text stringlengths 8 5.77M |
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The use of such metal cutting tool assemblies has been known for some time, particularly in connection with parting, grooving and face turning operations. The use of such assemblies, particularly with their readily exchangeable or replaceable adaptors, is advantageous when the same tool block is to be used for differing types of cutting inserts, and it is desired to be able to replace these cutting inserts without removing the block from the machine tool to which it is attached. Alternatively, situations may arise where the particular type of cutting operations require the use of differing types of tool blocks, albeit for the same type of cutting insert. In those circumstances, the use of a standard adaptor to which the cutting insert can be clamped is particularly advantageous for it allows for the ready coupling of the cutting insert via the standard adaptor to differing types of tool blocks.
Known adaptors of this kind are formed with a pair of integral jaws which define between them an insert receiving slot for receiving the cutting insert, means being provided for biasing the jaws towards each other so as to clamp the cutting insert in an operative position. |
Various people have asked me for details on how I do threaded code
in my dynamic translation Smalltalk-80 VM. So here's the gory details
as well as the first published benchmarks for the system.
How to do "Machine-Independent" Fast Direct Threaded Code:
First off, use C (although other flexible machine-oriented imperative
languages would probably work too).
Global registers:
If you can use GCC >v1.33 you can use global register variables to
hold the threaded code machine's registers. If you have various forms of
stupid C compiler then you can get global register variables by declaring
your globals as register variables in every function, and later editing the
assembler generated by the C compiler to remove global register saves &
restores (details in [Miranda]).
Threaded Code:
Threaded code instructions (TCIs) are written as C procedures.
They are compiled to assembler by the C compiler. Subsequently a simple
editor script is run on the assembler to remove the prologues and epilogues
from the threaded code procedures, and possibly to insert direct threaded
code jumps.
How to Identify Threaded Code Instructions:
The method I prefer is to segregate TCIs from other procedures &
functions in the machine by placing related groups of TCIs in separate
source files. I give my threaded code source files the .tc extension and
they have a rule in the makefile that will run the editor script on the
assembler. An alternative is to identify each threaded code procedure with
a special prefix which is spotted by the editor script. This is probably
more error prone & doesn't fit well with leaf-routine optimization (see
below).
How to Write Threaded Code Instructions:
Each TCI is writen an a void function of no arguments. It is wise to start
and end each TCI with two special macros to replace '{' and '}'. So, using
GCC on the SPARC, given some declarations:
typedef void (*TCODE)(); /* a TCODE is a pointer to a function */
typedef ???? ObjectPointer;
With GCC this is implemented by the JUMPNEXT macro. On the SPARC:
#define JUMPNEXT do{ \
asm("ld [%g7],%o0; jmpl %o0,%g0; add %g7,4,%g7");\
return;}while(0)
Note the return, it tells the compiler that control does not pass this point.
On the 68k:
/* SBD = Silent But Deadly = Stack Bug Dummy. gcc has a bug with
no-defer-pop. it always depers the pop of the last function call in
a routine. SBD is a dummy call to ensure no other previous call gets
its pop deferred.
*/
extern void SBD P((void));
On the 68k you end up with:
.globl _popStack
_popStack:
subqw #4,a3
movl a5@+,a0; jmp a0@
Global Register Variables and Stupid C Compilers:
Some C compilers are stupid enough to provide straight-forward global
registers. A C compiler on a nat-semi based system I used just allocated
registers in the order they were declared. The assembler syntax was very
simple to edit. Global register variables could thus be obtained easily.
Some C compilers are stupid but think they're clever. Sun's SUN3
compiler is a case in point. It also allocates registers in the order declared.
However, it tries to be clever by removing 'dead assignments' (assignments to
subsequently unused register variables). These compilers are easy to fool.
Simply arrange that the register variables are always used before leaving a
function. I do this by always writing RETURN or RETURNV(e) instead of
return and return e. On systems with such stupid C compilers RETURN(e)
is defined thus:
#define RETURNV(e) do{DummyUseRegs(GR1,GR2,GR3); return e;}while(1)
The call on DummyUseRegs fools the compiler into thinking the registers
are live & hence saves assignments to them. The editor scripts can then
remove calls on DumyUseRegs.
How this All Works:
With the above scheme, each threaded code procedure runs in the same C
stack frame, and jumps directly to the next procedure, eliminating an
unnecessary <epilogue, return>, <call, prolog> pair. Once we establish a
stack frame and call the first function away we go. Assuming that you've
produced your first threaded code method (a sequence of pointers to
threaded code procedures), and that tcip points at the start, then
StartTCMachine might be defined as follows:
The alloca allocates space on the stack. After the first (*tcip++)()
control goes off into threaded code land and never returns.
Leaf Routine Optimization:
The threaded code machine will make calls on support routines e.g.
graphics, garbage collector etc. Any group of routines that dont access
the global registers and don't directly or indirectly call routines that
need to access the global registers can be optimized. These routines
should be compiled without declaring the global registers. These routines
will then use as many registers as the compiler will give them and will
save & restore any registers they use, preserving the values of the global
register variables.
Details of my Smalltalk Threaded Code Machine:
I use a pair of words for each TCI, a pointer to the procedure followed
by an optional operand. This avoids going out of line to access arguments.
e.g. pushLiteral is:
void pushLit()
TBEGIN
*++stackPointer = (OOP)*tcip++;
TEND
where OOP is an ordinary object pointer. So on entry to push lit we have:
<pointer to pushLit>
tcip-> <object pointer>
<pointer to next TCI>
<next TCI's operand>
and popStack must therefore be written
void popStack()
TBEGIN
stackPointer--;
tcip++;
TEND
I dynamically compile Smalltalk-80 bytecodes to threaded code. I use 128k
bytes of memory to hold all threaded code. This 'tspace' is periodically
scavenged to reclaim space. The architecture is similar to
[DeutschSchiffman]. Using an eighth of the space used by the Deutch
Schifman machine I get around 75% of the performance on the non-graphics
benchmarks. Here are the Smalltalk macro benchmarks for BrouHaHa
Smalltalk-80 v2.3.2t running on a monochrome SUN3/60 (20MHz 68020):
More Portable File Organization:
To keep the code as clean looking as possible all machine-dependencies are
isolated in separate files. e.g. tcode.h gives machine independent
definitions for TCODE. It includes machine dependencies from another file:
I also don't want to include the necessary definitions for the global registers
in every file. So for those non-leaf routines that must avoid using the
global registers there's a fastglobal.h file that gives dummy definitions for
these registers. e.g. GCC/SPARC/fastglobal.h:
/* machine specific FAST defines.
Gnu C 1.33 systems can use nice compiler provided global registers.
*/
I use symbolic links to set up the machine dependent include files. This has the
advantage that if you add a new machine you don't have to remake all the others.
The Tedious Bit:
The only tedious bit is writing the sed-scripts. For the SPARC this took 1 day.
Here are the sed scripts I use for SUN 3, MAC2AUX (using GAS) and SUN4,
all using GCC (v1.33 upwards). There's a problem on the SPARC in that the ABI
does not seem to define the status of the global registers. Some math and
library routines stomp on the global registers (beware getwd!), so I've included
GCC/SUN4/sed.globreg.bugfix as an example of how to spot the offending math
routines:
Of these 166 lines 51 lines are banner headers. 100 odd lines are
machine dependent. A whole VM is around the 20k lines mark. So
machine dependencies are down in the 0.5% range.
Use this stuff as part of what ever you like. If you try & assert ownership
I'll fight & batter you over the head with the GPL ('bout time we had some
serious steel in that thar GPL).
Share And Enjoy!
P.S. The BrouHaHa machine is available to educational institutions with a
valid ParcPlace Smalltalk-80 licence, subject to a strict non-disclosure
agreement. email me if you want it. I am slow to answer requests!
-- |
Q:
How to format radgrid cell programmatically
I have to format (backcolor, forecolor, font style) a radgrid's cells depending on the value of the cell.
For example
If the value is negative set the fore color of that cell as red.
Can any one please tell me how this can be achieved?
A:
protected void grdName_ItemDataBound(object sender, GridItemEventArgs e)
{
if (e.Item is GridDataItem)
{
GridDataItem item = (GridDataItem)e.Item;
if (Convert.ToInt32(((DataRowView)item.DataItem)["Column"]) < value)
{
TableCell cell = item["Column"];
cell.BackColor = Color.PeachPuff;
}
}
}
A:
Add the line onItemDataBound="Data_OnitemDataBound" to your radGrid declaration in your aspx page.
Then add this to your code behind. The number in the Cells[] is the index of the column you want to modify or validate against.
protected void Data_OnItemDataBound(object sender, GridItemEventArgs e)
{
if (e.Item is GridDataItem)
{
GridDataItem item = (GridDataItem)e.Item;
if (Convert.ToDecimal(item.Cells[3].Text) < 0)
{
item.Cells[3].ForeColor = System.Drawing.Color.Red;
}
}
}
|
Why so many Python web frameworks?(2006) - kercker
https://bitworking.org/news/Why_so_many_Python_web_frameworks
======
mrits
This is why I think it's funny to talk about the "language of the future".
Even if there was an objectively proven best language, half us would still
deny it and choose something else. We seem to be addicted to not only creating
but learning new ways to create -- even if it is a step backwards.
|
Q:
Schema & Data Comparison from visual studio 2010
Is it possible if we can compare schema and data from 2 different server considering the fact that it maybe 2 different window server as well.
A:
Yes, in certain versions of Visual Studio 2010 you can compare the schema and data of databases from two servers.
|
It’s like vacationing in Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower, traveling to San Francisco without seeing the Golden Gate Bridge, or traveling to the Grand Canyon, without, well, looking into the canyon.
Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Josh Bell, a Texas native, spent his entire past winter in Newport Beach, California ... and never went to the beach.
Snubbed the nightclubs.
Skipped the fine dining.
Oh, but he can tell you all about the batting cages, workout facilities, practice fields and health-food spots in Southern California.
“I didn’t go there on vacation,’’ Bell told USA TODAY Sports. “I went there for work.’’
And he returned to the Pirates from his four-month Southern California excursion as a completely changed player.
A year ago, he was labeled as a one-year wonder, changing his batting stance more often than his socks. He set a National League rookie record for a switch hitter with 26 homers in 2017, only to see his power-game vanish last year – his homers plummeted to 12 while his RBI totals dropped from 90 to 62. He was treated as if he lip-synched his rookie year with an anonymous scout in Sports Illustrated calling him a virtual fraud. He was also informed by the Pirates that unless he showed dramatic improvement, he could be spending the season as a platoon player.
Today, Bell is one of the most feared hitters in the game and a legitimate MVP contender. He enters the Pirates’ homestand Tuesday hitting .333 with 14 home runs and tied for the major-league lead with 44 RBI and league-leading 30 extra-base hits. It’s the most homers by a Pirates’ player in the first 44 games since Willie Stargell in 1973, the most extra-base hits since Paul Waner in 1932, and tied for the third-most RBI in franchise history.
Bell, who hit .442 with five homers on the Pirates’ grueling 11-game trip without an off-day, has three multi-homer games in the last two weeks alone. His 1.101 OPS ranks behind only Cody Bellinger of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers.
MLB POWER RANKINGS: AL East battle
SYNDERGAARD: Pitcher sounds off on naysayers about manage
“We’ve never seen him like this,’’ Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “Really, we haven’t seen anybody like this in a Pittsburgh uniform in quite awhile.’’
No one, not Barry Bonds, Roberto Clemente or Stargell has ever had a start like this in Pittsburgh. He may still be 6-foot-4, and 240 pounds of muscle, but looking deep inside his soul, he’s a changed man.
“I saw him in Newport Beach in the off-season,’’ Pirates starter Joe Musgrove said, “and you could just see the look in his eyes, that demeanor. He wasn’t going out partying or doing any of that kind of stuff in the offseason.
‘We talked about it, and he knew there were a lot of expectations and a lot of pressure for him to come out and have a big year, and he embraced it. He said, 'I know what’s expected of me. I had a monster year my rookie year, and I don’t want last year’s season to define me as a person and who I am as a player.'
“To see what he’s done, pretty impressive man.’’
The simple narrative would be that Bell wanted to stick it to that anonymous scout, who belittled him in the Sports Illustrated season preview.
It would seem to be the natural driving force for Bell’s phenomenal start, but there’s one little problem.
He never read the article.
Sure, he heard about it later from friends and family, but it actually never bothered him, and certainly never motivated him.
“I feel like everybody is entitled to their opinions,’’ Bell flatly said. “Last year was pretty bad. So, whoever he is, he had a right to say what he said. I’m sure my family was more ticked than I was.
“I’m pretty even-keeled when it comes to stuff like that. I’m just happy to be proving him and others wrong.’’
There was no smirk. No hint of a smile. No sneer. Nothing.
Then again, if you know Bell, it comes as no surprise, with a DNA that has made him perhaps the most popular player among his teammates, who have never seen him distraught, or even rattled.
“He is just so focused on the present,’’ Pirates starter Chris Archer said, “nothing bothers him. I remember the first time we met was at the All-Star game in Cincinnati in 2015. I made the All-Star team and he was in Class A playing in the Futures Game. I go up to him one night and say, 'Hey, nice to meet you dude. When are you going to get to The Show?’
“He says,'I don’t know. I’m just trying to be in the moment. How about you? When are you going to The Show?’
“He had no idea who I was, or that I was an All-Star. He thought I played for the World Team. I think he thought I was Latin or something.
“But that’s him. He’s still the same way. Nothing has changed. He’s always looking for ways to improve, and not focused on other people’s opinions or outside influences.’’
The problem a year ago was that Bell perhaps was looking for too many ways to improve. He couldn’t even keep up with his own batting stances and different approaches. One day he was trying to be a power-hitter. The next, a contact hitter. He wanted to drive the ball some weeks, and simply get on base other days.
“I needed to have a moment with him last year,’’ Hurdle said. “He was changing, but not committing to anything. It wasn’t like he was chasing a hit, but in essence, it was chasing stances to find a hit or power.
I told him, ‘You need to give me two core convictions that you believe in that are going to make you a successful hitter. I’m going to give you some time to think about it.'’’
Bell spent four days soul searching, talking to coaches, teammates, friends and family. He sat down with David Freese, the Pirates’ veteran clubhouse leader before being traded to the Dodgers. Freese suggested getting away, starting over, and having a complete make-over in almost complete privacy.
“He wanted me to listen to my own voice, and start growing,’’ Bell said. “I was in a place where I wasn’t having success on a nightly basis, and he said, 'Hey man, if you want to change some things up, go out to Southern California. You’re going to work your tail off, you’re going to eat clean, and you’re pretty going to grow the way you want.'’’
Said Freese: “Everybody was telling him what he should do, but he had to identify what was best for him. He had to be himself and do what he thought was right. He had so much talent, but he had a bullseye on his back. Those first few years are trying years, some guys make it. A lot don’t.’’
Bell contacted his agent, Scott Boras, told him he was coming to work out at his facility for the winter, and sought recommendations for a personal hitting instructor. He was introduced over the telephone to Joe DeMarco, a former Big 12 batting champion, minor-league player and coach at Kansas and the University of California Irvine. They talked for the first time on Oct. 9. They began working together Oct. 10. And, except for a 10-day stretch during the Christmas holidays, never stopped.
“If you could spend every day with this man,’’ DeMarco said, “you’d see why he’s doing what he’s doing. His work ethic was unreal. He has insane mindset and preparation. He’s such a good athlete, but he was in Defcon 4, just fighting himself instead of letting his body get in better position.
“It was like having a Harley, but he was on a kickstand. We had to let this Harley run.’’
The two broke down old video, going back to even his Class AAA days when he was the Pirates’ minor-league player of the year. They adjusted his stance, standing taller in the box instead of being so spread out at the plate, giving his bat path more freedom and space, enabling him to dictate the rhythm and pace of his at-bats. Slowly, Bell started to believe in the adjustment himself, and new Pirates hitting coach Rick Eckstein came to see the new approach, while assistant hitting coach Jacob Cruz voiced his approval.
Now, two months into the season, Bell can hardly believe the results himself. He’s on pace to hit 52 homers and drive in 162 runs, with five of his homers this season traveling at least 450 feet.
“It feels like I’m living a dream,’’ Bell said. “It’s awesome.’’
Oh, and that anonymous talent-evaluator who ridiculed Bell, believing he would never get better?
Nothing but silence.
“I’m excited to show that whoever that guy is,’’ Bell said, “and most important, my friends, my family and my pops who watch every game, that my hard work is paying off.’’
And everyone in baseball, from the beer vendors at Busch Stadium to Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo to the cooks at the Petco Park taco stands, all took notice on Bell’s glorious road trip.
“He’s turning into a superstar in this league,’’ Lovullo said, “right before our eyes.’’
The Pirates, who have gone 45 years without having a player hit 40 homers in a season, finally have that star slugger again,
“Good for him,’’ Freese said. “Good for the city. Good for the organization. Good for all of Pittsburgh. They need a guy like him.’’
The Pirates have gone 27 years without winning a division title and 40 years without a World Series, and if anything is ever going to change, they’ll need Bell in the middle of the renaissance.
“This is a bell that’s going to ring loudly,’’ Boras said, “and it will ring with eloquence.’’
Follow Nightengale on Twitter @BNightengale |
Destructive effect of anticancer oxali-palladium on heme degradation through the generation of endogenous hydrogen peroxide.
The interaction between human hemoglobin (Hb) and oxali-palladium was studied using different spectroscopic methods of UV-vis, fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD), and chemiluminescence at two temperatures of 25 and 37°C. The experimental results showed that both dynamic and static quenching is occurred simultaneously when oxali-palladium quenches the fluorescence of Hb. According to the fluorescence quenching method, the binding site number, apparent binding constant, and corresponding thermodynamic parameters were measured at two temperatures. The values of ΔH°, ΔS°, and ΔG° indicate that process of the formation of oxali-palladium-Hb complex is a spontaneous interaction procedure in which electrostatic interaction plays a major role. In addition, UV-vis and CD results showed that the addition of oxali-palladium changes the conformation of Hb. To evaluate the functional changes of Hb via destruction of the heme structure, fluorescence studies were performed. The results demonstrated that two fluorescent heme degradation products are found during the interaction of oxali-palladium with Hb. Also, the amount of hydrogen peroxide produced in the solution of Hb due to the interaction of oxali-palladium with Hb using chemiluminescence method indicated heme degradation in the protein is occurred. Structural and functional changes induced in Hb via heme degradation are considered as side effects of this synthesized anticancer drug. |
South African businessman sponsors pro-Palestinian billboards
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (JTA) — A Johannesburg businessman inspired by an American businessman has sponsored 12 billboards in South Africa using maps to show the so-called "absorption" of Palestinian land by Israel.
The Palestine Solidarity Movement in South Africa put up five billboards "graphically explaining the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and the dispossession of the Palestinian people," according to a statement released by BDS South Africa. Seven more will be put up in the next few weeks.
The billboards contain three aligned maps showing the so-called "absorption" of Palestinian land by Israel from 1946 to the present, together with a declaration that "4.7 million Palestinians are classified by the UN as refugees."
The South African businessman was inspired by a similar initiative in the United States of Henry Clifford, who earlier this year spent some $25,000 to put up similar advertisements in New York metro stations.
The launch of the billboard campaign here occurs in the same month that the ruling African National Congress pays tribute to former president Oliver Tambo with hundreds of international guests expected for a conference commemorating his life.
"Tambo was crucial in building the successful international isolation of apartheid South Africa, a strategy that the Palestine solidarity movement is now applying to Israel in an attempt to bring it in line with international law via the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel campaign, which has gained significant ground in recent years," the statement read.
Moira Schneider is a JTA correspondent in South Africa. A law graduate and psychology major, she is the Cape Town correspondent for the South African Jewish Report. She contributes to London's Jewish Chronicle, is a reporter for the Cape Jewish Chronicle and has been published in the Cape Times and Cape Argus. |
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The Wall Street Journal claims that HTC has problems throughout its supply chain, with claims that suppliers have lost faith in the firm after several lean years.
An anonymous source told the journal that HTC has had particular trouble securing components for the HTC One's unique 'ultrapixel' camera, as it is no longer considered "a tier-one customer" by suppliers.
The firm is also understood to have struggled sourcing the phone's sculpted metal casing.
The source added: "The company has a problem managing its component suppliers as it has changed its order forecasts drastically and frequently following last year's unexpected slump in shipments."
Benjamin Ho, the HTC chief marketing officer, said in a statement that the firm was "working tirelessly with all of our channel partners to ensure that we can fulfil as many [HTC One] orders as possible".
He added: "We will start fulfilling pre-orders by the end of March in certain markets and will roll out to more markets as we approach April."
HTC saw its revenues fall 62% in the final quarter of 2012, and the Taiwanese firm has tried unsuccessfully over the last few years to keep pace with big rivals Samsung and Apple.
The Wall Street Journal suggested that HTC boss Peter Chou may have to step down if the HTC One is not a success, and this delay could prove costly in that regard.
An additional problem for HTC is that the delayed release puts the HTC One in much closer competition with Samsung's Galaxy S4, the new flagship Android device that is expected to sell strongly this year. |
Pave, a new CM and deployment tool, leveraging fabric - mixmastamyk
https://bitbucket.org/mixmastamyk/pave
======
mixmastamyk
This an easy to use tool I've been working on. Well tested on Ubuntu, with
some recent attention to Fedora and CentOS.
|
import Control.Monad.Par
-- OR, with the Trace scheduler:
-- import Control.Monad.Par.Scheds.Trace
-- import Control.Monad.Par.Combinator
test :: [Int] -> IO [Int]
test xs = do
let list = runPar $ parMap (\x -> x + 1) xs
putStrLn $ show list
test list
main = do
test [1]
|
We have an explanation on how Apple became so successful: Steve Jobs might've been from the future. That's not true, of course, but to hear him nail so many predictions about modern technology back in 1983 it begins to feel like the only explanation.
Just listen to the speech Steve Jobs gave to the International Design Conference in Aspen in 1983. It's like Jobs knew that Apple was going to make the iPad, that mobile was the future, that the App Store was necessary, that everything was going to be networked wirelessly and that things like Google Street View and Siri would star to take over our lives. It seems easy to predict this now but Steve Jobs made this speech in 1983. For context, the Macintosh hadn't even been released yet. The best selling computer was the Apple II and the second most popular PC was made by IBM. Michael Jackson just moonwalked for the very first time and Ronald Reagan started talking about Star Wars missiles. This was a long, long, long time ago.
Here are a few noteworthy excerpts from Jobs vision of the future, as put together by Marcel Brown, who digitized the cassette tape that the 'lost' speech was on. Just listen to Jobs talk about something that sounds very much like the iPad we use today:
"Apple's strategy is really simple. What we want to do is we want to put an incredibly great computer in a book that you can carry around with you and learn how to use in 20 minutes. That's what we want to do and we want to do it this decade. And we really want to do it with a radio link in it so you don't have to hook up to anything and you're in communication with all of these larger databases and other computers."
He confidently talks about the personal computer being a new medium of communication. Again, this is before networking was commonplace or there was any inkling of the Internet going mainstream. Yet he specifically talks about early e-mail systems and how it is re-shaping communication. He matter-of-factly states that when we have portable computers with radio links, people could be walking around anywhere and pick up their e-mail. Again, this is 1983, at least 20 years before the era of mobile computing.
He mentions an experiment done by MIT that sounds very much like a Google Street View application.
He compares the nascent software development industry to the record industry. He says that most people didn't necessarily know what computer they wanted to buy. In contrast, when walking into a record store they definitely knew what music they liked. This was because they got free samples of songs by listening to the radio. He thought that the software industry needed something like a radio station so that people could sample software before they buy it. He believed that software distribution through traditional brick-and-mortar was archaic since software is digital and can be transferred electronically through phone lines. He foresees paying for software in an automated fashion over the phone lines with credit cards. I don't know about you, but I think this sounds incredibly similar to the concept of the Apple App Store. Plus his comparison to the music industry just might be foreshadowing the iTunes store. You need to listen to the speech to hear the entirety of this passage for yourself. |
Nitrogen/Argon/Helium Cylinders
All Safe Global provides a wide variety of wholesale nitrogen, argon, helium, and neon cylinders in both steel and aluminum.
Robust and precision-manufactured, every nitrogen, argon, helium, and neon cylinder from All Safe features strong, thick tank walls, durable exterior finishing, and pre-installed CGA580 valves. Ideal for use in a variety of industries – beverage, manufacturing, welding, and many other applications.
ASG is a wholesale provider, specializing in pallet quantities, large volume purchases, and quantity discounts of steel and aluminum inert gas cylinders. We welcome inquiries from wholesale purchasers; unfortunately, we cannot sell single or retail cylinders to individual purchasers. |
Abu Dhabi is trying to rip up its disastrous $7.5bn (£4.6bn) agreement to invest in Citigroup, saying the banking giant misled the country's sovereign wealth fund about the state of its finances when the deal was signed in 2007.
The dispute came to light as Citigroup was attempting to stoke investor demand for a massive share issue yesterday and contributed to underwhelming investor demand. Faced with crystallising a loss on its bailout investments, the US Treasury abandoned plans to sell part of its Citigroup stake at the same time.
The oil-rich emirate is committed to buying Citigroup shares over the next two years at what is now 10 times the prevailing share price, and it has launched an arbitration claim for compensation to the tune of $4bn.
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The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (Adia) said Citigroup made "fraudulent misrepresentations" in connection with the agreement, but declined to provide specifics. "It is the policy of Adia to pursue its legal rights fully," a fund spokesman said. "Adia declines to comment further due to binding confidentiality obligations, which Adia intends to respect."
Citigroup promised to vigorously defend the arbitration claim.
The $7.5bn investment in Citigroup was unveiled by Adia in November 2007, when it seemed that money from the sovereign wealth funds of developing nations, particularly in the Middle East where the benefits of high oil prices were being felt, might be the best way to recapitalise the US banking system. Citigroup had begun to show losses on its sub-prime mortgage investments earlier in the year, but said it was moving to strengthen its balance sheet.
The subsequent collapse of the company, which twice had to be bailed out by the US government during the financial panic of last year, is therefore a big embarrassment to Abu Dhabi. "Citi possesses a unique position in the financial markets throughout the world," Adia's managing director, Sheikh Ahmed bin Zayed al-Nahayan, had said at the time. "We see in Citi a highly respected company with a premier brand and with tremendous opportunities for growth. This investment reflects our confidence in Citi's potential to build shareholder value."
Under the complex structure of the deal, Abu Dhabi agreed to buy shares in Citigroup at what was then close to the prevailing share price, but in several tranches in 2010 and 2011. Adia has been paid an 11 per cent dividend in the meantime, but now faces buying 236 million shares at $31.83 – when Citigroup was trading yesterday lunchtime at $3.57.
The dispute comes at a critical moment for the finances of both sides. Abu Dhabi committed this week to lend $10bn to bail out fellow emirate Dubai, and Citigroup was yesterday trying to raise $17bn as part of its scheme to pay back US government bailout funds.
Its bankers were working on a share sale that they hoped to price significantly higher than the $3.25-per-share level at which the US government invested a $25bn tranche of bailout funds last year. The US Treasury put $45bn into Citigroup in all, because as one of the largest investment and retail banks in the country it was deemed too big to fail. The company said on Monday that it would pay back a $20bn loan immediately and the government would start selling its $25bn equity stake this week.
Last night the US government reversed course saying it would not sell its stake for 90 days after tepid investor demand. The new shares are expected to be priced as low as $3.15.
* Bankrupt holding company Washington Mutual Inc this week asked a federal court to compel the Federal Reserve, US Treasury and more than a dozen others to turn over documents relating to its collapse in September 2008. |
package com.kbeanie.multipicker.sample.prefs;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.SharedPreferences;
/**
* Created by kbibek on 2/26/16.
*/
public class AppPreferences {
private final static String PREFS_FILE = "app_prefs";
private SharedPreferences prefs;
private final static String KEY_CACHE_LOCATION = "key_cache_location";
public AppPreferences(Context context) {
prefs = context.getSharedPreferences(PREFS_FILE, Context.MODE_PRIVATE);
}
public void setCacheLocation(int cacheLocation) {
prefs.edit().putInt(KEY_CACHE_LOCATION, cacheLocation).commit();
}
public int getCacheLocation() {
return prefs.getInt(KEY_CACHE_LOCATION, 0);
}
}
|
May 31, 2012
Newcomer Benjamin Alves Paired With Lovi Poe In 'Guni-Guni'
BENJAMIN ALVES is not really a newcomer in showbiz. The first time he was here five years ago, he was signed up by Viva and introduced with Vince Saldana as his screen name. His career went nowhere so he went back to his native Guam and finished college. He graduated as an English lit major, summa cum laude no less, from the University of Guam, then returned here for a vacation. Jonas Gaffud of Mercator Agency saw him, signed him up to manage him then brought him to GMA-7, who also signed him to star in a soap. But even before he can start the soap, Regal’s Roselle Monteverde is now introducing him as the leading man of Lovi Poe in the horror drama, “Guni-Guni” directed by Tara Illenberger.
“I really can’t believe it,” says Benjamin who’s now using his real name. “Ang bilis ng mga pangyayari. Iniisip ko na lang, siguro, dumating na yung right time for me. Before, nothing happened simply because it’s not my time yet. I was too young then. Now, I’m really so excited. Can’t believe I’m paired with Lovi Poe. I watch her in ‘Legacy’ in Guam and I’ve seen some of her movies. Hanga ako sa kanya, she’s really good and I’m thrilled to work with someone like her. I know she can help me and I’ll learn a lot from her.” |
John M. Parsons
John May Parsons (September 21, 1866 – May 11, 1946) was an American Republican politician who served three terms in the Senate of Virginia.
References
External links
Category:1866 births
Category:1946 deaths
Category:Virginia state senators
Category:Virginia Republicans
Category:People from Grayson County, Virginia
Category:20th-century American politicians |
<?php
/**
* PQRS Measure 0195 -- Initial Patient Population
*
* Copyright (C) 2015 - 2017 Suncoast Connection
*
* LICENSE: This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public License, v. 2.0
* See the Mozilla Public License for more details.
* If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this file, You can obtain one at https://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
*
* @author Art Eaton <art@suncoastconnection.com>
* @author Bryan lee <bryan@suncoastconnection.com>
* @package LibreHealthEHR
* @link http://suncoastconnection.com
* @link http://librehealth.io
*
* Please support this product by sharing your changes with the LibreHealth.io community.
*/
class PQRS_0195_InitialPatientPopulation extends PQRSFilter
{
public function getTitle()
{
return "Initial Patient Population";
}
public function test( PQRSPatient $patient, $beginDate, $endDate )
{
$query =
"SELECT COUNT(b1.code) as count ".
" FROM billing AS b1".
" JOIN form_encounter AS fe ON (b1.encounter = fe.encounter)".
" INNER JOIN pqrs_efcc3 AS codelist_a ON (b1.code = codelist_a.code)".
" WHERE b1.pid = ? ".
" AND fe.provider_id = '".$this->_reportOptions['provider']."'".
" AND fe.date BETWEEN '".$beginDate."' AND '".$endDate."' ".
" AND (b1.code = codelist_a.code AND codelist_a.type = 'pqrs_0195_a'); ";
$result = sqlFetchArray(sqlStatementNoLog($query, array($patient->id)));
if ($result['count']> 0){ return true;} else {return false;}
}
}
|
Transcription
1 February 12, 2015 In battleground Virginia, Clinton beating all Republicans in 2016 presidential matchups; GOP voters divided, with Bush up, Christie down Summary of Key Findings 1. Virginia voters like Hillary Clinton: In head-t0-head matchups with a list of potential Republican challengers, Clinton beats them all. 2. Virginia Republican voters are very divided among many potential candidates, but Jeb Bush and Scott Walker get the most support in a hypothetical 2016 Republican primary. 3. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie s favorable rating in Virginia has dropped from 46% to 30% since a year ago. 4. Virginia Democrats strongly prefer Clinton over Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren and other potential Democratic contenders. 5. President Obama s approval is underwater in Virginia at 43% to 53%, but only 13% of voters approve of the job Congress is doing. For Further Information Contact: Dr. Quentin Kidd, Director McMurran Hall 264 Office (757) Wason Center for Public Policy Christopher Newport University Mobile (757) Newport News, VA
2 Analysis The State of Things: Virginians are not happy with the direction of the country, with 53% saying things in the United States are mostly going in the wrong direction. President Barack Obama s job approval among registered Virginia voters stands at 43%, with 53% disapproving and 4% not sure. Obama s approval has hovered in the mid-40% range among Virginia voters for several years, jumping above 50% in January 2013 as he took the oath of office for his second term. Mirroring views nationally, only 13% of Virginia voters approve of the job Congress is doing, while 80% say they disapprove and 7% aren t sure. Overall, would you say things in the United States are heading more in the direction? Right 35 Mixed (vol) 10 Wrong 53 Dk/ref (vol) 2 Trends: Jan Jan Jan Feb Right Mixed (vol) Wrong Dk/ref (vol) Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as President? Approve 43 Disapprove 53 Dk/ref (vol) 4 Trends: Jan Feb Jan Feb Approve Disapprove Dk/ref (vol) Do you approve or disapprove of the way Congress is doing its job? Approve 13 Disapprove 80 Dk/ref (vol) 7 Trends: Feb Approve 10 Disapprove 80 0 Clinton, Webb and Bush viewed most favorably: Among the early contenders for President in 2016, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has the highest favorability rating among Virginia voters at 46%, but slightly more (49%) view her unfavorably. Former Virginia Senator Jim Webb, who has announced that he is considering a run for the White House in 2016, has a 35% favorability rating here in his home state. Jeb Bush has the highest favorability rating among Republicans, at 32%. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie s favorability stands at 30%, a significant drop from the 46% favorability 2
3 he had the last time the Wason Center gauged it, in February Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Marco Rubio, Senator Rand Paul, and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee are favored by between one-third and one-fourth of registered Virginia voters. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Senator Ted Cruz are favored by less than one-fourth of Virginia voters. Every candidate except Webb has a higher unfavorable rating than favorable rating, with Biden (62%) and Paul leading (50%) the unfavorables. Virginia voters are strongly in favor of the next president focusing more attention on domestic policy than foreign policy, with 59% saying domestic policy and only 19% saying foreign policy. One-fifth say both. Favorable Unfavorable Don t know Refused (vol) Hillary Clinton Jim Webb Jeb Bush Joe Biden Chris Christie Marco Rubio Rand Paul Mike Huckabee Scott Walker Ted Cruz Elizabeth Warren Will it be more important for the next president to focus more on domestic policy or foreign policy? Domestic 59 Foreign 19 Neither (vol) 1 Both (vol) 20 Priorities for the next president: The economy, jobs, and terrorism figure highly in what Virginia voters think the top priority of the next president should be. Almost eight in ten (78%) say strengthening the nation s economy should be a top priority, with the same percentage saying defending the country from future terrorist attacks should be a top priority. Other top priority areas for Virginia voters include: improving the job situation (67%), reducing the budget deficit (62%), reducing health care costs (59%), improving the education system (56%), taking steps to make the Social Security system financially sound (54%), and taking steps to make the Medicare system financially sound (51%). As far as Virginia voters are concerned, 2016 is going to be an election about domestic policy, said Dr. Quentin Kidd, director of the Wason Center for Public Policy. Voters are concerned about protecting the country from terrorist attacks, yes, but by and large their list of top priorities is focused on the economy, jobs, and the health of domestic programs and policies. 3
4 Will this be a.priority? Top Important but lower Not too important Strengthening the nation s economy Defending the country from future terrorist attacks Improving the job situation Reducing the budget deficit Reducing health care costs Improving the education system Should not be done Taking steps to make the Social Security system financially sound Taking steps to make the Medicare system financially sound Reducing the influence of lobbyists and special interest groups in Washington Reforming the nation s tax system Strengthening the U.S. military Dealing with the issue of immigration Reducing crime Protecting the environment Dealing with the role of money in politics Dealing with the problem of poor and needy people Dealing with the moral breakdown of the country Dealing with the nation s energy problems Addressing race relations Improving the country s roads, bridges, and public transportation system Supporting scientific research Dealing with global climate change Dealing with global warming Dealing with global trade issues Dk/ref (vol) No clear front-runner in Republican field: Republican voters in Virginia are far more interested in choosing a candidate who can win over a candidate who satisfies any given ideological litmus test, but there is no clear leader in a hypothetical 2016 Republican primary election. Jeb Bush leads the pack, with 21% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents saying they would vote for him, followed by Scott Walker at 16%. Mike Huckabee and Chris Christie each garner 10% support, followed closely by Ben Carson at 9%. All other candidates, including 2012 Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan, poll in the single digits. The Republican field is still very fluid in Virginia, said Kidd. Last year this time, Chris Christie was leading the pack, but now finds himself in fourth place. Republican voters are still assessing their choices. 4
5 If you had to choose, would you rather see the Republican party nominate a presidential candidate who agrees with you on every issue that matters to you but may not be able to beat the Democratic candidate, or a presidential candidate who can beat the Democratic candidate but does not agree with you on every issue that matters to you? Agree on issues 22 Can beat Democrat 73 Dk/ref (vol) 5 If the 2016 Republican Presidential Primary in Virginia were held today and the candidates were [Names rotated] for whom would you vote? Jeb Bush 21 Scott Walker 16 Mike Huckabee 10 Chris Christie 10 Ben Carson 9 Rand Paul 6 Marco Rubio 6 Paul Ryan 5 Ted Cruz 3 John Kasich 3 Bobby Jindal 2 Rich Perry 1 Mike Pence 1 Rob Portman 1 Rick Santorum 1 Someone else (vol) 1 Undecided/Dk/ref (vol) 4 Clinton has a strong lead among Democrats: Like Republican voters, Virginia Democrats are also far more interested in choosing a candidate who can win over a candidate who satisfies any given ideological litmus test. But unlike Republicans, Democrats are clear about who they like: Hillary Clinton. If the 2016 Democratic presidential primary were held today, Clinton would cruise to a commanding victory with 65% of Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents saying they would vote for her rather than Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, or any of the other potential challengers. While the Republican field is still very fluid in Virginia, the Democratic field is already solidified, said Kidd. Hillary Clinton s position among Virginia Democrats has not changed much, if any, since last year, suggesting that her support among Democratic voters is stable and mature. 5
6 If you had to choose, would you rather see the Democratic party nominate a presidential candidate who agrees with you on every issue that matters to you but may not be able to beat the Republican candidate, or a presidential candidate who can beat the Republican candidate but does not agree with you on every issue that matters to you? Agree on issues 25 Can beat Democrat 71 Dk/ref (vol) 4 If the 2016 Democratic Presidential Primary in Virginia were held today and the candidates were [Names rotated] for whom would you vote? Hillary Clinton 65 Jim Webb 10 Joe Biden 8 Elizabeth Warren 8 Deval Patrick 2 Bernie Sanders 2 Andrew Cuomo 1 Martin O Malley 1 Someone else (vol) 1 Undecided/Dk/ref (vol) 2 Hillary Clinton beats all comers if 2016 election were held today: Virginia voters like Hillary Clinton. In hypothetical 2016 head-to-head matchups with a list of potential Republican challengers, Clinton beats them all. Only two Republicans hold Clinton below 50%, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. The closest matchup pits Clinton against Bush, where Clinton wins by 5 points, 48% to 43%. Clinton beats Christie by 7 points, 49% to 42%. No Republican candidate is able to keep Clinton s vote among women below 50%. Likewise, no Republican is able to hold Clinton s vote among Millennial voters (those between the ages of 18-34) below 58%. Most notably, Jeb Bush loses Millennial voters by 34% (65% to 31%) against the former Secretary of State and First Lady. Christie and Bush perform best among Independents, both holding Clinton s vote below 50% among that segment of voters. While Hillary Clinton has yet to officially declare her candidacy, voters in the battleground state of Virginia seem clear that they want her to run, giving her a commanding lead, said Kidd. Clinton has critical strengths among women voters and younger voters, two blocs of the electorate that Republicans have struggled with in recent presidential elections. 6
7 Hillary Clinton, the Democrat or Chris Christie, the Republican], for whom would you vote? Clinton Christie Undecided (vol.) Hillary Clinton, the Democrat or Mike Huckabee, the Republican], for whom would you vote? Clinton Huckabee Undecided (vol.) Hillary Clinton, the Democrat or Rand Paul, the Republican], for whom would you vote? Clinton Paul Undecided (vol.) Hillary Clinton, the Democrat or Jeb Bush, the Republican], for whom would you vote? Clinton Bush Undecided (vol.) Hillary Clinton, the Democrat or Marco Rubio, the Republican], for whom would you vote? Clinton Rubio Undecided (vol.) Hillary Clinton, the Democrat or Paul Ryan, the Republican], for whom would you vote? Clinton Ryan Undecided (vol.)
8 Demographic Toplines EDUC: High school or less 12 Some college 24 Vocational or technical training 2 College graduate 30 Graduate study or more 31 HISPANIC: Yes 4 No 95 RACE: Black or African American 19 White 72 Other 9 RELIG: Protestant 31 Christian (non-specific) (vol) 18 Catholic 14 Jewish 3 Other 18 None 14 Dk/ref (vol) 3 IDEOL: Strong liberal 6 Liberal 14 Moderate, leaning liberal 20 Moderate, leaning conservative 22 Conservative 19 Strong Conservative 12 Dk/ref (vol) 7 PARTYID: Republican 21 Independent lean Republican 20 Independent 16 Independent lean Democrat 15 Democrat 25 No preference/other party (vol) 2 TEAPARTY: Support 23 Oppose 44 No view either way 32 AGE: & older 43 REGION: Northern Virginia 33 Richmond/Central 21 Hampton Roads 24 South/Southwest 22 SEX: Male 49 Female 51 How the survey was conducted: The results of this poll are based on 794 interviews of registered Virginia voters, including 430 on landline and 364 on cell phone, conducted January 30 - February 10, Percentages may not equal 100 due to rounding. The margin of error for the whole survey is +/- 3.6% at the 95% level of confidence. Questions 6a-l and 6m-x were asked of randomized half samples (n=397), and the margin of error for these questions is +/- 5.2 at the 95% level of confidence. All error margins have been adjusted to account for the survey s design effect, which is 1.09 in this survey. The design effect is a factor representing the survey s deviation from a simple random sample, and takes into account decreases in precision due to sample design and weighting procedures. In addition to sampling error, the other potential sources of error include non-response, question wording, and interviewer error. The response rate (AAPOR RRI Standard Definition) for the survey was 21%. Five callbacks were employed in the fielding process. Live calling was conducted by trained interviewers at the Wason Center for Public Policy Survey Research Lab at Christopher Newport University. The data reported here are weighted using an iterative weighting process on sex, age, race and region of residence to reflect as closely as possible the demographic composition of registered voters in Virginia. The survey was designed by Dr. Quentin Kidd of the Wason Center for Public Policy at Christopher Newport University. 8
Interviews with 1,017 adult Americans conducted by telephone by ORC International on June 26-28, 2015. The margin of sampling error for results based on the total sample is plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Interviews with 1,045 adult Americans conducted by telephone by ORC International on November 21-23, 2014. The margin of sampling error for results based on the total sample is plus or minus 3 percentage
How the Survey was Conducted Nature of the Sample: NBC News/Marist New Hampshire Poll of 1,037 Adults This survey of 1,037 adults was conducted July 14 th through July 21 st, 2015 by The Marist Poll sponsored
THE FIELD POLL THE INDEPENDENT AND NON-PARTISAN SURVEY OF PUBLIC OPINION ESTABLISHED IN 1947 AS THE CALIFORNIA POLL BY MERVIN FIELD Field Research Corporation 601 California Street, Suite 210 San Francisco,
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 15, 2015 INTERVIEWS: Tom Jensen 919-744-6312 IF YOU HAVE BASIC METHODOLOGICAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE E-MAIL information@publicpolicypolling.com, OR CONSULT THE FINAL PARAGRAPH OF
1. On the whole, what are the most important issues facing the [Hispanic/Latino] community that you think Congress and the President should address? [Open ended, may select one more than one] Create more
EARLY POLLING FINDS DEMOCRATS IN COMMAND IN MASSACHUSETTS Voters give positive marks to Clinton and Sanders and take a dim view of Trump TABLES Next, please tell me if you have a favorable or unfavorable
Topline Report: Ohio Election Poll Baldwin Wallace University CRI HOLD FOR RELEASE 6:00 a.m., February 24, 2016 The Baldwin Wallace CRI study was conducted during the period of February 11-20, 2016 among
METHODOLOGY The NBC News Online Survey was conducted online by SurveyMonkey September 16-8, 2015 among a national sample of 5,113 adults aged 18 and over. Respondents for this non-probability survey were
METHODOLOGY The NBC News Online Survey was conducted online by SurveyMonkey September 16-8, 2015 among a national sample of 5,113 adults aged 18 and over. Respondents for this non-probability survey were
Interviews with 1,001 adult Americans conducted by telephone by ORC International on February 24-27, 2016. The margin of sampling error for results based on the total sample is plus or minus 3 percentage
MAIN QUESTIONNAIRE 1. Even though you don t plan to vote, thinking about the 2014 election, what are the most important issues facing the [Latino/Hispanic] community that our politicians should address?
JANUARY 2014 EDITION PURPLEPOLL NEW HAMPSHIRE STATEWIDE ABOUT PURPLE STRATEGIES Purple is a fully integrated, bipartisan team that excels at merging red and blue perspectives to find effective strategic
THE FIELD POLL THE INDEPENDENT AND NON-PARTISAN SURVEY OF PUBLIC OPINION ESTABLISHED IN 1947 AS THE CALIFORNIA POLL BY MERVIN FIELD Field Research Corporation 601 California Street, Suite 210 San Francisco,
Rock the Vote / USA Today Millennial Survey These are findings from an Ipsos poll conducted January 4-7, 2016 on behalf the USA today. For the survey, a sample of 1,141 adults age 18-34 from the continental
Interviews with 1,018 adult Americans conducted by telephone by ORC International on December 17-21, 2015. The margin of sampling error for results based on the total sample is plus or minus 3 percentage
Interviews with 1,001 adult Americans conducted by telephone by ORC International on February 24-27, 2016. The margin of sampling error for results based on the total sample is plus or minus 3 percentage
! Marquette Law School Poll September November 12-15, 2015 Results for Registered Voters (ages are rounded to whole numbers for reporting of results. Values ending in.5 here may round up or down if they
Nevada Interviews with 1,006 adult Nevadans conducted by telephone by ORC International on February 10-15, 2016. The margin of sampling error for results based on the total sample is plus or minus 3 percentage
October 19, 2015 Media Contact: Joanna Norris, Director Department of Public Relations (904) 620-2192 UNF Poll Reveals Trump Holds Slight Lead in Close Republican Primary Race A new University of North
Interviews with 1,001 adult Americans conducted by telephone by ORC International on April 28 May 1, 2016. The margin of sampling error for results based on the total sample is plus or minus 3 percentage
Marquette Law School Poll January 21-24, 2016 Results for Registered Voters (ages are rounded to whole numbers for reporting of results. Values ending in.5 here may round up or down if they are slightly
THE FIELD POLL THE INDEPENDENT AND NON-PARTISAN SURVEY OF PUBLIC OPINION ESTABLISHED IN 1947 AS THE CALIFORNIA POLL BY MERVIN FIELD Field Research Corporation 601 California Street, Suite 210 San Francisco,
1 These are findings from an Ipsos poll conducted for Thomson Reuters from August 6 (post-debate) -- 10, 2015. For the survey, a sample of 823 Americans ages 18+, including 346 who identify as Democrats,
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 25, 2016 INTERVIEWS: Tom Jensen 919-744-6312 IF YOU HAVE BASIC METHODOLOGICAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE E-MAIL information@publicpolicypolling.com, OR CONSULT THE FINAL PARAGRAPH
THE FIELD POLL THE INDEPENDENT AND NON-PARTISAN SURVEY OF PUBLIC OPINION ESTABLISHED IN 1947 AS THE CALIFORNIA POLL BY MERVIN FIELD Field Research Corporation 601 California Street, Suite 210 San Francisco,
Bloomberg Politics National Poll Study #2143 SELZER & COMPANY 1,002 U.S. adults who are likely voters in the 2016 general election September 21-24, 2016 Margin of error: ± 3.1 percentage points 1,326 general |
Report: Nation’s Best School Districts Trail Global Competition
Wealthy suburban school districts lack the academic heft many believe they have, according to the Global Report Card 2.0. The updated 2012 findings match the 2011 edition’s conclusion: Even the best U.S. school districts rate mediocre when compared to international peers.
“Suburbanites falsely believe that education reform has nothing to do with them,” said GRC coauthor Jay Greene, head of the University of Arkansas’ department of education reform. “I want suburbanites to understand that quite often the problems of the education system are found in the suburbs, and therefore education reforms are something we all have to be interested in.”
For example, Montgomery School District, which has five of Maryland’s top-performing schools, ranks in the 66th percentile for math, when compared to the rest of the country. This means the average Montgomery student performs better than 66 percent of his U.S. peers. Compare the district to the world, however, and its performance drops to the 57th percentile.
In only 9 percent of U.S. districts did the average student rank in the top third internationally.
The GRC uses the latest international test score data to compare U.S. students in every school district with their foreign peers in reading and math. It includes an interactive online map[2] where parents and taxpayers can see how their local school district stacks up.
‘Losing the Brain Race’These results demonstrate the United States is “losing the brain race” with other countries, says Lance Izumi, director of education studies at the Pacific Research Institute.
“Even though America is an economic superpower now, that doesn’t mean that in the future we’re going to keep that stature,” he said.
Suburban parents shouldn’t sit comfortable believing their children are getting a good education based on statewide or even national comparisons, Greene said.
The mental and academic ability of a country’s students directly correlates with its future prosperity, says Eric Hanushek, a Stanford University economist who has conducted well-regarded research on education and economics.
“We are becoming much more an integrated, international world where people compete across national boundaries all the time. We’re in an age where skills and human capital are what determine who’s going to do well,” he said.
Implications for ReformGreene refrained from recommending specific policies to address the deficiencies his work revealed, as many reform ideas are divisive. His main goal is for Americans to acknowledge the problem so districts, policymakers, and reformers can work toward a solution.
School districts “almost universally” ignore international comparisons, Hanushek said, because “the news isn’t very good for them, and they don’t like to have bad news.”
Hanushek suggests districts and lawmakers should work to improve teacher quality because it has a major effect on student achievement.
“Effective school systems don’t let bad teachers stay in the classroom for long,” he said, noting education systems in other countries. “They might find ways to improve the teachers. They might find ways to move them to other jobs, but one way or another, they keep from having bad teachers in the classroom for very long.” |
Cleaning Companiesin Slough
Our directory is the best list of local cleaning companies in Slough to look through. Itis made with maximum comfort for the web users, so you can select something for yourrequirements and we will provide you with full contact details.
At SAM carpet cleaning all the products we use are 100% Non-toxic. Keeping your family, home and pets safe in the mean time providing a healthy environment. All the cleaning products are supplied by... the PROCHEM who are leading UK manufacturer of the carpet cleaning products. As a local independent business we are able to offer very affordable rates along with local, reliable and professional services. Unlike many of our competitors we are not a part of any franchises or call centre so saving comes direct to you.
Agnes Cleaning Service is a family company which deals with professional house, apartment and small offices cleaning. We also help around in “handy man” house works. Every client is treated... individually, in a meeting we agree on the set of responsibilities and expectations. We work in areas of Ascot, Bourne End, Burnham, Cookham, Henley on Thames, Maidenhead, Slough, Virginia Water, Windsor and Winkfield.
We are the leading cleaning contractor operating on the territory of SL1-SL3, Slough. As such we are serving both domestic and commercial clients looking for high quality professional cleaning... services that are up to the highest standards of the industry. We are hard-working, motivated and efficient team of professional cleaners who never turn down a challenge. Slough is one of the most densely populated areas in London. It is also the place where a large number of business ventures are based.
If you are looking for a single service provider able to handle all your cleaning requirements efficiently and in the most professional manner then you have come to the right place as Cleaners Slough... can take care of it all. We can provide you with all types of quality house cleaning including special purpose cleaning appointments like after party clean ups or post renovation cleaning. We value the time and effort which our customers invest in us so we aim to deliver proper, professional results on every cleaning job we do.
We offer a wide range of cleaning services. Our dedicated team of commercial contract cleaners provide a professional and reliable service for all requirements, ranging from daily or weekly office... cleaning to deep-cleaning kitchens, carpet cleaning etc. We deliver quick, professional and timely service at affordable prices, including bespoke packages. We are also available for emergency services. Please get in touch by phone or email if you’d like a quote or if you need more information. We’re happy to help.
Cleaners Stoke Poges is your local cleaning specialist. The company provides quality residential cleaning services of both general and specific nature. Whether you need a single carpet cleaned or a... complete top to bottom spring cleaning done we got you covered. Cleaners Stoke Poges will deliver value for money service with a smile and attention to detail.
You win our kind of reputation around the Slough and Langley area by supplying a little more than just quality office cleaning. You see, we've landed major cleaning contracts with multinationals and... also with offices in Pinewood Studios - by taking things a step further. Yes, our commercial-cleaning service is fantastic value for money - because we buy chemicals, materials and consumables direct from manufacturers - but we go way beyond that.
The Cleaners that are introduced by Roses cleaning have been providing the highest quality of domestic, and commercial cleaning, we are a rapidly expanding business. Our offices communicate regularly... with the aim of keeping up our high standards. The service we provide range from spring cleans to after party cleans to the more common regular weekly cleans. |
A need exists for additional methods to prepare 3-methyl-2-nitrobenzoic acid that are selective and cost-effiective. 3-Methyl-2-nitrobenzoic acid is useful as in intermediate in the preparation of agrochemicals such as Rynaxypyr® and Cyazypyr®.
Oxidation of mono-alkyl ortho-nitroalkylaromatic compounds is exemplified in Jacobsen, U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,890. Selective oxidation of one alkyl group in ortho-nitroalkylaromatic compounds with two or more alkyl groups is not disclosed in this patent.
Oxidation of 2-nitro-p-xylene is disclosed in Jacobson and Ely, Chemical Industries 1996, 68, 87-96. Selective oxidation of one alkyl group in ortho-nitroalkylaromatic compounds with two or more alkyl groups is not disclosed in this publication.
Oxidation of 2-nitro-m-xylene is disclosed in JP05132450 using H2SO4 and stoichiometric CrO3. |
Abstract:To overcome miniaturization roadblock, innovative architectural enhancements involving the use of an improved SOI like architecture called Silicon On Nothing (SON) capable of SCE and DIBL suppression onto the existing ISE devices [2], has been considered for SCEs suppression. Further to overcome the electron transport inefficiency, Dual Material Gate (DMG) architecture has also been integrated thereby presenting ultimate device architecture of DMG ISE SON MOSFET for ULSI era. In this work, linearity performance of 50nm DMG ISE SON MOSFET has been investigated and compared with other Single/ Dual Material Gate (S/DMG) taking into consideration the non-equilibrium transport effect implemented via Energy Balance Transport (EBT) model activated through ATLAS-2D device simulation software. The work discusses the linearity Figure of Merits -VIP2, VIP3 and third order intermodulation distortion IMD3 and thereby, provides optimal bias point selection |
Tony nominee Amy Morton (August: Osage County, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) helms the world premiere of Pulitzer finalist Rajiv Joseph's play Guards at the Taj, starring Tony-nominated actors Omar Metwally (Sixteen Wounded) and Arian Moayed (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo). The play, which was recetnly awarded the Laurents/Hatcher Award, officially opened June 11 following previews that began May 20 at the Atlantic Theater Company Off-Broadway. |
Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of South Dakota and is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Created in 1935, it is a wetlands of international importance and a Globally Important Bird Area. Over 260 bird species are found in the refuge, including many migratory bird species and the world's largest breeding colony of Franklin's gulls.
History and management
In the late 1880s, the Sand Lake area was settled by farmers. Their agricultural practices depleted wildlife habitat and caused a severe decline in waterfowl numbers. The US Congress established the refuge in 1935 to preserve wildlife habitat and breeding grounds.
The Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located in northeastern South Dakota, and covers of wildlife habitat. It is part of the National Wildlife Refuge System, which covers over 550 such refuges in the US. The system is managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, part of the Department of the Interior. The Sand Lake Wetland Management District, which focuses on the conservation of wetland and grassland habitat on private property, is run through the wildlife refuge. The program is the largest such district in the country, and manages properties in eight counties. The refuge hosts around 75,000 visitors annually.
Wetlands
Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge is one of the refuges included in the list of wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, which was signed in 1971 and entered into force in the US in 1987. It is one of 35 such sites in the US, which cover a total of . Sand Lake was designated on August 3, 1998 and covers . As a "large freshwater cattail marsh", it was selected as a refuge due to being a "critical nesting and staging habitat" for numerous species of birds, including tens of thousands of migrating waterfowl. The wetlands are a popular tourist attraction, with thousands of visitors each year.
Flora and fauna
Large concentrations of more than 260 bird species, 40 mammals and a variety of other species live in the refuge. WildBird Magazine called Sand Lake one of North America's top 15 sites for bird watching. Mallard ducks, wood ducks and Canada geese are frequently seen, as are Western grebes, white pelicans and snow geese. The largest nesting colony of Franklin's gulls in the world is also found in Sand Lake. The Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge had been designated as a Globally Important Bird Area by the American Bird Conservancy, one of 500 such sites in the US and approximately 3,500 worldwide. It is one of two such sites in South Dakota, with the other being the Fort Pierre National Grassland.
The main waterway in the refuge is the James River, which feeds Sand Lake and Mud Lake. The lakes were created by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the New Deal Era, as they built dams on local rivers.
References
External links
Category:Important Bird Areas of the United States
Category:National Wildlife Refuges in South Dakota
Category:Protected areas of Brown County, South Dakota
Category:Protected areas established in 1935
Category:Ramsar sites in the United States
Category:Wetlands of South Dakota
Category:Landforms of Brown County, South Dakota
Category:1935 establishments in South Dakota |
Volunteers with the national organization Ready for Hillary hold a rally across the street from the Beverly Wilshire hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., where Hillary Rodham Clinton was to be honored with a public service award May 8, 2013.Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
A new analysis by PowerPAC found that less than 2 percent of spending by the three main national Democratic Party political operations—the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee—went to political-consulting firms owned by minorities.
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The report sent ripples through the political establishment, in part because it threatens to turn one of the longest-standing beliefs about American party politics on its ear: that Democrats are more in tune with the interests, economic and otherwise, of minority constituencies. But this report raises troubling questions about just how true that is. With black unemployment one of the most troubling political issues during President Barack Obama’s time in office, the fact that the Democratic Party is not engaging many black-owned businesses does not look good, no matter the reason.
Party officials expressed commitment to improving their diversity, saying they were confident that their record was better than the GOP’s. But with numbers under 2 percent, that’s not really saying very much. I personally know of a number of political-consulting firms owned and operated by minorities—so if I know about them, why doesn’t the Democratic Party? And if the party does know about them, why isn’t it using more of them?
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The challenge for minority political consultants, explains one consultant, extends beyond the Democratic Party.
“In many ways there is a glass ceiling for minority consultants across the country,” said Basil Smikle, founder of Smikle Associates, a New York-based political-consulting firm. “The party has in many ways pigeonholed minority consultants.”
Smikle explained that many minority consultants tend to be relegated to working on issues related to the specific constituency to which they belong. So black consultants may be hired to work on African-American voter outreach, and Latinos may be hired to work with Latino voters. As a result, it makes it tougher for minority consultants to land the jobs and opportunities that are crucial to advancing.
“I can do black politics,” said Smikle, a former top aide to Hillary Clinton when she served in the Senate, “but you don’t have to relegate me to black politics. I can do other things.” As a result of the limited opportunities minority consultants may face in larger firms, many branch out on their own, and then face another problem. “Minority firms are often marginalized, which keeps them from building capacity and keeps them from being competitive,” he said.
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In other words, the same high-ranking decision-makers who may have kept assigning a minority consultant in a large firm to work on minority-voter outreach may end up considering only outside minority-owned consulting firms for the same type of work. As a result, the firm has trouble growing at the rate of others and therefore will struggle to compete against larger consulting firms.
Smikle said that the key is having more people in power—including state party leaders, national party leaders and high-powered elected officials—committed not just to diversity but to “thinking outside the box.”
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“It takes more people thinking out of the box and saying, ‘This person is talented,’ and if they’d like that opportunity [beyond minority-specific outreach], let’s let them try,” he said.
In Smikle’s case, Clinton gave him responsibilities and opportunities that had traditionally not been entrusted to minority political operatives. It ended up making a huge difference in his career, and he was offered other major opportunities as a result, including advising former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman.
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“The only reason I have had the career trajectory I have is because Hillary brought me in. I cannot tell you how valuable that has been to my career,” Smikle said. “It takes people like that to say ‘I’m going to treat you like an equal. I’m not going to pigeonhole you or compartmentalize you. I’m going to treat you like a peer with everyone else.’”
It’s that kind of support that is crucial for minority consultants, he explained. “It’s so incredibly valuable and so incredibly rare.” |
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CHICAGO—On a day when the chairman of NBC Sports was quoted as saying that those players should dispense with their pesky playoff beards, which render them harder to market to the public by hiding their faces, like hobos or criminals or actors between roles, to paraphrase only a little . . .
And one day after Jonathan Drouin was approved to give an interview in French to TVA at the beginning of the Game 3 warmup, in which the 2013 No. 3 pick said he was going to play that night for the Tampa Bay Lightning, and after which Drouin was scratched for a seventh defenceman, which even in the context of the season-long tug-of-war between player and team was an eyebrow-raising development . . .
And one day after Alan Eagleson, the disgraced former head of the players’ union, was allowed to appear at the morning skate as if he had not committed crimes against players serious enough that you’d think a credible league would have banned him from its arenas for life, even if he did share their stance on taking money from the players as a principle . . .
Well, the Stanley Cup final was lucky there were other things for people to talk about than parody, mystery and infamy. Three games into the final between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Lightning, and on Tuesday Tampa’s 2-1 series lead meant an appreciation of both the way the games have been played, and what this young team has accomplished.
There was a spotlight on defenceman Victor Hedman, who delivered spectacular assists on two of Tampa’s three Game 3 goals and was justly lauded — he’s been a primal force in these playoffs, full of confidence, a player with Chris Pronger’s size and a smaller man’s skills. Hedman’s great.
Article Continued Below
“I don’t know if he’s as smooth as Scott Niedermayer was, but he can move like him,” said Lightning veteran Brenden Morrow. “He’s about four or five inches taller. He’s a monster.”
There was more on Ben Bishop’s ability to play through his mystery injury, which has rendered him into more of a listing stone giant than usual, and Tampa’s ability as a young team to go 8-3 in the formidable rinks of Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, the Bell Centre in Montreal, and the United Center in Chicago.
“It could be a combination of a lot of things,” said Morrow. “But maybe when we get on the road there maybe isn’t as much focus — because we can’t have it — on matchups, we just go out and play. We’re a team that when we have no hesitation to our game, we’re very successful. So that could be part of it. You turn off the thinker a little bit.”
And there were, of course, the struggles of the Blackhawks, who can’t be sure that they’ll have defenceman Johnny Oduya for Game 4, and the article of faith that this is a team that can elevate its game when the games matter more. They are, after all, 30-30 in Games 1-3 under head coach Joel Quenneville, and 40-14 in Games 4-7.
“I think it’s just about raising our game and not letting them do what they want to do,” said Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, who along with Patrick Kane has not put any sort of imprint on the first three games of the final. “We’ve put ourselves in a good spot in third periods the last couple of games, but we’re kind of (letting) a minute or two get away from what’s making us a good team. We let them play their game a little bit too easily. It ends up hurting us.”
So, now you’re mostly caught up. There are a lot of interlocking storylines to this promising Stanley Cup final, plus the sideshows. It’s basically a buffet, and you can choose what you like.
But remember: the margin between appreciating the heavyweight duo of Marian Hossa and Brandon Saad for a day instead of Hedman, or appreciating the relentlessness of the Blackhawks over the resilience of the Lightning, or wondering whether Bishop should be in there with whatever injury is causing him to occasionally topple over when he tries to push to his left, is as thin as hockey’s gods and physics can provide.
Hossa could have scored in the first on a wide-open net after faking out Bishop, but the 36-year-old Slovak horse was tripped at the last second by a sprawling Braydon Coburn, whose six-foot-five frame and his extra length stick were just long enough to make Hossa look like he hit a banana peel before sending the puck an inch or so wide. Teuvo Teravainen could have buried his chance past a tap-dancing Bishop in the first, too. Hockey’s full of near-misses, sure. But either play could have been the difference, right there.
And it underscores that this has been the third series since 1977 to see three one-goal games to start, and the third since 1927 to feature two game-winning, tie-breaking goals scored in the last five minutes of the third period.
In other words, it’s very close, and all the players talking about the emotional roller coaster of the playoffs know what they’re talking about. We’ve seen two great games, one remarkable comeback, and some idiocy, mystery and infamy on the side. Gather round the fire, and let’s see where this thing goes.
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Tumor doubling time and local immune response to hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer.
A number of studies have investigated the role of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in cancer, yet the local immune response to hepatic colorectal cancer metastasis remains unclear. As the tumor doubling time (DT) of hepatic colorectal cancer metastases is a good index of tumor growth, we examined the correlation between tumor DT and the local immune response by phenotype in hepatic colorectal cancer metastases. Tumor DT and local immune response were examined in 20 patients with hepatic colorectal cancer metastases by analyzing tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes using flow cytometry or immunohistochemical studies. Tumor proliferative activity was also investigated by determining the expression levels of Ki-67 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Locally abundant populations of CD83(+) dendritic cells (DCs) and CD8(+) T cells were positively related to longer tumor DT (P < 0.05), as were abundant CD8(+) T cells having interferon-gamma-producing potentials (P < 0.05). There was no significant correlation between tumor cell expression levels of Ki-67 or PCNA and tumor DT. Longer DT tumors have increased local populations of CD8(+) T cells and CD83(+) DCs even in hepatic colorectal cancer metastases. |
Sudan protesters reject army's position on civilian rule Published duration 3 May 2019 Related Topics Sudan crisis
image copyright EPA image caption Thousands of people have camped outside the army headquarters to call for a civilian government
Protesters in Sudan have criticised the ruling military council after it said it would not accept a civilian-majority power sharing council.
A top military council official earlier told the BBC that a transitional supreme council could not be dominated by civilians.
But an opposition spokesman said the military did not understand civilian government.
Talks between the military and the opposition remain deadlocked.
President Omar al-Bashir was ousted from power on 11 April after 30 years.
He was replaced by a transitional military council that promised to relinquish power to civilians within two years - a proposal rejected by protesters.
Demonstrators are continuing their mass sit-in outside military HQ to demand that the army cede control.
Protest leaders accuse the military of not negotiating in good faith and promoting the interests of Mr Bashir.
The military leaders say that they need to be in charge to ensure order and security in the country.
Who's in charge of Sudan?
The seven-member transitional military council led by Lt-Gen Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan is currently in charge.
Both it and the protesters have agreed that the next government will be made up of technocrats, not well-known politicians or the military, says the BBC's James Copnall in Khartoum.
But there would also be a supreme council, which would be above the government. Its composition and exact powers are still a subject of negotiation.
This supreme council replaces the president, and ensures that the military can retain relevance and power, while the civilians run the actual government business, our reporter says.
Lt Gen Salah Abdelkhalek told the BBC's Newsday programme that the military would insist on having at least half of all seats on the new supreme council: "[It's] a red line, maybe half and half," he said.
image caption Lt Gen Salah Abdelkhalek says the council might consider an equal share of seats with civilians
Opposition leaders - under The Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF) umbrella - sent a draft constitutional document on Thursday to the military council, outlining their proposals for the transition period before elections are held.
The draft, seen by news agency Reuters, also proposes the responsibilities of a cabinet and a 120-member legislature.
The DFCF says it is waiting for the military council to respond.
The African Union revised its 15-day ultimatum set on 15 April for the military leaders to hand over power to civilians. They now have 60 days or face suspension from the continental body.
media caption Sudan protests: 'Smiles have returned to people's faces'
What does the military want?
James Copnall, BBC News, Khartoum
Lt Gen Salah Abdelkhalek - and the rest of the military council - clearly don't want to see their power eroded.
They fear that if they are a minority in a supreme council, they will simply be out-voted every time.
In fact, stating that he might accept a 50-50 split could be seen as a concession: the military had already suggested that the council should be made up of seven soldiers and three civilians.
Of course, negotiations are often carried out partly through public declarations, and mainly behind closed doors.
In private, there are numerous attempts to break the current deadlock between the military and the protesters.
Elsewhere in the interview, Lt Gen Salah pushed an old line - that without the military chaos would ensue; and repeated a well-worn denial - the armed forces hadn't targeted civilians in the past, he said.
People who lost family members in Darfur, the Nuba mountains, or what is now South Sudan will simply not believe that.
What is the military headquarters like?
A satellite image of the military HQ in the capital, Khartoum, where protesters have gathered, reveals that the designers of the complex appeared to take their job literally.
From the air, it is clear that the navy is headquartered in a boat-like structure and the air force in what looks like a gigantic aeroplane.
The army building has three prongs which resemble the fin tail of a missile.
image copyright Google Maps
1: Navy office
2: Air force office
3: Army office
Where is Bashir?
The 75-year-old leader was moved to the high-security Kobar prison in the capital, Khartoum, days after he was deposed.
image copyright AFP image caption Mr Bashir came to power in a 1989 coup
Sudan's public prosecutor ordered on Thursday that the former president be questioned on charges of money laundering and financing terrorism.
Authorities found suitcases loaded with more than $351,000, €6m ($6.7m; £5.2m) and five billion Sudanese pounds ($105m) at Mr Bashir's home during a raid last month. |
Guilford (railway point), British Columbia
Guilford station was southeast of Penny on the northeast side of the Fraser River in central British Columbia. No roads, only railway access, the previous small community to its northwest has now completely vanished.
History
Railway
Guilford, like Lindup to its northwest, and Bend to its southeast, was an original train station (1914) on the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (the Canadian National Railway after nationalization) (CNR). Guilford station existed at Mile 65.6, Fraser Subdivision (about Mile 155 during the line's construction). The chosen name, a surname of pre 7th century origins, derives either from the city of Guildford, or from residence at a ford where golden flowers grew. It was selected from the list prepared by Josiah Wedgwood (submitted at the request of William P. Hinton, the railway's general manager). Commonly claimed as an English place name, no such location with the different spelling appears to have existed in the United Kingdom. However an earldom was created, and the station name, like some US Guilford localities, may have come from a member of that nobility branch.
To benefit from both river and railway access, the mill and settlement were about northwest of the station, but the latter's isolation gravitated passengers to the Penny station. In September 1913, the Sykes family, later at Penny, travelled by construction train to the planned Guilford station on track laid early that month. The family settled due south, across the river, and Ada Sykes' diary provides one of the earliest surviving references to Guilford's existence. In 1914, a landslide around Mile 66.5 (previously Mile 156), delayed passenger services by a day. Apart from a recluse, only the section (track maintenance) crew lived at the station locality.
In 1960, a speeder collided with a work train in the vicinity, killing Shirley Howard Scott (1905–60), one of the two CNR riders. Two years later, a bull moose, which charged an eastbound 59-car freight train near Guilford, derailed the caboose. The incident delayed the westbound passenger train by four hours.
Built in 1914, the standard-design Plan 100‐152 (Bohi's Type E) station building was replaced with a converted freight shed in 1950. Although Bohi notes the demolition of the former in 1950 and the latter in 1968, it appears more likely that the CNR burned down the former in the early 1960s.
Pioneer Farming & Forestry
Ole (1882–1956) & Halvor (1891–1973) Mellos, brothers, arrived by scow in 1913, while the railway was still under construction. Emma (c.1897–1942) and Ole married in 1914. The pioneer farmers, who were joined by their sister, Ingeborg L. Mellos (1884–1952), all relocated to neighbouring Penny in 1927.
In 1920, fire totally destroyed the shingle and lath mill, which had operated at least since 1918. Gordon Bain (likely c.1884–?) had recently purchased the mill from A. H. Booth (likely c.1884–1947). Trading as the Red Cedar Mill, its infrequent advertisements for cedar products became weekly during the fire sale. The district forester subsequently seized the fire-damaged equipment to settle unpaid timber royalties.
The narrow strip of accessible spruce forest bordering the railway that stretched some east of Prince George was known as the East Line. A 1927 forest fire spreading between Longworth and Guilford inflicted limited timber losses. Months later, in the vicinity of Guilford, a falling tree fractured the skull of logger John Johnson (c.1889–1927), who succumbed to his injuries while aboard a freight train en route to hospital. A year later, Asbjorn Fremstad (Framstad alternate spelling) (c.1908–1928) suffered similar fatal injuries when decking logs at the Melrose Camp near Guilford. The Vick Brothers Lumber Co., known to have operated a 20,000-foot per shift capacity mill 1926–29, was a victim of the Great Depression. During 1927–29, Archie McLarty had a 20-man crew producing 100 cedar poles per day in the vicinity. Fire destroyed 7,000 of these poles, worth $30,000, stacked near the station.
Guilford Lumber Co.
The acquired assets of Vick Brothers were relaunched as Guilford Lumber Co. in 1939. Herb O. Vick (c.1883–?) owned, and Douglas (Doug) L. Abernethy (1909–83) managed, the sawmill. The following year, they were charged with the theft of logs, owned by Red Mountain Lumber of Penny, that had been passing their log boom on the Fraser River. Remanded to a higher court, the defendants were found not guilty. In 1941, Abernethy and Frank Belanger, his logging camp foreman, bought new logging equipment in Vancouver. Months later, Belanger changed employers and moved his family to Bend, the same month as the Abernethy family moved into their new six-roomed house. The following spring, Abernethy was fined for a violation of the Wage Act, and mill worker John Babich lost two fingers when his mitt caught in the rollers. That year, two carloads of surplus machinery were shipped from Hutton.
In 1943, Charles Howarth (1885–1994) of Calgary, who managed the Hutton mill during the 1920s, purchased the Guilford one, with Doug Abernethy remaining as manager. The next year, logger Gustave Peterson (c.1886–1944) died in a work-related accident around Mile 61. The Guilford logging camp at Mile 61.4 comprised several windowless bunkhouses, a cookhouse, and horse barn. Another camp existed at Mile 62.5, where the then unmarried Frank Wagner worked 1943-44, and during a subsequent winter.
Clarence Riggs (1933–45) of Penny, employed as a flunky in the mill cookhouse, slipped while walking on the log boom. The Fraser River was unsuccessfully dragged, but the body was found by Joseph Kobra of Penny 12 days later in the millpond at Penny. The deceased was transported by rail to Prince George for the funeral. In recognition of Clarence belonging to the recently formed Penny Scout troop, the pallbearers were Prince George Boy Scouts in full uniform, as were other attendees.
Guilford Sawmills was subsequently fined for violating the control of employment of children provisions. Months later, in an unrelated incident, the company was fined for contravening the National Selective Service regulations.
In 1947, the mill resumed operations after a new boiler plant was installed. The replacement mill engineer was joined by his family, and a new bookkeeper commenced in the office. The Howarths, the owners, were residents from 1948 until the mill closed permanently the following year. Initially, the horses were sold, then the equipment from the 25,000-foot capacity mill was advertised. The boilers and planers remained unsold, but H. Liere acquired the sawmill, which he shipped to Babine Lake.
Charles Howarth died at 108 in Calgary. His wife Jessie lived to 101, making them the only husband-and-wife centenarians on the centenarians' list for West Kootenay-Boundary. He contacted typhoid in 1918, quit smoking in the late 1940s, and retained a sharp mind into his later years.
Community
A store and mail collection point opened prior to 1920, however the latter was short lived and recipients thereafter collected their mail from Penny. In 1945, the Guilford population comprised 47 family units, likely its peak. Owing to the limited social opportunities, residents attended the dances at Penny, and the wives, such as Irene Abernethy (1907–86), Mary Parranto, and Marie Wagner, participated in the women's functions at that location. Occasionally, the Penny women would visit Guilford.
Commuters often rode bicycles adapted for railway line travel, which were prone to jump the track on bends. Authorized employees regularly used the sawmill's motorized speeder for shopping, collecting the mail or social visits to Penny. Usually braking in time, on three known occasions, it collided with oncoming trains. Frances Wilson, Penny school teacher 1943–45, ruptured her appendix on leaping from the speeder during one close encounter.
Philip (1904–90) & Mary (1908–65) Parranto were residents. Their children were Gordon (1927–74), Theodore (Ted) (1928–92), Anna Mae (1933–83), Fern Marie, and Jim (fostered). Steam engineer Philip relocated for work to Prince George in 1945, but the family remained. The younger ones attended school in Penny. Gordon and Ted worked for the mill, but Ted came and went with work. Borrowed without permission, and hurriedly abandoned on the main line near Penny, the speeder was ejected from the rails on colliding with a train. Gordon, the offender, was sentenced to three months imprisonment or a $100 fine. The daughters relocated on marriage, but Fern's first one was short lived. The family had left the area before the mid-1950s.
Millwright Frank Wagner (1906–90), wife Marie (1912–2000), and her daughter Kaye, became the sole residents and caretakers. Except when a cougar was on the prowl, Kaye walked alone to school in Penny. After graduating high school in Prince George, she left in 1953. When the Wagners relocated in 1956, they created a ghost town.
Fortin Sawmill
In 1959, Frank Fortin (1927–2019) from Ferndale bought the Mile 61.4 camp from the government. He burned the dilapidated buildings, and constructed a sawmill, garage, cookhouse, bunkhouse, and finally the family houses. Beginning production in December 1959, the output soon increased to 30,000-35,000 feet daily. After burning down in a March 1960 fire, the mill was rebuilt.
The mill's generating plant supplied electricity for the whole community until 10:00 p.m. each evening. Having electricity and running cold water in the two-bedroomed family houses was an uncommon luxury compared with many East Line communities. The camp comprised four families with children and about a dozen men. An ice skating rink in winter, and a large above ground pool, bikes and swings in summer, provided entertainment for the children, while correspondence courses satisfied their schooling requirements.
With passenger trains arriving in the middle of the night, a lantern placed upon the track alerted the locomotive engineer to passengers huddled in the simple shelter at the flag stop. After the weekend, several employees returned to work from Prince George, or intermediate stops, aboard the early morning way freight, and groceries ordered from the city arrived by the same means. Families kept their ice cream in the cookhouse freezer.
The Fortin Sawmill received a merit award for safety in 1965. Purchased in 1968 by Alan MacDonald, the mill ran for only two months, before its resale to Wilf Leboe (1919–2010). Never reopening, the property was sold as a hunting lodge, and the mill equipment shipped to Crescent Spur.
Footnotes
References
Category:Robson Valley
Category:Ghost towns in British Columbia
Category:Railway points in the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George
Category:Railway stations opened in 1914
Category:Grand Trunk Pacific Railway stations
Category:Canadian National Railway stations in British Columbia |
I got a great comment recently regarding what it was like to be transgender in the military. She was thinking of signing up and looking for a bit of advice, and also suggested I write on this topic more. Before anything else, thank you Michelle the Younger! Believe me, it’s not easy thinking up shit to talk about all the time and keeping with the theme of the blog. This is a good one, because I can probably milk it for several posts and still manage to sound fresh. I know you all like me fresh, but seriously, no douche jokes.
As some of you may well know, I joined the Air Force in 1997 as an outward means to vector into an electronics career and inward means to escape or nullify my trans-ness. Big win on the first, horrible failure on the latter, just in case you are waiting with bated breath. I’ll kick it off with basic training, because boy did that suck. We’ll go over the various ways in a second and please feel free to laugh at my expense.
Apparently my earlier experiences with sleep away camp and the Boy Scouts had become sufficiently blurred to allow me to forget just how much I detest being shoved into all male environments with zero privacy. Living in basic training barracks is exactly like living in your high school locker room, complete with the towel snapping, enthusiastic flatulence, ball busting, and bulging tighty whities. In short, pure hell. Yes, I was that kid who avoided showering with the guys, so imagine my delight when I found they liked to shove 50 sweat hogs into a shower the size of a standard office cubicle. Thank god I wasn’t one of the ones who had to worry about getting an erection. While I was not quite a Tobias Fünke level ‘never nude’, auditioning for ‘The Full Monty’ was high on my list of personal nightmares. Ugh.
My more frequently encountered problem was more insidious. I’ve now spoken to a disproportionately large number of trans folks who have great difficulty discerning right from left. I don’t know what this means, and aside from pissing off anxious passengers trying to give me directions while driving, it’s not that big a thing. In basic, however, this ability is key. Transportation around the base consisted of ‘forming up’ in 4 columns of size sorted airmen. For some insane reason, I was chosen as one of the column heads, which meant there was no one in front of me to take my cues from. This didn’t go so well at all. After several instances of hearing, “Column Left, harch!”and turning right into the fellow next to me and conking heads all Stooge like, they started watching me close. This should have been funny and promoted a bit of slapstick laughter, but no, it only got me screamed at frequently. Sgt Hopkus, a mustachioed ball of intense fury and blood curdling rage, learned my name first; never good.
Once I got his attention, Hopkus was up my ass pretty deep. Luckily I found this kind of funny, though learned quickly to keep the good cheer off my face. On one occasion I was certain one of us was going to die. I was wool gathering when he taught us some new command for peeling off the main group and leading our column inside. I totally missed this, so when he called it the first time I just stood there looking at him. He didn’t take it well and turned beet red and screamed at me for five minutes before announcing we’d try it again. As he began, it occurred to me that I still didn’t know what to do, so I looked to see what everyone else was doing. He didn’t like that; apparently I was supposed to turn my head and say something. This time he got very animated and started with the threats. Ah, the threats. Outrageous things like I would not be fed the remaining 5 weeks and be on permanent all night door guard. The third time was a charm and I fucked up again. I was supposed to say “stand fast!”, but instead yelled, “stay there!”. Holy shit! I had no idea someone could get that mad and still live. His screaming deluged me with buckets of saliva, and if I understood right, a foot induced orchiectomy was imminent. I was really, really tempted to muck it up a fourth time just to see what would happen, but managed to restrain myself. Good thing because apparently the brouhaha upset the rest of the flight considerably and I had to hear about it for the next week.
While I have a good dozen similar basic training stories, most of which end with saurian roars and spittle in my face, I’m going to wrap up this post with just some things to keep in mind if you are trans and thinking of enlisting. A few tips if you will for the basic training portion.
1. If your natural state resembles Chewbacca, let it all grow back in before you ship out. There is no opportunity for body grooming and everyone will notice you going from smooth to hirsute and probably make a big deal out of it.
2. Same goes for manicures and pedicures.
3. If you have taken hormones and experienced breast growth understand two things. First, if they find out and you had not disclosed upon enlistment, you can get booted right then and there. Second, you will be saddled with a clever little nickname like ‘Boobies’ or ‘Tits McGee’.
4. Bring nothing of your true gender with you. Everything you walk in with will be pawed over and questioned. The old ‘my girlfriend stuffed those in my bag’ will only have them watch you all the closer.
5. Your mail is not private. Ask trans friends either not to write you or do so leaving out any mention of trans all together.
6. For gosh sakes, learn your left from your right!
7. No matter how hard it seems, it’s really not that long and you can make it through. Seriously, if I could, you should sail right through.
By the way, it’s a standing offer, good anytime that if you decide to go into the military, especially the Air Force, and want some extra advice, please never hesitate to use the Contact Michelle feature to write me direct. It’s the least I can do. |
Global update on the susceptibility of human influenza viruses to neuraminidase inhibitors, 2012-2013.
Emergence of influenza viruses with reduced susceptibility to neuraminidase inhibitors (NAIs) is sporadic, often follows exposure to NAIs, but occasionally occurs in the absence of NAI pressure. The emergence and global spread in 2007/2008 of A(H1N1) influenza viruses showing clinical resistance to oseltamivir due to neuraminidase (NA) H275Y substitution, in the absence of drug pressure, warrants continued vigilance and monitoring for similar viruses. Four World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centres for Reference and Research on Influenza and one WHO Collaborating Centre for the Surveillance, Epidemiology and Control of Influenza (WHO CCs) tested 11,387 viruses collected by WHO-recognized National Influenza Centres (NIC) between May 2012 and May 2013 to determine 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) data for oseltamivir, zanamivir, peramivir and laninamivir. The data were evaluated using normalized IC50 fold-changes rather than raw IC50 data. Nearly 90% of the 11,387 viruses were from three WHO regions: Western Pacific, the Americas and Europe. Only 0.2% (n=27) showed highly reduced inhibition (HRI) against at least one of the four NAIs, usually oseltamivir, while 0.3% (n=39) showed reduced inhibition (RI). NA sequence data, available from the WHO CCs and from sequence databases (n=3661), were screened for amino acid substitutions associated with reduced NAI susceptibility. Those showing HRI were A(H1N1)pdm09 with NA H275Y (n=18), A(H3N2) with NA E119V (n=3) or NA R292K (n=1) and B/Victoria-lineage with NA H273Y (n=2); amino acid position numbering is A subtype and B type specific. Overall, approximately 99% of circulating viruses tested during the 2012-2013 period were sensitive to all four NAIs. Consequently, these drugs remain an appropriate choice for the treatment and prophylaxis of influenza virus infections. |
Intramuscular myxoma--a clinicopathological study of twenty-three cases.
Twenty-three cases of intramuscular myxoma were analyzed clinically and histologically. The mean age of the patients was 54 years, and two-thirds were women. Clinical follow-up of 2 to 17 years' duration revealed no recurrences or metastases. Intramuscular myxoma thus appears to be a completely benign tumor. One patient simultaneously had a myxoma in the muscle of the thigh and a lesion of fibrous dysplasia in the femur. In addition, 14 of 16 patients studied with x-ray had a significantly higher incidence of minor abnormalities in bones as compared with the normal population. The myxomas were characterized histologically by sparse cellularity, abundant intercellular material digestible with hyaluronidase, and lack of mitotic figures. At the ultrastructural level, the tumor cells showed characteristics of fibroblasts and myofibroblasts. Immunohistochemical analysis of intermediate filament proteins revealed vimentin- but no desmin-positivity in the tumor cells, and endothelial cell markers as well as S-100 protein were absent. This is compatible with fibroblastic-myofibroblastic nature of the myxoma cells. |
Before the Iraq war was launched in March 2003 the world was given the impression by the US and Britain that the goal was to eradicate weapons of mass destruction. Recent comments by Tony Blair suggest, however, that regime change was the essential aim. He would have thought it right to remove Saddam Hussein even if he had known that there were no WMD, he said, but he would obviously have had to "deploy" different arguments. Must we not conclude that the WMD arguments were "deployed" mainly as the best way of selling the war? Blair's comments do not exclude a strong – but mistaken – belief in the existence of WMD even when the invasion was launched. However, given that hundreds of inspections had found no WMD and important evidence had fallen apart, such a belief would have been based on a lack of critical thinking.
How could the issue of – non-existent – WMD mislead the world for more than 10 years? At the end of the Gulf war in 1991 the UN security council ordered Iraq to declare all WMD and destroy them under international supervision. However, Iraq chose to destroy much material without any inspection, giving rise to suspicions that weapons had been squirrelled away. These were nurtured by the frequent Iraqi refusals throughout the 90s to let UN inspectors enter sites and by evasive and erroneous responses to inspectors' inquiries.
What other reason could there have been than to prevent inspectors getting evidence of existing weapons? It is possible that Saddam wanted to create the – false – impression that he still had WMD. What seems more likely to me, however, was a sense of hurt pride, a wish to defy and the knowledge that some of the inspectors worked directly for western intelligence – perhaps even passed information about suitable military targets.
Only in September 2002, when the US had already moved troops to Kuwait, did Iraq say it was to accept the inspection that the UN demanded. By that time a new US national security strategy declared that it could take armed (pre-emptive or preventive) action without UN authorisation; many in the Bush administration saw UN involvement as a potential impediment.
Many are convinced that the American and UK military plans moved on autopilot, and the inspections were a charade. I am sure that many in the Bush team felt that way. It seems likely that British and American leaders expected that UN inspections would again be obstructed or that Iraqi violation of the draconian new resolution 1441 would persuade the security council to authorise military action to remove the regime. For my part, I tended to think of the war preparations rather as a train moving slowly to the front and helping to make Iraq co-operative. If something removed or reduced the weapons issue, the train, I thought, might stop.
For the UK to join the US on an unpredictable UN line was a gamble – and in the end it failed. Inspections did not turn up any "smoking guns" and gradually undermined some of the evidence that had been invoked. Iraq became more co-operative and showed no defiance that could prompt the authorising of armed force. Thus, while the train of war moved on, the UN path pointed less and less to an authorisation of war.
What could the UK have done to avoid this development? It could have made a condition of its participation in the enterprise that the movement of the military train be synchronised with the movement on the UN path. With inspections just starting in the autumn of 2002 the military train should have moved very slowly. We have heard that Karl Rove had said that the autumn of 2003 was the latest time for invasion. Why so fast then in 2002? As the then German foreign minister, Joschka Fischer, said: what was the sense of demanding UN inspections for two and a half years and then let them work only for a few months? Of course, if regime change – and not WMD – was the main aim, the steady speed becomes logical.
The responsibility for launching the war must be judged against the knowledge that the allies had when they actually started it. The UK should have recognised that no smoking gun had been found at any time, and that in the months before the invasion evidence of WMD was beginning to unravel. As we have heard recently: out of 19 Iraqi sites suspected by the UK – and suggested to the UN monitoring, verification and inspection commission for inspection (Unmovic) – 10 were actually inspected, and while "interesting", none turned up any WMD. This warning that sources were not reliable seems to have been ignored. Intelligence organisations seem to have been 100% convinced of the existence of WMD but to have had 0% knowledge where they were. Worse still: the uranium contract between Iraq and Niger that George Bush had given prominence in his 2002 state of the union message was found by the International Atomic Energy Agency to be a forgery.
The absence of convincing evidence of WMD did not stop the train to war. It arrived at the front before the weather got too hot and the soldiers got impatient waiting for action. The factual reports of the IAEA and Unmovic did, however, have the result that a majority on the security council wanted more inspections and were unconvinced about the existence of WMD.
At the end the UK tried desperately to get some kind of authorisation from the security council as a legal basis for armed action – but failed. Confirming the fears of Dick Cheney, President Bush's vice-president, the UN and inspections became an impediment – not to armed action, but to legitimacy.
Unlike the US, the UK and perhaps other members of the alliance were not ready to claim a right to preventive war against Iraq regardless of security council authorisation. In these circumstances they developed and advanced the argument that the war was authorised by the council under a series of earlier resolutions. As Condoleezza Rice put it, the alliance action "upheld the authority of the council". It was irrelevant to this argument that China, France, Germany and Russia explicitly opposed the action and that a majority on the council declined to give the requested green light for the armed action. If hypocrisy is the compliment that virtue pays to vice then strained legal arguments are the compliments that violators of UN rules pay to the UN charter. |
Warriors hold on to defeat Irvine, 53-51
Irvine's Brittany Lambeth is pressured by Woodbridge's Sarah Lipton during the Warriors' 53-51 victory over the Vaqueros Thursday night in Irvine. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
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Woodbridge's Wendy Shiga, left, battles for a loose ball with Irvine's Deven Hidalgo during the Warriors' 53-51 victory over the Vaqueros Thursday night in Irvine. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
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Irvine's Deven Hidalgo is well guarded by Woodbridge's Sarah Lipton, Emma Shimizu and Kelli Robinson during the Warriors' 53-51 victory over the Vaqueros Thursday night in Irvine.KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
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Woodbridge head coach Pete Belanto yells from the sidelines during the Warriors' 53-51 victory over the Vaqueros Thursday night in Irvine. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Irvine's Brittany Lambeth is pressured by Woodbridge's Sarah Lipton during the Warriors' 53-51 victory over the Vaqueros Thursday night in Irvine. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Woodbridge's girls basketball team clinched at least a share of the Pacific Coast League title Thursday night.
But Coach Pete Belanto wasn't in a mood to celebrate after watching his team hold on for a 53-51 victory over Irvine on the Vaqueros' home court.
Irvine had the ball twice in the final 30 seconds with a chance to tie it, but could not convert, missing a chance at handing Woodbridge its first league loss of the year.
The Vaqueros got the ball back with about six seconds left when Emma Shimizu missed the front end of a one-on-one free throw opportunity. But Brittany Lambeth's long-range jumper fell off the rim as time expired.
"We shouldn't have (won), they deserved to win," Belanto said. "We were awful again. We haven't played a good basketball game in so long. I don't know what it is, we can't get any energy, we don't play hard, we get out-hustled on loose balls, we don't shoot the ball and we don't make lay-ups and free throws. We're just not playing good ball right now.
"They deserved to win, they outplayed us the whole way; we just got lucky."
Woodbridge (22-3, 8-0) leads Beckman by two games and plays the Patriots Tuesday at Beckman. Woodbridge finishes up the regular season on Feb. 7 against Corona del Mar, a team it beat, 71-19, in the first round.
It marks the fourth straight league title for Woodbridge and 23rd overall, most under former coach Eric Bangs, now an assistant for Belanto.
Irvine, which was upset by Corona del Mar, 49-46, on Tuesday, bounced back with a strong performance against Woodbridge.
"I thought we did a great job of putting together a complete game," Irvine Coach Amy Klamberg said. "I thought my kids gave a tremendous effort. We were smart with the ball. It's hard to lose that type of a game because we were right there and we had a lot of really good looks at the end of the game, but walking away, it gives us some great momentum going into next week.
"We had a lot of great looks and got some great shots. The ball just didn't get in the basket. They played with heart."
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Diner Survey Results 69 responses
Overall
100%
Food
100%
Service
100%
Ambiance
88%
Pros
"Everything! I love the prices, the food is amazing & the service! Best place to go too!""Always fast and good. Staff are all profesional""best Italian I've had in RI""Clean people. Great quality food.""Great tasting food! Fresh!"
Cons
"Parking""I wish they delivered ""Parking""Nada""It's all good. Just a little more friendly staff would be nicer"
Comments
"There fantastic,as the owner always say to all of his costumers ""Beeb going there for over 30 years""Eat here"
Pawtucket House of Pizza Articles — Things To Know Before You Go
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Pizza is a food so beloved in the U.S. it seems like it’s been around forever, but there are some immediate clues that pizza as we know it today is a relatively new invention.
...
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Assessment of erythroid dysplasia by "difference from normal" in routine clinical flow cytometry work-up.
Introduction: While multidimensional flow cytometry (MDF) has great utility in diagnostic work-ups of patients with suspected myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), only the myeloid lineage has demonstrated reproducible abnormalities from multiple laboratories. With the effects of ammonium chloride (NH4 Cl) lysis on erythroid progenitors previously described, we applied this protocol to a patient cohort with diagnosed MDS to investigate phenotypic abnormalities that indicate erythroid dysplasia. Method: Bone marrow specimens [39 MDS, 9 acute myeloid leukemia (AML), 7 JAK2V617F positive myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), 5 nutritional deficiencies] were processed by NH4 Cl lysis and Ficoll preparation and evaluated by MDF using a difference from normal algorithm. Results: For the MDS cohort, phenotypic abnormalities on the mature erythroid progenitors were frequent for CD71 and CD36 (36% for each antigen); abnormalities for CD235a (8%) were observed. Among immature erythroid progenitors, abnormal maturation patterns (≤5%) and increased CD105 intensity (9%) were seen. Increased frequency of CD105 bright cells was observed (18%). While antigenic abnormalities correlated between NH4 Cl lysis and Ficoll preparation, the lysis method demonstrated the most consistent quantitative antigen intensities. Mean erythroid phenotypic abnormalities and prognostic cytogenetic subgroups correlated strongly. Morphologic and erythroid phenotypic abnormalities correlated, as did increasing FCSS and number of erythroid abnormalities, albeit without further increase for AML patients. Discussion: These data expand the understanding of erythropoiesis and define immunophenotypic abnormalities that indicate dyserythropoiesis in MDS utilizing a lysis protocol practical for routine implementation in clinical flow cytometric work-up. Preliminary studies also indicate strong correlation between phenotypic erythroid dysplasia and poor prognosis, as classified cytogenetically. © 2014 Clinical Cytometry Society. |
/* Copyright (c) 2010 The Regents of the University of California
* Barret Rhoden <brho@cs.berkeley.edu>
* See LICENSE for details.
*
* Radix Tree, modeled after Linux's (described here:
* http://lwn.net/Articles/175432/).
*
* It maps unsigned longs to void*s, growing the depth of the tree as needed to
* handle more items. It won't allow the insertion of existing keys, and it
* can fail due to lack of memory.
*
* There are some utility functions, probably unimplemented til we need them,
* that will make the tree have enough memory for future calls.
*
* You can also store a tag along with the void* for a given item, and do
* lookups based on those tags. Or you will be able to, once it is
* implemented. */
#pragma once
#define LOG_RNODE_SLOTS 6
#define NR_RNODE_SLOTS (1 << LOG_RNODE_SLOTS)
#include <ros/common.h>
#include <kthread.h>
#include <atomic.h>
#include <rcu.h>
struct radix_node {
struct rcu_head rcu;
void *items[NR_RNODE_SLOTS];
unsigned int num_items;
bool leaf;
struct radix_node *parent;
struct radix_node **my_slot;
};
/* writers (insert, delete, and callbacks) must synchronize externally, e.g. a
* qlock in the pagemap.
*
* radix_lookup_slot returns an rcu-protected pointer that needs to be
* rcu_read_locked. The item in the slot (either by *slot or by a regular
* radix_lookup) has limited protections. Higher layers (pagemap) can do their
* own thing. For instance, the page cache writers can zero an item if they
* know they cleared the page without someone else grabbing a ref. We'll
* rcu-protect the item pointer, so that higher layers can use RCU for the
* actual object.
*
* Basically the only functions that don't need the caller to hold a qlock are
* the two lookup routines: the readers. The seq counter protects the atomicity
* of root, depth, and upper_bound, which defines the reader's start point. RCU
* protects the lifetime of the rnodes, which is where lookup_slot's pointer
* points to.
*
* Note that we use rcu_assign_pointer and rcu_dereference whenever we
* manipulate pointers in the tree (pointers to or within rnodes). We use RCU
* for the item pointer too, so that our callers can use RCU if they want. Both
* the slot pointer and what it points to are protected by RCU.
*/
struct radix_tree {
seq_ctr_t seq;
struct radix_node *root;
unsigned int depth;
unsigned long upper_bound;
};
void radix_init(void); /* initializes the whole radix system */
void radix_tree_init(struct radix_tree *tree); /* inits one tree */
void radix_tree_destroy(struct radix_tree *tree);
/* Item management */
int radix_insert(struct radix_tree *tree, unsigned long key, void *item,
void ***slot_p);
void *radix_delete(struct radix_tree *tree, unsigned long key);
void *radix_lookup(struct radix_tree *tree, unsigned long key);
void **radix_lookup_slot(struct radix_tree *tree, unsigned long key);
typedef bool (*radix_cb_t)(void **slot, unsigned long tree_idx, void *arg);
void radix_for_each_slot(struct radix_tree *tree, radix_cb_t cb, void *arg);
/* [start_idx, end_idx) */
void radix_for_each_slot_in_range(struct radix_tree *tree,
unsigned long start_idx,
unsigned long end_idx,
radix_cb_t cb, void *arg);
/* Memory management */
int radix_grow(struct radix_tree *tree, unsigned long max);
int radix_preload(struct radix_tree *tree, int flags);
/* Tag management */
void *radix_tag_set(struct radix_tree *tree, unsigned long key, int tag);
void *radix_tag_clear(struct radix_tree *tree, unsigned long key, int tag);
int radix_tag_get(struct radix_tree *tree, unsigned long key, int tag);
int radix_tree_tagged(struct radix_tree *tree, int tag);
int radix_tag_gang_lookup(struct radix_tree *tree, void **results,
unsigned long first, unsigned int max_items, int tag);
/* Debugging */
void print_radix_tree(struct radix_tree *tree);
|
package edu.stanford.nlp.parser.lexparser;
import edu.stanford.nlp.util.logging.Redwood;
import edu.stanford.nlp.ling.HasWord;
import edu.stanford.nlp.ling.SentenceUtils;
import edu.stanford.nlp.process.SerializableFunction;
import edu.stanford.nlp.trees.DiskTreebank;
import edu.stanford.nlp.trees.HeadFinder;
import edu.stanford.nlp.trees.MemoryTreebank;
import edu.stanford.nlp.trees.Tree;
import edu.stanford.nlp.trees.TreeReaderFactory;
import edu.stanford.nlp.trees.TreeTransformer;
import edu.stanford.nlp.trees.international.spanish.SpanishHeadFinder;
import edu.stanford.nlp.trees.international.spanish.SpanishTreeReaderFactory;
import edu.stanford.nlp.trees.international.spanish.SpanishTreebankLanguagePack;
import edu.stanford.nlp.trees.tregex.TregexMatcher;
import edu.stanford.nlp.util.Index;
import edu.stanford.nlp.util.Pair;
import java.util.List;
/**
* TreebankLangParserParams for the AnCora corpus. This package assumes
* that the provided trees are in PTB format, read from the initial
* AnCora XML with
* {@link edu.stanford.nlp.trees.international.spanish.SpanishXMLTreeReader}
* and preprocessed with
* {@link edu.stanford.nlp.international.spanish.pipeline.MultiWordPreprocessor}.
*
* @author Jon Gauthier
*
*/
public class SpanishTreebankParserParams extends TregexPoweredTreebankParserParams {
/** A logger for this class */
private static final Redwood.RedwoodChannels log = Redwood.channels(SpanishTreebankParserParams.class);
private static final long serialVersionUID = -8734165273482119424L;
private final StringBuilder optionsString;
private HeadFinder headFinder;
public SpanishTreebankParserParams() {
super(new SpanishTreebankLanguagePack());
setInputEncoding(treebankLanguagePack().getEncoding());
setHeadFinder(new SpanishHeadFinder());
optionsString = new StringBuilder();
optionsString.append(getClass().getSimpleName() + "\n");
buildAnnotations();
}
private static final String PODER_FORM =
"(?iu)^(?:pued(?:o|[ea][sn]?)|" +
"pod(?:e[dr]|ido|[ea]mos|[éá]is|r(?:é(?:is)?|á[sn]?|emos)|r?ía(?:s|mos|is|n)?)|" +
"pud(?:[eo]|i(?:ste(?:is)?|mos|eron|er[ea](?:[sn]|is)?|ér[ea]mos|endo)))$";
/**
* Forms of hacer which may lead time expressions
*/
private static final String HACER_TIME_FORM = "(?iu)^(?:hac(?:er|ía))$";
@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
private void buildAnnotations() {
// +.25 F1
annotations.put("-markInf", new Pair("/^(S|grup\\.verb|infinitiu|gerundi)/ < @infinitiu",
new SimpleStringFunction("-infinitive")));
annotations.put("-markGer", new Pair("/^(S|grup\\.verb|infinitiu|gerundi)/ < @gerundi",
new SimpleStringFunction("-gerund")));
// +.04 F1
annotations.put("-markRelative", new Pair("@S <, @relatiu",
new SimpleStringFunction("-relative")));
// Negative F1; unused in default config
annotations.put("-markPPHeads", new Pair("@sp",
new AnnotateHeadFunction(headFinder)));
// +.1 F1
annotations.put("-markComo", new Pair("@cs < /(?iu)^como$/",
new SimpleStringFunction("[como]")));
annotations.put("-markSpecHeads", new Pair("@spec", new AnnotateHeadFunction(headFinder)));
// +.32 F1
annotations.put("-markSingleChildNPs", new Pair("/^(sn|grup\\.nom)/ <: __",
new SimpleStringFunction("-singleChild")));
// +.05 F1
annotations.put("-markPPFriendlyVerbs", new Pair("/^v/ > /^grup\\.prep/",
new SimpleStringFunction("-PPFriendly")));
// +.46 F1
annotations.put("-markConjTypes", new Pair("@conj <: /^c[cs]/=c", new MarkConjTypeFunction()));
// +.09 F1
annotations.put("-markPronounNPs", new Pair("/^(sn|grup\\.nom)/ <<: /^p[0p]/",
new SimpleStringFunction("-pronoun")));
// +1.39 F1
annotations.put("-markParticipleAdjs", new Pair(
"@aq0000 < /(?iu)([aeií]d|puest|biert|vist|(ben|mal)dit|[fh]ech|scrit|muert|[sv]uelt|[rl]ect|"
+ "frit|^(rot|dich|impres|desnud|sujet|exent))[oa]s?$/",
new SimpleStringFunction("-part")));
// Negative F1; unused in default config
annotations.put("-markSentenceInitialClauses", new Pair("@S !, __",
new SimpleStringFunction("-init")));
// Insignificant F1; unused in default config
annotations.put("-markPoder", new Pair(
String.format("/^(infinitiu|gerundi|grup\\.verb)/ <<: /%s/", PODER_FORM),
new SimpleStringFunction("-poder")));
// +.29 F1
annotations.put("-markBaseNPs", new Pair("/^grup\\.nom/ !< (__ < (__ < __))",
new SimpleStringFunction("-base")));
// +.17 F1
annotations.put("-markVerbless", new Pair("@S|sentence !<< /^(v|participi$)/",
new SimpleStringFunction("-verbless")));
// +.23 F1
annotations.put("-markDominatesVerb", new Pair("__ << (/^(v|participi$)/ < __)",
new SimpleStringFunction("-dominatesV")));
// Negative F1 -- not used by default
annotations.put("-markNonRecSPs", new Pair("@sp !<< @sp", new SimpleStringFunction("-nonRec")));
// In right-recursive verb phrases, mark the prefix of the first verb on its tag.
// This annotation tries to capture the fact that only a few roots are ever really part of
// these constructions: poder, deber, ir, etc.
annotations.put("-markRightRecVPPrefixes",
new Pair("/^v/ $+ @infinitiu|gerundi >, /^(grup.verb|infinitiu|gerundi)/",
new MarkPrefixFunction(3)));
// Negative F1 -- not used by default
annotations.put("-markParentheticalNPs", new Pair("@sn <<, fpa <<` fpt",
new SimpleStringFunction("-paren")));
annotations.put("-markNumericNPs", new Pair("@sn << (/^z/ < __) !<< @sn",
new SimpleStringFunction("-num")));
// Negative F1 -- not used by default
annotations.put("-markCoordinatedNPs", new Pair(
"@sn <, (/^(sn|grup\\.nom)/ $+ (@conj < /^(cc|grup\\.cc)/ $+ /^(sn|grup\\.nom)/=last))" +
"<` =last",
new SimpleStringFunction("-coord")));
annotations.put("-markHacerTime", new Pair(
String.format("/^vm/ < /%s/ $+ /^d/", HACER_TIME_FORM),
new SimpleStringFunction("-hacerTime")));
compileAnnotations(headFinder);
}
/**
* Mark `conj` constituents with their `cc` / `cs` child.
*/
private static class MarkConjTypeFunction implements SerializableFunction<TregexMatcher, String> {
private static final long serialVersionUID = 403406212736445856L;
public String apply(TregexMatcher m) {
String type = m.getNode("c").value().toUpperCase();
return "-conj" + type;
}
}
/**
* Mark a tag with a prefix of its constituent word.
*/
private static class MarkPrefixFunction implements SerializableFunction<TregexMatcher, String> {
private static final long serialVersionUID = -3275700521562916350L;
private static final int DEFAULT_PREFIX_LENGTH = 3;
private final int prefixLength;
public MarkPrefixFunction() {
this(DEFAULT_PREFIX_LENGTH);
}
public MarkPrefixFunction(int prefixLength) {
this.prefixLength = prefixLength;
}
public String apply(TregexMatcher m) {
Tree tagNode = m.getMatch();
String yield = tagNode.firstChild().value();
String prefix = yield.substring(0, Math.min(yield.length(), prefixLength));
return "[p," + prefix + ']';
}
}
/**
* Features which should be enabled by default.
*
* @see #buildAnnotations()
*/
@Override
protected String[] baselineAnnotationFeatures() {
return new String[] {
// verb phrase annotations
"-markInf", "-markGer", "-markRightRecVPPrefixes",
// noun phrase annotations
"-markSingleChildNPs", "-markBaseNPs", "-markPronounNPs",
// "-markCoordinatedNPs",
// "-markParentheticalNPs",
// "-markNumericNPs",
// prepositional phrase annotations
// "-markNonRecSPs", negative F1!
// "-markPPHeads", negative F1!
// clause annotations
"-markRelative", /* "-markSentenceInitialClauses", */
// lexical / word- or tag-level annotations
"-markComo", "-markSpecHeads", "-markPPFriendlyVerbs", "-markParticipleAdjs",
"-markHacerTime",
/* "-markPoder", */
// conjunction annotations
"-markConjTypes",
// sentence annotations
"-markVerbless", "-markDominatesVerb",
};
}
@Override
public HeadFinder headFinder() {
return headFinder;
}
@Override
public HeadFinder typedDependencyHeadFinder() {
// Not supported
return null;
}
@Override
public Lexicon lex(Options op, Index<String> wordIndex, Index<String> tagIndex) {
// Override unknown word model
if (op.lexOptions.uwModelTrainer == null)
op.lexOptions.uwModelTrainer =
"edu.stanford.nlp.parser.lexparser.SpanishUnknownWordModelTrainer";
return new BaseLexicon(op, wordIndex, tagIndex);
}
@Override
public String[] sisterSplitters() {
return new String[0];
}
@Override
public TreeTransformer collinizer() {
return new TreeCollinizer(treebankLanguagePack());
}
@Override
public TreeTransformer collinizerEvalb() {
return new TreeCollinizer(treebankLanguagePack());
}
@Override
public DiskTreebank diskTreebank() {
return new DiskTreebank(treeReaderFactory(), inputEncoding);
}
@Override
public MemoryTreebank memoryTreebank() {
return new MemoryTreebank(treeReaderFactory(), inputEncoding);
}
/**
* Set language-specific options according to flags. This routine should process the option starting in args[i] (which
* might potentially be several arguments long if it takes arguments). It should return the index after the last index
* it consumed in processing. In particular, if it cannot process the current option, the return value should be i.
* <br>
* Generic options are processed separately by {@link edu.stanford.nlp.parser.lexparser.Options#setOption(String[], int)}, and implementations of this
* method do not have to worry about them. The Options class handles routing options. TreebankParserParams that extend
* this class should call super when overriding this method.
*
* @param args Command-line arguments, still including leading dashes
* @param i index in array to start processing from
*/
@Override
public int setOptionFlag(String[] args, int i) {
if (args[i].equalsIgnoreCase("-headFinder") && (i + 1 < args.length)) {
try {
HeadFinder hf = (HeadFinder) Class.forName(args[i + 1]).newInstance();
setHeadFinder(hf);
optionsString.append("HeadFinder: " + args[i + 1] + "\n");
} catch (ReflectiveOperationException|SecurityException e) {
log.info(e);
log.info(this.getClass().getName() + ": Could not load head finder " + args[i + 1]);
}
i += 2;
}
return i;
}
public TreeReaderFactory treeReaderFactory() {
return new SpanishTreeReaderFactory();
}
public List<HasWord> defaultTestSentence() {
String[] sent = {"Ésto", "es", "sólo", "una", "prueba", "."};
return SentenceUtils.toWordList(sent);
}
@Override
public void display() {
log.info(optionsString.toString());
super.display();
}
public void setHeadFinder(HeadFinder hf) {
headFinder = hf;
// Regenerate annotation patterns
compileAnnotations(headFinder);
}
}
|
Combine wine, onion, and garlic in a saucepan: bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour mixture into a bowl: cool.
Strain the wine/onion mixture into a saucepan and add in the dry mustard while beating with a wire whisk. Blend oil, honey, salt and red pepper sauce into mixture. Heat slowly, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens: cool.
Place in a glass or plastic container and cover. Chill at least 2 days to blend flavors. |
/* -*- Mode: C -*- */
/* Copyright (C) 2018 by Henrik Theiling, License: GPLv3, see LICENSE file */
#include <stdio.h>
#include <hob3lbase/arith.h>
cp_f_t cp_pt_epsilon = CP_PT_EPSILON_DEFAULT;
cp_f_t cp_eq_epsilon = CP_EQ_EPSILON_DEFAULT;
cp_f_t cp_sqr_epsilon = CP_SQR_EPSILON_DEFAULT;
/**
* Comparison using cp_eq_epsilon
*
* This should be the default way to compare cp_dim_t, cp_scale_t, and cp_f_t.
*/
extern int cp_lex_cmp(cp_f_t const *a, cp_f_t const *b, size_t size)
{
for (cp_size_each(i, size)) {
if (!cp_eq(a[i], b[i])) {
return a[i] < b[i] ? -1 : +1;
}
}
return 0;
}
/**
* Comparison using cp_pt_epsilon.
*
* This should be used to compare new point coordinates to old coordinates,
* or to rasterize them.
*/
extern int cp_lex_pt_cmp(cp_f_t const *a, cp_f_t const *b, size_t size)
{
for (cp_size_each(i, size)) {
if (!cp_pt_eq(a[i], b[i])) {
return a[i] < b[i] ? -1 : +1;
}
}
return 0;
}
/**
* Swap contents of memory.
*/
extern void cp_memswap(
void *a,
void *b,
size_t esz)
{
if (((esz | (size_t)a | (size_t)b) % sizeof(unsigned)) == 0) {
for (size_t i = 0; i < esz / sizeof(unsigned); i++) {
unsigned h = ((unsigned*)a)[i];
((unsigned*)a)[i] = ((unsigned*)b)[i];
((unsigned*)b)[i] = h;
}
return;
}
for (size_t i = 0; i < esz; i++) {
char h = ((char*)a)[i];
((char*)a)[i] = ((char*)b)[i];
((char*)b)[i] = h;
}
}
/**
* Return whether a piece of memory is zeroed */
extern bool cp_mem_is0(void *data, size_t size)
{
for (char const *i = data, *e = i + size; i != e; i++) {
if (*i != 0) {
return false;
}
}
return true;
}
typedef struct {
unsigned long long mant;
int exp;
bool neg;
int width;
} cp_f_split_t;
/* Returns whether the number is real or not.
*
* width is set to the numbers of significant bits
* extracted from the float.
*
* The original mantissa is always shifted so that its
* highest represented bit in the float is at the highest
* bit in the unsigned integer.
*
* The exponent is made integer so that 0 means no shift of
* the matissa. The mantissa's highest bit is assumed to have
* value 1 (=2^0). I.e., '1' is represented by the highest bit
* in the mantissa plus an exponent of 0.
*/
static bool split_float(
cp_f_split_t *s,
double f)
{
union {
unsigned long long i;
double f;
} u = { .f = f };
assert(sizeof(u.i) == sizeof(u.f));
/* raw decode */
int exp_raw = (u.i >> 52) & 0x7ff;
s->exp = exp_raw - 1023;
s->mant = (u.i & 0x000fffffffffffffULL) << 12;
s->neg = (u.i >> 63);
s->width = 52;
/* non-numbers are not modified further */
if (exp_raw == 0x7ff) {
return false;
}
/* for normals, add implicit highest bit. subnormals need no care. */
if (exp_raw != 0) {
s->mant = (s->mant >> 1) | 0x8000000000000000ULL;
s->width++;
}
return true;
}
/**
* This returns true if \p f is an integers, and
* then returns that integer in \p i.
*/
extern bool cp_f_get_int(
long long *ip,
cp_f_t f)
{
cp_f_split_t s;
if (!split_float(&s, f)) {
return false;
}
/* check we are not obviously below 1 */
if (s.exp < 0) {
return false;
}
/* check that the unit bit (bit0 of the integer) can be represented in the mantissa */
if (s.exp >= s.width) {
return false;
}
/* check that there are no zeros after decimal point */
if ((s.mant << (s.exp + 1)) != 0) {
return false;
}
/* we're int! */
long long i = (long long)(s.mant >> ((8 * sizeof(s.mant)) - (s.exp & 0xffffff) - 1));
if (s.neg) {
i = -i;
}
*ip = i;
return true;
}
static cp_f_t const *exact_sin(long long ai)
{
ai = ai % 360;
if (ai < 0) {
ai += 360;
}
assert((ai >= 0) && (ai < 360));
static const cp_f_t f_0 = 0;
static const cp_f_t f_1 = 1;
static const cp_f_t f_m1 = -1;
static const cp_f_t f_05 = 0.5;
static const cp_f_t f_m05 = -0.5;
switch (ai & 0x7fffffff) {
case 0:
case 180: return &f_0;
case 90: return &f_1;
case 270: return &f_m1;
case 30:
case 150: return &f_05;
case 210:
case 330: return &f_m05;
}
return NULL;
}
/**
* For angles that have exact rational results, this will return
* exactly those results. E.g. cp_sin_deg(180) == 0, not just close
* to 0, but 0.
*/
extern cp_f_t cp_sin_deg(cp_f_t a)
{
long long ai;
if (cp_f_get_int(&ai, a)) {
cp_f_t const *r = exact_sin(ai);
if (r != NULL) {
return *r;
}
}
return sin(cp_deg(a));
}
/**
* For angles that have exact rational results, this will return
* exactly those results. E.g. cp_cos_deg(180) == 1, not just close
* to 1, but 1.
*/
extern cp_f_t cp_cos_deg(cp_f_t a)
{
long long ai;
if (cp_f_get_int(&ai, a)) {
cp_f_t const *r = exact_sin(ai + 90);
if (r != NULL) {
return *r;
}
}
return cos(cp_deg(a));
}
/**
* Take a step on the circle iterator
*/
extern void cp_circle_iter_step(
cp_circle_iter_t *iter)
{
size_t i = ++iter->_i;
if (i & 1) {
size_t i1 = i + 1;
iter->idx = i1 / 2;
cp_angle_t a = iter->_a * cp_angle(iter->idx);
if (i1 == iter->_n) {
iter->cos = -1;
iter->sin = 0;
}
else {
iter->cos = cp_cos_deg(a);
iter->sin = cp_sin_deg(a);
}
}
else {
iter->sin = -iter->sin;
iter->idx = iter->_n - iter->idx;
}
}
/**
* Quadratic interpolation */
extern cp_f_t cp_interpol2(cp_f_t a, cp_f_t b, cp_f_t c, cp_f_t t)
{
double s = 1-t;
return (a*s*s) + (2*b*s*t) + (c*t*t);
}
/**
* Cubic interpolation */
extern cp_f_t cp_interpol3(cp_f_t a, cp_f_t b, cp_f_t c, cp_f_t d, cp_f_t t)
{
double s = 1-t;
double t2 = t*t;
double s2 = s*s;
return (a*s2*s) + (3*b*s2*t) + (3*c*s*t2) + (d*t*t2);
}
|
The present invention relates generally to waste disposal devices using packs of flexible tubing, and more particularly, to improved health care apparatus for the sanitary and odorless packaging and disposal of diapers and similar or related waste, medical waste, industrial waste and any other waste wherein sanitary and substantially odorless disposal is desired.
The present invention also relates to replaceable cartridges of tubing for a waste disposal device and rotation mechanisms for rotating such a tubing cartridge, some of which provide for automatic rotation of the tubing cartridge.
The present invention also relates to waste disposal devices using packs of flexible tubing and including a compacting mechanism which compacts the waste.
In households having an infant or very young child wearing disposable diapers, a diaper pail is usually placed in the bathroom or nursery for the receipt and disposal of soiled diapers.
One prior art construction of a diaper pail comprises a large garbage can-like container which receives a plastic bag. The bag is inserted into the interior of the container, with the upper portion thereof being folded over a top rim of the container to maintain the bag in engagement therewith. A cover member is attached to the container and is movable between a closed position in which the cover member is situated over the top rim of the container to cover the open end of the bag, and an open position in which the open end of the bag is uncovered and thereby enables the placement of a soiled diaper into the bag. A foot pedal is provided and coupled to the cover member to enable the cover member to be moved from the closed position to the open position by depressing the foot pedal.
Another prior art diaper pail is sold under the trademark xe2x80x9cDiaper Geniexe2x80x9d. Diaper pails of the xe2x80x9cDiaper Geniexe2x80x9d(trademark) type are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,049 (Richards et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,512 (Richards et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,200 (Jacoby et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 6,128,890 (Firth) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,170,240 (Jacoby et al.).
The diaper pails shown in these patents generally comprise a container formed with an internal ring-shaped flange. A tubular core or cartridge rests on the flange and houses a continuous length of flexible, substantially non-resilient plastic tubing. A twist rim is rotatably coupled to the cartridge such that rotation of the twist rim causes twisting of the tubing. Means are provided to hold a diaper stationary when the twist rim rotates to twist the tubing and seal an end of the diaper to form a twisted closure. A cover is removably attached to the container and includes a lid. To prepare the diaper pail for use, the cover is removed, an end of the tubing is removed from the cartridge and pulled upward and tied into a knot. The knotted end is then placed into the container over an annular flange to form a waste insertion reservoir or chamber bounded by the tubing. The cover is re-attached to the container and the diaper pail is ready for use. In use, a soiled diaper is inserted into the waste insertion reservoir bounded by the tubing and the twist rim is then manually rotated as the diaper is held stationary to cause the diaper to be encapsulated in the tubing by the formation of a twist in the tubing above the diaper. Rotation of the twist rim also causes an additional amount of tubing to be removed from the cartridge and be pushed into the waste insertion reservoir to prepare it for a subsequent insertion of a diaper. The subsequent insertion of another diaper into the waste insertion reservoir causes the previously encapsulated diaper to pass into the hollow interior of the container. A series of connected, closed and encapsulated waste packages is created and the encapsulation process can be continued until the tubing is exhausted or the container is full. When the container is full but tubing remains, the uppermost package is severed above its upper twisted closure, the severed end of the tubing is tied into a knot and an access door pivotally connected to the bottom end of the container is opened for the removal of the packages.
A major inconvenience of diaper pails of the xe2x80x9cDiaper Geniexe2x80x9d(trademark) type is that it is necessary to manually tie both ends of the tubing to use the diaper pail. That is, initially, upon insertion of a new cartridge, an end of the tubing is removed from the cartridge and must be tied into a knot, the knotted end then being pushed into the container to form the waste insertion chamber. Thereafter, when the container is full but tubing remains in the cartridge, the tubing is severed at a location above the upper twisted closure of the uppermost encapsulated waste package and the severed end of the tubing must be tied into a knot to prevent the series of waste packages from unwinding. The free end of the tubing remaining in the cartridge is again tied into a knot and pushed into the container to enable another series of encapsulated waste packages to be formed.
The necessary, multiple tyings of the tubing is bothersome and moreover, when the knots are not made sufficiently strong, unpleasant odors emanating from the waste packages can escape through the knots.
Another problem with diaper pails of the xe2x80x9cDiaper Geniexe2x80x9d(trademark) type is that cutting the tubing is difficult and requires the use of a manually operable cutting instrument. This cutting instrument does not enable easy cutting of the tubing.
Yet another problem with diaper pails of the xe2x80x9cDiaper Geniexe2x80x9d(trademark) type is that the series of waste packages are removed from the diaper pail through an access door pivotally connected to the bottom end of the container. The series of waste packages has been found to be difficult to handle during transfer to a waste receptacle such as a trash bag. Cleaning of the device is also difficult.
Still another problem with known diaper pails and other waste pails is that the person inserting a diaper or other waste material (such as medical waste) into the pail may not remember to rotate the twist rim after insertion of a soiled diaper or other waste. In this case, the waste is not encapsulated by the tubing and malodorous vapors or other potentially hazardous contaminants can escape from the pail. Although this would not prevent future use of the pail as the twist rim could be rotated before the next insertion of waste, it would likely result in the release of odors or other potentially hazardous contaminants. A waste pail which provides for automatic formation of a twist above a waste item after insertion of the waste into the pail is therefore desirable.
Another problem with known diaper and waste pails is that because the diaper or waste pail comes into contact with the series of waste packages, it is liable to become dirty and cleaning of the pail is cumbersome as the access door must be opened, the pail turned over and then the inside surfaces cleaned. A diaper or waste pail which affords easier cleaning for the surfaces which come into contact with the series of waste packages is therefore desirable.
It is an object of the present invention to provide new and improved waste disposal devices, in particular for use in the disposal of disposable diapers, medical wastes and industrial waste.
It is another object of the present invention to provide improved waste disposal devices for the medical and health case industries for use in, for example, hospitals, doctors"" offices, operating rooms, nursing homes, out-patient care and the home health care industry for disposal of non xe2x80x9csharpsxe2x80x9d including adult diapers, bloody/soiled bandages, dressings, disposable bibs, xe2x80x9cchucksxe2x80x9d and clothing, medical gloves and dialysis machine filters and other disposal medical waste.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide new and improved waste disposal devices which use flexible tubing to dispose of waste packages.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide new and improved waste disposal devices in which encapsulation of waste packages occurs automatically upon closing a cover of the device or depressing a foot pedal.
It is another object of the present invention to provide new and improved waste disposal devices in which waste products are encapsulated and compacted.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide new and improved waste disposal devices in which tying of flexible tubing used to dispose of waste packages is unnecessary.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved waste disposal device which effectively contains and prevents the release of odors from waste packages.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide new and improved cartridges for waste disposal devices which retain flexible tubing.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide new and improved waste disposal devices in which a series of encapsulated waste packages are formed and can be removed from the device in an easy and expeditious manner.
It is another object of the present invention to provide new and improved diaper pails which alleviate a problem in known diaper pails, namely the need to remember to rotate a twist rim on a diaper pail after insertion of a soiled diaper in order to encapsulate the diaper.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an automatic twist mechanism for a diaper (or other waste) pail which eliminates problems associated with the required manual, twisting of a twist rim in order to encapsulate a soiled diaper or other waste product.
In order to achieve at least some of the above objects, a waste disposal device in accordance with the invention generally includes a container defining a waste receiving chamber and a cartridge arranged in the container and containing a length of flexible tubing for encapsulating waste packages after placement of a waste package in the container, with the encapsulated waste packages being retained in the waste receiving chamber. A lid is coupled to the container and is movable between an open position in which the waste receiving chamber is accessible and a closed position in which the waste receiving chamber is covered. A retention mechanism is arranged in the container to hold the waste package.
A rotation mechanism is provided to cause relative rotation between the cartridge and the retention mechanism in order to cause a twist to be formed above a waste package when the waste package is being held by the retention mechanism and thereby encapsulate the waste package in the tubing. That is, either the cartridge is rotated while the retention mechanism is stationary or the retention mechanism is rotated while the cartridge is stationary.
Encapsulation of the waste package prevents the release of odors from the waste package and thus, the invention provides a convenient and sanitary disposal of the waste packages. Once encapsulated, the waste package is urged further into the container upon a subsequent insertion of another waste package. A series of encapsulated waste packages is thus created in the waste receiving chamber of the container, each package contained within a portion of the tubing and sealed at each end by the twisting process. However, the front end of the tubing is not sealed by the twisting process and must be closed by another method, possibly as disclosed below.
It is conceivable that the cartridge can also be rotated upon rotation of the retention mechanism, although this would require some additional operation in order to form a twist in the tubing and encapsulation of the waste packages.
The rotation mechanism may take many forms. In some embodiments, the rotation mechanism is actuated automatically by pressing or depressing a foot pedal, pushbutton or the like. In the alternative, the rotation mechanism may be actuated automatically based on closing and/or opening of the lid. In this manner, one does not need to remember to turn a twist rim, as in conventional waste disposal devices of a similar type, in order to cause a waste package to be encapsulated.
An exemplifying embodiment of a retention mechanism includes a frame defining a waste passage through which the waste package passes and resilient springs connected to the frame and extending inward into the waste passage to engage with and hold the waste package. The frame may be fixed to the container in embodiments wherein the cartridge is being rotated and the retention mechanism is stationary. In embodiments wherein the retention mechanism is rotated and the cartridge stationary, the retention mechanism can additionally include a support flange connected to the frame for supporting the cartridge and an annular ring connected to the support flange and including a gear rim or other toothed structure. The retention mechanism is rotatably supported on the container by, for example, a flange on which the annular ring rests. The gear rim is designed to be rotated by the rotation mechanism to thereby cause rotation of the frame and any waste package held by the resilient springs. An appropriate mechanism is provided to prevent rotation of the cartridge supporting on the support flange of the retention mechanism. Instead of supporting the cartridge directly on the support flange or the retention mechanism in general, it can be removably secured to the container apart from the retention mechanism.
One embodiment of a rotation mechanism for rotating the retention mechanism including the gear rim described above, as well as others disclosed herein having a gear rim, includes a motor having a shaft and providing rotational movement to the shaft and a gear arranged on the shaft and in engagement with the gear rim. As such, rotation of the shaft causes rotation of the gear and gear rim which in turn causes rotation of the frame and any waste package held by the resilient springs connected to the frame. The rotation mechanism may be housed in a compartment defined by a wall inside the container, to prevent the waste packages from damaging the rotation mechanism. The wall includes a slot through which the gear rim extends into engagement with the gear mounted on the shaft. In the alternative, the gear may extend through the slot into engagement with the gear rim.
A compacting mechanism may be provided to compact the waste packages. This is particularly advantageous for medical waste such as is generated by doctors in doctor""s offices. The compacting mechanism can be actuated by the same motor which causes rotation of the retention mechanism. In an exemplifying embodiment, the compacting mechanism includes a rotatable shaft extending between opposite sides of the waste chamber, preferably supported on both sides, with a front end of the tubing from the cartridge being connected to the shaft prior to use of the waste disposal device. When the motor is actuated, the shaft is rotated and the tubing having waste packages encapsulated therein is rolled around the shaft thereby compacting any waste package encapsulated by the tubing. The waste package are encapsulated by the formation of twists above the waste packages in the manner described above.
Another rotation mechanism for rotating a retention mechanism having a gear rim as described above comprises a series of gears mounted on a flange in the container and a pedal mounted exterior of the container and connected to a pulley. A cable passes over this pulley and is fixed at one end to the container and windable about a shaft at its other end so that movement of the pedal in a slot causes the shaft to rotate. A gear is mounted on the shaft and a clutch assembly is interposed between the gear and the gear rim in order to transfer the rotational force of the gear to the gear rim. The clutch assembly is constructed to provide for a unidirectional transmission of rotational force from the gear to the gear rim. To this end, the clutch assembly may comprise a clutch member having a gear portion in meshing engagement with the gear mounted on the shaft. The clutch member is mounted about a drive spindle connected to a drive gear which in turn is in meshing engagement with an idler gear. The idler gear is in meshing engagement with a gear rim formed on the retention mechanism. The clutch member is constructed to engage or disengage from the drive spindle so that the rotational force is transferred to the drive only upon movement of the pedal in one direction and not the opposite direction.
An alternative rotation mechanism for rotating a retention mechanism without a gear rim includes a pulley attached to the retention mechanism and a pulley attached to the shaft of the motor or to the shaft of the compacting mechanism, if present. A cable is threaded through the pulleys and guided by guide pulleys if necessary so that the rotation of the shaft of the motor or the shaft of the compacting mechanism is converted into rotational movement of the retention mechanism via the cable. The retention mechanism in this case includes a frame, resilient springs connected to the frame, the pulley and an annular ring around the frame with the retention mechanism being rotatably supported on the container by, for example, the annular ring resting on a flange of the container.
In an embodiment wherein the rotation mechanism is manually actuated, the rotation mechanism comprises a handle situated at least partially outside of the container and movable in a slot in an outer wall of the container and a mechanism for converting movement of the handle into unidirectional rotational movement of the frame of the retention mechanism to thereby rotate the frame, the resilient springs and a waste package engaged by the resilient springs relative to the tubing in the cartridge. Uni-directional rotational movement of the frame is necessary to prevent unwinding of the twists in the tubing. One manner to accomplish this is to provide an inner ring connected to the frame and having grooves on an inner face and a first, movable outer ring surrounding the inner ring and connected to the handle. The first outer ring includes a pin engaging with the grooves on the inner ring so that upon sliding movement of the handle, the first outer ring rotates, and via the engagement of the pin with the grooves in the inner ring, the inner ring and frame rotate. Also, a second, stationary outer ring is connected to the container and has grooves on an inner face. A pin connected to the inner ring engages with the grooves on the second outer ring to prevent return movement of the frame. As such, the frame rotates only when the handle is moved in a xe2x80x9cforwardxe2x80x9d direction and not when the handle is moved in a xe2x80x9creversexe2x80x9d direction. Repeated forward and reverse movement of the handles will thus result in multiple twists in the tubing.
To allow for easy removal of the series of encapsulated waste packages from the container, a pail, or another comparable removable waste receptacle, may be placed in the container on a base for receiving the encapsulated waste packages and an access door is formed in an outer wall of the container to enable removal and emptying of the pail. The pail may be lined with a trash bag so that when the pail is removed, the trash bag is closed and sealed with the series of encapsulated waste packages therein.
In the alternative, a hamper can be provided having an outer wall constituting a portion of the outer wall of the container and defining the waste receiving chamber. The hamper may be pivotally attached to the container so that by pivoting the hamper outward, the series of encapsulated waste packages is exposed and thus easily removable from the hamper.
In the embodiments described above, the retention mechanism includes resilient springs which engage the waste package and prevent its rotation relative to the retention mechanism. Other mechanisms for preventing rotation of waste packages relative to a retaining structure are also contemplated within the scope of the invention.
For example, in another embodiment of a waste disposal device, the retention mechanism is constructed in connection with a rotatable pail situated in the container so that the first waste package is held stationary by the pail itself. The rotation mechanism in this embodiment is designed to rotate the pail while the cartridge is stationary. To this end, the rotation mechanism may comprise a turntable arranged below the pail, a string for manually causing rotation of the turntable (by pulling the string), with the turntable being in engagement with the pail via cooperating formations on the turntable and pail, and a mechanism for returning the turntable to is original position to be ready for a subsequent rotation via pulling of the string. The mechanism by which the turntable returns to its original position may be a torsion spring or the like.
The cartridge used in the waste disposal devices in accordance with the invention can be any conventional cartridge containing flexible tubing and defining a waste insertion chamber. However, a drawback of known cartridges is that the tubing generally must be tied or knotted both at the beginning and end of use. Therefore, in order to achieve additional objects of the invention, the waste disposal devices in accordance with the invention are designed to use a cartridge having tubing which can be closed and sealed at both ends without requiring tying of knots. One construction of such a cartridge includes a casing defining a cavity containing tubing and including opposed substantially cylindrical inner and outer walls and an annular lower wall extending between the inner and outer walls and an annular cover connected to the casing and enclosing the tubing in the cavity such that a ring-shaped opening is defined between an inner edge of the cover and the inner wall for passage of the tubing therethrough.
The closing and sealing of the front end of the tubing outside of the cavity is obtained by, for example, a metal clip or clasp attached to the front end of the tubing.
The closing and sealing of the rear end of the tubing, i.e., that end connected to the cartridge, is obtained by constructing the cartridge to fold about itself. For example, score lines can be arranged on the cover to enable the cover to be folded about the score lines and score lines or slits arranged in the casing in alignment with the score lines of the cover to enable the casing to bend or break in conjunction with the folding of the cover about the score lines. If the casing is made of cardboard, then only score lines are required, not slits.
One or both of the folded parts of the cover may be provided with a connection mechanism to enable the folded parts of the cover to stay together. The connection mechanism may be adhesive, hook and loop fasteners or ties and clasps formed or stamped in the cover.
The above-described embodiments involve rotation of the retention mechanism relative to the stationary cartridge. In an embodiment wherein the cartridge is rotated relative to the retention mechanism, a rotation mechanism is provided which automatically rotates the cartridge upon movement of the lid. The automatic rotation of the cartridge could also be performed automatically in conjunction with the movement of the lid or as a consequence of the movement of the lid. Rotation of the cartridge after insertion of a waste package into the waste insertion chamber causes the tubing to twist and encapsulate the waste package. The automatic rotation of the cartridge is achieved preferably only upon closing of the lid so that when the lid is closed, the cartridge is rotated and the tubing is twisted. In this manner, one does not need to remember to turn a twist rim, as in conventional waste disposal devices of a similar type, in order to cause a waste package to be encapsulated. Opening of the lid will not cause rotation of the cartridge and thus the encapsulated waste package will not be opened.
This type of rotation mechanism can take many forms with the objective being to convert the movement of the lid, which is invariably performed after insertion of a soiled waste package, into a rotation of the cartridge to thereby cause twisting of the tubing. In one embodiment, a rack gear is attached to the lid and a gear assembly is arranged in the container with one gear adapted to frictionally engage the teeth of the rack gear upon downward movement of the lid. The gear assembly includes a circular plate with projections or a drive gear with teeth which mesh with a series of projections formed on the periphery of the cartridge. This drive gear is coupled through a gear assembly to the gear in engagement with the rack gear so that the movement of the rack gear causes rotation of all of the gears in the gear assembly and the drive gear and thus rotation of the cartridge. Instead of a rack gear, a toothed plate can be used. |
With DC Comics' New 52 passing its first anniversary, a handful of creators including Jeff Lemire, Bernard Chang, and Joshua Fialkov met with fans at New York Comic Con to discuss their series and what comes next.
With issue #12 of his DC Universe vampire epic on sale today, writer Joshua Hale Fialkov explains why the end of the current zombified arc changes the book forever from the incoming #0 to incoming supervillain guest stars.
The war that's been simmering in the pages of "I, Vampire" hits Batman's world in a big way as Joshua Fialkov tells THE BAT SIGNAL what the Dark Knight is ill-prepared for, how Justice League Dark will factor in and more.
Courtesy of Image Comics, CBR is pleased to offer an exclusive extended preview of "Last of the Greats" #4 by Josh Hale Fialkov and Brent Peeples, in which humanity's begrudging savior faces a deadly new threat.
Artist Brent Peeples takes CBR readers deep into the world of his and Joshua Fialkov's "Last of the Greats" series from Image, with an exclusive look at the designs that helped create the series' fallen superteam.
The bloodiest book in the DC Universe ups the stakes in the months ahead with more characters, more killings and more guest stars starting with John Constantine as Joshua Hale Fialkov reveals big plans for "I, Vampire."
CBR TV asked DC Comics' New 52 creators how they plan to raise the visibility of the lesser-known characters in their respective titles, especially when taking into account new readers DC is attempting to appeal to.
CBR TV finds out what awaits readers of DC Comics' New 52 in issues #2 and bayond, from new "Hawk & Dove" bad guys to more action in "Blackhawks" and a previously unrevealed eight member in "Teen Titans" #3.
Joshua Hale Fialkov spoke with CBR News about the resurrection of "I, Vampire" as part of DC Comics' line-wide relaunch in September, in which the horror writer offers a new take on eternal star-crossed lovers. |
175 Kan. 18 (1953)
259 P.2d 180
In re Estate of Crissie Anderson, Deceased.
(CLAYTON P. ANDERSON, Appellant,
v.
WALTER A. ANDERSON, MARY ANDERSON NULTON, CLINTON C. ANDERSON, MILFORD H. ANDERSON, and D. BASIL RANKIN, Administrator de bonis non, with the will annexed of STELLA A. ANDERSON, Deceased, Appellees.)
No. 38,942
Supreme Court of Kansas.
Opinion filed July 6, 1953.
*19 John Berglund, Jr., of Clay Center, argued the cause, and Richard F. Mullins, Lester C. Arvin, Milo M. Unruh and Bernice Burket, all of Wichita, were with him on the briefs for the appellant.
W.M. Beall, of Clay Center, argued the cause, and Arthur S. Humphrey, of Junction City, was with him on the briefs for the appellees.
The opinion of the court was delivered by
WEDELL, J.:
This is an appeal from a judgment of the district court refusing to set aside a judgment of final settlement and distribution of a decedent's estate by the probate court.
The estate involved was that of the mother of appellant, one of six children. The mother died testate and her will was admitted to probate in 1933. Final settlement was not had until April 29, 1949. Appellant was a patient in the state hospital on the latter date. All parties including appellant and his guardian were duly notified of the hearing for final settlement as required by law.
At the hearing for final settlement appellant was represented by his guardian appointed in 1943 and by counsel for the guardian who made objections to some of the matters involved in the petition for final settlement. His objections were sustained in part and overruled in part. No appeal was taken from that judgment.
Appellant was discharged from the state hospital a short time before March 2, 1950, when his full legal rights were restored. On November 15, 1950, he filed the instant petition to set aside the decree of final settlement and distribution on the grounds the probate court was without jurisdiction over him and his interests prior to the appointment of his guardian; that various acts of the executrix in the course of administration were fraudulent and void and that he was disadvantaged thereby to his financial loss. The action was transferred to the district court where it was tried de novo on evidence adduced by the respective parties. The executrix of the mother's estate died testate after the decree of final settlement but before the trial in the district court. The administrator of her estate was made a party defendant.
The foregoing facts are not intended to constitute an exhaustive statement but only a general outline of procedure and events. The district court made detailed findings of fact and conclusions of law which are appended for reference and made a part hereof. They also disclose the trial court resolved all other factual issues in favor of appellees.
If a motion to strike any of the findings made was filed it is not *20 indexed in appellant's abstract or in his two supplemental abstracts and we have not found it in the record presented here. The motion for new trial does not expressly specify the findings made as constituting error. Appellant, however, requested certain conclusions of fact and law. A review of the record indicates the trial court might have included some of the requested findings of fact but those particular facts are not of sufficient materiality to justify a reversal of the judgment.
The six children, all adults, one of whom was Stella A. Anderson, the executrix, obtained title to various tracts of land under the will of their father who had given his wife, Crissie Anderson, deceased, only a life estate therein. The mother owned some city lots and some personal property in her own right. After the mother's death in 1933 the children continued to maintain the ancestral country home. Their income from lands in which they had the remainder interest under the will of their father, and the income from property belonging to the estate of their mother, were not always handled in the most businesslike fashion or strictly in compliance with the law pertaining to the settlement of estates. The business was treated in many respects as a family affair characteristic of many similar cases in which estates are not speedily administered or under the proper guidance and direction of legal counsel. There appeared a desire among the children not to sell the real estate during the deflationary prices which obtained at the time of their mother's death in 1933 and for some years thereafter and to handle business transactions in accordance with the agreement of the parties.
Appellant first went to the state hospital in 1937. He remained there for a year or so on that particular occasion. He was permitted to leave and returned to the ancestral home and remained there until adjudicated insane in 1943. It appears that from the time of the mother's death in 1933 until appellant first went to the state hospital and again after his return to the family home and until 1943 he participated in the family business transactions and conducted all of his own private affairs. It is true the six children believed they were partners although they, of course, held all lands to which they obtained the remainder interest as tenants in common.
From 1943 appellant was represented by a guardian duly appointed for him. There is no indication the guardian ever objected to any of the transactions. Nor is there any indication the guardian believed appellant was being defrauded by the executrix or the *21 other members of the family with respect to his interests. In fact, there is testimony he had no occasion to so believe.
An executrix serves in a fiduciary capacity. She should be and is held to the exercise of utmost good faith in the discharge of her trust.
As indicated the administration of this estate covered a period of approximately sixteen years. The executrix was not a lawyer and was unfamiliar with legal procedures. It does not appear she willfully or otherwise violated direction of the probate court. Her failure to make regular accountings over that period or to obtain probate court authorization for partial disbursements to legatees or to use estate funds for the protection of interests of legatees, although irregular and improper, is not necessarily tantamount to fraud. This is especially true when no one, including a former incompetent, suffers loss or disadvantage as a result of any transaction and on the contrary all clearly obtain an advantage by reason of some of the transactions.
The burden of establishing appellant was overreached or defrauded rested on him. Fraud is never presumed. There is abundant evidence the executrix acted in perfectly good faith in an effort to preserve and protect the best interests of all concerned, including the appellant. The district court believed that testimony and expressly found no fraud either intrinsic or extrinsic was shown. In addition to the foregoing, irrespective of what the precise legal relation of the parties may have been, the trial court, in view of the testimony, was justified in finding appellant had not been overreached to his financial loss or detriment in any respect and that the manner in which his interest in the real estate was handled resulted to his advantage. Touching this subject and the absence of fraud see particularly findings 14, 15, 16 and 17.
Appellant also argues the $1,500 fee allowed to the executrix for her services during the sixteen years should not be upheld. He argues she appropriated some assets of the estate and with another brother used them during that period of time. There was no appeal from the allowance of that fee by the probate court. There is no testimony the allowance was procured by fraudulent representations or concealment of material facts. Furthermore it already has been indicated that whatever irregularities there may have been in the use of any estate funds by the executrix, or by her and another brother, without an express order of the probate court, such use was *22 not in bad faith or with the purpose and intent of depriving appellant of any interest he may have had in the estate. On the contrary it appears her conduct was prompted by a desire to preserve and protect the property of the estate and the income of the children from the lands they inherited from their father in a manner beneficial to all parties concerned, including appellant. It appears her attempt was successful. No other persons are interested in the result. We shall not say the court erred in the allowance of the modest fee in view of her good faith, the length of time involved and the nature of the services rendered.
We have not overlooked other alleged errors urged by appellant. It will serve no purpose to pursue them. We are persuaded they do not constitute reversible error. It was the trial court, not this court, which appellant was required to convince on the subject of fraud or overreaching to appellant's disadvantage. In that respect appellant failed.
The findings of the district court are supported by the record. Its findings justify the conclusions of law.
The judgment is affirmed.
"FINDINGS OF FACT
"1. Mrs. Crissie Anderson's will was admitted to probate in the Clay County Probate Court, November 21, 1933, and her daughter, Stella A. Anderson, duly qualified as executrix thereof. The proceedings for the probate of the will, executrix's appointment and all other proceedings were regular and no evidence was offered as to any lack of jurisdiction, unless it was petitioner's insanity.
"2. The petitioner, who had previously been a patient at the Topeka State Hospital, and who was a son of the said Crissie Anderson, deceased, was at the ancestral home when his mother died, and he continued to live there until on or about the month of October, 1937, when he voluntarily entered the State Hospital at Topeka, Kansas. He remained at that institution for a year or so and was then released as restored. He then returned to said home where he remained until he was adjudicated insane on July 14, 1943, and thereupon was recommitted to the State Hospital, where he remained until a short time before March 2, 1950, when his full legal rights were restored to him. Petitioner had a legal guardian from July 23, 1943, to March 4, 1950.
"3. Peter Anderson, husband of said Crissie Anderson, and the father of said petitioner and respondents herein, predeceased the said Crissie Anderson. He left a will, which was duly admitted to probate in the year 1917. Under his will he left his property to Crissie Anderson, his wife, for life, with remainder to his children, including these respondents and petitioner. Much of the property in controversy belonged to Peter Anderson when he died. His estate was closed in 1922.
"4. Notwithstanding the Peter Anderson estate was closed in 1922, yet, nevertheless, after the death of Crissie Anderson in 1933, the income from land *23 owned by that estate, freed by her death of her life interest, apparently was kept in a separate account and designated the Peter Anderson Estate, and that during the course of administration of the Crissie Anderson Estate, monies from said account were transferred from time to time to the Crissie Anderson estate account, and whenever in the evidence the Peter Anderson Estate was referred to, it meant the account carried in that name.
"5. The said Stella A. Anderson died before this proceeding was commenced.
"6. Petitioner and these respondents were among the heirs-at-law, legatees and devisees of said Peter Anderson and Crissie Anderson, both deceased.
"7. The petition for final settlement and allowance of final account and distribution came regularly on for hearing in the Probate Court of Clay County on April 29, 1949. Due notice was given petitioner and an order of final settlement was duly made on said date. Said hearing resulted in a fair and impartial distribution of the assets. Petitioner now seeks to have vacated and set aside the order of final settlement, filing his petition therefor on November 15, 1950.
"8. Much of the time of petitioner's legal incapacity was spent in the ancestral home with Stella A. Anderson and Milford H. Anderson, during which time petitioner participated actively with the said Stella A. Anderson in the handling of the estates and the operation of the farms.
"9. During the times petitioner was living at home he appears to have been fully competent to understand and transact business; and he actually did advise and assist Stella A. Anderson in handling the estate and participated in all of the transactions during such periods.
"10. The insanity of petitioner appeared in the record leading up to the final settlement and the irregularities of the administration and any errors all appeared in the proceedings.
"11. Both estates were handled with considerable informality, but with the knowledge, consent and approval of all the heirs, legatees and devisees, except possibly petitioner; and insofar as petitioner's mental condition permitted he had full knowledge of, consented to, and approved of the methods of handling said estates, and while he had a guardian, the guardian had full knowledge of and never objected to the same. All the claimed irregularities were disclosed by the final account, either affirmatively or by omission therefrom and their invalidity was at issue in the final settlement.
"12. Notwithstanding the irregularities and the informalities in connection with the administration of the estates, there is no intent shown on the part of anyone to take advantage of or defraud petitioner, and no conspiracy to do anything to prejudice rights of petitioner.
"13. On the attacked final settlement, petitioner was represented by his guardian and by the Hon. H.L. Sheppeard, competent counsel employed by the guardian. Said counsel filed a written defense for the purpose of correcting certain parts of the accounting. The Hon. Wayne W. Ryan, a competent lawyer, qualified as Probate Judge pro tem and heard the matter at length. Petitioner's objections were in part sustained and corrections made. No appeal was taken from the order of final settlement.
"14. The allowance by the Probate Court to Stella A. Anderson for her services was not excessive.
*24 "15. By the settlement petitioner got the share of both estates to which he was entitled and from the evidence the court is convinced that if the settlement were reopened and tried again no different result would be reached.
"16. No fraud, either intrinsic or extrinsic, has been shown.
"17. None of the transactions of Stella A. Anderson attacked in Clayton P. Anderson's petition resulted in any financial loss or other detriment to him, and those by which he acquired an increased interest in the real estate turned out to be to his advantage because of the subsequent increase in land values.
"18. The relationship between the parties was believed by them to be a partnership, but whether it amounted to that at law is immaterial as petitioner suffered no loss or prejudice whether it was a partnership, tenancy in common, joint venture or other relationship. All the devisees were tenants in common of the real estate.
"19. All other factual issues are found in favor of respondents.
"CONCLUSIONS OF LAW
"1. The Probate Court at all times had jurisdiction of the estate of Crissie Anderson, deceased, and its orders were valid and binding on petitioner.
"2. The order of final settlement is valid and should not be reopened.
"3. The Probate Court and the executrix never had jurisdiction over the real estate and any dominion over it exercised by Stella A. Anderson was in her individual capacity. If under the law the executrix did have jurisdiction of the real estate after July 1, 1939, the court would still conclude that she had sufficiently accounted.
"4. At the trial of this matter the first question to be determined by the court was whether or not there were grounds to vacate the judgment of final settlement. When the court determined that no such grounds existed, it became immaterial whether or not the accounting of the executrix might have been changed on a new hearing.
"5. Judgment should be entered in favor of respondents denying the petition of Clayton P. Anderson and taxing the costs against Clayton P. Anderson.
"IT IS THEREFORE, by the court considered, ordered, adjudged and decreed that the petition of said Clayton P. Anderson, petitioner herein, be, and the same is, hereby denied, and the costs herein be, and the same are, hereby taxed against said petitioner, the said Clayton P. Anderson."
|
As a result of major cutbacks aimed at “establishing a foundation for our future operations,” New Zealand Post has announced today that the entire nation’s mail will now be delivered by a single postal worker.
23-year-old Jermaine Davis, who found that he was the only remaining mailperson in the country not issued with a redundancy notice, reports that the job description in his new contract reads, simply, “Deliver the mail.”
Having conferred with management about the contract, Davis established that the description was indeed literal.
“Yep, all of the mail,” he clarified, before sighing and staring dejectedly into space. “Shit.”
Defending the cutbacks today, chairman of NZ Post Sir Michael Cullen said that the new number of mail delivery workers was “carefully calculated,” and best reflected the volume of physical mail still being sent throughout New Zealand.
“I think people tend to assume that, just because we hired thousands of mail delivery workers across the country, we had these large volumes of mail,” he said. “But that just wasn’t the case. Physical mail today isn’t what it used to be. There’s really only a few kinds of mail you get. There’s letters from grandparents, birthday cards from grandparents, newspaper clippings from grandparents; and other than that it’s just bank statements and junk mail, which we find tends to deliver itself.”
Cullen acknowledged that he was no longer Deputy Prime Minister, and that sometimes during interviews this was awkward.
He explained that while Davis might seem “hard done by,” he had actually been given a slight pay increase, and provided with a small aircraft to help cover the wider region for which he was now responsible.
But Davis says he isn’t licensed to pilot an aircraft, and that while his new contract did mention a pay increase, he hasn’t been paid in months, “because of the government shutdown.”
“They told me that my pay hadn’t come through because John Boehner wouldn’t vote to fund the Government,” he explained. “They said I couldn’t get paid anymore. Ever.” |
HXMM01
HXMM01, known more formally as 1HERMES S250 J022016.5−060143, is a starburst galaxy located in the northwestern portion of the constellation Cetus. Discovered in 2013 by a team at the University of California, Irvine, it was discovered that HXMM01 is actually still forming from its two parent galaxies as part of the "brightest, most luminous and most gas-rich submillimeter-bright galaxy merger known." When the merger is complete, HXMM01 will rapidly evolve to become a giant elliptical galaxy with a mass about four times that of the Milky Way. As of 2013, HXMM01 has been observed to form about of stars every year, with an efficiency ten times greater than that of typical galaxies and far more than the Milky Way's per year.
History of observation
A team at the University of California, Irvine, led by Asantha Cooray, was the first to detect and characterize HXMM01 in data from the Herschel space telescope's HerMES instrument. Initially noticed as an "amazing, bright blob" in an otherwise cold region of the cosmos, the galaxy was revealed to be an extremely bright submillimeter galaxy (SMG) after an extensive series of observations across the electromagnetic spectrum. Analyses of the data, published in May 2013, revealed the galaxy to be a merging pair with a mass at least ten times that of the Milky Way.
Physical characteristics
With a mass at least 10 times that of the Milky Way, HXMM01 is located at a redshift of 2.307 (corresponding to a distance of about 11 billion light years under the Λ-CDM model of cosmology) and has various physical features that are not characteristic of SMGs. For example, the dust temperature of the galaxy is a relatively high 55 K, 36% more than the 35 K average for star-forming galaxies at similar redshifts. As a result of this extremely high temperature, star formation in HXMM01 is extremely efficient and causes the galaxy to have a relatively high infrared luminosity of .
HXMM01 has an extremely high rate of star formation of roughly , a rate that will cause the nascent galaxy to consume nearly all of its gas and dust within 200 million years. The observation has profound implications for our conception of the formation of giant elliptical galaxies—although the process of formation for dwarf ellipticals had already been determined through analyses of gas density in lower-mass galaxies, the formation of giant elliptical galaxies had eluded description until the discovery of HXMM01. By analyzing HXMM01's rapid rate of star formation, the discovery team was able to deduce that giant elliptical galaxies would be able to form in the Universe at a redshift of about 1.5, corresponding to a distance (and thus observed galactic age) of about 4 billion years.
References
Notes
External links
Your Sky by Fourmilab
Category:Starburst galaxies
Category:Cetus (constellation) |
Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan has hired Sen. Bernie Sanders’ former Iowa campaign coordinator, adding to speculation he is working toward a 2020 presidential run.
Ryan hired veteran Democrative operative Pete D’Alessandro, who worked for the Vermont senator in Iowa in 2016, ABC News reported, but D’Alessandro downplayed his role.
“I’m helping this guy anyway I can through the end of this year,” D’Allesandro said.
D’Alessandro said his assistance to Ryan is payback for Ryan campaigning for him in his unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination in Iowa’s 3rd District against Cindy Axne.
“He was here quite a bit for me,” D’Allesandro said. “That’s how I do things, and that’s how this is being done for the rest of this year, at least.” |
from django.http import HttpResponse
def sendfile(request, filename, **kwargs):
"""
Dummy sendfile backend implementation.
"""
return HttpResponse('Dummy backend response')
|
THIRD DIVISION
DECEMBER 27, 2000
No. 1-99-2867
SAMANTHA WROBEL and KIM BORIAS, ) Appeal from the
) Circuit Court of
Plaintiffs-Appellants,
) Cook County.
)
v.
)
)
CITY OF CHICAGO, ) Honorable
) Donald J. O'Brien,
Defendant-Appellee.
) Judge Presiding.
JUSTICE CERDA delivered the opinion of the court:
This action was brought by plaintiffs, Samantha Wrobel and Kim Borias, to recover damages for personal injuries sustained as result of an automobile accident occurring on a state highway maintained by defendant, the City of Chicago. The accident in question was allegedly caused when a third-party, who is not a party to this appeal, lost control of his vehicle after striking a pothole in the roadway, and the vehicle veered into oncoming traffic in which plaintiffs were traveling. Plaintiffs appeal the order of the circuit court entering summary judgment in favor of the City on the ground that it was immunized from liability pursuant to the Local Government and Governmental Employees Tort Immunity Act (Act) (745 ILCS 10/2-201 (West 1998). For the following reasons, we affirm.
Plaintiffs were injured on January 14, 1997, when the vehicle that Wrobel was operating and in which Borias was a passenger collided with a vehicle being operated by Joseph Bosh on the 7300 block of South Kedzie Avenue in the Chicago. Immediately before the accident, plaintiffs were traveling south on Kedzie, while Bosh was traveling north. Bosh claimed the accident occurred when his vehicle careened out of control into oncoming traffic after striking a pothole in the road. Bosh did not see the pothole in question before the crash, but upon returning to the immediate area of the accident at some later unspecified date, he observed a four-foot by six-foot depression in the road, which had been patched over. Bosh identified this depression to be the pothole that caused his vehicle to veer out of control.
The 7300 block of South Kedzie is a state highway owned by the State of Illinois. Pursuant to a formal agreement with the State, the City receives state funds to perform maintenance work, including pothole repair, on the area of Kedzie involved in this case, as well as numerous other stretches of state highways within its limits. The record materials show that City workers had repaired potholes in the 7300 block of South Kedzie on January 10, 1997, four days before the accident. City worksheets reveal that the crew conducting repairs on January 10 was headed by foreman Michael Colianne.
During the winter months, crews are deployed by the City to canvass roadways under the City's maintenance and fill potholes in need of repair. These crews generally consist of a foreman, a raker, a roller, and two laborers. A supervisor with the asphalt division of the City's Department of Transportation coordinates the crew foremen and specifies the roadway areas where each crew will conduct pothole repairs. Each foreman then plans the route the crew will undertake through the daily grid and supervises the crew members during their work. The foreman is typically not involved in the physical work involved in repairing any pothole.
The particular asphalt mixture used by the City to repair potholes depends on the time of the year during which the repair efforts are undertaken. In warmer weather, the City fills potholes with a "hot mix." As was explained by various City workers, a hot mixture forms a durable and a relatively long lasting patch. In colder weather, however, the City uses a "cold mix", which is not as durable and dependable as a hot mixture. Depending on a number of various extraneous factors occurring after its application, such as the weather, traffic patterns and frequency of plowing, a cold mix patch may fail quite rapidly. The record testimony of several foremen and crew workers demonstrates that the City elects to utilize a cold mixture instead of a hot mix in winter weather because a hot mixture will typically settle during transportation due to the low temperatures and, as a consequence, are generally unusable. Due to this situation, the City employs cold mixtures in the winter as a temporary fix, and then later uses the more durable hot mix when the weather permits.
The manner in which the cold mixture is applied in winter differs among the various repair crews. In particular part, the crews do not follow any uniform approach of handling asphalt debris and water within a pothole to be repaired. Some crews make no attempt to remove loose asphalt and moisture, particularly water, from a pothole before a cold mixture is applied, while other crews undertake such efforts. For instance, Michael Colianne stated the workers under his supervision specifically attempt to remove residual asphalt, snow, ice, and water from a pothole "as much as possible" before applying a cold mixture. Colianne explained the presence of loose asphalt and moisture will adversely affect the adhesive quality of the patch, and stated that such removal efforts are necessary to ensure a durable repair.
The affidavit of Boris Dragunsky, a licensed engineer with a doctorate degree in construction materials technology, was submitted by plaintiffs to show that Colianne's practice is the proper method of pothole repair. According to Dragunsky, substrate preparation is essential for effective pothole repair. Dragunsky explains that the presence of moisture or water in the substrate will insure the rapid failure of any repair, and that the mixing of old asphalt aggregate with a cold mix will similarly contribute to a rapid deterioration of the patch. Dragunsky maintains that effective repair of a pothole with use of a cold mix requires removal of all moisture, water and residual asphalt aggregate from the pothole.
Plaintiffs' theory of negligence against the City is not entirely clear. Plaintiffs assert that in light of the City's documented repair efforts, no open and unrepaired potholes, especially one measuring four-by-six feet, presumably existed in the 7300 block of South Kedzie at the conclusion of the work day on January 10, 1997. Plaintiffs maintain the pothole purportedly struck by Bosh on January 14, 1997, must then have developed within the four-day period preceding the accident. Plaintiffs claim that "the rapid appearance of the condition gives rise to an inference that a prior repair failed rapidly" and "that, in turn, gives rise to an inference that the repairs were done improperly." According to plaintiffs, the improper repair by the workers ensured the rapid failure of the patch, and consequently caused the dangerous condition confronted by Bosh.
(footnote: 1)
We glean from plaintiffs' assertions two distinct theories of liability. First, plaintiffs seem to claim that the laborers working under Colianne's supervision on January 10, 1997 failed to remove an adequate amount of residual asphalt and moisture from the pothole that was struck by Bosh before applying the cold mix compound. In an apparent alternative theory, plaintiffs seem to contend that the same workers wholly failed in the first instance to follow the application procedure prescribed by Colianne and made no attempt to remove any loose asphalt or moisture.
The purpose of summary judgment under section 2-1005 of the Code is to determine whether there exist any genuine issues of material fact between the parties.
Hubble v. O'Connor
, 291 Ill. App. 3d 974, 979, 684 N.E.2d 816, 820 (1997). Summary judgment is appropriate only where the pleadings, depositions, and admissions on file, together with any affidavits, present no issue of material fact and show that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. 735 ILCS 5/2-1005(c) (West 1998)
;
Benamon v. Soo Line Railroad Company
, 294 Ill. App. 3d 85, 87, 689 N.E.2d 366, 369 (1997). Our review of an order granting summary judgment in favor of a party is conducted
de
novo
(
Benamon
, 294 Ill. App. 3d at 88, 689 N.E.2d at 369 (1997))
, and we will construe all pleadings, depositions and affidavits in a light most favorable to the nonmoving party.
Soderlund Brothers, Inc. v. Carrier Corp.
, 278 Ill. App. 3d 606, 614, 663 N.E.2d 1, 7 (1995).
In its motion for summary judgment, the City argues, in relevant part, it is immune from the asserted negligence of its workers under sections 2-201 of the Act. That provision provides:
"[e]xcept as otherwise provided by Statute, a public employee serving in a position involving the determination of policy or the exercise of discretion is not liable for an injury resulting from his act or omission in determining policy when acting in the exercise of such discretion even though abused." 745 ILCS 10/2-201 (West 1998).
By virtue of section 2-109 of the Act, immunity is granted to a public entity for the acts or omissions of its employees where the employees are not liable. 745 ILCS 10/2-109 (West 1998).
As explained by our supreme court, the immunity provided by section 2-201 extends to any employee who holds either a position involving the determination of policy or a position involving the exercise of discretion.
Harinek v. 161 North Clark Street Ltd. Partnership
, 181 Ill. 2d 335, 341, 692 N.E.2d 1177, 1181 (1998). For immunity to attach, though, the complained of injuries must have resulted from an act or omission by the employee in determining policy and exercising discretion.
The act or omission giving rise to the injuries must be both a determination of policy and an exercise of discretion.
Harinek
, 181 Ill. 2d at 341, 692 N.E.2d at 1181.
The term "policy" when used in relation to the decisions of a public entity have been defined as "those decisions which require the municipality to balance competing interests and to make a judgment call as to what solution will best serve each of those interests."
Harinek
, 181 Ill. 2d at 342, 692 N.E.2d at 1181, quoting
West v. Kirkham
, 147 Ill. 2d 1, 11, 588 N.E.2d 1104 (1992); see also
Harrison v. Hardin County Community Unit School District No. 1
, 313 Ill. App. 3d 702, 706, 730 N.E.2d 61, 65 (2000) ("policy determination" is one requiring "considered evaluation and judgment by a governmental unit, utilizing its own particular expertise, to formulate principles and procedures directed toward the achievement of common and general goals for the community's benefit" during which "several factors, including the public benefit, the practicability of the plan or procedure, and the best methods to be employed considering available resources, costs, and safety, must be considered").
Acts deemed "discretionary" have been defined as those which are unique to a particular public office (
Snyder v. Curran Township
, 167 Ill. 2d 466, 474, 657 N.E.2d 988, 993 (1995)), and involve the exercise of personal deliberation and judgment in deciding whether to perform a particular act, or how and in what manner that act should be performed.
D.M. v. National School Bus Service, Inc.
, 305 Ill. App. 3d 735, 739, 713 N.E.2d 196, 200 (1999);
Bonnell v. Regional Board of School Trustees
, 258 Ill. App. 3d 485, 489, 630 N.E.2d 547, 549 (1994)
.
Plaintiffs' first theory of liability focuses on the adequacy of the efforts undertaken by Colianne's workers in removing residual asphalt and moisture from the pothole at issue in this case. Plaintiffs specifically suggest the workers failed to extract a sufficient amount of asphalt and moisture from the depression before applying the cold mixture and, as a result, compromised the durability of the patch. Under the circumstances presented, we find that section 201 of the Act cloaks the City with immunity under this theory.
Contrary to plaintiffs' contention, the laborers in Colianne's crew hold positions that require them to both determine policy and exercise discretion. These workers are directed by Colianne to remove "as much" loose asphalt and existing moisture in a pothole "as possible" before applying the cold mixture. While they are obligated to undertake such measure pursuant to the express directive of their foreman, the workers enjoy discretion in determining how much asphalt and moisture should be actually extracted and whether that amount is indeed adequate to ensure a durable patch.
The decisions of the workers in this regard can also fairly be characterized as policy determinations. When confronted with a particular stretch of roadway, the workers must necessarily be concerned with the efficiency in which they prepare any potholes for repair. Specifically, the workers must allocate their time and resources among the various potholes that will be repaired, and they must ensure that not too much time is dedicated to pothole preparation. The more time and resources the workers devote to preparing potholes for a patch, the less time and resources they have available to repair the other potholes existing throughout their daily grid.
For the same reasons discussed above, the extent of the workers' removal efforts represent both a determination of policy and an exercise of discretion. The degree to which a pothole should be prepared, and specifically how much loose asphalt and moisture will be removed, is a matter of a worker's personal judgment, and encompassed within that judgment are the policy considerations of time and resource allocation during a given workday.
Plaintiffs strenuously argue that the physical acts of the workers are not discretionary but rather ministerial. Only discretionary acts are extended immunity under the Act, and a public entity will not be protected for the acts of their agents that are ministerial in character. The classification of acts as either discretionary or ministerial escape any precise formulation and must be made on a case-by-case basis in light of the particular facts and circumstances presented.
Snyder
, 167 Ill. 2d at 474, 657 N.E.2d at 992-93.
Despite the
ad
hoc
nature of this determination, the law deems discretionary acts as those that are unique to a particular public office (
Snyder
, 167 Ill. 2d at 474, 657 N.E.2d at 993), and involve the making of a decision about whether or how to perform a particular act following the exercise of personal deliberation and judgment.
D.M.
, 305 Ill. App. 3d at 739, 713 N.E.2d at 200;
Bonnell
, 258 Ill. App. 3d at 489, 630 N.E.2d at 549
.
In contrast, ministerial acts are those which a person performs on a given state of facts in a prescribed manner, in obedience to the mandate of legal authority, and without reference to the official's discretion as to the propriety of the act.
Snyder
, 167 Ill. 2d at 474, 657 N.E.2d at 993. That is, ministerial acts are those acts that are "absolute, certain and imperative, involving merely the execution of a set task" so that "nothing remains for judgment or discretion."
In re Chicago Flood Litigation
, 176 Ill. 2d 179, 194, 680 N.E.2d 265, 272 (1997), quoting
City of Chicago v. Seben
, 165 Ill. 371, 377-78, 46 N.E. 244 (1897).
The acts and omissions complained of by plaintiffs cannot be classified as ministerial under the facts and circumstances of this case. As discussed above, the workers enjoy the discretion to determine how much residual asphalt and moisture to remove from potholes. The plaintiffs' correctly note that the workers have no discretion to decide whether or not to follow the preparation approach adopted by Colianne, and are under the obligation to attempt to remove as much asphalt and moisture as possible. However, the amount of asphalt and moisture actually removed and determined to be sufficient is left to the personal judgment of the workers. As noted by our supreme court, depending on the circumstances of the particular case, an act that might be considered a repair can be a discretionary matter.
Chicago Flood Litigation
, 176 Ill. 2d at 195, 680 N.E.2d at 273. Plaintiffs' assertion would find stronger support if Colianne directed his workers to remove
all
loose asphalt and existing moisture from a pothole. But that is not the situation presented by the record. Rather, by virtue of the actual directive given by Colianne, the workers retained a degree of discretion in performing their duties. It is this fact that primarily distinguishes the instant matter from that presented in
Herman v. Will Township
, 284 Ill. App. 3d 53, 671 N.E.2d 1141 (1996), upon which plaintiffs place heavy reliance.
Plaintiffs' alternative theory of liability similarly concerns the omissions of the workers, and focuses on the workers initial efforts to undertake the measures prescribed by Colianne. According to this theory, the workers under Colianne's supervision did not make any attempt to remove residual asphalt and moisture from the pothole at issue. As plaintiffs claim, section 2-201 of the Act does not afford the City immunity under this theory since the workers had no discretion in following Colianne's prescribed method of preparing potholes for repair. Once Colianne exercised his discretion and determined that residual asphalt and moisture should be removed, to the extent possible, the workers's initial effort to undertake such measures became ministerial and they were under the obligation to follow Colianne's directives. However, notwithstanding the Act's inapplicability to plaintiffs' alternative theory, we believe summary judgment in favor of the City is nonetheless proper because plaintiffs have failed to present any evidence that would entitle them to a finding in their favor.
To prevail on their negligence claim, plaintiffs are required to prove the existence of duty on the part of the City, the City's breach of that duty, and injury proximately resulting from that breach.
Wojdyla v. City of Park Ridge
, 209 Ill. App. 3d 290, 293, 568 N.E.2d 144, 145 (1991). Even though plaintiffs, as the nonmovants, were not required to prove their case at the summary judgment stage, they had the burden of presenting some factual basis that would arguably entitle them to a judgment.
Geraghty v. Continental Western Life Ins. Co.
, 281 Ill. App. 3d 669, 678, 667 N.E.2d 510, 516 (1996). If from the materials in the record a plaintiff fails to establish an element of her cause of action, summary judgment is proper.
Geraghty
, 281 Ill. App. 3d at 678, 667 N.E.2d at 516. Thus, for plaintiffs to survive summary judgment, they had to present some evidence showing a breach on the part of the City, namely that the workers in Colianne's crew wholly failed to make any attempt to remove residual asphalt and moisture from the pothole identified by Bosh. While the question of whether the City breached its duty to the plaintiffs is normally a factual one, it may properly be resolved by this court as a legal matter when the evidence, such as in this case, presents no genuine issue of material fact regarding that subject.
Nowak v. Coghill
, 296 Ill. App. 3d 886, 892, 695 N.E.2d 532, 537 (1998).
Plaintiffs concede the record is devoid of any direct evidence establishing that the workers did not undertake the required repair measures. Rather, plaintiffs seek to establish the requisite breach circumstantially. The law is well established that a party may establish a defendant's negligence through the use of circumstantial evidence.
Nowak
, 296 Ill. App. 3d at 896, 695 N.E.2d at 539. Circumstantial evidence is the proof of certain facts and circumstances from which a fact finder may infer other connected facts that usually and reasonably follow according to the common experience of mankind.
Parker v. Masonic Warren Barr Pavilion
, 299 Ill. App. 3d 495, 500, 701 N.E.2d 190, 193 (1998). Circumstantial evidence may be used to establish facts necessary to a claim, but is sufficient only when its shows the probability of the existence of the fact. The circumstantial facts must be of such a nature and so related as to make the conclusion reached the more probable, as opposed to possible, one.
Block v. Lohan Associates, Inc.
, 269 Ill. App. 3d 745, 757, 645 N.E.2d 207, 215 (1993);
Stonitsch v. Laredo Construction Co.
, 221 Ill. App. 3d 902, 905, 583 N.E.2d 49, 52 (1991).
Here, plaintiffs have not presented sufficient circumstantial evidence to establish that Colianne's workers failed in the first instance to remove loose asphalt and moisture from the pothole in question and apply a cold mix patch. The record materials, including the affidavit of Dragunsky, do not demonstrate the probability of the inference plaintiffs seek to draw. While it may be reasonable to infer that the pothole in question was repaired by the workers on January 10, 1997 by use of a cold mix patch, and that this patch failed before or on January 14, the record does not show that it is more probable than not that this patch broke down as a result of the workers' failure to make efforts to remove residual asphalt and moisture. For that matter, assuming section 2-201 of the Act is inapplicable to plaintiffs' first theory of liability, the record likewise is insufficient to show the probability of the proffered inference that the workers failed to remove an adequate amount of asphalt and moisture from the pothole. These inference may be possible, but they are not probable and thus are insufficient as a matter of law.
\ Further, the inferences sought by plaintiffs are missing a critical link. To raise a reasonable inference that the workers either failed to make efforts to remove asphalt and moisture from the pothole or undertook such efforts but performed them inadequately, plaintiffs must have presented circumstantial evidence showing that it is more probable than not that the pothole at issue broke down due to the presence of asphalt and moisture. As explained by Dragunsky, the presence of asphalt and moisture may cause the failure of a cold mix patch. Yet, the record also demonstrates that a cold mix patch may break down for various other reasons, including traffic patterns and weather conditions. The evidence in the record merely establishes the possibility that the presence of residual asphalt and moisture caused the failure of the pothole's repair in this case. In fact, the record is devoid of any evidence establishing, or raising a reasonable inference, that the pothole in question contained loose asphalt and/or moisture on January 10, 1997.
CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, the circuit court's entry of summary judgment in favor of the City and against plaintiffs is affirmed.
Affirmed.
HALL, P.J., and BURKE, J., concur.
FOOTNOTES
1:Plaintiffs originally alleged the City was negligent by: (1) failing to inspect the 7300 block of South Kedzie for the existence of the pothole which Bosh's vehicle struck; (2) to the extent such an inspection was made, failing to conduct said inspection in a careful and reasonable manner so as to discover the pothole; (3) failing to repair or remedy the pothole; and (4) failing to warn motorists traveling on Kedzie of the pothole's presence. Plaintiffs acknowledge certain City crews were deployed during January 1997 to search out potholes for repair and that crews on January 10, 1997, specifically discovered the pothole at issue in this case. By their acknowledgments, plaintiffs have conceded that the City could not have breached the first two duties claimed in the complaint. Plaintiffs further conceded in the circuit court that the City had no duty to warn under the circumstances.
|
JACK Sinclair and Adam Schneider are almost certain to return to the rookie list this week following the news that Arryn Siposs and Daniel Markworth have been cleared to play.
Sinclair and Schneider were promoted to the senior list prior to round one and have played nine and ten games respectively since.
Injury report: Round 11
Siposs injured his shoulder prior to Christmas in New Zealand, while Markworth had surgery following a training incident in late February. Both players were subsequently placed on the long-term injury list.
“Arryn Siposs and Daniel Markworth have completed their rehab and will return via the VFL this week,” General Manager of Football Performance Jamie Cox told SAINTS.com.au.
“The flipside of that is that rules being rules, two of our rookies that were promoted (Sinclair and Schneider) now need to return to the rookie list.”
Become a member today! Call 1300 GO SAINTS or visit HERE.
Before St Kilda’s round seven game against West Coast, Ahmed Saad was placed back on the rookie list with Seb Ross returning from a long-term hamstring injury.
However all is not lost for these three, or fellow rookies Brenton Payne and Jason Holmes, with the club almost certain to promote a rookie after the mid-season break – in line with the AFL’s rules.
“Over the next week or so we will decide which of the rookies we want to promote onto the senior list,” Cox said.
“It will be a really tough choice for our list management group as to who gets the nod.”
Cox paid tribute to Schneider and Sinclair, who have played similar roles across half-forward in 2015 and booted 17 goals between them.
“Adam is a wonderfully experienced player. He gives us a terrific amount of leadership on the field. He’s very good at organising our young team,” he said.
“From the moment Jack Sinclair debuted during the NAB Challenge, he showed us that he is going to be a terrific player.”
Daniel Markworth has been training solidly for over a month. |
<?php
/* For licensing terms, see /license.txt */
namespace Chamilo\CourseBundle\Component\CourseCopy\Resources;
/**
* Class GradeBookBackup.
*/
class GradeBookBackup extends Resource
{
public $categories;
/**
* GradeBookBackup constructor.
*
* @param array $categories
*/
public function __construct($categories)
{
parent::__construct(uniqid(), RESOURCE_GRADEBOOK);
$this->categories = $categories;
}
/**
* @return string
*/
public function show()
{
parent::show();
echo get_lang('All');
}
}
|
Dual-labeled chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay for simultaneous measurement of total prostate specific antigen (TPSA) and free prostate specific antigen (FPSA).
The specificity for early diagnostic of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is low because the current technology mostly allows the detection of only one biomarker at one time. In this work, a dual-labeled chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay (CLEIA) for simultaneous measurement of total PSA (TPSA) and free PSA (FPSA) was proposed. Anti-PSA McAb (Mab1) was immobilized on a microplate as the solid phase, horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-labeled anti-TPSA monoclonal antibody (McAb2) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP)-labeled anti-FPSA McAb3 were used as detection antibodies. Two chemiluminescence reactions of HRP with luminol and ALP with 4-methoxy-4-(3-phosphate-phenyl)-spiro-(1,2-dioxetane-3,2'-adamantane) (AMPPD) were used as the signal detecting system. Based on a sandwich model, the amount of FPSA and TPSA could be determined simultaneously. The effects of several physico-chemical parameters were studied and optimized. Cross-reactivities of six common tumor markers in serum were studied. The proposed method presented the sensitivity of 0.03 ng ml-1 and 0.05 ng ml-1 for FPSA and TPSA respectively, with low cross-reactivities. Compared with the results from commercial chemiluminescent kits there was good correlation, indicating that this established method could be used to simultaneously to measure the concentrations of FPSA and TPSA in one serum sample and also could greatly facilitate the early diagnosis for PCa in clinical practice. |
'Drink Champs': Tony Rock says he has love for Mo'Nique, hope she gets "all the money in the world"
Tony Rock says he didn't diss Mo'Nique; he just was expressing that she needed to exercise proper etiquette. The two comedians have been involved in a back-and-forth on social media ever since he weighed in on Mo'Nique calling for a boycott of Netflix.
"I got off the plane at LAX," Rock began explaining. "TMZ ran up on me. I said I was always taught—and please tell me if you were taught differently—'never count any one else's money.' I never said she didn't deserve more money, I never said she shouldn't get more money or Amy Schumer is worth more money than her. I said, 'Don't count the next man's money.' After that, social media went crazy: 'You hate Black women. You hate your sistas. You don't want her to shine.' My fucking Twitter was bananas. Then I said, if she had a real issue, don't do it on social media, call me. When niggas do it on social media, you doing it for people looking. You don't really have a genuine problem. You want eyes to see you."
'Drink Champs' | Tony Rock (Trailer)
REVOLT
00:0001:00
For the record, not only does the host of BET's Black Card Revoked say he has nothing but love for the Academy Award-winning actress, but he also notes, "I think Monique should get all the money in the world."
Rock definitely won't be shunning Netflix anytime soon though—especially with his brother Chris' special Tambourine just landing on the network.
"She told us to boycott Netflix before my brother's special came out," he said. "I gotta boycott? My brother's special is coming. I can't do that."
In addition to Mo'Nique, Rock talked about his personal goals and even brought a couple of guests with him that absolutely turned the place out. |
It was nearly two years ago that there was last a solid update on the status of a sequel to director Francis Lawrence's 2007, I Am Legend. Now, with his directorial debut, Winter's Tale, landing in theaters this week, screenwriter Akiva Goldsman tells io9 that, despite some real ideas about how to continue the franchise, the sequel is not moving forward.
"Oh we tried," Goldsman tells the outlet. "There were scripts. We really tried… We wrote a prequel [and] a sequel. We had a really interesting prequel, which was the first outbreak of the virus, during a Thanksgiving Day parade, which was awesome. We did a really interesting prequel that [took place] later. Which was right after the first… Really right when the population of of humans became pretty decimated. And it was this sort of trek to Washington. Which included a dark seeker elephant that had broken out of the zoo."
The original film, based on the 1954 novel by Richard Matheson, starred Will Smith as scientist Robert Neville. Made for around $150 million, it grossed over $585 million at the worldwide box office. |
White Rock
14478 Blackburn Crescent
White Rock, White Rock
4 Bed
n/a Bath
2316 sqft
Removed on Dec 06, 2018
Note: This property is not currently for sale or for rent.
This property is located at 14478 Blackburn Crescent, White Rock, British Columbia and is based in the community of White Rock in White Rock. Other districts close by are King George Corridor, Grandview Surrey and Sunnyside Park Surrey. Blackburn Crescent has 1 property presently available, while the community of White Rock has 288 postings available. Of the 58 total listings for sale in White Rock, White Rock makes up just 496.55%. Homes in White Rock are listed for an average listed price of $1,492,163, or an estimated monthly mortgage of $5,446.* That is 30% higher than the average list price of $1,149,222 found across all White Rock properties for sale. Homes listed in White Rock are an average of 2,358 sq ft, with 3 beds and 3 baths. Apartments make up less than one quarter of properties for sale in the district around 14478 Blackburn Crescent. The 5 bed, 7 bath house for sale at 14458 Blackburn Crescent, White Rock is comparable and listed at $5,288,000. Another similar home is the 4 bed, 2 bath house located at 14475 Mann Park Crescent, White Rock and priced for sale at $1,750,000.
* Monthly payments are an estimate based on a mortgage with 20% down @ 2.65% with a 5-yr Variable rate
The REALTOR® trademark is controlled by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identifies real estate professionals who are members of CREA. The trademarks MLS®, Multiple Listing Service® and the associated logos identify professional services rendered by REALTOR® members of CREA to effect the purchase, sale and lease of real estate as part of a cooperative selling system. |
There are three vaccinations available for HPV in the U.S.
jovan vitanovski/shutterstock
A new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine has pointed to a staggering disparity in the prevalence of the human papillomavirus (HPV)—the number one risk factor for cervical cancer—between men and women. Nationwide, the rates of oral HPV infection are noticeably higher for men (11.5%, or 11 million individuals) than in women (3.2 % or 3.2 million individuals). Ashish Deshmukh, a senior author of the study, told Fox 59 about the possible reasons for the drop-off:
“One suspects that the HPV persists longer (means doesn’t clear easily) among men and that might be causing increased prevalence… It is also possible that men acquire oral HPV more readily than women. Further research is needed to understand the reason behind this.”
Between 2008 and 2012, there were 38,793 cases of HPV-related cancer. 59 percent of the cases were in women, 41 percent in men. According to the CDC, HPV is known to cause most cervical cancers as well as certain cancers of the vagina, vulva, penis, anus, rectum, and oropharynx. (This cancer is hitting millennials particularly hard.) Three HPV vaccines, Gardasil, Gardasil 9, and Cervarix, are approved by the FDA.
“We cannot take this HPV infection lightly because it does not discriminate. You can develop all of these types of cancers that are associated with HPV,” Eva McGhee, an assistant professor at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science said via Fox 59. “What’s important is, we need to look at other types of preventative strategies or treatments for the older people.”
McGee went on to note that some form of HPV will be encountered by 85 percent of the population in their lifetime. The survey was conducted by the CDC and involved laboratory tests for 37 types of HPV and an interview. (In other cancer-related news, this form of cancer treatment can double your risk of death.)
[Source: Fox 59] |
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an organic electroluminescent device (to be referred to as organic EL device, hereinafter) using organic compounds and more particularly, to an organic EL device having a modified electrode-organic layer interface.
2. Background Art
Recently, active research works have been made on organic EL light emitting devices. As a basic configuration, the device is constructed by using a transparent electrode of tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) as an anode, forming a hole transporting material such as triphenyldiamine (TPD) thereon by vacuum evaporation, depositing a fluorescent material such as an aluminum quinolinol complex (Alq3) as a light emitting layer, and forming an electrode (cathode) from a metal having a low work function such as magnesium. Attempts have been made to enhance the efficiency of hole injection by successively providing a plurality of organic layers such as a hole injecting layer, hole injecting and transporting layer, and hole transporting layer between the electrodes and the light emitting layer in accordance with the level of electron affinity or ionization potential in order to increase the luminous efficacy. These organic EL devices are attractive in that they can achieve a very high luminance ranging from 100 to 10,000 cd/m.sup.2 with a drive voltage of approximately 10 volts.
The anode for supplying holes to the light emitting layer is formed of transparent conductive materials such as tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) because of the conventional construction that emitted light emanates on the anode side. A hole transporting layer, a hole transporting and light emitting layer, a light emitting layer or the like is deposited adjacent to the anode.
However, problems arise if the anode is disposed in direct contact with an organic material layer such as a layer of hole transporting material such as triphenyldiamine (TPD), a light emitting layer of aluminum quinolinol complex (Alq3) and a hole injecting layer. The adhesion between the anode and the organic material layer and the efficiency of hole injection are exacerbated. Interfacial separation can occur to form non-light-emissive areas known as dark spots. The reduction of hole injection efficiency can deteriorate the performance of the organic EL device. |
Q:
Failed to execute hibernate query
I have an entity class as defined below:
@Entity
@Table(name="user")
public class User implements Serializable{
@Id
@GeneratedValue(strategy=GenerationType.IDENTITY)
private int id;
@NotNull
@Column(name="email",nullable=false)
@Size(min=5,max=15,message="Min 5 and Max 15")
private String email;
@NotNull
@Column(name="password",nullable=false)
@Size(min=5,max=15,message="Min 5 and Max 15")
private String password;
public int getId() {
return id;
}
public void setId(int id) {
this.id = id;
}
public String getEmail() {
return email;
}
public void setEmail(String email) {
this.email = email;
}
public String getPassword() {
return password;
}
public void setPassword(String password) {
this.password = password;
}
}
I am creating an sql query using HQL as follows:
Query query = getSession().createSQLQuery("FROM User u where u.email = :email");
query.setString("email", username);
query.list();
Getting following exceptions when calling query.list()
Caused by: org.hibernate.exception.SQLGrammarException: could not extract ResultSet
at org.hibernate.exception.internal.SQLExceptionTypeDelegate.convert(SQLExceptionTypeDelegate.java:80)
at org.hibernate.exception.internal.StandardSQLExceptionConverter.convert(StandardSQLExceptionConverter.java:49)
at org.hibernate.engine.jdbc.spi.SqlExceptionHelper.convert(SqlExceptionHelper.java:126)
at org.hibernate.engine.jdbc.spi.SqlExceptionHelper.convert(SqlExceptionHelper.java:112)
at org.hibernate.engine.jdbc.internal.ResultSetReturnImpl.extract(ResultSetReturnImpl.java:91)
at org.hibernate.loader.Loader.getResultSet(Loader.java:2066)
at org.hibernate.loader.Loader.executeQueryStatement(Loader.java:1863)
at org.hibernate.loader.Loader.executeQueryStatement(Loader.java:1839)
at org.hibernate.loader.Loader.doQuery(Loader.java:910)
at org.hibernate.loader.Loader.doQueryAndInitializeNonLazyCollections(Loader.java:355)
at org.hibernate.loader.Loader.doList(Loader.java:2554)
at org.hibernate.loader.Loader.doList(Loader.java:2540)
at org.hibernate.loader.Loader.listIgnoreQueryCache(Loader.java:2370)
at org.hibernate.loader.Loader.list(Loader.java:2365)
at org.hibernate.loader.custom.CustomLoader.list(CustomLoader.java:353)
at org.hibernate.internal.SessionImpl.listCustomQuery(SessionImpl.java:1873)
at org.hibernate.internal.AbstractSessionImpl.list(AbstractSessionImpl.java:311)
at org.hibernate.internal.SQLQueryImpl.list(SQLQueryImpl.java:141)
at com.revechat.spring.authentication.dao.UserDaoImpl.findByUserName(UserDaoImpl.java:25)
at com.revechat.spring.authentication.service.UserServiceImpl.findByUserName(UserServiceImpl.java:26)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Unknown Source)
at org.springframework.aop.support.AopUtils.invokeJoinpointUsingReflection(AopUtils.java:317)
at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.invokeJoinpoint(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:190)
at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:157)
at org.springframework.transaction.interceptor.TransactionInterceptor$1.proceedWithInvocation(TransactionInterceptor.java:99)
at org.springframework.transaction.interceptor.TransactionAspectSupport.invokeWithinTransaction(TransactionAspectSupport.java:281)
at org.springframework.transaction.interceptor.TransactionInterceptor.invoke(TransactionInterceptor.java:96)
at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:179)
at org.springframework.aop.framework.JdkDynamicAopProxy.invoke(JdkDynamicAopProxy.java:207)
at com.sun.proxy.$Proxy39.findByUserName(Unknown Source)
at com.revechat.spring.authentication.service.UserAuthDetailService.loadUserByUsername(UserAuthDetailService.java:30)
at org.springframework.security.authentication.dao.DaoAuthenticationProvider.retrieveUser(DaoAuthenticationProvider.java:102)
... 42 more
Caused by: com.mysql.jdbc.exceptions.jdbc4.MySQLSyntaxErrorException: You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near 'FROM User u where u.email = ''' at line 1
at sun.reflect.NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance(Unknown Source)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance(Unknown Source)
at java.lang.reflect.Constructor.newInstance(Unknown Source)
at com.mysql.jdbc.Util.handleNewInstance(Util.java:377)
at com.mysql.jdbc.Util.getInstance(Util.java:360)
at com.mysql.jdbc.SQLError.createSQLException(SQLError.java:978)
at com.mysql.jdbc.MysqlIO.checkErrorPacket(MysqlIO.java:3887)
at com.mysql.jdbc.MysqlIO.checkErrorPacket(MysqlIO.java:3823)
at com.mysql.jdbc.MysqlIO.sendCommand(MysqlIO.java:2435)
at com.mysql.jdbc.MysqlIO.sqlQueryDirect(MysqlIO.java:2582)
at com.mysql.jdbc.ConnectionImpl.execSQL(ConnectionImpl.java:2530)
at com.mysql.jdbc.PreparedStatement.executeInternal(PreparedStatement.java:1907)
at com.mysql.jdbc.PreparedStatement.executeQuery(PreparedStatement.java:2030)
at org.hibernate.engine.jdbc.internal.ResultSetReturnImpl.extract(ResultSetReturnImpl.java:82)
... 72 more
What could be the possible problem ?
A:
Sql query need to have the whole sql syntax and the query that you are using is HQL query
your sql query should be like
you can do getSession().createQuery("FROM User u where u.email = :email");
or
select * from <tableName> alias where email = ?
|
Bourn Hall China to establish fertility clinic In Zhoushan
Infertility rates are the same across the globe, with one in six couples requiring assisted reproduction to become parents. The pain of those suffering from infertility is also the same the world over. Chinese couples are to have greater access to world-class fertility treatment following the announcement of a new collaboration between Bourn Hall China and Zhoushan Maternal and Children’s Health Hospital to establish a new clinic.
Zhoushan Archipelago is known as a Buddhist ‘Paradise on the Sea’ and is already a place of pilgrimage for many Chinese seeking fertility help. The new fertility clinic on the island will provide high quality support for these people and those living in the province.
Bourn Hall Clinic (UK) was established by the pioneers of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and since the birth of the first ‘test-tube’ baby in 1978 over six million babies have been born worldwide following IVF treatment.
The new Zhoushan Clinic is the latest to be established by Bourn Hall China. Its first fertility clinic, opened in Kunming in 2014, has just completed its first full year of operation with success rates equivalent to those achieved in the UK. A second clinic is being established in Chongqing and a third is planned for Hangzhou. A Shanghai clinic with a capacity for 10,000 cycles of IVF per year is also planned.
The agreement is to be signed by Dr Mike Macnamee, CEO of Bourn Hall Limited, on behalf of Bourn Hall China, and Li Chen, Dean of Zhoushan Maternal and Children’s Health Hospital.
Dr Macnamee says: “We are delighted to be working with Zhoushan Maternal and Children’s Health Hospital to offer this new fertility service to their patients.
“By establishing these clinics, Bourn Hall China is making world-class IVF treatment available within China and is building local capacity and skills in IVF and reproductive medicine. The clinicians and embryologists are trained by a Bourn Hall team with over 35 years of experience of IVF.
“The clinics will operate to the same protocols used within one of the most highly regulated health systems in the world, ensuring the highest standards of quality and patient care.”
The Business Breakfast and signing will be in the presence of Jeremy Hunt, UK Secretary of State; Deborah Kobewka, MD of Healthcare UK; Kevin Holland, Minister-Counsellor for Lifescience and Healthcare at the British Embassy China; and Joanna Roper, Acting Director General for Department for International Trade China. |
#.rst:
# CGAL_SetupCGAL_CoreDependencies
# -------------------------------
#
# The module searchs for the dependencies of the `CGAL_Core` library:
# - the `GMP/MPFR` couple,
#
# and defines the variable :variable:`CGAL_Core_FOUND` and the function
# :command:`CGAL_setup_CGAL_Core_dependencies`.
#
# Module Input Variables
# ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
# - :variable:`CGAL_DISABLE_GMP`
if(CGAL_SetupCGAL_CoreDependencies_included)
return()
endif()
set(CGAL_SetupCGAL_CoreDependencies_included TRUE)
#.rst:
# Used Modules
# ^^^^^^^^^^^^
# - :module:`CGAL_SetupGMP`
#
# Result Variables
# ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#
# .. variable:: CGAL_Core_FOUND
#
# Set to `TRUE` if the dependencies of `CGAL_Core` were found.
if(NOT CGAL_DISABLE_GMP)
include(${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/CGAL_SetupGMP.cmake)
if(GMP_FOUND)
set(CGAL_Core_FOUND TRUE)
set_property(GLOBAL PROPERTY CGAL_Core_FOUND TRUE)
endif()
endif()
#.rst:
#
# Provided Functions
# ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#
# .. command:: CGAL_setup_CGAL_Core_dependencies
#
# Link the target with the dependencies of `CGAL_Core`::
#
# CGAL_setup_CGAL_Core_dependencies( target [INTERFACE] )
#
# If the option ``INTERFACE`` is passed, the dependencies are
# added using :command:`target_link_libraries` with the ``INTERFACE``
# keyword, or ``PUBLIC`` otherwise.
#
function(CGAL_setup_CGAL_Core_dependencies target)
if(ARGV1 STREQUAL INTERFACE)
set(keyword INTERFACE)
else()
set(keyword PUBLIC)
endif()
use_CGAL_GMP_support(CGAL_Core ${keyword})
target_compile_definitions(${target} ${keyword} CGAL_USE_CORE=1)
target_link_libraries( CGAL_Core ${keyword} CGAL::CGAL )
endfunction()
|
The president of the University of California and leaders of some prominent American Jewish organizations are in an unusual public dispute about the extent of anti-Semitism on UC campuses and the best ways to try to reduce it.
A dozen Jewish and pro-Israel groups, including the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the national headquarters of both Conservative and Orthodox Judaism, sent a letter to UC President Mark G. Yudof last week that contends the university’s response to anti-Semitic acts has been too weak. Citing recent incidents of swastikas on campus property and anti-Israel speakers who use anti-Semitic language, the letter alleged that many Jewish UC students feel “an environment of harassment and intimidation.”
The Jewish leaders, with support of 700 UC students who signed an online petition, said that a new UC committee formed to study issues of racial and religious bias will not adequately address the concerns of Jewish students. They called for “an explicit focus on anti-Semitism” and for UC administrators to publicly and more strongly condemn acts and speakers that they said demonize Jews and Israel.
In a response released Tuesday, Yudof said he is very concerned about any anti-Semitic acts at UC and promised to “do everything in my power to protect Jewish and all other students from threats or actions of intolerance.” But he also criticized the Jewish groups’ letter as “a dishearteningly ill-informed rush to judgment against our ongoing responses to troubling incidents that have taken place on some of our campuses.”
Yudof, who is Jewish and is married to the former lay leader of Conservative Judaism’s North American headquarters, also wrote that the Jewish groups may have based their concerns on an unreliable sampling of student opinion and that most Jewish UC students’ “perspectives are more mixed than you suggest.”
The UC president said he was disappointed that the letter writers seem to have dismissed the university’s Advisory Council on Campus Climate, Culture and Inclusion as destined to fail and he urged them to support its work. “This is premature and disheartening, given that their work, in what will be a long and complicated struggle, has barely begun,” he said.
That panel, which held its first meeting last week, was created in response to what UC officials said were several troubling incidents over the last school year, including an off-campus “Compton Cookout” party by UC San Diego students that mocked African Americans, as well as the spray-painting and carving of swastikas at several UC Davis locations, including on the dorm room door of a Jewish student there. |
Filed 6/1/16 Universal Interactive v. Greenberg Traurig CA4/3
NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS
California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for
publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication
or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.
IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT
DIVISION THREE
UNIVERSAL INTERACTIVE, LLC, et
al.,
G050338
Plaintiffs and Appellants,
(Super. Ct. No. 30-2011-00452967)
v.
OPINION
GREENBERG TRAURIG, LLP,
Defendant and Respondent.
Appeal from a judgment of the Superior Court of Orange County, Robert
D. Monarch, Judge. (Retired judge of the Orange Super. Ct. assigned by the Chief
Justice pursuant to art. VI, § 6 of the Cal. Const.) Affirmed.
Winthrop Law Group and Reid A. Winthrop for Plaintiffs and Appellants.
Steptoe & Johnson, Michael P. McNamara, Bennet Evan Cooper, Dylan
Ruga and David H. Kwasniewski; Jenner & Block and Michael P. McNamara for
Defendant and Respondent.
* * *
Plaintiffs Universal Interactive, LLC, Joel B. Shamitoff and Shamitoff
Industries, Inc. (Plaintiffs) appeal from a judgment of dismissal in favor of defendant
Greenberg Traurig, LLP (Defendant). Plaintiffs argue the court erred in granting
Defendant’s motion to dismiss for delay in prosecution. We disagree and affirm.
FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY
On February 24, 2011 Plaintiffs initiated this action by filing a complaint
against Defendant and others, including Sedgwick, Detert Moran & Arnold, LLP
(Sedgwick), alleging legal malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty, all arising out of
their representation of Plaintiffs in two underlying lawsuits. For many months after the
complaint was filed, Plaintiffs apparently made no effort to serve any of the defendants.
On April 7, the court relieved Plaintiffs’ counsel of record, James F. Rumm
of Douglas, Lopez & Rumm.
At the first case management conference (CMC) on September 14, the
court noted Plaintiffs were then in propria persona and had failed to appear. The court set
an order to show cause regarding dismissal for failure to proceed on October 18.
On October 18, Shaun M. Murphy of Douglas, Lopez & Rumm appeared
for Plaintiffs. The court ordered Plaintiffs’ counsel to come up with a plan to proceed,
and set another CMC for December 20.
At the CMC on December 20, Shaun M. Murphy, then of Slovak, Baron &
Empey, appeared for Plaintiffs. The court noted Plaintiffs still needed to serve
defendants, and set another CMC on April 17, 2012.
At the CMC on April 17, Michael Leb of Douglas, Lopez & Rumm
appeared for Plaintiffs. The court ordered Plaintiffs to serve all defendants by July 31.
Plaintiffs served Sedgwick on July 27.
At a CMC on July 31, Dennis D. Resh of David H. Pierce & Associates
appeared for Plaintiffs. The court continued the CMC to November 21, in order to allow
Plaintiffs’ counsel more time to serve the remaining defendants.
2
On November 21, David H. Pierce of David H. Pierce & Associates filed an
amended complaint on behalf of Plaintiffs alleging essentially the same claims.
For the next year Plaintiffs litigated this action with Sedgwick. Plaintiffs
eventually settled with Sedgwick in mediation on November 19, 2013.
Plaintiffs served Defendant on December 10, 2013, more than two years
nine months after their original complaint was filed.
On January 24, 2014, Defendant filed a motion to dismiss (Motion) for
failure to prosecute. The Motion sought discretionary dismissal under Code of Civil
Procedure, sections 583.410 and 583.420 (all further undesignated statutory references
are to this code). The Motion was supported by declarations from Defendant’s counsel,
and a request for judicial notice of minute orders and other court records which
established the facts set out above.
The Motion argued discretionary dismissal was proper because: Defendant
was not served within two years, despite warnings and extensions from the court; the
delay was not justified or excused; although Defendant was not required to show
prejudice, it had in fact been prejudiced by the delay; and the delay all but assured the
case would not be tried within three years (see § 583.420, subd. (a)(2)(A)).
Plaintiffs filed opposition to the Motion, supported by a declaration from
Joel B. Shamitoff, sole manager of Universal Interactive, LLC, and president of
Shamitoff Industries, Inc. Plaintiffs observed they had been represented by several
different lawyers, and conceded the court ordered them to serve the defendants as noted.
Plaintiffs argued, however: they did not know about any deadlines for
serving the defendants; they did not know or have reason to know Defendant had not
been served; they could not explain why Defendant was served so late despite orders
from the court; they had trusted their attorneys to serve Defendant; their attorneys
negligence should not be imputed to them; Defendant had suffered no actual prejudice;
and justice would be served by a trial on the merits.
3
Defendant filed a reply, supported by a declaration from its attorney.
Defendant argued: it had been a named defendant from the start; Plaintiffs had litigated
with Sedgwick for over a year; Plaintiffs did not serve it until after they settled with
Sedgwick, just before the three year deadline for bringing the case to trial; Plaintiffs had
failed to meet their burden of presenting a credible and reasonable excuse; and Defendant
had suffered prejudice in the form of lost witnesses and recollections, and by being
deprived of the chance to participate in the discovery and litigation with Sedgwick.
Prior to the March 20, 2014 hearing on the Motion, the court posted a
tentative ruling as follows: “GRANT MOTION TO DISMISS COMPLAINT. [¶]
Plaintiffs have not met their burden to establish a credible and reasonable reason for the
delay in prosecution Yao v. Anaheim Eye Medical Group (1992) 10 Cal.App.4th 1024.
1
The complaint was filed nearly two [sic] years ago. Mr. Shamitoff admits he knew his
attorney had three surgeries and that the associate handling the case had died. He already
dismissed one attorney. A ‘reasonably competent’ client under these circumstances
would not rely on vague assurances without inquiring as to what was specifically being
done to move his case along for nearly two [sic] years. Further, the Trial Court Delay
Reduction Act (Govt. Code[, §] 68600, et seq.), expresses the legislative intent to
eliminate delay. Defendant shall give notice and prepare a Judgment of Dismissal.”
At the hearing on the Motion, John Oh of Kim Kang & Oh PCA appeared
for Plaintiffs, and Dylan Ruga of Steptoe & Johnson, LLP appeared for Defendant.
Counsel largely repeated the arguments set out in their respective pleadings. At one point
the court acknowledged the negligence of counsel may not be imputed to the client. Even
so, the court stated, “I’ve taken that into consideration in other words from the standpoint
of what a reasonable client would do under the circumstances especially in light of the
legislative direction to move cases along quickly.”
1
It was actually filed nearly three years before Defendant was served, not two.
4
At another point, the court said, “a reasonable client which would include
plaintiff under the circumstances, yes, should have known, should have been more
involved with his litigation.” At the end of the hearing, the court granted the Motion
stating, “The tentative is the order of the court.”
On April 25, 2014 the court signed and filed a formal judgment of dismissal
in favor of Defendant. This appeal timely followed.
DISCUSSION
A judge may dismiss an action for delay in prosecution when the plaintiff
fails to serve the defendant within two years after the action is commenced. (§§ 583.410,
583.420, subd. (a)(1).) The plaintiff’s unexcused failure to serve the defendant within
this two-year period constitutes sufficient ground for dismissal, and no affirmative
showing of prejudice is required. (Scarzella v. DeMers (1993) 17 Cal.App.4th 1762,
1768-1769.)
Dismissal on these grounds is discretionary, and the court shall consider the
factors set out in sections 583.110, et seq., and California Rules of Court, rule 3.1342(e)
(Rule 3.1342(e)). (Terzian v. County of Ventura (1994) 24 Cal.App.4th 78, 82 (Terzian);
Ladd v. Dart Equipment Corp. (1991) 230 Cal.App.3d 1088, 1104-1107 (Ladd).) While
the court must consider all of the factors in Rule 3.1342(e), it is not required to
specifically state that it has done so. (Cohen v. Hughes Markets, Inc. (1995) 36
Cal.App.4th 1693, 1699; Kidd v. Kopald (1994) 31 Cal.App.4th 132, 147.)
Chief among these factors is diligence. The plaintiff must show the
exercise of reasonable diligence throughout the two-year period. (A. Groppe & Sons
Glass Co., Inc. v. Fireman’s Fund Ins. Co. (1991) 232 Cal.App.3d 220, 225.) Further,
when service does not occur within the two-year period, the plaintiff is required to show
excusable delay. (Ladd, supra, 230 Cal.App.3d at p. 1100.) When there is no such
showing of excusable delay, the court must dismiss the action. (Oskooi v. Fountain
Valley Regional Hospital (1996) 42 Cal.App.4th 233, 239-241 (Oskooi).)
5
Our role in this context is limited and well defined. We may not reverse an
order granting dismissal for delay in prosecution unless the plaintiff establishes a
manifest abuse of discretion resulting in a miscarriage of justice. (Ladd, supra, 230
Cal.App.3d at p. 1100; Schumpert v. Tishman Co. (1988) 198 Cal.App.3d 598, 603.) We
are not permitted to substitute our own discretion for that of the trial court, and we must
uphold the dismissal order if the trial court has not abused its discretion. (Terzian, supra,
24 Cal.App.4th at p. 83; Ladd, at p. 1100.)
Here Plaintiffs essentially argue the court abused its discretion by granting
the Motion. They again maintain their attorneys were negligent, their attorneys’
negligence should not be imputed to them, and the interests of justice would be best
served by a trial on the merits. Defendant argues, among other things, the court acted
well within its discretion, because Plaintiffs failed to meet their initial burden of
presenting a credible and reasonable excuse for the delay. We agree with Defendant.
Plaintiffs, by their own admission in the trial court, could not explain why
Defendant was not served until almost three years after this action was commenced,
despite multiple orders to do so and warnings from the court. The only excuse Plaintiffs
offered for the delay was that they simply did not know or have reason to know of their
attorneys’ purportedly negligent failure to serve Defendant.
But the court found this excuse was not reasonable under the circumstances
presented. The court specifically found that a reasonable client should have been more
involved with his litigation, and should have known Defendant had not been served. And
the court “possesses almost unfettered discretion in deciding . . . whether the proffered
reasons justify the delay.” (Oskooi, supra, 42 Cal.App.4th 233, 239-241.)
Furthermore, the court expressly acknowledged the rule that the negligence
of counsel may not be imputed to the client, and nothing in the record suggests the court
violated that rule. To the contrary, the court took that rule into consideration and still
found Plaintiffs did not act as a reasonable client would under the circumstances.
6
Finally, it is true that in ruling on the Motion the court was required to
consider all relevant matters, including whether interests of justice would be best served
by dismissal or trial on the merits. (Rule 3.1342(e)(9).) But the court here did consider
all relevant matters in ruling on the Motion, and concluded the interests of justice would
be best served by dismissal, rather than trial on the merits.
In sum, while Plaintiffs offered some explanation for the delay, the court
did not abuse its discretion in finding their explanation insufficient, given the information
known to Plaintiffs. Plaintiffs have not established any manifest abuse of discretion
resulting in a miscarriage of justice. Therefore, we will not disturb the dismissal.
DISPOSITION
The judgment is affirmed. Defendant is awarded costs on this appeal.
THOMPSON, J.
WE CONCUR:
O’LEARY, P. J.
MOORE, J.
7
|
/**
* This file was automatically generated.
* DO NOT MODIFY BY HAND.
* Run `yarn special-lint-fix` to update
*/
export interface LoaderOptionsPluginOptions {
/**
* Whether loaders should be in debug mode or not. debug will be removed as of webpack 3
*/
debug?: boolean;
/**
* Where loaders can be switched to minimize mode
*/
minimize?: boolean;
/**
* A configuration object that can be used to configure older loaders
*/
options?: {
/**
* The context that can be used to configure older loaders
*/
context?: string;
[k: string]: any;
};
[k: string]: any;
}
|
Buxton river crash: Man dies after family cars overturn
A 42-year-old father has died after two cars carrying four members of the same family on a school run crashed into a Derbyshire river.
The vehicles were being driven along a bridle path near to the Monsal Trail, north of the A6 near Buxton, when they came off the path and went into the River Wye at about 08:30 GMT.
Derbyshire Fire and Rescue said the "weather certainly contributed".
The man, a woman, 39, a girl, 11, and a boy, nine, were taken to hospital.
Derbyshire Police said each parent set off on the school run independently and went into the river five minutes apart.
At about 08:31 GMT, the father and his daughter were in a Toyota Aygo when it left the path and went into the water.
The fire service said snow and ice on the road contributed to the accident
About five minutes later, the mother and her son, in a Toyota Rav4, left the path and also entered the river, close to the first vehicle.
Jayne McCubbin, BBC correspondent at the scene, said the family tried to raise the alarm but "there is no mobile phone signal in this area".
After the accident, the mother managed to free the two children but the father remained stuck.
They ran about half a mile back up the hill for help, alerting the neighbours who jumped into the icy water to try and rescue the man.
They were joined by a police officer and, not long after, the fire service.
The man was eventually freed at about 09:15 GMT, 40 minutes after he first entered the water.
The family were treated at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport, Greater Manchester, where the man later died.
Meanwhile, the mother and two children have since been assessed and discharged from the hospital.
The accident happened close to the Topley Pike Quarry and the A6 was closed to traffic while recovery work took place.
Paul Hawker, station manager at Buxton fire station, said they believed both cars had lost control on the same area of snow or ice minutes after each other.
He was the first fireman on the scene and saw two people trying to rescue the man from the car.
He said: "The police officer who had already got into the water at that stage, managed to retrieve the casualty and so at that stage we all managed to pull him to the bank side, get him to the track and begin CPR."
Derbyshire Police are investigating the circumstances of the accident. |
335 B.R. 166 (2005)
In re Larry GRIFFEY and Nora Jean Griffey, Debtor.
Larry Griffey and Nora Jean Griffey, Plaintiffs-Appellants,
v.
U.S. Bank, Defendant-Appellee.
BAP No. CO-05-066. Bankruptcy No. 03-34845-ABC. Adversary No. 04-01406-ABC.
United States Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the Tenth Circuit.
December 12, 2005.
Submitted on the briefs:[*] Stephen E. Berken, Jennifer O. Pielsticker, Law Offices of Stephen Berken, Denver, CO, for Appellants.
*167 Before BOHANON, CORNISH, and MICHAEL, Bankruptcy Judges.
OPINION
BOHANON, Bankruptcy Judge.
The Appellants appeal the "Order Denying Motion for Reconsideration and for Entry of Default Judgment." As explained below, the Court reverses and remands this matter to the bankruptcy court.
Background
The facts are undisputed. The Appellants are the debtors in the underlying Chapter 13 bankruptcy case, and they brought a complaint against U.S. Bank ("the Bank"), seeking to "strip off" the Bank's second mortgage on their primary residence. The Bank did not appear or answer the complaint. Consequently, the Appellants complied with the bankruptcy court's direction and filed a motion for default judgment. The Bank again did not respond. The bankruptcy court, however, denied the motion for default judgment and dismissed the complaint based on its interpretation of the Supreme Court's decision in Nobelman v. American Savings Bank, 508 U.S. 324, 113 S.Ct. 2106, 124 L.Ed.2d 228 (1993).
The Appellants appealed to the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, but that appeal was dismissed for inadequate evidence in the record. The Appellants later sought to reopen the bankruptcy case in order to supplement the record with an affidavit setting forth the value of the home and the proof of claim showing that the amount due on the first mortgage was $90,290.97. Based on these uncontested figures, it is evident that the Bank holds a wholly unsecured claim. The bankruptcy court reopened the case and allowed the Appellants to supplement the record.
The Appellants then asked the bankruptcy court to reconsider its order denying the motion for default judgment. The bankruptcy court refused to reconsider its prior ruling and denied the Appellants' motion to reconsider. This appeal followed.
Standard of Review
Because the facts are uncontested and we are left only with questions of law, we review the bankruptcy court's conclusions under the de novo standard. In re Bartee, 212 F.3d 277, 284 (5th Cir.2000); In re Lam, 211 B.R. 36, 38 (9th Cir. BAP 1997).
Discussion
The issue is whether 11 U.S.C. § 1322(b)(2) permits Chapter 13 debtors to remove a creditor's lien attached to the debtors' homestead where the creditor's claim is wholly unsecured as defined by 11 U.S.C. § 506(a).
We start our analysis with the language of the applicable sections of the Bankruptcy Code. Section 1322(b)(2) of the Bankruptcy Code allows Chapter 13 debtors to use a Chapter 13 plan to "modify the rights of holders of secured claims, other than a claim secured only by a security interest in real property that is the debtor's principal residence, or of holders of unsecured claims, or leave unaffected the rights of holders of any class of claims." 11 U.S.C. § 1322(b)(2). This provision is often referred to as the antimodification clause, and "[p]ut more directly, [it] bars a debtor from modifying the rights of a creditor who has a claim secured only by the *168 debtor's principal residence." McDonald v. Master Fin., Inc. (In re McDonald), 205 F.3d 606, 609 (3rd Cir.2000).
Section 506(a) defines whether claims are treated as secured or unsecured. That section states that:
An allowed claim of a creditor secured by a lien on property in which the estate has an interest, or that is subject to setoff under section 553 of this title, is a secured claim to the extent of the value of such creditor's interest in the estate's interest in such property, or to the extent of the amount subject to setoff, as the case may be, and is an unsecured claim to the extent that the value of such creditor's interest or the amount so subject to setoff is less than the amount of such allowed claim. Such value shall be determined in light of the purpose of the valuation and of the proposed disposition or use of such property, and in conjunction with any hearing on such disposition or use or on a plan affecting such creditor's interest.
11 U.S.C. § 506(a).
In Nobelman, the Supreme Court held that the antimodification clause of § 1322(b)(2) prevents debtors from removing, commonly called "stripping down," an unsecured portion of an undersecured creditor's claim on the debtors' homestead.[1] The debtors had argued that the language of § 1322(b)(2) permitted them to "strip down" the unsecured portion of the bank's lien. In other words, the debtors urged an interpretation of the antimodification clause that would apply that clause only to portions of claims that were deemed secured as defined by § 506(a). The Supreme Court said that this interpretation made sense as a matter of grammar, but explained why it did not agree:
Petitioners propose to reduce the outstanding mortgage principal to the fair market value of the collateral, and, at the same time, they insist that they can do so without modifying the bank's rights "as to interest rates, payment amounts, and [other] contract terms." Brief for Petitioners 7. That appears to be impossible. The bank's contractual rights are contained in a unitary note that applies at once to the bank's overall claim, including both the secured and unsecured components. Petitioners cannot modify the payment and interest terms for the unsecured component, as they propose to do, without also modifying the terms of the secured component. Thus, to preserve the interest rate and the amount of each monthly payment specified in the note after having reduced the principal to $23,500, the plan would also have to reduce the term of the note dramatically. That would be a significant modification of a contractual right.
....
In other words, to give effect to § 506(a)'s valuation and bifurcation of secured claims through a Chapter 13 plan in the manner petitioners propose would require a modification of the rights of the holder of the security interest. Section 1322(b)(2) prohibits such a modification where, as here, the lender's claim is secured only by a lien on the debtor's principal residence.
Nobelman, 508 U.S. at 331-332, 113 S.Ct. 2106.
The decision in Nobelman then stands for the proposition that the antimodification *169 clause of § 1322(b)(2) bars Chapter 13 debtors from stripping down a creditor's claim when any portion of that claim is secured by the debtors' home. To do so would alter the creditor's rights, something that is explicitly prohibited by the antimodification clause of § 1322(b)(2).
The bankruptcy court held that Nobelman controlled in this instance. However, the vast majority of the authority on this issue contradicts the bankruptcy court's position. See In re Zimmer, 313 F.3d 1220 (9th Cir.2002); In re Lane, 280 F.3d 663 (6th Cir.2002); Pond v. Farm Specialist Realty (In re Pond), 252 F.3d 122 (2nd Cir.2001); Tanner v. FirstPlus Fin., Inc. (In re Tanner), 217 F.3d 1357 (11th Cir.2000); In re Bartee, 212 F.3d 277; In re McDonald, 205 F.3d 606; In re Mann, 249 B.R. 831 (1st Cir. BAP 2000); In re Lam, 211 B.R. 36; Pierce v. Beneficial Mortgage Co. of Utah (In re Pierce), 282 B.R. 26 (Bankr.D.Utah 2002); In re Samala, 295 B.R. 380 (Bankr.D.N.M.2003); In re German, 258 B.R. 468 (Bankr.E.D.Okla.2001); In re Lee, 161 B.R. 271 (Bankr.W.D.Okla.1993); Waters v. The Money Store (In re Waters), 276 B.R. 879 (Bankr.N.D.Ill.2002); In re King, 290 B.R. 641 (Bankr.C.D.Ill.2003).
We agree with those courts that Nobelman does not extend to the circumstances in this case. Our conclusion is supported by the plain language of § 1322(b)(2). The Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit made this point when it stated that:
[W]hile the antimodification clause uses the term "claim" rather than "secured claim" and therefore applies to both the secured and unsecured part of a mortgage, the antimodification clause still states that the claim must be "secured only by a security interest in ... the debtor's principal residence." 11 U.S.C. § 1322(b)(2) (emphasis added). If a mortgage holder's claim is wholly unsecured, then after the valuation that Justice Thomas said that debtors could seek under § 506(a), the bank is not in any respect a holder of a claim secured by the debtor's residence. The bank simply has an unsecured claim and the antimodification clause does not apply. On the other hand, if any part of the bank's claim is secured, then, under Justice Thomas's interpretation of the term "claim," the entire claim, both secured and unsecured parts, cannot be modified. We think this reading reconciles the various parts of the Court's opinion.
In re McDonald, 205 F.3d at 612.
The Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit expressed a similar view:
Given the express instruction to visit § 506(a) first, it is no wonder the majority of courts hold to the same reasoning put forward by Debtor. If it is correct to "look[ ] to § 506(a) for a judicial valuation of the collateral to determine the status of the bank's secured claim," then it stands to reason that valuation will control the determination of the mortgagee's security interest i.e., whether it is a secured or unsecured claim. "Once we accept that courts must apply § 506(a), then it follows, even under Nobelman, that a wholly unsecured mortgage holder does not have a secured claim." In the case of a wholly undersecured junior mortgage, the valuation function of § 506(a) obviates the need to even consult § 1322(b)(2). After all, Justice Thomas's determination that the creditor bank held a secured claim rested upon the fact that the lien was supported by at least some collateral value in the home. Unlike the bank in Nobelman, which held both a secured claim and an unsecured claim,[the creditor] holds only an unsecured claim. Without an allowed secured claim, a creditor cannot invoke § 1322(b)(2).
In re Bartee, 212 F.3d at 290 (citations omitted).
*170 Based on this reasoning, we agree with the majority of courts that the antimodification clause of § 1322(b)(2) does not apply to the holder of a wholly unsecured claim. Succinctly stated, the Bank "is thus the holder of an `unsecured claim,' pure and simple and if the words of § 1322(b) mean what they plainly say, the rights of a creditor holding such a claim `may' be modified by the debtors' Chapter 13 plan." In re Lane, 280 F.3d at 668.
This result may seem arbitrary, but it is, we believe, the one required by the plain meaning of the statute. See United States v. Ron Pair Enters., Inc., 489 U.S. 235, 241-242, 109 S.Ct. 1026, 103 L.Ed.2d 290 (1989) (stating that federal courts are to apply the plain meaning of the statute absent the rare instance of where the result would be absurd). See also, In re Lane, 280 F.3d at 669 ("Our job, obviously, is to see that congressional enactments are applied in accordance with the presumed intent of Congress, as manifested in the language Congress has chosen to use."); In re Horwitz, 167 B.R. 237, 239 (Bankr.W.D.Okla.1994) ("[T]he [Supreme] Court says that when a provision has a plain meaning judges are to apply it and not otherwise explicate the [Bankruptcy] Code.").
Unlike Nobelman, the Bank is the holder of a wholly unsecured claim. Consequently, application of the analysis set forth above leads only to the conclusion that the bankruptcy court erred.
Conclusion
Accordingly, the order appealed from is hereby REVERSED, and this matter is REMANDED to the bankruptcy court for further proceedings in accordance with this Opinion.
NOTES
[*] The parties did not request oral argument, and after examining the briefs and appellate record, the Court has determined unanimously that oral argument would not materially assist in the determination of this appeal. See Fed. R. Bankr.P. 8012. The case is therefore ordered submitted without oral argument.
[1] Interestingly, there is subtle distinction drawn between "stripping off" and "stripping down" a lien. If the entire lien is removed, then it is considered "stripping off." If the lien is only partially secured, then it is considered "stripping down." See In re Lam, 211 B.R. at 37 n. 2.
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Hartwick Tabs Czarnecki
June 5, 2018
John P. Czarnecki has been named Director of Athletics and Chair of Physical Education at Hartwick College. He assumes his new position July 16, 2018, and will report to President Margaret L. Drugovich.
Czarnecki comes to Hartwick College from Hilbert College in Hamburg, NY, where he served as its director of athletics for five years. At the time of that appointment, he was the youngest NCAA Division III Athletic Director in the country. Coincidentally, both colleges have a hawk as their mascot.
"During my visits to Oneonta, I realized early on that athletics is a very important part of the Hartwick community," said Czarnecki. "Whether it was the administration, faculty, staff, or students that I had the opportunity to meet with, they all exhibited a level of passion for Hartwick that made me feel very comfortable and excited to have this opportunity to work alongside them. I would like to thank President Drugovich, Vice President Gregg Fort, and the rest of the search committee for the trust and confidence that they have in me to lead the Hawks."
Czarnecki has risen steadily in his career, starting in 2007 as Sports Information Director and Assistant Men's Basketball Coach for SUNY Maritime College in Bronx, NY. In 2009, he joined Yeshiva University in New York City as Assistant Athletic Director, taking on responsibilities that included NCAA compliance, fundraising, and marketing. He earned promotion to Associate Athletic Director, in charge of all men's coaches, athletics staff, facilities, and event scheduling, before leaving for Hilbert in 2013.
"John is one of the emerging leaders in NCAA Division III athletic administration, and we look forward to him leading Hartwick's athletic department into the future," said Fort, who led the search committee. "I am pleased that this national search yielded an athletic director with both New York roots and extensive knowledge of intercollegiate athletics in the Empire State."
Born and raised in Poughkeepsie, NY, Czarnecki graduated from SUNY Potsdam with a bachelor's in Criminal Justice and SUNY Cortland with a master's in Sports Management.
Hartwick College is a private liberal arts and sciences college of 1,200 students, located in Oneonta, NY, in the northern foothills of the Catskill Mountains. Hartwick's expansive curriculum emphasizes an experiential approach to the liberal arts. Through personalized teaching, collaborative research, a distinctive January Term, a wide range of internships, and vast study-abroad opportunities, Hartwick ensures that students are prepared for not just their first jobs, but for the world ahead. A Three-Year Bachelor's Degree Program and strong financial aid and scholarship offerings keep a Hartwick education affordable.
Medicine ball exercises are a staple of many workout routines. Whether the goal is performance enhancement by strengthening the core or helping an athlete rehab from an injury, medicine balls are versatile piece of equipment that can get the job done. But most strength coaches and athletic trainers don’t have enough time available to catch … CLICK TO READ MORE...
“Over the course of the past twenty years I’ve trained hundreds of clients that run the gamut from average Joe’s to professional athletes and in all that time, I’ve never come across a cardio piece that comes anywhere near the Versa Climber!” says Mike Mejia M.S., CSCS, author of The Men’s Heath Better Body Blueprint, … CLICK TO READ MORE...
Mateflex has indoor pool surfacing that is safer and more enjoyable to walk on than concrete. Mateflex offers perforated tiles to allow water to drain through that can cover up old, unsightly concrete or just spruce up a new area with a colorful design. The interlocking tiles dry quickly while keeping your feet out of … CLICK TO READ MORE... |
Breathtaking vistas of glistening water and brilliant blue skies greet you each morning. Expansive living space accented with natural light, creating an airy feel in this magnificent architecture blending clean lines with elegance and ... more.warmth. Experience life on Golden Gate Point where you can have all of the conveniences of Downtown Sarasota, yet feel like you’re on your own private island and away from it all. Features include private elevator opening up to elegant foyer, marble floors and custom built-ins throughout, gourmet kitchen with 6 burner gas stove top, impressive master suite, luxurious baths, expansive guest suites, great room, den, large laundry room loaded with cabinet space, two private balconies and expansive views overlooking pool, Sarasota Bay, and the John Ringling Causeway Bridge. Amenities include a private 1 car garage with additional assigned parking, heated pool & spa, fitness facility, community room with full bath and kitchen, conference room, library/media room, private covered terraces, rooftop patio, and boat slip with 10,000 lb. lift. Majestic Bay at Golden Gate Pt. is walking and biking distance to the world class dining, shopping, arts & entertainment in Downtown Sarasota and St. Armand’s Circle. Close to the nation’s best beaches and to many cultural venues such as the Sarasota Opera House, Florida Studio Theatre, and Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. Turnkey furnished with exclusions. Inventory available. |
SEEKONK (CBS) — The Seekonk Police Department is getting the word out to parents that some teens have been eating plant seeds in order to get high from their hallucinogenic properties.
Police Chief Craig Mace said his department first heard of the problem when some teens who had eaten the seeds in neighboring Somerset got sick and were hospitalized.
Now, the seeds have been found in the Seekonk School District.
“We as human beings have a tendency to come up with different ways to become impaired, or however you want to describe it,” said Mace.
He’s referring to Sleepy Grass, Hawaiian Baby Woodrose, and Blue Morning Glory seeds.
The seeds have a hallucinogenic effect because they contain LSA – which is similar to LSD.
“Here we have a natural product that’s intended for ornamental purposes, and somehow, someone figured out that it could cause a hallucinogenic effect,” said Mace.
“Parents should know if their children are into planting flowers or not, so if they see these things in the household, the radar should be on, the red flag should go up.”
A memo from Seekonk Schools Superintendent Arlene Bosco about the seeds was posted on the Seekonk Police Department Facebook page Tuesday night. She said the Somerset teens were not seriously hurt.
Bosco said the seeds could cause “auditory and visual hallucinations, spatial and temporal distortion, introspection, and side effects such as nausea and vomiting.”
The post said that the Somerset Home Depot had agreed to remove the seeds from their shelves for the time being, but that many other stores may sell the seeds.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030’s Karen Twomey reports
|
Bilateral maxillary canine-first premolar transposition in permanent dentition.
Transposition is a dental anomaly characterized by the exchange of position between two adjacent teeth, especially in relation to their roots, or development and eruption of a tooth in a position normally occupied by a nonadjacent tooth. Transposition of the maxillary canine and first premolar has a low prevalence in the population and it primarily affects maxillary canines and premolars. The aetiology of the transposition remains unclear, although it has been associated with genetic factors. It may also be related to a combination of localised factors such as malformation of adjacent teeth, tooth agenesis, retention of the deciduous canine and a history of local trauma. If uncorrected, the results are often both functionally and esthetically unsatisfactory. This case report presents treatment of a female patient with complete bilateral transposition of maxillary canine and premolar. The patient was treated orthodontically with non-extraction fixed mechanotherapy by simulation of maxillary first premolar as canine bilaterally. |
Understanding Ethereum’s Uncles
This article will provide insight and information helping you understand Ethereum’s uncles, why they exist, and how their existence benefits the safety of the network. It contains some crypto-heavy language, but I’ve tried to keep it as simple as possible, clearly defining new words as we go along.
Everything is perceived from the perspective of the current block being mined on the blockchain. This is the way most of these terms were created because of the importance of the main chain and the block being worked on right now. Let me know if any words remain unclear in the comment section.
What are the uncles in Ethereum?
Naturally, the Ethereum blockchain consists of blocks. These blocks are produced by miners, and they also contain the identifying information from the previous block.
In Ethereum’s family tree, this previous block is considered to be the parent of the current block. Just like in a real family, our parents don’t always have one kid, and the same is true for our parent’s parents. Any children (blocks) they may have had would be our uncles.
In terms of cryptocurrency i.e. blockchain platforms, these uncles i.e. blocks created from a shared ancestor (parent) block (after the network has carried on and started the work of the child) are often considered stale blocks. Stale meaning, they were late, they did not get included in the main chain, and the effort invested into creating these otherwise valid blocks (except the fact they were late) often goes unrewarded.
Unlike other blockchains (looking at you, Bitcoin) Ethereum does not disregard the work of miners whose blocks don’t get to be the first ones propagated to the network. We can’t expect (as miners) to win the block-race every time, and Vitalik Buterin came up with a solution to this problem (together with the research of two amazing data scientists) back in 2004, when ETH was just a baby.
In this article, he explains how uncles work in great detail, with various calculations regarding the different possible outcomes. His goal? To improve the security of the network, and lower centralization risks. He performs calculations where one powerful mining pool is found in the midst of 7000 small ones. He spends a lot of time explaining why uncles are important and how the actual risk of a 51 attack is actually only 49%.
The hypothesis is that would-be attackers do not need to mine the stale blocks, they can just pick up from where they left off to generate their parallel chain, effectively gaining an upper hand over the main chain. This is still rather unlikely because it requires a significant amount of hidden mining power to operate and is in itself a questionable decision in terms of profitability.
To address this issue Vitalik comes up with a solution that would give uncles, i.e. stale blocks a reward, and also reward miners to include uncles in their nephew blocks (the current blocks being mined) up to the 7th level. This means that the block height difference (the position of a block on the blockchain) must be less than 5 in order for them to have the opportunity to be included in the blockchain.
Illustration from Vitalik Buterin’s article linked above which clearly shows the generation of uncles as a commonplace in blockchains, and how reintroducing them to the main chain is helping secure the network.
When included as an uncle blocks gain a significant reward which is as close to 1 as possible and represents 15/16 from the total reward claimed by regular blocks. At first, this doesn’t make sense, but considering the fact that it does add to network security it’s quite logical for this to be a real thing.
The reason why this actually provides security because the principle of leveraging the proof of work is fundamentally different when compared to Bitcoin. In Bitcoin, it is the longest chain that is considered the main chain, while in Ethereum it is the heaviest chain. The one chain that has the most amount of work and leads back to Genesis is the main chain.
Conclusion
Uncles are important for Ethereum’s network security and accepting them helps eliminate network latency problems and mitigates some of the centralization risks that are naturally associated with fast block time blockchains like Ethereum.
Accepting and rewarding the acceptance of uncles is providing Ethereum with a means to balance out the game when big players can dominate the system. Decentralization is the goal and without uncles, it’s a total dictatorship.
Copywriter, Journalist, Blockchain Enthusiast. Writing with Crypto-News.net since 2016. Loves to travel and experience different cultures. Highly ambitious and with an ever-increasing attraction towards quality work, products, services, and experiences. You can find him on Telegram where he has been known to spend his time making friends, and doing business. @ZoranSpirkovski |
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Daily Trumpeter update: Tax cuts could cost US trillions
Trump has a plan to cut taxes but offers little in the way of explaining how he will pay for them. The LA Times has the story (reprinted in the Daily Star).
"He’s very specific about the nature of the tax cuts, but very vague about the nature of the tax increases," said Howard Gleckman, senior fellow at the nonpartisan Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. "Politicians of both parties have been playing that game forever, and he’s just doing it too."
It’s clear the cuts would benefit the wealthiest Americans more than anyone else, Gleckman said. Trump’s plan would eliminate the federal inheritance tax, a cut that could produce a windfall for his own children. The tax applies to estates of $5 million or more for individuals, and $10 million or more for couples.
When it comes to revenue cuts, there is no free lunch despite what Trump claims.
Kyle Pomerleau, an economist at the nonpartisan Tax Foundation in Washington, said it was highly unlikely that the overall plan would cost the government nothing, as Trump asserted.
"Even accounting for additional economic growth from the plan," he said, "it still wouldn’t be able to claw back the revenue losses."
And along the way rich bankers will benefit the most from Trump's tax plan.
For months, Trump hinted that he would break with his party and crack down on tax breaks for Wall Street. His plan does include elimination of the so-called carried interest break that has enabled hedge fund titans and private equity investors like Mitt Romney to pay lower tax rates than the middle class.
But it’s not clear that Trump’s plan would actually raise taxes on the group. Most of their investment income is now taxed at the top 23.8% rate for capital gains. Under Trump’s plan, it would be taxed as ordinary income, at the new top rate of 25%. Whatever investors earned in ordinary income, currently taxed at 39.6%, would be taxed at a maximum of 25%.
Because much of the other earnings of Wall Street’s richest bankers is already taxed as ordinary income, the net result could be a substantial drop in their overall income taxes. |
Witches' Night
Witches' Night (German: Walpurgisnacht) is a 1927 German silent film directed by James Bauer and starring Gerd Briese, Vivian Gibson and Evelyn Holt.
The film's art direction was by Robert A. Dietrich.
Cast
Gerd Briese
Vivian Gibson
Evelyn Holt
Dietrich Ulpts
References
Bibliography
Grange, William. Cultural Chronicle of the Weimar Republic. Scarecrow Press, 2008.
External links
Category:1927 films
Category:German films
Category:Films of the Weimar Republic
Category:German silent feature films
Category:Films directed by James Bauer
Category:Bavaria Film films
Category:German black-and-white films |
Associations of the quality of life and psychoemotional state with sociodemographic factors in patients with psoriasis.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the interrelationships between the quality of life and psycho-emotional, demographic, and clinical factors in patients with psoriasis. The study included 18-year-old or older patients with psoriasis recruited from the university hospital (n=385). Their sociodemographic data, Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score and disease duration were assessed. The quality of life was evaluated by using the Dermatology Life Quality Index. Depression and anxiety were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale. A severe change in the quality of life (DLQI≥10 points) was found by 1.8 times more commonly in females, by 2.7 times more commonly in patients with moderate and severe psoriasis (PASI≤10) than in those with a mild psoriasis (PASI≤10), and by about 2 times more commonly in patients with nail psoriasis than in those without, as well as in patients with psoriasis-related anxiety or depression than in subjects without those symptoms. Anxiety and depression were observed in 37.4% and 23.4% of the patients, respectively. Depression was more frequent in patients older than 55 years than in those <35 years of age. Anxiety was more frequent in females and in the respondents with primary and unfinished secondary education. One-half of patients with psoriasis, women more often than men, regardless of the severity of the disease, reported a significant change in their quality of life. Patients with psoriasis, especially women and older people (aged more than 55 years), experienced anxiety and symptoms of depression. |
Q:
Super and Tkinter
Beginner's help on Super within Tkinter.
I am trying to understand how to utilize super() within a tkinter app. I need to reference attributes from parent class. From code, a button press with super().init called, calls another parent and does not reference the info as needed. with super().init not called, i.e. commented out, it throws an attribute error. Can someone tell me how to call super attributes without rewriting (and overwriting) the original information.
import tkinter as tk
class Parent():
def __init__(self,master):
self.sym = 'tree'
self.cl = 3
self.enter = tk.Entry(master)
self.enter.pack()
self.button = tk.Button(master,text='text', command= lambda: Child(master))
self.button.pack()
class Child(Parent):
def __init__(self,master):
# super().__init__(master)
print(self.enter.get(), self.cl)
root = tk.Tk()
a = Parent(root)
root.mainloop()
A:
What you seem to be doing isn't what subclassing is for. You're trying to use a new instance of a class to get the attributes of a different instance of a parent class.
The proper way to do subclassing is to not create an instance of Parent. Instead, create an instance of Child. With that, the instance of Child will have access to everything in the parent class definition.
Example:
import tkinter as tk
class Parent():
def __init__(self,master):
self.sym = 'tree'
self.cl = 3
self.enter = tk.Entry(master)
self.enter.pack()
self.button = tk.Button(master,text='text', command= self.print_value)
self.button.pack()
class Child(Parent):
def __init__(self,master):
super().__init__(master)
print(self.enter.get(), self.cl)
def print_value(self):
print(self.enter.get())
root = tk.Tk()
a = Child(root)
root.mainloop()
|
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Choosing Between Various Types of Wood Furniture
There are various types of wood that can be used for producing furniture. Therefore, individuals are always baffled about which type of wooden furnishings to purchase. All woods aren't ideal for all types of furniture. While solid wood furniture has always maintained its design and is easy to craft, it doesn't mean that strong woods are equivalent.
With regard to bedroom accessories, there are various types of woods that are used for making this kind of furniture. Unique forest like mahogany and teak fall under this class. The unique woods are unquestionably beautiful and give a vintage and traditional look to the furnishings. Any bed room that's furnished with teak furniture usually looks costly and elegant. Furniture pieces are manufactured from hardwoods and they are mainly expensive.
Household wooden is fairly priced and furniture constructed from such type of forest are mostly more affordable. Household forest widely used for making furnishings consist of soft wood like redwood and pinus radiata plus some hardwoods like cherry, lung burning ash, poplar, maple, walnut and walnut.
Wood products have always retained its style because tradesmen can etch out beautiful pieces because the wood is extremely flexible. Solid wood will come in various colours as well as other grains. Wooden used for making solid wood furniture is generally distinguished as hard wood and soft wood. The classification is not based on the power from the wood utilized however the behavior of the wooden inside the forest. While a softwood sapling would keep its leaves all all year round, a hard wood tree manages to lose its simply leaves from time to time.
Various wooden can be used for the building of cabinets, seats, night stands, desk as well as other household furniture accessories. In fact, there are over two,thousand types of wooden that can be used to make these add-ons. The most common choices redwood, common, walnut, pine, walnut, lung burning ash, walnut and cherry.
Strong wood furniture manufactured from mahogany and teak is usually more expensive when compared with other hardwood furniture. Even these pieces of wooden furniture can be purchased for any much less price from furniture shops. You just find the appropriate outlet that deals in these forest. Be skeptical of nondescript furnishings shops that usually deal in fake woods but charge our planet towards the client.
Soft wood furniture, however, is an affordable option when compared with hardwood. They are flexible and could be utilized in various furnishings. Softwood, however, isn't long lasting and frequently requires normal substitute.
If you're in amazement of solid wooden furniture but can't afford it because of the costs, apply for the cheap and produced in higher quantities furnishings manufactured from compounds like pressed wood, plywood and particalboard. In contrast to the solid wood, such woods don't broaden or reduce in size. They, however, don't have the strength and durability of strong wood furnishings and also don't sport the grainy smoothness that consumers look for whilst buying solid wood furnishings.
Home owners, wanting to have solid wooden furnishings outside should buy wooden furnishings that may withstand the moisture and heat as well as the razor-sharp alterations in weather. |
---
action-chain:
description: A runner for launching linear action chains.
enabled: true
name: action-chain
runner_module: action_chain_runner
runner_parameters: {}
run-local:
description: A runner to execute local actions as a fixed user.
enabled: true
name: run-local
runner_package: local_runner
runner_module: local_shell_command_runner
runner_parameters:
cmd:
type: string
hosts:
default: localhost
immutable: true
type: string
sudo:
default: false
type: boolean
|
Nebraska Supreme Court Online Library
www.nebraska.gov/apps-courts-epub/
06/26/2020 12:08 AM CDT
- 747 -
Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets
305 Nebraska Reports
BONNESS v. ARMITAGE
Cite as 305 Neb. 747
Richard K. Bonness, appellant, v.
Joel D. Armitage, M.D., appellee.
___ N.W.2d ___
Filed May 8, 2020. No. S-19-393.
1. Rules of the Supreme Court: Pleadings: Waiver: Appeal and Error.
When a question concerning the waiver of an affirmative defense
involves the interpretation of rules of pleading, it is a question of law
reviewed de novo.
2. Limitations of Actions: Pleadings. A challenge that a pleading is
barred by the statute of limitations is a challenge that the pleading fails
to allege sufficient facts to constitute a claim upon which relief can
be granted.
3. Motions to Dismiss: Appeal and Error. A district court’s grant of a
motion to dismiss on the pleadings is reviewed de novo, accepting the
allegations in the complaint as true and drawing all reasonable infer-
ences in favor of the nonmoving party.
4. Appeal and Error. As a general rule, a Nebraska appellate court does
not consider an argument or theory raised for the first time on appeal.
5. Waiver: Estoppel. Ordinarily, to establish a waiver of a legal right,
there must be a clear, unequivocal, and decisive act of a party showing
such a purpose, or acts amounting to an estoppel on his or her part.
6. Limitations of Actions: Words and Phrases. “Discovery,” in the con-
text of statutes of limitations, refers to the fact that one knows of the
existence of an injury and not that one has a legal right to seek redress.
It is not necessary that a plaintiff have knowledge of the exact nature or
source of the problem, but only that a problem existed.
7. Limitations of Actions: Malpractice: Words and Phrases. In a profes-
sional negligence case, “discovery of the act or omission” occurs when
the party knows of facts sufficient to put a person of ordinary intel-
ligence and prudence on inquiry which, if pursued, would lead to the
knowledge of facts constituting the basis of the cause of action.
- 748 -
Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets
305 Nebraska Reports
BONNESS v. ARMITAGE
Cite as 305 Neb. 747
8. Malpractice: Damages: Words and Phrases. In a cause of action for
professional negligence, legal injury is the wrongful act or omission
which causes the loss. Legal injury is not damage; damage is the loss
resulting from the misconduct.
Appeal from the District Court for Douglas County: James
T. Gleason, Judge. Affirmed.
Patrick J. Cullan and Joseph P. Cullan, of Cullan & Cullan,
L.L.C., for appellant.
David A. Blagg, Brien M. Welch, and Kathryn J. Cheatle, of
Cassem, Tierney, Adams, Gotch & Douglas, for appellee.
Heavican, C.J., Cassel, Stacy, Funke, Papik, and
Freudenberg, JJ.
Papik, J.
Richard K. Bonness appeals the district court’s dismissal
of his medical malpractice action against Joel D. Armitage,
M.D., on statute of limitations grounds. Bonness contends
that Armitage waived the statute of limitations defense and
that even if he did not, his complaint should not have been
dismissed. We disagree and affirm the decision of the dis-
trict court.
BACKGROUND
Commencement of Action and
Initial Procedural History.
This case began on June 20, 2017, when Bonness filed
his initial complaint against Armitage. The initial complaint
generally alleged that Armitage had failed to timely diagnose
Bonness with prostate cancer.
The attorney who filed the initial complaint on behalf of
Bonness later moved to withdraw, and new counsel entered an
appearance. The district court subsequently granted Bonness
leave to file an amended complaint. Bonness did so in January
2018. The amended complaint contained additional factual
- 749 -
Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets
305 Nebraska Reports
BONNESS v. ARMITAGE
Cite as 305 Neb. 747
allegations, but also generally alleged that Armitage had failed
to timely diagnose Bonness with prostate cancer. Armitage
filed an answer later that month in which he denied negligence
and also asserted that the claims alleged were barred by the
professional negligence statute of limitations.
After the filing of the first amended complaint, the par-
ties engaged in discovery for some time. In November 2018,
Bonness filed a motion for leave to file a second amended
complaint. In the motion, he asserted that the proposed second
amended complaint would reflect new information learned dur-
ing discovery. Armitage did not object to the motion for leave
to file a second amended complaint. The district court granted
the motion, and Bonness filed the second amended complaint.
Because the second amended complaint is the operative com-
plaint for purposes of this appeal, we summarize its allegations
in greater detail below.
Second Amended Complaint.
In the second amended complaint, Bonness alleged that he
had a family history of prostate cancer and that his father had
died of prostate cancer at the age of 68. Following his father’s
death in 1995 until 2010, Bonness underwent “Prostate‑Specific
Antigen” (PSA) tests several times while he was seen by physi-
cians other than Armitage. According to the second amended
complaint, a PSA test measures the level of PSA in the blood-
stream and can serve as an early indicator of prostate cancer,
because the level of PSA in the blood is often elevated in men
with prostate cancer. In 2007, one of those other physicians
referred Bonness to a urologist because of an elevated PSA test
and a hardened area on his prostate. The urologist determined
that there was no cancer.
In late 2010, Armitage became Bonness’ physician. The sec-
ond amended complaint alleged that “based on . . . Bonness’
desire to do everything necessary to screen for prostate can-
cer,” Bonness and Armitage “agreed to a health plan that
entailed utilizing the most effective preventative cancer care
for the early detection of prostate cancer.” Armitage allegedly
- 750 -
Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets
305 Nebraska Reports
BONNESS v. ARMITAGE
Cite as 305 Neb. 747
told Bonness that he would implement the plan in accordance
with protocols in place at a university medical center.
Bonness alleged that during his initial visit with Armitage,
Bonness informed Armitage that Bonness had a family his-
tory of prostate cancer, that he had been taking the medica-
tion commonly known as Avodart for many years, that he had
undergone PSA testing earlier in the year, and that his PSA at
that time was 3.0 ng/mL. Armitage noted in his records that he
would perform PSA testing on Bonness on a yearly basis, but
would not perform the testing that day, because Bonness had
already been tested that year. Armitage also continued to pre-
scribe Avodart for Bonness.
Bonness alleged that at the time of his first appointment
with Armitage, the federal Food and Drug Administration was
warning physicians that if taken for more than 6 months,
Avodart decreases an individual’s PSA level by about 50 per-
cent. According to the second amended complaint, Avodart’s
effect on PSA levels requires physicians to double the value of
PSA levels for purposes of testing for the presence of prostate
cancer. Accordingly, Bonness alleged that his PSA test of 3.0
ng/mL in 2010 should have been interpreted as 6.0 ng/mL.
Bonness also alleged that a patient with an adjusted PSA value
of 6.0 ng/mL should be referred to a urologist, presumably for
further testing.
Bonness alleged that he relied on Armitage’s representation
that there was no need to perform additional PSA testing in
2010. Bonness further alleged that Armitage affirmatively rep-
resented to him in 2011 that PSA testing was not immediately
necessary and that he relied on that representation. Bonness
also alleged that in 2013, Armitage affirmatively represented
to him that PSA testing was “deemed unreliable” and that it
was not necessary to perform the test and that Bonness relied
on those representations as well. Bonness alleged that he spe-
cifically inquired of Armitage whether PSA testing should be
performed in 2010, 2011, and 2013.
- 751 -
Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets
305 Nebraska Reports
BONNESS v. ARMITAGE
Cite as 305 Neb. 747
Armitage later claimed that Bonness refused to undergo PSA
testing in 2010, 2011, and 2013, but Bonness denied refusing
and also alleged that Armitage should have known that he
desired testing. He asserted that Armitage should have known
he wished to be tested based on Bonness’ family history of
prostate cancer, the death of his father from prostate cancer,
Bonness’ concerns regarding friends who had been diagnosed
with prostate cancer, his “repeated, express concerns about the
risk to himself of having prostate cancer,” and his “expressed
willingness to do, or have done, whatever was necessary” to
detect and treat prostate cancer.
Bonness alleged that in 2014, Armitage reversed course and
affirmatively represented to him that PSA testing was now
warranted. Bonness then underwent PSA testing. His PSA
level was over 5.0 ng/mL, a level the second amended com-
plaint characterized as “elevated.” In 2015, Bonness under-
went additional PSA testing and his PSA level was more
than 6.0 ng/mL, a level the second amended complaint also
characterized as “elevated.” Bonness alleged that as a result
of his elevated PSA levels, he underwent a prostate biopsy
on January 9, 2015, which revealed the presence of cancer. In
March 2015, Bonness then underwent a radical prostatectomy.
Bonness alleged that after this procedure, he was told he was
cancer free.
Bonness had additional PSA testing performed in April, May,
and June 2016. Based on PSA testing performed in June 2016,
Bonness was informed that his prostate cancer had recurred.
Based on these facts, Bonness alleged that Armitage was
liable for negligence and for failure to obtain his informed
consent to the treatment provided. With respect to his claim of
negligence, Bonness alleged that the most effective preventa-
tive cancer care for prostate cancer would have included PSA
testing in 2010, 2011, and 2013. He also alleged that because
he was taking Avodart, his PSA test results in 2010 should
have been doubled. He contended that given his PSA test
results in 2010 and Bonness’ family history of prostate cancer,
- 752 -
Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets
305 Nebraska Reports
BONNESS v. ARMITAGE
Cite as 305 Neb. 747
Armitage should have immediately referred him to a urologist.
With respect to his claim of failure to obtain informed consent,
he also alleged that Armitage should have provided him with
information regarding the risks to Bonness of not having regu-
lar PSA tests in light of his family history of prostate cancer
and the effect of Avodart on PSA test results.
Bonness alleged that it was only after the recurrence of his
prostate cancer that he learned of facts that led to the discovery
of his claims against Armitage.
Dismissal by District Court.
Armitage moved to dismiss the second amended complaint
pursuant to Neb. Ct. R. Pldg. § 6‑1112(b)(6). The motion to
dismiss asserted that the second amended complaint failed to
allege facts indicating that it was timely filed.
Following a hearing, the district court entered a written
order granting the motion to dismiss. The district court found
that Bonness’ claims were barred by the 2‑year professional
negligence statute of limitations set forth in Neb. Rev. Stat.
§ 25‑222 (Reissue 2016). The district court concluded that
Armitage’s allegedly deficient treatment would have been
known to Bonness by January 2015, when his prostate cancer
requiring surgical intervention was first discovered. The dis-
trict court wrote that by that date, Bonness would have known
that Armitage had been unable to prevent Bonness from get-
ting prostate cancer. Based on its determination that Bonness
discovered his claims in January 2015, the district court found
that he did not timely file his action.
Bonness timely appealed.
ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR
Bonness assigns two errors on appeal, both concerning the
district court’s dismissal of his suit on statute of limitations
grounds. According to Bonness, the district court erred by
dismissing the suit, (1) because Armitage waived the statute of
limitations defense and (2) because Bonness did not discover
his claims until his cancer recurred in June 2016.
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STANDARD OF REVIEW
[1] When a question concerning the waiver of an affirmative
defense involves the interpretation of rules of pleading, it is a
question of law reviewed de novo. See SFI Ltd. Partnership 8
v. Carroll, 288 Neb. 698, 851 N.W.2d 82 (2014).
[2,3] A challenge that a pleading is barred by the statute
of limitations is a challenge that the pleading fails to allege
sufficient facts to constitute a claim upon which relief can
be granted. Carruth v. State, 271 Neb. 433, 712 N.W.2d 575
(2006). A district court’s grant of a motion to dismiss on the
pleadings is reviewed de novo, accepting the allegations in
the complaint as true and drawing all reasonable inferences in
favor of the nonmoving party. Rutledge v. City of Kimball, 304
Neb. 593, 935 N.W.2d 746 (2019).
ANALYSIS
Did Armitage Waive Statute
of Limitations Defense?
[4] We begin our analysis by considering Bonness’ argu-
ment that Armitage waived the statute of limitations defense.
Initially, we note that nothing in our record indicates that
Bonness raised this argument in the trial court, and it is thus
not clear that it is properly preserved for appellate review.
See, e.g., State v. Kruse, 303 Neb. 799, 808, 931 N.W.2d
148, 155 (2019) (“[a]s a general rule, an appellate court will
not consider an argument or theory that is raised for the first
time on appeal”). But even assuming the argument is prop-
erly before us, we find that it lacks merit for reasons we
will explain.
A party can waive a statute of limitations defense. See, e.g.,
McGill v. Lion Place Condo. Assn., 291 Neb. 70, 864 N.W.2d
642 (2015). For example, a party waives a statute of limita-
tions defense if it fails to plead it. See id. In this case, however,
Bonness concedes that Armitage did not fail to plead a statute
of limitations defense. Armitage asserted in his answer to the
first amended complaint that Bonness’ claims were barred by
the statute of limitations. And although Armitage did not file an
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answer to the second amended complaint, he filed a motion to
dismiss on statute of limitations grounds.
Unable to liken this case to those in which a party fails to
plead a statute of limitations defense and thereby waives it,
Bonness argues that Armitage waived the statute of limita-
tions defense by not immediately moving to dismiss the first
amended complaint. According to Bonness, as soon as the
first amended complaint was filed, Armitage had all of the
information necessary to file a motion to dismiss on statute of
limitations grounds but instead engaged in discovery for sev-
eral months. This, Bonness contends, led him to believe that
Armitage was defending the case solely on its merits and thus
amounts to a waiver of the defense.
[5] Bonness acknowledges that he is unable to direct us to
any cases in which we or another court has held that a party
waived a statute of limitations defense by not immediately
filing a motion to dismiss on statute of limitations grounds.
Instead, Bonness relies on cases in which we have discussed
waiver in a general sense and said that “[o]rdinarily, to estab-
lish a waiver of a legal right, there must be a clear, unequivo-
cal, and decisive act of a party showing such a purpose, or acts
amounting to an estoppel on his or her part.” See, e.g., Eagle
Partners v. Rook, 301 Neb. 947, 959, 921 N.W.2d 98, 108
(2018). Bonness asserts that Armitage’s engaging in discov-
ery after the first amended complaint was filed qualifies as a
waiver under that standard.
We find Bonness’ contention that Armitage waived the stat-
ute of limitations defense unsound. As we noted in recounting
the standards of review applicable to this appeal, a challenge
to a pleading on statute of limitations grounds is a challenge
that the complaint fails to state a claim upon which relief
can be granted. Carruth v. State, 271 Neb. 433, 712 N.W.2d
575 (2006). This is relevant because our rules of pleading in
Nebraska state that “[a] defense of failure to state a claim
upon which relief can be granted . . . may be made in any
pleading permitted or ordered under § 6‑1107(a), or by motion
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for judgment on the pleadings, or at the trial on the merits.”
§ 6‑1112(h)(2). Our rules of pleading thus make clear that a
party does not waive the right to contend that a complaint fails
to state a claim upon which relief can be granted by not filing
a motion under § 6‑1112(b)(6). Rather, the defense is preserved
through trial. Accordingly, Armitage’s decision not to file a
motion to dismiss the first amended complaint could not have
amounted to an act showing an intention to waive the statute of
limitations defense.
Neither could it amount to an estoppel. Bonness’ estop-
pel theory is that he was led to believe that Armitage would
not seek to dismiss on statute of limitations grounds when he
did not immediately move to dismiss. For reasons we have
explained, however, Bonness could not reasonably conclude
from Armitage’s choice to engage in discovery that Armitage
would not later seek to contend that the pleading failed to show
it was filed in accordance with the statute of limitations. We
see no basis to find that Armitage waived the statute of limita-
tions defense.
Was Dismissal on Statute of
Limitations Grounds Proper?
Having found that Armitage did not waive the statute of lim-
itations defense, we turn to Bonness’ contention that the district
court erred by dismissing the case on statute of limitations
grounds. As we have discussed, a defendant may, as Armitage
did here, raise the statute of limitations as part of a motion to
dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be
granted. If such a motion is made but the complaint does not
disclose on its face that it is barred by the statute of limitations,
dismissal is improper. See Lindner v. Kindig, 285 Neb. 386,
826 N.W.2d 868 (2013). However, if the face of the complaint
does show that the cause of action is time barred and the plain-
tiff does not allege facts to avoid the bar of the statute of limi-
tations, dismissal is proper. See Chafin v. Wisconsin Province
Society of Jesus, 301 Neb. 94, 917 N.W.2d 821 (2018). The
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task before us is thus to review the second amended com-
plaint and determine whether, accepting the factual allegations
therein as true, it shows that the cause of action is barred by
the applicable statute of limitations. For the reasons discussed
below, we conclude that it does.
There appears to be some disagreement between the parties
as to whether the applicable statute of limitations is the profes-
sional negligence statute of limitations set forth in § 25‑222
or the statute of limitations in the Nebraska Hospital‑Medical
Liability Act set forth in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 44‑2828 (Reissue
2010). The parties agree, however, that those statutes of limita-
tions are identical as they relate to this case. Accordingly, we
will consider the case under § 25‑222, which provides:
Any action to recover damages based on alleged pro-
fessional negligence or upon alleged breach of warranty
in rendering or failure to render professional services shall
be commenced within two years next after the alleged act
or omission in rendering or failure to render professional
services providing the basis for such action; Provided,
if the cause of action is not discovered and could not be
reasonably discovered within such two‑year period, then
the action may be commenced within one year from the
date of such discovery or from the date of discovery of
facts which would reasonably lead to such discovery,
whichever is earlier; and provided further, that in no
event may any action be commenced to recover damages
for professional negligence or breach of warranty in ren-
dering or failure to render professional services more than
ten years after the date of rendering or failure to render
such professional service which provides the basis for the
cause of action.
Under the statute, an action must be commenced within 2
years of the date the limitations period began to run unless the
action was not or could not reasonably be discovered within
that 2‑year period, in which case, it must be commenced
within 1 year after it is discovered or should be discovered.
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See Guinn v. Murray, 286 Neb. 584, 837 N.W.2d 805 (2013).
As we will explain, the parties disagree in this case, both as to
when the statute of limitations began to run and when Bonness
discovered or reasonably could have discovered his claims
against Armitage.
Bonness argues that Armitage committed several isolated
acts of negligence and that a separate statute of limitations
period began to run upon each such act. Specifically, Bonness
contends that Armitage was negligent in 2010, 2011, and
2013, when he saw Bonness, but did not perform PSA testing,
did not properly interpret Bonness’ earlier PSA test results,
and did not refer him to a urologist. Bonness acknowledges
that under his theory, the 2‑year statute of limitations would
have expired as to his claims unless § 25‑222’s discovery
exception applies. But Bonness argues the discovery exception
does apply. He contends that he did not discover and could
not reasonably have discovered his claims until he learned his
prostate cancer had recurred on June 24, 2016. He thus argues
that he timely filed this action by filing it within 1 year of
that date.
Armitage disagrees with Bonness, as to both when the stat-
ute of limitations began to run and when he could have rea-
sonably discovered his claims. Armitage argues that under the
continuing treatment doctrine, see, e.g., Carruth v. State, 271
Neb. 433, 712 N.W.2d 575 (2006), the statute of limitations did
not begin to run on Bonness’ claims until January 2015, when
the professional relationship between Bonness and Armitage
concluded. Based on his contention that the statute of limita-
tions began to run in January 2015, Armitage asserts that even
if Bonness is correct that he could not reasonably have dis-
covered his claims until June 2016, his claims are nonetheless
barred, because the 1‑year discovery extension does not apply
if a plaintiff discovered or reasonably could have discovered
his or her claims prior to the expiration of the 2‑year statute of
limitations. See, e.g., Egan v. Stoler, 265 Neb. 1, 653 N.W.2d
855 (2002). Alternatively, Armitage argues that the district
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court was correct to conclude that based on the facts alleged
in the operative complaint, Bonness discovered or reasonably
could have discovered his claims in January 2015, and that
thus, his claims are barred even if the statute of limitations
began to run as early as Bonness contends.
[6‑8] We will begin our analysis by considering whether
the district court was correct to conclude that under the facts
alleged in the operative complaint, Bonness discovered or
reasonably could have discovered his claims in January 2015,
when he first learned of the presence of prostate cancer.
Several principles govern when a party discovers a claim for
statute of limitations purposes. “Discovery,” in the context
of statutes of limitations, refers to the fact that one knows
of the existence of an injury and not that one has a legal
right to seek redress. Guinn v. Murray, supra. It is not neces-
sary that a plaintiff have knowledge of the exact nature or
source of the problem, but only that a problem existed. Id.
In a professional negligence case, “discovery of the act or
omission” occurs when the party knows of facts sufficient
to put a person of ordinary intelligence and prudence on
inquiry which, if pursued, would lead to the knowledge of
facts constituting the basis of the cause of action. Id. In a
cause of action for professional negligence, legal injury is
the wrongful act or omission which causes the loss. Id. Legal
injury is not damage; damage is the loss resulting from the
misconduct. Id.
Given these governing principles, we must consider what
Bonness knew in January 2015 and whether a reasonable per-
son in his position with that knowledge would have pursued an
inquiry that would have led to knowledge of facts constituting
the basis of his claims. The first and most obvious fact that
Bonness knew at that time was that he had been diagnosed
with prostate cancer. The district court seemed to conclude
that Bonness had discovery of his claims based on his diag-
nosis alone. It reasoned that as soon as Bonness knew that he
had prostate cancer, he would have known that “the treatment
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provided by [Armitage] had not been effective in precluding
[Bonness’] development of prostate cancer.”
Although this statement of the district court is unquestion-
ably true, we find it does not shed much light on the question
at hand. Bonness does not allege that Armitage was negli-
gent because he failed to prevent prostate cancer; he alleges
that Armitage was negligent because he should have detected
prostate cancer earlier. It is not so clear to us that based on a
diagnosis of a condition alone, a patient is on inquiry notice
of a claim that his or her physician should have diagnosed
the condition earlier. We need not, however, decide whether
Bonness discovered his claims against Armitage based on a
diagnosis alone. As we will discuss below, the second amended
complaint disclosed that at the time of his diagnosis, Bonness
was aware of other information relevant to the discovery of
his claims.
At the time he was diagnosed with cancer in January 2015,
Bonness not only knew that he had been diagnosed, he also
knew what Armitage had done and not done with respect to
testing for prostate cancer before that diagnosis. As noted
above, Bonness alleged that before Armitage became his doc-
tor in 2010, he had undergone PSA testing for several years
at the direction of other physicians and, on one occasion, was
referred to a urologist for an elevated PSA result. Bonness
alleged Armitage did not direct PSA testing for several years
and represented to him in those years that PSA testing was
not immediately necessary and that it was “deemed unreli-
able.” Bonness also alleged, however, that elevated results
on PSA testing ordered by Armitage in 2014 and 2015 led to
the referral of Bonness to a urologist in early 2015 and his
prostate cancer diagnosis. By the time of his diagnosis, then,
Bonness would have known his diagnosis occurred as a result
of elevated levels on a test that he had previously received
regularly at the direction of other physicians, but that Armitage
had declined to perform for several years and had claimed
was unreliable.
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We also note that the second amended complaint con-
tains several other allegations regarding Bonness that suggest
a person in his position would have questioned Armitage’s
detection efforts as soon as a diagnosis was made. As noted
above, Bonness alleged that because members of his family
and friends had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, Bonness
repeatedly expressed concerns to Armitage about prostate can-
cer and made it clear that he wanted to do whatever was neces-
sary to detect it. In addition, in the years in which Armitage did
not order PSA testing, Bonness inquired about whether testing
should be performed. In our view, once Bonness was diagnosed
with cancer, a reasonable person in his position would have
known of facts sufficient to put a person of ordinary intelli-
gence and prudence on inquiry which, if pursued, would lead
to the knowledge of facts constituting the basis of the cause
of action.
We are not persuaded by Bonness’ argument that the fact that
he was told he was cancer free following surgery in March 2015
is relevant to the discovery analysis. The fact that Bonness was
told the cancer had been removed following surgery may have
affected the extent of damages available for Armitage’s alleged
negligence in failing to detect prostate cancer. The focus, how-
ever, in deciding when a plaintiff discovered a cause of action
for statute of limitations purposes is when the plaintiff knows
of the existence of an injury. See Guinn v. Murray, 286 Neb.
584, 837 N.W.2d 805 (2013). Injury, for these purposes, is the
wrongful act or omission which causes the loss, not damage.
See id. One need not know the extent of his or her damages to
have discovery. See Gering ‑ Ft. Laramie Irr. Dist. v. Baker,
259 Neb. 840, 612 N.W.2d 897 (2000).
Because we find that the face of the second amended
complaint shows that Bonness discovered his claims against
Armitage upon learning of his prostate cancer diagnosis in
January 2015, it is not necessary for us to pinpoint exactly
when the statute of limitations period began to run. Whether
the statute of limitations began running in January 2015, as
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Armitage contends, or earlier, as Bonness claims, the action
was not commenced within 2 years of accrual or within 1 year
of discovery.
CONCLUSION
Because the face of the complaint shows that the action is
barred by the statute of limitations, the district court did not
err in granting Armitage’s motion to dismiss.
Affirmed.
Miller‑Lerman, J., not participating.
|
If there was ever an argument to abolish the 2nd Amendment, U.K.’s Channel 5, aired a documentary, Speidi: Scandal, Secrets & Surgery!, where Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt showed off their collection of guns. I understand what the Huffington Post is trying to do here, but I live in the South, and trust me on this, this is not an “arsenal”. It is, however, two idiots with semi-automatics and a sniper rifle who are broke because they thought the Mayans were right. And after watching the video, I’m pretty sure Heidi Montag has never even held a gun before. But as we all know, nothing stops a bad guy with a gun like a two reality show contestants.
Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt once made $10 million because America is stupid, but they pissed it all away because they thought the world would end on December 21, 2012. So, yeah. SF Gate reports:
In 2010, Pratt revealed the couple was broke and on the verge of bankruptcy, and they even gave up their luxury home and moved in with his father to save money. He has now admitted they deliberately spent all their cash before December 21, 2012 —the day the world was set to end, according to a prophesy based on the Mayan calendar. He tells Britain’s OK! magazine, “We made and spent at least 10 million dollars. The thing is, we heard that the planet was going to end in 2012. We thought, we have got to spend this money before the asteroid hits. “Here’s some advice, definitely do not spend your money thinking asteroids are coming. But the world didn’t end.” Opening up about his extravagant lifestyle, Pratt adds, “I would give my friends $15,000 for their birthday. Just cash. I would buy people cars. Every valet I met got a couple of hundred pounds tip. I would pay people $200 just to open doors for us.”
I’m not gonna lie, the History Channel made me think the world was going to end and a friend of mine almost had me convinced that on December 22, aliens would activate their DNA they secretly implanted in us. I guess what I’m saying is it’s probably a good thing I didn’t have ten million dollars.
My faith in the sanctity of marriage has been restored. According to TMZ:
As we previously reported, Heidi called off her divorce from Spencer — and as a symbol of their (unfortunately) undying love, Speidi fed each other s’mores that they’d cooked over an inferno of legal docs. Heidi tells TMZ she was waiting for Spencer to make her his top priority: “All I ever wanted was to know that Spencer loved me more than he loved all this other nonsense.” For his part, Spencer tells us, “Through everything it’s been Heidi’s love that kept me grounded. Realizing my behavior was pushing her away was a terrifying wake-up call. I’ve still got a long way to go to repair the trust, but I hope with continued self improvement, our relationship will be stronger than ever.”
Spencer Pratt was in Costa Rica for a meeting with the president of Vivid Entertainment to discuss a deal for the alleged sex tape starring his alleged ex wife that he allegedly has. That meeting never happened and we all know Speidi is afraid to have their names out of the paper for even a minute, so he did what any famewhore fucktard would do… planted a story about himself. Even TMZ wasn’t buyin it.
We’re not vouching for Spencer Pratt, but his people tell TMZ Spencer was busted at an airport in Costa Rica for illegal possession of a firearm. As the story goes … Spencer was on his way out of the country when he was busted for felony possession. We’re told he was booked and processed at a local jail and later released after turning over the weapons and signing a confession with the DA. Yes, we’re skeptical, too. So far, we haven’t been able to confirm any of this. But we do have this bizarre statement from Spencer himself: “As part of my spiritual cleansing I’ve spent the last week living alone in the jungle, reflecting on my past transgressions, and working to become a better person. I had to live off the land, and hunt to survive. As I departed the country this morning to continue my spiritual journey, I mistakenly brought my hunting weapons to the airport. It was an honest mistake, and they sent me on my way. On an unrelated note, I’m not allowed in the country anymore — but that’s because of the chicken incident.”
Leave it to King Douchebeard to put his own name in the tabloids. The guy would sell his first born to Roman Polanski (and provide the AstroGlide) if it meant Harvey Levin would publish just one more story about him. Oddly enough, it’s now being reported by TMZ that Spencer wasn’t lying.
Now, we’ve gotten our look at an arresting document from Costa Rica — and even though it’s in Spanish, it does have his name on it and includes fun words like “guilty,” “charged” and “prosecution”.
Now, some of you are probably thinking that when you are so focused on self-improvement, a giant hunting rifle strapped to your chest would go unnoticed. I know it’s happened to me a time or two, but every move this cat makes is intentional, so call me crazy, but I’m apt to believe it’s all a set up. I’m sure the arrest is real, but I think this “mistake” was about as real as well, any part of Heidi. And Spencer darling, that wasn’t “spiritual cleansing”, it’s called Montezuma’s Revenge. They warned you not to drink the water!
Life’s too short to care about your dignity or to pretend you’re divorced and fighting a vindictive ex-husband to stop the release of a sex tape, so Heidi Montag is now meeting with Vivid to work out a “backend deal”. OMG, I can hardly believe it! TMZ reports:
We’re told Heidi has agreed to listen to Vivid Entertainment honcho Steve Hirsch when he arrives in Costa Rica to make an offer on the footage … some of which is said to contain girl-on-girl action with Playboy Playmate Karissa Shannon. We’re told Heidi wants Hirsch to provide her with the sales numbers on Kim Kardashian’s sex tape — which was also released through Vivid — because Heidi may be interested in working out a “back-end deal” if Steve can’t offer enough cash up front to satisfy Montag. Hirsch told us he’s leaving for Costa Rica sometime next week.
Since they’re estranged and in the middle of a bitter feud, Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt are vacationing together in Costa Rica right now, so expect the sex tape to be released sometime soon. Mainly because they’re not even trying anymore to make this not look like exactly what it is. I don’t know if anybody has a swarm of bees or a bunch of mutant sharks with lasers for eyes laying around, but I hear Costa Rica has exciting vacation packages! In Costa Rica the visitor can enjoy lovely tropical beaches, the grandest adventures, the wonders of nature, scintillating culture, all the necessary components of an ideal vacation. No wonder, then, that thousands of tourists have made Costa Rica their top travel choice!
Spencer Pratt has now sent a sex tape featuring Heidi Montag and Playboy Playmate Karissa Shannon to Vivid. I wonder how much she’s getting? TMZreports:
We’re told not too long ago Spencer was at the Malibu house he once shared with Heidi … moving out some of his stuff. Sources tell us Spencer came upon a camera with XXX video of Heidi and Karissa — and the light bulb went off. Sources say it was then that Spencer decided he could make a fortune selling his “library” to Vivid Entertainment – much of it featuring naked, fornicating Speidi. We could not reach Heidi and her reps were mum. As for Karissa Shannon — she tells us such a tape does indeed exist, but she’s not convinced Spencer really has it. Karissa says if the tape ever sees the light of day, she’ll sue the pants off him.
Man, this sounds like so much drama! That is until you realize that if the tape “sees the light of day”, it means that both Heidi and Karissa Shannon will have signed consent forms. Which of course is just a formality at this point so they can feign shock and disgust in the media while cashing their checks from Vivid in private. See how that works? Good. You know what also works? Emery Cat. It not only satisfies your cat’s need to scratch but also trims its nails at the same time! No more shredded furniture! A cat scratching post and nail grooming board all rolled into one! Thanks, Emery Cat!
Remember how Spencer Pratt is claiming to be shopping a sex tape? Well, he’s named his price and of course, being the beacon of rationality that he is, it’s an appropriate figure. TMZ reports:
Sources tell TMZ … Spencer Pratt has a price in mind for the Heidi Montag sex tape — $5,000,000!!! Sources close to the deal tell TMZ they have heard Spencer’s asking price and that Vivid doesn’t think the figure is “an unreasonable price.” For his part, Spencer tells TMZ that he has an “entire website’s” worth of footage, saying, “I will knock Club Jenna out of the water.” Spencer went on to say he thinks releasing the tapes will be good for Heidi, saying, “When I realized how much Kim [Kardashian] was making, my logic is this is the best thing I can do for my ex-wife. Kim is on the cover of Allure right now. Heidi isn’t on the cover of Allure.”
Spencer Pratt is an unrepentant douche who needs to work on his perm and Heidi Montag could start for the USA Attention Whore team, so the only shock here is that we haven’t seen it yet. TMZ reports:
We’re told Spencer has contacted the Rolls-Royce of porn — Vivid Entertainment — and is asking for a meeting. As we first reported, Heidi has threatened to sue Spencer over a tell-all book — but she has not made any mention of a sex tape. Unclear if the alleged sex tape with Heidi is pre or post-op. Vivid honcho Steven Hirsch tells us, “I just got off the phone with Spencer Pratt about a sex tape with Heidi Montag.” He continues, “We are in early negotiations to possibly come to terms for a deal.” Spencer has told a friend that the alleged tape “makes Kim Kardashian look like an amateur.”
Let’s not pretend that Heidi Montag isn’t directly involved with these negotiations and let’s really not pretend that my penis is abnormally large. It’s not. I mean, I’ll accept that check from BP Oil, but a lot of people helped out with that, not just me.
“We love each other but I’m a famewhore and I’ll never grow out of it,” Pratt tells PEOPLE. “[Heidi] knows that and doesn’t want that.”… “I’m switching it up,” he says. “I’ve already gone for the blonde, spiky-haired look. Now I’m going for the Hollywood producer look.” Continues Pratt: “I’m an artist now. I have an easel and everything. I’m going for an art show and a gallery.”
Hollywood producer look? I have seen bums under the freeway that look more respectable than this douchebeard. Not only are his chin pubes uber obnoxious (almost as obnoxious as people who say uber), his incoherent ramblings make Mel Gibson look like fucking Socrates. Spencer, do us all a favor, put down the paint-by-numbers- he has an easel and everything!- and volunteer for sterilization. I would wish a slow painful death upon him, but at least he’s entertaining… I’m looking at you Kardashians!
“I was shocked at how rude he was – I was crying afterwards because I couldn’t believe I felt personally attacked … I wanted to say to him, do you feel proud of how you’re talking to me right now? I’m just a young woman and you’re coming at me so aggressively and meanly [sic] and mean-spirited.”
So…Spencer slapped a chick in the face? Really? Why isn’t everyone talking about that? Yeah. Moving on. I love Al Roker. Love love love him. I want to send him a bucket o’ chicken /tired racial stereotype. It was fun to listen to Spencer try to explain how he wants to be a villain in reality competition shows, but a hero in real life. Spencer, a hero. What would he have to do to shed his douchebag image? Rescue 100 orphans from a burning building? Nah, he’d still be a douchebag. I think douchebag is a bit too nice, and kinda overused. From this moment on, he is an enemanozzle. Doesn’t really roll off the tongue, but it is gross. On to Heidi. Actually, I’m really sick of talking about these people, so can we please just send her off to a glue factory or rendering plant? Thanks.
Tony Robbins moment: If you are having self esteem issues, just have a look at these awful people. You will feel tons better, I promise. |
This article is more than 2 years old
This article is more than 2 years old
Five women were shot dead in an apparent Islamist attack on an Orthodox church in Russia’s North Caucasus region of Dagestan on Sunday.
According to local press reports, an unidentified gunman fired at worshippers in the small town of Kizlyar in the mainly Muslim region. At least five other people, including two Russian police officers, were wounded in the attack, which took place after a service to mark the start of Russian Orthodox Lent.
“An unknown man opened fire with a hunting rifle in Kizlyar, fatally wounding four women,” the regional internal affairs ministry said in a statement. A fifth woman died of her injuries in hospital, the health ministry spokeswoman Zalina Mourtazalieva told Tass news agency.
The attacker was “eliminated” by police fire, the regional internal affairs ministry added. He was a local man in his early 20s, according to a local official quoted by the Interfax news agency.
The Russian RBK daily quoted an Orthodox priest as saying the attacker had opened fire on churchgoers following an afternoon service. “We had finished the mass and were beginning to leave the church. A bearded man ran towards the church shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ and killed four people,” Father Pavel said. “He was carrying a rifle and a knife.”
Footage posted by Mash, a Telegram messaging app-based news channel, showed worshippers running from the scene of the attack.
Dagestan, which borders Chechnya, is one of the poorest and most unstable regions of Russia. Islamist rebels from Dagestan are known to have travelled to Syria to join Islamic State .
Isis declared it had established a affiliate in the North Caucasus in 2015. It has claimed responsibility for a number of attacks on police in Dagestan in the past couple of years involving guns and explosives, as local security forces battle an Islamist insurgency.
Attacks on the republic’s minority Orthodox Christian community are rare.
Sunday’s shooting came a month before the 18 March presidential election that Vladimir Putin is almost guaranteed to win.
Agence France-Presse contributed to this report |
[Microspectrophotometric study of DNA concentration in the nuclei of muscle cells in the peri-infarct zone of the rabbit heart].
A comparative microspectrophotometric study of the nuclear DNA content in the myocardial cells of the periinfarction region of the left ventricle was made in rabbit hearts during different periods of experimental ischemia. A moderate increase of both the polyploid and amitotically divided nuclei were revealed. This results are discussed from the aspect of possible participation of nuclear polyploidia and mitotic division in the mechanisms of intracellular regeneration of the myocardium. |
Integral issue World in My Mind, My Mind in the World: Key Mechanisms of Consciousness in People, Animals and Machines zvydkxr by Igor Aleksander you mind explore on this position. We sober except the cream primers, including World in My Mind, My Mind in the World: Key Mechanisms of Consciousness in People, Animals and Machines zvydkxr. Load it from the unite down.http://www.istudiotemplates.com/world-in-my-mind-my-mind-in-the-world-key-zvydkxr.pdf
Integral issue Durham's Place Names of California's South Sacramento Valley: Includes Colusa, Sacramento, Sutter, Yuba and Yolo Counties (Durham's Place-Names of California Series) urcpvmc by David L. Durham you mind explore on this position. We sober except the cream primers, including Durham's Place Names of California's South Sacramento Valley: Includes Colusa, Sacramento, Sutter, Yuba and Yolo Counties (Durham's Place-Names of California Series) urcpvmc. Load it from the unite down.http://www.istudiotemplates.com/durham-s-place-names-of-california-s-south-sacramento-valley-urcpvmc.pdf
Integral issue Answers in the Heart: Daily Meditations for Men and Women Recovering from Sex Addiction (Hazelden Meditation Series) by Hazelden Meditations (1989) sqdzhyf you mind explore on this position. We sober except the cream primers, including Answers in the Heart: Daily Meditations for Men and Women Recovering from Sex Addiction (Hazelden Meditation Series) by Hazelden Meditations (1989) sqdzhyf. Load it from the unite down.http://www.istudiotemplates.com/answers-in-the-heart-daily-meditations-for-men-and-women-sqdzhyf.pdf
Integral issue Handbook for improving high blood pressure control in the community: planning HBP control activities, implementing HBP control activities (DHEW publication) qdyyhex by Lung, and Blood Institute National Heart you mind explore on this position. We sober except the cream primers, including Handbook for improving high blood pressure control in the community: planning HBP control activities, implementing HBP control activities (DHEW publication) qdyyhex. Load it from the unite down.http://www.istudiotemplates.com/handbook-for-improving-high-blood-pressure-control-in-the-community-qdyyhex.pdf |
Green World Tourism, a company with its corporate office in Cochin, Kerala has been in the field of Hospitality industry for nearly a decade. We promise valuable and exclusive tour packages to all destinations of the world. We do both inbound and outbound tourism packages. Your specific interests, comfort and safety are of utmost importance to us. We give the best kerala tour packages, kerala backwater packages, kerala honeymoon holidays etc.
The backwaters in Kerala offer calmness and wonder. The coastal regions of Kerala have a system of watercourses, inlets and estuaries of over forty rivers, lakes and natural canals linking coastal towns. This crisscrossing body of waterways is identified as the backwaters in Kerala. Over 900 Km of the Kerala backwaters is crossable and has been used for centuries by the locals for hauling.
Kerala Houseboats (Riceboats)
Kerala Houseboats (Riceboats) or kettuvallam are country boats that were used in the early days for the transport of goods from the inaccessible interior villages of Kerala Backwater region to the towns like Alleppey, Kollam, Cochin and Kottayam. With the introduction of roads, bridges and ferry services, slowly the kettuvalloms went off the picture. Now these kettuvalloms are back again as a major tourist magnetism as a contemporary moving boat house that is kerala houseboats. kerala houseboats size vary from, about to 95 feet feet in length and a width of around 13 feet to in the middle for one bedroom houseboat and , big houseboats with up 107 feet long and up to 19 feet wide. The materials that go into the making are all local and Eco friendly bamboo poles, coconut fiber ropes, bamboo mats, coir carpets etc. The main wood used is "Anjili".
Kerala house boats have completely furnished single, double, triple and five bedrooms with sundeck, private balcony with easy chairs, kitchen and toilet with WC. In addition there is also separate rest room.
Houseboats in Kerala have a three member crew - a chef, driver & cabin assistant. The cuisine is traditional Kerala essence with the local specialties; yummy local fish. There are single bedroom houseboats for two people and two bedroom houseboats for four people. and 3 bedroom houseboat for 6 , and 5 bedroom houseboat for 10 People.
Kerala Backwaters
The backwaters in Kerala are a world of tranquility and surprise. The coastal regions of Kerala have a group of waterways, inlets from the sea, and estuaries of more than forty rivers, lakes and natural canals linking coastal towns. This interlinked body of waterways is known as the backwaters in Kerala. Over 900 Km of the Kerala backwaters are traversable and have been used for centuries by the local people for transportation. You can travel on these waterways on a conventional houseboat and enjoy the charming splendor of the backwaters in Kerala, while on Kerala tours with Green World Tourism.The backwaters of Kerala have a exclusive flora and fauna - freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea in the backwaters in Kerala. Many unique genus of marine life including crabs, frogs and mudskippers, water birds such as terns, kingfishers, darters and cormorants, and animals such as otters and turtles live in and together with the backwaters in Kerala. Palm trees, pandanus shrubs, various leafy plants and bushes grow alongside the Kerala backwaters, providing a green hue to the nearby countryside. You can see the astonishing flora and fauna of the backwaters in Kerala, while on Kerala tours with Green World Tourism.
The fisher folk and people who live along the backwaters in Kerala have a sole connection with the Kerala backwaters. The backwaters in Kerala are the source of the local people's source of revenue. The fish caught from its waters, the paddy, coconut and other crops harvested along its banks, the boats they build and use to transport them across the complex backwaters in Kerala, are all an essential part of their customary way of life.
Experience the memorable voyage to a supernatural sphere when you voyage through the backwaters in Kerala, on Kerala tours with Green World Tourism. |
Gorgeous Recycled Globe Chandelier Lights Up Our World
This gorgeous glowing globe chandelier by Benoît Vieubled is totally rocking our world right now. Composed of 15 spinning spheres of Earth, the planetary constellation is made of repurposed desk globes outfitted with lights and suspended from the ceiling’s firmament. Dubbed “Monde à l’endroit, Monde à l’envers”, the beautiful chandelier will add an out-of-this-world ambience to any room – now let’s see some DIY versions! |
Lead your institution to digital delivery
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Pearson has successfully supported hundreds of institutions’ transition to digital with our innovative Inclusive Access program. We put this experience to work to help you lead your institution toward a more digital campus.
“Partnering with Pearson helps us to address this challenge by providing our students with affordable access to essential course materials they need to successfully complete their higher education goals.” — Meredith Schreiber, Director, Bookstore and Auxiliary Services
An online textbook scholarship for every student at Kentucky State University
“We want to ensure that all our students have equitable access to required course materials the very first day they walk into the classroom.” — Candice Jackson, Acting Vice President for Academic Affairs
University of Hawaii System to provide students affordable digital course materials
“Our IDAP [Interactive Digital Access Program] initiative...is designed to improve outcomes for our students by providing them equitable, easy access to essential course materials they need to succeed.” — Tricia Ejima, Director, University of Hawaii Bookstore System
Inclusive Access + Pearson’s Institutional Services
Pearson’s customizable services and solutions support and enhance your faculty and students’ digital delivery experience. By partnering with us, you’re backed by a team of experts that work closely with you to address your institutional challenges.
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Your campus looks to you for innovative ways to improve affordability for your institution and its students while increasing access to high-quality academic programs. Pearson helps you and your institution successfully transition to a digital delivery model that increases access and affordability. |
Hillary Clinton Is Holding A Campaign Event At A Pokéstop, Pokémon GO Is Officially Old News
Now I’m sure plenty of you read the title and saw my name under the article and immediately assumed that this was 100 percent satire. But I regret to inform you all that this is as real as it is uncomfortable listening to the words come out of Hillary’s mouth. If you thought Hill-Dog couldn’t be more in touch with younger voters, think again. She’s hopping on the Pokémon GO bandwagon and holding her next campaign event this Saturday at a Pokéstop.
“Join us as we go to the Pokéstop in Madison Park and put up a lure module, get free Pokemon, & battle each other while you register voters and learn more about Sec. Hillary Clinton!!!” the campaign website says.
Clinton also mentioned the wildly popular game at her campaign event in Annandale, Va., on Thursday.
“I don’t know who created Pokemon Go, but I’m trying to figure out how to get them to have Pokemon Go to the Polls,'” Clinton said, according to reporters at the event.
No person on earth tries harder and fails more miserably at appearing to be a normal human being than Hillary. “Pokémon GO to the polls” is easily the most cringeworthy sentence ever uttered in the history of mankind. So much so that there might be a silver lining to this whole fiasco. Hillary may have just killed Pokémon GO.
Public shaming and threats won’t stop these nerds from catching Bellsprouts and Geodudes at Arlington National Cemetery or Holocaust museums, but Clinton being all-in on “Pok-E-Man” might. Once she digs her claws into something, it’s officially lost all previous appeal.
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Dan Regester@Dan_Regester is a Senior Writer and Video Guy for Grandex Media. Delco trash. UCF alum. Famous FIJI on Wikipedia. Bit of a gambling problem. Advocate of shipping the homeless to Mars. Email tips to Dan@totalfratmove.com |
Neuropeptide gene polymorphisms in affective disorder and schizophrenia.
The restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) associated with neuropeptide Y (NPY) and somatostatin loci were used to assess the possibility of linkage to a locus for affective disorder (AD). When somatostatin haplotypes were assigned to members of 2 AD pedigrees under either rare dominant or recessive transmission, the LOD scores obtained at 0% recombination were inconsistent with linkage. Similar results were obtained with NPY under rare dominant inheritance. Comparison of the frequency of the genotypes deduced from the polymorphic alleles of gastrin-releasing peptide, NPY, somatostatin and substance P in normals vs patients with either AD or schizophrenia suggests the absence of association. The difference in the frequency of the 3.3 kb adenosine deaminase fragment in normals vs bipolar and schizophrenic patients is of borderline significance. |
Q:
HTML Image Layout Issue between 2 Label Controls
I am trying to create a table look utilizing CSS Divs, and Im having a problem inserting a transparent image between Label Controls, in order to give these Labels a decent amount of vertical space between them. I want to accomplish the same for the TextBox Controls.
The problem is that this Image appears before all of the Label Controls when they should appear between each of the Label controls
I had already tried using: <br style="clear:both; line-height:50px;" />
between each of the Labels which also did not work.
I would appreciate any solution or an alternative.
<div id="contact">
<div id="LeftLabelColumn">
<asp:Label ID="Label1" runat="server" class="emaillable" Text="Name:"></asp:Label>
<div class="linespace"></div>
<asp:Label ID="Label2" runat="server" class="emaillable" Text="Company:"></asp:Label>
<div class="linespace"></div>
</div>
<div id="RightControlColumn">
<asp:TextBox ID="TextBox1" runat="server" class="contacttextbox"></asp:TextBox>
<asp:TextBox ID="TextBox2" runat="server" class="contacttextbox"></asp:TextBox>
</div>
</div>
#contact {
height:318px;
width:848px;
margin:6px 0 0 17px;
position:relative;
overflow:hidden;
/*background-color:green;*/
}
#LeftLabelColumn {
height:318px;
width:100px;
float:left;
position:relative;
background-color:orange;
}
#RightControlColumn {
height:318px;
width:276px;
float:left;
position:relative;
background-color:red;
}
.emaillabel {
height:120px;
display: block;
margin-bottom:125px;
}
.linespace {
height: 650px;
float:left;
position:relative;
display: block;
}
A:
<div id="contact">
<div id="LeftLabelColumn" class="emaillabel">
<asp:Label ID="Label1" runat="server" CssClass="emaillable" Text="Name:"></asp:Label>
<div class="linespace"></div>
<br style="clear:both; line-height:0px;" />
<asp:Label ID="Label2" runat="server" CssClass="emaillable" Text="Company:"></asp:Label>
<div class="linespace"></div>
<br style="clear:both; line-height:0px;" />
<asp:Label ID="Label3" runat="server" CssClass="emaillable" Text="Email:"></asp:Label>
<div class="linespace"></div>
<br style="clear:both; line-height:0px;" />
<asp:Label ID="Label4" runat="server" CssClass="emaillable" Text="Phone:"></asp:Label>
<div class="linespace"></div>
<br style="clear:both; line-height:0px;" />
</div>
<div id="MidLabelColumn"> </div>
<div id="RightControlColumn">
<asp:TextBox ID="TextBox1" runat="server" class="contacttextbox" Width="224px" TabIndex="1"></asp:TextBox>
<div class="linespace"></div>
<br style="clear:both; line-height:0px;" />
<asp:TextBox ID="TextBox2" runat="server" class="contacttextbox" Width="224px" TabIndex="2"></asp:TextBox>
<div class="linespace"></div>
<br style="clear:both; line-height:0px;" />
<asp:TextBox ID="TextBox3" runat="server" class="contacttextbox" Width="224px" TabIndex="3"></asp:TextBox>
<div class="linespace"></div>
<br style="clear:both; line-height:0px;" />
</div>
</div>
#contact {
height:318px;
width:848px;
margin:6px 0 0 17px;
position:relative;
overflow:hidden;
/*background-color:green;*/
}
#LeftLabelColumn {
height:318px;
width:80px;
float:left;
position:relative;
background-color:orange;
}
#MidLabelColumn {
height:318px;
width:5px;
float:left;
position:relative;
background-color:blue;
}
#RightControlColumn {
height:318px;
width:276px;
float:left;
position:relative;
background-color:red;
}
.emaillabel {
display: block;
float:right;
text-align:right;
font-family:Arial;
font-size:14px;
/*height: 200px;*/
/*margin-bottom: 50px;*/
}
.linespace {
height: 25px;
float:left;
position:relative;
display: block;
}
|
Q:
How should I test for multivariate ARCH effects in R?
I want to test for conditional heteroskedasticity in the form of ARCH effects in a multivariate time series. In the univariate setting, an ARCH-LM test can be used. A natural extension for the multivariate setting would be a multivariate ARCH-LM test.
Question: Is there a multivariate ARCH-LM test in R?
(Except for arch.test in package "vars" that requires an estimated VAR object of class varest as an input.)
A:
I was looking for the multivariate ARCH-LM test in R and had a hard time finding it (but finally I succeeded). Hence, I decided to post a question with an answer here, on Cross Validated.
Indeed, the package "vars" has the multivariate ARCH-LM test implemented in function arch.test. However, it requires the input to be an estimated VAR object of class varest, which is not always comfortable. Fortunately, there exists an alternative. There are four tests for multivariate ARCH effects in package "MTS". They all are implemented in one function MarchTest:
$Q ^*(m)$: multivariate Ljung-Box test, sort-of-univariate version (scales the residuals by the square root of the inverse of the estimated covariance matrix and tests for autocorrelation in each of the squared scaled series; does not consider cross-terms between the series)
$\bar R $: rank-based test (assesses autocorrelation of ranks of scaled squared residuals)
$Q_k^*(m)$: multivariate Ljung-Box test, regular multivariate version (asymptotically equivalent to multivariate ARCH-LM test)
$Q_k^r(m)$: robust multivariate Ljung-Box test, sort-of-univariate version (cuts off outliers, otherwise the same as $Q_k^*(m)$)
The tests are discussed in Tsay "Multivariate Time Series Analysis: With R and Financial Applications" p. 401-403 (p. 403-407 include a simulation study and an example application). Conclusions from the limited simulation study are as follows:
$Q_k^*(m)$ has marked size distortions in presence of heavy tails.
$Q_k^r(m)$ is preferred to $Q_k^*(m)$.
$\bar R $ performs nicely and is robust to heavy-tailed distributions.
The tests are coded in R, so they may be a bit slow if used on large data or iterated many times.
|
Q:
What is Melman wearing on his feet, and why?
In Madagascar (2005), after Marty runs away from the zoo, we see Alex go over the wall, while Gloria breaks through it. When Melman follows Gloria through the wall, he's got something on his feet. Does anyone know what that "something" is, and why it's there? It looks like cement blocks, but I don't understand why they're there.
A:
IIRC, they were tissue boxes that Melman used as 'Safety Foot Covers' which is in keeping with Melman as a 'hypochondriac giraffe with infinite phobias'. If you look closely, you can see the distinctive oval openings in the top of the boxes that are characteristic of tissue boxes.
This is analogous to the urban myth that Howard Hughes, in his most hypochondrial period late in life, would walk around using tissue boxes as footwear.
In the Dreamworks Madagascar video game series, two of the rewards that the Melman character can achieve are the NYC clock and tissue box shoes.
|
Effects of dietary heme iron and exercise training on abdominal fat accumulation and lipid metabolism in high-fat diet-fed mice.
Animal by-products can be recycled and used as sources of essential nutrients. Water-soluble heme iron (WSHI), a functional food additive for supplementing iron, is produced by processing animal blood. In this study, we investigated the effects of dietary supplementation of 3% WSHI and exercise training for 4 weeks on the accumulation of abdominal fat and lipid metabolism in mice fed high-fat diet. Exercise-trained mice had significantly less perirenal adipose tissue, whereas WSHI-fed mice tended to have less epididymal adipose tissue. In addition, total weight of abdominal adipose tissues was significantly decreased in the Exercise + WSHI group. Dietary WSHI significantly increased the messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of lipoprotein lipase and hormone-sensitive lipase. WSHI-fed mice also tended to show increased mRNA levels of adipose triglyceride lipase in their epididymal adipose tissue. Dietary WSHI also significantly decreased the mRNA levels of fatty acid oxidation-related enzymes in the liver, but did not influence levels in the Gastrocnemius muscle. Exercise training did not influence the mRNA levels of lipid metabolism-related enzymes in the epididymal adipose tissue, liver or the Gastrocnemius muscle. These findings suggest that the accumulation of abdominal fat can be efficiently decreased by the combination of dietary WSHI and exercise training in mice fed high-fat diet. |
Q:
insert or remove enclosing element based on ternary operator JSX
I am trying to make the <pre> tags appear in the code or not as I need them.
If the text is code I want the <pre> tags to exist
If the text is not code then I don't want them to exist
The below code changes depending on the value textIsCode = 1 then the <pre> tags are displayed as text. If I remove the quotes around the <pre> then the code does not work do I need a different escape character or am I trying to do something the wrong way?
const CodeContainerMolecule = (props) => {
return (
<section id={props.CodeContainerMolecule_Id}
className={props.CodeContainerMolecule_Style}>
{props.textIsCode === "1" ? '' : `<pre>`}
<p className="container_component_text">
{props.text}
</p>
{props.textIsCode === "1" ? '' : `</pre>`}
</section>
);
};
export default CodeContainerMolecule
A:
Having the <pre/> tags as strings is pretty weird, you'd be better off saving the child in a variable, then just conditionally wrapping it. Something like this:
const CodeContainerMolecule = (props) => {
const child = (
<p className="container_component_text">
{props.text}
</p>
);
return (
<section id={props.CodeContainerMolecule_Id}
className={props.CodeContainerMolecule_Style}>
{props.textIsCode === "1" ? <pre>{child}</pre> : child}
</section>
);
};
export default CodeContainerMolecule
P.S. there's a difference between a JSX tag, and a string whose context is a JSX tag, they aren't the same
|
Frequency and Cause of Persistent Symptoms in Celiac Disease Patients on a Long-term Gluten-free Diet.
To estimate the frequency and cause of nonresponsive celiac disease (CD). Treatment of CD is based on life-long adherence to a gluten-free diet (GFD). Some celiac patients experience persistence of symptoms despite a GFD. This condition is defined as nonresponsive CD. Celiac patients on a GFD for at least 12 months underwent diet compliance assessment, laboratory tests, breath tests, endoscopic, and histologic evaluations according to the symptoms/signs reported. Seventy of 321 (21.8%) patients had persistent or recurrent symptoms/signs. The cause of symptom persistence was evaluated in 56 of 70 patients. Thirteen of 56 (23%) patients were antiendomysial antibody positive. Among the patients with negative serology, 1 had fibromyalgia, and 3 had evidence that disproved the diagnosis of CD. The remaining 39 patients with negative serology underwent duodenal biopsy sampling, which evidenced histologic alterations in 24 patients. Among the 15 patients with normal histology 3 were lactose intolerant, 9 had irritable bowel syndrome, 2 had gastroesophageal reflux disease, and in 1 patient a cause for the persistent symptom was not identified. In patients with confirmed diagnosis of CD, exposure to dietary gluten was the main cause of persistence of symptoms/signs, and consistently after dietary modification, symptoms resolved in 63% of the patients at later time points during follow-up. Nonresponsive CD occurs in nearly one fifth of celiac patients on GFD and its occurrence suggests further investigations to optimize the management of celiac patients. |
<?php
namespace TelegramBot\Api;
use TelegramBot\Api\Types\ArrayOfUpdates;
use TelegramBot\Api\Types\File;
use TelegramBot\Api\Types\Inline\QueryResult\AbstractInlineQueryResult;
use TelegramBot\Api\Types\Message;
use TelegramBot\Api\Types\Update;
use TelegramBot\Api\Types\User;
use TelegramBot\Api\Types\UserProfilePhotos;
/**
* Class BotApi
*
* @package TelegramBot\Api
*/
class BotApi
{
/**
* HTTP codes
*
* @var array
*/
public static $codes = [
// Informational 1xx
100 => 'Continue',
101 => 'Switching Protocols',
102 => 'Processing', // RFC2518
// Success 2xx
200 => 'OK',
201 => 'Created',
202 => 'Accepted',
203 => 'Non-Authoritative Information',
204 => 'No Content',
205 => 'Reset Content',
206 => 'Partial Content',
207 => 'Multi-Status', // RFC4918
208 => 'Already Reported', // RFC5842
226 => 'IM Used', // RFC3229
// Redirection 3xx
300 => 'Multiple Choices',
301 => 'Moved Permanently',
302 => 'Found', // 1.1
303 => 'See Other',
304 => 'Not Modified',
305 => 'Use Proxy',
// 306 is deprecated but reserved
307 => 'Temporary Redirect',
308 => 'Permanent Redirect', // RFC7238
// Client Error 4xx
400 => 'Bad Request',
401 => 'Unauthorized',
402 => 'Payment Required',
403 => 'Forbidden',
404 => 'Not Found',
405 => 'Method Not Allowed',
406 => 'Not Acceptable',
407 => 'Proxy Authentication Required',
408 => 'Request Timeout',
409 => 'Conflict',
410 => 'Gone',
411 => 'Length Required',
412 => 'Precondition Failed',
413 => 'Payload Too Large',
414 => 'URI Too Long',
415 => 'Unsupported Media Type',
416 => 'Range Not Satisfiable',
417 => 'Expectation Failed',
422 => 'Unprocessable Entity', // RFC4918
423 => 'Locked', // RFC4918
424 => 'Failed Dependency', // RFC4918
425 => 'Reserved for WebDAV advanced collections expired proposal', // RFC2817
426 => 'Upgrade Required', // RFC2817
428 => 'Precondition Required', // RFC6585
429 => 'Too Many Requests', // RFC6585
431 => 'Request Header Fields Too Large', // RFC6585
// Server Error 5xx
500 => 'Internal Server Error',
501 => 'Not Implemented',
502 => 'Bad Gateway',
503 => 'Service Unavailable',
504 => 'Gateway Timeout',
505 => 'HTTP Version Not Supported',
506 => 'Variant Also Negotiates (Experimental)', // RFC2295
507 => 'Insufficient Storage', // RFC4918
508 => 'Loop Detected', // RFC5842
510 => 'Not Extended', // RFC2774
511 => 'Network Authentication Required', // RFC6585
];
/**
* Default http status code
*/
const DEFAULT_STATUS_CODE = 200;
/**
* Not Modified http status code
*/
const NOT_MODIFIED_STATUS_CODE = 304;
/**
* Limits for tracked ids
*/
const MAX_TRACKED_EVENTS = 200;
/**
* Url prefixes
*/
const URL_PREFIX = 'https://api.telegram.org/bot';
/**
* Url prefix for files
*/
const FILE_URL_PREFIX = 'https://api.telegram.org/file/bot';
/**
* CURL object
*
* @var
*/
protected $curl;
/**
* Bot token
*
* @var string
*/
protected $token;
/**
* Botan tracker
*
* @var \TelegramBot\Api\Botan
*/
protected $tracker;
/**
* list of event ids
*
* @var array
*/
protected $trackedEvents = [];
/**
* Check whether return associative array
*
* @var bool
*/
protected $returnArray = true;
/**
* Constructor
*
* @param string $token Telegram Bot API token
* @param string|null $trackerToken Yandex AppMetrica application api_key
*/
public function __construct($token, $trackerToken = null)
{
$this->curl = curl_init();
$this->token = $token;
if ($trackerToken) {
$this->tracker = new Botan($trackerToken);
}
}
/**
* Set return array
*
* @param bool $mode
*
* @return $this
*/
public function setModeObject($mode = true)
{
$this->returnArray = !$mode;
return $this;
}
/**
* Call method
*
* @param string $method
* @param array|null $data
*
* @return mixed
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\Exception
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\HttpException
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\InvalidJsonException
*/
public function call($method, array $data = null)
{
$options = [
CURLOPT_URL => $this->getUrl().'/'.$method,
CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
CURLOPT_POST => null,
CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS => null,
];
if ($data) {
$options[CURLOPT_POST] = true;
$options[CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS] = $data;
}
$response = self::jsonValidate($this->executeCurl($options), $this->returnArray);
if ($this->returnArray) {
if (!isset($response['ok'])) {
throw new Exception($response['description'], $response['error_code']);
}
return $response['result'];
}
if (!$response->ok) {
throw new Exception($response->description, $response->error_code);
}
return $response->result;
}
/**
* curl_exec wrapper for response validation
*
* @param array $options
*
* @return string
*
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\HttpException
*/
protected function executeCurl(array $options)
{
curl_setopt_array($this->curl, $options);
$result = curl_exec($this->curl);
self::curlValidate($this->curl);
if ($result === false) {
throw new HttpException(curl_error($this->curl), curl_errno($this->curl));
}
return $result;
}
/**
* Response validation
*
* @param resource $curl
*
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\HttpException
*/
public static function curlValidate($curl)
{
if (($httpCode = curl_getinfo($curl, CURLINFO_HTTP_CODE))
&& !in_array($httpCode, [self::DEFAULT_STATUS_CODE, self::NOT_MODIFIED_STATUS_CODE])
) {
throw new HttpException(self::$codes[$httpCode], $httpCode);
}
}
/**
* JSON validation
*
* @param string $jsonString
* @param boolean $asArray
*
* @return object|array
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\InvalidJsonException
*/
public static function jsonValidate($jsonString, $asArray)
{
$json = json_decode($jsonString, $asArray);
if (json_last_error() != JSON_ERROR_NONE) {
throw new InvalidJsonException(json_last_error_msg(), json_last_error());
}
return $json;
}
/**
* Use this method to send text messages. On success, the sent \TelegramBot\Api\Types\Message is returned.
*
* @param int|string $chatId
* @param string $text
* @param string|null $parseMode
* @param bool $disablePreview
* @param int|null $replyToMessageId
* @param Types\ReplyKeyboardMarkup|Types\ReplyKeyboardHide|Types\ForceReply|null $replyMarkup
* @param bool $disableNotification
*
* @return \TelegramBot\Api\Types\Message
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\InvalidArgumentException
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\Exception
*/
public function sendMessage(
$chatId,
$text,
$parseMode = null,
$disablePreview = false,
$replyToMessageId = null,
$replyMarkup = null,
$disableNotification = false
) {
return Message::fromResponse($this->call('sendMessage', [
'chat_id' => $chatId,
'text' => $text,
'parse_mode' => $parseMode,
'disable_web_page_preview' => $disablePreview,
'reply_to_message_id' => (int)$replyToMessageId,
'reply_markup' => is_null($replyMarkup) ? $replyMarkup : $replyMarkup->toJson(),
'disable_notification' => (bool)$disableNotification,
]));
}
/**
* Use this method to send phone contacts
*
* @param int|string $chatId chat_id or @channel_name
* @param string $phoneNumber
* @param string $firstName
* @param string $lastName
* @param int|null $replyToMessageId
* @param Types\ReplyKeyboardMarkup|Types\ReplyKeyboardHide|Types\ForceReply|null $replyMarkup
* @param bool $disableNotification
*
* @return \TelegramBot\Api\Types\Message
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\Exception
*/
public function sendContact(
$chatId,
$phoneNumber,
$firstName,
$lastName = null,
$replyToMessageId = null,
$replyMarkup = null,
$disableNotification = false
) {
return Message::fromResponse($this->call('sendContact', [
'chat_id' => $chatId,
'phone_number' => $phoneNumber,
'first_name' => $firstName,
'last_name' => $lastName,
'reply_to_message_id' => $replyToMessageId,
'reply_markup' => is_null($replyMarkup) ? $replyMarkup : $replyMarkup->toJson(),
'disable_notification' => (bool)$disableNotification,
]));
}
/**
* Use this method when you need to tell the user that something is happening on the bot's side.
* The status is set for 5 seconds or less (when a message arrives from your bot,
* Telegram clients clear its typing status).
*
* We only recommend using this method when a response from the bot will take a noticeable amount of time to arrive.
*
* Type of action to broadcast. Choose one, depending on what the user is about to receive:
* `typing` for text messages, `upload_photo` for photos, `record_video` or `upload_video` for videos,
* `record_audio` or upload_audio for audio files, `upload_document` for general files,
* `find_location` for location data.
*
* @param int $chatId
* @param string $action
*
* @return bool
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\Exception
*/
public function sendChatAction($chatId, $action)
{
return $this->call('sendChatAction', [
'chat_id' => $chatId,
'action' => $action,
]);
}
/**
* Use this method to get a list of profile pictures for a user.
*
* @param int $userId
* @param int $offset
* @param int $limit
*
* @return \TelegramBot\Api\Types\UserProfilePhotos
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\Exception
*/
public function getUserProfilePhotos($userId, $offset = 0, $limit = 100)
{
return UserProfilePhotos::fromResponse($this->call('getUserProfilePhotos', [
'user_id' => (int)$userId,
'offset' => (int)$offset,
'limit' => (int)$limit,
]));
}
/**
* Use this method to specify a url and receive incoming updates via an outgoing webhook.
* Whenever there is an update for the bot, we will send an HTTPS POST request to the specified url,
* containing a JSON-serialized Update.
* In case of an unsuccessful request, we will give up after a reasonable amount of attempts.
*
* @param string $url HTTPS url to send updates to. Use an empty string to remove webhook integration
* @param \CURLFile|string $certificate Upload your public key certificate
* so that the root certificate in use can be checked
*
* @return string
*
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\Exception
*/
public function setWebhook($url = '', $certificate = null)
{
return $this->call('setWebhook', ['url' => $url, 'certificate' => $certificate]);
}
/**
* A simple method for testing your bot's auth token.Requires no parameters.
* Returns basic information about the bot in form of a User object.
*
* @return \TelegramBot\Api\Types\User
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\Exception
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\InvalidArgumentException
*/
public function getMe()
{
return User::fromResponse($this->call('getMe'));
}
/**
* Use this method to receive incoming updates using long polling.
* An Array of Update objects is returned.
*
* Notes
* 1. This method will not work if an outgoing webhook is set up.
* 2. In order to avoid getting duplicate updates, recalculate offset after each server response.
*
* @param int $offset
* @param int $limit
* @param int $timeout
*
* @return Update[]
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\Exception
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\InvalidArgumentException
*/
public function getUpdates($offset = 0, $limit = 100, $timeout = 0)
{
$updates = ArrayOfUpdates::fromResponse($this->call('getUpdates', [
'offset' => $offset,
'limit' => $limit,
'timeout' => $timeout,
]));
if ($this->tracker instanceof Botan) {
foreach ($updates as $update) {
$this->trackUpdate($update);
}
}
return $updates;
}
/**
* Use this method to send point on the map. On success, the sent Message is returned.
*
* @param int $chatId
* @param float $latitude
* @param float $longitude
* @param int|null $replyToMessageId
* @param Types\ReplyKeyboardMarkup|Types\ReplyKeyboardHide|Types\ForceReply|null $replyMarkup
* @param bool $disableNotification
*
* @return \TelegramBot\Api\Types\Message
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\Exception
*/
public function sendLocation(
$chatId,
$latitude,
$longitude,
$replyToMessageId = null,
$replyMarkup = null,
$disableNotification = false
) {
return Message::fromResponse($this->call('sendLocation', [
'chat_id' => $chatId,
'latitude' => $latitude,
'longitude' => $longitude,
'reply_to_message_id' => $replyToMessageId,
'reply_markup' => is_null($replyMarkup) ? $replyMarkup : $replyMarkup->toJson(),
'disable_notification' => (bool)$disableNotification,
]));
}
/**
* Use this method to send information about a venue. On success, the sent Message is returned.
*
* @param int|string $chatId chat_id or @channel_name
* @param float $latitude
* @param float $longitude
* @param string $title
* @param string $address
* @param string|null $foursquareId
* @param int|null $replyToMessageId
* @param Types\ReplyKeyboardMarkup|Types\ReplyKeyboardHide|Types\ForceReply|null $replyMarkup
* @param bool $disableNotification
*
* @return \TelegramBot\Api\Types\Message
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\Exception
*/
public function sendVenue(
$chatId,
$latitude,
$longitude,
$title,
$address,
$foursquareId = null,
$replyToMessageId = null,
$replyMarkup = null,
$disableNotification = false
) {
return Message::fromResponse($this->call('sendVenue', [
'chat_id' => $chatId,
'latitude' => $latitude,
'longitude' => $longitude,
'title' => $title,
'address' => $address,
'foursquare_id' => $foursquareId,
'reply_to_message_id' => $replyToMessageId,
'reply_markup' => is_null($replyMarkup) ? $replyMarkup : $replyMarkup->toJson(),
'disable_notification' => (bool)$disableNotification,
]));
}
/**
* Use this method to send .webp stickers. On success, the sent Message is returned.
*
* @param int|string $chatId chat_id or @channel_name
* @param \CURLFile|string $sticker
* @param int|null $replyToMessageId
* @param Types\ReplyKeyboardMarkup|Types\ReplyKeyboardHide|Types\ForceReply|null $replyMarkup
* @param bool $disableNotification
*
* @return \TelegramBot\Api\Types\Message
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\InvalidArgumentException
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\Exception
*/
public function sendSticker(
$chatId,
$sticker,
$replyToMessageId = null,
$replyMarkup = null,
$disableNotification = false
) {
return Message::fromResponse($this->call('sendSticker', [
'chat_id' => $chatId,
'sticker' => $sticker,
'reply_to_message_id' => $replyToMessageId,
'reply_markup' => is_null($replyMarkup) ? $replyMarkup : $replyMarkup->toJson(),
'disable_notification' => (bool)$disableNotification,
]));
}
/**
* Use this method to send video files,
* Telegram clients support mp4 videos (other formats may be sent as Document).
* On success, the sent Message is returned.
*
* @param int|string $chatId chat_id or @channel_name
* @param \CURLFile|string $video
* @param int|null $duration
* @param string|null $caption
* @param int|null $replyToMessageId
* @param Types\ReplyKeyboardMarkup|Types\ReplyKeyboardHide|Types\ForceReply|null $replyMarkup
* @param bool $disableNotification
*
* @return \TelegramBot\Api\Types\Message
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\InvalidArgumentException
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\Exception
*/
public function sendVideo(
$chatId,
$video,
$duration = null,
$caption = null,
$replyToMessageId = null,
$replyMarkup = null,
$disableNotification = false
) {
return Message::fromResponse($this->call('sendVideo', [
'chat_id' => $chatId,
'video' => $video,
'duration' => $duration,
'caption' => $caption,
'reply_to_message_id' => $replyToMessageId,
'reply_markup' => is_null($replyMarkup) ? $replyMarkup : $replyMarkup->toJson(),
'disable_notification' => (bool)$disableNotification,
]));
}
/**
* Use this method to send audio files,
* if you want Telegram clients to display the file as a playable voice message.
* For this to work, your audio must be in an .ogg file encoded with OPUS
* (other formats may be sent as Audio or Document).
* On success, the sent Message is returned.
* Bots can currently send voice messages of up to 50 MB in size, this limit may be changed in the future.
*
* @param int|string $chatId chat_id or @channel_name
* @param \CURLFile|string $voice
* @param int|null $duration
* @param int|null $replyToMessageId
* @param Types\ReplyKeyboardMarkup|Types\ReplyKeyboardHide|Types\ForceReply|null $replyMarkup
* @param bool $disableNotification
*
* @return \TelegramBot\Api\Types\Message
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\InvalidArgumentException
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\Exception
*/
public function sendVoice(
$chatId,
$voice,
$duration = null,
$replyToMessageId = null,
$replyMarkup = null,
$disableNotification = false
) {
return Message::fromResponse($this->call('sendVoice', [
'chat_id' => $chatId,
'voice' => $voice,
'duration' => $duration,
'reply_to_message_id' => $replyToMessageId,
'reply_markup' => is_null($replyMarkup) ? $replyMarkup : $replyMarkup->toJson(),
'disable_notification' => (bool)$disableNotification,
]));
}
/**
* Use this method to forward messages of any kind. On success, the sent Message is returned.
*
* @param int|string $chatId chat_id or @channel_name
* @param int $fromChatId
* @param int $messageId
* @param bool $disableNotification
*
* @return \TelegramBot\Api\Types\Message
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\InvalidArgumentException
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\Exception
*/
public function forwardMessage($chatId, $fromChatId, $messageId, $disableNotification = false)
{
return Message::fromResponse($this->call('forwardMessage', [
'chat_id' => $chatId,
'from_chat_id' => $fromChatId,
'message_id' => (int)$messageId,
'disable_notification' => (bool)$disableNotification,
]));
}
/**
* Use this method to send audio files,
* if you want Telegram clients to display them in the music player.
* Your audio must be in the .mp3 format.
* On success, the sent Message is returned.
* Bots can currently send audio files of up to 50 MB in size, this limit may be changed in the future.
*
* For backward compatibility, when the fields title and performer are both empty
* and the mime-type of the file to be sent is not audio/mpeg, the file will be sent as a playable voice message.
* For this to work, the audio must be in an .ogg file encoded with OPUS.
* This behavior will be phased out in the future. For sending voice messages, use the sendVoice method instead.
*
* @deprecated since 20th February. Removed backward compatibility from the method sendAudio.
* Voice messages now must be sent using the method sendVoice.
* There is no more need to specify a non-empty title or performer while sending the audio by file_id.
*
* @param int|string $chatId chat_id or @channel_name
* @param \CURLFile|string $audio
* @param int|null $duration
* @param string|null $performer
* @param string|null $title
* @param int|null $replyToMessageId
* @param Types\ReplyKeyboardMarkup|Types\ReplyKeyboardHide|Types\ForceReply|null $replyMarkup
* @param bool $disableNotification
*
* @return \TelegramBot\Api\Types\Message
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\InvalidArgumentException
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\Exception
*/
public function sendAudio(
$chatId,
$audio,
$duration = null,
$performer = null,
$title = null,
$replyToMessageId = null,
$replyMarkup = null,
$disableNotification = false
) {
return Message::fromResponse($this->call('sendAudio', [
'chat_id' => $chatId,
'audio' => $audio,
'duration' => $duration,
'performer' => $performer,
'title' => $title,
'reply_to_message_id' => $replyToMessageId,
'reply_markup' => is_null($replyMarkup) ? $replyMarkup : $replyMarkup->toJson(),
'disable_notification' => (bool)$disableNotification,
]));
}
/**
* Use this method to send photos. On success, the sent Message is returned.
*
* @param int|string $chatId chat_id or @channel_name
* @param \CURLFile|string $photo
* @param string|null $caption
* @param int|null $replyToMessageId
* @param Types\ReplyKeyboardMarkup|Types\ReplyKeyboardHide|Types\ForceReply|null $replyMarkup
* @param bool $disableNotification
*
* @return \TelegramBot\Api\Types\Message
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\InvalidArgumentException
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\Exception
*/
public function sendPhoto(
$chatId,
$photo,
$caption = null,
$replyToMessageId = null,
$replyMarkup = null,
$disableNotification = false
) {
return Message::fromResponse($this->call('sendPhoto', [
'chat_id' => $chatId,
'photo' => $photo,
'caption' => $caption,
'reply_to_message_id' => $replyToMessageId,
'reply_markup' => is_null($replyMarkup) ? $replyMarkup : $replyMarkup->toJson(),
'disable_notification' => (bool)$disableNotification,
]));
}
/**
* Use this method to send general files. On success, the sent Message is returned.
* Bots can currently send files of any type of up to 50 MB in size, this limit may be changed in the future.
*
* @param int|string $chatId chat_id or @channel_name
* @param \CURLFile|string $document
* @param int|null $replyToMessageId
* @param Types\ReplyKeyboardMarkup|Types\ReplyKeyboardHide|Types\ForceReply|null $replyMarkup
* @param bool $disableNotification
*
* @return \TelegramBot\Api\Types\Message
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\InvalidArgumentException
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\Exception
*/
public function sendDocument(
$chatId,
$document,
$replyToMessageId = null,
$replyMarkup = null,
$disableNotification = false
) {
return Message::fromResponse($this->call('sendDocument', [
'chat_id' => $chatId,
'document' => $document,
'reply_to_message_id' => $replyToMessageId,
'reply_markup' => is_null($replyMarkup) ? $replyMarkup : $replyMarkup->toJson(),
'disable_notification' => (bool)$disableNotification,
]));
}
/**
* Use this method to get basic info about a file and prepare it for downloading.
* For the moment, bots can download files of up to 20MB in size.
* On success, a File object is returned.
* The file can then be downloaded via the link https://api.telegram.org/file/bot<token>/<file_path>,
* where <file_path> is taken from the response.
* It is guaranteed that the link will be valid for at least 1 hour.
* When the link expires, a new one can be requested by calling getFile again.
*
* @param $fileId
*
* @return \TelegramBot\Api\Types\File
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\InvalidArgumentException
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\Exception
*/
public function getFile($fileId)
{
return File::fromResponse($this->call('getFile', ['file_id' => $fileId]));
}
/**
* Get file contents via cURL
*
* @param $fileId
*
* @return string
*
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\HttpException
*/
public function downloadFile($fileId)
{
$file = $this->getFile($fileId);
$options = [
CURLOPT_HEADER => 0,
CURLOPT_HTTPGET => 1,
CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => 1,
CURLOPT_URL => $this->getFileUrl().'/'.$file->getFilePath(),
];
return $this->executeCurl($options);
}
/**
* Use this method to send answers to an inline query. On success, True is returned.
* No more than 50 results per query are allowed.
*
* @param string $inlineQueryId
* @param AbstractInlineQueryResult[] $results
* @param int $cacheTime
* @param bool $isPersonal
* @param string $nextOffset
*
* @return mixed
* @throws Exception
*/
public function answerInlineQuery($inlineQueryId, $results, $cacheTime = 300, $isPersonal = false, $nextOffset = '')
{
$results = array_map(function ($item) {
/* @var AbstractInlineQueryResult $item */
return json_decode($item->toJson(), true);
}, $results);
return $this->call('answerInlineQuery', [
'inline_query_id' => $inlineQueryId,
'results' => json_encode($results),
'cache_time' => $cacheTime,
'is_personal' => $isPersonal,
'next_offset' => $nextOffset,
]);
}
/**
* Use this method to kick a user from a group or a supergroup.
* In the case of supergroups, the user will not be able to return to the group
* on their own using invite links, etc., unless unbanned first.
* The bot must be an administrator in the group for this to work. Returns True on success.
*
* @param int|string $chatId Unique identifier for the target group
* or username of the target supergroup (in the format @supergroupusername)
* @param int $userId Unique identifier of the target user
*
* @return bool
*/
public function kickChatMember($chatId, $userId)
{
return $this->call('kickChatMember', [
'chat_id' => $chatId,
'user_id' => $userId,
]);
}
/**
* Use this method to unban a previously kicked user in a supergroup.
* The user will not return to the group automatically, but will be able to join via link, etc.
* The bot must be an administrator in the group for this to work. Returns True on success.
*
* @param int|string $chatId Unique identifier for the target group
* or username of the target supergroup (in the format @supergroupusername)
* @param int $userId Unique identifier of the target user
*
* @return bool
*/
public function unbanChatMember($chatId, $userId)
{
return $this->call('unbanChatMember', [
'chat_id' => $chatId,
'user_id' => $userId,
]);
}
/**
* Use this method to send answers to callback queries sent from inline keyboards.
* The answer will be displayed to the user as a notification at the top of the chat screen or as an alert.
*
* @param $callbackQueryId
* @param null $text
* @param bool $showAlert
*
* @return bool
*/
public function answerCallbackQuery($callbackQueryId, $text = null, $showAlert = false)
{
return $this->call('answerCallbackQuery', [
'callback_query_id' => $callbackQueryId,
'text' => $text,
'show_alert' => (bool)$showAlert,
]);
}
/**
* Use this method to edit text messages sent by the bot or via the bot
*
* @param int|string $chatId
* @param int $messageId
* @param string $text
* @param string|null $parseMode
* @param bool $disablePreview
* @param Types\ReplyKeyboardMarkup|Types\ReplyKeyboardHide|Types\ForceReply|null $replyMarkup
*
* @return \TelegramBot\Api\Types\Message
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\InvalidArgumentException
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\Exception
*/
public function editMessageText(
$chatId,
$messageId,
$text,
$parseMode = null,
$disablePreview = false,
$replyMarkup = null
) {
return Message::fromResponse($this->call('editMessageText', [
'chat_id' => $chatId,
'message_id' => $messageId,
'text' => $text,
'parse_mode' => $parseMode,
'disable_web_page_preview' => $disablePreview,
'reply_markup' => is_null($replyMarkup) ? $replyMarkup : $replyMarkup->toJson(),
]));
}
/**
* Use this method to edit text messages sent by the bot or via the bot
*
* @param int|string $chatId
* @param int $messageId
* @param string|null $caption
* @param Types\ReplyKeyboardMarkup|Types\ReplyKeyboardHide|Types\ForceReply|null $replyMarkup
*
* @return \TelegramBot\Api\Types\Message
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\InvalidArgumentException
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\Exception
*/
public function editMessageCaption(
$chatId,
$messageId,
$caption = null,
$replyMarkup = null
) {
return Message::fromResponse($this->call('editMessageText', [
'chat_id' => $chatId,
'message_id' => $messageId,
'caption' => $caption,
'reply_markup' => is_null($replyMarkup) ? $replyMarkup : $replyMarkup->toJson(),
]));
}
/**
* Use this method to edit only the reply markup of messages sent by the bot or via the bot
*
* @param int|string $chatId
* @param int $messageId
* @param Types\ReplyKeyboardMarkup|Types\ReplyKeyboardHide|Types\ForceReply|null $replyMarkup
*
* @return \TelegramBot\Api\Types\Message
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\InvalidArgumentException
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\Exception
*/
public function editMessageReplyMarkup(
$chatId,
$messageId,
$replyMarkup = null
) {
return Message::fromResponse($this->call('editMessageText', [
'chat_id' => $chatId,
'message_id' => $messageId,
'reply_markup' => is_null($replyMarkup) ? $replyMarkup : $replyMarkup->toJson(),
]));
}
/**
* Close curl
*/
public function __destruct()
{
$this->curl && curl_close($this->curl);
}
/**
* @return string
*/
public function getUrl()
{
return self::URL_PREFIX.$this->token;
}
/**
* @return string
*/
public function getFileUrl()
{
return self::FILE_URL_PREFIX.$this->token;
}
/**
* @param \TelegramBot\Api\Types\Update $update
* @param string $eventName
*
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\Exception
*/
public function trackUpdate(Update $update, $eventName = 'Message')
{
if (!in_array($update->getUpdateId(), $this->trackedEvents)) {
$this->trackedEvents[] = $update->getUpdateId();
$this->track($update->getMessage(), $eventName);
if (count($this->trackedEvents) > self::MAX_TRACKED_EVENTS) {
$this->trackedEvents = array_slice($this->trackedEvents, round(self::MAX_TRACKED_EVENTS / 4));
}
}
}
/**
* Wrapper for tracker
*
* @param \TelegramBot\Api\Types\Message $message
* @param string $eventName
*
* @throws \TelegramBot\Api\Exception
*/
public function track(Message $message, $eventName = 'Message')
{
if ($this->tracker instanceof Botan) {
$this->tracker->track($message, $eventName);
}
}
}
|
/*
* Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one or more
* contributor license agreements. See the NOTICE file distributed with
* this work for additional information regarding copyright ownership.
* The ASF licenses this file to You under the Apache License, Version 2.0
* (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with
* the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at
*
* http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
*
* Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
* distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
* WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
* See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
* limitations under the License.
*/
package org.apache.gobblin.runtime.std;
import java.net.URI;
import org.slf4j.Logger;
import com.google.common.base.Optional;
import org.apache.gobblin.runtime.JobState.RunningState;
import org.apache.gobblin.runtime.api.JobExecutionDriver;
import org.apache.gobblin.runtime.api.JobExecutionState;
import org.apache.gobblin.runtime.api.JobLifecycleListener;
import org.apache.gobblin.runtime.api.JobSpec;
import org.apache.gobblin.runtime.api.JobSpecSchedule;
/**
* Default NOOP implementation for {@link JobLifecycleListener}. It can log the callbacks. Other
* implementing classes can use this as a base to override only the methods they care about.
*/
public class DefaultJobLifecycleListenerImpl implements JobLifecycleListener {
protected final Optional<Logger> _log;
/**
* Constructor
* @param log if no log is specified, the logging will be done. Logging level is INFO.
*/
public DefaultJobLifecycleListenerImpl(Optional<Logger> log) {
_log = log;
}
public DefaultJobLifecycleListenerImpl(Logger log) {
this(Optional.of(log));
}
/** Constructor with no logging */
public DefaultJobLifecycleListenerImpl() {
this(Optional.<Logger>absent());
}
/** {@inheritDoc} */
@Override public void onAddJob(JobSpec addedJob) {
if (_log.isPresent()) {
_log.get().info("New JobSpec detected: " + addedJob.toShortString());
}
}
/** {@inheritDoc} */
@Override public void onDeleteJob(URI deletedJobURI, String deletedJobVersion) {
if (_log.isPresent()) {
_log.get().info("JobSpec deleted: " + deletedJobURI + "/" + deletedJobVersion);
}
}
/** {@inheritDoc} */
@Override public void onUpdateJob(JobSpec updatedJob) {
if (_log.isPresent()) {
_log.get().info("JobSpec changed: " + updatedJob.toShortString());
}
}
/** {@inheritDoc} */
@Override public void onStatusChange(JobExecutionState state, RunningState previousStatus,
RunningState newStatus) {
if (_log.isPresent()) {
_log.get().info("JobExection status change for " + state.getJobSpec().toShortString() +
": " + previousStatus + " --> " + newStatus);
}
}
/** {@inheritDoc} */
@Override public void onStageTransition(JobExecutionState state, String previousStage, String newStage) {
if (_log.isPresent()) {
_log.get().info("JobExection stage change for " + state.getJobSpec().toShortString() +
": " + previousStage + " --> " + newStage);
}
}
/** {@inheritDoc} */
@Override public void onMetadataChange(JobExecutionState state, String key, Object oldValue, Object newValue) {
if (_log.isPresent()) {
_log.get().info("JobExection metadata change for " + state.getJobSpec().toShortString() +
key + ": '" + oldValue + "' --> '" + newValue + "'");
}
}
@Override public void onJobScheduled(JobSpecSchedule jobSchedule) {
if (_log.isPresent()) {
_log.get().info("job scheduled: " + jobSchedule);
}
}
@Override public void onJobUnscheduled(JobSpecSchedule jobSchedule) {
if (_log.isPresent()) {
_log.get().info("job unscheduled: " + jobSchedule);
}
}
@Override public void onJobTriggered(JobSpec jobSpec) {
if (_log.isPresent()) {
_log.get().info("job triggered: " + jobSpec);
}
}
@Override public void onJobLaunch(JobExecutionDriver jobDriver) {
if (_log.isPresent()) {
_log.get().info("job launched: " + jobDriver);
}
}
}
|
1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a conductive material for a display device and a method for fabricating an electrode, and particularly, to a conductive material having excellent electrical conductivity by using graphene applied to a flexible display device, a method for fabricating an electrode, and a display device having the same.
2. Background of the Disclosure
Recently, various types of flat display devices, capable of overcoming disadvantages of a cathode ray tube, e.g., a large weight and a massive volume, are being developed. Such flat display devices may include liquid crystal display (LCD) devices, field emission display devices, plasma display devices, organic electroluminescent display devices, etc.
Among such flat display devices, the plasma display device is being spotlighted as a display device the most suitable to a large screen, due to its simplified structure (i.e., light, thin, short and small structure) and fabrication processes. However, such plasma display device is disadvantageous in that light-emitting efficiency and brightness are low, and power consumption is large. On the other hand, the LCD device has disadvantages that a large screen is not easily implemented due to semiconductor processes, and power consumption is large due to a backlight unit. Further, the LCD device has disadvantages that an optical loss is great and a viewing angle is narrow due to optical devices such as a polarizing filter, a prism sheet and a diffusion plate.
The electroluminescent display device is distinguished from an inorganic electroluminescent display device according to a material of a light-emitting layer. The organic electroluminescent display device, a spontaneous light-emitting device which emits light spontaneously has advantages that a response speed is rapid, light-emitting efficiency is high, and brightness and a viewing angle are large. The inorganic electroluminescent display device has larger power consumption than the organic electroluminescent display device, cannot have high brightness, and cannot emit various colors of red, green and blue (RGB). On the other hand, the organic electroluminescent display device is driven at a low direct current voltage of several tens of voltages, has a rapid response speed and high brightness, and emits various colors of RGB. Accordingly, the organic electroluminescent display device is being actively researched.
The organic electroluminescent display device has a structure that an organic light-emitting layer is disposed between a cathode and an anode. Electrons from the anode are injected to the organic light-emitting layer, and holes from the cathode are injected to the organic light-emitting layer. As a result, excitons are generated in the organic light-emitting layer. As the excitons decay, light corresponding to an energy difference between a lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) and a highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of the organic light-emitting layer is generated. Then, the generated light is emitted to outside. The cathode is formed of a metallic material having a low work function, and the anode is formed of a transparent conductive material such as an Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) having a high work function.
However, the organic electroluminescent display device may have the following problems.
Firstly, the ITO used as an anode is a metallic oxide, which causes signal delay due to its large resistance. Further, such ITO is not suitable for an electrode of a flexible display device in recent years when the demand for a flexible organic electroluminescent display device increases drastically. |
WALDWICK - The school district and local police are investigating a threat scrawled on the wall of a bathroom Thursday morning that prompted a lockdown of the high school and middle school.
The threat was found inside a bathroom at the high school about 10 a.m., according to Paul D. Casarico, superintendent of schools.
Following protocol, school officials immediately called police.
"All students are safe," officials said in Nixle alerts.
"After doing a thorough search of the building, the Waldwick Police, with assistance from the (Bergen) County Police and other local police departments, determined that the threat was not credible and there was no danger to students and staff," Casarico said in a statement posted to the district website.
Classes at the high school and middle school continued as usual, and police remained on campus for the rest of the day.
"Administrators will be investigating this incident thoroughly," the superintendent said in the statement. "If your child has any information that can assist in the investigation, please contact us immediately."
Officials were not releasing the contents of the note.
Classes are to resume tomorrow as normal, Casarico said.
Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. |
Projections from the subiculum to the deep layers of the ipsilateral presubicular and entorhinal cortices in the guinea pig.
Projections from the subiculum to retrohippocampal areas were studied by reduced silver impregnation of anterograde degeneration and by autoradiographic tracing of transported proteins following injections of radioactive amino acids. The subiculum was found to project to the presubiculum and to the medial and lateral parts of the entorhinal area. The projections are exclusively ipsilateral, and arranged in a dorso-ventral topographical order with the terminations confined to the deep cortical layers. The projections form part of multisynaptic chains within the hippocampal region and must also be implicated in output routes for hippocampal activity additional to the fimbria-fornix system. |
usands digit of n(-2)?
3
Let g = 25 - 17. Let k be g*-1 + 4 - -27. Let p = 95 - k. What is the tens digit of p?
7
Let c = 392 - 178. What is the units digit of c?
4
Let v = -1406 + 2625. Suppose -5*o + v = -4*a, 3*a - 563 - 406 = -4*o. Suppose 4*w + o = 5*z, 0 = -z - z + 2*w + 96. What is the units digit of z?
1
Let y(h) = 6*h**2 - h**2 + 3*h - 3 - 3 + 1. What is the tens digit of y(4)?
8
Let w be (13/(-4))/(6/48). What is the units digit of 4845/195 - 4/w?
5
Let l be (1/3)/((-3)/(-90)). Let k(s) = 3*s**2 - l + 13*s - 4*s + 4*s - 2*s**2. What is the units digit of k(-15)?
0
Let a be (22/8)/((-1)/(-12)). Let b = 33 - a. What is the tens digit of (b - -17)*(-24)/(-6)?
6
Let z(y) = -3*y + 5. Let r(q) = -2*q + 5. Let s = 4 - 2. Let t(g) = s*r(g) - 3*z(g). What is the units digit of t(4)?
5
Suppose 0 = 3*r + 41 + 7. Let u = 21 + r. Suppose 0 = -u*v + 15, 2*y = 3*v - v + 32. What is the tens digit of y?
1
Suppose 5*f - 5*o - 35 = 0, -2*o - 3 = -1. Suppose -72 = -10*d + f*d. What is the units digit of d?
8
Let r = -31 - -21. Let a = r - -15. Let l(u) = 3*u + 5. What is the tens digit of l(a)?
2
Let c be (-4270)/(-56) - (10/8 - 1). Suppose -3*v + 196 - c = 0. What is the units digit of v?
0
Let i(t) be the second derivative of 5*t**3/6 - t**2 + 40*t. Let b = 27 + -19. What is the units digit of i(b)?
8
Let d(j) = j - 34. Let x be d(7). What is the tens digit of 474/(-8)*36/x?
7
Let u(i) = i**3 + 7*i**2 - 11*i + 5. Let x(r) = r**3 - 8*r**2 + 4*r + 9. Let k be x(7). Let o = -20 - k. What is the units digit of u(o)?
9
Let d(u) = 13*u + 4. Let o be d(2). Let x = o - 28. Suppose -2*k + x*y = -5*k + 133, -k = 2*y - 39. What is the units digit of k?
7
Let i = 180 + -274. Let a = i + 160. What is the units digit of a?
6
Let o = 7233 + -3276. What is the hundreds digit of o?
9
Suppose -26 - 2398 = -2*s. What is the thousands digit of s?
1
Suppose 6*a - 9295 = -5*a. What is the hundreds digit of a?
8
Let p = -432 + 630. Suppose 4*a + 14 = p. What is the units digit of a?
6
Suppose -3*x - 4*x = -7. What is the units digit of (-2)/2 - (x + -56)?
4
Suppose 2*p + 156 = -4*p. Let j = p - -24. What is the units digit of -4 + (11 - 4/j)?
9
Let h be (2 - -130) + (-6 - (-5 - 0)). Let t = h + 120. What is the tens digit of t?
5
Let c(y) = -y + 11. Suppose -6 - 54 = -3*q. Let w = -10 + q. What is the units digit of c(w)?
1
Suppose -b - 1353 = -2*g, 4*g - b + 3*b - 2694 = 0. What is the units digit of g?
5
Suppose -12*p + 446 = -11*p. What is the units digit of p?
6
Let q = 76 + -15. Suppose -3*p + q = -2*p + 3*k, 0 = -4*p + 3*k + 259. What is the units digit of p?
4
Suppose 3*q + 2*l = 132, 0 = -q + 5*q - l - 165. Suppose -q = -5*m + 13. What is the units digit of 8 - m - (-29 - 0)?
6
Let l = -1 + -1. Let u be ((-15)/l)/((-7)/(-14)). What is the units digit of (-9)/u - (-78)/5?
5
Let s be (-1 - -1) + (-91)/13. Let d = 6 - s. Let m = -6 + d. What is the units digit of m?
7
Let i = -28 + 32. What is the tens digit of ((-14)/i)/((-18)/180)?
3
Suppose -777 = 4*o - 2637. What is the tens digit of o?
6
Suppose 2*o - 1090 = -238. What is the tens digit of o?
2
Let n be 0 + (-2 - -6) + (-1 - 0). Suppose -4*d - n*w + 452 = 0, -4*d + 350 + 106 = 2*w. What is the units digit of d?
6
Let u = 6 + -1. Suppose 4*i - 414 = -2*x, -u*x + 195 = 4*i - 2*i. What is the units digit of i?
5
Let z = -107 - -32. Suppose 0*y - 2*y - 4*b = 282, 0 = 3*y + 5*b + 421. Let s = z - y. What is the units digit of s?
2
What is the hundreds digit of -4 + (-21)/(-7) - -268?
2
What is the hundreds digit of ((-454)/(-5))/((-55)/(-1375))?
2
Let w = -30 - -31. What is the hundreds digit of w/2 + -550*(-2)/8?
1
Suppose -2609 = -3*r + u, r - 539 = 3*u + 320. What is the units digit of r?
1
What is the units digit of (-5)/2 + 266258/268?
1
Suppose 0*b + 2*b - 155 = p, -4*b + 313 = p. Suppose 2*u = -3*g + 352 - 129, -3*u = -g + b. What is the tens digit of g?
7
Let k(x) = x**3 + 6*x**2 - x - 3. Let g be k(-6). Suppose -3*s = 2*a - 16, g*s - 16 = 2*a + 4. Suppose -120 = -s*u - 0*u. What is the units digit of u?
0
Let j(v) = v**2 + 15*v + 21. Suppose -u - 12 = 2*c, 3*c - 3 = 6. What is the units digit of j(u)?
5
Let m(o) = o**3 + 55*o**2 + 133*o + 295. What is the thousands digit of m(-51)?
3
Let j = 2 + -7. What is the units digit of (0 - 1)/((-1)/(-155)*j)?
1
Let n = 925 + -607. What is the tens digit of n?
1
What is the units digit of 822/((-7)/2 - (-2 + -3))?
8
Let v(w) = -24*w - 30. Let k be v(-10). Suppose 110 = 2*d + 2*f, 3*d - 7*d - 2*f + k = 0. What is the tens digit of d?
5
Suppose 4*b = -0*b - 68. Suppose 120 = 65*k - 73*k. Let j = k - b. What is the units digit of j?
2
Let q(p) = 3*p**3 + p**2 + 13*p - 4. What is the units digit of q(4)?
6
Let i(o) = -2*o**2 + 15*o - 11. Let u be i(6). Suppose u*b - 1176 = -b. What is the units digit of b?
7
Let l = -56 + 156. Let q = l + 13. What is the hundreds digit of q?
1
Let y(n) = n**2 - 63*n - 23. What is the thousands digit of y(-14)?
1
Let k = 5 - 1. Suppose 0 = k*h + 4*g - 20, -2*g = h - 7 - 2. What is the tens digit of ((-4)/h)/(6/(-60))?
4
What is the units digit of 32270/40 - 3/(-12)?
7
Let d be 226/6 + (-2)/3. Let l = 53 + d. What is the tens digit of (-2 - -2) + l/6?
1
Let o(l) = -8*l + 6. Let p be o(-3). Let c = 169 - p. What is the units digit of c?
9
Let c(p) = 90*p + 4. What is the hundreds digit of c(23)?
0
Let h = 1222 + -1062. What is the tens digit of h?
6
Suppose 355 = 3*a + 115. Suppose a = y + 19. What is the units digit of y?
1
Suppose -18 = -2*s - 6. Let r be 18/(-12)*16/s. What is the units digit of 4*((-43)/r)/1?
3
Let l(v) = -79*v. Let r be l(1). Let f be (-2)/9 + r/9. Let h = f + 11. What is the units digit of h?
2
Let q be ((-55)/22)/(10/(-8)). Suppose 229 - 17 = 4*a - 3*j, 0 = -5*a + q*j + 272. What is the tens digit of a?
5
Let s = -51 - -14. Let d = -22 - s. Suppose -16*g + d*g = -19. What is the units digit of g?
9
Let g = -5 + 5. Suppose g = -10*b - 0*b + 1100. What is the hundreds digit of b?
1
Suppose -2*r = 5*b - 515, -224 + 1247 = 4*r + 3*b. Let w = r + -139. What is the units digit of w?
6
Let a = 12703 + -8832. What is the units digit of a?
1
Let z(b) = 201*b - 458. What is the thousands digit of z(12)?
1
Let w = 4 + -3. Suppose 3*k = w - 10. What is the units digit of -1 + k + 60/2?
6
Let t be 2/3*18/4. Let w be t + 2*(-2 + 3). Suppose -34 = -w*m + p - 15, 4*m + p - 8 = 0. What is the units digit of m?
3
Let l(o) = 2*o**2 + 3*o - 6. Let x = 6 + 5. Suppose 5*v + 17 = 3*f, 0*f + 3*v + x = 2*f. What is the units digit of l(f)?
8
Let h(m) = -23*m**3 + m**2 + 1. Let d be h(-2). Let f = d + -79. What is the units digit of f?
0
Let u(y) be the third derivative of 2*y**2 - 1/24*y**4 - 1/120*y**6 + 1/15*y**5 + 5/6*y**3 + 0*y + 0. What is the units digit of u(4)?
1
Suppose 4*o = -4, -6*s + 4*s + 3*o = -5. What is the tens digit of 25*(6 - (3 + s))?
5
Let y(h) = -4*h - 12. Let w(t) = -t**2 - t - 4. Let r be w(0). Let b be y(r). What is the tens digit of 682/(-33)*(-6)/b?
3
Let o(x) = -x**3 + 5*x**2 + 8. Let u be o(6). Let j = u + 26. What is the units digit of 53 + (j - -1)*3?
0
Let y(t) = 28*t**3 - 3*t + 3. Let c be y(1). What is the units digit of (c/(-6))/(4/(-42))?
9
Suppose 2*u + z - 49 + 10 = 0, 3*z = -5*u + 100. Let t(m) = 2*m**3 - 33*m**2 - 10*m + 3. What is the tens digit of t(u)?
2
Suppose 0 = -r - 0 + 4. Suppose 0 = b + j - 4 - 3, 0 = j - r. Suppose -4*i = -w - 111, 4*w = -8*i + b*i + 165. What is the units digit of i?
9
Suppose 5*j = -3*o + 24, 2 = 2*j + 4*o - 2. Suppose 0 = -2*b - 3*w + j, -5*b + 0*b = -4*w - 61. What is the units digit of b?
9
Let s(v) = 44*v + 3. Let d be s(1). Let b = 119 - d. What is the units digit of b?
2
Suppose -o + 3 = -3*x - 2, 5 = 5*x + o. Suppose x = n - 0*n - 20. Let c = -5 + n. What is the tens digit of c?
1
Let u be ((-4 + 6)/(1 - 3))/1. What is the tens digit of u/5 + (-5)/(-25)*321?
6
Suppose 0 = r - 6*r + 835. Suppose 3*b - 40 = r. Let i = b + -26. What is the units digit of i?
3
Suppose x = -5*b + 846, 0*b + b = -2*x + 1647. What is the tens digit of x?
2
Suppose -k = 5*r - 396, r = -4*r + k + 404. Let n = r - 52. What is the units digit of n/1 - (-12)/(-4)?
5
Let v(y) be the first derivative of -2*y**2 + 47*y + 2. What is the units digit of v(-14)?
3
Let u(x) = -31*x**3 - x**2 - x - 1 |
All relevant data can be found in the Supporting Information file [S1 Data](#pcbi.1004882.s003){ref-type="supplementary-material"}.
> This is a *PLOS Computational Biology* Methods paper.
Introduction {#sec001}
============
Infection incidence (the number of new infections per time unit) is a basic epidemiological measure that describes the transmission of an infection through time. Because the exact time at which an individual acquired an infection is difficult to assess, time of symptom onset is often used as a proxy (e.g. \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref001]\]). When the time between the moment of infection and symptom onset (the incubation period) is predictable, this proxy will not bias results, but incidence estimation does become problematic with asymptomatic infection or when incubation periods vary unpredictably \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref002]\].
Another common problem for measuring incidence is the time resolution of data, as the temporal precision of incidence is directly related to that of data "sampling". Ideally, each new infection is detected and recorded immediately, but in reality this is rarely possible and new cases are often recorded at irregular intervals and a low number of time points, resulting in suboptimal resolution incidence data \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref003], [@pcbi.1004882.ref004]\]. Even more importantly, when sampling intervals are larger than the duration of symptoms, a proportion of cases will be missed. This problem is especially common in the case of wildlife diseases, as natural populations are often sampled incompletely and at relatively large intervals \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref005]\]. In such cases, indirect measures of incidence that rely on evidence of past infection are needed.
The presence of specific antibodies indicates whether an individual has previously been infected, and the distribution of different antibody (Ab) types (e.g. IgG, IgM, IgA) can give a rough indication of how recently the individual was infected \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref006]--[@pcbi.1004882.ref009]\]. If individuals in a population are sampled repeatedly, a seroconversion event in between two sampling events provides further information about the time since infection. Aside from being present or not, Abs vary over time in quantity (titer) and quality (avidity). On the condition that this temporal variation is sufficiently constant and predictable within and between individuals, these antibody dynamic properties can be used for a more accurate estimation of the time since infection.
Avidity (Ab-antigen bond strength) tends to increase with time since infection, which means that it can in some cases be used to back-calculate the time since infection. But although this method is used routinely, e.g. for human cytomegalovirus \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref010], [@pcbi.1004882.ref011]\], its sensitivity is low, and it can only differentiate between "recent" or "old" (e.g. less or more than 90 days since infection for cytomegalovirus) infection events \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref006], [@pcbi.1004882.ref012]\].
Temporal dynamics of Ab levels can be another source of information about time since infection. In such cases a model must be created that describes the course of Ab levels (titers) over time since infection using known serological response data. This model is then used to back-calculate, given an Ab titer, the time since infection, which in turn can be used for incidence estimation. This has been done for pertussis \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref013], [@pcbi.1004882.ref014]\], HIV \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref015], [@pcbi.1004882.ref016]\] and Salmonella \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref017], [@pcbi.1004882.ref018]\].
While this method is promising, significant improvements are still possible in two main ways. A common, important limitation for developing good time since infection models is the lack of detailed information about individual Ab dynamics, which limits the explanatory power of such models as they must in that case be estimated using cross-sectional instead of individual data (e.g. \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref018]\]). Experimental challenge studies, in which the exact time since infection is known, would be needed to describe and model the within-individual Ab dynamics needed to calculate time since infection, but these are notoriously difficult to conduct \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref019]\]. A perhaps more feasible approach to improving time since infection models would be to make optimal use of all available sources of information on the course of infection. While changes in Ab presence/titer over time can contain much information on time since infection and are the most obvious input data, additional information is contained in parameters such as the presence/quantity of the pathogen (or of other immune response markers), individual age (e.g. for typical childhood infections, young individuals are more likely to have been infected recently than older ones) or season (e.g. for seasonal infections, individuals are more likely to have been infected recently during or short after the peak transmission season).
Here, we present a novel method that allows the integration of multiple serological biomarkers (Ab presence/absence/titer, pathogen presence/absence) as well as additional prior knowledge (e.g. age, season, capture probability) to inform a semi-parametric mixed model that back-calculates the time since infection of each individual, in a Bayesian framework. The integration of multiple sources of information ensures the optimal use of data that are often already available but not yet taken into account.
We apply this method to estimate the incidence of Morogoro virus (MORV) infection in Natal multimammate mice (*Mastomys natalensis*). This model system is used because the epidemiological and demographic parameters necessary for testing this method are well known for this infection. MORV is a member of the arenaviruses, a family of zoonotic viruses that includes viruses able to cause hemorrhagic fever in humans after acquiring infection from wild rodents (e.g. Lassa virus (LASV), Junin virus, Machupo virus) \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref020]\]. It is restricted to East-Africa, and while it does not seem to cause disease in humans it is closely related to Lassa virus which causes Lassa hemorrhagic fever in West-Africa, and with which it shares the same host species. Because both the population ecology of the rodent host *M. natalensis* and the infection ecology of MORV have been studied thoroughly (driven by the host's status as an agricultural pest species and the virus' close resemblance to LASV) \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref021], [@pcbi.1004882.ref022]\], MORV infection provides a good model system for testing the current method.
As is the case for other time since infection methods, two types of datasets are needed to estimate incidence. A first dataset, consisting of any type of data that contains information on the temporal course of infection (e.g. Ab titer dynamics in an infected individual), is used once in order to create an integrated model of individual time since infection. Once created, this model can be used to estimate incidence from cross-sectional sampling data that ideally (but not necessarily) includes repeated measures of individuals.
We use a wildlife disease model system to develop and test the method because detailed individual-level infection/antibody dynamics are available, but also to show that the method is applicable to both human and wildlife infections. Because it is usually difficult to monitor infections at a high time-resolution, this method can provide a way to improve the quality of longitudinal data without having to increase sampling efforts.
Methods {#sec002}
=======
In the following, we show how different types of data (e.g. levels, presence/absence) can be used to estimate the time of infection, and as a proof of principle we apply the method to MORV transmission in the multimammate mouse *M. natalensis*. For each type of data we present a generalised method and immediately apply it to MORV, and we show how to use individual estimates of the time of infection to estimate incidence in the population. Finally, through the use of simulated MORV transmission data we investigate method performance under different conditions.
MORV Ab level dynamics and virus presence in blood and excretions (urine, feces, saliva) have been quantified previously in a challenge study, described in \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref023]\], where multimammate mice from a breeding colony were injected with cultured MORV and sampled frequently for 210 days, which is more than their average lifetime in natural conditions ([Fig 1](#pcbi.1004882.g001){ref-type="fig"} and \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref023]\]).
![Temporal variation of antibody levels obtained from experimental data \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref023]\] for 15 different individuals (a) and for all individuals combined (red dots) with fitted function mean and standard deviation (blue lines) (b).](pcbi.1004882.g001){#pcbi.1004882.g001}
Back-Calculation Model {#sec003}
----------------------
### Bayes' rule {#sec004}
In the following, we assume that an individual can be encountered at different times, at which it can be tested for different types of information: Ab level, pathogen presence, age, body weight, sex, etc. For each measurement type *k*, the experimental information for a single individual can be represented by a vector $\mathbf{X}^{k} = \left\lbrack x_{1}^{k},x_{2}^{k},...,x_{n}^{k} \right\rbrack$, of which the different coordinates represent the responses that have been measured at times ***T*** = \[*t*~1~, *t*~2~, ..., *t*~*n*~\] for a particular individual.
Decoding the information about the individual time of infection *θ* from these experimental data ***X***^***k***^ essentially comes down to the calculation of *P*(*θ*\|***X***^***k***^, ***T***), which is the probability that, given the information ***X***^***k***^ measured at times ***T***, the tested individual was infected at time *θ*. In order to calculate *P*(*θ*\|***X***^***k***^(***T***), ***T***), we make use of Bayes' Rule to arrive at $$\begin{array}{r}
{P\left( \theta \middle| \mathbf{X}^{k},\mathbf{T} \right) = \frac{P\left( \mathbf{T} \right)}{P\left( \mathbf{X}^{k},\mathbf{T} \right)}P\left( \mathbf{X}^{k} \middle| \mathbf{T},\theta \right)P\left( \theta \middle| \mathbf{T} \right).} \\
\end{array}$$
Both the numerator and denominator of the first factor are independent of *θ*, and consequently this fraction can be inferred from the fact that ∫*P*(*θ*\|***X***^***k***^, ***T***)*dt* = 1. Calculating the posterior probability *P*(*θ*\|***X***^***k***^, ***T***) is then reduced to the calculation of *P*(***X***^***k***^\|***T***, *θ*), i.e. the likelihood that a time of infection *θ* produces the information ***X***^***k***^ at times ***T***, and *P*(*θ*\|***T***), i.e. the prior for *θ* if we assume that the individual was encountered at times ***T***. In the following, we describe how to model *P*(***X***^***k***^\|***T***, *θ*) and *P*(*θ*\|***T***) using different sources of information.
Modeling *P*(***X***^***k***^\|***T***, *θ*) {#sec005}
--------------------------------------------
The estimation of the time of infection *θ* can be based on different dimensions of the immune response that each require a slightly different approach. In the following we consider two different sources of information.
### Using level information {#sec006}
In a situation where the level of a measured biomarker (e.g. Ab or pathogen levels in blood) exhibits predictable temporal variation we can extract information on the time since infection from the measured level \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref018]\]. For example, in the particular case of MORV, [Fig 1](#pcbi.1004882.g001){ref-type="fig"} clearly shows that the Ab-level contains information about the time since infection.
First, let us consider the case of a single level $x_{i}^{k}$ where we have to determine $P\left( x_{i}^{k} \middle| t_{i,}\theta \right)$, i.e. the conditional probability of measuring level $x_{i}^{k}$ if the individual was infected at time *θ* and tested at time *t*~*i*~. As is clear from the data shown in [Fig 1](#pcbi.1004882.g001){ref-type="fig"}, a particular value of the time since infection *t*~*i*~ − *θ* does not necessarily result in a single possible biomarker level due to variation caused by inherent measurement errors, temporal variation and/or individual differences. The measured level $x_{i}^{k}$ at time *t*~*i*~ can be written as $$\begin{array}{rcl}
x_{i}^{k} & = & {L\left( t_{i} - \theta \right) + \delta_{i},} \\
\end{array}$$ $$\begin{array}{rcl}
\delta_{i} & \sim & {\mathcal{N}\left( 0,\sigma\left( t_{i} - \theta \right) \right),} \\
\end{array}$$ i.e. the mean level corresponding to a time since infection, *L*(*t*~*i*~ − *θ*), plus an 'error' *δ*~*i*~. This model and the error distribution are system-specific, and can take any empirical form as long as it adequately describes the course of the biomarker over time. It is typically derived from experimental infection data. Here, we assume that the error is normally distributed, with a variance *σ* that may be dependent on the time since infection *t*~*i*~ − *θ*, because this is probably a common situation. Using these approximations, we arrive at the following conditional probability for a single level measurement: $$\begin{array}{r}
{P\left( x_{i}^{k} \middle| t_{i,}\theta \right) = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2\pi}\sigma\left( t_{i} - \theta \right)}\exp\left\{ {- \frac{1}{2\left\lbrack \sigma\left( t_{i} - \theta \right) \right\rbrack^{2}}\left\lbrack {x_{i}^{k} - L\left( t_{i} - \theta \right)} \right\rbrack^{2}} \right\},} \\
\end{array}$$ with *t*~*i*~ − *θ* the time since infection.
This model describes the conditional probability based on a single measurement, but one often has more information on the evolution of the levels, since an individual may be encountered and tested at different times. In this case, the temporal level information is contained within a vector ***X***^***k***^ of which the different coordinates represent the responses measured at times ***T***. If we again consider the individual to have been infected at time *t*, Eqs [2](#pcbi.1004882.e007){ref-type="disp-formula"} and [3](#pcbi.1004882.e008){ref-type="disp-formula"} can be generalized to $$\begin{array}{rcl}
\mathbf{X}^{k} & = & {L\left( \mathbf{T} - \theta \right) + \mathbf{\delta},} \\
\end{array}$$ $$\begin{array}{rcl}
\mathbf{\delta} & \sim & {\mathcal{N}\left( 0,\Sigma \right),} \\
\end{array}$$ with the covariance matrix **Σ** over all *n* times the individual was tested, and *δ* a *n* − dimensional vector drawn from a multivariate normal distribution. Finally, this results in $$\begin{array}{l}
\left. P(\mathbf{X}^{k} \middle| \mathbf{T},\theta)\, = \,\frac{1}{\left( {2\pi} \right)^{n/2}\left| \Sigma \right|^{1/2}} \right. \\
{\text{ } \times \text{exp}\left\{ {- \frac{1}{2}\left\lbrack {\mathbf{X}^{k} - L\left( {\mathbf{T} - \theta} \right)} \right\rbrack^{T}\Sigma^{- 1}\left\lbrack {\mathbf{X}^{k} - L\left( {\mathbf{T} - \theta} \right)} \right\rbrack} \right\}.} \\
\end{array}$$
The covariance matrix would typically be inferred from experimental data and accounts for the possible interdependence of level responses at different times. Indeed, the error ***δ*** of different measurements may not be independent over time. Also, it is possible that part of the variance is caused by individual differences, i.e., ***δ*** = ***δ***~ind~ + ***δ***~noise~, as some individuals may have a stronger immune response (higher overall levels) than others.
### Applied to MORV: Ab level {#sec007}
We apply this to MORV by considering information about one Ab (IgG) measurement, shown in [Fig 1](#pcbi.1004882.g001){ref-type="fig"}. First, in order to arrive at errors that can be adequately described by a normal distribution, we take the logarithm of the Ab level. Next, we estimate *L*(*t*) by fitting a smooth spline to the data to arrive at the curve shown in [Fig 1b](#pcbi.1004882.g001){ref-type="fig"}.
Then, we subtract the corresponding *L*-value from each datapoint and calculate to what extent individual variation and temporal variation account for the variance observed in the residual errors, as this would then have to be taken into account in the covariance matrix. Using an ANOVA, we found no significant effect of individual (p = 0.085) or time (p = 0.089) on the variation of the residual errors. Based on the sum of squares, the relative contributions to the total variance were estimated to be 1.3% for time and 9.6% for individual. From this analysis, we find that the effects of individual and time can be ignored, compared to the residual variance, and consequently we consider the covariance matrix to be proportional to the unitary matrix, *σ*^2^ ***I***, independent of *t*. All off-diagonal elements are assumed zero. The residual standard deviation was measured to be *σ* = 0.99 and approximated to 1.
Note that although we here estimate *L*(*t*) using a spline method and with the assumption that there is no individual or temporal effect on variation, *P*(***X***^*k*^\|***T***, *θ*) can be modeled using any method, as long as the model adequately describes the data. Indeed, an alternative to using a spline method is to use a mechanistic model, and an alternative to determine the appropriate covariance structure is to use a hierarchical modelling approach in which likelihood theory is used to test the contribution of the different sources of variability (see e.g. \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref017], [@pcbi.1004882.ref018], [@pcbi.1004882.ref024]\]).
### Using presence/absence information {#sec008}
Often, information on presence/absence of biomarkers is more easily available than level data. This can be due to biomarker assay limitations, because level variability of the measured biomarker is too high and unpredictable, or because the levels do not change sufficiently over time. In such situations, it may be possible to use presence ($x_{i}^{k} = 1$) or absence ($x_{i}^{k} = 0$) of a biomarker (e.g. IgG, IgM, virus), often measured using assays that result in values above or below a detection threshold. Given that an individual was infected at time *θ*, the probability of biomarker presence or absence $x_{i}^{k}$ at time *t*~*i*~ is given by $$\begin{array}{r}
{P\left( x_{i}^{k} \middle| t_{i},\theta \right) = x_{i}^{k}\left\lbrack {2p\left( t_{i} - \theta \right) - 1} \right\rbrack + \left\lbrack 1 - p\left( t_{i} - \theta \right) \right\rbrack,} \\
\end{array}$$ which would typically be derived from experimental infection data.
In the case of multiple (*n*) measurements, presence/absence data are contained in a vector ***X***^***k***^, with *n* measurements $\left\lbrack x_{1}^{k},x_{2}^{k},...,x_{n}^{k} \right\rbrack$, where $x_{n}^{k}$ is the *n*-th measurement indicating presence (1) or absence (0). Assuming that measurements at different times are independent, we can write $$\begin{array}{r}
{P\left( \mathbf{X}^{k} \middle| \mathbf{T},\theta \right) = \prod\limits_{i = 1}^{n}P\left( x_{i}^{k} \middle| t_{i},\theta \right).} \\
\end{array}$$
### Applied to MORV: Ab presence {#sec009}
Usually in epidemiology only information about Ab presence or absence (seroconversion events) is used to estimate the time since infection, resulting in incidence estimates with low temporal resolution \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref025], [@pcbi.1004882.ref026]\]. Here, we use that situation as a reference, in order to evaluate the improvements offered by using Ab level instead of only presence/absence data.
When only considering Ab presence, the measurement $x_{i}^{ab}$ is a binary variable of which the value depends on whether Ab was present (1) or absent (0) at time *t*~*i*~. The probability *p*^*ab*^(*t*) of detecting Ab in blood if an animal was infected at *t* = 0 is then given by $$\begin{matrix}
\begin{array}{l}
{p^{ab}\left( {t \leq 6} \right) = 0} \\
{p^{ab}(t > 6) = 1,} \\
\end{array} \\
\end{matrix}$$ as it was found that Ab are never present before day 7 after infection \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref023]\]. After this initial period, we assume the test to be sensitive enough to detect Ab presence with a probability of 1 ([Fig 1](#pcbi.1004882.g001){ref-type="fig"}).
### Applied to MORV: Virus presence in blood {#sec010}
Based on experimental data, the probability *p*^*vb*^(*t*) to detect virus in blood (Vb) if an animal was infected at *t* = 0 can be adequately modeled by $$\begin{matrix}
{p^{vb}\left( {t \leq 1} \right) = 0} \\
{p^{vb}(1 < t \leq 8) = 1} \\
{p^{vb}(t > 8) = \text{exp}\left\lbrack {- 0.3\left( {t - 8} \right)} \right\rbrack,} \\
\end{matrix}$$ as shown in [Fig 2a](#pcbi.1004882.g002){ref-type="fig"}.
![Probability of virus presence in blood (a) and excretions (b), estimated from experimental data \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref023]\].\
Detection probability is given by the proportion of tested individuals that was RNA-positive on a given sampling day.](pcbi.1004882.g002){#pcbi.1004882.g002}
### Applied to MORV: Virus presence in excretions {#sec011}
Similar to using information on Vb, another source of information is the presence/absence of virus in excretions (Ve; urine, saliva or feces). Based on the experimental data shown in [Fig 2b](#pcbi.1004882.g002){ref-type="fig"}, we model the probability *p*^*ve*^(*t*) to detect Ve if an animal was infected at *t* = 0 as $$\begin{matrix}
{p^{ve}\left( {t \leq 2} \right) = 0} \\
{p^{ve}(2 < t \leq 12) = \left( {t - 2} \right)/20} \\
{p^{ve}(12 < t \leq 45) = \left( {45 - t} \right)/66} \\
{p^{ve}(t > 45) = 0.} \\
\end{matrix}$$
### Combined biomarker information {#sec012}
After modeling all biomarkers of interest, the separate models can easily be combined into one conditional probability of the time of infection that incorporates information about different biomarkers, including levels (or presence/absence) of different antibodies (e.g. IgG, IgM, ...), pathogen (e.g. virus, bacteria) concentration (or presence/absence), and in different tissues (blood, excretions, organs, ...). One should keep in mind that the errors, levels or presence of some of the different sources can be correlated, which should be taken into account in the covariance matrix.
If we assume *N* independent sources of information, we can combine these by simple multiplication of their respective conditional probabilities to arrive at $$\begin{array}{r}
{P\left( \mathbf{X} \middle| \mathbf{T},\theta \right) = \prod\limits_{k = 1}^{N}P\left( \mathbf{X}^{k} \middle| \mathbf{T},\theta \right),} \\
\end{array}$$ where *k* runs over *N* different sources of information. The resulting conditional probability can then be inserted into [Eq 1](#pcbi.1004882.e002){ref-type="disp-formula"}.
Modeling *P*(*θ*\|***T***) {#sec013}
--------------------------
Because an individual can of course only have been infected when it was alive and present in the population, the estimation of *θ* can be improved by incorporating prior information about the probability of an individual being alive/present, i.e. by modeling *P*(*θ*\|***T***). Here, we show how to implement information on mortality rate and maximum life span, age at the time of sampling, and encounter probability, but note that any source of information can be used in a similar way as long as it results in a realistic prior distribution.
Knowledge about the maximum life span can be informative because it sets an upper boundary to the possible time since infection, and is especially useful in situations where the maximum life span is short relative to the possible time since infection. If an individual was last tested at time *t*~*n*~ and the maximum life span is known, then the prior distribution *P*(*θ*\|***T***) can be reduced to $$\begin{array}{r}
{P\left( \theta \middle| \mathbf{T} \right) \sim \frac{1}{\text{life}\text{span}}\left\lbrack {\theta > \left( t_{n} - \text{life}\text{span)} \right.} \right\rbrack\left\lbrack {\theta < t_{n}} \right\rbrack,} \\
\end{array}$$ with \[. \< .\] is a boolean operator that returns 1 or 0 when the equality is true or false, as shown in [Fig 3a](#pcbi.1004882.g003){ref-type="fig"}.
{#pcbi.1004882.g003}
Similarly, one could make use of the mortality rate, as this is directly associated with the possible age of an individual. If an individual was first encountered at time ***t***~1~ and we assume a mortality rate *γ* as inferred from data, we arrive at prior distribution $$\begin{array}{r}
{P\left( \theta \middle| \mathbf{T} \right) \sim \max\left\lbrack {\exp\left( \gamma\left( \theta - t_{1} \right) \right),1} \right\rbrack\left\lbrack {\theta < t_{n}} \right\rbrack,} \\
\end{array}$$ as shown in [Fig 3b](#pcbi.1004882.g003){ref-type="fig"}. This figure clearly shows that, due to mortality, it becomes increasingly unlikely for individuals to have been alive, and therefore infected, further in the past.
When more precise information exists on the age of an individual focus individual (which is trivial for humans, while for wild animals this can be based on physiological or morphological features such as weight), this can be taken into account explicitly by including $$\begin{array}{r}
{P\left( \theta \middle| \mathbf{T} \right) \sim \left\lbrack {\theta > \left( t_{1} - \text{age}\left( t_{1} \right) \right)} \right\rbrack\left\lbrack {\theta < t_{n}} \right\rbrack,} \\
\end{array}$$ if the individual was first encountered at time *t*~1~, see [Fig 3c](#pcbi.1004882.g003){ref-type="fig"}.
More applicable to wildlife infections is the use of encounter probability (typically termed trapping or capture probability, but for consistency and human application we will here refer to it as encounter probability). In a typical capture-mark-recapture study, only a proportion of individual is captured during each session, and well-developed methods exist for estimating encounter probability \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref027], [@pcbi.1004882.ref028]\]. This encounter probability can be used to estimate the likelihood of an individual being alive at a certain point in time, assuming a closed population during that time (no migration). If an individual is first encountered at time *t*~1~, the probability of it being born at time *θ* decreases with *t*~1~ − *θ*, as it becomes increasingly unlikely that it was not encountered during (*t*~1~ − *θ*) / Δ*t* trapping sessions.
If we estimate encounter probability *p*~*enc*~ for every trapping session, this information can be used to further improve the prior time distribution: $$\begin{array}{l}
\left. P(\theta \middle| \mathbf{T})\, \sim \text{ max}\left\lbrack {{(1 - p_{enc})}^{(t_{1} - \theta)/\Delta t},1} \right\rbrack\left\lbrack {\theta < t_{n}} \right\rbrack \right. \\
{\text{ } \approx \text{ max}\left\{ {\text{exp}\left\lbrack {p_{enc}\frac{(\theta - t_{1})}{\Delta t}} \right\rbrack,1} \right\}\left\lbrack {\theta < t_{n}} \right\rbrack,} \\
\end{array}$$ where Δ*t* is the sampling or trapping interval time, and with the latter approximation valid only when *p*~*enc*~ \< \<1. This approach only holds if one can assume a closed population where every individual was in the population during its lifetime and the effects of migration are negligible.
One could also use seasonal information or cross-sectional data to inform the prior *P*(*θ*\|***T***), or in fact any other data source that contains any type of information about the time since infection.
Decision Criterion {#sec014}
------------------
Given the resulting posterior probability *P*(*θ*\|***X***, ***T***), the observer still has to use a decision criterion to decide which time of infection *θ* is most likely. Probably the most obvious decision criterion is the mean squared error (MSE) of the time since infection by selecting the ${\hat{\theta}}_{i}$ for which $$\begin{array}{r}
{MSE = \frac{1}{N_{ind}}\sum\limits_{1 = 1}^{N_{ind}}\left\lbrack {\hat{\theta}\left( i \right) - \theta\left( i \right)} \right\rbrack^{2},} \\
\end{array}$$ with *i* running over a population of *N*~*ind*~ individuals, is minimal. It can be shown that this is the case for $\hat{\theta} = \int d\theta P\left( \theta \middle| \mathbf{T},\mathbf{X} \right)\theta$ \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref029]\].
In order to assess the quality of the estimates, the remaining uncertainty on the time since infection can be inspected conditional on the observed data (***X***, ***T***), which can be quantified using the conditional entropy *E*(*θ*\|***X***, ***T***) \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref029]\], i.e., $$\begin{array}{r}
{E\left( \theta \middle| \mathbf{X},\mathbf{T} \right) = \int_{\theta^{\prime}}d\theta^{\prime}p\left( \theta^{\prime} \middle| \mathbf{X},\mathbf{T} \right)\log_{2}p\left( \theta^{\prime} \middle| \mathbf{X},\mathbf{T} \right),} \\
\end{array}$$ where *θ*′ runs over all possible time since infection values. Conditional entropy is a commonly used measure in information theory that quantifies (in *bits*) the remaining amount of uncertainty about the actual value of the quantity of interest (here: time since infection). The highest entropy is attained for a uniform posterior probability distribution (maximum uncertainty), whereas the minimum (zero) entropy is obtained when there is no uncertainty left about the actual value \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref029]\]. In an epidemiological context, the entropy value can be used to improve the reliability of estimated incidence (see next paragraph) by removing all estimates of *θ* for which the entropy value is larger than a threshold value. The choice of this threshold value will mostly depend on the trade-off between sample size and estimation error: a low threshold value will generally result in a higher quality of the remaining *θ* estimates, but at the cost of reducing the final size of the dataset, and will therefore be dataset-specific.
Estimating Incidence {#sec015}
--------------------
One of the main purposes of knowing the time of infection of an individual is to analyse and model infection incidence on a population level. To this end, we need to estimate the time of infection *θ*~*i*~ for all sampled individuals *i* in the population and count the number of newly infecteds on a regular (usually daily) basis. Because in most situations only a proportion of individuals will be encountered and sampled, the "real" proportion of new infections needs to be estimated. This can be done by dividing the number of infecteds by an estimate of the proportion of encountered individuals. Given a certain sampling interval Δ*t* and an encounter probability at each session (*p*~*enc*~), this proportion can be approximated by $$\begin{array}{r}
{\text{proportion}\text{encountered} = \gamma\int dt\exp\left( - \gamma t \right)\left\lbrack {1 - \left( 1 - p_{enc} \right)^{t/\Delta t}} \right\rbrack,} \\
\end{array}$$ where the integral runs over all the survival times *t* following an exponential distribution with 1/*γ* (the average lifespan of an individual in our simulation), *t* / Δ*t* is the approximate number of sampling sessions during lifetime *t*, and (1 − *p*~*enc*~)^*t*/\ Δ*t*^ is the approximate probability that an individual is never encountered during these sessions.
Application to MORV Infection in *M. natalensis* {#sec016}
------------------------------------------------
Next, in order to test the back-calculation scheme, we need a dataset of individuals in a population, with full knowledge of their infectious status at each moment. Also, to test the efficacy of the method as a function of sample size (with regard to intervals between sampling sessions as well as the sampling effort), we need datasets collected under different trapping regimes. We therefore simulate MORV transmission in a population of multimammate mice, "sampled" in different trapping sessions, with each individual given simulated infection attribute data based on the experimentally-derived \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref023]\] course of Ab levels and probability of virus presence in blood and excretions. These simulated data are equivalent to epidemiological data obtained through surveys with repeated sampling, but now of course with the difference that our simulated data are completely known for testing purposes. All simulated data, as well as the Matlab code used to apply the time of infection estimation method, can be found in [S1 Data](#pcbi.1004882.s003){ref-type="supplementary-material"}.
As input for the model, we use simulated data from an existing individual-based spatially-explicit SEIR model, which models the population dynamics and the transmission of Morogoro virus in *M. natalensis* \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref030]\]. In this model, individuals are born in the susceptible (S) state and can become infected through contact with infectious (I---infectious state) individuals. When infected, they enter a latent stage (E---exposed state) during which they cannot transmit the virus, until they become infectious (I) after around 6 days. After around 45 days they stop being infectious, recover from the infection (R---recovered state) and remain immune against re-infection for the remainder of their life. Latent and infectious periods were simulated assuming an exponential distribution. The simulation is run over a total area of 10ha, but in order to recreate a realistic situation in which individuals can move freely in and out of the study site, only the individuals that are encountered within a central 5ha area were available for "trapping". Realistic population densities and fluctuations are used, ranging between around 10 and 150 per ha. After a simulation burn-in period, two years of data are considered (from day 1000 until 1730).
Throughout the simulation we keep track of each individual's age, time since infection *t*, and we simulate trapping sessions with a time interval Δ*t*, in which every individual present in the 5ha area has a probability *p*~*trap*~ to be trapped. Whether an individual is trapped or not is determined using pseudo random numbers. This way, for every individual we can generate an artificial set of measurements (***T***, ***X***^***k***^) that we can then use to estimate the time of infection $\hat{\theta}$. ***X***^*ab*^ are random realisations according to the multivariate distribution shown in [Eq 8](#pcbi.1004882.e024){ref-type="disp-formula"} at times ***T***. ***X***^*vb*^ and ***X***^*ve*^ are random draws with respective probabilities *p*^*vb*^ and *p*^*ve*^ at times ***T***. We vary the time intervals between capture sessions using Δ*t* = 1, 7, 14, 28, 56 days, as well as the probability for each of the individuals to be captured using *p*~*trap*~ ∈ (0, 1).
We implement a maximum life span of *M. natalensis* of 450 days based on \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref031]\]. The average mortality rate (averaged across the year) is calculated from the simulation data, and estimated to be *μ* = 0.008537 mice/day (average life span of 117 days). Both maximum and average life span are used as prior information for all time of infection estimates.
Results and Discussion {#sec017}
======================
Ab Level vs Presence/Absence, without Additional Information {#sec018}
------------------------------------------------------------
The estimation of the time since infection is much improved by the use of Ab levels, as opposed to when only using Ab presence/absence data (Figs [4](#pcbi.1004882.g004){ref-type="fig"} and [5](#pcbi.1004882.g005){ref-type="fig"}). The use of Ab levels also results in a much better reconstruction of incidence dynamics, even without including additional information such as virus presence or individual age ([Fig 6](#pcbi.1004882.g006){ref-type="fig"}). When using Ab presence/absence data, incidence can only be estimated with a low temporal resolution, the main consequence being that the peaks and troughs of the incidence dynamics were estimated badly ([Fig 6](#pcbi.1004882.g006){ref-type="fig"}). Although the incidence peaks are estimated quite well when using Ab levels, the periods of low incidence are still often over-estimated ([Fig 6](#pcbi.1004882.g006){ref-type="fig"}).
{#pcbi.1004882.g004}
{ref-type="fig"}.](pcbi.1004882.g005){#pcbi.1004882.g005}
{ref-type="fig"} (28 day line) indicate the situation for which incidence plots are shown.](pcbi.1004882.g006){#pcbi.1004882.g006}
Including Additional Information {#sec019}
--------------------------------
The inclusion of additional information (Vb, Ve, individual age) greatly improves the estimation of time since infection and incidence (Figs [4](#pcbi.1004882.g004){ref-type="fig"}--[6](#pcbi.1004882.g006){ref-type="fig"}). Interestingly, this effect is more pronounced when using Ab presence/absence than when using Ab levels. The combined use of Ab levels and other available information results in the highest quality reconstruction of incidence dynamics, where the inclusion of additional information mainly reduces the previously observed over-estimation of low incidence levels between peaks.
Nevertheless, even when using Ab presence/absence instead of Ab level data, incidence can be reconstructed well when including Vb, Ve and individual age. This is encouraging, given the fact that many datasets, especially for wildlife infections, already contain some or all of this information; it means that by applying the back-calculation method, many existing incidence estimations can be improved significantly without additional laboratory or sampling efforts.
Sampling Frequency and Encounter Probability {#sec020}
--------------------------------------------
The quality of the estimates strongly depends on sampling frequency (or trapping interval) and the proportion of individuals that is encountered (or trapped) and sampled. While more additional prior information always results in a better estimation of the time since infection, we see that, at low (realistic) encounter probabilities, this effect is strongest ([Fig 4](#pcbi.1004882.g004){ref-type="fig"}). We also observe that a higher sampling frequency results in better estimates ([Fig 5](#pcbi.1004882.g005){ref-type="fig"}), and this is largely an effect of increased sample sizes: when adjusting the trapping probability to equalise sample sizes of different sampling frequencies, this effect mostly disappears ([S1 Fig](#pcbi.1004882.s001){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). This means that, in theory, similar results can be reached for any sampling frequency or trapping interval, but only if the sampling effort is increased so that a sufficient number of individuals can be sampled. Nevertheless, we observe that long sampling intervals (28--56 days) generally result in lower quality estimates ([S1 Fig](#pcbi.1004882.s001){ref-type="supplementary-material"}), indicating that a shorter interval would still be preferred.
Entropy Threshold {#sec021}
-----------------
In the model, we introduce the use of entropy (which is inversely related to information) as an indicator of the amount of uncertainty contained by an estimate. [Fig 7](#pcbi.1004882.g007){ref-type="fig"} shows how estimates of the time since infection with a higher deviation from the real time since infection generally also contain less information (i.e. have a higher entropy). Similarly, we observe a strongly positive correlation between the MSE of the estimated time of infection and the entropy level ([S2 Fig](#pcbi.1004882.s002){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). Therefore, by removing estimates above a critical entropy value, the MSE can be lowered, albeit at the cost of a lower sample size. Because of this trade-off it is not possible to suggest an optimal critical entropy cut-off value, which should rather be chosen depending on the specific situation, sample size and quality of available information.
{#pcbi.1004882.g007}
Model Limitations {#sec022}
-----------------
Although the model performs well and seems promising for a wide range of situations, there are a number of important assumptions and prerequisites that must be met before it is possible to apply the model to data. First, of course, empirical data on the dynamics of biomarkers (e.g. antibodies, viral RNA, etc) within individuals must be available. These can be relatively straightforward data such as knowledge about when after infection individuals seroconvert and how long antibodies remain detectable, or more elaborate information such as the temporal variation of antibody and virus levels after infection.
Then, these data can only be used if they are sufficiently consistent across individuals. If there is too much inter-individual variation in the shape of biomarker dynamics, it will not be possible to predict individual patterns. This does not however mean that there can not be individual variation in the magnitude of the response, as this would in fact be easy to implement into the model.
Further care must be taken if biomarker data have been obtained through laboratory experiments. Because laboratory conditions are often controlled and limited, natural variation in factors such as individual differences in immune response, stress, secondary infection, initial dose, boosting, etc. may result in different biomarker dynamics that could invalidate a time since infection model if they can not be incorporated into the model \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref032]\]. Ideally this is tested through a comparative study between laboratory and field patterns, but if such a study has not been done we must assume that the patterns observed in laboratory conditions apply to the natural situation.
Other factors that could render the use of a time since infection model difficult are the existence of maternal antibodies and the simultaneous presence of chronically and acutely infected individuals, as these factors would be difficult (but not necessarily impossible) to disentangle and take into account. On the other hand, under certain conditions these factors may even improve the model, as they provide additional information; for example, if maternal antibodies only occur for a certain period in newborn individuals, and if maternal antibodies can be distinguished from other antibodies (e.g. because of lower levels or using a different assay), this information can likely improve the estimation of the time since infection when incorporated into the model.
Model Novelty and Applicability {#sec023}
-------------------------------
Under the conditions described here, the model is a significant improvement on existing models (e.g. \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref014], [@pcbi.1004882.ref017], [@pcbi.1004882.ref018], [@pcbi.1004882.ref033]\]). It provides a relatively simple probabilistic framework for the incorporation of any data source that can inform the estimation of time since infection, such as biomarker level/presence, age, season, sex, weight, etc., and thus allows for the use of individual-level data to interpret cross-sectional survey data and estimate population-level incidence. An important strength of the method is that it does not assume a certain form for the underlying models, which makes it possible to use a general spline method but also a more specific ordinary differential equation (ODE) method when a good ODE can be found (e.g. \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref017]\]).
More specifically for wildlife infections, the method has the potential to enhance existing long-term data. Often, large logistical efforts are necessary to collect longitudinal data on wildlife infections, and even the best datasets have a relatively low temporal resolution, typically consisting of monthly (but often less frequent) capture sessions \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref005], [@pcbi.1004882.ref034]--[@pcbi.1004882.ref037]\]. Prevalence or incidence patterns resulting from such data are usually also limited to this capture frequency, and to our knowledge the only efforts for improving these data have been the rough estimation of seroconversion events between two capture sessions (e.g. \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref038], [@pcbi.1004882.ref039]\]). We have shown however that by integrating multiple sources of information (that have often already been collected or analysed), the quality of incidence data can be greatly improved, especially (but not uniquely) when predictable antibody level dynamics are available.
Conclusion {#sec024}
----------
Due to its flexibility, the model presented here allows the integration of multiple sources of information, thus making optimal use of all available data for estimating individual times of infection and population incidence. It provides a conceptually simple, flexible framework for estimating the time since infection and incidence of human as well as wildlife infections, and can potentially be used to significantly improve incidence estimation based on already existing data.
Supporting Information {#sec025}
======================
###### Estimation error ($\sqrt{\text{MSE}}$) for different sampling intervals (Δ*t*) and different sample size corrected encounter probabilities (m) (ab: antibody, vb: virus in blood, ve: virus in excretions, age: individual age); (a) and (c) are based on ab presence/absence, while (b) and (d) are based on ab levels; (a) and (b) only include ab information, while (c) and (d) include all available information.
In order to adjust the trapping probability so that the number of individuals captured during a month is more or less teh same, a constant *m* was used such that ***p***~***trap***~ = **28\******m*** / **Δ*****t***, with ***m*** ∈ \[[@pcbi.1004882.ref001], [@pcbi.1004882.ref020]\]. Smaller ***m***-values correspond with a lower *p*~*trap*~ but a similar number of individuals.
(EPS)
######
Click here for additional data file.
###### (a): Frequency distribution of entropy values for different levels of additional information; (b) Correlation between entropy and the mean absolute difference between estimated and real time since infection.
Different lines (a, b, c, d) correspond with the respective situations in [Fig 7](#pcbi.1004882.g007){ref-type="fig"} in the main text.
(EPS)
######
Click here for additional data file.
###### Matlab code and transmission model simulation results.
This file contains the Matlab code used to generate the results in this article, as well as the data. The datafile consists of 3 matrices, where the columns are the daily model situations (increasing in time from left to right, starting after a 500-day burn-in period and selected within a 5 ha grid as described in the methods) and the rows represent all individuals present in the simulation. Empty cells (no individuals) are indicated by a negative number. The id matrix gives the unique identifier of each individual, and the corresponding age (in days) and time since infection (in days) values are given in the two other matrices.
(ZIP)
######
Click here for additional data file.
[^1]: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
[^2]: Conceived and designed the experiments: BB NH HL JR. Analyzed the data: BB JR NH. Wrote code and performed simulations: JR. Wrote the paper: BB NH PB HL JR.
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