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President Donald Trump has insisted that a wave of protests held by National Football League players during the US anthem before games had "nothing to do with race".
He escalated his feud with American football after players staged their biggest anti-racism protest yet at London's Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
The protest, which was followed by more demonstrations in America, came hours after Mr Trump called for a boycott of the NFL as he vented his fury on Twitter throughout the day.
In a direct challenge to Mr Trump, two dozen players from the Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars went down on bended knee as the US national anthem was played while others, including the Jaguars owner Shad Khan, who is a Muslim, stood and locked arms.
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Update: The three-and-a-half hour hearing in the James Holmes/Aurora theater shooting case is over -- with no conclusion on a key issue of whether the prosecutors will have access to a package the suspect sent to his psychiatrist, Dr. Lynne Fenton, who was questioned at length today for the first time in the high-profile case.
The case will reconvene on September 20.
At the center of the arguments today, as we noted earlier, are questions about motive and insanity. The prosecution is working on gaining more access to information about Holmes -- including his educational records and details of the package he sent to Fenton -- in the hope of establishing some kind of motive, which would undermine the insanity defense. In response, Holmes' legal team is trying to keep all that information out of the case and today repeatedly argued that psychiatrist-patient privilege protected it.
The scene outside the court room before the hearing began.
Sam Levin
At the start of the hearing, both sides made arguments about the package in question, which centered on whether Holmes had a professional relationship with Fenton on July 19, before the shooting. The judge's interpretation of this factor will play a big part in determining whether the package is ultimately protected under privilege.
"[Holmes] is the only one that can waive that privilege," Tamara Brady, Holmes' public defender, said at the start of the hearing, later adding, "A mental health provider needs the trust of the patient."
Richard Orman, with the prosecution, argued in his first speech at the hearing that the package did not fall under the privilege rule, since Holmes no longer had a professional relationship with Fenton when he sent the package.
"The [defendant] did not intend for this to be a confidential communication," he said, also noting that if someone sends a Christmas card to a psychiatrist, that wouldn't be protected by privilege, either.
"He intended that Dr. Fenton would know about the bombs in the apartment, the deaths in the movie theater, all of it," he said.
In other words, the prosecution argued, there was no expectation of a continuing therapeutic relationship in the act of sending the package. The defense, however, countered that reaching this conclusion required a large stretch -- and that there is no way to know the intentions of Holmes, who sat quietly during the hearing, never saying a word.
Daniel King, defense attorney for Holmes, arrives to the courtroom.
Sam Levin
And trying to find out more about the package, the defense argued, would violate privilege.
When Fenton was brought in and questioned by Karen Pearson, another prosecutor, the defense objected to nearly every question she was asked, saying each violated privilege -- and Judge William Sylvester consistently made clear that if there were any doubt, Fenton should not feel compelled to comment.
"I do not want to get into privileged information," he said at one point.
On several occasions, Brady raised a hypothetical, saying that even if the professional relationship had been terminated, if Holmes or any patient were to reach out to a former psychiatrist saying they needed help again or wanted medication, for example, the communication would become privileged.
Pearson, though, argued that "it is their [the defense's] burden to establish that there was a privileged relationship."
For her part, Fenton said that the professional relationship between her and Holmes ended on June 11. During her questioning by the prosecution, she also revealed that she had a conversation with CU Police on that day about "a patient" and that she was aware Holmes's CU access card was revoked the following day.
A lot of the questioning directed at Fenton devolved into confusing verbal gymnastics, with the prosecution trying to ask questions in ways that would not violate privilege and prompt defense objections. At one point, Pearson asked Fenton to describe the ways in which a psychiatrist's relationship could be terminated and Fenton gave three examples: The patient could decide he or she doesn't want to come back, the two parties could agree that treatment is no longer needed or the physician could move away or make some other change that would prevent further treatment.
After much questioning, Fenton, who remained calm and emotionless -- giving concise answers and often pausing before speaking -- said that her professional relationship with Holmes ended in one of those three ways, but she would not say which.
After the first fifteen-minute recess, the judge concluded that the professional relationship existed on June 11, and though Fenton said it ended on that day, there was insufficient evidence to conclude that the package didn't fall under the protection of the privilege rule.
In other words, he seemed to be supporting the defense, though the hearing was only about halfway through at that time.
The bottom line for the prosecution, according to Pearson: "If the relationship is terminated, there is no privilege."
Continue reading for more details from the hearing and our original dispatches.
In questioning Fenton after the judge made this announcement, Pearson moved on to broader questions that ultimately didn't appear to push the case forward as it relates to the package.
The prosecution, after Fenton was excused, brought in an agent with the law enforcement arm of the Postal Service and an Aurora Police Department official to discuss the actual sending and discovery of the package at CU. Both witnesses ended up being fairly inconsequential and the defense repeatedly argued that they were irrelevant to the question of privilege.
The prosecution also brought in Steve Beggs, an agent with the ATF , to discuss Holmes' purchase of weapons, which the defense argued, and the judge agreed, was irrelevant.
Tamara Brady, public defender for James Holmes, arrives.
Sam Levin
The persistence of the prosecution in arguing that Holmes' package could not be considered a professional psychiatric communication prompted a somewhat dramatic hypothetical from the defense, with Brady arguing that in theory the package could have come with a note that said: "I am feeling bad.... Please stop me.... If you get this package, do something.... Help me."
Update, 5:35 p.m. August 30: The latest hearing in the James Holmes/Aurora theater shooting case has come to an end with the central issue of whether or not prosecutors will get access to a package the suspect sent to his psychiatrist, Dr. Lynne Fenton, unresolved. Judge William Sylvester has scheduled another court session for 9 a.m. on September 20 to tackle the topic again -- but today, he typically supported the defense, which considers the package to be privileged information.
After a second recess, Fenton returned to the stand yet again, prompting Sylvester to joke that her repeated in-and-out trips were part of the court's exercise program. The line drew a laugh from the audience, and once the hearing was over, several reporters said they'd seen Holmes join in with a chuckle.
During Fenton's third stint of testimony, the defense continued to object to questions posed by the prosecution, consistently arguing that the information being sought was privileged because of the doctor-patient relationship between her and Holmes, which she said had ended on June 11.
Fenton was followed to the stand by additional witnesses, including representatives from the ATF, the U.S. Postal Service and the Aurora Police Department. Holmes's public defenders also objected to the questions put to these individuals, asserting that the questions being asked were not relevant to the issue of privilege. Prosecutors countered that they were simply trying to establish whether or not Holmes thought he had a professional relationship with Fenton at the time. In general, Sylvester did not endorse these contentions.
The prosecution noted that among the witnesses who may be called at the September 20 hearing is a person who had an online exchange with Holmes prior to the massacre during which the suspect made a reference to being in prison. This note suggests to prosecutors that Holmes had intent to commit the crime for which he's charged and therefore was not planning to maintain his professional relationship with Fenton.
The hearing lasted three-and-a-half hours, and while Sylvester hasn't definitively established that the prosecutors will never get access to the package at the center of the hearing -- one that may contain a notebook with plans and sketches for the attack on the Aurora Century 16 -- they know it's off-limits for at least the next three weeks.
Update, 4:15 p.m. August 30: Judge William Sylvester has ruled that a package sent on July 19 by accused Aurora theater shooter James Holmes to Dr. Lynne Fenton, who'd cared for him professionally as a psychiatrist, is to be considered privileged information, at least for now. The reason, Sylvester said, is because there is not sufficient evidence at this point to prove the nature of their doctor-patient relationship on that date, even though Fenton has said repeatedly that it ended on June 11.
The case is continuing at this writing. A short time ago, Fenton underwent lengthy questioning from prosecution, during which the defense continued to object to nearly every question, saying it violated privilege.
Photos of sketches showing Dr. Lynne Fenton testifying.
Sam Levin
Under questioning, Fenton revealed that she had been aware that Holmes's access card to the Anschutz Medical Campus, the CU facility where he had previously studied as a member of the neuroscience program, had been revoked. She also noted that she had talked to an officer about a patient back in June.
Fenton also said that she received a July 22 voicemail about the package from a public defendant investigator, who asked that she return it to the defense. She responded by calling her own attorneys.
She was also asked a hypothetical question: If she had received the package after the shooting, would she have opened it? No, she wouldn't have, she answered -- because of the attack.
Original post, 2:53 p.m. August 30: At this writing, the latest hearing in the James Holmes/Aurora theater shooting case is ongoing. But the first part of the session featured significant events, including two appearances by Dr. Lynne Fenton, the psychiatrist who'd been caring for the man accused of killing twelve people and injuring 58 at the Century 16. Judge William Sylvester described the main debate, over when Fenton's doctor-patient relationship with Holmes ended, as a "conundrum."
The importance of this matter pertains to a package Holmes sent to Fenton the day before the July 20 attack and only discovered afterward.
When questioned, Fenton, who left the courtroom once only to be called back again, said she had a professional relationship with Holmes on [correction] June 11, but added that it had been terminated that day.
Does that mean this relationship, and the doctor-patient privilege connected to it, no longer existed on July 19, when the package was sent? That's the argument of the prosecution, which would like to have access to what's inside -- reportedly a notebook that may include sketches and plans related to the massacre. But Holmes's attorneys maintain that doctor-patient privilege still was in effect on July 19, although they contend that they need a closed hearing in order to present evidence proving it.
After Fenton entered the courtroom, she was asked to identify Holmes, and she pointed to him. Otherwise, however, there was no communication, nonverbal or otherwise, between the psychiatrist and the suspect. He has been silent throughout the hearing thus far, not speaking to his attorneys or anyone else. He appears to be alert and wide-eyed, however.
The legal issues raised to date are complex, and Holmes's defense attorneys regularly objected during the conversations between prosecutors and Fenton, claiming any answers she might provide would violate doctor-patient privilege.
At one point, public defender Tamara Brady, representing Holmes, said, "A mental health provider needs the trust of the patient." Speaking about governing statutes, she added, "It is not the intent of the legislature to put that burden on the patient" to figure out whether or not something is privileged. Her view: "All communication between Dr. Fenton and Mr. Holmes is privileged...including the package."
After about an hour, Judge Sylvester called for a fifteen-minute recess. Look for more updates from the courtroom soon.
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Nicole Phipps and Denny Shrove were arrested after a Laramie Police officer searched Phipp's car and found methamphetamine in two different forms, court documents state.
According to the affidavit, an officer noticed a vehicle parked on the side of the road in Laramie. The officer noticed that Phipps, who was in the driver’s side of the vehicle, seemed to panic when he drove by. The officer pulled up behind Phipps car and interviewed Phipps and her passenger, who was later identified as Denny Shrove. The officer noted that both of the occupants of the car were nervous and both initially gave false names.
A K-9 unit was called and the dog alerted to the driver’s side door of the car. A search was conducted on the vehicle and the officer located a syringe filled with a clear liquid substance and a small jeweler’s bag filled with a crystalline substance, according to court documents. The officer identified the substances as methamphetamine.
Phipps and Shrove were arrested and taken to the Albany County Detention Center, where they were both searched. Law enforcement found a used syringe containing liquid meth in Shrove’s pocket and a prescription Tramadol Hydrochloride pill in Phipp’s pants.
Phipps was charged with possession of liquid methamphetamine and Shrove was charged with possession of methamphetamine as a third or subsequent offense.
The two will be sentenced following a pre-sentence investigation. Shrove faces a possible maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The maximum possible sentence for Phipps is seven years and a $15,000 fine.
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A polycistronic microRNA cluster, miR-17-92, is overexpressed in human lung cancers and enhances cell proliferation.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs, thought to be involved in physiologic and developmental processes by negatively regulating expression of target genes. We have previously reported frequent down-regulation of the let-7 miRNA family in lung cancers and, in the present study, assessed alteration in a panel of 19 lung cancer cell lines. As a result, we found for the first time that the miR-17-92 cluster, which comprises seven miRNAs and resides in intron 3 of the C13orf25 gene at 13q31.3, is markedly overexpressed in lung cancers, especially with small-cell lung cancer histology. Southern blot analysis revealed the presence of increased gene copy numbers of the miRNA cluster in a fraction of lung cancer cell lines with overexpression. In addition, we were able to show predominant localization of C13orf25 transcripts within the nucleus and introduction of the expression construct of the miR-17-92 cluster, but not the putative open reading frame of C13orf25, enhancing lung cancer cell growth. These findings clearly suggest that marked overexpression of the miR-17-92 cluster with occasional gene amplification may play a role in the development of lung cancers, especially in their most aggressive form, small-cell lung cancer, and that the C13orf25 gene may well be serving as a vehicle in this regard.
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Many wells produce from a hydrocarbonaceous bearing formation which also produces formation water. Often this water is rich in minerals. These minerals have a tendency to precipitate out of solution when said water encounters lowered wellbore temperatures during production or when the water mixes with water from another source. Frequently, these precipitates form scale which deposit on downhole metal surfaces. In addition to downhole metal surfaces, said scale can also build up in conventional well completions and in gravel packs if the mixing, temperature and pressure conditions are within a certain range. Many scales so deposited are not readily reactive with acid solutions or other solvents. In some instances the scale must be removed by mechanical means, such as scrapers.
Therefore, what is needed is a method to remove scale from a wellbore, downhole production equipment, formation perforations, or near well flow channels which method will not cause damage when removing the adhering scale.
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Pollution and ecological risk assessment of nutrients associated with deposited sediments collected from roof and road surfaces.
Surface-deposited sediment in urban areas is an essential environmental medium for assessing nutrient contamination. The total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) pollution associated with surface-deposited sediments can be transported into urban water bodies by runoff and can cause eutrophication of those water bodies. By analyzing the samples collected on roof surfaces and road surfaces, this study provides a comparison of the differences in TN and TP pollution loading in sediments on these two different impervious surface materials. Also, an assessment of the ecological risk of nutrients in surface-deposited sediments with respect to grain size fraction was performed. The results indicate that the TN and TP pollution loading in both road-deposited sediments and roof-deposited sediments indicated an asymmetric "W" trend along with grain size fraction, and both road-deposited sediments and roof-deposited sediments had the highest TN and TP pollution contribution when the particle size is between 250 and 500 μm. TN in roof-deposited sediments has high ecological risk when the particle size is less than 250 μm. These findings help to provide guidance for the management of surface-deposited sediment pollution.
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2007-2010
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Be Careful What You Wish For
For a long time, I despaired of ever having a fully equal partner, one who did exactly as much work as I did around the house and never expected me to do one bit more. Now, I’ve got one. This pretty much means we live in a filthy apartment and only eat food that people bring to us in cardboard and plastic. Turns out two times zero is zero. Oops.
Well, Al does a lot of laundry, and I try to Swiff and/or vacuum the dog hair before it gets organized and attacks, and somehow, the dishes eventually get done and the sheets and towels get changed and the toilet gets cleaned–albeit all of those things on a schedule that is undoubtedly preventing my mother’s soul from resting peacefully. Our theoretical standards are different–I was mortified to learn he invited a friend over last weekend while I was out; it certainly wasn’t company-clean, to my mind–but our practical standards are pretty similar, so it works. Basic hygiene is taken care of, and we’ll both get around to the clutter when we get sick of tripping over it, so we don’t fight about the state of the apartment, which is refreshing.
Cooking, however, is another story. Neither one of us is a talented or experienced cook, and neither one of us could stand doing it every night. One of us, though–who happens to me–enjoys doing it sometimes. And you’ll note I said “enjoys,” not “doesn’t mind” or “can tolerate.” I like cooking, when I feel like it–it’s just that that’s not very often.
Problem is, Al does not like it, and will not do it. That in itself is not a problem–I don’t care, don’t expect him to, and don’t feel in any way cheated because I occasionally do something he doesn’t. The problem is that he’s so concerned with keeping this relationship equal, he actually discourages me from cooking.
The other night, I decided to make baked potatoes with a bunch of crap on them for dinner. Just about as simple as it gets: put taters in hot box for one hour, chop vegetable crap, open packages of fatty crap, et voila. He was willing to let me go to that much effort without getting antsy about his lack of reciprocation. But then came the bacon issue…
Before I went to the store, I asked him what he wanted on his potato. He listed the usual suspects, including “Bac-Os.”
And so I bought Bac-Os for him and real bacon for me. Then he came into the kitchen while I was cooking the bacon for me.
Al: Wait, you’re actually making real bacon?
Me: Yeah.
Al: Oh… Can I have some of that?
Me: Of course, but why the hell did I buy Bac-Os?
Al: ‘Cause I wanted bacon, but I didn’t want to put you to a ridiculous amount of trouble.
Yes, folks, slapping bacon strips in a pan and flipping them once or twice constitutes a “ridiculous amount of trouble” in this house.
It’s sweet of him, really–and infinitely preferable to a guy who expects my vagina to produce a wholesome home-cooked meal every night–but for crying out loud, it’s okay to be “unequal” sometimes. Isn’t it?
I mean, Al has upgraded the technology in this apartment to levels I literally did not know were currently attainable. I can hit a button at the top of my keyboard and watch TV on my computer screen right now, if I feel like it. And if I use his wireless card, I can go anywhere with this computer and watch TV the same way. Before I met him, I not only didn’t know Slingboxes existed, I didn’t know wireless cards existed. The boy’s earned a couple strips of bacon with that shit.
Furthermore, because my computer’s a piece of shit, and I don’t remotely understand it, I e-mail or IM him with tech questions at least once a week. He hates it when people do that to him, but I get to cash in my special girlfriend points and receive patient answers anyway.
There’s stuff he knows that I don’t, and stuff I know that he doesn’t. And actually, more precisely, it’s usually that there’s stuff he’s motivated to know that I’m not, and vice versa. He most certainly has the intelligence to make a passable spinach lasagne, and I most certainly have the intelligence to divine the correct sequence of buttons to make our new living room TV go. As it is, though, only I know how to do the former and only he knows how to do the latter. Before the Slingbox, I just didn’t watch TV when he wasn’t here, which never seemed like a huge sacrifice to me. And if he wants spinach lasagne, he’ll pay a trained professional to provide it. It’s not that we can’t learn, or refuse on principle, it’s that we see no compelling reason to. I could live happily without a TV; he could live happily without anything except beer in the fridge, ever. Other way around, not so much.
Unfortunately, our respective lacks of motivation correspond with traditional gender expectations. Bleh. And because Al is not an asshole, he understands that traditional gender expectations traditionally lead to the woman getting fucked over somehow. And so he is wary of the technology-for-bacon exchange.
I can see why, sort of. My mother was famous for throwing hissyfits about how my father expected his dinner on the table by 6 every night, and then he’d always complain about her not making the right thing. In reality, it was her dad, not mine, who was that kind of asshole. My dad’s pretty much a goat, and as long as somebody’s pouring Scotch, he’s in no rush to get to the table. But my mom’s baggage was so heavy that “Okay, I’ll just have another drink” meant, “I’M GOING TO DROWN MY SORROWS BECAUSE MY DINNER’S NOT READY, YOU WORTHLESS BITCH” and “Please pass the salt” meant “CAN’T YOU MAKE ANYTHING TASTE GOOD?”
Yet she would never have dared not to cook every night, because she came of age in the ’50s, and because one time, she left my dad in charge of feeding my brother and sister, and he gave them each a bowl of hot tap water and saltines. (“Soup.” No lie.) So she did it for forty years and increasingly resented the fuck out of my dad–who would never have thought to shift for himself in that respect, except when he got to play with an open fire–and so yeah, dinner fucking sucked at my house. Al’s particular experience was different, but shot through with the same fundamental yuck factor, so we’re both excessively wary of anything that bears a passing resemblance to that sort of pattern.
BUT. I’m totally confident that there’s no danger of my growing to resent Al for consistently eating my cooking without contributing any of his own, for the simple reason that I have no intention of cooking consistently. The important thing to me, equality-wise, is that he doesn’t expect me to cook, any more than I expect him to.
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Cookies on the Arsenal WebsiteWe use cookies to improve your browsing experience and help us improve our websites. For more information, please click here. By continuing to use our website, you agree to our use of such cookies.
Bracewell-Smith is Honorary Vice-President
Arsenal Football Club is delighted to announce that Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith has been confirmed as an Honorary Vice-President of the Club.
Lady Nina spent three years on the Arsenal board of directors from April 2005 to December 2008. Her family has been actively involved in the Club for more than 70 years.
Lady Nina’s father-in-law, Sir Guy Bracewell-Smith, was on the Board of Directors from May 1953 to September 1976. Sir Guy was the son of the former Arsenal Chairman Sir Bracewell-Smith, who was a board director from 1938 and Chairman from 1948 to 1962.
Arsenal Chairman Peter Hill-Wood said: “We are delighted that Lady Nina is becoming an Honorary Vice-President of the Club. This is in recognition of Lady Nina’s contribution during her time as a director and also the important role the Bracewell-Smith family played in the Club’s development.”
The appointment does not change the structure of the current Board of Directors.
Copyright 2015 The Arsenal Football Club plc. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source1 Mar 2012
Please ensure that you enter your parents email address and click here to review our privacy policy for those who are under 13. Please note that an email address can only be used once to register as a Digital Member so you cannot register for both an adult and junior membership under the same email address.
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The success of BP's latest attempt to completely cap its leaking oil well isn't just important to the ecosystem and residents of the Gulf of Mexico who have suffered 82 days of devastating pollution. There are two very good reasons why BP needs this to work.
Firstly, crunch time is approaching for BP's only remaining option for permanently capping the leak -- the relief wells. The drilling of a relief well, which intersects the original well bore deep beneath the ground and pumps it full of heavy mud and cement to kill the leak, is a tried and tested oil industry technique. It's also very challenging.
BP's drilling engineers must intersect perfectly with a well bore around seven inches in diameter some 18,000 feet below them. Imagine trying to pick up a pea in the end of a mile long drinking straw and you've got some idea of the level of the challenge.
The last time a relief well was drilled to cap an oil leak -- the Montara rig blowout off the northwest coast of Australia late in 2009 -- it took five attemps over the course of a month to hit the well bore. Given the level of public outrage in the U.S., it's hard to imagine people sitting patiently if BP faces a similar timetable in its efforts to kill the leak. However, if the company can demonstrate that the cap is preventing all of the oil leaking into the Gulf, it will have far more breathing space to get the job done.
Secondly, if BP is able to capture 100% of the oil leaking from the Macondo well, for the first time it will be able to accurately answer the controversial question -- just how big is the leak. This may seem academic to the people who can see with their own eyes oil that has washed onto their beaches, but it is crucial in determining how many billions of dollars BP will pay in fines.
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Circles within circles,
circles
in the lobby.
Big wheels, little one's using all that oil.
Met-Mat Science cam-e to rescue;
almost a hobby,
As the Macintosh-gaberdine* impermeable
Saved the day, alike, for man and animal;
need a Bobby?**
Pointing the way, from useless toil
Met-Mat Science cam-e to the rescue:
a doctor's. hobby?
Explaination due to the global nature of a web site for professional
chemists...all nationalities. There are one or two other such short verses
in "Conversations on Innovations - Le Tour de France". also on ChemWeb
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[Transhepatic embolization of oesophageal varices (author's transl)].
Embolization of the aeso-cardiotuberositary varices, by selective catheterization of the coronary vein of the stomach and the posterior gastrics, seems to be valuable palliative treatment in portal hypertension, owing to its relative innocuousness, inspite of a certain number of failures. It is carried out by transhepatic puncture of the portal system or catheterization of the umbilical vein.
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Bearish crab has completed
We can see that bearish crab has been finished. With that being said we can await price testing all level in possible reversal zone, so we could experience price reaching 2.618 level of ABC fibo. expansion. Once all levels in PRZ are tested and we have some secondary confirmation ( RSI declining through 70 level from upside, RSI and-or stochastic divergence) we can experience price going down.
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using System;
using System.ComponentModel;
namespace System.Net.Sockets
{
//introduced for supporting design-time loading of System.Windows.dll
[Obsolete("This API supports the .NET Framework infrastructure and is not intended to be used directly from your code.", true)]
[EditorBrowsable(EditorBrowsableState.Never)]
public class HttpPolicyDownloaderProtocol
{
//introduced for supporting design-time loading of System.Windows.dll
[Obsolete("This API supports the .NET Framework infrastructure and is not intended to be used directly from your code.", true)]
[EditorBrowsable(EditorBrowsableState.Never)]
public HttpPolicyDownloaderProtocol(Uri appUri, IPAddress address) { }
//introduced for supporting design-time loading of System.Windows.dll
[Obsolete("This API supports the .NET Framework infrastructure and is not intended to be used directly from your code.", true)]
[EditorBrowsable(EditorBrowsableState.Never)]
public void Abort() { }
//introduced for supporting design-time loading of System.Windows.dll
[Obsolete("This API supports the .NET Framework infrastructure and is not intended to be used directly from your code.", true)]
[EditorBrowsable(EditorBrowsableState.Never)]
public void BeginDownload(SecurityCriticalAction callback) { }
//introduced for supporting design-time loading of System.Windows.dll
[Obsolete("This API supports the .NET Framework infrastructure and is not intended to be used directly from your code.", true)]
[EditorBrowsable(EditorBrowsableState.Never)]
public void DownloadCallback(IAsyncResult ar) { }
//introduced for supporting design-time loading of System.Windows.dll
[Obsolete("This API supports the .NET Framework infrastructure and is not intended to be used directly from your code.", true)]
[EditorBrowsable(EditorBrowsableState.Never)]
public void ReadCallback(IAsyncResult ar) { }
//introduced for supporting design-time loading of System.Windows.dll
[Obsolete("This API supports the .NET Framework infrastructure and is not intended to be used directly from your code.", true)]
[EditorBrowsable(EditorBrowsableState.Never)]
public static void RegisterUnsafeWebRequestCreator(IUnsafeWebRequestCreate creator) { }
//introduced for supporting design-time loading of System.Windows.dll
[Obsolete("This API supports the .NET Framework infrastructure and is not intended to be used directly from your code.", true)]
[EditorBrowsable(EditorBrowsableState.Never)]
public SocketPolicy Result { get { throw new PlatformNotSupportedException(); } }
}
//introduced for supporting design-time loading of System.Windows.dll
[Obsolete("This API supports the .NET Framework infrastructure and is not intended to be used directly from your code.", true)]
[EditorBrowsable(EditorBrowsableState.Never)]
public delegate void SecurityCriticalAction();
//introduced for supporting design-time loading of System.Windows.dll
[Obsolete("This API supports the .NET Framework infrastructure and is not intended to be used directly from your code.", true)]
[EditorBrowsable(EditorBrowsableState.Never)]
public class SocketPolicy
{
}
}
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Rohingya in Bangladesh Vulnerable to Incoming Monsoon
Rohingya in Bangladesh Vulnerable to Incoming Monsoon
Rohingya refugees are facing fresh turmoil as the monsoon season fast approaches in Bangladesh.
Some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have lived in refugee camps there since last August, after fleeing neighboring Myanmar.
They escaped from soldiers and gunfire, mobs that stormed through their villages, killing, raping, and burning.
Living in clusters of bamboo and plastic huts, built amid endless waves of steep hills, the refugees are ill-equipped for a deluge that, in an average year, dumps anywhere from 40 to 60 centimeters of rain per month.
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Children among a dozen killed in twin attacks as Afghan leaders and Taliban commit to ‘zero’ civilian deaths in Qatar.
Government forces in Afghanistan have killed several civilians in two separate attacks, hours after Afghan leaders and Taliban representatives resolved to end non-combatant casualties at a meeting in Qatar.
An air raid at a village in northern Baghlan province killed a mother and her six children on Tuesday, according to provincial council member Shamsulhaq Barakzai.
The attack came shortly after a two-day intra-Afghan dialogue concluded in Qatar’s capital Doha, where the delegates agreed on a road map for peace in war-torn Afghanistan.
In a statement, the Afghan defence ministry acknowledged that seven members of a family were killed in the air attack, which it said was carried out for “the elimination of the enemy”.
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The statement, which added that the ministry had assigned a team to investigate the incident, came after residents of Kotub Khiel village carried the seven dead bodies to the provincial capital of Pul-e-Kumri and blocked traffic in protest.
Children among the dead
Hikmat, a neighbour of the family, told Al Jazeera that the father, a farmer identified as Ismael, was wounded in the raid and was undergoing treatment in a local hospital.
“Unfortunately, Ismael’s house was hit in the air attack, which killed his wife and children on the spot,” Hikmat said.
“For 15 years, everything he (Ismael) said he did was for those children, and now they are dead and his life has no meaning,” he said.
Meanwhile, two doctors, two patients and a guard were killed in an overnight raid by Afghan security forces on a hospital in Wardak province, Haji Akhter Mohammad, head of the provincial council, told Al Jazeera.
“It is with great sorrow that I have to say a hospital was raided, where two patients died,” he said.
“Hospitals, schools and homes are being targeted in this war. There has to be a mutual understanding on this from all sides involved in the war in Afghanistan.”
Security forces also arrested a doctor working at the hospital, which is based in the Tangi Syedan area of Daimirdad district and funded by the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan.
The authorities have given no explanation for the raid or the arrest of the doctor.
Between January and March this year, air operations by Afghan and international forces have caused at least 145 deaths, accounting for nearly 25 percent of the total deaths during that period, UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in its quarterly report in April.
Women and children comprised half of those casualties (145 deaths and 83 injuries), according to the UN agency.
Grim reality despite truce efforts
The deadly attacks highlighted the grim reality faced by Afghan civilians, despite an escalation in efforts to bring the various actors involved in the country’s long-running war to the negotiating table.
The intra-Afghan meeting in Doha – sponsored by Qatar and Germany – between Afghan politicians, civil society members, including women, and the Taliban was seen as a substantive step in that direction.
In a joint statement issued early on Tuesday, the two sides pledged to “minimise civilian casualties to zero” and guarantee the security of public institutions such as schools, religious centres, mosques and hospitals.
Meanwhile, the latest round of talks between the United States and the Taliban to explore ways to end the 18-year Afghanistan war also concluded in Doha on Tuesday.
US special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, posted on Twitter that he was headed to China before returning to Washington to “report and consult” on the Afghan peace process.
The US-Taliban talks are aimed at hammering out details of a framework agreement reached in January, which includes a timeline for US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, a ceasefire and a Taliban guarantee to not allow foreign forces to use the country as a staging ground for foreign attacks.
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Sir,
Conventional approaches to the anterior and lateral skull base would necessarily include a large craniotomy and possibly an orbitozygomatic osteotomy.\[[@ref1][@ref2]\] Approach-related complications include visible scars, increased blood loss during surgery, facial and orbital ecchymosis, and long-term problems such as temporalis muscle atrophy and painful jaw opening.\[[@ref2]\] Many skull base lesions can be easily accessed via a minimally invasive keyhole craniotomy using an eyebrow incision. This approach is effective in minimizing surgical trauma, hospital stay, and long-term morbidity.\[[@ref3][@ref4]\]
We reviewed the records of all patients operated via the supra-brow approach over the past 5 years in our center. A total of 29 patients had been operated via this approach. Their ages ranged between 1 and 64 years; there were 19 adults and 10 children; 17 patients were males. Fifteen patients were operated for aneurysms and 14 patients for other lesions \[[Table 1](#T1){ref-type="table"}\].
######
Details of the various lesions operated and the surgical outcomes
All except one giant cavernous segment aneurysm presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage. All patients were operated in the early postrupture period (\<5 days); the subarachnoid space was thus filled with dense clots in all instances \[[Figure 1](#F1){ref-type="fig"}\]. We did not, however, have to use lumbar cerebrospinal fluid drainage in any of the cases. Intraoperative rupture occurred in 2 cases; the bleeding could be controlled by rapid temporary clipping of the parent vessel in both instances. In the tumor group, gross total excision could be achieved in 12 of the 14 patients \[[Figure 2](#F2){ref-type="fig"}\]. In 2 patients with craniopharyngioma, tumor residue was left due to dense adhesions to the optic chiasm and hypothalamus. Both these patients received imaging-guided radiotherapy subsequently.
{#F1}
{#F2}
The duration of the surgical procedures varied between 1.5 and 3.5 h (1 h \< the conventional procedures at our center). The average blood loss was \<250 ml and none of the patients received a blood transfusion.
All patients tolerated the procedure well and required analgesics for a maximum of 5 days. None of them had any difficulties in chewing or swallowing. Six patients had periorbital ecchymosis which resolved in 5--7 days \[[Table 2](#T2){ref-type="table"}\]. The scar of the operative incision was inconspicuous at 6 weeks follow-up. Four patients in this group had a receding hairline with partial baldness, and the cosmetic outcome was especially good in them \[[Figure 3](#F3){ref-type="fig"}\]. The wound healed well in children as well, and there was no loss of hair on the eyebrow \[[Figure 4](#F4){ref-type="fig"}\].
######
Complications in this series
{#F3}
{#F4}
The application of keyhole approaches depends on an exact knowledge of neuroanatomy. The introduction of long bayonetted instruments has made minimal access surgery safe.\[[@ref3][@ref4]\] There is a definite learning curve to implement these approaches.\[[@ref5]\] The addition of an endoscope can provide a "third eye," permitting the surgeon to peer into blind crevices not visualized through the microscope.
The mini-frontal keyhole craniotomy via a supra-brow incision should become a standard part of a neurosurgeon\'s armamentarium to tackle skull base lesions.
Declaration of patient consent {#sec2-1}
==============================
The authors certify that they have obtained all appropriate patient consent forms. In the form the patient(s) has/have given his/her/their consent for his/her/their images and other clinical information to be reported in the journal. The patients understand that their names and initials will not be published and due efforts will be made to conceal their identity, but anonymity cannot be guaranteed.
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Single-doped white organic light-emitting device with an external quantum efficiency over 20%.
A white OLED with a maximum EQE of 20.1%, CIE coordinates of (0.33, 0.33) and CRI of 80 is fabricated based on platinum(II) bis(N-methyl-imidazolyl)benzene chloride (Pt-16). The device emission spectrum and the chemical structure of Pt-16 are shown in the inset of the efficiency versus luminance graph.
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Hydraulic fracturing, which is also known as fracking, involves the high-pressure injection of fluid into a well passing through a given subsurface in which oil, gas and petroleum reservoirs are located in order to create cracks in the rock formations through which fluids including the oil, natural gas and petroleum can flow more freely. In general, the target reservoirs are typically porous sandstones, limestones or dolomite rocks. However these reservoirs also include what is termed unconventional reservoirs that include shale rock or coal beds. Also included in the subsurface are clays and kerogen filled pores in unconventional reservoirs. The effectiveness of hydraulic fracturing in a given subsurface depends on factors including the mineralogy of that subsurface and the presence of free silicon.
Free silicon is sourced by the dissolution of planktonic organisms, from residual silicon from pore fluids or from silicon released during weathering. It is amorphous and not mineralized into silicon dioxide crystals. The presence of free silicon within siliciclastic and calcareous mudstones can create a rigid high modulus framework that has the potential to mitigate the adverse effects of high clay content with respect to drilling and completions and may ultimately lead to better hydraulic fracturing and improved production.
Current analytical techniques, however, do not fully quantify or correctly interpret free silicon phases within certain lithologies, because the silicon may not be a mineralized species. The free silicon can be either an amorphous silicon dioxide phase or silicon ions locked within interstitial crystal lattice spaces. These forms of silicon prove to be difficult to determine using classical techniques such as traditional X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF), which are based on the fact that the matter to analyze is in a crystalized form.
In XRD, the analytical methodology measures the bond dimensions of crystal lattices. An incoming monochromatic polarized X-ray beam irradiates a sample surface, interacts with atoms located in different crystal layers and reflects back, away from the surface. Traditional scanning of a sample through different angles provides an XRD trace containing peaks corresponding to different angles that relate to constructive interference conditions from certain mineral species and certain lattice dimension. It is therefore possible to interpret which mineral species are present within the sample and ultimately to determine a quantitative estimate of their relative mass percent abundance.
However, in the case of free silicon, if the silicon occurs as an amorphous, i.e., poorly crystalline, silicon dioxide species. The lack of a crystal structure makes it very difficult for XRD to detect the presence of this material or to determine the amount of this material in the sample. The same problem occurs if the free silicon exists as inclusions locked within interstitial crystal spaces, as this silicon will not register on the XRD trace as a unique peak. These limitations of XRD analysis can result in overestimated quantities of highly crystalline materials, such as quartz, due to the underestimation of poorly to non-crystalline species, such as amorphous silicon and some clays.
Unlike XRD, XRF is used for the determination of the elemental composition of a sample, is not sensitive to the location of the elements in the sample and has a relatively good detection limit. XRF irradiates samples with a monochromatic X-ray beam and measures the resultant X-ray fluorescence induced by the incident beam. The induced fluorescence from the sample material is generated by the interaction between the incident X-ray beam and the various outer shell electrons that triggers the transition of an electron from a higher energy shell to fill the free space left by the ejected electron from the outer shell. This transition of a high energy electron toward a lower energy shell is coupled to the emission of an X-ray photon whose energy corresponds to the difference of energy between the two shells. The energy of the photon is therefore specific and allows identifying the type of atom present in the sample by analyzing peaks that represent a given element and the amplitude of those peaks, which indicate the amount of that element.
However, the base output data from XRF is the elemental composition of the sample, not its mineralogy. Methods to obtain the mineralogy using mass balance equations generally work when the lithology is well known and when dealing with a fully mineralized sample. However the mass balance process does not allow for “left-over” elements, meaning that any excess silicon in the sample such as free silicon, which cannot be assigned to complex silicates, ends up being assigned to quartz. As a result, in samples containing silicon as free ions in interstitial crystal spaces, the resultant bulk mineralogy will generally overestimate quartz due to this limitation, and leave the free-silicon unresolved.
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Thursday, November 19, 2009
Lots of firsts
As you may know, I have been visiting my friend, danni. Look what she had waiting for me when I arrived.
And always when I visit my friend, danni, I get to do fun and exciting things. And sometimes those things are for the first time. You know. Firsts.
Like eating sushi.
And drinking out of pretty, green stemmed glasses.
And visiting an extinct volcano.
And seeing a llama (Kai) do this. She must have had a pretty impressive itch.
And watching Chester, the very sweet donkey, carry a really big leaf in his mouth.
And to be able to sit in the stall with the llamas and watch them do this.
See? I was sitting. On a stool.
And heres my boot that I was wearing when I was sitting on that stool watching that llama(Kai) kush like that.
And to laugh at Toni when she was clearly using bad manners and trying to eat too much hay at once.
And to take the llama ladies to pasture.
This is normally what the llama ladies did when Chester came around.
So, every once in awhile, he would do this....just to make sure that they knew he could play that game, too.
But really? They kinda remind me of the synchronized swimmers in the Olympics.
Dont you think so?
But, sadly, before I knew it, my trip came to an end. So, I loaded up and headed to the airport.
Only to have another first, first. My plane was unable to take off. It had some type of mechanical issue. Long story, short...it was going to have the end result of me basically being stuck in a big city, all by myself, overnight....so....I somehow managed to convince the very nice airline personnel that I needed off the plane....like NOW.
4 comments:
So all that stuff was really cool but I'm most proud of you for convincing that airline lady to let you off the plane when she wouldn't let *anybody* off and then buying that damn ticket so you could FINALLY ride some Portland public transportation!!! You ROCK, Marc!
So....are you really gone this time or are you actually waiting for me to pick you up at the Sunset Station again? :-)
I just love your new header picture!!! That is just perfect. What a wonderful visit with Danni. And you ate sushi! What did ya think of that? I love that you got yourself off a plane, onto a train, and right back at Critter Farm. Oh, and just look at those beautiful green stemmed wine glasses.... *sigh* Wait - I thought you didn't like wine????
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Homeschooling Up 62% Over a Decade
Homeschooling is on the rise. According to the U.S. Department of Education’s recently released Digest of Education Statistics, between 2003 and 2012, the number of homeschooled children in the United States is estimated to have grown by nearly 62 percent. Moreover, despite stereotypes to the contrary, most homeschooling families are headed by well-educated parents earning middle-class incomes.
On the basis of telephone and mail surveys, the Education Department estimates that in 2003 there were 1,096,000 homeschooled students in the nation. By 2012, that number had increased to 1,773,000, for a 61.8-percent rate of growth. As a percentage of all students in the country, homeschoolers jumped from 2.2 percent in 2003 to 3.4 percent in 2012.
Homeschooling is more prevalent in two-parent families (2.7 percent of children) than in one-parent families (0.9 percent). The families that homeschool the most are those with two parents but only one working, leaving the other available to oversee home education; 5.3 percent of children in such families are homeschooled. That percentage, after reaching a high of 7.5 percent in the department’s 2007 survey, has actually fallen slightly below its 2003 level of 5.6 percent. Most likely that is the result of the recession, which threw many out of work or into part-time jobs, forcing both parents to work to make ends meet. This is reflected in the fact that two-parent families with both parents working had 1.3 percent of their children educated at home in 2012, up from 1.1 percent in 2003, while one-parent families with a working parent were homeschooling just 0.7 percent of their kids in 2012 as opposed to 1.4 percent in 2003. Families with no parents working, meanwhile, went from homeschooling a negligible percentage of their children to teaching 1.8 percent of them at home over that same period.
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Larger families are also more likely to homeschool than smaller families. As of 2012, 2.9 percent of children in families with three or more children were being homeschooled, while only 1.6 percent and 1.5 percent of kids in one- and two-child families, respectively, were getting their educations at home.
The department found that parents with more education tend to educate more of their kids at home. In 2012, parents having high-school diplomas, or who didn’t even make it that far, were homeschooling just 1.6 percent of their offspring. Those with vocational/technical training or some college education schooled 2.2 percent of their children at home. Those with bachelor’s degrees and graduate degrees homeschooled 2.4 percent and 2.5 percent of their kids, respectively.
Most homeschooling families earn mid-level incomes. Families with incomes of $20,001 to $50,000 homeschooled 2.3 percent of their children in 2012, and those earning $50,001 to $100,000 homeschooled three percent of theirs. Households earning $20,000 or less homeschooled only 0.8 percent of their kids, while those making over $100,000 taught 1.6 percent of their children at home. Many wealthy families, however, have the means to send their children to private schools or live in well-funded school districts that still do a reasonably good job of educating students.
The survey also revealed that homeschooling is more common in small towns and rural areas than in cities and suburbs and that it is most prevalent among white families. Hispanic families, however, have tiptoed into the homeschooling waters in recent years; 0.6 percent of Hispanic children were home-educated in 2012.
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Other surveys have suggested that there are even more homeschooled students than the Education Department believes. The National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI), for instance, estimates that there are about 2.2 million homeschooled students in the country and that roughly 15 percent of homeschooling families are non-white and non-Hispanic. An accurate count is almost impossible because some states don’t require homeschooled students to register with their local school districts, while others are so overbearing that parents try to keep their homeschooling a secret for fear of having their children taken from them or being subjected to intrusive interrogations and warrantless searches.
Why is homeschooling increasingly popular?
According to NHERI, the most common reasons for homeschooling include giving students individualized instruction, accomplishing more academically, using alternative teaching methods, enhancing family relationships, providing “guided and reasoned social interactions with youthful peers and adults,” providing a safer learning environment, and imparting particular values and beliefs to children.
A quick glance at the headlines will reveal plenty of other reasons to keep kids out of public schools. There is, of course, the ongoing push for Common Core, which not only is pedagogically unsound but also involves data-mining of students at the state and federal level. Schools are being used to impose forced vaccinations on students. Students are being punished severely for trivial matters such as pretending their fingers are guns or bringing foam “bullets” to school. At least one prominent voice, that of Education Secretary Arne Duncan, is calling for public boarding schools. Schools are being used to indoctrinate students in left-wing ideology. To take just one example, Fox News reported that a major Virginia public-school system “is preparing to include gender identity to [sic] its classroom curriculum, including lessons on sexual fluidity and spectrum — the idea that there’s no such thing as 100 percent boys or 100 percent girls.” And the list goes on.
The good news is that educational freedom in America hasn’t been completely stamped out yet, and homeschooling is one way that parents can rescue their kids from the cesspool of public education. But opponents of freedom never rest, so neither can supporters. Otherwise, we shall all learn a very painful lesson at home — and everywhere else.
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Ethan Lum selected as a winner in the 2020 Don’t mess with Texas Scholarship ContestAUSTIN –Ethan Lum, a recent graduate of James Bowie High School in Simms, has been selected as a winner in the 2020 Don’t mess with Texas Scholarship Contest. Lum was awarded a $1,500 college scholarship that he will apply toward his studies in fisheries and wildlife conservation biology at Arkansas Tech University. The Don’t mess with Texas Scholarship Contest is presented annually in partnership with Keep Texas Beautiful and recognizes the achievements of Texas high school seniors who demonstrate a leadership role in preventing litter in their schools and communities while building awareness of the Don’t mess with Texas litter-prevention campaign. A total of $13,500 in scholarships was awarded to four high school seniors.
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I'm a journalism grad and avid makeup fan with an unhealthy addiction to buying nude lipsticks, no matter how similar they all may seem. I love chatting to anyone who will listen about my new favourite products, skincare dos and don'ts and practically any other beauty-related topic under the sun. That doesn't mean I'm frivolous with my recommendations, though--you can count on me to give you the nitty gritty on all your wishlist products. In my spare time, you'll find me binge-watching old episodes of Gilmore Girls or at brunch with a large iced coffee in my hand.
Disclaimer: While we work to ensure that product information is correct, on occasion manufacturers may alter their ingredient lists. Actual product packaging and materials may contain more and/or different information than that shown on our Web site. We recommend that you do not solely rely on the information presented and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before using or consuming a product. For additional information about a product, please contact the manufacturer. Content on this site is for reference purposes and is not intended to substitute for advice given by a physician, pharmacist, or other licensed health-care professional. You should not use this information as self-diagnosis or for treating a health problem or disease. Contact your health-care provider immediately if you suspect that you have a medical problem. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition. Amazon.com assumes no liability for inaccuracies or misstatements about products.
The perfect tool for all your hiar styling needs. universal voltage for worldwide travel use. . The nose of the plates touch first, so it leaves a very small gap as you look down the plates, but if clamped down on tightly, they do eventually touch. ghd stylers have floating plates that help the hair glide through the hair effortlessly. The gap should almost disappear once the hair glides through the plates
Giving you ultimate control of your hair, ghd’s range of brushes innovatively style hair without causing static, helping to create the optimum silky smooth blow-dry. The ghd Ceramic Brush features a ceramic barrel to retain heat too, making sure your blow-dry is super speedy and the natural bristles on the Natural Bristle Radial Brush work to create a smoother finish, adding volume to mid-length hair.
ghd 's new Gold V Classic styler is the most luxurious styler in the range to date. With its sleeker design and plates that have been smoothed, contoured and given a high gloss finish, it glides through hair effortlessly to give an ultra-shiny result. The new ghd Gold Classic styler is not only the sleekest, but also the most gorgeous yet. Accents of gold, glimmer beneath the perfect black coating. In addition newly improved glamorous plates will transform your hair, whether creating you re voluptuous curls or seductive sleekness, the rounded barrel helps you achieve any style you desire. Features of the ghd gold classic styler: Luxurious plates smooth your hair for an ultra-shiny result. Our new golden plates have been contoured and given a high-gloss finish to glide through hair. With it s improved outer body, the ghd Gold Classic styler stays cooler to touch for longer and is lighter to handle. Sleek design: allows for better handling for all types of styling Protective plate guard: to safely cover hot plates when you need to style and go. Ceramic heaters and contoured plates: glide through your hair for smoother, snag-free styling. Rounded barrel: easily create curls, waves, flicks and the perfect straight. Sleep mode: heaters automatically switch off if not used for 30 minutes. Universal voltage: optimum performance wherever you travel. Includes: ghd gold classic styler Protective plate guard 2 year manufacturer's guarantee ghd stylers are non-refundable once used due to hygiene reasons. see more...
Delivering high pressure air flow for super-fast drying while advanced ionic technology reduces frizz and flyways to give a smooth salon-style finish in half the time*. The ghd hair dryer was designed by professionals for professional and offers you the best hair drying experience at home. Variable power and temperature controls, plus the choice of two nozzles, allow you to tailor your blow-dry to your hair type, while a cool shot button.
Staying true to its name, a good hair day is guaranteed with the use of ghd products. From the iconic ghd straighteners and ghd stylers, which continue to be a cult must-have for women in search of beautiful hair, to the ghd hairdryers which promise salon style in half the time, ghd products combine style with styling, making sure your dresser looks as chic as your hair.
The payment free period will start from the date of order (including for those items which are purchased on pre-order and/or are not ready for immediate dispatch). All financial services products, delivery and installation charges, unless otherwise stated, are excluded from this offer, exclusions will be confirmed at the point of order. The interest is calculated from order date and will be added to your account after the end of the payment free period.
Choose from the ghd hair straightener range to complete your kit of styling essentials. From waves and curls, to flicks and poker-straight hair, create a look that's stylish, effortless and professional with our ghd straighteners. The range of ghd hair straighteners will help you to create a multitude of hairstyles, producing shape and movement in each styling session.
ghd stands for good hair day, and that's exactly what you're signing up for with our fabulous collection of ghd products. Launched in 2001, ghd's reputation as one of the best and most reliable names in hair styling is entirely deserved, with their ceramic straighteners providing amazing results for all kinds of hair types. Designed to heat up quickly, take care of your hair and even look great on your dressing table, you can't go wrong with ghd. Between their iconic straighteners, equally brilliant hairdryers and extensive range of brushes and styling products, it's never been easier to look like you've just stepped out of a celebrity salon.
Staying true to its name, a good hair day is guaranteed with the use of ghd products. From the iconic ghd straighteners and ghd stylers, which continue to be a cult must-have for women in search of beautiful hair, to the ghd hairdryers which promise salon style in half the time, ghd products combine style with styling, making sure your dresser looks as chic as your hair.
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Drp1 loss-of-function reduces cardiomyocyte oxygen dependence protecting the heart from ischemia-reperfusion injury.
Mitochondria are key organelles for ATP production in cardiomyocytes, which is regulated by processes of fission and fusion. We hypothesized that the mitochondria fusion protein dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) inhibition, attenuates ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury through modifications in mitochondrial metabolism. Rats were subjected to I/R through coronary artery ligation, and isolated cardiomyocytes were treated with an ischemia-mimicking solution. In vivo, cardiac function, myocardial infarction area, and mitochondrial morphology were determined, whereas in vitro, viability, mitochondrial membrane potential, intracellular ATP levels, and oxygen consumption rate (OCR) were assessed. In both models, an adenovirus expressing Drp1 dominant-negative K38A (Drp1K38A) was used to induce Drp1 loss-of-function. Our results showed that I/R stimulated mitochondrial fission. Myocardial infarction size and cell death induced by I/R were significantly reduced, whereas cardiac function after I/R was improved in Drp1K38A-treated rats compared with controls. Drp1K38A-transduced cardiomyocytes showed lower OCR with no decrease in intracellular ATP levels, and on I/R, a larger decrease in OCR with a smaller reduction in intracellular ATP level was observed. However, proton leak-associated oxygen consumption was comparatively higher in Drp1K38A-treated cardiomyocytes, suggesting a protective mitochondrial uncoupling effect against I/R. Collectively, our results show that Drp1 inhibition triggers cardioprotection by reducing mitochondrial metabolism during I/R.
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Here’s lovely garden of cacti and succulents, on the tops of cupcakes! Alana Jones-Mann made them, and will show you how you can do it yourself. Make your favorite cupcakes, cover them in a bed of “sand,” and mix up some cactus-colored icing. Of course, you’ll do this to impress people, but warn the person who grabs the tall cactus about the toothpick inside that keeps it upright. But if your guests think they are too pretty to eat, your job is done, and you can eat them yourself later! -via Blazenfluff
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Dementia
is a brain disorder that seriously affects a person’s
ability to carry out daily activities. The most common
form of dementia among older people is Alzheimer’s disease
which initially involves the parts of the brain that control
thought, memory and language.
Cause,
cure
The
cause of Alzheimer’s disease is unknown and there is no
cure. However, the disease causes several changes in the
brain – death of nerve cells that are vital to memory
and other mental abilities, and disruption of connections
between nerve cells.
Several
possible factors responsible for the disease: Age, family
history and genetics.
Research
shows that people with heart ailments, diabetes will be
prone to Alzheimer’s disease.
Who
does it affect?
The
disease usually strikes after 60 and is less common among
younger people. In the US, about five per cent of people
in the age 65-74 are Alzheimer’s disease patients. The
risk increases with age, and about 50 per cent of the
Americans in the 85+ age group have the disease.
Misconceptions
Alzheimer’s
Disease is confused with ageing, senility because of lack
of awareness in India.
Numbers
4.5
million Americans suffer from AD
In
India, 3 to 4 million are afflicted by dementia
About
4 per cent of the population over 65 are afflicted with
dementia
Alzheimer's
disease was the most common type (54 per cent)
Followed
by vascular dementia (39 per cent)
Reasons
why people get dementia:
7
per cent of cases were due to causes such as infection,
tumor and trauma
Family
history of dementia was a also risk factor for Alzheimer's
disease
History
of hypertension was a risk factor for vascular dementia
Percentage
of population in South
Mumbai with dementia is 4 per cent (2000)
Will
dementia become a critical problem in India?
Expectation
of life at birth for males has shown a steady rise from
42 years in 1951-60 to 58 years in 1986-90, it is projected
to be 67 years in 2011-16, an increase of about 9 years
in a 25-year period (1986-90 to 2011-16).
The
National Policy of Older Persons 1999, Got of India, outlined
the fact that improved life expectancy has contributed
to an increase in the number of persons 60+ from only
12 million persons in India in 1901, the number crossed
20 million in 1951 and 57 million in 1991. Population
projections for 1996-2016 made by the Technical Group
on Population Projections (1996) indicate that the 100
million mark is expected to be reached in 2013. Projections
beyond 2016 made by the United Nations (1996 Revision)
has indicated that India will have 198 million persons
60+ in 2030 and 326 million in 2050. The percentage of
persons 60+ in the total population has seen a steady
rise from 5.1 per cent in 1901 to 6.8 per cent in 1991.
It is expected to reach 8.9 per cent in 2016. Projections
beyond 2016 made by United Nations (1996 Revision) has
indicated that 21 per cent of the Indian population will
be 60+ by 2050.
Sixty
three per cent of the population in 1991 (36 million)
was in the age group 60-69 years, often referred to as
'young old' or 'not so old' while 11 per cent (6 million)
was in the age group 80 years and over I.a., in the 'older
old' or 'very old' category. In 2016, the percentage in
these age groups will be almost the same, but the numbers
are expected to be 69 million and 11 million respectively.
In other words, close to six-tenths of population 60-69
years can be expected to be in reasonably good physical
and mental health, free of serious disability and capable
leading an active life. About one third of the population
70-79 years can also be expected to be fit for a reasonably
active life. This is indicative of the huge reserve of
human resource.
In
Maharashtra, for example, the growth situation alone looks
like this:
(%)
of the 60 year oldsAbsolute
numbers
to
the total
19615.21%; 20.81 lakhs
1971
5.72% 28.79 lakhs
19816.34%;39.79 lakhs
1991
6.91%;54.52 lakhs
2001
7.91%;72.93 lakhs
2011
9.43%100.35
lakhs
2021
11.72%140.18 lakhs
If
we take 4 per cent as the dementia potential, it will
mean that in 2011, we will have nearly 4 laky people with
Alzheimer's Disease compared to 2,92,000 people as of
now.
In
Mumbai alone, we have 40,000 Alzheimer's Disease affected
even today, if 10 lakhs is the population of 60+.
Kerala
is the only state that has displayed progressive commitment
to the welfare of the aged. It has 30 social security
and welfare schemes to date, such as Schemes for the destitute
old, pension schemes, workers security schemes, etc.
Symptoms
Mild
forgetfulness could be an early symptom. But most people
with mild forgetfulness do not have the disease. As disease
advances, forgetfulness begins to interfere with daily
activities. People in the middle stages of Alzheimer’s
disease may forget how to do simple tasks like brushing
their teeth or combing their hair. They can no longer
think clearly. They can fail to recognize familiar people
and places. They begin to have problems speaking, understanding,
reading, or writing. Later on, people with Alzheimer’s
disease may become anxious or aggressive, or wander away
from home. Eventually, patients need total care.
Diagnosis
An
early, accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease helps
patients and their families plan for the future. It gives
them time to discuss care while the patient can still
take part in making decisions. Early diagnosis will also
offer the best chance to treat the symptoms of the disease.
Doctors
can only make a diagnosis of ‘possible’ or ‘probable’
Alzheimer’s disease. At specialized centers, doctors can
diagnose the disease correctly up to 90 per cent of the
time. Doctors use several tools to diagnose ‘probable’
Alzheimer’s disease, including:
questions
about the person’s general health, past medical problems,
and ability to carry out daily activities
tests
of memory, problem solving, attention, counting, and
language
medical
tests -- such as tests of blood, urine, or spinal fluid,
and
brain
scans
Sometimes
these test results help the doctor find other possible
causes of the person’s symptoms. For example, thyroid
problems, drug reactions, depression, brain tumors, and
blood vessel disease in the brain can cause AD-like symptoms.
Some of these other conditions can be treated successfully.
Treatment
Alzheimer’s
disease is a slow disease, starting with mild memory problems
and ending with severe brain damage. The course the disease
takes and how fast changes occur vary from person to person.
On average, patients live from eight to 10 years after
they are diagnosed, though some people may live with the
disease for as many as 20 years.
No
treatment can stop Alzheimer’s disease. However, for some
people in the early and middle stages of the disease,
the drugs terrine (Cognacs), donepezil (Precept), rivastigmine
(Exeo), or glutamine (Reading, previously known as Romany)
may help prevent some symptoms from becoming worse for
a limited time. Another drug, meantime (Named), has been
approved to treat moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease,
although it also is limited in its effects. Also, some
medicines may help control behavioral symptoms such as
sleeplessness, agitation, wandering, anxiety and depression.
Treating these symptoms often makes patients more comfortable
and makes their care easier for caregivers.
What
helps?
A
new study conducted by researchers at The University of
California Irvine suggests that BE-vitamin nutrients found
in oranges, legumes, leafy green vegetables and folic
acid supplements are more effective in limiting Alzheimer's
disease risk than antioxidants and other nutrients.
The
patient’s family
Most
often spouses and other family members provide the day-to-day
care for people with Alzheimer’s disease. As the disease
gets worse, people often need more and more care. This
can be hard for caregivers and can affect their physical
and mental health, family life, job and finances.
-
Dr.Sheilu Sreenivasan
www.dignityfoundation.com
Dignity Foundation is a charitable organization under Societies
Reg. Act 1860 GIBBS/97C, Established in April 1995, to cater
to the needs of the Elderly.
www.dignitylifestyle.org
Dignity Lifestyles Homes is an Elder Care lifestyle-based
Community project of Dignity Lifestyle Trust (DOLT), coming
up rapidly on a 25-acre estate at Neral near Mumbai. DOLT
has been setup by Dignity Foundation, one of India’s leading
Elder Care non-profit organizations, reaching out to approx.
One million Sr. Citizens through various programs.
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Iconic Kennedy Space Center Countdown Clock seen here retires
NASA’s 135th and final shuttle mission takes flight on July 8, 2011 at 11:29 a.m. from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida bound for the ISS and the high frontier with Chris Ferguson as Space Shuttle Commander. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com
Story updated and more photos[/caption]
In another sign of dramatically changing times since the end of NASA’s Space Shuttle program, the world famous Countdown Clock that ticked down to numerous blastoffs at the Kennedy Space Center Press Site and was ever present to billions of television viewers worldwide, has been retired.
Years of poor weather and decades of unforgiving time have visibly taken their toll on the iconic Countdown Clock beloved by space enthusiasts across the globe – as I have personally witnessed over years of reporting on launches from the KSC Press Site.
It was designed in the 1960s and has been counting down launches both manned and unmanned since the Apollo 12 moon landing mission in November 1969. And it continued through the final shuttle mission liftoff in July 2011 and a variety of unmanned NASA launches since then.
The countdown clock’s last use came just two months ago in September 2014 during the SpaceX CRS-4 launch to the ISS, which I attended along with the STS-135 launch.
The clock is located just a short walk away from another iconic NASA symbol – the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) – which assembled the Apollo/Saturn and Space Shuttle stacks for which it ticked down to blastoff. See photo below.
A new clock should be in place for NASA’s momentous upcoming launch of the Orion crew capsule on its inaugural unmanned test flight on Dec. 4, 2014.
Because of its age, it has become harder to replace broken pieces.
“Maintaining the clock was becoming problematic,” NASA Press spokesman Allard Beutel told Universe Today.
It displays only time in big bold digits. But of course in this new modern digital era it will be replaced by one with a modern multimedia display, similar to the screens seen at sporting venues.
“The new clock will not only be a timepiece, but be more versatile with what we can show on the digital display,” Beutel told me.
The countdown clock is a must see for journalists, dignitaries and assorted visitors alike. Absolutely everyone, and I mean everyone !! – wants a selfie or group shot with it in some amusing or charming way to remember good times throughout the ages.
And of course, nothing beats including the countdown clock and the adjacent US flag in launch pictures in some dramatic way.
Indeed the clock and flag are officially called “The Press Site: Clock and Flag Pole” and are were listed in the National Register of Historic Places on Jan. 21, 2000.
The clock was officially powered down for the last time at 3:45 p.m. EDT on Nov. 19, 2014.
“The countdown clock at Kennedy’s Press Site is considered one of the most-watched timepieces in the world and may only be second in popularity to Big Ben’s Great Clock in London, England. It also has been the backdrop for a few Hollywood movies,” noted a NASA press release announcing the impending shutdown of the iconic clock.
“It is so absolutely unique — the one and only — built for the world to watch the countdown and launch,” said Timothy M. Wright, IMCS Timing, Countdown and Photo Services. “From a historical aspect, it has been very faithful to serve its mission requirements.”
The famous landmark stands nearly 6 feet (70 inches) high, 26 feet (315 inches) wide is 3 feet deep and sits on a triangular concrete and aluminum base.
Each numerical digit (six in all) is about 4 feet high and 2 feet wide. Each digit uses 56 40-watt light bulbs, the same ones found at the local hardware store. There are 349 total light bulbs in the clock, including the +/- sign (nine) and pair of colons (four), according to a NASA statement.
The new clock will be about the same size.
Fortunately for space fans, there is some good news!
The Countdown Clock will be moved to the nearby Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex (KSCVC) and placed on permanent display for public viewing.
Details soon!
Stay tuned here for Ken’s continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news.
Ken Kremer
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"Oh!" "Aah!" "Wildfire, you either walk into that other corral, or I'm gonna shoot ya and drag your carcass in there." "Come on, Wildfire." "Come on, boy." "Let's go meet Susie now." "You'll like her." "You two gotta get together." "Gotcha!" "Whoa, whoa!" "Whoa, boy, whoa!" "Whoa!" "Damn it." "You and Susie are gonna make some little birds, or I'm gonna take some barbecue sauce to ya!" "Earl Basset, right?" "I told you that's the other one." "Señor Basset." "This is beautiful county, but very isolated." "I had great difficulty finding you, but I'm glad I did." "You see, we have had to close down one of Mexico's biggest oil fields." "Several workers have been killed." "Ah, we have now determined that... the men were killed by... certain large underground animals." "Graboids." "Ah!" "I told you that's what they named 'em." "Excuse me." "You mean..." "there's more of them?" "Yes." "The company is facing very expensive delays." "But more importantly, there are many isolated people who live in the region." "Many lives are in danger." "We need someone, an expert, to eliminate these creatures." " You want somebody to go graboid hunting?" " Sí." "Ah, señor, please, please!" "We've already spoken to your partner, Señor McKee." "H-He is unwilling to help us." "Sure, Val married a good woman." "Why would he want to die?" "Of course, we are willing to pay." "They're willing to pay!" "'Kay." "$50,000." "Go... away." "No, no, no." "He wants to pay you $50,000 for each graboid." "Look." "No way." "Not for any amount of money." "But for you, getting those worms would be a piece of cake." "Who are you?" "And why are you so dumb?" "Oh, Grady." "Grady." "Grady Hoover." "It's an honour to meet you, Mr. Basset, sir." "I'm probably your biggest fan." "That Reebok commercial with you guys runnin' through the desert-- so very cool." " You like that, huh?" " Oh, yeah." "Listen, could I come in?" "I mean, just for a second." "Great." "Thanks." "Earl Basset." "Ohh!" "Yep." "I've read every one of these." "I got two copies of this one." "I keep one wrapped in plastic." "Oh, my God, you got your own one of these!" "Oh, I bet you made a fortune off this." "Quarter, quarter, quarter, quarter." "Well, somebody did." "It sure wasn't me." "Well, you musta got a percentage." "I shoulda got a lawyer." "Wow." "That sucks." "Did he really say $50,000?" "Stack of Bibles." "Forget it." "You boys don't know how mean these things are." "Well, okay-- okay, but-- That was my big chance." "Yeah, but M-Mr Basset-- You only get one of those in life, and I blew it... on god-damn Big Bird and his scrawny girlfriend!" "Yeah, but 50,000." "That's what she's doin' there." "Who?" "Ooh. " Miss October, 1979?" "Yeah, she's there to remind me not to keep chasin' after things I'm never gonna get." "But why wouldn't you get this?" "Earl" " Mr Basset, you're the expert." "You guys kicked ass with those things." "And this time, you'll be a step ahead of them." "The Mexican army is willin' to give you whatever you want." "Dynamite." "Shh, whoo, wa-bam!" "50 Gs!" "Maybe this is your big second chance." "Señor Ortega, you've got a deal." "Bravo, bravo!" "And I'm goin' with him." "Ah, muy bien, muy bien!" "Um, if you'll excuse me?" "What?" "Why do you think I drove all this way?" "When he said he was looking for the Earl Basset," "I knew Opportunity was knockin', and I was home." "I don't even know you." "I drive a taxi;" "I live in a crappy apartment;" "I watch too much TV; etcetera." "Look, you're going to need a partner." "How many people would want to do this?" "I'll do anything you want:" "carry luggage, make coffee, light fuses." "Maybe you will come in handy." "Ha!" "When they're eating you, it'll give me a chance to get away." "Uh-oh." "Who gets the last soda?" "One, two" "What?" "Scissors, rock, paper." "One, two, three!" "What's this?" "Scissors cuts paper." "I win." "Buenos días, señores." "Ustedes dos son los americanos cazadores de monstruos?" "Um" "Um" " Quien es-- uh" "No, no, no, no." ""Dónde está..." Señor Ortega?" "Ortega?" "Oh, Ortega, venga acá." "Están aquí." "Welcome." "Welcome, gentlemen." "You made good time." "The sooner we get here, the sooner we can leave." " This is Pedro, the company's chief engineer." " Mucho gusto." "Uh, buenos días." "Y su nuevo compañero, el Sr. Hoover." "Mucho gusto." "Buena suerte y que los monstruos no los coman a ustedes." "Pedro." "Um, I have all your equipment over here." "Oh, by the way, I have some good news." "We offer you double the price if you are able to capture one of the animals alive." "Double?" "Alive?" "Have you ever seen one of these things?" "It is only a suggestion-- if it was possible to capture one of them." "No, you never know." "Earl, you never know." "Yes, I do." "Never should have come down here." "The army has sent everything you requested." "You have asked for some... unusual things." "Earl, please check this out." "Look, this isn't some kind of party." "I know that." "I just think we should show a little enthusiasm here." "Let me introduce you to Kate Riley." "Hi." "She's the geologist for the oil company." "And these are the men" "I know, I know." "The monster hunters." "I saw you on Good Morning, America... or, uh, one of those." "Yeah, this is, uh, the Earl Basset, the one and only." "Uh, that's right." "Nice to meet ya." " Really nice to meet you." " I'm Grady Hoover, the new guy." "Nice... hat." "Thanks." "I hope to hear good news soon." "Miss Riley will stay in contact with me." "Let us know anything else you need." "And, uh... well, best of luck to you, huh?" "Vaya con Dios." "So this is the place." "I'll show you around." "You thirsty or anything?" "Yeah, as a matter of fact, I am." "Anyway, we've been pretty nervous down here." "Glad you guys were willin' to come all this way." "It sure is in the middle of nowhere." "Well, of course." "Stuff like this only happens in the middle of nowhere." " Hey, Julio." " Hey, Kate." "So?" "It's all done." "They're all working." "Yes, yes!" "Guys, this is Julio." "He's been setting up the seismographs." "Earl, Grady." "Yes, I've seen you in the magazines." "Actually, I'm not the original guy." "You know, you musta made a lot of money, huh?" "The royalties on that video game alone!" "Ooh." "Julio, we should be able to get an accurate count now, right?" "Yes, yes." "I have a friend who invested in that company." "Hey." "Hi." "Come on in." "So, uh, we were gonna look over some maps?" "Right." "Um, coffee?" "Yeah, black." "How were those burritos, anyway?" "Um, good." "Good." "Yeah, sorry about that." "Pretty bad, I know." "But with Cook gone, that's best we've got." "So, um... how many of you are still workin' out here?" "Only the three of us." "They had to shut the whole operation down." "Six people got killed-- people I knew." "Hmm." "Well, uh, how come you stayed on?" "Well" "You're not scared?" "Shit, yeah, I'm scared." "But..." "I'm also fascinated." "It's, uh" "With me, "fascinated" usually wins." "Maps." "I'll get these cores out of the way." "Come on, baby." "So, uh, have the graboids come near the refiney yet?" "No, they've left us alone." "They stay about 20 miles north." "That's where the workers were killed." "Who named them graboids, anyway?" "A... friend of ours, Walter Chang." "He named them, then they ate him." "Hey, guys, look what I made." "Just, you know, drag it behind the truck." "Make, you know, make more noise." "You see, uh, graboids hunt by sound." "I'll probably just go hook that to the back of the truck." ""Moonstros." Ah, sí." "Mr Hoover, come here please." "I have the monitor working." "Okay." "We've set up radio seismographs all over, so the monitor will show you where the graboids are." "Cool." "You know, this is none of my business," "I guess, but you guys are going out there alone?" "You don't want to take with you the whole army of Mexico?" "Let me explain, Julio." "Graboids, they got no eyes." "They hunt by sound." "You make a noise;" "they're gonna come after you." "If we get a bunch of people runnin' around" "Graboids gonna spread out all over the place." "No, we want 'em all to come to us." "So you guys are what?" "You guys are the bait?" "That's the plan." "Okay, so, uh" "That's us." "That's our truck." "Seems like everything's workin' okay." "Well, sure it is, Earl." "This is a high-tech, professional operation here." "Hey, we got a good plan goin'." "Fifty thousand apiece, baby." "Ho!" "You know, me, I'm gonna get mine all at once, just stacked!" "Well, if I make any money this time, I'll invest it... conservatively." "Hey, you shaved." "What?" "No, I just..." "I just noticed you... you know, shaved." "So what?" "A man can shave, can't he?" "No, you're right." "She's a babe." "Here's where they're supposed to be." "Man, look at that county, huh?" "Yeah." "Not a lot of rocks and boulders out there." "Not much to climb on if we don't want to get slurped." "There's mountains around." "You said they can't get through mountains." "I said they can't go through rock." "These hills are alluvial." "Oh, "alluvial."" "Wait a minute, that's the little dinglebery in the back of your throat, right?" "You want to hunt graboids;" "you better know geology." "Here, you drive." "I'm keepin' my eye on this... seismo-jigger." "Oh, good call." "No offense, Earl, but you're nervous as a chihuahua." "I'm not nervous." "I'm alert." "Whatever." "Those worms have to be deaf if they don't hear us." "Hey, take it easy, huh?" "Jesus, Grady." "We got one!" " It's spotted us!" "It's comin' right toward us!" " Well, that's the idea." "Doesn't mean I have to like it." "Now stop." "Stop already!" "Okay, time for the secret weapon." "Careful with that detonator." "Set it like I showed you." " How dumb do you think I am?" " Catch me later on that one." " He's comin' in." "I think he's following' it." "Of course he is." "I can't see it, Earl." "Earl, I can't see it!" "Left." "Left." "Left?" " Okay, okay." " Wait." "Wait, there." "He did it." "He took it." "O-Okay." "Hit it!" "Get him!" "Oh, shit." "Earl, what are you doin'?" "Hit it, hit it!" "Hit it!" "Hit it, Earl!" "Whoo-hoo-hoo!" "50 Gs, baby, 50 Gs?" "Oh, shit!" "Told ya." "I forgot." " Yeah!" " Ow, ow, ow, ow!" "Man, this stuff really stinks." "Yeah, don't forget to get that antenna too." "You left the radio on the ground?" "Sorry, I forgot." "Is that a coyote?" "Yep." "Man, he better keep quiet." "Yep." "He took it." "Hey, it's my turn." "Oh, c-come on, Earl." "Let me get one more." "Shit." "Rock breaks scissors." "I win." "It does?" "I told you one stick would be enough." "You're right." "That makes $300,000." "Apiece." "I'm feelin' light-headed, Earl." "And whatcha gonna do with all your money?" "Invest it." "Well, yeah, of course, invest it, but" "Even at five percent, I'll be doin' pretty good." "Five percent?" "You're talkin', um, mutual funds or C.D.s or somethin', huh?" "That's right." "That's small, Earl." "You're thinkin' small." "See, I'm thinkin' big." "I'm thinkin' themep_rk." "Now, now." ""Grady Hoover's World of Natural Wonders."" "Whoa!" "Or, you know, maybe somethin' simple, like "Monster World," or "Monsterland"... or "Worm World."" "How 'bout "Looney World"?" "Seems to fit." "Get off the ground!" "It's vision, Earl." "Vision is what separates the average" "I know that song." "Jesus!" "Get on the ground, Grady?" "Get off the ground?" "Whoa!" "Jesus, man, those things are huge!" "Shh!" "Be quiet!" "Did you see that mouth?" "Oh, no." "It snagged the chain." "Can it do that?" "It can't be that strong." "Son of a bitch!" " Hit the brakes!" " I am!" "I did!" "It doesn't work!" "Earl!" "What do I do?" " I don't know." "Do anything!" " Ooh!" " Cliff!" " Oh, no." "He stopped." "He stopped." "Oh, shit." "Oh, come on." "Rock!" "Rock?" "He's going under it!" "Turn!" "Turn the wheel!" " Turn!" " I'm tying;" "I'm tying!" "Oh, God, oh, God!" "Yee-ha!" "All right." "You all right?" "Wow, chain broke right off." "Jesus, we're lucky." "Well, truck seems to be all right." "Earl, that's gonna be the first ride in my theme park." "Doesn't anything ever get you down?" "Well, I'm blessed with a sunny disposition." "Most people seem to like it." "Oh, yeah?" "What does this do for your disposition?" "I think we're gonna need some help." "Help?" "Who'd be crazy enough to help us with this mess?" "The big guns pounded enemy positions for 72 straight hours." "It was the deadliest bombardment of the siege." "Yeah?" "Hey, Burt, it's Earl." "How ya doin'?" "Listen, um, if this sounds kinda funny, it's 'cause I'm on a radio phone." "It's the only way we can call out of this place." "Earl?" "Oh..." "Earl." "Haven't seen you in a while." "Well, I haven't seen you." "Guess you've been layin' kinda low, huh?" "Layin' low?" "No." "Negative." "I've been real busy-- lots of projects." "So, uh, how you and Heather doing?" "Well, she, uh-- She's still visiting her sister." "Yeah?" "You know, she actually... blames our problems on the collapse of the Soviet Union?" "Well, you did take that kinda hard, Burt." "Said I was hard to live with." "Said I couldn't handle life without the threat of war." "What kind of thing is that to say to a man?" "Well, I don't know, Burt" "Anyway, it takes more than that to get me down." "I been running around so much, it's lucky you caught me home." "Well, in that case, I don't know if you'd be interested in this." "I'm down in Mexico, see, and I find myself in a sort of situation." "What kind of situation?" "A graboid kind of situation." "Hey, you keepin' an eye on that monitor?" "Uh, yeah, I'm watchin' it." "They're just stayin' up north." " Oh, my God!" " What?" "Sorry." "Come here." "Come here." "Look at this." "I've been staring at this fossil for over a month, and I just realized what it is." "Hey, Earl, that looks like one of those spikes on their sides." "Okay, it resembles one." "I really think it is a fossil fragment of a graboid." "It's gonna take months to prove" "No, this is important, isn't it?" "Science has never determined their origin." "I read that in People." "And that's true." "But that's not the only thing." "You guys, this is Precambrian rock." "Precambrian." "Precambrian." "That means that this is the oldest life form on the planet." "I mean other than one-celled things." "But look at that." " Wait a minute." "Older than dinosaurs?" " Way." "So they're from earth, right?" "Damn." "Yeah." "I always thought they were from outer space." "Doesn't look like it." "¡Mira, mira!" "¡El monstruo más grande..." "viene acá!" "Look!" "Look at the seismograph!" "Look!" "El monstruo viene?" "Es grande?" "It ain't no graboid." "It's somethin' more dangerous." "Monster H.Q., I presume." "Hey, Burt, good to see you." "Earl, good to see you." "Uh, this is Kate, uh, Pedro, Hey, what's up?" "Julio, and, uh-- The pleasure is mine." "Grady, Grady Hoover." "Yeah, I read all about you, Mr" " Mr Gummer." " Yeah, it's a real-- real honour." " Yes." "Man, you think you got a big enough truck here?" "He the new guy?" "So, did you get me one of those seismo-monitors?" "Hey, no problem." "What you got in this thing?" "Hey, hey, hey, hey!" "Don't touch." "Don't touch." "Easy." "Mexican army gave me this truck... and a few little items on my wish list." "Ho!" "It's, uh, a bit much, don't you think?" "Maybe I'm wrong." "Hope I'm right." "Makes my home-made stuff look like cherry bombs." "Thermite, C-4, TNT, high-explosive..." "H.E." "ls there such thing as "low-explosive"?" "Well, y-yes, son, there is." "I mean, the federales offer you anything you want, and you guys take one case of dynamite?" "What the hell is this thing for?" "That, uh, might end up in my collection." "Hey, got some, uh, new equipment for you, gentlemen." "Your backup weapons." "Can you handle a firearm?" "I'll check him out." "Shotguns?" "We're not huntin' rabbits down here, Burt." "Not shotguns." "Double rifles." "Elephant guns." "Wesley-Richards 480, 375 HH Mag." "Knockdown power up the yin-yang." "Treat them well." "But hold 'em good 'n tight to your shoulder, or they'll break your collarbone." "So where's, uh, Mrs Gummer?" "She didn't want to come?" "Uh, why don't you get this, uh, stum in our truck?" "Sure, no problem." "Look, man, I... really want to thank you for comin' down." "We're in pretty deep here." "Oh, forget it, Earl." "To tell you the truth, if I didn't get out of that house, I was gonna go crazy." "Heather's not comin' back." "No?" "She called me and told me to send her the H.K.-91." "Whew." "Ouch." "Yep." "So." "Anyway, it'll be good to get into somethin' constructive." "Oh, my." "What is this?" "Grizzly single-shot 50-calibre B.M.G.... based on a World War I antitank cartridge." " Antitank?" " Had the bullets custom cast from solid bronze." "Man, Burt, you put a whole new shine on the word "overkill."" "When you need it and don't have it, you sing a different tune." "Well, this is it, Burt." "Okay." "I'll patrol east." "You take the west." "You know, those are terrible for you." "You need complex carbohydrates." "Lower those L.D.L.s." "I gave up smoking, Burt." "What more do you want?" " Have an M.R.E." " A what?" "Meals Ready to Eat." "Freeze-dried, foil sealed." "It's got to be foil." "Plastic is not an oxygen barrier." "Includes entrée, cracker pack, cheese spread, mixed fruit, beverage powder, spoon, coffee, cream substitute, candy, salt, matches, toilet tissue." "Shelf life of ten years." "Here, take a few." "Buy 'em all the time." "Saves trips to the supermarket." "Oh, no, Burt." "We don't want to use up all your food." "No problem." "Brought 120 pounds of it." "Good luck, comp_dres." "Oh, man, this stum tastes like toilet paper." "Earl, that is the toilet paper." "14 May." "1500 hours." "I have a confirmed graboid reading." "I'm now employing the technique pioneered by Earl Basset... to make my first kill." "Subject has taken the bait." "Preparing to fire." "Yes!" "Memo:" "four pounds of C-4 may be a little... excessive." "Yo, Grady and Earl." "I got one." "Over." "Yeah, we know, Burt." "We heard it clear over here." "Damnedest thing." "It had a big chain hangin' out of its mouth." "Damn it." "Burt, you skunk, that one was ours." "Oh, yeah, son?" "I didn't see your name on it." "Over and out." "Why did we invite him, anyway?" "Hey, pay attention." "Whoa." "We got one." "Wait a minute." "It's movin' away from us." "It must be somethin' else." "Like what, a giant prairie dog?" "Well, shit, I don't know, Earl." "It's movin' away from us." "Should we follow it?" "What the hell is the matter with him?" "We're makin' plenty of noise." "I don't like it, Grady." "They're gettin' smarter." "That's what they do." "They got some kinda plan goin' here." "I tell ya, these boys are up to somethin' new." "They're diggin' a trap for us, or... playin' possum, or somethin'." "Holy Mother!" "Oh, man, oh, man!" "Shit!" "Shit, how could I do that?" "I gotta get to Burt's gun!" "Whoa." " Where is he?" "Should be all over us." " I don't know." " What is that?" "Can they do that?" " Shh." "That's a new one on me." "Jesus, Grady, what are you doin'?" "Get off the ground!" "I know, I know." "I got an idea." "Trust me." "Damn it, Grady, come on back." "He's still there." "What the hell's it doing?" "I have no idea." "Something's wrong with him." "Must be sick." "Probably ate somebody that didn't agree with it." "Jesus, Grady!" "It's okay, Earl." "He's not goin' anywhere." "Hey!" "We just caught ourselves a live one." "That's $100,000 Earl." "Oh, yes!" "Oh, yeah?" "What're you gonna do, cary him back?" "We just wrecked the truck." "Oh, yeah." "Hello, this is Earl to anybody." "Anybody there?" "Hey, Earl, it's Kate." "How're you guys doin'?" "Well, uh-- we kinda wrecked our truck a little bit." "What?" "A-Are you okay?" "We're fine." "We're gonna need somebody to come fetch us." "Let me talk to her." "Would you tell Pedro to bring that big truck of his out here?" "It's got a crane on it, doesn't it?" "Yeah." "It's going to take him hours." "Tell him to bring it because" " We're gonna winch that slinky off to Monster World." " Get off the damn ground!" "I'm of_, I'm off." "Jesus!" "Damn it, he got himself another one." "The man never sleeps." "Guys, Burt here, doin' a little night fishing." "Got three of 'em on a cluster charge." "I'd say we're about even now." "Over." "Come on, Burt." "This isn't a competition." "Who's competing?" "I'm just saying the score's tied, that's all." "Over." "Well, son, no it isn't, 'cause we just caught ourselves a live one." "A live one?" "How in the-- That's a trade secret." "Happy hunting', Burt." "I'll bet that burned his skinny ass." "God Almighty!" "Something's wrong with our worm, Earl." "Well, what do you want me to do about it?" "Maybe something's tryin' to eat it out there-- coyotes or somethin'." "They'll have plenty to eat." "Come on, Earl." "We have got to protect our investment." "We can't just sit here." "Jesus, listen to it!" "Poor thing." "I mean, don't you just feel a little sorry for him?" "No." "That's cold, Earl." "Where's that Pedro and that damn truck?" "Something ate it!" "Ln two minutes?" "Well, somethin' happened to it, 'cause there is nothin' left inside." "Something came out of it." "What do you mean, something came out of it?" "It did that thing that things do when they change, you know-- there's a word for it, uh" "It turned into something else like a caterpillar does." "Only I bet that whatever came out wasn't no sweet little butterfly." "Damn worms never cut you any slack." "I said you all ought to head out to Rioverde." "Clear out 'til we know what's going on." "Over." "Kate, did you get any of that?" "Over." "Shit!" "Now, what?" "The radio's out." "How could that be?" "I was just talking to her." "Man!" "You know what that is, don't you?" "Yeah." "Another one's doing it." "There!" "There's Pedro!" "'Bout damn time." " He stopped." " He stopped?" "Maybe he's taking a leak?" "That's a long leak." "Hey, Pedro!" "Pedro!" "Well maybe we should go over and see what's wrong." "Go over?" "You mean, walk a mile across open county?" "I'm not going six feet from that seismo." "Come on." "There's no graboids anywhere near us right now." "Now, I say we go while the going's good." "You know, you could cary some of this stuff." "I got what I want." "Well, I can't say this looks good." "Pedro?" "Hey, Pedro!" "Man!" "This brings back memories." "Jesus!" "Looks like somebody took a can opener to the thing." "Oh, man!" "Look at that engine." "It's torn to pieces." "Pedro!" "Damn it!" "Where are you?" "Hey!" "There he is!" "Pedro?" "Oh, God!" "Oh, God!" "Whoa!" "It's a whole new ball game." "A whole new goddam ball game." "Well" " Well, you know what to do, right?" "Right?" "I don't know shit!" "Okay?" "Okay?" "We can hike over to that radio tower." "Th-Th-They've gotta have a radio that's working." "We can, uh" " We can call direct." "14 May. 1900 hours." "I've been out of radio contact for several hours, unable to reach Grady and Earl or anybody at H.Q." "The situation dictates that I return to base." "A further mystery:" "I've not had a single seismic reading in hours, yet I tracked one of the sightless brutes right into this valley." "Where the hell did he go?" "They do get smarter." "Ls it possible he learned... to avoid the unique sound of my deuce-and-half's mil-spec engine?" "I do not have the answer at this time." "Oh, no, no, no." "Don't tell me that's the radio stuff." "I can't believe this." "Oh, man!" "Can't we ever get a goddam break?" "If we get outta here alive, I'll count that as a break." "I mean, there wasn't even any people here to eat." "They're doing this on purpose, man." "They're cuttin' us off on purpose!" "Shh!" "Shh!" "Quiet!" "Quiet!" "I told you they get smarter." "Hey, look." "Oh, yes!" "Yes!" "It's not gonna have a key." "So I'll hot-wire the damn thing." "I like that." "Grady!" "Grady!" "What is that?" "I don't know, but it's comin' this way." "Jesus?" "How big is this thing?" "What the hell is that?" "Ls that it?" "Sure ain't no damn ostrich." "How does a 30-foot worm turn into that little thing?" "Shh!" "Might hear us." "Shit!" "It heard us." "Wait." "We got it!" "We got it!" "Ugly little toad." "No eyes." "Wow!" "Just like the big ones." "Earl, man." "We oughta take this one with us." "You crazy?" "What?" "Sounds like a bunch of them!" "Come on, man t Let's go t Let's go t" " I'm tryin'!" "I'm tryin'!" " Let's 'go!" "'" "Pedro." "Can you hear me?" "Earl, come on!" "Talk to me." "Burt?" "Anybody?" "God!" "What the hell is going on?" "Oh, man!" "Hey!" "Julio, man, you scared me half to death!" "Sorry." "Oh, shit." "You know the radios" " They're out?" "I know." "That's what I've been doin' here." "I think the repeater towers are down." "How can that be?" "I don't know." "Something coming our way?" "No!" "The creatures have completely disappeared off the screen." "It's weird." "With the radios all out, shouldn't everybody come back?" "Yeah, everybody should have been here a long time ago." "I don't like this." "This is not good." "Okay, stay here with the seismos." "I'm going to go look for them right now." "Okay, but" "Oh, my God!" "Oh, no!" "No!" "No!" "Get him!" "Get him!" "Bastards?" "Kate!" "What are they?" "We don't know." "The worms change somehow." "Now we've got these things." "Julio!" "Julio!" "They" " They" " I know." "I know." " We got them, though." "We just blew 'em away?" "Pedro!" "Did Pedro find you?" "No." "They jumped his truck." "He's dead too." "Have you seen Burt?" "Did he get back?" "No." "I tried to call him." "I tried you." "The radio" " Uh, excuse me." "But I think we should get goin'." "You okay?" "Uh-huh." "Yeah." " Oh, no!" " Not again!" "They wrecked our car, Pedro's truck, the radio tower." "How can they be so smart?" "Let's get our butts inside." "What the hell we gonna do?" "Get these windows shut!" "It's like they got the whole thing planned." "Grady!" "Grady!" "Come on!" "All right." "How many do you think there are?" "All right, I remember." "I remember." "There was three big sacks, or bags, in that one we saw split open." "Huh, Earl?" "Can't be more than three of those things in each worm." "Yeah, I" " I-- That's right, I guess." "Kate, how many big worms were left out there?" "You killed all but eight graboids." "I was watching." "So if all eight of them changed, that would make, uh" "Twenty-four!" "Twenty-four of those things left!" "How many have you killed?" "Well, let's see" "We, uh" " We killed one on the radio tower and-- and one out there... and, um, on top of the car." "That's it?" "Well, I'm sorry." "No." "It's just that I mean" "Oh, man!" "Now what?" "Thank God, it's Burt." "Yes!" "They didn't get him." "I think they did get him." "Burt t" "Burt, you okay?" "Burt?" "I feel I was denied... critical, need-to-know information." "Well, we're sorry, Burt." "They just changed all of a sudden, man." "We would have warned you, but they knocked out the radio tower." "Come on, Burt!" "What happened?" "Well, when the radios went out," "I decided to return to the refiney." "But en route, I find I'm in an ambush situation." "Must have been a couple of dozen of these things!" "I dropped the first wave with semiauto fire, but they just kept coming." "Most were in front of the truck, so I popped it in six-wheel and ran 'em down." "The ones that got on board, I handled with a combination... of small arms fire and hand-to-hand techniques." "I am completely out of ammo." "That's never happened to me before." "Well, shit!" "Who cares, Burt?" "Sounds like you killed 'em all, huh?" "I hope not." "These creatures are very important." "You know, I mean scientifically." "That fact was not lost on me." "When it was all over, I saw one of the little S.O.B.s was just stunned." "So I detained him." "Oh, man, it's drooling." "Don't let him spook ya." "That line is 1 ,000-pound test." "Go on." "Haul him out of there." "Hold on to that son of a bitch!" "I'll get the door." "I knew it." "Infrared." "It doesn't hear us;" "it doesn't actually see us;" "it senses the heat of our bodies." "See that?" "The thing that rises up must be the heat sensor." "You feel that?" "Gives off a lot of heat when it screams." "That's it." "I bet that's the way they communicate." "The sound doesn't matter." "They make noise, but they signal each other with their body heat." "It only sees heat?" "Yes, that's not so weird." "A rattlesnake strikes at body heat." "That's why they tore up the cars-- because the engines were hot." "They thought it was food." "And the same thing with the radio tower." "That electronic gear puts off all kinds of heat." "So basically, they bite anything that's warm." "They been actin' so smart 'cause they're so stupid?" "Now, that's not warm." "How does he know to eat that?" "Well, it tastes it with its tongue." "See how he's draggin' his tongue all over." "Touches anything he likes, uh, he eats it." "How much can he eat?" "Those M.R.E.s aren't cheap, you know." "Looks like he's had enough." "You're feeding it too much!" "You made it sick." "Give me a break." "Probably your nasty food made it sick." "Oh, good God!" "Hermaphrodites." "They reproduce without having sex." "I claim the little one." "Hey, it was my food!" "Whenever one of them gets enough food, they just bla-a-ah, and there's another one." "Then one makes two, two makes four, four makes eight-- It's exponential." "Well, uh, hell." "That gives 'em quite an edge." "You never see this in higher animals." "Ever!" "It's astounding." "Don't you guys get it?" "Oh, we get it." "We just don't want it." "The little one's getting big already." "Uh, I think we better think about leaving." "These guys have taken a completely different evolutionary path." "They got into your damn super-food, Burt!" "Go!" "Go!" "Yeah!" "Yeah!" "The warehouse!" "We gotta close the warehouse!" "Oh!" "Oh!" "This way!" "Grady!" "No!" "No!" "Not that way!" "Grady!" "Grady, damn it!" "All right!" "All right!" "This isn't gonna work." "Shit!" "They stopped." "They're just milling around." "Looks like they lost track of us." "That's not gonna last." "We're like sittin' ducks here!" "Well, it looked like a goddam building!" "Why didn't you listen to me?" "These little snappers are blind and deaf." "We've gotta be able to beat them." "I told ya, they can't see us." "Great, now what?" "Now, move with me." "Move?" "It's gonna work, damn it." "Now move!" "And step, and step, and step and step-- I don't know how you come up with this shit." "I think on my feet." "Come on!" "It's working." "Comin' at ya." "Okay." "All right." "And down." "So... where are we going?" "Are there any more cars left?" "Um, uh, yeah." "One." "Julio's." "It's by the storage tank." " Which way?" " Left." "Move left." "Okay." "Ready and moving left, and step, and step, and step, and step and step." "Okay, it's not much further." "Oh!" "There's one of them out there!" "Oh, shit!" "Did it see you?" "Well, if it had, I think we'd be hearing about it by now." "How far is it?" "Uh, uh, 100 yards about." "That's a heck of a shot." "Uh-huh." "Whoa!" "You got only one shot?" "Then you gotta hit it... before it sends one of those heat signals to the others." "I know." "Cover your ears." "Oh, Jesus." "Jesus!" "God!" "You smoked his ass." "Doin' what I can with what I got." "Good." "Oh, shit, partner." "Oh, no!" "Pop the hood." "I got it, I got it." "Damn!" "We're dead." "What?" "I didn't know." "How could I've known?" "We're supposed to be up against graboids!" "I wanted maximum penetration." " Well, you've got it." " Now what?" "We can't stay here." "We've got to get inside." "Uh," "Cantina!" "Damn!" "Burt?" "Uh-oh!" "Burt!" "Oh, no, Burt!" "Burt, it's working; they can't find you." "Don't move." "Good!" "Good idea." "This is pathetic!" "Wait a minute!" "I've got a plan, I think!" "Earl!" "Earl!" "Yeah, I know!" "I know." "I just need another second." "Ow!" "Ow!" "Shit!" "Ouch!" "That's great!" "Uh, here." "Here." "Get ready to run." "We're gonna head for those oil towers and climb." "Yes!" "Earl, you're a genius." "Come on!" "It's clear." "Hurry." "You're okay." "They can't climb." "Watch your shin." "Oh, man!" "They can't climb." "Pretty slick, my man." "Slick?" "That was brilliant." "You really do think on your feet, don't you?" "Yeah, well." "Hey, where's Burt?" "Oh, over here." "And don't worry, they can't even find him in there." "Oh, man." "I think he's gonna be okay for now." "Oh, I'm just dandy!" "So what do we do now?" "Hey, Burt!" "Are you sure you don't have any more bullets?" "Did you check all your pockets?" "You know, as I lie here, I can't help but comment:" "The reason I am out of nine millimetre rounds is I was not properly briefed." "And the reason for that is this mission was not properly researched." "If certain people had bothered to gather intelligence on the creatures... before bumbling into the situation" "Knock it off, Burt!" "Nobody made you come." "When we should be packing full-auto, preferably belt-fed!" "Shut up!" "They're Precambrian life forms." "How's anybody supposed to research Precambrian life?" "What difference does it make now?" "We're stuck on a goddam roof with a bunch of whatsits tying to eat us." "I've done this before, and I did not like it." "Okay." "It's all my fault!" "So things didn't work out exactly the way we planned." "If I had the right tools, I'd finish the job!" "Jeez!" "Would you just all relax?" "Now, look." "Nobody's heard from us since last night, which means pretty soon they're going to be up here looking for us, right?" "So all we have to do is sit and wait." "Okay?" "Burt?" "Okay." "So I figured I wanted to learn some Spanish, and six months in Mexico would be an adventure." "So, uh" "Seeing anybody?" "Not since the monsters arrived." "Well, you know, you... spend a couple of days almost getting killed, you start, uh, thinking about your future and" "Thinking you should date more?" "Well, uh, yeah, actually." "Uh, look, uh," "I just don't meet that many women who can keep their cool... in a situation like this." "What I mean is that, uh-- What matters to me is that a woman can handle herself." "It's much more important than what she looks like." "Thanks a lot." "Aw, come on!" "You look great." "Enough guys have told you that." "Yeah, well." "Believe it or not, I made my living as a model once upon a time." "I put myself through college." "I believe it." "I was a" "I was even a Playmate once." "About gave my dad a heart attack." "What?" "October '74?" "Shit!" "Yup!" "Uh, guys." "Guys!" "Oh, my God." "Look at that." "Goddam little..." "heat seekers." "What do we do, Earl?" "You gotta stop asking me?" "I don't know!" "What's goin' on?" "What's happening?" "Uh-oh." "Smart little bastards." "Whoa!" "Oh!" "Come get me, you suckers!" "You hungry?" " A hundred and eighty-five pounds of lean meat." " Burt, what are you doing?" "You know you want it!" "Burt!" "Burt!" "What is wrong with him?" "Has he got a plan?" "Burt's always got a plan..." "usually." "Yes!" "Problem solved." "You maniac!" "Who-oo!" "Oh, Burt, you did it?" "You tricked the little plug uglies!" "How's it feel to be so stupid?" "Who-oo!" "Oh, Christ!" "Did they find something to eat?" " Uh, what's in there, Kate?" " I don't know-- boxes, supplies." "Golosinas-- Dulce." "Hell, uh-- Dulce." "Dulce." "Sweet!" "Golosinas-- I know this one." "Snack." "Sweet snack food?" "Rice flour." "I didn't know!" "How could I've had known?" " God!" "Don't they ever get tired of eating?" " There'll be 100 of 'em." " Okay, we're gonna run for it!" " What?" "Where?" "We're not gonna make it!" "Look?" "Earl, I'm sorry." "I'm sorry I got you all into this." "Come on, Grady." "We ain't dead yet." "Okay!" "Come on!" "Okay, what, what, what, what, okay?" "Uh, I've got a plan!" "Sorta." "You're gonna squirt me with this." " That's great!" "It'll make you cold." " Right." "They won't see me." "Says who?" "No, they're right; it oughta work." "For how long?" "Well, we gotta try something!" " But what is the point?" " If I can just get to your truck, I can grab some bombs." " This is nuts!" " Well, yeah, and" "Let me do it!" "It was my idea!" "No, I got you all into this." "It's my fault." "I'm going in." "Spray me!" "We gotta do it before they break out." "Now, blast me!" "Oh, Jesus!" " Yes!" " No!" "Rock rips through paper." "Huh!" "I go!" "Give me that shirt." "I need the gloves too." "You ready?" "Here goes." "Man, this stuff is cold!" "Okay, here goes." "Lock this door behind me." "Lock it?" "Yeah." "I'll get the bombs and go out the other door." "All right." "Sounds like it's working." "I can't see anything." "Over here." "Here!" "Holy tamole!" "There's dozens of 'em." "Good Lord." "Wait a minute!" "Paperwraps rock, doesn't it?" "Paper _lw__s wraps rock." "Damn!" "He's startin' to melt!" "Earl, you're melting?" "Step on it!" "Come on!" "Go, go, go!" "Damn!" "They see him." "Uh... rope!" "We need rope or something." "Hang on, Earl!" "A hose!" "There's a hose down by the fire hydrant." "Here you go." "Ah!" "It's too short!" "Did you hear me?" "The hose is too short." "Burt, hurry!" "Oh!" "Heads up, Earl!" "Grab it!" "Come on!" "Go!" "Run!" "Run!" "Go!" "I set a bomb." "What?" "It's the only thing I could think of." "Kate, what did he do?" "Grady?" "Come on!" "Where the hell are the bombs?" "I didn't have time." "I just threw one in your truck." "You what?" "That's two-and-a-half tons of high explosives!" "You sayin' that's not enough?" "God, Burt!" "Don't tell me it's not enough!" "Not enough!" "Never mind." "Never mind." "Just run!" "Faster!" "No, no, no!" "Keep going." "It's gonna be big." "Big t Is he serious?" "Uh, Burt knows his bombs." "How big can it be?" "How long did you set it for?" "I don't know;" "I just pushed it." "God, it's going to be big." "Big!" "All right, this will have to do." "Get down; stay down; cover your ears." "It's gonna be b _i!" " Is it gonna be today?" " Grady, get your ass down!" "Oh!" "Hey, Grady." "Grady." "Grady, you all right, man?" "You okay?" "Yeah." "Thanks." "Oh!" "Watch yourselves." "Whew!" "Wow!" "Wow!" "You know, Grady." "Some people think I'm overprepared." "Paranoid." "Maybe even a little crazy." "But they never met any Precambrian life forms, did they?" "Uh, look, uh-- I don't mind hangin' around down here for awhile." "Gonna have any free time?" "Well, spend a couple days almost gettin' killed, you start thinkin' about your future." "Thinkin' you should date more?" "Well, yeah, actually." "Hey, Earl, I just realized they owe us for 28 worms, man." "Hey, that's right." "We didn't die." "Although, we did kinda blow up their refiney." "Hey, that's just part of the job." "Ln fact, we oughta charge them for all those little ones too." "Oh, yeah." "We'll have enough to start our own theme park" "Grady and Earl's Monster World." "Hey, no way!" "Come on, Earl." "This could be like your big, third chance."
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publication: None yet. See our contributing guide to help us add one.
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Forum for Science, Industry and Business
Purdue scientists treat cancer with RNA nanotechnology
14.09.2005
Using strands of genetic material, Purdue University scientists have constructed tiny delivery vehicles that can carry anticancer therapeutic agents directly to infected cells, offering a potential wealth of new treatments for chronic diseases.
This triangular particle, which is about 25 billionths of a meter across, could become one of nanotechnologys contributions to the fight against cancer. Three strands of RNA – a close chemical cousin of DNA – are linked together to form this "nanoparticle," created in the lab of Purdue Universitys Peixuan Guo. Each of the strands is spliced together from two kinds of RNA – one sort serves as a scaffold and dovetail to hold the particle together; while the other carries a hunter to find cancer cells, a marker to detect the target, or genetic instructions deadly to a cancer cell. The nanoparticles have already proven effective against cancer growth in living mice as well as lab-grown human nasopharlyngeal carcinoma and breast cancer cells. (Guo Laboratories)
The vehicles look nothing like delivery trucks, though that is their function once inside the body. Instead, these so-called nanoparticles, which are assembled from three short pieces of ribonucleic acid, resemble miniature triangles. The microscopic particles possess both the right size to gain entry into cells and also the right structure to carry other therapeutic strands of RNA inside with them, where they are able to halt viral growth or cancers progress. The team has already tested the nanoparticles successfully against cancer growth in mice and lab-grown human cells.
"RNA has immense promise as a therapeutic agent against cancer, but until now we have not had an efficient system to bring multiple therapeutic agents directly into specific cancer cells where they can perform different tasks," said research team leader Peixuan Guo, who is a professor of molecular virology at Purdue with joint appointments in Purdues Cancer Research Center, School of Veterinary Medicine and Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering. "Physicians have hoped that nanotechnology might provide a solution to the problem, and its possible that the application of these tiny triangles could lead to the solution."
"With these devices, Dr. Guo was able to deliver three different therapeutic agents into a cell at the same time," said Jean Chin, a scientist at the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, which is part of the National Institutes of Health. "This is an incredible accomplishment that points to the versatility and potential medical value of these nanoparticles."
The research appears in two related papers being published in the scientific journals Nano Letters and Human Gene Therapy. Members of Guos research team are from Purdue, the University of Central Florida and the University of California, Riverside, including Songchuan Guo, Annette Khaled, Feng Li, Sulma Mohammed and Nuska Tschammer.
Guos team created their nanoparticles by linking together different kinds of RNA, a task that their previous research has given them ample opportunities to practice. Several years after building a tiny "motor" from several strands of RNA that mimic those in a bacteria-killing virus called phi29, the team learned how to manipulate these stringy molecules into different shapes, including rods, triangles and arrays.
"We speculated at that time that these shapes would be useful purely as physical scaffolding on which more sophisticated nanodevices could be constructed," Guo said. "But RNA, which carries genetic messages within cells, also has many therapeutic functions. We realized that if we built different kinds of therapeutic RNA onto the RNA scaffolding and created a single structure, we might be able to respond to several challenges that have confronted the medical field."
RNA molecules come in many variant forms, and the sort that the team mimicked from the phi29 virus – called pRNA – also can be linked to other types of RNA to form longer, hybrid strands with properties the researchers could assign.
"We looked around for RNA strands that would behave in certain ways when they encounter a cancer cell because each of them needs to perform one step of the therapy," Guo explained. "An effective agent against cancer needs to accomplish several tasks. It needs first to recognize the cancer cell and gain access to its interior, and then it needs to destroy it. But wed also like the agent to leave a trail for us, to mark the path the molecule has taken somehow. That way, we can pinpoint the location of the cancer and trace the outcome after the treatment."
To accomplish these tasks, the team turned to other forms of RNA that can interfere with the goings-on inside cells. The team sorted through a variety of RNA forms that have shown promise for disease treatment and found three that could perform each of the desired tasks. One example is "small interfering RNA," or siRNA, which deactivates certain genes in cells. The others are RNA aptamers, which bind to cancer cell surface markers, and ribozymes, which can be designed to degrade specific RNA in cancer cells or viruses.
"We linked each of the three therapeutic strands with a piece of pRNA, forming three hybrid strands," Guo said. "Then, using techniques we learned from our earlier work, we were able to combine all three into triangles that are between 25 and 40 nanometers wide. This is the Goldilocks size for any nanoparticle that is to be used in the body – not too big, not too small."
Particles larger than about 100 nanometers are generally too large to pass through cell membranes into the cells interior, Guo said, and the body has a hard time retaining particles smaller than 10 nanometers. But the tiny triangles fit, and they worked well enough to interrupt the growth of human breast cancer cells and leukemia model lymphocytes in laboratory experiments.
"One characteristic of cancer cells is that they do not stop growing, which is one reason tumors develop," Guo said. "Once inside, the siRNA essentially instructs the cells to stop not stopping. The nanoparticles had done their work on the breast cancer cell cultures within a few days."
Additionally, the team found that the nanoparticles completely block cancer development in living mice. A group of mice that were in the process of developing cancer were tested with the nanoparticles, and they did not develop the disease. A second group that was tested with mutated inactive RNA all developed tumors.
"The results are very promising, but we still have several hurdles to jump before we can test this therapy on people," Guo said. "First and foremost, we must ensure that it is as safe as we think it is. Some RNA can be toxic to noncancerous cells as well, and though our nanoparticles appear to go straight to the cancer cells where we want them to go, we have to be sure they do not go anywhere else before we can inject them into a living person."
Stability of the RNA also is a factor the team must consider. Although they previously published data indicating that phi29 RNA nanoparticles are more stable than other RNA, Guo said the team still needs to find better ways to protect the RNA from degradation by enzymes in the body.
Although the group still needs to prove the safety of their tiny creations, Guo said, they remain confident that their work is a milestone for medical nanotechnology. The team has already obtained further results that could help create safer RNA nanoparticles.
"Many studies have shown that therapeutic forms of RNA, such as siRNA or ribozymes, could be put together to kill cancer, but the main obstacle has been finding the delivery method that can bring them to specific cells simultaneously," Guo said. "Nanotechnology is beginning to pay off here in that it may have provided us with a solution to the problem. We hope to enhance the work we have done so far and refine it for human trials."
The teams work is supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense.
The Cancer Center, one of just eight National Cancer Institute-designated basic-research facilities in the United States, attempts to help cancer patients by identifying new molecular targets and designing future agents and drugs for effectively detecting and treating cancer.
The Birck Nanotechnology Center is located in Purdues new Discovery Park, located on the southwestern edge of campus. Programs include undergraduate teaching, graduate research and technology-transfer initiatives with industry partners. Scientists in biology, chemistry, physics and several engineering disciplines participate in the research.
Die letzten 5 Focus-News des innovations-reports im Überblick:
Physicists of the University of Würzburg have made an astonishing discovery in a specific type of topological insulators. The effect is due to the structure of the materials used. The researchers have now published their work in the journal Science.
Topological insulators are currently the hot topic in physics according to the newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung. Only a few weeks ago, their importance was...
In recent years, lasers with ultrashort pulses (USP) down to the femtosecond range have become established on an industrial scale. They could advance some applications with the much-lauded “cold ablation” – if that meant they would then achieve more throughput. A new generation of process engineering that will address this issue in particular will be discussed at the “4th UKP Workshop – Ultrafast Laser Technology” in April 2017.
Even back in the 1990s, scientists were comparing materials processing with nanosecond, picosecond and femtosesecond pulses. The result was surprising:...
A multi-institutional research collaboration has created a novel approach for fabricating three-dimensional micro-optics through the shape-defined formation of porous silicon (PSi), with broad impacts in integrated optoelectronics, imaging, and photovoltaics.
Working with colleagues at Stanford and The Dow Chemical Company, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign fabricated 3-D birefringent...
In experiments with magnetic atoms conducted at extremely low temperatures, scientists have demonstrated a unique phase of matter: The atoms form a new type of quantum liquid or quantum droplet state. These so called quantum droplets may preserve their form in absence of external confinement because of quantum effects. The joint team of experimental physicists from Innsbruck and theoretical physicists from Hannover report on their findings in the journal Physical Review X.
“Our Quantum droplets are in the gas phase but they still drop like a rock,” explains experimental physicist Francesca Ferlaino when talking about the...
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Software developers use various software repositories in order to interact with each other or to solve software related problems. They are required to adopt an identity for each of the software repositories they wanted to ...
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Imam Khomeini has devoted a detailed discussion in his famous book 'an exposition on Forty Hadith' to the issue of fear and hope, and has examined the station of these attributes from the aspect of Gnosticism.
Imam Khomeini, through his theological works stated that anyone who has gained knowledge of religion through rational demonstrations and arguments, ought to submit to them whole-heartedly with the totality of his being and obey the call of his heart dutifully i.e. with complete surrender to God.
Imam Khomeini, the late founder of the Islamic Republic through his theological works advises the believers and faithful people to exert utmost efforts in order to make their actions clean and pure for the sake of God Almighty.
Imam Ali’s (PBUH) auspicious birth happened in the holy month of Rajab. Rajab is one of the sacred months dignified by Allah. Moreover, it's the month that has the honor of venerable occasions: in this month the holy prophet of Islam Mohammad (PBUH) was assigned to mission of the guidance for humanity.
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N-palmitoyl sphingomyelin bilayers: structure and interactions with cholesterol and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine.
The structure and thermotropic properties of N-palmitoyl sphingomyelin (C16:0-SM) and its interaction with cholesterol and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) have been studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction methods. DSC of hydrated multi-bilayers of C16:0-SM shows reversible chain-melting transitions. On heating, anhydrous C16:0-SM exhibits an endothermic transition at 75 degrees C (delta H = 4.0 kcal/mol). Increasing hydration progressively lowers the transition temperature (TM) and increases the transition enthalpy (delta H), until limiting values (TM = 41 degrees C, delta H = 7.5 kcal/mol) are observed for hydration values > 25 wt % H2O. X-ray diffraction at temperatures below (29 degrees C) TM show a bilayer gel structure (d = 73.5 A, sharp 4.2 A reflection) for C16:0-SM at full hydration; above TM, at 55 degrees C, a bilayer liquid-crystal phase is present (d = 66.6 A, diffuse 4.6 A reflection). Addition of cholesterol to C16:0-SM bilayers results in a progressive decrease in the enthalpy of the transition at 41 degrees C, and no cooperative transition is detected at > 50 mol % cholesterol. X-ray diffraction shows no difference in the bilayer periodicity, position/width of the wide-angle reflections, or electron density profiles at 29 and 55 degrees C when 50 mol % cholesterol is present. Thus, cholesterol inserts into C16:0-SM bilayers progressively removing the chain-melting transition and changing the structural characteristics of the bilayer. DSC and X-ray diffraction data show that DPPC is completely miscible with C16:0-SM bilayers in both the gel and liquid-crystalline phases; however, 30 mol % C16:0-SM removes the pre-transition exhibited by DPPC.
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Q:
Eclipse RCP Commands framework: I am lost
I have two separate views that both show multiple lists of values. Both views are open at the same time.
I have a generic command AddNewItemInList that I want to add to the Toolbar of both views. The command should add a new item to the list that currently has focus. The command should be disabled if the user has not yet selected a list.
I currently have used the following to execute the command.
public class MyViewPart extends ViewPart {
[...]
public Object getAdapter(Class clazz) {
if(clazz.equals(List.class))
return getListInFocus(); // can be null if no list in focus
return null;
}
}
public class AddNewItemInList extends AbstractHandler {
@Override
public Object execute(ExecutionEvent event) throws ExecutionException {
MyList list = HandlerUtil.getActivePart(event).getAdapter(MyList.class);
list.add(new Item());
return null;
}
}
So far so good, but I have no clue how to enable or disable the Handler accordingly. I have read about the Eclipse Core Commands framework. I am very lost.
Answered questions:
How can I create an expression to see if the getAdapter() method of the view does not return null? -> Answered below
How do I get the view for which this command was configured (and not the currently active view) ? -> I can add the viewId as a command parameter
Remaining questions:
Should I configure two separate Handler instances in my plugin.xml (one for each view) ? -> The enabledWhen condition can only use the current evaluation context. It seems I cannot use any parameters provided by the command. This means a handler is either enabled or disabled depending on the state of the full workbench.
A:
How can I create an expression to see if the getAdapter() method of the view does not return null?
You can use custom property testers. It needs a lot of boilerplate and looks ugly, but it works.
EDIT: Actually, it's a lot simpler:
<with variable="activePart">
<adapt type="com.foo.MyList"/>
</with>
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NBC will keep the cameras rolling on any NFL players who choose to kneel during the “The Star-Spangled Banner” when the network airs Super Bowl LII on Feb. 4 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, according to the game’s executive producer.
“When you are covering a live event, you are covering what’s happening,” NBC Sports EP Fred Gaudelli said at a Television Critics Association event on Tuesday.
“If there are players who choose to kneel, they will be shown live,” he said.
The anthem will be aired live and is scheduled to be performed by Pink. Potential protestors will have an opportunity to make a statement in front of a massive audience, as 112.2 million people watched Super Bowl LI last season – the fifth most-watched program in television history.
“If there are players who choose to kneel, they will be shown live." — NBC Sports executive producer Fred Gaudelli
Gaudelli said the broadcasting team of Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth would probably identify the players, explain the backstory of the polarizing protests “and then get on with the game.”
During the final week of the regular season, 19 players kneeled, sat, or stayed in the locker room for the National Anthem in protest.
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem last season to protest racial inequality and police brutality. The demonstration sparked a surge of NFL protests by players during the anthem that repeatedly have been denounced by President Trump.
Trump kindled a feud with the NFL and players who kneel during the National Anthem at a rally in September, when he called for players to be fired if they disrespected the flag. Several players and coaches condemned Trump’s comments and locked arms in solidarity during the anthem. Some players have decided to stay in the locker room and skip the anthem altogether.
NBC’s "Will and Grace" star Debra Messing recently praised her 13-year-old son last week for refusing to stand for the national anthem when he attended a New York Rangers game at Madison Square Garden. Meanwhile, Trump retweeted an image last week appearing to show a grieving military family, in a message to NFL players who “still kneel.”
Putting a spotlight on Anthem protestors during the Super Bowl will presumably irk Trump, but NBC has plenty of experience agitating the president. NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” lampoons Trump on a regular basis and the network recently blamed a third party for an errant tweet backing Oprah Winfrey to run for president.
Kaepernick has not been signed by a team since parting ways with the 49ers. He has accused the league’s owners of colluding to keep him off the field.
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Experience Everyday Luxury with Egyptian cotton shirts from GQ International
PR —Imagine the lusciousness of pure, unadulterated and exquisite Egyptian cotton clasping your body with lodes of cozy comfort every day that you wish you’d never have to take your clothes off.
That is the undeniable effect of fabric woven using Egyptian cotton, its luxurious feel embraces your whole being with its soft and superior feel that’s made durable to stand the test of time. So indulge in the comfort and frill of the finest Egyptian cotton-made shirts here in the Philippines, only from GQ International.
With splendid and superior Egyptian cotton inside every GQ International shirt, experience it caressing your body with unmatched comfort and affluence as you wear it every day, whether at the office, the party or just about any occasion you can think of. Be the focus of lavishing attention as people marvel at the splendor of Egyptian cotton in a shirt in all its full glory.
So what makes Egyptian cotton take its place at the pinnacle of fabric greatness?
Well, its long fibers spell the difference compared to other cotton variants in the world. It is said that Egypt, because of its highly humid climate and rich soil, particularly that along the Nile River, contributes to the growing of long cotton fibers, which puts Egyptian cotton under the “ELS” or “Extra Long Staple” category or from 1 ½ to 2 ¼ inches long. Their extraordinary length means it can be spun into a very fine thread, which makes it even more soft and shimmering, yet very robust and solid.
Add to that the fact that Egyptian cotton has a higher thread count, which determines the number of cotton threads woven lengthwise and widthwise in every fabric inch. Cotton experts say that a 200 thread count means it has good quality. But don’t be misled; a fabric sheet with a 200-thread count of any type of cotton is different from a sheet with 200-thread count Egyptian cotton. Though the count may be similar, the sheet made of Egyptian cotton is definitely silky and supple. And Egyptian cotton with an even higher thread count makes it even more desirable for those who value exquisite wear.
Experts also say that Egyptian cotton has “breathing” qualities also because of the high thread count. This means it shields off heat, which leads to less sweat. Imagine going out on a hot summer day yet you feel less sticky and clammy.
Some people also say that clothing made of Egyptian cotton is truly superior compared to other fabrics because of its liquid-absorption qualities, particularly when dyeing it compared to other cotton products. The colors are supposed to last longer and become fade-resistant and of course, the softness is always present.
Want to know if you’re buying clothes made of true Egyptian cotton? It should look and feel a little firm and rigid once you take it out of the package. But of course once you wash it and the more you use it, the fabric becomes smoother, softer, pliable and more velvety to the feel and less prone to wrinkles.
Now that’s Egyptian cotton, and that’s what you’ll get and feel while wearing GQ International shirts crafted using this globally renowned cotton type, touted as the most expensive yet über lush and opulent cotton in the world.
Find Egyptian cotton right here in the Philippines, offered by none other than leading men’s wear specialist GQ International, the first and only brand that offers shirts made of the finest and most luxurious premium Egyptian cotton to the most discriminating and fashion-conscious Filipinos.
GQ International shirts, and all other world-class and superbly designed and manufactured casual and business attire for men, dress shirts, belts and ties made with impeccable craftsmanship for that splendid look and fit, are available in all major department stores nationwide.
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CEO of electronics retailer Ceconomy quits after profit warnings
2 Min Read
BERLIN (Reuters) - Ceconomy, Europe’s biggest consumer electronics retailer, said its chief executive will leave with immediate effect and it will also look for a new finance chief after its shares tumbled on a string of profit warnings.
Ceconomy, which runs more than 1,000 Media Markt and Saturn stores in countries across Europe, has seen its business stagnate as sales of consumer electronics have shifted online.
Ceconomy said Pieter Haas, CEO since the company split from retailer Metro last year, had agreed to leave by mutual consent, with CFO Mark Frese and management board member Dieter Haag Molkenteller taking over on an interim basis.
In a statement released early on Saturday morning, Ceconomy said Frese would stay on at the company until successors are found for the CEO and CFO roles.
“We are firmly convinced that this is the only way for Ceconomy to restore the trust that has been lost on the capital market,” Juergen Fitschen, chairman of the supervisory board said in the statement.
Earlier this week, Ceconomy issued its third profit warning, citing weak business at its MediaMarkt and Saturn store chains, sending its shares tumbling.
Ceconomy said the managing board had appointed Ferran Reverter, currently chief operating officer of Media Saturn Holding, as managing director of the unit to replace Haas.
Fitschen said that the strategic realignment that Haas had launched was “undoubtedly the right path” even if has lost the trust of investors.
Under Haas, Ceconomy has sought to better integrate its stores and its online offering, and also sell more services, like fixing and installing electronic devices, as it seeks to differentiate itself from pure ecommerce players like Amazon .
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Main menu
Tag Archives: Brett Bursey
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The monument to racist Gov. “Pitchfork” Ben Tillman on the State House grounds.
Since the Confederate flag has come down, there is some public sentiment that the state now must remove monuments erected to racist state leaders. The SC Progressive Network does not subscribe to that idea. Network Director Brett Bursey issued this statement:
“The tragedy in Charleston is a teachable moment, and a chance to talk honestly about the racist nature of our heritage. Removing monuments to white supremacists like Calhoun, Hampton, Simms or Tillman will not change the past, nor will it help future generations understand and change the institutionalized racism they inherit.
White supremacy is deeply woven into our history. It was, in fact, at the core of the state and nation’s founding. We support telling the truth about our former ‘heroes’ with additional plaques that explain their role in using race and class oppression to retain wealth and power.
If Ben Tillman is erased from our present history, we will not fully understand why and how our state ranks so consistently low on quality of life charts.”
The Network is in the process of creating a walking tour of the State House grounds, a people’s guide to its monuments. The project will launch this fall.
Brett Bursey began his life-long career as a progressive activist in 1968 as the SC State Traveler for the Southern Student Organizing Committee. He founded the Grass Roots Organizing Workshop (GROW) in 1975. GROW organized the SC Progressive Network in 1995.
The racially motivated tragedy in Charleston’s Emanuel Church ignited a renewed resolve to remove the Confederate flag from South Carolina’s State House grounds, something the SC Progressive Network committed to 20 years ago at its founding conference. At a rally organized just days after the murders, Network Director Brett Bursey addressed the crowd of nearly two thousand, asking the assembled to become part of a social movement.
As lawmakers in special session deliberated the fate of the flag in the SC State House, citizens gathered outside in the blistering heat to demand action. The handful of Confederate supporters there got an earful.
On July 4, hundreds gathered to rally for the third time to demand lawmakers remove the Confederate flag from the State House grounds. Kevin Gray spoke for the SC Progressive Network.
After one of the most painful weeks in our state’s Jim Crow history, the SC Progressive Network is stepping away from the microphone and media circus to refocus our energy on the long-term struggle ahead. We have grieved. Now we must get back to work.
We are committed to insuring that the struggle for equality and democracy continues beyond the funerals and the flag controversy.
Kevin Alexander Gray speaks on behalf of the Progressive Network at the State House on June 23.
It appears that the flag will be coming down before the end of the current special session. The state Senate convenes at 10am July 6, and will take up the bill to move the flag off the grounds as it awaits House action on the budget. The House goes into session at 1pm July 6, and will take up vetoes and the budget while awaiting the Senate bill to remove the flag.
Our allies in the legislature have counted the votes and believe there is the necessary two-third to move the flag.
That said, a continued citizen presence and insistence on removing the flag will facilitate getting the job done promptly. But be mindful that grandstanding on the flag’s removal, especially by national figures, isn’t helpful. In the interest of using the occasion to fend off the fundamentalists and bring more rational thought to our legislature, we need to recognize that conservative legislators like Senators Tom Davis and Paul Thurmond are voting to bring the flag down.
Then we work on getting them – and others in power – to address the larger, more insidious problem of systemic racism in South Carolina.
On July 4, there will be a “Unity and Healing” gathering at the State House that is being billed as a family event with music and speakers starting at 4:30pm.
The Network will have a table and be talking to those in attendance about the work yet to be done, and inviting them to get involved in the revolution of social values to which we remain committed.
Network members who want to help spread the message should come by the Network’s tent and pick up some invitations to distribute to crowd.
I first met Clementa Pinckney when he was elected to represent Lowcountry counties in 1997. He was 24 years old and powerfully earnest in a humble way. I knew the name, having grown up in Beaufort with white Pinckneys who were ever-mindful of their famous namesake’s role in establishing this state and nation. A standing joke in Beaufort was “the Rutledges speak to the Pinckenys and the Pinckneys speak only to God.”
Clementa smiled at my mention of the white side of his family, noting that they got the money and land, but are no closer to God than his side of the family.
Most of his friends called him Clem. But I loved the name his mother Theopia gave him, and always used it. I had several occasions to spend time with his wife Jennifer and their two daughters. The girls are precious, precocious and polite reflections of their father. They will always miss him, but will always remember, too, the president of the United States eulogizing him, as well as the outpouring of grief and love across our state.
Sen. Pinckney speaks at a clean elections press conference at the State House.
Clementa was an active member of the SC Progressive Network, and championed legislation we promoted. His sponsorship and articulate defense of our clean elections bill to reduce the corrupting influence of money in politics was captured on an SCETV clip here.
Clementa’s calm nature in spite of his demanding schedule was humbling. While he was a legislator, pastoring a church on the coast and being a great dad back home in Ridgeland, he found time to get a masters degree in Public Administration from USC, then take classes at the Lutheran Seminary.
When he was transferred from a small AME church in Beaufort County to one in Charleston, he didn’t mention that he was the new pastor of the historic Mother Emanuel AME Church. The church, one of the oldest black congregations in the nation, has a history that reflects the violence of our state’s racist heritage. Denmark Vesey, was one of the founders of the church in 1818 and the leader of a Charleston slave rebellion in 1822. Vesey and 34 others were hung for their role in the rebellion in which no white people were injured. The church was burned during the Vesey trial, and in 1834 the state outlawed all black churches.
A great new leader has been taken from us by an old and insidious enemy. Let it serve to remind us of the long road we’re traveling for racial justice, and deepen our resolve to stay the course.
Pinckney speaks to members of the SC Progressive Network at Penn Center.
TheSC Progressive Networkis in the process of training crews of volunteers to launch its latest project, the Healthy Democracy Road Show, designed to educate and mobilize voters on the state of democracy and healthcare in South Carolina. Road crews will do door-to-door canvassing in targeted neighborhoods, and a show is being developed to liven up events in selected towns across South Carolina.
We spent the last legislative session targeting lawmakers on Medicaid expansion. Now, over the summer and early fall, we will focus on targeted communities across the state, taking our message to the people most affected by state lawmakers’ refusal to accept federal funding — our own tax money.
In July and early August, trainings for organizers are being held. For information, or to schedule a training in your area, call 803-808-3384 or email [email protected]. The next training is on July 21 at the ILA Hall in Charleston.
This clip is from a training in Columbia, presented by Network Director Brett Bursey.
The “Nullify Obamacare” bill was voted down in the SC Senate late Wednesday night, with a vote of 33 opposed to nine in favor of the House-passed version. It’s complicated, but here’s a breakdown.
Sen. Tom Davis (R-Beaufort) completely rewrote H- 3101, which expressly rejected Medicaid expansion and regulated federal ACA Navigators. (The Network was among the groups in South Carolina awarded a grant to help people navigate the insurance marketplace to be in compliance with the new health care law.)
The amended bill died after Lt. Gov. Glenn McConnell ruled that Davis’ amendment was not germane to the House version. McConnell, who serves as president of the Senate, said of the House version, “I was having trouble understanding what that bill really did.”
Sen. Brad Hutto (D-Orangeburg) raised a point of order that the regulations placed on Navigators had nothing to do with the original bill. McConnell agreed, and ruled Davis’ entire amendment out of order.
In a move seen as disrespectful in the body that prides itself on being deliberative and cordial, Davis appealed McConnell’s ruling to the Senate floor. Twenty-eight senators, 14 from each party, upheld the decision to kill Davis’ amended bill.
With Davis’ version of H-3101 dead, the vote then was called on the original House version that even Davis had declared unconstitutional. Only nine Republicans voted to adopt the “Nullify Obamacare” version of the bill. In the end, 19 Republicans joined 14 Democrats to reject the bill on a 33 – 9 vote.
That only nine of 28 Republican senators took the rigid Tea Party stance against “Obamacare” is seen by SC Progressive Network Director Brett Bursey as “a rare victory for rational thought in the legislature.”
That said, Bursey cautioned that the damage has already been done, calling the time-sapping legislative posturing “bad political theater.” South Carolinians are already suffering from the state’s refusal to participate in the Affordable Care Act, with more than 1,000 deaths predicted here this year because lawmakers refused to accept Medicaid expansion money (which, we remind you, is OUR tax dollars.)
The death of H-3101 doesn’t mean that South Carolina lawmakers will stop obstructing the ACA. South Carolina is still refusing money for a state insurance marketplace and Medicaid expansion. The Davis bill would have added regulating state Navigators and blocking public bodies from helping people get insurance to the state’s anti-Obamacare campaign.
“A goal of our Truthful Tuesday protests,” Bursey said, “was to get people talking, change the dialogue, and reduce the Tea Party influence on Republicans. That is happening.”
SC Progressive Network Director Brett Bursey talks about the long-running debate he had with his mentor about the flag, which came off the dome in 2000 — and relocated to a more visible position on the State House lawn.
Outside the Senate chambers March 4, SC Progressive Network Director Brett Bursey explains to a reporter with The State why Truthful Tuesday activists blocked the road to the SC State House entrance. Eleven were arrested. (At the time of the interview, the protesters were still being processed at police headquarters, and Bursey thought 10 had been arrested.)
On Feb. 25, advocates for Medicaid expansion in South Carolina gathered at the State House for a “Day of Shame,” targeting senators as they went into session. The Senate is expected to take up the “Nullify Obamacare” bill as early as this week.
History was made yesterday in the SC House Judiciary Election and Ethics Laws Subcommittee when Chairman Alan Clemmons approved two bills that the SC Progressive Network supported in hearings. These bills, which will make voting more transparent and accountable, are the first Network-promoted bills in 10 years to clear Rep. Clemmons’ committee. (He was the primary sponsor of the photo ID bill that the Network fought for several years.)
The first bill, H-3198, sponsored by Richland Rep. James Smith (D), will put the State Election Commission in charge of elections. The current voting system gives each of the 46 county Election Boards independence from centralized control. The system was designed by the state constitution of 1895 to disenfranchise black citizens by allowing the senator from each county to appoint the board. This was following a decade when the SC House was the only legislative body in the nation that was majority-black.
Rep. Clemmons signed onto the bill, stating that a centralized authority would make for more professional and consistent management of elections.
For years, the Network has advocated giving the State Election Commission authority over the county boards. “The SEC can only advise the county boards, and they often have different interpretations of the laws,” said Network director Brett Bursey. “It’s difficult to explain to people that no one is in charge of elections in South Carolina.”
The second bill, H-4364, was drafted by Bursey and introduced by Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter. He referred to the bill as a “State Section 5 Registry,” filed after the US Supreme Court struck down Section 5 of the federal Voting Rights Act that required states with a history of racial discrimination to “prefile” changes to voting procedures to insure that they did not negatively affect minority voters.
“With the loss of the federal Section 5 registry,” Bursey testified, “there is no public notice of voting changes.” Clemmons agreed with Bursey that citizens deserve to be notified of changes to election laws, and approved H-4364’s requirement that all changes will be reported to the SEC and posted on the its web site.
“This won’t keep bad things from happening,” Bursey said, “but at least voters and advocacy groups will be given notice before they take effect.”
Orangeburg Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter tells Truthful Tuesday organizers at a meeting Feb. 4 that the SC Legislative Black Caucus fully supports their efforts, and that the Caucus is crafting a bill to expand Medicaid in South Carolina in 2014. There has never been a vote on the Affordable Care Act in South Carolina, so no lawmakers are on record supporting or opposing this landmark legislation.
In this clip, Cobb-Hunter delivers a powerful message to community organizers about this moment in time being an extraordinary opportunity. Highly recommended viewing for all members of the SC Progressive Network and Truthful Tuesday partners.
She also says she’s gathering bond money in case the time comes for civil disobedience.
Bookmark TruthfulTuesday.net, and stay in touch with a growing coalition of people from across the state who refuse to be held hostage by state lawmakers pushing an extreme agenda in South Carolina. Enough is enough.
See photos from the first Truthful Tuesday lobby outside the Governor’s Office Feb. 4.
SC Progressive Network Director Brett Bursey wrote this tribute to his mentor, Modjeska Monteith Simkins, upon the occasion of her death. It ran in the May 1992 issue of POINT, four years before the newspaper was archived online. Here is a scan of the piece. Click on the image to enlarge.
The article is among the research materials being assembled for the Network’s latest project, establishing the Modjeska Simkins School for Human Rights, set to launch Dec. 5, on what would have been Modjeska’s 114th birthday. Follow the progress of the project on Facebook. For more information, contact the Network at 803-808-3384 or [email protected].
When I saw Rep. Alan Clemmons’ guest column in The State, “Voting problems continue to haunt us” (July 21), I was hoping he’d explain his part in peddling the myth of dead people voting in South Carolina, and apologize to the people he misled. He did neither.
Instead, he again claimed an “undeniable presence of election fraud in South Carolina,” and took a cheap shot at the S.C. Progressive Network to make his point. He referenced an instance years ago when bogus forms were turned in by someone the network hired to do voter registration in Florence County. I caught the fraud myself and called SLED and the County Election Board the day the forms were submitted.
No fraudulent votes were cast. I testified against the perpetrator, and he went to jail. The system worked.
Clemmons’ column goes on to call the photo ID law he championed “a good first step” and said, “Now, to cast a ballot, you are required to prove who your are and that you are eligible to vote in that election.”
The truth is that Clemmons’ bill was interpreted — essentially rewritten — by the federal appeals court, which ruled that “South Carolina’s new law … does not require a photo ID to vote.” The state spent $3.5 million on private attorneys to defend a law against a problem that doesn’t exist — and lost.
While unable to cite a single case of in-person voter impersonation, Clemmons told the U.S. Department of Justice that “voter fraud in South Carolina is an unspoken truth.” Still today, he conflates absentee ballot and voter registration fraud, neither of which requires a photo ID, with in-person fraud at the polls, of which there is no evidence.
In the nine years Clemmons has chaired the House’s Election Laws Subcommittee, he has killed every bill the network’s legislative members have sponsored to broaden voter participation. He nixed our proposals to establish early voting centers and high school voter registration programs, to reduce the influence of money in elections, to re-enfranchise felons and to adopt voter-verified paper ballots.
Rather than working to make voting more accessible and inclusive, Clemmons has said voting should not be easy.
We do agree on one thing: South Carolina’s election system is dysfunctional. It was established by the 1895 state constitution, which reversed the democratic aspects of the 1868 constitution that empowered black citizens. It delegated authority to 46 county election boards, appointed by local legislators, with no centralized control.
County election boards interpret and enforce election laws differently, and are not accountable to the State Election Commission.
Clemmons proposes to fix the problem by putting the State Election Commission under the partisan office of secretary of state. But in Florida and Ohio, where they run elections, secretaries of state have been accused of disenfranchising thousands of voters.
More partisan control in a state already crippled by it would be a mistake. A better answer would be to empower our independent, nonpartisan State Election Commission to run elections.
The truth is, our democracy is not threatened by voter fraud but by legislators who have rigged the system. Around 10 percent of eligible voters are choosing our Legislature.
If Clemmons was truly concerned about the “sanctity” of our electoral system, he would address the fact that the S.C. Legislature has the least-competitive elections in the nation, with 80 percent of lawmakers elected with no general-election opposition.
Clemmons, for example, got 99.12 percent of the vote in 2012, when he was the only candidate on the ballot. He was swept into office by 6.1 percent of voters in his district.
The Network believes we can do better. We will continue to fight to make our democracy more representative, and invite anyone who shares our goal to join us. Call us at 803-808-3384, email us at [email protected], or find us Facebook or Twitter.
A SC Legislative Audit Council report released March 27 on the state’s voting machines found serious glitches. “Problems with iVotronic machines that have been reported in elections in other states include vote flipping, candidates missing from screens, lost votes or too many votes, freezing, and batteries,” the report found.
The report didn’t mention that many of those states have quit using the iVotronics, which are no longer being manufactured. While these same problems have been widely observed in South Carolina, every precinct still uses them.”63% of the counties that had problems with the machines have not reported the problems to the State Election Commission (SEC),” the study reported, and recommended the SEC establish a hotline to track problems with the machines.
The SC Progressive Network has helped run a statewide election day hotline, 866-OUR-VOTE, in every general election since 2004. Network Director Brett Bursey said, “In the last general election, while all the news was focused on long lines in Richland County, we had calls from five other counties about machine problems causing hours-long waits to vote.”
“The SEC has not gathered information about the increasing unreliability of these machines, which are reaching the end of their projected 10-year-lifespan,” Bursey said, “and we welcome the LAC report as the start of a serious discussion about what our new voting system should look like.”The Network opposed the purchase of the iVotronic machines in 2004, in part, due to their inability to produce a voter-verified paper ballot that could be used to call a close race. The LAC report concluded, “The audit process in South Carolina is limited by the absence of a voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT).” The LAC determined that a VVPAT could be added to the existing machines for $17.3 million.
The 2013 House budget includes $5 million that the SEC has requested to begin saving for a new system after 2016.
“Rather than consider patching up these machines, or buying more used ones as Richland County is planning, we need to be looking at better and cheaper ways to vote — well before 2016,” Bursey said.
The Network has long advocated a voter-verifiable voting system like the one Clemson has devised.
Dr. Juan Gilbert, Chair of the Clemson School of Computing, Human-Centered Computing Division, has been doing research and development on electronic voting systems since 2003. He got a $4 million grant from the federal Election Assistance Commission (EAC) several years ago to develop a better voting system. The EAC sets standards for voting machines, and has never approved the system currently used in South Carolina.
Gilbert’s “Prime III” meets federal requirements, and was used in a state election for the first time in January in Oregon. Prime III runs on open-source software, on machines available at any computer store. It’s simple, cheap, reliable, produces a voter-verified-paper ballot, and can be publicly owned. The privately owned system we now use costs $1million in annual licensing fees, more on tech support, and runs on secret codes.
“We see no legal impediments to using a system like Clemson has developed, and tremendous advantages,” Bursey said. “Clemson can provide the software, our technical schools can train technicians, and a whole new statewide system would cost little more than adding a paper trail to our old machines.”
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Research impact case study: ICT and Instructional Design
Ann Marcus-Quinn (School of Culture and Communication) recently wrote for the Irish Humanities Alliance on her research impact. Read her full piece here.
Summary
Dr Ann Marcus-Quinn is a lecturer in Technical Communication and Instructional Design at the University of Limerick. She is currently the Course Director for the Graduate Certificate in Technical Writing. Dr Marcus-Quinn has been awarded both national and international funding for her research. In a previous role Ann worked with the National Digital Learning Resources service (NDLR) as a national advocate for Open Educational Resources. Since 2004 Dr Marcus-Quinn’s research has included site visits and in-depth interviews with stakeholders in Irish post-primary education.
Her ongoing research impacts upon four primary groups: academics, policy-makers, schools and the educational publishing professionals. The research is also of interest to the general public.
Research description
Despite attempts to integrate ICT across the curriculum of all post primary education systems in the developed world, levels of use remain low. One of the major reasons for this low level of use is the availability of curriculum relevant software. In recent years the availability of high quality authoring tools has provided opportunities for the low-cost development of highly reusable curricular relevant materials. The increasing use of educational repositories can now facilitate the wide-scale distribution of these resources. This has the potential to reconceptualise the use of ICT across the curriculum in schools, particularly in the humanities area. Dr Marcus-Quinn’s research explores the design of curriculum specific educational software and investigates the ways in which it can be used by Irish post-primary teachers in their teaching of English. Her research has raised a number of issues for the development of such tailor-made solutions and highlights opportunities for future developers. Her research presents a tentative conceptual model of the nature of use of Open Educational Resources and the implications for future development and use of reusable learning objects. Her research found that teachers used the software in different ways largely mirroring existing pedagogical practices.
Dr Marcus-Quinn is involved in an ongoing project with the University of Reading and the Department of Education focussing on post-primary student use of eLearning for reading-based activities. Today there is still very little known about the impact of typographic presentation on e-learning. This project explores whether different degrees of visual differentiation applied to typographic signalling (e.g. the visual signalling of changes in content, structure, emphasis, or navigation cues) influence learners’ motivation and recall when engaging with digital interfaces. While many studies compare digital and print formats, our study takes e-learning as a given and investigates how typographic presentation can optimise users’ experience of learning from screens. The research will contribute to shaping cross disciplinary knowledge and methodological approaches to the study of e-learning. The findings of this project will also contribute to developing guidelines that teachers (who have increasing responsibility for creating e-learning materials but no design experience) can use to inform their practice.
About this blog
Welcome to the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Limerick blog. This blog houses information on all our recent news and research, plus blogs written by our students about what it’s like to #studyatUL
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[Hospital infections: the problems and ways to resolve them].
The authors present the critical analysis of the existing situation in the spread of purulent septic infections in surgical hospitals of the USSR and the state of epidemiological surveillance. Considering this situation to be highly unfavorable, the authors propose a number of urgent organizational measures (the inclusion of hospital epidemiologists into the medical staff of large clinics, the system of training in this problem). The article deals with the specific features of the epidemiological process in purulent septic infections and the main principles of the organization of the epidemiological surveillance system for this group of infections.
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Sanchez is out of contract at the end of the season and Wenger would much prefer to see him go to Paris St-Germain, having asked about a swap deal involving attacker Julian Draxler.
But now Liverpool have made contact about Lozano. Klopp also has his own worries with Barcelona still keen on swooping for Philippe Coutinho, having tried to sign him for £115m in the summer.
Their chief executive, Oscar Grau, has gone on record to say the La Liga giants will go back in for him again in the winter window.
Wenger knows he needs an exciting signing to lift the club’s floundering season, with them out of the Champions League and lying fifth in the Premier League 19 points off streaking ahead leaders Manchester City.
Starsport revealed last week how Wenger wants to boost his defence by landing out-of-favour Chelsea centre-back David Luiz for £30m.
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Q:
Adding new element at the end in each internal list of list in Python
I have a list of list like below:
[[1,345,0,304],[0,345,678,946,90],[0,23,3,56,3,5,9,0]]
Now I want to append a new number (same number) to each of internal list at the end.
so result should be like:
[[1,345,0,304,90],[0,345,678,946,90,90],[0,23,3,56,3,5,9,0,90]]
I want to use a list comprehension as I don't want to do it the normal way by iterating over each internal list in main list and then use a temporary list to add to it.
Any help?
A:
you can just use list addition to accomplish this:
[l + [90] for l in lists]
A:
Approaches
Native Python (@acushner presented this first):
lsts = [[1,345,0,304], [0,345,678,946,90], [0,23,3,56,3,5,9,0]]
[lst + [90] for lst in lsts]
Alternatively, with itertools.chain:
import itertools as it
[list(it.chain(lst, [90])) for lst in lsts]
For fun, a third-party library more-itertools (pip install more_itertools):
import more_itertools as mit
[list(mit.padded(lst, fillvalue=90, n=len(lst)+1)) for lst in lsts]
Caveat
Some answers attempt to mutate a list while iterating. While those options give equivalent results, are possibly more memory efficient and may even be faster for larger data for this specific problem, they are arguably non-pythonic and not recommended practices.
From the Python docs:
It is sometimes tempting to change a list while you are looping over it; however, it is often simpler and safer to create a new list instead.
This is especially true when removing or inserting elements from a list while iterating it. The latter approaches adopt this convention of creating a new list. However, for certain innocuous circumstances, a compromise may be iterating over a copy of the nested list:
lists = [[1,345,0,304], [0,345,678,946,90], [0,23,3,56,3,5,9,0]]
for lst in lists[:]:
lst.append(90)
lists
Otherwise, default to @acushner's approach, which is the next performant option discussed here.
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Chesson's index
The Manly-Chesson's Index (or Manly's alpha, or Chesson's index) refers to an index to determine selective feeding on discrete food items. It was described separately by Bryan F. J. Manly and Jean Chesson in the 1970's . It was initially described for two different food types, but was later extended to include more food types .
The index for two food types is calculated as:
.
Where and are the number of individuals of present at the start for each species and and are the number of items consumed of each type respectively. is the estimate of preference.
The use of this index has been widespread with more than 400 citations in the scientific literature.
References
Category:Eating behaviors
Category:Ecology
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At 81, the Orioles owner is busy adding to his complicated legacy
He is the baseball owner whose meddling has inspired years of fan griping, and the guy who wanted so badly to win, he lent more than $100 million from his personal fortune to cover his club's money losses.
He is the controlling boss who ran through six top baseball executives in less than a decade, and the man who offered his private plane and doctor to help his second baseman through back trouble.
He is the argumentative cuss who brusquely ended his friendship with a fellow civic leader, and the Baltimore kid who made good who gave $300,000 to keep the city's pools open this summer, insisting that he get no credit for the gesture.
Orioles owner Peter G. Angelos is a paradox, say friends and foes alike. And, at age 81, with fans perpetually speculating when he might fade into the background, Angelos is instead busy adding to his complicated legacy.
The Orioles will close out a volatile season on Sunday afternoon at Camden Yards. They began as poorly as they ever have in 13 straight losing seasons under Angelos, then surged behind Buck Showalter, the manager he favored from early in a mid-season search.
Beyond the field, Angelos has played a more active role than ever in the Orioles' day-to-day business operations. The team and the cable network Angelos spun off are worth an estimated $1 billion, which would be a 478-percent profit on the $173 million his group paid for the baseball franchise in 1993. Angelos also remains one of the largest Democratic political donors in the country, one of the leading philanthropists in Baltimore and a workaholic lawyer who toils 12 hours a day in his 22nd-floor office at One Charles Center.
"I think his legacy is going to be all over the map," says 1st Mariner Bank Chairman Ed Hale, whose friendship with Angelos was abruptly severed when the Orioles owner sued him for erecting billboards on 1st Mariner Arena in 2003, calling the signs "visual clutter" that could hamper westside redevelopment.
Hale, who also owns the Baltimore Blast, says he and Angelos bonded over their respective rises from Highlandtown and shared monthly lunches in Little Italy. But he says Angelos refused to see him when Hale went to his office to discuss the sign dispute. They have barely spoken in the seven years since.
"Why have two guys from the same neighborhood, both considered civic leaders, pitted in a fight like that?" Hale says. "I can't understand why we couldn't sit down and talk it out. To this day, I don't understand it. If he's not going to get his way and you won't kiss his ring, he'll cut you off."
Where critics see an impatient, combative and domineering figure who has undermined many of the praiseworthy things he's done, admirers see a brilliant, principled, generous man whose reputation is unfairly soiled by the stench of a losing baseball team.
"I think Peter is really a gift to Baltimore City," says his sometime lawyer William H. Murphy Jr. "He's a brilliant entrepreneur with a blue-collar soul. People see him as an asbestos lawyer who has mismanaged the Orioles, but that's such a warped view of the man."
Even those who appreciate Angelos' remarkable biography, however, say the Orioles' failings will overshadow his achievements.
"The only constant has been Peter and so his legacy, tragically and to some degree correctly, will reflect his stewardship of the team," says the club's former chief operating officer, Joe Foss. "It's what the public will remember about him, though it's only one facet of his life."
A guarded figure
After 13 years of losing baseball, Angelos is, in many ways, a changed figure.
Where he used to attend 70-75 games a year (he'd arrive a few innings in because he was unwilling to cut short his work at the law office), he is now rarely seen at the park. Where he once made bold pronouncements to the local press about his ambitions for the club, he now virtually never speaks on the record. Where he was hailed for rescuing the hometown team, he is now widely criticized as a meddler who can't pick the right executives and won't spend for the best players.
"He bought the team with his heart in the right place, and he's put so much of his soul and his money into it," says Janet Marie Smith, the club's vice president for planning and development. "It's painful how long it has been since he's been able to enjoy it."
Angelos has become a guarded figure who turns down most interview requests, including several for this article, and shrugs off suggestions that he spend more time around his team. Even admirers are often reluctant to talk about him.
"Does he know you're writing about him?" asks his friend, University of Baltimore President Robert L. Bogomolny. "He doesn't like it when people talk about him too much."
Angelos would not have disclosed $10 million in recent gifts to his alma mater unless Bogomolny had convinced him that the publicity would help attract other donations and unlock state funding for a new law building.
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Be the broken or the breaker. Be the giver or the undertaker. Unlock and open the doors. Be the healer or the faker. The keys are in your hands. Realize you are your own sole creator of your own masterplan.
The Lonely Shores
Looking out towards The Eternal Sea, this cozy and quiet area provides peace for any who should find it. It is very hard to find, but once you see it, the view becomes its own treasure. (No fighting is allowed here.)
Similar topics
Similar topics
"I know my irritation with Kaien shouldn't. Have been directed at you, and I love you for you my darling." She hugged her husband tight and stepped in close to him, saddened that this night had suddenly taken a bad turn. A sigh crossed her crimson lips onto Kain's chest and she just held him tight.
He stood and hugged his beloved tight to him. "Its ok my love. I know my sense of humor sometimes makes me carry out some fucked up and crazy jokes, and I know you don't quite have the same sense of humor that I do, so I get it. I just wish you wouldn't get mad at me for it. I am who I am and I can't change that." He then pulled back a little and smiled at her. "Besides, you have to admit that it was pretty funny." He chuckled a little, hoping to cheer her up before Kaien said something that will most likely carry the drama out.
Samantha opened her mouth to shoot words at Kaien, but she quickly snapped it shut again sensing Kain's mood and sadness floods through her. Hanging her head she turns to walk to her beloved. Upon reaching him her slender hand falls on his broad shoulder. "I'm sorry my love, I knew you were just making a joke, my irritation was more with Kaien and him interrupting us as usual"
He felt Sam's irritation at him simply making a joke funnier, but obviously, she didn't find it funny, just like the time she got pissed at him for making her think he was burning alive from water. Slowly he lands on his feet as Kaien didn't reply the way he wanted. Obviously things didn't settle too well with him. He sighed softly and sat down on the sand, offering no word of comfort, for he knew Sam would feel his disappointment in hoping she would understand that he was just giving Kaien shit because he could. So he sat there in silence on the cooling sands and waited for Sam to rip Kaien's head off. "As much as I hate drama, I'm halfway looking forward to seeing this." He says to himself, and will just watch the two argue over a joke.
Kaien: *his smiles quickly turned to a frown at them both, soon he vanished and appeared before them* It had crossed my mind and before your opened your rancid, foul smelling mouth, I hadn't interupted, was merely watching how happy you looked compared to last night and the night before. Did that cross your mind maybe? I doubt it cause like always if the wind blows wrong you turn on your pms and go ape-shit. *he had intended to reply to Kains joke but at this point he was too irritated to care to joke back, he merely offered and a friendly nod and held up the mask he had brought* Was thinking of a Halloween Hunt, the three of us. Of course after you two got reaquainted for lack of a better word at the moment. *he glared at her giving the same irritated glance that Sam was giving him, as he did he felt an errie and sudden rise in the temperture of the air around them, he simply dismissed it and assumed it was Sam or Kains doing* (wtf? Lmao, smh)
Irritation grew even stronger in amethyst hues and the smile that had been on her lips fell away as Kain took the joke she had made further. Crossing her arms before her form she stands there for only a moment before turning on her heel and walking closer to the water
Kain decides to give Kaien more shit and starts to walk towards him, then begins to slowly levitate off the ground. Kain licks his lips and rubs his nipples with his fingers, making breathing sounds as he floats closer to Kaien. "Mmmmm Kaien! You like men don't you? We can work something out if you want." Kain keeps a straight face during the whole time, knowing Kaien will hate what Kain is doing. (OOC: lmfao ok no homo there Pyro but I just thought that would be funny as fuck. Lmfao!!!)
Sensing Kaien as well she looks upwards scanning the sky till she spots him while listening to her beloved speak. "Well you know Turel, he will show up when you least expect it." With a soft tilt of her head she just watched Kaien for several moments. "Do you suffer from seperation issues? Or are you just hot for Kain" she asked somewhat teasingly but the annoyance and irritation showed in her eyes. "Why is it that you always must interrupt, and never give us time together, he has just returned do you not think I would want to be alone with my husband?"
"Sadly, no I have not. I sent him a telepathic message, but I never got a reply. I even tried to call him once I hacked the mobile network and found his number, but he never answered. Hopefully he'll call me back if anything to find out who called him." He felt Kaien's presence, and shook his head. "Is the mama's boy here cuz he misses us?" He chuckles at his joke, giving Kaien shit.
"Such a change from things used to be with always getting interrupted isn't it?" She asked with a soft laugh, putting her arm through his as they walked. "So, did you happen to see your brother while you were exploring and learning the city my love?"
His smile grew prouder, always happy to hear those words which held the most importance in his life. After a few moments, he began to walk with his beloved again, just enjoying the crisp cool air as it blew past them. The sands began to cool from the heat of the day, and the crashes of the ocean waves were as eternal as time itself.
With a gentle movement of her hand she brushes her slender fingers against Kain's cheek while gazing into his ice blue hues, the eys that she always got lost in, for they were even more mesmerizing to her then the sea they stood beside. All the torment and turmoil that the would endure in their many lifetimes was worth it for these tender moments. "I love you too Kain, more now then the first night we met so long ago."
He pulls his love to him and hugs her so very tight, keeping his embrace around her, having missed holding her in his arms. He absolutely loved everything she meant to him and all the she was willing to do for him. "I love you Samantha" he said softly and lovingly.
Samantha's smile grew more as she saw how Kain still enjoyed the stars, she was happy that she could give her beloved something so small that gave him such joy, despite all that had happened and all that was going on in their lives making her husband happy was almost the most important thing to her.
Just as his mouth opened to say something, he spots the raining stars and smiles softly, the sight always making him admire and appreciate what Samantha does for him. He always loved seeing the stars rain down ever since he first saw it.
"It's nice to come here and be able to think it is but centuries ago, and even nicer to be here with you." Cutting her eyes Samantha admired Kain's profile as they walked along the sea edge just happy to be enjoying the company of each other, the moonlight shining down causing the silver strands of her hair to shimmer. With a soft smile she glances up at the stars and with just a meer thought they begin to rain down on the soft sands of the beach and around them.
Sighing happily, Kain squeezes his beloved's hand in return before he puts an arm around her waist, then walking amongst the warm sands of the shores. "Not much has changed here in 200 years huh? This is still as breathtaking as it was when we first showed up here."
With a gentle squeeze of Kain's hand she stands beside him while casting her gaze out towards the open sea, the sea that always captivates her. The roar of the waves pound in their ears as the wind blows through her silver hair casting several strands across her face while the rest wraps around her body before blowing freely and trailing behind her.
Appearing from the ground, Kain and his beloved wife, Samantha, set foot upon the sands of the shores. The salty cool air brushing across their skin as they take in the beauty of the place, not having changed much over the past 200 years since Kain was last here. He smiles and sighs softly as he holds Samantha's hand and just takes in the sight of such a wonder of the world.
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>transaction appear more legitimate. We informed Juno's security department
>of the fraud taking place. (Juno said that they shut down the scamster's
>account.)
Be thankful you never have to deal with AOL. you give them info from
logs they note it and basically say.. "Thank you" so when you sit
there dumbfounded and ask if they are going to call you back with
some kind of news.. you'll get a "NO".
Ven
--
http://www.vensnews.com
Victor "Ven" Nolton __________________________ http://www.VensNews.comhttp://PragaKhan.comhttp://LordsofAcid.comhttp://DarlingNikkie.com
All HTML Encoded email will be ignored. Learn Standards.
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Monday, March 13, 2017
Swirly Sympathy- Stampin' Up! Swirly Bird
Just a quick post today...I was lazy all weekend with the excuse that it was my birthday so now come Monday I have quite a bit to catch up on. When will I ever learn lol?!
I never like to make sympathy cards but if there is ever a type of card that needs to be sent this is it. For this card I wanted a soft look but with a bit of color.
The card base is Whisper White thick, then a layer of Sahara Sand with the "praying for you" sentiment from Thoughts & Prayers embossed in white.
The image panel is the swirls from Swirly Bird also embossed in white. Then I used my watercolor pencils and a blender pen to color inside of the swirls. I used Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral, Melon Mambo and Rich Razzleberry.
The large flower? (swirl?) is stamped first in Rich Razzleberry and then the swirl part is embossed in white and then cut out. I popped it up with a dimensional and tucked a bit of retired Whisper White seam binding ribbon behind it. To ruche it like this just hold a few of the threads at one end and slide the rest of the ribbon until it bunches up to to your liking. Here's a quick little tutorial I did a few years back on this easy technique.
1 comment:
I love the subtle color scheme you chose. For a sympathy card this is indeed one I would make to give to someone who needed to know I was sorry for their loss. Might have to get a hold of a S.U.C soon.
About Me
I'm an at home mom to 2 boys, wife to an awesome husband who just goes with the flow when it comes to my hobby (or as he might call it- obsession!) and an Independent Stampin' Up Demonstrator since 2009.
Copyright Stuff
The content in this blog is my sole responsibility as an independent Stampin’ Up! demonstrator and the use of and content of the classes, services, or products offered here are not endorsed by Stampin’ Up! Stamp images copyright Stampin' Up and designs copyright Amanda Mertz unless otherwise noted. I am sharing on here for personal inspiration and gratification only and posts are not allowed to be copied for submission to contests, magazines etc. Thank you!
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Odds Shark Top Sportsbooks
You are here
NCAAF Football - Preview
NCAAF FOOTBALL
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Minnesota Vikings
The fans at Wembley Stadium will be treated to a game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings when they take their seats on Sunday.
Pittsburgh lost its last outing, a 40-23 result against the Bears on September 22. The Steelers failed to cover in that game as a 2.5-point underdog, while the 63 combined points took the game OVER the total.
The Vikings were a 31-27 loser in their most recent outing at home against the Browns. They failed to cover the 6.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score (58) made winners of OVER bettors.
Current streak:Pittsburgh has lost 3 straight games.Minnesota has lost 3 straight games.
Team records:Pittsburgh: 0-3 SU, 0-3 ATS Minnesota: 0-3 SU, 1-2 ATS
Pittsburgh most recently:When playing in September are 4-6When playing on grass are 3-7After outgaining opponent are 6-4When favored on the road are 5-5
Minnesota most recently:When playing in September are 3-7When playing on grass are 3-7After being outgained are 5-5When an underdog at home are 4-6
A few trends to consider:The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Pittsburgh's last 7 games when playing MinnesotaThe total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games Pittsburgh is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing MinnesotaPittsburgh is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games when playing PittsburghThe total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games Minnesota is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing PittsburghMinnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Next up:Pittsburgh at NY Jets, Sunday, October 13Minnesota home to Carolina, Sunday, October 13
The handicapping, sports odds information contained on this website is for entertainment purposes only. Please confirm the wagering regulations in your jurisdiction as they vary from state to state, province to province and country to country. Using this information to contravene any law or statute is prohibited. The site is not associated with nor is it endorsed by any professional or collegiate league, association or team.
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Q:
adding and saving new items to the collection
Assume we have an Customer object with collection of Payments.
Initialization:
var dataContext = new TestDataContext();
dataContext.Customers.InsertOnSubmit(new Customer { Id = 1, Name = "Customer1" });
dataContext.SubmitChanges();
var customer = dataContext.Customers.Where(c => c.Id == 1).First();
First case:
customer.Payments.Add(new Payment { Amount = 100, CustomerId = customer.Id });
dataContext.SubmitChanges();
var count = dataContext.Payments.Count(); // count == 0
Second case:
dataContext.Payments.InsertOnSubmit(new Payment { Amount = 100, Customer = customer });
dataContext.SubmitChanges();
var count = dataContext.Payments.Count(); // count == 1
Third case (combined):
customer.Payments.Add(new Payment { Amount = 100, CustomerId = customer.Id });
dataContext.Payments.InsertOnSubmit(new Payment { Amount = 100, Customer = customer });
dataContext.SubmitChanges();
var count = dataContext.Payments.Count(); // count == 2 (!)
I assume that InsertOnSubmit somehow notifies the DataContext object about changes. But just wondered why it's not notified in the first case?
P.S. I am using SQL CE for Windows Phone.
A:
Have you tried setting the customer reference to Payment.Customer property in the first case?
E.g. customer.Payments.Add(new Payment { Amount = 100, Customer = customer });
I normally wouldn't set IDs explicitly, but make use of the ORM and establish proper relationships between entities.
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Category: Seasonal News
It’s hurricane season again, so we’re keeping this checklist up at the top of our blog. Let’s all make sure to stay safe, and if you need us, we’re here for you.
So, on to the hurricane preparedness list…
BEFORE THE HURRICANE
Check all sump pumps, float switches and alarms in elevator pits.
Close up all vents and openings in top of hoistway and machine room to prevent water from entering.
If elevators open to the outside, place sandbags along the bottom of hoistway doors. Since this makes the elevator unusable, do this just before shutting down the elevator.
DURING THE HURRICANE
Run elevators to the top floor of hoistway and pull the main breaker in the elevator machine room (not in the building’s main breaker room).
Park elevators with doors closed.
Do not operate elevators during the hurricane.
AFTER THE HURRICANE
Inspect the elevator pit, cab and machine room for any water. Do not energize main line breaker if water is found.
If water is found, call your elevator service provider immediately!
Do not attempt to start elevator if power is out – call your electric company
Even with the proper preparations, hurricanes often cause power outages and surges that can stop elevators between floors and entrap passengers, and worse, knock out the emergency communication system. Be aware that people may be trapped in elevators with no way to call for help. We can’t state this strongly enough: never try to exit, or attempt to help others exit, a stalled elevator without trained professional rescue workers on hand.
Escalators, moving walks, and their components should be cleaned periodically to prevent accumulations of dirt, grit, lubricants, and all the candy wrappers, lollipop sticks, bottle caps, and other weird stuff that somehow makes its way into the inner workings of the machine.
Sure, it’s a dirty job, but you know what they say: Someone’s got to do it. The good news is we do what we can to make it quicker and easier.
First of all, remember the barricade. Keep yourself and the public safe. If your current ones are falling apart, which they oft seem to do, give ours a try. They’re going to be some of the best built, sturdiest, and long lasting barricades you can get:
Remember, scheduled escalator clean downs will, in the long run, save time and money, and also give an opportunity to discover problems that can be addressed before they become safety issues — or an even bigger problem.
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Be our guest at this year’s NAEC Convention in Orlando, Florida! All you have to do is click the link below and fill out the details, and save yourself the registration fee. This is a time-limited link so don’t delay.
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With the year nearing the end, film studios are rushing to get their "good" films to theatres so they can be eligible for Oscars! So, to create Oscar buzz....I thought I'd create an "Oscar Buzz" thread. So....I did. ENJOY! Talk about what films/actors/etc you think'll contend for awards!
Here's my picks:
Best PictureCatch Me If You CanMy Big Fat Greek WeddingLord of the Rings: The Two TowersThe 25th HourMinority Report
Best ActressI really have no idea-this year has seen a total drought of standout lead females. I'd imagine Nicole Kidman may grab a nom for The Hours, though. And possibly Emily Watson for Punch-Drunk Love.
Best DirectorSam Mendes-Road To PerditionPeter Jackson-Lord Of The Rings (W, in an attempt to appease the fans-and most probably SW, too))M. Night Shaymalan-Signs Martin Scorcese-Gangs Of New YorkChristopher Nolan-InsomniaOutside Chance: Sam Raimi-Spidey
These commercials are superfine because they pay for the production costs of putting CHRIS MOTHERFUCKING BENOIT on my GODDAMN TV SCREEN! I will GO GREYHOUND! I am thinking OUTSIDE THE BUN! – Dean Rasmussen 8/1/2002 Smackdown Workrate Report
If nothing has yet grabbed you in terms of lead actors, then I'd really suggest you pick up both Insomnia and One Hour Photo. Seriously, these were the two best performance sof the year, by a metric mile.
"Sorry to Peter Jackson, since he did a great job, but if there is any justice in this world, 2002 will be the year where Martin Scorsese gets his long overdue Oscar."
I really think it'd be prudent to wait and see Gangs first. It has the propensity to either rule the earth or bite the big one with relish.
I do not watch the Oscars. I prefer to watch things without pre-determines results, like wrestling.Come on! The Oscars have bene fixed for years. They stopped being about recognizing talent a lot time ago, and now are only about politics and money. And the shows are pretty dull...In fact, I can't remember the last award show I watched.... Maybe it was the Oscars... I remember Shatner playing all the parts in Seven in a little skit... that was funny. But that was the last one I have seen...
Originally posted by Pool-BoyI do not watch the Oscars. I prefer to watch things without pre-determines results, like wrestling.Come on! The Oscars have bene fixed for years. They stopped being about recognizing talent a lot time ago, and now are only about politics and money. And the shows are pretty dull...In fact, I can't remember the last award show I watched.... Maybe it was the Oscars... I remember Shatner playing all the parts in Seven in a little skit... that was funny. But that was the last one I have seen...
That was probably the MTV Movie Awards.
"HHH, you should probably do the job here to put RVD over for the good of the company." "Vince, I'm just a caveman! I was out hunting when I fell in some ice and was unfrozen by your scientists. Your future world frightens and confuses me. You say these words like "job" and "put over" and "good of the company" but my primative mind can't grasp these concepts!"---Vince Mcmahon/Unfrozen Caveman Wrestler, Dr. Unlikely 17.9.02
It's probably just that a whole shitload of crappy movies were released this year, and they overshadow the 30-40 really good ones.
That has got to be the best way to sum up this year.
Oh, you forgot about these two:
Love in the Time of MoneyJust a Kiss (seeing Marisa Tomei in her underwear on a fire escape at night is worth the price of admission)
These commercials are superfine because they pay for the production costs of putting CHRIS MOTHERFUCKING BENOIT on my GODDAMN TV SCREEN! I will GO GREYHOUND! I am thinking OUTSIDE THE BUN! – Dean Rasmussen 8/1/2002 Smackdown Workrate Report
Regarding Freeway's list...I can't really say I'm impressed. First off, he lists Frailty, which I am adamant in maintaining was the single worst movie in the history of film. Secondly, the only movie I've seen this year which impressed me was "Spirited Away", which of course will be utterly and totally ignored due to being foreign, animated, and high-quality.
How can we ignore the new Anakin Skywalker? He was so good I CAN'T REMEMBER HIS NAME! Jason something? I don't know. And I LIKED the film, too. Well, to an extent.
This year hasn't been a bad movie year, it's just that nothing's blown us away to that great an extent. Minorty Report should have, and it was a **** film, but it lacked someting intangible. So did Punch-Drunk Love, which I've got at **** as well. Neither just seems "Best Picture" worthy.
Originally posted by PeterStorkHow can we ignore the new Anakin Skywalker? He was so good I CAN'T REMEMBER HIS NAME! Jason something? I don't know. And I LIKED the film, too. Well, to an extent.
This year hasn't been a bad movie year, it's just that nothing's blown us away to that great an extent. Minorty Report should have, and it was a **** film, but it lacked someting intangible. So did Punch-Drunk Love, which I've got at **** as well. Neither just seems "Best Picture" worthy.
Maybe when I watch both, and others, again I'll change my mind.
I agree. There were a lot of GOOD pictures but not many that you would call a BEST picture. There are very few films that I am sitting here and saying to myself 'I have to have this on DVD.'
Same thing with the Best Actor nominations. A lot of good performances but how many are really Oscar worthy?
From the infamous Wrestleline SS interview:
DTD: If you were to make changes in WCW, if you were in charge and not Ric Flair, what would they be?
SS: I'd get rid of all the old guys, and push the talent that has waited to get the push. The things they are doing, it's back in the 1980s. It's just bad, man. Flair doesn't even deserve to be on the show. You've got to get rid of all the old guys. Like what Vince did, they started pushing guys. Nobody knew who The Rock was 2 years ago. He made The Rock. Now The Rock just did Saturday Night Live. You've got to start with the young talent, talent people can relate to. Who are we trying to relate to if we've got a 50 year old man out there? Are we trying to relate, so a 50 year people and above will go out and buy a f*cking little toy? That ain't gonna happen. It's a f*cking joke.
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Matthew Garrett
Samsung laptop bug is not Linux specific
I bricked a Samsung laptop today. Unlike most of the reported cases of Samsung laptops refusing to boot, I never booted Linux on it - all experimentation was performed under Windows. It seems that the bug we've been seeing is simultaneously simpler in some ways and more complicated in others than we'd previously realised.
So, some background. The original belief was that the samsung-laptop driver was doing something that caused the system to stop working. This driver was coded to a Samsung specification in order to support certain laptop features that weren't accessible via any standardised mechanism. It works by searching a specific area of memory for a Samsung-specific signature. If it finds it, it follows a pointer to a table that contains various magic values that need to be written in order to trigger some system management code that actually performs the requested change. This is unusual in this day and age, but not unique. The problem is that the magic signature is still present on UEFI systems, but attempting to use the data contained in the table causes problems.
We're not quite sure what those problems are yet. Originally we assumed that the magic values we wrote were causing the problem, so the samsung-laptop driver was patched to disable it on UEFI systems. Unfortunately, this doesn't actually fix the problem - it just avoids the easiest way of triggering it. It turns out that it wasn't the writes that caused the problem, it was what happened next. Performing the writes triggered a hardware error of some description. The Linux kernel caught and logged this. In the old days, people would often never see these logs - the system would then be frozen and it would be impossible to access the hard drive, so they never got written to disk. There's code in the kernel to make this easier on UEFI systems. Whenever a severe error is encountered, the kernel copies recent messages to the UEFI variable storage space. They're then available to userspace after a reboot, allowing more accurate diagnostics of what caused the crash.
That crash dump takes about 10K of UEFI storage space. Microsoft require that Windows 8 systems have at least 64K of storage space available. We only keep one crash dump - if the system crashes again it'll simply overwrite the existing one rather than creating another. This is all completely compatible with the UEFI specification, and Apple actually do something very similar on their hardware. Unfortunately, it turns out that some Samsung laptops will fail to boot if too much of the variable storage space is used. We don't know what "too much" is yet, but writing a bunch of variables from Windows is enough to trigger it. I put some sample code here - it writes out 36 variables each containing a kilobyte of random data. I ran this as an administrator under Windows and then rebooted the system. It never came back.
This is pretty obviously a firmware bug. Writing UEFI variables is expressly permitted by the specification, and there should never be a situation in which an OS can fill the variable store in such a way that the firmware refuses to boot the system. We've seen similar bugs in Intel's reference code in the past, but they were all fixed early last year. For now the safest thing to do is not to use UEFI on any Samsung laptops. Unfortunately, if you're using Windows, that'll require you to reinstall it from scratch.
Does replacing the laptop's hard disk allow it to boot? (I assume you tested and it doesn't help— I'm just thinking of my old MacBook that was never bricked, but had difficulty booting with certain bit patterns on the internal disk.)
Great writeup as always. Can you comment on the rumors going around that removing the CMOS NVRAM battery will make the board bootable again? Obviously that would mean taking apart the laptop to get at the motherboard, which voids the warranty. But for testing the fix, a developer might be willing to give up their warranty to iterate faster.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu-cdimage/+bug/1040557/comments/23 on https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu-cdimage/+bug/1040557 is one example of this.
Why are people buying Samsung when they could have Apple hardware? Do they not realize that (if you must) you can run Windows on a Mac?
Seriously. If it's price you are worried about, I'll gladly sell you a brick of wood for a VERY good price if you are willing to believe that it's an equivalent piece of hardware and the only difference is price. You get what you pay for, people.
OK was that predictable enough? Well I'm sorry about that. But come on, when are people going to learn?
I'm actually running linux (Mageia2 to be specific) on a macbook pro. I buyed it to try triple boot, but soon discovered that windows runs better virtualized, and osx is not worth the pain on free software.
This doesn't make the bug any less disastrous, but at least story titles will now shift from "Samsung laptops bricked by Linux" to "Samsung laptops bricked by buggy UEFI".
Regarding Windows, I recently discovered that you can actually migrate a Windows 8 install from MBR+BIOS to GPT+UEFI. It's not straightforward, but it's possible (using bootrec and bcdboot). I haven't tried the other way around or with Windows 7, but I think that should be doable as well.
I'd gladly buy a retina macbook pro if their keyboards weren't castrated, and the trackpad didn't suck (and there's also the slight problem with the Windows drivers provided by Apple - I've had macbooks with bootcamp Windows go in BSOD loops because the trackpad driver killed the system during bootup, and the driver was installed in such a way that it tried to load even in safe mode, making recovery even harder).
You can use Paragon's Migrate to UEFI to shift a Windows install from MBR+BIOS to GPT+UEFI (doesn't officially support Windows 8, and Windows 8 will block its launcher from running, but you can just run explauncher.exe it installs as Administrator, and it'll work - tested on my own install).
Matthew, I had a similar issue some time ago regarding notebooks that got "bricked" by a bug in the proprietary nVidia driver. The issue that time was that the driver somehow managed to overwrite the EDID data of the display with garbage. So the driver failed to load and on the next start the BIOS failed to load as well because the video BIOS couldn't identify the display and stopped at that problem.
So it would be interesting to know what really gets broken when that bug occurs. Does Samsung know what is dead and how to fix it yet?
In my case the bug could be fixed by removing the display and booting with an external monitor. Then reconnect the display and flash the correct data back to the display.
Dunno if something like that would help here. Samsung should probably know. The question is if they tell you?
I broke my MacBook, and I think this is a similar thing, ie mbr and Samsung driver does not work together. Apple installed to be used a lot of Samsung components so in this caseSamsung's case, the problem is also the apple of problems.
...or buy a laptop from any other manufacturer. Seriously, why pay the Apple premium? I don't dispute the fact that they get most of the user experience right, but their hardware is ridiculously expensive and castrated.
That doesn't say much - I've seen Synaptics, Alps and Elantech trackpads used in Lenovo notebooks (some with the stick, some without). I have very little experience with Alps and Elanatech, but I've never had any problems with Synaptics.I haven't come across that many Macbooks with Windows bootcamp, but I've experienced trackpad-related BSODs with a significant number of them (don't remember how many, but I did have to delete applemtp.sys 4 times so far to get the machine to boot at all).
About Matthew
Power management, mobile and firmware developer on Linux. Security developer at CoreOS. Member of the Linux Foundation Technical Advisory Board and the Free Software Foundation board of directors. Ex-biologist. @mjg59 on Twitter. Content here should not be interpreted as the opinion of my employer.
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The special counsel's office spent $3.2 million in its first four months probing ties between President Donald Trump's top advisors and Russia, according to a release issued Tuesday by the Department of Justice.
The greatest expense was for the temporary reassignment of Justice Department employees, the report said, which totaled $1.2 million in the period. Payrolls for special counsel employees totaled about $500,000.
The expenses are those incurred between the May 17 appointment of Robert Mueller as special counsel and Sept. 30.
The special prosecutor's investigation of President Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal cost about $16.5 million in inflation-adjusted dollars, according to data made available by The Nixon Library and Museum. That amounts to more than $3 million a month between the appointment of special prosecutor Archibald Cox in May 1973 and his firing in the "Saturday Night Massacre" on Oct. 20 of that year.
The Whitewater investigation, which lasted much longer, was more costly. The independent counsel spent more than $60 million over the course of that six-year inquiry into then-President Bill Clinton. Spending on the probe escalated rapidly as the investigation concluded, Government Accountability Office figures showed at the time.
It is likely that Mueller's investigation could last for years, according to an analysis of previous special counsel probes conducted by the data analysis website FiveThirtyEight.
That analysis also found that Mueller's investigation is accelerating more rapidly than previous inquiries. On average, according to FiveThirtyEight, previous special counsel investigations that have filed criminal charges have taken more than a year to do so.
Mueller's investigation has already charged four individuals with criminal wrongdoing. Two have pleaded guilty.
The special counsel spent more than $700,000 acquiring equipment, according to the filing. It noted that the equipment would remain the property of the government at the end of the investigation.
Among other expenses included in the filing are $111,245 spent on IT services, $24,456 on transcripts and $867 on "Investigative Reports/Information."
The special counsel said in the filing that it asked Justice Department components, including groups such as the FBI, to track any expenditures that could be attributed to the investigation. The filing noted that tracking those costs are "neither legally required nor reported in prior Special Counsels' Statements of Expenditures."
Those costs totaled about $3.5 million in addition to the $3.2 million spent from funds appropriated for the special counsel.
Read the special counsel's full expense report:
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Trae Young is College Basketball’s Latest Phenom
Oklahoma’s most recent star has emerged.
Kelly Ross — USA TODAY Sports Images
What a time to be alive, Sooners fans.
It only seemed like yesterday when everyone in Norman was cheering on quarterback Baker Mayfield for winning the Heisman and leading his team to the College Football Playoffs as the №2 seed. Well in reality, that happened roughly 2 weeks ago and Sooners’ fans all over the country continue to be excited as the sports scene rolls on to their basketball program, led by the electrifying play of freshman point guard, Trae Young.
Photo: Timothy J. Gonzelez, AP
After a little more than a month into the college basketball season, Trae Young has undoubtedly proven that he is the best and most exciting player in the entire country. From a statistical standpoint, Young is currently averaging an astounding 28.8 points per game, 8.9 assists per game, 3.6 rebounds per game on 47% field goal completion and 37.5% from beyond the arc. In wins against #25 and #3 ranked USC and Wichita State, Young put up 29 points, 9 assists and 29 points, 10 assists, respectively. What’s even more crazy was his most recent game against Northwestern State, where he put up 26 points and tied an NCAA Division-one record with an unreal 22 assists.
Who remembers former Oklahoma star Buddy Hield’s breakout game against the Kansas Jayhawks in 2015? Here’s a reminder:
Although it ended in a loss for the Sooners, this game served as the catalyst that helped raise Hield’s draft stock to where he was drafted sixth overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2016 NBA Draft. Oklahoma has had successful NBA prospects in its history, including Blake Griffin and Buddy Hield, but what is the scouting report looking like for Trae Young right now?
Young has two things that NBA teams absolutely love when scouting players, shooting and scoring. His offensive contributions are reminiscent of one Damian Lillard while he also possesses the potential to be an elite passer in the NBA level. Who knows, that could help propel him to, dare I say it, the top-5 of an already top-heavy draft? Young already has the shot diversity to help his draft stock go higher than it already is and he has played insanely well against ranked opponents (i.e. Wichita State). His ball handling is also one of the best in the entire NCAA and he can continue to get better with his high motor and agility. Young does lack the defensive versatility and explosiveness that you would like to see in an NBA athlete, but I mean, Stephen Curry had a similar scouting report when he was declaring for the draft out of Davidson.
During the pre-season, the best players projected to go in the top of the 2018 NBA draft were in some order: Luka Doncic, Marvin Bagley, Deandre Ayton, Mohammed Bamba, and Michael Porter Jr. These are all obviously very fluid situations as the season goes on depending on if injuries are a factor, as it has been with Porter Jr. Regardless, Young has came on to the scene as an exciting young prospect who can help a team by adding another scoring option on offense.
Ultimately, I look forward to the remainder of the season for Young and the Oklahoma Sooners. I want to see how Young will fare during Big-12 play, specifically against Kansas, Texas, TCU, Texas Tech, and West Virginia. But more importantly, Young can solidify his draft stock if he can continue to maintain his motor consistently, especially when the big dance comes around in March.Young has the right mentality. Take everything one day at a time, and it’ll all work out.
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NGO for CSR Projects in Delhi as per Company Act
Ozg CSR Experts
The gov of India has made mandatory spending of 2% of the Net Profits for various CSR Activities under Companies Act, 2013. In this regard all the Companies in India are required to spend 2% of their net profits for the activities as detailed hereunder either by themselves or through any NGO which are having minimum three years of experience in the relevant activities:
Ozg in partnership with screening various NGOs who can work in collaboration with it's client Companies to meet the Companies Act, 2013 requirement. Therefore please submit proposal at http://ngo.proposalrepository.com with detailed activities being undertaken by your NGO and also please specify, in which of the above 10 activities, your organization is falling.
3. Promoting gender equality, empowering women, setting up homes and hostels for women, and orphans, setting up old age homes, day care centers, and such other facilities for senior citizens and measures for reducing inequalities faced socially, and economically backward groups.
5. Protection of national heritage, art, and culture including restoration of buildings and sites of historical importance and works of art, setting up public libraries, promotion and development of traditional arts and handicrafts.
6.Measures for the benefit of armed forces veterans, war widows, and their dependents.
8.Contribution to Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund or any other fund set up by the Central Government for socio-economic development and relief and welfare of the scheduled castes and the Scheduled tribes and other backward classes, minorities, and women.
9. Contribution or funds provided to technology incubators located within academic institutions which are approved by the Central Government.
10.Rural Development Projects.
Ozg in partnership with screening various NGOs who can work in collaboration with it's client Companies to meet the Companies Act, 2013 requirement. Therefore please submit proposal at http://ngo.proposalrepository.com with detailed activities being undertaken by your NGO and also please specify, in which of the above 10 activities, your organization is falling.
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The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Determining the successful operation of various hardware associated with the engine typically requires several sensors for determining the states of the various types of hardware. Providing separate sensors for each of the different parts of the engine increases the overall cost of the engine and, therefore, increases the cost of the vehicle. Automobile manufacturers are under increased pressure to reduce costs while providing a reliable vehicle.
One sensor that may be used within a vehicle is an in-cylinder pressure sensor. The in-cylinder pressure sensor provides feedback for operating the engine. The in-pressure sensor signal may have a significant amount of noise. Low-pass filtering with a band pass filter may attenuate the signal to unacceptable levels so that sufficient pressure data may not be obtained.
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Perfect for versatile off-duty styling, these trainers from Base London are crafted from pure leather. With perforated detailing and suede inserts, this stylish pair is finished with lace fastenings for a secure fit.
Update your casual footwear collection with these trainers from Ben Sherman. Crafted from faux leather, they are designed in a classic plimsole style and feature blue detailing on the soles and a branded tab for added appeal.
These trainers from Clarks' 'Cloudsteppers' collection are the perfect combination of style and comfort. Showcasing canvas uppers, they feature 'Soft Cushion' insoles and secure lace fastenings for a comfortable all-day fit.
From Clarks, these trainers will make a perfect addition to your smart-casual footwear collection. Crafted from genuine leather, they feature contrasting detailing and are finished with secure lace fastenings.
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---
author:
- 'A. Martin-Carrillo , M.G.F. Kirsch, I. Caballero, M.J. Freyberg, A. Ibarra , E. Kendziorra, U. Lammers , K. Mukerjee, G. Schönherr, M. Stuhlinger, R.D. Saxton, R. Staubert, S. Suchy, A. Wellbrock, N. Webb, M. Guainazzi'
date: 'Received xx.xx.2011; accepted xx.xx.2012'
title: 'The relative and absolute timing accuracy of the EPIC-pn camera on *XMM-Newton*, from X-ray pulsations of the Crab and other pulsars'
---
[Reliable timing calibration is essential for the accurate comparison of *XMM-Newton* light curves with those from other observatories, to ultimately use them to derive precise physical quantities. The *XMM-Newton* timing calibration is based on pulsar analysis. However, as pulsars show both timing noise and glitches, it is essential to monitor these calibration sources regularly. To this end, the *XMM-Newton* observatory performs observations twice a year of the Crab pulsar to monitor the absolute timing accuracy of the EPIC-pn camera in the fast Timing and Burst modes. We present the results of this monitoring campaign, comparing *XMM-Newton* data from the Crab pulsar (PSR B0531+21) with radio measurements. In addition, we use five pulsars (PSR J0537-69, PSR B0540-69, PSR B0833-45, PSR B1509-58 and PSR B1055-52) with periods ranging from 16 ms to 197 ms to verify the relative timing accuracy.]{} [We analysed 38 *XMM-Newton* observations (0.2-12.0 keV) of the Crab taken over the first ten years of the mission and 13 observations from the five complementary pulsars. All the data were processed with the *SAS*, the *XMM-Newton Scientific Analysis Software*, version 9.0. Epoch folding techniques coupled with $\chi^{2}$ tests were used to derive relative timing accuracies. The absolute timing accuracy was determined using the Crab data and comparing the time shift between the main X-ray and radio peaks in the phase folded light curves.]{} [The relative timing accuracy of *XMM-Newton* is found to be better than $10^{-8}$. The strongest X-ray pulse peak precedes the corresponding radio peak by 306$\pm$9 $\mu$s, which is in agreement with other high energy observatories such as *Chandra*, *INTEGRAL* and *RXTE*. The derived absolute timing accuracy from our analysis is $\pm$48 $\mu$s.]{}
Introduction
============
A reliable timing calibration is essential for all timing data analyses and the physics derived from those. Irregularities in the spacecraft time correlation, the on-board instrument oscillators or data handling unit and the ground processing and data analysis software can lead to errors in relative and absolute information pertaining to the timing behaviour of astrophysical objects. The timing of the *XMM-Newton* observatory is evaluated using *XMM-Newton’s* EPIC-pn camera that has been extensively ground calibrated with respect to relative timing, but due to a limited calibration time budget, the end-to-end system for absolute timing was never checked on the ground. The relative timing for fast sources like the Crab was expected to have an accuracy of $\Delta\,P/P\,\lesssim\,10^{-8}$ before launch. For the absolute timing a requirement of $\Delta\,T\,\lesssim\,1 \,ms$ was given.
*XMM-Newton* [@jansen01] was launched in December 1999 with an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guayana. It operates six instruments in parallel on its 48hour highly elliptical orbit: three Wolter type 1 telescopes, with 58 nested mirror shells each, focus X-ray photons onto the three X-ray instruments of the EPIC (European Photon Imaging Camera) [@strueder01; @turner01] and the two Reflecting Grating Spectrometers [RGS; @herder01]. In addition, a 30cm Ritchey Chrétien optical telescope, the Optical Monitor, is used for optical observations [OM; @mason01]. EPIC consists of three cameras: the two EPIC-MOS cameras use Metal-Oxide Semiconductor CCDs as X-ray detectors, while the EPIC-pn camera is equipped with a pn-CCD. All three have been especially developed for *XMM-Newton* [@pf99; @me99; @turner01].
In this paper we determine the relative timing accuracy of *XMM-Newton’s* EPIC-pn camera using all available observations of the Crab pulsar in combination with other isolated pulsars in order to extend our analysis to a broader variety of sources. Preliminary results on the relative timing accuracy of *XMM-Newton* using the Crab pulsar and the other pulsars can be found in @caballero.
In this work we use only the Crab pulsar X-ray observations to determine the absolute timing accuracy. However, as this is done in reference to radio timing, it is limited to the accuracy of the radio ephemerides.
We also see the paper as a summary of “how to perform” relative and absolute timing analysis with *XMM-Newton* and what timing accuracy the user can expect for different targets.
This paper is organised as follows. In Sect. \[sec:targets\] we give a description of the targets used for the timing evaluation, followed by some technical comments on our data analysis in Sect. \[sec:ana\]. The relative and absolute timing results are presented in Sect. \[sec:relt\] and Sect. \[sec:abst\]. A short description of the *XMM-Newton’s* EPIC-pn camera is given in Appendix \[sec:xmm\].
Observations {#sec:targets}
============
All pulsars used in our analysis are isolated. We concentrated primarily on the Crab pulsar (PSR B0531+21) as radio ephemerides are provided monthly by the Jodrell Bank Observatory[^1]. The other pulsars have been chosen to include a range of periods and pulse profiles, with which to check the relative timing. Some of these pulsar observations were reported by @becker as a summary of first results from *XMM-Newton*.
Tables \[tab:periods\] and \[tab:periodso\] summarise the data used and the results obtained from all the Crab observations studied and all the other pulsars respectively. Column 1 gives the observation ID (OBSID) used for identifying *XMM-Newton* observations, followed by the satellite revolution (“Rev.”) in which the observation was done, the data mode, and the filter used. Column 5 indicates whether the observation is affected by telemetry gaps (due to a full science buffer), and column 6 gives information on time jumps during the observation (see the footnote of the table for explanation). Column 7 lists the start times (“Epoch”) of the observations in MJD, followed by the exposure (“Obs. Time”) in ks. Columns 9 and 10 list the pulse periods of the Crab pulsar in the radio at the time of the *XMM-Newton* observations (interpolated using the information provided by the Jodrell Bank Observatory) and the measured X-ray period, respectively. Red. $\chi^{2}$ (column 11) gives the reduced $\chi^{2}$ values found at the maximum of the respective $\chi^{2}$ distribution of the period search (the number of degrees of freedom, *dof*, was always 100 for the Crab pulsar), and “FWHM” is the full width at half maximum of the $\chi^{2}$ distribution. $\Delta$P/P is the relative difference between the radio and the X-ray period (Eq. \[eq:rel\] in Sect. \[subsec:rel\]). The “Phase Shift” (last column) shows the measured time shift of the main peak in the pulse profile between the X-ray and radio profiles, as explained in Sect. \[subsec:abs\]. All uncertainties given are at the 1 $\sigma$ (68%) level. The ephemerides of all the targets used in the analysis are shown in Table \[tab:radioeph\]. Fig. \[alllight\] shows the pulse profiles for all the pulsars analysed in this paper.
The main XMM-Newton timing monitoring source: PSR B0531+21 (The Crab pulsar)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since the discovery of the Crab Pulsar [@Staelin; @Reifenstein], the Crab has been one of the best studied objects in the sky and it remains one of the brightest X-ray sources regularly observed. As a standard candle for instrument calibration, the 33ms Crab pulsar has been repeatedly studied (monitored) by many astronomy missions in almost every energy band of the electromagnetic spectrum. However, recent analysis presented by @wilson-hodge showed that the flux of the Crab is not constant on long timescales at high energies. These flux variations seem to be related to the nebula and correspond to a flux drop of $\sim$7 % (70 mCrab) over two years (2008-2010). This might affect the status of the Crab as a standard candle in the future.
In the X-ray regime its pulse profile exhibits a double peaked structure with a phase separation of 0.4 between the first (main) and the second peak. X-ray emission at all phases, including the pulse minimum, was discovered by @tennant01 using the *Chandra* observatory. Measurements of X-ray to radio delays between the arrival times of the main pulse in each energy range of the Crab pulsar have been reported using all high-energy instruments aboard *INTEGRAL* [@kuiper; @2003] and *RXTE* [@rots; @2004]. The time delays were determined to be 280$\pm$40 $\mu$s and 344$\pm$40 $\mu$s respectively.
The Crab pulsar has been observed bianually to monitor the timing capabilities of *XMM-Newton*. Over the years an observation strategy has been established that makes very efficient use of the limited calibration time budget. *XMM-Newton* generally observed the Crab pulsar three times per orbit for 5 ks: at the beginning, in the middle, and the end of that orbit. These campaigns were carried out in spring and autumn when *XMM-Newton* has a different location in its orbit with respect to the Sun-Earth system. This guarantees the monitoring of the dependency of the timing with respect to *XMM-Newton’s* orbital position. Eventual irregularities in relative timing with respect to the orbital position could then be identified. A total of 38 observations with exposure times between 2ks and 40ks have been analysed in this paper. See Table \[tab:periods\] for details of these observations.
Other useful pulsars for relative timing analysis
-------------------------------------------------
### PSR J0537-69
PSR J0537-69 is a young pulsar, about 5000 years in age, located in the Large Magellanic Cloud. It is embedded in the supernova remnant N157B and is considered to be the oldest known Crab-like pulsar. It is a very fast-spinning pulsar with a period of 16ms, discovered by @marshall98 using *RXTE*. No significant radio signal above a 5$\sigma$ threshold has been detected from the pulsar [@crawford]. In the X-ray energy range, *RXTE* has monitored PSR J0537-69 for seven years [@marshall; @2004; @middleditch], providing a complete study of the behaviour of the pulsar. @middleditch reported 23 sudden increases in frequency, called *glitches* and present in most of young pulsars. Due to this highly irregular activity (a glitch every $\sim$4 months) a contemporaneous ephemeris is important. Its pulse profile in the X-ray regime is characterized by a single narrow peak.
See Table \[tab:periodso\] for details of the observations. Our 36ks observation coincides with the *RXTE* monitoring campaign presented by @middleditch and a good ephemeris was therefore guaranteed.
### PSR B0540-69
This young pulsar ($\sim$1500 years) was discovered in soft X-rays by @seward with a period of 51ms, in the field of the Large Magellanic Cloud and it is considered to be a Crab-like pulsar. Its pulse shape does not appear to change significantly from optical to hard X-rays [@deplaa]. The pulsed radio emission was discovered in late 1989 appearing as a faint source [@manchester] and presenting a complex profile, very different from the simple sinusoidal one seen in X-rays (Fig.\[alllight\]). A glitch was reported by @zhang before the *XMM-Newton* observations and confirmed by @livingstone [@2005b] using a 7.6year *RXTE* campaign. The glitch activity of PSR B0540-69 is known to be less than that of the Crab pulsar [@livingstone; @2005b] but the presence of considerable timing noise was reported by @cusumano using *ASCA*, *BeppoSAX* and *RXTE* observations made over a time interval of about 8 years. Therefore, despite the low glitch activity, long extrapolations of the ephemeris might not be reliable. See Table \[tab:periodso\] for details of the observations.
### PSR B0833-45 (Vela pulsar)
The Vela pulsar with a period of 89ms was discovered by @large and it is associated with a supernova remnant. It is, with the Crab pulsar, one of the most active young/middle-age pulsars known, showing regular glitches. These glitches have been intensively studied for the Vela pulsar, where a dozen events in different energy ranges have been recorded and analysed over the past three decades [@helfand; @dodson]. Due to these important irregularities close radio ephemerides are needed.
No Vela timing mode observations have been performed with *XMM-Newton*, but since the period is 89ms the data in Small Window mode (time resolution of 5.7 ms) can be used for our purposes. Thus we have analysed the four observations listed in Table \[tab:periodso\].
### PSR B1509-58
This young pulsar ($\sim$1700 years) is one of the most energetic pulsars known and has a pulse period of $\sim$151 ms. It is associated with the supernova remnant G320.4-1.2 and it has been well studied in all wavelengths since it was discovered in the soft X-ray band using *Einstein* [@seward82]. The pulse profile in X-rays of appears to be much broader than in radio, changing from a narrow peak shape into a more sinusoidal shape at high energies. Monitored by *RXTE* since its launch, and covering a 21 year time interval and in conjunction with radio data from the *MOST* and *Parkes* observatories, a detailed timing study has been carried out [@livingstone; @2005a], but no glitch was found in the entire data sample. This result makes PSR B1509-58 probably the only known young pulsar that does not present any glitches over long periods of time. This property means that it is well adapted to extrapolation over long time intervals and useful for absolute timing analyses [@rots; @1998]. See Table \[tab:periodso\] for details of the observations.
### PSR B1055-52
PSR B1055-52, one of the Three Musketeers together with PSR B0656+14 and Geminga, is a middle-aged pulsar with a period of 197 ms. It was discovered by @vaughan but it was only in 1983 that X-ray emission was first detected by @cheng using the [*Einstein*]{} Observatory. @oegelman detected sinusoidal pulsations in X-rays up to 2.4 keV. More recently, @deluca showed using *XMM-Newton* data that the pulsed emission is detectable up to 6 keV. Most middle-aged pulsars like PSR B1055-52 show reduced timing noise and fewer glitches compared to younger ones. See Table \[tab:periodso\] for details of the observations. Results concerning these data have been originally published by @deluca.
\[!ht\]
\[alllight\]
\[h\]
[lrrccccccccccccccccc]{} OBSID & Rev. & Mode & Filter & Counting mode & Time Jump & Epoch & Obs. Time & Radio period & X-ray period & Red. $\chi^{2}$ & FWHM & $\Delta$P/P & Phase Shift\
& & & & & & \[MJD\] & \[ks\] & \[ms\] & \[ms\] & & $10^{-8}s$ & $10^{-8}$ & \[$\mu$s\]\
0122330801 & 56 & TI & T & NO & S & 51632.83 & 22.58 & 33.5083819072 & 33.5083817(1) & 433 & 1.37 & -0.6$\pm$0.4 & -148$\pm$2\
0135730701 & 234 & B & T & NO & N & 51988.64 & 10.00 & 33.5213091402 & 33.5213091(5) & 197 & 3.24 & 0.02$\pm$0.9 & -337$\pm$4\
0153750201 & 411 & B & M & YES & N & 52340.68 & 4.63 & 33.5341004722 & 33.5341001(7) & 79 & 6.78 & -0.9$\pm$2 & -287$\pm$4\
0153750301 & 411 & B & M & YES & N & 52341.29 & 9.00 & 33.5341224876 & 33.5341223(9) & 143 & 3.52 & -0.3$\pm$1 & -296$\pm$4\
0153750401 & 411 & TI & T & YES & N & 52341.42 & 9.00 & 33.5341272691 & 33.5341278(9) & 269 & 3.57 & 2$\pm$1 & -217$\pm$2\
0153750501 & 411 & B & M & YES & N & 52341.84 & 9.00 & 33.5341426021 & 33.5341426(5) & 136 & 3.55 & 0.2$\pm$1 & -257$\pm$4\
0160960201 & 698 & TI & T & YES & N & 52913.51 & 28.26 & 33.5549129334 & 33.5549128(4) & 912 & 1.58 & -0.3$\pm$0.5 & -174$\pm$2\
0160960301 & 700 & TI & T & YES & N & 52918.30 & 10.17 & 33.5550871157 & 33.5550881(2) & 313 & 4.58 & 3$\pm$1 & -292$\pm$3\
0160960401 & 874 & B & T & NO & N & 53264.10 & 14.72 & 33.5676516600 & 33.5676516(5) & 250 & 2.20 & -0.04$\pm$0.7 & 603$\pm$3\
0160960601 & 874 & B & T & NO & N & 53265.57 & 3.98 & 33.5677052394 & 33.5677050(1) & 68 & 8.01 & -0.7$\pm$2 & 8839$\pm$5\
0160960701 & 955 & B & T & YES & N & 53425.72 & 8.20 & 33.5735256348 & 33.5735259(2) & 133 & 3.86 & 0.9$\pm$1 & -334$\pm$3\
0160960801 & 955 & B & T & YES & N & 53426.27 & 5.00 & 33.5735454128 & 33.5735452(4) & 80 & 6.52 & -0.5$\pm$2 & -336$\pm$5\
0160960901 & 955 & B & T & YES & N & 53426.77 & 8.20 & 33.5735638700 & 33.5735642(0) & 127 & 3.90 & 1$\pm$1 & -357$\pm$4\
0160961001 & 1048 & TI & T & YES & N & 53612.63 & 4.99 & 33.5803179048 & 33.580317(7) & 178 & 11.18 & -0.6$\pm$3 & -257$\pm$3\
0160961101 & 1049 & B & T & YES & N & 53613.14 & 5.00 & 33.5803366674 & 33.5803368(8) & 59 & 6.60 & 0.6$\pm$2 & -335$\pm$4\
0160961201 & 1049 & TI & T & YES & N & 53613.92 & 4.99 & 33.5803650194 & 33.580364(2) & 164 & 10.25 & -3$\pm$3 & -286$\pm$2\
0160961301 & 1140 & B & T & NO & N & 53794.72 & 5.00 & 33.5869348775 & 33.5869347(5) & 90 & 6.77 & -0.4$\pm$2 & -284$\pm$4\
0160961401 & 1140 & TI & T & YES & N & 53795.44 & 4.99 & 33.5869607624 & 33.5869607(3) & 262 & 6.18 & -0.1$\pm$2 & -209$\pm$2\
0160961501 & 1140 & B & T & NO & N & 53796.09 & 6.70 & 33.5869844395 & 33.5869844(8) & 129 & 4.47 & 0.1$\pm$1 & -305$\pm$4\
0312790101 & 1138 & B & T & YES & E & 53791.22 & 42.50 & 33.5868077617 & 33.5868078(5) & 422 & 1.25 & 0.3$\pm$0.4 & -268$\pm$2\
0312790201 & 1138 & B & T & NO & N & 53791.75 & 5.03 & 33.5868269683 & 33.5868267(9) & 72 & 6.46 & -0.5$\pm$2 & -349$\pm$5\
0312790401 & 1138 & B & T & NO & N & 53791.95 & 7.80 & 33.5868339621 & 33.5868344(5) & 52 & 4.19 & 1$\pm$1 & -305$\pm$6\
0412590101 & 1249 & B & T & NO & N & 54012.06 & 6.40 & 33.5948315461 & 33.5948316(2) & 111 & 4.82 & 0.2$\pm$1 & -369$\pm$4\
0412590201 & 1249 & TI & T & YES & N & 54012.72 & 5.04 & 33.5948556935 & 33.5948540(4) & 282 & 9.77 & -5$\pm$3 & -284$\pm$2\
0412590301 & 1249 & B & T & NO & N & 54013.38 & 8.85 & 33.5948794078 & 33.5948792(9) & 148 & 3.39 & -0.4$\pm$1 & -389$\pm$3\
0412590601 & 1325 & TI & T & YES & N & 54164.32 & 5.04 & 33.6003636968 & 33.6003640(7) & 241 & 6.14 & 1$\pm$2 & -524$\pm$2\
0412590701 & 1325 & B & T & YES & N & 54164.98 & 8.85 & 33.6003876860 & 33.6003877(0) & 156 & 3.50 & 0.03$\pm$1 & -601$\pm$3\
0412591001 & 1414 & B & T & NO & N & 54341.11 & 13.20 & 33.6067862758 & 33.6067861(8) & 220 & 2.33 & -0.3$\pm$0.7 & -336$\pm$3\
0412591101 & 1414 & TI & T & YES & N & 54341.96 & 5.00 & 33.6068170822 & 33.6068166(3) & 308 & 8.62 & -1$\pm$3 & -303$\pm$3\
0412591201 & 1414 & B & T & NO & S & 54342.40 & 13.41 & 33.6068330929 & 33.6068330(5) & 228 & 2.40 & -0.1$\pm$0.7 & -360$\pm$3\
0412591401 & 1504 & B & T & YES & N & 54520.72 & 21.70 & 33.6133108411 & 33.6133108(9) & 394 & 1.45 & 0.1$\pm$4 & -357$\pm$2\
0412591501 & 1504 & TI & T & YES & N & 54521.46 & 7.64 & 33.6133378231 & 33.6133377(7) & 521 & 4.53 & -0.1$\pm$1 & -282$\pm$2\
0412591601 & 1504 & B & T & YES & N & 54521.85 & 20.20 & 33.6133519405 & 33.6133519(9) & 382 & 1.51 & 0.1$\pm$0.4 & -363$\pm$2\
0412591901 & 1600 & B & T & YES & N & 54712.22 & 5.80 & 33.6202664839 & 33.6202667(5) & 133 & 5.50 & 0.8$\pm$2 & -282$\pm$3\
0412592001 & 1600 & TI & T & YES & N & 54712.78 & 6.04 & 33.6202865236 & 33.6202880(2) & 544 & 7.19 & 4$\pm$2 & -207$\pm$2\
0412592101 & 1600 & B & T & YES & N & 54713.35 & 15.39 & 33.6203076395 & 33.6203076(3) & 365 & 1.98 & -0.02$\pm$0.6 & -263$\pm$2\
0412592401 & 1687 & B & T & YES & N & 54885.70 & 18.90 & 33.6265670615 & 33.6265671(0) & 355 & 1.67 & 0.1$\pm$0.5 & -379$\pm$2\
0412592501 & 1687 & TI & T & YES & N & 54886.52 & 4.54 & 33.6265967322 & 33.6265966(8) & 341 & 6.78 & -0.1$\pm$2 & -305$\pm$2\
\[h\]
[lrrccccccccccccccccccc]{}
Object & OBSID & Rev. & Mode & Filter & Epoch & Obs. Time & Reference period & Reference Epoch & X-ray period & Red. $\chi^{2}$ & FWHM & $\Delta$P/P\
& & & & & \[MJD\] & \[ks\] & \[ms\] & \[MJD\] & \[ms\] & & $10^{-8}s$ & $10^{-8}$\
PSR J0537$^{X}$ & 0113020201 & 357 & TI & M & 52232.95 & 35.93 & 16.1229802136 & 52260.40296 & 16.1229802(3) & 24 & 0.38 &$-0.03\pm2$\
PSR B0540$^{X}$ & 0125120201 & 85 & TI & M & 51691.54 & 17.05 & 50.5192855014 & 51686.20757 & 50.519284(6) & 99 & 12.60 &$ -2.40\pm12$\
PSR B0540$^{R}$ & 0125120201 & 85 & TI & M & 51691.54 & 17.05 & 50.5194431419 & 52857.86600 & 50.519284(6) & 99 & 12.60 &$ -31.44\pm12$\
PSR B0540$^{X}$ & 0413180201 & 1248 & TI & M & 54010.06 & 12.64 & 50.6160286612 & 52857.86600 & 50.615225(9) & 112 & 17.34 &$ -1580\pm17$\
PSR B0540$^{X}$ & 0413180301 & 1248 & TI & M & 54010.79 & 15.24 & 50.6160594083 & 52857.86600 & 50.615252(7) & 136 & 14.75 &$ -1594\pm15$\
Vela$^{R}$ & 0111080101 & 180 & SW & M & 51880.00 & 37.90 & 89.3318630836 & 52408.00000 & 89.331848(3) & 18 & 7.90 &$ -17.35\pm3$\
Vela$^{R}$ & 0111080201 & 180 & SW & M & 51880.51 & 58.60 & 89.3318685573 & 52408.00000 & 89.331853(2) & 25 & 6.01 &$ -17.84\pm2$\
Vela$^{R}$ & 0111080301 & 180 & SW & M & 51881.23 & 1.94 & 89.3318762404 & 52408.00000 & 89.33181(3) & 2 & 81.00 &$ -79.22\pm30$\
Vela$^{R}$ & 0153951401 & 1169 & SW & M & 53852.54 & 120.87 & 89.3531575271 & 53193.00000 & 89.352786(3) & 17 & 8.47 &$-415.46\pm3$\
PSR B1509$^{R}$ & 0128120401 & 137 & TI & M & 51794.26 & 9.60 & 151.1145869352 & 50352.00000 & 151.11357(1) & 198 & 190.19 &$-673.21\pm25$\
PSR B1509$^{R}$ & 0312590101 & 1136 & TI & M & 53786.98 & 31.95 & 151.3773132754 & 53385.00000 & 151.37723(1) & 694 & 58.35 &$ -52.25\pm8$\
PSR B1055$^{R}$ & 0113050101 & 186 & TI & M & 51892.93 & 19.90 & 197.1118094698 & 50256.00000 & 197.1118(1) & 30 & 151.09 &$ 12.83\pm55$\
PSR B1055$^{R}$ & 0113050201 & 187 & TI & M & 51893.73 & 52.70 & 197.1118098756 & 50256.00000 & 197.11183(5) & 34 & 65.81 &$ 11.09\pm24$\
Data analysis {#sec:ana}
=============
The data sets were processed using the *XMM-Newton* Scientific Analysis Software, *SAS 9.0* [@gabriel]. Event times were corrected to the solar system barycentre using the SAS tool `barycen`.
Relative timing data analysis {#subsec:rel}
-----------------------------
We define the relative timing accuracy as the difference between the period measured with *XMM-Newton* and the period measured at radio wavelengths evaluated at the epoch of the X-ray observations. This difference is normalised to the pulse period measured in radio.
$$\label{eq:rel}
\centering \texttt{Rel. timing}:=\dfrac{P_{\texttt{X-ray}}(T_{\texttt{X-ray}})-P_{\texttt{radio}}(T_{\texttt{X-ray}})}{P_{\texttt{radio}}(T_{\texttt{X-ray}})}=\dfrac{\Delta P}{P}$$
where
- $P_{\texttt{X-ray}}:$ period derived from *XMM-Newton*
- $P_{\texttt{radio}}:$ period extrapolated from radio ephemeris
- $T_{\texttt{X-ray}}:$ time of the first X-ray event of the *XMM-Newton* observation \[MJD\]
We determined the period of the Crab pulsar in X-rays using the epoch folding software `XRONOS`[^2]. The closest available radio ephemeris (supplied by the Jodrell Bank Crab Pulsar Monthly Ephemeris) before and after the X-ray observation were used to interpolate the radio period *P* for the time of the first X-ray event of the *XMM-Newton* observation in MJD. The interpolated radio periods are then used as an initial trial value for the epoch folding. The period derivative $\dot{P}$ provided by Jodrell Bank is taken into account when doing the folding of the X-ray data. All relevant initial and final values are listed in Tables \[tab:periods\], \[tab:periodso\], \[tab:epfolding\] and \[tab:radioeph\]. All X-ray pulse profiles shown in Fig. \[alllight\] have been produced using the best fit X-ray period.
The detailed steps of our data reduction are presented below in order to provide an example for proper *XMM-Newton* relative timing data analysis.
1. calibrate the *XMM-Newton* event list using the *SAS* routine `epproc`[^3]
2. perform barycentre correction using precise coordinates with the *SAS* routine `barycen`[^4]
3. extract source[^5]
4. extrapolate the radio ephemeris
5. period search using `efsearch` from `XRONOS` (see Table \[tab:epfolding\]) which gives the $\chi^{2}$ against the period
6. period determined through a weighted mean of all values within 65$\%$ of the `efsearch` $\chi^{2}$ maximum
\[ht!\]
[lrrcccccc]{} Object & nper & nphase & dres & P\
PSR J0537 & 5000 & 15 & $10^{-10}$ & 5.1815 $10^{-14}$\
Crab & 5000 & 100 & $10^{-10}$ & 0.4205 $10^{-12}$\
PSR B0540 & 10000 & 20 & $10^{-10}$ & 4.78907 $10^{-13}$\
Vela & 2000 & 30 & $10^{-9} $ & 1.25008 $10^{-13}$\
PSR B1509 & 50000 & 50 & $10^{-10}$ & 1.53085 $10^{-12}$\
PSR B1055 & 40000 & 14 & $10^{-10}$ & 5.8354873 $10^{-15}$\
[lrrccccccc]{} Object& RA & Dec & epoch $E_{0}$ & ${\nu(E_{0})}$ & $\dot{\nu}(E_{0})$ & $\ddot{\nu}(E_{0})$\
&(J2000)&(J2000)& \[MJD\] & \[mHz\] & \[x10$^{-10}$ Hz$s^{-1}$\] & \[x10$^{-21}$ Hz$s^{-2}$\]\
PSR J0537$^{1}$ &05:37:47.20 &-69:10:23.00 & 52260.40296 & 62.02279999(0) & -1.993398(1) & 6.80(0)\
Crab$^{2}$ &05:34:31.97 &22:00:52.07 & – & – & – & –\
PSR B0540$^{3}$ &05:40:11.22 &-69:19:54.98 &51686.20757 & 19.794507(5) & -1.881021(0) & 3.79(9)\
PSR B0540$^{4}$ &05:40:11.22 &-69:19:54.98 &52857.86600 & 19.77552961(8) & -1.87288(3) & 4.30(2)\
PSR B0540$^{4}$ &05:40:11.22 &-69:19:54.98 &52857.86600 & 19.775529611(3) & -1.872853(1) & 4.18(1)\
Vela $^{5}$ &08:35:20.61 &-45:10:34.87 & 52408.00000 & 11.193503640388(1) & -0.156027(3) & 0.64(1)\
Vela$^{6}$ &08:35:20.61 &-45:10:34.87 &53193.00000 & 11.192447207118304(3) & -0.155502(8) & 0.52(7)\
PSR B1509$^{7}$ &15:13:55.62 &-59:08:09.00 & 50352.00000 & 6.625918674074(4) & -0.673579(0) & 1.95(0)\
PSR B1509$^{8}$ &15:13:55.62 &-59:08:09.00 & 53385.00000 & 6.608333867737907(3) & -0.66852(2) & 1.91(4)\
PSR B1055$^{9}$ &10:57:58.84 &-52:26:56.30 & 50256.00000 & 5.073283989285(9) & -0.015019(5) & 3.24(0)\
The number of phase bins per period (nphase) in each pulse profile was chosen such that the count rate uncertainties in each bin (determined using the Poisson error on the count rate per bin normalised by the bin size) are, on average, not bigger than approximately 10% of the total count rate variation in the pulse profile of the shortest observation for each pulsar. This value, determined for each pulsar, is used for all the observations of that object. In this way the signal to noise in each bin is sufficient to reliably determine any ’smearing out’ of the pulse profile due to the use of an inaccurate period/ephemeris, essential for determining the relative timing precision, as described in Sect. \[sec:relt\].
Absolute timing data analysis {#subsec:abs}
-----------------------------
The *XMM-Newton* EPIC-pn absolute timing accuracy was determined using only observations of the Crab. The ephemeris (epoch, *P*, $\dot{P}$, $\ddot{P}$) of the nearest radio observation from the Jodrell Bank Observatory was used as a reference to obtain the phase shift between the time of arrival of the main peak in the X-ray profile and the time of arrival of the main peak in the radio profile, as described in Eq. \[eq:abs\]. The phase shift was then multiplied by the corresponding X-ray period found during the relative timing analysis, as shown in Table \[tab:periods\].
$$\label{eq:abs}
\centering \texttt{Phase Shift [$\mu$\,s]} := {T_{0}}_{\texttt{X-ray}}-{T_{0}}_{\texttt{radio}}$$
where
- ${T_{0}}_\texttt{{X-ray}}:$ Time of arrival of the main peak of the X-ray profile
- ${T_{0}}_{\texttt{radio}}:$ Time of arrival of the main peak of the radio profile
The phase of the main X-ray peak was determined using a pulse profile with 1000 phase bins which was then fitted with an asymmetrical Moffat function. The explicit formula for the Moffat function is given in Appendix C. We also demonstrate how its shape varies when different parameters are modified. Fig \[phase0\] shows an example of how the phase of one Crab X-ray pulse profile (obs. ID: 0122330801) is slightly shifted in phase with respect to the radio phase (shown as a red line).
The following steps describe an example of the data reduction carried out on the *XMM-Newton* data in order to assess the absolute timing precision:
1. Steps 1-3 are the same as described in Sect. \[subsec:rel\]
2. fold the X-ray data on the radio period
3. fit the X-ray pulse profile with a Moffat function
4. determine the shift between the radio phase zero and the X-ray peak.
Evaluating the efficiency of automatic corrections made to event time jumps by the SAS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In order to do proper timing analysis with the EPIC data, every event detected on board has to be assigned a correct photon arrival time. The transformation from readout sequences by the EPIC camera to photon arrival times of each photon is performed by the EPEA (European Photon Event Analyser, @kuster [@99]). The absolute timing adjustment from On Board Time to UTC is done with the *XMM-Newton* time correlation [@kirsch; @04]. A hardware problem in the EPEA can produce time jumps in some observations, which have to be corrected.
A time jump can affect the timing accuracy by broadening the $\chi^{2}$-distribution during the epoch folding search or by producing ’ghost peaks’ [@kirsch; @04].
To find time jumps reliably one needs to have as accurate CCD frame times as possible. The frame times for all EPIC-pn modes using all available archive data [@freyberg; @05] were remeasured and cross-checked with an independent method, analysing the evolving differences between consecutive events. If these differences are correct, the slope of the relation between the difference between the arrival times of consecutive events and the same quantity modulo the frame time is zero. Fig. \[slopes\] shows the effect of the frame time recalibration, which brought the values of this slope very close to zero for all observational modes. Constant ’timediff’ values’ indicate constant frame time.
Recalibration of the time jump detection algorithm of the *XMM-Newton* SAS has been done with the refined frame times. A search for time jumps in all available *XMM-Newton* archive data up to revolution 1061 showed a significant number of time jumps in the data for each observational mode. The application of the new algorithm reduced the number of remaining time jumps significantly. The effects of the [SAS\_JUMP\_TOLERANCE]{} parameter in the new algorithm (Versions 2-7) are shown in Fig. \[jumps\] for each EPIC-pn mode. The Version 0 shown in Fig. \[jumps\] represents the remaining time jumps with the old frame times and the old algorithm and it is included for comparison. Version 1 was obtained using the new frame times but with the old algorithm. While the rate of non-corrected time jumps (averaged over all pn-modes) was 2.8 per 100 ks before the implementation of the SASv8.0 time jump correction, just 0.3 time jumps per 100 ks remained uncorrected after its implementation. A breakdown of time jumps for each EPIC-pn mode is given in Table \[tab:tjumps\]. This new improved algorithm has been implemented in the SAS as the default setting since version 8.0 ([SAS\_JUMP\_TOLERANCE]{} = 22.0). Table \[tab:periods\] indicates for which Crab observation a time jump has been corrected, and where data had to be excluded from the analysis.
In order to identify possible remaining time jumps, the data can be processed without the “fine-time”-correction, i.e., [epframes set=“infile\_pn” eventset=events.dat gtiset=tmp\_g.dat withfinetime=N]{}. Then the time $\Delta$t between successive events is calculated and divided by the frame time, *FT*, of the relevant mode (FF Mode: 73.36496 ms, eFF Mode: 199.19408 ms, LW mode: 47.66384 ms, SW Mode: 5.67184 ms, Timing Mode: 5.96464 ms, Burst Mode: 4.34448 ms).
A time jump is shown to exist when $\Delta$t/*FT* is different from an integer by a quantity larger than a tolerance parameter. Only those time jumps which happen to be an integer multiple of the relevant *FT* would not be found with this method. It is important to notice that the tolerance acceptable between $\Delta$t and the full frame time should not be bigger than (20/48828.125$\times$*FT*).\
\[ht!\]
[lccc]{} pn instrument mode & Pre SASv8.0 & Post SASv8.0\
& per 100 ks & per 100 ks\
Full Frame (FF) & 0.6 & 0.2\
Extended Full Frame (eFF) & 2.1 & 0.2\
Small Window (SW) & 3.7 & 0.7\
Large Window (LW) & 3.9 & 0.1\
Timing & 1.2 & 0.1\
Burst & 5.3 & 0.3\
Overall mean & 2.8 & 0.3\
\[h!\]
Relative Timing accuracy of *XMM-Newton* {#sec:relt}
========================================
The relative timing accuracy of the *EPIC-pn* camera has been studied using all six pulsars (see Fig. \[alllight\]), presented in Sect. \[sec:targets\].
As described in Appendix B, the FWHM of the $\chi^{2}$ curve obtained during the period search analysis can be expressed in terms of the period and the exposure time of the observation (Eq. \[eq:fwhm2\]). From this expression, and using the Independent Fourier Space [IFS; @emma03], approach discussed in the appendix, an empirical formula for the error on the X-ray period was found (Eq. \[eq:erperiod\]).
$$\label{eq:erperiod}
\centering \delta P=\dfrac{\texttt{FWHM}}{dof}$$
where *dof* is the number of degrees of freedom (number of phase bins used to construct the pulse profiles minus the number of variables). The number of bins used in the pulse profiles are shown in Table \[tab:epfolding\].
The relative timing accuracy was defined by Eq. \[eq:rel\] and therefore its error will depend mostly on how accurately the radio and X-ray periods can be measured. Other factors that could affect the relative timing accuracy are discussed in Appendix B. Considering that the radio period measurements are more accurate than the X-ray periods (usually by 1-3 orders of magnitude; however, DM variations can sometimes cause problems and the time resolution of the radio telescopes has to be monitored), it was assumed in our analysis that their errors were negligible compared to the error on the X-ray period. Thus, it can be found that the relative timing, $\Delta$P depends exclusively on the error of the X-ray period, $\delta$P as shown in Eq. \[eq:approx\].
$$\label{eq:approx}
\centering \Delta P \approx \delta P$$
The relationship described in Eq. \[eq:approx\] allows a goodness of fit study of our measured $\Delta$P compared to the empirical $\delta$P described in Eq. \[eq:erperiod\]. The empirical $\delta$P was considered as an upper limit on an accurate $\Delta$P measurement. A comparison between the observed relative timing accuracy in absolute value and normalised by the corresponding period, $|\Delta$P/P$|$ (symbols) and its “expected” value obtained from Eq. \[eq:erperiod\] and Eq. \[eq:approx\] (lines) is presented in Fig. \[rel\_t\_T\] as a function of the exposure time and in Fig. \[arel\_t\_E\] as a function of date.
\[h!\]
For observations where we have very reliable radio/X-ray ephemerides, the observed data points are below the lines of the estimated accuracies. The outliers above the respective theoretical lines for each individual pulsar are described below:
1. Radio ephemerides extrapolated over long time intervals appear to be unreliable. Therefore, we exclude the following observations in the final calculation regarding the relative timing accuracy: Vela pulsar: 015395140; PSR B1509-58: 0128120401; PSR B0540-69: 0413180201, 0413180301.
2. The $\delta$P approximation given in Eq. \[eq:approx\] was found to be unreliable in some cases (e.g. for PSR B1509-58, observation: 0312590101 and the Vela pulsar, observations: 0111080101, 0111080201). As the Vela pulsar is quite active, we may have under-estimated the error by simply extrapolating the ephemeris, however, the same can not be said about PSR B1509-58 which is one of the most stable young pulsars known.
As seen in Fig. \[arel\_t\_E\] there is no obvious change in the relative timing accuracy of the EPIC-pn camera over its lifetime.
The results for the Crab pulsar alone are shown in Fig. \[crab\_r\_T\]. As expected, there is a tendency towards smaller uncertainties for longer observations.
For a quantitative measure of the timing accuracy the standard deviation for the $\Delta$P/P distribution (shown in Fig. \[arel\_t\_E\]) was used. Fitting the distributions with a Gaussian normal distribution, we found a standard deviation of $7\times 10^{-9}$ for all the pulsars together (including the Crab pulsar) and $5\times 10^{-9}$ for the Crab pulsar alone. While the distribution for Crab pulsar is centred at zero (within uncertainties) the mean value of the distribution for all the pulsars combined is slightly offset, in the sense that the X-ray period is slightly shorter on average than the radio period. Thus, the relative deviation of the observed pulse period with respect to the most accurate radio data available is $\Delta$P/P $\lesssim 10^{-8}$.
\[h!\]
Absolute timing accuracy of *XMM-Newton* {#sec:abst}
========================================
The Crab pulsar shows a shift of -306$\mu$s (shown in Fig. \[lc\]) between the peak of the first X-ray pulse with respect to the radio peak. We hereby confirm the similar results of other missions like *Chandra* [@tennant01], *INTEGRAL* [@kuiper; @2003], and *RXTE* [@rots; @2004]. The *XMM-Newton* values (“stars” in Fig. \[lc\]) show a considerable scatter with a standard deviation of 48$\mu$s. The formal error on the mean value of -306$\mu$s is $\pm\,9$$\mu$s.
The scatter found is consistent with the previously determined maximum integrated error for the time correlation of less than 100$\mu$s [@kirsch05]. The original requirement for an absolute timing accuracy of 1ms for [*XMM-Newton*]{}, defined before launch, has clearly been reached and even improved on by at least a factor of 20.
This scatter is likely to be due to uncertainties in the time correlation process since the phase of the main peak can be measured with an accuracy of $\mu$s. Upper limits for these processes were reported by @kirsch [@04][^6] who gave a detailed description of all kinds of instrumental delays considered while converting between observing time and UTC time and estimated the spacecraft clock error to be $\sim$11$\mu$s, the uncertainty in ground station delays to be $\sim$5$\mu$s, the interpolation errors to be $\sim$10$\mu$s, the error between latching observing time and the start of frame transmission as $\sim$9$\mu$s, and the uncertainties in the spacecraft orbit ephemeris to be $\sim$30$\mu$s. All these errors will be random for our data, and hence the fluctuations observed. The 48$\mu$s 1$\sigma$ scatter measured with respect to the mean may then be attributed uniquely to the above errors and no other systematic effect. This value can then be considered to be the minimal significant time separation between two arrival times to be considered independent.
From the initial 38 Crab observations, 32 were considered for the absolute analysis. Six of the Crab observations were excluded for the reasons given below:
- Observation 0122330801: was early in the mission (rev. 56) and appears to have problems in the time correlation that can no longer be recovered.
- Observation 0160960201: too much data had to be excluded due to time jumps which caused a dramatic reduction in the number of counts (rev 698).
- Observations 0160960401 and 0160960601: these correspond to rev. 874 which shows the X-ray pulse peak displaced from the expected radio position. This is likely to have been caused by a glitch shortly before the *XMM-Newton* observations. This offset is more dramatic in the second observation, which has poorer statistics due to a shorter exposure time. None of these observations fall into the range shown in Fig. \[lc\].
- Observations 0412590601 and 0412590701: these correspond to rev. 1325. The reason for the offsets is unclear. They may be due to a small, non-reported glitch or an anomalously large ground segment error, but because of the uncertainty, we excluded these observations when determining the absolute timing precision.
It was found that some observations presented pulse profiles with an excess of counts in the interpulse region of the Crab profile. Numerical simulations have been used to study the effect that this excess could have caused in determining the peak of the X-ray profile and thus, in determining the difference in phase between the X-ray and the radio. Using the typical 0.2-15.0 keV Crab profile as the input, 10000 light curves were created using Monte Carlo simulations. The strength of both peaks in the pulse profile (keeping the ratio between them constant) as well as the strength of the interpulse were selected as input parameters. As shown in Fig. \[moffat\] in Appendix C, the Moffat fit, used to determine the phase of the main peak, can be used to reliably fit different tails. To fit the excess in the interpulse we added a Lorentzian function to the pulse profile in order to take into account the excess in the tail of the main peak. The secondary peak was omitted in the fit. No phase shift was found in any of the models tried, which implies that the strength of the interpulse region plays no role in determining the phase of the peak of the profile and thus all 32 of the retained Crab observations could be used to derive the absolute timing accuracy reliably.
\[h!\]
Discussion and Conclusion {#sec:concl}
=========================
The Crab pulsar has been used by many missions as a calibration source for timing accuracy (@kuiper [@2003], @rots [@2004], @oosterbrock, @abdo, @molkov). The *XMM-Newton* observatory began observing the Crab pulsar during its earliest orbits, monitoring its X-ray pulsation with high time resolution. 38 Crab observations spread over 10 years have been analysed in this paper (from revolution 56 until revolution 1687). Measurements of the period were made with an accuracy of $\sim$10$^{-11}$ s. A relative timing accuracy smaller than 10$^{-8}$ and stable with time was established for the EPIC-pn camera. This result was achieved by comparing our X-ray measurements of the Crab pulsar with high precision radio measurements at each corresponding epoch. Five isolated pulsars showing a wide range of periods and completely different pulse profiles (PSR J0537-69, PSR B0540-69, Vela pulsar, PSR B1509-58 and PSR B1055-52) were analysed to complement the study of the relative timing accuracy, confirming the results obtained with the Crab pulsar.
For the case of PSR B0540-69 a long term phase-coherent study of its period was reported by @livingstone [@2005b]. Due to its stability we considered it a good candidate to use for an extrapolation over a long time period. As shown in Table \[tab:periodso\] the long extrapolation made in two of the three observations of PSR B0540-69 show poor results suggesting that a small glitch between the ephemeris and our observation may have occurred, rendering this pulsar less stable than anticipated.
An improved algorithm to detect and correct sporadic "jumps” in the flow of the photon arrival times has been implemented with SASv8.0 [@guainazzi][^7]. This method is based on a more accurate determination of the frame times for all pn modes and on a correction of frame time drifts due to temperature variation and aging of the on-board clock [@freyberg; @05]. The total reduction of the rate per 100 ks of observation affected by residual uncorrected time jumps for all pn instrumental modes dropped from 2.8 before the improved algorithm to 0.3 once it was implemented.
For the absolute timing analysis, only Crab pulsar observations have been analysed since a high number of stable observations need to be considered to provide a reliable result. We have considered the phase of the first (main) peak of the X-ray profile and measured the phase difference with respect to the corresponding peak of the radio profile. Considering 32 of 38 Crab EPIC-pn observations (0.2-12 keV energy range) analysed in this paper, we confirmed previous results demonstrating that the first X-ray peak from the Crab pulsar leads the radio peak by 306$\pm$9$\mu$s (statistical error) with $\pm$48$\mu$s (1$\sigma$) scatter. This error is similar to the Ground Segment accuracy and defines the absolute timing accuracy of the instrument. The observed shift is consistent within 1$\sigma$ with those presented by @kuiper [@2003] using INTEGRAL and by @rots [@2004] using RXTE, as shown in Fig. \[lc\].
\[h!\]
A systematic comparison of our measurements in the X-ray band with respect to other accurate measurements carried out in different energy bands from earlier observations in the optical, X-ray, and $\gamma$-ray parts of the spectrum are shown in Fig. \[allabsolute\]. Differences in the shifts observed over 7 decades in energy are marginal with an average value of 284.4$\mu$s. It is important to note that the large error bars quoted in the X-ray band for *XMM-Newton* and *RXTE* include systematic errors from the radio measurements, carried out at the Jodrell Bank Observatory.
The origin of the electromagnetic radiation emitted from pulsars is still unclear. Several models have been proposed to explain the origin of the high energy radiation based on different regions of acceleration in the pulsar magnetosphere, such as the polar cap, the slot gap and the outer gap models [e.g. @harding78; @arons79; @cheng86; @zhang00; @harding11]. The radio emission model is an empirical one and the radiation is usually assumed to come from a core beam centered on the magnetic axis and one or more hollow cones surrounding the core [e.g. @rankin83]. The estimated average delay between the emission from differing wavelengths is therefore very significant. It implies that the site of radio production is distinctly different from that of the non-radio emission. The difference in phase between the radio and the X-ray radiation is about 0.008, or three degrees in phase angle. This time delay of about 300$\mu$s most naturally implies that emission regions differ in position by about 90 km between radio and X-rays energy bands in a simplistic geometrical model neglecting any relativistic effects, with the radio being emitted from closer to the surface of the neutron star. Such high time resolution, high precision absolute timing, multiwavelength observations are therefore essential for understanding the origin of the pulsar emission.
The *XMM-Newton* project is an ESA Science Mission with instruments and contributions directly funded by ESA Member States and the USA (NASA). The German contribution of the *XMM-Newton* project is supported by the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung/Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt. The UK involvement is funded by the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC). The Parkes radio telescope is part of the Australia Telescope which is funded by the Commonwealth of Australia for operation as a National Facility managed by CSIRO.
We wish to thank Dr. L. Kuiper for all his help on the absolute timing analysis procedure and results and all the discussions and comments that he provided to the development of this paper. We would also like to thank the anonymous referee for his/her useful comments and suggestions.
A. Martin-Carrillo also wish to thank the *ESAC* Faculty group for their financial support during the investigation and creation of this publication.
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\[app:A\]
*XMM-Newton* and its fast EPIC-pn timing modes {#sec:xmm}
==============================================
EPIC is capable of providing moderate energy resolution spectroscopy in the energy band from 0.2 to 15 keV for as many as several hundred sources in its $30'$ field-of-view. The EPIC cameras can be operated in different observational modes related to different readout procedures. Detailed descriptions of the various readout modes of EPIC-pn and their limitations are given by @kendziorra [@99], @kuster [@99] and @ness10[^8].
The EPIC-pn camera provides the highest time resolution in its fast Timing and Burst modes (Timing mode: 29.52$\mu$s, Burst mode: 7$\mu$s) and moderate energy resolution ($E/\text{d}E = 10$–$50$) in the 0.2–15keV energy band. The pile-up limit (see Sec. 3.3.9 of @ness10) for a point source is $800\,\text{counts}\,\text{s}^{-1}$ (85mCrab) in Timing mode and $60000\,\text{counts}\,\text{s}^{-1}$ (6.3Crab) in Burst mode. Thus, the observations of the Crab suffer from pile-up only in Timing Mode, such that spectral analysis of the Crab can only be carried out accurately in Burst mode. However for timing purposes the effect of pile up can be neglected in the Timing mode.
\[ht!\]
As shown in Fig. \[fastimages\], in both timing and burst modes, EPIC-pn loses spatial resolution in the shift-direction. In Timing mode, this is because 10 lines of events are fast-shifted towards the anodes and then the integrated signal is read out as one line. In Burst Mode, it is because 200 lines are fast-shifted within 14.4$\mu$s while still accumulating information from the source. The stored information is then read out as normal, where the last 20 lines have to be deleted due to contamination by the source during the readout. The CCD is then erased by a fast shift of 200 lines, and immediately after that the next Burst readout cycle starts. Moreover, the lifetime in Burst mode is only 3% and therefore, the use of this mode has been limited to observations of very bright sources such as the Crab or X-ray transients. For our analysis we use mainly Timing and Burst mode observations. The images seen in Fig. \[fastimages\] for the Timing and Burst mode are produced in CCD coordinates using *RAWX* and *RAWY*, which are simply the pixel co-ordinates, where each pn pixel is 4.1x4.1" aside. The source appears as a stripe in the CCD RAWY direction. Source extraction regions in both modes will therefore always be boxes.
Operated in Timing mode EPIC-pn data show a bright line in the RAWX direction at $RAWY=19$, that is related to a feature in the on-board clock sequence. In the clocking scheme of the Timing mode 10 lines are shifted to the CAMEXs (CMOS Amplierand Multiplexer Chip) and then read out as one so called macro line, such that the integration time for a normal macro line is 29.52$\mu$s. Within a frame time, 200 macro lines are read (corresponding to 2000 physical CCD lines). During the first CCD readout the first macro line contains only one CCD line and is set to bad. However, the integration time during the readout of the second macro-line is $29.52+23$$\mu$s due to electronic implementation of the sequencer. Therefore the integration time for a point source at $RAWY=189$ is a factor 1.8 higher than for all other macro line and macro line 19 receives a factor 1.8 higher flux from the point source. The feature only shows up for bright point sources.
There is no effect on the scientific quality of the data as long as the integration time for spectra and light curves is higher than the frame time in Timing mode (5.96464ms; [@freyberg; @05][^9]. Caution should be used for pulse phase spectroscopy with bin sizes below the frame time (5.96464ms), but only if the pulse period is a multiple of the frame time.
\[app:B\]
Treatment of uncertainties and reliability of radio extrapolations
==================================================================
The $\chi^{2}$ distribution obtained from the period search can be approximated by a triangle where the maximum corresponds to the true period P$_{0}$ and the points P$_{1}$ and P$_{2}$ where the legs of the triangle meet the level of constant $\chi^{2}$ defining the total width of the $\chi^{2}$ distribution. For a pulse profile with a small single peak, P$_{1}$ and P$_{2}$ can be calculated using Eq. \[eq:papprox\], where T$_{obs}$ is the elapsed observational time and N$_{per}$ is the number of pulse periods in this time. $$\label{eq:papprox}
\centering P_{1}=\dfrac{T_{\texttt{obs}}}{N_{\texttt{per}}+1}; \;\; P_{2}=\dfrac{T_{\texttt{obs}}}{N_{\texttt{per}}-1}
\;\;\; \texttt{where} \; N_{\texttt{per}}=\dfrac{T_{\texttt{obs}}}{P}$$
For a triangular function the Full Width Half Maximum (FWHM) is equal to $(P_{2} - P_{1})/2$ and can be expressed as in Eq. \[eq:fwhm2\] as a function of the period and the elapsed observation time. $$\label{eq:fwhm2}
\centering \texttt{FWHM}=\dfrac{P_{2}-P_{1}}{2} \Rightarrow
\texttt{FWHM}=\dfrac{P^{2}}{T_{\texttt{obs}}}$$
\[ht!\]
An expected FWHM of the $\chi^{2}$ distribution can be estimated using Eq. \[eq:fwhm2\]. A comparison of such estimations (lines) and the measured FWHMs from all the observations is shown in Fig. \[fwhm\_comp\]. All values were normalised using the pulsar period to be able to present all the pulsars on the same diagram. All measured values of FWHM/P are about a factor of 3 smaller than those predicted for the Crab and Vela pulsars. In the other four pulsars the ratio between the measured and predicted values is $\sim$1.3. This would suggest that this approximation works better in single peaked pulse profiles.
\[ht!\]
Empirically, two periods can be considered completely independent from each other when their difference is at least P$^{2}$/T (one Independent Fourier Space, IFS [@emma03]), which is identical to the FWHM definition in Eq. \[eq:fwhm2\]. One IFS can be seen, then, as the delta in pulse period which will smear a perfect pulse profile to a flat profile when folded over the complete observing time $T_{\texttt{obs}}$. This approach is quite conservative and smaller changes than one IFS in period can be easily seen. We have found that a rough estimate of the uncertainty in the measured period can be found by dividing the FWHM by the number of phase bins used to construct the pulse profile (degrees of freedom, see Table \[tab:epfolding\]). Thus, two periods will be considered different when the pulse profile is smeared by one bin instead of one whole phase. The error on the X-ray period can then be written as shown in Eq. \[eq:aperper\].
$$\label{eq:aperper}
\centering \delta P=\dfrac{\texttt{FWHM}}{dof}$$
Besides providing a good estimate of the error on the period, the Independent Fourier Space approach can also provide a good indication of how reliable the extrapolation (or interpolation in the case of the Crab pulsar) of a period can be. Since we defined the relative timing accuracy in Sect. \[subsec:rel\] based on the reference period (normally obtained from radio observations) at the time of the *XMM-Newton* observation, it is critical to understand how reliable, and in some form, how accurate, this parameter really is. For clarification, and due to the huge amount of data available we will focus on the Crab pulsar only. However the same applies to all the pulsars studied in this paper.
Eq. \[eq:aperper\] establishes that two periods are completely different if the pulse profile is smeared by one bin. By studying the phase smear, we can determine whether the pulse profile has been affected by a glitch or whether extrapolating the ephemeris over (long) time periods leads to inaccuracies.
If a simple period evolution with time (including the second derivative) is assumed, the phase smear is then defined as in Eq. \[eq:phsmear\].
$$\label{eq:phsmear}
\centering \texttt{Phase Smear}=\dfrac{(P_{\texttt{extrap}}-P_{0})T_{\texttt{obs}}}{P_{\texttt{extrap}}\times P_{0}}$$
where P$_{\texttt{extrap}}$ is the extrapolated period at the time T$_{0}$, P$_{0}$ is the actual period at that time and T$_{\texttt{obs}}$ is the exposure time of the observation.
Using radio data from the Jodrell Bank Observatory, the phase smear versus time of extrapolated periods is shown in Fig. \[phaseSmear\]. For the relative timing analysis 100 phase bins have been used and therefore a limit of 1% smearing is imposed by the criteria described above. Extrapolating the period, the Crab pulsar would reach that limit in 4 months. Considering that the Jodrell Bank Observatory provides an updated ephemeris every month, the actual smearing effect will be much lower ($\sim$0.1%) and other properties such as timing noise will not affect our relative timing analysis. For the Crab, we actually used interpolation rather than extrapolation, see Sect. \[subsec:rel\], so the phase smear was further minimised ($\sim$0.09%).
\[!ht\] ![Phase smear of the Crab pulsar versus time. The timing noise seems to be a prominent feature for the Crab pulsar and therefore extrapolation over periods of 4 months will already reach our 1% limit (dashed line).[]{data-label="phaseSmear"}](phaseSmear_extrap.ps "fig:"){width=".45\textwidth"}
\[app:C\]
The Moffat function
===================
The Moffat function is a modified Lorentzian with a variable power law index [@moffat; @69]. In Fig. \[moffat\] the behaviour of the function is shown as a function of its parameters. The function presents different tails on each side of the maximum which fit the main pulse of the Crab profile better than a normal Lorentzian or Gaussian function. The explicit formula of the Moffat function is the following:
$$\centering y={\dfrac{A_{0}}{(((x-A_{1})/A_{2})^{2}+1)^{A_{3}}}+A_{4}+A_{5}x}$$
The different parameters represent:
- $A_{0}$: normalization
- $A_{1}$: Peak Centroid
- $A_{2}$: HWHM
- $A_{3}$: Moffat index
- $A_{4}$: offset
- $A_{5}$: slope
The variation in the shape of the Moffat function for different values of the important parameters is shown in Fig. \[moffat\]. Upper left: $A_{2}$ changes from 0.02 to 0.06; upper right: $A_{5}$ changes from 500 to 1400; lower left: $A_{1}$ changes from 0.4 to 1.12; and lower right: $A_{3}$ changes from 1.0 to 2.80.\
\[!ht\]
[^1]: `http://www.jb.man.ac.uk` [@lyne]
[^2]: `XRONOS` is part of the HEARSAC software (`http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov`).
[^3]: command line set up of `epproc`: timing=YES burst=YES srcra=83.633216667 srcdec=22.014463889 withsrccoords=yes
[^4]: command line set up of `barycen`: withtable=yes table=’bary.ds:EVENTS’ timecolumn=’TIME’ withsrccoordinates=yes srcra=’83.633216667’ srcdec=’22.014463889’ processgtis=yes time=0
[^5]: Detector coordinates used in the extraction process a) timing mode: (RAWX,RAWY) IN box(35,101,12,100,0), b) burst mode: (RAWX,RAWY) IN box(35.,71.5,20,70,0)
[^6]: http://xmm2.esac.esa.int/docs/documents/CAL-TN-0045-1-0.pdf
[^7]: http://xmm2.esac.esa.int/docs/documents/CAL-TN-0018.pdf
[^8]: `http://xmm.esac.esa.int/external/xmm_user_support/ documentation/uhb/XMM_UHB.pdf`
[^9]: `http://xmm2.esac.esa.int/docs/documents/CAL-TN-0081.pdf`
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After a full season of Seattle Sounders 2 playing their USL games at Cheney Stadium under a partnership between the Tacoma Rainiers and the Seattle Sounders, S2’s existence seems poised to take another step. The two organizations have called a joint press conference on Wednesday, Jan. 30; there is no indication about what these announcements cover besides “series of important announcements.”
There are a few loose ends regarding the relationship, which could be tied up during the press conference:
The rebrand of Sounders 2/S2 to something that more embraces Tacoma and/or the South Sound will happen before the season starts on March 8. The Rainiers asked fans for input about possible names back in September. It is possible that the Wednesday announcement isn’t just about a brand, but includes kits and more.
Heidelberg/Davis Park’s re-purposing into a soccer stadium could be officially announced. The city and teams once thought a new stadium could open as early as 2020. The MOU was signed in 2017 and Populous will take charge of the project.
Open Cup games could be heading to Tacoma.
5. My HOMEtown Stadium: The Sounders will (apparently) be playing their US Open Cup matches at Cheney Stadium. I loved the Starfire matches--they’re among my favorite Sounders memories--but Cheney can seat at least 2x the people. Let’s bring that energy to Tacoma… #LFG — nate bowling (@nate_bowling) January 23, 2019
While these are some of the things that could be announced, there’s supposed to be more than these items, and we have no idea what they could be.
Wednesday’s 3 p.m. announcements with Tacoma Rainiers and the Seattle Sounders will help define the next era in South Sound soccer.
Disclosure: I am the color analyst for S2 matches, but have no knowledge of the announcements. The easiest way to avoid conflicts of interest are for the people in charge to not tell the potentially conflicted person anything.
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Armenians in Ukraine
Armenians in Ukraine are ethnic Armenians who live in Ukraine. They number 99,894 according to the 2001 Ukrainian census. However, the country is also host to a number of Armenian guest workers which has yet to be ascertained. The Armenian population in Ukraine has nearly doubled since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1989, largely due to instability in the Caucasus. Today, Ukraine is home to the 5th largest Armenian community in the world.
Early history
Armenians first appeared in Ukraine during the times of Kievan Rus'. During the 10th century individual Armenian merchants, mercenaries and craftsmen served at the courts of various Ruthenian rulers. A larger wave of Armenians settled in southeastern Ukraine after the fall of the Armenian capital of Ani to Seljuks in the 11th century. They arrived mainly at the Crimean peninsula and established colonies in Kaffa (Feodosiya), Sudak and Solcati (Staryi Krym). Their numbers were further strengthened throughout the 12th-15th century by Armenians fleeing from a Mongol invasion. This gave the peninsula the name Armenia Maritima in medieval chronicles. Smaller Armenian communities were established in central Ukraine, including Kiev, and the western regions of Podolia and Halychyna, concentrating around Lviv which in 1267 became the center of an Armenian eparchy.
At the end of the thirteenth century, when members of the Armenian diaspora moved from the Crimean peninsula to the Polish-Ukrainian borderland, they brought Armeno-Kipchak, a Turkic language with them. Armeno-Kipchak of the Kipchak people was still current in the 16th and 17th centuries among the Armenian communities settling in the Lviv and Kamianets-Podilskyi area of what is now Ukraine.
After Crimea fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1475 many Crimean Armenians moved further to the north west to the already flourishing Armenian communities which gradually integrated into the local Polish population while maintaining their distinct identity through the Armenian Catholic Church. In the 18th century Crimea fell under influence of the Russian Empire, which encouraged Crimean Armenians to settle in Russia and a large group of them came to the town of Rostov on Don in 1778, twenty years later Russia having conquered the peninsula called to colonize it and many Armenians arrived from Turkey, establishing new Armenian colonies. During World War II in 1944 Armenians were deported en masse along with Greeks, Bulgarians and Tatars as a "antisoviet element" and allowed to return only in the 1960s. During Soviet rule Armenians came together with people from other Soviet ruled nations to Ukraine to work in the heavy industry located in the eastern parts of the country.
Armenian community in modern Ukraine
Today, the Donetsk Oblast holds the greatest number of Armenians in Ukraine (~16 000, 0.33% of the population). Armenian communities can also be found in Dnipro, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kiev, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhia, and Odessa where the late Ukrainian-Armenian artist Sarkis Ordyan spent most of his life. The city of Lviv is a "spiritual capital" of Armenians in Ukraine serving as an eparchial see for both Catholic and Apostolic churches, under which Ukraine as a single eparchy is split between both of them. Alas, the Armenian Catholic Archeparchy of Lviv is not occupied ever since the end of World War II and the Armenian Apostolic Church is predominant.
The Armenians continue to have a historic presence in Crimea, which remains under Russian control since the 2014 Russian military intervention in Ukraine. The 9,000 Armenians make up 0.43% of the population in the area and are numerous in major urban centers such as Sevastopol where they comprise 0.3% of the city's population. Hovhannes Aivazovsky, the world-renowned Armenian painter lived and worked his entire life in the Crimean city of Feodosiya.
Many Armenians living in Ukraine have been Russified with about half speaking Armenian as their mother tongue but over 43% speaking Russian and only 6% Ukrainian.
Distribution
Armenians in Ukraine by oblasts according to 2001 Ukrainian Census.
Cultural heritage
Armenian cultural heritage in Ukraine:
See also
Armenian diaspora
Armenians in Crimea
Armenian Cathedral, Lviv
Ukrainians in Armenia
Armenian-Ukrainian relations
Armenians in Poland
Armenians in Russia
Armenians in Romania
References
External links
Вірмени в Україні
Kiev Armenian community
Ukrainian Armenians
Ukraine
Category:Ethnic groups in Ukraine
Category:Armenia–Ukraine relations
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Effects of habitat fragmentation and changes of dispersal behaviour after a recent population decline on the genetic variability of noncoding and coding DNA of a monogamous Malagasy rodent.
While interactions among demography, behaviour and genetic structure are well-documented for neutral genetic markers, the role of these parameters and the effects of genetic drift and selection are considerably less well understood in functional genes, such as the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). In this study, the consequences of habitat fragmentation and the effects of a current population decline on noncoding (mitochondrial DNA) and two coding MHC loci (DQA, DRB) with different functional importance were investigated in the small remnant subdivided population of the endangered Malagasy giant jumping rat (Hypogeomys antimena). Both neutral and selective markers revealed a significant genetic differentiation between the two remnant subpopulations. The FST values were much lower in the MHC DQA and DRB genes than in the mitochondrial data. The MHC DRB loci display the effects of both balancing selection (high sequence diversity, four times higher nonsynonymous than synonymous substitutions in the functionally important antigen-binding site positions, twice the average heterozygosity of individual amino acids at the positions identified as part of the antigen-binding site (ABS) than those outside the ABS and nonselective forces including genetic drift. Simultaneously with a current population decline offspring reduced their dispersal distances. No substantial effects were detected within the first 6 years of reduced gene flow in either mitochondrial or MHC markers.
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The use of fans loaded on board diverse types of aircraft, and notably on board airplanes is known.
Generally, the fans loaded on board are used for cooling various loaded pieces of equipment such as for example on-board computers or other devices fitting out the aircraft. Other loaded on-board fans contribute, as an illustration, to the recirculation of air in the cabin of the aircraft.
For this, the aforementioned on-board fans include a rotary electric machine powered by an electric power supply network which is part of the aircraft. The fans also comprise a ventilation wheel secured to the rotor of the rotary machine. The fan wheel is for example formed with a propeller and is positioned in an air conduit opening onto the outside of the aircraft.
The use of on-board fans with an alternating current power supply with variable frequencies is also known.
Such fans are generally connected to the electric power supply network providing a three-phase current by means of a three-phase rectifier self-transformer. A rectifier self-transformer gives the possibility of transforming the three-phase electric network into a DC current network guaranteeing standardized harmonic rejection on the network.
A self-transformer is a transformer for which at least two windings have a common portion. The three-phase self-transformer usually includes a same magnetic circuit in a ferromagnetic material for the three windings corresponding to the three phases. Such a magnetic circuit corresponds to a frame forming two “Es” facing each other. The three windings are each wound on one leg of these “Es”.
However, the fans including standard three-phase self-transformers are relatively bulky. Further, the manufacturing of these self-transformers is relatively complicated, expensive and the performances are difficult to reproduce from one making to the other.
Therefore there exists a need for a compact cooling assembly including a fan provided with a device for transforming a three-phase electric current, the whole being more easily manufactured.
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[computational modeling]{.smallcaps} is playing increasingly important roles in cardiovascular research. The direct combination of computational simulations with experimental measurements has provided important insights into the function of the heart in normal and pathological conditions ([@B5], [@B22], [@B23], [@B55]). One of the advantages of computational models is that they can be exploited to obtain information regarding multiple functional parameters throughout the three-dimensional (3-D) volume of the tissue, with resolution limited only by the level of detail represented in the model and the computational resources available to solve it. In contrast, experimental measurements are often restricted to recording a limited range of parameters, and observations are often affected by the very technique used to measure them ([@B5], [@B45]). Current state-of-the-art computational cardiac models incorporate gross cardiac anatomy as well as regional variations in prevailing myocardial cell orientation (usually, if incorrectly, referred to as "fiber orientation"). Such models have been developed for ventricles from the rabbit ([@B54], [@B59]), mouse ([@B17]), dog ([@B32]), pig ([@B50]), and human ([@B39]), to name but a few.
Although these models have proved sufficiently realistic to answer important questions regarding the relationship between global cardiac structure and function, they share a number of limitations. First, they follow a "one heart fits all" approach, lacking representation of interindividual variations in structure and anatomy that have important implications when experimental measurements from a particular preparation are compared with computational simulation results from a "generic" model ([@B43]). Second, these models are highly simplified in their histoanatomical complexity. By and large, they lack blood vessels, papillary muscles, valves, trabeculations, etc. The inclusion of such detail is essential both in providing an accurate like-for-like comparison between simulations and experiments as well as for providing an improved understanding of the roles played by these anatomical structures in cardiac function.
The requirement to consider anatomical complexity has been highlighted in a series of recent experimental investigations that have shown that fine-scale anatomical structures such as papillary muscles ([@B24], [@B58]) and blood vessels ([@B41], [@B58]) may act as important stabilizers of arrhythmias. These studies suggest that such structures can anchor phase singularities, promoting reentrant activity, and thus play an important role during the initiation and maintenance of heart rhythm disturbances. Furthermore, the role of cardiac structure at macro- and microscales has also been shown to be a key determinant of the cardiac response to external electrical stimulation. High-resolution optical mapping studies, for example, have demonstrated the existence of microscopic intramural virtual electrodes after the application of strong defibrillation shocks. These micro virtual electrodes have been structurally linked to the specific distribution of intramural collagenous planes within the tissue ([@B18]), which may facilitate successful defibrillation ([@B19]). At the macroscopic scale, the distribution of shock-end virtual electrode polarizations and corresponding vulnerability to strong electrical shocks has been shown to strongly depend on global cardiac ventricular geometry ([@B43]). Understanding the specific mechanisms by which anatomical obstacles stabilize arrhythmias, and how macro- or microscopic structures interact with electric field stimuli, could help in the development of improved therapies against arrhythmias, such as monophasic "unpinning" shocks ([@B42]), resonance drift ([@B31]), or low-voltage defibrillation ([@B3]).
To be able to probe the specific roles of fine-scale anatomical structures in cardiac function, it is necessary to include a matching level of structural detail in computational cardiac models. Recently, efforts have been focussed on developing techniques to construct 3-D computational cardiac models directly from magnetic resonance (MR) data, benefitting from the nondestructive nature of that technique ([@B21]). However, detail and anatomical complexity of the resulting models have been limited by the inherent resolution limits of MR datasets, with voxel dimensions usually exceeding 100-μm edge length. In the last few years, the advent of stronger magnets and refined scanning protocols has significantly increased the resolution of anatomical MR scans, such that smaller mammalian hearts now can have MR voxel dimensions of 20 μm or less ([@B7], [@B36]).
First attempts have been made to use these high-resolution MR datasets for the creation of computational models, both of the left ventricular (LV) free wall ([@B7], [@B40], [@B57]) and more recently of the entire ventricles ([@B36], [@B56]). When developing techniques to generate high-resolution structure-function computational models from such MR data, it is important that the methods are automated and as efficient as possible. The development of a computational MR-to-model pipeline provides the potential to generate models on a case by case basis, potentially leading to the generation of individualized models, a precondition for building probabilistic high-resolution MR cardiac atlases ([@B7], [@B36]). The efficient generation of individual models for separate preparations will facilitate the comparison of structure-function interactions in different hearts, thus assessing the link between interindividual heterogeneity in fine-scale anatomical structures and arrhythmia susceptibility. Publication of the computational methods used in the development of the MR-to-model pipeline, in full reproducible detail, is therefore an essential component in the wide-scale application of these methods to other datasets.
A vital feature yet to be addressed when developing this "next generation" of cardiac models is the assessment of the impact that additional anatomical complexity may have on simulations of cardiac function relative to more simplified ventricular models ([@B54], [@B59]). Such an assessment will put into context the conclusions drawn from the previous simulation studies and help to assess the cost-to-benefit ratio of the added overhead involved in work using more detailed models.
The main goal of this study was to present the methodology involved in the construction of a computational model of the rabbit ventricles directly from high-resolution MR data, in full detail, to investigate the effects of fine-scale anatomical heterogeneity (such as endocardial structures, blood vessels, etc) upon electrical activation sequences during different stimulation protocols. In addition, we provide the research community with full access to the new anatomical model and MR dataset. The model generation pipeline first involved the construction of a geometrically faithful representation of the ventricular geometry, obtained by segmentation of the MR dataset followed by finite-element mesh generation of the segmented voxel image stack. Functional electrical properties (in the form of anistropic conduction) were then incorporated into the geometrical model, which was then used for the simulation of electrical activity. Comparison with a more simplified model (derived from the same MR dataset but with endocardial structures and intramyocardial vessels and cleft spaces removed) allowed inquiry into key instances in which fine-scale anatomical complexity affects *1*) activation sequences and electrical wavefront morphology under simple single-site pacing protocols; *2*) the magnitude and distribution of electrical polarization levels, both intramurally and on epicardial/endocardial surface/structures, in response to field stimulation and how this impacts arrhythmia susceptibility; and *3*) the complexity and duration of episodes of arrhythmogenesis. We focused on the resulting findings of key relevance from a model development point of view, highlighting circumstances in which the additional anatomical complexity allowed us to uncover mechanisms that may have important electrophysiological implications as well as those cases in which more simplified models were sufficient. We identified a number of applications in which fine-scale anatomical complexity is important, thus identifying instances in which it is beneficial to use detailed models to investigate such phenomena in future studies. By providing the community with full access to all the datasets acquired and developed in this study, we hope to facilitate more widespread investigation into the use of anatomically complex computational models in all aspects of cardiac electrophysiological research.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
=====================
MR Data Acquisition and Sample Preparation
------------------------------------------
All experiment investigations in this study had the necessary institutional ethical approval and were conducted in accordance with the UK Home Office guidance on the Operation of Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act of 1986.
The sample preparation of the heart before scanning has been described in detail previously ([@B7]). Briefly, female rabbit (≈1.2 kg) hearts were isolated and fixed during cardioplegic arrest (using elevated potassium levels, 20 mM) via coronary perfusion with 50 ml of fast-acting Karnovsky\'s fixative (2% formaldehyde and 2.5% glutaraldehyde mix) containing 2 mM gadodiamide (contrast agent). For MR imaging (MRI), hearts were stabilized in a nuclear MR tube using low-melting 1% agar containing 2 mM paramagnetic gadodiamide contrast agent.
MRI experiments were conducted on an 11.7-T (500 MHz) MR system consisting of a vertical magnet (bore size: 123 mm, Magnex Scientific, Oxon, UK), a Bruker Avance console (Bruker Medical, Ettlingen, Germany), and a shielded gradient system (548 mT/m, rise time: 160 μs, Magnex Scientific). Quadrature-driven birdcage coils with inner diameters of 28 and 40 mm (Rapid Biomedical, Wurzburg, Germany) were used to transmit/receive the MR signals. MR scans were performed using an established fast gradient echo technique (echo time/repetition time = 7.5/30 ms) allowing the acquisition of gap-free 3-D images ([@B46]).
Scans were acquired from the fixed heart with an in-plane resolution of 43 × 43 μm and an out-of-plane resolution of 36 μm. Reconstruction of the MR data was performed as described in Ref. 46. Two-dimensional (2-D) image planes were collated and used to generate a 3-D MRI-based dataset, which subsequently could be sectioned at any desired angle for visualization and analysis. Experimentally, 608 × 608 × 1,408 voxels were acquired in the *x*-, *y*-, and *z*-directions, respectively, which were zero filled to create the full MR data stack containing 1,024 × 1,024 × 2,048 voxels with corresponding edge lengths of 26.4 × 26.4 × 24.4 μm (zero filling is a commonly used MR technique to visually improve an image without in fact adding additional structural information.) The full dataset can be accessed and downloaded from the online Supplemental Material.[1](#FN1){ref-type="fn"} [Figure 1](#F1){ref-type="fig"} shows cross sections through the MR dataset obtained from the fixed heart along the transverse (*A*), frontal (*B*), and sagittal (*C*) planes (orientations all relative to the organ\'s long axis, i.e., ignoring that the heart is positioned in the body at an oblique angle). Note that the transverse plane is normal to the global apex-base direction, the frontal plane is normal to the posterior-anterior direction, and the sagittal plane is normal to the global right-left direction.
{#F1}
Segmentation of the Dataset
---------------------------
Segmentation is the critical first stage in extracting geometrical information from the MR dataset to facilitate the construction of a high-resolution anatomically detailed computational cardiac model. The process of segmenting a medical image may be thought of as labeling voxels in the image with a specific tag to define their association with different regions, objects, or boundaries. Initially, those voxels in the MR dataset that represented "tissue" were differentiated from those that represented "nontissue." Discrimination between different tissue types, due to the similarity in intensity values in the MR images, must be done at a later stage, either exploiting the specific geometries of different structures (as described below) or using histological slices previously coregistered with the MR dataset ([@B30]). Thus, the initial goal is to create a binary (0, 1) mask allowing discrimination of the heart\'s tissue volume from the surrounding background volume and cavities as well as the extracellular cleft space and vessel lumens.
### Dataset preprocessing.
Before segmentation, the MR data were first downsampled by a factor of 2 in each direction to produce a more manageable dataset containing 512 × 512 × 1,024 voxels. In addition to reducing the memory footprint of the data, downsampling also introduced a uniform smoothing that reduced "salt and pepper" noise artifacts, improving the performance of the segmentation algorithms. [Figure 1*D*](#F1){ref-type="fig"} shows how downsampling removes noise without having an overly pronounced effect on the level of structural detail present in the image. Finally, the dataset was further reduced in size to 451 × 416 × 714 voxels by selecting only the heart as the region of interest, converted from 16-bit to 8-bit, and then rescaled to occupy the full range of grayscale intensities.
### Segmentation pipeline.
Due to the relatively large size of the rabbit heart compared with the MR tube (28-mm diameter), parts of the MR images were overly affected by the bias field. Such an effect is caused by spatial variations in the coil sensitivity and largely affects tissue close to the edges of the MR tube, away from the "MR sweet spot" in the center of the tube. Consequently, a significant overlap was present in the intensity of tissue and background voxels in these regions, thus making simple segmentation approaches such as intensity thresholding impractical. Initial testing with bias field correction algorithms ([@B52]) did not completely address the issue and later proved unnecessary. Successful segmentation of the dataset was conducted using a combination of level-set segmentation filters, combined in a sequential processing pipeline to refine the segmentation at each stage.
Active contour/active surface methods are among the most powerful techniques for medical image segmentation. In particular, level-set methods use an implicit mathematical framework that solves many of the instabilities linked to the explicit formulation and allow easy generalization to *N* dimensions ([@B48]). The surface is embedded as the zero level set of a higher dimensional function \[Ψ(*X*, *t*)\], which can be evolved under the control of a differential equation. The zero level set Γ(*X*, *t*) = \[(*X*, *t*) = 0\] corresponds to the surface at any time during the evolution. A generic level-set equation to compute the update of the solution Ψ is given by the following: $$\left. \frac{d\psi}{dt} = - \alpha A(x) \times \nabla\psi - \beta P(x) \middle| \nabla\psi \middle| + \gamma Z(x)\kappa \middle| \nabla\psi \right|$$ where *A*, *P*, and *Z* are the advection, propagation, and expansion terms, respectively, and κ is the mean curvature. The scalar constants α, β, and γ weight the relative influence of each of the terms on the movement of the surface. *Equation 1* represents a generic structure that can be adapted to the particular characteristics of the problem by selecting the appropriate weights and expressions for *A*, *P*, and *Z*. These can include different edge detection methods, intensity-based terms, surface shape constraints, etc. *Equation 1* uses an iterative algorithm to reach the local minimum of a related cost function, and thus the procedure is sensitive to local minima of the cost function, where the algorithm may stop before reaching the desired global minimum. To avoid the effect of local minima, one can use an initialization close to the desired result. Otherwise, it is possible to choose a level-set function with few local minima; however, this usually means also a less accurate placement of the segmented surface. We used a combination of both approaches by building a pipeline of level-set algorithms, starting with the one most robust to poor initialization and finishing with the most accurate. In this way we obtained an algorithm that was both robust and accurate.
The full segmentation pipeline consisted of the following steps. First, an initial approximate segmentation was performed using a level-set threshold filter, following prior automated selection of seed points throughout the volume of the dataset ([Fig. 2*B*](#F2){ref-type="fig"}). Seeds were automatically chosen based on explicit local intensity values using a very conservative threshold to avoid placing seeds within tissue voxels. The propagation term of the evolving contour (*P* in *Eq. 1*) in the threshold level-set method is dependent on user-defined lower and upper threshold limits. By selecting relatively high values for these limits, an approximate segmentation could be achieved without the fronts "leaking" into regions of tissue. However, as shown by the highlighted regions in the *top left* and *bottom right* corners of [Fig. 2*B*](#F2){ref-type="fig"}, this also has the effect of leaving many areas of the background outside the volume of the heart incorrectly defined (due to the above-mentioned effects of the spatial variations in coil sensitivity) and of missing smaller structures within the myocardium.
{#F2}
To remove such artifacts, the second stage of the sequential segmentation processing pipeline was to use the output from the threshold level-set filter ([Fig. 2*B*](#F2){ref-type="fig"}) as an initial level set for a geodesic active contour level-set filter. The geodesic active contour level-set algorithm attracts the contour to object boundaries (high values of the intensity gradient) and so is less affected by the intensity mismatches introduced by the bias field. The output from the geodesic active contour level-set filter is shown in [Fig. 2*C*](#F2){ref-type="fig"}. The final stage of the segmentation pipeline used the output of the geodesic filter as an initial level set for a Laplacian level-set filter (using the second derivative of the intensity to detect edges), which is useful for fine tuning an initial segmentation but less so as an explicit region growing algorithm, as discussed above. [Figure 2*D*](#F2){ref-type="fig"} shows the output of the Laplacian filter, the final result of the automated segmentation pipeline. Further details of the level-set filters used, along with the specific parameter values, can be found in the [appendix]{.smallcaps} (*Segmentation Details*).
### Segmentation postprocessing.
The binary mask was further improved by a series of morphological operations. Isolated segmented regions were removed using a connected component algorithm to ensure that neighboring tissue voxels were directly connected to one another. This is important as all cardiomyocytes in the heart are electrically connected. Thin-walled blood vessels on the outer surface of the heart volume that were not sufficiently defined during the segmentation process were manually corrected. Finally, despite the care taken in the sample preparation, a small number of air bubbles were visible in the MR dataset and were also manually removed. Atrial tissue was then identified and removed from the segmented dataset, leaving only the ventricles, from which a detailed computational model was produced, in line with the goal of our study.
To achieve this, a series of 20--30 points was manually selected in every fifth frontal slice through the dataset, along the line believed to separate the ventricles from the atria, as shown in [Fig. 3*A*](#F3){ref-type="fig"}. In most regions, this delineation was made by identifying a band of connective tissue along the atrioventricular border that appeared darker than the surrounding myocardium in the MR data. A smooth surface was then fitted to the points. This 2-D surface, dissecting the image volume, defined a secondary binary mask that separated the ventricles from the atria and other structures, such as great vessels. [Figure 3*B*](#F3){ref-type="fig"} shows a 3-D representation of the binary mask defined by the 2-D surface within the 3-D object space. [Figure 3*C*](#F3){ref-type="fig"} shows the result of convoluting the segmented voxel stack with the secondary binary mask of [Fig. 3*B*](#F3){ref-type="fig"} to generate the final dataset, which contained only the ventricles.
{#F3}
The final stage of postprocessing involved the tagging of different structures in the heart based on known differences in electrical, mechanical, and/or functional properties, which are important for subsequent simulations of heart function. Manual approximate binary masks were created separately for the heart valves, papillary muscles, and larger trabecular structures (in places where they were sufficiently clearly separated from the endocardial surface) and superimposed on the segmented image stack to numerically tag each separate region with an identifier different to the normal myocardium. These numerical tags are preserved in the meshing stage (described in *Finite-Element Mesh Generation* below) and thus can be used to assign different functional properties to regions before simulation. Finally, the fragments of the free-running Purkinje system that were sufficiently well defined to be segmented (using the pipeline described in *Segmentation Pipeline*) were also manually tagged using the method described above. However, these structures were removed from the segmented image stack before mesh generation as incorporation of a functional anatomical representation of the Purkinje system requires further work to characterize the junctions between free-running and tissue-embedded components.
### Computational tools used.
The automatic algorithms used within the sequential segmentation pipeline above were implemented using the Insight Toolkit library (ITK, [www.itk.org](http://www.itk.org)), which offers a range of techniques for 3-D medical image segmentation, including several level-set algorithms. The ITK library was used as it provides a comprehensive suite of tested algorithms in an open source environment, which minimized implementation of new code and facilitated reproducibility. Further details of the filters and algorithms used can be found in the [appendix]{.smallcaps} (*Segmentation Details*). Where manual interaction was required (landmark selection, manual labeling, air bubble removal, and epicardial blood vessel patchup), Seg3D software was used (part of the SciRun toolkit, Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, University of Utah). This was also used for the image visualization shown in [Figs. 1](#F1){ref-type="fig"} and [2](#F2){ref-type="fig"}. To ensure a high level of accuracy where manual interaction was required with the dataset, a Cintiq 12WX (Wacom, [www.wacom.com/cintiq/12wx.cfm](http://www.wacom.com/cintiq/12wx.cfm)) interactive graphics tablet was used as a user interface. Matlab (The MathWorks) was used for a variety of tasks, including image downsampling and connected component analysis. In addition, an open source Matlab function (gridfit.m) was used to fit a smooth surface to the points defining the plane separating the atria and ventricles (for more information, see <http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/8998>).
Finite-Element Mesh Generation
------------------------------
The numerical solution of the different systems of equations that model the heart\'s electrical and mechanical behavior requires the cardiac geometry to be discretized into a set of grid or mesh points. The majority of cardiac electrophysiology simulators (such as the one used in this study and described in *Electrophysiological Simulations*) use finite-element meshes as an input ([@B23]). Therefore, the final segmented and postprocessed dataset was used to generate a tetrahedral finite-element mesh, as described below.
### Meshing software: Tarantula.
Tarantula ([www.meshing.at](http://www.meshing.at)) is an Octree-based mesh generator that builds unstructured, boundary fitted, locally refined, conformal finite-element meshes and has been custom designed for cardiac modeling. The underlying algorithm is similar to a recently published image-based unstructured mesh generation technique ([@B40]). Briefly, the method uses a modified dual mesh of an Octree applied directly to segmented 3-D image stacks. The algorithm operates fully automatically (no requirement for user interaction) and generates accurate volume-preserving representations of arbitrarily complex geometries with smooth surfaces. Directly meshing the segmented image stack removes the need to generate tessellated representations of the cardiac surface, as required by Delaunay-based mesh generators ([@B38]). Avoiding this additional step is a distinct advantage in the development of high-throughput cardiac model generation pipelines ([@B36]). A full description of the parameters and their numerical values used is provided in the [appendix]{.smallcaps} (*Mesh Generation Details*). In addition to meshing the myocardial volume, a mesh of the volume conductor surrounding the ventricular mesh was also produced. This extracellular mesh consists not only of the space within the ventricular cavities and the vessels, etc., but also defines an extended bath region outside of the heart, which can be used to model an in vitro situation where the heart is surrounded by a conductive bath, such as during optical mapping experiments ([@B13]). Spatial adaptivity within the surrounding volume mesh reduces the computational load by reducing the spatial resolution of the mesh with the distance to the cardiac surfaces ([@B40]).
### Results of the mesh generation.
The total mesh produced by Tarantula from the final segmented voxel stack consisted of 6,985,108 node points, making up 41,489,283 tetrahedral elements. The myocardial mesh (representing the "intracellular" or "cytosolic domain") consisted of 4,306,770 node points, making up 24,199,055 tetrahedral elements with 1,061,480 bounding triangular faces. The myocardial mesh had a mean tetrahedral edge length of 125.7 μm. It took 39 min to generate the mesh using two Intel Xeon processors operating at 2.66 GHz ([@B36]). Note that Tarantula was used to produce the mesh using a node discretization of ≈3 voxels (see the [appendix]{.smallcaps}, *Mesh Generation Details*). Using a finer discretization (i.e., 1 voxel) would result in a mesh with a vastly increased number of degrees of freedom (i.e., more nodes and elements), which would, in turn, prove problematic for computational tractability, both at the meshing stage and for the simulation of electrical activity. However, this means that fine structures (only 1--2 voxels thick) would become degraded. To prevent this, a "halo" of voxels was added to all outer surface structures (2 voxels in the case of the epicardium, to prevent the lumina of thin-walled epicardial blood vessels from becoming connected to the exterior).
[Figure 4](#F4){ref-type="fig"} shows the final ventricular mesh. Here, and throughout, Meshalzyer software (carp.meduni-graz.at/) was used for finite-element visualization. [Figure 4*A*](#F4){ref-type="fig"} shows a standard anterior view of the outer (epicardial) surface of the mesh (*left*) along with cuts along both frontal (*middle*) and transverse (*right*) clipping planes to expose transmural and endocardial structures. Notable features include the large blood vessels close to the epicardial surface and within the midmyocardium as well as the papillary muscles and valves. [Figure 4*B*](#F4){ref-type="fig"} shows a zoomed-in region of the interior of the LV (in a posterior to frontal view), where the triangular faces of the intracellular finite-element mesh are shown in blue, highlighting the level of detail with which the complex endocardial surfaces are defined. Finally, segmentation tags that were used to label the different regions in the heart were directly transferred from the regular image stack to the unstructured grid. These tags can be subsequently used to define electrophysiological properties on a per region basis. [Figure 4*C*](#F4){ref-type="fig"} shows tagged structures such as the papillary muscles (green) and valves or cordae tendinae (blue) in a cut along a frontal clipping plane (posterior view) to enable the visualization of important endocardial structures. For the computation of electrical activity within the ventricles, an additional high-resolution mesh was constructed in which the valves were removed from the tagged image stack before meshing, as the valves are considered electrically silent. This mesh is available for download via the online Supplemental Material.
{#F4}
Simplified Ventricular Model
----------------------------
A major goal of this study was to directly assess the impact of structural detail in the high-resolution finite-element rabbit ventricular model on electrical propagation dynamics throughout the volume of the ventricles. To achieve this goal, a simplified model was constructed for comparison. The simplified model was developed from the same MR dataset (and thus was geometrically similar in terms of overall size, cavity dimensions, etc.) using the pipeline described in *Segmentation of the Dataset*. However, in the segmentation pipeline, seed points were only placed within the two cavities and outside the volume of the heart; thus, only the epicardium and endocardium were segmented, but not higher-level details such as the blood vessels or extracellular cleft spaces. In addition, the manually created binary masks used to delineate the papillary muscles, larger trabeculae, and valves (see *Segmentation postprocessing*) were used to remove such structures from the binary segmented voxel image stack before meshing (atrial tissue was removed using the same binary mask as shown in [Fig. 3*B*](#F3){ref-type="fig"}). The result was a simplified model with a level of anatomical complexity similar to that of previously established rabbit ventricular models ([@B54], [@B59]).
Tarantula was used with similar parameters as described in the [appendix]{.smallcaps} (*Mesh Generation Details*) to ensure that the simplified and anatomically complex meshes had similar nodal discretizations. The total simplified mesh produced by Tarantula consisted of 6,449,098 node points, making up 38,299,065 tetrahedral elements. The intracellular mesh consisted of 4,233,856 node points, making up 24,348,259 tetrahedral elements with 642,282 bounding triangular faces. The mean element edge length of the intracellular mesh was 128.1 μm. [Figure 4*D*](#F4){ref-type="fig"} shows the simplified mesh (*left*), including views where the clipping planes have been used to expose ventricular cavities (*middle* and *right*; compare with [Fig. 4*A*](#F4){ref-type="fig"}).
Incorporation of Fiber Orientation Information
----------------------------------------------
The preferential arrangement of cardiac cells within the heart ("fiber orientation") is known to play crucial roles in electrical and mechanical activity ([@B23]). Ideally, quantitative measured data should be used to account for the structural orthotropy of the cardiac tissue architecture. Methods such as diffusion tensor MRI (DT-MRI) are well suited for this purpose, and efforts to include DT-MRI into the processing pipeline as an additional imaging modality are currently being undertaken ([@B36]). However, for processing the data used in this study this method was not yet available. In such cases, fiber information can be incorporated into the model using a rule-based approach based on a priori assumptions. Here, we present a variation of such a mathematical model for ventricular fiber orientation, as originally presented by Potse et al. ([@B39]). The model is based on the experimental data collected by Streeter et al. ([@B51]), who found that cardiomyocytes generally tend to be aligned tangential to the surface and with an angle relative to the equatorial plane, which depends on the depth within the myocardial wall. The following method was used to incorporate fiber architecture into both the anatomically complex model and simplified model.
### Definition of surfaces.
The algorithm developed by Potse et al. ([@B39]) uses a normalized transmural distance across the myocardial wall to define both the plane in which the myofibers lie and also the angle of inclination of the fiber within the plane (termed the "helix" angle, as shown in [Fig. 4*D*](#F4){ref-type="fig"}). Therefore, a vital postprocessing step on the finite-element mesh (generated as described above in *Finite-Element Mesh Generation*) was to discriminate between the epicardial, LV endocardial, and right ventricular (RV) endocardial surfaces, such that the distance of each point within the tissue to each respective nearest surface could be determined to allow the construction of a transmural distance map.
Attempts to discriminate between the different surfaces within the list based on their discrete connectivities were unsuccessful. After segmentation, small connections remained between the exterior surfaces and coronary vasculature surfaces and were also formed by any slight leaks or holes introduced in the segmentation or meshing stages. Instead, discrimination between the different surfaces within the final ventricular mesh was obtained by performing a secondary segmentation of the MR data where only information regarding the two cavities and the outer surface was obtained and relating this back to the surface triangles in the original mesh. The specific details of this method can be found in the [appendix]{.smallcaps} (*Surface Discrimination Algorithm*).
### Rule-based algorithm for incorporating fiber architecture.
After successful discrimination between the epicardial and LV and RV endocardial surfaces, the first stage in the fiber architecture algorithm of Potse et al. ([@B39]) involved constructing a distance map, which was used to define the transmural direction at every point within the tissue. To do so, the minimum distance of each node point within the mesh to both the epicardium (*d*~epi~) and endocardium (*d*~endo~) was computed and used to define a normalized thickness parameter (*e*) as follows: $$e = \frac{d_{\text{endo}}}{d_{\text{endo}} + d_{\text{epi}}}$$ In the septum, *d*~epi~ was taken to be the minimum distance to the endocardial surface of the RV (*d*~RVendo~) and *d*~endo~ taken to be the minimum distance to the endocardial surface of the LV (*d*~LVendo~), replicating the apparent structural continuity of the LV and septum seen in previous studies ([@B27], [@B47]). Note that the points labeled as residing within the septum were determined as those for which *d*~epi~ \> *d*~LVendo~ and *d*~epi~ \> *d*~RVendo~ and those within the LV and RV free walls were determined as those for which *d*~RVendo~ \> *d*~LVendo~ and *d*~LVendo~ \> *d*~RVendo~, respectively. To avoid sudden discontinuities in *e* at boundaries between regions, the value of *e* at each node was averaged with all of its immediate neighbors (i.e., those neighbours sharing a common element).
The gradient of *e* within each tetrahedral element was used to define the transmural direction (*u*). The vector product of *u* with a unit vector in the *z*-direction (the global apex-base direction) then defined the circumferential direction (*v*) or, in other words, the orientation of cardiac fibers in the midmyocardium with zero helix angle (see [Fig. 4*D*](#F4){ref-type="fig"} for vector definitions). The direction *w* was then defined as being perpendicular to *v* and *u*, i.e., *w* = *u* × *v*. To account for the transmural variation in the fiber vector direction through the myocardial wall, the fiber direction at the center of each tetrahedral element was further determined by a helix angle (α) ([@B39]) as follows:$$\alpha = R{(1 - 2e_{\text{av}})}^{3}$$ where *e*~av~ was taken to be the average of *e* of the nodal values making up the tetrahedra. A rotation of *v* and *w* of α radians about the *u*-axis finally defined the real fiber vector direction (**a**~f~) and the normal to the myolaminar (**a**~n~) at that point. *R* was set equal to π/3 for the LV and septum and π/4 for the RV in accordance with Ref. 39. [Figure 5*A*](#F5){ref-type="fig"} shows the orientation of fibers through sections of the LV wall, RV wall, and septum. The fine arrows in [Fig. 5*A*](#F5){ref-type="fig"} show the explicit direction of the fibers, whereas the color bar indicates the out-of-plane rotation of the fiber vector.
{#F5}
Anatomically Based Model of Fiber Architecture within the Papillary Muscles
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Although the parametric description of fiber architecture by Streeter et al. ([@B51]) \[described in the implementation of the algorithm ([@B39]) above\] provides a detailed representation of the transmural rotation of cardiac fibers throughout the myocardial wall, it does not address fiber architecture within the papillary muscle and large trabecular structures. It is known that the histoarchitecture of the papillary muscles greatly differs from that seen in the bulk myocardium, with cells tending to align parallel to the muscle axis (i.e., in the primary direction of contraction). Therefore, for tetrahedral elements tagged as papillary muscle, a fiber orientation parallel to the axis of the muscle was assigned. To determine the overall global axial direction at any point within the papillary muscle, the structure tensor was used.
### Structure tensor.
The structure tensor is a robust method for determining localized structure based on neighboring gradient fields ([@B15]). Given a function *f*, which at the point *x*, *y*, *z* has local gradient ▽*f* = (*f*~x~, *f*~y~,*f*~z~), the structure tensor *S* is defined as follows: $$S_{x,y,z} = K_{\sigma} \times \left\lbrack {\nabla f \times {(\nabla f)}^{T}} \right\rbrack = \left\lbrack \begin{array}{l}
{K_{\sigma}f_{x}^{2}K_{\sigma}f_{x}f_{y}K_{\sigma}f_{x}f_{z}} \\
{K_{\sigma}f_{x}f_{y}K_{\sigma}f_{y}^{2}K_{\sigma}f_{y}f_{z}} \\
{K_{\sigma}f_{x}f_{z}K_{\sigma}f_{y}f_{z}K_{\sigma}f_{z}^{2}} \\
\end{array} \right\rbrack$$ where K~σ~ is a Gaussian function with standard deviation σ and *T* represents the transpose of the vector ∇*f*. The use of the Gaussian effectively performs a spatial average of neighboring gradient vectors for every entry in the total matrix. The eigenvalues (λ~1~, λ~2~, λ~3~) and corresponding eigenvectors (*e*~1~,*e*~2~,e~3~) of *S* indicate the local distribution of the gradient vectors. Depending on the relative sizes of the eigenvalues, overall global structures can be characterized ([@B15]). For the specific case that λ~1~,λ~2~ \> λ~3~ ≈ 0, the overall global structure is characterized by a line-like structure (or cylinder), with the eigenvector *e*~3~ defining the cylinder axis. In the case of papillary muscles, which are approximately cylindrical in structure, this axis is used to define the papillary muscle fiber direction.
### Implementation.
Before using the structure tensor method described above, it was necessary to define a gradient field associated with the structure of the papillary muscle to define the axial papillary muscle direction. A radial vector, i.e., a vector that would exit the structure normal to the surface, was defined for each tetrahedral finite element within the papillary muscles. The most robust way to compute such a radial vector (**r**~r~) was to define the vector as the line connecting the centroid of the tetrahedral element (position vector **r**~c~) with the geometrically closest surface node point (position vector **r**~n~) taken from the list of all LV and RV endocardial points calculated as described in *Definition of surfaces*. Thus, **r**~r~ was simply given as follows: **r**~r~ = **r**~c~ − **r**~n~.
As our finite-element ventricular mesh was unstructured, a Gaussian smoothing of the components of the matrix \[▿*f* × (▿*f*)^*T*^\] was performed on an unstructured domain. To do this, the size of the Gaussian kernel associated with each element was taken to include all neighboring tetrahedral elements that were directly connected to that element (i.e., directly shared node points). The value of the Gaussian function at each neighboring tetrahedra was then computed relative to the geometrical distance between the centroids of this and the central tetrahedra. The value of σ was optimized to 0.3 mm, based on visual inspection of the resulting fiber vectors. Although this method can potentially lead to artifacts due to the irregular distance between element centers, in our case this was not a significant concern as the good quality of the mesh prevented this from affecting the result. In addition, the use of a directly connected method ensured that the smoothing did not include neighboring elements associated with close by, but unconnected, papillary structures.
After the smoothing, structure tensor *S* was formed for each element and eigenvalues and eigenvectors were computed. The eigenvector with the corresponding smallest eigenvalue then defined the required axial fiber direction. [Figure 5*B*](#F5){ref-type="fig"} shows a cut through the surface of a papillary muscle with the fiber directions calculated as described above, shown as fine white arrows for clarity. The same method for incorporating fiber vectors aligned with the axial direction of a cylindrical structure was also used to assign fiber orientation to the larger trabeculations present in the dataset, which were also tagged as described in *Segmentation postprocessing*.
### Fiber vector smoothing.
To avoid sudden changes in fiber orientation in the insertion point of the papillary muscles with the myocardial wall as well as at the junctions between different wall regions (LV, RV, and septum), all fiber vectors were additionally smoothed by constructing a Gaussian-smoothed structure tensor, as described above. In this case, the gradient function *f* in *Eq. 4* was defined by the unsmoothed fiber vector at each element, and the eigenvector corresponding to the largest eigenvalue of the resulting structure tensor was used to define the smoothed fiber direction within each element.
Electrophysiological Simulations
--------------------------------
### Governing equations of electrical activation.
Electrical activation throughout the ventricular models was simulated using the following bidomain equations ([@B37]):$$\nabla \times {\hat{\sigma}}_{i}\nabla\phi_{i} = \beta I_{m}$$ $$\nabla \times {\hat{\sigma}}_{e}\nabla\phi_{e} = - \beta I_{m} - I_{e}$$ $$I_{m} = C_{m}\frac{\partial V_{m}}{\partial t} + I_{\text{ion}}(V_{m},\eta) - I_{\text{stim}}$$ $$V_{m} = \phi_{i} - \phi_{e}$$where φ~i~ and φ~e~ are the intracellular and extracellular potentials, respectively, σ̂~i~ and σ̂~e~ are the intracellular and extracellular conductivity tensors, respectively, β is the membrane surface-to-volume ratio, *I*~m~ is the transmembrane current density, *I*~stim~ is the current density of the transmembrane stimulus used to initiate an action potential, *I*~e~ is the current density of the extracellular stimulus, *C*~m~ is the membrane capacitance per unit area, *V*~m~ is the transmembrane potential, and *I*~ion~ is the density of the total current flowing through the membrane ionic channels, pumps, and exchangers, which depends on the transmembrane potential and on a set of state variables (η). At the tissue boundaries, electrical isolation is assumed, which is accounted for by imposing no-flux boundary conditions on φ~e~ and φ~i~.
In those cases where the cardiac tissue is surrounded by a conductive medium, such as a perfusing bath in which the heart is submerged, an additional Poisson equation has to be solved:$$\nabla \times \sigma_{b}\nabla\phi_{e} = I_{e}$$where σ~b~ is the isotropic conductivity of the conductive medium and *I*~e~ is the stimulation current injected into the conductive medium. In this case, no-flux boundary conditions are assumed at the boundaries of the conductive medium, whereas continuity of the normal component of the extracellular current and the continuity of φ~e~ are enforced at the tissue-bath interface. The no-flux boundary conditions for φ~i~ remain the same.
### Numerical solution techniques.
The Cardiac Arrhythmia Research Package (CARP) ([@B61]) was used to discretize and numerically solve the bidomain equations. The specifics of the spatiotemporal discretization strategy and the numerical solution scheme have been described in detail elsewhere ([@B34], [@B36], [@B61]). Membrane dynamics were modeled using the recent Mahajan-Shiferaw model of the rabbit ventricular cell ([@B29]), which is equipped with an electroporation current and a hypothetical K^+^ current that activates at larger positive polarizations beyond +160 mV to reproduce the asymmetry of the membrane response to strong shocks delivered during the plateau phase of the action potential ([@B1]). Simulations were performed using resources at the Oxford Supercomputing Center (<http://www.oerc.ox.ac.uk/resources/osc>) as well as the Distributed European Infrastructure for Supercomputing Applications Extreme Computing Initiative project muHeart. For computational performance and benchmarking, see Ref. 36.
### Representing electrical tissue anisotropy.
The information regarding locally prevailing cell alignment (the fiber vector **a**~f~, see *Rule-based algorithm for incorporating fiber architecture*) was used to define the intracellular conductivity tensor σ̂~i~ using the formulation in Ref. [@B12]. Intracellular and extracellular conductivities were taken to be 0.174 and 0.625 S/m parallel to the myofiber and 0.019 and 0.236 S/m transverse to the fiber, respectively ([@B11]). Conductivity in the bath surrounding the ventricles was taken to be 1.0 S/m.
Stimulation Protocols
---------------------
### Pacing.
The stimulation protocol used to elicit wavefront propagation in both the complex and simplified rabbit ventricular models included stimulation at a site in the RV free wall close to the apex to elicit wavefront propagation in approximately an apicobasal direction (termed apical pacing). A transmembrane current pulse of 50 ×10^−4^ μA/cm^3^ was delivered over 1-ms duration. The instant at which *V*~m~ crossed a level of −20 mV at each node was recorded and used to construct an activation map plot.
### Induction of arrhythmia.
An additional protocol was used to induce an arrhythmia in the ventricles. First, the ventricles were paced at the apex at the same site as in the apical pacing protocol. Then, at a given coupling interval (CI) of 195 ms, when the refractory isoline appeared roughly halfway between the apex and base, an external electrical stimulus of a shock strength of 2 V/cm and 5-ms duration was applied via two plate electrodes in an anterior-posterior configuration. The cathodal stimulus was applied via the anterior plate electrode by current injection. The posterior plate electrode was grounded and served as the anode. Such a protocol was used due its well-documented propensity for arrhythmia induction ([@B43]).
RESULTS
=======
Activation Sequences and Wavefront Morphology
---------------------------------------------
[Figure 6](#F6){ref-type="fig"} shows a comparison of simulated *V*~m~ distributions after apical stimulation in both the complex (*top* half) and simplified (*bottom* half) ventricular models at different times after the initial stimulus. [Figure 6](#F6){ref-type="fig"} shows the full ventricular epicardial surface (*top* rows) and the ventricles cut along the transverse (*middle* rows) and frontal planes (*bottom* rows). We will refer to these as the epicardial, transverse, and frontal views, respectively, in the explanation below. The posterior view was chosen to allow the visualization of important endocardial structures, in particular, the major papillary muscles.
{#F6}
Although the global patterns of activation are similar in the two models, there were a number of important differences in activation sequences due to differences in the underlying additional anatomical detail of the models. Immediately after the stimulation in the complex model, propagation spread not only up the LV and RV free walls but also along the small trabeculations close to the apex of the RV where the stimulation occurred (13 ms, frontal view). These trabeculations linked the RV to the septum and thus caused the septum to depolarize in advance of the global propagating wavefront (32 ms, frontal view).
As a result, activation propagated significantly faster along the septum in the complex model compared with the simplified model (compare 32--58 ms, frontal views). For example, the activation time of *point 1* (shown in the 13-ms frontal view of [Fig. 6](#F6){ref-type="fig"}) in the complex model occurred at 36 ms after the stimulus compared with 46 ms for the corresponding point in the simplified model. In contrast, the propagation speed within the LV/RV myocardial walls of the two models were similar: the activation times of *points 2* and *3* were, respectively, 64 and 42 ms for the complex model and 60 and 40 ms for the simplified model. In addition to the similarity in speeds, wavefront morphology across the LV/RV walls in both models exhibited a similar characteristic "V" shape (47 and 58 ms in the frontal views, for example). This is due to the inclusion of a realistic representation of fiber architecture in both models, resulting in the activation advancing more quickly close to the epicardial/endocardial surfaces, as fibers in these regions have a greater helix angle and thus are more closely aligned with the global direction of propagation (the apex-base direction, in this case). The corresponding effect was not present in the septum of the complex model due to the premature depolarization of the center of the septum, as described above, causing asymmetrical propagation in this region.
As the wavefront reached the base of the ventricles, the difference in the activation times between the septa of the two models was still apparent: the activation times of *point 1′* were 77 and 85 ms for the complex and simplified models, respectively. However, the close similarity of the activation times within the LV and RV walls seen at *points 2* and *3* was less apparent, as the faster depolarization of the septum in the complex model subsequently spread out from the center of the septum to the LV/RV free walls (evident in the 58-ms transverse image), resulting in the slightly earlier activation of these regions in the complex model: activation times of *points 2′* and *3′* are 100 ms and 81 ms in the complex model compared with 104 and 85 ms in the simplified model ([Fig. 6](#F6){ref-type="fig"}).
A further consequence of the faster propagation within the septum was focal depolarizion of the epicardial surface, appearing in advance of the main propagating wavefront (47-ms epicardial view). This focal activation spread out from the septum and caused the wavefront on the epicardium to be significantly less planar (increased curvature) throughout the remainder of the activation sequence, relative to the more uniform and planar wavefront in the simplified model, particularly evident in the epicardial 58- to 72-ms images.
Response of the Ventricles to Electrical Field Stimulation
----------------------------------------------------------
[Figure 7](#F7){ref-type="fig"} shows a comparison of *V*~m~ distributions in the complex (*top* half) and simplified (*bottom* half) ventricular models just before (195-ms images) and after (200- to 215-ms images) the application of an external electrical stimulus (CI = 195 ms, SS = 2 V/cm). The views in [Fig. 7](#F7){ref-type="fig"} represent the clipping planes in the transverse (*top* row) and frontal (*bottom* row) planes.
{#F7}
Although the distribution of potential was similar between both models just before the shock (195-ms images), immediately after the shock (200 ms) significant differences between polarization states existed. Most noticeably, when we compared the 200-ms images, regions of the anterior endocardial surface of the complex model were appreciably less positively polarized than those of the simplified model. This is because at shock end the endocardial structures in the complex model (papillary muscles/trabeculations) have formed individual virtual electrodes, where part of the structure has become positively charged and the other half negatively. Where these structures then attach to the endocardial surface they introduce a heterogeneous distribution of *V*~m~ in the subendocardial layers of the myocardial wall (examples are shown by the enlarged dashed rectangular boxes in [Fig. 7](#F7){ref-type="fig"}). The overall effect is that the endocardial surface of the complex model has significantly more heterogeneity in the polarization levels across the surface compared with the simple model, and, in addition, parts of the endocardial surface (where the endocardial structures attach to the wall) are less strongly polarized in the complex model relative to the corresponding regions in the simplified model. The complex endocardial structures therefore appear to "protect" the endocardial surface from becoming strongly polarized (note that a similar effect was also seen on the posterior endocardial surface). Furthermore, at the end of the stimulus (200-ms images), the existence of small-scale virtual electrodes were found around the blood vessels and extracellular cleft spaces in the complex model. These microvirtual electrodes introduced heterogeneities in the *V*~m~ distribution within the bulk of the myocardial wall, causing a further disparity between the complex and simplified models.
Due to saturation of the color scales, an effect that was not immediately evident from the results shown in [Fig. 7](#F7){ref-type="fig"} (200-ms images), the posterior epicardial surface of the complex model was significantly less positively polarized than that of the simplified model at shock end. For example, considering the polarization states of epicardial points lying within a square 1.2 × 1.2-cm region on the surface \[roughly corresponding to the field of view in an optical mapping experiment ([@B5]); shown as a white square on the *top left* image in [Fig. 6](#F6){ref-type="fig"}\], we found that just 9% (88%) were polarized \> 150 (\>100 mV) in the complex model compared with 99% (100%) in the simplified model for respective polarization levels. Such an effect was also present on the anterior epicardium, which experienced a less negatively polarized state at shock end in the complex model: 23% (81%) of points within a corresponding region on the anterior epicardial surface had polarization levels less than −200 (less than −150 mV) compared with 79% (95%) in the simplified model.
Consequently, 5 ms after the end of the stimulus (205-ms images), the posterior epicardial surface of the complex model recovered to a more negative state than the simplified model, which was now evident in the transverse slice images: 0% of points within the square field of view had polarization levels \> 50 mV compared with 43% in the simplified model. We also noted that the endocardial surface of the complex model recovered to a lower potential than the simplified model, as it also reached a less positively polarized state at shock end (as described above).
Intramurally, despite the previously noted existence of microvirtual electrodes in the complex model at shock end surrounding intramural structures, postshock the distribution of *V*~m~ appeared similar between the two models, as these transient effects dispersed. However, important to note in the 205-ms image of the complex model (frontal slice) is the spreading of activity along a trabeculation that links the depolarized RV wall with the septum, which itself is largely at resting state. By the 215-ms image, this activity has caused the septum to depolarize, introducing an additional wavefront of activity that is not present in the simplified model. At this time, the 215-ms image also highlights the existence of other new shock-induced activation wavefronts within the ventricles, which have different locations between the two models due to differences in anatomical geometry.
Arrhythmia Induction and Dynamics
---------------------------------
Postshock evolution of *V*~m~ within the ventricles progressed into sustained episodes of reentrant activity in both models. [Figure 8](#F8){ref-type="fig"} shows the distribution of *V*~m~ from a posterior epicardial view for both the complex (*top* half) and simplified (*bottom* half) models at different points in time.
{ref-type="fig"} (CI = 195 ms, SS = 2 V/cm).](zh40021091910008){#F8}
The differences in the development of new activation wavefronts formed after the stimulus (highlighted in the 215-ms image in [Fig. 7](#F7){ref-type="fig"}) between the two models led to the formation of different initial reentrant patterns of activity at specific locations in the model. However, despite these localized differences, the global effect of the stimulus was such that the initial reentrant activity on the posterior epicardial surface in both models was dominated by a large propagating wavefront moving from the LV to the RV, although the morphology of the wavefront was different in each case, as were trajectory and speed.
For example, the 260- and 275-ms images of [Fig. 8](#F8){ref-type="fig"} demonstrate how the posterior epicardial surface of the simplified model was more strongly positively polarized by the shock than that in the more complex model. Here, we found that large areas of the epicardium (particularly at the apex, the base, and toward the RV) were still refractory in the simplified model, whereas they were almost fully recovered in the complex model. Consequently, in the complex model, activity spread rapidly, unhindered, across the posterior surface of the ventricles. In the simplified model, however, activation spread more slowly, experiencing conduction block in regions close to the apex or base that were still refractory. On the second cycle of the resulting reentry (from ∼400 ms onward), the heterogeneous distribution of refractory tissue present in the simplified model caused the wavefronts to fractionate and break up (clearly evident in the 590-ms images). The arrhythmia subsequently progressed into a more disorganised state with the existence of multiple wavefronts, which broke frequently. These patterns were also clear in the movies provided in the Supplemental Material.
In the complex model, the initial wavefront propagating across the posterior epicardium after the shock (260- and 275-ms images) was not hindered by refractory tissue to the same extent as in the simplified model. As a result, on the second reentrant cycle, there was no such dispersion of refractory tissue, and the reentrant wavefront continued to propagate. Consequently, a stable spiral wave reentrant arrhythmia pattern resulted, which was maintained for seven reentrant cycles in the present example. During this time, the phase singularities did not appear to be anchored to any significant anatomical structure. However, after ∼1,200 ms, the rapid activation rate of the tissue eventually led to wavebreak (clearly evident in the 1,430- and 1,535-ms images), and the arrhythmia also progressed into a more disorganized state with multiple wavebreaks, which appeared to be of a similarly disorganized state as that witnessed in the simplified model (although they were brought about by at least partially different mechanisms).
Finally, the episodes of arrhymias in the two models were found to terminate (i.e., extinction of the final remaining wavefront in the ventricular tissue) at 1,265 ms for the simplified model compared with 1,610 ms for the complex model.
DISCUSSION
==========
In this study, we present a full computational pipeline for the generation of a highly detailed, anatomically complex rabbit ventricular model, derived directly from high-resolution MR data, and demonstrate functional implications of the additional level of anatomical heterogeneity on electrical behavior of the ventricular model during simple pacing protocols and after the application of external electrical field stimulation. In comparing the results from the anatomically complex model with a more simplified representation of the same dataset, we provide a first glimpse into differences made by fine structural detail on the electrical activation dynamics as well as elucidate instances where global activation patterns are similar.
Relevance of Methodological Model Development
---------------------------------------------
The differences seen in the activation sequences and wavefront morphologies during pacing and in the shock-induced polarization states and arrhythmia induction after the application of external stimuli support the introduction of higher levels of anatomical complexity in certain aspects of computational studies of cardiac electrophysiology. The validation and comparison of computational simulation results with experimental data is an essential component of cardiac electrophysiological research and development. This is of particular relevance for the use of models desgined to represent cardiac anatomical structure on a case by case basis for individual experimental preparations and will assist in the like-for-like comparison between model and experiment. In addition, these allow quantitative prediction of cardiac electrical activation at very high spatial (∼100 μm) and temporal (∼50 μs) resolutions and allow the identification of underlying mechanisms in a manner that cannot be achieved in experimental investigations or using less detailed computational models.
The MR-to-model pipeline described in this study provides the potential for individualized computational model construction, representing experimentally obtained functional (e.g., optical mapping) and structural (MR) data on individual preparations. This may help to elucidate the role of individual anatomical heterogeneity in episodes of anatomical microreentry or shock-induced arrhythmogenesis in like-for-like wet and dry observations. This may require even higher-resolution representation of cell and tissue type differences throughout the model, for example, using histological identification of tissue components and morphology. Furthermore, the availability of detailed models opens the door for the quantitative analysis of coupled multiphysics problems, such as electromechanical coupling and the resulting fluid-structure interactions. The prescence of fine-scale structures such as the papillary muscles and myocardial valves, which play important roles in electromechanical and fluidic function, will be essential to represent fully coupled whole heart behavior in the future.
Methodological Improvements to the Computational Pipeline
---------------------------------------------------------
One of the major goals of this project was to establish a generic computational pipeline for the generation of individual cardiac models from MR data ([@B36]). Although manual interaction was still required at certain stages, most of the pipeline is now fully automated, providing the potential for its direct application to high-throughput data analysis. Despite the fact that the specific values of parameters used \[for example, in the segmentation filters of the [appendix]{.smallcaps} (*Segmentation Details*)\] will inevitably need adjustment, the general steps in the pipeline are sufficiently robust to be used on other datasets, even for different species \[for example, on rat MR data ([@B6])\].
The next stage of the computational model generation pipeline is the incorporation of whole heart serial histology data into the model ([@B7], [@B36]) obtained for the same preparation as the MR data. Whole rabbit ventricle histology data are currently available at a resolution of 1 × 1 × 10 μm and provide information on different cell-type distributions as well as cardiomyocyte alignment (fiber orientation). Current work focuses on the full registration of 3-D histological tissue volumes with the original MR data to remove distortion artifacts introduced during histological processing ([@B30]). Such registered histological information will provide important information regarding the distribution of nonexcitable connective tissue within the ventricles as well as a detailed representation of 3-D cardiac fiber orientation at a subcellular resolution. This will support more accurate representation of the specific fiber architecture around fine-scale anatomical structures such as blood vessels.
This distribution of fibers around coronary vessels is known to be complex, and it has been suggested to play a key role in arrhythmias ([@B16]). Rule-based methods for assigning fiber directions, such as those used in this study, do not account for the presence of vessels. Specific rule-based strategies to represent the negotiation of fibers around blood vessels are currently being developed ([@B16]), and methods for incorporating these into realistic geometries are under way.
The rule-based methods used here play important roles in assigning fiber vectors within computational ventricular models, where DT-MRI data are not available (i.e., the vast majority of patient studies). Rule-based methods have been shown to agree well with DT-MRI measurements in wedge preparations ([@B33]) as well as in whole ventricular models ([@B6]) and have been shown to offer advantages in areas where DT-MRI measurements are typically noisy, for example, close to epicardial/endocardial surfaces ([@B6]). However, a major drawback of rule-based methods when applied to high-resolution ventricular models is their limited representation of anatomical structures that are not part of the myocardial wall/septum (e.g., papillary muscles and large trabeculations). The novel method used in this study to represent fiber architecture within these tube-like structures represents a step forward in the use of anatomical MR data to construct ventricular models in the absence of DT-MRI information (for example, for data obtained in vivo). However, for the assessment of inter-individual variability, access to DT-MRI data will remain highly desirable for further progression of this work, and coregistration mechanisms for multiple MR-based and histological datasets are being developed ([@B36]).
Assessment of the Importance of Including Fine-Scale Anatomical Structure in Ventricular Models
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Following simple single-site pacing protocols, our results show that the global appearance of activation sequences was similar between the complex and simplified models. In particular, both the initial activation wavefront speeds and wavefront morphologies were similar within the LV and RV walls after apical stimuli. This reconfirms the utility of the generation of ventricular models with moderate anatomical detail for the application to electrophysiological research, for example, in current studies of cardiac resynchronization therapy, where only approximate global activation sequences through the cavity walls are generally required.
However, despite the overall similarities, a number of significant differences between activation dynamics within the two models were identified, which highlights the limits of applying conclusions from generalized simple architecture models to individual cases. As shown in our results, of primary importance is the presence of large trabeculation structures that link the ventricular walls to the septum (particularly found close to the apex). These trabeculae provide a "shortcut" pathway along which activation rapidly propagates, causing depolarization of the tissue in advance of the global propagating activation wavefront. These give rise to individual focal sources of excitation on the epicardium, leading to a less planar wavefront. During sinus rhythm, these trabeculations might very well have a physiological function, as the shortcut pathways may assist the natural activation sequence. The details of this role will be elucidated in the context of incorporation of an anatomically realistic representation of the Purkinje system into the rabbit ventricular model (work in progress) to simulate sinus rhythm.
Conversely, the additional trabecular pathways may be of importance for the initiation and/or sustenance of reentrant activity, for example, in situations where unidirectional conduction block within the bulk of the myocardial wall would otherwise terminate the reentry. In addition, the existence of focal sources of excitation, breaking through to the epicardial surface following conduction along trabecular structures (witnessed during apical pacing), may also have important proarrhythmic consequences. Disparities in the conduction velocities of waves propagating out from focal sources, as has been shown in optical imaging experiments ([@B8], [@B25]), could introduce a heterogeneous distribution of tissue refractoriness around the site of the focus, which in turn could lead to destabilization of wavefronts and wavebreak in subsequent reentrant cycles.
Here, significant differences between the complex and simplified models can be found in the response of the tissue to the shock. First, the epicardial (both posterior and anterior) surfaces were appreciably less strongly polarized by the shock in the complex model than in the simplified one. Second, the fine-scale anatomical detail present in the complex model led to a more localized heterogeneous distribution of polarization levels, both on the endocardial surface (surrounding the junctions of the endocardial structures with the myocardial wall) and, to a lesser extent, intramurally (surrounding blood vessels). Such heterogeneous potential distribution has been witnessed in experimental recordings from intact hearts using optrodes ([@B26]) as well as in optical mapping measurements from transmural wedge preparations after intermediate-strength shocks, which are less affected by the well-documented measurement artifacts during such recordings ([@B35], [@B49]). However, such effects had not been reproduced in the wealth of prior computational studies examining the effect of electrical shocks on whole ventricular models, due to the inherent lack of structural detail in those models. Our findings thus illustrate the utility of more complex models in certain scenarios.
It is widely known that the preshock state of the tissue is a key determinant of the response of the ventricles to the shock after pacing ([@B43]). In our simulations, although the differences in activation times and wavefront morphologies seen after apical pacing in *Activation Sequences and Wavefront Morphology* (due chiefly to wavefront propagation along trabeculae) did lead to small differences in the preshock state of certain areas of the ventricles, these differences were largely confined to the septum, most noticeably close to the base (195-ms images in [Fig. 7](#F7){ref-type="fig"}). Importantly, the LV/RV free walls had very similar preshock states (195-ms images in [Fig. 7](#F7){ref-type="fig"}), due to the similar activation times of these regions noted in *Activation Sequences and Wavefront Morphology*. The differences in the response of the ventricles to the shock, introduced through the inclusion of additional anatomical complexity in our model, were witnessed throughout the volume of the ventricles and were not confined only to regions with (minute) differences in preshock states. Therefore, the way in which fine-scale anatomical structures interact with external electrical stimulation, highlighted in this study, represents a novel finding that may have important implications for defibrillation, which requires further investigation.
Specifically, in this experiment, it appears that endocardial structures may "protect" the bulk myocardium from becoming as strongly polarized as seen in simplified models. Furthermore, our simulations suggest that the intramurally heterogeneous distributions of *V*~m~ witnessed here may provide a plausible explanation for the weaker polarization of the epicardial surfaces seen in the complex model relative to the simplified model. This phenomenon may also help to explain the previous disparity between the magnitude of shock end epicardial virtual electrode polarization seen experimentally and those predicted by simulations using simplified ventricular models ([@B5], [@B43]). Although these differences can be accounted for, in part at least, by the distortion effects of photon scattering in optical recordings ([@B5]) and the inclusion of electroporation currents ([@B1]), simulations with simplified models still overestimate experimentally recorded measurements of the shock-induced change in *V*~m~. Thus, the results from the present study suggest that the use of more realistic models in this context could help to bridge the gap between simulation and experiment.
The highlighted differences in polarization states at shock end lead to discrepancies in activity after external electrical shock application. These include the presence of new excitation wavefronts in different locations between the models as well as global differences in the recovery rates of the apex and base regions from the stimulus. Consequently, these differences were amplified in the overall postshock response of the two models, with different ensuing episodes of arrhythmogeneis observed in each model. The specific arrhythmias induced in these simulations were neither sufficiently long nor complex enough for the analysis of the particular roles played by anatomical structures in their proliferation or maintenance. For example, phase singularities were not seen to be anchored to structures such as blood vessels or papillary muscle junctions, as has been suggested experimentally ([@B24], [@B41], [@B58]). However, the major goal of this study was to compare the behavior of complex and simple models after the application of identical shock-induced arrhythmia protocols. This was achieved, highlighting significant differences in the response of the models to external stimuli and subsequent arrhythmia induction. This further emphasizes the need to include similar levels of complexity in future studies in this area to understand the mechanisms and consequences of electrical field interaction with myocardial tissue, as well as the role played by heterogeneities in histoanatomical complexity between individuals. It is hoped that identifying this modeling requirement will encourage further research, which may be facilitated by open access to the model used in this study.
Study Limitations
-----------------
Although downsampling of the original MR data was necessary to reduce the memory footprint of the dataset as well as to introduce a uniform smoothing, which improved the performance of the segmentation algorithms, it also inevitably introduced small distortions to geometrical structures. However, the high resolution of the images was due in part to zero filling of the raw images in the MR acquisition protocol, in fact upsampling the originally collected data, to visually improve an image without adding structural information. As a result, the downsampling, as demonstrated in [materials and methods]{.smallcaps} ([Fig. 1*D*](#F1){ref-type="fig"}), did not cause significant loss of important structural information. However, the reduced definition of some of the finer structures (such as thin blood vessel walls on the epicardial surface) lead to problems in accurately delineating them via automated segmentation. This was addressed in the manual postprocessing stage of the segmentation process, as described in *Segmentation postprocessing*. Recent attempts have been made to adapt the segmentation algorithms to segment small regions of the full-resolution dataset. However, transferring this resolution over to the meshing stage involved the generation of finite-element meshes with a number of degrees of freedom that exceed current limits for practical application to computational modeling of whole ventricular structure and function. Although some recent studies have generated meshes of ventricular wedges or free wall preparations ([@B40], [@B56]) for use in simulations at slightly higher resolutions (up to ∼60 μm), this study provides a high-resolution whole ventricular computational model that can be used relatively easily in normally available cardiac simulation environments.
Finally, we wish to highlight additional features that have not been included in the model at this stage. First, isotropic conductivity transverse to the myocyte axis has been assumed. Although a widely held assumption ([@B11]), a recent study ([@B20]) has suggested that there is a discrepency between conductivity in the sheet and sheet-normal directions in the heart. However, due to lack of information on the specific sheet structure in the ventricles for this preparation, and the absence of corresponding rule-based methods for incorporation of such information into computational models, sheet architecture was not represented in the model. In future studies, it is hoped to derive sheet structure information directly from either histology slices previously coregistered with MR data ([@B30]) or from DT-MRI data ([@B47]) to represent the tissue as electrically orthotropic.
The Purkinje system is not represented in the model. To date, there is only one study ([@B60]) representing a Purkinje model formulation that can be used in conjunction with a ventricular bidomain model, but this was used in conjunction with a more simplified model geometry. Although it is possible to extract and represent computationally the free-running Purkinje system in our model, implementation of the junctions between Purkinje fibers and the myocardium and delineation of the endocardial-bound Purkinje system will require further histological and functional data. Although the presence of a Purkinje system changes activation sequences, which will alter some of the effects seen during single-site pacing in this study, the absence of fast electrical impulse propagation through the Purkinje system allows one to dissect the effects of trabeculae-mediated breakthroughs during pacing, which represents a novel finding. Furthermore, a direct comparison between the two models in the presence of a Purkinje system is difficult, as many Purkinje-ventricular junctions attach to finer endocardial structures, such as the papillary muscle, which are not represented in the simplified geometry.
Regarding the electrophysiological detail incorporated into the model, our aim was to match the current state of the art, (e.g. Refs. [@B2], [@B10], and [@B53], all of which were performed with anatomically simplified ventricular models). In line with these studies, our model also does not use a discontinuous approach to account for the discrete effects due to gap junctions, nor do we specify regional heterogeneity in cell membrane dynamics. We used the most recent Mahajan-Shiferaw model of the rabbit ventricular cell. This was tailored to reproduce rabbit cellular dynamics at fast heart rates and was augmented with two additional currents to accurately represent the effects of strong shocks on tissue. At this point the cell model has not been specialized to account for regional heterogeneity, but the framework is in place to do so when appropriate cell model modifications become available. Although the inclusion of higher levels of electrophysiological detail may affect the results found in this study, we believe that the fundamental findings presented here will hold true. For example, the trabeculae-mediated epicardial breakthrough is a robust finding that depends on the activation front of the wave of depolarization and so will be little affected by changes in the repolarization gradients introduced by spatial heterogeneity in action potential shape and duration during single pacing. Although heterogeneity in repolarization would alter the recovery isoline before the delivery of the external stimulus in *Response of the Ventricles to Electrical Field Stimulation*, the large differences in the effect of the shock on the complex model relative to the simplified model were seen in all regions of the ventricles, thus appearing to be independent of the exact timing of recovery of the tissue. Finally, electrophysiological heterogeneity is largely attenuated at cycle lengths as short as those used in this study (\<300 ms) ([@B28]). Overall, we believe that despite these limitations, our study shows that incorporation of fine-scale anatomical complexity, such as blood vessels and endocardial structures, can provide insight into novel electrophysiological mechanisms that cannot be elucidated with previously used simplified models.
Conclusions
-----------
In this study, we have presented the full methodological pipeline involved in the construction of an anatomically complex computational model of the rabbit ventricles and made both the high-resolution MR data from which the model was constructed and the final finite-element computational model itself available to the research community. We have demonstrated that simple and complex models share a large extent of similarities in the functional modeling of cardiac electrical behavior. This is an important illustration of the utility of simple models for general basic cardiac research applications. However, significant differences exist between standard and high-resolution models in activation sequences and particularly in the response of tissue to external stimuli and the ensuing patterns, complexity, and duration of the induced arrhythmias. This indicates that for a range of applications, sample- or patient-specific modeling will require higher structural resolution than that currently established as a standard.
The previously established standard of computational ventricular models, particularly those developed from the University of California-San Diego rabbit ([@B59]) and Auckland canine ([@B32]) and pig ([@B50]) datasets, have given rise to advances in our knowledge of cardiac electrophysiology over the past decade or so, in particular thanks to their open access policy. Here, we provide an additional high-resolution MR-derived ventricular model of the rabbit to the community, describing in full detail the methods and techniques to allow other researchers to repeat the steps used for the model generation pipeline, and invite investigation of other anatomically influenced differences in micro- and macroscale behavior to be assessed in more detail over a broader range of pathophysiological scenarios.
APPENDIX
========
Segmentation Details
--------------------
This section contains specific details of the level-set segmentation methods outlined in [materials and methods]{.smallcaps} (*Segmentation pipeline*), including parameter values where appropriate. For specific details of the nature of individual image processing filters, please refer to the ITK User Guide or the extensive online documentation ([www.itk.org](http://www.itk.org)). It should be noted that all parameter values given below were optimized based on extensive testing and visual inspection of the resulting segmentations.
### Threshold level-set filter.
As described briefly in *Segmentation pipeline*, the first stage of the segmentation pipeline involved the use of the threshold level-set filter from the ITK library. The threshold level-set filter takes as an input an initial level-set surface generated by the fast marching method (48). The ITK fast marching image filter requires the specification of initial seed points to compute a distance map. The initial selection of seed points throughout the image volume was chosen based on local intensity values. Specifically, this involved moving a 3 × 3 × 3-voxel kernel throughout the image volume and comparing both the mean intensity of all 27 voxels within the kernel as well as the intensity of the central voxel to user-defined limits (160 and 165, respectively). If both the mean and central voxel intensities were above these limits, a seed point was placed at the center of the kernel. The kernel was moved in steps of 2 voxels in each direction to avoid placing seed points within neighboring voxels. A user-provided initial distance (in this case, 3) was subtracted from the distance map to obtain a level set in which the zero set represented the initial contour. This initial level set was given as input to the threshold level-set filter along with the feature image itself (MR dataset).
The other user-defined limits in the threshold level-set filter were the upper (*U*) and lower (*L*) threshold limits, which govern the propagation of the evolving contour. The propagation term *P* in *Eq. 1*, at a given point in space with intensity level *g*, has a functional form rendering *P* positive for *L* \< *g* \< *U* and negative otherwise. The threshold limits used here were *L* = 180 and *U* = 230. Scaling parameters were then used to balance the relative influence of the propagation (inflation) and curvature (surface smoothing) terms from Eq. *1*. Respective values of 1.0 and 5.0 were used for the parameters β and γ in *Eq. 1*. The advection term was not used in this filter. The threshold level-set filter was run for maximum of 2,000 iterations with an root mean square tolerance of 0.02.
### Geodesic active contour level-set filter.
The output of the threshold level-set filter, described above, acted as an initial level set for the geodesic active contour level-set filter. This filter uses an advection term to attract the level set to object boundaries. In addition to the initial level set from the threshold filter, the geodesic filter takes as input the raw MR data stack. However, before its input, the raw MR image stack was firstly smoothed with a curvature anisotropic diffusion filter with a time step of 0.0625, number of iterations = 5, and conductance of 9.0. An edge potential image was then produced by passing the smoothed image through a gradient magnitude recursive Gaussian filter (using a σ of 0.05), followed by a sigmoid image filter with parameters of α = −1.0 and β = 2.0. The edge potential image along with the initial level set was then used directly in the geodesic active contours level-set filter. The relative weights of the propagation, curvature, and advection terms of the geodesic active contours level-set filter were set to −10, 1.0, and 1.0, respectively. The filter was run for a maximum of 2,000 iterations with a root mean square error of 0.001.
### Laplacian level-set filter.
Finally, the output of the geodesic active contours level-set filter acted as an initial level-set input for the Laplacian level-set filter. In this filter, the propagation (or speed) term in *Eq. 1* was constructed by applying a Laplacian image filter onto the raw MR image stack. The Laplacian filter calculates the second derivatives of the image and thus amplifies noise. To minimize this effect, we applied an initial smoothing anisotropic diffusion filter to the MR dataset. In this case, the gradient anisotropic diffusion filter was used with 10 iterations, a time step of 0.0625, and a conductance of 2.0. In addition to the smoothed raw MR image, the second input to the Laplacian level-set filter was an initial level set, which in this case was the direct result from the geodesic level-set filter above. The Laplacian level-set filter was then run with the curvature scaling term (in *Eq. 1*) set to 10.0 and the propagation scaling term set to 1.0 (the advection term was not used in this filter). Finally, the filter was run with a maximum root mean square error of 0.002 and the maximum number of iterations of 250.
Mesh Generation Details
-----------------------
Here, we provide details of the parameters taken as input by Tarantula in the generation of the finite-element mesh (*Results of the mesh generation*). Parameter values along with descriptions are shown in [Table 1](#T1){ref-type="table"}. For further details, please see [www.meshing.at](http://www.meshing.at).
######
Meshing parameters used in Tarantula
Parameter Description Value
--------------------------- ------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------
ISO_REFINEMENT_LEVEL Refines surface 0.5 (isosurface), 3 (levels)
INTERVAL_REFINEMENT_LEVEL Refines inner mesh volume 0.5, 1.5 (isosurface lower & upper), 3 (levels)
BASEH Maximal cell width 8
NO_SHRINK_ITERATIONS Number of smoothing steps 1
SMOOTHING_ITERATIONS Defines smoothing steps 5
TAGGING Maps tags from segmentation to mesh ON
TETRAHEDRALISE Constructs purely tetrahedral mesh ON
Surface Discrimination Algorithm
--------------------------------
Identification of different surfaces within the final ventricular finite-element mesh was achieved by performing a secondary segmentation of the MR data using the same segmentation pipeline described in *Segmentation of the Dataset*. However, in this case, seed points were manually placed only within the two ventricular cavities and outside the volume of the heart (i.e., excluding the blood vessels and extracellular cleft spaces). In addition, after segmentation, the atria were left attached to the ventricles, and a "cap" was put on top of the aorta to ensure that the cavities were fully isolated from the outside space and from each other. For this particular application, the segmented voxel stack was meshed using the meshing software Tetgen ([www.tetgen.berlios.de/](http://www.tetgen.berlios.de/)) after prior computation of a STL surface representation using a marching cubes algorithm, using the methods described in Ref. 38. Tetgen is capable of producing tetrahedral finite-element meshes, where the elements corresponding to separate enclosed regions are automatically tagged with different numerical tags, a feature that is unfortunately not currently available in Tarantula. However, due to the reduced level of detail present in the segmented voxel stack, the results produced by Tetgen in this case were sufficiently robust.
Meshing of the resulting segmented dataset produced elements with three separate numerical tags representing the myocardial tissue volume, the LV cavity, and the RV cavity, as shown in [Fig. 9*A*](#F9){ref-type="fig"}. Note that in this case the ventricular cavities were directly connected to the atrial cavities as well. Examination of the numerical tags of each pair of elements bordering each bounding triangle face allowed discrimination between the three individual surfaces to be made. For example, a triangle that is part of the LV (or RV) endocardium also forms part of two tetrahedral elements: one in the myocardium (green) and one in the LV cavity (red) \[or RV cavity (blue)\]. A triangle that is part of the epicardium only forms part of one tetrahedral element. A schematic diagram demonstrating this identification process is shown in [Fig. 9*B*](#F9){ref-type="fig"}.
![Identification of discrete surfaces. *A*: whole cardiac mesh \[including atrial tissue\] produced from Tetgen showing the tagged tetrahedral elements: myocardium (green), LV/right atrial (RA) cavities (red), and RV/RA cavities (blue). *B*: schematic diagram showing the identification of different surfaces based on the tags of bordering elements. The example shown is of an LV endocardial face triangle. *C*: visualization of the tagged surface nodes in the final ventricular finite-element mesh, representing the epicardium (red), LV endocardium (white), and RV endocardium (yellow).](zh40021091910009){#F9}
A list of all node points (and their spatial coordinates) was then formed for the epicardial, LV endocardial, and RV endocardial surfaces in the secondary segmentation. The spatial coordinates of these surface node points were then mapped onto the final ventricular mesh (shown in [Fig. 4](#F4){ref-type="fig"}) using a nearest neighbor mapping algorithm to tag nodes in the final ventricular mesh as being one of the three surfaces. To avoid mapping nodes associated with the atrial tissue, all nodes with *x*,*y*,*z* positions residing above the plane used to remove the atria in *Segmentation postprocessing* were removed ([Fig. 3*B*](#F3){ref-type="fig"}). [Figure 9*C*](#F9){ref-type="fig"} shows the surface nodes with the epicardium highlighted in red, the LV endocardium in white, and the RV endocardium in yellow.
GRANTS
======
This work was supported by Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Grant ∼BB/F004834/1 for support of the Oxford 3D Heart Project. G. Plank was the receipient of Austrian Science Fund (Fonds zur Förderungder Wissenschaftlichen Forschung) Grant F3210-N18 and a Distributed European Infrastructure for Supercomputing Applications Extreme Computing Initiative grant (muHeart).
DISCLOSURES
===========
No conflicts of interest are declared by the author(s).
Supplementary Material
======================
###### \[Supplemental Videos\]
^1^Supplemental Material for this article is available online at the *American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology* website.
The authors thank Dr. Christian Bollensdorf, Dr. Blanca Rodriguez, Michal Plotkowiak, and Tahir Mansoori as well as Dr. Susana Garcia for the access to Wacom hardware (funded by the Technical Computing Initiative of Microsoft Corporation) and Dr. Edward Vigmond for the use of Meshalyzer software. M. J. Bishop is a Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellow, V. Ggrau is a Research Councils UK Academic Fellow, and P. Kohl is a British Heart Foundation Senior Research Fellow.
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- $(SERVICE_NAME).$(SERVICE_NAMESPACE).svc.cluster.local
issuerRef:
kind: Issuer
name: selfsigned-issuer
secretName: webhook-server-cert # this secret will not be prefixed, since it's not managed by kustomize
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Q:
MVC 4 / Entity Framework 5 / Code First - Persisting a collection (list of objects) in a view - a few questions
My project has several models, some with 1:many relationships with other models. A user has a profile page, this is split up into several partial views - each grouping/representing specific attributes of the given model.
If for example, I want to display 5 of the 10 properties of a given model in a partial view, and want to persist the properties that aren't shown to the user I'm using Html.HiddenFor like so
@Html.HiddenFor(x => x.IsInGroup)
This works for single entry properties as above. Of the 5 hidden member attributes, one of these may be a list. I understand that a list cannot be persisted using HiddenFor. I've come across the Mvc Futures package and the Html.Serialize helper extension, but I'm not totally sure how to use it and havn't been able to find much good information on it.
Once a model is passed to a view everything associated with it (properties, collections) is available for us to access e.g. Model.Username. If for example we don't use HiddenFor with Username, does that mean it will be reset to a default value, or null? Is this the same for collections?
Is using HiddenFor the only/best way to persist a model's properties that are not shown to the user?
Is using Html.Serialize the only way persist a model's collection that is not shown to the user? Other options?
Could someone provide/link to a simple example of how to persist a collection in a situation similar to what I've described?
If I was to use Html.Serialize, does the whole model need to be serialised or can I just serialise the collection?
Feedback appreciated.
A:
You don't need to "persist" any data from your model by creating all the fields (hidden or not) from the model. In controller, when updating the record in the database you will just update what you need, the rest will not be affected.
Let's say this is your Product model
class Product {
public int ID {get; set;}
public string Name {get; set;}
public string Description {get; set;}
public decimal Price {get; set;}
public virtual ICollection<Category> Categories { get; set; }
}
If you only want to edit Name and Description in your view, then you can only put those fields, and skip the rest (the ID would be in a hidden field). When the form is submitted, in your controller you would reference the Product record by the ID that got passed in and then you can update Name and Description to what you received from the form. Categories and the price will not be affected.
Somewhat more straight forward way to do this is to use a ViewModel specific to the view without non-editable properties. I found this post that gives more details how to do this:
Successful Model Editing without a bunch of hidden fields
On a smaller project you don't have use any kind of library (AutoMapper, InjectValues, ...), but you can do it yourself in places where you need to copy the values from a ViewModel into an actual record from DB.
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While the City Sleeps (1956 film)
While the City Sleeps is a 1956 film noir directed by Fritz Lang and starring Dana Andrews, Rhonda Fleming, George Sanders, Howard Duff, Thomas Mitchell, Vincent Price, John Drew Barrymore and Ida Lupino. Written by Casey Robinson, the newspaper drama was based on The Bloody Spur by Charles Einstein, which depicts the story of "Lipstick Killer" William Heirens. Five decades after the film's release, critic Dennis Schwartz wrote, "Fritz Lang ('M') directs his most under-appreciated great film, more a social commentary than a straight crime drama."
Plot
The film opens with a vicious killer attacking an innocent woman in her apartment.
The scene switches over to the old man, Amos Kyne (Robert Warwick), media mogul, who is on his death bed talking to Edward Mobley (Dana Andrews), the TV anchorman for Kyne Inc. The discussion entails what will happen to the media empire after Kyne's death with Mobley turning the top job down more than once. Mobley informs the old man that he is about to go on the air live in four minutes and walks over to a TV set in the room and turns it on, still talking to the old man who doesn’t answer. Mobley looks back and sees Kyne, propped up and slumped over dead.
After Kyne's death, the corporation goes to his son, Walter Kyne (Vincent Price), who because of resentment against his father, has never been involved in the family business.
Due to his lack of knowledge and rather than take on all the work at the top all by himself, Walter Kyne challenges the men in charge of Kyne's three divisions, Mark Loving (George Sanders) Jon Day Griffith (Thomas Mitchell) and 'Honest' Harry Kritzer (James Craig), to solve and catch the serial killer who has been dubbed the "Lipstick Killer". Whoever does this will get the new second-in-command job as Executive Director.
This new job is a very lucrative prize and in order to secure it, Jon Day Griffith, attempts to ally with Mobley, who doesn't want to get involved with it. Wire-service chief Loving manipulates star writer Mildred Donner (Ida Lupino) to cozy up to and get information out of Mobley. Television chief Kritzer, uses a different method by having a secret affair with Walter Kyne's wife, Dorothy (Rhonda Fleming) in order to use her as his confidante and aid by sweet talking her husband in his behalf.
Mobley becomes engaged to Loving's secretary, Nancy Liggett (Sally Forrest) and receives inside information from his police friend, Lt. Kaufman (Howard Duff). The two men devise a plan to set a trap by using Nancy as the bait with Mobley taunting the Lipstick Killer (John Drew Barrymore) on TV in order to bring him out into the open.
As coincidence would have it, Nancy Liggett and Dorothy Kyne live across the hall from each other on the second floor in the same apartment building without each other knowing it, because Dorothy discreetly rents there to have an affair with Honest Harry Kritzer.
The Lipstick Killer follows Nancy to her apartment to attack her, but fails to gain entrance. Mrs. Kyne happens to arrive just then and enters her apartment which the killer takes advantage of and succeeds in attacking her. She fights him off and runs out into Nancy’s apartment who opens her door when she heard Mrs. Kyne screaming. The killer runs away and a chase unfolds with the police catching him as he screams, "No! No!..."
In all the commotion, everyone finds out about Dorothy’s secret apartment and adulterous affair. 'Honest' Harry Kritzer wins the job because of the threat of blackmail against Kyne. As Mobley and Griffith discuss the aftermath of these events in a bar, Mobley announces that he has resigned. Kyne comes in and Mobley tells him what he thinks of him.
The film ends with Mobley and Nancy having gotten married and learning in a local paper of an unexpected shakeup in the Kyne organization, which includes a job offer for Mobley. The happy couple kiss, ignoring a ringing telephone.
Cast
Dana Andrews as Edward Mobley
Rhonda Fleming as Dorothy Kyne
George Sanders as Mark Loving
Howard Duff as Lt. Burt Kaufman
Thomas Mitchell as Jon Day Griffith
Vincent Price as Walter Kyne
Sally Forrest as Nancy Liggett
John Drew Barrymore as Robert Manners (Lipstick Killer)
James Craig as "Honest" Harry Kritzer
Ida Lupino as Mildred Donner
Robert Warwick as Amos Kyne
Mae Marsh as Mrs. Manners
Reginald Owen as Steven (Butler, Uncredited)
Ralph Peters as Gerald Meade
Sandy White as Judith Felton
Background
The film was based on the Charles Einstein novel Bloody Spur which had been optioned by the producer Bert Fiedlob. The script was originally known as News is Made at Night. It was made for United Artists.
The city in the film is supposed to be New York, but the film was shot in Los Angeles. In so doing, they used the Pacific Electric Belmont trolley tunnel under downtown LA and interurban cars with steps and trolley poles to represent the heavyweight cars of the New York City Subway rolling stock, which are drastically different in appearance.
Several props—some of which featured a large K in a circle—were recycled from Citizen Kane, which RKO had made 15 years earlier, and may have prompted the use of the name "Kyne."
The film was reportedly sold outright to RKO for a profit of $500,000.
Reception
On its release, film critic Abe Weiler liked the film, especially the acting. He wrote: "Since it is full of sound and fury, murder, sacred and profane love and a fair quota of intramural intrigue, a viewer is left wondering if the tycoons of the giant Kyne publishing combine ever bother to cover such mundane stories as the weather. But while this journalistic jamboree is more flamboyant than probable, a tight and sophisticated script by Casey Robinson and a clutch of professional performances make While the City Sleeps a diverting and workmanlike fiction."
Decades after the film's release, it continues to attract critical attention. Time Out film reviews wrote of the film, "Lang makes inspired use of glass-walled offices, where all is seen and nothing revealed, and traces explicit parallels between Andrews and the murderer. Lang's most underrated movie." Emanuel Levy wrote in 2019, "One of Fritz Lang’s best noir crime films of the 1950s, 'While the City Sleeps' is significant film in anticipating future trends of the genre."
Home media
Unavailable on home video for many years following a VHS release in the 1990s, in 2010 While the City Sleeps became available on DVD in the UK by Exposure Cinema. In 2011 it was released in the U.S. on DVD-R by the Warner Archive Collection (WAC). Internet review site DVD Beaver compared these releases, citing the Exposure release as superior due to the Warner Archive release being "Single-layered and significantly softer. It also has some brightness boosting." The reviewer, Gary Tooze, also states that "There are no extras, not even the trailer that is available on [the] Exposure disc". The Exposure Cinema release is open-matte, while the Warner Archive release is in Superscope. Warner Archive released a region-free Blu-ray on March 13, 2018, about which Tooze concludes, "I love the film, but the HD - superior in quality - is a part of an underwhelming package - yet we must own it with no signs of a more complete Blu-ray release in the future, unless it comes from the UK or France."
See also
List of American films of 1956
References
Further reading
External links
Category:1956 films
Category:1950s psychological thriller films
Category:1950s serial killer films
Category:American films
Category:American black-and-white films
Category:American psychological thriller films
Category:English-language films
Category:Film noir
Category:Films about journalists
Category:Films based on American novels
Category:Films directed by Fritz Lang
Category:Films set in New York City
Category:RKO Pictures films
Category:American serial killer films
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BENGALURU: A day after the resignation of over a dozen ruling Congress-JD(S) MLAs rocked the ruling coalition in Karnataka and plunged the state into a political crisis, both parties have gone into a huddle to discuss the next course of action to save the government.This comes even as opposition BJP said it is keeping a watch on the ongoing developments and indicated that the party was looking at options to form the government.Rocked by the resignations of 13 of its MLAs, Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah has convened a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing political developments and the assembly session, starting from July 12.In an intimation to Congress MLAs, he has warned that their absence would be viewed seriously.The meeting gains significance amid reports that more legislators are likely to resign in the next couple of days.Congress leaders, including AICC general secretary K C Venugopal who has camped here, have been holding a series of meetings on Sunday and strategising the plan of action in a last-ditch effort to save the government.They are also trying to reach out to party MLAs who have resigned and trying to pacify them, sources said, adding that attempts are also being made to contact those whom they suspect are "vulnerable" and may resign.Siddaramaiah, deputy chief minister G Parameshwara, state cabinet minister D K Shivakumar and KPCC working president Eshwar Khandre are part of the meetings.Speaking to reporters, Shivakumar said meetings are going on and "we are trying find a medicine and solution" to the current crisis."I hope that everything will be resolved soon and am ready for any sacrifices to save the government and party."Khandre said attempts are on to pacify MLAs and solve the issues that they have.We are trying to reach out to MLAs directly ... there are some minor differences, which are normal. The leadership is trying to sort out them. Everything will be all right, wait and watch," he said.The Congress' high command is said to have questioned state unit leaders about how they had allowed such a large number of them to happen, party sources said.They also specifically asked about the resignations of Byrati Basavaraj (K R Puram), S T Somashekar (Yashwanthpur) and Munirathna (Rajarajeshwaringar), considered close to Siddaramaiah.Meetings are also on in JD(S) circles, at the residence of party patriarch Deve Gowda.Chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, who arrived here this evening after his ten-day long US trip, is expected to chair a meeting of JD(S) MLAs, state JD(S) chief H K Kumaraswamy said."During the meeting at the JD(S) supremo's residence, the current political developments in the state were discussed ... attempts are on to pacify and get three party MLAs to withdraw their resignations," he said.Shivakumar, considered the Congress troubleshooter, met Gowda at his home and and discussed the ongoing developments.The Congress-JD(S) government has plunged into a crisis, with 13 MLAs of the alliance submitting their resignation to the Speaker, 12 of them on Saturday.Nine MLAs of the Congress and three of JD(S) reached the Speaker's office to put in their papers Saturday and later met Governor Vajubhai Vala at the Raj Bhavan.Another Congress MLA, Anand Singh, submitted his resignation on July 1.The ruling coalition, which has a strength of 118 in the 224-member assembly, faces the risk of losing its majority if the resignations are accepted.Ten of the MLAs are now camping at a hotel in Mumbai.Congress has alleged that BJP was facilitating their stay there in a bid to destabilize the government in Karnataka.The Maharashtra BJP claimed on Sunday it was not aware of the presence of the MLAs in Mumbai, even as a saffron party leader was spotted at a hotel where the legislators are put up.In Karnataka, Congress sources said a final shape to the party's plan of action was likely to be finalized once they meet the chief minister, including a cabinet reshuffle to make way for disgruntled MLAs by asking some loyalists of both parties to resign from the ministry.Amid reports of talks about a change of guard as an option to save the government by making veteran Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge the chief minister, Kharge himself ruled it out, saying "false" and "flimsy" information was being spread through the media to divide the party."I dont know about it. I want this alliance government to continue and go smoothly," he said, adding he would also talk to the MLAs to withdraw their resignations.He charged the BJP with trying to destabilize the "non-BJP" elected governments across the country.Stating that attempts are on pacify the MLAs, Siddaramaiah alleged that BJP was behind all these, using power and money as allurements to lure the disgruntled MLAs.However, seven-time Congress MLA Ramalinga Reddy, who has resigned, said both Kumaraswamy and Venugopal spoke to him and he told them of the circumstances leading to his resignation."I was kind of pushed (by circumstances in the party) to resign ... I have resigned as MLA, but not from Congress," he told reporters here.BJP state unit chief B S Yeddyurappa said the party was watching the political developments and that those in the party are not "sanyasis" to rule out the possibility of forming the government.Ruling out the possibility of any mid-term polls, he said, "It has been just 13 months after the assembly election. We will not allow election to happen."Let them (Congress-JDS) give good administration. If they can't, we are there with 105 MLAs strength ... we will not meet the Governor or go to Delhi ... we are watching developments."The JD(S)-Congress coalition's total strength, including those who have put in their papers, is 118 (Congress-78, JD(S)-37, BSP-1 and Independents-2), besides the Speaker.BJP has 105 MLAs in the House, where the half-way mark is 113.
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A former brother of Drexel University’s Lambda Chi Alpha chapter made accusations against one member of the fraternity for sexual harassment and against other members for retaliation against him when he reported it. The Office of Equality and Diversity confirmed that they are currently leading an investigation into the allegations against members of Lambda Chi.
Michael Wade, a third-year business student, made official accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation to the University in early March 2013. Wade is accusing a current Lambda Chi member of sexually harassing him and possibly three others connected with the fraternity. He is also accusing the fraternity of retaliation for expelling him after he originally brought the charges to the fraternity.
Michele Rovinsky, the associate vice president of the Office of Equality and Diversity, said, “Right now it is considered an allegation, and we are in the process of investigating the allegation of sexual harassment and retaliation.”
There is no timeframe as to when the University’s investigation will be completed.
“[The investigation] involves doing a fair, thorough and prompt investigation of the allegations. … The University provides a balanced approach to these cases; we want to make sure while we are doing the investigation that all people involved are treated fairly and their educational opportunities are not impacted,” Rovinsky said.
“Due to the fact that it’s an ongoing investigation with Drexel, I’m not allowed to comment on any of the details. … We are 100 percent fully cooperating with Drexel. We have done everything they have asked us to, we have given them the information they have asked for, and we plan to continue doing that moving forward. We’re not trying to hide anything,” Anthony Iacono, Lambda Chi president and a junior mechanical engineering student, said.
Katie Zamulinsky, assistant dean of students and director of Fraternity and Sorority Life, wrote in an email when asked about the investigation, “We are unable to share any further information regarding the situation until the investigation has been completed.”
According to Wade, the accused invited him to his residence hall room to get to know each other better when Wade first joined the fraternity in March 2012. The accused offered Wade a massage and asked him to remove his clothes and lay on the bed. Wade said he was comfortable with doing so because he’d received massages before.
“At one point [the accused] got naked and squeezed into the bed next to me and I froze. What do you do at that point? It was extremely uncomfortable for me,” Wade said.
After that incident, Wade claimed to have received text messages from the accused, stating that if Wade ever said anything that they would both get in trouble.
Wade didn’t inform anyone of what happened. “One, I thought he wasn’t doing it to other people; two, I was afraid I wasn’t going to get into the fraternity because he threatened that I wouldn’t. I just didn’t think it was happening to other people, I watched him for like a year and nothing,” Wade said.
Wade reported that after moving into the Lambda Chi house in June 2012, the accused on multiple occasions invited him to hang out naked in his room.
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day of this year, Wade was approached by an associate member of Lambda Chi and informed that the accused had made the associate member get naked earlier in the day as part of measuring his body mass index during a fitness program, according to Wade.
After speaking with a second associate member, Wade learned the accused asked the second associate member to get naked for a massage and upon his refusal asked, “How can you get naked in front of a woman if you can’t get naked in front of me?” Wade claimed a third associate member was asked to get naked to measure his BMI but refused.
Upon learning of the incidents involving the other associate members, Wade approached Iacono to bring charges against the accused within the fraternity, under their chapter’s policy.
Wade reported meeting with Iacono, the vice president of the fraternity, the accused, and the entire executive committee Jan. 25. Wade said the accused admitted at this meeting to the accusations.
“[The accused] didn’t deny anything. He owned up; he said he did wrong. He was trying to say he wasn’t hazing, though. He admitted he did all these things to these guys, but he kept trying to say, ‘Oh, I didn’t haze. I wasn’t hazing,’” Wade said.
The accused brought charges against himself within the fraternity for “behavior unbecoming of a brother,” not hazing or sexual harassment. This charge prohibited Wade from charging the accused, as it would be double jeopardy. Wade said he believes the accused was advised to do this to receive a lesser punishment.
At the hearing for the charges the accused brought against himself on Feb. 15, Wade was asked to recount his story of harassment. “I told them that at the very least he should be suspended, if not expelled, from the fraternity. Who’s to say he won’t do this in the future? We went a year without knowing he was doing this stuff; there’s no proof that he won’t do it in the future,” Wade said.
For the first time, the accused began arguing that what had happened was mutual, according to Wade.
After some back and forth, Wade said the accused admitted to initiating and provoking the incident between them. Wade also said the accused didn’t deny sending him text messages to hang out naked.
The Saturday before the accused’s punishment was officially announced, the accused ran for a leadership position within the fraternity. This led Wade to believe the accused was not going to be suspended or expelled for his alleged actions. That same night Wade also reports getting drunk at a party with members of the fraternity.
The accused’s punishment was announced March 4. He was given a warning and instructed to bring a speaker to present on sexual harassment.
“[The executive committee] knew he was guilty because they gave him a punishment, and they knew that he sexually harassed people, but my problem was [the punishment] wasn’t going to do anything to stop him from doing this in the future,” Wade said.
Wade went to the Interfraternity Council and the Office of Equality and Diversity about the alleged incidents to press charges against the accused. During this time, Lambda Chi brought charges against Wade, claiming, “that night that I got drunk I had said that I was going to destroy the fraternity.”
“My friends said I was upset and crying, but I never said anything like that. … It was just words. There was no proof behind any of it. And there were people standing up for me,” Wade said.
Wade’s hearing, where members were brought to testify against him, was held March 10. The executive committee expelled Wade and gave him 24 hours to move out of the fraternity’s house.
“They were a good fraternity. I thought they were the good guys, and they do all this anti-hazing stuff. They were the good guys, and that’s why people join them because they are known for not hazing … and they’re covering it up. And I don’t know if they’re covering it up because they don’t want to lose that image or if they just really want to protect [the accused], but it really disappoints me,” Wade said.
Lambda Chi hired a private investigator to meet with members of the fraternity to get private statements from all members involved, according to an email Iacono sent to members of Lambda Chi.
When asked how the chapter has responded to the investigation, Iacono said, “With what’s been going on, the morale of the chapter is actually pretty high, and the guys are still moving forward and it’s not negatively impacting our day-to-day operations.”
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Wrong color insulation leads to arrest, Natick authorities say
Thursday
Mar 6, 2014 at 6:15 AM
By Norman MillerDaily News Staff
A Natick man angry over the color of insulation being installed in his building tore down the material on Tuesday and stole the building permit, authorities said.Richard Nabeta Mutable, 39, was angry that the insulation a worker was putting in 17 Morgan Drive, a condominium complex, was brown instead of pink, a police report filed Tuesday in the Natick District Court, which is housed in Framingham District Court.A worker told police that he and his company repairing the hallway because the building had suffered major damage when a water pipe burst. The work was taking place outside Mutyabule's unit, the report said."(The worker) attemped several times to explain to Mr. Mutable that the brown and pink insulation are exactly the same, the only thing that is different is the color," the report said.The explanation angered Mutable, who tore down a portion of the insulation, and also took the building permit. The work was due to be inspected by the town on Tuesday.The worker told police he took photos of the damage, but repaired the work before they arrived. When the worker showed the officer where the damage occurred, the insulation was again torn down, the report said. The worker estimated Mutable caused about $500 worth of damage.Police arrested Mutable, of 17 Morgan Drive, at 9:22 a.m. at the police station. He denied the allegations, and said he was "being framed." He said the insulation probably fell down on its own.Mutable pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on Tuesday and he was released without bail. He is due back in court on April 23 for a pretrial conference.Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or [email protected]. For up-to-date crime news, follow Norman Miller on Twitter @Norman_MillerMW.
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Prokaryotic diversity of an active mud volcano in the Usu City of Xinjiang, China.
The Usu mud volcanoes are the largest group of terrestrial mud volcanoes in China. The volcanoes are located in a typical arid and semi-arid region, and the group consists of 36 erupting active mud volcanoes. In this study, the prokaryotic diversity and community structure in the sediment of an active mud volcano were investigated by constructing bacterial and archaeal clone libraries of the 16S rRNA gene. A total of 100 bacterial and 100 archaeal clones were analysed and found to comprise 11 and 7 distinct phylotypes, respectively. The bacterial phylotypes were classified into three phyla (Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Fusobacteria). Of these, Proteobacteria were the most abundant bacterial group, with Deltaproteobacteria dominating the sediment community, and these were affiliated with the order Desulfuromonadales. The archaeal phylotypes were all closely related to uncultivated species, and the majority of the members were related to the orders Methanosarcinales and Halobacteriales of the Euryarchaeota originating from methane hydrate bearing or alkaline sediments. The rest of the archaeal phylotypes belonged to the phylum Crenarchaeota, with representatives from similar habitats. These results suggested that a large number of novel microbial groups and potential methanogenesis may exist in this unique ecosystem.
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Attorney General Jeff Sessions is quietly working behind the scenes of his own department to dismantle civil rights.
While national attention is focused on the Russia investigation, Attorney General Jeff Sessions is quietly working behind the scenes to dramatically reshape the Department of Justice.
With nationalism as his guide, Sessions is systematically revamping DOJ policies on everything from sentencing guidelines and civil rights protections to immigration laws and voting rights. The changes have been implemented quietly, but their impact will be anything but subtle.
On immigration, Sessions has enacted policies that reflect his view of who belongs in the country — a view that is "distinctly anti-immigrant," according to Vanita Gupta, who led the DOJ's civil rights division under the Obama administration.
Before his time as Attorney General, Sessions had for years been one of the most extreme anti-immigrant members of Congress. As the Washington Post wrote in January, "Sessions has opposed nearly every immigration bill that has come before the Senate the past two decades that has included a path to citizenship for immigrants in the country illegally."
As the nation's top law enforcement officer, Sessions has brought his extreme anti-immigrant agenda into the DOJ, pushing for harsh policies that reflect his bigotry.
For example, according to the Washington Post, Sessions is doing whatever he can to try to link terrorist suspects to immigration:
In meetings with top Justice Department officials about terrorist suspects, Sessions often has a particular question: Where is the person from? When officials tell him a suspect was born and lives in the United States, he typically has a follow-up: To what country does his family trace its lineage?
On issues of criminal justice, Sessions has implemented a new charging and sentencing policy that encourages prosecutors to pursue the most serious charges in every case — an approach that civil rights advocates say will disproportionately harm minority communities.
Sessions claims the harsh guidelines are a response to increasing crime rates. However, violent and non-violent crime remain at historically low levels.
When it comes to voting rights, Sessions has used his position to support and embolden voter suppression efforts nationwide.
In February, Sessions instructed the DOJ to reverse its position on Texas' restrictive voter ID law. Under the Obama administration, the DOJ held that Texas passed the law with the intention of discriminating against minority voters. But under Sessions' leadership, that stance was reversed — a move that essentially gave Texas free rein to discriminate.
In August, the DOJ sided with Ohio when the state announced plans to purge thousands of voters from the rolls if they hadn't voted in recent elections.
"We are seeing a federal government that is pulling back from protecting vulnerable communities in every respect," said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the national Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
"That appears to be the pattern that we are seeing with this administration — an unwillingness to use their enforcement powers in ways that can come to the defense of groups who are otherwise powerless and voiceless," she added.
Sessions claims to be doing all of this in the name of the law and order. But that claim is hard to swallow, coming from a man who has repeatedly perjured himself in defense of the most lawless president we've ever seen.
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Q:
Jquery Mobile MVC3 iPad Web App Linking
With JQuery Mobile and MVC3 ASP.NET, on an iPad, created a home screen bookmark.
The app pulls up with no problems, it does not show safari's bar.
I login to my app and click a link, THE LINK OPENS SAFARI, NOT INTENDED.
My question is how to prevent the clicked link from opening outside of my bookmarked app?
I've tried:
$(document).bind("pageinit", function () {
$("a").click(function (e) {
e.preventDefault();
$.mobile.changePage($(this).attr('href'));
});
});
The code above seems like it should work based on the docs from jquery mobile.
When I click the link/button the link/button highlights but no error or page load.
Also, another question is why when I leave the app and come back the session dies?
A:
iOS will treat links where you have stipulated data-ajax="false" as a link that should be opened by Safari. I had the same problem in my MVC site that is using jQueryMobile. I found this post very helpful and the following piece of code works very well in my application.
$("a[data-ajax='false']").live("click", function (event) {
if (this.href) {
event.preventDefault();
location.href = this.href;
return false;
}
});
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Team Trump better be careful what they wish for — they just might get it.
If the last round of polling is correct, Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersSenate Republicans signal openness to working with Biden Hillicon Valley: DOJ indicts Chinese, Malaysian hackers accused of targeting over 100 organizations | GOP senators raise concerns over Oracle-TikTok deal | QAnon awareness jumps in new poll Schumer, Sanders call for Senate panel to address election security MORE (I-Vt.) has a good chance of beating former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenThe Memo: Warning signs flash for Trump on debates Senate Republicans signal openness to working with Biden National postal mail handlers union endorses Biden MORE and winning tonight’s Iowa caucuses.
The latest polling also shows the Vermont Senator leading in the New Hampshire primary.
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And he has a surprising helping hand: Team Trump is cheering him on while dumping on Biden.
Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst Joni Kay ErnstSenators offer disaster tax relief bill Conservatives see glaring omission on Trump's Supreme Court shortlist Senate Republicans scramble to contain fallout from Woodward bombshell MORE (R) gave the GOP’s game away last week during the heat of the Senate impeachment trial based on President Trump Donald John TrumpBarr criticizes DOJ in speech declaring all agency power 'is invested in the attorney general' Military leaders asked about using heat ray on protesters outside White House: report Powell warns failure to reach COVID-19 deal could 'scar and damage' economy MORE’s attempt to get Ukrainian officials to damage Biden.
Here’s Ernst:
“Iowa caucuses are this next Monday evening. And I'm really interested to see how this discussion today informs and influences the Iowa caucus voters, those Democratic caucus-goers. Will they be supporting Vice President Biden at this point?” she mused to reporters.
“She spilled the beans!” Biden later told a crowd in Iowa. Ernst, he added, “just came out and flat said it. The whole impeachment trial for Trump is just a political hit job to try to smear me, because he is scared to death to run against me.”
There’s no question that Trump fears Biden and sees Sanders as what boxers call a “tomato can” opponent – someone who can easily be bloodied.
Last week the New York Times reported on Team Trump’s embrace of Sanders:
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“President Trump’s advisers see Senator Bernie Sanders as their ideal Democratic opponent in November and have been doing what they can to elevate his profile and bolster his chances of winning the Iowa caucuses, according to Republicans familiar with the plans.”
The latest Fox News poll has the former vice president beating Trump in a head-to-head match-up by nine points. The same poll shows Sanders defeating Trump by six points.
But keep in mind that Trump has been trashing Biden for months while giving Sanders a free ride.
In a general election, how easy will it be for Team Trump to portray Sanders as a wild-eyed, self-proclaimed socialist radical? Already Trump has branded initiatives from single-payer health care to the Green New Deal as costly exercises in “socialism.”
And that’s just the start.
With Sanders — or “Crazy Bernie” as Trump calls him — as the nominee, Trump will point to his opponent’s honeymoon trip to the former Soviet Union.
Trump can run ads of Sanders praising the regime of Cuba’s Fidel Castro for promoting a “revolution of values.”
Sanders once delighted in calling U.S. policy towards Castro’s Cuba a failure. He said Americans failed to understand that the Cuban people, had no intention of rising up against Castro’s communist ideology.
"Everybody was totally convinced that Castro was the worst guy in the world... They forgot that he educated their kids, gave their kids healthcare, totally transformed the society,” Sanders claimed.
How do you think that will play in Florida?
The irony here is that the democratic socialist from Vermont is the mirror image of the Republican plutocrat from Manhattan.
They both attract big, loud, crowds by appealing to populism and railing against powerful and well-connected business and political insiders — what Trump calls “the swamp.”
Their social media presence dwarfs their opponents and their online supporters belittle, even threaten, opponents.
Also like Trump, many of Sanders’s supporters wear grievances against the political establishment as badges of honor.
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In Trump’s case he used his 2016 campaign to belittle every establishment Republican from Sen. John McCain John Sidney McCainKelly's lead widens to 10 points in Arizona Senate race: poll COVID response shows a way forward on private gun sale checks Trump pulls into must-win Arizona trailing in polls MORE – the party’s 2008 presidential nominee – to Jeb Bush – the son and brother of former Republican presidents.
Now Sanders is at war with the Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonBarr criticizes DOJ in speech declaring all agency power 'is invested in the attorney general' Virginia Democrat blasts Trump's 'appalling' remark about COVID-19 deaths in 'blue states' The Hill's Campaign Report: Biden asks if public can trust vaccine from Trump ahead of Election Day | Oklahoma health officials raised red flags before Trump rally MORE and the Democratic National Committee.
It is an article of faith among the “Bernie Bros” that Sanders was cheated out of the 2016 nomination by corrupt pro-Clinton forces at the DNC.
They rightly point out that Sanders won the Democratic contests in Wisconsin and Michigan in 2016 — states that Clinton went on to lose to Trump in the general election.
Meanwhile, Clinton, in a new documentary, says of Sanders “nobody likes him.”
The split among Democrats has the potential to weaken anti-Trump turn-out in November.
And as Jonathan Chait pointed out in New York magazine last week, the far-left, Sanders wing of the party lost most of its races in the 2018 midterms while moderate candidates won enough seats to put Democrats back in the majority of the House and open the door to impeaching Trump.
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Note that throughout this column, I have made reference to “Team Trump.” Trump’s view is not as clear.
As the Intercept reported last week: “Trump, according to operatives in his circle, has expanded his reelection worries from his longtime focus on former Vice President Joe Biden to the new twin threat of Sanders and former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg…He has also long been concerned that the populism embraced by Sanders…would play out in unpredictable ways in a general election.”
That’s right. If Sanders is the nominee he will have won as a populist insurgent who destroyed his party’s establishment and excites the party’s base.
That’s why Trump’s campaign better be careful about rooting for Sanders.
That same political formula took Trump to the Oval Office.
Juan Williams is an author, and a political analyst for Fox News Channel.
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Story highlights Office life in China typically dominated by complex power structures
Obeisance to authority comes from Confucianism, says experts
New generation and international companies changing office dynamics
Blue and white collar workers now expect more from their work life
For more than a year, Chris Bayer, a Canadian student, waited tables alongside Chinese migrant workers in a restaurant in Shanghai. While there he received an intimate glimpse of what work life is like for millions in mainland China.
"Nothing was ever really clear," said Bayer, who is now back in Canada. "In the West, people state their mind. In China, there was no sharing of ideas. When it came to new processes, no one ever offered any input. There was no teamwork. People were so afraid of doing something wrong."
Though Bayer's circumstance in China was rare -- a foreigner working alongside migrant workers in local eateries is not common -- his experience in a Chinese workplace is one that experts say is common.
Whether a restaurant or a massive company, businesses in China revolve around perplexing power structures, where innovative thinking is often stymied, partly by an education system that prioritizes rote memorization over creative thinking, and partly because employees are afraid of offering input that might insult the intelligence of their boss.
"It is still pretty much a hierarchical culture when it comes to office politics," said Helen Zhang, author of "Inside the Chinese Mind: A Guide on How Chinese Think" who believes that Chinese workplace culture is deeply rooted in Confucianism, an ancient philosophy centered on obeisance to authority.
"If you are in line with the boss and present a creative business plan, you can bypass a lot of the bureaucratic stuff," said Zhang. "On the other hand, if you are not in that line of power, even if you have creative ideas you will not be able to gain access, so in a way that is limiting creativity in all parts of the company because of the hierarchical nature of the organization."
Regardless of whether or not the Confucian tradition continues to impinge China's ability to transition its economy to one based on innovation rather than manufacturing, office culture in the country is changing. More multi-national companies have established branches in the country and tech-savvy young Chinese are exposed to international norms via the internet.
Most who work in fields related to management studies in China say that offices are becoming more democratized with traditional power structures fading away where employees are equals and ideas can be shared and criticized openly.
"It is difficult to tell how fast it is evolving," Han Jian, an associate professor of management at the China Europe International Business School in Shanghai, said. "We need to first define with what group of employees."
The group of employees who appear to be the most influential are those born in the 1980s and 1990s. According to Han members of China's " Generation Y " are less loyal to their employers, are seeking jobs that are fulfilling and are seeking to become a part of something bigger and more meaningful.
"Not only the white collar workers, even blue collar workers, they are expecting more fair status, more learning opportunities. They want their supervisors to be more advisors rather than just a boss," Han said.
"Performance evaluation has been over-focused on growth, an emphasis on the results and the numbers instead of the process," she said.
"As a result, people have been treated as human resources, which is not a very good term to refer to people. If you focus too much on growth, you ignore the relationship side of the team, the softer side of people. Many companies are trying to adjust to this problem."
Adjusting to this problem means finding leaders who break from the status quo and can foster a new culture of "empowerment and trust-based management," said Elisa Mallis, an executive coach at Management Development Services Ltd. in Beijing.
"The older managers, the command-and-control style management, that was in the past," she said. "Organizations are looking for creativity and innovative thinking, and these younger employees are thirsty to be providing that. The trick is how to have a culture to unlock that creativity. There is a catching up that needs to be done. Catching up is a possibility, but we can't expect it to happen overnight."
In Zhongguancun, a technology hub in Beijing, it does seem that change has happened almost overnight. Only a couple of years ago, debates especially among foreign executives and investors working there complained of the dearth of innovation and lack of skilled entrepreneurs in China. Now there are more start-ups than ever, with some growing into major companies with operations overseas.
A number of these new businesses as well as big Chinese internet companies, like Baidu, China's top search engine, say they have been directly influenced by the open, collaborative work environments pioneered by the likes of Google and Yahoo.
Yet while the two U.S. tech giants have had a major affect on IT companies in China, they have suffered their own well-publicized failures in the country because of what many have said was an inability to adjust to local cultural norms both in business and in office politics.
"We did learn a lot from Silicon Valley companies," Mike Li, senior director of business development for Happy Elements, a Chinese social gaming company that has grown from six employees to more than 500 and operates internationally.
"The management style changed and had to change. Now we need to respect every single employee because they are aware they are the top talent in the industry."
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Book a Hotel or Hostel
Santa Cruz and The Eastern Lowlands
The Other Bolivia
When most people think of Bolivia, they imagine the Andean Altiplano, Lake Titicaca, the seemingly endless Salt Flats and the country's famously rich indigenous culture. But there's another side of Bolivia that many travelers don't know about, with untamed rainforests, dusty wilderness, endless savannahs and a cosmopolitan city with a very tropical vibe. We're talking, of course, about Santa Cruzand The Eastern Lowlands.
To start, one cannot visit the Eastern Lowlands without making a stop in the city of Santa Cruz, a city unlike any other in Bolivia. Given the predominantly tropical aura of the city, visitors to Santa Cruz may forget that they're in Bolivia and not neighboring Brazil. While the city is bustling, the weather is warm and the mood is relaxed. Ultimately, Santa Cruz is a great place from which to explore the beautiful natural surroundings of the Eastern Lowlands.
Geographical Layout
The region known as the Eastern Lowlands spans from the foothills of the Andes and extends onward to Bolivia's borders with Brazil (to the East), and Argentina and Paraguay (to the South). Dense, untamed rainforests—protected under the Parque Nacional Noel Kempff Mercado—cover the northeastern edge of the lowlands near the border with Brazil. The park is known for being one of the most beautiful and undisturbed protected rainforests in the world. To the West, are more rainforests, these encompassed by the Parque Nacional Amboró, another reserve famous for its plethora of wildlife. While the center of the region is blanketed by open grassy savannahs and dry tropical rainforests, vast marshy wetlands cover the eastern edge of the lowlands. If you really want to get off the beaten path, find a way to explore the barren, sparsely populated Gran Chaco region to the South, the site of the Chaco War (1932-1935) between Bolivia and Paraguay.
About this Page
By Emma Mueller“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry...
The striking mission complex, the only one constructed in stone, takes up one whole side of the main plaza and consists of the mortuary chapel, the church, the bell tower and the school. The complex
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At the heart of ConcepciĂłn is its plaza, which Hans Roth, the mastermind behind the restoration of the Jesuit churches, is said to have thought was the most beautiful plaza of the all the missions.
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San Javier’s church was built between 1749 and 1752 by Father Martin Schmidt, the Jesuit architect behind many of the mission churches. It was restored by Hans Roth and his local team between 1987
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Buena Vista’s original church was constructed in the early 18th century, not long after the founding of the Jesuit Mission in 1694. It was built by Friar Martin Schmid, the architect behind many of
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Situated less than two km south of Buena Vista, Curichi Marsh provides a great spot to go bird watching and enjoy nature. The reserve is made up of 380 hectares of wetlands and forest and has a large
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El Fuerte is situated about 10 kilometers from Samaipata, just off the road to Santa Cruz on the top of a hill. It’s possible to walk to the site, or get a taxi from the center. You can buy entry
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Types: Other Activity
Location: Samaipata, Bolivia
Top Destinations in Santa Cruz and The Eastern Lowlands
Population: 30,000
The largest and the most important of the Jesuit Missions, San Ignacio de Velasco combines a laidback, welcoming atmosphere with a simmering commercial center, propelled by cattle
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Quechua for a “rest in a higher place”-- is a jumping off point for a visit to El Fuerte, the easternmost of several pre-Inca fortifications. From here you can head to Las Cuevas, where natural
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Perched on a small hill overlooking the magnificent Parque Nacional AmborĂł, the village of Buena Vista is surrounded by natural beauty and has an unrivalled laid-back vibe. This is the perfect place
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Best Places to Stay in Santa Cruz and The Eastern Lowlands
Hotel Flora and Fauna is the place to go for serious nature lovers. Situated four kilometers south of Buena Vista, the hotel is run by British ornithologist and local expert Robin Clark. It’s set
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This friendly, family-run guesthouse has beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and valleys and there are gardens where you can sit and enjoy the sunshine. La Posada del Sol offers a range of
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Alojamiento La Casona is one of the best budget options in Buena Vista. This family-run accommodation has rooms alongside a bright courtyard with seating outside. The rooms themselves are super clean
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Hostal Quimori offer cabins and rooms in a beautiful setting, east of town. All the accommodation comes with private bathroom and the rooms are large with high roofs and wooden rafters. There are 20
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Biochemical abnormalities of the human diabetic glomerular basement membrane.
Since the biochemical composition of the diabetic glomerular basement membrane is still a controversial area, a study was carried out using kidneys from seven diabetic and seven nondiabetic subjects. In diabetic membranes, the glycine, hydroxylysine, glucose, galactose, and hydroxylysine-linked disaccharide unit content was increased together with a decrease in the half-cystine and sialic acid content. These findings support the view of a biochemical alteration in the human diabetic glomerular basement membrane.
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Q:
Can someone donate antibodies?
Consider the following scenario:
Person A has been infected with some virus (for example, SARS-CoV-2)
Person A has recovered
From this scenario, I assume Person A has managed to develop antibodies for SARS-CoV-2. If so:
For how long, after recovery, would Person A have antibodies for the virus running in their blood?
If Person A donates blood to Person B, would Person B have better responses against the virus, by using the antibodies received along the blood from Person A? (assuming the donation is successful without issues)
Is there any paper / study building upon this idea for combating SARS-CoV-2?
Notes:
I am not expecting exact quantitative answers to these questions. I just want basic understanding for reasons this could or could not work.
A:
Question 1
[...] antibodies [...] can last anywhere between a few weeks to a few months. The antibodies themselves though (which are proteins) definitely don't last forever (like all proteins). Eventually certain suppressor cells kill off plasma cells after the response has taken its course, and all that remains are a few memory cells, which are reactivated again should the pathogen invade the body in the future.
Source
Question 2 and 3
Yes.
Here is an article from Johns Hopkins University.
Here is a paper by Arturo Casadevall and Liise-anne Pirofski mentioned in the above article and published on the Journal of Clinical Investigation on March 13, 2020.
Fun fact: I was about to say in the question that I tried to research but didn't find anything. But I decided to make a last attempt, and actually found the answers...
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El Caney
El Caney (also Caney) is a small village six kilometers (four miles) to the northeast of Santiago, Cuba. "Caney" means longhouse in Taíno.
Overview
It was known in centuries past as the site where Hernán Cortés received a vision supposedly ordering him to Christianize Mexico. The settlement was host to the Battle of El Caney on 1 July 1898.
Notable people
Manuel Fernández (1871–1921), Spanish general
Lorenzo Hierrezuelo (1907– 1993), Cuban trova musician
See also
San Juan Hill
Siboney
Daiquirí
El Cobre
References
Category:Populated places in Santiago de Cuba Province
Category:Santiago de Cuba
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Prevalence of antibodies to the hepatitis C virus among Arab and Chaldean Americans in southeast Michigan, USA.
The prevalence of antibodies to the hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) in the United States is estimated to be 1.6%. There are no published studies on the prevalence of anti-HCV among the Arab/Chaldean American population in the United States. Retrospective review of data collected during an HCV public awareness program conducted by the Arab American and Chaldean Council. Inclusion criteria were that subjects had to be of Arab/Chaldean descent, born in an Arab country, and test positive or negative for anti-HCV using the "Home Access Hepatitis C Test." The overall estimated prevalence of anti-bodies to HCV was 5.4% among Arab/Chaldean Americans residing in southeast Michigan. Four hundred and eighty four participants were tested for anti-HCV. The estimated prevalence among Chaldeans was 2% vs 5.9% among Arabs, which varied according to their country of origin. Anti-HCV positive results were more common in participants with a history of hepatitis (30.4%), jaundice (21.1%), blood transfusion (14.6%), treatment by nonsterile injection (13.6%), and tattoo/body piercing (10%). On binary logistic regression analysis, significant predictors for positive anti-HCV included history of hepatitis (OR: 19, 95% CI 2.58-139.93), blood transfusion (OR: 4.7, 95% CI 1.09-20.56), tattoo or body piercing To our knowledge, this is the first study to report the estimated prevalence of anti-HCV and risk factors among the Arab and Chaldean Americans in the United States. The estimated prevalence of anti-bodies to HCV is 5.4% in this population, a rate that is more than triple the national average. Because of the relatively small sample size and limited geographic region, more studies are needed to evaluate the true prevalence of HCV antibodies in this and other ethnic minority population.
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Q:
OAuth client credentials (key + secret) needed in a desktop app even with valid token credentials
I was under the impression that once the authorization process is done, the access token and secret (token credentials) are all that is needed to use the target resource. According to this quote [in some cases, the client credentials cannot be trusted and can only be used for informational purposes only, such as in desktop application clients] this may not be the case. I am running into a problem that even after authorization consumer key and secret (client credentials) are still needed in order to access the resource. This does not seem right.
I have implemented OAuth in my desktop application looking up to the DotNetOpenAuth samples. I have basically used an unchanged InMemoryTokenManager and a DesktopConsumer and all works perfectly once authorized. When I restart the app and reuse the saved token credentials, the app fails to access the resource. If I used the saved token credentials + the client credentials, the resource is accessed alright. Is this by design? Sounds incorrect but I am no expert.
A:
This is correct. Per the OAuth 1.0 spec, the client credentials are required every time you use the access token. This protects a leaked access token from being exploited by another client. This reasoning primarily assumes the client secret is in fact a secret, which as you point out cannot be assumed for a desktop app. Nevertheless, you can have a "secret" that isn't a secret, and maintain it across launches of your app, just to keep everything ticking along.
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Daniel Oliveira
Daniel Rolim Oliveira (born 12 July 1985) is a Brazilian rally driver.
Career
On entering the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in the 2010 season Oliveira was known only locally. He participated in ten rallies during the season, achieving two points at the Rally Internacional de Curitiba.
In 2011, he moved up to the World Rally Championship driving a MINI Countryman WRC for the new rally team Brazil World Rally Team. He moved to a Ford Fiesta in 2012, but disappeared from the WRC at seasons' end.
Racing record
WRC results
IRC results
References
External links
Brazil World Rally Team
Daniel Oliveira Official Fan Page
Daniel Oliveira Official Twitter
Category:Living people
Category:1985 births
Category:World Rally Championship drivers
Category:Intercontinental Rally Challenge drivers
Category:Brazilian rally drivers
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wrote:After all, nothing in their long-term outlook has changed: Inflation is still subdued, consumers have limited capacity to propel economic growth, and the world’s aging population has plenty of appetite for fixed income...
“On the surface, the economy looks very strong,” Hunt said. “But the structural supports to the economy -- the pylons -- are being eroded. They don’t collapse immediately; it takes time, but this is where the vulnerability comes in.”
Consumers’ Burden
One of the bulls’ preferred indicators lately is the declining U.S. savings rate. As a share of disposable income, it fell to 2.6 percent last quarter, the third-lowest on record. To Hunt and Delis, it signals that growth can’t last because consumers, which make up about 70 percent of the economy, will have less purchasing power in the future.
My own take is slightly different. I think we are headed for stagflation. Higher inflation but weak economic growth. All this tax stuff is just a head fake. The retail consumer, who drive like 70% of the U.S. economy is still dead-in-the-water...
Buy tips! Early and often and as long-dated as you can.
Winter is coming...
Cheers,
Grok
"...people always live for ever when there is any annuity to be paid them"- Jane Austen
wrote:After all, nothing in their long-term outlook has changed: Inflation is still subdued, consumers have limited capacity to propel economic growth, and the world’s aging population has plenty of appetite for fixed income...
“On the surface, the economy looks very strong,” Hunt said. “But the structural supports to the economy -- the pylons -- are being eroded. They don’t collapse immediately; it takes time, but this is where the vulnerability comes in.”
Consumers’ Burden
One of the bulls’ preferred indicators lately is the declining U.S. savings rate. As a share of disposable income, it fell to 2.6 percent last quarter, the third-lowest on record. To Hunt and Delis, it signals that growth can’t last because consumers, which make up about 70 percent of the economy, will have less purchasing power in the future.
My own take is slightly different. I think we are headed for stagflation. Higher inflation but weak economic growth. All this tax stuff is just a head fake. The retail consumer, who drive like 70% of the U.S. economy is still dead-in-the-water...
Buy tips! Early and often and as long-dated as you can.
Winter is coming...
Cheers,
Grok
I’m not afraid of bonds. I don’t pretend to know the future, but I think our (American) extraordinary levels of indebtedness, and lack of appetite for any kind of fiscal discipline will keep a cap on growth, inflation, and bond yields. Long term I worry much more about deflationary forces than inflationary. Globally demographics are more suggestive of deflation than inflation.
My own take is slightly different. I think we are headed for stagflation. Higher inflation but weak economic growth. All this tax stuff is just a head fake. The retail consumer, who drive like 70% of the U.S. economy is still dead-in-the-water...
Ah. The one environment where we all lose.
TIPS don't provide full cover. They somehow forget to compensate you for taxes. And I would not be surprised if the Treasury stops issuing TIPS in a stagflation environment.
wrote:After all, nothing in their long-term outlook has changed: Inflation is still subdued, consumers have limited capacity to propel economic growth, and the world’s aging population has plenty of appetite for fixed income...
“On the surface, the economy looks very strong,” Hunt said. “But the structural supports to the economy -- the pylons -- are being eroded. They don’t collapse immediately; it takes time, but this is where the vulnerability comes in.”
Consumers’ Burden
One of the bulls’ preferred indicators lately is the declining U.S. savings rate. As a share of disposable income, it fell to 2.6 percent last quarter, the third-lowest on record. To Hunt and Delis, it signals that growth can’t last because consumers, which make up about 70 percent of the economy, will have less purchasing power in the future.
My own take is slightly different. I think we are headed for stagflation. Higher inflation but weak economic growth. All this tax stuff is just a head fake. The retail consumer, who drive like 70% of the U.S. economy is still dead-in-the-water...
Buy tips! Early and often and as long-dated as you can.
Winter is coming...
Cheers,
Grok
I’m not afraid of bonds. I don’t pretend to know the future, but I think our (American) extraordinary levels of indebtedness, and lack of appetite for any kind of fiscal discipline will keep a cap on growth, inflation, and bond yields. Long term I worry much more about deflationary forces than inflationary. Globally demographics are more suggestive of deflation than inflation.
My own take is slightly different. I think we are headed for stagflation. Higher inflation but weak economic growth. All this tax stuff is just a head fake. The retail consumer, who drive like 70% of the U.S. economy is still dead-in-the-water...
Ah. The one environment where we all lose.
TIPS don't provide full cover. They somehow forget to compensate you for taxes. And I would not be surprised if the Treasury stops issuing TIPS in a stagflation environment.
Agree on the tax issue. I think its best to own them in a tax advantaged account
"...people always live for ever when there is any annuity to be paid them"- Jane Austen
My own take is slightly different. I think we are headed for stagflation. Higher inflation but weak economic growth.
grok87....Not being a wise guy (I had a more colorful term in mind), but could you more fully explain why you see stagflation in the future?
I have read a number of your posts, and they are very informative. So I am genuinely curious to understand your thoughts and reasoning on this. I was a little guy back in the early 70's, but I remember vividly what that period was like. It was not pretty. I am asking because if stagflation is truly headed our way, it would be very helpful to know what investments were the best back then. Was it treasuries that were best?
I don't account for a stagflationary environment/scenario in my IPS. I see that as a serious shortcoming that I need to fix.
“If you don't know, the thing to do is not to get scared, but to learn.”
Tyler 9000 has done some research on your stagflationary example, with a surprising finding: tbills and money market funds. This is further borne out by reviewing the data from the Simba spreadsheet. Except in the 1940s immediately after WWII, where interest rate caps were imposed, tbills have done a good job more or less tracking inflation plus or minus a bit.
Bill Bernstein has suggested that one of the strongest inflation fighters is unhedged international stocks due to both the market and currency effects.
Both funds continually pump out interest in the form of fund dividends, and also experience fluctuations in capital value on top of that. In the case of bonds, capital appreciation is not usually the reason for owning an investment-grade bond fund. In an investment-grade bond fund there shouldn't, and usually doesn't, have much if any long-term trend. Total Bond began life at $10/share in 1986, and in thirty-two years that hasn't changed much.
So, in my world, in my scale of things, what would "bond bulls having the last laugh" look like? Something like this?
(The green line is price (not growth) for the Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund. The orange fund is Total Stock.)
My own take is slightly different. I think we are headed for stagflation. Higher inflation but weak economic growth.
grok87....Not being a wise guy (I had a more colorful term in mind), but could you more fully explain why you see stagflation in the future?
I have read a number of your posts, and they are very informative. So I am genuinely curious to understand your thoughts and reasoning on this. I was a little guy back in the early 70's, but I remember vividly what that period was like. It was not pretty. I am asking because if stagflation is truly headed our way, it would be very helpful to know what investments were the best back then. Was it treasuries that were best?
I don't account for a stagflationary environment/scenario in my IPS. I see that as a serious shortcoming that I need to fix.
Sure JCE, but thus is slightly dangerous ground. Don't want to tread onto political ground and get the thread locked!
Let me first say that i generally agree with Tycoon about predicting the future. What i would say is that stagflation is a very real risk right now and you should factor it in as a scenario as well as deflation, etc.
1) i think economic growth will be weak. The environment we are now in is not consistent with george cooper's model for a strong economy in his book "Money, Blood and Revolution: How Darwin and the doctor of King Charles I could turn economics into a science". https://www.amazon.com/Money-Blood-Revo ... 0857193821
Basically he argues for a circulatory model for the economy, and we are not in that mode now i don't think.
2) inflation, lots of signs of that, deficits, etc.
As far as what performed well in the stagflation of the 70s, i think real estate and tbills. But of course tips weren't around then. I personally have strong allocations to tips and real estate.
The other thing that i think did well were small cap value stocks relative to large caps.i personally i am not doing that because i want also to be hedged against deflation and small cap value stocks tend to get crushed in deflation.
Cheers,
Grok
"...people always live for ever when there is any annuity to be paid them"- Jane Austen
So, in my world, in my scale of things, what would "bond bulls having the last laugh" look like? Something like this?
I am not a bond expert but the above illlustrates my problem with Total Bond market; what's the upside? If interest rates increase quickly Total Bond will lose principle. Conversely, how much lower can they go, and does anyone think they will go lower? If things go well it may earn about 3% over the next 4 years. I recall hearing Jack Bogle and Mohamed El-Erian suggest 3% would be good estimate for bond returns over the next 5-10 years or so on Barry Ritholz's podcast. In the current environment a direct (non-brokered) 3% CD with a low early withdrawal penalty seems like a much better risk/benefit ratio. If interest rates skyrocket, just pull it out and move it to a better CD, no lost principle. If Total Bond does fantastic, and actually returns 4%, you have lost 1%. But if interest rates go up quickly you avoid principle loss. So to me the risk/benefit ratio of Total Bond does not look good. Harry Sit, Allan Roth and Kevin M have good articles on the benefits of CDs for those interested.
The investing landscape was very different in the early 1970s, so different that you can't really draw useful conclusions. Commissions were huge to buy anything. Mutual funds had huge fees and commissions too. This limited how often people traded and even who invested. There were no money market funds. They were something new that appeared in the early 1980s.
There are so many new, complex vehicles that are traded at light speed nowadays that change the market dynamics.
Money market funds were very good to me as a beginning investor in the early 1980s. They kept up with inflation at a time when my employer was having to give us quarterly raises to keep up with it. I started at a salary of $17,000 in a professional job in 1980 and was earning $32,000 only two years later.
Stocks took a while to catch up then soared, but people forget that the rise in stocks occurred just as the PC revolution dramatically improved productivity in the early 1980s. It may be a mistake to think that the market always rises in response to strong inflation. Without some transformational innovation corporate profits may stagnate for decades.
As far as what performed well in the stagflation of the 70s, i think real estate and tbills. But of course tips weren't around then. I personally have strong allocations to tips and real estate.
grok87....Thank you. This is something actionable, and something I can work into my IPS. I am strongly considering purchasing rental properties in 5-7 years. I was thinking more along the lines of income diversification, and lowering portfolio withdrawal rates when I retire. But I never thought it could also be a potential hedge against stagflation....
“If you don't know, the thing to do is not to get scared, but to learn.”
So, in my world, in my scale of things, what would "bond bulls having the last laugh" look like? Something like this?
I am not a bond expert but the above illlustrates my problem with Total Bond market; what's the upside? If interest rates increase quickly Total Bond will lose principle. Conversely, how much lower can they go, and does anyone think they will go lower? If things go well it may earn about 3% over the next 4 years. I recall hearing Jack Bogle and Mohamed El-Erian suggest 3% would be good estimate for bond returns over the next 5-10 years or so on Barry Ritholz's podcast. In the current environment a direct (non-brokered) 3% CD with a low early withdrawal penalty seems like a much better risk/benefit ratio. If interest rates skyrocket, just pull it out and move it to a better CD, no lost principle. If Total Bond does fantastic, and actually returns 4%, you have lost 1%. But if interest rates go up quickly you avoid principle loss. So to me the risk/benefit ratio of Total Bond does not look good. Harry Sit, Allan Roth and Kevin M have good articles on the benefits of CDs for those interested.
Getting harder to find those low early withdrawal penalty cds though. And often there is fine print saying the bank can refuse to allow the early withdrawal.
"...people always live for ever when there is any annuity to be paid them"- Jane Austen
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Ten Famous Twitter Accounts that Demand Your Attention
It’s all very well wanting to keep up to date with the machinations of all your favourite film stars, musicians, comedians and people who are just famous for being famous, but for pure entertainment value, who stands out? Most celebrity Twitter accounts do little more than pay lip-service, promoting things that you heard about elsewhere, perhaps retweeting the odd thing here and there.These 10 people are far more dedicated than that, using the platform to do amusing, interesting, unusual things to assure that their follower-base is always satisfied.
10. David Lynch
Twin Peaks creator, film director and all-around odd person David Lynch might not seem like the most obvious mark for a good Twitter feed, but you’d be surprised. His feed is an ever-amusing, bizarre little idiosyncrasies, and always prefaced with ‘Dear Twitter Friends’. More recently his output has been peppered with Twin Peaks references and enticing little insights into the upcoming new season of the legendary show.
Dear Twitter Friends, I'm making a lightning bolt to take a picture of.
— David Lynch (@DAVID_LYNCH) June 19, 2013
9. Minnie Driver
Minnie Driver almost quit Twitter for good last year after getting papped while she was on holiday in Miami and weathered a torrent of unpleasant comments about her body. We’re very grateful that she decided to get back on it. The lion’s share of her tweets involve funny quips and images that she either takes herself or just stumbles across on the internet, and she presents them with the sharpness of wit that we all aspire to.
8. Aaron Paul
Is there anyone who has a better relationship with their fan base than Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul? It’s unlikely. Besides the numerous stories of interactions between him and his fans out in the wild, he is an active, responsive Twitter user and regularly fulfils requests that are made of him, most which usually involve the B-word, in some way or another.
.@HamillHimself You're a legend my friend. I was honored (and terrified) to read the role you made so famous. Thank you for being so kind.
— Aaron Paul (@aaronpaul_8) December 21, 2014
7. Alyssa Milano
Twitter is a massively beneficial promotional tool and everyone knows it. Nearly every famous Twitter account devotes at least 25% of its quotient to self-promotion, but Alyssa Milano has other ideas. Milano uses her account to promote interesting articles, writings, music and whatever else she might happen upon and she has very good taste, you could wile away entire weekends scrolling through all the lovely things on her feed.
6. Neil DeGrasse-Tyson
Feel like you need more science in your life? Follow Neil DeGrasse-Tyson. Cosmos presenter, Star Talk host and Pluto deplanetiser, Tyson maintains a solid, prolific flow of interesting science facts, often relating to whatever else might be going on in the world, from the Super Bowl to the scientific oversights in the film Gravity.
Chill. Earth is 17 trillion times the mass of Monday’s Asteroid. Same as the Space Shuttle’s launch mass to an eyebrow hair.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) January 25, 2015
5. Kat Dennings
The star of Two Broke Girls has always been fairly web-savvy, having run a successful, well maintained blog for a long time. Her tweets range from the humorous to the heart-warming to the astute and she keeps them rolling in really regularly.
Saw a guy barf twice into the road at a stoplight, in case you thought Sunday was a funday
— Kat Dennings (@OfficialKat) January 25, 2015
4. James Blunt
Being that his music is regarded in many circles as whiny dirge, James Blunt gets a lot of stick, and I mean a lot. Thankfully for him though, he’s availed of a dry, razor sharp wit with which to combat all the scorn and most of his comebacks are funnelled through Twitter.
And I’d willingly hold your hair back. RT @feebee02: @mmmhotbreakfast If a man quoted a James Blunt song for me I think I'd vomit!
— James Blunt (@JamesBlunt) May 9, 2014
3. Richard Ayoade
Actor, comedian, filmmaker and king of quirk Richard Ayoade knows how to handle himself so far as PR is concerned. He approaches interviews with a kind of cynical honesty that immediately elevates him about most of his contemporaries and his Twitter is no different. His tweets are routinely laced with a kind of profound sarcasm and multi-layered humour that takes real finesse to express in 140 characters.
We know where he stands on 'that', by would Meatloaf do 'this' or 'the other'?
— richard ayoade (@RichardAyoade) January 11, 2015
2. God
Okay, there may be some possibility that this isn’t actually God’s Twitter. But it could be, how are we to know? If it is God, he’s got some pretty strong convictions about a lot of different things, from the Kardashians to countering some of the views of his more extreme followers (the religious kind, not the internet kind). Praise be.
Retweet this and you can commit the sin of your choice.
— God (@TheTweetOfGod) January 24, 2015
Everybody stop what you're doing and play with crayons.
— God (@TheTweetOfGod) January 8, 2015
1. Kanye West
Who could be more entertaining to follow than God? Try somebody with a serious God complex. His Twitter feed is probably the least regular one on this list, but when he drops one, it’s a doozy. Often, he will spiral into full-blown rants about the nature of hip-hop, criticism of his work, but mostly just himself and how great he is. Even trivial things send him into a passionate flurry, it’s rather astounding to watch.
I open the debate… The 2nd verse of New Slaves is the best rap verse of all time….meaning … OF ALL TIME IN THE HISTORY OF RAP MUSIC, PERIOD
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) July 20, 2013
About Social Songbird
Keeping you up to date on social media, digital marketing, apps, news & reviews.
Social media, and digital marketing as a whole, are rapidly and constantly changing, adapting to new developments at an ever increasing rate. Just keeping up to date can be a nightmare.
Our team of writers know their field, and keep an ear to the ground. We aim to keep you informed of all recent developments in the online world, and teach you a little something along the way.
So whether you just want to stay connected, or gain some knowledge for yourself, the Social Songbird will keep on singing!
More articles are posted every day so keep checking back!
Join the discussion on Twitter - #SocialSongbird
Or contact us directly - @SongbirdWriters
Counterterrorism efforts on social media A new report by the Woodrow Wilson Centre’s Gabriel Weimann suggests that terrorists are using s...
Meet The Team
Sam Bonson - Editor/Content Writer
Sam is an aspiring novelist with a passion for fantasy and crime thrillers. Currently working as Editor of Social Songbird, he hopes to one day drop that 'aspiring' prefix. Follow him @Songbird_Sam
Laura Sewell - Content Writer
An aspiring journalist, Laura is our Content Writer. Pop-punk gig-goer and drag queen enthusiast, Laura is working her way into the industry with a love of writing about anything and everything in tow. Find her daily musings on twitter @Songbird_Lauras
Dan Swann - Graphic Designer
Dan has a hard earned degree in Graphic design and a love for technology. He thrives on science fiction films and computer games and often delves into astronomy. He’ll also one day finish reading all of Einstein’s famous papers. Follow him @DanAtSMF!doctype>
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Australian animals never fail to make headlines and a three-eyed snake discovered in the outback is no different.
The deformed reptile was found by Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife rangers on the Arnhem Highway near Humpty Doo, 40km outside of Darwin.
NT Parks and Wildlife confirmed the snake was born with a third eye and was not the result of two heads forging together.
“It appeared to be one skull with an additional eye socket and three functioning eyes,” they said in a post to Facebook.
“It was generally agreed that the eye likely developed very early during the embryonic stage of development.
The snake was named Monty Python. Credit: NT Parks and Wildlife
“It is extremely unlikely that this is from environmental factors and is almost certainly a natural occurrence as malformed reptiles are relatively common.”
The long carpet python, which was named Monty Python, died after it was found, NT News reports.
Ranger Ray Chatto told the newspaper the 40cm long snake was only about three months old when it was found.
“It’s remarkable it was able to survive so long in the wild with its deformity, and he was struggling to feed before he died last week.”
Its remains are now at the CSIRO in Darwin.
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Turbo Snake Review-Cleans Drains Clogged With Hair- EpicReviewGuys
With three women in the house it is a never ending battle with hair clogs in the drains. So we try out the Turbo Snake- this is an As-Seen-On-TV drain cleaner especially designed for hair clogs. It made it very easy to grab the stuff in the drains, but it wasn’t so easy to get it to let go.
lol my dad loves the turbo snake, he always get excited when he needs to
use it on our sink. I have no idea why but he thinks the name is hilarious
but every time it does get all the hair out and get the sink working in
literally under 2 minutes. I don’t think you should have used the tissue on
it, once the hair is dry it should be much easier to clean. the product is
great, maybe you should have tried it on a sink drain, i don’t know if it
would have made a difference but it’s worth a shot!
Thanks for the suggestions. You are right- the toilet paper to clean it was
a mistake- the paper got caught in the Velcro and just wouldn’t come out.
You mentioned about trying the Turbo Snake on a sink drain- and it does
come with two “snakes”- one for bathtubs/showers and one for sinks. The
only difference between them is that the Velcro tip has a different shape.
I tried it this morning and the tip that looks like the Velcro Hooks came
off inside the sink pipe! Grrrr! There is that piece lost and stuck down
the pipe now! So angry and disappointed. Now, I’ve gotta disassemble the
plumbing under the sink. This Snake added another dimension of
frustration.
the Turbo snake is the best. you wouldn’t believe how much hair I just
pulled out of my shower drain! you gotta really get into it and don’t be
afraid to get your hands dirty. DON’T use toilet paper to remove the hair
from the Velcro. rinse the Velcro under the tap to wash away all the old,
built up hair conditioner and body wash. then just pull the hair off with
your fingers! that’s all there is to it. I’ve been using mine for years. no
need to buy some crazy contraption from the hardware store. 😋
OUTSTANDING review! You went into a great amount of detail to show people
not only the highlights, but exactly how the thing actually performs under
real conditions. I’m going to watch your Drain Sweep review next!
If you didn’t use tissue paper to clean it off then you wouldn’t have so
much crap left after cleaning…kind of counter intuitive clogging it up
yourself when you could just wash your hands after using it.
Still a good review of a product I now won’t buy
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Q:
Find and update specific duplicates in MS SQL
given below table:
+----+---------+-----------+-------------+-------+
| ID | NAME | LAST NAME | PHONE | STATE |
+----+---------+-----------+-------------+-------+
| 1 | James | Vangohg | 04333989878 | NULL |
| 2 | Ashly | Baboon | 09898788909 | NULL |
| 3 | James | Vangohg | 04333989878 | NULL |
| 4 | Ashly | Baboon | 09898788909 | NULL |
| 5 | Michael | Foo | 02933889990 | NULL |
| 6 | James | Vangohg | 04333989878 | NULL |
+----+---------+-----------+-------------+-------+
I want to use MS SQL to find and update duplicate (based on name, last name and number) but only the earlier one(s). So desired result for above table is:
+----+---------+-----------+-------------+-------+
| ID | NAME | LAST NAME | PHONE | STATE |
+----+---------+-----------+-------------+-------+
| 1 | James | Vangohg | 04333989878 | DUPE |
| 2 | Ashly | Baboon | 09898788909 | DUPE |
| 3 | James | Vangohg | 04333989878 | DUPE |
| 4 | Ashly | Baboon | 09898788909 | NULL |
| 5 | Michael | Foo | 02933889990 | NULL |
| 6 | James | Vangohg | 04333989878 | NULL |
+----+---------+-----------+-------------+-------+
A:
This query uses a CTE to apply a row number, where any number > 1 is a dupe of the row with the highest ID.
;WITH x AS
(
SELECT ID,NAME,[LAST NAME],PHONE,STATE,
ROW_NUMBER() OVER (PARTITION BY NAME,[LAST NAME],PHONE ORDER BY ID DESC)
FROM dbo.YourTable
)
UPDATE x SET STATE = CASE rn WHEN 1 THEN NULL ELSE 'DUPE' END;
Of course, I see no reason to actually update the table with this information; every time the table is touched, this data is stale and the query must be re-applied. Since you can derive this information at run-time, this should be part of a query, not constantly updated in the table. IMHO.
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Another paradigm in solvent extraction-based microencapsulation technologies.
The objectives of this study were to apply a base-driven reaction to developing a new microencapsulation technique to prepare progesterone-containing poly-D,L-lactide-co-glycolide microspheres. Nonhalogenated ester solvents such as ethyl acetate and ethyl formate were used as dispersed solvents. After an oil-in-water emulsion was prepared, a sodium hydroxide solution was added to trigger base-catalyzed hydrolysis of organic solvents dissolved in the aqueous phase. Their rapid depletion provided a sink condition and drove the continual diffusion of the organic solvents residing in emulsion droplets into the aqueous phase. These events led to the solidification of emulsion droplets into microspheres over 15-30 min, without the use of a quenching liquid. The rate of the base-driven reaction observed with ethyl formate was 2.3 times faster than that attained with ethyl acetate. The drug encapsulation efficiency was >or=93.2%, and solvent residues in the microspheres ranged from 1.87 to 2.69%. GPC and FTIR results demonstrated that the structural integrity of the polymer and progesterone remained unchanged during the base-catalyzed microencapsulation process. This method might serve as a promising alternative for preparing nanoparticles and microspheres.
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Eight months later, Cesc Fábregas returns to England a changed man. The stage will be familiar, his face too, but the Barcelona midfielder insists the footballer is not. He has evolved since returning home. Less decisive perhaps, less dynamic too, but better.
Superficial judgments point at a dip in form; Fábregas points at something quite different – a change of country and a change of concept. On Tuesday night the man who supposedly had the advantage of not needing to learn anything insisted that he had learnt a new game. He is no longer a player who at Arsenal was, to use his own words, "not very good at all tactically".
They are fond of the phrase Barcelona DNA in Catalonia. Barça players, the theory goes, are somehow born differently. La Masia, the stone farmhouse that was the actual and spiritual home of young footballers for decades, does not just produce good players. It produces a specific type of good player. Technical, intelligent players, not just footballers who use a system but footballers who understand how to use it.
That is especially true of the central midfielders. As one Spanish commentator puts it: "Show me 20 kids in a park and I can tell you which ones play for Barcelona." A line of historical continuum can be drawn from Pep Guardiola through Ivan de la Pena, to Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, Cesc and now Thiago.
At 24, exactly midway between Iniesta and Thiago, Fábregas was the link they needed to ensure continuity. Importantly, they said, he was Barcelona already. He had played with Gerard Piqué and Lionel Messi as a 13‑year‑old. Unlike Javier Mascherano, he did not need to be "reprogrammed". Arsenal had been a finishing school, the perfect way of rounding off his education. Guardiola had made a point of thanking "Mr Wenger" for making him the player he is. He had been in London eight long years; "half my career", as he put it. But, ultimately, his game was their game.
The first few months at Barcelona suggested that the analyses were correct, but there was a shift in his education required – a shift in style, too. In his first 23 games Fábregas scored 14 goals, more than any other midfielder in Spain. He was given a free role as a false No9, like Messi. The pair appeared to understand each other perfectly. But then as he retreated further into midfield, the goals dried up. He has scored just one in the last 19.
If that sounds like a regression, it should not. Barcelona had given Fábregas freedom to play while he learnt how to adopt a more rigid, tactical role. His productivity may have diminished but Barcelona's has not. According to the former Arsenal midfielder he did need a re‑education after all.
London may not see London's Cesc Fábregas on Wednesday. They may not appreciate as much, either, but he thinks they will see a better one. Guardiola has adapted him. He admits that there is greater responsibility now; his movements are more in sync with those of his team-mates. You could almost call it rigid. He would prefer to call it more intelligent. His team are better for it.
"I feel I know more what my position now than I was at Arsenal – at Arsenal I was tactically not very good at all," he said. "I did whatever I wanted. Now I have to think more about the team tactically. Before I was going up and down and sometimes a little bit lost in the important moment because I wanted to do everything. Now, my team-mates are more experienced than me and I trust them – they have told me to be calm, to stay in my position."
If he has changed, Chelsea have not. Or more to the point, they have, but they have changed back again. Fábregas recalls Arsenal games against Chelsea always following the same script: "We would dominate the ball, keep possession, create chances and then," he says, pausing for effect, "… a counter-attack, [Didier] Drogba, goal! They have a super-fast counter-attack and it was a film that we saw again and again.
"With [André] Villas Boas they tried to have the ball a lot more, they tried to not play so many balls long and to not seek out the second ball quite so much. Now they have returned that Chelsea that made them great and led them to win the Premier League and reach Champions League semi-finals and finals. Drogba brings the ball down well, he is very quick, he is strong. They are a very dangerous team for us. They are like motorbikes now when they break forward.
"I follow the Premier League every weekend and I have seen a lot of Chelsea this year. They have changed radically. They are playing incredibly well, I think this is their best moment of the season. With Villas-Boas they tried to be different but they are now the same Chelsea as I knew when they left." He is not the same Fábregas they knew when he left.
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Octacosanol Attenuates Inflammation in Both RAW264.7 Macrophages and a Mouse Model of Colitis.
Octacosanol has multiple biological functions. In this study, the anti-inflammatory effect and molecular mechanism of octacosanol were evaluated by using dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis model in mice and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated mouse macrophage RAW264.7 cells. The colitis mouse model was induced by 3.0% DSS in 8-week ICR mice and octacosanol orally administered with 100 mg/kg/day. The results showed that octacosanol significantly improved the health status of mice and reduced DSS-induced pathological damage in the colonic tissues. Octacosanol obviously inhibited the mRNA and protein expression levels of pro-inflammatory factors of colonic tissues. In vitro, octacosanol administration significantly reduced the expression of mRNA or protein of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase and p38, and it also partly prevented LPS-induced translocations of NF-κB and AP-1. Octacosanol has anti-inflammatory effect, and its molecular mechanism may be involved in downregulating the expression of inflammatory factors and blocking of MAPK/NF-κB/AP-1 signaling pathway.
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Effect of electrode substrate on the morphology and selectivity of overoxidized polypyrrole films.
Polypyrrole (PP) films were electropolymerized on glassy carbon (GC) and rough pyrolytic graphite (RPG) electrodes and treated by overoxidation in sodium hydroxide and phosphate buffer. The effects of treatment on film morphology were investigated, including permselective response of treated films. Films grown on GC and RPG were also compared, and it was found that the substrate plays a definite role in the properties of the polymer layer. Differences in response to ionic probes on treated PP electrodes are shown to arise from the porosity of the membranes, which affects the electron density within the film due to the spacing of carbonyl groups introduced during treatment.
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Q:
static protected resource shared through inheritance
In an attempt to replace the singleton pattern and a general "Resource Manager", I came with a solution. Making a resource static and protected. That resource is shared between all children from the inherited class. It works, but I wasn't sure if it's a good way to proceed.
Here's a bit of code to express what I'm doing(the resource here is the sf::Texture):
class Foo {
public:
Foo() {
if(m_texture == nullptr) {
//Création et chargement de la texture
m_texture = std::unique_ptr<sf::Texture>(new sf::Texture());
m_texture->loadFromFile("...");
}
}
void draw(sf::RenderWindow& window) = 0;
protected:
static std::unique_ptr<sf::Texture> m_texture = nullptr;
};
class Bar : public Foo {
public:
Bar()
: m_sprite(*m_texture) {}
void draw(sf::RenderWindow& window) {
window.draw(m_sprite);
}
private:
sf::Sprite m_sprite;
};
That way my resources is shared through all children, and is only initialized once.
Is it a good solution to replace a singleton or a Resource Manager that I would carry everywhere through reference.
Thank you!
A:
Fundamentally what you are tying to do is correct, a static member will be shared (ie be exactly the same) among all the inherited class, this way you only need a single instance which can save you a ton of memory but heres a couple issues ... Im assuming you are using g++.
You can't initialize non-const member within a class declaration so this.
static std::unique_ptr<sf::Texture> m_texture = nullptr;
would produce this:
error: ISO C++ forbids in-class initialization of non-const static member
you have to initialize it within the source file of your class, but outside the class.
std::unique_ptr<sf::Texture> Foo::m_texture = nullptr;
Second it isn't save to access member fields directly, always use setters and getters, even within the class functions, this makes the code much more maintainable. As such you can have a static function called getTexture
static std::unique_ptr<sf::Texture> getTexture() {
if(m_texture == nullptr) {
//Création et chargement de la texture
m_texture = std::unique_ptr<sf::Texture>(new sf::Texture());
m_texture->loadFromFile("...");
}
return m_texture;
}
while its true that the if statement and function call do add come overhead, this is much more maintainable and safer, and it load the texture at the last minute when its truly needed.
Back to your question, the Singleton design pattern is quite simple and mostly used to save memory since only a single instance of the object is ever created :) Resource managers are a whole different beast their goal is to centralize all the actions that are required loading and managing resources, combining the two you would initialize a single instance of a resource manager, then access it though a static member field, having all the objects make requests for resources, this could be good or bad, depending on what you are trying to achieve.
Software design is hard. The best advice I can give is this, when designing a system ask yourself this, "how many lines of code would I have to write to introduce another similar component" your goal should be to minimize this as much as possible, ie reuse as much as possible what you have already created.
The best programmers are the laziest :) and no I don't mean copy/paste, that should be banned.
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Schistosomiasis Control Initiative
You do not have Javascript enabled. Some elements of this website may not work correctly.
Notice about research
Giving What We Can no longer conducts its own research into charities and cause areas. Instead, we're relying on the work of organizations including J-PAL, GiveWell, and the Open Philanthropy Project, which are in a better position to provide more comprehensive research coverage.
These research reports represent our thinking as of late 2016, and much of the information will be relevant for making decisions about how to donate as effectively as possible. However we are not updating them and the information may therefore be out of date.
We believe that the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (SCI) is one of the most effective charities in the world. It works in a high priority area, combination deworming, which may be extremely cost-effective. SCI also has a strong track record in delivering the intervention, demonstrates a commitment to evidence and transparency, and continues to have room for more funding to be usedproductively.
Whether combination deworming has substantial effects on health and child development is subject to ongoing academic debate. Nevertheless, there is still strong evidence in favour of the efficacy of deworming and there is a considerable probability that the impact of deworming is quite large. As mass deworming is so inexpensive, the potential cost-effectiveness might be veryhigh.
Deworming schoolchildren through interventions supported by SCI cost $1.26 per treatment.[1] Not including the contributions of governments and other organisations, SCI spends $0.53 per treatment.[2] It is difficult to compare this to estimates of cost per death prevented from bed net distributions that protect from malaria, because mortality due to worms is much lower. However, GiveWell has estimated that donations to SCI are roughly comparable to bed net distributions. Moreover, due to potential improvements in earnings later in life resulting from deworming in childhood, deworming by SCI is roughly 6 times more effective than direct cash-transfers by GiveDirectly.[3]
There is also some evidence suggesting that the mass drug administration (MDA) intervention carried out by SCI might be cost-effective in reducing the prevalence of malaria and HIV (see below). However, the evidence for this is not verystrong.
In addition, SCI has an excellent track record of starting and assisting deworming projects in a number of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and there appears to be a large long-term funding gap globally. For SCI as an organisation, GiveWell reports that any funds donated to SCI from now until February/March 2017 would be used for the organization’s 2017-18 budget, and that SCI would be able to productively use approximately $11.6 million in additional funds.[4]
The MDA programs themselves are primarily carried out in areas with relatively high prevalence of schistosomiasis and/or STH infections. Albendazole is used to treat STH. Praziquantel is used to treat schistosomiasis. Combination deworming involves administering treatments for both types of parasitic worm. As the side-effects of the drugs are relatively minor, they can be administered to the whole population without the need for individual diagnosis, keeping costs low and reducing the need for skilled health professionals. MDAs can target everyone in a particular area or can specifically target at-risk groups such as children.[7] Schools are often used as a distribution platform and teachers can be trained to distribute the drugs safely. As the treatment only requires drug distribution, MDA can be undertaken in relatively short timescales. The WHO recommends that MDA is carried out twice yearly in endemic areas.[8]
As praziquantel and albendazole (the drugs used by deworming charities) have few significant side effects,[9],[10] they can be safely administered to large parts of the population without the need for costly individual diagnosis that requires trained medical practitioners. GiveWell estimates that SCI can deworm a person for approximately $1.26 based on recent track records[11] (including the estimated cost of teacher time, donated drugs, and local government involvement). A recent study looked at cost of treatment in Uganda for different distribution sizes and concluded that there were significant economies of scale to mass drug administration, with the average cost of STH deworming falling below $0.50 for the largest distributions (see Figure 1 below).[12] It should be noted that this study was conducted by a researcher affiliated withSCI.
Figure 1: Average cost per STH treatment, by district size.[13] The y-axis of figure is the cost-per-person treated of an albendazole school-based delivery programme in Uganda and the x-axis is the number of at-risk school-age children treated within each district. The negative slope shows that economies of scale are successfully being taken advantage of.
There is strong evidence that such MDA programs result in lower rates of worm infections. Two Cochrane meta-studies have concluded that deworming for schistosomiasis has a substantial impact on schistosomiasis infections, with 60% of those treated with praziquantel cured after one to two months of treatment. Moreover, the number of schistosome eggs found in the urine was reduced by 95%, helping to interrupt transmission.[14][15] Another meta-study, published in 2000, found that administration of albendazole was very effective in reducing levels of hookworm and ascariasis, although the median cure rate for whipworm infection was relatively low at 38%.[16]
2. Cost-effectiveness
Combination deworming may be one of the most cost-effective health interventions available. Our full report on deworming illustrates our reasoning behind this conclusion. The potential impact of deworming on the long term development of children provides a strong justification for donating to a deworming charity, particularly one which is primarily focused on deworming schistosomiasis, for which the evidence is generally stronger than soil transmittedhelminths.
GiveWell estimates that programs supported by SCI can deworm a person for approximately $1.26 based (including the estimated cost of SCI’s funding to country programs, SCI’s headquarters costs, cost of donated drugs, and local government involvement).[18] GiveWell also estimates that SCI itself spends around $0.53 per child treated. For details of the model and assumptions used to arrive at these figures, see GiveWell’s cost-effectiveness analysis.[19]SCI has recently claimed that its cost per treatment from April 2016 onwards will average $0.30 (this does not take into account other program-costs, such as the cost of drugs, teacher time and government contributions).[20]
In terms of cost per life saved or cost per DALY averted, there is considerable uncertainty. A recent paper on the cost-effectiveness of school-based STH treatment programmes found that the cost per DALY averted was approximately $118, with a range of $100-500 (see Figure below).[21][22] However, these figures are highly uncertain, due to various challenges, including lack of data and sensitivity to many assumptions (see Figure below). It remains plausible to think, though, that the cost-effectiveness of SCI’s program is likely to be extremelyhigh.
Figure 3 (adapted from [23]): This analysis tested the effect of varying key model parameters on the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of expanding mass drug administration to entire communities compared with only treatment of school-aged children. The horizontal bar represents the range of ICER values for the specified range of the tested parameter. All strategies left of the dashed vertical line at US$1521 per disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) averted (2013 gross domestic product per capita in Côte d’Ivoire) are regarded as highly cost effective. (Relative environmental contribution refers to the relative rate of excretion of eggs into the environment among preschool-aged children and school-aged children when compared with adults.)
2.1. Additional benefits
There is also a body of evidence supporting a causal link between schistosomiasis infection and incidence of both malaria and HIV. That is, by treating schistosomiasis through combination deworming, and thereby reducing immunodeficiency and female genital schistosomiasis, SCI may produce considerable additional benefits by reducing prevalence of both malaria and HIV.[24][25][26][27] In particular, computational modelling by researchers at Yale University suggests that deworming may be cost-effective for these effects alone: Depending on the efficacy of MDA, the analysis suggests that averting one HIV case through treating schistosomiasis costs as little as US$51.68–259.31.[28][29] If we assume that 20 DALYs are lost per infected adult,[30] this translates to US$2.58-12.97 per DALY[31] averted (our calculation). When combined with the $/DALY estimates above, this may result in SCI’s cost-effectiveness improving even further - to somewhere between $1.95 and $11.21 per DALY averted, which is incredibly low. However, the figures from these studies most likely do not accurately reflect SCI’s impact in practice, and are not supported by a sufficiently large body of evidence for us to be confident of their accuracy (the relationship between deworming and HIV incidence is supported by a recent Cochrane review that suggests that deworming helminth co-infected individuals can delay HIV disease progression,[32] but these estimates of cost-effectiveness are not). Still, they do suggest that SCI may be even more cost-effective than previouslythought.
In addition, there is also some evidence that treating schistosomiasis also had the potential to reduce malaria prevalence.[33] Depending on the context, MDA may reduce malaria prevalence by as much as 5% (see Figure 2 below).[34] This relationship is supported by several other studies,[35][36][37][38] and is believed to be causal due to the biological reasons for coinfection.[39][40][41] As the prevalence of both diseases (like that of HIV) is high in sub-Saharan Africa and a large proportion of the population is co-infected in the countries in which SCI operates, this again suggests that SCI may be considerably more cost-effective than has already been estimatedabove.
Figure 4: The impact of the interaction between S. mansoni and malaria on the effectiveness of MDA for reducing malaria prevalence and symptomatic malaria episodes.[42]
2.2. Possible negative impacts oroffsetting
2.2.1. Would governments have funded the same programsotherwise?
This seems unlikely, as SCI generally does not work on programs which had already existed prior to their involvement.[43] GiveWell has spoken to Ethiopia’s NTDs Program Manager who has commented that the program there would likely not have gone forward without SCI’s involvement.[44] However, it is difficult to ascertain an answer to thisquestion.
2.2.2. Could local populations be hostile to MDAprograms?
It is entirely possible that local populations may be hostile to MDA programs due to lack of information about the deworming campaigns. SCI has encountered at least two such incidents of public discontent.[45][46] Since these incidents, SCI has reported that it has worked to improve public education about its programs.[47]
2.2.3. Are parasites developing resistance topraziquantel?
Researchers continue to be worried about the development of drug resistance to praziquantel, as it is the only drug currently recommended by the World Health Organization for the treatment and control of human schistosomiasis.[48] Some signs of resistance of schistosomes against praziquantel have been observed in the laboratory, but in the field only isolated cases of decreased effectiveness of praziquantel have been observed so far.[49] The National Institutes of Health has recently awarded a $3.5 million grant over five years to understand the genetic changes in the schistosomiasis parasite that lead to drug resistance.[50]
2.2.4. Are reinfection ratesincreasing?
A recent report[51] argues that climate change will make temperatures more suitable for schistosomiasis transmission over the next 20 years, not only in terms of spread to other currently non-endemic countries, but also in terms of increasing the intensities of the disease in countries currently affected. The authors suggest that this increase in infection and reinfection intensity may reduce the impact of control and elimination programmes such as those undertaken by SCI. On the other hand, with the resulting increase in need and thus scalability of SCI’s programs, this might also mean an increase in theireffectiveness.
2.2.5. Is there a negative impact on the wider healthsystem?
A study of an integrated NTD control program in Mali found both positive and negative impacts on the wider health system.[52] Positive impacts included increased funding for medical professionals. Negative impacts included distraction of staff from core activities and fragmentation of the monitoring and evaluation system. These effects were heterogeneous between different districts. Districts with more robust health systems tended to have more positive spillover effects. Limitations of the study include: it was qualitative research specific to Mali so may not be generalisable to other settings; it was an integrated NTD program, which might use a higher proportion of healthcare professional time (mass drug administration is largely staffed by community volunteers); and it was one of the first integrated NTD programs (evidence suggests that vertical health interventions become better integrated with health systems over time).[53] Finally, this analysis did not account for fewer NTD related complication burdening the healthcare system afterMDA.
2.2.6. Is vector control moreeffective?
A recently published study argues that historically, schistosomiasis control programmes which have focussed on vector control (mainly by controlling the snail population, as snails are an intermediate host of worms) have produced greater reductions of the prevalence of schistosomiasis than programmes that just deliver mass drug administration.[54] However, the authors do not make any claims about the cost-effectiveness of snail control relative to MDA. They simply show that the average snail control programme has reduced schistosomiasis prevalence more than the average MDA programme, but if snail control programmes are more expensive we could still prefer to fund MDA as it reduces schistosomiasis morecost-effectively.
3. Robustness of evidence
Evidence suggest that combination deworming provides a variety of benefits - related to schooling and earning, severe symptoms and mortality and general health effects (see our full cause report).
In regards to SCI itself, prevalence and intensity studies have been conducted following SCI-supported treated programs in multiple countries. In these studies, the infection rates were measured at the same schools each year and it was found, in each case, that both prevalence and intensity fell over time. In schools treated in Niger, overall prevalence of schistosoma haematobium fell from 75.4% to 38% after one year and, the prevalence of intense infections fell from 21.8% to 4.6%.[55][56] In SCI’s Burundi pilot, prevalence of schistosoma mansoni dropped from 12.7% to 1.7% after 4 years and prevalence of hookworm from 17.8% to 2.7%.[57] In Malawi, prevalence of schistosoma haematobium dropped from 9% at baseline to 6% at one year and 4% after two years.[58][59] Although it is certainly possible that these decreases are due to other causes, we agree with GiveWell that the short timespan and rapid change indicates that they are attributable to SCI’s operations.[60] However, the data has limitations, due to worries about the representativeness of the areas chose and low follow uprates.
Coverage studies were also conducted in numerous countries (Uganda in 2014, Malawi in 2012 and 2014, Côte d'Ivoire in 2014, Mozambique in 2015, Zanzibar in 2015, and Zambia in 2015) to establish what proportion of the population had received the combination deworming treatment. These studies were administered as in-person surveys of a sample of households. Although these studies were subject to several problems and limitations,[61] they have indicated that SCI has been quite successful in achieving a high degree of coverage in some areas. Median coverage for schistosomiasis treatment was 77% in Malawi (2012), 69% in Malawi (2014), 82% in Côte d'Ivoire (2014), 47% in Uganda (2014), 81% in Mozambique (2015), 93% in Zambia (2015), and 80% in Zanzibar (2015).[62] Median coverage for STH treatment was 59% in Malawi (2012), 44% in Malawi (2014), 82% in Côte d'Ivoire (2014), and 87% in Zanzibar (2015).[63]
However, it should be stressed that GiveWell has only had access to data from about half of the countries SCI works in, and has only seen results for one year, even if SCI worked in the country for longer. Partly, this is due to the fact that SCI is sometimes unable to share the data due to agreements with the institutions it workswith.
4. Track record
SCI has a very strong track record of implementing successful mass drug administration programs, starting the first large scale schistosomiasis deworming programs in Ethiopia, Ivory Coast and Mozambique.[64]SCI has received large, multi million dollar grants in the past from the Gates Foundation, USAID, and DFID. Moreover, SCI is affiliated with Imperial College London, and the members of their team are recognised as experts on neglected tropicaldiseases.
In most of the countries that SCI operates in, the deworming programs appear to go according to plan. However, there have been considerable problems with deworming programs in three countries. In Liberia, due to the Ebola epidemic, all deworming operations had been temporarily suspended. In Yemen, due to political tension, a staff member had to be temporarily evacuated in 2014, but has now resumed work. In Zambia, drug delivery seems to be a continuing problem: SCI reported in April 2014 that, due to delays during 2013, treatment scheduled across 6 provinces only took place between January and March 2014. The remaining 4 provinces were scheduled to receive MDA during July 2014. However, then in December 2014, SCI reported that only “piecemeal treatments” – about 60,000 – were successfully delivered. Overall, we feel that, as there were only 3 out of 16 countries in which operations had problems, and most were due to fairly unpredictable reasons, SCI’s operations seem to run verywell.
GiveWell has expressed concerns about SCI financial documents, and noted that, before 2016, it was unable to determine SCI’s total funding and the way it allocated resources across programs. During 2016, SCI has been able to offer better financial reporting to Givewell. GiveWell has also since learnt of two major accounting errors. About $333,000 donated to SCI through GiveWell was misallocated by Imperial College, and it had mistakenly been allocated to a different department inside the university. Moreover, SCI underestimated its resources by $1.5 million, which led GiveWell to overestimate SCI room for more funding. While GiveWell expressed its concern about these mistakes, it also stressed that it was a good sign that they were able to learn about them, and that communication with SCI has significantly improved in 2016.[65]
5. Room for morefunding
SCI employs the funds collected in a given year to fund the following budget year. In April 2016, SCI has employed most of its unrestricted funding to the 2016/2017 budget year. GiveWell believes that any funds donated to SCI from now until February/March 2017 would be used for the organization’s 2017-18 budget, and that SCI would be able to use the funds productively. In addition, if SCI’s immediate funding gap was filled, it may be able to productively use additional funding to expand its operations into new countries and potentially use existing infrastructure to do mass drug administration against other diseases such as malaria. SCI communicated to GiveWell in October 2015 that their room for more funding for April 2017-March 2018 would be around $11.6 million. However, this is likely not to fully take into account funding that SCI is likely to receive from DFID, and the gap might thus be lower. Moreover, a series of factors (including changes in political circumstances, changes in the availability of drug supplies and coordination with other organizations) might significantly change theestimate.
One factor that affects SCI’s room for more funding in the long run is the global funding gap for MDAs as, with the number of people who are targeted to receive deworming rising (see Figure 5),[66]SCI could most likely scale up and strengthen its efforts in the countries they currently operate in and expand to new countries. A recent report by the World Health Organisation estimates that the overall costs for all kinds of preventive chemotherapy (which means mass deworming and has no resemblance to chemotherapy used as cancer treatment) in the coming year are in the hundreds of millions (see 6).[67] The investment target for preventive chemotherapy against schistosomiasis (for delivery only- medicines are donated by the pharmaceutical companies) during 2015–2020 is estimated to be about $59 million ($51–67 million) per year (see Figure 5). This already takes into account that countries such as Brazil and India completely covered the cost of distributing the donated medicines using their own resources. In poorer countries such as the DRC, Sengal and Niger,[68] costs of distributions are shared among the local Ministries of Health and SCI, as well as other organisations such as the USAID, END Fund, CNTD, and APOC. But poor countries are not in a position to execute these programs by themselves and bigger aid givers such USAID are also do not completely fund such programs. Thus, it is very much conceivable that SCI, with their unique expertise, might play a substantial part implementing such future deworming programs and thus require substantially more funds. This could become subject to change in case bigger agencies such as USAID recognize the cost effectiveness of interventions targetingNTDs.
Figure 5: Number of people targeted for coverage with integrated preventive chemotherapy, selected NTDs (from recent WHO report on NTDs).[69] Note that the dots indicate the number of people treated in 2012 and that the solid lines are targets not forecasts. Targets assume integrated delivery of preventive chemotherapy for LF and onchocerciasis in Africa, schistosomiasis and STH among school-age children, and LF and STH outside Africa. Pending further evidence, they do not yet assume further integration of LF and onchocerciasis in Africa with schistosomiasis and STH.
Figure 6: The overall projected costs of all preventive chemotherapy (i.e. mass drug administration against NTDs including schistosomiasis and soil transmitted helminths) in the coming years. This excludes medicine prices, which are donated by the pharmaceutical companies. Figure adapted from (Fig. 2.4 Investment targets for universal coverage against NTDs from recent WHO report on NTDs).[70]
Figure 7: The projected costs of preventive chemotherapy against schistosomiasis (upper panel) and soil transmitted helminths (lower panel) in the coming years. This excludes medicine prices, which are donated by the pharmaceutical companies. Figure adapted from a recent WHO report on NTDs.[71] Note that shaded areas reflect the range determined by low and high values of the unit cost benchmarks; they do not reflect uncertainty about future rates of scale-up and scale-down of interventions. The dots in 2012 are actual numbers reported (when available) multiplied by the unit cost benchmarks, which is the approximate cost of delivering one treatment; these are not actual expenditures, but can be thought of as a benchmark for actual expenditures. All numbers expressed in US$ are constant (real) US$, adjusted to reflect purchasing power in the United States of America in 2015.
5.1. Fundraising activities
SCI has been very successful at starting partnerships and receiving funding from governmental and non-governmental organisations. However, in recent years, one might think that they should have received more funding from private foundations and private donors, as one might expect based on from their effectiveness, reputation and room for additional funding. Based on our communications with SCI, they are currently working closely with the Imperial College Development Office team on increasing their efforts to attract grants from private foundations and philanthropists. They are also in the process of hiring additional staff for their Fundraising and Advocacy team. At Giving What We Can we assess charities based on their effectiveness and not exclusively based on overhead costs, so this use of resources to attract more funding does not significantly detract from our confidence in SCI’scost-effectiveness.
Midzi, N et al. "Efficacy and side effects of praziquantel treatment against Schistosoma haematobium infection among primary school children in Zimbabwe." Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 102.8 (2008): 759-766. ↩︎
Mbah, Martial L Ndeffo et al. "Cost-effectiveness of a community-based intervention for reducing the transmission of Schistosoma haematobium and HIV in Africa." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 110.19 (2013): 7952-7957. ↩︎
Mbah, Martial L Ndeffo et al. "Cost-effectiveness of a community-based intervention for reducing the transmission of Schistosoma haematobium and HIV in Africa." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 110.19 (2013): 7952-7957. ↩︎
Midzi, N et al. "Efficacy and side effects of praziquantel treatment against Schistosoma haematobium infection among primary school children in Zimbabwe." Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 102.8 (2008): 759-766. ↩︎
Allen, Tim, and Melissa Parker. "The ‘Other Diseases’ of the Millennium Development Goals: rhetoric and reality of free drug distribution to cure the poor's parasites." Third world quarterly 32.1 (2011): 91-117. p109. ↩︎
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Nithya Dhyaan
Nithya Dhyaan is a 35-minute meditation designed by Nithyananda to unclutch from the mind and move beyond it. It cleanses and energises the vital energy centers or chakras in the body, which are responsible for the swaying emotions and stored negative memories. It brings intense awareness into the system to awaken the inner intelligence. The meditation causes an experience of a growing explosion in consciousness that can steer a person towards a life of totality and completion.
Nithya Dhyaan is a technique that gives a seeker what he needs to balance himself and be in complete harmony with his body, mind and spirit. It enables him to harness the inner intelligence and to excel in the inner and outer worlds.
STEP 1
Please be seated in a yogic posture called Vajrasana. Sit on your mat on the floor with both your legs stretched out. Next fold both the legs, one after the other at the knees and rest your posterior on your heels with your toes turned outward. This is Vajrasana. With open palms, place your hands on the thigh joint where it meets the hips, with your thumb pointing backwards and the remaining four fingers pointing forwards as if you are holding your hips. You can use a cushion or a rolled towel under your ankles. Sit comfortably with your head, neck and spine in a straight line.
Now close your eyes and breathe chaotically for 7 minutes. Breathe intensely and non rhythmically. Your entire upper body should move as you breathe. However, do not over-strain yourself. If you have had a recent surgery or have a medical problem or if you are pregnant, please do this step carefully, with the level of intensity that feels comfortable.
STEP 2
Continue to sit in Vajrasana. You now need to form the ‘chin mudra’. A mudra is a symbolic gesture of the hands and fingers. Place your hands on your knees. Your hands with open palms should be facing upward. Let the tip of the index finger touch the tip of the thumb, as if forming a circle. The three other fingers, arms and the hands remain relaxed.
Now, hum intensely for 7 minutes. Breathe in deeply and as you exhale create a humming sound from your navel. Your mouth should be closed. You will feel a vibration starting from your lips and mouth. Be relaxed. Do not strain yourself. If you have had a recent surgery or have a medical problem or you are pregnant, please do this step carefully, with the level of intensity that feels comfortable.
STEP 3
You may now sit cross-legged on the floor if you wish to or continue to sit in Vajrasana. Now, for 7 minutes, take your awareness through each of the body’s seven energy centers, called chakras, starting from the Mooladhara Chakra or Root Center which is the base of the spine to the Sahasrara Chakra, which is the Crown Center. (See figure)
When you meditate on each chakra, feel intensely that:
the chakra is pure
the chakra is filled with energy
the chakra is overflowing with bliss
the chakra is radiating Nithyananda, or eternal bliss
STEP 4
For 7 minutes just be unclutched in silence. Be a witness to whatever is happening inside you and around you. Do not suppress your thoughts. Do not follow your thoughts. Just watch your thoughts as an observer.
STEP 5
For the last 7 minutes remain in a deep mood of gratitude. When your whole being overflows with gratitude, you commune with the existential energy. You may chant the Guru Pooja Mantra or just listen to the mantra and offer your gratitude to Existence and to your Guru. Offer your gratitude with your whole being.
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---
author:
- 'Martin R. Bridson and Karen Vogtmann'
bibliography:
- 'bibliography.bib'
date: 23 July 2005
title: 'Automorphism groups of free groups, surface groups and free abelian groups'
---
The group of $2 \times 2$ matrices with integer entries and determinant $\pm 1$ can be identified either with the group of outer automorphisms of a rank two free group or with the group of isotopy classes of homeomorphisms of a 2-dimensional torus. Thus this group is the beginning of three natural sequences of groups, namely the general linear groups ${\rm{GL}}(n,\Z)$, the groups of outer automorphisms of free groups of rank $n\geq 2$, and the mapping class groups of orientable surfaces of genus $g\geq 1$. Much of the work on mapping class groups and automorphisms of free groups is motivated by the idea that these sequences of groups are strongly analogous, and should have many properties in common. This program is occasionally derailed by uncooperative facts but has in general proved to be a successful strategy, leading to fundamental discoveries about the structure of these groups. In this article we will highlight a few of the most striking similarities and differences between these series of groups and present some open problems motivated by this philosophy.
Similarities among the groups , and begin with the fact that these are the outer automorphism groups of the most primitive types of torsion-free discrete groups, namely free groups, free abelian groups and the fundamental groups of closed orientable surfaces $\pi_1S_g$. In the case of and this is obvious, in the case of it is a classical theorem of Nielsen. In all cases there is a [*[determinant]{}*]{} homomorphism to ${\mathbb Z}/2$; the kernel of this map is the group of “orientation-preserving" or “special" automorphisms, and is denoted ${\rm{SOut}}(F_n),\, {\rm{SL}}(n,Z)$ or respectively.
Geometric and topological models
================================
A natural geometric context for studying the global structure of is provided by the symmetric space $X$ of positive-definite, real symmetric matrices of determinant 1 (see [@Sou04] for a nice introduction to this subject). This is a non-positively curved manifold diffeomorphic to $\R^d$, where $d={\frac 1 2 n(n+1)}-1$. acts properly by isometries on $X$ with a quotient of finite volume.
Each $A\in X$ defines an inner product on $\R^n$ and hence a Riemannian metric $\nu$ of constant curvature and volume 1 on the $n$-torus $T^n= \R^n/\Z^n$. One can recover $A$ from the metric $\nu$ and an ordered basis for $\pi_1T^n$. Thus $X$ is homeomorphic to the space of equivalence classes of [*marked*]{} Euclidean tori $(T^n,\nu)$ of volume 1, where a [*marking*]{} is a homotopy class of homeomorphisms $\rho:T^n\to (T^n,\nu)$ and two marked tori are considered equivalent if there is an isometry $i:(T_1^n,\nu_1)\to (T_2^n,\nu_2)$ such that $\rho_2^{-1}\circ i\circ\rho_1$ is homotopic to the identity. The natural action of $\hbox{GL}(n,\Z)={\rm{Out}}(\Z^n)$ on $T^n=K(\Z^n,1)$ twists the markings on tori, and when one traces through the identifications this is the standard action on $X$.
If one replaces $T^n$ by $S_g$ and follows exactly this formalism with marked metrics of constant curvature[^1] and fixed volume, then one arrives at the definition of [*Teichmüller space*]{} and the natural action of $={\rm{Out}}(\pi_1S_g)$ on it. Teichmüller space is again homeomorphic to a Euclidean space, this time $\R^{6g-6}$.
In the case of there is no canonical choice of classifying space $K(F_n,1)$ but rather a finite collection of natural models, namely the finite graphs of genus $n$ with no vertices of valence less than 3. Nevertheless, one can proceed in essentially the same way: one considers metrics of fixed volume (sum of the lengths of edges =1) on the various models for $K(F_n,1)$, each equipped with a marking, and one makes the obvious identifications as the homeomorphism type of a graph changes with a sequence of metrics that shrink an edge to length zero. The space of marked metric structures obtained in this case is Culler and Vogtmann’s Outer space [@CulVog86], which is stratified by manifold subspaces corresponding to the different homeomorphism types of graphs that arise. This space is not a manifold, but it is contractible and its local homotopical structure is a natural generalization of that for a manifold (cf. [@Vog90]).
One can also learn a great deal about the group by examining its actions on the Borel-Serre compactification of the symmetric space $X$ and on the spherical Tits building, which encodes the asymptotic geometry of $X$. Teichmüller space and Outer space both admit useful bordifications that are closely analogous to the Borel-Serre bordification [@Har88; @Iva87; @BesFei00]. And in place of the spherical Tits building for one has the complex of curves [@Har81] for , which has played an important role in recent advances concerning the large scale geometry of . For the moment this complex has no well-established counterpart in the context of .
These closely parallel descriptions of geometries for the three families of groups have led mathematicians to try to push the analogies further, both for the geometry and topology of the “symmetric spaces" and for purely group-theoretic properties that are most naturally proved using the geometry of the symmetric space. For example, the symmetric space for admits a natural equivariant deformation retraction onto an $n(n-1)/2$-dimensional cocompact subspace, the [*well-rounded retract*]{} [@Ash84]. Similarly, both Outer space and the Teichmüller space of a punctured or bounded orientable surface retract equivariantly onto cocompact simplicial spines [@CulVog86; @Har88]. In all these cases, the retracts have dimension equal to the virtual cohomological dimension of the relevant group. For closed surfaces, however, the question remains open:
\[spine\] Does the Teichmüller space for $S_g$ admit an equivariant deformation retraction onto a cocompact spine whose dimension is equal to $4g-5$, the virtual cohomological dimension of ?
Further questions of a similar nature are discussed in (\[BC\]).
The issues involved in using these symmetric space analogs to prove purely group theoretic properties are illustrated in the proof of the Tits alternative, which holds for all three classes of groups. A group $\Gamma$ is said to satisfy the Tits alternative if each of its subgroups either contains a non-abelian free group or else is virtually solvable. The strategy for proving this is similar in each of the three families that we are considering: inspired by Tits’s original proof for linear groups (such as ), one attempts to use a ping-pong argument on a suitable boundary at infinity of the symmetric space. This strategy ultimately succeeds but the details vary enormously between the three contexts, and in the case of they are particularly intricate ([@BesFeiHan00; @BesFeiHan97] versus [@BirLubMcC83]). One finds that this is often the case: analogies between the three classes of groups can be carried through to theorems, and the architecture of the expected proof is often a good guide, but at a more detailed level the techniques required vary in essential ways from one class to the next and can be of completely different orders of difficulty.
Let us return to problems more directly phrased in terms of the geometry of the symmetric spaces. The symmetric space for has a left-invariant metric of non-positive curvature, the geometry of which is relevant to many areas of mathematics beyond geometric group theory. Teichmüller space has two natural metrics, the Teichmüller metric and the Weyl-Petersen metric, and again the study of each is a rich subject. In contrast, the metric theory of Outer space has not been developed, and in fact there is no obvious candidate for a natural metric. Thus, the following question has been left deliberately vague:
Develop a metric theory of Outer space.
The elements of infinite order in that are diagonalizable over $\mathbb C$ act as loxodromic isometries of $X$. When $n=2$, these elements are the hyperbolic matrices; each fixes two points at infinity in $X=\mathbb H^2$, one a source and one a sink. The analogous type of element in is a pseudo-Anosov, and in it is an [*iwip*]{} (irreducible with irreducible powers). In both cases, such elements have two fixed points at infinity (i.e. in the natural boundary of the symmetric space analog), and the action of the cyclic subgroup generated by the element exhibits the north-south dynamics familiar from the action of hyperbolic matrices on the closure of the Poincaré disc [@LevLus03], [@Iva02]. In the case of this cyclic subgroup leaves invariant a unique geodesic line in Teichmüller space, i.e. pseudo-Anosov’s are axial like the semi-simple elements of infinite order in . Work of Handel and Mosher [@HanMos05] shows that in the case of [*iwips*]{} one cannot hope to have an axis in precisely the same metric sense, but leaves open the possibility that there may be a reasonable notion of “quasi-axis" for such automorphisms.
Find a useful description of a quasi-axis for an iwip acting on Outer Space, with limit set the fixed points of the iwip at infinity.
Actions of and on other spaces
================================
Some of the questions that we shall present are more naturally stated in terms of than , while some are natural for both. To avoid redundancy, we shall state only one form of each question.
Baum-Connes and Novikov conjectures {#BC}
-----------------------------------
Two famous conjectures relating topology, geometry and functional analysis are the Novikov and Baum-Connes conjectures. The Novikov conjecture for closed oriented manifolds with fundamental group $\Gamma$ says that certain [*higher signatures *]{} coming from $H^*(\Gamma;\Q)$ are homotopy invariants. It is implied by the Baum-Connes conjecture, which says that a certain [*assembly map *]{} between two $K$-theoretic objects associated to $\Gamma$ is an isomorphism. Kasparov [@Kasp88] proved the Novikov conjecture for , and Guenther, Higson and Weinberger proved it for all linear groups [@GHW05]. The Baum-Connes conjecture for is open when $n\ge 4$ (cf. [@Laff98]).
Recently Storm [@Sto05] pointed out that the Novikov conjecture for mapping class groups follows from results that have been announced by Hamenstädt [@Ham04] and Kato [@Kat00], leaving open the following:
Do mapping class groups or satisfy the Baum-Connes conjecture? Does satisfy the Novikov conjecture?
An approach to proving these conjectures is given by work of Rosenthal [@Ros05], generalizing results of Carlsson and Pedersen [@CarPed95]. A contractible space on which a group $\G$ acts properly and for which the fixed point sets of finite subgroups are contractible is called an $\underbar{E}\Gamma$. Rosenthal’s theorem says that the Baum-Connes map for $\G $ is split injective if there is a cocompact $\underbar{E}\Gamma=E$ that admits a compactification $X$, such that
1. the $\G$-action extends to $X$;
2. $X$ is metrizable;
3. $X^G$ is contractible for every finite subgroup $G$ of $\Gamma$
4. $E^G$ is dense in $X^G$ for every finite subgroup $G$ of $\Gamma$
5. compact subsets of E become small near $Y = X\smallsetminus
E$ under the $\Gamma$-action: for every compact $ K \subset E$ and every neighborhood $U\subset X$ of $y\in Y$, there exists a neighborhood $V\subset X$ of $y$ such that $\gamma K \cap V \neq\emptyset$ implies $\gamma K \subset U$.
The existence of such a space $E$ also implies the Novikov conjecture for $\Gamma$.
For the spine of Outer space mentioned in the previous section is a reasonable candidate for the required $\underbar {E}\G$, and there is a similarly defined candidate for . For mapping class groups of punctured surfaces the complex of arc systems which fill up the surface is a good candidate (note that this can be identified with a subcomplex of Outer space, as in [@HatVog96], section 5).
Does there exist a compactification of the spine of Outer space satisfying Rosenthal’s conditions? Same question for the complex of arc systems filling a punctured surface.
In all of the cases mentioned above, the candidate space $E$ has dimension equal to the virtual cohomological dimension of the group. G. Mislin [@Mis04] has constructed a cocompact $\underbar{E}G$ for the mapping class group of a closed surface, but it has much higher dimension, equal to the dimension of the Teichmüller space. This leads us to a slight variation on Question \[spine\].
Can one construct a cocompact $\underbar{E}G$ with dimension equal to the virtual cohomological dimension of the mapping class group of a closed surface?
Properties (T) and FA
---------------------
A group has Kazdhan’s Property (T) if any action of the group by isometries on a Hilbert space has fixed vectors. Kazdhan proved that has property (T) for $n\ge 3$.
For $n>3$, does have property (T)?
The corresponding question for mapping class groups is also open. If were to have Property (T), then an argument of Lubotzky and Pak [@LubPak01] would provide a conceptual explanation of the apparently-unreasonable effectiveness of certain algorithms in computer science, specifically the Product Replacement Algorithm of Leedham-Green [*[et al]{}*]{}.
If a group has Property (T) then it has Serre’s property FA: every action of the group on an $\mathbb R$-tree has a fixed point. When $n\ge 3$, has property FA, as do and , and mapping class groups in genus $\ge 3$ (see [@CulVog96]). In contrast, McCool [@McC89] has shown that ${\rm{Aut}}(F_3)$ has a subgroup of finite-index with positive first betti number, i.e. a subgroup which maps onto $\mathbb Z$. In particular this subgroup acts by translations on the line and therefore does not have property FA or (T). Since property (T) passes to finite-index subgroups, it follows that ${\rm{Aut}}(F_3)$ does not have property (T).
\[betti\] For $n>3$, does have a subgroup of finite index with positive first betti number?
Another finite-index subgroup of $Aut(F_3)$ mapping onto $\mathbb Z$ was constructed by Alex Lubotzky, and was explained to us by Andrew Casson. Regard $F_3$ as the fundamental group of a graph $R$ with one vertex. The single-edge loops provide a basis $\{a,b,c\}$ for $F_3$. Consider the 2-sheeted covering $\hat R\to R$ with fundamental group $\langle a,b,c^2,cac^{-1},cbc^{-1}
\rangle$ and let $G\subset{\rm{Aut}}(F_3)$ be the stabilizer of this subgroup. $G$ acts on $H_1(\hat R,\mathbb Q)$ leaving invariant the eigenspaces of the involution that generates the Galois group of the covering. The eigenspace corresponding to the eigenvalue $-1$ is two dimensional with basis $\{a-cac^{-1},\, b-cbc^{-1}\}$. The action of $G$ with respect to this basis gives an epimorphism $G\to{\rm{GL}}(2,\Z)$. Since ${\rm{GL}}(2,\Z)$ has a free subgroup of finite-index, we obtain a subgroup of finite index in ${\rm{Aut}}
(F_3)$ that maps onto a non-abelian free group.
One can imitate the essential features of this construction with various other finite-index subgroups of $F_n$, thus producing subgroups of finite index in that map onto ${\rm{GL}}(m,\Z)$. In each case one finds that $m\ge n-1$.
If there is a homomorphism from a subgroup of finite index in onto a subgroup of finite index in $GL(m,\Z)$, then must $m\ge n-1$?
Indeed one might ask:
If $m<n-1$ and $H\subset$ is a subgroup of finite index, then does every homomorphism $H\to{\rm{GL}}(m,\Z)$ have finite image?
Similar questions are interesting for the other groups in our families (cf. section 3). For example, If $m<n-1$ and $H\subset$ is a subgroup of finite index, then does every homomorphism $H\to{\rm{Aut}}(F_m)$ have finite image?
A positive answer to the following question would answer Question \[betti\]; a negative answer would show that does not have property (T).
For $n\ge 4$, do subgroups of finite index in have Property FA?
A promising approach to this last question breaks down because we do not know the answer to the following question.
Fix a basis for $F_n$ and let $A_{n-1}\subset
Aut(F_n)$ be the copy of $Aut(F_{n-1})$ corresponding to the first $n-1$ basis elements. Let $\phi: Aut(F_n)\to G$ be a homomorphism of groups. If $\phi(A_{n-1})$ is finite, must the image of $\phi$ be finite?
Note that the obvious analog of this question for has a positive answer and plays a role in the foundations of algebraic $K$-theory.
A different approach to establishing Property (T) was developed by Zuk [@Zuk96]. He established a combinatorial criterion on the links of vertices in a simply connected $G$-complex which, if satisfied, implies that $G$ has property (T): one must show that the smallest positive eigenvalue of the discrete Laplacian on links is sufficiently large. In addition to the $Aut(F_n)$ analog of the spine of Outer space, there are several other simply-connected complexes on which acts, and these might be used to test Zuk’s criterion. Hand-worked experiments enable one to get arbitrarily close to the critical value in Zuk’s criterion as $n\to\infty$, but it is not clear how to interpret this evidence.
Actions on CAT$(0)$ spaces
--------------------------
An $\mathbb R$-tree may be defined as a complete CAT$(0)$ space of dimension[^2] 1. Thus one might generalize property FA by asking, for each $d\in\mathbb N$, which groups must fix a point whenever they act by isometries on a complete CAT$(0)$ space of dimension $\le d$.
What is the least integer $\delta$ such that acts without a global fixed point on a complete CAT$(0)$ space of dimension $\delta$? And what is the least dimension for the mapping class group ?
The action of on the first homology of $F_n$ defines a map from ${\rm{Out}}(F_n)$ to ${\rm{GL}}(n,\mathbb Z)$ and hence an action of on the symmetric space for ${\rm{GL}}(n,\mathbb R)$, which is a complete CAT$(0)$ space of dimension $\frac1 2{n(n+1)}-1$. This action does not have a global fixed point and hence we obtain a quadratic upper bound $n(n+1)/2$ on $\delta$. On the other hand, since has property FA, $\delta\ge 2$. In fact, motivated by work of Farb on ${\rm{GL}}(n,\mathbb Z)$, Bridson [@Brid05] has shown that using a Helly-type theorem and the structure of finite subgroups in , one can obtain a lower bound on $\delta$ that grows as a linear function of $n$. Note that a lower bound of $3n-3$ on $\delta$ would imply that Outer Space did not support a complete -equivariant metric of non-positive curvature.
If $X$ is a CAT$(0)$ polyhedral complex with only finitely many isometry types of cells (e.g. a finite dimensional cube complex), then each isometry of $X$ is either elliptic (fixes a point) or hyperbolic (has an axis of translation) [@Bri99]. If $n\ge 4$ then a variation on an argument of Gersten [@Ger94] shows that in any action of on $X$, no Nielsen generator can act as a hyperbolic isometry.
If $n\ge 4$, then can act without a global fixed point on a finite-dimensional [[CAT$(0)$]{}]{} cube complex?
Linearity
---------
Formanek and Procesi [@ForPro92] proved that is not linear for $n\geq 3$ by showing that ${\rm{Aut}}(F_3)$ contains a “poison subgroup", i.e. a subgroup which has no faithful linear representation.
Since ${\rm{Aut}}(F_n)$ embeds in ${\rm{Out}}(F_{n+1})$, this settles the question of linearity for as well, except when $n=3$.
Does $\rm{Out}(F_3)$ have a faithful representation into $\rm{GL}(m,\mathbb C)$ for some $m\in\mathbb N$?
Note that braid groups are linear [@Big01] but it is unknown if mapping class groups of closed surfaces are. Brendle and Hamidi-Tehrani [@BreHam01] showed that the approach of Formanek and Procesi cannot be adapted directly to the mapping class groups. More precisely, they prove that the type of “poison subgroup" described above does not arise in mapping class groups.
The fact that the above question remains open is an indication that ${\rm{Out}}(F_3)$ can behave differently from for $n$ large; the existence of finite index subgroups mapping onto $\Z$ was another instance of this, and we shall see another in our discussion of automatic structures and isoperimetric inequalities.
Maps to and from
=================
A particularly intriguing aspect of the analogy between and the two other classes of groups is the extent to which the celebrated rigidity phenomena for lattices in higher rank semisimple groups transfer to mapping class groups and . Many of the questions in this section concern aspects of this rigidity; questions 9 to 11 should also be viewed in this light.
Bridson and Vogtmann [@BriVog03:2] showed that any homomorphism from to a group $G$ has finite image if $G$ does not contain the symmetric group $\Sigma_{n+1}$; in particular, any homomorphism ${\rm{Aut}}(F_n)\to
{\rm{Aut}}(F_{n-1})$ has image of order at most 2.
If $n\ge 4$ and $g\ge 1$, does every homomorphism from to have finite image?
By [@BriVog03:2], one cannot obtain homomorphisms with infinite image unless contains the symmetric group $\Sigma_{n+1}$. For large enough genus, you can realize any symmetric group; but the order of a finite group of symmetries is at most 84g-6, so here one needs $84g-6\geq (n+1)!$.
There are no [*injective*]{} maps from ${\rm{Aut}}(F_n)$ to mapping class groups. This follows from the result of Brendle and Hamidi-Tehrani that we quoted earlier. For certain $g$ one can construct homomorphisms ${\rm{Aut}}(F_3)\to$ with infinite image, but we do not know the minimal such $g$.
Let $\Gamma$ be an irreducible lattice in a semisimple Lie group of $\R$-rank at least 2. Does every homomorphism from $\Gamma$ to have finite image?
This is known for non-uniform lattices (see [@BriFar01]; it follows easily from the Kazdhan-Margulis finiteness theorem and the fact that solvable subgroups of are virtually abelian [@BesFeiHan04]). Farb and Masur provided a positive answer to the analogous question for maps to mapping class groups [@FarMas98]. The proof of their theorem was based on results of Kaimanovich and Masur [@KaiMas96] concerning random walks on Teichmüller space. (See [@Iva02] and, for an alternative approach, [@BesFuj02].)
Is there a theory of random walks on Outer space similar to that of Kaimanovich and Masur for Teichmüller space?
Perhaps the most promising approach to Question 17 is via bounded cohomology, following the template of Bestvina and Fujiwara’s work on subgroups of the mapping class group [@BesFuj02].
If a subgroup $G\subset$ is not virtually abelian, then is $H^2_b(G;\mathbb R)$ infinite dimensional?
If $m\ge n$ then there are obvious embeddings ${\rm{GL}}(n,\Z)\to {\rm{GL}}(m,\Z)$ and ${\rm{Aut}}(F_n)\to{\rm{Aut}}(F_m)$, but there are no obvious embeddings $\to{\rm{Out}}(F_m)$. Bogopolski and Puga [@BogPug04] have shown that, for $m = 1 + (n-1)kn$, where $k$ is an arbitrary natural number coprime to $n-1$, there is in fact an embedding, by restricting automorphisms to a suitable characteristic subgroup of $F_m$.
For which values of $m$ does embed in ${\rm{Out}}(F_m)$? What is the minimal such $m$, and is it true for all sufficiently large $m$?
Hatcher and Vogtmann [@HatVog04] showed that when $n$ sufficiently large with respect to $i$, the homology group $H_i({\rm{Out}}(F_n),\Z)$ is independent of $n$.
Is there a map $ \to{\rm{Out}}(F_m)$ that induces an isomorphism on homology in the stable range?
A number of the questions in this section and (2.2) ask whether certain quotients of or are necessarily finite. The following quotients arise naturally in this setting: define $Q(n,m)$ to be the quotient of by the normal closure of $\lambda^m$, where $\lambda$ is the Nielsen move defined on a basis $\{a_1,\dots,a_n\}$ by $a_1\mapsto a_2a_1$. (All such Nielsen moves are conjugate in , so the choice of basis does not alter the quotient.)
The image of a Nielsen move in is an elementary matrix and the quotient of by the normal subgroup generated by the $m$-th powers of the elementary matrices is the finite group ${\rm{GL}}(n,\mathbb Z/m)$. But Bridson and Vogtmann [@BriVog03:2] showed that if $m$ is sufficiently large then $Q(n,m)$ is infinite because it has a quotient that contains a copy of the free Burnside group $B(n-1,m)$. Some further information can be gained by replacing $B(n-1,m)$ with the quotients of $F_n$ considered in subsection 39.3 of A.Yu. Ol’shanskii’s book [@Ols91]. But we know very little about the groups $Q(n,m)$. For example:
For which values of $n$ and $m$ is $Q(n,m)$ infinite? Is $Q(3,5)$ infinite?
Can $Q(n,m)$ have infinitely many finite quotients? Is it residually finite?
Individual elements and mapping tori {#growth}
====================================
Individual elements $\alpha\in{\rm{GL}}(n,\mathbb Z)$ can be realized as diffeomorphisms $\hat\alpha$ of the $n$-torus, while individual elements $\psi\in$ can be realized as diffeomorphisms $\hat\psi$ of the surface $S_g$. Thus one can study $\alpha$ via the geometry of the torus bundle over $\mathbb S^1$ with holonomy $\hat\alpha$ and one can study $\psi$ via the geometry of the 3-manifold that fibres over $\mathbb S^1$ with holonomy $\hat\psi$. (In each case the manifold depends only on the conjugacy class of the element.)
The situation for and is more complicated: the natural choices of classifying space $Y=K(F_n,1)$ are finite graphs of genus $n$, and no element of infinite order $\phi\in$ is induced by the action on $\pi_1(Y)$ of a homeomorphism of $Y$. Thus the best that one can hope for in this situation is to identify a graph $Y_\phi$ that admits a homotopy equivalence inducing $\phi$ and that has additional structure well-adapted to $\phi$. One would then form the mapping torus of this homotopy equivalence to get a good classifying space for the algebraic mapping torus $F_n\rtimes_\phi\mathbb Z$.
The [*train track technology*]{} of Bestvina, Feighn and Handel [@BesHan92; @BesFeiHan00; @BesFeiHan97] is a major piece of work that derives suitable graphs $Y_\phi$ with additional structure encoding key properties of $\phi$. This results in a decomposition theory for elements of that is closely analogous to (but more complicated than) the Nielsen-Thurston theory for surface automorphisms. Many of the results mentioned in this section are premised on a detailed knowledge of this technology and one expects that a resolution of the questions will be too.
There are several natural ways to define the [*growth*]{} of an automorphism $\phi$ of a group $G$ with finite generating set $A$; in the case of free, free-abelian, and surface groups these are all asymptotically equivalent. The most easily defined growth function is $\gamma_\phi(k)$ where $\gamma_\phi(k):=\max\{d(1,\phi^k(a)\mid a\in A\}$. If $G=\Z^n$ then $\gamma_\phi(k)\simeq k^d$ for some integer $d\le n-1$, or else $\gamma_\phi(k)$ grows exponentially. If $G$ is a surface group, the Nielsen-Thurston theory shows that only bounded, linear and exponential growth can occur. If $G=F_n$ and $\phi\in{\rm{Aut}}(F_n)$ then, as in the abelian case, $\gamma_\phi(k)\simeq k^d$ for some integer $d\le n-1$ or else $\gamma_\phi(k)$ grows exponentially.
Can one detect the growth of a surface or free-group homomorphism by its action on the homology of a characteristic subgroup of finite index?
Notice that one has to pass to a subgroup of finite index in order to have any hope because automorphisms of exponential growth can act trivially on homology. A. Piggott [@Pig04] has answered the above question for free-group automorphisms of polynomial growth, and linear-growth automorphisms of surfaces are easily dealt with, but the exponential case remains open in both settings.
Finer questions concerning growth are addressed in the on-going work of Handel and Mosher [@HanMos05]. They explore, for example, the implications of the following contrast in behaviour between surface automorphisms and free-group automorphisms: in the surface case the exponential growth rate of a pseudo-Anosov automorphism is the same as that of its inverse, but this is not the case for iwip free-group automorphisms.
For mapping tori of automorphisms of free abelian groups $G=\Z^n\rtimes_\phi\Z$, the following conditions are equivalent (see [@BriGer96]): $G$ is automatic; $G$ is a CAT$(0)$ group[^3]; $G$ satisfies a quadratic isoperimetric inequality. In the case of mapping tori of surface automorphisms, all mapping tori satisfy the first and last of these conditions and one understands exactly which $S_g\rtimes\mathbb Z$ are CAT$(0)$ groups.
Brady, Bridson and Reeves [@BraBriRee05] show that there exist mapping tori of free-group automorphisms $F\rtimes\mathbb Z$ that are not automatic, and Gersten showed that some are not CAT$(0)$ groups [@Ger94]. On the other hand, many such groups do have these properties, and we have already noted that they all satisfy a quadratic isoperimetric inequality.
Classify those $\phi\in{\rm{Aut}}(F_n)$ for which $F_n\rtimes_\phi\Z$ is automatic and those for which it is [[CAT]{}]{}$(0)$.
Of central importance in trying to understand mapping tori is:
Is there an alogrithm to decide isomorphism among groups of the form $F\rtimes\mathbb Z$.
In the purest form of this question one is given the groups as finite presentations, so one has to address issues of how to find the decomposition $F\rtimes\mathbb Z$ and one has to combat the fact that this decomposition may not be unique. But the heart of any solution should be an answer to:
Is the conjugacy problem solvable in ?
Martin Lustig posted a detailed outline of a solution to this problem on his web page some years ago [@Lus99], but neither this proof nor any other has been accepted for publication. This problem is of central importance to the field and a clear, compelling solution would be of great interest. The conjugacy problem for mapping class groups was shown to be solvable by Hemion [@Hem79], and an effective algorithm for determining conjugacy, at least for pseudo-Anosov mapping classes, was given by Mosher [@Mos84]. The isomorphism problem for groups of the form $S_g\rtimes\mathbb Z$ can be viewed as a particular case of the solution to the isomorphism problem for fundamental groups of geometrizable 3-manifolds [@Sel95]. The solvability of the conjugacy problem for [[GL]{}]{}$(n,\mathbb Z)$ and of the isomorphism problem among groups of the form $\Z^n\rtimes\Z$ is classical.
Cohomology
==========
In each of the series of groups ${\{\G_n\}}$ we are considering, the $i$th homology of $\G_n$ has been shown to be independent of $n$ for $n$ sufficiently large. For this is due to Charney [@Cha79], for mapping class groups to Harer [@Har90], and for and to Hatcher and Vogtmann [@HatVog98:3; @HatVog04]. With trivial rational coefficients, the stable cohomology of was computed in the 1970’s by Borel [@Bor74], and the stable rational cohomology of the mapping class group computed by Madsen and Weiss in 2002 [@MadWei04]. The question for remains open:
What is the stable rational cohomology of ?
No non-trivial stable rational cohomology classes have been found, and the standard conjecture is that the stable rational cohomology is in fact trivial.
The exact stable range for trivial rational coefficients is known for and for mapping class groups of punctured surfaces. For the best known result is that the $i$th homology is independent of $n$ for $n>5i/4$, but the exact range is unknown:
Where precisely does the rational homology of stabilize? And for ?
Since the stable rational cohomology of mapping class groups and is non-trivial, there is a natural impulse to use these maps to try to detect cohomology in . However, a result of Igusa’s [@Igu02] shows that this does not work for : the map from to is trivial on homology in the stable range. Wahl [@Wah04] has studied the mapping class group case and shown that the map is an infinite loop space map. But the following question remains open.
Do the natural maps from the mapping class groups of non-closed surfaces to induce the zero map on stable rational homology?
In fact, there are only two known non-trivial classes in the rational homology of [@HatVog98:2; @ConVog04], both below the stable range. However, Morita [@Mor99] has defined an infinite series of cycles, by using work of Kontsevich which identifies the cohomology of with the homology of a certain infinite-dimensional Lie algebra. The first of these cycles coincides with the only previously known cohomology class, in $H_4(
{\rm{Out}}(F_4);\Q)$, and Conant and Vogtmann [@ConVog04] showed that the second also gives a non-trivial class, in $H_8({\rm{Out}}(F_6);\Q)$. Both Morita and Conant-Vogtmann also defined more general cycles, parametrized by odd-valent graphs.
Are Morita’s original cycles non-trivial in homology? Are the generalizations due to Morita and to Conant and Vogtmann non-trivial in homology?
We note that Morita has identified several conjectural relationships between his cycles and various other interesting objects, including the image of the Johnson homomorphism, the group of homology cobordism classes of homology cylinders, and the motivic Lie algebra associated to the algebraic mapping class group (see Morita’s article in this volume).
It is interesting to note that $H_8({\rm{GL}}(6,\Z);\Q)\cong
\Q$ [@ElbGanSou02]; this leads naturally to the question
Is the image of the second Morita class in $H_8({\rm{GL}}(6,\Z;\Q))$ non-trivial?
Finally, it is worth noting that some of Conant and Vogtmann’s generalizations of the Morita cycles lie in the stable range.
Generators and Relations
========================
The groups we are considering are all finitely generated. In each case, the most natural set of generators consists of a single orientation-reversing generator of order two, together with a collection of simple infinite-order special automorphisms. For , these special automorphisms are the Nielsen automorphisms, which multiply one generator of $F_n$ by another and leave the rest of the generators fixed; for these are the elementary matrices; and for mapping class groups they are Dehn twists around a small set of non-separating simple closed curves.
These generating sets have a number of important features in common. First, implicit in the description of each is a choice of generating set for the group $\F$ on which $\G$ is acting. In the case of this “basis" can be taken to consist of $2g+1$ simple closed curves representing the standard generators $a_1,b_1,a_2,b_2, \ldots,a_g,b_g,$ of $\pi_1(S_g)$ together with $z=a_2^{-1}b_{3}a_{3}b_{3}^{-1}$. In the case of and , the generating set is a basis for $F_n$ and $\Z^n$ respectively.
Note that in the cases $\G=$ or , the universal property of the underlying free objects $\F=F_n$ or $\Z^n$ ensures that $\G$ acts transitively on the set of preferred generating sets (bases). In the case $\F=\pi_1S_g$, the corresponding result is that any two collections of simple closed curves with the same pattern of intersection numbers and complementary regions are related by a homeomorphism of the surface, hence (at the level of $\pi_1$) by the action of $\G$.
If we identify $\Z^n$ with the abelianization of $F_n$ and choose bases accordingly, then the action of on the abelianization induces a homomorphism $\hbox{\Out}\to\hbox{\GL}$ that sends each Nielsen move to the corresponding elementary matrix (and hence is surjective). Correspondingly, the action on the abelianization of $\pi_1S_g$ yields a homomorphism onto the symplectic group $Sp(2g,\Z)$ sending the generators of given by Dehn twists around the $a_i$ and $b_i$ to transvections. Another common feature of these generating sets is that they all have linear growth (see section \[growth\]).
Smaller (but less transparent) generating sets exist in each case. Indeed B.H. Neumann [@Neu32] proved that (hence its quotients and ) is generated by just 2 elements when $n\ge 4$. Wajnryb [@Waj96] proved that this is also true of mapping class groups.
In each case one can also find generating sets consisting of finite order elements, and in fact by involutions. Zucca showed that can be generated by 3 involutions two of which commute [@Zuc97], and Kassabov, building on work of Farb and Brendle, showed that mapping class groups of large enough genus can be generated by 4 involutions [@Kas03].
Our groups are also all finitely presented. For , or more precisely for , there are the classical Steinberg relations, which involve commutators of the elementary matrices. For the special automorphisms ${\rm{SAut}}(F_n)$, Gersten gave a presentation in terms of corresponding commutator relations of the Nielsen generators [@Ger84]. Finite presentations of the mapping class groups are more complicated. The first was given by Hatcher and Thurston, and worked out explicitly by Wajnryb [@Waj83].
Is there a set of simple Steinberg-type relations for the mapping class group?
There is also a presentation of coming from the action of on the subcomplex of Auter space spanned by graphs of degree at most 2. This is simply-connected by [@HatVog98:3], so Brown’s method [@Bro84] can be used to write down a presentation. The vertex groups are stabilizers of marked graphs, and the edge groups are the stabilizers of pairs consisting of a marked graph and a forest in the graph. The quotient of the subcomplex modulo can be computed explicitly, and one finds that is generated by the (finite) stabilizers of seven specific marked graphs. In addition, all of the relations except two come from the natural inclusions of edge stabilizers into vertex stabilizers, i.e. either including the stabilizer of a pair (graph, forest) into the stabilizer of the graph, or into the stabilizer of the quotient of the graph modulo the forest. Thus the whole group is almost (but not quite) a pushout of these finite subgroups. In the terminology of Haefliger (see [@BriHae99], II.12), the complex of groups is not simple.
Can and be obtained as a pushout of a finite subsystem of their finite subgroups, i.e. is either the fundamental group of a developable simple complex of finite groups on a 1-connected base?
IA automorphisms
----------------
We conclude with a well-known problem about the kernel ${\rm{IA}}(n)$ of the map from ${\rm{Out}}(F_n)$ to ${\rm{GL}}(n,Z)$. The notation “IA" stands for [*identity on the abelianization*]{}; these are (outer) automorphisms of $F_n$ which are the identity on the abelianization $Z^n$ of $F_n$. Magnus showed that this kernel is finitely generated, and for $n=3$ Krstic and McCool showed that it is not finitely presentable [@KrsMcC97]. It is also known that in some dimension the homology is not finitely generated [@SmiVog87]. But that is the extent of our knowledge of basic finiteness properties.
Establish finiteness properties of the kernel ${\rm{IA}}(n)$ of the map from ${\rm{Out}}(F_n)$ to ${\rm{GL}}(n,\Z)$. In particular, determine whether ${\rm{IA}}(n)$ is finitely presentable for $n>3$.
The subgroup ${\rm{IA}}(n)$ is analogous to the Torelli subgroup of the mapping class group of a surface, which also remains quite mysterious in spite of having been extensively studied.
Automaticity and Isoperimetric Inequalities
===========================================
In the foundational text on automatic groups [@EpEtAl92], Epstein gives a detailed account of Thurston’s proof that if $n\ge 3$ then is not automatic. The argument uses the geometry of the symmetric space to obtain an exponential lower bound on the $(n-1)$-dimensional isoperimetric function of ; in particular the Dehn function of ${\rm{GL}}(3,\mathbb Z)$ is shown to be exponential.
Bridson and Vogtmann [@BriVog95], building on this last result, proved that the Dehn functions of ${\rm{Aut}}(F_3)$ and ${\rm{Out}}(F_3)$ are exponential. They also proved that for all $n\ge 3$, neither nor is biautomatic. In contrast, Mosher proved that mapping class groups are automatic [@Mosh95] and Hamenstädt [@Ham04] proved that they are biautomatic; in particular these groups have quadratic Dehn functions and satisfy a polynomial isoperimetric inequality in every dimension. Hatcher and Vogtmann [@HatVog96] obtain an exponential upper bound on the isoperimetric function of and in every dimension.
An argument sketched by Thurston and expanded upon by Gromov [@Gromov93], [@Gromov00] (cf. [@Drutu04]) indicates that the Dehn function of is quadratic when $n\ge 4$. More generally, the isoperimetric functions of should parallel those of Euclidean space in dimensions $m\le n/2$.
What are the Dehn functions of and for $n>3$?
What are the higher-dimensional isoperimetric functions of , and ?
Is automatic for $n>3$?
MRB: Mathematics. Huxley Building, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, [email protected]
KV: Mathematics Department, 555 Malott Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, [email protected]
[^1]: if $g\ge 2$ then the curvature will be negative
[^2]: topological covering dimension
[^3]: this means that $G$ acts properly and cocompactly by isometries on a CAT$(0)$ space
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Q:
Java is setting Array sequence to 0 and not recognizing specific variables
I am doing a class in Computer Programming and right now we're using Arrays. My objective is to do the following:
~ Prompt users for how many math tests they have written this year.
~ Asks the users their score on each of these math tests.
~ Place each score in an array.
~ Sort the array and give their math scores from least to greatest.
~ Calculate an average of the math scores.
My problem occurs when it just only keeps the scores at 0 and later wont recognize the testGrade int variable so it won't average them.
Here is my full code as of right now:
public static void main(String... args) throws Exception
{
for (int i = 0;i < testResults.length; i++)
{
System.out.print("Thank you, now please enter your grade on each test: ");
int testGrades = k.nextInt();
}
System.out.print("The original sequence is: \n ");
for (int i = 0;i < testResults.length; i++)
{
System.out.print(testResults [i] + ", ");
}
System.out.println();
SortEm(testResults);
System.out.print("The new sequence is : \n ");
for (int i=0; i < testResults.length; i++)
{
System.out.print (testResults[i] + ", ");
}
System.out.println();
for (int i = 0;i < testResults.length; i++)
{
System.out.println("The average of all your tests is " + (testGrades / testNum));
}
}
private static void SortEm (int [] ar)
{
int temp;
for (int i = ar.length - 1; i > 0; i--)
{
for (int j = 0; j < i; j++)
{
if (ar[j] > ar[j + 1])
{
temp = ar[j];
ar[j] = ar[j + 1];
ar[j+1] = temp;
}
}
}
}
I would really appreciate some insight on what's going on and how to fix it.
Thank you all in advance :)
My Errors after answer:
6 errors found:
File: C:\Users\herhstudent\Desktop\gg.java [line: 1]
Error: Syntax error on tokens, delete these tokens
File: C:\Users\herhstudent\Desktop\gg.java [line: 3]
Error: Syntax error on token "void", @ expected
File: C:\Users\herhstudent\Desktop\gg.java [line: 3]
Error: Syntax error on token "...", . expected
File: C:\Users\herhstudent\Desktop\gg.java [line: 3]
Error: Syntax error on token "throws", interface expected
File: C:\Users\herhstudent\Desktop\gg.java [line: 6]
Error: Syntax error on token ";", { expected after this token
File: C:\Users\herhstudent\Desktop\gg.java [line: 44]
Error: Syntax error, insert "}" to complete InterfaceBody
A:
Multiple problems here. The first is that testGrades is declared in the for-loop:
for (int i = 0;i < testResults.length; i++)
{
System.out.print("Thank you, now please enter your grade on each test: ");
int testGrades = k.nextInt();
}
This means is has a narrower scope. It is not available later. You can move it to be declared before the for-loop but that still doesn't really make sense. This variable should represent the total score and we should be progressively incrementing it, not setting it every time. I've also renamed it so it's more obvious what it's doing:
int totalScore = 0;
for (int i = 0;i < testResults.length; i++)
{
System.out.print("Thank you, now please enter your grade on each test: ");
totalScore += k.nextInt();
}
Now we need to address that you're never actually writing any values to the array. This loop now becomes:
for (int i = 0;i < testResults.length; i++)
{
System.out.print("Thank you, now please enter your grade on each test: ");
testResults[i] = k.nextInt();
totalScore += testResults[i];
}
Finally, at the end we don't need to loop to print the average. We can just do it once. We don't need the variable testNum because we can just use testResults.length as you do previously.
System.out.println("The average of all your tests is " + (totalScore / testResults.length));
The final problem you'll run into is integer division. I'll leave you to solve that on your own.
Final code:
private static int[] testResults = new int[5];
public static void main(String... args) throws Exception
{
Scanner k = new Scanner(System.in);
int testGrades = 0;
for (int i = 0;i < testResults.length; i++)
{
System.out.print("Thank you, now please enter your grade on each test: ");
testResults[i] = k.nextInt();
testGrades += testResults[i];
}
System.out.print("The original sequence is: \n ");
for (int i = 0;i < testResults.length; i++)
{
System.out.print(testResults [i] + ", ");
}
System.out.println();
SortEm(testResults);
System.out.print("The new sequence is : \n ");
for (int i=0; i < testResults.length; i++)
{
System.out.print (testResults[i] + ", ");
}
System.out.println();
System.out.println("The average of all your tests is " + (testGrades / testResults.length));
}
private static void SortEm (int [] ar)
{
int temp;
for (int i = ar.length - 1; i > 0; i--)
{
for (int j = 0; j < i; j++)
{
if (ar[j] > ar[j + 1])
{
temp = ar[j];
ar[j] = ar[j + 1];
ar[j+1] = temp;
}
}
}
}
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Prediction of protein subcellular locations by support vector machines using compositions of amino acids and amino acid pairs.
The subcellular location of a protein is closely correlated to its function. Thus, computational prediction of subcellular locations from the amino acid sequence information would help annotation and functional prediction of protein coding genes in complete genomes. We have developed a method based on support vector machines (SVMs). We considered 12 subcellular locations in eukaryotic cells: chloroplast, cytoplasm, cytoskeleton, endoplasmic reticulum, extracellular medium, Golgi apparatus, lysosome, mitochondrion, nucleus, peroxisome, plasma membrane, and vacuole. We constructed a data set of proteins with known locations from the SWISS-PROT database. A set of SVMs was trained to predict the subcellular location of a given protein based on its amino acid, amino acid pair, and gapped amino acid pair compositions. The predictors based on these different compositions were then combined using a voting scheme. Results obtained through 5-fold cross-validation tests showed an improvement in prediction accuracy over the algorithm based on the amino acid composition only. This prediction method is available via the Internet.
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Adenovirus colitis in human immunodeficiency virus infection: an underdiagnosed entity.
Adenovirus infection of the gastrointestinal tract in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients is rarely reported, probably because of a lack of familiarity of most pathologists with diagnostic criteria during routine light microscopy and possible misidentification as cytomegalovirus infection. We studied colonoscopic biopsy specimens from 135 HIV-infected patients with clinically suspected cytomegalovirus colitis during a 4.5-year period to morphologically identify the presence of adenovirus infection. Immunohistochemical staining for adenovirus was performed for confirmation on all suspected cases. Adenovirus infected cells showed characteristic amphophilic or eosinophilic nuclear inclusions, predominantly affecting the surface epithelium and characteristically involving goblet cells. Sixteen cases showed morphologic features of adenovirus infection, all confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Twelve cases also showed cytomegalovirus infection, whereas 4 showed adenovirus alone. In 10 cases, adenovirus colitis was not recognized during initial routine histopathologic diagnostic evaluation. Adenovirus inclusions also were discovered in the stomach, the duodenum, and the liver in single cases. Conclusions are as follows: (1) Adenovirus colitis has been underdiagnosed at our institution and, we suspect, in general. (2) The morphologic features and nuclear inclusions of adenovirus colitis are characteristic and can be identified reliably by routine light microscopy. (3) Adenovirus infection also may be diagnosed morphologically in extracolonic sites, such as the stomach, the small intestine, and the liver. (4) Coinfection of adenovirus with cytomegalovirus and other agents is seen frequently, but, less frequently, adenovirus may be identified as a sole pathogen.
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The #FreeTheNipple campaign is an equality movement that argues that women should be permitted to publicly expose their nipples in the same way men do. The issue has received widespread publicity through numerous high-profile names including Scout Willis, who in May staged a topless protest.
Other high-profile names to have shown support include Rihanna, Lena Dunham and Liv Tyler.
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Acoustic diffraction by a half-plane in a viscous fluid medium.
We consider the diffraction of a time-harmonic acoustic plane wave by a rigid half-plane in a viscous fluid medium. The linearized equations of viscous fluid flow and the no-slip condition on the half-plane are used to derive a pair of disjoint Wiener-Hopf equations for the fluid stresses and velocities. The Wiener-Hopf equations are solved in conjunction with a requirement that the stresses are integrable near the edge of the half-plane. Specific wave components of the scattered velocity field are given analytically. A Padé approximation to the Wiener-Hopf kernel function is used to derive numerical results that show the effect of viscosity on the velocity field in the immediate vicinity of the edge of the half-plane.
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376 P.2d 599 (1962)
SINCLAIR OIL & GAS COMPANY, Plaintiff in Error,
v.
Pink HUFFMAN, Defendant in Error.
No. 39544.
Supreme Court of Oklahoma.
November 28, 1962.
Angus A. Davidson, Ted. D. Foster, Jr., Tulsa, for plaintiff in error.
Richard S. Roberts, Wewoka, for defendant in error.
O. Gordon Oldham, Elmer W. Adams, George H. Bowen, Glenn R. Davis, Fred W. File, Cecil H. Frey, Howard H. Harris, W.W. Heard, Hawley C. Kerr, William F. Latting, William B. Nance, William C. Phelps, Warren M. Sparks, Robert J. Stanton, Phillip R. Wimbish, Tulsa, Robert E. Gill, Jr., Norton Standeven, John W. Wolfe, Oklahoma City, Cecil C. Cammack, Gentry Lee, Robert O. Mason, Lloyd G. Minter, R.M. Williams, Wm. J. Zeman, Bartlesville, Nathan Scarritt, Enid, Wayne S. Smith, Dallas, Tex., amici curiae (on rehearing).
JOHNSON, Justice.
The parties, who appear here in the same relative position as in the trial court, will be referred to herein as they appeared in said court.
In October, 1928, Robert Caesar executed an oil and gas lease covering the NE/4, NW/4, Sec. 29, T. 6N, R. 6E, Seminole County, Oklahoma. The lease was subsequently assigned to plaintiff. A test well for oil and gas was completed as an *600 oil well (hereafter referred to as "well") on the 40 acres (hereafter referred to as "land") several years ago. The well has at all times produced casinghead gas. Plaintiff has operated this well for a long period. This clause appeared in the lease:
"2nd. To pay lessor one-eighth (1/8) of the gross proceeds each year, payable quarterly, for the gas from each well where gas only is found, while the same is being used off the premises, and if used in the manufacture of gasoline a royalty of one-eighth (1/8), payable monthly at the prevailing market rate for gas; and lessor to have gas free of cost from any such well for all stoves and all inside lights in the principal dwelling on said land during the same time, by making lessor's own connection with the well at lessor's own risk and expense."
For the past several years plaintiff has operated a gas products plant in or near the oil field in which the well is located. It has gathered casinghead gas from the well and other oil wells in the area and has flowed same to its plant. Gasoline, residue gas and other properties have there been extracted. The residue gas and a small amount of gas that plaintiff acquired from other sources has been flowed back to the wells from which casinghead gas was taken for use as fuel in motors used in pumping oil. For several years preceding date of trial, the volume of residue gas returned to the well has about equaled the volume of casinghead gas produced therefrom.
In 1954 defendant acquired the surface only of a portion of the land. He at no time has owned any of the minerals underlying the land. He thereafter sold a portion of the land to Billy Raines and others. As of date of trial he owned 9½ acres of land. The well and tanks used in connection therewith are on the 9½ acres.
The defendant, shortly after acquiring title to the surface, made a connection with the residue gas line of the plaintiff and for a period of approximately four years used this gas for domestic purposes. The plaintiff first learned of this connection in 1958 and removed the same. The defendant reconnected it a number of times following removal by plaintiff. This suit was begun by plaintiff July 27, 1960, and was tried by agreement August 29, 1960. From a judgment for defendant, this appeal is prosecuted.
The basis of the trial court's judgment is summarized in the following quotations from the journal entry of judgment:
"4. THE COURT FURTHER FINDS that numerical paragraph 3 of the said oil and gas mining lease under which Sinclair is producing said property provides for a royalty to the lessor for gas from an oil well and used off the premises; however, neither said paragraph nor said contract makes provision, and is uncertain and indefinite as to the use of gas from an oil well for domestic purposes at the principal dwelling and should therefore be construed by this court.
"5. THE COURT FURTHER FINDS that the parties hereto have, by their acts and conducts, so construed and interpreted said contract to provide the principal dwelling with gas for domestic purposes from gas produced from an oil well and such action and conduct of the parties has placed, and places a practical construction upon such contract and the clause in question, which construction is controlling upon this case and the issues herein."
Two contentions are made by defendant:
1. That the lease provision is indefinite and uncertain.
2. That there are circumstances from which it ought to be inferred that some construction of the contract by the parties was implied.
We come to the first contention posed, supra. The lease provision quoted, supra, is the only contract dealing with the point in controversy. It will be noted that the first part of such paragraph dealing with the payment of royalty contains the words *601 "where gas only is found." The latter portion of the paragraph contains the provision "to have gas free of cost from any such well * * *." Does the first quotation limit the second because of the reference to "any such well"? Does it mean that free gas is to be given from a well producing only gas?
We do not believe there is anything ambiguous, uncertain or vague about the provisions of the lease. All of the pertinent language is incorporated in one paragraph, and obviously the "free gas" provision is limited to wells producing "gas only." In our judgment, no other construction is possible. Neither is the decision in Sheridan Oil Company v. Cunningham, 186 Okl. 618, 99 P.2d 497, of any help in resolving the difficulty. In that case, a twenty-year use had placed a construction upon the contract.
The gas from this well, being casinghead gas, had to be processed before being ready for domestic use. We are convinced and hold that the quoted provision from the lease did not entitle the surface owner to the use of "free gas" under the circumstances of this case.
The only cases which we have found hold that under such a lease casinghead gas is not embraced in the term "free gas."
In the case of Weaver v. Graham et al., 109 Kan. 450, 199 P. 924, the first paragraph of the syllabus reads:
"An oil and gas lease provided: `If gas be found in any well or wells first party [the lessor] is to have on demand sufficient gas for domestic purposes on said premises free; the said second party [the lessee] is to have the remainder together with all gas from oil wells.' It is held, that under this provision the lessor was not entitled to be supplied with gas otherwise than from producing gas wells that no obligation to supply him with gas arose from its being found in oil wells."
See also Hein v. Shell Oil Co., 315 Ill. App. 297, 42 N.E.2d 949.
Again, in the only authority which we have located, it is held that the limitation in the "free gas" provision that the gas must come from a well "where gas only is found" does not require the furnishing of gas from an oil well. See Cranston v. Miller, 208 Ark. 156, 185 S.W.2d 920, wherein the first and second paragraphs of the syllabus read:
"Where oil and gas lease required lessee to furnish lessor with free gas if gas came from a well where gas alone was found and gas so found was used off the premises, and well on premises produced oil primarily, did not produce gas in commercial quantities and gas produced was not used off premises, lessee was not obligated to furnish lessor with free gas.
"Where, under terms of oil and gas lease, lessor was not entitled to free gas because well did not produce gas alone or in commercial quantities, the furnishing to lessor of free gas by successive lessee as a matter of accommodation did not amount to a construction of the lease by the parties that lessor was entitled to free gas so as to estop current lessee from cutting off lessor's gas."
Admittedly, this gas was from an oil well. We are therefore of the opinion and hold that the defendant was not entitled to free gas under the facts of this case.
The contract not being ambiguous, uncertain or indefinite, it is not subject to construction by act of the parties. As said in United States v. Mann (Okl.), 10 Cir., 197 F.2d 39, in the first paragraph of the syllabus:
"Where the language of a contract is clear and unambiguous and lends itself to only one construction, extraneous evidence and circumstances, as well as the conduct of the parties with relation to the contract, are inadmissible in determining legal effect thereof."
Further, the period of time which the Hoffman connection continued after knowledge *602 by Sinclair was so short that no construction of the contract could be implied therefrom.
Judgment reversed with directions to enjoin the defendant as prayed in the petition.
WILLIAMS, C.J., BLACKBIRD, V.C.J., and HALLEY, JACKSON and IRWIN, JJ., concur.
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Q:
When using ld to link, undefined reference to '__main'
/* test.c */
void func1()
{
}
int main()
{
func1();
}
Hello, I am making kernel code using C. But I tested above code to know how to build C kernel code. Below command is what I gave to prompt. I am using MinGW on Windows 8.1.
gcc -c -m32 test.c
ld -o test -Ttext 0x00 -e _main test.o
But this error was occurred from ld.
test.o:test.c:(.text+0x7): undefined reference to `__main'
So, I tried different way. add -nostdlib and --freestanding option to gcc. But the result was same. Is __main function in CRT0 ? What should I do to solve this problem.. ?
A:
The only viable way if you're really into operating system development is by using some Unix-like OS like GNU/Linux or Mac OS X.
The following two are a must:
-ffreestanding -nostdlib -lgcc
Then things like -Wall, -Wextra, and -Werror are recommended because bugs in kernel code are extremely hard to debug.
With respect to the entry point, you usually use a linker script that you pass to ld via -T linker.ld. For example, mine (don't copy paste it!) looks as follows. It's for a higher-half kernel with support for virtual memory:
ENTRY(__start__)
OUTPUT_FORMAT(elf32-i386)
SECTIONS {
. = 0xC0100000;
.text BLOCK(4K) : AT(ADDR(.text) - 0xC0000000) {
KEEP(*(.multiboot))
KEEP(*(.boot))
*(.text)
}
.rodata ALIGN(0x1000) : AT(ADDR(.rodata) - 0xC0000000) {
*(.rodata*)
}
.data ALIGN(0x1000) : AT(ADDR(.data) - 0xC0000000) {
*(.data)
}
.bss : AT(ADDR(.bss) - 0xC0000000) {
*(COMMON)
*(.bss)
*(.stack)
}
__kend__ = .;
}
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Driver Who Killed Bobby Cann Asked Judge For His Mercedes Back
At a September 23 court hearing, Ryne San Hamel, 28, who allegedly struck and killed bicyclist Bobby Cann, 25, while drunk and speeding, requested that the state give him back his impounded Mercedes, according to victim advocate Sharon Johnson. Prior to the hearing, the summary suspension of San Hamel’s driver’s license was rescinded, Johnson said. This meant the defendant, who is accused of killing Cann while driving 50 mph on a city street with a blood-alcohol content of .127, had been legal to drive for some time before the hearing.
At the hearing, the assistant state’s attorney filed a motion to amend the conditions of San Hamel’s bond so that he cannot drive, which Judge William Hooks approved, as well as the state’s request for random drug and alcohol testing for the defendant, Johnson said. However, a request for a curfew for San Hamel was denied. Johnson speculates this was because the Hooks felt a curfew would interfere with the defendant’s job with an “online directory for nightlife and entertainment” called All You Can Drink.
The fatal crash took place on May 29 on the 1300 block of North Clybourn in Old Town. San Hamel has been charged with reckless homicide, aggravated DUI, misdemeanor DUI, reckless driving, and failure to stay in the lane.
Johnson, who works for a local advocacy organization called the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists, said about 20 Cann family supporters, mostly friends of the cyclist and Active Transportation Alliance staff, showed up for the recent hearing. “It’s obvious Bobby had a lot of friends and it really seems like he was an amazing kid,” Johnson said. Unlike the previous hearing on August 2, which drew some 55 supporters, the victim’s family did not attend. “It’s costly for them to fly in from the East Coast every month or so for hearings, so they are only coming for the most important court dates,” she said.
Although the defense is arguing that there is no reason for the state to keep San Hamel’s vehicles, Johnson said the vehicle should remain impounded as evidence and for safety reasons, since this will help ensure that he doesn’t drive. “Also, the impact of giving someone back their car after they’ve killed a family member with it can be devastating,”she said.
The next hearing will take place this Monday, October 7, at 10 a.m. at the Cook County Courthouse at 26th and California in room 301. At this hearing Hooks will determine whether or not San Hamel can get his car back, Johnson said.
On Friday, October 25, at 1 p.m., there will be a ceremony to mark the installation of an honorary street sign for Cann at Clybourn and Larrabee. Cann, who worked at Groupon, has been widely described as a safe cycling advocate. “They’re doing it because of all his efforts to promote safe biking, so that’s pretty cool,” Johnson said.
The Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists was formed in 1982 by two family members of people killed by drunk drivers. “Back then the drinking age was 21 in Illinois but it was only 18 in Wisconsin, so a lot of young people would drive up there to drink and come home drunk,” Johnson said. “They called it the Blood Border because there were so many crashes. A few years later the federal government told states that if they didn’t raise their drinking age to 21 they would lose highway funds.” Currently AAIM does advocacy work in Cook County and some of the collar counties.
Johnson herself suffered a life-changing injury due to a drunk driver. She was working as a police officer in suburban Des Plaines when she responded to a DUI crash. “I was trying to get there quick when I drove over some grass and into a ditch,” she said. “That was my last day of work. I suffered severe spinal injuries and, after multiple back surgeries, I still have a severe spinal disability.”
After a drunk driver killed a friend of Johnson’s husband in Chicago, the family of the deceased needed a victim advocate, which motivated her to apply for a position with the alliance. “My job as an advocate is to go with the family to court and help them through the process,” she said. “No one really ever gets over their child getting killed by a DUI. You just learn to survive it.”
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