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Forget the shadowy glimpse of the big G from the teaser trailer, forget the artist's rendering on this model package. Here's an actual action figure of the new Godzilla design, shown in good lighting, that reveals the King of the Monsters in full, clear detail from the top of his head to his massive toes. We've had glimpses of the new Godzilla at this year's Comic-Con, but we've yet to… Read more Read more We knew about his thick neck already, and the arms are a bit tinier than I was expecting, but I have no problems here. As long as Godzilla is 1) shooting energy beams from his mouth and 2) not burrowing through Manhattan or giving birth to Jurassic Park rip-offs, I'm down.
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Management of thyroid cancer: radioiodine ablation, "stunning," and treatment of thyroglobulin-positive, (131)I scan-negative patients. To present an overview of three controversial issues in the management of thyroid cancerradioiodine ablation, "stunning," and treatment of thyroglobulin-positive, (131)I scan-negative patients. Pertinent studies from the literature and personal experience are reviewed. Radioiodine is commonly administered after thyroidectomy to destroy residual normal thyroid cells, a procedure known as thyroid ablation. Currently, use of radioiodine for ablation has been shown to decrease the risk of recurrence, increase the sensitivity of postablation whole-body scanning with radioiodine, and increase the sensitivity of serum thyroglobulin testing. With use of conventional criteria, administration of 30,000 rad to the thyroid remnant will successfully ablate approximately 95% of remnants that are 2 g or less, but the success rate is lower in patients with larger remnants. The same degree of success can be achieved by administration of 50 mCi of (131)I. The use of larger amounts of radioiodine does not increase the number of patients with successful thyroid ablation. If recurrence is used as the endpoint, no difference has been observed between patients who were given 29 to 50 mCi and those given 50 to 100 mCi for ablation. Stunning occurs when (131)I administered for preablation imaging causes a decrease in uptake of radioiodine subsequently given for ablation. Scanning doses of 2 mCi or less have not been shown to cause stunning, but the risk increases progressively with larger amounts. Therapeutic radioiodine is being given to patients with detectable thyroglobulin but negative (131)I whole-body scans with increasing frequency. Although posttherapy scans show abnormal uptake in most cases, no available evidence indicates that these patients benefit from treatment. Radioiodine ablation after thyroidectomy decreases the risk of recurrent thyroid cancer and facilitates subsequent radioiodine treatment. Stunning can be avoided by use of a maximal scanning dose of 2 mCi. It seems reasonable to treat patients who have progressively increasing thyroglobulin levels but to continue careful observation in those with stable or decreasing thyroglobulin concentrations.
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1. Fieid of the Invention The invention relates to a system for protecting endoscopes during endoscopic surgical procedures. The invention is particularly suited to protect arthroscopes during arthroscopic surgery. Still more particularly, the invention relates to a disposable sheath adapted to shield the imaging optics at the distal tip of an arthroscope. 2. Description of the Prior Art Arthroscopic surgical procedures require the use of elongated optical viewing devices (e.g. arthroscopes) and other instruments through one or more openings or portals of the body. Very often in diagnostic and operative arthroscopic surgical procedures an arthroscope is inserted in one portal while an instrument such as a manual or powered resecting instrument is inserted in another portal. The distal ends of the arthroscope and resecting instrument are manipulated by triangulation by the surgeon to resect or otherwise treat tissue at the surgical site. The terms xe2x80x9cendoscopexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9carthroscopexe2x80x9d and the like may be used interchangeably herein. While the invention is described in terms of an arthroscope used for arthroscopic surgery, it is equally suited for endoscopic surgery in general where there is an interest in protecting the distal end of the endoscope. The terms xe2x80x9cendoscopexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cendoscopic surgeryxe2x80x9d are used herein to refer to all minimally invasive surgical procedures and associated instruments used to access internal surgical sites through natural openings or other portals in a body (human or otherwise). Such procedures may include arthroscopy, laparoscopy, hysteroscopy, etc. While a scope used in these procedures may simply have an eyecup at the proximal end to enable direct observation by a surgeon, preferably the proximal end of the scope is adapted to interface with an image forming device such as a video camera to enable the procedure to be viewed on a monitor. An arthroscope generally comprises an elongated rigid or flexible tubular shaft containing an optical (i.e. imaging) system aligned along the scope axis to transmit an image of the work site from its distal end to its proximal end. An objective lens or lens group is situated at the distal end of the scope to create an image and an ocular lens or lens group is situated at the proximal end to present the image to an observer through, for example, an interface with an image forming device such as a video camera. While the work site may be illuminated by a light source separate from the scope, preferably the arthroscope is sized to fit coaxially within a lumen of an illuminating sheath or cannula in the form of an elongated tube having open distal and proximal ends. An illuminating cannula contains fiberoptics or other illuminating light transmitting material to direct light from an input port at the proximal end of the illuminating cannula, through the wall of the cannula to its distal end. The arthroscope is concentrically assembled within the illuminating cannula so that the distal ends of both devices are in approximately the same plane and aligned either perpendicular to the concentric axes of the assembled scope and cannula or angled at some predetermined angle relative to the axes. The term xe2x80x9carthroscopexe2x80x9d is sometimes used to refer to the scope portion of the device and sometimes used to refer to both the scope and cannula. In some cases, as for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,669 (Shulz), the arthroscope and illuminating cannula are combined into a single endoscope. During endoscopic surgery, the close proximity of the distal ends of the scope and the illuminating cannula to manual or powered resection instruments inserted through another portal frequently leads to inadvertent contact and resultant damage of either the optical system or fiberoptics by the resection instrument. Damage of the arthroscope may either destroy it or seriously degrade the image quality necessitating significant repair costs. Damage to the illuminating optics in the fiberoptic cannula is not as costly as damage to the imaging optical system although damage to either component results in less than optimal system performance and unwanted repair costs. Protection of the distal end of an endoscope is available to some extent by prior art scopes which have interchangeable sheaths. As shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,493 (Sauer et al.), for example, such prior art endoscopic sheaths contain the fiberoptics as well as a prism to change the angle of view. Similar fiberoptic and lens containing (interchangeable) endoscope tips are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,747,661 (Ohkuwa) and 4,765,313 (Kumakura). While these tips are smaller than the aforementioned interchangeable sheath, they are still relatively costly. While intended to be replaceable, these sheaths and tips contain costly elements and do not efficiently protect the endoscope tip. Prior art interchangeable sheaths that include fiberoptics result in decreased fiberoptic transmission due to the inefficiency of transmission at the tip interface. Additionally sheaths that cover both the distal tip of the illuminating light path and the imaging optics produce internal reflections (of illuminating light) from the distal face of the sheath, which reflections may stray into the imaging optics and degrade the image. Prior art sheaths that have optical portions are costly if made from the type of glass which is necessary to achieve high optical performance and efficiency. Therefore, it is difficult, if not simply impractical to make such sheaths disposable. If they were made inexpensively in order to be disposable, they would suffer poor optical performance. Additionally, alignment of the sheath objective portion is difficult to achieve and, consequently, interchangeable tips must be made to tight tolerances that must be maintained to prevent image degradation due to misalignment. This also contributes to increased cost. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to produce an endoscope system which protects the optical system of an endoscope, in particular its distal end. It is a further object of this invention to provide a protection system for protecting the distal tip of an endoscope from inadvertent damage during surgical procedures. It is an additional object of this invention to provide a protection system for protecting the distal tip of an endoscope from inadvertent damage without compromising the image quality. It is also an object of this invention to provide an endoscope which may be easily repaired if damaged. It is yet another object of this invention to produce an endoscope tip protection system adaptable to a variety of endoscope viewing angles. It is still another object of this invention to produce an endoscope tip protection system which is disposable. These and other objects of this invention are embodied in an endoscope tip protection system comprising a tubular sheath having an open proximal end, a closed, optically transparent distal end and an internal bore therebetween. The endoscope has a proximal, viewing end and a distal objective end adapted to be received and selectively attached within the internal bore of the sheath. The assembled distal ends of the endoscope and the tubular sheath are adapted to be selectively received within a fiberoptic illumination cannula having an internal bore, an open proximal end and an open distal end.
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Paolo Giorza Paolo Giorza (11 November 1832 – 4 March 1914) was an Italian-Australian composer of classical music and Romantic music. He was born in Milan, son of Luigi Giorza, a painter and singer. His father prompted his musical interest. He is revered in Milan, where he wrote the song "" in 1858, performed at the Milan Carcano Theatre. The song became symbolic of Italian culture. During his lifetime, he produced and wrote many scores including various waltzes. Giorza travelled much of the world working in Venice, Vienna, London and Paris before embarking on an Australian career. In 1871 he went to Australia where he succeeded as a composer. In 1884, he became unwell and returned to Europe and success at La Scala. He died on 4 May 1914. Works Olympia Valse 1852 Cleopatra (dance) 1856 Tarantella nel ballo La giocoliera 1862 Ondina Polka, Op. 116 Blumen aus Italien, Op. 217 1870 Messe Solennelle No.3 1871 Trickett Galop (celebrating Edward Trickett, a champion Australian rower) 1877 Giulia Valse 1879 The Old Corporal Quadrille 1883 Adieu Waltz (for his departure from Australia) 1877 The Geelong Skating Rink Galop 1890 Cardellino Polka, Op. 123 Land of the Sunny South, All Hail, an Australian National anthem Scottisch, Op. 117 1879 Sydney Exhibition Cantata, with words by Henry Kendall 1882 The Bay of Sydney Waltz (La Baja di Sydney Valse) Recordings Belles of Australia Waltz (Sydney Conservatorium) The Trickett Galop 2013 Regina Coeli (Choir of St Magnus-the-Martyr) 2015 Inexplicable Splendour (Choir of St Magnus-the-Martyr) Scores References Category:1832 births Category:1914 deaths Category:Australian conductors (music) Category:Australian male composers Category:Australian composers Category:Australian poets Category:Italian emigrants to Australia
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Tutorial Of World Of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade Soundtrack (full) 2018 World of warcraft: the burning crusade original soundtrack, This official soundtrack was only released as part of the collector's edition of world of warcraft: the burning crusade and is quite rare to find today.. World of warcraft - wikipedia, World of warcraft (wow) is a m.ively multiplayer online role-playing game (mmorpg) released in 2004 by blizzard entertainment. it is the fourth released game set in the warcraft fantasy universe. world of warcraft takes place within the warcraft world of azeroth, approximately four years after the events at the conclusion of blizzard's. Amazon.com: world of warcraft: mists of pandaria, Behind-the-scenes dvd and blu-ray: learn about the creation of pandaria with this two-disc set featuring over an hour of commentary, insider interviews, and developer roundtables.. Wowwiki | fandom powered by wikia, Help, policies and guidelines. wowwiki is a wiki dedicated to cataloging blizzard entertainment's warcraft universe, including world of warcraft, covering the entire warcraft series of games, rpg reference books, strategy guides, novels and other sources.. Invincible's reins - item - world of warcraft - wowhead.com, A mount collection item. it is looted and sold on the black market. in the mount items category. added in world of warcraft: wrath of the lich king..
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Organic transistor means, in the invention, any device comprising three electrodes (source, drain, gate), and a layer of a dielectric compound separating the gate from a layer of an organic semiconductor material. Organic semiconductor means, in the invention, a compound whose mass is at least 50% based on organic compounds. A crucial point for making electronic circuits based on organic transistors is control of the threshold voltage of the transistors, i.e. the gate voltage to be applied for generating the transition between the blocked behavior of the transistor and its conducting behavior. In fact, the threshold voltage of the organic transistor is a key element for making circuits on an industrial scale. The deposition of layers of organic semiconductors on surfaces having different surface energies is in itself a significant problem. This is all the more true of the crystalline or semicrystalline organic semiconductor materials, for which crystallization is an essential factor for obtaining good performance. Kobayashi et al. in Nature Materials, Vol. 3, May 2004 p 317-322 and Wu et al. in APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS, 86, 142102 (2005) demonstrated that the use of molecular layers can make it possible to alter the threshold voltage of organic transistors based on amorphous, crystalline or semicrystalline semiconductors. This change in threshold voltage is mainly attributed to the existence of surface charges at the interface of the dielectric material/organic semiconductor material. Nevertheless, for crystalline or semicrystalline materials, an appreciable change in transistor performance is observed, in addition to the change in threshold voltage. For example, the mobility of the charge carriers varies very significantly. This is attributed to the fact that crystallization takes place differently depending on the surface energies, which vary in relation to the monomolecular layers used. In fact the molecules making up the molecular layers comprise end units which vary, and which therefore induce a different initiation of crystallization.
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Airships - Public opinion survey Airships, Blimps, Zeppelins. Apart from the Goodyear blimp over the superbowl you don't really see or hear much about these curious aircraft anymore. But some of the biggest aviation companies in the world, alongside several startups, are planning a big comeback for Airships. The following survey is to determine how much the public knows about airships and what the public opinion would be on their return. Please answer truthfully, and keep in mind that this may one day soon be your future! * Erforderlich
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Q: Como recibir un booleano de una API tengo un end point en un controller que me retorna un booleano y quiero recibirlo en un servicio en angular, debería recibirlo como un observable o solo boolean? Yo pude hacer esto pero no funciona: tieneAdjunto() : boolean { this.http .get(this.config.getConfig("host") + '/home/validate').map( res=>{ console.log(1); if( res == 'true'){ return true; } else{ return false; } }); } A: Deberías imprimir "res", para saber cual es la respuesta que te da la API igual y la respuesta ya es booleano. Igual creo que tu if está un poco de más, podrías poner solo return res; Sí ya es un booleano return res=='true'; si fuera una cadena de texto.
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Lebanese PM Hassan Diab makes a televised address to the nation on March 7, 2020, announcing that the country would default on its Eurobond debt. Lebanon cannot meet its forthcoming debt maturities, the prime minister announced on Saturday, setting the heavily indebted state on course for a sovereign default as it grapples with a major financial crisis. Advertising Read more In a televised address to the nation, Prime Minister Hassan Diab declared the suspension of a bond payment of $1.2 billion due on March 9, saying foreign currency reserves had hit dangerously low levels and were needed to meet basic needs. Diab said Lebanon's public debt had reached around 170% of gross domestic product, meaning the country was close to being the world's most heavily indebted state. "The debt has become bigger than Lebanon can bear, and bigger than the ability of the Lebanese to meet interest payments," he said. "In light of the current situation, the state cannot pay the coming maturities ... "The Lebanese state will strive to restructure its debt in line with the national interest by holding fair, well-intentioned negotiations with all lenders," he added. Lebanese PM: Lebanon cannot pay its debts 19:45 The default will mark a new phase in a crisis that has hammered the economy since October, slicing around 40% off the value of the local currency, denying savers full access to their deposits and fuelling unrest. The crisis is widely seen as the biggest risk to Lebanon's stability since the end of the 1975-90 civil war. Lebanon has a total of some $31 billion in dollar bonds that sources told Reuters on Friday the government would seek to restructure in negotiations with creditors. (REUTERS) Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe
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Understanding pathogenesis and treatment of HIV dementia: a role for magnetic resonance? HIV dementia (HIVD) is among the most common and most feared neurological complications of AIDS. In vitro studies have identified a constellation of potentially neurotoxic inflammatory and non-inflammatory pathways, one or more of which could underlie HIVD. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies can distinguish between inflammatory and non-inflammatory pathways in vivo and suggest that either or both might be active in different patients or at different times in the same patient. This could perhaps explain the variability in HIVD development, progression and response to therapy. These findings also suggest that MRI and MRS can identify patients at risk for HIVD and predict response to therapy.
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UberStudent comes as an interesting experiment. After having reviewed openSUSE 11.3 Edu-Li-f-e and mFatOS a few weeks ago, I see it this way: openSUSE Edu-Li-f-e is a great educational distribution, with tons of programs and spotless integration; mFatOS is a fairly successful Ubuntu conversion. Now, what happens if you combine the two? Can you have a great educational distribution based on Ubuntu? UberStudent is exactly that - on paper, mind, we will have to see if it can it live up to its grand promises. But the way it was designed, UberStudent is supposed to be a heavily remastered Ubuntu edition, tightly packed with every conceivable piece of educational or scientific software available to mankind. On top of that, you're expected to enjoy quality, seamless integration and usability out of the box. Today, we will see how good UberStudent really is. Fancy name, posh superlative, but is it any good? Should you bother with the extra download? Would you be better of with Ubuntu loaded high with programs? Or maybe openSUSE 11.3 is the unmistakable answer? Comparing to other remastering projects, like Ultimate Edition, Zorin and others, is UberStudent any different? Does it have a unique quality that separates it from the rest? Tested: UberStudent 1.0 Cicero. UberStudent, live session - INSAAAANE! The distribution has its own branding, with the splash screen and the login menu changed from the stock Ubuntu. So far so good. Then, you hit a simple, somewhat archaic desktop sporting a three-color-buttoned windows and an overall somber black theme. When it comes to being visually nice, UberStudent is okay, but it is definitely not the hottest potato in the town. The Wireless icon has the same annoying quality like in Zorin, which you can take care of by fiddling with the theme. Still, why does it have to an extra few pixels at the bottom, why oh why? Now, let's explore the desktop. There's quite a bit of it, to be frank. You probably need two-three hours to see it all, which is rather impressive. Now, you won't be bored or feel like someone is trying to gnukakke you with tons of unnecessary data. There's order in the chaos, and it works well. Inline search Inline desktop search is a cool feature - and you have an icon for that in the top panel. The search will look for everything, files, icons, documents, anything you can think of. Very handy, so anyone feeling out-Windows-7-ed here, don't. Applications, the list is longer than War and Peace, paperback edition mFatOS has a large number of programs. openSUSE 11.3 has a huge number of programs. UberStudent has a titanic collection of programs! It's so long that if you start using the distro and never make a single pause while browsing the available repertoire, you will die of dehydration. Let's take a few minutes (or more) and see what UberStudent offers. A handful of cellphone applications, Guake, Gnome Do, AllTray that will iconify any running application into the system tray slash notification area, VMware User Agent, although frankly, I can't say what this thing does. For instance, DocFetcher lets you browse through all your local documents, based on size and type. You can consider it a refined research, along with smart filtering, preview, tagging, and more. You also get the open-source edition of VirtualBox. X Tile lets you shuffle through your open windows and cascade them prettily across the screen. You also have Mendeley with a plugin for Firefox. There's a decent calculator app, too. Okay, moving on. Next. LyX is included. This is the first distro I know that bundled this superb LaTeX GUI editor. Browser integration is also given special focus. Zotero, Mendeley, you name it. Furthermore, take a look at the list of installed Firefox extensions. There's LyX integration, which is absolutely neat. You also have Google Gears and a ton of Zotero-related items, quite useful for resource freaks. Adblock Plus is a somewhat controversial choice. Moving on. Codecs. You can't have them legally, so why not a wrapper script? Indeed, this is what UberStudent does. It has two simple entries for free and nonfree codecs, available with a single mouse click. Hardware drivers are there, too. Get Stuff is a collection of cool applications and utilities you may want or not, with focus on connectivity and cloud. Some of these items are payware and/or will require registration, but at least you get quick access. Games, music, textbook rentals, Skype landline, student discounts, and more. Do you like to teach and present? Why not try a digital whiteboard? There you go. How about writing your resume as intended - and not sending a 100-page story or a link to a Youtube video featuring you at the age of five playing clarinet, or suchlike. Well, JobSpice is a resume builder tool that should help you make a little bit less of a fool of yourself the first three-four times you try to earn bread. Think we're done here? Oh, no. We've just started. Take a break now, then resume reading this review. Okay, now, what else? Well, if you love GIMP, you'll appreciate the fact UberStudent packs a ton of documentation. This is something often missing from many other distributions; the program is there, but no help or examples. Do you like games? Or designing icons? No problem. UberStudent packs djl, the superb program that lets you download hundreds of games at the tip of your fingers, as I've shown you in my Install a million games in one click! article. Don't forget the favicon utility, either. Cloud stuff ... tons of it. Just look at the list. Crazy. Truth to be told, many of the entries merely point to the homepage of the service vendor, but it's a pointer you don't often see elsewhere. Strong Google integration. Now, some of it does not work. A few links are dead or broken. There's Skype, Google Chrome, FileZilla, KompoZer, Google Earth, and live radio streaming. Strangely, no Marble, but this seems to be more of a KDE domain, in the hands of openSUSE. By now, you're shaking, your eyes are running with tears and the pixels are melting. It's okay. We don't have that much longer to go, only a few dozen apps more. Deluge for torrenting, PlayOnLinux as a Wine port, Remastersys for backup, SpiderOak online backup service, Winetricks, Ailurus, which we have also seen in mFatOS for heavy system tweaking, and more and more and more and more. You want Docky, there's Docky too! Do you like PDF editing, try PDFescape: Remember, we've only begun testing the live session. If UberStudent were mechanized armor, it would be all of thirty-four Soviet divisions in Europe running over Berlin. To be frank, the collection is overwhelming, but it's not obnoxious or suffocating. The stuff is arranged in a smart manner, allowing usability first, panic later. System menu It has been reconfigured, with functions split according to their use rather than just generically dumped into administration and preferences. It's all there, now more easily accessible. Other stuff - Wireless, Bluetooth, Samba sharing No problems here, everything worked. We'll examine multimedia later, to leave some meat for the dessert. Even so, this sub-section is tremendously long. Well, now we should install this thing. So far, I'm rather pleased. Not the most beautiful, a few glitches and errors with some of the programs included, but definitely one of the better organized distributions with a stunning arsenal of tools. Installation Ubuntu it is - but with one big exception. Ubuntu branding has been replaced with UberStudent branding, including the slideshow. This is a good thing, on par with Mint work, and shows the effort introduced. There's one thing that bothered me, though. UberStudent says it's based on Debian and Ubuntu. Other references point to the former, others yet to the latter. Me is confused. Well, we will unravel the mystery in a moment. Wait, GRUB reads Ubuntu! Hmm. Post-install fun Okay, here's the booted system. Looks just like before. But with a bit of attention and style, you can make it far more exciting than it is by default. Luckily, a selection of decent wallpapers is available. Multimedia Not sure why there's an option to install codecs, when they are already installed. Flash, video, music all work fabulously in every one of the installed media programs. For example, there's a lovely video of me crashing a car into a post. Recorded in FRAPS in Windows with DirectShow, plays in Miro, no hiccups. If interested, you can see it in detail in my glorious Live for Speed game review and check the Youtube clip, as well. System usage Unlike most 32-bit Ubuntu editions, UberStudent is hungry for RAM. It consumes 400MB on empty stomach, approx. 150MB more than stock Ubuntu, due to extra services, plugins and stuff running. Not much in absolute numbers, but it's a 60% increase. UberStudent likes to eat disk space, too. It's definitely not the leanest distro. It takes about 6.6GB to install, approx. twice more than stock Ubuntu. Not that bad, again, in actual numbers, less than Windows 7, for instance, but it's 200% more. System stability, performance, suspend & resume No issues here. Like Wireless, Bluetooth and the rest of the daily stuff, it's almost safe to assume we can take these for granted in a typical, modern Linux distro. Now, is UberStudent worth the hassle? I'll try to answer that in my usual long and convoluted way. First, Ubuntu or Debian? Good question, we've seen references here and there. Ubuntu is based on Debian, so we have cyclic heritage here, with UberStudent being a (De)2Ub:Gnome molecule. Damn, I just invented something new and cool. Begs its own humor article or references all over the Web, glorifying my invention. Feel free to share. UberStudent = (De)2Ub:Gnome Now, Ubuntu or Debian. Ah, let me answer that. Under the hood, lurks a cat UberStudent is Ubuntu. Not Debian. Let me show you. Just grab the Macbuntu script and let it do its magic. Within minutes, you will have a total Ubuntu conversion, from whatever looks it had to a Mac-like hobnobby bling-bling. Works for Lucid Lynx, hence the cat analogy, works for UberStudent. A few glorified screenshots, completely unnecessary, except to show off some of the pretty pictures I took while fiddling with UberStudent. In fact, you may want to do this, cause it's 1) prettier 2) the Wireless icon looks normal! Again, I must ask: why? Do you really need to bother? Can't you just download everything and that's it? Well, for most people, the task of integrating a couple of hundred programs, plus plugins, codecs, themes, associated documentation, and all the extras, is not a trivial task. In fact, few have the skill or the patience to do that. However, there's no denying the useful practicality of the distribution. It is rich with goodies that pretty much anyone can use, despite the focus on education, science and research. UberStudent does a very good job of pulling it all together. Its biggest advantage is the choice of programs, smartly selected and combined and stitched into the fabric of the operating system, without feeling like the pikey camp in Snatch. So the final answer is: yes. Problems, and some pretty big ones too, I'm afraid! Not all is rosy, though. Some issues remain. For example, launching Nautilus throws an Ardesia error, whatever that is. And there's a leftover file in the Music folder, forgotten in the remastering process. Dedoimedo good, QA bad! Internet links & spelling errors Some open in Chrome, others in Firefox. Why's that? There's a reason why it's called a default browser after all. Then, some links are dead. Others yet include spelling errors in the menu descriptions. Remember the Milk!, which sits under Self-Management, Time and Tasks, describes itself as a self-oranization software. Naughty! That's bad management. Dedoimedo versus UberStudent QA, 2:0. Dagnabit. Text files associated with OpenOffice Why? Isn't it easier to use, say, text editor for that, rather than going through ASCII conversion in OpenOffice? The one big problem - network speed! For some reason, UberStudent has a misconfigured network. On my 12MB line, I could not get more than 1-1.3MB top, no matter what I did or try. I have no idea which underlying component has been abused, and did not try to solve, frankly. But this is a real show stopper. No distro has ever pulled such a trick on me. All of them worked well and manage the full throughput on default network settings. This is a big one, really. It is possible that no one has tampered with the TCP/IP settings, but then, it could be something related to drivers, some of the extra tweaks used, or even maybe the remastering options. Developers, read this and respond! And my review endeth here. Conclusion UberStudent is a very good distro - except the networking issue part. But let's forget that one for a moment. Very decent integration, almost as smooth as Edu-Li-f-e. A superb selection of program, probably the best when it comes to serious work, nicely compensating the more fun and intermediate collection in openSUSE 11.3. Probably the best Ubuntu remastering project I've seen so far, save Linux Mint. Worth the effort, including all the extras that you don't see anywhere else, like all sorts of plugins, documentation, LyX, and such. Really good work. In fact, fantastic and delicious. A few glitches here and there, but nothing significant. And now, let's focus on the networking throughput problem once more. That's a bad one. Spoils everything. I hope it can be fixed quickly. And I'm not saying this as some sort of a nooblet, I'm saying this as someone who pisses little desktop cubes after breakfast, that's how much Linux I drink. It is quite possible you won't experience any network issue - or won't notice it. In that case, UberStudent is ideal for you, especially since you can Ubuntufy it any which way you like, including Mac looks. And then, it becomes the distro you want but don't wish to spend the extra 24-26 hours tweaking. However, if you do suffer from it, then you might go the other way around, take Ubuntu and work on making it smarter. Overall, 9/10, with no networking thingie included. Better QA is required, including various errors, browser link opening consistency and a few extra issues there and then, but these are expected, and are not that many considering the scope and complexity of the project. The networking bug takes whole five points off the scale, down to 4/10. Shame really, otherwise, it's an extremely useful, well-packaged product. Many thanks to Tin, who first suggested the distro. Since, I had some twenty people ask for the review, so I can't thank them all here, but their recommendation is much appreciated. Next week, we will check out Maverick Meerkat! Cheers. Update: The lead developer, Stephen Ewen, of the distribution has contacted me and informed me that I may have inadvertently downloaded a pre-release edition, although I've used the official download channels, so this could explain some of the issues. I cannot ascertain this, since I have not tested UberStudent since, so it's you call, dear readers.
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Brigitta Brigitta is a novella by the Austrian author Adalbert Stifter. The novella opens with a discussion on inner beauty, which remains a strong theme throughout the novella. Plot summary The first person narrator, a German-speaking man, is sent a letter by a man called the Major who asks the narrator to visit him for a while in Hungary. He invites him to perhaps stay for months or years. The narrator accepts this invitation and wanders for a while through Hungary in order to gain some insight into the land. The two men had gotten to know each other during a trip in Italy and were, for a time, inseparable. The narrator meets a woman dressed as a man and riding astride a horse, and he first mistakes her for the Major himself. The woman, Brigitta, guides him to the home of the Major. After their reunion, the Major shows the narrator around his land and the narrator becomes familiar with his surroundings. The Major is beloved by the people working his land and has a greenhouse in which he grows and sells various grains. He also has vines and cornfields. In Hungary, the Major finally accomplished his goal of finding fulfilling work. The Major tells the narrator that he had considered becoming an artist, but that he lacks the large and simple heart needed to inspire humanity with deep and penetrating words. The Major therefore satisfies himself with practical work. The Major was inspired to do his work on the land by a woman named Brigitta Maroshely, who had begun turning the previously barren landscape in that part of Hungary into something fruitful. The narrator finally is introduced to this energetic and capable woman himself after hearing about her from the Major. The Major spoke of Brigitta with the highest praises. The narrator notices that the Major and Brigitta act almost as if they were in love. This is unremarkable at first, but becomes more and more noticeable as the story progresses. Brigitta’s life story is thrown into the overall story as its own chapter in order to provide background and to make this remarkable woman more understandable. Brigitta lived with her family in a castle, but she more or less lived in her own apartment, isolated from the rest of the family. The development of Brigitta’s strong character is a result of almost complete lack of physical beauty. Brigitta grew up with two lovely younger sisters. As children, Brigitta was ignored by guests, who would always just ask how her more attractive sisters were doing. Brigitta was never noticed by anyone and played by herself most of the time, rejecting pretty dolls and bringing bits of wood and stones into bed with her. Brigitta was, however, clever and learned to ride. The beauty of her sisters attracted much attention when the girls grew older. Brigitta, on the other hand, was just strong and silent. She made her own plain dresses and strange headpieces for herself. A young man, recently returned from travels to the town of his birth, called Stephan Murai, came to one of the family’s social parties. This man was rumored to be one of the finest men that people had ever seen. The parents of Brigitta hoped to attract him to one of the two pretty sisters. Surprisingly, the handsome young man was fascinated by Brigitta and her ways. Murai fell in love with her. It takes Brigitta a long time to be convinced of Murai’s love and tells him it will only lead him to his downfall. She is eventually convinced and loves him immeasurably. They marry with the approval of both sets of parents and bear a son. During his work of the land, Murai meets the beautiful young daughter of a man from the area. They flirt, race horses and joke together and Murai feels drawn to her beauty and light manner. She is quite the opposite of Brigitta. One day Murai lets his feelings out and heartily embraces the young woman. The relationship between the girl and Murai ends after the embrace, but Brigitta had some idea of Murai’s fascination for the girl and confronts him. He clasps both of Brigitta’s hands and tells her that he hates her. Murai leaves and Brigitta must raise her son alone. Brigitta migrates to the region in which the story takes place and starts working the land with her son. Once as Brigitta lay sick with fever in bed, the Major came and cared for her during her illness. He stayed day and night by her bedside. Since that time, the Major and Brigitta experienced a true friendship. Often discussed are the Major’s watchdogs that are supposed to protect his houses from wolves. After a hard winter, the wolves begin to hunt people. During a ride one night, the narrator and the major come across a pack of wolves attacking Gustav, Brigitta’s son. Gustav is bitten in the leg and loses much blood. The Major brings Gustav back to his house and calls for a doctor and for Brigitta. The doctor says that Gustav will be fine, but in a fever for several days. Brigitta stays by her son’s bedside in the Major’s house. The Major, observing the love of Brigitta for her son, begins to weep. The Major tells the narrator that he had always wished to have a son himself. Brigitta overhears, looks at the Major, and they suddenly embrace passionately. The narrator learns that the Major is actually Stephan Murai. After running away from Brigitta, he could not forget about her and could never really think about another woman. He went to Hungary, where Brigitta was living and finds her feverish. She recognizes him as the father of her son when her illness is cured, and they promise to remain just friends. Tense feeling of more than friendship lurked under the surface for many years. When Brigitta’s son is ill, the Major’s heartfelt emotion breaks the treaty of friendship between Brigitta and the Major. Brigitta says that he has finally become a good person and they embrace, verifying the complete fulfillment of their love. All the while, the narrator stands somewhat awkwardly by (as he has for much of the story). He stays with the newly reunited family for the entire winter in Hungary and becomes almost a member of the family himself. At the end, the narrator returns to his fatherland. Category:1844 books Category:Works by Adalbert Stifter Category:Hungary in fiction Category:Austrian novellas
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I was reading the Los Angeles Times earlier and came across an article about Gary Locke’s nomination as ambassador to China and the feelings of the Chinese toward a Chinese American like Locke. It struck a nerve with me and got me thinking: Do Asians — in Asia — hate Asian Americans? The article, “Ambassador nominee raises strong emotions in China,” by Barbara Demick of the Los Angeles Times states: But a deep antagonism is evident in a profusion of less-than-diplomatic commentary on the Internet, a venue where Chinese feel free to vent. “A fake foreign devil who cannot even speak Chinese,” wrote one anonymous contributor to an Internet forum on public affairs. “I don’t like this guy who has forgotten his ancestors,” wrote someone in Dalian on a popular news site, and someone in Sichuan piped in, “If he wanted to be Chinese, he wouldn’t live in America.” Some Chinese call the 61-year-old Commerce secretary a “traitor” and resort to ethnic slurs to disparage his being born and raised in the United States. As a Japanese American, I get this. I’ve never felt welcome in Japan. I remember going there as a child and hoping they’d accept me but finding out rather quickly that they did not. The surprise turned out to be the disdain they felt toward me – as though I were somehow less than them. Surprisingly, many of the non-Japanese tourists were actually treated better than me! Is it a language thing? Is it because Asians think Asian Americans somehow sold out (our people, history, culture)? In response to the former, even if we are proficient at our ancestor’s language, it could never be on par with those who still live there. Personally, I had a speech impediment as a child and was not allowed to learn Japanese until I learned English! The last time I was in Japan, a person shook her head at me and said that my Japanese was “bad” and “what a shame it was.” She never bothered to ask why I couldn’t speak. In response to the later question, as much as we want or try, we are American. When going back to Japan, it is very clear that I usually share more in common with Caucasians from America than I do with the Japanese living in Japan – other than of course the way we look. I don’t think it is a matter of selling out or losing my culture but just the reality of living in America all my life. However, what people from Asia don’t see is that many Asians who live in America have created a unique culture that reflects the reality of who they are: part Asian and part American. An easy example of this is eating rice at Thanksgiving or Spam musubi in the Japanese American community. Maybe what hurts most about this is that a part of me wants acceptance from the people where my ancestors came from, but this could only come when they accept that we are not and cannot be like them. We are different but similar. This is neither a good thing nor a bad thing. It is just the reality of the way things are. At the OP: You are not alone. I've heard this same story from many of my asian friends after visiting the country of their ethnic origin. One friend of mine of American-Malaysian descent experienced this in Japan when people would hear his American accent and assume he was Japanese-American. He thought it was funny how they would change their attitude when he let them know his ethnicity was actually Malaysian. It became like a game for him during his stay there. It is very unfair and stupid that someone would be considered a "traitor" just for being born in a different country. It's not like they had any choice in the matter. However, there are stupid people everywhere. This form of racism is especially stupid IMO. Culture. That's all there is to it. Foreigners are foreigners, you weren't born and raised there, so you won't be viewed as one of them. Have you seen the way people all over the world view Americans? There's no way you can expect to be treated like one of them in a place like Japan coming from here. Hate? Maybe some do. But I guess it's rather this distrust towards foreigners that prevails in general, unless they've got a shitload of cash hanging out of their back pocket, foreigners are viewed as 'intruders' -- a natural first reaction. It's kind of unrealistic to think that sharing the same typical physiognomical features of an ethnicum makes you into one of 'them'. The discrepance becomes even bigger when it turns out that you don't even master the tongue. Now that would even repel the French. *cough* But when you look, walk, and talk like one of them, and on top of that are financially well off then your chances of getting integrated are a lot bigger. As a matter of fact, it's not just an East of West issue, but also a South of North issue, more precisely, the African continent has so many ethnic groups and they do actually recognise who is from what group -- and then you got Black Americans who come back from there very disappointed as they found out that their ancestral country isn't emitting those 'home' vibes they thought it would. Well if u dont wanna feel like a freak u gotta adapt....regardless of your silly beliefs....its a matter of social comfort...... no matter how much we wanna hate on Americans....they are the ones that have made the biggest effort to embrace every culture of the world ....... luckily for me i'm not American so i just worry about dealing wit 1 or 2 ethnicitys Oh, I almost started to laugh when my eyes reached 'cosmopolitan'. I guess US efforts such as invading places and destroying lives at random makes the whole American dream and propaganda about freedom, and equal rights not only a total laughingstock, but also very uncosmopolitan. Oh, I almost started to laugh when my eyes reached 'cosmopolitan'. I guess US efforts such as invading places and destroying lives at random makes the whole American dream and propaganda about freedom, and equal rights not only a total laughingstock, but also very uncosmopolitan.
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A former Google executive has said the company is so focused on advertising and its increasing rivalry with Facebook that the search company is going off track. James Whittaker, who for nearly three years was an engineering director at Google until he left to work at Microsoft last month, lashed into Google CEO Larry Page and what he called the "new Google" in a lengthy post on Microsoft's blog. Whittaker said he used to love working at Google and was an enthusiastic evangelist for the company. That all changed, he said, when the company stopped focusing on innovation and technology and turned to capturing advertising and going after the world's biggest social network, Facebook. Google changed so much after Page took over the company's reins from former CEO Eric Schmidt last year that he said his last three months at Google were a "whirlwind of desperation." Google did not respond to a request for comment by deadline. Ad Rivalry Increased Whittaker said he realizes that Google always has been an advertising company but under Schmidt's leadership, employees were focused on innovation and were lauded for developing new technologies. "From this innovation machine came strategically important products like Gmail and Chrome, products that were the result of entrepreneurship at the lowest levels of the company," he wrote in his blog post. "Maybe the engineers who actually worked on ads felt it, but the rest of us were convinced that Google was a technology company first and foremost..." Then Google executives realized that they had missed the opportunity on social networking. They saw that Facebook had an enormous user base and had become a major competitor for online advertising, Whittaker wrote. "Larry Page himself assumed command to right this wrong," wrote Whittaker. "Social became state-owned, a corporate mandate called Google+. It was an ominous name invoking the feeling that Google alone wasn't enough. Search had to be social. Android had to be social. You Tube, once joyous in their independence, had to be ... well, you get the point." He added that suddenly all innovation had to be focused on social. "Ideas that failed to put Google+ at the center of the universe were a distraction," Whittaker said. Page's Priority It's not surprising to hear that Google is so focused on making all of the company's products and services connect with Google+. Page made that strategy clear last fall when he said he wanted to use Google+ to change the entire company. "Our ultimate ambition is to transform the overall Google experience, making it beautifully simple, almost automagical, because we understand what you want and can deliver it instantly," Page said last October. "This means baking identity and sharing into all of our products so that we build a real relationship with our users." According to Whittaker's blog, this plan wasn't a positive shift for the company. "I think [Whittaker] is saying that the Google he knew was one that drove hard to develop innovative new products for the sake of serving users," said Dan Olds, an analyst with The Gabriel Consulting Group. "The old Google just tried to push out cool new things for users, and the advertising riches followed. This new Google seems to be trying to channel its efforts to satisfying advertiser, not user, needs. I'd argue that this approach will be less successful over the long term." He added that Google's obsession with Facebook isn't healthy for the company. "Google has to get used to the idea that they can't be everything to everyone," said Olds. "They can't have all the toys in the store." This isn't the first time that a Google executive has publicly aired his grievances with the company. Last fall, Steve Yegge, a Google software engineer, accidentally posted a long rant publicly on Google+, slamming Google and calling the company's new social network a "pathetic afterthought." Sharon Gaudin covers the Internet and Web 2.0, emerging technologies, and desktop and laptop chips for Computerworld. Follow Sharon on Twitter at @sgaudin, on Google+ or subscribe to Sharon's RSS feed. Her email address is [email protected].
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Q: Is this an example of logarithmic time complexity? It is commonly said that an algorithm with a logarithmic time complexity O(log n) is one where doubling the inputs does not necessarily double the amount of work that is required. And often times, search algorithms are given as an example of algorithms with logarithmic complexity. With this in mind, let’s say I have an function that takes an array of strings as the first argument, as well as an individual string as the second argument, and returns the index of the string within the array: function getArrayItemIndex(array, str) { let i = 0 for(let item of array) { if(item === str) { return i } i++ } } And lets say that this function is called as follows: getArrayItemIndex(['John', 'Jack', 'James', 'Jason'], 'Jack') In this instance, the function will not end up stepping through the entire array before it returns the index of 1. And similarly, if we were to double the items in the array so that it ends up being called as follows: getArrayItemIndex( [ 'John', 'Jack', 'James', 'Jason', 'Jerome', 'Jameson', 'Jamar', 'Jabar' ], 'John' ) ...then doubling the items in the array would not have necessarily caused the running time of the function to double, seeing that it would have broken out of the loop and returned after the very first iteration. Because of this, is it then accurate to say that the getArrayItemIndex function has a logarithmic time complexity? A: Not quite. What you have here is Linear Search. Its worst-ccase performance is Theta(n) since it has to check all the elements if the search target isn't in the list. What you have discovered is that its best-case performance is Theta(1) since the algorithm only has to run a few checks if you get lucky. Binary search on pre-sorted arrays is an example of an O(log n) worst-case algorithm (the best case is still O(1)). It works like this: Check the middle element. If it matches, return. Otherwise, if the element is too big, perform binary search on the first half of the array. If it's too big, perform binary search on the second half. Continue until you find the target or you run out of new elements to check. In Binary Search, we never look at all the elements. That is the difference.
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package goose import ( "database/sql" ) // Version prints the current version of the database. func Version(db *sql.DB, dir string) error { current, err := GetDBVersion(db) if err != nil { return err } log.Printf("goose: version %v\n", current) return nil } var tableName = "goose_db_version" // TableName returns goose db version table name func TableName() string { return tableName } // SetTableName set goose db version table name func SetTableName(n string) { tableName = n }
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Guidelines in Emergency Medicine Network (GEMNet): guideline for the use of thromboprophylaxis in ambulatory trauma patients requiring temporary limb immobilisation. The Guidelines in Emergency Medicine Network (GEMNet) has been created to promote best medical practice in a range of conditions presenting to emergency departments (EDs) in the UK. This guideline presents a summary of the best available evidence to guide the use of thromboprophylaxis in adult ambulatory outpatients who present to the ED following acute limb trauma and require temporary immobilisation. The document has been developed following discussion among emergency physicians and collegiate fellows to decide which topics would benefit from the development of clinical guidelines. The document is intended as a guideline for use in the ED by emergency physicians and is based on the review of the best existing evidence for treatments used in this setting. The document is summarised as a Clinical Decision Support Guideline that has been presented as an easy to follow algorithm. The intention is for each guideline to be updated and reviewed as further evidence becomes available. The formal revision date has been set at 5 years from publication, though the guideline is subject to continuous informal review.
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Q: Calculate $\sum^{\infty}_{n=1}n^2x^{n-1}$ I have some struggles with this exercise. I need to find out $$\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} n^2x^{n-1}$$ I know that the answer is $\frac{1+x}{(x-1)^3} $ when $|x|<1$ $ $. And I need to solve it by using integration and derivatives. But when I do so I get the answer $\frac{1}{1-x}$... A: Hint: $$ \sum_{n=1}^\infty n^2x^{n-1}=x\sum_{n=1}^\infty n(n-1)x^{n-2}+\sum_{n=1}^\infty nx^{n-1} $$
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Q: Rails inherited resources usage I'm using Inherited Resources for my Rails 2.3 web service app. It's a great library which is part of Rails 3. I'm trying to figure out the best practice for outputting the result. class Api::ItemsController < InheritedResources::Base respond_to :xml, :json def create @error = nil @error = not_authorized if !@user @error = not_enough_data("item") if params[:item].nil? @item = Item.new(params[:item]) @item.user_id = @user.id if [email protected] @error = validation_error(@item.errors) end if [email protected]? respond_with(@error) else respond_with(@swarm) end end end It works well when the request is successful. However, when there's any error, I get a "Template is missing" error. @error is basically a hash of message and status, e.g. {:message => "Not authorized", :status => 401}. It seems respond_with only calls to_xml or to_json with the particular model the controller is associated with. What is an elegant way to handle this? I want to avoid creating a template file for each action and each format (create.xml.erb and create.json.erb in this case) Basically I want: /create.json [POST] => {"name": "my name", "id":1} # when successful /create.json [POST] => {"message" => "Not authorized", "status" => 401} # when not authorized Thanks in advance. A: Few things before we start: First off. This is Ruby. You know there's an unless command. You can stop doing if ! Also, you don't have to do the double negative of if !*.nil? – Do if *.present? You do not need to initiate a variable by making it nil. Unless you are setting it in a before_chain, which you would just be overwriting it in future calls anyway. What you will want to do is use the render :json method. Check the API but it looks something like this: render :json => { :success => true, :user => @user.to_json(:only => [:name]) }
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CBS News commentator Bob Schieffer (after forgetting speaker Scott Baio’s name) wondered at the whiteness of the crowd at the Republican National Convention. He was then informed that the ratio of white to black delegates at this year’s RNC is the lowest at a convention since the GOP nominated Barry Goldwater in 1964. "I did not see any of these people at the Academy Awards," CBS commentator Bob Schieffer on the B-list actors speaking at #RNCinCLE — Mark Sullivan (@thesullivan) July 19, 2016
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import { computed } from '@ember/object'; import safeComputed from '../../computed/safe-computed'; import Base from './-base'; export default class FlightComment extends Base { @safeComputed( 'account.user', 'event.flight', (accountUser, flight) => accountUser.id === flight.pilot_id || accountUser.id === flight.copilot_id, ) accountUserIsPilot; @computed('accountUserIsActor', 'accountUserIsPilot') get translationKey() { let i = 1; if (this.accountUserIsActor) { i += 1; } if (this.accountUserIsPilot) { i += 2; } return `timeline-events.flight-comment.message${i}`; } }
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Seniors Who Reach Medicare’s ‘Doughnut Hole’ Decrease Their Use of Prescribed Medications PITTSBURGH, February 3, 2009 — Beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Part D who reached a gap in health care coverage known as the “doughnut hole” were much less likely to use prescription drugs than those with an employer-based plan, according to a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health study. The findings, published in the Feb. 3 online issue of Health Affairs, raise concerns about health consequences and increased costs from hospitalizations and physician visits that may arise from lack of coverage. To protect seniors, the authors suggest a change in policy that would mandate the coverage of generic drugs in the doughnut hole through a modest increase in initial prescription co-pays. Medicare Part D, which offers prescription drug coverage for Medicare beneficiaries, took effect in January 2006. A controversial aspect of its design is the doughnut hole, a gap in coverage of prescription drugs that in 2006 occurred when annual individual drug expenditures reached $2,250. The purpose of the annual spending cap is to keep the cost of the program within federally approved limits. Since its inception, “there have been few studies to tell us what happens to beneficiaries once they enter the doughnut hole,” said the study’s lead author, Yuting Zhang, Ph.D., assistant professor of health economics at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. Dr. Zhang and colleagues compared two groups of senior citizens with Medicare drug coverage provided by a large Pennsylvania insurer in 2006. One group was covered through more generous employer-sponsored plans with full coverage in the doughnut hole and the other was covered through Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans (MA-PD) with either no doughnut hole drug coverage or generic coverage only. They found that one in four (25 percent) of Pennsylvanians enrolled in an MA-PD reached the doughnut hole, but only one in 20 (5 percent) of that subset of individuals went on to reach the catastrophic phase of coverage – when annual drug spending reached $5,100 and Part D coverage of drugs resumed. In addition, Medicare beneficiaries who lacked coverage in the doughnut hole reduced their monthly prescriptions by 14 percent per month once they entered the doughnut hole. Those with generic coverage in the doughnut hole decreased their monthly prescriptions by only 3 percent, and those who were enrolled in employer-based plans had no changes in monthly prescriptions when they reached the doughnut hole spending level. The study also found that Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes were more likely to reach the doughnut hole than those with hypertension, and they reached it sooner. Those with more than one chronic illness also were much more likely to reach the doughnut hole – 34 percent with both hypertension and diabetes reached it, and 61 percent of those with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, congestive heart failure and diabetes did so. “Our findings raise concerns about whether people with chronic illnesses who lack doughnut hole coverage are able to effectively manage their conditions,” said Dr. Zhang. “Without needed prescriptions, we could potentially see an increase in hospital and physician costs.” To fill the gap, Dr. Zhang and colleagues suggest mandating the coverage of generic drugs in the doughnut hole and off-setting government costs by allowing plans to assess larger co-pays on prescription drugs prior to entering the doughnut hole. Increasing the current initial 25 percent co-pay by 6 to 9 percentage points, they suggest, would finance generic drug coverage in the doughnut hole with up to $10 co-pay for each monthly prescription, thus providing needed protection to seniors who would otherwise face a gap in coverage. Co-authors of the study include senior author Judith Lave, Ph.D., and Julie Donohue, Ph.D., with the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health; and Joseph P. Newhouse, Ph.D., with Harvard University The study was funded in part by a grant to Dr. Donohue from the National Institutes of Health and a grant to Dr. Newhouse from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Founded in 1948 and fully accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health, GSPH is world-renowned for contributions that have influenced public health practices and medical care for millions of people. One of the top-ranked schools of public health in the United States, GSPH was the first fully accredited school of public health in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, with alumni who are among the leaders in their fields of public health. A member of the Association of Schools of Public Health, GSPH currently ranks third among schools of public health in National Institutes of Health funding received. The only school of public health in the nation with a chair in minority health, GSPH is a leader in research related to women’s health, HIV/AIDS and human genetics, among others. For more information about GSPH, visit the school’s Web site at http://www.publichealth.pitt.edu. For help in finding a doctor or health service that suits your needs, call the UPMC Referral Service at 412-647-UPMC (8762) or 1-800-533-UPMC (8762). Select option 1. UPMC is an equal opportunity employer. UPMC policy prohibits discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, sex, genetics, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, familial status, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected group status. Further, UPMC will continue to support and promote equal employment opportunity, human dignity, and racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity. This policy applies to admissions, employment, and access to and treatment in UPMC programs and activities. This commitment is made by UPMC in accordance with federal, state, and/or local laws and regulations. Medical information made available on UPMC.com is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You should not rely entirely on this information for your health care needs. Ask your own doctor or health care provider any specific medical questions that you have. Further, UPMC.com is not a tool to be used in the case of an emergency. If an emergency arises, you should seek appropriate emergency medical services.
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Deficits in attention and working memory, the abilities that allow individuals to selectively attend to and mentally maintain and manipulate information to guide behavior, are considered to be central components to the cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia. While advances in antipsychotic pharmacotherapy have resulted in important gains for treating symptoms of hallucinations and delusions, cognitive deficits have been far less responsive to standard treatments. Developing novel pharmacological agents to target these persistent cognitive deficits is an important goal of ongoing schizophrenia treatment research. This is a broad and multidimensional problem involving drug development and translational animal models. In the end, success will depend on the ability of trained investigators who have the expertise and tools to evaluate drug effects on neurocognitive systems in the clinic. The aim of this proposed career development program is to facilitate the candidate's efforts to become a successful independent clinical investigator in this area. Primary objectives of this career development program are to provide the candidate with advanced training in three main areas: (1) functional brain imaging;(2) cognitive neuroscience and neuropharmacological models of working memory;and (3) clinical trial design and methodology. Research activities will focus on designing and conducting behavioral and event-related functional neuroimaging studies of working memory and attention using paradigms translated from animal models to examine antipsychotic treatment effects on these core cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. These activities will prepare the candidate for an independent program of research examining disturbances in functional brain systems that underlie cognitive impairments in schizophrenia and how these are impacted by antipsychotic treatments. The knowledge and skills gained from proposed training and research activities will be important for the Pi's career objective to use integrative approaches to investigate the effectiveness of pharmacological treatments developed to reduce cognitive impairments in schizophrenia. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE Schizophrenia is a debilitating psychiatric disorder. With a prevalence of 1% of the population and billions of dollars expended annually in direct costs and lost productivity, it is a major public health concern. Cognitive symptoms, which are not adequately treated, account for much of the long-term functional disability, and the need to understand the brain basis of these deficits is imperative to advance treatments for this disorder.
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Q: org.hibernate.engine.jdbc.spi.SqlExceptionHelper - Function "WITHIN" not found; SQL statement Here I am trying to find all those entities who are within the range I provide. I mean if I give a circle of certain radius, it will have to show all entities having location coordinates positioned inside the given circle. I am using hibernate-spatial to achieve this. But getting the mentioned error in JPA Repository interface. Here is the pom.xml, <dependency> <groupId>org.hibernate</groupId> <artifactId>hibernate-entitymanager</artifactId> </dependency> <dependency> <groupId>org.hibernate</groupId> <artifactId>hibernate-spatial</artifactId> <version>5.2.12.Final</version> </dependency> <dependency> <groupId>org.opengeo</groupId> <artifactId>geodb</artifactId> <version>${project.version}</version> </dependency> <dependency> <groupId>mysql</groupId> <artifactId>mysql-connector-java</artifactId> <version>6.0.6</version> </dependency> Jpa Repository, public interface ResourceRepository extends ExtendedJpaRepository<Resource, String> { @Query(value = "select resource from Resource resource where within(resource.address.location, :circle) = true") List<Resource> test(@Param("circle") Geometry circle); } Resource.java, @Entity @NoArgsConstructor public class Resource extends UUIDEntity2 implements IsResource { @Type(type = "org.hibernate.spatial.GeometryType") @OneToOne private Address address; /*getters setters*/ } Address.java , @Entity public class Address extends UUIDEntity2 implements HasEmailAddress, HasLocation { @Embedded @Column(columnDefinition = "point") private Location location; /*getters setters*/ } location.java, @Embeddable @Value(staticConstructor = "of") @RequiredArgsConstructor(staticName = "of") public class Location implements Serializable { @Column(nullable = true) private Double lat; @Column(nullable = true) private Double lon; } test, @Inject private ResourceRepository resourceRepository; public Geometry createCircle(double x, double y, double radius) { GeometricShapeFactory shapeFactory = new GeometricShapeFactory(); shapeFactory.setNumPoints(32); shapeFactory.setCentre(new Coordinate(x, y)); shapeFactory.setSize(radius * 2); return shapeFactory.createCircle(); } @Test public void geometry(){ Geometry m = createCircle(0.0, 0.0, 5); List<Resource> resources = resourceRepository.test(m); } application.properties, hibernate.dialect=org.hibernate.spatial.dialect.mysql.MySQL56SpatialDialect NB: Entities' all properties are not shown here. Reference I am following: Hibernate-Spatial A: Sounds like you don't have the SpatialDialect for MySQL configured. Can you verify if you have the line hibernate.dialect=org.hibernate.spatial.dialect.mysql.MySQL56SpatialDialect in the hibernate.properties file. You could also check the logs to see what dialect is actually used by Hibernate. It should have 'Spatial' in the name for the Spatial functions to be available to hibernate.
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Authors Document Type Article Publication Title Tulane Law Review Publication Date 2006 Abstract The European framework for creditor protection has undergone a remarkable tansfomation in recent years. While the European Court of Justices Centros case and its progeny have given European Union businesses choice with respect to the state of incorporation, and hence to the substantive corporate law regime, the European Insolvency Regulation has introduced uniform conflict-of-law rules for insolvencies. However, this regime has opened up some forum shopping opportunities for corporate debtors. Both regulatory competition in corporate law and forum shopping in bankruptcy law have been discussed in the United States for years, while they are relativey new territory in the European Union. This article attempts to pull together the two emerging discussions and analyzes possible consequences for the relationship between shareholders, managers, and creditors in European corporations. We argue that in the absence of evidence of either the top or the bottom, we cannot rule out adverse consequences of either regulatory competition in corporate law or forum shopping in bankruptcy. However, the discussion so far has largely considered only the consequences of the first type of regulatory arbitage while neglecting the second. Hence, the issue of the "insolvencification" of corporate law rules has been brought up in order to enable national policymakers to impose their respective ideas about creditor protection norms. We suggest that such attempts may be futile. First, relabeling is possible only to a rather limited degree, and second while restricting the scope for corporate law arbitrage, relabeling increases the incentives for forum shopping in bankruptcy. Ultimately relabeling may even backfire, leading to a higher degree of bankruptcy forum shopping to avoid the very rules that have been insolvencified. Recommended Citation Luca Enriques and Martin Gelter, How the Old World Encountered the New One: Regulatory Competition and Cooperation in European Corporate and Bankruptcy Law , 81 Tul. L. Rev. 577 (2006-2007) Available at: https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/faculty_scholarship/319
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*Sir*, We read with interest the article by Cheng et al.[@bib1] So far, COVID-19 pandemic prevention efforts in Taiwan have been successful, and there is no large-scale community transmission. Most cases have been imported rather than caused by local transmission. There are two issues regarding the management and investigation of individuals with relatively increased risks of infection. First, we believe that during the surge in cases in the pandemic, health care workers (HCWs) security and preservation of human resources are important. The management of HCWs is an important means of safeguarding the medical system in the face of large-scale and rapidly emerging pandemic. HCWs often have the opportunity to go abroad for international conferences or travel. Regardless of the behavior of HCWs (in regard to the improper wearing and taking-off of personal protective equipment), it\'s a significant problem for HCWs to go abroad during the surge of pandemic, especially to those highly epidemic countries. The main reason for this is that, in the event they are infected abroad (so-called HCW "non-occupational exposure"), there are risks of transmission to patients for whom the HCWs are caring upon returning to work, especially when the HCWs are asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic.[@bib2] Once an in-hospital cluster event occurs, the patients leave the hospital in a panic, and more potentially infected people will spread the virus. Therefore, predicting the rise of epidemic and timely personnel control are important steps for ensuring that the medical system won\'t collapse. When HCWs are exhausted and stressed, the risk of error increases. Rotation of staff to ensure sufficient manpower is an important way to reduce the risk of misconduct and psychological stress.[@bib3] (see [Table 1](#tbl1){ref-type="table"} ). Second, good transmission route investigations and close-contact tracing have been carried out in Taiwan.[@bib4] Some of the contacts have been diagnosed with virologically confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, and some of these contacts have transmitted the infection (when they were asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic) to index cases. However, there are more close contacts who have not been infected, even household contacts, so we can investigate why those close contacts were able to remain uninfected as well as which behaviors or manners are effective in preventing infection. If the serological method is used, and the possibility of infection is excluded among contact, their preventive measures will be useful guide for prevention efforts. This will help us slow down the spread of disease before vaccines and medicines are available.Table 1The characteristics of the COVID-19 outbreak in Taiwan that justify forbidding international travel of HCWs in the beginning of the pandemic.Table 11.Geographically short distance to the pandemic source2.Rapid surge of this novel SARS-CoV-2 pandemic3.Possibility of viral transmission from infected but asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic returning HCWs to inpatients and colleagues4.For the first-round HCWs who are facing the novel pandemic and caring for patients, it is psychologically good for them to know that their colleagues will return and take over their duties within a reasonable period of time. Funding sources {#sec1} =============== None. Declaration of Competing Interest ================================= The authors have no conflicts of interest relevant to this article. The authors thank our colleagues for their efforts against COVID-19 pandemic.
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Gordon Waterfield Gordon Waterfield (1903–1987) was a British journalist, broadcaster and author. He is chiefly known for his book What Happened to France?, in which he documents his experiences as a journalist in France during World War II. He was featured on the 1973 documentary The World at War. Selected works Lucie Duff Gordon in England, South Africa and Egypt (1937). What Happened to France? (1940) Egypty (1967) Sultans of Aden (1968). Professional Diplomat: Sir Percy Loraine of Kirkharle. (1973) References Category:1903 births Category:1987 deaths Category:British journalists
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Titanium osteosynthesis hardware in maxillofacial trauma surgery: to remove or remain? A retrospective study. A 5-year retrospective study evaluated the incidence and causes for removal of titanium miniplates. The surgical records of 156 patients treated with rigid internal fixation after maxillofacial traumas were reviewed. Study variables included age, sex, site of fracture, site and number of plates, time of plate removal and reasons for plate removal. Of 384 plates used for fixation, 35 plates (9 %) in 21 patients (13.5 %) were removed due to hardware related complications. Statistical significance (p < 0.01) was observed in mandibular body and parasymphysis fractures with regards to both fracture site location and plate removal rates. Most plates were removed within the first year after placement (p < 0.01). The highest number of fractures were observed in the 20-30 years group (p < 0.01) while most cases of removal were in the 30-40 years group (p < 0.01). Secondary reconstruction/growth facilitation (11/156, 7 %) (p < 0.01) was the main cause of plate removal while infection/wound dehiscence (9/156, 6 %) (p < 0.01) was the main cause for complication related plate removal. A significantly greater number of plates placed via intraoral incisions (p < 0.01) needed removal. The low incidence of complication related plate removal (7 %) in the mid and upper face in this study suggests that routine removal of asymptomatic titanium miniplates after maxillofacial trauma at these sites may not be beneficial. The high rate of mandibular site complications (19 %) in this study suggests that routine removal of titanium hardware from mandibular sites may be indicated.
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[A model of group psychotherapy for drug-dependent adolescents]. Some of the personality traits characteristic of adolescents and addicts that influence the drawing up of an "ad hoc" program treatment are briefly established. The fact that organic physical-chemical therapies are almost useless in these cases is discussed, emphasizing good results obtained by psychotherapeutic methods, mainly group therapy; also mentioned are some changes to be considered in view of the drug addiction; these changes would include the use of paraprofessional personnel. Some of the outstanding characteristics of the addict-psychotherapy are established, mainly: the therapist's activity, emphasis on reparative action, the setting of limits and the patients' regressiveness. Also discussed are the basic points of resistance to change, grouped under the headings of "internal", "family" and "gang" saboteur, detailing each case.
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The term “Kafkaesque” crossed the threshold into cliché years ago, but at times the word is sorely needed. For a situation to be Kafkaesque, it must be menacingly incomprehensible, with a lone individual thrown into a dangerous but confusing situation. Omar Khadr’s ordeal certainly fits that definition. The trial of Omar Khadr — Omar K. in a Kafka work, or an “alien unprivileged enemy belligerent” in Guantanamo code — is a permanent stain on Canada’s record. Khadr was raised by a family with ties to Al Qaeda, trained to take up arms, accused of lobbing a grenade at a U.S. soldier at age 15, thrown into a secret prison without adequate legal assistance, beaten and tortured, forced to choose between an unjust plea deal and an unfair trial, until finally, one day 13 years later, he was released on bail. There are at least 300,000 child soldiers currently serving in militaries and militias around the world. Under Article Four of the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, non-state actors are prohibited from using anyone under the age of 18 for any purpose. Forced recruitment of minors in armed conflict is considered slavery by the International Labour Organization. What makes the fate of Khadr and other child soldiers especially tragic is the complete absence of choice. To fault Omar Khadr for falling in with Al Qaeda as a boy is to fault him for being born to the wrong parents. But suppose Khadr was fairly prosecuted, tried, and convicted. Suppose he was given full access to both his attorneys and the evidence against him. Suppose the ordeal involved less Kafka and more Lady Justice. None of this happened, but assuming it did, that would still not exonerate the American and Canadian governments. The first tortured him and the second served as an accomplice. A bag was placed over his head. He was confronted with barking dogs. “Several times,” Khadr wrote, “the soldiers tied my hands above my head to the door frame or chained them to the ceiling and made me stand like that for hours at a time.” He was sleep deprived, starved, and threatened with rape. Throughout this disturbing period, the Canadian government remained indifferent to Khadr’s nightmare. As happens on issues involving terrorism, this was a bipartisan Liberal-Conservative effort. The Liberal government did not attempt to repatriate Khadr, arguing that he had no right to consular access. Under the Liberals’ watch, Canadian authorities interviewed Khadr and then turned over the intelligence to the Pentagon, wittingly participating in a process contrary to international law. Khadr has said that when he showed Canadian officials his torture scars, they called him a liar. The Supreme Court of Canada unanimously ruled that this Guantanamo complicity was illegal. The Conservatives, meanwhile, went to extraordinary lengths in refusing to assist Khadr, interfering with the judicial process, and classifying him as an adult offender — all on the Canadian taxpayers’ dime. When the Conservatives finally repatriated him, they did so not on principle, but because the U.S. government pressured them to. The Tories’ cruelty surplus is more revealing than their fiscal one. But the blame for Khadr’s mistreatment rests ultimately with us, the Canadian public. It was a democratically elected government that assisted the torturers, and a repeatedly re-elected government that tried to keep him in the penal colony. To shift the moral blame to the people’s representatives is to absolve the Canadian public from its own complacency. The numbers back this up: According to polling done by Abacus Data, six out of ten Canadians opposed Khadr’s return to Canada. So it was we, Canadians, who wanted him locked up in Guantanamo, and we, Canadians, who kept ourselves ignorant when the facts became uncomfortable. He was a brown-skinned child who helped Al Qaeda, therefore he was subhuman and not a real Canadian. And when Khadr — shackled for over a decade, abused by his family, betrayed by his fellow citizens — spoke, what did he say? Was he bitter and unrepentant and monstrous, as described by the government? Khadr told a psychiatrist in New York that all he wanted was “a chance of life, a true life.” He said 9/11 was “a tragedy” and the “killing of innocents is tragic.” He said he wanted to one day become a doctor and get married. When asked what he missed most about his life, he said what any of us would say if we were in his position: “Being loved.” A future generation will one day read about Khadr’s ordeal in history class, and by then, if Canada has learned anything from this, the official apology Khadr receives from a future government will be printed in bold in the textbook. Omer Aziz, a J.D. candidate at Yale Law School, is a Visiting Researcher at the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto. Follow on Twitter, @omeraziz12.
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Name: focus Type: command Syntax: focus [on] <object> Syntax: focus on nothing Summary: Places the <insertion point> in a <field>, makes a <control> active, or removes focus from all controls. Introduced: 1.0 OS: mac, windows, linux, ios, android Platforms: desktop, server, mobile Example: focus on field 1 Example: focus on the mouseControl Example: focus on graphic "Move Me" Example: focus on nothing Parameters: object: Any object on the current card. Description: Use the <focus> <command> to make a <control> active--that is, to make it receive any keystrokes the user types. If the object's <traversalOn> <property> is false, it cannot receive the <focus>, and the <focus> <command> causes an <error>. If the <lookAndFeel> is set to "Motif", the <active control|focused control> is outlined, and the <control> receives any keystrokes (and the <message|messages> associated with them). If the <lookAndFeel> is set to "Appearance Manager" or "Macintosh", an outline is drawn around <field(object)|fields>, <image|images>, and <EPS|EPS objects> whose <showFocusBorder> <property> is set to true. Otherwise, the <appearance> of the <active control|focused control> does not change, but it receives keystroke <message|messages>. If the <lookAndFeel> is set to "Windows 95", a dotted outline is drawn within <button|buttons> when they receive the <focus>. If the <object(glossary)> is an <unlock|unlocked> <field(object)>, the <insertion point> is restored to the location at which it was located the last time the <field(object)> was focused. If the <field(object)> was not previously focused, then the <insertion point> is placed at the beginning of the text in the <field(object)>. Use the ``focus on nothing`` command to remove focus from all objects on a card. References: select (command), focus (command), focusedObject (function), mouseStack (function), property (glossary), EPS (glossary), error (glossary), insertion point (glossary), message (glossary), unlock (glossary), appearance (glossary), active control (glossary), command (glossary), control (keyword), enterKey (message), focusIn (message), keyUp (message), tabKey (message), mouseLeave (message), mouseWithin (message), keyDown (message), focusOut (message), returnKey (message), field (object), image (object), button (object), focusPattern (property), showFocusBorder (property), lockText (property), selected (property), lookAndFeel (property), focusColor (property), traversalOn (property) Tags: ui
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MOSCOW— For the first time in his two decades defending people accused of treason, Ivan Pavlov has come across a case he says he truly has trouble getting his head around. Everything about it is a guessing game for the defense lawyer, including the charges against his client, whose name he is not allowed to mention in public. Speaking at his office in St. Petersburg, under a photograph of President Barack Obama shaking his hand, Pavlov, 46, explained to The Daily Beast that the arrest in Russia last December of accused cyber spies is heavy with high-profile politics. “This is a dangerous case for everybody, including the FSB investigators, attorneys and journalists,” said Pavlov. To get a sense of just how fraught it may be, let us go back to January. By then, allegations by the American intelligence community about Russian meddling in the American elections had been building for several months. President Obama had warned Putin, eyeball to eyeball, to stop. Two reports had been issued publicly by the U.S. intelligence services in October and in December, but in guarded and less than explicit language as America’s spooks tried to protect the methods and especially the sources that had led them to their conclusions. As candidate and as president-elect, Donald Trump had received several classified briefings in August, November and afterward but, in public at least, Trump rejected the conclusion that Russia had interfered in the election he won, calling it fake news and the work of disgruntled losers. Then on January 6, two weeks before Trump’s inauguration, the American intelligence community issued a much more explicit declassified report based on a much more detailed classified one pulled together from the coordinated reporting and analysis of the FBI, CIA, and NSA. The key conclusions fingered Russian President Vladimir Putin directly, and because there’s been so much obfuscation by the White House, not to mention the Kremlin, they are worth repeating at some length: “We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election. Russia’s goals were to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process, denigrate Secretary [Hillary] Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency. We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump. We have high confidence in these judgments ... “Moscow’s influence campaign followed a Russian messaging strategy that blends covert intelligence operations—such as cyber activity—with overt efforts by Russian Government agencies, state-funded media, third-party intermediaries, and paid social media users or ‘trolls.’...” On the specific issues of hacking, as opposed to the broader effort to influence the elections, in late December 2016 the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation together with the Department of Homeland Security distributed a report (PDF) that described the core Russian operation known by various aliases including the fanciful names “Cozy Bear” and “Fancy Bear.” The report updated in February also noted that one technical tool, a malware program used in the attack, had been created originally by a Ukrainian programmer—potentially a very important point as the plot thickened. The assessment overall was as damning as such documents can be, and in it the U.S. intelligence community had claimed to know the decision making at the very highest level of the Russian government: Putin himself. The Russian government denied all the allegations and has never acknowledged officially or unofficially that it was involved in this alleged multifaceted campaign about which the FBI and CIA seem to have no doubt. But in the meantime any intelligence officer reading a document liked the January 6 assessment would surmise that it implicated one or more moles inside the upper levels of the Russian government. Then, at the end of January, the news broke: Russia’s most secret law enforcement agency had arrested one of its own top officers, and that had happened in the middle of an official meeting. Like a scene out of some Brian de Palma movie, FSB officers grabbed their colleague and put a bag over his head—and afterward they made no effort to keep what they had done a secret. Two top Federal Security Service officials, Sergei Mikhailov (who’d had the bag over his head) and Dmitry Dokuchayev, both from the FSB cyber intelligence department, were accused officially of state treason for passing confidential information to the CIA, according to the Interfax news agency. But what sort of information? There was certainly no mention in the Kremlin leaks that these two might have exposed Putin’s direct order to undermine the American elections. Far from it. The crimes described by the news reports in Moscow related to hacking operations with no apparent ties to Trump or U.S. politics. Also arrested was Ruslan Stoyanov, the head of the cybercrime investigation team at Kaspersky Lab, Russia’s major cybersecurity and anti-virus provider. And then there was Pavlov’s unnamed client: the Fourth Man. Now, months have passed, and the office of the U.S. Director of National intelligence, responding to a query for this story, declined to comment in any fashion about the December arrests in Russia or the status of the those who were jailed. Obviously if any of those arrested were indeed working with U.S. intelligence, the American government would not want to confirm that. After the initial burst of publicity the FSB continues to stay quiet about the details of Pavlov’s client’s charges, and the other three as well, creating a thick curtain of secrecy around the crime. Even for the agency that is the successor of the infamous KGB, that is an unusually long silence. Pavlov had to sign a gag order before he was allowed to represent his client. Now he and his colleagues, an association of lawyers called Team 29, refer to the Fourth Man simply as “Him.” But Pavlov hints at a world of cyberespionage even murkier and more dangerous than that of spy and counterspy. “I can tell you something about this case: I believe that the FSB keeps Russia’s top cybersecurity experts under arrest so nobody can interview them, use them—or harm them,” said Pavlov. “It looks like authorities plan to keep the investigation low key at least until after the [Russian] presidential elections next year.” “If he were not locked in prison, my client could have been murdered by now,” Pavlov said, without elaboration. The secrecy annoys Team 29, which Pavlov founded in 2015 as an informal association of lawyers and journalists fighting against the Russian government’s increasing reluctance to release information amid fears of traitors and spies. The name “29” comes from the number of an article in Russia’s constitution that says: “Everyone shall have the right to freely look for, receive, transmit, produce and distribute information by any legal way.” The lawyers teamed up soon after the FSB ordered the deportation of Pavlov’s ex-wife, American citizen Jennifer Gaspar, “as a threat to national security.” The reason is a secret. “My wife worked for the Hermitage museum; I am convinced that the FSB deported her to hurt me, their opponent,” Pavlov said. He explained to The Daily Beast why his mission in Russia is so important: “If before Russia’s conflict with Ukraine there were a couple of treason cases a year, now we count up to 15 state treason cases a year,” Pavlov said. “Our job is to educate people about their rights, so not all talented and skillful Russians flee the country.” For six months, Team 29 has been visiting the Fourth Man at Lefortovo prison, trying to guess from such materials as have been revealed to them how much material remains hidden. Was their client accused of selling secrets to the CIA or to FBI? Was he a spy helping to hack emails of the Democratic National Committee? That’s a secret. Meanwhile one of the arrested FSB officers, Dokuchayev, has been indicted in the United States for economic espionage and a massive hacking of Yahoo accounts. In Russia, many wonder how it is possible that Russia’s leading officials responsible for cybersecurity could have been passing state secrets abroad. The Daily Beast asked Dmitry Artimovich, considered one of the “hacker elite” in Russia and an expert at ChronoPay, a Russian company specialized for online payments. There are not many experts as knowledgeable as Artimovich when it comes to spam, spearphishing, botnets, and other kinds of cyber attacks. The Daily Beast asked what people like Pavlov’s secret client might have been up to? Their motivation might have been career growth, the suspects must have shared too much information about Russian hackers with American special services under Obama’s administration, creating an impression that Russia’s hackers are the most dangerous in the world, Artimovich suggested. Artimovich had his own reasons not to like the kontora, or “the office,” the nickname for the FSB. In 2013, the security service’s cyber department investigated Artimovich for executing a distributed denial of service attack meant to shut down the website of Aeroflot, Russia's major national airline. The programmer was sentenced to two years and six months in a corrective labor colony, and it was a harrowing experience. “A guy in my cell tried to recruit me for the FSB,” says Artimovich. “He threatened me that otherwise I would not come out of prison, if I do not work with them.” But Artimovich says he turned down the offer. Now, Artimovich offers alternative explanations regarding the arrests last December. He does not believe the order for the attack on the American democratic institutions was coming from the Kremlin and suggests that is a “myth created by the American special services.” At a technical level, Artimovich says he is skeptical about the malware described in the U.S. reports. “The virus collecting passwords from only one system cannot be described as a cyber-weapon," he says. After Trump won the elections, Russian hackers who used to travel freely around Europe before started to be grabbed by law enforcement. One example is Pyotr Levashov, who was arrested on a U.S. warrant four months ago in Spain. They were picked up one after another. Artimovich suggests that Mikhailov and his associates provided data to the U.S. on Russian hackers at a time when there was cooperation with Washington, and that now looked “unpatriotic.” “In 2010 our company ChronoPay informed the FSB leadership that Mikhailov was passing personal information about Russian citizens to the U.S. agencies, [so] the FSB leadership must have been aware of what Mikhailov’s department was doing, but they did nothing to stop them,” says Artimovich. “Since the arrests, the entire FSB management has been distant from their case,” says Artimovich. Sergei Markov, a member of the Russian Public Chamber thinks that Mikhailov and other suspects were responsible for cyber attacks in the cyber war with the U.S. “One thing is clear: that the roots of their treason, of their espionage, stretch far beyond Russia’s border,” Markos told The Daily Beast. “This case has a high political price, I do not think we should share any details with Trump’s critics before the [U.S.] elections for Congress [in November 2018],” Markov explained. Team 29’s strategy is to turn the most absurd cases into a joke, since “the only thing the state system cannot stand is when you laugh at them,” says Pavlov. Last year the attorney started a campaign in support of his client Oksana Sevastidi, a 46-year-old mother of seven. In March 2016 Sevastidi had been sentenced for high treason by a secret court in Krasnodar for sending two text messages back in 2008 about Russian movements in the direction of Georgia’s breakaway region of Abkhazia. “It is absurd for a nuclear power to sentence a market vendor for seven years for state treason,” Pavlov told The Daily Beast. In March, President Putin pardoned Sevastidi. But by then there was a long line of convicts charged with treason and extremism asking Team 29 to help them. Recently Pavlov came to Moscow to meet two more women whose freedom he had won. Annik Kesyan and Marina Dzhadzhgava had served several years for treason for sending messages about Russian army movement in 2008. President Putin pardoned Kesyan and Dzhadzhgava, after Team 29 attracted public attention to their cases. But Pavlov’s cybersecurity treason case is stuck. The Kremlin has kept denying any intrusion in the U.S. elections and blamed the reports about Russian hackers on Russophobia. Trump in the immediate wake of the January 6 report conceded grudgingly that Russia had interfered in the U.S. elections, but has since gone back to his allegations of “fake news.” The level of bitterness about this among veterans of counterintelligence like former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper is palpable. Speaking of Trump at the Aspen Security Forum last month, Clapper said, “I sometimes wonder whether … what he's about is making Russia great again.” President Putin, for his part, has said he believes that U.S. president Donald Trump agreed with Russia’s denial, which would reinforce the idea that Trump is rejecting the conclusions made by U.S. intelligence agencies and choosing to believe Moscow instead. Irina Borogan, a Russian independent expert on cybersecurity and cyber wars, told The Daily Beast that it is impossible at a technical level to have any exact attribution about the attacks being ordered by the Kremlin. “The technical expertise identifies general pieces of coding, the methods of the attack, of botnet, hacker groups,” Borogan said. In this particular case, she said, it might be clear that “the attack was ordered by the Russian Federation, but they did not sign: ‘Moscow, the Kremlin.” That’s another reason that the positive identification by the U.S. intelligence of Putin as the person who directed the interference in the U.S. elections would seem to be related to human intelligence gathering rather than technical means. But it is also possible that in this dark and dirty game, the four arrested in December were mere scapegoats. Like many other people in Russia, Borogan, the author of The Red Web about Russia’s attack on internet freedoms, cannot wait to hear what sort of state secrets Pavlov’s client allegedly passed abroad. “We see a uniquely dumb secrecy, which gives us a sense that the suspects are actually not guilty of treason,” Borogan told The Daily Beast. Spencer Ackerman and Christopher Dickey also contributed to this article.
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Q: Check for slow internet connection iOS I have added Reachability classes provided by apple and it is working fine for checking internet connection. MY app is displaying message if internet goes off. But if internet is very slow it just keep loading....... I am using wi-fi and I face this problem when there is only a dot visible in iPhone notification bar for wifi signal. So I want to know how can I check for slow internet connection. A: You can send a request to your server and given that it's about 5-10 KB of data you expect to be returned, then create a timer callback that is scheduled for say 20 seconds. If you don't get a response within 20 seconds, then let's consider that a slow connection. Example: // make POST request to server, the POST request should have a callback method assigned [self testSpeed]; // schedule a method to be called after 20 seconds myTimer = [NSTimer scheduledTimerWithInterval:20.0 selector:@selector(stopSpeedTest) .... ]; // your POST request callback method -(void)speedTestCallback { [myTimer invalidate]; myTimer = nil; [self alertGoodSpeed]; } // your stopSpeedTest method to identify app didn't receive response within 20 seconds -(void)stopSpeedTest { [self alertTooSlow]; } I think that's what H2CO3 was trying to ask: "How many bytes per second do you consider slow?" You need to decided on long you think the user is willing to wait for the amount of data expected to be returned. If you're telling the user you're downloading 50 MB of data, then yes, getting them all back in 20 second is fast. However, if you're expecting only 5-10 KB of data and it's taking longer than 10 seconds, let alone 20 seconds, then connection is very slow.
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/* * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS HEADER. * * Copyright 1997-2010 Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. * * Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. * Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. * * The contents of this file are subject to the terms of either the GNU * General Public License Version 2 only ("GPL") or the Common * Development and Distribution License("CDDL") (collectively, the * "License"). You may not use this file except in compliance with the * License. You can obtain a copy of the License at * http://www.netbeans.org/cddl-gplv2.html * or nbbuild/licenses/CDDL-GPL-2-CP. See the License for the * specific language governing permissions and limitations under the * License. When distributing the software, include this License Header * Notice in each file and include the License file at * nbbuild/licenses/CDDL-GPL-2-CP. Oracle designates this * particular file as subject to the "Classpath" exception as provided * by Oracle in the GPL Version 2 section of the License file that * accompanied this code. If applicable, add the following below the * License Header, with the fields enclosed by brackets [] replaced by * your own identifying information: * "Portions Copyrighted [year] [name of copyright owner]" * * Contributor(s): * The Original Software is NetBeans. The Initial Developer of the Original * Software is Sun Microsystems, Inc. Portions Copyright 1997-2006 Sun * Microsystems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. * * If you wish your version of this file to be governed by only the CDDL * or only the GPL Version 2, indicate your decision by adding * "[Contributor] elects to include this software in this distribution * under the [CDDL or GPL Version 2] license." If you do not indicate a * single choice of license, a recipient has the option to distribute * your version of this file under either the CDDL, the GPL Version 2 or * to extend the choice of license to its licensees as provided above. * However, if you add GPL Version 2 code and therefore, elected the GPL * Version 2 license, then the option applies only if the new code is * made subject to such option by the copyright holder. */ package org.graalvm.visualvm.lib.jfluid.wireprotocol; import java.io.IOException; import java.io.ObjectInputStream; import java.io.ObjectOutputStream; /** * Response from client to back end, that contains a group of TA methods to instrument. * * @author Misha Dmitriev * @author Ian Formanek */ public class InstrumentMethodGroupResponse extends Response { //~ Instance fields ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- private InstrumentMethodGroupData b; //~ Constructors ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /** 1.5-style RedefineClasses() instrumentation constructor */ public InstrumentMethodGroupResponse(String[] instrMethodClasses, int[] instrMethodClassLoaderIds, byte[][] replacementClassFileBytes, boolean[] instrMethodLeaf, int addInfo) { super(true, INSTRUMENT_METHOD_GROUP); b = new InstrumentMethodGroupData(instrMethodClasses, instrMethodClassLoaderIds, replacementClassFileBytes, instrMethodLeaf, addInfo); } /** This is used just to send "empty" responses, meaning no methods are instrumented */ public InstrumentMethodGroupResponse(Object dummy) { super(false, INSTRUMENT_METHOD_GROUP); } // Custom serializaion support InstrumentMethodGroupResponse() { super(INSTRUMENT_METHOD_GROUP); b = new InstrumentMethodGroupData(); } //~ Methods ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ public InstrumentMethodGroupData getBase() { return b; } public int[] getClassLoaderIds() { return b.instrMethodClassLoaderIds; } public boolean isEmpty() { return !yes; } public boolean[] getInstrMethodLeaf() { return b.instrMethodLeaf; } public String[] getMethodClasses() { return b.instrMethodClasses; } public byte[][] getReplacementClassFileBytes() { return b.replacementClassFileBytes; } public void dump() { System.err.print("-- InstrumentMethodGroupResponse: "); // NOI18N b.dump(); } // ------------------------ Debugging ------------------------- public String toString() { return "InstrumentMethodGroupResponse " + ((b != null) ? b.toString() : "empty"); // NOI18N } void readObject(ObjectInputStream in) throws IOException { if (!isEmpty()) { b.readObject(in); } } void writeObject(ObjectOutputStream out) throws IOException { if (!isEmpty()) { b.writeObject(out); } } }
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0.515151515151515,
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Whats on in Manchester Intro Manchester is a city in the north-west of England, located in a dish designed acreage. The city centre lies on the River Irwell. Preparation for a getaway in Manchester is a wonderful suggestion. Manchester is among the biggest cities of England as well as includes an abundant social as well as conventional worths, worth to see and also really feel. Wonderful locations to see, delight in as well as remain make Manchester a city for vacationers? area of passion. Sporting activity and also particularly football are a vital part of Manchester. society. 2 significant football clubs, Manchester United as well as Manchester. City, birth the city?s name. The Walkway Collection. The Manchester location was worked out in Roman times: General Agricola called a ft he established there Mamucium, indicating ‘breast-shaped hillside.’ A. replica of a Roman ft exists in Castlefield, in the city centre. Manchester continued to be a little market community till the Industrial. Change, starting in the 18th century. Its wet environment was suitable. for cotton handling as well as with the growth of steam-powered engines. for rotating and also weaving, the cotton market promptly established. throughout the area. Manchester rapidly became one of the most crucial. commercial centre worldwide. In 1838 Manchester, like most of the. biggest communities throughout this duration, was included as a metropolitan. district. City standing for the district was given in 1853. The Britannia Lodge Resort. Thistle Manchester Airport terminal. Manchester is house to 2 colleges: The College of Manchester. and also Manchester Metropolitan College. The previous is the biggest. full time non-collegiate college in Britain. Along with the. College of Bolton as well as the Royal Northern University of Songs as well as. College Centre Oldham all close by, these provide the location a trainee. populace over of 73,000, among the biggest in Europe. The Midland – A QHotel. Manchester. International Airport terminal, previously Manchester Ringway Flight terminal, is the. third busiest airport terminal in the UK in regards to guests annually and also is. offered by a specialized train terminal. The city has 2 major city. centre terminals Manchester Victoria as well as Manchester Piccadilly connecting. Manchester to various other locations in the UK. Broadband trains to. London are ranged from Manchester Piccadilly by Virgin Trains. Keep Inn Manchester. De Vere Mottram Hall Resort. Britannia Sachas Resort. The Town Resort & Recreation Club Cheadle. Stanneylands Resort. Manchester Central Collection. The Midland Resort. In 15t June 1996 offenders (PIRA) assaulted the City Centre as well as the. subsequent repair stimulated an enormous regrowth of the city. centre, with complicateds such as the Printworks as well as the Triangular developing. brand-new city centerpieces for both purchasing as well as amusement. Considering that the. regrowth after the 1996 PIRA assault and also preceeding the XVII. Republic Gamings Manchester has actually transformed substantially. Old 1960s. centerpieces in the city centre were taken apart in favour of a brand-new even more. modern-day, up market appearance. Some locations, like Hulme, have actually gone through. considerable regrowth programs as well as several million-pound lofthouse. houses have actually given that been established to provide for its expanding service. course neighborhood. Etrop Grange. Thistle Manchester. The Gardens Resort. There are lots of art galleries in Manchester, significantly? The Lowry? in. Salford Quays, which houses jobs by the Salford painter L. S. Lowry,. ? The Athenaeum?,? Salford Gallery as well as Art Gallery?,? Manchester Art. Gallery? and so on. Manchester has some excellent galleries like Greater Manchester. Authorities Gallery, Imperial Battle Gallery North, Manchester Jewish Gallery as well as. Manchester Gallery. These galleries are the vibrant instance earlier as well as. current background and also among the primary visitor destinations. Jurys Manchester Inn. The Manchester Whitehouse Resort. Manchester City center. Colleges. Ideal Western. Belfry Residence Resort. Arora International Manchester. Mitre Resort. The Victoria Baths. The success of the 2002 Republic Gamings is memorialized by B of the. Bang, Britain?s highest sculpture, situated near the City of Manchester. Arena. Britannia Ashley Resort. The Grafton Resort. Flight terminal Hotels. Novotel Manchester Centre. High quality Resort Manchester. Food & Beverage. Manchester has a cable car system called Metrolink. Run by Serco,. Metrolink connects the city centre to Altrincham, Eccles as well as Bury. It is a. high-frequency solution, with cable cars running every 6? 12 mins. Frameworks of interest in Manchester consist of:. The Royal Exchange. Hotels & Lodging. Midland Financial institution Structure. Cheadle Home. Didsbury Residence. St Peter?s Square. For those that prefer to remain in resorts within 5 miles range from. Airport terminal, below is an option of Manchester. Airport terminal resorts:. Sanctuary Resort. Eleven Didsbury Park. Purchasing. Pen name Resort Rossetti. Room by Bridge Road. Manchester has a variety of active squares, plazas as well as buying roads. In the town hall Deansgate has lots of stores, consisting of the division. shops, clubs as well as bars. There are 2 big shopping mall; the. Arndale Centre in the middle of the city as well as the out-of-town Trafford. Centre that includes food hall, multi-screen movie theater and also Namco video games. centre. Various other shopping mall consist of the Triangular which provides for a. even more vibrant and also up market clients as well as the Royal Exchange Centre. Piccadilly Gardens. Royal residence Resort. Radisson Edwardian Manchester. Jarvis Piccadilly. Resort. The G-Mex Centre. Location of Rate of interest. The Belmore Resort. Manchester has a variety of resorts in various areas, from the. airport terminal to city centre. These resorts can be split in various. groups, from swank to cost effective economical bargains, for visitors or for. business owners. Low-cost resorts in Manchester are offered to earn your keep. in the city delightful. Below is a choice:. Whether you are checking out Manchester on service or just for enjoyable, you. might have to discover holiday accommodation in Manchester as well as remain over night in a B. & B or a resort. The Bramhall Region Resort. Premier Apartments Manchester. Copperheads Resort. Trinity Bridge over River Irwell. Sports. The Castlefield Resort. Manchester has a dynamic as well as amazing variety of dining establishments, bars as well as. clubs, covering the popular curry mile in Rusholme to standard. ? grub?, China Community, contemporary bars and also restaurants at Deansgate Secure the. city centre. Regional faves consist of the Eccles cake and also the. typical pie funding of the UK is allegedly at the heart of Wigan,. 15 miles outside the city. There is an Acid rock Coffee shop, chain dining establishments. such as Wagamama and also bars that consist of Waxy O?Connor as well as The Living. Space. Various other, independent dining establishments, bars and also clubs can be discovered in. the Northern Quarter location of the city centre. Manchester is likewise renowned. for its beer. Although? The Lotion of Manchester?, Boddingtons has actually left. the city, there are still several global, neighborhood as well as independent. breweries running in the Greater Manchester location. Great John Road Resort. Vacation Inn. Manchester Flight terminal. High quality Resort Altrincham. Manchester as well as the bordering location have a considerable bus network, with. normal solutions in and out of the city linking to all the satellite. communities and also towns.
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The Little Rock Zoo's 62-year-old female elephant, Jewell, has been euthanized after being found recumbent in her enclosure. A subsequent necropsy identified tuberculosis but concluded her death was due to other health problems. Zoo staff who were in close contact with Jewell may have contracted tuberculosis and they will be tested appropriately, state veterinarian Susan Weinstein said, but zoo visitors are not at risk because they do not have close contact with the animals.
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Low
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[
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Liquid-based pap smears as a source of RNA for gene expression analysis. The Papanicolaou smear has contributed to a decrease in cervical cancer rates in populations that receive regular screening. However, treatment of women with mildly abnormal cells is problematic because the majority of these women do not develop neoplasia. Thus, new techniques for identification of truly precancerous cells are needed. Characterization of cellular gene expression patterns is now possible through microarray techniques that survey the expression of large numbers of genes simultaneously. Here we have assessed the feasibility of combining new microscopic and molecular technologies to determine gene expression patterns in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 cells recovered from liquid cytology-based Papanicolaou smear slides. Laser capture microdissection was used to retrieve cervical cells from ThinPrep prepared slides. The quality of RNA recovered from these cells proved suitable for reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and for T7 RNA polymerase-based linear amplification of messenger RNA. We developed an optimized RNA amplification protocol that permitted microarray gene expression profiling in samples of as few as 20 cervical cells. This approach combining laser capture microdissection, linear RNA amplification, and microarray gene expression analysis will enable comparison of gene expression patterns between cytologically abnormal and normal cells taken from a single slide and may assist in the differential diagnosis of histologically difficult cases.
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High
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[
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Q: Proving a sum is divergent under certain conditions Suppose $\{a_k,b_k\}$ are sequences that satisfy: i) $\sum_k a_k=\infty,\,a_k \to 0$. ii) $\sup_k b_k \to \infty$ and $b_k$ is bounded from below. Also, $|b_{k+1} -b_{k}| <C$ for some $C>0$. I have been trying to prove (or disprove) that $\sum_k a_k b_k = \infty.$ My rough line of reasoning is that : Since $\sum_k a_k=\infty$, we have for a given $\epsilon$, $\exists\,m$ such that $\sum_{k=n}^{n+m} a_k >\epsilon$. Then, $$ \sum_{k=n}^{n+m} a_kb_k > \big(\sum_{k=n}^{n+m} a_k\big) \{\sup_{k\in [n,n+m]} b_k -mC \} $$ Since $b_k \to \infty$ along a subsequence, I think we can make sure the difference term in the curly brackets stays positive. I have been trying to formalize the argument but have not been able to do so. A: In fact it is not true that $\sum_k a_kb_k=\infty$. To obtain a counterexample, consider $a_k=1/k$. Now $b_k$ will spend most of its time at $b_k=-1$, interspersed with intervals where it climbs up to a new peak and returns to $-1$ for a very long time. Since the conditions don't impose any bound on how long $b_k$ can stay at $-1$ before increasing again to the next peak, by making it wait long enough we can even arrange for $\sum_k a_kb_k=-\infty$ (or any value in between).
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[
0.625,
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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd"> <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion> <groupId>com.aspire</groupId> <artifactId>Abc_RequestBodyAndRequestParam</artifactId> <version>0.0.1-SNAPSHOT</version> <packaging>jar</packaging> <name>Abc_RequestBodyAndRequestParam</name> <description>RequestBodyAndRequestParamTest</description> <parent> <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId> <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-parent</artifactId> <version>2.0.3.RELEASE</version> <relativePath/> <!-- lookup parent from repository --> </parent> <properties> <project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding> <project.reporting.outputEncoding>UTF-8</project.reporting.outputEncoding> <java.version>1.8</java.version> </properties> <dependencies> <dependency> <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId> <artifactId>spring-boot-starter</artifactId> </dependency> <dependency> <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId> <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-web</artifactId> </dependency> <dependency> <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId> <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-test</artifactId> <scope>test</scope> </dependency> <!-- fastjson --> <dependency> <groupId>com.alibaba</groupId> <artifactId>fastjson</artifactId> <version>1.2.47</version> </dependency> </dependencies> <build> <plugins> <plugin> <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId> <artifactId>spring-boot-maven-plugin</artifactId> </plugin> </plugins> </build> </project>
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HOLLYWOOD, CA – (01-01-20) – The wait is over for Michael Bay’s “A Quiet Place Part 2” trailer unveils a terrifying alien invasion horror movie that will have you on the edge of your seat in terror. Paramount Pictures premiered the “A Quiet Place Part II” official trailer on January 1 and garnered over 4.5 million views within its first hour of release. “A Quiet Place Part 2 was directed by John Krasinski and stars Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy and Noah Jupe. Paramount Pictures Release date for A Quiet Place Part II (2020) Synopsis: “Following the deadly events at home, the Abbott family (Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe) must now face the terrors of the outside world as they continue their fight for survival in silence. Forced to venture into the unknown, they quickly realize that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path.” Paramount Pictures is set to release “A Quiet Place Part II” in theaters on March 20, 2020. Watch “A Quiet Place Part 2 Official Trailer Cast: Emily Blunt | Cillian Murphy | Noah Jupe genres: Horror Directed by: John Krasinski Written by: John Krasinski | Scott Beck | Bryan Woods Cinematography by: Polly Morgan Special Effects by: Charles Cooley | Dan Shanahan Producers: Michael Bay | Andrew Form | Brad Fuller Executive Producers: John Krasinski | Allyson Seeger Production co: Buffalo FilmWorks | Paramount Pictures | Platinum Dunes Distributed by: Paramount Pictures (2020) (USA) (theatrical) Country: United States Language: English Release date: March 20, 2020 Copyright © 2020 Paramount Pictures Article by: Michael The Sizzler, Staff Writer Sign Up for #JRLCHARTS Breaking News and Follow @JRLCHARTS Daily on Twitter
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Really looking forward to Dark Souls III at the weekend but I don’t understand why it’s been released in Japan three weeks early. As a result of that you’ve got quite a few people that have imported it, or fiddled PSN to get it early, plus tons of streamers online seem to have it – I assume because Bandai Namco gave it to them to raise the hype. Even the reviews were unusually early, which I’m not complaining about but it’s all starting to make it seem like there’s a party I’ve missed out on. Not to mention how weird the marketing has got in general, with all this oddball trailers that don’t have anything to do with the game and now using Ben Affleck memes to try and drum up interest. The original advertising for Dark Souls was pretty classy, with the whole ‘prepare to die’ thing not shying away from what the game was or who it’s aimed at. Now they’re just advertising it like it’s some dudebro shooter. A lot of people seeing these VHS parodies and what not are going to have a bit of a shock when it takes them 10 days to get to the first bonfire. Oh well, at least it doesn’t affect the game.Randall
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[
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Legislators in Arizona want to ban transgender people from using public toilets, showers and dressing rooms not associated with their birth gender, in the latest tussle over equal rights in the US state. The proposal comes less than a month after the Phoenix passed a human rights bill prohibiting gender identity discrimination in public accommodations. Arizona's Republican representative, John Kavanagh, has been campaigning to make it a criminal offence for a transgender person to use a public facility associated with a gender other than what is recorded on his or her birth certificate. Gender equality advocates and transgender groups say if the proposed law is passed it would be the toughest of its kind in the country.
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[
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Welcome to Understanding Indigenous Perspectives This set of learning modules has been created to support and inspire educators and future teachers to gain a deeper understanding of Indigenous perspectives and an appreciation of how Indigenous knowledge and worldviews can assist all learners in their educational journey. The goal of the modules is to provide an introductory grounding to key issues affecting Indigenous people in Canada as a foundation for further and deeper learning. The modules are meant to work well independent of one another (they are not sequential) but they are also complementary. Please feel free to share these resources and use them in your own work. You can assign them as required or supplementary material supporting your course that students review on their own or you can use them in the classroom. The modules include suggested activities for further application of the concepts. Everything is free and open source. Have fun!
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Q: Current direction Why are advanced electrical engineers still being taught that current flows from positive to negative? This erroneous idea is often referred to as 'conventional current'. In a simple circuit with a battery and a loop of copper wire connecting the terminals, absolutely nothing is moving in the positive to negative direction, yet many engineers will say 'well yes, the electrons move in that direction but not the current.' (Heck, even the 'hole flow' in semiconductors is misleading, to create a new hole an electron has to move, a hole does not exist therefore it cannot move!) This situation makes it very hard for us who learned basic electronics in high school to learn from the college grads who see electricity as though they were viewing it through a mirror. Edited addition: I would like to comment on some of the responses. " it's a rant", Yes it is. I would hoping some influential university professor would stumble across this and suggest a change though the powers to be, to get everyone teaching on the same page. "Current is charges flowing, not necessarily electrons. In a solution, current can be the physical movement of positive ions, for example". I will agree that in a solution the whole atom can move, but in dry electrical circuits the atoms themselves do not move. (as far as I know.) "charged particles move". Okay, if the atom itself is not moving what part of the atom moves to change it's charge? Only the electron can move in and out of the atom. A moving 'charge' is caused by an electron moving somewhere. "conceptual current" Think about that name, it is not named "real current". BTW, I am not here to irritate my well educated friends, I just wish they would agree that all levels of educational instruction should teach current flow the same way, (hopefully the correct way.) A: When it was realised that current had a direction, it was also realised that in order to work with each other, communicate and learn, we needed a convention for which way was +ve and which -ve. Franklin flipped a coin, and voila, conventional current flows +ve to -ve. Obligatory xkcd I did wonder whether the convention was set having noticed which way metals moved during electrolysis, but looking at the timeline, it was set prior to electrolysis. It doesn't matter what convention we use, like it doesn't matter which side of the road we drive on, as long as we all do the same thing. When you fully realise it's a convention, you'll also see that it doesn't matter which way round the convention is. If you want to design semiconductors from the physics up, you'll be using electrons and holes and valance bands and quantum mechanics, like a motor mechanic would use pistons and bearings. Pistons work whichever side of the road we drive on. Electrons work whichever way our ammeter is labelled. A: In addition to Neil's good answer (+1), electrons aren't the only things that move to make current. Charges come in both positive and negative varieties. Protons, for example, have a positive charge. Current is charges flowing, not necessarily electrons. In a solution, current can be the physical movement of positive ions, for example. In that case things are moving in the same direction as the conceptual current. Early on, someone arbitrarily picked which polarity of charges would be called positive and which negative. It turned out later than electrical conduction in copper wire happens because of motion of electrons, which were arbitrarily decided to be negative. So for the case of current in copper wire, conceptual current flows in the opposite direction of the tiny little thingies that actually move, but that is irrelevant. When doing electrical engineering, don't get hung up on the underlying mechanisms. Everything works fine by using conceptual current. It doesn't matter that in some cases that current is realized by negative thingies physically moving in the opposite direction.
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The invention generally relates to a rack for stowing leaders of the type employed in the fishing industry, and more particularly to a rack which can readily be mounted aboard a fishing vessel and employed in rapidly stowing leaders, as fishing lines are retrieved, and from which leaders can rapidly be broken-out and deployed during fishing operations. In the fishing industry, it is common practice to deploy or pay-out fishing lines having a plurality of leaders attached thereto in predetermined spaced relation. Of course, each leader normally is made up by hand and includes a fastener, often referred to as a snap, secured to one end of the leader and a lure secured to the opposite end thereof. As the fishing lines are paid-out during trolling operations, the leaders are serially fastened to the fishing lines. These operations must be rapidly performed. Similarly, as the fishing lines are retrieved or taken-in, each of the leaders must be detached from the fishing lines and rapidly stowed. Further, for reasons fully understood by those familiar with the fishing industry, it is desirable that the leaders be washed-down and stowed upon retrieval. Currently, it is common practice, upon retrieval, to coil the leaders into small coils and deposit them in pails containing fresh water. Of course, a great deal of time is lost in coiling the leaders. This loss of time should be avoided, where possible, in the interest of economy and efficiency. In a similar manner, a great deal of time may be lost in breaking-out the leaders, particularly in the event a fouling of the leaders is encountered, due to the tendency of leader material to retain its coiled configuration. It is, therefore, the general purpose of the instant invention to provide a practical rack for use in stowing leaders of the type employed in the fishing industry, which can readily be mounted aboard a fishing vessel and easily employed for facilitating expeditious deployment and retrieval of fishing lines during the performance of fishing operations such as trolling and the like.
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[
0.670050761421319,
33,
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--- address: | Research Training Group AIPHES and UKP Lab\ Computer Science Department, Technische Universit[ä]{}t Darmstadt\ www.aiphes.tu-darmstadt.de, www.ukp.tu-darmstadt.de bibliography: - 'lrec2018.bib' title: Live Blog Corpus for Summarization --- Introduction {#intro} ============ Related Work {#sec:related} ============ Corpus Construction {#sec:approach} =================== Corpus Statistics {#sec:corpus_statistics} ================= Results and Analysis {#sec:setup} ==================== Conclusion and Future Work {#sec:conclusion} ========================== Acknowledgments {#acknowledgments .unnumbered} =============== This work has been supported by the German Research Foundation as part of the Research Training Group “Adaptive Preparation of Information from Heterogeneous Sources” (AIPHES) under grant No. GRK 1994/1. We also acknowledge the useful comments and suggestions of the anonymous reviewers. Bibliographical References {#main:ref} ==========================
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700 ton travel lift belongs to heavy duty lifting equipment for lifting boat or yachts. If you need a professional travel lift which is used for lifting your boat for your business or family, please choose our company. We are the standard boat lift supplier and manufacturer in China. Of course, we have the abundant data about how to design and manufacture high quality marine travel lifts. In our company, you will find out a wide range of types and tons to meet the clients’ demands. In addition, if you want to learn more useful information about 700 ton model or other different tons, we can have experienced support staff. Our team can provide the customers with a series of certificates and various service options. Lifting capacity: 10-1200t Span length: 6.5m-25m Lifting speed: 0-3m/min Travelling speed: 0-40m/min Operation mode: cabin/remote control Working class: A6-A8 Customized service Get a Free Quote High Standard Service of 700 Ton Travel Lift As for long as, we can offer the full-service maintenance and repairs depending on the reasonable needs. When your boat encounters some risks, you can choose our standard travel lift handles these problems. Of course, for the exporting products, we can strictly inspect and test these basic functions. We can make scheduled maintenance, installation, emergency repairs, refitting, and refurbishment for the high standard service, which can make the great change to perfectly finish high efficiency operation. Of course, our group supplies a wide range of services for repair and maintenance. In order to meet clients’ satisfaction and ensure high quality service, our group is comprised of many engineers and technicians. They have the extensive experience and dedicated working methods. Lifting capacity: 10-1200t Span length: 6.5m-25m Lifting speed: 0-3m/min Travelling speed: 0-40m/min Operation mode: cabin/remote control Working class: A6-A8 Customized service Get a Free Quote Advanced Design of 700 Ton Travel Lift from Our Company Our staff are proud of our every product. On the one hand, it has the reliable and unsurpassed design for us. On the other hand, we can offer excellent service and factory price. It just nearly has trouble use. As the important manufacturer and supplier in China, we can meet the demands of such a special contract. When the weighing reaches a maximum of 700 tons, please choose our advanced design of 700 tons. Of course, we can improve the lifting ways and enhance various boat lifts’ abilities and functions. Lifting capacity: 10-1200t Span length: 6.5m-25m Lifting speed: 0-3m/min Travelling speed: 0-40m/min Operation mode: cabin/remote control Working class: A6-A8 Customized service Get a Free Quote Is A 700 Ton Travel Lift Right For Your Business? Are you looking for the right travel lift? You can research and learn your detailed demands. First, you can observe the product maneuverability about how to operate and locations. Is it suited for your lifting location and weighting? Secondly, it maybe have significant tidal and land limitations. Last, you need to consider the cost of maintenance and long service life. In conclusion, you still learn about location environment. If you have other requirements, please get in touch with us and we can offer customized travel lift. Customized Travel Lift Safety and Reliability Our firm manufactures our products with high quality structure and advanced materials. In addition, we pay attention to the best materials and techniques available in the industry. Then, our company also is committed to safety and reliability of products. In conclusion, it not only has high quality structure, but also designs beautiful exterior. Our designs are researched and developed by our experts and 3D modeling. In addition, we adopt the structural analysis software. In order to ensure the consistent high quality we demand, the majority of our machine operation is done depending on the standard data and engineers’ guidance. Reliable 700 Ton Travel Lift for Sale with Factory Price Do you get the customized boat hoist? Do you want to get a reliable travel lift? Do you want to get a high quality travel lift? Do you want to make the travel lift have more long working time? Do you want to choose excellent service and get reasonable price for travel lift? Are you researching for 700 ton travel lift or other different tons of boat lift? Please get in touch with us as soon as possible. If you want to get more information, you can directly call or email us. If you have time, welcome to visit our factory in China.
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#jyjjapandometour一期一会 Jaejoong: "Standing on Tokyo Dome stage reminds me of many things, but it's not of the old days. I just remember how much I missed today's (live) stage and I hope it will stay in our memories.." Via: @JJ_Naaa #jyjjapandometour一期一会 short FA: Jaejoong tried many times to talk but his tears stopped him. Junsu nodded, nodded, "right, right," and waited for him. Every time Jaejoong's tears flew, Junsu patted on his shoulder and told him "It's alright." Yoochun said, "Told you not to cry," then turned his back to the audience and silently wiped his own tears. While Jaejoong was talking, Junsu kept sobbing and staring at Jaejoong with gentle expression. Yoochun, he only quietly listened to Jaejoong. But when they were going back to center stage, he ran to Jaejoong who was walking ahead of him, patted on Jaejoong's shoulder and put his arm around Jaejoong's shoulder. Via: @IMISSJYJfrom the_little_pear rubypurple_fan: JJ ment: The 3 of us have different personalities so please look forward to our solo stages. - YC ment: Jejung and I went to the ramen shop. Ramen shop-san wa yoroshiku (thank you). lol. - JS: Sorry everyone, but I want to really do this in Japan… Now is… Audience: Junsu Time JS: woooo! #JYJinTokyoDome Y_S_H_I: oh my god bb did a hipthrust!!!! oh my god!!! Y_S_H_I: My fave…Lazy Life rubypurple_fan:JS solo – Story by AI Y_S_H_I: Junsu took off his white coat….It’s party time!!!!!!! #HipthrustFestival coming up!!!!! rubypurple_fan: Now is… Junsu time! JS solo – Incredible Y_S_H_I: The whole dome is dancing with Junsu!!!!! #incredible Y_S_H_I:So so…in black and white ensemble missuJxiah: so..so … Y_S_H_I: stand up for the fandom’s anthem! Chajatta!!! Y_S_H_I: wow! daebak!!! their platform is moving towards the fans at the back!!!! Raphaela_www: Lookkaew_SK: missuJxiah: 2nd ment mimi313100: Y_S_H_I: Junsu’s laugh is addictive! hahahaha rubypurple_fan: JS: I want to eat Hitsumabashi this time coz we are not in Nagoya. YC: We want to see our fans in Nagoya right Jejung? JJ: Of course! - They are calling out male fans again~ lol, the male fans are doing their best to be heard! mitsumani: rubypurple_fan: JS: There is difference in beauty when you are in 20′s or 30′s YC: You are bad (lol)
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344 F.3d 479 UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee,v.James Smith, Defendant-Appellant. No. 01-1124. No. 01-2427. United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit. Argued: January 31, 2003. Decided and Filed: July 31, 2003.* Pursuant to Sixth Circuit Rule 206 ARGUED: Nancy L. McGunn, FEDERAL PUBLIC DEFENDERS OFFICE, Detroit, Michigan, for Appellant. Jennifer J. Peregord, ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, Detroit, Michigan, for Appellee. ON BRIEF: Nancy L. McGunn, Penny R. Beardslee, FEDERAL PUBLIC DEFENDERS OFFICE, Detroit, Michigan, for Appellant. Jennifer J. Peregord, ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, Detroit, Michigan, for Appellee. Before: BATCHELDER, MOORE, and CLAY, Circuit Judges. OPINION CLAY, Circuit Judge. 1 This is a consolidated appeal. In Case No. 01-1124, Defendant, James Smith, appeals from the district court's judgment entered on January 5, 2001, sentencing Defendant to twenty-one months of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a restitution payment of $61,774.80 following Defendant's guilty plea conviction for making false statements to the Social Security Administration ("the SSA") in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001. In Case No. 01-2427, Defendant appeals from the district court's order entered on October 4, 2001, granting the government's motion to enter a document into the record. For the reasons set forth below, we VACATE IN PART Defendant's sentence in Case No. 01-1124, we REVERSE the district court's order in Case No. 01-2427, and we REMAND both cases for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. BACKGROUND 2 The government filed a criminal complaint on February 14, 2000, alleging that Defendant fraudulently collected disability benefits, totaling $61,744.80, from the SSA using the name and social security number of Michael C. Johnson from November of 1995 to January of 2000 in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 641. On the same day the complaint was filed, the district court issued a warrant for Defendant's arrest. Defendant turned himself into the United States Marshal Service on February 24, 2000. Thereafter, on March 15, 2000, the district court dismissed the complaint without prejudice. 3 The government filed an information on August 16, 2000, charging Defendant with one count of making false statements to the SSA in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001. Specifically, the information charged Defendant with knowingly and wilfully making the following false statements: (1) that his name was Michael C. Johnson, (2) that his social security number was identical to Michael C. Johnson's social security number, and (3) that he had never used a different name or social security number. On the same day the information was filed, Defendant filed a waiver of indictment. 4 At his arraignment held on September 11, 2000, Defendant entered a guilty plea to the information pursuant to a Rule 11 plea agreement. The plea agreement provides in relevant part: 5 A.... The defendant stipulates that all the allegations set forth in the information are true and constitute a violation of the statute. 6 B. The maximum term of imprisonment shall not exceed twenty-one (21) months. 7 C. The maximum term of supervised release shall not exceed three (3) years. Violation of any condition of supervised release may result in the defendant being imprisoned for the entire term of supervised release or being prosecuted for contempt of court under 18 U.S.C. § 401(3). 8 D. The maximum fine shall not exceed the statutory maximum. 9 E. The court is required to impose a $100 special assessment. The defendant will pay the assessment before sentence is imposed and will provide a receipt at sentencing. 10 F. The court can order the defendant to pay restitution for all losses resulting from his relevant offense conduct. 11 G. The defendant, by entering into this plea agreement, knowingly and voluntarily gives up any right he may have to appeal any sentence which is within the parameters of this agreement as delineated above. 12 . . . . 13 J. This agreement incorporates the complete understanding between the parties, and no other promises have been made by the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan to the defendant or to the attorney for the defendant. 14 (J.A. at 14-15.) Before accepting Defendant's guilty plea, the district court explained the provisions of the plea agreement to Defendant. The district court then asked Defendant whether he understood the plea agreement, and Defendant replied "Yes, sir." (J.A. at 98.) 15 The United States Probation Office issued a Presentence Investigation Report ("PSR") on December 18, 2000. The PSR determined that Defendant caused the SSA loss in the amount of $61,744.80, and recommended that Defendant pay restitution in that amount. The PSR also determined that Defendant had a total offense level of 11 and a criminal history category of IV. The PSR therefore recommended a sentencing range of 18 to 24 months of imprisonment. 16 Defendant filed a sentencing memorandum on December 27, 2000, objecting to, inter alia, the PSR's determination of the amount of loss. Defendant argued that had he used his own name and social security number, he could have legally collected $28,064.00 in social security income benefits from the SSA due to his diagnosed mental illness. Defendant argued that the $28,064.00 in social security income benefits he could have legally collected should be offset against the $61,744.80 in disability benefits he fraudulently collected. Defendant therefore argued that the SSA sustained loss in the amount of $33,710.00, and that he should pay restitution in that amount. 17 At the sentencing hearing held on January 3, 2001, the government argued that the amount of loss and restitution should equal the amount of disability benefits Defendant fraudulently collected, $61,774.80. The district court agreed and stated that it will order Defendant to pay restitution in the amount of "roughly $61,000." (J.A. at 124.) The district court further stated that it will order the "matter ... be resolved with the Social Security Administration as to whether or not . . . [the alleged $28,064.00 in social security income benefits Defendant could have legally collected] is a legitimate offset." (J.A. at 125-26.) Defense counsel stated that Defendant would agree to the district court's order if the order specified that the government has the burden of proving Defendant is not entitled to an offset. The district court stated that it was "not going to get involved in a quarrel as to who has the burden of proof." (J.A. at 126.) 18 The district court entered judgment against Defendant on January 5, 2001, sentencing Defendant to twenty-one months of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a restitution payment of $61,774.80. In the judgment, the district court noted: 19 Defendant Smith contends that he was legally entitled to receive social security benefits in the amount of $28,064.00 and that this should be off-set against his illegal receipt of $61,774,80. If the Social Security Administration on inquiry of the Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan agrees with this contention, then this amount of restitution will be reduced by that amount. 20 (J.A. at 53.) Defendant timely filed a notice of appeal on January 9, 2001, appealing the district court's judgment (Case No. 01-1124). 21 By letter dated September 5, 2001, the SSA notified the government that it had a policy of not paying social security income benefits retroactively to an individual who, like Defendant, fraudulently collected disability benefits. On September 13, 2001, the government filed a motion to admit the SSA's September 5, 2001-letter into the record pursuant to Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 10(e)(2). In its motion, the government claimed that it was unaware of the district court's notation in the judgment directing the SSA to resolve the offset dispute until Case No. 01-1124 was on appeal. Defendant filed a response to the government's motion on September 28, 2001. In his response, Defendant objected to the admission of the letter into the record and requested a hearing on the matter. By order entered on October 4, 2001, the district court granted the government's motion without conducting a hearing on the matter. Defendant timely filed a notice of appeal on October 11, 2001, appealing the district court's order (Case No. 01-2427). DISCUSSION 22 I. WAIVER OF RIGHT TO APPEAL (Case No. 01-1124) 23 This Court reviews the question of whether a defendant waived his right to appeal his sentence in a valid plea agreement de novo. United States v. Stubbs, 279 F.3d 402, 411 (6th Cir.2002). 24 It is well settled that a defendant in a criminal case may waive his right to appeal his sentence in a valid plea agreement. See United States v. Fleming, 239 F.3d 761, 763-64 (6th Cir.2001); Stubbs, 279 F.3d at 410. For a plea agreement to be constitutionally valid, a defendant must have entered into the agreement knowingly and voluntarily. See Fleming, 239 F.3d at 764. "When a [d]efendant waives his right to appeal his sentence in a valid plea agreement, this Court is bound by that agreement and will not review the sentence except in limited circumstances." Stubbs, 279 F.3d at 410. 25 In the plea agreement, Defendant agreed to "pay restitution for all losses resulting from his relevant offense conduct," and to "knowingly and voluntarily give[] up any right he may have to appeal any sentence which is within the parameters of this agreement[.]" (J.A. at 15.) The government argues that the above-quoted language indicates that Defendant knowingly and voluntarily waived his right to appeal his sentence in any respect. Defendant, on the other hand, argues that he did not knowingly and voluntarily waive his right to appeal the manner in which the district court determined the amount of restitution. 26 The plea agreement is ambiguous as to the amount and manner of determining restitution. The plea agreement merely provides that the district court can order Defendant to pay restitution for all losses resulting from his relevant offense conduct. The plea agreement, however, does not provide the manner in which the district court can determine the amount of loss. Because Defendant argues on appeal that the district court erred in determining that the SSA sustained a loss in the amount of $61,744.80, the manner in which the district court determined the amount of loss is the primary issue on appeal, which falls outside the scope of the plea agreement. We therefore hold that Defendant's appeal is not waived. See United States v. Johnson, 979 F.2d 396, 399 (6th Cir.1992) (stating that "ambiguity [in a plea agreement] must be construed against the government"). II. RESTITUTION (Case No. 01-1124) 27 This Court reviews the propriety of ordering restitution de novo and the amount of restitution ordered for abuse of discretion. United States v. Bearden, 274 F.3d 1031, 1040 (6th Cir.2001). 28 Section 5E1.1 of the Sentencing Guidelines provides in relevant part that "[i]n the case of an identifiable victim, the court shall ... enter a restitution order for the full amount of the victim's loss, if such order is authorized under 18 U.S.C. § ... 3663." United States Sentencing Commission, Guidelines Manual, § 5E1.1(a)(1) (Nov.2002). Section 3663 provides in relevant part that "[t]he court, when sentencing a defendant convicted of an offense under this title [Title 18], ... may order... that the defendant make restitution to any victim of such offense ..." 18 U.S.C. § 3663(a)(1)(A). Section 3663(a)(3) provides that "[t]he court may also order restitution in any criminal case to the extent agreed to by the parties in a plea agreement." 18 U.S.C. § 3663(a)(3). 29 Section 3664 provides in relevant part that "the court shall order the probation officer to obtain and include in its presentence report, or in a separate report, as the court may direct, information sufficient for the court to exercise its discretion in fashioning a restitution order. The report shall include, to the extent practicable, a complete accounting of the losses to each victim, any restitution owed pursuant to a plea agreement, and information relating to the economic circumstances of each defendant." 18 U.S.C. § 3664(a). Section 3664(f)(1)(A) provides that "[i]n each order of restitution, the court shall order restitution to each victim in the full amount of each victim's losses as determined by the court and without consideration of the economic circumstances of the defendant." 18 U.S.C. § 3664(f)(1)(A). Section 3664(e) provides "[a]ny dispute as to the proper amount or type of restitution shall be resolved by the court by the preponderance of the evidence. The burden of demonstrating the amount of the loss sustained by a victim as a result of the offense shall be on the attorney for the Government." 18 U.S.C. § 3664(e). 30 Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure ("Rule") 32(c)(1)1 provides in relevant part that "[a]t the sentencing hearing ... [f]or each matter controverted, the court must make either a finding on the allegation or a determination that no finding is necessary because the controverted matter will not be taken into account in, or will not affect, sentencing." Fed.R.Crim.P. 32(c)(1). This Court requires "literal compliance" with Rule 32(c)(1). United States v. Fry, 831 F.2d 664, 667 (6th Cir.1987). This Court has made it clear that Rule 32(c)(1) "prohibits a court faced with a dispute over sentencing factors from adopting the factual findings of the presentence report without making factual determinations of its own." United States v. Monus, 128 F.3d 376, 396 (6th Cir.1997). USSG § 6A3.1(b) provides that "[t]he court shall resolve disputed sentencing factors at a sentencing hearing in accordance with [Federal] Rule [of Criminal Procedure] 32(c)(1)." 31 Defendant argues that the district court violated Rule 32(c)(1) by failing to make factual findings regarding the disputed amount of loss sustained by the SSA at the time of sentencing. Defendant points out that the dispute was presented to the district court in the pleadings and at the sentencing hearing. For instance, in his sentencing memorandum, Defendant argued that had he used his own name and social security number, he could have legally collected $28,064.00 in social security income benefits from the SSA due to his diagnosed mental illness. Defendant argued that the $28,064.00 in social security income benefits he could have legally collected should be offset against the $61,744.80 in disability benefits he fraudulently collected. Defendant therefore argued that the SSA sustained a loss in the amount of $33,710.00, and that he should pay restitution in that amount. 32 At the sentencing hearing, Defendant again presented his argument to the district court. The government responded by arguing that the amount of loss and restitution should equal the amount of disability benefits Defendant fraudulently collected. The district court acknowledged both parties' arguments, but failed to make any factual findings regarding the offset dispute. Rather, the district court stated that it will order Defendant to pay restitution in the amount of "roughly $61,000," and that the "matter ... be resolved with the Social Security Administration as to whether or not ... [the alleged $28,064.00 in social security income benefits Defendant could have legally collected] is a legitimate offset." (J.A. at 124, 125-26.) When defense counsel stated that Defendant would agree to the district court's order if the order specified that the government has the burden of proving Defendant is not entitled to an offset, the district court stated that it was "not going to get involved in a quarrel as to who has the burden of proof." (J.A. at 126.) 33 Thereafter, the district court entered judgment against Defendant sentencing him to pay restitution in the precise amount of disability benefits he fraudulently collected, $61,744.80, as the PSR had recommended. In addition, the district court delegated its duty of resolving the offset dispute to the SSA by noting in the judgment that "[i]f the Social Security Administration on inquiry of the Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan agrees with . . . [Defendant's] contention, then this amount of restitution will be reduced by ... [$28,064.00]." (J.A. at 53.) 34 We hold that the district court violated Rule 32(c)(1) by failing to make factual findings, at the time of sentencing, regarding whether the alleged $28,064.00 in social security income benefits Defendant claims he could have legally collected had he used his own name and social security number should have been offset against the $61,744.80 in disability benefits Defendant fraudulently collected from the SSA. The district court erred in delegating its duty to resolve the offset dispute to the SSA, and in refusing to respond to Defendant's objection that the government had the burden of proof. We therefore vacate Defendant's sentence as to the amount of restitution and remand this case for resentencing in compliance with Rule 32(c)(1). See United States v. Monus, 128 F.3d 376, 396-97 (6th Cir.1997) (holding that the district court violated Rule 32(c)(1) by failing to make factual findings as to the amount of loss attributed to the defendant); United States v. Parrott, 148 F.3d 629, 633 (6th Cir.1998) (holding that a district court cannot adopt "the factual findings of the presentence report without making factual determinations of its own" when the facts are in dispute). 35 Defendant also argues that the district court violated 18 U.S.C. § 3572(d)(1)2 by not establishing a restitution payment schedule. We hold that Defendant's argument is without merit. The district court stated in the judgment that Defendant "shall PAY THE BALANCE OF RESTITUTION OWED IN MONTHLY PAYMENTS AS RECOMMENDED BY THE PROBATION DEPARTMENT AND APPROVED BY THE COURT." This Court has approved such payment scheduling. See Weinberger v. United States, 268 F.3d 346, 359-60 (6th Cir.2001). III. EXPANSION OF THE RECORD 36 Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure ("Appellate Rule") 10 provides in relevant part: 37 (a) Composition of the Record on Appeal. The following items constitute the record on appeal: (1) the original papers and exhibits filed in the district court; 38 (2) the transcript of proceedings, if any; and 39 (3) a certified copy of the docket entries prepared by the district clerk. 40 . . . . 41 (e) Correction or Modification of the Record. 42 . . . . 43 (2) If anything material to either party is omitted from or misstated in the record by error or accident, the omission or misstatement may be corrected and a supplemental record may be certified and forwarded: 44 (A) on stipulation of the parties; 45 (B) by the district court before or after the record has been forwarded; or 46 (C) by the court of appeals. 47 (3) All other questions as to the form and content of the record must be presented to the court of appeals. 48 Fed. R.App. P. 10(a) & (e). "The purpose of ... [Appellate Rule 10(e)(2)] is to allow the [] court to correct omissions from or misstatements in the record for appeal, not to introduce new evidence in the court of appeals." S & E Shipping Corp. v. Chesapeake & O. Ry. Co., 678 F.2d 636, 641 (6th Cir.1982). 49 In compliance with the district court's directive as set forth in the judgment, the SSA notified the government, by letter dated September 5, 2001, that it had a policy of not paying social security income benefits retroactively to an individual who, like Defendant, fraudulently collected disability benefits. The government filed a motion to admit the letter into the record pursuant to Appellate Rule 10(e)(2). In its motion, the government claimed that it was unaware of the district court's directive until Case No. 01-1124 was on appeal. Defendant filed a response to the motion objecting to the admission of the letter into the record and requesting a hearing on the matter. The district court issued a one-page conclusory order admitting the letter into the record, without conducting a hearing on the matter. 50 Defendant argues that the district court erred in admitting the letter into the record because the letter neither qualifies as a document under Appellate Rule 10(a) nor as an omission under Appellate Rule 10(e)(2). Defendant points out that the letter was not in existence until eight months after the judgment in Case No. 01-1124 was entered on January 5, 2001. Defendant argues that because the letter was not in existence while Case No. 01-1124 was pending before the district court, the district court did not have the right to consider the contents of the letter in finalizing its restitution order. 51 The government concedes that the letter neither qualifies as a document under Appellate Rule 10(a) nor as an omission under Appellate Rule 10(e)(2). The government, however, argues that we may consider the contents of the letter because it was admitted into the record in direct response to the district court's directive. 52 Under these circumstances, the district court's decision to admit the letter into the record was plainly unreasonable. The district court neither afforded Defendant the opportunity to respond or comment upon the letter, nor made factual findings regarding the contents of the letter. In addition, the district court violated 18 U.S.C. § 3664(d)(5)3 by failing to finalize the restitution order within 90 days after sentencing. See United States v. Vandeberg, 201 F.3d 805, 814 (6th Cir.2000) (holding that the district court erred in unilaterally amending and finalizing the restitution order without affording the parties an opportunity to object within the 90 days after sentencing, as required by § 3664(d)(5)). We therefore vacate the district court's order and remand this case for further proceedings consistent with Rule 32(c)(1) and § 3664(d)(5). CONCLUSION 53 For the forgoing reasons, we VACATE IN PART Defendant's sentence in Case No. 01-1124, we REVERSE the district court's order in Case No. 01-2427, and we REMAND both cases for further proceedings. Notes: * This decision was originally issued as an "unpublished decision" filed on July 31, 2003. On August 28, 2003, the court designated the opinion as one recommended for full-text publication 1 The December 1, 2002 amendments to the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure replaced Rule 32(c)(1) with Rule 32(i)(3)United States v. Treadway, 328 F.3d 878, 885 n. 3 (6th Cir.2003). Because we are reviewing the district court's failure to make specific factual findings at Defendant's sentencing hearing held on January 3, 2001, we are applying the rule in effect at that time Rule 32(c)(1). 2 Section 3572(d)(1) provides: A person sentenced to pay a fine or other monetary penalty, including restitution, shall make such payment immediately, unless, in the interest of justice, the court provides for payment on a date certain or in installments. 18 U.S.C. § 3572(d)(1). 3 Section 3664(d)(5) provides in relevant part: If the victim's losses are not ascertainable by the date that is 10 days prior to sentencing, the attorney for the Government or the probation officer shall so inform the court, and the court shall set a date for the final determination of the victim's losses, not to exceed 90 days after sentencing. 18 U.S.C. § 3664(d)(5).
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Thirty-nine people have been arrested and drugs with a value of more than £700,000 seized during police raids across Merthyr Tydfil and the Rhondda . South Wales Police executed eight search warrants in “priority” exercises carried out on Wednesday and Thursday as part of a community policing drive targeting locations identified as areas of concern. Officers made 39 arrests for offences including possession with intent to supply, assault, money laundering, theft, threats to kill and burglary. Tackling violence and anti-social behaviour South Wales Police chief inspector Cath Larkman said: “Through our continued engagement with the public and partners, a number of local policing priorities were identified within Merthyr and the Rhondda and the two days of action provided us with an excellent opportunity to address these issues and demonstrate our commitment to meeting the needs of the community. “Our activity has focused on violence and antisocial behaviour. “Through targeted action we made a number of significant arrests, while at the same time offering vital information to the public on how to keep themselves safe and gaining further intelligence to inform our policing activities.” South Wales Police say their aim was to reduce fear of crime among communities, as local residents identified anti-social behaviour as a large concern with a number of areas identified as causing particular problems. 'Our communities should feel safe' A high visibility-patrol of the force’s mounted section directly resulted in two arrests, while its neighbourhood and community safety teams held crime prevention roadshows and undertook targeted patrols to issue advice to residents.
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635 S.W.2d 342 (1982) STATE of Missouri, Respondent, v. John BARBER, Appellant. No. 62964. Supreme Court of Missouri, Division No. 2. July 6, 1982. *343 Claude Hanks, Creve Coeur, for appellant. John Ashcroft, Atty. Gen., Douglas Lind, Asst. Atty. Gen., Jefferson City, for respondent. SEILER, Judge. John Barber was arrested, charged, and convicted of possession of controlled substances, Schedule II, in violation of § 195.020, RSMo 1978. Punishment was assessed at five years confinement. The case is here on transfer on defendant's application following a dismissal of his appeal by the court of appeals, southern district. Our jurisdiction is pursuant to Mo. Const. art. V, § 10. Defendant alleges three instances of error: 1) the state failed to make a submissible case for possession of controlled substances; 2) the warrantless search which procured the evidence violated defendant's fourth amendment rights; and 3) the evidence was insufficient to support the jury instructions pertaining to the possession of controlled substances. Because we find that the state did not make a submissible case for possession of controlled substances and reverse on this issue, we need not reach defendant's other two points. In reviewing the record we accept as true all evidence tending to prove defendant guilty together with all reasonable inferences supportive of the verdict. State v. Brooks, 618 S.W.2d 22, 23 (Mo. banc 1981). Our function is not to weigh the evidence but to determine only whether there was sufficient evidence from which reasonable persons could have found defendant guilty as charged. State v. Kelly, 539 S.W.2d 106, 109 (Mo. banc 1976); State v. Johnson, 510 S.W.2d 485, 487 (Mo.App.1974). To sustain a conviction for possession of a controlled substance under § 195.020, the state must prove that the defendant knowingly and intentionally possessed the proscribed substance. To meet this burden, conscious, intentional possession, either actual or constructive, must be established. State v. Burns, 457 S.W.2d 721 (Mo.1970); State v. Polk, 529 S.W.2d 490 (Mo.App. 1975). The state must also show that the defendant was aware of the presence and nature of the substances in question. State v. Wiley, 522 S.W.2d 281, 292 (Mo. banc 1975). Both possession and knowledge may be proved by circumstantial evidence. If actual possession has not been shown, "constructive possession will suffice when other facts buttress an inference of defendant's knowledge of the presence of the controlled substance." State v. West, 559 S.W.2d 282, 284 (Mo.App.1977). Exclusive control of the premises on which controlled substances are found raises an inference of possession and control of those substances. State v. Funk, 490 S.W.2d 354, 360 (Mo.App.1973). But if there is joint control of the premises, *344 some further evidence is necessary to connect the accused with the drugs. Id. at 361. The presence of large quantities of a controlled substance may buttress such an inference if consistent with the totality of circumstances. State v. Stewart, 542 S.W.2d 533, 538 (Mo.App.1976). On January 28, 1979 at approximately 4:40 a. m., several officers from the Poplar Bluff police department entered a residence at 512 Karen Drive in Poplar Bluff, owned by the city and rented by Donald Ray Ward. The purpose of the police was to arrest Elizabeth Bistow Ward, who was wanted by another authority. Officer Donwell Clark was the first policeman to enter the building. He stationed himself in the living room of the apartment. One group of officers entered with him and passed on to a bedroom hallway while a second group used a separate entrance. In one bedroom, the officers found Donald Ward, Carol Ward, and her child; in the bathroom, they discovered Arthur Cronister and his wife; and in another bedroom, they found defendant John Barber, his wife, and Gregory Dorsey. In this particular bedroom there were quantities of pills and capsules, estimated at over a thousand, stacked in individual piles on the floor by color, size, and type. By the time officer Clark, who testified about the drugs, made his way down the hall and entered this bedroom, the three occupants were against the wall, guarded by a police officer. Drugs were found in other rooms on the premises, but not in the same quantities as in this bedroom. All of the individuals at the residence were arrested and read their rights collectively. At trial the state presented three witnesses. The police officer who first entered the room where defendant was present did not testify. Officer Clark testified that he did not observe defendant Barber with pills in his pocket or on his person. He had no knowledge of whether the defendant resided at 512 Karen or how long he had been on the premises. The second witness was officer Alexander, the Poplar Bluff narcotics officer, who testified that when he entered the bedroom he had an unobstructed view of the capsules on the floor. Officer Clark and a second unidentified officer were already there. He also had no knowledge of whether defendant had had the pills in his pocket, or anywhere else on his person. He did not know if defendant had anything to do with sorting the drugs. The third witness was Dr. Robert Briner, Director of the Southeast Missouri Regional Crime Laboratory at Cape Girardeau, who testified that all of the pills and capsules seized that night contained controlled substances identified on Schedule II. At the close of the state's evidence, defendant moved for a directed verdict. That motion was denied and the case was sent to the jury. We conclude that the facts in evidence do not support a conviction for possession and control of a controlled substance. There was no direct evidence in this case that the defendant had actual possession of the drugs. Neither officer Clark nor officer Alexander could testify that any of the capsules were found on defendant's person or that defendant had been observed exercising any sort of control over them and the officer who preceded them into the room did not testify. Nor is the circumstantial evidence sufficient. Large quantities of drugs were found on the premises. Most were located in the same bedroom with defendant. The state's evidence established, however, that defendant did not have exclusive use or possession of the premises. Seven other adults were found at the time of the arrest. The residence was owned by the city of Poplar Bluff and rented by Donald Ray Ward. There was no evidence to establish that defendant had regular use, whether exclusive or joint, of the bedroom or any other part of the residence. There was no evidence concerning how long he had been in the room or on the premises. Finally, there was no evidence as to how long the drugs had been there. The state established only that the defendant was discovered in a room with large quantities of controlled substances. "[T]he mere fact that an accused is present on the premises where controlled *345 substances are found does not, without a showing of exclusive use or possession of the premises, make a submissible case." State v. Wiley, supra, 522 S.W.2d at 292. As reversal is premised solely on the insufficiency of the evidence, this case is not remanded to the trial court for a new trial. The double jeopardy clause of the United States constitution precludes a second trial after a reversal based solely on the insufficiency of evidence. State v. Wood, 596 S.W.2d 394 (Mo. banc 1980); State v. Basham, 568 S.W.2d 518 (Mo. banc 1978). We therefore reverse and order the trial court to enter a judgment of acquittal. WELLIVER, P.J., concurs. HIGGINS, J., dissents.
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Introduction ============ Early gastric cancer (EGC) is defined as gastric cancer that is confined to the mucosa or submucosa (T1 cancer), irrespective of the presence of regional lymph node metastases ([@b1-etm-07-03-0594]). In 1995, it was reported that almost 10,000 cases of EGC are detected annually in Japan, accounting for 40--50% of all gastric cancers ([@b2-etm-07-03-0594]). Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is widely recognized as a safe and effective treatment for EGC ([@b3-etm-07-03-0594]--[@b6-etm-07-03-0594]). However, little information is available concerning the long-term outcomes of ESD in large numbers of patients. The gold standard study design for evaluation of the efficacy of endoscopic treatment of EGC is a long-term, large-scale, randomized controlled trial. The excellent prognosis following surgical treatment of EGC, particularly in cases indicated for endoscopic resection, makes randomized controlled trials unethical. Therefore, the feasible evidence of the efficacy of EMR/ESD comes from long-term clinical follow-up data. In the present study, the clinical outcomes of a large number of patients with EGC who underwent ESD were investigated. Patients and methods ==================== Patients -------- A total of 1,332 EGCs in 1,209 consecutive patients were treated by ESD at the affiliated hospitals of Nagasaki University Hospital from January 2001 to December 2010. The indications for ESD were determined by the presence or absence of nodal metastasis ([@b7-etm-07-03-0594]--[@b9-etm-07-03-0594]) and according to the criteria for endoscopic resection proposed in the Treatment Guidelines for Gastric Cancer in Japan ([@b10-etm-07-03-0594]). The indication criteria were defined as differentiated-type mucosal cancer without ulceration, ≤20 mm in diameter. The expanded-indication criteria were defined as follows: Differentiated-type mucosal cancer without ulceration, irrespective of tumor size; differentiated-type mucosal cancer with ulceration, ≤30 mm in diameter; differentiated-type minute (\<500 μm from the muscularis mucosae) submucosal invasive cancer, ≤30 mm in diameter; and undifferentiated-type mucosal cancer without ulceration, ≤20 mm in diameter with no lymphovascular involvement. The out-of-indication criteria were defined as EGCs that did not meet the indication criteria or the expanded-indication criteria. Written informed consent was obtained from each patient. ESD --- The EGCs were first identified and demarcated using white-light endoscopy and chromoendoscopy with indigo carmine solution, after which marking around the lesions was performed by cautery with a needle knife. Glycerol (10% glycerol and 5% fructose; Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) or MucoUp^®^ (Johnson and Johnson Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) were then injected into the submucosal layer to lift the mucosa. A circumferential mucosal incision was made around the lesion using an insulation-tipped (IT) Knife 2 (Olympus Medical Systems Corp., Tokyo, Japan) or a Flush Knife (Fujifilm Corp., Tokyo, Japan). Submucosal dissection was performed using the IT Knife 2, a Hook Knife (Olympus Medical Systems Corp.) or the Flush Knife to achieve complete removal of the lesion. High-frequency generators (ICC 200 or VIO 300D; ERBE Elektromedizin GmbH, Tübingen, Germany) were used during marking, incision of the gastric mucosa and exfoliation of the gastric submucosa. Early outcomes -------------- Early outcomes (perforation, bleeding rate and curability) were assessed for the 1,332 EGCs in the 1,209 consecutive patients. The patients included 882 men and 327 women, with a mean age of 72 years (range, 33--95 years). Perforation was diagnosed endoscopically or by the presence of free air on an abdominal plain radiograph or computed tomography scan. Procedure-associated bleeding was defined as bleeding that required transfusion or surgical intervention, or bleeding that caused the hemoglobin level to decrease by 2 g/dl ([@b11-etm-07-03-0594]). *En bloc* resection refers to a resection in one piece ([@b11-etm-07-03-0594]). The curability of ESD was classified as either curative or non-curative ([@b11-etm-07-03-0594],[@b12-etm-07-03-0594]). Resections were deemed curative when a tumor was excised *en bloc* and was within the indication or expanded-indication criteria with tumor-free lateral and vertical margins and no lymphovascular invasion. When histological evaluation was challenging or identified that a lesion was outside the indication or expanded-indication criteria and/or that it had a positive margin or lymphovascular invasion, the curability was defined as non-curative. Long-term outcomes ------------------ Long-term outcomes were assessed for a total of 342 EGCs in 319 consecutive patients treated using ESD from January 2001 to December 2005. The follow-up was conducted \>5 years after the procedure. The patients included 224 men and 95 women, with a mean age of 71 years (range, 33--92 years). Nineteen patients had multiple EGCs with a total of 42 lesions. In the analysis of long-term outcomes, 300 patients were enrolled due to the exclusion of the 19 patients with multiple EGCs. The overall survival rates were compared between the indication and expanded-indication groups, and between the patients who did or did not undergo additional surgery in the out-of-indication group. The overall survival rates among different age groups were also compared. Statistical analysis -------------------- The statistical significance of the differences with respect to each complication was determined using Fisher's exact test or the χ^2^ test. Data for the long-term outcomes were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and analyzed by the log-rank test. P\<0.05 was considered to indicate a statistically significant difference. This study was approved by the ethics committee of Nagasaki University Hospital. Results ======= Early outcomes -------------- [Table I](#tI-etm-07-03-0594){ref-type="table"} categorizes the resected lesions by histopathological examination. The indication criteria included 617 (46.3%) lesions; 507 (38.1%) lesions were included in the expanded-indication criteria and 208 (15.6%) lesions were included in the out-of-indication criteria. [Table II](#tII-etm-07-03-0594){ref-type="table"} lists the early outcomes of the patients. The curative resection rates for *en bloc* resection were 96.6% (596/617) and 91.5% (464/507) in the indication and expanded-indication groups, respectively. The total perforation rate was 2.9% (39/1,332), and the rate for the expanded-indication group was significantly higher than that for the indication group \[4.3% (22/507) versus 1.8% (11/617), P\<0.05; [Table III](#tIII-etm-07-03-0594){ref-type="table"}\]. Only one case of late-onset perforation required surgery. Overall, the ESD-associated bleeding rate was 2.0% (26/1,332) and it was significantly higher for the out-of-indication group \[4.8% (10/208)\] compared with the indication group \[1.1% (7/617)\] (P\<0.01) or the expanded-indication group \[1.8% (9/507)\] (P\<0.05; [Table IV](#tIV-etm-07-03-0594){ref-type="table"}). The complication rate was similar to those calculated in other studies ([@b13-etm-07-03-0594]--[@b15-etm-07-03-0594]). Local recurrence was identified in two patients and the lesions in these patients were excised with piecemeal resection. Long-term outcomes ------------------ Patients (n=319), consisting of 224 men and 95 women, with a mean age of 71 years (range, 33--92 years), were followed up \>5 years after ESD was performed. Of those, 19 patients (42 lesions) had multiple EGCs; thus, in the analysis of long-term outcomes, the other 300 patients were enrolled. The median follow-up term of observation was 66 months, ranging from 1 to 106 months. [Table V](#tV-etm-07-03-0594){ref-type="table"} presents the categorization of the resected lesions that were enrolled in the long-term outcome analysis. Of the 49 patients in the out-of-indication group, 23 underwent additional surgery and 26 did not due to advanced age, concomitant diseases and/or rejection of surgery by the patient. Of the 146 patients in the indication group, 20 passed away; 18 mortalities were due to diseases other than gastric cancer and two were due to unknown causes. Of the 105 patients in the expanded-indication group, 15 patients succumbed to diseases other than gastric cancer. Of the 23 patients who underwent additional surgery in the out-of-indication group, one mortality occurred, which was not due to gastric cancer. Among the 26 patients who did not undergo additional surgery in the out-of-indication group, 10 mortalities occurred, including one due to gastric cancer. The five-year survival rate was not significantly different between the indication and expanded-indication groups ([Fig. 1](#f1-etm-07-03-0594){ref-type="fig"}). However, in the out-of-indication group, the five-year survival rate of the patients who did not undergo additional surgery (65.0%) was significantly lower than that of the patients who did undergo additional surgery (100%) (P=0.0062; [Fig. 2](#f2-etm-07-03-0594){ref-type="fig"}). In the analysis by age, the five-year survival rate of the patients \>80 years old (67.1%) was significantly lower than those of the younger age groups (\<60 years old, 91.6%; sixties, 93.0%; seventies, 84.5%) (P\<0.0001; [Fig. 3](#f3-etm-07-03-0594){ref-type="fig"}). Discussion ========== Gotoda *et al* ([@b7-etm-07-03-0594]) suggested that early gastric cancer with no risk of lymph node metastasis is definable by using a large database, so the indications for endoscopic treatment have been expanded in Japan. *En bloc* resection of ESD provides a much higher curative resection rate than piecemeal resection via endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) ([@b11-etm-07-03-0594]). In addition, ESD permits precise histopathological examination for the assessment of curability to guide further management and to stratify the risk of a patient developing metastases. Successful outcomes are therefore enabled following ESD ([@b6-etm-07-03-0594],[@b16-etm-07-03-0594]). In the present study, two cases of EGC local recurrence were excised via piecemeal resection of ESD. It is important to be able to excise via *en bloc* resection. ESD is an excellent procedure as it decreases the incidence of local recurrence following *en bloc* resection more effectively than EMR ([@b17-etm-07-03-0594]). The development of ESD has allowed the indications for endoscopic treatment to be extended. In the present study, although the perforation rate was higher for the expanded-indication group than for the indication group, most of the perforations were controlled endoscopically. Although endoscopic treatment is an accepted therapy for EGC in Japan ([@b3-etm-07-03-0594]--[@b6-etm-07-03-0594]), there have been few studies concerning the long-term outcomes ([@b18-etm-07-03-0594],[@b19-etm-07-03-0594]). The present study has demonstrated that the survival rate of patients meeting the expanded-indication criteria has been similar to that of patients meeting the indication criteria. Therefore, the current expanded indications may be appropriate. In the present study, mortalities due to gastric cancer were not observed in the patients in the indication and the expanded-indication groups. However, 13.9% (35/251) of the patients in these two groups succumbed to diseases other than gastric cancer. In particular, the survival rate of the patients \>80 years old was poor; most of the patients \>80 years of age succumbed to non-cancerous diseases such as pulmonary disease, heart disease and cerebral infarction. As may be expected, the life expectancies of the older patients were shorter than the life expectancies of the younger patients. This result may be a natural outcome; however, there are a number of studies that suggest ESD is effective even in elderly patients ([@b13-etm-07-03-0594],[@b18-etm-07-03-0594],[@b19-etm-07-03-0594]). The natural history of EGC has been poorly delineated. Therefore, the degree to which EGC improves the prognosis of elderly patients, regardless of the presence or absence of a therapeutic intervention, has not been fully clarified. In the present study, a number of the elderly patients had concomitant diseases, but the mortalities of a number of the others were unpredictable. Although it is difficult to decide whether elderly patients with EGC should undergo ESD, this issue merits careful thought. When the lesions are judged as out-of-indication according to histopathological analysis, additional surgery with lymph node dissection is recommended. In the present study, in the out-of-indication group, the five-year survival rate of the patients who did not undergo additional surgery was significantly lower than that of the patients who underwent additional surgery. The reasons for not having additional surgery included advanced age and comorbid disease, and such patients may not require ESD. However, as a number of elderly patients may live for a long time, it is difficult to decide whether ESD should be performed. This is an issue for future study. In conclusion, the results of the present study demonstrated that the early and long-term outcomes of ESD for patients meeting the expanded-indication criteria are similar to those of patients meeting the indication criteria. When deciding whether to perform ESD in elderly patients, it is necessary to consider the presence of underlying comorbid diseases. {#f1-etm-07-03-0594} {#f2-etm-07-03-0594} {#f3-etm-07-03-0594} ###### All EGC cases categorized by pathology (n=1,332). Criteria Lesions \[n (%)\] ---------------------------------------------- ------------------- Indication \[differentiated M UL(−) ≤20 mm\] 617 (46.3%) Expanded indication 507 (38.1%) Differentiated M UL(−) \>20 mm 293 Differentiated M UL(+) ≤30 mm 146 Differentiated SM1 ≤30 mm 62 Undifferentiated M UL(−) ≤20 mm 6 Out of indication 208 (15.6%) M, mucosal cancer; UL, ulceration; (−), without; (+), with; SM1, submucosal invasive cancer. ###### Early outcomes. Outcomes Indication (n=617) Expanded indication (n=507) Out of indication (n=208) --------------------------- -------------------- ----------------------------- --------------------------- *En bloc* 605/617 487/507 199/208 98.1% 96.1% 95.7% Curative 596/617 464/507 \- 96.6% 91.5% Piecemeal or non-curative 21/617 43/507 208/208 3.4% 8.5% 100% ###### Perforation rates. Criteria Perforation rate \[% (n/total)\] --------------------- ---------------------------------- Indication 1.8% (11/617) Expanded indication 4.3% (22/507) Out of indication 2.9% (6/208) Total 2.9% (39/1332) The perforation rate was significantly higher in the expanded-indication group than in the indication group (P\<0.05). ###### ESD-associated later bleeding rates. Criteria Bleeding rate \[% (n/total)\] --------------------- ------------------------------- Indication 1.1% (7/617) Expanded indication 1.8% (9/507) Out of indication 4.8% (10/208) Total 2.0% (26/1332) The ESD-associated later bleeding rate was significantly higher in the out-of-indication group compared with the indication group (P\<0.01) or the expanded-indication group (P\<0.05). ###### Cases followed up \>5 years after ESD, with the exception of those with multiple lesions (n=300). Criteria Patients (n) -------------------------------------------- -------------- Indication (differentiated M UL(−) ≤20 mm) 146 Expanded indication 105 Differentiated M UL(−) \>20 mm 72 Differentiated M UL(+) ≤30 mm 21 Differentiated SM1 ≤30 mm 10 Undifferentiated M ≤20 mm 2 Out of indication: 49 Additional surgery (+) 23 Additional surgery (−) 26 M, mucosal cancer; UL, ulceration; (−), without; (+), with; SM1, submucosal invasive cancer.
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Q: Drawing directly in the game, not in the screen I'm playing a game and I want to draw a line on it. I can't use Graphics.DrawLine because it takes the window/screen coordinates, not the game coordinates. I want to draw a line from game's pos A to games's pos B. If I put those coordinates in DrawLine, it will take X's and Y's coordinates of the window/screen, not from the game. In the image below as a example, I want to draw the blue line, but using DrawLine it will draw the grey line. I want to draw even if the points were not visible in the screen, as I showed in this example. If I move the screen through the game's scenario, the line keeps static since the coordinates of the points A and B keep the same. Is there a way to do it? A: The point here is to convert the world coordinates into screen coordinates. For example, suppose I want to draw a line from point x = 100, y = 600 to point x = 700, y 600 in the world map and the left of my screen is at x = 300 and it's bottom is at y = 300 in world coordinates, then the drawing should start from x = -200, y = 300 to x = 400, y = 300 in screen coordinates which would finish the drawed line at the center of the screen, assuming it's resolution is 800x600. Since the screen moves in relation to the world scenario, the code for the world to screen method could be: static int[] WorldToScreen(int worldX, int worldY, int worldX2, int worldY2, int screenLeft, int screenBottom) { int screenX = worldX - screenLeft; int screenY = worldY - screenBottom; int screenX2 = worldX2 - screenLeft; int screenY2 = worldY2 - screenBottom; return new int[] { screenX, screenY, screenX2, screenY2 }; } Now we just take these converted coordinates and draw on the screen using GDI, DirectX or whatever you want. PS: Screen (or camera) coordinates are usually related to the center of the screen. I used the edges here just for simplification.
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at aprox 1 minute into the episode, Jarod (pretending as a fireman) rescues a girl from a burning building. He is wearing an "air bottle" (tank) on his back, but he is not wearing a sealed mask, he is only wearing a clear eye protection shield over his face, but the shield is not air-tight, and can easily let the smoke into his lungs, so what is the purpose of the air bottle if he was going to use this type of mask
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July 30, 2008 Benefits of cars Today we hear considerable criticism of cars. We hear they cause traffic congestion and pollution, and now we're focused on the cost of operating them with higher gas prices. Does this mean we'd be better off without cars and trucks? Listen Dr. Mike Walden, North Carolina Cooperative Extension economist in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at N.C. State University, responds: "Well, I think this is one of those things where we've had cars and trucks and vehicles in general for so long that we've gotten used to them and we really have forgotten what it was like before we had those kinds of modes of transportation. One of the big things of course they provide is increased mobility. Think about your job. Think about how many more jobs that are possible for you to take by having a car and being able to reach those companies versus if you had to walk to your job. And so one thing that cars do is it improves the mobility of workers and lets them cast a wider net in finding and keeping a job. Same thing with shopping. What if you had to only shop at stores that you could walk to or ride a horse to? Again you'd be much more limited than having a car where you have many more stores that are in your range. So again that increases not only the availability of stores to you, it increases the competition between those stores and gives you a lower price. And then just lastly, think about pleasure. How many of us in North Carolina, of course we are very lucky to be in this state where we have both the beaches and mountains, how many of us could go to the beach and go to the mountains in a day's time if we live in central North Carolina without having a car? So yes, there are a lot of issues with cars and we don't want to downgrade those, but we also don't want to forget the big benefits."
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Music and nonmusical abilities. Reports that exposure to music causes benefits in nonmusical domains have received widespread attention in the mainstream media. Such reports have also influenced public policy. The so-called "Mozart effect" actually refers to two relatively distinct phenomena. One concerns short-term increases in spatial abilities that are said to occur from listening to music composed by Mozart. The other refers to the possibility that formal training in music yields nonmusical benefits. A review of the relevant findings indicates that the short-term effect is small and unreliable. Moreover, when it is evident, it can be explained by between-condition differences in the listener's mood or levels of cognitive arousal. By contrast, the effect of music lessons on nonmusical aspects of cognitive development is still an open question. Several studies have reported positive associations between formal music lessons and abilities in nonmusical (e.g., linguistic, mathematical, and spatial) domains. Nonetheless, compelling evidence for a causal link remains elusive.
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project_path: /web/_project.yaml book_path: /web/updates/_book.yaml {# wf_updated_on: 2019-02-22 #} {# wf_published_on: 2012-11-27 #} {# wf_tags: news,javascript #} {# wf_blink_components: N/A #} # Respond to change with Object.observe {: .page-title } {% include "web/_shared/contributors/alexdanilo.html" %} Lots of JavaScript frameworks using MVC or MDV need to respond to changes to the objects that model the state inside a web application. This capability is a fundamental part of a data-binding model. There are a number of different ways to monitor JavaScript objects and DOM properties to trigger some sort of action, but most of the techniques aren't ideal for various reasons such as performance, etc. In order to improve the performance of web applications, a new method called [Object.observe()](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Object/observe) has been proposed to TC39 - the standards body overseeing development of ECMAScript (JavaScript). Object.observe() lets you add a listener to any JavaScript object that gets called whenever that object, or its properties, change. You can try it out now in [Chrome Canary](https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/canary/) version 25. To experiment with this feature, you need to enable the *Enable Experimental JavaScript* flag in Chrome Canary and restart the browser. The flag can be found under 'about:flags' as shown in the image below: <img src="/web/updates/images/2012-11-28-respond-to-change-with-object.observe/chrome-flags.jpg"/> Here's a simple example of how to set up an observer on an object: var beingWatched = {}; // Define callback function to get notified on changes function somethingChanged(changes) { // do something } Object.observe(beingWatched, somethingChanged); When the object 'beingWatched' is modified, it will trigger the callback function 'somethingChanged' which receives an array of changes that were applied to the object. So the JavaScript engine is free to buffer up a number of changes and pass them all in a single call to the callback function. This helps with optimizing the callbacks so that your code can do lots of JavaScript manipulation but process only a few callbacks by batching the updates together. The callback function will be triggered whenever a property is added, modified, deleted or reconfigured. Another really nice thing when observing arrays is that if an array has had a number of changes made to it, you can use a [Change Summary](https://github.com/googlearchive/observe-js) helper library to create a minimal change set, so that client side JavaScript doesn't have to manually scan the array to check each item. You can iterate through each change quite easily, by doing something like the following in your 'somethingChanged' callback function: function whatHappened(change) { console.log(change.name + " was " + change.type + " and is now " + change.object[change.name]); } function somethingChanged(changes) { changes.forEach(whatHappened); } The *type* property identifies what happened to the object. Some examples of properties being set and the associated *type* can be seen in the code below. beingWatched.a = "foo"; // new beingWatched.a = "bar"; // updated beingWatched.a = "bar"; // no change beingWatched.b = "amazing"; // new The great thing about this technique is that all the monitoring smarts are inside the JavaScript engine which allows the browser to optimize it well and free your JavaScript up to implement functionality taking advantage of this feature. Another really great feature for development is the ability to use Object.observe() to trigger the debugger whenever an object changes. To do that you'd use code something like the example below. Object.observe(beingWatched, function(){ debugger; }); Here's a [great video introduction](https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VO--VXFJnmE) about Object.observe() that explains it in detail. <div class="video-wrapper"> <iframe class="devsite-embedded-youtube-video" data-video-id="VO--VXFJnmE" data-autohide="1" data-showinfo="0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> There's also a [nice descriptive write-up available](https://bocoup.com/blog/JavaScript-object-observe) and a [working example here](https://simpl.info/observe/){: .external }. The TC39 standards body is seeking feedback on this feature, so go ahead and try it and let us know what you think.
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Hi guys, I've been given a question that asks me to use Gaussian elimination to reduce the following system of equation to row echelon form, hence solving for x, y, z and w x+2y+z+w=1 2x+y-z-w=2 x+2y-3z+w=-3 x-y+z-w=3 I'm not really too comfortable with Gaussian elimination but so far I've managed to put it into matrix form and I've managed to get zeros in every place they need to be bar one: |1 2 1 1| 1 | |0 -3 -3 -3| 0 | |0 0 -4 0| -4| |0 -3 0 -2| 2 | But I don't know how to continue on with my 4th row because the -3 is where it's meant to be zero. I'm just super confused and any help would be appreciated! Also sorry my matrix is dodgey, I don't know how to post it correctly! August 26th 2013, 01:42 AM twizter Re: Gaussian Elimination Help! I haven't checked your calculation so far but what problem are you encountering now? The idea is like this: Use row 1 to make the first column all zeros (except in row 1). Use row 2 to introduce zeros in the second column below row 2 and so on. That is, use the kth row to introduce zeros in the kth column below the kth row. You have introduced zeros in the 1st colums already. Now do it for the second (using the second row). You have introduced a 0 in the 3rd row but just do the same for the 4th row as well. Then use the 3rd row. At any point, if you find that the leading element of the kth row i.e element k,k has become 0 when you want to use the kth row, then exchange it with any other row which does not have a 0 as its leading element. (Usually when this is done on computers it is exchanged with the row with the highest magnitude leading element (its called partial pivoting). Anyway, you don't have such issues. You are in the 2nd step and the second row does not have a 0 as its leading element. So just keep continuing what you are doing. If you are confused because you have already introduced a 0 in the 4th row (4,3), don't worry about it. You might have to make it non-zero and zero it out using the 3rd row in the next step. August 26th 2013, 02:06 AM mandarep Re: Gaussian Elimination Help! I just don't understand what row I'm meant to use now. Like do I use the 2nd row and just continue down that row and then 3rd?
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'Little MIss' shines at Critics' Choice Awards SANTA MONICA, Calif. — ‘‘Little Miss Sunshine,’’ the heartwarming story about family dysfunction, and the musical ‘‘Dreamgirls,’’ led winners at the 12th annual Critics’ Choice Awards on Friday night. Both films earned four awards, though ‘‘The Departed’’ took home top prizes for best picture and best director. ... ‘‘Little Miss Sunshine’’ won for best acting ensemble, best young actress for Abigail Breslin, best young actor for Paul Dano and best writer for Michael Arndt. Eddie Murphy and Chicago native Jennifer Hudson of ‘‘Dreamgirls’’ earned honors in the best supporting actor/actress categories. The film also earned an award for best soundtrack, while Beyonce won for best song for ‘‘Listen.’’ Helen Mirren earned the best actress nod for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in ‘‘The Queen.’’ Forest Whitaker won best actor for ‘‘The Last King of Scotland.’’ The awards were presented by the Broadcast Film Critics Association at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Presenters included Penelope Cruz, Toni Collette, Steven Spielberg and Spike Lee.
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Description Chemid 500 MG Capsule is a broad spectrum antibiotic used to treat a variety of conditions caused by bacteria like infections of the skin, throat and urinary tract. It should be taken with food to avoid nausea and vomiting. Do not use this medicine if you have a known allergy to antibiotics belonging to Penicillin/Cephalosporin class. Side effects Major & minor side effects for Chemid 500 MG Capsule Diarrheasevererare Fever with chillssevererare Black or tarry stoolssevererare Redness of skinsevererare Joint painsevererare Muscle painsevererare Difficulty or painful urinationsevererare Acid or sour stomachrare Heartburnrare Indigestionrare Stomach painrare SEVERE Contact your doctor immediately if any of these symptoms are experienced on a regular basis. RARE Observed in a small fraction of population. This is not an exhaustive list of side effects. Please inform your doctor if you experience any adverse reaction to the medication. Show more Show less Highlights Commonly asked questions for Chemid 500 MG Capsule Onset of action The peak effect of this medicine could be observed in 1 to 1.3 hours after oral administration. Duration of effect This medicine is excreted in urine and the effect lasts for a duration of 4 to 8 hours. Safe with alcohol? Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption. Is it habit forming? No habit forming tendency has been reported. Usage in pregnancy? Clear data is not available for the use of this medicine in pregnant women. Use this medicine only if clearly needed under doctor's supervision. Usage while breast-feeding? This medicine is known to be excreted through human breast milk. Take this medicine only if clearly needed under doctor's supervision. Monitoring of undesired effects like diarrhea is necessary. Substitutes List of substitutes for Chemid 500 MG Capsule Below is the list of medicines, which have the same composition, strength and form as Chemid 500 MG Capsule, and hence can be used as its substitute. Instructions Interaction with Medicine Disease interactions Colitis moderate Chemid 500 MG Capsule is not recommended in any gastrointestinal disease. It may cause an imbalance in the normal microbial flora of the large intestine and causes symptoms like severe diarrhea, abdominal pain, and blood in stools. Seizure disorders moderate Use with caution if you suffer from seizures. Discontinue if seizure is due to Chemid 500 MG Capsule. Start with appropriate Anticonvulsant medicine if it is clinically indicated. Food interactions Information not available. Lab interactions Information not available. This is not an exhaustive list of possible drug interactions. You should consult your doctor about all the possible interactions of the drugs you’re taking. General Instructions Take Chemid 500 MG Capsule with or without food. Do not take in larger amounts than advised. Consult the doctor if you experience any undesirable effects. Do not stop taking Chemid 500 MG Capsule before completion of course. Warnings Warnings for special population Pregnancy - Clear data is not available for the use of this medicine in pregnant women. Use this medicine only if clearly needed under doctor's supervision. Breast-feeding - This medicine is known to be excreted through human breast milk. Take this medicine only if clearly needed under doctor's supervision. Monitoring of undesired effects like diarrhea is necessary. General warnings Allergy - Avoid if you have a known allergy to Chemid 500 MG Capsule or Beta-lactam Antibiotics like penicillins and cephalosporins. Seek immediate medical attention if you experience any allergic symptoms like rash, itching, nausea or vomiting, swelling of lips, hands, and feet. Clostridium difficile-associated Diarrhea - Avoid if you experience severe diarrhea after receiving Chemid 500 MG Capsule. As antibiotic therapy will cause an imbalance in the normal microbial flora in the large intestine which promotes the growth of bacteria called Clostridium difficile. Impaired kidney function - Use with caution if you have a preexisting kidney disease. Appropriate dose adjustments are to be made based on CrCl or eGFR. Drug-resistance - Usage of Chemid 500 MG Capsule without sufficient proof or suspicion of a bacterial infection should be avoided. Irrational dosing might fail in providing the benefits and even cause toxicity. It may also increase the risk of development of bacteria that is drug resistant. Other details Food timings: Information not available Administration time: Information not available Sleep inducing: Information not available How it works Chemid 500 MG Capsule is a broad spectrum antibiotic. It works by interfering with the bacterial cell wall synthesis. Report an error Oops! Seems like there is an error in your form. Make sure - Your email ID is correct. Your response is not blank. Your internet is working. Thank you!Your response is valuable to us. Disclaimer We’ve made all possible efforts to ensure that the information provided here is accurate, up-to-date and complete, however, it should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Practo only provides reference source for common information on medicines and does not guarantee its accuracy or exhaustiveness. The absence of a warning for any drug or combination thereof, should not be assumed to indicate that the drug or combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for any given patient. Practo does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information provided above. If you have any doubts about your medication then we strongly recommend that you consult with your doctor, nurse or healthcare provider. See detailed T&Chere.
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We noticed that you're using an unsupported browser. The TripAdvisor website may not display properly.We support the following browsers:Windows: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome. Mac: Safari. It’s now Wednesday. We awoke at our usual Isla time - around 7:30am. I just can’t seem to manage that sunrise hour of the morning. I know there are those that love the sunrise and try to witness it every morning. Well, I guess I’ll have to take their word for it on how beautiful it is. Since Rick saw the sunrise every morning and said it was amazing I would like to take his word for it, but seeing as he went bungee jumping in Cancun, I have to say I don’t know if I can believe a single word he says since the boy is obviously not playing with a full deck. Although I have heard tequila or should I say that Isla liquid courage can make you do some strange things. Seriously Rick - I was impressed - you’re crazy, but I was impressed. We looked outside and it was pouring with rain. We decided to just spend the morning hanging out in the hotel room waiting for the rain to subside. With Wimbledon being on TV live from London that week I was able to watch it for a while and that helped pass the time. Yvonne had a book with her that she was happy to read for a few hours on her ipad, so we were content to relax for the morning. So no breakfast that day - bummer. I wanted to eat at Mango. Let me just say here that without a golf cart in the colonias we would be totally lost. We have a tendency to just jump in the golf cart for no apparent reason and just take off with absolutely no idea on a destination. The rains finally subsided around 11:00am, so we did exactly that - took off to the south having no clue where we were going. We had seen those chairs at Oscar’s Grill many times and wondered how people could possibly find them comfortable. So, first stop Oscar’s Grill to check out the chairs. It was a little too early to eat, but apparently it’s never too early to drink a beer and a glass of wine. Those chairs are a lot more comfortable than they look. We had planned on returning sometime during the rest of our stay for a pizza and some garlic knots, but that never materialized. Back on the golf cart (by the way - is it “on the golf cart” or “in the golf cart“?) and off we go again. Another stop at Punta Sur and then stop to take pictures of the beautiful scenery and the threatening rains on the Caribbean side. Okay - Lunch time. Just in time we pull in to Chuuk Kay and the rain really starts to come down. We had been to Chuuk Kay a few times before but for one reason or another we had never eaten there. First time was on our last visit to Isla but when they didn’t have the tix n xic we wanted we left. Then we returned later in the week and they were closing early, so we had never actually gotten to eat there. So far we were doing a great job literally eating our way through our “must eat” list. The food was very good and I wouldn’t hesitate to return at a future date. I just love the lights above that bar - fishing poles. We stayed there for another hour or so after eating just watching the rain and talking about how fortunate we felt being able to visit this wonderful piece of paradise as often as we do. I can’t swear to this, but I’m pretty sure where we were going for dinner had to have cropped up in our conversation. Rain kind of interrupted our plans for the afternoon to a certain degree, but with so many wonderful places to visit, it didn’t take us long to come up with plan b. You can never go wrong having a few cocktails under a palapa - so it was off to Bahia Tortuga for a few drinks before returning to the hotel for a nice hot shower and to dress for dinner. Dinner: Since we were in the colonias we wanted to eat with the locals. We wanted to try Bastos or La Bruja. We drove passed Bastos and it was closed, so we opted for La Bruja. There was one other table occupied during our meal there, and then as we were leaving a family of six people were about to walk in. I couldn’t believe my eyes, they all got there on one scooter. One kid up front sitting on the handlebars in front of the mom who was driving, One on each knee of the dad sitting behind the mom and then an older kid on the back holding on for dear life around the dad’s neck. Brought to mind that old saying, “where there’s a will, there’s a way”. During our meal the rains had returned, so we decided to have an early night and make our way back to the hotel. Man those pics of the food at La Bruja - there are no words. There is nothing better than a hearty soup. Chicken soup, lime soup, bean soup, I like them all on Isla. As many times as I have been to Isla for some reason I have never made it to La Bruja. That little problem will be fixed at the end of September. I am definitely enjoying your reports. Our next trip isn't until the day before Thanksgiving, and reading your reports and seeing your pics make me wish I were there now. That stuffed chicken at Chuuk Kay looks awesome. You say crazy like it's a bad thing... I think maybe you did take the plunge and now just don't want to admit it. :-) ITA about the Soup de Lima at La Bruja, it's absolutely delicious and for me is second only to the black bean soup at Poc Chuc. I love Bahia Tortuga and it's one of my two favorite places to end a great Isla day, Tiny's being the other end of the day spot. Actually, maybe I have three favorite places if you throw in Cafe del Mar and Jesus Campuzano. Well then there's Fenix so maybe four... I love that you didn't let the rain get you down. I've been caught out on the tip of Punta Sur in the down pouring rain and it was a really great day, a little wet, but an experience I'll never forget. Again, thanks for the great report and pictures! Rick: Anything that makes my life flash in front of my eyes at my age, I really need to stay away from. You mentioned my four favorite places also. Depending on how much I had to drink or what hotel I am staying at that particular day can determine where I close out the evening. I have a picture somewhere where I was wearing my snorkel and mask driving along Medina. I wish I could find it. While on vacation I have a rule as to when I can start drinking - Nothing before 9:00am. So sitting under a palapa with a cold one escaping the rain early in the morning is totally acceptable.
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Introduction {#Sec1} ============ Anthropogenic activities bring almost contamination and subsequent pollution to our varied ecosystems. "Pollution is defined as the production and or introduction by man, directly or indirectly of substances or energy into the environment, resulting in deleterious effects to living resources, including human beings or interfere with amenities and other uses of the environment (Don-Pedro [@CR52])." Pollution is one of the prime problems that humans face in the whole world particularly in the developing countries. However, produced by humans and their activities, it has harmful effects on man's environment and resources (Mendil and Uluözlu [@CR115]). The discharge of various pollutants into the aquatic environments is the outcome of countless anthropogenic activities, threatening the health of the living beings and damaging the quality of the environment by rendering water bodies unsuitable (Abowel and Sikoki [@CR1]; Ekubo and Abowel [@CR57]). Aquatic environments are pickers for anthropogenic contamination and industrial wastes and leaks, whether chemicals or solid pollutants (Hampel et al. [@CR79]; Bhat et al. [@CR19]). These wastes can be "heavy metals, detergents, microfibers, plastic or non-plastic origin," etc., and contribute to "aquatic pollution problems" (Hampel et al. [@CR79]). Aquatic environs are addressee for plenty of pollutants and their outrageous toxic actions (Hampel et al. [@CR79]). "Chemicals reaching aquatic ecosystems include radioactive elements" ("strontium, cesium, radon"), metals ("cadmium, mercury, lead"), industrial solvents and "volatile organic compounds" ("tri- and tetrachloroethylene, chlorofluorocarbons, benzene, xylenes, formaldehyde"), "agrochemicals" ("fertilizers and pesticides"), household products ("detergents, cleaners, paints"), "fuel combustion" ("N and sulfur oxides," "polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons," "carbon monoxide," and "carbon dioxide"), "nanoparticles," personal care products, "microplastics, antibiotics," as well as a huge variety of prescription (Hampel et al. [@CR79])" and "nonprescription drugs and pharmaceuticals of human and veterinary medicine" (Hughes et al. [@CR85]; Larsson [@CR97]; Malaj et al. [@CR107]; Hampel et al. [@CR79]). " Aquatic ecosystems, particularly the freshwater ecosystems, are exposed to supplementary contamination than other environs, as water is used in various industrial practices as well as release of discharges commencing from industry" and urban growths (Demirak et al. [@CR45]; Fernandesa et al. [@CR67]). " Water pollution is a worldwide task that has augmented in both advanced and emerging nations" (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). "Universally, 80% of municipal wastewater is discharged into water bodies untreated, and industry is responsible for dumping millions of tons of heavy metals" (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]), "solvents, toxic sludge and other wastes into water bodies each year" (WWAP [@CR179]; Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). Agriculture, exploits "70% of water globally and plays a key part in water contamination" (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). Huge amounts of "agrochemicals," "organic matter," "drug residues," "sediments," and "saline drainage" from agricultural lands are released into water bodies (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]) and hence poses significant threats to "aquatic environments," "human health," and "productive activities" (UNEP [@CR167]; Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). Most aquatic ecosystems have a natural tendency to dilute pollution to some extent, but severe contamination of aquatic ecosystems results in alteration in the fauna and flora of the community (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). The onset of human civilization in itself discloses the history of aquatic pollution (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). Moreover, aquatic pollution did not receive significant consideration until a threshold level was reached with hostile outcomes on the "ecosystems" and "living organisms" including "humans" (Halpern et al. [@CR78]; Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). Therefore, "pollution and its effects are considered as one of man's greatest crimes against himself. Pollutants may cause primary damage, with direct identifiable impact on the environment, or secondary damage in the form of minor perturbations in the delicate balance of the biological food web that are detectable only over long time periods" (Sharma [@CR153]; Al Naggar et al. [@CR4]; Ghani [@CR73]). Thus, "maintaining the quality of aquatic ecosystems represents one of the most formidable challenges facing global society in the twenty-first century" (Hampel et al. [@CR79]). Aquatic Ecosystems {#Sec2} ================== Aquatic ecosystems are water-based environments in which biotic components interact with abiotic components of the aquatic ecosystem. "Aquatic ecosystems" are usually divided into two types: the "marine ecosystem" and the "freshwater ecosystem" (Barange et al. [@CR14]). Marine ecosystem is the largest water ecosystem which covers over 70% of the Earth's surface. The marine ecosystem is subdivided into "oceans," "estuaries," " coral reefs," and " coastal ecosystems." Freshwater ecosystems cover less than 1% of the Earth's surface. The various kinds of freshwater ecosystems are lotic ecosystem, lentic ecosystem, and wetland ecosystem. Human Activities Resulting in Contamination of Aquatic Ecosystems and Their Adverse Impacts {#Sec3} =========================================================================================== Anthropogenic activities such as " deforestation," "filling and construction of canals," "dams," "roads and bridges," "agricultural," and "industrial and domestic activities" result in contamination of aquatic environments. Human settlements, industries, and agriculture are the main sources of water pollution (Table [1.1](#Tab1){ref-type="table"}). In most developed nations, agriculture is the major factor in the degradation of water ecosystems. In the "European Union, 38% of water ecosystems are significantly under agricultural pressure" (WWAP [@CR178]; Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). In the USA, "agriculture is the leading source of pollution in rivers and streams" (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]), the second main source in wetlands, and the third main source in lakes (USEPA [@CR168]; Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). In China, " agriculture is accountable for a huge portion of surface-water pollution and is responsible almost entirely for groundwater pollution" (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]) by nitrogen (FAO [@CR62]; Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). In emerging nations, the unlimited amounts of raw municipal and industrial wastewater are major threats (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]).Table 1.1Sources and route of pollutant discharge into aquatic environs (NEST [@CR123]; Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113])ContaminationSourceRoute"Oxygen-demanding wastes (organic pollutants)""Domestic sewage, human and animal wastes (such as wastes from canneries and wood pulp mills)""Thrown, dumped or released into streams and rivers or into gutters, drains from where they may get washed by run-off into water bodies""Infectious disease agents""Domestic sewage, human and animal wastes""Washing, swimming or working in paddy rice fields and on irrigated land""Plant nutrients such as nitrate, phosphate and others""Fertilized farm lands, ashes and detergent""Run-off from fertilized farmlands""Pesticides (insecticides and herbicides)""Organic and inorganic chemicals""Run-off from pesticides associated with farmlands""Industrial effluents which include DDT, dyes, mercury, cadmium""Textile factories, distilleries pulp and paper mills, fertilized plants, chemical and allied industry, food, beverages and tobacco industries, soap, detergents and confectionery industries""Human discharges""Eroded sediments""Deforestation and accelerated soil erosion""Soil erosion, urban storm water runoffs and dredging activities""Other solid wastes""Metals, plastics, artificial fibers etc.""Dumping by human beings due to poor management of waste disposal""Petroleum products""Drill cuttings," "drilling mud (fluids used to stimulate the production processes)," accidental discharges of "crude petroleum," "refinery effluents" which include "oil" and "grease," "phenol," "cyanide," "sulphide," "suspended solids," "chromium," and "biologically oxygen demanding organic matter""Petroleum, exploration, exploitation, refining, transportation, storage, marketing, use and ruptured oil pipelines" Agrochemicals {#Sec4} ------------- The ever-increasing "demand for food has led to the land clearance and the expansion of agriculture" which have "contributed to the higher pollution loads in the water" (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). Increase in the population growth has increased the food demand, which has resulted in the increase in the quantity of agrochemicals used to increase the production (Schwarzenbach et al. [@CR150]). The "unsustainable use of agrochemicals" ("fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and plant hormones") to rise the production has resulted in "greater pollution masses" in the environment, including "rivers," "lakes," "aquifers," and "coastal waters" (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]; Bhat et al. [@CR20]; Mushtaq et al. [@CR121]). More importantly, "agricultural areas gather an extensive variety of agrochemicals from nearby fields" due to "run off," "direct drift," and "leaching," and these areas are "the principal receivers of agrochemicals" (Rathore and Nollet [@CR142]). ### Nutrients {#Sec5} When "fertilizers are applied at a higher rate than they are fixed by the soil, or taken up by the crops or when they are taken off through surface runoff from the soil surface leads to water pollution." "Excess nitrogenous fertilizers and phosphate fertilizers can leach into groundwater or reach into surface water bodies through surface runoff" (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). If " organic manure" is applied "in excess in the agricultural fields," it will lead to "diffuse water pollution." Mostly, "manure is not stored in confined areas and during heavy rainfall events it can be washed into waterways via surface runoff." The "high-nutrient concentration together with other substances results in the nutrient enrichment eutrophication" of "lakes," "reservoirs," "ponds," and "coastal waters," which leads to excessive growth of aquatic plants---"algae blooms" that destroy other aquatic plants and animals. "About 415 coastal areas have been identified worldwide which experience eutrophication" (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]), of which 169 are hypoxic (WRI [@CR175]; Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). The "excessive buildup of nutrients may also increase the adverse health effects" (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]), such as "blue-baby syndrome- due to high levels of nitrate in drinking water" (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). "Nitrate from agriculture leaches into the groundwater is the most common chemical contaminant in the world's groundwater aquifers" (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). ### Pesticides {#Sec6} Pesticides such as "insecticides," "herbicides, and fungicides" are applied extensively in agriculture fields in several nations (Schreinemachers and Tipraqsa [@CR149]; Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]; Bhat et al. [@CR20]) and get washed into aquatic ecosystems and pollute the water resources (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). They contain "carcinogens and other poisonous substances that may kill aquatic life" or may be absorbed by them (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]) and pass through the "food chain until they become toxic to humans" (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). "Millions of tons of pesticides are used in agriculture fields" (FAO [@CR63]; Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). "Acute pesticide poisoning causes significant human morbidity" (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]) and "mortality worldwide, especially in low income countries, where poor farmers often use highly hazardous pesticides" (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). ### Salts {#Sec7} Through irrigation, accumulated salts in soils are transported into receiving water bodies by drainage water and cause salinization (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). The "intrusion of saline seawater into groundwater aquifers as a result of excessive groundwater extractions for agriculture is another important cause of salinization in coastal areas" (Mateo-Sagasta and Burke [@CR112]; Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). "Major water-salinity problems have been reported in Argentina, Australia, China, India, the Sudan, the United States of America, and many countries in Central Asia" (FAO [@CR61]). "Highly saline waters alter the geochemical cycles of major elements such as carbon, iron, nitrogen, phosphorus, silicon and sulphur" (Herbert et al. [@CR82]; Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]) with overall impacts on ecosystems (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). Salinization can affect freshwater biota (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]) by "causing changes within species and community composition" (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]) and results "in decline of the biodiversity of microorganisms, algae, plants and animals" (Lorenz [@CR104]; Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). ### Emerging Pollutants {#Sec8} New "agricultural pollutants such as antibiotics, vaccines, growth promoters and hormones have emerged in the last two decades" (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). These pollutants can reach water via "leaching and runoff from livestock" (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]) and "aquaculture farms, as well as through the application of manure and slurries to agricultural land" (OECD [@CR127]; Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). Today, "more than 700 emerging pollutants and their metabolites and transformation products are listed as present in European aquatic environments" (Norman [@CR125]; Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). "Agriculture is not only a source of emerging pollutants, it also contributes to the spread and reintroduction of such pollutants into aquatic environments through wastewater reuse for irrigation and the application of municipal biosolids to land as fertilizers" (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). "An estimated 35.9 Mha of agricultural lands are subjected to the indirect use of wastewater" (Thebo et al. [@CR158]; Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). The "potential risks to human health posed by exposure to emerging pollutants via contaminated agricultural products needs attention" (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). Sewage {#Sec9} ------ The greatest volume of "waste discharged into the aquatic ecosystems is sewage." Sewage contains "industrial wastes, municipal wastes and domestic wastes which include wastes from baths, washing machines, kitchens and faecal matter." Fresh water sources "serve as best sinks for the discharge of these wastes" (Das and Acharya [@CR42]; Tukura et al. [@CR163]). It is estimated that "58% of the wastewater from urban areas and 81% of industrial wastes are discharged directly into water bodies with no or inadequate treatment results in contamination of \~73% of the water bodies" (Vargas-Gonzalez et al. [@CR170]). The release of "sewage has led to the increase in water pollution and depletion of clean water resources" (Avalon Global Research [@CR12]). "Huge loads of such wastes are generated daily from highly populated cities and are finally washed out by the drainage systems which generally open into nearby rivers or aquatic systems" (Tukura et al. [@CR163]). It has resulted in "extensive ecological degradation such as a decline in water quality and availability, intense flooding, loss of species, and changes in the distribution and structure of the aquatic biota" (Oberdorff et al. [@CR126]). The "negative impact of sewage is based on the composition and concentration of the contaminants as well as the volume and frequency of wastewater effluents entering water bodies" (Akpor and Muchie [@CR3]; Bhat et al. [@CR19]). "Sewage is comprised of several microorganisms, heavy metals, nutrients, radionuclides, pharmaceutical, and personal care products." Sewage is primarily organic in nature; owing to the organic load of sewage, the "oxygen concentration in the receiving waters is reduced, thus sewage is said to have a high BOD." The "effect of maltreated sewage on surface water is largely determined by the oxygen balance of the aquatic ecosystem, and its presence is essential in maintaining biological life within the system" (DFID [@CR49]; Morrison et al. [@CR120]; Momba et al. [@CR117]). "DO concentrations below 5 mg/L can have a negative effect on the living organisms in the aquatic ecosystem" (Momba et al. [@CR117]). Low dissolved oxygen concentration can affect "functioning of some fish species and can eventually lead to the death of fish population" (Igbinosa and Okoh [@CR86]; Mehmood et al. [@CR114]). Decaying " organic matter" and "nutrients such as nitrites, nitrates, and phosphorus" in sewage can induce "eutrophication of water courses." "Eutrophication can lead to growth of plants and algae blooms" in the "aquatic ecosystem" (Bhat et al. [@CR19]). "Algal blooms result in toxin production." Fish species "feeding in water contaminated" by "algal toxins will absorb these toxins and are subject to mass mortality" (Hernandez et al. [@CR83]). Due to "eutrophication turbidity of the water increases, plant and animals' biomass increases, sedimentation rate increases, species diversity decreases, and anoxic conditions may develop, and this could give rise to change in dominant species of the aquatic biota" (Edokpayi [@CR56]). " Sewage effluent entering into surface waters contains a variety of pathogenic organisms that could result in the transmission of waterborne diseases when such contaminated water is used for domestic and other purposes" (WHO [@CR172]; Chigor et al. [@CR33]) thus is "detrimental to human health and the society at large" (DWA [@CR55]). Some pathogens contaminate water resources (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]), via runoff (FAO [@CR58]; WHO [@CR173]; Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). About "25% of all deaths worldwide are the result of infectious diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms" (UNEP [@CR165]). Scientists have identified about "1400 species of microorganisms that can cause ill health, including bacteria, protozoa, protozoan parasites, parasitic worms, fungi, and viruses" (CSIR [@CR41]). Some common "pathogens found in sewage" are presented in Table [1.2](#Tab2){ref-type="table"} (WHO [@CR172]; Christou [@CR35]).Table 1.2Microbial diseases associated with polluted aquatic environsAgentSpeciesDiseaseBacteria"*Campylobacter jejune*""*Escherichia coli*""*E. coli* O157:H7""*Helicobacter pylori*""*Salmonella* sp.""*Salmonella typhi*""*Shigella* sp.""*Vibrio cholera*""Gastroenteritis""Gastroenteritis""Bloody diarrhea, hemolytic uremic syndrome""Abdominal pain, peptic ulcers, gastric cancer""Salmonellosis, gastroenteritis, diarrhea""Typhoid fever""Dysentery""Cholera"Helminths"*Ascaris lumbricoides* (round worm)""*Clonorchis sinensis* (liver fluke)""*Fasciola* (liver fluke)""*Fasciolopsis buski* (intestinal fluke)""*Opisthorchis viverrini*""*Schistosoma* (blood fluke)""*Trichuris* (whim worm)""*Taenia* (tape worm)""Ascariasis""Clonorchiasis""Fascioliasis""Fascioloidiasis""Opisthorchiasis""Schistosomiasis (bilharzia)""Trichuriasis""Taeniasis"Protozoa"*Balantidium coli*""*Cryptosporidium parvum*""*Cyclospora cayetanensis*""*Entamoeba histolytica*""*Giardia lamblia*""Balantidiasis (dysentery)""Cryptosporidiosis""Persistent diarrhea""Amoebiasis (amoebic dysentery)""Giardiasis"Viruses"*Adenovirus*""*Astrovirus*""*Calicivirus*""*Coronavirus*""*Eneroviruses*""*Echovirus*""*Poliovirus*""*Hepatitis* A and E""*Parvovirus*""*Norovirus*""*Rotavirus*""*Coxsackieviruses*""Respiratory disease and eye infections""Gastroenteritis""Gastroenteritis""Gastroenteritis""Gastroenteritis""Fever, rash, respiratory and heart disease, aseptic meningitis""Paralysis, aseptic meningitis""Infectious hepatitis""Gastroenteritis""Gastroenteritis""Gastroenteritis""Herpangina, aseptic meningitis, respiratory illness, fever, paralysis, respiratory, heart and kidney disease" Heavy Metals {#Sec10} ------------ " Heavy metals enter the aquatic ecosystem from both natural and anthropogenic sources." Entry may be as a result of "direct discharges into both fresh and marine ecosystems or through indirect routes such as atmospheric deposition and surface run-off" (Biney et al. [@CR21]). Important "natural sources are volcanic activity and weathering of rocks." "Heavy metals are natural constituents of rocks and soils and enter the environment as a consequence of weathering and erosion" (Förstner [@CR70]). Heavy metals in "aquatic system can be naturally produced by the slow leaching from soil/rock to water, which are usually at low levels, causing no serious lethal effects on human health" (Chang et al. [@CR32]; Rashid et al. [@CR141]). The "development of industry and agriculture promotes the rapid increase of heavy metal pollution. Aquatic heavy metal pollution usually represents high levels of Mercury, Chromium, Lead, Cadmium, Copper, Zinc, Nickel etc. in the water system". "Arsenic, Cadmium, Copper, Mercury and Zinc are the five metals with most potential impact that enter the environment in elevated concentrations through storm water and wastewater discharges as a consequence of agricultural and industrial activity" (Alloway [@CR7]). They are important "group of toxic contaminants because of their high toxicity and persistence in all aquatic ecosystems." Zinc and copper are present in "fertilizers as impurities, while Arsenic, Cadmium and Mercury are constituents of some fungicides and algaecides" (Fifield and Haines [@CR68]) (Table [1.3](#Tab3){ref-type="table"}).Table 1.3Different kinds of heavy metal discharge sources in aquatic environs (Fifield and Haines [@CR68])MetalSourcesIron"Pigments and paints, fuel, refineries, textile"Manganese and zinc"Batteries and electrical, pigments and paints, alloys and solders, pesticides, glass, fertilizers, refineries, fuel"Lead"Batteries and electrical, pigments and paints, alloys and solders, pesticides, glass, fertilizers, refineries, fuel, plastic"Cadmium"Batteries and electrical, pigments and paints, alloys and solders, plastic, fertilizers, fuel"Nickel"Batteries and electrical, pigments and paints, alloys and solders, fertilizers, fuel, catalysts"Copper"Batteries and electrical, pigments and paints, alloys and solders, fertilizers, pesticides, fuel, catalysts"Chromium"Pigments, fertilizers, textile" Heavy metals have "high ecological significance because they are not removed from water, but accumulate in the water reservoirs and thus enter the food chain" (Loska and Wiechuła [@CR105]). Under "certain environmental conditions," heavy metals may "accumulate to a highly toxic concentration and cause ecological damage" (Harguinteguy et al. [@CR80]). Once released in aquatic environments, they are generally "bound to particulate matter, which eventually settle down and become incorporated into sediments and are released into the water under the suitable conditions such as pH values and Eh, leading to further contamination of aquatic environment" (Xu and Yang [@CR182]). Accordingly, sediments represent one of the "ultimate sinks for heavy metals discharged into aquatic environment" (Gibbs [@CR74]; Bryan and Langston [@CR24]; Harguinteguy et al. [@CR80]). "More and more attention has been drawn due to the wide spread occurrence of metal pollution in aquatic system" (Zhou et al. [@CR184]). Some "heavy metals" may transform into the "persistent metallic compounds with high toxicity" (Zhou et al. [@CR184]), which can be "bioaccumulated in the organisms" (Zhou et al. [@CR184]), "magnified in the food chain, thus threatening human health" (Jin [@CR92]; Zhou et al. [@CR184]). "Various harmful effects including abnormal development of fetus, procreation failure, and immune deficiency has exhibited due to aquatic metal exposure" (Chang et al. [@CR32]; Zhou et al. [@CR184]). Some heavy metals, including mercury, chromium, cadmium, nickel, copper, and lead, introduced into water systems may pose high toxicities on the aquatic organisms (Wu and Zhao [@CR177]). As an example, "cadmium is a priority environmental contaminant with consequences for human health and the maintenance of bio-diversity in affected ecosystems" (Zhou et al. [@CR184]) and "the timeliness of a broader, ecosystem-based approach to cadmium research is highlighted based on the overview of recent developments in the field" (Campbell [@CR26]; Zhou et al. [@CR184]). Eutrophication {#Sec11} -------------- Eutrophication is a leading cause of destruction of many freshwater and marine ecosystems in the world. It is characterized by "excessive plant and algal growth due to the increased availability of one or more limiting growth factors needed for photosynthesis" (Schindler [@CR147]), such as sunlight, carbon dioxide, and nutrients. "Eutrophication occurs naturally over centuries as lakes age and are filled in with sediments" (Carpenter [@CR27]). However, "human activities have accelerated the rate and extent of eutrophication through both point-source discharges and non-point loadings of limiting nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, into aquatic ecosystems (i.e. cultural eutrophication), with dramatic consequences for drinking water sources, fisheries, and recreational water bodies" (Carpenter et al. [@CR29]; Bhat et al. [@CR19]). However, "during 1960s and 1970s, scientists linked algal blooms to nutrient enrichment resulting from anthropogenic activities such as agriculture, industry and sewage disposal" (Schindler [@CR146]). The known "consequences of cultural eutrophication include blooms of blue-green algae (cyanobacteria), tainted drinking water supplies, degradation of recreational opportunities and hypoxia" (Bhat et al. [@CR19]). The most obvious effect of cultural eutrophication is the creation of dense blooms of noxious, foul "smelling phytoplankton" that reduce water clarity and "harm water quality." "Algal blooms limit light penetration, reduce growth and cause death of plants in littoral zones and also lower the success of predators that need light to catch prey" (Lehtiniemi et al. [@CR100]). Furthermore, high rates of photosynthesis associated with eutrophication can deplete dissolved inorganic carbon and raise pH to extreme levels during the day. "Elevated pH can in turn 'blind' organisms that rely on perception of dissolved chemical cues for their survival by impairing their chemosensory abilities" (Turner and Chislock [@CR164]). When these "dense algal blooms eventually die, microbial decomposition severely depletes DO, creating a hypoxic dead zone, lacking sufficient oxygen to support most organisms." Dead zones are found in many "freshwater lakes including the Laurentian Great Lakes" (e.g., central basin of Lake Erie; Arend et al. [@CR10]) during the summer. Furthermore, such "hypoxic events are particularly common in marine coastal environments surrounding large, nutrient-rich rivers" (e.g., Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico; Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay) and have been shown to affect more than 245,000 square kilometers in over 400 near-shore systems (Diaz and Rosenberg [@CR51]). " Hypoxia and anoxia as a result of eutrophication continue to threaten profitable commercial and recreational fisheries worldwide. Some algal blooms pose an additional threat because they produce noxious toxins" (e.g., microcystin and anatoxin-a) (Chorus and Bartram [@CR34]). Over the past century, "harmful algal blooms (HABs) have been linked with (1) degradation of water quality" (Francis [@CR71]), (2) "destruction of economically important fisheries" (Burkholder et al. [@CR25]), and (3) "public health risks" (Morris [@CR119]). Within freshwater ecosystems, " cyanobacteria are the most important phytoplankton associated with HABs" (Paerl [@CR129]). "Toxigenic cyanobacteria, including *Anabaena*, Cylindrospermopsis, Microcystis, and *Oscillatoria* (Planktothrix), tend to dominate nutrient-rich, freshwater systems due to their superior competitive abilities under high nutrient concentrations, low nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratios, low light levels, reduced mixing, and high temperatures" (Downing et al. [@CR53]; Paerl and Huisman [@CR130]; Paerl and Paul [@CR131]). Poisonings of "domestic animals, wildlife and even humans by blooms of toxic cyanobacteria" have been recognized throughout the world. Francis ([@CR71]) has first observed dead livestock due to "algal bloom of cyanobacteria" (Bhat et al. [@CR19]). Also, cyanobacteria is responsible for several off-flavor compounds (e.g., methylisoborneal and geosmin) found in municipal drinking water systems as well as in aquaculture-raised fishes, resulting in large financial losses for state and regional economies (Crews and Chappell [@CR39]). In addition to posing "significant public health risks, cyanobacteria have been shown to be poor quality food for most zooplankton grazers in laboratory studies" (Tillmanns et al. [@CR162]; Wilson et al. [@CR174]), thus reducing the efficiency of energy transfer in aquatic food webs and potentially preventing zooplankton from controlling algal blooms. Eutrophication is also associated with major changes in aquatic community structure. During "cyanobacterial blooms, small-bodied zooplankton tend to dominate plankton communities, and past observational studies have attributed this pattern to anti-herbivore traits of cyanobacteria" (e.g., toxicity, morphology, and poor food quality) (Porter [@CR137]). However, the biomass of planktivorous fish is often positively related to nutrient levels and ecosystem productivity. Piscivorous fishes (e.g., bass, pike) tend to dominate the fish community of nutrient-poor, oligotrophic lakes, while planktivorous fishes (e.g., shad, bream) become increasingly "dominant with nutrient enrichment" (Jeppesen et al. [@CR91]). Thus, an alternative explanation for the lack of zooplankton control of cyanobacterial blooms could include consumption of zooplankton by planktivores. Plastics and Microplastics {#Sec12} -------------------------- Among the several human pressures on aquatic ecosystems, the accumulation of plastic debris is one of the most apparent but least studied. "Plastics generate significant benefits to the human society" (Andrady and Neal [@CR9]), but due to its "durability, unsustainable use and inappropriate waste management plastics accumulate extensively in the natural habitats" (Barnes et al. [@CR16]). Because of "high mobility, plastic debris has practically permeated the global marine environment" (Cole et al. [@CR37]; Ivar do sul and Costa [@CR88]), including the "polar region" (Barnes et al. [@CR16]), "mid-ocean islands" (Ivar do sul et al. [@CR89]), and "the deep sea" (Van Cauwenberghe et al. [@CR169]). The sources of marine plastics are not very well characterized. A rough estimation predicts that "70 to 80% of marine litter, most of it is plastics, originate from inland sources and are emitted by rivers to the oceans" (GESAMP [@CR72]). Rivers transport considerable amounts of plastics and "thus contribute significantly to the marine plastics pollution" (Moore et al. [@CR118]; Lechner et al. [@CR99]). "Plastics are dumped in huge volumes in beaches, lakes, navigation channels and other forms of water masses" (Lechner et al. [@CR99]). The volume of plastic is even bigger in low-income countries with poor waste disposal regulations. In the marine environment, "plastics of various size classes and origins are omnipresent and affect numerous species that become entangled in or ingest plastics as well as an aesthetic problem" (Gregory [@CR75], [@CR76]). "Plastics have been reported as a problem in the marine environment since the 1970s, but only recently the issue of plastic pollution in marine and freshwater environments been identified as a global problem" (Carpenter and Smith [@CR28]). It has been reported that "single-use plastics (plastic bags and micro beads) are a major source of this pollution" (Desforges et al. [@CR47]; Perkins [@CR134]). Under environmental conditions, larger plastic items degrade to so-called microplastics (MPs), typically smaller than 5 mm in diameter. "MPs are considered an emerging global issue by various experts" (Sutherland et al. [@CR156]; Depledge et al. [@CR46]) and international institutions (GESAMP [@CR72]; UNEP [@CR166]). Recent studies suggest that "risks of microplastics in the marine environment may pose more threat than macroplastics" (Thompson [@CR159]; Diamond et al. [@CR50]). Potential sources of " MPs include wastewater treatment plants, runoff from urban, agricultural, touristic, and industrial areas, as well as shipping activities, beach litter, fishery and harbors" (Zubris and Richards [@CR185]; Norén [@CR124]; GESAMP [@CR72]; Claessens et al. [@CR36]; Dubaish and Liebezeit [@CR54]). Another "potential source is sewage sludge that typically contains more MPs than effluents" (Leslie et al. [@CR101]). A "broad spectrum of aquatic organisms are prone to MP ingestion ranging from plankton and fish to birds and even mammals, and accumulate throughout the aquatic food web" (Wright et al. [@CR176]). Due to their large "surface-to-volume ratio and chemical composition, MPs accumulate environmental chemicals from the surrounding environment including metals" (Ashton et al. [@CR11]) and "persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic compounds" (Koelmans et al. [@CR94]) transferring these contaminants from water to biota. "Plastic particles are also dominated by certain human pathogens like specific members of the genus *Vibrio*". Therefore, MPs can act as a vector for waterborne "human pathogens" influencing the water quality. In addition, "plastics contain and release a multitude of chemical additives" (Rochman [@CR143]; Dekiff et al. [@CR44]) and adsorb organic contaminants from the surrounding media (Bakir et al. [@CR13]). Compounds such as MPs can transfered to organisms upon ingestion (Zarfl and Matthies [@CR183]), this may increase "the chemical exposure of the ingesting organism and thus, toxicity" (Oehlmann et al. [@CR128]; Teuten et al. [@CR157]). Oil Spills {#Sec13} ---------- An " oil spill " is defined as the discharge of "liquid petroleum hydrocarbons" into the environment, mainly in the " marine ecosystem" caused by human activity. "Environmental pollution caused by an oil spill is detrimental" (Broekema [@CR23]). This is because "petroleum hydrocarbons are toxic to all forms of life and harm both aquatic and terrestrial organisms." The pollution of marine environments has caught the attention of researchers and environmentalists. This is due to the severe impact of oil spills on marine life. "A 1% increase in spill size has been estimated to increase the damage by some US\$0.718 million" (Alló and Loureiro [@CR6]). "Oil spills, which result from damage, transportation accidents and various other industrial and mining activities, are classified as hazardous waste" (Bartha and Bossert [@CR17]). They are considered to be the most "frequent organic pollutants of aquatic ecosystems" (Bossert et al. [@CR22]; Margesin and Schinnur [@CR110]). Oil spills can occur from multiple sources including "oil tankers" (35.7%), facilities (27.6%), "non-tank vessels" (19.9%), "pipelines" (9.3%), and other sources (7.4%) (Benko and Drewes [@CR18]). " Marine ship-source oil spill can occur as a result of ship accidents or operations, or the intentional discharge of oily wastes into oceans" (Knapp and Van de Velden [@CR93]). ### Major Oil Spills in the History {#Sec14} It is estimated that "3.2 million tons of oil is released per year from all sources into the environment. The majority of this oil is due to general shipping and industrial activities" (ITOPF [@CR87]). During the Iran--Iraq war (1980--1988), approximately 2 million barrels of oil were discharged into the Arabian Gulf sea water. These included "1.5 million barrels from the Nawruz blow-out in 1983" (Watt [@CR171]). Following the "Gulf War in 1991, 4 to 8 million barrels of oil were released into the Gulf and the Kuwaiti Desert and, making this the largest oil spill in the history at that time" (Purvis [@CR138]). Previous observations indicated that the number of large "oil spills (\>700 tons) has decreased significantly over the last 30 years" (ITOPF [@CR87]). During the 1990s, the average number of large oil spills per year was about a third of the amount that was witnessed during the 1970s. It should be noted that "1,133,000 tons of oil was lost in the 1990s and 2000s, during 2010--2013, about 22,000 tons of oil was lost" (Levy and Gopalakrishnan [@CR102]; Carriger and Barron [@CR30]). The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill on April 20, 2010, caused the discharge of more than 2.6 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico over just about 3 months. This "oil spill was the second largest in human history" (Levy and Gopalakrishnan [@CR102]; Carriger and Barron [@CR30]). During the 1991 Gulf War, the deliberate release of "over 6 million barrels of oil" (Randolph et al. [@CR140]) into the marine environment was considered as the largest in history. ### Impact on Human Health {#Sec15} Oil spills pose a great danger to humans. Direct "contact with crude oil or indirect contact through inhalation of vapors or consumption of contaminated seafood can cause deleterious health effects ranging from dizziness and nausea to certain types of cancers and issues with the central nervous system" (Aguilera et al. [@CR2]; Major and Wang [@CR106]). Toxic chemicals contained in the oil such as benzenes, toluene, poly-aromatic hydrocarbon, and oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons can harm the air quality (Tidwell et al. [@CR161]). As witnessed in the " Kuwait Oil Fires, between January 16, 1991 and November 6, 1991, produced air pollution which caused respiratory distress" (Petruccelli et al. [@CR136]). Oil-related disasters cause water contamination when the oil spillage comes in contact with any drinking water supply, for example, the 2013 incident in Miri, Malaysia, contaminated the water supply for 300,000 natives. ### Impact on Coral Reefs {#Sec16} Coral reefs are considered to be important components of marine ecosystems. This is because "coral polyps are important nurseries for shrimp, fish and other animals" (Perkol-Finkel and Benayahu [@CR135]). The aquatic organisms that live within and around the coral reefs are at risk of exposure to the toxic substances within oil. They are rapidly degrading because of a variety of environmental and anthropogenic pressures. Thus, they are suffering significant changes in "species diversity," "species abundance," "species evenness," and "habitat structure" worldwide (Hughes et al. [@CR84]). "Oil dispersants are potentially harmful to marine life including coral reefs" (Shafir et al. [@CR152]). A study using coral nubbins in coral reef eco-toxicology testing (Shafir et al. [@CR151]) found that dispersed oil and oil dispersants are harmful to soft and hard coral species at early life stages. ### Impact on Marine Mammals {#Sec17} Marine mammals include "bottlenose dolphins, fins, humpbacks, rights, sei whales, sperm whales, manatees, cetaceans, seals, sea otters and pinnipeds." The physical contact of oil with furred mammals affects these animals because they rely on their outer coats for buoyancy and warmth. Consequently, "these animals often succumb to hypothermia, drowning and smothering when oil flattens and adheres to the outer layer" (Lin and Tjeerdema [@CR103]). ### Impact on Seabirds {#Sec18} Physical contact is one of the major routes of exposure, and it usually affects seabirds (Table [1.4](#Tab4){ref-type="table"}). For example, thousands of African penguins (*Spheniscus demerus*) were oiled following the 2000 treasure oil spill in South Africa.Table 1.4Mass motility of seabirds collected at "Exxon Valdez and Braer oil spills" (Dauvin [@CR43])"Species group""Alaskan spill""Shetland spill""Sea ducks (eiders, etc.)"1435--1445168"Mergansers"120--1251--2"Loons"390--40012--15"Grebes"460--4620"Heron"12--4"Geese/swans"8--100"Gulls"694--69872--76"Kittiwakes"1220--1230130--135"Cormorants/shags"835--837862--865"Shearwaters"34000"Fulmars"868--87230--32"Guillemots/murres"20,560--20,562218--222"Other auks"2172--2176228--230"Bald eagles"124--126NA"Other birds"3150--31530Total35,466--35,4681535--1538 Aquaculture Activities {#Sec19} ---------------------- Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms. The "rapidly growing human population is creating an increase in the demand for fish worldwide" (Tidwell and Allan [@CR160]). The amount of "fish captured in fisheries is no longer meeting this demand because the annual production of captured fish has not changed significantly since 2011" (FAO [@CR64]). "Aquaculture is becoming a more popular fish production method as it has an annual increase of 6% and is projected to produce over half of the fish consumed by 2025" (FAO [@CR64]). "Aquaculture has tremendous benefits for the humans like seafood production by fisheries and contributes with 15 to 20% of average animal protein consumption to 2.9 billion people worldwide" (Smith et al. [@CR154]). The nutritional quality of aquatic products has "high standard and represents an important source of macro and micronutrients for the people from developing countries" (Roos et al. [@CR144]). Despite the undeniable benefits of aquaculture such as the provision of good quality and accessible food for population and the generation of millions of jobs and billion dollars in budget for the developing countries, the activity is one of the most criticized worldwide, mainly because of the environmental impacts (FAO [@CR65]). The most common "negative environmental impacts that are associated with aquaculture is water eutrophication, water quality, alteration or destruction of natural habitats, introduction and transmission of diseases" (FAO [@CR59]). Harmful Impacts Related to the Aquaculture Activities Are as Follows {#Sec20} -------------------------------------------------------------------- ### Eutrophication of Receiving Waters {#Sec21} Aquaculture can be "a major contributor to eutrophication or organic loads in the receiving waters" (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). It is mainly produced by "uneaten feed (especially due to overfeeding), lixiviation of aquaculture feedstuffs" (Focardi et al. [@CR69]; Crab et al. [@CR38]), "decomposition of died organisms and over fertilization" (Feng et al. [@CR66]; Gyllenhammer and Hakanson [@CR77]). In Scotland, for example, "the discharge of untreated organic waste from salmon production is equivalent to 75% of the pollution discharged by the human population" (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). " Shrimp aquaculture in Bangladesh generates 600 tons of waste per day" (SACEP [@CR145]; Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). It is well documented that from "the total nitrogen supplemented to the cultured organisms, only 20--50% is retained as biomass by the farmed organisms, while the rest is included into the water column or sediment" (Jackson et al. [@CR90]; Schneider et al. [@CR148]) and "eventually discharged into the receiving ecosystems, increases the risk of eutrophication and algal blooms (like toxic microalgae-red tides) in lakes" (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]), reservoirs, and coastal areas (Alonso-Rodriguez and Paez-Osuna [@CR8]; Mirto et al. [@CR116]; Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). "Organic pollutants consume dissolved oxygen (DO) in the water as it degrades quality characteristics of fresh water, with the result DO drops, fish and other aquatic life are exposed to extreme conditions or killed due to hypoxia in water bodies" (Mateo-Sagasta et al. [@CR113]). ### Introduction of Exotic Species {#Sec22} Aquaculture comes in multiple versions, two of which are open systems and closed systems. "Open systems are found offshore in coastal areas, exposed to natural environments" (Lawson [@CR98]). These systems are high-risk because they allow unchecked interactions between the farmed fish and surrounding environment, which leads to "free exchange of diseases, parasites and fecal matter" (Ali [@CR5]). The recent study has revealed "a parasite transmission of sea lice from captive to wild salmon" (Krkosek et al. [@CR95]). The only barrier between the harvested fish and the wild population is a rigid cage or netting system. When these netting systems are damaged during inclement weather such as snowstorms or hurricanes, it allows "fish to escape from the open systems" (Centre for Food Safety [@CR31]). There were "25 million reported fish escapes worldwide and the majority occurred when netting was damaged during severe weather conditions" (Centre for Food Safety [@CR31]). The escaping of "exotic aquaculture species into the natural ecosystem causes the displacement of native populations, competition for food, space, mates and prey" (Naylor et al. [@CR122]). ### Destruction of Mangrove Forests {#Sec23} "Aquaculture farms" are constructed in " mangrove forests " (Dewalt et al. [@CR48]; Stickney and McVey [@CR155]; Rajitha et al. [@CR139]). "Mangrove forests" are important ecosystems as they act as nurseries for many "aquatic species" as well as nesting areas for "birds, reptiles, crustaceans and other taxonomic groups" (Paez-Osuna [@CR133]). The cover of mangrove forest has decreased worldwide from "19.8 million hectares in 1980 to less than 15 millions hectares in 2000." The annual "deforestation rate was 1.7% from 1980 to 1990 and 1% from 1990 to 2000" (FAO [@CR60]), and the "problem of deforestation still continue today." "Aquaculture has been responsible for the deforestation of millions of hectares of mangrove forest in Thailand, Indonesia, Ecuador, Madagascar and other countries" (Harper et al. [@CR81]). ### Contamination of Water for Human Consumption {#Sec24} " Inland aquaculture" has been responsible for the "degradation of water bodies used for human consumption" (Paez-Osuna [@CR132]). Aquaculture activities cause death of benthic organisms as well as undesirable odors and the presence of pathogens in the discharge sites (Martinez-Cordova and Enriquez-Ocana [@CR111]). The spread and the "outbreaks of diseases are negative consequences of the expansion and diversification of the aquaculture sector" (Crisafi et al. [@CR40]; Mancuso [@CR108]; Mancuso et al. [@CR109]). Preventive Measures and some Humanistic Solutions {#Sec25} ------------------------------------------------- " Water contamination" can be reduced from a "personal level" to "national and international level." Every individual has a duty to prevent pollution of water resources. "Water is a basic need for our survival," and hence it should be our first priority to keep all "water resources" free from contamination. There are various "sources of water contamination." Thus, the control of water contamination needs a range of preventive measures. "Measures of prevention and control are essential in improving the quality of water" and reducing the "costly treatment measures that are taken to treat water." Preventive measures and possible solutions to "control water contamination" are given as follows (Xiong et al. [@CR181]; Lan et al. [@CR96]; Xanthos and Walker [@CR180]; Barmentlo et al. [@CR15]):"Do not throw rubbish away in places like the beach, riverside and water bodies rather put it in trash can.""Use water wisely. Do not keep the tap running when not in use.""Do not throw chemicals, oils, plastics, paints and medicines down the sink drain, or the toilet.""Buy more environmentally safe cleaning liquids for use at home and other public places.""Not to overuse pesticides and fertilizers in farms. This will reduce runoffs of the chemical into nearby water sources.""Natural fertilizers such as peat, compost, manure should be preferred while gardening and farming.""Implementing water quality laws they can help in protecting aquatic ecosystems by imposing acceptable concentrations of pollutants and prevents the release of pollutants into water resources.""Proper use and disposeal of chemicals prevent the contamination of aquatic environments.""Use detergents with low or no phosphate because high phosphate content causes eutrophication of lakes.""Control storm water runoff. As the storm water runoff flows over impervious surfaces, it collects debris, sediments, chemicals and other pollutants which can have negative effects on the quality of water if the runoff is left untreated.""Decrease water resistant surfaces such as cement around homes to reduce surface runoff. Vegetation, porous materials, gravel, wood decking etc. can be used instead of cement.""Avoid throwing garbage into lakes, rivers and streams and help in cleaning litter around water resources.""Wash your automobiles at carwashes instead of washing it yourself. The wastewater from these carwashes is drained into the sewer and treated which reduce the amount of pollutants in the water.""Speak up against industries that dump waste into local streams, rivers, and beach fronts to reduce water pollution in your community.""Implement existing environmental laws. There are very strict laws that help minimize water pollution. These laws are usually directed at industries, hospitals, schools and market areas on how to dispose, treat and manage sewage.""Do not dispose non-degradable products such as plastic bags or plastic wrappers down the drain." Conclusion {#Sec26} ========== The degradation of aquatic ecosystems is largely due to human activities. Increased urbanization and industrialization are greatly responsible for water pollution. Human contribution to water pollution is enormous, such as dumping of solid wastes, industrial wastes, and domestic wastes. Water pollution is a major concern to the world. Environmental education is very important to reduce the pollution of aquatic ecosystems.
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Paul Krugman: Oh, What a Stupid Trade War (Very Slightly Wonkish), by Paul Krugman, NY Times: So, the trade war is on. And what a stupid trade war it is. … The official – and legal – justification for the steel and aluminum tariffs is national security. That’s an obviously fraudulent rationale... But Trump and co. presumably don’t care about telling lies with regard to economic policy... They would see it as all fair game if the policy delivered job gains Trump could trumpet. Will it? OK, here’s the point where being a card-carrying economist gets me into a bit of trouble. The proper answer about the job-creation or -destruction effect of a trade policy – any trade policy, no matter how well or badly conceived – is basically zero. ….Why? The Fed... Even if tariffs were expansionary, that would just make the Fed raise rates faster, which would in turn crowd out jobs in other industries... But I think this is a case where macroeconomics, even though I believe it’s right, gets in the way of useful discussion. We do want to know whether the Trump trade war ... would add or subtract jobs holding monetary policy constant, even though we know monetary policy won’t be constant. And the answer, almost surely, is that this trade war will actually be a job-killer, not a job-creator, for two reasons. First, Trump is putting tariffs on intermediate goods…, some of which themselves have to compete on world markets. Most obviously, cars and other durable manufactured goods will become more expensive to produce, which means that we’ll sell less of them; and whatever gains there are in primary metals employment will be offset by job losses in downstream industries. Playing with the numbers, it seems highly likely that even this direct effect is a net negative for employment. Second, other countries will retaliate against U.S. exports, costing jobs in everything from motorcycles to sausages. … Finally – and I think this is really important – we’re dealing with real countries here, mainly democracies. Real countries have real politics; they have pride; and their electorates really, really don’t like Trump. This means that even if their leaders might want to make concessions, their voters probably won’t allow it. ... So this is a remarkably stupid economic conflict to get into. And the situation in this trade war is likely to develop not necessarily to Trump’s advantage.
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Q: Laravel render\call controller action from view\layout Maybe someone can tell me how to use something like embedded controllers in symfony2, to call\render controller action in Laravel4,5? A: Found the best way for me, for L5: CartServerProvider use Illuminate\Support\ServiceProvider; class CartServiceProvider extends ServiceProvider { /** * Register the service provider. * * @return void */ public function register() { $this->app->make('view')->composer('layouts.master', 'Vendor\Cart\Http\ViewComposers\CartComposer'); } } The CartComposer class looks like this: use Illuminate\Contracts\View\View; class CartComposer { /** * Cart manager instance. * * @var \Vendor\Cart\StoreInterface */ protected $cart; /** * Create a new CartComposer instance. */ public function __construct() { $this->cart = app()->make('cart.store'); } /** * Compose the view. * * @return void */ public function compose(View $view) { $view->with('cart', $this->cart); } } cart.store is a custom cart implementation I injected into the container, but the above should be enough to show you how to register a simple view composer.
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Indoor climbing elicits plasma oxidative stress. Indoor climbing is a worldwide sport with particular physiological and physical demands. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of sustained indoor climbing until exhaustion on plasma oxidative stress markers, and to relate it to whole-body dynamic exercise performed at the same percentage of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). Fourteen male indoor climbers continuously climbed a competition-style route until exhaustion. Oxygen consumption and heart rate were continuously monitored during the climbing exercise. One week later, subjects performed a treadmill running protocol with the same duration and percentage of VO2max as that of climbing exercise. Blood samples were collected at rest, immediately after, and 1 h after both exercise protocols to analyze plasma levels of reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) glutathione, malondialdehyde (MDA), protein sulfhydryl (-SH) and carbonyl (CG) groups, total antioxidant status (TAS) and uric acid (UA), and total blood leukocytes, neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts. Compared with running, climbing significantly increased the %GSSG, MDA, CG, TAS, and UA and decreased the GSH and -SH content. Blood counts of total leukocytes and neutrophils increased immediately after and 1 h after both running and climbing (P<0.05), although counts were higher in climbing than in running (P<0.05). Lymphocytes significantly increased from baseline to 0 h, although they decreased below baseline 1 h after climbing (P<0.05). Data demonstrate that indoor climbing induces plasma oxidative stress. Moreover, results suggest that an ischemia-reperfusion prooxidant-based mechanism related to climbers' sustained and intermittent isometric forearm muscle contractions might have significantly contributed to observed plasma oxidative stress.
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--- author: - | Lisa Schlosser\ Universität Innsbruck Torsten Hothorn\ Universität Zürich Reto Stauffer\ Universität Innsbruck Achim Zeileis\ Universität Innsbruck bibliography: - 'ref.bib' title: Distributional Regression Forests for Probabilistic Precipitation Forecasting in Complex Terrain --- Introduction {#sec:introduction} ============ In regression analysis a wide range of models has been developed to describe the relationship between a response variable and a set of covariates. The classical model is the linear model (LM) where the conditional mean of the response is modeled through a linear function of the covariates (see the left panel of Figure \[fig:gam\] for a schematic illustration). Over the last decades this has been extended in various directions including: - *Generalized linear models* (GLMs, [@Nelder+Wedderburn:1972]) encompassing an additional nonlinear link function for the conditional mean. - *Generalized additive models* (GAMs, [@Hastie+Tibshirani:1986]) allowing for smooth nonlinear effects in the covariates (Figure \[fig:gam\], middle). - *Generalized additive models for location, scale, and shape* (GAMLSS, [@Rigby+Stasinopoulos:2005]) adopting a probabilistic modeling approach. In GAMLSS, each parameter of a statistical distribution can depend on an additive predictor of the covariates comprising linear and/or smooth nonlinear terms (Figure \[fig:gam\], right). Thus, the above-mentioned models provide a broad toolbox for capturing different aspects of the response (mean only vs. full distribution) and different types of dependencies on the covariates (linear vs. nonlinear additive terms). \(a) at (0,0) ![\[fig:gam\]Parametric modeling developments. (Generalized) linear models (left), generalized additive models (middle), generalized additive models for location, scale, and shape (right).](draft-plot_motivation_GLM) ; (b) at (5,0) ![\[fig:gam\]Parametric modeling developments. (Generalized) linear models (left), generalized additive models (middle), generalized additive models for location, scale, and shape (right).](draft-plot_motivation_GAM) ; (c) at (10,0) ![\[fig:gam\]Parametric modeling developments. (Generalized) linear models (left), generalized additive models (middle), generalized additive models for location, scale, and shape (right).](draft-plot_motivation_GAMLSS) ; (d) at (0,-2) [ LM, GLM ]{}; (e) at (5,-2) [ GAM ]{}; at (10,-2) [ GAMLSS ]{}; (2.1,0)–(2.9,0); (7.1,0)–(7.9,0); While in many applications conditional mean regression models have been receiving the most attention, there has been a paradigm shift over the last decade towards distributional regression models. An important reason for this is that in many fields forecasts of the mean are not the only (or not even the main) concern but instead there is an increasing interest in probabilistic forecasts. Quantities of interest typically include exceedance probabilities for certain thresholds of the response or quantiles of the response distribution. Specifically, consider weather forecasting where there is less interest in the mean amount of precipitation on the next day. Instead, the probability of rain vs. no rain is typically more relevant or, in some situations, a prediction interval of expected precipitation (say from the expected 10% to 90% quantiles). Similar considerations apply for other meteorological quantities and hence attention in the weather forecasting literature has been shifting from classical linear deterministic models [@Glahn+Lowry:1972] towards probabilistic models such as the non-homogeneous Gaussian regression (NGR) of [@Gneiting+Raftery+Westveld:2005]. The NGR typically describes the mean of some meteorological response variable through the average of the corresponding quantity from an ensemble of physically-based numerical weather predictions (NWPs). Similarly, the variance of the response is captured through the variance of the ensemble of NWPs. Thus, the NGR considers both the mean as well as the uncertainty of the ensemble predictions to obtain probabilistic forecasts calibrated to a particular site. \(a) at (0,0) ![\[fig:tree\]Tree and forest developments. Regression tree (top left), distributional tree (bottom left), random forest (top middle), and distributional forest (top right).](draft-plot_motivation_regtree) ; (b) at (5,0) ![\[fig:tree\]Tree and forest developments. Regression tree (top left), distributional tree (bottom left), random forest (top middle), and distributional forest (top right).](draft-plot_motivation_randforest) ; (c) at (10,0) ![\[fig:tree\]Tree and forest developments. Regression tree (top left), distributional tree (bottom left), random forest (top middle), and distributional forest (top right).](draft-plot_motivation_distforest) ; (d) at (0,-2) [ Regression tree ]{}; (e) at (5,-2) [ Random forest ]{}; at (10,-2) [ Distributional forest ]{}; (g) at (0,-5.4) ![\[fig:tree\]Tree and forest developments. Regression tree (top left), distributional tree (bottom left), random forest (top middle), and distributional forest (top right).](draft-plot_motivation_disttree "fig:") Distributional tree ; (2.1,0)–(2.9,0); (7.1,0)–(7.9,0); (0,-2.4)–(0,-3.2); (2.2,-5.4)–(7.9,-2.5); In summary, the models discussed so far provide a broad and powerful toolset for parametric distributional fits depending on a specified set of additive linear or smooth nonlinear terms. A rather different approach to capturing the dependence on covariates are tree-based models. - *Regression trees* ([@Breiman+Friedman+Stone:1984]) recursively split the data into more homogeneous subgroups and can thus capture abrupt shifts (Figure \[fig:tree\], top left) and approximate nonlinear functions. Furthermore, trees automatically carry out a forward selection of covariates and their interactions. - *Random forests* ([@Breiman:2001]) average the predictions of an ensemble of trees fitted to resampled versions of the learning data. This stabilizes the recursive partitions from individual trees and hence better approximates smooth functions (Figure \[fig:tree\], top middle). While classical regression trees and random forests only model the mean of the response we propose to follow the ideas from GAMLSS modeling – as outlined in Figure \[fig:gam\] – and combine tree-based methods with parametric distributional models, yielding two novel techniques: - *Distributional regression trees* (for short: *distributional trees*) split the data into more homogeneous groups with respect to a parametric distribution, thus capturing changes in any distribution parameter like location, scale, or shape (Figure \[fig:tree\], bottom left). - *Distributional regression forests* (for short: *distributional forests*) utilize an ensemble of distributional trees for obtaining stabilized and smoothed parametric predictions (Figure \[fig:tree\], top right). In the following, particular focus is given to distributional forests as a method for obtaining probabilistic forecasts by leveraging the strengths of random forests: the ability to capture both smooth and abruptly changing functions along with simultaneous selection of variables and possibly complex interactions. Thus, these properties make the method particularly appealing in case of many covariates with unknown effects and interactions where it would be challenging to specify a distributional regression model like GAMLSS. However, distributional forests should not be considered as a replacement of GAMLSS but rather as a complementing technique for flexible distributional regression – much like GAMs and random forests are complements for conditional mean regression. ![\[fig:axams-dist\]Total precipitation predictions by a distributional forest at station Axams for July 24 in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 learned on data from 1985–2008. Observations are non-negative and modeled by a Gaussian distribution left-censored at zero. The observations are depicted by crosses and the predicted point mass from the model by filled circles.](draft-rain_Axams_pred) In weather forecasting, the flexibility of distributional forests is especially appealing in mountainous regions and complex terrain where a wide range of local-scale effects are not yet resolved by the NWP models. Thus, effects with abrupt changes and possibly nonlinear interactions might be required to account for site-specific unresolved features. To illustrate this in practice, precipitation forecasts are obtained with distributional forests at 95 meteorological stations in a mountainous region in the Alps, covering mainly Tyrol, Austria, and adjacent areas (see the map in Figure \[fig:all-map\]). More specifically, a Gaussian distribution left-censored at zero, is employed to model 24-hour total precipitation so that the zero-censored point mass describes the probability of observing no precipitation on a given day (see Figure \[fig:axams-dist\]). Forecasts for July are established based on data from the same month over the years 1985–2012 including 80 covariates derived from a wide range of different NWP quantities. As Figure \[fig:axams-dist\] shows, the station-wise forests yield a full distributional forecast for each day – here for one specific day (July 24) at one station (Axams) over four years (2009–2012) – based on the previous 24 years as learning data. The corresponding observations conform reasonably well with the predictions. In Section \[sec:precipitation\] we investigate the performance of distributional forests in this forecasting task in more detail. Compared to three alternative zero-censored Gaussian models distributional forests perform at least on par and sometimes clearly better while requiring no meteorological knowledge about the atmospheric processes which drive formation of precipitation for the model specification. The three alternatives are: a standard ensemble model output statistics approach [EMOS, @Gneiting+Raftery+Westveld:2005] based on an NGR, a GAMLSS with regressors prespecified based on meteorological expertise [following @Stauffer+Umlauf+Messner:2017], and a boosted GAMLSS [@Hofner+Mayr+Schmid:2016] using non-homogeneous boosting [@Messner+Mayr+Zeileis:2017] as an alternative technique for variable selection among all 80 available regressors. Methodology {#sec:methods} =========== To embed the distributional approach from GAMLSS into regression trees and random forests, we proceed in three steps. (1) To fix notation, we briefly review fitting distributions using standard maximum likelihood in Section \[sec:distfit\]. (2) A recursive partitioning strategy based on the corresponding scores (or gradients) is introduced in Section \[sec:disttree\], leading to distributional trees. (3) Ensembles of distributional trees fitted to randomized subsamples are employed to establish distributional forests in Section \[sec:distforest\]. The general distributional notation is exemplified in all three steps using the Gaussian distribution left-censored at zero (for short: zero-censored Gaussian). The latter is employed in the empirical case study in Section \[sec:precipitation\] to model power-transformed daily precipitation amounts. Distributional fit {#sec:distfit} ------------------ A distributional model $\mathcal{D}(Y, \bm{\theta})$ is considered for the response variable $Y \in \mathcal{Y}$ using the distributional family $\mathcal{D}$ with *k*-dimensional parameter vector $\bm{\theta} \in \bm{\Theta}$ and corresponding log-likelihood function $\ell(\bm{\theta}; Y)$. The GAMLSS framework [@Rigby+Stasinopoulos:2005] provides a wide range of such distributional families with parameterizations corresponding to location, scale, and shape. Furthermore, censoring and/or truncation of these distributions can be incorporated in the usual straightforward way [see e.g., @Long:1997 Chapter 7.2]. To capture both location and scale of the probabilistic precipitation forecasts while accounting for a point mass at zero (i.e., dry days without rain), a zero-censored Gaussian distribution with location parameter $\mu$ and scale parameter $\sigma$ is employed. Therefore, the corresponding log-likelihood function with parameter vector $\bm{\theta} = (\mu, \sigma)$ is $$\ell(\mu, \sigma; Y) = \begin{cases} \log\left\{\frac{1}{\sigma} \cdot \phi\left(\frac{Y - \mu}{\sigma}\right) \right\}, & \text{if } Y > 0\\[0.2cm] \log\left\{\Phi\left(\frac{-\mu}{\sigma}\right)\right\}, & \text{if } Y = 0 \end{cases}$$ where $\phi$ and $\Phi$ are the probability density function and the cumulative distribution function of the standard normal distribution $\mathcal{N}(0,1)$. Other distributions $\mathcal{D}$ and corresponding log-likelihoods $\ell(\mu, \sigma; Y)$ could be set up in the same way, e.g., for censored shifted gamma distributions [@Scheuerer+Hamill:2015] or zero-censored logistic distributions [@Gebetsberger+Messner+Mayr:2017]. With the specification of the distribution family and its log-likelihood function the task of fitting a distributional model turns into the task of estimating the distribution parameter $\bm{\theta}$. This is commonly done by maximum likelihood (ML) based on the learning sample with observations $\{y_i\}_{i = 1, \dots, n}$ of the response variable $Y$. The maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) $\bm{\hat \theta}$ is given by $$\label{eq:mle} \bm{\hat \theta} = {\operatorname{argmax}\displaylimits}_{\bm{\theta} \in \bm{\Theta}} \sum_{i=1}^n \ell(\bm{\theta}; y_i).$$ Equivalently, this can be defined based on the corresponding first-order conditions $$\label{eq:foc} \sum_{i = 1}^n s(\bm{\hat{\theta}}, y_i) = 0,$$ where $s(\bm{\theta}; y_i)$ is the associated score function $$\label{eq:score} s(\bm{\theta}; y_i) = \frac{\partial \ell}{\partial \bm{\theta}}(\bm{\theta}; y_i).$$ The latter is subsequently employed as a general goodness-of-fit measure to assess how well the distribution with parameters $\bm{\theta}$ fits one individual observation $y_i$. Distributional tree {#sec:disttree} ------------------- Typically, a single global model $\mathcal{D}(Y, \bm{\theta})$ is not sufficient for reasonably representing the response distribution. Therefore, covariates $\bm{Z} = Z_1, \dots, Z_m \in \mathcal{Z}$ are employed to capture differences in the distribution parameters $\bm{\theta}$. In weather forecasting, these covariates typically include the output from numerical weather prediction systems and/or lagged meteorological observations. To incorporate the covariates into the distributional model, they are considered as regressors in additive predictors $g_j(\theta_j) = f_{j,1}(\bm{Z}) + f_{j,2}(\bm{Z}) + \dots$ in GAMLSS. Link functions $g_j(\cdot)$ are used for every parameter $\theta_j$ ($j = 1, \dots, k$) based on smooth terms $f_{j,k}$ such as nonlinear effects, spatial effects, random coefficients, or interaction surfaces [@Klein+Kneib+Lang:2015]. However, this requires specifying the additive terms and their functional forms in advance which can be challenging in practice and potentially require expert knowledge in the application domain, especially if the number of covariates $m$ is large. Regression trees generally take a different approach for automatically including covariates in a data-driven way and allowing for abrupt changes, nonlinear and non-additive effects, and interactions. In the context of distributional models the goal is to partition the covariate space $\mathcal{Z}$ recursively into disjoint segments so that a homogeneous distributional model for the response $Y$ can be found for each segment with segment-specific parameters. More specifically, the $B$ disjoint segments $\mathcal{B}_b$ ($b = 1, \dots, B$) partition the covariate space $$\label{eq:partition} \mathcal{Z} = \dot{\bigcup\limits_{b = 1, \ldots, \textit{B}}} \mathcal{B}_b,$$ and a local distributional model $\mathcal{D}(Y, \bm{\theta}^{(b)})$ (i.e., with segment-specific parameters $\bm{\theta}^{(b)}$) is fitted to the response $Y$ in each segment. To find the segments $\mathcal{B}_b$ that are (approximately) homogeneous with respect to the distributional model with given parameters, the idea is to use a gradient-based recursive-partitioning approach. In a given subsample of the learning data this fits the model by ML (see Equation \[eq:mle\]) and then assesses the goodness of fit by assessing the corresponding scores $s(\bm{\hat \theta}; y_i)$ (see Equation \[eq:score\]). To sum up, distributional trees are fitted recursively via: 1. Estimate $\bm{\hat \theta}$ via maximum likelihood for the observations in the current subsample. 2. Test for associations (or instabilities) of the scores $s(\bm{\hat \theta}, y_i)$ and $Z_{l,i}$ for each partitioning variable $Z_l$ ($l = 1, \dots, m$). 3. Split the sample along the partitioning variable $Z_l^*$ with the strongest association or instability. Choose the breakpoint with the highest improvement in the log-likelihood or the highest discrepancy. 4. Repeat steps 1–3 recursively in the subsamples until these become too small or there is no significant association/instability (or some other stopping criterion is reached). Different inference techniques can be used for assessing the association between scores and covariates in step 3. In the following we use the general class of permutation tests introduced by [@Hothorn+Hornik+VanDeWiel:2006] which is also the basis of conditional inference trees [CTree, @Hothorn+Hornik+Zeileis:2006]. Alternatively, one could use asymptotic M-fluctuation tests for parameter instability [@Zeileis+Hornik:2007] as in model-based recursive partitioning [MOB, @Zeileis+Hothorn+Hornik:2008]. More details are provided in Appendix \[app:tree\]. For obtaining probabilistic predictions from the tree for a (possibly new) set of covariates $\bm{z} = (z_1, \ldots, z_m)$, the observation simply has to be “sent down” the tree and the corresponding segment-specific MLE has to be obtained. Thus, in practice $\bm{\hat \theta}(\bm{z})$ does not have to be recalculated for each new $\bm{z}$ but one can simply extract the parameter estimates for the corresponding segment which have been computed already while learning the tree. However, to understand this estimator conceptually it is useful to denote it as a weighted MLE where the weights select those observations from the learning sample that fall into the same segment: $$w^{\text{tree}}_i(\bm{z}) = \sum_{b=1}^B \mathbf{1}((\bm{z}_i \in \mathcal{B}_b) \land (\bm{z} \in \mathcal{B}_b)),$$ where $\mathbf{1}(\cdot)$ is the indicator function. The predicted distribution for a given $\bm{z}$ is then fully specified by the estimated parameter $\bm{\hat \theta}(\bm{z})$ where $$\bm{\hat \theta}(\bm{z}) = {\operatorname{argmax}\displaylimits}_{\bm{\theta} \in \bm{\Theta}} \sum_{i=1}^n w^{\text{tree}}_i(\bm{z}) \cdot \ell(\bm{\theta}; y_i).$$ Distributional forest {#sec:distforest} --------------------- While the simple recursive structure of a tree model is easy to visualize and interpret, the abrupt changes are often too rough, instable, and impose steps on the model even if the true underlying effect is smooth. Hence, ensemble methods such as bagging or random forests [@Breiman:2001] are typically applied to smooth the effects, stabilize the model, and improve predictive performance. The idea of random forests is to learn an ensemble of trees, each on a different learning data obtained through resampling (bootstrap or subsampling). In each node only a random subset of the covariates $\bm{Z}$ is considered for splitting to reduce the correlation among the trees and to stabilize the variance of the model. For a simple regression random forest the mean of predictions over all trees is considered. In that way changes in the location of the response across the covariates are detected (e.g., in Breiman and Cutler’s random forests, [@Breiman:2001]). This idea is now taken one step further by embedding it in a distributional framework based on maximum-likelihood estimation. *Distributional forests* employ an ensemble of $T$ *distributional trees* which pick up changes in the “direction” of any distribution parameter by considering the full likelihood and corresponding score function for choosing splitting variables and split points. To obtain probabilistic predictions from a distributional forest, it still needs to be specified how to compute the parameter estimates $\bm{\hat \theta}(\bm{z})$ for a (potentially new) set of covariates $\bm{z}$. Following [@Hothorn+Zeileis:2017] we interpret random forests as adaptive local likelihood estimators using the averaged “nearest neighbor weights” [@Lin+Jeon:2006] from the $T$ trees in the forest $$w^{\text{forest}}_i(\bm{z}) = \frac{1}{T} \sum_{t=1}^T \sum_{b=1}^{B^t} \frac{\mathbf{1}((\bm{z}_i \in \mathcal{B}^t_b) \land (\bm{z} \in \mathcal{B}^t_b))}{|\mathcal{B}^t_b|},$$ where $|\mathcal{B}^t_b|$ denotes the number of observations in the $b$-th segment of the $t$-th tree. Thus, these $w^{\text{forest}}_i(\bm{z}) \in [0, 1]$ whereas $w^{\text{tree}}_i(\bm{z}) \in \{0, 1\}$. Hence, weights cannot only be $0$ or $1$ but change more smoothly, giving high weight to those observations $i$ from the learning sample that co-occur in the same segment $\mathcal{B}_b^t$ as the new observation $\bm{z}$ for many of the trees $t = 1, \dots, T$. Consequently, the parameter estimates may, in principle, change for every observation and can be obtained by $$\bm{\hat \theta}(\bm{z}) = {\operatorname{argmax}\displaylimits}_{\bm{\theta} \in \bm{\Theta}} \sum_{i=1}^n w^{\text{forest}}_i(\bm{z}) \cdot \ell(\bm{\theta}; y_i).$$ In summary, this yields a parametric distributional regression model (through the score-based approach) that can capture both abrupt effects and high-order interactions (through the trees) and smooth effects (through the forest). Distributional forests share some concepts and algorithmic aspects with other generalizations of Breiman and Cutler’s random forests. Nearest neighbor weights are employed for aggregation in survival forests [@Hothorn+Lausen+Benner:2004], quantile regression forests [@Meinshausen:2006], transformation forests [@Hothorn+Zeileis:2017], and generalized random forests for causal inferences [@Athey+Tibshirani+Wager:2019]. These procedures aggregate over trees fitted to specific score functions (e.g., log rank scores in survival trees, model residuals in transformation or generalized forests). Distributional forests, in contrast to nonparametric approaches, provide a compromise between model flexibility and interpretability: The parameters of a problem-specific distribution (zero-censored Gaussian for precipitation) have a clear meaning but may depend on external variables in a quite general way. Probabilistic precipitation forecasting in complex terrain {#sec:precipitation} ========================================================== Many statistical weather forecasting models leverage the strengths of modern numerical ensemble prediction systems (EPSs; see [@Bauer+Thorpe+Brunet:2015]). EPSs not only predict the most likely future state of the atmosphere but provide information about the uncertainty for a specific quantity and weather situation. This is done by running the NWP model several times using slightly perturbed initial conditions and model specifications to account for uncertainties in both, the initial atmospheric state and the NWP model (and its parametrizations). One frequently-used method based on distributional regression models is the ensemble model output statistics (EMOS) approach first proposed by [@Gneiting+Raftery+Westveld:2005] to produce high-quality forecasts for specific quantities and sites. In case of precipitation forecasting, EMOS typically uses the ensemble mean of “total precipitation” (*tp*) forecasts as the predictor for the location parameter $\mu$ and the corresponding ensemble standard deviation for the scale parameter $\sigma$, e.g., assuming the observations to follow a zero-censored Gaussian distribution. This distributional approach of modeling both parameters allows to correct for possible errors of the NWP ensemble in both, the expectation but also the uncertainty of a specific forecast. Thus, a basic EMOS specification typically models the two distribution parameters by two linear predictors, e.g., $\mu = \beta_0 + \beta_1 \cdot \mathrm{mean}(\emph{tp})$ and $\log(\sigma) = \gamma_0 + \gamma_1 \cdot \log(\mathrm{sd}(\emph{tp}))$ with regression coefficients $\beta_0$, $\beta_1$, $\gamma_0$, and $\gamma_1$ [where the log link assures positivity of the scale parameter, following @Gebetsberger+Messner+Mayr:2017]. While this approach alone is already highly effective in the plains, it typically does not perform as well in complex terrain due to unresolved effects in the NWP system [@Bauer+Thorpe+Brunet:2015]. For example, in the Tyrolean Alps – considered in the following case study – the NWP grid cells of $50 \times 50$ km$^2$ are too coarse to capture single mountains, narrow valleys, etc. Therefore, it is often possible to substantially improve the predictive performance of a basic EMOS by including additional predictor variables, either from local meteorological observations or an NWP model. Unfortunately, it is typically unknown which variables are relevant for improving the predictions. Simply including all available variables may be computationally burdensome and can lead to overfitting but, on the other hand, excluding too many variables may result in a loss of valuable information. Therefore, selecting the relevant variables and interactions among all possible covariates is crucial for improving the statistical forecasting model. In the following, it is illustrated how distributional forests can solve this problem without requiring prior expert knowledge about the meteorological covariates. For fitting the forest only the response distribution and the list of potential predictor variables need to be specified (along with a few algorithmic details) and then the relevant variables, interactions, and potentially nonlinear effects are determined automatically in a data-driven way. Here, we employ a zero-censored Gaussian distribution and 80 predictor variables computed from ensemble means and spreads of various NWP outputs. The predictive performance of the forest is compared to three other zero-censored Gaussian models: (a) a basic EMOS, (b) a GAMLSS with prespecified effects and interactions based on meteorological knowledge/experience, and (c) a boosted GAMLSS with automatic selection of smooth additive terms based on all 80 predictor variables. Data {#sec:data} ---- Basic covariates [\#]{} Variations ------------------------------------------ -------- ------------------------------------------------------- *tp*: total precipitation, 12 ensemble mean of sums over 24h, power transformed (by $1.6^{-1}$) ensemble std. deviation of sums over 24h, *cape*: convective available ensemble minimum of sums over 24h, potential energy, ensemble maximum of sums over 24h power transformed (by $1.6^{-1}$) all for 6–30 ensemble mean of sums over 6h for 6–12, 12–18, 18–24, 24–30 ensemble std. deviation of sums over 6h for 6–12, 12–18, 18–24, 24–30 *dswrf*: downwards short wave 6 ensemble mean of mean values, radiation flux (“sunshine”) ensemble mean of minimum values$^*$, *msl*: mean sea level pressure ensemble mean of maximal values, *pwat*: precipitable water ensemble std. deviation of mean values, *tmax*: 2m maximum temperature ensemble std. deviation of minimum values$^*$, ensemble std. deviation of maximal values, *tcolc*: total column-integrated all over 6–30 condensate *t500*: temperature on 500 hPa *t700*: temperature on 700 hPa *t850*: temperature on 850 hPa *tdiff500850*: temperature 3 ensemble mean of difference in mean, difference 500 to 850 hPa ensemble minimum of difference in mean, *tdiff500700*: temperature ensemble maximum of difference in mean difference 500 to 700 hPa all over 6–30 *tdiff700850*: temperature difference 700 to 850 hPa *msl[\_]{}diff*: mean sea level pressure 1 *msl[\_]{}mean[\_]{}max* $-$ *msl[\_]{}mean[\_]{}min* difference over 6–30 : Basic covariates together with the number ([\#]{}) and the type of variations. Time periods indicate aggregation time periods in hours after NWP model initialization (e.g., 6–30 corresponds to +6h to +30h ahead forecasts, 0600UTC to 0600UTC of the next day). Note: $^*$Minimum values of *dswrf* over 24h are always zero and thus neglected.[]{data-label="tab:covariates"} Learning and validation data consist of observed daily precipitation sums provided by the National Hydrographical Service ([@ehyd]) and numerical weather forecasts from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Both, observations and forecasts are available for 1985–2012 and the analysis is exemplified using July, the month with the most precipitation in Tyrol. Observations are obtained for 95 stations all over Tyrol and surroundings, providing 24-hour precipitation sums measured at 0600UTC and rigorously quality-checked by the National Hydrographical Service. NWP outputs are obtained from the second-generation reforecast data set of the global ensemble forecast system [GEFS, @Hamill+Bates+Whitaker:2013]. This data set consists of an 11-member ensemble based on a fixed version of the numerical model and a horizontal grid spacing of about [$50 \times 50$ km$^2$]{} initialized daily at 0000 UTC from December 1984 to present providing forecasts on a 6-hourly temporal resolution. Each of the 11 ensemble members uses slightly different perturbed initial conditions to predict the situation-specific uncertainty of the atmospheric state. From the GEFS, 14 basic forecast variables are considered with up to 12 variations each such as mean/maximum/minimum over different aggregation time periods. A detailed overview is provided in Table \[tab:covariates\], yielding 80 predictor variables in total. To remove large parts of the skewness of precipitation data, a power transformation [@Box+Cox:1964] is often applied, e.g., using cubic [@Stidd:1973] or square root [@Hutchinson:1998] transformations. However, the power parameter may vary for different climatic zones or temporal aggregation periods and hence we follow [@Stauffer+Mayr+Messner:2017] in their choice of $1.6^{-1}$ as a suitable power parameter for precipitation in the region of Tyrol. The same power transformation is applied to both the observed precipitation sums and the NWP outputs “total precipitation” (*tp*) and “convective available potential energy” (*cape*). Models and evaluation {#sec:evaluation} --------------------- Model Type Location ($\mu$) Scale ($\log(\sigma)$) ----------------------- -------------- ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Distributional forest recursive all all partitioning EMOS linear *tp[\_]{}mean* *tp[\_]{}sprd* Prespecified GAMLSS spline *tp[\_]{}mean*, *tp[\_]{}sprd*, in each *tp[\_]{}max*, *dswrf[\_]{}sprd[\_]{}mean*, *tp[\_]{}mean1218* $\ast$ *tp[\_]{}sprd1218* $\ast$ *cape[\_]{}mean1218*, *cape[\_]{}mean1218*, *dswrf[\_]{}mean[\_]{}mean*, *tcolc[\_]{}sprd[\_]{}mean*, *tcolc[\_]{}mean[\_]{}mean*, *tdiff500850[\_]{}mean* *pwat[\_]{}mean[\_]{}mean*, *tdiff500850[\_]{}mean*, *msl[\_]{}diff* Boosted GAMLSS spline all all in each : Overview of models with type of covariate dependency and included covariates for each distribution parameter. *A* $\ast$ *B* indicates an interaction between covariate *A* and *B*.[]{data-label="tab:models"} The following zero-censored Gaussian regression models are employed in the empirical case study, see Table \[tab:models\] for further details: - *Distributional forest:* All 80 predictor variables are considered for learning a forest of 100 trees. Subsampling is employed for each tree using a third of the predictors in each split of the tree (argument in our implementation , with more “computational details” provided at the end of the manuscript). Parameters are estimated by adaptive local likelihood based on the forest weights as described in Section \[sec:methods\]. The stopping criteria are the minimal number of observations to perform a split (`minsplit` $= 50$), the minimal number of observations in a segment (`minbucket` $= 20$), and the significance level for variable selection (`alpha` $= 1$). The latter means that no early stopping (or “pre-pruning”) is applied based on results of the statistical tests. - *EMOS:* The basic ensemble model output statistics models use the ensemble mean of total precipitation as regressor in the location submodel and the corresponding ensemble standard deviation in the scale submodel. The parameters are estimated by maximum likelihood, using an identity link for the location part and a log link for the scale part [following the advice of @Gebetsberger+Messner+Mayr:2017]. - *Prespecified GAMLSS:* Smooth additive splines are selected for the most relevant predictors based on meteorological expert knowledge following [@Stauffer+Umlauf+Messner:2017]. More specifically, based on the 80 available variables, eight terms are included in the location submodel and five in the scale submodel. Both involve an interaction of *tp* and *cape* in the afternoon (between 1200UTC and 1800UTC) to capture the potential for thunderstorms that frequently occur in summer afternoons in the Alps. The model is estimated by maximum penalized likelihood using a backfitting algorithm [@Stasinopoulos+Rigby:2007]. - *Boosted GAMLSS:* Smooth additive splines are selected automatically from all 80 available variables, using non-cyclic boosting for parameter estimation [@Hofner+Mayr+Schmid:2016; @Messner+Mayr+Zeileis:2017]. This updates the predictor terms for the location or scale submodels iteratively by maximizing the log-likelihood only for the variable yielding the biggest improvement. The iteration stops early – before fully maximizing the in-sample likelihood – based on a (computationally intensive) out-of-bag bootstrap estimate of the log-likelihood. The grid considered for the number of boosting iterations () is: $50, 75, \dots, 975, 1000$. The predictive performance in terms of full probabilistic forecasts is assessed using the continuous ranked probability score (CRPS, [@Hersbach:2000]). For each of the models this assesses the discrepancy of the predicted distribution function $F$ from the observation $y$ by $$\text{CRPS}(y, F) = \int_{-\infty}^\infty (F(z) - \mathbf{1}(y \leq z))^2 dz$$ where $\mathbf{1}(\cdot)$ is the indicator function. In the subsequent applications, the mean CRPS is always evaluated out of sample, either using cross-validation or a hold-out data set (2009–2012) that was not used for learning (1985–2008). CRPS is a proper scoring rule [@Gneiting+Raftery:2007] often used within the meteorological community. Lower values indicate better performance. To assess differences in the improvement of the forests and GAMLSS models over the basic EMOS, a CRPS-based skill score with EMOS as the reference method is computed: $$\text{CRPSS}_{\text{method}} = 1 - \frac{\text{CRPS}_{\text{method}}}{\text{CRPS}_{\text{EMOS}}}.$$ Application for one station {#sec:axams} --------------------------- ![\[fig:axams-qq\] Out-of-sample residual QQ plots (2009–2012) for station Axams based on models learned on data from 1985–2008.](draft-rain_axams_qqr_oosample) In a first step, we show a detailed comparison of the competing models for one observation site, Axams in Tyrol (in the center of the study area, see Figure \[fig:all-map\]). As for all other stations, daily precipitation observations and numerical weather predictions are available for the month of July from 1985 through 2012. In Figure \[fig:axams-dist\] in the introduction the probabilistic forecasts from the distributional forest, trained on 1985–2008, for July 24 in 2009–2012 have already been shown as a motivational example. In particular, the figure depicts the forecasted point mass at zero (i.e., the probability of a dry day) along with the forecasted probability density function for the total amount of precipitation. Based on this illustration it can be observed that the four sample forecasts differ considerably in location $\mu$, scale $\sigma$, and the amount of censoring while conforming quite well with the actual observations from these days. While this is a nice illustrative example we are interested in the overall predictive performance and calibration of the distributional fits. More details of this assessment as well as an application to 14 further meteorological stations is provided in Supplement B [@Schlosser+Hothorn+Stauffer:2019b]. To assess calibration, Figure \[fig:axams-qq\] shows residual QQ plots for out-of-sample predictions (2009–2012) from the different models trained on 1985–2008. Due to the point masses at zero 100 draws from the randomized quantile residuals [@Dunn+Smyth:1996] are plotted in semi-transparent gray. Overall, the randomized quantile residuals conform quite well with the theoretical standard normal quantile (i.e., form a straight line close to the diagonal), indicating that all four models are sufficiently well calibrated. This is also supported by the corresponding probability integral transform (PIT, [@Gneiting+Balabdaoui+Raftery:2007]) histograms for station Axams in Supplement B [@Schlosser+Hothorn+Stauffer:2019b] which contains a more detailed explanation of residual QQ plots and PIT histograms. ![\[fig:axams-crps\]CRPS skill score from the 10 times 7-fold cross-validation at station Axams (1985–2012). The horizontal orange line pertains to the reference model EMOS.](draft-rain_cross_axams_crps_skill_score) ![\[fig:axams-varimp\] CRPS-based variable importance for the top 10 covariates in the distributional forest. Based on data for station Axams, learning period 1985–2008 and assessed in 2009–2012.](draft-rain_axams_varim) To assess the predictive performance, a full cross-validation is carried out rather than relying on just the one fixed test set for the years 2009–2012. To do so, a 10 times 7-fold cross-validation is carried out where each repetition splits the available 28 years into 7 subsets of 4 randomly-selected (and thus not necessarily consecutive) years. The models are learned on 6 folds (= 24 years) and evaluated on the 7-th fold (= 4 years) using the average CRPS across all observations. The resulting 10 CRPS skill scores are displayed by boxplots in Figure \[fig:axams-crps\] using EMOS as the reference model (horizontal line at a CRPSS of 0). Both GAMLSS models and the distributional forest perform distinctly better than the EMOS model. While the two GAMLSS lead to an improvement of around 4 percent, the distributional forest has a slightly higher improvement of around 5.5 percent in median. Finally, it is of interest how this improvement in predictive performance by the distributional forest is accomplished, i.e., which of the 80 covariates are selected in the trees of the forest. As the 100 trees of the forest do not allow to simply assess the variables’ role graphically, a common solution for random forests in general is to consider variable importance measures. Here, this is defined as the amount of change in CRPS when the association between one covariate and the response variable is artificially broken through permutation (and thus also breaking the association to the remaining covariates). Figure \[fig:axams-varimp\] shows the 10 covariates with the highest permutation importance (i.e., change in CRPS) for station Axams. As expected the NWP outputs for total precipitation (*tp*) are particularly important along with total column-integrated condensate (*tcolc*). Also, both variables occur in various transformations such as means (either of the full day or certain parts of the afternoon), spreads, or minima/maxima. Thus, while the covariates themselves are not surprising, selecting a GAMLSS with a particular combination of all the transformations would be much more challenging. Application for all stations {#sec:all} ---------------------------- ![\[fig:all-crps\]CRPS skill score for each station (gray lines with boxplots superimposed). Station Axams is highlighted in green and the horizontal orange line pertains to the reference model EMOS. The models are learned on 1985–2008 and validated for 2009–2012.](draft-rain_all_crps_skill_score) ![\[fig:all-map\]Map of Tyrol coding the best-performing model for each station (type of symbol) when learned on 1985–2008 and validated for 2009–2012. The color codes whether the distributional forest had higher (green) or lower (red) CRPS compared to the best of the other three models. The gray background shows the local topography [@Robinson:2014]. Station Axams is highlighted in bold.](draft-map) After considering only one observational site up to now, a second step evaluates and compares the competing methods on all 95 available stations. As in the previous section, all models are learned on the first 24 years and evaluated by the average CRPS on the last 4 years. More specifically, the CRPS skill score against the EMOS model is computed for the out-of-sample predictions at each station and visualized by parallel coordinates plots with boxplots superimposed in Figure \[fig:all-crps\]. Overall, distributional forests have a slightly higher improvement in CRPSS compared to the two GAMLSS which is best seen by looking at the boxplots and the green line representing the results for station Axams. The underlying parallel coordinates additionally bring out that the prespecified GAMLSS sometimes performs rather differently (sometimes better, sometimes worse) compared to the two data-driven models. Values below zero show that, for some stations, EMOS performs better than the more complex statistical methods. To assess whether these differences in predictive performance are due to differences in the topography, Figure \[fig:all-map\] shows a brief spatial summary of all stations. Each station is illustrated by a symbol that conveys which model performed best in terms of CRPS on the last 4 years of the data. Additionally, the color of the symbol indicates the CRPS difference between distributional forest and the best-performing other model. Green signals that the distributional forest performs better than the other models whereas red signals that another model performs better. Overall the distributional forest performs on par (gray) or better (green) for the majority of stations. Only for a few stations in the north-east EMOS performs best, and in East Tyrol the prespecified GAMLSS performs particularly well in the validation period (2009–2012). Partially, this can be attributed to random variation as the differences at several stations are mitigated when considering a full cross-validation rather than a single split into learning and validation period [see Supplement B, @Schlosser+Hothorn+Stauffer:2019b and the corresponding discussion in the next section]. Further differences are possibly due to East Tyrol lying in a different climate zone, south of the main Alpine Ridge. Hence, long-term climatological characteristics as well as the precipitation patterns in 2009–2012 differ from North Tyrol, conforming particularly well with the additive effects from the prespecified GAMLSS. Discussion {#sec:discussion} ========== Distributional regression modeling is combined with tree-based modeling to obtain a novel and flexible method for probabilistic forecasting. The resulting distributional trees and forests can capture abrupt and nonlinear effects and interactions in a data-driven way. By basing the split point and split variable selection on a full likelihood and corresponding score function, the trees and forests can not only pick up changes in the location but also the scale or shape of any distributional family. Distributional forests are an attractive alternative when prespecifying or boosting all possible effects and interactions in a GAMLSS model is challenging. Distributional forests are rather straightforward to specify requiring only little prior subject matter knowledge and also work well in the presence of many potential covariates. The application to precipitation forecasting in complex terrain illustrates that distributional forests often perform on par or even better than their GAMLSS counterparts. Hence, they form a useful addition to the already available toolbox of probabilistic forecasts for disciplines such as meteorology. ### Variable selection {#variable-selection .unnumbered} Generally, there are many possibilities how to specify the variables that are to be included in a distributional regression model. Especially for a low number of covariates, the GAMLSS approach offers a powerful framework in which penalized estimation of both smooth main effects and corresponding interaction surfaces yields models that often balance good predictive performance with high interpretability (see for example [@Wood+Scheipl+Faraway:2013]; [@Goicoa+Adin+Ugarte:2018]; [@Ugarte+Adin+Goicoa:2017]). However, if the number of covariates is high, including all (or many) main effects and interactions in a GAMLSS typically becomes challenging both in terms of interpretability and computational complexity/stability [see also @Hofner+Mayr+Schmid:2016]. In the precipitation forecasting application, as presented in Section \[sec:precipitation\], 80 covariates are considered which corresponds to 3160 potential pairwise interactions (and even more higher-order interactions). Therefore, only main effects are considered for the boosted GAMLSS while the prespecified GAMLSS also includes selected interactions chosen based on meteorological expert knowledge. In contrast, the distributional forest requires no prespecification as covariates and corresponding interactions are selected automatically. Thus, distributional forests are an appealing alternative to (boosted) GAMLSS in weather forecasting tasks as the main concern is typically not so much interpretability but forecasting skill and (semi-)automatic application on a larger domain [see also the discussion in @Rasp+Lerch:2018]. ### Distributional specifications for precipitation modeling {#distributional-specifications-for-precipitation-modeling .unnumbered} Choosing an adequate distributional family is an important step for establishing a well-fitting model. A zero-censored Gaussian distribution is employed in this manuscript as this has been found to be an appropriate choice for precipitation modeling in earlier literature [e.g., @Stauffer+Mayr+Messner:2017]. To test for robustness against distributional misspecification, two alternative distributional specifications have been considered in Supplement A [@Schlosser+Hothorn+Stauffer:2019a]: Using the same evaluations as in Section \[sec:all\], all models are additionally fitted for 15 meteorological stations using a zero-censored logistic distribution in order to account for heavier tails and a two-part Gaussian hurdle model combining a binary model for zero vs. positive precipitation and a separate Gaussian model, truncated at zero, for the positive precipitation observations. Both specifications yield qualitatively similar results as for the zero-censored Gaussian distribution. For some stations the two-part hurdle model leads to small improvements, however at the expense of increased variability across stations (especially for EMOS and the boosted GAMLSS). Overall, the results from this manuscript are quite robust across these distributional specifications, especially for the distributional forests. Moreover, one could consider a distribution including an additional parameter for capturing skewness [as in @Scheuerer+Hamill:2015; @Baran+Nemoda:2016]. However, this would go beyond the mean/variance specification of the NGR that is widely used in ensemble post-processing. Therefore, this contribution investigates the effects of using the same distributional family with a novel strategy for specifying dependence on covariates. ### More general distributional specifications {#more-general-distributional-specifications .unnumbered} Beyond the task of modeling precipitation it is of interest how well distributional forests perform in combination with other more general distributional specifications. It has been shown previously in the literature that using a score- or gradient-based selection of splitting variables outperforms a mean-based selection with subsequent flexible distributional modeling: For example, both @Athey+Tibshirani+Wager:2019 [Figure 2] and @Hothorn+Zeileis:2017 [Figure 1] demonstrated (independently) that their respective score-based random forest algorithms outperform the mean-based quantile regression forests of [@Meinshausen:2006] in a setup where only the variance of a normal response variable changes across the considered covariates. However, if all distribution parameters are closely correlated with the distribution mean the forests with different splitting strategies all perform similarly, provided a sufficiently flexible distribution is employed for the final predictions [see @Hothorn+Zeileis:2017 Section 7]. Similarly, the score-based distributional forests introduced in this manuscript proved to be quite robust to the different distributional specifications considered. While all specifications focus on capturing mean-variance effects note that these parameters are never fully orthogonal but can actually become quite closely correlated due to the censoring (or truncation and/or zero-inflation considered in Supplement A [@Schlosser+Hothorn+Stauffer:2019a]). However, exploring extensions to more flexible parametric distributions [e.g., such as the Dagum distribution considered by @Klein+Kneib+Lang:2015 in GAMLSS-type models] as well as transformation model specifications [e.g., as in @Hothorn+Zeileis:2017] are of interest for future research. ### Axams vs. other meteorological stations {#axams-vs.other-meteorological-stations .unnumbered} Axams was chosen as the meteorological station for the more extensive evaluations in Section \[sec:axams\] as it yields fairly typical results and is geographically in the center of the study area and closest to Innsbruck, the capital of Tyrol and the work place of three of the authors. To show that qualitatively similar results are obtained for other meteorological stations, Supplement B [@Schlosser+Hothorn+Stauffer:2019b] carries out the same evaluation for 14 further stations. These cover a wide range of geographical locations/altitudes and a mix of different best-performing models in the single-split setting reported in Section \[sec:all\]. The supplement shows that some of the differences in forecast skill from Figure \[fig:all-map\] even out in the cross-validation with distributional forests typically performing at least as well as the best of the other models at most stations. In particular, this also includes three stations in East Tyrol where the prespecified GAMLSS performs best in the single-split setting (learning based on 1985–2008 and validation for 2009–2012). ### Tuning parameters {#tuning-parameters .unnumbered} Selecting tuning parameters for flexible regression models is important not only in terms of predictive accuracy but also computational complexity. For the application in Section \[sec:precipitation\] tuning parameters are selected based on advice from the literature as well as our own experiences. As [@Hastie+Tibshirani+Friedman:2001] and [@Breiman:2001] recommend to build full-grown trees, early stopping upon non-significance is disabled (`alpha` $= 1$) and low values are used for `minsplit` ($ = 50$) and `minbucket` ($ = 20$), while assuring that `minsplit` is sufficiently large for reasonably obtaining MLEs of all parameters in each segment of the tree. Applying the Law of Large Numbers it can be shown that random forests do not overfit as the number of trees increases [@Breiman:2001; @Hastie+Tibshirani+Friedman:2001; @Biau+Scornet:2016]. Therefore, in principle, forests can be built with a very large number of trees (`ntree`) as this cannot deteriorate the predictions. However, “\[…\] the computational cost for inducing a forest increases linearly with the number of trees, so a good choice results from a trade-off between computational complexity and accuracy” [@Biau+Scornet:2016 p. 205]. Following this advice, we decided to build forests consisting of 100 trees. ### Computational difficulties {#computational-difficulties .unnumbered} As stated by [@Hofner+Mayr+Schmid:2016] the AIC-based variable selection methods implemented in the package **gamlss** “\[...\] can be unstable, especially when it comes to selecting possibly different sets of variables for multiple distribution parameters.” We have noticed computational problems when applying **gamlss** in certain settings within the cross-validation framework as it did not succeed in fitting the model. In these cases the prespecified GAMLSS was not taken into consideration in the comparison of all applied models. Computational details {#computational-details .unnumbered} ===================== The proposed methods are in the package **disttree** (version 0.1.0) based on the **partykit** package (version 1.2.3), both available on -Forge at (<https://R-Forge.R-project.org/projects/partykit/>). The function learns the distributional forests proposed in this manuscript by combining the general function from **partykit** with the function for fitting distributional models by maximum likelihood. Analogously, can learn a single distributional tree by combining with . All functions can either be used with GAMLSS family objects from the package **gamlss.dist** ([@Stasinopoulos+Rigby:2007], version 5.0.6) or with custom lists containing all required information about the distribution family. In addition to **disttree**, Section \[sec:precipitation\] employs package **crch** [@Messner+Mayr+Zeileis:2016 version 1.0.1] for the EMOS models, **gamlss** [@Stasinopoulos+Rigby:2007 version 5.1.0] for the prespecified GAMLSS, and **gamboostLSS** [@Hofner+Mayr+Schmid:2016 version 2.0.1] for the boosted GAMLSS. The fitted distributional forest for July 24 and observation station Axams (including Figure \[fig:axams-dist\]) is reproducible using . This also includes fitting the other zero-censored Gaussian models considered in this paper and generating the corresponding QQ plots (Figure \[fig:axams-qq\]) and PIT histograms [@Schlosser+Hothorn+Stauffer:2019b Supplement B]. Full replication of all results can be obtained with requiring the companion package **RainTyrol** (version 0.1.0), also available within the -Forge project. The results presented in Supplement A [@Schlosser+Hothorn+Stauffer:2019a] and Supplement B [@Schlosser+Hothorn+Stauffer:2019b] can be reproduced using and , respectively. Appendix {#appendix .unnumbered} ======== Tree algorithm {#app:tree} ============== In the following, the tree algorithm applied in the empirical case study discussed in this paper is explained. For notational simplicity, the testing and splitting procedure is described for the root node, i.e., the entire learning sample with observations $\{y_i\}_{i = 1,\ldots,n}$, $n \in \mathbb{N}$. In each child node the corresponding subsample depends on the foregoing split(s). After fitting a distributional model $\mathcal{D}(Y, \bm{\theta})$ to the learning sample with observations $\{y_i\}_{i = 1,\ldots,n}$ as explained in Section \[sec:distfit\] the resulting estimated parameter $\bm{\hat{\theta}} = (\hat{\theta}_1, \ldots, \hat{\theta}_k)$, $k \in \mathbb{N}$ can be plugged in the score function $s(\bm{\theta}, Y)$. In that way a goodness-of-fit measurement is obtained for each parameter $\theta_j$ and each observation $y_i$. To use this information, statistical tests are employed to detect dependencies between the score values $$s(\bm{\hat{\theta}}, y) = \begin{pmatrix} s(\bm{\hat{\theta}}, y_1)_1 & s(\bm{\hat{\theta}}, y_1)_2 & \ldots & s(\bm{\hat{\theta}}, y_1)_k\\ \vdots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\ s(\bm{\hat{\theta}}, y_n)_1 & s(\bm{\hat{\theta}}, y_n)_2 & \ldots & s(\bm{\hat{\theta}}, y_n)_k \end{pmatrix}$$ and each variable $Z_l \in \{Z_1, \ldots, Z_m\}$. More formally, the following hypotheses are assessed with permutation tests: $$\begin{aligned} H_0^l: s(\bm{\hat{\theta}}, Y) \qquad \bot \qquad Z_l.\end{aligned}$$ The permutation tests are based on the multivariate linear statistic $$T_l = vec\left(\sum_{i=1}^n v_l(Z_{li}) \cdot s(\bm{\hat{\theta}}, Y_i)\right)$$ where $s(\bm{\hat{\theta}}, Y_i) \in \mathbb{R}^{1\times k}$ and the type of the transformation function $v_l$ depends on the type of the split variable $Z_l$. If $Z_l$ is numeric then $v_l$ is simply the identity function $v_l(Z_{li}) = Z_{li}$ and therefore $T_l \in \mathbb{R}^k$ as the “vec” operator converts the $1 \times k$ matrix into a $k$ column vector. If $Z_l$ is a categorical variable with $H$ categories then $v_l(Z_{li}) = ({\mathbf{I}}(Z_{li} = 1), \ldots, {\mathbf{I}}(Z_{li} = H))$ such that $v_l$ is a $H$-dimensional unit vector where the element corresponding to the value of $Z_{li}$ is $1$. In this case the statistic $T_l \in \mathbb{R}^{H \cdot k}$ as the “vec” operator converts the $H \times k$ matrix into a $H \cdot k$ column vector by column-wise combination. Observations with missing values are excluded from the sums. With the conditional expectation $\mu_l$ and the covariance $\Sigma_l$ of $T_l$ as derived by [@Strasser+Weber:1999] the test statistic can be standardized. The observed multivariate linear statistic $t_l$ which is either a $k$- or $k \cdot H$-dimensional vector, depending on the scale of $Z_l$, is mapped onto the real line by a univariate test statistic $c$. In the application of this paper a quadratic form is chosen, such that $$c_{\text{quad}}(t_l,\mu_l,\Sigma_l) = (t_l-\mu_l)\Sigma_l^+(t_l-\mu_l)^{\top}$$ where $\Sigma_l^+$ is the Moore-Penrose inverse of $\Sigma_l$. Alternatively, the maximum of the absolute values of the standardized linear statistic can be considered ($c_{\text{max}}$). [@Strasser+Weber:1999] showed that the asymptotic conditional distribution of the linear statistic $t_l$ is a multivariate normal with parameters $\mu$ and $\Sigma$. Hence, the asymptotic conditional distribution of $c(t_{l},\mu_{l},\Sigma_{l})$ is either normal (for $c_{\text{max}}$) or $\chi^2$ (for $c_{\text{quad}}$). The smaller the $p$-value corresponding to the standardized test statistic $c(t_{l},\mu_{l},\Sigma_{l})$ is the stronger the discrepancy from the assumption of independence between the scores and the split variable $Z_l$. After Bonferroni-adjusting the $p$-values it has to be assessed whether any of the resulting $p$-values is beneath the selected significance level. If so, the partitioning variable $Z_{l^\ast}$ with the lowest $p$-value is chosen as splitting variable. Otherwise no further split is made in this node as the stopping criterion of no $p$-values being below the significance level is fulfilled. This type of early-stopping in building a tree is sometimes also referred to as “pre-pruning”. For random forests pre-pruning is often switched off by setting the significance level to $1$. The breakpoint that leads to the highest discrepancy between score functions in the two resulting subgroups is selected as split point. This is measured by the linear statistic $$T_{l^{\ast}}^{qr} = \sum_{i \in \mathcal{B}_{qr}} s(\bm{\hat{\theta}}, Y_i)$$ for $q \in \{1,2\}$ where $\mathcal{B}_{1r}$ and $\mathcal{B}_{2r}$ are the two new subgroups, without any particular ordering, that are defined by splitting in split point $r$ of variable $Z_{l^{\ast}}$. The split point is then chosen as follows: $$r^{\ast} = {\operatorname{argmin}\displaylimits}_{r} (\min_{q=1,2}(c(t_{l^{\ast}}^{qr},\mu_{l^{\ast}}^{qr},\Sigma_{l^{\ast}}^{qr})).$$ One repeats the testing and splitting procedure in each of the resulting subgroups until some stopping criterion is reached. This criterion can for example be a minimal number of observations in a node or a minimal $p$-value for the statistical tests. In that way pre-pruning is applied in order to find right-sized trees and hence avoid overfitting. This permutation-test-based tree algorithm is presented in [@Hothorn+Hornik+Zeileis:2006] as the CTree algorithm. A different framework to build a likelihood-based tree is provided by the MOB algorithm which is based on M-fluctuation tests ([@Zeileis+Hothorn+Hornik:2008]). Acknowledgments {#acknowledgments .unnumbered} =============== An extended research stay of Torsten Hothorn in Innsbruck (August 2017 to January 2018) was financially supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation, grant number SNF IZSEZ0 177091. Supplementary material {#supplementary-material .unnumbered} ====================== Supplement A: Different Response Distributions {#supplementa-different-response-distributions .unnumbered} ---------------------------------------------- To assess the goodness of fit of the Gaussian distribution, left-censored at zero, this supplement employs the same evaluations as in the main manuscript but based on two other distributional assumptions: A logistic distribution, left-censored at zero, is employed to potentially better capture heavy tails – and a two-part hurdle model combining a binary model for zero vs. positive precipitation and a Gaussian model, truncated at zero, for the positive precipitation observations. Supplement B: Stationwise Evaluation {#supplementb-stationwise-evaluation .unnumbered} ------------------------------------ To show that Axams is a fairly typical station and similar insights can be obtained for other stations as well, this supplement presents the same analysis as in Section \[sec:axams\] of the main manuscript for 14 further meteorological stations.
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Abnormalities of B cells and dendritic cells in SAMP1 mice. The age-related changes in the function of antigen-presenting cells (APC) were examined using a substrain of senescence-accelerated mouse (SAMP1). In the primary mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR), dendritic cells (DC) from aged SAMP1 mice showed less stimulatory activity than those of age-matched BALB/c or young SAMP1 mice. In the secondary MLR, the stimulatory activity of B cells was found to be lower in aged SAMP1 mice but not in age-matched BALB/c or young SAMP1 mice. In addition, these age-related decreases in the stimulatory activity of APC were found to be related to changes in the surface density of major histocompatibility complex class II and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) (but not B7-1 or B7-2 molecule) on APC (DC and B cells).
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1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a polynucleotide or vector for expressing short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to inhibit the expression of a target gene. The invention also relates to cells and non-human transgenic animals comprising the polynucleotide or vector and their various uses including in target drug validation and in human therapeutics. The ability to inhibit or disrupt the function of a specific gene is highly desirable both from the point of view of studying gene function and also from a therapeutic perspective. Many diseases arise from either the expression of a mutated gene or from abnormal, and in particular elevated or inappropriate, expression of a particular gene. Such mutations may be inherited, such as in the case of autosomal dominant disorders, or occur in the somatic or germ line tissues of an individual, such as in the case of cancer. The ability to modulate the expression of a mutated allele or of an inappropriately expressed wild type allele in various diseases or disorders may therefore be used to provide therapies to treat the disorders. In addition, in various infectious diseases, such as viral infection, the ability to inhibit the expression of viral genes in the host cell, or of a gene encoding a host cell protein involved in the life cycle of the virus, may also lead to possible treatments for infectious diseases. The ability to inhibit gene expression has also been used to study gene function. Techniques such as classical mutagenesis have provided great insights into gene function, but such techniques are labour intensive, expensive and may take long periods of time. Such techniques simply may not be practical in higher organisms and require a means to identify the desired mutant. They also do not offer the possibility of mutating a specific gene of choice. Although various methods for targeted gene disruption have been developed, where a gene of choice can be inhibited or disrupted, these also suffer from limitations. Techniques such as gene targeting are highly costly, expensive and time consuming often taking several years to obtain a homozygous mutant. Gene targeting also requires detailed knowledge of the structure of the gene to be disrupted. As well as gene targeting antisense technology has also been developed to try and disrupt a specific gene. However, antisense RNA is unstable and it is often difficult to achieve high enough levels of antisense RNA in cells to achieve effective inhibition of a target gene. Recently, it has been found in organisms such as C. elegans, Drosophilia melanogaster and plants that double stranded RNA molecules (dsRNA) are capable of inhibiting the expression of a target gene that they share sequence identity or homology to. The observed phenomena, sometimes referred to as post transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS), are thought to represent a possible cellular defence mechanism against viruses or transposons. Typically, in the studies carried out in these organisms the dsRNA has been introduced into cells by techniques such as microinjection or transfection and the inhibition of a target gene such as a reporter gene been measured. The mechanism by which the dsRNA exerts its inhibitory effect on the target gene has begun to be elucidated. It is thought that the dsRNA is processed into duplexes of from 21 to 25 nucleotides in length. These short duplexes have been detected in plants where PTGS is occurring as well as in extracts of D. melanogaster schenider-2 (S2) cells transfected with a dsRNA molecule. It has been found that the processing reaction of a dsRNA can be carried out in vitro using extracts from these S2 cells. This provides an in vitro model system in which both the processing, targeting and transcript cleavage mechanisms involved in gene silencing can be studied. In the S2 lysate it was observed that the target mRNA was cleaved at 21 nucleotide intervals and that synthetic 21 and 22 RNA duplexes added to the lysate were able to guide efficient sequence specific mRNA degradation. Larger duplexes of 30 bp dsRNA were found to be active. The 21 nucleotide RNA products in the system were therefore named small interfering or silencing RNAs (siRNAs). Factors from the target cell are also necessary for gene silencing. In D. melanogaster a ribonuclease III enzyme, dicer, is required for processing of the long dsRNAs into siRNA duplexes. It is thought that genes homologous to dicer exist in other organisms including mammals and humans as well as homologs or counterparts to the other host factors necessary. The initial steps in silencing involve the generation of a siRNA containing endonuclease complex. The endonuclease may be dicer or a gene homologous to dicer. The complex then specifically targets the mRNA transcript by a mechanism involving the exchange of one of the strands of the siRNA duplex with the region of sequence identity in the target transcript. Following this strand exchange, cleavage of the mRNA transcript occurs. The cleavage of the target mRNA may occur at the ends of the duplexed region so, in effect, regenerating the siRNA endonuclease complex with one of the two strands of the regenerated siRNA coming from the original siRNA molecule and the other from the target transcript. Multiple cycles of transcript mRNA cleavage and hence siRNA regeneration may mean that each initial siRNA molecule can inactivate multiple copies of the target mRNA. Once the target mRNA transcript has been cleaved, the cleavage products not in the regenerated siRNA are rapidly degraded as they either lack the stabilising cap or pol(A)tail. Although experiments investigating gene silencing in lower organisms have offered promising results it is thought that they may not be applicable to higher organisms such as mammals. It is thought that in higher organisms, such as mammals, cellular defence mechanisms operate which are triggered by dsRNA. It is believed that dsRNAs activate the interferon response which leads to a global shut-off in protein synthesis as well as non-specific mRNA degradation. This can lead to cell death and hence prevent selective gene inhibition. The presence of such defence mechanisms means that the applicability of gene silencing employing dsRNA in higher organisms has been questioned. Experiments which have claimed to have demonstrated the efficacy of dsRNA in inhibiting the expression of a target gene in higher organisms have either been in non-mammalian systems, such as zebra fish or chicks, or alternatively in mammalian systems such as early embryos where the viral defence mechanisms are not thought to operate. Preliminary experiments transfecting and/or microinjecting synthetic siRNAs, rather than longer dsRNA molecules which can be processed to give rise to a siRNA, have led to speculation that it might be possible to overcome the problems of the viral defence mechanisms in higher organisms. It may be that there is a threshold for the length of dsRNA necessary to activate the cell's defence mechanisms. The size of the synthetic siRNAs, and in particular the double stranded regions in them, introduced into the target cell may be small enough that they are below this threshold and hence do not activate the defence mechanisms.
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VIENNA, January 27, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – An Austrian think tank and non-governmental organization is warning that freedom of religious expression is “at risk” in Europe from secularist intolerance on the left. While Islamic extremists continue assaults on Christian communities in Egypt, Iraq, Pakistan and around the Middle East and Asia, restrictions on public expressions of religious belief by Christians are growing in Western Europe, the cradle of Christendom. “You cannot compare injustices here with the situation in, for example, North Korea, India or Pakistan,” observed Gudrun Kugler, a lawyer and director of the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe. “The Christians who are there in spite of fierce persecution are our great models.” Nevertheless, in Europe Christianity is hated because it is “the last obstacle to a new vision of secularity which is so politically correct that it verges on totalitarianism,” she said. “Christians are increasingly marginalized and are appearing more often in courts over matters related to faith. So I think that we are heading for a bloodless persecution.” Her concerns were echoed by Dr. Massimo Introvigne, of the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe, an Italian sociologist of religion, who said this week that European Christians are not being “oversensitive.” Discrimination against Christians in Europe, he said, “is more subtle” than in countries where they are outright persecuted, but it is real. “Ironically, one of the most important analysis of this situation is included in a speech which was never delivered, although its text was subsequently released,” said Introvigne. “Benedict XVI prepared a discourse for a visit to La Sapienza University in Rome on January 17, 2008, where he planned to discuss marginalization of Christians in the Western public discourse.” That papal address, however, was cancelled after protests by a small number of students and faculty against the pope’s alleged “homophobia.” “The incident, of course, confirmed more than anything the Pope may have said that a problem of intolerance against Christians does indeed exist in the West.” The Observatory monitors and systematically documents incidents of intolerance and discrimination against Christians and Christianity throughout Europe. It has produced a report chronicling incidents of anti-Christian discrimination in Europe’s institutions between 2005 and 2010. Kugler told MercatorNet, “In private you can pray and think as you like – but in the public square there are ever more restrictions. Jews and Muslims experience intolerance and discrimination. But so do Christians, even if they constitute a nominal majority here.” “We have received many reports of the removal of Christian symbols, distorted, stereotyped and negative representations of Christians in the media, and social problems which are faced by Christians, such as being ridiculed or disadvantaged in places of work.” In general, the Observatory’s report reveals that the main faultline in Europe is the clash between the new “equalities” laws that have been put in place at the prompting of the homosexualist and radical feminist political lobbies, and Europe’s still at least nominally Christian population. This has been helped by an institutionally anti-Christian media, she said. “I have the impression that journalists and policy-makers are often more anti-Christian than their fellow citizens. But they shape the mood of the country. What we observe is that Christians are increasingly being described as ‘homophobic,’ sexist, intolerant and unworldly.” Asked what Christians can do, Gudrun Kugler said, “Speak up.” “Many European Christians don’t realise that defending their beliefs is a way of speaking up for the weak, the disadvantaged and the defenceless.” It is an “act of Christian charity to insist on one’s democratic rights,” she added. “We have to seek inspiration from brothers and sisters of ours who bravely face violent forms of persecution, instead of quietly backing down.”
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Q: App state. Screen locked or Background mode My app is constantly polling a web server. In the interest of reducing the data usage for the user and to reduce the load on my server I would likely to check when the app has the screen locked and when the app is in background mode so I can stop the unnecessary web traffic. Is there a handy method for check the state of the app? Many Thanks -Code A: How about UIApplication's applicationState property? Its return value is an enum: typedef enum { UIApplicationStateActive, UIApplicationStateInactive, UIApplicationStateBackground } UIApplicationState; And, being a singleton, you can access it from anywhere via the +sharedApplication class method.
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Tremors Video Game Tremors video game may refer to: Tremors: The Game (2002-2003) Cancelled game that was going to be designed by Rock Solid Studios. Dirt Dragons (2004) Based on the film Tremors 4: The Legend Begins. Category:Tremors (franchise)
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1988 Delphi survey of nursing research priorities for New York State. In order to inform decisions about nursing research and health care policy, the Council on Nursing Research of the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) conducted a Delphi survey to identify the priorities for nursing research in New York state. The Delphi technique is a method of eliciting judgements from experts for the purpose of short-term forecasting and planning. The survey was conducted by mail in three rounds during 1988. Round I required participants to identify three primary research priorities for the nursing profession. In Round II participants ranked the 37 most frequently identified categories from Round I. The highest 16 categories from Round II were ranked by participants in Round III to provide the final 10 nursing research priority categories for New York state. All members of the New York State Nurses Association holding a minimum of a master's degree in nursing were invited to participate. The response rates were: Round I, 34% (N = 872); Round II, 38% (N = 985); Round III 37% (N = 974). Of the 10 nursing research priority categories identified in the final round, 5 relate to nurses, 2 relate to nursing, and 3 relate to clients. None of the high-risk conditions or populations with whom nurses work appear in the top 10, and only 2 of these are ranked in the top 15 priority categories. These priority categories will be used by the NYSNA Council on Nursing Research to influence its future agenda and activities. They can be used by the nursing profession and others for planning, policy making, and establishing nursing research funding priorities.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Introduction {#s1} ============ Healthy adult livers regenerate efficiently after partial hepatectomy (PH). To reconstruct functional hepatic tissue, regeneration requires replacement of all cell types that were lost with the resected liver lobes. Replacement of mature hepatocytes and cholangiocytes is believed to be accomplished by replication of those cell types in the remaining liver. Mechanisms that replenish other cell populations, including progenitors, are unclear.[@pone.0083987-Michalopoulos1] Progenitors in healthy adult livers localize along canals of Herring (COH), vestiges of the fetal ductal plate that persist around adult liver portal tracts.[@pone.0083987-Kuwahara1] The COH-associated progenitor population of adult livers includes bipotent progenitors that are capable of differentiating along either the hepatocytic or biliary lineages depending on the demand for replacing the respective mature cell types.[@pone.0083987-Huch1] This progenitor population expands during chronic liver injury, presumably to keep pace with chronically increased turnover rates of mature liver epithelial cells.[@pone.0083987-Huch1] 70% of the portal tracts and associated COH are abruptly lost during PH. Thus, PH provides an enormous stimulus to regenerate the hepatic stem/progenitor compartment. Little is known about this process. Bipotent liver epithelial progenitors express Fn14, a TNF-superfamily receptor for TWEAK (TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis).[@pone.0083987-Jakubowski1], [@pone.0083987-Affo1] TWEAK is a cytokine that is produced by tissue macrophages and other cells during many types of injury.[@pone.0083987-Jakubowski1], [@pone.0083987-Bird1] TWEAK-Fn14 interactions promote the growth of Fn14(+) progenitors because knocking down Fn14 or neutralizing TWEAK in mice blocks the expansion of progenitor populations during chronic liver injuries that typically mobilize such cells, while TWEAK treatment promotes the expansion of progenitor populations.[@pone.0083987-Jakubowski1], [@pone.0083987-TirnitzParker1], [@pone.0083987-Kuramitsu1] The importance of TWEAK/Fn14 signaling in regulating liver progenitor populations was further substantiated by a recent report that bone marrow transplantation generated TWEAK-producing macrophages which stimulated outgrowth of liver progenitors.[@pone.0083987-Bird1] Hepatic expression of Fn14 mRNAs increases more than 50 fold within a few hours after PH.[@pone.0083987-Ochoa1], [@pone.0083987-Feng1] The significance of this dramatic induction of Fn14 after PH is uncertain. Herein we evaluate the hypothesis that TWEAK-Fn14 signaling helps to replenish liver progenitor populations in regenerating livers after PH. Various approaches were used to quantify and localize changes in Fn14 expression following PH in healthy adult WT mice, and to map the timing of the Fn14 response to changes in other progenitor markers, proliferative activity in mature liver epithelial cells, recovery of liver mass, and overall survival. Results in WT mice were then compared to these same outcome measures in mice with targeted deletion of Fn14 or TWEAK, and WT mice that were treated with neutralizing anti-TWEAK antibodies. The findings confirm the hypothesis about TWEAK/Fn14 and reconstitution of hepatic progenitor pools, but also reveal that TWEAK/Fn14 signaling is required for otherwise healthy adults to regenerate mature liver epithelial cells, recover healthy liver mass, and survive following acute PH. Materials and Methods {#s2} ===================== Reagents {#s2a} -------- Chemicals were obtained from Sigma-Aldrich Corporation (St. Louis, MO) unless stated otherwise. Animal Experiments {#s2b} ------------------ In total, more than 200 mice were used in these studies. C57BL/6 wild type mice (WT, n = 80), Fn14 knockout (Fn14 KO) mice (n = 60), TWEAK knockout (TWEAK KO) mice (n = 10), and their respective littermate controls (n = 16), were maintained in animal facilities at Duke University. Both KO mice strains were generously provided by Biogen Idec Inc. (Cambridge, MA).[@pone.0083987-Jakubowski1], [@pone.0083987-Campbell1] Animal surgery and care were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee as governed by the National Institute of Health\'s "Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals", Duke University Animal Welfare Assurance Number A3195-01. Animals were sacrificed under general anesthesia and all efforts were made to minimize suffering during surgery. 8 to 10 week old male mice were subjected to 70% partial hepatectomy (PH) according to the method Higgins and Anderson as previously reported.[@pone.0083987-Ochoa1] A minimum of 4 mice/group/time point were sacrificed at 12 hours (Fn14 KO mice and controls only), and 24 and 48 hours (all groups) after PH. Depending on availability of knockout mice, studies were repeated to increase sample size. Hence, at least 10 mice/group were sacrificed at the 12, 24 and 48 hour time points. More detailed list of experimental group division was provided in **[Table S1](#pone.0083987.s005){ref-type="supplementary-material"}**. In some studies, C57BL6 WT mice were injected i.p. with anti-TWEAK antibodies (200 µg/mouse, clone P2D10, Biogen Idec) or a comparable volume of control IgG immediately before PH and daily thereafter. To evaluate treatment effects on proliferative activity, all mice were routinely administered bromo-deoxyuridine (BrdU) intraperitoneally (50 µg/g body weight) 2 hours before sacrifice. Animals were weighed before PH and before sacrifice. Collected liver samples removed at the time of initial PH (0 hour time point) and regenerating liver samples that were harvested at 12, 24, or 48 hours post-PH were weighed and snap frozen in liquid nitrogen or formalin fixed for further analysis. Immunohistochemistry and BrdU Labelling {#s2c} --------------------------------------- Immunohistochemistry was performed as previously described.[@pone.0083987-SwiderskaSyn1] Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded liver tissues were cut into 5 µm thick sections and placed on glass slides. Sections were de-parafinized with xylene and dehydrated with ethanol, then incubated for 10 min in 3% hydrogen peroxide to block endogenous peroxidase. Antigen retrieval was performed by heating in 10 mM sodium citrate buffer (pH 6.0) for 10 min or incubation with pepsin (00-3009; Invitrogen) for 5 min. Sections were blocked in Dako protein block (X9090; Dako) for 15 min and incubated with primary antibodies at 4°C overnight. Primary antibodies used were: keratin19 (Troma III, 1∶400; Hydroma Bank), AFP (A0008, 1∶400; Dako), Fn14 (314102, Biolegend), LGR5 (TA301323, Origene) HRP-conjugated anti-rabbit (K4003; Dako) secondary antibodies were used to visualize target proteins. DAB reagent (K3466; Dako) was applied in the detection procedure. Ki67 and BrdU staining were quantified by counting the numbers of hepatocytes and ductular cells with stained nuclei in ten randomly chosen 20X fields/section/mouse. mRNA Quantification by Real Time RT-PCR {#s2d} --------------------------------------- Total RNA was isolated using commercial reagents (TRIzol Reagents, Invitrogen). RNA concentration and purity was determined with NanoDrop ND-1000 Spectrophotometer (NanoDrop Technologies, Palo Alto, CA) and samples with a 260/280 nm absorbance ratio of \>1.8 were used in subsequent analyses. mRNAs were quantified by QRT-PCR using 25 ng of cDNA, as described.[@pone.0083987-Michelotti1] All samples were analyzed in duplicate. Gene expression levels were normalized to the reference gene S9, and fold change was calculated by the 2^−ΔΔCt^ method. Sequences of primers are listed in the **[Table S2](#pone.0083987.s006){ref-type="supplementary-material"}**. Western Blot Analysis {#s2e} --------------------- Protein extracts were prepared by homogenization of liver tissue in RIPA buffer (R0278; Sigma) and quantified by Pierce BCA kit. Proteins were visualized by western analysis using the following primary antibodies; keratin 7 (sc-70936, Santa Cruz Biotechnology), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP, A0008, Dako), Fn14 (314102, Biolegend), LGR5 (TA301323, Origene) and β-actin (sc-47778, Santa Cruz Biotechnology). Statistical Analysis {#s2f} -------------------- Results are expressed as mean ± SEM. Significance was established using the student *t*-test. P\<0.05 was considered significant. Results {#s3} ======= Partial Hepatectomy Triggers Hepatic Accumulation of Fn14(+) Cells in WT Mice {#s3a} ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Healthy adult wild type (WT) mice (n = 80) underwent PH. Expression of Fn14 was evaluated at various time points by qRT-PCR analysis, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry. Similar analysis was done in mice that were genetically-deficient in Fn14 (Fn14KO) (n = 60). Consistent with earlier reports,[@pone.0083987-Ochoa1], [@pone.0083987-Feng1] we found that Fn14 mRNA levels were barely detectable at baseline but increased around 50 fold following PH ([**Figure 1A**](#pone-0083987-g001){ref-type="fig"}). Transcript induction was maximal at 12 hours post-PH. Western blot analysis demonstrated a comparable induction of Fn14 protein which peaked about 12 hours later and remained 30 fold above basal levels through 48 hours post-PH ([**Figure 1B**](#pone-0083987-g001){ref-type="fig"}). Changes in whole liver content of Fn14 protein reflected a dramatic increase in Fn14-expressing cells ([**Figure 1C**](#pone-0083987-g001){ref-type="fig"} **and [Figure S1](#pone.0083987.s001){ref-type="supplementary-material"}**). These cells emerged around portal tracts and then rapidly accumulated in other parts of the liver lobule. Interestingly, however, the morphology of these Fn14(+) cells was not typical of bipotent liver epithelial progenitors, which are generally small cells with an oval nucleus. Rather, the cells that express Fn14 following PH appear hepatocytic. Given the kinetics of the RNA and protein data ([**Figure 1A--B**](#pone-0083987-g001){ref-type="fig"}), plus the fact that neither transcripts ([**Figure 1A**](#pone-0083987-g001){ref-type="fig"}) nor immunoreactivity ([**Figure 1B--C**](#pone-0083987-g001){ref-type="fig"} **and [Figure S1](#pone.0083987.s001){ref-type="supplementary-material"}**) were demonstrated in Fn14 KO liver, immunohistochemistry evidence for Fn14 expression by hepatocytic cells appears to be valid, and consistent with another report which demonstrated Fn14 expressing hepatocytes in injured human and mouse liver.[@pone.0083987-Affo1] {#pone-0083987-g001} Post-PH growth of Fn14(+) Cells is TWEAK/Fn14-Dependent {#s3b} ------------------------------------------------------- To determine the mechanism for accumulation of these Fn14(+) hepatocytic cells, liver sections from WT mice were double-stained for Fn14 and Ki67, a proliferation marker[@pone.0083987-Scholzen1] ([**Figure 2A**](#pone-0083987-g002){ref-type="fig"}). Numbers of Fn14/Ki67-double positive cells increased rapidly after PH and were 5 fold greater than baseline by 6 hours post-PH. Proliferative activity in the Fn14(+) compartment gradually declined thereafter, reaching baseline levels by 72 hours after PH. The early peak in Fn14(+) cells preceded increased proliferative activity in Fn14-negative cells, which occurred around 48 hours after PH, the expected time frame for maximal post-PH DNA synthesis in hepatocytes.[@pone.0083987-Michalopoulos1] Interestingly, outgrowth of Fn14(+) cells occurred despite reduced hepatic expression of TWEAK mRNA, which decreased sharply during the initial 12 hours after PH and only returned to basal levels by 96 hours post-PH. TWEAK expression in Fn14 KO mice followed a similar pattern, albeit at generally lower levels, demonstrating that Fn14-expressing cells were not required for TWEAK production after PH ([**Figure 2B**](#pone-0083987-g002){ref-type="fig"}). To determine if TWEAK was necessary for accumulation of Fn14(+) cells, immunostaining for Fn14 was done on liver sections from TWEAK KO mice and WT mice treated with either anti-TWEAK antibodies or an irrelevant IgG. Morphometry confirmed striking expansion of the Fn14(+) compartment during the initial 48 hours after PH in WT mice and demonstrated significant attenuation of this response in both TWEAK KO mice and WT mice treated with anti-TWEAK antibodies ([**Figure 2C**](#pone-0083987-g002){ref-type="fig"}). Thus, the outgrowth of Fn14(+) cells post-PH is TWEAK-dependent. {#pone-0083987-g002} Deletion of Fn14 Inhibits Post-PH Proliferation of Hepatocytes and Cholangiocytes {#s3c} --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Most of the proliferative cells at later time points (e.g., 24--72 hours) post-PH did not express Fn14 ([**Figure 2A**](#pone-0083987-g002){ref-type="fig"}). To resolve whether or not Fn14 activity was necessary for this late increase in liver cell proliferation, proliferative activity in hepatocytic and ductular cells was evaluated at various time points in WT and Fn14 KO mice by BrdU incorporation and Ki67 immunostaining. Both approaches demonstrated the expected increase in hepatocyte and ductular cell proliferation in WT mice. In contrast, deletion of Fn14 significantly inhibited the normal post-PH induction of proliferation in both compartments ([**Figure 3**](#pone-0083987-g003){ref-type="fig"}), demonstrating that Fn14 is required for optimal regeneration of mature hepatocytes and cholangiocytes following PH. Consistent with these data, net recovery of liver weight in the Fn14 KO group (assessed by regeneration ratio [@pone.0083987-Kuramitsu2]) lagged somewhat behind that of WT mice from 24--72 hours post-PH ([**Figure 4A**](#pone-0083987-g004){ref-type="fig"}). Moreover, other outcome measures indicated that loss of Fn14 significantly subverted post-PH recovery of ***functional*** hepatic parenchyma. Rather, areas of infarcted liver increased steadily after PH in Fn14 KO mice ([**Figure 4C**](#pone-0083987-g004){ref-type="fig"} **, [Figure S2](#pone.0083987.s002){ref-type="supplementary-material"}**). This was accompanied by sustained hyperbilirubinemia and progressive mortality. ([**Figure 4B,D**](#pone-0083987-g004){ref-type="fig"}). Indeed, by 96 hours after PH, almost 60% of Fn14KO mice were dead compared to about 5% of WT mice, and serum bilirubin levels in surviving Fn14 KO mice were about three fold higher than in WT controls. Hence, loss of Fn14 signaling impairs proper liver regeneration and leads to liver failure after PH. {#pone-0083987-g003} {#pone-0083987-g004} Deletion of TWEAK or Inhibition TWEAK Activity with Anti-TWEAK Antibody Inhibit Proliferation of Hepatocytes and Cholangiocytes {#s3d} ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post-PH outgrowth of Fn14(+) cells is TWEAK dependent ([**Figure 2C**](#pone-0083987-g002){ref-type="fig"}) and accumulation of Fn14(+) cells is necessary for optimal regeneration of Fn14-negative hepatocytes and cholangiocytes following PH ([**Figure 3**](#pone-0083987-g003){ref-type="fig"}). This suggests that TWEAK activity is also required for increased hepatocyte and ductular cell proliferative activity post-PH. To evaluate this possibility directly, TWEAK KO mice, WT mice treated with anti-TWEAK antibodies, and their respective controls underwent PH and numbers of Ki67-labeled hepatocytes/ductular cells were counted in representative sections of livers harvested at various time points post-PH. The results confirm that inhibiting TWEAK significantly inhibited post-PH proliferation of hepatocytes and cholangiocytes ([**Figure 5**](#pone-0083987-g005){ref-type="fig"}), demonstrating that TWEAK-Fn14 signaling is necessary for adult livers to regenerate successfully after PH. {#pone-0083987-g005} TWEAK/Fn14 Signaling Stimulates Post-PH Replication of Mature Liver Epithelial Cells via Indirect Mechanisms {#s3e} ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Although several earlier studies had demonstrated that TWEAK was unable to stimulate proliferation of healthy mature hepatocytes, evidence that deleting/neutralizing TWEAK or deleting its receptor blocked liver regeneration after PH prompted us to re-examine the direct effects of TWEAK on hepatocyte proliferation. To verify the biological activity of the recombinant TWEAK used for our studies, we tested its effect on a mouse liver progenitor cell line (603B cells) which we had previously characterized and found to exhibit features of liver progenitors.[@pone.0083987-Xie1] FACS showed that, 603B cells uniformly expressed Fn14 protein (**[Figure S3A](#pone.0083987.s003){ref-type="supplementary-material"}**). Treating 603B cells with TWEAK increased their expression of AFP[@pone.0083987-Fausto1] and LGR5 [@pone.0083987-Huch1], markers of hepatocytic progenitors (**[Figure S3C](#pone.0083987.s003){ref-type="supplementary-material"}**). Doses of TWEAK as low as 1 ng/ml also stimulated their growth (**[Figure S3B](#pone.0083987.s003){ref-type="supplementary-material"}**). However, as others reported,[@pone.0083987-Jakubowski1], [@pone.0083987-TirnitzParker1] we found that recombinant TWEAK was unable to stimulate proliferation of primary hepatocytes isolated from the livers of healthy adult mice even at doses as high as 10 ng/ml (**[Figure S3B](#pone.0083987.s003){ref-type="supplementary-material"}**), or when used in conjunction with IL6, a putative hepatotrophic cytokine (data not shown). Consistent with the inability of TWEAK to directly impact hepatocyte proliferative activity, neither qRT-PCR analysis (data not shown), nor flow cytometry (**[Figure S3A](#pone.0083987.s003){ref-type="supplementary-material"}**) were able to demonstrate expression of Fn14 by primary hepatocytes isolated from healthy adult mice livers. The aggregate data, therefore, demonstrate that after PH, TWEAK directly stimulates an early wave of replication in Fn14(+) progenitors, but promotes the subsequent proliferative surge of mature liver epithelial cells via indirect mechanisms. One such mechanism might involve TWEAK/Fn14-related induction of other liver growth factors. Cytokines and growth factors that increase rapidly after PH function as co-mitogens to promote hepatocyte proliferation after PH. In this regard, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha, interleukin (IL)-6 and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) are particularly noteworthy because blocking the activities of any of these factors is sufficient to inhibit induction of hepatocyte DNA synthesis and liver regeneration following PH.[@pone.0083987-Michalopoulos1] Quantitative RT-PCR analysis of whole liver RNA from Fn14 KO mice, TWEAK KO mice, WT mice treated with anti-TWEAK antibodies, and their respective wild-type controls demonstrated that inhibiting TWEAK-Fn14 signaling inhibited normal post-PH induction of each of these factors ([**Figure 6**](#pone-0083987-g006){ref-type="fig"}). Therefore, loss of TWEAK/Fn14-regulated growth factors likely contributed to the inhibited proliferation of mature-appearing hepatocytes and ductular cells that occurred after PH when TWEAK/Fn14 signaling was disrupted. Additional mechanisms might also be involved, however, including reduced availability of Fn14-positive progenitors to differentiate into more mature, Fn14-negative liver cells that proliferate in response to these other mitogens at later time points after PH. This possibility merits consideration because PH abruptly removes not only 70% of mature liver epithelial cells, but also 70% of the COH-associated progenitor cells. {#pone-0083987-g006} Deletion of Fn14 Inhibits Accumulation of Progenitor Cells after PH {#s3f} ------------------------------------------------------------------- Consistent with the concept that PH provides a strong stimulus to regenerate the progenitor compartment, we observed increased expression of Fn14 in hepatocytic cells near COH within a few hours after PH ([**Figure 1C**](#pone-0083987-g001){ref-type="fig"} **, [Figure S1](#pone.0083987.s001){ref-type="supplementary-material"}**). To evaluate the effects of PH on expression of other progenitor markers, and determine whether or not loss of Fn14 impacted this, expression of other progenitor markers was evaluated by immunohistochemistry, qRT-PCR analysis, and Western blot. At baseline, cells expressing AFP (a marker of hepatocytic progenitors) or LGR5 (an endodermal progenitor marker) were rarely observed, and expression of Krt19 (a marker for immature and mature ductular cells [@pone.0083987-Komuta1]) was restricted to intralobular bile ducts in both WT and Fn14KO mice (**[Figure S4](#pone.0083987.s004){ref-type="supplementary-material"}**). In WT mice following PH, hepatocytic cells expressing AFP and LGR5 emerged in peri-portal areas and gradually accumulated in other regions of the hepatic parenchyma, while Krt19 staining remained largely restricted to ductular structures around portal tracts. However, the post-PH accumulation of AFP, LGR5 and Krt19-expressing cells was severely attenuated in Fn14 KO mice ([**Figure 7B**](#pone-0083987-g007){ref-type="fig"} **and [Figure S4](#pone.0083987.s004){ref-type="supplementary-material"}**). These changes were substantiated by PCR and Western blot analysis, demonstrating significant post-PH increases in mRNA and protein expression of AFP, LGR5, Krt19, and Krt7 (another liver progenitor marker [@pone.0083987-Komuta1]) in WT mice, but consistent suppression of these responses in Fn14 KO mice ([**Figure 7A,C**](#pone-0083987-g007){ref-type="fig"}). Hence, Fn14 is required for progenitor cells to accumulate normally after PH. Moreover, careful inspection of serially-stained sections demonstrated that Fn14(+) cells were closely localized with LGR5(+) cells and AFP(+) cells at each time point, but distinct from cells that expressed Krt19 ([**Figure 7**](#pone-0083987-g007){ref-type="fig"} **,** [**Figure 8A**](#pone-0083987-g008){ref-type="fig"}), suggesting that Fn14 marks hepatocytic progenitors after PH. To confirm this finding, we performed double immunofluorescence staining of Fn14 and CK18 (an epithelial cytokeratin that is expressed by both mature hepatocytes and hepatocyte progenitors) on liver sections from WT mice after PH. In addition, double staining of Fn14 and LGR5 was assessed on both liver sections and isolated hepatocytes from WT mice after PH ([**Figure 8B--D**](#pone-0083987-g008){ref-type="fig"}). Fn14 co-localized with CK18 and LGR5 in a subpopulation of hepatocytes, providing strong evidence that Fn14 is expressed by hepatocytic progenitors and demonstrating that the hepatocyte compartment becomes enriched with such progenitors a day or so before Fn14-negative hepatocytes begin to proliferate. {#pone-0083987-g007} {#pone-0083987-g008} TWEAK Is Required for Optimal Regeneration of Liver Progenitors after PH {#s3g} ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Having shown that Fn14 is required for expansion of progenitor populations following PH ([**Figure 7**](#pone-0083987-g007){ref-type="fig"}), we wished to determine if TWEAK is also necessary for this aspect of post-PH regeneration. Therefore, we compared progenitor responses to PH in WT mice, TWEAK KO mice, and WT mice that were treated with anti-TWEAK antibodies. QRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry demonstrated that inhibiting TWEAK significantly inhibited post-PH induction of markers for hepatocytic progenitors (AFP and LGR5), and ductular cell precursors (Krt19) ([**Figure 9**](#pone-0083987-g009){ref-type="fig"}). Hence, TWEAK and its receptor, Fn14 are necessary for regeneration of both mature hepatocytes and cholangiocytes ([**Figure 3**](#pone-0083987-g003){ref-type="fig"} **and** [**5**](#pone-0083987-g005){ref-type="fig"}), and their respective precursors ([**Figure 7**](#pone-0083987-g007){ref-type="fig"} **and** [**9**](#pone-0083987-g009){ref-type="fig"}), following PH. {#pone-0083987-g009} Discussion {#s4} ========== Our results show, for the first time, that TWEAK/Fn14 signaling is required for optimal induction of various processes that are necessary for livers to regenerate after PH, including activation of hepatocyte/cholangiocyte proliferation, induction of key mitogenic factors, and accumulation of liver progenitors. These new observations extend earlier evidence that PH leads to rapid and strong up-regulation of hepatic Fn14 mRNA expression.[@pone.0083987-Ochoa1], [@pone.0083987-Feng1] Fn14 mRNAs are known to be expressed by liver cell lines that exhibit features of immature, relatively undifferentiated cells, and TWEAK promotes the proliferation of such cells in culture.[@pone.0083987-Jakubowski1], [@pone.0083987-TirnitzParker1] In addition, disrupting Fn14 or blocking TWEAK in animal models of liver regeneration that depend upon liver progenitors severely inhibits liver regeneration.[@pone.0083987-Jakubowski1], [@pone.0083987-TirnitzParker1], [@pone.0083987-Kuramitsu1] The present study provides novel evidence that TWEAK/Fn14 signaling is also necessary to expand liver progenitor populations and regenerate the liver following PH. Thus, it is reasonable to conclude that liver regeneration after PH also depends upon TWEAK-responsive Fn14(+) progenitors. Evidence that progenitors mediate post-PH regeneration was unexpected because current dogma posits that the process is driven mainly by the replication of residual mature liver epithelial cells in the remnant liver.[@pone.0083987-Michalopoulos2] Therefore, we used FACS analysis to determine if mature hepatocytes express Fn14 and tested whether or not TWEAK was able to increase their proliferative activity directly. We were unable to demonstrate Fn14 on the surface of primary hepatocytes isolated from healthy adult livers, and TWEAK was unable to induce these cells to proliferate. Our results are in accordance with earlier publications which also failed to demonstrate appreciable expression of Fn14 in mature hepatocytes in healthy adult livers.[@pone.0083987-Jakubowski1], [@pone.0083987-TirnitzParker1] Moreover, that earlier work demonstrated that hepatocyte proliferation was not increased in TWEAK-transgenic mice although such animals strongly expressed TWEAK in hepatocytes and maintained relatively high serum levels of TWEAK.[@pone.0083987-Jakubowski1] Thus, disruption of TWEAK/Fn14 signaling in mature hepatocytes does not explain why we observed inhibited proliferation of such cells in Fn14 KO and TWEAK KO mice. Mice that were deficient in TWEAK or FN14 were noted to have defective induction of certain pro-regenerative cytokines (e.g., TNFα and IL6) and hepatocyte mitogens, such as HGF. Thus, it is conceivable that reduced availability of hepato-trophic factors contributed to the inhibited regenerative responses to PH that occurred when TWEAK/Fn14 signaling was disrupted. Another hypothesis that merits consideration is that some replicating hepatocytes in post-PH livers may be the recent progeny of Fn14(+) TWEAK-sensitive liver progenitors. These more mature liver cells no longer express Fn14 and hence, have lost the ability to replicate in response to TWEAK. Our data support this possibility. We found that TWEAK directly stimulated proliferation of Fn14(+) liver progenitors and increased their expression of AFP and LGR5 *in vitro*. We also demonstrated co-localization of Fn14 and these other progenitor markers in regenerating livers after PH, and confirmed co-expression of Fn14 and LGR5 in hepatocytic cells isolated from 24 hours post-PH livers. Recent lineage tracing studies that tracked the fate of LGR5(+) cells in regenerating livers after acute CCl~4~-induced injury demonstrated that some of the repopulating hepatocytes were derived from LGR5(+) progenitors.[@pone.0083987-Huch1] Our data suggest that the same process might occur after PH. Moreover, our findings provide novel evidence that TWEAK/Fn14 signaling regulates accumulation of LGR5(+) cells during liver regeneration. In WT mice after PH, we showed that the increased proliferative activity and accumulation of Fn14(+)/LGR5(+) cells was TWEAK-dependent, and resulted in enrichment of the hepatocytic compartment with Fn14(+) progenitor cells before proliferative activity increased in hepatocytes that did not express progenitor markers. In livers that lacked Fn14 (or which had reduced TWEAK activity), LGR5(+) liver progenitors failed to accumulate normally after PH; proliferation of hepatocytes was severely inhibited; and the livers were unable to regenerate normally, resulting in progressive liver damage, liver dysfunction, and mortality rather than recovery. Based on the aggregate results, therefore, our working hypothesis is that many of the hepatocytes that normally repopulate adult livers after PH are the progeny of TWEAK-responsive progenitors that co-express Fn14 and LGR5. Testing this hypothesis requires lineage tracing approaches. Thus, future experiments that genetically label Fn14(+) cells and follow the fate of these cells after PH are needed to resolve this issue. In summary, the current results prove that TWEAK/Fn14 signaling is required for the liver to regenerate normally following PH. The data demonstrate that key aspects of the regenerative response, including induction of hepatocyte/cholangiocyte proliferation, accumulation of hepato-trophic factors, and expansion of hepatic progenitor populations depend upon signaling that is activated when TWEAK engages its receptor, Fn14. These insights explain earlier observations that Fn14 expression is up-regulated dramatically after PH and improve understanding about mechanisms that control regeneration of adult livers after injury. Supporting Information {#s5} ====================== ###### Partial hepatectomy triggers hepatic accumulation of Fn14(+) cells in WT mice. Healthy adult wild type (WT) mice and Fn14 KO mice underwent PH. Expression of Fn14 was evaluated at various time points by Immunohistochemistry (magnification 10×). (TIF) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Deletion of Fn14 impairs liver regeneration after PH. Healthy adult wild type (WT) mice and Fn14 KO mice underwent PH. Representative H&E staining of liver sections from WT and Fn14 KO mice at different time points after PH were displayed (magnification 10×). Note Fn14 KO mice livers have more infarct areas than WT mice. (TIF) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### TWEAK promotes proliferation and differentiation of mouse bipotent epithelial liver progenitor cells (603B) but not primary mouse hepaotcyte. (A) FACS analysis of Fn14 protein expression by 603B and freshly isolated wild type primary mouse hepatocyte (mHep). (B) 603B cells and primary mouse hepatocyte (mHep) were cultured with 1 ng/ml recombinant TWEAK for 24 hours. 10 µM BrdU was added to the plates and cells were incubated for 2 hours. Cell proliferation were assessed by BrdU Cell Proliferation Assay Kit. \* p\<0.05. (C) 603B cells were treated with recombinant Tweak as described in (B) for 24 and 48 hours. mRNA was isolated and changes in α-Fetoprotein (AFP) and LGR5 gene expression were analyzed by qRT-PCR. Results are graphed relative to control at each time point. (TIF) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Deletion of Fn14 inhibits progenitor response after PH. Wild type (WT) and Fn14 KO mice underwent PH. Expression of progenitor markers (AFP, LGR5 and Krt19) was evaluated at 0 and 48 hours after PH by Immunohistochemistry. Representative images are displayed (magnification 10×). (TIF) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Detailed usage of mice for PH. (DOCX) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Sequence of mouse primers used in experiments. (DOCX) ###### Click here for additional data file. [^1]: **Competing Interests:**Wing-Kin Syn is a PLOS ONE Editorial Board member; this does not alter the authors\' adherence to all the PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials. [^2]: Conceived and designed the experiments: GK GX WKS SSC GAM AMD. Performed the experiments: GK MS GX LK MVM GAM BO. Analyzed the data: GK GX MVM KG SSC GAM AMD. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: LB. Wrote the paper: GK GX GAM AMD.
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Worst known governmental leak ever affected the Swedish Transport Agency, data includes records of members of the military secret units. Sweden might be the scenario for the worst known governmental leak ever, the Swedish Transport Agency moved all of its data to “the cloud,” but it transferred it to somebody else’s computer. The huge trove of data includes top secret documents related to the fighter pilots, SEAL team operators, police suspects, people under witness relocation. “The responsible director has been found guilty in criminal court of the whole affair, and sentenced to the harshest sentence ever seen in Swedish government: she was docked half a month’s paycheck.” wrote PrivacyNewsOnline. Full data of top-secret governmental individuals, including photo, name, and home address, was leaked. Director General Maria Ågren in Sweden was fined half a month’s salary in a very short trial. Further investigation in the governmental data leak revealed that the Swedish Transport Agency moved all its data to “the cloud”, as managed by IBM, two years ago, but suddenly the Director General of the Transport Agency, Maria Ågren, was quickly retired from her position in January 2017. On July 6 it was disclosed the news that the Director was found guilty of exposing classified information in a criminal court of law. “But on July 6th, she is known to be secretly investigated to have cleared confidential information. According to the Security Unit for Security Objectives, the data may damage the security of the country. She is ordered to pay 70,000 kronor in daily fines.” reported the website SvtNyHeater.se. “Among other things, the entire Swedish database of driving license photos has been available to several Czech technologies, which have not been tested for security. This means that neither the SÄPO nor the Transport Agency had control over the persons who handled the information that could be said to damage the security of the country.“ Leaked data included information related to people in the witness protection program and similar programs. This information was wrongly included in the register distributed outside the Agency as part of a normal procedure. Another unacceptable mistake was discovered by the investigators when a new version without the sensitive identities was distributed, the Agency did not instruct recipients of destroying the old copy. “Last March, the entire register of vehicles was sent to marketers subscribing to it. This is normal in itself, as the vehicle register is public information, and therefore subject to Freedom-of-Information excerpts.” continues the Swedish website. “What was not normal were two things: first, that people in the witness protection program and similar programs were included in the register distributed outside the Agency, and second, when this fatal mistake was discovered, a new version without the sensitive identities was not distributed with instructions to destroy the old copy. Instead, the sensitive identities were pointed out and named in a second distribution with a request for all subscribers to remove these records themselves. This took place in open cleartext e-mail.” Leaked information is precious data for a foreign government in an Information warfare scenario, data includes records of fighter pilots in the Air Force, policemen, and members of the military’s most secret units. The archive also includes any kind of information about any government and military vehicle, including their “operator, which says a ton about the structure of military support units;” The PrivacyNewsOnline confirmed that the governmental data leak is still ongoing and that it can be expected to be fixed “maybe this fall”. “Much of the available analysis of the leak is still in the form of fully-redacted documents from the Security Police and similar agencies.” concluded the news agency. Pierluigi Paganini (Security Affairs – (Sweden governmental leak, Swedish Transport Agency) Share this... Linkedin Reddit Pinterest Share On
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General idea: Crunchyroll is Netflix for anime. And it's seriously awesome. With a premium account, you'll get access to over 900 anime shows (for reference, Netflix only has 50 titles). Find old favorites like One Piece, new releases straight from Japan like Megalobox, as well as a wide selection of manga and even a number of live-action J-dramas. If you're an anime newbie, check out Mashable's full rundown on Crunchyroll and our resident anime expert's suggestions on the best shows to watch. In August 2007, Russia Today became the first television channel to report live from the North Pole (with the report lasting five minutes and 41 seconds). An RT crew participated in the Arktika 2007 Russian polar expedition, led by Artur Chilingarov on the Akademik Fyodorov icebreaker.[42][43] On 31 December 2007, RT's broadcasts of New Year's Eve celebrations in Moscow and Saint Petersburg were broadcast in the hours prior to the New Year's Eve event at New York City's Times Square.[43] 1. Buy an HDTV antenna. Since 2007, local TV stations have been broadcasting digital signals so crisp that the reception is better than that of cable TV. Plus, despite all the hype about shows on niche networks, 19 of the top 20 TV shows in 2016 aired on over-the-air broadcast networks. That’s why Step 1 is to buy an antenna. These are not your father’s antennas. No rabbit ears necessary. A modern digital TV antenna can be so sleek it will match your decor or so skinny you can mount it out of sight. When Consumer Reports tested antennas ranging in price from $8 to $80, it found the cheapest often performed just as well as the priciest. So try an inexpensive one first and upgrade only if necessary. Credit: ShutterstockTom's Guide compared all three services head-to-head-to-head, and discovered that Netflix is generally the best of the three. However, the services do not offer exactly the same thing. Netflix is a good all-purpose service, while Hulu focuses on recently aired TV, and Amazon Prime is part of a larger service that also offers free shipping on Amazon orders, e-book loans and other perks. (Viewers who just want Amazon Video without any other perks can now subscribe to it for $9 per month.) Hi Peter, I think I need your help…I am so glad I came across your article and as I believe it will save me a lot of money too. I just got express internet service at my new home and would like to be able to see at least basic TV stations (Fox, cbs so on) and I heard of this ‘free over the air’. I am not very good with regards to technical matters and I would like it to be as simple as possible for me to execute :). I have an old TV (won’t get a newer one any time soon) and would like to use the ‘free on air’ option everyone is talking about over the past few comments. So do i just walk into a electric store and get a digital to analog box with an antenna, connect it to my tv and i can just like that receive the channels? Or is there more? Thank you in advance! Now consider all of the services we've mentioned above, not even factoring in the cost of buying a media hub or smart TV if needed. Assuming you need subscriptions to all of them to get as thorough a cross section of channels as you'd get with cable, it's not cheap. Remember, all these prices are before applicable tax and with the lowest tier of service. Is getting 129 over the air channels from a suburb of Houston worth a five star rating? I didn't even know there was so many channels OTA. Why would I even need to rotate it ? I guess because it looks cool to do it via remote. My only concern is the fact that the housing on the antenna is plastic and I wonder what heavy rain will do to the inside because it doesn't seem totally sealed. I had to buy a stand separate but who cares this thing is awesome . Bye Bye Xfinity! Otherwise, it’s fairly standard. Sling Orange subscribers will have access to a single stream, while Blue allows for up to three streams simultaneously. As for other features, VOD (video on demand), pause/rewind/fast forwarding and “catch-up watching” are content specific. For DVR, users will have to add another $5 for 50 hours of cloud DVR. Despite the extra cost, the good news is that cloud DVR is available on just about every Sling TV-supported device except for the Xfinity X1. You can get the gist of everything Sling TV has to offer by reading our Sling TV guide. In April 2017, during his successful run for President of France, Emmanuel Macron's campaign team banned both RT and the Sputnik news agency from campaign events. A Macron spokesperson said the two outlets showed a "systematic desire to issue fake news and false information".[205] Macron later said during a press conference that RT and Sputnik were "agencies of influence and propaganda, lying propaganda—no more, no less".[206] On 12 January 2017, RT was accidentally broadcast for around 10 minutes on a web stream of U.S. public affairs service C-SPAN. RT stated that while it was testing its systems in preparation for the inauguration of Donald Trump, its signal was "mistakenly routed onto the primary encoder feeding C-SPAN1's signal to the internet, rather than to an unused backup."[266] General idea: Need we say more than nearly 50 channels for $20 a month? That's unheard of, guys. We have yet to find a streaming service that offers that much for that little, and it's really all we need to say about Philo. The channels aren't news or sports oriented, but if you don't care about that, the variety is pretty legit: Featuring BBCAmerica, Cheddar, The Food Network, GSN, TLC, and more. There's a seven day free trial that you can try, and the coolest part is that they don't require your credit card information to set it up. Just enter your mobile number and you're ready to watch. They'll text you and ask for a payment later when your week runs out, but at least you know you won't be charged if you accidentally forget to cancel. Good to know, especially for those senior citizens (like me), who have free access to the internet in senior housing but are not allowed to stream anything on their computers! No Netflix, no tv shows, movies, documentaries etc…We survive on email and text-news. Streaming is an “immediate shut-down” offense. Shame on cable networks. President Obama announced recently that all new public and public supported housing will, by law, offer tenents free internet access. Will be interesting if that “free” includes incarceration without streaming. We like the Leaf Metro because its small profile easily tucks away, without sacrificing much functionality. Though its range is limited to approximately 25 miles, it’s perfect for those living in smaller apartments or rented rooms, especially in urban environments where over-air TV signals are plentiful. To compound the versatility enabled by its tiny size, the antenna comes in either black or white, and you can also paint it to match your interior. Plus, its adhesive coating means it will stick to most any surface and can be moved to other locations with ease. An included 10-foot coaxial cable allows for fairly flexible installation. It’s too bad I live in Boon F—– Missouri, the speed I get here gives me yesterdays programs when it works,(seriously) I have what is called Century Tell (extended service) That of course mean’s I’m one step ahead of Fred Flintstone in the tech-world. It sucks to live just 13 miles out in the rural area and have to suck hind tit with no advantages! Our netflix speed is too slow to even stream any shows! I guess we’ll have to sell to the Clampits and move to a modern part of the world, think I’ll tear down the outhouse tomorrow and start building that inside bathroom everybody talks about! (just jokin) Any solutions for me??? In August 2007, Russia Today became the first television channel to report live from the North Pole (with the report lasting five minutes and 41 seconds). An RT crew participated in the Arktika 2007 Russian polar expedition, led by Artur Chilingarov on the Akademik Fyodorov icebreaker.[42][43] On 31 December 2007, RT's broadcasts of New Year's Eve celebrations in Moscow and Saint Petersburg were broadcast in the hours prior to the New Year's Eve event at New York City's Times Square.[43] By 2012, however, Time Warner’s investors were demanding to know why the company wasn’t selling its reruns to Netflix, according to one former Time Warner executive. “We sat out for a few years, and all of Wall Street said, ‘What the hell are you guys doing? You’re leaving value on the table for your shareholders!’ ” the former executive said. “So we relented. That was the beginning of the end.” While I cannot vouch for the legality or the quality of all of these websites, here are 35 a lot of different ways you can still catch your favorite shows and web videos without paying for cable or satellite TV. And while I haven’t tried each and every one of them out for any extended period of time, the first 5 I list are my favorites, to help guide you to some of the ones that work well. I have either given my own opinion of each one or when possible I have taken a blurb from each site’s “About” page to give you a little more info. And if you have a favorite, or you use a site that isn’t listed here, please be sure to mention it in the comments so everyone can check it out! The hardware is nice, even though it's a bit bigger than other similar devices. The remote is also quite good, acting as a minimal, Apple TV-like remote on one side with a mini keyboard on the other. The keyboard makes a huge difference, but doesn't feel like it makes the remote overly complicated. If I had one complaint, it's that the keyboard is a little hard to type on—especially because it requires you to hold down Alt or Shift to get numbers or capital letters, unlike similar keyboards you'd find on phones. It's just a little off-putting at first. But overall, the remote is really great. Hulu started life as an on-demand streaming service, but has more recently expanded into offering live TV as well. For $40 per month, you get Hulu's traditional catalog of streaming shows and movies, plus access to more than 50 live channels, from A&E to ESPN to TNT. Hulu with Live TV is particularly good at recommending new content, and its interface is one of the most colorful and navigable in the cable-replacement sphere. You'll have to deal with a ton of advertisements, though, and if you want more DVR space or simultaneous streams, you'll have to pay up to $30 extra per month. "2018 review: Fubo has come a long way in a year. The streams are much more stable, the channel lineup has solidified, and VOD and DVR options keep improving. Fire TV now has the Video On Demand options you'll find on other platforms along with updated support for the 500 hour DVR. Yes, the interface is clunky on Fire TV and there is no quick way to flip between channels. This isn't like watching cable tv, and it's not supposed to be."
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ommon factor of p and q? 7 Let j = 149 - -47. Suppose j = 3*n + 4*g, -10*g + 8*g = -2. Calculate the highest common divisor of 48 and n. 16 Let i(l) = 598*l**3 + 2*l**2 - 14*l + 9. Let j be i(2). What is the highest common divisor of j and 222? 111 Let n = -19962 + 21102. Calculate the highest common factor of 1482 and n. 114 Let w = 268 - -92. Suppose -5*c + 29 = f, 458*c = 461*c - 12. Calculate the highest common divisor of f and w. 9 Let r = -296 + 206. Let t = r - -86. Let v be t + (7 - -1) - (3 + -44). Calculate the greatest common divisor of 18 and v. 9 Suppose -4 = 73*o - 72*o. Let j be 750/24 + 1/o. What is the greatest common divisor of j and 341? 31 Let h = -506 - -671. Suppose -h = -3*d + 5*n, -2*n - 2 = 4. Calculate the greatest common divisor of d and 775. 25 Let s(g) = g**2 + 20*g + 132. Let j be s(-10). Suppose -5*b + j = p, 25*p = 24*p + 3*b. What is the highest common factor of 21 and p? 3 Let y(t) be the first derivative of 4*t**3/3 - 8*t**2 - 2*t + 7. Let w be y(8). Calculate the greatest common factor of w and 14. 14 Let t(n) = -n**3 - 11*n**2 + 16*n - 15. Let g be t(-12). Let f = -55 - g. Let u = 31 - -9. What is the highest common divisor of u and f? 8 Let z = 11 - 11. Suppose 5*i - 230 = -z*i. Suppose 39*g - 37*g = i. What is the highest common divisor of g and 207? 23 Let u be (-14)/18 + (-4)/18 + 646. Let h = u - 531. Calculate the greatest common factor of 12 and h. 6 Let b(f) = -3*f**3 - 3*f**2 - 20*f - 105. Let p be b(-5). What is the greatest common factor of p and 25? 5 Suppose -6 = 3*s, -7*m - 9492 = -11*m - 4*s. Calculate the greatest common factor of 25 and m. 25 Suppose -763*x + 49961 = -1923. Let v(a) = -a**3 + 4*a**2 + 6*a + 3. Let u be v(5). What is the highest common factor of x and u? 4 Let v = 147808 - 147593. Let u be (-10)/3*(-3)/2. Calculate the highest common factor of u and v. 5 Let n be 2/4*-22*(-69)/23. What is the highest common factor of 737 and n? 11 Let p = -2603 - -2491. Let q be ((-45)/20)/(21/p). Let k be (-716)/(-6) + 4/6. What is the greatest common divisor of q and k? 12 Suppose 0 = -5*v - w + 7977, -3*v + 445 = 5*w - 4350. What is the greatest common divisor of 15 and v? 5 Suppose -38*g + 44*g = 96. Suppose -12*b = -g*b - 48. Let u = 19 - b. What is the highest common factor of u and 93? 31 Suppose 4*y + 39*y = y + 1932. What is the greatest common divisor of 1380 and y? 46 Suppose -108*b + 200161 + 263527 = -202024. What is the greatest common divisor of b and 92? 92 Let a = -238 - -454. Suppose y + 0*m = 2*m + 8, -5*m = -4*y + 47. What is the highest common divisor of y and a? 18 Suppose 0 = -c - 0*c + 2. Let s(k) = -4*k**2 - 4*k + 2*k**2 + 5*k**2 - 4*k**2 + c*k**3. Let z be s(2). What is the greatest common factor of 3 and z? 1 Suppose 2 = 3*w - 7, -c + 1016 = 4*w. Suppose -17*f + 560 + c = 0. Calculate the greatest common factor of 4 and f. 4 Let x be 2*(-7 - -6) + (4 - -398). What is the greatest common factor of 2075 and x? 25 Suppose -326*l + 102 = -324*l. Let b = -255 + 663. Calculate the greatest common divisor of b and l. 51 Let r(z) = 135*z + 1648. Let g be r(-12). Calculate the greatest common factor of g and 5502. 14 Suppose 4*r = 129 + 131. Let t = r + -30. Suppose -9 = -2*k + t. What is the highest common factor of 22 and k? 22 Let i be (6/27 + 52/9)/2. Suppose -i*w = -577 + 169. What is the highest common divisor of w and 8? 8 Suppose 3*v + 84 = 9*v. Suppose 6*u - 6 = 18. Suppose u*m - 8*m = -168. What is the highest common divisor of v and m? 14 Suppose -18*f = 17*f - 2380. Suppose -d - 10 = 4*s, 7*d - 25 = 2*d - 5*s. What is the greatest common factor of f and d? 2 Let f = -85 - -77. Let g be f/((-32)/(-12)) + (-1 - -4). Let o(l) = l**2 + 1. Let u be o(g). What is the greatest common factor of 5 and u? 1 Suppose -5*c + 5109 = -3*w, 4*c = 3*w + 4856 - 767. Calculate the highest common divisor of 15 and c. 15 Suppose 48*r - 53*r + 15 = 0. Suppose -r*n = -4*k + 5 + 1, -5*k + 25 = 5*n. Suppose 0 = n*y + 7*y - 18. What is the highest common divisor of 26 and y? 2 Let l = 38609 - 31377. Calculate the greatest common divisor of 64 and l. 64 Let a be (-42)/(-28)*(462/9)/1. What is the greatest common divisor of a and 483? 7 Suppose -4*n + 20*f = 15*f - 318, -n = 3*f - 54. What is the greatest common divisor of n and 1704? 24 Suppose 58*d + 150 = 63*d. Let p be (-5)/5*d/(-2). Let w = -67 - -112. What is the greatest common divisor of p and w? 15 Let b(r) = -28*r**3 - 7*r**2 - 21*r + 2. Let u be b(-2). What is the highest common factor of 168 and u? 24 Suppose 2*b + j - 70 - 791 = 0, 5*b = -5*j + 2145. Calculate the greatest common factor of 1116 and b. 36 Let f(y) = -121*y - 190. Let d(x) = 7*x. Let u(s) = -6*d(s) + f(s). Let m be u(-3). What is the highest common factor of 46 and m? 23 Let r = 1732 + -1664. Calculate the highest common factor of 629 and r. 17 Let i = -550 + 705. What is the greatest common divisor of 620 and i? 155 Suppose -3*y + 3 + 3 = -p, 3*p = 0. Let h be ((-4)/6)/(9/((-405)/y)). What is the highest common factor of h and 60? 15 Let s be 47 - 0*(-20)/(-60). Calculate the greatest common divisor of 12361 and s. 47 Suppose 0 = -k + 3*k - 1670. Suppose -k = -4*b - 291. Let g be 1*((-28)/28)/((-2)/16). Calculate the greatest common divisor of g and b. 8 Suppose -s = 5*o - 96, -s + 5*s - 3*o = 384. Suppose -94*h - 70 = -s*h. What is the highest common divisor of h and 945? 35 Let z = 15 - 21. Let j be 300/z*(-2)/5. Let s be (183/45 - 4) + 238/30. What is the greatest common divisor of j and s? 4 Suppose -32*k - 140*k + 937061 = -23*k. Calculate the greatest common factor of k and 19. 19 Let m = -1291 + 740. Let l = m + 1031. Calculate the highest common divisor of l and 30. 30 Let r(z) = 11*z**3 - 4*z**2 + 10*z - 9. Let i be r(3). Suppose 7*a = 208 + i. What is the greatest common factor of a and 20? 10 Let t be (3 + 16)*39 + -4 + -1. Calculate the highest common divisor of 288 and t. 32 Suppose 258*z - 28986 = 170490 + 37110. Calculate the greatest common factor of 7 and z. 7 Let t = 177 + -157. Suppose c + c = -3*k + 1370, -2*k + 2*c = -930. Calculate the highest common factor of t and k. 20 Let r = 30 - 26. Suppose 8 = 2*x - r*x, 5*q + x = 41. Suppose 0*p - 126 = -q*p. Calculate the highest common factor of 2 and p. 2 Suppose 0 = q + 51 - 210. Suppose 0 = -5*l + m - 404, 2*l - 3*m = -0*m - q. Let b be (l/5)/((-17)/85). Calculate the highest common factor of 9 and b. 9 Let r = -5 + 41. Suppose 9 = 3*v - 0, 2*v - 3 = d. Let f be (-1)/d - (-2165)/15. Calculate the greatest common factor of r and f. 36 Let y(g) = g**3 - 22*g**2 + 8*g - 152. Let q be y(22). Calculate the highest common divisor of 768 and q. 24 Let o = -6675 - -8188. What is the greatest common divisor of o and 712? 89 Let j be 26994/36 - (-35)/(-42). Calculate the greatest common factor of 7 and j. 7 Suppose 2*y = -5*u + 8, 5*y - 7 = u + 13. Let d = y - 8. Let m be 1 + 7 - (d - -3). What is the highest common divisor of m and 18? 9 Suppose -13*x + 4436 = 1422 - 3070. Calculate the greatest common divisor of x and 897. 39 Let s(z) = z**2 + 32*z + 29. Let i be s(-31). Let n be 3/21*7/i*-242. What is the greatest common factor of 44 and n? 11 Suppose -26*m + 108 = -8*m. Suppose f = m*f - 120. What is the greatest common divisor of 312 and f? 24 Let a be ((-105)/(-49) - 3)/(4/(-28)). Let i be 10/(4/4*2). Suppose -i*o = -a*o + 176. What is the highest common factor of 16 and o? 16 Suppose 3*r + 9 = 0, 0 = -9*o + 12*o + 5*r - 4209. Calculate the highest common divisor of 132 and o. 44 Let q(j) = -6*j + 1066. Let w be q(27). Calculate the greatest common factor of 16 and w. 8 Suppose -10*i + 8*i = -930. Suppose -5*y - i = 425. Let n = y - -298. What is the highest common divisor of 20 and n? 20 Let w = -179 - 74. Let d = w + 309. What is the greatest common factor of d and 8? 8 Suppose 41 - 111 = -5*j. Let w(y) = y**3 - 35*y**2 + 35*y - 16. Let z be w(34). Suppose -60 = j*g - z*g. Calculate the highest common factor of 60 and g. 15 Let d(o) = 21334*o**3 - 7*o**2 + 15*o - 9. Let g be d(1). What is the highest common divisor of 39 and g? 39 Suppose 0*t - 86 = -3*t + 5*k, -4*t = -5*k - 113. Let f be (-31)/((-248)/6252) + ((-4)/(-8) - -1). Calculate the greatest common divisor of t and f. 27 Let m be (
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The impact of personalized medicine on survival: comparisons of results in metastatic breast, colorectal and non-small-cell lung cancers. Breast, colorectal and lung cancers represent the three most incident forms of cancer worldwide. Among these three "big killers", lung cancer is considered the one with the worst prognosis due to its high mortality even in early stages. Due to their more favorable prognosis, breast and colorectal cancers might appear to have benefited from major advances. Most oncologists who are faced with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) find the reported results very frustrating when compared with those for metastatic breast (MBC) and colorectal cancers (MCRC). The aim of this analysis was to quantify and compare the relative magnitude of overall survival (OS) improvements in the first-line approaches in metastatic NSCLC, MBC and MCRC through the analysis of the main landmark meta-analyses and randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of commercially available drugs. Five items were considered and analyzed for each cancer. Moreover we evaluated the real clinical impact of the results reported by each item on the entire population; for each "big killer" an overall hazard ratio (HR) was estimated: 0.88 (95%(+) CI: 0.72-1.07) for MBC, 0.94 (95%(+) CI: 0.82-1.07) for MCRC, and about 0.80 (95%(+) CI: 0.73-0.90) for advanced NSCLC. We showed that, in the last decades, these three tumors had important and constant OS improvements reached step by step. The relative magnitude of OS improvement seems higher in metastatic NSCLC than MBC and MCRC.
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Nuts and Seeds- Macadamia Nut Oil I love the fact that what’s good for your body on the inside can be just as beneficial on the outside! Lots of people make nuts and seeds a go-to snack, not only because they’re filling, but also because they boast a ton of health benefits (depending on the variety, everything from anti-inflammatory to anti-oxidant properties.) But, like we talked about last week when spot-lighting illipe seed butter as our ingredient of the week, you don’t have to EAT nuts and seeds in order to take advantage of the benefits. When found in the right amount in cosmetic products, nut and seed oil can help to boost the benefits of moisturizers. Try macadamia nut oil, for example. Like illipe butter, macadamia nut oil is not as commonly seen in the cosmetic industry as, say, stand-outs like shea butter. It doesn’t lack, however, when it comes to its many skin benefits, such as its vitamin E content (anti-aging!) and ability to keep the skin hydrated by locking in moisture. And if that’s not enough, macadamia nut oil is incredibly lightweight, making it a perfect option if you’re looking for something that absorbs quickly!
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US ships F-16s to Egypt as junta intensifies crackdown By Bill Van Auken 12 July 2013 The Obama administration has announced it will go ahead with the shipment of four F-16 fighter planes to the Egyptian military, signaling its intention to ignore US laws requiring a cutoff of aid to countries that have suffered military coups. This gesture of support to the so-called interim government, which is dominated by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) and its top commander, Gen. Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi, comes as the ruling junta is intensifying its police state crackdown against supporters of ousted Muslim Brotherhood President Mohamed Mursi. The ruling junta has cynically justified its orders to arrest leading figures in the Muslim Brotherhood by claiming that they bear responsibility for the army’s July 8 massacre of at least 55 demonstrators who had marched on Cairo’s Republican Guard compound, where Mursi was believed to be held prisoner. The military and the Egyptian media have cast the incident, in which several hundred other unarmed demonstrators were wounded, as a “terrorist” attack on the army. The bloodletting has raised the specter of a civil war erupting in Egypt, with mounting concerns that demonstrations called by Muslim Brotherhood supporters for Friday after the mosques let out, and a rival rally called by their opponents among the bourgeois liberal and pseudo-left forces of the Tamarod (“rebel”) coalition in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, could produce clashes in the Egyptian capital. Egypt’s public prosecutor has ordered the arrest of Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie and at least nine other senior members of the Islamist party, while hundreds of others are being hunted down for participating in Monday’s bloody protest. The Muslim Brotherhood charged that the arrest orders could serve as a pretext for the violent breakup of a protest vigil the group and thousands of its supporters have been staging at the Rabaa Adawiya Mosque in Cairo. Even while the security forces are hunting down Muslim Brotherhood leaders, Hazem el-Beblawi, the free-market economist who has been named prime minister as one of the civilian front men for the army’s rule, told Reuters that he was offering posts to Muslim Brotherhood leaders in a cabinet that he expects to be filled by next week. The news agency said that the MB has rejected the offer, vowing not to participate in a regime brought to power by a “fascist coup.” The Obama administration has shown no such reticence in dealing with the coup regime. While the Pentagon issued a brief statement Wednesday saying that the US president had ordered it to “review our assistance to the government of Egypt” in light of “the events of last week,” as in similar statements issued by the White House and the State Department, it carefully avoided using the word “coup.” A legal finding that a coup had taken place would require that the US administration cut off some $1.5 billion in annual aid to Egypt, $1.3 billion of which goes directly to the country’s military. Since 1948, Washington has poured some $40 billion in military aid into the country, ensuring the Egyptian military’s dominance over the country’s political life. The delivery of four F-16 fighter jets is part of an arms package consisting of 20 of the warplanes, eight of which have already been delivered. White House spokesman Jay Carney declared Wednesday that it would not be “in the best interests of the United States to make immediate changes to our assistance programs.” Multiple press reports have pointed to a direct US role in the coup that toppled Mursi. In a July 6 report, the New York Times detailed discussions involving US National Security Adviser Susan Rice and other US officials in the period proceeding Mursi’s overthrow. According to the report, an Arab foreign minister “acting as an emissary of Washington” delivered a final ultimatum to Mursi ordering either that he accept being turned into a figurehead president with a government appointed by the military, or that the military would overthrow him. Mursi’s foreign policy adviser, Essam el-Haddad, then held discussions with the US ambassador to Egypt, Anne Patterson, and with national security adviser Rice and was told, after Mursi rejected the offer, that the coup would begin. “Mother just told us that we will stop playing in one hour,” a Mursi aide texted an associate, the Times reported. Because of its unceasing meddling in the country’s affairs, Washington is referred to by Egyptians as “Mother America.” In a separate report Thursday, Al Jazeera cited documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by the Investigative Reporting Program at the University of California Berkeley establishing that the Obama administration had “quietly funded senior Egyptian opposition figures who called for toppling of the country’s now-deposed president Mohamed Morsi.” The funding, provided under the guise of “democracy assistance,” came through various US agencies, such as the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), the State Department’s Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) and the US Agency for International Development (AID). Al Jazeera reported that these entities, which carry out functions previously filled covertly by the Central Intelligence Agency, “sent funds to certain organisations in Egypt, mostly run by senior members of anti-Morsi political parties who double as NGO activists.” This description applies to a number of pseudo-left organizations, including the Revolutionary Socialists, which backed the coup, after having previously claimed that the electoral victory of the Muslim Brotherhood represented a victory for the Egyptian revolution. The role of these groups has been to assist the Egyptian bourgeoisie by working to divert the mass struggles that erupted against Mursi’s right-wing policies into political support for the military coup. In addition to the US funding, the Tamarod was backed by major political and financial interests linked to the old US-backed dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak, who was toppled by the mass revoluionary struggles of 2011. “Working behind the scenes, members of the old establishment, some of them close to Mr. Mubarak and the country’s top generals, also helped finance, advise and organize those determined to topple the Islamist leadership, including Naguib Sawiris, a billionaire and an outspoken foe of the Brotherhood,” the New York Times reported. Sawiris told the Times that he “donated use of the nationwide offices and infrastructure of the political party he built, the Free Egyptians. He provided publicity through his popular television network and his major interest in Egypt’s largest private newspaper. He even commissioned the production of a popular music video that played heavily on his network. “Tamarod did not even know it was me!” he said. “I am not ashamed of it.” In a further indication of the character of the anti-Mursi coup, the right-wing oil monarchies of the Persian Gulf have rushed to provide economic assistance to the military junta. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates have between them pledged $12 billion in aid, clearly viewing military rule as more compatible with their own dictatorial regimes than the Muslim Brotherhood government.
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The conservative movement has two new enemies: the FBI and the survivors of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida. At far-right Gateway Pundit, Lucian Wintrich managed to package them into one stark raving headline, casting aspersions on 17-year-old survivor David Hogg by noting his father is a retired FBI agent, and accusing him of having been coached on "anti-Trump lines" due to being suspiciously articulate and repeating himself a few times in a taped interview. Before I explain what's going on, just consider the depravity of Wintrich's smear for a moment. It's a dizzying demonstration of the moral abomination the conservative propaganda machine has become. So, here we go: Republican propagandists don't like the FBI now due to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation turning up alleged jaw-dropping corruption and crimes among President Trump's inner circle as well as a Russian campaign to influence the election that, at a minimum, the Trump campaign embraced with open arms. Movement conservatives dealt with this the same way they deal with everything: by dreaming up an unhinged conspiracy theory. Suddenly, conservatives from Sean Hannity on down began braying that the FBI — composed overwhelmingly of middle-aged Republican men who furiously despised Hillary Clinton and whose major significant electoral action was then-director James Comey giving Trump a huge leg up a week before election day — was part of a Deep State conspiracy to undermine the president. Now comes yet another gun massacre at a school, only this time it turned out some of the people who survived were smart theater kids, who could speak eloquently in front of a camera and were familiar with digital platforms and norms. Naturally enough, they advocated for gun control, stoking instant conservative fury. Worse, they criticized Trump when he (in keeping with his usual "the buck stops anywhere but here" routine) blamed the FBI for being distracted with the Russia investigation and the local community for not reporting the shooter to the authorities. Infuriated survivors struck back, arguing with perfect justice that it should be the job of national politicians to make some changes to fix the problem, not squirm out of blame — and especially not shift responsibility to the community, which actually had tried to inform law enforcement as Trump suggested. Also, it must have been pretty galling to see the president try to use a giant massacre of children as a club to beat back a corruption investigation into himself. But slavish hero-worship of Trump and furious pummeling of anyone who criticizes him are now the basic operating principles of conservative politics. So like some truth-resistant outbreak of flesh-eating mold, conservatives started attacking the kids by invoking their previous conspiracy theory about the FBI. There was the aforementioned Wintrich story, shared thousands of times on Facebook and Twitter (Donald Trump, Jr. liked two tweets mentioning it), while another story insinuated that Hogg wasn't even a survivor. Meanwhile, on CNN, former GOP congressman Jack Kingston accused the survivors of being George Soros plants. InfoWars founder Alex Jones has suggested that the entire massacre was a "false flag" hoax, just as he did with Sandy Hook. Bill O'Reilly, the disgraced former Fox News anchor, sounded almost reasonable when he suggested the survivors merely have an unreliable perspective due to supposed "extreme peer pressure." That's the modern conservative movement for you. Every political faction has its blind spots, its hypocrisies, and its inconvenient facts that tend to be ignored. But the Republican Party is far and away the most intellectually diseased of any major party in the industrialized world. Any political problem they face is immediately deluged with a frenzy of unhinged nutcase brain slop. Climate change? Hoax. Inflation staying stubbornly low? Hoax. Polls looking bad? Unskew! President breathtakingly corrupt? FBI hoax. The old John Bircher theory that President Eisenhower was a secret communist seems almost quaint by comparison with today's attacks on kids who are still burying their slain classmates. Indeed, the conservative fever swamps now routinely belch up stuff literally out of nothing, as seen with the Pizzagate conspiracy theory that Hillary Clinton and John Podesta were running a child sex dungeon out of a pizza restaurant in Washington, D.C. That culminated in a crack-brained guy, armed with a rifle, looking for a basement that didn't exist underneath the Comet Ping-Pong restaurant. Only one thing is for sure: You'd be a fool to think there are any depths to which the conservative movement will not sink.
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Q: Cannot POST form NodeJS Express I have a form which dynamically adds user data from the user into a table. This is the final form look When one of these Use this account is pressed it shows, Cannot POST /like. This is the form. I useEJS. <form method="POST" autocomplete="off"> <div class = "form-group col-sm-12"> <label for="tagsarray">Enter Tags</label> <input type="text" class="form-control" id="likes" name="likes" aria-placeholder="Enter tags seperated by a comma"> </div> <div class="form-group col-sm-7"> <label for="numberoftimes">Enter Number of Actions</label> <input type="text" class="form-control" id="action" name="action" aria-placeholder="Enter No. of Actions"> </div> <% if (accounts) {%> <table class = "striped"> <tbody> <% accounts.forEach(accounts => { %> <tr> <td><a href="<% accounts._id %>"></a><%= accounts.title%></td> <td><a href= "/like/<%= accounts._id%>"><button type="submit" class = "btn btn-primary col-auto" >Use this account</button></a></td> </tr> </tr> <%});%> </tbody> </table> <%} else {%> <p>You have no accounts added</p> <% } %> </form> This is my controller.js control.get('/like', async(req, res) => { try{ const accounts = await account.find({user: req.user.id}).lean() res.render("backend/like", { name: req.user.name, accounts }); } catch(err) { console.log(err) } }); control.post('/like/:id', getuserdata, (req, res, next) => { try{ let title = res.accountuser.title; let pass = res.accountuser.password; let tags = req.body.likes; let actions = req.body.action; console.log(title, pass, tags, actions) iglike(title, pass, tags, actions) next(); res.redirect('/like') }catch(err) { console.log(err) } }); This does not catch any error and the console shows absolutely nothing. The only error is Cannot POST /like. This is the getuserdata function for reference async function getuserdata(req, res, next) { let accountuser try{ accountuser = await account.findById(req.params.id) } catch(err) { console.log(err) } res.accountuser = accountuser next() }; I have tried with a simple type=submit button with no href still shows the same error Please help me solve this Cannot POST /like error. A: You have to set a default action for your form, to make the route to work with post. If you use href it does a get by default. To make a post in your route, you should remove the href and put an default action in your form. <form method="POST" autocomplete="off" action="/like/<%= accounts._id%>"> Then in the line your have the submit button, remove the href (as it was moved to default action from form) <td><button type="submit" class = "btn btn-primary col-auto" >Use this account</button></a></td>
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The original Eames aluminium management office chair was created in 1958 by Ray and Charles Eames for the home of Herman Miller. The Eames Aluminium mesh chair is made from a translucent mesh which produces even weight distribution for complete ergonomic comfort. The office chairs are made from corrosion resistant aluminium like the original not metal. The featured weight tension back control adjustable swivel and tilt function will ensure your chair suits you. The specifics Constructed with lightweight heavy duty aluminium which is corrosion resistant 360 degree swivel One touch gas lift height adjustment Back tension tilt control A set of removable chromed castors and slides Arm rest removable to allow chair to slide under desk Tilting system with locking mechanism Simple assembly required 1 year manufacturers warranty against defects Measurements: 88-96cm (H) x 59cm (D) x 58cm (W) Seat: 41-49cm (H) Arms: 64-72cm (H) This product includes a 12 month warranty Reference ID: AGI247 Shipping Details Please allow 7-14 business days for delivery IMPORTANT:Due to OH&S assistance may be required to unload the boxes. Courier/Driver may not be able to assist with carrying the item to your door; please arrange able-bodied person at home to sign for the delivery and assist the driver with unloading. If you require any assistance from the courier/driver, additional fees may apply. We ship across Australia including major cities like: Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, Newcastle and the Gold Coast At MyDeal.com.au it is our top priority to provide customers with a secure and enjoyable shopping experience. If there are any problems with your purchase please do not hesitate to contact us and our friendly Customer Support Team will assist you promptly.
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## # This code was generated by # \ / _ _ _| _ _ # | (_)\/(_)(_|\/| |(/_ v1.0.0 # / / # # frozen_string_literal: true require 'spec_helper.rb' describe 'Conversation' do it "can create" do @holodeck.mock(Twilio::Response.new(500, '')) expect { @client.conversations.v1.services('ISXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX') \ .conversations.create(x_twilio_webhook_enabled: 'true') }.to raise_exception(Twilio::REST::TwilioError) headers = {'X-Twilio-Webhook-Enabled' => 'true', } expect( @holodeck.has_request?(Holodeck::Request.new( method: 'post', url: 'https://conversations.twilio.com/v1/Services/ISXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Conversations', headers: headers, ))).to eq(true) end it "receives create responses" do @holodeck.mock(Twilio::Response.new( 201, %q[ { "sid": "CHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", "account_sid": "ACaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", "chat_service_sid": "ISaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", "messaging_service_sid": "MGaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", "friendly_name": "friendly_name", "unique_name": "unique_name", "attributes": "{ \\"topic\\": \\"feedback\\" }", "date_created": "2015-12-16T22:18:37Z", "date_updated": "2015-12-16T22:18:38Z", "state": "inactive", "timers": { "date_inactive": "2015-12-16T22:19:38Z", "date_closed": "2015-12-16T22:28:38Z" }, "url": "https://conversations.twilio.com/v1/Services/ISaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Conversations/CHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", "links": { "participants": "https://conversations.twilio.com/v1/Services/ISaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Conversations/CHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Participants", "messages": "https://conversations.twilio.com/v1/Services/ISaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Conversations/CHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Messages", "webhooks": "https://conversations.twilio.com/v1/Services/ISaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Conversations/CHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Webhooks" } } ] )) actual = @client.conversations.v1.services('ISXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX') \ .conversations.create() expect(actual).to_not eq(nil) end it "receives create_no_timers_no_attributes responses" do @holodeck.mock(Twilio::Response.new( 201, %q[ { "sid": "CHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", "account_sid": "ACaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", "chat_service_sid": "ISaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", "messaging_service_sid": "MGaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", "friendly_name": "friendly_name", "unique_name": null, "attributes": "{}", "date_created": "2020-07-01T22:18:37Z", "date_updated": "2020-07-01T22:18:37Z", "state": "active", "timers": {}, "url": "https://conversations.twilio.com/v1/Services/ISaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Conversations/CHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", "links": { "participants": "https://conversations.twilio.com/v1/Services/ISaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Conversations/CHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Participants", "messages": "https://conversations.twilio.com/v1/Services/ISaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Conversations/CHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Messages", "webhooks": "https://conversations.twilio.com/v1/Services/ISaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Conversations/CHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Webhooks" } } ] )) actual = @client.conversations.v1.services('ISXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX') \ .conversations.create() expect(actual).to_not eq(nil) end it "can update" do @holodeck.mock(Twilio::Response.new(500, '')) expect { @client.conversations.v1.services('ISXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX') \ .conversations('CHXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX').update(x_twilio_webhook_enabled: 'true') }.to raise_exception(Twilio::REST::TwilioError) headers = {'X-Twilio-Webhook-Enabled' => 'true', } expect( @holodeck.has_request?(Holodeck::Request.new( method: 'post', url: 'https://conversations.twilio.com/v1/Services/ISXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Conversations/CHXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX', headers: headers, ))).to eq(true) end it "receives update responses" do @holodeck.mock(Twilio::Response.new( 200, %q[ { "sid": "CHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", "account_sid": "ACaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", "chat_service_sid": "ISaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", "messaging_service_sid": "MGaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaab", "friendly_name": "friendly_name", "unique_name": null, "attributes": "{ \\"topic\\": \\"feedback\\" }", "date_created": "2015-12-16T22:18:37Z", "date_updated": "2015-12-16T22:18:38Z", "state": "inactive", "timers": { "date_inactive": "2015-12-16T22:19:38Z", "date_closed": "2015-12-16T22:28:38Z" }, "url": "https://conversations.twilio.com/v1/Services/ISaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Conversations/CHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", "links": { "participants": "https://conversations.twilio.com/v1/Services/ISaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Conversations/CHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Participants", "messages": "https://conversations.twilio.com/v1/Services/ISaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Conversations/CHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Messages", "webhooks": "https://conversations.twilio.com/v1/Services/ISaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Conversations/CHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Webhooks" } } ] )) actual = @client.conversations.v1.services('ISXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX') \ .conversations('CHXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX').update() expect(actual).to_not eq(nil) end it "can delete" do @holodeck.mock(Twilio::Response.new(500, '')) expect { @client.conversations.v1.services('ISXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX') \ .conversations('CHXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX').delete(x_twilio_webhook_enabled: 'true') }.to raise_exception(Twilio::REST::TwilioError) headers = {'X-Twilio-Webhook-Enabled' => 'true', } expect( @holodeck.has_request?(Holodeck::Request.new( method: 'delete', url: 'https://conversations.twilio.com/v1/Services/ISXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Conversations/CHXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX', headers: headers, ))).to eq(true) end it "receives delete responses" do @holodeck.mock(Twilio::Response.new( 204, nil, )) actual = @client.conversations.v1.services('ISXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX') \ .conversations('CHXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX').delete() expect(actual).to eq(true) end it "can fetch" do @holodeck.mock(Twilio::Response.new(500, '')) expect { @client.conversations.v1.services('ISXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX') \ .conversations('CHXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX').fetch() }.to raise_exception(Twilio::REST::TwilioError) expect( @holodeck.has_request?(Holodeck::Request.new( method: 'get', url: 'https://conversations.twilio.com/v1/Services/ISXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Conversations/CHXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX', ))).to eq(true) end it "receives fetch responses" do @holodeck.mock(Twilio::Response.new( 200, %q[ { "sid": "CHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", "account_sid": "ACaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", "chat_service_sid": "ISaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", "messaging_service_sid": "MGaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", "friendly_name": "My First Conversation", "unique_name": "first_conversation", "attributes": "{ \\"topic\\": \\"feedback\\" }", "date_created": "2015-12-16T22:18:37Z", "date_updated": "2015-12-16T22:18:38Z", "state": "active", "timers": { "date_inactive": "2015-12-16T22:19:38Z", "date_closed": "2015-12-16T22:28:38Z" }, "url": "https://conversations.twilio.com/v1/Services/ISaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Conversations/CHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", "links": { "participants": "https://conversations.twilio.com/v1/Services/ISaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Conversations/CHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Participants", "messages": "https://conversations.twilio.com/v1/Services/ISaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Conversations/CHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Messages", "webhooks": "https://conversations.twilio.com/v1/Services/ISaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Conversations/CHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Webhooks" } } ] )) actual = @client.conversations.v1.services('ISXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX') \ .conversations('CHXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX').fetch() expect(actual).to_not eq(nil) end it "can read" do @holodeck.mock(Twilio::Response.new(500, '')) expect { @client.conversations.v1.services('ISXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX') \ .conversations.list() }.to raise_exception(Twilio::REST::TwilioError) expect( @holodeck.has_request?(Holodeck::Request.new( method: 'get', url: 'https://conversations.twilio.com/v1/Services/ISXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Conversations', ))).to eq(true) end it "receives read_full responses" do @holodeck.mock(Twilio::Response.new( 200, %q[ { "conversations": [ { "sid": "CHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", "account_sid": "ACaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", "chat_service_sid": "ISaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", "messaging_service_sid": "MGaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", "friendly_name": "Home Repair Visit", "unique_name": null, "attributes": "{ \\"topic\\": \\"feedback\\" }", "date_created": "2015-12-16T22:18:37Z", "date_updated": "2015-12-16T22:18:38Z", "state": "active", "timers": { "date_inactive": "2015-12-16T22:19:38Z", "date_closed": "2015-12-16T22:28:38Z" }, "url": "https://conversations.twilio.com/v1/Services/ISaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Conversations/CHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", "links": { "participants": "https://conversations.twilio.com/v1/Services/ISaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Conversations/CHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Participants", "messages": "https://conversations.twilio.com/v1/Services/ISaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Conversations/CHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Messages", "webhooks": "https://conversations.twilio.com/v1/Services/ISaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Conversations/CHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Webhooks" } } ], "meta": { "page": 0, "page_size": 50, "first_page_url": "https://conversations.twilio.com/v1/Services/ISaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Conversations?PageSize=50&Page=0", "previous_page_url": null, "url": "https://conversations.twilio.com/v1/Services/ISaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/Conversations?PageSize=50&Page=0", "next_page_url": null, "key": "conversations" } } ] )) actual = @client.conversations.v1.services('ISXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX') \ .conversations.list() expect(actual).to_not eq(nil) end end
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468 F.2d 1252 UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee,v.Harold Alfred BATES, Defendant-Appellant. No. 72-1646. United States Court of Appeals,Fifth Circuit. Nov. 8, 1972. James R. Malsch, Shreveport, La. (Court appointed), for defendant-appellant. Donald E. Walter, U. S. Atty., D. H. Perkins, Jr., Asst. U. S. Atty., Shreveport, La., for plaintiff-appellee. Before DYER, SIMPSON and MORGAN, Circuit Judges. LEWIS R. MORGAN, Circuit Judge: 1 Harold Alfred Bates was charged in a two-count indictment with stealing a treasury check from the mail and causing another to falsely endorse and cash the check in violation of 18 U.S.C. Secs. 1702, 495, 2(b).1 From a jury conviction on both counts Bates appeals to this court. We find merit in two of Bates' assertions of error, and we therefore reverse the conviction and remand the case for a new trial. 2 At the trial below the government presented evidence that a federal income tax refund check, payable to James Smith, had been taken without the addressee's consent from a mail depository at a boarding house where Smith had formerly lived. The check was subsequently cashed at the Broadway Food Mart by one Harold Jackson. Jackson testified that appellant Bates had approached him in a barber shop and asked him to get someone to cash the check. After several unsuccessful attempts at various liquor stores Jackson finally succeeded in getting Joe Belk, manager of the Broadway Food Mart, to cash the check. The proceeds were then divided between Jackson and Bates. Jackson stated that he was at all times acting under instructions from Bates and in the belief that Bates was in lawful possession of the check. 3 The prosecutor then asked Jackson whether he signed the name "James Smith" on the back of the check and Jackson replied that he did not. The prosecutor pled surprise and reminded Jackson of a prior written statement in which Jackson admitted forging the name of the payee to the check. Jackson, however, remained steadfast in his denial and testified that the prior statement was a lie which he uttered at the request of the prosecuting attorney. Quite understandably, the prosecutor quickly began questioning Jackson about other aspects of the case and, after cross-examination by defense counsel, Jackson was excused as a witness. 4 Then, after adjournment for the noon recess, Jackson was called back to the witness stand. It is apparent from the statements of the court and counsel, set out in the margin below,2 that during the noon recess Jackson decided to change his story after talking with the district judge, the prosecuting attorney and the postal inspector. This time Jackson stated that his testimony of the previous morning was not true and that he did indeed sign the payee's name on the back of the check after being told to do so by Bates. As soon as Jackson finished testifying the district judge turned to the marshal and, in the presence of the jury, stated as follows: 5 "Mr. Marshal, the Court instructs you to take this witness [Jackson] into custody on a charge of perjury on a complaint to be prepared by Mr. Swagerty, the Postal Inspector, and have him brought before the United States Magistrate, Mr. Barton, at the earliest possible time after Court adjourns this afternoon. You better have someone call Mr. Barton and make arrangements for him to come over here to handle the matter."Of course, under the circumstances here, by having stated that he put his name on this check-this is entirely within the discretion of the United States Attorney's office-he has violated the Federal law in falsely endorsing this check. It is entirely up to the United States Attorney as to whether he will be prosecuted for that offense. 6 "The Court directs the charge of perjury committed this morning be filed on a complaint which the United States Attorney will authorize." (Emphasis supplied). 7 Bates contends on appeal that his right to a fair trial was violated because these statements prejudiced the jury in favor of crediting Jackson's afternoon testimony rather than the version of the facts which Jackson gave the previous morning. The morning version was more favorable to defense, of course, because the indictment as well as the instructions to the jury specifically charged Bates with causing Jackson to cash the check with knowledge that the payee's endorsement was forged. When Jackson took the stand for the second time and recanted and stated that he had forged the payee's name at the behest of Bates, the government's case was made stronger in regard to whether or not Bates knew the payee's signature was a forgery. At that point the jury was faced with a choice of believing one of two conflicting statements by the same witness. By instructing the marshal to arrest Jackson on a charge of perjury committed "this morning" the trial judge was in effect telling the jury that Jackson was lying in his initial testimony and being truthful in his recanted testimony.3 It was for the jury to determine which of the witness' stories would be given credence, or indeed whether the witness would be believed at all. The comments by the trial judge clearly infringed upon the jury's credibility determining process and appellant was thereby deprived of a fair trial. See Bursten v. United States, 5 Cir. 1968, 395 F.2d 976; Moody v. United States, 5 Cir. 1967, 377 F.2d 175; Stevens v. United States, 5 Cir. 1962, 306 F.2d 834. 8 Because we believe that the trial court's comments in this case were of a severe nature, we hold that the error was not cured by the court's subsequent instruction which informed the jurors that they were the sole judges of the credibility of the witnesses. "It is well known, as a matter of judicial notice, that juries are highly sensitive to every utterance by the trial judge, the trial arbiter, and that some comments may be so highly prejudicial that even a strong admonition by the judge to the jury, that they are not bound by the judge's views, will not cure the error." Bursten v. United States, supra, 395 F.2d at 983. Accordingly, Bates' conviction on both counts must be reversed and the case remanded for a new trial. 9 As to Count II of the indictment there is an additional ground for reversal. This count charged Bates with a violation of 18 U.S.C. Sec. 495, but the indictment, as drawn up by the government, failed to specify that the acts were done with the "intent to defraud the United States". In Walker v. United States, 5 Cir. 1965, 342 F.2d 22, a criminal prosecution involving this very same statute, this court held that "intent to defraud the United States" was an essential element of the offense which must be alleged in the indictment. Contrary to the argument advanced by the government, our subsequent decision in Gearing v. United States, 5 Cir. 1970, 432 F.2d 1038, did nothing to alter the effect of Walker on the indictment in this case. See United States v. Fischetti, 5 Cir. 1971, 450 F.2d 34 at 39. Count II of the indictment is therefore defective because it fails to allege an essential element of the crime. 10 Due to our disposition of the preceding issues, it becomes unnecessary to consider the other three issues raised by appellant. 11 For all of the above reasons the conviction of appellant is hereby 12 Reversed and remanded. 1 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1702: "Whoever takes any letter, postal card, or package out of any post office or any authorized depository for mail matter, or from any letter or mail carrier, or which has been in any post office or authorized depository, or in the custody of any letter or mail carrier, before it has been delivered to the person to whom it was directed, with design to obstruct the correspondence, or to pry into the business or secrets of another, or opens, secretes, embezzles, or destroys the same, shall be fined not more than $2,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both." 18 U.S.C. Sec. 495: "Whoever falsely makes, alters, forges, or counterfeits any deed, power of attorney, order, certificate, receipt, contract, or other writing, for the purpose of obtaining or receiving, or of enabling any other person, either directly or indirectly, to obtain or receive from the United States or any officers or agents thereof, any sum of money; or "Whoever utters or publishes as true any such false, forged, altered, or counterfeited writing, with intent to defraud the United States, knowing the same to be false, altered, forged, or counterfeited; or "Whoever transmits to, or presents at any office or officer of the United States, any such writing in support of, or in relation to, any account of claim, with intent to defraud the United States, knowing the same to be false, altered, forged, or counterfeited- "Shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both." 18 U.S.C. Sec. 2(b): "Whoever wilfully causes an act to be done which if directly performed by him or another would be an offense against the United States, is punishable as a principal." 2 "HAROLD JAMES JACKSON, III, recalled as a witness on behalf of the Government, having previously been duly sworn by the Clerk, testified further as follows: MR. MALSCH: If the Court please, before this witness testifies, may I enter an objection to his testimony again. It is not in rebuttal. THE COURT: A matter has developed since the recess which needs to be brought out. DIRECT EXAMINATION BY MR. PERKINS: Q. You understand, Jackson, you remain under oath to tell the truth? A. Yes, sir. Q. Did you tell me out in the hall that you wanted to apologize to me and the Court? A. Yes. MR. MALSCH: If the Court please, is this hearsay testimony? THE COURT: No, sir, that is what he said. BY MR. PERKINS: Q. Did you tell me out in the hall you wanted to apologize for some of your testimony about this check? A. Yes, sir. THE COURT: Did I happen to walk along right near the elevator going to lunch and you were about to go downstairs and you were talking to Mr. Perkins and Mr. Swagerty, the Postal Inspector? THE WITNESS: Yes, sir. THE COURT: And did I address you? THE WITNESS: Yes, sir. THE COURT: Did I tell you to tell the truth? THE WITNESS: Yes, sir. THE COURT: And nothing but the truth? THE WITNESS: Yes, sir. BY MR. PERKINS: Q. Who put that name on the back of the check, 'James Smith'? A. I did. Q. Who asked you to put the name on the back of the check? A. Bates did. He told me to sign the check and get it cashed and then I signed it and went in the store and cashed it. . . ." 3 No reason appears from the record as to why the district court could not have charged Jackson with perjury outside of the presence of the jury
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Q: What's wrong with my robots.txt file to block Google? I have a website and I don't want this website to be visible on Google. So I deployed a robots.txt file. But the homepage of the website is still visible on Google. Here is the full code of my robots.txt copy-pasted below- User-agent: * Disallow: /cgi-bin/ Disallow: /private/ Disallow: /tmp/ Disallow: /_/ Disallow: /cgi-bin/ Disallow: /index.html Disallow: /images Disallow: /about.html A: If you don't want to allowed to crawl your website on Google search result, then use this robots.txt User-agent: * Disallow: / These will block all directories. But if many website links to your website, then Google will start displaying this snippet in future. Now if you don't want to index that website competely, then use noindex meta-tags/HTTP headers. That meta tags simply no index your all pages, but it is allowed to crawl. So if your main concern is about to, not visible in search result, then I highly recommended to use noindex tags. But don't use it both, because when the site is blocked by robots.txt then Google will not going to see your meta-tags/http headers.
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[
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August Bytemarks Lunch When you get a bunch of geeks together a lot of information gets pass along very quickly. Luckily this month's lunch attendance was small where the six of us, @pineapplejuice, @hawaii, @exbor, @carolyhi59 and @madmarv, could claim a table at La Pizza Rina. Even so, there is no way I can record all that info. So what I did this month is try to curate my notes. Here's what we came up with: Websites: If you want to find out about what is happening in the social media scene you must check out @Hawaii's new website Hawaii Social Media.com. You'll find up to date highlights on events, workshops and the occasional provocative article about SM in the local media. Carolyhi59 brought up DomoDoesTheWorld.com. A creative group collaboration that chronicles the adventures of Domo. Madmarv reminded me about Unconferenz 2011 and the fact that it is only 5 months away. Tentatively we are looking at the 3rd week in Feb 2011. I will be more specific as soon as I hear back from KCC. We also talked about the end of Metromix and the rise of Nonstop Honolulu. They are going to give TGIF in the Star-Advertiser a run for their money. Nonstop Honolulu has strong sociable personalities whereas TGIF is pretty nondescript. I'm not even sure who is behind their Twitter account. Miscellaneous: Madmarv remembers we talked about DVR to DVD recording. Fringe. Social media in politics. Furloughs. A smidgen of gadget geeking. Civil beat. Hawaii said he advocated just getting a DVD recorder, available at Costco and Walmart. Otherwise, TiVo all the way! Pineapplejuice recalls us talking about: Mufi's flyer, and how that self-described social media expert said that no (political) campaign was using social media effectively, general mobile device show-and-tell, and geolocation services - Foursquare, Gowalla, and now Facebook Places - and how FP doesn't work on my phone for some reason. Exbor tweeted the fact that we got into deep conversations with the group. He also reminded me that we talked about Google's new Phone Service and suggested this Lifehacker tip. That's it for now. If you are interested in finding out about the next Bytemarks Lunch, just sign up for the Bytemarks Yahoogroup and you will get the notifications. Some of you might think Yahoogroups is old school but back in 2003 when we started the group, Yahoogroups was it! Mahalo to @hawaii for these lunchtime photos.
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Celebrities Who Got Fit With P90X Which Celebs Got Fit With P90X? Republican vice presidential candidate Rep. Paul Ryan's physique had become something of an Internet sensation since joining the GOP ticket. Just 24 hours after the news broke, Google trends showed that the second most-popular search term associated with Ryan was "shirtless." A devout P90Xer, Ryan told Yahoo News on Aug. 14 he's going to keep himself in shape on the campaign trail. Mark Wilson/Getty Images Which Celebs Got Fit With P90X? Republican vice presidential candidate Rep. Paul Ryan's physique had become something of an Internet sensation since joining the GOP ticket. Just 24 hours after the news broke, Google trends showed that the second most-popular search term associated with Ryan was "shirtless." A devout P90Xer, Ryan told Yahoo News on Aug. 14 he's going to keep himself in shape on the campaign trail.
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High-sensitivity, high-frequency extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric fiber-tip sensor based on a thin silver diaphragm. We propose and demonstrate a fiber-tip sensor based on an ultra-thin silver diaphragm for highly sensitive and high frequency ultrasonic detection. The diaphragm is prepared by the vacuum thermal deposition method and then transferred to the fiber tip. The sensor demonstrated in this letter has a 300 nm thick diaphragm with an inner diameter of 75 μm, leading to a static pressure sensitivity of 1.6 nm/kPa and a resonant frequency of 1.44 MHz. This sensor has potential applications in many fields such as structural health monitoring and medical ultrasonography.
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High
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[
0.706766917293233,
29.375,
12.1875
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This invention relates generally to the construction of concrete walls, slabs or other structures adjacent to or inclusive of spaces. More particularly, this invention pertains to void forms for creating spaces beneath concrete structures to separate and protect the structures from underlying expansive soils. Expansive soils are prevalent in many areas of the United States, as well as in other countries. Such soils typically contain much clay, and expand and contract considerably as a result of cyclical changes in moisture content and/or as a result of natural freezing-thawing cycles. A common method of construction in such expansive soils uses spaced drilled piers or spread footings for supporting the walls and floors. In this method, the concrete walls or beams supported by the piers or footings must be provided with a substantial spacing from the expansive underlying soil. Otherwise, the upward expansion of the soil may contract and force the beams or walls upward, causing cracking and deformation of the concrete. Without the required spacing, the integrity of the concrete structure is eventually lost. Excavation of soil from beneath a concrete structure after it has "set" is a labor-intensive, very expensive method for resolving the problem with expansive soils. Where the structure has a lower edge below grade, a trench sufficiently wide to permit hand removal of soil below the structure must be provided. Furthermore, it is desirable to remove any forms of wood, metal or plastic used to form the lower surface of the structure. Such forms have a long life and should be removed after the concrete has set to provide further expansion space below the structure, and for re-use. The use of integral corrugated paper form voids is known. In one application, such form voids are placed at the bottom of wall forms and trenches to separate the subsequently poured concrete from the ground. The corrugated paper form voids have sufficient temporary strength to support the wet concrete at a distance above the ground, but gradually absorb water and deteriorate to a condition where they no longer provide support. However, by this time the concrete has set and needs no support other than that provided by the piers. During periods of upward expansion of the underlying soil, the soil occupies the space left by the deteriorated or weakened form voids. Form voids are available in various cross-sectional configurations. The generally rigid form voids are prepared by forming the desired structural shape of panels of corrugated paper and joining the panels together with adhesive. An internal cellular grid structure may be used within the form void to increase the strength of the form void as required. It has been common practice to abut square-ended form voids to round piers, resulting in the flow of wet concrete downward between the pier and form void. While the quantity of this misdirected concrete is relatively small, it has been found that it nevertheless may provide a lower surface against which expanding soils may apply upward forces to distort or damage the concrete structure.
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I read this last week per Lonebear´s recommendation. It is indeed a great read. It certainly is wrought with NEW AGE narratives, but nonetheless the evolved "Macro Society" for the future vs. the current state of humanity´s self destruction is a nice change. 2 core phrases throughout the book I thou... Additionally, this show makes me think its an experiment to measure the response, capabilities, and acceptance of the muggles in a "lights out" situation. Has anyone here seen or followed the current TV series called "Revolution"? This show I feel is another example of the elites disclosing and hint... I wish it weren't so, but right off the bat, my intuition tells me this is but an attempt to ultimately dis-credit any idea or effort to create such a society. I watched the trailer just to make sure I had the idea of what they were trying to do, and its all about TV. In fact they even say in the tr...
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[Influence of co-administered antiepileptic drugs on nitrazepam tolerance in mice]. In the treatment of epilepsy, benzodiazepines are often administered in combination with other antiepileptic drug (s) because of the development of tolerance. In this study, the influence of concurrently administered antiepileptic drugs on tolerance to the anticonvulsant action of the nitrazepam (NZP) was studied using an animal tolerance model. Mice were given vehicle, NZP alone or NZP concurrently with one of six antiepileptic drugs (carbamazepine CBZ, phenytoin PHT, zonisamide ZNS, vigabatrin VGB, lamotrigine LTG, or flunarizine FNR) twice daily for 5 days. Tolerance was assessed by the ability of NZP to prevent pentylenetetrazol-induced clonic convulsions. Tolerance developed in mice treated with NZP alone, NZP plus CBZ, PHT, ZNS, VGB or LTG. On the other hand, mice receiving NZP + FNR showed no tolerance; there was no significant difference in seizure frequency between the vehicle group and NZP + FNR group. These data suggest that co-administration of FNR but not CBZ, PHT, ZNS, VGB or LTG may delay if not prevent development of tolerance to the anticonvulsant action of benzodiazepines.
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Forum für Wissenschaft, Industrie und Wirtschaft Do Three Meals a Day Keep Fungi Away? 19.10.2009 The fact that they eat a lot – and often – may explain why most people and other mammals are protected from the majority of fungal pathogens, according to research from Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. The research, published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, showed that the elevated body temperature of mammals – the familiar 98.6° F or 37° C in people – is too high for the vast majority of potential fungal invaders to survive. “Fungal strains undergo a major loss of ability to grow as we move to mammalian temperatures,” said Arturo Casadevall, M.D., Ph.D., chair and professor of microbiology & immunology at Einstein. Dr. Casadevall conducted the study in conjunction with Vincent A. Robert of the Utrecht, Netherlands-based Fungal Biodiversity Center, also known as Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures. “Our study makes the argument that our warm temperatures may have evolved to protect us against fungal diseases,” said Dr. Casadevall. “And being warm-blooded and therefore largely resistant to fungal infections may help explain the dominance of mammals after the age of dinosaurs.” There are roughly 1.5 million fungal species. Of these, only a few hundred are pathogenic to mammals. Fungal infections in people are often the result of an impaired immune function. By contrast, an estimated 270,000 fungal species are pathogenic to plants and 50,000 species infect insects. Frogs and other amphibians are prone to fungal pathogens, one of which, chytridiomycosis, is currently raging through frogs worldwide. Fungi are also important in the decomposition of plants. In their study, the researchers investigated how 4,082 different fungal strains from the Utrecht collection grew in temperatures ranging from chilly – 4° C or 39° F – to desert hot – 45° C or 113° F. They found that nearly all of them grew well in temperatures up to 30° C. Beyond that, though, the number of successful species declined by 6 percent for every one degree centigrade increase. Most could not grow at mammalian temperatures. Those that did well in hotter conditions were often from warm-blooded sources. Dr. Casadevall noted that the current study covered thousands of fungal strains and made use of a computerized database of the Utrecht collection. In the past, this type of research would have required retrieving this information manually, which Dr. Casadevall noted would have been a very time-consuming task. “This was possible only because we could use bioinformatic tools to analyze the records in the culture collection,” he said. “There is no way to do a study like this without such technology given the enormous numbers of samples and the labor involved.” The results of the study, he added, could help explain why mammals maintain a seemingly energy-wasteful lifestyle requiring a great deal of food. By contrast, reptiles need only eat once a day or even less often. “The payoff, however, may be that mammals are much more resistant to soil and plant-borne fungal pathogens than are reptiles and other cold-blooded vertebrates,” said Dr. Casadevall. This stronger immunity to fungi could explain why mammals rose to dominance after the dinosaur extinction event 65 million years ago. Indeed, the fungal bloom that occurred then may be one reason for the extinction of dinosaurs, a possibility outlined in a 2004 Fungal Genetics and Biology paper from Dr. Casadevall. (http://www.einstein.yu.edu/home/newsArchive.asp?id=63) The research paper, “Vertebrate Endothermy Restricts Most Fungi as Potential Pathogens,” appeared in the October 13 online edition of the Journal of Infectious Diseases. About Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva UniversityAlbert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University is one of the nation’s premier centers for research, medical education and clinical investigation. It is home to 2,775 faculty members, 625 M.D. students, 225 Ph.D. students, 125 students in the combined M.D./Ph.D. program, and 380 postdoctoral research fellows. In 2008, Einstein received more than $130 million in support from the NIH. This includes the funding of major research centers at Einstein in diabetes, cancer, liver disease, and AIDS. Other areas where the College of Medicine is concentrating its efforts include developmental brain research, neuroscience, cardiac disease, and initiatives to reduce and eliminate ethnic and racial health disparities. Through its extensive affiliation network involving eight hospitals and medical centers in the Bronx, Manhattan and Long Island – which includes Montefiore Medical Center, The University Hospital and Academic Medical Center for Einstein – the College of Medicine runs one of the largest post-graduate medical training programs in the United States, offering approximately 150 residency programs to more than 2,500 physicians in training.
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Variation in route of microsomal activation of 7,12-dimethylbenz [a]anthracene with substrate concentration +. The nature of the metabolites of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) binding to DNA in the presence of Aroclor-induced rat liver microsomes is not affected by the presence or absence of magnesium ions, but is dependent on the concentration of the hydrocarbon. At high concentrations of DMBA, the primary route of metabolic activation is through the K-region oxide while, at low concentrations of DMBA, activation is through other routes. A small proportion of these latter products elute from Sephadex LH-20 columns with mouse embryo cell [14C]DMBA-DNA adducts which are known to arise through reaction of the bay region diol-epoxide of DMBA with cellular DNA. In contrast to the dose-dependence of activation of DMBA by microsomes, the binding of this carcinogen to DNA in intact cultured mouse embryo cells is not qualitatively influenced by concentration over a forty-fold dose range. These findings suggest limitations in the use of microsomal systems as models for target tissue activation.
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0.598039215686274,
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Predicting recidivism with the Psychopathy Checklist: are factor score composites really necessary? In two previous studies on general and violent recidivism (Walters & Heilbrun, 2010; Walters, Knight, Grann, & Dahle, 2008), the summed composite antisocial facet of the Psychopathy Checklist displayed incremental validity relative to the other 3 facets (interpersonal, affective, lifestyle), whereas the other 3 facets generally failed to demonstrate incremental validity relative to the antisocial facet. Because summed composite scores do not account for ordinal item distributions, the 6 Walters et al. (2008) samples were reanalyzed with factor score composites derived from a 4-factor confirmatory factor analysis. The results, however, showed little change from what had been obtained earlier with summed composite scores. Two additional samples not previously included in any incremental validity analyses of the Psychopathy Checklist evidenced a 3-factor structure, with the lifestyle and antisocial facets merged into a single factor. This single factor displayed incremental validity relative to the interpersonal and affective facets, but the reverse was not true regardless of whether summed composite scores or factor score composites were used. A comparison of zero-order correlations from all 8 samples revealed that the antisocial summed composite score predicted significantly better than the summed composite scores for the other 3 facets and that a superordinate factor failed to improve on the performance of either the antisocial summed composite score or the antisocial factor score composite.
|
High
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[
0.6633416458852861,
33.25,
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1. Field of the Invention The present invention is directed to memory management. It particularly concerns what has come to be known as “garbage collection.” 2. Background Information In the field of computer systems, considerable effort has been expended on the task of allocating memory to data objects. For the purposes of this discussion, the term object refers to a data structure represented in a computer system's memory. Other terms sometimes used for the same concept are record and structure. An object may be identified by a reference, a relatively small amount of information that can be used to access the object. A reference can be represented as a “pointer” or a “machine address,” which may require, for instance, only sixteen, thirty-two, or sixty-four bits of information, although there are other ways to represent a reference. In some systems, which are usually known as “object oriented,” objects may have associated methods, which are routines that can be invoked by reference to the object. They also may belong to a class, which is an organizational entity that may contain method code or other information shared by all objects belonging to that class. In the discussion that follows, though, the term object will not be limited to such structures; it will additionally include structures with which methods and classes are not associated. The invention to be described below is applicable to systems that allocate memory to objects dynamically. Not all systems employ dynamic allocation. In some computer languages, source programs must be so written that all objects to which the program's variables refer are bound to storage locations at compile time. This storage-allocation approach, sometimes referred to as “static allocation,” is the policy traditionally used by the Fortran programming language, for example. Even for compilers that are thought of as allocating objects only statically, of course, there is often a certain level of abstraction to this binding of objects to storage locations. Consider the typical computer system 10 depicted in FIG. 1, for example. Data and instructions for operating on them that a microprocessor 11 uses may reside in on-board cache memory or be received from further cache memory 12, possibly through the mediation of a cache controller 13. That controller 13 can in turn receive such data from system read/write memory (“RAM”) 14 through a RAM controller 15 or from various peripheral devices such as communications interface 16 through a system bus 17. The memory space made available to an application program may be “virtual” in the sense that it can actually be considerably larger than RAM 14 provides. So the RAM contents will be swapped to and from a system disk 18. Additionally, the actual physical operations performed to access some of the most-recently visited parts of the process's address space often will actually be performed in the cache 12 or in a cache on board microprocessor 11 rather than on the RAM 14, with which those caches swap data and instructions just as RAM 14 and system disk 18 do with each other. A further level of abstraction results from the fact that an application will often be run as one of many processes operating concurrently with the support of an underlying operating system. As part of that system's memory management, the application's memory space may be moved among different actual physical locations many times in order to allow different processes to employ shared physical memory devices. That is, the location specified in the application's machine code may actually result in different physical locations at different times because the operating system adds different offsets to the machine-language-specified location. Despite these expedients, the use of static memory allocation in writing certain long-lived applications makes it difficult to restrict storage requirements to the available memory space. Abiding by space limitations is easier when the platform provides for dynamic memory allocation, i.e., when memory space to be allocated to a given object is determined only at run time. Dynamic allocation has a number of advantages, among which is that the run-time system is able to adapt allocation to run-time conditions. For example, the programmer can specify that space should be allocated for a given object only in response to a particular run-time condition. The C-language library function malloc( ) is often used for this purpose. Conversely, the programmer can specify conditions under which memory previously allocated to a given object can be reclaimed for reuse. The C-language library function free( ) results in such memory reclamation. Because dynamic allocation provides for memory reuse, it facilitates generation of large or long-lived applications, which over the course of their lifetimes may employ objects whose total memory requirements would greatly exceed the available memory resources if they were bound to memory locations statically. Particularly for long-lived applications, though, allocation and reclamation of dynamic memory must be performed carefully. If the application fails to reclaim unused memory—or, worse, loses track of the address of a dynamically allocated segment of memory—its memory requirements will grow over time to exceed the system's available memory. This kind of error is known as a “memory leak.” Another kind of error occurs when an application reclaims memory for reuse even though it still maintains a reference to that memory. If the reclaimed memory is reallocated for a different purpose, the application may inadvertently manipulate the same memory in multiple inconsistent ways. This kind of error is known as a “dangling reference,” because an application should not retain a reference to a memory location once that location is reclaimed. Explicit dynamic-memory management by using interfaces like malloc( )/free( ) often leads to these problems. A way of reducing the likelihood of such leaks and related errors is to provide memory-space reclamation in a more-automatic manner. Techniques used by systems that reclaim memory space automatically are commonly referred to as “garbage collection.” Garbage collectors operate by reclaiming space that they no longer consider “reachable.” Statically allocated objects represented by a program's global variables are normally considered reachable throughout a program's life. Such objects are not ordinarily stored in the garbage collector's managed memory space, but they may contain references to dynamically allocated objects that are, and such objects are considered reachable. Clearly, an object referred to in the processor's call stack is reachable, as is an object referred to by register contents. And an object referred to by any reachable object is also reachable. The use of garbage collectors is advantageous because, whereas a programmer working on a particular sequence of code can perform his task creditably in most respects with only local knowledge of the application at any given time, memory allocation and reclamation require a global knowledge of the program. Specifically, a programmer dealing with a given sequence of code does tend to know whether some portion of memory is still in use for that sequence of code, but it is considerably more difficult for him to know what the rest of the application is doing with that memory. By tracing references from some conservative notion of a “root set,” e.g., global variables, registers, and the call stack, automatic garbage collectors obtain global knowledge in a methodical way. By using a garbage collector, the programmer is relieved of the need to worry about the application's global state and can concentrate on local-state issues, which are more manageable. The result is applications that are more robust, having no dangling references and fewer memory leaks. Garbage-collection mechanisms can be implemented by various parts and levels of a computing system. One approach is simply to provide them as part of a batch compiler's output. Consider FIG. 2's simple batch-compiler operation, for example. A computer system executes in accordance with compiler object code and therefore acts as a compiler 20. The compiler object code is typically stored on a medium such as FIG. 1's system disk 18 or some other machine-readable medium, and it is loaded into RAM 14 to configure the computer system to act as a compiler. In some cases, though, the compiler object code's persistent storage may instead be provided in a server system remote from the machine that performs the compiling. The electrical signals that carry the digital data by which the computer systems exchange that code are examples of the kinds of electro-magnetic signals by which the computer instructions can be communicated. Others are radio waves, microwaves, and both visible and invisible light. The input to the compiler is the application source code, and the end product of the compiler process is application object code. This object code defines an application 21, which typically operates on input such as mouse clicks, etc., to generate a display or some other type of output. This object code implements the relationship that the programmer intends to specify by his application source code. In one approach to garbage collection, the compiler 20, without the programmer's explicit direction, additionally generates code that automatically reclaims unreachable memory space. Even in this simple case, though, there is a sense in which the application does not itself provide the entire garbage collector. Specifically, the application will typically call upon the underlying operating system's memory-allocation functions. And the operating system may in turn take advantage of various hardware that lends itself particularly to use in garbage collection. So even a very simple system may disperse the garbage-collection mechanism over a number of computer-system layers. To get some sense of the variety of system components that can be used to implement garbage collection, consider FIG. 3's example of a more complex way in which various levels of source code can result in the machine instructions that a processor executes. In the FIG. 3 arrangement, the human applications programmer produces source code 22 written in a high-level language. A compiler 23 typically converts that code into “class files.” These files include routines written in instructions, called “byte codes” 24, for a “virtual machine” that various processors can be software-configured to emulate. This conversion into byte codes is almost always separated in time from those codes' execution, so FIG. 3 divides the sequence into a “compile-time environment” 25 separate from a “run-time environment” 26, in which execution occurs. One example of a high-level language for which compilers are available to produce such virtual-machine instructions is the Java™ programming language. (Java is a trademark or registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc., in the United States and other countries.) Most typically, the class files' byte-code routines are executed by a processor under control of a virtual-machine process 27. That process emulates a virtual machine from whose instruction set the byte codes are drawn. As is true of the compiler 23, the virtual-machine process 27 may be specified by code stored on a local disk or some other machine-readable medium from which it is read into FIG. 1's RAM 14 to configure the computer system to implement the garbage collector and otherwise act as a virtual machine. Again, though, that code's persistent storage may instead be provided by a server system remote from the processor that implements the virtual machine, in which case the code would be transmitted electrically or optically to the virtual-machine-implementing processor. In some implementations, much of the virtual machine's action in executing these byte codes is most like what those skilled in the art refer to as “interpreting,” so FIG. 3 depicts the virtual machine as including an “interpreter” 28 for that purpose. In addition to or instead of running an interpreter, many virtual-machine implementations actually compile the byte codes concurrently with the resultant object code's execution, so FIG. 3 depicts the virtual machine as additionally including a “just-in-time” compiler 29. The arrangement of FIG. 3 differs from FIG. 2 in that the compiler 23 for converting the human programmer's code does not contribute to providing the garbage-collection function; that results largely from the virtual machine 27's operation. Those skilled in that art will recognize that both of these organizations are merely exemplary, and many modern systems employ hybrid mechanisms, which partake of the characteristics of traditional compilers and traditional interpreters both. The invention to be described below is applicable independently of whether a batch compiler, a just-in-time compiler, an interpreter, or some hybrid is employed to process source code. In the remainder of this application, therefore, we will use the term compiler to refer to any such mechanism, even if it is what would more typically be called an interpreter. The arrangement of FIG. 3 differs from FIG. 2 in that the compiler 23 for converting the human programmer's code does not contribute to providing the garbage-collection function; that results largely from the virtual machine 27's operation. Although the FIG. 3 arrangement is a popular one, it is by no means universal, and many further implementation types can be expected. Proposals have even been made to implement the virtual machine 27's behavior in a hardware processor, in which case the hardware itself would provide some or all of the garbage-collection function. In short, garbage collectors can be implemented in a wide range of combinations of hardware and/or software. As is true of most of the garbage-collection techniques described in the literature, the invention to be described below is applicable to most such systems. By implementing garbage collection, a computer system can greatly reduce the occurrence of memory leaks and other software deficiencies in which human programming frequently results. But it can also have significant adverse performance effects if it is not implemented carefully. To distinguish the part of the program that does “useful” work from that which does the garbage collection, the term mutator is sometimes used in discussions of these effects; from the collector's point of view, what the mutator does is mutate active data structures' connectivity. Some garbage-collection approaches rely heavily on interleaving garbage-collection steps among mutator steps. In one type of garbage-collection approach, for instance, the mutator operation of writing a reference is followed immediately by garbage-collector steps used to maintain a reference count in that object's header, and code for subsequent new-object storage includes steps for finding space occupied by objects whose reference count has fallen to zero. Obviously, such an approach can slow mutator operation significantly. Other approaches therefore interleave very few garbage-collector-related instructions into the main mutator process but instead interrupt it from time to time to perform garbage-collection cycles, in which the garbage collector finds unreachable objects and reclaims their memory space for reuse. Such an approach will be assumed in discussing FIG. 4's depiction of a simple garbage-collection operation. Within the memory space allocated to a given application is a part 40 managed by automatic garbage collection. In the following discussion, this will be referred to as the “heap,” although in other contexts that term refers to all dynamically allocated memory. During the course of the application's execution, space is allocated for various objects 42, 44, 46, 48, and 50. Typically, the mutator allocates space within the heap by invoking the garbage collector, which at some level manages access to the heap. Basically, the mutator asks the garbage collector for a pointer to a heap region where it can safely place the object's data. The garbage collector keeps track of the fact that the thus-allocated region is occupied. It will refrain from allocating that region in response to any other request until it determines that the mutator no longer needs the region allocated to that object. Garbage collectors vary as to which objects they consider reachable and unreachable. For the present discussion, though, an object will be considered “reachable” if it is referred to, as object 42 is, by a reference in the root set 52. The root set consists of reference values stored in the mutator's threads' call stacks, the CPU registers, and global variables outside the garbage-collected heap. An object is also reachable if it is referred to, as object 46 is, by another reachable object (in this case, object 42). Objects that are not reachable can no longer affect the program, so it is safe to re-allocate the memory space that they occupy. A typical approach to garbage collection is therefore to identify all reachable objects and reclaim any previously allocated memory that the reachable objects do not occupy. A typical garbage collector may identify reachable objects by tracing references from the root set 52. For the sake of simplicity, FIG. 4 depicts only one reference from the root set 52 into the heap 40. (Those skilled in the art will recognize that there are many ways to identify references, or at least data contents that may be references.) The collector notes that the root set points to object 42, which is therefore reachable, and that reachable object 42 points to object 46, which therefore is also reachable. But those reachable objects point to no other objects, so objects 44, 48, and 50 are all unreachable, and their memory space may be reclaimed. This may involve, say, placing that memory space in a list of free memory blocks. To avoid excessive heap fragmentation, some garbage collectors additionally relocate reachable objects. FIG. 5 shows a typical approach. The heap is partitioned into two halves, hereafter called “semi-spaces.” For one garbage-collection cycle, all objects are allocated in one semi-space 54, leaving the other semi-space 56 free. When the garbage-collection cycle occurs, objects identified as reachable are “evacuated” to the other semi-space 56, so all of semi-space 54 is then considered free. Once the garbage-collection cycle has occurred, all new objects are allocated in the lower semi-space 56 until yet another garbage-collection cycle occurs, at which time the reachable objects are evacuated back to the upper semi-space 54. Although this relocation requires the extra steps of copying the reachable objects and updating references to them, it tends to be quite efficient, since most new objects quickly become unreachable, so most of the current semi-space is actually garbage. That is, only a relatively few, reachable objects need to be relocated, after which the entire semi-space contains only garbage and can be pronounced free for reallocation. Now, a collection cycle can involve following all reference chains from the basic root set—i.e., from inherently reachable locations such as the call stacks, class statics and other global variables, and registers—and reclaiming all space occupied by objects not encountered in the process. And the simplest way of performing such a cycle is to interrupt the mutator to provide a collector interval in which the entire cycle is performed before the mutator resumes. For certain types of applications, this approach to collection-cycle scheduling is acceptable and, in fact, highly efficient. For many interactive and real-time applications, though, this approach is not acceptable. The delay in mutator operation that the collection cycle's execution causes can be annoying to a user and can prevent a real-time application from responding to its environment with the required speed. In some applications, choosing collection times opportunistically can reduce this effect. Collection intervals can be inserted when an interactive mutator reaches a point at which it awaits user input, for instance. So it may often be true that the garbage-collection operation's effect on performance can depend less on the total collection time than on when collections actually occur. But another factor that often is even more determinative is the duration of any single collection interval, i.e., how long the mutator must remain quiescent at any one time. In an interactive system, for instance, a user may never notice hundred-millisecond interruptions for garbage collection, whereas most users would find interruptions lasting for two seconds to be annoying. The cycle may therefore be divided up among a plurality of collection intervals. When a collection cycle is divided up among a plurality of collection intervals, it is only after a number of intervals that the collector will have followed all reference chains and be able to identify as garbage any objects not thereby reached. This approach is more complex than completing the cycle in a single collection interval; the mutator will usually modify references between collection intervals, so the collector must repeatedly update its view of the reference graph in the midst of the collection cycle. To make such updates practical, the mutator must communicate with the collector to let it know what reference changes are made between intervals. An even more complex approach, which some systems use to eliminate discrete pauses or maximize resource-use efficiency, is to execute the mutator and collector in concurrent execution threads. Most systems that use this approach use it for most but not all of the collection cycle; the mutator is usually interrupted for a short collector interval, in which a part of the collector cycle takes place without mutation. Independent of whether the collection cycle is performed concurrently with mutator operation, is completed in a single interval, or extends over multiple intervals is the question of whether the cycle is complete, as has tacitly been assumed so far, or is instead “incremental.” In incremental collection, a collection cycle constitutes only an increment of collection: the collector does not follow all reference chains from the basic root set completely. Instead, it concentrates on only a portion, or collection set, of the heap. Specifically, it identifies every collection-set object referred to by a reference chain that extends into the collection set from outside of it, and it reclaims the collection-set space not occupied by such objects, possibly after evacuating them from the collection set. By thus culling objects referenced by reference chains that do not necessarily originate in the basic root set, the collector can be thought of as expanding the root set to include as roots some locations that may not be reachable. Although incremental collection thereby leaves “floating garbage,” it can result in relatively low pause times. The invention to be discussed below is directed to garbage collectors that collect incrementally, and it addresses the problem of long pause times that can result even when that approach is employed. It will become apparent that it is applicable to most types of incremental collection. For the sake of concreteness, though, we will consider as an example a particular type of incremental collector, one that divides the garbage-collected heap into “generations” and employs the “train algorithm” on one but not all of the generations. In many collectors, different portions, or generations, of the heap are subject to different collection policies. New objects are usually allocated in a “young” generation, and older objects are “promoted” from younger generations to older or more “mature” generations. Collecting the younger generations more frequently than the others yields greater efficiency because the younger generations tend to accumulate garbage faster; newly allocated objects tend to “die,” while older objects tend to “survive.” For the sake of example, consider FIG. 6, which depicts a garbage-collected heap as divided into a relatively small young generation 58 and larger old generation 60. Let us assume that mutator execution is interrupted from time to time for collection intervals in each of which the entire young generation 58 is collected but not the entire old generation. The operation of collecting the young generation 58 by itself may be more or less the same as that described in connection with FIGS. 4 and 5 for the entire heap, with one major exception: the root set must be considered to include not only the call stack, registers, and global variables represented by set 52 but also objects in the old generations 60, since such objects may themselves may contain references to objects in the young generation 58. So pointers must be traced not only from the basic root set 52 but also from objects within the old generation. One could perform this tracing by simply inspecting all references in the old generation 60 at the beginning of every collection interval, and it turns out that this approach is actually feasible in some situations. But it takes too long in other situations, so workers in this field have employed a number of approaches to expediting reference tracing. One approach is to include so-called write barriers in the mutator process. A write barrier is code added to a write operation to record information from which the collector can determine where references were written or may have been since the last collection interval. A reference list can then be maintained by taking such a list as it existed at the end of the previous collection interval and updating it by inspecting only locations identified by the write barrier as possibly modified since the last collection interval. One of the many write-barrier implementations commonly used by workers in this art employs what has been referred to as the “card table.” FIG. 6 depicts the old generation 60 as being divided into smaller sections, known for this purpose as “cards.” Card table 62 contains an entry for each card. When the mutator writes a reference in a card, it makes an appropriate entry in the card-table location associated with that card (or, say, with the card in which the object containing the reference begins). Most write-barrier implementations simply make a Boolean entry indicating that the write operation has been performed, although some may be more elaborate. The mutator having thus left a record of where new or modified references may be, the collector can thereafter prepare appropriate summaries of that information, as will be explained in due course. For the sake of concreteness, we will assume that the summaries are maintained by steps that occur principally at the beginning of each collection interval. Of course, there are other write-barrier approaches, such as simply having the write barrier add to a list of addresses where references where written. Some collectors collect the entire young generation in every interval and may thereafter perform old-generation collection in the same interval. It may therefore take relatively little time to scan all young-generation objects remaining after young-generation collection to find references into the old generation. As the drawing indicates, the illustrated example use a card table to help find old-generation objects but does not them for finding young-generation references that refer to mature-generation objects. A card table is shown for the old generation, though, since laboriously scanning the entire old generation for references to young-generation (or old-generation) objects would ordinarily take too long. Now, although it typically takes very little time to collect the young generation, it may take more time than is acceptable within a single garbage-collection interval to collect the entire old generation. So some garbage collectors may collect the old generation itself incrementally. That is, the collection set may consist of only a portion of the old generation; an object in the collection set is considered reachable if it is referred to from outside the collection set, even if the reference is in the same, old generation. This is true because objects outside the collection set are not so processed during the collection increment as to enable them to be recognized as unreachable. To reduce the adverse effect this would otherwise have on collection efficiency, workers in this field have employed the “train algorithm.” A generation to be collected incrementally is divided into sections, which for reasons about to be described are referred to as “car sections.” Conventionally, a generation's incremental collection occurs in fixed-size sections, and a car section's size is that of the generation portion to be collected during one cycle. The discussion that follows will occasionally employ the nomenclature in the literature by using the term car instead of car section. But the literature seems to use that term to refer variously not only to memory sections themselves but also to data structures that the train algorithm employs to manage them when they contain objects, as well as to the more-abstract concept that the car section and managing data structure represent in discussions of the algorithm. So the following discussion will more frequently use the expression car section to emphasize the actual sections of memory space for whose management the car concept is employed. According to the train algorithm, the car sections are grouped into “trains,” which are ordered, conventionally according to age. For example, FIG. 7 shows an oldest train 73 consisting of a generation 74's three car sections described by associated data structures 74, 76, and 78, while a second train 80 consists only of a single car section, represented by structure 82, and the youngest train 84 (referred to as the “allocation train”) consists of car sections that data structures 86 and 88 represent. As will be seen below, car sections' train memberships can change, and any car section added to a train is typically added to the end of a train. Conventionally, the car collected in an increment is the one added earliest to the oldest train, which in this case is car 74. All of the generation's cars can thus be thought of as waiting for collection in a single long line, in which cars are ordered in accordance with the order of the trains to which they belong and, within trains, in accordance with the order in which they were added to those trains. As is usual, the way in which reachable objects are identified is to determine whether there are references to them in the root set or in any other object already determined to be reachable. In accordance with the train algorithm, the collector additionally performs a test to determine whether there are any references at all from outside the oldest train to objects within it. If there are not, then all cars within the train can be reclaimed, as will be explained below, with much less effort than is usually required to prepare cars for reclamation. And the train algorithm so operates that inter-car references tend to be grouped into trains, as will now be explained. To identify references into the car from outside of it, train-algorithm implementations (and other incremental collectors) typically employ “remembered sets.” As card tables are, remembered sets are used to keep track of references. Whereas a card-table entry contains information about references that the associated card contains, though, a remembered set associated with a given region contains information about references into that region from locations outside of it. In the case of the train algorithm, remembered sets are associated with car sections. Each remembered set, such as car 74's remembered set 90, lists locations in the generation where references into the associated car section have been found at some time or another. The remembered sets for all of a generation's cars are typically updated at the start of each collection interval. To illustrate how such updating and other collection operations may be carried out, FIGS. 8A and 8B (together, “FIG. 8”) depict an operational sequence in a system of the typical type mention above. That is, it shows a sequence of operations that may occur in a system in which the entire garbage-collected heap is divided into two generations, namely, a young generation and an old generation, and in which the young generation is much smaller than the old generation. FIG. 8 is also based on the assumption and that the train algorithm is used only for collecting the old generation. Block 102 represents a period of the mutator's operation. As was explained above, the mutator makes a card-table entry to identify any card that it has “dirtied” by adding or modifying a reference that the card contains. At some point, the mutator will be interrupted for collector operation. Different implementations employ different events to trigger such an interruption, but we will assume for the sake of concreteness that the system's dynamic-allocation routine causes such interruptions when no room is left in the young generation for any further allocation. A dashed line 103 represents the transition from mutator operation to collector operation. In the system assumed for the FIG. 8 example, the collector collects the (entire) young generation each time such an interruption occurs. When the young generation's collection ends, the mutator operation usually resumes, without the collector's having collected any part of the old generation. Once in a while, though, the collector also collects part of the old generation, and FIG. 8 is intended to illustrate such an occasion. When the collector's interval first starts, it first processes the card table, in an operation that block 104 represents. As was mentioned above, the collector scans the “dirtied” cards for references into the young generation. If a reference is found, that fact is memorialized appropriately. If the reference refers to a young-generation object, for example, an expanded card table may be used for this purpose. For each card, such an expanded card table might include a multi-byte array used to summarize the card's reference contents. The summary may, for instance, be a list of offsets that indicate the exact locations within the card of references to young-generation objects, or it may be a list of fine-granularity “sub-cards” within which references to young-generation objects may be found. If the reference refers to an old-generation object, the collector often adds an entry to the remembered set associated with the car containing that old-generation object. The entry identifies the reference's location, or at least a small region in which the reference can be found. For reasons that will become apparent, though, the collector will typically not bother to place in the remembered set the locations of references from objects in car sections farther forward in the collection queue than the referred-to object, i.e., from objects in older trains or in cars added earlier to the same train. The collector then collects the young generation, as block 105 indicates. (Actually, young-generation collection may be interleaved with the dirty-region scanning, but the drawing illustrates it for purpose of explanation as being separate.) If a young-generation object is referred to by a reference that card-table scanning has revealed, that object is considered to be potentially reachable, as is any young-generation object referred to by a reference in the root set or in another reachable young-generation object. The space occupied by any young-generation object thus considered reachable is withheld from reclamation. For example, it may be evacuated to a young-generation semi-space that will be used for allocation during the next mutator interval. It may instead be promoted into the older generation, where it is placed into a car containing a reference to it or into a car in the last train. Or some other technique may be used to keep the memory space it occupies off the system's free list. The collector then reclaims any young-generation space occupied by any other objects, i.e., by any young-generation objects not identified as transitively reachable through references located outside the young generation. The collector then performs the train algorithm's central test, referred to above, of determining whether there are any references into the oldest train from outside of it. The process of actually inspecting all remembered-set-identified locations for references into the remembered set is conventionally performed for only a single car section in any increment. In the absence of features such as those provided by the train algorithm, this would present a problem, because garbage structures may be larger than a car section. In such structures there would always be objects that (erroneously) appear reachable, since they are referred to from outside the car section under consideration. But the train algorithm additionally keeps track of whether there are any references into a given car from outside the train to which it belongs, and trains' sizes are not limited. As will be apparent presently, objects not found to be unreachable are relocated in such a way that garbage structures tend to be gathered into respective trains into which, eventually, no references from outside the train point. If no references from outside the train point to any objects inside the train, the train can be recognized as containing only garbage, and its memory space can be reclaimed without inspecting all of the memory locations identified by all of the remembered-set entries associated with all of its cars. This is the test that block 106 represents. The question of whether old-generation references point into the train from outside of it is (conservatively) answered in the course of updating remembered sets; in the course of updating a car's remembered set, it is a simple matter to flag the car as being referred to from outside the train. The step-106 test additionally involves determining whether any references from outside the old generation point into the oldest train. Various approaches to making this determination have been suggested, including the conceptually simple approach of merely following all reference chains from the root set until those chains (1) terminate, (2) reach an old-generation object outside the oldest train, or (3) reach an object in the oldest train. In the two-generation example, most of this work can be done readily by identifying references into the collection set from live young-generation objects during the young-generation collection. If one or more such chains reach the oldest train, that train includes reachable objects. It may also include reachable objects if the remembered-set-update operation has found one or more references into the oldest train from outside of it. Otherwise, that train contains only garbage, and the collector reclaims all of its car sections for reuse, as block 107 indicates. The collector may then return control to the mutator, which resumes execution, as FIG. 8B's block 108 indicates. If the train contains reachable objects, on the other hand, the collector turns to evacuating potentially reachable objects from the collection set. The first operation, which block 110 represents, is to remove from the collection set any object that is reachable from the root set by way of a reference chain that does not pass through the part of the old generation that is outside of the collection set. In the illustrated arrangement, in which there are only two generations, and the young generation has previously been completely collected during the same interval, this means evacuating from a collection set any object that (1) is directly referred to by a reference in the root set, (2) is directly referred to by a reference in the young generation (in which no remaining objects have been found unreachable), or (3) is referred to by any reference in an object thereby evacuated. All of the objects thus evacuated are placed in cars in the youngest train, which was newly created during the collection cycle. Certain of the mechanics involved in the evacuation process are described in more detail in connection with similar evacuation performed, as blocks 112 and 114 indicate, in response to remembered-set entries. FIG. 9 illustrates how the processing represented by block 114 proceeds. The entries identify heap regions, and, as block 116 indicates, the collector scans the thus-identified heap regions to find references to locations in the collection-set. As blocks 118 and 120 indicate, that entry's processing continues until the collector finds no more such references. Every time the collector does find such a reference, it checks to determine whether, as a result of a previous entry's processing, the referred-to object has already been evacuated. If it has not, the collector evacuates the referred-to object to a (possibly new) car in the train containing the reference, as blocks 122 and 124 indicate. As FIG. 10 indicates, the evacuation operation includes more than just object relocation, which block 126 represents. Once the object has been moved, the collector places a forwarding pointer in the collection-set location from which it was evacuated, for a purpose that will become apparent presently. Block 128 represents that step. (Actually, there are some cases in which the evacuation is only a “logical” evacuation: the car containing the object is simply re-linked to a different logical place in the collection sequence, but its address does not change. In such cases, forwarding pointers are unnecessary.) Additionally, the reference in response to which the object was evacuated is updated to point to the evacuated object's new location, as block 130 indicates. And, as block 132 indicates, any reference contained in the evacuated object is processed, in an operation that FIGS. 1A and 1B (together, “FIG. 11”) depict. For each one of the evacuated object's references, the collector determines whether the location that it refers to is in the collection set. As blocks 134 and 136 indicate, the reference processing continues until all references in the evacuated object have been processed. In the meantime, if a reference refers to a collection-set location that contains an object not yet evacuated, the collector evacuates the referred-to object to the train to which the evacuated object containing the reference was evacuated, as blocks 138 and 140 indicate. If the reference refers to a location in the collection set from which the object has already been evacuated, then the collector uses the forwarding pointer left in that location to update the reference, as block 142 indicates. Before the processing of FIG. 11, the remembered set of the referred-to object's car will have an entry that identifies the evacuated object's old location as one containing a reference to the referred-to object. But the evacuation has placed the reference in a new location, for which the remembered set of the referred-to object's car may not have an entry. So, if that new location is not as far forward as the referred-to object, the collector adds to that remembered set an entry identifying the reference's new region, as blocks 144 and 146 indicate. As the drawings show, the same type of remembered-set update is performed if the object referred to by the evacuated reference is not in the collection set. Now, some train-algorithm implementations postpone processing of the references contained in evacuated collection-set objects until after all directly reachable collection-set objects have been evacuated. In the implementation that FIG. 10 illustrates, though, the processing of a given evacuated object's references occurs before the next object is evacuated. So FIG. 11's blocks 134 and 148 indicate that the FIG. 11 operation is completed when all of the references contained in the evacuated object have been processed. This completes FIG. 10's object-evacuation operation, which FIG. 9's block 124 represents. As FIG. 9 indicates, each collection-set object referred to by a reference in a remembered-set-entry-identified location is thus evacuated if it has not been already. If the object has already been evacuated from the referred-to location, the reference to that location is updated to point to the location to which the object has been evacuated. If the remembered set associated with the car containing the evacuated object's new location does not include an entry for the reference's location, it is updated to do so if the car containing the reference is younger than the car containing the evacuated object. Block 150 represents updating the reference and, if necessary, the remembered set. As FIG. 8's blocks 112 and 114 indicate, this processing of collection-set remembered sets is performed initially only for entries that do not refer to locations in the oldest train. Those that do are processed only after all others have been, as blocks 152 and 154 indicate. When this process has been completed, the collection set's memory space can be reclaimed, as block 164 indicates, since no remaining object is referred to from outside the collection set: any remaining collection-set object is unreachable. The collector then relinquishes control to the mutator. FIGS. 12A–12J illustrate example results of using the train algorithm. FIG. 12A represents a generation in which objects have been allocated in nine car sections. The oldest train has four cars, numbered 1.1 through 1.4. Car 1.1 has two objects, A and B. There is a reference to object B in the root set (which, as was explained above, includes live objects in the other generations). Object A is referred to by object L, which is in the third train's sole car section. In the generation's remembered sets 170, a reference in object L has therefore been recorded against car 1.1. Processing always starts with the oldest train's earliest-added car, so the garbage collector refers to car 1.1's remembered set and finds that there is a reference from object L into the car being processed. It accordingly evacuates object A to the train that object L occupies. The object being evacuated is often placed in one of the selected train's existing cars, but we will assume for present purposes that there is not enough room. So the garbage collector evacuates object A into a new car section and updates appropriate data structures to identify it as the next car in the third train. FIG. 12B depicts the result: a new car has been added to the third train, and object A is placed in it. FIG. 12B also shows that object B has been evacuated to a new car outside the first train. This is because object B has an external reference, which, like the reference to object A, is a reference from outside the first train, and one goal of the processing is to form trains into which there are no further references. Note that, to maintain a reference to the same object, object L's reference to object A has had to be rewritten, and so have object B's reference to object A and the inter-generational pointer to object B. In the illustrated example, the garbage collector begins a new train for the car into which object B is evacuated, but this is not a necessary requirement of the train algorithm. That algorithm requires only that externally referenced objects be evacuated to a newer train. Since car 1.1 no longer contains live objects, it can be reclaimed, as FIG. 12B also indicates. Also note that the remembered set for car 2.1 now includes the address of a reference in object A, whereas it did not before. As was stated before, remembered sets in the illustrated embodiment include only references from cars further back in the order than the one with which the remembered set is associated. The reason for this is that any other cars will already be reclaimed by the time the car associated with that remembered set is processed, so there is no reason to keep track of references from them. The next step is to process the next car, the one whose index is 1.2. Conventionally, this would not occur until some collection cycle after the one during which car 1.1 is collected. For the sake of simplicity we will assume that the mutator has not changed any references into the generation in the interim. FIG. 12B depicts car 1.2 as containing only a single object, object C, and that car's remembered set contains the address of an inter-car reference from object F. The garbage collector follows that reference to object C. Since this identifies object C as possibly reachable, the garbage collector evacuates it from car set 1.2, which is to be reclaimed. Specifically, the garbage collector removes object C to a new car section, section 1.5, which is linked to the train to which the referring object F's car belongs. Of course, object F's reference needs to be updated to object C's new location. FIG. 12C depicts the evacuation's result. FIG. 12C also indicates that car set 1.2 has been reclaimed, and car 1.3 is next to be processed. The only address in car 1.3's remembered set is that of a reference in object G. Inspection of that reference reveals that it refers to object F. Object F may therefore be reachable, so it must be evacuated before car section 1.3 is reclaimed. On the other hand, there are no references to objects D and E, so they are clearly garbage. FIG. 12D depicts the result of reclaiming car 1.3's space after evacuating possibly reachable object F. In the state that FIG. 12D depicts, car 1.4 is next to be processed, and its remembered set contains the addresses of references in objects K and C. Inspection of object K's reference reveals that it refers to object H, so object H must be evacuated. Inspection of the other remembered-set entry, the reference in object C, reveals that it refers to object G, so that object is evacuated, too. As FIG. 12E illustrates, object H must be added to the second train, to which its referring object K belongs. In this case there is room enough in car 2.2, which its referring object K occupies, so evacuation of object H does not require that object K's reference to object H be added to car 2.2's remembered set. Object G is evacuated to a new car in the same train, since that train is where referring object C resides. And the address of the reference in object G to object C is added to car 1.5's remembered set. FIG. 12E shows that this processing has eliminated all references into the first train, and it is an important part of the train algorithm to test for this condition. That is, even though there are references into both of the train's cars, those cars' contents can be recognized as all garbage because there are no references into the train from outside of it. So all of the first train's cars are reclaimed. The collector accordingly processes car 2.1 during the next collection cycle, and that car's remembered set indicates that there are two references outside the car that refer to objects within it. Those references are in object K, which is in the same train, and object A, which is not. Inspection of those references reveals that they refer to objects I and J, which are evacuated. The result, depicted in FIG. 12F, is that the remembered sets for the cars in the second train reveal no inter-car references, and there are no inter-generational references into it, either. That train's car sections therefore contain only garbage, and their memory space can be reclaimed. So car 3.1 is processed next. Its sole object, object L, is referred to inter-generationally as well as by a reference in the fourth train's object M. As FIG. 12G shows, object L is therefore evacuated to the fourth train. And the address of the reference in object L to object A is placed in the remembered set associated with car 3.2, in which object A resides. The next car to be processed is car 3.2, whose remembered set includes the addresses of references into it from objects B and L. Inspection of the reference from object B reveals that it refers to object A, which must therefore be evacuated to the fifth train before car 3.2 can be reclaimed. Also, we assume that object A cannot fit in car section 5.1, so a new car 5.2 is added to that train, as FIG. 12H shows, and object A is placed in its car section. All referred-to objects in the third train having been evacuated, that (single-car) train can be reclaimed in its entirety. A further observation needs to be made before we leave FIG. 12G. Car 3.2's remembered set additionally lists a reference in object L, so the garbage collector inspects that reference and finds that it points to the location previously occupied by object A. This brings up a feature of copying-collection techniques such as the typical train-algorithm implementation. When the garbage collector evacuates an object from a car section, it marks the location as having been evacuated and leaves the address of the object's new location. So, when the garbage collector traces the reference from object L, it finds that object A has been removed, and it accordingly copies the new location into object L as the new value of its reference to object A. In the state that FIG. 12H illustrates, car 4.1 is the next to be processed. Inspection of the fourth train's remembered sets reveals no inter-train references into it, but the inter-generational scan (possibly performed with the aid of FIG. 6's card tables) reveals inter-generational references into car 4.2. So the fourth train cannot be reclaimed yet. The garbage collector accordingly evacuates car 4.1's referred-to objects in the normal manner, with the result that FIG. 12I depicts. In that state, the next car to be processed has only inter-generational references into it. So, although its referred-to objects must therefore be evacuated from the train, they cannot be placed into trains that contain references to them. Conventionally, such objects are evacuated to a train at the end of the train sequence. In the illustrated implementation, a new train is formed for this purpose, so the result of car 4.2's processing is the state that FIG. 12J depicts. Processing continues in this same fashion. Of course, subsequent collection cycles will not in general proceed, as in the illustrated cycles, without any reference changes by the mutator and without any addition of further objects. But reflection reveals that the general approach just described still applies when such mutations occur. As was mentioned above, incremental collection is helpful in keeping pause times low. Still, it exacts some efficiency costs, since many unreachable objects cannot immediately be recognized as such. The resultant inefficiency tends to be less when collection sets are larger, so it is helpful to choose a collection set whose size is the greatest value that is not inconsistent with the desired pause-time limit. Unfortunately Unfortunately, the time required to collect a given-size collection set varies greatly. There are a number of reasons for this, but a principal reason is the variability in remembered-set size. At any given time, there may be a relatively large number of references to objects in one car section and a relatively small number of references to objects in a different car section. Moreover, different rates of mutation result in different numbers of “stale” remembered-set entries. A remembered-set entry is made whenever, as a result of a reference modification, the collector finds a reference into the car with which the remembered set is associated. But an entry is not removed from a given car section's remembered set when a reference is so modified as no longer to refer to an object in that car section: the entry becomes stale. When a car section comes up for collection, the collector must inspect all of the locations that the car section's remembered set entries identify. Even if there currently are not many references to objects in a given car section, therefore, the operation of inspecting all of the remembered-set-identified locations can take a long time, because the remembered set may contain a great many stale entries.
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566 P.2d 546 (1977) 30 Or.App. 117 STATE of Oregon, Respondent, v. Gary William WARNER, Appellant. Court of Appeals of Oregon. Argued and Submitted June 29, 1977. Decided July 18, 1977. *547 Robert C. Cannon, Deputy Public Defender, Salem, argued the cause for appellant. With him on the brief was Gary D. Babcock, Public Defender, Salem. John W. Burgess, Asst. Atty. Gen., Salem, argued the cause for respondent. With him on the brief were James A. Redden, Atty. Gen., and W. Michael Gillette, Sol. Gen., Salem. Before SCHWAB, C.J., and THORNTON and LEE, JJ. THORNTON, Judge. Defendant was convicted after jury trial of the crime of robbery of a Grants Pass tavern. The sole issue presented in this appeal is whether the trial court erred in denying defendant's motion to suppress evidence connecting defendant with the robbery, which evidence was seized during a warrantless search by police of defendant's automobile. The statement of facts of necessity must be detailed. At about 11 p.m. on the evening of November 7, 1976, Officers Myers and Beasley of the Rogue River Police Department while riding in their patrol car received a radio bulletin of an armed robbery of a named tavern in Grants Pass. The city of Rogue River is approximately eight miles from Grants Pass. The report indicated that two men with ski masks and a shotgun had staged the robbery. Shortly after receiving the report the officers decided to stop at the Homestead Tavern in Rogue River. They arrived at the tavern approximately 10 minutes after hearing the report of the robbery. When they arrived, they saw a car "pulling up to the front of the building [Homestead Tavern]." Two men, who were not dressed as reported in the bulletin, got out of the car and entered the tavern. After waiting in the patrol car for a few minutes, the officers entered the tavern. Myers was in uniform; Beasley was in civilian clothes. Officer Myers ordered two cups of coffee and walked through the tavern area. They saw four people sitting at the bar: the same two men, defendant and his companion, Richard Carlin, were sitting together at the end of the bar; another man and a woman were also sitting at the bar. Officer Myers asked the bartender to be on the lookout for anyone flashing a large amount of money. Officer Myers testified that defendant and Carlin were "[t]alking in very low tones of voice looking at us, looking at each other, looking back at us." Shortly thereafter the bartender asked Myers to step into the backroom. He told Myers that one of the pair, Carlin, pulled a wad of money "the size he'd never seen before." Myers walked back into the bar and advised Officer Beasley of the bartender's conversation and they continued to observe the defendant and Carlin sitting at the bar, approximately 15 feet away. Myers left the tavern briefly and contacted his dispatcher by radio to see if any additional information had been reported concerning the armed robbery. The dispatcher advised that no additional information was available. Myers returned to the tavern. Shortly thereafter he again went to his car and advised his dispatcher that he was keeping the two subjects under surveillance in regard to the possible armed robbery and he requested backup units both from the county sheriff and his own city police department, and returned to the tavern. Myers thereafter left the tavern and walked up to the automobile which the two men had driven and parked in front of the tavern. The officer shined his flashlight through the window in an effort to observe the contents of the vehicle. He observed *548 nothing out of the ordinary. At that moment defendant and Carlin emerged from the tavern. Officer Myers testified that under the circumstances he felt the need to ask them some questions. Therefore he asked them to go back inside the tavern. The officer did not have his gun drawn and defendant and Carlin did not object to returning into the tavern. He then asked them to place their identifications and wallets on the table inside the front door. Officer Myers explained to them the reason for his request. He testified that he told them he had received a report of a robbery in Grants Pass and that he would like to ask them about this. He told them "as soon as possible we would clear this matter up, and they would be on their way." Officer Myers further testified that defendant and Carlin appeared to understand his explanation for asking them to identify themselves. They placed their identification and wallets on the table. Officer Myers testified that "[t]hey indicated a willingness to comply." After seeing defendant's and Carlin's identification Myers asked them if they would walk out to the patrol car so that he could run DMV and warrant checks on them. Officer Myers testified that he asked them to go outside to his patrol car to find out if they were in fact who they said they were and if there were any warrants out for them. Officer Myers indicated that if defendant and Carlin had refused to accompany him outside he would not have stopped them. Neither defendant nor Carlin objected to going outside with the officers to the patrol car. Officer Beasley who had been elsewhere, joined Officer Myers, defendant and Carlin. Once outside Officer Myers asked defendant and Carlin where they had been earlier in the evening, and they replied, "Grants Pass." Officer Myers began checking to see if there were any outstanding warrants on the pair. Defendant and Carlin stood outside the patrol car while Officer Myers made his radio check. At that point about five minutes had elapsed from the time Officer Myers first met the defendant and Carlin until the time he began checking on outstanding warrants. While Officer Myers was still making his radio check, other backup officers arrived. At that point about five to ten minutes had elapsed since Officer Myers had first met defendant and Carlin. Officer Myers advised Chief Hinrich of the Rogue River City Police Department, the senior officer who had by then arrived at the scene, of the facts contained in the radio report as to the armed robbery. Chief Hinrich then walked over to defendant and Carlin and asked them if they would mind emptying their pockets on the hood of the car. Neither defendant nor Carlin objected to Chief Hinrich's request. Carlin placed a large amount of paper money and several .38 caliber hollow point bullets on the hood. Defendant placed two rounds of 20 gauge shotgun shells on the hood. When Chief Hinrich saw the ammunition, he drew his gun and ordered both defendant and Carlin to "freeze." Chief Hinrich knew that the radio report of the incident said that one of the robbers carried a shotgun and that "hollow point" bullets have a greater stopping power than solid bullets. When Officer Myers heard Chief Hinrich tell defendant and Carlin to "freeze," he dismounted from the patrol car with his gun drawn; however Officer Myers holstered his gun when he saw Chief Hinrich begin a pat down search of defendant and Carlin. Chief Hinrich also put his gun down to conduct the pat down. He found no weapons on defendant and Carlin. Chief Hinrich asked defendant for permission to search the interior of his automobile. Defendant answered, "[t]he doors are open, help yourself." Chief Hinrich opened the car door, looked underneath the driver's bucket seat and found "two cotton type ski hats" with holes cut out of them. He also found a green coin tray between the seats, a gold colored money bag and rolls of coins as well as loose coins on the floor. Chief Hinrich then arrested defendant and Carlin. Defendant was asked if the officers could search the trunk of the car, and defendant indicated he did not care if they did. The officers opened the trunk and found a shotgun, a bag of money and some clothing. *549 The main thrust of defendant's argument is that the police did not have reasonable suspicion to stop defendant and his companion outside the Rogue River tavern and inquire concerning an armed robbery which had just occurred in Grants Pass; that the police lacked probable cause to then search them. In addition defendant argues that the automobile search was invalid because the police, prior to obtaining defendant's consent to the search, failed to advise defendant that he had a constitutional right to refuse the requested search. After analyzing the above facts and defendant's arguments, we conclude that the trial court did not err in overruling defendant's motion to suppress the evidence seized. Contrary to defendant's argument, we regard the initial stopping of defendant and his companion for questioning outside the Homestead Tavern as amply justified by the circumstances, as well as by ORS 131.615.[1] We do not regard it as a "stop" defined in ORS 131.605(5).[2] There was no restraint of defendant's liberty "by means of physical force or show of authority." Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 19, 88 S.Ct. 1868, 1879, 20 L.Ed.2d 889 (1968). Not every preliminary inquiry by a police officer of a citizen, whether he be a pedestrian or a motorist, is a "stop" within the meaning of ORS 131.605(5). See, State v. Harris, 25 Or. App. 71, 547 P.2d 1394, Sup.Ct. review denied (1976); State v. Ward, 16 Or. App. 556, 519 P.2d 1269, Sup.Ct. review denied (1974). As the United States Supreme Court observed in Adams v. Williams, 407 U.S. 143, 145, 92 S.Ct. 1921, 1923, 32 L.Ed.2d 612 (1972): "* * * The Fourth Amendment does not require a policeman who lacks the precise level of information necessary for probable cause to arrest to simply shrug his shoulders and allow a crime to occur or a criminal to escape. On the contrary, Terry [Terry v. Ohio] recognizes that it may be the essence of good police work to adopt an intermediate response. * * *" Probable cause to arrest need not be shown before an officer can undertake a preliminary inquiry as to an alleged crime. Terry v. Ohio, supra. The strength of the information that the officer requires to engage in questioning is necessarily much less than it would be to arrest and search. People v. King, 175 Cal. App.2d 386, 346 P.2d 235 (1959). That the consent of the defendant and his companion to the Myers' request for identification was voluntarily given is resolved by the trial judge's ruling on defendant's motion to suppress, and is binding on us under Ball v. Gladden, 250 Or. 485, 443 P.2d 621 (1968). Next, we conclude that Chief Hinrich's subsequent part in the on-the-scene investigation did not involve any denial of defendant's constitutional rights. Chief Hinrich, as did Officer Myers a few minutes earlier, asked defendant and Carlin "if they'd mind emptying their pockets out on the hood of the car," and they voluntarily complied. When he saw the hollow point bullets and two shotgun shells, he was entitled as a matter of safety to take steps to look for weapons in the vicinity matching those shells by patting down the defendant and his companion and checking out defendant's *550 nearby automobile. State v. Riley, 240 Or. 521, 402 P.2d 741 (1965); State v. Fent, 29 Or. App. 249, 562 P.2d 1239 (1977); State v. Ward, supra. It was in the course of this latter search that Chief Hinrich discovered the ski masks, the money bag and later the shotgun. As our Supreme Court said in State v. Riley, supra: "* * * To justify the seizure of a weapon which could be used against the arresting officer we shall not draw a fine line measuring the possible risk to the officer's safety. The officer should be permitted to take every reasonable precaution to safeguard his life in the process of making the arrest." 240 Or. at 524-25, 402 P.2d at 743. See also, State v. Wright, 30 Or. App. 11, 566 P.2d 185 (1977). Nor is it fatal to this search that Chief Hinrich did not testify that his reason for looking inside defendant's automobile was that he was searching for a gun. State v. Cloman, 254 Or. 1, 456 P.2d 67 (1969). Defendant does not contend that his consent to the car search was involuntarily given. Rather, he relies upon State v. Williams, 248 Or. 85, 432 P.2d 679 (1967), and State v. Douglas, 260 Or. 60, 488 P.2d 1366 (1971), cert. denied, O'Dell v. State, 406 U.S. 974, 92 S.Ct. 2420, 32 L.Ed.2d 674 (1972), and argues that "* * * before a consent to search can be obtained, the officer * * * must affirmatively inform the defendant of his Fourth Amendment Right to refuse the consent to search." While it is true that in Williams and Douglas our Supreme Court, relying on the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, has said that such advice must be given before a consent is valid, the United States Supreme Court has since rejected the argument that the consent search is unlawful unless the police had first informed the person in custody of his right to refuse to consent to the search. United States v. Watson, 423 U.S. 411, 96 S.Ct. 820, 46 L.Ed.2d 598 (1976). In Watson the Supreme Court said: "* * * [T]he fact of custody alone has never been enough in itself to demonstrate a coerced confession or consent to search. Similarly, under Schneckloth [Schneckloth v. Bustamonte, 412 U.S. 218, 93 S.Ct. 2041, 36 L.Ed.2d 854 (1973)], the absence of proof that Watson knew he could withhold his consent, though it may be a factor in the overall judgment, is not to be given controlling significance * * *." (Emphasis supplied.) 423 U.S. at 424, 96 S.Ct. at 828. Defendant places considerable reliance on State v. Valdez, 277 Or. 621, 561 P.2d 1006 (1977). In Valdez our Supreme Court held that a stop of an automobile carrying three individuals in an area often frequented by law violators, where the officers had observed one of the suspects making a possibly furtive gesture a few moments before, was unauthorized. The present case differs factually from Valdez in several important respects. In Valdez no felony had been committed, no radio bulletin had been broadcast; the so-called furtive gesture was not sufficiently suspicious to justify the stop and search. Apart from the gesture, there were no suspicious circumstances pointing to the suspects, such as the possession of a large "wad" of currency by Carlin in the case at bar. We agree with the trial judge that the action of the police here was reasonable under all the circumstances. It is not necessarily incumbent on police officers to seek a search warrant during the course of an on-going police investigation. Certainly they were not required to stop their investigation until they could apply to a magistrate for a search warrant. State v. Taggart, 14 Or. App. 408, 512 P.2d 1359 (1973), Sup.Ct. review denied, cert. denied, 419 U.S. 877, 95 S.Ct. 141, 42 L.Ed.2d 117 (1974). Accord: State v. Wright, supra. Affirmed. NOTES [1] ORS 131.615 provides: "(1) A peace officer who reasonably suspects that a person has committed a crime may stop the person and, after informing the person that he is a peace officer, make a reasonable inquiry. "(2) The detention and inquiry shall be conducted in the vicinity of the stop and for no longer than a reasonable time. "(3) The inquiry shall be considered reasonable only if limited to the immediate circumstances that aroused the officer's suspicion." See also, State v. Evans, 16 Or. App. 189, 517 P.2d 1225, Sup.Ct. review denied (1974). [2] ORS 131.605(5) provides: "As used in ORS 131.605 to 131.625, unless the context requires otherwise: "* * * "(5) A `stop' is a temporary restraint of a person's liberty by a peace officer lawfully present in any place."
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Q: Selecting and Inserting into linked server I am having a situation with linked server which I am not able to understand. So we have a linked server from a 2008R2 server to a 2014 server. The below sample query is executing from 2008R2 server and it works fine. SET XACT_ABORT ON; Declare @BatchSize int = 10 DELETE from LINKEDSRV.DB.DBO.Table INSERT INTO LINKEDSRV.DB.DBO.Table (ECN) SELECT TOP (10) C1 from LINKEDSRV.DB.DBO.Table22 --order by C1 SELECT * FROM LINKEDSRV.DB.DBO.Table But when I execute the same thing with the order by C1 it does not return any results. Second case - If I replace the TOP(10) with TOP(@BatchSize) and no order by also I dont get any results out. eg SELECT TOP (@BatchSize) C1 from LINKEDSRV.DB.DBO.Table22 All of the scenarios work if I SET XACT_ABORT OFF. So does XACT_ABORT has any kind of restriction when it comes to linked server? Edit - Did some more testing and looks like it has to do something to do with the number of rows also Possible Repo On ServerA use testdb go create table t1( c1 int, c2 datetime) create table t2( c1 int, c2 datetime) insert into t2 select 1, GETDATE() insert into t2 select * from t2 -- insert close to 5000 rows, I found the issue around over around 35000 rows On ServerB Create linked server to ServerA SET XACT_ABORT ON; Declare @BatchSize int = 10 delete from ServerA.testdb.dbo.t1 insert into ServerA.testdb.dbo.t1 (c1) select top (@BatchSize) c1 from ServerA.testdb.dbo.t2 --order by c2 select * from ServerA.testdb.dbo.t1 No output. But if you reduce the number of rows in table t2 to say around 2000, it works fine. A: All of the scenarios work if I SET XACT_ABORT OFF. So does XACT_ABORT has any kind of restriction when it comes to linked server? The setting of XACT_ABORT is propagated to the remote SQL Server, as documented in Handling Errors in Server-to-Server Remote Stored Procedures. The setting also affects if updates are possible, and how they are handled, as documented in Distributed Queries and Distributed Transactions. Your INSERT is allowed with XACT_ABORT OFF because SQL Server supports nested transactions. Nevertheless, there appears to be an implementation bug, because tracing the activity on the 2014 server during the insert reveals that an error occurs when SQL Server attempts to release a schema lock: This error aborts the statement (attempting to release the schema lock) on the remote server, but when XACT_ABORT is OFF, the remote server continues processing the next statement. The insert completes, despite the schema lock release error. When XACT_ABORT is ON, the whole remote batch is aborted, so the insert is rolled back. I was able to reproduce your problem locally, but the ORDER BY clause was not significant. You can avoid the problem in several ways, including wrapping the INSERT in an explicit transaction (assuming DTC is available to you). I recommend you avoid four-part name syntax for remote changes, since the implementation is based on a cursor model. You will normally get better performance using a bulk method, or by pulling the data at the remote server (rather than pushing it from the local server). See the related Q & A Which one is more efficient: select from linked server or insert into linked server?
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Pakistani authorities have arrested two Ahmadi Muslim men for alleged Blasphemy. Bookstore owner Abul Shukoor and manager Mazhar Ahmad were arrested Wednesday, Dec. 2 from Ahmadiyya Book Depot in Rabwah. Both men were taken to an unknown location after their arrest. According to a leaked charge sheet the men were charged under section 298-C of Pakistan’s Penal code. The infamous law prevents members of Ahmadiyya sect from preaching and calling themselves Muslim. In a surprising turn of events, the two men have also been charged under Pakistan’s Anti Terrorism Act (ATA) of 1997 for the crime of selling books published by the minority Ahmadiyya community. The men have been booked under Provision 8 of ATA which carries a prison sentence of up to seven years and under section 298-C they can face an additional three years in jail. This is not the first time Shukoor has been targeted by the authorities, Earlier this year in January Shukoor was harassed and had his store vandalized by local police. In 1974, Shakoor’s opticial shop in Sargodha, Punjab was ransacked and looted along with his house. In 1985 he was charged with blasphemy under article 298c for claiming his Ahmadi belief. In 1990 he was given a three year prison sentence after a local Khatme Nabuwwat cleric filed a complaint against him for wearing a ring with a Quranic inscription. This has come as a shock to the local Ahmadiyya Muslim Community who are often times victims of terror attacks. The provision 8 of the anti-terrorism act was designed to stop sectarian hatred against minorities like the Ahmadiyya but is being increasingly used by extremist clerics to target minorities. In 1974, Pakistan declared the Ahmadiyya sect to be non-Muslim through a constitutional amendment, since then the Ahmadis have faced severe persecution both by the state and by local extremist groups like Khatm-e-Nabuwat and ASWJ (Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jammat).
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Q: remove all characters of a string after 5th character? I need to remove all characters of a string after 5th character, for example my string is P-CI-7-C-71 and the output should be like P-CI- A: Use substring alert("P-CI-7-C-71".substring(0, 5)); So you can use it like var str='P-CI-7-C-71'.substring(0, 5); You can also use substr, that will work the same in this case but remember they work differently so they are not generally interchangeable var str='P-CI-7-C-71'.substr(0, 5); Difference can be noticed in the prototype str.substring(indexStart[, indexEnd]) VS str.substr(start[, length])
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[
0.5640449438202241,
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/* Class = "NSTextFieldCell"; title = "Homebrew is not installed"; ObjectID = "RHr-Q0-PYi"; */ "RHr-Q0-PYi.title" = "未安装Homebrew"; /* Class = "NSTextFieldCell"; title = "Please visit brew.sh to install Homebrew"; ObjectID = "sdR-dW-MDv"; */ "sdR-dW-MDv.title" = "请使用brew.sh来安装Homebrew";
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[
0.6548956661316211,
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