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The BLT - News from Washington The Blog of Legal TimesTwice voted one of the top law "blawgs" in the country by the ABA Journal, The National Law Journal's popular Blog of Legal Times (better known as "The BLT") covers daily legal developments in Washington. The National Law Journal 04/11/2010 Who or What Changed? Did Justice Stevens change or did the Court change? My co-bloggers may be interested in debating this from a doctrinal perspective. But the data seem clear: Beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, Justice Stevens moved substantially to the left. The graph below uses measures (http://mqscores.wustl.edu/) developed by Andrew Martin and Kevin Quinn to plot the ideology of Justices Stevens, Kennedy, and Scalia: the higher the number, the more conservative the justice. Note Justice Scalia's slight rightward drift and Justice Stevens' more extreme movement to the left. As for the Court's center, Justice Kennedy, not much in the way of drift in either direction. — Lee Epstein | High | [
0.673469387755102,
33,
16
] |
Nafion-based optical sensor for the determination of selenium in water samples. An optical chemical sensor responsive to selenium (SeO(3)(2-)) in water samples was developed. Its matrix was nafion membrane suffused with an organic ligand p-amino-p'-methoxydiphenylamine or variamine blue (VB). The method of analysis was flow injection (FI) where in the membrane was fixed in a flow-through demountable measuring cell and connected to a computer-controlled simple spectrophotometer. Variamine blue was previously established to determine amounts of selenium in water and other media by means of a spectrophotometer. The method involved reacting selenite with potassium iodide to generate iodine gas, which reacts with variamine blue to form a colored species. Experimental results showed the optrode to be an effective tool in analyzing the selenium content of water samples particularly for remote or in situ applications. Interference studies proved that the method is free of intervention from tested ions. | High | [
0.680907877169559,
31.875,
14.9375
] |
Thank you for visiting Dick's Sporting Goods. If you need assistance with shopping on our site, please call us at 1-877-846-9997 and a customer care representative will be happy to assist you. Please inform the Customer Service representative that you require assistance. NOTICE: We recommend that you receive approval from your local league before removing the wrapper from your bat. SPECS: Drop (approx): -2 Material: Ash Turning Model: Randomly selected Barrel/Handle Finish: Natural End: Cupped Age: Adult Sport: Baseball Series: MLB® 180® Ash Model: WBA814-BBCNA Country of Origin: United States Web ID: 33398326 Customer Reviews: Rated 3.7 out of 5 by 66 reviewers. Rated 4 out of 5 by tar3159 Breaks like all the others Got a solid 3 months out of this bat. Don't get the more expensive wooden bats, they all break the same. Inside pitch will do it. February 23, 2015 Rated 4 out of 5 by Elbyw Does the job Summer Wood Bat League for High School. Right price, good value if you don't want to replace designer bats often. July 2, 2014 Rated 5 out of 5 by ballparklancer32 sweet bat me and my team love it has a strong sweet spot and holds up good thanks April 8, 2015 Rated 4 out of 5 by msimon28 Good bat for practice The bat is well balanced and has a slightly thin handle. October 24, 2014 Rated 5 out of 5 by brady Great value You can't beat Louisville Slugger. Great bat, great sound...nothing beats wood! October 15, 2014 Rated 4 out of 5 by Mr.Lim Great value for the price! Looks and feels like what the pros would use, for $25. I used on that lasted almost a year before breaking. Not all bats are made the same, choose carefully by inspecting the grain and feeling the weight of the bat. I found two good 34" with a thick barrel, one David Wright signature model, and another Buster Posey signature model. Perfect for use in batting cages pitching real baseballs.. June 10, 2014 Rated 4 out of 5 by ben a good bat The bat is very good and sturdy and light for a bat with such a wide barrel and the sweet spot seems to hit the ball almost every time May 29, 2014 Rated 4 out of 5 by dangebhart Good bat for practice or experienced hitters Obviously because the bat is made of ash wood it will break easier. It makes for a good practice bat or a good game bat if you're confident in your hitting abilities. July 3, 2014 Rated 5 out of 5 by Patty Great bat depends on model but super light Super light bat =faster swing. Those of you saying it breaks no duh, instead of getting jammed up on an inside pitch tell ur son or u to get faster hands and rip that pitch over 3b for a double instead of a broken bat weak grounder to the pitcher. Bat is capable of great things only $20. the $200 wood bat it'll stick break ALMOST as fast as this bat on an Inside pitch ur jammed on. June 24, 2015 Rated 5 out of 5 by RT Great weight and durability Have already used this and I bought it b/c it was on sale. Great weight distribution and has definitely stood up in the cage. May 20, 2015 | Mid | [
0.595693779904306,
31.125,
21.125
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All right, so metaballs are cool The texture's nice, the scatter pattern is excellent, and the effect is nice as well. First, I'd like to focus on the metaball material - I've always been a sucker for water effects - would it be possible to perhaps add some slight water effects like transparency and refraction to the metaballs? You'd need darker walls and floor to do this, but I think it'd look pretty cool. The bottom floor is the only part that seems out of place...it's incredibly bright, darkening it a little would make it seem less powerful and easier to view the image. Really thanks, this is actually the second art that I did with cinema 4D. Well I went through your suggestion about putting transparency and refraction to the metaballs ... and also worked on the floor and the walls. I have uploaded the art already. Here is the link: [link] | Mid | [
0.586433260393873,
33.5,
23.625
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Max-Bulk and the powers of 19-nor DHEA Not only is Max-Bulk capable of producing huge mass gains, it also has the ability to relieve joint pain and stiffness on cycle. This really opens up the options for those looking to cycle Max-Bulk. How can you cycle it? Cycle it alone for all out mass gains. Cycle it with Lean-Cut for both mass gains and fat loss. Cycle it with another prohormone such as stanodrol or epistane, which are both known for causing joint soreness, to dry out while adding quality muscle mass. The joint protective powers of 19-nor will help to counteract the joint issues that may arise. Once Muscle-Up releases, Max-Bulk and Muscle-Up will make a perfect couple. Muscle-Up may cause joint stiffness/soreness in some individuals, so pairing the two will give you full, round muscles while keeping them rock solid and tight. If anyone else has a Max-Bulk stack cycle in mind, feel free to post it! It is such a versatile product! True but it's also very safe. These products are aimed towards those that want to remain on the legal side of bodybuilding and have concerns for their health as well. Also we do offer some hefty discounts every now and then to help ease the pain on the wallet. After about 8 weeks there are diminishing returns on androgenic hormones like this, and orals in general. Switching androgens is a possibility though. Say you run Max-Bulk the first 8 weeks, then switch to Bulk-Up at 4 caps a day and Muscle-Up for the final 8 weeks. Then rinse and repeat. Almost like a blast and cruise. After about 8 weeks there are diminishing returns on androgenic hormones like this, and orals in general. Switching androgens is a possibility though. Say you run Max-Bulk the first 8 weeks, then switch to Bulk-Up at 4 caps a day and Muscle-Up for the final 8 weeks. Then rinse and repeat. Almost like a blast and cruise. Sounds good right here. Black Lion Representative I'ma Brooklynboy I may take some gettin' use to | Mid | [
0.6175,
30.875,
19.125
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/* * Copyright (c) 2013-2014, NVIDIA CORPORATION. All rights reserved. * * SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0+ */ #include <common.h> #include <asm/io.h> #include <asm/arch/pinmux.h> #define PIN(pin, f0, f1, f2, f3) \ { \ .funcs = { \ PMUX_FUNC_##f0, \ PMUX_FUNC_##f1, \ PMUX_FUNC_##f2, \ PMUX_FUNC_##f3, \ }, \ } #define PIN_RESERVED {} static const struct pmux_pingrp_desc tegra124_pingroups[] = { /* pin, f0, f1, f2, f3 */ /* Offset 0x3000 */ PIN(ULPI_DATA0_PO1, SPI3, HSI, UARTA, ULPI), PIN(ULPI_DATA1_PO2, SPI3, HSI, UARTA, ULPI), PIN(ULPI_DATA2_PO3, SPI3, HSI, UARTA, ULPI), PIN(ULPI_DATA3_PO4, SPI3, HSI, UARTA, ULPI), PIN(ULPI_DATA4_PO5, SPI2, HSI, UARTA, ULPI), PIN(ULPI_DATA5_PO6, SPI2, HSI, UARTA, ULPI), PIN(ULPI_DATA6_PO7, SPI2, HSI, UARTA, ULPI), PIN(ULPI_DATA7_PO0, SPI2, HSI, UARTA, ULPI), PIN(ULPI_CLK_PY0, SPI1, SPI5, UARTD, ULPI), PIN(ULPI_DIR_PY1, SPI1, SPI5, UARTD, ULPI), PIN(ULPI_NXT_PY2, SPI1, SPI5, UARTD, ULPI), PIN(ULPI_STP_PY3, SPI1, SPI5, UARTD, ULPI), PIN(DAP3_FS_PP0, I2S2, SPI5, DISPLAYA, DISPLAYB), PIN(DAP3_DIN_PP1, I2S2, SPI5, DISPLAYA, DISPLAYB), PIN(DAP3_DOUT_PP2, I2S2, SPI5, DISPLAYA, RSVD4), PIN(DAP3_SCLK_PP3, I2S2, SPI5, RSVD3, DISPLAYB), PIN(PV0, RSVD1, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(PV1, RSVD1, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(SDMMC1_CLK_PZ0, SDMMC1, CLK12, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(SDMMC1_CMD_PZ1, SDMMC1, SPDIF, SPI4, UARTA), PIN(SDMMC1_DAT3_PY4, SDMMC1, SPDIF, SPI4, UARTA), PIN(SDMMC1_DAT2_PY5, SDMMC1, PWM0, SPI4, UARTA), PIN(SDMMC1_DAT1_PY6, SDMMC1, PWM1, SPI4, UARTA), PIN(SDMMC1_DAT0_PY7, SDMMC1, RSVD2, SPI4, UARTA), PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, /* Offset 0x3068 */ PIN(CLK2_OUT_PW5, EXTPERIPH2, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(CLK2_REQ_PCC5, DAP, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, /* Offset 0x3110 */ PIN(HDMI_INT_PN7, RSVD1, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(DDC_SCL_PV4, I2C4, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(DDC_SDA_PV5, I2C4, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, /* Offset 0x3164 */ PIN(UART2_RXD_PC3, IRDA, SPDIF, UARTA, SPI4), PIN(UART2_TXD_PC2, IRDA, SPDIF, UARTA, SPI4), PIN(UART2_RTS_N_PJ6, UARTA, UARTB, GMI, SPI4), PIN(UART2_CTS_N_PJ5, UARTA, UARTB, GMI, SPI4), PIN(UART3_TXD_PW6, UARTC, RSVD2, GMI, SPI4), PIN(UART3_RXD_PW7, UARTC, RSVD2, GMI, SPI4), PIN(UART3_CTS_N_PA1, UARTC, SDMMC1, DTV, GMI), PIN(UART3_RTS_N_PC0, UARTC, PWM0, DTV, GMI), PIN(PU0, OWR, UARTA, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(PU1, RSVD1, UARTA, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(PU2, RSVD1, UARTA, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(PU3, PWM0, UARTA, GMI, DISPLAYB), PIN(PU4, PWM1, UARTA, GMI, DISPLAYB), PIN(PU5, PWM2, UARTA, GMI, DISPLAYB), PIN(PU6, PWM3, UARTA, RSVD3, GMI), PIN(GEN1_I2C_SDA_PC5, I2C1, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(GEN1_I2C_SCL_PC4, I2C1, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(DAP4_FS_PP4, I2S3, GMI, DTV, RSVD4), PIN(DAP4_DIN_PP5, I2S3, GMI, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(DAP4_DOUT_PP6, I2S3, GMI, DTV, RSVD4), PIN(DAP4_SCLK_PP7, I2S3, GMI, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(CLK3_OUT_PEE0, EXTPERIPH3, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(CLK3_REQ_PEE1, DEV3, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(PC7, RSVD1, RSVD2, GMI, GMI_ALT), PIN(PI5, SDMMC2, RSVD2, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(PI7, RSVD1, TRACE, GMI, DTV), PIN(PK0, RSVD1, SDMMC3, GMI, SOC), PIN(PK1, SDMMC2, TRACE, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(PJ0, RSVD1, RSVD2, GMI, USB), PIN(PJ2, RSVD1, RSVD2, GMI, SOC), PIN(PK3, SDMMC2, TRACE, GMI, CCLA), PIN(PK4, SDMMC2, RSVD2, GMI, GMI_ALT), PIN(PK2, RSVD1, RSVD2, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(PI3, RSVD1, RSVD2, GMI, SPI4), PIN(PI6, RSVD1, RSVD2, GMI, SDMMC2), PIN(PG0, RSVD1, RSVD2, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(PG1, RSVD1, RSVD2, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(PG2, RSVD1, TRACE, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(PG3, RSVD1, TRACE, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(PG4, RSVD1, TMDS, GMI, SPI4), PIN(PG5, RSVD1, RSVD2, GMI, SPI4), PIN(PG6, RSVD1, RSVD2, GMI, SPI4), PIN(PG7, RSVD1, RSVD2, GMI, SPI4), PIN(PH0, PWM0, TRACE, GMI, DTV), PIN(PH1, PWM1, TMDS, GMI, DISPLAYA), PIN(PH2, PWM2, TMDS, GMI, CLDVFS), PIN(PH3, PWM3, SPI4, GMI, CLDVFS), PIN(PH4, SDMMC2, RSVD2, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(PH5, SDMMC2, RSVD2, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(PH6, SDMMC2, TRACE, GMI, DTV), PIN(PH7, SDMMC2, TRACE, GMI, DTV), PIN(PJ7, UARTD, RSVD2, GMI, GMI_ALT), PIN(PB0, UARTD, RSVD2, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(PB1, UARTD, RSVD2, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(PK7, UARTD, RSVD2, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(PI0, RSVD1, RSVD2, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(PI1, RSVD1, RSVD2, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(PI2, SDMMC2, TRACE, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(PI4, SPI4, TRACE, GMI, DISPLAYA), PIN(GEN2_I2C_SCL_PT5, I2C2, RSVD2, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(GEN2_I2C_SDA_PT6, I2C2, RSVD2, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(SDMMC4_CLK_PCC4, SDMMC4, RSVD2, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(SDMMC4_CMD_PT7, SDMMC4, RSVD2, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(SDMMC4_DAT0_PAA0, SDMMC4, SPI3, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(SDMMC4_DAT1_PAA1, SDMMC4, SPI3, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(SDMMC4_DAT2_PAA2, SDMMC4, SPI3, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(SDMMC4_DAT3_PAA3, SDMMC4, SPI3, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(SDMMC4_DAT4_PAA4, SDMMC4, SPI3, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(SDMMC4_DAT5_PAA5, SDMMC4, SPI3, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(SDMMC4_DAT6_PAA6, SDMMC4, SPI3, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(SDMMC4_DAT7_PAA7, SDMMC4, RSVD2, GMI, RSVD4), PIN_RESERVED, /* Offset 0x3284 */ PIN(CAM_MCLK_PCC0, VI, VI_ALT1, VI_ALT3, SDMMC2), PIN(PCC1, I2S4, RSVD2, RSVD3, SDMMC2), PIN(PBB0, VGP6, VIMCLK2, SDMMC2, VIMCLK2_ALT), PIN(CAM_I2C_SCL_PBB1, VGP1, I2C3, RSVD3, SDMMC2), PIN(CAM_I2C_SDA_PBB2, VGP2, I2C3, RSVD3, SDMMC2), PIN(PBB3, VGP3, DISPLAYA, DISPLAYB, SDMMC2), PIN(PBB4, VGP4, DISPLAYA, DISPLAYB, SDMMC2), PIN(PBB5, VGP5, DISPLAYA, RSVD3, SDMMC2), PIN(PBB6, I2S4, RSVD2, DISPLAYB, SDMMC2), PIN(PBB7, I2S4, RSVD2, RSVD3, SDMMC2), PIN(PCC2, I2S4, RSVD2, SDMMC3, SDMMC2), PIN(JTAG_RTCK, RTCK, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(PWR_I2C_SCL_PZ6, I2CPWR, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(PWR_I2C_SDA_PZ7, I2CPWR, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(KB_ROW0_PR0, KBC, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(KB_ROW1_PR1, KBC, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(KB_ROW2_PR2, KBC, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(KB_ROW3_PR3, KBC, DISPLAYA, SYS, DISPLAYB), PIN(KB_ROW4_PR4, KBC, DISPLAYA, RSVD3, DISPLAYB), PIN(KB_ROW5_PR5, KBC, DISPLAYA, RSVD3, DISPLAYB), PIN(KB_ROW6_PR6, KBC, DISPLAYA, DISPLAYA_ALT, DISPLAYB), PIN(KB_ROW7_PR7, KBC, RSVD2, CLDVFS, UARTA), PIN(KB_ROW8_PS0, KBC, RSVD2, CLDVFS, UARTA), PIN(KB_ROW9_PS1, KBC, RSVD2, RSVD3, UARTA), PIN(KB_ROW10_PS2, KBC, RSVD2, RSVD3, UARTA), PIN(KB_ROW11_PS3, KBC, RSVD2, RSVD3, IRDA), PIN(KB_ROW12_PS4, KBC, RSVD2, RSVD3, IRDA), PIN(KB_ROW13_PS5, KBC, RSVD2, SPI2, RSVD4), PIN(KB_ROW14_PS6, KBC, RSVD2, SPI2, RSVD4), PIN(KB_ROW15_PS7, KBC, SOC, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(KB_COL0_PQ0, KBC, RSVD2, SPI2, RSVD4), PIN(KB_COL1_PQ1, KBC, RSVD2, SPI2, RSVD4), PIN(KB_COL2_PQ2, KBC, RSVD2, SPI2, RSVD4), PIN(KB_COL3_PQ3, KBC, DISPLAYA, PWM2, UARTA), PIN(KB_COL4_PQ4, KBC, OWR, SDMMC3, UARTA), PIN(KB_COL5_PQ5, KBC, RSVD2, SDMMC3, RSVD4), PIN(KB_COL6_PQ6, KBC, RSVD2, SPI2, UARTD), PIN(KB_COL7_PQ7, KBC, RSVD2, SPI2, UARTD), PIN(CLK_32K_OUT_PA0, BLINK, SOC, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN_RESERVED, /* Offset 0x3324 */ PIN(CORE_PWR_REQ, PWRON, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(CPU_PWR_REQ, CPU, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(PWR_INT_N, PMI, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(CLK_32K_IN, CLK, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(OWR, OWR, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(DAP1_FS_PN0, I2S0, HDA, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(DAP1_DIN_PN1, I2S0, HDA, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(DAP1_DOUT_PN2, I2S0, HDA, GMI, SATA), PIN(DAP1_SCLK_PN3, I2S0, HDA, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(DAP_MCLK1_REQ_PEE2, DAP, DAP1, SATA, RSVD4), PIN(DAP_MCLK1_PW4, EXTPERIPH1, DAP2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(SPDIF_IN_PK6, SPDIF, RSVD2, RSVD3, I2C3), PIN(SPDIF_OUT_PK5, SPDIF, RSVD2, RSVD3, I2C3), PIN(DAP2_FS_PA2, I2S1, HDA, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(DAP2_DIN_PA4, I2S1, HDA, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(DAP2_DOUT_PA5, I2S1, HDA, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(DAP2_SCLK_PA3, I2S1, HDA, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(DVFS_PWM_PX0, SPI6, CLDVFS, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(GPIO_X1_AUD_PX1, SPI6, RSVD2, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(GPIO_X3_AUD_PX3, SPI6, SPI1, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(DVFS_CLK_PX2, SPI6, CLDVFS, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(GPIO_X4_AUD_PX4, GMI, SPI1, SPI2, DAP2), PIN(GPIO_X5_AUD_PX5, GMI, SPI1, SPI2, RSVD4), PIN(GPIO_X6_AUD_PX6, SPI6, SPI1, SPI2, GMI), PIN(GPIO_X7_AUD_PX7, RSVD1, SPI1, SPI2, RSVD4), PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, /* Offset 0x3390 */ PIN(SDMMC3_CLK_PA6, SDMMC3, RSVD2, RSVD3, SPI3), PIN(SDMMC3_CMD_PA7, SDMMC3, PWM3, UARTA, SPI3), PIN(SDMMC3_DAT0_PB7, SDMMC3, RSVD2, RSVD3, SPI3), PIN(SDMMC3_DAT1_PB6, SDMMC3, PWM2, UARTA, SPI3), PIN(SDMMC3_DAT2_PB5, SDMMC3, PWM1, DISPLAYA, SPI3), PIN(SDMMC3_DAT3_PB4, SDMMC3, PWM0, DISPLAYB, SPI3), PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, /* Offset 0x33bc */ PIN(PEX_L0_RST_N_PDD1, PE0, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(PEX_L0_CLKREQ_N_PDD2, PE0, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(PEX_WAKE_N_PDD3, PE, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN_RESERVED, /* Offset 0x33cc */ PIN(PEX_L1_RST_N_PDD5, PE1, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(PEX_L1_CLKREQ_N_PDD6, PE1, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, /* Offset 0x33e0 */ PIN(HDMI_CEC_PEE3, CEC, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(SDMMC1_WP_N_PV3, SDMMC1, CLK12, SPI4, UARTA), PIN(SDMMC3_CD_N_PV2, SDMMC3, OWR, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(GPIO_W2_AUD_PW2, SPI6, RSVD2, SPI2, I2C1), PIN(GPIO_W3_AUD_PW3, SPI6, SPI1, SPI2, I2C1), PIN(USB_VBUS_EN0_PN4, USB, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(USB_VBUS_EN1_PN5, USB, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(SDMMC3_CLK_LB_IN_PEE5, SDMMC3, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(SDMMC3_CLK_LB_OUT_PEE4, SDMMC3, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(GMI_CLK_LB, SDMMC2, RSVD2, GMI, RSVD4), PIN(RESET_OUT_N, RSVD1, RSVD2, RSVD3, RESET_OUT_N), PIN(KB_ROW16_PT0, KBC, RSVD2, RSVD3, UARTC), PIN(KB_ROW17_PT1, KBC, RSVD2, RSVD3, UARTC), PIN(USB_VBUS_EN2_PFF1, USB, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN(PFF2, SATA, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, PIN_RESERVED, /* Offset 0x3430 */ PIN(DP_HPD_PFF0, DP, RSVD2, RSVD3, RSVD4), }; const struct pmux_pingrp_desc *tegra_soc_pingroups = tegra124_pingroups; | Low | [
0.5090543259557341,
31.625,
30.5
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Q: PyQt: QtGui.QFileDialog.getSaveFileName won't close after selection In my PyQt4 application, there is a functionality that allows users to save a avi file. To this aim, a saveMovie method has been implemented in the main window: def saveMovie(self): """ Let the user make a movie out of the current experiment. """ filename = QtGui.QFileDialog.getSaveFileName(self, "Export Movie", "", 'AVI Movie File (*.avi)') if filename != "": dialog = QtGui.QProgressDialog('', QtCore.QString(), 0, 100, self, QtCore.Qt.Dialog | QtCore.Qt.WindowTitleHint) dialog.setWindowModality(QtCore.Qt.WindowModal) dialog.setWindowTitle('Exporting Movie') dialog.setLabelText('Resampling...') dialog.show() make_movie(self.appStatus, filename, dialog) dialog.close() My idea is to use a QProgressDialog to show how the video encoding work is proceeding. Nevertheless, after the selection of the filename, the QFileDialog won't disappear and the entire application stays unresponsive until the make_movie function has completed. What should I do to avoid this? A: Lesson learned: if you have some long-running operations to do -- for example, reading or writing a big file, move them to another thread or they will freeze the UI. Therefore, I created a subclass of QThread, MovieMaker, whose run method encapsulates the functionality previosly implemented by make_movie: class MovieMaker(QThread): def __init__(self, uAppStatus, uFilename): QtCore.QThread.__init__(self, parent=None) self.appStatus = uAppStatus self.filename = uFilename def run(self): ## make the movie and save it on file Let's move back to the saveMovie method. Here, I replaced the original call to make_movie with the following code: self.mm = MovieMaker(self.appStatus, filename) self.connect(self.mm, QtCore.SIGNAL("Progress(int)"), self.updateProgressDialog) self.mm.start() Note how I defined a new signal, Progress(int). Such a signal is emitted by the MovieMaker thread to update the QProgressDialog used to show the user how the movie encoding work is progressing. | High | [
0.7029548989113531,
28.25,
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Q: Create valid .mp3 file with python I saw this piece of perl code, which creates an MP3 object and writes some tags to it. I don't write code in perl but i assume it creates a valid mp3 file with tags. $mp3 = MP3::Tag->new('1.mp3'); $mp3->title_set('Some_title'); $mp3->artist_set('Some_artist'); $mp3->update_tags(); $mp3->close(); I want to write something similar in python. I've tried mutagen and eyeD3 so far, but i was only able to overwrite tags of an existing mp3 file, with this piece of code, i found somewhere: from mutagen.easyid3 import EasyID3 # works with valid mp3 files, which already have tags def manipulate_id3_tags(path, title, artist, genre): try: meta = EasyID3(path) # HERE I GET ERROR # i assume, if no meta tags where found, it will create some # but it never hits the exception even it is ID3NoHeaderError except ID3NoHeaderError: meta = mutagen.File(path, easy=True) # this also can't be a proper function call meta.add_tags() meta['title'] = title meta['artist'] = artist meta['genre'] = genre meta.save() print(meta) I don't think these modules can create mp3 files from scratch. I read the wikipedia article about MP3. My idea was to create a .mp3 file in python and write the header to it. Then i filled the rest with junk code. This is my sample header according to wikipedia article: 11111111 11111011 11010110 00000100 byte_header = b"\xff\xfb\xd6\x04" mp3 = open(path + "\\my_file.mp3", "wb") mp3.write(byte_header) mp3.write(b"\x01" * 800) mp3.close I get an error at the above commented line 'C:\Users\Admin\Music\my_file.mp3' doesn't start with an ID3 tag Even if the error handling would work, i don't think this method will work. Can anybody help me out here. Just want to create a simple mp3 dummy file, which i can write valid and readable tags to it. A: You are incorrect about Perl's MP3::Tag module. Its constructor expects an existing valid MP3 file, whose tags you may read and modify. It will not create an MP3 file from scratch This site has silent MP3 files with lengths of 1/10 second upwards, and I suggest that you simply download one of those | Low | [
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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <dataroot> <Report> <Image>reports</Image> <Description>Business Centric Reports</Description> </Report> <Report> <Image></Image> <Description>Excel, Word, Presentation, PDF and PDF Viewer are industry wide standards for creating and sharing reports. Build your reporting solution on our standards based, easy to use solution.</Description> </Report> <Report> <Image>ease</Image> <Description>Ease of Use</Description> </Report> <Report> <Image></Image> <Description>Feel at home with Visual Studio when you develop with Syncfusion controls. Full Visual Studio integration, additional utilities for effectively managing integrating the controls and an intuitive object model all mean increased productivity.</Description> </Report> <Report> <Image>perform</Image> <Description>Unmatched performance</Description> </Report> <Report> <Image></Image> <Description>Native .NET code libraries built for delivering reports with unmatched performance. Deploy with confidence and process millions of rows of data in server and desktop environments.</Description> </Report> <Report> <Image>office</Image> <Description>Office not required</Description> </Report> <Report> <Image></Image> <Description>All our reporting solutions are completely independent libraries that have no dependencies on Microsoft Office or Adobe Acrobat.</Description> </Report> <Report> <Image>support</Image> <Description>Best of industry support</Description> </Report> <Report> <Image></Image> <Description>With our sophisticated Direct Trac support system built from the ground up to support enterprise customers, you will have a streamlined experience working with our support team.</Description> </Report> <Report> <Image>license</Image> <Description>Hassle free licensing</Description> </Report> <Report> <Image></Image> <Description>Our licensing options can fit whatever your project needs. We offer everything from per user licensing, to site licenses that cover all the users in one building, to global licenses. We offer simple, hassle free licensing, with no royalties or server deployment charges.</Description> </Report> <Report> <Image>source</Image> <Description>Full source code</Description> </Report> <Report> <Image></Image> <Description>When you work with Syncfusion, complete, easy to work with source code is available for all components. We also ensure that the source code can be used with a minimum of effort. The availability of source code also makes our products easier to extend and helps users to build reusable frameworks.</Description> </Report> </dataroot> | Mid | [
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Let’s connect! death I haven’t always been the type of person to believe in miracles. But as of late, I am. When I was in the Wyoming desert, I got a phone call I wasn’t expecting. And from this day forward, Wyoming will forever be known to me as the place where I experienced heartache, grief, and a reunion all in one. Wyoming will always be bittersweet. My grandfather went into surgery, and a part of me wanted to call and talk to him beforehand. But I didn’t, because I was afraid that since we hadn’t spoken for upwards of five years, that it would be “awkward.” Looking back, I realize how silly that sounds. The next day, he left this earth. I remember receiving a text from my aunt: “Give me a call when you have a chance.” I remember that sinking feeling. She didn’t say it, but I already knew that it wasn’t good. Before I knew what was happening, I felt that emptiness. My aunt and I hadn’t spoken for almost 10 years, but I called her and we cried on the phone together. And I’ve never felt so close yet so far away at the same time. Then she asked a question I knew was coming, but didn’t want to hear: “Has your dad called you yet?” My dad and I don’t have the best relationship. The love is there, but the closeness isn’t. My aunt gave him the chance to reach out to me and tell me the news, but he didn’t. So I decided to reach out to him, just to make sure he was okay. He didn’t answer when I called, but I wasn’t surprised. I left a voicemail, not expecting anything in return. The next morning, he sent an email as though no time had passed at all. It had been nearly a year since we last spoke to each other, but somehow it didn’t feel like that at all. We’ve been talking a few times a week since then. Before this, I wholeheartedly believed we wouldn’t ever have a relationship. That the next time I heard from him, it would only be because something had happened. In a way, I have to believe that in my grandfather’s passing, it was his dying wish to bring me and my dad back together. Because that’s exactly what happened. With the loss of my grandfather, came the rebirth of our relationship. With his departure, I’m now in touch with my aunt and that other side of my family again. In this tumultuous world we live in, I think it would be crazy to not believe in miracles of some sort. So, that’s what I’m holding onto during this time of grief and longing. What about you? Have you ever experienced a miracle of any kind? If you have, please share them below. I’m in the mood for miracles ❤️ | Mid | [
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Q: Hashlib not encrypting correctly? I made a little example to show that hashlib is not encrypting correctly! (Background info: the hash for 'e' in SHA512 is "87c568e037a5fa50b1bc911e8ee19a77c4dd3c22bce9932f86fdd8a216afe1681c89737fada6859e91047eece711ec16da62d6ccb9fd0de2c51f132347350d8c") #imports import hashlib #var code = "87c568e037a5fa50b1bc911e8ee19a77c4dd3c22bce9932f86fdd8a216afe1681c89737fada6859e91047eece711ec16da62d6ccb9fd0de2c51f132347350d8c" #Input decoding string here. this one equals e. dbanswer = "e" dbanswer = dbanswer.encode() dbanswer = hashlib.sha3_512(dbanswer) dbanswer = dbanswer.hexdigest() print(dbanswer) print(code) The output is: 6ebb8a73bfd0459bd575b9dbef6dcb970bb11182591f5ecd7c8c0d771b3269b715fcb84005d542ff74306565a46b3b893f64ca41b8519457ae137f6429dfbb1e 87c568e037a5fa50b1bc911e8ee19a77c4dd3c22bce9932f86fdd8a216afe1681c89737fada6859e91047eece711ec16da62d6ccb9fd0de2c51f132347350d8c I am using Python 3.7 on Spyder. Many thanks to someone that can help me! A: You're using the wrong hashing algorithm if you want SHA512. import hashlib def hash_sha512(s): h = hashlib.sha512() h.update(s.encode()) return h.hexdigest() print(hash_sha512('e')) # 87c568e037a5fa50b1bc911e8ee19a77c4dd3c22bce9932f86fdd8a216afe1681c89737fada6859e91047eece711ec16da62d6ccb9fd0de2c51f132347350d8c sha3_512 is the 512 variant of the SHA3 algorithm. | Low | [
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Q: Django: How to customize an runserver_socketio command for manage.py I'm writing a realtime chatroom similar to this package with Django. It runs a separate WebSocket server with command python manage.py runserver_socketio But I can't figure out how to make the runserver_socketio command load my handler. The only related code I can find in the package is here in django-socketio/django_socketio/management/commands/runserver_socketio.py: server = SocketIOServer(bind, handler, resource="socket.io") .... handler = WSGIHandler() But why on earth is this handler related to my code? A: I got it. the manage.py runserver_socketio command starts almost an identical server as manage.py runserver does. The only difference is that this new server can handle websocket protocol. To see this ,suppose runserver runs on 127.0.0.1:8000 and runserver_socketio on 127.0.0.1:9000. Just visit 127.0.0.1:9000 and you will get the same webpage with 127.0.0.1:8000. The secret lies in django-socketio/django_socketio/example_project/urls.py, which referencing django-socketio/django_socketio/urls.py. In this second urls.py, we can see that it loads events.py in our project. | Mid | [
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Biography HOW ACQUIRED:Claimed by Seattle via waivers September 4, 2011, after being released by Denver on the final cut. NFL CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:• Originally signed by Minnesota as an undrafted free agent on May 2, 2008. Was waived by the Vikings August 30, 2008, and claimed by Baltimore the following day. Waived by Baltimore September 9, 2008, and signed to their practice squad two days later. Signed to the Ravens active roster October 30, 2008. Was waived the following season on November 18, 2009, before signing with the Atlanta Falcons December 29, 2009. Was waived by Atlanta the following camp on August 16, 2010, and claimed August 17 by Detroit. Was waived by Detroit September 4, 2010, and signed with Denver later that season on December 11, 2010. • Holds the longest streak in team history with at least one field goal made in 14-consecutive games (2011-12), and holds the longest attempt of 61 yards vs. Atlanta (10/2/11) and at Detroit (10/28/12). • Had a career-high 118 points in 2012 after converting 24 of 27 field goals and 46 of 48 PATs. • Tied the club record with a career-high five field goals made in five attempts vs. Baltimore (11/13/11), in which those FGs accounted for five of Seattle’s six scores in a 22-17 win. • Connected on 16-of-22 (.727) field goals during his career with Denver (2010) and Baltimore (2008-09). • Made 9-of-13 field goals (.692) and 27-of-28 extra points in nine games during the 2009 season with Baltimore. COLLEGE:Ended collegiate career as a graduate student at North Carolina State and connecting on 16-of-18 field goals in lone season of eligibility and was named a Lou Groza Award finalist. Led the Atlantic Coast Conference and ranked sixth in school history with an .889 field goal percentage. Graduated Middlebury College in Vermont, where he kicked three seasons connecting on 20-of-28 career attempts. Named first team all-conference as a kicker and punter senior year and earned second-team honors at both positions after sophomore and junior seasons. PERSONAL:Played soccer at Needham (Mass.) High School. Also played soccer and lacrosse at Middlebury, earning a degree in neuroscience. HOW ACQUIRED:Claimed by Seattle via waivers September 4, 2011, after being released by Denver on the final cut. NFL CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:• Originally signed by Minnesota as an undrafted free agent on May 2, 2008. Was waived by the Vikings August 30, 2008, and claimed by Baltimore the following day. Waived by Baltimore September 9, 2008, and signed to their practice squad two days later. Signed to the Ravens active roster October 30, 2008. Was waived the following season on November 18, 2009, before signing with the Atlanta Falcons December 29, 2009. Was waived by Atlanta the following camp on August 16, 2010, and claimed August 17 by Detroit. Was waived by Detroit September 4, 2010, and signed with Denver later that season on December 11, 2010. • Holds the longest streak in team history with at least one field goal made in 14-consecutive games (2011-12), and holds the longest attempt of 61 yards vs. Atlanta (10/2/11) and at Detroit (10/28/12). • Had a career-high 118 points in 2012 after converting 24 of 27 field goals and 46 of 48 PATs. • Tied the club record with a career-high five field goals made in five attempts vs. Baltimore (11/13/11), in which those FGs accounted for five of Seattle’s six scores in a 22-17 win. • Connected on 16-of-22 (.727) field goals during his career with Denver (2010) and Baltimore (2008-09). • Made 9-of-13 field goals (.692) and 27-of-28 extra points in nine games during the 2009 season with Baltimore. COLLEGE:Ended collegiate career as a graduate student at North Carolina State and connecting on 16-of-18 field goals in lone season of eligibility and was named a Lou Groza Award finalist. Led the Atlantic Coast Conference and ranked sixth in school history with an .889 field goal percentage. Graduated Middlebury College in Vermont, where he kicked three seasons connecting on 20-of-28 career attempts. Named first team all-conference as a kicker and punter senior year and earned second-team honors at both positions after sophomore and junior seasons. PERSONAL:Played soccer at Needham (Mass.) High School. Also played soccer and lacrosse at Middlebury, earning a degree in neuroscience. | Mid | [
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By Reuters• last updated: 18/01/2019 (Reuters) - U.S. regulators have met to discuss imposing a fine against Facebook Inc for violating a legally binding agreement with the government to protect the privacy of personal data, the Washington Post reported on Friday, citing three people familiar with the discussions. The Federal Trade Commission has been investigating Facebook since last year. It has not finalised its findings in the probe or the total amount of the penalty, according to the newspaper https://wapo.st/2FGGRj0. Facebook has talked with FTC staff about the investigation, one of the people familiar with the matter told the Post. However, it is unclear if the company would settle with the FTC by accepting a significant financial penalty, which is expected to be much larger than the $22.5 million (17.5 million pounds) fine the agency imposed on Alphabet Inc's Google in 2012, the report said. Facebook declined to comment. The FTC, which is affected by the U.S. government shutdown, did not immediately respond to a request to comment. Generally secretive, it took the unusual step last March of announcing the opening of an investigation into Facebook's privacy practices. The announcement followed news reports that revealed lax oversight by the social media company had enabled a quiz app on Facebook to gather details on 87 million users and share it with now-defunct British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. Facebook has since acknowledged several other lapses in protecting user data, drawing additional scrutiny from regulators around the world. | Mid | [
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After winning the Big Ten and playing in the NCAA Tournament as a 1-seed, Indiana's Victor Oladipo is headed to the NBA, according to Jeff Goodman of CBS. The announcement is expected to be made official Tuesday afternoon in a press conference held with Oladipo's coach, Tom Crean. Despite skipping out on his senior year of eligibility, the Upper Marlboro, Md. native will graduate in May. ESPN's Chad Ford has Oladipo as a lottery pick at No. 6 in his overall rankings. With a draft class full of question marks, the talented Hoosier decided 2013 was the year he could hover around the top of NBA teams' draft boards. A raw talent entering college in 2010, Oladipo turned a corner this season, raising his shooting averages across the board. He hit nearly 60 percent of his shots from the floor on his way to 13.6 points per game. The 6'5 shooting guard also managed to improve his range, more than doubling his percentage from three to 44% this past season. But his biggest strength may be on the defensive side. Oladipo has elite speed and quickness on the perimeter and can get his hands on the ball and put it in the basket before opposing players know what hit them. More in College Basketball: • 10 things we learned in Monday’s title game • Kevin Ware cuts down the nets • Make it 3: Cardinals bring home title • SB Nation presents One Whining Moment • Hancock plays hero for Louisville vs. Michigan • GIFs: Trey Burke's awesome block (which was called a foul) | High | [
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Metro should end its delay of running 'Defeat Jihad' ad Nothing in the ad that the American Freedom Defense Initiative wants to place on local buses and trains in the Washington area violates Metro's scant guidelines on advertising, which ban false or misleading ads and not much else. The group's ad reads, "In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat Jihad." That message may be seen as inflammatory, obnoxious or hateful but, as a federal judge noted in July in ordering New York's subway system to accept the ad, it is protected speech under the First Amendment. So it is unlikely that Metro's decision to "defer" placing the ad on buses and trains will survive a lawsuit brought by the sponsoring group. Nor does Metro's stated rationale — a spokesman said that Metro wanted to wait "out of concern for public safety, given current world events" — seem likely to hold much water in a constitutional debate. | Mid | [
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"I would not give a fig for the simplicity this side of complexity, but I would give my right hand for the simplicity on the other side of complexity.” Oliver Wendell Holmes "In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed." Charles Darwin "My greatest strength as a consultant is to be ignorant and ask a few questions." Peter Drucker “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it. We must learn to see the world anew.” Albert Einstein "New insights fail to get put into practice because they conflict with deeply held internal images of how the world works ... images that limit us to familiar ways of thinking and acting. That is why the discipline of managing mental models -- surfacing, testing, and improving our internal pictures of how the world works -- promises to be a major breakthrough for learning organizations." Peter Senge "A business that makes nothing but money is a poor kind of business." Henry Ford "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win" Mahatma Gandhi "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." Eleanor Roosevelt "Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lessons afterwards." Unknown "I keep six honest serving-men (They taught me all I knew); Their names are What and Why and When And How and Where and Who." Rudyard Kipling "Anyone will be unhappy until s/he recognizes her/his true calling." Unknown “Thirty spokes will converge In the hub of a wheel; But the use of the cartWill depend on the partOf the hub that is void. With a wall all aroundA clay bowl is moulded;But the use of the bowlWill depend on the partOf the bowl that is void. Cut out windows and doorsIn the house as you build;But the use of the houseWill depend on the spaceIn the wall that is void. | Mid | [
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Disputed ‘Ag Gag’ Bill Advances in Idaho BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Dairy farmers enraged by animal-rights activists trying to root out cruelty and abuse got a boost Friday when Idaho senators voted 23-10 to intensify punishments for those who trespass to film their operations without permission. The measure would put people caught surreptitiously recording agricultural operations in jail for up to a year and fine them $5,000. The bill, which now goes to the House, stems from a 2012 incident at Idaho's Bettencourt Dairy in Hansen where activists from Mercy for Animals captured images of workers caning, beating and stomping on cows. Idaho's $2.5 billion milk industry argues the video was used by "agri-terrorists" not merely to curb abuse, but to harm Bettencourt's business — even after its owner fired the workers and cooperated with the animal-cruelty prosecution after activists told law enforcement. Representative Sen. Jim Patrick, the sponsor from Idaho's dairy heartland surrounding Twin Falls, argued that no less than the state's food safety is at stake, invoking the specter of groups including al-Qaida sneaking onto Idaho farms and putting crops and other commodities at risk. "We as a nation are at risk of losing a lot of our food to terrorism," Patrick said. Nathan Runkle, executive director of Mercy for Animals based in Los Angeles, said Patrick's comments stretched the limits of hyperbole. "Comparing activists who document illegal animal abuse and report it to law enforcement to terrorists who crash planes into buildings is offensive to anybody who has been a victim of a true terrorist attack," Runkle said. "Had our investigator not documented on hidden camera workers beating, punching and dragging cows, this abuse would have gone undetected and unpunished." His group is active beyond Idaho. This week in Wisconsin, four dairy workers were charged with mistreating animals after Mercy For Animals showed them beating, kicking, stabbing and whipping sick and injured cows. In the absence of government inspections, Runkle said, "the job of reporting abuse is often times left to nonprofit organizations like Mercy For Animals." Still, the Idaho bill's Senate backers said dairy owners should be able to expect people working for them aren't lying on job applications simply to sneak onto their facilities to make videos. In addition to the filming provisions, the bill would criminalize obtaining records from such operations by force or misrepresentation, while lying on an employment application for such a farm would also be outlawed. Legitimate whistleblowers can still report abuse to the Idaho Department of Agriculture, whether this bill passes or not, said Sen. Todd Lakey, R-Nampa. "This does not limit the ability of an individual to file a complaint," Lakey said. "It does not limit constitutionally protected speech. To me, it comes down to private-property rights." Foes, meanwhile, included Senate civil liberties defenders who worried the bill is so broadly written, it could be interpreted to outlaw even legitimate activities. | Low | [
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1966 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships The 1966 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships were contested March 11−12, 1966 at the Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan at the second annual NCAA-sanctioned track meet to determine the individual and team national champions of men's collegiate University Division indoor track and field events in the United States. Kansas topped the team standings, finishing one point ahead of USC. It was the Jayhawks' first title in program history. Qualification Unlike other NCAA-sponsored sports, there were not separate University Division and College Division championships for indoor track and field until 1985. As such, all athletes and teams from University and College Division programs were eligible to compete. Team standings Note: Top 10 only References Ncaa Indoor Track And Field Championships Ncaa Indoor Track And Field Championships Category:NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships | Mid | [
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Energy markets shocked higher By Walt Breitinger Saturday, January 19, 2013 - 9:56 am Crude oil, gasoline and natural gas rallied sharply this week on the heels of bullish news. Unexpectedly, a militant attack on a natural-gas production facility in Algeria resulted in hostages being taken and killed, including American, British and Japanese citizens. The attack put foreign-policy and energy analysts on edge. Although details are still spotty, some believe that al-Qaeda may be implicated in the attack, suggesting a further destabilization of North Africa. Algeria is the 15th-largest oil producer in the world, and this attack contributed to the rally in crude oil. Crude oil gushed over $96 per barrel Thursday, the highest price in four months. Additionally, U.S. energy markets pushed higher on cold weather forecasts, indicating higher demand for natural gas and heating oil. Natural gas rose more than twenty cents per million British thermal units (+6%) during the week, trading Friday near $3.52, the highest price in five weeks. Long-term, energy analysts believe that U.S. energy prices will be less exposed to global supply shocks as U.S. natural gas and crude oil production continues to rise. If current projections hold true, the United States could become the world's largest oil producer by 2020. Cattle corralled lower Cattle prices collapsed this week, falling by more than 5 cents per pound (down 4 percent). Prices had been softening due to tepid consumer beef demand, which has been waning in the face of near-record beef prices. The selloff accelerated when news broke that a beef processing plant in Texas was closing its doors. This story caused a mass exodus from the cattle market, with many investors selling their cattle holdings. Some traders feel that the recent selloff was simply a downward correction, necessary after prices rose nearly 20 cents per pound (up 17.5 percent) in eight months. Long-term, bullish cattle traders believe prices will continue to climb due to a nationwide shortage of cattle and still-high feed grain prices. As of midday Friday, live cattle for February delivery were worth $1.26 per pound. Cotton floats higher Cotton jumped to a three-month high at 78.37 cents per pound on Friday. This week's 2.75 cent (up 3.6 percent) rally came on rumors that China's cotton stockpile may be low-quality, which would require Chinese manufacturers to buy higher-quality US cotton. China is the world's largest cotton producer, but it frequently needs more than it produces, making China a major importer of US cotton. Opinions are solely the writer’s. Walt Breitinger is a commodity futures broker in Valparaiso who can be reached through his website, www.indianafutures.com. This is not a solicitation of any order to buy or sell any market. | Low | [
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Women in Entertainment Power 100 Never Miss A Story. Daily Edition 'Religulous' Empty As a comedy routine about the absurdity of religious fundamentalism, Bill Maher's "Religulous" is very, very funny. As a serious discussion of religion and spirituality, it is, well, very, very funny. This film needs to come with the right consumer label, such as "irreverent comedy" or "politically incorrect sermon." Anyone anticipating an in-depth look at how world religions go wrong or the failure of God in the modern age will be genuinely disappointed. As it stands, "Religulous" acts as a litmus test: If you love it, you're undoubtedly an agnostic secular humanist. If your blood boils, you're deeply religious. Lionsgate unveiled the provocative film in Toronto, and it now opens an almost-secret Oscar-qualifying run in New York and Los Angeles. As a political humorist, Maher has never been afraid to offend. In fact, he seems to relish it. He just can't resist that final smart-alecky remark that skewers an opponent. Here, in his first major movie project, he travels the globe to discuss God and religion with true believers, challenging their interpretation of various holy scriptures and trying to understand — or at least pretending to try — what underlies fervent faith absent any proof of God's existence. For the second straight movie, director Larry Charles has made certain his cameras are in the right places and let his "lead actor" run away with the show. And like Sacha Baron Cohen in "Borat," Maher absorbs the limelight as a baby does his lotion. Maher begins with a family revelation: He grew up Catholic, but his mother never went to church. Turns out she is Jewish. Of course, the family left Catholicism long ago — something to do with birth control, she thinks — which leaves Maher in the strong position to attack the entire Judeo-Christian ethos without any implication of bigotry. He does a good job. The jealous, wrathful God of the Old Testament, the Virgin Birth of Jesus and concept of Original Sin — that last one not in the Bible, Mayer points out — are ridiculed. Clips from old movies illustrate the fallacy of literal interpretations of Bible stories. The Mormon belief that Indians represent a "lost tribe of Israel" juxtaposed with Mel Brooks' Yiddish-speaking natives from "Blazing Saddles" is particularly effective. The problem is whom he chooses to question and where he chooses to go. For the most part, he verbally jousts with evangelical charlatans and redneck whack jobs. He visits a Holy Land theme park and a Creationist museum. Maher doesn't risk questioning a learned theologian or even a devout Christian or Jew who reads the holy scriptures as a spiritual guide without having to accept as literal truth stories written by men 2,000 years ago. William F. Buckley was still alive when this movie was made. Wouldn't you like to see Maher take on him? Nor does Maher acknowledge the deep divisions within many religions over issues like homosexuality. Maher reserves his sharpest and most passionate outrage for politicians who wear religion on their sleeves like Boy Scout merit badges. An interview with Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., certainly makes his point, more than the senator might have realized. But by focusing so narrowly on religious fundamentalists and bigots while ignoring any spiritual dimension to religion, the film not only is being disingenuous but limits its audience to nonbelievers. The fact remains, Maher is preaching to the choir. | Low | [
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Energy controlled insertion of polar molecules in dense fluids. We present a method to search low energy configurations of polar molecules in the complex potential energy surfaces associated with dense fluids. The search is done in the configurational space of the translational and rotational degrees of freedom of the molecule, combining steepest-descent and Newton-Raphson steps which embed information on the average sizes of the potential energy wells obtained from prior inspection of the liquid structure. We perform a molecular dynamics simulation of a liquid water shell which demonstrates that the method enables fast and energy-controlled water molecule insertion in aqueous environments. The algorithm finds low energy configurations of incoming water molecules around three orders of magnitude faster than direct random insertion. This method represents an important step towards dynamic simulations of open systems and it may also prove useful for energy-biased ensemble average calculations of the chemical potential. | High | [
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Q: Fit the calendar format I want mask yyyy/mm/dd so.. I have used this code. SimpleDateFormat format = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy/MM/dd"); Calendar today = new GregorianCalendar(); String x = today.get(Calendar.YEAR)+"/"+today.get(Calendar.MONTH)+"/"+today.get(Calendar.DATE); String a = format.format(x); system.out.println(a); I using this code But this was exception output. 08-14 15:24:36.327: E/AndroidRuntime(10133): java.lang.IllegalArgumentException The exception here is the output. String a = format.format(x); the x output 2014/8/14. it mask yyyy/m/d What do I need to fix? A: Try this code. Date today = Calendar.getInstance().getTime(); // (2) create our date "formatter" (the date format we want) SimpleDateFormat formatter = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy/MM/dd"); // (3) create a new String using the date format we want String formatted_date = formatter.format(today); // (4) this prints "Formatted Date = " System.out.println("Formatted Date = " + formatted_date); hope this will helps you. | Mid | [
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Effect of progesterone therapy on arginine vasopressin and atrial natriuretic factor in premenstrual syndrome. To explore the possible role of natriuretic peptides and vasopressin in luteal phase fluid retention in premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and to determine the effect of progesterone therapy on these hormones. Self-controlled prospective study. University-based medical research centre. Six patients with PMS were studied during the symptomatic luteal and asymptomatic follicular phases. The follicular phase response was used as the control for each subject. An intravenous infusion of 3% saline solution was administered on an early follicular and a late luteal phase day in 2 menstrual cycles. Progesterone was administered orally during the second luteal phase. Osmolality, arginine vasopressin (AVP), atrial natriuretic factor (ANF), and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels in plasma, osmolality, sodium, potassium, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine 5'-phosphate (cGMP) concentrations in urine, and thirst sensation. Mean basal plasma ANF and osmolality levels and the threshold for AVP release and thirst were lower, and mean urinary cyclic nucleotide levels and AVP sensitivity (amount of AVP secreted per unit rise in plasma osmolality) were higher, in the luteal phase than in the follicular phase. With saline loading, there was an increase in plasma osmolality, AVP and ANF and in urinary sodium and cyclic nucleotide levels. Plasma ANF and osmolality levels remained lower in the luteal phase compared with the follicular phase, but AVP levels at the end of the saline infusion were higher in the luteal phase than in the follicular phase. Progesterone therapy caused an increase in plasma ANF and osmolality levels and the AVP threshold and a decrease in AVP levels and sensitivity and urinary cyclic nucleotide levels. BNP levels did not change with phase or treatment. The differences in AVP threshold with phase and treatment were statistically significant (p < 0.001). There was a significant phase effect for plasma ANF (p = 0.02) and a significant or near-significant interaction effect of phase and treatment for plasma ANF (p = 0.06) and urinary cAMP (p = 0.047) and cGMP (p = 0.066). The effect of phase and treatment was not significant for the other measurements. Luteal phase fluid retention may be due to a relative deficiency of ANF and a lower threshold for AVP release. The symptomatic improvement produced by progesterone treatment may be due to its stimulation of ANF and inhibition of AVP release or synthesis. | High | [
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// Module included in the following assemblies: // as_t2sf-intro.adoc // as_sf2db-intro.adoc // as_amq2api-intro.adoc [id='cleanup_{context}'] = Cleaning up your integration When you are done working with a sample integration, you should stop it and delete it so that you can use the resources for another integration. .Prerequisites * You are finished working with a sample integration that you published. .Procedure . In {prodname}, in the left panel, click *Integrations*. . In the main panel, identify the entry for the sample integration that you want to stop. . In that entry, to the right, click image:images/tutorials/ThreeVerticalDotsKebab.png[Kebab Menu] and then click *Stop*. . Click *Stop* to confirm that you want to stop running the integration. . In the entry for the integration that you just stopped, to the right, click image:images/tutorials//ThreeVerticalDotsKebab.png[Kebab Menu] and then click *Delete*. . Click *Delete* to confirm that you want to delete the integration. | Mid | [
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SHARE Lawyer: Calls put his client in clear in slaying Cellphone records show a former Fruita man charged with murdering a male escort couldn’t have committed the crime, a public defender wrote in a court filing. “Billy Delacey is innocent,” Deputy Public Defender Matthew Mulch wrote at the start of a 30-page motion to reduce bond. The motion asks District Judge Richard Gurley to slash Delacey’s bond from $1 million secured to $200,000 personal recognizance. Delacey, 35, who’s being held at the Mesa County Jail, would wear a global-positioning device if released and has secured potential housing in Grand Junction ahead of trial starting Jan. 13, 2014. “Mr. Delacey recognizes that such a (bond) reduction would be a vast departure from typical practice,” Mulch wrote. “Mr. Delacey, however, also notes that being offered the chance at probation on a First-Degree Murder case is also a vast departure from typical practice.” Delacey has rejected a plea offer by the District Attorney’s Office which included the possibility of probation in exchange for pleading guilty to manslaughter, a class 4 felony, according to Mulch’s motion. Delacey is charged with first- and second-degree murder, possession of sexually exploitative materials and misdemeanor theft in the beating death of 26-year-old Luis “Beto” Oliva at Oliva’s apartment in Fruitvale in 2011. A grand jury indictment alleges Delacey responded to a Craigslist advertisement placed by Oliva for male-on-male massages and sex. The Mesa County Coroner’s Office concluded Oliva was murdered sometime between 6 a.m. July 31, 2011, and 2 a.m. on Aug. 1, 2011, according to the defense motion. Oliva’s body was found on a deflated air mattress, while the autopsy indicated he suffered multiple blows to his head and face. Prosecutors presented testimony to the grand jury that Delacey, a U.S. Army veteran who told investigators he’d served as an intelligence officer in Afghanistan, was in Oliva’s apartment between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. on July 31, 2011. While the prosecution has theorized Oliva was dead when Delacey left, phone records and statements tell another story, the defense motion argues. A man, identified in court records as Oliva’s husband, told investigators he last spoke with Oliva on the phone around noon on July 31. Phone records show the man placed six calls, which were answered, to Oliva’s cellphone on July 31. The last call happened at 12:09 p.m. This, as a search of Delacey’s computer showed activity from 12:09 p.m. to 1:46 p.m., at Delacey’s house in Fruita. “These records demonstrate that Mr. Delacey was on the other side of the county while (Oliva) was still alive and speaking with his husband over the telephone regarding their relationship,” the motion reads. A cellphone expert used by the defense concluded records show the last call — a check of voicemail — on Oliva’s phone was at 11:07 a.m. During a bond argument May 24, District Attorney Pete Hautzinger suggested Delacey may have had Oliva’s cellphone and drove away from the Fruitvale crime scene without hanging up, according to the motion. Again, phone records suggest otherwise, the defense argues. The cellphone tower where the call hit is at 2763 B 1/2 Road, roughly four miles from the Fruitvale apartment and “nowhere near Mr. Delacey’s home in Fruita,” Mulch wrote in the motion. Another witness, meanwhile, told investigators he saw Oliva around 3 p.m. on July 31 outside of the complex and heard someone inside Oliva’s apartment early on Aug. 1, 2011. “The prosecution is unwilling to accept these phone records because they know what they mean: that Billy Delacey did not kill Mr. Oliva,” the motion concludes. The District Attorney’s Office hadn’t filed a formal response to the motion as of Friday. Hautzinger told the judge last month he intends to hire his own expert to review the phone records. Everyone investigated in the case, except for Delacey, had alibis which checked out for the time around Oliva’s slaying, the DA told the judge. | Low | [
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Citation Nr: 9932829 Decision Date: 11/22/99 Archive Date: 12/01/99 DOCKET NO. 98-13 967 ) DATE ) ) On appeal from the Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in White River Junction, Vermont THE ISSUE Entitlement to service connection for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). REPRESENTATION Appellant represented by: Vietnam Veterans of America WITNESS AT HEARING ON APPEAL Appellant ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD W. R. Steyn, Associate Counsel INTRODUCTION The veteran had active military service from August 1964 to March 1968. This appeal arises before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) from a July 1998 rating decision of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in White River Junction, Vermont, which denied the veteran's claim seeking entitlement to service connection for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). At the veteran's July 1999 hearing, his representative emphasized that the veteran was only seeking entitlement to service connection for PTSD, and that he was not seeking service connection for any other psychiatric disorder (page 14). FINDINGS OF FACT 1. All relevant evidence necessary for an equitable disposition of the veteran's appeal has been obtained by the RO. 2. The veteran's military records do not indicate engagement in combat with the enemy or direct combat participation. 3. The veteran's alleged stressors are not corroborated by credible evidence. CONCLUSIONS OF LAW PTSD was not incurred in or aggravated by the veteran's active military service. 38 U.S.C.A. §§ 1110, 5107(a) (West 1991); 38 C.F.R. §§ 3.303, 3.304 (1998). REASONS AND BASES FOR FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS Background Service medical records show that the veteran was diagnosed in July 1966 with agitated depression. It was noted he was in the 5th Comm Bn and came in wanting to see a medical officer about personal problems. He was easily aggravated by jibes from his peers. The veteran was hospitalized in August 1966 with acute situational reaction. The veteran verbalized great resentment toward his peers because they were teasing him about being Canadian. He was seen in September 1966 after having difficulty with his peers. He was having nightly dreams about killing people. He was placed on Thorazine. In November 1967, the veteran was diagnosed with depressive reaction. In December 1967, the veteran was diagnosed with incipient schizophrenia. The Physical Evaluation Board recommended that the veteran be discharged because of incipient schizophrenia. Service personnel records show that the veteran served in Vietnam from December 13, 1965 to August 1, 1967. The veteran served in the Headquarters Company, 5th Comm. Battalion while in Vietnam. The veteran's primary duties were Supervisory Administrative Clerk, and Messman. The veteran was discharged because of a physical disability. The veteran submitted copies of letters he wrote to his family in February and August 1966. In the letter from February 1966, the veteran stated that it was raining, but that other than that, everything was alright. He wrote that he had been put in the reactionary squad, and that he would be able to kill his first VC. In the letter from August 1966, the veteran stated that he was in the hospital and that he went berserk. The veteran stated that he was a killer, and loved to kill and fight. In a letter dated September 1966, the veteran's parents thanked the Commandant of the Marine Corps for his comforting letter about their son. The veteran completed a PTSD questionnaire in February 1998. He reported stressors of fright of being killed due to constant over-head firing, not knowing who the enemy was, shelling from enemy and explosion, friendly fire, deaths of a nun and young children whom he had befriended, harassment from his own people, body bags of friends in boot camp, drug and alcohol use during watch, which gave him the feeling of insecurity, snipers from an orphanage (the veteran clarified that he saw an orphanage on fire), the smell of death, being stationed where body bags came in, and seeing fellow soldiers abuse younger girls. Copies of VA Medical Center treatment records were submitted from February 1998. The veteran was hospitalized from February 2, 1998, to February 9, 1998. Diagnosis was PTSD, and possible obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Frederick Lundell, MDCM., submitted a letter dated February 1998. He stated that he saw the veteran one time in November 1997. He stated that he could not give a diagnosis based on the initial interview and that contact wit the veteran had been terminated due to the doctor having a lengthy illness. He related that the veteran described being pulled underwater once by the current at Da Nang. He also described falling out of a helicopter once and being saved by a safety belt. He also indicated that he killed somebody with a bayonet. There was no reference to psychiatric treatment in service. In April 1998, the veteran submitted a statement providing information about his alleged stressors. He described trying to kill 2 recruits with his bare hands at Paris Island. He stated that upon landing in DaNang, he was put on a truck to be dropped off at various points, and that after 10 minutes, 2 women with bags full of snakes and a grenade threw them in the back of the truck. He stated that the grenade did not go off, but that the snakes were everywhere. He stated that the corporal shot and killed the 2 women. He stated that on 2 occasions, his gunny almost shot his head off because he was drunk. He indicated that one night when the alert went off, he noticed that the gunny was not there, and he went to his tent, and saw that the gunny was on his bunk drunk. He stated that he woke him up and carried him to his bunker, and the gunny took out his gun and started shooting. He described the second time when he was running to the jeep, which the veteran was driving to go to a safe area, and again the gunny shot, and the bullet hit the windshield. He described another incident where a 2nd lieutenant, during an alert had a shotgun, and was running, and his shotgun went off and hit the front of the bunker where the veteran was standing. He described another incident where he was sent to Chu-Lai for a week or so and was in a skirmish with the enemy. He stated that he went through 4 clips. He stated that when he came back from "Le Relais", he was put on perimeter duty every night and told to shoot if he saw anything. He stated that he saw 3 VC and shot one night. He indicated that on 2 occasions, his own men fired on the camp, because they were bored. The veteran underwent a VA examination in April 1998. The veteran stated that he sought outpatient psychiatric beginning in October 1997. He reported that his MOS was in supply, but that he found himself in combat situations, where there were mortar shells incoming. He also reported that he had to identify dead soldiers in bodybags and had to move and transport the dead. The examiner commented that the veteran's tour of duty ended when he was sent to the USS Repose with what appeared to have been an acute stress reaction. Diagnosis was PTSD, chronic, severe, and major depressive disorder. In May 1998, the RO sent the veteran a letter requesting more information about his alleged stressors. In June 1998, the veteran provided information about his alleged stressors. He stated that on the day he arrived in Vietnam in October 1966 while riding a truck to the Fifth Communications battalion in DaNang, two Vietnamese women threw a bag full of snakes and a grenade into the truck. He stated that the grenade did not explode, but the sergeant shot the two women, and said, "Welcome to Vietnam." He stated that in January or February 1967, he was stationed at DaNang Air Force Base, and for 3 days he was given the duty of unloading body bags containing excess bodies from the hospitals. He stated that many of the body bags were ripped or not zipped. He stated that on the day before Easter in 1967 (March 25?) while stationed at DaNang Air Force Base, he was sitting outside in a group watching a movie, when they came under sniper fire. He stated that his gunnery sergeant was so drunk that he had to pick him up to carry him behind the sand bags. He stated that while carrying him over, the gunnery sergeant's gun went off. He stated that this event affected him deeply. He stated that while stationed at the Fifth Communication Battalion, he would go with 5 or 6 other soldiers to visit children in an orphanage. He stated that he became close to the children, and just before Christmas 1966, he was told that two of the children that he had become close to had been killed. He stated that while at Parris Island in February 1968 while working as a turn key in the prison, he overheard 2 recruits in the parade square laughing and saying that they would not go to Vietnam. He stated that he attacked them with his bare hands, because they were laughing at those who had served in Vietnam. He stated that the next thing he remembered was being sent to Charleston Naval Hospital. In July 1998, the Commandant of the Marine Corps wrote a letter to the RO. The Commandant wrote that they had no means to verify if the veteran actually participated in combat. They indicated that the veteran's records showed that his duty assigned was supply administrative clerk and he was not awarded the Combat Action Ribbon. They indicated that the veteran's duty assignment at Parris Island was a Battalion Police NCO, and there was no indication that he worked in the prison. The veteran was afforded a video hearing before a member of the Board in July 1999, a transcript of which has been associated with the claims folder. He stated that his claim was only for PTSD, and was specifically not for any other psychiatric disorder (page 14). The veteran stated that he was being seen at VA Medical Centers by Dr. King in Burlington and by a therapist in Plattsburg. He stated that the VA Medical Center in Burlington should have had all of his records. (pages 11, 16). The veteran stated that he saw Dr. Lundell around October 1996, but that the RO already had those records (page 15). Regarding the veteran's alleged stressors, it was noted that he served 21 months in Vietnam. The veteran stated that he was with the 5th Communication Battalion, Supplies in Da Nang. His main function was to make sure everyone got the equipment they needed. He stated that he often had to go into a helicopter and bring communications equipment to various bases in the jungle (page 4). He described being fired upon by snipers (page 5). He described one sniper attack when he was watching a movie on his birthday. He stated that there were rocket and mortar attacks around the compound in the Da Nang area, specifically on the other side of the orphanage, and near the air and helicopter base. (page 5). He stated that he had to unload bodies off of helicopters (page 5). He stated that when he returned from Vietnam, he went to Paris Island. He stated that his job was to watch prisoners break rocks. He stated that two recruits were reservists, and were making fun of the people going to Vietnam. The veteran stated that he got angry and started hitting them. The veteran stated that he was hospitalized at the Charleston Naval Hospital. (pages 7-8). During the hearing it was asserted that Dr. Lundell advised that the veteran did not have schizophrenia in service , but that he had PTSD. (page 10). The veteran testified that he was being treated for PTSD and no other psychiatric disorder and that he had not been diagnosed with any other psychiatric disorder. (Page 11). In response to questions , he testified that he was not in a combat unit, but had been in combat situations. It was stated that the only evidence he had to verify his claimed stressors were his lay statements. Analysis The law provides that service connection may be granted for disability resulting from disease or injury incurred in or aggravated by active military service. 38 U.S.C.A. § 1110 (West 1991). However, the preliminary requirement for establishing entitlement to any VA benefit is that the applicant submit a claim which is sufficient to justify a belief by a fair and impartial individual that the claim is well grounded. 38 U.S.C.A. § 5107(a) (West 1991). The United States Court of Veterans Appeals (Court) has defined a well-grounded claim as "a plausible claim, one which is meritorious on its own or capable of substantiation." Such a claim need not be conclusive, but only possible, to satisfy the initial burden of § 5107. Murphy v. Derwinski, 1 Vet.App. 78, 81 (1990). The Court has established a three pronged test to determine whether a claim is well grounded. There must be competent evidence of a current disability (medical diagnosis), of incurrence or aggravation of a disease or injury in service (lay or medical evidence), and of a nexus between the injury or disease in service and the current disability (medical evidence). See Rabideau v. Derwinski, 2 Vet.App. 141 (1992); Grottveit v. Brown, 5 Vet.App. 92 (1993); Grivois v. Brown, 6 Vet.App. 136 (1994); Caluza v. Brown, 7 Vet.App. 498 (1995). To be well grounded, a claim must be supported by evidence that suggests more than a purely speculative basis for an award of benefits; medical evidence is required, not just allegations. Tirpak v. Derwinski, 2 Vet.App. 609 (1992); Dixon v. Derwinski, 3 Vet.App. 261 (1992). Claims for service connection for PTSD are evaluated in accordance with the criteria set forth in 38 C.F.R. 3.304(f). Amendments to those criteria became effective on March 7, 1997, prior to the filing of the veteran's appeal. See Direct Service Connection (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), 64 Fed. Reg. 32,807 (1999) (to be codified at 38 C.F.R. § 3.304(f) (1999)). While the RO applied the old rather than the new criteria, the Board finds that the old and new criteria for evaluating PTSD claims are substantially the same. Both versions of the applicable regulation require medical evidence establishing a diagnosis of the condition, credible supporting evidence that the claimed inservice stressor occurred, and a link, established by medical evidence, between current symptomatology and the claimed inservice stressor. See 38 C.F.R. § 3.304(f); Cohen v. Brown, 10 Vet. App. at 138. The new revisions serve primarily to codify the Court's decision in Cohen, and bring 38 C.F.R. § 3.304(f) in line with the governing statute, 38 U.S.C.A. § 1154(b), which relaxes certain evidentiary requirements for PTSD claimants who have combat-related stressors. Under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1154(b), Cohen, and the new version of 38 C.F.R. § 3.304(f), if the evidence establishes that the veteran engaged in combat with the enemy, or was a POW, and the claimed stressor is related to combat or POW experiences, in the absence of clear and convincing evidence to the contrary, and provided that the claimed stressor is consistent with the circumstances, conditions, or hardships of the veteran's service, the veteran's lay testimony alone may establish the occurrence of the claimed inservice stressor. Where, however, VA determines that the veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy, and was not a POW, or the claimed stressor is not related to combat or POW experiences, the veteran's lay statements, by themselves, will not be enough to establish the occurrence of the alleged stressor. Instead, the record must contain service records or other credible evidence which corroborates the stressor. 38 U.S.C.A. § 1154(b) (West 1991); 38 C.F.R. § 3.304(d), (f); Gaines v. West, 11 Vet. App. 353, 357-58 (1998). The Board finds that the new regulation has not changed the applicable criteria in a way which could alter the outcome of the veteran's claim. The revisions serve only to codify the Court's decision in Cohen, and bring 38 C.F.R. § 3.304(f) in line with the governing statute, as noted above. Therefore, the veteran would not be prejudiced by the Board proceeding to the merits of the claim. Indeed, a remand of this issue would only result in needless delay and impose further burdens on the RO, with no benefit flowing to the veteran. The Court has held that such remands are to be avoided. See Winters v. West, 12 Vet. App. 203 (1999) (en banc); Soyini v. Derwinski, 1 Vet. App. 540, 546 (1991); Sabonis v. Brown, 6 Vet. App. 426, 430 (1994). The threshold question in the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is whether he has met his initial burden of submitting evidence to show that his claim is well grounded, meaning plausible. 38 U.S.C.A. § 5107(a); Murphy v. Derwinski, 1 Vet. App. 78 (1990). If he has not done so, there is no VA duty to assist him in developing the claim, and the claim must be denied. Id. The Board finds that the veteran's claim is "well-grounded" within the meaning of 38 U.S.C.A. § 5107(a). That is, the veteran has presented a claim which is not inherently implausible. VA Medical Center treatment records show that the veteran was diagnosed with PTSD in February 1998. A VA examination from April 1998 also diagnosed the veteran with PTSD, and the examiner said that the veteran's PTSD symptoms were associated with inservice combat stressors. Having found the veteran's claim to be well-grounded, the Board also finds that no further assistance is required to comply with the duty to assist mandated by 38 U.S.C.A. § 5107(a). The Board next notes that according to his DD-214, the veteran has not received the Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman Badge, or similar combat citation indicating participation in combat. The service personnel records show that the veteran served in the Headquarters Company, 5th Comm. Battalion while in Vietnam. His primary duties were Supervisory Administrative Clerk, and Messman. The Marine Corps has reported that they could not verify the veteran was in combat and during his personal hearing he testified that he was not in a combat unit. The Board finds that the veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy, therefore, it must next determine whether the veteran's claimed stressor(s) are corroborated sufficiently by service records or other sources to establish the occurrence of the claimed stressful events. See Cohen v. Brown, 10 Vet. App. 128, 147 (1997); Moreau v. Brown, 9 Vet. App. 389, 394-95(1996); Doran v. Brown, 6 Vet. App. 283, 289- 90 (1994). In May 1998, the RO requested more specific information from the veteran about his alleged stressors, and in June 1998, the veteran responded. He described an incident in October 1966 shortly after arriving in Vietnam involving a grenade and two women being shot; unloading body bags in January or February 1967; coming under sniper fire around Easter 1967; children he knew from an orphanage dying around Christmas 1966; and an incident in February 1968 while he was working at Parris Island in a prison. The information that the veteran provided about his stressors along with his service records were forwarded to the Personnel Management Support Branch of the United States Marine Corps in June 1998. In July 1998, the Marine Corps stated that they had no means to verify if the veteran actually participated in combat. They specifically wrote that there was no indication that the veteran worked in the prison while at Parris Island. The question of verification of his claimed stressors was raised during his personal hearing and it was related that he had only his lay statements to support his claim. The service records do not corroborate the veteran's statements and the Marine Corps was also not able to verify the veteran's alleged stressors. As such, the veteran's claimed stressors have not been verified by competent evidence. While the veteran discussed general rocket and mortar attacks at his July 1999 personal hearing (page 5), he has not provided specific enough detail for the Marine Corps to verify such alleged attacks. Rocket and mortar attacks were a fairly common occurrence in Vietnam, and the veteran simply has not provided specific dates and/or times of such attacks. Similarly, the veteran provided information regarding other stressors in earlier statements, but he did not describe such stressors in further detail when the RO asked for more specific information in May 1998. The duty to assist is not always a one-way street. If the veteran wants help, he cannot passively wait for it in those circumstances where he may or should have information that is essential in obtaining the putative evidence. Wood v. Derwinski, 1 Vet. App. 190, 193 (1991). Further, if the veteran does not reveal the alleged stressors, together with the dates and places, there is no way to corroborate, or even attempt to corroborate, the information. Swann v. Brown, 5 Vet. App. 229, 233 (1993). The service records do not corroborate the veteran's statements, and the veteran has not supplied the necessary details to verify that any stressor events took place. As noted in the introduction, the veteran contends that he is only seeking service connection for PTSD, and not for any other psychiatric disorder. The Board notes that the service medical records show that the veteran was treated and hospitalized for various psychiatric complaints (agitated depression, acute situational reaction, depressive reaction, and incipient schizophrenia), and that it was recommended that he be discharged because of incipient schizophrenia. However, such records do not address the central weakness in the veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD; that is, such records do not address the question of verification of stressors. Such service medical records would surely be more relevant were the veteran claiming service connection for a psychiatric disability other than PTSD. However, as noted, the veteran is limiting his claim to service connection for PTSD. In addition, no medical evidence has been presented linking his PTSD to psychiatric manifestations from service. While the veteran testified that Dr. Lundell linked his current diagnosis to his psychiatric complaints in service, we find that the actual letter from this physician does not substantiate that assertion. Indeed, Dr. Lundell reported in February 1998, that he saw the veteran once in November 1997 and that on the basis of his initial interview he was unable to give an opinion of the diagnosis. The letters that the veteran wrote to his parents while in service are similar, in that they address the question of the veteran's psychiatric state, but that they do not supply additional information to help verify the veteran's stressors. In summary, the veteran was diagnosed as having PTSD decades after service, and the diagnosis was based on the veteran's uncorroborated accounts of traumatic events during service. The RO has attempted to obtain additional information from the veteran in order to verify the alleged stressors. However, the veteran has not responded to the RO's request for more information regarding the stressors with enough specificity so that the alleged stressors could possibly be verified. Thus, the Board finds that the veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy and his accounts of alleged stressful events in service are not corroborated by the service records or any other source. See Cohen, 10 Vet. App. 128, 147 (1997); Moreau, 9 Vet. App. 389, 394-95 (1996); Doran, 6 Vet. App. 283, 289-90 (1994); 38 C.F.R. § 3.304(f). In light of the foregoing, the Board concludes that the preponderance of the evidence is against the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD. 38 U.S.C.A. §§ 1110, 5107(a); 38 C.F.R. §§ 3.303, 3.304. ORDER Entitlement to service connection for PTSD is denied. STEVEN L. COHN Member, Board of Veterans' Appeals | Low | [
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include AUTHORS include CONTRIBUTORS include LICENSE.txt include MANIFEST.in include ez_setup.py include fabulous/_xterm256.c include fabulous/balls.png include fabulous/fonts/LICENSE.txt include fabulous/fonts/NotoEmoji-Regular.ttf include fabulous/fonts/NotoSans-Bold.ttf | Mid | [
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A single Hubble Space Telescope image can capture scores of distant galaxies, but the one galaxy we'll never see from the outside is our own. As a result, no one knows the Milky Way's exact size and shape. It took more than a century after the discovery of the first spiral in space before astronomers established that our galaxy is a spiral, too, and more years elapsed before they deduced that we inhabit a barred spiral—a type whose bright central region is elongated. Now, for the first time, observers have detected five stars on the far side of the galaxy that serve as outstanding yardsticks, a feat which will divulge secrets about the Milky Way's terra incognita. "It's a beautiful piece of classic astronomy," says Leo Blitz, an astronomer at the University of California, Berkeley, who was not involved in the discovery. The researchers, in South Africa and Japan, discovered five stars known as Cepheids shining on the opposite side of the Milky Way's disk, 72,000 to 99,000 light-years from Earth. All five stars lie behind the galactic center, which is in the constellation Sagittarius about 27,000 light-years from us. Cepheids have starred in numerous astronomical breakthroughs because they reveal a crucial quantity: celestial distance. A Cepheid is a yellow supergiant—a star as warm as the sun but much more luminous—that periodically pulsates, expanding and contracting so that its light waxes and wanes. Just as a tuba resonates at a lower frequency and deeper pitch than the trumpet it dwarfs, so a large and luminous Cepheid takes longer to pulsate than a smaller, dimmer Cepheid. Thus, merely measuring a Cepheid's pulsation period indicates how much light the star emits. Comparing this luminosity with how bright the Cepheid looks reveals its distance from Earth—the farther the star, the fainter it appears. The Cepheids' location initially suggested they had come from the nearby Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy, which the Milky Way's gravity is tearing apart. "We were quite surprised to find that these [stars] didn't have the right velocities for that," says Michael Feast, an astronomer at the University of Cape Town. Using the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) the astronomers measured the stars' Doppler shifts at infrared wavelengths, which penetrate dust in the galaxy's disk. The velocities derived from the Doppler shifts indicated that all five Cepheids belong to our galaxy. The astronomers report their discovery in the May 15 issue of Nature (Scientific American is part of Nature Publishing Group). The stars are well above and below the galactic plane. Cepheids are always fairly young—born less than 130 million years ago—and young stars normally reside within just a few hundred light-years of the galactic plane. The five far-off Cepheids are 2,900 to 6,800 light-years above or below the plane, suggesting that the far side of the Milky Way's stellar disk is flared, like the wide end of a trumpet. This finding makes sense, however, because interstellar gas, which produces young stars, is also flared on the galaxy's outskirts. "It's exciting to see these young objects way over there," says Thomas Dame of the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, not involved with the study, who uses radio waves from molecular gas to map spiral arms as their gas gives birth to new stars. "Ninety percent of what we know about the spiral structure of the galaxy comes from our side. We don't know much at all about the other side." In 2011 Dame and his colleague Patrick Thaddeus traced a great spiral arm named Scutum–Centaurus across the Milky Way's far side, finding that the spiral arm rises several thousand light-years above the galactic plane there. Unfortunately, unlike Cepheids, these radio observations yield only crude distances, and Dame says the spiral map here may be as flawed as the maps navigators used during the age of Columbus. He notes that three of the Cepheids have similar positions, which suggests to him that they lie in the mighty Scutum–Centaurus Arm; but their distances place them beyond its location on the map, so the Scutum–Centaurus Arm may actually lie farther away than originally estimated. One Cepheid even shines beyond the edge of the stellar disk, hinting at another remote spiral feature on the galaxy's far side. What's needed to resolve these matters? More Cepheids. "Five is a miserable few," Feast laments. But he says their discovery "opens up the possibility that big surveys, especially in the infrared, will throw up more stars like this and allow one to really investigate the structure of the galaxy out at these distances." In another decade we should have a better view of our galactic home. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt, SSC-Caltech (base image); Ariel Weiss (Cepheid positions) | Mid | [
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Genistein selectively inhibits platelet-derived growth factor-stimulated versican biosynthesis in monkey arterial smooth muscle cells. Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) stimulates not only the proliferation and migration of arterial smooth muscle cells (ASMCs), but also the transcription, translation, and posttranslational processing of versican, a large chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan present in the extracellular matrix of blood vessels. PDGF receptor tyrosine kinase activity is required for signaling events associated with mitogenic and motogenic stimulation of cells by PDGF. Therefore, we have asked if inhibiton of tyrosine kinase activity by genistein also blocks the stimulation of both versican core protein synthesis and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chain modifications induced by PDGF in ASMCs. The tyrosine kinase inhibitor, genistein, in a dose-dependent manner, reversibly inhibits PDGF-stimulated ASMC cell proliferation and RNA and core protein expression of versican, without affecting the expression of decorin and biglycan. In contrast, genistein does not affect the increase in GAG chain elongation that is induced by PDGF. This suggests that different aspects of the biosynthesis of versican are differentially regulated. To determine if such differential regulation involves downstream activation of protein kinase C, ASMCs were treated with the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) to directly activate this kinase. In comparison to PDGF stimulation, TPA has little effect on expression of versican mRNA expression, nor does TPA stimulate ASMC cell proliferation. However, like PDGF, TPA increases [35S]sulfate incorporation into proteoglycans and GAG chain elongation. These results indicate that PDGF-induced GAG chain elongation, which is not inhibited by genistein treatment and is stimulated by protein kinase C activation, involves signaling pathways different from those that regulate PDGF-stimulated versican mRNA and protein expression. | Mid | [
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Man Leaves Contact Information On Bag Of MDMA, Gets Arrested There’s a good lesson that people looking to acquire illicit drugs should remember, never label your drugs with your name and phone number and if you’re going to do that, please don’t lose them. That might sound fairly obvious to some, but there are definitely people out there that could use the reminder. Case in point, this man in Australia who inexplicably put his full name and address on a zip-lock bag filled with MDMA to remind, presumably his friends, who those drugs belonged to. Unfortunately, for our organized friend he was searched by police during a routine drug check at Maroochydore Music Festival in Queensland after being tipped off by a sniffer dog. The police soon uncovered the zip-lock bag which was properly labelled with his name, phone number, and exact amount of MDMA. Ouch. The man is set to appear before the Maroochydore Magistrates Court last this month for drug possession charges. | Mid | [
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"And the earth<Dic> was<Dic> without form<Dic>, and void<Dic>; and darkness<Dic>was upon the face<Dic> of the deep<Dic>. And the Spirit<Dic> of God<Dic> moved<Dic> upon<Dic> the face<Dic> of the waters<Dic>." And God<Dic> saw<Dic><Dic> the light<Dic>, that<Dic>it was good<Dic>: and God<Dic> divided<Dic><Dic> the light<Dic> from<Dic> the darkness<Dic>. "the light from...: Heb. between the light and between the darkness; " And God<Dic> called<Dic> the light<Dic> Day<Dic>, and the darkness<Dic> he called<Dic> Night<Dic>. And the evening<Dic> and the morning<Dic> were the first<Dic> day<Dic>. "And the evening...: Heb. And the evening was, and the morning was etc.; " | Mid | [
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cnxps.cmd.push(function () { cnxps({ playerId: '36af7c51-0caf-4741-9824-2c941fc6c17b' }).render('4c4d856e0e6f4e3d808bbc1715e132f6'); }); The Italian lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender- intersex (LGBTI) advocacy organization Associazione Radicale Certi Diritti approved a resolution condemning the “pinkwashing” theory as a political movement that promotes the delegitimization of Israel and the BDS movement by exploiting the LGBTI cause.The organization became the first European LGBTI group to denounce the practice during its national congress held in Turin November 18-20.“The alarming rise of political calls by LGBTI groups to boycott Israel distracts from the real battle for human rights of Palestinian LGBTI, and advances the boycott of Israeli, Jewish and Zionist associations as well as any group that has ties with Israel,” the resolution said.The resolution praised Israeli LGBTI activism for its “advancement of human rights” while condemning the pinkwashing movement for “silencing voices” who attempt to reveal the Arab world using a “social and political dialogue on LGBTI issues to pursue a hostile agenda to the Jewish state.”“The battle for the recognition of LGBTI rights in the countries where this community is persecuted, including the Palestinian Authority and Hamas’s ruled Gaza Strip, should be a commitment of all the human rights advocacy associations,” the resolution concluded.“These organizations must reject all the ideologies opposing the existence of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, [the only country in the Middle East protecting sexual orientation and gender identity].”Leonardo Monaco, secretary-general of the Associazione Radicale Certi Diritti said the resolution is “a response to the widespread European BDS movement, to which the pinkwashing movement belongs.”The Associazione Radicale Certi Diritti was founded in 2008 as a constitutive subject of the Nonviolent Transnational Radical Party (PRNTT), created by liberal, pro-EU and pro-Israeli leader Marco Pannella (1930-2016).Certi Diritti is a member of the international network of the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA).Among its many initiatives, the organization imported to Italy the method of strategic litigation and has been running advocacy campaigns on marriage equality since 2008. | Low | [
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You are currently viewing a snapshot of www.mozilla.org taken on April 21, 2008. Most of this content is highly out of date (some pages haven't been updated since the project began in 1998) and exists for historical purposes only. If there are any pages on this archive site that you think should be added back to www.mozilla.org, please file a bug. Mozilla Web Site Project The new mozilla.org web site is a work in progress. In the future we would like to focus on the following areas to improve the visual style, accessibility and maintainability of the pages: Focus development in the site style sheets on simplification, relying more on defaults and simple deviations from default settings rather than setting up complex schemes to adjust spacing between lines of text in paragraphs, headings, and so on. Avoid overriding the user's default font size. Avoid extra line height and zero top and bottom margins. Develop a comprehensive and useful collection of reusable styles based on .class selectors rather than specific #id based selectors that allow all pages in the site to benefit from a uniform visual style. Strive to find font settings that are readable on the majority of systems for a cross section of users with the default settings. As a result of the above, reduce the complexity and file size of the style sheets to allow for less troublesome maintenance in the future. The group currently guiding the future development of the site, known as website-drivers, is: | Low | [
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Introduction {#s1} ============ At the present time, ICT has become a serious part of economy. Almost all firms and consumers use computers and Internet connection for economic purposes, such as providing consumers with a more diversified and customized products, improving product quality, and selling goods and services. Evidently, the extension of ICT and its influences on economic growth in both developed and developing countries has increased very fast during the last two decades. However, country data on computer, cell phone, and Internet users illustrate different ICT diffusion rates across countries and regions, ICT use indicators illustrate an increasing trend, despite the recent world economic crisis ([Figure 1](#pone-0048903-g001){ref-type="fig"}). For example, the steady growth of the number of mobile cellular subscriptions is noticeable, reaching 67 per 100 inhabitants by the end of 2009 globally. This confirms that consumers are willing to continue spending part of their disposable income on mobile services - even at times of financial constraints [@pone.0048903-International1]. {#pone-0048903-g001} In addition, the resurgence of productivity during the late 1990s and the early 2000s is a topic that has attracted many growth economists. ICT is the current symbol of the technological revolution and is known as the key factor driving economic growth in the industrial society [@pone.0048903-Pohjola1]. For measuring the contribution of ICT to economic growth, the most important issue is regarding to the specification of ICT. ICT defines as a concept that include computers and other information equipment as well as computer software, that covers computers, peripheral equipment and other information-related office equipment (photocopiers, cash registers, calculators), communications equipment, and instruments [@pone.0048903-Oliner1], [@pone.0048903-Sichel1]. In fact, ICT is the combination of electronics, telecommunications, software, networks, and decentralized computer work stations, and the integration of information media [@pone.0048903-Granville1], all of which impact firms, industries, and the economy as a whole. ICT is comprised of a variety of "communication equipment" which includes radio, TV, and communication equipment and software. Therefore, ICT investment includes "investments in both computer and telecommunications, as well as related hardware, software and services" [@pone.0048903-Dedrick1]. In this article, we would like to examine the relationship between ICT use and growth rate of GDP per capita in 159 countries. Although many researchers have provided empirical evidences for the correlation between ICT investment and economic growth, study on the impact of ICT use on economic growth is still an unexplored area. Therefore, this article would fill the literature gap on the effect of ICT use by applying the panel of 159 countries over the period 2000--2009. The organization of the paper is as follows: The next section is a review of relevant studies on the impact ICT on Economic growth. Afterward methodology and data will be presented which follows by the empirical findings and discussion. The last section concludes the article with a few issues on policy implications. Literature Review {#s2} ================= The effect of ICT on economic growth has been analyzed by many authors in last decades. Most of the evidences in this area confirm that the positive effect of ICT on economic growth is not apparent before mid-1990s. Oliner and Sichel [@pone.0048903-Oliner2] use ICT capital components such as computer hardware, software and telecommunication equipment along with capital and labor as inputs and empirically verify a very high ICT contrition to economic growth in the late 1990s, but they find no evidence of a positive relationship before the mid-1990s. In 2000, Jorgenson and Stiroh [@pone.0048903-Jorgenson1] show that the contribution of IT in economic growth of the United States is because of the substitution of computers, related equipment and services, not due to technological change. Moreover, other studies explain the significant effect of ICT on economic growth such as Brynjolfsson and Yang [@pone.0048903-Brynjolfsson1], Motohashi [@pone.0048903-Motohashi1] and Kraemer and Dedrick [@pone.0048903-Kraemer1]. Most of these studies have been reviewed by Pohjola [@pone.0048903-Jalava1]. Jalava and Pohjola [@pone.0048903-Pohjola1] indicate that ICT use and production quality are the most important factors in US economic growth in the 1990s. In addition, they provide evidence that ICT boosts growth in Finland from 0.3% to 0.7% between the early and late 1990s. In Europe, Schreyer [@pone.0048903-Schreyer1] explores the impact of ICT capital and indicates that the contribution of ICT to economic growth of four European countries, the United States, Canada, and Japan during 1990--1996 is about 0.17--0.29%. Daveri [@pone.0048903-Daveri1] expands Schreyer\'s [@pone.0048903-Schreyer1] study to 13 European and five others and shows a much higher contribution of ICT for each country. Both of them conclude that large European countries are far behind the US in this area. Applying a broad data set, Van Ark et al. [@pone.0048903-Vanark1] also confirm that the gains from ICT capital are higher in the US than in Europe. Despite the numerous studies, the evidence of ICT contribution to economic growth in developing countries is still scarce. For instance, Dewan and Kraemer [@pone.0048903-Dewan1] estimate the effect of IT investment on output growth for the panel data of 36 countries over the period 1985--1993, and discuss the contrasting policy implications for IT capital investment by developed and developing economies. They reveal that return from IT capital investment is positive and significant for the developed countries in the sample but not statistically significant for the developing ones. This study attributes this gap to the low level of IT investment as well as lack of complementary assets in developing countries. They explain that complementary investments in infrastructure, human capital, and knowledge-based structures are prerequisite for IT investments to be productive which are mostly available in developed countries rather than developing ones. Moreover, Lee et al. [@pone.0048903-Lee1] indicate the significant impact of ICT on economic growth of many developed and Newly Industrialized Economies (NIEs), but not in developing countries. In line with this result, Edquist [@pone.0048903-Edquist1] conclude that the vague impact of ICT on economic growth in developing countries may account for the late introduction of ICT in these countries; for example, Internet service was not available in most developing countries until the late 1990s. In contrast with the above discussion, Antonelli [@pone.0048903-Antonelli1] suggests that developing countries may gain more benefit from ICT than developed countries since switching from the predominant technology to a new "ICT-oriented paradigm" enforce significant costs to developed countries. It can effectively lock developed countries into those paradigms while simultaneously, important opportunities open up for less-industrialized countries to catch up and even "leapfrog" beyond the industrialized countries because they have relatively lower switching costs [@pone.0048903-Seo1]. In this point of view developing countries may have an advantage over advanced countries with respect to ICT diffusion. Generally, we can divide the empirical evidence of the impact of ICT on economic growth to two categories based on the methodology used in these literatures. The first is studies employing the growth accounting technique, which weights growth in inputs by their share in the value of output and express the contribution of ICT to economic growth in percentage point. These studies comprise Jorgenson and Stiroh [@pone.0048903-Jorgenson1], Oliner and Sichel [@pone.0048903-Oliner2] and Jorgenson [@pone.0048903-Jorgenson2], for the United States; Jalava and Pohjola [@pone.0048903-Jalava1] for Finland; Oulton [@pone.0048903-Oulton1] for the United Kingdom; Colecchia and Schreyer [@pone.0048903-Colecchia1], Daveri [@pone.0048903-Daveri2], Van Ark et al. [@pone.0048903-Vanark1] and Timmer et al. [@pone.0048903-Timmer1] for Europe; Jorgenson [@pone.0048903-Jorgenson3] for the group of seven (G7) countries; Jorgenson and Motohashi [@pone.0048903-Jorgenson4] for Japan; and Jorgenson and Vu [@pone.0048903-Jorgenson5] for 110 countries. It should be noted that all the above evidences are at the national level whereas there are some other studies at the firm or industry level. For instance, O\'Mahony and Vecchi [@pone.0048903-OMahony1], applying heterogeneous dynamic panels method with a unique dataset covering the entire non-agricultural market economy at the industry level for the US and UK from 1976 to 2000, find a positive and significant effect of ICT on economic growth and excess returns to ICT compared with non-ICT assets. The second category consists of researches that use cross country regression techniques to investigate the impact of ICT on economic growth. Madden and Savage [@pone.0048903-Madden1], using the sample of 27 Central and Eastern European countries, show a positive and significant impact of telecommunication investment on economic growth during the period 1990--1995. Roller and Waverman [@pone.0048903-Roller1] also confirm a causal relationship among telecommunication investment and economic growth for 21 OECD countries over the period 1970 to 1990. Jacobsen [@pone.0048903-Jacobsen1] and Waverman et al. [@pone.0048903-Waverman1] in a similar study indicate a positive impact of mobile phones on economic growth. Another study conducted by Koutroumpis [@pone.0048903-Koutroumpis1] for 22 OECD countries during 2002 to 2007, shows that there is a positive casual link among broadband infrastructure as a driving factor of ICT and economic growth, especially in the presence of critical infrastructure mass. Applying panel data of 29 countries, Seo et al. [@pone.0048903-Seo2] investigate the bidirectional relationship between ICT investment and economic growth. They only verify the positive impact of ICT on economic growth in the 1990s. The positive and significant effect of mobile telecommunications diffusion on both economic growth and productivity growth has proven by Gruber and Koutroumpis [@pone.0048903-Gruber1] for 192 countries over the period 1990--2007. Although ICT is well known as a driving engine of economic growth, there are few evidences that show the negative effect of ICT on economic growth. For example, Kiley [@pone.0048903-Kiley1], applying the traditional growth accounting framework in the US, explains the negative contribution of computers to economic growth due to adjustment costs. He indicates that the introduction of a new investment good like computers can impose large adjustment costs to the economy and decrease economic growth. Moreover, Pohjola [@pone.0048903-Pohjola1] finds no significant relationship between ICT investment and economic growth for the sample of 43 countries over the period of 1985--1999. In another research, Jacobsen [@pone.0048903-Jacobsen1] reveals no significant positive impact of computer penetration on the economic growth of 84 countries during 1990--1999, although he confirms the positive link among mobile phone and growth. However, the empirical results of the previous studies are somewhat fragile and depend on data period specifications and econometric techniques, the dominant impact of ICT as a production input on economic growth and productivity is positive [@pone.0048903-Colecchia2], [@pone.0048903-Pilat1], [@pone.0048903-Daveri2], [@pone.0048903-Timmer2], [@pone.0048903-Stiroh1], [@pone.0048903-Kooshki1]. Evidently, most of the literatures in the field of ICT effect on economic growth and productivity, concentrate on the ICT investment as a whole and evidence on the impact of ICT use on economic growth and productivity is scarce. Only a few studies investigate the effect of ICT use on economic performance applying different proxies such as telephone penetration estimated by number of telephones per 100 persons [@pone.0048903-Noll1] and teledensity defined as the number of fixed-line and mobile phone subscribers per 100 persons [@pone.0048903-Chakraborty1], [@pone.0048903-Lam1]. No study to date has used ICT use index presented by ITU [@pone.0048903-International2] to evaluate the impact of ICT use on economic growth. Therefore, the main hypothesis of this paper is that the effects of ICT use (as measured by the number of internet users, fixed broadband internet subscribers and the number of mobile subscription per 100 inhabitants) on economic growth is positive and significant. We present results based on the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimator. Combining data for the 159 countries, we find that ICT use has a positive impact on output growth. Methodology and Data {#s3} ==================== Conceptual form {#s3a} --------------- This study uses a dynamic panel data model [@pone.0048903-Shiu1] to investigate the impact of ICT use on economic growth. The model is shown as follows:where are the parameters to be estimated, GDP and ICT refer to natural logarithm of real GDP per capita and natural logarithm of ICT use indicator, respectively, and *m* indicate the level of lags for these two variables. *i* and *t* represent the countries in the sample, and the time periods. is the composite error term which is consists of the unobserved country-specific effect, and the idiosyncratic shocks (). In the above equation, the fixed effects (), such as regional and demographics which are also called time-invariant country characteristics, might be correlated with the explanatory variables which violates the assumptions underlying the classical linear regression model [@pone.0048903-Gujarati1]. Moreover with regards to dynamics, the presence of lagged dependent variables will increase the autocorrelation. In other words, are correlated with the fixed effect in the error term and results in the "dynamic panel bias" [@pone.0048903-Nickell1]. First differencing can solve this problem by removing such fixed effects, as follows:There are still following econometric problems in the estimation of [equation (2)](#pone.0048903.e010){ref-type="disp-formula"} which should be considered: 1. 1- There is correlation between the new error term () and the differenced lagged-dependent variable (). 2. 2- Since our data set consists of 159 countries for 10 years; the dynamic pattern of the data cannot be ignored. Moreover, based on the dynamic nature of ICT, ICT use index shows wide variation. In this case the assumptions of stationarity of all the variables included in the regression and homogeneity of cross-country coefficients are violated. 3. 3- This study encounters the endogeneity problem which caused by the measurement error of the ICT use index, which can produce biased estimated coefficients. In this case, the simple ordinary least squares (OLS) approach can produce highly misleading results [@pone.0048903-Pesaran1], [@pone.0048903-Im1]. Therefore, the empirical analysis for the estimation of [equation (2)](#pone.0048903.e010){ref-type="disp-formula"} should employ a methodology that accounts for heterogeneous dynamic panels [@pone.0048903-Pesaran2]. To overcome these issues, economists recommend the use of instrumental variables, and more recently panel data techniques such as Pooled Mean Group (PMG), discussed in Pesaran et al. [@pone.0048903-Pesaran2] and Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) procedure of Arellano and Bond [@pone.0048903-Arellano1] introduced to address these problems more efficiently. However, when the number of cross-section observations is quite large and the time-series dimension is relatively small, as is the case in this paper, the GMM estimator can produce more consistent estimates [@pone.0048903-Pesaran2]. Shortly, GMM estimator is useful for panel data with relatively small time dimension, as compared to the number of cross sections [@pone.0048903-Roodman1]. As a result of the above discussion, the Arellano-Bond [@pone.0048903-Arellano1] GMM method first proposed by Holtz-Eakin et al. [@pone.0048903-HoltzEakin1] seems to be appropriate for the estimation of the [equation (2)](#pone.0048903.e010){ref-type="disp-formula"}, which addresses the problem of autocorrelation of the residuals and deals with the fact that some of the explanatory variables are endogenous. In this method lags of the dependent and independent variables are used as instruments. In this study, we consider lags up to four years and the dynamic panel data model is then applied to the complete panel dataset. Data {#s3b} ---- GDP per capita in US\$ at constant 2005 prices, using the purchasing power parity (PPP) exchange rates has directly obtained from World Development Indicators [@pone.0048903-World1]. This study calculates the ICT use index applying the Principal Component Analysis (PCA), following the two reports -measuring the information society in 2009 and 2010- presented by International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The ICT use index includes three indicators, Internet user penetration, fixed broadband penetration, and mobile broadband penetration and captures the level of ICT use in more than 150 countries worldwide. The ICT use indicators which are used to construct the index are all collected from ITU database. For more detail and background to the creation of ICT use index, one can refer to the ITU reports. The calculated ICT Use index based on ITU [@pone.0048903-International2] formula which is one of the contributions of this research is presented in [Table S1](#pone.0048903.s001){ref-type="supplementary-material"}. Findings and Discussion {#s4} ======================= Our estimated results based on the GMM -dynamic panel data- are summarized in [Table 1](#pone-0048903-t001){ref-type="table"}. Broadly, the results confirm the expected relationship between the real GDP per capita and ICT use index. As [table 1](#pone-0048903-t001){ref-type="table"} shows, the signs of all variables are consistent with theory predictions. The coefficient of ICT use index is positive and statistically meaningful at 5% significance level. It means that the more a country use ICT, the greater is its economic growth. The coefficient of ICT use index is equal to 0.17, indicates that if a country improves the ICT use index by one percent, the economic growth will increase 0.17%. Additionally, the coefficient of the first lagged ICT use index is equal to 0.09 which is also significant at 1% significance level. It means that one percent change in ICT use index of the previous year can increase the growth rate of GDP per capita by 0.09%. The statistics presented by the ITU and other international organizations indicate an increasing trend of ICT use indicators in most of these countries, it means that these countries recognized the important effect of ICT on their economic growth. They also verify the hypothesis of this paper that ICT use has a significant growth generating effect. The signs of the first lagged of ICT use index and GDP per capita coefficient are positive and highly significant that implies the positive effect of these variables on economic growth. Moreover the second, third and forth lagged of ICT and GDP are negative and mostly insignificant. 10.1371/journal.pone.0048903.t001 ###### Estimation Results using GMM Estimator. {#pone-0048903-t001-1} Variable Coefficient Std. Err. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------- ------------ ICT 0.17 0.08\*\* ICT(−1) 0.09 0.03\*\*\* ICT(−2) −0.08 0.07 ICT(−3) 0.01 0.05 ICT(−4) 0.01 0.03 GDP(−1) 1.93 0.39\*\*\* GDP(−2) −1.19 0.38\*\*\* GDP(−3) −0.07 0.14 GDP(−4) 0.04 0.11 Wald chi2(9) 31.99\*\*\* Number of Obs. 790 Number of groups 159 Number of Instruments 17 Arellano-Bond test for AR(1) in first differences: z = −4.10 Pr\>z = 0.000 Arellano-Bond test for AR(2) in first differences: z = 0.59 Pr\>z = 0.555 Hansen test of overid. restrictions: chi2(8) = 12.49 Prob\>chi2 = 0.130 \*\*\*, \*\* and \* denote statistically significant at 1%, 5% and 10%, respectively. The dependent variable is the first-difference of the Ln(GDP) per capita and all variables are in Logarithm form. GDP (-t) and ICT (-t), t = 1, 2, 3, 4 are lagged variables of GDP and ICT use index respectively. In the context of GMM, the over-identifying restrictions may be tested via both the Sargan and Hansen test. The Sargan/Hansen test has a null hypothesis of "the instruments as a group are exogenous". Therefore, the higher the p-value of the Sargan/Hansen statistic is the better [@pone.0048903-Roodman1]. In comparison the Hansen J statistic is more robust than Sargan. For example, Sargan is not distributed as chi-squared under heteroskedasticity and Hansen is, and if this problem is present then it could cause Sargan to incorrectly reject the null. Consequently, this study employs the J-statistic of Hansen [@pone.0048903-Hansen1] which is distributed as χ2 with degrees of freedom equal to the number of over-identifying restrictions (L -- K). L is the number of instrumental variables and K is the number of explanatory variables. A rejection of the null hypothesis shows that the instruments are not properly chosen. This may be either because they are not truly exogenous, or because they are being incorrectly excluded from the regression [@pone.0048903-Baum1]. Based on the results in [table 1](#pone-0048903-t001){ref-type="table"}, the Hansen J-statistic fails to reject the null hypothesis of correlation between residuals and instrumental variables. Therefore, the credibility of the results for interpretation is verified and the results can be interpreted in a high level of confidence. Evidently, the full disturbance is presumed autocorrelated because it contains , the fixed effects, and the GMM estimator is designed to deal with this problem. In order to test for autocorrelation aside from the fixed effects, we have applied the Arellano-Bond test to the residuals in differences. Since is mathematically related to via the shared term, first-order serial correlation is expected in differences and evidence of it is uninformative. Therefore, to test the first-order serial correlation in levels, we should check the second-order correlation in differences. In general, we check for serial correlation of order *l* in levels by looking for correlation of order *l*+1 in differences. The Arellano -- Bond test for autocorrelation has a null hypothesis of no autocorrelation and based on the above discussion is applied to the differenced residuals. The test for AR(1) processes in first differences rejects the null hypothesis which is expected. The test for AR(2) in first differences is more important, because it will detect autocorrelation in levels. As indicated in [table 1](#pone-0048903-t001){ref-type="table"}, we can reject the null hypothesis of the first-order serial correlation in levels or the second-order correlation in differences. For further analysis of the impact of ICT use on economic growth, we categorized the sample of 159 countries into four different groups based on the per-capita income according to the classification of ITU [@pone.0048903-International2]. The estimation results based on the GMM method for each group are summarizes in [Table 2](#pone-0048903-t002){ref-type="table"}. Based on the table, in all the groups ICT use index has a positive and significant effect on economic growth which is in line with this paper hypothesis. Moreover, the ICT coefficient for the high income group is 0.11, which is the highest among the four income groups while, this coefficient for the low income group is just 0.02. It means that one percent change in ICT use index can increase the GDP per capita of a high income country 5.5 times more than a low income country. 10.1371/journal.pone.0048903.t002 ###### Estimation Results using GMM Estimator based on different income levels. {#pone-0048903-t002-2} Variable Coefficient -------------- -------------------- -------------------- ------------------- ------------------- ICT 0.11 (0.06)\*\*\* 0.09 (0.04)\*\* 0.06 (0.02)\*\*\* 0.02 (0.01)\* ICT(−1) 0.02 (0.04) 0.08 (0.05)\* 0.05 (0.02)\*\*\* 0.005 (0.07) ICT(−2) 0.02 (0.02) −0.05 (0.02)\*\*\* −0.02 (0.02) −0.001 (0.01) ICT(−3) −0.06 (0.02)\*\*\* 0.05 (0.01)\*\*\* 0.01 (0.02) 0.00 (0.006) ICT(−4) 0.02 (0.02) −0.03 (0.01)\*\*\* −0.01 (0.01) −0.002 (0.004) GDP(−1) 0.72 (0.088)\*\*\* 0.56 (0.19)\*\*\* 0.83 (0.05)\*\*\* 0.33 (0.08)\*\*\* GDP(−2) −0.18 (0.09)\*\* −0.38 (0.21)\*\* 0.32 (0.07)\*\*\* 0.11 (0.09) GDP(−3) 0.26 (0.09)\*\*\* −0.09 (0.11) −0.07 (0.07) 0.003 (0.08) GDP(−4) −0.37 (0.10)\*\*\* 0.03 (0.07) −0.08 (0.05) 0.04 (0.07) Wald chi2(9) 643.54\*\*\* 8929.47\*\*\* 31412\*\*\* 44406.14\*\*\* Obs. 245 216 258 181 Groups 49 36 43 31 Ins. 24 43 34 37 AR(1) Z = −2.00\*\*\* Z = −1.74\* Z = 1.73\* Z = −2.47\*\* AR(2) Z = 0.21 Z = −0.02 Z = −0.09 Z = 0.41 Hansen test Chi2(15) = 17.70 Chi2(33) = 32.54 Chi2(25) = 22.48 Chi2(27) = 23.45 The dependent variable is the Ln(GDP) and all variables are in Logarithm form. Figures in parentheses refer to standard errors. \*\*\*, \*\* and \* denote statistically significant at 1%, 5% and 10%, respectively. GDP (-t) and ICT (-t), t = 1, 2, 3, 4 are lagged variables of GDP and ICT respectively. [Table 2](#pone-0048903-t002){ref-type="table"} also shows that the first lagged of ICT use index for all income groups is positive; however it is only significant in upper middle and lower middle income countries. These empirical results are consistent with the findings of Lam and Shiu [@pone.0048903-Lam1]. To shed more lights on the differences of countries regarding to ICT use index, following figures are presented. [Figure 2](#pone-0048903-g002){ref-type="fig"} indicates the increasing trend of the ICT use index over the period 2000 to 2009 separately for each income group. As depicted in this figure, ICT use index has a nearly fixed growth in high income countries while other income groups have been experiencing an increasing growth of ICT use indicators. {#pone-0048903-g002} [Figure 3](#pone-0048903-g003){ref-type="fig"} also illustrates the different level of the average ICT use index in four income groups. As expected the highest value of the ICT use index is allocated to high income countries and the lowest value of this index is related to the group of low income countries. These findings can confirm the between groups differences in the estimated coefficients of ICT use index in [table 2](#pone-0048903-t002){ref-type="table"}. {#pone-0048903-g003} Conclusions and Implications {#s5} ============================ This paper concentrated on exploring the effect of ICT use index on economic growth. The results show that ICT use has a significant effect on the economic growth of these countries. The coefficient measuring the effect of the ICT use on economic growth was positive, indicating that ICT affect economic growth of the 159 sample countries in a positive way. Furthermore, in high income counties ICT use index has the strongest effect on real GDP per capita among the others while this effect is the lowest in countries with low level of income. Moreover, the performance of the both higher middle and lower middle income groups in the effect of ICT use index is somewhat lagging. Therefore these countries can improve their overall GDP growth with policies aimed at increasing ICT use. Consequently, ICT plays a vital role as a mean for economic growth. Therefore, it seems necessary for all countries to increase their ICT use index through increasing the number of internet users, fixed broadband internet subscribers and the number of mobile subscription per 100 inhabitants in order to boost economic growth. It is also essential for the governments to provide the society with information, up-to-date structures and educate people in order to use ICT efficiently. The major research limitation of this study was the failure to collect data for a longer time period. Therefore future research for a longer time span would shed more light in the assessment of the relationship between ICT use and economic growth. Supporting Information {#s6} ====================== ###### **ICT Use Index, 2000--2009.** (XLSX) ###### Click here for additional data file. [^1]: **Competing Interests:**The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. [^2]: Conceived and designed the experiments: RI. Performed the experiments: M. Farhadi. Analyzed the data: M. Farhadi. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: RI. Wrote the paper: M. Farhadi M. Fooladi. | Mid | [
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Like this: Related 27 responses to “Effing Lovely” Ah, thanks, boss, that’s what I was asking for in a post down the line. Glad you found it, CA, I don’t likes the looks of this horse at all. I am convinced if this becomes law, the shooting will start. I know one guy in Texas who is that way. Arrest even people I don’t like with this horsehockey, and the air is going to be full of gunsmoke, and I ain’t kiddin’ either. When the man shows up at your door are you going to shoot him in the face then wait for the cavalry to appear to kill you? The line was drawn long ago and the enemy (assuming you know who that is) put his foot right up against it and keeps edging it over the line a little bit each day to where now his whole foot is over the line. You keep backing up and telling him to not come any closer but he eases further and further over that magic line. Soon his whole body will be over the line and you will continue to back up until your back is against the wall. But there is no wall behind you, just more room to back up, right into that holding cell. Then he will slam the door. The tyrants are already patrolling the streets, on foot and in vehicles, and they keep infringing more and more, pushing you harder and harder. They are watching your mail, your web prescence, listening to your phone, GPSing your ass everywhere you go, taking more and more of your earnings, tightening the noose all around you, cramping your style and stealing your life. Little by little they are pwning you til one day you wake up and you don’t belong to you anymore. You suddenly discover you belong to them, mind, heart, body and soul. Dang. A bill passed out of committee with no hearings. A cornspritorial person would almost have to think that the good Senators McCain and Levin don’t have the best interests of the FreeFor community at heart. Ah, them rulers, they think that they are pretty smart. I don’t think so. The law of Unintended Consequences does apply to this Senate bill. Let’s see them do it. Let’s jump to Sec 1031 first and then if anyone else wants to pore over the rest of the bill and can actually find something more ominous than this, then please post it here. In the meantime, I don’t see anything to hyperventilate about compared to some of the other bills affecting our food. (b) Covered Persons- A covered person under this section is any person as follows: (1) A person who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored those responsible for those attacks. (2) A person who was a part of or substantially supported al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or associated forces that are engaged in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners, including any person who has committed a belligerent act or has directly supported such hostilities in aid of such enemy forces. ….snip (a) Custody Pending Disposition Under Law of War- (1) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in paragraph (4), the Armed Forces of the United States shall hold a person described in paragraph (2) who is captured in the course of hostilities authorized by the Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107-40) in military custody pending disposition under the law of war. (2) COVERED PERSONS- The requirement in paragraph (1) shall apply to any person whose detention is authorized under section 1031 who is determined– (A) to be a member of, or part of, al-Qaeda or an associated force that acts in coordination with or pursuant to the direction of al-Qaeda; and (B) to have participated in the course of planning or carrying out an attack or attempted attack against the United States or its coalition partners. ….snip (b) Applicability to United States Citizens and Lawful Resident Aliens- (1) UNITED STATES CITIZENS- The requirement to detain a person in military custody under this section does not extend to citizens of the United States. (2) LAWFUL RESIDENT ALIENS- The requirement to detain a person in military custody under this section does not extend to a lawful resident alien of the United States on the basis of conduct taking place within the United States, except to the extent permitted by the Constitution of the United States. BTW….it appears McCain is taking a page right out of obama’s playbook….create and deliver tyranny without consulting the Congress. McCain….as big a POS as obama. The only thing worse are the scum in Arizona known as citizens who put the traitor McCain right back into office AGAIN ! DAN III, Pennsylvania so….the storyline for some “emergency that won’t go to waste” happening in late spring, so that by late summer the elections will have to be postponed “till the emergency is over”, would be greatly enabled by this little bit of legislation. hmmmm… The arrival at the door will not come right away. Watch for a false flag and then the TSA blueshirts manning “safety checkpoints” throughout Amerika. Hasn’t this already started in Tennessee? They will have their laptops working as you drive through, coordinating your vehicle license with your address, work address via your utilities, and, of course, what firearms are registered to you. In the People’s Democratic Socialist Republic of Kalifornia it is all ready to go. As broke as CA is, it is receiving money from Homeland Security to keep the “bughouses”(agricultural checkpoints) open along the main highways that enter the state. These checkpoints are designed to funnel all vehicles through a large, multi-lane, garage-like structure where the Tax Termites ask you if you have any fresh produce. Look for these to be manned by military troops real soon. The one on US HWY 101 from Oregon was recently completely remodeled and upgraded to be self-contained in the event of a power failure, etc. It’s getting close. Keep prepping. I hear about “registered firearms” in lots of movies and TV shows. I realize that the BATF form that must be filled out to transfer a firearm through an FFL is a kind of registration, but they haven’t yet revealed that they’re keeping a nationwide database from information pulled from those forms by BATF “inspections”, and doing so is still illegal. Some states and cities have actual registration (handguns are registered in New York State and Omaha, Nebraska, to name two off the top of my head), but most of the country still has no explicit firearms registration. There is widespread firearm owner registration, however, in the form of concealed carry permits. I have stated in the past that a regular stop and search site on the state border 3 miles from my house, a border that I drive across a couple of times a week, would trigger a likely suicidal attack on that site. But I’ll probably chicken out. Or fail to climb the hill providing hard-to-see access. I saw the section of the bill seeming to say it didn’t apply to citizens or lawful resident aliens, but a careful reading of that section may reveal a different meaning. “The requirement to detain a person in military custody under this section does not extend to citizens of the United States.” So the military isn’t REQUIRED to detain a citizen, but they’re still given the authority to do so should they desire. And obscurely eliminating those two paragraphs with another bit of land-mine legislation will be very easy (“Sections x & y of USC z are hereby removed”). What’s hardest to comprehend about these sections is that they’re an obvious declaration of civil war. Do they really want three million three percenters to start shooting? Somebody isn’t thinking straight. I’m with GardenSerf. I read the whole damn document and saw exactly nothing dealing with the expressed fears of neighborhood battlefield and 4am arrests. And I’m just as paranoid and trigger happy as the next Bitter Clinger. This bill ain’t the road to perdition unless you’re with the ACLU and worry about the rights of Gitmo or other Jihadi detainees. The concern I do have over this bill and every other bill proposed under the current FedGov procedure is that too many unrelated ideas of too broad a scope are packed into one bill. What I take away from the reading of this bill is not parinoia, but a deeper respect for the beauty and simplicity of the Nebraska State Constitution and Procedure for introducing, debating and passing of their state laws. One idea=one bill, 5 days of debate then vote. Of course, a system like that would actually require more work, less time for manipulating their (FedGov Legislators) investments. It passed, the US government has declared war on every man, woman, and child in America. Here’s who betrayed us. “61 senator betrayed you today. They authorized, as an amendment to the Defense Authorization act, the indefinite suspension of habeus corpus. We are now officially a police state. Their names are as follows: | Low | [
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Investigation on wind energy-compressed air power system. Wind energy is a pollution free and renewable resource widely distributed over China. Aimed at protecting the environment and enlarging application of wind energy, a new approach to application of wind energy by using compressed air power to some extent instead of electricity put forward. This includes: explaining the working principles and characteristics of the wind energy-compressed air power system; discussing the compatibility of wind energy and compressor capacity; presenting the theoretical model and computational simulation of the system. The obtained compressor capacity vs wind power relationship in certain wind velocity range can be helpful in the designing of the wind power-compressed air system. Results of investigations on the application of high-pressure compressed air for pressure reduction led to conclusion that pressure reduction with expander is better than the throttle regulator in energy saving. | High | [
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443 S.W.2d 563 (1969) Edward J. COLLINS, d/b/a Ed Collins Lumber Company, Appellant, v. CITY OF SAN ANTONIO et al., Appellees. No. 14665. Court of Civil Appeals of Texas, San Antonio. June 25, 1969. Second Motion for Rehearing Denied July 30, 1969. *564 Herbert Oliver, W. W. Palmer, San Antonio, for appellant. Boyle, Wheeler, Gresham, Davis & Gregory, Jackson C. Hubbard, San Antonio, for appellees. *565 On Motion for Rehearing. CADENA, Justice. Appellant's motion for rehearing is overruled. However, the opinion previously filed herein is withdrawn and the following is substituted therefor: Plaintiff, Edward J. Collins, appeals from a summary judgment denying him recovery for what he alleged constituted an unreasonable interference with access to his property in San Antonio, resulting from the construction of the Guadalupe Street overpass by defendant City of San Antonio. The other defendant, Missouri Pacific Railroad Company, participated in the construction of the overpass by granting to the City certain easements and by making monetary contributions, in accordance with an agreement between it and the City, to help defray the cost of erecting the overpass over its railroad tracks on Guadalupe Street. As reflected by the accompanying diagram, plaintiff's property, on which he *566 operates a lumber business, is bounded by El Paso Street on the north, South Salado Street on the east, Guadalupe Street on the south, and, on the west, by a strip of land separating plaintiff's property from South Comal Street. El Paso Street, which abuts plaintiff's property on the north, was, before the erection of the overpass, a two-way thoroughfare, carrying traffic east and west. The construction of the grade separation worked no change in the portion of El Paso Street on which plaintiff's property abuts, but, as a part of he grade separation plan, the street was closed at a point on the east line of South Salado Street. South Comal Street, to the west of plaintiff's property, was not affected by the construction of the overpass. It still carries two-way traffic, north and south, as it did before. According to plaintiff's affidavit in opposition to defendants' motion for summary judgment, that portion of South Salado Street which abuts plaintiff's property on the east, between Guadalupe Street and El Paso Street, is not open to traffic. Because of this, and the closing of El Paso Street at the east line of South Salado Street, eastbound traffic on El Paso Street must turn north upon reaching the South Salado Street intersection. Prior to the construction of the overpass structure, Guadalupe Street was a heavily travelled artery, carrying both east and west-bound traffic. The overpass structure, including that on the portion of Guadalupe Street which is adjacent to plaintiff's land, was constructed above and entirely within the existing right-of-way of Guadalupe Street. No portion of plaintiff's property was taken for the project. In its present condition, after completion of the overpass structure, Guadalupe Street at grade level immediately in front of plaintiff's land is entirely paved from the north curb line to the south curb line, a total width of approximately 45 feet. In the center part of the paved area at grade level, immediately in front of plaintiff's property, are six concrete piers upon which are based the columns supporting the overpass structure. The minimum distance between these piers is 59.34 feet. Two unobstructed street grade traffic lanes, each twelve feet in width, are located on both the north and south sides of the piers. The traffic lane located between the piers and the north curb line of Guadalupe Street carries westbound traffic. The unobstructed traffic lane between the piers and the south curb line of the street carries eastbound traffic. With reference to the present condition of Guadalupe Street, plaintiff's main complaints are that the location of the piers with reference to the existing driveways leading to and from plaintiff's land makes entry to and exit from such land less convenient than it was before the erection of the overpass, and makes it particularly difficult, if not impossible, for large trucks to leave or enter plaintiff's premises; that the bulk of the traffic which formerly used Guadalupe Street at grade level now uses the overpass structure; that plaintiff's customers must now travel a more circuitous route in going to and from plaintiff's lumber yard; that the presence of the overpass structure makes it difficult to see plaintiff's place of business, and that, because of these conditions, plaintiff's business has been adversely affected and his land has declined in value. At the outset, we reject plaintiff's contentions that he is entitled to compensation because the change in Guadalupe Street has resulted in "circuity of travel" and diversion of traffic. As long as the abutting owner retains reasonable access to the public highway, he does not suffer compensable damage because the change in design or structure of the highway requires him and those dealing with him to use a more circuitous route in going to and from his premises. Wilson v. Iowa State Highway Comm., 249 Iowa 994, 90 N.W.2d 161 (1958); Cavanaugh v. Gerk, 313 Mo. 375, 280 S.W. 51 (1926); Lindley v. Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, 262 P.2d 159 (Okl. *567 1953). Although the right of access is constitutionally protected, the benefits of private ownership have been assured so long as there is reasonable access. The protection afforded to abutting owners "should not be extended to recognize a compensable damaging where a property owner has reasonable access to his property after construction of the public improvement." DuPuy v. City of Waco, 396 S.W.2d 103, 109 (Tex.Sup.1965). Since no abutting owner has a vested interest in the traffic that passes in front of his property, diversion of such traffic by the construction, at another point, of a road which the public prefers to travel, does not result in compensable damage. Pennysavers Oil Co. v. State, 334 S.W.2d 546, 549 (Tex.Civ.App.San Antonio 1960, writ ref'd); State Highway Commission v. Humphreys, 58 S.W.2d 144 (Tex.Civ.App.San Antonio 1933, writ ref'd). The record discloses that, while plaintiff still has access to Guadalupe Street, the construction of the overpass has made it more difficult to enter and leave plaintiff's property. According to the schematics and other exhibits which make up the summary judgment record, the existing points of ingress to, and egress from, plaintiff's premises via Guadalupe Street are near the points where such street intersects South Salado Street and South Comal Street. One of the concrete piers forming the foundation for the columns which support the overpass is located in the center of Guadalupe Street, apparently directly opposite an existing entrance on the western edge of plaintiff's property near South Comal Street. It appears that this driveway cannot be relocated farther west without placing it on land not owned by plaintiff. Moving the driveway to the east would require at least the partial demolition of an existing lumber shed. As far as the point of entry on the eastern portion of plaintiff's land, near South Salado Street, is concerned, there is nothing to indicate that its usefulness could not be increased by relocating it slightly to the east. Defendants rely on Moorlane Company v. Highway Dept., 384 S.W.2d 415 (Tex.Civ. App.Amarillo 1964, writ ref'd n. r. e.), where landowners were denied compensation although construction of an overpass resulted in diminishing the width of the street on which they abutted from forty-nine to twenty-six feet. In the course of its opinion, the Amarillo Court observed that the owners "still had access to their property and trucks could load and unload" at the owners' truck bay, "although the large trucks could not use this street in its entirety as had been used before the overpass was built * * *." In DuPuy v. City of Waco, 396 S.W.2d 103, 109 (1965), the Supreme Court tells us that the application for writ of error in Moorlane was refused, with the notation "no reversible error," because it was the view of the Supreme Court that "the property owners were left with reasonable access * * *." The interference with plaintiff's access from Guadalupe Street appears to be greater than that which resulted from the construction of the improvement in Moorlane. However, the record reflects that vehicles emerging from plaintiff's property by means of the western driveway, near South Comal Street, can proceed in an easterly direction on Guadalupe Street by driving across the westbound lane, traversing the paved areas between the piers, which is open to traffic, and entering the eastbound lane. Vehicles exiting from such driveway can proceed west on Guadalupe Street, although it appears, and we assume, that large trucks attempting this maneuver because of the presence of the pier directly opposite this driveway and the fact that the westbound lane is only twelve feet wide, and that trucks proceeding west on Guadalupe Street would have difficulty in utilizing the western driveway for the purpose of entering plaintiff's premises. Vehicles leaving plaintiff's property by means of the eastern driveway near South *568 Comal Street would have little or no difficulty in proceeding east on Guadalupe Street. However, because of the presence of a pier just west of this driveway, it appears that it would be very difficult for large trucks emerging from this driveway to turn right and proceed in a westerly direction. There is nothing to indicate the presence of any significant obstacle to the use of this driveway as a means of ingress to plaintiff's property. The question of whether a landowner's right of access has been unreasonably impaired is, under the holding in DuPuy v. City of Waco, supra, a question of law. We hold that, as a matter of law, plaintiff still has reasonable access to his property from Guadalupe Street. Even if we are mistaken in our holding concerning the reasonable nature of plaintiff's present access to Guadalupe Street, the record conclusively establishes that plaintiff's right of access to his property from El Paso Street, which abuts his land on the north, has not been impaired. The holdings in City of Houston v. Fox, 419 S.W.2d 819 (Tex.Sup.1967), and Archenhold Automobile Supply Co. v. City of Waco, 396 S.W.2d 111 (Tex.Sup.1965), clearly adopt the rule that one of two public streets on which a landowner abuts may be completely closed without compensating such owner if the remaining street "furnishes suitable means of access." 396 S.W. 2d at 114. The contention that a landowner has the right of reasonable access to all streets on which he abuts had been previously rejected by the Supreme Court in City of San Antonio v. Pigeonhole Parking of Texas, Inc., 158 Tex. 318, 311 S.W. 2d 218 (1958). See Note, 12 S.W.L.J. 522 (1958). As Mr. Justice Steakley pointed out in Archenhold, questions concerning the impairment of a landowner's rights of access should be considered in totality and "should not be fragmented" by considering what happened on each individual abutting street. 396 S.W.2d at 114. The facts of this case make inapplicable the holding in DuPuy v. City of Waco, supra, a companion case to Archenhold. In DuPuy, the construction of the public improvement left the owner fronting on a street which had been transformed into a cul-de-sac, without direct access to any other public street.[1] DuPuy does no more than adopt the rule that a property owner whose land is left abutting a cul-de-sac suffers compensable damage. The nature of the DuPuy holding is revealed by the Supreme Court's reliance on the decision by the Minnesota Court in the case of In re Hull, 163 Minn. 439, 204 N.W. 534, 205 N.W. 613, 49 A.L.R. 320 (1925). See 396 S.W.2d at 110. Plaintiff here has not been left in a cul-de-sac insofar as El Paso Street is concerned. A cul-de-sac is a street, closed at one end, which only communicates with a public street or road at the other end. 25 C.J.S., Cul de Sac, 27. Here, El Paso Street is open at both ends of the block on which plaintiff abuts. It communicates with South Comal Street on one end of the block and with South Salado Street on the other. The fact that westbound El Paso Street traffic, upon reaching the South Salado Street intersection, can proceed only in a northerly direction on South Salado Street does not create more than a situation resulting in noncompensable circuity of travel. If means of ingress and egress are not cut off or lessened in the block of the abutting owner, but only rendered less convenient because of the vacation of the street in another block, there is no right to compensation. Lee v. City of Stratford, 125 Tex. 179, 81 S.W.2d 1003 (1935). In his brief, plaintiff asserts that El Paso Street furnishes no reasonable access, *569 as far as his lumber operation is concerned, because that portion of his land which abuts El Paso Street has been leased to third persons. However, the record in this case discloses that only a portion of plaintiff's frontage on El Paso Street is in the possession of tenants. There is no impediment to the use of the greater portion of such El Paso Street frontage by plaintiff. Plaintiff, by his seventh point, assails the judgment below on the ground that twenty years prior to the filing of this suit defendant, Missouri Pacific Railroad Company, with the approval of the City of San Antonio, physically appropriated that portion of South Salado Street which adjoins plaintiff's property on the east by installing and maintaining thereon railroad tracks and other facilities. Plaintiff maintains that such actions deprived him of his property in that, as abutting owner, he owned the fee simple title to the center of South Salado Street. Nowhere in the record does it appear that this theory of recovery as against the railroad was urged in the trial court. The entire thrust of plaintiff's pleadings is that the damage to his property resulted from the construction of the overpass and the closing of portions of El Paso Street, when taken into consideration along with the fact that, because of its physical characteristics, South Salado Street, adjoining plaintiff's property, was closed to traffic and afforded plaintiff no access to his land. We overrule plaintiff's seventh point, without deciding the question of the state of the title to South Salado Street. Plaintiff's point relating to the existence of a conspiracy between the railroad and the City if overruled. Defendants' affidavits, which are uncontroverted, establish that the sole purpose to be served by the Guadalupe Street Grade Separation Project was the elimination of a serious traffic problem resulting from the presence at grade, and constant use by the railroad, of railroad tracks on Guadalupe Street. The judgment of the trial court is affirmed. NOTES [1] In considering the question of whether or not DuPuy had reasonable access to his property from a public street, the Supreme Court gave no consideration to the existence of an alley running from DuPuy's property to a public street. The question of whether an alley can be considered a reasonable means of access is not discussed. | Low | [
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package com.riiablo.serializer; import android.support.annotation.NonNull; public enum ShortStringSerializer implements StringSerializer<Short> { INSTANCE; @Override @NonNull public String serialize(@NonNull Short obj) { return obj.toString(); } @Override @NonNull public Short deserialize(@NonNull String string) { try { return Short.parseShort(string); } catch (Throwable t) { throw new SerializeException(t); } } } | Mid | [
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NEW DELHI: The government has directed the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) to prepare quarantine facilities with a bed capacity to admit over 5,400 people to deal with cases of coronavirus across the country, officials said on Monday.These forces, comprising the Central Reserve Police Force , the Border Security Force, the Central Industrial Security Force , the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, the Sashastra Seema Bal and the National Security Guard , have also been asked to create 75 isolation wards as part of preparations to combat possible large-scale outbreak of the virus.Officials told PTI that the Union home ministry has asked these forces to create a total of 5,440-bed capacity at 37 locations in the country.75 isolation wards are also to be created at these locations by these forces, they said."The aim is to build capacity. These forces have also been asked to earmark and depute their respective teams of doctors, paramedics and sanitation officials who will man these quarantine facilities," a senior home ministry officer said.The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) force, which is already running such a quarantine centre in Delhi's Chhawla area, has also been asked to prepare training modules for specialist trainers of these forces.ITBP experts will hold workshops and prepare online modules for these forces to make them understand the management and other medical protocols to run a quarantine centre for coronavirus affected people, officials said.The second batch of people, including Indians and foreigners, evacuated from Wuhan in China are still living at the ITBP centre.ITBP Director General (DG) S S Deswal, they said, will also be holding an awareness session on these measures on a free-to-air Doordarshan channel.All these forces have also been asked to conduct awareness and outreach programmes as part of preparing the community against the coronavirus, they said.The number of coronavirus cases in India rose to 43 on Monday with four people, including a three-year-old child in Kerala who had returned from Italy, testing positive for the disease, Health Ministry officials said.Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Monday said the government is prepared to deal with the issue and his ministry is sending directives, including guidelines, to states in all the languages on ways to contain it. PTI NES NES | Mid | [
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This is one of a series of posts about my health/fitness journey. The first one is here. Part 2: The Change When I was obsessed with Cryptography, I learned about this cool photo. It was on the desk of William F. Friedman who ran a government agency that we now call the N.S.A. In the photo, his World War I, cryptanalysis students were instructed to tilt their heads precisely to make a binary encoding of the message “Knowledge is Power”. Riverbank Graduating Class, c. 1918 Cryptography was an obsession. My adult life has been a series of intellectual obsessions. I’ve kept a journal over the years that logs these obsessions, going back to 1985. I now keep it in Evernote. Here’s an excerpt from the early 2000s. My intellectual life is a cycle – when I’m at the peak of an obsession, I’m learning about something, I’m buying books about it, I’m building things. Then, over time, my interest wanes. I feel scattered. I am interested in a few things simultaneously. Then something new (or a revisit of something old) comes along, and then I am obsessed anew, and the wave crests again. This very blog has been a document of some of these obsessions. Automata, mechanical music instruments, computer chess, mockingbird song analysis, electronic music, puzzle construction, and so on. The topics cover a fairly wide range, but there are a few common factors: 1) computers are usually involved. 2) math is usually involved. 3) They tend to be fairly abstract. For most of my adult life, these obsessions were the tool that kept me away from the things I disliked. Thinking about my current living situation. My family. My body. My mortality. So, because I had engineered such a perfect system for avoiding thinking about my health, and my impending demise, it has always been extremely unpleasant for me to contemplate improving my health, because it runs counter to my basic life coping strategy. The last time I lost a significant amount of weight, when I was approaching my 40s, I joined Weight Watchers. This is what my obsession journal looks like from that period: What I see is that for a period of time – basically starting in October 1999, I made losing weight one of my obsessions. This obsession lasted for a few months, and I managed to lose about 50 pounds, getting down to the same weight I am now, in the first few months of 2000. In other words, during that period, I made weight loss my hobby. I devoted a lot of intellectual energy to it. I remember I had a PDA (Palm Pilot) during that period, and I used it to log stuff. I worked out the 1999 version of the Weight Watchers points formula, and wrote little pieces of software to do conversions. I did a lot of logging and journaling. I gained a lot of insight, much of which I later forgot, and some of which I relearned this year. The log shows that my other hobbies didn’t go away. I kept them up. Over time, the Weight Watchers routine because easier, and I didn’t have to devote as much mental energy to it. My other hobbies increased, and at some point, the amount of mental energy I devoted to Weight Watchers dropped to zero. At some point, I don’t know when, I stopped weighing myself. I don’t know when because when it happened, I was already asleep at the wheel. This year, in many respects, the change has been very similar. Around March 1st, I made health and fitness my primary hobby. I started logging stuff in a spreadsheet. Here’s the first few lines of that spreadsheet. At this point, I was simply weighing myself every morning, and keeping track of what I ate. I wasn’t counting calories. From my previous experience, I knew roughly how I used to eat when I was on Weight Watchers, so I mimicked that. I remembered that it was better to have 3 moderate meals, rather than the 2 giant ones I was used to. So I made sure to have a little breakfast, and then I ate more sensible foods for lunch and dinner. I didn’t starve myself, but I definitely didn’t gorge, and I stayed away from between meal snacks. Most importantly, I thought about what I was doing. I remember at this point, toying with the idea of going back to Weight Watchers, and I could have, it probably would have been fine. But I felt like I was smart enough to do the same basic activities on my own. Weight Watchers has two basic components: 1) The System, and 2) The support (the meetings). When I was on Weight Watchers, I never got a huge boost from the support elements. The meetings didn’t always do it for me, and I felt like a bemused spectator much of the time. This might be a “guy” thing, akin to my desire not to ask for directions, or the location of items at the supermarket. I don’t know. But I found the system useful, because it worked for me. At the same time, I felt like the system was dumbed down a bit. It was designed to avoid calorie counting by replacing it with a simple “points” system. I remember, at Weight Watchers, we were encouraged not to weigh ourselves every single day. Instead, we were advised to weigh ourselves just once a week, at the Weight Watchers center, so that day-to-day minor weight fluctuations wouldn’t get us down, and we’d just see the overall average. So in some respects, the system is a kind of filtering, or smoothing a trove of more complicated underlying data. I imagine this is appealing to the math-phobic. But I’m a nerd. I’m not afraid of the details. So why not expose myself to the underlying data, rather than masking it behind a layer of abstraction? Why not weigh myself every single day? Why not weigh myself even more often? What happens if I weigh myself before and after I poop? How much does poop weigh? How much does pee weigh? Perhaps by exposing myself to these minor weight fluctuations, I could understand more deeply how my body works, and what affects weight gain and loss. So, over the next few weeks, my logs grow more detailed. Perhaps more detailed than you care to read… Now my obsession was coming into full bloom. I couldn’t get enough data. I was measuring my food more precisely. I was tracking caloric intake, by using Google to look up nutritional information for the foods I was eating, and I got a Fitbit (Charge HR), so I could track Calorie expenditure. I was even keeping track of my poops, and how they affected my weight. I learned something I didn’t know before: my poops follow a cycle (just like my obsessions). I won’t poop for a day or two, and then I’ll have a series of them over a few days that ascend the Bristol Stool Scale, typically going from about a 2 to a 5 (sometimes up to a 7). Fascinating. Disgusting, but fascinating. And the mantra I kept repeating to myself, at this point? Knowledge is Power. The same elaborate edifice I had constructed to avoid thinking about mortality was now a tool I could use to fight against it. I was shining a bright light where none had shown before. This entry was posted on Friday, September 9th, 2016 at 1:00 pm and is filed under Jim's Projects. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. | Mid | [
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182 F.3d 637 (8th Cir. 1999) Peabody Coal Co.; Old Republic Insurance Co., Petitioners,v.Director, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, United States Department of Labor; Mary B. Ricker; Mary D. Ricker, Respondents. No. 98-3263 UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT April 21, 1999, SubmittedJune 22, 1999, Filed Mark E. Solomons of Washington, D.C., argued (Laura Metcoff Klaus, on the brief), for petitioners. Jill M. Otte of Washington, D.C., argued (Henry L. Solano, Donald S. Shire, and Patricia M. Nece, on the brief), for respondents. Before McMILLIAN, LOKEN, and MURPHY, Circuit Judges. MURPHY, Circuit Judge. 1 The statute that provides benefits to survivors of coal miners who suffered from black lung disease was amended in 1972 to define widow as including some surviving divorced wives as well as wives at the time of death. Frank Ricker was covered by the statute and when he died the Director, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, Department of Labor (DOL), awarded full benefits to his surviving wife and to his surviving divorced wife. Ricker's employer, Peabody Coal Co., and its insurer, Old Republic Insurance Co., maintained that under the applicable statutory and regulatory interpretations the women were only entitled to partial benefits. The Benefits Review Board upheld the award, and Peabody and Old Republic filed this petition for review of the board's order. We affirm. I. 2 The Black Lung Benefits Act (the Act), 30 U.S.C. 901 et seq., provides for the payment of benefits when a coal miner is totally disabled by pneumoconiosis or was totally disabled by pneumoconiosis at the time of his death1 or died due to pneumoconiosis. See id. 921(a). Frank Ricker filed a claim for benefits under the Act in 1976 and was awarded benefits in 1981, which continued until his death in January 1990. At the time Frank died, his surviving wife was Mary B. Ricker whom he had married in July 1984. He was also at that time still required to make support payments to his prior wife, Mary D. Ricker; their marriage had lasted more than ten years. 3 The Act provides that when a miner receiving benefits dies, "benefits shall be paid to his widow (if any) at the rate the deceased miner would receive such benefits." Id. 922(a)(2). When the Act was passed in 1969, the statute defined widow simply to mean the miner's wife at the time of his death. See Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969, Pub. L. No. 91-173, 402(e), 83 Stat. 742, 793. Three years later, however, in 1972, Congress amended the definition of widow to include any surviving divorced wife who had been married to a miner for ten years immediately preceding their divorce and who had been entitled to or receiving substantial support from the miner at the time of his death.2 See Black Lung Benefits Act of 1972, Pub. L. No. 92-303, sec. 1(c)(3), 402(e), 86 Stat. 150, 152. 4 There is no dispute in this case that both of Frank's surviving wives are entitled to benefits under the Act, but the parties disagree on the amount of benefits the wives should receive. Under the 1972 amendment Mary D. was entitled to benefits as Frank's surviving divorced wife, and the DOL determined that she is entitled to the same benefit as Mary B., his wife at the time of his death.3 Its position is that each should receive benefits at the same rate Frank would have. The petitioners argue on the other hand that each should receive only 75% of Frank's entitlement, consistent with the DOL manual in effect at the time he died. 5 The DOL's Coal Mine (Black Lung Benefits Act) Procedure Manual, ch. 2-900, 8(b), (Feb. 1980), directed that benefits for more than one surviving widow be calculated in the same manner as for more than one surviving child. Under the 1980 manual the benefit to be shared would thus be calculated by taking the amount of the deceased miner's basic benefit and adding 50% for two survivors, 75% for three survivors, or 100% for four or more survivors. This augmented benefit would then be shared by the survivors, and the miner's surviving wife and surviving divorced wife would each receive 75% of the basic benefit (i.e., (100% + 50%)/2). 6 When Frank died in 1990, the DOL awarded both Mary D. and Mary B. 100% of the basic benefit instead of calculating the benefits according to the method in the 1980 manual. Old Republic declined to pay the full amount, claiming that the DOL's calculation was incorrect. The DOL then provided petitioners with a copy of an internal 1988 memorandum from the Director of the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (a unit within the DOL) to an Assistant Secretary. Our record does not include a copy of this memorandum, but does contain petitioners' response to the Director. Their response indicates that the internal memorandum suggested that in the author's opinion the Act could be interpreted either way, that the DOL had decided to change its policy to conform to that of the Social Security Administration (SSA),4 and that it would apply its new interpretation retroactively. The Director's briefing represents that a 1988 review of the applicable statutes, regulations, and legislative history had led to the conclusion that the existing rule was "untenable,"5 and that as a result the DOL changed its practice. This reevaluation and change of practice led to the publication in 1992 of a revised Coal Mine (Black Lung Benefits Act) Procedure Manual which stated the new rule that "a surviving spouse and a surviving divorced spouse [are] both . . . entitled to full basic benefits plus full augmentation." Coal Mine (Black Lung Benefits Act) Procedure Manual, ch. 2-900, 8(f), (Dec. 1992). 7 Petitioners did not contest that benefits were due both women. Mary B. qualified for benefits as a surviving spouse since she had been married to Frank at the time of his death and was not remarried, and Mary D. qualified for benefits as a surviving divorced spouse since she had been married to Frank for at least ten years and received substantial monetary support from him. Petitioners argued to the DOL, however, that the change in widow benefit shares was a substantive change and therefore required notice and comment rule making. In May 1990 the DOL sent a letter to Old Republic stating: "At this time, you should go ahead and" make payments under the old rule, and the DOL would "get back to you at a later date regarding a decision on this matter." Old Republic then began paying Mary D. and Mary B. monthly benefits and reimbursed them for the missed January through April payments; all of these benefits were calculated using the old rule. On June 1, 1992, the DOL ordered Peabody to make all future payments according to the new rule and to issue supplemental checks for the amount underpaid from January 1990 through May 1992. The petitioners refused to pay the additional amount, and beginning with the July 1992 benefit, the DOL began sending monthly checks to Mary D. and Mary B. for the difference in benefits that the petitioners had refused to pay. The DOL also forwarded the matter for a hearing. 8 An administrative law judge (ALJ) ruled against Peabody,6 concluding that the DOL had properly required a full basic benefit for each widow. The ALJ concluded that the DOL policy was consistent with Congressional intent, that notice and comment rule making was not required because the rule change was interpretative, and that the DOL had not applied a new rule retroactively because it had simply corrected a previous misinterpretation of statutes and regulations. The ALJ ordered Peabody to pay both Mary D. and Mary B. the full basic benefit and to reimburse the DOL for the amounts it had paid to the widows. Peabody and Old Republic appealed the decision and order to the Benefits Review Board (BRB). The BRB affirmed in part and vacated in part. It affirmed the ALJ's decision that paying a full basic benefit to both widows was proper under the Act, but remanded the case for the ALJ to reexamine whether the rule change was interpretative or substantive under the "substantial impact test" in American Bancorp., Inc. v. Board of Governors of Fed. Res. Sys., 509 F.2d 29, 33 (8th Cir. 1974). 9 After analyzing petitioners' arguments in light of American Bancorp., the ALJ issued a supplemental decision and order reinstating his earlier decision and order. Petitioners' motion for reconsideration was denied, and they appealed to the BRB, which affirmed. Peabody and Old Republic then filed this petition for review. II. 10 Petitioners argue on appeal that the rule the DOL applied to determine benefits for Frank's surviving widows is contrary to the settled interpretation of the statute as reflected in the 1980 DOL procedure manual. They also argue that the new rule is substantive rather than interpretative, see 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(A), so the DOL violated the Administrative Procedure Act because it did not have authority to institute the rule without using the notice and comment procedures required by 5 U.S.C. 553.7 Finally, they argue that the new rule cannot be applied retroactively. The DOL's position is that the BRB correctly approved the ALJ's decision that both Mary D. and Mary B. were entitled to a full basic benefit and that the new rule is interpretative rather than substantive. We are thus presented with questions of statutory interpretation and the appropriate standard of review on this petition for review of an agency action. 11 The Fourth Circuit has recently considered the issue of benefit allocation to two widows in Piney Mountain Coal Co. v. Mays, 176 F.3d 753, (4th Cir. 1999). In that case it affirmed the BRB's awards of full basic benefits to the coal miner's widow and to his former spouse. The court observed from its study of the Act and the regulations that "a surviving widow is a beneficiary in her own right" so her situation is not the same as where multiple dependents require augmentation of the miner's basic benefit. Id. At 765. It would be contrary to the regulatory scheme "to deem just one of the widows a primary beneficiary and the other as a dependent augmentee." Id. It reviewed the legislative history and the Director's reasons for reinterpreting the Act and concluded that the Director's interpretation was reasonable. See id. at 765-66.8 12 We must begin our inquiry by asking "whether Congress has directly spoken to the precise question at issue." Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, 467 U.S. 837, 842, 81 L. Ed. 2d 694, 104 S. Ct. 2778 (1984). When asking this question we are to "employ[] traditional tools of statutory construction." Id. at 843 n.9. if we determine that "Congress has not directly addressed the precise question at issue," then we must ask whether the agency's interpretation "is based on a permissible construction of the statute." Id. at 843. If the agency interpretation is reasonable, a court must defer to it. See id. at 844.9 Mays used this deferential standard of review without deciding whether Congress has already made the point clear, In this case the Director asks for no deference. He requests that we treat the new rule as not having the force and effect of law and as being subject to de novo review. 13 We begin by examining the Act itself. The Act states that a deceased miner's "widow (if any)" shall receive benefits "at the rate the deceased miner would receive such benefits if he were totally disabled," 30 U.S.C. 922(a)(2), and the 1972 amendment included within the definition of widow both a surviving wife and a surviving divorced wife who meets certain qualifications. See Black Lung Benefits Act of 1972, Pub. L. No. 92-303, sec. 1(c)(3), 402(e), 86 Stat. 150, 152 (codified at 30 U.S.C. 902(e)). The Act as amended thus says on its face that someone meeting the expanded definition of widow is entitled to receive the same benefits as the deceased miner would receive, which would be a full basic benefit with augmentation. See 30 U.S.C. 922(a)(1), (4). The statutory language thus provides for full benefits to both Mary D. and Mary B.10 "Courts must presume that a legislature says in a statute what it means and means in a statute what it says there. When the words of a statute are unambiguous . . . judicial inquiry is complete." Connecticut Nat'l Bank v. Germain, 503 U.S. 249, 253-54, 117 L. Ed. 2d 391, 112 S. Ct. 1146 (1992) (quotation omitted). 14 Not only does the text of the Act state that both a surviving wife and a qualifying surviving divorced wife are entitled to full benefits, but the structure of the Act also supports our reading of this language. At the same time Congress added surviving divorced wives to the definition of widow, it added provisions describing how to divide benefits among surviving children, dependent parents, and dependent siblings. See Black Lung Benefits Act of 1972, Pub. L. No. 92-303, sec. 1(b)(1), (2), 412(a)(3), (5), 86 Stat. 150, 150-51 (codified as amended at 30 U.S.C. 922(a)(3), (5)). Congress did not, however, make any provision for dividing benefits among widows. This strengthens the reading of the other language, reinforcing the intent for 922(a)(2)'s full benefit to apply to each widow. Both the text and structure of the Act thus support the conclusion that Congress intended a surviving wife and a surviving divorced wife to each receive a full benefit, 15 Having concluded that Congress answered the question at issue in the text and structure of the Act, it is not necessary to consider whether the DOL's interpretation "is based on a permissible construction of the statute," Chevron, 467 U.S. at 843, nor what amount of deference to give that interpretation. "If the intent of Congress is clear, that is the end of the matter; for the court, as well as the agency, must give effect to the unambiguously expressed intent of Congress." Id. at 842-43.11 Since both this court and the DOL must give effect to Congressional intent that multiple widows each receive a full benefit, Mary D. and Mary B. are entitled to full benefits under the Act, and would be even if the DOL had never changed its rule.12 III. 16 We conclude that Congress clearly intended the Act as amended to provide full benefits to qualifying widows. Accordingly, we affirm the order of the Benefit Review Board. Notes: 1 This category of benefits is only available for claims filed within a certain period of time; Frank Ricker's claim falls within this category. 2 The number of cases in which there could be more than one entitled widow is limited by the statutory requirements that the surviving divorced wife have been married to the miner for at least ten years and been entitled to or receiving substantial support at the time of his death and that the surviving wife not be remarried. See 30 U.S.C. 902(e). Neither side has presented any data on the frequency of claims from two surviving widows, but the DOL has represented that to the best of its knowledge the issue of the benefit amount has only been raised by an employer twice in cases reaching the federal courts -- once in this case and once in Piney Mountain Coal Co. v. Mays, 176 F.3d 753, (4th Cir. 1999). 3 Although Mary B. had filed for divorce in December 1989, the divorce was apparently not finalized prior to Frank's death. Mary B. died in October 1998. 4 The Social Security Administration administers black lung claims filed through June 1973, the Social Security Administration and DOL have joint responsibility for claims filed from July to December 1973, and the DOL administers claims filed in 1974 or later. The Director asserts that the SSA paid both a surviving wife and a surviving divorced wife a full basic benefit. Petitioners argue, however, that the DOL manual rule was consistent with the SSA practice and rule. Nonetheless, petitioners' counsel stated in a 1992 letter to the DOL that his "file indicates[] SSA may have routinely ignored its own rule and paid a full primary benefit to each equal status survivor/spouse." Neither side has provided record evidence to establish what the SSA actually did at any particular time. 5 This review followed an administrative law judge award of full basic benefits to both a surviving wife and a surviving divorced wife. The Director initially appealed the award, but then asked that the appeal be dismissed after concluding that the practice of not providing full basic benefits was not in accord with the Act as amended. 6 Old Republic was not listed as a party at this stage. 7 In January 1997 a proposed comprehensive revision of the black lung regulations was published for notice and comment. See 62 Fed. Reg. 3337 (1997). These proposed regulations included a new paragraph, 20 C.F.R. 725.212(b), that would formally promulgate the new rule. See 62 Fed. Reg. at 3350-51, 3390. Final regulations have not yet been published. 8 Mays was decided subsequent to the oral argument in this case. Petitioners have recently filed a motion for leave to file a supplemental brief discussing Mays and what the parties there argued. Since we have already received and reviewed relevant portions of the Mays briefs pursuant to Fed. R. App. P. 28(j) and are familiar with the points discussed in the supplemental brief, the motion to file it is denied. 9 There is also authority indicating that less deference is due when an interpretative rule is being reviewed. See, e.g., Shalala v. Guernsey Mem'l Hosp., 514 U.S. 87, 99, 131 L. Ed. 2d 106, 115 S. Ct. 1232 (1995) (interpretative rules "do not have the force and effect of law and are not accorded that weight in the adjudicatory process"); Batterton v. Francis, 432 U.S. 416, 425 n.9, 53 L. Ed. 2d 448, 97 S. Ct. 2399 (1977) (A "court is not required to give effect to an interpretative regulation."). 10 Since neither Mary D. nor Mary B. are entitled to augmentation, full benefits in this case would be a full basic benefit without augmentation. 11 We of course recognize that the DOL, an agency with responsibility for administering the Act, interpreted it differently until after its review in 1988. To the extent that the Act were viewed as ambiguous, one would turn to the legislative history. See Blum v. Stenson, 465 U.S. 886, 896, 79 L. Ed. 2d 891, 104 S. Ct. 1541 (1984). The legislative history reveals that Congress intended the 1972 amendment to redefine the "term 'widow' . . . to conform to the Social Security Act definition." S. Rep. No. 92-743 (1972), reprinted in 1972 U.S.C.C.A.N. 2305, 2332. The Social Security Act had been amended in 1965 to extend benefits to surviving divorced spouses. See Social Security Amendments of 1965, Pub. L. No. 89-97, sec. 308(b)(1), 202(e)(1), 79 Stat. 286, 376-77. Congress had then made clear its intent regarding the payment of benefits to more than one widow: "Payment of a wife's or widow's benefit to a divorced women would not reduce the benefits paid to any other person on the same social security account and such wife's or widow's benefit would not be reduced because of other benefits payable on the same account." S. Rep. No. 89-404 (1965), reprinted in 1965 U.S.C.C.A.N. 1943, 2047. Because Congress specifically intended to tie the definition of widow in the Act to its definition in the Social Security Act, we can infer a similar intent for widows' benefits. Cf. Wolf Creek Collieries v. Robinson, 872 F.2d 1264, 1266-67 (6th Cir. 1989). Since Congress did not intend to reduce social security benefits when paying more than one widow, it follows that Congress similarly intended each qualifying widow to receive full benefits under the Act. 12 Because we apply the clear intent of Congress, we do not need to reach the issue of whether the agency interpretation amounts to an interpretative or substantive rule. We also note that neither the application of our de novo interpretation of the statute nor the application of a new agency rule that corrects an erroneous original interpretation of a statute is retroactive. See Manhattan General Equipment Co. v. Commissioner, 297 U.S. 129, 135, 80 L. Ed. 528, 56 S. Ct. 397 (1936). | Mid | [
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23
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Since Election Day, unions have lived on borrowed time. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which has exclusive authority over many key questions of labor law, is still controlled by Democrats — thus shielding workers and their unions from attacks that became far likelier the moment Donald Trump was declared the winner of the 2016 election. But this period of interregnum is about to end. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) began the process of confirming the first of Trump’s two nominees to the NLRB on Monday. When both nominees sit on the Board, a swift rollback of union rights is likely. As soon as this week, the Senate is likely to vote on Marvin Kaplan, the first of these two nominees. A former GOP Hill staffer, Kaplan drafted legislation—strongly supported by business lobby groups—which would have made it easier for employers to fight unionization campaigns. Trump’s other nominee, William Emanuel, is a veteran management-side lawyer who touts his “particular expertise with laws concerning union access to the private property of employers.” He’s also filed briefs in three cases claiming that employers can force workers to waive their right to bring class actions and similar lawsuits. [snip][end] Workers of the world ... stop being conned by this conman. _________________-- Tis an ill wind that blows no minds.Malaclypse the Younger The NLRB is where the work is done for or against labor that no one sees. When we have a Republican administration, they always put nasty anti-union folks in that try to obliterate workers. We had eight years with Bush. It was very tough. But here's the thing - when we have a Democratic administration, we don't get the opposite, where they open the candy store. The people they put in don't always side with the worker, either. They usually come down on both sides, and you'll often lose at the NLRB. But at least is seems like a fair fight. President Trump's support among America's union workers has dropped 15 points in just a year, according to a Reuters–Ipsos poll released Friday. The president enjoyed an all-time high of more than 60 percent support among union workers in the same poll last March, an unusually strong number for a Republican. But his support among the demographic has dropped steadily nearly every month since then, Reuters reports, despite his pursuit of trade tariffs that labor unions have traditionally supported. Trump's support among union workers now sits at 47 percent, down from its all-time high of 62 percent, according to the poll. April numbers have not yet been released. A graph released by Reuters notes that Trump tended to win union supporters in areas of the country, such as the Southwest and the Carolinas, where union workers make up a smaller percentage of the overall workforce. [snip][end] _________________-- Tis an ill wind that blows no minds.Malaclypse the Younger A new poll shows that the majority of American voters haven't noticed an increase in their paychecks because of the Republican tax cuts, which went into effect this January. The Politico and Morning Consult poll reported that 55 percent of respondents had not noticed any jumps in their paychecks over the “the past several weeks.” About 22 percent had noticed an increase, and 23 percent weren't sure. In February, only 51 percent of those surveyed said their paychecks had not increased. In reality, many Americans saw a bit more money in their checks in February because of the tax plan. For single people making between $46,000 and $162,000, their bi-weekly paychecks were estimated to increase by roughly $40 to $190. “We estimate that 90 percent of wage earners will experience an increase in their take home pay,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in January. “These tax cuts will ensure that American workers are able to keep more of their hard earned income and decide how to spend, invest or save it.”............ The big news in this morning’s jobs report is that the unemployment rate edged down to 3.9 percent, the first time it has gone below 4.0 percent since 2000. Unfortunately, this dip was accompanied by a fall in labor force participation. In other words, it fell for the “wrong” reasons—not because of a surge in the number of people getting jobs, but because of a rise in the number of people out of the labor force. Both the labor force participation rate and the employment-to-population ratio ticked down 0.1 percentage points. Turning to the payroll survey, the economy added 164,000 jobs last month. All told, average monthly job creation over the past year is 190,000. After a higher-than-expected February and a lower-than-expected March......... GENEVA (Reuters) - Poverty in the United States is extensive and deepening under the Trump administration whose policies seem aimed at removing the safety net from millions of poor people, while rewarding the rich, a U.N. human rights investigator has found. Philip Alston, U.N. special rapporteur on extreme poverty, called on U.S. authorities to provide solid social protection and address underlying problems, rather than "punishing and imprisoning the poor". While welfare benefits and access to health insurance are being slashed, President Donald Trump's tax reform has awarded "financial windfalls" to the mega-rich and large companies, further increasing inequality, he said in a report. U.S. policies since President Lyndon Johnson's war on poverty in the 1960s have been "neglectful at best," he said. "But the policies pursued over the past year seem deliberately designed to remove basic protections from the poorest, punish those who are not in employment and make even basic health care into a privilege to be earned rather than a right of citizenship," Alston said. Almost 41 million people or 12.7 percent live in poverty, 18.5 million in extreme poverty, and children account for one in three poor, he said. The United States has the highest youth poverty rate among industrialized countries, he added. "Its citizens live shorter and sicker lives compared to those living in all other rich democracies, eradicable tropical diseases are increasingly prevalent and it has the world's highest incarceration rate ... and the highest obesity levels in the developed world," Alston said. [snip] It is based on his mission in December to several U.S. states, including rural Alabama, a slum in downtown Los Angeles, California, and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. Citing "shameful statistics" linked to entrenched racial discrimination, Alston said that African Americans are 2.5 times more likely than whites to live in poverty and their unemployment rate is more than double. Women, Hispanics, immigrants, and indigenous people also suffer high rates. At least 550,000 people are homeless in America, he said. "The tax reform will worsen this situation and ensure that the United States remains the most unequal society in the developed world," Alston said. "The planned dramatic cuts in welfare will essentially shred crucial dimensions of a safety net that is already full of holes." The tax overhaul, which sailed through the Republican-controlled U.S. Congress in December, permanently cut the top corporate rate to 21 percent from 35 percent. Tax cuts for individuals, however, are temporary and expire after 2025. [snip][end] _________________-- Tis an ill wind that blows no minds.Malaclypse the Younger .........Many of these folks are the nation's child care workers, home health aides, office assistants and store clerks, who work low-paying jobs and have little savings, the study noted. Some 66% of jobs in the US pay less than $20 an hour....... In a typical last-minute scramble, Jannette Navarro, a 22-year-old Starbucks barista and single mother, scraped together a plan for surviving the month of July without setting off family or financial disaster. In contrast to the joyless work she had done at a Dollar Tree store and a KFC franchise, the $9-an-hour Starbucks job gave Ms. Navarro, the daughter of a drug addict and an absentee father, the hope of forward motion. She had been hired because she showed up so many times, cheerful and persistent, asking for work, and she had a way of flicking away setbacks — such as a missed bus on her three-hour commute — with the phrase, “I’m over it.” Newly off public assistance, she was just a few credits shy of an associate degree in business and talked of getting a master’s degree as some of her co-workers were. Her take-home pay rarely topped $400 to $500 every two weeks; since starting in November, she had set aside $900 toward a car — her next step toward stability and independence for herself and her 4-year-old son, Gavin. But Ms. Navarro’s fluctuating hours, combined with her limited resources, had also turned their lives into a chronic crisis over the clock. She rarely learned her schedule more than three days before the start of a workweek, plunging her into urgent logistical puzzles over who would watch the boy. Months after starting the job she moved out of her aunt’s home, in part because of mounting friction over the erratic schedule, which the aunt felt was also holding her family captive. Ms. Navarro’s degree was on indefinite pause because her shifting hours left her unable to commit to classes. She needed to work all she could, sometimes counting on dimes from the tip jar to make the bus fare home. If she dared ask for more stable hours, she feared, she would get fewer work hours over all. “You’re waiting on your job to control your life,” she said, with the scheduling software used by her employer dictating everything from “how much sleep Gavin will get to what groceries I’ll be able to buy this month.” .......“Every generation, whether it’s the abolition movement in the 1850s or it’s the women’s suffrage movement in the late 1800s, early 1900s, or it’s the Bonus Marches that helped produce the New Deal in the 1930s, every generation has to stand up. There has to be a moral dissent and a moral critique in every, every, every generation. If there is injustice, if there is oppression, every generation has to pick it up. The success begins when you stand up and challenge it.”......... Corporations aren't spending their money on current facilities or worker pay. Only 10 Fortune 500 companies did anything for their workers with the savings, usually a one-time bonus, instead of raises that would last like the tax cut will last, year after year. Instead, they are closing plants and moving them with the money, and doing stock buy-backs to increase profits. Oh yeah. We have to be so much better. Granted, that is clearing the lowest of bars, but still. Dunno, a lot of the punditocracy are saying the Democrats need to run on being more than just not-Trump. The good news is, they're pulling that out of their ass, because I don't know any who are merely running on not being him: they're running on a REAL agenda for working people, not just bullshit, con jobs, and smoke and mirrors. I kinda like the name "A Better Deal". Yes, echoes of FDR. Yes, a rejoinder to the guy who ran on being a dealmaker, said he would make better deals for the American people, but has mostly conned the living fuck out of them. And grifted for himself, his friends, and his family. I'm glad you and I both like Leonard Pitts. Of course, I see him all the time in the Miami Herald. She is a nice lady who wrote me a nice email in which she spoke about the need to try to understand Donald Trump’s supporters. As Rose put it, “We need to not close ourselves off to how the other side thinks.” It’s a sentiment I hear a lot from progressives, and it bespeaks a great generosity of spirit. But I couldn’t disagree more. Don’t get me wrong. Thinking people will always try to see past their own ideological blind spots, to put themselves into the shoes of those they disagree with. That’s an admirable trait. In normal times it’s a trait I would applaud with enthusiasm. But these are not normal times. Indeed, sometimes, I wonder if we appreciate just how abnormal — how fraught with danger — they really are. Under Trump, American laws, news media and mores are under assault, to say nothing of American democracy itself. And I’m sorry, but I don’t think “understanding” Trump followers will ameliorate — or even address — any of that. Besides which, is there really so much left to “understand?” Not from where I sit. Long before Trump even existed as a political force, many of us noted with alarm the rise of a backlash among right wingers deeply angry and profoundly terrified by the writing on the demographic wall. Said writing foretold — and for that matter, still foretells — the declining preeminence of white, Christian America. As several studies now show, a sense of alarmed displacement among white, Christian America is the soil from which the weed of Trumpism grew. The idea that we must “understand” those folks carries with it an implicit suggestion that in so doing, we might find some ground for compromise. It would be a great idea in normal times. But again, these times are not normal. No compromise is possible here for a simple reason Trump followers seem to understand better than the rest of us: You can’t compromise with demography, can’t order numbers to stop being what they are and saying what they say about the coming tide of change. But what you can do is seize the levers of power and change the rules of the game in hopes of blunting the force of that tide. That — again, look at the studies — is what Trump supporters elected him to do. So while, it is admirable to think “understanding” can fix this country, it is also naive. Progressives should ask themselves:When’s the last time you heard any Trump supporters talking about the need to understand you? You haven’t — and that ought to tell you something. Here’s the thing: the rest of us have the moral high ground here. We see the same demographic writing on the wall that Trump followers see, but where it makes them angry and fearful, it leaves us energized. Many of us are excited to see the nation that will arise from this cauldron of change. That’s because the idea of change doesn’t threaten us. It will challenge us, yes, but we’re ready for that. We know that this a big country, big enough for many different kinds of people, many different ways of life. We know what it means to live and let live. And we know that welcoming the stranger, caring for the stranger, is simply what you do as a human being. I submit that those are core American virtues. And that now would be an excellent time for progressives to exhibit a little courage in their defense. Trump followers see a nation in demographic peril, so they seek a nation where those who frighten them can be regulated into irrelevance. There’s no big mystery about that. There never has been. So no, they don’t really need to be understood. What they need to be, is defeated. [snip][end] Preach that from the mountaintop, brother. Amen. I'm done with "understanding" the Trumpistas. Are they trying to understand me - as a Jew, as a liberal, living in a place where I think the Hispanics outnumber me the Gringo, as one of those college professors they seem to hate, as a struggling member of the working class? As somebody who so fucking wished I didn't have to see a burning swastika in 2018? I live there, too. No, they just want me to drink my tears and shut up MFing snowflake. I'm on to kicking their muthafucking ass in November. I'm so fucking done with UNDERSTANDING them. They've been clear what they think of me, the shit flung at me stinks. Payback is a mother, bitches. _________________-- Tis an ill wind that blows no minds.Malaclypse the Younger Oh yeah. We have to be so much better. Granted, that is clearing the lowest of bars, but still. Dunno, a lot of the punditocracy are saying the Democrats need to run on being more than just not-Trump. The good news is, they're pulling that out of their ass, because I don't know any who are merely running on not being him: they're running on a REAL agenda for working people, not just bullshit, con jobs, and smoke and mirrors. I kinda like the name "A Better Deal". Yes, echoes of FDR. Yes, a rejoinder to the guy who ran on being a dealmaker, said he would make better deals for the American people, but has mostly conned the living fuck out of them. And grifted for himself, his friends, and his family. I'm glad you and I both like Leonard Pitts. Of course, I see him all the time in the Miami Herald. She is a nice lady who wrote me a nice email in which she spoke about the need to try to understand Donald Trump’s supporters. As Rose put it, “We need to not close ourselves off to how the other side thinks.” It’s a sentiment I hear a lot from progressives, and it bespeaks a great generosity of spirit. But I couldn’t disagree more. Don’t get me wrong. Thinking people will always try to see past their own ideological blind spots, to put themselves into the shoes of those they disagree with. That’s an admirable trait. In normal times it’s a trait I would applaud with enthusiasm. But these are not normal times. Indeed, sometimes, I wonder if we appreciate just how abnormal — how fraught with danger — they really are. Under Trump, American laws, news media and mores are under assault, to say nothing of American democracy itself. And I’m sorry, but I don’t think “understanding” Trump followers will ameliorate — or even address — any of that. Besides which, is there really so much left to “understand?” Not from where I sit. Long before Trump even existed as a political force, many of us noted with alarm the rise of a backlash among right wingers deeply angry and profoundly terrified by the writing on the demographic wall. Said writing foretold — and for that matter, still foretells — the declining preeminence of white, Christian America. As several studies now show, a sense of alarmed displacement among white, Christian America is the soil from which the weed of Trumpism grew. The idea that we must “understand” those folks carries with it an implicit suggestion that in so doing, we might find some ground for compromise. It would be a great idea in normal times. But again, these times are not normal. No compromise is possible here for a simple reason Trump followers seem to understand better than the rest of us: You can’t compromise with demography, can’t order numbers to stop being what they are and saying what they say about the coming tide of change. But what you can do is seize the levers of power and change the rules of the game in hopes of blunting the force of that tide. That — again, look at the studies — is what Trump supporters elected him to do. So while, it is admirable to think “understanding” can fix this country, it is also naive. Progressives should ask themselves:When’s the last time you heard any Trump supporters talking about the need to understand you? You haven’t — and that ought to tell you something. Here’s the thing: the rest of us have the moral high ground here. We see the same demographic writing on the wall that Trump followers see, but where it makes them angry and fearful, it leaves us energized. Many of us are excited to see the nation that will arise from this cauldron of change. That’s because the idea of change doesn’t threaten us. It will challenge us, yes, but we’re ready for that. We know that this a big country, big enough for many different kinds of people, many different ways of life. We know what it means to live and let live. And we know that welcoming the stranger, caring for the stranger, is simply what you do as a human being. I submit that those are core American virtues. And that now would be an excellent time for progressives to exhibit a little courage in their defense. Trump followers see a nation in demographic peril, so they seek a nation where those who frighten them can be regulated into irrelevance. There’s no big mystery about that. There never has been. So no, they don’t really need to be understood. What they need to be, is defeated. [snip][end] Preach that from the mountaintop, brother. Amen. I'm done with "understanding" the Trumpistas. Are they trying to understand me - as a Jew, as a liberal, living in a place where I think the Hispanics outnumber me the Gringo, as one of those college professors they seem to hate, as a struggling member of the working class? As somebody who so fucking wished I didn't have to see a burning swastika in 2018? I live there, too. No, they just want me to drink my tears and shut up MFing snowflake. I'm on to kicking their muthafucking ass in November. I'm so fucking done with UNDERSTANDING them. They've been clear what they think of me, the shit flung at me stinks. Payback is a mother, bitches. and that helps the poor and oppressed how? having and making a choice isnt whats wrong with our democracy, whats wrong is the people left out and oppressed from that. I can certainly understand people not wanting someone friendly to racial supremacists to have power over them, I can also however understand people not wanting someone friendly to austerity that can leave them homeless and vulnerable to the elements, neither is wrong but neither is right either because neither are acceptable at least not to human being supporters. Did you read the UN rapporteur's report? There's a reason I posted it. Yes, it notes the American problem of poverty is perennial. It also notes that the situation is growing far worse under Trump. Truth is, in November, this November, we can really do two key things by putting more Democrats in Congress: 1) start showing what the party can do with a president who won't veto their bills2) you need majorities in both chambers for impeachment ... I'm only slightly psychic, but I have this spider sense feeling the Mueller Report, whenever it's released, will contain impeachable offenses. Dunno, I agree we need to do lots of stuff after, but step one is getting rid of his policies. Also, BTW, the fundamental autocratic threat he represents to our democratic systems. Remember, homey, I'm totally on board with Rev. William Barber's goals. OK, we might quibble over his strategies. I get why as a social movement leader he has to act as if both parties equally need being lectured to. I seem to recall it was only one party who invited him in 2016 to their party's convention, to roaring applause. Quote: having and making a choice isnt whats wrong with our democracy, whats wrong is the people left out and oppressed from that. Yes, and I am totally onboard with efforts to fight voter caging, voter suppression, the weakening of the Voting Rights Act, and Gov. Skeletor's efforts to make voting in Florida harder for everybody and poor people, students, and minorities in particular by lessening early voting opportunities. And these crappy voter ID laws. I'm not going to bring up the Russians hacking & fucking with our voting system. I know that's not on your radar. It's fine, it's on mine. You know, there's no real point to bragging about what we do offline, nobody can verify it, but I will just say personally resisting voter disenfranchisement, particularly minority voters, is something I've been active on for a long time. I also know many Democrats who are as passionate about it as I am. Quote: I can certainly understand people not wanting someone friendly to racial supremacists to have power over them, I can also however understand people not wanting someone friendly to austerity that can leave them homeless and vulnerable to the elements, neither is wrong but neither is right either because neither are acceptable at least not to human being supporters. The either/or of how you posit things is what I find odd. The person who was friendlier to racial supremacists (Trump) was also friendlier to austerity. I'm not saying Clinton would have been best buds with everything on the progressive agenda, but she sure as fuck would not have cut spending to various government programs to the degree Trump has, including health care. Yes, I know Trump mumbled at one point he wanted our health care system to take care of everybody. Meanwhile, he's slashed ACA, tried to eliminate it, and thrown more people off health insurance. Fact. He said he wouldn't touch Social Security or Medicaid or Medicare. He fucking lied, Paul Ryan and him started working on doing it, your and my bud Michael Moore has noticed. So the choice was between the more racist, more pro-austerity guy and the more inclusive, less-austerity gal. It wasn't like this was an either/or for me. I'm not saying Clinton was gold from heaven, but in life, it's often about taking the better over the worse, not the perfect. _________________-- Tis an ill wind that blows no minds.Malaclypse the Younger President Trump's support among America's union workers has dropped 15 points in just a year, according to a Reuters–Ipsos poll released Friday. ...from a post posted in May, and that's what's wrong with this picture. Why didn't it fall by October 2016? Working guys wanted him, now working guys have him, so they should just suck it up and live with the consequences of their own bad choices because the rest of us have to. _________________I shall continue to be an impossible person so long as those who are now possible remain possible. President Donald Trump was in Granite City, Illinois Thursday afternoon to speak before the men and women who are going back to work at the USS Steel plant in this blue collar town. He touted his policies that he says helped deliver those jobs at the steel mill. The president visited Granite City in the aftermath of U.S. Steel Granite City Works restarting one of its idle furnaces after two years of idle operations. President Trump is expected to tour the steel mill during his visit............... .........It’s a weird tic of Trump’s that he keeps highlighting economic numbers that don’t really show the strength he insists is happening. Americans agree that the economy is doing well, as polling repeatedly shows. But Trump instead embraces numbers that either sound big or that he harped on during the campaign, or both. They don’t always hold up......... WASHINGTON — Hundreds of federal employees, including some workers from the Department of Veterans Affairs, rallied Wednesday at about the same time a court case began to fight anti-union executive orders signed by President Donald Trump in May. The executive orders, which went into effect this month, limit union employees’ ability to use official time, shorten collective bargaining negotiations and encourage agencies to fire employees, instead of merely disciplining them. The American Federation of Government Employees and other federal unions argue the orders are unconstitutional. “What they’re trying to do is just going to devastate us,” said Don Hale, a Marine Corps veteran, Defense Department employee and chairman of AFGE’s Defense Conference. “We won’t stop fighting until these executive orders are gone.” A case challenging Trump’s authority to restrict union representation started Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. [snip] Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., as well as Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and other lawmakers took the stage at the park to condemn the executive orders. AFGE President J. David Cox called Trump’s administration a group of “union-busting thugs” who were “trying to destroy veterans’ health care and the Department of Veterans Affairs.” Trump used changes at the VA last June as a blueprint for two of the executive orders that he signed in May. The VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 created more repercussions and a quicker firing process for poor-performing VA employees. Advocates saw the new law as a way to root out a perceived culture of corruption at the VA, though some lawmakers are now concerned it’s being used to target low-level employees and retaliate against whistleblowers. The VA announced Friday that it had started implementing one of Trump’s executive orders that goes further than the new law. It cuts down on official time — time used by union leaders to file grievances and talk about the work place. The order affects about 1,700 VA employees, the agency said. [snip][end] _________________-- Tis an ill wind that blows no minds.Malaclypse the Younger Federal employees are at war with a presidential administration that’s bent on busting their unions. They rallied around the country July 25, their day in court as federal unions sue to halt three anti-union executive orders. President Donald Trump’s push is the most antagonistic he’s ever seen under any president, said David Cann, director of bargaining for the Government Employees (AFGE). With 700,000 members scattered across 70 federal agencies, AFGE is the largest union of federal workers. “It’s aimed at choking the union out of existence,” Cann said. “The overarching desire is to kill the union.” AFGE, the Treasury Employees (NTEU), and other federal unions have filed suit in federal district court against the three executive orders that Trump signed on May 25, a Friday afternoon that will live in infamy. THREE BLOWS One order would severely reduce due process requirements when the government wants to discipline or fire a federal worker. When employees are accused of performance problems, Trump would like to let them go after 30 days, rather than giving them the 150 days for improvement provided in some federal contracts. The president is also trying to eliminate employees’ ability to file grievances over terminations, performance appraisals, or awards. A second executive order would drastically cut the amount of paid time that union reps are allowed to represent federal employees and to deal with federal agencies on matters that are often of mutual interest. The order would even prevent union reps from filing grievances or representing employees in grievance hearings on official time. Unions would also be prevented from using agency space and facilities. In effect it would evict union reps from offices they’ve negotiated for, and used, for decades—and from equipment such as file cabinets, phones, and computers. The third executive order would reduce collective bargaining to a shadow of what it is under current law and practice, and would set extreme limits on timeframes and bargaining practices, placing government agencies in the driver’s seat. The Department of Education already took this kind of unilateral approach in February—when management there did not like the pace at which bargaining was progressing, it simply implemented a contract of its own construction, shredding agreements from previous contracts on raises, overtime, scheduling, child care, and performance evaluations. On July 24, a federal labor mediator told the DOE this amounted to "bad-faith bargaining," providing a ray of hope for the union. [snip][end] Two-faced Don the Con says he loves the working stiff, but if you're a federal worker represented by a union, he's got the shiv. BTW, have I pointed out that high numbers of African-Americans often work in these kinds of positions? Well, anyway, he's been union busting his whole life ... this is nothing new. _________________-- Tis an ill wind that blows no minds.Malaclypse the Younger The head of the country’s largest federation of labor unions offered qualified praise Wednesday for President Donald Trump’s trade policies but questioned the administration’s approach to levying tariffs. “I think he’s going in the right direction on trade,” said Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO. International trade is a vital part of the U.S. economy, but powerful corporate interests and secret negotiations have led to trade rules that “stacked the deck” for large corporations at the expense of working people, Trumka told reporters at a breakfast roundtable sponsored by The Christian Science Monitor. “It’s time to rewrite those laws,” Trumka said, adding that Trump “understands that’s what needs to be done.” Tariffs are a legitimate tool against enforcing trade agreements, but should be used selectively “like rifles” against countries that are breaking the rules, not against Canada, Trumka said. “I don't think that Canada has violated the rules,” he said............... But the economy has changed so much since the heyday of US “smokestack” industries that raising tariff barriers today won’t bring back most of the manufacturing jobs that disappeared in recent decades. To start with, trade agreements are only one of the factors driving globalization; sharp reductions in the cost of transport (containerized cargo) and communications (information technology), as well as other nations’ economic development (China, etc.) are also important causes, and are unlikely to be rolled back. Besides, manufacturing operations like steel production simply don’t need as much labor as they did in the past. Thirty years ago, the US had about 200,000 steel workers who produced approximately 80 million metric tons of steel per year. In the last few years, roughly the same annual volume of steel has been produced by about 85,000 US workers, meaning productivity is more than twice what it was then. Most of the long-run job losses in steel have been caused, not by imports, but by the improved technology (automation) and industry restructuring (mini-mills that rely on recycled scrap instead of iron ore) that led to this doubling of productivity. As a result, restricting imports can bring back only a small fraction of the jobs lost in earlier eras. If the US were to banish all steel imports tomorrow, domestic production would have to rise by about one-third to meet current demand. Even if steel employment increased proportionately (which is far from certain), the result would be only about 28,000 new jobs created. That would be a drop in the bucket compared to past job losses in the industry — more than 100,000 since the late 1980s, and about 500,000 since the mid-1960s. Quite simply, raising tariffs for steel will not turn back the clock to a time when steel mills generated far more employment. [snip] Trump offers the false hope that trade barriers for particular industries, combined with tax cuts, deregulation, and increased fossil-fuel production, will rejuvenate US industry and recreate the kind of abundant, high-paying manufacturing jobs that existed in the past. This is simply a trap and an illusion, not to mention destructive for the planet. We do need to rewrite trade agreements so they don’t favor corporate rights over labor rights and so they don’t hand more monopoly power to companies that own patents and copyrights. We do need to adopt monetary policies that would keep the dollar from being so overvalued that it exacerbates the trade deficit. Progressives don’t have to love “free trade” or abandon their criticism of neoliberal globalization. But they shouldn’t think Trump’s tariffs are the right response. [snip][end] This is why I love Jacobin - unabashedly progressive, but not afraid to take on sacred cows (also love their piece on Tulsi Gabbard). _________________-- Tis an ill wind that blows no minds.Malaclypse the Younger Don't look now, but you could soon owe money to the U.S. Department of Treasury in April because you're taking too much cash home now. Seriously. We've been warned before and we're being warned once again. So if you've been dragging your feet about maybe having more money withheld from your paycheck, now is the time to do something. The Internal Revenue Service has a withholding calculator at http://www.irs.gov to do a quick "paycheck check up." It's August. Any move you make now to have more taxes withheld from your paycheck can still help you pull fewer dollars out of your savings or checking account for an unexpected tax bill due in April. The Government Accountability Office outlined some of the challenges in a July report involving the new payroll withholding tables. The tax rules changed dramatically after the tax reform package that rolled out of Washington last December. Now, there's some question on how well revised withholding tables for 2018 being used by employers now reflect what you're going to owe in taxes in 2019. The GAO report noted that the IRS has warned taxpayers earlier this year to take a look at the ......... 'Corporate greed at its worst': Ohio officials slam GM's move out of an area Trump pledged to reviveGeneral Motors' move to slash production at five facilities could have political implications in swing state Ohio.President Donald Trump pledged to revive manufacturing in Lordstown, Ohio, one of the areas where GM plans to lay off workers.Democratic and Republican officials in Ohio, including Gov. John Kasich and Sens. Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman, are criticizing GM's decision.https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/26/sherrod ... uring.html One of the plants where General Motors plans to slash production and lay off workers next year sits in an area that President Donald Trump promised to revive, within a swing state that will help to decide his bid for a second term in the White House. The Detroit-based automaker announced restructuring plans Monday that could result in the closure of five North American plants in Michigan, Ohio, Maryland and Canada. GM plans to lay off about 14,000 factory and white-collar workers. The company said it will cut about 15 percent of its salaried staff. [snip] Still, the move is a gut punch to one area in Ohio that Trump pledged to boost last year. GM plans to cut as many as 1,600 factory jobs at a Lordstown, Ohio, plant when it winds down production there in March. Last year, Trump — speaking about 20 miles away in Youngstown — said he saw too many empty factories in the area and promised to revive manufacturing there. [snip] Democratic officials in the state saw a betrayal Monday from both GM and the president, who won Ohio in part on his pledges to renegotiate trade deals and push American companies to make products domestically. The president's opponents will likely seize on the job losses ahead of a pivotal 2020 election, when Trump may need Ohio's 18 electoral votes to win re-election. [snip] "I think you're going to see something else happen there. ... They better put something else in," Trump said, contending that the layoffs have nothing to do with the tariffs he imposed on steel and aluminum imports. [snip] U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, an Ohio Democrat whose district includes Lordstown, excoriated GM and Trump on Monday. In a statement, he called the move a "bad combination of greedy corporations and policy makers with no understanding of economic development." He asked Trump to "keep his word" from when he came to Ohio's Mahoning Valley last year promising jobs would return. "He promised us that his massive corporate tax cut would lead to dramatic reinvestments in our communities. That clearly is not happening," Ryan added. "The Valley has been yearning for the Trump Administration to come here, roll up their sleeves and help us fight for this recovery. What we've gotten instead are broken promises and petty tweets." [snip] Lordstown sits in Trumbull County, which Trump carried by about 6,000 votes as he won Ohio in 2016. Ohio has supported the presidential election winner in every contest since 1964. [snip] Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said she was "deeply disappointed" by the move, adding that it would have a "devastating impact" on workers and their families. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., said he was "extremely disappointed" and urged Congress and the Trump administration to "focus on policies that encourage automakers to invest" in the United States. [snip][end] Yeah. Sen. Peters, I would love to see those policies from this administration, too. Except, really, all I've seen is a lot of jaw-jaw, and bullshit-bullshit. _________________-- Tis an ill wind that blows no minds.Malaclypse the Younger Who is online Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot post attachments in this forum | Mid | [
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High expression of CDK1 and BUB1 predicts poor prognosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most common causes of cancer-related death. Increasing evidence suggests that cell cycle dysregulation is one of the hallmarks of cancer. In this study, by using the GEO database, we predicted the cell cycle-related protein CDK1 and BUB1 to be significantly overexpressed in PDAC tissues. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the clinical pathological significance of CDK1 and BUB1 in PDAC. To explore the role of CDK1 and BUB1 in PDAC progression and evaluate their prognostic value, we investigated the expression patterns of CDK1 and BUB1 by using immunohistochemical staining in 99 PDAC and 71 normal pancreatic tissues with complete pathological parameters and survival data. CDK1 and BUB1 were significantly overexpressed in PDAC tissues. The expression of CDK1 was correlated with tumor size and histological grade, and the expression of BUB1 was correlated with the tumor size of PDAC. With regard to survival, a high expression of either CDK1 or BUB1 was correlated with a short survival of PDAC patients. Additionally, PDAC patients with a concurrent high expression of CDK1 and BUB1 showed the shortest survival. Our study demonstrated that CDK1 and BUB1 may play a role in PDAC progression and could be prognostic biomarkers for PDAC patients. | High | [
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Q: Why is code inside of classes executed automatically when I run a ruby script? When I write the following program, class Classname puts "hi" end save it as a .rb file, and execute the file in terminal, the output "hi" is returned. I don't understand why. Don't I have to assign that puts statement to a method, create an object of the Classname class, and then call the method on said object to get that output? Or at least put the puts statement in the initialize method of the class, and then create an object? Why does this work the way it is? A: Ruby is a scripting language, which means that you can just write puts 'hi' in a file without defining any class or methods. Similarly, when you are defining a class, you are actually executing code to define that class. As a result, code that you execute inside of it may have side effects, like puts 'hi'. This is useful because metaprogramming is often used in Ruby to help define classes. | High | [
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• Minute track on the the tapered edge between the two tiers of the dial. • Metallic black dagger-shaped hands with luminescent fill. • Date Window located at the 3 o'clock position. Prestige Time 2 Year Warranty | Low | [
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Search form Best-Kept Happy Hour Secret in Dallas One of the city's busiest restaurants also features a third-floor lounge many locals don't even know about. Warner McGowin Here's a hint for your next visit to Dallas: The always-bustling Mi Cocina restaurant in Highland Park Village is also home to one of the city's great hidden spots. High above the main dining room, where dozens of diners wait for tables (and some of the city's best Tex-Mex), sits a small bar that feels like a haven. Go up to the restaurant's second floor and through the doorway leading to another flight of stairs, and you'll find yourself in a comfortable room up among the live oak branches. With the windows open on a cool fall evening, it's one of the best spots in town to relax. Above the Crowd The restaurant exudes high energy with loud Latin rhythms piping in from the speakers and a diverse mix of diners. But at the Third Floor Bar, all that fades away. Here, you can sip a frozen margarita or a Mambo Taxi, the restaurant's signature drink made of frozen margarita and fresh sangría ($8). You can lounge by one of the windows, and munch on tasty appetizers of nachos, flautitas, or quesadillas ($11.95) while watching the shoppers buzzing through Highland Park Village. Owner Mico Rodriguez never advertised the bar's presence, and to this day it remains a surprise to many of the restaurant's regulars. "It's the best tree house in Dallas," says local resident Molly Sealy. She's right. And come autumn in the city, there's no better place to be. Mi Cocina:77 Highland Park Village, Dallas, TX 75205; (214) 521-6426. Stroll Through the Village Highland Park Village is one of the country's oldest outdoor shopping centers and a great place to stroll. With stores such as Hermès, Jimmy Choo, and ESCADA, you might need a second mortgage to shop here. The St. Michael's Woman's Exchange features more affordable gifts, from porcelain to soaps and accessories, and all profits support missions and outreach programs. You'll get the good feeling of knowing your money goes to a good cause. 5 Highland Park Village; (214) 521-3862. "Best-Kept Secret in Dallas" is from the October 2006 issue of Southern Living. Because prices, dates, and other specifics are subject to change, please check all information to make sure it's still current before making your travel plans. | Mid | [
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Q: Why doesn't my iOS app disable dark mode? So ... I've tried to set my app to disable iOS 13 dark mode by forcing light mode according apple documentation, in the emulator all attempts work fine, but when I try on the real device, nothing happens, it's like I've never changed my code First Attempt Override the Interface Style for a Window, View, or View Controller I tried to put this code sample in my viewDidLoad() Nothing Changed if #available(iOS 13.0, *) { overrideUserInterfaceStyle = .light } else { // Fallback on earlier versions } Second Attempt Opt Out of Dark Mode Entirely The system automatically opts in any app linked against the iOS 13.0 or later SDK to both light and dark appearances. If you need extra time to work on your app's Dark Mode support, you can temporarily opt out by including the UIUserInterfaceStyle key (with a value of Light) in your app’s Info.plist file. Setting this key to Light causes the system to ignore the user's preference and always apply a light appearance to your app. Nothing changed Apple Documentation: Choosing a Specific Interface Style for Your iOS App If anyone knows how I set my app only in light mode... I'll be very grateful :D A: Simply you can add a new key UIUserInterfaceStyle in your app info.plist and set its value to Light or Dark. this will override the app default style to the value you provide. so you don't need to bother about having it anywhere else A: if #available(iOS 13, *) { window.overrideUserInterfaceStyle = .light } Should work. Call it in your AppDelegate's didFinishLaunchingWithOptions. | Mid | [
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Steinhäger Steinhäger is a type of German gin, a spirit flavoured with juniper berries. The name is derived from the Westphalian municipality of Steinhagen, the only place where it is permitted to be produced. For centuries, local distilleries sold schnaps made up of grain and fermented must of the numerous juniper shrubs growing on the slopes of the Teutoburg Forest. By edict of 1688, the "Great Elector" Frederick William of Brandenburg, in his capacity as Count of Ravensberg, granted the inhabitants of Steinhagen the exclusive privilege to distil liquor. During the 19th century, about 20 companies were founded in the village, today only two manufacturers (H. W. Schlichte established in 1766 and Zum Fürstenhof, a subsidiary of Kisker Distilleries in Halle since 1955) still produce gin. Steinhäger is typically sold in long brown earthenware (Steingut) bottles and in glass bottles made to look like earthenware. Since 1989, the Steinhäger geographical indication is protected by a European Economic Community directive. The alcohol content is usually 38% ABV but sometimes higher. The European Union has set a minimum of 37.5% ABV for it. See also Jenever Konig's Westphalian Gin Krambambula (drink) References External links Schwarze-Schlichte Steinhäger Fürstenhofer Steinhäger Category:German distilled drinks Category:Gins | Mid | [
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India has made significant strides in healthcare over the last decade, with key indicators of health outcomes showing marked improvement. Life expectancy has increased by almost four years during this period, from 64.4 years in 2005 to 68.3 years in 2015 . The rate of infant mortality has declined from 57 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2005 to 37 fatalities per 1,000 live births currently. Utilization of health infrastructure has accelerated—the number of institutional births rose to 79% in 2015, from 41% in 2005. Notably, India was declared polio-free in 2014, and tetanus-free in 2015. Both the public and private sectors have contributed to improved health outcomes. Various government initiatives have mobilized communities on health, and enabled increased access to public health services while ensuring higher utilization of available infrastructure. For example, nearly 900,000 female community health volunteers (ASHAs, or accredited social health activists) have been deployed in rural areas to support mothers over the last decade. The coverage of state-sponsored insurance schemes expanded sixfold from 2005 to 2010. The government’s flagship “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan" programme aims to provide every household with access to sanitation by 2019. Private-sector innovation, meanwhile, has fostered the emergence of pockets of efficiency—low-cost services at international standards of quality. For example, HealthCare Global Enterprises Ltd, a chain of cancer speciality hospitals, optimizes operations through a hub-and-spoke configuration, housing expensive equipment in its hubs. Similarly, adoption of well-defined protocols for even relatively complex procedures has contributed to a reduced risk of errors. Pioneering surgical procedures such as beating-heart surgery and affordable medical devices have addressed local challenges, and helped increase access to healthcare. Yet, there is significant ground to cover Despite making substantial progress over the last decade, India has missed its Millennium Development Goals for healthcare, in particular for maternal and child mortality rates. Like other developing countries, India faces the dual burden of communicable diseases and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Among communicable diseases, respiratory infections, tuberculosis and diarrhoeal diseases remain leading causes of death. NCDs account for about 52% of total burden and 60% of deaths in the country. Government expenditure on healthcare—at around 1.3% of gross domestic product (GDP) currently—significantly lags equivalent budgetary allocations being made by peer countries, estimated to be between 3% and 4% of GDP. Public health infrastructure and staff availability in India are woefully short of meeting actual demand. For instance, the country faces a nearly 50% shortfall in the supply of doctors, with the doctor-to-patient ratio of 0.57 per 1,000 being, almost 53% lower than the equivalent ratio of 1.2 per 1,000 in the average Asian developing economy. Additionally, there is significant regional variation and inequity, with shortages being most acute in the northern and eastern states. Suboptimal utilization and negligence in the maintenance of scarce public healthcare facilities result in the population relying on expensive private healthcare—an issue exacerbated by abysmal levels of insurance coverage. While both the public and private sectors have undertaken many pilot initiatives using new technologies and operating models, none of these ventures has been designed for scale. Governance of large public health programmes remains weak, leading to less-than-optimal impact. Achieving the desired health outcomes, thus, remains a challenging goal. Creating leapfrogs for sustainable health systems For health systems development in India, policymakers must choose one of two paths: the familiar, but lengthy, expensive and unsustainable path chosen by developed economies, or an accelerated pathway that leads to a sustainable future. Following the well-worn path of advanced countries can lead to spending as high as 17% of GDP, as is the case in the US, with only marginal improvements in outcomes. Emerging economies, including India, would be well placed to follow the second path. These countries have fewer impediments to overcome than developed economies, including fewer sunk costs related to existing infrastructure and equipment, lower fixed costs from not building overcapacity, and a less divided public opinion. They also have at their disposal technological innovations, alternative operating and financing models, and legal frameworks that were not previously available to developed countries. ALSO READ | Reforming healthcare in India It is with this idea in mind that BCG collaborated with the World Economic Forum over a three-year time frame (the Leapfrogging in Emerging Economies initiative) to develop a holistic understanding of challenges in emerging economies and create strategies to ensure systems are financially sustainable, while delivering high-quality, cost-effective care. For the Indian context, we would recommend scaling up healthcare innovations or leapfrogs as a complementary approach to the ongoing initiatives, which are necessary but not sufficient. Leapfrogging means using a new technology, operating model, or pattern of behaviour to help a system skip development stages that had previously been considered unavoidable. “Technology" encompasses new health-related activities and products. “Operating model" refers to any modification either in the organizational setup, or in the delivery of health-related activities. “Behavioural change" pertains to the evolving preferences and conduct of various individual and institutional stakeholders within the ecosystem, such as patients, health workers and payers. Innovation around these three dimensions can enable leapfrogging across the seven different dimensions of health systems specified by the World Health Organization. A classic example is the introduction of mobile phones across remote areas of India that allowed people living there to reap the social and economic benefits of the connectivity revolution, while avoiding the massive outlays involved in fixed-line infrastructure. Many such innovations in healthcare already exist in India— some at scale, as well (refer Exhibit 1). Overcoming scalability challenges As described above, many seeds of experimentation and innovation are being planted in the Indian healthcare landscape, and there is potential to scale up these initiatives for creating outsize impact. However, in our experience, leapfrogs typically progress rapidly through early development stages to proof of concept, only to fail while attempting to scale up. Scale-up is the most challenging stage because it can involve governmental, financial and market roadblocks, more so in healthcare, since the sector is complex, context-specific, and conservative. So, what does it take to succeed? We studied the evolution pathways of multiple leapfrogs across emerging markets, and identified six key lessons: Anchor innovation in fundamental human behaviour: A leapfrog’s defining characteristic should appeal to a universal human trait. This makes any required behavioural change, and the leapfrog adoption, easier. For example, social experiments by the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab aim to change behaviours related to immunization in Haryana considering a fundamental human trait—a mother’s desire to act in favour of her child. A bouquet of initiatives is facilitating change, including non-financial incentives for completing immunizations, tailored reminders on immunization schedules and getting village networks to spread the word. Adapt to survive, diversify to thrive: Tailor operating models to local communities. Customize products and services as needed to increase adoption. Arvind Eye Care diversified into manufacturing intraocular lenses with a view to supplying global markets through its Aurolabs subsidiary, capturing 8% of the global market share of intraocular lenses. Empower communities to shape and own the model: Encourage community ownership of the model, instead of adopting a “top-down" approach. This will result in a much higher impact, due to greater involvement of emotionally connected community participants. VisionSpring trains “Vision Entrepreneurs" from the communities that it serves to operate a micro franchise, travelling from village to village and conducting vision camps, checking eyesight and selling glasses. ALSO READ | Tackling hurdles to healthcare for all Build partnerships: Actively seek partnerships, even outside the healthcare industry and leverage relevant innovations. For example, MicroEnsure (a micro insurance provider) and Bharti Airtel Ltd have partnered in nearly eight African countries to launch a health incentive plan. Airtel subscribers are entitled to health insurance coverage, provided they spend a minimum amount of airtime. Insurance coverage is directly correlated to the amount a consumer spends on airtime. Airtel pays for insurance premiums offset by the increased utilization of its services. For around 86% of Airtel/MicroEnsure consumers, this scheme was the first time they had insurance of any kind. Ensure “design-to-scale": Actively engage with the government to design solutions that target the gap in public healthcare and can scale up effectively within the constraints of the public healthcare system. Operation ASHA utilizes the community to bridge the gap between the disadvantaged and government infrastructure in six Indian states and Cambodia. The organization partners with India’s government-run National Tuberculosis Control Programme that provides free treatment and diagnostics, and leverages technology and community health workers to ensure compliance with the TB treatment regimen. Objectively evaluate progress, and course-correct: Set the foundation for rigorous data collection and evaluation during the development stage itself. Robust tracking of key metrics will help engage the concerned stakeholders, and influence changes to care delivery. From leapfrogging to health system transformation Successful leapfrogs can provide tremendous benefit to their communities. A well-chosen combination of leapfrogs could also pave the way for an eventual transformation of the healthcare system. However, sporadically investing in micro-level innovations, and expecting them to independently grow into transformative and inclusive health solutions, is ambitious. The private sector in India remains fragmented. The public sector still controls the lion’s share of resources. Yet, budgetary and political constraints limit the state’s capacity to be the driver of innovation. Both sides need to work together to overcome their limitations. Public-private cooperation in healthcare has traditionally been task focused—either to supply subsidized products and services or to build health infrastructure. Traditional modes of public-private partnership (PPPs) suffer from many pitfalls, including mistrust, push of commercial solutions, short-term financing, “white elephant" assets, and unclear outcomes with lower efficiency. We propose a new approach, an “ecosystem model", that mobilizes multiple stakeholders around a common, measurable outcome or goal—for example, reduction in maternal mortality rates by a defined percentage within a fixed time period. An approach focused on outcomes would incentivize the concerned stakeholders to collectively brainstorm for solutions, and leverage innovative business models to finance and deliver sustainable results (refer Exhibit 2). This model is superior to traditional PPPs in three significant ways—it harnesses elements of collective design, financial sustainability and data-based decision-making. Collective design of “smart" and holistic solutions by providing a forum for stakeholders to work together. GAVI, the global vaccine alliance, is leveraging new technologies and partnering with the private sector to integrate aspects of supply chain, data management, workforce training, and other assets into an overall immunization strategy. Financial sustainability achieved through new business models and innovative structures for financing or investing. “Social impact" bonds have gained traction in multiple capital markets as an instrument to funnel corporate social responsibility funding. Data-based decision-making using mutually agreed metrics, tracked throughout project life cycles, helps prove on-ground results, and identify course corrections. A project management office needs to be established to monitor progress, and measure outcomes. Call to action India is at the cusp of a triple opportunity to chart its own path to establishing a sustainable healthcare system. It has access to a wide range of technological, process and operating model innovations. In absolute terms, the government of India and state governments today manage a large healthcare budget. Finally, there is significant potential to invest in new solutions, given the limited fixed costs incurred on existing health infrastructure and entrenched techniques. The “ecosystem model" is definitely not a “silver bullet" for curing all the ills of Indian healthcare. It needs to be supplemented by appropriate reforms, robust governance and a genuine will for change. Nevertheless, the “ecosystem model" can help mobilize and coordinate a large and diverse community of stakeholders around a shared goal. The government will continue to be the single most critical stakeholder in provisioning universal healthcare services, but other actors can play an effective supporting role on this front. Under the healthcare system of the future, the government will need to provide the requisite platform for engaging various stakeholders, and support the scaling-up of promising leapfrogs. Meanwhile, the private sector, including hospitals, pharmaceutical and medical technology companies, and non-governmental organizations, will need to focus on developing tailored, low-cost products and process innovations that can help change the way healthcare services are delivered. Global agencies, on their part, will have to provide financing, expertise and access to their networks, to promote the growth of a sustainable Indian healthcare ecosystem. A tailored approach is needed to transform India’s healthcare system, and key stakeholders must work in tandem towards realizing a common goal. This will ensure the most effective use of India’s scarce resources to the benefit of its people. The time to act is now. Priyanka Aggarwal is partner and director, and Bart Janssens is partner and leads the healthcare practice for BCG India. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Share Via | Mid | [
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New Swayze biography details battle with cancer Christine Kearney 3 Min Read NEW YORK (Reuters) - A new biography of Patrick Swayze released on Tuesday describes how the actor worked 12 hour days without pain killers to shoot a TV series after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The biography, called “Patrick Swayze: One Last Dance,” says Swayze was determined to work as hard as ever on the U.S. TV crime drama “The Beast,” despite being diagnosed in early 2008 with pancreatic cancer, which has a less than five per cent chance of survival. “His work ethic was such that even though he was in terrible pain during the shooting of ‘The Beast,’ he took only one day off and refused to take pain killers,” said the biography’s author Wendy Leigh. “He didn’t want anything at all to befuddle his acting performance or his mind.” In the book one of the show’s producer recalls how Swayze, who rose to fame showing off his brawny physique playing a dance instructor in the hit 1987 movie “Dirty Dancing,” told producers he had some “horrible news” but would go on with the show. “He said: I‘m in great condition. I‘m a cowboy. I‘m a dancer. I’ll beat this,” producer Jamie Erlicht is quoted as saying in the book. Since then, Swayze, 56, told Barbara Walters in an interview that aired in January he was “going through hell” and fans were shocked when Walters asked how long he had to live. “He actually asked Barbara Walters to ask him that heartbreaking question,” Leigh said. “Because Patrick wants it all out there, he has always been open-hearted.” The book also covers Swayze’s upbringing in Texas and former ambitions as a professional dancer and football player. It points to his other pivotal role in the 1990 movie “Ghost,” and says on the set of “Dirty Dancing” he was disgruntled that he had to tone down his dancing and that co-star Jennifer Grey was not as accomplished a dancer. The book, which is unauthorized and does not include interviews with Swayze, affirms his dislike of a line from that film, “Nobody puts Baby in the corner,” which has been voted in various polls as one of the worst lines in film history. Swayze and his wife Lisa Niemi are currently working on their own memoir. | Mid | [
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The spending plan, which goes into effect Oct. 1, is about 1 percent bigger than the current year. Snyder exercised few line-item vetoes, though one deals with a high-speed rail project in southwestern Michigan. Overall spending for public K-12 schools will increase about 3 percent, and public universities cannot raise tuition more than 3.75 percent without losing some funding available to them. The budget plan blocks Snyder’s administration from paying to implement a set of more rigorous national standards in reading, writing and math — standards he supports — until the GOP-led Legislature says it is OK. But about 16,000 more disadvantaged 4-year-olds will be eligible for preschool, part of Snyder’s plan to double the Great Start Readiness program over two years. The budget includes an additional $350 million to fix deteriorating roads and bridges — a significant one-time expenditure due to higher-than-expected income tax collections but far short of the $1.2 billion a year that would be raised under Snyder’s stalled increase in gasoline taxes and vehicle registration fees. Snyder’s request to expand Medicaid eligibility to more poor adults is not included in the budget, though lawmakers are working to approve Medicaid expansion before they break next week. Another $75 million is put into savings, bringing the rainy day fund to nearly $600 million. It was nearly empty when Snyder took office. Democrats, outnumbered in the Legislature, have said the budget does not include enough money for education after cuts were made by Snyder and Republicans in 2011. ——— House Bill 422 8: http://1.usa.gov/13HWqKR HB 4328: http://1.usa.gov/141eY9w ——— Email David Eggert at deggert(at)ap.org and follow him at http://twitter.com/DavidEggert00 | Mid | [
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This invention relates to liquid ring pumps for pumping gases or vapors (hereinafter generically "gas") to compress the gas or to produce a reduced gas pressure region ("vacuum"). More particularly, the invention relates to liquid ring pumps having rotating canisters that are supported by fluid bearing pads. Liquid ring pumps are well known as shown, for example, by Bissell et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,844. In most such pumps a rotor is rotatably mounted in a stationary annular housing so that the rotor axis is eccentric to the central axis of the housing. The rotor has blades which extend parallel to the rotor axis and which project radially out from that axis so that the blades are equally spaced in the circumferential direction around the rotor. A quantity of a pumping liquid such as water is maintained in the housing. As the rotor rotates, the rotor blades engage the liquid and form it into an annular ring inside the housing. Because the housing is eccentric to the rotor, the liquid ring is also eccentric to the rotor. This means that on one side of the pump--the intake zone--the liquid between adjacent rotor blades is moving radially outward, away from the rotor hub, while on the other side of the pump--the compression zone--the liquid between adjacent rotor blades is moving radially inward toward the rotor hub. A gas intake is connected to the intake zone so that gas to be pumped is pulled into the spaces between adjacent rotor blades where the liquid is moving radially outward. A gas discharge is connected to the compression zone so that gas compressed by the liquid moving radially inward can be discharged from the pump. A major cause of energy loss in liquid ring pumps is fluid friction between the liquid ring and the stationary housing. Energy loss due to such fluid friction is proportional to the square or an even higher power of the velocity difference between the liquid ring and the housing. To reduce such losses, a substantially cylindrical hollow canister can be provided inside the outer periphery of the pump housing. The housing is stationary, but the canister is free to rotate with the liquid ring. The canister, which is propelled by the fluid drag on its inner surface, tends to rotate at a velocity less than the liquid ring velocity. For example, if the canister velocity is half the liquid ring velocity the fluid friction energy loss between the liquid ring and the canister is one quarter (or less) of the energy loss with no rotating canister. In order to allow the canister to rotate freely, it must be supported within the housing, for example, by mechanical bearings. As described in Haavik U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,300, the canister can also be supported for rotation by an annular fluid bearing formed by placing a pressurized bearing liquid in the annular clearance between the canister and the stationary housing. In Russian patent 939,826, gas is mixed with the bearing liquid to reduce frictional resistance to rotation of the canister. The frictional drag on the rotating canister can be reduced even more by completely or substantially completely substituting compressed gas for liquid as the rotating canister bearing fluid, as shown in Haavik et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,502. However, there are several concerns with pumps that use annular fluid bearings to support the rotating canister. One concern is that the thickness of the clearance between the rotating canister and the housing must be fairly small. When compressed gas is used as the bearing fluid, the thickness of the clearance in the radial direction is typically about 0.001 inch. When water is used as the bearing fluid, a typical clearance thickness may be in the range from about 0.002 inch to 0.005 inch. Fairly precise manufacturing techniques must be used to construct pumps with such small clearance thicknesses. Another concern, especially when liquids are used for the bearing fluid, is that the friction between an annular fluid bearing and the canister may not be as low as it could be. Although this is not as great a concern for rotating canister pumps that use gas for the bearing fluid, any reduction in bearing friction would help to reduce energy loss in the pump. Further, it would be desirable to be able to provide easily adjustable axial fluid bearings, so that the rotating canister can be confined to a desired axial location. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved radial fluid bearing for a rotating canister liquid ring pump. It is another object of the invention to provide an adjustable axial fluid bearing for a rotating canister liquid ring pump. | Low | [
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Q: Как преобразовать картинку в blob? Я пытаюсь скачать изображение из интернета и записать его в файл: #!/usr/bin/env python3 import urllib.request from PIL import Image class WebConn: def __init__(self, url): self.url = url def __enter__(self): self.logo = urllib.request.urlopen(url) return self.logo def __exit__(self, exc_type, exc_val, exc_tb): print('exit') if __name__ == '__main__': url = 'http://www.google.com/images/srpr/logo3w.png' file_name = 'image.jpg' with WebConn(url) as im: f = open(file_name, "wb") f.write(im) f.close() img = Image.open('./' + file_name) img.show() Однако получаю следующее сообщение об ошибке: Traceback (most recent call last): File "./hello.py", line 24, in <module> f.write(im) TypeError: a bytes-like object is required, not 'HTTPResponse' Помогите пожалуйста исправить скрипт. LIVE DEMO здесь A: Попробуйте так: import requests from PIL import Image def download_pic(url, filename, chunk_size=1024): r = requests.get(url, stream=True) if r.ok: with open(filename, 'wb') as f: for chunk in r.iter_content(chunk_size): f.write(chunk) Проверка: In [34]: filename = r'c:/temp/logo.png' In [35]: download_pic(url, filename) In [36]: img = Image.open(filename) | High | [
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#!/bin/sh # # filter.sh # # Simple filter to plug Anomy Sanitizer and SpamAssassin # into the Postfix MTA # # From http://advosys.ca/papers/postfix-filtering.html # Advosys Consulting Inc., Ottawa # Modified by Jesus Climent # # For use with: # Postfix 20010228 or later # SpamAssassin 2.42 or later # # Note: Modify the file locations to match your particular # server and installation of SpamAssassin. # File locations: # (CHANGE AS REQUIRED TO MATCH YOUR SERVER) SENDMAIL=/usr/sbin/sendmail SPAMASSASSIN=/usr/bin/spamc /bin/cat | ${SPAMASSASSIN} -f | ${SENDMAIL} -i "$@" exit $? | Low | [
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Bell/Whittington Public Library Portland, TX Library details: Bell/Whittington Public Library is a Public library. This library is affiliated with Bell/Whittington Public Library (view map) . The collection of the library contains 43,140 volumes. The library circulates 208,694 items per year. The library serves a population of 15,080 residents . Record History: This listing was created on Oct 6, 2005 and was last modified on Jan 2, 2018. Updates: Corrections or Updates? Registered members of Library Technology Guides can submit updates to library listings in libraries.org. Registration is free and easy. Already registered? login. Or, you can report corrections just by sending a message to Marshall Breeding. | Mid | [
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Magnesium infusion for vasospasm prophylaxis after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Despite the application of current standard therapies, vasospasm continues to result in death or major disability in patients treated for ruptured aneurysms. The authors investigated the effectiveness of continous MgSO4 infusion for vasospasm prophylaxis. Seventy-six adults (mean age 54.6 years; 71% women; 92% Caucasian) were included in this comparative matched-cohort study of patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage on the basis of computed tomography (CT) findings. Thirty-eight patients who received continuous MgSO4 infusion were matched for age, race, sex, treatment option, Fisher grade, and Hunt and Hess grade to 38 historical control individuals who did not receive MgSO4infusion. Twelve grams of MgSO4 in 500 ml normal saline was given intravenously daily for 12 days if the patient presented within 48 hours of aneurysm rupture. Vasospasm was diagnosed on the basis of digital substraction angiography, CT angiography, and transcranial Doppler ultrasonography, and evidence of neurological deterioration. Symptomatic vasospasm was present at a significantly lower frequency in patients who received MgSO4 infusion (18%) compared with patients who did not receive MgSO4 (42%) (p = 0.025). There was no significant difference in mortality rate at discharge (p = 0.328). A trend toward improved outcome as measured by the modifed Rankin Scale (p = 0.084), but not the Glasgow Outcome Scale (p = 1.0), was seen in the MgSO4 treated group. Analysis of the results suggests that MgSO4 infusion may have a role in cerebral vasospasm prophylaxis if therapy is initiated within 48 hours of aneurysm rupture. | High | [
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Evaluation of two ELISA's for detecting Chlamydia trachomatis from endocervical swabs. Two enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) detecting Chlamydia trachomatis from endocervical swabs, Syva MicroTrak (MT) and Abbott Chlamydiazyme (CZ), were compared with a tissue culture (TC) standard. Initially, 8% (100 of 1250) of specimens were TC positive, yielding sensitivities of 94% (94 of 100) for MT and 79% (79 of 100) for CZ with identical 98% specificities (1129 of 1150 for MT and 1130 of 1150 for CZ). Discrepant specimens were retested by both EIAs and assayed for elementary bodies (EBs) by a fluorescent antibody test. After discrepancy analysis, 9.5% (118) of 1240 patients were either TC or EB positive, yielding sensitivities of 94.1% for MT (111 of 118) and 79.7% for CZ (94 of 118) with identical specificities of 100% (1122 of 1122). These results indicate that the MT is significantly more sensitive (p less than 0.05, McNemar test) than CZ in detecting C. trachomatis from endocervical swabs. | High | [
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If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. I was at a Tack shop buying fly off for our dogs and I happened to notice an item there that reminded me of the Black and White ROTJ Wookie Braid. This one was not black and white, it was sorrel and white. It looked just like it though. It is called Stampede Strings, used to hold your cowbot hat on. So since the girth belt was also a horse or tack item, you think that the notorious Black and White braid may be just this? I found one on Ebay here: http://cgi.ebay.com/HORSEHAIR-AUTHEN...QQcmdZViewItem Then I googled up these:http://www.horsehairart.com/art_work...de_strings.htm I don't know but I think this may be a nail on the head, correct me if I'm wrong. But for $17 and its long too! Just maybe..... | Low | [
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Reaction between alkyl isocyanides and isopropylidene Meldrum's acid in the presence of bidentate nucleophiles. The reaction between alkyl isocyanides and isopropylidene Meldrum's acid in the presence of 1,2-ethanediol leads to N (1)-(alkyl)-2-(5,7-dioxo-1,4-dioxepane-6-yl)-2-methylpropanamides. 1,3-Propanediol or 1,4-butanediol produce hydroxyalkyl 1-(tert-butyl)-4,4-dimethyl-2,5-dioxo-3-pyrrolidinecarboxylates. When the reaction was performed in the presence of catechol, bis(2-hydroxyphenyl) 2-[2-(tert-butylamino)-1,1-dimethyl-2-oxoethyl]malonate was obtained. 2-Aminophenols react with alkyl isocyanides in the presence of isopropylidene Meldrum's acid to produce 1-alkyl-N (3)-(2-hydroxyaryl)-4,4-dimethyl-2,5-dioxo-3-pyrrolidinecarboxamides in good yields. | High | [
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One of the great challenges of bringing a new electronic product to market is validating the design against the requirements of the printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing process. The challenge is acute for OEMs that use boards built by different contract manufacturers using different processes, because each may have their own particular design rules. Each of the contract manufacturers typically changes the design to make it work for their process, and sends these changes back in the manufacturing format to the OEM. The OEM is then typically responsible for reconciling and validating changes from multiple manufacturers. This process often occupies considerable time in the late stages of the product development cycle, when changes are most expensive and a mistake can cause the product to miss the market window. A new generation of design for manufacturing tools makes it possible to validate the design against design rules of all technologies and manufacturers that will be involved with the product in the early stages of the product development process. These design rules can easily be modified to accommodate additional processes or manufacturers or to address special conditions. Validating the design early substantially reduces and, in some cases, eliminates the need for late-stage design for manufacturing (DfM) changes, reducing engineering costs and making it possible to bring product to market earlier. The DfM validation challenge has increased over the past decade, thanks to the proliferation of new and more popular manufacturing technologies, such as flex boards, rigid-flex hybrids, chip-on-board, embedded components, low-temperature co-fired ceramics, etc., each of which has its unique requirements. Each contract manufacturer generally has its own specifications for each of these technologies, creating a potentially large number of different design rule sets against which the design might have to be checked, depending on the technologies and manufacturers used. The nature of the PCB manufacturing process creates the potential for confusion and mistakes that are expensive and time-consuming to resolve late in the design process. For example, a leading cellphone OEM might use seven different flex board manufacturers, each of which uses different design rules and specs for different products and different lots of the same product. The design for a particular product either needs to be compatible with all the manufacturers involved in building the product. or different versions of the design must be used for different manufacturers. Obtaining all the different design rule sets needed to perform DfM checks in and of itself can be a time-consuming process. Also, most PCB design software is not intended for the task of performing DfM checks. In such cases checks must be performed manually, which takes a considerable amount of time and is prone to errors. For instance, a flex circuit coverlay, sometimes called coverfilm, is sometimes used to encapsulate and protect the external circuitry of a flex board. Most PCB design tools consider coverlay and anything else outside the rigid board as dumb layers that are not included in design rule checks. However, coverlay layers can be important from a DfM standpoint in the common situation where holes are punched in the board. In a typical case, 5 mils clearance from each hole must be provided in the coverlay layer to avoid shorting with the mounting screw. Confronted with these difficulties, the majority of OEMs rely on the manufacturer to check the design after it has been completed. One problem with this approach is the product developer is faced with the difficulty of validating the changes made by the PCB manufacturer or manufacturers to ensure they do not affect product functionality. In a typical example, different conductive materials require different line widths and spacing. If the PCB designer is not sure of the manufacturer, they may have a tendency to push out the spacing to avoid problems late in the design process. But increasing spacing from eight to 10 mils raises manufacturing cost. Automating the process. Next-generation DfM software addresses these challenges by providing a platform for storing design rules from a wide range of contract PCB manufacturers and processes, while interfacing with the PCB design software to automate the process of applying these rules to specific designs at any stage of development. A key aspect of these tools is the cooperation provided by PCB manufacturers in providing design rules for many of their processes and production equipment. This means product developers can simply select the manufacturer and process used for a particular board to perform a DfM rule check (FIGURE 1). Figure 1.Web-based wizard to ease DfM rule creation. Of course, rules can also be entered manually when needed for manufacturers or processes that are not included in the database. The design rules are held in the cloud and updated in real time, so the information included is usually the latest that is available. The rule manager can handle more than 900 individual design checks that cover both bare board manufacturability and component mount checks (FIGURE 2). Web application. A web application running in a standard industry browser enables users to pick the rule decks to check the design against, modify rules on the fly as needed, browse violations, build a spreadsheet with a list of violations and sign off on the design. Unlimited combinations of design specifications, including place of production and production methods and materials, can be effectively managed. Rules are presented in an easy-to-understand format that does not demand computer-aided design (CAD) experience to interpret. Specifications, including manufacturing requirements, are shared in real time across design teams, locations and companies. Because data are held in a common, central database, updatable in real time, constraints are always based on the latest available information for the production machines in use. Rules are comprehensive and customizable, and the knowledge gained with each design is accumulated into a knowledge database to benefit future designs. The system facilitates accurate, efficient communications between PCB manufacturer and assembly plant, between OEMs and design bureaus, and between the OEM's headquarters and subsidiaries. Changes made to the design by the manufacturer are identified, and the manufacturer has the opportunity to enter reasons for these changes. Typical DfM rule checks. For example, the area around a board clipping part is placed under considerable load when the board is divided. So it is important to consider interference and clearance of components from the board clipping part. This rule is often different from the typical component to board edge rule, so most PCB tools cannot differentiate and end up designing to the worst case, thus wasting real estate or making it necessary to manually resolve these issues late in the design process at a considerable cost. The DfM system will report errors if a part is placed closer than the ruled distance from a V-cut, router part, perforation or stressed part (FIGURE 3). It’s also important to look at pins that are spaced closely together to maintain a specified clearance between adjacent pins in order to avoid the formation of a solder bridge. The pin on the corner undergoes additional stress, so its exposed copper area must be smaller to ensure connectivity is maintained. FIGURE 3. Checking component clearance from board clipping part. Another typical DfM check arises from the fact that if the wiring angle of a trace is too small, over-etching could cause an open circuit. This problem can be avoided by checking to be sure wiring angles are at or above a specified value (FIGURE 4). Finally, if the copper foil ratio differs by an excessive amount between two adjacent pins, the solder coagulation time of the pins will differ and may cause tombstoning, where one end of the chip component is detached from the copper pad of the PCB and stands on the other end of the chip component. The rule check measures the maximum copper foil ratio difference between the pins and issues a violation if it is greater than the specified value. FIGURE 4.Wiring angle rule check. In the design and production of electronic products, manufacturability checks are difficult to perform manually and are often made after the design process is complete. However, this approach is rapidly becoming untenable due to increasing design complexity, greater global design collaboration and tighter product delivery schedules. The new automated approach to DfM efficiently manages the growing number of design rule checks needed to ensure manufacturability early in the design process and concurrently as the work progresses, ensuring designs have been produced in accordance with component mounting and manufacturing specifications. The entire process is front-end driven, sharing data in real-time across all departments, divisions, and companies involved in the design and development of an electronic product. This approach reduces design iterations because rule checks are run as design work progresses, and problems are identified early in the design cycle. Design time and costs are reduced through faster design reviews, fully documented checks and the ability to set up checks and rules specific to the manufacturing processes and equipment used. Products are manufactured right the first time, reducing time-to-market and time-to-volume. Humair Mandavia is the Chief Strategy Officer at Zuken (zuken.com); This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. | Mid | [
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15 Replies Hi Are you asking about the seal where axle enters transaxle? Let me know Thanks for donate SPONSORED LINKS Was this answer helpful? Yes No +1 Sunday, October 24th, 2010 AT 2:44 PM ROBERTS13 MEMBER No the one on the motor the seal kit has two different seals Was this answer helpful? Yes No Sunday, October 24th, 2010 AT 2:55 PM ROBERTS13 MEMBER When I removed frist part of seal transmisson fluid ran out Was this answer helpful? Yes No Sunday, October 24th, 2010 AT 3:06 PM DOCFIXIT EXPERT See diagram shows both axles and seals is this what your doing Was this answer helpful? Yes No +4 Monday, October 25th, 2010 AT 3:03 PM ROBERTS13 MEMBER Im doing the seal that where the left drive shaft connects to the motor or transmission SPONSORED LINKS Was this answer helpful? Yes No Tuesday, October 26th, 2010 AT 7:34 AM DOCFIXIT EXPERT Seal is driven into trans. Has metal case and lip seal with garter spring to hold tight to axle. Seal can be removed with a seal puller and sometimes a screwdriver. Some fluid will come out. The two seals maybe for left and right sides they are different. Not sure what you mean by first part of seal? Can you post a PIC? Was this answer helpful? Yes No Tuesday, October 26th, 2010 AT 11:29 AM ROBERTS13 MEMBER Its all the one seal but two different peices is there two clips keeping the part that is driven into the transmission Was this answer helpful? Yes No Tuesday, October 26th, 2010 AT 5:19 PM ROBERTS13 MEMBER This part around the shaft is what i am trying to remove Was this answer helpful? Yes No Wednesday, October 27th, 2010 AT 2:59 PM ROBERTS13 MEMBER This is the new one from new seal kit but this is what i am trying to remove Was this answer helpful? Yes No Wednesday, October 27th, 2010 AT 3:14 PM DOCFIXIT EXPERT That is the output shaft the clip is what holds axle on. The oil seal goes around and seals on axle trace there is no need to replace clip when replacing seal. What is on table don't know. Was problem oil leak or CV joint problem? Was this answer helpful? Yes No Wednesday, October 27th, 2010 AT 5:19 PM ROBERTS13 MEMBER This is what i need to replace if you know what this is can you please tell me Was this answer helpful? Yes No Wednesday, October 27th, 2010 AT 7:55 PM DOCFIXIT EXPERT Oil seal is item top left other stuff has nothing to do with axle oil seal. Where did you get? Part number? Name of kit? SPONSORED LINKS Was this answer helpful? Yes No -1 Sunday, October 31st, 2010 AT 1:54 PM ROBERTS13 MEMBER Got parts from gm dealership part number 24203910 name seal kit Was this answer helpful? Yes No Monday, November 1st, 2010 AT 2:24 PM DOCFIXIT EXPERT GM part number for axle seal 24233355. Again what was problem oil leak? CV failure? What? Was this answer helpful? Yes No -1 Monday, November 1st, 2010 AT 3:29 PM M3RT3N MEMBER That cupped seal is pressed on just ran into that problem taking it to mechanic | Mid | [
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Diffuse increase in renal uptake of technetium 99m methylene diphosphonate in association with disseminated cholangiocarcinoma. A 48-year-old woman presented with disseminated cholangiocarcinoma and diffuse joint pain. A technetium 99m methylene diphosphonate bone scan revealed no bony abnormality, but intense bilateral renal uptake was seen. There was temporary renal impairment following imaging, but the cause of this is uncertain. An association between cholangiocarcinoma and 'hot kidneys' on bone imaging scanning has not been previously reported. | Mid | [
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Find the best Dania MCAT home tutoring providers with great ratings, reviews and qualifications! Recent college graduate and medical school applicant Throughout my undergraduate years I've occasionally organized group tutoring sessions for fellow classmates in classes ranging from biology, biochemistry, and parasitology. I am currently applying to medical school and figured in the meanwhile I could do what I like most, and that's helping others excel. Within the past month or so I have taken my MCAT exam and I hope to apply the knowledge I acquired from assorted prep materials and exam formatting. I have taken and/or read MCAT prep cours... Read more Teaches 1 subject Math & Science Teacher GREETINGS! Thank you for taking the time to look at my profile. My Name is Alessandro. I first started teaching back in 1990 at MDCC Medical Campus (Miami, Fl.) as a teacher assistant. My college background is PRE-MED. Suffice to say that I went all the way in school, as far as taking all my courses and took the MCAT, which I scored high. However, I decided to pursue an educational career and help others. I now specialize in teaching math & science. I consider myself an expert and an autho... Read more Having graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from Rutgers University, I am now pursuing my Master's Degree in Sport Management at Barry University. I have tutored biology, microbiology, chemistry, anthropology, and various topics in Nutrition at Rutgers for over two years. I am very experienced in teaching math, in particular Calculus, Algebra I & II, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Statistics. Students that I've tutored have never been hesitant or shy about asking me questions. Ther... Read more Certified Science/Math Tutor Hey, my name is Kevin and I attended Nova Southeastern University (NSU) for my undergraduate degree. I graduated from NSU in May of 2017. In the past, I worked at NSU's Tutoring and Testing Center as a Science/Math tutor and I am a certified College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) level 2 tutor. I currently attend Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine (Medical School) and I am working towards my Medical degree. I have 4 years of tutoring experience and have wor... Read more Ivy League Test Prep: SAT/ ACT/ MCAT I graduated from Brown University with a degree in French Literature. I have lived throughout the US and Western Europe and speak five languages. After studying at Harvard, USF COM, and receiving my Master's degree in Medical Science-- I worked in multiple hospitals researching memory (focus on dementia and head trauma). Currently, I am a medical student looking to apply the unique skills and techniques I have used myself (and tested in the clinic) to improving the grades and test scores of t... Read more Teaches 1 subject SAT, ACT, Subject Tests, MCAT and General Tutoring by Ivy League Grad My name is Jorge, and I am a recent graduate of Columbia University with a degree in chemical physics and a premedical concentration. Though my background is primarily in science and mathematics, I am also proficient in the areas of English, particularly grammar and reading/writing skills, and history. I am available to tutor all levels of math from elementary level to differential equations and linear algebra, as well as most fields of science, including elementary to advanced physics, chemi... Read more All Math, Physical, Computer Sciences and Test Prep. I possess very high qualifications for teaching math and have taught math to a large number of students up to and including undergraduate level. Math offers a unique challenge, and it has been very satisfying to see a great number of students pass through me with flying colors. I have flexible tutoring methods and techniques and have good experience with students with disabilities such as autism and ADHD. Read more | High | [
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Ishari Amarasinghe from Interactive and Distributed Technologies for Education (TIDE) Group participated in ACM Europe Celebration of Women in Computing, womENcourage 2017held in Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain from September 06-08, 2017. womENcourage 2017 is a scientific event, as well as an event aimed at networking and exploring career opportunities for women in computer science and related disciplines. Ishari Amarasinghe presented her poster titled, “Learner Group Formation Using Constraint Optimisation“. She has also received a participation scholarship to participate and present her poster at womENcourage 2017. | High | [
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Dark clouds of foreboding begin to gather in the Goan imagination precisely when India’s smallest state emerges from its overcast monsoon blanket. For a few precious weeks, everyone has enjoyed near-total respite from the pounding basslines and neon-lit throngs of the tourist season. That is when locals get to savour some of the original virtues of this famously beautiful and relaxed sliver of the Konkan coastline. It is a season of languid drives on rain-slicked roads winding postcard perfect to the liquid horizon, of rivers glistening silver and drenched paddy fields, and extended family get-togethers replete with laughter and song. But then the fun comes to an end. Unshakeable dread furrows collective brows at the thought that roads and beaches will soon become jammed with countless hordes. Judging by the mayhem that ensues each year, it is clear the heartburn is justified. Each successive tourist season, it becomes more painfully obvious that the hospitality sector of this once-optimally blessed “sunshine state"—which consistently ranked amongst India’s most successful global brands—has lost much of its shine. Until recently, Goa held considerable allure for a marvellously mixed clientele from around India and the world. But that is no longer the case. According to the latest study conducted by the market research division of the Union ministry of tourism, this formerly fabled destination ranks a lowly ninth in the country in terms of popularity with foreigners visiting India. More ominously, it failed to register in the top 10 favourites amongst domestic travellers as well. But this drop in rankings has not reflected in a corresponding drop in the number of visitors. In fact, that number has only continued to explode. According to state authorities, there was 30% growth, from roughly three million tourists to four million, from 2013 to 2014. In 2015, the total ticked to five million, and last year it surged well past six. These are massively impactful “footfalls" for a state with less than two million in permanent population, especially because the increase comes exclusively from bargain-seeking budget travellers. Much of this number comprises domestic tourists who spend considerably less than foreign visitors. According to the state’s own statistics, the average visitor from abroad spends four times as much as the average Indian, despite the fact that some foreign visitors travel on shoestring budgets. But those figures do not include huge numbers of tour-bus passengers who cook on the roadside, use the fields as toilets, and often sleep in their vehicles. Industry stakeholders say the realistic proportion of foreigner expenditure compared to domestic travellers is closer to 10 to one. Since no attempt is made to sensitize the growing number of visitors to the state, Goa’s environment reels from a wholly unsustainable onslaught. All this is brought home to me like a daily punch in the gut, on the broad sands of Miramar beach, right outside my family’s apartment in Panaji, the pocket-sized state capital. Hit this urban beach right after dawn, and you can be fooled into believing all is well in paradise. A remarkable natural bonanza is largely intact: There are kilometres of living dunes backed by healthy stands of casuarina trees. The early morning scene can be utterly charming, with older couples walking courteously together and eager footballers running through their paces, while flocks of migratory waterbirds wheel above the waves. All this is admittedly idyllic, and powerful affirmation of my family’s decision to live at this spot. But Miramar dreams quickly turn sour if you retrace the same steps in the evening hours. Then every available space is packed with large crowds. A few scattered families are in a distinct minority; mostly, there are clumps of men, often passing around bottles of alcohol. Much of this contingent proceeds to strip to Y-fronts, then wallows dangerously in the surf. Everywhere, garbage is strewn and piled up, attracting stray dogs and lots of cattle. Cow dung splashes on the dunes. Not to be outdone, the boozing men urinate in the open. A chaotic shambolic atmosphere reigns. View Full Image Miramar beach. In 2017, very little that is genuinely Goan remains in the Tourism Goa experience. That abysmal situation is reinforced by short-sighted state policy. Most locals I know are outraged that instead of recognizing the rot at the heart of this vital sector of the economy, the current administration has busied itself forcing through the billion-dollar folly of a second airport on the pristine north Goa plateau of Mopa, which a vast majority of the native population recognizes as a potential death blow to everything they treasure about their homeland. Chief minister Manohar Parrikar recently set warning bells ringing when he declared, “Goa can accommodate anywhere up to 15 million tourists if we spread them across the villages." A broad consensus holds that Parrikar bears ultimate responsibility for much of what has gone wrong with Goa’s tourism in the new millennium, perhaps most notably by supporting the casino industry. Also, rather typically, instead of worrying about what has happened to overburden the fragile state environment, he said last year: “Today almost six million tourists come to Goa. When I took over as chief minister in 2000, total 12 lakh (1.2 million) tourists were arriving in the state." He has consistently resisted civil society initiatives to defend some pockets of biodiversity, most recently with a cynical attempt to shift purview of Goa from the Pune bench of the National Green Tribunal to New Delhi, which will make it much harder for petitioners to reach court. In his landmark decision rebuffing Parrikar (who has promised to appeal), Justice Gautam Patel of the Bombay high court deftly encapsulated Goa’s troubled scenario. “This is an extraordinary state.... It is a land of confluences, where diverse strands meet and co-exist; and, in a time of apparently incessant strife and discord, it is still a mostly liberal land. It is a kind and gentle land, of a kind and gentle people. And it is also a land that, given its small size and small population, has had a wholly disproportionate influence on our art, culture, language, music, literature, architecture, history, design and more (even food, for many of what we consider our staples first came from here). Its greatest asset is one: its environment and its ecology—its rivers and riverbanks, its beaches, its lakes and clear streams, its dense forests, its low hills and fertile fields, its boulders and even trees shrouded with moss and vines and lichen in the rains, its ridiculously brilliant sunsets.... If the NGT in Pune has so very many cases from Goa, it is not because—or not just because—the people of Goa are litigious.... It is because they perceive that there is something of value here to protect.... For this is something none can deny: this is a land truly worth fighting for." Patel’s perceptive and poetic words gave an immediate fillip to the considerable section of Goa’s population that battles mightily to keep its ancestral legacy alive. As he noted, “One needs only to turn off an arterial road to either east or west to see all this (assets of Goa) first-hand, and all of it within but a few minutes." So, there is considerable irony that millions of tourists are herded by the nose through a pale approximation of what the state offers in profuse abundance just a few steps away from the beaten path. It takes only a tiny bit of initiative to leave the crassly commercialist zones of assault, and venture right into serene and timeless Goa, which abounds in reminders of why everyone fell in love with this riparian jewel in the first place. Make the responsible and ethical choices, and you will have a vastly superior experience, and help to save Goa at the same time. Fodder for the thinker A performance at the Serendipity Arts Festival, 2016. Courtesy: Serendipity Arts Trust The first impression of Goa as a sleepy-backwater is extremely deceptive. It is a culturally dynamic state, with its own impressive traditions and contemporary arts, which also hosts some of the most ambitious literary and artistic endeavours in the country. From November through February each year, Panaji and its vicinity function very much like an alternate national cultural capital, with back-to-back blockbuster events. In many ways, it was the International Film Festival of India, that started it off. When Goa became the permanent venue in 2004, the state government restored the heritage precinct that used to house the first medical college in Asia to be the festival home. That triggered similar renovations throughout the city, which now boasts of spectacular arts infrastructure that rivals the best in the country. The Serendipity Arts Festival, now in its second year) uses all of it on a grand scale, packing in a biennale-scaled schedule in just a week in December. Another landmark event is the eight-year-old Goa Arts and Literature Festival, which I co-founded and curate alongside the eminent Konkani writer Damodar Mauzo. There are many other highlights on the cultural calendar, but the most exquisite is the Monte Music Festival, held on the first weekend of February, which combines sensitively selected Western and Indian classical music and dance performances with the most breathtaking venue imaginable. This is a 16th century church, and its laterite stone outdoor courtyard, set high on an Old Goa hillside, offers magnificent, eye-popping views of the Mandovi river valley, its island landscape fading into the distance. The sunset performances are beyond sublime as the dying light bathes the vista in an amber glow. View Full Image An educational briefing precedes Terra Conscious’ ethical dolphin-watching tours. Courtesy: Terra Conscious Of birds and dolphins Just upriver from Panaji, and easily accessible by ferryboat (free for pedestrians), is a wonderful glimpse into Goa’s environmental riches, which almost no tourist ever gets to see. This is the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, just under 200 hectares of wildly overgrown mangrove forest that is home to over 100 species of birds, as well as a small number of crocodiles. Visitors can walk on a well-appointed path through a section of the sanctuary, or delve further into its biodiversity on a boat trip that can be arranged from the small forest department outpost at the entrance.Nearby is the headquarters of Wild Otters, one of the many hard-working environmental advocates who continue to fight to maintain the sanctity of Goa’s oceans, forests, and nearly 20% of the land mass that is protected (at least on paper) from commercial development. Other activists include the Goa Foundation (which managed to confront and defeat illegal mining) as well as vibrant informal networks such as the Goa Bird Conservation Network (GBCN), with its teeming collective of bird nerds relentlessly collecting data, photographs and sound files for its archive at Birdsofgoa.org. The earth-friendly ethic extends to tour operators, notably the outstanding Terra Conscious, whose founder, Puja Mitra, used to be the state representative of World Wide Fund for Nature. Its nature encounters are conducted with strict adherence to state-of-the-art best practices and global guidelines for sustainability. There is no other responsible way to see dolphins up close in the wild in India than via their boat excursions, which include healthy doses of educational context and the most animal-friendly viewing techniques .That kind of highly responsible attitude of custodianship embedded in tourism options isn’t hard to find in Goa, if you care to look. The GBCN’s founding president, Parag Rangnekar, runs Mrugaya Xpeditions , which offers expert-led birding tours to a range of locations across the state, which is home to nearly 500 species of birds in a bewildering variety of habitats. His organization also offers magical home-stays with the tribal Velip community that still resides in the evergreen forests of Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary, an essential jungle corridor that leads to Karnataka. Netravali is just an hour’s drive from the popular beaches of the south. But when you choose Aangan Goa in the hamlet of Verlem, right inside the jungle sanctuary, the chaos of the coastline fades away in a place that has remained largely undisturbed for generations. This is a project established by the Verlem Ecotourism Co-operative Society, the first of its type in the state. As dusk falls, the birds and monkeys begin to fall silent, and fireflies filter through the gloom. Here is an abiding, deep country peace, which makes it possible to forget the egregious mess that clogs so much of the rest of what lies outside the sanctuary. But this too is Goa, at least for the time being. View Full Image Pedro Figueiredo, grandson of Dona Maria de Lourdes Figueiredo de Albuquerque. Photographs by Aniruddha Chowdhury/Mint An affair with the past Goa’s appeal is grounded in its singular history, which has consistently set the tiny state on a different trajectory from the rest of the subcontinent. As critic and curator Ranjit Hoskote noted some years ago, “Geographical contiguity does not mean that Goa and mainland India share the same universe of meaning: Goa’s special historic evolution, with its Lusitanian route to the Enlightenment and print modernity, its Iberian emphasis on a vibrant public sphere, its pride in its ancient internationalism avant la lettre, sets it at a tangent to the self-image of an India that has been formed with the experience of British colonialism as its basis. The relationship... (with) mainland India has, not surprisingly, been ambiguous and erratic, even unstable." There are numerous angles of entry to experience Goa’s many-layered cultural history, but the best quick immersion remains a traditional meal in an old house. Here, two options stand out above all others. The Palácio do Deão, in the agricultural heartland of Quepem is reached by a lovely drive through verdant paddy fields. This tastefully restored bishop’s private palace is situated in gardens that spill down to the Kushavati river, all carefully tended by Ruben and Celia da Gama, who have compiled exhibits that tell the story of Goa’s colonial period. But the highlight of any visit is the brilliant prix fixe lunch (must be reserved a day in advance) where hyper-local produce and traditional techniques are given an irresistible modern spin. Even rarer, and much more spectacular, is the one-of-a-kind opportunity to dine at the Figueiredo Museum in Loutolim. This is the sole intact standout of the Goan aristocratic lifestyle from its heyday in the 19th century, with magnificent displays of porcelain and carved furniture. Best of all is the palazzo’s reigning grande dame, Dona Maria de Lourdes Figueiredo de Albuquerque, the former representative of Goa in the captive Portuguese parliament of the Salazar dictatorship, whose tumultuous personal history seems to include every important facet of the global diaspora experience across Africa, Europe and India. Her conversational parleys are delicious enough, but it’s her Luso-Indian culinary skills that are simply unbeatable. Ruben and Celia da Gama restored Palácio do Deão in Quepem. The Figueiredo de Albuquerque family also hosts a home-stay called The Figueiredo Heritage Inn in another part of the museum building. This is part of a growing trend amongst the newest generation that occupies ancestral homes across the state: Visitors are invited to experience the Goan lifestyle immersed in village societies far removed from beach resorts and nightlife. Another excellent option is the award-winning Arco Irisin the hinterland village of Curtorim, where you can spend days wandering by-lanes and ancient monuments while feeling like you are the only visitor to the state . View Full Image The 500-year-old Adil Shah Palace in Panaji. Lanes full of wonders In the vein of adaptive reuse, the Latinate neighbourhoods of Old Panaji are unaccountably overlooked gems. These extraordinarily picturesque narrow streets, lined with gorgeous little houses with hidden courtyards and overhanging balconies, are a national treasure house of unique architectural expression. According to the late historian Paulo Varela Gomes, they “constitute an extraordinarily coherent and distinct current in the panorama of housing around the world. These houses are now being named ‘Portuguese Houses’ ... (but) houses such as those in Goa exist nowhere in any town or village in Portugal, Brazil, or Portuguese-influenced Africa. They are solely Goan." In recent years, this treasure trove of built heritage in the contiguous localities of São Tomé, Cortim, Fontainhas, Mala and Portais has spruced up notably as young Goans have begun to convert their inheritance into inns, cafés and restaurants that come together to form a beguiling, flâneur-friendly tourism infrastructure that is quite unlike anything else in the country. Here you can wander like a troubadour from tavern to Instagram-friendly boîte, embedded in the convivial company of both locals and visitors, and adjust yourself to the rhythms of a still-ticking tableau vivant of a proud, centuries-old community. There’s a range of quirky, distinctive places to stay, from the pioneering Panjim Inn complex (spread over three old buildings) to the stand-alone Hospedaria Abrigo do Botelho, La Maison, Mateus Boutique Hotel, and the budget options offered by the Afonso Guest House and The Hostel Crowd. A signboard in Fontainhas. Just a few minutes walk from each other, in this Latin quarter, are two other cultural highlights. At the beautiful premises of Lisbon-based non-governmental organization Fundação Oriente, the Antônio Trindade archive of early 20th century paintings is a superb example of Goa’s spectacular contributions to the trajectory of modern and contemporary art in India, which later developed to include Vasudeo Gaitonde and Francis Newton Souza (tel. 08322230728). Just a little down the road, in a lovely old house, is the exclusive Horse Shoe Bar and Restaurant. Here, genius chef Vasco Silveira serves the best Indo-Portuguese cuisine you can possibly eat anywhere, unless you have a particularly gifted Goan grandmother (tel. 08322431788). Quite close by is the atmospheric Hospedaria Venite, one of the best places to while away an evening with some feni while you people-watch from a tiny balcony seat overlooking the road (tel. 09183224255). The hole-in-the-wall Joseph Bar has been revamped into millennial-magnet just a few months ago, but has quickly become a classic neighbourhood hangout, as has the outstanding Café Morango just next door. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Share Via | Mid | [
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GOLF IN COSTA NAVARINO A GOLFING EXPERIENCE IN MESSINIA A GOLFING EXPERIENCE IN MESSINIA A GOLFING EXPERIENCE IN MESSINIA Golfing strokes by the sea, among ancient olive trees In the seaside region of Messinia, surrounded by luxurious resorts and in a landscape of unique beauty, golf-lovers of all levels can test their skills on the first two signature golf courses in Greece: The Dunes Course and The Bay Course. The creation of two courses in Costa Navarino has boosted Messinia’s long held vision of establishing itself as a universally renowned, high quality tourist destination as well as THE place to be for golfers in the Mediterranean. The 18-hole, 71 par Dunes Course was designed by Bernhard Langer, a former US Masters champion and Ryder Cup captain, in partnership with European Golf Design. There, the players enjoy wonderfully varied scenery, with a spectacular view of the river Sellas, surrounded by olive trees which are hundreds of years old. The golf course boasts a fully-equipped, 3,500 square metre Club House as well as the Academy, where professional coaches give lessons to children and teenagers between 7 and 15 years of age. Within a short distance lies the coastal 18-hole, 71 par Bay Course, designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr with fairways among the hills and olive groves overlooking the sea and the historic Navarino Gulf. Both courses have implemented strict rules of environmental management through a series of practices friendly to the rich natural surroundings. Troon Golf manages both award-winning courses. At the same time, Navarino Golf Academy, where professional coaches give lessons to young and old alike, continues for the fifth year its efforts to promote, through top class coaching and scholarships, a new generation of golfing champions from Messinia. | High | [
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San José (AFP) - Almost all of Costa Rica's electricity came from renewable sources this year, making it one of a few countries in the world to eschew fossil fuels in energy generation, the state electricity agency said Friday. The Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) said in a statement it achieved "99 percent renewable electricity generation" this year. It also said for 285 days this year the country managed to power its grid on 100 percent renewable sources. The path away from fossil fuels and towards clean energy in the small Central American nation is seen as aspirational for other countries wanting to cut fossil-fuel pollution blamed on global warming. This month, a UN conference held in Paris struck a landmark deal committing countries to cutting their carbon emissions. Three-quarters of Costa Rica's electricity is generated by hydroelectric plants, taking advantage of the country's abundant river system and heavy tropical rainfalls. The rest comes from geothermal, wind, biomass and solar sources. ICE said it was ahead of renewable-energy targets it had set despite a year "that had been extremely dry." Its electricity division chief, Luis Pacheco, boasted that "we are closing 2015 with renewable electricity milestones that have put us in the global spotlight." He predicted an even better result in 2016 when a new $2.3-billion hydroelectric plant comes on line. | Mid | [
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The central nervous system (CNS) is the most critical of all normal tissues for maintaining coordinated normal function. Following radiation exposure, the response of the CNS has been attributable to parenchymal and vascular damages including oligodendrocytes, neural progenitors, and endothelial cells. A dynamic process of radiation-induced death of target cells and subsequent secondary reactive inflammatory process is believed to lead to cell loss, tissue damage and functional deficits. Arguably of greater consequence than the physical[unreadable] damage is the psychological impact of CNS injury which could result in the loss of sight, paralysis or reduced cognitive function. The only investigational demonstration of pharmacological mitigation of CNS radiation damage was recently made by our group using the Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, ramipril (an FDA-approved drug). Of note, a reduction of injury assessed functionally and histopathologically was observed even when ramipril was administered weeks after the radiation exposure. This project is based on the hypothesis that the suppression of oxidative stress resulting from multi-cellular interactions through a network of pro-inflammatory mediators would mitigate radiation-induced brain injury by[unreadable] specific pharmacological treatment. Three classes of drugs are well known to suppress oxidative stress and two of them, ACE inhibitors and their receptor blockers and statins are widely used in various cardiovascular disorders in humans. The project aims to address specific therapeutic roles of three classes of drugs, ACE inhibitors and receptor blockers, statins, and SOD mimetics, in all phases of the brain injury, i.e., acute, early delayed, and late delayed reactions. The primary goal is to demonstrate their efficacy and to optimize the use of drug dosage and timing of the administration to mitigate and treat the radiation brain injury. End points for evaluation are cognitive functions, visual function, MRI for permeability of the blood brain barrier, and histopathological and proliferative changes for neurogenesis, vascular and glial cells, using single doses of whole brain radiation of the adult rats. The positive findings from the proposed study will be readily translatable in humans, since both ACE inhibitors and statins are widely used in a variety of cardiovascular disorders in the clinics. In summary, experimental studies suggest radiation-induced CNS injury can be treated. The goal of this project is to bring one or more of these experimental approaches into clinical practice.[unreadable] | High | [
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Related literature {#sec1} ================== For background to the synthesis, see: Gille & Hiersemann (2010[@bb4]); Jang *et al.* (2011[@bb5]); Řezanka *et al.* (2004[@bb7]). For Evans alkylation, see: Evans *et al.* (1981[@bb1], 1982[@bb2]). Experimental {#sec2} ============ {#sec2.1} ### Crystal data {#sec2.1.1} C~19~H~24~ClNO~5~*M* *~r~* = 381.84Monoclinic,*a* = 11.7552 (9) Å*b* = 5.9139 (4) Å*c* = 13.8789 (11) Åβ = 109.023 (9)°*V* = 912.16 (12) Å^3^*Z* = 2Mo *K*α radiationμ = 0.24 mm^−1^*T* = 173 K0.40 × 0.20 × 0.20 mm ### Data collection {#sec2.1.2} Oxford Diffraction Xcalibur Sapphire3 diffractometerAbsorption correction: multi-scan (*CrysAlis RED*; Oxford Diffraction, 2008[@bb6]) *T* ~min~ = 0.910, *T* ~max~ = 0.9546562 measured reflections3594 independent reflections2515 reflections with *I* \> 2s(*I*)*R* ~int~ = 0.033 ### Refinement {#sec2.1.3} *R*\[*F* ^2^ \> 2σ(*F* ^2^)\] = 0.039*wR*(*F* ^2^) = 0.047*S* = 0.983594 reflections237 parameters1 restraintH-atom parameters constrainedΔρ~max~ = 0.22 e Å^−3^Δρ~min~ = −0.21 e Å^−3^Absolute structure: Flack (1983[@bb3]), 1198 Friedel pairsFlack parameter: 0.11 (5) {#d5e358} Data collection: *CrysAlis CCD* (Oxford Diffraction, 2008[@bb6]); cell refinement: *CrysAlis CCD*; data reduction: *CrysAlis RED* (Oxford Diffraction, 2008[@bb6]); program(s) used to solve structure: *SHELXS97* (Sheldrick, 2008[@bb8]); program(s) used to refine structure: *SHELXL97* (Sheldrick, 2008[@bb8]); molecular graphics: *SHELXTL-Plus* (Sheldrick, 2008[@bb8]) and *PLATON* (Spek, 2009[@bb9]); software used to prepare material for publication: *SHELXTL-Plus*. Supplementary Material ====================== Crystal structure: contains datablock(s) I, global. DOI: [10.1107/S1600536811053840/ff2045sup1.cif](http://dx.doi.org/10.1107/S1600536811053840/ff2045sup1.cif) Structure factors: contains datablock(s) I. DOI: [10.1107/S1600536811053840/ff2045Isup2.hkl](http://dx.doi.org/10.1107/S1600536811053840/ff2045Isup2.hkl) Supplementary material file. DOI: [10.1107/S1600536811053840/ff2045Isup3.cml](http://dx.doi.org/10.1107/S1600536811053840/ff2045Isup3.cml) Additional supplementary materials: [crystallographic information](http://scripts.iucr.org/cgi-bin/sendsupfiles?ff2045&file=ff2045sup0.html&mime=text/html); [3D view](http://scripts.iucr.org/cgi-bin/sendcif?ff2045sup1&Qmime=cif); [checkCIF report](http://scripts.iucr.org/cgi-bin/paper?ff2045&checkcif=yes) Supplementary data and figures for this paper are available from the IUCr electronic archives (Reference: [FF2045](http://scripts.iucr.org/cgi-bin/sendsup?ff2045)). Comment ======= The title compound I was obtained during the synthesis of the side chain of (--)-Lytophilippine A (Řezanka *et al.*, 2004). Recently our research group published the synthesis of the core fragment of (--)-Lytophilippine A (Gille & Hiersemann, 2010). Shortly after, the first total synthesis of the postulated structure was published (Jang *et al.*, 2011). Compound I was synthesized and subsequently applied in an Evans alkylation (Evans *et al.*, 1981; Evans *et al.*, 1982) to install the stereogenic center at C23. The synthesis of I was carried out from carboxylic acid and (*R*)-4-benzyloxazolidin-2-one. The oxazolidinone ring adopts a nearly coplanar conformation and the isopropylidene acetal is an open envelope-like structure. The oxazolidinone- and side-chain carbonyl groups are orientated in an antiperiplanar arrangement to minimize van der Waals repulsions. The dihedral angle between the plane through N, C10, O2 and the plane through N, C11, O3 is 9.4 (4)°. Furthermore, the chlorine atom and the acetonide protected secondary alcohol are also in an antiperiplanar arrangement with an torsion angle of 173.64 (14)°. The absolute configuration was determined and agrees with the configuration of the used chiral auxiliary. Experimental {#experimental} ============ To a solution of carboxylic acid (840 mg, 3.77 mmol, 1.0 eq) in THF (20 ml, 5 ml/mmol) was added Et~3~N (1.14 ml, 8.15 mmol, 2.0 eq) and pivaloylchloride (0.6 ml, 4.89 mmol, 1.2 eq) at 253 K. After stirring at this temperature for 2 h the mixture was warmed to 273 K. Solid LiCl (240 mg, 5.67 mmol, 1.5 eq) and (*R*)-4-benzyloxazolidin-2-one (669 mg, 3.77 mmol, 1.0 eq) were added. The reaction was quenched with H~2~O after stirring for 2 h at room temperature. The layers were separated and the aqueous phase extracted with Et~2~O. The combined organic phases were dried over anhydrous MgSO~4~, filtered and concentrated under reduced pressure. Flash column chromatography (cyclohexane/ethyl acetate 5/1) afforded the title compound (1.12 g, 2.93 mmol, 84%) as a thick colourless oil. Single crystals of (I) were obtained by crystallization from isohexane to provide white needles. *R~f~* 0.43 (cyclohexane/ethyl acetate 2/1); Anal. Calcd. for C~19~H~24~ClNO~5~: C,59.8; H, 6.3; N, 3.7; Found: C, 59.8; H, 6.5; N, 3.6; \[α\]~D~^20^ -51.4 (c 1.02, CH~3~Cl); *M* = 381.85 g/mol. Refinement {#refinement} ========== The hydrogen atoms were placed in calculated posions with C--H bond distances in the range from 0.95 to 1.00 Å and refined as riding on their parent atoms with *U*~iso~ = 1.2 or 1.5 *x U*~eq~(C). Figures ======= {#Fap1} Crystal data {#tablewrapcrystaldatalong} ============ ------------------------ --------------------------------------- C~19~H~24~ClNO~5~ *F*(000) = 404 *M~r~* = 381.84 *D*~x~ = 1.390 Mg m^−3^ Monoclinic, *P*2~1~ Mo *K*α radiation, λ = 0.71073 Å Hall symbol: P 2yb Cell parameters from 2793 reflections *a* = 11.7552 (9) Å θ = 2.8--29.0° *b* = 5.9139 (4) Å µ = 0.24 mm^−1^ *c* = 13.8789 (11) Å *T* = 173 K β = 109.023 (9)° Block, white *V* = 912.16 (12) Å^3^ 0.40 × 0.20 × 0.20 mm *Z* = 2 ------------------------ --------------------------------------- Data collection {#tablewrapdatacollectionlong} =============== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------------------------- Oxford Diffraction Xcalibur Sapphire3 diffractometer 3594 independent reflections Radiation source: Enhance (Mo) X-ray Source 2515 reflections with *I* \> 2s(*I*) graphite *R*~int~ = 0.033 Detector resolution: 16.0560 pixels mm^-1^ θ~max~ = 26.0°, θ~min~ = 2.8° ω scans *h* = −14→14 Absorption correction: multi-scan (*CrysAlis RED*; Oxford Diffraction, 2008) *k* = −7→7 *T*~min~ = 0.910, *T*~max~ = 0.954 *l* = −17→16 6562 measured reflections ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------------------------- Refinement {#tablewraprefinementdatalong} ========== ---------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Refinement on *F*^2^ Secondary atom site location: difference Fourier map Least-squares matrix: full Hydrogen site location: inferred from neighbouring sites *R*\[*F*^2^ \> 2σ(*F*^2^)\] = 0.039 H-atom parameters constrained *wR*(*F*^2^) = 0.047 *w* = 1/\[σ^2^(*F*~o~^2^) + (0.007*P*)^2^\] where *P* = (*F*~o~^2^ + 2*F*~c~^2^)/3 *S* = 0.98 (Δ/σ)~max~ \< 0.001 3594 reflections Δρ~max~ = 0.22 e Å^−3^ 237 parameters Δρ~min~ = −0.21 e Å^−3^ 1 restraint Absolute structure: Flack (1983), 1198 Friedel pairs Primary atom site location: structure-invariant direct methods Flack parameter: 0.11 (5) ---------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Special details {#specialdetails} =============== ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Experimental. CrysAlis RED (Oxford Diffraction, 2008), Empirical absorption correction using spherical harmonics, implemented in SCALE3 ABSPACK scaling algorithm. Geometry. All e.s.d.\'s (except the e.s.d. in the dihedral angle between two l.s. planes) are estimated using the full covariance matrix. The cell e.s.d.\'s are taken into account individually in the estimation of e.s.d.\'s in distances, angles and torsion angles; correlations between e.s.d.\'s in cell parameters are only used when they are defined by crystal symmetry. An approximate (isotropic) treatment of cell e.s.d.\'s is used for estimating e.s.d.\'s involving l.s. planes. Refinement. Refinement of *F*^2^ against ALL reflections. The weighted *R*-factor *wR* and goodness of fit *S* are based on *F*^2^, conventional *R*-factors *R* are based on *F*, with *F* set to zero for negative *F*^2^. The threshold expression of *F*^2^ \> σ(*F*^2^) is used only for calculating *R*-factors(gt) *etc*. and is not relevant to the choice of reflections for refinement. *R*-factors based on *F*^2^ are statistically about twice as large as those based on *F*, and *R*- factors based on ALL data will be even larger. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fractional atomic coordinates and isotropic or equivalent isotropic displacement parameters (Å^2^) {#tablewrapcoords} ================================================================================================== ------ -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------------- -- *x* *y* *z* *U*~iso~\*/*U*~eq~ C1 0.1657 (2) −0.3801 (4) 0.17220 (18) 0.0189 (6) C2 0.0920 (2) −0.2107 (4) 0.18929 (18) 0.0224 (7) H2 0.1267 −0.0727 0.2202 0.027\* C3 −0.0317 (2) −0.2418 (4) 0.1616 (2) 0.0290 (7) H3 −0.0810 −0.1269 0.1750 0.035\* C4 −0.0827 (2) −0.4398 (4) 0.11451 (19) 0.0270 (7) H4 −0.1675 −0.4598 0.0940 0.032\* C5 −0.0110 (2) −0.6085 (4) 0.0972 (2) 0.0285 (7) H5 −0.0459 −0.7454 0.0653 0.034\* C6 0.1125 (2) −0.5773 (4) 0.12673 (19) 0.0245 (7) H6 0.1616 −0.6951 0.1153 0.029\* C7 0.30014 (18) −0.3420 (4) 0.20129 (17) 0.0201 (6) H7A 0.3425 −0.4887 0.2185 0.024\* H7B 0.3273 −0.2439 0.2623 0.024\* C8 0.3321 (2) −0.2315 (4) 0.11426 (18) 0.0191 (6) H8 0.2796 −0.0967 0.0885 0.023\* C9 0.3254 (2) −0.3926 (4) 0.02582 (19) 0.0312 (7) H9A 0.2762 −0.5272 0.0279 0.037\* H9B 0.2896 −0.3155 −0.0405 0.037\* C10 0.5254 (2) −0.3120 (5) 0.10476 (17) 0.0206 (6) C11 0.4985 (2) 0.0280 (4) 0.20304 (19) 0.0216 (6) C12 0.6276 (2) 0.0996 (4) 0.2280 (2) 0.0244 (7) H12A 0.6385 0.1773 0.1684 0.029\* H12B 0.6800 −0.0358 0.2430 0.029\* C13 0.6643 (2) 0.2563 (4) 0.31873 (19) 0.0220 (7) H13A 0.6713 0.1670 0.3808 0.026\* H13B 0.5995 0.3689 0.3106 0.026\* C14 0.7817 (2) 0.3812 (4) 0.33466 (19) 0.0209 (6) H14 0.7708 0.4861 0.2758 0.025\* C15 0.8252 (2) 0.5187 (4) 0.43295 (18) 0.0209 (6) H15 0.9058 0.5866 0.4413 0.025\* C16 0.8292 (2) 0.3846 (4) 0.52813 (18) 0.0244 (6) H16A 0.8405 0.2212 0.5187 0.029\* H16B 0.8949 0.4389 0.5886 0.029\* C17 0.6855 (2) 0.6563 (4) 0.50682 (18) 0.0229 (6) C18 0.55163 (18) 0.6806 (5) 0.46026 (17) 0.0278 (6) H18A 0.5204 0.5595 0.4104 0.042\* H18B 0.5328 0.8275 0.4261 0.042\* H18C 0.5143 0.6706 0.5138 0.042\* C19 0.7398 (2) 0.8166 (4) 0.59485 (18) 0.0272 (7) H19A 0.7155 0.7708 0.6531 0.041\* H19B 0.7114 0.9706 0.5743 0.041\* H19C 0.8277 0.8121 0.6141 0.041\* Cl 0.90160 (5) 0.18577 (11) 0.33911 (5) 0.03519 (19) N 0.46002 (17) −0.1656 (3) 0.14456 (15) 0.0161 (5) O1 0.44892 (15) −0.4571 (3) 0.04026 (13) 0.0265 (4) O2 0.63229 (13) −0.3207 (3) 0.12130 (12) 0.0242 (4) O3 0.42567 (14) 0.1337 (3) 0.22968 (13) 0.0314 (5) O4 0.71441 (14) 0.4278 (2) 0.53829 (13) 0.0204 (4) O5 0.73891 (12) 0.6923 (3) 0.42756 (11) 0.0231 (4) ------ -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------------- -- Atomic displacement parameters (Å^2^) {#tablewrapadps} ===================================== ----- ------------- ------------- ------------- -------------- ------------- -------------- *U*^11^ *U*^22^ *U*^33^ *U*^12^ *U*^13^ *U*^23^ C1 0.0209 (14) 0.0224 (16) 0.0130 (15) −0.0011 (12) 0.0049 (13) 0.0024 (11) C2 0.0283 (16) 0.0211 (14) 0.0183 (17) 0.0020 (13) 0.0085 (15) −0.0011 (12) C3 0.0288 (17) 0.0318 (17) 0.0305 (19) 0.0072 (14) 0.0151 (16) −0.0004 (14) C4 0.0206 (16) 0.0364 (16) 0.0244 (18) −0.0029 (14) 0.0079 (15) 0.0005 (14) C5 0.0306 (17) 0.0216 (16) 0.0353 (19) −0.0098 (14) 0.0132 (16) −0.0060 (14) C6 0.0290 (17) 0.0195 (14) 0.0296 (18) 0.0021 (13) 0.0158 (15) 0.0014 (13) C7 0.0225 (13) 0.0186 (14) 0.0183 (15) −0.0005 (14) 0.0054 (12) −0.0032 (12) C8 0.0156 (14) 0.0228 (14) 0.0176 (16) 0.0021 (11) 0.0038 (13) −0.0029 (12) C9 0.0176 (14) 0.0477 (19) 0.0294 (18) −0.0047 (14) 0.0094 (15) −0.0112 (14) C10 0.0278 (14) 0.0202 (13) 0.0131 (14) −0.0007 (16) 0.0058 (13) 0.0073 (14) C11 0.0259 (17) 0.0204 (14) 0.0168 (16) −0.0011 (13) 0.0046 (14) 0.0036 (13) C12 0.0197 (14) 0.0233 (15) 0.0334 (18) −0.0028 (12) 0.0132 (14) −0.0045 (12) C13 0.0198 (14) 0.0239 (16) 0.0230 (17) 0.0007 (12) 0.0078 (14) −0.0014 (12) C14 0.0198 (15) 0.0208 (14) 0.0239 (17) 0.0079 (13) 0.0097 (14) 0.0060 (13) C15 0.0176 (15) 0.0202 (14) 0.0242 (17) −0.0038 (12) 0.0058 (14) −0.0033 (13) C16 0.0222 (16) 0.0280 (15) 0.0205 (17) −0.0031 (13) 0.0033 (14) −0.0005 (13) C17 0.0277 (14) 0.0224 (15) 0.0215 (16) −0.0027 (15) 0.0122 (14) −0.0001 (14) C18 0.0277 (14) 0.0233 (13) 0.0337 (17) −0.0015 (16) 0.0116 (14) 0.0011 (15) C19 0.0309 (17) 0.0260 (15) 0.0279 (18) −0.0057 (12) 0.0140 (16) −0.0055 (13) Cl 0.0234 (4) 0.0399 (4) 0.0430 (5) 0.0074 (4) 0.0119 (4) −0.0058 (4) N 0.0116 (12) 0.0175 (12) 0.0205 (14) 0.0006 (9) 0.0070 (11) −0.0043 (9) O1 0.0241 (11) 0.0301 (10) 0.0254 (12) −0.0011 (8) 0.0083 (10) −0.0127 (9) O2 0.0193 (8) 0.0274 (9) 0.0273 (11) 0.0067 (10) 0.0096 (8) −0.0029 (10) O3 0.0252 (9) 0.0262 (11) 0.0473 (14) −0.0023 (9) 0.0182 (10) −0.0133 (9) O4 0.0215 (11) 0.0197 (9) 0.0234 (11) 0.0000 (9) 0.0120 (9) 0.0040 (8) O5 0.0296 (10) 0.0209 (9) 0.0241 (10) 0.0017 (10) 0.0158 (9) 0.0022 (10) ----- ------------- ------------- ------------- -------------- ------------- -------------- Geometric parameters (Å, °) {#tablewrapgeomlong} =========================== ----------------------- -------------- ---------------------- ------------- C1---C6 1.376 (3) C11---C12 1.503 (3) C1---C2 1.394 (3) C12---C13 1.508 (3) C1---C7 1.515 (3) C12---H12A 0.9900 C2---C3 1.390 (3) C12---H12B 0.9900 C2---H2 0.9500 C13---C14 1.517 (3) C3---C4 1.379 (3) C13---H13A 0.9900 C3---H3 0.9500 C13---H13B 0.9900 C4---C5 1.377 (3) C14---C15 1.526 (3) C4---H4 0.9500 C14---Cl 1.808 (2) C5---C6 1.386 (3) C14---H14 1.0000 C5---H5 0.9500 C15---O5 1.428 (2) C6---H6 0.9500 C15---C16 1.528 (3) C7---C8 1.524 (3) C15---H15 1.0000 C7---H7A 0.9900 C16---O4 1.425 (3) C7---H7B 0.9900 C16---H16A 0.9900 C8---N 1.476 (3) C16---H16B 0.9900 C8---C9 1.536 (3) C17---O4 1.426 (3) C8---H8 1.0000 C17---O5 1.449 (2) C9---O1 1.450 (2) C17---C18 1.500 (3) C9---H9A 0.9900 C17---C19 1.514 (3) C9---H9B 0.9900 C18---H18A 0.9800 C10---O2 1.202 (2) C18---H18B 0.9800 C10---O1 1.350 (3) C18---H18C 0.9800 C10---N 1.386 (3) C19---H19A 0.9800 C11---O3 1.211 (2) C19---H19B 0.9800 C11---N 1.391 (3) C19---H19C 0.9800 C6---C1---C2 118.2 (2) C12---C13---C14 114.81 (19) C6---C1---C7 121.8 (2) C12---C13---H13A 108.6 C2---C1---C7 120.0 (2) C14---C13---H13A 108.6 C3---C2---C1 120.7 (2) C12---C13---H13B 108.6 C3---C2---H2 119.7 C14---C13---H13B 108.6 C1---C2---H2 119.7 H13A---C13---H13B 107.5 C4---C3---C2 119.8 (2) C13---C14---C15 114.5 (2) C4---C3---H3 120.1 C13---C14---Cl 110.85 (15) C2---C3---H3 120.1 C15---C14---Cl 106.22 (17) C5---C4---C3 120.1 (3) C13---C14---H14 108.4 C5---C4---H4 120.0 C15---C14---H14 108.4 C3---C4---H4 120.0 Cl---C14---H14 108.4 C4---C5---C6 119.6 (2) O5---C15---C14 108.09 (19) C4---C5---H5 120.2 O5---C15---C16 103.84 (17) C6---C5---H5 120.2 C14---C15---C16 113.78 (18) C1---C6---C5 121.6 (2) O5---C15---H15 110.3 C1---C6---H6 119.2 C14---C15---H15 110.3 C5---C6---H6 119.2 C16---C15---H15 110.3 C1---C7---C8 110.94 (19) O4---C16---C15 103.26 (18) C1---C7---H7A 109.5 O4---C16---H16A 111.1 C8---C7---H7A 109.5 C15---C16---H16A 111.1 C1---C7---H7B 109.5 O4---C16---H16B 111.1 C8---C7---H7B 109.5 C15---C16---H16B 111.1 H7A---C7---H7B 108.0 H16A---C16---H16B 109.1 N---C8---C7 112.25 (19) O4---C17---O5 104.61 (18) N---C8---C9 99.97 (18) O4---C17---C18 109.5 (2) C7---C8---C9 113.96 (18) O5---C17---C18 108.19 (19) N---C8---H8 110.1 O4---C17---C19 110.5 (2) C7---C8---H8 110.1 O5---C17---C19 110.32 (19) C9---C8---H8 110.1 C18---C17---C19 113.3 (2) O1---C9---C8 105.4 (2) C17---C18---H18A 109.5 O1---C9---H9A 110.7 C17---C18---H18B 109.5 C8---C9---H9A 110.7 H18A---C18---H18B 109.5 O1---C9---H9B 110.7 C17---C18---H18C 109.5 C8---C9---H9B 110.7 H18A---C18---H18C 109.5 H9A---C9---H9B 108.8 H18B---C18---H18C 109.5 O2---C10---O1 121.9 (3) C17---C19---H19A 109.5 O2---C10---N 129.2 (3) C17---C19---H19B 109.5 O1---C10---N 108.97 (19) H19A---C19---H19B 109.5 O3---C11---N 118.3 (2) C17---C19---H19C 109.5 O3---C11---C12 123.1 (2) H19A---C19---H19C 109.5 N---C11---C12 118.6 (2) H19B---C19---H19C 109.5 C11---C12---C13 110.96 (19) C10---N---C11 129.0 (2) C11---C12---H12A 109.4 C10---N---C8 111.57 (19) C13---C12---H12A 109.4 C11---N---C8 119.42 (19) C11---C12---H12B 109.4 C10---O1---C9 110.18 (18) C13---C12---H12B 109.4 C16---O4---C17 106.18 (16) H12A---C12---H12B 108.0 C15---O5---C17 109.33 (17) C6---C1---C2---C3 0.4 (4) O2---C10---N---C11 9.7 (4) C7---C1---C2---C3 179.0 (2) O1---C10---N---C11 −170.7 (2) C1---C2---C3---C4 −1.5 (4) O2---C10---N---C8 −172.6 (3) C2---C3---C4---C5 1.5 (4) O1---C10---N---C8 6.9 (3) C3---C4---C5---C6 −0.4 (4) O3---C11---N---C10 179.5 (2) C2---C1---C6---C5 0.7 (4) C12---C11---N---C10 0.9 (3) C7---C1---C6---C5 −177.9 (2) O3---C11---N---C8 2.0 (3) C4---C5---C6---C1 −0.7 (4) C12---C11---N---C8 −176.5 (2) C6---C1---C7---C8 90.3 (3) C7---C8---N---C10 104.9 (2) C2---C1---C7---C8 −88.2 (3) C9---C8---N---C10 −16.3 (2) C1---C7---C8---N 172.7 (2) C7---C8---N---C11 −77.2 (3) C1---C7---C8---C9 −74.6 (3) C9---C8---N---C11 161.60 (19) N---C8---C9---O1 19.2 (2) O2---C10---O1---C9 −173.6 (2) C7---C8---C9---O1 −100.7 (2) N---C10---O1---C9 6.8 (3) O3---C11---C12---C13 21.4 (3) C8---C9---O1---C10 −17.1 (2) N---C11---C12---C13 −160.2 (2) C15---C16---O4---C17 −35.9 (2) C11---C12---C13---C14 −166.14 (19) O5---C17---O4---C16 33.2 (2) C12---C13---C14---C15 −173.5 (2) C18---C17---O4---C16 148.95 (19) C12---C13---C14---Cl −53.4 (2) C19---C17---O4---C16 −85.6 (2) C13---C14---C15---O5 −63.7 (2) C14---C15---O5---C17 116.1 (2) Cl---C14---C15---O5 173.64 (14) C16---C15---O5---C17 −5.0 (2) C13---C14---C15---C16 51.1 (3) O4---C17---O5---C15 −16.6 (2) Cl---C14---C15---C16 −71.6 (2) C18---C17---O5---C15 −133.4 (2) O5---C15---C16---O4 24.8 (2) C19---C17---O5---C15 102.2 (2) C14---C15---C16---O4 −92.5 (2) ----------------------- -------------- ---------------------- ------------- | Mid | [
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Rise in Violence Puts Kirkuk's Future in Doubt Violence is growing in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, long a hotbed of ethnic tensions among its Kurdish, Arab and Turkmen residents. It now appears that the long dispute over the city's status is not likely to be resolved this year, even though an article in the Iraqi constitution calls for a referendum on it before 2008. Iraqi Kurds want Kirkuk to be part of their autonomous region, a move which many of the city's Turkmen and Arabs oppose. In his 20-year career as a fighter in the Kurdish militia, Gen. Sarhat Qadir stormed and captured Kirkuk twice. The first time was in 1991, during a short-lived Kurdish uprising, which was crushed after a matter of weeks by Saddam Hussein's forces. The second time was in April 2003, when the United States invaded Iraq, and the Kurds seized Kirkuk, tore down statues of Saddam, and danced in the streets waving the flag of Kurdistan. Today Qadir is a brigadier general in Kirkuk's police force. He says that being a rebel in the mountains was much easier. "In the old days, things were better, and I liked it more because at that time our enemy was clear and he was in front of us. But now our enemy ... we don't see it — it's invisible." Portraits of dead policemen decorate the halls of Kirkuk's main police station. In the past two years, Qadir says, insurgents have killed more then 500 Iraqi police and soldiers in and around the city, including his brother and his cousin. Qadir himself narrowly survived an assassination attempt after someone slipped poison into his Pepsi. American forces in Kirkuk face a constant threat from roadside bombs — more than five are discovered around the city on any given day. U.S. Army Sgt. John Zimmerman volunteered for his second tour of duty in Kirkuk. When he first served in Kirkuk in 2004, he says the city was safe, compared with places like Baghdad and Fallujah. He says he never thought the situation in the city would deteriorate so dramatically. Kirkuk sits on top of the largest oil fields in northern Iraq. To better control the area, Saddam deported hundreds of thousands of native Kurds and Turkmen, and replaced them with Arab settlers. The Iraqi constitution was supposed to undo this ethnic cleansing. It calls for a census and a referendum to determine the future status of the city before Dec. 31. The Kurds are confident the vote will lead to Kirkuk's annexation to Iraqi Kurdistan. But many non-Kurdish Iraqi politicians remain firmly opposed. "They are wasting their time," says Salah al-Mutlaq, an Iraqi parliament member from the Sunni Arab National Dialogue Front. "They will not get Kirkuk. If Kirkuk will go to Kurdistan, then there's a civil war." But amid the escalating insurgent violence in Kirkuk, there are some non-Kurds in the city who support joining Kurdistan. "The services and security in Kurdistan are better than in other parts of Iraq," says Ayden Ansi, a Turkmen tire salesman. "If we join, Kirkuk will become safer, too." But the Kurds appear to have lost this round of the struggle for the city. American and Iraqi officials say it is highly unlikely the referendum will take place this year. There is growing criticism within Kurdistan over the Kurdish leadership's Kirkuk strategy. Asos Hardi, a Kurdish newspaper writer, says the Kurds have not done enough to reach out to the Arab and Turkmen communities in Kirkuk. "Even if we will win the Kirkuk province in a referendum, till there will be at least 30 to 40 percent of the population [who] don't want us. "More important than winning the ... the referendum is winning their hearts and minds," Hardi says, adding that the Kurdish leadership has failed to address that issue. Back at the police station, Gen. Qadir lists the names of at least half a dozen insurgent groups his men are fighting in the city. But this veteran Kurdish fighter says more schools and jobs — not bullets — are the key to capturing Kirkuk for the Kurds. | Low | [
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Ducey signs opioids package, defends speed of passage Gov. Doug Ducey looks up at the gallery of the Old Capitol where elementary school children watched as he signed the opioid omnibus on Jan. 26. (Photo by Katie Campbell/Arizona Capitol Times) Saying there is a crisis, Gov. Doug Ducey on Friday defended demanding that lawmakers review and adopt multiple changes in Arizona drug laws in just three days. The comments, on the heels of the governor signing the measure, come less than 24 hours after state lawmakers gave the package unanimous approval despite what several said are serious concerns and misgivings about what it contains. Several also questioned the need for the rush, given that key provisions — including limits on the amount of opioids doctors can prescribe — do not take effect for another 11 months. “We have confidence in this bill,” Ducey said. And he argued that “there was no rush.” “We’ve been working on this bill since September,” he said. And the governor said there is a crisis, citing the death of more than 800 Arizonans between June and the beginning of this year of suspected opioid overdoses, more than 5,000 overdoses and more than 450 babies born addicted to opioids. “This bill is about people who are dying, people who are overdosing, people that are becoming addicted,” he said. But most lawmakers, not involved in the drafting, saw the first version of the measure when it hit their desks Monday night. “I am someone who believes in our process,” Ducey said. “So if we do need to come back and have changes, I’m right there and we have a sitting legislature.” One key provision of the measure limits initial prescriptions to no more than five days — 14 for post-surgical patients — with an absolute dosage of no more than 90 “morphine milligram equivalents” unless they fall into certain excepted categories like burn victims, cancer patients and those in hospice. Doctors who say their patients need more must first get approval from a board-certified pain management specialist. Lawmakers added language late Thursday allowing that consultation to be by phone. But Sen. Kimberly Yee, R-Phoenix, said she doubts that doctors will be willing to risk the liability for giving the go-ahead for large dosages through a simple phone consult. “You want to see that patient face-to-face,” she said. And Yee openly worried about how long it might take to get an appointment. A last-minute amendment does allow the patient’s doctor to exceed the 90 MME if a specialist is not available within 48 hours. But even that left some lawmakers unsatisfied. “Here is a doctor who’s practice for years, known that patient, and now they have to get a second opinion,” complained Sen. Sylvia Allen, R-Snowflake. Others questioned whether putting new requirements on “good” doctors will impair those who are less careful about the prescriptions they write. And other lawmakers said there are unanswered questions about the cost and availability to doctors of software who will have to comply with a new requirement that all prescriptions be transmitted electronically to pharmacies rather than on paper. Ducey, for his part, defended the plan. “We think this is the right package, that it’s thorough, thoughtful, aggressive, more so than any other legislation that’s been introduced at the Capitol for years,” the governor said. House Speaker J.D. Mesnard said the plan recognizes that opioid addiction is different than those hooked on other drugs. And central to that is that most never intended to get addicted. “They went to the ER, they went to the doctor, dealing with an issue,” he told colleagues during Thursday’s nights vote. He said they get a prescription, go home, use it, “and suddenly there’s an addiction.” Mesnard said he understands the problem on a personal level, detailing having to go to the emergency room last year for a “lower back issue I’ll probably be dealing with for the rest of my life.” The doctor gave him a prescription for opioids, telling him to take one or two. “I took one, didn’t really feel anything,” Mesnard said. “Took two, I felt it,” he continued. “And I could definitely see why people become addicted.” Ducey, after signing the bill, predicted it will result in a big reduction in opioid addiction. “While we have an opioid epidemic issue today, I believe we’ll solve this, just like we’ve solved methamphetamine and crack cocaine,” Ducey said. Moments later, however, the governor denied he ever said the problems have been solved. “I didn’t say that,” he said. “I said we addressed those issues,” the governor continued. “They are not the epidemics that they were.” 2 comments Great, more government involvement in patient healthcare. Look at the deaths. It’s not prescriptions that are causing them. It’s fentanyl. Meanwhile chronic pain patients are being refused pain relief because of this opioiphobia. Here’s a few facts: 0.6% of opioid naive post-surgical patients were tagged as “abusing” opioids Fentanyl deaths have skyrocketed since prescriptions were dropped. For example, fentanyl was involved in 75% of ALL drug overdoses in New Hampshire in 2017 as of November. And for the Capitol Times – babies cannot be “addicted”. They are “dependent”. I agree with Chris,you are not solving anything,what you are falling to say here,is that most of these death ,are a result of people mixing drugs..These are not your average patients,these are people that have already become addicted to other drugs.By restricting the pain pills to those that use them,you will create a bigger drug problem,people that are controlling their pain and not having to live with it every day,are going to do what they would have never done,go to the street and find anything for the pain You solved nothing and created a bigger problem than you know. | Low | [
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Introduction ============ Calcium-activated chloride channels (CaCCs) play an important role in epithelial secretion of electrolytes and water, sensory transduction, regulation of neuronal and cardiac excitability, and regulation of vascular tone (Hartzell *et al*., [@b12]; channel nomenclature follows Alexander *et al*., [@b2]). A member of a Ca^2+^-sensitive Cl^−^ channel family (CLCA1), volume-regulated chloride channel (CLC-3), bestrophins and tweety were proposed as the CaCC candidate proteins; however, the biophysical features of the currents mediated by these channels are different from those of native classical CaCCs (Hartzell *et al*., [@b13]). Heterologous expression of the proteins anoctamin-1 (Ano1; TMEM16A) and Ano2 (TMEM16B) in a variety of cell types produced calcium-activated chloride currents \[*I*~Cl(Ca)~\], with biophysical characteristics similar to those of native classical CaCCs. Therefore, Ano1 and Ano2 have been proposed as the novel candidate proteins for CaCCs (Caputo *et al*., [@b3]; Schroeder *et al*., [@b34]; Yang *et al*., [@b42]; Pifferi *et al*., [@b30]). Subsequent studies suggested that the gene product of *Ano1* was the protein involved in native CaCC in gland acinar cells (Yang *et al*., [@b42]; Huang *et al*., [@b17]; Romanenko *et al*., [@b33]), epithelial cells (Ousingsawat *et al*., [@b29]; Rock *et al*., [@b32]; Dutta *et al*., [@b7]), interstitial cells of Cajal (Hwang *et al*., [@b18]) and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) (Davis *et al*., [@b5]; Manoury *et al*., [@b24]). CaCCs are expressed in various endothelial cell types of different species, including calf pulmonary artery endothelial cells (Nilius *et al*., [@b26]), mouse aorta endothelial cells (Suh *et al*., [@b37]) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (Zhong *et al*., [@b43]). CaCCs have been implicated in the control of the membrane potential, which helps to maintain the driving force for Ca^2+^. In vascular endothelial cells, the resting membrane potential (approximately −40 mV) is more negative than the equilibrium potential for Cl^−^ (approximately −28 mV) (Ono *et al*., [@b28]). As a consequence of agonist-induced increase in cytosolic Ca^2+^ (\[Ca^2+^\]~i~), CaCCs are activated and Cl^−^ leaves the cell, which results in a shift of the membrane potential of endothelial cells towards the Cl^−^ equilibrium potential, and possibly inducing a negative feedback during agonist stimulation. Therefore, CaCCs are functionally important in the control of the membrane potential, the driving force for Ca^2+^ influx and regulation of Ca^2+^ signalling in endothelial cells (Hosoki and Iijima, [@b16]). CaCCs may also be involved in control of volume, cell shape and cell proliferation, as well as intracellular pH regulation (Nilius *et al*., [@b26]; Hartzell *et al*., [@b12]). The CaCCs are involved in many important physiological processes in vascular endothelial cells but their molecular identity and roles in ischaemic conditions remain unknown. In the present study, we investigated whether Ano1 functions as a CaCC and whether hypoxia alters the biophysical properties of Ano1 in cardiac vascular endothelial cells (CVECs) isolated from neonatal mice. The novel findings of the functional properties of Ano1 in the normal and ischaemic CVECs may provide new therapeutic target for the treatment of ischaemia-induced damage in the vascular system. Methods ======= Isolation and culture of CVECs and Ano1 gene silencing in CVECs --------------------------------------------------------------- All animal care and experimental procedures were approved by the Harbin Medical University Animal Supervision Committee. All studies involving animals are reported in accordance with the ARRIVE guidelines for reporting experiments involving animals (Kilkenny *et al*., [@b20]; McGrath *et al*., [@b23]). Over 200 animals were used in the experiments described here. Neonatal BALB/c mice were purchased from Experimental Animal Center of Harbin Medical University. CVECs were isolated from the left ventricles of hearts from neonatal mice, as previously described (Zhou *et al*., [@b44]), with slight modifications. Briefly, each pup was placed on a 37°C temperature-controlled pad for general anesthesia from spontaneous respirations of 3.0% isoflurane in oxygen. After anaesthesia, the hearts were quickly excised and washed, then minced in ice-cold serum-free DMEM. The atrial, cardiac valves and right ventricle were stripped under a microscope. Then the isolated left ventricles were immersed in 70% ethanol for 10 s to devitalize epicardial mesothelial and endocardial endothelial cells. The left ventricular tissue was finely minced and transferred into a tube containing 5 mL of trypsin (0.25%) for twice for 5 min at 37^o^C, in a shaking water bath. Dissociated cells were filtered through a 100 μm mesh filter and centrifuged at 100× *g* for 5 min in a sealed centrifuge (C3i centrifuge, Jouan Laboratories, Saint-Herblain, France). Cells were resuspended in DMEM supplemented with 10% FBS, 100 IU mL^−1^ penicillin and 100 μg mL^−1^ streptomycin, and then transferred into a cell culture dish for 30 min at 37^o^C in 5% CO~2~ incubator to remove the attached fibroblasts. After these procedures, the CVECs were harvested (Zhou *et al*., [@b44]) and were identified using CD31 antibody. The non-attached viable CVECs were collected and seeded onto coverslips or dishes for the following experiments. The CVECs reached ∼80% confluence within 3--4 days and displayed uniform 'cobblestone' morphology under optical microscope and were ready for the experiments. Ano1 gene silencing was carried out as follows. CEVCs were cultured in 6-well plates. After cells became 80% confluent, Ano1-specific small hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) were transfected using lipofectamine 2000 (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA). The sequences of shRNA constructs are listed in Supplement [Table 1](#SD1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}. The shRNAs were cloned into the pGPU6/GFP/Neo-shRNA vector by inserting constructs into the 3\'-UTR of the GFP gene (GenePharma, Shanghai, China). Evaluation of gene silencing efficiency assays (qRT-PCR and western blot assays) were performed 48 hrs after transfection. In addition, the green fluorescent protein (GFP) was used as an additional indicator for success of transfection. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) ------------------------------------ Total RNA was extracted from CVECs using TRIzol reagent (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA). Reverse transcription was performed with the RT system protocol in a 20 μL reaction mixture. Total RNA (1 μg) was used in the reaction, and a random primer was used for the initiation of cDNA synthesis, the reaction mixture was incubated at 25^o^C for 10 min, 37^o^C for 120 min and 85^o^C for 5 min, respectively. Then qRT-PCR was performed using the ABI Prism 7500 sequence detection system with SYBR Green PCR reagents (Applied Biosystems, USA). The primers used are listed in Supplement [Table 1](#SD1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}. After circle reaction, the threshold cycle (Ct) was determined and relative Ano1 and Ano2 mRNA levels were calculated based on the Ct values and normalized by β-actin level in each sample. For determining whether hypoxia leads to an altered expression ratio of Ano1 splicing variants in CVECs, we used the primers listed in Supplement [Table 2](#SD1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}, in which exons 6b, 13 and 15 were excluded. The values for the mRNA products of these Ano1 splicing variants, obtained either from normoxic or hypoxic condition, were then normalized to the values of Ano1 mRNA product obtained using the primers shown in Supplement [Table 3](#SD1){ref-type="supplementary-material"} under normoxic condition. Western blotting ---------------- CVECs were homogenized in RIPA lysis buffer containing 10 μL mL^−1^ protease inhibitor cocktail, and centrifuged at 13,500g for 15 min at 4^o^C to precipitate cell debris. Equal concentration of denatured proteins were separated on 10% SDS-polyacrylamide gels and were transferred onto polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membranes, blocked by 5% nonfat dry milk for 1 hr, followed by incubating with rabbit polyclonal anti-Ano1 antibody (Abcam ab53213, 1:500 dilution) for overnight. After washing with TBS-T, the membranes were incubated with horseradish peroxidase-conjugated goat anti-rabbit IgG secondary antibody (Santa Cruz-2793, CA, 1:4000 dilution) for 1 hr, labeled proteins were visualized with enhanced chemiluminescence (ECL) (Invitrogen WP20005, Carlsbad, CA, USA) and quantified by scanning densitometry (Bio-Rad). The intensities of interesting band were normalized by the intensity of β-actin (Santa Cruzsc-47778, 1:1000 dilution) bands. Immunostaining -------------- Neonatal mouse heart was fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde for 2 hrs followed by 18% sucrose 16 hrs, then preserved in optimum cutting temperature compound (−80°C). Longitudinal sections of the left ventricular wall were cut with a cryostat microtome (CM 3500 cryostat, Israel) at a thickness of 4 mm and permeabilized with 0.2% Triton X-100 (PBST) for 10 min and blocked with 5% bovine serum albumin (BSA) PBST for 1 hr. Rabbit polyclonal anti-Ano1 antibody (1:1000 dilution) (Yu *et al*., [@b1001]) and sheep polyclonal antibody to von Willebrand factor (vWF) were added in 1% BSA/PBST for overnight at 4°C. The sections were washed in PBST and incubated with Alexa Fluor 488 conjugated donkey anti-rabbit IgG (Invitrogen A21206, 1:1000 dilution) or TRITC conjugated donkey anti-sheep (Abcam ab6897, 1:1000 dilution) for 1 hr. The endothelial cells of passage one were washed with ice-cold PBS. After fixation with 4% paraformaldehyde at room temperature (22--24°C), cells were permeabilized with 0.2% Triton X-100 in PBS for 10 min and blocked with 5% BSA/PBST for 30 min. Rabbit polyclonal anti-Ano1 antibody (1:1000 dilution) (Yu *et al*., [@b1001]), endothelial cells markers CD31 (Abcam ab7388, 1:1000 dilution) was added in 1% BSA/PBS overnight at 4°C. Subsequently, the cells were washed in PBS containing 0.1% Tween and incubated with Alexa Fluor 488 conjugated donkey anti-rabbit IgG (Invitrogen A21206, 1:1000 dilution) or Alexa Fluor 594 conjugated donkey anti-rat IgG (Invitrogen A21209, 1:1000 dilution) for 1 hr. All slides were imaged using a confocal microscope (Olympus, Fluoview1000, Japan). Identical acquisition settings were used for all images. Cell proliferation assays ------------------------- 3-(4, 5-Dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was employed to evaluate cell proliferation rate. The CVECs were plated into 96-well plates at a density of 50,000 cells per well in 200 μl culture medium. After 8 hrs recovery, cells were treated with 30 μM T16A~inh~-A01 for 48 hrs. For hypoxic group CVECs were cultured under normal condition for 32 hrs and followed by culturing in the hypoxic incubator for 16 hrs, in the absence or in the presence of 30 μM T16A~inh~-A01. Then 20 μl PBS-buffered MTT (5 mg mL^−1^) solution was added to each well and the cells were incubated at 37°C for 4 hrs. Subsequently, the supernatant was then discarded form each well and 100 μL DMSO was added into each well and mixed thoroughly for 10 min to ensure all crystals were dissolved. The absorbance of samples was measured by a microplate reader at wavelength of 570 nm (Tecan, Mannedorf, Switzerland). The quantity of formazan product would be proportional to the number of living cells in culture. Exposure of CVECs to hypoxia ---------------------------- For hypoxic treatment, ∼80% confluent CVECs were placed in a hypoxic incubator (Thermo Scientific Series WJ 8000, Waltham, MA, USA) and were kept at 37°C for 16 h with a constant stream of water-saturated 93% N~2~, 5% CO~2~ and 2% O~2~. There was no apoptosis that occurred under this condition, as detected by TUNEL assays (data not shown). Patch-clamp recording --------------------- The whole-cell patch-clamp technique was used to record *I*~Cl(Ca)~ in voltage-clamp mode using an Axopatch 200B amplifier, and data were filtered at 1 kHz and sampled at 5 kHz (Axon Instruments, Foster City, CA, USA). Borosilicate glass electrodes were pulled with a four-stage puller (Sutter, Novato, CA, USA) and had a resistance of 1--2 MΩ when filled with pipette solution. *I*~Cl(Ca)~ was recorded using a holding potential of 0 mV followed by voltage steps from −100 to +100 mV in 20 mV increment for a duration of 1000 ms, and then repolarized to −100 mV for 300 ms. Membrane current densities were obtained by dividing the measured current amplitude by the cell capacitance. The current density--voltage relationships (*I*--*V*) were plotted using the calculated current density from the beginning (instantaneous) or the end (steady state) of 1000 ms, as a function of voltages. The activation time constant (τ~act~) and the inactivation time constant (τ~inact~) were, respectively, obtained by fitting 400 ms of whole-cell current following the end of the capacitance transient and by fitting 200 ms of whole-cell current following the repolarization currents measured after capacitance transient to a single exponential function. The macroscopic chord conductance (*G*) was calculated by an equation: *G* = *I*/(*V*~M~ *-- V*~rev~), where *I* represents the amplitude of steady-state current measured at the end of 1000 ms of each voltage, *V*~M~ indicates the membrane potential and *V*~rev~ is the reversal potential (since *V*~rev~ is ∼0 mV for all records, we set *V*~rev~ to 0 mV for all calculations). The *G* obtained from each tested voltage was then normalized to the *G* calculated from +100 mV (*G*~max~, the maximal cord conductance). These data points were plotted as a function of voltages and were fitted by the Boltzmann function: *G* = *G*~max~/{1 + exp\[−(*V~M~ − V*~1/2~)/*k*\]}, where *V*~1/2~ represents the voltage at which 50% of activation occurs and *k* is the slope factor. Prior to analysis, the whole-cell recording traces were further filtered to 100 Hz (Clampfit 10.2; Molecular Devices, Sunnyvale, CA, USA). For anion selectivity experiments, the data were corrected for junction potentials at the ground bridge (3 M KCl in 3% agar), which ranged from 2 to 4 mV as determined with a free-flowing KCl electrode. *V*~rev~ for chloride and for each test anion were used to calculate relative permeability \[anion X^−^ to Cl^−^ permeability (*P*~x~^−^/*P*~Cl~^−^)\] values according to the Goldman--Hodgkin--Katz equation (Hille, [@b15]). The extracellular solution contained (in mM): 150 NaCl, 1 CaCl~2~, 1 MgCl~2~, 10 glucose, 10 sucrose, 10 HEPES (pH = 7.4 with NaOH); the pipette solution contained (in mM): 130 CsCl, 10 EGTA, 1 MgCl~2~, 10 HEPES, 1 ATP and different concentrations of CaCl~2~ to obtain the desired free Ca^2+^ concentration (calculated according to the method posted at <http://www.stanford.edu/~cpatton/>; 1 mM for 18 nM, 6 mM for 290 nM, 7 mM for 453 nM, 8 mM for 777 nM, 8.5 mM for 1.1 μM, and 10 mM for 36.5 μM) (pH = 7.3 with CsOH), as determined with the Ca-EGTA calculator. Data analyses ------------- Data are reported as mean values ± SEM for *n* observations. All data gathered in Excel were plotted using Origin 8.5 software (OriginLab, Northampton, MA, USA). Significance was determined using Student\'s *t-*tests for paired or unpaired data. *P* \< 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Materials --------- Unless otherwise noted, all chemicals and reagents were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis, MO, USA). The specific Ano1 inhibitor, T16A~inh~-A01, was purchased from EMD Millipore Biosciences (Billerica, MA, USA). Results ======= A Ca^2+^- and voltage-dependent macroscopic current was detected in CVECs ------------------------------------------------------------------------- A group of macroscopic currents was recorded from mouse CVECs in the presence of a variety concentrations of free \[Ca^2+^\]~i~ (Fig. [1](#fig01){ref-type="fig"}A--F). The current recorded, in the presence of 18 nM free \[Ca^2+^\]~i~, exhibited no outward rectification and time-dependent relaxation (Fig. [1](#fig01){ref-type="fig"}A and G). The amplitude of the outward currents was amplified gradually and the outward rectification and time-dependent relaxation became more profound, as free \[Ca^2+^\]~i~ was increased from 290 nM to 1.1 μM (Fig. [1](#fig01){ref-type="fig"}B--E and G). However, when free \[Ca^2+^\]~i~ reached 36.5 μM, the inward and outward currents were nearly equal in amplitude, and time-dependent relaxation was almost lost (Fig. [1](#fig01){ref-type="fig"}F and G). The macroscopic currents were deactivated by switching membrane potential to −100 mV. The average instantaneous tail current density measured at −100 mV after pre-pulses to different membrane voltage was plotted as a function of free \[Ca^2+^\]~i~ and the data points were fitted to the Hill equation (Fig. [1](#fig01){ref-type="fig"}H). The data show that EC~50~ of free \[Ca^2+^\]~i~ decreased by about fourfold \[2.08 ± 1.04 μM at 0 mV (*n* = 7--11) vs. 0.53 ± 0.06 μM at +100 mV (*n* = 7--11)\]. These results suggest that the gating of the macroscopic currents recorded from CVECs is Ca^2+^- and voltage-dependent. ![(A--F) Representative macroscopic currents were recorded in CVECs, in the presence of desired free \[Ca^2+^\]~i~, with the voltage protocol shown in the inset. (G) Calculated steady-state current densities, in the presence of a variety of free \[Ca^2+^\]~i~, were plotted as a function of membrane potentials (*n* = 5--11 for different data points). (H) Current densities calculated from tail currents measured at −100 mV after pre-pulses between +100 and −100 mV were plotted against \[Ca^2+^\]~i~ and were fitted with the Hill equation (*n* = 7--11 for different data points).](bph0171-3680-f1){#fig01} A chloride channel mediates the voltage- and Ca^2+^-dependent currents in CVECs ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For the rest of the experiments, 777 nM free \[Ca^2+^\]~i~ was used. We assessed anion selectivity experiments to determine whether the voltage- and Ca^2+^-dependent macroscopic current is mediated by a chloride channel. The magnitude of outward currents was significantly reduced by replacing extracellular Cl^−^ with gluconate^−^, and the *V*~rev~ shifted from near zero (−1.37 ± 0.79 mV) to depolarizing potential (52.5 ± 2.31 mV) (*n* = 5) (Fig. [2](#fig02){ref-type="fig"}A--C). Substitution of extracellular Cl^−^ with NO~3~^−^ resulted in a dramatic increase in the amplitude of outward current, and the *V*~rev~ shifted from near zero (−0.92 ± 0.68 mV) to hyperpolarizing potentials (−23.11 ± 1.04 mV) (*n* = 8) (Fig. [2](#fig02){ref-type="fig"}D--F). The relative permeability ratios for *P*~glu~/*P*~Cl~ and *P*~NO3~/*P*~Cl~ were 0.13 ± 0.01 and 2.30 ± 0.10. Moreover, the macroscopic current was reversibly blocked by 100 μM niflumic acid (NFA), a non-specific chloride channel blocker (*n* = 6) (Fig. [2](#fig02){ref-type="fig"}G--J). These data together suggest that the voltage- and Ca^2+^-dependent current recorded from CVECs is mediated by a chloride channel. {#fig02} Ano1 presents in CVECs isolated from neonatal mouse --------------------------------------------------- The biophysical features and pharmacological profile of the *I*~Cl(Ca)~ detected in CVECs are similar to those of CaCCs. We reasoned that *I*~Cl(Ca)~ might be mediated by Ano1. As seen in Fig. [3](#fig03){ref-type="fig"}A, Ano1 mRNA, but not Ano2 mRNA, was detected in CVECs (Fig. [3](#fig03){ref-type="fig"}A). Western blot analysis demonstrated that CVECs expressed Ano1 (Fig. [3](#fig03){ref-type="fig"}B). We further stained the neonatal mouse heart with anti-Ano1 antibody and anti-vWF antibody, a marker for endothelial cells, and sliced the left ventricular walls in longitudinal sections. Ano1 (green) was nicely present at endothelium and co-localized with endothelial marker (red) (Fig. [3](#fig03){ref-type="fig"}C; the white arrow heads indicate blood vessels). Confocal imaging analyses also revealed that a co-localization of Ano1 (green) and CD31 (red) occurred at the plasma membrane of CVECs (Fig. [3](#fig03){ref-type="fig"}D) because the highest merged fluorescence intensity (peaks) appeared in the vicinity of the plasma membrane (Fig. [3](#fig03){ref-type="fig"}E). These results led us to hypothesize that the *I*~Cl(Ca)~ is carried by Ano1 in CVECs. ![(A) qRT-PCR demonstrates the relative mRNA levels of Ano1 and Ano2 in CVECs (*n* = 6); Ano1, but not Ano2, was expressed in CVECs. (B) Western blots shown at the two left panels indicate CVECs express Ano1; with the secondary antibody alone, no band was detected (two panels at right) (repeated five times). (C) Representative immunofluorescence images of the sliced left ventricular wall in longitudinal section, labelled with antibodies raised against vWF (red) and against Ano1 (green). The white arrow heads indicate blood vessels. (D) Representative immunofluorescence images of isolated CVECs labelled with antibodies raised against CD31 (red) and against Ano1 (green). Scale bar represents 20 μm. (E) The representative fluorescence intensity histograms, constructed across a CVEC \[the red solid line shown in (D)\]. The majority of Ano1 (green) was distributed at and/or in the vicinity of the plasma membrane.](bph0171-3680-f3){#fig03} The I*~Cl(Ca)~* in CVECs is mediated by Ano1 -------------------------------------------- T16A~inh~-A01, a newly identified specific Ano1 inhibitor (Forrest *et al*., [@b11]; Davis *et al*., [@b6]), and a specific pore-targeting anti-Ano1 antibody (Thomas-Gatewood *et al*., [@b39]) were respectively applied to the bath solution to test the hypothesis that the *I*~Cl(Ca)~ recorded from CVECs is mediated by Ano1. Figure [4](#fig04){ref-type="fig"}A--D showed that the *I*~Cl(Ca)~ was significantly and reversibly inhibited by 30 μM T16A~inh~-A01 (∼60%). The specific pore-targeting Ano1 antibody also dramatically inhibited *I*~Ca(Cl)~ (∼57%) (Fig. [4](#fig04){ref-type="fig"}E--G); however, the boiled-specific pore-targeting, anti-ANO1 antibody had no effect on the amplitude of the *I*~Ca(Cl)~ (Fig. [4](#fig04){ref-type="fig"}H--J). Furthermore, the *I*~Ca(Cl)~ was almost completely blocked in Ano1-specific shRNA transfected CVECs; in contrast, the *I*~Ca(Cl)~ was not altered in CVECs expressing scramble shRNA (Fig. [4](#fig04){ref-type="fig"}K--N) (refer to Supporting Information [Fig. S1](#SD1){ref-type="supplementary-material"} for gene silencing efficiency; since shRNAs were linked with GFP, the cells showing green were used for patch-clamp analyses). These data strongly suggest that the *I*~Ca(Cl)~ recorded from CVECs is mediated by Ano1. {#fig04} Hypoxia potentiates Ano1-mediated I*~Cl(Ca)~* in CVECs ------------------------------------------------------ As shown in Fig. [5](#fig05){ref-type="fig"}A, B, F and G, the steady-state current (*I*~ss~) and the instantaneous current (*I*~inst~) were significantly potentiated by hypoxia, although with different extent (approximately twofold for *I*~ss~ and approximately fourfold for *I*~inst~ at depolarizing potentials). Hypoxia-induced increased in the amplitude of *I*~Ca(Cl)~ was significantly inhibited by the specific pore-targeting Ano1 antibody (Fig. [5](#fig05){ref-type="fig"}C, F and G) and by T16A~inh~-A01 (data not shown). Moreover, hypoxia also significantly enhanced the amplitude of *I*~Ca(Cl)~ in Ano1 knockdown CVECs (Fig. [5](#fig05){ref-type="fig"}D and E; *I*--*V* data not shown), suggesting that the residual Ano1 was up-regulated by hypoxia. These data further confirm that the *I*~Ca(Cl)~ recorded in CVECs is mediated by Ano1. The data shown in Fig. [5](#fig05){ref-type="fig"}H and I demonstrate that the mRNA and protein expression levels of Ano1 were slightly, but significantly increased by exposure of CVECs to hypoxia. However, the increased Ano1 protein expression levels (∼20%) were not in agreement with hypoxia-induced increase in current density (approximately twofold for *I*~ss~ and approximately fourfold for *I*~inst~), suggesting that there might be other mechanisms by which hypoxia induces an increase in the current density of Ano1. Moreover, the proliferation rate of CVECs was increased ∼20% by hypoxia. This hypoxia-induced increase in proliferation rate was not affected by T16A~inh~-A01 in either control cells or in the cells exposed to hypoxia (Fig. [5](#fig05){ref-type="fig"}J). {#fig05} Hypoxia amplifies the current density of Ano1 via enhancing its sensitivity to Ca^2+^ and to membrane voltage ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Figure [6](#fig06){ref-type="fig"}A shows that in hypoxic CVECs, the ratios of *I*~inst~/*I*~ss~ (obtained from the records shown in Fig. [5](#fig05){ref-type="fig"}A and B) were increased by hypoxia at the depolarizing potentials. Furthermore, the average τ~act~ values were significantly smaller in the cells exposed to hypoxia than in control cells (Fig. [6](#fig06){ref-type="fig"}B). These data suggest that hypoxia alters the activation kinetics of Ano1 in CVECs during sustained depolarization, which is sensitive to Ca^2+^ (Kuruma and Hartzell, [@b21]; Xiao *et al*., [@b41]). The τ~inact~ values were increased in CVECs exposed to the hypoxia, suggesting that hypoxia retarded the deactivation of Ano1 channels (Fig. [6](#fig06){ref-type="fig"}E). Furthermore, EC~50~ of \[Ca^2+^\]~i~ for activating Ano1-mediated *I*~Ca(Cl)~ was 534 ± 63.2 nM for control (*n* = 7--11 for different data points) and 385 ± 35.4 nM for hypoxia (*n* = 6--8 for different data points) (*P* \< 0.05), with Hill coefficients of 2.20 for control and 4.33 for hypoxia (Fig. [6](#fig06){ref-type="fig"}F). The data described earlier suggest that hypoxia potentiates the sensitivity of Ano1-mediated *I*~Ca(Cl)~ to Ca^2+^, for example, activation of Ano1-mediated *I*~Ca(Cl)~ requires much lower \[Ca^2+^\]~i~ under hypoxic condition. Figure [6](#fig06){ref-type="fig"}G shows that the half maximum activation voltage (*V*~1/2~) was shifted from 103 ± 10 mV for control (*n* = 11) to 8.21 ± 2.30 mV for hypoxia (*n* = 8) (*P* \< 0.01), with the corresponding slope factor (*k*) values of 42.77 ± 2.10 and 53.01 ± 2.61, respectively, suggesting that hypoxia enhances sensitivity of Ano1-mediated *I*~Ca(Cl)~ to membrane voltage, for example, activation of Ano1-mediated *I*~Ca(Cl)~ requires significantly less membrane depolarization. {ref-type="fig"}A; *n* = 11) and hypoxic cells (as shown in Fig. [5](#fig05){ref-type="fig"}B; *n* = 11) was plotted against voltage. (C and D) Representative macroscopic currents were respectively recorded from the CVECs under the control and hypoxic conditions using a voltage protocol shown in inset. (E) Average τ~inact~ obtained from control (shown in C; *n* = 6) and hypoxic (shown in D; *n* = 5) cells was plotted versus voltage. (F) Current densities calculated from tail currents measured at −100 mV after pre-pulses between +100 and −100 mV in control and hypoxic cells (from the records as shown in Fig. [5](#fig05){ref-type="fig"}B) were plotted against \[Ca^2+^\]~i~ and were respectively fitted with the Hill equation. The blue and green diamonds, respectively, indicate the mean EC~50~ of \[Ca^2+^\]~i~ for activating Ano1-mediated *I*~Ca(Cl)~ in control (*n* = 7--11) and hypoxia CVECs (*n* = 6--8). (G) The *G* was plotted against each tested potential and the data points were fitted to the Boltzmann function to obtain mean steady-state activation curves (*n* = 11 for control; *n* = 8 for hypoxia).](bph0171-3680-f6){#fig06} Hypoxia induces an altered expression ratio of the Ano1 variants ---------------------------------------------------------------- The human Ano1 splicing variants (deletion of exons 6b, 13 and 15) are known to generate the currents with distinct biophysical properties to wild-type Ano1 (Ferrera *et al*., [@b9]; Mazzone *et al*., [@b25]). Furthermore, there are a variety of Ano1 splicing variants in mouse heart and these splicing events are highly conserved between human and mouse (O\'Driscoll *et al*., [@b27]). Therefore, we examined whether hypoxia may cause the changes in the ratio of Ano1 splicing variants, which, in turn, alter the biophysical properties of Ano1-mediated *I*~Ca(Cl)~. Our qRT-PCR data showed that under hypoxic condition, the mRNA expression levels of Ano1 splicing variants lacking of exons 6b and 13 (Fig. [7](#fig07){ref-type="fig"}A and B), but not lacking exon 15 (Fig. [7](#fig07){ref-type="fig"}C), were significantly higher than those of control (the primers used are listed in Supporting Information [Table S2](#SD1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). These results suggest that changes in the ratio of Ano1 splicing variants may involve in the altered biophysical properties of Ano1-mediated *I*~Ca(Cl)~ under hypoxic condition. {#fig07} Discussion ========== The major findings of the present study are as follows: (i) demonstrating that mouse CVECs express Ano1; (ii) the *I*~Cl(Ca)~ recorded from CVECs is mediated by Ano1 and the biophysical properties of the Ano1-encoded *I*~Cl(Ca)~ are compatible with those of CaCCs; (iii) hypoxia up-regulates Ano1-mediated *I*~Cl(Ca)~ via enhancing its expression levels and an altered expression ratio of Ano1 splicing variants, thereby potentiating its sensitivity to Ca^2+^ and the membrane voltage. Although the *I*~Cl(Ca)~ in endothelial cells was discovered more than 20 years ago, its molecular identity remains uncertain (Hartzell *et al*., [@b12]). Therefore, we aimed to identify the gene responsible for CaCCs in mouse CVECs. We detected a NFA-sensitive macroscopic current with profound outward rectification, time-dependent relaxation and an anionic selectivity sequence of NO~3~^−^ \> Cl^−^ \> Glu^−^. The gating of this macroscopic current was dependent upon Ca^2+^ and upon membrane voltage. These data suggest that the macroscopic current detected in CVECs is an *I*~Cl(Ca)~. The biophysical features of the *I*~Cl(Ca)~ in CVECs are consistent with what has been reported for CaCC (Qu *et al*., [@b31]). The results obtained from qRT-PCR, Western blot and immunofluorescence imaging analyses suggest that Ano1 is present in CVECs. The *I*~Cl(Ca)~ recorded from CVECs was reversibly blocked by T16A~inh~-A01, a specific Ano1 inhibitor (Forrest *et al*., [@b11]; Davis *et al*., [@b6]), and was significantly inhibited by a specific pore-targeting anti-Ano1 antibody (Thomas-Gatewood *et al*., [@b39]) and was greatly diminished in Ano1 knockdown CVECs. Furthermore, hypoxia-induced augmentation of the *I*~Cl(Ca)~ was completely inhibited by the specific pore-targeting anti-Ano1 antibody. These results strongly suggest that the *I*~Cl(Ca)~ recorded from mouse CVECs is mediated by Ano1. Recent reports suggest that translation of mouse Ano1 yields a molecular weight of ∼110 kDa (Davis *et al*., [@b5]). The exclusion of exon 18 in the mouse transcript could result in a truncated Ano1 protein of ∼60--75 kDa (O\'Driscoll *et al*., [@b27]). We have to notice that the molecular weight of Ano1 in mouse CVECs, detected by Western blots, is ∼150 kDa, which is similar to those described in distal colonic epithelial cells and neck squamous cell carcinoma (He *et al*., [@b14]; Duvvuri *et al*., [@b8]). Human Ano1 has various protein isoforms generated by alternative splicing and has been labelled the four identified alternative segments as a, b, c and d (Ferrera *et al*., [@b9]). The TMEM16 (abc)-mediated channel was strongly inactivated by 1.25 μM Ca^2+^ (Ferrera *et al*., [@b10]). In comparison, we were able to generate Ano1 current at 36.5 μM Ca^2+^, albeit with no outward rectification and time-dependent relaxation. Our result is very compatible with those obtained from HEK293 cells overexpressing Ano1 (Xiao *et al*., [@b41]). Our data show that mouse Ano1 has a much lower EC~50~ for Ca^2+^ (∼0.53 μM at +100 mV) compared with those human varieties of Ano1 \[∼3.32 μM for (abc) and ∼0.85 μM for (ac)\] (Ferrera *et al*., [@b9]). It is no surprise because alternative splicing events are thought to affect Ca^2+^ sensitivity, voltage dependence and the kinetics of activation and deactivation of the Ano1 channel (Ferrera *et al*., [@b9]; [@b10]; Xiao *et al*., [@b41]). Hypoxia is associated with angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, heart failure and peripheral artery disease. Severe hypoxia induces cell proliferation and angiogenesis (Li *et al*., [@b22]). Vascular endothelial cell proliferation plays an essential role in angiogenesis and revascularization of the myocardium following myocardial infarction (Isner and Losordo, [@b19]). Sun and co-workers suggested that an increase in expression levels of Ano1 in SMCs, isolated from chronic-hypoxic pulmonary hypertension rat, is responsible for enhanced current density of Ano1 (Sun *et al*., [@b38]). A similar result was observed in monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension rat model (Forrest *et al*., [@b11]). In comparison, our results demonstrate that hypoxia enhances the density of Ano1-mediated *I*~Cl(Ca)~ not only through increasing expression of Ano1 but also through potentiating its sensitivity to Ca^2+^ and to membrane voltage. Recent studies suggest that a variety of Ano1 splicing variants are present in mouse heart (O\'Driscoll *et al*., [@b27]). Therefore, we speculated that the hypoxia-induced increase in Ano1 expression levels and altered biophysical features of Ano1 in CVECs might be associated with the changes in the ratio of Ano1 splicing variants. We found that the relative mRNA expression levels of exons 6b and 13 excluded Ano1 variants were significantly up-regulated by hypoxia. Due to overexpression of exon 6b, omitted human Ano1 in HEK293 cells led to a significantly increased sensitivity to Ca^2+^ (Ferrera *et al*., [@b9]); we also speculate that hypoxia-induced increase in Ca^2+^ sensitivity of Ano1-mediated *I*~Cl(Ca)~ could be attributable to elevated expression levels of exon 6b excluded Ano1 variant in CVECs. Furthermore, hypoxia-induced increase in voltage sensitivity of Ano1-mediated *I*~Cl(Ca)~ might be caused by the increased fraction of exon 13 excluded Ano1 variant, since a reduction of the voltage dependence of activation was found in HEK293 cells expressing exon 13 deleted human Ano1 variant (Ferrera *et al*., [@b9]). Overexpression of exon 15 deleted human Ano1 variant in HEK293 resulted in a significant faster activation and deactivation kinetics (Mazzone *et al*., [@b25]). However, we did not detect if hypoxia caused changes in the relative ratio of exon 15 excluded Ano1 variant in CVECs. Finally, this hypoxia-induced increase in Ano1 current density might be, at least in part, due to Ca^2+^ overload under this condition (Abdallah *et al*., [@b1]). Ano1 may be involved in hypertension-induced cerebrovascular remodelling, based upon the facts that knockdown of Ano1 facilitates and overexpression of Ano1 inhibits angiotensin II-induced cell cycle transition and cell proliferation in rat basilar SMCs (Wang *et al*., [@b40]). Other studies suggest that the function of Ano1 is an important factor for contraction of SMCs both in membrane potential-dependent and membrane potential-independent ways (Dam *et al*., [@b4]). Several studies have suggested that Ano1 expression levels are associated with cell proliferation including interstitial cells of Cajal in the small intestine (Stanich *et al*., [@b36]), head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells, the T24 bladder cancer cells (Duvvuri *et al*., [@b8]) and the gastrointestinal stromal tumour cells (Simon *et al*., [@b35]). Our data suggest that hypoxia also induces an increase in the proliferation rate of CVECs; however, it appears that this hypoxia-induced proliferation is not due to enhanced Ano1 activity because T16A~inh~-A01 (up to 30 μM for 48 h) did not affect the cell growth. In summary, we suggest that Ano1 forms CaCC in CVECs and that hypoxia up-regulates Ano1-mediated *I*~Cl(Ca)~ via enhancing its expression levels and an altered expression ratio of Ano1 splicing variants, thereby potentiating its sensitivity to Ca^2+^ and the membrane voltage. This study was supported by Key Project of Chinese National Program for Fundamental Research and Development (973 Program 2014CB542401, 2012CB517803 to Z. Z.), National Natural Science Foundation of China (30871007, 81270340 and 81320108002 to Z. Z.), Doctoral Tutor Foundation of Ministry of Education (20122307110008 to Z. Z.), Overseas Talent Foundation of Department of Education, Heilongjiang Province (1154HZ11 to Z. Z.) and the Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province (ZD200807-01, ZD200807-02 to Z. Z. and QC2010097 to D. Z.). This study was also supported by American Heart Association Western States Affiliate Grant-in-Aid (11GRNT7610161 to D. D.) and the National Institute of Health Grant (HL106256 to D. D.). Author contributions ==================== Z-RZ, DZ and DDD conceived and designed the experiments; M-MW, JL, B-LS, Y-FG, Y-CL, CY, Q-SW, T-XM and KM collected, analysed and interpreted the data; Z-RZ, DZ and M-MW drafted the manuscript; HCH and DDD revised the manuscript; and all authors approved the final version of the manuscript. Conflict of interest ==================== None declared. Ano1 : anoctamin-1 CaCC : calcium-activated chloride channel *I*~Cl(Ca)~ : calcium-activated chloride current CVEC : cardiac vascular endothelial cell Supporting information ====================== Additional Supporting Information may be found in the online version of this article at the publisher\'s web-site: <http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.12730> **Figure S1** (A) Immunofluorescence images demonstrate the transfection efficiency. Images were taken by fluorescence microscope. The green colour represents GFP. Scale bars represent 40 μm. (B) qRT-PCR demonstrating the expression levels of Ano1 mRNA under indicated conditions (*n* = 6). (C) Representative immunoblots demonstrating the expression levels of Ano1 protein under different experimental conditions. (D) Summarized bar graph represents the abundance of Ano1 protein under different experimental conditions as indicated (*n* = 6). \*\*Indicates *P* \< 0.01 compared to either control or scramble shRNA transfected group. **Table S1** Specific shRNAs sequences for Ano1. **Table S2** Primers used for qRT-PCR of Ano1 exon variants. **Table S3** Oligo nucleotide primers for qRT-PCR. **Appendix S1** Methods and results. | High | [
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Q: check workings for polynomial function from graph The diagram shows a curve with equation of the form $y = kx(x + a)^2$, which passes through $(-2, 0)$, $(0, 0)$ and $(1, 3)$. What are the values of $a$ and $k$. To find $k$, I would set $f(x) = 1$. $f(1) = k(x + 2)(x + 0)(x - 1)$ $3 = k(1 + 2)(x + 1)(1 - 1)$ $3 = k(3)(1)(0)$ This would make $k = 0$ which does not appear to be right. A: $$y=kx(x+a)^2\quad \quad \quad (-2, 0),(0, 0) , (1, 3)$$ $$\text{for} (0,0):\quad \quad \quad f(0)=0=0\\ \text{for}(1,3):\quad \quad \quad f(1)=k(1+a)^2=3\\ \text{for}(-2,0):\quad \quad \quad f(-2)=-2k(-2+a)^2=0$$ so you have two equations with two variables: $$\begin{cases}k(1+2a+a^2)=3\\ -2k(4-4a+a^2)=0\end{cases}$$ $$\begin{cases}k+2ak+ka^2=3\\ -8k+8ka-2ka^2=0\end{cases}$$ Solve, you should get $\color{red}{a=2,k=\frac 1 3}$ | Mid | [
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Q: Keyboard shortcuts which needs 3 or more keys How could I make keyboard shortcuts which needs 3 or more keys to press? Like Ctrl+Alt+S? if (e.KeyCode == Keys.S && Control.ModifierKeys == Keys.Control && Control.ModifierKeys == Keys.Alt) { SAVEc_FORCE(); } but it don't work for me. Any suggestions? A: You have to combine the keys: if (e.KeyCode == Keys.S && (Control.ModifierKeys == Keys.Control | Keys.Alt)) Keys are flags - a single value is made up of all the individual enum values (any you want). So when you press both Control and Alt at the same time, that corresponds to a value of Keys.Control | Keys.Alt. Of course, this means that neither Control.ModifierKeys == Keys.Control nor Control.ModifierKeys == Keys.Alt return true - even though ModifierKeys contains both of those, it's not equal to either of those. As an extension, if you want to match Keys.Control regardless of the status of the remaining modifier keys, you can do this: (Control.ModifierKeys & Keys.Control) == Keys.Control or Control.ModifierKeys.HasFlag(Keys.Control) | High | [
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There are a couple of medication options for people who want to prevent the flu. Aside from taking healthy steps to protect yourself from the flu, you can help prevent the flu by getting the flu vaccine or, for some people, by taking antiviral medication as recommended by their doctor. Antiviral medications are recommended to prevent flu infection for some people. Antivirals can be used to prevent flu in children and adults after coming into close contact with a person who has the flu, such as flu-infected people who live in the same household. Generally, this is not recommended for most people; however, antivirals may be recommended for people at risk for flu complications. In these situations, antiviral medication should be started as soon as possible after becoming exposed to the person with the flu. Your doctor can decide whether you should start antiviral medication. The flu vaccine is available every fall for people to get vaccinated before flu season. The vaccine is different every year and is created based on researchers' predictions of what will be the dominating influenza virus strains circulating that year. It takes about 2 weeks after getting the flu shot before you have full protection. Everyone can benefit from the flu vaccine, but it is especially recommended for pregnant women, children at least 6 months old, people with chronic medical conditions (e.g., diabetes, kidney disease, weakened immune system, cystic fibrosis, heart disease, cancer), seniors, people living in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities, health care providers, and those who are in close contact with people who are at risk for flu complications. The flu shot is not 100% effective for everyone, so even if you did receive the flu shot, there is still a chance you can get the flu. However, your symptoms may be milder. If you received the flu vaccine and still get the flu, consider the flu treatments available. If you are at risk of flu complications, see your doctor as soon as you have symptoms. Find the flu clinic nearest to you and use the doctor discussion guide to help you prepare for your visit. | Mid | [
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Q: Asp.net webforms ListBox Grouping I have a webform page that has a Listbox on it with a list of cameras on it. It is populated by a datatable that has a column for camera name, ip address, and group. DataClasses1DataContext dc = new DataClasses1DataContext(); public List<CameraTable> CameraListBox; public List<ListItem> SelectedListBox; protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e) { if (!IsPostBack) { CameraListBox = (from x in dc.CameraTables select x).ToList(); ListBox1.DataSource = CameraListBox; ListBox1.DataTextField = "CameraName"; ListBox1.DataValueField = "IPAddress"; ListBox1.DataBind(); } } That code works fine to populate the listbox with the camera names, but I would like to make it so that it has the group then the cameras in that group. I have no idea how to do this. I learned not to asked questions on here unless I absolutely have to, but I've researched this for a few days and cannot find anything. Is this possible? Would I have to do all of this programmatically? A: Based on a great approach from SO answer: How can I add option groups in ASP.NET drop down list? A ListBox in ASP.NET does not support the optgroup html required to do the grouping you are requesting. One approach to inject this functionality by adding an attribute to the list items to capture the category, then using your favorite front-end framework to modify the DOM to build the appropriate optgroup structure. Because the ListBox control does not have an OnItemDataBound type of event, you can't get access to each item during the data binding process. Since that would be the only time you could access the group of the CameraTable record, you cannot do databinding - you have to build the list yourself so that you can add the group as an html attribute to each option. The method below is a helper to create a single list item with the data attribute if possible. public ListItem GetListItem(CameraTable item) { var listItem = new ListItem(item.CameraName, item.IPAddress); if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(item.GroupName) == false) listItem.Attributes.Add("data-category", item.GroupName); return listItem; } Then, instead of your databinding code on the listbox, just build the listbox directly. You'll have to account for the view state and persistence across postbacks, but this at least is the approach: var itemsToAdd = CameraListBox .Select(c => GetListItem(c)) .ToArray(); ListBox1.Items.AddRange(itemsToAdd); Finally, pull out your favorite client framework (JQuery below) to build the optgroup elements. var groups = {}; $("select option[data-category]").each(function () { groups[$.trim($(this).attr("data-category"))] = true; }); $.each(groups, function (c) { $("select option[data-category='"+c+"']").wrapAll('<optgroup label="' + c + '">'); }); This should complete the grouping for your elements. UPDATE BASED ON COMMENT QUESTION If you're going to put it in the head of the html, you have to ensure the DOM has loaded - otherwise you are manipulating elements that are not yet ready. To stay with JQuery here, wrap the client script in a $(document).ready event. I included a full sample page below. ASPX Page <%@ Page Title="" Language="C#" MasterPageFile="~/Site.Master" AutoEventWireup="true" CodeBehind="WebForm1.aspx.cs" Inherits="Web.WebForm1" %> <asp:Content ID="Content1" ContentPlaceHolderID="HeadContent" runat="server"> <script src="http://code.jquery.com/jquery-1.11.3.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> $(document).ready(function () { var groups = {}; $("select option[data-category]").each(function () { groups[$.trim($(this).attr("data-category"))] = true; }); $.each(groups, function (c) { $("select option[data-category='" + c + "']").wrapAll('<optgroup label="' + c + '">'); }); }); </script> </asp:Content> <asp:Content ID="Content2" ContentPlaceHolderID="BodyContent" runat="server"> <asp:ListBox ID="ListBox1" runat="server" Height="100" Width="200" /> </asp:Content> ASPX Code Behind (with mocked data context and cameratable) using System; using System.Collections.Generic; using System.Linq; using System.Web; using System.Web.UI.WebControls; namespace Web { public partial class WebForm1 : System.Web.UI.Page { DataClasses1DataContext dc = new DataClasses1DataContext(); public List<CameraTable> CameraListBox; protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e) { if (!IsPostBack) { CameraListBox = (from x in dc.CameraTables select x).ToList(); var itemsToAdd = CameraListBox .Select(c => GetListItem(c)) .ToArray(); ListBox1.Items.AddRange(itemsToAdd); } } public ListItem GetListItem(CameraTable item) { var listItem = new ListItem(item.CameraName, item.IPAddress); if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(item.GroupName) == false) listItem.Attributes.Add("data-category", item.GroupName); return listItem; } } public class DataClasses1DataContext { public IQueryable<CameraTable> CameraTables { get { return new List<CameraTable>() { new CameraTable("Back Hallway", "1.1.1.1", "Floor 1"), new CameraTable("Bedroom 1", "2.2.2.2", "Floor 1"), new CameraTable("Bedroom 2", "3.3.3.3", "Floor 2"), }.AsQueryable(); } } } public class CameraTable { public string CameraName { get; set; } public string IPAddress { get; set; } public string GroupName { get; set; } public CameraTable(string name, string ip, string group) { this.CameraName = name; this.IPAddress = ip; this.GroupName = group; } } } | Mid | [
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Crime reports (Savannah Sound, Eleuthera, The Bahamas) Finalists in the 2017 Eleuthera District Series of Debate Competitions came together in the Championship Round matchup on the morning of Thursday, November 9th, 2017, at the Ministry of Education’s... Consistent with the Commissioner’s Police Plan for 2017, Police in Eleuthera and New Providence seized a quantity of dangerous drugs in separate incidents on Thursday 30th March 2017. In the first incident, shortly after 12:30pm, police assigned... Ellison Greenslade, Commissioner of the Royal Bahamas Police Force NASSAU, The Bahamas (BIS) — “Persons who insist on committing serious crimes should be, and should remain, incarcerated,” said Ellison Greenslade, Commissioner... Goods confiscated A visitor who allegedly illegally set up a retail store in Harbour Island was arrested by Police during an operation on that island on Monday, February 6th, 2017. A team of officers from the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Eleuthera... At about 8:49pm on Saturday, February 4th, 2017, police at Governor’s Harbour received a report of an armed robbery in progress at Paradise Game located on Church Street, Palmetto Point. A short time later later officers responded to... Five men, ranging in age from 23 to 69 being led away from court in Govenor’s Harbour after being arraigned on charges in reference to alleged unlawful sexual intercourse (Eleuthera, Bahamas) The Royal Bahamas Police Force in Eleuthera... (Harbour Island, Bahamas) – The Royal Bahamas Police Force in Eleuthera in cooperation with the Department of Social Services are conducting investigations into two reports of unlawful sexual intercourse. Earlier this week thirteen... (Nassau, Bahamas) – Police have released a composite sketch of a suspect believed to be responsible for the murder of a woman identified as 34 – year old Marisha Bowen (a teacher) of Red Sea Road off Sumner Drive, New Providence, who was found dead in her apartment on Friday 9th September 2016. The unidentified male is believed to be of... (Nassau, Bahamas) – Convicted killer Ormand Leon who escaped from lawful custody two weeks ago has been captured, ending a massive Police manhunt. Thanks to a team of courageous officers from the Drug Enforcement Unit Strike Force. Preliminary reports are that shortly after 11:00pm on Wednesday 17th February 2016, a team of officers from the Drug... Police in Abaco are seeking the public’s assistance in locating the person(s) responsible for the death of a male. Reports are that on Tuesday 9th February 2016 shortly after 9:00pm, the badly burnt body of a male was discovered in bushes off S.C Bootle Highway. The body was examined by doctor and pronounced dead. Police are actively investigating... | Low | [
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Q: Differentiability of a series with rational number sequence I am doing some old question set, and I encounter the following problem: Put all the rational numbers in a sequence $\{ Q_n\} $. Define the function $\ f(x)=\sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{|x-Q_n|}{5^n}$. (a) Show that $f$ is continous on $\mathbb{R}$. (b) Show that $f$ is differentiable at $x$ iff $x$ is an irrational number. Using triangle inequality I am able to solve (a), but I get stuck at (b). Can anyone give me some hints? A: Let $a\in\Bbb R$. If $a$ is irrational, then $|x-Q_n|$ is differentiable at $a$ for all $n$ with derivative $\pm1$. This implies that the series can be differentiated term by term. On the other hand, if $a$ is rational, then $a=Q_N$ for some $N\in\Bbb N$, and $|x-Q_n|$ is not differentiable at $a$, while $|x-Q_n|$ is differentiable at $a$ for all $n\ne N$ with derivative $\pm1$. | High | [
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Price Point $250 E-Gift Card Price Point $250 E-Gift Card Can't decide what product to buy? E-Gift Cards are great for any occasion and do not have expiration dates. Buy one today and say good-bye to re-gifting. Price Point E-Gift Cards work just like cash and never expire. Price Point E-Gift Cards are sent via email. If you’d like to have the certificate sent directly to the recipient, please leave an order comment with the recipient's email address. | Low | [
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[Progress in psychoanalytic treatment]. The author considers psychoanalytic treatment to be most effective when based upon an interactive, intersubjective conception of normal and pathological psychic development. By internalizing pathological and pathogenic relationships during childhood, the person builds up a troubled internal relational pattern; it determines his her choices and ensuing relationships and thus perpetuates his her pathology. When it appears in the psychoanalytic relationship this pathological relational style can be analysed and resolved, while a new relationship, promoted by the psychoanalyst, is begun. It aims at fostering the person's development and mental health. This new, healthier relationship is progressively integrated into the patient's everyday life. Consequently the internal relationship pattern itself, through the person's new experiences, changes. Psychoanalysis comes to an end when the new internal relational pattern is consolidated. Therefore the psychoanalytic cure is seen as a process of transformation; and the psychoanalyst is its agent. Therein, the author maintains that counter transference precedes transference and is the driving force of the curing process. The author states that: precedence and priority should be given to counter-transference. | Mid | [
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Reading Time: < 1 minute By Lyba Mansoor In the wake of the Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) credit card scandal, other parties eyeing political power at the university could not be happier. “After all that 6 Fest drama, we didn’t think there was room for the bar to be any lower. Suffice to say, we were pleasantly surprised,” said Ryerson student politician Dan Rao, head of the Disunite Slate. Other student politicians at the school expressed a similar jubilance as that of Rao’s. “The RSU’s shortcomings have made things a hell of a lot easier for us. It’s like all we have to promise now is that we won’t blow thousands of dollars on personal shit… that’s it,” said Kalia Gonzalez, head of the Power Bottom party. “It instantly took any pressure to perform off my shoulders. Running after this shit-show is kind of like performing at a talent show after the worst kid- no matter how bad you are, you’re going to look like fucking Beyoncé,” said Charlotte Snowy, a member of the Thunder Puppies party. One party even admitted to already entertaining, “We won’t fuck you over as hard as Unify did,” as their runs slogan. Students at the university seemed slightly concerned at the attitude of the potential new RSU. “It’s like they’re…happy? I don’t know that I’d want to vote for a party whose reaction to corruption is joy,” said one first-year student who is clearly being confronted with the concept of partisanship for the first time ever. Despite some of the dubiousness apparent in the student body, relief is still, no doubt, the common emotion across all perspective parties. Just when it seems like student politics at Ryerson cannot possibly get any worse, student politicians somehow find a way, and this new cohort is looking just as promising! | Low | [
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The attorney representing Dominique White's family in a federal lawsuit alleges that an incident last week involving Topeka police is "yet another example of excessive force." However, police officials contend the officers acted reasonably. Civil rights attorney Andrew M. Stroth said his firm, Action Injury Law Group of Chicago, has been hired to conduct an investigation. On Wednesday, Topeka police responded to an apartment complex in the 1300 block of S.W. Harrison after receiving a report of a man armed with a rifle who was in a violent dispute with a woman, TPD said in a statement posted on the department's Facebook page later that day. The occupant, David Reynolds, refused to answer questions and slammed the door shut, TPD said. Police entered the residence and detained Reynolds. No one was found. Topeka police said they entered the residence fearing for the woman's safety and that in emergency situations, officers aren't required to have a search warrant if there is reasonable belief that a person may be in immediate danger. "We believe our officers responded reasonably to this call for service given the facts and the totality of the circumstances," Topeka police Lt. Andrew Beightel said in a statement Monday. Stroth, who filed a federal lawsuit in June in the shooting death of White by two Topeka police officers, said Reynolds was in fear for his life and safety. "Without cause or provocation, at least three Topeka police officers kicked in Mr. Reynolds's door, pointed two AR-15s and handcuffed him," Stroth said in a statement. "A warrant was not presented by the officers and Mr. Reynolds was in the sanctity of his home washing his dog at the time of the false arrest. David is currently a student at Washburn University studying history, education and political science. It's yet another example of excessive force utilized by the TPD." Reynolds recorded part of the interaction and posted it on Facebook where it has been viewed 2.3 million times. On Monday, the Topeka Police Department denied an open records request for body camera recordings from The Topeka Capital-Journal. TPD legal advisor Luther Ganieany wrote in his response that the videos were subject to closure because they aren't in the public's interest and contain personal information, namely the interior of a person's residence. He also cited a Kansas statute that says a public agency isn't required to provide audio or visual recordings that haven't been heard or shown at a public meeting of the governing body. | Mid | [
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In the Missouri governor's race, the National Rifle Association (NRA) could have endorsed a former Navy SEAL who fired an assault rifle and Gatling-style military machine gun in an ad, and is Republican. Instead, it has thrown its support behind a Democrat. The political arm of the group chose Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster over his Republican challenger Eric Greitens, the NRA's Political Victory Fund announced Tuesday. While Mr. Greitens, a political newcomer, received a strong rating from the NRA, Mr. Koster has a long record of "fighting to preserve the Second Amendment," said the group. Koster, a Republican until 2007, is out of step with other Missouri Democrats on gun issues. But he is also part of a dying breed of Democratic politicians across the country that the Washington-based NRA supports. Like many other issue-based organizations, the NRA has become more partisan over the last five years, reported The Trace, a news site that focuses on guns, in May. “The plummet in the NRA support for Democrats highlights the group’s increasingly partisan posture, which is at odds with its past attempts to avoid party allegiances. It also highlights bigger political shifts,” wrote Dan Friedman for The Trace. An analysis by The Trace and the New York Daily News found the primary spending tactic of the NRA has become sponsoring attack ads against Democrats. The NRA spent at least $33.4 million on attack ads from 2010 to 2016, mostly in an effort to defeat Democrats, they found. But Koster won over the group with his 17-year voting record, most notably his public endorsement of Missouri Proposition B in 1999, which, if it had passed, would have required law enforcement to issue concealed weapons permits to eligible adults. Koster was the only Missouri prosecutor to publicly endorse the right-to-carry referendum, according to NRA-PVF. Koster is also out of step with other Missouri Democrats in supporting a state Senate bill the governor vetoed this summer. The bill ends the need for a permit to carry a concealed weapon and reduces the penalty for carrying a firearm into a building where it is not allowed from a felony to a misdemeanor, according to the Kansas City Star. Koster is also the first Democratic running for statewide office to be endorsed by the Missouri Farm Bureau, reports the Star. The NRA’s endorsement of Koster is in line with the group’s long-established “incumbent-friendly” policy. If two candidates are equally supportive of gun rights, the incumbent typically “gets the nod,” Ben Pershing wrote for The Washington Post in 2010. Jennifer Baker, a spokeswoman for the NRA, indicated this is the case with Koster in an interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Ms. Baker said Greitens, the former Navy SEAL, has proven he supports the Second Amendment, but he hasn’t held public office, so he has no public record. The Greitens campaign downplayed the endorsement. "We're not gonna win the career politician insider endorsement contest," Greitens campaign manager Austin Chambers told Politico. "But no one is stronger than Eric on Second Amendment issues and no one will fight harder to grow jobs and clean up the same old politics as usual holding Missouri back.” Still, the NRA endorsement highlights the options for pro-gun Missouri voters – options that are becoming rarer across the country in this political climate. Times have changed since the NRA endorsed 58 incumbent House Democrats in 2010, as The Washington Post reported. “Although the NRA’s agenda usually aligns with the GOP, having clout with Democrats has also been useful,” wrote the Post's Mr. Pershing at the time, pointing to House Democrats’ pressure on then-Attorney General Eric Holder not to reinstate an assault weapons ban. “It it hadn’t been for those 60 House Democrats ... things would have turned out very differently,” Andrew Arulanandam, an NRA spokesman, told the Post. Get the Monitor Stories you care about delivered to your inbox. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Since then, however, the NRA's bipartisan support has waned. In May, The Trace found the NRA had contributed to only one House Democrat’s campaign – a reflection of how partisan many Washington organizations have become. “Most organizations that have an ideological bent have become partisan organizations as the parties have become more homogenous,” David Wasserman, a congressional reporter for the Cook Political Report, told The Trace. “It’s not exclusive to the NRA. We see it with Planned Parenthood and the Human Rights Campaign. They have become Democratic organizations almost exclusively.” | Mid | [
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Q: Add lines between labelled location points I am having difficulty connecting labelled location points with lines using the tmap package in R. Session Info: R version: 3.4.3 (2017-11-30) Package versions: maptools_0.9-2 maps_3.2.0 stringr_1.2.0 bindrcpp_0.2 tmap_1.11 sp_1.2-7 dplyr_0.7.4 plyr_1.8.4 ggmap_2.6.1 ggplot2_2.2.1 My goal is to be able to plot a track and then visualise it after saving, using the interactive option with the save_tmap function. I am able to either plot the locations and label them OR only plot the lines: library(ggmap) library(plyr) library(dplyr) library(sp) library(tmap) library(maps) eg <- data.frame(longitude = c(-38.04434, -38.07048, -38.38147, -38.98167, -39.51479, -39.68861, -40.10173, -40.69829, -41.06727, -41.45114), latitude = c(-54.00679, -53.98419, -53.82259, -53.73171, -53.77248, -53.78981, -53.71934, -53.64412, -53.53544, -53.51021), PointNum=1:10,track=1) head(eg,2) # Create spatial points data frame sp.point <- SpatialPointsDataFrame(eg[,c("longitude","latitude")],eg[,3:4],proj4string = CRS("+proj=longlat +ellps=WGS84 +datum=WGS84 +no_defs")) ## Base plot (raw data) plot(latitude~longitude, data=sp.point, asp=1, type="l") ## Note, asp helps with lat/long plots. text(latitude~longitude, labels=PointNum, data=eg, cex= 0.7) ## Base plot (sp object) plot(sp.point) ## Using tmap package for points with labels (sp object) track.point <- tm_shape(sp.point) + tm_dots("red") +tm_text("PointNum") track.point ## Create spatial lines object ## Use the 'points_to_line' function from this post: https://rpubs.com/walkerke/points_to_line head(eg,2) sp.lines <- points_to_line(data = eg, long = "longitude", lat = "latitude", sort_field = "PointNum") proj4string(sp.lines) <- CRS("+proj=longlat +ellps=WGS84 +datum=WGS84 +no_defs") track.line <- tm_shape(sp.lines) +tm_lines() track.line ## Save as interactive map getwd() save_tmap(tm=track.point,filename="track_point.html") save_tmap(tm=track.line,filename="track_line.html") ## Ideally, I would only want to save one plot which would be a combination of the two above Would anyone be able to show me how to produce a single interactive plot that contains: points which are labelled and which have the lines connecting them? A: You need to join the two tm_shape calls by a + operator to a single tmap object. I am copying your example, with points_to_line function from your linked RPubs page included, so it will work, and just printing the tmap object instead of saving it; this should not affect the result. This is the result (the color of line and size of dots are my choice) library(ggmap) library(plyr) library(dplyr) library(sp) library(tmap) library(maps) points_to_line <- function(data, long, lat, id_field = NULL, sort_field = NULL) { # Convert to SpatialPointsDataFrame coordinates(data) <- c(long, lat) # If there is a sort field... if (!is.null(sort_field)) { if (!is.null(id_field)) { data <- data[order(data[[id_field]], data[[sort_field]]), ] } else { data <- data[order(data[[sort_field]]), ] } } # If there is only one path... if (is.null(id_field)) { lines <- SpatialLines(list(Lines(list(Line(data)), "id"))) return(lines) # Now, if we have multiple lines... } else if (!is.null(id_field)) { # Split into a list by ID field paths <- sp::split(data, data[[id_field]]) sp_lines <- SpatialLines(list(Lines(list(Line(paths[[1]])), "line1"))) # I like for loops, what can I say... for (p in 2:length(paths)) { id <- paste0("line", as.character(p)) l <- SpatialLines(list(Lines(list(Line(paths[[p]])), id))) sp_lines <- spRbind(sp_lines, l) } return(sp_lines) } } eg <- data.frame(longitude = c(-38.04434, -38.07048, -38.38147, -38.98167, -39.51479, -39.68861, -40.10173, -40.69829, -41.06727, -41.45114), latitude = c(-54.00679, -53.98419, -53.82259, -53.73171, -53.77248, -53.78981, -53.71934, -53.64412, -53.53544, -53.51021), PointNum=1:10,track=1) head(eg,2) # Create spatial points data frame sp.point <- SpatialPointsDataFrame(eg[,c("longitude","latitude")],eg[,3:4],proj4string = CRS("+proj=longlat +ellps=WGS84 +datum=WGS84 +no_defs")) sp.lines <- points_to_line(data = eg, long = "longitude", lat = "latitude", sort_field = "PointNum") proj4string(sp.lines) <- CRS("+proj=longlat +ellps=WGS84 +datum=WGS84 +no_defs") ## Using tmap package for points with labels (sp object) myTmap <- tm_shape(sp.point) + tm_dots(col = "red", size = 5) + tm_text("PointNum") + tm_shape(sp.lines) + tm_lines(col = "grey80") print(myTmap) | Low | [
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A DAD is feared to have shot dead his partner and daughter after lying in wait for them, before turning the gun on himself at a swimming pool car park. Lance Hart, 58, who a neighbour claims once threatened him with a shotgun, is believed to have shot his wife Claire, 51, and their daughter Charlotte, 19, in Spalding, Lincs, at 9am yesterday morning. 32 Charlotte Hart, 19, with her mother Claire Hart, 51 Credit: SWNS-Cambridge 32 Lance Hart, 58, is thought to have gunned down his wife and daughter in a swimming pool car park today Credit: SWNS-Cambridge 32 Credit: SWNS-Cambridge- Charlotte and her mother, Claire, are thought to have been shot by father Lance Hart this morning Police were called to the Castle Sports Complex in Spalding, Lincs, at around 9am yesterday morning after gunshots were heard. Neighbours to the Hart family home told how police swooped on the detached £280,000 four bed house in nearby Moulton, at about 10am - an hour after they were shot. Officers have since been raiding the property where Claire and Lance Hart lived with Charlotte, and sons Ryan, 25, and Luke, 26, for seven years. The family had recently sold their £240,000 four-bed detached house and unusually had not been seen “for weeks” by neighbours. One pal yesterday said: "I heard they were having some big marriage problems and that's why they sold the house.” It has been reported Claire had told him she was leaving him days previously. Lance knew the pair would be going swimming that morning and it is thought he hid under a car to wait, before ambushing them with a shotgun. A neighbour claimed the house sale had been a bid to reignite their 26-year marriage after their children had left home. The friend said: "The parents were looking forward to a fresh start in a smaller new home.” He added: "Claire was chatting about the move just last week. She seemed upbeat and matter of fact about it. “She said, 'We're at that stage in life, a crossroads and were moving forward and looking forward’. " A neighbour known only as Peter, described Lance, who is understood to have worked at a nearby builders' merchants, as "the nicest guy you could ever meet" and said he ''would do anything for anyone''. 32 Charlotte Hart named locally as the girl who was shot dead with her mother Claire Hart Credit: SWNS-Cambridge-+44 (0)1179066550 32 Charlotte Hunt, who was at the University of Northampton, is believed to have been shot by her father this morning Credit: SWNS-Cambridge- The family's former next door neighbour claims Lance once threatened him with a shotgun during a row about a fishing lake application. Bob Foreman, 53, said: "Lance was an a*******. Everywhere he went he annoyed people. "I've got some land and about 15 years ago, I put in a planning application to put some fishing lakes in. "He objected to the council on the grounds that his son had a peanut allergy and fish eat peanuts. "I had to prove to the council fish don't eat peanuts and got it approved but it just showed he was difficult. "I was on my land and he walked across with a 12-bore shotgun saying, 'me and you have got a problem'. "He was clearly trying to intimidate me so I said 'why have you brought that?' We started arguing and eventually he put it down." Dad-of-three Bob, from Wisbech St Mary, Cambs., said he understood Lance had a shotgun licence but wondered whether it would have been revoked if he'd reported the incident. "I was thinking yesterday that if I'd have reported him for that they'd have taken his licence off him," he said. Then his daughter and wife would still be alive. "After the argument he was so paranoid that he put the house up for sale and was gone within months. "After that happened I asked people and they told me he annoys everyone. Apparently he lived in Wisbech before and he had to leave there because he fell out with everyone." Another neighbour described the Harts, who are believed to have got married in 1990, as the "loveliest couple ever". 32 Several schools were in lockdown after the shootings and people in the swimming pool have been kept inside Credit: Sky News 32 Credit: Sky News The woman, who did not wish to be named, said: "They were an absolutely lovely family. "They were the loveliest couple ever. We don't know them well but wave to them when we see them. "I can't imagine why they have raided that house. They had three kids, two boys and a girl." 'The house is up for sale but I can't imagine they would have left without saying goodbye." Charlotte was studying at the University of Northampton but was home for the summer holidays. The university released a statement paying tribute to Charlotte, who had just finished the first year of a midwifery course. Mary Huntley, Senior Lecturer in Midwifery, said: "The students and staff at the University of Northampton are deeply saddened to hear of Charlotte's death. "Charlotte was lovely young woman, who's quiet, friendly manner served her well with her academic studies at University and during her clinical placement with Kettering General Hospital. "Charlotte was well liked and extremely hard working throughout her studies; as well as when she was playing for the University of Northampton Students' Union Lacrosse team. "Charlotte was a lovely person, who will be sorely missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends at this difficult time." A former neighbour of Lance Hart's parents, Raymond and Daphne Hart, said: "He was a friendly guy, I wouldn't have a bad word to say about him, but I knew him decades ago." 32 Neighbours of the family said they were selling the house in Moulton near Spalding Credit: SWNS-Cambridge 32 Charlotte and her mother, Claire, were still alive when paramedics arrived but they were unable to be saved Credit: SWNS-Cambridge 32 Gunshots were heard by nearby builders and people in the swimming pool who ran to help Credit: SWNS-Cambridge- 32 The family was said to have lived in Moulton, near Spalding, for a number of years Credit: SWNS-Cambridge- Lincolnshire Police confirmed just after 4pm today that the people killed were two women and a man. A shotgun is believed to have been involved, and officers are still looking into the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Cops confirmed the incident was not terror-related and it is being speculated that the incident is linked to a domestic dispute. Superintendent Paul Timmins addressed the press this afternoon outside the Spalding Police Station and said: "We believe all those involved were known to each other but we are not in a position to release their names and their relationship to each other." Supt Int said no more comments would be made by the police today. 32 It is understood Charlotte was studying at the University of Northampton but was home for the summer holidays Credit: SWNS-Cambridge- 32 A close neighbour said of 19-year-old Charlotte: "She was really nice and friendly." Credit: SWNS-Cambridge- 32 A close friend who did not wish to be named described the family as "an absolutely lovely family" Credit: SWNS-Cambridge- 32 Superintendent Paul Timmins talking at a press conference this afternoon, following the shooting in Spalding Credit: SWNS - Leeds +44 (0)1179066550 Police were last night interviewing a series of the couple’s closest friends following the shooting just after 9am in Spalding, Lincs. The family were said to be “dog crazy” and until recently had three of the pets, which they doted on. Morrison’s worker Claire was said to be particularly close to Charlotte. Blonde Charlotte, the youngest of their “bright” children had attended the town’s High School for girls and was about to start her second year of midwifery at Northampton University, in September. She was a keen rider and photographer and her Facebook profile showed she had enjoyed travelling including a trip to Australia. Her boyfriend Ben Griffiths, 20, of Bicester, Oxfordshire., was last night too upset to comment. A woman, understood to be his mum Nicola, told The Sun: "Ben has only just heard. I don't think he'll want to talk - he's just too upset." Others friends told how Mr Hart, who had also worked at a builder’s merchants, was a DIY obsessive who loved working with power tools. One neighbour, close to the family home in Moulton, Lincs., said: “He had all the the tools and would help me out from time to time. “He loved the machines - but I had no idea he was into guns, or even owned a gun.” 32 Police gather near the site of the shooting which left three people dead, including the gunman, this morning Credit: EPA 32 Forensic teams work at the scene of the shootings as police investigate what happened at the swimming pool car park in Spalding Credit: SWNS-Cambridge- A builder, who tried to save the two victims, told the Telegraph: "At about nine o'clock three shots went off while I was working on the building site. I ran across the car park, jumped over the fence and went to help. "When I arrived there was only me and another lad from the swimming pool who was trying to help. "There were three people injured. It looked like the man had done the other two and done away with himself. "There was a man, an older woman, and a younger woman. They looked like a family. "The man was already dead when I got there. The older woman was very badly injured and I tried CPR on her while the guy from the swimming baths tried on the younger woman who didn't look as bad. "I would say the younger woman was around 20. The older woman was about 40 and the man looked in his late 40s." 32 A bloodstained item - possibly clothing or a package - can be seen on the floor where the shootings took place Credit: SWNS-Cambridge 32 Forensic tents have been set up where people were gunned down this morning outside a swimming pool Credit: Sky News A house in nearby Moulton was raided by armed police hours after the deaths, reportedly to do with this morning's incident. A man who lives on the road, who asked not to be named, saw a number of police vehicles arrive at a house shortly before 10am this morning. He said: "There are currently two police cars, a police van and an undercover van at the house. "They (police) have been there all morning, they were all piling in. "There has been a series of burglaries in the area. We thought it was something to do with that." Gary Mound, who owns the Post Office in Moulton, Lincs., said: "I just got back from Peterborough and there are people in the post office saying there's quite a lot of police activity in Hatt Close. "It's absolutely shocking." Lincolnshire Police have so far refused to confirm whether the raid on the property is linked to the triple shooting. 32 A house on Hatt Rd, in Moulton, near Spalding which is being searched by police after the triple shooting Credit: SWNS-Cambridge- 32 Staff from the sports complex and swimming pool look over at the cordoned off area where three people died Credit: SWNS-Cambridge-+44 (0)1179066550 Cllr Gary Porter, leader of South Holland District Council, has described the incident as a "tragic family incident". He said: "It looks from what we have seen so far, it is a tragic family incident - that is what I have been led to believe. "Police are not looking for anyone else. Feel sorry for the people's families who are involved and be grateful it's not yours. "Everything we have seen so far suggests it is a domestic. Staff at the swimming pool have been interviewed. "It is a tragic event on a personal scale rather than community scale." Officers rushed to the scene after reports a person had been injured in a "firearms incident" just after 9am. 32 Police are still investigating after three people were killed this morning outside a swimming pool Credit: Sky News 32 Police, paramedics and an air ambulance were called to the scene of the shooting this morning Credit: Nigel Chapman Laura Spring, who works at the Woodlands Hotel on Pinchbeck Road, near to the site of the shooting, told the Lincolnshire Echo, said: "It is absolutely devastating. I have a cold shiver running down my spine." Police investigators have set up a white forensic tent in the swimming pool car park where it is believed at least one of the victims were found. A small hatchback is currently being searched by forensic teams, which is parked next to a blue Citroen C1 and a white Ford Kuga 4x4 vehicle. John Tippler, 86, was sitting reading in the living room of his home in Spalding, Lincs., when he heard three bangs at around 9am. He said: "We heard three bangs in the morning, my dog looked up at me and I reassured her it was fine. "We usually hear bangs from Elderkins Gun Shop - they have a place at the park where people can shoot into the air." Mr Tippler said the bangs sounded like blasts from a shotgun but he says he did not hear any screams or shouts. He had left his four-bedroom detached home which stands by the road leading to the swimming pool to walk his dog at 8am. "We usually go by the swimming pool around the field but today I went a different route," he added. "It's very sad to hear three people have died." 32 The scene at Castle Sports Complex swimming pool in Spalding this morning after a triple shooting Credit: Sky News 32 Three people have died - including the gunman - in a shooting at a public swimming pool in Lincolnshire Credit: SWNS-Cambridge- Leader of the Labour party Jeremy Corbyn tweeted: "Shocking events in Spalding, Lincolnshire. My thoughts are with the victims and their families." Keith Mayo, 30, arrived at the Castle Sports Complex in Spalding, Lincs., for his morning gym session at 10.30am to find the area cordoned off. The father-of-one said: "When I got here after dropping my kid off I saw the air ambulance on the field next to the gym and all the ambulances. "I thought someone had hurt themselves in the gym but it was not until I called my cousin in London that I learned three people had been shot. "It was already all over the news, it's shocking." Mum Jemma Prescott, 30, said: "I have not long finished work and just came into town to hear people talking about a shooting. It makes you think. "Spalding has completely changed. I have a four year old son and I'm not sure I want him growing up here." 32 Forensic tents were set up immediately after the deaths were confirmed as a police cordon surrounded the area Credit: PA:Press Association 32 Police stand guard at the cordon which surrounds the scene of the shooting at the swimming pool Credit: PA:Press Association One woman, who did not wish to be named, said: "We heard all the police cars earlier this morning - they were absolutely everywhere, tearing around. "We didn't hear any shots, nothing at all, only the dozens, literally dozens, of police cars. It must have been about half past nine or quarter to 10 when it started and there was car after car." Another local, who asked not to be named, said an air ambulance was still outside the swimming pool more than an hour after the incident. A statement on the Lincolnshire Police website confirmed the fatalities. It read: "We can confirm that there has been a firearms incident on Pinchbeck Road in Spalding in the vicinity of the Castle Swimming Pool, in which three people have been fatally wounded, including the suspected offender. "There is an ongoing police investigation and at this stage we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. RELATED STORIES Live Blog COVID UPDATE London lockdown 'THIS WEEK' as Whitty warns of 200 deaths a day within weeks Live Blog OUT & ABOUT Major BOOM for post-Brexit Britain as EU firms flock to UK, expert predicts ANARCHY IN THE USA Barr to crackdown on 'anarchist' NY, Portland & Seattle by pulling cash Breaking HIGH ALERT Covid alert rises to Level 4 - paving way for tougher restrictions Live Blog PARTY'S OVER! Massive storm bringing 65mph winds, plunging temperatures and rain DRINK UP Will pubs and restaurants close again in the UK if there's a second wave? "There is no indication that this is a terrorist related incident and no shots have been fired by police. We would urge members of the public to stay away from the area at the present time. "Any witnesses to the incident, who haven’t already spoken with officers at the scene, are asked to call 101, quoting incident number 92 of July 19." People who were in the swimming pool this morning are being kept inside, it has been reported, as police are still investigating at the scene. Some schools in the area were reportedly on lockdown following the fatal shootings. 32 The swimming pool is near to Spalding's police station Credit: SWNS-Cambridge-+44 (0)1179066550 32 Police were sent to the scene in large numbers, along with paramedics and an air ambulance Credit: SWNS-Cambridge-+44 (0)1179066550 32 Police rushed to the sports complex and swimming pool this morning before confirming that three people were dead after a "firearms incident" Credit: Google Maps The Lincolnshire Echo reported Spalding Grammar School was not allowing anyone out of the school, but others in the area said they are aware of the shooting but are operating as normal. A spokeswoman for the East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust said they were called to the scene at 9.04am. She said: "Our ambulance crews and Paramedic Officer were sent to the emergency and told to approach with caution. "Upon arriving at scene our paramedics treated three patients who had gunshot wounds. Despite the best efforts of everyone at the scene the patients were pronounced dead. "This is a tragic incident and our thoughts are with the friends and families of those involved." 32 The sports complex near to where the fatal shootings took place - police have said they do not believe it to be terror related Credit: Google Maps 32 Police, paramedics and an air ambulance were scrambled to the site at about 9am this morning Credit: SWNS-Cambridge- Witnesses at the scene said they heard a noise like a "bird scarer" before police, an air ambulance and paramedics arrived. District councillor Gary Taylor, who represents Spalding Castle ward, said: "It's terrible news and local people are very shocked. It's a very quiet place, gun crime does not exist in this area at all. It's shocking news." The Spalding Guardian reported that six police cars were at the scene on Tuesday morning and that local businesses had been told to keep their doors locked. The swimming pool is near to Spalding's police station. The Castle Sports Complex and Pool houses a gymnasium, swimming pool, an eight-court badminton sports hall, crèche, meeting rooms, fitness classes, indoor bowls and bar. The complex issued a statement on their Facebook page which apologised "for any inconvenience caused" and said the swimming pool is closed "due to an incident in the local area". The sports centre is open and the website will be updated with developments. We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368 | Low | [
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NEW YORK -- J.J. Watt found a unique way to make the 2014 Associated Press NFL All-Pro team announced Friday. Houston's Watt was listed on all 50 ballots by a nationwide panel of media members who regularly cover the league, with 45 of the votes for defensive end and the other five for defensive tackle. So he actually was a first-team end and a second-team tackle in gaining his third straight selection. "Everybody always says you try and make it so the other team can't game plan you because they don't know where you're coming from," Watt said. "I mean, half the time I have no clue where I'm coming from, so it makes it pretty tough for the other people, I think, and that's the goal." No such confusion for New England's Rob Gronkowski as the other unanimous pick. He grabbed all the votes for tight end. "He's, I think, when you say a kid playing the game, that's him," Patriots safety Devin McCourty said. "He don't care about anything, stats, if we're up or down, he's playing one way. He's playing hard and you can tell he's just having fun with his friends on the field." Dallas led all teams with four All-Pros, including guard Zack Martin, the only rookie on the squad. League rushing leader DeMarco Murray, tackle Tyron Smith and wide receiver Dez Bryant also made it. "I wasn't really coming in this year expecting to do this, but it's been a fun season," said Martin, a first-round draftee from Notre Dame who has been a major cog in the Cowboys' superb running attack. Sack It To Me J.J. Watt has recorded 54 percent of the Texans' sacks this season. That's the second-highest percentage of a team's sacks for a player since individual sacks have been tracked (1982). Year Player Percentage Team 1989 Tim Harris 57 Packers 2014 J.J. Watt 54 Texans 2012 Aldon Smith 51 49ers -- Elias Sports Bureau Making their first All-Pro teams were all four Cowboys, plus Seattle inside linebacker Bobby Wagner; Buffalo DE Mario Williams and DT Marcell Dareus; Kansas City outside LB Justin Houston; Pittsburgh WR Antonio Brown and RB Le'Veon Bell; Baltimore guard Marshal Yanda; Green Bay fullback John Kuhn; Cincinnati kick returner Adam Jones; and Indianapolis punter Pat McAfee. Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri joined McAfee. "It's pretty awesome," McAfee said. "When we both signed back here (in March), that was the plan -- to be the two best specialists in the league. I'm not sure I made it, but he certainly did." Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers made it for the second time; he also was the All-Pro QB in 2011. Brown was next closest to sweeping the panel, earning 49 votes. Murray drew 48 and Houston 47. "When you step into a stadium he's a known issue, but still he performs," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said of Brown. "We could talk about some of the same things about guys like J.J. Watt. We knew what he was capable of when we were getting ready to play him, but it still doesn't stop the storm from coming." Cleveland tackle Joe Thomas earned his fifth All-Pro spot, the most of anyone on the current team. Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis got his fourth All-Pro berth. Seattle and Pittsburgh each had three All-Pros. There were 16 AFC players and 11 from the NFC. The Seahawks were all defensive players: Wagner, cornerback Richard Sherman and safety Earl Thomas. "I'm on such a great defense that sometimes there are guys that get overlooked and unfortunately I was one of them," said Wagner, who missed five games with injuries in his third pro season. "But I think all the things that has happened this year as far as the awards and the recognition and stuff like that, it means so much more to me this year because everything that I went through this year." Repeaters from 2013 were Watt, Thomas, Detroit DT Ndamukong Suh, Carolina inside linebacker Luke Kuechly, Sherman and Thomas. | Mid | [
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Things of Value Mar 23, 2010 Marco Arment is quite a guy. He’s the one behind the delightful Tumblr and the nearly-essential Instapaper, and when he writes, he writes well. In some ways, I wish I were more like Marco - specifically, in the “why don’t I ever have good ideas like this?” way and the “how in the world does he get so much stuff done?” way. That second one was driven home by a not-so recent post that I read this past week. This is the part that stuck with me: I often hear people defending their “guilty pleasure” habit of subscribing to awful blogs or reading tabloids or watching bad TV with phrases like “It’s good sometimes” or “It’s not that bad” or “I have to follow what’s happening.” There’s only so much time in the day, and only so many days in our lives. There’s enough great work out there that you don’t need to waste any time with anything that isn’t great.[emphasis mine] At any moment, there are thousands of things that I could be learning from millions of people that I’ll never meet. Failing that, there’s a dozen project ideas that I’ve had kicking around, and another dozen blog posts I’ve been meaning to write. The part I have trouble with is the mental energy. When I catch myself wasting time reading FAIL Blog, or giggling at People of Walmart, or re-watching an old episode of The Simpsons that I’ve seen four times, I feel guilty because I know that it is a waste of time. I know that in ten years, I won’t look back and think, “I wish I had spent more time looking at pictures of puppies.” There are always more productive things to be done, but when I’m wasting time on those kinds of things, it’s because I don’t have the mental energy to build or learn something new. Doing something that requires more energy at times like that just feels like work, and that’s not the right mindset to have about it. And so I’m caught in this dichotomy of understanding that some leisure time is essential, but feeling like it’s just not the best use of my time, but also knowing that I can’t really force myself to be in the mood to do something more valuable. In ten years, I know I’d rather look back with pride in my accomplishments than satisfaction in all that relaxing I did; how do I trick myself into feeling driven enough to do something about it when I’m drained after a long day of work? | Mid | [
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Metabolism of dehydroisoandrosterone and androstenedione by human A-549 alveolar type II epithelial-like cells. The A-549 cell line was initiated from an explant of human lung carcinoma tissue. The biochemical characteristics of these cells are similar to those of normal alveolar type II epithelial cells. To gain some insight into the steroid-metabolizing capabilities of A-549 cells, the metabolism of tritium-labeled dehydroisoandrosterone and androstenedione by these cells was studied. The metabolism of dehydroisoandrosterone led to the exclusive formation of 5-androstene-3 beta,17 beta-diol. The major product of androstenedione metabolism was testosterone; and, 5 alpha-reduced steroids also were formed, viz. 5 alpha-androstane-3,17-dione, androsterone, isoandrosterone, 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone, 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha,17 beta-diol and 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta,17 beta-diol. Estrogens, viz., estrone and estradiol-17 beta, were not products of androstenedione metabolism by A-549 cells. The rates of metabolite formation from either dehydroisoandrosterone or androstenedione were linear as a function of incubation time up to 3 h, and with cell number up to 1 X 10(6) cells/ml. The apparent Km of 17 beta-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase for dehydroisoandrosterone was 11 microM, and that for androstenedione was 13 microM. The predominant formation of 5-androstene-3 beta,17 beta-diol from dehydroisoandrosterone, and testosterone from androstenedione is a likely indication that the principal C19-steroid-metabolizing enzyme in A-549 cells is 17 beta-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase; the other steroid-metabolizing enzymes expressed in these cells are 5 alpha-reductase, 3 beta-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase and 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase. The findings of this study demonstrate that A-549 cells express steroid-metabolizing enzymatic activities that are qualitatively similar to those found in other human pneumonocytes and human lung tissue, except for 3 beta-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase-5----4-isomerase activity, which is not expressed in these cells with dehydroisoandrosterone as the substrate. | High | [
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<?php // This file is part of Moodle - http://moodle.org/ // // Moodle is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify // it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by // the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or // (at your option) any later version. // // Moodle is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, // but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of // MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the // GNU General Public License for more details. // // You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License // along with Moodle. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>. /** * Grade report viewed event. * * @package core * @copyright 2016 Zane Karl <[email protected]> * @license http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later */ namespace core\event; defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die(); /** * Grade report viewed event class. * * @package core * @since Moodle 3.2 * @copyright 2016 Zane Karl <[email protected]> * @license http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later */ abstract class grade_exported extends base { /** * Initialise the event data. */ protected function init() { if (!($this instanceof grade_exported)) { throw new Exception('grade_exported abstract is NOT extended by a valid component.'); } $this->data['crud'] = 'r'; $this->data['edulevel'] = self::LEVEL_TEACHING; } /** * Returns localised export type. * * @return string */ public static function get_export_type() { $classname = explode('\\', get_called_class()); $exporttype = explode('_', $classname[0]); return $exporttype[1]; } /** * Returns localised general event name. * * @return string */ public static function get_name() { return get_string('eventgradeexported', 'gradeexport_'. self::get_export_type()); } /** * Returns non-localised description of what happened. * * @return string */ public function get_description() { return "The user with id '$this->userid'" . " exported grades using the ". $this->get_export_type() ." export in the gradebook."; } /** * Returns relevant URL. * * @return \moodle_url */ public function get_url() { $url = '/grade/export/' . $this->get_export_type() . '/export.php'; return new \moodle_url($url, array('id' => $this->courseid)); } } | Mid | [
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Wednesday, June 5, 2013 Water Garden 2013...and Ultrarunning This year just wanted to show one of my 3 Water Lilies. This one is pink or a light red, and although it came from a big box store (Lowe's) it has consistently bloomed like a workhorse for the past 10 years or so. [image credit Gary] The Parrot Feather is peeking out at the upper left, another workhorse plant. The two plants are quite analogous to Ultrarunning. See, most of the real work of Ultrarunning comes in training. The races are the glory events, which are only made possible by all the hard work in preparation. To stretch the point, in the water garden, all the day to day heavy lifting is done by the everyday plants, the ones we almost take for granted, like the Lilies and the Parrot Feather. But then when you examine these journeyman plants you see a special beauty that comes from their ordinariness. | Mid | [
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Post navigation Colorado Court Decision May Impact Indiana’s ‘Lawsuit Lending’ Battle As the 2016 legislative session nears, an interesting development occurred in Colorado over an issue that the Indiana Chamber has been working on for the last several years. This week, the Colorado Supreme Court determined that the practice of litigation finance, or more commonly referred to as “lawsuit lending”, was determined to be a loan and subject to Colorado’s Uniform Consumer Credit Code (UCCC). Lawsuit lending is the practice of advancing money to a plaintiff/someone involved in an accident in anticipation of winning a lawsuit in court. If the plaintiff is awarded a settlement, the advance must be repaid at considerably high interest rates. If the plaintiff loses the suit, there is no obligation to repay the loan. Proponents of the industry have claimed that the advance is not a loan because there is no recourse if the suit is lost. Opponents (including the Indiana Chamber) believe that this process interjects a third party into the civil justice system and prolongs the settlement process. The Colorado Supreme Court’s decision puts lower interest rate limits on the advance of these loans. Two companies doing business in Colorado stopped operating in 2010 after the state office that regulates Colorado’s UCCC determined that the state law applies to their businesses. After the two companies filed suit to overturn the regulatory opinion, the state attorney general’s office countersued. The companies were accused of unlicensed lending and charging “exorbitant” interest rates to plaintiffs. In conclusion, the Colorado Supreme Court wrote: “We hold that litigation finance companies that agree to advance money to tort plaintiffs in exchange for future litigation proceeds are making ‘loans’ subject to Colorado’s UCCC even if the plaintiffs do not have an obligation to repay any deficiency if the litigation proceeds are ultimately less than the amount due. These transactions create a debt or an obligation to repay that grows with the passage of time. We agree with the court of appeals that these transactions are ‘loans’ under the code…” Attempts to regulate the practice have been unsuccessful in Indiana. Hoosier proponents of the practice have indicated that subjecting finance companies to the UCCC in Indiana or subjecting them to an interest rate of less than 45% will put them out of business, so there has not been language that could bring about a compromise. The Indiana House of Representatives has passed a bill for several years that the Chamber has supported. However, the Senate has sided with the lenders and stifled the Chamber’s attempts to forward our position. Still, the Colorado Supreme Court decision might be a game-changer in Indiana. It would not be surprising to see legislation introduced that will mirror what happened in Colorado. Last session, a similar measure was inserted as an amendment into a bill that came over from the House. The language was removed on the Senate floor before a vote was taken. Legislation this session that would be tied to Indiana’s UCCC should be assigned to the House Financial Institutions Committee, where it will find support. Likewise, any bill tied to the UCCC should be sent to the Senate Insurance and Financial Institutions, chaired by Sen. Travis Holdman (R-Markle), where it would most likely find support. However, the issue historically has not been tied to the UCCC and has been assigned to the Civil Law Committee, where Sen. Joe Zakas (R-Granger) is chair. Senator Zakas has not been supportive of the Chamber’s lawsuit lending position. The Chamber anticipates further debate on this issue as the new legislative session unfolds. The real reason the Chamber opposes litigation finance is because most tort victims don’t have sufficient financial resources to live on while they wait for justice–either in the form of a trial or during extensive discovery, so insurance companies can starve them out and manipulate a lower settlement simply because the victims are so deeply in debt that they can’t wait for justice and don’t have relatives or others to help them out for the years-long process most tort cases take to resolve. So, that’s what is meant by prolonging the settlement process. If victims have some money to live on, they won’t have to take a low ball settlement amount. That said, those litigation finance companies are also predators and should be regulated. So, in Indiana, where money and those who have it are worshipped–what is the Legislature supposed to do? Competing people wanting to use the law for their own gain. | Mid | [
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Consider this your “feel good” story of the day. The Washington Times is reporting Arpaio’s opponents are having trouble obtaining the number signatures they need in their petition to recall “America’s Sheriff” Joe Arpaio. Volunteers’ latest effort took place at a music festival, targeted for its huge crowd size and liberally-minded attendees, The Associated Press reported. But shortly after setting up camp, recall workers found themselves facing an even larger opposition group: Supporters of Mr. Arpaio turned out in droves and drowned out the recall workers’ rally calls, AP reported. At the end of the day, pro-recall workers only netted 100 signatures — far less than anticipated for such a heavily attended event. The union-backed recall drive started in January, and anti-Arpaio forces are reportedly far behind in their goal. They need to collect 335,000 signatures by May 30, and are having to rely primarily on volunteers due to the fact that the effort is not attracting much in the way of donations. Arpaio’s office was recently targeted with an mail package bomb that was intercepted in Flagstaff. The ABC Phoenix affiliate reported last week that for the time being, “all mail being received at the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office headquarters will remain unopened until further notice.” | Low | [
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78 Cal.App.3d 82 (1978) 144 Cal. Rptr. 71 COUNTY OF INYO, Petitioner, v. CITY OF LOS ANGELES et al., Respondents. Docket No. 13886. Court of Appeals of California, Third District. February 27, 1978. *84 COUNSEL L.H. Gibbons, District Attorney, and Antonio Rossmann for Petitioner. Burt Pines, City Attorney, Edward C. Farrell, Chief Assistant City Attorney, Kenneth W. Downey, Assistant City Attorney, and Donald D. Stark for Respondents. OPINION FRIEDMAN, J. We deny Inyo County's motion for imposition of costs (amounting to $1,067.61) and an attorney fee (of $85,267.50) against the adverse party, City of Los Angeles. The lawsuit is an original mandate action in which Inyo County is the petitioner and Los Angeles the respondent. In 1973 we issued a peremptory writ of mandate directing the City of Los Angeles and its department of water and power to prepare an environmental impact *85 report covering their increased extraction and use of Owens Valley groundwater. (County of Inyo v. Yorty (1973) 32 Cal. App.3d 795 [108 Cal. Rptr. 377]; see also, County of Inyo v. City of Los Angeles (1976) 61 Cal. App.3d 91 [132 Cal. Rptr. 167].) As its return to the writ of mandate the City of Los Angeles prepared and filed an environmental impact report. Through its district attorney and its retained special counsel, Inyo County presented briefs, exhibits and argument designed to demonstrate the invalidity of the environmental impact report. On June 27, 1977 we filed a decision sustaining the county's position. We held that the environmental impact report complied with neither the California Environmental Quality Act nor the writ of mandate. In the exercise of our continuing jurisdiction, we directed the city to take "reasonably expeditious action" to comply with the writ. (County of Inyo v. City of Los Angeles (1977) 71 Cal. App.3d 185 [139 Cal. Rptr. 396].) The state Supreme Court rejected the city's petition for hearing. The county then filed the present motion. I (1) The parties debate the timeliness of the county's application. In prerogative writ proceedings in the appellate courts the prevailing party may be awarded costs but only by direction of the court in its judgment or before its judgment reaches finality. (Union Trust Co. v. Superior Court (1939) 13 Cal.2d 541, 543-544 [90 P.2d 582].) The city's charge of tardiness is based upon the "finality" of our June 1977 decision rejecting the city's return to the writ of mandate. The time limitation voiced in Union Trust, supra, stems from the court's lack of jurisdiction after the lawsuit is terminated by a final decision. Our decision of June 1977 was an interim one which did not terminate the lawsuit; rather, it was characterized by a retention of continuing jurisdiction to enforce the writ of mandate until the latter had been satisfied. (County of Inyo v. City of Los Angeles, supra, 71 Cal. App.3d at p. 205; County of Inyo v. City of Los Angeles, supra, 61 Cal. App.3d at p. 95.) A peremptory writ of mandate does not necessarily exhaust the court's authority; where it does not provide complete relief, the court may continue the lawsuit and make such interim orders as the case may require. (Gonzales v. Internat. Assn. of Machinists (1963) 213 Cal. App.2d 817, 820 [29 Cal. Rptr. 190].) In the absence of a final judgment we retain jurisdiction over the parties and subject matter, as well as ancillary jurisdiction to award costs. *86 (2) The claim for conventional costs of $1,067.61 covers the expenses of brief printing, a transcript and service of papers. These apparently embrace only the county's costs of resisting the city's insufficient return to the writ and not all costs since inception of the suit. The request is a piecemeal one. Possibly we need not await the suit's termination before awarding costs. In any event, we take our cue from the cost procedures in trial and appellate litigation generally. In a general way, these provide for costs as an incident to the ultimate judgment in the action. (Code Civ. Proc., §§ 1031, 1032, 1033; Cal. Rules of Court, rule 26(a).) If only as a matter of discretion, we defer action on Inyo County's partial bill for conventional costs until it is incorporated in a complete cost bill at the close of the lawsuit. II We turn to the attorney fee claim. Section 1021, Code of Civil Procedure, is the California codification of the general American doctrine which denies attorney fees to victorious litigants unless provided by statute or contract. Inyo County's fee application is grounded on three rules or theories which various courts have recognized as nonstatutory exceptions to the general doctrine: the private attorney general rule, the substantial benefit rule and the vexatious litigant rule. (The county terms the last the "obdurate behavior" rule.) These are three of the four principles, rules or concepts described in Serrano v. Priest (1977) 20 Cal.3d 25 [141 Cal. Rptr. 315, 569 P.2d 1303], which we shall cite as Serrano III. Serrano III described two recognized California principles, rules or theories, stemming from the inherent equitable powers of the courts. "`The first of these is the well-established "common fund" principle: when a number of persons are entitled in common to a specific fund, and an action brought by a plaintiff or plaintiffs for the benefit of all results in the creation or preservation of that fund, such plaintiff or plaintiffs may be awarded attorney's fees out of the fund.... (3a) The second principle, of more recent development, is the so-called "substantial benefit" rule: when a class action or corporate derivative action results in the conferral of substantial benefits, whether of a pecuniary or nonpecuniary nature, upon the defendant in such an action, that defendant may, in the exercise of the court's equitable discretion, be required to yield some of those benefits in the form of an award of attorney's fees.'" (Serrano III, at p. 34.) (4a) Serrano III described two additional theories grounded largely in federal case law. "The first of these, involv[ed] awards against an *87 opponent who has maintained an unfounded action or defense `"in bad faith, vexatiously, wantonly or for oppressive reasons"' (11 Cal.3d at p. 26 [D'Amico v. Board of Medical Examiners (1974) 11 Cal.3d 1 (112 Cal. Rptr. 786, 520 P.2d 10)]) ..." (Serrano III at p. 42; but see Williams v. MacDougall (1870) 39 Cal. 80, 85-86). (5) Quoting from an earlier California decision, Serrano III described the fourth, or private attorney general theory in these terms: "This concept, as we understand it, seeks to encourage suits effectuating a strong congressional or national policy by awarding substantial attorney's fees, regardless of defendants' conduct, to those who successfully bring such suits and thereby bring about benefits to a broad class of citizens." (D'Amico v. Board of Medical Examiners, supra, 11 Cal.3d at p. 27.) Serrano III went on to elaborate the private attorney general concept: "Thus it seems to be contemplated that if a trial court ... determines that the litigation has resulted in the vindication of a strong or societally important public policy, that the necessary costs of securing this result transcend the individual plaintiff's pecuniary interest to an extent requiring subsidization, and that a substantial number of persons stand to benefit from the decision, the court may exercise its equitable powers to award attorney fees on this theory." (Id., at p. 45.) It is not certain whether Serrano III intended to postulate four separate standards whose discrete verbal forms would govern fee applications; or, whether it merely described several stock situations in which American courts, in the exercise of an historic discretionary power, have been habitually receptive to those applications. The verbalization of separate formulae seemingly requires a court to test each fee claim against each formula posed as its justification. The historic origin of the award was described and annotated in Trustees v. Greenough (1882) 105 U.S. 527 [26 L.Ed. 1157], Sprague v. Ticonic Bank (1939) 307 U.S. 161 [83 L.Ed. 1184, 59 S.Ct. 777], and Alyeska Pipeline Co. v. Wilderness Society (1975) 421 U.S. 240, 257-258 [44 L.Ed.2d 141, 153-154, 95 S.Ct. 1612]. See generally, Dawson, Lawyers and Involuntary Clients: Attorney Fees from Funds (1974) 87 Harv.L.Rev. 1597; Hornstein, Legal Therapeutics: The "Salvage" Factor in Counsel Fee Awards (1956) 69 Harv.L.Rev. 658.) The doctrine was a unitary one, evoked by exceptional cases in equity, "part of the original authority of the chancellor to do equity in a particular situation" and to achieve justice "as between a party and the beneficiaries of his litigation." (Sprague v. Ticonic Bank, supra, 307 U.S. at pp. 166-167 [83 L.Ed. at p. 1187]; Fletcher v. A.J. Industries, Inc. (1968) 266 Cal. App.2d 313, 323 [72 Cal. Rptr. 146].) *88 As occasions for the fee award expanded, as it was evoked by legal victories other than the "common fund" variety, appellate opinion writers resorted to a variety of ad hominem justifications for the expansion.[1] Other jurists then culled these expressions to bolster their own decisions, transmuting the ad hominem justification into stock formulae. The latter thus assumed the guise of rules, tending to freeze equitable individualization into relatively rigid, verbal molds. Possibly these "rules" are nothing more than an expression of judicially conceived, discretionary norms. Mr. Justice Frankfurter, author of the Ticonic Bank opinion, denigrated "formalities of the litigation" as keystone of the attorney fee award, emphasizing its discretionary essence: "As in much else that pertains to equitable jurisdiction, individualization in the exercise of a discretionary power will alone retain equity as a living system and save it from sterility." (Sprague v. Ticonic Bank, supra, 307 U.S. at p. 167 [83 L.Ed. at p. 1187].) III In describing its attorney fee claim, Inyo County points out that it seeks no payment for civil representation by its district attorney but only the reasonable value of the services of its special counsel, employed by the county since 1976 for the purpose of legal resistance to the proposals *89 of the City of Los Angeles. The county appends a copy of its fiscal year budget, pointing out that its population is small, its per capita costs of government large and its financial resources minuscule in comparison to that of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, whose budget exceeded $92 million in fiscal 1975-1976. Serrano III adopted the private attorney general theory as a decisional rule in California, at least where the litigation had vindicated a public policy having a constitutional as opposed to a statutory basis. (20 Cal.3d at pp. 46-47.) Almost concurrently with Serrano III, the Legislature adopted the private attorney general concept in statutory form, through the enactment of Code of Civil Procedure section 1021.5.[2] The new statute did not become effective until January 1, 1978, somewhat later than the events underlaying the present claim. An award on the "private attorney general" theory is appropriate when the cost of the claimant's legal victory transcends his personal interest, that is, when the necessity for pursuing the lawsuit placed a burden on the plaintiff "out of proportion to his individual stake in the matter." (Serrano III, pp. 45, 46, fn. 18.) Inyo County's application does not meet this basic condition.[3] In support of the award Inyo County describes statewide values which its 1977 legal victory created. It points out that in 1977 the pressure of *90 this lawsuit constrained the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to impose water consumption limits on its customers during the 1976-1977 drought; that this court's 1977 decision called for "a tangible, foreseeably effective plan for achieving ... conservation goals" as an alternative to the city's proposals for increased water exportation from the Owens Valley (County of Inyo v. City of Los Angeles, supra, 71 Cal. App.3d at p. 203); that the experience generated by this lawsuit has demonstrated the feasibility of water conservation in the Los Angeles service area; that the litigation has provided palpable fulfillment of the statewide policy of water conservation voiced in article X, section 2 of the California Constitution. Thus, according to the county, its legal victory "has resulted in the enforcement of an important right affecting the public interest." (Code Civ. Proc., § 1021.5.) On the assumption that the described benefits flowed statewide, the fee applicant has failed to establish that they were disproportionately important and valuable in comparison to its own. A county is a political subdivision of the state which provides state and local governmental services for its inhabitants. (County of Marin v. Superior Court (1960) 53 Cal.2d 633, 638-639 [2 Cal. Rptr. 758, 349 P.2d 526].) Inyo County went to court as champion of local environmental values, which it sought to preserve for the benefit of its present and future inhabitants. This action is not a "public interest" lawsuit in the sense that it is waged for values other than the petitioner's. The litigation is self-serving. The victory won by the county in 1977 bulked large enough to warrant the cost of winning it. The necessity for enforcement by Inyo County did not place on it "a burden out of proportion to [its] individual stake in the matter." (Serrano III, supra, 20 Cal.3d at p. 46, fn. 18.) The application thus fails to satisfy a basic demand of the private attorney general concept. Inyo County has pointed to its limited ability to bear the expense of extended and elaborate litigation and the relatively large financial capability of its opponent. Disparity of economic resources has played a role in some counsel fee decisions, but only where the basic requisites of the award were otherwise satisfied. (See for example, Hall v. Cole (1973) 412 U.S. 1, 13 [36 L.Ed.2d 702, 712, 93 S.Ct. 1943].) IV (3b) The "substantial benefit" concept supplies no better foothold for the fee application. It is implicit in all these award cases whether rationalized as an exercise of equitable discretion or in terms of *91 judicially articulated rules that the fee applicant had established a benefit common to himself and to those who are asked to share in the expense of his successful litigation. (Serrano III, 20 Cal.3d at pp. 38, 40, fn. 10.) The substantial benefit phrase would gain increased accuracy if the adjective common were inserted after substantial. The dominating quest for justice which prompted equity to grant the award is silent when the applicant has waged his lawsuit for an objective adverse to the interest of the party who is now asked to pay for it. The possibility of a fee award under these circumstances would arouse a conflict between the attorney's interest in the fee and the litigational interest of his client. Legal services on behalf of an openly or covertly hostile interest are invariably barred. (Gabrielson v. City of Long Beach (1961) 56 Cal.2d 224, 229 [14 Cal. Rptr. 651, 363 P.2d 883]; Scott v. Superior Court (1929) 208 Cal. 303, 307 [281 P. 55]; see also Hobbs v. McLean (1886) 117 U.S. 567 [29 L.Ed. 940, 6 S.Ct. 870]; Dawson: op. cit., 87 Harv.L.Rev. at pp. 1636-1643.) Nothing in Serrano III tempers the "adverse interest" ground for denying the award. The county, to be sure, points to water conservation benefits which its litigation brought to the City of Los Angeles. These benefits were a byproduct of a lawsuit whose main objective has been to delay and limit the city's extraction and export of Owens Valley groundwater. That objective is hostile to the city's interest in the restriction-free utilization of its groundwater resources. Adversity of interest causes rejection of the substantial common benefit theory. V (4b) Finally, we turn to the "vexatious litigant" ground asserted in support of the attorney fee. We assume existence of power to make the award on this ground (see Williams v. MacDougall, supra, 39 Cal. at pp. 85-86), abstain from affirming the power and reject the claim for lack of merit. Although the courts have employed a variety of pejorative terms to describe the behavior which evokes the theory, its authoritative expression occurs in Alyeska Pipelines Co. v. Wilderness Society, supra, 421 U.S. at page 259 [44 L.Ed.2d at page 154]: "... [A] court may assess attorneys' fees ... when the losing party has `acted in bad faith, vexatiously, wantonly, or for oppressive reasons....'" The rule is identically worded in Hall v. Cole, supra, 412 U.S. at page 5 [36 L.Ed.2d at page 707], Serrano III, 20 Cal.3d at page 42, and D'Amico v. Board of Medical Examiners, supra, 11 Cal.3d page 26. *92 Bad faith is the central element activating the award. "In this class of cases, the underlying rationale of `fee shifting' is, of course, punitive, and the essential element in triggering the award of fees is therefore the existence of `bad faith' on the part of the unsuccessful litigant." (Hall v. Cole, supra, 412 U.S. at p. 5 [36 L.Ed.2d at p. 707]; see also, Young v. Redman (1976) 55 Cal. App.3d 827, 838 [128 Cal. Rptr. 86].) Bad faith may be found in actions leading to the lawsuit or in the conduct of the litigation. (Hall v. Cole, supra, at p. 15 [36 L.Ed.2d at p. 713].) The law employs the standard of bad faith in many contexts; the meaning of the term necessarily varies with the context. In general, bad faith extends beyond fraud or dishonesty and embraces unfair dealing; it often denotes a deliberate refusal to perform without just or reasonable cause or excuse. (See Crisci v. Security Ins. Co. (1967) 66 Cal.2d 425, 430 [58 Cal. Rptr. 13, 426 P.2d 173]; Brandolino v. Lindsay (1969) 269 Cal. App.2d 319, 325 [75 Cal. Rptr. 56].) As a ground for the attorney fee award, it gains color from the accompanying terms "wantonly, or for oppressive reasons." Bad faith, as an oppressive quality warranting a fee award, occurs when a defendant contumaciously deprives a plaintiff of his clear legal entitlement, forcing the latter into the expense of rescuing himself through legal action. (See Williams v. MacDougall, supra, 39 Cal. at pp. 85-86; Huecker v. Milburn (6th Cir.1976) 538 F.2d 1241, 1245, fn. 9.) Bad faith is a question of fact in each case. (River Garden Farms, Inc. v. Superior Court (1972) 26 Cal. App.3d 986, 998 [103 Cal. Rptr. 498]; Tancredi v. Garrett (1962) 210 Cal. App.2d 818, 823 [27 Cal. Rptr. 52].) (6) In our 1977 decision rejecting the environmental impact report prepared by Los Angeles, we sharply criticized the report and the choices which had shaped it. We charged its authors with "wishful misinterpretation" of the project; complained of their fallacious assumptions; spoke of "incessant shifts among different project descriptions" which vitiated the report as a vehicle for intelligent public participation; charged the department of water and power with "calculated selection" of its truncated and erroneous project description. (County of Inyo v. City of Los Angeles, supra, 71 Cal. App.3d at pp. 195, 196, 197, 200.) Utilizing these criticisms, the county complains of obdurate behavior which forced it into legal expense to accomplish judicial rejection of the environmental impact report. The county also charges Los Angeles with obdurate behavior in supplying the court with inaccurate and misleading information, both in connection with the environmental impact report and in the course of debates over interim injunctive orders regulating water use. Los Angeles controverts these charges. *93 We find no bad faith on the part of Los Angeles in the sense of a motive or intention to oppress its opponent in litigation. To equate the misconceptions of the city's environmental impact report with bad faith is indulgence in Monday morning quarterbacking. In prospect, the city's interest would be served by a legally sufficient impact report, not one which evoked judicial rejection. Pending its compliance with our peremptory writ of mandate, Los Angeles' use of surface and groundwater had been restricted by interim restraining orders. (See, e.g., County of Inyo v. City of Los Angeles, supra, 61 Cal. App.3d at p. 91.) To satisfy the writ of mandate through a legally sufficient environmental impact report would provide it a prospect of relief from these restrictions. Environmental litigation is often waged for tacit objectives of delay and attrition. Given the adversary character of the litigation, Inyo County's purpose was to attack the environmental impact report, defeat it if possible and prolong the injunctive limitations on the city's water use. Its resistance to the environmental impact report was not impelled by the report's deficiencies but by its own litigational interests. The accusation of factually inaccurate papers is de minimis. The accusation and its targets are shaped by the slanted perceptions of contending parties. Here, as elsewhere, the county's specifications fall short of a showing of bad faith. The motion for costs and attorney fees is denied. Puglia, P.J., and Evans, J., concurred. A petition for a rehearing was denied March 15, 1978, and petitioner's application for a hearing by the Supreme Court was denied May 11, 1978. Richardson, J., did not participate therein. NOTES [1] The substantial benefit "rule" apparently originated when the phrase "substantial benefit" was used as an ad hominem justification for a fee award in a stockholder's lawsuit involving the establishment of nonmonetary benefits. (Bosch v. Meeker Cooperative Light And Power Ass'n (1960) 257 Minn. 362 [101 N.W.2d 423, 426-427].) The phrase was then employed as useful shorthand in an opinion of the United States Supreme Court, Mills v. Electric Auto-Lite (1970) 396 U.S. 375, 393-395 [24 L.Ed.2d 593, 607-608, 90 S.Ct. 616].) The "private attorney general" phrase was coined by Judge Jerome Frank in a decision which did not involve an attorney fee at all, but rather a private citizen's standing to sue for vindication of a public objective. (Associate Industries v. Ickes (2d Cir.1943) 134 F.2d 694, 704; Comment (1974) 122 U.Pa.L.Rev. 636, 658.) A per curiam opinion of the federal Supreme Court then superimposed Judge Frank's metaphor without crediting the author upon the award of an attorney fee authorized by a federal statute. (Newman v. Piggie Park Enterprises (1968) 390 U.S. 400, 402 [19 L.Ed.2d 1263, 1265-1266, 88 S.Ct. 964]; see also Bradley v. Richmond School Board (1974) 416 U.S. 696, 719 [40 L.Ed.2d 476, 492-493, 94 S.Ct. 2006].) Judge Frank's apt metaphor attracted appellate opinion writers, for it soon left its restricted statutory mooring and drifted into wider waters, bobbing up in a variety of civil rights and public interest decisions and legal commentaries. (See Fowler v. Schwarzwalder (8th Cir.1974) 498 F.2d 143, 145; Lee v. Southern Home Sites Corp. (5th Cir.1971) 444 F.2d 143, 147-148; La Raza Unida v. Volpe (N.D.Cal. 1972) 57 F.R.D. 94, 98-102; Dawson, op. cit., 88 Harv.L.Rev. p. 849 et seq.; Nussbaum, Attorney's Fees in Public Interest Litigation (1973) 48 N.Y.U.L.Rev. 301, 318 et seq.; Notes (1973) 24 Hastings L.J. 933; Comment (1974) 122 U.Pa.L.Rev. 636, 655 et seq.) Because the per curiam opinion in Piggie Park, supra, did not credit the author, Judge Frank's unwitting paternity seems to have been overlooked. Of such stuff are rules of law made. [2] Code of Civil Procedure section 1021.5 provides: "Upon motion, a court may award attorneys' fees to a successful party against one or more opposing parties in any action which has resulted in the enforcement of an important right affecting the public interest if: (a) a significant benefit, whether pecuniary or nonpecuniary, has been conferred on the general public or a large class of persons, (b) the necessity and financial burden of private enforcement are such as to make the award appropriate, and (c) such fees should not in the interest of justice be paid out of the recovery, if any. With respect to actions involving public entities, this section applies to allowances against, but not in favor of, public entities, and no claim shall be required to be filed therefor." The statute undoubtedly represents the California Legislature's reaction to Alyeska Pipelines Co. v. Wilderness Society, supra, which held that Congress alone could generate the avatar of equitable discretion bearing the private attorney general's mantle. Thus does the evolution of a homogeneous discretionary power permit its heterogeneous descendants to be selectively dispatched. [3] In disposing of the private attorney general theory on substantive grounds, we abstain from several collateral inquiries, such as: (a) Whether Code of Civil Procedure section 1021.5, as a procedural statute in force at the time of this decision, supplies the criterion for the award. (See Bradley v. Richmond School Board, supra, 416 U.S. 696.) (b) Whether there is any reason in law or discretionary equity to follow Serrano III's self-imposed confinement to constitutional vindications. (c) If section 1021.5 governs here, whether its arguable prohibition against awards to public entities governs when two public entities are embroiled. (d) Whether either the decisional or statutory rules governing the fee award impose liability on the City of Los Angeles to pay for a legal victory assertedly won for the benefit of Californians generally. | Mid | [
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Health and wealth in Uzbekistan and sub-Saharan Africa in comparative perspective. The study investigates the magnitude of differences in child and adult mortality by wealth in Uzbekistan, a former soviet country of Central Asia, and compares it with similar indicators from sub-Saharan Africa. Data were derived from Demographic and Health Surveys. An "Absolute Wealth Index" was built from data on goods owned by households and quality of housing, and scaled from 0 to 12. Wealth was distributed evenly in Uzbekistan, with a symmetric distribution around a mean of 5.5 modern goods. In sub-Saharan Africa, on the contrary, the wealth distribution had a lower mean (2.5) and was highly skewed towards the left, revealing a high proportion of very poor people. Adult and child mortality levels were lower in Uzbekistan. Despite these major differences, the relationships between mortality indicators and the wealth index were similar in the two cases. The magnitude of mortality differentials by wealth was of the same order in both cases, with gradients ranging from 2.5 to 1 for child mortality and 1.5 to 1 for adult mortality (poorest versus richest). However, mortality levels remained lower in Uzbekistan than in sub-Saharan Africa at the same level of wealth for both children and adults. A similar relationship was found between nutritional status and wealth index in both cases. On the contrary, there were no differences by wealth in use of health services and level of education in Uzbekistan, whereas wealth gradients were steep for the same variables in sub-Saharan Africa. The study suggests that mortality differentials were primarily due to nutritional status, and not to access and use of health services or to education. The discussion focuses on health and social policies during the colonial and post-colonial period that have produced these patterns. | High | [
0.657407407407407,
35.5,
18.5
] |
Q: Laravel 5 - Elequent GROUP BY is failing I am trying to do the following: I have two tables: 1) Content id, section_id parent_id, sequence, 2) Sections id, title, description, date_entered Each Content has to have a section, which is defined by a foreign key, the content can have a sub section, where if the content have the same parent_id - then this is classed as a sub section.. So for example: 1. My first section 1.1. My first sub section 2. My second section 3. My third section 3.1 My third sub section I am using Eloquent and have used the following: $sections = Content::orderBy('sequence', 'desc') ->groupBy('parent_id')->get(); If I output these within a foreach loop, then it will only show one of the records, where there are multiple that have the same parent_id, if I remove the groupBy then it will display all the records, but not in groups I have set up the relationship so that: there is a belongsTo relationship.. So public function sections() { return $this->belongsTo('App\Sections', 'section_id'); } Where am I going wrong here? UPDATE: 1) Content id, section_id parent_id, sequence, FOREIGN KEYS: parent_id -> id, section_id -> id on Sections (below) 2) Sections id, title, description, date_entered A: If I understand correctly, you'd like to fetch a list of Content objects together with their children Content objects, correct? Easiest way to do that is to create a parent-child relation in your Eloquent Content model and then use that to load parents with children: <?php class Content extends Model { public function children() { //this defines a relation one-to-many using parent_id field as the foreign key return $this->hasMany(Content::class, 'parent_id'); } public function parent() { return $this->belongsTo(Content::class, 'parent_id'); } public function section() { return $this->belongsTo(Section::class); } } Then, if you want to list Content objects their Section together with with their children and their sections, you can fetch the data like that: $contents = Content::with(['children', 'section', 'children.section'])->whereNull('parent_id')->get(); $contents will contain a collection of all Content objects that have no parent. Each of the objects will have a $content->children attribute that holds a collection of all children Content objects. All children objects will also hold a reference to their parent in $childContent->parent. Both parents and children will have their corresponding section in ->section attribute. If you wanted to display some Content hierarchy now in your Blade template, you can pass the $contents variable to the view and do the following: <ul> @foreach($contents as $content) <li>{{$content->title}}</li> @if($content->children->count() > 0) <ul> @foreach($content->children as $childContent) <li>{{$childContent->title}}</li> @endforeach </ul> @endif @endforeach </ul> I noticed that you have a sequence field in your model. I assue that you want content to be sorted by that field. In this case you'll need modify the way you fetch the data: $contents = Content::with(['children' => function($builder) { $builder->orderBy('sequence', 'desc'); }, 'section', 'children.section'])->whereNull('parent_id')->get(); | Mid | [
0.6202247191011231,
34.5,
21.125
] |
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