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Monday, February 19, 2018
Stranger Things, Season 2, Episode 5: Dig Dug
So, Joyce has a
mystery - this means it’s time to radically redecorate her home! I have to say
this habit of plastering random stuff on every flat surface every time
something odd happens is more than a little disturbing. I like to think that
this is only happening because of supernatural nastiness
Actually that’s a
terrible lie. I like to think this is a constant habit and any random problems
will set her off into a series of truly bizarre collages, because that would be
kind of hilarious.
So she has plastered
Will’s tunnel network all over her home, while Will is comforted by Mike. Will
is not doing well, clearly disturbed by all the shadowy stuff he sees and is
now sweating profusely presumably due to the big monster’s love of cold. Mike
offers the hope that since Will senses what the big monster senses he can be
some kind of awesome spy.
Jim has been
examining the Ominous tunnel - and some random tentacle goo creature on the
wall squirts poison nastiness into his face, leaving him unconscious on the
floor. And the hole he dug is then plugged by vines. This is not good. Even
when he manages to regain consciousness, he still stumbles around, tries to
find a way out, tries to dig through a wall (for some reason) and in general is
in a creepy horror set full of slimy, tentacle nastiness. Eventually he ends up
on the floor, covered in tentacles. Really really not good.
Luckily for him, Will
psychically senses this and dreams of where he is - pointing it out on his map,
which no-one can read. Oops.
Well along comes Bob.
Who is quietly awesome. Here to provide some kind of help and comfort for Will
who he thinks is sick. After initially worrying that Bob is going to see her
disturbing collaging, Joyce realises Bob is super clever and can be really useful
in interpreting the pictures - so recruits him on the understanding that he
asks no questions
Ah, Bob. He is the definition of a nice guy. And I mean nice guy, as in
genuinely decent, caring human being, rather than Nice Guy, arsehole who thinks
he can buy sex with common decency. Bob is very worried that both Will looks
kind of ill and Joyce has reacted to this by taking up Disturbingly Craft
Projects and though he respects her wish for him not to ask questions he
is clearly concerned. But he’s also a brilliant lover of puzzles who, after
quickly realising the collage is a map, excellently starts pinpointing where it
corresponds to and gets completely lost in the joys of the puzzle and figuring
it out
I like Bob. I feel
Bob will be eaten by something by the end of this season. But I raise a glass
to Bob before this inevitably happens. With his help he pinpoints here Jim is
Let’s also check in
on the Ominous People in the Ominous Lab have done some soil sample testing
from the various rotting farmers fields and realise that if you apply fire then
all of them form disturbing whirlwinds. Note applying fire to one, makes them
all whirlwind because they’re all spookily connected. Ominous Lab People decide
that this is a definite Oh Shit moment and also head out to try and stop this
Which means when Bob
and Joyce find the hole Jim went down, carve their way through vines and rescue
Jim (was there any doubt that Joyce would charge in?), they’re soon followed by
the Ominous Lab People with flamethrowers
This seems to be
their solution to everything. And I approve. So many of the books I’ve read and
shows I’ve watched would see all of their problems vanish if they applied the
“kill it with fire” method. Also points to Bob and Jim exchanging polite greetings
like they’ve just met. It makes my English heart proud to see two men who
maintain proper dignity in complete denial of the randomness around them
A downside to this flamethrowy-ness is that Will, connected to the shadow
monster, collapses and starts screaming. Only I think it’s less a “I’m in agony
and dying” scream and more a “the unholy noise I’m making signals the end times
and summons the Thing That Man Was Not Meant To Know” scream.
It is not a good
scream. Though I do have a friend who makes a similar noise when she realises
there’s no vodka left.
So, Ominous Labs have
another thing to worry about because Nancy is gunning for them. And since this
is the 80s the Cold War would probably have been over years earlier if Nancy
had been gunning for the Soviet Union. She and Jonathan go on a road trip which
involves awkwardly staying in a hotel together and her vaguely wondering why
she and Jonathan didn’t become a thing and Jonathan, predictably, saying the
wrong thing. He stepped back because of Steve, she points out she did wait for
him and he basically says “not long enough”. So, not the smoothest path
I kind of feel sorry
for Steve here.
They end up going to
a guy I have a feeling I’m supposed to recognise, but I don’t. He’s a
conspiracy theory obsessive, with lots of paranoia and security measures and a
wall of televisions which conspiracy theorists all seem to have. I dunno, maybe
the union insists. They give him the recording and he has a dilemma.
Because no-one’s
going to believe it (let’s face it, the recording could be anyone. Merely
having a recording of some random guy isn’t proof of anything) and most people
are so very invested in comforting normality that exposing ground breaking
horror won’t work. They won’t believe it, they don’t want to believe it and
anyone in authority who debunks it, no matter how weakly will be believed
instantly
Kind of like Trump
supporters who still think Russia had nothing to do with. Or Brexiteers who
think Britain is going to be some kind of super power once we’re out of the EU
(Yes, I’m getting
political. No I don’t think the readers will care because the aforementioned
groups have likely already stormed off from this site for so many many other
reasons)
So he and Nancy
(leaving Jonathan to scrabble to catch up) come with a better plan: lie. Or
water it down. No-one’s going to believe alien dimensions and monsters - but
they will believe, say, a chemical leak. It’s familiar enough to be believable
and awful enough to cause outrage enough to burn the lab down - as Nancy wants.
Because Nancy isn’t playing
While Will and Mike
are running around facing shadowy monsters, Lucas wants to make up with Max. He
asks his dad what he does when he’s annoyed his mother and he tells him that he
apologises and does whatever his mother wants
Lucas asks what he
does when he’s not wrong and his mother is
To which his dad says
“she’s never wrong.” Lucas’s father is a wise wise man.
So Lucas meets Max at
the Arcade, manages to trick her to go to a private area and then tells her
everything.
Which is good except,
of course, she doesn’t believe a world. Why would she? Lucas desperately tries
to convince her that it’s real and seems to come close to this simply by how
desperate and scared she is. But before they can talk more, Billy arrives, he
is awful and there’s more arguments about Max spending time with Lucas which is
almost certainly racist.
During this Dustin is
dealing with the fact his pet monster, Dart, has eaten his mother’s cat. He
gets rid of his distraught mother as quickly as he can, lures Dart into a
basement to lock away and buries the cat, all the while calling the others and
desperately asking for help. Except they’re all distracted and none of them are
available - except Erica, Lucas’s sister who has no time for his nonsense.
Dustin resorts to
drafting Steve because why not, at least he knows the big secret. Also I am
vastly amused that Nancy and Mike’s father, having no clue what his children
are ever doing, grumbles that neither of them live there any more.
Which leaves us with
El who manages to hitch-hike her way to her mother, Terri. She meets her aunt
Becky who does try to make her go away, not believing her until El - or Jane as
is her real name - uses her telekinesis to access the house. This is more
convincing… but then she sees the condition her mother is in. Catatonic, just
repeating the same few words over and over and over again.
Becky is kind,
welcoming, clearly deeply emotional to see the long lost return of Jane and is
quick to offer Jane/El a home with them. I will say that the acting of this
whole series is absolutely perfect - beyond perfect - and Aunt Becky’s emotion
and pain and hope that it’s painful and powerful to see
El notices the lights
flickering which Becky puts down to dodgy wiring but El recognises as psychic
shenanigans. Confirmed when she sees her mother’s nose bleed. She realises her
mother wants to talk and uses a blindfold to allow her to psychically dip into
her head
She does and sees
Terri’s history - she gave birth to El and the baby was stolen. Everyone
claimed she died in a miscarriage but Terri didn’t believe it - instead
invading the lab with a gun. There she finds El - and another child I assume
is Kali - before being captured and electroshocked into her current state. The
words she repeats over and over is her reliving this moment over and over and
over again. Obviously, this is utterly tragic and may end up with El going on
the warpath but I hope will lead to them finding Kali
I’m increasingly
beginning to wonder at the storylines branching off. I mean I’m really happy
that Dustin and Lucas are getting their own storylines which is something I
complained about last season. But at the same time, Lucas, Dustin, Max, Steve
and Billy all feel… superfluous? It’s not that they have their own storylines -
it’s that they’re no longer involved in the main storylines any more. |
According to the Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH), there have been 7 deaths out of 107 confirmed West Nile virus during 2019.
This new data published on August 9, 2019, indicates the state of Arizona leads the USA with a West Nile virus (WNV) case-fatality-rate (CFR) of over 6 percent.
This CFR is actually good news when compared with 2018 when Arizona reported 26 human cases and 6 fatalities, representing a West Nile virus CFR of 23 percent.
Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine, MCDPH’s medical director in Phonix, Arizona said in a news article by AZ Family, "The vast majority of WNV cases is the severe kind that affects the nerves, the brain, and the spinal cord.”
Dr. Sunenshine continued saying "There's probably a lot more (WNV cases) out there."
The last time Maricopa County, Arizona reported this type of outbreak was in 2010 when 115 WNV cases were confirmed.
It's unclear what has led to the increase in cases in 2019, especially considering West Nile virus outbreaks are generally related to rainy seasons.
Most of Arizona is more than 50 percent below the average in rainfall for the summer storm season, which began in June, reported KTAR.
About 90 percent of arboviral disease cases such as West Nile were reported between April–September in 2018, which was consistent with the trends in past years, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
This is because WNV is commonly spread by the bite of an infected mosquito, which breeds during raining seasons.
West Nile virus usually circulates between Culex sp. mosquitoes, and birds. A mosquito feeds on an infected bird, acquires the WNV, then passes the virus to humans, who are considered ‘dead-end’ hosts, as they cannot pass the WNV on to other humans.
On a national basis, the CDC says a total of 36 states have reported 128 human WNV cases as of August 6, 2019.
And recently, the Southern Nevada Health District reported 16 West Nile cases, with 11 individuals having the neuroinvasive form of the illness, on August 8, 2019.
During 2018, the CDC confirmed 2,647 WNV cases, and 167 related fatalities, which represents a CFR of 6.3 percent.
Previous studies have reported the mean estimated cost for treating West Nile virus patients in hospitals is about $25,000.
Additionally, studies have indicated that over 30 percent of WNV infections in patients with clinically compatible neurological illness might be undiagnosed due to either lack of testing or inappropriate testing, leading to substantial underestimates of WNV neuroinvasive disease burden.
Therefore, the CDC says ‘healthcare providers in the USA should consider arboviral infections in patients with aseptic meningitis or encephalitis, and perform diagnostic testing as appropriate.’
Most endemic arboviral diseases such as WNV are nationally notifiable. WNV symptoms include fever, headache, tiredness, body aches, nausea, vomiting, and swollen lymph glands.
Cases reported as acute flaccid paralysis, encephalitis, meningitis, or an unspecified neurologic presentation were classified as neuroinvasive disease cases.
The CDC says since there is not a protective vaccine available, the most effective way to prevent infection from West Nile virus is to prevent mosquito bites.
Which means to use insect repellent, wear long-sleeved shirts and pants, treat clothing and gear, and take steps to control mosquitoes indoors and outdoors.
And, use Environmental Protection Agency registered insect repellents, which are proven safe even for pregnant and breastfeeding women, says the CDC.
Laboratory diagnosis of WNV is generally accomplished by testing serum or cerebrospinal fluid to detect WNV-specific IgM antibodies.
>>> Take a West Nile Virus Test <<<
Over the last two decades, several vaccine candidates for the protection of humans from WNV have been developed. There is one WNV vaccine candidate conducting a small phase 1 clinical trial.
This vaccine candidate, HydroVax-001, is a hydrogen peroxide inactivated, whole virion vaccine adjuvanted with aluminum hydroxide. HydroVax-001 experimental vaccine was discovered and developed by scientists at Oregon Health & Science University.
"Once the new vaccine is available, it will provide patients protection against the West Nile Virus, which would be especially great for busy families that may not always remember their insect repellent or long-sleeved shirt," said Nina Sprague, Pharmacy Intern, for Brookshire's Grocery Company. |
Skincare sale time!!
Posted on
Whenever I get my notification of a skincare or makeup sale I get a little excited. Well, a lot excited. Then a little voice inside my head says “only the necessities”. And I listen, until the bigger voice says “SALE, GO, NOW!!!”. Then I buy all the things.
This happens to so many of my friends, so I thought a quick blog post with my picks from the upcoming 40% off skincare Priceline sale (2nd-4th August 2017) could help.
As usual there are conditions for the sale, so I’m not 100% sure that every one of these products will be on sale, but I will definitely be logging on to check.
KLARA COSMETICS
Australian owned and designed Klara Cosmetics products have impressed me since the brand’s launch in 2013.
I’ll be stocking up on – Reset GelReset AquaReset Glow
JOJOBA COMPANY
Jojoba is one of my favourite facial oils. It can help treat acne, psoriasis, sunburn and chapped skin. It’s similar to the sebum products by our own skin, so is great for oily skin, and is amazing on the under eye area.
THE ORDINARY
Do I need to say again how much I love this brand? I’ve tried all of these and they are fantastic.
My picks for the sale are:Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed OilHyaluronic Acid 2% + B5“Buffet” Multi-Technology Peptide Serum
THE CHEMISTRY BRAND
From Deciem, makers of The Ordinary. I haven’t tried these two, but am very much excited to try them.
Intense Youth Complex Hand CreamRetin-Oil
HYLAMIDE
Again from Deciem, I’ve heard some amazing reviews of this product, so I’m looking forward to trying it out.SubQ Eyes
SUKIN
Another great Australian brand, these are some of my favourite products, which I’ve been using for a while.Ultra Hydrating Body OilSuper Greens Detoxifying Facial ScrubFoaming Facial Cleanser
BURTS BEES
Such a great Lip BalmBeeswax Lip Balm
Don’t forget that you can buy online and beat the queues at www.priceline.com.au!! That’s what I’ll be doing.
If you liked this post, and know of someone who might enjoy it I’d love for you to share it using the buttons on the left <-
*I have not been paid for any part of this blog post, and will be purchasing these products on my own. |
By Scott Prendergast & Lindsay Stamhuis
The Roadhouse in Twin Peaks has always acted as a kind of way station for the characters. It’s never the final destination but the place you stop at on the path to something bigger just on the horizon. It’s the place where James and Donna meet on the night Laura’s body is found before going up the mountain to bury the half-heart necklace; it’s where Agent Cooper goes with Margaret and Sheriff Truman to wait for the owls; it’s where Cooper later solves the mystery of who killed Laura. Often it doesn’t even get to be itself, as it’s doubles as the courthouse and can be turned into a community hall at the drop of a hat when there are Miss Twin Peaks pageants to host. It’s also a place where the veil between worlds seems at its thinnest, as it’s here that Cooper meets The Giant. Twice.
Seeing the Roadhouse in The Return has given fans mixed feelings. It’s an iconic location, to be sure, and seeing our favourite characters (and favourite bands) appearing within its walls has given fans a lot of joy, but its appearance in each subsequent Part is a dead giveaway that the end of the episode is drawing nigh and the dream of the last hour is about to be shattered.
But while many have been quick to dismiss The Return’s Roadhouse scenes as filler designed to prop up a marquee musical act, some of us have been trying to peer beyond the obvious to search for meaning below. I found a kindred spirit in Scott Prendergast, who sat down with me for a Q&A about his Roadhouse theory that all is not what it seems…
LINDSAY: Thanks for agreeing to this, Scott. I’m glad to get to talk about this for a little while with someone like-minded! Tell me: when did you first noticed that something was off about the Roadhouse?
SCOTT: When the new series began I was very excited to meet all the new characters. And at the end of Part 2 we got to the Roadhouse and saw Hannah and Renee for the first time. “Ah, here they are! New townsfolk!” I thought. They were sitting with Shelly Briggs, drinking, having a good time. Renee seemed like a potentially important character because she was the object of James Hurley’s affection. (I also wondered if maybe Renee was filling in for an absent Lara Flynn Boyle.) I studiously looked up both Hannah (Gia Carides) and Renee (Jessica Szohr) on imdb.com when I spotted their names in the closing credits. And then… they disappeared.
Then in Part 5, we got back into the Roadhouse and met Richard Horne. And he was dealing with two young women in the next booth. I recognized one of them, Elizabeth, as Jane Levy from Suburgatory and The Evil Dead remake. Certainly she was going to be a regular character. She’s a rising young actress in Hollywood. Richard went on to be a very significant cast member, so she would too. Even if she only had one line. But then, Elizabeth and her friend Charlotte (Grace Victoria Cox) disappeared.
In Part 9 we met Ella and Chloe, in the disturbing scene about penguins, zebras and a nasty armpit rash. At this point I was starting to think that none of these people were going to appear more than once. These scenes were only meant to be bits of color and darkness – distractions – apparently. I couldn’t pick any clues out of Ella and Chloe’s conversation that might link them to the rest of the show, other than hints that the drug trade in Twin Peaks was still a problem, and that Ella might be serving burgers at the Double R? (she’s wasn’t).
In Part 12, when Abbie and Natalie were gossiping on and on about people we seemingly would never meet, I decided that these Roadhouse scenes were meant to be throwbacks to the original Twin Peaks: soapy, criss-crossing plotlines and romantic intrigue boiled down to monotonous chatter. It seemed like a criticism of nighttime television. It seemed like Lynch and Frost were giving the finger to the fans who wanted the old Twin Peaks back. I couldn’t keep up with these new characters, let alone all the unknown characters they were name-dropping. These scenes were mind-numbing. And why were they (almost) always between women?
By the time we got to Megan and Sophie in Part 14, I was starting to lose interest in these new townspeople. Was this just going to be an endless series of unknown brunette women gossiping about characters we would never meet? It seemed so pointless.
Until Sophie asked “Have you seen Billy?”
LINDSAY: I think I can trace my suspicions back to Part 9 with Ella and Chloe. Part 2 felt like a re-introduction to Shelly and James, and Part 5 seemed like a first look at the newest Twin Peaks villain, Richard Horne; I hadn’t given the rest of the characters in the “Frank Booth” any thought. But Ella and Chloe were different. It seemed at first to connect with the larger drug subplot, but as the weeks went on the drug subplot seemed to be going nowhere, I started to reevaluate…
Then came Part 12 and the intro to Audrey’s character with the barrage of new names. That late in the game, I thought it was crazy that we were being expected to remember all these characters, and my first reaction was frustration. But upon reflection I started to wonder: Perhaps what we were seeing was some kind of code. Audrey’s scenes reminded a lot of people of Invitation to Love, but even if it wasn’t literally a show-within-a-show, couldn’t it still be some kind of metaphor? A performance, in a way? Should we be looking deeper?
I thought I was crazy though, until I saw you were tweeting about all the conversations and interactions had in the booth. And Part 15 packed a wallop, too. So here we are.
SCOTT: That wallop came for me in Part 14. Once Sophie and Megan started to discuss Billy, I realized that something else was going on with these Roadhouse scenes. I knew Audrey had mentioned Billy earlier in Part 12. But I was also very aware of the name Billy because of the whole business at the Double R Diner when somebody ran in the front door and shouted “Has anyone seen Billy?” in Part 7. The closed captions identified this person as Billy, but then Sabrina Sutherland tweeted that no, that person was Bing. This is also when the diner patrons change suddenly, scrambling continuity.
In any event, hearing the name BILLY was like an alarm going off. These seemingly random nonsense conversations in the Roadhouse were suddenly connected to other parts of the show. I was on the edge of my seat. And then Sophie asked “What’s your mom’s name?” The deeply dreadful music that kicked in immediately after that question told me that something big was actually happening here. I am not exaggerating when I say that I stood up from the couch, tense as hell, waiting for Megan’s answer.
But why? It seemed so crazy. Why was the name TINA so terrifying and important? We’d never met or seen any Tina. What’s the big deal? That’s when I decided I had to chart and plot out all those Roadhouse booth conversations and see what sense I could make of them.
LINDSAY: I’ve rewatched all of the Roadhouse scenes now a couple of times and I totally agree with you that this is some weird stuff. And the Billy thing seems to be the trigger for a lot of it. I think that’s why Megan and Sophie’s conversation is so critical in Part 14 because it’s the first time Billy’s name shows up alongside Tina’s in the real world and that story starts getting shaded in a bit more. Both Billy and Tina are names that only showed up together in Audrey’s conversation with Charlie, so that has to mean something, doesn’t it?
One circle I can’t seem to square is how some characters seem mostly unrelated to the story (Chloe and Ella; Elizabeth and Charlotte; Abby and Natalie…) while other characters in the Roadhouse are involved in other larger storylines (Richard, Shelly, James and Freddie) outside of it. Because if this is some kind of dream of Audrey’s, how far does that dream extend into the “real world”? Who is real and who isn’t? It’s not so neat and tidy.
I also have to wonder about the strobe effect that shows up on stage, but only for certain bands (Trouble had it, I’m pretty sure NIN had it, and so do The Veils.) If the strobe means something Black Lodge-y is happening, then what does it mean when it flashes at the Roadhouse?
But this is me getting way ahead of myself. Let’s back it up: what sense have you managed to make out of the Roadhouse booth conversations?
SCOTT: In my original chart I was just trying to keep track of every conversation we heard in the Roadhouse booths. I started to realize there was a difference between the booths, and that the Frank booth is where all the mysterious stuff was taking place. And while I can’t say I’ve made any “sense” out of these scenes, it did occur to me that we are meant to be numbed and lulled by the monotony of them. It’s near impossible to keep track of so many unknown characters, so why try? Just let it wash over you as gossipy small town chatter. Maybe Lynch/Frost want us to discount the importance of these scenes. And then all of a sudden, the names Billy and Tina pop up. And where have we heard these names before? From Audrey. All of the unknown characters talked about in the Frank booth are now linked to all the unknown characters talked about by Charlie and Tina. Worlds collide!
Now that we know who Chuck is, here’s my updated chart on the “Frank” booth. Part 15 updates in green (for Freddie’s glove) #twinpeaks pic.twitter.com/dqj587Gdiu — Scott Prendergast (@ScottyTheP) August 21, 2017
LINDSAY: So let’s go there then: how do you think Audrey Horne fit into all of this? A lot of fans have really been upset by her appearance in The Return. She is one of the original series’ most beloved characters, and to see her returned to us after a 25 year absence married to a limp noodle of a husband, hysterical over an unseen lover, and seemingly trapped inside her house…well, even I chafed at her characterization and I’m such a fan of outside-the-box thinking. But now I love that she’s had only three brief scenes and she’s suddenly seems super important to the plot! Some of the fan theories springing up around Audrey have been fascinating, so I don’t think I’m alone in thinking this. You must have a theory about her role too…
SCOTT: I was among those who was upset that Audrey did not appear right away in the new season. And my response to her initial appearance was that they had turned her into the modern day Catherine Martell: wealthy battle-axe, sleeping around, married to someone “beneath her station” and belittling him ruthlessly. It was very Pete and Catherine. And surprisingly, the backlash to Audrey’s return was huge. So many people tweeting and blogging: THIS IS NOT MY AUDREY HORNE! No one wanted to accept that the queen of the original series had been reduced to THIS and married to HIM.
But Part 13 went deeper. Surprisingly, Audrey was still arguing with Charlie about the same thing. Seemingly in the same room, in the same spot. And we got the feeling that her character is not OK, that she is distraught, having some sort of breakdown. The line that still baffles and haunts me is Charlie saying to her: “Do I have to end your story too?” Such a mysterious and ominous threat. Does Charlie have some cosmic power over Audrey? Could he end her storyline/her life?
Of course, the backlash against the new Audrey Horne quickly died down. Now people were saying “Fenn was so fantastic!” and “I am seriously worried about Audrey!” Lynch and Frost know what they are doing. They are teasing us. They KNOW we want Audrey. But they are the masters at not giving us what we want. Masters of giving us what we want but in a way we didn’t know we wanted.
So the two mysterious worlds collided. The Roadhouse nonsense is overlapping with Audrey’s bizarre predicament. What can it mean?
LINDSAY: Well, there’s the coma theory…
SCOTT: Yes, one of the current theories is that Audrey is STILL in a coma (from the bank explosion) and these scenes with Charlie are a dream. She is lost inside a world in her head. Maybe that explains why all the furnishings in her world are vintage, and why Charlie has a rotary phone. But if that’s true, if this is a dream, then how does she know about Billy and Tina? Perhaps they are also part of the dream. Which means the Roadhouse scenes are also part of the dream? But we’ve seen Shelly and James in the Roadhouse. Are they part of the dream too? Is the whole town a dream? Maybe those random roadhouse characters are just nurses and doctors, family and visitors, gossiping at Audrey’s bedside. And the A-list acts playing in the Roadhouse could be just music drifting in from a radio. Is this entire season all just Audrey’s dream?
LINDSAY: But what if it’s only the Roadhouse scenes that are part of Audrey’s dream?
SCOTT: I just don’t see how they can make the Roadhouse scenes a part of Audrey’s dream without wiping out the entire show. The coma theory wraps up so many details and makes the whole thing easier to understand and swallow. But there are so many reasons that the coma is unlikely. And troublesome.
I just don’t think Lynch and Frost would pull a stunt like that. Or if they did, they wouldn’t drop the solution neat and clean into our laps. It would only be a murky suggestion, something for us to mull over for another 25 years. Just like the theories about the two halves of Mulholland Drive.
Another popular theory is that Audrey is in a mental institution, and that Charlie is her doctor, treating her through some form of role play. That sounds plausible. But then how does she know about Billy and Tina and Chuck? She claims to have interacted with them recently. Are they visitors to the mental institution? Which leads us back to the Roadhouse conversations: if Megan and Sophie are talking about Billy and Tina in present day – if they have recently interacted those characters – then doesn’t that put Audrey in the real world? If Audrey has spoken to Chuck, and then Chuck appears in the Roadhouse, then Audrey is a real person, not in a coma, not institutionalized. Right? Everyone seems to be in the same world and on the same page, right?
LINDSAY: I dislike the mental institution theory because it feels disrespectful to Audrey’s memory somehow to have her fall into the same category as other famous “crazy ladies” on TV. I think it’s entirely possible that these tropes can be subverted, deftly, by David Lynch and Mark Frost, so I’m not wholly opposed to it; but I have a feeling with all the timey-wimey-ness going on this season, and with this feeling that Audrey’s centrality will be key to unraveling all of this, that something supernatural is at play.
SCOTT: I agree with you. We already saw one nagging, angry wife (Frank Truman’s wife Doris) and then she turned out to be more sympathetic when we found out her tragic backstory. She’s a “difficult” woman redeemed by depression/mental health issues. Which makes me think they wouldn’t do that again with Audrey. There’s a larger story here about the portrayal of women in this new season of Twin Peaks, but that’s another article.
So then why can’t Audrey get out the door? It’s important, I think, that Charlie says to her “Existentialism 101.” The play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is a famous existential work. It purports to be a simple play about an evening gathering between four adults. But the evening drags on and on, the play takes place outside of time. The main characters, like Charlie and Audrey, are bickering spouses. They argue, insult and undercut each other. They also spin a fictional story together, telling tales of their non-existent son. The son is named SONNY JIM (just like Dougie’s son). And then, out of spite, the husband in the play “kills” the son with a story. He ends the son’s storyline. Just like Charlie threatened to do to Audrey.
Again, I don’t really know how everything fits together or what it means. But it seems very clear that Audrey’s world and the Roadhouse are tied together. They are the missing pieces in each other’s puzzles.
LINDSAY: The Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? connection is a fascinating one, and definitely worth exploring. If nothing else, it adds a nice layer of surreality over top of all of this, and a different kind of surreality than what we’re used to on Twin Peaks I think.
SCOTT: I think Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is just another reference, an homage. I don’t think it will help us decipher Audrey and the Roadhouse anymore than Otto Preminger’s film Laura helped us decipher who killed Laura Palmer.
LINDSAY: Good point. I’m finding myself drawn to the coma theory for a couple of reasons. Comas aren’t sleep but they’re like sleep, similar enough that Lynch (who loves his dream-states) could feasibly be enticed to play around with comatose characters in the way he’s playing with Audrey. Audrey could still be in a coma from the explosion at the bank or she could have fallen back into one some time after that. I feel if she is in a coma, it’s likeliest that she was awake at some point, as Richard seems to have knowledge of his mother, but without knowing more, speculation easily turns into fan fiction.
What we can say is that Lynch also loves the Wizard of Oz, and Dorothy experiences her own unconscious dream-state in which people from her own life play roles in her dream. With characters like Ruby showing up at the Roadhouse, among other links between The Return and The Wizard of Oz, it’s not a stretch to view Audrey’s situation in a similar light.
But I see your point about it feeling like a cop out. I’d argue that if anyone could pull this off in a novel way, it would be Lynch/Frost, but that’s not going to placate everyone.
SCOTT: I do think you are right about dream states and The Wizard of Oz. One of these worlds is doubling the other. One of these worlds is the circus fun house reflection of the other. And you are right about that circle you can’t square: if Audrey is real, awake and alive – and if she knows about people in Twin Peaks – knows their facts and storylines – AND if we see people in the other half of the world discussing the same people and storylines – then both parts are “true.” Right?
It’s interesting that this isn’t the only time I’ve asked this question while watching the new series. It’s very similar to the Dougie situation. I’ve wondered so many times if Cooper is simply dreaming Dougie’s whole world. Is it all a fantasy? The One Armed Man keeps telling him to wake up – so is he sleeping? But like the Roadhouse conversations, the wrench in this dream scenario is the hotel key. If Jade mailed Dougie’s hotel key back to Twin Peaks, and it arrived, then Dougie is living in the real world. He’s not dreaming. His key is real and it made it back to the Great Northern. So both halves are real. Right? If Uncle Henry in Kansas said he’d just had lunch with Glinda the Good Witch, then they both exist in the same world.
LINDSAY: Right! If things are appearing in both places, they have to be existing side by side, don’t they?
SCOTT: But maybe both worlds are real and a mysterious link connects them. Parallel worlds. That sounds like what’s going on with the lodges and the spirits. Intercourse between two worlds. Maybe that’s why we saw two different versions of the diner that night. Bing was yelling in the door, and then he was a placid customer. All the counter patrons changed. Maybe we really are watching two worlds simultaneously.
LINDSAY: Scott, you took the words out of my mouth! I’ve been a big proponent of the parallel worlds/multiverse theory ever since TSHoTP was released. It strikes me as both an elegant and a Lynchian solution to the problems of the second season (storylines that didn’t go anywhere or make any sense, unconvincing characterizations, whiplash-inducing changes in motivations, etc.) while also deepening the sense of mystery surrounding the supernatural elements that were always there. Sending a character into a liminal space like a coma (or some other dream-state. A Lodge-state perhaps?) gives the freedom to explore that.
Recentralizing Audrey also makes a huge amount of sense. She was always supposed to be an important character, and for reasons we won’t get into here she was sidelined in Season 2. And, as you’ve pointed out in your theory, Audrey was meant to be the main character in Mulholland Drive, which is commonly interpreted to be about dreams as well. Why not try and find a way to bring her back to the fore now? What a creative way in which to do this!
Also, if we’re right and Audrey is in some kind of altered state, wouldn’t it also link her to Cooper again? Let’s not be naive: they were the fan-favourite pairing, and the loss of even the most casual of friendships between them is acknowledged as one of the things that contributed to the Season 2 slip down. I’m not saying the two of them need to be married with children, but having some kind of cosmic link between the two of them in this way–psychological scars, trapped in a prison-like environment, losing track of who they are and where they are–makes a whole hell of a lot of sense.
Some more idle theorizing on the “Frank” booth, and why I think Audrey and the Roadhouse are important and connected.. #TwinPeakspic.twitter.com/mmimZXMLLq — Scott Prendergast (@ScottyTheP) August 22, 2017
SCOTT: I would love to believe that the show is secretly bringing Cooper and Audrey back together. I don’t want to get my hopes up, but that would be an incredible conclusion. I hadn’t really thought about it until you mentioned it, but yes, both Cooper and Audrey are currently trapped in confusing worlds that might be dreams. It is obvious that Lynch and Frost like toying with us, that they are stringing this question along. When the Las Vegas FBI brought in the wrong Dougie Jones (and family) it was a sly fake out. If Dougie and Janey-E arrived in those FBI offices, then the questions are all answered: Dougie is real. He is actually in the real world. It is not a dream. He is a real person and all of his scenes in Las Vegas are taking place in the same world as Cole and Albert in South Dakota. The same goes for Audrey: if she got out that door and made it to the Roadhouse, then we know that she is alive, real, awake. Billy and Tina must be real, and Audrey is real too.
I don’t know if we can decipher this yet. I suspect there will be many more clues. Audrey’s storyline seems to be headed towards something big, now that she’s choking Charlie out. I also don’t think that Lynch and Frost will wrap up everything with a bow. I don’t think it will all be explained. I think this is going to be more like Mulholland Drive. Many many breadcrumbs, a path through the woods, but it is murky, uncertain. And every person has to find their own way.
EDIT (3 September): Scott and I have been chatting about the possible implications of the Roadhouse establishing shots (whether the neon sign is shown right side up or mirrored in the puddle outside) and the colours of the lights onstage during each band performance, as well as tossing around the idea that the conversation might be a coded reference to other people in the real world: could Billy be Cooper? Could Tina be Annie? Or Audrey herself? Is the stolen truck debacle actually a reference to the Pete Martell’s stolen truck in the S2 finale? Could Audrey be remembering the events of the Miss Twin Peaks pageant in her dream state? We’ll see what the finale tonight brings, but who knows: we may have a Part 2 discussion to this article on our hands!
Additional footnotes from Scott:
So far, I believe we have seen three different booths in the Roadhouse. I’m calling them the “A booth” where we saw Shelly, Hannah, Renee and friend having drinks with friends in Part 2 – the “B booth” where we saw Renee, Chuck, Skipper and wife (?) having drinks in Part 15 – and the “Frank booth” where we first met Richard, and all of the other random characters. The Frank booth takes its name, of course, from Dennis Hopper’s character in Blue Velvet. (I can’t take credit for that, I saw it somewhere on Twitter.) Also, the Frank booth is very dear to my heart because that’s where we saw Donna crying in the all important S2 Episode 14, when Laura’s killer was finally revealed.
In a way, Billy and Tina are very much like Cooper’s hotel key. They are magical concepts that cross between two worlds. Maybe that’s what the key around Gersten’s neck is for. Maybe it opens a lockbox in a bank vault. Maybe the lockbox is filled with Sparkle, a drug that can send you back and forth between worlds.
I do also want to say that I think Trick (Scott Coffey) is a random Frank booth character to watch out for. He’s the only other male to appear in the Frank booth. Richard was the first, and we know he is evil. Trick was under house arrest for some unknown crime. He tells Abbie and Natalie that they obviously need beers when they obviously don’t (both beers are full. Is he planning to drug the beers before bringing them back to the table?) And the guy’s name is TRICK for crying out loud. I don’t trust him. Maybe he’s trafficking women with Jean-Michel. Or maybe he’s an orderly in Audrey’s coma hospital, renting her body out, and dealing drugs to people like Megan. Remember that Sophie warned her not to go up to that Nuthouse and get high. |
WASHINGTON (AP) - The four lawyers who prosecuted Roger Stone quit the case after the Justice Department overruled them and said it would take the extraordinary step of lowering the amount of prison time it would seek for President Donald Trump´s longtime ally and confidant.
The departures on Tuesday raised immediate questions over whether Trump, who earlier in the day had blasted the original sentencing recommendation as "very horrible and unfair," had at least indirectly exerted his will on a Justice Department that he often views as an arm of the White House.
The department insisted the decision to undo the sentencing recommendation was made Monday night - before Trump's tweet - and prosecutors had not spoken to the White House about it. Even so, the departures of the entire trial team broke open a simmering dispute over the punishment of a Trump ally whose case has long captured the Republican president's attention. The episode was the latest to entangle the Justice Department, meant to operate free from White House sway in criminal investigations and prosecutions, in presidential politics.
The four attorneys, including two who were early members of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia team, comprised the entire Justice Department trial team that won convictions against Stone last fall.
Each had signed onto a Monday sentencing memo that recommended between seven and nine years in prison for Stone, who was convicted of lying to Congress, witness tampering and obstructing the House investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to tip the 2016 election. None lent their names to a Tuesday memo that called the original recommendation excessive.
The departures leave in limbo the resolution of a case that was one of the signature prosecutions of Mueller's team and that cut to the heart of his mission - to determine whether the Trump team had access to nonpublic information about Democratic emails hacked by Russian operatives and provided to WikiLeaks.
FILE - In this Nov. 12, 2019 file photo, Roger Stone, a longtime Republican provocateur and former confidant of President Donald Trump, waits in line at the federal court in Washington. A Justice Department official tells the AP that the agency is backing away from its sentencing recommendation of between seven to nine years in prison for Trump confidant Roger Stone. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Trump was back on the attack late Tuesday, slamming the original sentencing recommendation and questioning the judge overseeing the Stone case. And by early Wednesday, he had tweeted a congratulations to Attorney General William Barr "for taking charge of a case that was totally out of control and perhaps should not have been brought," suggesting the prosecutors had gone rogue.
Barr, the Justice Department's leader, has been a steady ally of the president's since taking the position. Barr last year cleared the president of obstruction of justice even when Mueller had pointedly declined to do so, and has declared that the FBI's Russia investigation, which resulted in charges against Stone, had been based on a "bogus narrative."
It's unclear what sentence the department will ultimately seek - a new sentencing memo filed Tuesday evening indicated that the original recommendation was too harsh but proposed no specific punishment of its own.
A Justice Department official said authorities decided to step in and seek a shorter sentence because they had been taken by surprise by the initial recommendation. The person, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said prosecutors had told the department to expect a recommendation for a shorter sentence.
In their revised sentencing memo, Justice Department officials argued the initial recommendation could be "considered excessive and unwarranted under the circumstances" but also said they would defer to the court.
It is extremely rare for Justice Department leaders to reverse the decision of its own prosecutors on a sentencing recommendation, particularly after that recommendation has been submitted to the court. A mass exodus from a case is also rare, though the tumult did conjure an episode from last summer when Justice Department lawyers abruptly left a lawsuit over whether a citizenship question could be added to the census.
The day of upheaval began with a morning tweet from Trump that the Stone case was a "miscarriage of justice." He later told reporters he didn't speak to Justice Department officials, though he said he could if he wanted.
"I have the absolute right to do it. I stay out of things to a degree that people wouldn't believe, but I didn't speak to them," Trump said.
Hours after Trump's tweet, a Justice Department official called the original recommendation "extreme" and "grossly disproportionate" to Stone's crimes and said it would file a new sentencing memo.
The departures began soon after. Aaron Zelinsky, a Mueller team member, quit the case and his job in Washington, with plans to return to his position as a federal prosecutor in Baltimore.
Another early Mueller team member, Adam Jed, also withdrew from the case. His status at the Justice Department was unclear.
Another federal prosecutor in Washington, Michael Marando, withdrew from the case, and a fourth trial team member, Jonathan Kravis, resigned his position as an assistant U.S. attorney.
Sentencing decisions are ultimately up to the judge, who in this case may side with the original recommendation.
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson has repeatedly scolded Stone for his out-of-court behavior, which included a social media post he made of the judge with what appeared to be crosshairs of a gun.
Meanwhile, Democrats decried the decision, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling for an investigation by the Justice Department's inspector general.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said it would be a blatant abuse of power if Justice Department leadership intervened on Trump's behalf.
"Doing so would send an unmistakable message that President Trump will protect those who lie to Congress to cover up his own misconduct, and that the Attorney General will join him in that effort," the California Democrat said.
Federal prosecutors also recently softened their sentencing position on Flynn, saying they would not oppose probation after earlier saying he deserved up to six months in prison for lying to the FBI. That prosecution is also being handled by the U.S. attorney´s office in Washington.
In the initial memorandum Monday evening, prosecutors asked for Stone to serve between 87 and 108 months in federal prison, which they said was consistent with federal guidelines. Such a sentence would send a message to deter others who might consider lying or obstructing a congressional probe or tampering with witnesses, they said.
The prosecutors wrote that "Stone´s actions were not a one-off mistake in judgement" and that he "decided to double - and triple - down on his criminal conduct by tampering with a witness for months in order to make sure his obstruction would be successful."
Stone has denied wrongdoing and criticized the case against him as politically motivated. He did not testify, and his lawyers did not call any witnesses in his defense.
Witnesses testified that Trump´s campaign viewed Stone as an "access point" to the anti-secrecy site WikiLeaks, which was in possession of more than 19,000 emails hacked from the servers of the Democratic National Committee, and tried to use Stone to get advance word about hacked emails damaging to Hillary Clinton.
___
Associated Press writers Jill Colvin and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.
FILE- In this Nov. 12, 2019 file photo, Roger Stone, a longtime Republican provocateur and former confidant of President Donald Trump, waits in line at the federal court in Washington. The Justice Department said Tuesday it will take the extraordinary step of lowering the amount of prison time it will seek for Roger Stone, an announcement that came just hours after President Donald Trump complained that the recommended sentence for his longtime ally and confidant was "very horrible and unfair." (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
FILE - In this Nov. 7, 2019 file photo, Roger Stone arrives at Federal Court for his federal trial in Washington. The Justice Department said Tuesday it will take the extraordinary step of lowering the amount of prison time it will seek for Roger Stone, an announcement that came just hours after President Donald Trump complained that the recommended sentence for his longtime ally and confidant was "very horrible and unfair." (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
FILE - In this Feb. 1, 2019 file photo, former campaign adviser for President Donald Trump, Roger Stone, leaves federal court in Washington. The Justice Department said Tuesday it will take the extraordinary step of lowering the amount of prison time it will seek for Roger Stone, an announcement that came just hours after President Donald Trump complained that the recommended sentence for his longtime ally and confidant was "very horrible and unfair." (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
FILE - In this Nov. 15, 2019, file photo, Roger Stone, left, with his wife Nydia Stone, leaves federal court in Washington, Friday, Nov. 15, 2019. Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to sentence Stone to serve between 7 and 9 years in prison after his conviction on witness tampering and obstruction charges. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) |
Sage Francis Time Of My Life Redux Lyrics
Last updated: 06/30/2012 11:00:00 AM
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Consider me to be a fly on the wall with a bird's eye view
I stare, as my birthtime drew near
The only earth i knew reared me in a world i grew to fear
I do appear quite nude and warm
I'm like "what's up with the lights and the white uniforms?"
You're damn right you're truly wrong when a hand strikes the newly born.
"i can't fight" i'm cruely scorned.in a man's life, the beauty's gone
I was scared with fright through the storm
I'm prepared to write a mutiny song
"it's a miracle ma!" damn my dick is long
Oh, that's just the umbellical chord
Clip clip, snip snip.and now it's gone along with my foreskin
One of them awful things that they do to theoffspring
The sting is lessened by the drugs they pump into my miniature body
Making us addicts just that quick is their signature hobby
An infamous robbery, and if i'm not careful then my shaft'll break
It's got me coming up with creative ways to masturbate
I wanna be held but my father rebelled and my mother's unconscious
I went from a dark bliss to some boxes
It's obnoxious the way the doctors poke and prod
Seriously i can barely function
This is my first out-of-body experience and alien abduction
I'm barely a munchkin after just minutes of labor
They're putting my tiny footprints on some birth certificate paper
My personal hell of isolation began in an incubator
To think of it later, slice open my wrist and check the microchip data
They didn't capture it on beta film or audio
The year made me a dragon, the month made me a scorpio
The weak, feeble, helpless baby boy cried for nights
But that day was the time of my life
But that day was the time of my life
But that day, but that day was the time of my life
But that day, but that day, but that day, but that day, but
That day was the time of my life
(freestyle) |
21:52h CET
Si se confirma que la lesión de Víctor Valdés es de larga duración (más de cinco meses), el Barça podría fichar un portero de la Liga española (de Primera o Segunda División) o uno en paro. Así lo establece en sus normas la LFP, y así lo confirmaron fuentes de la Liga a este periódico.
De hecho, hace sólo unos días que el Sporting ha cedido a López Garay al Córdoba. El club blanquiverde vio cómo Carlos Caballero, uno de sus futbolistas, sufría una lesión de larga duración por lo que la LFP autorizó a este movimiento.
Con ocho jornadas de Liga y una final de Copa por delante, parece difícil que el Barcelona vaya a incorporar a nadie. De hecho, el mercado no le ofrece mucho. Descartados los porteros titulares, con casi todos los equipos jugándose algo, uno de los primeros nombres que se aparecen a bote pronto es el de Guaita, pero la lesión de Diego Alves lo descarta porque Pizzi debe utilizarlo el próximo mes.
Las normas, pues, establecen que el Barça podría fichar. El panorama invita a pensar que, sin embargo, terminará la temporada con sus porteros en nómina. El posible fichaje, además, no podría jugar en Champions. En la rueda de prensa posterior al partido, Martino anunció, no obstante, que el Barça no fichará ningún portero. |
//
// GankSection.swift
// Gank
//
// Created by hujiawei on 2016/5/13.
// Copyright © 2016年 Tsinghua University. All rights reserved.
//
import Foundation
//干货的日报
class GankSection {
var date: String? // 日期，从http://gank.io/api/day/history接口获取的原始字符串，例如2016-05-13
var items: [GankItem]? // 数据
init(date: String?, items: [GankItem]?) {
self.date = date
self.items = items
}
convenience init(date: String?) {
self.init(date: date, items: nil)
}
}
extension GankSection {
// 构造成每日数据所需的结构，将“-”替换成“/”即可
func urlSuffix() -> String? {
if let date = self.date {
return date.replacingOccurrences(of: "-", with: "/")
}
return nil
}
}
|
My brother's friend Phil fucking picked a winner with this place in Little Tokyo. We had to wait a half an hour and they took our cell number and called us when our table was ready (allowing us some time to drink a pitcher of beer). The sushi was amazing and I was even into the clams in miso. A large sake was $2.50 and imagine my surprise when our bill for three people came to fifty bucks. I'll be back whenever I'm in LA.
i like food. a lot. i'd rather eat ramen 6 days a week to go to one good restaurant on the 7th. on this list i'll only list each place once, but will move things around and update as more vists are accrued. tasty. |
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"The rebel undoubtedly demands a certain degree of freedom for himself; but in no case, if he is consistent, does he demand the right to destroy the existence and the freedom of others. He humiliates no one. The freedom he claims, he claims for all; the freedom he refuses, he forbids everyone to enjoy. He is not only the slave against the master, but also man against the world of master and slave. Thanks to rebellion, there is something more in history than the relationship between mastery and servitude."
The Rebel: An Essay on Man in RevoltAlbert Camus
Terror
Standard
The Senate has passed its version of an anti-terrorism bill, which has been an Arroyo regime priority since 2002. Like every bill of its kind passed in other countries, many of its provisions are outstanding for their retrogressive character, among them restrictions on the media, and the legalization of wire-tapping and government examination of bank accounts.
But as outstanding was the silence of practically all the oppositionists and/or human rights advocates in the Senate during deliberations on it. It was a silence followed by overwhelming approval, the vote being 16 to 2, with only Senators Ana Consuelo (“Jamby”) Madrigal and Manuel Roxas II voting against it.
Senator Aquilino Pimentel voted for it, apparently because he was satisfied over the “safeguards” against abuse that the bill’s proponent, Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, had agreed to. Only Pimentel and Madrigal had been actively proposing amendments to the bill to prevent its use against the media, the opposition, and dissent.
The relative silence of Joker Arroyo, whom many Filipinos regard as a human rights defender because of his defense of political prisoners during the Marcos dictatorship, and of oppositionists like the mother and son Estrada tandem and former Senate President Franklin Drilon at one level suggests popular, although misinformed, acceptance of the assumptions of the Arroyo regime’s anti-terrorism policy.
These personalities are presumably aware of the public’s fear of terrorism and its consequent support for anything that will curb it. For this well-founded fear we have Abu Sayyaf depradations to thank, as well as those of their counterparts and possible partners in such countries as Indonesia. Since it began its kidnapping spree in 2002 and followed that with bombings in Mindanao and elsewhere, terrorism has been synonymous with the Abu Sayyaf in the public eye. So outrageous has Abu Sayyaf terrorism been—and so unremitting the media coverage– that it has provoked the same impulse towards doing anything to stop it that has spread in much of the world.
“Doing anything to stop terrorism” has in most cases meant curtailing those rights and liberties that many now think have allowed terrorists to strike in open societies. Such governments as that of George W. Bush in the US and George Howard of Australia have in fact explicitly cited the “openness” of their societies as critical factors in such terrorist attacks as those of September 11, 2001 in the US, and the two Bali bombings in Indonesia, the first of which killed a number of Australian tourists.
Anti-terrorism has reversed a global trend towards liberalization before September 11. The attacks on the World Trade Center inaugurated a new era in which terrorism, while real enough, became a convenient excuse, especially among poor countries with chronic problems of political instability, to suppress dissent and to curtail political and civil rights.
Crucial to these attacks was the way “terrorism” was being defined. In many instances “terrorism” was intentionally identified with dissent as well as with armed movements, the better for existing governments to suppress dissent and/or to deny whatever armed groups they may be fighting with whatever claims to legitimate grievances these may have.
The Arroyo regime thus sought and obtained the listing of the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army in the US list of foreign terrorist organizations. The Arroyo regime’s working definition of terrorism has been nebulous, but has tended to equate terrorism with the Abu Sayyaf.
This is only the public perception, however. The Arroyo regime has practically declared the Abu Sayyaf dead, with the capture or death of many of leaders. On the other hand, the military has declared the CPP-NPA as the main threat to regime security. From this it follows that whatever anti-terrorism bill will emerge from Congress (the Senate bill will have to be reconciled with the House bill) will be primarily directed against the CPP-NPA.
“The CPP-NPA”, however, is a concept that in the Arroyo regime includes a host of “front organizations” that include not only the left-wing party list groups (Bayan Muna, Gabriela, Anak Pawis, etc.), but also media and civil society organizations like the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines and even video production houses. In addition to naming these groups, and in effect legitimizing the attacks on their memberships that have escalated since 2003, the Arroyo regime will have another weapon at its disposal in the form of the anti-terrorism bill in meeting “the CPP-NPA threat.”
And yet the armed groups have the least to fear from any law, they being outside the pale. The anti-terrorism bill as it has been taking form since 2002 is more easily used against a broad range of dissenters and oppositionists. Despite amendments initiated by Senators Pimentel and Madrigal precisely meant to prevent abuse, the Senate bill will not be the final version of the bill. It is also likely that most if not all of the Madrigal-Pimentel amendments will be deleted during the bicameral discussions.
For example, the limitation on the detention of terrorism suspects to three days, and the exemption of doctors and media people from provisions in the Senate bill that penalize “profiting from” or “concealing” the participants in any “conspiracy to commit terrorism” even if they did not participate in it, are likely to be restored in the final version of the bill.
The Senate bill, amendments and all, is bad enough, but the final version is likely to be worse. The anti-terrorism bill could unleash a wave of state terrorism in the name of fighting terrorism. The worst part is that much of the public, in its concern over terrorism, may not be aware that it’s been sold a bill of goods it didn’t bargain for.
(Business Mirror)
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The Philippine democracy is in its infancy and we cannot have the mindset of a first world country. The truth of the matter is that the scare tactics propagated by this administration seems to be working on the undiscerning Filipino mind. The Filipinos should wake up from its apathetic slumber or they could wake up one morning only to find that we are under another dictator. The signs have all been there for us to see. The administration with its no. 1 spook Norberto Gonzales will continue to exploit and magnify every opportunity to scare the people even more. |
A re-exploration of the use of barbed sutures in flexor tendon repairs.
Flexor tendon repairs continue to improve thanks to advancements in suture material and technique. The role of barbed sutures in flexor tendon repairs has been previously investigated, but with the advent of a new material, interest in their use has been rekindled. We hypothesized that the use of modern barbed sutures will have comparable maximum tensile strength and 2-mm gapping strength to that of conventional sutures, allowing their use to theoretically decrease adhesions and tissue damage in flexor tendon repairs. Flexor tendon repairs were performed on a cadaver model using either 3-0 Ethibond (Ethicon, Inc, Somerville, New Jersey) (Kessler repair) or 2-0 Quill sutures (Angiotech, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada ) (Kessler-Bunnell repair) and were biomechanically tested. The mode of failure for the Ethibond sutures was suture pullout 2 times and knot failure 18 of 20 times, while the Quill sutures failed entirely by pullout. Maximum load to failure was 34.7+/-5.4 N and 29.6+/-3.6 N for Ethibond and Quill, respectively. This was found to be statistically significant (P=.001). Tensile load at 2-mm gapping was 22.8+/-6.3 N and 22.2+/-4.0 N for Ethibond and Quill, respectively. No statistical significance was found (P=.723). This study helps substantiate the possible role of modern barbed sutures in flexor tendon repair. Additional biomechanical studies will need to be performed to further assess the use of barbed sutures in flexor tendon repair. |
// ***************************************************************
// Copyright (c) 2020 Jittor. Authors: Dun Liang <randonlang@gmail.com>. All Rights Reserved.
// This file is subject to the terms and conditions defined in
// file 'LICENSE.txt', which is part of this source code package.
// ***************************************************************
#include "var.h"
#include "ops/candidate_op.h"
namespace jittor {
#ifndef JIT
CandidateOp::CandidateOp(Var* x, string&& fail_cond, NanoString dtype) : x(x), fail_cond(move(fail_cond)) {
flags.set(NodeFlags::_cpu);
flags.set(NodeFlags::_vary_shape);
y = create_output(nullptr, dtype);
}
void CandidateOp::infer_shape() {
y->set_shape({-std::abs(x->shape[0])});
}
void CandidateOp::jit_prepare() {
add_jit_define("Tx", x->dtype());
add_jit_define("Ty", y->dtype());
add_jit_define("FUNC", fail_cond);
add_jit_define("XDIM", JK::hex1(x->shape.size()));
}
#else // JIT
void CandidateOp::jit_run() {
auto* __restrict__ xp = x->ptr<Tx>();
// define cond shape
@for(i, 0, XDIM, index_t xshape@i = x->shape[@i];)
// define cond stride
index_t xstride@{XDIM-1} = 1;
@for(i, XDIM-2, -1, -1, auto xstride@i = xstride@{i+1} * xshape@{i+1};)
// define ys
auto* __restrict__ yp = y->ptr<Ty>();
int64 n=0;
// generate d-for loop
for (index_t i=0; i < xshape0; i++) {
bool pass = true;
for (index_t j_=0; j_ < n; j_++) {
index_t j = yp[j_];
if (@FUNC) {
pass = false;
break;
}
}
if (pass) {
yp[n] = i;
n++;
}
}
y->set_shape({n});
}
#endif // JIT
} // jittor |
Energy storage, referring to the capture of energy generated at one time and consumed at a later time, is one of vital technologies for the rational utilization of energy, aiming to meet the challenge of depletion of fossil fuels and global warming. At present, electrical power is considered as the backbone of modern industry and the society, and the storage of electric energy provides a direct approach to manipulate and efficiently utilize the power source. The dielectric material is capable of storing the electric energy due to its polarization in the presence of external electric field, causing positive charge to store on one electrode and negative charge on the other[@b1]. Admittedly, the electrochemical devices (e.g. rechargeable batteries, supercapacitors, fuel cells etc.) exhibit larger energy density compared with dielectrics[@b2]. However, the dielectric energy-storing devices enable faster delivery of energy (i.e. shorter charge or discharge time), and thus can be found promising applications on hybrid electric vehicles, portable electronic devices as well as power pulse devices[@b3].
The electrostatic energy density that stored in dielectrics can be calculated by the equation , where *E* is the static electric field strength and *ε*~r~ is the relative dielectric permittivity. These two crucial parameters *E* and *ε*~r~ are decisive for the level of energy density for dielectric devices. Intensive investigations have been performed on the application of energy storage devices at high electric field[@b3][@b4], which requires high breakdown strength for dielectrics. For example, owing to the high level of breakdown strength (*E*~b~), the polymer solid insulation dielectrics[@b5][@b6] (e.g. PVDF copolymers[@b3][@b7][@b8] and associated composite materials[@b9][@b10][@b11][@b12]) have been triggering tremendous research interests on achieving large energy density in the high electric field region (*E* ≈ 6000 kV/cm)^3^. However, the raising up of electric field strength is challenging the supporting insulation system, which may limit its applications on miniaturized equipments and portable or wearable electronic devices with high level of integration. Hence, it is desirable to develop energy-storing devices at finite electric field strength with comparable larger energy density. It should be noticed that as the other crucial factor for energy density, the dielectric permittivity is also vital on the performance of energy-storing devices in particular at finite field strength. Therefore, it is crucial to enhance the permittivity of dielectric materials for energy storage applications which are utilized in the low field strength region. We also notice that not all the high-permittivity materials (e.g. CaCu~3~Ti~4~O~12~ system with *ε*~r~ \> 50000[@b13][@b14][@b15][@b16]) are suitable for energy storage application, because they are required to withstand considerable voltage and exhibit low dielectric loss. Therefore, the scope of this paper will focus on the high-permittivity ferroelectric material with relatively low conductivity.
Results and Discussion
======================
Here, by examining the dielectric permittivity distribution on the phase diagram of Sn doped barium titanate Ba(Ti~1-x%~Sn~x%~)O~3~ (abbreviated as BTS-*x*) ferroelectric system, we propose a novel approach to enlarge the dielectric permittivity as well as energy density through finding the composition-induced tricritical point. [Figure 1(a)](#f1){ref-type="fig"} shows the temperature-composition phase diagram for Ba(Ti~1-x%~Sn~x%~)O~3~ (BTS-*x*) material system, which has been obtained by monitoring the dielectric anomalies at transition temperatures in combination with detecting crystal structures using X-ray diffraction method. It can be seen that as the increase of Sn doping concentration, one paraelectric phase (cubic) and three ferroelectric phases (of tetragonal, orthorhombic, rhombohedral symmetry) converge into a multi-phase point (with BTS-10.5 composition at 37 °C). We then investigated the dielectric permittivity variation with temperature and composition and thus depicted the distribution of *ε*~r~ on such a phase diagram as shown in the three-dimensional surface graph of [Fig. 1(a)](#f1){ref-type="fig"}. It is found that strong dielectric response with *ε*~r~ = 5.4 × 10^4^ appears in BTS-*x* material system, which is 5 times as high as that of pure BaTiO~3~. Other parameters such as loss tangent are also shown in [Table 1](#t1){ref-type="table"}. The optimal permittivity has been found on the multi-phase point, which will be verified as a tricritical point in the later part of this paper. We then depicted the BTS-*x* (x = 10.5, 12, 13) close to tricritical point (nominated as tricritical ferroelectrics) on the *E*~b~-*ε*~r~ plot and compared it with a series of other energy storage material systems[@b17][@b18][@b19][@b20][@b21][@b22][@b23][@b24][@b25][@b26][@b27] in [Fig. 1(b)](#f1){ref-type="fig"}. It can be seen that tricritical ferroelectrics occupy high permittivity region with *E*~b~ \< 10 kV/mm, and can be expected to have good energy-storing performance at low electric field strength. We then explore the energy storage properties for BTS-*x* and other material systems through measuring the polarization (*P*)-electric field (*E*) hysteresis loop. Although a figure of merit 1/2*ε*~0~*ε*~r~*E*~b~^2^ is always used to qualify the energy density, it is only applicable to the linear capacitance with the invariant *ε*~r~. We notice that the dielectric permittivity for ferroelectric materials decrease with the increase of external electric field, thereby we used P-E loop measurement to evaluate the energy density that stored in our materials. As shown in [Fig. 1(c)](#f1){ref-type="fig"}, BTS-10.5 at its tricritical point (37 °C) exhibits a larger polarization (*P* \> 10 μC/cm^2^) even at low electric field (*E* = 10 kV/cm), which exceeds other selected ferroelectric systems. Moreover, the energy densities for different materials have been calculated from the integral of *P-E* curves, and the tricritical ferroelectrics show comparable higher energy density (*u*~e~ ≈ 30 mJ/cm^3^) at low field of *E* = 10 kV/cm as shown in [Fig. 1(d)](#f1){ref-type="fig"}. Although the energy density varies with temperature (Δ*u*~e~ = 10 mJ/cm^3^ from 20 °C to 70 °C) and its stability needs to be further improved, our investigation still provides an effective approach on achieving higher energy density at low electric field through compositional inducing tricritical phenomenon in ferroelectric material.
The large dielectric response in the multiphase coexisting point can be understood by considering the contributions of dielectric activities using Rayleigh analysis[@b28][@b29][@b30][@b31][@b32][@b33][@b34][@b35][@b36][@b37]. It is well-known that the dielectric response consists of two dielectric activities, i.e. intrinsic and extrinsic contributions. The intrinsic contribution refers to the dielectric activity produced by lattice deformation under electric field. In contrast, the extrinsic contribution reflects the dielectric response induced by the movement of interfaces in the material, e.g. phase boundaries or domain walls. These dielectric contributions can be analyzed by detecting the polarization-electrical field (*P-E*) hysteresis curves under subswitching conditions in low field regime without the changes on domain structure or domain wall density. In general, the corresponding *P-E* hysteresis loop can be described by Rayleigh relationship as follows:
Here *E* is strength of the applied electric field with maximum value of *E*~0~. *P* refers to the polarization which changes with external electric field. The coefficient *ε*~rinit~ describes the intrinsic dielectric activity caused by lattice deformation which always shows non-hysteretic reversible dielectric response. On the other hand, the coefficient *αE*~0~, which reflects the hysteretic part of dielectric response, describes the extrinsic effect induced by the domain wall motion or phase boundary motion. Hence, we can evaluate the level of intrinsic and extrinsic dielectric contribution through the Rayleigh analysis. The inset of [Fig. 2(a)](#f2){ref-type="fig"} shows the P-E hysteresis loop for optimal composition Ba(Ti~1-*x*%~Sn~*x*%~)O~3~ (*x* = 10.5) at the field amplitudes of 0.2 kV/cm at 37 °C. The measured curve can be well fitted by Rayleigh relation suggesting that the field strengths are within the Rayleigh region with subswitching condition for domain structure. We then measured the *P-E* loop for a series of electric field strength amplitudes. And [Fig. 2(a)](#f2){ref-type="fig"} shows the electric field dependence of permittivity *ε*~r~ calculated by dividing the electric field amplitude into the maximum polarization value. It can be seen that the *ε*~r~ shows the linear relationship with *E*, which agrees with Rayleigh relationship in [Eq. (2)](#eq3){ref-type="disp-formula"}, and hence the intrinsic and extrinsic coefficients *ε*~rinit~ and *α* can be obtained through fitting. We then measured *P-E* hysteresis loop and calculated *ε*~rinit~ and *α* coefficients of BTS-10.5 for different temperatures across *T*~C~. And the associated temperature-dependent of ε~rinit~ and α have been shown in [Fig. 2(b)](#f2){ref-type="fig"}. It can be seen that with the increase of temperature the intrinsic coefficient *ε*~rinit~ for BTS-10.5 first increases, and then decreases on further heating, producing a peak value at *T*~C~. On the other hand, the extrinsic coefficient *α* decreases when temperature increases up to *T*~C~. [Figure 2(c)](#f2){ref-type="fig"} shows the percentage for intrinsic contribution of BTS-10.5 calculated by *ε*~rinit~/(*ε*~rinit~+*αE*~0~), It can be seen that the level for intrinsic contribution has been largely enhanced in the vicinity of *T*~C~, which occupies more than 80% of dielectric contribution. It can thus be concluded that intrinsic dielectric response is the major contribution for strong dielectric response close to *T*~C~. We further compare the level of intrinsic dielectric contribution for BTS system with different compositions at their individual T~C~. The corresponding *P-E* hysteresis loops for a series of compositions have been measured, from which the *ε*~r~--*E* curves of different composition have been depicted ([Fig. 2(d)](#f2){ref-type="fig"}). Fitted by Rayleigh relation, the intrinsic coefficient *ε*~rinit~ has been shown in [Fig. 2(e)](#f2){ref-type="fig"} as a function of composition. It can be seen that the maximum value for *ε*~rinit~ appears at the *T*~C~ of BTS-10.5, which is the multi-phase point for BTS material system. Hence, it indicates that the reason for strong dielectric response at multi-phase point is mainly caused by intrinsic dielectric response which may be enhanced by phase transition.
In order to further detect the phase transition behavior for such a multi-phase point, we perform thermal analysis for BTS-*x* ceramics with a series of compositions (*x* = 0\~10.5), including the latent heat (transition enthalpy) and specific heat measurement. As it is known, the sudden change of the spontaneous polarization at a first-order transition gives rise to latent heat as well as divergent specific heat at its Curie temperature. On the other hand, tricritical behavior refers to a special thermodynamic condition where first-order transition changes into second-order[@b38][@b39][@b40][@b41][@b42][@b43], and it thus involves discontinuous change of specific heat owing to the discontinuity in polarization[@b44]. [Figure 3](#f3){ref-type="fig"}(a[1](#f1){ref-type="fig"}) displays the heat flow curves for BTS-*x* specimens around their individual Curie temperatures measured by a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The temperature-dependence of heat flow curves for different-composition specimens are shown simultaneously. It can be seen that undoped BaTiO~3~ exhibits apparent first order transition characteristic with a sharp heat flow peak at *T*~C~ = 121 °C. However, as the concentration of Sn dopant increases, the heat flow peaks on Curie temperatures are suppressed so that the peak height is lowered. And when the composition changes to the multi-phase point (*x* = 10.5), the heat flow peak becomes nearly invisible, which suggests that the phase transition changes into second-order. We then obtained the latent heat (transition enthalpy) from the integral of heat flow curves at the peak regions around their individual Curie temperatures. The results are shown in [Fig. 3](#f3){ref-type="fig"}(a[2](#f2){ref-type="fig"}) as a function of composition. It can be seen that with the increase of Sn concentration, the transition enthalpy at Curie temperature decreases gradually. And when the composition goes to the multi-phase point, the transition enthalpy approaches to zero indicating that first order transition changes to the near second order. Hence, such a multi-phase point exhibits nearly tricritical behavior.
Moreover, the temperature-dependence of specific heat for BTS-*x (x* = 3, 6, 10.5) have been measured across their own Curie temperatures by using a physical property measurement system (PPMS). The specific heat measurement results of BTS-*x (x* = 3, 6) have been displayed in [Fig. 3](#f3){ref-type="fig"}(b[1](#f1){ref-type="fig"}),(b2) respectively. It can be seen that they show similar feature that the specific heat-temperature curves are divergent at their own Curie temperatures, which suggests a first-order transition nature for ferro-para transition. In contrast, BTS-10.5 shows a quite different specific heat characteristic. As shown in [Fig. 3](#f3){ref-type="fig"}(b[3](#f3){ref-type="fig"}), the specific heat curve for *x* = 10.5 exhibits a unique λ-shape curve: the curves at ferroelectric temperature region and paraelectric temperature region change continuously with temperature, but there is a sudden drop around Curie temperature, which reflects a discontinuous change of specific heat indicating a second-order transition behavior. Therefore, the specific heat curve for BTS-10.5 provides an evidence that the first-order transition goes into second-order (or weak first-order), and the multi-phase point exhibits tricritical phenomenon, which may be responsible for strong dielectric response as well as large energy density at low electric field.
What is the microstructure characteristic for multi-phase point showing tricriticality and how does it relate to large dielectric response and energy density? In order to answer the above-mentioned questions, we examined the domain structure of the tricritical point for BTS-*x* system via transmission electron microscope (TEM) observation. To make a comparison, we first performed the TEM observation for undoped BaTiO~3~ showing typical first order transition. [Figure 4(a)](#f4){ref-type="fig"} shows the bright field TEM image for domain structure of BaTiO~3~ ceramic around Curie temperature with the beam incidence of \[001\]. It can be seen that the microstructure can be clearly separated into the ferroelectric portion with stripe domain pattern and paraelectric portion without domain. These two portions are bordered by a very apparent interphase boundary shown by the dashed line of [Fig. 4(a)](#f4){ref-type="fig"}. And such a microstructural feature reveals a phase coexisting of first order transition nature at the ferro-para transition temperature of BaTiO~3~, which is well-known in ferroelectrics. In contrast, the microstructure for BTS-10.5 ceramic at tricritical point exhibits distinguished feature. Unlike the undoped BaTiO~3~ with clear interphase boundary, the tricritical point specimen BST-10.5 exhibits a mottled microstructure shown in [Fig. 4(b)](#f4){ref-type="fig"}, which has numerous domains formed with the size of nanometer scale. Previous Brillouin scattering and relevant studies by S. Kojima *et al*.[@b45] and T. H. Kim *et al*.[@b46] suggest that the tricritical transition is accompanied by the formation of nano-regions in a parallel ferroelectric system Pb(Sc~1/2~Nb~1/2~)O~3~-PbTiO~3~ and PZT single crystal, which coincides with our TEM result for the tricritical point of BTS*-x* system. It should be noticed that such a nanodomain microstructure in BTS-*x* system is uniform in the grain, which differs from that of CaCu~3~Ti~4~O~12~ system exhibiting spatial defect inhomogeneity between grain and grain boundary and forming a internal barrier layer structure[@b14]. Therefore, such two material systems have different mechanisms for dielectric permittivity enhancement.
Moreover, in order to further detect the crystal structure for these nano-regions, we performed convergent beam electron diffraction (CBED) observation in TEM with a minuscule convergent electron-beam probe, and the CBED diffraction patterns with \[001\] beam incidence have been shown in the [Fig. 4](#f4){ref-type="fig"}(b[1](#f1){ref-type="fig"})--(b3). According to the phase diagram in [Fig. 1(a)](#f1){ref-type="fig"}, four crystal symmetries, including three ferroelectric phases (T, O, R) and one paraelectric phase (C), are possible to appear depending on its temperature/composition conditions. [Figure 4](#f4){ref-type="fig"}(b[1](#f1){ref-type="fig"})--(b3) show the diffraction patterns for the tricritical point of BTS-10.5 (37 °C), which has been taken from three neighboring sampling points within the same grain. It can be seen that the diffraction symmetries for these points differs with each other: (1) [Fig. 4](#f4){ref-type="fig"}(b[1](#f1){ref-type="fig"}) displays a CBED pattern with mirror plane along (110), which indicates rhombohedral or orthorhombic crystal symmetry. (2) [Figure 4](#f4){ref-type="fig"}(b[2](#f2){ref-type="fig"}) shows a CBED pattern with (010) mirror plane, and therefore suggests tetragonal crystal symmetry. (3) The pattern in [Fig. 4](#f4){ref-type="fig"}(b[3](#f3){ref-type="fig"}) exhibits 4 mm diffraction symmetry, and it is possible to be responsible for either cubic symmetry or tetragonal symmetry. Hence, the multi-phase point manifests itself as numerous nanoregions with polarization inhomogeneity in microstructure. Such a microstructure feature may be caused by the tricriticality of multi-phase point, which leads to low polarization anisotropy. And it may enable the adjacent nanoregions alter to each other very easily, and thus facilitate a large dielectric response in the presence of external electric field. Hence, large dielectric permittivity as well as energy density at low field can be expected from such a tricritical ferroelectric materials.
Our reported large dielectric permittivity can be explained by a Landau-type modeling regarding the thermodynamically special tricritical phenomenon. According to the classical theory of ferroelectrics, Gibbs free energy of the system can be expanded into a polynomial with respect to polarization *P* = (*P*~1~, *P*~2~, *P*~3~). Here we employ a sixth-order polynomial and omit the high-order terms, and the Gibbs free energy *G* can be written as follows[@b47]:
Here *α*~*i*~, *β*~*i*~, and *γ*~*i*~ are the expansion coefficients which also vary with the temperature *T* and composition *x*, and such changes on the coefficients *β*~2~, *γ*~2~ and *γ*~3~ determine the polarization anisotropy and the phase stability of different ferroelectric phases (tetragonal, orthorhombic and rhombohedral). The tricriticality of the multi-phase point, evidenced by our thermal analysis results, can guarantee a special thermodynamic condition with at the tricritical point. And by further tuning the temperature and composition dependency of the relevant coefficients, a phase diagram can be produced which coincides with the measured one in [Fig. 1(a)](#f1){ref-type="fig"}. We can then calculate the dielectric properties from Gibbs free energy of BTS-*x* material system. The dielectric stiffness can be calculated from the second-order derivatives of the Gibbs free energy with respect to polarization,
The dielectric permittivity along the polar direction (*ε*~*r*~) can be calculated by the following equation[@b48]:
and the temperature-dependence for the reduced dielectric permittivity of each composition can be calculated by equation ([4](#eq6){ref-type="disp-formula"}), ([5](#eq7){ref-type="disp-formula"}), and is shown in [Fig. 5(a)](#f5){ref-type="fig"}. It can be seen that *ε*~*r*~ value has been greatly enhanced when it approaches the tricritical point, and the tricriticality will lead to divergent dielectric permittivity in the ideal case. However, this is seldom encountered in the experiments because of defects in sample. Instead, tricritical point composition exhibits a dielectric permittivity peak value maxima compared with other compositions. This gives the reason why large dielectric response has been achieved from the tricritical phenonmenon. We then compare the Gibbs free energy profiles for near tricritical point and conventional first order transition. Here we make *P*~*1*~ = *P*~*2*~ to show the (110) projection of the free energy profile. For the first order transition, the energy profile shows equal free energy for cubic (C) phase and tetragonal (T) phase ([Fig. 5](#f5){ref-type="fig"}(b[2](#f2){ref-type="fig"})), but there exists energy barrier between the two phases (as shown in 2D profile in [Fig. 5](#f5){ref-type="fig"}(c[2](#f2){ref-type="fig"})). However, in the vicinity of tricritical point, the energy profile shows flat free energy landscape ([Fig. 5](#f5){ref-type="fig"}(b[1](#f1){ref-type="fig"})) and the energy barrier between C and T, O, R phases vanishes (as shown in 2D profile in [Fig. 5](#f5){ref-type="fig"}(c[1](#f1){ref-type="fig"})). The vanishing energy barrier on the tricritical point can facilitate a large polarization change, and the material becomes easily polarized in the presence of the electric field, which can be ascribed as the reason for the large dielectric permittivity and thus high energy density at low electric field for ferroelectrics, which may find potential applications on low voltage energy storage devices.
It should be pointed out that there are two aspects that can be improved to further facilitate the future applications of tricritical ferroelectric ceramics. One is to enhance the breakdown strength for higher electric field application. The possible solutions may lie in, but not limited to the following approaches: (1) Fabricating thin film tricritical materials in order to enhance the breakdown strength[@b49][@b50][@b51]. (2) Adding glass additives to enhance the electric field endurance limit[@b52][@b53]. (3) Fabricating the polymer/tricritical ceramic composite material which exhibits higher breakdown strength[@b54]. Another one is to enhance the temperature stability. Despite of poor temperature stability as shown in [Fig. 1(a)](#f1){ref-type="fig"} that is far from the requirement of commercialized capacitors (e.g. Z5U, Y5V, X7R *et al*.), large permittivity of such a material system can still be considered as the basis for further modification on facilitating temperature reliability. The possible solutions may lie in, but not limited to the following aspects: (1) adding T~C~ depressors to lower the sharpness of dielectric permittivity peak[@b55]. (2) producing relaxor ferroelectrics to enhances temperature stability due to the gradual change of polar nano-regions. (3) fabricating fine-grain ceramic that has good temperature reliability[@b56].
Summary
=======
In conclusion, large dielectric response with ε~r~ = 5.4 × 10^4^ has been found in Ba(Ti~1-x%~Sn~x%~)O~3~ ferroelectric material system at the Curie temperature for *x* = 10.5, and relatively high energy density can reach to 30 mJ/cm^2^ at the electric field of 10 kV/cm. The optimal properties are proved to be caused by intrinsic effect under external field, which is responsible for phase transition. Further thermal analysis suggests that tricritical phenomenon occurs on the Curie temperature of *x* = 10.5, and the microstructure manifests itself as numerous of nanodomains with polarization inhomogeneity. A sixth-order thermodynamic modeling based on our experimental results suggests the flattening of free energy profile on tricritical point, and the easy altering of polarization in the presence of external electric field leads to large dielectric response and the associated energy density. Our finding can be found the potential applications on the low voltage energy storage devices such as the power sources of portable and wearable electronics.
Method
======
A series of Ba(Ti~1-x%~Sn~x%~)O~3~ ceramics were prepared by using conventional solid-solution method starting from BaCO~3~, SnO~2~, TiO~2~ chemicals, and the powders were mixed and then calcinated at 1350 °C for 3 h. After shaping, the final ceramic specimens are obtained by sintering at 1450 °C for 3 h. Dielectric permittivity during phase transitions were detected by a LCR impedance analyzer equipped with a temperature chamber. The polarization (*P*)-electric field(*E*) hysteresis loops were measured by using ferroelectric workstation (Radiant techonology) at unipolar mode as well as bipolar mode. In order to monitor the phase transition behavior, thermal properties such as latent heat and specific heat were measured by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and Physical Property Measurement System (PPMS) respectively. Moreover, the microstructure origin of the specimens have been characterized by means of transmission electron microscope (TEM JEM 2100 F, JOEL) equipped with a heating specimen holder. Before TEM observation, the ceramic samples were prepared following the conventional TEM sample preparation procedure, which consists of mechanically grinding, ultrasonic cutting, and dimpling. Further ion polishing was performed to achieve the electron-transparent sample.
Additional Information
======================
**How to cite this article**: Gao, J. *et al*. Enhancing dielectric permittivity for energy-storage devices through tricritical phenomenon. *Sci. Rep.* **7**, 40916; doi: 10.1038/srep40916 (2017).
**Publisher\'s note:** Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
We thank for helpful discussion from Jinqi Ma, Wenbo Yan, Chang Liu, Yu Wang, Minxia Fang, Yang Yang, Yanshuang Hao. The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51471127) and National Basic Research Program of China (Grant Nos 2012CB619401, 2012CB619402, 51431007, IRT13034, and 51321003). J.G. acknowledges China Postdoctoral Science Foundation funded project (No. 2013M540751) and State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment (EIPE16311) for financial support.
**Author Contributions** X.R. and L.Z. designed the project. J.G., Y.W., Y.L., X.H and Y.H. did the experiment. X.K., did the calculations. J.G. and X.K. drafted the manuscript. All authors discussed the results and revised and commented on the manuscript.
![(**a**) The dielectric permittivity (*ε*~r~) distribution on the phase diagram of Ba(Ti~1-*x*%~Sn~*x*%~)O~3~ (BTS), and the maximum value can reach to 5.4 × 10^4^ at the multi-phase point which is also a tricritical point. (**b**) The locations for a series of materials categories on the dielectric permittivity(*ε*~r~)-breakdown strength (*E*~b~) plot (reproduced from refs [@b13], [@b14], [@b15], [@b16], [@b17], [@b18], [@b19], [@b20], [@b21], [@b22], [@b23]), and the tricritical BTS materials at high permittivity region may result in a large energy storage properties at low electric field. (**c**) The polarization(P)-electric field (E) hysteresis loops for tricritical-point-nearby BTS-*x* and the other ferroelectric materials at low electric field region with *E* \< 10 kV/cm. (**d**) The energy densities at 10 kV/cm for different material systems calculated from P-E loops. And the tricriticial ferroelectric BTS-10.5 exhibits the largest energy density of 31 mJ/cm^3^ at 10 kV/cm. The temperature variation of energy density for BTS-10.5 has been shown in the inset.](srep40916-f1){#f1}
{#f2}
{#f3}
{#f4}
{#f5}
###### Dielectric coefficients for Ba(Ti~1-x%~Sn~x%~)O~3~ (BTS-*x*) ceramic system.
BaTiO~3~ BTS-6 BTS-10.5 BTS-15 BTS-20
------------------------------------ --------------- --------------- --------------- --------------- ---------------
*Tc* (°C) 121.33 73.55 36.77 −3.80 −46.28
Dielectric permittivity at 0.1 kHz 1.066 × 10^4^ 2.524 × 10^4^ 5.364 × 10^4^ 2.962 × 10^4^ 2.148 × 10^4^
tan δ (%) 2.775 4.454 3.934 3.931 7.654
|
Q:
Gson: parameter get serialised even though it has @Expose(serialize = false)
I'm writing an SDK for a JSON API and I'm running into a seemingly weird problem. The API is quite strict in it's POST data validation and it does not allow certain parameters to be present when updating resources, like an id. For this reason, I added @Expose(serialize = false) the ID field of my resource class. It seems however, that it still serializes this field, causing the request to be rejected. The resource class roughly is as follows:
public class Organisation extends BaseObject
{
public static final Gson PRETTY_PRINT_JSON = new GsonBuilder()
.setPrettyPrinting()
.create();
@Expose(serialize = false)
@SerializedName("_id")
private String id;
@SerializedName("email")
private String email;
@SerializedName("name")
private String name;
@SerializedName("parent_id")
private String parentId;
public String toJson()
{
return PRETTY_PRINT_JSON.toJson(this);
}
}
My unit tests create an instance of Organisation via the API, saves the newly created instance to the test class as a class parameter and calls an update method that will test the update implementation of the SDK by updating the new resource. This is where it goes wrong. Even though the toJson() method is called on the new Organisation to serialise it to JSON for the update request, the _id field remains present, causing the API to decline the update. The test code is as follows. Notice the comments in the code.
@Test
public void testCreateUpdateAndDeleteOrganisation() throws RequestException
{
Organisation organisation = new Organisation();
organisation.setParentId(this.ORGANISATION_ID);
organisation.setName("Java Test Organisation");
Organisation newOrganisation = this.MySDK.organisation.create(organisation);
this.testOrganisation(newOrganisation);
this.newOrganisation = newOrganisation;
this.testUpdateOrganisation();
}
public void testUpdateOrganisation() throws RequestException
{
// I tried setting ID to null, but that doesn't work either
// even though I've set Gson to not serialise null values
this.newOrganisation.setId(null);
this.newOrganisation.setName(this.newName);
// For debugging
System.out.println(this.newOrganisation.toJson());
Organisation updatedOrganisation = this.MySDK.organisation.update(this.newOrganisation.getId(), this.newOrganisation);
this.testOrganisation(updatedOrganisation);
assertEquals(newOrganisation.getName(), this.newName);
this.testDeleteOrganisation();
}
Can anyone spot what I'm doing wrong? I have a feeling it has something to do with the fact that the instance already has/had a value for ID, but that shouldn't matter if I explicity tell it not to serialise it right?
Thanks in advance for the help.
EDIT: At this.MySDK.organisation.update(this.newOrganisation.getId(), this.newOrganisation);, that does not edit the organisation instance. The given ID is merely added to the URL that the SDK will POST to (POST /organisation/{id})
A:
Thanks to @peitek for pointing out that @Expose is ignored unless .excludeFieldsWithoutExposeAnnotation() is added to the GsonBuilder(). However, I choose not to go with this route as it would require me to add @Expose to every single parameter of my model classes just to ignore one field on serialisation. Instead I wrote a ExclusionStrategy that checks for the presence of a custom SkipSerialisation annotation on the parameter. I implemented these as follows:
The full GsonBuilder with the strategy:
public static final Gson PRETTY_PRINT_JSON = new GsonBuilder()
.addSerializationExclusionStrategy(new ExclusionStrategy()
{
@Override
public boolean shouldSkipField(FieldAttributes f)
{
return f.getAnnotation(SkipSerialisation.class) != null;
}
@Override
public boolean shouldSkipClass(Class<?> clazz)
{
return false;
}
})
.setPrettyPrinting()
.create();
And the annotation:
@Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
@Target(ElementType.FIELD)
public @interface SkipSerialisation
{
}
Now I can just do
@SkipSerialisation
@SerializedName("_id")
private String id;
and it works!
A:
As you mentioned in your comments, @Expose should be the better choice over transient here. It's important to note that the default Gson instance does not regard the @Expose annotation! It'll simply ignore it, no matter what you set as option.
If you want to activate the @Expose options, you need to customize Gson. Based on your code above, change it to:
public static final Gson PRETTY_PRINT_JSON = new GsonBuilder()
.setPrettyPrinting()
.excludeFieldsWithoutExposeAnnotation();
.create();
Your @Expose(serialize = false) should be active and excluded during serialization.
|
Q:
Recurrence problem for $a_5$
Assume that the sequence $\{a_0,a_1,a_2,\ldots\}$ satisfies the recurrence $a_{n+1} = a_n + 2a_{n−1}$. We know that $a_0 = 4$ and $a_2 = 13$. What is $a_5$?
A:
First find $a_1$: using the equation with $n=1$:
$$
13 = a_1 + 2\times 4\implies a_1 = 5
$$
Then compute $a_3, a_4, a_5$:
$$
a_3 = 13 + 2\times 5 = 23;\\
a_4 = 23 + 2\times 13 = 49;\\
a_5 = 49 + 2\times 23 = 95.\\
$$
Another solution is to find $a_n$ for each $n$: the caracteristic equation
is $r^2 - r- 2 = 0$, hence
$$
a_n = A(-1)^n + B2^n;\\
\begin{cases}
13 &=& A+4B\\
4 &=& A+B \end{cases}\implies (A,B) = (1,3)\\
a_5 = -1 + 3\times 2^5=95.
$$
|
Graal and Truffle (2016) - tosh
https://blog.plan99.net/graal-truffle-134d8f28fb69
======
andrewbinstock
Fairly old article. A _lot_ has happened since then with these technologies.
~~~
TeeWEE
Could you give more detail. A follow up article. Is GraalVM build ontop of
this?
~~~
chrisseaton
Endless resources here [https://github.com/neomatrix369/awesome-
graal](https://github.com/neomatrix369/awesome-graal) and here
[https://www.graalvm.org/community/publications/](https://www.graalvm.org/community/publications/).
|
Well, good morning everyone.
It's nice to see you and I would say "see"
you in
quotations. I'm excited to be with you
today, and I
candidly wish I could be with you in
Forfa like we always do.
That's one of the high points of the
year for me, and it's
unfortunate that I can't be with you
like that now.
I'm here in my office, and that's about
as close as I can get to the Forfa,
but I am excited to speak with you. And
I'm also excited because,
in the short time I've been with you as
your colleague, this will be the first
time that I'll
invite others to participate in the
presentation part
of this State of the College address. I
want to
say Hello and thank you to several of my
colleagues,
particularly those who are serving our
College in the Board of Trustees, and
then
you might recall that I have a little
bit of a convention, or a tradition, that
I'm going to continue here in a moment.
And I'll just leave that as a tease for
a moment.
Let me say I believe we have
several of our leaders from the Board of
Trustees here. I do see Trustee Lane
there
Good morning. I see Trustee Roxanne McDonald. I know that Trustee
Adel Mozip
planned on attending. I know and I
heard her voice, Trustee
Mary Petlichkoff and
Trustee Jim Thorpe is
joining us today. And
I neglected to note the title of
Trustee Lane: Secretary Lane
and Treasurer Roxanne McDonald [and Vice Chair Thorpe]
But the person I want to focus attention on
is someone who, as I mentioned, has
become
somewhat of a tradition when we come
together for State of the College
addresses.
And that is Trustee Dr. Michael Meade.
Now, it's an important thing that you note he's here.
Because this is unfortunately going to
be the last time he'll be an
office holder at our State of the
College.
You know that Trustee Meade was
elected to our Board of Trustees in 2014
and
he has elected not to seek re-election.
So this will be the last State of
the College where he
is an office holder of the Board of
Trustees.
Throughout my time as your
colleague, I've taken a lot of pride in
introducing Trustee Meade, because
One: he was for sure one trustee I
knew would be at our State of the
College addresses.
And, number Two: he has been a good
mentor and a good friend to me.
But perhaps most importantly, number Three:
The man's devotion to this College is
simply unparalleled.
I just want to spend just a few moments
telling you about him, and then I'm going
to let him address you all, because
as a member of the Board of Trustees as
a leader of this institution,
I think his insights about where we are
as a College and where we're headed
are always valuable to hear. You may not
know it,
but it was just a little while ago, in
1966,
that Trustee Meade began his career in
higher education
as a counselor and later as the Dean of
Student Services at Montgomery College in Maryland, and then
the great State of Michigan lured him to the Great Lakes State
in 1982, and he became a member of the
Henry Ford (Community) College family.
He was the Vice President of Student Affairs when he arrived,
and he spent one year as acting
President. And I
sometimes like to kid you, Dr. Meade --
this job
was only -- you only wanted to do it
for one year after you saw what it was
like. Of course, I'm joking. I love my job.
Trustee Meade, but
I do appreciate your service as
filling in this role. Then he retired
from his position as an administrator in 2005
but stayed on as an
adjunct counselor until 2015, just after
his election.
And so, if you count from the time he
came to Dearborn in 1982 until today,
you're going to count 80(!), excuse me, 38
years
of service to Henry Ford College. And if
you count
the time since Dr. Meade started his
service to the community college
movement,
1966, you're going to count 54 years
of devotion to higher education and
community colleges, and frankly the
students that we touch and serve.
So it is my great pleasure to
reintroduce you
once again to my friend and my colleague,
Trustee Dr. Meade,
to make some introductory remarks. Dr. Meade.
Hi. Thank you very much, and thank you
President Kavalhuna, Esquire,
for this introduction. I want to thank Chair Hussein Berry for
letting me
have this swan song statement and
get an opportunity to talk to all of you
a little bit about the community college
movement.
And he
normally would be giving this talk, but
he
allowed me to do this, so I appreciate
that.
Right off the bat, I've got to thank the team
that worked so diligently to bring
all of our students, well to open up
the college for the fall.
What a unusual circumstance
and normally we'd be talking to each
other face to face and
I would get some reactions from you that
might tell me
that I'm off course, or that maybe I
actually said something funny,
or yeah(!) So, I won't get any of that
feedback typically
and then that's what every faculty
member is going to be dealing with
all through the, probably all through
the next year, but let's hope
it's shorter than that. Let me ask you a
question,
when did you all fall in love
with the community college movement(?)
Now I ask that question because then I
get to answer it.
So I fell in love with the community
college movement back in 1965.
It actually started in 1966,
but in 1965 I was
a Voc Rehab Counselor for the District
of Columbia in Washington, D.C.
and I would have to say I was not very
good at my job.
I was there for a year and I got 2
people
to work out of 475 and I got 11 in
training.
So, I started looking for a different
career
and I was starting reading about this
community college movement. Here
in this country they at that time in '65
they were
opening community colleges on the
average of
one a week across the country. So this
was a concept
that was catching
everybody and people were getting really
excited about it. So
I decided I better take a look at this.
And I was reading about it
and what hit you right away is that this
community college, the vision and the
mission, for the community college was
open door policy. A form of democratic
post-secondary education where everybody
gets an opportunity, who wants one to go
to college.
At that time, the admissions policy
was you're 18 years of age or
older you're admitted. So,
one of the things that attracted me to
that was that
they were anticipating then, if there was
going to be an open door policy,
that there would be a lot of FIDACs.
There'd be a lot of
students coming to college who had
nobody in the
in the family who had had the experience
of college
and probably not many people to
counsel them with them about their
future. So, I thought well here I am. I
have a
Master's degree in Guidance and
Counseling, why don't I apply to that
community college? Because they probably
need counselors to help students with
making career and educational choices
and to deal with personal problems that
are blocking them from being successful.
So I was thinking about that
and
I started, I looked a little bit more
into it and I just
and I recognized that people really
wanted students to have an opportunity
at a cost that they could afford. So part
of the vision was that a third of the
cost
would come from the local taxpayers and
a third of the cost would come from the
state taxpayers
and a third would come from tuition.
So back in 1966, they were starting
at $20.00 a credit hour
so this gave everybody quite an
opportunity.
I also recognize that
the community college is going to offer
a liberal arts education as well as a
technical education which
gave some people the choice to get
knowledge and skills that would allow
them to get immediately into the economy
and others would have an opportunity to
transfer to the university
if they wanted to go on for a bachelor's
degree. So community colleges offered
these
associate degrees in technology as well
as in liberal arts and that was very
attractive to me also.
The other thing is, is that what I
learned is that faculty
were not required to publish or
perish. That they their major
responsibility was to teach
5 courses a semester probably to
about 125 students
and that they would have office hours
for personal tutoring
if a student needed it.
At first I thought, well this is like the
13th and 14th grades,
but no it's not. Because when faculty are
hired at a community college they have
the responsibility to develop
curriculum, to develop the courses that
make up the curriculum,
and to and to develop the content
of those courses. So they have academic
freedom.
It's very much different from the p
through 12 experience, so
yeah, this is a real college experience.
So students, once they finish with the
community college they are
totally prepared to go on if they
wish to. The other thing that struck me
is that
they called them the "honeycomb" colleges
and the reason why they called them the
"honeycomb" colleges is because
they were all small classrooms. So
an instructional building is made up of
classrooms that hold maybe 25
maximum 30. So there's a real
opportunity for interaction and
engagement
between the faculty member and the
students
and lord knows that the students coming
to the community colleges
who have no background experience need
all the support they can get.
So with this information, I applied to
Northern Virginia Community College
and to Montgomery College. I lived in
Silver Spring, Maryland so Montgomery
College was closer, I applied
and within a week i got an invitation to
be interviewed
at both Northern Virginia Community
College and Montgomery College. Northern
Virginia in the morning and Montgomery
College in the afternoon
and the next day I got a telephone call
from both of them
saying that they've accepted me for the
position of counseling.
I went for the orientation at Montgomery
College. I chose Montgomery College
because it was
a county-based program it was closer to
my home
and when I arrived I was shocked
because I was 1 of 70 faculty members
that were being
oriented that day. This tells you the
exponential growth of community
colleges
in that period.
So as Mr. Kavalhuna,
president Kavalhuna, expressed- he told
the rest of my story.
So the rest of my story is not important
now,
I just want you to know that in our
hearts
we know that the community college
vision and mission
suits us perfectly and
it is a great challenge but it is
necessary
to serve so many different students. Now
there's one thing that I
want to emphasize since I've had this
opportunity,
and that yeah, this is a crazy year but
we still need to
develop a strategic plan. The current
strategic plan is going to expire soon
and this is going to be in a very very
important
process this year.
Dr. Michael Nealon and Dr. Lori Gonko
are are leading this escapade
and I appreciate, I will appreciate
all of the involvement of people across
the college to make sure
that our strategic plan fits
with the vision
and mission of the community
college movement. We are chartered by the
State of Michigan
to be a community college, yeah we may do a few bachelor's degrees
and that's good for our students.
But primarily we are created to serve
the businesses and industries and the
citizens
of the area of our community.
So this strategic plan is
critical because it gives us a road map
for the future. It's critical for all of
us because then we
are guided properly and it's really
important for the president
because his job is to implement
the strategic plan. Now he may have a few
other problems that come along like
Covid [-19]
that weren't anticipated in a strategic
plan
and that's where his leadership is
needed.
I wanted to emphasize how important
the strategic plan is
and how important it is that all of you
get your oars in the water
relative to this because this will tell
us
what we're going to be doing in the next
couple years
and how we're going to serve our
students. And finally,
I know this is finally, finally I would
like to say
something about the role of the board
in terms of hiring and evaluating
the president of the college. Once we
have a strategic plan
it is up to the president to implement it
and the Board approves a strategic plan
and they use that as a tool to evaluate
the president. So the president needs
this as well as the Higher Learning
Commission needs it desperately so that
they can see that we are doing things
together and that we have a really good
plan to serve
our students. And finally,
I am very impressed
with Mr. Kavalhuna Esquire.
I have longed for a president
who is not autocratic,
who is authoritative not authoritarian,
who understands that
the buck stops with him but
the college will never work well if
there isn't
teamwork and a very healthy respect
for the faculty and their role
to generate the kinds of programs and
services
that allow our students to be successful
and to become
citizens that we are proud of,
So thank you for giving me this
opportunity and I wish you all
a wonderful year. It's a challenging year
but I know, I know that you are up to the
challenge.
Thank you.
Well Dr. Meade I appreciate
your comments
and I candidly appreciate your many
decades of service to the community
college movement.
I'll just say to you, you know,
it's unfortunate. You and I have not seen
each other face to face for
candidly longer, I really don't remember
the last time we saw each other.
What I want to say as intimately as I
can
through a computer. I appreciate what
you've done for me, you've been a good
friend and a good mentor to me
and you've helped me
be a good teammate to my teammates here
at the college and
I will miss the day I call you my
boss. But I am glad, I
hope I'll be able to call you my friend
and mentor for many days beyond that.
The last thing I'll say to you is if you
care to look Dr. Meade,
if you click on the chat function of
this Zoom meeting.
I've simply lost count of the number of
compliments you've received here
and the praise you've received from your
Erswell colleagues
about how much they care for you, how
much they wish for your health
and best wishes to your family and
what they see as probably your best gift
to the college.
Which is your unending support and
teamwork. So I encourage you to click on
the chat function so you can see that.
Now
what I'd like to move to ladies and
gentlemen, is to
my attempts to
show some of a powerpoint presentation.
You know, this is this is a new
world for all of us and candidly I,
know most of you instructors are
probably better at this than I am
because you're living through this world
now. But
I'm going to start sharing my screen and
we'll work through some powerpoint
presentations so that you don't have to
simply just look at me.
Then I will be going through
a couple opportunities to invite some
other speakers to give you some
perspectives. So let me
change to share my screen.
The first thing I want to do is just
a little housekeeping matters.
I've already seen in the chat window
that several of you have wondered
what the thought process is for
limiting video and audio in this meeting.
I'll be the first to admit we're
learning as we go here and
I know some of you may prefer to
have your video up and that we've
limited that. Candidly, the reason we
have
is because as at this point, I'm counting
395 participants in our
meeting and if we allow
video then we have to allow microphone.
If any of you all have been on a
multi-person meeting where even just one
person forgets to mute their
their device it can be kind of
difficult.
That may not be the best way and if
you're frustrated by that, you have my
apologies and I'm happy to hear any
feedback you have about that
but we have elected to allow you to use
the chat function uninhibited.
I see many of you have done that already
and I encourage you to keep doing that
and please do
put your questions for me or comments in
those and
my plan is to try to address as many
as those as I can during our time here
together this morning.
The other thing I want to talk to you
about is something I'm going to start
calling First Fridays and that's one of
my attempts to limit any of you all who
are frustrated by not being able to
use your voice and use your face, even in
this limited experience in Zoom.
What I'm committed to do is the First
Friday of every single month,
until further notice, is to have one of
these meetings where any one of you
are welcome to join. We'll unleash any of
these restrictions
on video or voice and if there's no
agenda
other than me sitting with you on Zoom
answering your questions, talking to you,
hearing your feedback from what's going
on
and that is as much of a help for me
as i hope it will be for you. My goal
there is to give you an opportunity to
tell me how it's going out there.
I just so miss my opportunity to be
able to do that in the real time, in the
real world before
the pandemic and my commitment to you is to be there on
the First Fridays. And I know that the
the next first Friday is actually
a week from this week and it's right at
the beginning of a
vacation holiday weekend, but I'm still
going to be there.
I'm still going to figure out the time,
probably in the morning on Friday.
The first Friday of September and for
any of you all who want to address me,
feel free. Of course I've never shirked
from
what I've always offered you all which
is if you want to contact me
and you want to email me you can you can
expect a response from me
and I'll maintain that commitment to you also.
So, one of the things that the State of
the College that I
enjoy doing is identifying
what's happened with our staff and
this sometimes takes a little more
time
but it's important to me because these
are our teammates and these are
developments in their life and their
relationship with the college.
So I want to go through them now,
we've got some new hires to address
and I'll read their names and their
position now.
Eve Chowdury is an IR Business analyst.
Julie Jackson is in the Surgical
Technology
department. Amy Paik is a Chemistry
Instructor.
Kimberly Perlongo is an Accountant.
Heather Snead is an Accounting Analyst.
Now some of our colleagues have
achieved tenure those are, James Anderson in the Trades department.Theresa Betts a
User Librarian.
Glenn Wisniewski, as a Trades Instructor.
We've had some retirements and of course
I've noted on this slide
that this is a limited window and I
apologize in advance if I've missed your
name and you fit in one of these
categories. From January to August, please
let me know and I will make up for that
error by making it a public announcement.
The retirements that we have so far are
Terry Anderson from the Facilities
department. Kimberly Campbell Logistic
Associate.
David Cunningham was a Director. James
Elmer
was in the Energy Tech instructor.
Jackie Lawson a Business Instructor. Who
I hope will continue to
come back to have the
Women's luncheons serve their
important role she did there.
Tom Leighton from the Facilities
department. Dreama Pinkowski
was a Research Analyst. Samuel Plaza was
a History Instructor.
Greg Pudulek was a Facilities Engineer.
Elaine Saneske
was a Business Instructor and someone
who I relied on
for advice and candidly someone who
could tell me
how I was being perceived both
positively and negatively and I
encourage her to continue to do that.
Tom Seguin was an Accountant. Mark
Sedilk,
an Electronics Instructor. Carol Sloan an
instructor in HBE.
And you know, it's not, it's frankly one
of the worst parts of my job but
I do think it's important we pay homage
to those who were our colleagues
and who have passed away. I've made
statements about several of these
individuals,
but I need to make their names known one
more time.
Monica Casarez was a Health Careers
Instructor.
Michael Daher was an English Instructor
and a extraordinary
teammate and leader in the Honors
program.
Thomas Hudec was a Chemistry Instructor and Bridget Pizzino was an English
instructor and of course the spouse of
one of our faculty members.
The next thing I like to do at these
events is to give an opportunity to have
our collective bargaining unit
members have a couple items that are
important to them and they're seeing
and doing. Now these are in no particular
order,
but it just starts with Local 71
who I
congratulate the election of their
new leader, president Joe Zitnik.
I also want to note that
most of these announcements on this
docket with the collective bargaining
units come from my relationships and my
partnerships with the
leaders of those collective bargaining
units and
president Zitnik wanted me to take
notice of the amazing work, and those
were his words,
but I completely agree. Of Holly Diamond
and the Enrollment services team
in the service to students. You're
going to hear from Holly Diamond about
that and I just want you to know that I
greatly appreciate her work and her
leadership and her team.
Closely behind that is Reuben Brukley,
you know this man took the job of
Facilities Director and I feel a little
badly for him,
I doubt he expected to be handling a
pandemic but he's done that and he's led
a facility staff that has been
holding up the traditional job of
maintaining our campus but the included
tasks of cleaning and sanitizing our
campuses.
We have the SSA, and as you know,
they often I think back every
October put on
a Trunk or Treat event. Leslie Windless, this I
suspect, is the one who will be doing it
this year again.
She's fantastic at that and she's a
great teammate.
They also ratified a one-year contract
extension in the middle of a pandemic
and that was
a lot of good work done by president Kim
Kaier negotiating team LaDonna Holley
and Lori Gonko.
They began a new affiliation with the
Technical Professional and Office
Workers Association of Michigan and I
have to confess, I don't know much about
that group but I do look forward to
working
with that group and with all my
colleagues from the SSA.
The SSA took part in a peaceful
demonstration
or protest with the Dearborn Police.
I know that
several SSA employees took part in that
and frankly administrative
and faculty members took part in that
and I was happy to support it although I
was out of town and couldn't take part
in the actual event.
SSA members in the Campus Safety and
Facility department have been working
throughout the pandemic. They are the
front line workers of Henry Ford College
and they candidly deserve our respect
and appreciation.
The last line I have here is honoring
our teammates affected by the pandemic
and I
say that because the truth is I'm
talking about those individuals
who through no fault of their own and
because they simply could not conduct
their work at home
and that their work wasn't here either
they
were laid off and I just want you to
know I've been reaching out to them.
I care about them, we think about them
and we're doing our best to support them
in this very very difficult time.
The AFO and their president Lynn Bozza
reports to me
that was little notice the AFO members
became computer network technicians
that helped HFC's ITS department
and each other purchase their own
equipment when needed and
deliver online education that they
hadn't really
expected and they conducted
prepared to teach online training in a
very short amount of time and
some of them even became the trainers.
Examples of that are Ken Shepard
and Cedric Knott not we also have
amazing teamwork with the AFO
and other groups and that was
something that
president Bozza wanted me to
acknowledge. That was most apparent
when over 50 adjuncts returned to campus
in July to finish those courses that
were paused as a result of the pandemic
back in March
and of course five members contributed
to the return to campus committee
including
Edgar Johns who served on the Core team,
which is a monumental success that
I'll talk more about in
in the future of this presentation.
AFT 1650,
in my discussions with president
McDonald
we want to congratulate them and
note some of their accomplishments. One
is that
they played a pivotal role in moving
over 88
of our courses from face to face in
March
to being delivered online and candidly
I'm going to talk a lot about that. I
think it's one of the greatest examples
of our teamwork that between
AFO 1650 administrators to serve
students
in a way that we really probably didn't
think we could, but we did in a short
amount of time.
Of course 1650 is generous with its
resources,
they contributed over eight thousand
dollars to various community charities
and they make significant advocacy
efforts with state and federal policy
makers.
I also want to join president McDonald
in thanking Pam Stewart and Jeff
Morford for their time as chairs of
the CTEI.
I've presented to that, or actually met
with that group,
I believe on two occasions and i
continue to be impressed by both.
Pam and Jeff, they're leaders, they're
smart, they're hard-working and
they're devoted to the mission of the
college. There's no doubt about that and
their work on the CTEI
shows that Local 1650 also has
leaders.
In a higher education collective
bargaining of course John McDonald was a
ranking delegate to the AFT convention
which in my understanding was
a virtual convention and he was a
delegate to the AFT Progressive Caucus
Steering committee.
He, of course, remains a vice president a
national vice president with the AFT and
expects to seek re-election
and I think he will be successful when
that election happens in September.
That's a very large collective
bargaining unit across our country
representing over 1.7 million members,
our local vice president in the AFT, Eric
Raider was elected
secretary of the AFT Progressive
Caucus and elected to State Democratic
Party Central committee.
He's a delegate to the AFT virtual
convention much like
president McDonald and of course he
co-chaired the HFC
return to campus subcommittee.
Not to be outdone Chardin Claybourne,
the other vice president of the local
was a delegate to the AFT convention
and a delegate to the AFT Progressive
Caucus steering committee.
I think
one thing that didn't get added here
because of its late breaking news, I want
to congratulate
John McDonald and his negotiating
team along with John Satkowski and the
negotiating team from the administration
who worked hard together to deal with
a collective bargaining negotiations.
That took a lot of time
and took a lot of resources from both
groups to try to come to a compromise
and
just last Friday the
administration and the Local 1650
leadership
agreed to a two-year extension to their
contract.
During a pandemic, and again, I think
that the vast majority of credit
goes to John Satkowsk and John
McDonald for their efforts
in looking out for the betterment of the
college
through representing their
constituencies.
Now, the next thing I'd like to
address is
the pandemic and how it has affected us
as a college
and I could go on about this for longer
than you'd probably like to hear me talk
so I'll be brief, but I think we need to
take a look step back and look at where
we've come from.
You know this is the first time we've
had a chance to come together as a State
of the College since the pandemic
started and our college has changed in
the past six months.
We're going to talk to you a little bit
about this, about some of the things that
have changed and some
that have not changed. On Thursday March
12th, seems like a decade ago now,
We announced major changes to the
college operations due to the Covid-19
pandemic.
We canceled classes for a week following
spring break to allow us to pivot in
ways that we had never done before.
Our Academic Affairs team, our Faculty,
our Support teams moved more than 1,700 classes
or 88 percent of our classes
from that winter term to an online
format in
a two-week period. Instructors who had
never taught online, learned
how to do that in record time. Faculty
members pitched in to help each other,
teamwork was everyone's commitment.
We were trying to do something
that some people thought wasn't possible
and
the only way to make it possible was
through teamwork.
It's a good thing that we chose to pivot
when we did because on Monday
March 23rd Governor Whitmer issued her
first
stay-at-home stay safe order for the
state.
This essentially closed both of our
campuses, but we were ready.
In addition, we moved almost every aspect
of our campus services to an online
format at the same time. This included
all of our
Enrollment Service areas where we have
Advisors, Counselors,
Admissions Officers, Financial Aid
employees, Cashiers,
Orientation Staff, Registration, Career
Services, Student Activities and
International Service team members
serving students personally and
individually every day.
All these teammates had to learn new
ways of using technology to provide the
same great service that the students
expect from us and that we continue to
deliver in a pandemic
and they have done it during a time when
we all have high anxiety.
We have uncertainty to deal with and
we continue to work on our ever pressing
need to
maintain enrollment, which of course, if
it's a State of the College. I will be
addressing
in a few moments, let's talk a little bit
about what we've done
with the operations that we've changed
throughout the pandemic.
You know it's been strange times and
we've had to change these operations,
but our focus, indeed our mission remains
the same.
If you've been with me for the State of
the College for the last couple years.
You've seen I've continued to talk about
several things that I continue to
believe to be
the North Stars of our important
missions.
The first is we need to assure that the
college and the students here are
continuing to thrive
and there really are two subparts of
that maintaining student success
and maintaining budget health. We also
have continually focused on a commitment
from the leadership of this college to
keep you,
faculty and staff and our students
informed.
We've worked really hard on that and
it's been really important to be able to
do that
during a pandemic and of course we
continue
to rely on and build a culture of
teamwork.
Frankly, there's no way we
get through this pandemic
and make the progress we already have
without the great
great gains you have made on your
culture of teamwork.
So while our operations have changed a
lot,
what I would suggest to you is that our
core focus areas remain the same
and they continue to be something that
we should all be proud of having
accomplished significant round in each of those.
Here are just a few examples of some
of the operational changes that we made
during the pandemic that I expect
will both show you what's been
happening at the college
but also what we can be proud of is how
we've come through this pandemic.
You know we found new ways to help
students and to provide for their
emerging needs.
We handed out almost 200 laptops to
students who did not have the technology
they needed to continue their coursework.
Our Financial Service area has
distributed 2.6 million dollars in CARES
funds to spring
and summer students providing for their
needs.
We have helped connect students to
personal and social services
that they were in deep need for and our
Advancement team,
led by Reginald Best, showed great
flexibility and student focus
in extending its normal scholarship
deadline for two months
and as recently as last week they helped
students obtain scholarships
to help them support their success.
They've also
been leading the way towards sending
personalized gifts to every student who
graduated this year because,
of course one of the sad realities is
that they were stripped of the
opportunity to celebrate in a formal
graduation ceremony. We've had the ITS
operations changed to support hundreds
of employees now working remotely
and our IT teams helped every person who
asked for help in setting up technology
so we could serve our students. Our
Facilities team has been sanitizing our
campuses daily
and putting up barriers and signage and
enhancements
to keep people safe when they do need to
be on campus. This is in addition to
their regular work of maintenance and
cleaning
and overall operations and I've
been there with them.
I worked about half of a third shift
with Keith Gaines and I know that those
employees continue to do great work.
Our Campus Safety team has kept our
campuses not only safe
and secure, but friendly and welcoming to
the employees and
students who are on campus for their
work and education.
They have also led on campus screening
process
which has been very successful by almost
any measure.
You know our Marketing and Communication
team has contributed significantly to
our progress this year
by supporting the college and focusing
primarily on enrollment and student
services.
The Covid-19 website that they created
in one weekend,
as soon as the pandemic began, was one
example of this
great achievement. Student
resources and support were available on
that website and within the first week
260,000 visitors came to that site.
If you don't know it, you should Rhonda
Delong is the backbone of that
operation and she's the workhorse that
does
much of that work. Now she has a great
team, but I want you to know
that she is one of the best teammates
putting out the amazing amount of
communication that supports you
and me. In fact, that presidential
communication and college-wide
communication that she and I and her
team work on
has continued in the pandemic. You've
seen our messages that have been
adjusted for holidays and crises,
they've been adjusted by the pandemic,
but they continue.
I count 68 messages related to Covid- 19
since they've
since the pandemic has hit over the last
five and a half months.
That's our commitment as leaders to
continue to have you
be involved and informed of what's
happening.
There's also a special advertising plan
to fill the gap.
The gap that we sense from the Board of
Trustees encouraged us to fill
between spring and fall with advertising.
I hope you see those messages
out in front and that they make a
difference for what we're trying to do
with both
success and enrollment for our students.
The Human Resources department just got
a new leader.
In fact, LaDonna Holley had barely been on
the job when a pandemic struck,
but they've done exceptional work to
support employees
and their families during the last six
months. They've developed
remote work policies and procedures, they've
provided guidance to employees and
managers during the transition to remote
work.
They managed support for employees
affected by Covid- 19
including Emergency Leave Bank
compliance with
an education about the Family's First
Corona Response Act.
They provided scheduling options for
working parents
and they've respectfully helped
employees who were laid off
or for those who were impacted by the
Covid- 19
pandemic. They organized with the Board
of Trustees led us to do
which was to maintain medical insurance
for our colleagues who had been laid off
and they enrolled HFC in a Michigan
Workshare program which lessens the
burden
of layoffs at our college and they've
provided
help with maintaining compliance with
executive orders
from the State of Michigan. They've
helped us see through the process of our
screening process and they've made sure
we're
complying with CDC and OSHA guidelines
and I'll be candid with you,
they've worked with the collective
bargaining units very effectively.
This has been hard, everyone is concerned
and scared
but our union leaders our administrators
and particularly
HR have helped us get through every
problem we've faced.
I'm so proud of all of them. Our finance
team
continues to track the dollars and cents
in times of
difficult budgeting. They've helped us
anticipate where our budget would shift
and I'm proud of where we've come as a
college both with negotiations with
collective bargaining
and with our Board of Trustees helping
us see ourselves through
what are really, unsure times financially.
With all these changes and more
the pandemic has not changed us in the
most important ways
it actually has made us stronger. Our
work and commitment
have demonstrated that our best strength
is our teamwork and we have proven that
teamwork is not
location dependent. All of you are my
teammates
and I'm so proud of what you have
accomplished and I know
that your accomplishments will continue.
I really want to say thank you to all of
you.
I know I can't know and see all of your
work,
but I hope you can sense that I, sense it.
I'm appreciative for it and i'm proud of
the teamwork we're starting to show as a
college.
Here are some of the things I believe
we've learned about ourselves during
this time,
these lessons are part of what will make
us stronger in the coming years.
First, while the operations might change
our mission has stood the test of time
and i'll just repeat them for you
because I know, I know you agree with me
that we will continue to make this
college a place where the college and
students thrive by maintaining
student success and budget health. We'll
continue to work as leaders to promote
information and education to you about
what we're doing, in other words the
leaders of this college will continue to
communicate openly with you
and will continue to foster a culture of
teamwork.
We've learned a lot about resilience and
flexibility,
we will be better in ways that we just
don't know yet
but I'm exactly sure that we'll be
better because
we have overcome adversity and the
challenges we've faced.
You know leadership and great ideas
emerge from many places.
When teams are functioning well, many of
the ideas that you now see in place at
our college
came from you and from your
colleagues in each department
even as we are even farther apart
physically
our teamwork has been strengthened and
we've all done this work without
sacrificing excellence.
Now regarding a thriving college, each
time at this year I update you on some
important metrics about our success and
those are enrollment and budget.
So let me take a minute to address those
issues. Enrollment,
due to the extraordinary efforts of so
many of you in this strange and
difficult year
we are approaching our enrollment goal
for the fall. We're not there yet,
our goal is about 105,000 credit hours
which is 5.5 percent
less than last fall's significant
enrollment increase
and as of this morning we're at 99,000
credit hours which is
just about six percent down from last
fall.
Now there's a deregistration that's
going to happen very soon
and that will probably reduce this
amount. I can't promise
where it will but I just need you to
know that we're going to continue to
work
through the fall registering students
for the 15-week
registration period which is until
September 2nd
and we'll also continue recruiting
specifically for the 12-week semester
that starts on September 17th. I know
that you are all working on this and
it's been a college-wide effort
and aside from us others in the
community college world are struggling
with enrollment.
I've looked at those data, of the eight
largest community colleges in the state
who are reporting their numbers and some
don't,
but of the eight largest who do report
their numbers
all of them are down at least nine
percent from last fall.
Some are much worse, in fact two of them
are down
34 from last fall
but our laser focus on student success
and our college-wide enrollment teamwork
is something that
sets us apart from other colleges. It's
something I'm very proud of because it
shows our teamwork.
There's a lot of great work happening in
Enrollment services
that I would love to tell you about, but
vice president Daniel
Herbst and I thought it'd be better if
you heard it from someone who's a leader
in that effort. Someone on the ground
so I invited Dolly Diamond, the Executive
Director of Enrollment Services and the
College Registrar to share some of this
with you
today. Mrs. Diamond, the floor
is yours. Thank you!
Good morning and it's a
great day to be a Hawk, right?
I wanted to see, I got a laugh
that's a good thing.
I'm here representing not just
Enrollment Services, but
the entire division of Student Affairs.
So those of you who are not familiar,
that also includes
Counseling, Student Activities, Athletics,
Career Services of course Enrollment
Services so it's a really
large group of people that i'm going to
be speaking about.
I wish I could give you a lot of detail
but I have five minutes so I will do my
very best
at acknowledging everybody and all the
great things that are going on.
Now, I know when you hear from me and
you get information from me you
think it's enrollment management or EM.
When we started working in this pandemic
we
decided and we quickly learned EM means
a lot more
than enrollment management, it means
everybody matters.
We took that to heart, everybody matters
within our team
those we serve our colleagues across the
campus.
So we tried to take care and support
each other,
I know we heard a little bit earlier
about
becoming IT staff, and so some of my
lead staff
turned out to be the best IT support for
some of our other staff members.
So we had to take care of ourselves
before we could take care of our
students.
So we made sure everybody was
comfortable, we learned quickly not
everybody
loved working at home. I'm one of the
people who love working at home but I
was,
you know, it took me a while to help
other people
adjust during this transition. So
while we are taking care of each other
we decided okay
we could sit back and wait and see what
happens.
We decided we must meet the students
where
they're at, we could not wait for
students just to call us.
Some of the things that happened were we
took an entire call center for the
entire college offline and moved it
remote.
That would not have been achievable
without our great IT
leaders and without our wonderful
Enrollment Services staff, so I want you
to know
all those calls that are being answered
you know we've had
hundreds of thousands of calls going out
and coming in
and those, that is your enrollment staff.
It is our enrollment staff
making those calls or receiving those
calls
and again they're doing it from from
their homes and a lot of us would not be
able to
do our jobs the way they're doing that.
So we thank them immensely.
Some of the other things that are going
on were Student Activities.
Student Activities ,you would think in
the middle of a pandemic,
might not do anything this summer and
just sit back and wait and see what
happens for fall.
But Cassandra Fluker and her team, they
worked really hard and they now have
some virtual programming
plans such as Welcome Days, presenting
motivational speakers
and concerts. So we're really excited
about that.
Our Career Services department over the
summer again they could have just wait,
sat back and waited, but they took advantage of this
opportunity.
They developed specialty work groups for
our students.
They also did some wonderful virtual
recruiting
and with that virtual recruiting they
were able to get
major employers such as DTE and the
State of Michigan,
pretty phenomenal. Our Counseling area
they were able to start seeing students
online
in a virtual environment again something
we would never imagined have happened.
Our Academic Advising and student
success team,
they used a tool, they went more than MS
Teams they did
more than Zoom, they used a tool called
Google Voice
and they were able to connect with
students
and develop such a wonderful
relationship
they found their attendance rate for
their appointments increased by
40 percent. So this was pretty amazing
you know when they say
good comes out of bad really this has
helped us have such a wonderful
relationship with our students
and connected a level that we never
thought was possible in the past. You
know, we're meeting students where
they're at.
Maybe it's a working parent who has two
children who we can now meet with
where they would have never been able to
make it to our campus. So we are really
looking at
some changes long term
as we work through this pandemic.
I want to talk about the Enrollment
Services team as well
and then, that is a large team it's
Admissions,
Recruiting, International students the
Call Center, Registration just to name a
few.
And so much happened this summer,
we when we talked, you heard a lot about
collaboration and teamwork earlier today
and this really happened
tremendously this summer within our
division. We worked with
IT, we worked with Marketing, we worked
with
even the Mail room. Our friends in the
Mail room said, "You want to send
26,000 postcards?" And we said, "Yes." And
they said, "We'll make it happen."
So really, thanks to Marketing, thanks to
Graphics
and our friends in the mail room who
helped us mail out
over a thousand diplomas. So a lot of
work has been going on
and we're really really proud of that.
A couple things I would like you to know
regarding the support of each other and
supportive students.
Enrollment Services looked at what would
need to happen
to help make students more comfortable
and their parents more comfortable
coming to Henry Ford College.
So our team developed something called
Hawk Family Fridays
and this was designed for the families
that support our students.
We recognize that our students need
support, but support for more than just
us,
support from their families. So we had
these Hawk Family Fridays and we even
had a family from Senegal
join us and those were rave
reviews and things we were going to
probably do in the future.
The Admissions team took their show on
the road, if you will,
and the admissions recruiters met with
high school counselors,
parents, families and students. This is
something that we didn't do before, again
we just thought
wow, this is amazing and we're going to
keep doing this for the future.
Our enrollment managers saw a need in
the Office of Financial Aid
in terms of late SAP appeals and without
getting in too technical but that there
was a need and our enrollment managers
knowing it wasn't their job decided, I'm
we're gonna help out. An example that
happened just yesterday,
Jeremy Guc who is our leader in
Admissions and Recruiting and
International students
recognized that we are going to have a
deregistration. That's going to happen,
so he said, I want to see that list of
students.
And he started looking at those students,
how many of them were first-year
students, how many of them were dual
enrolled.
Then he said to our partners in
Financial Aid, so he was being nosy
butting into Financial Aid's business and
they let him, which is good,
but he said let me let's talk about
this.
Then he started talking with Cashiers, so
you know we joke about we're being nosey
and we're in everybody's business but
it's an example of
all the walls have come down. There are
no more silos, we were truly working as a
team
and what happens after Jeremy does all
his work
is he will send out robocalls to
students.
What happens from that, is that our
phones will explode
and the leader of all of our services
for current
prospective and admitted students Nicole
Ford-Kondraciuk,
her team will lead the answering
of those phone calls. They will lead the
discussions that need to happen and Zoom
meetings that need to happen
for appointments, such as for
financial aid or
registration. So those are some of the
things that are happening right now,
again silos are gone. I know it's kind of
an old saying, but we really broke those
down. There are no
more barriers really working for the
good of each other
and the good of our student. I
am very happy that I was able to join
you today and talk a little bit about
what's been happening in our area.
Thank you Holly and I appreciate so much
you sharing some of the great work
that's going on in your area.
I wish you the best because we're
all counting on all of you
to help us continue what we know is
important and that is enrollment.
I'd like to add some
corrections and I really appreciate my
my colleagues reaching out. Keith Binion,
I appreciate you telling me
and I regret having made the mistake but
I do want to add
our condolences because we lost
another
one of the HFC family. A retiree, I
believe,
Theresa Mosik and then
Lorena Bensick I want to thank you for
also noting in the chat
that Kimber Pearson has been elected
and is the new
Associate Dean of the school of
Business Entrepreneurism and
Professional development.
Please do, if there are things
that I
miss, please do throw them in the chat.
I'll try to keep my eye on that and
continue this to be as much a
conversation as possible.
You know, I really regret that we
can't do what we usually do in the
Forfa, which is
we pass around the microphone and we
have a conversation but the chat is
a good way to try to accomplish some of
that.
The next topic I'll just briefly touch
on is and this is another convention
I've come to
give you an update on the
budget.
It's not the most sexy topic but
it's a really important topic.
It is
that we were happy that the Board of
Trustees approved our annual budget
it assumes an enrollment decline of 5.5
percent and as you know we're probably
going to, right now we're below that.
So we're hoping to increase enrollment
but
that will be a significant shortfall.
We also anticipate State appropriations
to be down 20
percent compared to the start of fiscal
year 2020
and despite that we
worked hard to try to make sure
that we could
balance the budget and of course we
did that.
Last point I'll make is
I know, I know I hear often from your
vice presidents that there are vacancies
that you believe
are important to be filled and I take
those seriously.
But the truth is, one of the best ways
to handle
reduction in revenue, and that's what
reduced
enrollment and reduced state
appropriation is, that is reduction in
revenue
and we have the same same college to
deliver
with those reduction in revenue they're
really only two ways
to handle that. You can adjust how much
you're spending on staff
which is either to keep vacancies or do
layoffs, and I'm not talking about either
of those, I'm just
being truthful with you about what your
options are as an administrator.
Or you can increase tuition, now none
of those are
outstanding options but I just need you
to know how serious we take it, how
serious I take it.
I have a balanced budget and to deal
with the question of vacancies those are
two parts of the same analysis.
Now let's talk about
some of the innovations we've had here
on campus
as a result of the pandemic. I invited
two guests
to share with you some of their
experiences in the past few months
and they each provided a video that I'm
going to share with you.
One is dealing with how the faculty
develop new models for teaching and
learning.
You know, as I mentioned earlier, the
faculty played a pivotal role in
transitioning
from face-to-face courses to distance
modalities in a very short amount of
time.
Much of that success was due to the
Faculty Senate and its leadership team
including then
Chairman, Paul Fisher and its current
Chairman, Tony Perry.
The Faculty Senate and the Academic
Affairs Leadership team led by vice
president Michael Nealon
showed outstanding teamwork and focus on
service to students.
Not only during the winter onset of the
pandemic, but during the once in a
lifetime
spring and summer that we faced.
You know I met with them.
I met with Chairman Fisher and
then incoming Chairman Perry and I met
with the Senate and I remember being in
Kevin Dewey's classroom. We were all
separated by those tables and
I remember seeing senators and faculty
worried about what would be in the
future and I remember saying we were
going to hold together as a team
and I remember leaders like Eric Raider
and Tony Perry and Scott Stills
saying that they were going to help each
other and make it through and they did.
So I thought there'd be no one better
than Tony Perry
to give us some perspective about what
you all accomplished as
faculty working with administration to
deliver for
students. And so I will stop sharing
and ask my comrade in arms,
Rhonda Delong, to help take over the
screen and show a video from
Dr. Perry. Welcome back
dear colleagues. We
made it through the winter
and the summer. Welcome back,
even if it's just virtually.
president Kavalhuna asked me to briefly
speak about the work you did
to get us through the winter term and
what challenges we have faced
before us this academic year.
If you don't know me, I'm Tony Perry, the
faculty senate chair for this academic
year
I know we have a lot of work ahead of us,
but before we get to that
it's important that we acknowledge all
the incredible work you did
since the pandemic hit. Henry Ford
College's success is built on your backs
and it requires all of us to lift
together
to move the college forward.
You've shown that you're up to this
challenge.
I'm immensely proud to work with all of
you, moreover
your efforts this spring and summer need
a special recognition.
These went beyond and above
what anyone could have imagined.
I would like to take a few moments to
highlight some
of the work I saw that epitomizes the
strength of our college.
Our college success rests on all of you
and I am more than happy to talk about
my brilliant
hard-working colleagues that make
working here so inspiring.
From the return to campus committee to
the numerous other groups
who have guided the institution during
this time, I say thank you.
Last winter term we had to quickly
respond
to the threats of a pandemic, there were
things we had to do
because the State of Michigan required
us to and there were things that we had
to do to continue our mission as an
institution
and there were things that we had to do
just because they were the right thing
to do.
I can say that the work you undertook
was not easy
and none of us were experts in dealing
with such a situation
yet you did not let that stand in your
way
you took the problems and developed
solutions.
I can say the HFC administration did not
assume they had all the answers
but they realized that it was going to
have to be on all of our backs
to find the way through this and they
supported the leadership
coming from across campus. Our
administration realized they didn't have
all the answers,
but they didn't need to, they had a lot
of smart people across campus
who could develop solutions. Now for
those of us who have been here for
for a while we knew our colleagues
always had this ability.
I've seen this time and time again and
that's why I love
HFC, but you my friends
are exceptional professionals and human
beings.
Too often in the past this was not
recognized
but this was not your first rodeo, your
first time
solving problems, you set this foundation
year in year out and that's why you're
able to quickly respond to this crisis.
Faculty administration and Support Staff
came together to solve
problems to help students and to make
sure
we were doing our very best. While there
are too many examples to list
everything here I'll mention a few and a
few people I saw doing
exceptional work, this is really servant
leadership
at its best.
Finishing the the winter term for most
classes online was not easy, students
faculty and staff had to pivot
quickly and completely to a remote
environment.
I saw my colleagues come together to
train those in need to support directly
where needed. Faculty throughout the
college
who had never taught online feared the
concept,
they came through and finished their
semester and ensure their students
learn what was needed.
From Vicki, Glenn, Christian and
Instructional Technology
to Pam and Jeff with CTEI we saw the
core group adapt just and meet the needs
we had.
Remember, we had fewer than 20 percent of
our courses offered remotely before
March 2020
and then we went 100 percent remote.
Faculty from across the campus work with
their colleagues,
usually in their own discipline but not
always, to bring them up to speed
and to make sure that the vast majority
of students
finish the semester successfully.
This was vital on so many fronts,
if we were not able to finish the winter
semester, so many students would have
lost that semester would had to repeat
it
the college would have had to reimburse
their tuition and this might have been a
fiscal cliff no coming back from.
So many of you worked tirelessly
and many times throughout the night as I
know of many
conference calls and such to address the
issues facing our students and our
colleagues and the institution. Crises like this are often paralyzing to
people
you weren't paralyzed you were super
charged,
the Instructional Technology committee
and Allison Buchanan and Scott Still
who just got the prepared to teach
online class rolling
now to make this class available to so
many more
and this was really unexpected. Working
with Pam Stewart
and Jeff Morford they're
able to ramp up many more
sections to accommodate the
unprecedented needs
this was done to develop the best
possible remote learning classes
not putting this on just putting classes
on the schedule
but being prepared to teach online
remote learning.
I can say this is a unique among
academic institutions,
it shows our commitment to student
learning as our top priority.
It takes a lot a lot of work to develop
online classes
and to do it well takes even more work
and thought
during the spring and summer and going
into the fall this effort
of preparing and improving a remote
education
has been the equivalent of a marshall
plan and this is very impressive
because this is being done in addition
to everything
else we still must do. I know many of you
are
working around the clock many days turn
into evenings
and nights and really without much of a
break.
What makes it more challenging is that
many of us are doing this while trying
to juggle many new responsibilities
in a new environment in your homes where
focus time is hard to come by,
technology may or may not be optimal and
the
pandemic has left all of us feeling like
we have no control over our lives.
Beginning in late January, a few of us
including, Adam Hazlett,
Bob Armada, Betsy Cohen and Eric
Raider started talking about the
pandemic and the potential impact on us.
We discussed this very possibility of
having to deliver remote learning
and the challenges that it would bring, I
met with Dr.
Nealon in late February about these
concerns and the importance we had to
prepare for not
a delay in the semester but finishing
online.
He was most receptive and then Senate
Chair Paul Fisher brought this before
the Senate
to begin to figure this out, however,
the theoretical did not really prepare
us for what was needed.
Within the first week back after spring
break many
students were challenged to finish the
semester in this
typical asynchronous online environment
so are many faculty.
Many faculty started to use Zoom, Big
Blue Button,
Microsoft Teams and other tools to bring
their students to regular
weekly engagement sessions others
even use just conference call technology.
It became apparent quickly that these
sessions were extremely beneficial to
student learning
and there were going to be large group
of students who could not
handle the asynchronous classes
and they weren't going to come back in
the fall if that was their only option.
Beginning with a few phone calls and
expanding quickly an ever increasing
group of faculty discussed
developing a plan to ready to deliver
live
remote learning.This group
by early April included over 50 faculty,
staff and administrators.
Jeff Morford coined the term, "Live
Without the Drive" and it stuck
and a new mode of teaching and learning
was introduced.
The groundwork for what this mode would
mean,
required meeting after meeting after
meeting; weekly
sometimes daily from March through July.
Numerous colleagues shared their
expertise and came together to think
about ways to deliver this education
effectively. I can say personally
participating with my colleagues in this
process
was rewarding, in so many ways, it
reiterated my faith in many of you.
You are extremely dedicated individuals,
you did not have to do this.
You didn't have to spend countless hours
in meetings planning and developing
training to deliver this new mode
you could have said, "someone else will do
this,
this is not my responsibility," but you
didn't you engaged
even when you were overwhelmed finishing
the winter term.
And even more, it was impressive
this we can do it attitude
by so many, for instance lightning Holly
Diamond and her team
getting that Live Without the Drive
designation on the courses
without a hiccup, Rhonda DeLong and her
team began working with several faculty
on the language to describe this mode
for students and for recruitment.
I can say this is not normal for an
institution, especially education
institutions.
You know the literature says that it
takes 50 years
for major changes to happen at
institutions of higher education,
we saw it very quickly.
The only good part of the pandemic in
the stay-at-home order
was you my colleagues were able to pass
out at home without having to drive home
after putting in so many hours. The Live
Without the Drive was introduced in
several math courses this summer
and will be formally introduced this
fall semester.
It's not perfect, it's not the best way
to learn.
Yet it does however offer a bridge
through this academic year.
The Live Without the Drive team
developed and held training sessions in
early July
with several faculty members providing
their expertise
to help us get started.
Jessica Schomberger shared with us the
web conferencing tools
and Pam Stewart, Hollie Saraswat
Sue Jabar and Rosemary Miketa addressed
various pedagogical
methods that could be employed across
various disciplines.
Sam Bazzi shared with us the various
tools for recording lectures
and Shanna Simpson-Singleton made sure
that we were aware
that there are going to be pitfalls and
how we could possibly address them.
This was an introduction to many about
this new mode
and in in the course of the fall term
we're going to learn a lot more about
this
and remote learning. Our colleagues are
already meeting to address the pitfalls
of remote learning
and to come up with the best practices
across the curriculum.
Whether this be through groups like,
Kevin Trovini's brown bag sessions,
which he's been hosting during the
summer, to the more formal CTI
work and instructional technology
resources that are online and available
to all of us.
As we embark this fall we are eyes wide
open.
Groups of faculty are already coming
together to discuss
ways to ensure academic integrity with a
group led by Mike Hill.
In the coming weeks, we'll need to share
expertise's
and our experiences with each other
figure out ways
to work through problems, tweak our
methods,
and share best practices for educating
our students.
We are reminded that not all of our
students have the same resources and
networks we
have
we need to make sure they have every
opportunities for success.
Yes, the threat running through all we
have done
has been the concern over access
ensuring we are addressing our students
ability to access this learning
understanding that much of our community
we serve is underserved.
We are not doing our education in a box
but rather with people
with real world challenges and meeting
each student
where they are is what we must do
even with more normal times we were
challenged at doing this
it's going to be even more vital than
ever.
Many individuals and groups across
campus have been stepping up
from Elizabeth Preston and S.A.F.E, Kalvin
Harvill and the Black Male
Queen's Focus Group and Hawk's Nest who
are all helping many of our students
with their basic needs. To president
Kavalhuna and the administration making
sure
our students can get laptops if they
need to.
The needs are only going to grow this
fall more than ever before.
I think we're up to these challenges so
I'm going to end my
remarks with thank you. Thank you my
colleagues,
my friends, I feel blessed to work with
so many of you
we are all working to meet the
challenges ahead, together
we can make sure that our students
succeed.
Have a great semester. Well thank you Dr.
Perry.
What a great addition to this
presentation and I appreciate what you
say,
you know I've been watching the chat and
I thought it was great. Brian
Smith, you my friend, made a comment
about Dr.
Perry sometimes reminding you of Dr.
Fauci and how prescient he was
about the fact that this was going to
be a problem and of course
he was in my ear too. I can see he was in
Eric Raider's ear, he was in Scotts Dale's
ear
he was in everyone's ear saying this is
going to be a thing so
we're glad to have Dr. Perry as a leader
and as a teammate.
You know I don't vet these speeches.
I don't tell him what to say, but it
was really great to have him talk about
the laptop
program that we put on campus
because that's a great segue
to the next presentation and that is
going to be by Christina Bailey, the
Director of Academic Services who will
tell you about
our efforts to put that technology in
the hands of students who needed it.
So I will now ask my colleague again,
Rhonda DeLong, to give the mic
to a recording by Dr. Bailey who I
believe has a picture of an autopsy
maybe the first one ever
at the beginning of her presentation.
Good morning President Kavalhuna, Vice
presidents
and colleagues in late March
when the shelter in place order came
from our governor
and that it was necessary to
implement a program
to allow students to get a laptop so
that they can complete the winter
semester courses.
Vice president Herbst and Dr. Nealon went
back to work immediately
and we all together started to look for
computers.
The Purchasing department was able to
come up with 100 chromebooks for
purchase
and the Dearborn public school loaned us
more than 100 laptops too.
So we implemented a loan program for our
students.
I have never been so proud of working
for an institution
when there are so many logistical
aspects, so many items to take care of,
but it was foremost for everyone
that the successful completion and
safety of our
students was at the forefront.
Both by [vice] president Nealon and Herbst updated
everything they could to make sure that
the program was successful.
So the next day, Joe Zitnik and his
team
they were able to very quickly prepare
those 100 chromebooks and all of those
Dearborn public school laptops
so that they were ready for the long for
loaning to the students.
So very soon, we started the program the
next day after the sheltering place
order came
and we were there every day of the week
from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
for the 1st two [to] three weeks and after
that, it was just
twice a week until there was no more
demand
in late May that or June.
So it was a very successful program,
we loaned close to or maybe more than
200 chromebooks to the students.
This program is going to continue for
the fall. So expect
expect more details about the
implementation of this program
coming through our HFC Communication's
emails. I want to note too that some
of the instructors were just
wonderful how they were so worried about
the success of the students
contacting us all of the time making
sure that the students
had the laptops that they needed. A
couple of instructors that even
came to campus to make sure that the
students were able to retrieve those
laptops
because of transportation problems.
And one thing that I want to note, and
this is
on the side, one day I was there with the
students
and to follow safety protocols I only
allow one student at a time inside of
the atrium of their
Campus Safety building. So this person
that came to the door was going to
access the building but I was serving a
student already
so I signaled this person to wait
outside.
After that, when I finished with the
student I realized that it was president
Kavalhuna the one that I made him wait
outside.
But he was so good about it, he didn't
complain, he just waited and when I signaled he came into the building and
we had a good laugh about it.
So it was very good it was it was a
good effort
by everybody in order to make sure that
our
students successfully completed the
Winter semester. Well thank you Dr. Bailey
I appreciate your support and yeah I do
remember that day.
I was watching you maintain the
security of that building like a hawk
and I appreciated it.
Let's now go back to screen share
and let me make a couple comments and
then we're gonna hear from another
individual.
I'd like to talk about student
success, what does the student's success
look like
during a pandemic and we asked
at least two recent students to give
their description of what their
experiences
were like at HFC and talk about how the
college helped them
when they needed it the most. Now the
first is Hassan Hammoud
and he was a nursing student who was
dual enrolled
and I'll let him speak about his
experience in his own words
in a video he sent to us.
Hello everybody.
It is an honor for me to speak to you today from the
confinements of my own home, obviously, during this little pandemic we've got going on.
My name is Hassan Hammoud and I know we are
not as close as we'd like to be when it
comes to our distance
However, I do feel that we are still as close
and as connected as can be when it
comes to our ideas, thoughts, and goals.
Before I begin talking about HFC
and everything it has
HFC has done for me --
because, trust me HFC has done a lot for me --I’d like to take the opportunity to thank the amount of impact that God
think the amount of impact that god has
had in my life.
Without that, without my self-care activities and my spiritual activities.
I don’t think I can be the type of person I would like to be in
every situation that I am.
With that, I would like to begin with the College has
helped so many of us
in so many ways. Whether it be
working here, going to
school here or volunteering here even.
I think the message
implied is really the same across the
board.
And the message that I take from it is that you are supposed to work to
limits
that you never really thought that you
could reach before and then once you've done that
make sure the next day, yeah, you work
twice as hard
It is that same message that is really
the focal point of this community we've
created here.
It is with that same message that whenever
I ask the hardest working of faculty
or even nurses that I work with. Where
did you go to school? They look at me,
they smile, and they say,
"Yeah, I went to Henry Ford." A coincidence?
I really don’t think so when it happens so often
and as consistently as it does. This is the same College that took me in at age
15
while I was in dual enrolling in my high school.
And back then, of course Nursing has always been the goal. But
at age 15 that goal really seemed like a
drop in the ocean.
And that mission I had at age 15
was pretty simple,
maintain the highest grades that I possibly could, learn as much about life
as possible,
keep a smile on my face through it all
and be the absolute best version of
myself.
What stood in my way?
Well, about 100 credit hours
and structures that pushed you to the
brink to pull out qualities in you that
you never knew that you possessed.
A nursing program that does not allow
you to blink, and then, oh yeah, a pandemic,
in the middle of learning about a
cardiac system with Professor (Nancy) Borkin, and if
any of you know her, she'll
she can teach about cardiac quite a bit
and through it all, I worked a lot. I
worked really hard. And through that I learned so much
through that gruesome process
I learned what it meant to believe
to believe in the universe at large, myself and every person that was willing to help.
And at Henry Ford
every person that breathes at Henry Ford
is
willing to help.
I know that the success story
is
supposed to be about me and about my success,
but I am really one of the last people
responsible for that to happen.
It is my parents that are available for
me night and day.
Office members like Karen Elsersy
that literally greet me every single
time I
step through that door
and allow me to grow through this
whole process.
Dean Shunkwiler, who cares about my well-being before it comes to any of
my grades.
Professors like I mentioned, like Nancy Borkin
that, if you don't get it, we'll make sure
that we get through it together.
And honestly, even like our school
president Russ.
You know, like I remember when this pandemic started, he
really gave us some very powerful message to all the videos that he sent
and I watched them all! I really appreciate it all. And forgive me
for not mentioning your last name. You know, I'm not even going to try on that
right now.
But really, it is the accumulation
of all these things that we're able to go
through the harshest
of pandemics together, and I know I maintain my positivity and hard work through it all.
But,
this is really not my success story, but
it's our success story.
And thank you all and God Bless you all.
Well thank you Hassan, no worries on
the last name,
sometimes my kids can't even quite get
it right.
One more story that I do want to
share
on this topic is from a student
from
our Ford Asset program and
that student's name is Shafiq
Gibbons. He was in the Automotive
Technology Asset program and he sent a
message that I would like to read to you.
It was, "So it's been a few months since
school ended
and as of last Wednesday I have become
Suburban Ford's new Trans Tech, full-time.
I would like to thank you for teaching
me and helping
mold my career you showed me the steps
led me to the door and practically gave
me the key to open it.
Now I have a means to support my family
and to give a better lifestyle to my
daughter
thank you Mr. Young." Shafiq was speaking
about
Instructor Chris Young who is
one of the teachers
providing the same kind of experience to
all Ford Asset Students.
I know Chris, in fact I have a one of
my favorite pictures of when Governor
Whitner was here was
him educating Governor Whitmer about the
Ford Asset program.
You know it's these experiences of these
students and the thousands
like them that show what it means to
transform their lives
and to help them build better futures.
This is the core of who we are
I hope it inspires you to keep going
because it does for me.
Let's think about that, student success
across these semesters.
There's one thing I want to
tell you about student success.
Our Winter 2020 semester finally
concluded
last week, the semester was extended
because there was
simply no way to continue it. We had to
postpone winter
on campus classes until July
7th. 246 sections
were postponed and then resumed. 996
students successfully completed these
classes
and are now able to continue their
studies
or move on into their careers. That's
something you can be proud of.
So let's talk about what it means to
return to campus
and maybe even a bit about what the
future holds for us from the fall
and the winter. Before I go into the
details about the fall I want to talk
about our return to campus process.
I'm immensely proud of the great work
this team accomplished in a short
amount of time and under significant
pressure
in about three weeks during May and June
our Return to Campus Core team and
subcommittees under the guidance of vice
presidents Amy Clark
and Lori Gonko managed to find solutions
to many complex issues from academics to
operations.
I would also like to thank the Board of
Trustees for its support
and guidance during this process,
especially trustee Roxanne McDonald who
served on the core team.
They put together a substantive phased
plan
that gave us a path to operate safely
and successfully on our campuses.
The return to campus core team and four
subcommittees
comprising of 50 people from across our
college
researched best practices conducted a
campus-wide survey
evaluated state mandates and plans
and focused on safety and excellence as
their top priorities.
Their plan has guided our efforts
through summer classes and will continue
to guide our operations
for as long as necessary. The diversity
of this team
and its success are what makes me
extraordinarily optimistic
that we will overcome any challenge we
face. Just
think about what it shows about our
diversity, that diversity of thought
and experience is our strength. We are
strongest when we all work together from
across
our various areas of the college. The
core team included Reuben Brukley, Amy
Clark, Kevin Culler, Rhonda Delong, Holly
Diamond
Paul Fisher, Lori Gonko, LaDonna Holley
Edgar Johns, Roxanne McDonald, Katrina
Minnis
Tony Perry, Eric Raider, Karen Schoen and
Susan Shunkweiler
what a diverse team and what a powerful
team.
Second, that team showed that when we
work together
we can overcome significant hurdles that
are beyond our control.
This team and many others in the
subcommittees conducted this difficult
work together
virtually during a pandemic.
And with the changes that are happening
almost daily
as they were trying to build a plan and
under a tight timeline
with students wanting to finish their
courses and they were successful.
Finally this team shows that we are
excellent
and we are at our best when we come
together
this process continued our work in
breaking down silos and overcoming past
power struggles
but in a very short time with an
important deadline.
Those of you who have been here a long
time realize as Dr. Perry noted in his
presentation today, but this is a big
step forward for us
during a very difficult time. To come
together set aside battles of the past
and to focus
on our students, our teammates, and our
joint future
and our outcome was top notch. Think
about what this team delivered,
we have a communication strategy to
inform students and faculty and staff in
real time.
We have a phased approach to restart our
education
on campus, we have a playbook to
educate you, our community, on the
processes that we will
comply with and to comport with federal
and state
regulatory strictures and best practices.
And the process that we've developed
is by my estimation the best in class.
Just read some of the news articles
today you'll see other institutions
struggling with developing their plans
much less executing them and we've
executed ours for several weeks already
and because of our teamwork we have
delivered this excellent plan
and we are still deploying it.
I have to do a public service
announcement, if you haven't completed
your playbook training,
please do that by Friday, September 4th
and you'll find the link
to this training in your HFC email if
you search
playbook training and assessment the
mail will be from hr collaborative.net.
If it looks like spam you can contact
Jennifer Chapman and Lori Gonko's office
to be sure, but
that's the one. You know this return to
campus plan was successful in July and
August
as many of you returned to campus to
complete pause classes for the winter.
We will no doubt continue to evaluate
this plan and we'll have to refine it
as circumstances and science inform us
about best practices to keep our
students and teammates safe.
Our work continues and this pandemic
shows that we will
work and it will be hard work to
require us
to be nimble and to work together as a
team.
But take a moment and share some pride
in what we've accomplished, I'm proud of
it and I hope you are
too. We've accomplished a great deal
we encountered a hurdle after hurdle and
worked through them to overcome them
together.
This is becoming our calling card as a
college and as a group of teammates we
identify
problems, we set the best minds and the
best hands at work
to deal with them. They devise a plan and
we begin to implement that plan.
The way we interacted with this pandemic
is just one in a long line of examples
of that
We've dealt with that same problem and
process with our Strategic Enrollment
Management team,
how we handled HLC Accreditation, how we
evaluated
and analyzed our Human Resources
department. When we analyzed our Campus
Safety levels, some of these are still
ongoing.
How we as a college move 90 percent of our
classes in two weeks from
face to face to online. I continue to
believe
and I encourage you to believe that when
we work as a team, there really is not
anything we cannot overcome and this
leads
to one of the most pressing issues that
we now must confront
that is our campus culture on diversity,
equity,
and inclusion. Most of you know that I
held a social justice town hall on
June 11th to hear various voices about
issues confronting our college
and our society. On June 25th, I sent you
a message about my thoughts on that
event
and our next steps. I remain committed
to personally work on these issues with
all of you
many groups and individuals have engaged
with me during the past two months
and we have made progress in one big
step. That I hope
and I am committed to be just the first
step and that is that we will engage in
an
experienced consultant to help us
undertake a comprehensive
campus climate survey. The results of
this will be used to help us move
forward in the best ways possible. This
recommendation came from the Diversity
task force before I arrived at the
college.
We will begin by developing a proposed
list of survey questions with the
help of this consultant and then when we
engage the stakeholders,
like you all, to make sure we have the
right questions to generate authentic
answers that can help us
make the changes that we need to make.
The climate survey will not be focused
only on race, although that will be an
important part,
it will include all types of questions
about all aspects of diversity.
I also make the commitment to you that
this process will not be rushed.
I heard from you, that you want
meaningful consistent
action and we need to know what you see,
what our community sees in our strengths
and our weaknesses. This will help us
understand how we can make sustainable
progress as we grow as a culture.
But this survey work is so important
that it can't wait until the pandemic
subsides
which is why over the last several weeks
Reginald Best, LaDonna Holley and I have
interviewed multiple consultants and
selected one to help us conduct this
survey.
We plan to begin this work of building a
survey and getting your feedback on it
right away and I aim to deploy this
survey in September.
After the survey is completed, I will
share the results with you and engage in
conversations about where
those results should lead us as a
college in
making our culture what we want it to be.
This is a big step
towards lasting meaningful action by the
college.
I thank all of you who have done so much
on this topic already
and I commit to you to keep you involved.
I know that we've got work to do and I
commit to you to do the work with you.
Now I want to move to just a few
logistics about
the upcoming terms and months, I'd like
to note that
as of now this fall will be about 75
percent
of our classes that will be online
either live or asynchronous.
We will still have more than 1,000
students on the campuses
for classes that must be held in person.
We will continue to do everything we can
to keep students
and employees safe. These measures will
be familiar to you,
enhanced sanitation, required masks.
social distancing, physical barriers
health screening forms, temperature
checks and designated plans for any
emerging symptoms or exposures on campus.
We will work with the Wayne County
Health department if there are any known
cases in our campus community
and we will comply with all executive
orders. As part of our efforts to make
our campus
safe and as safe as possible. We will
have
to greatly reduce our on-campus services
this means many services will only be
provided in remote formats
or simply be closed. I will send you a
complete list of services that will be
available
and the services that will be provided
in remote formats.
You can also find this list of services
that we will
we will be providing remotely on the
fall student
resources web page. We do not know yet
what Winter 2021 semester will look like,
but we'll start planning that very soon.
I'd like to close with a personal
statement
and I want to encourage you to continue
the work you've done as teammates. To put
our students first in these toughest of
times.
As you know, all the online and remote
communication
methods that we've needed during this
pandemic have not been my favorite way
to lead the college. This has been a
struggle for me.
I much prefer to see you all in person
because I take a lot of joy in
interacting with you
and our students here on campus and in
person.
I like to give and take in the real-time
engagement that those kind of
interactions offer
but one thing I've learned during this
pandemic is that we
can still succeed together even in less
than optimal
circumstances. You have shown me how to
do this and you have inspired me
to keep doing this when it has been the
hardest.
I've shown you some of the voices that
inspire me here today.
Your determination and innovations have
energized me and convinced me that we
are doing the right things. In fact, we're
leading higher education and doing the
right things.
Your teamwork has been the most
important and heartening ingredient
in our success, from the bottom of my
heart
I thank each and every one of you for
the hard work you have given to me,
to our students, to each other
and to our college. You
are doing excellent work and I know you
will keep it up.
All of us will need to pull together to
have a successful fall and I'll keep
communicating with you, probably
sometimes more than you'd like,
but if you ever need me you know I'm
here for you.
I support you and I'll maintain my
commitment if you contact me,
I will respond. Now, I'm going to stop the
sharing of the
site and I'll do a quick look of
the chat and I will invite anyone else
to throw
questions in. I've got a couple questions
that came in that I think I'll have to
address
at a later date because they involve
some sensitive issues about diagnosis
with Covid- 19
and HIPPA. So I'll hold that one for a
later
response.
I did have a question about the
hiring freeze
and I just want to respond that
we do have a pretty stringent process
for filling vacancies. It's not a
complete hiring freeze,
but it is a stringent process and it's
the one that frankly keeps our budget
in the black. I'm happy to take any
questions directly from anyone on that
by email to outline the process and I'll
engage you whoever sent this question
with the applicable vice president. Okay
Nancy Borkin asks, "are we going to get
proctoring programs for exams?" And I'm
glad you asked that question because
there were a couple things that in my
conversation with Dr. Perry
he asked me to bring up that I know are
our issues for Academic Affairs
and for the Faculty Senate and one of
them is
dealing with assessment in the remote
world.
I know that's on your docket to
to discuss and try to
accomplish best practices on. I don't
have any development for you on that
Nancy, but
the reason why I don't have anything
is because i trust
Dr. Nealon and his team and Dr. Perry and
his team to come together and try to
come up with the best practices there
and I recognize that
it's not easy. I look forward to
seeing what doctors Nealon and
Perry have to say about that. A lot of
discussion going on now
about exams,
"Any status to expand Zoom access for all faculty?" Pam, send me an email about that.
send me an email about that I'm
not sure I understand, which is fine.
Any other questions in the chat?
I'm about 15 minutes late and
Dr. Perry has the
mic next. I don't want to go
too far into his time.
The last thing I'll say before we go
is,
I've never thought about doing a State
of the College with Zoom. I hope this
was worth your time.
I'm happy to hear feedback about how
what worked and what didn't work.
I do take some solace watching the
Democrats and Republicans trying to do a
convention for four days straight with
stuff like this
so, it's not easy. I hope that it was
meaningful for you,
but I will note that the real, if you
think that it was done well.
Then you should reach out to Rhonda Delong
and Kathy Dimitirou,
they are the ones who really made this
happen.
And like I said, contact me with any
questions.
If I get questions I'll always
give you the straight answer.
Dr. Perry I see you, you're ready to in
the wings. I'm sorry I'm giving you the
ball 15 minutes late.
I appreciate your time and your
partnership and is there anything I can
do to help you get off on the right foot
for your part?
No you did a great job, thank you so much
Mr. President and
I appreciate obviously all the
information that's going to really help
make the Faculty Organization meeting
after this
go much more smoothly. We have a lot of
answers to a lot of questions that would
have
mostly likely would have come up there.
|
Antimicrobial resistance among anaerobes isolated from clinical specimens in Kuwait hospitals: comparative analysis of 11-year data.
Our objective was to compare the antimicrobial resistance trends among clinically relevant anaerobes against 9 different antibiotics over two periods, 2008-2012 and 2002-2007. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by determining the MICs using E test method. The interpretation of results was according to the breakpoints recommended by the Clinical Laboratory and Standard Institute (CLSI) and European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST). A total of 2240 clinically significant isolates were collected between 2008 and 2012 in four teaching hospitals in Kuwait. The commonest isolates were Bacteroides fragilis (40.4%), Prevotella bivia (18.6%), Peptostreptococcus spp. (13.8%) and Bacteroides ovatus (11.1%). According to CLSI and EUCAST breakpoints used for the 2008-2012 and 2002-2007 isolates, high resistance rates to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, clindamycin, penicillin and piperacillin were noted among the Gram-negative isolates. They ranged between 0 and 0-62.1 and 62.1%, and 0 and 0-59.1 and 62.1%, respectively against clindamycin, 0 and 0-34.5 and 45.3%, and 0 and 0-45 and 57.5%, respectively against piperacillin and 0 and 0-24.2 and 24.2%, and 0 and 0-23.1 and 30.6%, respectively against amoxicillin-clavulanic acid. The mean interpretative results by both CLSI and EUCAST during the 2008-2012 and 2002-2007 periods showed that the B. fragilis isolates were highly resistant to penicillin (100 vs 100%), clindamycin (43.7 vs 44.2%), piperacillin (35.8 vs 42.7%) and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (13.2 vs 14%), respectively. When compared with 2002-2007, the CLSI, but not EUCAST, demonstrated statistically significant decreased resistance to clindamycin (P < 0.03). However, both interpretative criteria showed demonstrable statistically significant decrease in resistance rates to imipenem (P < 0.00097 vs P < 0.00074), meropenem (P < 0.000006 vs P < 0.0407) and piperacillin (P < 0.000017 vs P < 0.0461). Our data shows that there is a need for periodic monitoring of the susceptibility testing for anaerobic bacteria in the face of increasing resistance rates as well as to guide in the empirical therapy of anaerobic infections. |
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Anything and everything from Philippe and Julia's San Diego kitchen
Month: July 2012
Today, we tried our hand at baking some bread. Philippe found an quick recipe that required using a dutch oven as a “2nd” oven within your main oven. You mix 3 cups of bread flour, 1.25 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of active yeast with 4/3’s cup of water. You then let it sit… Continue reading Homemade Bread
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A few weeks ago, we made a tasty dinner to celebrate Philippe’s new roommate moving in. Since New York has been very hot and humid, we felt like making a refreshing summer dish and Julia chose a grilled chicken recipe with a cucumber melon salsa topping. We also grilled some corn on the cob as… Continue reading Grilled Chicken with Cucumber Melon Salsa |
Michael McGrath (bishop)
Michael Joseph McGrath (24 March 1882 – 28 February 1961) was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served first as the bishop of Menevia from 1935 to 1940, then the archbishop of Cardiff from 1940 to 1961.
Personal history
Early life
McGrath was born in Kilkenny, Ireland on 24 March 1882. He was educated at a local Christian Brothers school before attending Rockwell College. He achieved a BA from the Royal University of Ireland in Irish language in 1915, and an MA from its successor the NUI in 1918. His university later awarded him an honorary D.Litt. in 1942.
Religious career
McGrath trained for the priesthood at St. John's College, Waterford, and he was ordained to the priesthood on 12 July 1908. He initially worked as a priest for the Catholic diocese of Clifton, followed by Bristol's Church of St. Nicholas. In 1918, he was forced take a leave of absence on health grounds. In 1921, he was invited by Bishop Francis Mostyn to work in the Diocese of Menevia. McGrath went on to serve at Flint, Bangor and, in 1928, Aberystywth as parish priest, where he befriended Thomas Gwynn Jones. On 10 August 1935 he was appointed the Bishop of the Diocese of Menevia in Swansea, south Wales. His consecration to the Episcopate took place on 24 September 1935, the principal consecrator was Archbishop Francis Mostyn of Cardiff, and the principal co-consecrators were Bishop William Lee of Clifton and Bishop Ambrose James Moriarty of Shrewsbury. Five years later, McGrath was translated to the Archdiocese of Cardiff as archbishop on 20 June 1940. He died in office on 28 February 1961, aged 78.
Report to Rome
Archbishop McGrath sent a report to Rome on 7 March 1960, summarising his attitude to Wales. He wrote of the future of the Catholic community in Wales, noting that it made largely made up of descendants of Irish immigrants, separating it from the cultural life of Wales. McGrath also commented on the decline of the Welsh language since the First World War. McGrath predicted that this decline would undermine the religious life of the nation and lead to widespread religious indifference, leading to divorce, broken family life and abortion, among other things.
References
Category:1882 births
Category:1961 deaths
Category:20th-century Roman Catholic bishops
Category:Irish emigrants to the United Kingdom
Category:People from Kilkenny (city)
Category:Post-Reformation Roman Catholic bishops in England
Category:Alumni of the Royal University of Ireland
Category:People educated at Rockwell College |
Formation of a tight 1:1 complex of Clostridium pasteurianum Fe protein-Azotobacter vinelandii MoFe protein: evidence for long-range interactions between the Fe protein binding sites during catalytic hydrogen evolution.
It has been well documented that the combination of the MoFe protein of Azotobacter vinelandii nitrogenase (Av1) with the Fe protein (Cp2) from Clostridium pasteurianum nitrogenase produces an inactive, stable complex. However, we report that this heterologous nitrogenase has a low level of activity for H(2) evolution, with a specific activity of 12 nmol min(-)(1) mg(-)(1) of Av1. This activity does not arise from contaminating hydrogenase since it required the presence of both Cp2 and Av1 and showed saturation kinetics when increasing amounts of Cp2 were added to the assay. Incubation of the two proteins at a 4:1 Cp2:Av1 ratio in the absence of MgATP followed by analytical gel filtration showed, surprisingly, that the stoichiometry of the isolated complex was Av1.Cp2 instead of Av1.(Cp2)(2) as determined previously. The presence of MgATP in the elution buffer did not change the elution profile of the complex. The hydrodynamic radius of the isolated complex determined by dynamic light scattering was 5.93 +/- 0.14 nm, intermediate between Av1 and a stable 2:1 nitrogenase complex, consistent with a 1:1 assignment for the Av1.Cp2 complex. When assayed with Av2, the isolated Av1.Cp2 complex showed full half-site reactivity with a specific activity of 750 nmol of C(2)H(2) reduced min(-)(1) mg(-)(1) of Av1. The EPR spectrum of the isolated complex showed the Cp2 to be oxidized and the Av1 to retain the S = (3)/(2) signal characteristic of FeMoco. In the presence of MgATP, under turnover conditions at a 2:1 ratio of Cp2:Av1, the [4Fe-4S] center of Cp2 was protected from the chelator 2,2'-bipyridyl. This is consistent with the formation of a tight 2:1 complex of Av1.(Cp2)(2) which is more stable than the homologous Cp nitrogenase. Assuming that the Lowe-Thorneley model for nitrogenase applies and that a rate-limiting dissociation of the complex is required for H(2) evolution, then with a rate of 0.032 s(-)(1) the 1:1 complex is too stable to be involved in catalysis. The differences in the stability of the 2:1 and 1:1 complexes indicate cooperativity between the Fe protein binding sites of Av1, which structural data show to be separated by 105 A. On the basis of these observations, we propose a model for nitrogenase catalysis in which the stable 1:1 complex formed between oxidized Fe protein and the one-electron-reduced MoFe protein plays an essential role. In this scheme, the two Fe protein binding sites of the MoFe protein alternately bind and release Fe protein in a shuttle mechanism associated with long-range conformational changes in the MoFe protein. |
Q:
Parse in Java accessible in Java
I have
public JSONObject parseXML(String xml) {
JSONObject jsonObject = XML.toJSONObject(xml);
return jsonObject;
}
from the org.json library.
In Nashorn I want to be able to do
let foo = parseXML(someXMLString);
console.log(foo.someProperty);
What I end up getting is a NPE. But if I do
let foo = parseXML(someXMLString);
console.log(JSON.parse(foo.someProperty));
it works. is there an equivalent function to JSON.parse I can do in Java land and return without needing that JSON.parse in JavaScript?
edit: Please note it is NOT a duplicate. I am not asking how to parse for certain values in the JSON, I am asking how to return the entire object, so that it is parseable by Nashorn without the extra JSON.parse
A:
You can call JSON.parse or any other script function from Java. Example code to call JSON.parse from Java:
import javax.script.ScriptEngine;
import javax.script.ScriptEngineManager;
import jdk.nashorn.api.scripting.JSObject;
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
ScriptEngineManager m = new ScriptEngineManager();
ScriptEngine e = m.getEngineByName("nashorn");
// get ECMAScript JSON.parse
JSObject jsonParse = (JSObject)e.eval("JSON.parse");
// initialize/retrieve JSON string here
String str = "{ \"foo\": 42, \"bar\": { \"x\": \"hello\" } }";
// call JSON.parse from Java
Object parsed = jsonParse.call(null, str);
// expose parsed object to script
e.put("obj", parsed);
// access parsed object from script
e.eval("print(obj.foo)");
e.eval("print(obj.bar.x)");
}
}
|
How the pope held the Mic has left many talking here's the trending #PopeBars Hip-hop Hashtag
The ever
keen twitter users never miss a single glimpse of something to trend about.
This time how the pope held the Mic has left many talking.
Well for
sure by a look at things in a lay-man’s perspective you would reason out that
the pope is or was about to rap at the moment the photo was taken. The Photo
was snapped at Bangui which was his final destination in his 6 day tour in
Africa. |
Austrian Motors, Ltd.Your Independent Mercedes-Benz Service Center in Atlanta2018-03-14T21:40:09Zhttp://www.austrianmotors.com/feed/atom/WordPressAustrian Motorshttp://www.austrianmotors.com/?p=31722018-03-09T14:56:31Z2018-02-28T20:35:19ZThe 7 Pillars of Quality Mercedes Repair Centers Knowing When You’ve Found The Right Shop If you own a Mercedes-Benz – and you’re currently reading this article – we’re willing to assume that you like your vehicle. In fact, we’re willing to assume that you love your vehicle. After all, it’s difficult to own a Mercedes-Benz without […]
Knowing When You’ve Found The Right Shop
If you own a Mercedes-Benz – and you’re currently reading this article – we’re willing to assume that you like your vehicle. In fact, we’re willing to assume that you love your vehicle. After all, it’s difficult to own a Mercedes-Benz without loving it, especially when you calculate the painstaking amount of time, money, and energy put into purchasing your vehicle in the first place. If you love your Mercedes-Benz, you’ll want Quality Mercedes Repair when the time comes for an update, upgrade, or repair. In this article, we’re going to share the seven signs of a top-rated repair center. These signs will help you narrow your search and locate a shop that you’ll continue to love for years to come.
#1: They know your vehicle, inside and out.
Quality Mercedes Repair Shops will intimately understand your vehicle – maybe even more so than you! They will have decades of experience with Mercedes-Benz Models, and they’ll get to know your vehicle personally as your visits continue. A professional shop will show a keen interest in learning about the little things, such as how your vehicle functions while driving, issues you’ve experienced in the past, and repairs you’ve had while under your warranty. This background information will help experts approach your vehicle like a doctor would approach a patient, with its complete “medical” history in mind.
#2: They stay up-to-date.
Some repair shops claim to know Mercedes-Benz Vehicles, but their knowledge of ongoing updates is lacking. For example, we recently learned that Mercedes-AMG may revive its “73” home run. This model, the SL73, was sold in the 1990s in both coupe and convertible options. It offered a 525 horsepower engine and a special badge on its trunk lid. It appears that Mercedes-AMG will revive the series in additional models, since trademarks filed by Mercedes-Benz with the European Union Patent and Trademark Office hint at G73, GLS73, and S73. This series is expected to replace the V-12 “65” series currently offered by Mercedes-AMG.
This information might seem meaningless to other repair shops – but quality companies will be interested in future vehicles that may roll through their door. If your shop experts fail to discuss Mercedes-Benz updates with ease, you’re in the wrong place.
#3: The owner is accessible.
Most Quality Mercedes Repair Shops are owned by experts and enthusiasts. At a professional shop, you’ll often see the owner buzzing around the property, working on personal projects or investing time in customers. Our shop, for example, is owned by Josi Waldschuetz. Josi is originally from Austria and has led the team at Austrian Motors for more than fifteen years. She and her husband, Rudi, opened the shop in 1974. In 1998, Josi committed to leading the company into the future through premium customer service, integrity, quality, and experience.
Josi often takes part in personal projects and restorations. She’s more than happy to meet customers and assist in their service. She’s even brought a wonderful team member to the group – Sherlock. Sherlock was adopted from the Atlanta Lab Rescue, which our company supports as part of the Atlanta Community.
The point? An involved owner is an essential part of the recipe for a professional repair shop.
#4: They treat your vehicle with the respect it deserves.
A Quality Repair Shop will ensure that your vehicle is treated quickly and efficiently, for an affordable price. It will never be handled roughly, damaged, or improperly repaired. This should go without saying. Unfortunately, many repair shops claim to be experienced with vehicles they don’t understand. This inevitably results in mistakes being made and excuses being offered. Don’t buy these excuses! Find a shop that will treat your baby the way it deserves to be treated.
#5: They aren’t looking to make a quick buck.
If you’ve ever had your oil changed at a road-stop shop, you know a pitch when you hear one. At a Quality Mercedes Repair Shop, you won’t hear pitches from employees that work on commission. Instead, you’ll get the information you need to make an informed decision about your vehicle and its specific needs. Professional shops aren’t looking to fatten their wallets. They genuinely want to see your vehicle perform well. You won’t be given dozens of reasons to return to the shop for unnecessary and expensive repairs. You’ll be told exactly what you need and when you’ll need it.
#6: They are qualified and certified.
The best repair shops are qualified in terms of knowledge and certified by organizations like Bosch. Austrian Motors is a Bosch Authorized Mercedes-Benz Service Center. If your repair shop doesn’t have any form of certification or authorization, be cautious. It could be a new shop that needs time to establish itself – but it could also be a hassle waiting to happen. You’ll have to decide which based on the other characteristics shared in this article.
#7: They’re trusted by the community.
All Quality Mercedes Repair Shops are loved and trusted by the community that surrounds them. They’ll have positive reviews, a loyal customer base, and ongoing displays of appreciation for their customers. You can feel the professionalism and connection when you walk inside. That, ultimately, is the sign of a professional shop.
Austrian Motors: Our Quality Mercedes Repair Shop
When you choose Austrian Motors as your Quality Mercedes Repair Shop, you’ll find integrity, quality, and unwavering respect for your vehicle. We care deeply about our customers and our community – and we work hard to maintain our pristine reputation as Atlanta’s Favorite Independent Mercedes-Benz Repair & Service Center. For useful tips and tricks, follow our team on Facebook. You can also call our office at (404)-998-4361 or schedule an appointment online.
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]]>Austrian Motorshttp://www.austrianmotors.com/?p=31602018-03-09T14:56:31Z2018-02-09T01:38:38ZAsk These Questions Before Choosing a Mercedes-Benz Repair Shop! A number of Mercedes-Benz owners treat their automobile like their baby – and you wouldn’t take your baby to any physician, would you? You’d want to ask a few questions, meet the doctor, visit the office, and read several reviews before making a final selection. Once you choose […]
A number of Mercedes-Benz owners treat their automobile like their baby – and you wouldn’t take your baby to any physician, would you? You’d want to ask a few questions, meet the doctor, visit the office, and read several reviews before making a final selection. Once you choose a physician for your child, you want to keep the same doctor for as long as possible. Why? Because they know your baby more than anyone else. Choosing a Mercedes-Benz Repair Shop involves many of the same steps!
What are some of the questions you’d like to ask a Mercedes-Benz Repair Shop before visiting? In this article, we’re going to answer eight questions in terms of our own shop, Austrian Motors. Not local to the Atlanta area? Consider asking your nearest repair shop the same questions.
Do They Have Access to Factory Diagnostic Tools?
The Star Diagnostic Tool is a specialized OBD (On-Board Diagnostics) reader calibrated specifically for Mercedes-Benz. How does it work? By reading the messages sent when your check engine light illuminates.
Check engine lights are frightening. Unfortunately, the check engine light does not give the driver an exact diagnosis of what is wrong, or which part of the engine needs to be checked. The check engine light is simply designed to let the Mercedes-Benz owner know there is a potential problem.
Austrian Motors recommends you schedule an appointment immediately and allow our mechanics to utilize the Star Diagnostic Tool to determine the exact issue. In many service centers, you’ll find a standard, run-of-the-mill OBD reader. This works fine for many cars. However, your Mercedes-Benz needs something a little more fine-tuned.
A standard OBD reader cannot decipher some of the basic information being transmitted, such as the make and model of your car. This can lead mechanics to a false diagnosis. The technology behind the Star Diagnostic Tool allows its user to pinpoint the exact location of any malfunction in the Mercedes-Benz, regardless of the make, model, or generation.
Without the Star Diagnostic Tool, mechanics can only offer a stab in the dark, potentially leaving the real problem unsolved.
How Many Years of Experience Do They Have?
While a variety of start-up shops are impressive, experience is key. Even if your local Mercedes-Benz Repair Shop hasn’t been around long, its employed technicians should have decades of combined experience in the field. Since our shop has been open since 1974, our team has more than forty years of experience. We’ve also been BOSCH Authorized for more than twenty-five years!
Is This a Legitimate Business?
While it might be obvious that you shouldn’t take your Mercedes-Benz to be repaired in someone’s garage or backyard, it’s also important to conduct research on local repair shops. Unfortunately, there are businesses that will make false promises, bad diagnoses, and cheap repairs. These companies aren’t legitimate, and they don’t deserve your money. Usually, bad reviews will paint these businesses in their proper light.
Who Works on Vehicles?
Any Mercedes-Benz Repair Shop worth its salt will have expert technicians working on your vehicle at all times. Our team has been comprised of Master Mechanics since 1976. We have a passion for customer care and refuse to expose your vehicle to anything less than the best.
What Kind of Parts Are Used?
Would you want your child to take less-than-the-best medicine? Probably not. It wouldn’t really get the job done. Instead, you’d be left with a lighter wallet and a sick baby.
Mercedes-Benz Repair should only be completed using premium and quality parts that can help maintain your vehicle’s value and performance. We use Factory Quality Parts backed by BOSCH Auto Service. These parts have a two-year extended warranty.
Is The Owner Accessible?
If you can’t speak to the owner, you shouldn’t visit the shop. At Austrian Motors, Josi is available and actively involved in day-to-day repairs.
Josi Waldschuetz is originally from Austrian. She has been leading the team at our Mercedes-Benz Repair Shop for more than fifteen years. The shop was first opened by Josi and her husband Rudi. In 1998, Josi committed to leading the company into the future by providing premium customer service to new and existing Mercedes-Benz owners.
Our shop is one of Atlanta’s oldest family owned and operated repair shops for Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Josi holds the team to high standards – and our customers love it. We even have a family pet! Sherlock was rescued by Atlanta Lab Rescue and adopted by Josi in 2014.
Are They Insured?
Never visit a repair shop that isn’t insured! There are too many legal and financial issues that could arise after your repair – if that repair is even completed properly in the first place. Austrian Motors is licensed and insured in Atlanta, Georgia.
Do They Work Exclusively on Mercedes-Benz Vehicles?
While you don’t necessarily need to take your Mercedes-Benz to a shop that works solely on those automobiles, we suggest giving your baby the best care by choosing a business that works exclusively on Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The technicians at these shops have a more well-rounded knowledge of Benz automobiles. They have the ability to answer complex questions without needing to reference a manual or look under the hood. This has been their area of expertise for years. Who could be better suited for your baby?
Our team has worked exclusively on Mercedes-Benz vehicles since our opening in 1974.
In Closing
At Austrian Motors, we care deeply about the well-being of your Mercedes-Benz. As a Mercedes-Benz Repair Shop, we focus on passion, customer care, and ongoing improvement. To learn more about our company, or to schedule an appointment, call (404)-998-4396. For more useful tips and tricks about our shop and your vehicle, read our blog posts. You can also visit our specials page for ongoing deals that will save you cash.
Since 1974, we’ve served the Greater Atlanta Community. We hope to serve you, too!
]]>Austrian Motorshttp://www.austrianmotors.com/?p=31442018-02-05T18:53:50Z2018-01-16T05:42:09ZAre You Planning on Buying a Used Mercedes-Benz? Do you own a Mercedes already and now you realize that it costs more than you anticipated? Knowledge is your best defense against buying a used Mercedes-Benz can be a money pit machine. Finding the right Mercedes that will last “forever” takes time and research. You also […]
Do you own a Mercedes already and now you realize that it costs more than you anticipated?
Knowledge is your best defense against buying a used Mercedes-Benz can be a money pit machine. Finding the right Mercedes that will last “forever” takes time and research. You also might want to consider bringing in to us or someone like us to do a pre-purchase inspection before making the final decision. Don’t just buy a used Mercedes-Benz because the seller is letting it go very cheap, or you just have to drive a “luxury vehicle” like we all love to do in Atlanta. You need to decide if the car has been maintained, check vehicle history report and do a good inspection of the car.
Is it worth buying a used Mercedes-Benz? What if it is a 5,10, or 15-year-old Mercedes-Benz?
Luxury vehicles can often depreciate at a higher rate than economy cars. This fact makes them very appealing in the used car market. That’s why the initial purchase price when buying a used Mercedes-Benz is not your primary problem. Mercedes-Benz cars have a reputation for being able to run forever! (Beware, the expense might be in the maintenance).
The truth about buying a used Mercedes-Benz!
Mercedes-Benz vehicles are truly machines – that means maintenance is not an option
The truth is that certain Mercedes-Benz engines and transmissions can still run “forever.” While others models and trims don’t live up to the Mercedes-Benz motto: “The best or nothing” Mercedes-Benz by no means are trouble-free cars like they used to be in the 80s and 90s. Well, even then they weren’t quite trouble free, but they were the cars that set the bar higher. In the recent years, Mercedes-Benz cars have advanced even more with sophisticated and cutting-edge technology.
Before buying a used Mercedes-Benz, consider this.
Who will maintain and service your Mercedes?
Mercedes-Benz Dealer
Independent Auto Repair Shop, Like Us!
Yourself (If you’re an MB Tech)
If you own a ten-year-old Mercedes-Benz E-Class or S-Class, you’ll quickly realize that specific car mechanics even at the dealerships don’t want to work on them because they are not familiar with these automobiles. Little do they know that working on a Mercedes-Benz is more fun, rewarding and even easier than working on other model cars. However, it is not worth the risk, if you can find an independent in your town that you can rely on.
Don’t let this article scare you away from buying a used Mercedes-Benz though. If you love the make and have the income to maintain, treat yourself to a Mercedes-Benz. You think you may be able to maintain a used Mercedes-Benz yourself, but unless you have access to proper diagnostic tools such as a star diagnostic tool made explicitly for MB Cars, you might just be better of researching the vehicle and then taking it to a qualified mechanic, or better yet an independent specialist.
A place that specializes in MB vehicles is especially advantageous because that means they usually have access to Mercedes-Benz Tools. I know here at Austrian Motors we take pride in staying up to date with the information needed and we are online with Mercedes-Benz USA.
One thing we noticed about special packages like AMG kits, is that consumers do not realize that a $90,000 vehicle can be expensive to maintain for more than one reason. An oil-change can be costly due to the labor involved when it comes to sports packages.
You should have seen our mechanic on many occasions working hours to disassemble and reassemble parts on an AMG Package, just to get to the oil filter. We have had clients that were unprepared to pay a few hundred dollars for scheduled maintenance on their Mercedes-Benz, but they were driving a $100,000 plus vehicle. We think it is just the lack of knowledge when it comes to the actual expense of parts and repairs, no matter where you take your vehicle, you want to make sure that the place is qualified and has experience when it comes to Mercedes-Benz. Good record keeping, discounts, and honest talk will help too.We know all too well about the half-truths being told when those car sales are being made.
So when you buy a used Mercedes-Benz be aware that you are purchasing a Luxury Vehicle that will require maintenance and repairs that can get costly. You can’t take shortcuts when it comes to maintaining your Mercedes but you do have a choice when it comes to finding a qualified Mercedes-Benz specialist that is honest and upfront with you about your vehicle. If you live in the Atlanta area, look us up.
]]>Austrian Motorshttp://www.austrianmotors.com/?p=31292017-12-30T03:11:25Z2017-12-30T03:11:25ZUsing Your Independent Shop Versus Dealer The Advantages of Using Independent Mercedes-Benz Specialists When the time comes for warranty-related work on your Mercedes-Benz, it isn’t difficult to make the choice: Your vehicle goes back to the dealer. However, when your Mercedes-Benz needs general maintenance and routine service, choosing an Independent Mercedes-Benz Specialist can save you […]
The Advantages of Using Independent Mercedes-Benz Specialists
When the time comes for warranty-related work on your Mercedes-Benz, it isn’t difficult to make the choice: Your vehicle goes back to the dealer. However, when your Mercedes-Benz needs general maintenance and routine service, choosing an Independent Mercedes-Benz Specialist can save you both time and money without voiding your warranty. We suggest building your relationship with a qualified Mercedes-Benz Repair Shop because, eventually, your warranty will end. When that time comes, you want to be prepared. In this article, we’re going to discuss Independent Shop Versus Dealer Factors and what you should consider when making your choice.
Saving Money
Often, Independent Mercedes-Benz Repair Shops are more competitively priced than Dealer Service Centers. You’ll save in two major categories – parts and labor. A third-party mechanic will use OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) Replacement Parts; in other words, the same parts created by the manufacturer that licensed them to Mercedes-Benz. These parts can save you at least twenty percent and, quite often, more. In addition, Independent Mercedes-Benz Specialists offer a lower hourly rate, promising significant savings on major repairs. Keep in mind, however, that well-respected specialists may charge the same or more than Dealer Service Centers. Do your research before choosing an Independent Shop Versus Dealer.
Meeting Experienced Technicians
You’ll find that Independent Mercedes-Benz Repair Shops are run by technicians trained to work with Mercedes-Benz Vehicles. Dealer Service Centers work with a variety of vehicles, often lacking the expertise your automobile deserves. After all, your Mercedes-Benz isn’t a minivan. For many Mercedes-Benz owners, years of patience, research, and care preceded the purchase of their vehicle. Why throw that effort away when faced with maintenance issues? As a Mercedes-Benz owner, you have an opportunity to access more experienced technicians for a better price. You can also have your vehicle serviced by the same technician each time you visit, unlike a Dealer Service Center. The technician will familiarize himself/herself with your vehicle and your driving habits. Building a relationship with the man or woman working under your hood is far superior to working with a Dealer Service Advisor.
Convenience
Another Independent Shop Versus Dealer Factor is convenience. There are Independent Mercedes-Benz Repair Shops all over the country. You can likely find a shop closer to your home than a Dealer Service Center – and with more experienced technicians. If you’re worried about amenities, don’t be. Many Independent Mercedes-Benz Repair Shops offer comfortable customer lounges, internet access, loaner or rental vehicles, and shuttles. Convenience can help you save valuable time when your Mercedes-Benz needs service as soon as possible.
Avoiding Dealership Marketing Tactics
Have you noticed that dealerships are expanding their marketing campaigns to draw retail customers to the dealership for service? New car profits are at a historic low. Therefore, service departments are stepping up to the plate in an attempt to become profitable for the dealership to survive. At one time, warranty work represented seventy percent of service done at dealerships. Now, that figure has fallen to just twenty percent. Cars are made better and last longer.
Dealership technicians are generally paid according to a flat rate. When a job is given, the clock starts. No matter how quickly the job is completed, the technician is paid the same. This rewards highly-skilled technicians. Unfortunately, it also means technicians are hurrying to meet a quota. They may be reluctant to work on complex vehicles because the job may take longer. This increases the probability of corners being cut.
At Independent Mercedes-Benz Repair Shops, technicians are paid an hourly wage, allowing them to focus on customer service – not quotas!
Five Star Review – Vlad P. (October 2017) – I started going to Austrian Motors after I bought a 1983 300D and saw another one in their yard. I’ve had nothing but the best experiences here. They have a mechanic that specializes in older models. Since then, he’s updated my air conditioning system to the modern refrigerant, fixed odds and ends – like a stuck throttle cable – and, of course, oil changes and services. He’s always smiling and tops off my oil every time I bring it in. Josi, the owner, is very nice and I’ve even run into her at car shows with her own car. I’ve enjoyed this place so much I recently also started servicing my other modern Mercedes here instead of the dealership. The first time I was in they found a missing bolt in the steering system that the dealership never noticed. A major safety issue. Josi took a picture of it, immediately sent it to me, and fixed it right away. Incredibly happy with this place and would recommend to all!
Five Star Review – Adam W. (December 2017) – This is the place to go for Mercedes service! The owner, Josi, is very much hands-on at this place. Her service and knowledge of the Mercedes-Benz vehicles are absolutely impeccable. Austrian will treat your MB like this is one of their own, even if you only drive a lowly C class. Josi and her amazing team surpass the tagline of “The Best or Nothing” and have made Mercedes-Benz of Buckhead Service look like a joke. I’ll be back!
Five Star Review – Warren D. (June 2017) – Austrian Motors has serviced my car for the past eighteen years, from oil changes to engine repair. Recently, I had a fuel pump relay switch replaced after my car repeatedly shut down while driving. I would recommend this shop to any Mercedes-Benz owner. The owner and staff have always been professional and friendly.
]]>Austrian Motorshttp://www.austrianmotors.com/?p=30992017-12-15T01:20:19Z2017-12-15T01:20:19ZFive Steps to Mercedes Auto Repair As Told By Austrian Motors Experts Does your precious vehicle desperately need Mercedes Auto Repair? We’re here to help at Austrian Motors, Atlanta’s Trusted Choice for Mercedes-Benz Service and Repair. At our shop, we like to keep customers informed. In this article, we’re going to walk you through each step […]
As Told By Austrian Motors Experts
Does your precious vehicle desperately need Mercedes Auto Repair? We’re here to help at Austrian Motors, Atlanta’s Trusted Choice for Mercedes-Benz Service and Repair. At our shop, we like to keep customers informed. In this article, we’re going to walk you through each step of the Mercedes Auto Repair process, starting the moment you catch a possible problem.
Let’s get started!
Step One: Catch Possible Problems
Recognizing a serious problem with your Mercedes-Benz can be difficult when you aren’t sure what constitutes a genuine engine, transmission, or body problem. Fortunately, we’re here to help identify the warning signs. Your vehicle might have a problem if:
These are signs of major (and minor) problems. If you experience these issues, you should schedule an appointment at your earliest convenience. The following major red flags warrant an immediate visit:
Not experiencing any serious problems? You can still visit Austrian Motors for General Service and Repair. After all, your Mercedes-Benz deserves the best.
Step Three: Visit Our Mercedes Auto Repair Experts
During your allotted appointment time, visit our team of Mercedes Auto Repair Experts. Our team has decades of personal experience. We are proud to be one of Atlanta’s Oldest Family Owned and Operated Independent Dealerships for Mercedes-Benz Vehicles. We have worked exclusively with Mercedes-Benz Vehicles since 1974. Our technicians are prepared to handle any request you might have.
Step Four: Determine a Course of Action
While visiting with our Mercedes-Benz Experts, you’ll determine a course of action for your vehicle. Whether you need preventative maintenance such as oil changes or fluid refills – or major/minor repairs – we’re prepared to help. We believe that including our customers in the decision-making process is essential to success. We’ll present a list of options moving forward and you’ll choose the route that works best for your budget and vehicle. For a complete summary of our services, continue reading.
Step Five: Practice Ongoing Maintenance
Once your vehicle has been repaired, we insist on practicing ongoing maintenance for your Mercedes-Benz. Bring your beauty to our shop for recommended tune-ups and oil changes. We’ll keep your baby repaired and ready for anything.
Your Warranty
As a Mercedes-Benz Owner, you may not realize that you can have your Mercedes-Benz Service and Repair work completed by an independent service center for a reasonable cost without affecting your warranty.
Austrian Motors is online with Mercedes-Benz USA and uses factory diagnostic equipment. Warranty work is not offered at Austrian Motors. However, immediately after your warranty expires, we offer a free oil change to first-time customers.
Meet Josi and Sherlock! Josi Waldschuetz is our owner, dog lover, and rescuer. Look at this amazing dog after the 5K this fall.
Our Staff at Austrian Motors
At Austrian Motors, our service manager and factory-trained technicians have nearly one hundred years of combined experience. Our specialty Mercedes Technician Ernst has been at Austrian Motors since 1976. He originally came from Austria and has the experience and knowledge that can only be earned with time and training. We are a Bosch Authorized Mercedes-Benz Service Center with a Passion for Service and Mercedes Auto Repair. Josi Waldschuetz is the owner and operator of Austrian Motors. She makes sure her customers receive the care they deserve when it comes to their Mercedes-Benz Automobile.
Austrian Motors offers many conveniences and is located in the heart of West Midtown Atlanta near Buckhead. WiFi, Coffee, and Shuttle Services are available to all Austrian Motors Customers. In addition, if a loaner car is available, the team at Austrian Motors is glad to help out. Need a manual for your Mercedes-Benz Automobile? Need to know about a recall on a specific model? Not a problem.
THE STAR DIAGNOSTIC TOOL AND WHY IT IS NECESSARY FOR PROPER MERCEDES BENZ AUTOMOBILE DIAGNOSIS!
The Star Diagnostic Tool is a specialized OBD (On-Board Diagnostics) reader that is calibrated specifically for “Mercedez Benz.” This Diagnostic Tool is another Mercedes Benz Technology that is available to a few select independent repair shops in the United States.
Why Mercedes Benz Technology is Important For Mercedes Owners
The Star Diagnostic Tool works by reading the messages sent when your check engine light illuminates. Check engine lights are frightening. Unfortunately, the check engine light does not give you – the driver – an exact diagnosis on what is wrong or which part of the engine needs to be checked. The check engine light is simply designed to let you know there is a potential problem. Austrian Motors recommends you schedule an appointment immediately after noticing a check engine light and allow our mechanics to utilize the Star Diagnostics Tool to determine the exact issue.
In many centers, the go-to diagnostic tool is a run-of-the-mill OBD reader. This works fine for many vehicles. However, your Mercedes needs fine-tuned equipment to be properly diagnosed. A standard OBD reader cannot decipher some of the basic information being transmitted, such as the make and model of your car, and can, therefore, lead mechanics to a false diagnosis. The technology behind the Star Diagnostic Tool allows its user to pinpoint the exact location of any malfunction in the Mercedes, regardless of make, model, or generation.
Without the Star Diagnostic Tool, mechanics can only offer a shot in the dark diagnosis – potentially leaving the real problem unsolved. Fortunately, at Austrian Motors, we utilize a fully up-to-date Star Diagnostic Tool. Our qualified Mercedes Benz Technicians are experienced and know how to use the Star Diagnostic Tool to find both simple and complex issues. Bringing your Mercedes to our shop for servicing means impressive treatment and confidence that, when you drive away, you’ll know your Mercedes Benz was properly diagnosed and repaired.
Mercedes Benz Attention Assist
Austrian Motors in Atlanta, GA shares Mercedes Benz Safety Features and the latest Mercedes Benz Technology. New Mercedes models may have Attention Assist to alert drivers on the roadway. You want to make sure this tool remains fully-functional while on road trips. What is Attention Assist? It’s an industry-first technology designed to alert drivers when they begin showing signs of fatigue behind the wheel. The system not only makes the driver aware of behavior that may be influenced by drowsiness but also helps drivers correct their errors.
How Does Mercedes Benz Attention Assist Work?
When you own a Mercedes Benz, long trips don’t seem quite so daunting. With superior comfort and ride quality, exceptional sound, and ample horsepower to keep things exciting, a Mercedes Benz will change the way you look at length business travel or weekend trips back to visit the folks. No matter how great the driving experience, though, long trips are prone to drowsiness. To help drivers recognize inattentive driving due to fatigue, Mercedes Benz developed Attention Assist, one of the many active safety features available in new models.
Driver fatigue may sound like a difficult thing to monitor but, much like Lane Keeping Assist and Blind Spot Assist have helped drivers be more aware of their surroundings, Mercedes Benz Attention Assist helps drivers be more aware of themselves.
How does it work? It all starts within a few minutes of entering your vehicle. Soon after you start your journey, the system creates a profile of you – the driver – recognizing your behavior when you are fully alert. That profile is then used as the basis for comparison throughout the rest of the drive.
The Attention Assist program uses a highly sensitive sensor that monitors and records steering movement and speed. Research done by Mercedes Benz showed that, when drivers are fatigued, they will change their steering behaviors and make more errors, which are generally corrected quickly. When Attention Assist recognizes the vehicle drifting and being quickly readjusted back onto the center of the road, or notices a change in driving behavior, it will check several other parameters to see if the change is due to fatigue or something else.
Mercedes Benz Attention Assist will examine things like time spent behind the wheel, driver activity, weather, and road surface influences – in addition to a variety of other factors that may be causing irregular behavior. If the system determines drowsiness is the cause, it will send an audible and visible alert, letting the driver know the time has come to take a break.
While Mercedes Benz offers a number of technologies to help drivers be more aware of their surroundings, Attention Assist is the only technology that helps drivers monitor their own behavior. Contact Austrian Motors in Midtown Atlanta for all your Mercedes Benz Technology and Service needs. Schedule an appointment today!
]]>Austrian Motorshttp://www.austrianmotors.com/?p=30382018-01-08T14:58:14Z2017-10-03T20:37:06ZOctober is Car Care Awareness Month We pride ourselves in providing EXCELLENT CARE for all Your Mercedes Repair & Service Needs! Every October and April is Car Care Awareness Month. During these two months, the industry works together to help Car Owners including Mercedes-Benz owners remain safe and assure longevity of their vehicles. At Austrian […]
We pride ourselves in providing EXCELLENT CARE for all Your Mercedes Repair & Service Needs!
Every October and April is Car Care Awareness Month. During these two months, the industry works together to help Car Owners including Mercedes-Benz owners remain safe and assure longevity of their vehicles. At Austrian Motors, your Independent Service Professional in Midtown Atlanta, we provide the services your vehicle needs to run smoothly.
Preparing ahead of time, before the temperature drops, can ensure small problems are fixed – along with wear and tear from long summer drives. We want to make Mercedes-Benz owners aware about pre-winter inspection and maintenance needs, so we can help keep you safe on the roadway, avoiding collisions and preventing you from being stranded in upcoming winter conditions. Though Atlanta weather is usually mild when it comes to Winter conditions, occasionally we get surprised and are not prepared. Also if you are traveling north for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah or the New Year, you do not want to take any chances.
Keep your family safe during October Safety Month with Independent Service Professionals.
The Truth About Your Mercedes-Benz Warranty
As the owner of a USED or NEW MERCEDES-BENZ, you certainly want to make the right decisions about proper maintenance to ensure your vehicle serves you well throughout its life. You don’t want to do anything to compromise the warranty of your vehicle, either. What you may not know is that you trusted, local Independent Service Professional can change tires on your vehicle without compromising its warranty.
Car Care Awareness Tips and Education
Many car buyers believe they have to say goodbye to the convenience and relationship they’ve built with a trusted, local, independent garage until their new car warranty expires. The truth is nothing in a new car warranty compels you to return to the dealer alone for regular maintenance. While descriptions in the owner manual may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, what you’ll notice upon reading is that – while they may contain a schedule of regular maintenance service items – they don’t specify where each service should be performed.
Austrian Motors is your go-to Independent Service Professional for Mercedes-Benz Automobiles in the Greater Atlanta area since 1974.
We are qualified to service your Mercedes-Benz Automobile. You can bring your NEW OR USED car to our shop and work with the skilled Mercedes-Benz Technicians you’ve trusted for years.
If you are the owner of any Mercedes-Benz Automobile, we suggest adhering to the factory dictated preventive maintenance for your specific model.
October and April are two months out of the year when we honor Car Care Awareness by offering special discounts and savings to encourage Mercedes-Benz Owners to stick to their preventive maintenance. REGISTER TO WIN SPECIAL DISCOUNTS FOR ALL MERCEDES SERVICE NEEDS.
If you need a new manual follow this link to find your model and year to order a replacement. USE THE TOOLS AVAILABLE BY MBUSA. You can also schedule a visit with us to find out more about your vehicle’s requirements and allow us to check out your Mercedes-Benz with our Factory Star Diagnostic Tool. We are online with Mercedes-Benz USA.
Did you know stress-free financing for Mercedes Service and Repair is an option?
DON’T WANT TO SPEND YOUR CASH? NO PROBLEM, ANY REPAIR OR SERVICE ABOVE $299 CAN BE FINANCED BY CFNA THROUGH BOSCH. CLICK HERE TO APPLY FOR 6-MONTH INTEREST-FREE FINANCING. Remember that you have to qualify and credit requirements are set by CFNA.
Special attention should be given to ensure that manufacturer recommended fluids are used and accurately documented in your record of service. It is also important to ensure that your Mercedes-Benz Professional of choice has access to fluids that meet the specifications required by MBUSA. NEED TO FIND A SPECIFIC RESOURCE? CLICK HERE
In addition, regular service items like replacing wiper blades, brakes, and cabin air filters do not have an impact on warranty coverage. Still, you should check to see if any service package you’ve purchased with your new vehicle includes these items. If not we are glad to help and offer competitive pricing for A, B, C & D Service.
Most Mercedes-Benz Professionals can help you manage the required service on your Mercedes-Benz vehicle, but not many independents have access to the factory diagnostic tool needed to properly identify your vehicle’s needs.
Not all Automotive specialists have access to a database of service information for Mercedes-Benz.
Because we are online with MBUSA w can help you ensure that we will find the issue. We do not handle recalls and/or warranty repairs, but will be honest with you and let you know if there is a chance that your warranty will cover a specific service or repair. ultimately, it is your responsibility to determine where you’ll bring your car for service. Remember, though, that you can continue to use the same Independent Service Professional that you’ve always relied on without compromising the warranty on your vehicle.
Ultimately, it is your responsibility to determine where you’ll bring your Mercedes-Benz for service. Remember, though, that you can continue to use the same Independent Service Professional that you’ve always relied on without compromising the warranty on your vehicle, as long as they specialize in Mercedes-Benz and follow protocol. Of course, we hope it is us that you will choose us if you live in the greater Atlanta area.
Be Car Care Aware
You Can Choose Your Independent Service Professional Without Harming Your Warranty
Some things you should know:
(1) Working with your local automotive service professional, you can maintain your Mercedes-Benz vehicle’s warranty while also retaining the convenience and personal service offered.
Emergency Repairs
While most warranty repairs on your vehicle will be performed at a dealership, your vehicle’s warranty may provide exceptions for this issue in the event of an unexpected breakdown while traveling. Check your manual for more information!
Austrian Motors is here to keep your Mercedes-Benz running smoothly. Schedule an appointment using the form below or contact our shop by calling (404)-998-4457.
]]>Austrian Motorshttp://www.austrianmotors.com/?p=29862017-09-07T17:55:43Z2017-09-07T17:55:43ZMercedes-Benz Automobiles When you own a Mercedes-Benz, you expect quality, performance, and luxury. Mercedes remains the oldest operating automotive company in the world. In addition, Mercedes is one of the top three luxury automotive brands. It will continue to set high standards in the future – no matter what the cost. That’s the Mercedes guarantee, […]
When you own a Mercedes-Benz, you expect quality, performance, and luxury. Mercedes remains the oldest operating automotive company in the world. In addition, Mercedes is one of the top three luxury automotive brands. It will continue to set high standards in the future – no matter what the cost. That’s the Mercedes guarantee, set forth by the slogan: “The best or nothing.”
Mercedes-Benz Preventative Maintenance
In order to properly maintain your Mercedes-Benz, you must continue believing in top-notch quality, even after purchasing your vehicle. You are responsible for providing service and care for your Mercedes-Benz, including all repair and maintenance needs.
There is a significant difference between taking your Mercedes for an oil change on occasion and being fully committed to regular scheduled maintenance. The services outlined in this article can be the determining factor for the longevity of your vehicle.
Please understand that Mercedes repairs, and even maintenance, should be a planned expense. This is something dedicated Mercedes owners keep in budget from the day of purchase. Still concerned about finances? We offer interest-free financing to those spending more than $299 on service or repair in our shop.
At Austrian Motors, we don’t settle when it comes to your Mercedes-Benz. We take great pride in our ability to diagnose, treat, and protect against problems facing the body, transmission, and engine of your vehicle. With more than fifteen years of experience in the Greater Atlanta Area, we are prepared to be your go-to choice for all things Mercedes.
First, though, Mercedes-Benz owners must understand the difference between service plans. Each plan offers a strategy for keeping your Mercedes in functioning order. You may not need the same service every time, but you should have your vehicle inspected at least once every three months. Not only will you catch major (and minor) issues quickly, but your Mercedes-Benz will always be in tip-top shape.
Mercedes-Benz Service B
This service package includes all items from Service A, in addition to the following items:
Dust Filter Inspection
Front/Rear Brake Disc Condition Check
Tread Depth Measurement
Mechanical Steering Component and Rubber Boot Check
Chafe Mark, Line Routing, and Damaged Component Check
Other Affordable Packages
Packages C, D, E, F, and G are affordable and effective. They include a number of brake, wheel, interior, and engine compartment services, including:
Diagnostics and Repairs
Poly-V-Belt Check
Power Steering Inspection
Tire Pressure Correction
Cooling System, Antifreeze, and Corrosion Protection Application
Front Brake Pad Thickness Check
Seat Belt Check
Axle Ball Joint and Rubber Boot Inspection
Mercedes-Benz Service H
This service package is similar to C, D, E, F, and G. However, it focuses on the wheels and brakes of your Mercedes-Benz.
If you aren’t sure which package to use, get in touch with our team of experts at Austrian Motors. We’ll be happy to help you choose the best service package for your vehicle. We’ll even walk you through the process. As we’ve learned over the years, it helps to keep our customers involved.
Mercedes-Benz Repairs
While our service packages can prevent unnecessary damage, Mercedes-Benz repairs are inevitable. As sophisticated as the Mercedes can be, diagnostics and repairs are nearly always necessary when it comes to making a vehicle last.
At Austrian Motors, we have tools specially designed for the Mercedes-Benz, high-quality parts, a team of experienced Mercedes mechanics, and affordable rates that can trump nearly any other service center. Our technicians are prepared to help you without hesitation. We offer an experience like no other – the experience your Mercedes deserves.
Currently, we offer the following Mercedes-Benz parts and services:
Star Diagnostics (Computer Diagnostics)
Performance Software Upgrades
Air Conditioning and Cooling System Service and repair
Electrical System Troubleshooting
Brake Service and Repair
Steering and Suspension Repair
Battery, Alternator, and Starter Repair
Transmission and Drivetrain Repair
Struts and Shocks Service
Looking for something that isn’t on this list? Put our service to the test by calling Austrian Motors at (404)-800-9684 to book your appointment. You can also stop in and schedule an appointment today.
]]>Austrian Motorshttp://www.austrianmotors.com/?p=23992017-07-31T21:49:09Z2017-07-31T16:19:22ZYOUR ATLANTA MERCEDES REPAIR EXPERT TO THE RESCUE! If there is anyone in the world who understands that your Mercedes is perhaps one of the most valuable things you own, it’s your service family at Austrian Motors – your Atlanta Mercedes Repair Expert. Not only do we respect the value of your vehicle, but we […]
If there is anyone in the world who understands that your Mercedes is perhaps one of the most valuable things you own, it’s your service family at Austrian Motors – your Atlanta Mercedes Repair Expert. Not only do we respect the value of your vehicle, but we also appreciate the beauty, quality, and comfort that it provides. Your Mercedes is your baby. We take great pride in our ability, and our value, to keep it that way.
About Your Atlanta Mercedes Repair Expert
As your local EXCLUSIVE Mercedes Repair & Service Center, we provide Factory diagnostics for all Mercedes-Benz Automobiles, as well as Transmission Repair and General Maintenance. Think of us as your one-stop shop for Mercedes service and repair. We provide excellent service at competitive rates. but the best part is that our team has focused on Mercedes-Benz Automobiles since 1974. We involve you in the process every step of the way. We don’t do the work prior to explaining what is needed and the cost associated. We offer Value Deals for Service and our monthly specials and offerings are designed to help Mercedes Owners keep their expenses down while keeping their vehicle properly maintained and the family safe on the road.
Why do they call Austrian Motors the Mercedes Repair Expert in Atlanta?
Experienced Mercedes-Benz Technicians
Locally Owned & Operated
Involved Knowledgable Owner
Factory Diagnostic Equipment
Bosch Authorized Service Center
Financing – CFNA Credit Card
Friendly Front-Desk Staff
Competitive Pricing
Austrian Motors opened their doors 43 years ago with Rudi Waldschuetz as the President of the business until 1998, when he passed away. Josi Waldschuetz (his longtime wife) committed to leading Austrian Motors into the future. She has been providing premium customer service to new and existing Mercedes owners for almost 30 years and though it is not always easy, she has been there for her customers and her staff. Mercedes Automobiles are not the least expensive to maintain and are more complex than most vehicles on the market. The pay off is huge!! Mercedes-Benz Quality is hard to beat!!
Sherlock is the Shop’s pride and joy and though he is big, he is a LOVER and a rescue from “ATLANTA LAB RESCUE” HIS JOB? HE IS THE CUSTOMER SERVICE GREETER!
We are one of Atlanta’s oldest family owned and operated independent Automotive Shops and specialize only in Mercedes-Benz Automobiles. We’ve been around for over forty years!
Our factory trained technicians have over 100 years of combined experience and Ernst our Master Tech has been employed by us since 1976. We are available to help you with most concerns as it relates to Mercedes-Benz Vehicles, old and not so old. Our service provider and parts manager take your happiness to heart. Our priority is sending you home in a safe, properly functioning vehicle that is also gorgeous in every way. As your Atlanta Mercedes Repair Expert, we’ve held that motto since the day we opened.
We consistently provide above average service at a convenient West-Midtown Atlanta location. We also use the Star Diagnostic System to guarantee accurate results. As a bonus, we are Bosch Authorized. Being Bosch Authorized Automotive Shop means better warranties and factory quality parts that are guaranteed.
]]>Austrian Motorshttp://www.austrianmotors.com/?p=28332017-06-13T13:00:20Z2017-06-12T16:38:42ZMercedes-Benz Required Scheduled Maintenance at Austrian Motors Are you familiar with the difference between A Service and B Service for your Mercedes-Benz Required Scheduled Maintenance? Don’t worry. We can help you figure out the right service for your vehicle. At Austrian Motors, we give you a free 50 point inspection when you visit the first […]
Are you familiar with the difference between A Service and B Service for your Mercedes-Benz Required Scheduled Maintenance? Don’t worry. We can help you figure out the right service for your vehicle. At Austrian Motors, we give you a free 50 point inspection when you visit the first time and make sure we inform you of the Mercedes-Benz required maintenance schedule for your model. First-time customers also receive a one-time 10% discount, and we often do flash sales for existing customers once you join our newsletter you will certainly know about all ongoing specials at all times. We also provide you with the resources to obtain manuals for your vehicle.
Mercedes-Benz Required Schedule includes A Service
Your first A Service visit should take place at approximately 10,000 miles or 12 months. The exact time is determined by your vehicle’s Flexible Service System.
After that, you should visit approximately every 20,000 miles or 24 months. This is for models 2009 and newer. Please see a service advisor at Austrian Motors for all Mercedes Benz A/B service specifics.
Services Performed:
– Synthetic Motor Oil Replacement
– Oil Filter Replacement
– Fluid Level Checks and Corrections*
– Tire Inflation Checks and Corrections
– Brake Component Inspection
– Maintenance Counter Reset
*Please note that all fluid level checks and corrections are entirely dependent on factory-recommended service intervals for your Mercedes year and model.
Mercedes Benz A Service adheres to all required elements listed by model year and the specific model, as indicated on the corresponding service sheet for Mercedes-Benz Maintenance Systems in the United States.
We ensure that your Mercedes-Benz Required Scheduled Maintenance is done correctly and efficiently at Austrian Motors, where your baby (and your safety) is important to us. We specialize in diagnostics, transmission repair, and general maintenance. Our experienced technicians are prepared to offer any necessary explanations or assistance you need throughout the process. Don’t be afraid to ask!
Mercedes-Benz Required Scheduled Maintenance B Service
Your first visit for B Service should take place after 20,000 miles or 12 months from the previous service. The exact time should be determined by your vehicle’s Flexible Service System, just like A Service.
After that, it should take place typically every 20,000 miles or 24 months. This information is also for models 2009 and newer.
Services Performed:
– Synthetic Motor Oil Replacement
– Oil Filter Replacement
– Cabinet Dust / Combination Filter Replacement
– Brake Fluid Exchange
– Fluid Level Checks and Corrections
– Tire Inflation Checks and Corrections
– Brake Component Inspection
– Maintenance Counter Reset
Mercedes Benz B Services also adhere to all required elements listed by model year and specific model as indicated on the corresponding service sheet for Mercedes-Benz Maintenance Systems in the United States.
Working With Austrian Motors for your Mercedes-Benz Required Scheduled Maintenance
Whether you need An or B Mercedes Benz Required Scheduled Maintenance, we can help at Austrian Motors. Located near Atlanta GA, we take great pride in our ability to work closely with loyal (and new) customers of all walks of life. We find that owning a Mercedes is like having a child. For many of us, saving for a Mercedes took years of hard work and dedication. Now, the time has come to keep your baby running smoothly.
We look forward to helping make that possible. Give us a call at (404)-800-4783 or schedule an appointment online to learn more about our business today. You can also fill out the appointment form below. |
The present invention relates generally to safety harnesses, and particularly to full body safety harnesses which, for example, provide ease of attachment of, for example, a safety lanyard or self retracting lanyard to a D ring or other connective ring attached to the safety harness and/or provide a readily detectable indication that the safety harness has been subjected to a significant force (for example, as in an impact or in a fall).
The following information is provided to assist the reader in understanding the invention disclosed below and the environment in which it will typically be used. The terms used herein are not intended to be limited to any particular narrow interpretation unless clearly stated otherwise in this document. References set forth herein may facilitate understanding of the present invention or the background of the present invention. The disclosure of all references cited herein are incorporated by reference.
Safety harnesses are commonly used as part of a fall protection system for persons subjected to the potential of a fall from a height. In the workplace, full-body safety harnesses are required when working at a height of six feet or greater. Such harnesses, which typically include both an upper torso portion (having, for example, shoulder straps) and a lower torso or seat portion (having, for example one or more leg straps and sometimes a seat strap), can be designed in many alternative manners.
FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a conventional, commercially available full-body safety harness 10 Safety harness 10 includes an upper torso portion 12 comprising first and second shoulder straps 20 and 30, respectively, for extending over the shoulders of the user and a multi-component chest strap 40 for extending over a portion of the chest of the user.
A first end of each of shoulder straps 20 and 30 extends down over the back of the user to form first and second generally longitudinal back straps 22 and 32, respectively. Longitudinal back straps 22 and 32 of shoulder straps 20 and 30 cross through and connect to a typical connector such as a D-ring 50 as known in the art. D ring 50 includes a harness connection portion 52 and an anchor portion 54. Harness connection portion 52 enables fastening of D-ring 50 to safety harness 10 via longitudinal back straps 22 and 32. Anchor portion 54 is adapted to be connected to a nylon rope, a chain, webbing or other connector which may be used to anchor the person wearing safety harness 10. Safety harness 10 includes a rear pad or back pad 56 that functions to guide the rear strap portions of the shoulder straps in a crossing fashion over the back of the user in the vicinity of D ring 50.
After crossing and passing through D-ring 50, shoulder straps 20 and 30 are connected via a generally latitudinal back strap 60. Latitudinal back strap 60 passes generally latitudinally over a portion of the back of the user.
A second end of each of shoulder straps 20 and 30 extends downward over the front of the user to from generally longitudinal first and second front straps 24 and 34, respectively. A first chest strap portion 42 is attached to front strap 24 and a second chest strap portion 44 is attached to front strap 34. Each of first and second chest straps 42 and 44 have cooperating fastening members 46 and 48 on the ends thereof to enable attachment of first and second chest straps 42 and 44 to form chest strap 40. As known in the art, first and second chest straps 42 and 44, respectively, are preferably attached via an adjustable mating friction buckle mechanism, including, for example, cooperating fastening members 46 and 48.
First and second front straps 24 and 34 of shoulder straps 20 and 30, respectively, extend further downward and preferably include adjustment members 26 and 36 (for example, adjustable friction buckles) as known in the art for adjustment of the fit of safety harness 10 on the upper torso of the user. Extending still further downward, extensions 24a and 34a of first and second front straps 24 and 34 converge and, in connection with several other components of safety harness 10 as described below, form a lower torso, seat or subpelvic portion 70. First and second front extension straps 24a and 34a connect at section 98, passing to the rear and under the seat of the user.
Attached to and extending from seat portion 70 are a first and a second leg strap 80 and 90, respectively. Each of first and second leg straps 80 and 90 pass around the upper leg of the user to be attached to the distal end of first and second longitudinal back straps 22 and 32, respectively. The distal ends of each of first and second leg straps 80 and 90 and the distal ends of each of longitudinal back straps 22 and 32 thus preferably comprise cooperating fastening members (82 and 92 and 28 and 38, respectively) such as adjusting buckle members as known in the art.
As in most commercially available harnesses, anchor portion 54 of D ring 50 hangs downward as a result of the force of gravity after a harness is donned by the user. This position of D ring 50 causes a significant amount of difficulty in attaching, for example, a snap hook (not shown) on the end of a lanyard (not shown) to D ring 50 once harness 10 has been donned. Indeed, the wearer of a safety harness such as safety harness 10 often has to have another person connect such a snap hook (or other lanyard connector) to D ring 50.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,073,627 and Published U.S. Patent Application No. US2005/0082114 disclose a spring-loaded mechanism that constantly biases or urges a D ring to an upright (or standup) position to facilitate attachment of a snap hook or other connector to the D ring. The spring-loaded mechanism of U.S. Pat. No. 7,073,627 and Published U.S. Patent Application No. US2005/0082114 can be somewhat costly to manufacture. Moreover, moving parts such as spring can sometime become disconnected with the remainder of the assembly or fail during use.
It is often desirable that a safety harness also be provided with a means of providing an indication that the safety harness has been subjected to a significant force or impact (such as occurs during an impact or a fall). In that regard, a safety harness or a lanyard that has been subjected to such a force should be taken out of service. U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,544, for example, discloses a lanyard in which stress of a fall causes breakage of stitching and the release of a flag as an indicator. U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,860 discloses a safety harness in which visible rupture of stands of fabric in a harness webbing provides an indication of a fall.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,073,627 and Published U.S. Patent Application No. US2005/0082114 disclose a dorsal pad assembly that includes a D ring connector portion in which the D ring is urged to an upright position as described above. The dorsal pad assembly of U.S. Pat. No. 7,073,627 and Published U.S. Patent Application No. US2005/0082114 can also include an impact indicator in the form of a clip to which D ring is operatively connected. In the case of a fall, the D ring snaps out of the D ring clip/indicator by deflecting catches built into the D ring clip/indicator, thereby indicating that a force has been applied to the D ring. A bar portion of the D-ring can also include a colored portion or an ink cartridge that is broken that becomes exposed when the D-ring snaps out of the clip. Alternate embodiments of the dorsal pad assembly of U.S. Pat. No. 7,073,627 and Published U.S. Patent Application No. US2005/0082114 disclose impact indicators in the form of a wear pad and/or wear pad frame, or a D-ring bar engaging device, operatively connected to the D-ring. In the case of a fall, the D-ring is moved relative to the wear pad and/or wear pad frame, or the bar engaging device, thus breaking rivets, breaking an ink cartridge, exposing a colored portion of the D-ring or deflecting tabs, thereby indicating a force has been applied to the D-ring. U.S. Pat. No. 7,073,627 and Published Patent No. US2005/0082114 disclose a further alternate embodiment of an impact indicator in the form of a clip that holds the D-ring in a certain position wherein the D-ring is pulled out of the clip in the case of a fall, thereby indicating that a force has been applied to the D-ring.
It is also well known that all portions of the safety harness should be inspected for signs of an impact or fall. It is, for example, well know that back pads used in connection with safety harnesses can distend or otherwise change in appearance and sometimes break in the case of a fall. For example, the User Instructions provided with the Full Body Tiger Harness available from Rose Manufacturing Company, indicate that the D-ring locater pad or back pad should be inspected for a change in appearance (for example, breakage) providing evidence of a fall.
Although a number of fall and/or impact indicators have been provided in a number of harnesses, such indicators can increase the manufacturing time and cost involved in assembly of the harness. This problem is particularly relevant to indicators that include or are part of assemblies of multiple elements. Moreover, such multi-element assemblies can sometimes fail.
It is very desirable to develop improved safety harnesses and elements or components thereof that reduce or eliminate the above and other problems with currently available harnesses. |
Australia 178 for 8 (Healy 66, Ecclestone 3-34) beat England 177 (Sciver 64, Perry 3-43) by two wickets
Australia - led by the bowling of Ellyse Perry and the batting of Alyssa Healy - have claimed early Ashes honours, winning a tight opening contest by two wickets in the first one-dayer at Leicester.
England never recovered from a top-order batting collapse, led by Perry's three wickets, despite the best efforts of England spinner Sophie Ecclestone, who claimed 3-34 as the tourists wobbled in their modest run chase. They reached the target with 45 balls remaining on the back of Healy's half-century but, in the face of some tense moments, the match was close, peppered with some poor shot selection, particularly from England, and nervy fielding on both sides.
The loss ended England's winning streak across all formats at 14 after they crumbled to 19 for 4. Player of the Match Perry had Amy Jones out attempting a pull which ballooned to Healy behind the stumps and accounted for Jones's fellow opener, Tammy Beaumont, who chopped on a short time later.
Megan Schutt bowled Sarah Taylor with an in-swinger and then Perry had Heather Knight out lbw for a duck, walking across her stumps.
It became 44 for 5 for England when Fran Wilson was out to a dubious lbw decision to spinner Jess Jonassen. Replays showed Wilson clearly gloved the ball first but, with no DRS for this series, Wilson could do nothing but march off the field making no secret of her consternation.
Natalie Sciver launched a salvage mission with a spirited 64 off 95 balls but when she and Katherine Brunt were out lbw, to Jonassen and Delissa Kimmince respectively, and Anya Shrubsole was caught brilliantly by a leaping Rachael Haynes at mid-off, it fell to Ecclestone to carry on the attempted fightback.
Ecclestone showed fine touch, reaching 27 of as many deliveries, including five fours, but her cameo ended when she attempted to loft Ashleigh Gardner for a second four in a row but found Beth Mooney just inside the long-on boundary.
Laura Marsh was left standing unbeaten on 24 off 52 when Schutt bowled Kate Cross with a beautiful leg-cutter which clattered into off-stump.
Chasing just 178 for victory, Australia more than fancied their chances. Despite the early loss of Nicole Bolton, caught behind attempting to drive Shrubsole, the tourists were in control at 41 for 1 after the first Power Play.
But Brunt, celebrating her 34th birthday and in the rare position of first-change bowler, made the breakthrough with the first ball of her second over when she had Meg Lanning out to a plumb leg-before decision.
Sarah Taylor's stunning glovework shone as usual with a leg-side stumping to dismiss Perry cheaply off the bowling of Sciver.
The England bowlers kept the pressure on Australia by claiming wickets at fairly regular intervals, including that of the dangerous Healy - who reached 66 off 71 balls before holing out to Wilson off Marsh. By the time Marsh bowled Mooney, attempting a paddle-sweep, Australia were 150 for 7 and, while the run rate required was easily attainable, England were in with a sniff if they could just take the remaining wickets.
Shrubsole put down what should have been a regulation caught-and-bowled off Kimmince, demonstrating the less-than-assertive fielding that had bothered both sides at times. Orthodox spinner Ecclestone gave England a glimmer of hope with her penultimate ball, when she tempted Jonassen into a stroke that went straight to Shrubsole at mid-on.
Needing 11 runs off the last 10 overs, the Australians held their nerve, Kimmince struck a lofted four off Brunt which had everyone's hearts in their mouths as it went just wide of star fielder Wilson and five wides off the next ball sealed a low-key end to a thrilling contest.
Both sides admitted nerves were a factor, with England captain Knight putting the hosts' batting collapse down to "maybe absorbing pressure a little bit more".
"Disappointed with the bat, we lost too many early wickets and that ultimately cost us," Knight told Sky Sports. "I'm really proud of the way the girls managed to get us to a total, would have liked a few more, but not to be today. I don't think it was particularly being too aggressive that cost us the wickets. It's maybe a few soft dismissals instead."
Australian captain Lanning said her side would be looking to improve going into Thursday's second ODI.
"Our bowlers did really well to put England on the back foot early but England bowled well as well so it's just nice to get over the line," Lanning said. "Hopefully the quality improves over the series. It was a great contest and everyone fought really hard but we feel like we've got a little bit to work on, as probably England do as well."
The Ashes will be decided over three one-dayers, a four-day Test and three T20Is. |
---
abstract: 'We investigate the energy levels of heteronuclear alkali metal dimers in levels correlating with the lowest rotational level of the ground electronic state, which are important in efforts to produce ground-state ultracold molecules. We use density-functional theory to calculate nuclear quadrupole and magnetic coupling constants for RbK and RbCs and explore the hyperfine structure in the presence of electric and magnetic fields. For nonrotating states, the zero-field splittings are dominated by the electron-mediated part of the nuclear spin-spin coupling. They are a few kHz for RbK isotopologs and a few tens of kHz for RbCs isotopologs.'
author:
- 'J. Aldegunde'
- 'Ben A. Rivington'
- 'Piotr S. Żuchowski'
- 'Jeremy M. Hutson'
bibliography:
- 'jesus.bib'
- '../../all.bib'
title: |
The hyperfine energy levels of alkali metal dimers:\
ground-state polar molecules in electric and magnetic fields
---
Introduction {#intro}
============
There is great interest in the formation of ultracold molecules and in achieving molecular Bose-Einstein condensation and Fermi degeneracy. Molecules can be formed in ultracold atomic gases either by photoassociation [@Hutson:IRPC:2006; @Jones:RMP:2006] or by tuning through zero-energy Feshbach resonances with magnetic fields [@Hutson:IRPC:2006; @Koehler:RMP:2006]. Since alkali metal atoms are easier to cool than other species, most work on ultracold molecule formation has focussed on alkali metal dimers.
There is particular interest in forming ultracold [*polar*]{} molecules. Dipole-dipole interactions are both stronger and longer-range than the quadrupole-quadrupole and dispersion forces that exist between nonpolar molecules. As a result, dipolar quantum gases are predicted to have novel properties [@Baranov:2002]. Ultracold dipolar molecules might also be used in quantum information storage and processing [@DeMille:2002].
Both photoassociation and Feshbach resonance tuning form molecules that are initially in highly excited vibrational states. Quantum gases of such molecules can be formed [@Jochim:Li2BEC:2003; @Zwierlein:2003; @Greiner:2003], but they are long-lived only in very specific cases, such as homonuclear fermion dimers in the highest vibrational level, tuned to large scattering lengths [@Petrov:2004]. For other cases the molecules undergo fast inelastic collisions that lead to trap loss [@Herbig:2003; @Soldan:2002; @Hutson:IRPC:2007]. Furthermore, even heteronuclear molecules are essentially nonpolar when they are in weakly bound vibrational states. Because of this, there is intense current effort directed at producing ultracold molecules in their absolute ground states, for which inelastic losses cannot occur and for which heteronuclear molecules have significant dipole moments. Very recently, there have been major advances in transferring Feshbach molecules to deeply bound states by laser-based methods such as stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP) [@Winkler:2007; @Ospelkaus:2008; @Danzl:2008]. Formation of quantum gases of ground-state molecules is now within reach.
There has been a considerable amount of work on the energy levels of homonuclear alkali metal dimers, especially in the near-dissociation states formed by Feshbach resonance tuning [@Mark:stuck:2007; @Mark:spect:2007; @Chin:cs2-fesh:2004; @Hutson:Cs2:2008]. However, remarkably little is known about the hyperfine structure of the energy levels of alkali metal dimers in their lowest rotational states. The tiny splittings are beyond the resolution of most spectroscopic techniques. Nevertheless, an understanding of these energy levels is essential in designing laser-based methods to produce molecules in specific states and will be crucial in developing methods to control the resulting quantum gases. The purpose of the present paper is to investigate the lowest energy levels of heteronuclear alkali metal dimers and to explore how they behave in electric and magnetic fields. We focus here on RbK and RbCs, which are topical for current experiments.
Theory {#sec:theory}
======
Molecular Hamiltonian {#sec:MolHam}
---------------------
The Hamiltonian of a diatomic molecule in the presence of external magnetic and electric fields can be decomposed into six different contributions: the electronic, vibrational, rotational, hyperfine, Stark and Zeeman terms. By restricting our analysis to $^{1}{\rm \Sigma}$ molecules in the ground electronic state and in a fixed vibrational level, the first two terms take a constant value and the rotational, hyperfine, Stark and Zeeman parts of the Hamiltonian can be written [@Ramsey:1952; @Brown; @Bryce:2003] $$\label{Htot} H = H_{\rm rot} + H_{\rm hf} + H_{\rm S} + H_{\rm Z},$$ where $$\begin{aligned}
\label{eq:Hrot} H_{\rm rot} &=& B_v\bm{N}^{2}-D_v\bm{N}^{2}\cdot\bm{N}^{2}; \\
\nonumber \label{eq:Hhf}H_{\rm hf} &=& \sum_{i=1}^{2}\bm{V}_{i}:\bm{Q}_{i} \\
&+& \sum_{i=1}^{2} c_{i} \,\bm{N}\cdot\bm{I}_{i}
+c_{3}\,\bm{I}_{1}\cdot\bm{T}\cdot\bm{I}_{2}
+c_{4}\,\bm{I}_{1}\cdot\bm{I}_{2};\\
\label{eq:Hs} H_{\rm S} &=& -\bm{\mu}\cdot\bm{E}; \\
\label{eq:Hz} H_{\rm Z} &=& -g_{\rm r}\mu_{\rm N}
\,\bm{N}\cdot\bm{B}
-\sum_{i=1}^{2}g_{i}\mu_{\rm N}
\,\bm{I}_{i}\cdot\bm{B} (1-\sigma_{i}).\end{aligned}$$ The three different sources of angular momentum in a $^{1}{\rm
\Sigma}$ diatomic molecule are the rotational angular momentum $\bm{N}$ and the spins $\bm{I}_{1}$ and $\bm{I}_{2}$ of nuclei 1 and 2. The rotational and centrifugal distortion constants of the molecule are $B_v$ and $D_v$ (the centrifugal distortion contribution will not be considered in the calculations). The hyperfine Hamiltonian of equation \[eq:Hhf\] consists of four terms. The first is the electric quadrupole interaction with coupling constants $(eqQ)_{1}$ and $(eqQ)_{2}$, where $q_{i}$ is the electric field gradient at nucleus $i$ and $eQ_{i}$ is its nuclear quadrupole moment. The second is the interaction between the nuclear magnetic moments and the magnetic field created by the rotation of the molecule, with spin-rotation coupling constants $c_{1}$ and $c_{2}$. The two remaining terms represent the tensor and scalar interactions between the nuclear dipole moments, with spin-spin coupling constants $c_{3}$ and $c_{4}$ respectively. The tensor $\bm{T}$ describes the angle-dependence of the direct spin-spin interaction and the anisotropic part of the indirect spin-spin interaction [@Bryce:2003].
The Stark and Zeeman Hamiltonians, equations \[eq:Hs\] and \[eq:Hz\], describe the interaction of the molecule with an external electric field $\bm{E}$ and magnetic field $\bm{B}$, where $\bm{\mu}$ is the molecular dipole moment. The Zeeman Hamiltonian consists of two terms representing the rotational and nuclear Zeeman effects. The former arises because the molecular rotation produces a magnetic moment $g_{r}\mu_{\rm
N}\bm{N}$, where $g_{r}$ is the rotational g-factor of the molecule, which interacts with the external magnetic field. The latter arises from the interaction of the nuclear magnetic moments $g_{i}\mu_{\rm N}\bm{I}_i$ with the magnetic field, where $g_{i}$ is the nuclear g-factor for nucleus $i$ and $\bm{I}_{i}$ is its nuclear spin. The nuclear shielding tensor ${\bm \sigma}_{i}$ is approximated here by its isotropic part $\sigma_i$; terms involving the anisotropy of ${\bm
\sigma}_{i}$ are extremely small for the states considered here. The diamagnetic Zeeman effect is not included in the Hamiltonian as it causes level splittings less than 1 Hz for the range of magnetic fields considered in this work.
The nuclear g-factors and quadrupole moments are well known [@Mills:1988]. The dipole moments of KRb and RbCs have been calculated from relativistic electronic structure calculations [@Kotochigova:2003; @Kotochigova:2005].
Evaluation of the coupling constants {#sec:eval}
====================================
Nuclear quadrupole coupling constants have been measured for several alkali metal dimers as shown in Table \[tb:eqqc\]. However, the only such species for which the magnetic coupling constants have been measured is Na$_2$ [@Esbroeck:1985], and even there the experiments did not resolve hyperfine splittings for the $N=0$ state. To the best of our knowledge, no experimental data are available for the hyperfine structure of the molecules we consider here, KRb and RbCs, in their ground electronic state. We therefore carry out electronic structure calculations to estimate them. The electric quadrupole coupling constants $(eqQ)_{1}$ and $(eqQ)_{2}$, the nuclear shielding, the spin-rotation constants $c_{1}$ and $c_{2}$ and the spin-spin coupling constants $c_{3}$ and $c_{4}$ are evaluated by density-functional theory (DFT) using the ADF package [@ADF1; @ADF3], which uses Slater functions and allows the inclusion of relativistic corrections. The rotational g-factor (not implemented in the ADF code) is evaluated with the DALTON package [@Dalton].
The objective of the present paper is to explore the behaviour of the molecular energy levels in the presence of external fields. A detailed discussion of the features and effectiveness of the many different methods and basis sets available for the calculation of the coupling constants is beyond the scope of the work. However, to estimate the reliability of the functionals and basis sets employed here we compare the coupling constants obtained for a group of molecules containing alkali metal atoms with experimental results in tables \[tb:eqqc\], \[tb:rc\], \[tb:sscc\] and \[tb:rgf\]. For simplicity we have omitted experimental uncertainties and vibrational state dependences. It may be seen that the calculated coupling constants are generally within 30% of the experimental values, except in occasional cases where the experimental values are unusually small (such as $c_4$ for $^{85}$Rb$^{35}$Cl).
[llll]{} Molecule & $(eQq)^{\rm Calc}$ & $(eQq)^{\rm Exp}$ & [Ref.]{}\
$^{23}$Na$_{2}$ & $-$0.456 & $-$0.459 & [@Esbroeck:1985]\
$^{39}$K$_{2}$ & $-$0.279 & $-$0.158 & [@Logan:1952]\
$^{39}$K$^{19}$F & $-$7.87 & $-$7.93 & [@Bonczyk:1967]\
$^{39}$K$^{7}$Li & $-$0.830& $-$1.03 & [@Dagdigian:1972]\
$^{39}$K$^{23}$Na & $-$0.671& $-$0.718 & [@Dagdigian:1972] (for K)\
$^{39}$K$^{23}$Na & $-$0.216& 0.171 & [@Dagdigian:1972] (for Na)\
$^{85}$Rb$_{2}$ & $-$2.283 & $-$1.1 & [@Logan:1952]\
$^{85}$Rb$^{19}$F & $-$73.1& $-$70.7 & [@Cederberg:2006]\
$^{85}$Rb$^{35}$Cl & $-$53.5 & $-$52.8 & [@Cederberg:2006a]\
$^{85}$Rb$^{79}$Br & $-$46.8 & $-$47.2 & [@Tiemann:1977]\
$^{85}$Rb$^{127}$I & $-$39.6 & $-$58.9 & [@Tiemann:1976]\
$^{85}$Rb$^{7}$Li & $-$8.04 & $-$9.12 & [@Dagdigian:1972]\
$^{133}$Cs$^{19}$F & 1.30 & $1.25$ & [@Cederberg:1999]\
$^{133}$Cs$^{35}$Cl & 1.05 & $\le 1.1$& [@Hoeft:1972]\
[llllll]{} Molecule & $c_{\rm 1}^{\rm Calc}$ & $c_{\rm 1}^{\rm Exp}$ & $c_{\rm 2}^{\rm Calc}$& $c_{\rm 2}^{\rm Exp}$ & [Ref.]{}\
$^{23}$Na$_{2}$ & 0.299 & 0.243 & 0.299 & 0.243 & [@Esbroeck:1985]\
$^{39}$K$^{19}$F & 0.235 & 0.270 & 17.5 & 10.7 & [@Bonczyk:1967]\
$^{85}$Rb$^{19}$F & 0.598 & 0.498 & 16.1 & 10.6 & [@Cederberg:2006]\
$^{85}$Rb$^{35}$Cl & 0.457 & 0.395 & 0.569 & 0.394 & [@Cederberg:2006a]\
$^{133}$Cs$^{19}$F & 1.05 & 0.662 & 21.9 & 15.1 & [@Cederberg:1999]\
[llllll]{} Molecule & $c_{\rm 3}^{\rm Calc}$ & $c_{\rm 3}^{\rm Exp}$ & $c_{\rm 4}^{\rm Calc}$& $c_{\rm 4}^{\rm Exp}$ & [Ref.]{}\
$^{23}$Na$_{2}$ & 0.298 & 0.303 & 1.358 & 1.067 & [@Esbroeck:1985]\
$^{39}$K$^{19}$F & 0.470 & 0.540 & 0.032 & 0.030 & [@Bonczyk:1967]\
$^{85}$Rb$^{19}$F & 0.751 & 0.797 & 0.151 & 0.237 & [@Cederberg:2006]\
$^{85}$Rb$^{35}$Cl & 0.032 & 0.033 & 0.010 & 0.026 & [@Cederberg:2006a]\
$^{133}$Cs$^{19}$F & 0.875 & 0.927 & 0.471 & 0.627 & [@Cederberg:1999]\
[llll]{} Molecule & $g_{\rm r}^{\rm Calc}$ & $g_{\rm r}^{\rm Exp}$ & [Ref.]{}\
$^{23}$Na$_{2}$ & 0.0324 &0.0386 & [@Brooks:1963]\
$^{39}$K$_{2}$ & 0.0247 & 0.0212 & [@Brooks:1963]\
$^{23}$Na$^{39}$K & 0.0253 & 0.0253 & [@Brooks:1972]\
$^{85}$Rb$_{2}$ & 0.0082 & 0.0095 & [@Brooks:1963]\
$^{133}$Cs$_{2}$ & 0.0051 & 0.0054 & [@Brooks:1963]\
Evaluation of hyperfine coupling constants requires a basis set that properly describes the electron density near the nuclei. Because of this, we employ all-electron basis sets rather than valence basis sets with effective core potentials. However, for core orbitals of heavy elements such as those considered here, relativistic effects can be important. In the present work, relativistic corrections were included by means of ZORA, the two-component zero-order regular approximation [@Lenthe:1993; @Lenthe:1994; @Lenthe:1999], including spin-orbit coupling as well as scalar effects (which are the equivalent of Darwin and mass-velocity terms in the Breit-Pauli Hamiltonian).
DFT generally performs well for calculations of electric quadrupole coupling constants for main-group elements [@Fedotov:1996; @Bailey:1998; @Bailey:1998a; @Bailey:2000; @Lenthe:2000; @Hung:2003; @Palmer:2007; @Bischoff:2007; @Behzadi:2007]. Following most of these examples, we use the B3LYP functional [@lee:1988; @becke:1993] in our calculations with the QZ4P basis set (a quadruple-$\zeta$ all-electron basis set with four polarization functions).
Shielding tensors were evaluated using the KT2 functional [@Keal:2003] with the same basis set and relativistic correction as for the quadrupole coupling constants. For calculation of shielding tensors of main-group atoms (H, C, N, O and F), the performance of this functional is excellent, and is better [@Keal:2004] than that of more popular functionals such as BLYP [@becke:1988; @lee:1988] and B3LYP.
Two nuclear magnetic moments can interact both directly (through space) and indirectly (via the electron distribution). The coupling constant for the direct interaction is [@Bryce:2003; @Vaara:2002] $$\label{eq:rdd}
R_{\rm DD}=\frac{\mu_{0}}{4\pi} \frac{\mu_{\rm N}^2}{h} g_1g_2\langle
R^{-3}\rangle,$$ where $R$ is the internuclear distance. The indirect interaction is represented by a tensor $\bm J$ [@Bryce:2003; @Vaara:2002] with isotropic part $J_{\rm iso}$ and anisotropy $\Delta J = J_{\|} - J_{\bot}$. The coupling constants $c_{3}$ and $c_{4}$ are related to the direct and indirect components by [@Bryce:2003; @Vaara:2002] $$\label{eq:ssc3}
c_{3}=R_{\rm DD}-\frac{\Delta J}{3}.$$ and $$\label{eq:ssc4}
c_{4}=J_{\rm iso}$$ In the present work, $c_{3}$ and $c_{4}$ were evaluated from equations \[eq:rdd\] to \[eq:ssc4\] with $\langle R^{-3}
\rangle \simeq R_{\rm e}^{-3}$, where $R_{\rm e}$ is the equilibrium distance. The components of $\bm J$ were calculated using the same methods as for the quadrupole coupling constants, except that the PBE [@perdew:1996] functional was used. This functional produced results slightly closer to the experimental measurements than KT2 for the molecules considered in table \[tb:sscc\] (although the differences were small). BLYP performed well for all except Na$_2$, for which it gave the wrong sign and order of magnitude; it also gave qualitatively different results from PBE and KT2 for KRb and RbCs.
ADF does not calculate spin-rotation constants directly. However, the spin-rotation constants are given approximately by [@Flygare:1964; @Gierke:1972; @Wasylishen:2000] $$\label{eq:src}
c_i\approx\frac{2m_{\rm e}B_v g_{i}}{m_{\rm p}}(\sigma_{i\|} - \sigma_{i\bot}) \quad\hbox{for\ } i=1,2,$$ where $m_{\rm p}$ and $m_{\rm e}$ are the proton and electron masses, $B_v$ is the rotational constant, $g_{i}$ is the nuclear g-factor and $\sigma_{i\|} - \sigma_{i\bot}$ is the anisotropy of the nuclear shielding tensor ${\bm \sigma}_i$. Two approximations underlie this expression. First, a quadrupole term has been neglected. Secondly, it was obtained in the frame of the non-relativistic theory developed by Flygare [@Flygare:1964]. However, previous studies [@Cooke:2004] and our own results (see table \[tb:rc\]) suggest that it can be applied reliably in the relativistic case.
[lllllll]{} & $^{39}\rm{K}^{85}\rm{Rb}$ & $^{39}\rm{K}^{87}\rm{Rb}$ & $^{40}\rm{K}^{85}\rm{Rb}$ & $^{40}\rm{K}^{87}\rm{Rb}$ & $^{41}\rm{K}^{85}\rm{Rb}$ & $^{41}\rm{K}^{87}\rm{Rb}$\
$I_{\rm K}$ & 3/2 & 3/2 & 4 & 4 & 3/2 & 3/2\
$I_{\rm Rb}$ & 5/2 & 3/2 & 5/2 & 3/2 & 5/2 & 3/2\
$g_{\rm K}$ & 0.261 & 0.261 & $-$0.324 & $-$0.324 & 0.143 & 0.143\
$g_{\rm Rb}$ & 0.541 & 1.834 & 0.541 & 1.834 & 0.541 & 1.834\
$B_v/{\rm GHz}$ & 1.142 & 1.134 & 1.123 & 1.114 & 1.104 & 1.096\
$(eQq)_{{\rm K}}/{\rm MHz}$ & $-$0.245 & $-$0.245 & 0.306 & 0.306 & $-$0.298 & $-$0.298\
$(eQq)_{{\rm Rb}}/{\rm MHz}$ & $-$3.142 & $-$1.520 & $-$3.142 & $-$1.520 & $-$3.142 & $-$1.520\
$\sigma_{{\rm K}}$(ppm) & 1321 & 1321 & 1321 & 1321 & 1321 & 1321\
$\sigma_{{\rm Rb}}$(ppm) & 3469 & 3469 & 3469 & 3469 & 3469 & 3469\
$c_{\rm K}/{\rm Hz}$ & 19.9 & 19.8 & $-$24.2 &$-$24.1 & 10.5 & 10.4\
$c_{\rm Rb}/{\rm Hz}$ & 127.0 & 427.5 & 124.8 & 420.1 & 122.8 & 413.1\
$c_{3}/{\rm Hz}$ & 11.5 & 38.9 & $-$14.2 & $-$48.2 & 6.3 & 21.3\
$c_{4}/{\rm Hz}$ & 482.5 & 1635.7 & $-$599.0 & $-$2030.4 & 264.3 & 896.2\
$g_{{\rm r}}$ & 0.0144 & 0.0142 & 0.0141 & 0.0140 & 0.0139 & 0.0138\
$\mu/{\rm D}$ & 0.76 & 0.76 & 0.76 & 0.76 & 0.76 & 0.76\
Lastly, the rotational g-factors were evaluated with the DALTON program using the KT2 functional and the all-electron basis sets of Huzinaga and coworkers [@Huzinaga:1990; @Huzinaga:1993]. Again, the choice of the functional is based on its reliability for this molecular property [@Wilson:2005]. No relativistic corrections were included in this case. Previous calculations [@Enevoldsen:2001] for hydrogen halides and noble gas hydride cations including atoms as heavy as I and Xe suggest that relativistic corrections are relatively small for rotational g-factors (less than $5\%$ of the non-relativistic value).
The coupling constants obtained for KRb and RbCs are given in tables \[tb:KRb\] and \[tb:RbCs\]. All the calculations were carried out at the equilibrium geometries, $R_{\rm
e}=4.07$ Å for KRb [@Ross:1990] and $R_{\rm
e}=4.37$ Å for RbCs [@Kato:1983]. This neglects small corrections due to vibrational averaging even for $v=0$, but nevertheless gives results that are qualitatively valid for any low-lying vibrational state. ADF generally gives coupling constants for only one isotopic species, but the others may be obtained by simple scaling. The nuclear quadrupole coupling constants scale with the nuclear quadrupoles $Q_i$, the spin-spin coupling constants with the product of nuclear g-factors $g_i g_j$, and the spin-rotation coupling constant with the product of $g_i$ and the rotational constant $B_v$. The rotational g-factor scales in a more complicated way that depends on $B_v$ and the shift of the center of mass [@Lawrence:1963].
[lll]{} & $^{85}\rm{Rb}^{133}\rm{Cs}$ & $^{87}\rm{Rb}^{133}\rm{Cs}$\
$I_{\rm Rb}$ & 5/2 & 3/2\
$I_{\rm Cs}$ & 7/2 & 7/2\
$g_{\rm Rb}$ & 0.541 & 1.834\
$g_{\rm Cs}$ & 0.738 & 0.738\
$B_v/{\rm GHz}$ & 0.511 & 0.504\
$(eQq)_{{\rm Rb}}/{\rm MHz}$ & $-$1.803 & $-$0.872\
$(eQq)_{{\rm Cs}}/{\rm MHz}$ & 0.051 & 0.051\
$\sigma_{{\rm Rb}}$(ppm) & 3531 & 3531\
$\sigma_{{\rm Cs}}$(ppm) & 6367 & 6367\
$c_{\rm Rb}/{\rm Hz}$ & 29.4 & 98.4\
$c_{\rm Cs}/{\rm Hz}$ & 196.8 & 194.1\
$c_{3}/{\rm Hz}$ & 56.8 & 192.4\
$c_{4}/{\rm Hz}$ & 5116.6 & 17345.4\
$g_{\rm r}$ & 0.0063 & 0.0062\
$\mu/{\rm D}$ & 1.25 & 1.25\
Hyperfine energy levels {#sec:Molenlev}
=======================
We calculate the hyperfine levels by diagonalizing the complete Hamiltonian of equations \[eq:Hrot\] to \[eq:Hz\] in a basis set of angular momentum functions. We employ three different basis sets, $$\begin{aligned}
% \nonumber to remove numbering (before each equation)
\label{eq:ub} |I_{1} M_{1} I_{2} M_{2} N M_{N}\rangle & & (\mbox{uncoupled basis}); \\
\label{eq:cb} |(I_{1} I_{2}) I M_{I} N M_{N}\rangle & & (\mbox{spin-coupled basis}); \\
\label{eq:tcb} |(I_{1} I_{2}) I N F M_{F}\rangle & & (\mbox{fully coupled basis}).\end{aligned}$$ Here $I$ and $F$ are quantum numbers for the total nuclear spin and total angular momentum and $M_{I}$ and $M_{F}$ represent their projections onto the $Z$ axis defined by the external field. We consider here only cases in which only one field, electric or magnetic, in present. The matrix elements corresponding to the different terms of the Hamiltonian in each of the basis sets are calculated through standard angular momentum techniques [@Zare].
The use of three basis sets rather than one helps in assigning quantum numbers to the energy levels. Although the Hamiltonian matrix is not diagonal in any of the basis sets employed, it is usually closer to diagonal for one basis than for the others. When one coefficient of an eigenvector is much larger than the others, it is possible to assign approximate quantum numbers to the state concerned. However, different basis sets achieve this in different field regimes.
Zeeman splitting for rotational ground-state molecules ($N=0$) {#sec:zeemann0}
--------------------------------------------------------------
Figure \[fig:01\] shows the Zeeman splittings for energy levels of $^{39}{\rm K}^{85}{\rm Rb}$ with $N=0$. The splittings are dominated by the scalar nuclear spin-spin interaction and the nuclear Zeeman effect, which are the only terms in the Hamiltonian with matrix elements diagonal in $N$ for $N=0$. It should be noted that the scalar spin-spin coupling is entirely mediated by the electron distribution, and has no contribution from the direct dipolar interaction. In the absence of external fields, the energy levels are split into groups labeled by the total nuclear spin $I$. For small magnetic fields $B$, $I$ remains a nearly good quantum number and the levels split according to the value of its projection $M_{I}$ (which in this case coincides with the projection of the total angular momentum, which is always a good quantum number). Energy levels corresponding to the same value of $M_{I}$ display avoided crossings as a function of the field as shown in figure \[fig:02\]. For fields well above the crossings (which are at 2 to 10 G in this case), $I$ is destroyed and the good quantum numbers are $M_{\rm Rb}$ and $M_{\rm K}$. Since both nuclear g-factors are positive for $^{39}{\rm K}^{85}{\rm Rb}$, states where both projections are positive are high-field-seeking and those where both are negative are low-field-seeking.
Although the splittings at low fields are dominated by the scalar spin-spin coupling, there are several terms in the Hamiltonian that are off-diagonal in $N$. The energies are therefore obtained by diagonalizing a full matrix that includes enough rotational levels for convergence. For the Zeeman effect, the only off-diagonal terms involving $N=0$ are the electric quadrupole coupling and the tensor spin-spin coupling, both of which are small. Convergence for $N=0$ is achieved with $N_{\rm max}=2$ and the splittings obtained differ from those calculated with only $N=0$ by less than 1%. For the Stark effect, however, the Stark term itself mixes $N=0$ states with $N>0$. Terms off-diagonal in $N$ are then very important and much larger basis sets are needed.
The scalar spin-spin interaction for $N=0$ is diagonal in the spin-coupled and fully coupled basis sets, $$\begin{aligned}
% \nonumber to remove numbering (before each equation)
\nonumber \lefteqn { \langle N=0 (I_{1} I_{2}) I M_{I}|
c_{4}\,\bm{I}_{1}\cdot\bm{I}_{2}| N=0 (I_{1} I_{2}) I M_{I}
\rangle = } \\
\nonumber \lefteqn { \langle N=0 (I_{1} I_{2}) I F M_{F}|
c_{4}\,\bm{I}_{1}\cdot\bm{I}_{2}| N=0 (I_{1} I_{2}) I F M_{F}
\rangle = } \\
&& \label{eq:Hescj0} \frac{1}{2} c_{4}
[I(I+1)-I_{1}(I_{1}+1)-I_{2}(I_{2}+1)].\end{aligned}$$ The nuclear Zeeman Hamiltonian is diagonal in the uncoupled basis set, with nonzero elements given by $$\label{eq:HZej0}
-[g_{\rm 1}M_{1}(1-\sigma_1)+g_{\rm 2}M_{2}(1-\sigma_2)]\mu_{\rm N}B.$$ The splitting pattern is therefore determined by the allowed values of the total nuclear spin quantum number $I$ and by the magnitudes and signs of the scalar spin-spin coupling constant $c_{4}$ and the rotational g-factors. The nuclear shielding constants $\sigma_i$ are only a few parts per thousand. For large values of the magnetic field, where the nuclear Zeeman effect is the dominant term in the Hamiltonian, the magnetic moment (gradient of the energy with respect to $B$) is close to $-(g_{\rm 1}M_{1}+g_{\rm 2}M_{2})\mu_{\rm N}$.
The Zeeman splittings for $^{85}$Rb$^{133}$ Cs are shown in figure \[fig:03\]. They are qualitatively similar to those for $^{39}$K$^{85}$Rb, except that the range of $I$ is different and the spin-spin coupling constant $c_4$ is significantly larger. Because of this, $I$ remains a good quantum number up to significantly higher magnetic fields. At high fields, once the magnitude of the scalar spin-spin interaction can be neglected compared to the Zeeman effect, $M_{\rm Rb}$ and $M_{\rm Cs}$ become good quantum numbers.
The splitting patterns for other KRb and RbCs isotopologs are qualitatively similar to those discussed above and the corresponding figures are available as supplementary online material. The spin-spin coupling constant and the potassium g-factor are negative for $^{40}$K$^{85}$Rb and $^{40}$K$^{87}$Rb. The sign of $c_{4}$ determines whether the lowest zero-field energy corresponds to the highest or lowest value of $I$. In general the fields where the avoided crossings occur and above which $M_1$ and $M_2$ become good quantum numbers scale with $|c_4/(g_1-g_2)|$. When $g_1$ and $g_2$ are equal, as in homonuclear dimers, there are no avoided crossings for $N=0$ and the $I$ quantum number is conserved even at high fields.
Stark splitting for rotational ground-state molecules ($N=0$) {#sec:starkn0}
-------------------------------------------------------------
The Stark effect for levels of $^{39}{\rm K}^{85}{\rm Rb}$ correlating with $N=0$ is shown in figure \[fig:04\] to \[fig:06\]. Corresponding figures for the remaining isotopologs of KRb and RbCs are available as additional online material. The Stark effect is quadratic at low fields but becomes linear at high fields, as is usual for diatomic molecules in $\Sigma$ states [@Townes]. This arises from mixing between different rotational levels: while in the Zeeman case this mixing is very weak and is exclusively due to hyperfine terms, in the Stark case it is strong and is caused directly by the electric field. At low fields the mixing is weak and can be treated by second-order perturbation theory, giving rise to a quadratic Stark effect. However, as the field increases the mixing becomes increasingly important: the $N=1$ basis functions contribute around 25% at 10 kV/cm and 40% at 20 kV/cm. Eventually the molecule becomes fully oriented by the field and the linear Stark effect overcomes the quadratic effect. The mixing also has numerical consequences as the number of rotational levels required for convergence increases with field: for example, calculations at 50 kV/cm require $N_{\rm max}=6$.
The magnitude of the Stark shift in figure \[fig:04\] obscures the splittings between hyperfine levels. Figure \[fig:05\] therefore shows the levels correlating with $N=0$ relative to their average energy, for fields up to 1 kV/cm. As expected, each zero-field level splits into $I+1$ components labeled by the different possible values of $|M_I|$. For $|M_I|>0$ the levels exist in degenerate pairs corresponding to changing the sign of $M_1$ [*and*]{} $M_2$. However, changing the sign of [*one*]{} of $M_1$ and $M_2$ produces a different state with a different value of $|M_I|$. For $M_I=0$ there is an extra symmetry corresponding to reflection in a plane containing the electric field vector.
At higher field, as shown in figure \[fig:06\], the projections of the individual nuclear spins become well-defined as well as their sum. At sufficiently large fields the splittings approach a limiting value as the molecules become strongly oriented along the field direction. In this limit the splittings are mostly determined by the nuclear quadrupole coupling constants, with relatively small contributions from the magnetic hyperfine terms.
Conclusion {#sec:conc}
==========
We have investigated the hyperfine level splittings expected for alkali metal dimers in their rotational ground state in the presence of electric and magnetic fields. We have carried out density-functional calculations of the electronic structure of RbK and RbCs at the equilibrium geometry of the ground $^1\Sigma$ state and evaluated all the hyperfine coupling constants necessary to calculate energy level patterns. For nonrotating states, the zero-field splittings between hyperfine states range from a few kHz for isotopologs of KRb to a few tens of kHz for isotopologs of RbCs. They are dominated by the electron-mediated contribution to the nuclear spin-spin coupling. The results will be valuable in designing laser-based schemes to produce ultracold molecules in their absolute ground states in applied fields.
Acknowledgments {#acknowledgments .unnumbered}
===============
The authors are grateful to EPSRC for funding of the collaborative project QuDipMol under the ESF EUROCORES Programme EuroQUAM and to the UK National Centre for Computational Chemistry Software for computer facilities.
|
14 Attention-grabbing Information About The Vegetarian Influence
The fig tree is native to Egypt and Western Asia from the place it spread to Greece and Rome and the to the Mediterranean after which over to the opposite elements of the world. This can be a central point of the panel and is straight linked to the research of expert groups throughout the entire health care spectrum recommending the discount of added sugars for improved health. Be part of tens of thousands of medical doctors, health professionals and sufferers who receive our newsletters. Other names of kangkong are water morning glory, swamp cabbage, river spinach, Chinese language spinach and water convolvulus. As the brand new director of pupil services, Yu is expected to provide new focus and advocacy for pupil health and happiness. Tip: Use milk as an alternative of water in instant oatmeal, hot chocolate, and dried soups.
It does not have any season and grows all 12 months round, thriving where there may be plenty of water and moist soil. Like different sources of fiber together with chia seeds and hemp seeds , be certain that to take them with loads of water or different fluids. Millions of so-known as obese people within the United Sates haven’t any health issues linked to weight, yet their deaths are sometimes recorded as so. Having 30 years hands on expertise within the area of human health, fitness and vitamin, DocStuey delivers the chilly laborious info on topics that matter most to your health and wellness. Hydration is essential, but the concept that eight glasses of water is crucial is a strange one.
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Oranges can be eaten or will be consumed as juice, squash, marmalade, and, believe it or not even as pickles. Natural blends have no caffeine, while conventional teas have lower than 50 p.c of what usually is found in espresso. Fable: Folks with psychological health wants, even those that are managing their psychological illness, can not tolerate the stress of holding down a job. CDC Psychological Health Information – Centers for Disease Management and Prevention’s web site contains basic information in addition to publications and information statistics. The FDA has all the time tried to require the issues which most individuals deem as essential combined with what issues are vital for good health. I have learned that learning information offers answers not opionion and should you gonna make feedback one the phrase of God include scripture not oppionion.
And not using a tradition, your health care provider should choose an antibiotic based on an educated guess of what bacteria are most certainly to be causing your sickness. The opposite potential situation is that wax seals in pesticide residues and debris, making them much more tough to remove with just water. Friday was my lastday as a reporter for The Sun, The Inland Valley Each day Bulletin andThe Redlands Day by day Information. People who have intercourse have increased ranges of what defends your physique in opposition to germs, viruses, and different intruders. Fact: Even very younger kids could show early warning signs of mental health issues. Without speedy motion to stabilize SCHIP, projected shortfalls jeopardize the health insurance of hundreds of children. |
Activity of rutin, a potent flavonoid against SSG-sensitive and -resistant Leishmania donovani parasites in experimental leishmaniasis.
The current treatment approach for leishmaniasis has been questioned in terms of development of the resistance and life threatening side-effects. The utility of the drug can only be confirmed by inspecting its safety window along with its impact against different strains of parasite including the resistant ones. The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effects of a flavonoid, rutin (RTN) against sodium stibogluconate (SSG) sensitive (S-) and resistant (R-) strain of L. donovani. RTN exhibited its anti-promastigote activity via arresting the cells at sub G0/G1 phase. Further RTN resulted in decline of splenic parasite burden. The parasiticidal activity was associated with the elicitation of cell-mediated immune response in terms of increased DTH response, augmented levels of T cells (CD4+, CD8+), Th1 cytokines, NO and ROS. RTN also up-regulated the expression of NF-ĸB and iNOS gene in S- as well as R- strain infected mice. Where no therapeutic effect of SSG was seen in the R-strain infected mice, the RTN treatment was able to control the disease in even R-strain infected mice. Moreover RTN was found to be devoid of any hepatic or renal toxicity. RTN could control the infection and it even had the capacity to counteract the resistant parasite by restoring the ability of host to produce protective immune response and microbicidal NO via up-regulating NF-ĸB and iNOS gene. This finding elucidates RTN to be a strong candidate in the antileishmanial drug pipeline not only against the sensitive but resistant strains also. |
Viral aetiology and clinical outcomes in hospitalised infants presenting with respiratory distress.
To determine the prevalence of various types of viruses in infants hospitalised due to respiratory distress, compare molecular diagnostic tests and evaluate symptom severity. All 136 nasopharyngeal aspirates from infants hospitalised for respiratory distress over a 9-month period were analysed for virus type by in-house respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) microarray-based and/or Luminex-based multiplex molecular tests. Medical records were reviewed retrospectively for clinical data. Viral aetiology was confirmed in 126 subjects (92.6%) with 26 infected by more than one virus. RSVA/B was the most common (50.9%), followed by entero/rhinovirus (21.6%), human metapneumovirus (10.5%), parainfluenza virus (5.9%) and influenza (3.3%). RSV-infected infants had significantly lower saturation levels (89% versus 92%, p < 0.001), higher demand for oxygen (42.7% versus 21.6%, p = 0.021) and fluids (28% versus 9.8%; p = 0.014) and longer hospital stays (4 versus 3 days, <0.001) than other viruses. Luminex assays gave repeatable, slightly less sensitive results than in-house RSV PCR. Microarray-based assays were more sensitive, however, producing some unrepeatable results. Respiratory syncytial virus dominates as the viral cause in hospitalised infants with respiratory distress in Sweden during the winter season, resulting in a clinical course that is significantly more severe. The multiplex assays produced reasonably concordant results. |
International Cat Speculators Since 2006
Love the fake outrage as liberals castigate Palin for not giving the speech they’d have made.
Where does Palin take responsibility for the gun sights trained on the districts of Democratic representatives, including that of Giffords? Where was Palin’s concession that perhaps “Don’t retreat — reload!” might not have been the best way to get her point across?
Where is this columnists acknowledgement that such target maps are perfectly common and normal and in no way contributed to this tragedy?
…Somewhere in those eight minutes, she and her speechwriters could have referred to an even greater communicator than Reagan — and that’s Martin Luther King Jr., who said, “Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must love our enemies — or else? The chain reaction of evil — hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars — must be broken, or else we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.”
What that ignores of course, is that there was no “chain of evil”. Palin’s agressive politics had nothing to do with the shooting and everything to do with winning political races.
What is a “chain of evil” is the way that every time the left is found to be wrong, they find something new to complain about. A chain which this particular columnist contributest to in several ways, including repeating the liberal nonsense about blood libel.
This was a missed opportunity by the ex-governor. She could have used this moment to grow in stature and look as though she had it within her to lead more than a conservative moment — that she could lead an entire nation. Instead she chose to toss aside the opportunity for statesmanship and lashed out bitterly while throwing red meat to her base.
I was surprised at just how restrained Palin was. Much has been made about how she made it “all about her”, yet she in fact said almost nothing about herself.
In the always churning and swirling turmoil of politics, prominent figures can both ride the wave and be swept under. But Palin’s arrogance, sense of entitlement and narcissism were on full display in her video message. She wants to be president, and she has shown that she can be plenty tough and unyielding in her principles. What she has also always shown in her defensive swagger is a complete lack of humility.
I thought her speech was very measured and pitched about right. I saw no arrogance, no sense of entitlement or narcissism. Since when has it been narcissistic to ask people to stop libeling you? Since when do we describe people as having a “sense of entitlement” because they ask people to stop calling for their death? Since when has it been arrogance for a political leader who has been the subject of an unprecedented tidal wave of hatred to ask for that hatred to end?
And (he repeats for the umteenth time) all this during a time when the left tell us that words hurt.
The columnist wants Palin to back down. Yet the columnist himself by writing the column is defending others who refuse to back down, repeating slander that should have been repented of yesterday, or even better, not made at all.
The left have had it easy for a long time. They screamed and the right backed down and apologised. (Exhibit 1: How McCain had to walk over eggshells lest he attract charges of “racism”, which have been oh-so-common post election.) The result of this long-term has been the liberal takeover of a nation where big government is ruled out by the highest law in the land. The Tea Party is about ending that constant capitation, and taking back America.
The left’s response has been to use hijack a tragedy, and use that tragedy to up their rhetoric. They know (or rather think) that eventually, sooner or later, the right will have to either fold or sink to their level and then they’ll be victorious. As this columnist shows, their faith in the MSM to keep their back and ignore their hatred is well founded.
Sarah Palin has shown that she is not going to back down. The entire point of saying “don’t retreat, reload” is that you don’t retreat when people throw more hate at you, when the opposition increases.
On the other hand, the entire point of saying “I wish Palin was dead” is that you wish Palin was dead.
I saw some coverage of the event last night on youtube, and frankly if I were the president I’d have stooped down into th mic and said “you should all be ashamed of yourselves” and made a few short statements about how people should be behaving.
About this Blog
This Blog is the long time home of a blogger known across the internet as ScrubOne (That's Scrub One not Scru Bone). Where this handle has not been available, he is known as ScrubOneHD (HD for Half Done).
Other bloggers have occasionally been contributors.
ScrubOne confesses to the Christian faith, and conservative politics but does not necessarily blog according to public perception of either.
You can email us tips, comments not intended for publication, offers of money for policy changes, volunteer to join in the fun etc: "scrubone" at google mail (gmail.com) |
/* ###
* IP: GHIDRA
*
* Licensed 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 firmware.uefi_te;
import ghidra.app.util.bin.BinaryReader;
import ghidra.app.util.bin.StructConverter;
import ghidra.program.model.data.DataType;
import ghidra.program.model.data.Structure;
import ghidra.program.model.data.StructureDataType;
import java.io.IOException;
/**
* Parser for PE32/TE image data directories, which have the following fields:
*
* PE32/TE Image Data Directory
* +------+------+-----------------+
* | Type | Size | Description |
* +------+------+-----------------+
* | u32 | 4 | Virtual Address |
* | u32 | 4 | Size |
* +------+------+-----------------+
*
* Ghidra has existing classes to parse this structure, but they are dependent on PE32 NT headers.
*/
public class EFIImageDataDirectory implements StructConverter {
private int virtualAddress;
private int size;
/**
* Constructs an EFIImageDataDirectory from a specified BinaryReader.
*
* @param reader the specified BinaryReader
*/
public EFIImageDataDirectory(BinaryReader reader) throws IOException {
virtualAddress = reader.readNextInt();
size = reader.readNextInt();
}
/**
* Returns the virtual address of the current data directory.
*
* @return the virtual address of the current data directory
*/
public int getVirtualAddress() {
return virtualAddress;
}
/**
* Returns the size of the current data directory.
*
* @return the size of the current data directory
*/
public int getSize() {
return size;
}
@Override
public DataType toDataType() {
Structure structure = new StructureDataType("efi_image_data_dir_t", 0);
structure.add(DWORD, 4, "virtual_address", null);
structure.add(DWORD, 4, "size", null);
return structure;
}
}
|
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06/22/2014
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created by Chris Yates
PWA BONAIRE WORLD CUP
Day 2: Kiri Thode and Sarah-Quita Offringa shine after a sensational day of freestyle
The forecast and the paradise island of Bonaire certainly delivered on the second day of the PWA Bonaire World Cup as the single elimination for both the men’s and women’s divisions was completed in idyllic freestyle conditions. The level on the water today was off the scale as every sailor pushed themselves to the limit in order to try and defeat their rivals. After a scintillating day of sailing it was eventually the reigning PWA Freestyle World Champions Kiri Thode (Starboard / GA Sails) and Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / Mystic / Chris Benz / Maui Ultra Fins), who came out on top, as Thode showed why he’s not only the King of Bonaire, but also the current King of the world, whilst SQ did exactly the same with a flawless performance.
Men’s
Single Elimination
Winners’ Final
After a hard fought battle Kiri Thode and Steven Van Broeckhoven (JP / NeilPryde) eventually earned their places in the first winners’ final of the year. It turned out to be a heat that was almost too close to call, but as always there has to be one winner. Thode and Van Broeckhoven had been on form the whole day, and that continued into the final, although Thode later admitted he wasn’t 100% happy with his performance. The Bonairean opened the spectacle of the day with a great air bob into culo, only to see the Belgian maestro respond instantly with a superb double culo. With the tone now firmly set, things only got better from here as the duo went toe-to-toe for the first blood of the season. As the end of the heat approached both Thode and Van Broeckhoven had landed incredible manoeuvres and combos such as perfect Kabikuchis and text-book spock-culos, but the best was definitely saved until last. With moments to go Van Broeckhoven went all out for the win as he landed - what some sailors considered the move of the day - an incredible air funnel into burner, landed perfectly dry. However, in true world champion fashion Thode dug deep, whilst staying cool under pressure to stomp an outrageous double culo seconds before the final buzzer. After much deliberation, it was eventually revealed that Thode had just edged the battle as he claimed the first victory of the season by way of a 3-2 decision.
Entering Untouched Territory
Today local boy Youp Schmit (JP / Avanti) progressed into untouched territory as he not only claimed the biggest scalp of his life, but he also fought his way into the top four for the first time ever. In heat 21b Schmit faced the formidable figure of five-time PWA Freestyle World Champion Jose ‘Gollito’ Estredo (Fanatic / North / MFC), in what would be one of the heats of the day. On his home waters, and cheered on by the locals, Schmit found another level as he delivered a simply outstanding display, but still the two sailors were almost inseparable. Schmit landed a radical air bob to begin with before also stomping a double cull and a superb kabikuchi. However, the best was still to come as Schmit unleashed an unbelievable shuvit spock into culo on the inside - the first ever in a PWA competition. Having sailed out of his skin, a nervous Schmit awaited the result on the beach and he was visibly overjoyed when it was confirmed that he had defeated Gollito by way of a 2:1 decision in his favour. Gollito was extremely upset with the decision having landed spock culos on both tacks, a double culo - although not as clean as Schmit’s - and a huge culo. However, the Venezuelan, who finished the single elimination in joint fifth alongside Dieter van der Eyken (Starboard / Severne), Anthony Ruenes (Tabou / GA Sails) and Amado Vrieswijk (Starboard / Severne) - who was suffering from a bout of food poisoning, will now have to wait until the double elimination to exact revenge.
In heat twelve Bjorn Saragoza just missed out on a place in the top five after pushing Jose ‘Gollito’ Estredo all the way. Gollito looked as though he was in command of the heat at the start, but the Bonairean soon found his form, unfortunately for him Saragoza found himself on the wrong end of a 2:1 split decision. There was also an extremely close call in heat fourteen as Julien Mas just edged his battle against Max Rowe (Fanatic / North), whilst fellow Brit Andy ‘Bubble’ Chambers (JP / NeilPryde) pushed Saragoza all the way in heat twelve.
Women’s
Single Elimination
Winners’ Final
The first women’s first winners final of 2014 saw last year’s top two - Sarah-Quita Offringa and Arrianne Aukes (RRD / Simmer / Maui Ultra Fins) - lining up against each other once more. Offringa had been in imperious earlier in the day and the lady from Aruba proved exactly why she has 6 PWA Freestyle World Championships to her name by the end of the heat. Offringa kicked off the final with a text-book air flaka, before quickly adding a shaka flaka and a sick regular kono to instantly pile the pressure on Aukes. The Dutch freestyle specialist endured a tricky start to the final, but soon worked her way back into contention as she landed a flawless puneta followed by a perfectly executed double flaka. With her confidence now growing Aukes laid down a trademark one-handed funnel to keep the contest well and truly alive. However, at this point Offringa took things to a whole nother level, firstly by tweaking a shuvit spock 540 before also landing a simply perfect double spock and an explosive culo. With nothing to lose, but everything to gain Aukes attempted to respond with a regular kono of her own, but it wasn’t to be as SQ claimed her first victory of the season, whilst protecting her unbeaten record, for the time being at least.
Elsewhere in the single elimination Yoli de Brendt (Fanatic / North) called upon all of her competition experience to keep Oda Johanne (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra fins) at bay, as the Venezuelan claimed the final place on the podium with a fine display.
Prior to the finals Maaike Huvermann (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) was the standout sailor as she produced a fantastic performance to dispatch of Fleur van der Burgh, before pushing Arrianne Aukes all the way. The sixteen year old was crowned the PWA Youth Freestyle World Champion in 2013, but she has clearly taken her sailing to another level this year, not only with greater consistency but also new moves. In her opening heat Huvermann wowed the crowds and made everyone standup and take notice as she landed stylish spocks, flakas, e-sliders, punetas and funnels, to prove she is one to watch.
The sailors took freestyle to a new level today, producing moment after moment of magic and the forecast looks as though we should be treated to three more days of mind-blowing trickery. After 8 hours of jar dropping sailing, the competitors retreated to the beautiful Sorobon Beach Resort to relax and refuel for tomorrow’s double elimination. The skippers’ meeting for tomorrow has been called for 9am with the first possible start at 9:30am. Don’t miss any of the insane action by tuning into www.pwaworldtour.com where you’ll be able to follow the action as it happens via the PWA live stream and live ticker. |
Chemical and ecotoxicological assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon--contaminated sediments of the Niger Delta, Southern Nigeria.
The extent of environmental contamination and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) compounds to sediments of the Niger Delta, Nigeria were assessed using combined chemical analysis and toxicity bioassay techniques. Concentrations of two- to six-ring PAHs of molecular mass 128-278 and toxicity to Vibrio fischeri and Lemna minor are considered in this investigation. Levels of the sum of the 16 USEPA priority pollutant PAHs varied from 20.7 to 72.1 ng/g dry weight. Sediment PAH levels were highest in samples collected from Delta Steel located at the outskirts of Warri, and Quality control centre, Ughelli West; with total PAH concentrations of 72.1 and 67.5 ng/g dry weight, respectively. The overall levels of PAHs in this study are low compared to other regions and reveal moderate PAHs pollution in the sediments of the Niger Delta. Two- and three-ring aromatic hydrocarbons predominated in almost all the sediments, which indicate a petrogenic origin. The sediment total PAH (PAHtot) concentration, normalized to organic carbon content (OC), ranged from 120.2 to 1.99 ng PAHtot/mg OC; and showed distinctively that the sedimentary organic matter of the sample from Delta Steel is highly contaminated with PAHs, and had a value of 120.2 ng PAHtot/mg OC. The toxicity bioassays indicated that the sample collected from Warri Refinery Area (SDWRR) was the most toxic to V. fischeri, with an EC50 value of 0.45 mg sediment equiv./mL test medium; and samples from Ogunu (SDOGN) and Warri Refinery area (SDWRR) showed high toxicity to L. minor, with percent inhibitions of 42.6% and 33.67%, respectively, after 7 days of exposure. The total PAH concentrations showed no correlation with toxicity bioassays, and thereby implied that chemical analysis of PAHs cannot be an indicator of sediment toxicity. |
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Contents
Rider's True Name is Medusa, the Gorgon from Greek mythology. Rather than being a regular Heroic Spirit, she is an existence closer to a Divine Spirit, but her actions have made it better to categorize her as an "anti-hero closer to a monster."[7] With her older sisters Stheno and Euryale, they made up the three Gorgon Sisters who inhabited the Shapeless Isle. She was known as the "woman who dominates", an anti-hero who became as such due to the dark thoughts of humans.[8] Differing from someone like Hassan-i-Sabbah who was a hero who actually existed, she is said to be one of legends born by the gathering of belief.[9]
The legend of Medusa is different than her actual life. She was said to be a half-human, half-god female beast often portrayed with the form of a snake. Originally she was an Earth Goddess (大地の女神, Daichi no Megami?).[10] While all originally beautiful women, she and her sisters were hated by Poseidon's wife because of his love for them. Athena, jealous of their beautiful hair, transformed them into demons. Secluding themselves in a lightless temple on the Shapeless Isle, they only attacked humans with a reason. Eventually, as a victim of the gods' unreasonable actions, she was to have her head cut off on their whim. Defeated by Perseus by reflecting her petrification back at her with his mirror-like shield, Pegasus, the son of Poseidon, was said to have sprung from the blood of her headless neck.
Medusa and her sisters were born from the wishes of mankind for ideal idols, the embodiment of the yearning hearts of men. As "perfect goddesses", their "divine essence" was to remain the same from the moment of their creation to their destruction. Medusa was an exception who was a failure from birth, growing older over time. Though they should have all been copies, or even as close as clones, resulting from the deification of the same phenomenon, a mistake in her birth or something of deeper significance caused her to be copied imperfectly. While she did not embody "forever young and immortal", she gained abilities in compensation compared to her sisters' inability to even care for themselves. With divine powers, her Mystic Eyes, indispensable in protecting her sisters who could not live in the world on their own, this caused the previously united sisters to become three separate individuals. Although Medusa was different from the start, even the other two showed irregularities, their sadistic nature, from interacting with her.
She was originally considered to be a princess loved by humans, but Athena, jealous of their beauty, cursed Medusa alone, taking away her "faith from each and every person" and exiling her to the Shapeless Isle. Their love for her turned to hatred, and she was banished by those who had adored her. The island had nothing to offer compared to her days of luxury, and she prayed that none of the humans that now frightened her with their unwarranted resentment would tread on the island. Weeping in loneliness, she had no idea as to her sin that forced her to be exiled. Although her sisters were not affected and still greatly loved, they too accompanied her there out of caring for their younger sister. She was happy even on the barren island due to their company, and only had to fear the coming humans.
While they became rumored as monsters, her sisters were still revered by nearby men, while she was feared as a monster. Humans sought to kill that which had been branded as a monster and take away the goddesses, and after they began to also target her sisters, she decided to protect them while taking her revenge on the humans. Although littered with statues that had been warriors, they were harmonious for a time on the island, at one point receiving her Pegasus from Poseidon. Though bullied by her sisters daily, she simply moved about the island on days humans did not appear, hoping for the peace to continue. Repaying them in the same manner as they treated her, she killed many humans, simply hoping to be left alone on the only place she could exist with the company of her sisters.
Though she was protecting them from the foolish humans who sought their own deaths, her sisters warned her not to take pleasure in killing them. Using her eyes that were only a deterrent to sow terror in humans, she began to experiment in ways of killing them more quickly. Deciding to become a trap against those who would take her sisters, even they who had always been full of joy began to fear her after she started drinking their blood instead of simply petrifying them. The humans continued to journey the island no matter the infamy surrounding her, and she eventually became too ashamed of her slowly disfiguring self to appear before her sisters. Leaving them, she once again found herself alone, hungering for new sacrifices to replace her sadness and loneliness.
She grew into the Gorgon each day as her body, heart, and very being decayed, all backed by the thought of becoming stronger for the sake of protecting her sisters. Even that reached a point where her sisters instead became nuisances who were intruding upon her lair. They appeared before her after her full descent into a monster, lamenting that they had not asked for her protection and were just letting her enjoy what had seemed fun to her. Saddened by her state, they sacrificed themselves to the Gorgon because the sister who protected them was no longer there. Consumed by countless snakes without any trace of joy or sadness, they were ground into pulp and absorbed into the beast while still alive. Without leaving a trace, they became its flesh and blood, and it continued to thrive as the Gorgon sisters became monsters of nightmares and legends.
The Gorgon's notoriety continued until Perseus decided to bring back its head for his own fame. Granted five Noble Phantasms, he boldly traveled to the Shapeless Isle without any hesitation, only realizing his folly upon seeing the state of the island. He despaired upon encountering it, having decided that there is no victory to be found against the demon god, with his Noble Phantasms only acting as lifesaving equipment in the best scenario. Avoiding her gaze by focusing on his Mirror shield, he desperately fought to survive. Tired of toying with him, it used Breaker Gorgon, and he used the only possible method of defeating it, using Kibisis to have it encage itself.
Reversing the nightmare of the Bounded Field upon it, it suffered as Medusa as the nightmare reflected upon it instead of Perseus. While it was a "nightmare beyond nightmares", it was not an evil vision that caused excruciating pain, but a pleasant dream of her sisters, paralyzing her with the joy of seeing those she thought she would never again meet. Despairing upon the reflection of itself from when it was still self-aware, this allowed Perseus to have his single counterattack, severing its head with Harpe. The monster, out of its own will, became Medusa again and let itself be struck down. Perseus used Kibisis to hold its head, later going on to become a successful hero.
The Medusa materialized in the Fifth Holy Grail War appears differently to her legend. She appears to be in her human form, unlike her legend where she has snake for her hairs, she has long purple hair.
She wears an eye cover that seals her excessively powerful Mystic Eyes of Petrification within the Bounded Field. Her sight is completely sealed. Although Rider perceives the world through senses such as hearing, touch, smell, and magic-detection, she is able to acquire more precise information than sight.[11]
She has a complex about her own height and the way she gets embarrassed when people see her Mystic Eyes, she might actually be pretty ladylike. Because of her outward appearance and primary weapon, a lot of people thought she was going to be an Assassin class Servant.[12]
In her casual attire, she wears a black polo neck top and blue jeans. She wears Touko Aozaki's "Mystic Eye Killer" to disable her Mystic Eyes.[13] It only seals the power of petrification. It does not act like the Breaker Gorgon, which "seals all magical properties".[11]
Rider is silent, sultry, and vigilant, never hesitating to shield her Master from harm. She is always faithful to her Master, even with Shinji acting in that role most of the time. She is not openly talkative, and she prefers to analyze people and their actions. She is very protective of Sakura and willing to sacrifice herself for Sakura's happiness. She is very logical and she doesn't act out of anger or instinct.
In Fate/hollow ataraxia. After Medusa tells the story of her death to Shirou, she mentions that having her head used so casually by "an...adolescent..." angers her greatly. Shirou asks her to clarify, "You mean Perseus, right...?" and makes the point that he "can't call him a "victim," but it does sound like he got tricked into it." Medusa replies "I suppose so." and agrees that he was fooled by the gods.
While she does mention that in any case, she saw him as a "mere mosquito" at the time, and that she does not feel any sympathy for him, Medusa does give him credit; "Personally, there is no way I could bring myself to like him. Nevertheless, he did become a fine character afterwards." However right after she said this, when Shirou asks what Perseus was like, she insults him by calling him a "successful Shinji."[14]
In Fate/Grand Order Material, Medusa has a line about Perseus - "If he comes I'll kill him."[3]
Rider's initial Master was Sakura Matou; however, she became the Servant of Shinji when Sakura, pressured by Shinji, yielded her Master's right to him. Rider holds no love for Shinji, seeing him as vile and predatory, but obeys his commands as a dutiful Servant. Because of their similar backgrounds, she is empathetic of Sakura, and seeks to protect her whenever possible. Like many of the Servants who participated in the 5th Holy Grail War, Rider has no motivation for seeking the Holy Grail.
Although regarded as one of the more powerful Servants of the 5th Holy Grail War, Rider is eliminated in almost every scenario. She is obliterated by Saber's Excalibur in Fate, and killed early on in Unlimited Blade Works by Caster's master, Souichirou Kuzuki.
During Fate/hollow ataraxia, Rider is often found in the Emiya Houshold, always engaging in her passion for reading. She has a tentative relationship with Shirou(actually Avenger in disguise) in which they spend time reading together in her room. She has a part-time job in the marketplace, and tends to go out on her own for entertainment, revealing her fondness of the pool in Shinto. Despite having become more open with people, it is obvious that her actions are mostly done with Sakura in mind, going as far as to stop doing things she likes to appease her Master.
When Avenger realizes the truth and decides to end the ongoing temporal loop, Rider aids the other Servants in holding back the invasion of Shadow Wolf Beasts during the Fuyuki eclipse. In part due to her aid, Avenger reaches the Grail and sends himself into oblivion.
In her Eclipse scenario The backside of Kibisis Rider together with Sakura appear both naked in front of Shirou and seduce him with their gorgeous big breasted bodies into threesome. However eventually it turns out that whole scenery is just Rider's illusion cast by her Breaker Gorgon as she was trying to get Shirou to pursue Sakura more aggressively. Yet in the middle Shirou realizes the truth and reverses her spell on her, in the end revealing that Rider herself has deep feelings for Shirou. Apparently embarrassed by the whole situation, Rider erased the whole dream from Shirou's mind and upon finally waking up Shirou has no recollection of the event, although Rider obviously does. She contemplates acting on the feelings she came to terms with in the dream, but stands aside for Sakura's sake once more.
In Fate/Unlimited Codes, she is known as the Bewitching Black Serpent (妖艶なる黒き蛇, Yōen'naru Kuroki Hebi?).
Her arcade story follow closely to the Heaven's Feel route. As Sakura removed her Command Spells, the connection between the two has been disconnected and Rider is free. Sakura requested Rider to protect Shirou and to form a contract with him. Rider decided to fulfill her final request before Sakura consumed by the Grail. As she is still strong with the mana Sakura provided, she was prepared to fade from this world. However Rider decided to fulfill her duty as Sakura's Servant.
Rider encounters Caster in her mid-fight in Ryuudou Temple. Caster greets her intruder and asks her reason to fight as she considers Rider, a stray Servant who has been thrown out by her Master like yesterday's trash. Rider states she wants the Holy Grail and questions Caster if there is any difference in whether a human or a Servant wants to get their hands on the Holy Grail. Caster replies that as long as the wish is sincere and she can tell that Rider is willing to do whatever it takes to get a hold of it. But Caster considers this is not enough reason to fight, therefore, there must have other reason why Rider desires the Grail. Caster reasoned that Rider might be devoted to the ritual itself. Rider decided to defeat Caster, as she would be able to use both white or black Grail too well and they never did get along.
Rider saving Sakura in the ending.
In her final fight, Rider meets the corrupted Dark Sakura and has defeated all the other Servants. Sakura would thank her but her body has not absorb the souls of the defeated Servants and she see Rider's eyes as if they are housing a great deal of power. Rider confirms that she has stored the souls of the Servants in order to use the most powerful versions of Breaker Gorgon and Blood Fort Andromeda. Sakura asked Rider to hurry up and present them to her so she can finish the ritual, she wanted to hold on to Rider's head. Rider doesn't deny that she has already exceeded her limits. Her body will not last much longer than a few more minutes. She believe it to be acceptable compensation to cancel the ritual before Sakura completely turn into the Grail. Sakura ask Rider to stop speaking, she will even forgive Rider if she stops and even heal her body. Sakura was madden when Rider wants to stop her and questions why everybody turned their back on her.
After Sakura was defeated, the Holy Grail becomes complete when the souls of the Servants are offered to it. So if all of the souls are used for something else, and not offered to the Grail. The ritual will end without the Holy Grail Vessel being damaged. It was not the most elegant of strategies, but it was the only way Rider could do it which she got the idea from Caster. As Sakura wakes up. Rider greets her with a Good morning. Rider comforted Sakura saying she won't be having any more nightmares from now on as the Holy Grail, or the Matou will ever threaten her again. Rider's body starts to disappear, as the Holy Grail War is over. Rider says everything will return to normal and she wants Sakura to live her life. Sakura apologizes and begs Rider not to leave. Rider is the one who is sorry, she bids her farewell and was so glad that she was able to save Sakura.
Rider's route in the game depicts her excited to start off her day with the hopes of trying on new pair of suspiciously tiger stripped glasses that promises to increase the wearer's power. However, she quickly finds the glasses have been stolen and the window in the living room busted open. Quickly concluding that it was a thief, Rider begins her rampage throughout the city, along the way recruiting a reluctant Archer, and failing to obtaining Caster's help.
Ultimately, it was discovered that Rin was the culprit behind the theft of the glasses and while Rider soundly defeats her after gloating Rin into a fight, she discovers that Rin's own shenanigans ruined all of the magical properties of the glasses. As Rider sat in shame of her failure, it is revealed that the glasses weren't power enhances, but breast size minimizes, a fact Caster teases Rider on.
Medusa appears in the singularity under name Sanada Medusa, where she acts as translator for her lord, Takeda Darius due him speaking only in roars. When she and Takeda encounter Ritsuka, Mash, Okita, and Nobunaga, Medusa translates her lord's intentions to the group. After the group defeats them, she translates Takeda's last words, and she feels relieved that the entire ordeal is over before disappearing herself.
In her first interlude Gorgon Bride (ゴルゴンの花嫁, Gorugon no Hanayome?), Medusa tells Ritsuka Fujimaru that her sisters have decided to arrange a marriage for her to tease her. However, she can only get out of the arranged marriage on the condition that she is already in a couple. So, she and Ritsuka pretend to be a couple while Romani records them for video evidence. However, their "date" is interrupted when a man tries to flirt with Medusa, but the man attacks with his friends when she rejects him. After defeating them, she thanks Ritsuka for treating her like a normal person.
Medusa leads Tamamo's forces at Mare Mellum against Nero Claudius's forces. She activates Blood Fort Andromeda, and commands Lu Bu to attack Nero's forces while they're weakened. After her bounded field is deactivated, and much of her army is routed, she personally fights Nero, but is defeated.
When palace alarms go off, Medusa correctly identifies the intruder as an Assassin Servant. She suddenly enters the throne room, and asks Tamamo if she can introduce herself to Hakuno. Tamamo however decides to introduce Medusa herself. Despite her dislike of fighting, Medusa recognizes the rule of the Regalia as absolute. Nonetheless she still looks forward to working with Hakuno. After being introduced along with the other generals, Medusa states the threat to SE.RA.PH should be dealt with as soon as possible. She tells Hakuno that she's glad they're Tamamo's Master, and tells them not to hesitate to call her. She then reveals herself as an Anti-Hero like Tamamo.
The next day, Medusa joins Tamamo and her forces in conquering the Neutral Sectors of Mare Mellum before Nero's forces do. A day later, she, along with Karna and Lu Bu, are celebrated by Tamamo for their numerous victories. she then joins in invading Mare Aurum which ends in Nero's retreat.
During Altera's conquest of SE.RA.PH, Medusa with Karna and Lu Bu struggle to hold back Altera's forces from taking Tamamo's territories. She later joins in conquering Mare Origo to stop Gilgamesh. After they return to Mare Luxuria, she, Tamamo, and Hakuno listen to Karna's report that Gilgamesh's bombardments on Mare Luxuria were part of a two-front attack by Altera. Medusa correctly deduces Altera is leading the other force, and questions why Altera needs a force in the first place. She then wonder if Servants join Altera because of her personal magnetism, or jokingly if AI in the Zero Dark are attracted to exotic women. Sensing Lu Bu, who went after Altera alone, is already dead by now, Medusa asks Tamamo for orders. Tamamo tells her and Karna to get some rest in whatever why they need to. After Karna leaves, Medusa tells Tamamo that she was more decent than expected, and reveals she would've killed her if she sowed chaos. Thankful that Hakuno is Tamamo's Master, she tells Tamamo not to become a monster before leaving. The next day, she joins in invading Mare Carcer.
Medusa, along with Lu Bu and Karna, invades Mare Aurum. After Lu Bu is defeated, she commends Nero for defeating him, and finds her to be a considerable threat with the Regalia. She prepares to retreat when Nero offers to let her join her side. While amused by both Hakuno and Nero, Medusa declines Nero's offer, as she only wants peace in SE.RA.PH. Nero asks her if she believes Tamamo will bring peace, but Medusa answers she'll leave that to Nero's imagination. She continues if Tamamo ends up being foolish ruler, she could assassinate her after she conquers SE.RA.PH. Nero asks her if she is still waiting for Tamamo to meet her standards for a ruler, but Medusa tells Nero not to convince her to change her mind. She is confused when Nero mentions an evil star, but decides it best to believe her before leaving. The next day, she helps defend Mare Luxuria against Nero's forces.
During the meeting between Nero and Tamamo's allies, Medusa states Altera isn't the only Servant under Velber's thrall. Referring to Altera's generals, she lets Cu Chulainn continue his report on them. When Tamamo asks why Lu Bu has been silent the whole meeting, Medusa reveals he has been like that since the beginning.
There are two Rider in the Capsaba Servants, one is known as the regular Rider while the other is known as Pegasus Rider (ペガサスライダー, Pegasasu Raidā?).
In Shirou's ending in G-Sakura route, Rider is an anti-SAKURA giant humanoid weapon called MEDO-SA (めどーさ, Medōsa?) built by the Dimensional Empire MATO (時空帝国マト, Jikū Teikoku Mato?). G-Sakura commented that both her and Rider have trouble with their family.
In Type-Moon's April Fools' Day 2008, she is a super heavyweight wrestler known as the Masked Gorgon (マスク・ゴルゴン, Masuku Gorugon?) in the T Moon Fighting Spirit (Tムーン 闘魂, T Mūn Tōkon?). A mysterious masked wrestler who hides her face behind a mask. Tall and silent, she has a powerful and skillful fighting style. She is polite to her opponents, and her modest character has gradually caused her fanbase to swell over time. She works in a tag team with Knight the Saber, and the pair is called the Golden Age of Fate Wrestling Federation. However, she had a different manager two years ago and her fighting style has radically changed since then. She is one of FWF's outstanding heels. At times she will propose unusual deathmatches in the style of a Gorgon, but not many in the FWF understand this idea.
She was featured in Kill Ciel (キル・チエル, Kiru Chieru?), a parody film of Kill Bill Volume 1. Rider plays as the role of The Eyes (ザ・ガマン, Za Gaman?), a target for the Cat.
She was featured in the animated film Papillon Shin-chan ~I call for sleepiness! Spicy shaggy Kingdom~ (パピヨンしんちゃん〜眠気を呼ぶ！激辛モジャモジャ王国〜, Papiyon Shin-chan ~Nemuke wo Yobu! Gekikara Mojamoja Ōkoku~?), a parody film of Crayon Shin-chan.
In Type-Moon's April Fools' Day 2015, Rider is in the Imperial Roma talent agency and part of the female group called Momoiro Hassan Z (ももいろハサンZ, Momoiro Hasan Z?), her class is Stealth idol (ステルスアイドル, Suterusu Aidoru?).
Rider fights with a low-risk and high-return type of warfare that is not fixated on the methods used to win.[15] She fights mainly with a Nameless Dagger (無銘·短剣, Mumei Tanken?) in close combat that is more likely to be called a "nail" rather than a "dagger." It is attached to a long chain that can restrain and immobilize targets that she pierces. It is not suited to short-range battles, instead best utilized as a thrown weapon from a distance.[16] It is not a Noble Phantasm, and while its origin is unknown, it is thought to be a weapon that reflects her inner character. She boasts outstanding speed, moving like a bullet and racing around the battlefield. She is faster than Lancer in terms of average speed, but he will surpass her in immediate maximum output. Due to her nature as a Gorgon, she has a monster alignment that may make fighting battles against monster exterminators, such as against an expert like Lancer, tough for her.[17] While she is normally blindfolded, she perceives the world through hearing, touch, smell, and magic-detection to have an even more precise outlook than with sight.[11]
She is a unique Heroic Spirit who displays a great variety of skills and Noble Phantasms that are particularly high numbered even amongst other Servants, all of which are traces left from her time as a goddess. Due to her status as a former earth goddess, she has a strong connection to the earth, sensitive enough to its state to be able to sense disturbances in Fuyuki's leyline.[18] Due to her contract being passed to Shinji, her abilities are lowered, and she must seek out alternative means of magical energy. While she takes blood for the most part, she is not a Dead Apostle, but rather a bloodsucker whose most efficient manner of gaining energy is through drinking blood.[12] Her main offensive Noble Phantasm is Bellerophon, which allows the Pegasus to use an extremely powerful charge that resembles an arrow of light. She also has use of Blood Fort Andromeda, a Bounded Field designed to collect life energy from whoever is inside. Once it is set and activated, it can instantly liquify any normal humans inside and convert them into energy. Breaker Gorgon is another Bounded Field that seals the target inside the user's mind. She mainly uses it on herself in the form of a visor to seal her Mystic Eyes.
Cybele (キュベレイ, Kyuberei?), the Mystic Eyes of Petrification (石化の魔眼, Sekika no Magan?), are Rider's Mystic Eyes, said to be a "curse of the gods sealed by the powers of shrines." Though petrification sorcery is no strange thing for modern Thaumaturgy, even if its users are rare and few in numbers, Mystic Eyes capable of petrifying others are something that nobody, human or not, possesses in the present era. They are designated as Jewel under the Noble Colors system, which surpasses the Gold-ranked Eyes of the Dead Apostles and are exclusively possessed by Holy Spirits and Magical Beasts from the Age of Gods. Their nature is strong enough a mystery that Shirou mistakes the identity of Breaker Gorgon as the eyes themselves.
Blood Fort Andromeda and Pandemonium Cetus are created abilities of the Mystic Eyes developed by Rider. The eyes, almost too abnormal to be called eyeballs, are gray with an appearance similar to crystals. Despite their abnormality, Shirou believes that they are too beautiful for any human to possess, and could either be art the gods admired or a nature they cursed. The corneas do not take in light, and the pupils see the world through a square. The irises are solidified, not allowing the eyes to close, and the millions of cells that make up the retinas are composed of the Sixth Imaginary Element. It affects all targets within the owner’s field of vision, regardless of whether said targets are looking at the Eyes physically, or if they have their eyes closed but continue to view her with their mind's eye, as it is a curse to look upon her in any way. The only way Perseus was able to avoid her gaze was by utilizing his mirror shield to find her location without looking upon her at all.
Those who possess Rank C or lower in Mana will be immediately petrified, while those with Rank B may or may not be affected depending of the conditions. Those with Rank A or higher won’t be petrified, but will sustain "pressure" from the Eyes and receive a one rank-down to all parameters. The entire body of the target will be affected, including clothing and weaponry, "killing them while alive" as they are turned to stone. The ability is viable in petrifying a group of enemies, but it would not be useful against an infinite number like the horde of shades spawned by Avenger. The amount of energy it uses is comparable to also fighting them off with her Noble Phantasms, so it would quickly drain her faster than simply fighting them off in melee combat.
When Archer, with Rank B Mana, is affected at close range, he instantly feels the effects. He is immediately is frozen in place, unable to close his eyes or cover them with his arms even if he wanted to do so due to being unable to move either in the slightest. He tries to charge at her afterward, but his legs are already petrified up to his knees at that point. He is petrified up to his waist only a moment later before the effect is canceled. Shirou and Rin feel the effects instantly when targeted further away, barely or unable to move as their blood starts thickening. It immediately starts solidifying the flow of Shirou's body and ceasing his senses. If he tries to run at her, his body is instantly turned to stone, and his mind swiftly follows. He is only saved when Sakura acting up causes Rider to cease her activity.
She is unable to control them in any manner on her own, requiring the use of Mystic Eye Killers like Breaker Gorgon or the glasses and contacts she later replaces it with after the Holy Grail War ends. Knowledge of the eyes render further attacks less potent, but it is not enough to allow Rider to go without Breaker Gorgon in their presence. Repeating the initial surprise effect would be impossible, making it possible to act without going completely numb and causing the effect of the petrification to go at a slower rate. The effect will be magnified again should the person's guard be let down.[19] It is possible to cancel the effect if it has not reached a certain point by closing her eyes. In the case of a lessened effect like when Shirou accidentally walks on her bathing, it starts to spread up his legs and is too far gone to simply close her eyes, but she is able to cancel the effect by sealing them with Breaker Gorgon. It takes some time for the petrification to recede, and she mentions that it would have been bad had it affected his heart.
With her Riding skills, she can ride on animals and vehicles, allowing her to mount creatures on the level of Phantasmal Beasts and Divine Beasts. She uses an unlisted, innate ability to bring forth the Pegasus given to her by Poseidon, initially thought by Shirou to be her main Noble Phantasm. It actually lacks any sort of name, and it is treated much in the same manner as her dagger. Having remained since the Age of Gods, its abilities are far beyond those of a normal Pegasus that would only be limited to the strength of a several hundred years old Monstrous Beast had it been one of the few remaining Phantasmal Species from the current age. Increasing in strength as it has lived, it has the strength of a Phantasmal Beast far beyond something like Invisible Air that could defeat a normal Pegasus.[20] If left without the ability to readily use a strong Noble Phantasm, it easily overwhelms Saber and leaves her in a position to only bide her time and wait for a mistake on Rider's handling.
Its strength is nearing that of the level of dragons, the strongest of the Phantasmal Species, and its defense has already reached that level. It is made of enough energy to have come from several hundred magi, and constantly emits it while it flies. It is a divine mystery with magical protection even greater than that of Saber, who displays the strongest resistance of the Holy Grail War, allowing it to easily brush past all thaumaturgy without issue. Not needing to halt its charge against anything, it is much like a giant castle wall crashing down on the opponent and leaving them no method of dodging or defending. Too powerful to defend against, even the trail of its charge is enough to damage a Servant. It destroys its surroundings just by moving, scorching the area around it. The buffets from its wings are capable of generating massive shock waves, which raze infrastructures and lacerate the bodies of living beings.
Despite displaying this overwhelming ability, it is a docile being unfit for combat. For it to truly attack, she must use Bellerophon to compel it. It is brought forth by slashing her neck with her dagger, allowing the blood to spray out and stop in the air to form a magic circle. The circle, which displays a creature-like figure, swells with a large amount of magical energy that makes up the Pegasus, far surpassing Blood Fort Andromeda. Pegasus then emerges from a giant eye bound by blood, and she can either immediately mount it to use Bellerophon right out of the summoning circle or have it fight for a time before strategically using it. Once in the air, she can constantly attack the enemy and move from their range without coming close to the ground to leave them bereft of any method of counterattack or form of pursuit, but its speed would make it impossible to catch even with a method to follow it. Preparing her final strike, she can use Bellerophon at any time to cut all of the its limiters.
Rider likes the recreational use of bicycles, but suffers from the fact that she endlessly accelerates to the point of breaking them. Even for a "granny bike" like the one used for shopping at the Emiya household, she could easily ride it at 100 km/h when it is only meant to peak at 20 km/h. She yearns for a racing bike like that belonging to Shirou that can allow her to reach even higher speeds with its gear system, wishing she could use Mana Burst to help with its control. If utilizing a motorcycle, she can match up against Grand Prix motorcycle former champion, Wayne Gardner.[21]
Hirokazu Koyama felt a lot of intense motivation to make the art work when Saber was chasing Rider up the side of a building. There were a lot of fine details in the drawing and it was a lot of work to get the scene right for him. They ended up with some drawings of Rider rising up into the air and falling and Saber descending. However, recently Koyama image has changed. He drew the image of the building as if it was crashing to bits, and in front of it he drew Saber using her Excalibur Noble Phantasm as it rose from the building. Saber used a beam to intercept the charging attack by Pegasus, but it was a close shave. If Saber had tried to use a melee attack, she would have been struck down. That's why he wanted to focus attention on the beam as it blasted off of the rooftop.[22]
Kinoko Nasu really wanted to have a scene in the Sakura route where she and Saber bickered with each other as they fought toward a common goal, but unfortunately the story didn't develop in that direction and Nasu had to discard the idea.[12]
Noriko Shitaya (Voice actress of Sakura Matou) said her first impression of Rider based on her first recording, to be scary and cold-blooded. In reality Rider turned out to be Sakura's most stalwart and dedicated supporter. Now Shitaya thinks of her as an elder sister. Rider didn't have anyone to rely on; instead she desperately tried to protect her own world. Rider has a big presence. Shitaya joked about she was not jealous that she didn't get an awesome Servant of the opposite sex the way that Emiya and Rin did.[23]
Legend
Medusa was a frightening female monster in Greek mythology. She had a nest of poisonous snakes for hair, copper green scales for skin, golden wings on her back, and eyes that would turn anyone that met them to stone.
The story in which the hero Perseus slew Medusa is famous even in Japan. It's said that Perseus' divine blade Harpe sheared through Medusa's scaley skin, and Medusa's head contained the power of petrification even after being severed.
Medusa was originally a goddess, but a curse by the goddess Athena lowered her to a monster. The story goes that Medusa, overly proud of her own beauty, desecrated a temple to Athena.
According to the Theogony describing the genealogy of the Greek gods, Medusa had a pair of twin older sisters named Stheno and Euryale. Together they were known as the three Gorgon (derived from ancient Greek gorgós, meaning "dreadful") sisters.
It is written that the aboriginal Pelasgians worshiped Medusa when she was still a goddess. After the Pelasgians were conquered by other groups, Medusa was demonized from a great earth goddess into a monster.
After becoming a Heroic Spirit, she retains her wholesome beauty even while possessing the Mystic Eyes of Petrification. Her flying steed Pegasus was said to have been born from a piece of her severed head, or created by her blood when it dripped into the ocean.
Tactics
Medusa specializes in close combat, taking advantage of her high Agility and Monstrous Strength. Her weapons of choice are chained daggers. While quite lethal, they are not Noble Phantasms, so it is difficult to deal critical blows with them when fighting Servants. Medusa excels in a fight using Noble Phantasms. She can annihilate many enemies at once using her anti-army Noble Phantasm Bellerophon (Bridle of Chivalry), which requires an enormous amount of prana. Additionally, she has several methods of attack that can be adapted to a wide variety of situations, such as Blood Fort Andromeda (Outsider Seal - Blood Temple) which can close off a targeted area and dissolve the humans inside to obtain prana, and Cybele (Mystic Eyes of Petrification) which is normally sealed beneath her blindfold.
Class AbilitiesMagic Resistance: B
Originally a Greek goddess that turned into a monster, she possesses extremely high Magic Resistance. The Magic Resistance ability that the Rider class possesses is weaker than that of the three knight classes, but the fact that it remains so high is thanks to Medusa's inherently high Magic Resistance.
Rank B Magic Resistance easily nullifies spells of three bars or less. It is also difficult to damage Medusa with even high thaumaturgy and grand rituals. Moreover, Medusa herself is skilled in sorcery, so she has countless ways to counter enemy spells. In other words, Medusa is excellent at fighting magi. Backing all that up is her Agility. Compared to Lancer who boasts the same level of "speed" she is inferior in sudden bursts, but has more endurance. Even with powerful spells, it is extremely hard to hit Medusa who will keep moving at high speed.
Riding: A+
As might be expected of the Servant Rider, Medusa posses a high rank in the Riding ability. But instead of covering only specific animals and vehicles, her ability extends to nearly all beasts, including Phantasmal Beasts and Divine Beasts. However, even with an excellent Riding rank, she cannot ride dragons.
The steed that makes best use of Medusa's Riding ability is the legendary winged horse Pegasus. Mastering a winged horse of the Phantasmal Species is a difficult accomplishment even for Rider-class Servants. When riding the heavenly mount that was born of her own blood, both rider and steed move as one.
When the Noble Phantasm Bellerophon is used, all of Pegasus's abilities are drastically increased for a limited time. Even in the story, this combination was able to toy with Saber by attacking from the skies, forcing her into a difficult battle.
Be that as it may, the only time Medusa was able to use Bellerophon was in her fight against Artoria. During the modern Holy Grail War which unfolded in a sprawling city, Medusa had few opportunities to use her Riding ability. Perhaps because of this, she was eliminated without sufficient chance to use her power.
Personal SkillsMystic Eyes: A+
Eyes that originally function to collect visual information are instead a method to impart magical effects upon a subject. Medusa possesses the Mystic Eyes of Petrification "Cybele", which are Mystic Eyes of the highest order. As in her legend, subjects caught in her vision will be petrified if their Magic Resistance is C or lower.
Caption: Medusa's Mystic Eyes of Petrification cannot be replicated by magic.
Independent Action: C
The ability to materialize independently. If the Master is lost (or if the contract is nullified), Medusa can continue to materialize for one day. Since Medusa can also obtain prana by drinking blood, she can prey on humans as the situation demands and extend this duration.
Caption: Thanks to Independent Action, Medusa was able to return to Sakura after Matou Shinji was defeated.
Monstrous Strength: B
Medusa has this skill due to her property as a monster despite being a Heroic Spirit. If used, she can temporarily magnify her Strength. This is a necessary skill to Medusa, who does not fight with Noble Phantasms in close combat. It has many uses with her chained daggers, such as forcibly dragging an impaled opponent around.
Caption: Medusa possesses high close combat ability thanks to Monstrous Strength.
Divinity: E-
In Greek mythology, Medusa was once a beautiful goddess, so she originally has very high Divinity. However, because she later became a monster, she is an unusual being possessing the "monstrous" attribute that is antithetical to normal Heroic Spirits. Thanks to this, Medusa manifests as both a goddess with Riding, and a monster possessing Mystic Eyes, Monstrous Strength and so forth. Nonetheless, her aptitude as a goddess Divine Spirit is mostly degraded.
However, her Divinity has not been completely eliminated, and it appears that she still has it.
One of Medusa's anti-personnel Noble Phantasms, Breaker Gorgon is the counterpart Bounded Field thaumaturgy to Blood Fort Andromeda. While the target's consciousness is sealed within Medusa's mind, the target can be prevented from activating any abilities. Also, Medusa primarily uses somewhat weak Noble Phantasm not on others, but on herself to seal her Mystic Eyes of Petrification that are normally always active.
Though mainly used to seal Mystic Eyes, its original use is obviously to exert a degree of mind control on the opponent. Actually, when she took control of enemy Master Emiya Shirou's mind and gave him erotic dreams, she was actually trying to extract prana from him. Also, it requires only a steady stream of prana to have an effect. It is difficult for individuals with low magic resistance to notice it, much less avoid it.
Medusa's most powerful attack. It is not a Noble Phantasm to be used in a one-on-one fight, but rather an "anti-army Noble Phantasm" that can cut down enemies in a wide area. An uncommon type of Noble Phantasm consisting of a paired bridle and whip, it can rapidly augment the abilities of Phantasmal Species. In battle, the strengthened Phantasmal Beast and Medusa fight as one.
Bellerophon is extraordinarily powerful whether used defensively or offensively. However, during the Holy Grail War, it could not display its merit when matched against the more powerful Noble Phantasm wielded by Artoria. Nonetheless, the fact alone that it temporarily withstood a full frontal attack by Excalibur is evidence of its great power.
One of Medusa's Noble Phantasms, Blood Fort Andromeda is the counterpart Bounded Field thaumaturgy to Breaker Gorgon. It takes the form of magic circles placed as predetermined points. Immediately following the placing of these circles, people within the affected area will only have their life force sapped slightly, but once the field is activated, they will be quickly dissolved. However, it is difficult to affect people with knowledge of thaumaturgy. Thus, it is not a Noble Phantasm to be used for combat, but rather a Bounded Field created by Medusa to efficiently gather blood to drink for prana.
In the Holy Grail War, Blood Fort Andromeda was deployed at Homurahara Academy and activated. From outside the field, the school appeared normal as usual, but the interior was stained with blood, as its name suggests.
Profile
The youngest of the Gorgon Sisters that appears in Greek Mythology.
Originally an aboriginal Earth Mother Deity, but she had to run away to a shapeless island because of the Olympian Gods's stratagem and people's fanaticism. Once described as a snake monster that turns everything she sees into stone.
Level 1 Bond
Height/Weight: 172cm・57kg
Source: Greek mythology
Region: Greece, Shapeless Isle
Alignment: Chaotic Good Gender: Female
This height is merely from the time of her summoning.
The one from the Mythological Age is unknown.
Level 2 Bond
Despite being a beauty, she tends to appear to have a merciless personality because of her thorny aura and cold behavior. But in fact simply a languorous beautiful woman who prefers to spend her time doing nothing. Loves alcohol and reading.
Her behavior is severe because she is indifferent about being appreciated by others.
Level 3 Bond
"Bridle of Chivalry"
Rank: A+ Type: Anti-Army Noble Phantasm
Bellerophon.
In myths, it has been said that the hero Perseus beheaded the female monster Medusa and the flying horse Pegasus appeared from her blood.
Just like in legends, Medusa summons the Pegasus by using her own blood as a catalyst and rides it.
Level 4 Bond
Mystic Eyes: A+
Possession of mystic eyes of the highest level, Kybele.
Unconditionally petrifies those with low magical power, and even those with high can be petrified if they are negligent.
Normally sealed away by Breaker Gorgon - Self-Seal・Temple of Darkness.
Level 5 Bond
A beautiful woman with a tall figure and outstanding style, but since for Medusa the criteria for beauty is "being small and lovely", seems she has a complex over her tall figure and mature style.
Interlude
Among the Three Gorgon Sisters, she is the only goddess that ended up "growing".
Despite also possessing the components to grow from a goddess that is merely loved by the people into a goddess that saves (rules) the people, she was tainted by hatred due to the persecution from humans and ended up becoming a hero-killing Magic Beast in result.
Gorgon is the name of a mere shadow of a former goddess that ended up growing, enlarging to the limits.
Magical Beasts
An umbrella term that encompasses all beasts that do not fall within the normal ecosystem. In this context, “beast” is a thaumaturgical term, and does not necessarily mean quadrupedal mammals. Magical Beasts cannot be explained by immature research or sudden mutations. They are true deviations from biology. Roughly Magical Beasts can be classified into Monstrous Beasts -> Phantasmal Beasts -> Divine Beasts in ascending order towards higher existence.
Most Magical Beasts have existed since the Age of Gods, and are Chimeras formed from mixing different species. They live on currently undeveloped lands that cannot be reached by mankind. Furthermore, Phantasmal Beasts that have existed in the past have almost all migrated to a different world presented as the “Inside of the World”.
Although classified as a Monstrous Beast, the Pegasus that Rider mounted in the story is an existence closer to that of a Phantasmal Beast due to surviving over a very long period of time. Also worth mentioning is that, Phantasmal Beasts that have survived over thousands of years are on the same tier as True Magic, thus rendering mysteries on the level of sorcery completely ineffective against them.
The Pinnacle of Phantasmal Species – Dragons
Dragons, or Magical Beasts similar to Dragons, have members in all classes of Magical Beasts (Monstrous, Phantasmal, and Divine Beasts). Dragons are always thought to be the greatest species within their corresponding classes. Because there are dragons of the Monstrous, Phantasmal, and Divine classes, they have been involved with mankind since before the Age of Gods. They have also left many legends in the field of thaumaturgy.
A Heroic Spirit with a Rank in Monster ∙ Magical Beast
Because Rider’s true identity is Medusa, she possesses a rank of Monster ∙ Magical Beast. As a result, the rank of her Divinity decreased to the lowest value of E-. As compensation, she received the ability of Monsters and Magical Beasts, Monstrous Strength.
Medusa
Rider is more of a Divine Spirit than a Heroic Spirit. Yet, it is better to call her “an anti-hero closer to a monster” instead of a Divine Spirit. Because she possesses a rank as a monster, Rider is very incompatible with Servants who fought off monsters in their tales.
Anti-Heroes [Others]
People who are hated, yet the result of their atrocities ultimately saved others. They are the ones who define "good" with "evil".
Although they are the targets of curses, they are still worshiped as messiahs.
They are the anti-heroes.
However, true anti-heroes do not exist.
Ultimately they only reach the level of "individuals who did good while carrying out evil" (stopping short of being true anti-hero).
Assassin and Archer fall into this category.
Rider and Caster are not true Heroic Spirits, but they are not true anti-heroes either.
Difference between Heroic Spirits and Servants
Heroic Spirits were Heroes who have left behind great feats in legends after death and become subjects of belief.
Normally, a Heroic Spirit is summoned by the world as power that protects humans.
The ones summoned by humans are Servants. However, Heroic Spirits cannot be controlled by humans, and to summon them, the Holy Grail or something with power of that sort must be used.
The Servant system of Fuyuki summons Heroic Spirits with the power of the Greater Grail. Heroic Spirits summoned as Servants are like "emanations", copies created using the information of the main body of the Heroic Servant.
•Birth of Heroic Spirits
It's been explained that Heroic Spirits are beings that heroes whom belief has been gathered upon become after death, but heroes of myths and legends can be born by the gathering of belief even if they didn't exist. Also, there are those who those who make a contract of some sort with the world when they were alive and as compensation become Heroic Spirits after death. In the Fifth War, Hasan Sabaha was a hero that actually existed, and Herakles and Medusa are ones of legends. Also, Emiya and Artoria are beings that became (or will become) Heroic Spirits after their contract with the world. Those who have become Heroic Sｐirits are freed from the constraints of time and are moved to the Throne of Heroes, existing to the outside of the World.
•Heroic Spirit summoning
Heroic Spirits are beings cut off from the time axis and can be summoned in any era, regardless of past and future. However, the only one that can summon the main body of the Heroic Spirits is the "world", and alas, humans can't summon the main body and can only summon their emanations, the Servants. Speaking of which, the information (souls) making up the Servants return to the main body at the same time as the death of the Servant, and the main body can know, as records, about the actions of the Servants as if reading a book.
Alter Ego of chastity.
C means cash, cool, and constriction.
In the past was entrusted the financial affairs of the Sakura Camp.
A complex of many goddesses, Greece mythology's female monster Medusa (Originally an Earth Goddess), Indian mythology's Apsara, the model that comprises Melusine from French folktales.
Class Skills
■ Crack Ice: EX
Cheat Skill evolved from Mystic Eyes.
Normally Mystic Eyes are invoked by "looking at the opponent," "eye contact with the opponent." Paralysis, Enchantment, and Petrification's effects are exhibited in this fashion. Crack Ice is "The space in Violet's field of vision is stored." That effect is paralysis. That is time stops.
Violet is the only one who can move in this space, humans are conscious and can figure out what is happening.
Personal Skills
■ Shackled Desire: A
A skill that increases physical restriction attacks (Paralysis, Sealing, Petrification) in battle.
However, "to tie" is a day to day activity, so normal attacks drop by 10%.
■ Transformation: A
Skill that allows one to change his form.
Violet can freely change herself into a fibrous shape. Strike system's attack damage is greatly reduced.
In addition when this skill and the Riding Skill and combined in such a fashion...
Q: Rider's eye cover, Breaker Gorgon, does it allow her to see what's before her?
Q: Rider's eye cover, Breaker Gorgon, does it allow her to see what's before her? Also, the Mystic Eyes Killer Rider is wearing, does it have a comparable sealing power as this Noble Phantasm?
A: Her sight is completely sealed. Although Rider perceives the world through senses such as hearing, touch, smell, and magic-detection, she is able to acquire more precise information than sight.
About the glasses, it only seals the power of petrification. It does not act like the Breaker Gorgon, which "seals all magical properties".
Rider [Servant]
Heroic Spirit of the mount. A type of Servant that requires high maneuverability, and tends to possess strong Noble Phantasms.
The Rider in the story is no exception, riding Pegasus and making full use of its charging power in battle.
Of course, Rider herself is also a unique Heroic Spirit, and the number of skills and Noble Phantasms she has is particularly high even amongst the Servants.
She is taciturn and lacks self-assertiveness, but that doesn't mean she is apathetic toward her surroundings. Rather, she's the kind of person that worries about things from every conceivable angle but hides it behind a perfect poker face.
Though parts of her personality are quite similar to Sakura's, Sakura is a commoner while Rider is more of a high-born type. Even her demeanor and tone of speech have a sort of high-class strictness to them.
With the complex she has about her own height and the way she gets embarrassed when people see her mystic eyes, she might actually be pretty lady-like.
Because of her outward appearance and primary weapon, a lot of people thought she was going to be an Assassin class Servant before the game came out, but nope, she's a Rider!
I really wanted to have a scene in the Sakura route where she and Saber bickered with each other as they fought toward a common goal, but unfortunately the story didn't develop in that direction and I had to discard the idea.
Incidentally, the lewd dream on the fifth day of the Sakura route was Rider's doing.
She is not a Dead Apostle (vampire), but she is a bloodsucker. For her, the most efficient, luscious way of gaining magical energy is drinking blood.
Archer vs Rider
Editorial department (Prediction)
At long range his fire won't work against Bellerophon.
At medium range the bow is really handy, and Rider who's inferior in skill only has her Mystic Eyes.
But if Archer's bow starts to get petrified, he can activate Unlimited Blade Works.
In which case Rider will just use Bellerophon and destroy him instantly.
He can't shoot them down but Rho Aias can buy him time enough to pull out Harpe and maybe have a chance at victory.
Nasu-san CHECK!
You would think Archer would have the advantage, but Rider actually has the edge at long range? Just like that question, their compatibility is not very good. Since both aren't fixated on the methods of winning, they'd definitely both choose a low-risk and high-return type of warfare.
Even if Archer takes out a Saber-class holy sword, he doesn't have enough magical energy to draw on to maximize it, so it'd be hard to for him to attack Bellerophon. What determines victory or defeat is whether Aias on its own would be enough to block Bellerophon perhaps...?
User: RiderThe weapon favored by Rider. Called a “dagger”, but it might be more accurate to describe it as a “nail” that pierces the opponent. Attached to a long chain, which can be used to restrain and immobilize targets that have been pierced. It is not suited for short-range battles, and is better off being thrown around from a distance.
Nasu-san CHECK!
The two boasting the most outstanding speed in the game. Rider, able to move like a bullet and race around the battle field vs Lancer, able to counter attackers with a lance with the speed of gods, while standing still. In average speed, Rider is faster, but in immediate maximum output, Lancer will win. While Rider has several different types of Noble Phantasms, Lancer also has protective ability from rune sorcery, hence counter measures from her mystic eyes. Against an expert monster exterminator like Lancer, one who has a monster alignment such as Rider might seem to be in for a tough fight....!?
Magical Beast [Others]
In the world of Fate/stay night, a general term for beasts which do not correspond to normal ecosystems.
They are divided into three ranks: monstrous, mythical, and divine.
The vast majority of monstrous beasts are crossbreeds (chimera) living in still-uncivilized regions, but it seems that those of mythical rank and above have shifted to the far side of the world.
Though the Pegasus that appears in the story is a monstrous beast, its long life puts it at the level of a mythical beast. Ordinary magi are completely unable to compete with something of this rank.
Also, beings that take after dragons are considered to be superior, regardless of classification. Since dragons are endowed with the characteristics of several species, it appears that even consorting with humans was not uncommon.
'Q: When Rider is on a motorcycle, can she go faster than GP Rider? Also, when she’s on a bicycle, about how many kilometers per hour can she go up to?
A: She’d be a match for Wayne Gardner. As for a bicycle, she’d accelerate endlessly until the bike itself broke down. “It would be nice if I could Mana Burst like Saber...” were her actual words. Thus, she yearns badly for a racing bike that can go even faster. |
Novastorm
Novastorm is a rail shooter developed by Psygnosis in 1994. A version for the FM-Towns/Marty systems had previously been released under the name Scavenger 4.
Plot
The game takes place some time in the distant future. Humans have left earth in several huge arks containing Earth's ecosystem, in search of a new paradise. They have become complacent: everything is controlled by artificial intelligence, while the human race sleeps and dreams of its new home. The computer systems evolve, however, and prophetize of a conquest of silicon against flesh.
The player takes control of the Scavenger 4 squadron, which has a mission to destroy the deadly Scarab-X forces, in the last hope for the human race.
Gameplay
The gameplay is similar to many other FMV based games of the time. The player takes control of the Scavenger 4 spacecraft over 4 different environments. Each level ends with a boss fight, which the player must complete to proceed.
During the course of each level, the player gets attacked by groups (of about 2-5) of a particular enemy. Taking out every enemy in a particular group produces a token of bronze, silver or gold. These tokens are used like credits to obtain power-ups; upon picking one up, the power-up bar at the bottom of the screen moves along by differing amounts depending on the colour of the token. The power-ups are of increasing value to the player as the bar progresses. Pressing the select button gives the player the currently available power-up, and returns the bar to the bottom.
Sega CD
The version released for the Sega CD has the addition of some 2D sprite mid-level enemies.
PlayStation
The only version of the game with full-screen FMV, it features a redesigned, minimalistic HUD.
DOS
The DOS version released in 1994 (US) features the original version of the soundtrack by Rik Ede with additional enhancements to the sound effects and voices. The rendering and level layouts were also significantly different from the console versions. Although only on one disc and the FMV was not full-screen, the video encoding and quality are comparable to the 2-disc PlayStation version. A secret level is also accessible by typing TOMATOES at the start of the game. Standard player fire turns to tomatoes and the player is warped to the final stage after the bonus level.
Reception
Scary Larry of GamePro gave the Sega CD version a mixed review, saying that the graphics are impressive despite the low resolution and lack of full color, but that the gameplay is overly easy and lacking in intensity, and that the game can easily be finished in a standard two-day rental. He reviewed that the 3DO version suffers the same problem. Electronic Gaming Monthly commented that the FMV is attractive but the gameplay is shallow and unenjoyable. They also criticized the game as being overly similar to Microcosm. A reviewer for Next Generation also found it far too similar to Microcosm, and added that "Microcosm was bad enough, but Novastorm doesn't even have the advantage of a knockout intro ..."
Reviewing the PlayStation version in GamePro, Air Hendrix shared Scary Larry's conclusion that the game has stunning graphics but crude and dull gameplay, though he found it too difficult rather than too easy. He summarized, "Despite the eye-catching fireworks, this game plays like a stale B grade shooter."
References
External links
http://www.psygnosis.org/games/novastorm
http://www.sega-mega-cd-library.co.uk/Game%20Pages/Novastorm.htm
Category:1994 video games
Category:3DO Interactive Multiplayer games
Category:DOS games
Category:FM Towns games
Category:PlayStation (console) games
Category:Psygnosis games
Category:Sega CD games
Category:Shoot 'em ups
Category:Rail shooters
Category:Full motion video based games
Category:Video games developed in the United Kingdom
Category:Single-player video games
Category:Science fiction video games |
Sure, I would have liked Thorin to sport a much larger beard, but I'm completely OKAY with his look. To me, Richard has all but nailed the character and that's the most important element. He's perfect in the warrior/arrogant sense and I truly get that he's a dwarf, a very important dwarf. So I'm fine with this representation.
All that muttered, you do make some very valid arguments as to why Thorin would be even more perfect with a fuller beard.
I'm thinking we might learn why his line have short beards, that could mean either youth or something significant to his particular family. |
Q:
Grafana singlestat and transformNull
I'm using Grafana 5.0.3 with a Graphite data source and I'm having some issues with Singlestat using a transformNull function. The data source referenced below is from Spring Boot 2 Micrometer's http metrics, so I can't modify the code that generates this data.
I have a graph that tracks HTTP 500 errors since the last server restart.
Scenario 1 - Data Becomes Null
This happens when I restart the server and no new HTTP 500 errors have occurred:
I also have a Singlestat showing the current value of that graph. If I use transformNull to convert null data to 0s it works as expected (transformNull before or after sumSeries shows the same result):
If I omit transformNull then I seemingly get whatever the sum was at the last time data was collected, regardless of the fact that at the current time the value should be 0:
Scenario 1 Resolution
I should use transformNull because that will account for the current data's being null.
Scenario 2 - Data is Non Null
This happens after errors have occurred and the server is still running:
If my Singlestat does not contain the transformNull function then it works as expected. I imagine this is because it shows the data at the last point in time data was collected:
But, if I include transformNull, I see the data go to zero fairly frequently. My guess is that because data is being pulled from Graphite, there are times when Grafana is drawing the graph up until "now" but the Graphite data for "now" doesn't exist. My Spring Boot server pushes data to Graphite every 15s.
Scenario 2 Resolution
I should not use transformNull because that will ensure to get the data from the last time data was collected.
Question
How do I go about accurately displaying this data in the Singlestat? Is it just some magic combination of the rate I'm pushing data from Spring Boot to Graphite and the Grafana refresh interval?
A:
I don't know about any underlying solution but here's what worked for me. I used transformNull to ensure that the most recent sample has the correct numbers, then I changed the time range so it's not realtime but delayed by 30 seconds or a minute. E.g. for "Last 1 hour" I changed the window from "From: now-1h, To: now" to "From: now-1h, To: now-30s."
It doesn't solve the problem but it's a workaround that's good enough for me.
|
One booth that’s been generating a lot of buzz this weekend is the one by Moxie Trades. They have all the gear a DIY/woodworking woman needs. They have boots, hard hats and tool belts that come in pink, blue, tan, black and red. I asked Elaine what the most popular colour is.
“Pink, by 5 to 1,” she said.
In fact, they had completely sold out of their pink boots Friday and had to get more in.
(We also had everyone in our Media Challenge wear a Moxie tool belt as they built their projects. Pink, of course.)
If you couldn’t make it to the show and want to get a hold of some Moxie gear, check out the site. |
Q:
rails routing ambiguity
Whats the diffrence between:
http://localhost:3000/courses/edit.2
and
http://localhost:3000/courses/edit?id=2
Its produced by <%= edit_courses_path(course) %>
and link_to( { action: :edit, id: course.id } ) respectively
http://localhost:3000/courses/edit.2 # This link does not work
http://localhost:3000/courses/edit?id=2 # This link works
What can I do to make both of these links work?
A:
Neither is a Rails resourceful route. A resourceful edit route would be achieved with:
resources :courses
And then you can use the path helpers that are automatically generated (view with rake routes) to create a link:
<%= link_to "Edit course", edit_course_path(course) %>
Producing a link to /courses/2/edit for instance, with params[:id] being set to 2. Note the singular in edit_course_path compared to your edit_courses_path.
The reason your version produced /courses/edit.2 is because route helpers that do not have a dynamic segment take the first parameter as the format, so you're telling it that the format is "2" (as opposed to xml, json, pdf, etc).
|
Adsorptive stripping voltammetric determination of antihypertensive agent: diltiazem.
Adsorptive stripping voltammetry was used to determine the antihypertensive agent diltiazem in phosphate buffer (pH 7.0). The adsorptive cathodic peak was observed at -1.72 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The peak response was characterized with respect to pH, preconcentration time, possible interferences, accumulation potential and supporting electrolytes. The obtained results were analyzed and the statistical parameters were calculated. The proposed method was applied to determine the mentioned drug in pharmaceutical formulation (capsule) and urine. The detection limit is 1x10(-8) M (4.5 ng ml(-1)) using 180 s preconcentration time, whereas the lower limit of detection is 6x10(-9) M (2.7 ng ml(-1)). |
Johannes Klingenberg Sejersted
Johannes Klingenberg Sejersted (7 April 1761 – 17 September 1823) was a Norwegian military officer.
Career
He was born in Flå, Sør-Trøndelag as a son of Lieutenant Colonel Jens Fredrik Svane Sejersted and his wife Dorothea Catharina Klingenberg. He studied at the University of Copenhagen from 1777 to 1781. In 1788 he served as an aide-de-camp of General Moltke during the Theater War, when Denmark-Norway attacked Sweden. Sejersted remained in the military, and was promoted to second lieutenant in 1781 and premier lieutenant in 1789. In 1794 he joined the Dano-Norwegian General Staff, from 1795 as captain. He was promoted to major in October 1807, and at the same time stationed in Norway. In early 1808 he assisted the Danish Prince Christian August of Augustenborg in his campaigns in Aurskog-Høland, as a part of the Dano-Swedish War. He would remain on Christian August's staff until the war's end in 1809. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in August 1808 and colonel later that year.
In February 1814 he was summoned by another Danish Prince, Christian Frederick, to participate in the Meeting of Notables, which set the principles for a later Norwegian Constituent Assembly. As Norway declared independence in May the same year, Sejersted was appointed head of the newly created General Staff on 25 May 1814. He was also promoted to major general.
Defence plan
Already in 1813, on Christian Frederick's request, Sejersted had crafted a military plan for a soon-to-become-independent Norway. The plan was defensive. In principle it was a copy of Christian August's actions in 1808; specifically Sejersted did not wish to invade Sweden, only route Swedish forces from Norway if necessary.
In January 1814 the Treaty of Kiel was signed, giving Sweden (as a victorious country in the Napoleonic Wars) control over Norway. In the same month Sejersted received a direct order to create a more offensive strategic plan. He did so, however the plan was never actually followed. Since Norwegian independence ran afoul of the Treaty of Kiel, Sweden took action and invaded Norway in the summer. In reality, then, Norway came to follow a defensive strategy. However, there were some important discrepancies between Sejersted's politically influenced plan and the battleground. Thus, Norwegian forces experienced a retreat from Rakkestad near the Swedish border early in the conflict. Sejersted then crafted a new plan, but this was abandoned as Christian Frederick, in May crowned as King and thus commander-in-chief, abandoned a Norwegian stronghold at Langnes. A third defensive plan followed, but again the King acted against it to achieve a short-term goal. In sum Sejersted appealed fruitlessly to Christian Frederick to enact a truly forceful defence of Norway, and in the latter phase of the conflict he stood without real influence. Sweden overran Norway, leading to the Convention of Moss, a new Constitution in November and the ascent of Charles II to the throne in a personal union between Sweden and Norway.
Later life
Sejersted kept his military standing despite the union with Sweden. From 1815 Sejersted was stationed in Trøndelag, first with the rank of General, then as Lieutenant General from 1818. He died in September 1823 in Trondhjem, unmarried.
References
Category:1761 births
Category:1823 deaths
Category:People from Melhus
Category:University of Copenhagen alumni
Category:Norwegian military personnel of the Napoleonic Wars
Category:Norwegian Army generals
Category:19th-century Norwegian people |
#include <Eigen/Core>
#include <numpy_eigen/boost_python_headers.hpp>
Eigen::Matrix<int, 2, 4> test_int_2_4(const Eigen::Matrix<int, 2, 4> & M)
{
return M;
}
void export_int_2_4()
{
boost::python::def("test_int_2_4",test_int_2_4);
}
|
1. you can’t walk straight without your pack.
2. a short hike takes three months.
3. your church has no roof.
4. “Going to the woods is going home.” [Muir]
5. the lines on your maps aren’t roads.
6. that fire in your gut isn’t an ulcer.
7. you introduce yourself by your trail name.
8. you belong to “…a race of men that don’t fit in.” [Service]
9. there are no bad days on the trail.
10. you haven’t used toilet paper all summer.
11. you seldom know what day it is.
12. you “…have faith in God and Nature.” [Longfellow]
13. your T-shirts all came from the Gathering or Trail Days.
14. you burn more alcohol than you drink.
15. your cell phone usually reads “no signal.”
16. you “took the [road] less traveled by.” [Frost]
17. cold and wet is pretty much the same as warm and dry.
18. the wealthy envy you.
19. you have no problem with getting lost.
20. you can say “I have walked myself into my best thoughts,” [Kierkegaard]
21. “on the rocks” causes backache not headache.
22. you can survive for days on nothing but ramen and GORP.
23. you find good in all people and all things.
24. “…your trails be only slightly uphill.” [Abbey]
25. you’re more likely to carry a compass than a watch.
26. you can tote better than a burro.
27. you sometimes happen to follow blazes that are white.
28. your “road goes ever on and on.” [Tolkien]
29. you’ve heard the pipes (of Pan).
30. you buy most of your groceries at a gas station.
31. there’s always one more peak to climb.
32. you know “The woods are made for hunters of dreams,” [Foss]
33. you’re wealthy but none of it ‘s tangible.
34. you’re not roughing it when things aren’t level.
35. your “one of these days” list is short.
36. “…you find goodness and joy even in the difficult times” [Luxenberg]
37. your back and knees often hurt for no known reason.
38. your horizon is beyond the rainbow.
39. you consider yourself daily blessed.
40. you know “…the forest makes a claim upon men’s hearts,” [Stevenson]
41. your water seldom comes from a faucet or a store.
42. 5,000 calories a day isn’t fattening.
43. your path isn’t the beaten one.
44. you “Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.” [Muir]
45. each dawn reveals a new horizon.
46. your highs come from climbing.
47. you can out-Yogi Yogi.
48. you well know “…that cold, lonesome track.” [N. Nomad]
49. your weekends could just as well start on Monday.
50. your wants and needs are the same.
51. your REI refund pays your income tax.
52. you “…mock at the mastership of man, [and] seek adventure’s thrill.” [Service]
53. you own no land but what you daily survey is yours.
54. “Beauty Spot” isn’t a skin blemish.
55. you know how to take a “dry” bath.
56. you know that “In wilderness is the preservation of our own sanity.” [Stegner]
57. you know what ADZPCTKO stands for.
58. the local mongrels are the first to greet you to town.
59. you wear out more than two pair of shoes a year.
60. you believe “Mountain wilderness lovers are chosen company.” [Otto]
61. you can pronounce Tuolumne and Mogollon correctly.
62. you customarily bed down where there is no bed.
63. you mail things to yourself.
64. there is “Something lost behind the ranges, Lost and waiting for you.” [Kipling]
65. you’re up at daybreak, down at dark.
66. most any day you can stand straight up and bite dirt.
67. “rocky road” ain’t ice cream.
68. you know that “Not all who wander are lost.” [Tolkien]
69. you enjoy hiking with wet feet.
70. you are no stranger to the generosity of strangers.
71. you gargle with coffee.
72. you know that “…it is in silence…that God best likes to reveal himself intimately to man.” [Merton]
73. a “zero day” has nothing to do with winter weather.
74. you long ago ate your pound of dirt.
75. you aren’t afraid of the snakes and the bears.
76. you understand “The loss of quiet in our lives is one of the great tragedies…” [Olson]
77. you can name all our National Scenic Trails (and have hiked your fair share).
78. most of your friends don’t know your “real” name.
79. your meals need only cooked water.
80. you understand that “Nature never did betray the heart that loved her.” [Wordsworth]
81. you don’t need quarters to do your laundry.
82. your spoon is your fork.
83. enough is never enough.
84. you seek “To wander the fringes of God’s hazy blue.” [N. Nomad]
85. you find wonder in wandering.
86. you can be alone and still be happy.
87. your giving can’t keep up with your receiving.
88. you know that “…a journey has to be made in the mind as much as in the world…” [Simon]
89. you can smell water.
90. you’ve captured the “Triple Crown” but you’re not a horse.
91. your last known address started with “General Delivery.”
92. you are “…restless…and athirst for faraway things. [Tagore]
93. your drivers license reads “I.D. ONLY.”
94. your wallet is a Ziploc bag.
95. your daily supplement is vitamin I.
96. you believe “There is no land discovered, That can’t be found anew.” [N. Nomad]
97. you can “feel” a storm coming.
98. you don’t know the given names of your four best friends.
99. you know the difference between solitude and loneliness.
100. you harbor “A love of the lowly things of earth, And a passion to be free.” [Service]
101. “the good Lord lift[s] up his countenance upon you and give[s] you peace.” [Numbers 6:26] |
Q:
Cauchy random values in a interval [a, b]
How do I generate random numbers following a Cauchy distribution in a given interval [a, b]. I tried using explained here Trucated distribution, but did not succeed
A:
If the distribution of $\Theta$ is uniform on $(-\frac\pi2,\frac\pi2)$ then the distribution of $\tan\Theta$ is Cauchy. Thus, if the distribution of $\Theta$ is uniform on $(\alpha,\beta)$ then the distribution of $\tan\Theta$ is Cauchy restricted to the interval $(\tan\alpha,\tan\beta)$.
To get a Cauchy distribution restricted to the interval $(a,b)$, consider $$X=\tan(\Theta),$$ where the distribution of $\Theta$ is uniform on $(\arctan a,\arctan b)$, for example $$\Theta=\arctan a+(\arctan b-\arctan a)\cdot U,$$ where the distribution of $U$ is uniform on $(0,1)$.
|
How Marvel Became the Envy and Scourge of Hollywood - e15ctr0n
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/how-marvel-became-envy-scourge-720363
======
danielweber
Am I a dork for noticing the mistake that the second _Thor_ movie wasn't a
prequel for _The Avengers_?
~~~
jonnathanson
Unless I'm misreading the article, I don't think it says that _Thor: The Dark
World_ was a prequel to _The Avengers_. Rather, it says that the Thor movies
were planned as part of the "Avengers initiative." The confusion arises from
the phrase "set the stage for _The Avengers_." I think what the writer means
is that all of these movies, including their sequels, were set into
development as part of a single initiative, meant to culminate in the Avengers
franchise.
Yes, the events of the second Thor movie take place after the events of _The
Avengers_. But that may have been planned well in advance.
~~~
ChuckMcM
I am particularly amazed at the co-ordination of the movies and the TV series
Agents of Shield. Way back when I was at USC professor Arthur Knight used to
joke about movies "You can know when it will be done, or you can know it will
be good, but not both." because of the challenges of managing a movie
production schedule. That Marvel could pull off Thor: The Dark World, have it
hit theaters when events in the TV series matched up, that floored me.
~~~
xionon
Not only that, but they did it a second time with Captain America: Winter
Soldier.
~~~
ChuckMcM
Your right, not once but twice in a single TV season. That is seriously
amazing planning.
~~~
danielweber
I think lots of people would balk at those constraints, but Joss Whedon sees
them and thinks "this is awesome!"
------
cromwellian
So far, Marvel is on a roll, like Pixar was for a time, racking up a string of
successes. Guardians of the Galaxy seems to be another home run. But how long
can they keep it up, and will hype and fan expectations make Avengers 2 an
inevitable let-down?
~~~
bane
I'm predicting an entire X-men reboot done more in the style of the Avengers
movies. To date, the effects, casting and story for the X-men movies, while
fine for the time, have been a big downgrade from the entire Avengers line-up.
> hype and fan expectations make Avengers 2 an inevitable let-down
I'm hoping it isn't. The second Captain America movie was a huge upgrade over
the first IMHO, and I thought Thor 2 was at least as good as the first one.
The Iron Man movies have been relatively good as well (sure they're going down
a bit, but they're at least entertaining).
If the 80s were the action star decade, the 2010s are the Marvel movie decade.
~~~
ender7
Marvel sold the X-Men rights to Fox, who retains them as long as they continue
to make X-Men movies (the same is true for Sony with Spiderman). It's unlikely
that Fox will relinquish those rights within the next 10 years.
------
moskie
What's also interesting is there seems to be a desire in the fanbase for
Marvel Studios to have _more_ control over Marvel properties. I get the
impression from comments in reddit posts and Slashfilm (which might not be an
accurate barometer of reality) that fans are chomping at the bit for Sony and
Fox to lose the rights on X-Men and Spider-man, so that Marvel Studios can
start making movies with them.
~~~
pyre
Those fans want to see cross-overs. They want to see Spiderman on The
Avengers. They want to see the Hulk duke it out with Wolverine.
The likelihood of this happening when multiple studios control the characters
in question is slim to none.
------
omnibrain
And I haven't seen a single one of those movies. Are they worth it for someone
not into comics at all and a slightly dislike for superheroes. Of course I saw
most of the trailers for the movies but the only one that looked appealing to
me was the trailer for the second Captain America movie. Can this movie be
watched without having seen the other moviews? I also read good things about
the S.h.i.e.l.d series.
~~~
CocaKoala
If you're not into comics and dislike superheroes, it's pretty hard to imagine
what you'd get out of a superhero movie based on a comic book franchise.
~~~
Crito
Eh, I'm pretty apathetic to superheros have a dislike (possibly disdain) for
comic books. I still enjoyed those of those movies that I have seen. (I liked
the first Iron Man the most; and thought that The Avengers was quite good but
nevertheless incredibly overrated).
~~~
lazylizard
imo, the dark knight is a good movie despite it being a comic book superhero
movie. v for vendetta too.
------
JetSpiegel
Funny how a Disney subsidiary can be seen as independent mavericks.
~~~
jamesbritt
Or that tech geeks get enthusiastic over Disney products despite Disney's
recurring efforts to lock-down the Internet.
There is some serious marketing magic happening here.
~~~
wmeredith
It's not always about marketing "magic". They have a killer product. Marvel
and Disney produce superior entertainment, despite their politics.
------
NickWarner775
People, especially children and young adults will always be interested in
super heroes, Marvel will have a long and successful run.
------
walruscop
It's true; I feel like I can't go to any entertainment news site without being
inundated by Marvel news.
|
Q:
How can I shield implementation level classes, traits and objects from Scala public APIs?
I'd like to reduce implementation level details from leaking out into my Scala public APIs, and there are so many knobs available for tuning visibility that my head is spinning from trying to figure out:
What is the best way to shield implementation level classes, traits
and objects from Scala public APIs ?
The best thing I can come up with is to do this:
package restaurant {
trait Service {
acceptOrder(dish: String, quantity: Int)
}
package impl {
private class ServiceImpl { // mark this & everything else in package as private
acceptOrder(dish: String, quantity: Int) = println("order accepted")
}
private class ServiceHelper { // mark this & everything else in package as private
def helpDoStuff() = ???
}
}
}
But note that I have to mark everything in the impl package with 'private',
which gets very tedious (and easy to forget) as the number of things in the package increases. It would be great if Scala had an option to declare a > package < to be private, or at least set the default visibility of all things in a package to be private to that package. But that does not seem to exist.
I'm sure there are best practice patterns for doing this... Please let me know if you are aware of one.
Update: I did read about package objects in the Programming Scala book. And that seems like a nice way to centralize everything in one's public API. But package objects don't seem to provide a convenient way of hiding visibility of all the objects that are NOT in the package object.
Side note for IDEA users:
One issue with my nested approach is that it seems to mess up auto-indentation in IDEA. A separate question for me is to find out a work-around for that. I filed a bug with Intellij (if any of you are facing this issue and want to vote on it: https://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issue/IDEA-144872)
A:
Good question!
What about using a private object? Of course this will only work if you can
implement your service in a single file. Otherwise I think the impl namespace approach is the best you can do.
package restaurant
sealed trait Service {
def acceptOrder(dish: String, quantity: Int): Unit
}
object Service {
def create: Service = new Impl.ServiceImpl()
private object Impl {
class ServiceImpl extends Service {
def acceptOrder(dish: String, quantity: Int) = println("order accepted")
}
class ServiceHelper {
def helpDoStuff() = ???
}
}
}
|
This is a lesson about the variety of careers in space exploration. Learners will examine the want ads and discuss the types of jobs advertised, brainstorm ideas for careers of the future, and then write want-ads for a future paper. This is lesson 16 of 16 in the MarsBots learning module.
Full description.
This is a lesson about Mars. Learners will create a KWL chart (What I "know" about Mars, What I "want" to know about Mars, What I have "learned" about Mars) that can be revisited to assess the group's learning. This is lesson 2 of 16 in the MarsBots learning module.
Full description.
This
is
a
lesson
about
planet
sizes.
Learners
will
demonstrate
the
size
(volume)
differences
between
Earth,
Earth?s
Moon,
and
Mars.
An
extension
to
estimate
the
distance
between
the
Earth
and
the
Moon,
and
the
Earth
and
Mars,
using
the
scale
of
the
play
dough
planets'
sizes
is
provided.
Advance
preparation
of
the
play
dough
(recipie
provided)
is
required.
This
is
lesson
3
of
16
in
the
MarsBots
learning
...
Full description.
This activity is about Mars exploration. Learners will research a past, present, or future mission to Mars and share their findings with the group. The group will then create an overall Mars exploration timeline. A script, links for background sources and suggested materials are available. This is lesson 4 of 16 in the MarsBots learning module.
Full description.
This is a lesson about society and space exploration. Learners will survey the public about their different opinions about space exploration and the use of robotics in space exploration. Then they will represent and analyze the results. This is lesson 5 of 16 in the MarsBots learning module.
Full description.
Grade level:
Intermediate (3-5)
Resource type:
Classroom activity, Guide for instructor, Lesson plan
Subject:
History and philosophy of science, Mathematics, Space science, Technology
This
activity
is
about
Mars
and
the
similarities
and
differences
between
Mars
and
Earth.
Learners
will
compare
physical
properties
of
Earth
to
those
of
Mars
and
investigate
images
of
features
on
Mars
to
try
to
find
similar
features
in
images
of
the
Earth.
Earth/Mars
image
cards,
student
worksheet
and
script
are
available;
see
related
resources
for
link
to
Earth
vs.
Mars
slide
show.
This
is
lesson
...
Full description.
This lesson is about robotic exploration. After reading and discussing the book "Touchdown Mars!," learners will work individually or in pairs to create their own Mars ABC book based on their current level of Mars knowledge. This is lesson 7 of 16 in the MarsBots learning module.
Full description.
This
is
a
lesson
about
solar
system
exploration.
Learners
will
understand
that
combining
information
gathered
by
a
variety
of
robots
gives
us
a
more
comprehensive
understanding
of
our
solar
system.
Learners
will
explore
a
planet
made
up
of
a
combination
of
materials
while
simulating
the
perspective
of
different
missions:
pre-launch
reconnaissance,
fly-by,
orbit,
and
landing.
Learners
will
record
and
...
Full description.
This is a lesson about robotic exploration of the solar system. Learners will review what they know and what they would like to know, and then revisit their (KWL) chart throughout the MarsBots learning module. This is lesson 9 of 16 in the MarsBots learning module.
Full description.
Assuming
the
role
of
a
meteorologist,
students
will
proclaim
one
month
as
"Thunderstorm
season"
for
their
chosen
study
area.
This
decision
will
be
based
on
analysis
of
deep
convective
cloud
data
downloaded
from
the
Live
Access
Server.
This
lesson
uses
student-
and
citizen
science-friendly
microsets
of
authentic
NASA
Earth
system
science
data
from
the
MY
NASA
DATA
project.
It
also
includes
related
...
Full description. |
George Doughty (trade unionist)
George Henry Doughty (17 May 1911 – 25 July 1998) was a British trade union leader.
Early life and career
Born in Birmingham to parents George Doughty (1884) and Selina Francis Ellis (1890), Doughty was educated at Brookfields School, Handsworth Technical School and Aston Technical College. He left school at the age of sixteen and joined the General Electric Company, where he trained as a draughtsman, and joined the Association of Engineering and Shipbuilding Draughtsmen (AESD).
Prominent positions in the Trade Unions
Doughty became prominent in the AESD through his contributions at its annual conference, in particular in convincing the union to campaign for a national minimum wage for under 25-year-olds in the field. In 1946, Doughty began working full-time for the union as a divisional officer, and in 1952 he was elected as its general secretary, defeating the sitting assistant general secretary.
As leader, Doughty was associated with the union's left-wing, leading a number of strikes, with a particular focus on improving members' pay. Doughty also served on the executive of the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions, and as its president from 1961 to 1963, and from 1968 on the General Council of the Trades Union Congress.
Doughty negotiated a merger between the union, by then known as the Draughtsmen's and Allied Technicians' Association (DATA), and the Amalgamated Engineering Union, DATA becoming its largely autonomous Technical and Supervisory Section, and Doughty continuing as the section's general secretary.
Retirement
Doughty retired from his union posts in 1974, becoming chairman of the Economic Development Committee for Electrical Engineering, and serving on the Royal Commission on the Distribution of Income and Wealth. In this same year he was awarded a TUC gold Badge at the Brighton Congress. In 1975 he declined a Knighthood in the New Years Honours list .
Doughty joined the Central Arbitration Committee in 1976 and he served as the industrial relations adviser for SIAD from 1977 until 1988, when he retired completely.
Personal Life
Doughty married Mildred Dawson in 1941 and they later had 2 sons, Royston and Peter.
In 1979 he wrote a short book called Inventions and How to Patent Them.
References
Category:1911 births
Category:1998 deaths
Category:General Secretaries of the Technical, Administrative and Supervisory Section
Category:Members of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress
Category:People from Birmingham, West Midlands |
Marco Boer of IT Strategies says the shift to digital is smaller than we think
Published on December 20, 2010
Marco Boer finishes his conversation with Cary about the recent PRIMIR digital print study. Among other interesting findings, Marco tells us that the number of pages going from analog print to digital print is smaller than once thought.
Cary Sherburne: Hi, I’m Cary Sherburne, Senior Editor of WhatTheyThink.com and we’re back with Marco Boer, who is with IT Strategies and he’s been telling us some very interesting information about a recent PRIMIR digital print study. So you know, we can actually refer people back to the other videos so they can hear that if they missed it the first time, but maybe we can just carry on and talk about some of the other surprising things that you found as you did this research.
Marco Boer: All right, so the big news was that the number of pages that are printed analog and are shifting to digital are actually a very small percentage. The other interesting finding is that if you look at the value of pages. The digitally pages that are produced are far more valuable than the analog pages. So in other words, if you are printing, particularly a variable digital page, you can command up to 20 times what you can get for the equivalent offset page. So, while that wasn’t the focus of the study, the point remains is that the people who by print recognize it and are willing to pay for digital production print to pages. So even though they may never tip and be completely you know, replacing analog, the value is high.
Cary Sherburne: Well, that’s great. And of course, there is a lot of commodity print being done on digital, but if you do add those special characteristics like variable data or QR codes or whatever it is, it commands a higher price.
Marco Boer: Now the other interesting breakthroughs that sort of trickled out through the study is that the digital printing technology is changing. And things are improving. Noteworthy, one of the big issues, of course tied to changing from analog to digital is the cost of print. And that can only change with throughput, productivity.
Cary Sherburne: Right.
Marco Boer: And so, electro photography, which is a very important technology and will coexist for years to come, we believe, as far as the study, will not be able to extent its productivity beyond a certain range because you’re limited to the print width economically and the linear feed speed. Inkjet, on the other hand, can go very wide and it can go very fast in a linear feed, so inkjet technology is probably the technology that will come closest to meeting the productivity and heads the cost levels, but even that won’t ever be quite at the same levels as offset frankly because it shouldn’t.
The manufacturing process of making the inks is very difficult or inkjet inks, the economies of scale are very different, we’re making maybe 50 to 100 million liters of inkjet ink a year, including consumer, where it’s billions of liters of offset ink, so you’ve got that issue.
And then last, and probably most important to business model is such that in the digital print business, the money that’s made off the consumables is then reinvested in R&D and innovation. And a typical R&D budget will run seven to 10 percent of sales for digital production printer vendor, on the analog side, you’re lucky to get even close to one percent.
And so, you know, that money has to come from somewhere. So it’s either from the supplies or they’ve got to start a lot more for the hardware. It’s a very interesting finding.
Cary Sherburne: That’s interesting. So if you had to pull out one major conclusion that would sort of wrap up the study, what would be the biggest major conclusion just sort of net out that you learned.
Marco Boer: I think one of the things that we learned is that the incremental value that digital print offers is really what drives the growth, so the value of minimizing the waste of book inventory, the value of being able to personalize something. It’s not a strict one-to-one placement. It’s really, in many ways, complementary rather than a real replacement.
Cary Sherburne: and would you say then that that requires a different selling strategy on the part of the printer? You have to – they have to change the mental model about the way that they think about selling.
Marco Boer: So that wasn’t part of the study.
Cary Sherburne: No.
Marco Boer: But absolutely, you are right. It takes a different business model because you’re selling things in smaller quantities typically at a much higher value. And it’s not a race to the bottom to offer the cheapest product possible; you’re really now encompassing a much broader kind of sale.
Cary Sherburne: That’s great. Well, we’ll be looking forward to that being released over the next couple of months before the end of 2010.
Marco Boer: Yes, most certainly.
Cary Sherburne: I hear you’re the roadblock. These are – I’ve done several of these reports, and I know that it’s a lot of work and so I really applaud you for getting this done and it’s a terrific service to the industry on the part of you and the task force and Premiere. So thank you very much for doing that.
Marco Boer: It’s an absolute pleasure.
Cary Sherburne: And we will look forward to actually seeing that report come out. Thank you.
Post a Comment
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Q:
Plot multiple lines in one go
I would like to plot multiple lines on the same graph in matlab. I cant't find the easiest way to do it. At the moment I have something like this:
for j=1:n
plot(j,total,'*')
hold on
end
total changes in each iteration as well as j. This will make the plot I want but with the '*' instead of lines. I would like to join these asterisk with a line for each colour. Keep in mind that total is a vector with length k, thus in each iteration i have k asterisks.
For example:
iteration 1: j=1, total= [ 0.2000 0.6000 0.2000]'
iteration 2: j=2, total= [0.1000 0.6000 0.3000]'
iteration 3: j=3, total= [0.2095 0.4476 0.3429]'
X-axis is 1,2,3 and Y-axis should have 0.2,0.1,0.2095 connected with a line and an asterisks at these points, 0.6,0.6,0.4476 connected with a different colour line and asterisk etc.
A:
It seems that you want a different color for each line. In that case, I suggest:
figure
hold all
for j=1:n
plot(j,total,'-*')
end
For the difference between hold all and hold on see http://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/hold.html
The information about how to specify line styles is here http://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/linespec.html
Based on the additional information about the data, sample code is:
nData = 3;
dataset = zeros(n,nData);
for j = 1:n
dataset(j,:) = total';
end
x = 1:n;
plot(x,dataset,'-*');
legend('data set 1','data set 2','data set 3')
In this case hold is not required because all the data is plotted at once.
|
Q:
HTML5 2D game webgl?
Estou ciente que grande parte dos motores de jogo 3D para HTML5 utilizam a tecnologia WebGL, porém tive uma dúvida quando o assunto é 2D. Alguns motores de jogo 2D para HTML5 fazem referencia as funções gl_xxx, ou seja, usam recursos da GPU pra desenhar 2D, porém vi alguns tutoriais que utilizam exemplos onde não parecem que utilizam nada relacionado ao WebGL, como se a renderização fosse feita pela CPU, é isso mesmo?
Ao desenvolver um jogo em 2D para HTML5, este será executado na GPU(via WebGL) ou CPU(software rendering)? Ou programador que define isso? Links com exemplos de diferentes formas para implementar uma plataforma 2D seriam úteis.
A:
O <canvas> define uma região desenhável da tela. Você pode então obter um contexto que vai definir como será feito o desenho. Atualmente temos duas APIs de contextos, o "2d" e o "webgl". Ambas são APIs diferentes para o mesmo efeito de desenhar na tela e muito do que é feito com uma pode ser feito com outra.
Quanto ao fato de utilizar a GPU, isso depende completamente da implementação. O WebGL pode perfeitamente ser implementado via CPU se o browser detectar que a placa gráfica inexiste ou não é suficiente. Da mesma maneira, a API para 2D pode fazer uso da GPU para partes da renderização. Não há nenhuma limitação quanto a isso, é uma questão de implementação.
O Chromium fez algumas modificações nesse sentido por volta de 2012: http://blog.chromium.org/2012/02/gpu-accelerating-2d-canvas-and-enabling.html
|
Feeding Nature
So today in my girlfriends backyard I saw a baby skunk and like the idiot I am I thought I would feed it some Kraft Singles I had been mowing on. Turns out he was stoked that I fed him and here is a picture to prove it.
While I was in Japan I also had the chance to feed miniature deer which was pretty badass too.
To be honest, I would've shot and killed that skunk. For one, who the hell would ever want to be sprayed by one? Also, they are the most likely animal to carry rabies, and there is no way in hell i'd ever let there be a chance that my dog or a neighborhood kid gets bit by one.
Buy I have fed ducks, snapping turtles, deer, dolphins at sea world, squirrels, and probly more that I can't think of.
When I am hiking i always like to give chipmunks some of my nuts from my trail mix. Their cheeks alway get super fat if I give them enough nuts, I gave this one guy an almond and he ran off like he had just found a fat nugget of gold. |
A new poll from Morning Consult shows that Nike’s brand favorability has dropped 34 points from a net +69 favorable impression (76% favorable, 7% unfavorable) among consumers to a net +35 favorable impression (60% favorable, 24% unfavorable).
Why it matters: The iconic brand has not shied from using its marketing prowess to wade into political and cultural issues in the past, but its newest ad campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick has become particularly divisive, given the polarizing nature of race relations in the U.S. under the Trump administration.
While Nike could face negative purchasing consideration as a result of the campaign, experts argue the sports goods giant likely calculated these risks and deemed that it wouldn't impact its bottom line significantly, despite any short-term pushback.
According to the poll, before Nike announced Kaepernick as the face of its ad campaign, only 2% of Americans reported hearing something negative about Nike recently. That number increased to 33% after the announcement.
The poll also found that purchasing intent was down after the announcement.
Earlier Morning Consult polling shows that brands have relatively little upside in wading into issues that involve President Trump.
The poll's full methodology can be viewed here. |
Acute kidney injury in peripheral arterial surgery patients: a cohort study.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in a cohort of surgically treated patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) and its association with the short-term and long-term outcome. We conducted a retrospective cohort study on all the consecutive PAD inpatients in 2008. Data on the patients' demographic characteristics, medical history, treatment, outcome and laboratory tests measurements were retrieved from the medical records. We analyzed 166 patients (71.6% males, mean age 63.2 years ± SD 10.7 years) and found an AKI prevalence of 12.7%. The AKI patients' group had more chronic kidney disease (CKD) (23.8% vs. 6.2%, p = 0.005), diabetes mellitus (DM) (61.9% vs. 33.1%, p = 0.011) and a higher length of hospital stay (19.48 vs. 15.42 days, p = 0.047). At one year, the mortality was 33.3% in the AKI group compared to 1.3% in non-AKI group, with a strong association between AKI and death (OR = 35.7; 95%CI = 6.7 to 189) and AKI and major cardiovascular events (OR = 29.1; 95% CI = 6.8 to 123.4). There was no significant difference in terms of age, cardiovascular disease and medication between the two groups. AKI was associated with a poorer one-year outcome after the surgery of PAD patients. In our study, the presence of previous chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes increased the incidence of acute kidney injury after surgery. |
614 So.2d 129 (1993)
STATE of Louisiana in the Interest of Antonio DANDRIDGE.
No. 92-CA-1483.
Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.
January 29, 1993.
Writ Denied April 12, 1993.
Harry Connick, Dist. Atty., Jefferson Moore, Scott Joanan, Asst. Dist. Attys., New Orleans, for appellant.
Richard B. Stricks, Bryan Pedeaux, New Orleans, for appellee.
*130 Before BARRY, BYRNES and WARD, JJ.
BYRNES, Judge.
The State appeals a judgment granting a motion to dismiss an action in juvenile court based on double jeopardy. We reverse and remand.
On February 7, 1992, Elijah Brimmer, a band teacher at Fortier High School, found a gun on the defendant, Antonio Dandridge, in the school hallway. The police were called and the defendant was arrested for illegal possession of a dangerous weapon on a school campus under LSA-R.S. 14:95(A)(5)(a). In a school board proceeding, Antonio Dandridge was found guilty of being in possession of a firearm on school property under LSA-R.S. 17:416(C)(1) and was expelled for the remainder of the school year pursuant to LSA-R.S. 17:416(C)(2)(a)(i).
When the State brought a petition in Juvenile Court for the Parish of Orleans, charging Mr. Dandridge with possession of a firearm on school grounds, a hearing was held on April 21, 1992, and the trial court granted the defendant's motion to dismiss the petition. The State's appeal followed.
The issue on appeal is whether the expulsion of Antonio Dandridge by the school board prohibits trial and punishment in juvenile court on the grounds of double jeopardy. The trial court ruled that under the double jeopardy clause the defendant cannot be subject to additional punishment for the same offense. The trial court reasoned that because the school board expelled the defendant for the same offense, any additional sentence would be double punishment, constituting double jeopardy. United States v. Halper, 490 U.S. 435, 109 S.Ct. 1892, 104 L.Ed.2d 487 (1989).
In Halper, supra, the United States Supreme Court reversed a civil judgment imposed for medical fraud where the government brought an action against a defendant who had been punished in a criminal prosecution. The Supreme Court held that the government may not criminally prosecute the defendant, impose a criminal penalty upon him and subsequently bring a separate civil action based on the same conduct. The government may demand reasonable civil compensation without being deemed to have imposed a second punishment in violation of double jeopardy protection; however, the Supreme Court ruled that the second (civil) sanction constituted punishment or double jeopardy where the imposition of a high civil penalty bore no rational relation to the government's loss. Although the government`s action violated the double jeopardy clause of the Fifth Amendment of the United State's Constitution, the Court found that a private citizen may file a civil suit seeking damages for conduct that previously was the subject of criminal prosecution and punishment without triggering protections of the double jeopardy clause, even if the civil sanctions imposed are punitive.
The defendant argues that because the school board as "machinery of the State" imposed the punishment of expulsion, any criminal prosecution imposing additional punishment for the same crime violates federal and state double jeopardy principles.
To constitute double jeopardy the prior proceeding relied upon must have been in a court. State v. Green, 301 So.2d 590 (La.1974). Under the doctrine of traditional double jeopardy an ultimate issue of fact which has been established in defendant's favor cannot be relitigated by the State. However, for a defendant to successfully raise the issue, the defendant must have been brought to trial in a prior criminal litigation. State v. Arnold, 593 So.2d 1293 (La.App. 1 Cir.1991), writ denied and stay denied, 594 So.2d 1305 (La.1992). In that case the defendant argued that the Department of Public Safety and the District Attorney's Office are arms of the same sovereign. However, the findings of the administrative law judge determining whether or not driving privileges should be suspended were not binding on the trial court in the criminal proceeding. The Louisiana Code of Juvenile Procedure (the precursor of the Louisiana Children's Code) is not applicable to proceedings involving the discipline of public school pupils. Abadie *131 v. St. Bernard Parish School Bd., 485 So.2d 596 (La.App. 4 Cir.1986). In Coleman v. Joyner, 593 So.2d 451 (La.App. 2 Cir.1992), writ denied 595 So.2d 657 (La. 1992), although a student had been suspended from school for five days for an attack on a fellow student, the appellate court did not rule against prosecution of the student in juvenile court.
In the present case, prosecution of Antonio Dandridge in juvenile court is not barred by double jeopardy because the defendant had not been prosecuted in a prior criminal matter. Although the school board is an arm of the state, its administrative proceeding resulting in expulsion does not constitute a criminal prosecution and trigger double jeopardy protection.
Accordingly, the judgment of the trial court is reversed and the case is remanded for further proceedings.
REVERSED AND REMANDED.
|
:orphan:
Developing the Main Website
===========================
.. startdev
Is there some CSS inconsistency that's bugging you? Is the site missing some accessibility? Want to add a new page or content? Cool! Here's how to get started.
.. note::
When changing the website or adding content - beyond adding your location information - it is a good idea to email the `organizers list`_ to ask for others' feedback on your ideas, either before you start developing, or when you make the pull request.
Current Layout
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The website lives in the `pyladies/pyladies`_, as well as many locations' websites, where ``www`` is the main website, and the other directories map to subdomains, more or less.
The website consists of just static HTML, CSS, and some client-side JavaScript. We use mynt_ to convert Markdown_ files into HTML files (using Jinja2_ templates).
The general layout for the ``www`` directory::
.
├── _assets # JavaScript, images/logos, fonts, and CSS stuff goes here
├── _posts # these are the blog posts written in markdown
├── _templates # these are the base templates that other things use.
├── about/ # any directory maps to a URL path, e.g. www.pyladies.com/about,
├── archives/ # and contains its HTML Jinja template
├── blog/
├── CodeOfConduct/
├── config.yml # configuration for the overall site
├── feed.xml # RSS feed that is automatically generated
├── index.html # HTML Jinja template for the main page, www.pyladies.com
├── locations/
├── resources/
└── sponsor/
When you first run ``mynt`` (detailed below), it will also create a ``_site`` directory, where the complete site will be living. This ``_site`` directory is **not** committed within the repository.
.. note::
The HTML files here are just *templates*. You must first run ``mynt gen -f _site`` (:ref:`detailed below <usingmynt>`) to generate the HTML to see what will be on the website.
.. _pyladies/pyladies: https://github.com/pyladies/pyladies
.. _organizers list: mailto:pyladies-group-organizers@googlegroups.com
.. _Markdown: http://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/syntax
.. _Jinja2: http://jinja.pocoo.org/docs/dev/
.. _Fork: https://help.github.com/articles/fork-a-repo
.. _mynt: http://mynt.uhnomoli.com/
|
Posts by Adam Williamson 1
Page:
Not that simple
"It's not a nationalised industry anymore."
Well, to a point. The infrastructure certainly is, and there's still a legislated public service element in railway service: the privatized operators are not free to do entirely as they choose in regards to the services they provide. It would hardly be inconsistent with current policy for the government to require the timetable data be provided free of charge.
I know what mine is
"Claim your name"
"I was sufficiently bored one day to claim my name"
You can't actually 'claim your name' on Facebook (which is a good design decision). Facebook happily copes with multiple user accounts with the same real name. Just try searching for a common name (or even, many uncommon names), and you'll see multiple results; you have to look at some of the public data to figure out which one is the one you were looking for.
One thing
One thing I forgot to mention - Ubuntu's going to Unity with 11.04 and Fedora will be going to GNOME Shell with Fedora 15, so there's really no advantage to Fedora if what you want is to stick with a 'traditional' GNOME desktop. The next Fedora release and the next Ubuntu release will both give you some kind of shiny new-age interface by default, it's just a question of which one you want. (I don't recommend making that decision right now, as both GNOME Shell and Unity will change substantially by next April).
AIUI both F15 and Ubuntu 11.04 will include the old GNOME interface for fallback purposes on systems which can't manage the new composited interfaces, so you should be able to pick the legacy interface on either if you really want to, though it won't be the primary supported interface on either.
A few points
"But when it comes to desktop Linux, does anyone use the default theme?"
Yeah, me. :)
"There is one thing missing in this release: Fedora no longer ships with the Pino social network client. Its absence is probably due to the fact that Pino hasn't yet updated to Twitter's new OAuth system, but the fact that Gwibber wasn't dropped in its place suggests perhaps Fedora is dropping the idea of including a Twitter client. Frankly, given Fedora's overall focus on development tools, Pino did feel a bit out of place."
At first we were expecting this to be fixed with a new version of Pino in time for F14. In the event, that didn't happen. By the time it became clear Pino wasn't going to be working well enough with OAuth for F14 release date, it was a bit late to introduce a new application to the default desktop and be sure it wouldn't cause any problems, so we decided to go with the safer option of just dropping Pino and not replacing it with anything else.
"This release will also see the expansion of Fedora's netbook spin, integrating MeeGo for mobile devices. For most users that means netbooks, though MeeGo has also been adopted by Nokia for use on mobile phones.
For Fedora 14 the core MeeGo 1.0 packages are all available either as a separate spin or through Yum with yum groupinstall meego-netbook. The MeeGo integration builds on the foundations laid by the Moblin spin in previous Fedora releases."
I've got to admit this makes me giggle a bit in an article described as a Fedora 14 review. The joke being...Meego doesn't work in F14. Not at all. Now, that clearly is our fault, but the fact that you (and all the other journalists reporting on this, to be fair) just include the optimistic vision mentioned in the release publicity makes it clear you didn't bother (or, rather, given the absurd publication dates sites work to these days, have the time for) actually trying the thing. =)
There's only a couple of volunteer contributors working on Meego in Fedora (no paid staff, from RH or from anyone else) and they just didn't manage to iron out the bugs by release time. There's a bug which prevents you from launching Meego at all and we haven't figured out how to fix it yet. So Fedora folks took it out of the feature list and it's not mentioned in the publicity from Fedora proper, but unfortunately the message didn't get to Red Hat PR department in time, so it is mentioned - as if it all works great - in the Red Hat PR on F14. Oops. Sorry about that. So, yeah, don't download F14 expecting a neat Meego netbook interface, you won't get one, unless you can fix the bug (do let us know). You'd be better off getting Meego-the-distro direct from upstream, or Novell's Smeegol thing for now.
(Do note, though, that the Plasma - KDE as was - netbook interface is available in F14, and by all accounts works rather well.)
outside
sucker
"Your comments (or at least the snippets that appeared in print) may have done irreparable damage to my career, and many others like myself that threw all of their eggs into the Silverlight basket."
Sorry, mate, but the one to blame for your career getting wrecked because you put all your eggs in a basket over which you have precisely no control or influence - indeed, a basket over which only an entity which naturally has no regard for anything but its own perceived best interests has any control or influence at all - would be...you. Sucker.
Not at all
Minimum requirements
"a 400 MHz Pentium Pro with 512 MB of memory and 10 GB of disk is the recommended minimum configuration for a graphical Linux setup. Try that with Windows 7."
It's nice of you to notice it but I'm afraid I'd better admit that it's mostly what we in the business would call 'a raging porky'. :) We're discussing how to update the listed system requirements. The problem is that Linux is so flexible; it certainly is *possible* to set up a working Fedora environment with minimal hardware that won't make you kill yourself of frustration, but it's not really true of the *default* environment.
For Fedora's standard desktop - GNOME 2.32 with various heavy apps like Firefox and OO.o - a more realistic minimum would probably be a P3 with 1GB of RAM (512MB is just about enough to run Firefox *or* OO.o, these days). To run on a slower system with 512MB you'd probably want to be using Xfce or LXDE and some lighter weight applications.
(There's also a few more basic problems with the stated minimums: there's no such thing as a 400MHz Pentium Pro, they topped out around 200MHz, and I'm pretty sure it was more or less impossible to shoehorn 512MB of RAM into one).
Key fob multimeter? Awesome
"In the Home Automation section, we have an electricians' multimeter in a key fob"
I'd definitely buy that. I'm no kind of EE but a key fob multimeter (presumably the bluetooth bit is that it connects to your phone for the actual display, or something) sounds like just about the sweet spot for someone like me who, every six months or so, thinks "hmm, I could kinda do with a multimeter right now, but I guess I'll work around it."
But...
she included Monkey Island 2 at #1, presumably as a kind of avatar for all the Lucasarts adventures (my favourite's Grim Fandango), which are immeasurably superior in all respects to the Sierra crap. The gameplay works better (having points and 'game over' in adventures is stupid), the artwork is better, and the plotting is vastly better.
But...
exactly
thanks for writing that, saves me the effort.
what clan were you in? I was in [pp] for a bit, the Cambridge clan, which did fairly well at Counter-Strike purely because of our ridiculously low pings. Before that I was in one called [JK], I think. I remember the top UK clan used to be DC (Demonic Core) - I knew the guys who founded that from the Doom BBS days.
What's sad is that it's almost impossible to find any decent record of the Quake through Quake 3 clan days now (just try it) - there's some dead websites but I can't find any of the classic demos or write-ups of major tournaments or anything any more. I wonder if someone has an archive site up somewhere. It's funny how that scene just died.
It says 'PC' right in the title.
hours
I figured pretty confidently in 2003 that I'd played more Doom than anyone else alive; I averaged 2 hours a day every day from 1993 through 2003 (that's *average*, including every day of the year, with no breaks). I more or less quit a few years back, though, so some of the Scandinavian guys who still play have probably overtaken me by now.
The best Doom player ever, BTW, is Mario Sedlic. This is not up for debate. :)
Specific connection?
"Many of the proposed business models had no specific connection to open source at all, i.e. a closed-source project could operate in the same way."
Who said they needed a 'specific connection'? The OP seemed to be under the impression that it was impossible to make money in relation to open source code. I did a lazy Google and picked one of the first links that does a half-decent job of explaining why this isn't true. There's no need for the business models in question to be *exclusive* to open source software to show the flaw in what he said. They just have to *work* for open source software.
If you'd prefer a different example, I can give you one. It's called 'my bank account', into which Red Hat deposits my reasonably generous salary with cheerful regularity. I'm sure making out okay out of open source.
er, whut?
Basic reading comprehension fail there, I'm afraid. The post says that open source 'helped' Google make money, which is perfectly true. If I'm selling lemonade, an efficient lemon press is certainly going to help me make money, even if it's not a direct revenue earner in itself.
Apple? What?
"Why? Because Apple has already set the price of an operating system at $0.00 (£0.00, €0.00, ¥000). No one pays an iOS license fee — well, no one is allowed to, but that's a separate matter. The salient point is that Google has simply conveyed this price to ODMs and OEMs."
Um, what? That argument just came straight out of left field and I've no idea what to do with it. How can you say Apple 'set the price of an operating system'? Users don't pay up front for phone operating systems whether there's a charge at some point in the chain or not, and since Apple's phone chain is completely owned by Apple I don't see how they can be said, in any way that makes any sense at all, to have 'set the price of an operating system'. I just have no idea what you mean by that.
People buying a phone look at the subsidised price of the phone, and there's room for a lot of play in that number even if someone somewhere is paying someone else a $10 license fee for the OS. I don't really see anything in your post that contradicts this. I'm really struggling to get any kind of a handle on your argument.
The contention that somehow Microsoft won't be able to enforce a patent suit against Android because no-one pays Apple for iOS, even given its basic problems with coherence, seems silly on the face of it; it's hardly something a court is going to take into consideration. If a court decides Android violates Microsoft's patents then the choices are to quit implementing the patented functionality or pay up; the court's not going to go around considering the effective market price of other operating systems, or whatever the heck it is you're proposing exactly.
Am I the only one all at sea with this analysis? Does everyone else get where Matt's coming from?
of course...
...that's not an explanation, all you've done is put a name on the phenomenon the OP identified, which is not the same as explaining it. So we call it Asperger's Syndrome, fine - the question simply becomes 'why do four times as many men as women get diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome?'
freeze it
it's not a rule...
...it's a recommendation. the 'rule' is the cut-off time for check in, which is much later. The point of the recommendation is that if you *don't* show up two hours early, then you miss your flight because they had a backlog at check in or whatever and you didn't make it, and you ask for your money back, they can say 'ah, but you didn't follow the time recommendations' and refuse to give it to you. But it's not a rule, and it's never cited as such in any airline stuff I've read.
Erm, what?
"For a start, there are no "terrorists". So-called "terrorists" are a weapon of mass distraction."
What do *you* call people who destroy large buildings full of civilians, marketplaces full of civilians, public spaces full of civilians (hello, Mr. McVeigh) or try to blow up airplanes with bombs in their shoes, then? Accountants?
Fair enough to be annoyed by security theatre, but saying 'there are no "terrorists"' is really pushing it a bit.
The only statistically valid answer I've seen...
not that easy
I 'went somewhere else'; the process took five years and cost me several thousand CURRENCY_UNITS. Worth it for me, but I can forgive the OP for giving it up as too much effort and having a good old moan instead. After all, it's the British Way.
Baffoon?
Not 'a wash'
"Whitehurst didn't mention that this waste provides $500bn worth of jobs, and that these also have a multiplicative effect, so it could be a wash. But I digress..."
That's the broken window fallacy. It ultimately never contributes to economic efficiency, though economic systems can be sufficiently complex that paying people to do nothing useful can appear beneficial in the *short* term.
don't really fit the category
they don't really fit the category - or at least Sony's doesn't, can't speak to Fujitsu's. Sony's X is really netbook hardware in an odd chassis - bigger than netbooks but incredibly light (much lighter than the machines in this test). It's significantly underpowered compared to the machines in this test.
Sony also sells the Z, which is a 13.3" laptop that weighs less than most of the machines in the 11.6" category and is far more powerful, but also costs a fortune. They also have a fairly boring 10" true netbook, and the 8" P. But they don't really have a dog in the 11.6" 'tweener' category.
um, really.
Uh...that's a good position to take in re, say, World War II. But the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq? *Really*? You honestly think that if the UK hadn't invaded Afghanistan, Afghanistan would have invaded the UK?
(Note, this is not necessarily to say there isn't a plausible argument in favour of invading Afghanistan. But to argue that it's a 'fight there or fight here' war is just frankly ludicrous.)
the US and France, eh?
"The only time you actually need a Nimrod or something like it is when up against a big, powerful force of enemy submarines. The only such forces now in existence are operated by the US, UK and France, so this is an unlikely situation."
Oh, Lewis, Lewis. The UK has been at war with *both* of those within the last two centuries, which as you've been telling us all along is a mere eye-blink to the military bureaucrat's mind. They're probably just lulling us into a false sense of security!
you're an idiot
yeah, no, really, you are. Did Andy say 'the definition of why your 13 year old niece should buy an Android phone'? No. He said 'the definition of open'. I don't see what the fuck your niece has to do with the price of fish.
You realize...
...that the god-fearing, trailer-park friendly audience probably understands Derek Jeter, Joe Torre (yes, I know he's with LA now), the Yankees, jerkoffs, and indeed baseball (a sport which is intrinsically rather more complex than football/soccer) perfectly well, right? So why would they have any trouble with the British analogues with a bit of explanation? Just because you don't agree with Fox News readers doesn't mean they're all incredibly stupid.
(given the high immigrant population of the U.S., BTW, soccer/football news is more commonly available and more widely followed than you'd probably guess. Being as blinkered a Brit as you fondly imagine your targets to be blinkered Americans.)
Except...
...there's already a bunch of very popular devices out there, which their users generally love, in exactly this form factor. They're called e-readers. Go ask a Sony Reader or Kindle owner if they'd like a tablet in the same form factor as their reader, and a lot of 'em will say 'yes'. Clearly it's a form factor that works for people.
The touch argument is clearly bullshit, otherwise why does Apple sell 3" touchscreen devices? To extend Jobs' silly argument about 'filing down your fingers' to a 3" display, you'd wind up with...well...a stylus. And we all know what Steve thinks of the stylus.
Let's face it, all CEOs ever talk is whatever bullshit they can come up with to support what they happen to be hawking at that particular moment. There's no point taking anything they say remotely seriously.
except...
No, no, that's something COMPLETELY different
""The seven-inch tablets are 'tweeners'," he said, "too big to compete with a smartphone and too small to compete with an iPad.""
Would that be, er, the way the iPad is too big to compete with a smartphone and too small to compete with a netbook? No, wait, I've got it - that's 'creating a new category'. My bad! As you were, Apple!
Logic, Reg
The Reg has a rather big problem with logic here. Your logic appears to run:
Scientist A is respected for work within his or her field of endeavour; therefore, what Scientist A has to say about climate science is significant and must carry a lot of weight.
This is just not true. Yes, Professor Haigh is a respected physicist. He's also not a climate scientist. Neither is Freeman Dyson.
Roger Ebert is a highly-respected film critic, but I wouldn't necessarily ask him for advice on setting up my home theatre. It's much the same situation. Just because someone is in some sense smart and has achieved undoubtedly good things in some field of scientific endeavour doesn't mean they really have a clue what the hell they're talking about in some other field.
"Then too there are all the embarrassing blunders made by the IPCC lately, in allowing totally unverified claims regarding glaciers, rainforests etc to filter through from hardcore green activists to official UN descriptions of the scientific state of play.
All in all, then, we'd say that our reporting is a lot more accurate than most on the environment beat. But we would say that, wouldn't we."
Yeah, you would and there's a serious problem there, too. The Reg's climate science reporting strategy is to wait until someone makes a mistake and then report on it extensively and repeatedly. Even if every piece you run is 100% factually correct, this is still not a good approach. Strictly speaking, it's 'accurate reporting', but it's not *balanced* reporting and it provides a misleading picture to your readership.
Everyone makes mistakes. I dunno, let's say - the military makes mistakes. If your military reporting desk (and I'm still not entirely sure why the hell the Reg has one, but ah well) had been around in the 1940s, it could have spent all its time waiting for the Allied forces to screw up, then reported at length on the screwups. This would have been 'accurate reporting', and anyone reading the Reg's coverage would have been under the impression that the Allied forces were losing / had lost the war. Would that be good coverage of WWII? No, it really wouldn't.
Slightly esoteric example, but hey, it applies to anything. You could report on nothing but bugs in software, and the logical conclusion from your reporting would be that no software is any good for anything at all, all it contains is bugs. I could go on, but hopefully the point is clear now: faithfully and accurately reporting only one side of the story is not good journalism, it's what Fox News does on its worst days.
hold it, maverick
"So the root cause is that there are too many humans on the planet and the numbers get larger everyday.
But this is way too controversial isnt it. So until somebody has the balls to stand up and say it we will never reduce CO2 output."
Sorry, but you're not some kind of maverick trailblazer. Lots of people have had this thought, someone reliably comes up with it in every story about climate change ever, and it's actually in all the official reports if you bother to look at them. I mean, think about it - it'd be impossible to come up with anything vaguely like an accurate study if you don't factor in population numbers, and how are you going to spend months accurately factoring population projections into your report on climate change and *not* think 'hey, this would be an awful lot simpler if people would just fucking well stop breeding!'? No, really, everyone knows it.
The point is that it's a fairly useless thought because, practically speaking, you're never going to convince the entire world population to stop having kids in a 100 year span, or even to slow down appreciably. The only country that's ever had the tiniest scrap of success in implementing population control is China, and look at the effort that entailed (and, well, the stinky ethics of it).
The other point is that it's really not that simple: what's mostly driving CO2 emissions is the rapid pace of industrial development in several parts of the developing world, notably China. As a lot of nations are being really quite successful in bootstrapping themselves up to the level of resource usage of 'developed' nations - China, India et al - their energy usage and carbon emissions per head are skyrocketing. And, as noted above, China is the one country which is actually able to manage any kind of population control. And good luck convincing the Chinese that they can save the world if they just stop building factories and cities and improving their quality of life and instead choose to spend another 1,000 years holding a buffalo on a piece of string (thanks, Terry). You wouldn't do it, why should they?
not that simple
"Call me stupid.... but how exactly does Facebook make money - how did it make that Suckerberk bloke, or whatever his name is, a billionaire?"
...
"Where does that much revenue come from? Who pays Facebook and for what?"
No-one outside of Facebook actually knows how much revenue or profit Facebook makes, because it's a private company and doesn't have to file this information publicly, but neither profit nor revenue are necessary to make Zuckerberg a billionaire. He's valued at billions of dollars on the basis of sales of shares in Facebook: if you assume that all Zuckerberg's shares are worth what others who've bought a smaller amount of Facebook shares, so far, have paid for them, then he's worth X billion dollars. He doesn't actually have X billion dollars, in cash, which Facebook made as profits and he took out of the business; it's not that simple. So Facebook makes Zuckerberg a billionaire because other people believe that Facebook is worth a lot of money and expressed that belief by paying lots of money for small shares of Facebook (the company). This belief was never actually based on the amount of revenue _or_ profit Facebook was making at the time these people / entities bought their shares.
@AC 13:37
"I find myself incredibly annoyed by both sides of this piece. After 12 years of multi-channel retail experience I can fully understand where Sir Phillip is coming from because he and his staff have the freedom to make a decision and implement it without any recourse to outside considerations or requirements, except shareholder satisfaction. "
Yeah, except it doesn't work that way. Large organizations breed inefficiency and complexity. It really doesn't matter if they're public sector or private sector.
Ask anyone who works at a company the same size as a major government - IBM, someone like that. Do they have the freedom to make decisions on their own authority without regard (I think that's what you mean when you say 'recourse') to any considerations except shareholder satisfaction? Of course they fucking don't. They have to make decisions with regard to a baffling bureaucratic mess of regulations and policies and procedures which have accumulated over the years to try and codify various different people's ideas of what might ultimately engender shareholder satisfaction. As another commenter said, the principle difference between this story and the private sector is we don't get to see the private sector's efficiency reports. I bet if we did, they'd be just as damning, at the high level. |
Q:
how to check if a shortcode is used more than one time in the same post
I've written a shortcode plugin.
Basically the plugin has the following structure:
PL::setup();
class PL {
public static function setup() {
add_shortcode("myshortcode", array ( __CLASS__,"myshortcode_handler"));
}
public static function myshortcode_handler(
... some variable assignment?
if (time the shortcode is invoked == 1) {
...
}
else {
...
}
... some other code lines
}
}
I need to distinguish the case the shortcode is invoked for the first time or not. I think I have to declare some variable, but I do not know how and where I have to declare it.
A:
I your shortcode callback myshortcode_handler() use a static variable:
function myshortcode_handler()
{
static $first_call = TRUE;
if ( ! $first_call )
{
# callback was called earlier …
}
# set it to FALSE after you have handled the condition.
$first_call = FALSE;
return;
}
Please do not misuse the global namespace for this: avoid constants, global variables and similar workarounds that might lead to unexpected conflicts.
|
<?php
namespace App\Repositories\Frontend\Wishlist;
use App\Models\Wishlist\WishlistReadModel;
use App\Models\Wishlist\WishlistItemFeedbackReadModel;
use App\Repositories\BaseRepository;
/**
* TODO: Not implemented yet.
* Class WishlistItemFeedbackRepository
* @package App\Repositories\Frontend\WishlistReadModel
*/
class WishlistItemFeedbackRepository extends BaseRepository
{
/**
* Associated Repository Model.
*/
const MODEL = WishlistItemFeedbackReadModel::class;
/**
* @param array $data
* @param bool $provider
*
* @return static
*/
public function create(array $data, $provider = false)
{
$wishListItemFeedback = self::MODEL;
$wishListItemFeedback = new $wishListItemFeedback();
$wishListItemFeedback->user_id = $data['user_id'];
$wishListItemFeedback->wishlist_id = $data['wishlist_id'];
$wishListItemFeedback->appliance_id = $data['appliance_id'];
$wishListItemFeedback->disliked = $data['disliked'];
$wishListItemFeedback->save();
return $wishListItemFeedback;
}
} |
It starts to be a common request from the network operators to share a common transport for multiple radio technologies in Radio Base Stations, RBSs, with multiple radio technologies with data traffic belonging to the same QoS class from each technology.
RBSs are developed to be placed both inside and outside buildings for serving the users and their telecommunications equipment. The casing of an RBS can contain both antennas and telecommunications circuitry. Further, the antennas and telecommunications circuitry is designed to serve a number of different Radio Access Technologies, RATs, such as WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), LTE (Long Term Evolution), Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity, also abbreviated WIFI, WI-FI, WiFi). The backhauling is based on the Internet Protocol, IP. Thus, despite RAT, all transfer of the data packets will be performed over an IP infrastructure instead of multiple, parallel dedicated network structures that are technology adapted. The one and same IP infrastructure solution has a number of advantages, e.g. simplicity, known technology, low investment costs, over a solution where each RAT is served separately resulting in separate wiring or packet infrastructure from each RBS. Thus, all data packets will be forwarded on the same wire or in the same optical fibre and packet infrastructure irrespective of the RAT a data packet originates from.
The design of the RBSs provides the possibility to cascade a number of RBSs. Each RBS is therefore provided with a switching/routing possibility. However, in a scenario wherein a large number of RBSs are aggregated in the network, and a large number of user equipments are active at the same time, this might result in congestion in the data traffic.
In small cell networks IPsec is commonly used. In one IPsec tunnel, there can be several type of radio traffic. The problem with the heterogeneous networks using IPsec is that the traffic is classified and treated in a same way, without any consideration of traffic characteristic or the type of radio access, e.g. LTE, WiFi, 3G.
Tests of congestion situations have shown that if the same Quality of Service, QoS, class is used for data packets to/from different RATs, normal scheduling will not forward data packets in a fair manner irrespective of the RAT that the data packets originate from when the data traffic from different RATs are mixed on the same wire and in the same IPsec tunnel. In the tests, the Best Effort QoS class was used for all data packet traffic. Instead of an equal and fair distribution of data packets using only a QoS based scheduling, the result became an uneven distribution between radio technologies.
Different radio access technologies such as 3G, LTE, and WiFi have different delay between the UE and application server, due to the Round Trip Time (RTT) being different depending on the radio access technology. The reason for different delay in different radio access technologies is caused by the termination point of the radio protocols as well as different radio characteristics. In 3G the Radio Network Controller (RNC) is involved in termination of radio protocols, in WiFi the access points terminates radio protocols.
There is no existing solution for accomplishing fairness between data packets originating from different access technologies when transported in an encrypted tunnel. It is impossible for the scheduler to detect and schedule data traffic flows from different technologies having the same QoS class, i.e. Quality of Service class. |
Trademark Trial and Appeal Board
The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB”) reiterated once again that you cannot register marijuana marks at the federal level. The TTAB announced its decision on July 16, 2019, rejecting Canopy Growth Corporation’s, a Canadian corporation, trademark filings for marijuana vaporizers “Juju Rx” and “Juju Hybrid.” In re Canopy Growth Corporation by assignment from JJ206, …
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The present invention relates to a reference voltage setting method and apparatus for a semiconductor IC tester, which sets a reference voltage used as the standard voltage level for supplied signals and measurement signals when inspecting the electrical properties of semiconductor IC devices.
Before shipping semiconductor IC devices as the final product, in which the performance and the quality are guaranteed, it is necessary to sample all or a part of the semiconductor IC devices at each process of manufacturing and inspection, and to inspect the electrical properties of them. A semiconductor IC tester inspects such electrical properties. The semiconductor IC tester supplies the predetermined test pattern data to a semiconductor IC device under test, reads the output data from the device under test, analyzes defect information based on the output data from the device under test to check whether there are any problems in the fundamental operation or the function of the device under test, and inspects the electrical properties.
Tests executed by the semiconductor IC tester are divided roughly into a direct current test and a function test. The direct current test is to inspect whether there are any defects in the fundamental operation of the semiconductor IC device under test by supplying a predetermined voltage or a predetermined current to input/output terminals of the device under test from a DC measurement circuit. On the other hand, the function test is to inspect whether there are any problems in the fundamental operation or the function of the semiconductor IC device under test by supplying the predetermined test pattern data to input terminals of the device under test from a pattern generator and by reading the output data from the device under test. That is, the function test changes input conditions, such as input timing, amplitude, etc., of incoming signals, such as an address, data, a write enable signal, and a tip selection signal, to the semiconductor IC devices under test, and examines the output timing, the output amplitude, etc. from the device under test.
Since pin electronics substrates, which are equipped with drivers for supplying signals, comparators for measuring signals, etc., and a back board of a test head, on which the substrates are mounted, are small, a conventional reference voltage setting apparatus for a semiconductor IC tester prepares only one ground level, which is used as the standard for supplied signals and measurement signals, in the test head, and sets a reference voltage based on it.
When the back board of the test head is comparatively small, the conventional reference voltage setting apparatus for a semiconductor IC tester has the simple structure, and has an advantage that assembly and adjustment is easy. However, when the number of the semiconductor IC devices under test, which can be inspected simultaneously, is increased and the whole equipment becomes large, the structure of the substrates itself also becomes large. In that case, variations of the substrates or variations of the test head turn into variations of the whole equipment, and variations come to arise in reference voltages among each substrate when making the reference voltage based on one place. When the reference voltages vary among each substrate, there is a disadvantage that variations arise also in levels of signals, which are supplied to the semiconductor IC devices under test.
The present invention is made in view of the problem mentioned above. The purpose of the present invention is to offer a reference voltage setting method and apparatus for a semiconductor IC tester, which is able to set a reference voltage having no variation among each substrate, even if the number of the semiconductor IC devices under test is increased and the whole equipment becomes large.
A feature of the present invention is inputting reference voltages of a certain number of semiconductor IC devices under test respectively to each substrate having drivers for supplying signals to semiconductor IC devices under test and comparators for measuring signals from said semiconductor IC devices under test, outputting a mean voltage of input reference voltages from each substrate, and setting a compound voltage of voltages, which are output from a plurality of substrates, as a reference voltage for the semiconductor IC tester.
In this invention, for example, when three (the 1st to 3rd) substrates supply and measure various signals for eight (the 1st to 8th) semiconductor IC devices under test, reference voltages of three (the 1st to 3rd) devices under test are input to the 1st substrate, reference voltages of three (the 4th to 6th) devices under test are input to the 2nd substrate, and reference voltages of two (the 7th and 8th) devices under test are input to the 3rd substrate. The reference voltages of the 1st to 3rd semiconductor IC devices under test input to the 1st substrate are added and averaged by the 1st level generating circuit prepared on the 1st substrate. The reference voltages of the 4th to 6th semiconductor IC devices under test input to the 2nd substrate are added and averaged by the 2nd level generating circuit prepared on the 2nd substrate. The reference voltages of the 7th and 8th semiconductor IC devices under test input to the 3rd substrate are added and averaged by the 3rd level generating circuit prepared on the 3rd substrate. Mean voltages made in the 1st to 3rd substrates are connected to each other among the 1st to 3rd substrates, and a compound voltage comes out at a connecting point. This compound voltage is set as a reference voltage for the semiconductor IC tester. By this, variations of the reference voltages among the substrates, which are used in the test head, and variations of the reference voltages within each substrate are minimized even if the number of the semiconductor IC devices under test is increased and the whole equipment becomes large. Moreover, in order to raise the test level accuracy of the semiconductor IC devices under test, it becomes possible to always make the reference voltages of the semiconductor IC devices under test into the standard for the semiconductor IC tester.
Another feature of the present invention is setting the compound voltage as a reference voltage for a voltage/current measurement circuit of the semiconductor IC device under test. By this, the voltage/current measurement is performed correctly since the same voltage or the same current is supplied to all semiconductor devices under test.
Another feature of the present invention is connecting lines, which input the reference voltages of a certain number of semiconductor IC devices under test to each substrate, to the ground through resistors respectively, and setting a compound voltage of voltages, which are detected through said resistors, when there is no semiconductor IC device under test, as a reference voltage for a self-diagnostic mode of the semiconductor IC tester. By this, a self-diagnosis is performed correctly even if the semiconductor IC device under test does not exist during the self-diagnostic mode since voltages of the nearest portions to the output parts of the substrates are made into the reference voltage.
Another feature of the present invention, when there are n semiconductor IC devices under test and m substrates, is that the number of semiconductor IC devices under test, of which the reference voltages are input to each substrate, corresponds to a whole number obtained by rounding up a fraction of n divided by m, and a mean voltage of input reference voltages is output from each substrate respectively. For example, when m=3 substrates supply and measure various signals for n=8 semiconductor IC devices under test, a whole number obtained by rounding up a fraction of n divided by m (8/3=2.66 . . . is three. Therefore, reference voltages of three (the 1st to 3rd) devices under test are input to the 1st substrate, reference voltages of three (the 4th to 6th) devices under test are input to the 2nd substrate, and reference voltages of the rest (the 7th and 8th) devices under test are input to the 3rd substrate. By equalizing the number of the reference voltages input to each substrate, variations of the reference voltages among the substrates, which are used in the test head, and variations of the reference voltages within each substrate are minimized. |
After being largely silent on the themes of sin and forgiveness for decades, theologians are returning to these themes with renewed intensity. Radical changes in contemporary society, however - such as the ways we experience guilt and shame, and liberation from both - require that we reconsider just exactly what sin is and, attendant to that, what forgiveness is as well. Pride in oneself, for example, a self-oriented self-affirmation of one's beauty or strength, which traditionally has been thought of as suspect at best, is now considered essential by society for an integrated life, and this emphasis has blurred the boundary between necessary self-assertion and sinful self-justification. In addition, many pressing questions arise from the contemporary scene: How do the biblical concepts of sin and forgiveness relate to our therapeutic society, informed as it is by psychology and the social sciences? How should we view the biblical language of atonement today? How does sin relate to the meaninglessness many feel in life? How can we make it clear that sin includes much more than questions of sexuality and morality? How must traditional dogmatic teaching on sin be reformulated to include the questions and insights of feminist theology, liberation theology, and economic ethics? How can we talk about God, human sin, and evil after Auschwitz and in view of the technical possibility of mass destruction? In this volume Christof Gestrich provides a thoroughgoing examination of the doctrine of sin and forgiveness in light of these and other important questions. Gestrich first canvasses developments in the doctrine of sin and evil from the thought of Augustine to contemporary times and discusses in depth such topics as the impact of philosophy on the theological doctrines of sin and humanity, the various theological interpretations of the fall and of original sin, and understanding evil in our time. He then turns to a discussion of the meaning and importance of the forgiveness of sins - the true means to the return of splendor in the world. |
/*
* Copyright (C) 2005 rpath, Inc.
*
* This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
* it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
* the Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option)
* any later version.
*
* This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
* but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
* MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
* GNU General Public License for more details.
*
* You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
* along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
* Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.
*/
#include <glib.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include "tiffio.h"
typedef struct _TIFF2PSContext TIFF2PSContext;
TIFF2PSContext *tiff2ps_context_new(const gchar *filename);
void tiff2ps_process_page(TIFF2PSContext* ctx, TIFF* tif,
double pagewidth, double pageheight,
double leftmargin, double bottommargin,
gboolean center);
void tiff2ps_context_finalize(TIFF2PSContext* ctx);
|
[The effects of photocoagulation on the electrical activity of the diabetic retina].
The aim of photocoagulation in diabetic retinopathy is to destroy ischaemic retina because this produces a vasogenic factor, responsible of neovascularization. Retinal burn reduces the number of photoreceptors and effects the transmission of nervous impulse in areas close to those coagulated. It is presumable therefore that electroretinographic parameters will be significantly modified after treatment. 23 diabetic patients where investigated, resulting 43 scotopic electroretinograms, 41 photopic electroretinograms and 46 flicker electroretinograms, each eye being considered separately. The statistic analysis showed significant alterations with laser treatment of the amplitudes of a and b waves in both scotopic and photopic conditions as well as diminished amplitude of the flicker test. |
As the American midterm election campaigns head to the finish line, the Obama administration is trying to convince Jewish voters that its treatment of Israel is not as hostile as it appears. In fact, it's worse. The U.S. State Department has now adopted a practice honed by Israel's Arab negotiating partners – saying different things to different audiences. The State Department is distributing for American consumption speeches that it claims were delivered in Israel's defense at the recent session of the U.N. Human Rights Council. But the remarks American diplomats actually delivered to the U.N. audience, which President Obama so desperately seeks to impress, were strikingly different.
The foreign policy deception involves the U.N. Human Rights Council, which the president decided to join soon after taking office. At the beginning of October the Human Rights Council concluded its fifteenth session, marking the end of a full year of American membership on the U.N.'s lead human rights body. U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, Eileen Donahoe marked the occasion by declaring that the Human Rights Council had "made historic progress...in advancing the rights of human rights defenders throughout the world." But her claim turns on the virtue of legitimizing the demonization of Israel in favor of other people's human rights.
At this latest session, the Human Rights Council had before it two extraordinarily ugly reports condemning Israel. One was aimed at keeping alive last year's Goldstone Report, a modern-day blood libel alleging that the 2009 Gaza war was not fought in self-defense but was a deliberate move by Israel to murder Palestinian civilians. The new report, produced for this session, repeats the odious claim that Israel engaged in "violence against civilians as part of a deliberate policy" and goes on to criticize Israel's legal system for failing to mount a witch hunt for "officials at the highest levels." Referring to the Hamas internal "investigation," which repeatedly exonerated itself from all wrongdoing, the U.N.'s team could only conclude that it "is not in a position to ascertain the veracity of any of these assertions." It was produced by a committee chaired by German lawyer Christian Tomuschat, who once provided legal advice to Yasser Arafat's PLO.
When it came time for the Human Rights Council to take up the report the Obama administration sought to manufacture a middle ground. Knowing that the committee's mandate was to implement the infamous conclusions of the Goldstone Report, Ambassador Donahoe told the Human Rights Council on September 27: "We appreciate that the Tomuschat Committee did not jump to conclusions..." She also praised the committee on the grounds that it "did not recommend any further UN action," despite the fact that the report was written so that it would guarantee the committee's reappointment. Indeed, the Tomuschat committee was reappointed together "with all administrative, technical and logistic assistance" they could dream of, shortly thereafter.
Then Ambassador Donahoe varied her speech from the version now gracing the State Department website. She dropped these words: "Because Israel has the right and the demonstrated ability to conduct credible investigations and serious self-scrutiny, further follow-up of the Goldstone Report by UN bodies is unnecessary and unwarranted."
This was not a one-off occurrence. The second Israel-bashing report before the Human Rights Council had been commissioned last June following the flotilla incident, in which 9 Turkish-backed extremists died after they tried to ram an Israeli blockade of Hamas-run Gaza. The Human Rights Council "investigation," created within 48 hours of the incident, was carried out by a carefully selected three-person group that included one Desmond de Silva. De Silva had jointly headed a British law office with a Palestinian legal advisor, and their law practice had hosted the legal team supporting a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state. De Silva was unabashed about his predilection to grease legal wheels for terrorists. He told the Human Rights Council on September 28: "[E]ven if Bin Laden himself was on board the Mavi Marmara" – the vessel on which the deaths occurred – "it wouldn't have made the blockade legal."
The flotilla investigative group that included de Silva said it couldn't trust Israeli video evidence of the incident, and called the thugs who nearly murdered Israeli soldiers "persons genuinely committed to the spirit of humanitarianism." These "experts" couldn't think of a single "military advantage" for the Israeli blockade – a key test in determining whether Israel's action was legal – though the blockade obviously prevents the creation of an Iranian weapons depot on the Mediterranean a few miles from Israeli population centers. Instead, they produced the usual U.N. laundry list of wild accusations and demands, such as prosecuting Israelis for torture. Hamas immediately "hailed the contents of the report...on the massacre perpetrated by the Zionist forces against international activists on board the fleet of freedom."
When this despicable report came to the Human Rights Council for discussion, the State Department website claims Ambassador Donahoe delivered a speech, saying: "We have received the lengthy report of the fact-finding mission. We are concerned by the report's unbalanced language, tone and conclusions." But on September 28 what she actually said to the Council was this: "On an initial reading, we are concerned by the report's unbalanced language, tone and conclusions."
And again on September 27, the State Department gave the U.N. a Donahoe speech to post on the U.N. website which includes an important defense of Israel – all of which was omitted from her actual delivery:
In contrast to the unbalanced mechanisms adopted under this agenda item, Israel has been conducting its own process of credible investigations, and Israeli officials have been actively engaged in scrutinizing doctrinal issues. Israel has also established an independent public commission to examine the Israeli mechanism for investigating complaints and claims raised in relation to violations of the laws of armed conflict. This commission is headed by respected Israeli jurist Yaakov Turkel and includes two international observers: Nobel Peace Prize laureate Lord David Trimble and former Canadian Judge Advocate General Kenneth Watkin. This commission, along with the ongoing inquiries and changes in combat doctrine demonstrate Israel's ability to conduct credible investigations and serious self-scrutiny, and we urge this Council to consider these factors as it deliberates.
A few days later, on September 29, the Human Rights Council voted to approve the Goldstone-Tomuschat and flotilla reports. Widespread repugnance in America and Israel over the Goldstone report made it impossible for the administration to support a report following it up. But on the flotilla episode, the administration rejected the Human Rights Council's flotilla investigation only to bind Israel to an investigation created by the U.N. secretary general. The president pressured Israel to accept – for the first time in Israel's history – oversight of the Israel Defense Forces by the U.N. The Turkel commission, Nobel laureates and all, were disposable. Of course, if President Obama were ever to agree to put the American armed forces under a similar knife, his presidency would be doomed.
As a result, some acrobatics were required at the Human Rights Council when the Obama administration had to explain its position for and against U.N. investigations of Israel. So on the Goldstone-Tomuschat resolution, Donahoe said: "...we did not support international oversight of domestic legal processes absent an indication that they are manifestly failing to deal seriously with alleged abuses...Extension of the committee of experts at this point is unnecessary and unhelpful." And on the flotilla resolution Donahoe said: "the Secretary-General's...panel is the primary method for the international community to review the incident." Following these contradictory explanations, which inspired no support from the other Human Rights Council members, the U.S. voted against in both cases. The resolutions passed handily.
At the conclusion of this session, the Human Rights Council's demonization of Israel stood at an all-time high. With the Goldstone-Tomuschat and flotilla resolutions, the Human Rights Council maintained its record of having adopted more resolutions and decisions condemning Israel than all other 191 U.N. states combined. The Human Rights Council had spent as much time attacking Israel than it did on its one agenda item for "human-rights situations that require the Council's attention" anywhere else in the world.
But for the Obama administration this was an "historic" session advancing human rights. On October 1, Ambassador Donahoe pointed to the creation of a new investigator on the theme of freedom of association and assembly and a new working group to monitor "discrimination against women in law and practice." The firm Obama storyline on the Council was articulated by Ambassador Donahoe in an op-ed in the New York Times on September 13: "I have been very pleased by several developments that confirm U.S. participation was the correct decision."
So, as President Obama would say, let us be clear. This administration's message is that demonizing Israelis is a price worth paying for the sake of other people's human rights. "Several developments" for anybody else trump several losses for the Jewish state. Legitimizing the Human Rights Council with American membership and financial support is justified regardless of the threat that it poses to the safety and security of the Jewish people. The Obama administration ought to know better. Equality and human dignity cannot be built on the inequality of the few.
As gross human-rights violations continue to plague much of our planet, the U.N.'s lead human-rights body, the Human Rights Council, remains fixated on Israel, leaving the Obama administration in need of a strategy for justifying its policy of "engagement," and particularly American membership in the HRC. The new strategy of choice? Misrepresentation. The State Department has posted on its website an account, photo and all, of HRC action on an egregious human-rights violation - action that didn't happen.
Soon after he took office, President Obama decided the United States should join the HRC. On October 1, the last day of the HRC's most recent session, the United States' U.N. mission to Geneva issued a press release heralding the administration's engagement approach. Ambassador Eileen Donahoe, who chaired the finance committee of National Women for Obama during the 2008 campaign, is quoted as declaring that the council has "made historic progress . . . in advancing the rights of human-rights defenders throughout the world." But her sales pitch depends on a serious distortion of events.
By the time this "historic" session advancing human rights had ended, the council had spent the same amount of time on its agenda item devoted entirely to Israel-bashing as on its single agenda item on all the "human-rights situations that require the Council's attention" anywhere else in the world. Tallying all the resolutions that the Council adopted targeting any of the 192 U.N. member states, there were two resolutions condemning Israel, one resolution on "assistance" to Somalia, one on "advisory services and technical assistance" to Cambodia, and one "congratulat[ing] the Government and the people of the Sudan for . . . the April 2010 elections." Those were the widely criticized elections that handed President Bashir another term after 21 years in office, notwithstanding that he has been indicted for genocide by the International Criminal Court.
Justifying American membership on the council and the legitimization that U.S. membership brings is, therefore, a challenge. But few would have expected that the administration would attempt to meet that challenge by leading the American public to believe the council had held a meeting to respond to a terrible human-rights violation - when in fact no such meeting had taken place.
Since late July, gang rapes have been systematically carried out in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and impunity for the rapists has been standard practice. The attackers are mostly members of rebel militias, but government troops have also been implicated. Victims have included baby boys and women aged 110. U.N. peacekeepers stationed just 20 miles away, and warned of impending violence, did nothing to stop 240 rapes over a four-day period in early August. Given what we know about the council's routine in the case of Israel, it could have held a special session, or held an urgent debate during September's regular session, or started an investigation, or adopted a resolution condemning the atrocities and demanding that the perpetrators be prosecuted.
The council did none of the above. On September 27, two months after the attacks began, it held an "informal dialogue" on the DRC during a lunch hour. The meeting was not listed in the U.N. bulletin that is supposed to provide notice of informal meetings. The council president gave just 15 minutes' advance notification of the event, which was deliberately organized to take place outside the council chamber. This meant there was no webcasting service, no recording of the event, and no U.N. press release summarizing it. The DRC minister on human rights and justice, who had originally indicated he would come, did not show up; thus the so-called dialogue was held without the representative of the state involved. To put it in perspective, a lunch meeting on systematic mass rapes had less status than the lunch meeting organized a few weeks earlier with plenty of notice in the U.N. bulletin on "Non-State Service Provision in Water and Sanitation."
But here is how the Obama administration scriptwriters rewrote it. The U.S. mission to Geneva issued a press release with the title: "United States Welcomes Engagement by Human Rights Council on Abuses in DRC." The press release included a large file photo of a full meeting in the council chamber - though the "informal dialogue" had deliberately not been scheduled in that chamber.
Human Rights Council - Archive Photo
The administration's press release quotes Ambassador Donahoe as gushing: "Today's meeting demonstrated that the Council can react to events in real time." A few days later, Donahoe wrapped up the council session with the following praise: "I also recognize the forward movement made on other important human-rights issues this session. . . . I welcome the council's engagement on the issue of the mass rapes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This showed the council's ability to react to real events in real time and to contribute its voice to this important issue."
Not only was two months later not "real time," but the council itself had not reacted at all. By comparison, in response to the Koran burning in Florida that was called off, the council issued an agreed statement demanding "practical steps to end such intolerance." Agreement on practical steps to end such intolerance as gang-raping the DRC's women and children, however, was beyond it.
The Obama administration is pouring significant energy into making U.S. membership on the Human Rights Council a shining example of the benefits of engagement. Back in September, Donahoe penned a New York Times op-ed entitled "Fighting the Good Fight," in which she said: "I have been very pleased by several developments that confirm U.S. participation was the correct decision." Three weeks later she was heralding "historic progress." She pointed to the creation of a new post of U.N. investigator on the theme of freedom of association and assembly and a new working group to monitor "discrimination against women in law and practice." Attempts by U.N. thematic human-rights investigators to gain entry and report on the world's worst states, however, routinely fail. And whatever they find, they can expect the same wall of silence with which the council greeted the rape victims of the DRC. Unless, of course, they target Israel.
What the Obama administration is really communicating is that demonizing Israelis and granting exception clauses for African women and children can be offset by human-rights "progress" on other fronts. Little wonder that its tall tales justifying American membership on the Human Rights Council aren't convincing. |
Silicon Valley may have a glut of bachelors, just as Alex Williams describes in his New York Times article about the successful and single entrepreneurs of the tech world, but from what we know about that part of the world, these men don't sound so appealing.
Now that Facebook and the rest of the social Web has succeeded in making the world more "open and connected" in the words of Social Internet King Mark Zuckerberg, the next phase of Internet will move beyond just connecting us to telling us what to do.
In this whole social media bubble implosion scenario, LinkedIn often gets portrayed as the angelic social media company that actually makes money and has a useful purpose compared to that wanton do-no-good social network Facebook -- until today.
At yesterday's launch event for Airtime, Sean Parker noted the Internet has gotten boring, repeating a variation on the same SoMoLo (Silicon Valley speak for social, mobile, local) theme over and over and over again — and then he launched something that looks like the rest of the Internet.
This afternoon Napster creators Sean Parker and Shawn Fanning launched something that sounds awfully similar to Chatroulette, that randomized video chatting service turned into a hub for exhibitionist men before it was shut down.
Following Facebook's IPO disappointment and subsequent stock market fizzle, the rest of Silicon Valley has started to feel the after-shocks, furthering our suspicions that this is a very selfish social media bubble.
Throughout this Facebook IPO fail advertising has gotten a lot of the blame for the social network's lack of stock market success, but today another possible money-making problem has come to our attention: user growth.
The latest front in the great Google-Apple war is to provide 3D maps on Smartphones, which at first sounds like a chest-thumping battle of techno-corporate pride, but after a bit of investigation might actually benefit people who are stuck with plain old 2D.
After discovering that it was bath salts that turned 31-year-old Rudy Eugene into the face-eating "Miami Zombie," we did some crowd-sourcing -- ie. asked our colleagues at The Atlantic Wire -- and realized we don't know much about these bath salt things. |
An anomalous retrocaval right iliac artery in a patient with an aortic aneurysm. A case report.
A case of anomalous retrocaval right common iliac artery in a patient with an abdominal aortic aneurysm is presented. In addition to being retrocaval the artery also made a wide loop deep in behind the fibres of the psoas muscle, becoming visible again in the minor pelvis. The incidence of venous and arterial anomalies is briefly discussed, and a summary review of the literature presented. |
May 17, 2017 1:15 am
The idyllic idea of languishing on a warm breezy afternoon in the snug comfort of a backyard hammock is very appealing.
But did you know that hanging around in your hammock can have a few health benefits? A 2011 study showed that rocking during a nap leads to the synchronization of brain waves, which results in the quicker onset of sleep and deeper sleep benefits.
According to a study by Neuroscientists at the University of Geneva, the kind of rocking movement one experiences in a hammock increased the length of N2 sleep, a form of non-REM sleep that takes up about half of a good night's rest.
It also increased slow oscillations and "sleep spindles" - brief bursts of brain activity that can cut into deep sleeping patterns. So hammocks can sometimes act as a natural cure for insomnia. The experts at Patio34,com in Oswego, Ill. say it's because there are no pressure points on your body.
While it can be difficult to get comfortable when settling into bed or onto the sofa, painful pressure points are soothed when you’re in a hanging hammock.
In addition, experts say that the best sleeping position is one in which you lay on your back with your head slightly elevated - just like the way you lay in a hammock. This opens the air passageways for unobstructed breathing and encourages healthy blood circulation.
So taking good care of your hammock is important - you want it ready and waiting when it's time to relay, right?
So here are a few quick tips to keep your hammock in tip-top condition from Patio43.com:
- Be mindful of the weight limit - putting excess weight on one can result in tears to the fiber or even large-scale rips.
- Bring it in during extreme weather - heavy snow, rain, winds, and other environmental factors can cause excess damage.
- Keep it free of debris - bacteria grows on natural debris, like fallen leaves and twigs, and lead to the growth of mold or mildew, so wipe off debris right away.
- Know your hammock's material - some are more weather-, mold-, and stain-resistant than others. So pay extra attention to manufacturer's recommendations for care, and follow them! |
Q:
How do I include PHP required libs in an AWS EMR streaming cluster
I've created a PHP project that converts JSON format into AVRO format.
The original project requires PHP libs that I'm not sure how to add on EMR.
This is the stderr log received by EMR:
PHP Warning: require_once(vendor/autoload.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /mnt/var/lib/hadoop/tmp/nm-local-dir/usercache/hadoop/filecache/12/convert-json-to-avro.php on line 3
PHP Fatal error: require_once(): Failed opening required 'vendor/autoload.php' (include_path='.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') in /mnt/var/lib/hadoop/tmp/nm-local- dir/usercache/hadoop/filecache/12/convert-json-to-avro.php on line 3
log4j:WARN No appenders could be found for logger (amazon.emr.metrics.MetricsUtil).
log4j:WARN Please initialize the log4j system properly.
log4j:WARN See http://logging.apache.org/log4j/1.2/faq.html#noconfig for more info.
And here is the main code for the mapper:
#!/usr/bin/php
<?php
require_once 'vendor/autoload.php';
error_reporting(E_ALL);
ini_set('display_errors', 1);
$outputFile = __DIR__ . '/test_avro_out.avr';
$avroJsonSchema = file_get_contents(__DIR__ . '/HttpRequestEvent.avsc');
// Open $file_name for writing, using the given writer's schema
$avroWriter = AvroDataIO::open_file($outputFile, 'w', $avroJsonSchema);
$counter = 1;
while (($buf = fgets(STDIN)) !== false) {
try {
//replace ,null: with ,"null": to prevent map keys which are not strings.
$original = array("null:","userIp");
$replaceWith = array("\"null\":", "userIP");
$data = json_decode(str_replace($original, $replaceWith, $buf), true);
//print_r($buf);
if ($data === false || $data == null ) {
throw new InvalidArgumentException("Unable to parse JSON line");
}
$mapped = map_request_event($data);
var_dump($mapped);
//$avroWriter->append($mapped);
//echo json_encode($mapped), "\n";
} catch (Exception $ex) {
fprintf(STDERR, "Caught exception: %s\n", $ex->getMessage());
fprintf(STDERR, "Line num: %s\n",$counter);
fprintf(STDERR, "buf: %s\n", $buf);
}
$counter++;
}
$avroWriter->close();
Notice I'm using the require_once 'vendor/autoload.php'; which states that autoload.php is under the folder vendor.
What is the right way to load the vendor folder into the EMR cluster (there are needed files there)?
Should the require_once path change?
Thanks.
A:
Following Guy's comment I've used a bash script similar to the one you can find here.
I've changed the require_once 'vendor/autoload.php' line in the code to point to the location where i dropped my files. (/home/hadoop/contents worked perfect).
lastly I've added an EMR bootstrap custom step where you can add the bash script so it can run before the PHP streaming step.
|
Blessed Titus Brandsma: A Strong and Merciful Father
Virtually everyone is familiar with the parable of the merciful father who welcomes back the prodigal son, as it has been told and imitated a thousand times in Christian history. Here, however, we would like to describe an actual historical exemplification of this parable. In the following story, fatherhood is encapsulated in the act of the merciful “regeneration” of a lost soul who converts even as she is responsible for killing the person who prompted her regeneration.
What follows is the powerful story of Father Titus Brandsma (1881-1942), a Dutch Carmelite priest who was deported and killed by the Nazis in the infamous Dachau concentration camp. (Source: Romeral, F. Millan. II coraggio della verita. Il Beato Tito Brandsma. Ancora, 2012.) At 59 years old, Father Brandsma was a professor of philosophy and the history of mysticism at the Catholic University of Nijmegen in the Netherlands, where he also had the title of Rector Magnijicus.
As early as 1936 — in an era when news was not well disseminated or very reliable — he collaborated on a book entitled Dutch Voices on the Treatment of Jews in Germany. He wrote: “What is happening now against the Jews is an act of cowardice. The enemies and adversaries of that people are truly wretched if they believe they must act in such an inhumane way and if they think such action manifests or increases the strength of the German people. This is an illusion of weakness.”
German officials responded by classifying him an “evil professor.” Yet he was aware of his responsibility as a teacher, and he did not back down. In the academic year of 1938-39, he was already teaching on the “disastrous trends” of National Socialism (Nazism). His course dealt with the following fundamental arguments: the value and dignity of each and every human being whether healthy or sick; the equality and inherent goodness of all races; the indestructible and primary value of natural law over ideology; the presence and guidance of God throughout human history against political messianism; and idolatry of power. And all the while, he was aware that there were (Nazi) party spies present in his audience.
In 1941, the question exploded as to whether or not Catholic newspapers in the Netherlands should publish press releases and advertisements of the Dutch National Socialist Movement as required by a new law. Father Titus — who was then spiritual director to Catholic journalists — wasted no time in circulating the following memorandum: “Publishers and editors should know that they will have to formally reject such communications if they wish to preserve the Catholic identity of their newspapers. And they should do so even if such refusal leads to the newspaper being threatened, fined, or suspended temporarily or even permanently. There is nothing else possible to do. With this, we have reached our limit. Otherwise, they shall no longer be considered Catholic ... and they shall not, nor will they be able to rely on Catholic readers and subscribers any longer, and they shall end in disgrace.”
A few months later, Professor Brandsma was arrested and deported to the notorious Dachau concentration camp where he was subjected to every manner of humiliation and torture. And when it finally became necessary to admit him to the field hospital, his fate was sealed. We know what happened due to an exceptional eyewitness: the following account comes from the woman herself who killed him and who later converted because she could not rid herself of the memory of Father Titus.
She was a nurse by profession, but she obeyed the inhumane orders of the medical officers out of fear. She said that when Father Titus “was admitted into the infirmary, he was already on the ‘dead list.”’ She also described how sick experiments were performed on the patients (which she opposed) — including on Father Titus — and how its memory was burned within her. She said that the priest endured the abuse, repeating over and over, “Father, not my will, but may yours be done.” She related how all the patients hated her and routinely insulted her with the most disparaging names. (Such hatred was cordially reciprocated.) However, she was struck by the way the elderly priest treated her, instead, with the gentleness and respect of a father. She said, “He once took my hand and said to me, ‘What a poor girl you are, I will pray for you.’”
The prisoner gave her his own poor rosary made of copper and wood. However, this only irritated her, and she said she had no need of such an object because she did not know how to pray. Father Titus, however, responded: “You need not say the entire Hail Mary. Say only, ‘Pray for us sinners.’”
On that fateful day of July 25, 1942, the ward doctor handed her the syringe filled with carbolic acid to inject into Father Titus’ veins. It was a routine procedure which the nurse had already done hundreds of times. Yet the poor woman later recalled “feeling sick for the rest of the day.” The injection was administered at 1:50 p.m. and Father Titus died at 2:00 p.m. “I was there when he died,” the nurse later testified. “The doctor was sitting next to his bed with a stethoscope for the sake of appearances. When Father Tito’s heart stopped beating, he commented, ‘This pig is dead.’”
Father Titus always spoke well about his captors and torturers: “They, too, are children of the good God, and perhaps something still remains within them.” And God would grant him this final miracle. The camp doctor sarcastically referred to the poisonous syringe as an “injection of grace.” And while the nurse injected it into his veins, it was the intercession of Father Titus that truly instilled the grace of God within her. And during the process of canonization, the poor woman explained that the image of that old priest remained forever impressed in her memory. She saw something in his face that she had never before experienced. She said simply: “He had compassion on me.” Like Christ.
As Carmelites We live our life of allegiance to Jesus Christ and to serve Him faithfully with a pure heart and a clear conscience through a commitment to seek the face of the living God (the contemplative dimension of life), through prayer, through fraternity, and through service (diakonia). These three fundamental elements of the charism are not distinct and unrelated values, but closely interwoven.
All of these we live under the protection, inspiration and guidance of Mary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, whom we honor as "our Mother and sister."
From Elijah, Carmelites learn to be people of the desert, with heart undivided, standing before God and entirely dedicated to his service, uncompromising in the choice to serve God’s cause, aflame with a passionate love for God. |
;//###########################################################################
;//
;// FILE: F2837xD_usDelay.asm
;//
;// TITLE: Simple delay function
;//
;// DESCRIPTION:
;// This is a simple delay function that can be used to insert a specified
;// delay into code.
;// This function is only accurate if executed from internal zero-waitstate
;// SARAM. If it is executed from waitstate memory then the delay will be
;// longer then specified.
;// To use this function:
;// 1 - update the CPU clock speed in the F2837xD_Examples.h
;// file. For example:
;// #define CPU_RATE 6.667L // for a 150MHz CPU clock speed
;// 2 - Call this function by using the DELAY_US(A) macro
;// that is defined in the F2837xD_Device.h file. This macro
;// will convert the number of microseconds specified
;// into a loop count for use with this function.
;// This count will be based on the CPU frequency you specify.
;// 3 - For the most accurate delay
;// - Execute this function in 0 waitstate RAM.
;// - Disable interrupts before calling the function
;// If you do not disable interrupts, then think of
;// this as an "at least" delay function as the actual
;// delay may be longer.
;// The C assembly call from the DELAY_US(time) macro will
;// look as follows:
;// extern void Delay(long LoopCount);
;// MOV AL,#LowLoopCount
;// MOV AH,#HighLoopCount
;// LCR _Delay
;// Or as follows (if count is less then 16-bits):
;// MOV ACC,#LoopCount
;// LCR _Delay
;//
;//###########################################################################
;// $TI Release: F2837xD Support Library v3.05.00.00 $
;// $Release Date: Tue Jun 26 03:15:23 CDT 2018 $
;// $Copyright:
;// Copyright (C) 2013-2018 Texas Instruments Incorporated - http://www.ti.com/
;//
;// Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
;// modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
;// are met:
;//
;// Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
;// notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
;//
;// Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
;// notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
;// documentation and/or other materials provided with the
;// distribution.
;//
;// Neither the name of Texas Instruments Incorporated nor the names of
;// its contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived
;// from this software without specific prior written permission.
;//
;// THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
;// "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
;// LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR
;// A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT
;// OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
;// SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT
;// LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE,
;// DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY
;// THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
;// (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
;// OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
;// $
;//###########################################################################
.def _F28x_usDelay
.cdecls LIST ;;Used to populate __TI_COMPILER_VERSION__ macro
%{
%}
.if __TI_COMPILER_VERSION__
.if __TI_COMPILER_VERSION__ >= 15009000
.sect ".TI.ramfunc" ;;Used with compiler v15.9.0 and newer
.else
.sect "ramfuncs" ;;Used with compilers older than v15.9.0
.endif
.endif
.global __F28x_usDelay
_F28x_usDelay:
SUB ACC,#1
BF _F28x_usDelay,GEQ ;; Loop if ACC >= 0
LRETR
;There is a 9/10 cycle overhead and each loop
;takes five cycles. The LoopCount is given by
;the following formula:
; DELAY_CPU_CYCLES = 9 + 5*LoopCount
; LoopCount = (DELAY_CPU_CYCLES - 9) / 5
; The macro DELAY_US(A) performs this calculation for you
;
;
;//
;// End of file
;//
|
INTERPOL is the world’s largest international police organization, with 190 member countries. Our role is to enable police around the world to work together to make the world a safer place. Our high-tech infrastructure of technical and operational support helps meet the growing challenges of fighting crime in the 21st century.
This is where you will find the latest news and multimedia from INTERPOL. Read our news stories and speeches; see the Organization in action through videos and photo galleries; and download our fact sheets, brochures and annual reports.
Our global police communications channels and internationally recognized alert systems allow police around the world to share data instantly and securely. A 24-hour contact point and specialized teams provide targeted support to serious crime or disaster incidents.
Jordan marks close cooperation with INTERPOL with formal recognition of travel document
LYON, France – Emphasizing Jordan’s commitment to international law enforcement cooperation, Jordan’s Director of Public Security, General Tawfiq Al-Tawalbeh, has formally recognized the INTERPOL Travel Document during his visit to the world police body’s General Secretariat headquarters.
General Al-Tawalbeh and INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble signed the agreement which will significantly speed up the ability for INTERPOL officials to respond to any calls for assistance or support from Jordan. To date, 62 member countries have recognized the INTERPOL Travel Document.
“Jordan is committed to international police cooperation via INTERPOL and is therefore proud to be among those member countries which have recognized the INTERPOL Travel Document,” said General Tawfiq Al-Tawalbeh.
“We look forward to extending our positive relationship with INTERPOL even further in combating all forms of transnational crime,” he added.
In addition to Jordan’s formal recognition of INTERPOL’s Travel Document, Secretary General Noble said the country’s active cooperation with INTERPOL via its National Central Bureau (NCB) in Amman was making a real difference in boosting regional and global security, including in anti-corruption, drugs and counter-terrorism efforts.
Mr Noble highlighted for example how the Jordanian Anti-Corruption Commission (JACC) is of the most active entities supporting the Global Focal Point Initiative established by INTERPOL and StAR (the Stolen Asset Recovery programme – a partnership between the World Bank and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) aiming to create a global network of anti-corruption practitioners. In July 2012 Jordan hosted in Amman the 3rd StAR-INTERPOL Asset Recovery Focal Points Meeting.
“Jordan is a strong supporter of INTERPOL in tackling a range of transnational crime areas and its formal recognition of the INTERPOL Travel Document is further demonstration of its commitment to our ongoing collective efforts to make the world a safer place,” said Secretary General Noble.
“Director of Public Security Al-Tawalbeh’s visit to INTERPOL has enabled us to identify other areas where we can work even more closely together, especially given Jordan’s strategic regional importance,” added the INTERPOL Chief.
During his visit, Jordan’s Director of Public Security – accompanied byLieutenant Colonel Maher Amin Almakhamreh, Head of Public Security Directorate,Colonel Issa Amal Qaqish, Head of INTERPOL’s NCB in Amman, and Lieutenant Mohammed Abedalaziz Alda’ajeh of the Public Security Directorate – also met with other senior INTERPOL officials and was updated on the world police body’s global tools and services. |
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2,000 Netflix Movies to Disappear, One of the most frequent complaints about Netflix (fair or not) is the supposed paucity of titles available for streaming. That complaint is about to get louder and more frequent because about 1,800 titles will be pulled because Netflix's (NFLX) licensing agreements for them are expiring today.
It's being called "The Great Netflix Purge" and "Streamageddon" (sometimes by the same publication). Titles from Warner Bros., MGM, and Universal will vanish from the service today. Netflix is pooh-poohing it, of course, sending out statements to argue that it's all part of the "churn" that Netflix has always been subject to as it lets some licensing deals go while signing new ones. The company told The Verge that the number of titles the streaming service carries isn't all that important anyway. Netflix's mission, the statement said is not to be a "broad distributor," but rather an "expert programmer."
Part of that expert programming, of course, is the original shows Netflix is producing, like "Arrested Development" and "House of Cards." As for its catalog, the company accurately notes that even as many titles are expiring, new ones are being added. Even today, some 500 new titles are being made available. This "ebb and flow happens all the time," the company said.
But this is more ebb and less flow than usual, one that viewers are much more likely to notice, and complain about.
None of this, though, seems to be stopping the company's momentum. Netflix announced a week ago that it had attracted more than 2 million new domestic subscribers in its first quarter, substantially besting analysts' guesses. Another million were added in foreign markets. Analysts attribute the gains largely to the original programming, particularly "House of Cards." A large majority of the people who signed up for a free trial in order to watch that series have -- so far -- stayed with Netflix. The company now boasts 29.2 million U.S. customers. CEO Reed Hastings says his goal is for that number to reach 90 million. And the service does, after all, offer about 75,000 titles to choose from.
The markets don't seem particularly fazed by the "purge," either. Shares are down today -- an off day for the market -- but only by about 1.5%. At their midday price of $212.65, shares are still 30% higher than they were just before the company announced its earnings and subscriber numbers a week ago. Shares have risen by 161% over the past year. It would seem that the company has put its stumbles of a couple of years ago fully behind it. |
Inorganic materials acting as heterogeneous photocatalysts and catalysts in the same reactions.
General considerations on the differences and similarities between heterogeneous photocatalysis and thermal catalysis are presented. Some research papers are reviewed where a reaction has been carried out in the presence of an inorganic material used both as catalyst and photocatalyst. The existing literature often compares catalytic reactions undertaken with the contemporaneous presence of radiation, showing only that photocatalytic reactions can occur under milder experimental conditions and at much lower temperatures. Nevertheless, differences in mechanistic aspects, conversions and selectivities between catalytic and photocatalytic reactions should also be highlighted. These are due to various reasons, relating to the effects of the interaction of light with the solid surface, adsorption-desorption of species involved in the (photo)reactions, and activation energy. |
C. Richard Beam
Charles Richard Beam (February 15, 1925—January 26, 2018) was a major figure in twentieth-century Pennsylvania German linguistics, folklore studies, and social history who wrote under the pen-name Es Bischli-Gnippli (Little Clodhopper). He was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and received his doctorate in German at the University of Pennsylvania (Ph.D. 1970).
Beam wrote newspaper columns in the Pennsylvania German dialect for over fifty years, and also hosted radio broadcasts in Pennsylvania German from 1971 until 2013.
A member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Beam also belonged to the Pennsylvania German Society and a large number of German-American and Pennsylvania local history organizations.
Bibliography
An Abridged Pennsylvania German Dictionary (1970)
(with Jennifer Trout) The Comprehensive Pennsylvania German Dictionary (2004-2012)
See also
Preston Barba
Pennsylvania German Society
References
Simon J. Bronner, Joshua R. Brown, Pennsylvania Germans: An Interpretive Encyclopedia (2017)
Earl C. Haag, A Pennsylvania German Anthology (1988)
Category:1925 births
Category:2018 deaths
Category:American lexicographers
Category:Pennsylvania German culture
Category:German language in the United States |
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About Kratom
Native to the Southeast Asia, kratom (Mitragyna Speciosa) is a powerful medicinal plant used by thousands throughout the world.
The medicinal potentials of this plant are vast.
And the most prominent of these include: pain relief, mood lifting, energy and immune system stimulation.
Below, we’ll go through everything from strains, and effects to the alkaloids that make kratom so effective.
…Here we go.
Origins & Locale
The use of kratom goes back several thousand years, but it was first formally documented growing abundantly in Thailand by Dutch botanist Pieter Willem Korthals in the early 19th century.
While the birthplace of Mitragyna Speciosa is unknown, it has flourished abundantly in Southeast Asia and Indochina — growing naturally in regions such as:
Thailand
Indonesia Sumatra Bali Java The Sunda Isles Borneo
Malaysia
As a result of adapting to these different climates and regions, this plant has evolved and diverged into a variety of strains and vein types, each of which vary in both in effects and potency.
It is these differences that have made kratom such an incredibly versatile plant.
Further on, we will cover these strain differences at length to give you a strong understanding of the varied uses, effects, and potential applications of this unique plant.
What is Kratom Used for?
Kratom is used for:
Pain relief
Mood-lifting
Energy Promotion
Anxiolytic (Anti-Anxiety)
Insomnia Relief
Appetite suppression
Focus
Other known qualities of kratom include:
Immune System Stimulant
Anti-leukemic
Anti-malarial
Anti-inflammatory
Lowered blood sugar
*[1]
In addition to this large range of medicinal applications, this plant also has many other positive properties such as high-antioxidant (EGC) and vitamin and mineral content, which has made it an item of interest for general health purposes as well.
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Pain Relief
Kratom’s pain-killing effects are very pronounced, and are much more effective than OTC substances when dealing with chronic pain.
It is these potent pain-killing effects that have allowed many to become entirely pharmaceutical free (an inspiringly common event within the kratom community).
As public awareness increases and fear-mongering and outright disinformation dissipate, you can expect to see this plant as a common alternative to riskier treatments.
Kratom can effectively reduce pain from conditions such as:
Migraines and Cluster Headaches
Back Pain
Minor Injuries: Burns, Scrapes, Broken Bones
Multiple Sclerosis
Neck Pain & Soreness
General Neuropathic Pain [2]
Because kratom’s pain relieving effects occur largely within the brain, it is able to effectively dampen any almost any pain signal.
For this reason, taking kratom for pain tends to be far more versatile and powerful for pain relief, as it can mitigate pain at the perceptual “root”.
Strains for Pain
The primary reason kratom is so effective for pain are it’s two primary painkilling alkaloids: Mitragynine, and 7-OH-mitragynine [3].
Both have agonist activity brain receptors responsible for dampening the body’s perception of pain at the source.
As a result, those who are looking for pain relief from kratom will get the best effects by using strains high in these two alkaloids.
What is the Best Kratom for Pain?
The most effective kratom strains for pain include: Red Indo, Red Bali, Red Borneo, and Red Maeng Da. Green vein strains are also some fo the best for pain, but their pain relieving effects can be less reliable than Red Vein alternatives.
Best Strains for Pain
Preferred Vein Color
Red
Green
Dosage
Moderate/High
For this purpose, red veined strains tend to be the most reliable for pain relieving effects, although a good green vein can be just as effective.
It should be noted, that because green veins tend to be more strongly influenced by the effects of the given strain.
So one should stick to the characteristically pain relieving varieties mentioned above, such as Indo, Bali or Borneo if using green vein strains.
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Psychological Effects (Anxiety, Stress relief and Mood-Lifting)
The psychological effects of kratom are of a very unique quality in comparison to other plants found in nature, as the plant contains both sedating and stimulating properties.
And nearly any quality strain can cause general mood-lifting, but the differences in strain can shift the spectrum of effects between stimulating and sedating, which can largely change the qualities of the experience.
Anxiety and Stress Relief
In order to maximize anxiety relief with kratom, you will likely be best suited to a strong and sedating strain such as an Borneo or Indo.
But other sedating strains can often work effectively.
In our experience, borneo kratom strains have generally been the most effective for relieving stress and restlessness without causing a level of tiredness or brain fog that some varieties of strains like Bali can sometimes cause at high dosages.
For those with insomnia in conjunction with anxiety, they can also double as a great kratom strain for sleep.
What is the Best Kratom for Anxiety and Stress?
The best kratom strains for anxiety and stress are all red vein strains, particularly: Red Bali, Red Borneo and Red Indo. The reason these strains are rated among the best kratom for anxiety and stress is due to their high levels of 7-OHM and other sedative alkaloids. These alkaloids provide these strains relaxing character.
Strains for Anxiety and Stress Relief
Preferred Vein Color
Red
Green
Dosage
Moderate
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Immune System Stimulation
Due to the immunostimulant alkaloids found in kratom:
Isopteropodine
Isorhynchophylline
Isomitraphylline
Mitraphylline
From preliminary evidence, it appears kratom can be effective for boosting the immune system.
And this can be effective for conditions ranging from the common cold to the flu, although more research will be required to be certain. [4].
Because of this, some users have started to take it at the onset of a sickness in an attempt to reduce its duration (as well as negate some of its symptoms).
Strains
Green Malaysian Borneo
Preferred Vein Color
Green Vein
Dosage
– Moderate – Low
Because the research in this regard is lacking, the strain choices above are only defined by the limited regions that were studied.
So many other varieties of kratom may have similar immunostimulant properties as well.
Nootropic (Cognition Enhancing) Effects
Nootropic substances are a relatively new field of interest which shows much promise.
Interestingly, some have reported good results by using kratom as a nootropic in areas such as focus and motivation.
Unlike traditional medications for focus (e.g. ADHD medication), the subjective experience of kratom for many is that it doesn’t make your focus “stick” psychologically.
Instead, many have noted it seems to dampen psychological background noise resulting from stress, anxiety or excessive excitement/restlessness, promoting natural focus ability.
In this way it tends to lend itself to a more natural feeling quality of focus.
Because strain differences can vary, there is typically no set dose for peak cognition boosting effects — though it typically ranges from low/medium to medium.
Best Strains for Nootropic Effects
Preferred Vein Color
White
Green
Dosage
Low – Moderate
If you choose to try a green vein strain, we would suggest a more stimulating variety, such as those mentioned above, at a low dosage, as large doses can sometimes be counterproductive.
Strain Comparison
Due to different growth regions and breeding, kratom has evolved into a variety of different strains which can have very different effects.
There are roughly three primary effect categories one can divide strains into: stimulating, sedating and moderate.
It should be noted that every plant within a strain can vary, so in no way are these analyses set in stone.
Rather we have taken a more psuedo-statistical approach, based upon large amounts of individual user experience reports to provide a guide to the general strain characteristics.
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Stimulating Strains
Stimulating strains are some of the most desirable strains for those with fatigue or lethargy, as well as for those who need to sustain energy and focus for long periods of time.
Thai Kratom
Thai kratom is well-known for its powerful energetic effects.
The unique alkaloid profile of Thai kratom often provokes different reactions between different users, and may not be for everyone.
However, this strain has a very dedicated following, unlike anything we have seen with other varieties of kratom.
It’s important to note that the pain-killing effects of Thai can vary.
Typically, red vein thai (commonly called RVT) is the most effective in regards to analgesia, whereas white and green vein thai strains, while stimulating, are often lacking in this area.
Thai Effects
Maeng Da Kratom
Maeng Da has been widely renowned as one of the most potent strains of kratom
…and for good reason — it can provide both high levels of pain relief and stimulation.
This strain is ideal for those with pain who don’t want to sacrifice energy levels, as well as those who are looking for a mood-boost.
Maeng Da Effects
Sedating Strains
As a whole, sedating strains are lacking in the more stimulating alkaloids contained in the Thai/Maeng Da strains of kratom.
Yet, they can pack a very large punch as far as pain relief is concerned due to their large concentrations of 7-hydroxymitragynine.
And so these strains have been traditionally used for chronic pain and mood-lifting.
Borneo Kratom
A high-quality borneo strain, especially a red vein borneo, is one of the most unique and you will find in nature.
They are highly sedating, great for pain relief, and unparalleled for anxiety/stress relief.
Borneo strains also tend to have a low side-effect factor in comparison to other strains with similar characteristics.
You can often distinguish a borneo by its relaxing and “clean” feeling quality although a few varieties of Indo have been known to have this quality as well.
Borneo Effects
Bali Kratom
Bali kratom is one of the most economical strains due to large leaves and quick growth.
Proper dosage for some Bali strains can be difficult, as they are known for their fairly low “wobble” threshold. Though many have found one can minimize this negative by mixing it with another strain.
Bali Effects
Indo Kratom
Indo strains are very well-rounded for pain and have less side-effects than comparable Balinese strains, and share quite a few qualities in common with strains such as riau and sumatra.
Although borneo as well is a variety of Indo, it has some unique characteristics.
Many have reported delayed effects from many types of Indo kratom, which is likely due to the leaves tough cell-walls, similar to Green Malaysian strains.
While the effects are similar to Borneo kratom strains on paper, regular users may notice some of the subtle but very notable differences experience.
Indo Effects
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Moderate Strains
Many prefer a moderate strain as their daily go-to, due to its potent, yet smooth, effects.
And of these, one of the most common moderate strains is Green Malaysian.
When using moderate strains, it is good to remember that the interplay between strains, vein types, breeding and growing conditions can make a characteristically sedating or stimulating strain moderate.
Green Malaysian
Green Malaysian has long been known as one of the longest-lasting strains due to leaf cell-wall density.
Some have experienced nootropic effects from this strain.
Particularly, increased mental endurance, providing focus for long periods of time.
Interestingly, due to the quality of these effects, they may only noticed in retrospect due to the strain’s characteristically smooth and natural feeling effects.
Green Malaysian Effects
Vein Types: Effects & Analysis
Something unique to this plant, in comparison to many other medicinal plants, is the distinct differences of vein color which result from breeding and growth conditions.
These different vein colors often correspond to very reliable differences in effects and can provide strong clues as to what to expect from a given strain.
However, there are some minor exceptions, especially when dealing with strains with a less balanced alkaloid profile such as Thai, or Borneo/Indo strains which on the whole provide a more polarized kratom experience (being more stimulating or sedating, respectively).
Red Vein Kratom
Red vein kratom is one of the most popular due to its natural tendency toward higher levels of 7-hydroxymitragynine.
This leads to impressive pain-killing effects, sedation, as well as anxiety and stress relief.
Red veins also tends to be less at the mercy of individual brain chemistry; whereas white and green vein strains often effect people variably.
This is one of the reasons red vein thai (RVT) is so popular among kratom users.
It combines both strong energy from it’s Thai influences, with the red vein’s painkilling effects — leaving the strain stimulating but very well-rounded.
Red Vein Kratom Effects
White Vein Kratom
Despite the lower amount of 7-hydroxymitragynine found in white vein strains, this vein type should not be treated lightly.
White vein kratom has a very strong following, and many have found it very effective for conditions such as lack of focus/energy.
Of all the vein types, white vein shows the most potential as a nootropic (cognition enhancing) substance.
As such, many have found that using this vein type first thing in the morning to be a great substitute for coffee due to its strong effects on alertness and focus.
White Vein Kratom Effects
Green Vein Kratom
For those who prefer neither the sedation of red veins, or the stimulation of white veins, green vein kratom may be the best solution.
Green vein strains are (on average) much more moderate in their effects than other the other vein varieties.
And for that reason, they can provide the best of both worlds, making them great choice for regular daily usage.
However, green veins tend to be much more easily influenced by individual strain differences, making them the most variable vein type in regard to effects.
Green Vein Kratom Effects
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Extract Guide
While typically not as well-rounded as the plain leaf in effects, kratom extracts can certainly serve a purpose for those with chronic pain or other debilitating conditions in which the plain leaf will not suffice.
There are a large variety of different types of extracts with varying effects, based upon both the method of extraction as well as the base plant material used to make them. Read below to learn about these different extract types.
Water-Based Extracts
Water-based kratom extracts are by far the most common variety.
As the name implies, the extract is performed by: dissolving a portion of alkaloids into water, straining the powder, and evaporating the water.
This process leaves a brownish, more alkaloid-concentrated version of the plain leaf behind.
Water extracts are commonly referred to with an ‘x’ (e.g. 10x, 25x), which implies how much plain leaf material was used to create the same weight of resulting extract.
Sadly, these figures are nearly always incorrect due to vendor dishonesty.
Pros:
More alkaloid-concentrated than plain leaf
Can be used in addition to plain leaf to potentiate effects
Relatively side-effect free in comparison to resin and full-spectrum extracts
More stimulating than the plain-leaf base material
Ability to dissolve in water
Cons:
Must be taken in conjunction with some plain leaf for best effects
Not a well-rounded extract in terms of effects (less pain-killing effect and sedation)
High price per potency
Can increase tolerance rapidly
Kratom Resin Extracts
In comparison to water-based extractions, kratom resin extractions have a much more well-rounded profile of effects.
These extracts are typically performed by extracting kratom with both a polar solvent and a non-polar solvent. A simple example of this would be water and ethanol.
Like the water extract, the powder is strained and the alkaloid saturated non-polar/polar solvent is left to dry.
Pros:
Full-spectrum of effects
Ease of use
Easy storage
High potency per weight
Cons:
More expensive than plain leaf
Side-effects to potency ratio comparable to plain leaf
Temperature sensitive (melts in minor heat)
Kratom Tinctures
Unlike the other forms of extracts, kratom tinctures can vary in their method of extraction and their potency; because of this, buying them from an disreputable source can leave one disappointed.
On the other hand, when they are done well, they can be quite potent.
Pros:
Ease of Use
Ease of Use Fast-acting
Convenience of storage
Cons:
Typically expensive
Variable Potency
Rarely provide a full-spectrum of effects
Rapid development of tolerance
Enhanced Leaf
Enhanced leaf has become the go-to choice of many extract users due to it’s high potency and lack of side effects.
Enhanced leaf is used by taking a highly potent kratom extract, dissolving it in a solution, soaking kratom leaves/powder in this solution and letting it dry.
When done correctly, this method can create a highly potent leaf.
One of the most popular enhanced leaf blends of our era is known as UEI (Ultra Enhanced Indo).
Pros:
Very potent when done well
Lack of side-effects per potency
Typically well-rounded
Highly effective for pain
Cons:
Rapid development of tolerance
Relatively high price
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Kratom’s Alkaloids
The reason for the difference in effects from strain to strain is the variability of kratom’s alkaloids; in fact, there are over 28 identified alkaloids found within the plant with different half-lives and durations.
For more information on these alkaloids, their effects, and their content (% of total alkaloid weight, one standard deviation), refer below [4]:
7-hydroxymitragynine – Analgesic/painkiller, antidiarrheal, antitussive – 1.5 – 2.5%
– Analgesic/painkiller, antidiarrheal, antitussive – 1.5 – 2.5% Mitragynine – Analgesic/painkiller, antidiarrheal, antitussive, adrenergic receptor agonist (mild stimulant), antimalarial – 40 – 75% [Lowest recorded content: 12%]
– Analgesic/painkiller, antidiarrheal, antitussive, adrenergic receptor agonist (mild stimulant), antimalarial – 40 – 75% [Lowest recorded content: 12%] Speciogynine – Smooth Muscle Relaxer – 6.5 – 7.2%
– Smooth Muscle Relaxer – 6.5 – 7.2% Mitraphylline – Muscle relaxer, vasodilator, anti-hypertensive, anti-amnesic, immune system stimulant, anti-leukemic – less than 1%
– Muscle relaxer, vasodilator, anti-hypertensive, anti-amnesic, immune system stimulant, anti-leukemic – less than 1% Epicatechin (EGC) – Antioxidant, antiviral, anti-mutagenic, anti-leukemic, anti inflammatory, anti-diabetic. Commonly found in green tea. – 1%
– Antioxidant, antiviral, anti-mutagenic, anti-leukemic, anti inflammatory, anti-diabetic. Commonly found in green tea. – 1% 9-Hydroxycorynantheidine – Painkiller/analgesic – 1%
– Painkiller/analgesic – 1% Corynantheidine – less than 1%
– less than 1% Isomitraphylline – Immune System Stimulant – less than 1%
– Immune System Stimulant – less than 1% Isomitrafoline – Immune System Stimulant – less than 1%
– Immune System Stimulant – less than 1% Isorhynchophylline – Immune System Stimulant – less than 1%
Immune System Stimulant – less than 1% Isopteropodine – Immune System Stimulant – less than 1%
Immune System Stimulant – less than 1% Ciliaphylline – Analgesic, antitussive – less than 1%
– Analgesic, antitussive – less than 1% Corynoxine A – Dopamine Mediator – less than 1%
– Dopamine Mediator – less than 1% Corynoxine B – Dopamine Mediator – less than 1%
– Dopamine Mediator – less than 1% Ajmalicine – Sedative (Anti-Adrenergic), increase blood flow to brain, smooth muscle relaxer – less than 1%
Sedative (Anti-Adrenergic), increase blood flow to brain, smooth muscle relaxer – less than 1% Rhynchophylline – Anti-inflammatory, vasodilator, anti-hypertensive – less than 1%
– Anti-inflammatory, vasodilator, anti-hypertensive – less than 1% Speciociliatine – less than 1%
– less than 1% Speciophylline – Anti-leukemic – less than 1%
Anti-leukemic – less than 1% Tetrahydroalstonine – Anti-adrenergic, lowers blood sugar – less than 1%
– Anti-adrenergic, lowers blood sugar – less than 1% Akuammigine – inactive – less than 1%
inactive – less than 1% Mitrafoline – inactive – less than 1%
– inactive – less than 1% Mitraversine – inactive – less than 1%
– inactive – less than 1% Speciofoline – inactive – less than 1%
– inactive – less than 1% Stipulatine – inactive – less than 1%
Respected kratom researchers such as Takayama H, Shellard EJ, Raymond-Hamet, Becket AH, Philipson JD and Lee CM, have shown that the alkaloid profiles of the plants from different regions vary heavily.
Many suspect that Thai strains, contain more mitragynine than average.
And Malaysian strains, have proportionally lower levels of mitragynine, suggesting its potency may be due to relatively higher levels of 7-hydroxymitragynine.
These differences in alkaloid profile are what make each strain unique and effective in quite different ways.
Yet there is still much research to be done until we have a complete understanding of the varied effects of different leaf alkaloid profiles.
Traditional Dosage
Dosage has been a key factor for those looking for specific effects.
By dosing too low, the medicinal capabilities are nulled, while dosing too high can often lead to relatively harmless, but potentially unpleasant side-effects, such as the “wobbles” and minor nausea.
Average Dosage by Grams
Mild – 1 to 2 grams
Moderate – 2-4.5 grams
High – 4.5 – 8 grams
Average Dosage by Teaspoon
Mild – .5 to .9 tsp
Moderate – 1 to 2 tsp
High – 2 to 3.5 tsp
It should be noted that due to varying potency between strains and plants, this estimate is in no way standardized, instead it an estimate based on historical and experiential reports.
Doses at the the “high” end of the spectrum are also much more likely to cause side-effects, depending upon the strain.
Dosage Intervals
For best effect, many have found that this plant should not be taken in high doses regularly, as some of the medicinal effects can diminish.
However, those who use this plant to combat chronic pain may find this inevitable, as pain doesn’t operate in a convenient time-cycle.
Strain Differences
Differences between strains is a factor that can’t be overlooked when calculating a dosage. There are a few primary strains that should be dosed relatively lower than the average, these strains are:
Maeng Da – Potent, active at lower doses
– Potent, active at lower doses Bali – Side effects encountered at lower doses in comparison to other strains
Side effects encountered at lower doses in comparison to other strains Thai – Can be overstimulating for some at higher doses
Because of this, it is a good idea to modify dosage with these strains accordingly in order to achieve best results.
Some strains, such as Borneo, can be dosed relatively higher, due to their lack of side-effects.
Because of this variability in strains, it is advisable to start low with any new or unknown strain.
Effects By Dosage
Something that is frequently encountered with a variety of strains is the difference in effects at differing doses.
Although this varies depending upon the strain and where you buy kratom, typically, lower doses are relatively more stimulating than higher doses.
While the cause of this is not well known, it likely has to do with the the diminishing returns of stimulating alkaloids in comparison to 7-hydroxymitragynine.
For anyone inexperienced with kratom, it is essential to know about the philosophy, theory and advice regarding kratom dosage in order to get the ideal effects.
The “Less is More” Theory
The “less is more” theory is very popular among kratom forums, and there is some evidence to back this theory.
Almost every strain has an optimal dose for both medicinal and euphoric effects, and dosage above this ideal threshold can have paradoxical effects.
Now, it’s important to note that different strains have differing levels of this alkaloid, so if this common experiences is a result of this alkaloid, it this statement may not apply to all strains — however, the majority of strains seem to be affected.
The “less is more” theory, is also advisable because lower dosage also creates less tolerance to effects, which can help maintain the plant’s medicinal potential over time.
Empty Stomach
As plain leaf has to be digested in order to have medicinal benefit, many have found it to be best taken on an empty stomach, as this will ensure the effects are delivered quickly and reliably.
In addition to taking kratom on an empty stomach, many have found that some foods seem to not only delay the effects of kratom, but nullify them almost entirely.
Because eating is a necessity, it may not always be possible to use it in this manner; for this reason, many have turned to kratom tea to deliver effects more quickly and reliably.
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Kratom Preparation – Traditional and Modern Methods
Throughout the thousands of years kratom has been used, preparation methods have remained relatively the same; however, as western society has interacted with this plant, there have been some unique additions — recipes and methods to fit our unique needs.
The Kratom Quid The Kratom Quid
The quid is the original method of kratom use for Southeast Asian cultures, especially Thailand.
The quid method of use involves taking fresh kratom leaves (a rare commodity in the western world), removing the stems and veins in one quick motion, bundling the kratom and chewing it while holding the saliva and chewed leaf material in their mouth.
The quid works through mostly sublingual methods, however, the swallowed portion also has a considerable effect.
Toss and Wash Method
One of the most common kratom preparation methods, if it could be called preparation at all, is the toss ‘n’ wash.
This method is typically done by:
Putting water (or other liquid) in the mouth
Adding desired kratom dose to this water
Submerging and mixing the kratom/water mixture within the mouth to avoid dry particles getting caught in the mouth and throat
Taking another gulp of water while simultaneously swallowing the mixture
Chasing with more water to get down any debris
Kratom Tea
This is another very common preparation method, both in the west and east. Learning how to make kratom tea is fairly simple:
Add water to pot (3-10 ounces)
Add desired kratom dose
Simmer for 15 – 45 minutes (20 minutes typically suffices)
Optional: strain powder
Tea is considered effective by many because of the quick onset of effects; however, by straining out the powder, one may lose the full alkaloid spectrum of the plain leaf, reducing some medicinal potentials.
Tea Tips
Adding water to kratom powder and freezing prior to making tea can increase the amount of alkaloids absorbed
Adding lemon juice, or small amounts of citric acid can also increase amount of alkaloids absorbed
One can salvage the strained powder from tea and reuse it to ensure no alkaloids are wasted
Kratom Tea Recipes
Because some are more sensitive to the bitter taste of kratom tea, many tea recipes have been developed. One of the most effective we have seen for masking the taste of kratom is to mix it with a flavoring, or mixture.
Speciosa Chai
One of the most effective kratom recipes we have found is what we have heard called “Speciosa Chai”. This method is very simple and is composed of a few simple steps:
Condense kratom tea to 3-4 ounces
Add 4-5 ounces of Chai tea mixture
Add sugar & cream/milk if desired
There are a variety of different chai mixtures one can experiment with; however, the Tazo Organic Chai Black Tea mix is the favorite we have seen at an associated kava bar in our area.
Simple Flavorings
Something that we have seen to be surprisingly effective at masking the taste are pump flavorings– especially the fruit-based flavorings. You can find these pump flavorings at local coffee shops or online for a very reasonable cost.
Mixtures & Blends
Another common method that has been more recently for those who don’t want to toss ‘n’ wash or make tea, is to mix kratom. Some of the most common mixers we have heard are:
Yogurt
Applesauce
Peanut Butter
Honey
Juice
Chocolate Milk
Mixing kratom with these has the added benefit of allowing it to be taken while minimizing the taste, however, with some of these it may take longer to digest.
Another creative method we have heard is to kratom with peanut butter to form little peanut butter balls to swallow. Nearly any decent tasting drink/mixture can be effective.
Additionally, tools such as blender bottles, commonly used for protein shakes, have been suggested for this process.
Kratom Capsules
A common form of kratom preparation is by capping the kratom powder rather than taking it whole, mixed or in tea form. Kratom capsules have the benefit of being easy to use.
Considerations
Buying capsules can be extremely expensive in comparison to powder, and kratom capsules (especially the variety sold by less reputable companies at shady stores and gas stations) that have had a big part in giving kratom a bad name.
Also, when buying these capsules you don’t really know what you’re getting, as it isn’t an approved dietary supplement
…and this could lead to dangers for both the user, and kratom’s legality.
Because of this, anyone who wants to keep kratom legal should avoid buying kratom capsules.
There are a large variety of capsule tools, such as “The Capsule Machine” and “Cap m Quick”, which can make capsules in bulk (and save you a tremendous amount of money over time in the process).
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Reducing Kratom Tolerance
Kratom tolerance is the number one impediment when looking to ensure peak medicinal effects. Besides taking this plant less frequently, there are some tricks one can use to keep tolerance low.
Strain Rotation
Many have found strain rotation is a great way to keep the medicinal effects of kratom fresh.
When using a specific strain for a long period, you can develop a tolerance to its specific alkaloid profile; however, by switching strains regularly, the alkaloid levels many not remain stable enough to develop a complete tolerance to the effects.
Methods
Rotation by Effects – This method involves using alternating strains types (e.g. Mon. – Sedating, Tues. – Stimulating, Weds. – Sedating)
– This method involves using alternating strains types (e.g. Mon. – Sedating, Tues. – Stimulating, Weds. – Sedating) Rotation by Vein Color – Similar to the above method, this involves rotating by vein color (e.g. Mon. – Red, Tues. – White, Weds. – Green)
By using these methods, one can ensure that the alkaloid profiles are as varied as possible on consecutive days or periods, which can keep tolerance at bay for a longer period of time.
Note: Stem and vein kratom is often used as a substitute to further reduce tolerance, as its alkaloid profile is typically very different than the plain leaf.
However, although using this technique to it’s fullest requires 3-5+ different strains, this method of tolerance reduction can still be somewhat beneficial with 2 or 3 varieties.
Supplementation
There are a variety of other ways to supplement tolerance reduction, including:
Magnesium
Magnesium supplementation is a great way to keep kratom tolerance low due to its NMDA antagonist effects, which helps regulate how the brain and body react to frequent exposure to these compounds [5].
Exercise
Exercise is a very effective yet under rated method of reducing tolerance. Exercise’s reduction of tolerance is cumulative, meaning the more you exercise, and the more in shape you are, the less tolerance is developed, which potentiates the medicinal effects of kratom.
The Infamous “Wobbles” The Infamous “Wobbles”
The “Wobbles” is a term that was coined within kratom communities to describe the most prominent side effect of kratom, especially Bali strains.
The wobbles are defined by the difficulty to refocus the eyes at a specific point without strain and annoyance; this effect can lead to headaches and nausea.
While the wobbles are not much more than an annoyance, driving or operating other heavy machinery while experiencing the wobbles is dangerous, and should never be attempted.
Avoiding the Wobbles
The easiest way to avoid the wobbles is to keep dosage below the side effect threshold. This threshold can vary between strains and plants. Typically, doses under 5 grams will generally prevent the wobbles, although there are some exceptions
Strains by Wobble Factor
Note: It is much more rare to experience the wobbles with strained kratom tea; leading many to believe that it is an effect that may be caused by one of the fat-soluble alkaloids.
Combating the Wobbles
While there is not much information available on combating the wobbles, there are a few things that can help in the process.
Activated Charcoal – This supplement is one of the most effective ways to get rid of the wobbles; it works by adsorbing a portion of the wobble-causing alkaloids, negating the effects almost entirely.
– This supplement is one of the most effective ways to get rid of the wobbles; it works by adsorbing a portion of the wobble-causing alkaloids, negating the effects almost entirely. Food/Carbonated Drinks – While these won’t help get rid of the wobbles, they can speed up digestion, allowing the symptoms to pass more quickly (if inevitable).
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[1] https://books.google.com/books?id=BtPMBQAAQBAJ&dq=mitragynine+malarial&lr=
[2] https://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/348/3/383.short
[3] https://jaoa.org/article.aspx?articleid=2094342
[4] https://patents.google.com/patent/US20180169172A1/en
[5] https://journals.lww.com/anesthesia-analgesia/Abstract/1998/04000/Antinociceptive_Potentiation_and_Attenuation_of.28.aspx |
Q:
Django 1.6b gis import error
I'm using django 1.6b and python 3.3 and I get this import error,
./manage.py runserver
Validating models...
Unhandled exception in thread started by <function check_errors.<locals>.wrapper at 0x104ae4d40>
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/opt/boxen/pyenv/versions/side-project/lib/python3.3/site-packages/django/utils/autoreload.py", line 93, in wrapper
fn(*args, **kwargs)
File "/opt/boxen/pyenv/versions/side-project/lib/python3.3/site-packages/django/core/management/commands/runserver.py", line 97, in inner_run
self.validate(display_num_errors=True)
File "/opt/boxen/pyenv/versions/side-project/lib/python3.3/site-packages/django/core/management/base.py", line 308, in validate
num_errors = get_validation_errors(s, app)
File "/opt/boxen/pyenv/versions/side-project/lib/python3.3/site-packages/django/core/management/validation.py", line 34, in get_validation_errors
for (app_name, error) in get_app_errors().items():
File "/opt/boxen/pyenv/versions/side-project/lib/python3.3/site-packages/django/db/models/loading.py", line 196, in get_app_errors
self._populate()
File "/opt/boxen/pyenv/version/side-project/lib/python3.3/site-packages/django/db/models/loading.py", line 78, in _populate
self.load_app(app_name)
File "/opt/boxen/pyenv/versions/side-project/lib/python3.3/site-packages/django/db/models/loading.py", line 99, in load_app
models = import_module('.models', app_name)
File "/opt/boxen/pyenv/versions/side-project/lib/python3.3/site-packages/django/utils/importlib.py", line 35, in import_module
__import__(name)
File "/Users/moi/Projects/sos/dealerships/models.py", line 4, in <module>
from django.contrib.gis.db import models # as geomodels
File "/opt/boxen/pyenv/versions/side-project/lib/python3.3/site-packages/django/contrib/gis/db/models/__init__.py", line 8, in <module>
from django.contrib.gis.db.models.manager import GeoManager
File "/opt/boxen/pyenv/versions/side-project/lib/python3.3/site-packages/django/contrib/gis/db/models/manager.py", line 2, in <module>
from django.contrib.gis.db.models.query import GeoQuerySet
File "/opt/boxen/pyenv/versions/side-project/lib/python3.3/site-packages/django/contrib/gis/db/models/query.py", line 6, in <module>
from django.contrib.gis.db.models.fields import get_srid_info, PointField, LineStringField
File "/opt/boxen/pyenv/versions/side-project/lib/python3.3/site-packages/django/contrib/gis/db/models/fields.py", line 4, in <module>
from django.contrib.gis import forms
File "/opt/boxen/pyenv/versions/side-project/lib/python3.3/site-packages/django/contrib/gis/forms/__init__.py", line 2, in <module>
from .fields import (GeometryField, GeometryCollectionField, PointField,
File "/opt/boxen/pyenv/versions/side-project/lib/python3.3/site-packages/django/contrib/gis/forms/fields.py", line 11, in <module>
from django.contrib.gis.geos import GEOSException, GEOSGeometry, fromstr
ImportError: cannot import name GEOSException
This is the only code I have in place for gis,
from django.contrib.gis.db import models as geomodels
from django.utils.translation import ugettext as _
from django.contrib.localflavor.us.models import USStateField
class UsLocation(geomodels.Model):
address_1 = geomodels.CharField(_("address"), max_length=128)
address_2 = geomodels.CharField(_("address cont'd"), max_length=128, blank=True)
city = geomodels.CharField(_("city"), max_length=64, default="Kansas City")
state = USStateField(_("state"), default="KO")
zip_code = geomodels.CharField(_("zip code"), max_length=5, default="16874")
For now I'm going to not use the gis helpers for my address model but I'm not sure what's causing this import exception. I checked the django 1.5/1.6 releases and they have the same lines. I wonder if it has something to do with me using 1.6b w/ python 3.3.2 ?
A:
Make sure you have installed the Geospatial libraries. I have tested Python 3.3.2 and Django 1.6 beta 2 in a virtual env. The import from contrib.gis works fine.
>>> import django
>>> django.VERSION
(1, 6, 0, 'beta', 2)
>>> from django.contrib.gis.db import models as geomodels
Note that contrib.localflavor has been removed from Django 1.6.
>>> from django.contrib.localflavor.us.models import USStateField
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<console>", line 1, in <module>
ImportError: No module named 'django.contrib.localflavor'
You can install the django-localflavor package with:
pip install django-localflavor
then change your import to:
from localflavor.us.models import USStateField
|
Q:
Arrow popup dialog in Qt
In Qt does anyone know how to do a popup tool-dialog with an arrow like this?
Popup from KScreen http://www.airwebreathe.org.uk/space/popup-dialog.jpg
I found this in a blog about KDEs new KScreen GUI. I presume this was achieved with Qt5. Does anyone know if this is possible with Qt4?
A:
That’s a Plasma Dialog QML widget (see the relevant code here). You can create translucent, irregularly shaped windows in Qt 4 quite easily, though. There’s already an answer for that:
Displaying translucent / irregular-shaped windows with Qt
|
[Drug therapy for osteoporosis associated with rheumatoid arthritis (estrogen replacement therapy)].
Various types of drug therapy are available for the management of osteoporosis associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Hormone replacement therapy plays an especially important part in the management of this condition. Although hormone replacement therapy increases lumbar bone mineral density in patients who have osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis, similar to those with primary osteoporosis, its effect on femoral bone mineral density remains controversial. Since hormone replacement therapy is also effective for rheumatoid arthritis, it is an important treatment option in patients who also have osteoporosis. Evidence is awaited from studies with new designs, including assessment of fracture risk. |
Introduction {#S0001}
============
As of December 2012, more than 260,000 individuals were receiving antiretroviral treatment in Brazil, accounting for almost two-thirds of the individuals living with HIV who are followed by the Brazilian Public Health System ([www.aids.gov.br](http://www.aids.gov.br)). Brazil also provides a network of laboratories offering monitoring tests. However, according to current local guidelines, only patients under virologic antiretroviral failure are entitled to obtain the genotyping tests, which are performed in a network of specialized laboratories \[[@CIT0001]\].
From April 2010 to December 2012, Brazilian guidelines recommended treatment for patients with CD4+ T cell counts below 350 cells/µL. Therefore, we decided to conduct surveys in targeted Brazilian macro-regions of antiretroviral-naïve individuals living with HIV who were initiating antiretroviral treatment according to the local guidelines. We hypothesized that individuals initiating treatment would generally have low CD4+ T cell counts, indicating that HIV disease had progressed, and that those individuals had been infected for long periods of time (at a time when antiretroviral treatment was not widely used and transmitted drug resistance, or TDR, would therefore be rare).
In Brazil, genotype testing is currently offered only to persons experiencing virologic failure. Nonetheless, TDR has been shown to be a pressing issue in Brazil \[[@CIT0002]\]. Furthermore, it is known that multiple subtypes of HIV infection co-circulate in Brazil \[[@CIT0003]--[@CIT0005]\], and it is not well understood whether TDR varies among different subtypes. Therefore, we sought to conduct a TDR survey spanning multiple regions of Brazil.
Many surveys for determining the prevalence of HIV TDR have been performed among acutely or recently infected individuals to mitigate the loss of testing sensitivity related to the emergence of wild-type strains. However, in contrast to what is seen in secondary resistance, besides M184V mutation, the replacement of resistant strains with wild-type strains is not likely to occur \[[@CIT0006]--[@CIT0008]\], as there is a genetic bottleneck during primary HIV infection that leads to the clonal transmission of HIV of a certain genetic profile \[[@CIT0009]\]. Therefore, we believe that even at a time long after the transmission event, genotype testing would be suitably sensitive for detecting TDR.
Methods {#S0002}
=======
The HIV Threshold Survey methodology (HIV-THS) of the World Health Organization was utilized in this study. This method considers a low prevalence of TDR to be less than 5%, an intermediate prevalence to be between 5 and 15% and a high prevalence to be levels above 15%. We selected one highly populated city from each of the five Brazilian macro-regions and analysed 47 samples from each city: Manaus (North region), Salvador (Northeast region), Brasília (Central region), Rio de Janeiro (Southeast region) and Porto Alegre (South region). We also included two additional cities that have the highest incidences of AIDS and HIV mortality in Brazil ([www.aids.gov.br](http://www.aids.gov.br)): Itajaí from the South region and Santos from the Southeast region. The latter was also previously recognized as having high prevalences of TDR, CRF_28 and CRF_29 \[[@CIT0010], [@CIT0011]\].
When antiretroviral treatment was prescribed, the attending physician invited patients to sign informed consent forms and to provide pre-treatment samples for HIV-1 genotyping as part of this study. Dried blood spots (DBS) were used in this study. An attending nurse or physician collected the samples on SS903 collection cards after a needle puncture of the finger, and then sent them by regular mail at room temperature to a single central lab, the Retrovirology Lab of the Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil, for genotyping. Samples were collected from July 2009 to December 2010.
Genotyping was performed from HIV proviral DNA, which was extracted using a QIAamp Blood Kit (Qiagen Inc., Chatsworth, CA, USA). Protease and reverse transcriptase (RT) regions of the *pol* gene were amplified and sequenced as previously described \[[@CIT0011]\].
TDR was evaluated according to an algorithm from the WHO (updated in 2009) that excludes common polymorphisms and considers 93 mutations: 34 nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) resistance mutations at 15 RT positions, 19 non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) resistance mutations at 10 RT positions and 40 protease inhibitor (PI) resistance mutations at 18 protease positions \[[@CIT0012]\]. Phylogenetic analysis was performed for subtype assignment, in which sequences were aligned to the reference data set from the Los Alamos database using BioEdit version 7.2.3 \[[@CIT0013]\]. For each alignment, phylogenetic analyses were performed using the PHYLIP programme package, version 3.57 \[[@CIT0014]\]. The DNAdist programme was used to calculate distance matrixes based on the maximum-likelihood model, and neighbour-joining trees were generated using the Neighbor and Consense programmes. Statistical significance was assessed with bootstrap tests in a total of 100 replications. Alternatively, phylogenetic analyses were conducted using MEGA software, version 5.2.2 \[[@CIT0015]\].
We analysed predictors of TDR including gender, age, risk factors for HIV acquisition (men who have sex with men, heterosexual exposure, injectable drug use and transfusion before the availability of anti-HIV enzyme immunoassay), reported partner using antiretrovirals and HIV subtype using chi-square and Fisher\'s exact test.
Results {#S0003}
=======
DBS specimens were collected in a total of 352 patients. Of these, we were able to amplify nucleic acid sequences in 329 patients. Sample collection was then stopped as 329 was the target number of genotyping tests planned for by the threshold survey method. The prevalence of non-amplifiable sequence was similar across all sites (data not shown).
Overall, the prevalence of TDR was 11.6%. This varied by geographic region ([Table 1](#T0001){ref-type="table"}), ranging from 4.4% in Itajaí to 17.0% in Salvador and Santos. Overall, 6.9% of genotypes showed one or more NRTI mutations, 4.9% had one or more NNRTI mutations and 3.9% had one or more PI mutations. Two- or three-class resistance was 3.6% (1.8% to NRTI and NNRTI, 1.5% to NNRTI and PI and 0.3% to NNRTI and PI). There was one subject with three-class resistance. Specific mutations are described in [Table 2](#T0002){ref-type="table"}. There were no relationships between TDR prevalence and gender, HIV subtype or risk factors for HIV acquisition. Of patients who reported a sexual partner using antiretrovirals, 11.1% exhibited TDR, compared to 23% of individuals who did not know the HIV status of sexual partners (Fisher\'s exact test *p*=0.06).
######
Demographic, virologic and immunological characteristics of individuals according to the different Brazilian regions and TDR prevalence
City/region Mean age (variation) Males (%) Mean CD4 Mean VL log~10~ TDR (%) 2 classes resistance (%) 3 classes resistance (%)
------------------- ---------------------- ----------- --------------- ------------------ --------- -------------------------- --------------------------
Manaus/N 36 (18--61) 59.6 320 (91--781) 4.6 (2.4--\>5.7) 8.5 2.1
Salvador/NE 38 (19--58) 60.9 227 (3--581) 5.2 (3.7--5.9) 17.0 4.3
Brasilia/MW 40 (21--63) 77.1 235 (24--644) 5.3 (2.0--6.3) 10.6 4.3
Rio de Janeiro/SE 41 (27--76) 89.4 233 (25--447) 5.2 (3.5--5.9) 12.8 4.3
Porto Alegre/S 41 (18--65) 63.3 249 (35--759) 5.1 (3.0--\>5.7) 12.2 2.0
Santos/SE 40 (26--69) 65.7 285 (11--861) 4.9 (2.7--5.5) 17.0 3.7 1.9
Itajaí/S 39 (25--63) 65.9 247 (15--475) 5.2 (2.4--6.2) 4.4 2.2
Total 39 (18--76) 69.0 253 (3--861) 5.2 (2.0--6.3) 11.6 3.3 0.3
Forty-seven samples have been collected for each site.
######
TDR profiles according to the different Brazilian regions and the cities of Santos and Itajaí
Region or city Sample ID Subtype NRTI NNRTI PI
---------------- ----------- ----------- --------------------------------------------- --------------------- ------------------------------
N MA012_RC B V106A
MA013_RC B D30N, M46I
MA027_RC F M41L, T215E D30N, N88D
MA029_RC B M184V
NE BA001_RC B I54T
BA004_RC B M41L L100I, K103N
BA006_RC B M41L, D67N, L210W, T215D
BA008_RC B M41L, T215CS M46I, L90M
BA012_RC B K219N
BA048_2 B D30N, M46I
BA054 F K103N
BA057 B T215S
MW DF006_RC B T215S
DF012 B T215D Y181C
DF013_RC B T215S
DF016 B G73S
DF021 B M41L, L210W, T215D L24I, M46L, V82A
SE RJ005_RC B K103N
RJ018 B D67G
RJ019 B D67N
RJ024_RC B V75M, F77L P225H
RJ036_RC B M41L, L210W, T215S Y188L
RJ052_RC B K101E, K103N, G190A
S POA_016 C M41L, L210W K101E, V106M, G190A
POA_023 C D67N
POA_025 CRF 31_BC L76V
POA_052 C G73S
POA_053 B M46I
POA_054 CRF 31_BC K103N
ST STOS_005 BD K103N
STOS_026 BF T69D
STOS_027 BF T69D
STOS_047 BF K103N I54T
STOS_683 F Y181I
STOS_902 B K103N
ST623 BF M41L, M184V, L210W, T215Y Y181I V32I, M46I, I47V, F53L, I85V
ST624 B M41L, D67N, K70R, L74I, M184V, T215F, K219Q K103N, Y188L
ITA ITA_018 C K65R
ITA_107 C M184I G73S
N=North, NE=Northeast, MW=Midwest, SE=Southeast, S=South, ST=Santos, ITA=Itajaí.
The overall mean and median CD4+ T cell counts were 253 and 269 cells/µL, respectively, with a range from 3 to 861 cells/µL. The mean and median CD4+ T cell counts among individuals with TDR were 219 and 250 cells/µL, respectively, compared to 257 and 271 cells/µL, respectively, among individuals harbouring wild-type HIV strains, with no significant difference between the groups. The overall mean and median viral loads were 4.68 and 4.70 log~10~ copies/mL, respectively, with a range from 2.0 to 6.34 log~10~ copies/mL. Again, no significant differences were noted in the mean and median viral loads between individuals with or without TDR, which were, respectively, 4.63 and 4.61 log~10~ copies/mL for individuals harbouring TDR strains compared to 4.69 and 4.72 log~10~ copies/mL among individuals harbouring wild-type strains. Regional differences in the CD4+ T cell counts and viral loads are presented in [Table 1](#T0001){ref-type="table"}.
According to analyses of the protease and RT regions of the *pol* gene, a variety of different subtypes and recombinant forms were detected. Overall, 64.6% of individuals were infected with pure subtype B, 17.3% with subtype C, 6.0% with subtype F, 6.8% with BF recombinants, 1.5% with BC recombinants, 2.7% with CRF31_BC, 0.6% with CRF29_BF, 0.3% with CRF12_BF and 0.3% with subtype D. The regional prevalences of HIV-1 subtypes are shown in [Figure 1](#F0001){ref-type="fig"}.
{#F0001}
A phylogenetic analysis using a neighbour-joining phylogenetic reconstruction and excluding resistance-related codons revealed no clustering of samples with TDR sequences when genetic distances \<1.5% were used to define clusters (data on file).
Discussion {#S0004}
==========
We identified variable prevalences of TDR, from intermediate (5--15%) to high (\>15%), according to geographic region in individuals with HIV that progressed immediately before initiation of ART treatment as prescribed by the attending physician. This report describes a geographically diverse TDR survey that draws upon multiple areas of Brazil, being truly representative of all of the various Brazilian macro-regions. To perform this study, one very populated city was chosen to represent each Brazilian macro-region. Additionally, two other cities, Itajaí and Santos, were included due to the explosive nature of their epidemics, which have been characterized by the high incidence of AIDS and the high number of new HIV cases reported in the last few years ([www.aids.gov.br](http://www.aids.gov.br)). Evaluation of in-house genotyping assay using DBS in the WHO global laboratory network has previously shown that the reproducibility and accuracy of nucleotide sequence determination and resistance-associated mutation identification from DBS were similar to those previously determined for plasma \[[@CIT0016]\]. In the current study, genotype results have been successfully obtained using DBS for regions located far from a central laboratory able to provide molecular-based testing, including places such as Manaus, which is located in the Brazilian rain forest and has high humidity and temperatures. In our study, the distances from the collecting sites to the central laboratory varied from 74 to 3876 km, with a mean distance of 2510 km, confirming that DBS can provide access to molecular-based testing in spite of large distances and extreme conditions in developing sets. Notably, this study was designed to detect TDR in a group of individuals in whom HIV disease had progressed and who, therefore, were well beyond the HIV transmission event. The overall mean CD4+ T cell count in this group of individuals was 206.5 cells/µL; based on the natural history of HIV progression, it is estimated that the time to achieve such a CD4+ T cell count is an average of eight years \[[@CIT0017]\]. Despite this length of time, a considerable prevalence of TDR was detected.
Previous surveys in Brazil that included several different cities with individuals with recent HIV diagnoses or recent HIV infections demonstrate that the TDR prevalence is generally lower than the prevalence in the present study \[[@CIT0003]--[@CIT0005], [@CIT0011], [@CIT0018]--[@CIT0042]\]. However, we were able to confirm the previously reported high prevalence of TDR in the city of Salvador, located in the Northwest region, and Santos in the Southeast region of Brazil \[[@CIT0026]\].
There is an interesting general trend towards detecting more TDR mutations to NRTI than to NNRTI in individuals with longstanding infections, in contrast to individuals with recent HIV infections \[[@CIT0004], [@CIT0043]\]. The current study indeed confirmed this trend: the prevalence of resistance was 6.9% to NRTIs and 4.9% to NNRTIs. Twenty-three individuals harboured viruses with NRTI mutations, 16 individuals harboured viruses with thymidine analogue mutations (TAMs) and 8 individuals harboured viruses with other nucleoside analogue mutations (NAMs). Ten individuals harboured viruses with a mutation at RT codon 215, and, as expected from a population harbouring HIV for a long period of time, 8 individuals were infected with so-called revertants (215D/C/S/E, [Table 1](#T0001){ref-type="table"}), which are products of the evolution of T215Y or T215F. Although the revertants themselves do not present any level of phenotypic resistance \[[@CIT0044]\], it is plausible that individuals harbouring these revertants have also acquired the T215Y or T215F strains, which are associated with virologic antiretroviral failure \[[@CIT0045]\]. Of course, it is theoretically possible that the revertants were transmitted rather than the original T215Y or T215F strains; next-generation sequencing techniques may be able to answer this important and interesting question. Furthermore, in accordance with other studies, only three patients in this study presented mutations in the M184 RT codon. Considering that the M184V mutation has a much higher prevalence among individuals with secondary resistance, it is possible that regular genotyping for determining TDR might underestimate the prevalence of this mutation. Although TDR mutations tend to persist over time, M184V might wane more rapidly \[[@CIT0006]--[@CIT0008]\]. It is also possible that the APOBEC-related hypermutation plays a role in this process, as valine is encoded by the codon GTG and methionine is encoded by ATG. Interestingly, other resistance mutations besides M184V/I that also cause high fitness cost, such as K65R in one case and D30N in three cases, have also been detected in this survey. The D30N mutation is exclusively selected by Nelfinavir among individuals infected by subtype B viruses, and although this drug has not been used in Brazil since 2007, it has been extensively used in Brazil since 1998.
NNRTI resistance mutations were detected in 16 individuals: 9 harboured viruses with the K103M mutation, and three individuals carried viruses with a mutation at codon 181. Two NNRTI pathways for resistance may exist, depending on the drug used. The use of efavirenz primarily selects for the K103N mutation, which is generally accompanied by the L100I and P225H mutations, whereas nevirapina predominantly selects for the Y181C mutation, which is generally accompanied by the K101E and G190A mutations. The G190A mutation contributes cross-resistance to the second-generation NNRTI etravirine \[[@CIT0046]\].
Another important finding of this study is that almost one-third of individuals harbouring TDR exhibited resistance to two antiretroviral classes, which has been a rare finding in other studies. Furthermore, one individual harboured TDR viruses to three antiretroviral classes. A case-control study performed in the city of Santos, Brazil, previously showed an association of multi-antiretroviral class resistance with virology failure, thus emphasizing the importance of detecting such cases.
This study was able to detect a number of rare HIV subtypes and recombinants. However, it is clear that subtype B still prevails in Brazil, with interesting trends towards higher prevalences of subtype C towards the South and subtypes F and BF towards the North. This study did not reveal differential TDR prevalences according to subtype, as previously suggested. For instance, among recently diagnosed individuals in the South of Brazil, a higher prevalence of TDR among individuals with subtype B than among individuals with subtype C has been reported (Porto Alegre) \[[@CIT0047]\]. As subtypes other than B tend to fix and expand in the Western world, perhaps more attention should be given to antiretroviral resistance vis-à-vis non-B subtypes. One study analysing phenotypic resistance in a limited number of samples from antiretroviral-naïve individuals in Brazil revealed that genotypic correlates of subtype C resistance might not yet be clearly defined \[[@CIT0048]\]. Along a similar line of reasoning, certain phenotypes of natural resistance to PIs might be encountered in subtype F strains \[[@CIT0049]\].
We recognize that the sampling technique used herein might omit important information about TDR in a country of continental size such as Brazil. However, we believe that the results presented here justify checking TDR prior to starting ART in Brazil, even if the samples are collected long after the HIV transmission event, given that almost one-third of patients harboured multi-class drug-resistant HIV genotypes. Furthermore, the use of DBS for antiretroviral resistance monitoring was efficacious and might be cost-effective, especially in settings in which resources are limited and when samples need to be collected in remote regions for later processing in a central laboratory. However, a portion of the samples (9.3%) failed to provide reliable results using this strategy.
This project has been funded in part with funds from Abbott Brazil, FAPESP (2007/54923-1), CNPq (479957/2010-0) and PNPD/CAPES (2496/08). The authors thank Jean Paulo Lopes Zukurov, MSc, for sequence phylogenetic analyses, and Luiz Henrique Gagliani, PhD, for organizing biological material from the city of Santos.
Competing interests {#S0005}
===================
The authors have no competing interests to declare.
Authors\' contributions {#S0006}
=======================
CS performed the lab work; TV organized the samples transfer, samples collection, training for samples collection in DBS, and recruited patients from Rio de Janeiro; CB recruited patients from Salvador; JB recruited patients from Brasilia; GG and CC recruited patients from Itajai; MC recruited patients from Santos; TS recruited patients from Porto Alegre; FP recruited samples from Manaus; MC performed phylogenetic analysis; LJ data analysis; SK lab work and data analysis; MS, data analysis and manuscript preparation; RD design the study, data analysis and manuscript preparation.
|
Q:
Retrieve CustomXMLParts in Excel Addin using VB.NET
I'm needing a little help retrieving the values stored in a CustomXMLPart in an Excel Addin using VB.NET. I've searched and haven't found a lot of detail on this. From what I've found, the code that I have should work. At first, I thought my xml part wasn't being added so to persist across sessions, but I displayed the count of the CustomXMLParts collection before (3) and after (4) adding my custom xml part and the count did increase by one. I, also displayed the count upon opening the saved Excel workbook and it was the same number (4) after adding my CustomXMLPart to the collection. Here's the pertinent code below. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Need more information just let me know.
In the Excel addin, I have a popup window where I ask for user input and that's the information that I need to persist. In the code behind, that's where I create the xml and add to the collection.
Code:
Dim workbook As Excel.Workbook = Globals.ThisAddIn.Application.ActiveWorkbook
Dim xml As String
xml = "<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""utf-8"" ?>" _
& "<refreshViewPointData xmlns=""http://refreshviewpointdata.com"">" _
& "<dataReference>" _
& "<system>" & cboSystem.Text & "</system>" _
& "<library>" & cboLibraries.Text & "</library>" _
& "<view>" & txtObject.Text & "</view>" _
& "<headers>" & chkInclColumnHdrs.Checked.ToString() & "</headers>" _
& "<numOfRecords>" & txtRowCount.Text & "</numOfRecords>" _
& "<reference>" & txtReference.Text & "</reference>" _
& "</dataReference>" _
& "</refreshViewPointData>"
workbook.CustomXMLParts.Add(xml, System.Type.Missing)
In the ThisAddIn_Startup() method of ThisAddIn.vb file is where I attempt to retrieve the CustomXMLPart. I call a RetrieveCustomXMLPart() method from ThisAddIn_Startup().
Code for RetrieveCustomXMLParts():
Dim parts As Microsoft.Office.Core.CustomXMLParts
parts = Application.ActiveWorkbook.CustomXMLParts.SelectByNamespace("http://refreshviewpointdata.com")
If parts.Count > 0 Then
RefreshData(parts.ToString())
End If
Code for RefreshData():
Dim r As New RibbonViewPoint
Dim viewXMLPart As New XmlDocument
Dim system, library, sObject, reference As String
Dim headers As Boolean
Dim numRecords As Integer
'Load the xml from the string.
viewXMLPart.LoadXml(part)
'Retrieve the values from the xml document.
system = viewXMLPart.SelectSingleNode("/dataReference/system").Value
library = viewXMLPart.SelectSingleNode("/dataReference/library").Value
sObject = viewXMLPart.SelectSingleNode("/dataReference/view").Value
headers = CType(viewXMLPart.SelectSingleNode("/dataReference/headers").Value, Boolean)
numRecords = CType(viewXMLPart.SelectSingleNode("/dataReference/numOfRecords").Value, Integer)
reference = viewXMLPart.SelectSingleNode("/dataReference/reference").Value
'Call method to run the object to refresh the data.
r.RunSelectedObject(system, library, sObject, headers, reference, numRecords)
In the RetrieveCustomXMLPart() method, the SelectByNamespace() method is not returning my CustomXMLPart that clearly has the same namespace as what I'm passing in. Anyone know what's wrong?
Also, if anyone has any insight on something else I didn't understand that would be great as well. In the RefreshData() method, I made the viewXMLPart variable as an XMLDocument to load the data and get the values from there. Prior to I had it defined as "Dim viewXMLPart As New Microsoft.Office.Core.CustomXMLPart", which kept giving me a syntax error saying that "'Microsoft.Office.Core.CustomXMLPartClass.Friend Sub New()' is not accessible in this context because it is Friend."
Thanks!!!
A:
Found a solution. The below is what worked.
Dim workbook = Application.ActiveWorkbook
Dim customXMLParts = workbook.CustomXMLParts.SelectByNamespace("urn:viewpoint-refresh")
Dim customXMLPart = customXMLParts.Cast(Of CustomXMLPart)().FirstOrDefault()
|
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to printing, and more particularly to systems and methods for printing using printing devices connected to a network.
Description of the Related Art
Printing devices are commonly used in a network environment. For example, a user of a computing device connected to a network may desire to print from the computing device to a printing device connected to the network. In some instances, one or more servers connected to the network may be used to facilitate a print request. For example, in some conventional systems, a print job may be sent to a server instead of to a particular printing device connected to the network. A user may then access the print job on the server from a printing device connected to the network. Based on one or more user inputs at the printing device, the print job may be sent from the server to the printing device and printed at the printing device. |
PCChttp://pcc.ludd.ltu.se/jira/secure/IssueNavigator.jspa?reset=true&pid=10011&updated%3Aprevious=-1w&component=10060&sorter/field=updated&sorter/order=DESC
An XML representation of a search requesten-uk3.13.133323-10-2008Enterprise |
Q:
Unable to execute oracle procedure in PLSQL Developer
I am having sample Procedure as Below
CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE proc_Table1
BEGIN
SELECT 'Sample UserName' AS UserName
FROM Dual;
END;
Now I want to run this Proc in PLSQL developer.I tried the below but its generating error
begin
proc_Table1;
end;
Its Displaying
Thanks for the Help.
Any Idea why this Happens.
A:
When you created the procedure, you should have been alerted to the fact that you had syntax errors. If you're going to run a SELECT statement, you need to do something with the results-- either populate a local variable or open a cursor or something else. The code you've posted is also missing the IS/AS keyword
CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE proc_Table1
AS
l_username VARCHAR2(30);
BEGIN
SELECT 'Sample UserName' AS UserName
INTO l_username
FROM Dual;
END;
will be syntactically valid. It doesn't appear, however, to be particularly useful-- you procedure isn't modifying the database and has no way to communicate with the caller so it isn't doing anything meaningful. As a general principal, you would also generally want to use a simple PL/SQL assignment operator to populate a local variable rather than selecting from dual, i.e.
l_username := 'Sample UserName';
|
Chargers Convadium Plan: Lipstick on a Pig
I previously reported on the 110 Pages of Gobbledygook that represents the Chargers’ proposal to build a combination football stadium and convention center expansion in downtown. It looks like it’s not going to happen because Mayor Kevin Faulconer and a lot of conservative businessmen are against it.
Perhaps the Chargers assumed that Faulconer would immediately climb on the bandwagon and start cheering for the so-called convadium.
Faulconer, however, to his credit has been cautious, questioning the $1.15 billion in new debt the City would have to take on as its part in this endeavor. The Chargers casually gloss over this in their gobbledygook proposal. And they say nothing about the $50 million still owed on Qualcomm Stadium as if that’s not even something worth mentioning.
As if this wasn’t bad enough, recent state Supreme Court ruling means that the Chargers will probably have to have a two-thirds approval from the voters in November instead of a simple majority. This makes their uphill climb that much steeper especially since it has finally dawned on the American public that tax giveaways to billionaire owners of professional football teams are not a good idea.
Local Politicians Don’t Want a Convadium
I have now read or scanned the 110 pages, and I have a few (quite a few) reservations about the proposal, but they pale in comparison to the developments involving prominent politicians and businessmen who are against it.
Joe Terzi, the head of the Tourism Authority, said the Chargers’ plan is just not something industry leaders wanted.
“The fact is, if you build what is proposed by the Chargers, or another facility, it is not an expansion of the existing center. It will not satisfy the needs of those people, those larger conventions that are with us, want to stay with us and want to come”
He said the Chargers’ apparent vision to use the stadium, with a roof, as convention space was not going to be attractive to convention organizers.
“We believe that you can sell another convention facility if we don’t get the expansion but you better build something that works. What is being proposed right now does not work.”
This didn’t sit well with Fred Maas, the Chargers’ point man for convadium advocacy:
“I find Mr. Terzi’s comments both troubling and misleading: to my knowledge he’s been to one briefing with the Chargers and spent one day in Indianapolis, hardly the exhaustive or thorough review that you’d expect from a fiduciary. Moreover, we have offered the services of one of the leading convention center consultants in the nation (including a stint with our Convention Center) to engage in a dialogue with him to develop a program for the combined facility that addresses his issues but, more importantly, the market’s issues. But we got no taker. It is ironic that someone who makes $500,000 a year at the public trough, purportedly representing tourism, could boldly display his middle digit to the Chargers, the NFL, future Super Bowls, NCAA Final Fours and countless other convention-related events. Maybe there’s something more at stake here than just our initiative.”
So now Mr. Terzi has boldly told the Chargers “Fuck You!” That does not bode well for community relations.
At any rate, the Chargers are soldiering on if not charging ahead. Their initiative will probably make the November ballot along with the so-called Citizens’ initiative. Voters will have their work cut out for them wading through all the legalese.
Well now that it hardly matters, here are my qualms about the 110-page proposal.
Under Section 2, item 10, the People of the City of San Diego find and declare the following:
“The Initiative expressly prohibits the payment of any costs by the City to construct and operate the Stadium except for certain costs resulting from the integrated nature of the Convention Center Expansion and Stadium fund and as expressly provided for in this Initiative …”
This item is disingenuous at best because the “exception” is huge: $350 million. That’s what the City is expected to spend on the construction of the stadium itself. This is the amount “expressly provided for in this Initiative.”
The rest of the $1.15 billion the City is supposed to borrow (by the way the biggest bond issue in the history of San Diego) would go to build the non-contiguous Convention Center Expansion that seemingly no one except the Chargers wants. Maybe they should have gotten that one squared away with the Mayor and City Council before they made their proposal. But they expected him and everyone else to just hop on board.
Creating a Lively and Active Pedestrian District?
Under Section 3, Statement of Purpose, item 15.3.1-G-2,
“Provide for a variety of uses that will foster a lively and active pedestrian district during the day and night throughout the year, not only when activities and events occur in the convention center expansion and stadium.”
Are some of those anticipated activities in the pedestrian district similar to those going on there now – the putting up and taking down of tents and tarps lining the sidewalks? The lively activities and variety of uses participated in by the homeless that populate that area at the present time?
Of course, this is all wishful thinking and pie in the sky on the part of the proposal writers and total ignorance of the reality of the situation. Their $1.15 billion in borrowed money they blithely suggest that the taxpayers of San Diego borrow and be on the hook for, in addition to the $50 million the taxpayers still owe on Qualcomm Stadium, has absolutely no provision for the homeless whatsoever. I guess their only concern for the homeless is exactly what the City is doing right now in anticipation of the All-Star game – shoo them away.
Demonstrating their far removal from reality is Section 15.4.2 G-2:
“Envision streets as extensions of downtown’s open space network, presenting opportunities to linger, stroll and gather, rather than simply as traffic movement spines.”
The homeless are already “lingering, strolling and gathering” there, no envisioning necessary. When the City wants to discourage lingering, they call it loitering and fine people for it. But I guess the City will have to distinguish between lingering and loitering. Would it have something to do with appearance and money in the pocket?
And then there’s Section 15.43-P-1:
“To the extent feasible, provide urban open spaces at the street level to create gathering spaces at primary entry points to the District as a way to create linkages with adjacent neighborhoods.”
Well, I can attest to the feasibility thereof because the homeless have already created “gathering spaces”, and they are well linked with “adjacent neighborhoods”. How thoughtful of the Chargers to be concerned about the homeless experience!
Regarding traffic, the District promises a traffic nightmare, but the Chargers proceed with putting lipstick on a pig in Section 15.5 – Transportation.
The verbiage calls for a “project design [which would] allow pedestrian and bicycle passages that do not cross through the District but provide linkages with surrounding neighborhoods and activity nodes. K Street on the northern perimeter of the District is designated a Green Street [whoop de doo] that should be continued along the eastern side of the District.”
So the pedestrian passages that do not cross through the District seem to be at odds with the “lingering and strolling” activities and “gathering spaces” envisioned for the District. What the hell is a Green Street?
Proposal Doesn’t Provide for Parking
Parking for Chargers games would not be provided as per this proposal. Section 15.5.1-P-3 opines
“Providing parking at standard code rates for each of the uses would provide an oversupply of parking that would discourage transit use and other modes of transportation.”
They go on to say that most Chargers games occur on Saturdays and Sundays when businesses downtown are closed. Therefore, parking would be available in the already existing parking garages. But what about the convention center uses? They don’t just occur on weekends. They will be competing for parking places during the week with businesses.
Under Section 15.6- Historic Resources, the Chargers are ambivalent about incorporating the old Wonder Bread factory facade into the design. They say that development “may” require the relocation of the Wonder Bread building. Or maybe they will relocate just the facade and not the whole building. In any event, “No additional review, approval or clearance related to the Wonder Bread Factory building shall be required.”
So in other words, the Chargers can do whatever the hell they please with the Wonder Bread building.
Under 15.7 – Arts and Culture we find
“Allow a sports history and memorabilia and/or museum and/or regional and local sports museum as a permitted use in the project.” High art indeed. Basically another place to sell T-shirts and jerseys.
Get your merchandise here, sports fans.
They note that there are Geologic and Seismic hazards connected with the site but … not to worry.
Next week in Part 3 we will consider the $1.15 billion that the Chargers want the City to borrow from Wall Street in order to pay for this construction. The major point here is that, although the Chargers’ proposal attempts to dictate the terms of this loan, they are in reality in no position to do so as Wall Street will dictate its own terms and even if they will loan the money in the first place. The attempt by the Chargers to get the public to put its imprimatur on this proposal via a ballot initiative is putting the cart before the horse. It would have been better to get everyone on board first instead of issuing what amounts to a diktat.
Stadium Illustrations are from design concepts presented by the Chargers.
Keep in Touch!
Welcome to the OB Rag – Ocean Beach & Beyond
The OB Rag has been initiated to ply the Ocean Beach community and the San Diego scene with news and commentary from a distinctively progressive and grassroots perspective, and to provide a forum for those views. Others with similar views are invited to contribute and participate. More about us...
Support the OB Rag! Purchase old copies - 20% off Help keep the OB Rag online by donating to buy 30-35 year old issues of the original OB Rag, Ocean Beach's infamous and iconic counterculture, underground newspaper; limited numbers are available for purchase! |
/* compile with ldc2 expiring.d */
module test;
import std.stdio;
class C {
int x;
this(int x_) { x = x_; }
};
int getNum(const C c)
{
if( c is null ) return -1;
else return c.x;
}
struct R {
C c;
this(int x) {
c = new C(x);
}
this(this) {
writeln(" copy from ", getNum(c));
int num = getNum(c);
c = new C(num);
}
~this() {
writeln(" delete ", getNum(c));
//delete c;
}
ref R opAssign(ref const R arg)
{
writeln(" assign lhs = rhs ", getNum(arg.c));
c.x = arg.c.x;
return this;
}
};
R makeAlias(C c)
{
writeln("in makeAlias");
R ret;
ret.c = c;
return ret;
}
R returnsR(int x)
{
//writeln("in returnsR");
R ret;
ret.c = new C(x);
return ret;
}
R transformR(R arg) {
writeln("in transformR");
arg.c.x += 1;
return arg;
}
R globalR;
void test0()
{
writeln("test0");
writeln("R r = returnsR(100)");
{
R r = returnsR(100);
writeln("r.x is ", r.c.x);
}
writeln("R r = transformR(returnsR(100))");
{
R r = transformR(returnsR(100));
writeln("r.x is ", r.c.x);
}
writeln("R r = transformR(transformR(returnsR(100)))");
{
R r = transformR(transformR(returnsR(100)));
writeln("r.x is ", r.c.x);
}
}
void pass(R r)
{
writeln("in pass");
}
void passpass(R r)
{
pass(r);
}
R ret()
{
R r;
r.c = new C(5);
return r;
}
R retret()
{
return ret();
}
R passret(R r)
{
return r;
}
R passpassretret(R r)
{
return passret(r);
}
void test1()
{
writeln("test1");
R r;
r.c = new C(3);
writeln("created r");
writeln(getNum(r.c));
writeln("calling pass");
pass(r);
writeln("calling passpass");
passpass(r);
writeln("calling ret");
R r2 = ret();
writeln("calling retret");
R r3 = retret();
writeln("calling pass(ret)");
pass(ret());
writeln("calling passret");
R r4 = passret(r);
writeln("calling passpassretret");
R r5 = passpassretret(r);
writeln("r.x=", getNum(r.c));
writeln("r2.x=", getNum(r2.c));
writeln("r3.x=", getNum(r3.c));
writeln("r4.x=", getNum(r4.c));
writeln("r5.x=", getNum(r5.c));
}
void test4()
{
globalR.c.x = 100;
writeln("test4");
R local_dom;
local_dom.c = globalR.c;
writeln("R curr_dom = local_dom");
// now local_dom "aliases" globalR
R curr_dom = local_dom;
writeln("R next_dom = make");
R next_dom = returnsR(3);
//curr_dom.c.x = next_dom.c.x; // could be = overload
writeln("curr_dom = next_dom");
curr_dom = next_dom;
writeln(globalR.c.x);
}
void test5_part2(R curr_dom)
{
writeln("R next_dom = make");
R next_dom = returnsR(3);
writeln("curr_dom = next_dom");
curr_dom = next_dom;
writeln(globalR.c.x);
}
void test5()
{
globalR.c.x = 100;
writeln("test5");
R local_dom;
local_dom.c = globalR.c;
writeln("R curr_dom = local_dom");
// now local_dom "aliases" globalR
test5_part2(local_dom); // does argument passing create a copy?
}
void test6_part2(R curr_dom)
{
writeln("R next_dom = make");
R next_dom = returnsR(3);
writeln("curr_dom = next_dom");
curr_dom = next_dom;
writeln(globalR.c.x);
}
void test6()
{
globalR.c.x = 100;
writeln("test6");
R local_dom;
local_dom.c = globalR.c;
writeln("R curr_dom = local_dom");
// now local_dom "aliases" globalR
test6_part2(makeAlias(globalR.c)); // does argument passing create a copy?
}
/* compilation error b/c can't pass fn return to ref arg
void test6ref_part2(ref R curr_dom)
{
writeln("R next_dom = make");
R next_dom = returnsR(3);
writeln("curr_dom = next_dom");
curr_dom.c.x = next_dom.c.x;
writeln(globalR.c.x);
}
void test6ref()
{
globalR.c.x = 100;
writeln("test6ref");
R local_dom;
local_dom.c = globalR.c;
writeln("R curr_dom = local_dom");
// now local_dom "aliases" globalR
test6ref_part2(makeAlias(globalR.c)); // does argument passing create a copy?
}
*/
/* compilation error b/c immutable const
void test6in_part2(in R curr_dom)
{
writeln("R next_dom = make");
R next_dom = returnsR(3);
writeln("curr_dom = next_dom");
curr_dom.c.x = next_dom.c.x;
writeln(globalR.c.x);
}
void test6in()
{
globalR.c.x = 100;
writeln("test6in");
R local_dom;
local_dom.c = globalR.c;
writeln("R curr_dom = local_dom");
// now local_dom "aliases" globalR
test6in_part2(makeAlias(globalR.c)); // does argument passing create a copy?
}
*/
int main()
{
globalR.c = new C(100);
test0();
test1();
test4();
test5();
test6();
return 0;
}
|
Q:
How to Convert XML string to List?
I have this below XML string , got it from SqlDependency that monitor sql table
,I want to Convert it to List or datatable
<root>
<inserted>
<row>
<invoice_id>26</invoice_id>
<invoice_type>5</invoice_type>
<client_id>372</client_id>
<create_date>2019-12-02T13:49:21.430</create_date>
<status_id>1</status_id>
<sales_rep_id>1</sales_rep_id>
<courrier_id>12</courrier_id>
<items_quantity>3</items_quantity>
<sub_total>0.00</sub_total>
<discount>0.00</discount>
<shipping>0.00</shipping>
<tax>0.00</tax>
<grand_total>0.00</grand_total>
<prepared_by>11</prepared_by>
<current_state>PREPARED</current_state>
<store_ID>1</store_ID>
<extra></extra>
<user_id>11</user_id>
<open_date>2019-12-02T13:52:53.583</open_date>
<prepared_date>2019-12-02T13:54:10.877</prepared_date>
<preparing_notes></preparing_notes>
<to_courier_date>2019-12-02T14:34:17.953</to_courier_date>
</row>
</inserted>
</root>
I tried the below code :
string xml = ee.Data.ToString();// XML string above
List<string> Lst = new List<string>();
XmlReader xr = XmlReader.Create(new StringReader(xml));
var xMembers = from members in XElement.Load(xr).Elements() select members;
foreach (XElement x in ee.Data.Elements("root"))
{
Lst.Add ( x.Value);
}
but not working also tired for converting it to Datatable
public DataTable XML2DT(string xmlData)
{
StringReader theReader = new StringReader(xmlData);
DataSet theDataSet = new DataSet();
theDataSet.ReadXml(theReader);
return theDataSet.Tables[0];
}
return error , so can anyone help me to convert it to any usable object to store there new data
A:
If you define yourself classes:
public class root
{
public row[] inserted {get;set;}
}
public class row
{
public int invoice_id {get;set;}
public int invoice_type {get;set;}
.....
}
and you use Xml-Serialization
var ser = new XmlSerializer(typeof(root));
var root = (root)ser.Deserialize(new StringReader( yourxmlstring ));
than you have a type-safe conversion of all your xml.
I assume your row-Element maybe repeated (is a List), while the inserted-tag is unique.
It's not really a "List or Datatable" but still good for Databinding.
Unless your list of properties changes daily and you don't known them in advance.
|
Genetic polymorphism of xenobiotic metabolising enzymes in Slovenian lung cancer patients.
Most carcinogenic substances require metabolic activation in order to become ultimate carcinogens. Genetic polymorphism of xenobiotic metabolising enzymes cytochromes P450 may therefore influence human cancer susceptibility. The aim of our study was to investigate if CYP1A1 gene polymorphism contributes to lung cancer susceptibility in Slovenian patients. Two polymorphic sites in CYP1A1 gene were analysed in DNA samples from 100 healthy controls and 199 lung cancer patients using genotyping approach. Our results indicate that CYP1A1 may be one of the factors determining susceptibility to squamous cell carcinoma of lung in Slovenian population. However the frequency of CYP1A1 polymorphisms is too low to be a potentially useful marker of increased lung cancer risk. |
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;
using Xunit;
[assembly: CollectionBehavior(CollectionBehavior.CollectionPerAssembly, DisableTestParallelization = true)]
|
Over the course of their careers, some wide receivers get the reputation as being dominant in certain areas of the field. Is anyone better at getting separation close to the line of scrimmage than Julian Edelman? Is there any wide receiver that can claim that they’re a better deep downfield than Tyreek Hill? At PFF, we grade every player on every play, and along with that, we collect information on the target location, which means we can answer those questions.
These receivers were the best when targeted short (1-9 yards past the line of scrimmage), intermediate (10-19 yards), and deep (20 yards or more).
[Editor’s Note: To view more of Pro Football Focus’ advanced stats on receiving direction, check out our Premium Stats 2.0. All ELITE subscribers already have access to these stats, and for those who don’t, you can subscribe today!]
Short Targets (1-9 yards downfield)
When you’re the league’s highest-graded wide receiver, the chances are that you were pretty good all over the field. That holds true for Hopkins. He was targeted 68 times within nine yards of the line of scrimmage – fourth-highest in the NFL – and he turned those targets into 53 receptions for 478 yards and two touchdowns. It was the quick slants where Hopkins did a lot of his damage, as his 24 targets on slants within nine yards led the league, and he generated a passer rating of 131.3 on those routes.
The short passing game was Thomas’ bread and butter in New Orleans last season. No wide receiver came close to his 97 short-range targets – JuJu Smith-Schuster was second at just 76 – and he coasted to first in short receptions (88), yards (709) and first down receptions (41). What is really impressive is the efficiency Drew Brees and Thomas maintained at such high volume. Among 69 wide receivers with 25 or more short-range targets, Thomas had the highest catch rate on his targets at 90.7%.
Adams has emerged as one of the top red-zone threats in the league in recent seasons, so it makes sense that he comes in as one of the top-graded receivers when targeted close to the line of scrimmage. In total on these short routes, he brought in 53 receptions for 484 yards and four touchdowns. Adams’ WR rating of 116.7 on these passes came in at fifth overall among qualifying wide receivers.
Intermediate Targets (10-19 yards downfield)
Thomas makes his second appearance on this list for his work at the intermediate range of the field. Once again, the uncanny connection that Brees and Thomas share delivered, as nearly 74 percent of the passes thrown Thomas’ way on intermediate routes connected – third-highest among 44 qualifying wide receivers. Altogether, he brought in 34-of-46 targets for 594 yards and three touchdowns when targeted 10-19 yards downfield.
Once again, Hopkins and Thomas occupied spots one and two in the standings. Hopkins stood out on this range of the field in contested catch situations. His 21 contested targets led all wide receivers in this range, as did his 14 contested receptions. No wide receiver with at least ten contested targets 10-19 yards downfield finished with a higher contested catch rate than Hopkins (66.7%). Other areas that he took down the top spot include receptions (43) and yards (695).
Despite his season being cut short, Beckham Jr. was still able to showcase the electric playmaking ability that he will be bringing to Cleveland, especially in the intermediate areas of the field. Beckham has made a name for himself on the slant route, and he used the intermediate slant with success last year; he was the only wide receiver to be targeted ten or more times on slants 10-19 yards downfield, bringing in six-of-ten targets for 98 yards.
Deep Targets (20-plus yards downfield)
At last, we get to a category not dominated by Hopkins and Thomas – the deep threats. Coming in at first with a 97.8 receiving grade is none other than last year’s model of efficiency, Tyler Lockett. Lockett was especially dangerous deep, bringing in a ridiculous 77.3 percent of his deep targets with a passer rating when targeted of 158.1. Among the 27 other wide receivers with 20 or more deep targets (including playoffs), the next highest passer rating when targeted was Smith-Schuster at 125.0.
It comes as no surprise that the Kansas City speedster finds himself near the top of the list in the deep range. Hill is a flat-out nightmare when he gets behind your defense – and there is little hope of recovery when he does. He finished the season with 796 receiving yards on passes targeted 20 or more yards downfield in 2018, which was more than any other wide receiver has picked up in a single season in the PFF era (2006-present). Hill and Patrick Mahomes are gearing up to be one of the most dangerous duos in the league for a long time.
With Andrew Luck back at the helm, Hilton once again solidified his spot as one of the more dangerous downfield threats in the NFL. If not for Lockett’s ridiculous stat line, Hilton would have led the league in reception rate on his downfield targets (61.5%). He finished the season with 16 deep receptions on 26 targets for 602 yards (3rd) and two touchdowns. Hilton even brought in four-of-seven contested deep targets, showing that he’s more than just a speed threat. |
Howie Kendrick had a day off, but the Angels’ second baseman said he’s fine and Mike Scioscia said he’s just giving him a break. “He’s been playing a lot,” Scioscia said. “He’ll be back in there tomorrow.”
Dane De La Rosa has become an overnight sensation after saving a pigeon. He gained about 300 more Twitter followers and was mentioned on SportsCenter, Sports Nation and Deadspin. Initially, he thought it was a rat. “It just was not trying to fly at all. I didn’t want to cause a pitching delay in the outfield, so I just grabbed it. It was obviously trying to get somewhere.” So he walked out to the player’s parking lot and dropped it off. He said goodbye. And he named it Randy. But not after Randy Johnson, who famously did this. “He just looked like a Randy,” De La Rosa said.
The Bay Bridge was closed this afternoon because a suspicious package was found, and those who didn’t take the early bus were forced to ride B.A.R.T., the public transportation from San Francisco to Oakland. That included Josh Hamilton, who rode with his accountability partner Shayne Kelley but went the entire ride without being recognized. “It’s the little things,” he said.
Infielder Brendan Harris, recently DFA’s by the Angels, signed a Minor League deal with the Yankees and will report to Triple-A. Clearly he saw a better chance to get playing time on an injury-riddled team.
What is up with the Angels’ fielding? Seems every time I check, they end up with 2-3 errors a game. — @davidusc708
Just one of the many mysteries of this trying 2013 season. Heading into Monday, the Angels had the most errors in the American League (46) and ranked third in the Majors (the Dodgers and Nationals each have 47, putting the combined payrolls of the top three error teams at about $465 million). Howie Kendrick leads the Angels with eight; Erick Aybar has six; Hank Conger and Josh Hamilton (after misplaying a single on Monday) each have four; Mark Trumbo, Albert Pujols and Brendan Harris have three apiece. Then there’s Chris Iannetta, who — with little help from a slow-to-the-plate pitching staff — has thrown out only 5 of 51 would-be base-stealers. His 46 steals allowed already match last year’s total.
Most troubling lately, though, is Alberto Callaspo, a historically good defensive third baseman who came into Monday with six errors in his last eight games.
“This guy’s played great defense for his 10 years in the league,” said Mike Scioscia, who added that his third baseman is “fully healthy.” “He’s still moving well, his hands are fine. I think you have to look at just the way he’s played his whole career. He’s an outstanding defensive third baseman. It’s just a little glitch right now.”
Josh Hamilton, in case you hadn’t noticed, has the day off today. He isn’t hurt. Angels manager Mike Scioscia wanted to give him a “a recharge day” (and the fact their facing a lefty made this a good opportunity). Hamilton probably won’t be available to pinch-hit, either. It’s only expected to be for one day. “We need him to get into his game, and I think we’ve been trying to grind it and get him there and it’s just not quite getting far enough where we’d want him to. And so we’re going to take a day, take that half-step back and get him to take two steps forward.”
Garrett Richards, who left Sunday’s game with a mild left ankle sprain, “feels a little better today,” Scioscia said. They’re not sure if he’ll be available tonight, though.
Scott Downs will get in a game either today or tomorrow. He hasn’t pitched in a game in eight days, mainly because he’s the only lefty currently in the ‘pen and Scioscia wants to make sure he gets the most out of him.
Ryan Madson played catch today, but he still has a ways to go before hopping back up on a bullpen. Yep.
Peter Bourjos will start in center field for Class A Inland Empire on Monday night, as expected.
As you might have noticed, Callaspo was activated off the disabled prior to Friday’s game. But going down was Andrew Romine, not Luis Jimenez. Mike Scioscia likes having a power right-handed bat off the bench like Jimenez — it’s essentially the role Bill Hall was going to play, before he got hurt in Spring Training — and he feels Brendan Harris can be used as a utility infielder. A big question with this decision, however, is Harris’ defense. It’s not his strong suit. Offense is. Romine was a much more capable defender. And maybe Jimenez would’ve benefited from some more at-bats in the Minors to polish up his approach, which has led to a lot of strikeouts at this level.
In tune with his new role, Jimenez was getting some work in left field pregame. Scioscia said right now he’s only comfortable using Jimenez there in an “emergency” situation, but perhaps that can change if he gets better at it.
Garrett Richards is going back to the bullpen, with Jerome Williams taking his spot in the rotation on Sunday. The move makes sense on a couple of fronts. First and foremost, the Angels need a relief pitcher to bridge the gap to the later innings, and Richards can do that in what he said is “a primary role” in the back end. Williams has struggled as a starting pitcher in recent outings, but he’s been really good in long relief lately.
Sean Burnett said today that he’s going to fly to Florida to see Dr. James Andrews on Monday morning. After that, he’ll fly to Houston to rejoin the team on their two-city trip. The lefty reliever, out since April 27 with left forearm irritation, didn’t sound very concerned. But it’s always frightening when pitchers see Dr. Andrews, so it’s definitely something worth monitoring.
It looks like Scott Downs (pain in his right side) will avoid the DL. At least for now. He probably won’t be available Friday, but Scioscia is going to have him go through his normal pregame nonetheless.
Mark Lowe (left neck strain) will pitch two innings for Class A Inland Empire on Sunday. He’s eligible to be activated that day, so that may be Lowe’s final outing before rejoining the team.
Shortstop Tommy Field suffered a broken finger shortly after he was sent down on April 23. He’s on the 7-day Minor League DL and could miss a month.
Some additional tidbits from Monday night’s 19-inning, 10-8 loss to the A’s, courtesy of the Angels’ PR department …
At six hours and 32 minutes, it was the longest game in Angels history, surpassing the six-hour, six-minute game played on April 13, 1982 against the Mariners (20 innings).
Innings-wise, it was the third-longest in Angels history. The Angels have played 20 innings twice, on the above-mentioned game against Seattle and July 9, 1971, against the A’s. That means two of the three 19-inning games in Angels history have been walk-off losses to the A’s.
It was the longest MLB game since the Pirates beat the Cardinals, 6-3, in 19 innings on Aug. 19, 2012, in St. Louis; it was the longest AL game since the White Sox beat the Red Sox, 6-5, in 19 innings on July 9, 2006, in Chicago.
The 18 runs scored were the fourth-most in 19-inning, Major League history.
The two clubs used a combined 16 pitches (eight each) and threw a combined 597 pitches. The 297 pitches the Angels threw were the most since at least 1988.
Howie Kendrick and Brendan Harris each went 2-for-9, becoming the second and third Angels players to log nine at-bats in a game. The first was Don Baylor, who went 5-for-9 on 4/13/82. It was the first game since 1993 to have three players (also Jed Lowrie) log nine at-bats in a game.
Six different Angels pitchers allowed a run for the fifth time in team history, and first time since Sept. 30, 2000.
Seven of the Angels’ nine position players went the full 19 innings, including catcher Chris Iannetta, who worked 18 2/3 innings behind the plate. The last American League catchers to be behind the plate for more than 18 innings in a game were A.J. Pierzynski and Jason Varitek in 2006, in a game between the White Sox and Red Sox that ended with one out in the bottom of the 19th.
The Angels’ 19-inning loss last night was a devastating one, but it was also quite memorable. It was the longest game in Angels history — A’s, too — and it witnessed several encouraging performances. Tommy Hanson pitched six innings of two-run ball with a heavy heart, Chris Iannetta squatted for 19 innings behind the plate, Mark Trumbo hit a 475-foot homer that was tied for the longest in the Majors this season, Albert Pujols had four hits, went deep twice and played the field despite having plantar fasciitis on his left foot, and Jerome Williams hurled six innings of one-run ball in relief.
Still, though, the Angels were in no mood to reminisce on Tuesday.
“I don’t feel any nostalgia towards it,” Trumbo said. “It’s all about winning, and we didn’t do it.”
The Angels officially placed Peter Bourjos on the disabled list today with a strained left hamstring, activating Aybar. Also, outfielder Scott Cousins had his contract purchased from Triple-A Salt Lake and Michael Roth was sent down. The Angels’ 40-man roster is back at 40, and the Angels are back to the traditional seven relievers and four-man bench — despite the fact seven relievers accounted for 12 2/3 innings the night before. “Really, we’re as banged up on the lineup side,” Mike Scioscia said.
It looks like only Jerome Williams and Michael Kohn will be unavailable tonight. Ernesto Frieri is good to go, as are Barry Enright, Dane De La Rosa, Nick Maronde and Scott Downs.
Luis Jimenez‘s bruised left shin is “a little tight,” Scioscia said, but he may be available to play defense. If the Angels get a lead late, don’t be surprised to see him sub in for Harris at third.
Still no time frame on how long Bourjos’ hamstring will keep him out. Obviously, as a speed guy, he needs that to be 100 percent before returning.
Ryan Madson is still not throwing.
Jimenez has some experience in the outfield from winter ball, so that may be an option for him once Alberto Callaspo returns.
Tommy Hanson takes the mound today, in the opener of a three-game series, with a heavy heart, after spending six days on the bereavement list while dealing with the sudden death of his 24-year-old step-brother. The 26-year-old right-hander is happy to be back, joining his teammates and in some ways distracting himself from the sorrow that a loss in the family can cause.
“I think any time you’re doing something you have a passion for and you love, it’s therapeautic for all of us,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “Hopefully it’ll help Tommy get through some of the things he’s dealing with in his personal life and come out here and move forward.”
Erick Aybar (bruised left heel) is slated to play for Triple-A Salt Lake today, while Alberto Callaspo (right calf strain) and Mark Lowe (left neck strain) will begin a rehab assignment with Class A Inland Empire on Tuesday. If all goes well, I’d expect Aybar and Callaspo to both be back for the weekend home series against the Orioles.
Scioscia said he’d probably hit Aybar lower in the lineup initially, and was non-committal about whether he’d replace Bourjos in the leadoff spot.
The Angels’ skipper has thought about putting Trumbo in the cleanup spot on a more frequent basis, instead of just against left-handed starters, but prefers to stay with that platoon for now — even though Hamilton continues to struggle and the Angels have seen seven straight right-handed starters (lefty Tommy Milone will start tomorrow).
The 7 o’clock Angels games on Tuesday and Friday will be broadcast on KCOP.
It’s been a week since Ryan Madson threw his last sim game in Anaheim, and another one is still not scheduled. He’s in Arizona still, rehabbing, but Mike Scioscia didn’t want to call his last-Friday sim game a setback. “He wasn’t set back for any other reason than normal rehab and trying to get over the final hump. That’s what rehab is. At times you’re going to take a step forward, at times you’re going to plateau. He’s certainly ready for the challenge of facing hitters.”
Just a day for Hamilton, who’s at DH for the first time this season (and, of course, his Angels career.
Speaking of DH … Erick Aybar did that in his second game of extended spring training in Arizona, but Scioscia said he also ran well and that his left heel “felt great” as the day went on. He’ll most likely play the field again on Saturday, but Scioscia was non-committal when asked if he’d be available in Oakland early next week.
Pujols is tied with Giancarlo Stanton for the biggest drop of pitches seen inside the strike zone from 2012 to ’13 (h/t Fan Graphs). The interesting thing about that is Stanton has the likes of Greg Dobbs and Placido Polanco hitting behind him; Pujols has Hamilton — signed to a five-year, $125 million contract, but currently struggling.
Wilson is 5-1 with a 2.11 ERA in his last seven starts against the Mariners.
Pujols, in case you didn’t notice, is playing first base today for the first time since April 15. He’s started seven straight games at DH, including nine of his last 10. The plantar fasciitis on his left foot, he said, is no better and no worse. But he doesn’t feel like it would bother him too much playing defense. He hopes to start three of the four games of this series there, then Monday and Tuesday against Oakland.
Seeking some length in the bullpen, with Michael Roth and Jerome Williams both knocked out, the Angels called up Barry Enright, who has been struggling mightily in Triple-A. He’ll serve as a long reliever.
Sean Burnett (right forearm) is good to go. He was ready on Wednesday, if needed. But the game got out of hand in a hurry.
Tommy Hanson is tentatively scheduled to rejoin the team on Monday and start that game — the series opener against the A’s.
Erick Aybar (left heel) played five innings in extended Spring Training today and will be re-evaluated tomorrow. No word yet on when he can be back.
Alberto Callaspo has progressed towards during sprints, but his right calf is still bothering him when he moves side to side. He isn’t expected to return from the DL on this road trip.
Yet another new face has graced the Angels’ bullpen. On Tuesday, lefty Nick Maronde was called up from Double-A Arkansas, with shortstop Tommy Field getting optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake and the Angels going with a three-man bench. The reason? Lefty Sean Burnett is currently sidelined with some tightness in his forearm, which he chalks up as part of the recovery from the removal of bone spurs in his elbow. It’s a day-to-day situation, but the Angels need as many healthy arms as possible in the ‘pen. That’s five new faces in two weeks (Maronde, Michael Roth, Dane De La Rosa, Michael Kohn and David Carpenter). The Angels now have four lefty relievers. There were times when Mike Scioscia didn’t have any.
Erick Aybar will go with the team to Seattle, but won’t be activated off the disabled list on Thursday, as he said he was shooting for on Monday. Mike Scioscia wants Aybar to get a couple days in extended Spring Training in order to work on his prep step, since the left heel could be sensitive to playing shortstop.
Jerome Williams still looks likely to make the start on Wednesday against the Rangers, but it isn’t official. Scioscia is waiting until postgame, just in case he has to use them. Lifetime against Texas, Williams has a 7.34 ERA. “I’m not worried about their lineup,” he said. “I’m worried about what I’m doing out there.”
Alberto Callaspo (right calf strain) is “still not quite where you’d want him to be,” Scioscia said, but added that “there’s a probability he’ll be ready over the weekend.” Callaspo is eligible to come off the DL on Saturday.
The following are trademarks or service marks of Major League Baseball entities and may be used only with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. or the relevant Major League Baseball entity: Major League, Major League Baseball, MLB, the silhouetted batter logo, World Series, National League, American League, Division Series, League Championship Series, All-Star Game, and the names, nicknames, logos, uniform designs, color combinations, and slogans designating the Major League Baseball clubs and entities, and their respective mascots, events and exhibitions. |
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he plans talks soon with the leaders of Canada and Mexico to begin renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
U.S. President Donald Trump attends a swearing-in ceremony for senior staff with Vice President Mike Pence at the White House in Washington, DC January 22, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
“We will be starting negotiations having to do with NAFTA,” Trump said at a swearing-in ceremony for his top White House advisers. “We are going to start renegotiating on NAFTA, on immigration and on security at the border.”
Trump pledged during his presidential campaign that if elected he would renegotiate the NAFTA trade pact to provide more favorable terms to the United States.
NAFTA, which took effect in 1994, and other trade deals became lightning rods for voter anger in the U.S. industrial heartland states that swept Trump to power this month.
Canada’s ambassador to the United States said it was clear the Trump team were concerned above all about trade deficits with Mexico and China.
“I don’t think Canada is the focus at all,” David MacNaughton told reporters in Calgary, Alberta, ahead of a two-day government retreat focused on how to handle the new Trump administration.
Trade experts, academics and government officials say Canada and Mexico will also seek tough concessions and that NAFTA’s zero-tariff rate would be extremely difficult to alter. Any renegotiation would likely take several years, they say.
Trump said he would be meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto to begin work on overhauling the deal.
He praised Pena Nieto, who has faced low popularity in Mexico due to corruption scandals and rising inflation.
“The president has been really amazing,” Trump said. “I think we are going to have a very good result for Mexico, and the United States, and everybody involved.”
Critics of Pena Nieto say he lacks a clear plan to counter Trump’s calls to limit trade and deport illegal immigrants.
Trump has said little about what improvements he wants, apart from halting the migration of U.S. factories and jobs to Mexico.
Since winning the Nov. 8 election, Trump has singled out and threatened to impose tariffs on U.S. companies that move any production to Mexico.
He also intends to build a wall along the U.S. southern border to deter illegal immigration and insisted that Mexico will pay for it. |
Development and characterisation of a new interface for coupling capillary LC with collision-cell ICP-MS and its application for phosphorylation profiling of tryptic protein digests.
A comparison of different nebulisers for direct hyphenation of capillary and nano liquid chromatography (Cap-LC, Nano-LC) and quadrupole-based collision cell inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (CC-ICP-MS) for phosphorylation profiling of tryptic protein digests is described. Helium was used as cell gas and specially tuned instrumental conditions were used to achieve background minimisation at the mass of phosphorus, because of kinetic energy discrimination of the interfering polyatomic ions. The proposed set-up is based on a modified capillary electrophoresis interface and a home-made 4 mL spray chamber. It enables the use of gradient conditions with a highly concentrated organic mobile phase as often used in protein phosphorylation analysis, without the need to apply membrane desolvation for removal of the organic phase or further background minimisation. No significant signal suppression or other negative effects caused by the organic mobile phase occur, because of the low flow rates used in Cap-LC and the robust plasma conditions of the CC-ICP-MS instrument. A tryptic digest of beta-casein was investigated as model compound to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed set-up for phosphorylation profiling in protein analysis using quadrupole based collision-cell ICP-MS as phosphorus-specific detector. Detection limits for phosphorylated peptides down to the sub picomole level were obtained. As a complementary technique, electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS-MS) with data base searching was used for further characterisation of the phosphorylated peptides detected. |
Toolchain
In software, a toolchain is a set of programming tools that is used to perform a complex software development task or to create a software product, which is typically another computer program or a set of related programs. In general, the tools forming a toolchain are executed consecutively so the output or resulting environment state of each tool becomes the input or starting environment for the next one, but the term is also used when referring to a set of related tools that are not necessarily executed consecutively.
A simple software development toolchain may consist of a compiler and linker (which transform the source code into an executable program), libraries (which provide interfaces to the operating system), and a debugger (which is used to test and debug created programs). A complex software product such as a video game needs tools for preparing sound effects, music, textures, 3-dimensional models and animations, together with additional tools for combining these resources into the finished product.
See also
Buildroot
Cross compiler
Debian build toolchain
DevOps toolchain
Framework
GNU toolchain
Library
References
Category:Computer programming tools |
Q:
How to retrieve specific rows from SQL Server table?
I was wondering is there a way to retrieve, for example, 2nd and 5th row from SQL table that contains 100 rows?
I saw some solutions with WHERE clause but they all assume that the column on which WHERE clause is applied is linear, starting at 1.
Is there other way to query a SQL Server table for a specific rows in case table doesn't have a column whose values start at 1?
P.S. - I know for a solution with temporary tables, where you copy your select statement output and add a linear column to the table. I am using T-SQL
A:
Try this,
SELECT * FROM (
SELECT
ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY ColumnName ASC) AS rownumber
FROM TableName
) as temptablename
WHERE rownumber IN (2,5)
A:
With SQL Server:
; WITH Base AS (
SELECT *, ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY id) RN FROM YourTable
)
SELECT *
FROM Base WHERE RN IN (2, 5)
The id that you'll have to replace with your primary key or your ordering, YourTable that is your table.
It's a CTE (Common Table Expression) so it isn't a temporary table. It's something that will be expanded together with your query.
|
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For licensing, see LICENSE.md or http://ckeditor.com/license
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