through the sugar.
Gendy: I dont think were eating these right. Youre supposed to do something else to it maybe boil it?
RE-MENT TOY BAGEL DISPLAY
Mark: This is really beautifully designed candy. It doesnt even look real. Oh, wait a minute maybe its not.
Gendy: This isnt candy, its little tiny toy food.
Pandora Young, assistant to the editor in chief and Barbie performance artist, arrives and discusses, in extreme detail, her collection of teeny-tiny plastic food, explaining how to set up the plastic food, and how she has this same thing in a doughnut version and how it comes with a menu.
Gendy: You know, Pandora, if you werent here, Mark would be eating this toy food right now.
Mark: It was in the candy aisle of course, I thought you could eat it. Id have probably choked to death by now.
PLUM & POTATO HARD CANDY
Mark: These are tiny purple spheres that also look like they could cause a whats the legal term? choking hazard.
Gendy: They look like BBs or shotgun pellets. These are good! You can really taste the plum.
Mark: Or, if there are any superheroes around, you can throw these at them, and theyd slip and fall. Supervillains love these. They taste pretty good.
PUDDING SNACK
Mark: I was worried this was going to be another eat-with-a-fork messy jelly thing, but theyre individually wrapped and not jelly-like at all.
Gendy: These are good! They really taste like pudding.
Ed:Mmm. They look like cute little flans!
Mark: These are really good. I wish I wasnt already feeling ill so I could have more.
STRAWBERRY WHEAT SNACKS
Gendy: This company took Sugar Smacks and repackaged them in Japanese packaging.
Mark: And turned them strawberry! Im sure if we had milk, it would turn the milk pink. And frankly, Im pretty glad we dont have to actually see any pink milk right now.
Gendy: So this is basically just breakfast cereal. Its really good, and its a nice shade of pink. Not as sweet as Sugar Smacks.
ANGRY CLOWN MASK SPICY RING CHIPS
Mark: These are the Insane Clown Posse of Japanese snack foods.
Gendy: I think theyre more of a Mexican wrestling mask. Mmm! Crunchy.
Mark: Very crunchy, and pretty spicy too. They look like little calamari rings, or little gear sprockets, like you could use them to build a spicy machine.
Gendy: The ingredients say they actually contain three different peppers.
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We invite you to share your experiences and to post information about advocacy, research and other gifted education issues on this free public discussion forum.CLICK HEREto Log In. Click herefor the Board Rules.
Regardless of what colleges supposedly should do, and what they do do, there is still the inescapable fact that SAT/ACT test have too low a ceiling, and the colleges are missing a huge amount of information about the academic ability of their applicants, and there is no excuse for them not actively pushing for harder tests.
They have a very good reason for refusing harder tests--it restricts their freedom. The first goal for colleges are self preservation and growth, hence the preference for legacies and athletics, both of which fuel alumni donations. But once self-preservation and growth has been achieved, college believe themselves to be forces for social engineering, helping right what they see as wrong in society.
If the test ceilings are high and clearly student A is superior to student B, then it is hard for the college to refuse student A. But it may turn out that the A group students are highly skewed in some ways, such as socioeconomically, racially, geographically, family structure (two parents vs one), etc. Colleges think, rightly or wrongly, that part of their job is to help those who did grow up in the right circumstances and therefore were unable to achieve the way group A did. Having low ceilings gives them discretion to make these decisions.
Well I certainly suspect that some colleges like the low ceilings for the smokescreen that they provide. But I don't know for sure if it is planned, or if they are just being opportunistic, or if they are not aware of it, or don't believe it.
But then there is also the question of what they do with this smokescreen. I am very skeptical that it is used for social justice, and if anything, the opposite may be true, that they use it to intentionally favor some groups and disfavor others, at the expense of social mobility. An obvious way to do this is, while supposedly being "needs blind", to look for signals of ability to pay, which a lot of extracurricular activities are.
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An Easy, Rustic Flatbread You Can Serve at Every Family Get-Together
Every so often, we scour the site for cool recipes from our community that we then test, photograph, and feature. This one comes from longtime community member mrslarkin, who shares a favorite recipe from her mother that's simple, satisfying, and make-ahead friendly.
Piadina, a rustic Italian flatbread, is one of the first recipes my mom taught me how to make when I was little. I’m sure it’s one of the first recipes she learned as a young girl. My mom hardly ever used actual recipes when she used to cook. It was always by memory, feel, and sight. I think this is a skill many Italian nonnas have! I based my recipe on hers, just listed the ingredients and measurements. It's a regional Romagnola recipe—as old as the hills—dating back hundreds of years.
When rolling the dough, use one hand to gently roll each piece into a ball on the board or counter. As a kid, I loved playing with the dough and rolling out my very own piece, misshapen and crooked. To this day, I still can’t roll them perfectly round like mom can. Her trick is to use your thumb and nudge the dough ball under with each turn.
Shop the Story
I still make this bread all the time. In our family, piadina is a fixture at almost every get-together, be it lunch or dinner. We love to eat it sandwiched with paper-thin slices of Prosciutto di Parma, or sautéed cabbage, or sliced mozzarella, or a schmear of squaquerone cheese. Maybe some frittata, or Nutella. My favorite way to eat piadina is with a salad of sliced red onion and wild home-grown greens that we call radicchio, but are more like bitter dandelion greens. The feasting possibilities are pretty much endless.
Do you have a recipe that's been passed down in your family? Or one you want to make sure your future generations make? Let us know in the comments and it might be featured as one of our heirloom recipes!
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252 Kan. 76 (1992)
843 P.2d 191
ANNE CHRISTINE JENSEN, Individually and as Parent, Natural Guardian, and Next Friend of LUKE CHRISTOPHER RUNFT, a Minor Child, Appellant,
v.
BRUCE LYNN RUNFT, Defendant, and ROBERT D. SEATON, Appellee.
No. 66,700
Supreme Court of Kansas.
Opinion filed December 11, 1992.
Norman R. Kelly, of Norton, Wasserman, Jones & Kelly, of Salina, argued the cause and was on the brief for appellant.
Mickey W. Mosier, of Clark, Mize & Linville, Chartered, of Salina, argued the cause, and Paula J. Wright, of the same firm, was with him on the briefs for appellee.
The opinion of the court was delivered by
ABBOTT, J.:
This is a paternity action in which the trial court found it was not in the child's best interests to order blood tests. The trial court then relied upon the presumption of paternity in determining the child's biological father. The Court of Appeals reversed the trial court in an unpublished opinion filed March 13, 1992, and we accepted review.
It is easy to be critical of the three adults involved for putting their own desires, including the desire to punish one or more of the others, ahead of what is in the best interests of the minor child, Luke Christopher Runft. Nonetheless, in reading the facts, it is important to focus on the dispositive issue, which is what is in the best interests of Luke. Luke is now six years of age.
*77 The plaintiff in this case is Luke's mother, Anne Christine Jensen (Chris). Chris was married to Bruce Runft. They had two children, ages 1 and 4, when Chris began an affair with Dr. Robert D. Seaton (Bob). Chris is a nurse and worked with Bob. Bob was and is married and has two children by that marriage.
Chris became pregnant with Luke in late September or early October 1985. When she became pregnant, she was having sexual intercourse with Bruce approximately once a month. At the same time, she was having sexual intercourse with Bob two or three times a week. This course of conduct with Bob continued until several months after Luke's birth.
Bruce did not believe Luke was his son. Nonetheless, in an effort to keep his family together, Bruce agreed to raise Luke as his own son and to place his name as the father on the birth certificate. Bruce was not aware the affair was continuing. The affair did not end until several months after Luke's birth, when Bob made it clear to Chris he was remaining with his family.
In January or February of 1987, Bruce and Chris separated. A separation agreement was signed in which Bruce acknowledged Luke as his child and agreed to support him. Bruce did not raise an issue concerning Luke's paternity in the divorce proceeding. Bruce was ordered to pay support and was given visitation rights. He testified it was his hope a reconciliation would occur and reunite the family unit. That did not occur.
Bruce has and continues to pay child support for Luke. He exercised regular visitation with the three children, and it appears from the record, he established a father-son relationship with Luke.
After Chris married Jerry Jensen, Bruce refused to continue a relationship with Luke. Bruce forced Chris to tell Luke that Bruce was not his father and that Luke would no longer be allowed to accompany the other two children when they visited Bruce. Chris was seeing Dr. John A. Sampson, a psychologist, concerning problems relating to the extramarital affair. Dr. Sampson advised and counseled Chris on how to tell Luke. The doctor since has counseled Luke. Luke was told his father lived in Salina.
Chris believed it would be in Luke's best interests to have his paternity determined. She filed this paternity action, pursuant to K.S.A. 38-1110 et seq., naming Bruce and Bob as defendants. *78 Chris alleged that Bob is the biological father of Luke. Bob requested a hearing pursuant to In re Marriage of Ross, 245 Kan. 591, 783 P.2d 331 (1989).
In Ross, this court commented that "the Kansas Parentage Act... provide[s] that every child has an interest not only in obtaining support, but also in inheritance rights, family bonds, and accurate identification of his parentage." 245 Kan. at 597. We held: "The Uniform Parentage Act clearly was designed to provide for the equal, beneficial treatment of children. In this regard, it requires courts to act in the best interests of the child when imposing legal obligations or conferring legal rights on the mother/child relationship and the father/child relationship." 245 Kan. at 597.
In this case, after making extensive and detailed findings, the trial court held it was not in the "best interests of Luke and contrary to public policy to permit Chris and Bruce to attempt to rebut the presumption of paternity." (Emphasis supplied.)
Chris appealed, contending the trial court erred in not allowing a psychologist to give his opinion it was in Luke's best interests that blood tests be taken and the paternity action go forward. Chris also claimed the trial court erroneously found it was not in Luke's best interests that the paternity action proceed and that blood tests be taken.
The Court of Appeals, in an unpublished opinion, focused on the exclusion of Dr. Sampson's opinion that it would be in Luke's best interests to know who his biological father is. The court reversed, stating:
"Last, the trial court gave great weight to the `ancient presumption of legitimacy of a child born in wedlock.' The Kansas Supreme Court, in Ross, requires that a full hearing be held and that `the district court must consider the best interests of the child, including physical, mental, and emotional needs.' 245 Kan. at 602. (Emphasis added.) We agree with the trial court that, in some cases, public policy would permit the presumption of paternity to prevail. However, this is not such a case. The court's obligation here is to focus on the needs and interests of Luke. All other considerations are subservient to that end."
A majority of this court agrees with the result reached by the Court of Appeals. The trial court did not allow the expert to testify that it would be in Luke's best interests to proceed with *79 the paternity action and to ascertain the identity of his biological father. Immediately thereafter, however, the trial court did allow the expert to give testimony that clearly indicated the expert was of the opinion it would be in the best interests of any child to have his or her biological father determined. We are of the opinion the excluded testimony was admissible, but the exclusion is harmless error because the evidence basically was admitted in other testimony. See K.S.A. 60-456(d) and State v. Graham, 246 Kan. 78, 80-81, 785 P.2d 983 (1990).
In determining the best interests of Luke, it is important to look at it from the child's point of view. Luke lives in a rural area. This case was filed and the testimony was taken in his home county. Initials were not used. The full names of all the principals were used. Thus, nearly every member of the community has knowledge of the case and the facts. All of the information is available to Luke, his friends, and the entire world. The facts of this case are, therefore, common knowledge in Luke's community, leaving Luke to face his peers knowing they are aware of the following: (1) The man Luke bonded with as a father no longer will have anything to do with Luke because he does not believe he is Luke's father; (2) Luke's own mother says Bob is Luke's biological father; (3) Bob concedes he could be Luke's father; and (4) blood tests can show with virtual certainty which of the two men is Luke's biological father.
Although many people would regard Bruce's actions in forcing disclosure and severing his relationship with Luke as calloused, the record gives every indication that Bruce was a good father to the three children, remained in close contact, and exercised meaningful visitation with the three children until he terminated the relationship with Luke. He has maintained that relationship with the other two children, has and still does meet his support obligations, and pays the medical expenses of the three children. There is no reason to believe he would not resume that relationship if he is satisfied Luke is his biological son.
If blood tests prove Bob to be the father, he and his family may take a different view from that taken at trial. The Seaton family appears to be a forgiving family. If Luke is indeed Bob's son and because the family has forgiven Bob for his past transgressions, then the family members should not reject an innocent *80 child who made none of the decisions that led to his birth. It is in Luke's best interests that he be entitled to that chance.
It would be hard to justify telling Luke that because of the acts of Chris, Bruce, and Bob, he will never know with certainty the identity of his biological father, leaving him to ponder whether his "real" father would have rejected him if the courts had ordered blood tests.
Basically, all of the evidence, including the guardian ad litem's recommendation, indicates that it would be in Luke's best interests to know the identity of his father. The district court erred in holding otherwise.
The district court is reversed and the Court of Appeals is affirmed. The case is remanded to the district court for further proceedings, including the ordering of blood tests.
SIX, J., concurring and dissenting:
The majority asserts that the dispositive issue is "what is in the best interests of Luke." I disagree with the issue characterization. The majority invokes a trial court standard. In fact, the best interests of Luke was the standard applied by the trial court in the case at bar. The issue on appeal is whether the trial court abused its discretion when it found that a paternity test would not be in the best interests of Luke. The evidence before the trial court amply justifies the trial court's decision. I find no abuse of discretion. I would affirm the trial court.
The well-settled appellate rule for evaluating a trial court's findings of fact and conclusions of law "is to determine whether the findings are supported by substantial competent evidence and whether the findings are sufficient to support the trial court's conclusions of law. [Citations omitted.]" J.W. Thompson Co. v. Welles Products Corp., 243 Kan. 503, 507, 758 P.2d 738 (1988). "`[S]ubstantial evidence' is such legal and relevant evidence as a reasonable person might accept as being sufficient to support a conclusion. [Citation omitted.]" Williams Telecommunications Co. v. Gragg, 242 Kan. 675, 676, 750 P.2d 398 (1988).
Trial court discretion is not abused as long as substantial competent evidence supports the judge's conclusions. Hoffman v. Haug, 242 Kan. 867, 873, 752 P.2d 124 (1988). ("The test on appellate review of whether the trial court abused its discretion *81 is whether no reasonable person would agree with the trial court. If any reasonable person would agree, appellate courts will not disturb the trial court's decision." [Emphasis added.])
Importantly, we should not: (1) weigh conflicting evidence, (2) pass on the credibility of witnesses, or (3) redetermine questions of fact. Where a trial judge, sitting as a trier of fact, makes a specific finding of fact on apparently conflicting or actually conflicting evidence, we are concerned only with evidence that supports the trial court's findings and not with evidence that might have supported contrary findings. Bell v. Tilton, 234 Kan. 461, 468, 674 P.2d 468 (1983).
The local trial judge was in the unique position of evaluating testimony as a total communication event, involving verbal as well as nonverbal communication. Each witness added to the extraordinarily sensitive familial mosaic that developed before the eyes of the trial judge. His responsibility was to evaluate the evidentiary mosaic and determine whether a paternity test was in the best interests of Luke. Deference should be extended to the trial judge's evaluation of the testimony.
In the case at bar, the trial judge explained his conclusions reflecting careful consideration of the various interests we identified in In re Marriage of Ross, 245 Kan. 591, 783 P.2d 331 (1989). The Ross interests are acknowledged by the majority, i.e., support, inheritance rights, family bonds, and accurate identification of parentage. The trial judge explained at the conclusion of his findings of fact:
"Luke carries the family name Runft. He is part of a family unit that includes a father figure. He is owed a legal duty of support by Bruce and Chris. There is no medical reason why biological paternity needs to be determined. Bruce has `abandoned' or `rejected' an innocent child thus terminating the normal father-son relationship. If Bob were determined to be the biological father there is no reason to believe a beneficial relationship would be developed between Luke and Bob. It is difficult to see how pursuing this matter further would benefit Luke."
Based upon his evaluation of the facts, the trial judge methodically set forth a list of relevant legal conclusions, including the following:
"4. Luke's need for a father figure is being met by his stepfather, Jerry Jensen.
*82 "5. Permitting further inquiry into the biological paternity of Luke in an attempt to rebut the presumption of paternity would not be in Luke's best interests.
"6. Under the facts of this case, balancing all of the competing interests, the ancient presumption of legitimacy of a child born in wedlock should prevail and no further inquiry should be permitted concerning biological parentage."
The trial judge was circumspect in applying the Ross analysis. The question before us is whether there was substantial competent evidence to support the trial judge's conclusions.
I do not agree with the majority's claim that "[b]asically, all of the evidence" supports the conclusion "that it would be in Luke's best interests to know the identity of his father." Several facts presented at trial could persuade a reasonable person to reach the trial court's conclusion. The trial judge found:
(1) The child's financial needs are adequately met by the mother and the presumed father's support obligation;
(2) the child and his new stepfather have a good relationship and this provides the child with a father figure;
(3) the child has adjusted to the rejection by the presumed father;
(4) the child is part of an ongoing family which has included him in activities even after the presumed father's rejection;
(5) the child does not know the putative father;
(6) the putative father has no interest in the child and the likely rejection by the putative father would create additional emotional problems for the child and make him suspicious of father figures;
(7) neither the child nor the putative father have medical conditions which would warrant determination of the child's biological paternity; and
(8) so long as the child believes his mother has done all she can to resolve the paternity issue he will have no resentment toward her.
The majority does not: (1) point to a lack of substantial evidence supporting the trial court's factual conclusions or (2) advance a rationale to support the belief that a reasonable person could not view the facts in evidence as supporting the trial court's conclusion.
*83 "A court must reach [the conclusion that the paternity action is in the child's best interests] independently based on the facts in the record." In re Marriage of Ross, 245 Kan. at 602. A reasonable person arguably could conclude that the variety of the evidence, identified in numbered paragraphs 1 through 8 above, marshals support for the trial court's conclusions.
The majority reasons that the expert opinion of Dr. Sampson was improperly excluded; however, the error was harmless because of the proof provided by Sampson's other statements. I concur in the harmless error analysis. If the harmless error analysis is accepted, does it not follow that the trial judge heard sufficient evidence from Dr. Sampson upon which to base the "best interests" decision? The rationale of the majority highlights the extent to which appellate court judgment has been substituted for that of the trial court.
A factfinder need not accept, without question, an expert's testimony. The opinion testimony of an expert is to be considered as any other testimony and should receive such weight and credit as the factfinder decides to give it. It is not error for the factfinder to disregard expert opinion testimony. In re Adoption of Irons, 235 Kan. 540, 546, 684 P.2d 332 (1984).
The trial court, in the case at bar, was entitled to exercise discretion in evaluating Dr. Sampson's testimony. We should not override the trial court's discretion as factfinder unless abuse has been shown. The majority does not explain how the trial court abused its discretion.
The majority opinion states that "nearly every member of the community has knowledge of the case and the facts" and that the information is available to Luke and his peers so it would be best for him to discover his father's identity. I find no reference in the record to either the knowledge of "nearly every member of the community" or the availability of information to Luke and "his peers." The majority's conclusion that it would be best for Luke to discover his father's identity is the type of conclusion that belongs to the trial court under Ross. The trial court did not make such a conclusion. Perhaps, if the members of this court had been sitting as trial judges, all seven might have reached a conclusion contrary to the one reached by the trial court. The majority has substituted its judgment for that of the trial court *84 by remanding the case for blood test authorization. The remand usurps the trial court's authority and denies its function as a factfinder.
Finally, the majority claims that:
"If blood tests prove Bob to be the father, he and his family may take a different view from that taken at trial. The Seaton family appears to be a forgiving family. If Luke is indeed Bob's son and because the family has forgiven Bob for his past transgressions, then the family members should not reject an innocent child who made none of the decisions that led to his birth. It is in Luke's best interests that he be entitled to that chance."
The majority also emphasizes that it does not want to leave Luke "to ponder whether his `real' father would have rejected him if the courts had ordered blood tests." I find no reference in the record supporting the majority's attribution of a "forgiveness quality" to "the family." The record supports the observations that: (1) Bob and his wife underwent counseling after he informed her about his affair with Chris, and (2) the Seatons resolved to continue their marriage. Bob's testimony demonstrates his emphatic negation of any relationship with Luke. The trial judge observed Bob and heard his testimony on direct examination:
"Q. And is it your desire or wish to establish a nurturing father/son relationship with Luke Runft?
"A. No, sir.
"Q. Before receiving the letter from Christine Jensen dated October 1, 1991, it's I believe it's Plaintiff's Exhibit 3 had a request of that type ever been made of you?
"A. For a nurturing relationship, no.
"Q. For any other type of relationship?
"A. No.
"Q. Are you in a position to establish a nurturing relationship with Luke Runft?
"A. It would be it would absolutely destroy my marriage, and thereby, my relationship with my girls. I cannot do that."
And on cross-examination Bob stated:
"Q. Assuming Luke is your natural son, that this was proven by blood tests, would you desire to have a relationship with Luke?
"A. No, sir.
"Q. Now, I believe you testified you're involved directly in the lives of your two daughters, you help feed them breakfast when you're home, at night, you read to them, work on their school studies, is that right?
"A. Yes, sir.
*85 "Q. There's nothing that would prohibit you from engaging in that type of activity with Luke, is there?
"A. The main thing it would prohibit, it would be that it would destroy my opportunity to interact with my wife and my daughters.
"Q. Why do you say it would destroy? I don't understand that.
"A. My wife is not second wife, she's my first wife. I did not marry her with the understanding that yes, we have we have other past problems that have to be incorporated into our marriage. It's very stressful for our marriage, and I don't know that it could take it.
....
"Q. My question to you is, do you have any curiosity or interest in-in Luke (interrupted)
"A. No, sir.
"Q. (Continuing) at this point in time?
"A. No, sir.
"Q. If it were determined that you were Luke's father, what obligation, if any, would you feel toward him?
"A. Emotional obligation, sir?
"Q. Emotional, financial, any obligation at all. What would you feel toward how you would feel obligated toward Luke?
"A. I'm afraid that I can't do that. I cannot provide any emotional support. Companionship, affection, intimacy, those things are not possible."
I would affirm the trial court.
HOLMES, C.J., and McFARLAND, J., join the foregoing concurring and dissenting opinion.
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394 F.Supp. 770 (1974)
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff,
v.
Mark DiLAURA, Defendant.
Crim. A. No. 74-133-M.
United States District Court, D. Massachusetts.
December 11, 1974.
*771 Charles E. Chase, Asst. U. S. Atty., for plaintiff.
Norman S. Zalkind, Boston, Mass., for defendant.
Memorandum and Order
MURRAY, District Judge.
The defendant DiLaura has moved to dismiss an indictment returned April 18, 1974 charging him in Count I with conspiracy to distribute cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846, and in Count II with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and the distribution of it in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). He alleges that Count II is duplicitous; that 21 U.S.C. § 841 penalizes a state of mind *772 in violation of the Fifth Amendment; and that 21 U.S.C. §§ 802, 812 and 841 deny the defendant due process of law and equal protection of the laws because the classification of cocaine in the same category as opium and opiates, and the salts thereof, is arbitrary and irrational, and therefore Counts I and II may not constitutionally be enforced against him. In support of the motion defendant has submitted the affidavits of physicians, and other persons, all of the general tenor that cocaine has been misclassified as a narcotic drug, and an extensive brief of argumentation with an appendix. The Government opposes the motion. Upon consideration of the motion and the affidavits in support thereof, the Government's opposition and the references in its statement of opposition, and the case law, an order shall enter denying the motion on all grounds alleged therein.
I
There is no merit to defendant's contention that Count II is duplicitous on the ground the acts alleged constitute two separate and distinct offenses. An indictment is not defective because it is framed in conjunctive allegations which follow substantially the language of the statute on which the indictment is based. Crain v. United States, 162 U.S. 625, 636-37, 16 S.Ct. 952, 40 L.Ed. 1097 (1896); United States v. Isabella, 210 F.Supp. 281, 282-83 (D. Mass.1962).
II
There is no merit to defendant's contention that 21 U.S.C. § 841 penalizes a state of mind in violation of the Fifth Amendment. Congress could reasonably find a distinction between the mere act of possession of a Schedule II drug, 21 U.S.C. § 844, and possession of the drug with intent to distribute it, 21 U.S.C. § 841, as related to personality, social and economic factors. Thus Congress could rationally provide for different penalties in seeking to control distribution and traffic in Schedule II drugs.
III
The defendant has submitted numerous affidavits in support of the principal ground on which his motion to dismiss rests, viz., the arbitrary and irrational classification of cocaine as a narcotic drug and the consequent denial of his right to due process and equal protection of the laws, and therefore no evidentiary hearing is required. United States v. Smaldone, 484 F.2d 311, 319-20 (10th Cir. 1973), cert. denied, 415 U.S. 915, 94 S.Ct. 1411, 39 L.Ed.2d 469 (1974); United States v. Brookins and Gueche, 383 F.Supp. 1212 (D.N.J.1974). The constitutional attack here upon the statute depends upon the existence of facts which are neither matters of common knowledge nor within the sphere of specialized judicial notice. The fields of inquiry, rather, are medical and scientific. The appropriate standard to be applied in determining the issue raised by defendant is therefore restricted to ascertaining whether there exists any state of facts which can be shown or which could reasonably be assumed to provide support for the classification selected by Congress. Marshall v. United States, 414 U.S. 417, 427-28, 74 S.Ct. 700, 38 L.Ed.2d 618 (1974); United States v. Maryland Savings-Share Ins. Corp., 400 U.S. 4, 6, 91 S.Ct. 16, 27 L.Ed.2d 4 (1970); United States v. Gainey, 380 U.S. 63, 66-67, 85 S.Ct. 754, 13 L.Ed.2d 658 (1965); United States v. Carolene Products Co., 304 U.S. 144, 153-54, 58 S.Ct. 778, 82 L.Ed. 1234 (1938).
Cocaine is a Schedule II controlled substance, in that Congress has found that (1) the drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse, (2) it has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States or a currently accepted medical use with severe restrictions, and (3) abuse thereof may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence. 21 U.S.C. § 812(b)(2).
*773 1. There is no merit to defendant's contention that the classification of cocaine within the definition of the term "narcotic drug", 21 U.S.C. § 802 (16), is arbitrary and irrational. Conceding that the statutory definition is broader than the dictionary definition, Congress is not required to follow the latter in applying the term to a number of different classes of drugs for purposes of legal control. See The Challenge Of Crime In A Free Society, 212 (1967).
2. The affidavits demonstrate that some members of the medical profession, and other persons of professional competence, disagree with the findings of Congress about cocaine use, and the court assumes the good faith of those who have submitted the affidavits. It is common knowledge, however, that it is not unusual for members of the medical profession to disagree among themselves about the role that drugs of various classes play as causative and contributing factors in antisocial behavior and the commission of criminal acts. Simultaneously, there exists a respectable body of opinion held by pharmacologists, and other competent professionals, as to the effects of cocaine use, and the results of cocaine misuse and abuse as related to personality and social factors.[1] Insofar as there exist facts which reasonably support findings and conclusions that cocaine use leads to effects which pose serious problems for the community, the measures chosen by Congress to deal with the causes and effects reflect a societal policy which the courts are bound to observe. Marshall v. United States, supra; cf. United States v. Foss, 501 F. 2d 522, 530 (1st Cir. 1974).
NOTES
[1] Working Papers of the National Commission on Reform of Federal Criminal Laws, 1085 (1970), states:
Cocaine is a powerful stimulant. While it does not cause physical dependence, a very strong psychological dependence upon cocaine can be developed. In the United States it is usually taken by heroin addicts in combination with heroinas a "speedball," but occasionally people take it alone. It is not more often used alone because it may produce acute anxiety and may precipitate psychotic episodes. While aggressive and violent behavior during such psychotic states has been attributed to cocaine, it has been suggested that the drug may only bring out what is already present in the individual. The drug has only limited medical use, being used chiefly as a local anesthetic, particularly for conditions of the eye and skin. While it may be diverted from illicit channels, it is generally unlawfully imported from Latin America. Its price in the illicit market is usually extremely high. It should be classified as a dangerous drug because it may precipitate acute anxiety and psychotic episodes, and there is a strong possibility that such episodes may involve aggressive or violent behavior.
An article by a panel of distinguished pharmacologists, "Drug Dependence: Its Significance and Characteristics", 32 World Health Organization Bulletin, 721 (1965), states:
Diminished need for cocaine as a local anaesthetic and control of the world supply has reduced the total illicit use of this drug, but coincidentally there has developed a most dangerous type of abuseintravenous injection. In the most advanced form, this type of abuse involves administration at frequent intervals, as short as 10 minutes, the user desiring the ecstatic thrills associated with this practice. This type of abuse appeals particularly to persons with psychopathic tendencies, which are often unmasked by the drug. The induced feeling of great muscular and mental strength leads the individual to overestimate his capabilities. This, associated with paranoid delusions and auditory, visual and tactile hallucinations, often makes the user a very dangerous individual, capable of serious antisocial acts. Digestive disorders, nausea, loss of appetite, emaciation, sleeplessness, and occasional convulsions are commonly experienced by cocaine abusers of this type. Long-standing, continuing misuse of cocaine alone at a high level is rare, however. The user reaches such a state of excitement that he voluntarily seeks sedation. A frequent current practice is to antagonize the exciting effects by the alternate administration of morphine or some other depressant drug, or by the injection of the two types of drug in combination, the cocaine-heroin mixture ("speedball") being particularly popular.
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A handout photo made available by the Norwegian shipowner Frontline of the crude oil tanker Front Altair after the fire onboard the ship in the Gulf of Oman, June 13, 2019. Frontline/NTB Scanpix/via REUTERS
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain shares the U.S. government’s assessment that Iran is to blame for two attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday, a government source said.
“We agree with it,” a source at Britain’s foreign ministry said, when asked about the U.S. assessment, declining to give further details.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters earlier on Thursday that the U.S. government believed Iran was to blame, based on the weapons used, the level of expertise needed to execute the operation, and other factors.
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Junior doctors look likely to carry out their threat to strike after three weeks of talks with NHS bosses and the government failed to resolve the bitter contract row.
Both sides are increasingly pessimistic about resolving their differences when they meet for the last time on 4 January, following a blunt warning from the British Medical Association (BMA) to ministers to make major last-minute concessions or face industrial action.
Sources say England’s 45,000 junior doctors are likely to stage their first walkout in 40 years on 13 January by refusing to provide anything other than emergency cover in hospitals. The BMA is preparing to issue a statement on Monday outlining how many days of action it will be taking and what form the withdrawal of labour will take if the talks fail.
Although negotiations during December overseen by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) have led to some progress, both sides agree that they have not found a compromise on fundamental areas of disagreement, including doctors’ pay and hours.
Dr Johann Malawana, leader of the BMA’s junior doctors committee (JDC), underscored the deep divisions that remain in an update to the 38,000 trainee medics whom the BMA represents.
Malawana said the recent negotiations between the BMA, NHS Employers and the Department of Health had led to “significant improvements to the offer that frankly so many of us were appalled by in November”. But he said the JDC’s evaluation of progress so far showed that “whilst significant ground has been made ... there are still a couple of absolute areas of disagreement”.
In what NHS Employers and the Department of Health see as an ultimatum, Malawana added: “It is therefore absolutely clear that should we not be able to reach an acceptable outcome by 4pm on 4 January, the BMA will need to commence serving notice as per its mandate, to the NHS, for industrial action the following week.”
Junior doctors were due to walk out on 1, 8 and 16 December after 98% of them voted for strike action in a BMA ballot in November. But the action was called off at the 11th hour when Acas tried to broker a deal to avoid disrupting hospital services.
One key sticking point is understood to be the government’s desire to abolish “pay progression” – automatic annual salary increases – for junior doctors in line with its aim of phasing it out across the public sector.
Another is the JDC’s belief that the government’s promised introduction of a seven-day NHS in urgent and emergency care services by 2020 will lead to junior doctors – all medics below the level of consultant – working longer hours in future for the same, or less, money.
The atmosphere between the two sides, which was initially positive, has soured. BMA sources privately accuse the Department of Health of “intransigence” and “wanting to secure a political ‘win’ over junior doctors”. For their part, NHS Employers and department officials believe that some junior doctors are determined to go on strike to force the government into a full climbdown.
One source with knowledge of the negotiations said: “Whatever has been negotiated up until now, there are two or three fundamental sticking points that the DH [Department of Health] and NHS Employers aren’t able to concede. And if they can’t concede those points by Monday, there will be industrial action. The BMA is already preparing itself for that, probably starting on 13 January.”
In a sign of growing mistrust, Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers, made clear his annoyance that Malawana had issued such a detailed update on the progress of talks, which he posted on 24 December.
“Sensitive negotiations are not a spectator sport and I still do not propose to provide a running commentary on their progress since the Acas agreement of 30 November 2015. I am disappointed therefore that this BMA communication has unexpectedly appeared,” Mortimer said.
“Talks with the BMA about the proposed new contract for junior doctors have been adjourned until 4 and 5 January 2016, though work to refine details is continuing in the interim between members of our teams. We believed that we have seen progress and we will resume discussions in the new year.”
Malawana’s tough language in parts of his statement have also led observers to conclude that the talks were not proving constructive enough to find a resolution. “I, and the JDC, have absolutely no intention of standing by whilst the government pushes current and future generations of doctors out of the NHS and to leave the UK.
“It simply is unacceptable to devalue and denigrate doctors and the medical profession to the point where medicine in the UK is no longer a profession that the majority of doctors would recommend,” he said.
Malawana posted his update a day after talks finished on 23 December for the Christmas break. He stressed that the progress made had not satisfied the BMA’s key demands that the new contract should be safe for patients and fair for doctors.
Another key issue is thought to be the idea of the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, that fines for hospitals that force junior doctors to work beyond their maximum hours should be replaced by a new system of oversight of young medics’ working hours by the Care Quality Commission, the NHS care regulator. The BMA is adamant that the current system should remain in place.
A Department of Health spokeswoman said: “We have been making good progress with the BMA, and look forward to further discussions in the new year.As we have consistently said, talks are always better than strikes and we are prepared to talk about anything within the pay envelope as long as we improve patient safety by moving towards a seven-day NHS. Our proposals offer better basic pay and safety for junior doctors, with a shorter working week.”
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The objective of this research is to explain why the anterior chamber of the eye is a so-called "privileged site." From our previous work in rats and rabbits showing a mononuclear cell infiltrate within an implant, it is evident that the host does mount an early immune response to skin alloimplants into the anterior chamber but that rejection is delayed. The period of survival is relative to the degree of histoincompatibility between the donor and recipient. Since implants placed into the anterior chamber of the eye of orthotopic skin allograft sensitized rats are rapidly rejected, it appears that primary allografts placed into the anterior chamber produce serum factors which prevent the rapid destruction of the graft by the host lymphocytes. The search continued for either serum blocking or suppressor cells will be performed by in vivo experiments utilizing adoptive transfer and graft versus host techniques. In vitro studies will include blocking of both cell mediated reactions and complement mediated serum cytotoxicity reactions. Studies will be performed to explore the possibility of using implants in the anterior chamber of the eye to augment immunosuppression. Principles learned from studies of the anterior chamber of the eye will be applied to other privileged sites of the body.
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Despite appearing to be the frontrunner as she poised to seek a third term, Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer will not seek re-election, sources said.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Sources would not reveal what influenced, the mayor’s decision, but confirmed she was out of the November 7th municipal election.
Councilman-at-Large Ravi Bhalla is expected to have the endorsement from Zimmer to succeed her, according to sources who spoke under the condition of anonymity.
1st Ward Councilman Mike DeFusco and Freeholder Anthony Romano (D-5) are now poised for a slugfest, though business owner Karen Mason and local activist Ronald Bautista are still in the mix.
Zimmer endorsed 67 candidates in the June 6th primary election, with 63 winning their seats. 2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher, who was endorsed by the mayor for council in 2015, was voted the new Democratic committee chair last week.
She also had the backing of Union City Mayor/state Senator Brian Stack (D-33) and recently co-hosted a fundraiser with Democratic gubernatorial frontrunner Phil Murphy.
However, that’s all inconsequential now.
The mayor’s office has announced there will be a press conference at City Hall tomorrow at 11 a.m., but officials declined to say what the presser was about.
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Angiotensin I converting enzyme in glycerol-induced acute renal failure in rats.
Angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) activity was measured in serum, urine, and tissues of rats with acute renal failure (ARF) induced by glycerol. Glycerol-injected rats were subdivided in three groups according to the urinary volume: oliguric, nonoliguric, and polyuric. The damage to the proximal tubule was evident by (a) the histological analysis at light and electron microscopy level, (b) the augmented urinary excretion of the enzymes dipeptidyl aminopeptidase IV and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase, and (c) the low molecular weight proteinuria pattern. On the other hand, the appearance of the glomeruli at the ultrastructural level was normal. These data suggest that the increased urinary excretion of enzymes and proteins in these rats is a consequence of the tubular injury. ARF was markedly higher in the oliguric rats. Urine ACE activity increased in the rats of the three groups, but statistical significance was reached only in the oliguric rats. Serum ACE activity increased in the oliguric rats and tissue ACE activity did not change. It is concluded that the high urinary ACE in glycerol-treated rats is associated with the damage to the kidney tubules. These data support the contention that urinary ACE may be another marker of injury to the proximal tubule.
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Conventionally, there have been disclosed a number of wave pattern classifying methods for the purpose of monitoring the generation of harmful or non-harmful waves.
As the principal approaches for monitoring the state of electro-discharge machining, there are methods such as: analyzing the radio frequency generated during the discharge sparking; measuring and analyzing the electric resistance between the electrode and the object to be machined; and analyzing the discharge wave patterns. Among them, the most preferred was the method of analyzing the wave patterns.
The studies on the analysis of the electro-discharge machining wave patterns which have been carried out so far can be summarized as follows.
That is, the following persons studied on the electro-discharge machining wave patterns: R. Snoeys (CIRP vol 24, 1974), S Bhattacharyya (AASME J. of Eng. Ind., 1980), M. Otto (ISEM7, 1983). A. Endel (ISEM7, 1983), S. Pandit (ASME J. of Eng. Ind., 1984), D. Dauw (CIRP vol 35, 1986,) S. Pandit, ASME J. of Eng. Ind., 1987), and C. Cogun (ASME PED vol 34, 1988).
The contents of the conventional studies are different from the first objective of the present invention in one point. That is, there is a difference in the sampling method. In the conventional studies, there is never found the sampling method of the present invention. In order to clarify this point, the known facts about the discharge wave patterns which occur during an electro-discharge machining operation will be briefly described.
Generally, during a transistorized pulsed electro-discharge machining (to be called "electro-discharge machining" below), 5 types of voltage or current wave patterns (voltage=current x resistance) are generated in a random manner. That is, waves of the normal or effective discharge, arc, short, open and semi-normal discharge are generated (refer to FIG. 1). Of them, only the normal discharge and the semi-normal discharge waves are effective ones. The open wave is not desirable because it lowers the machining efficiency, while the short and arc can damage both the machining apparatus and to the object to be machined, if they continue for a long time. Accordingly, if the 5 wave patterns can be classified at a high speed, it can contribute to monitoring the electro-discharge machining.
The conventional wave pattern classifying method will be described below. There is a difficulty in classifying the 5 types of waves if only the comparison of the voltage levels is used. Therefore, another reference level or another sampling method has to be introduced. In this case, the sampling is carried out by distinguishing the discharge pattern into an initial period and a final period.
Conventionally, a number of methods have been disclosed for the purpose of monitoring the generation of harmful arcs. The discrimination as to whether there are arcs is made based on the increase of the average current or the drop of the voltage across the discharge electrode, thereby preparing for future measures against the generation of arcs. For example, measures such as causing an off-time and the like are taken, with the result that effective results are gained.
However, such a conventional method is different from a second object of the present invention in two points. That is, a discrimination is carried out for every discharge pulse, and then a proper measure is taken before the completion of the individual pulse. In other words, the measurement, classification and adjustment are almost simultaneously carried out for every pulse.
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Bombardier Innovia APM 100 C801
Bombardier Innovia APM 100 C801 (APM 100) is an automated people mover (APM) train built by Adtranz (now Bombardier Transportation) for use on the Bukit Panjang LRT (BPLRT) line.
Operational history
The C801 trains have been operating since the BPLRT's opening in 1999. If such plans go through, it will be the first major overhaul for the C801 train cars. The refurbished train cars will have upgraded air-conditioning and air compressors together with an improved braking system plus installing Close Circuit Televisions (CCTV) under each train car to monitor under the train cars. However, plans of replacing the train cars are not ruled out by LTA.
Defects in the C801 rolling stock
Minor defects in the C801 rolling stock was made public in a press report made by operator SMRT Trains managing director Lee Ling Wee in 2016, when it was admitted that C801 trains had suffered from cracks. This was after the cracks from the rolling stock C151A trains, which runs on East West line and North South line, were made public on 5 July 2016 which caused a public uproar (See Operational Problems in C151A). According to the press report, the cracks was discovered "during a routine assessment by Bombardier in 2015" and the issue affected all 19 C801 trains. It was stated that 12 of them have fixed locally using wielding methods with remaining 7 awaiting for repairs as of time the report was published, having suffered the issue to a lesser degree.
Lee did not reveal what caused the cracks, but a spokesman for Land Transport Authority told Straits Times that the issue is caused by "normal wear and tear" and added that they are not 'safety-critical'. All cracks in C801 trains were found on the "lateral beams of the under-frame" and they measured "no more than 12 cm".
Replacement
On 7 March 2018, the Land Transport Authority awarded the contract for renewing the Bukit Panjang LRT system to Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Bombardier (Singapore) at a cost of $344 million. Under the contract, all of the 19 C801 trains would be withdrawn from service, and replaced by Bombardier Innovia APM 300 C801B automated people mover cars.
Exterior design
C801 trains have rectangular headlights compared to the C801A trains, which have circular headlights.
Windscreen and windows are tinted green, but spoilt windows are replaced with a different tint.
The trains used to bear two turquoise stripes around the train, now replaced by a single red stripe.
Interior design
The C801 trains are similar to the C801A trains in terms of interior looks, other than the color scheme used.
The seats colour of the trains are green, 4 seats on both ends each and 8 seats in the middle.
LCD screens are installed initially, they were later taken out of the train. LED screens above the doors display the current and next station information.
During two car operations, there is no gangway to change from one car to another. The only way is to alight from one car and board the other.
Passengers can seat on either ends of the car, accommodating more seating space.
Livery
Formerly, the livery was under SLRT until 10 May 2004 after the merger of SMRT Corporation. It uses two stripes of turquoise color on green background. In 2005, it changes to a single red stripe.
Experimental programmes
Some train cars were installed with solar windscreen on one of the car ends. This was to minimize heat and light from entering the trains, which were one of the main causes for warmer trains. The experimental windscreens were successful as they were subsequently rolled out to other train cars.
The trains used to had 2 LCD displays on each train cars for advertising purposes, but was deactivated around 2009/2010 and subsequently removed.
Car 116 was installed with the new bright LEDs used on C801A trains, replacing the existing yellow headlights. As of September 2018, all the train cars have been replaced with brand new LED headlights.
Car 102 and 119 were installed with CCTVs under the carriage of the train.
Train formation
The configuration of a C801 in revenue service is M.
The train cars can be coupled up to 2 cars during service.
The car numbers of the trains range from 101 to 119. Individual cars are assigned a three-digit serial number by the rail operator SMRT Trains. A trainset consists of one motor car.
For example, set 101 is car 101.
The first digit is always a 1.
The second and third digit identifies the car number.
Bombardier Transportation built sets 101-119.
References
External links
Bombardier Innovia APM 100 C801 - SGTrains
Bombardier Innovia APM 100 C801 - Land Transport Guru
Bombardier Innovia APM 100 C801 - sgWiki
Bombardier Innovia APM 100 C801 - SGBuses.com
Category:Innovia people movers
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Glutathione is the antioxidant responsible for resistance to oxidative stress in V79 Chinese hamster fibroblasts rendered resistant to cadmium.
By manipulation of Cd and Zn concentrations in the medium, several phenotypes, differing in the contents of glutathione (GSH) and metallothionein (Mt), were derived from a parental clone of V79 Chinese hamster fibroblast. In some of these phenotypes, resistance to Cd and cross-resistance to oxidative stress was developed. The highest levels of GSH and Mt were found in cells which were rendered resistant to Cd by stepwise increases of Cd and Zn in the cell medium for over 50 passages. Upon removal of Cd/Zn from the medium of these cells or addition of Cd/Zn to the parental cell medium, changes of cellular GSH and Mt levels occurred to different extents. At the same time, changes in the resistance to Cd and H2O2 were observed. Good linear correlations were observed for Mt levels x resistance to Cd and for GSH levels x resistance to H2O2. Poor linear correlations were found for Mt levels x resistance to H2O2 or for GSH levels x resistance to Cd. Moreover, addition of Zn to the medium produced an increase in Mt content without affecting the GSH content. In this case no cross-resistance to oxidative stress was developed. Therefore, Mt which has been shown to be an excellent antioxidant in in vitro experiments, does not seem to play any major role against oxidative stress in Zn and Cd challenged cells. Most of the cross-resistance to oxidative stress in Cd challenged cells seems to be accounted for by the parallel increase in GSH.
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Tag Archive: cheating
Think not that those who rejoice in what they have done (or brought about), and love to be praised for what they have not done,- think not you that they are rescued from the torment, and for them is a painful torment. 3:188
In the Cover to Cover series by Bayyinah TV, in the context of this Surah one of the qualities of the Munafiq was to take credit for whatever good that came the Muslim’s way. So if something good came, they’d say “yeah we were right there with you”, but if something bad happened then they’s say “Thank God we took precaution beforehand”. Essentially the idea is that they love getting credit for what they haven’t done. And that idea is exactly what plagiarism is. and some more too.
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Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Black Pastors Speak Out Against Planed Parenthood
DENVER, Aug. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Colorado Right to Life and American Right to Life will stand with black leaders from around the country at their Power in the Park rally and press conference on August 25, 2008, 8:30 am at Martin Luther King Park, one block from the largest Planned Parenthood abortuary in the nation.The killing center, dubbed Auschwitz, by local opponents of the racist organization, is situated in north Denver’s minority neighborhood - consistent with the patterns of targeting minorities noted by Blackgenocide.org....Black leaders, including Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King have recently been asking why black Americans are being targeted by Planned Parenthood for abortions and demanding that the killing stop.“The number one taker of black life is abortion, and it’s time people woke up to that fact. The location of this latest Planned Parenthood facility in yet another minority neighborhood is a part of the continuing fulfillment of the racist, eugenicist dream of their founder, Margaret Sanger, but it is a travesty of the American dream. Planned Parenthood’s agenda discards the principle that we are all created equal, which is the basis of liberty for all Americans.” - Alan Keyes
The fact that the black community is traditionally Democrat continues to puzzle me, especially when the major pillar of the Democrat party is Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood was founded on getting rid of all those pesky blacks and other people of color. By embracing Sanger's intellectual child, the Democrats are embracing institutionalized racism. Even today, the organization still targets blacks, as evidenced by the recent racist call controversy that has given Planned Parenthood so much grief. I don't know what it'll take to convince blacks to abandon the party that still supports eugenics (Planned Parenthood), the KKK (Robert Byrd), genocide (The UN and refusing to help Rwanda) and supports criminals over innocent citizens. But we'll all be better off when it finally happens.
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Let's Encrypt Milestone: 100M Certificates Issued - jaas
https://letsencrypt.org/2017/06/28/hundred-million-certs.html
======
oblib
I love "Let's Encrypt"!!!
I've been struggling to get my CouchDB to use the cert for a domain name I
setup but I've not went to the support forum for help on it yet, I'm trying to
learn with what's out there and get as far as I can before I do that.
But all my other domains are set up and it was easy peasy to do, saved me some
cash, and after hearing about Comodo I felt pretty good about making the
switch.
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Sponsored Links
Higher Ed News
New Zealand police have arrested a safe burglar by using the popular social networking website Facebook to identify and track him down.
Calling it the "first Facebook arrest," Queenstown police in southern New Zealand posted security-camera footage and pictures showing the man's face as he tried to break into the safe of a local tavern Monday.
"The offender was identified after a movie and images of him were displayed on Facebook. He was identified from members of the public viewing him on....
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Search results for "guanaco"
Camels inhabiting the Andes in South America? Sounds quite surprising! Thinking of camels, the One-humped camel or Dromedary (Camelus dromedarius) and the Two-humped camel or Bactrian camel (Camelus ferus) from the African and Asian deserts come to one's mind. But these tall camel species have close relatives in South America - the smaller Llamas or South American camels. This group consists of just two species too: the Guanaco (Lama guanacoë), the wild ancestor of the domestic Llama and Alpaca, and the even smaller and daintier Vicuna (Lama vicugna). Reaching a length of about 1,5 m,...
Guanacos are usually found in small herds or loosely structured family groups.
When a member of the herd picks up the slightest hint of danger, it makes a high-pitched warning call, causing the other guanacos to flee swiftly and nimbly across the steep and uneven terrain.
Guanacos generally live at high elevations, grazing on grasses and browsing on leaves and buds.
They can get by without water for long periods of time, obtaining moisture from the plants they eat.
The young play and romp, but when confronted by an adult male they will lay their neck on the ground in submission.
...
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A representative on Fifa's ruling executive committee has said he is appalled and disturbed by the findings of a Guardian investigation into the treatment of migrant workers in Qatar before the 2022 World Cup and vowed to push for immediate action by football's governing body.
Northern Ireland's Jim Boyce, a Fifa vice-president, called for an immediate investigation into the deaths of dozens of Nepalese workers and the ill-treatment of thousands of others working in Qatar in an £85bn construction frenzy as the country prepares to host the tournament.
"I was appalled and very disturbed after reading the allegations in the newspaper this morning. Fifa must investigate this information immediately and report the full findings at the earliest opportunity to the Fifa executive committee," he said.
Boyce, who reiterated that he was "absolutely appalled", took over from the former Football Association chairman Geoff Thompson as the representative of the home nations on the 24-strong Fifa executive committee immediately after the vote that controversially awarded the 2022 World Cup to Qatar in December 2010.
The executive committee is convening in Zurich next Thursday for a two-day meeting that will include a debate about the timing of the 2022 tournament. There is growing demand to move it from summer to winter in order to avoid the 50C heat, but this has outraged defeated rival bidders, such as the US and Australia, and European leagues that play in winter.
It is understood that discussion of the findings of the Guardian investigation, which included evidence of forced labour on the huge Lusail City project that will have the World Cup final stadium as its centrepiece, could be added to the agenda.
The Qatar 2022 supreme committee, responsible for the ambitious project to host the world's biggest sporting event in a country smaller than the Falkland Islands and in scorching summer temperatures, said it too was appalled by the details contained in the report and an accompanying film.
"Like everyone viewing the video and images, and reading the accompanying texts, we are appalled by the findings presented in the Guardian's report. There is no excuse for any worker in Qatar, or anywhere else, to be treated in this manner," said a spokesman.
"The health, safety, wellbeing and dignity of every worker that contributes to staging the 2022 Fifa World Cup is of the utmost importance to our committee and we are committed to ensuring that the event serves as a catalyst toward creating sustainable improvements to the lives of all workers in Qatar."
The World Cup organisers have promised to hold all contractors due to work on the construction of the actual stadiums to a new code of conduct.
But critics of a system that has been likened to modern-day slavery point out that Qatar already has more robust labour laws than many other countries in the region, but they are often not adhered to by the web of contractors and subcontractors in a huge construction boom with tens of thousands of migrant labourers who are tied to their employer by law.
Meanwhile, the British government has offered to assist Qatar and other hosts of large sporting events to share the lessons of ensuring the "safety and security" of the construction of the venues and infrastructure for the 2012 Olympics.
"London 2012 had an outstanding record on safety and security both during the construction phase and when the Games were on," said the sports minister, Hugh Robertson.
"We stand ready to help with lessons learned and share best practice with future host cities and countries of major international sporting events. It's also vital that international sports organisations remain vigilant and ensure that their selected hosts' safety and security plans are completely robust."
The International Trade Union Confederation this week wrote to the Fifa president, Sepp Blatter, to revisit the bid conditions for the 2022 World Cup to protect migrant workers.
It pointed out that in 2011 the Fifa secretary general, Jérôme Valcke, issued a statement in which he said: "Fifa upholds the respect for human rights and the application of international norms of behaviour as a principle and part of all our activities."
Tory MP Damian Collins, who has long campaigned for reform of Fifa, has said England and other nations should consider boycotting the World Cup if Fifa does not show it is taking concerns surrounding the Qatar tournament seriously.
He said Fifa should take a "very active interest" in preparations in Qatar, including "any construction work linked to the infrastructure and stadia".
In light of grave concerns about the treatment of migrant workers, and the debate about when the tournament should be played given the summer heat, he said football authorities should consider withdrawing from Fifa tournaments.
"I do wonder whether the FA should seriously consider whether the questions over it being moved, over human rights and over the huge disruption to the sporting calendar are so great that we should consider not playing," said Collins, who sought to form an international coalition of politicians to campaign for the reform of Fifa in the wake of corruption allegations that engulfed the organisation in 2011.
"Fifa only understands and respects money, so the only power the FAs have is to withhold from Fifa tournaments. If there are outstanding concerns over the calendar and human rights there should be a very serious debate about whether to play in the World Cup."
Collins said he was also concerned that the voice of Uefa, the European football governing body, was "not as strong as it should be" on the issue. Its president, Michel Platini, was one of those who voted for Qatar to host the 2022 tournament.
"These are serious issues. The Qataris have said they take this very seriously and so should we. Fifa should look like it is busting a gut to make sure it is protecting the rights of the workers who are providing the stage for its tournament," he said.
The English FA and Uefa declined to comment.
Fifa said it would contact the organisers in Qatar before addressing the issue at its next executive committee meeting in Zurich on Thursday and Friday next week.
"Fifa is very concerned about the reports presented by the media regarding labour rights abuses and the conditions for construction workers in projects at Lusail City, Qatar," it said in a statement.
A day in the life of a construction worker
The room KK sleeps in every night, which measures about three metres by four, would be small enough if he slept in it alone. In fact he shares it with 11 other men, and because of Qatar's searing temperatures, whenever they are not at work, the room is packed with bodies.
"The air conditioner doesn't even work properly," said KK, pointing to the rattling machine in the corner.
His room is part of a rundown compound filled with migrant workers from across the region. Next door is a room full of Sri Lankans on one side and on another a group of Egyptians. It is not what KK imagined when he left his home in Nepal to earn enough to feed his extended family.
He had been promised a job as a carpenter earning 1200 rials a month with 300 rials for food, but instead he was being paid just 900 rials and had been put to work as a plumber.
Every day KK gets up before dawn to go to work, but even at this hour the humidity is draining.
In order to pay the recruitment brokers to get this job in Qatar, KK had taken out a loan but that loan which gave him the freedom to leave Nepal, was now binding him to Qatar.
"I'm upset, but what can I do? I have so many expenses, I have a wife and a whole family to look after," he said. "I've got no choice, I have to stay here to pay off my debt."
At the end of an eight-hour shift, KK returns to his room dripping in sweat, but there are no bathrooms to wash in, just a bucket of water over an open latrine. And with the searing heat there is nothing to do but return to his cramped room.
"Those in Nepal who want to come here need to confirm everything in their contract before they leave," warned KK. "I confirmed everything but when I arrived here I found it hadn't been confirmed here. That recruitment broker had lied to me. This is the reality."
Pete Pattisson
Qatar in numbers
In 1980, Qatar was a country of 200,000 people, making it one of the smallest in the world, but it has changed rapidly, largely because of immigration.
Credit: Guardian graphics
In terms of rights, migrants might not be powerful – but they are great in number. Figures show the number of Qataris in work is 71,076, and there are 1,199,107 non-Qatari workers, so immigrants make up 94% of Qatar's workforce, and 70% of its total population.
The website Peoplemovin, which pulls together data from the World Bank, estimates that in 2011, 22% of migrants came from India, 22% from Pakistan, 16% from Nepal and 13% from Iran. Only a handful of those migrants make it into skilled jobs, the Qatari census data shows. The vast majority have moved into urban areas, reducing the percentage of the population in rural areas from 10.6% in 1980 to 4.2% now.
Credit: Guardian graphics
Most of those migrants are men, which goes some way to explain why three out of every four residents in Qatar are male. This has had a big effect on the age and gender of Qatar's population, as these classic population pyramids demonstrate. Qatar's demography was quite gender-balanced back in the 1950s. By 2010, there was a bulge in the number of 25- to 35-year-olds and far more men than women. Mona Chalabi
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It seems some people believe that moving to a low carbon economy is something easy that just requires “political will,” and that the way forward is to pressure politicians with tumultuous “climate marches.”
Well, it is not that easy, not even close.
To get an idea of the barriers to a low carbon economy, let’s focus at the personal level. Here are some things an individual can do to drastically reduce her / his carbon emissions. Bear in mind that reducing the carbon emissions of humanity would literally be many orders of magnitude more difficult than this.
1. Eliminate air travel. Period. No looking back. Vacations should be relatively local. If you are used to travelling for business, then use video-conference to be in touch with your customers. Sure, it won’t be as effective as face to face interactions, but it is one of the prices to be paid for a lower carbon footprint.
2. Have less children or none at all. Off the bat, a new person that lives 65 years and produces the current average annual CO2 emissions (4.5 tons) would add almost 300 tons to the atmosphere in her lifetime. One billion persons would add 300 Gigatons, and this is considering the average emissions stay at today’s value.
3. Eat less meat.
4. Buy much less stuff.
5. Adjust the thermostat in your A/C: make a point to be colder in winter and warmer in summer (without actually freezing or dehydrating).
6. Use your car less, much less or make without it altogether.
7. Try to enjoy cold showers, or at least cool showers.
8. Turn off every light / device as soon as you are through using it.
9. Assimilate (properly vetted) GMOs. We need to produce more food with less land/energy input.
10. In summary, embrace a lower standard of living for you and your family.
However, when things are distilled at the personal level, many “greens” rebel. They are not willing to participate in the game anymore. They want to just join in two or three “climate marches,” pressure their university to “divest” from fossil fuels, glue a bumper sticker in their car with the “#GoSolar” message and re-tweet some Greenpeace thoughts.
Well, that will never work.
In truth, very few people will downgrade the standard of living of themselves and their children to “save” their eventual great-grandchildren. This is just human nature. Thus, bar a black swan (or two), the best way to reduce emissions (in addition to decreasing population) is technology.
Technology can help in two ways:
1. Do more with less (e.g., an LED light bulb produces many more lumens per watt than an equivalent incandescent lamp).
2. New massive amounts of low carbon energy. Current nuclear and renewables are at the most a stopgap. We need much better nuclear (fission and fusion) and other types of energy in the near future.
A happy, high energy future (with much less reliance on fossil fuels) will only materialize via technology.
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To the Editor {#s1}
=============
We read the article "Effect of transcatheter aortic valve implantation on QT dispersion in patients with aortic stenosis" by Erkan, *et al*.[@b1] with great interest. In this study, they investigated the effect of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) on QT dispersion (QTd) in patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis. They reported that left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and associated QTd were both reduced by the TAVI procedure. Given the correlation of QTd with the incidence of ventricular tachyarrhythmias and sudden death, it was concluded that the TAVI procedure might have potential beneficial effects on reducing such arrhythmias beyond relieving symptoms of these patients.
As mentioned by authors, it has long been known that QTd reflects inhomogeneity of ventricular repolarization which serves as a prognostic tool in the detection of future ventricular tachyarrhythmias and sudden death.[@b2]--[@b4] This electrical instability can be measured in the electrophysiologic laboratory via monophasic action potential mapping method.[@b5] Meanwhile, QTd is the most frequently used non-invasive method to reveal electrical regional heterogenity of the myocardium. However, in the literature, there are varying results due to the technical limitations of QT interval (QTI) measurement.[@b6] The reproducibility of QTI measurements is low both in manual and automatic measurement techniques.[@b5],[@b6] Moreover, in manual measurements, inter- and intra-observer variability of QTd is very high.[@b6] In this study, the measurements have been performed by two independent cardiologists manually, without transferring the data to the digital platform. Additionally, standard 12-lead ECG recordings were done with a paper speed of 25 mm/ms. In order to obtain more accurate data, the measurements were recommended to be performed in digital platform.[@b5],[@b6] Also, the accuracy of the measurements could be increased by recording the ECGs with the paper speed of 50 mm/ms and amplitude of 20 mm/mV. Determination of the end of the T wave is one of the technical challenges of the QTI measurements.[@b7] Tangential, differential threshold and visual methods may be used to determine the end of the T-wave.[@b7] Despite all efforts, the end of the T-wave can\'t be determined in some leads and the number of measurable leads in the standard ECG have been shown to influence the range of QTI durations. As the number of the leads in which QTI can\'t be measured increases, accuracy of the QTd decreases. In order to overcome this limitation, different methods (standard deviation of the QTI, relative QTd, adjusted QTd) have been proposed by some investigators instead of QTd.[@b6]
In order to quantify the inhomogenity of the myocardium, in addition to QTd, transmural dispersion of repolarization (TDR) was introduced as an index of arrhythmogenesis in the beginning of the 2000\'s.[@b8] Isolated cells from different layers of the myocardium exhibited that myocardium comprise of 3 distinct myocyte types-namely, endocardial, epicardial, and midmyocardial M cells.[@b9] Despite the fact that these myocytes are morphologically similar, they exhibit different electrophysiological characteristics. Midmyocardial M cells have typically the longest action potential duration. Furthermore, when myocardium is exposed to the conditions prolonging repolarization phase such as agents or bradycardia, action potential duration of the M cells are more prolonged than the other cell types.[@b9] This electrical heterogenity seems to be caused by varying responses of the distinct cell types in the different myocardial layers. ECG may reflect these discrepancies. While repolarization phase of the epicardial region ends at the peak of the T-wave, repolarization phase of the M cells continues until the end of the T wave.[@b9] Therefore, the time between the peak and end of the T wave is entitled as Tp-e interval, as an index of TDR. Additionally, Tp-e/QT ratio has also been used as an index of TDR. The role of TDR in the prediction of life treating arrhythmic events has been demonstrated in the Brugada, short QT and long QT syndromes, as well as in acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction.[@b9] Previously, we showed that TDR was increased in patients with obstructive sleep apnea and chronic arsenic exposure via drinking water.[@b10],[@b11] Additionally, increased TDR has also been demonstrated in subjects with hypertension, obesity and in animal models of ventricular hypertrophy.[@b12]--[@b14]
In this study, the authors put forward the effect of TAVI on QTd to be due to the reduction of LVMI. Microvascular dysfunction and myocardial interstitial fibrosis were discussed as responsible abnormalities in left ventricular hypertrophy causing impaired repolarization and inhomogeneity of intraventricular conduction. In the light of above mentioned explanations, different electrophysiological characteristics of myocyte cell types in the different myocardial layers should be taken into account. Thus, it would be wise adding the transmural dispersion data to the study which would completely reveal the effect of TAVI procedure on electrical heterogeneity of the myocardium.
The authors have no financial or any other kind of personal conflicts with this letter.
Authors\' reply
We have recently reported a potential beneficial effect of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) on reducing ventricular arrhytmias beyond relieving symptoms in patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis.[@b15] Basically, we showed a reduction in myocardial repolarization dispersion evaluated by QT dispersion (QTd) after TAVI in this population.
QTd is the most frequently used non-invasive method to assess the myocardial repolarization abnormalities in many diseases in literature. It has been well known that QTd may provide prognostic data for future ventricular tachyarrhythmias and sudden death.[@b16]--[@b18] However, 'achilles heel' of this method is the reproducibility of QTd measurements. In general, it is low in both manual and automatic measurement techniques and inter- and intraobserver variability is especially high in manual measurements of QTd.[@b19],[@b20] This situation was chiefly caused by using insufficient quality of electrocardiography (ECG) samples to measurement of QTd. Such ECG\'s do not reflect the end of T wave with sufficient certainty. Therefore, using the appropriate ECG samples is essential to obtain the reliable data on myocardial dispersion abnormalities by QTd. In our study, we used only ECG samples which have high quality. And, we believe that our results are reliable and have future perspectives on the effects of TAVI beyond relieving symptoms in patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis.
On the other hand, the notion of 'transmural dispersion' has emerged in early last decade and has led to a new perception on the understanding of myocardial repolarization. According to this model, it has been accepted that three layer of myocardium including endocardium, epicardium and mid myocardial M cells have different electrophysiological features which represents a repolarization heterogenity in basal situation.[@b21] Conditions affecting the myocardial repolarization such as heart rate, blood electrolyte status and drugs have a different effects on these myocardial layers which can increase the basal repolarization heterogenity and can cause ventricular arrhytmia. On ECG, the peak of T-wave represents the epicardial repolarization while the end of T-wave suggests the repolarization of midmyocardial M-cells. The time between the peak and end of the T wave is called 'Tp-e interval' and its ratio with QTd (Tp-e/QTd) were defined as indexes of transmural dispersion of repolarization which can predict life treating arrhytmias in different populations.[@b22],[@b23]
We evaluated the Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QTd ratio on ECG of patients in our study group to comply with the author\'s suggestions. Both Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QTd ratio were significantly reduced after TAVI procedure in patients with severe aortic stenosis (80.1 ± 3.5 *vs*. 78.5 ± 2.6 ms; *P* = 0.008 and 0.20 ± 0.1 *vs.* 0.19 ± 0.1; *P* = 0.001, respectively). We agree with the authors that the results might be useful to completely reveal of effect of TAVI procedure on electrical heterogeneity of the myocardium.
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Q:
Data table not reloading - primeNG
I am working on an angular project that displays a set of data.
For that I am using primeNG data table. Everything works fine but when I delete an entry from the data source the data table is not refreshing I can still see the deleted entry in the table. Any help will be appreciated.
mycomponent.html
<p-dataTable [value]="tabledata">
<p-column field="vin" header="Vin"></p-column>
<p-column field="year" header="Year"></p-column>
<p-column field="brand" header="Brand"></p-column>
<p-column field="color" header="Color"></p-column>
</p-dataTable>
iam slicing the datasource on deletion
mycomponent.ts
this.tabledata.slice(this.tabledata.indexOf(datatodelete), 1);
A:
Finally i end up with solution. I just created a copy of my data source. And delete the entry from this copy, then reassign this copy to my original data source.
this.datatablecopy = Object.assign([], this.datatable);
this.datatablecopy.slice(this.datatablecopy.indexOf(datatodelete), 1);
this.datatable = this.datatablecopy;
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Q:
reorder panda data frame columns vertical
I'm a bit new to panda and have some diabetic data that i would like to reorder.
I'd like to copy the data from column 'wakeup' through '23:00:00',
and put this data vertical under each other so I would get a new dataframe column:
5.6
8.1
9.9
6.3
4.1
13.3
NAN
3.9
3.3
6.8
.....etc
A:
Solved it myself finally took me quite some time.
Notice here the orginal data was in df1 result in dfAllMeasurements
dfAllMeasurements = df1.loc[:, 'weekday':'23:00:00']
temp = dfAllMeasurements.set_index('weekday','ID').stack(dropna=False) #dropna = keeping NAN
dfAllMeasurements = temp.reset_index(drop=False, level=0).reset_index()
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Mirror’s Edge Catalyst review
Mirror’s Edge Catalyst has a lot to prove. It’s a series’ initial try during capturing an open universe and facilities no serviceable guns, a regulation that I’ve never seen attempted by a big-budget title. In some ways, a diversion creates a transition from tranquil corridors to a wide-open heart universe flawlessly. Running and jumping between rooftops is as fun as it was when a strange Mirror’s Edge launched in 2008, yet anytime Catalyst strays divided from that core mechanic, a diversion fast becomes officious annoying, and during times actively unfun.
Catalyst serves as an start story for parkour-master and curtain Faith, that is a shame, given she is one of a slightest engaging people in a game. Flashes of her past are told in still images between missions, and yield roughly no context to Faith’s actions other than revelation we of her cryptic youth. These scenes yield tiny to no context for Faith’s absurdly stretchable ethics that concede her to work for fundamentally anyone in a city yet explanation. One such spin includes siding with a verbatim militant in sell for safety, yet it’s never utterly transparent because Faith needs insurance specifically—especially given her new trainer regularly sends her on increasingly dangerous missions. Another has her side with a crime duke to whom she owes money, once again for misleading reasons. When we boil down Catalyst‘s story, it’s an unexcited one about a lax cannon representative handling outward of a law in sequence to grasp a idea that doesn’t turn transparent until some-more than median by a game.
One of a stars of Mirror’s Edge Catalyst is a setting, a city called Glass. The place is, for a many part, stylistically gorgeous. Setting waypoints on your map and bouncing from design to objective, assembly with couriers and quest-givers invokes a same character of scrutiny that we would design in many any open-world title. However, we could never get a good feel for a distance of a world. Every building is a rectangle ornate with potion and some shade of white, creation it formidable to discern one area from another, and even yet there are a few tangible landmarks, meaningful where one is in propinquity to another is roughly impossible.
Faith has many tools, both new and old, that assist her in her query to save Glass. Runner Vision earnings from a initial diversion as a computerized hit lens that provides a red line tracing a trail to your destination, branch objects suitable for parkour red. A grappling offshoot is combined to her repertoire, yet it serves some-more as a traversal device, unlocking certain areas as we benefit some-more abilities by a ability tree, rather than an forgive for Faith to pitch her approach by a city a la Spider-Man.
At initial glance, gating your swell behind a ability tree seems bothersome, yet a course felt natural, and we was means to clear abilities as we indispensable them. You’ll feel scrupulously embellished out within a initial few hours of play, yet a discerning introduction of any component does desire a doubt of because skills are gated behind unlocks in a initial place, generally given some traversal skills can’t be warranted until after completing a specific story mission.
Once you’ve got a poise of Faith’s parkour skills, it doesn’t take prolonged before it becomes apparent that Mirror’s Edge Catalyst works best when it’s in motion. Jumping from building to building in sequence to try a game’s open world, slide-tackling foes in sequence to get from indicate A to indicate B, is what Catalyst does best, and there’s copiousness of this present. However, a impulse we stop and demeanour during any aspect of a game, we start to notice usually how tattered a edges are. Massive building textures can infrequently take 30 seconds to bucket in, drones and descending waste play out during an absurdly low framerate even when they are usually feet from your face, and low-res fact on a roads and cars next skyscrapers are usually a few of a technical hang-ups that immediately turn conspicuous once we stop to smell a roses.
Another aspect of Mirror’s Edge Catalyst that performs feeble underneath a microscope is a rivalry AI. My categorical process of holding down any conflicting was heading them to a corner of a building—which they were customarily really penetrating on doing—and kicking them in a head, causing them to comically substitute off of pronounced building. we also witnessed mixed enemies who, presumably sleepy of operative for a soulless Conglomerate, motionless to finish it all and run directly off of rooftops while chasing after Faith. Luckily, a diversion actively encourages we to omit foes, as using recharges Faith’s Focus Shield, that allows her to evasion bullets.
The Focus Shield won’t save we in each situation, however, given Mirror’s Edge Catalyst has several intolerable forced quarrel sections. One sold rendezvous is set in a sealed area, and after a few unsuccessful attempts, we satisfied that regularly heading enemies to a tiny ledge, kicking them off of it, and behaving a jump conflict on them done a conflict manageable, yet distant from fun. After descending on tip of a dozen or so gun-toting enemies, a character of quarrel that felt some-more like Space Invaders than Mirror’s Edge, an chosen enemy, a Sentinel, appeared, clearly sporting many of a same parkour skills as Faith. Was a pivotal to holding down this enemy besting him during adventurous rooftop ascent that usually Faith, a seasoned runner, can? No, his debility was some-more steady kicks to a head.
Without a doubt, Mirror’s Edge Catalyst‘s has a misfortune final theatre of any vital current-gen diversion that I’ve played. It’s a glitchy disaster that ends with an unmannerly and anti-climactic trainer quarrel in a firmly packed, feeble illuminated room that feels accurately like each other forced quarrel in a game, yet somehow some-more frustrating.
Besides a campaign, Mirror’s Edge Catalyst also has a integrate of options for players to build their possess courses. One allows players to dump checkpoints as they run by a prebuilt city, laying out a trail for others to follow in a future. Another multiplayer mode lets players place “beats,” that requires others to strech a specific indicate on a map yet any time restrictions. Neither of these collection commission a actor to emanate anything most some-more considerable than elementary checkpoint missions, yet a giveaway using that they offering were a acquire change of gait when hopping from goal to mission.
Though there are many tools of Mirror’s Edge Catalyst that fail, when it manages to glow on all cylinders, a diversion works utterly well. However, those moments are distant by lifeless stretches, frustrating pieces that detract from a game’s biggest resources in sequence to concentration on fighting and story conflicts, conjunction of that we cared about. I’ve dreamed about a many possibilities a next-gen, open-world Mirror’s Edge pretension could move given Catalyst was announced behind in 2015, yet we never suspicion a finish outcome would be so limiting.
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Link to Lucky Way Chinese Kitchen
Lucky Way Chinese Kitchen is located near the cities of Riverdale, Alpine, and Wakefield.
People found this by searching for: Lucky Way Kitchen, Lucky Way Yonkers, Lucky Way Chinese Yonkers, Lucky Way Chinese, Lucky Way Chinese Kitchen, Lucky Way Yonkers Ny, and Lucky Way Chinese Kitchen Menu.
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Predicting patient outcome: the contribution of prehospital, inhospital, and posthospital factors.
Data on variables often used in recidivism studies were gathered from state hospital records of 129 patients released within a two-year period to a three-county area in West Virginia. The variables were categorized as prehospital, inhospital, or posthospital; the relationship between each variable set and recidivism was determined. The three criteria of recidivism were readmission within one year following discharge, number of days in the community, and number of days to first readmission. Inhospital variables were found to be the best predictors for all three outcome measures. When the number of variables in the set was controlled for, the posthospital set and the inhospital set had the same predictive power for readmission within one year of discharge and number of days to readmission. Posthospital variables were poorest at predicitng, among recidivism criteria, the number of days in the community.
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Steroid receptor recycling and its possible role in the modulation of steroid hormone action.
The fate of steroid-receptor complexes after their nuclear retention in target cells is not firmly established. Nuclear glucocorticoid- and androgen-receptor complexes could be recycled back to the cytosol in their responsive tissues, whereas this has not been clearly established for the case of progesterone and estrogen receptors. The models of steroid receptor recycling proposed so far involve release of chromatin-bound complexes into the cytosol, loss of steroid, and receptor inactivation. These receptors, however, can eventually be reactivated to a steroid binding form to reinitiate a cycle of steroid binding and further nuclear translocation. We propose that this model can represent a general aspect of steroid hormone action, provided that inactivation/reactivation processes occur in every steroid responsive system. A process involving a reversible receptor inactivation could play a major role in the control of steroid receptor recycling. It is proposed that a control on the extent of receptor available to steroid binding could result in a modulation of cellular responses to steroid hormones.
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National League ERA leader Ryan Vogelsong isn’t the only starter whose performance has exceeded his press clippings. In the NL, in fact, at least three other starters on contenders could be even more overlooked.
Ranking their performances:
1. Ryan Vogelsong, San Francisco Giants
He tops the list because his own team under-values him. He is the Giants’ 14th highest-paid player with a salary of $3 million in the first year of a two-year, $8.3 million deal.
2. Kyle Lohse, St. Louis Cardinals
He is 12-2 with a 2.79 ERA but was so far out of All-Star consideration that he didn’t even make the lists of biggest snubs. Lohse, however, figures to get his due this offseason when he becomes a free agent. Staying with the Cardinals is a long shot, though. Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Jaime Garcia and Lance Lynn are under club control, and Jake Westbrook holds an $8.5 million mutual option that figures to be barely half of what Lohse could command.
3. Chris Capuano, Los Angeles Dodgers
He has lost five of his past six starts but was the Dodgers’ most consistent starter before the break (9-4, 2.91 ERA). Yes, that includes Clayton Kershaw. At 10-8 with a 3.29 ERA, Capuano still is enjoying his finest season and giving the Dodgers plenty of reason to have secured him last winter for two years at $10 million.
4. Paul Maholm, Atlanta Braves
Not being recognized in Pittsburgh was understandable, especially given his so-so performance in seven seasons. Maholm, 9-7 with a 3.75 ERA, started to get noticed when he went seven consecutive starts for the Cubs without allowing more than one run. He won’t lack for attention the rest of this season after the Braves made him their much-needed rotation upgrade at the nonwaiver trading deadline.
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Lindy,
We are meeting on Tues at 10:00 in 1336 to discuss how TW may handle a storage point on our system with respect to how we contract for this point (given that contracts will want to receive and deliver to this point on a firm basis) as well as how we schedule gas at this point. Will you be able to attend and give us your advise?
Many thanks, Kim.
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labatt blue
Fish Fry-Day is back again, Dirty Buffalonians! Tonight’s beer batter is made with Labatt Blue Light! For those who don’t know, we’re the only restaurant in Virginia to have “Blue Light” on draft and we think it pairs perfect with our fish! Make sure you stop in tonight for our Fish Fry-day Special and get a massive portion of fish atop a mound of our famous beer battered french fries. The fish is served with a small side of coleslaw & your choice of tartar sauce or malt vinegar.
Back by popular demand, Fish Fry-day has returned! Stop in tonight for our Fish Fry-day Special and get a massive portion of fish, deep fried using a Labatt Blue batter, atop a mound of our famous beer battered french fries. The fish is served with a small side of coleslaw & your choice of tartar sauce or malt vinegar.
DIRTY BUFFALONIANS!!! We’ve got something special for you for tonight’s game, but first we want to “Circle the Wagons” because we’re looking to fill the restaurant for the Mannequin Challenge and we need a packed house to make it happen! To entice you to make it in, we’ve got BEEF ON WECK and our delicious Cajun Buffalo Chicken Dip, in addition to awesome drink specials! While we love a traditional Beef on Weck, we decided to put our own spin on it that you’ve got to try. The Cajun Buffalo Chicken Dip is served with fresh tortilla chips, this is an appetizer you’re sure to love! As usual, these items are in limited quantities so make sure you get in here to try these dishes, you won’t be disappointed. If coming in for the game and to take part in the Mannequin Challenge, we’re going to attempt it during a first half commercial break, both specials begin at 7PM. LET’S GO BILLS FANS, here’s our chance to go viral!
“Blue Battered” Fish ‘n’ Chips is back again this week! Our fish is coated & fried with a Labatt Blue batter, served with a small side of our infamous fries, a small side of slaw and your choice of tarter sauce or malt vinegar. Our delicious Buffalo Shrimp Dippers are served with your choice of TWO of our signature sauces on the side for dipping. The special is dine-in only & will start at 5 PM and run until its gone!
ATTENTION DIRTY BUFFALONIANS!!! You asked for it, you got it! Our Fish Fry-Day has gone over so well, we’ll now be doing it EVERY Friday! Our “Blue-Battered” Fish ‘n’ Chips feature hand breaded fish battered in Labatt Blue Pilsner. It’s served on a platter with some fries, a small side of slaw and your choice of tarter sauce or malt vinegar. Our delicious Shrimp Dippers are served with your choice of TWO of our signature sauces on the side for dipping. The special is dine-in only & will start at 5 PM and run until its gone!
Fish Fry-Day is back!!! Chef Chris & crew have a new twist for this weeks Beer Battered Fish ‘n’ Chips and Buffalo Shrimp! You thought Beer-Battered Fish was good, try our “Blue-Battered” Fish ‘n’ Chips! The fish is hand breaded & battered in Labatt Blue beer, served on a platter with some fries, a small side of slaw and tarter sauce or malt vinegar. The shrimp has been requested multiple times over the coarse of the last few weeks, so it’s back again as well. The shrimp is served with your choice of TWO of our signature sauces on the side for dipping. The special is dine-in only & will start at 5 PM and run until its gone!
About The Dirty Buffalo
The Dirty Buffalo is late-night, quick-service restaurant that is owned and operated by a couple of Western New York transplants who wanted to bring a little "taste of home" to the good people of Norfolk, Virginia. You may hear us touting ourselves as "the best authentic wing place in Hampton Roads." While that's true, of course, we are not just any wing joint. We also serve up delicious specialty and classic subs, homestyle sides, hot dogs, and, of course, Dirty Plates.
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Q:
La URL aparece como tachada
Estaba viendo la siguiente pregunta en SO en español, clic aquí.
Lo que me llamó mucho la atención, fue que la OP tiene su nombre tachado aunque pensé que hasta ahí todo 'normal', lo curioso fue al acceder a su perfil. La URL aparece tachada también.
Tal cual no creo que sea un bug de SO, dudo mucho porque es algo externo (según mis pocos conocimientos). Pero ¿A qué se debe esto? Nunca lo había visto.
A:
Se debe a que el nombre de usuario en cuestión hace uso de caracteres especiales ya que estos se permiten en la red de sitios de Stack Exchange.
Al codificarse el URL resultante queda de la siguiente forma
https://es.stackoverflow.com/users/39994/r%CC%B6o%CC%B6c%CC%B6i%CC%B6o%CC%B6-p%C3%A9rez
Lo que realmente identifica a usuarios en un sitio de la red de Stack Exchange es el número entre users/ y el siguiente /. Cabe destacar que este número "podría" ser distinto para un mismo usuario en los distintos sitios de Stack Exchange a los que se una.
Nota: La pregunta referida ha sido eliminada.
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Q:
How to increase the processing speed of mysql query in pandas
My ids in tuple is below
ids = tuple(df1['ids'])
the ids has 100k rows
My query
q_id=f'''
SELECT id, COUNT(*) AS Count
FROM NEWS
WHERE status = 'JOINED' AND id IN {ids}
GROUP BY 1
connection is a method which establish connection with username and password
df2 = connection('mysqldb', q_id)
It's taking too much time to get the result. How to increase the processing speed of mysql query in pandas?
A:
Please provide SHOW CREATE TABLE news.
It needs to include
INDEX(status, id)
Is id the PRIMARY KEY? If so, then this is a rather weird query to write:
SELECT id, COUNT(*) AS Count
FROM NEWS
WHERE status = 'JOINED'
AND id IN {ids}
GROUP BY 1
because all the counts will be "1". (This is because the PRIMARY KEY is "unique").
To find out how many of those ids are 'JOINED':
SELECT COUNT(*) AS Count
FROM NEWS
WHERE status = 'JOINED'
AND id IN {ids}
To find out which of the ids are 'JOINED':
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The more the Lakers play, the more I think they just don't have the talent to be as good as everyone thought they were. The dead weight with horrible contracts on this team is killing them.
Metta World Peace - He makes 7.2 a year and in my opinion is no better than vet's minimum level player. He is way overpaid and at this point, it's not that he's just underachieving. With the salary chunk he takes up, he's hurting the team far more than he's helping.
Pau Gasol - He's making over 2x as much as he should. He should be around Metta's current salary in my opinion, and that's assuming he can be even a shell of the player he was in 2009. He could be done as a productive big man. But I think if he was a 7 million a year player the expectations would be more in line with his abilities and he wouldn't be so bad anymore. I've tried to defend him for years but it's just getting to the point where I can't anymore. Either he's no good or he's not right for the system. Either way, at 19 million he's hurting way more than he's helping.
Steve Blake - Definitely a veteran's minimum player. Overpaid and doesn't contribute enough to warrant a 4 million a year salary when he's on the court.
Jordan Hill and Jodie Meeks - These are the types of players/contracts we need to have outside the stars. They're players that fit a certain role and are on really good contracts. Also it's much more tolerable to have a 2-3 million dollar player under-perform than a player of Gasol's contract.
I honestly don't know if we can compete until after next year when all the contracts come off the books and we can reload with players that are worthy of their contracts and role players that don't make 8 million a year and actually contribute. As it stands now we have the highest paid role player in the league in Pau Gasol. He contributes nothing more than a good role player but makes among the highest salaries in the league. That is not a recipe for a championship team. Our cap situation is no better than Brooklyn, who has too much money tied up in Joe Johnson and Lopez. They're stuck in cap hell and so are we. Luckily we get some relief in two years.
I also think the chemistry of this team is a problem, whether people want to say it's overblown or not. It may not implode like Shaq and Kobe did, but their lack of chemistry is a problem.
I'm going to continue to watch every game and be a fan, but I'm officially a member of the doom and gloom group. I hope they can prove me wrong.
Ive been saying this for years every single time Mitch over paid for underachievers such as LO, Puke, Sasha, Blake, Duhon, Artest, & Pau.
There's dead weight on this team but these are the players that can be classified as that:
EbanksClarkMorrisDuhonJohnson-Odom
That's five players that do not provide a damn thing for this team. Everyone else at least provides something.
With an older team, we need more depth on this bench.
This ^^^Is Coach D fault Period. He decides not to use them. Ebanks, Clark & johnson -Odom 3 of best athletes on the team & get no chances to make a difference towards the record. They are only dead weight cuz they dont get opportunities. Dead Weight are the guys that get meaningful mins & are not reliable nor consistent.
It's obvious that kobe isn't enough anymore. He's incredible but he's not going to drag the team to the playoffs with consecutive 50 point games anymore. The problem is I don't think he realized that. And we don't have the players around him to care enough to pick up the slack even though they do definitely have the talent.
If we had Kobe, pau, Dwight, and Nash playing with heart and chemistry and surrounded them with competent role players who could do the running, who could beat this team? They're more top heavy on talent than the spurs, who have aging superstars. But they're winning games and so could we. If we had better role players and we weren't paying 26 million dollars to Pau and Metta.
It's obvious that kobe isn't enough anymore. He's incredible but he's not going to drag the team to the playoffs with consecutive 50 point games anymore. The problem is I don't think he realized that. And we don't have the players around him to care enough to pick up the slack even though they do definitely have the talent.
If we had Kobe, pau, Dwight, and Nash playing with heart and chemistry and surrounded them with competent role players who could do the running, who could beat this team? They're more top heavy on talent than the spurs, who have aging superstars. But they're winning games and so could we. If we had better role players and we weren't paying 26 million dollars to Pau and Metta.
^^^No the Lakers are not top heavy better than Spurs! Like you think Kobe needs to learn = you need to learn we have Kobe & D12 who are playing well right now for the starters only! The bench is like it always is = pathetic mostly because the coach refuses to play the talent on the roster. Duncan is only aging superstar. TP is fine & so is Manu (he may get injured alot now but he isnt max'd out of his prime like Pau is!) Manu does not make $20 mill neither. Spurs have multiple spot up/ catch & shoot reliable scorers vs LA who has NONE. We need 2 better starters at SF & PF. We need another combo guard like poormans version of Kobe who can do everything ala JR Smith(4 example)
^^^No the Lakers are not top heavy better than Spurs! Like you think Kobe needs to learn = you need to learn we have Kobe & D12 who are playing well right now for the starters only! The bench is like it always is = pathetic mostly because the coach refuses to play the talent on the roster. Duncan is only aging superstar. TP is fine & so is Manu (he may get injured alot now but he isnt max'd out of his prime like Pau is!) Manu does not make $20 mill neither. Spurs have multiple spot up/ catch & shoot reliable scorers vs LA who has NONE. We need 2 better starters at SF & PF. We need another combo guard like poormans version of Kobe who can do everything ala JR Smith(4 example)
I don't know how you can say that at full potential, Dwight is not better than Duncan at this point in his career and the combination of Nash and Kobe is not better than Manu and TP. No one's playing up to their potential except for Kobe at this point, but at their best vs the Spurs' best, I don't know how you can even make that argument. Then outside of that we have Pau, who, if he played with any heart or aggression, is better than any of the Spurs' players outside the big 3. But I agree on the rest. The Spurs' have a much better salary situation and they have other players who actually contribute and can shoot. We have none of those type of players.
The people we need to focus on moving is Duhon, Blake, Ebanks, and Pau... they don't fit this team AT ALL and their defense is what kills us most games... and MWP defense isn't what it was either we need someone younger
At this point, anything for Pau would improve our team. Barea and Williams would be a good return imo. But I wouldn't be surprised if the FO passed on multiple deals if they had to take on contracts that extend past Gasol's. That'd mess up their plans for the 2014 free agency.
I don't know how you can say that at full potential, Dwight is not better than Duncan at this point in his career and the combination of Nash and Kobe is not better than Manu and TP. No one's playing up to their potential except for Kobe at this point, but at their best vs the Spurs' best, I don't know how you can even make that argument. Then outside of that we have Pau, who, if he played with any heart or aggression, is better than any of the Spurs' players outside the big 3. But I agree on the rest. The Spurs' have a much better salary situation and they have other players who actually contribute and can shoot. We have none of those type of players.
Kobe & D12 (when healthy are better than the Trio) however in a team game 3 is better than 2 especially when those 3 are surrounded by spotup/catch & shoot players & above all else the Spurs play smart cuz their coach is a no nonsense guy. He doesnt stand for the starters playing below their level. Coach Pop is not afraid to bench guys & or flat out not dress guys for games if he feels the need. You dont see the Spurs committing the same stupid dumb plays that the Lakers make 10-15 times every game. I dont think you understand what is wrong with PAu! He is max'd out. He will never get any better he has gotten worse the last 3 yrs str8. This trend will only continue. He is not built to last in a PRIME window for longer than the 3yr run he gave us. Right now Pau isnt better than TD (he is a shell of himself but still understands how to make an impact even as a slow unathletic big now)
Now when it comes to a regular season gm = Spurs will always be better. Come playoffs I ride wit Kobe & history tells me he gets the best of TD when it comes to head to head playoff series. But that doesnt mean Lakers are better team.
The people we need to focus on moving is Duhon, Blake, Ebanks, and Pau... they don't fit this team AT ALL and their defense is what kills us most games... and MWP defense isn't what it was either we need someone younger
Ebanks plays good defense & plays well when he gets his minimal ops. He is better defender than Jamison, Meeks, Duhon, Pau, & has the length & athleticism to recover when he gets beat initially.
Kobe & D12 (when healthy are better than the Trio) however in a team game 3 is better than 2 especially when those 3 are surrounded by spotup/catch & shoot players & above all else the Spurs play smart cuz their coach is a no nonsense guy. He doesnt stand for the starters playing below their level. Coach Pop is not afraid to bench guys & or flat out not dress guys for games if he feels the need. You dont see the Spurs committing the same stupid dumb plays that the Lakers make 10-15 times every game. I dont think you understand what is wrong with PAu! He is max'd out. He will never get any better he has gotten worse the last 3 yrs str8. This trend will only continue. He is not built to last in a PRIME window for longer than the 3yr run he gave us. Right now Pau isnt better than TD (he is a shell of himself but still understands how to make an impact even as a slow unathletic big now)
Now when it comes to a regular season gm = Spurs will always be better. Come playoffs I ride wit Kobe & history tells me he gets the best of TD when it comes to head to head playoff series. But that doesnt mean Lakers are better team.
I think you're arguing something different than what I'm saying. I'm agreeing with you about the Spurs and why they're better. and I'm also saying Pau is finished. The big 3 I'm talking about is Nash, Kobe, and Dwight. Not Kobe, Dwight, and Pau. My entire first post was about how I can't defend Pau anymore.
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1. Introduction {#sec1-ijerph-16-04467}
===============
Physical activity (PA) is beneficial for children's health \[[@B1-ijerph-16-04467]\]. This especially holds for children who suffer from a chronic disease \[[@B2-ijerph-16-04467],[@B3-ijerph-16-04467]\]. Asthma is the most frequently diagnosed chronic disease among children \[[@B4-ijerph-16-04467]\]. In The Netherlands, approximately 1 out of 15 children is diagnosed with asthma \[[@B5-ijerph-16-04467]\]. Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways, characterised by recurrent attacks of breathlessness and wheezing \[[@B4-ijerph-16-04467]\]. These symptoms can be provoked by triggers such as allergens, smoke, and weather conditions, as well as by PA. While the severity and frequency of the attacks vary among patients, the majority of the population can control their asthma with the use of medication and avoiding triggers.
Although PA can trigger asthma symptoms, it can also positively affect children's asthma control by improving their physical fitness. Better asthma control leads to higher quality of life, decreased medication use and reduced hospitalisation \[[@B2-ijerph-16-04467],[@B6-ijerph-16-04467],[@B7-ijerph-16-04467],[@B8-ijerph-16-04467]\]. Despite the positive effects of PA on physical fitness and asthma control, children with asthma, especially girls, seem to engage less in PA than their healthy peers \[[@B9-ijerph-16-04467],[@B10-ijerph-16-04467],[@B11-ijerph-16-04467]\]. Asthma specific underlying causes of decreased PA can be dyspnea, fear of dyspnea, and dysfunctional breathing \[[@B12-ijerph-16-04467]\]. A review on factors associated with participation in PA in children with disabilities or chronic diseases showed that underlying causes of decreased PA are also related to low self-esteem, lack in motivation, and inadequate physical fitness \[[@B13-ijerph-16-04467]\]. According to the Physical Activity for people with a Disability (PAD) model \[[@B14-ijerph-16-04467]\], all factors impacting on PA can be categorised as either personal or environmental factors. As can be seen in [Figure 1](#ijerph-16-04467-f001){ref-type="fig"}, personal factors include intention, attitude, self-efficacy, health condition, and personal barriers and facilitators while environmental factors include social influence, and environmental barriers and facilitators.
Children with asthma who engage only a small amount of time in PA are referred to healthcare providers, such as paediatric physical therapists and pulmonary nurse practitioners. There they participate in exercise training, learn how to cope with exercise barriers, and are motivated to be more physically active. Healthcare providers indicate that they need interventions that are effective in improving and maintaining PA for children with asthma on the long term. To develop a potentially effective intervention, it is important to implement promoting factors that suit the needs of children with asthma. In the current literature, these factors are mostly studied from the perspective of parents and experts instead of children and the focus is often on barriers instead of facilitators \[[@B15-ijerph-16-04467],[@B16-ijerph-16-04467]\]. Thus, better insight in promoting factors from the perspective of children with asthma is needed. Furthermore, studying the factors from the perspective of parents and healthcare providers is also important since parents know their children best and play an important role in the PA behaviour of their child, and healthcare providers play an important role in promoting PA in these children and controlling their asthma.
Better insight into the factors that promote their PA is required to develop an intervention that increases PA levels in children with asthma. Here, increasing PA levels is about increasing PA in general and not specifically about sports activities. In the process of developing an intervention that fits the needs of these children, insight into these factors is required. Therefore, three stakeholder groups are important: children with asthma themselves, who are the experts of their own behaviour; parents of children with asthma, who know how to stimulate their children; and healthcare providers of children with asthma, who have to implement the intervention in their care and have important knowledge about the medical barriers. Accordingly, the aim of our study is to explore the promoting factors of PA in children with asthma through the perspective of children with asthma, their parents, and their healthcare providers to implement these factors in the intervention.
Concept mapping (CM) is a helpful participatory method to acquire knowledge from a participant's point of view. It combines qualitative and quantitative methods by collecting data in a structured way and analysing this data quantitatively \[[@B17-ijerph-16-04467],[@B18-ijerph-16-04467]\]. To implement the most important factors in an intervention, the aim of our study is to explore the promoting factors of PA in children with asthma from the perspective of children with asthma, their parents, and their healthcare providers.
2. Materials and Methods {#sec2-ijerph-16-04467}
========================
2.1. Recruitment {#sec2dot1-ijerph-16-04467}
----------------
Children and their parents were recruited through paediatric pulmonologists and paediatric physiotherapists in three different hospitals in The Netherlands specialised in paediatric asthma (Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam; Tergooi Hospital, Hilversum; and Kinderkliniek, Almere). Children who were diagnosed with asthma, aged between 8 and 12 years old, and either active or inactive could be included. Children who met the inclusion criteria received a study information letter from their physician. Their physician reported their age, activity level, and asthma status. The activity level was based on their PA participation in a general week and was labelled by their physician as low (not doing sports at all and not playing outside regularly), moderate (playing sports once a week and playing outside regularly), and high (playing sports at least twice a week and playing outside regularly) levels of PA. The asthma status, which corresponds to the level of asthma control, was defined as mild/well controlled, moderate/partially controlled, or severe/poorly controlled. All children are treated by a paediatric pulmonologist in a specialised hospital who prescribes medication according to the "Dutch Paediatric Society" guidelines for asthma in children \[[@B19-ijerph-16-04467]\]. The treatment includes taking medication before PA to prevent or diminish exercise induced symptoms.
Written informed consent was obtained from both parents or legal guardians for participation of a child. A separate individual written informed consent was acquired for participation of a parent. In total, 28 children and 23 parents gave written informed consent and, respectively, 25 and 17 actually participated.
Healthcare providers could be included if they were either physical therapist or lung nurse practitioner and if they had experience in treating children with asthma. Information letters were sent to potential participants via both a Dutch paediatric physical therapist profession group and the paediatricians of the participating hospitals. A written informed consent was obtained for participation. In total, 23 healthcare providers gave consent and started the study; two dropped out due to illness.
The AMC Medical Ethical Committee approved the research protocol with trial number METC 2017 191. This study was registered in the Dutch Trial Registry with trial number NTR6658 on 21 August 2017.
2.2. Procedures {#sec2dot2-ijerph-16-04467}
---------------
The CM method consists of six steps, which are shown in [Figure 2](#ijerph-16-04467-f002){ref-type="fig"}. Data were collected between November 2017 and March 2018. Descriptive participant characteristics, means and standard deviations were calculated with R version 3.4.1.
### 2.2.1. Concept Mapping Sessions with Children and Parents {#sec2dot2dot1-ijerph-16-04467}
The CM sessions for the children and parents were organised on two different dates. Sixteen children, divided into two groups of seven and nine children, and twelve parents participated on the first day. Nine children, divided into two groups of four and five children, and five parents participated on the second day. This resulted in a total of four groups of children and two groups of parents with whom CM sessions were held. All groups were facilitated by one or two trained researchers. Each researcher had received a total of eight hours of training, consisting of reading the concept mapping manual and attending an oral presentation provided by an expert in concept mapping. Thereafter, a pilot test of the concept mapping session was performed with a group of five healthy children. The final concept mapping sessions took approximately five hours and were split into two parts with a fun and interactive workshop in between.
To get familiar with the CM method and the subject of asthma and PA, all groups started with a warming up question: "Which activities belong to the definition of physical activity?". Thereafter, the seeding statement was presented in two ways: "What would help a child with asthma to become more physically active" and "A child with asthma would be more physically active if \...". Each participant individually wrote down as many ideas they could think of in response to the seeding statement. Subsequently, the participants shared their ideas one by one in a group brainstorm, during which participants could come up with new ideas as well. The ideas were checked on uniqueness and clarity by the group, resulting in a list of unique ideas.
The unique ideas were subsequently printed on separate cards for each participant. Each participant individually grouped all ideas into piles based on similarity, and named all piles. A minimum of two piles was required with each pile containing at least two ideas. An "other" or "miscellaneous" pile was prohibited. Subsequently, each participant rated the importance of all ideas in being helpful to become more physically active, using a five-point Likert scale ranging from very unimportant (1) to very important (5).
### 2.2.2. Concept Mapping Sessions with Healthcare Providers {#sec2dot2dot2-ijerph-16-04467}
CM sessions with healthcare providers were performed online with a self-developed web application. The process of the CM session was comparable to the session of the children and parents, except for the group brainstorm since the professionals individually used the online web application. After the researchers deleted duplicates, each participant received the list of all unique ideas from all healthcare providers together. Each participant was asked to check the list on the clarity of each idea. They were stimulated to add new ideas when they were inspired by other ideas on the list. Based on their comments and additions, the researchers generated the final list of unique ideas that was presented in the web application. Next, participants were asked to perform the sorting, naming and rating tasks using the web application.
### 2.2.3. Generating the Concept Maps {#sec2dot2dot3-ijerph-16-04467}
For each participant of a group, a matrix was built based on the piles they composed. In this, a cell $\left( i,j \right)$ contained 1 in case the participant stored idea *i* and *j* in the same pile, and 0 if the ideas were placed in different piles. Then, the matrices of all participants in the same group (i.e., all matrices of the participants that sorted the same list of unique ideas) were summed. Subsequently, the result was divided by the number of participants. This resulted in a $k_{g} \times k_{g}$ distance matrix per group, with $k_{g}$ being the number of ideas within a group, in which all pairwise distances between all ideas were represented. Since it is impossible to visualise a *k*-dimensional space, the distance matrix had to be transformed into a two-dimensional space. This was done using the multidimensional scaling (MDS) algorithm \[[@B20-ijerph-16-04467]\]. The stress factor indicates how well the original pairwise distances in the *k*-dimensional space are preserved in the two-dimensional space. The MDS algorithm optimises this stress factor resulting in a two-dimensional space in which the original pairwise distances are represented to the best extent possible. Subsequently, the relative distances in the two-dimensional space were visualised. In this representation, ideas that participants often placed in the same pile appear closer together than ideas that were less often grouped together. Clusters of ideas were made with hierarchical cluster analysis. Specifically, Ward's method, which minimises the within-cluster variance, was used. The default number of generated clusters was 6. The average importance values for each cluster was calculated based on the importance rating of the underlying ideas.
RCMap was applied to create the concept maps from the sorted ideas of the participants \[[@B21-ijerph-16-04467]\]. This open source software is implemented for R, of which we used version 3.4.1.
### 2.2.4. Interpreting the Concept Maps {#sec2dot2dot4-ijerph-16-04467}
Four researchers (A.B., K.B., A.T., and A.Br.) independently explored the clusters on interpretation and analysed whether more or fewer clusters would represent the participant's ideas better. The final clusters were named by the researchers based on the pile names of all participants.
To place all clusters in a theoretical framework, two researchers (A.B., K.B.) categorised all clusters of all concept maps according to the categories of the PAD model. A cluster was labelled as either a personal factor (attitude, intention, self-efficacy, health condition, or personal facilitators and barriers) or an environmental factor (social influence, or environmental facilitators and barriers). To visualise the overlap and differences between all stakeholder groups, we represented the unique clusters in a Venn diagram.
3. Results {#sec3-ijerph-16-04467}
==========
3.1. Participant Characteristics {#sec3dot1-ijerph-16-04467}
--------------------------------
The 25 participating children were on average 9.6 ± 1.0 years old and 60% were female. Of these children, 14 had mild asthma symptoms, five had moderate asthma symptoms, and six were diagnosed with severe asthma. There was only one child that had low levels of PA, seventeen children had moderate levels of PA, and seven children had high levels of PA.
The 17 participating parents were on average 43.4 ± 6.3 years old and 61% were female. Ten parents had a child with mild asthma, four parents had a child with moderate asthma, and three parents had a child with severe asthma. Thirteen parents had a child with moderate levels of PA, and four parents had a child with high levels of PA. No parents of children with low levels of PA participated.
The 21 healthcare providers that completed the study were on average 40.8 ± 11.3 years old and 85% were female. They had on average 15.9 ± 10.9 years of work experience in their profession and 7.9 ± 6.8 years of work experience with children with asthma.
3.2. Children's Clusters {#sec3dot2-ijerph-16-04467}
------------------------
In total, the four groups of children generated 51, 49, 25, and 36 ideas that were subsequently categorised into, respectively, ten, seven, four, and five clusters. [Figure 3](#ijerph-16-04467-f003){ref-type="fig"} shows an example of a concept map of one group of children. [Table 1](#ijerph-16-04467-t001){ref-type="table"} shows the corresponding ideas to this concept map. The concept maps and lists of ideas of the other three groups of children can be found in [Appendix A](#app1-ijerph-16-04467){ref-type="app"}. [Table 2](#ijerph-16-04467-t002){ref-type="table"} presents all clusters of the four groups of children together with their average importance rate and standard deviation (SD), and the label according to the PAD model.
The most important clusters for the four groups of children were getting a positive feeling of PA, having good asthma control, play outside more often, and get rewards for doing exercises or PA. Children in all groups mentioned that playing outside more often would stimulate their PA. Moreover, children in three out of four groups mentioned that making physical activities joyful or cool would stimulate them. Clusters regarding getting positive feelings of PA, being motivated by others, having access to sports facilities, and adding competitive elements to PA were mentioned by two out of four groups of children. Three out of four groups rated a cluster that was categorised as personal as most important, while one group rated an environmental cluster as most important.
3.3. Parents' Clusters {#sec3dot3-ijerph-16-04467}
----------------------
Two groups of parents generated 37 and 36 ideas, which were grouped into, respectively, eight and five clusters. The concept maps and lists of ideas of both groups of parents can be found in [Appendix A](#app1-ijerph-16-04467){ref-type="app"}. [Table 3](#ijerph-16-04467-t003){ref-type="table"} shows all clusters with their average importance rating and SD, and the label according to the PAD model. The most important clusters for the two groups of parents were about external factors that positively affect asthma control, and the child having sufficient knowledge about asthma, PA, and medication. Both these clusters were labelled as personal factors. There was only one overlapping cluster between both groups of parents, which regarded the child being in an environment that stimulates PA.
3.4. Healthcare Providers' Clusters {#sec3dot4-ijerph-16-04467}
-----------------------------------
The group of healthcare providers generated 116 ideas in total, which were grouped into thirteen clusters. The concept map and list of ideas of the healthcare providers can be found in [Appendix A](#app1-ijerph-16-04467){ref-type="app"}. [Table 3](#ijerph-16-04467-t003){ref-type="table"} shows all final cluster names. Of all thirteen clusters, five were categorised as personal factors, and nine regarded environmental factors. The cluster named "child's relatives have sufficient knowledge about asthma, PA, and medication" was rated as most important.
3.5. Combined Results of All Stakeholder Groups {#sec3dot5-ijerph-16-04467}
-----------------------------------------------
[Figure 4](#ijerph-16-04467-f004){ref-type="fig"} shows the Venn diagram of all unique clusters generated by children, parents and healthcare providers. In total, nine clusters regarded personal factors, whereas seventeen clusters regarded environmental factors. Although most clusters were labelled as environmental factors, [Table 2](#ijerph-16-04467-t002){ref-type="table"} and [Table 3](#ijerph-16-04467-t003){ref-type="table"} show that five out of seven groups rated a cluster representing a personal factor as most important. The children identified nine unique clusters, i.e., that neither of the other stakeholder groups came up with. The parents and healthcare providers identified, respectively, six and five unique clusters. The cluster "setting (realistic) goals" overlapped for the children and healthcare providers, while the cluster that overlapped for the parents and healthcare providers was "knowledge of child about asthma, PA, and medication". No overlapping cluster was found between the children and the parents. The four clusters "having good asthma control", "physical activity and exercises that fit the child's needs and capabilities", "being stimulated and motivated by family/others", and 'having stimulating situations and (school) environments" overlapped for all three stakeholder groups.
4. Discussion {#sec4-ijerph-16-04467}
=============
4.1. Principal Results {#sec4dot1-ijerph-16-04467}
----------------------
This CM study explored children's, parents', and healthcare providers' perspectives on factors promoting PA in children with asthma. According to all stakeholder groups, factors that promote PA in children with asthma are: having good asthma control, having physical activities and exercises that fit the children's needs and capabilities, being stimulated and motivated by family members/others, and having stimulating situations and (school) environments.
The results of this study will be used to develop an intervention, for instance a smartphone application or a game, that helps healthcare providers to stimulate PA in children with asthma. Both the categories of the PAD model and the differences and similarities visualised in the Venn diagram will help to translate the promoting factors into requirements for the tool to be developed. Especially factors regarding intention, attitude, and self-efficacy are important for behavioural change. Moreover, we have special interest in factors that were mentioned by all stakeholder groups, since independently generating the same factors emphasises the value of these factors.
Fun, playing together, and being stimulated and motivated by family or others have been found to be important factors in stimulating PA levels of children with asthma. The factors fun and playing together were mentioned by the children, whereas the factor about stimulation and motivation from family or others were mentioned by all three stakeholders. The result regarding the factor fun was comparable to the results of Noonan et al. (2016) who showed that 10--11-year-old primary school children indicated the factors fun, enjoyment, competence, and PA provision as important for their (out-of-school) PA participation \[[@B22-ijerph-16-04467]\]. The factors regarding playing together and motivation and stimulation from family or others were not found for children with asthma specifically, but they were found in children with a disability \[[@B23-ijerph-16-04467]\].
Interestingly, both the healthcare providers and parents felt that children should know more about asthma and the effects of asthma on PA and medication to become more physically active, whereas this was not mentioned by the children themselves. When we noticed this discrepancy on the study days, we asked the children after completion of the CM session whether they felt that learning more about asthma, PA and medication would help them to become more physically active. The overall reaction was that they did not think so. In fact, many children indicated that they already knew everything about it. Their parents explained that the children indeed feel that they know a lot about it, but parents felt it was not enough, or that children were not able to convert their knowledge to corresponding behaviour. This was confirmed by results from a previous interview study among 15 children (7--17 years old) with asthma and their parents which showed that children do have knowledge about asthma-triggers, but need to be more aware of asthma symptoms and increase their knowledge about medication use \[[@B24-ijerph-16-04467]\]. In addition to the discrepancy between the children and the adults, a discrepancy between the parents and the healthcare providers was found. Although they both felt that increasing the children's knowledge about asthma would stimulate PA, they did not feel the same about the knowledge of the children's relatives regarding asthma. The healthcare providers felt that the children's relatives, including the parents, should know more about asthma and the effect of asthma on PA and medication to stimulate the children's PA, whereas the parents only felt that their children lack this knowledge.
Another interesting result was that no overlapping clusters were found between the children and their parents. There can be various reasons for this result. Parents may for instance have other insights in the disease and they may reflect on situations differently. On the other hand, we did find overlapping clusters between the children and the healthcare providers, so the age difference between the children and parents does not seem to be a reason for finding no overlapping clusters. The lack of overlapping factors may indicate that parents do not exactly know what will promote PA for their own child. Not knowing promoting factors of their own child might be a PA barrier on its own.
Buffart et al. (2009) also used the PAD model to assess stimulating factors of PA. This particular study assessed barriers and facilitators in young adults with a childhood-onset physical disability. They showed that PA related environmental facilitators in young adults with physical disabilities can be diverse while personal facilitators are limited to personal benefits and perceived rewards \[[@B25-ijerph-16-04467]\]. It therefore is not remarkable that our study resulted in more clusters with environmental factors than clusters with personal factors. Our results might suggest that environmental factors are more important for the stakeholders in promoting PA. On the contrary, five out of seven groups rating a personal factor cluster as most important might indicate that personal factors are more prominent in their ability to improve PA behaviour in children with asthma. Although the participants felt that solutions regarding their personal behaviour or skills might impact most on PA, they could think of more environmental solutions.
To the best of our knowledge, only one study assessed the influencing factors of PA in children with asthma \[[@B15-ijerph-16-04467]\]. Kornblit et al. (2008) examined the perceptions of barriers to PA and improvement opportunities in children with asthma. In contrast to our study, it was only about parental perceptions and the children's perceptions were not studied. Although they focussed on the barriers, whereas we focussed on the facilitators, the results of both studies were comparable regarding the parents. Both the parents in the study of Kornblit et al. and the parents in our current study mentioned that children would be more physically active if schools would have more appropriate physical activities and a stimulating environment. Moreover, knowledge of asthma at schools was reported as important in both studies. Parents felt that their children would be more physically active if schools would know more about asthma symptoms in relation to PA, and when teachers would stimulate their children to take their asthma medications if necessary.
4.2. Strengths and Limitations {#sec4dot2-ijerph-16-04467}
------------------------------
A strength of this study is the combination of qualitative and quantitative methods using CM. The CM method turned out to be a solid method to answer our research question. Moreover, the CM sessions were not only valuable to answer our research question, but also valuable for the children and parents. Many of them felt that they benefited from talking with fellow patients or fellow parents of a child with asthma.
Another strength is that we developed a tool to perform CM online, which enabled a number of healthcare providers to participate, while they would not have been able to participate in case of face-to-face sessions. The developed tool to perform CM online has promising possibilities for investigating other complex research questions or other participants. The generalisability of the results further strengthened our study. Most of our results are not typically asthma related, but show factors related to the patient's environment and to coping strategies involving the patient itself, parents, teachers, and sports instructors. It is known that these factors apply for many other children with a chronic disease \[[@B26-ijerph-16-04467]\].
A limitation of the online CM procedure with healthcare providers was that a group discussion was not possible. In the construct of CM, a group brainstorm is advised to enable participants to, in this case, expend their thoughts about PA stimulation when receiving ideas from others \[[@B27-ijerph-16-04467]\]. We tried to minimise the effect of not having a group discussion by giving the participants the opportunity to add new ideas after reading the ideas of their fellow participants.
To minimise participant's burden, the CM sessions were performed on one day. Therefore, the ideas of the different groups could not be combined. As a consequence, participants sorted and rated the ideas of their own group, resulting in one concept map for each group.
Another limitation of our study is the small number of participants per group and the imbalance between level of activity and asthma severity of children who participated. Although we tried to create a heterogeneous group of child participants, a relatively large part of the group had moderate levels of PA, while there was only one child with low levels of PA. Moreover, children with mild asthma symptoms were overrepresented compared to children with moderate or severe asthma. Similarly, parents of children with mild asthma and moderate levels of PA were overrepresented. The distribution of severity in asthma symptoms represents the real distribution among children with asthma, but the distribution of levels of activity did not. We gave information letters to many children with low levels of activity, but almost none of them were interested in participating. This might be due to the fact that children who are already physically active are more intrinsically motivated and therefore like to participate in a study that is about PA. Furthermore, our results might have been influenced by the skewed distribution of severity in asthma symptoms. It could be that participants with more severe asthma mention other promoting factors than children with mild asthma. On the other hand, all of our patients are treated by a paediatric pulmonologist in a specialised hospital instead of a general practitioner due to their severity in asthma symptoms. The homogeneous level of healthcare also might have influenced the promoting factors that were mentioned by the participants.
5. Conclusions {#sec5-ijerph-16-04467}
==============
According to children with asthma, their parents, and healthcare providers, important factors supported by multiple stakeholder groups were having good asthma control, having access to PA facilities and tailored exercise, being stimulated and motivated by relatives, having PA stimulating situations and (school) environments, setting realistic goals, and having sufficient knowledge about asthma in relation to PA. These findings may inform future interventions and are a good start for setting the requirements of an intervention that helps healthcare providers in promoting children with asthma to become more physically active.
We thank all children, parents and healthcare providers. Moreover, we thank the following Dutch organisations for their participation in the SIMBA consortium: Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Tergooi Blaricum/Hilversum, Kinderkliniek Almere, Merem Hilversum, VU University Amsterdam, Lung Foundation Netherlands, Fitkids, and the Organisation for Cesar and Mensendieck Therapy (VvOCM).
A.B. (Annette Brons) contributed to the design of the study, acquisition of participants, data collection, analysis and interpretation of data, and drafting and revising the manuscript. K.B. contributed to the design of the study, acquisition of participants, data collection, analysis and interpretation of data, and revising the manuscript. A.T. Designed the study, and contributed to acquisition of participants, data collection, analysis and interpretation of data, and the revision of the manuscript. A.B. (Aline Broekema) contributed to the design of the study, acquisition of patients, data collection, analysis and interpretation of data, and revising the manuscript. B.V. contributed to the design of the study, interpretation of data, and revising the manuscript. B.v.E. contributed to the acquisition of participant and revising the manuscript. S.T.-L. contributed to the acquisition of participants. N.R. contributed to the acquisition of participants. H.v.L. contributed to the acquisition of participants. R.E. contributed to the design of the study and revising the manuscript. B.K. contributed to the design of the study, interpretation of data, and revising the manuscript. M.C. contributed to the design of the study, analysis and interpretation of data, and revising the manuscript. T.A. contributed to the design of the study, data collection, analysis and interpretation of data, and revising the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
This research is part of the research project SIMBA, supported by the directing body SIA, part of the Dutch Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) with the following details: SIA RAAK Publiek (HW/Raak PUB 03.047).
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
The following abbreviations are used in this manuscript: CMConcept MappingMSDMulti Dimensional ScalingPAPhysical ActivityPADPhysical Activity for people with a DisabilitySDStandard Deviation
Appendix A.1. Children Group 1
==============================
{ref-type="table"}.](ijerph-16-04467-g0A1){#ijerph-16-04467-f0A1}
ijerph-16-04467-t0A1_Table A1
######
All ideas, together with their importance rates and standard deviation, of the first group of children categorised per cluster. The numbers of the ideas correspond to the numbers in the concept map shown in [Figure A1](#ijerph-16-04467-f0A1){ref-type="fig"}.
------------------------------------------ -------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------
Be forced to do daily life activities Have joyful activities to perform
2 If I would drink and eat a lot 2.56 ± 1.01 3 When you do something you like 4.33 ± 0.87
32 If I can walk somewhere 2.56 ± 1.59 11 When you like something 4.11 ± 1.36
43 If I would think 2.00 ± 1.41 48 If you would hear a sound that supports you to move more 2.89 ± 1.45
40 If I had to inflate the tires of my bike 1.89 ± 1.05 42 If I would play with construction materials 2.78 ± 1.09
33 If I would get up from the chair 1.22 ± 0.44 38 If I could demolish things 2.56 ± 1.01
51 If I would walk to the bathroom 1.22 ± 0.44 41 If I would talk about exercising 2.11 ± 0.78
36 If I would turn on a light 1.11 ± 0.33 39 If I can sing 1.78 ± 1.3
35 If I would fall 1.00 ± 0.00 Sufficient capabilities for PA
47 If I would get something to drink 1.00 ± 0.00 26 If I would take my inhalation medication 3.78 ± 1.48
Playing outside more often 22 If I have self-confidence 3.56 ± 1.48
9 If you make a game of it 3.56 ± 0.88 18 If you receive certificates or medals 3.44 ± 1.51
17 If I can pay outside a lot 2.14 ± 1.46 Be motivated by others
25 If I can swing 2.11 ± 0.60 12 If you get support from your parents and friends 4.11 ± 1.05
46 If I would play "man overboard" 1.54 ± 1.00 16 If I look at others to see how they are doing it 3.33 ± 1.12
29 If I would play "Pokemon Go" 2.00 ± 1.05 Get a positive feeling of PA
Have access to nice sports and exercises 30 If I stay healthy after being active 4.33 ± 0.71
10 If you could do sports that you enjoy 4.44 ± 0.73 6 If I would receive points and I would be rewarded for being active is 3.89 ± 0.93
45 If your whole body starts to move 4.00 ± 1.32 31 If I would be brave enough to do so 3.44 ± 1.33
19 If you can dance 3.25 ± 1.58 Playing together
21 If you can go skiing 2.89 ± 1.05 4 If I do it together with my parents 4.22 ± 0.67
Perform high intensity exercises 5 If I go to "Jumping Jack" with my friends 3.67 ± 1.22
14 If you can play sports 4.33 ± 1.00 7 If I am together with my friends 3.57 ± 1.40
34 If I would have gym classes at school more often 3.78 ± 0.67 23 If I can play with my friend 3.50 ± 0.76
15 If I can run 3.56 ± 0.88 Add competitive elements to PA
37 If I would combine different types of sports 3.56 ± 0.88 8 If I would swim 4.11 ± 0.93
20 If I can bike 3.11 ± 1.45 27 If I could swim at a competition 3.00 ± 1.22
28 If I can play water polo 2.67 ± 1.50 1 If I can kick a ball 2.67 ± 1.22
44 If I would not sport too much 2.44 ± 1.01 50 If I can play soccer outside 2.67 ± 1.80
24 If I can do freerunning 2.25 ± 1.04 49 If I can play "curbs" 1.89 ± 1.05
13 If I can be the goalkeeper 2.22 ± 1.20
------------------------------------------ -------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------
Appendix A.2. Children Group 3
==============================
{ref-type="table"}.](ijerph-16-04467-g0A2){#ijerph-16-04467-f0A2}
ijerph-16-04467-t0A2_Table A2
######
All ideas, together with their importance rates and standard deviation, of the third group of children categorised per cluster. The numbers of the ideas correspond to the numbers in the concept map shown in [Figure A2](#ijerph-16-04467-f0A2){ref-type="fig"}.
--------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------- -- ---- ------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------
Being motivated by others to exercise Play outside more often
22 When there would be more gym classes at school 4.00 ± 1.15 8 If you would play active outdoor games 3.86 ± 1.46
23 If you receive an reward when you are active 3.29 ± 1.50 6 If children with asthma would always use a bike to go somewhere 3.57 ± 1.51
9 If someone motivates a child to win 2.86 ± 1.86 21 If there were nice walking routes for children 3.29 ± 1.11
3 If children with asthma still try to do something that they are excited about 2.71 ± 1.11 11 If a child with asthma would play in an indoor playground 3.14 ± 1.35
14 If there is a build-up training schedule 2.71 ± 1.38 24 If the weather would be better more often 3.00 ± 1.15
10 If children with asthma are paying attention to what they do and whether they can sustain it 2.14 ± 1.07 17 If scouting activities are offered more often by scouting clubs 2.86 ± 1.21
2 Prove that you can do so in case others think that you cannot 2.00 ± 1.26 16 If you can play a nice outdoor game with your friends 2.43 ± 1.51
Perform cool and special activities Add competitive elements to PA
12 If a child with asthma would go "disco swimming" 4.00 ± 1.00 15 If you would talk with other children more often 2.57 ± 1.51
5 If a child with asthma would play Just Dance more often 3.43 ± 1.13 20 If you need to reach a specific distance in a specific time frame 2.43 ± 1.13
7 When you create a game with a motion sensor 3.43 ± 1.40 19 If you occasionally have to run to school 2.29 ± 1.25
13 If a child would go to a "trampoline park" 3.43 ± 1.51
18 If you would perform dancing at a dance centre 2.67 ± 1.37
1 If a child with asthma would jump rope more often 2.43 ± 0.98
4 If a child with asthma would skydive more often 2.43 ± 1.51
--------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------- -- ---- ------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------
Appendix A.3. Children Group 4
==============================
{ref-type="table"}.](ijerph-16-04467-g0A3){#ijerph-16-04467-f0A3}
ijerph-16-04467-t0A3_Table A3
######
All ideas, together with their importance rates and standard deviation, of the fourth group of children categorised per cluster. The numbers of the ideas correspond to the numbers in the concept map shown in [Figure A3](#ijerph-16-04467-f0A3){ref-type="fig"}.
--------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------- ------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------
Set exercise goals Make exercises joyful
25 If a child with asthma has an activity goal 3.40 ± 1.34 22 If there were film clips for children with asthma with "weird" movements to imitate 4.00 ± 1.73
26 If you choose an activity that you can do well in order to win 3.20 ± 1.79 9 If the activity is being rewarded with something nice 3.60 ± 0.55
7 If children with asthma would dance in order to deal with their emotions 2.20 ± 1.64 21 If a child with asthma would do "The Netherlands in motion" with their grandmother 3.40 ± 1.82
Get rewards for doing exercises or PA Play outside more often
28 If children receive rewards for working hard 4.20 ± 0.45 32 If we play "trefbal" more often in gym classes at school so that you are very active 4.60 ± 0.55
27 If children will feel happy after doing working hard 3.60 ± 1.14 8 If gym classes are fun and challenging so that you can always actively participate 4.40 ± 0.89
Tailored PA 17 If a child with asthma would more often go to school by bike 4.20 ± 0.84
30 If children with asthma would distribute their energy during sports activities in order to sustain 4.60 ± 0.55 15 If you can be active together with your friends and play a match 4.00 ± 0.71
5 If a child with asthma is replaced in time and/or more frequently during a soccer game 4.20 ± 0.84 14 If children with asthma would play outside, especially if they are bored 4.00 ± 1.00
6 If children with asthma would dance more often in order to train their condition 4.20 ± 0.84 33 If I can play "trefbal" with many balls 4.00 ± 1.00
29 If children with asthma, who suffer a lot, would do sports that they can maintain well 4.20 ± 0.84 16 If a child with asthma more often plays active outdoor games 3.80 ± 1.30
34 If you would dance with crazy moves 4.20 ± 0.84 12 If a child with asthma would go to the swimming pool by bike 3.75 ± 0.50
36 If a child with asthma could do horse riding 4.20 ± 1.79 1 If a child with asthma would play outside more often 3.60 ± 1.14
13 If a child with asthma would run every day 4.00 ± 1.41 23 If a child with asthma would go roller skating together with its family 3.60 ± 1.14
10 If children with asthma would do sports that they really like to do 3.80 ± 1.10 19 If your would jump rope at school in breaks 3.20 ± 0.45
3 If children with asthma would participate more often in less intensive sports 3.60 ± 1.14 20 If you would use the break at school better 3.00 ± 1.58
4 If children with asthma join sports clubs so that they are expected to join the training 3.60 ± 1.95 18 If you can play tag more often so that you can get tired together with other children 3.00 ± 1.87
35 When there are more often funny games during the warming up 3.40 ± 1.34 11 When the parents of a child with asthma would not have a car 3.00 ± 1.87
24 If there would be a special asthma team sport in which it is allowed to replace players frequently 3.00 ± 1.41 2 If a child with asthma would more often do bicycle matches with other children 2.80 ± 0.84
31 If sports have a steady increase in activities and intensity 2.80 ± 1.79
--------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------- ------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------
Appendix A.4. Parents Group 1
=============================
{ref-type="table"}.](ijerph-16-04467-g0A4){#ijerph-16-04467-f0A4}
ijerph-16-04467-t0A4_Table A4
######
All ideas, together with their importance rates and standard deviation, of the first group of parents categorised per cluster. The numbers of the ideas correspond to the numbers in the concept map shown in [Figure A4](#ijerph-16-04467-f0A4){ref-type="fig"}.
-------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------
Tailored PA Child knows its possibilities and limitations
34 If a child with asthma experiences success more often 4.25 ± 0.87 8 If a child knows its limits 3.92 ± 1.00
1 If a child has confidence that the exercise will not lead to an asthma attack 4.25 ± 0.97 7 Find out together achievability in terms of movement 3.75 ± 0.87
16 If a child can do the same exercises as other children 3.67 ± 1.15 35 Find out together achievability in terms of allergy 2.83 ± 1.40
37 If there is an element of competition in the activity 3.58 ± 1.31 27 If child with asthma does not use asthma as an excuse 2.75 ± 1.48
22 If an activity is accessible and easy to go to 3.50 ± 1.17 Child has sufficient knowledge about asthma, PA, and medication
33 If a child with asthma can keep his physical fitness level stable 3.50 ± 1.31 2 Correct use of medication 4.50 ± 0.90
10 If a child with asthma likes the activity just as much as children without asthma 3.33 ± 1.44 3 If a child with asthma uses the right dose of medication 4.42 ± 1.08
12 Meeting sports heroes that also have asthma 2.92 ± 1.56 6 Knowing that a normal breathing pattern is 3.75 ± 1.36
Having family that stimulates PA 4 If a child with asthma knows what asthma is 3.50 ± 1.09
14 If children have enough time and possibilities to exercise at home 3.92 ± 1.16 24 When there would be an action plan and the child knows how to use it 3.25 ± 1.48
19 If parents exercise together with the child 3.67 ± 0.89 5 If a child with asthma knows the effect of the medication 3.17 ± 1.40
20 If parents watch the exercising child 3.50 ± 1.45 29 If a child with asthma always carries its medication with him/her 3.08 ± 1.38
26 If screen time is reduced 2.83 ± 1.27 School has sufficient knowledge about asthma, PA, and medication
Variation in physical activities 9 The school environment of a child with asthma knows what asthma is 3.50 ± 1.17
30 If there is variability in activities 4.33 ± 0.78 17 If a school knows more about asthma 3.42 ± 0.79
31 If there is a moment of rest within an activity 3.42 ± 1.124 23 If there are agreements with teachers about exercise and medication of the child 3.33 ± 1.07
25 If exercising is being rewarded 3.33 ± 1.30 Child is in environment that stimulates PA
28 If active and passive periods are alternated 3.33 ± 1.30 13 If children have enough time and space to exercise at school 3.42 ± 1.07
Child has sufficient self-confidence 11 If others (parents, friends, school, therapists) motivate the child 3.33 ± 1.37
21 If a child with asthma has enough self-esteem to dare to move 4.08 ± 0.79 32 if a healthcare provider emphasises exercise and sports positively 3.25 ± 1.29
15 If children do things that they like 4.00 ± 1.04 32 If a child with asthma is stimulated to keep being active during a period of illness 3.25 ± 1.42
36 Meeting a hero who also has asthma 2.75 ± 1.54
-------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------
Appendix A.5. Parents Group 2
=============================
{ref-type="table"}.](ijerph-16-04467-g0A5){#ijerph-16-04467-f0A5}
ijerph-16-04467-t0A5_Table A5
######
All ideas, together with their importance rates and standard deviation, of the second group of parents categorised per cluster. The numbers of the ideas correspond to the numbers in the concept map shown in [Figure A5](#ijerph-16-04467-f0A5){ref-type="fig"}.
-------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------
Child is in environment that stimulates PA Good asthma control despite triggers
23 If there were more possibilities for indoor activities focussed on PA 4.00 ± 0.00 2 When there is asthma control 4.20 ± 1.30
3 If the child is guided well during sports performances 3.60 ± 0.55 35 If the air would be cleaner 4.00 ± 1.22
29 If there is a structure in weekly exercises 3.60 ± 0.89 36 If smoking near children would be forbidden 4.00 ± 1.41
13 If PA is facilitated by the environment 3.60 ± 1.14 34 When the side effects of asthma medication would be less 3.40 ± 1.52
27 When a child has to sit, it can sit on a gym ball 2.60 ± 0.89 Exemplary behaviour of relatives regarding PA
School environment and policy stimulate PA 25 If parents would set a good example regarding sports is 4.40 ± 0.89
21 If more exercise materials would be offered at school during the break 4.60 ± 0.55 30 If a child exercises together with other people 4.40 ± 1.34
20 When gym classes at school are offered at least twice a week 4.20 ± 0.45 24 If parents would set a good example regarding screen time 4.20 ± 1.10
22 If teachers stimulate PA during the break 4.20 ± 0.84 9 If a child plays an active digital game 4.00 ± 1.22
28 If activities at school are really done instead of shown in a screen 4.00 ± 0.00 12 If exercising is an implied condition to play a game 4.00 ± 1.22
5 If there is sufficient variance during gym classes 3.80 ± 1.10 14 If a hobby is also related to physical activity 3.80 ± 0.45
4 During school lessons being motivated to be active 3.40 ± 0.89 26 If other help children in deciding what to do 3.80 ± 0.45
32 If phones are forbidden at schools 3.40 ± 2.19 18 If the child is being rewarded 3.80 ± 0.45
Child is able to make its own choices 8 If there is not too much distraction because of screens 3.80 ± 1.64
1 If they can perform sports that they really like 4.80 ± 0.45 33 If a child wants to join a group that exercises a lot 3.60 ± 0.89
17 If the child understands how many activities he/she has performed 4.00 ± 0.71 31 If a child performs active tasks 3.60 ± 1.14
10 If children accept each other's physical problems and children are not excluded 3.60 ± 0.89 11 If there are games in which children with asthma can participate at different intensity levels 3.40 ± 0.55
6 If the child starts to use medication when needed 3.40 ± 1.34 19 If physical activity includes elements of competition 3.40 ± 0.55
7 If the child is not ashamed of using medication during sports 3.00 ± 0.71 16 If not only sports are labelled as physical activity 3.20 ± 1.30
15 If a child does not sit all the time 3.00 ± 0.71
-------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------
Appendix A.6. Healthcare Providers
==================================
{ref-type="table"}.](ijerph-16-04467-g0A6){#ijerph-16-04467-f0A6}
ijerph-16-04467-t0A6_Table A6
######
All ideas, together with their importance rates and standard deviation, of the group of healthcare providers categorised per cluster. The numbers of the ideas correspond to the numbers in the concept map shown in [Figure A6](#ijerph-16-04467-f0A6){ref-type="fig"}.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------
Child is, acts, and thinks positive Having accessible PA locations/equipment
44 Show children what they can do themselves to be less short of breath 4.48 ± 0.98 96 If enjoyment of PA is increased 4.29 ± 0.78
29 If PA experiences are positive and without association of pain and dyspnea 4.43 ± 0.60 84 If exercises are offered structurally or children get a reminder 4.19 ± 0.75
86 If there is a good balance between exercise and relaxation 4.29 ± 0.72 103 If the exercise can be done with either good weather or bad weather 4.14 ± 0.65
85 If they know and respect their physical limits well 4.10 ± 0.94 41 If children can invite friends to participate in a game or sports program 4.05 ± 0.92
55 If the child has a good physical capacity 3.62 ± 0.92 16 If sports programs are in line with the trends of the moment 3.76 ± 0.94
19 If they get example of famous Dutch people having asthma and playing sports too 2.90 ± 0.77 59 If activities are offered as alternatives for watching television 3.67 ± 0.80
25 If the paediatrician gives them a book with ideas and tips about physical activity 2.86 ± 0.96 108 If periods of watching television are alternated with PA and this is rewarded 3.14 ± 1.20
Having digital interventions that stimulate PA 31 If a child would walk instead of bike to be active for a longer time 2.76 ± 1.14
49 If exercise is made joyful with use of a game 4.48 ± 0.60 111 If the child would receive a cheap treadmill with a game to walk at home 2.10 ± 1.14
14 If there is an app or game that can be used indoors and stimulates exercise 4.29 ± 0.64 Parents that support and stimulate PA
56 If there is an app that monitors PA and rewards PA in a nice way 4.24 ± 0.83 105 If parents would also be enthusiastic about physical activity 4.71 ± 0.46
60 If there is an exercise game that they can play together with other children to stimulate each other 4.19 ± 0.75 113 If parents would show that they are proud of their children 4.67 ± 0.48
54 If exercising would be challenging 4.10 ± 0.77 110 If parents support the child to be physically active and are a good example 4.62 ± 0.59
3 If there is a rewarding system for PA 4.05 ± 0.97 115 If parents would participate in interventions with different goals 4.29 ± 0.78
91 If there is a (computer) game where you can collect points and achieve higher levels when being active 4.00 ± 0.89 5 If parents would not be too protective is 3.95 ± 0.92
87 When exercises are delivered through different media (tablet, phone, activity tracker) 4.00 ± 0.89 65 If parent positively support children during sports games instead of shouting 2.71 ± 1.27
45 If there is a smartphone app that links PA behaviour to peers with competition elements 3.76 ± 0.89 Tailored PA
81 When there would be different exercise apps with different themes 3.62 ± 0.86 77 If the school yard is a challenging environment to exercise 4.38 ± 0.59
34 If there are inspiring outdoor tasks. For instance with google maps and taking pictures 3.62 ± 1.02 27 If tailored PA is offered 4.05 ± 0.92
33 If there exist virtual reality exercise games 2.95 ± 1.24 53 If children walk/bike to school instead of going by car 4.05 ± 1.02
Increasing extrinsic motivation 104 If it is possible to do the exercise inside instead of outside in winter times 4.05 ± 0.67
98 If they gain success experiences 4.71 ± 0.46 18 If there is a group training instead of an individual training 3.81 ± 0.81
48 If the exercises correspond to the child's strengths 4.43 ± 0.60 70 If they have the opportunity to try out different sports 3.76 ± 0.89
95 If they can determine what they want to do in terms of PA 4.14 ± 0.85 6 If exciting materials are offered for all ages 3.71 ± 0.90
47 If exercise is addictive: being active is rewarded and being inactive is not 4.00 ± 0.84 23 If there is variation in sports options 3.71 ± 0.78
99 If there exists an app for children with asthma with useful tips and tricks 4.00 ± 1.14 51 If children with asthma are matched to those who are very active 3.57 ± 1.03
73 If they are rewarded for good PA behaviour 3.95 ± 1.02 35 If the difference with peers in physical capacity is not that big 3.52 ± 0.81
80 If exercising results in measurable results like physical fitnett or increased muscle strength 3.57 ± 1.08 36 If they exercise together with other children with asthma 3.38 ± 1.12
57 If they have contact with other children suffering from asthma 3.52 ± 0.81 46 If they exercise together with other children with a chronic disease 3.38 ± 1.12
83 If the child is offered a questionnaire to help determining what he/she likes 3.29 ± 1.10 102 If there is open access to sports facilities 3.24 ± 1.14
67 If the child watches recordings of his own activities to see what he/she did 2.81 ± 1.08 112 If they temporarily exercise in a group with lifestyle interventions 3.14 ± 0.91
Child reaches good asthma control and uses medication 28 If a sports day is organised for children with asthma 2.76 ± 1.22
101 If the correct medication and dosage are used before/during sports 4.67 ± 0.58 52 If exercise materials can be borrowed from friends 2.71 ± 1.06
61 If asthma control is reached 4.43 ± 0.68 1 If presence at sports is rewarded with membership awards 2.71 ± 1.27
43 If the correct medication is used and there is good medication adherence 4.38 ± 0.92 7 If daily life activities are combined with exercises 2.43 ± 0.98
69 If the child, parents, and teachers know about the use of bronchodilators 4.38 ± 0.97 Organise PA in daily schedule for child
71 If the child always carries its medication with him/her 4.29 ± 1.01 58 If people see the strengths of a child 3.33 ± 1.12
106 If fear for an asthma attack is reduced (both for the child and its relatives) 4.29 ± 1.06 22 If there exists apps in which family is involved to play against each other 4.00 ± 0.84
30 If it is clear that the child with asthma needs to be as physically active as its healthy peers 4.19 ± 0.93 64 If they join an exercise program like Fitkids 3.29 ± 1.15
79 If it is not stupid to take medication 4.05 ± 1.07 40 If an exercise period is planned 3.05 ±1.32
116 If medication is easy to take with you 4.00 ± 1.10 Having stimulating preconditions for PA
75 If an irritated nose is treated 3.48 ± 1.25 32 If parents exercise with together with children to stimulate PA 4.19 ± 0.87
2 If children with asthma are not overweighted too 3.14 ± 1.35 26 If there would be financial support for families with financial problems 4.14 ± 0.79
Chid has sufficient knowledge about asthma, PA, and medication 37 If there is a living environment in which they can play 4.14 ± 0.91
107 If the child has enough knowledge about the disease 4.76 ± 0.44 39 If the environment is safe for exercising 4.10 ± 0.70
76 If the child knows that exercising does not result in physical damage 4.52 ± 0.60 62 If there are more gym classes at school 4.10 ± 1.18
15 If a child knows the difference between shortness of breath and dyspnea 4.38 ± 0.97 90 If there would be enough sports facilities in their neighbourhood 4.00 ± 0.63
10 If a child knows the difference between feeling short of breath and being short of breath 4.33 ± 1.00 63 If being different is accepted as such 3.90 ± 1.04
93 If a child does not have to be dyspneic after exercising 4.19 ± 1.21 Setting realistic goals
20 If the importance of physical activity is clear 4.05 ± 0.74 9 Setting realistic goals 4.24 ± 1.00
21 If the child knows about physical capacity and having less energy during an exacerbation 4.00 ± 1.00 114 Setting realistic together with and for the child 4.14 ± 1.01
11 If the child is aware of the importance of a good physical fitness 3.90 ± 0.77 42 If exercising has a purpose other than health benefits 3.43 ± 0.98
13 If it is clear that, there could be other reasons, in addition to asthma, why the child feels short of breath 3.90 ± 1.14 72 If the exercise is not too hard to perform 3.33 ± 1.06
17 If the child knows how to perform a warming up and cooling down correctly 3.29 ± 1.23 38 If gross and fine motor skills are alternated 2.38 ± 0.92
Chid's relatives have sufficient knowledge about asthma, PA, and medication Environmental conditions that stimulate PA
8 If the child is less exposed to smoke 4.38 ± 1.12 68 If playing outside would be stimulated 4.48 ± 0.60
74 If sports teachers and trainers help the child when it experiences asthma symptoms 4.29 ± 0.78 94 If time is made for PA 4.33 ± 0.73
66 If sports teachers know more about the "do's and don'ts" in children with asthma 4.29 ± 0.85 100 If the child can gain PA experiences from an early age 3.50 ± 0.76
97 If there is sufficient knowledge among sports teachers and clubs about the impact of asthma on a child 4.29 ± 0.90 4 If everyone stimulated a child with asthma to participate in activities 4.29 ± 0.72
92 If there is information for the parents about PA, physical fitness, and psychosocial development 4.24 ± 0.70 89 If the child has a good bicycle to go to school 3.76 ± 1.09
82 If parents would be less afraid that the child could get an asthma attack during physical activity 4.24 ± 0.77 88 If a week schedule is made with several options per day 3.67 ± 1.06
50 If school is well informed that the child could get an asthma attack during physical activity 4.24 ± 0.77 24 If screen time is limited 3.62 ± 1.02
12 If there is information about asthma and the impact on a child for all cultures 4.05 ± 0.80 109 If physiotherapists help inactive children in choosing sports 3.29 ± 1.19
78 If peers and adults show that they understand the complaints of a child 4.05 ± 0.92
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------
{#ijerph-16-04467-f001}
{#ijerph-16-04467-f002}
{ref-type="table"}.](ijerph-16-04467-g003){#ijerph-16-04467-f003}
 = children,  = parents, and  = healthcare providers. The symbols indicate the category of the cluster with: ○ = personal factor and ■ = environmental factor. The clusters are listed in random order.](ijerph-16-04467-g004){#ijerph-16-04467-f004}
ijerph-16-04467-t001_Table 1
######
All ideas, together with their importance rates and standard deviation, of the first group of children categorised per cluster. The numbers of the ideas correspond to the numbers in the concept map shown in [Figure 3](#ijerph-16-04467-f003){ref-type="fig"}.
----------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- ------------------- --------------------------- ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------- -------------
Having good asthma control Make PA fun to do
32 If I am not ill 5.00 ± 0.00 48 If the exercise is new 5.00 ± 0.00
23 If I can breath properly 4.75 ± 0.50 24 If I could exercise together with other children 4.50 ± 1.00
21 If I am not short of breath 4.50 ± 0.58 30 If there is a game in which you have to exercise 4.50 ± 0.58
31 If I would not have asthma (symptoms) 4.00 ± 2.00 49 If I see someone else doing something new 4.50 ± 1.00
37 If I would be able to play in different places 3.00 ± 1.63 45 If I can learn someone else an exercise 4.00 ± 1.15
Sufficient conditions/facilities for PA 10 If there is music 3.50 ± 1.00
11 If I could run 4.50 ± 0.58 15 If I can show others what a joy being active is 3.25 ± 1.26
41 If I could jump on a trampoline 4.50 ± 1.00 47 If I see that someone else is exercising 3.00 ± 1.63
18 If I could bike 4.25 ± 0.96 26 If am distracted while exercising 2.25 ± 1.50
19 If there would be playground equipment 4.00 ± 0.82 Situation forces PA unknowingly
28 If I would not have fear of heights 4.00 ± 2.00 40 If I don't have to sit down 4.00 ± 2.00
38 If I could run in the forest 4.00 ± 1.15 27 If I am distracted while being physically active 3.50 ± 1.91
12 If I could walk 3.50 ± 0.58 39 If I'm not being active very often 1.00 ± 0.00
17 If I would go to school by bike 3.50 ± 1.00 Exercising outside more often
7 If the weather is nice 3.25 ± 1.71 2 If I can do sports 4.25 ± 0.96
8 If it is not raining 3.25 ± 1.71 5 If II would go to play outside 4.00 ± 1.41
35 If I walk in a theme park or museum 2.75 ± 0.50 13 If I can show someone else what a joy playing outside is 3.50 ± 1.91
16 If I would not go to school by car 2.25 ± 1.50 1 If there are facilities in the neighbourhood to play outside 2.75 ± 1.50
Having stimulating PA situations 4 If I could climb in trees 2.25 ± 1.89
43 If we could play "boys against girls" 4.75 ± 0.50 Get a positive feeling/emotion from PA
22 If I am alive 4.33 ± 1.15 29 If it is fun to do 5.00 ± 0.00
44 If it is a game 4.25 ± 0.96 25 If I am happy 4.75 ± 0.50
9 If I would participate in gym classes 3.25 ± 1.50 33 If PA is not boring 4.75 ± 0.50
3 If I would play soccer outside 3.00 ± 1.41 14 If I can go crazy 3.75 ± 0.96
6 If I am not home alone 3.00 ± 1.63 42 If it is exciting to do 3.50 ± 1.73
36 If there is a simulator for being in a theme park 2.25 ± 0.96 46 If I can imitate someone or something 3.50 ± 1.29
34 If there is a simulator for being outside 1.75 ± 0.96 20 If I am short of breath 2.25 ± 1.26
----------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- ------------------- --------------------------- ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------- -------------
ijerph-16-04467-t002_Table 2
######
Final clusters for promoting PA of each group of children. Ordered on importance score and categorised with the use of the PAD model. White cells are personal factors with: ● = intention, ♣ = attitude, ■ = self-efficacy, ★ = health condition, and ◆ = personal barriers and facilitators. Grey cells are environmental factors with ▲ = social influence, and ✻ = environmental barriers and facilitators.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Children Group 1 Children Group 2 Children Group 3 Children Group 4
------------------ ------------------------------------------- ------------------ ---------------------------------------------- --- ---------------------------------------- --- ----------------------------------------
● Get a positive feeling of PA\ ★ Having good asthma control\ ● Play outside more often\ ✻ Get rewards for doing exercises or PA\
3.9 ± 0.4 4.3 ± 0.8 3.2 ± 0.5 3.9 ± 0.4
▲ Playing together\ ♣ Get positive feeling and emotion from PA\ ✻ Have cool and special activities\ ✻ Tailored PA\
3.7 ± 0.3 3.9 ± 1.0 3.1 ± 0.6 3.8 ± 0.5
▲ Be motivated by others\ ✻ Make PA fun to do\ ▲ Being motivated by others to exercise\ ✻ Make exercises joyful\
3.7 ± 0.6 3.8 ± 0.9 2.8 ± 0.7 3.7 ± 0.3
◆ Sufficient capabilities for PA\ ✻ Sufficient conditions and facilities for PA\ ✻ Add competitive elements to PA\ ● Play outside more often\
3.6 ± 0.2 3.6 ± 0.7 2.4 ± 0.1 3.7 ± 0.6
✻ Have access to nice sports and exercises\ ● Exercising outside more often\ ● Set exercise goals\
3.6 ± 0.7 3.4 ± 0.8 2.9 ± 0.3
● Perform high intensity exercises\ ✻ Having stimulating PA situations\
3.1 ± 0.8 3.3 ± 1.1
✻ Add competitive elements to PA\ ✻ Situation forces PA unknowingly\
2.9 ± 0.8 2.8 ± 1.6
✻ Have joyful activities to perform\
2.9 ± 0.6
● Play outside more often\
2.4 ± 0.7
✻ Be forced to do daily life activities\
1.6 ± 0.6
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ijerph-16-04467-t003_Table 3
######
Final clusters for promoting PA of each group of parents and healthcare providers. Ordered on importance score and categorised with the use of the PAD model. White cells are personal factors with: ● = intention, ♣ = attitude, ■ = self-efficacy, ★ = health condition, and ◆ = personal barriers and facilitators. Grey cells are environmental factors with ▲ = social influence, and ✻ = environmental barriers and facilitators.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Healthcare Providers Group 1 Parents Group 1 Parents Group 2
------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------- --- ------------------------------------------------
✻ Child's relatives have sufficient knowledge about asthma, PA, and medication\ ◆ Child has sufficient knowledge about asthma, PA, and medication\ ★ Good asthma control despite triggers\
4.2 ± 0.1 3.7 ± 0.6 3.9 ± 0.3
▲ Parents that support and stimulate PA\ ✻ Tailored PA\ ✻ School environment and policy stimulate PA\
4.2 ± 0.8 3.6 ± 0.4 3.9 ± 0.3
✻ Having stimulating preconditions for PA\ ✻ Variation in physical activities\ ▲ Exemplary behaviour of relatives regarding PA\
4.1 ± 0.1 3.6 ± 0.5 3.8 ± 0.4
◆ Child has sufficient knowledge about asthma, PA, and medication\ ■ Child has sufficient self-confidence\ ■ Child is able to make its own choices\
4.1 ± 0.4 3.6 ± 0.7 3.6 ± 0.7
★ Child reaches good asthma control\ ▲ Having family that stimulates PA\ ✻ Child is in environment that stimulates PA\
4.1 ± 0.4 3.5 ± 0.5 3.5 ± 0.5
✻ Environmental conditions that stimulate PA\ ✻ School has sufficient knowledge about asthma, PA, and medication\
4.0 ± 0.4 3.4 ± 0.1
✻ Having digital interventions that stimulate PA\ ✻ Child is in environment that stimulates PA\
3.9 ± 0.4 3.3 ± 0.1
✻ Increasing extrinsic motivation\ ■ Child knows its possibilities and limitations\
3.8 ± 0.6 3.3 ± 0.6
♣ Child is, acts and thinks positive\
3.8 ± 0.7
▲ Organise PF in daily schedule for child\
3.7 ± 0.6
✻ Having accessible PA locations/equipment\
3.6 ± 0.8
✻ Tailored PA\
3.5 ± 0.6
● Setting realistic goals\
3.5 ± 0.8
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Q:
Why is UILabel's text blurry on iPad if width is not even?
Following phenomenon: my text is "Search". I create a UILabel of SmallSystemFontSize and call sizeToFit:.
The result is 39 units wide and the text looks kind of blurry.
If I adjust the width to 40 it looks perfect.
I read that the text gets blurry if you hit sub pixels, meaning the width would be something like 39.5, but it seems it has to be even.
Can somebody confirm or even explain what is going on ?
A:
In my case, having set shouldRasterize = YES on the CGLayer of the UILabel's superview was the culprit. Removing that line made the text nice and crisp.
A:
UIView items are positioned by their center which for a size that is odd is on a half pixel, 19.5 for a width of 39.. This alignment causes pixel averaging that causes the fuzziness.
One way is to make it an even width.
Another is to place it by the center at an even point use:
@property(nonatomic) CGPoint center
Example, for a desired position of label; at (10, 10, 39, 19) one could use:
label.center = CGPointMake(50, 20);
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In the Early Empire, Lutetia had several necropoli. Only the largest one, located south of the city, has been identified. The site is now occupied by the Abbey of Port Royal, and the necropolis was located in the area bordered by Boulevard Saint-Michel, Avenue Denfert-Rochereau and the Rue Saint-Jacques. Following a well-established tradition, tombs were placed along a road-in this case the cardo maximus-outside of the city. Later, the necropolis was extended to the south, west and north, where an unbuilt zone separated it from the houses at the edges of the city.
At the height of the Empire, the necropolis was fairly large: about 4 hectares. However, only a small number of the burial and cremation tombs have been found. A study of the tombs shows that it was in use from the early 1st century to the 3rd century, and started to be abandoned during the 4th century.
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SHOP + CLICK
PanacheBox is a service that makes your stylish life effortless. More specifically, PanacheBox simplifies the lives of busy parents by partnering with great designers, hand-selecting stylish children’s clothing and delivering them right to your doorstep!
The company’s stylists source children’s clothing from around the world, including destinations such as Mexico, India and Denmark. In every PanacheBox, clients receive a minimum of 10 brand new clothing and accessory items that average a retail value of $400+. Site visitors can also build a Box themselves by using an easy and unique four-step process, or by having a stylist build a surprise Box on their behalf. PanacheBox focuses on dressing kids in quality clothing that is easy to mix and match, as well as being simple, comfortable and chic.
We are thrilled to announce that PanacheBox is our January SHOP to CLICK collaborator! Stay tuned throughout the month as we deliver an inside look into the world of this fabulous resource for both parents and kids, and CLICK now to watch an incredibly cute video featuring PanacheBox!
Blogroll
WEAR to CLICK is the digital destination for men + women, highlighting the best fashion sites online.
We scour the net to identify the latest fashion trends, the best fashion blogs, the best shopping sites, the best news sites and the best fashion designers, curate what’s worth clicking, and feature the most notable sites in one digital location.
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Soluble microbial products decrease pyrite oxidation by ferric iron at pH < 2.
Research on microbial activity in acid mine drainage (AMD) has focused on transformations of iron and sulfur. However, carbon cycling, including formation of soluble microbial products (SMP) from cell growth and decay, is an important biogeochemical component of the AMD environment. Experiments were conducted to study the interaction of SMP with soluble ferric iron in acidic conditions, particularly the formation of complexes that inhibit its effectiveness as the primary oxidant of pyrite during AMD generation. The rate of pyrite oxidation by ferric iron in sterile suspensions at pH 1.8 was reduced by 87% in the presence of SMP produced from autoclaved cells at a ratio of 0.3 mg DOC per mg total soluble ferric iron. Inhibition of pyrite oxidation by SMP was shown to be comparable to, but weaker than, the effect of a chelating synthetic siderophore, DFAM. Two computational models incorporating SMP complexation were fitted to experimental results. Results suggest that bacterially produced organic matter can play a role in slowing pyrite oxidation.
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Game Review
Transarctica (Arctic Baron in the US) is a strategy/action game created by Silmarils in 1993 for the Amiga and later ported to the PC, Atari ST and Macintosh. The story is based on the post-apocalyptic science fiction saga "The Ice Company", by Georges-Jean Arnaud.
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JD Beach - Race Report
November 20, 2013 - This past weekend I finally got to race at the famous indoor in Springfield, IL. After all the stories I’ve heard I can say the races and track lived up to them. It seems like it had been forever since we last raced at Du Quoin. Maybe it is just because it was a new track but it was still a lot of fun.
Going to Springfield was weird because every time I have been there since about 2003 its been for a National, either as a amateur or pro. Usually when I’m on Interstate 55 getting off on the Sagamon exit my belly starts getting tons of butterflies. This weekend it was different because I knew it wasn’t a national and the first thing I had to do during the weekend was work go karts.
The race weekend started out on Friday for practice. I felt like a kid in a brand new candy shop, like seeing candy I have never seen before. The first thing I did was go look at the track, did the Joe Kopp dirt kicking technique to figure out what was going on. Right off the bat for first practice the bike wasn’t so bad. It was much needed practice for me setting a bike up. James Hart wasn’t there that night, he was only a phone call away but I still had to wing it some and figure things out myself. It’s been fun riding this new Yamaha 450, even though its a 450 you still have to set it up different. When I was on the Honda and had a problem I would make a clicker change and it would be perfect. On the Yamaha I might make some clicker changes and go in the opposite direction and have to do some trial and error before I know what works. Either way by the end of the night I was happy with the bike. After having the night to sleep on things and working the karts in the morning I had a few ideas to try for practice. The weather had changed a little bit and rained on Saturday. So we had the great idea to get plastic wrap for the tires. Going from the pits to the track we had to go out in the weather and get the tires all wet plus getting more dirt on them. The plastic wrap would keep the tires dry until I got onto the track.
Once the heats started James and I were still scratching our heads on bike setup. It was working good but not great. After the first heat race and thinking about the track we decided to change tires. Every indoor we run we use Maxxis tires but the way the dirt was and how wet is was we decided to throw a Dunlop on it. That next heat race
was like riding on pavement, the rear hooked up so well, I could hear the motor almost wanting to die it was hooking up and lugging so much. We had some good heat races and was feeling good about the bike. After the Short Track heat races we had our one TT heat race. The way the TT was laid out was a lot of fun but real tight because the building is so small. On the first lap I made a small mistake going up to the jump and rode a wheelie until I got the front over the jump and sat it back down. I have no idea why I didn’t think of this sooner but that way was so much faster, getting the front tire up and over it but keeping the rear tire on the ground driving was a lot
faster.
Next up was the Short Track mains. It was some of the most fun I have had in awhile on a Short Track. Rob Pearson and I had a great battle in the first main. We race every winter together, all the time, we can race each other hard but trust each other. In the first main Rob got the hole shot but I was right there with him. I was trying high and low, trying to square him off, but couldn't get anything to work. So I decided to try and go high and go around the outside of him. I was starting to make it work and was almost by him until he decided to run me high, which was fair play. After that Rob got a gap on me so I had to run him back down, once I did I had 2 laps left and wanted to give him a love tap for putting me wide. I was running him down and once I did, I squared the turn off real well and going into turn 1 gave him a good love tap and moved him out of the way and won the main. With the being said I ended up 2nd. Kevin Snyder the ref came over to talk to me after the race, I guess when I squared the
turn up I cut one of the corner markers. No one really cared but he wanted to keep it fair and I understand so I got docked to 2nd.
In the rest of the mains it was close racing but I was able to get the wins. I got the hole shot every time on Rob but he was right there. It made me really have to work hard and get every lap perfect. Something I haven't been able to do yet on the Yamaha. We did get the job done and made me feel that much better about the bike. To end the night the only way is to race the TT. TT is my favorite part about the indoors. I like to jump but I’m no where as good as a motocrosser and I like to get practice going right for road racing. The way the track layout was and the way I was hitting the jump it was very important to make my lines perfect every lap. I was able to come away with the win.
With a couple weeks until the next race at Du Quoin there isn’t much to do. I have my gear and boots cleaned, washed my bike, changed the oil. I guess I’ll just do my training and twiddle my thumbs until the next time I can
ride my motorcycle.
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Increasing the efficiency of fuzzy logic-based gene expression data analysis.
DNA microarray technology can accommodate a multifaceted analysis of the expression of genes in an organism. The wealth of spatiotemporal data generated by this technology allows researchers to potentially reverse engineer a particular genetic network. "Fuzzy logic" has been proposed as a method to analyze the relationships between genes and help decipher a genetic network. This method can identify interacting genes that fit a known "fuzzy" model of gene interaction by testing all combinations of gene expression profiles. This paper introduces improvements made over previous fuzzy gene regulatory models in terms of computation time and robustness to noise. Improvement in computation time is achieved by using a cluster analysis as a preprocessing method to reduce the total number of gene combinations analyzed. This approach speeds up the algorithm by a factor of 50% with minimal effect on the results. The model's sensitivity to noise is reduced by implementing appropriate methods of "fuzzy rule aggregation" and "conjunction" that produce reliable results in the face of minor changes in model input.
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2010–11 Providence Friars women's ice hockey season
Offseason
August 20: Karen Thatcher, a 2006 graduate of Providence, and a participant in ice hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics for Team USA has been named as a Friars assistant coach.
Sept 15: The women's ice hockey team organized the first annual Road Hockey Rumble. It was a street hockey tournament to raise money for Children's Charities of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The tournament was played on Sunday, September 12, and the concept was conceived by junior defenseman Christie Jensen.
Genevieve Lacasse participated in the evaluation camp for the senior 2010–11 Canadian national women's team. She played for Canada Red (the camp was divided into four teams, Red, White, Yellow, Blue).
Exhibition
Regular season
Kate Bacon scored a hat trick in the Friars 6-1 win over St. Lawrence on Oct. 9. She scored another goal in the Friars victory over Clarkson the next day.
Genevieve Lacasse stopped 40 shots in Friday's (10/29) 2-2 tie against No. 5 Boston University, including three in overtime. The goalie made several quality saves, including on a partial breakaway in the first period by Terrier's skater Jenn Wakefield. She stopped 14 shots in the opening period and 13 in the third period.
During October 2010, Friars goalie Genevieve Lacasse had a 1.64 GAA and a .949 save percentage. These numbers were complemented by two shutouts. In addition, she accumulated a league-high 281 saves. In two games, she had over 40 saves.
December 4–5: Kate Bacon had three points over the weekend. She had a goal and an assist against New Hampshire on Saturday. The following day, she scored her team-leading 14th goal vs. the Connecticut Huskies.
December 5: Nicole Anderson collected two goals, one unassisted, in the Friars’ 5-1 win the Connecticut Huskies.
The Friars enter the holiday break with a four-game winning streak. Kate Bacon was one of 40 players invited to USA Hockey's Women's Winter Training Camp. Her last experience for the USA was with the Under-18 team that won the World Championships in 2008. Goalie Genevieve Lacasse was selected to play for Hockey Canada's Under-22's in the 2011 MLP Cup.
In the 2011 MLP Cup, Friars goalie Genevieve Lacasse earned a shutout in a 5-0 defeat of Switzerland on January 4. Prior to the match, she had made 57 consecutive starts for the Friars.
Standings
Schedule
Player stats
Skaters
Postseason
Kelli Stack scored the game-winning goal in overtime as Boston College defeated Providence by a 3-2 tally to advance to the Hockey East championship game. Providence goalie Genevieve Lacasse would break the record set by Florence Schelling earlier in the day for most saves in a tournament game with 58.
Awards and honors
Corinne Buie, Providence, Hockey East Rookie of the Month,(Week of December 6)
Corinne Buie, Hockey East Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Month (December 2010)
Hockey East Coach of the Year: Bob Deraney, Providence
Bob Deraney, Finalist, 2011 AHCA Women's Ice Hockey Division I Coach of the Year
Genevieve Lacasse, Hockey East Goaltender of the Month (October 2010)
Genevieve Lacasse, Hockey East Co-Defensive Player of the Week (Week of November 1)
Genevieve Lacasse, Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week (Week of February 14)
Genevieve Lacasse, Providence, Hockey East Goaltender of the Month, (Week of December 6).
Genevieve Lacasse, Providence, Runner-Up, Hockey East Goaltender of the Month (December 2010)
Rebecca Morse, Hockey East Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week (Week of February 28, 2011)
Providence, Hockey East Team of the Week, (Week of December 6)
Postseason
Sportsmanship Award: Jean O'Neill, Providence
All-Rookie team
D: Rebecca Morse, Providence
F: Corinne Buie, Providence
Team awards
Team MVP, Genevieve Lacasse
Seventh player award, Abby Gauthier
Most Improved, Maggie Pendleton
Academic Award, Jessica Vella
Captains' Awards, Alyse Ruff and Jean O'Neill
Coaches Award, Christina England
Unsung Hero Award, Jennifer Friedman
References
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Category:Providence Friars women's ice hockey seasons
Providence
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Reliving the AFC Championship
And fret not, we're not reliving those OTHER AFC Championships. We're reliving the one that we won (homophones FTW).
[Pre-Game...]
Let's just say that I was already anticipating having something new to hang up there.
Just as a little warning to any potential Colts-game n00bs... these stairs are dangerous as HELL once they get all beer-slicked and grimey. People fell down at least four times (me accounting for 1 and 1/2 of them--caught myself on the railing once).
GET EM WAVIN!!
Classic. This guy was fierce. I thought he was gonna pick a fight before everything was said and done.
Rolling it back up... unexciting, I know... but just an excuse for me to let another shot of our troops in there.
THIS is how the steps get so nasty in the first place! Would it kill Miller co. to put some kind of cap on these things? (Or is that too unmanly)? Or just not fill the cups to the absolute brim? Seriously, this one little blond-haired girl took a nasty spill on these cement *****es about midway through the 2nd. She could have really been hurt. Really. I'm calling for a stair boycott.
Another thing that ticked me off: A Pats fan should be able to walk up to his seat without getting harrased. The guy with the NE SUCKS! towel practically threatened to kill him (screaming; throat-slash hand-gesture). This guy took it in stride though: he took off his cap and shoved the SUPERBOWL CHAMPS XXVIII2.34569piWHATEVER insignia in the guy's face.A better shot. The other one had the sparks though.
THEY'RE WAVING.
ROCKETMAN 696. Coolest beer man ever, hands down. And also the most adept pourer you'll see in pro sports. Perfect form, zero palsy or tremor in the hands, a space-saving and crowd-friendly way of hunkering down, a sort of blinding transaction speed that just screamed Yeah, I'm just that damn good, and of course a wake-the-dead bellow (essential). Didn't spill a drop. (The guy sitting behind my brother, however... well let's just say that my brother may have worn more than that guy drank.)
And of course ROCKETMAN 696 was witty as hell in that way that the best beermen are. (A pudgier, whiter beerman tried to intrude upon his turf once. He promptly got booed the hell out. Us beerfolk are loyal to our beermen. Hell, I don't even drink beer, and I'm loyal to the beerman.)
[POST-PRE-GAME, BUT NOT QUITE DURING-GAME, OR VERY MUCH OF IT ANYWAY... ]
Coin-flippin'
At this point I'm thinking: God, this is really going to be it. We're actually going to pull it off. I feel it. Hell, I saw it [explained later]. C'mon, Colts...
I'm pretty sure that this is the first play of the game. I was too giddy to take pictures during much of the actual game. (Sorry)
Before the comeback, and before the 21-3, there was... this play Da Fans
Bravest Colts fan EVER.This is a key play of some sort, but not really sure of when. It might have been when we tied it up. Can anyone help me out here? I'm not even sure when this was or anything.
The only picture I took while we were down, right after the pick 6. Everyone knew what everyone was thinking. You didn't even have to think it and you were thinking it.
(But, going into halftime with one FG tacked to our score, hope sprung anew: everybody started saying "Hey, we're only [x] scores behind..." which then gradually turned into a more declarative "Hey, we're only [x] scores behind." And then finally the exclamatory "HEY, we're only [X] SCORES BEHIND!" and the clapping and the cheering and the sense that we were going to actually win this ******* thing.)
(They started The Wave at some point during the comeback, and I was so taken by the moment that I ceded to the cheesiness and enjoyed The Wave like I haven't enjoyed The Wave since I was a pre-teen years ago when a fully pubescent and much cooler boy told me that The Wave wasn't 'in' anymore. That actually it was quite dorky.)
[POST-GAME, I.E., COLTS FAN EUPHORIA, THE MOMENT WE HOPE FOR EVERY YEAR BUT KNOW DEEP DOWN IN OUR HEARTS AND BRAINS {AND SOMETIMES OTHER VITAL ORGANS?} JUST AIN'T COMIN {ESPECIALLY SIR SHADE}... ]
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS FTW! FTW! ?
It's hard to take a good picture when your feet are very rarely on the ground.
I'm not even sure what happened here. It's like I took a shot of the mental image of every Colts fan everywhere. Pure, blinding white. And you're finally a part of it for once.
Hi-fives were had by all (that's what he's doing).
Scoreboard. (I tried)
The streets, exiting the game... never been prouder to be stuck shoulder-to-shoulder in a giant mass of urbanites, honestly.
One last snap of the Dome....
BTW, remember that "I saw it" comment? This was taken pre-game, as I was getting ready to enter the dome:
Re: Reliving the AFC Championship
Bump. (I went and posted, doh) I wanted this bumped (on the front PD mainpage) so everyone might hopefully see the pics in the morning. I had been meaning to share the pics with you guys. I know they're not great quality, but it's all in good fun.
Re: Reliving the AFC Championship
Great pics, Soup. Thanks for posting.
That was an unbelivable night. After all the heartbreak we've had. Me and my buddy lucked into a couple of tickets. That was the first game I had seen in person of the Manning era. Hadn't been since I was little in 1997.
Re: Reliving the AFC Championship
Thanks for bringing us closer to what was maybe the defining moment in Indy sports, when we were allowed to believe our lives wouldn't forever be mired in sports frustration. The pic with the guy with blue hair flying up in the midst of the white electric light looks like you captured some sort of cosmic occurrence.
Re: Reliving the AFC Championship
That crazy ******* with the towel, wow. Although I can't say I mind it too much after some guy made the mistake of picking a fight with my Dad during the 1995 AFC championship at Pittsburgh. My Dad isn't a small guy and only sent the guy to the ground because he was forced to defend himself. Colts fans are usually some of the most classy to opposing fans.
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*p**3 - 5*p - p**3 as s*p + o*p**3 + k + a*p**2 and give o.
9
Rearrange 43*u - 17548*u**2 - 6*u**4 - 2*u**3 + 7*u**3 + 35098*u**2 - 17548*u**2 to the form q + v*u**4 + a*u**3 + h*u + n*u**2 and give v.
-6
Express -6*i**3 - 63*i**2 + 55 + 186*i**2 + 2*i**3 - 70*i**2 - 66*i**2 in the form b + w*i**3 + p*i + f*i**2 and give b.
55
Rearrange -249 - 91*k + 327*k - 84*k - 60*k - 83*k to f + l*k and give f.
-249
Rearrange (2*s + 0*s + 0*s)*(-13*s + 5*s - 26*s)*(2392 + 101*s - 2392) to r + t*s**2 + o*s**3 + h*s and give o.
-6868
Rearrange -2 - 12 - 14 - 1472*u + 1783*u to j*u + k and give j.
311
Express 3*g**2 - 9*g**2 - 5*g**2 - 6*g**4 + 5*g**2 + g**3 as u + n*g**2 + k*g**3 + h*g**4 + q*g and give h.
-6
Rearrange -66*f**2 - 101*f**2 + 116*f**2 - 20*f - 66*f to m*f**2 + d + g*f and give g.
-86
Express 1 + 0 + 236833*y**2 + 104*y - 236822*y**2 + 3*y**3 in the form z + w*y**3 + c*y**2 + r*y and give z.
1
Express 51*b - 15*b - 16 - 5 + 53 - 17 in the form q + c*b and give q.
15
Rearrange -u + 5*u - 2*u + (-4 + 1 + 4)*(-2*u + 0*u + 3*u) - 3*u + 5*u + 0*u + 292 - 739 - 9*u + 284 + 329 to l + j*u and give l.
166
Rearrange (-1 + 0 + 3 + (0 + 4 + 1)*(-3 + 4 - 2) + 7 + 1 + 1 + (5 + 2 + 1)*(-1 + 1 - 1))*(0 - 5*m + 0)*(-3 + 3 + 1) to the form i*m + x and give i.
10
Rearrange -627*m + 2*m**2 + 640*m - 417*m - m**3 to the form w*m**3 + i*m**2 + t + n*m and give n.
-404
Express -19900*j**2 + 1166688 - 1166688 + 2*j**3 + (2*j + 4 - 4)*(0*j + 0*j + j**2) as b + y*j**3 + n*j + f*j**2 and give y.
4
Express -4*t + 753*t**2 - 8 + 746*t**2 - 1480*t**2 - 4*t as l + o*t + x*t**2 and give o.
-8
Rearrange 201*l**3 + 6*l - 10*l**2 - 40*l**3 - 6*l + 22*l**3 to the form w*l**2 + m*l**3 + u + p*l and give w.
-10
Express x**2 - 18439 - 18451 + 8*x**4 + 16*x**3 + 36882 in the form d + b*x + w*x**4 + s*x**3 + k*x**2 and give s.
16
Express 2*v + v**2 + 3384 + 2343 - 1015 in the form h + j*v**2 + f*v and give j.
1
Express 13 - 205*y + 100*y + 65 + 139*y + 3*y**2 in the form m + c*y + n*y**2 and give n.
3
Rearrange (2 + 2 - 3)*(-538*l - 117292 - 117292 + 234587) + 3*l + l - 5*l to the form w + m*l and give w.
3
Express -1 + 29692*k**2 + 5*k**4 - 2*k**3 - 3*k**4 - 29691*k**2 - 123*k in the form l*k**3 + d*k**4 + f*k + i*k**2 + m and give m.
-1
Express 1393 + 1397 - 2*x**3 - 2788 + 4*x**2 - 6*x**4 - x**2 as y*x + o*x**4 + l*x**3 + a + w*x**2 and give l.
-2
Rearrange -14461*m + 14428*m - 18614*m - 14012*m to the form p + h*m and give h.
-32659
Rearrange -7 - 3152*u - 10 - 10 - 11 + 36 to a + d*u and give a.
-2
Rearrange (f - f + 2*f**2)*(341 - 209 - 169 + 2*f + 10*f**2) - 2 + 2 - 2*f**4 + 2*f**2 to u*f**2 + i*f + q + l*f**4 + t*f**3 and give t.
4
Express ((2*z + 0*z - 4*z)*(3 + 0 - 2) + 4 - 3*z - 4)*(1834663 - 4490*z**3 - 1834663) in the form j + n*z**2 + r*z**3 + m*z**4 + u*z and give m.
22450
Express 31*x + 1561*x**2 + 1566*x**2 - 3141*x**2 in the form r*x**2 + v*x + g and give v.
31
Rearrange -43*h**2 + 14947*h + 5 - 14947*h to the form o + f*h**2 + b*h and give o.
5
Express (0 - 3 - 19 + (-6 + 11 - 11)*(5 - 3 - 3))*(-2*c - 2 + 2) as y*c + x and give y.
32
Rearrange (-3*u - 6 + 4 + 2*u)*(-1224 + 638 + 636 + (2 - 2 - 1)*(2 + 3 - 7)) to h*u + a and give a.
-104
Express -5 - 4911*p + 5346*p + 5 in the form z*p + b and give z.
435
Express (p**2 + p**2 - p**2)*(-1 + 1 - 2)*(8301*p - 17822*p + 8018*p)*(8 - p - 9 - 5*p) as k*p + a*p**4 + q*p**2 + c + o*p**3 and give a.
-18036
Express -1 + 56 - 3 + 8770*u - 52 in the form r + x*u and give r.
0
Express 4006*y**2 + 6232*y**2 + 461*y**2 in the form o*y**2 + s + n*y and give o.
10699
Rearrange 4 - 18 + 12 + 2 - 974*o to the form t*o + x and give x.
0
Rearrange -36893*g + 58423*g - 27483*g to t*g + q and give t.
-5953
Rearrange (-42 + 87 - 169 + 12*d - 426)*(5*d - d - 3*d) to o*d**2 + q + g*d and give q.
0
Rearrange (8*j + j + 0*j)*(13*j**2 + 6*j**2 - 5*j**2) + 2*j**3 - 14*j**3 - 3*j**3 to the form f*j**2 + c*j + b*j**3 + s and give b.
111
Rearrange -9*w - 13*w + 4*w**3 - 1 + 21*w + 2*w**4 - 2*w**3 - 5*w**3 to the form f*w**4 + o + c*w + k*w**3 + m*w**2 and give c.
-1
Express -32*h**3 + 2*h**4 + 0*h + 29*h**3 + 2 - 3*h - 4*h**2 + 4*h**2 in the form u*h**3 + m + k*h**4 + t*h**2 + i*h and give i.
-3
Express 2218*r**2 - 2218*r**2 - 248*r**3 + (12 - 12 - 7*r)*(0*r**2 + r**2 + r**2) as l + d*r + w*r**2 + k*r**3 and give k.
-262
Rearrange -31*g**4 - 4 + 94433*g + 20 - 94435*g to the form b*g + x*g**2 + o*g**3 + l + p*g**4 and give p.
-31
Express -4*f**2 + 2*f**2 - f**2 + 104297 - 101823 in the form m + l*f + y*f**2 and give m.
2474
Rearrange -59973*u**2 + 24*u**3 - u**3 + 59832*u**2 to t*u**2 + x*u**3 + m*u + p and give x.
23
Express 12193*g - 5722*g - 5156*g as h*g + m and give h.
1315
Express (447*w + 103*w + 1210 - 1210)*(-11*w - 6120*w**2 - 8*w + 6117*w**2) in the form m*w**2 + l + a*w + d*w**3 and give m.
-10450
Express 143*x - 4 + 3 + 507420*x**3 - 14*x**2 - 507418*x**3 as f*x**3 + l*x + o + k*x**2 and give o.
-1
Rearrange (-5 - 3*k + 5)*(-3*k**2 - 2*k**2 + 3*k**2) - 3*k**2 + k**3 + 3*k**2 - 2097 - 209*k**3 + 2097 to the form d*k**3 + f*k + x*k**2 + t and give d.
-202
Rearrange 10*b**2 + 7*b**2 - 15*b**2 - 132*b**3 - 405*b**3 + 124*b**3 to r*b**3 + h*b**2 + m*b + o and give r.
-413
Rearrange -122*j - 9*j**2 - 1176835 + 1176835 to m + v*j + g*j**2 and give g.
-9
Express 65*a**2 + 3 + 16*a - 1124714*a**3 - 5 + 1124712*a**3 in the form y*a**3 + g + b*a + r*a**2 and give b.
16
Rearrange -h**4 - 3*h + 22 + 15 + h**4 - 7*h**4 - 7 - h**2 to s*h**4 + x*h + c*h**2 + z*h**3 + m and give x.
-3
Rearrange -7682*l**4 + 4 - 4 + 61*l**2 - l**3 - l + 7637*l**4 to t*l**3 + r*l + a + n*l**4 + g*l**2 and give g.
61
Express -35 - 19*u + 2*u**2 + 29 + 7 - 2*u**3 in the form v*u + y + g*u**3 + x*u**2 and give v.
-19
Express 3*b + b - b + (b + 3 - 3)*(319 - 1698 - 1020) as i + m*b and give m.
-2396
Rearrange -217*k - 209*k + 3*k**2 + 835*k**2 - 203*k - 4 + 630*k to g*k + x + q*k**2 and give g.
1
Express (58 - 200 - 139 - 136)*(g**3 - 6*g**3 + 3*g**3) + g + 3*g**3 - 4*g**3 - 7*g in the form s*g**2 + i*g + x + f*g**3 and give f.
833
Express (4 + 1821 + 1358)*(-l + 4*l + l) in the form n*l + z and give n.
12732
Rearrange (-27 + 48 - 19)*(-11 + 5 + 8 - 4*i)*(3 - 1 + 0)*(0*i**2 + 0*i**2 - i**2) to p*i**3 + c*i**2 + m + j*i and give p.
16
Rearrange 28*w + 50*w - 32*w + 57 to the form s*w + k and give k.
57
Rearrange -3*g**2 - 7*g - 7 + 5*g**2 - 2*g**3 + 0 + 13 + 34 to the form i + w*g**2 + a*g + j*g**3 and give a.
-7
Express (-88 - 5 + 8 + (-2 + 2 + 1)*(4 + 1 - 3))*(-4*f**2 + 2*f**2 + 0*f**2) + (1 + 0 - 3)*(f**2 + 4*f**2 - 3*f**2) as a + p*f**2 + q*f and give p.
162
Rearrange -340*v**2 - 508 + 693*v**2 + 127 - 350*v**2 to the form h + y*v + w*v**2 and give w.
3
Express 1098*i**3 - 1101*i**3 + 2*i + 17*i**2 - 178*i**2 in the form y*i + o + v*i**2 + a*i**3 and give o.
0
Rearrange -2357 + 1164 + 1192 + 1113*n to the form g*n + z and give g.
1113
Express -4572*w + 1287*w + 2170*w - 6176*w - 6468*w + (-2 + 3 - 2)*(0 + 0 + w) as t + h*w and give h.
-13760
Express 123089 + 80*f - 246131 + 123088 in the form t + i*f and give t.
46
Rearrange (-1 + 9*s**3 + 1)*(3 - 3 + 3*s)*(56 + 62 - 120) to r*s**2 + j*s**3 + n + p*s**4 + d*s and give n.
0
Express 2 - 27677*h**2 - 2 + 7009*h**2 in the form m*h**2 + a*h + c and give m.
-20668
Rearrange -13*s**3 - 2*s**4 - 34043 + 34043 - 4*s to the form h*s**4 + c*s**2 + i*s**3 + o + v*s and give i.
-13
Express (4 - 3 + 1)*(-667 + 293 - 970)*(8 + 3*b**3 - 8) in the form l + y*b**3 + n*b + v*b**2 and give n.
0
Rearrange (4*y**2 - 4*y**2 + 5*y**2)*((-23*y + 25*y + 3 + 7)*(-y - 3 + 3) - 23*y**2 - 16*y**2 - 14*y**2) to a*y**2 + s*y + g*y**3 + k*y**4 + d and give k.
-275
Express -39*o - 2*o**4 - 2 + 23*o**3 - 5*o**2 + 4 - 25*o**3 as d*o**4 + q*o + b*o**3 + i + k*o**2 and give k.
-5
Express -1204*z - 823*z + 419*z - 205*z as p*z + g and give p.
-1813
Express (5 - 2 + 1)*(-l + 3*l - 4*l + (-2*l - 2 + 2)*(5 - 3 - 1) - 39*l - 38*l + 12*l) as w + d*l and give d.
-276
Express 5 + 4872*p**4 + 5127*p**4 - 10222*p**4 - 4*p**3 as k*p**3 + r + t*p**2 + m*p + j*p**4 and give k.
-4
Express ((-4*n + 2*n + 3*n)*(3 + 0 - 1) + 3009*n + 2219*n - 2564*n)*(4 - 1 + 0)*(-3*n - 1 + 1) as q + s*n + f*n**2 and give f.
-23994
Express (0*g + 0*g - 2*g**2)*(g + 0*g - 4*g) - 3689*g +
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Q:
Java Recursive function sometimes working
I've called upon what I've learned so far and still can't fix this so decided to come here.
A BasicBlock object is referenced by an integer and holds references to the 'addresses' of more blocks in a list. I want to obtain the addresses that they hold reference to and i thought to do this recursively. It is possible for one BasicBlock to hold reference to 0 or more other blocks.
The below recursive function getFunctionReferences keeps returning a stack overflow error, yet manages to work sometimes.
Map<Integer,BasicBlock> blockList blockList = new TreeMap<Integer,BasicBlock>();
public HashSet<Integer> getAssociatedAddresses(int function) {
HashSet<Integer> blockAddresses = new HashSet<Integer>();
getFunctionReferences(this.blockList.get(function),blockAddresses);
return blockAddresses;
}
private void getFunctionReferences(BasicBlock block, HashSet<Integer> blockAddresses){
for (int x : block.getAddressReferenceList()) {
blockAddresses.add(x);
getFunctionReferences(this.blockList.get(x), blockAddresses);
}
}
I know that I am doing something wrong with this call, especially as there is no base case. But I don't know how to deal with recursion when it is in a loop like this....nor do I know a suitable base case.
Help massively appreciated.
Thanks
A:
If you have cycles (for example block 1 references block 2 which references block 3 which references block 1), you'll get infinite recursion leading to StackOverflowError.
To avoid that, you can take advantage of the HashSet of visited blocks which you maintain. You can simply check if a block was already visited and avoid making another recursive call if it was:
private void getFunctionReferences(BasicBlock block, HashSet<Integer> blockAddresses){
for (int x : block.getAddressReferenceList()) {
if (blockAddresses.add(x)) { // only make a recursive call if x wasn't already
// in the Set
getFunctionReferences(this.blockList.get(x), blockAddresses);
}
}
}
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Insight
Tujia seeking to raise $300 million
05/03/2017|10:27:28 AM|Bloomberg
Airbnb’s Chinese rival Tujia, a vacation rental platform backed by Ctrip, is in talks to raise more than USD 300 million, reported Bloomberg. Airbnb officially debuted in the country less than a month ago.
Tujia is one of China’s biggest platforms for property owners seeking to turn their homes into temporary lodgings. It has 400,000 listings plus another 300,000 on its low-cost platform Mayi, as well as more acquired from Ctrip.Com. By comparison, Airbnb had 80,000 properties in China as of 2016.
Zhuang Hai, Tujia’s president, said the company is on track to raise at least USD 300 million at a valuation of more than USD 1 billion in as soon as a month.
The business will also split, with 1,000 employees remaining on the home-sharing business, while 2,000 workers will be part of Sweetome, its professionally-managed property unit.
Details are still subject to change because discussions with investors are still underway, he said.
Tujia last raised USD 300 million at a valuation of more than USD 1 billion in 2015.
Tujia’s new streamlined strategy comes at a critical time for Airbnb, which has committed itself to expanding rapidly across Asia.
Ctrip held a 45% stake in Tujia, according to Ctrip’s 2016 annual report submitted to SEC on April 14, 2017.
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Mexico Withdraws its Reservations to Three Legal Instruments of the Inter-American System Deposited at the OAS
The Government of Mexico today withdrew its reservations to three legal instruments of the Inter-American System deposited at the Organization of American States (OAS), in a ceremony at the headquarters of the Organization in Washington DC, headed by the Secretary General of the hemispheric institution, José Miguel Insulza, and which included the participation of the Permanent Representative of Mexico to the OAS, Emilio Rabasa, the Chair of the Permanent Council and Permanent Representative of Saint Lucia, Sonia Johnny, and other representatives of the member countries.
Ambassador Rabasa delivered to Secretary General Insulza, in his character as chief representative of the depositary body of the three Inter-American treaties, the corresponding instruments of withdrawal of reservation which Mexico had made to the Convention on the Status of Aliens; the Inter-American Convention on the Forced Disappearance of Persons, and the Declaration for the Recognition of the Contentious Jurisdiction of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, as provided for in the American Convention on Human Rights.
Secretary General Insulza thanked Ambassador Rabasa for the withdrawal of the reservations to the three legal instruments, noting that “the OAS would like for all countries to sign and ratify the conventions” and “I hope that they will soon be free of reservations.”
The OAS Secretary General said that, with this step, “the will of the Government of Mexico to substantively broaden the protection of the rights of the people within the country is shown,” at the same time that he highlighted that the act “is one more demonstration of the full commitment of Mexico to the validity of human rights and the instruments of the Inter-American system.”
Ambassador Rabasa said that with this action his government ratifies its commitment to the promotion and protection of the human rights of all people in Mexico. “With the withdrawal of these reservations we broaden the reach of the protection that, with respect to my country, are provided by the Inter-American treaties referring to all people –nationals and foreign nationals- under its jurisdiction,” he said. The Mexican diplomat added that this decision is one of the results of the “profound process that Mexico has been carrying out to update its normative framework to the highest international standards in terms of human rights; a process that began in 2011 until today with the approval of constitutional and legislative reforms of great depth.”
Moreover, Ambassador Rabasa highlighted that with this action his country complies with various recommendations and decisions from organs and mechanisms of the Inter-American System of Human Rights and the Universal System, “with which we reiterate our policy of complete openness and cooperation.”
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Last summer, I reported that Food and Drug Administration rules covering e-cigarettes and adopted early in the Obama presidency were killing the related American industry.
The manufacturer, distribution and retail sales of e-cigarettes (which vaporizes nicotine-infused solutions that have only traces of some of the 60-plus carcinogens found in cigarette smoke), is worth an estimated $3.7 billion last year. In San Diego alone, e-cigarette firms employ hundreds of Californians in productive, middle-class positions, and generate quite a bit of tax revenue for the state as well.
A good portion of this business could be snuffed out with the FDA rules, which have a 2018 due date for specific elements.
So, the election of Donald Trump has breathed new life into hopes for a reversal of these regulations. An industry publication offers its insight.
…Trump claims that his administration will not only repeal and replace Obamacare, but they will also modernize Medicare and “reform the Food and Drug Administration, to put greater focus on the need of patients for new and innovative medical products.” For the vaping industry, nothing could be more “innovative” than electronic cigarettes and vaping technology to end the global addiction to smoking tobacco. Is there a window of opportunity opening?
In a move that makes sense, given the San Diego e-cigarette industry, one of our U.S. congressmen formally requested that the rules be vaporized by the Trump Team.
President-elect Trump’s team is being urged to kill new Food and Drug Administration rules that threaten to snuff out the e-cigarette business and rob chain smokers of an alternative to ending their habit. In a letter to Vice President-elect Pence, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson and California Rep. Duncan Hunter said that the new regulations would eliminate the industry with fees of up to $1 million per product. Typically, vaping operations produce dozens of products, mostly different flavors of vapor. “If the FDA’s overreach goes unchecked, then thousands of jobs and small businesses will disappear,” the Republicans wrote in a letter sent Monday and provided to Secrets.
Related to California politicians, our former Senator Barbara Boxer, was recently on MSNBC stating that the Democrats must make middle-class people understand that Donald Trump is not their friend.
“I want to jump in with something specific that he did on the very first day that didn’t get that much coverage,” Boxer said. “There was an order that was signed that made it more expensive now for middle-income home buyers to buy homes, and as a result, tens of thousands fewer Americans will do it. We have to make sure that the middle class understands he’s not their friend.”
If Donald Trump and his appointees rescind this onerous and needless regulation, hundreds of middle-class workers in California will learn he is a better friend than Boxer ever was.
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" Hey, Gary." "How you doing?" " Good." "Good." "Good." "He's not..." "This isn't yours?" " He's my nephew." " Cute, I imagine." "I'll tell you what, kid." "Here's a Jackson." "Go get yourself 10 sodas and you never saw us." "Or just water." "Just choose water." " Wow, this is weird, huh?" " Mm." "It's been a long time since I've seen you guys." "Wow." "Did you see those pictures that I sent you?" "No, I didn't, Gary." "And why the fuck are we here?" "Okay, easy, easy." "It's anonymous." "Just pretend like you're parents checking this place out." " Paint something." " I don't even paint my own nails, Gary." "A Vietnamese lady does that." "Talk or we leave." "It's the Families First Bill." "It's a difficult time for the president." "Gary, I am very good at my job, and even I can't get people to vote for that heap of mystery meat." "It's not that." "It's the opposite." "She wants it to go away." "So Selina needs to lose the vote and you want us to lobby members of Congress under the wire." "I am so glad I left." "She has gone full Colonel Kurtz." "Is she giving orders from under the desk?" "She doesn't even know about this, all right?" "And she's not gonna know about this." "Okay, well, in that case, I'm gonna say yes to this," " but for one reason only." " Loyalty?" " Money." " Can't you just do this for Selina?" " No." " Okay, well, I can't authorize that." "Well, get Ben to." "How'd you know Ben was involved?" " Okay." " Because he's not." " Right." " This is getting completely out of hand." "No, no, it isn't." "We just accepted your proposal and we'll be in touch with the figures." "Okay, all right." "Thank you." "No, no, no." "You want to blow our cover?" "Nobody shakes hands in a craft shop." "You know, at least three of these kids are probably mine." "Okay." "A big day for President Meyer as her beleaguered Families First Bill faces the final vote." " What are you doing?" " What?" "Why are the flowers in front of it?" "I can't see it if the flowers are there." " Ugh, God." " Oh, God." "No, no, let me get that, you sweet little invalid." "I'm not an invalid." "I'm completely fine." " These are empty." " I don't know how I got this." "From meeting people, I guess." "God, Gary, I wish to Jesus that you had gotten this flu instead of me." "Oh, my God, me, too." "Me, too." "All right, here we go." " Put it right there." " Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa." "She needs to nap." "She needs to nap." "And that is a Gary Walsh executive order." " Duly noted." " Gary, I'm completely fine, okay?" "I'm just working from home today." "My God." "Okay, coast is clear." "211 are voting against the bill." "Five undecided." "And we've got three yeses that we're working on turning around into nos." "So defeat is within our grasp." " Ma'am." " Yes?" "Here's an iPad with that voice memo app I like." "There's also a cool tile game on here if you want to play a game." " A what?" "A tile?" " Which, of course, you don't want to play." "Is that Families First?" "Yeah, it's really close, but we're doing our best to lose it." "Can I just restate how difficult me knowing this makes my job?" "Which is already extremely difficult." "We have to lose the vote to have a chance of winning the election." "We kill the bill, we end the criticism." "I'm the press secretary." "What I don't know, I can't lie about." "Including this, whatever this is." "You don't need to lie about this." "We're asking people to vote yes." "We're doing what we should be doing." "We're just doing it badly." " Oh!" " Bless you." "I think I just sneezed up part of my pancreas." "Don't worry, Mike." "We have a team of our worst people on this." "Cazzelli, Lennox." "The usual saps." "Jonah, Richard." "I didn't hear any of this because the acoustics are so bad." "Sue, this is a test memo." "Send memo." " What is this?" " It's a footstool." "Oh, yeah, I feel so much better." "Sir, this is a great bill." "And sometimes it takes a great man to see greatness." "Are you a great man?" "Title four, section seven negates the entire point of the legislation." "How did they write this thing?" "Get drunk and tape crayons to their feet?" "Well, what if I told you that was gone?" "But it isn't gone, is it?" " No, sir, it's still there." " But what if it was gone?" " Oh, that's a good point." " Thank you." "So you're the best the White House has to offer?" " Yes, sir." " Two giant children in their dads' suits." "Uh, sir, we have a folder full of numbers here, and I think you'll find these numbers just to be great, great numbers." "Saying what?" " Uh, Richard, what do the numbers say?" " You haven't read the numbers." "We've glanced at the numbers, sir, and at first glance they are very compelling." " You know where the door is." " Sir, if there's anything..." "Oh, wait." "You work for President Meyer." "You don't know where the door is." "I'll show you." " It's over here." " Sir, you may or may not know that I ran a multimillion-dollar website." "So if I can offer any web design or support..." "Sir, can I ask you how you're going to vote today?" "No." " Is that no as in I can't ask you or no as in..." "Hey, Sue, have you seen my bag?" "Whoa, whoa, whoa." "What's going on?" "This is my area." "She needs quiet." "What's going on?" "Put it right there in the corner." "Thank you." "No, no, no." "You can't do this." "You cannot do this." "Sue, I need you to set up an office outside the bedroom." "Okay." "You're not the only one who's important, Sue." "Gary." "Can I have a hot water with lemon and honey?" "See?" "You should get on that, Gary." "Uh, I know." "So, Tom, how are you finding our president?" "Oh, you know, presidential." "It's like she wants to run the whole damn country." "You know what?" "The last guy, he was the same way." "We agreed she's gonna stay president." "We have to do everything we can to stop that bill." "So are you?" "You know, you just started that last sentence with a "we"" "and you finished it with a "you."" "Are you making progress?" "Yeah, I'm on it." "I got Richard and Jonah..." "Ooh, Ben, I don't need to know what you're doing." "I just need to get it done." "Huge, huge fight." "Even the bride got involved." " No." " Amazing." "There is nothing like a Boston wedding." " Let me tell you that." " Wow, that was worryingly good, Tom." "I mean, that was some black belt jujitsu bullshit right there." "I have to go." "We'll take this up in eight minutes' time." " You are clear to go in." " You can't go in there." "Kent, you can come straight in." "If Gary tries to stop you, you can ignore him." "Well, I have a memo saying that she needs rest." " When was yours sent?" " When was yours sent?" "I asked you first." "I'll have to check my phone." "Ma'am, I know it's difficult when you're running the free world, but you should really get some rest." "Yeah, ahem, or maybe I can get a new doctor." "In which case I'll just say keep taking the fluids, ma'am." "Moyes is voting no." "Good news... for the other side." " That's so bad." " I know, I know." " So bad." " Yeah." "Have you heard about Moyes?" "It's incredible... how shortsighted some people can be." "Unbelievable." "Unbelievable, that's what we were saying." " I'll check back on you later, ma'am." " Okay, thank you." "Ahem." "Okay, congratulations, ma'am." "So great about Moyes." "We're now only four votes away from killing your bill." "I feel like I'm captain of the Titanic and I carved out the iceberg myself." "Okay, ma'am, I think you need to take a little power nap." " You need to rest, okay?" " Yeah, I think maybe I'm gonna rest." " Yeah, just rest your body." " Yeah." "Ma'am, are you ready for your next meeting?" " SecDef is here." " Okay, no." "It's okay." "I can sleep when I'm dead in about an hour." "There is nothing good to be said about Families First." "Not since Herod has there been a piece of legislation so damaging to average families." "Sir, if you want to help working families, this is not it." "This is akin to carrying out heart surgery with a pair of spoons." "I don't need to be ridden by you two lobby horses to know that this bill is a waste of bowel space." " Well, that's great." " Fantastic." "It is nice to meet somebody in politics who knows what he's talking about for a change." "Yeah, Congressman, I'm just gonna leave you now with some numbers." "And spoiler alert, they do not add up." "This is the same folder that Jonah Ryan had." "Wait, you met with Jonah Ryan?" "Six-foot waxwork and his cuddly boyfriend?" " That would be him." " So you don't work for the White House, but you have the same numbers." "Well, now I'm interested." "Now I am deeply fucking interested." "We have the same Office Depot folder as they do." "Call the "Washington Post." I smell conspiracy." "Okay, sure, so why is this one shaking like Elvis's leg?" "You know, I'm starting to get the feeling that Meyer wants her own bill to fail." "I think I've just reboarded the vote yes express." "Meyer is a stand-in president." "Don't you think it's time we have someone who is qualified?" "The president is qualified to be president because she is president." "Does your party have a candidate who is president?" "I like that." "Thank you, ma'am." "And again, thank you for joining us." "Oh, you're welcome." "Thank you." "Ahem." "We need to discuss the color of tie that Tom's gonna wear..." "I'm sorry, ma'am." "What was that?" "I didn't..." "Oh, no, I was just sending a memo." "I didn't want to keep interrupting all the time." "That is very considerate." "Thank you." "This is no way to run a civilized society." "I believe... what is that?" "It's a memo from the president." " Go ahead, it's not important." " It is important, Ben." "Every memo I send is important." "Send memo." "Jesus." "I'm not getting any memos." "Oh, now I am." "Go ahead, Tom." "Okay." "Well, Senator, to return to my..." "And you've got to be aggressive, though, you know?" "Man up here a little bit." " Be aggressive?" " Yeah." "I'm starting to get really angry, Senator." "I'm starting to feel that you're not really listening to me, Senator." "And I'm getting sick of your constant interruptions." "What the fuck?" "Moyes is voting yes?" "Moyes was 100% no." "Moyes was a no." "Ben, Moyes was supposed to be 100% no." "That's it." "I'm throwing the debate." "You win, pretend opponent." "Wait a second, Kent had a list who Jonah and Richard were seeing and you had a list who Dan and Amy were seeing?" "Did you not think to compare the lists?" "I have another list and you're right at the top of it, Gary, so don't you dare try to question my fucking methods." "Well, I on the other hand, do dare to question your fucking methods." "Well, Kent and I were running different parts of the operation." "So your people are going to see the same people as Jonah and Richard?" "One." "One of the same people." "Oh, one." "So one's okay." "We just let off one nuke at the Super Bowl." "Oh, so now you want to micromanage something that you didn't even want to be involved in." "I don't want to manage it, but don't you think we could maybe find someone competent who could?" "Okay, whatever it is, I don't need to know." "I'll tell you what's going on." "Jonah saw Moyes earlier today and Dan and Amy have, too." "And now Moyes is onto us." "Why did you just tell me that?" "This is so much worse for me." "I was the field agent who gave Dan and Amy the mission." "I was the messenger." "I could be shot." "This isn't about you, Gary." "Jesus, nothing here is ever about you." "I didn't hear any of this 'cause I have a really bad case of tinnitus, especially when discussing morally dubious things." "So it's kind of like sinnitus." "But I'm implicated." "I'm the linchpin." " I could go to jail!" " Shut up!" "No, you shut up." "You shut up." "And I will also shut up first." "Sue!" "Sue, I need to see the president." "She's in with the joint chiefs, Gary." "Is it that important?" "Listen, Sue, I'm involved with some stuff here." "Scary stuff like take it to your grave kind of stuff." "And that's the... that's the way I like it." "Okay, well, she'll be out in five." "Can it wait?" "Yeah, no problem." "No problem." "What if he checks our cover story?" "Like, what if he informs Congress?" "Dan, he's a congressman." "Congressmen never do anything they say they're gonna do." "How are you not freaking out about this?" "I'm kind of having fun." "I like having a cover story." "Makes me feel like a Charlie's Angel." "God, it was a rush!" "Yeah, but you're a control freak and this whole thing is out of control, so why aren't you freaking?" "Relax." "I'm finally having fun." "Let me." "Jesus, you know, I always thought the old Amy was kind of an uptight bitch, but now I sort of miss her." "You know, if I was uptight, I'd be offended by that." "In fact, I am offended." "You shouldn't call people bitches." "You shouldn't do that anymore." "Unless it's like "bitch" or something like that." " I'm sorry." " Excuse me." "Thank you for your service." "How was the meeting, sir?" "Very productive." "It's like something out of a political cartoon." "What, you mean not funny?" "Oh, my God." "How the hell did Moyes end up on two lists?" "I made it clear Ben should run all his list alterations past me." "No, mine was the master list." "Your list was a sub-list." "It was a sur-list, which means over-list." " Oh, fuck you." " Your earwax could bring down a president." "And I didn't even want to see Dan and Amy." "And now they're expecting money." " I didn't know that." " Money?" "Money?" "Gary, I said access only." "Yeah, now we're gonna have to divert funds from the campaign and that's fraud." "And then we're gonna have to destroy the evidence and that's conspiracy to commit fraud." "No, a cash trail is very fucking bad for us." " Oh." " Hey, hold on there, Hunk of the Month." "If I'm going down, you're going down, too." "I don't know what this is about." "Good point." "Dan and Amy." "They're getting paid cash from the campaign fund to bring down the bill." "There, you've been blooded." "So join the circle jerk." "Grab a dick." "Wish I could hear what you were saying over that incessant drilling sound." " What are you doing?" "Shh!" "What cash?" "What Dan and Amy?" "Ben's paying Dan and Amy to lobby against the bill and now there's a cash trail and we're all incriminated." "But you're not." "Oh, my God, now you are!" "Well done." "Now I feel a lot better." "Did you know, Tom?" "Ma'am, I am as shocked as you are." "Shocked and disappointed, Ben." "Ma'am, Moyes is voting yes." "Ruiz is voting yes." "This comes down to one vote." "We need Congressman Pierce." "My future depends on that dumb fucking elf?" "Jeez... where is he?" "I'm so proud of how brave you've been." "I was looking for some lotion, but they didn't..." "Hello, Congressman Pierce, Mrs. Pierce." "We are here from the White House on behalf of the Families First Bill." "Oh, yes." "Mom, the White House here to see me." "We need you to vote for the bill." "More importantly, the president needs you to vote for the bill." "The president?" "The president sent you here to talk to me?" "She used sentences containing your name." "Okay, I'm in." "I mean, yeah, absolutely." " Fantastic!" " Mom, the president needs me to..." "Oh, no, Joker and Penguin beat us to it." "Hey, guys." "You're here just in time to celebrate." "The congressman is going to vote yes on the Families First Bill." "It was a personal request from the president, so..." "Congressman, now, while I respect your decision, you do understand that the amendments to this bill will negatively affect your district." "Hardworking families don't want to support lazy ones." "And your support will shrink faster than a penis in the December Hudson." " Really?" " You shit-eating cocksuckers." " Whoa, whoa!" " I'm sorry, Mrs. Pierce." "How dare you come in here and try to strong-arm a person when he's sitting at his sick mother's bedside?" "That's exactly what you just did, dumbass." "Don't tell me what I did or did not just do." "Could you guys please keep the noise down?" "There's a lot of really sick people on this floor." "Yes, there are." "I see two very sick people." "Those two." "All right, ma'am, I've just spoken to Amy." "Her and Dan are with Pierce and his mom at the hospital." " But there's been a holdup." " Oh, God." "She's probably gonna die just to spite me." "That evil bitch." "And Richard and Jonah are there." "And I blame Kent and Bill for that." "Well, this is a long glass of frozen strawberry fuckup." "Hey, listen, Ben, you've got to do something." "I don't want to be a bagman for the toughest guy in D block." " All right, stop it, Gary." " Okay, look, get Pierce here." "Okay?" "Right now." "I'm gonna take control of this situation that I don't know anything about, right?" "Because I am the only one who seems to be..." "Capable." "Oh, God." "Is it possible to stop coughing?" "No!" " You are not taking him." " His jittery ass is mine." " Guys, I'm right here." " I'm sorry, your jittery ass is the president's." "You shouldn't even be here, Jonah, unless you're giving your brain to science." "I'm here on behalf of the president, Amy." "Do you remember her?" "She's the woman that would have fired you if you hadn't gone fucking Fukushima." "That's right, we're on a mission." "I am surprised the two of you even found your way out of your own mothers' vaginas." "Oh, my God, dude, I got out of there like I had a fucking map." "How about a little bit of consideration for a dying woman?" "Oh, I'm not dying." "I'm just here for some tests." "Okay, pipe down." "Wait, where's Pierce?" "Wait, where's Amy?" "No, no, no, no!" "No, no." " That's Amy." " Shit!" " Oh, my..." " Yeah, what a shame." "We should use this finger to wipe your tears." "Whoa." "No, no, no, no." "Dan, get out of my car." "Do you think I want to be in this fucking Minecraft piece of shit?" "I am an emissary of the president and I demand that you get out of my car." "You colossal fucking fanny pack." "You don't get it, do you?" "They only sent you 'cause they knew that you would fuck it up." "You're so stupid, you don't even know that you're being used for your stupidity." "That's bullshit, Dan." "I can tell from your eyes and because it's fucking bullshit." "Where's Richard?" " This isn't fucking over, Egan." " Just get in and drive, bitch." " Okay." "Shit." " Are you fucking kidding me?" " It's just a glitch." " Oh, this is your car, right?" " Yep." "See?" "Fixed it." "Okay." "You're backing up?" "Just fucking go straight." "I took a precision driving class, Dan." "I think I know what I'm doing." "Ma'am, we've lost Pierce." "I'm sorry." "We should have hired Navy SEALs instead of those two actual seals." "How do you lose a whole person?" "A cuff link I get, but not a person." "Okay." "She said she's losing her voice." "Just heard from a reporter who says Moyes thinks the White House hired lobbyists to destroy its own bill." " Oh, my God." " Jesus." "Mm-hmm." "Mm-hmm." "She said you fucked up, Ben." "And I'm mad as hell that you put Gary in the shit." "You need to get him out." " She didn't say that, Gary." " Yes, she did." "Everyone, shut your fucking holes!" "The president is not sick." " You guys are." "You're parasites." "You're like an infestation of mediocrity." "I don't care if you're a 1950s radio broadcaster." "You're Fozzie Bear who's been ripped up and used to smuggle heroin." "A Nazi doctor." "I don't even know what the fuck you are." "This is not about serving yourselves." "This is about serving the president." "So let's do that, shall we?" " Tom." " Tom." " Shut up, Gary." " Shut... mm-hmm." "I do the team talks, okay?" "You're absolutely right, ma'am." "And I agree with everything you just said." "So get it together, people!" "Yes, ma'am." "Find Pierce." "Call NASA." "They've got to have a satellite that can pinpoint a moron." "Yes, ma'am." "If you want to catch a fugitive, you got to think like a fugitive." " Where's he going?" " Uh, to the airport." "Why would he be going to the airport?" "To catch a plane, Dan." "You know, you could just hit the fucking gas, Jonah." "Dan, I'm not getting a ticket." "That's the kind of shit that comes back to bite you when you run for office." "Yeah, that's what's gonna hold you back." "Okay, new rule in the Cube." "If your name begins with D, you need to shut the fuck up immediately." "I'm fine because my name begins with an R." " Not if we shorten it to Dick." " Well, I mean..." " Oh, I think that's Amy." " Where?" "Jesus Christ, I'm in the back seat and I can fucking see her." "Oh, right there." "Okay, fine." " Congressman." " Oh, wow." "Well, this is freaky." "Look, I'm not hiding, just so you know." "Okay, Congressman, time to exit through the gift shop." "Okay, sir, you're gonna have to come with us." "Guys, my mom is too ill to be left alone right now." "I mean, I left her alone right now because she likes to read." "But she can't read right now because she's very sick." "But she might get better." "Or she might not get better." " She could be buried with a book." " We know she's not dying." " She's a fighter, is the thing." " Good for her." "As weird as it feels to still be saying this, the president would like to see you at the White House." "I feel like I'm about to kick it old school and die in office." "Quitting on a high." "Do you think I'm doing the right thing here?" "I mean, this is a good bill." "Even watered down, I think it's gonna make a difference in people's lives." "Ma'am, you're the president." "It's not for me to tell you what to do." "Yeah." "Guess I should kill it." "Is the right answer." "I'm cold." "It's actually about 110 in here." "There's no way it's warm in here." " Do you really feel warm?" " You could grow tomatoes in here." "Honestly, it is unbelievable." "Well, I can't make it cooler for you." "Well, we're taking the credit." "No, we're taking the credit." "How about a compromise?" "We'll take all the credit." " Well, perhaps we could split the bounty?" " What bounty?" "Well, I'm guessing there's no bounty, but..." "Dan, Amy, how are you?" "I'll take it from here." " I want to take in Pierce." " Whoa, whoa." "No, no, no." "We are not going into the White House and blowing our cover for this guy." "You can't come in." "That comes from the president." " Well, she's a bitch." " I'll tell her you said hi." "Hey, we got to get moving." "Hey, you guys." "Long time no see." "Jesus, Mike, they got you involved in this?" "You're the fucking press secretary." "Thank you." "That's what I've been saying." "I have no wish to be embroiled in this either." "It doesn't sit well with my policy of plausible deniability." "Let's get going." "I'll see you around." "And by that I mean please, stay away from me." "See you later, ghosts of staffers past." "Madam President, I brought you Congressman Pierce." "I brought him also, ma'am." "Richard Splett." "She already knows who you are." "You can go." "No, no, no." "Not you." "Not you." "We're such big fans." "I'm a big fan of yours." "Thank you, Madam President." "I am here to serve." "How can I help?" "The president needs you to do something for her." "And in exchange, she feels that you deserve a better job." " Yes." " Thank you." "Ambassador, perhaps." "How does that sound?" "Ambassador?" "Me?" "Oh, wow." "Not what I was expecting." "What's your favorite city?" "Dallas." "I love Dallas, Texas." "No, it needs to be a foreign city." "Oh, of course." "Ambassador." "Right." "Um, well, Paris, right?" "J'adore Paris." "I've never been, but it looks amazing." " No." " No, that's not gonna happen." " Oh, of course." " Do you have another..." "Well, I love Australia." "Down under." "And the president needs you to vote no on tonight's bill." "Are you guys... are you..." "Are you serious?" "Okay, the president, she wants me to vote against her bill?" " Am I being stupid here?" " Yes." "Yes." "No." "I mean, you're..." "No, you're not being..." "It's, yes, you need to vote no." "Okay, I can..." "love it." "Don't get it, but it's all right." "I just want to help." "But, yeah, just let me know where I'm going." " You need to know now?" " Yeah, that would be great." "What'd you say, ma'am?" "Mm-hmm." " Her voice is gone." " Yeah." "Was she able to say where I'm going?" "My posting?" "Uh-huh." "Mm-hmm." "Mm-hmm." "You can have Paris." " What?" " I can have Paris?" "Wow, thank you." " No, no, no." " Paris." " Congratulations." " Thank you." " Don't forget to vote, all right?" " Yes." "Yes." "Yes." "Yes." " No." "No." "No, no." "I mean, yes, I'm voting no." "It's an "otter."" "No, ma'am, Pierce went to vote." "And then he thinks he's off to Paris." "I said..." "I said no to Paris." "We'll call him after the vote, tell him it's Mogadishu." "He literally could have said anything." "For a moment, Gary was the most powerful person in the world." "That's hilarious." "Get me some soup." "Yep." "Uh-oh." "Thequestionis ,willthe House pass the bill as amended?" "This is a 15-minute vote." "Oh, my God." "My ass is killing me from that shot." "But I feel pretty good." "Really?" " Ma'am." " What?" "Oh, boy." "Here we go." "It's like I want my baby to live." "I don't want my baby to die." "Maybe think of it more of as a bill, which in a very real way is what it is." " Mm." " There's Pierce." "He even walks dumb." "Every time I see him, I hear circus music." "Come on, Owen." "It's your time to shine, you dim fucking bulb." " He voted no." "We lost the vote." " Oh!" "We are victorious in defeat." "We may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing." "Okay, so I lost the vote." "I won by not winning." "God, I don't know how I feel." "Apart from, like, having a raccoon take a shit in my head." "You should feel great, ma'am." "That was a solid, important defeat." "I'm gonna go change my clothes... croak to the nation, and then I'm going back to bed." "This is good." "Moyes is threatening to go to the floor for an official investigation into what happened today." " This is bad." " Mm-hmm." "I'm in the middle of this." "Does this mean I'm implicated, too?" "You know what." "Just say no even if it does." "Well, Gary, you said you were important." "I can testify to that." "Ben, this is one of those little hiccups that you said was not gonna happen, so I'm gonna leave this in your capable hands." "Mike, you have to deny this like you've never denied anything before." "So lie?" "The one thing I've been trying not to do?" "Look, I wouldn't ask you to do anything I wouldn't do myself." "And while that isn't true, find some comfort in it." " Okay, Gary?" " Nope." "I will work on putting forward a new, streamlined" "Families First Bill before Congress in the near future." "She sounds like an underwater Bob Dylan." "It is actually quite difficult to understand what she's saying." "Children from impending climate Armageddon." "Which may be a good thing." "And God bless America." "And we're out." "Thank you, ma'am." "Okay... oh." "Okay, thank you very much, guys." "Appreciate it." "Ooh, it's cold." "You think you could just pick this shit up tomorrow?" " Ma'am." " Yes, ma'am." "Oh, God." "Fuck you, America." "You have 14 new voice memos." "Oh, my God." "Mike, some old golfer died." "Do I need to say something?" "Next memo." "Kent, I just got your document." "I have no idea what any of this means." "Next memo." "Oh, okay, Kent." "I just found the glossary, so ignore that last message." "Next memo." "Ted, I've just read the glossory." "I have no idea of any of it means." "That's why I included the second glossory." "Next memo." "Mike, is it pissing you off I'm leaving all these messages?" "Yes." "Next memo." "Good, because it's pissing me off you're not answering any of these messages." "Next memo." "How do you leave a memo in your sleep?" " See you." " Next memo." "Mike, were you at work today?" "I don't remember seeing you." "Next memo." "Ben, Moyes is asking questions." "This isn't gonna lead to any kind of an investigation, is it?" "Memo deleted." "I fucking hope not." "Do you solemnly that the testimony you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God." "So help me God." "Yes, I do." " I do." " I do." " Yes, I do." " Absolutely."
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“Strengthening your character affects the way you see yourself and the actions you take. The actions you take...form your habits and your habits lead you to your destiny.” –Robin Sharma
Week 13
“Strengthening your character affects the way you see yourself and the actions you take. The actions you take...form your habits and your habits lead you to your destiny.” –Robin Sharma
Alicia's Musing
When I speak of my ‘transformation’, people automatically think of my 173 pound weight loss. It is a physical and visual change. I acknowledge that; I am smaller and healthier.
Yet, truly, the biggest transformation was in my state of mind: my perceptions, my attitudes, and then my priorities. What started out as an endeavour to become healthier, live longer and with more vitality, became an entire life change that encompassed my family, friends and work. I unearthed a passion for helping others choose a healthier path, and in that process found my life’s purpose.
You know when you love what you do. You can also see that in others. I live in that world now, and it feeds my inner fire.
My greatest happiness is helping others realize it is within their reality to find their life’s purpose too. Your journey may be big or small. Start with taking 10 minutes a day to think about your goals and passions. What is the meaning of your life?
Those 10 minutes a day could spark the transformation of your life.
When I speak of my ‘transformation’, people automatically think of my 173 pound weight loss. It is a physical and visual change. I acknowledge that; I am smaller and healthier.
Yet, truly, the biggest transformation was in my state of mind: my perceptions, my attitudes, and then my priorities. What started out as an endeavour to become healthier, live longer and with more vitality, became an entire life change that encompassed my family, friends and work. I unearthed a passion for helping others choose a healthier path, and in that process found my life’s purpose.
You know when you love what you do. You can also see that in others. I live in that world now, and it feeds my inner fire.
My greatest happiness is helping others realize it is within their reality to find their life’s purpose too. Your journey may be big or small. Start with taking 10 minutes a day to think about your goals and passions. What is the meaning of your life?
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Shell-shocked Mosul survivors tell of intense airstrikes
With the ground war now suspended as a result, families that have sheltered in ruins or taken their chances in what is left of their homes have been leavingMosulin droves, many arriving shell shocked and starving at refugee processing centres on its …
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After a long and challenging shoot with the dark feature SEED SPRANG! from the Mourning Son (when FATHER slew the fatted calf), we've finally wrapped production and are entering the arduous process of post-production (which will probably take about a year).
In the meantime... wrap party shenanigans! Thanks to my on-screen brother, Dan Tracy, for catching this moment of revelry on film:
A little context: every year I enter a short film into the Asian American Film Lab's 72 Hour Shootout. And now, our 2013 entry has been featured on the Asian American Film Lab's TV show Film Lab Presents. Very exciting.
The show airs on NYCMedia and is free to watch. Click below to check it out!
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The effect of inflatable obstetric belts in nulliparous pregnant women receiving patient-controlled epidural analgesia during the second stage of labor.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of inflatable obstetric belts on uterine fundal pressure in the management of the second stage of labor. Between July 2009 and December 2010, 188 nulliparous women with a singleton pregnancy at term were enrolled and only one dropped. The participants were randomized to receive either standard care (control group, n = 91) or uterine fundal pressure by the Labor Assister (Baidy M-520/Curexo, Inc., Seoul, Korea; active group, n = 97) during the second stage of labor in addition to standard care. The Labor Assister is an inflatable obstetric belt that is synchronized to apply constant fundal pressure during a uterine contraction. The primary endpoint was duration of the second stage of labor in women who delivered vaginally (control, n = 80 versus active, n = 93). It was not analyzed in women who delivered by cesarean section (n = 14) and delivered precipitously (n = 1). The secondary outcomes are perinatal outcomes and perineal laceration. Participants received patient-controlled epidural analgesia. The 93 women in the active group spent less time in the second stage of labor when compared to the 80 women in the control group (46.51 ± 28.01 min versus 75.02 ± 37.48 min, p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in perinatal outcomes and perineal laceration between the two groups. The uterine fundal pressure exerted by the inflatable obstetric belt reduces the duration of the second stage of labor without complications in nulliparous women who receive patient-controlled epidural analgesia.
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Movie Review F Atlas Shrugged Part II: The Strike Director John Putch Runtime 112 minutes Rating PG-13 Cast Samantha Mathis, Jason Beghe, Patrick Fabian
Dagny Taggart’s long journey back to The Shire continues, over the will of the free market, in Atlas Shrugged: Part II—The Strike, the middle installment of an epic six-hour temper tantrum based on Ayn Rand’s Objectivist novel. Picking up right where the last one left off—albeit with a new cast, a new director, and perhaps a little more fiscal discipline in the production budget— Part II hits the current political scene in stride, incorporating the Occupy Wall Street protests into its dystopian vision of makers and takers, the 1 percent who innovate and the 99 percent who sponge off the profits. As with Part I, Rand’s polemics translate awkwardly to drama, making robots out of another corral of veteran character actors. But the specific problem with Part II is that a second act of huffery and puffery don’t get it anywhere: After the cliffhanger of one major industrialist “going Galt,” it offers another two hours of major industrialists going Galt. Those who want to see what these geniuses do will have to wait until Part III. And until then, there’s a wedding-reception toast about the value of money to tide them over.
Proving the theorem from Todd Solondz’s Palindromes that different actors can play the same role without losing much continuity, Samantha Mathis plays Dagny with all the lifelessness Taylor Schilling brought to the original role. In Part I, Dagny revived the Taggart railway company—and her slumbering libido—by getting into business with Henry Reardon (now played by Jason Beghe), a steel-company magnate who laid down magic track across Taggart Tunnel, euphemistically speaking. But with gas prices spiking to $40 per gallon, unemployment on the rise, and global economic collapse imminent, the liberal government, with its Fair Share measures, wants a big piece of both businesses. While other geniuses drop out of society—leaving the cryptic note, “Who Is John Galt?”—Dagny and Henry continue to try to keep their businesses alive and serve the stupidheads who patronize them.
Part II introduces another piece of world-changing magic: a mysterious machine that can harness power from static electricity in the air, thus buffeting Atlas Shrugged’s capitalist utopia of mass transit and alternative energy sources. There’s also some scary business about an emergency government plan to force people to stay employed, shut down the patent office, and sign all inventions over to Big Brother. Atlas Shrugged is premised on the idea that the world only has a few true geniuses—great industrialists, inventors, musicians, and artists, too, albeit plainly none involved in the making of the Atlas Shrugged movies—and “going Galt” means they’re going to take their toys and go home. The arrogance of that is astounding, and it robs both parts of this adaptation of empathy, which is the primordial soup of good drama. Without it, Part II continues to leave Rand’s philosophy to function only in the abstract.
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Q:
How to display dropdown list depends on the another dropdown option in joomla 3.x
I am new to joomla 3,Creating a custom Joomla component. I want to display the product drodown list item based on the product category dropdown list item in admin side. All data loaded from DB..I have knowledge to do it core php but i didn't have idea in joomla 3.
How can I create the custom field type for the product category list and product list, how i called the ajax function when product category list item is changed
I didn't have idea how we call the ajax file using jquery when the product category list item is changed..
For Example:
<b>Please Product catgory</b><br/>
<select name="productcat" id="productcat">
<option value="">Select category</option>
<option value="1">productcategory1</option>
<option value="2">productcategory2</option>
<option value="3">productcategory3</option>
</select>
If productcategory1 selected then i want to display product dropdown items depends productcategory1 like wise:
<select name="product" id="product">
<option value="">choose product</option>
<option value="1">product1</option>
<option value="2">product2</option>
<option value="3">product3</option>
</select>
Please any one tell the solution for it..
A:
I have provided the jQuery Solution
$('select#two').prop('disabled', 'disabled');
$('select#one').change(function() {
$('select#two').prop('disabled', false);
});
JSFIDDLE DEMO
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Dow Jones, Oil Skimmer: Hot Trends
NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- Dow Jones Industrial Average is among the top searched phrases today after it broke a seven-day losing streak on Tuesday. The DJIA had a 57-point gain on the day following the holiday weekend.
No significant economic reports are due out today that could help shake the market from its recent doldrums, but investors can look ahead to Thursday when the Labor Department will release monthly June sales results.
Searches for information on the oil skimmers involved in the BP ( BP) oil spill cleanup effort in the Gulf of Mexico are on the rise this morning. BP has put 550 oil skimmers in the waters of the Gulf, and will add an additional 500 ships within the next few weeks.
Each day between 35,000 and 60,000 barrels of oil continue to gush into the Gulf of Mexico, while relief workers are able to contain or burn off only 25,000 barrels.
BP is now testing a Taiwanese-owned oil skimming vessel called A Whale, which would theoretically be able to filter 21 million gallons of oily water per day.
The chatter on Main Street (a.k.a. Google) is always of interest to investors on Wall Street. Thus, each day, TheStreet compiles the stories that are trending on Google, and highlights the news that could make stocks move.
The atmosphere at the George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston was ecstatic Thursday as oil prices are finally in a stable realm in which producers can increase profitability and begin to think about how to return cash to shareholders.
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Revised gun law passes in D.C.
WASHINGTON — The District of Columbia Council approved new firearms legislation Tuesday that will allow residents to begin applying for handgun permits this week.
The council's unanimous vote comes as officials try to comply with last month's U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down the city's 32-year-old ban on handguns. The emergency legislation will allow handguns to be kept in the home if they are used only for self-defense and carry fewer than 12 rounds of ammunition.
Handguns, as well as other legal firearms such as rifles and shotguns, also must be kept unloaded and disassembled, or equipped with trigger locks — unless there is a "reasonably perceived threat of immediate harm" in the home.
"This is not perfect legislation," said D.C. Council member Phil Mendelson, who worked with the mayor's office on the bill. "The first step is what we have before us today so that we maintain important provisions in our gun registration law while we continue to look at how we can further refine our gun registration law."
Gun rights groups, including the National Rifle Association, said at least some of the new regulations will likely be challenged. The bill that passed Tuesday maintains the city's ban of machine guns, defined as weapons that shoot at least 12 rounds without reloading, which applies to most semiautomatic firearms.
The emergency legislation will remain in effect for 90 days, and the council expects to begin work in September on permanent legislation. Though residents can begin applying for handgun permits this week, city officials have said the entire process could take weeks or months.
"It depends on what your situation is — whether you owned the gun before or purchased it outside the District of Columbia," police Chief Cathy Lanier said.
The process involves a written exam, proof of residency and good vision. Successful applicants must pay a registration fee and agree to fingerprinting and a criminal background check before obtaining a weapon.
Even with Tuesday's vote, Washington's gun regulations are among the strictest in the country, said Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. He said Chicago, where it is illegal to keep or sell handguns, now has the toughest ordinance, though the city faces a legal challenge after the Supreme Court ruling.
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