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Joint Communique from the International Olympic Committee and the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee
Our thoughts are firstly with those who have been touched by the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa and the suffering of those affected and their families.
With regard to ensuring the safety of all those participating in the Youth Olympic Games and the people of the city of Nanjing we have been working closely with the Chinese health authorities and under the guidance of the World Health Organization (WHO). We have been reassured by the health authorities that there have been no suspected cases and that the risk of infection is extremely unlikely.
Together we have developed a policy which balances the health needs of all, with respect for the rights of the young athletes from the region:
The organizing committee has made it clear that all delegations are welcome to the Games and each country is free to take their own decision on attendance.
Those from the region will be subject to regular temperature and physical assessment throughout the period.
Based on health authority guidelines it has been decided that athletes from affected areas will not compete in combat sports. (2 athletes)
Additionally, based on the inability to completely exclude the risk of potential infection it was also decided that no athletes from the region would compete in the pool.(1 athlete)
In accordance with WHO guidelines the Chinese authorities are fully prepared should any outbreak occur.
We regret that due to this issue some young athletes may have suffered twice, both from the anguish caused by the outbreak in their home countries and by not being able to compete in the Youth Olympic Games.
The IOC and Organizing Committee will therefore offer to each of the National Olympic Committees affected, if they wish, that their national flag will be brought into the stadium at the opening ceremony and will be hoisted at the venues.
The athletes who have not been able to participate will also receive in the near future an invitation from the IOC and the organizing committee to come to Nanjing to take part in a sporting competition and to experience the welcoming atmosphere and spirit of the city and Jiangsu province. |
Health researchers home in on Iqaluit dog feces
“Our main task right now is to collect dog poop"
Dr. Danielle Julien is leading a study on dog feces, called PAWS, short for the People Animals Water and Sustenance Project. (PHOTO BY THOMAS ROHNER)
While some Iqaluit dog owners pick up their dogs' poop, it's not unusual to find piles like this around the city. (PHOTO BY THOMAS ROHNER)
Iqaluit, meet the Poop Group: Danielle Julien and Anna Bunce, researchers from the University of Guelph.
You might find them hanging around sled dogs in the coming days, excitedly bent over a warm, freshly formed dog turd.
Or you might find them at the Greenhouse Society’s trivia nights where they are likely to dominate the life science categories.
Julien and Bunce are in Iqaluit this month to collect samples of feces in order to study the health of Iqaluit dogs.
“We were thinking of calling ourselves ‘The Poop Group’ at trivia night this week,” Bunce said from an office in the Nunavut Research Institute, where she manages the PAWS Project — the People Animals Water and Sustenance Project.
Part of the project, which has partnered with both territorial and federal government agencies, is an effort to better understand the health of dogs in the North, said Julien, who is leading the study.
“Our main task right now is to collect dog poop,” Julien said with a laugh July 25.
It’s a subject that’s hard to talk about with a straight face.
But the subject matter is important to many Iqalungmiut.
Posts on social media crop up from time to time from Iqaluit residents fed up with sidestepping dog poo around town.
Recently, a post on Iqaluit’s Public Service Announcement Facebook page raised concerns about the effect of dog poop on the growth of berries.
Julien said that concern falls outside of the scope of her current research.
A proposal submitted by Julien in June to the Nunavut Impact Review Board said her current study will look for two types of common parasites, whose Latin names are Giardia and Cryptosporidium.
“Little is known about the contribution that dogs may play in transmitting these parasites,” the project proposal said.
But Julien said July 25 that she is open-minded about what else she might find in the poop samples, including bacteria.
“I don’t have any hypotheses at this point…I just want to be looking at poop to see what I can find,” said Julien, a trained veterinary doctor.
The pair plan to return in September to collect samples from domestic and stray dogs as well.
“People tell me I’ll be known as the one studying poop. I’m ok with that,” Julien said. |
LiskHQ Will Attend Consensus
Today, LiskHQ announced that they will once again be attending the Consensus Blockchain conference in New York city.
Consensus is the annual gathering of the cryptocurrency and Blockchain technology world. Since 2015, Consensus has attracted every major company, developer, founder and investor in the cryptocurrency and Blockchain world to engage in an annual discussion about the future of the industry.
Consensus is designed to be a big tent for the industry: it convenes industry participants ranging from enterprise consortia to cypher punks. This convening power breaks down the barriers that separate companies in the industry and allows everyone working on the technology to spend three days learning from their peers.
Consensus offers a place for exceptional networking opportunities as it brings brings entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, traders, developers, academics, students and the curious together under one roof.
This is why Lisk’s ceo and co-founder Max Kordek together with Tech Evangelist Rachel Black will attend Consensus and be giving keynotes on Lisk.
More information on the event and their trip will likely follow later this month!
A New Lisk Milstone
This week, a new milestone was hit on the Lisk network with the forging of the 9 millionth Block since the network went live May 24th.
On the Lisk explorer a new Block is forged each 10 seconds and each Block may hold up to 25 Lisk transactions. For each forged Block the 101 delegates that are securing the Lisk network receive a forging reward and the transaction fees for their service.
Initially this started in 2014 with a reward 5 LSK per forged Block. But every 3,000,000 Blocks (approximately 1 year) this reward is reduced by 1 LSK, ending at 1 LSK per Block where it stays like that forever.
Currently each successfully generated Block is awarded with 3 LSK. Once we hit Block 10.451.520 which is expected to be around 14-10-2019 that reward will reduced to 2 LSK.
So even though Lisk’s supply does not have a hard cap it does have an annual Lisk inflation rate ending at 1 LSK per Block.
Learn More About Lisk Discovery
In April 2018, Lisk Discovery was created by delegate Endro as a tool to serve as a news aggregator for Lisk projects.
Since then a lot has changed and Lisk Discovery grew to be its own platform. This week Lisk Magazine interviewed Endro to talk about Lisk Discovery and the work he has done on the platform.
In the interview you can read how Endro found out about Lisk, his recent decision to focus exclusively on Lisk Discovery and much more.
So make sure to check out this interview and to visit the Lisk Discovery platform!
Lisk Mobile Version 1.0
Last October, the first version of Lisk Mobile was released on the Apple’s app store and Google play.
This first version allowed you to manage your Lisk transactions on the go. Since then new features like Face ID or Touch ID login and the ability to send LSK tokens via iMessage were added.
And with this weeks release of Lisk Mobile version 1.0 another announced feature was added to the app. Because this release includes the long-awaited Bitcoin integration. This means that you can now access and manage your BTC holdings straight from Lisk’s mobile Blockchain wallet.
So make sure to check out this new feature and let LiskHQ know what you think of it! |
Q:
CSS - perform transition when hover over li element (dropdown menu)
I'm making a homepage like this: http://jsbin.com/umaguc/1/ and I'm currently working on the dropdown menu. Now what I want is to make an effect like: http://www.script-tutorials.com/demos/249/index.html; I have a div id="lavalamp" which has width, height and background color (looks like a rectangle); when I hover one of #nav ul li element (like Home, Game Offline, Game Online, Esport, Music ...) i want this #lavalamp div to be moved and changed its width so that it will looks like the effect I mentioned above.
This is the idea for my code:
#nav li:nth-of-type(1):hover ~ #lavalamp {
left: 39px;
}
#nav li:nth-of-type(2):hover ~ #lavalamp {
left:110px;
width:110px;
}
but sadly it's just not work. When I hover over an #nav ul li element, nothing changes ! Hope you guys can have me with this problem .. Thanks a lot !
A:
It looks like you've used a general sibling selector to select #lavalamp, but that element never appears as a sibling of your li element.
Unfortunately, I don't believe CSS has a way for you to climb back up the DOM to get to your #lavalamp from the lis. You could use jQuery, or you could think about ways to restructure your markup that would make the element accessible through pure CSS.
|
95 F.Supp. 441 (1951)
BLUE et al.
v.
DURHAM PUBLIC SCHOOL DIST. et al.
Civ. A. No. 136.
United States District Court M. D. North Carolina, Durham Division.
January 26, 1951.
*442 Hugh Thompson, J. H. Wheeler, Durham, N. C., Hill, Martin & Robinson, Richmond, Va., for plaintiff.
Fuller, Reade Umstead & Fuller, Durham, N. C., Harry McMullan, Atty. Gen., of N. C., Ralph Moody, Asst. Atty. Gen., for defendant.
HAYES, District Judge.
The plaintiffs, children of school age and their parents as guardians or next friends appointed by the court, are citizens of, and reside in Durham, N. C. On May 18, 1949, they filed their complaint against Durham Public School District, the school Committee of the Town of Durham, known as Board of Education of the City of Durham, J. Stacy Weaver, Superintendent of Schools, J. L. Woodward, Business Manager, referred to hereafter as the local defendants and the individual members of the State Board of Education, and Clyde A. Erwin, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, referred to hereafter as the State Officials. It is alleged that the defendants are depriving the plaintiffs of their rights under the 14th Amendment to *443 the Constitution of the United States in that the Negro school children are being denied the equal protection of the law, on account of their race and color, by discriminating against them in the public school facilities.
This is not a suit against the State of North Carolina as contended by the State officials. The constitution of North Carolina and the public laws of the State require the officials to conduct the free public school system and to require the children of the white race and the children of the colored race to be taught in separate public schools: but there shall be no discrimination in favor of or to the prejudice of either race. G.S. § 115-2. The Constitution of the State contains the same language and the Constitutional provision is mandatory and may not be disregarded either by the Legislature or by officials charged with the duty of administering the law. Smith v. Board of Trustees, 141 N.C. 143, 53 S.E. 524. There is no law of this State which requires the school officials to discriminate against Negro school children. If discriminations are permitted or practiced, the officials are not executing the laws of the state: therefore a suit against the officials is not a suit against the state. Taylor v. Louisville & N. R. Co., 6 Cir., 88 F. 350; Greene v. Louisville & I. R. Co., 244 U.S. 499, 500, 516, 37 S.Ct. 673, 61 L.Ed. 1280; Williams v. Chicago & N. R. Co., 273 U.S. 670, 47 S.Ct. 474, 71 L.Ed. 832. See also Cook v. Davis, 5 Cir., 178 F.2d 595, 599.
Until 1933, the public schools of this state, while constituting a so-called statewide system, were financed by ad valorem taxes and each county provided school buildings and equipment and the entire expense of operation, but the state, in order to equalize the educational opportunity, created an equalization fund to supplement the inadequate funds raised in the poorer sections of the state. The school machinery Act of 1933, which was re-enacted each biennium until it was made permanent in 1939, G.S. § 115-347 et seq., made provision for state support of a uniform system of public schools throughout the state. In 1943 the term was extended to nine months. G.S. § 115-347. It is the duty of the State Board to administer the funds for the operation of a nine months school term. G.S. § 115-350. The expense of erecting, repairing and equipping school buildings is still to be borne by the county, G.S. §§ 115-83 and 84, and title to site and buildings vests in the local administrative unit. G.S. § 115-85; The objects of expenditure of state funds are enumerated in G.S. § 115-356. The powers of the State Board are set forth in Sec. 115-31.2, Subsection 1 specifies: "To have the general supervision and administration of the free public school system, and of the educational funds provided for the support thereof". Subsection 7 authorizes it to "make all needful rules and regulations in relation thereto." The state superintendent is granted specific powers in Section 115-31.7, subsection 10 being: "Such other duties as the board may assign to him from time to time."
Chapter 1020, Laws 1949, creates a special fund of $50,000,000 ($25,000,000 of which was to be approved by the voters of the state) to aid counties in the construction of school plants under the direction and supervision of the State Board of Education and authorizes it to make surveys and plans for such buildings. It is clear, however, that these powers were to safeguard the expenditure of this special fund and it was not intended to supersede the power of the County Board of Education or City School District Board. The primary duty to provide capital funds buildings and equipment is imposed on the local administrative unit out of funds to be provided by the county from local taxes, etc.
It appears from the foregoing statutes that the State officials are given broad general powers over the public school system which must be construed in connection with statutes which confer specific authority on local officials. The decisions of the North Carolina Supreme Court have consistently upheld the powers of the local authorities. We have not found a case construing the effect of the 1949 Act. So far as this litigation is involved, it is *444 necessary only to determine whether this Act of 1949 makes any substantial change in the powers of the State officials over local officials. The question is perhaps moot because the plaintiffs have failed to show that, in the use of the current $2,000,000 Durham building program in which the state has contributed a large sum, the fund was expended to the prejudice of the plaintiffs on account of their race and color. The evidence discloses that this particular fund was equitably and fairly used most advantageously for each race and without prejudice to either. However, the local authorities must initiate a building program and the state officials may approve or disapprove such action. The proof here does not show that the state officials denied plaintiffs any right by reason of their race or color. The mere discretionary powers of the state officials are not to be controlled by injunctive power of the court. It follows that the action against the state officials must be dismissed.
The legislative branch of North Carolina has conferred specific power on the County Board of Education to provide plant facilities buildings and equipment and general control over the public school system. G.S. § 115-54 et seq. A city administrative unit has similar power over the city schools. G.S. §§ 115-83, 115-352. Coggins v. Board of Education, 223 N.C. 763, 28 S.E.2d 527; Bridges v. Charlotte, 221 N.C. 472, 20 S.E. 2d 825; Atkins v. McAden, 229 N.C. 752, 51 S.E.2d 484. Other pertinent sections are 115-57, 58, 59, 73, 77 and 81, 124-129.
The local officials concede many disparaties between the facilities available to the negro school children as compared to those afforded white children, most of which arises from unequal plant facilities. They seek to excuse the apparent discriminations on the ground that the present Board and its local school officials are rapidly removing the conditions; that the Board has been handicapped for lack of funds and building restrictions; that a shift of population resulting in an increase from 30% to 45% in negro school population and the moving of white children from existing school facilities to other sections of the city, resulting in the necessity of building for white children in the new communities and rendering obsolete at least a part of the old buildings for white children while negro schools were over-crowded. While these circumstances are plausible and to some extent ameliorate the responsibility of the local authorities, they do not afford a legal excuse or justification for not furnishing the negro school children substantially equal educational facilities to those furnished white children. Considering the average daily attendance which is practically 55 white to 45 negro, we have 13 school buildings for white children at a cost of $3,164,307.55 to 8 buildings for negro children at a cost of $1,604,891.73; we have three excellent Junior high schools well distributed over the city for the convenience of these white children and none for the negroes; arrangements exist for cafeterias, gymnasium, music, art, home economics, laboratories and equipment, and playgrounds for the white children, while some of these facilities are denied in many of the negro schools. By reason of the existence of more abundant building space for white children and the crowded conditions in the negro schools, white children enjoy many superior advantages to those available to the negro children, towit: More and better supervision, greater extra curricular opportunities, better laboratory equipment and facilities, in music and art, lighter teacher load, better recreational facilities and better accommodations.
The present local officials have not had an easy task to meet the demands of the white school children and to match them with similar conveniences for the negro children, due to a lack of funds and other handicaps. It is also true that they contemplate the conversion of the Whitted High School, in the near future, into a Junior High School. The fact remains, however, that the net result of what has been done still leaves the negro school children at many disadvantages which must be overcome before substantially equal facilities are made available to the negro children.
The law as defined by our Circuit in three comparatively recent decisions needs no enlargement or clarification by this *445 court. Each of our three distinguished U. S. Circuit Judges has written an opinion for an undivided court; namely, Judge Parker in Alston v. School Board of City of Norfolk, 112 F.2d 992, 130 A.L.R. 1506; involving discrimination against negro school teachers; Judge Dobie in Corbin v. County School Board of Pulaski County, 177 F.2d 924, involving high and elementary schools, and Judge Soper in Carter v. School Board of Arlington County, Va., 182 F.2d 531, 534, involving high school facilities. From the last case we quote two parts which meet our problem here: "It is established, however, that the right of the individual student to the privilege of public instruction equivalent to that given by the state to the individual student of another race, is a personal one and equivalency cannot be determined by weighing the respective advantages furnished to the two groups of which the individuals are members * * * the question cannot be decided by averaging the facilities provided for the two classes of pupils throughout the county and comparing one with the other, since the rights created by the Fourteenth Amendment are individual and personal and the prohibitions of the Amendment are observed only when the same or equivalent treatment is accorded to persons of different races similarly situated." And, 182 F.2d at page 535, "The differences between the two schools are not merely unimportant variations incident to the maintenance of separate establishments, but constitute unlawful discriminations against pupils of the colored race; and it is no defense that they flow in part from variations in the size of the respective student bodies or locations of the buildings. The burdens inherent in segregation must be met by the state which maintains the practice. Nor can it be said that a scholar who is deprived of his due must apply to the administrative authorities and not to the courts for relief. An injured person must of course show that the state has denied him advantages accorded to others in like situation, but when this is established, his right of access to the courts is absolute and complete."
The policy of the present local authorities to average expenditures on the basis of average daily attendance in the two races is not the proper legal test; nor is adequacy of facilities sufficient to meet the test of equivalency of educational opportunity. The law of our Circuit requires substantial equality of facilities and opportunities for negro school children as those available to white children, similarly situated.
It follows from what has been stated above that the plaintiffs have been and are, discriminated against on account of their race and that they are entitled to injunctive relief.
|
Pennsylvania Railroad 6755
Pennsylvania Railroad 6755 is a 4-8-2 "Mountain" type steam locomotive built in 1930 for the Pennsylvania Railroad by the railroad's own Altoona Works as a member of the M1b locomotive class for mainline freight service. Retired from commercial service in 1957, the locomotive was preserved by the Pennsylvania Railroad and was placed on display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg, Pennsylvania. The 6755 is the only M1 class locomotive to have survived into preservation.
History
The 6755 was built by the Altoona Works in 1930. The 6755 was a class M1a and was used predominantly in freight service, though it would occasionally be used for passenger trains. In 1953, the locomotive went back to the Altoona Works and was rebuilt into a class M1b. The locomotive continued to be used for freight service until January 1957 when it was retired from the roster.
Today
Today, the 6755 is on static display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg, Pennsylvania. The 6755 has since been deteriorating at a rapid pace, with its boiler jackets removed in the early 2000s prolonged exposure to the elements has wreaked havock on major parts of the locomotive causing structural rust. The 6755 is one of the locomotives the museum plans to place inside the roundhouse currently under construction as of March 2014.
See also
NYC 3001- This is the New York Central Railroad's version of the M1 that survives. Just like the 6755, the 3001 was a dual service locomotive.
References
Category:Railway locomotives on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
Category:Transportation in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Category:4-8-2 locomotives
6755
Category:Collection of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
Category:Standard gauge locomotives of the United States
Category:Preserved steam locomotives of the United States
Category:National Register of Historic Places in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania |
Monday, December 8, 2014
Can Iraq’s Militias Be Successfully Integrated Into The Security Forces?
Today the Iraqi government has become dependent upon
militias to defend the country against the insurgency. These armed groups might
be up to half of Baghdad’s forces. The question is what will happen to these
militias after the insurgency is defeated? Can they be integrated into the
security forces and whom will their loyalties lie with? Some are connected to
political parties and many were created by Iran to either fight the Americans
or defend the Assad government against the Syrian rebels. Iraq faced a similar
dilemma in 2005 when the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq’s Badr Brigade was
recruited into the police commandos who later became the National and then Federal
Police. These units singled out Sunnis for mass arrests, ran death squads, and maintained
secret prisons. It was only through external pressure and training by the U.S.
and its allies, an independent Interior Minister, and a strong Iraqi general
that the Federal Police was reformed. Today the situation is the reverse with
Iran pushing militias to the fore, and an Interior Minister connected to the
armed groups as well making the transformation of these organizations into a
national security force all the harder.
Interior Minister Naqib created the 1st police commando units (AP)
The Iraqi police were in chaos after 2003 and the Americans
did little to remedy the situation. After the overthrow of Saddam Hussein the
police were largely ignored
by the United States. It didn’t give the time or resources to rebuild the force
even though they were crucial to restoring law and order in the country.
Attacks by both insurgents and militias devastated many police units leading to
collapses
in several cities in 2004. That led to a push to a militarized police to help
fight the anti-government elements. Interior Minister Falah Hassan al-Naqib and
his uncle General Adnan Thabit went on to create the special police
commandos to fulfill that role. The new units were mostly former Sunni
soldiers, but included some Shiites and minorities. The commandos, the police,
and the Interior Ministry in general were a mess and besieged from all sides.
That led the Interior Minister to take matters into his own hands and create ad
hoc units like the commandos, which were welcomed by the Americans at the time,
because they too needed all the help they could get to restore security to
Iraq.
Members of the Wolf Brigade in Baghdad 2007 (IraqSlogger)
This chaos continued into 2005 and into this void stepped
the Shiite militias. In May 2005 a new government took office and the Islamic
Supreme Council of Iraq’s (ISCI) Bayan Jabr was named Interior Minister. He brought
in his party’s Badr Brigade into commando units like the Volcano and Wolf
Brigades. These units were accused of mass arrests, running death squads and
secret prisons. Twice in 2005 the Wolf Brigade entered Diyala and arrested over 1,000
people all of which were Sunnis. By the summer, the first stories emerged
of secret detention facilities being run within the Interior Ministry. (1) In
July the 759th U.S. Military Police Battalion found 170 prisoners at
one such prison at the Ministry in Baghdad. The next month the Volcano Brigade
took away 36 Sunnis from their homes in Baghdad, tortured, killed them, and
dumped their bodies near the Iranian border. A warrant was issued for the
commander of the brigade, but it was never followed through with. In November,
the U.S. discovered another secret
prison in the basement of the Interior Ministry’s operations center in Jadriya,
Baghdad. Former Interior Minister Naqib told the New York Times that the
Special Interrogations Unit ran the facility and that it was under the direct
command of Minister Jabr. There were 8-10 other such secret facilities in
Baghdad, which were run
by the Deputy Director of the Interior Ministry’s intelligence directorate
Bashir Nasir al-Wandi who was a Badr member. In Jadriya there were 173
prisoners, many of which had been tortured. A U.S. army adviser to the Wolf
Brigade stated that the unit acted fine when the Americans were around, but
when they weren’t it would kidnap and kill Sunnis and burn their homes. In
fact, the Brigade once led U.S. advisers into an ambush. In September 2006 an
inspection of the Site
4 prison in eastern Baghdad found that the Wolf Brigade was torturing many
of the 1,400 prisoners there. The commanding General Mahid al-Gharawi was charged
with abuse afterward, but the case against him fell apart when witnesses
recanted their testimony. Two months later a National Police unit raided the
Higher Education Ministry and took away 159 people. The incident was considered
a sectarian attack, as the commandos had become the National Police and the
Iraqi Accordance Front, the main Sunni party in the government, ran the
ministry. Finally, in March 2007 the National Police blocked off an area of
eastern Baghdad and kidnapped five British security guards. Both Premiers
Ibrahim al-Jaafari and Nouri al-Maliki denied that the commandos or the
National Police were involved in sectarian attacks. They claimed that people
wearing fake police uniforms were responsible. The actions of the commandos,
National Police and the protection they received from the prime ministers were
all a reflection of the cooperation between the government and militias to
carry out a sectarian war in response to the insurgency. By 2005 the civil war
was just taking off, and the ruling Shiite parties decided to fight fire with
fire giving the militias free reign both on their own and through the Iraqi
Security Forces (ISF).
At first, the U.S. leadership was largely unwilling to deal with
the militias in the security forces saying it was an Iraqi affair, but by 2006
it started pushing for reforms. In January it started a re-training program for
the police to try to stop some of the abuses. It also got the Interior Ministry
to mix the commandos created by General Thabit with the Badr ones into the
National Police. These moves had no real effect as the leadership within the
ministry and National Police was still in tact to give orders to the units to
continue on with their operations. In October, the U.S. took
stronger action when it disbanded the 8th Brigade of the 2nd
National Police Division and arrested its officers for abuses. It was blamed
for a raid on a Baghdad factory where it kidnapped 26 Sunni workers and killed
seven of them. Later in the year the Americans began another process with the
National Police that involved taking each brigade off line to go through three
week of training and vetting that included human rights, policing, patrolling,
and other skills. It took over a year to finish this reform effort, and this
time it was more far reaching. By the end
of the year 27,000 National Police had been fired, 17 of 27 battalion
commanders and 8 of 9 brigade commanders had been removed. In September 2007 a
congressionally mandated commission issued its findings about the ISF known as
the Jones report, which advocated disbanding the National Police because of its
sectarian nature. The U.S. military rejected this suggestion claiming that the
National Police were necessary to help secure the country. At the same time, it
acknowledged that the National Police were still carrying out attacks upon
Sunnis and needed more work. It therefore launched its third re-training
program, this time by the Italian Carabinieri. The training lasted two months
and went from December 2007 to 2009. The Americans also created 41 National
Police Transition Teams to monitor the Iraqi units. Although it took several
years to get it right this outside pressure to deal with the militias in the
police was crucial in changing the force. The Shiite parties that led the
government were not interested in the matter because it was their fighters who
were in the units and they were committed to fighting a sectarian war. The U.S.
was one of the only groups within Iraq capable of pushing for re-training the
National Police and getting rid of its commanders who were Badr members. The
Americans could not do this alone, and needed to find Iraqi partners to
accomplish this and they eventually did.
Interior Minister Bolani was essential for clearing out the Badr elements within the National Police (Getty Images)
In May 2006
a new Interior Minister Jawad Bolani was named, which opened the door to
changing the National Police. Under the new Maliki administration Jabr was
switched to Finance and Bolani became Interior Minister. Bolani was considered
an independent giving him some leeway to operate outside of the other Shiite
parties who had militias in the ministry. After the 2007 Jones Report came out
he ordered an evaluation of the National Police, which found that it was still
plagued with problems. That led to a major reform effort that worked congruently
to the American one. He investigated
5,000 National Police and fired 2,300 of them by the end of the year. He
appointed a new National Police Commander General Hussein al-Awadi who was also
committed to change. Awadi got assurances that he could fire anyone without
political interference or repercussions. He then recruited new young officers
that could carry out his reforms within the National Police, while at the same
time forcing out most of the old leadership from command positions. The
National Police Brigades also went through their own Iraqi re-training program.
They were then partnered with a U.S. unit afterward that provided oversight and
more mentoring. The Interior Ministry also recruited
more Sunnis into the National Police to try to balance out the force. One
result was that the head of the Wolf Brigade was fired, half of the unit was
broken up, and Sunnis were brought in. The Americans applied the outside
pressure, but if it wasn’t for Bolani at the top of the Interior Ministry and
General Awadi commanding the National Police the U.S. could have been ignored.
Instead, it found Iraqis who were just as committed as it to cleaning up the
militias’ influence within the police. Together the two removed the leadership of
the National Police and made it loyal to the government and country rather than
ISCI. By breaking that link the National Police really became a national force.
The reforming of the National Police provides important
lessons for Iraq today as it is again dealing with a massive militia
mobilization and integration within the security forces. The two situations
could not be more different however. This time the main outside power is Iran
not the Americans, and Tehran has pushed
the militias, many of which it helped create, funds and arms, to the front
in the fight against the insurgency after the ISF collapsed in Mosul this
summer. Even before that when fighting broke out in Anbar in January the
militias were active there and many were included within ISF units. That has
only increased since then. The Iraqi government has talked about including all
of the various independent armed groups in Iraq within a National Guard to try
to bring them under the umbrella of the government. The Americans support this
idea. That would not break the militia ties to their leadership however just as
when Badr joined the Interior Ministry in 2005. In fact, Iran wants to maintain
its power and influence within the Iraqi government and ISF through its militia
allies and would oppose any effort at trying to carry out any serious reform of
government forces. Not only that but the new Interior Minister Mohammed Ghaban
is from the Badr organization the leading militia in the country. It was tasked
by Iran with heading the Iraqi militias fighting in Syria, and it appears to be
doing the same in Iraq. Premier Haider Abadi has welcomed the help of the
militias to defend the country now, but there is talk that he is worried about
the day after. Unless he finds strong allies that will help him it’s unlikely
that he will be able to end the militias’ influence, and their ties to Iran.
Sherman, Matt and Carstens, Roger, “Cooling the Streets:
Institutional Reforms in Iraq’s Ministry of Interior,” Institute for the Theory
and Practice of International Relations at The College of William and Mary,
11/14/08
Silverstein, Ken, “The minister of civil war: Bayan Jabr,
Paul Bremer, and the rise of the Iraqi death squads,” Harper’s Magazine, August
2006
Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, “Quarterly
Report and Semiannual Report to the United States Government,” 7/30/07
IRAQ HISTORY TIMELINE
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About Me
Musings On Iraq was started in 2008 to explain the political, economic, security and cultural situation in Iraq via original articles and interviews. If you wish to contact me personally my email is: motown67@aol.com |
The Western Pure Land
San Francisco Buddhist Church, late 1920’s or early 1930’s. Courtesy of Buddhist Churches of America, San Francisco.
Christmas Humphreys, a noted early English Buddhist scholar and proponent of Zen, once declared Shin “a form of Buddhism which on the face of it discards three-quarters of Buddhism. Compared with the teaching of the Pali Canon it is but Buddhism and water.” In fact, Shin Buddhism is often portrayed this way by those who believe meditation practice constitutes the core teaching of Buddhism. However, comparisons with meditation actually miss the point of Shin Buddhism, which offers instead a discipline of the heart demanding deep self-reflection, constant awareness of one’s gratitude to the Buddha, and compassion for all beings.
The basic teaching of Shin Buddhism, founded by the Japanese priest Shinran (1173-1268), revolves around the belief that Amida Buddha, the Buddha of Eternal Life, has vowed to create an ideal spiritual world—”The Western Pure Land”—in which all beings, regardless of social, intellectual, or moral capacities, can attain final liberation and enlightenment. For the ordinary person, the key to rebirth in the Pure Land is the recitation with faith and gratitude ofnamu amida butsu, the name of Amida Buddha. Essentially a teaching of salvation through faith alone, Shin Buddhsim requires no special practices or meritorious good deeds to gain entry to that land.
It is true that Shin rejects monastic disciplines such as meditation and precepts, which have traditionally been the core of Buddhist practice as the way to enlightenment. It views those practices as merely the means to insight into ego and its attachments. By going further into the understanding of egoism itself, Shinran altered the general Buddhist assumption that enlightenment could be achieved through determined, rigorous practice. No matter how demanding or difficult such practices might be, in Shinran’s view they were only an attempt to build a bridge to the infinite through finite acts. If salvation were possible, he professed, it was only by virtue of the Buddha’s action, not by those of the practioner’s own unstable mind.
I first encountered Shin Buddhism as a soldier during occupation duty in Japan at the end of World War II. Being a Christian fundamentalist at the time, I was shocked to discover that there was a teaching of grace in another religion. My studies and activities in the Shin community since then have given me the opportunity to observe at close range many aspects of temple life, as well as the issues and problems now confronting the tradition as it struggles to survive in, and contribute to, the highly competitive contemporary American religious environment.
Over its almost one-hundred-year history, the Buddhist Churches of America (by far the largest American Buddhist movement) has become a nationwide organization. However, at present it is faced with a host of problems: decreasing memberships, shrinking ministry, ambivalence about opening to the wider community and problems in translating or interpreting the teaching in a way that is meaningful to modern, well-educated, thoughtful members, as well as to interested inquirers from outside.
Shin Buddhism first came to America with the immigration of Japanese workers toward the end of the last century. The first-generation immigrants were not permitted to become citizens, and in California, Oregon, and Washington, laws were designed to prevent the acquisition of land by Japanese. Such legislation made it difficult even to secure land for temples. Eventually, however, such land was acquired through their children, who were automatically citizens by virtue of their birth in America.
Because of their tenuous position in American society, the Japanese elders nurtured Japanese values and culture in their children through temple activities and language schools. However, the dominant society regarded the lack of assimilation as un-American (notwithstanding the fact that anti-Japanese prejudice had effectively blocked or rejected Japanese efforts to assimilate.) Hostility toward Buddhism was particularly strong in Hawaii, where there was considerable pressure to convert to Christianity. One writer claimed that “no alien could be transformed into a “wholehearted American citizen” unless he accepted “the Christian ideals of personal responsibility, of duty to God and to fellow men.”
Considering the cultural milieu of early Shin Buddhism in America, we must call attention to the farsighted efforts of Bishop Yemyo Imamura, who led the Shin Buddhist community in Hawaii from 1900 to 1932. Undaunted by anti-Japanese sentiments, he held to the ideal of uniting Japanese and Western culture and Americanizing the Japanese, meaning that they would be loyal citizens in their adopted country. Boy Scout troops were organized, and he worked to Americanize Buddhism through the development of hymns, sermons in English, and Sunday school programs. Even the physical arrangment of the temples, including the use of pews and pulpits, reflected the desire to be American. Bishop Imamura articulated his ideal clearly:
The true religion out to rise above and be applicable to any country and nationality and so assimilate with every state and nation. The final object of Hongwanji [Imamura’s Shin Buddhist organization] is to plant the gosepl of Buddha Amita in the true spirit of every nation in the corners of the world…
Portrait of the Priest Shinran, attributed to Joga, Kamakura period, second-half of the fourteenth century, ink and colors on silk. Courtesy of National Museum, Nara, Japan.
This ideal is still held by many, but social and political conditions after Bishop Imamura’s tenure rendered the goal only a distant hope.
On the mainland, the initial missionaries also had the idea of spreading Buddhism among non-Japanese. Nevertheless, their main efforts were always directed at the religious and social needs of Japanese immigrants. By 1933 it was recognized that the future lay with English-speaking ministers. However, the educational systems for prospective ministers required them to study in Japan and to be fully fluent in Japanese. The educational program might have become more practical in time had it not been for the onset of World War II.
With the advent of hostilities, the majority of persons of Japanese ancestry living on the West oast (including those who were United States citizens) were removed from their homes by the U.S. government and interned in caps euphemistically called “relocation centers.” While many second-generation Japanese-Americans volunteered and fought valiantly in World War II, their families lived under guard in the camps.
As a consequence of these difficult condictions, all forward momentum the training of Shin ministers and in the expansion of the movement was placed on hold. In the postwar period the Japanese had to reestablish their lives after suffering great personal and financial losses. They were permitted to return to their homes in 1945, and by the mid-fifties, most of the temples were well on the road to recovery from the setbacks of the war years. In addition, because of the relocation of significant numbers of Japanese-Americans to areas east of the Mississippi during the war years, new Shin Buddhist congregations had been formed in numerous eastern cities.
In order to deal with the increasing need for English-speaking ministers, the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley was gradually developed as a seminary and graduate school. Through its recent affiliation with Graduate Theological Union, the Institute now functions within a Jewish and Christian community as the only non-Western religious school of higher learning with an ongoing academic and religious environment. Stimulated by Buddhist-Christian dialogue, the work begun by the early missionaries to integrate Shin Buddhism within mainline American religion has continued to make great strides. Despite the progress made in the area of ministerial education, however, the life of the temples remains what it has been for decades.
In his book American Buddhism, Charles Prebish notes that “the national organization [Buddhist Churches of America] finds itself in the curious predicament of having been present on American soil longer than any other Buddhist group and having acculturated the least.” He might also have noted that Shin Buddhism not only has the longest history in America but is the best organized and most endowed with human and financial resources. Yet it has not been able to make the transition into another culture. For this reason, the Shin Buddhist movement in the United States is undergoing an attrition of crisis proportion.
According to one study, the number of Shin Buddhist ministers in the United States peaked in 1930 with 123 ministers. By 1981 there were seventy-one. Currently, out of a total of sixty temples in the United States, ten do not have full-time ministers, while eight ministers serve two or three temples each. Sometimes even retired ministers are pressed into service. In 1977, general membership in the Buddhist Churches of America stood at 21,600 families (approximately 65,000 people), but figures from 1994 show that the number has fallen to 17,755.
“Outmarriage” (i.e., marriages with individuals of other ethnic backgrounds) among Japanese-American youth has grown to about 50 percent, and few of the children of mixed marriages or their parents are active in the temples. If there is any sign of hope for Shin Buddhism to survive in the United States, it lies in the “dharma schools” for small children, which are still thriving in Shin temples. Though the numbers rise and fall, in 1984, dharma-school enrollment totaled approximately 2,550 students while by 1993 the number had grown to 3,045.
As in Japan, for the rank-and-file members of Shin Buddhist temples, the tradition has come to emphasize memorial services for the dead. Along with other forms of Japanese Buddhism with a similar emphasis, Shin is generally dubbed a kind of “Funeral Buddhism.” This perception of Shin has persisted in its transfer to the West and has also contributed to the decline of members and ministers. Japanese American youths are not greatly inspired to become ministers in such a tradition when there are so many other options.
In the early years of Shin in America, ministers were enlisted in Japan and sent to the West. Because of the large numbers of first-generation Japanese in the community, this arrangement was optimal. Now, however, Japanese priests who come to America have great difficulty relating to the younger generations. In addition, life for a priest is better in Japan. There, priests are more or less in control of their temples, whereas in America they are considered to be employees of the congregation. Therefore, most Japanese priests who come to the U.S. do so only on a temporary basis while they wait for permanent in positions in family temples back home.
While external, historical, and sociological circumstances are partially responsible for attrition in Shin, a lack of dynamic leadership is also to blame. Despite the high perentage of people with professional careers among its members, Shin lacks a vibrant intellectual center. Few members have the training and background in religious and philosophical studies to explore issues critically and to move the community in a more dynamic direction. Over the years, several attempts have been made to upgrade and improve education resources, but dharma-school teachers are all volunteers, and there are few programs that offer systematic training for teachers. Although these programs do introduce young students to basic Buddhist teachings, exposure to the principles of Shin Buddhism itself is very limited. Young people frequently leave the temple at adolescence or when they go to college and may not return—if they return at all—until middle age, when they have their own families. Adult classes are few, and, although the amount of literature available in English has increased, few members read such materials. Consequently, laypeople who should be taking the lead in sharing the teaching with others have only a hazy understanding of the relationship of early Buddhism to Shin or of the content of Shin Buddhism itself.
Although a school has been established to train English-speaking ministers, trainees, must still go to Japan for a number of years to imbibe the traditional teaching and learn Japanese. Since the teaching given in Japan is shaped by issues of Japanese history and culture, the ministers who return have difficulty culturally translating the teaching. In my own limited experience of listening to sermons, I have rarely heard any discussion of Buddhism and contemporary issues, and although doctrinal themes may be addressed, the further philosophical implications and meanings are seldom explored. In fairness, however, I must indicate that members often desire simple presentations.
For all these reasons, Shin Buddhism still remains relatively isolated in American soceity, where even after one hundred years it appears to be a foreign religion.
Clearly, the future is up to the membership of the temples. Dr. James I. Doi of the Seattle Buddhist Temple, formerly a Dean of the School of Education at the University of Washington, has suggested several strategies that temples might empoloy to attract new members. Among these are programs that would place education above the social aspects of temple life. Members should be encouraged to make use of the increasing variety of literature on Buddhism, and temples should cultivate members who can speak articulately about Buddhism in English.
According to Doi, if these ideas are put into practice, despite the fading of Japanese-America culture, Shin Buddism will be able to contribute to the flowering of American Buddhism in that way will enter ” the mainstrema of American intellectual and spiritual life.” With the help of perecptive leadership in the lay community and from the clerics, Shin’s great potential in the United States may yet be realized.
Alfred Bloom is the retired Dean and Honganji Professor of Shin Buddhism at the Institue of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley. He is the author of several books, including Shinran's Gospel of Pure Grace (University of Arizona Press) and The Life of Shinran: Journey to Self-Acceptance (Institute of Buddhist Studies, Berkeley). |
Open Mon to Sat 10 - 5 / Sun 10 - 4
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Friday, 31 October 2014
A surprise in Dinard...
When we visited the seaside town of Dinard a surprise find was this statue of Alfred Hitchcock which sits on the seafront. The town has been host to the 'British Film Festival' for the last 25 years.and every year, it short-lists six films, with the best – which
is chosen by a jury of leading figures – is awarded the Golden Hitchcock. Apparantly the locals claim Hitchcock spent time here and based
the house in Psycho on a villa overlooking the beach but there is nothing to substantiate this. Had we been a week earlier we could have taken in a movie. Previous winners have included Peter Catteano’s 'The Full Monty' |
A strange colorful bird has been spotted on the Grand Teton National Park live webcam just days after a highly popular area near Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park located near the Yellowstone National Park has been closed to the public for the immediate future due to concerns over expanding cracks and fissures in a large rock formation.
While Yellowstone seems to be in a perpetual state of unrest with its Steamboat geyser that has erupted for the 11th time since March and now the expanding cracks and fissures at the Grand Teton National Park the appearance of this colorful bird that resembles the mythological fire bird is at least odd.
The fire bird also called as a phoenix is a sacred fire bird found in the mythologies of many cultures and described as a large magical glowing bird with majestic plumage that glows brightly emitting red, orange, and yellow light, like a bonfire that is just past the turbulent flame.
The fire bird can be seen at around the 2.08 mark in the video and according to the ancient legend the fire bird comes from a faraway land which is both a blessing and a bringer of doom.
In the summer of 2006, Aaravindha Himadra traveled deep into the interior of the Himalayan Mountains to a secret valley where he lived among the Amartya Masters—the reclusive keepers of an ancient lineage of spiritual mysticism. To answer their invitation, he endured a daunting trek across rugged, remote mountains, where he eventually came to their protected valley home, a place where our world’s most profound spiritual truths still exist in wholeness.
Paranormal Talk Radio with Jeffery Pritchett. Ranging from Conspiracy to the Paranormal and the Spiritual. You can check out other Church of Mabus content and articles at BIN and you can listen to our free United Public Radio Show. Thanks for showing your support and stopping by. |
Blood flow velocity and pulsatility index differences in patients with unilateral migraine.
To evaluate blood flow velocity and pulsatility in unilateral migraine without aura during the headache-free period using transcranial Doppler (TCD) sonography. Patients with unilateral headache were recruited during the headache-free period. Maximum mean flow velocity (MFV) and pulsatility index (PI) were measured in the middle cerebral (MCA) and basilar arteries. Controls were headache-free individuals without cerebrovascular disease. Twenty-five patients with right-sided migraine, 25 patients with left-sided migraine, and 19 controls were studied. The MCA PI was higher on the right headache side versus the left headache side (0.97 +/- 0.2 versus 0.86 +/- 0.1 cm/s, P =.02) and versus controls (0.9 +/- 0.2 cm/s, NS). The basilar artery MFV was higher in patients with right-sided headache versus left-sided headache (39.5 +/- 5.6 versus 34.7 +/- 8.2 cm/s, P =.02) and versus controls (38.2 +/- 8 cm/s, NS). No decrease in MFV with age was observed in patients with migraine. Middle cerebral artery flow pulsatility and basilar artery velocity are higher in patients with right-sided migraine compared with left-sided migraineurs, during the headache-free period. Although these parameters were similar to controls, the differences found during the headache-free period in migraineurs may indicate vascular involvement predisposing to the unilateral headache recurrence. |
Crude has exploded higher, in the process triggering a limit up circuit breaker of the biggest oil ETF, the USO...
... following a report quoting the Algeria oil minister that OPEC+ production cuts could reach 10mmb/d when OPEC+ meets in its teleconference call tomorrow. Note: the minister did not say "will", but "may reach" as the WSJ's Amena Bakr reported:
Algeria’s oil minister says during tomorrow’s Opec plus meeting the group will discuss a “massive output reduction, which may reach 10 million barrels a day.” #OOTT — Amena Bakr (@Amena__Bakr) April 8, 2020
Why this is news to the market is unclear, as a 10mmb/d cut has been discussed for the past few days as a potential outcome, one which however would require the US to participate in a coordinated global cut. The problem is that the as Ryan Sitton, the Texas Railroad Commissioner at the Texas Railroad Commission, who has quickly emerged as the coordinator behind any potential US production cuts, tweeted earlier that:
I'm not participating in the OPEC+ call tmrw but if I were I'd say at least 20mbpd in cuts are needed & the US will cut at least 4mbpd in next 3 mos organically. If nothing is done inventories fill up in 2mos, at which point the world will need to cut as much as 30mbpd.
I'm not participating in the OPEC+ call tmrw but if I were I'd say at least 20mbpd in cuts are needed & the US will cut at least 4mbpd in next 3 mos organically. If nothing is done inventories fill up in 2mos, at which point the world will need to cut as much as 30mbpd. #OOTT — ryansitton (@RyanSitton) April 8, 2020
Separately, RBC reported citing an unnamed person close to the Russian Energy Ministry, that Russia is ready to cut 1.6mmb/d in production (equivalent to 14% decrease from 1Q levels). However, as above, Russia's condition is that non-OPEC countries would also be expected to take part in cuts including U.S. Brazil, Norway, Canada, Mexico, RBC says citing Energy Ministry.
And, as Sitton tweeted earlier, that is unlikely to happen especially since the US won't even have a representative on the OPEC+ call.
Finally, as Goldman's commodity analyst Damien Couravlin writes, even if a deal is reached and 10mmb/d in production is removed, this would not be nearly enough, and that any further cuts beyond 10mmb/d won't happen as the "incremental burden would likely need to fall on Saudi Arabia to be effective."
While the US announcement of production cuts last week was premature, many countries have since commented on their desire to participate, and we believe that a coordinated cut is now more likely than not. Assuming that a deal is reached, which is in no way certain, the key question will be whether its size and timing will improve global oil balances sufficiently to support prices above current levels. Our updated 2020 global oil balance suggests that a 10 mb/d headline cut (for an effective 6.5 mb/d cut in production) would not be sufficient, still requiring an additional 4 mb/d of necessary price induced shut-ins. While this argues for a larger headline cut of close to 15 mb/d, we believe this would be much harder to achieve, since the incremental burden would likely need to fall on Saudi Arabia to be effective. Further, our price modeling suggests that Brent prices near $35/bbl already reflect such an outcome, with last week’s rally having brought crude prices to levels that likely slow the large-scale US production drop that are necessary to a deal in the first place. Net, while the prospect of a deal can support prices in coming days, we believe this support will soon give way to lower prices with downside risk to our near-term WTI $20/bbl forecast. Ultimately, the size of the demand shock is simply too large for a coordinated supply cut, setting the stage for a severe rebalancing. While the path of the demand normalization will remain key to the subsequent price recovery, lasting supply cuts will matter too and could create upside risks to our $40/bbl October Brent forecast.
In short, anyone hoping that today's oil spike will persist, will likely be disappointed.
* * *
Finally, in case anyone missed it earlier, here again is a preview of what Wall Street expects from tomorrow's meeting, courtesy of RanSquawk:
SCHEDULE: The delayed OPEC+ webinar on Thursday will arguably be the most important gathering of ministers to date, with countries outside OPEC+ also poised to potentially tune into the discussions, thus presenting scope for coordinated action. The meeting is due to commence at 15:00BST, with a presser to follow - all times tentative, OPEC+ pressers tend to be delayed. This will be followed by a G20 Energy Ministers’ meeting on Friday, expected to start at 13:00BST. Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Egypt, Indonesia, Norway, the UK, the US, and Trinidad & Tobago have also been invited to partake in Thursday’s meeting, although at pixel time, not all are confirmed to attend. Sources said no one from the Trump Administration was expected to attend Thursday’s call. Saudi and Russia have called for other global producers – namely the US, Canada, and Mexico – to share the burden of cuts.
KEY PLAYERS
OVERALL RHETORIC: Russia and Saudi have blamed each other for the collapse in oil prices. The two sides agreed to discussions following US President Trump’s recent intervention but made it clear that any cuts will have to be “fair”, and a joint global effort.
Russia and Saudi have blamed each other for the collapse in oil prices. The two sides agreed to discussions following US President Trump’s recent intervention but made it clear that any cuts will have to be “fair”, and a joint global effort. SAUDI (12MLN BPD OUTPUT IN APRIL): The Kingdom is mulling an output cut to beneath 9mln BPD on the condition other oil members join in. A Saudi official said if there was no deal, “we will have some nice number of floating tankers going nowhere”.
The Kingdom is mulling an output cut to beneath 9mln BPD on the condition other oil members join in. A Saudi official said if there was no deal, “we will have some nice number of floating tankers going nowhere”. RUSSIA (11.29MLN BPD OUTPUT IN MARCH): Moscow’s participation is highly contingent on the US, and is unlikely to agree to output cuts if the US does not join the effort; separate reports said Russian producers are ready for oil curbs on the same proviso. Indeed, the CEO of The Russian Direct Investment Fund was optimistic, stating that Riyadh and Moscow are near an accord. The Kremlin has declined to signal Moscow’s position ahead of the meeting.
Moscow’s participation is highly contingent on the US, and is unlikely to agree to output cuts if the US does not join the effort; separate reports said Russian producers are ready for oil curbs on the same proviso. Indeed, the CEO of The Russian Direct Investment Fund was optimistic, stating that Riyadh and Moscow are near an accord. The Kremlin has declined to signal Moscow’s position ahead of the meeting. US (13MLN BPD OUTPUT AT END-MARCH): The US has leaned back on calls to commit to cuts. President Trump said he did not make concessions during talks with Saudi and Russia and has not agreed to a US domestic production cuts. Further, he said US producers have already cut back as a reaction to the market. Meanwhile, US independent oil producers reportedly have told OPEC that they will voluntarily cut output, but US oil majors worry about the antitrust issues around any coordinated effort.
OTHER PRODUCERS
BRAZIL (3.06MLN BPD OUTPUT IN FEBRUARY): State-owned Petrobras said it will curtail production by 100k BPD, according to a statement in March.
State-owned Petrobras said it will curtail production by 100k BPD, according to a statement in March. CANADA (5.78MLN BPD OUTPUT IN FEBRUARY): Alberta’s Energy Minister stated that the country will take part in the talks and will “keep an open mind”. A senior government official downplayed any suggestions that the country will go along with further production cuts. NOTE: Alberta, like Texas in the US, has the regulatory framework to force producers to curb supply.
Alberta’s Energy Minister stated that the country will take part in the talks and will “keep an open mind”. A senior government official downplayed any suggestions that the country will go along with further production cuts. NOTE: Alberta, like Texas in the US, has the regulatory framework to force producers to curb supply. NORWAY (2.07MLN BPD OUTPUT IN FEBRUARY): Norwegian Oil Ministry stated that it would consider partaking as an observer if there was broad participation but said, at the time, that there are no ongoing talks with oil companies on cuts. For reference, the country produces less than 2% of global supply.
PROPOSED CUTS
DURATION OF CUTS: Delegates has said that current options being considered range from a 10mln BPD cut to no reduction at all, with a three-month agreement being considered, according to some reports. Some question whether a three-month deal would be sufficient to balance the market. The pact could be extended, but may face resistance from Russia and US, and could be highly contingent on market conditions at the time. Separate reports noted proposals for a year-long agreement.
Delegates has said that current options being considered range from a 10mln BPD cut to no reduction at all, with a three-month agreement being considered, according to some reports. Some question whether a three-month deal would be sufficient to balance the market. The pact could be extended, but may face resistance from Russia and US, and could be highly contingent on market conditions at the time. Separate reports noted proposals for a year-long agreement. TOUTED SCENARIOS: Two scenarios will reportedly be put forward: 1) OPEC+ would no longer bound by production restrictions, which would see a continuation of the current situation. 2) OPEC alongside Russia and other producers would implement joint 10mln BPD reductions through to the end of the year. A separate report touted a joint 10mln BPD cut which would see the involvement of the US, Canada, and Brazil. The cuts will be distributed as follows: Saudi would cut a minimum of 3mln BPD from current levels, Russia 1.5mln BPD, Non-Saudi Gulf 1.5mln BPD, US, Canada, and Brazil almost 2mln BPD with Texas at least 500k BPD.
Two scenarios will reportedly be put forward: 1) OPEC+ would no longer bound by production restrictions, which would see a continuation of the current situation. 2) OPEC alongside Russia and other producers would implement joint 10mln BPD reductions through to the end of the year. A separate report touted a joint 10mln BPD cut which would see the involvement of the US, Canada, and Brazil. The cuts will be distributed as follows: Saudi would cut a minimum of 3mln BPD from current levels, Russia 1.5mln BPD, Non-Saudi Gulf 1.5mln BPD, US, Canada, and Brazil almost 2mln BPD with Texas at least 500k BPD. BASELINE: It is unclear which production month will be benchmarked in any cuts. This set level could prove to be significant given Saudi’s output hike. OPEC sources said there is a rift between Moscow and Riyadh regarding which baseline to use, with latter calling for the current production environment to be used as the base line.
HOUSE CALLS
Analysts at Credit Suisse outline five potential outcomes from the meetings:
1) NO OPEC+ DEAL (5%) : Russia and Saudi talks will break down – Brent could be pushed lower to ~USD 20/bbl
: Russia and Saudi talks will break down – 2) NO US DEAL (20%) : If the US refuses to partake, Russia and Saudi will also ditch talks – Brent could be pushed lower to ~USD 20/bbl
: If the US refuses to partake, Russia and Saudi will also ditch talks – 3) A “LARGE” DEAL (20%) : around 15mln BPD cut from current levels supported by OPEC+, US and other producers for at least three months with possible extension – Brent could rise to around USD 35-40/bbl.
: around 15mln BPD cut from current levels supported by OPEC+, US and other producers for at least three months with possible extension – 4) A “SMALL” DEAL (35%) : Immediate OPEC+ cuts of 12-13mln BPD; US offers mild reductions in Gulf of Mexico and Shale output and the purchase of oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) – Brent could see USD 30-35/bbl .
: Immediate OPEC+ cuts of 12-13mln BPD; US offers mild reductions in Gulf of Mexico and Shale output and the purchase of oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) – . 5) AN “EVEN SMALLER” DEAL (20%): US relies on natural output reductions and offers to purchase around 0.8-1.0mln BPD for the SPR. Brent could meander below USD 30/bbl with scope for a rise to ~USD 35/bbl should US production markedly decline naturally.
TARIFFS:
US President Trump on the weekend said he was considering slapping tariffs on oil imports, or even take other such measures, to protect the US energy sector from falling oil prices. For reference, the US imports of petroleum were around 9.1mln BPD in 2019, of which Saudi and Russian imports were just over 500k each.
G20 ENERGY MEETING:
The fallout from the OPEC+ meeting would set the stage for the G20 webinar on Friday. Energy Intel notes members outside OPEC+ will be asked pledge additional reductions, “over and above 10mln BPD”. A Senior Russian source noted that efforts to get the US involved in cuts will be on the agenda for Friday’s call. Desks remain sceptical a deal can be reached at this meeting. G20 members such as South Korea and Japan produce little oil, whilst others such as China, India, and the UK are more reliant on imports.
Following the meeting, Saudi Aramco, UAE’s ADNOC and Kuwait’s KPC are expected to release their OSPs for May. |
The games that kick off Saturday go by names like Bedlam, the Civil War, the Apple Cup, the Iron Bowl, the Egg Bowl or simply The Game, meaning Ohio State vs. Michigan. Last weekend there was another The Game (Harvard vs. Yale) and The Big Game (Stanford vs. Cal).
College football rivalries are simultaneously everywhere and rare, played only once a year. In the NFL, the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears battle twice every season. In college basketball, Duke and North Carolina meet at least twice and often three times if there is an additional tipoff in the ACC tournament.
But in college football there’s just one rivalry game, followed by joy—or misery—that last for the next 12 months.
Today the list seems quaint, a remnant from a simpler age. Only Oklahoma-Texas continues to gain national traction every year, although the Longhorns’ recent woes have lowered the value of the Red River Rivalry.
Minnesota, which was awarded the 1960 national championship and barely missed winning the ’67 Big Ten title, soon was replaced by a certain Ohio university as Michigan’s main rival, even though the Little Brown Jug remains a reward for the victor of the Wolverines and Gophers’ clash.
USC-UCLA did provide the most important game of the 1967 season: a 21–20 Trojans victory that helped settle the national championship, decided by a 64-yard touchdown run from O.J. Simpson. USC continued to enjoy football excellence in the ’70s and 2000s, but the Bruins have rarely joined the national title hunt.
Army-Navy was once one of college football’s marquee games. The two service academies produced three Heisman Trophy winners between 1958-63, and the ’63 Midshipmen, led by Roger Staubach, ranked No. 2 in the nation. The ’67 Army squad was in line for a Sugar Bowl bid until opposition from the Pentagon amid the Vietnam War squashed a possible invitation. Their annual meeting continues to produce the best pageantry in college football, but the schools no longer chase national honors, and Navy’s recent dominance (13 straight victories) has robbed this rivalry of much of its former cache.
Don’t snicker about Harvard vs. Yale. The top Ivy League teams once earned spots in the national polls. The 1968 Yale squad climbed to No. 18 before the legendary 29–29 tie with Harvard. Unbeaten Dartmouth finished No. 14 in ’70. These days, however, the Ivys play in the FCS, and with the conference declining to compete in the FCS national tournament against the likes of North Dakota State or Montana (“Not our kind, dear”) the game known as The Game carries little currency beyond those venerable campuses in Cambridge and New Haven.
What current college football rivalries move the national needle or build a potential bridge to a national championship? What match-ups engage not simply two groups of alumni but also a state, a region and, sometimes, an entire nation?
The answer has changed over the years. Miami vs. Florida State is not what it was in the 1980s and early ’90s, and Nebraska no longer plays Oklahoma, its main rival in the ’70s and ’80s.
Here are college football’s top rivalries, by decade, since Jenkins’ original ranking.
AP Photo/Tony Tomsic
1970s
Nebraska vs. Oklahoma
The Cornhuskers (1970, ’71) and Sooners (’74, ’75) combined for four national championships in the decade as their annual November meeting usually gave the winner at least a shot at No. 1. The ’71 Thanksgiving Day clash, when No. 1 Nebraska rallied to beat No. 2 Oklahoma 35–31, remains one of the greatest games in college football history. The Huskers played the role of spoiler in ’78, upending the No. 1 Sooners 17–14 by forcing a Billy Sims fumble near the goal line in the final minutes. Oklahoma was college football’s winningest team in the ’70s, while Nebraska finished fifth.
Notre Dame vs. USC
During an era when only a handful of college games were televised, Notre Dame-USC usually merited national coverage. Five national championships emerged from this intersectional classic, three for USC (1972, ’74 and ’78) and two for the Fighting Irish (’73 and ’77). Perhaps the most memorable meeting was in ’74, when USC rallied from a 24–6 halftime deficit to defeat the Irish 55–24. Notre Dame’s 49–19 destruction of USC in ’77 helped make Joe Montana a national name—and marked the return of the Irish’s green jerseys.
Michigan vs. Ohio State
How important was this rivalry? Between 1957 and ’67, every Big Ten school but Northwestern went to the Rose Bowl. Between ’68 and ’80 only two did–Michigan and Ohio State. The Wolverines of Bo Schembechler and the Buckeyes of Woody Hayes (before he was fired in ’78) played a primal game with scores of 10–7, 14–11, 10–10, 12–10, 14–6 and 14–3. The winning team reached 20 points only three times during the decade. Although neither school won a national championship during the ’70s, both were brutally consistent with Michigan sporting the decade’s third-best winning percentage and Ohio State the seventh-best.
1980s
Miami vs. Florida State
Barely on the national map at decade’s start, the Hurricanes and Seminoles produced a series of thrillers with ramifications far beyond the Sunshine State. As the ’Noles became a national power under Bobby Bowden, Miami won national titles under three different coaches: Howard Schnellenberger in 1983, Jimmy Johnson in ’87, and Dennis Erickson in ’89. The Hurricanes finished N0. 2 in ’86 and ’88. In ’80 and again in ’87 failed two-point conversions against the ’Canes cost Florida State undefeated seasons. Miami (second) and Florida State (eighth) were among college football’s winningest programs in the ’80s. This all-Florida rivalry gets the nod over Miami-Notre Dame due to the Irish’s struggles during the Gerry Faust years (1981-85).
Oklahoma vs. Nebraska
Perhaps no school has enjoyed a more productive decade with less to show for it than Nebraska in the 1980s. The Huskers were the ’80s’ winningest team (103–20) and featured ’83 Heisman-winning running back Mike Rozier but failed to win a national championship, twice finishing No. 2 (’82 and ’83). Often it was Oklahoma who inflicted the damage, battling Nebraska to a 5–5 record in the decade. The Sooners were more than just spoilers; they sported the decade’s fourth-best mark and won the ’85 national championship.
Alabama vs. Auburn
For years the Iron Bowl was a rivalry in name only, as the Crimson Tide won 19 of 23 meetings in 1959-81. However, once Pat Dye arrived on The Plains in ’81 and Bear Bryant left the Alabama sidelines after the ’82 season, the tide, ahem, began to turn. Future Heisman winner Bo Jackson led the Tigers to back-to-back wins in ’82 and ’83, and Auburn posted a 6–4 Iron Bowl record for the ’80s. The Tigers finished the decade with as many top 20 finishes in the AP poll (seven) as the Tide and were the 10th winningest team of the decade.
Honorable Mention: Before leaving the 1980s, a tip of the cap to the best finish to a rivalry game when California pulled off a spectacular five-lateral play to defeat Stanford 25–20 in The Big Game of 1982. Cal’s Kevin Moen famously had to weave his way through the Cardinal band to score the winning touchdown.
AP Photo/Daytona Beach News-Journal, Brian Myrick
1990s
Florida vs. Florida State
No team won more during the 1990s than Florida State (109-13-1), including national titles in ’93 and ’99. But Florida gave the Seminoles a few headaches, including a 52–20 beatdown for the ’96 national title at the Sugar Bowl. Led by the Head Ball Coach Steve Spurrier, the Gators compiled the nation’s fourth winningest record of the decade, including four wins over Florida State. And Spurrier didn’t mind sticking the needle in his cross-state rival. When eight Seminoles players enjoyed a post-hours shopping spree at a local athletic store, getting $6,000 worth of free gear thanks to the largesse of an unregistered agent, Spurrier joked, “FSU stand for Free Shoes University.” In addition to the three national championships, the Gators and Seminoles produced two Heisman winners: Florida State’s Charlie Ward in ’93 and Florida’s Danny Wuerffel in ’96.
Michigan vs. Penn State
While Ohio State’s fortunes ebbed and flowed during the 1990s, including a 2-7-1 record vs. Michigan, Penn State, the Big Ten’s newest member, turned into the Wolverines’ fiercest rival. The two schools combined for 19 top 20 finishes during the decade with Michigan holding a 4–3 edge in head-to-head meetings. The Wolverines’ 12–0 squad of ’97 earned a share of the national championship, an honor that should have been afforded to Penn State in ’94. The 12–0 Nittany Lions were the nation’s top-scoring team but finished one rung below Nebraska in the final polls. Penn State finished as the 1990s’ sixth winningest team with Michigan at No. 7.
Youngstown State vs. Marshall
Maybe the Ivy League looks down on the FCS national playoff, but perhaps never was the quality of football higher than in the 1990s when Youngstown State and Marshall combined to win six national championships. In three straight seasons (’91-93), the Penguins and Thundering Herd met in the I-AA championship game with Youngstown State sandwiching titles in ’91 and ’93 around Marshall’s crown in ’92. Led by wide receiver Randy Moss, the ’96 Thundering Herd might have been the greatest I-AA (now FCS) team in history. They went 15–0, winning every game by a least two touchdowns. The average score of their four playoff games was 48–14. Small wonder Marshall graduated to I-A football in ’97, the same year Youngstown State won its fourth NCAA title of the decade under future Ohio State coach Jim Tressel. Was Marshall moving out of its league? Hardly. The Herd went 13–0 in ’99, led by future NFL quarterback Chad Pennington. They earned wins over Clemson and BYU, plus a No. 10 national ranking.
2000s
Oklahoma vs. Texas
After decades of relative dormancy, the Red River Rivalry roared back to the life in the 2000s as the Sooners and Longhorns combined for six appearances in the BCS title game. Oklahoma won the national championship in ’00, Texas in ’05, thanks to a heroic Vince Young-led comeback against USC. For most of the 20th century, the schools were in different leagues, but the death of the Southwest Conference led to Texas and Oklahoma joining the Big 12 in ’96, adding even more urgency to the rivalry. The Sooners dominated in the early part of the decade, but Texas won four of the last five meetings. Among major conference teams, the Longhorns and Sooners finished 1-2 in winning percentage for the ’00s, and Oklahoma’s Jason White and Sam Bradford won the Heisman in ’03 and ’08, respectively.
Florida vs. Georgia
The so-called World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party served up some mighty potent mixes during the 2000s with Florida (seventh) and Georgia (ninth) among the nation’s winningest teams. The two combined to win eight SEC East titles during the decade and five overall conference championships. Georgia was the more consistent team with nine finishes in the top 25 and five in the top 10 compared to eight and four, respectively, for Florida, but the Gators reached greater heights. After coach Urban Meyer arrived in Gainesville in ’05, Florida shifted gears, claiming national titles in ’06 and ’08. Tim Tebow added a Heisman Trophy to the Gators’ haul in ’07. They also took the head-to-head battle with the Bulldogs 8–2.
Miami vs. Virginia Tech
This rivalry could not have been more even. A 5–5 head-to-head record for the decade and four top 10 media poll finishes for both schools. Miami’s 12–0 national championship squad of 2001 is considered one of college football’s mighty teams. Yet the Hurricanes barely edged the Hokies 26–24 on Dec. 1, needing a stop on a potential game-tying two point conversion in the final minutes and then a diving Ed Reed interception to end Virginia Tech’s final threat. Ultimately, it was the Hokies that halted the ’Canes’ 39-game regular season winning streak with a 31–7 rout in Blacksburg on Nov. 1, 2003. Miami started the decade stronger with the national title in ’01 bookended by No. 2 finishes in ’00 and ’02. But Frank Beamer’s Hokies were more consistent, ending the decade as the nation’s 10th winningest school and with nine top 20 finishes.
AP Photo/Rick Bowmer
2010s
Stanford vs. Oregon
Not only they do battle annually for Pac-12 North supremacy, but since 2009 either the Cardinal or the Ducks has won the overall Pac-12 championship. Oregon has five top 10 finishes this decade, appearances in the ’10 and ’14 national title games and wins in the Rose and Fiesta Bowls. Stanford has three top 10 finishes and earned spots in the Orange and Fiesta Bowls, plus two Rose Bowls. In ’15 the Ducks played the rare role of spoiler, upsetting the Cardinal 38–36 in Palo Alto to diminish their chances of making the College Football Playoff.
Alabama vs. Auburn
How important has the Iron Bowl been this decade? Each season the winner has gone to the BCS title game or qualified for the College Football Playoff. Heisman winner Cam Newton rallied Auburn to a 28–27 victory in 2010 en route to the national championship. After three straight Alabama wins, the Tigers pulled off a victory for the ages in ’13, winning 34–28 when Chris Davis returned a missed potential game-winning field goal 109 yards for the winning points as time expired. Davis’s return snatched away the SEC West crown from the Tide and put the Tigers on a path to the national title game. Alabama enjoyed a bit of revenge in ’14 with a wild 55–44 victory that kept Nick Saban’s squad on track for a playoff berth.
Ohio State vs. Michigan State
No, that’s not a misprint. At least at the start of the 2010s, Ohio State-Michigan State has replaced Ohio State-Michigan as the Big Ten’s top rivalry. The two schools have combined for five top five media poll finishes with the Spartans recording wins in the Rose and Cotton Bowls and the Buckeyes winning the first College Football Playoff championship. Ohio State used its 49–37 victory in East Lansing last year as a springboard for its championship run as quarterback J.T. Barrett threw for 300 yards and rushed for another 86. A year earlier, the Spartans ended the Buckeyes’ national title dreams, rallying for a 34–24 victory in the Big Ten championship game that cost Ohio State a berth in the final BCS championship match. Michigan State repeated the trick Saturday, upsetting the Buckeyes in Columbus to end their 23-game winning streak and thrust the Spartans into the thick of the playoff race. |
WHY A Daily 7 Second KISS Makes Relationship BLISS!
posted by Scotty Mac -
Jul 28, 2017
Are you in a committed love-relationship? Sometimes the daily grind wears your intimacy to a sliver, and sometimes significant relationship challenges produce space between you. Either way, many people simply lose their incentive to put time and effort into reheating that loving feeling; they imagine that it would take too much time, too much work, and they sacrifice their love lives in favor of all the other things that demand immediate attention. (Like KIDS!)
But what if I was to tell you that putting in 7 seconds a day would be all the effort you need? Yes, you read right: seven seconds! I present, The Seven-Second Kiss. Once a day, every day, just share this simple practice, & you will see the long-term romantic ripple effect.
Let’s face it; you know that closeness can be revived with tactile communication, so try it. And I’m not saying lose the peck – even a little nibble can communicate loving caring – I am just suggesting you introduce a planned & conscious connection to your partner & see how this consistent commitment adds to your Love Life.
The intention of this little touch is to be present and attentive, AND if you remember to remember it will undoubtedly help you to regain and retain your other loving touches. If you do this every day, by the end of each week you’ve spent less than one minute in lip-hug… a tiny time-investment when you consider the life-time dividends.
Parents' note: Be prepared for a big "EWW" if this happens in front of the kids! |
Environmental-genetic interactions in experimental hypertension: the Dahl rat model.
Dahl selected lines of salt-sensitive rats respond to hypertensinogenic stimuli such as sodium or behavioral stressors with marked elevations in blood pressure. In contrast, Dahl salt-resistant rats do not. The two lines appear to differ in terms of heart-rate reactivity and central nervous system organization. |
The present invention relates to an improved method of treating unstable or overactive urinary bladder as well as a formulation therefor.
A substantial part (5-10%) of the adult population suffers from urinary incontinence, and the prevalence, particularly of so-called urge incontinence, increases with age. The symptoms of an unstable or overactive bladder comprise urge incontinence, urgency and urinary frequency. It is assumed that unstable or overactive bladder is caused by uncontrolled contractions of the bundles of smooth muscle fibres forming the muscular coat of the urinary bladder (the detrusor muscle) during the filling phase of the bladder. These contractions are mainly controlled by cholinergic muscarinic receptors, and the pharmacological treatment of unstable or overactive bladder has been based on muscarinic receptor antagonists. The drug of choice has for a long time been oxybutynin.
Oxybutynin, which chemically is the DL-racemic form of 4-diethylamino-2-butynyl-phenylcyclohexylglycolate, is given orally, usually as a tablet or syrup. Oxybutynin, usually administered as the chloride salt, is metabolized to an active metabolite, N-desethyl-oxybutynin. The drug is rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract following administration and has a duration of from three to six hours. While the effectiveness of oxybutynin has been well documented, its usefulness is limited by classical antimuscarinic side-effects, particularly dry mouth, which often leads to discontinuation of treatment.
WO 96/12477 discloses a controlled release delivery system for oxybutynin, which delivery system is said not only to be of convenience to the patient by reducing the administration to a once daily regimen, but also to reduce adverse side-effects by limiting the initial peak concentrations of oxybutynin and active metabolite in the blood of the patient.
The alleged relief of side-effects by reducing or eliminating peak concentrations through administration of the controlled release delivery system is, however, contradicted by a later published clinical report, Nilsson, C. G., et al., Neurourology and Urodynamics 16 (1997) 533-542, which describes clinical tests performed with the controlled release delivery system disclosed in WO 96/12477 above. In the clinical tests reported, a 10 mg controlled release oxybutynin tablet was compared with the administration of a conventional (immediate release) 5 mg tablet given twice daily to urge incontinent patients. While high peak levels of the drug obviously were eliminated with the controlled release oxybutynin tablet, no difference in side-effects between the controlled release tablet and the conventional tablet was observed. The advantage of the controlled release tablet thus resided merely in enhancing treatment compliance by its once-a-day dosage rather than also reducing side-effects as stated in WO 96/12477.
Recently, an improved muscarinic receptor antagonist, tolterodine, (R)-N,N-diisopropyl-3-(2-hydroxy-5-methylphenyl)-3-phenylpropanamine, has been marketed for the treatment of urge incontinence and other symptoms of unstable or overactive urinary bladder. Both tolterodine and its major, active metabolite, the 5-hydroxymethyl derivative of tolterodine, which significantly contributes to the therapeutic effect, have considerably less side-effects than oxybutynin, especially regarding the propensity to cause dry mouth. While tolterodine is equipotent with oxybutynin in the bladder, its affinity for muscarinic receptors of the salivary gland is eight times lower than that of oxybutynin; see, for example, Nilvebrant, L., et al., European Journal of Pharmacology 327 (1997) 195-207. The selective effect of tolterodine in humans is described in Stahl, M. M. S., et al., Neurourology and Urodynamics 14 (1995) 647-655, and Bryne, N., International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Vol. 35, No. 7 (1995) 287-295.
The currently marketed administration form of tolterodine is filmcoated tablets containing 1 mg or 2 mg of tolterodine L-tartrate for immediate release in the gastrointestinal tract, the recommended dosage usually being 2 mg twice a day. While, as mentioned, the side-effects, such as dry mouth, are much lower than for oxybutynin, they still exist, especially at higher dosages.
According to the present invention it has now surprisingly been found that, contrary to the case of oxybutynin, the substantial elimination of peak serum levels of tolterodine and its active metabolite through controlled release of tolterodine for an extended period of time, such as through a once-daily administration form, while maintaining the desired effect on the bladder, indeed gives a significant reduction of the (already low) side-effects, particularly dry mouth, compared with those obtained for the same total dosage of immediate release tablets over the same period. In other words, eliminating the peak serum levels of the active moiety affects the adverse effects, and particularly dry mouth, more than the desired effect on the detrusor activity, simultaneously as the flattening of the serum concentration does not lead to loss of activity or increased incidence of urinary retention or other safety concerns. Thus, in addition to the convenience advantage of controlled release administration, one may either (i) for a given total dosage of tolterodine, reduce the side-effects, such as dry mouth, or (ii) for a given level of acceptable side-effects, increase the dosage of tolterodine to obtain an increased effect on the bladder, if desired.
In one aspect, the present invention therefore provides a method of treating unstable or overactive urinary bladder, which method comprises administering to a (mammal) patient in need of such treatment tolterodine or a tolterodine-related compound, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, through a controlled release formulation that administers tolterodine or said tolterodine-related compound, or salt thereof, at a controlled rate for at least 24 hours. It is preferred that the dosage form formulation is capable of maintaining a substantially constant serum level of the active moiety or moieties for said at least 24 hours.
Overactive urinary bladder encompasses detrusor instability, detrusor hyperreflexia, urge incontinence, urgency and urinary frequency.
As mentioned above, the chemical name of tolterodine is (R)-N,N-diisopropyl-3-(2-hydroxy-5-methylphenyl)-3-phenylpropanamine. The term xe2x80x9ctolterodine-related compoundxe2x80x9d is meant to encompass the major, active metabolite of tolterodine, i.e. (R)-N,N-diisopropyl-3-(2-hydroxy-5-hydroxymethylphenyl)-3-phenylpropanamine; the corresponding (S)-enantiomer to tolterodine, i.e. (S)-N,N-diisopropyl-3-(2-hydroxy-5-methylphenyl)-3-phenylpropanamine; the 5-hydroxymethyl metabolite of the (S)-enantiomer, i.e. (S)-N,N-diisopropyl-3-(2-hydroxy-5-hydroxymethylphenyl)-3-phenylpropanamine; as well as the corresponding racemate to tolterodine, i.e. (R,S)-N,N-diisopropyl-3-(2-hydroxy-5-methylphenyl)-3-phenylpropanamine; and prodrug forms thereof.
By the term xe2x80x9cactive moiety or moitiesxe2x80x9d is meant the sum of free or unbound (i.e. not protein bound) concentrations of (i) tolterodine and active metabolite thereof, when tolterodine (or prodrug form) is administered; or (ii) tolterodine and active metabolite thereof and/or (S)-enantiomer to tolterodine and active metabolite thereof, when the corresponding racemate (or prodrug form) is administered; or (iii) active metabolite, when the (R)-5-hydroxymethyl metabolite of tolterodine (or prodrug form) is administered; or (iv) (S)-enantiomer to tolterodine and active metabolite thereof, when the (S)-enantiomer (or prodrug) is administered; or (v) active (S)-metabolite, when the (S)-5-hydroxymethyl metabolite is administered.
The term xe2x80x9csubstantially constantxe2x80x9d with respect to the serum level of active moiety or moieties means that the release profile of the controlled release formulation should essentially not exhibit any peak values. This may, more sophistically, also be expressed by reference to the xe2x80x9cflucuation indexxe2x80x9d (FI) for the serum concentration of (unbound) active moiety (or sum of active moities when relevant), where the fluctuation index FI is calculated as
FI=(Cmaxxe2x88x92Cmin)/AUCxcfx84/xcfx84
wherein Cmax and Cmin are the maximum and minimum concentrations, respectively, of active moiety, AUCxcfx84 is the area under the serum concentration profile (concentration vs time curve) for dosage interval xcfx84, and xcfx84 is the length of the dosage interval. Thus, according to the present invention, the controlled release formulation should provide a mean fluctuation index (for n being at least 30) that is usually not higher than about 2.0, more preferably not higher than about 1.5, particularly not higher than about 1.0, for example not higher than about 0.8.
For tolterodine and its 5-hydroxymethyl metabolite, the 24-hour exposure, expressed as AUC unbound active moiety (tolterodine plus metabolite) is usually in the range of from about 5 to about 150 nM*h, preferably from about 10 to about 120 nM*h, depending on the dosage needed by the particular patient. The indicated limits are based upon calculation of the unbound concentrations of active moiety assuming a fraction unbound of 3.7% for tolterodine and 36% for the 5-hydroxymethyl metabolite (Nilvebrant, L., et al., Life Sciences, Vol. 60, Nos. 13/14 (1997) 1129-1136).
Correspondingly, for tolterodine and its 5-hydroxymethyl metabolite, the average (blood) serum or plasma levels are usually in the range of about 0.2 to about 6.3 nM, preferably in the range of about 0.4 to about 5.0 nM.
Tolterodine, its corresponding (S)-enantiomer and racemate and the preparation thereof are described in e.g. WO 89/06644. For a description of the active (R)-5-hydroxymethyl metabolite of tolterodine (as well as the (S)-5-hydroxymethyl metabolite), it may be referred to WO 94/11337. The (S)-enantiomer and its use in the treatment of urinary and gastrointestinal disorders is described in WO 98/03067.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a pharmaceutical formulation containing tolterodine or a tolterodine-related compound, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, which formulation when administered to a patient provides controlled release of tolterodine or said tolterodine-related compound, or salt thereof, for at least 24 hours, preferably such that a substantially constant serum level of the active moiety or moieties is maintained for said at least 24 hours.
Still another aspect of the present invention provides the use of tolterodine or a tolterodine-related compound, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, for the manufacture of a therapeutical formulation for treating unstable or overactive urinary bladder, which formulation provides a controlled release of tolterodine or said tolterodine-related compound, or salt thereof at a controlled rate for at least 24 hours, preferably such that a substantially constant serum level of the active moiety or moieties is maintained for said at least 24 hours.
The controlled release formulation is preferably an oral delivery system or a transdermal preparation, such as a transdermal patch, but also other controlled release forms may, of course, be contemplated, such as buccal tablets, rectal suppositories, subcutaneous implants, formulations for intramuscular administration.
An exemplary type of oral controlled release formulation, a specific embodiment of which is described in Example 1 below, is a multi-unit formulation comprising controlled-release beads. Each bead comprises (i) a core unit of a water-soluble, water-swellable or water-insoluble inert material (having a size of about 0.05 to 2 about 2 mm), such as e.g. a sucrose sphere; (ii) a first layer on the core of a substantially water-insoluble (often hydrophilic) polymer (this layer may be omitted in the case of an insoluble core, such as e.g. of silicon dioxide), (iii) a second layer of a water-soluble polymer having an active ingredient dissolved or dispersed therein, and (iv) a third polymer layer effective for controlled release of the active ingredient (e.g. a water-insoluble polymer in combination with a water-soluble polymer) In the case of an oral controlled release formulation for once-daily administration, the dosage of tolterodine (or tolterodine related compound) is, for example, 4 mg or 6 mg.
A transdermal patch for tolterodine or tolterodine-related compound is described in our co-pending international application xe2x80x9cTransdermally administered tolterodine as antimuscarinic agent for the treatment of overactive bladderxe2x80x9d (based on Swedish patent application no. 9802864-0, filed on Aug. 27, 1998), the full disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. Illustrative patch formulations are described in Example 2 below.
With the guidance of the disclosure herein, the skilled person may either adapt controlled release administration forms, such as tablets, capsules, patches etc, known in the art, to obtain the objectives of the present invention, or design modified or new controlled release administration forms. |
What are we to make of the fact that in its eleven-year history, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has prosecuted only Africans? Should the court be condemned for discrimination—for taking advantage of Africa’s weak global position—as some African leaders contend? Or should it be applauded for giving long-overdue attention to atrocities in Africa—a sign that finally someone is concerned about the countless ignored African victims, as many African activists contend? This debate is at the heart of one of the most serious challenges the ICC has ever faced. If the current attack on it succeeds, the court’s future may be in doubt.
The ICC was founded in 2002, under a treaty negotiated at a global conference in Rome, as an independent judicial body that would challenge impunity for the gravest international crimes—genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Unlike the International Court of Justice, which is also based in The Hague but settles legal disputes between states, the International Criminal Court addresses mass atrocities committed by individuals. To avoid prosecution, ruthless national leaders too often threaten, corrupt, or compromise judges and prosecutors at home, but those in The Hague should be beyond the reach of such obstructionism. The ICC is meant as a court of last resort for victims and survivors who cannot find justice in their own country and as a deterrent to leaders who have little to fear from domestic prosecution. The court has now been accepted by 122 states. The United States has not joined it out of fear that Americans might be prosecuted.
The issue of the ICC’s focus on Africa has gained prominence as it proceeds against its most powerful suspect so far, President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya. He is accused of directing some of the violence that shook his country in late 2007 and early 2008 following vigorously contested elections. An estimated 1,100 people were killed and as many as 650,000 were forced to flee their homes.
Kenyatta has appeared in The Hague voluntarily and has mounted a vigorous defense. But he has also used his position as head of state to turn every available weapon against the court in an effort to avoid prosecution. The Kenyan government has solicited demands from the African Union that he not be required to appear at trial. It has asked the United Nations Security Council to delay the case. It has pleaded with the governments that are members of the ICC to change the rules, and it has sent diplomats around Africa with the apparent aim of orchestrating a mass withdrawal from the court. None of these efforts so far has stopped the case from proceeding.
The ICC is hardly an institution that looks anti-African. Its largest block of members—34 of its 122 states—is from… |
Audiological profile of the prevalent genetic form of childhood sensorineural hearing loss due to GJB2 mutations in northern Greece.
The present study describes the audiological profile of genetic hearing loss resulting from GJB2 mutations in northern Greece, as this represents the most frequent single cause of childhood sensorineural hearing loss. The 35delG mutation in homozygosity was detected in 27 of 107 patients (25.2%). The audiological profile is that of a profound or severe sensorineural hearing loss, with a sloping or flat configuration of the audiogram, mostly symmetrical, non-progressive and affecting more the higher frequencies. This profile underlines the importance of early identification and genetic family counseling leading to the future possibility of prevention of deafness. |
Sunday, July 31, 2016
The Return of Jason Bourne
Change in plans. I was all set to hit the road and take my bike and tent out to Lake Louise on Saturday. Then I checked the weather forecast and it was calling for severe thunderstorms in Lake Louise so I decided to postpone that trip for another day. Somewhat disappointing since Friday was so awesome. We ended up seeing the latest Jason Bourne movie last night instead.
Similarly, the latest Jason Bourne installment appears to illustrate the ongoing struggle of good versus evil within the CIA just like Covert Affairs did. They rationalize all the bad by implying that it was the work of a handful of bad guys that infiltrated the agency. If that was true, it would simply reinforce the need for greater public accountability within the agency. However, it is pure fiction. I don't believe there is any good within the CIA because an evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit. If it's roots are evil the entire tree is evil and it is good for nothing other than to be cut down and cast into the fire. Peace. |
The US Navy made aviation history by launching an unmanned jet off an aircraft carrier for the first time, taking an important step toward expanded use of drones by the American military with an eye on possible rivals like China and Iran. Text: Reuters & AFP Photo: Reuters
In Pic: An X-47B pilot-less drone combat aircraft is pictured with its wings folded before being launched for the first time off an aircraft carrier, the USS George H. W. Bush, in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Virginia, May 14, 2013.
Bat-winged X-47B stealth drone
The bat-winged X-47B stealth drone roared off the USS George H.W. Bush near the coast of Virginia and flew a series of pre-programmed maneuvers around the ship before veering away toward a Naval air station in Maryland where it was scheduled to land. Photo: AFP
X-47B used a steam catapult to launch
During its May 14 flight, the X-47B used a steam catapult to launch, just as traditional Navy warplanes do. The unarmed aircraft then landed at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland. Photo: AFP/Getty Images
Scheduled to undergo testing
It is scheduled to undergo two weeks of testing aboard the carrier leading up to a landing on the ship, in which a plane's tailhook grabs a wire that will slow it and keep it from plunging overboard. Photo: Reuters
First drone designed to take off & land on aircraft carrier
The X-47B is the first drone designed to take off and land on an aircraft carrier, meaning the US military would not need permission from other countries to use their bases. Photo: US Navy
No human intervention required
The X-47B is far bigger than the Predator, has three times the range and can be programmed to carry out missions with no human intervention, the Navy said. Photo: Getty Images
While the X-47B isn't a stealth aircraft, it was designed with the low profile of one. That will help in the development of future stealth drones, which would be valuable as the military changes its focus from the Middle East to the Pacific, where a number of countries' air defences are a lot stronger than Afghanistan's. Photo: Getty Images
In Pic: In this handout the deck operators discuss the launch of an X-47B demonstrator on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W.
Range of more than 2,100 nautical miles
The X-47B can reach an altitude of more than 40,000 feet (12,192 meters) and has a range of more than 2,100 nautical miles (3,890 kilometres), versus 675 for the Predator. The Navy plans to show the drone can be refuelled in flight, which would give it even greater range. Photo: AP
In Pic: A deck operator drives an X-47B demonstrator using an arm-mounted controller on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W.
Future variants
Future variants of the drone could probably be designed for full-spectrum broadband stealth, which means it would be hard for radar to locate it, analysts said. That level of stealth would be one of the drone's major defences. Photo: Getty Images
in Pic: X-47B demonstrator performs a touch and go landing on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) in the Atlantic Ocean.
Will help Navy develop future carrier-based drones
While the X-47B isn't intended for operational use, it will help Navy officials develop future carrier-based drones. Those drones could begin operating by 2020, according to Rear Adm. Mat Winter, the Navy's program executive officer for unmanned aviation and strike weapons. Photo: Getty Images
Significant milestone
While the carrier takeoff represented a significant milestone, defense analysts are focused on the next step, when the Navy attempts to use what has been learned with the X-47B to develop an unmanned aircraft for actual operations. Photo: Reuters
X-47B: US Navy Makes Aviation History
The US Navy made aviation history by launching an unmanned jet off an aircraft carrier for the first time, taking an important step toward expanded use of drones by the American military with an eye on possible rivals like China and Iran. Text: Reuters & AFP Photo: Reuters
In Pic: An X-47B pilot-less drone combat aircraft is pictured with its wings folded before being launched for the first time off an aircraft carrier, the USS George H. W. Bush, in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Virginia, May 14, 2013. |
Q:
Selectively parsing log files using Java
I have to parse a big bunch of log files, which are in the following format.
SOME SQL STATEMENT/QUERY
DB20000I The SQL command completed successfully.
SOME OTHER SQL STATEMENT/QUERY
DB21034E The command was processed as an SQL statement because it was not a
valid Command Line Processor command.
EDIT 1: The first 3 lines (including a blank line) indicate an SQL statement executed successfully, while the next three show the statement and the exception it caused. darioo's reply below, suggesting the use of grep instead of Java, works beautifully for a single line SQL statement.
EDIT 2: However, the SQL statement/query might not be a single line, necessarily. Sometimes it is a big CREATE PROCEDURE...END PROCEDURE block. Can this problem be overcome using only Unix commands too?
Now I need to parse through the entire log file and pick all occurrences of the pair of (SQL statement + error) and write them in a separate file.
Please show me how to do this!
A:
My answer will be non Java based since this is a classic example of a problem that can be solved in a much, much easier manner.
All you need is the tool grep. If you're on Windows, you can find it here.
Assuming your logs are in file log.txt, solution to your problem is a one liner:
grep -hE --before-context 1 "^DB2[0-9]+E" log.txt > filtered.txt
Explanation:
-h - don't print file name
-E - regular expression search
--before-context 1 - this will print one line before found error message (this will work if all your SQL queries are in one line)
^DB2[0-9]+E - search for lines that begin with "DB2", have some numbers and end with "E"
Above expression will print every line that you need in a new file called filtered.txt.
Update: after some fumbling around, I managed to get what's needed using only standard *nix utilities. Beware, it's not pretty. The final expression:
grep -nE "^DB2[0-9]+" log.txt | cut -f 1 -d " " | gawk "/E$/{y=$0;print x, y};{x=$0}" | sed -e "s/:DB2[[:digit:]]\+[IE]//g" | gawk "{print \"sed -n \\\"\" $1+1 \",\" $2 \"p\\\" log.txt \"}" | sed -e "s/$/ >> filtered.txt/g" > run.bat
Explanation:
grep -nE "^DB2[0-9]+" log.txt - prints lines that begin with DB2... and their line number at beginning. Example:
6:DB20000I The SQL command completed successfully.
12:DB21034E The command was processed as an SQL statement because it was not a valid Command Line Processor command.
19:DB21034E The command was processed as an SQL statement because it was not a valid Command Line Processor command.
26:DB21034E The command was processed as an SQL statement because it was not a valid Command Line Processor command.
34:DB20000I The SQL command completed successfully.
41:DB20000I The SQL command completed successfully.
47:DB21034E The command was processed as an SQL statement because it was not a valid Command Line Processor command.
54:DB20000I The SQL command completed successfully.
cut -f 1 -d " " - prints only the "first column", that is, removes everything after error message. Example:
6:DB20000I
12:DB21034E
19:DB21034E
26:DB21034E
34:DB20000I
41:DB20000I
47:DB21034E
54:DB20000I
gawk "/E$/{y=$0;print x, y};{x=$0}" - for every line that ends with "E" (an error line), print the line before it and then the error line. Example:
6:DB20000I 12:DB21034E
12:DB21034E 19:DB21034E
19:DB21034E 26:DB21034E
41:DB20000I 47:DB21034E
sed -e "s/:DB2[[:digit:]]\+[IE]//g" - removes colon and the error message, leaving only line numbers. Example:
6 12
12 19
19 26
41 47
gawk "{print \"sed -n \\\"\" $1+1 \",\" $2 \"p\\\" log.txt \"}" - formats above lines for sed processing and increments first line number by one. Example:
sed -n "7,12p" log.txt
sed -n "13,19p" log.txt
sed -n "20,26p" log.txt
sed -n "42,47p" log.txt
sed -e "s/$/ >> filtered.txt/g" - appends >> filtered.txt to lines, for appending to final output file. Example:
sed -n "7,12p" log.txt >> filtered.txt
sed -n "13,19p" log.txt >> filtered.txt
sed -n "20,26p" log.txt >> filtered.txt
sed -n "42,47p" log.txt >> filtered.txt
> run.bat - finally, prints the last lines to a batch file named run.bat
After you execute this file, content you wanted will appear in filtered.txt.
Update 2:
Here is another version that works on Ubuntu (previous version was written on Windows):
grep -nE "^DB2[0-9]+" log.txt | cut -f 1 -d " " | gawk '/E/{y=$0;print x, y};{x=$0}' | sed -e "s/:DB2[[:digit:]]\+[IE]//g" | gawk '{print "sed -n \""$1+1" ,"$2 "p\" log.txt" }' | sed -e "s/$/ >> filtered.txt/g" > run.sh
Two things were not working with previous version:
for some reason, gawk '/E$/' wasn't working (it didn't recognize that E is on end of line), so I just put /E/ since E won't be found anywhere else.
quoting, " were converted to ' for gawk since it doesn't like double quotes; afterwards, quoting inside the last gawk expression was modified
|
Q:
ODE and BVP: NDSolve errors
The mathematical problem is shown here. I tried to solve writing the
A0 = 2.0377638272727268`;
A1 = -7.105521894545453`;
A2 = 9.234000147272726`;
A3 = -5.302489919999999`;
A4 = 1.1362478399999998`;
h0 = 45.5;
σM = 0.00592251
λ1 = 1.025;
λ2 = 1.308;
f1[y_, x_] = A1 + 2 A2 y[x] + 3 A3 y[x]^2 + 4 A4 y[x]^3
b[y_, x_] = h0^2/12 (5 A1 + 8 A2 y[x] + 9 A3 y[x]^2 + 8 A4 y[x]^3)/y[x]^6
g[y_, x_] = -(h0^2/12) (A1 + 2 A2 y[x] + 3 A3 y[x]^2 + 4 A4 y[x]^3)/y[x]^5
Sys = First@NDSolve[{
f1[y, x] + b[y, x] y'[x]^2 + g y''[x] == σM,
y[0] == λ1,
y[15] == λ2
}, y, {x, 0, 15}]
When I evaluate this code, Mathematica answers with the following errors:
Power::infy: Infinite expression 1/0.^6 encountered. >>
Infinity::indet: Indeterminate expression 0. ComplexInfinity encountered. >>
Power::infy: Infinite expression 1/0.^6 encountered. >>
Infinity::indet: Indeterminate expression 0. ComplexInfinity encountered. >>
Power::infy: Infinite expression 1/0.^7 encountered. >>
General::stop: Further output of Power::infy will be suppressed during this calculation. >>
Infinity::indet: Indeterminate expression 0. ComplexInfinity encountered. >>
General::stop: Further output of Infinity::indet will be suppressed during this calculation. >>
NDSolve::ndnum: Encountered non-numerical value for a derivative at x == 0.`. >>
As suggested here (section: "StartingInitialConditions") I tried to wrote:
Sys = First@NDSolve[{
f1[y, x] + b[y, x] y'[x]^2 + g y''[x] == σM,
y[0] == λ1,
y[15] == λ2}, y, {x, 0, 15},
Method -> {"Shooting","StartingInitialConditions" -> {y[0] == λ1, y'[0] == 0.1}}]
followed by the following error:
NDSolve::ndnum: Encountered non-numerical value for a derivative at x == 0.`. >>
How can I overtake this errors? What am I doing something wrong?
A:
There's a g in your differential equation, I think you actually mean g[y, x], right? This is the root of your problem. By the way, why do you make y an argument for functions f1, b, g? (It doesn't hurt though…) In fact, I think it will be conciser not to use function definitions in this case.
Then, your "StartingInitialConditions" for Shooting isn't so proper, I found a better one:
A0 = 2.0377638272727268`;
A1 = -7.105521894545453`;
A2 = 9.234000147272726`;
A3 = -5.302489919999999`;
A4 = 1.1362478399999998`;
h0 = 45.5;
σM = 0.00592251;
λ1 = 1.025;
λ2 = 1.308;
f1 = A1 + 2 A2 y[x] + 3 A3 y[x]^2 + 4 A4 y[x]^3;
b = h0^2/12 (5 A1 + 8 A2 y[x] + 9 A3 y[x]^2 + 8 A4 y[x]^3)/y[x]^6;
g = -(h0^2/12) (A1 + 2 A2 y[x] + 3 A3 y[x]^2 + 4 A4 y[x]^3)/y[x]^5;
eqn = f1 + b y'[x]^2 + g y''[x] - σM;
sol = NDSolve[{eqn == 0 , y[0] == λ1, y[15] == λ2}, y, {x, 0, 15},
Method -> {"Shooting", "StartingInitialConditions" ->
{y[15] == λ2, y'[15] == 0}}]
Plot[y[x] /. sol, {x, 0, 15}]
Plot[eqn /. sol, {x, 0, 15}, PlotRange -> All]
Edit
Some warnings will be generated when running the code above, but as shown in the second picture, the error of the solution is quite small, the only defect is, it doesn't match the left BC 囧. (Sorry I didn't notice it yesterday. ) But now I've got a really proper initial condition:
sol = NDSolve[{eqn == 0 , y[0] == λ1, y[15] == λ2}, y, {x, 0, 15},
Method -> {"Shooting", "StartingInitialConditions" ->
{y[15] == λ2, y'[15] == 1/10 + 1/100 + 2/1000}}]
Plot[y[x] /. sol, {x, 0, 15}, PlotRange -> All,
Epilog -> {PointSize[Large], Point[{{0, λ1}, {15, λ2}}]}]
Plot[eqn /. sol, {x, 0, 15}, PlotRange -> All]
(y[0] /. sol) - λ1
{4.45117*10^-6}
I still found it by trial and error (with the help of Table).
|
Q:
Different static files for the same path but different domains on App Engine
I'm running WordPress Network with custom domains on Google App Engine Standard Environment (so I can't use nginx or something).
What I want to do is to serve different static content for different domains but using the same path:
somedomain1.com/favicon.ico ----> static/somedomain1.com/favicon.ico
somedomain2.com/favicon.ico ----> static/somedomain2.com/favicon.ico
somedomain3.com/favicon.ico ----> static/somedomain3.com/favicon.ico
etc…
I tried to use domain names in app.yaml URL handlers, but it ain't work for me:
handlers:
- url: (http|https)://somedomain1.com/favicon.ico
static_files: static/somedomain1.com/favicon.ico
upload: static/somedomain1.com/favicon.ico
Is this possible by means of the standard environment of App Engine?
A:
You cannot use the app.yaml URL routing for such purpose because the handler url configuration doesn't apply to the host/domain name portion of the URL, it only applies to the file path portion. From the url row in the Handlers element table (emphasis mine):
url
Required element under handlers. The URL pattern, as a regular
expression. The expression can contain groupings that can be referred
to in the file path to the script with regular expression
back-references. For example, /profile/(.*)/(.*) would match the URL
/profile/edit/manager and use edit and manager as the first and second
groupings.
In other words this portion of your configuration is not really valid:
url: (http|https)://somedomain1.com/favicon.ico`
You could complement your WordPress static offering with a small app which could take care of dynamically selecting a particular artifact based on the domain in the request's URL.
|
The broad goal of the proposed research project is to identify and characterize molecular mechanisms of resistance to AC220, a clinically active investigational inhibitor of FLT3 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The specific aims are to: 1) identify and characterize on-target (FLT3- dependent) mechanisms of acquired resistance to AC220 and other clinically promising FLT3 TKIs in vitro and in primary AML isolates and 2) identify and characterize off-target (FLT3- independent) mechanisms of primary and acquired resistance to AC220 and other effective FLT3 inhibitors in vitro and in primary AML isolates. This research focuses on AML, which afflicts more than 10,000 Americans annually, the majority of whom die of their disease within a short time. It is anticipated that the proposed research will: 1) improve our understanding of the importance of FLT3 as a therapeutic target in AML, 2) identify drug-resistant mutations that can be targeted in the future, and 3) identify ways in which AML cells can bypass inhibition of FLT3. A new investigator will carry out the research project at UCSF. The research design includes molecular biology studies as well as structural studies, and in addition, translational studies of primary samples isolated from AML patients undergoing treatment with FLT3 inhibitors. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This research project is relevant to the health needs of those in the US and abroad. Specifically, it addresses the shortcomings of an active targeted therapy for a proportion of patients with acute myeloid leukemia and could benefit the lives of thousands of individuals. Furthermore, its focus on the molecular mechanisms responsible for disease resistance will improve our understanding of leukemia biology and be applicable to other cancers. |
Big businesses including American Airlines, IBM and Celanese are making their voices heard when it comes to preserving LGBTQ non-discrimination laws that the companies fear could be nullified by bills making their way through the Texas Legislature.
The four bills – Senate Bills 2485-2488 – would prevent municipalities from requiring private businesses to provide paid sick leave and other benefits to their employees.
The bills authored by Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, are effectively a split-up version of his previous SB 15, which also came under fire for not including enough explicit protection for LGBTQ workers. Cities, workers and LGBTQ groups all criticized the bill, comparing it to the 2017 legislature's failed effort to enact a "bathroom bill."
At the time, a coalition of big businesses including Facebook, Amazon and Google said SB 15 would harm the state economy and disrupt their business in Texas. An early version of SB 15 contained a line explicitly stating the legislation would not overrule local non-discrimination ordinances. The language was subsequently taken out by Creighton, who claimed it muddied the bill.
Businesses are pushing Texas House leaders to put the language back into the new bills, which have been approved in the Senate.
"Senator Creighton's new bills are 'single shot' approaches to ensure Texas small businesses determine the benefits, the schedule, and the sick leave policies they offer their employees," communications director Erin Wilson told The Dallas Morning News at the time the bills were introduced.
Fort Worth-based American Airlines is especially vocal in its opposition. The carrier told its flight attendant union in an email that it has received legal opinions advising that the legislation could override non-discrimination ordinances.
"We ... have made the decision that we cannot support those bills in their current form," the email stated. "We stand with the LGBTQ community and other business leaders in calling for the bills to be amended to make clear the proposed legislation will not override" non-discrimination ordinances.
The bills are scheduled to be debated in a House committee on Wednesday.
Reporter Lauren McGaughey contributed to this report. |
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Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences (HIMS), Dehradun is one of the finest and oldest medical colleges in Uttarakhand was established in 1995 by Sri Swami Rama a yogi, scientist, researcher, writer and humanitarian born in northern India. The college is recognised by Medical Council of India (MCI) and is attach to one of the biggest medical hospital in Uttarakhand by the name Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust a 750 bedded hospital. The Himalayan Institute not only started new era in the development of medical education in Uttarakhand but all over India. The teaching faculty in the college is as per MCI requirements and the college meets the recognized standards in medical education.
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The teaching faculty of the university is as per requirements of respective statutory councils. The university meets recognized standards of excellence in education and has modern facilities to explore, experiment, and achieve the highest standards in professional skills. The institute is situated amidst picturesque location in an extensive land area of 250 acres, well equipped with all the modern facilities. The medical institute has been awarded the status of a Deemed University by the Govt. of India under Section 3 of University Grants Commission Act 1956.
Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences functions under the supervision of Himalayan Institute of Hospital Trust (HIHT). Later on, the name of the Deemed University was changed to HIHT University. All the courses offered in the institute have been recognized by Medical Council of India (MCI). HIMS is attached to the biggest medical hospital in Uttarakhand by the name Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust a 750 bedded hospital, catering to the health care need of the people.
Bharati Vidyapeeth University Medical College. MBBS 150 Seats. PG 103 Seats.
Bharati Vidyapeeth University Medical College started by a private trust in 1989 at Pune. The medical college is having a deemed status as per the UGC Act 1956. The affiliated university is Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University. The medical institution conducts an all India Entrance Examination to select students into UG / PG courses.
UG / PG Courses – The UG course is MBBS. The PG courses are in PG Diploma, MD & MS. All of these UG / PG Courses are recognized by Medical Council of India.
Admission in MBBS Course – For getting admission into MBBS course in the Medical College, Pune, the students have to qualify Common Entrance Test conducted by Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University. The selection of the students is done based on the ranks obtained in the all India Entrance Examination.
Bharati Vidyapeeth University Medical College, Pune
State
Name ofMedical College
University
Management
Year of Establishment
MBBS Seats
PG Seats
Maharashtra
Bharati Vidyapeeth University Medical College, Pune
Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University
Trust
1989
150
103
Brief details about Bharati Vidyapeeth University Medical College, Pune – The brief details of the medical college are given below for the aspirants looking for admission in the Medical College. The details include contact details, facilities, year of establishment, recognition, accreditation, etc.
PG Specializations of 27 different courses for 103 seats are available in Bharati Vidyapeeth University Medical College, Pune. Admissions are based on the competitive entrance examination conducted autonomously by Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University.
Admission in PG Course – For getting admission into PG Diploma, MD & MS Courses in the medical institution, the MBBS graduates have to qualify Common Entrance Test – conducted by Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University. The selection of the students is done based on the ranks obtained in all India Entrance Examination.
Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University Medical College was established in 1989. It was permanently affiliated to University of Pune till it became a constituent unit of Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University in1996.The medical college holds a special place of pride and distinction in the conglomerate of institutions of learning of Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University.The medical college and all the courses/degrees run by it are recognized by Medical Council of India. The General Medical Council of Great Britain has also given recognition to this college. The college is listed in World Health Organization’s directory of recognized medical educational institutes. The students of this institute are eligible to appear for USMLE and PLAB exams.
Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University Medical College
Information
Year Of Establishment :
1989
Address:
Pune-Satara Road, Pune – 411043
Phone:
09540098653
Email:
medicalpark.info@gmail.com
Constituent Unit Of Bharati Vidyapeeth Since :
Since 26th April 1996
Approved By :
NAAC Approval number with grade Grade ‘A’
Principal:
Dr. Vivek A. Saoji,M.S.(Surgery)
No. Of Teachers :
232
No. Of PG Teachers :
84
How To Reach :
The College is situated on main Pune-Satara Road in Pune city. Pune can be reached by rail, road and air. The railway station is about 10 km. from the college and the airport is 14 kms from the college
Facilities
Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University Medical College is one of the premier medical college imparting high quality medical education in private Sector. Established in 1989 it can boast of a well experienced, dedicated and committed faculty members, excellent infrastructure with specious class rooms, well equipped laboratories, a well stacked library with round the clock internet and digital library facilities and an 850 bedded attached tertiary care Bharati Hospital. The hospital caters for all the services and has a multidisciplinary OPD and IPD with super specialty services. It has well equipped and modern critical care facilities like the, ICU, NICU and PICU. It also has a very modern and state of art operation theatre and all the diagnostic facilities like CT scan, MRI, mammography etc. are available. It has a 24 hours functional blood bank and a pharmacy.
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Sri Devaraj URS Medical CollegeSri Devaraj Urs Educational Trust started this pioneer Medical College in the year 1986, to fulfill its objectives and successfully transformed it into a Deemed to be University in the year 2007.
Are you looking to get admission in MBBS this year or looking to get admission in other medical course? Have your been delayed or you have not eliminated the entry examination too!? No problem we are the professional healthcare admission professionals who can help you get immediate entry in Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College, Kolar, Karnataka,India
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ABOUT THE COLLEGE:
Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College, Kolar was established under the aegis of Sri Devaraj Urs Educational Trust for backward classes, Kolar. It is a deemed to be university declared under UGC act, 1956. The college conducts medical courses at under-graduate, post-graduate and post-graduate diploma levels and plans to start doctoral programs in Biochemistry, Microbiology and fellowship program in head and Neck Onco-Surgery. The institution has a unique distinction of accreditation by NAAC India and certification by ISO 9001-2000 and maintains a high standard in teaching learning evaluation process and the institution has become a byword for quality medical education.Campus of Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College :The University office and the constituent college are located at Tamaka village, Kolar and spread over almost 100 acres of lush green campus. The campus is 75 km away from Bangaluru as well as the Bangaluru international airport.
Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery
Category: Medicine and Surgery
Degree: MBBS
Mode: Full Time
Medium: Campus
Duration: 4 Years 6 Months
The SDUAHER-AIUGMET-2015 will be conducted at centers in Bangalore, Chennai, Vijayawada, Mumbai and Kolkata
FEE STRUCTURE (IN RUPEES)As per the recommendation of the Fee Fixation Committee, The Annual tuition fee and other fees payable are as under, for the first year course of study. It also indicates the total course fee.
Course
(M.B.B.S.)
Tuition Fee
(INR, Per Annum)
Other Fee
(INR, Per Annum)
Total
(INR, Per Annum)
General Merit
5,25,000/-
42,500/-
5,67,500/-
* SC, ST and OBC
4,00,000/-
—-
4,00,000/-
Admission/Seat Booking is going on for 2015 batch..
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Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College. MBBS 150 Seats. PG 81 Seats.The medical college is having a deemed status as per the UGC Act 1956. The affiliated university is Sri Devaraj Urs University. The medical institution conducts an all India Entrance Test to select students into UG / PG courses.
Origin of College – Shri R L Jalappa, the pioneer of co-operative movement established Sri Devaraj Urs Educational Trust. The Trust came into existence with the aim to help backward classes with the focus on Medical Education and Social Service.
The educational trust established Sri Devraj Urs Medical College in the year 1986 at Tarnaka, Kolar – 75 Kms from Bangalore.
MBBS, MD, MS & Diploma Courses – The UG course is MBBS. The PG courses are in PG Diploma, MD & MS. All of these UG / PG Courses in Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College are recognized by Medical Council of India.
Admission in MBBS Course – For getting admission into MBBS course in Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College, Kolar the students have to qualify Common Entrance Test conducted by Sri Devaraj Urs University.
The admission of the students in Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College is based on the ranks obtained in the all India Entrance Examination (SDUAHER – AIUGMET).
Sri Devaraj URS Medical College, Kolar
State
Name ofMedical College
University
Management
Year of Establishment
MBBS Seats
PG Seats
Karnataka
Sri Devaraj URS Medical College, Kolar
Sri Devaraj Urs University
Trust
1986
150
81
Brief details about Sri Devaraj URS Medical College, Kolar – The brief details of the medical college are given below for the aspirants looking for admission in Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College. The details include contact details, facilities, year of establishment, recognition, accreditation, etc.
College Name
Sri Devaraj URS Medical College, Kolar
Management
Sri Devaraj Urs Educational Trust
Established In
1986
Affiliation
Sri Devaraj Urs University
Recognition
Recognized by Medical Council of India.
Certification
ISO 9001 -2000
Accreditation
Accreditation by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC, INDIA)
PG Specialization Courses At Sri Devaraj URS Medical College, Kolar
PG Specialization of 24 different courses for 81 seats is available in Sri Devaraj URS Medical College, Kolar. Admissions are based on the competitive entrance examination conducted autonomously by Sri Devaraj Urs University.
The Admission of the students are based on the ranks obtained in all India Entrance Examination (SDUAHER – AIPGMET).
S. No.
PG Specialization Courses
PG Seats
1
Diploma in Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy
1
2
Diploma in Anesthesia (DA)
4
3
Diploma in Child Health (DCH)
2
4
Diploma in Obstetrics & Gynaecology (DGO)
3
5
Diploma in Ophthalmology (DOMS)
2
6
Diploma in Orthopaedics (D Ortho)
2
7
Diploma in Oto-Rhino-Laryngology (DLO)
2
8
Diploma in Radio-Diagnosis (DMRD)
2
9
MD – Anaesthesiology
3
10
MD – Bio-Chemistry
2
11
MD – Dermatology , Venereology & Leprosy
2
12
MD – General Medicine
8
13
MD – Microbiology
3
14
MD – Paediatrics
3
15
MD – Pathology
4
16
MD – Pharmacology
3
17
MD – Physiology
3
18
MD – Radio Diagnosis/Radiology
4
19
MD – Social & Preventive Medicine / Community Medicine
2
20
MD/MS – Obstetrics & Gynaecology
6
21
MD/MS – Ophthalmology
4
22
MS – ENT
4
23
MS – General Surgery
6
24
MS – Orthopaedics
6
PG – MD / MS / PG Diploma Fees Structure in Sri Devaraj URS Medical College, Kolar
The fees structure of the PG courses changes every academic year. Keep informed by visiting this article to see the changes, if any. The new fees structure will be updated at regular intervals.
Sl No
PG Medical Courses
Tuition Fee 2014-15
Other Fee 2014-15
Total fees per 2014-15
Total Duration Course Fee
1
PG Degree
a) Pre-Clinical
1,30,000/-
15,000/-
1,45,000/-
4,35,000/-
b) Para-Clinical
2,60,000/-
15,000/-
2,75,000/-
8,25,000/-
c) Clinical
10,50,000/-
15,000/-
10,65,000/-
31,95,000/-
2
PG Diploma Clinical
7,75,000/-
15,000/-
7,90,000/-
15,80,000/-
If You are Looking For a Management Quota Seats In MBBS / BDS / MD / MS Courses
Knowledge is Power and we posses it imparting on students transforming millions since 1983.
1, 60,000+ Alumni
10,000+ Faculty and Staff
121+ Institutes
UNDERGRADUATE COURSES
Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity.
The D. Y. Patil Education Society, Faculty of Medicine has adopted the following goals for the undergraduate curriculum:
Graduates will be showcased to foundation of knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to achieve the competencies and principles of Medicine.
The Undergraduate Medical Curriculum will encourage, support and promote the development of future academic health leaders, who will contribute to our communities and improve the health of individuals and populations through the discovery, application and communication of knowledge
UNDERGRADUATE DEPARTMENTS & PROGRAMS
M.B.B.S.
B.Sc. Nursing
P.B.B.Sc. Nursing
POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION
They certainly give very strange names to diseases.
Our mission is to nurture students with high quality education by providing state of the art learning environment and relevant exposure towards industry and R&D organization.
POSTGRADUATE DEPARTMENTS & PROGRAMS
MD Radio-Diagnosis
MD Medicine
MS Surgery
MS Obstetrics & Gynecology
MD Pediatrics
MD Anesthesia
MS ENT
MS Ophthalmology
MD Pharmacology
MD Dermatology
MD Anatomy
MD Physiology
MD Pathology
MD Microbiology
MD Psychiatry
MS Orthopedics
MD IHBT (Blood Trasnfusion)
POSTGRADUATE DIMPLOMA COURSES
Learning has no age.
Our mission is to nurture students with high quality education by providing state of the art learning environment and relevant exposure towards industry and R&D organization.
POSTGRADUATE DIMPLOMA PROGRAMS
Diploma in Gynaecology and Obstetrics (D.G.O.)
Diploma in Child Health (D.C.H.)
Diploma In Orthopaedics (D. Ortho.)
MASTER OF SCIENCE
Learning has no age.
Our mission is to nurture students with high quality education by providing state of the art learning environment and relevant exposure towards industry and R&D organization.
MASTER OF SCIENCE PROGRAMS
M.Sc. in Nursing
M.Sc. in Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine
M.Sc. in Medical Physics
If You are Looking For a Management Quota Seats In MBBS / BDS / MD / MS Courses
Note :We are receiving a lot of queries regarding medical & dental admission. If we couldn’t answer your call you are requested to mail your detailed requirement in the above given e-mail id
DEAR PARENTS AND ASPIRANTS, WE PROVIDE DIRECT ADMISSION IN DY PATIL MEDICAL COLLEGE NAVI MUMBAI,KOLHAPUR AND PUNE.IFYOU WANT AN ADMISSION IN THIS COLLEGE THROUGH US THEN DO CALL BECAUSE SEATS ARE LIMITED AND CONSULTANT ARE LESS WHO KNOW THE EXACT PROCEDURE OF ADMISSION IN MANAGEMENT QUOTA AND WE ARE ONE OF THEM,CALL US ONCE AND FEEL THE DIFFERENCE THAT WHY WE ARE DIFFERENT FROM OTHERS.WE ARE AN ISO CERTIFIED ADMISSION CONSULTANTS.If You are Looking For a Management Quota Seats In MBBS / BDS / MD / MS Courses
Note :We are receiving a lot of queries regarding medical & dental admission. If we couldn’t answer your call you are requested to mail your detailed requirement in the above given e-mail id.
ABOUT THE INSTITUTE:
Dr. D.Y. Patil Medical College Founded in 1989, the Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College was originally affiliated to the University of Mumbai and the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, Nashik (MUHS), but now is a part of the University.
It was recently awarded an ISO 9001:2000 certification from the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ).
Currently, the college provides facilities for M.B.B.S. and Post-Graduate studies. The spacious building accommodates twenty different departments, which include Departments of Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Microbiology, Pathology, Community Medicine, Forensic Medicine, Medicine, Paediatrics, Chest and TB, Skin and VD, Psychiatry, Anaesthesiology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Surgery, Orthopaedics, ENT, Ophthalmology and Radiodiagnosis
In tune with the growing demands on medical professionals to be conversant with the cutting edge of modern technology, the para- clinical departments of the College are equipped with the best facilities. The modern laboratories conform to the requirements prescribed by the Medical Council of India. The clear differentiator of the college is the experienced and learned faculty. They are provided with access to the library and journals, along with a host of other facilities and have interactions with national and international experts for their skill updation and enhancement.
Private Medical Colleges in Bihar.Private Medical Colleges in Bihar that are professionally managed by trusts are 4. Three Institutions from the list affiliated to B.N. Mandal University and oneinstitution affiliated to Veer Kunwar Singh University. There are 360MBBS and 102 PG seats available for admission in the privately managed medical colleges of Bihar.
The seats are allotted on merit and counseling for the qualified students conducted by BCECEB (Bihar Combined Entrance Competitive Examination Board);
For certain percent government quota seats in the private medical colleges in Bihar and for the remaining percent of seats entrance is conducted by the private colleges association.
The students after passing out of these approved private medical colleges in Bihar are awarded degrees that recognized by MCI. Given below is the list of private managed Institutions:
“Non-Bihar students and students, who are not eligible to be considered in the Bihar quota, can appear for the Private Colleges Association, Bihar conducted entrance examination.”
The Private Colleges Association, Bihar entrance examination is the prerequisite for admission into MBBS / PG Courses offered in the Private Colleges in the state for the students who are from non-Bihar states and for students who are not eligible for BCECE.
Abbreviation
BCECE – Bihar Combined Entrance Competitive Examination.
Dear Students, Aspirants, Parents, Guardians and Visitors.Please inform us about the mistakes Or changes that need to be updated by us.
“Non-Local students and students, who are not eligible to be considered in the Local quota, can appear for the CETPPMC (Pondicherry Private Medical Institutions Management Association) conducted entrance examination.”
The CETPPMC entrance examination is the prerequisite for admission into MBBS / PG Courses offered in the Private institutions (Pondicherry Linguistic & Religious Minority Medical and Dental Colleges Welfare Association) in the state for the students who are from non-Local states and for students who are not eligible for CENTAC.
Overview
Sharda University is a leading Educational institution based out of Greater Noida, Delhi NCR. A venture of the renowned SGI group, the University has established itself as a high quality education provider with prime focus on holistic learning and imbibing competitive abilities in students.
The University is approved by UGC and prides itself in being the only multi-discipline campus in the NCR, spread over 63 acres and equipped with world class facilities.
Sharda University promises to become one of the India’s leading universities with an acknowledged reputation for excellence in research and teaching. With its outstanding faculty, world class teaching standards, and innovative academic programmes, Sharda intends to set a new benchmark in the Indian education system.
The Sharda Group of Institutions has been a provider of world class education since 1995. It is the largest educational group based in Uttar Pradesh, having 25,000 students and more than 1,200 faculty strength. It has above 12,000 alumni who are today leaders in their realms. With state-of-the-art campuses in Agra, Mathura, and Greater Noida, the group has transformed the perception of education by adopting a broader approach and focusing on overall development of an individual.
Spread across 167 acres of land with 3.5 million square feet of infrastructure, the group institutions has earned the trust and respect as a progressive education provider with successful alumni and prolific faculty.
AdmissionProcess
Download Sharda University Admission Brochure – 2013
Step1A
Application form can be obtained at
Admission Office, Sharda University, Greater Noida Campus
Regional Offices
International Offices
The application fee of INR 1,000 can be deposited by any one of the following ways
Depositing Cash at Sharda University Fee Counter
Depositing Cash at your nearest Punjab National Bank or Axis Bank branch. Please carry a printout of Voucher (Chalan), obtained after filling online application form with you
Step1B
Candidates applying online through Sharda University website will be routed for self application
On successful application, the system will generate a unique ID & Password (Numeric) which will be candidate’s unique identification number throughout the admission process
An auto generated email will be sent to the candidate’s email id, containing the following information
Welcome note
Unique ID
Password
Admit Card
After submitting the application, the candidate will be required to take an online appointment for continuing with the admission procedure.Note
Appointment taken, can only be changed once by calling at 1800 102 6999
Apply through the Centers
After the successful submission of the duly filled form at the centers, candidates will be required to take an appointment for continuing with the admission procedure and will be issued an admit card.
Note
Candidates can also take appointment for the same day, depending upon the availability of slots.
If a candidate fails to appear at the scheduled appointment, he/she can still restart the admission process but will be considered as a fresh walk-in.
Candidates can avail our counseling facility by either calling our Tele-Counselors at 1800 102 6999 or by visiting our various admission centers.
Step 2
On the date of appointment, candidates will be required to bring the following documents:
Admit Card issued by Sharda University
Common Application Form
Photocopy of 12th marksheet
Photocopy of 10th marksheet
Photocopy of AIEEE/UPSEE/MAT/CAT or other qualifying examination Score Card
SURE Score Card
Photocopy of ID Proof (School or Driving license)
Original Registration Payment Receipt
3 Passport size Photographs
Candidates who qualify the minimum eligibility will be required to appear for SURE, (Sharda University Record Examination).
SURE is an aptitude test of 60 minutes which tests the problem solving, ability analytical skills, and the language proficiency of the candidate
The test will have 50 questions comprising 3 sections– Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Analysis, and English comprehension
The test is conducted for all courses at Greater Noida Campus and at approved ATTEST test centers
If a student has a valid test score in one of the following National Level Test AIEEE/UPSEE/CAT/MAT/SAT/GMAT/ENAT/EMAT, then he/she doesn’t need to appear for SURE (Sharda University Record Exam)
Step 3
After the SURE test, successful candidates will be called for GD/PI. At the time of Personal Interview, candidates will have to produce photocopy of the original certificates and other documents as required.
Step 4
If selected, candidates can deposit the fee through Cash/DD at Sharda University campus or through payment gateways like Credit card, Axis Bank, Punjab National Bank DD, Cash, etc. within 15 days of the announcement of selection.
Step 5
The candidate is then required to report and enroll himself/herself with the Deputy Registrar of the respective Schools within 15 days of depositing fees.
SURE/ATTEST Process Details
Do remember the User Id and Password as it will be needed at the time of online exam (i.e. SURE)
After realization of application fee of INR 1,000/-, Sharda University will send the confirmation information to ATTEST. ATTEST will then activate the Online Examination Booking System (OEBS) for the candidate(Note: Test can also be given at Sharda University Campus, Greater Noida without prior booking)
Through Online Examination Booking System (OEBS), the candidate will be able to book his/her exam date, time, and exam centre of choice from the available options given on: Online Examination Booking System (OEBS)
After the successful booking of the exam schedule on OEBS, candidate will be able to generate a Tamper proof admit card containing all the relevant data of Examination
Candidate will have to carry two copies of hall ticket to the examination centre with their recent passport size photograph pasted on it
Note: Candidate should bring their Photo ID proof (Original) and Application Fee Deposit Proof at the time of SURE test, without which the candidate will not be eligible |
We always knew we had a big appetite, but thanks to the World Food Clock -- an interactive infographic by White Vinyl Design -- we can finally see just how hungry we are. Globally, we eat 11.5 million pounds of food in just sixty seconds. To put that into terms we can understand, that's about 20 million Big Macs. Seriously.
What's more surprising than the poundage we eat, is the poundage we waste. Sadly, that number is roughly half of the amount we consume. While we eat 11.5 million pounds (or 5,133 tonnes) in one minute, we waste 2,472 tonnes.
It's no surprise that the global food system is broken. The world food clock illustrates this point most strongly. The clock shows you how much food the world produces, consumes and wastes every second of every day -- with more information on the costs of food production, how much land is needed to produce the food we eat and where exactly most of the food waste takes place. Check out the site and watch the numbers rapidly grow in front of your eyes -- it's the most effective way to truly understand the food problem that we've been hearing about all this time.
Scroll down for a look at the startling numbers from the World Food Clock.
[Correction: An earlier version of this article based the stats on tons (2,000 pounds), but has now been updated to reflect the numbers based on metric tonnes (2,240 pounds).] |
Effects of 5-Aminolevulinic Acid on Gene Expression, Immunity, and ATP Levels in Pacific White Shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei.
With the emergence of several infectious diseases in shrimp aquaculture, there is a growing interest in the use of feed additives to enhance shrimp immunity. Recently, the use of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), a non-protein amino acid that plays a rate-limiting role in heme biosynthesis, has received attention for its positive effect on immunity in livestock animals. To evaluate the effect of 5-ALA in the Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, we conducted microarray analysis, a Vibrio parahaemolyticus immersion challenge test, an ATP level assay, and gene expression analysis of some hemoproteins and genes associated with heme synthesis and degradation. Out of 15,745 L. vannamei putative genes on the microarray, 101 genes were differentially expressed by more than fourfold (p < 0.05) between 5-ALA-supplemented and control shrimp hepatopancreas. 5-ALA upregulated 99 of the 101 genes, 41 of which were immune- and defense-related genes based on sequence homology. Compared to the control, the 5-ALA-supplemented group had a higher survival rate in the challenge test, higher transcript levels of porphobilinogen synthase, ferrochelatase, catalase, nuclear receptor E75, and heme oxygenase-1 and higher levels of ATP. These findings suggest that dietary 5-ALA enhanced the immune response of L. vannamei to V. parahaemolyticus, upregulated immune- and defense-related genes, and enhanced aerobic energy metabolism, respectively. Further studies are needed to elucidate the extent of 5-ALA use in shrimp culture. |
In The
Court of Appeals
Ninth District of Texas at Beaumont
____________________
NO. 09-13-00037-CR
____________________
MARION LEROY JONES, Appellant
V.
THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee
_______________________________________________________ ______________
On Appeal from the 252nd District Court
Jefferson County, Texas
Trial Cause No. 12-13376
________________________________________________________ _____________
MEMORANDUM OPINION
In this appeal, counsel for the appellant filed a brief stating that there are no
arguable points of error that would allow the appellant, Marion Leroy Jones, 1 to
obtain relief from his conviction. After reviewing the record, we agree that no
arguable issues support Jones’s appeal. See Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738,
744 (1967).
1
The record shows that Marion Leroy Jones is also known as Marion
“Butterball” Leroy Jones.
1
In carrying out a plea bargain agreement, Jones pled guilty to robbery. See
Tex. Penal Code Ann. § 29.02 (West 2011). Under the terms of Jones’s plea
agreement, the trial court deferred the adjudication of Jones’s guilt, placed Jones
on community supervision for ten years, and assessed a fine of $500.
Subsequently, by motion, the State asked the trial court to revoke its
community supervision order and to find Jones guilty of robbery. After a hearing,
the trial court found that Jones violated four of the terms of the trial court’s
deferred adjudication order, found Jones guilty of robbery, and then assessed a
sentence of twenty years in prison.
On appeal, Jones’s counsel filed a brief presenting counsel’s professional
evaluation of the record. The brief contains counsel’s conclusion that Jones’s
appeal is frivolous. See Anders, 386 U.S. at 744; High v. State, 573 S.W.2d 807
(Tex. Crim. App. 1978). We granted an extension of time to allow Jones to file a
pro se brief. While awaiting Jones’s response, the trial court corrected a clerical
error in the judgment and removed a fine not pronounced when Jones was
sentenced. Jones did not file a pro se brief.
After reviewing the appellate record and the trial court’s judgment nunc pro
tunc, we agree with counsel’s conclusion that no arguable issues support Jones’s
appeal. Therefore, we need not order the appointment of new counsel to re-brief
2
Jones’s appeal. Cf. Stafford v. State, 813 S.W.2d 503, 511 (Tex. Crim. App. 1991).
Because no arguable issues support Jones’s appeal, we affirm the trial court’s nunc
pro tunc judgment.2
AFFIRMED.
_________________________
HOLLIS HORTON
Justice
Submitted on November 27, 2013
Opinion Delivered December 11, 2013
Do Not Publish
Before McKeithen, C.J., Kreger, and Horton, JJ.
2
Jones may challenge our decision in this case by filing a petition for
discretionary review. See Tex. R. App. P. 68.
3
|
Factors affecting lipid metabolism in the heart will be investigated through the use of the vitro perfused heart system. The interaction of hormones and metabolites (ketone bodies) with neutral lipid mobilization in the perfused heart will be examined. Since genetic mouse models of obesity and/or diabetes are available, regulatory mechanisms of lipid mobilization show to be of importance in the normal heart will also be investigated in hearts of these models. Recently we have shown that heart neutral lipids are increased several-fold in the genetic obese mouse (C57BL/6J ob/ob). Since many of the metabolic abnormalities exhibited by the mouse such as insulin resistance and increased heart triglycerides are similar to human maturity-onset diabetes, investigation of the factors responsible for the increased heart triglyceride levels observed in the genetic obese mouse may yield insight as to the cause of the cardiovascular complications observed in human diabetes. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES: Jesmok, G.J., Calvert, D.N. and Lech, J.J.: The effect of inotropic agents on glycerol release and protein kinase activity ratios in the isolated perfused heart. J. Pharm. Exp. Ther. 200: 187-194, 1977. Hron, W.T., Jesmok, G.J., Lombardo, Y.B., Menahan, L.A. and Lech, J.J.: Dependency of hormone stimulation of glycerol release on perfusate (Ca ions) in the isolated perfused rat heart. J. Mol. Cell. Cardiology, 1977, in press. |
I have given instructions for Spain to welcome the #Aquarius ship in the Port of Valencia. It is our obligation to provide these 600 people a safe harbor. We comply with international commitments regarding humanitarian emergencies.
The communist Prime Minister of Spain tweets in English. Quite right too, but that’s where sense, decency and morality ends.
The fugitive people smuggling ship “Aquarius” was turned away from Italy. It had sailed across the Med, picked up hundreds of people about three feet from Libya, who have no business being in Europe, and the crew presumed that they could dump the cargo on Italy. The great Salvini didn’t like that idea and refused entry. I would have allowed the ship to dock, arrested the crew, scuttled the ship and sent the invaders back again on a naval vessel. That’s the only way this will end, but Salvini has sent the message that it’s not business as usual. Well done and congratulations.
But the Marxist degenerates in Madrid have stepped in. The slavers and people smugglers have a new market. Spanish women are now in greater danger than they were yesterday. Madrid has zero obligation to the cargo. Its obligation is to act in the best interests of the Spanish people, but European Leftists never do that. They always act against their people. The result, as in Germany, will be a catastrophe for women and girls.
There is no need to portray the folks as savages. They are just humans. But Italy which has had hundreds of thousands of migrants landed upon them should not be required to accept them merely because they arrived. And Spain is courting disaster if it allows them in and to remain.
Jude – have you ever looked at the map of the area of seawater where the ‘refugees’ are plucked from the sea a few miles off Libya? Clearly, the nearest safe port is in Tunisia so they should be sent there – if not returned to Libya.
But the point of these so-called NGOs is to get these breeding-age African males into Europe, so that’s why Tunisia isn’t used as law requires.
Doctors without Borders (MSF) is under investigation over allegations it facilitates illegal immigration as debate rages in Italy following accusations, backed by the government, that NGOs are colluding with Libyan people smugglers.
Bernard Kouchner (born 1 November 1939) is a French politician and physician. He is the co-founder of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Médecins du Monde. From 2007 until 2010, he was the French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs in the center-right Fillon government under president Nicolas Sarkozy, although he had been in the past a minister in socialist governments. In 2010, the Jerusalem Post considered Bernard Kouchner the 15th most influential Jew in the world
You do not defeat terrorism by rewarding terrorists, regardless of how many bleeding heart liberals argue otherwise. Want to know where that flawed approach leads to? Read UNIONISM DECAYED 1997-2007 - It's my first book and it explains what happens when you seeek to appease terrorists and call it peace. It's available right now for ATW readers so make sure you get your copy by emailing the editor! This is the book that dissents from the herd mentality that doing wrong can lead to being right. It doesn't and this book spells out WHY.
Copyright & copy; 2010 A Tangled Web (All rights reserved).Comments on articles here are unmoderated, and do not necessarily reflect the views of A Tangled Web or David Vance. Comments that are off-topic, offensive, slanderous, or otherwise unacceptable may be deleted by the Editor. However the fact a particular comment remains on the site IN NO WAY constitutes an endorsement by David Vance of the views expressed therein. |
Q:
How to add multiple subscribers at a time in a list using campaigning (0.15.0) gem?
Now i have added subscribers one at a time to a list.
How to add multiple subscribers at a time to list in campaign monitor.
I am using campaigning (0.15.0) gem in ruby on rails application. rails version i*s 2.3.4*.
In campaign monitor documentation here [http://www.campaignmonitor.com/api/subscribers/#importing_subscribers][1]
Any one pls give me answers.
A:
Campaigning gem have the functionality to import single subscriber at a time. And use the gem CreateSend. By this gem you can access the v3 api of campaign monitor so that we can import mulitiple subscriber at a time.
|
##
# This file is part of WhatWeb and may be subject to
# redistribution and commercial restrictions. Please see the WhatWeb
# web site for more information on licensing and terms of use.
# http://www.morningstarsecurity.com/research/whatweb
##
Plugin.define "Empire-CMS" do
author "Brendan Coles <bcoles@gmail.com>" # 2010-08-04
version "0.1"
description "Open source CMS"
website "http://www.phome.net/"
# 371 results for "powered by EmpireCMS" @ 2010-08-04
# Dorks #
dorks [
'"powered by EmpireCMS"'
]
matches [
{ :text=>' - Powered by EmpireCMS</title>' },
]
end
|
The Senate approved on Tuesday the most substantial criminal justice reform legislation in a generation. The bipartisan bill, known as the FIRST STEP Act, will shorten some unnecessarily long federal prison sentences and enforce rules that will improve conditions for people currently in prison.
The 87-12 tally included substantial support from both Republicans and Democrats. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) have been two of the leading advocates in Congress behind the bill. It will now go to the House where it’s expected to pass. President Donald Trump, too, has said he supports the measure.
“This is a big deal," said Inimai Chettiar, the director of the Brennan Center's Justice program. "Today, the Senate unequivocally spoke out against our country’s addiction to mass incarceration. By passing the FIRST STEP Act, lawmakers are backing long-overdue fixes to some of the most broken parts of our justice system that for too long have been overly-punitive and downright unfair."
The U.S. has less than five percent of the global population but almost 25 percent of its prison population, and mass incarceration places a disproportionate burden on communities of color.
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT Never Miss a Beat. Get our best delivered to your inbox.
One major accomplishment of the FIRST STEP Act is that it includes meaningful sentencing reform provisions. Addressing sentencing laws is critical to any efforts to reduce mass incarceration, one of the defining civil rights issues in the United States today. The U.S. has less than five percent of the global population but almost 25 percent of its prison population, and mass incarceration places a disproportionate burden on communities of color.
The Brennan Center has been working to reform federal sentencing law for over half a decade. A 2016 Brennan Center report found that nearly 40 percent of prisoners are incarcerated without a public safety benefit. That number is likely to come down as a result of the new measure.
The passage of the FIRST STEP Act takes place amid widespread public support for criminal justice reform across the political spectrum. In a 2017 survey, 71 percent of Americans, including a majority of Trump voters, agreed about the importance of reducing the country’s prison population. But the bill faced — and ultimately overcame — some serious political hurdles. The success of the First Step Act should push reform-minded lawmakers and candidates to champion bolder proposals in the lead-up to the 2020 campaign. |
In an age in which, for many, a workout doesn't happen if it's not documented on social media, it seems no exercisers garner more criticism than pregnant women. Fitness models, Olympians, CrossFit athletes: All sorts of fit females face backlash for working out with a bump, says Rachel Buschert Vaziralli, the New York City-based creative manager for group fitness programming.
But the negative comments often can’t stand on their own: “They stem from a lack of education on the current information surrounding exercise and pregnancy,” says Buschert Vaziralli. After all, there’s a wealth of research that supports a consistent fitness program throughout pregnancy. “Motherhood is the toughest sport out there and being healthy and strong is critical for both mother and baby.”
Buschert Vaziralli would know. She’s a new mom. Of course, every body is different. And just as all fitness programs are tailored to the bodies completing them, a workout routine for pregnancy should change as your body does.
Early on, exhaustion and morning sickness may leave you craving challenging workouts that don't zap your energy, says Buschert Vaziralli. As your energy stores increase in the second trimester, a total-body workout focusing on endurance may be best, she says. And come trimester three, props like stability balls can help you work your core and strength train right through till the end.
So use Buschert Vaziralli’s trimester-by-trimester guide—exercises crafted into three workouts perfect for the majority of low-risk pregnancies.
Note: Be sure to get your doctor’s clearance before any changes to your workout routine while pregnant.
FIRST TRIMESTER
Warm up first with light cardio, preferably using both upper and lower body (such as the elliptical or rower). Exercises can be done with bench or couch. Perform each exercise for 30 seconds. Repeat circuit 2 to 3 times.
1. Open Leg Kegel Squat:Stand with legs wider than shoulder-width apart, feet slightly turned out, arms extended between legs holding dumbbells. Inhale and bend knees until thighs are parallel to the floor. Exhale and perform a kegel as you stand.
2. Incline Push-Up:Assume plank position with hands wider than shoulder-width apart and hands pointing straight ahead on a bench, feet on the floor. (Open leg stance for greater stability, if needed.) Inhale and bend elbows. Lower chest toward the bench. Exhale and engage core, straightening elbows. Return back to plank.
3. Weighted Chair Squat:Start sitting on bench, feet hip-width apart and toes pointing ahead. Rest dumbbells on thighs. Stand up and sit down. For a deeper squat, remove bench and go as low as possible into squat.
4. Wide and Narrow Row:Start with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, body pitched forward, back flat. Holding dumbbells with arm straight, pull up to side of chest (elbows in). Return to start. Next time pull with elbows wide. Alternate.
5. Full Lunge Get-Up:Start standing with one hand placed on wall for balance if needed. Step right leg back until knee comes to floor. Step left leg back until knee comes to floor. Step right leg forward until right foot flat on floor then step left leg forward and stand up. Repeat on the other leg. Continue to alternate sides.
SECOND TRIMESTER
Warm up first with light cardio, preferably using both upper and lower body (such as the elliptical or rower). You work lower body, upper body, core in each sequence, then rest. Repeat each sequence 2 to 3 times, then move to the next.
1. Walking Lunge (Lower Body):Stand tall with dumbbell in each hand. Step one leg forward and to the ground and bend knee until front and back leg are 90 degrees. Raise back leg up, finding balance, and bring knee to chest. Continue moving that leg forward until you reach same lunge position on the other side. Walk 10 steps forward then go back.
2. Seated Long Cable Pull (Upper Body):Sit on bench with tall spine and slightly bent knees facing cables and holding the handles or the bar. Pull the bar to chest by retracting the shoulder blades together. Return to start and repeat 12 to 15 times.
3. High Incline Plank (Core):Assume plank position with hands wider than shoulder-width apart and fingers pointing straight ahead on a bench, feet on the floor. Hold plank for 30 to 60 seconds but do not hold breath.
4. Lateral Squat Walk (Lower Body):Start in a squat stance with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, body pitched forward, back flat, holding one heavy dumbbell at the chest. Stay in squat and travel to the right 10 steps then to the left 10 steps.
5. Cable Chest Press (Upper Body):Sit or stand with cables in hands slightly behind shoulders; elbows are bent, arms are lifted. Press arms forward until elbows fully extend and bring hands together in front of chest. Repeat 12 to 15 times.
6. Single Leg Balance and Breath (Core):Standing on one leg, breathe in and expand ribcage for 10 counts and breathe out while engaging core for 10 seconds.
7. Step-Ups (Lower Body):With dumbbells in hands and arms straight at sides, step onto bench or plyo box with right leg then left and step down with right then left. Repeat 12 to 15 times on both sides.
8. Lat Pull-Down (Upper Body):Sit facing cable or bar with arms overhead. Bend elbows and pull down making a ‘W’ shape with upper body at the bottom. Slowly bring arms back up. Repeat 12 to 15 times.
9. Forearm Side Plank (Core):Lay on side propped up onto one forearm with shoulder stacked directly over elbow and hips lifted off ground. To modify, bring bottom knee to floor with top leg extended. Breathe and hold 30 seconds each side.
THIRD TRIMESTER
Warm-up first with light cardio, preferably using both upper and lower body (such as the elliptical or rower). Repeat each exercise 12 to 15 times; complete one to three circuits. Option to add core moves from second trimester workout.
1. Wall Ball Squat:Stand with ball against wall and back against ball. Slide down to a squat then slowly return back up.
2. Ball Chest Press:Sit on ball with dumbbells in hands. Slowly walk out with knees bent until hips almost touching floor. With head resting on ball and arms bent at two 90-degree angles, press arms until straight bringing dumbbells to meet over the chest.
3. Asymmetrical Lunge-Ups:Start kneeling with left leg forward and right leg back. Hold one dumbbell in right hand tacked onto right shoulder. Step right foot in to meet left and stand up. Slowly return right leg back to ground. Repeat then switch dumbbell to other side and perform on other leg. Hold onto wall or chair for balance if needed.
4. Ball Row:Sit on ball with legs wide, feet slightly turned out, spine flat and pitched forward. Arms are straight down with dumbbells in hand. Engage back and pull dumbbells up into armpits. Lower and repeat. |
Q:
Is relativity necessary for the existence of life?
If the universe didn't have the relativity principle, would it be able to support life?
Life consists of very complicated organisms. The operation of these organisms depends on the laws of physics.
If the laws of physics depended on absolute velocity, then it seems that life would have a more difficult task; organisms would have to adapt their biochemistry to the different absolute speeds of the planet as it moves with or against the motion of the sun around the galaxy.
If the laws of physics depended on the absolute gravitational potential, or on acceleration, then the biochemistry of life would have to adapt to the different accelerations / gravitational potential as life colonized higher altitudes. In addition, there would be a seasonal effect as the earth moves closer and farther away from the sun.
I think there's a way this question could be answered quantitatively. Begin with a modification of general relativity such as the post Newtonian parameters. See wikipedia article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parameterized_post-Newtonian_formalism
Now analyze an important biological molecule whose shape is extremely important to life such as hemoglobin. Find out what range of post-Newtonian parameters are compatible with the operation of that molecule.
Unfortunately, I suspect that this is a research problem. If someone solves it, I presume they will publish it.
A:
This question has been modified into a more specific form concerning two structures: Haemoglobin and the PPN Formalism for Gravitation. So I shall make some general comments about how to consider this: a linked Supplementary question might then be the best means to progress.
Haemoglobin is a large (class of) molecules, which have high complexity. Approx molecular weight 68000 (where Hydrogen=1). They are in many terrestrial life forms and they are a key component of blood. There are undoubtedly many outstanding scientific questions concerning the origin and dynamics of such a large molecule. One aspect in particular is the whole issue of "protein folding" which would help form them efficiently and successfully.
In terms of physics there are two aspects: Fundamental physics aspects and local environment aspects. The latter are the most important in practice with e.g Temperature undoubtedly being important; although pressure (ie blood pressure) is likely a function of local gravitation too. So there is the whole question of the biomechanics of a body in differing gravitational fields (surface of Earth, surface of Moon, in Vacuum, on Jupiter, etc) to consider. As the body is the "manufacturing unit" for this molecule its well being is important too - and Vacuum conditions and Jupiter conditions are generally considered hostile to life as we understand it.
In terms of the fundamental physics and laws, the most important here are those of Chemistry which come from Quantum Mechanics. In a hypothetical different universe with a different electric charge for example undoubtedly different molecules would form; perhaps no molecules can form, only atoms.
In terms of our universe (whatever gravitational laws really apply: Newton, Einstein, etc) the local strength of the gravitational field will be an important parameter in the body formation. In terms of biochemistry it probably only has an indirect effect from its contribution to environment (air,sea) pressure and other thermodynamic variables.
All these issues from the persective of life history and presence on other planets and environments is important research in the field of astrobiology.
The PPN formalism was invented to compare Einstein's General Relativity with competing theories via delicate astronomical measurements: but GR remains the best theory in terms of these tests. The best way for a gravity theory parameter to affect quantum parameters would be if, in a theory of Quantum Gravity, it was found that electric charge,say, was a function of the Gravitation constant (which then might not be constant). So that theory might have additional solutions with unusual parameters which might or might not allow the formation of complex molecules.
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import process from "process";
import {Logger} from "polar-shared/src/logger/Logger";
const log = Logger.create();
export class MainAppExceptionHandlers {
public static register() {
// we have to create uncaught exception handlers here when exiting
// the app as I think they're getting removed.
process.on('uncaughtException', err => {
log.error("Uncaught exception: ", err);
});
process.on('unhandledRejection', err => {
log.error("Unhandled rejection: ", err);
});
}
}
|
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a planographic printing plate precursor. More specifically, the present invention relates to a planographic printing plate precursor which has excellent sensitivity and can be used to manufacture a planographic printing plate directly by heating by a heating device such as a thermal head or by laser scanning on the basis of digital signals of a computer or the like. In addition, the present invention relates to a planographic printing plate precursor requiring no development processing, and a process for manufacturing a planographic printing plate which enables direct image formation by heat.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, owing to the progress in technologies related to solid-state lasers and semiconductor lasers which emit rays in regions ranging from a near infrared region to an infrared region, systems, which use these infrared lasers, have been drawing attention as systems for direct planographic printing plate manufacturing in accordance with digital data of a computer.
Processes conventionally known as direct planographic printing plate manufacturing processes in which plates are manufactured from digitized image data without using a lithographic film include (1) an electrophotographic process; (2) a process using a high-sensitivity photopolymer which can be written with a blue-light or green-light-emitting laser of a relatively small output power; (3) a process using a silver salt or a combination of a silver salt and another system; and (4) a process in which heat-cured images are obtained by a post-heating process in the presence of an acid which is generated by heat mode laser exposure and acts as a catalyst.
Although these conventional processes are very useful in efficiently realizing the printing process, these conventional processes have not yet reached a completely satisfactory level and present the following problems.
First, image formation requires a huge amount of energy and a laser of a high output power because the materials used in the above-mentioned heat mode processes generally have low sensitivity. In addition, the processes are complicated because an additional thermal treatment is necessary after laser irradiation.
Secondly, despite their extreme usefulness in efficiently realizing the printing process, in addition to the problem that these processes are complicated or require large-scale equipment, these processes also have the following problems. Namely, these processes include a wet development step in which the recording layer formed on substrate surface is removed image-wise after an exposure step, and include a post-treatment step in which the printing plate which has been subjected to development is washed with water or is treated with a rinsing solution containing a surfactant or with a desensitizing solution containing gum arabic or a starch derivative. Therefore, a need exists for a planographic printing plate precursor which does not require the above-mentioned wet developing treatment and can be used directly for printing after exposure.
In view of the foregoing needs, in recent years, planographic printing plate precursors, which do not require complicated wet development processing and can be used directly in printing after exposure, have been developed.
As an example of a planographic printing plate precursor which does not require wet development processing, U.S. Pat. No. 5,258,263 discloses a planographic printing plate having a photosensitive hydrophilic layer whose curing or insolubilization is promoted in exposed regions, and a photosensitive hydrophobic layer, and both layers are laminated on a substrate.
This plate, however, is a so-called on-printer development type printing plate whose unexposed regions of the photosensitive layer are removed in a printing process. This plate has the drawback that dampening water and printing ink are contaminated at the time of manufacturing a planographic printing plate.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 7-186,562 (EP 652,483) discloses a planographic printing plate precursor containing a polymer, which generates a carboxylic acid by the action of heat and acid, and a dye capable of absorbing infrared rays. This planographic printing plate precursor does not require a development step because the plate precursor by itself is a hydrophobic recording layer which generates an acid by being heated to thereby hydrophilize the heated areas so that images are formed. However, this planographic printing plate precursor presents a problem in that stains are formed at the time of printing because the hydrophilized regions are not sufficiently hyrophilic.
On the other hand, JP-A No. 10-329,443 discloses a planographic printing plate precursor for imaging comprising a substrate having a hydrophilic surface and having thereon a photosensitive layer containing a metal chelate compound as a crosslinking agent. However, the sensitivity of this plate is insufficient, and therefore, an improvement of the sensitivity is required.
The first aspect of the present invention is a planographic printing plate precursor comprising a substrate having thereon an image recording layer containing a metal compound (I-a) which causes a decarboxylation reaction by heat and releases a polyvalent metal cation, and a hydrophilic polymer (I-b) which has at least two hydrophilic groups within the molecule and can coordinate with the polyvalent cation.
The second aspect of the present invention is a planographic printing plate precursor comprising a substrate having thereon an image recording layer containing a metal complex compound (II-a) and a hydrophilic polymer (II-b) which can coordinate with the metal generated from the metal complex compound by the action of heat and which has at least two hydrophilic groups within the molecule and whose main chains are crosslinked.
The third aspect of the present invention is a process for manufacturing a planographic printing plate, said process comprising the step of exposing a planographic printing plate precursor image-wise to infrared laser light so as to form a hydrophobic region on a surface of a planographic printing plate precursor, the planographic printing plate precursor being comprised of a substrate having thereon an image recording layer containing a metal complex compound (II-a) a hydrophilic polymer (II-b), which can coordinate with the metal generated from the metal complex compound by the action of heat and which has at least two hydrophilic groups within the molecule and whose main chains are crosslinked, and a substance (c) capable of converting light to heat.
The present invention is described in detail herein after.
The planographic printing plate precursor, which is the first aspect of the present invention, is explained.
The task of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned existent problems and to achieve the following objects. That is, the first object of the present invention is to provide a planographic printing plate precursor which can be used to manufacture a planographic printing plate directly with excellent high sensitivity by heat generated either by a heating device or by a light-to-heat conversion action of laser light according to digital signals of a computer or the like.
After studies for the first object, the present inventors have found that the sensitivity of a planographic printing plate precursor can be further improved by use of a thermal decarboxylation-type metal compound which releases a polyvalent metal cation by causing a decarboxylation reaction when heated. Based on this discovery, they have established the first aspect of the present invention.
The planographic printing plate precursor as the first aspect of the present invention comprises a substrate having at least an image recording layer provided thereon, wherein the image recording layer contains a metal compound (I-a), which causes a decarboxylation reaction by heat and releases a polyvalent metal cation, a hydrophilic polymer (I-b) which has two or more hydrophilic groups within the molecule and can coordinate with the polyvalent metal cation, and other constituent components, if necessary.
As for processes for manufacturing a planographic printing plate according to the first aspect of the present invention, preferable are a process comprising irradiating a planographic printing plate precursor, comprised of a substrate having thereon an image recording layer containing a metal compound (I-a), which causes a decarboxylation reaction by heat and releases a polyvalent cation, a hydrophilic polymer (I-b), which has two or more hydrophilic groups within the molecule and can coordinate with the polyvalent metal cation, and a substance (c) capable of converting light to heat, with infrared rays image-wise and thereafter carrying out a developing treatment to remove the unirradiated regions by dissolution; and a process comprising irradiating a planographic printing plate precursor, comprised of a substrate having thereon an image recording layer containing a metal compound (I-a), which causes a decarboxylation reaction by heat and releases a polyvalent cation, a hydrophilic polymer (I-b), which has two or more hydrophilic groups within the same molecule and can coordinate with the polyvalent metal cation and whose main chains are crosslinked, and a substance (c) capable of converting light to heat, with infrared rays image-wise so that hydrophobic regions are formed on the surface.
The planographic printing plate precursor according to the first aspect of the present invention enables image formation by a heating device such as a thermal head. Further, the incorporation of a substance (c) capable of converting light to heat into the image recording layer of the planographic printing plate precursor enables image formation also by scanning with a laser such as an infrared laser.
Next, a planographic printing plate precursor, which is the second aspect of the present invention, is explained. The second object of the present invention is to provide a heat-sensitive recording type planographic printing plate precursor which can be used to manufacture a planographic printing plate directly with excellent high sensitivity according to digital signals of a computer or the like by heat generated either by a heating device or by a light-to-heat conversion action of laser light without necessitating a special treatment such as wet development or rubbing after image-wise exposure and also to provide a process for manufacturing a heat-sensitive recording type planographic printing plate using the planographic printing plate precursor. As a result of extensive studies to achieve the second object, the present inventors have found that the hydrophilic functional group of a hydrophilic polymer, whose main chains are crosslinked, interacts with a polyvalent metal chelate compound by chelate exchange and causes a crosslinking reaction and that this reaction deprives the resin having the hydrophilic functional group of the hydrophilicity and causes the change from hydrophilicity to hydrophobicity so that the wet development processing after exposure becomes unnecessary. Based on these findings, they have established the second aspect of the present invention.
According to the planographic printing plate precursor, which is the second aspect of the present invention, the hydrophilic group, which is contained in a hydrophilic polymer (II-b) having two or more hydrophilic groups within the molecule and having main chains crosslinked and which can coordinate with the metal generated from the metal complex compound by the action of heat, undergoes a crosslinking reaction by chelation with the metal released from a metal complex compound (II-a). The reacted region becomes a hydrophobic region having affinity for ink. On the other hand, a region free from the chelation maintains the surface property of the hydrophilic polymer to become a hydrophilic region to which dampening water adheres. Accordingly, a planographic printing plate, which can be used directly in printing without the employment of a development step, is manufactured.
Although the mechanism is not clear, it is believed that a metal complex compound (II-a) undergoes a crosslinking reaction by chelation with the two hydrophilic groups of a hydrophilic polymer (II-b), which can coordinate with the metal generated from the metal complex compound by the action of heat and has two or more hydrophilic groups within the molecule and whose main chains are crosslinked, in such a manner that the crosslinking reaction blocks the hydrophilic groups and the formation of the crosslinked structure deprives the hydrophilicity and water absorptivity of the heated region so that the heated region alone becomes a hydrophobic region.
In this case, the incorporation of a substance (c) capable of converting light to heat into the recording layer makes the recording layer writable with light such as an infrared laser.
Further, the incorporation of a thermoplastic polymer (d) into the recording layer enhances the hydrophobizing effect by thermal fusion and adhesion of the polymer. Furthermore, in order to strengthen the polarity change from hydrophilicity to hydrophobicity, it is preferable that a metal complex compound (II-a) is contained in a thermoplastic polymer (d), particularly in thermally fusible hydrophobic polymer particles as a specific form of the polymer.
The polymer having hydrophilic functional groups becomes hydrophobic by the formation of a complex with a polyvalent metal cation. The metal complex compound releases a metal when heated. According to the present invention, the metal complex compound present in the recording layer releases a metal when heated so that the metal thus generated undergoes a chelation reaction with the hydrophilic polymer to form a complex and hydrophobizes the polymer. As a result, the heated region alone becomes a hydrophobic region having affinity for ink while the rest of the region is hydrophilic. Therefore, a heat-sensitive recording type development treatment-free plate can be formed directly. Particularly because of the effect of the incorporation of a hydrophilic polymer (II-b) whose main chains are crosslinked, the planographic printing plate precursor according to the second aspect of the present invention can be used in printing directly by skipping the development step.
The combination of the first aspect and the second aspect of the present invention is particularly preferable from the standpoint of obtaining very good sensitivity and being usable in printing directly by skipping the development step.
The reaction mechanism of the hydrophobizing reaction by the metal complex compound in the first and second aspects of the present invention is schematically described below.
Next, the details of a planographic printing plate precursor as the first and second aspects of the present invention as well as the details of the process for manufacturing a planographic printing plate are given below.
less than (I-a) A Metal Compound Which Causes a Decarboxylation Reaction when Heated and Releases a Polyvalent Metal Cation greater than
The metal compound, which is used in the first aspect of the present invention and which causes a decarboxylation reaction when heated and releases a polyvalent metal cation, is explained below.
The image recording layer of the planographic printing plate precursor of the first aspect of the present invention uses a metal compound (I-a) which causes a decarboxylation reaction when heated and releases a polyvalent metal cation (hereinafter referred to as a thermal decarboxylation-type metal compound (I-a) upon occasion).
When heated, the thermal decarboxylation-type metal compound (I-a) causes a decarboxylation reaction and releases a polyvalent metal cation. As illustrated in the example of reaction, the polyvalent cation forms a complex by causing a reaction replacing the monovalent metal cation of the metal carboxylate contained in the structure of the hydrophilic polymer that is described later. As a result, the hydrophilic polymer loses its hydrophilicity and is converted into a hydrophobic polymer structure. Therefore, when heated such that heat is applied image-wise according to the digital signals of a computer or the like, the above-mentioned reaction proceeds only in the heated area and a latent image in image-wise hydrophobization is formed. A developing treatment removes by dissolution the hydrophilic polymer in the area not heated, i.e., the area not hydrophobized and destined to become a non-image area, so that an image area having affinity for ink is formed.
Further, when the image recording layer uses as a binder polymer a crosslinked hydrophilic polymer that is described later in the second aspect, the image recording layer surface can maintain hydrophilicity despite its insolubility inherent to the crosslinked structure. Accordingly, the area that is not heated maintains its hydrophilicity and forms a non-image area in a stable manner. On the other hand, the heated area forms a complex in the same way as above and is converted into a hydrophobic area, i.e., an area having affinity for ink, so that an image area can be formed. A three-dimensionally crosslinked hydrophilic polymer is also preferable.
As a result, without wet development processing, a planographic printing plate can be formed directly due to the crosslinked hydrophilic polymer.
Examples of the thermal decarboxylation-type metal compound (I-a) include a metal carboxylate produced by replacing the basic component of a compound, hitherto known as a decarboxylation-type base generating agent, with a metal cation having a valency of two or more. Among these compounds, preferred examples include trichloroacetates described in U. K. Patent No. 998,949, an xcex1-sulfonylacetates described in U. K. Patent No. 4,060,420, and propiolacetates described in JP-A No. 59-157,637.
Examples of the central metals forming these metal carboxylates include the atoms of the second to the sixth periods of the Periodic Table. Among these atoms, atoms of the third to the fifth periods are preferable. Al, Si, and Mg of the third period, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Ge of the fourth period, and Zr, In, and Sn of the fifth period are more preferable.
Heretofore, a metal chelate compound has been widely used as a compound which forms a crosslinked structure so as to form images. However, despite its excellence as a crosslinking agent, the metal chelate compound cannot provide sufficient sensitivity.
In the present invention, the use of the thermal decarboxylation-type metal compound (I-a) enables sufficient hydrophobization, i.e., image formation, of the image forming layer following the change in crosslinked structure and the enhancement of the sensitivity of the image forming layer at the same time.
In the present invention, among the above-mentioned compounds, aluminum trichloroacetate, calcium trichloroacetate, zinc trichloroacetate, aluminum phenylsulfonylacetate, calcium phenylsulfonylacetate, zinc phenylsulfonylacetate, iron phenylsulfonylacetate, calcium p-chlorophenylsulfonylacetate, aluminum p-chlorophenylsulfonylacetate, aluminum phenylpropiolate, calcium phenylpropiolate, zinc phenylpropiolate, aluminum 2,4-dichlorophenylpropiolate, and calcium 2,4-dichlorophenylpropiolate are preferable. Further, metal salts of sulfonylacetic acids represented by the following general formula (I) or (II) (thermal decarboxylation-type metal compounds (1) to (8) in Table 1) are more preferable. It should be noted, however, that the present invention is not limited to these compounds.
When using the thermal decarboxylation-type metal compound (I-a), it is uniformly dispersed and contained in the hydrophilic polymer (I-b) that is described later. In particular, in order to strengthen the conversion from hydrophilicity to hydrophobicity, it is preferable that the thermal decarboxylation-type metal compound is contained in a thermoplastic polymer (d), particularly in thermally fusible hydrophobic polymer particles, described later.
The amount to be used of the thermal decarboxylation-type metal compound (I-a) is preferably 0.01 to 100 parts by weight, more preferably 0.1 to 10 parts by weight, based on 1 part by weight of the hydrophilic polymer, described later, in the image recording layer.
If the amount to be used is less than 0.01 part by weight, the conversion reaction from hydrophilicity to hydrophobicity may not sufficiently occur, whereas if the amount to be used is more than 100 parts by weight, images may become smudgy because non-image area cannot be fully hydrophilized.
less than (I-b) A Hydrophilic Polymer greater than
The hydrophilic polymer, which is used in the first aspect of the present invention and which has two or more hydrophilic groups within the molecule and can coordinate with a polyvalent metal cation (hereinafter referred to as a hydrophilic polymer (I-b) upon occasion), is explained below.
The image recording layer of the planographic printing plate precursor of the first aspect of the present invention uses as a binder polymer the hydrophilic polymer (I-b) which has two or more hydrophilic groups within the molecule and can coordinate with a polyvalent metal cation which is released from the thermal decarboxylation-type metal compound.
The hydrophilic polymer is a polymer which is comprised of a carbon to carbon bond chain and has as side chains thereto two or more hydrophilic functional groups of one or more kinds selected from a hydroxyl group, carboxyl group, a sulfonic acid group, a phosphoric acid group, a phosphonic acid group, and salts of these acid groups.
An example of the hydrophilic polymer (I-b) is a hydrophilic polymer having at least one kind of hydrophilic functional group selected from a hydroxyl group, a carboxylic acid group, a sulfonic acid group, a phosphoric acid group, a phosphonic acid group, and salts of these acid groups. Examples of the hydrophilic polymer include polymeric compounds which are based on polymers such as poly(meth)acrylates, polyoxyalkylenes, polyurethanes, polymers prepared by a ring-opening and addition polymerization of epoxy groups, poly(meth)acrylic acids, poly(meth)acrylamides, polyesters, polyamides, polyamines, polyvinyls, polysaccharides, and a combination of these compounds. Further, the structure of the polymeric compound may contain an amido group, a polyoxyalkylene group, and the like.
The amount of the hydrophilic polymer (I-b) to be used in the first aspect of the present invention is preferably 5 to 99% by weight, more preferably 2 to 90% by weight, based on the weight of the total solids of the image recording layer.
If the amount to be used is less than 5% by weight, image areas may become smudgy because non-image areas are not sufficiently hydrophilized, whereas if the amount to be used is more than 99% by weight, the conversion reaction from hydrophilicity to hydrophobicity may not sufficiently occur.
When heated, the image recording layer of the planographic printing plate precursor of the first aspect of the present invention is rendered hydrophobic by coordinating with a polyvalent cation released from the thermal decarboxylation-type metal compound(I-a). By contrast, the image recording layer in the area not heated maintains the hydrophilicity, which allows the layer to be removed by dissolution when a wet developing treatment is carried out after image recording so that the substrate is exposed. The substrate area thus exposed forms a non-image area holding dampening water, while the heated area holding recorded images is retained on the substrate and forms an image area having affinity for ink.
A hydrophilic polymer (I-b) includes all of preferred or specific examples of a crosslinked hydrophilic polymer (II-b) described later and the crosslinked hydrophilic polymer (II-b) is preferably used in the case where wet development processing is not required.
less than (II-a) A Metal Complex Compound greater than
A metal complex compound (II-a) to be used in the second aspect of the present invention is explained below.
Examples of the form of the metal complex compound (II-a) (hereinafter referred to as metal complex (II-a) upon occasion) contained in the image recording layer of the planographic printing plate precursor (hereinafter simply referred to as printing plate precursor upon occasion) of the present invention include metal diketenates(a-1), metal alkoxides(a-2), metal carboxylates(a-3), and so on. Among these compounds, the metal diketenate(a-1) is particularly preferable.
Specific examples of the chelate portion (ligand) constituting the metal diketenates (a-1) include 2,4-pentanedionate(acetylacetonate), fluoropentanedionate, 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionate, benzoylacetonate, thenoyltrifluoroacetonate, 1,3-diphenyl-1,3-propanedionate, methylacetoacetate, ethylacetoacetate, methacryloxyethylacetoacetate, allylacetoacetate, and so on.
Examples of the central metal of the metal complex compound (II-a) include the atoms of the second to the sixth periods of the Periodic Table. Among these atoms, metals and semiconductive atoms of the third to the fifth periods are preferable. Al, Si, and Mg of the third period, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Ge of teh fourth period, and Zr, In, and Sn of the fifth period are particularly preferable.
Specific examples of the metal diketenate (a-1) include acetylacetonates(pentanedionates), ethylacetoacetates(hexanedionates), propylacetoacetonates(heptanedionates), tetramethylheptanedionates, benzylacetonates, and so on which are coordinated by aluminum, iron(III), manganese, cobalt, nickel, titanium, copper, and zirconium. Among these compounds, iron(III) acetylacetonate, aluminum acetylacetonate, and titanium acetylacetonate are particularly preferable.
Specific examples of the metal alkoxides (a-2) include tetra-n-butyl titanate, tetrastearoyl titanate, butyl titanate dimer, aluminum oxide isopropylate, tetra-n-butoxy zirconium, and so on.
Specific examples of the metal carboxylates (a-3) include aluminum oxide octoate, aluminum oxide stearate, zirconyl octylate, zirconyl stearate, and so on.
Other usable example is a ligand-having compound containing a mixture of the metal diketenates (a-1), the metal carboxylates (a-3), and alkylmetals. Specific examples of this compound include dipropoxy-bis(acetylacetonate)titanium, dipropoxytitanium-bis(ethylacetoacetate), dipropoxytitanium-bis(lactate), tri-n-butoxytitanium monostearate, isopropyltristearoyl titanate, aluminum dibutoxide monomethylacetoacetate, and so on.
The amount of the metal complex (II-a) to be used in the second aspect of the present invention is preferably within a range of 5 to 300% by weight, more preferably within a range of 10 to 200% by weight, based on the weight of the hydrophilic polymer (II-b) which can coordinate with the metal generated from the metal complex compound by the action of heat and has two or more hydrophilic groups within the molecule and whose main chains are crosslinked. If the amount to be used is less than 5% by weight, the images to be formed may be defective because the degree of hydrophobicity is insufficient, whereas if the amount to be used is more than 300% by weight, the excess of the metal complex may adversely affect the image formation.
less than (II-b) A Crosslinked Hydrophilic Polymer greater than
Next, the hydrophilic polymer, which is used in the image recording layer of the planographic printing plate precursor according to the second aspect of the present invention, i.e., the hydrophilic polymer (II-b), having within the molecule two or more groups, and which can coordinate with a metal generated from the metal complex compound by the action of heat and are hydrophilic, and having main chains crosslinked (hereinafter referred to as (II-b) a crosslinked hydrophilic polymer upon occasion), is explained below. The crosslinked hydrophilic compound (II-b), which is used in the image recording layer of the planographic printing plate precursor according to the second aspect of the present invention, may include any of the hydrophilic polymers listed for the first aspect in so far as the main chains of the polymer are crosslinked. Any conventionally known polymer having such a structure can be used.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, for the manufacture of a non-development type planographic printing plate precursor, which does not need the wet development processing intended for removal by dissolution of the non-image area after image recording, a hydrophilic polymer, which has two or more hydrophilic groups within the same molecule and can coordinate with a polyvalent metal cation to be released from the metal complex compound and whose main chains are crosslinked, is used.
The crosslinked structure within the molecule enables maintenance of sufficient hydrophilicity and provides tough film properties. Therefore, even if the non-image area of the film is not removed by a developing treatment, plate life is not adversely affected and non-image areas do not become smudgy. Further, even if the non-image area of film is not removed by a developing treatment, the film is not dissolved in dampening water or printing ink at the time of plate making and therefore the dampening water or printing ink is not contaminated.
In particular, since the image recording layer surface is hydrophilic and the recording layer is not impaired by the dampening water for a long period of time and satisfactory excellent plate life is obtained, a hydrophilic polymer having a three-dimensional crosslinking structure. in the molecular is even more preferable.
As described above, because of the use of a polymer, which has hydrophilic groups and is crosslinked, a non-image area, which is not heated, can exist solidly as the non-image area maintaining hydrophilicity, and the area is not required to be removed by a developing treatment. On the other hand, in the area, which is heated, a polyvalent metal cation released from a metal complex compound causes a crosslinking reaction by a replacement reaction with the monovalent metal cation of the metal carboxylate group constituting the polymer to thereby form a complex. As a result, the hydrophilic group is blocked and the water absorptivity is lost by the formation of the crosslinked structure so that only the area heated by image recording forms a hydrophobic image area. The heated area is similar to the case where a developing treatment is required.
Accordingly, since the heated area alone becomes a hydrophobic area having affinity for ink whereas the rest of the area is hydrophilic, a planographic printing plate can be obtained without development processing.
The hydrophilic polymers having a three-dimensional crosslinked structure are preferably the hydrophilic polymeric compounds listed as examples or regarded as preferable for the hydrophilic polymeric compound (I-b), wherein the main chains of the polymeric compounds are crosslinked to form a three-dimensional crosslinked structure wherein network-structure is formed.
From the standpoint of crosslinking these polymeric compounds, it is preferable that the polymer contain at least one selected from an amino group, a glycidyl group, a polymerizable unsaturated double bond, a photopolymerizable double bond, and others.
More specifically, the polymer is a hydrophilic homopolymer or copolymer synthesized by using at least one hydrophilic monomer selected from hydrophilic monomers such as (meth)acrylic acid, or an alkali or amine salt thereof, itaconic acid, or an alkali or amine salt thereof, 2-hydroxyethyl (meth)acrylate, (meth)acrylamide, N-monomethylol(meth)acrylamide, N-dimethylol(meth)acrylamide, 3-vinylpropionic acid, or an alkali or amine salt thereof, vinylsulfonic acid, or an alkali or amine salt thereof, 2-sulfoethyl (meth)acrylate, polyoxyethylene glycol mono(meth)acrylate, 2-acrylamide-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid, acidphosphoxypolyoxyethylene glycol mono(meth)acrylate, allylamine or a mineral acid salt thereof, which each have at least one of a hydrophilic group such as a hydroxyl group, a carboxyl group or a salt thereof, a sulfonic acid group or a salt thereof, a phosphoric acid group or a salt thereof, an amido group, an amino group, an ether group, or the like.
The image recording layer containing the hydrophilic polymer (II-b) having a crosslinked structure may be formed by the following synthesis process. That is, a hydrophilic polymer having in the molecule thereof at least two functional groups, such as a hydroxyl group, a carboxyl group, an amino group or a salt thereof, an epoxy group, or the like, is used. By utilizing the functional groups, an addition polymerizable double bond, such as a vinyl group, an allyl group, a (meth)acryl group, or the like, or a ring-forming group, such as a cinnamoyl group, a cinnamylidene group, a cyanocinnamylidene group, a p-phenylene diacrylate group, or the like, is introduced into the polymer so as to obtain an unsaturated bond-containing polymer.
If necessary, a monofunctional or multifunctional monomer copolymerizable with the unsaturated bond, a polymerization initiator that is described later, and other components that are described later are added to the unsaturated bond-containing polymer and these substances are dissolved in a suitable solvent to prepare a dope. Optionally adjunctive components are added to the resulting solution and the solution is coated on a substrate that is described later. The coating layer may be three-dimensionally crosslinked while being dried simultaneously or after dried. In this way, the image recording layer containing a hydrophilic polymer having a crosslinked structure can be formed.
The method for coating the solution on the substrate can be appropriately selected from the coating methods that are described later.
In the case where the hydrophilic polymer is a hydrophilic polymer having an active hydrogen atom such as a hydroxyl group, an amino group, a carboxyl group, or the like, the hydrophilic polymer, an isocyanate compound or a block polyisocyanate compound, and other components that are described later are dissolved in a solvent free from an active hydrogen atom, such as tetrahydrofuran, dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethylacetamide, dimethylformamide, or the like so as to prepare a dope. The dope is coated on a substrate and the coating layer is dried or three-dimensionally crosslinked while being dried simultaneously.
In this case, a glycidyl group-containing monomer such as glycidyl (meth)acrylate or a carboxyl group-containing monomer such as (meth)acrylic acid can be used as a copolymerization component of the hydrophilic polymer.
In the case where the hydrophilic polymer is a hydrophilic polymer having a glycidyl group, a three-dimensionally crosslinked structure can be formed by utilizing a ring-opening reaction using as a crosslinking agent such compound as an xcex1, xcfx89-alkane- or alkenedicarboxylic acid, e.g., 1,2-ethanedicarboxylic acid and adipic acid, a polycarboxylic acid, e.g., 1,2,3-propanetricarboxylic acid and trimellitic acid, a polyamine compound, e.g., 1,2-ethanediamine, diethylenediamine, diethylenetriamine, and xcex1, xcfx89-bis(3-aminopropyl)-polyethyleneglycol ether, an oligoalkylene- or polyalkyleneglycol, e.g., ethyleneglycol, propyleneglycol, diethyleneglycol, and tetraethyleneglycol, and a polyhydroxy compound, e.g., trimethylol propane, glycerin, pentaerythritol, and sorbitol.
In the case where the hydrophilic polymer is a hydrophilic polymer having a carboxyl group or an amino group, a three-dimensional crosslinked structure can be formed by utilizing an epoxy ring-opening reaction using as a crosslinking agent such polyepoxy compound as ethylene- or propyleneglycol diglycidyl ether, polyethylene- or polypropyleneglycol diglycidyl ether, neopentylglycol diglycidyl ether, 1,6-hexanediol diglycidyl ether, trimethylolpropane triglycidyl ether, and the like.
In the case where the hydrophilic polymer is a polysaccharide such as a cellulosic derivative, polyvinyl alcohol or a partial saponification product thereof, a glycidol homopolymer or copolymer, or a hydrophilic polymer based on any of these compounds, a three-dimensional crosslinked structure can be formed by the introduction of a functional group capable of the crosslinking reaction according to the above-described method utilizing a hydroxy group contained in the hydrophilic polymer.
Among these three-dimensionally crosslinked polymers, a preferred polymer is one obtained by three-dimensionally crosslinking a hydrophilic homopolymer or copolymer synthesized by using at least one hydrophilic monomer selected from hydrophilic monomers such as (meth)acrylic acid, or an alkali metal salt or amine salt thereof, itaconic acid, or an alkali metal salt or amine salt thereof, 2-hydroxyethyl (meth)acrylate, (meth)acrylamide, N-monomethylol(meth)acrylamide, N-dimethylol(meth)acrylamide, an allylamine or a hydrogen halide salt thereof, 3-vinylpropionic acid, or an alkali metal salt or amine salt thereof, vinylsulfonic acid, or an alkali metal salt or amine salt thereof, 2-sulfoethylene (meth)acrylate, polyoxyethylene glycol mono(meth)acrylate, 2-acrylamide-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid, acidphosphoxypolyoxyethylene glycol mono(meth)acrylate, and allylamine or a hydrogen halide acid salt thereof which each have a hydrophilic group such as a carboxyl group or a salt thereof, a sulfonic acid group or a salt thereof, a phosphoric acid group or a salt thereof, an amino group or a salt thereof, a hydroxyl group, an amido group. an ether group, or the like, or alternatively, a hydrophilic polymer composed of polyoxymethylene glycol or polyoxyethylene glycol in the same way as above.
The amount to be used of the three-dimensionally crosslinked polymer is preferably within a range of 0.1 to 90% by weight, more preferably within a range of 1 to 60% by weight, based on the weight of the total solids of the image recording layer.
If the amount to be used is outside the range, a high level of discrimination (i.e., a large difference of hydrophobic property between exposed area and unexposed area) may not be obtained.
Examples of suitable known crosslinked polymers usable as the crosslinked hydrophilic polymer (II-b) in the second aspect of the present invention include (1) a polymer which forms a hydrophilic layer and is composed of a crosslinked polymer containing metal colloids as described in WO 98/40212, (2) a polymer which forms a hydrophilic layer and is composed of a condensation product made from an organic hydrophilic polymer and a silane coupling agent as described in Registered U.S. Pat. No. 2,592,225, and (3) a polymer which forms a hydrophilic layer and is composed of a crosslinked organic polymer as described in JP-A Nos. 10-6,468 and 10-58,636. In particular, a hydrophilic polymer illustrated in (3) a hydrophilic layer composed of a crosslinked organic polymer is preferable for use in the present invention.
less than (c) A Substance Capable of Converting Light to Heat greater than
In the first aspect and the second aspect of the present invention, the incorporation of a substance (c) capable of converting light to heat, in addition to the aforementioned two components, into the recording layer of the planographic printing plate precursor makes the recording layer writable with active light such as an infrared laser in addition to writability by heating by a thermal head or the like. Therefore, the incorporation of the substance (c) capable of converting light to heat is preferable. When making the planographic printing plate precursor of the present invention a laser-responsive type of planographic printing plate precursor capable of image formation by irradiation with laser light, it is necessary to use a substance which absorbs the irradiated laser light in a highly efficient manner and converts the laser energy to heat.
Any substance, which can absorb light such as ultraviolet light, visible light, infrared light, white light, and the like and can convert the light to heat, can be used as the substance capable of converting light to heat. Examples of the substance include carbon black, carbon graphite, a pigment, a phthalocyanine-based pigment, iron powder, graphite powder, iron oxide powder, lead oxide, silver oxide, chromium oxide, iron sulfide, chromium sulfide, and so on.
Among these substances, a dye, a pigment, or a metal, which effectively absorbs infrared rays in a wavelength region of 760 to 1200 nm, is preferable.
The dyes can be commercially available dyes and known dyes described in, for example, xe2x80x9cHandbook of Dyesxe2x80x9d, edited by Association of organic Synthesis (Yuki Gosei Kagaku Kyokai) (1970). Specific examples of the dyes include azo dyes, azo dyes in the form of a metal complex salt, pyrazolone azo dyes, anthraquinone dyes, phthalocyanine dyes, carbonium dyes, quinoneimine dyes, methine dyes, cyanine dyes, and dyes in the form of a metal thiolate complex.
Among these dyes, preferred examples of the dyes include cyanine dyes described in, e.g., JP-A Nos. 58-125,246; 59-84,356; 59-202,829; and 60-78,787, methine dyes described in, e.g., JP-A Nos. 58-173,696; 58-181,690; and 58-194,595, naphthoquinone dyes described in, e.g., JP-A Nos. 58-112,793; 58-224,793; 59-48,187; 59-73,996; 60-52,940; and 60-63,744, squarylium dyes described in JP-A No. 58-112,792, and cyanine dyes described in U. K. Patent No. 434,875.
Other suitable compounds are a near-infrared absorbing sensitizer described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,938, a substituted arylbenzo(thio)pyrylium salt described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,924, a trimethinethiapyrylium salt described in JP-A No. 57-142,645 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,327,169), pyrylium compounds described in JP-A Nos. 58-,181,051; 58-220,143; 59-41,363; 59-84,248; 59-84,249; 59-146,063; and 59-146,061, a cyanine dye described in JP-A No. 59-216,146, a pentamethinethiopyrylium salt described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,475, and pyrylium compounds described in Japanese Patent Application Publication (JP-B) Nos. 5-13,514 and 5-19, 702.
Further examples of preferred dyes are near-infrared absorbing dyes represented by the formula (I) or (II) in U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,993.
Among these dyes, cyanine dyes, squarylium dyes, pyrylium dyes, and nickel thiolate complexes are more preferable.
The pigments suitable for use in the present invention are commercially available pigments and those described in xe2x80x9cColor Index (C.I.) Handbookxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cLatest Pigment Handbookxe2x80x9d (Saishin Ganryo Binran) editied by Japan Association of Pigment Technologies (Nihon Ganryo Gijutsu Kyokai) (1977), xe2x80x9cLatest Pigment Application Technologiesxe2x80x9d (Saishin Ganryo Oyo Gijutsu), CMC, 1986, and xe2x80x9cPrinting Ink Technologiesxe2x80x9d (Insatsu Inki Gijutsu), CMC, 1984. Examples of the pigments include black pigments, yellow pigments, orange pigments, brown pigments, red pigments, purple pigments, blue pigments, green pigments, fluorescent pigments, metal powder pigments, and polymers containing chemically combined dyes.
Specific examples of the pigments are insoluble azo pigments, azo lake pigments, condensed azo pigments, chelated azo pigments, phthalocyanine based pigments, anthraquinone based pigments, perylene and perinone based pigments, thioindigo based pigments, quinacridone based pigments, dioxazine based pigments, isoindolinone based pigments, quinophthalone based pigments, dyed lake pigments, azine pigments, nitroso pigments, nitro pigments, natural pigments, fluorescent pigments, inorganic pigments, carbon black, and the like. Among these pigments, carbon black is preferable.
These pigments may be used without being surface-treated or may be used after being surface-treated. Possible surface treatments include a treatment wherein a resin or a wax is coated on the surface of the pigments, a treatment wherein a surfactant is adhered to the surface of the pigments, and a treatment wherein a reactive substance (e.g., a silane coupling agent, an epoxy compound, or a polyisocyanate) is bound to the surface of the pigments. These surface-treating methods are described in xe2x80x9cProperties and Applications of Metal Soapsxe2x80x9d (Sachi Shobo Co., Ltd.), xe2x80x9cPrinting Ink Technologiesxe2x80x9d (Insatsu Inki Gijutsu), CMC, 1984, and xe2x80x9cLatest Pigment Application Technologiesxe2x80x9d (Saishin Ganryo Oyo Gijutsu), CMC, 1986.
The diameter of the pigments is preferably 0.01 to 10 xcexcm, more preferably 0.05 to 1 xcexcm, and most preferably 0.1 to 1 xcexcm.
If the diameter is less than 0.1 xcexcm, the dispersion stability of the dispersion in a coating liquid for the image recording layer may be insufficient, whereas, if the diameter is greater than 10 xcexcm, the uniformity of the image recording layer may be impaired.
A known dispersing technology employed in the preparation of ink, toners, and the like can also be used for the purpose of dispersing the pigments. Examples of the dispersing machine include an ultrasonic wave dispersing machine, a sand mill, an attritor, a pearl mill, a super mill, a ball mill, an impeller, a disperser, a KD mill, a colloid mill, a dynatron, a three-roller mill, a pressurized kneader, and the like. Details of these dispersing technologies are described in xe2x80x9cLatest Pigment Application Technologiesxe2x80x9d (Saishin Ganryo Oyo Gijutsu), CMC, 1986.
In the first aspect of the present invention, the amount added of the dye or the pigment is preferably 0.01 to 50% by weight, more preferably 0.1 to 10% by weight, most preferably 0.5 to 10% by weight in the case of the dye, and most preferably 3.1 to 10% by weight in the case of the pigment, based on the weight of the total solids of the image recording layer.
If the amount added of the dye or the pigment is less than 0.01% by weight, the sensitivity may decrease, whereas, if the amount is more than 50% by weight, non-image areas may become smudgy at the time of printing.
In the second aspect of the present invention, the amount added of the dye or the pigment is preferably 0.1 to 30% by weight based on the weight of the total solids of the image recording layer. If the amount added of the dye or the pigment is less than 0.1% by weight, the sensitivity decreases, whereas, if the amount is more than 30% by weight, non-image areas become smudgy at the time of printing.
less than (d) A Thermoplastic Polymer greater than
It is preferable that the image recording layers of the planographic printing plate precursors of the first aspect and the second aspect of the present invention further contain a thermoplastic polymer. The addition of the thermoplastic polymer causes thermal fusion and adhesion of the polymer inside the layer so that the hydrophobizing effect is enhanced. The metal compound and metal complex compound in the first aspect and the second aspect is preferably contained in the thermoplastic polymer(d), particularly in a thermally fusible hydrophobic polymer particles.
The use of the thermoplastic polymer is effective particularly in manufacture of the planographic printing plate precursor of the second aspect requiring no development processing. The use of the thermoplastic polymer is effective also in manufacture of other planographic printing plate precursors requiring development processing because the thermoplastic polymer is useful in enhancing the affinity for ink in the image area.
Therefore, the thermoplastic polymer needs to be present uniformly in the layer, and, in this regard, it is preferable to use a thermoplastic polymer in the form of particles (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cthermoplastic polymer particlesxe2x80x9d upon occasion). In addition, in order to upgrade the effect, the glass transition point of the thermoplastic polymer is preferably 10 to 150xc2x0 C. and more preferably 10 to 120xc2x0 C.
If the glass transition point of the thermoplastic polymer is below 10xc2x0 C., the particles may adhere to each other by fusion and a recording layer having well dispersed particles can not be formed in the process wherein the recording layer is formed by coating a coating liquid containing the polymer particles on a substrate and drying the coating layer, in the case where each particle is not perfectly isolated by a binder resin.
On the other hand, if the glass transition point of the thermoplastic polymer is above 150xc2x0 C., the thermal fusion of the thermoplastic particles is so difficult to occur that the formation of tough images is difficult by a laser having a relatively small output power.
Examples of the thermoplastic polymer include hydrophobic polymers such as polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polymethyl (meth)acrylate, polyethyl (meth)acrylate, polyvinylidene chloride, polyacrylonitrile, polyvinylcarbazole, and copolymers thereof. Among these polymers, polyethylene is preferable.
The molecular weight of the thermoplastic polymer is preferably 5,000 to 1,000,000.
The diameter of the particles of the thermoplastic polymer is preferably 0.01 to 50 xcexcm, more preferably 0.05 to 10 xcexcm, and most preferably 0.05 to 2 xcexcm.
It is believed that the larger the particle diameter, the smaller the resolution of the produced planographic printing plate will be. On the contrary, if the particle diameter is too small, the image formability tends to become poor because the discrimination between hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity is lessened.
From the standpoint of stability, it is preferable to use the fine particles of the thermoplastic polymer in a state of an aqueous dispersion comprising the particles dispersed uniformly in an aqueous coating liquid. Such an aqueous dispersion of polymer particles can be prepared by a method described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,476,937.
An example of other methods for preparing the aqueous dispersion comprises the steps of dissolving a hydrophobic thermoplastic polymer in an organic solvent not miscible with water, dispersing the resulting solution in water or an aqueous medium, and removing the organic solvent by evaporation.
In the first aspect, the amount added of the thermoplastic polymer is preferably 20 to 65% by weight, more preferably 25 to 55% by weight, and most preferably 30 to 45% by weight based on the weight of the total solids of the image recording layer.
In the second aspect, the amount added of the thermoplastic polymer is preferably 1 to 80% by weight, more preferably 5 to 55% by weight, and most preferably 10 to 40% by weight based on the weight of the total solids of the image recording layer. In the first aspect and the second aspect, if the amount added of the thermoplastic polymer particles is too small, the expected effect of adding the polymer is insufficient with respect to the enhancement of hydrophobicity of exposed areas. On the other hand, if the amount added of the thermoplastic polymer particles is too large, the hydrophilic layer of unexposed areas is adversely affected to an extent that ink receptivity is created in non-image regions and the non-image areas may become smudgy.
According to the image recording layer incorporating particles of the thermoplastic polymer(d), a pattern region which forms an image of the layer is directly heated or the layer is exposed or the layer is exposed while being held in contact with an original containing a pattern region capable of converting light to heat. As a result, in the image recording layer, the thermoplastic polymer particles in the region, which has been heated or exposed image-wise, are softened or melted so that this region alone is solidified after the completion of the heating. In this way, the hydrophobicity of the region is enhanced.
less than Other Components greater than
In the present invention, besides the above-described essential components and preferred components, a variety of known additives can be used if necessary in so far the effect of the present invention is not impaired.
For example, a dye, which has a large percentage of absorption in a visible light region, can be used as an image coloring agent Specific examples include Oil Yellow No. 101, Oil Yellow No. 103, Oil Pink No. 312, Oil Green BG, Oil Blue BOS, Oil Blue No. 603, Oil Black BY, Oil Black BS, and Oil Black T-505 (all manufactured by Orient Chemical Industries, Co., Ltd.), Victoria Pure Blue, Crystal Violet(C. I. 42555), Methyl Violet(C. I.42535), Ethyl Violet(C. I.42600), Rhodamine B(C.
I. 145170B), Malachite Green(C. I. 42000), Methylene Blue(C. I. 52015), and the like along with dyes described in JP-A No. 62-293,247.
It is preferable to add the dyes because these dyes fade after laser exposure and allows easy discernment between image and non-image areas.
The amount added of the dye is preferably 0.01 to 10% by weight based on the weight of the total solids of the image recording layer.
In addition, in order to increase mechanical strength and porosity of the recording layer, colloidal silica can be incorporated into the recording layer. The colloidal silica to be used has an average particle diameter of, for example, 40 nm or less. More specifically, commercially available colloidal silica having an average diameter of, for example, 20 nm and in the form of an aqueous dispersion can be incorporated directly into the coating liquid for the recording layer. Further, inert particles which have particle diameters larger than those of colloidal silica and are exemplified by, silica produced according to Stoeber, J. Colloid and Interface Sci., vol. 26 (1968), 62-69 and alumina particles, titanium dioxide particles, or particles of other heavy metal oxides , having an average particle diameter of at least 100 nm, can also be used in the same way. The incorporation of these fine particles into the recording layer creates uniform and uneven concavities and convexities of microscopic dimensions on the layer surface. These concavities and convexities function as storing sites of dampening water in the background area (non-image region, i.e., hydrophilic region).
Further, in order to broaden the latitude of stable printing conditions, the image recording layer may contain a nonionic surfactant as described in JP-A Nos. 62-251,740 and 3-208,514, and an amphoteric surfactant as described in JP-A Nos. 59-121,044 and 4-13,149.
Specific examples of the nonionic surfactant include sorbitan tristearate, sorbitan monopalmitate, sorbitan trioleate, monoglyceride stearate, and polyoxyethylene nonylphenyl ether.
Specific examples of the amphoteric surfactant include alkyldi(aminoethyl)glycine, hydrochloric acid salt of alkylpolyaminoethylglycine, 2-alkyl-N-carboxyethyl-N-hydroxyethylimidazolinium betaine, and N-tetradecyl-N, N-betaine (e.g., Amogen K (trade name) manufactured by Daiichi Kogyo Seiyaku Co., Ltd.).
The preferred amount added of the nonionic surfactant and the amphoteric surfactant are each 0.05 to 15% by weight, more preferably from 0.1 to 5% by weight, based on the weight of the total solids of the image recording layer.
If necessary, in order to impart flexibility to the image recording layer after drying, a plasticizer may be incorporated into the layer.
Examples of the plasticizer include polyethylene glycol, tributyl citrate, diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, dihexyl phthalate, dioctyl phthalate, tricresyl phosphate, tributyl phosphate, trioctyl phosphate, tetrahydrofurfuryl oleate, and an oligomer or a polymer of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid.
In addition to the above-described substances, other substances, such as an epoxy compound, vinyl ethers, and a phenolic compound having a hydroxymethyl group and a phenolic compound having an alkoxymethyl group as described in Japanese Patent Application No. 7-18,120, may also be added.
Further, in order to increase the strength of the image recording layer, other polymeric compound may also be added.
Normally, the planographic printing plate precursor of the present invention can be manufactured by coating a coating liquid for the image recording layer, which coating liquid is prepared by dissolving or dispersing the above-mentioned components in a solver, on a suitable substrate.
Examples of the solvent include ethylene dichloride, cyclohexanone, methyl ethyl ketone, methanol, ethanol, propanol, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, 1-methoxy-2-propanol, 2-methoxyethyl acetate, 1-methoxy-2-propyl acetate, dimethoxyethane, methyl lactate, ethyl lactate, N,N-dimethylacetamide, N,N-dimethylformamide, tetramethylurea, N-methylpyrrolidone, dimethyl sulfoxide, sulfolane, xcex3-butyrolactone, toluene, and water. It should be noted, however, that the present invention is not limited to these solvents.
These solvents may be used singly or in a combination of two or more.
The concentration of the total solid components (constituent components and other components) in the solvent is preferably 1 to 50% by weight.
The coated amount (solids) after coating and drying on the substrate is preferably 0.5 g to 5.0 g/m2.
The coating liquid for image recording layer can be applied by various methods. Examples of the methods include bar coating, rotational coating, spraying, curtain coating, dipping, air-knife coating, blade coating, and roll coating.
In order to improve the coatability, the coating liquid for image recording layer of the planographic printing plate precursor of the present invention may contain a surfactant such as a fluorine-based surfactant described in JP-A No. 62-170,950.
The preferred amount added of the surfactant is 0.01 to 1% by weight, more preferably 0.05 to 0.5% by weight, based on the weight of the total solids of the image recording layer.
less than Substrate greater than
A substrate which can be used in the present invention is preferably a dimensionally stable plate. Specific examples of the substrate include paper, paper laminated with a plastic (e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene), plates of metals such as aluminum, zinc, and copper, films of plastics such as diacetylcellulose, triacetylcellulose, cellulose propionate, cellulose butyrate, cellulose butyrate acetate, cellulose nitrate, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene, polycarbonate, and polyvinyl acetal, and paper or plastic films laminated or vapor-deposited with the aforementioned metals. Preferred examples include polyethylene terephthalate films, cellulose acetate films, and paper coated with a polyolefin (e.g., polyethylene). Besides, the substrate can be coated with a first undercoat layer containing, for example, a latex of copoly (vinylidene chloride/methyl methacrylate/itaconic acid) and silica so that the adhesion between a hydrophilic layer contiguous to the undercoat layer and the substrate is improved.
The thickness of the substrate is preferably 0.1 to 0.6 mm, more preferably 0.15 to 0.4 mm, and most preferably 0.2 to 0.3 mm.
When manufacturing a planographic printing plate which is not of an on-machine development type and does not require development processing, using a crosslinked hydrophilic polymer as in the second aspect, the substrate surface does not need to be hydrophilic.
On the other hand, when manufacturing an on-machine developing type planographic printing plate requiring development processing in the first aspect using a non-crosslinked hydrophilic polymer, the substrate surface needs to be hydrophilic. In this regard, it is preferable to use a hydrophilic substrate which has undergone the following hydrophilization treatment.
As necessary, the substrate undergoes a surface treatment such as a hydrophilization treatment.
In the case of substrate whose surface is aluminum in particular, it is preferable that the surface undergoes a surface treatment such as graining, immersion in an aqueous solution of, for example, sodium silicate, potassium fluorozirconate, or a phosphate, or anodizing.
Preferred examples include an aluminum plate treated by a method wherein the aluminum plate after graining is immersed in an aqueous solution of sodium silicate as described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,714,066, and an aluminum plate treated by a method wherein the aluminum plate after anodizing is immersed in an aqueous solution of an alkali metal silicate as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,181,461.
The anodizing is performed, for example, by applying an electric current, using the aluminum plate as an anode, in an electrolyte solution comprising a single, or two or more aqueous or nonaqueous solutions of an inorganic acid such as phosphoric acid, chromic acid, sulfuric acid, and boric acid, an organic acid such oxalic acid and sulfamic acid, or a salt thereof.
Also, electrodeposition of a silicate as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,658,662 is effective.
The purposes of these hydrophilization treatments are to prevent an undesirable reaction between the substrate surface and the image recording layer formed thereon and to increase the adhesion between the image recording layer and the substrate surface, in addition to the hydrophilization of the substrate surface.
Prior to the graining of the aluminum plate, it is also possible to carry out a pretreatment to remove any rolling oil from the surface of the aluminum plate or to clean the surface of the aluminum.
For the purpose of removing the rolling oil, a method using a solvent such as trichloroethylene, a surfactant, or the like is widely employed. For the purpose of cleaning the surface, a method using an alkaline etching agent such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, or the like is widely employed.
The graining (surface-roughening) of the aluminum plate may be performed by a method appropriately selected from a variety of methods. Examples of these methods include a method wherein the surface is mechanically roughened, a method wherein the surface is roughened by being electrochemically dissolved, and a method wherein the surface is selectively dissolved in a chemical way.
Examples of the mechanical methods include ball abrasion, blasting abrasion, and brush abrasion wherein the surface is abraded with a nylon brush using a water-dispersed slurry of an abrasive such as pumice. A preferred example of the chemical method is immersion in a saturated aqueous solution of an aluminum salt of a mineral acid as described in JP-A No. 54-31,187.
A preferred electrochemical method is electrolysis by an a. c. current in an acidic electrolyte solution of hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, or a combination thereof.
Among these methods for roughening the surface of aluminum, a method comprising a combination of mechanical roughening and electrochemical roughening as described in JP-A No. 55-137,993 is preferable because this method increases the bonding strength of an image recording layer to the substrate.
Desirably, the graining is performed in such a way that the average roughness (Ra) along the center line on the aluminum plate is 0.3 to 1.0 xcexcm.
After the graining, the aluminum plate is subjected to water-rinsing or chemical etching, if necessary.
When a chemical etching treatment is employed, the treating solution for etching is usually selected from an aqueous solution of a base or and acid capable of dissolving aluminum. After the treatment, the etched surface must not have a coating film formed thereon which derives from the components of the etching solution and is different from aluminum.
Examples of the etching agents as basic aqueous solutions include aqueous solutions of sodium hydroxide, potassiumhydroxide, trisodiumphosphate, disodiumphosphate, tripotassium phosphate, and dipotassium phosphate. Examples of the etching agents as acidic aqueous solutions include aqueous solutions of sulfuric acid, persulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid, and salts thereof. However, salts of metals, such as zinc, chromium, cobalt, nickel, and copper, having an ionizing tendency lower than that of aluminum, are not desirable because these salts produce an unnecessary film on the etched surface.
Desirably, the concentration and temperature of the etching solution employed in the treatment are set such that the dissolution rate of aluminum or an aluminum alloy is 0.3 to 40 g/m2 for each minute of immersion. However, a higher or lower dissolution rate may be adopted.
The etching can be performed either by immersing an aluminum plate in the etching solution or by coating the etching solution on the aluminum plate.
The desirable etched amount by the etching treatment is 0.5 to 10 g/m2.
Because of its higher etching speed, the use of an aqueous solution of a base as a etching solution is preferable. In this case, since smut is formed, a desmutting treatment is usually employed.
Examples of the acid to be used for the desmutting treatment include nitric acid, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, chromic acid, hydrofluoric acid, and fluoroboric acid.
After the etching, the aluminum plate is subjected to water-rinsing and anodizing, if necessary.
The anodizing may be performed according to a method conventionally employed in this field. More specifically, the anodizing is performed by applying a d. c. or a. c. current to aluminum in an aqueous or nonaqueous solution of, for example, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, chromic acid, oxalic acid, sulfamic acid, benzenesulfonic acid, or a mixture of two or more of these acids so that an anodized film is formed on the surface of the aluminum plate.
Conditions for the anodizing vary depending on the type of electrolyte solution employed and cannot be stipulated unqualifiedly. However, usually employed conditions are as follows: concentration of the electrolyte solution is 1 to 80% by weight; temperature of the solution is 5 to 70xc2x0 C.; current density is 0.5 to 60 A/dm2; voltage is 1 to 100V; and duration of the electrolysis is 30 seconds to 50 minutes.
The amount of the anodized layer is preferably 1.0 g/m2 or more.
If the amount of the anodized layer is less than 1.0 g/m2, sufficient hardness cannot be obtained, or the non-image areas become scratched easily. In particular, in the case of a planographic printing plate precursor, so-called xe2x80x9cscratch toningxe2x80x9d, which is caused by the adhesion of printing ink to scratch marks in printing operation, may easily occur.
Among these anodizing processes, a process, wherein an aluminum plate is anodized in sulfuric acid by a high current density as described in U. K. Patent No. 1,412,768, and a process, wherein an aluminum plate is anodized by using phosphoric acid as an electrolysis bath as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,511,661, are preferable.
If necessary, the substrate whose surface is already anodized may be subjected to a hydrophilization treatment.
Preferred examples of the hydrophilization treatment include treating the surface with an aqueous solution of an alkali metal silicate (e.g., an aqueous solution of sodium silicate) as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,714,066 and 3,181,461. According to this method, the aluminum plate is immersed or electrolytically treated in an aqueous solution of sodium silicate.
Further examples are a treatment of the surface with an aqueous solution of potassium fluorozirconate as described in JP-B No. 36-22,063 and a treatment of the surface with an aqueous solution of polyvinylphosphonic acid as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,153,461.
less than Others greater than
The planographic printing plate precursor according to the first aspect and the second aspect of the present invention can be prepared by forming an image recording layer on a desired substrate. If necessary, an undercoat layer may be formed on the substrate before the formation of the image recording layer.
Various organic compounds may be used as components of the undercoat layer. Examples of the organic compounds include carboxymethyl cellulose; dextrin; gum arabic; phosphonic acids having an amino group such as 2-aminoethylphosphonic acid; organic phosphonic acids which may have a substituent such as phenylphosphonic acid, naphthylphosphonic acid, alkylphosphonic acid, glycerophosphonic acid, methylenediphosphonic acid, and ethylenediphosphonic acid; organic phosphoric acids which may have a substituent such as phenylphosphoric acid, naphthylphosphoric acid, alkylphosphoric acid, glycerophosphoric acid, metylenediphosphoric acid and ethylenediphosphoric acid; organic phosphinic acids which may have a substituent such as phenylphosphinic acid, naphthylphosphinic acid, alkylphosphinic acid, and glycerophosphinic acid; amino acids such as glycine and xcex2-alanine; and hydrochloric acid salts of amines having a hydroxyl group such as hydrochloric acid salt of triethanolamine.
These compounds may be used singly or may be used in a combination of two or more. In addition, the use of diazonium salts as undercoat layers is also preferable.
A suitable coating amount of the undercoat layer after drying is preferably 2 to 200 g/m2 and more preferably 5 to 100 g/m2.
If the coating amount is less than 2 g/m2, satisfactory film properties may not be obtained, whereas, even if the coating amount exceeds 200 g/m2, any better effect cannot be obtained.
The undercoat layer may be formed by any method described below.
For example, the above-mentioned organic compound is dissolved in water, an organic solvent such as methanol, ethanol, or methyl ethyl ketone, or a mixture thereof to prepare a coating solution, and thereafter the coating solution for the undercoat is coated on a substrate such as an aluminum plate to provide a layer which is then dried. Alternatively, the above-mentioned organic compound is dissolved in water, an organic solvent such as methanol, ethanol, or methyl ethyl ketone, or a mixture thereof to prepare a coating solution for the undercoat, and thereafter a substrate such as an aluminum plate is immersed in the coating solution so that the organic compound is adsorbed on the surface of the substrate to form a layer which is then rinsed with water or the like and dried.
When the former method is employed, a solution containing 0.005 to 10% by weight of the organic compound is preferably used as a solution for forming the undercoat layer.
When the latter method is employed, the parameters of the conditions are as follows: concentration of the solution for the undercoat layer is 0.01 to 20% by weight and preferably 0.05 to 5% by weight; immersion temperature is 20 to 90xc2x0 C. and preferably 25 to 50xc2x0 C.; and immersion time is 0.1 second to 20 minutes and preferably 2 seconds to 1 minute.
The pH of the coating solution for the undercoat may be adjusted to a value within a range of 1 to 12 by use of a base such as ammonia, triethylamine or potassium hydroxide, or an acid such as hydrochloric acid or phosphoric acid.
Further, when a planographic printing plate precursor is manufactured using the image forming materials of the present invention, a yellow dye may be incorporated into the coating solution so as to improve the tone reproducibility of the planographic printing plate precursor.
The planographic printing plate precursor of the present invention can be prepared by coating a coating solution for image recording layer by a desired coating method on a desired substrate or an undercoat layer provided on the substrate as described above.
less than Method for Manufacturing a Planographic Printing Plate greater than
On the planographic printing plate precursor of the first aspect and/or the second aspect of the present invention, images can be recorded directly by a heating device such as a thermal head according to digital signals of a computer or the like. Further, if the image recording layer contains a substance capable of converting light to heat, images can be recorded directly by scanning with a laser such as a infrared laser according to digital signals. Furthermore, recording by an ultraviolet light lamp is also possible.
Among these methods, image recording by use of an infrared laser is more preferable.
The laser light source is preferably a laser emitting infrared rays in a wavelength range of 760 to 1200 nm. A solid-state laser or a semiconductor laser emitting infrared rays in the wavelength range is more preferable.
When images are recorded by direct heating according to digital signals of a computer or the like, the heating device is, for example, a thermal head. (Process for manufacturing a planographic printing plate from planographic printing plate precursor of the first aspect).
A specific example of the process for manufacturing a planographic printing plate from a planographic printing plate precursor of the first aspect is as follows. A first process comprises irradiating a planographic printing plate precursor, comprised of a substrate having thereon an image recording layer containing a metal compound (I-a) which causes a decarboxylation reaction by heat and releases a polyvalent cation, a hydrophilic polymer (I-b) which has two or more hydrophilic groups within the same molecule and can coordinate with the polyvalent metal cation, and a substance (c) capable of converting light to heat, with an infrared laser image-wise and thereafter carrying out a developing treatment to remove the unirradiated regions by dissolution. Also preferable is a second process comprising irradiating a planographic printing plate precursor, comprised of a substrate having thereon an image recording layer containing a metal compound (I-a) which causes a decarboxylation reaction by heat and releases a polyvalent cation, a hydrophilic polymer (I-b) which has two or more hydrophilic groups within the same molecule and can coordinate with the polyvalent metal cation and whose main chains are crosslinked, and a substance (c) capable of converting light to heat, with infrared rays image-wise so that hydrophobic regions are formed on the image recording layer.
When a developing treatment is carried out as in the first process, non-image regions are removed using a developing solution that is water or an alkaline aqueous solution by dissolution so that only image areas having affinity for ink remain. In this way, a desired planographic printing plate can be prepared.
In the case where a crosslinked hydrophilic polymer is used as a binder, development processing is not necessary. The process for manufacturing a planographic printing plate in this way is described later.
The alkaline aqueous solution and a replenisher solution thereto for use in the developing treatment can be selected from aqueous solutions of conventionally known alkali substances.
Examples of the alkali substances include inorganic alkali salts such as sodium silicate, potassium silicate, sodium tertiary phosphate, potassium tertiary phosphate, ammonium tertiary phosphate, sodium secondary phosphate, potassium secondary phosphate, ammonium secondary phosphate, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, ammonium carbonate, sodium hydrogencarbonate, potassium hydrogencarbonate, ammonium hydrogencarbonate, sodium borate, potassium borate, ammonium borate, sodium hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, and lithium hydroxide; and organic alkali agents such as monomethylamine, dimethylamine, trimethylamine, monoethylamine, diethylamine, triethylamine, monoisopropylamine, diisopropylamine, triisopropylamine, n-butylamine, monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, monoisopropanolamine, diisopropanolamine, ethyleneimine, ethylenediamine, and pyridine.
These inorganic alkali salts and organic alkali agents may be used singly or in a combination of two or more.
Among the developing solutions using the above-listed inorganic alkali salts and organic alkali agents, particularly preferred are aqueous solutions of alkali metal silicates such as sodium silicate and potassium silicate described in, for example, JP-A No. 54-62,004 and JP-B No. 57-7,427. This is because the developability can be easily adjusted by changing the ratio of silicon oxide SiO2 to an alkali metal oxide M2O (where M stands for an alkali metal), which are components of a silicate, and the concentrations of these components.
In recent years, particularly in the plate manufacturing and printing industries, automatic developing machines for printing plates are widely used for the efficiency and standardization of plate-manufacturing works.
The automatic developing machine, which generally comprises a developing section and a post-treating section, includes a device for conveying a plate material, tanks for various treating solutions, and spraying devices. In use of the apparatus, various treating solutions that are pumped up are sprayed from nozzles for development onto a plate that has been exposed to light while the plate is fed horizontally. Recently, there has also been known a method in which a plate material is treated by being immersed and conveyed in tanks filled with treating solutions by means of guide rolls or the like disposed in the solutions. Such automatic treatments may be carried out while replenisher solutions are replenished in amounts in accordance with the amount of treatment or operational time.
In this case, an aqueous solution having an alkali strength higher than that of the developing solution is added as a replenisher solution to the developing solution so that a large amount of image forming materials can be processed without having to replace the developing solution in the developing tank for a long time. In the present invention, such a replenishing manner is preferably employed.
Various surfactants and/or organic solvents may be optionally added to the developing solution and the replenisher solution to accelerate or control developability, to improve the dispersibility of development-scum, and to improve the affinity of image areas on the plate for ink.
The surfactant is preferably is an anionic, cationic, nonionic, or amphoteric surfactant. The organic solvent is preferably benzyl alcohol or the like. The addition of polyethylene glycol or a derivative thereof, polypropylene glycol or a derivative thereof, or the like is also preferable.
Hydroquinone, resorcinol, a reducing agent based on a salt of inorganic acid, such as sodium or potassium sulfite and sodium or potassium hydrogensulfite, an organic carboxylic acid, a defoaming agent, and a softener of hard water may be added, as needed.
Preferred examples of the developing solution containing the surfactant, organic solvent, reducing agent, and others include a developing solution composition composed of benzyl alcohol, an anionic surfactant, an alkali agent, and water as described in JP-A No. 51-77,401, a developing solution composition composed of an aqueous solution containing benzyl alcohol, an anionic surfactant, water, and a water-soluble sulfite as described in JP-A No. 53-44,202, and a developing solution composition composed of an organic solvent whose solubility to water is 10% by weight or less at room temperature, an alkali agent, and water as described in JP-A No. 55-155,355.
The planographic printing plate, after development using the developing solution and the replenisher solution, is post-treated with rinsing water, a rinsing solution containing, for example, a surfactant, or a desensitizing solution containing gum arabic or a starch derivative. The post-treatment can be carried out using a combination of these treating solutions.
In addition, a so-called single-use solution system, in which a plate material is processed with a substantially fresh processing solution, can also be employed.
If desired, the planographic printing plate obtained in the above-described way can be coated with a desensitizing gum and subsequently forwarded to a printing step. (Process for manufacturing a planographic printing plate from planographic printing plate precursor of the second aspect).
In the second aspect of the present invention, since the planographic printing plate precursor uses a crosslinked hydrophilic polymer as a binder, the employment of wet development processing such as the one in the above-described first process is not necessary. When the image recording layer is subjected to image recording by use of a heating device such as a thermal head or by use of laser light, a hydrophobic region having affinity for ink (image area) is formed in the image recording layer, while the region, which has not been subjected to image recording, remains as a hydrophilic region (non-image area) capable of retaining dampening water. Therefore, after laser irradiation, the manufactured planographic printing plate can be directly set to a printing machine so that printing can be carried out.
The incorporation of (c) a substance capable of converting light to heat into the image recording layer makes the recording layer writable with light. Although the recording with light may be carried out by exposure of the entire surface through a filter provided with a suitable pattern, particularly preferable is the image recording by use of an infrared laser, e.g., a solid-state laser or semiconductor laser emitting infrared rays having wavelengths of 760 to 1200 nm. The laser exposure makes it possible to carry out desired image-wise recording directly from the digital information of a computer.
As stated above, in the second aspect of the present invention, a hydrophobic region having affinity for ink (image area) and a hydrophilic region (non-image area) capable of retaining dampening water are formed in the image recording layer after recording. Therefore, after laser irradiation, the planographic printing plate can be immediately set at a printing machine so that printing is carried out without necessitating a treatment to dissolve and develop the recording layer.
A representative process for manufacturing a planographic printing plate by using the planographic printing plate precursor of the present invention is the third aspect, wherein a heat-sensitive type planographic printing plate precursor comprised of a substrate having thereon a recording layer, containing the metal complex compound(II-a) the hydrophilic polymer (II-b) which can coordinate with the metal generated from the metal complex compound by the action of heat and has two or more hydrophilic groups within the molecule and whose main chains are crosslinked, and the substance (c) capable of converting light to heat, is exposed to infrared laser light image-wise so as to form a hydrophobic region. The planographic printing plate obtained in the above-mentioned process is set to, for example, an offset printing machine so as to produce a large number of prints. In the case, it is also very desirable that the metal complex compound (II-a) is the metal compound(I-a). This is because a planographic printing plate precursor, which does not require development processing and has very good sensitivity, can be obtained. |
*u. Let k = p - -150. What is the tens digit of k?
9
Suppose 0*u - 3192 = -2*u - 2*m, -3*u + m = -4772. What is the hundreds digit of u?
5
Let p(u) = 107*u**3 - u + 2. Let x(a) = 108*a**3 - a + 3. Let y(i) = -3*p(i) + 2*x(i). What is the hundreds digit of y(-1)?
1
Suppose -t = 2*w - 479, t - 479 = 28*w - 25*w. What is the hundreds digit of t?
4
Let x(u) = 5*u**2 + u - 2. Let h be x(1). Suppose -h*c = 20, -2*b + 2*c = -200 - 130. What is the tens digit of b?
6
Let q be ((-2)/(-3))/(4/66). Suppose -41 = 2*h - q. What is the units digit of h*(-2 + 1 + -1)?
0
Let h(l) = -2*l**3 - l + 8 + 14*l**2 - 9*l + 16*l. What is the units digit of h(7)?
0
Suppose -4*w + 18 = -7*w. Let h = w + -3. What is the units digit of 2 + h/(-1)*6?
6
Let v(b) = 2*b**2 - 51*b + 7. What is the hundreds digit of v(29)?
2
Let v be -3 + 2 + 0 - -1. Suppose v*t = t. Suppose t = -2*i + 3*i - 1. What is the units digit of i?
1
Let c = 0 + -23. Let z = 77 - c. What is the hundreds digit of z?
1
Suppose -21*t + 600 = -13*t. What is the units digit of t?
5
Let h(s) = -2*s**2 + 21*s + 9. Let c be h(15). Let t = 191 + c. What is the units digit of t?
5
Suppose -i + 899 = 5*k - 0*i, -5*k + 907 = 3*i. What is the tens digit of k?
7
What is the tens digit of (4 - 26/(-3) - 2)*3?
3
Let x = 12 + -12. Let u be (x + 14)*(-5)/(-2). Suppose -2*w + 6*f = f - u, 3*f - 5 = -4*w. What is the units digit of w?
5
Let d(h) = -3*h - 3. Let x be (7/(-14))/((-2)/28). Let m be d(x). Let n = 7 - m. What is the tens digit of n?
3
What is the tens digit of 159*2 - (76 + -71)?
1
Suppose 0 = 3*c + 7*c - 7560. Suppose -5*g = g - c. What is the hundreds digit of g?
1
Suppose 7*s = 4*s + 2*h + 1001, 5*h = -20. What is the tens digit of (-2)/7 - s/(-7)?
4
Suppose -1548 - 100 = -4*l. What is the hundreds digit of l?
4
What is the thousands digit of 3183 + (-6)/6 + 12?
3
Let o(c) = -c**3 - 6*c**2 + 5*c - 10. Let d be o(-7). Suppose 8 = 2*r, -2*u = -3*u + d*r + 26. Suppose -16*z + 18*z = u. What is the tens digit of z?
2
Let i(p) = p**3 - 6*p**2 + 3*p + 3. Suppose -5*k + 54 - 14 = 0. What is the units digit of i(k)?
5
Suppose -7*t + 16 = -5*t. Suppose -4*c = -t, -2*c + 58 = 2*d + 3*c. Suppose -w + d = w. What is the units digit of w?
2
Let s(q) = -q**3 - 9*q**2 - 16*q + 5. Suppose 60 = -9*a - 3. What is the tens digit of s(a)?
1
Let r(g) = g**2 + 1. Let c(z) = 8*z**2 - z + 1. Let v(w) = c(w) + r(w). What is the tens digit of v(4)?
4
Let v(h) = 33*h**2 + 176*h + 8. What is the hundreds digit of v(-11)?
0
Let f(q) be the second derivative of q**5/60 + q**4/12 + 7*q**3/6 - 3*q**2/2 + 11*q. Let t(l) be the first derivative of f(l). What is the tens digit of t(4)?
3
Let g(p) = -12 - 16*p**2 + 22*p**2 + 5*p**2. What is the tens digit of g(-5)?
6
Let u = 24 + -14. Let p(f) = f**3 - 9*f**2 - 8*f - 12. What is the units digit of p(u)?
8
Suppose -10 = o - 3*o. Suppose 6 = o*q + 1. What is the units digit of q?
1
Let u(q) = q**3 - 6*q**2 + 7. Let l be u(6). Let i(r) = r - 3. Let a be i(l). Suppose 17 - 57 = -a*v. What is the tens digit of v?
1
Let q(a) = 11*a**2 + a - 2. Let x be q(2). What is the units digit of (x/6 - (-8)/(-24))*5?
5
What is the tens digit of 6*5 + (-9)/((-9)/(-4))?
2
What is the tens digit of ((-9 - -12) + 1)*1169*1?
7
Let b(s) = 7*s + 28. Let h = 44 - 38. What is the tens digit of b(h)?
7
Suppose 4*y + 15 = 5*x, 5*x - 3*x = 4*y + 6. Suppose 300 = 5*q - y*q. What is the tens digit of q?
6
Let x(k) = -85*k**2 - 3*k - 1. Let v(g) = 169*g**2 + 7*g + 3. Let f(w) = -2*v(w) - 5*x(w). What is the units digit of f(1)?
7
Suppose -4*n = 3*w - 222, -w - w - 3*n + 147 = 0. What is the units digit of w?
8
Let b(q) be the second derivative of -q**5/20 - q**4/6 - q**3 + q**2/2 - 2*q. What is the tens digit of b(-3)?
2
What is the units digit of (1 - -114)/(12/180)?
5
Suppose 0 = n + m - 7, 2*n + 5*m - 18 = -1. Let o = n + 28. What is the tens digit of o + -4 + (-3)/(-1)?
3
Let m be (0/(-5))/((-4)/2). Let p be -7 + 17 + m/1. Suppose -a = a - p. What is the units digit of a?
5
Suppose u + 12*u - 9412 = 0. What is the tens digit of u?
2
Suppose -2*u - 2*o - 26 = 0, -2*o = 2*o + 4. Let h be u/(-18)*9/6. What is the tens digit of (h - 20)*(-3 + 2)?
1
Let z be ((-3)/(-2))/((-2)/(-4)). Suppose -2*l - 219 = -5*u, 3*u = -z*l + 53 + 70. What is the units digit of u?
3
Suppose 0 = 67*d - 61*d - 27804. What is the hundreds digit of d?
6
Suppose 707 = -9*h + 7970. What is the tens digit of h?
0
Let o(v) = -v**2 + 18*v + 13. Suppose i = -2, 2*i = -2*x - i + 26. What is the tens digit of o(x)?
4
Let q(n) = 4*n - 12. Let x(s) = -1. Let a(l) = q(l) - x(l). Suppose j - 66 = -5*m - 24, -4*j - 12 = 0. What is the units digit of a(m)?
5
Let a = -58 - -29. Let d = 31 + a. What is the units digit of d?
2
Suppose 0*u + 16*u = 15344. What is the units digit of u?
9
Suppose 2*f + 2 = 0, -2*n + 2*f - 3 = -f. Let v be (-3 + n)/2 - -24. What is the tens digit of ((-78)/v)/(1/(-7))?
2
Let i be (-2)/5 + (-468)/(-20). Suppose 3*b + 4*t + 85 = -9, 0 = -2*t - 2. Let y = i - b. What is the tens digit of y?
5
Let t = 1254 + -748. What is the tens digit of t?
0
Let j(r) = -r + 6. Let s be j(4). Let f be 0/((-8)/s + 3). Suppose f = 4*o - 0 - 16, -124 = -5*w - o. What is the units digit of w?
4
Let a(b) = b**3 - 5*b**2 - 7*b + 10. Suppose -28 = -3*h - 3*r - 2*r, 22 = 4*h - r. What is the units digit of a(h)?
4
Suppose 5*x - 7034 = 2276. What is the tens digit of x?
6
Let r = -365 + 977. Suppose 6*s = 15*s - r. What is the units digit of s?
8
Let r(q) = 2*q**3 + 8*q**2 + q - 10. What is the units digit of r(3)?
9
Let s(z) = 2*z**3 - 4*z**2 + 4*z - 4. Suppose 13 = 2*o - 11. Let n = -9 + o. What is the units digit of s(n)?
6
Suppose -5*f = -4*b - 217, -2*b + 6*b + 172 = -4*f. Let j = b - -111. What is the units digit of j?
3
Let b = -24 - -29. Suppose -15 = 3*a, -2*i - b*a = -17 - 64. What is the tens digit of i?
5
Let u = -14 - -16. Suppose 0*m = u*m + 60. What is the tens digit of 2 - (-1 + 4) - m?
2
Let v be ((-76)/(-10))/((-2)/(-10)). Let c = v - 21. Let q = -9 + c. What is the units digit of q?
8
Suppose 62*p - 3507 = 59*p. What is the hundreds digit of p?
1
Suppose 0 = 5*v - 846 - 309. What is the units digit of v?
1
Let z(j) = -2*j**3 - 10*j**2 - 2*j - 18. What is the units digit of z(-7)?
2
Let h(y) = -y**3 - 3*y**2 - 6*y - 7. Let f be h(-5). Let z = 29 + -80. Let g = f + z. What is the tens digit of g?
2
Let y = 47 - 48. What is the tens digit of -27*((-12)/(-9) + -4) + y?
7
Let h(j) = j**2 - 2*j + 66. Suppose -2*l = -0*l. What is the tens digit of h(l)?
6
Suppose -9*z = -6*z + 5*g - 1003, 5*z = -4*g + 1676. What is the units digit of z?
6
Let j = -24 + 27. Suppose 17 - 5 = j*q. What is the tens digit of 62 - 1*(q - 6)?
6
Let z(l) = -6 + 2*l + 8*l**3 - 2*l**2 - 9*l**3 - 6*l. What is the units digit of z(-6)?
2
Let r = -351 - -246. Let a = r + 269. What is the hundreds digit of a?
1
Let r(a) = -5*a**3 + a**2 + 2*a + 1. Let q be r(-1). Suppose 4*f + q = 9. Suppose 3*h + f = 7. What is the units digit of h?
2
Suppose 10*g = 5*g + 680. Let o = 192 - g. What is the units digit of o?
6
Let n = -168 + 244. Let l(t) = -t**3 + 9*t**2 - 9*t - 8. Let g be l(7). Suppose -j = o - g, -5*o = -3*j - 19 + n. What is the units digit of j?
4
Let o be (66/2 - -2) + 2. Suppose 2*f - 7*f = l - 29, 5*f - o = -3*l. Suppose 4*i = l*a - 21 + 5, 3*a + i - 12 = 0. What is the units digit of a?
4
Suppose 70 = 11*s - 4*s. Suppose -s*x + 12 = -7*x. Suppose 0 = 4*z + y - 237, 3*y - 234 = -x*z + y. What is the units digit of z?
0
Suppose -10*r + 234 = -446. Let u = r - 60. What is the units digit of u?
8
Suppose -2*p + 23 = 3*j, 0*p - 5*p + 45 = 5*j. Suppose -344 = 2*i - 4*i. Suppose 0 = 8*x - p*x - i. What is the units digit of x?
3
Let t = 0 + 5. Suppose t*u - 16 = u. Suppose 36 = u*c - 6*v + 4*v, -12 = -3*v. What is the units digit of c?
1
What is the units digit of (-63)/13 - -5 - (-49875)/39?
9
Let t be 1135/25 + 4/(-10). Suppose -c - t = -6*c. Let y(u) = u**3 - 9*u**2 + 5*u - 4. What is the units digit of y(c)?
1
Let p = -731 + 1223. Let y = p + -344. What is the units digit of y?
8
Let b = -1089 - -1848. What is the tens digit of b?
5
Let k be (3 + -7 - -8) + 3. Suppose 0 = k*v + 71 + 132. Let c = v + 82. What is the units digit of c?
3
Suppose -6*d - 3*m = -d - 485, 3*d = |
This invention relates to fatigue resistant rivets and the method for securing relatively thin aircraft skins to stringers, for example, and the combination of the rivets in such skins in a fastening relationship.
Tapered fasteners have been widely used in aircraft construction, especially where fluid-sealing along the fastener and where improved fatigue life are desired in the shear joint. Numerous innovations have been provided in rivets to provide sealing and to improve the fatigue life. The prior art rivets have been improved to be satisfactory under certain conditions but in some of the rivets required close tolerances have increased their cost and in general there continues to be corrosion around the rivets because of leaks. |
Brewton (Ala.) W.S. Neal four-star defensive lineman Jamar Travis has been through the recruitment process. He's been to camps, picked up numerous scholarship offers, taken unofficial visits and met plenty of coaches.
Now, Travis is getting ready to end it.
Travis, 6-foot-1, 300 pounds, said he's within weeks of deciding on a college. Auburn, Florida State and Southern Miss appear to be the three most likely choices for him.
"I have an official visit set up to Southern Miss Jan. 16-18. So far, that's the only one, but I want to give Florida State a visit, too," he said. " I've talked to them recently and we're trying to set one up. I'm probably taking visits to those two schools, and maybe Auburn." |
Little Mary Sunshine (1916 film)
Little Mary Sunshine is a 1916 silent movie directed by Henry King.
Plot
Abandoned by her drunken father after he beats her mother to death, 5-year-old Mary finds refuge in a car where she falls asleep. The car belongs to Bob Daley, a young man who has made the mistake of celebrating his engagement by getting drunk with his friends and then lying about it to Sylvia, his fiancée. Sylvia does not approve of his conduct and throws him out of the house, breaking up with him. Despondent, Bob staggers to his car where he finds the sleeping child. The two become friends and Bob brings the little girl to his house. Moved by her tragic story, Bob decides to quit drinking and become a serious and responsible parent. Sylvia, affected by the change, is reconciled with her boyfriend, and the couple decide that once they are married, they will adopt little Mary.
Cast
Baby Marie Osborne : Mary
Henry King : Bob Daley
Marguerite Nichols : Sylvia Sanford
Andrew Arbuckle : Bob's father
Mollie McConnell : Sylvia's mother
Production
The film was produced by Balboa Amusement Producing Company. It was shot in Long Beach, California.
Distribution
Distributed by Pathé Exchange, the film was released in US cinemas on March 3, 1916. A copy of the film—35mm color-toned nitrate positive with French intertitles—is preserved in a French archive. The film has been remastered and was released on November 22, 2004 by Unknown Video in a Dolby Digital 2.0 mono which also included the 1917 film version of Tom Sawyer. The two silent movies, subtitled in English, feature music by electric organist Bob Vaughn.
References
Bibliography
The American Film Institute Catalog, Features Films 1911-1920, University of California Press, 1988.
Henry King Director - From Silent to 'Scope, Directors Guild of America Publication, 1995. pp. 21–24
External links
Little Mary Sunshine (1916) - Silent Era
Category:1916 films
Category:American silent feature films
Category:American black-and-white films
Category:American drama films
Category:American films
Category:1910s drama films
Category:Films directed by Henry King
Category:Pathé Exchange films |
Q:
How to initialize datetime 0000-00-00 00:00:00 in Python?
I've been trying to use the datetime library in python to create a datetime object with this value: '0000-00-00 00:00:00'. However, I keep getting an error that the year is out of range. How can I properly initialize this?
A:
There is no year 0, because people couldn't figure out how to count properly back then.
The closest you can get:
>>> from datetime import datetime
>>> datetime.min
datetime.datetime(1, 1, 1, 0, 0)
|
Ken Ackerman
Ken Ackerman is an American Broadcast Journalist, Television news/sports anchor/reporter and studio host in Portland, Oregon. Born in Dover, New Jersey, Ken attended High School in Olympia, WA and would eventually settle in the Pacific Northwest. Upon graduation in 1983 from the University of Southern California with a bachelor's degree in Sports Broadcast Journalism, Ken would begin his television career in California and then North Carolina where Ken was awarded several Associated Press awards with WITN-TV and WXII-TV in Winston-Salem. Ken made his way back to the Northwest in 1989 where he would spend the rest of his career as a fixture on Portland television beginning as a sports anchor/reporter on the NBC affiliate KGW. In 2003 he would journey across town to Fox affiliate KPTV, where Ken would go on to earn four NW emmy nominations and an RTNDA national news directors honor as a feature reporter. In 1996 Ken was chosen to become the first host of the FOX morning show Good Day Oregon. In 2003, ABC affiliate KATU hired Ken to host its morning show AM Northwest. Ackerman was also hired by Comcast as the studio host of Comcast Newsmakers interviewing state political and business leaders. In 2011, Ken became the lead anchor on KRCW's "Portland's Morning News", which aired as part of the nationally broadcast Eye Opener morning program. Ken retired from the media in 2015 and resides in Lake Oswego, OR.
References
Category:1960s births
Category:People from Dover, New Jersey
Category:Living people
Category:Television anchors from Portland, Oregon
Category:USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism alumni |
465 U.S. 752 (1984)
MONSANTO CO.
v.
SPRAY-RITE SERVICE CORP.
No. 82-914.
Supreme Court of United States.
Argued December 5, 1983
Decided March 20, 1984
CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SEVENTH CIRCUIT
*753 Fred H. Bartlit, Jr., argued the cause for petitioner. With him on the briefs were Jeffrey J. Kennedy, Marjorie Press Lindblom, Robert J. Kopecky, Michael T. Hannafan, and Richard W. Duesenberg.
Assistant Attorney General Baxter argued the cause for the United States as amicus curiae in support of petitioner. With him on the brief were Solicitor General Lee, Deputy Solicitor General Wallace, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Lipsky, Jerrold J. Ganzfried, Robert B. Nicholson, and Edward T. Hand.
*754 Edward L. Foote argued the cause for respondent. With him on the briefs were Earl A. Jinkinson, Robert G. Foster, and David B. Love.[*]
Briefs of amici curiae urging affirmance were filed for Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corp. by Herbert S. Kassner; for the National Mass Retailing Institute by Endicott Peabody, Timothy J. Waters, and William D. Coston; for the National Association of Catalog Showroom Merchandisers by Richard B. Kelly; for Service Merchandise Co., Inc., by William A. Carey, John F. Sherlock III, and Donald F. Mintmire; and for Forty-Six States by Ken Eikenberry, Attorney General of Washington, John R. Ellis, Deputy Attorney General, Jon P. Ferguson and James Kirkham Johns, Assistant Attorneys General, Charles A. Graddick, Attorney General of Alabama, Susan Beth Farmer, Assistant Attorney General, Norman C. Gorsuch, Attorney General of Alaska, Louise E. Ma, Assistant Attorney General, Robert K. Corbin, Attorney General of Arizona, Alison B. Swan, Assistant Attorney General, John Steven Clark, Attorney General of Arkansas, David L. Williams, Deputy Attorney General, Jeffrey A. Bell, Assistant Attorney General, John K. Van de Kamp, Attorney General of California, Andrea Sheridan Ordin, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Sanford N. Gruskin, Assistant Attorney General, Wayne M. Liao, Deputy Attorney General, Duane Woodard, Attorney General of Colorado, Thomas P. McMahon, Assistant Attorney General, Joseph I. Lieberman, Attorney General of Connecticut, Robert M. Langer, Assistant Attorney General, Charles M. Oberly, Attorney General of Delaware, Vincent M. Amberly, Deputy Attorney General, Jim Smith, Attorney General of Florida, Bill L. Bryant, Jr., Assistant Attorney General, Tany S. Hong, Attorney General of Hawaii, Sonia Faust, Deputy Attorney General, Neil F. Hartigan, Attorney General of Illinois, Thomas M. Genovese. Assistant Attorney General, Linley E. Pearson, Attorney General of Indiana, Frank A. Baldwin, Deputy Attorney General, Thomas J. Miller, Attorney General of Iowa, John R. Perkins, Assistant Attorney General, Robert T. Stephan, Attorney General of Kansas, Wayne E. Hundley, Deputy Attorney General, Steven L. Beshear, Attorney General of Kentucky, James M. Ringo, Assistant Attorney General, William J. Guste, Attorney General of Louisiana, John R. Flowers, Jr., Assistant Attorney General, James E. Tierney, Attorney General of Maine, Stephen L. Wessler, Assistant Attorney General, Stephen H. Sachs, Attorney General of Maryland, Charles O. Monk II, Assistant Attorney General, Francis X. Bellotti, Attorney General of Massachusetts, Alan L. Kovacs, Assistant Attorney General, Frank J. Kelley, Attorney General of Michigan, Edwin M. Bladen, Assistant Attorney General, Hubert H. Humphrey III, Attorney General of Minnesota, Stephen P. Kilgriff, Special Assistant Attorney General, Bill Allain, Attorney General of Mississippi, Robert E. Sanders, Special Assistant Attorney General, Mike Greely, Attorney General of Montana, Pat Driscoll, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Paul L. Douglas, Attorney General of Nebraska, Dale A. Comer, Assistant Attorney General, Brian McKay, Attorney General of Nevada, William E. Isaeff, Chief Deputy Attorney General, Gregory H. Smith, Attorney General of New Hampshire, Irwin I. Kimmelman, Attorney General of New Jersey, Laurel A. Price, Paul Bardacke, Attorney General of New Mexico, Robert Abrams, Attorney General of New York, Lloyd Constantine, Assistant Attorney General, Rufus L. Edmisten, Attorney General of North Carolina, H. A. Cole, Jr., Special Deputy Attorney General, John R. Corne, Associate Attorney General, Robert O. Wefald, Attorney General of North Dakota, Daniel Hobland, Assistant Attorney General, Michael C. Turpen, Attorney General of Oklahoma, James B. Franks, Assistant Attorney General, Dave Frohnmayer, Attorney General of Oregon, Richard L. Caswell, Assistant Attorney General, Leroy S. Zimmerman, Attorney General of Pennsylvania, Eugene F. Waye, Deputy Attorney General, Dennis J. Roberts, Attorney General of Rhode Island, Faith LaSalle, Special Assistant Attorney General, Mark V. Meierhenry, Attorney General of South Dakota, Dennis R. Holmes, Assistant Attorney General, William M. Leech, Jr., Attorney General of Tennessee, William J. Haynes, Jr., Deputy Attorney General, Jim Mattox, Attorney General of Texas, James V. Sylvester, Assistant Attorney General, David L. Wilkinson, Attorney General of Utah, Stephen G. Schwendiman, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Suzanne M. Dallimore, Assistant Attorney General, John J. Easton, Jr., Attorney General of Vermont, Glenn R. Jarrett, Assistant Attorney General, Gerald L. Baliles, Attorney General of Virginia, Elizabeth B. Lacy, Deputy Attorney General, Craig T. Merritt, Assistant Attorney General, Chauncey H. Browning, Attorney General of West Virginia, Bronson C. La Follette, Attorney General of Wisconsin, Michael L. Zaleski, Assistant Attorney General, A. G. McClintock, Attorney General of Wyoming, Gay Vanderpoel, Senior Assistant Attorney General, and Judith W. Rogers, Corporation Counsel for the District of Columbia.
Briefs of amici curiae were filed for the Association of General Merchandise Chains, Inc., by James F. Rill, James M. Nicholson, and Edward T. Borda; for the Beverly Hills Bar Association by Eliot G. Disner; for Dayton-Hudson Corp. by John D. French and James T. Hale; for the Small Business Legal Defense Committee by Lawrence A. Sullivan; and for Senator Howard M. Metzenbaum et al. by Wesley J. Howard.
*755 JUSTICE POWELL delivered the opinion of the Court.
This case presents a question as to the standard of proof required to find a vertical price-fixing conspiracy in violation of § 1 of the Sherman Act.
I
Petitioner Monsanto Co. manufactures chemical products, including agricultural herbicides. By the late 1960's, the *756 time at issue in this case, its sales accounted for approximately 15% of the corn herbicide market and 3% of the soybean herbicide market. In the corn herbicide market, the market leader commanded a 70% share. In the soybean herbicide market, two other competitors each had between 30% and 40% of the market. Respondent Spray-Rite Service Corp. was engaged in the wholesale distribution of agricultural chemicals from 1955 to 1972. Spray-Rite was essentially a family business, whose owner and president, Donald Yapp, was also its sole salaried salesman. Spray-Rite was a discount operation, buying in large quantities and selling at a low margin.
Spray-Rite was an authorized distributor of Monsanto herbicides from 1957 to 1968. In October 1967, Monsanto announced that it would appoint distributors for 1-year terms, and that it would renew distributorships according to several new criteria. Among the criteria were: (i) whether the distributor's primary activity was soliciting sales to retail dealers; (ii) whether the distributor employed trained salesmen capable of educating its customers on the technical aspects of Monsanto's herbicides; and (iii) whether the distributor could be expected "to exploit fully" the market in its geographical area of primary responsibility. Shortly thereafter, Monsanto also introduced a number of incentive programs, *757 such as making cash payments to distributors that sent salesmen to training classes, and providing free deliveries of products to customers within a distributor's area of primary responsibility.[1]
In October 1968, Monsanto declined to renew Spray-Rite's distributorship. At that time, Spray-Rite was the 10th largest out of approximately 100 distributors of Monsanto's primary corn herbicide. Ninety percent of Spray-Rite's sales volume was devoted to herbicide sales, and 16% of its sales were of Monsanto products. After Monsanto's termination, Spray-Rite continued as a herbicide dealer until 1972. It was able to purchase some of Monsanto's products from other distributors, but not as much as it desired or as early in the season as it needed. Monsanto introduced a new corn herbicide in 1969. By 1972, its share of the corn herbicide market had increased to approximately 28%. Its share of the soybean herbicide market had grown to approximately 19%.
Spray-Rite brought this action under § 1 of the Sherman Act, 26 Stat. 209, as amended, 15 U. S. C. § 1. It alleged that Monsanto and some of its distributors conspired to fix the resale prices of Monsanto herbicides. Its complaint further alleged that Monsanto terminated Spray-Rite's distributorship, adopted compensation programs and shipping policies, and encouraged distributors to boycott Spray-Rite in furtherance of this conspiracy. Monsanto denied the allegations of conspiracy, and asserted that Spray-Rite's distributorship had been terminated because of its failure to hire trained salesmen and promote sales to dealers adequately.
The case was tried to a jury. The District Court instructed the jury that Monsanto's conduct was per se unlawful if it was in furtherance of a conspiracy to fix prices. In answers to special interrogatories, the jury found that (i) the termination of Spray-Rite was pursuant to a conspiracy between *758 Monsanto and one or more of its distributors to set resale prices, (ii) the compensation programs, areas of primary responsibility, and/or shipping policies were created by Monsanto pursuant to such a conspiracy, and (iii) Monsanto conspired with one or more distributors to limit Spray-Rite's access to Monsanto herbicides after 1968.[2] The jury awarded $3.5 million in damages, which was trebled to $10.5 million. Only the first of the jury's findings is before us today.[3]
The Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit affirmed. 684 F. 2d 1226 (1982). It held that there was sufficient evidence to satisfy Spray-Rite's burden of proving a conspiracy to set resale prices. The court stated that "proof of termination following competitor complaints is sufficient to support an inference of concerted action." Id., at 1238.[4] Canvassing the testimony and exhibits that were before the jury, the *759 court found evidence of numerous complaints from competing Monsanto distributors about Spray-Rite's price-cutting practices. It also noted that there was testimony that a Monsanto official had said that Spray-Rite was terminated because of the price complaints.
In substance, the Court of Appeals held that an antitrust plaintiff can survive a motion for a directed verdict if it shows that a manufacturer terminated a price-cutting distributor in response to or following complaints by other distributors. This view brought the Seventh Circuit into direct conflict with a number of other Courts of Appeals.[5] We granted certiorari to resolve the conflict. 460 U. S. 1010 (1983). We reject the statement by the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit of the standard of proof required to submit a case to the jury in distributor-termination litigation, but affirm the judgment under the standard we announce today.[6]
*760 II
This Court has drawn two important distinctions that are at the center of this and any other distributor-termination *761 case. First, there is the basic distinction between concerted and independent action a distinction not always clearly drawn by parties and courts. Section 1 of the Sherman Act requires that there be a "contract, combination . . . or conspiracy" between the manufacturer and other distributors in order to establish a violation. 15 U. S. C. § 1. Independent action is not proscribed. A manufacturer of course generally has a right to deal, or refuse to deal, with whomever it likes, as long as it does so independently. United States v. Colgate & Co., 250 U. S. 300, 307 (1919); cf. United States v. Parke, Davis & Co., 362 U. S. 29 (1960). Under Colgate, the manufacturer can announce its resale prices in advance and refuse to deal with those who fail to comply. And a distributor is free to acquiesce in the manufacturer's demand in order to avoid termination.
The second important distinction in distributor-termination cases is that between concerted action to set prices and concerted action on nonprice restrictions. The former have been per se illegal since the early years of national antitrust enforcement. See Dr. Miles Medical Co. v. John D. Park & Sons Co., 220 U. S. 373, 404-409 (1911). The latter are judged under the rule of reason, which requires a weighing of the relevant circumstances of a case to decide whether a restrictive practice constitutes an unreasonable restraint on competition. See Continental T. V., Inc. v. GTE Sylvania Inc., 433 U. S. 36 (1977).[7]
*762 While these distinctions in theory are reasonably clear, often they are difficult to apply in practice. In Sylvania we emphasized that the legality of arguably anticompetitive conduct should be judged primarily by its "market impact." See, e. g., id., at 51. But the economic effect of all of the conduct described above unilateral and concerted vertical price setting, agreements on price and nonprice restrictions is in many, but not all, cases similar or identical. See, e. g., Parke, Davis, supra, at 44; n. 7, supra. And judged from a distance, the conduct of the parties in the various situations can be indistinguishable. For example, the fact that a manufacturer and its distributors are in constant communication about prices and marketing strategy does not alone show that the distributors are not making independent pricing decisions. A manufacturer and its distributors have legitimate reasons to exchange information about the prices and the reception of their products in the market. Moreover, it is precisely in cases in which the manufacturer attempts to further a particular marketing strategy by means of agreements on often costly nonprice restrictions that it will have the most interest in the distributors' resale prices. The manufacturer often will want to ensure that its distributors earn sufficient profit to pay for programs such as hiring and *763 training additional salesmen or demonstrating the technical features of the product, and will want to see that "free-riders" do not interfere. See Sylvania, supra, at 55. Thus, the manufacturer's strongly felt concern about resale prices does not necessarily mean that it has done more than the Colgate doctrine allows.
Nevertheless, it is of considerable importance that independent action by the manufacturer, and concerted action on nonprice restrictions, be distinguished from price-fixing agreements, since under present law the latter are subject to per se treatment and treble damages. On a claim of concerted price fixing, the antitrust plaintiff must present evidence sufficient to carry its burden of proving that there was such an agreement. If an inference of such an agreement may be drawn from highly ambiguous evidence, there is a considerable danger that the doctrines enunciated in Sylvania and Colgate will be seriously eroded.
The flaw in the evidentiary standard adopted by the Court of Appeals in this case is that it disregards this danger. Permitting an agreement to be inferred merely from the existence of complaints, or even from the fact that termination came about "in response to" complaints, could deter or penalize perfectly legitimate conduct. As Monsanto points out, complaints about price cutters "are natural and from the manufacturer's perspective, unavoidable reactions by distributors to the activities of their rivals." Such complaints, particularly where the manufacturer has imposed a costly set of nonprice restrictions, "arise in the normal course of business and do not indicate illegal concerted action." Roesch, Inc. v. Star Cooler Corp., 671 F. 2d 1168, 1172 (CA8 1982), on rehearing en banc, 712 F. 2d 1235 (CA8 1983) (affirming District Court judgment by an equally divided court). Moreover, distributors are an important source of information for manufacturers. In order to assure an efficient distribution system, manufacturers and distributors constantly must co-ordinate their activities to assure that their product will *764 reach the consumer persuasively and efficiently. To bar a manufacturer from acting solely because the information upon which it acts originated as a price complaint would create an irrational dislocation in the market. See F. Warren-Boulton, Vertical Control of Markets 13, 164 (1978). In sum, "[t]o permit the inference of concerted action on the basis of receiving complaints alone and thus to expose the defendant to treble damage liability would both inhibit management's exercise of its independent business judgment and emasculate the terms of the statute." Edward J. Sweeney & Sons, Inc. v. Texaco, Inc., 637 F. 2d 105, 111, n. 2 (CA3 1980), cert. denied, 451 U. S. 911 (1981).[8]
Thus, something more than evidence of complaints is needed. There must be evidence that tends to exclude the possibility that the manufacturer and nonterminated distributors were acting independently. As Judge Aldisert has written, the antitrust plaintiff should present direct or circumstantial evidence that reasonably tends to prove that the manufacturer and others "had a conscious commitment to a common scheme designed to achieve an unlawful objective." Edward J. Sweeney & Sons, supra, at 111; accord, H. L. Moore Drug Exchange v. Eli Lilly & Co., 662 F. 2d 935, 941 (CA2 1981), cert. denied, 459 U. S. 880 (1982); cf. American Tobacco Co. v. United States, 328 U. S. 781, 810 (1946) (Circumstances must reveal "a unity of purpose or a common design and understanding, or a meeting of minds in an unlawful arrangement").[9]
*765 III
A
Applying this standard to the facts of this case, we believe there was sufficient evidence for the jury reasonably to have concluded that Monsanto and some of its distributors were parties to an "agreement" or "conspiracy" to maintain resale prices and terminate price cutters. In fact there was substantial direct evidence of agreements to maintain prices. There was testimony from a Monsanto district manager, for example, that Monsanto on at least two occasions in early 1969, about five months after Spray-Rite was terminated, approached price-cutting distributors and advised that if they did not maintain the suggested resale price, they would not receive adequate supplies of Monsanto's new corn herbicide. Tr. 1929-1934. When one of the distributors did not assent, this information was referred to the Monsanto regional office, and it complained to the distributor's parent company. There was evidence that the parent instructed its subsidiary to comply, and the distributor informed Monsanto that it would charge the suggested price. Id., at 1933-1934. Evidence of this kind plainly is relevant and persuasive as to a meeting of minds.[10]
An arguably more ambiguous example is a newsletter from one of the distributors to his dealer-customers. The newsletter is dated October 1, 1968, just four weeks before Spray-Rite was terminated. It was written after a meeting between the author and several Monsanto officials, id., at 2564, 2571-2573, and discusses Monsanto's efforts to "ge[t] the `market place in order.' " App. A-65. The newsletter reviews *766 some of Monsanto's incentive and shipping policies, and then states that in addition "every effort will be made to maintain a minimum market price level." Id., at A-66. The newsletter relates these efforts as follows:
"In other words, we are assured that Monsanto's company-owned outlets will not retail at less than their suggested retail price to the trade as a whole. Furthermore, those of us on the distributor level are not likely to deviate downward on price to anyone as the idea is implied that doing this possibly could discolor the outlook for continuity as one of the approved distributors during the future upcoming seasons. So, none interested in the retention of this arrangement is likely to risk being deleted from this customer service opportunity. Also, as far as the national accounts are concerned, they are sure to recognize the desirability of retaining Monsanto's favor on a continuing basis by respecting the wisdom of participating in the suggested program in a manner assuring order on the retail level `playground' throughout the entire country. It is elementary that harmony can only come from following the rules of the game and that in case of dispute, the decision of the umpire is final." Id., at A-66 A-67.
It is reasonable to interpret this newsletter as referring to an agreement or understanding that distributors and retailers would maintain prices, and Monsanto would not undercut those prices on the retail level and would terminate competitors who sold at prices below those of complying distributors; these were "the rules of the game."[11]
*767 B
If, as the courts below reasonably could have found, there was evidence of an agreement with one or more distributors to maintain prices, the remaining question is whether the termination of Spray-Rite was part of or pursuant to that agreement. It would be reasonable to find that it was, since it is necessary for competing distributors contemplating compliance with suggested prices to know that those who do not comply will be terminated. Moreover, there is some circumstantial evidence of such a link. Following the termination, there was a meeting between Spray-Rite's president and a Monsanto official. There was testimony that the first thing the official mentioned was the many complaints Monsanto had received about Spray-Rite's prices. Tr. 774, 1295.[12] In addition, there was reliable testimony that Monsanto never discussed with Spray-Rite prior to the termination the distributorship criteria that were the alleged basis for the action. See 684 F. 2d, at 1239. By contrast, a former Monsanto salesman for Spray-Rite's area testified that Monsanto representatives on several occasions in 1965-1966 approached Spray-Rite, informed the distributor of complaints from other distributors including one major and influential one, see Tr. 126, 135 and requested that prices be maintained. Id., at 109-110, 114. Later that same year, Spray-Rite's president testified, Monsanto officials *768 made explicit threats to terminate Spray-Rite unless it raised its prices. Id., at 619, 711.[13]
IV
We conclude that the Court of Appeals applied an incorrect standard to the evidence in this case. The correct standard is that there must be evidence that tends to exclude the possibility of independent action by the manufacturer and distributor. That is, there must be direct or circumstantial evidence that reasonably tends to prove that the manufacturer and others had a conscious commitment to a common scheme designed to achieve an unlawful objective. Under this standard, the evidence in this case created a jury issue as to whether Spray-Rite was terminated pursuant to a price-fixing conspiracy between Monsanto and its distributors.[14] The judgment of the court below is affirmed.
It is so ordered.
*769 JUSTICE WHITE took no part in the consideration or decision of this case.
JUSTICE BRENNAN, concurring.
As the Court notes, the Solicitor General has filed a brief in this Court for the United States as amicus curiae urging us to overrule the Court's decision in Dr. Miles Medical Co. v. John D. Park & Sons Co., 220 U. S. 373 (1911). That decision has stood for 73 years, and Congress has certainly been aware of its existence throughout that time. Yet Congress has never enacted legislation to overrule the interpretation of the Sherman Act adopted in that case. Under these circumstances, I see no reason for us to depart from our longstanding interpretation of the Act. Because the Court adheres to that rule and, in my view, properly applies Dr. Miles to this case, I join the opinion and judgment of the Court.
NOTES
[*] Briefs of amici curiae urging reversal were filed for Associates for Antitrust Analysis by Wesley J. Liebeler; for the National Agricultural Chemicals Association by Donald F. Turner, Arnold M. Lerman, James S. Campbell, and Ronald J. Greene; and for the National Association of Manufacturers by Donald I. Baker, Robert H. Rawson, Jr., Thomas E. Kauper, William E. Blasier, and Quentin Riegel.
[1] These areas of primary responsibility were not exclusive territorial restrictions. Approximately 10 to 20 distributors were assigned to each area, and distributors were permitted to sell outside their assigned area.
[2] The three special interrogatories were as follows:
"1. Was the decision by Monsanto not to offer a new contract to plaintiff for 1969 made by Monsanto pursuant to a conspiracy or combination with one or more of its distributors to fix, maintain or stabilize resale prices of Monsanto herbicides?
"2. Were the compensation programs and/or areas of primary responsibility, and/or shipping policy created by Monsanto pursuant to a conspiracy to fix, maintain or stabilize resale prices on Monsanto herbicides?
"3. Did Monsanto conspire or combine with one or more of its distributors so that one or more of those distributors would limit plaintiff's access to Monsanto herbicides after 1968?" 684 F. 2d 1226, 1233 (CA7 1982).
The jury answered "Yes" to each of the interrogatories.
[3] See n. 6, infra.
[4] The court later in the same paragraph restated the standard of sufficiency as follows" "Proof of distributorship termination in response to competing distributors' complaints about the terminated distributor's pricing policies is sufficient to raise an inference of concerted action." 684 F. 2d, at 1239 (emphasis added). It may be argued that this standard is different from the one quoted in text in that this one requires a showing of a minimal causal connection between the complaints and the termination of the plaintiff, while the textual standard requires only that the one "follow" the other. As we explain infra, at 763-764, the difference is not ultimately significant in our analysis.
[5] The court below recognized that its standard was in conflict with that articulated in Edward J. Sweeney & Sons, Inc. v. Texaco, Inc., 637 F. 2d 105, 110-111 (CA3 1980), cert. denied, 451 U. S. 911 (1981). Other Courts of Appeals also have rejected the standard adopted by the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. See Schwimmer v. Sony Corp. of America, 677 F. 2d 946, 952-953 (CA2), cert. denied, 459 U. S. 1007 (1982); Davis-Watkins Co. v. Service Merchandise, 686 F. 2d 1190, 1199 (CA6 1982), cert. pending, No. 82-848; Bruce Drug, Inc. v. Hollister Inc., 688 F. 2d 853, 856-857 (CA1 1982); see also Blankenship v. Herzfeld, 661 F. 2d 840, 845 (CA10 1981). The Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has adopted the Seventh Circuit's standard. See Bostick Oil Co. v. Michelin Tire Corp., 702 F. 2d 1207, 1213-1215 (1983). One panel of the Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit also has adopted that standard, see Battle v. Lubrizol Corp., 673 F. 2d 984, 990-992 (1982), while another appears to have rejected it in an opinion issued the same day, see Roesch, Inc. v. Star Cooler Corp., 671 F. 2d 1168, 1172 (1982). On rehearing en banc, the Court of Appeals was equally divided between the two positions. Compare Roesch, Inc. v. Star Cooler Corp., 712 F. 2d 1235 (1983) (en banc), with Battle v. Watson, 712 F. 2d 1238, 1240 (1983) (en banc) (McMillian, J., dissenting).
[6] Monsanto also challenges another part of the Court of Appeals' opinion. It argues that the court held that the nonprice restrictions in this case the compensation and shipping policies would be judged under a rule of reason rather than a per se rule " `only if there is no allegation that the [nonprice] restrictions are part of a conspiracy to fix prices.' " Brief for Petitioner 15 (emphasis deleted) (quoting 684 F. 2d, at 1237). Monsanto asserts that under this holding a mere allegation that nonprice restrictions were part of a price conspiracy would subject them to per se treatment. Monsanto contends this view undermines our decision in Continental T. V., Inc. v. GTE Sylvania Inc., 433 U. S. 36 (1977), that such restrictions are subject to the rule of reason.
If this were what the Court of Appeals held, it would present an arguable conflict. We think, however, that Monsanto misreads the court's opinion. Read in context, the court's somewhat broad language fairly may be read to say that a plaintiff must prove, as well as allege, that the nonprice restrictions were in fact a part of a price conspiracy. Thus, later in its opinion the court notes that the District Court properly instructed the jury that "Monsanto's otherwise lawful compensation programs and shipping policies were per se unlawful if undertaken as part of an illegal scheme to fix prices." 684 F. 2d, at 1237 (emphasis added). The court cited White Motor Co. v. United States, 372 U. S. 253, 260 (1963), in which this Court wrote that restrictive practices ancillary to a price-fixing agreement would be restrained only if there was a finding that the two were sufficiently linked. And the Court of Appeals elsewhere noted the jury's finding that the nonprice practices here were "created by Monsanto pursuant to a conspiracy to fix . . . resale prices." 684 F. 2d, at 1233.
Monsanto does not dispute Spray-Rite's view that if the nonprice practices were proved to have been instituted as part of a price-fixing conspiracy, they would be subject to per se treatment. See Brief for Petitioner 23-27. Instead, Monsanto argues that there was insufficient evidence to support the jury's finding that the nonprice practices were "created by Monsanto pursuant to" a price-fixing conspiracy. Monsanto failed to make its sufficiency-of-the-evidence argument in the Court of Appeals with respect to this finding, see Brief for Defendant-Appellant Monsanto Co. in No. 80-2232 (CA7), pp. 27-34, and the court did not address the point. We therefore decline to reach it. See, e. g., Adickes v. S. H. Kress & Co., 398 U. S. 144, 147, n. 2 (1970); Duignan v. United States, 274 U. S. 195. 200 (1927).
In view of Monsanto's concession that a proper finding that nonprice practices were part of a price-fixing conspiracy would suffice to subject the entire conspiracy to per se treatment, Sylvania is not applicable to this case. In that case only a nonprice restriction was challenged. See 433 U. S., at 51, n. 18. Nothing in our decision today undercuts the holding of Sylvania that nonprice restrictions are to be judged under the rule of reason. In fact, the need to ensure the viability of Sylvania is an important consideration in our rejection of the Court of Appeals' standard of sufficiency of the evidence. See infra, at 763.
[7] The Solicitor General (by brief only) and several other amici suggest that we take this opportunity to reconsider whether "contract[s], combination[s]. . . or conspirac[ies]" to fix resale prices should always be unlawful. They argue that the economic effect of resale price maintenance is little different from agreements on nonprice restrictions. See generally Continental T. V., Inc. v. GTE Sylvania Inc., 433 U. S., at 69-70 (WHITE, J., concurring in judgment) (citing sources); Baker, Interconnected Problems of Doctrine and Economics in the Section One Labyrinth: Is Sylvania a Way Out?, 67 Va. L. Rev. 1457, 1465-1466 (1981). They say that the economic objections to resale price maintenance that we discussed in Sylvania, supra, at 51, n. 18 such as that it facilitates horizontal cartels can be met easily in the context of rule-of-reason analysis.
Certainly in this case we have no occasion to consider the merits of this argument. This case was tried on per se instructions to the jury. Neither party argued in the District Court that the rule of reason should apply to a vertical price-fixing conspiracy, nor raised the point on appeal. In fact, neither party before this Court presses the argument advanced by amici. We therefore decline to reach the question, and we decide the case in the context in which it was decided below and argued here.
[8] We do not suggest that evidence of complaints has no probative value at all, but only that the burden remains on the antitrust plaintiff to introduce additional evidence sufficient to support a finding of an unlawful contract, combination, or conspiracy.
[9] The concept of "a meeting of the minds" or "a common scheme" in a distributor-termination case includes more than a showing that the distributor conformed to the suggested price. It means as well that evidence must be presented both that the distributor communicated its acquiescence or agreement, and that this was sought by the manufacturer.
[10] In addition, there was circumstantial evidence that Monsanto sought agreement from the distributor to conform to the resale price. The threat to cut off the distributor's supply came during Monsanto's "shipping season" when herbicide was in short supply. The jury could have concluded that Monsanto sought this agreement at a time when it was able to use supply as a lever to force compliance.
[11] The newsletter also is subject to the interpretation that the distributor was merely describing the likely reaction to unilateral Monsanto pronouncements. But Monsanto itself appears to have construed the flyer as reporting a price-fixing understanding. Six weeks after the newsletter was written, a Monsanto official wrote its author a letter urging him to "correct immediately any misconceptions about Monsanto's marketing policies." App. A-98. The letter disavowed any intent to enter into an agreement on resale prices. The interpretation of these documents and the testimony surrounding them properly was left to the jury.
[12] Monsanto argues that the reference could have been to complaints by Monsanto employees rather than distributors, suggesting that the price controls were merely unilateral action, rather than accession to the demands of the distributors. The choice between two reasonable interpretations of the testimony properly was left for the jury. See also Tr. 1298 (identifying source of one complaint as a distributor).
[13] The existence of the illegal joint boycott after Spray-Rite's termination, a finding that the Court of Appeals affirmed and that is not before us, is further evidence that Monsanto and its distributors had an understanding that prices would be maintained, and that price cutters would be terminated. This last, however, is also consistent with termination for other reasons, and is probative only of the ability of Monsanto and its distributors to act in concert.
[14] Monsanto's contrary evidence has force, but we agree with the courts below that it was insufficient to take the issue from the jury. It is true that there was no testimony of any complaints about Spray-Rite's pricing for the 15 months prior to termination. But it was permissible for the jury to conclude that there were complaints during that period from the evidence that they continued after 1968 and from the testimony that they were mentioned at Spray-Rite's post-termination meeting with Monsanto. There is also evidence that resale prices in fact did not stabilize after 1968. On the other hand, the former Monsanto salesman testified that prices were more stable in 1969-1970 than in his earlier stint in 1965-1966. Id., at 217. And, given the evidence that Monsanto took active measures to stabilize prices, it may be that distributors did not assent in sufficient numbers, or broke their promises. In any event, we cannot say that the courts below erred in finding that Spray-Rite produced substantial evidence of the concerted action required by § 1 of the Sherman Act, and that despite the sharp conflict in evidence the case properly was submitted to the jury.
|
Ambrose ire all smoke, no fire
Rona Ambrose, Stephen Harper’s Minister of Health was “outraged” last Thursday by the Supreme Court of Canada when it approved oral ingestion of cannabis by other means than simply smoking it.
And then they unanimously said that imposing this view on the Canadian public, in the restrained language of the courts, was “arbitrary” and therefore unconstitutional and void.
Rona Ambrose is angry because the Supreme Court is making law that she disagrees with — but which most Canadians would accept as sensible. Frankly, if this government could calm down and be more logical then nobody would have to go to the Supreme Court in the first place.
But since Ambrose is part of a government that negates all science except the science it approves of, where is a citizen to turn if not to the court system?
A stance like hers brings further intellectual discredit on the already intellectually turgid Conservative government. It becomes another example of what happens when you try to shape the world of genuine scientific inquiry into a production line for saleable goods.
So Ms. Ambrose has to fabricate reality, in the best tradition of Madison Avenue – just like what her friends in the corporate sector, who follow the famous example of the tobacco industry, do for a living.
Cannabis — hemp, marijuana, pot — is here to stay, “Ambrosian” pronouncements notwithstanding, because it’s being slowly but steadily resurrected from the dank crypt that its political and moral (and business) detractors attempted to bury it in. And for good reasons.
Cannabis is here to stay because it works, and it’s really relatively safe — remarkably so, in fact, compared to many compounds we routinely and unhesitatingly ingest, inhale and otherwise absorb with unmitigated enthusiasm.
The temporary abolition of hemp — in English, that’s what cannabis or marijuana has been called throughout most of recorded history — which Rona Ambrose is so keen to extend, began in earnest in the 1930s, not for health reasons but for political and economic ones. You can read the whole fascinating story in the classic Jack Herer book, The Emperor Wears No Clothes, now reprinted online. I suspect you will find it an astonishing read.
More importantly, you will understand why Ms. Ambrose has departed so far from reality when she bellowed forth her “outrage," which is an escalation from her mood in April, when she was merely “deeply concerned.” Public Safety Minister Stephen Blaney joined the chorus of agitation, complaining vociferously that they were all were illegal.
Proving that indeed nobody really cared, the more realistic and pragmatic councillors and Mayor of Vancouver calmly bypassed all this Sturm und Drang instead rolling up their sleeves and getting to work on regulating the dispensaries.
But of course, Ambrose and Blaney work for the Harper government. That means what they say in public is a part of a carefully constructed cover story for their real agenda, carefully worked out with partners in the realms of ideology and of corporate profitability. Just as Vic Toews said, “You’re either with us or you’re with the child pornographers”, or Joe Oliver accused James Hansen of NASA of “crying wolf” over climate change, emotive language in this government’s pronouncements — more than with most — is almost always a front for a deeper, more cold-blooded motivation.
I never intended to become an activist. As a marine scientist, climate change has been a big focus of my career over the last 16 years. I’ve worked with governments on their climate plans, people in... |
Megatron Origin (Japanese Translation) Cover By Kei Zama
Via Amazon.jp we can share for your the great cover for the Japanese edition of Megatron Origin for your viewing pleasure.
This cover, courtesy of artist Kei Zama, will sure please your optics. We can see a fierce Megatron holding a not-so-lucky Autobot in one hand, ready to punch him. Megatron is surrounded by the bodies of other defeated robots. This is a special release for Japan that collects Megatron Origin, Spotlight Shockwave and Spotlight Soundwave. It can be pre-ordered here for 2700 Yen ($24.49) and it has a release date on June 29, 2018.
You can check out this amazing cover after the break, and then sound off your impressions on the 2005 Boards! |
We focused on two issues in our approach to this question. The first was concerned with the participation in the DDR of FANCD2, the central protein of the FA pathway. Most of our information about the DDR comes from studies of double strand breaks (DSBs). Some proteins are recruited close to DNA breaks, while others are located hundreds to thousands of bases away. However, DSBs are relatively rare in cultured cells and even less common in circulating lymphocytes. In contrast, DNA base damage and loss occurs at least 3 orders of magnitude more frequently. Consequently, we examined the participation of FANCD2 in the DDR induced by a base reactive compound, to which we attached an immunotag. We developed a new experimental approach, based on the immunotag, to differentiate DDR proteins that were close to the DNA damage from those that were distant. FANCD2 was recruited to the DNA damage in two spatially separable cohorts. One was located in close proximity to the DNA lesion and contributed to the repair of the lesion. A second, somewhat larger fraction, associated with, and was dependent on, DDR proteins located at a distance from the base modification. This cohort had no involvement in removal of the damage. It is likely that this fraction is involved in stress signaling. We are now examining the role it plays in the regulation of inflammatory pathways. We have also identified a new model of cell senescence. We expose cells to a DNA damaging agent. These cells become senescent after 7-10 days. In contrast to other cell culture models with senescent cell frequencies of 60-70%, 100% of these cells become senescent. Furthermore, in contrast to other models, there is no outgrowth of senescence resistant cells. Instead the cells remain viable and senescent for as long as 6 weeks. Previous literature indicates an important contribution of the histone variant H2AX towards development of senescence. However, in the new system, senescence is independent of H2AX. That is, H2AX knockout cells are as susceptible to DNA damage induced senescence as the same knockout cells in which H2AX has been re-expressed. DNA Damage Response markers are visible in foci in the senescent cells, despite the absence of phospho-H2AX. FANCD2 is a component of the foci during entry into senescence, but disappears as the cells become fully senescent. Our results suggest an alternative mode of senescence induction and maintenance. Future studies will elucidate the basis of this distinction and extend these observations to an in vivo model. |
As the NBA trade deadline looms within a week, the Lakers' immediate pursuit of Pelicans All-Star forward Anthony Davis is fraught with obstacles -- including that New Orleans appears in no rush to trade Davis to the Lakers or anywhere else before Thursday's trade deadline, league sources told ESPN.
Pelicans general manager Dell Demps had his first substantive communication with Lakers president Magic Johnson on Thursday after having taken calls from other teams about Davis, sources told ESPN. The Lakers are nonetheless determined to be aggressive in offers for Davis prior to next Thursday's trade deadline, league sources told ESPN, and it's Demps' obligation to listen.
The Lakers and Pelicans executives have connected on the phone concerning Davis and are expected to talk again prior to next week's trade deadline, league sources told ESPN.
The sluggish response time by Demps is perhaps a message that New Orleans places some responsibility on the Lakers for Davis' trade request. Or perhaps it is an indication to Davis and his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, that the Pelicans don't plan to easily acquiesce on a trade request to partner Davis with LeBron James.
As of now, the Pelicans see no reason to deliver Davis to the Lakers in a deal with a full season left on his contract -- never mind do it on a timeline that mostly benefits the objectives of Los Angeles and Davis.
New Orleans officials are prepared to play the long game on Davis' future, embarking on an uncomfortable, if not combative process that could extend months beyond next Thursday's trade deadline.
Pelicans owner Gayle Benson is enthusiastically carrying the small-market banner, pushing back on any planned superstar union of James and Davis in the NBA's glamour market.
If Davis wants to be a Laker, the Pelicans' mantra so far is simply: Feel free to join L.A. as a free agent in 2020 and potentially punt on the 2019-20 season -- when James will turn 35 -- to keep the requisite cap space open.
Demps was in no hurry to connect with the Lakers, but he eventually did connect with Johnson, league sources said. The Lakers are leaving an impression that everyone except James is available in talks, league sources told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne.
From Paul George to Leonard to Davis, the Lakers' front office is growing accustomed to icy receptions from teams enduring All-Star trade demands with a full year left on their contracts.
For now, Demps is following the San Antonio Spurs' initial playbook with Kawhi Leonard from a year ago: Accept calls and listen to deal concepts and offers.
When Spurs GM R.C. Buford finally called back Pelinka after Leonard's springtime trade request, the Lakers were left with an unmistakable impression: Buford and Gregg Popovich would never send Leonard to Los Angeles -- no matter what the Lakers offered. The Spurs always denied any absolute "no Lakers" stance, arguing the L.A. package never captivated them.
After Paul privately told Demps on Friday that his client wouldn't sign a contract extension with the Pelicans and wanted a trade, Paul publicly declared it on Monday -- with full knowledge that he'd have to pay a $50,000 fine on behalf of his client.
Teams interested in trading for Davis -- including the Boston Celtics -- are in full fact-finding mode, and the intel coming back is this, sources tell ESPN: Davis' plan is to treat any trade destination as a one-year stop -- except, of course, the Lakers. Teams are learning that Davis' stated intention will be to play the season elsewhere if traded outside of the Lakers, but move to the Lakers as a free agent in 2020.
With Boston prohibited from trading for Davis this season, going to the Lakers presents Davis a chance to make something of this 2018-19 season. The Celtics and other suitors are curious as to whether the potential Lakers-or-bust stance softens once the deadline passes, sources said.
The stance of Davis and his camp toward Boston is linked to their view of Kyrie Irving's future, sources said. Davis and his camp no longer believe that Irving is a sure bet to re-sign with the Celtics this summer, and that's the primary reason they insist on clumping Boston with a similar message to the 28 other teams: Buyer beware on a trade for Davis.
Paul also represents James. Davis hired Paul and Klutch Sports, so Davis clearly has signed off on this Lakers endgame strategy -- no matter if some in the NBA chose to be skeptical.
More Than An Athlete The eight-part docuseries, produced by UNINTERRUPTED and airing on ESPN+, will follow LeBron James and Maverick Carter's improbable journey from Akron to the global stage. Watch on ESPN+
Boston is remaining outwardly fearless in its pursuit of Davis, with word delivered to New Orleans: Hold on to Davis past the trade deadline, get into the offseason, and we're armed to give you the best possible return on this generational talent.
Boston remains confident in Irving re-signing, though the Knicks creating a second max salary slot for this summer in Thursday's stunning Kristaps Porzingis deal with the Dallas Mavericks has the league buzzing about Irving's intentions. It may inspire a new urgency within the Celtics to agree to a deal for Davis ahead of Irving's free agency -- assuming Irving informs them that snaring Davis would ensure his long-term commitment..
For now, the Celtics are unconvinced that Davis would be willing to walk out on a championship core with Boston for the Lakers. Boston has done a tremendous amount of research on Davis, especially intense in the past 18 months, league sources said.
The Pelicans are aware that the Celtics are preparing a massive offer for Davis if he remains on the New Orleans roster past the trade deadline. The Celtics cannot acquire him now unless they trade Irving, because of an obscure rule that prohibits any team from trading for a second player working under a designated rookie maximum extension. Irving and Davis are both playing under such deals now. Irving can -- and almost certainly will -- opt out of his contract on July 1.
The most pressing question for the Celtics is whether they could acquire Davis without including Jayson Tatum in the deal. If the Celtics get the chance, Boston will be able to offer any or all of the following: Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward, Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier (though Rozier would have to agree to a sign-and-trade, raising thorny cap complications), its own first-round picks, Sacramento's first-round pick, a Memphis future first-round pick (top-eight protected this season, top-six protected in 2020, and unprotected in 2021) and a lottery-protected LA Clippers first-rounder that converts to a 2022 second-round pick if the Clippers miss the playoffs both this season and next.
Above all else, Boston wants to keep Tatum. Going forward with a big three of Irving, Davis and Tatum -- and filling in the gaps around them as needed -- is probably the ideal scenario. If the Celtics feel it is necessary to hold off any Lakers coup, they can tell the Pelicans they will likely include Tatum in Davis trade talks in July.
That's risky, though. If Boston promises that in absolute terms, the Pelicans would expect the Celtics to hold to that assurance. Reneging would damage Boston's leaguewide credibility in a way that could take years to repair.
To sign Davis outright in 2020, the Lakers would have to maintain enough cap space for him -- which could mean forfeiting the chance to add a star player this summer. The Lakers could sign that star free agent, and then sign-and-trade their young guys for Davis in the summer of 2020. Whatever the case, it's a complicated path to Davis.
What's more, to deal all of their young assets for Davis now would complicate the Lakers' path to a third star. With only Davis, LeBron and Luol Deng's stretched salary on their books for 2019-20, the Lakers would have only about $30.5 million in cap space -- not enough for a max free agent. They would either have to hope a star takes less than the max or roll their space over to the summer of 2020 -- when the cap will go up again.
The Pelicans have yet to engage in substantive conversations with the Lakers prior to Thursday's trade deadline. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka can offer an a la carte of the Lakers' young prospects and future draft picks, or offer to use those players and picks to canvass the league to furnish players for Demps whom he might prefer in a multi-team trade.
The Pelicans believe the Lakers will offer the same deal in June and July as they can offer now, which is one more reason to wait on the Celtics.
Starting last Friday -- when Davis made his request to the Pelicans -- several teams told ESPN that Demps had made forwards Nikola Mirotic and Julius Randle and guard E'Twaun Moore available in trade talks. The Pelicans are continuing to explore the market value of those players, sources said.
One direction those talks could take: trading those players to recover draft picks as part of a more complete post-Davis rebuild.
New Orleans is 13th in the West, 5.5 games out of the playoffs, with 30 games remaining.
The unfolding of the Davis situation has shed a light on the Pelicans' unusual front-office structure, in particular the power of executives from the NFL's New Orleans Saints -- including Mickey Loomis, the Pelicans' executive vice president of basketball operations and Demps' nominal boss. The Pelicans' environment is steeped in the NFL's top-down power culture, which contributes to a level of defiance in catering to a player trade request like Davis'.
Demps and his basketball operations staff handle trade discussions, but Loomis -- the Saints' top football executive -- will have a significant voice in how the Pelicans proceed with the Davis saga. Interestingly, Loomis and Celtics GM Danny Ainge have no personal relationship, but they do have a history growing up in Eugene, Oregon.
Besides being a future NBA guard and major league third baseman, Ainge was a star receiver and quarterback with Pac-8 football offers. Loomis is younger and was a football star himself, and has long been acquainted with the athletic lore of Ainge.
Ainge has a history as an ace negotiator, but the Pelicans' future rests on a robust return for Davis. They are desperate to extract maximum value. New Orleans can offer Davis a five-year, $239 million extension in July and offer that deal again in 2020.
Around the Pelicans, some wonder whether Davis getting booed and becoming a villain in New Orleans could make him second-guess his decision on a public trade request, but that's probably wishful thinking.
As long as ominous back-channel warnings don't give Ainge pause, the Celtics believe they could convince Davis to stay long term, clinching Irving's future in New England.
Still, there are scenarios that concern Boston. For instance, the Celtics could disappoint in the postseason. The Knicks could win the draft lottery and enter the offseason with the one trade asset that tops Tatum: the NBA draft's No. 1 pick, and the chance to select Duke's Zion Williamson.
If that isn't enough, the Knicks -- who did call the Pelicans about Davis before agreeing to trade Porzingis to the Mavs on Thursday, a source told ESPN -- could add Kevin Knox to their offer and hope that acquiring Davis would entice a second star free agent to join him. Irving would be on their short list of such players, and the Knicks, armed with Davis and enough cap room for Irving, stand as one of the only Irving threats that would unnerve Boston.
One subplot: Under revised draft lottery rules, the teams with the three worst records will have an equal chance -- 14 percent apiece -- at securing the No. 1 pick. Four teams -- the Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers -- are in a heated "race" for those three spots. One will be left out and enter the lottery with a 12.5 percent chance at leaping to No. 1. Every percentage point matters.
For now, the lack of certainty surrounding the Knicks' pick is a huge obstacle to New York dealing now for Davis.
For now, the Pelicans and Davis are left with an awkward dance. Davis does plan to play for the Pelicans again before the trade deadline in a week, league sources said. Davis wants to play in the All-Star Game in mid-February, and he'll almost assuredly be selected as a reserve on Thursday. Teammates and coaches can already tell that Davis is trying to measure for himself how much of a teammate he should try to still be versus simply detaching himself.
As the public spectacle ensued this week, Davis took his Pelicans teammates out to dinner on a trip to Houston. His nature is to please, and the push to get out of New Orleans does stand in contrast to his typical sensibilities. He always has been nonconfrontational, eager to fit into the program. Now, Davis is chasing what he believes will be a better organization in a bigger market.
The Pelicans may have spoken to the Lakers, but there remains no clear and immediate pathway to a trade. This could be a long, nasty process. Paul is unfazed to make it a brawl, and Ainge is unafraid to make the trade. And, it appears, New Orleans is unafraid to make everyone wait.
This is the new NBA, a superstar's fight for flight. Only the league's balance of power appears to rest on the results of it all.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst contributed to this report. |
[Genital Mycoplasma as a risk factor of obstetric and perinatal pathology].
The paper gives the results of the study into genital Mycoplasma in 1,200 females and 254 newborns and provides strong evidence for the fact that there is a relationship between the Mycoplasma carriage and the inflammatory urogenital processes. It also shows that M. hominis and Ur. urealyticum may persist in the endometrium of females suffering from isthmo-cervical insufficiency. Genital Mycoplasma have been found to play an etiological role in intrauterine infection in premature neonates and in inflammatory processes (endometritis, wound infection following cesarean section) in parturients. |
// Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
// Licensed under the MIT License.
#pragma once
namespace GraphTransformerHelpers
{
void RegisterGraphTransformers(onnxruntime::InferenceSession* lotusSession);
} |
Strengths
Offseason Homework
Memorable Highlight
Analysis
The 2018-19 regular season saw Kucherov reach new heights within his playing career – heights that are not seen often. Firstly, he broke the 125 point total record set by Joe Thornton in the 2005-06 season, for the highest point total set during the salary cap era. Numerous Lightning franchise records were also broken, including that for single-season point totals – surpassing Vincent Lecavalier’s longstanding record of 108.
It cannot be denied that Kucherov’s strength lies in his offensive abilities. He was a vital part of the Lightning scoring last season, causing issues for goaltenders and breaking through defense core’s across the league. The winger’s speed is also second to none, making him lethal in the offensive zone.
With assistance from Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman and Brayden Point, the Lightning’s powerplay became the stuff of nightmares for opposing teams. The forward’s natural ability to deceive defenders and find passing lanes contributed massively to the team’s overall production.
Naturally, one would expect his overall point production to diminish next season, but a massive decrease would be hard to predict. However, anything short of another 90-100 point season would be considered disappointing by many. This is heightened by the fact that he signed a $76 million, 8-year extension during the offseason last year.
In switching to a predominantly offensive playstyle, Kucherov’s defensive impact has dropped considerably the past few seasons. In particular, it saw a sharp decline this season. This may ultimately hinder him in the future as his offensive ability begins to regress with age. Hence why this is something that the winger could work on this offseason. |
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</div>
<div class="form-row">
<label for="node-input-pathOut"><i class="fa fa-file-image"></i> Output</label>
<input type="text" id="node-input-pathOut" style="width:70%;" placeholder="data/output.jpg">
<input type="hidden" id="node-input-pathOutType">
</div>
<br>
<b>Process settings</b>
<div class="form-row">
<br>
<label for="node-input-action"><i class="fa fa-navicon"></i> Action</label>
<select id="node-input-action" style="width:70%;">
<option value="read">Read image</option>
<option value="crop">Crop rectangle</option>
<option value="draw">Draw rectangles</option>
</select>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 0px; width: 85px; height: 1px; background-color: lightgrey; display:inline-block;"></div><!--
--><div style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; width: 70%; height: 1px; background-color: lightgrey; display:inline-block;"></div>
<br><br>
<div class="form-row params crop">
<label for="node-input-crop-rect" style="margin-left:15px; width: 85px; color:#848484"> Rectangle</label>
<input type="text" id="node-input-crop-rect" style="width:70%;" placeholder="payload">
<input type="hidden" id="node-input-crop-rectType">
</div>
<div class="form-row params draw">
<label for="node-input-draw-rect" style="margin-left:15px; width: 85px; color:#848484"> Rectangles</label>
<input type="text" id="node-input-draw-rect" style="width:70%;" placeholder="payload">
<input type="hidden" id="node-input-draw-rectType">
</div>
<div class="form-row params draw">
<label for="node-input-draw-logo" style="margin-left:15px; width: 85px; color:#848484"> Logo</label>
<input type="text" id="node-input-draw-logo" style="width:70%;" placeholder="logo (optional)">
<input type="hidden" id="node-input-draw-logoType">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 0px; width: 85px; height: 1px; background-color: lightgrey; display:inline-block;"></div><!--
--><div style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; width: 70%; height: 1px; background-color: lightgrey; display:inline-block;"></div>
<br><br>
</script>
<style>
.help-section > ol > h4,
.help-section > h3 { font-weight: bold; }
</style>
<script type="text/x-red" data-help-name="jimp">
<p>Uses JIMP to edit an image. </p>
<h3>Outputs</h3>
<ol class="node-ports">
<li>Standard output</li>
<li>Standard error</li>
</ol>
<h3>Details</h3>
<p>Properties</p>
<dl class="message-properties">
<dt>Input/Output <span class="property-type">string</span></dt>
<dd>pathes to input and output image files (output can be in memory if it's not a file path but an exising msg.path (like 'payload')</dd>
<dt>Rectangle (crop) <span class="property-type">string</span></dt>
<dd>a Rectangle object with top, left, width and height properties, ex: { top: 10, left: 54, width: 152, height: 164 }</dd>
<dt>Rectangles (draw) <span class="property-type">array</span></dt>
<dd>array of Rectangle objects (see above), with optional label property, ex: [{ top: 10, left: 54, width: 152, height: 164, label: 'Samuel' }]</dd>
<dt>Logo <span class="property-type">string</span></dt>
<dd>path to an optional logo to add to the created image</dd>
</dl>
<h3>References</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://github.com/oliver-moran/jimp">JIMP</a> - documentation</li>
<li><a href="https://github.com/NGRP/node-red-contrib-viseo/">VISEO BotMaker</a> - the nodes github repository</li>
</ul>
</script>
|
<?php
namespace PhpOption\Tests;
use PhpOption\None;
class NoneTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
{
private $none;
/**
* @expectedException \RuntimeException
*/
public function testGet()
{
$none = \PhpOption\None::create();
$none->get();
}
public function testGetOrElse()
{
$none = \PhpOption\None::create();
$this->assertEquals('foo', $none->getOrElse('foo'));
}
public function testGetOrCall()
{
$none = \PhpOption\None::create();
$this->assertEquals('foo', $none->getOrCall(function() { return 'foo'; }));
}
/**
* @expectedException \RuntimeException
* @expectedExceptionMessage Not Found!
*/
public function testGetOrThrow()
{
None::create()->getOrThrow(new \RuntimeException('Not Found!'));
}
public function testIsEmpty()
{
$none = \PhpOption\None::create();
$this->assertTrue($none->isEmpty());
}
public function testOrElse()
{
$option = \PhpOption\Some::create('foo');
$this->assertSame($option, \PhpOption\None::create()->orElse($option));
}
public function testifDefined()
{
$this->assertNull($this->none->ifDefined(function() {
throw new \LogicException('Should never be called.');
}));
}
public function testForAll()
{
$this->assertSame($this->none, $this->none->forAll(function() {
throw new \LogicException('Should never be called.');
}));
}
public function testMap()
{
$this->assertSame($this->none, $this->none->map(function() {
throw new \LogicException('Should not be called.');
}));
}
public function testFlatMap()
{
$this->assertSame($this->none, $this->none->flatMap(function() {
throw new \LogicException('Should not be called.');
}));
}
public function testFilter()
{
$this->assertSame($this->none, $this->none->filter(function() {
throw new \LogicException('Should not be called.');
}));
}
public function testFilterNot()
{
$this->assertSame($this->none, $this->none->filterNot(function() {
throw new \LogicException('Should not be called.');
}));
}
public function testSelect()
{
$this->assertSame($this->none, $this->none->select(null));
}
public function testReject()
{
$this->assertSame($this->none, $this->none->reject(null));
}
public function testForeach()
{
$none = \PhpOption\None::create();
$called = 0;
foreach ($none as $value) {
$called++;
}
$this->assertEquals(0, $called);
}
public function testFoldLeftRight()
{
$this->assertSame(1, $this->none->foldLeft(1, function() { $this->fail(); }));
$this->assertSame(1, $this->none->foldRight(1, function() { $this->fail(); }));
}
protected function setUp()
{
$this->none = None::create();
}
}
|
IALL (1964-2000) Constitution and Bylaws
IALL (1964-2000) Constitution and Bylaws Here is the revision history of the IALL Constitution and Bylaws:
Original Document: 1964
First Revision: 1966
Second Revision: 1969
Third Revision: 1974
Fourth Revision: 1977
Fifth Revision: 1981
Amendments: 1984
Sixth Revision: 1991
Seventh Revision: 1995
Eighth Revision: 1997
The following is the eighth revision of the constitution and bylaws of the former IALL organization. In March 2000 the membership voted to merge its membership and assets into a newly formed corporation, IALLT, Inc., thus ending the provisions of these documents. However, the purposes, membership, and operations of the new organization continue unchanged. This document consists of two parts, namely the Constitution and the Bylaws. The provisions of each are established for the regulation of the affairs of the International Association for Language Learning Technology. If there should be any inconsistency between the Constitution and Bylaws at any time, the provisions of the Constitution will take precedence.
Constitution Article I: The Association
Section 1 Name
The name of this self-governing organization is the InternationalAssociation for Language Learning Technology, hereafterreferred to as IALL.
Section 2 Purpose
IALL is a professional, non-profit membership organization working toward the goal ofimproving language instruction through the use of technology.Its purpose is to promote more effective use and a betterunderstanding of technology-based instruction in languageresource centers at all levels of education and training.
Section 3 Membership
Any person or organization interested inthe purposes and objectives of IALL may become a member uponpayment of membership fees as provided in the Bylaws forclasses of membership established by the Council.
Section 4
No part of the net earnings of IALL shall inure to the benefit of,or be distributed to its members, trustees, officers, or otherprivate persons, except that the Association shall beauthorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation forservices rendered and to make payments and distributions infurtherance of the purposes set forth in Article II of thisConstitution. No substantial part of the activities of IALLshall be the carrying on of propaganda or otherwise attemptingto influence legislation. IALL shall not participate in orintervene in (including the publication or distribution ofstatements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidatefor public office.
Article II: Governance and Officers Section
1 Governance
The determination of policy and the direction ofaffairs of IALL are the responsibility of an Executive Boardand a Council whose members are elected or appointed andfunction as described in this Constitution and in the Bylaws.Every member of the Executive Board and Council must be amember in good standing of IALL.
Section 2 Executive Board
TheExecutive Board of IALL consists of five elected officers: aPresident, a President-Elect, a Secretary/Parliamentarian, aPrograms Director, and a Business Manager. The President-Electserves for two years in that capacity, followed by two years asPresident and a further two years as Immediate Past-President.The Secretary/Parliamentarian and Programs Director are electedfor a term of two years; the term of the Business Manager isfour years.
Section 3 Council
The Council consists of membersof the Executive Board, the Immediate Past-President, a JournalEditor, an Advertising Manager/Vendor Relations Chair, aManaging Editor, a Professional Services Chair, the Presidentsof Regional Groups and Affiliates, the Chairs of StandingCommittees and others as identified in the Bylaws. With theapproval of the Executive Board, the President appoints theJournal Editor, the Advertising Manager/Vendor Relations Chair,the Managing Editor, the Professional Services Chair, andothers as defined in the Bylaws. Unless otherwise specified inthe Bylaws, they are appointed for a term of two years; andthey may be reappointed.
Section 4 Elections
The electedofficers of IALL are elected by the membership of theassociation. Nominations of officers and voting by themembership take place as described in the Bylaws. The Presidentis the person elected as President-Elect by the membership inthe prior election. If the President cannot serve out the fullterm, the President-Elect will complete the unexpired term andcontinue through the next term. The President-Elect, theSecretary/Parliamentarian, and the Business Manager are electedby the membership. In the event that the President-Elect cannotserve out the term, both a President and President-Elect willbe nominated and elected at the time of the next election. Whena vacancy other than President occurs on the Executive Board,the Council will approve a member recommended by the Presidentto fill the remainder of the unexpired term of that officer. Inthe event that both the President and the President-Elect areunable to serve, the Council will elect one of its members toserve as the presiding officer of IALL. Approval to fill avacancy is determined by simple majority vote.
Section 5 Policy
The Executive Board determines official policy of IALL.Policy resolutions may be drafted and submitted by the Council,any member, or any others interested in the more effective useand understanding of language learning laboratories. Theseresolutions will be considered by the Executive Board and maybe adopted as official policy of IALL.
Section 6 Regional Groups and Affiliates
Regional Groups of IALL may be organizedupon the recommendation of the Executive Board and approval ofthe Council, according to procedures established in the Bylaws.Any active state, regional, national or internationalorganization whose interests and purposes are similar to thoseof IALL may become affiliated with IALL, as provided in theBylaws, for the purpose of working together more effectively inthe achievement of common goals.
Section 7 Publication of Constitution and Bylaws
The Constitution and Bylaws shall bereviewed periodically by the Executive Board, and published anddistributed to the membership.
Article III: Amendments
Section 1 Proposals for Constitutional Amendments from the ExecutiveBoard and Council
Proposals to amend the Constitution mustreceive a majority vote of the Council, and with the ExecutiveBoard's recommendation, must be submitted to a vote by themembership.
Section 2 Proposals for Constitutional Amendmentsfrom the Membership.
Proposals for amending the Constitutionmay be submitted to the President by a petition signed by fivepercent of active members of IALL. After validating thesignatures of the petition, the Immediate Past-President willtake the necessary steps to present the proposed amendment to awritten-ballot vote by the membership.
Section 3 Effective Date
An amendment to the Constitution becomes effective whenit has been approved by no less than two-thirds of the ballotsreturned to and counted by the Immediate Past President.
Section 4 Amendments to Bylaws
Specific procedure,regulations, and guidelines for IALL are established in theBylaws under the direction of the Council. The Bylaws andamendments to the Bylaws become effective when they areapproved by a majority vote of the Council. Revisions of theBylaws should be announced to the membership. Bylaws (Sectionnumbers in the bylaws correspond to section numbers in theconstitution to which they refer.)
Article I: The Association
Section 2.1 Purpose and Goals
The International Associationfor Language Learning Technology (hereafter referred to asIALL) brings together individuals, organizations andinstitutions that are actively engaged in improving languagelearning through technology. IALL is an all-inclusiveAssociation that values differences in people and diversitywithin our organization and the profession. IALL does notdiscriminate against any individual or group and supports fairtreatment of all peoples within our diverse cultures andprofession. IALL provides opportunities for the membership toenhance their professional productivity and creativity. Itsfocus is on the improvement of the learning and teachingenvironment, including staffing, facilities, and media (audio,video, and computer) resources. The goal of IALL is tofacilitate more effective learning through the improvedmanagement and use of the learning laboratory and other formsof technology-based instruction. To accomplish this goal, IALL:
Section 2.1.1
Has established a member association in order toprovide communication among professionals in the field oftechnology-based language instruction. Members includedirectors of language laboratories or language media centers,supervisors, teachers and others whose interests andassignments bring them in contact with the administration oroperation of technology-based learning programs in languageeducation and training.
Section 2.1.2
Encourages research anddevelopment of improved methods, procedures and technologieswhich enhance the use of the language learning laboratory inmore effective instruction.
Section 2.1.3
Publishes a journal,The IALL Journal of Language Learning Technologies, and anewsletter, the IALL News Review, with articles and informationin support of IALL's purpose and goals.
Section 2.1.4
Holds anannual meeting, presents a biennial conference, and sponsorssessions at other international, national and regional meetingsto provide a forum for the presentation of recent developmentsin using technology effectively in language teaching andlearning.
Section 2.1.5
Maintains a Professional ServicesCenter that distributes IALL-sponsored publications in printand on tape which are pertinent to the profession.
Section2.1.6
Develops productive relationships and maintains regularcommunication with other professional associations andorganizations having similar or complementary purposes.
Section2.1.7
Provides a Membership Directory.
Section 3.1 Membership
There are four classes of membership in IALL: Educational,Student, Library, and Commercial.
Section 3.2
Educationalmembership is open to all directors, supervisors, teachers andother instructional personnel interested in technology andlanguage instruction. Section 3.2.1 Active Educational membersare entitled to vote, hold office, and receive all appropriateservices. Section 3.3 Student membership is open to allindividuals enrolled as full-time students at either thegraduate or undergraduate level. The student must be sponsoredby a current, non-student member of IALL. Student members ofIALL are entitled to the same privileges as Educationalmembers. Section 3.4 Educational institutions/agencies andlibraries may become Library members of IALL to receive a copyof the Journal, but without the right to vote. Section 3.5Publishers, manufacturers, and other commercial organizationsmay become Commercial members of IALL without the right tovote. Section 3.6 The annual dues are determined by theExecutive Board. The membership year runs from January 1 toDecember 31. Article II: Governance and Officers Section 2.2All terms begin at the end of the business meeting during whichofficers are installed. Section 2.3 Duties of elected officersare as follows: Section 2.3.1 The President acts as theexecutive head of IALL, presides at all IALL business meetings,including those of the Executive Board, Council and GeneralMembership, and carries out the instructions of the ExecutiveBoard and Council. The President appoints all non-electedmembers of the IALL council with Board approval, and newmembers of the Election Committee. Section 2.3.2 ThePresident-Elect works with the President to initiate new ideasand directions for IALL and represents the President wheneverthe latter so requests. She/He is responsible for gathering anddisseminating organizational news and acts as liaison withRegional Groups. In the absence or disability of the President,the President-Elect performs the duties and exercises thepowers of the President. Section 2.3.3 TheSecretary/Parliamentarian records and prepares minutes ofproceedings for all Board, Council and Membership meetings andconference calls; and she/he acts as official Parliamentarian.The minutes of all meetings and conference calls are to bedistributed to all Board members and copies are to be madeavailable to other IALL members upon request. She/He maintainsthe current copies of the IALL Constitution and Bylaws, jobdescriptions, and operating procedures and distributes them asneeded. The Secretary/Parliamentarian performs other duties asprescribed by the Executive Board or by the President. Section2.3.4 The Business Manager is the custodian of all IALL funds.He/She collects membership dues, fees and other money due toIALL and pays bills owed by IALL. He/She maintains the officialIALL address, acts as the designated contact for informationabout IALL, and maintains and distributes the membership list.The Business Manager coordinates the financial affairs of theJournal Committee and Professional Services Committee andmaintains records on IALL-purchased equipment and software.He/She prepares an annual budget for review by the ExecutiveBoard during the Summer Meeting, presents mid-year and year-endreports, submits the books for audit every four years, andpreserves the financial records of the Association andtransmits them to his/her successor. Section 2.3.5 The ProgramsDirector is responsible to the Executive Board for organizingall conference programs for the Association. The ProgramsDirector recruits and coordinates affiliate representatives forall conferences where IALL sponsors sessions. The ProgramsDirector acts as Columnist for the IALL Journal; He/She editsthe conference reports of affiliate representatives and submitsthem to the Journal editor for publication. Via his/her workwith the affiliate representatives, the Programs Directoractively encourages qualified conference presenters to publishtheir work in the IALL Journal. Section 4.1 Election Committee.During each election year an Election Committee consisting ofthree members will be constituted to prepare a slate ofcandidates for IALL's elective offices. The ImmediatePast-President, who serves as Chair, recruits two members atlarge to serve on the committee and submits their names forapproval by the Board and official appointment by the Presidentby September 1. Section 4.2 Election Process. A slate ofcandidates and ballot are to be mailed out to the entiremembership at least sixty days before the newly electedofficers are to begin their term in office. Results of theelection are announced at the annual business meeting and inthe Journal. The Immediate Past-President prepares the ballots,mails them to the members, tallies the votes, reports theresults to the Board and the membership, and conducts theinstallation ceremony on the following schedule: September 15,call for nominations; October 15, close of nominations; January15, slate of candidates presented to board; February 15,mailing of ballots; March 15, return of ballots; April 15,announcement of election results; closing ceremony of biennialconference, installation of new officers. Section 5.1 Policy.Official policy must exclude reference to commercialmanufacturers, i.e., no product endorsements. However,exceptional situations which may affect the integrity of theorganization and the profession (such as fraud or purposefulmisrepresentation) may be considered for policy adoption uponnotification of such intent in the IALL Journal and anappropriate discussion at the next scheduled annual meeting.Section 6.1 Groups. Local or regional Groups may be franchisedupon approval of the Council after petitioning the ExecutiveBoard with a minimum of ten signatures. Section 6.1.1 The Groupleader must be a member in good standing of IALL. Section 6.1.2Each Group is responsible for its own structure, providing thatthis structure does not violate the Constitution or Bylaws ofIALL. Section 6.1.3 Each Group must maintain a minimummembership of ten and hold at least one meeting per year. Eachgroup must publish one newsletter per year (with copies to besent to other regional group leaders, all IALL Board members,the IALL Journal Editor, and all IALL members in their area).Groups may be disenfranchised by action of the Council whenthey fail to maintain adequate membership or activity. Section6.1.4 Regional Groups may apply to IALL for an annual subsidy.The Groups are entitled to receive $2 per IALL member withinthe region, whether or not they are members of the RegionalGroup, and $2 for each Board member and each Regional Groupleader. Section 6.2 Affiliates. Upon approval by the Councilindependent organizations with similar goals and activities maybe granted affiliate status with IALL. The Council determinesthe appropriateness of the affiliation and the provisions ofthe affiliation. Likewise, The Council may initiate affiliationof IALL with another organization in keeping with the goals ofIALL. Section 7.1 Publication of Constitution and Bylaws. TheEditor of the IALL Journal must publish the Constitution andthe Bylaws in the Journal at least once every five years.Section 7.1.1 Approved amendments to the Constitution or Bylawsmust be published in the issue of the Journal following theiradoption. |
Characteristics of the metabolism-induced binding of misonidazole to hypoxic mammalian cells.
[14C]Misonidazole (MISO) becomes bound to macromolecules of mammalian cells upon hypoxic incubation. Intracellular enzyme processes are implicated since the temperature dependence for this process showed an activation energy of 33.5 kcal/mol. The sensitizer bound to both hypoxic and aerobic cells was associated with the macromolecular fraction and the soluble fraction in the proportion, 23 and 77%, respectively. The initial rate of binding of [14C]MISO to the macromolecular (acid-insoluble) fraction of hypoxic EMT-6 mouse tumor and V-79 hamster cells increased proportionally with the square root of extracellular concentration of MISO up to at least 5mM. High concentrations of dimethyl sulfoxide (an effective OH radical scavenger), allopurinol (an effective inhibitor of xanthine oxidase), and diamide (a chemical which can deplete cellular levels of glutathione) had little or no effect on this metabolism-induced binding process. The addition of high concentrations of exogenous cysteamine to hypoxic cell cultures resulted in almost complete inhibition of binding. Extracellular bovine albumin at high concentration in hypoxic cell cultures had little effect on the production of adducts to cell macromolecules and only small amounts of [14C]MISO were found to bind to the extra-cellular bovine albumin. This result suggests that MISO preferentially binds to molecules within the cell in which it is metabolically activated. In experiments where cells labeled under hypoxic conditions with [14C]MISO were subsequently permitted to proliferate in aerobic monolayers, a half-life of the acid-insoluble addition products of approximately 55 hr was measured. A large number of [14C]MISO adducts (approximately 10(9)/cell) can be generated in hypoxic cells without any evidence of cytotoxicity, and they are slowly cleared from cells. These are favorable characteristics as regards the development of this technique as a marker for hypoxic cells in solid tumors. |
Q:
What accents do not use yeísmo?
Something I've wondered ever since I started learning Spanish about 8 years ago.
One often hears that the sound for "ll" and "y" is merged in "most accents". Wikipedia's IPA for Spanish guide, for instance, says:
/ʎ/ merged with /ʝ/ in
most dialects
In metropolitan areas of the Iberian Peninsula and some Central
American countries, /ʎ/ has merged into /ʝ/; the actual realization
depends on dialect. In Rioplatense Spanish, it has become [ʃ] or [ʒ].
I probably haven't seen any accent being described without an explanation to this effect:
se cayó ("he fell down") is homophonous with se calló ("he became silent")
Yes, I got that. However, in what accents are "ll" and "y" not merged? What does that sould like? How would someone with such accent say e.g. "calle" and "yo"? (Please link to audio examples if possible!)
Of course, someone from Madrid pronouncing "ll" and "y" identically most likely sounds very different compared to someone from Buenos Aires also pronouncing them identically (but using a voiceless [ʃ]). Is the same true for different areas where speakers do make the distinction? (In other words, do the actual speech sounds employed differ between several accents making the distinction?) Can you give examples of this?
A:
The question tells much about the spread of yeísmo as it seems to be more common than the original pronunciation. The logical question would be "Where do they use yeísmo" to know where they pronounce "ll" as "y", but as I said before, it is very spread now and I understand that you asked the opposite as you haven't heard it yet.
I really suggest you to have a look at the article on Yeísmo from Wikipedia. There you can see in a map the exact areas where yeísmo is spotted and isn't. So, within a given accent you can spot that some areas where yeísmo is heard and in other don't. For example, in the Northern Iberian accent, in the northernmost part yeísmo is not that heard as in the South of Castille and Leon.
You know how to pronounce "y" (I guess you use /ʝ/, but I think you are also aware of the Rioplatense accent from your question). Remember that "yeísmo" is to not pronounce "ll" as in the original way, but in the way of how "y" is pronounced locally. This means that "y" is always pronounced the same, it doesn't matter if there is yeísmo or not. "Yo" is pronounced in the same way by a "yeísta" and a not "yeísta". The point is how to pronounce "ll" as the original /ʎ/ of "ll".
So, the original sound of "ll" is /ʎ/, and the lose of this sound in favour of the one used for "y" is called "yeísmo". The sound /ʎ/ is not exclusive of Spanish, it exists in other languages and is called "Palatal lateral approximant". Here you can hear the sound. Also this video is good.
Finally, in this video you can check the differences in the pronunciations between the "ll" and "y" in different accents. In the Spanish and Chilean accents, the distinction is made, whereas in Argentinian (Rioplatense) and Cuban isn't. Note that the video is done in purpose to learn the differences, it doesn't mean that in all Spain and Chile is done this way. However, in Cuba and Argentina is not done. In Argentina "ll" and "y" are always pronounced as [ʃ] or [ʒ].
A:
I am "yeísta" in Spanish, even though I can pronounce the palatal lateral "ll" without effort.
I am not "yeísta" in Catalan, Portuguese or Italian.
Nowadays "yeísmo" is standard Spanish.
Most Spanish speakers cannot even pronounce the palatal lateral “ll”. Foreign students should not worry about it.
|
Local News
The Cherry harvest season in Door County continues. Plenty of orchards still have cherries on the trees left to be picked. Steve Wood of Wood Orchards in Egg Harbor says this year’s crop has benefited from the hot weather and avoidance of bad storms.
According to the Wisconsin Cherry Growers facebook account, there is a...more>>
Local Sports
Mark Hahn Sr. and his son Mark Jr. are still on the top of the leader board with their 40-inch, 31.41-pound salmon taken near Cana Island before sundown Friday. The nine day Tournament concludes today.
For up-to-date reports and the final tally board posting of the tournament go to
www.KDSalmon.com or
the facebook account at https://www.facebook.com/pages/KD-Salmon-Tournament/1...more>> |
Making evidence-based decisions about child language intervention in schools.
The results of recent survey studies suggest that speech-language pathologists base most of their clinical decisions on information they were taught during their graduate programs, their clinical experience, and the opinions of colleagues (T. Wolf & J. Balderson, 2005; R. Zipoli & M. Kennedy, 2005). This is contrary to the principles of evidence-based practice (EBP), in which clinical decisions arise from the integration of scientific evidence, clinician experience, and client needs. Our field's interest in EBP is relatively young. Currently, there are no published committee-derived EBP guidelines for providing language intervention services for children with language disorders. Until national or international organizations publish recommendations from EBP guideline writing panels, clinicians will need to make personal evidence-based decisions with relatively little assistance from outside sources. The purpose of this article is to summarize a seven-step process for making local EBP decisions. The authors provide information about a method for forming clinical questions, finding relevant scientific studies, and evaluating those studies that requires relatively little time and few external resources. The authors also provide a system for integrating scientific evidence with their own expertise and training within the context of their employment settings. Finally, an example is provided to show clinicians how to use the evidence-based decision-making process to answer a clinical question about clinical methods for improving grammatical morphology in children with speech-language impairment. It is possible for clinicians to make time- and resource-efficient evidence-based decisions that integrate scientific evidence, clinical expertise, and student-parent preferences. |
Q:
Refreshing browser on resize after certain amount
I have quite a complex page (responsive) with a lot of scripts running, and rather than trying to recalculate all these scripts when the browser is resized, I simply wish to trigger a refresh when the browser is resized.
Trouble is, that a refresh on browser resize sends Android devices, and some versions of IE into a refresh loop. I was thinking therefore to only refresh the browser after it has been resized a certain amount, and see if that cures the problem, which is what I'm attempting to do below. Though for some reason, the browser won't refresh at all. The counter works fine, but the window.location.reload(); doesn't appear to be working here (works outside of this function fine). Any ideas as to why this is?
var $resizeTolerance = 0;
jQuery(window).on("resize", function(){
$resizeTolerance++;
console.log($resizeTolerance);
if($resizeTolerance > 10) {
window.location.reload();
}
});
A:
I would strongly recommend not doing this, not least because you've said you don't want to "...[try] to recalculate all these scripts when the browser is resized..." but of course that's exactly what you're doing: When the page is reloaded, you're repeating all the calcuations. Instead, make sure the calculations are repeatable, then repeat them.
But with that out of the way:
What you're looking for is setTimeout, to do something after the user is done resizing the browser:
var loadedAt = Date.now();
var resizeHandle = 0;
jQuery(window).on("resize", function(){
if (Date.now() - loadedAt < 300) {
// ignore
return;
}
if (resizeHandle) {
clearTimeout(resizeHandle);
}
resizeHandle = setTimeout(reloadPage, 100); // 100ms = 1/10th second
});
function reloadPage() {
window.location.reload();
}
That will wait until a tenth of a second after the last resize event occurs, and then trigger a page refresh. You may want to adjust the time.
It also ignores any resize event within 300ms of when the code hooks up the handler, to ignore the initial resize event the browser apparently sends.
Live Example
Side note: This uses Date.now, which nearly all browsers have at this point. You can shim it in older browsers like this:
if (!Date.now) {
Date.now = function() {
return +new Date();
}
}
|
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015, Australia / USA)
What can I say about the new Mad Max movie? Wasn’t it already being rhapsodized about in reviews even before its release to the general public? Some critics got so het up they snuck through the reviewing embargos because they couldn’t contain their enthusiasm. It’s amazing what effect pumped-up post-apocalyptic motorized mayhem can have on some folks.
(It seems I was the only woman at the screening, though my hopes rose when I saw a sister film-lover a few rows ahead of me, but it turned out to be a long-haired guy with a goatee beard…)
George Miller’s post-apocalyptic landscape was first introduced to audiences in 1979 in the Australian actioner Mad Max, re-established in the 1981’s The Road Warrior and last seen in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome in 1985. With Fury Road, director Miller returns to the lawless, fuel-deprived future of his seminal series for the first time in three decades. Each movie has been more successful than the last and subsequently has had more money to spend. Granted a generous budget of millions, Miller has finally had the opportunity to put the Mad Max he could only dream about in his fledgling years up on the screen.
Many directors have found this kind of studio funded wealth to be their nemesis, and have often lost their core audience by overreaching themselves and getting lost in the alluring world of digital enhancements and special effects. I’m pleased to report that George Miller cannily sidesteps this pitfall and sticks with what made his Mad Max series so unique in the first place. He pours the money into the lost art of daredevil stunt work and pyrotechnics – the vehicular mayhem, the smashes and crashes are, by and large, the real thing.
Fury Road offers us one arresting image after another: warriors on swinging poles, bikers dropping bombs as they jump over moving cars, spiked dune-buggies like wheeled porcupines on speed, sedan frames set on top of tanks, trucks flipping through the air, rusty steel frames scrunching up or exploding. On the roofs and hoods of these crazy, patched-together, speeding war machines, post-apocalyptic savages battle with blades, pistols, sawn-off shotguns, hooks, chainsaws, or fists. The dizzying desert sky and rolling red sands look stunning on the big screen.
Providing the martial soundtrack to spur the troops onto the onslaught is an expansive percussion section of jungle drummers and a mutant guitarist blasting out metal riffs and supported by a brace of bungee cords. It must surely be the best job of the lot – being the wild axe-wielder in front of a towering bank of amps (axe in this case meaning a flame-throwing guitar pumped up to Nigel’s number eleven) – I’d sneak that job if I could. All this din becomes a veritable symphony of combustion.
Max himself is, as ever, a man of few words, Tom Hardy now taking over from the young Mel Gibson. Hardy’s Max is pretty patently mad, having visions of his slaughtered family and possibly suffering from some form of PTSD. We first see him standing beside his familiar 600HP, V8 Interceptor, staring out across the desert plain, chewing on a mutated two-headed lizard as he contemplates what’s become of the scorched Earth (we learn in news bulletins played over the film’s opening credits, that it’s been laid to waste by wars for oil and water, finishing in a thermonuclear explosion). His world has long regressed into barbarism, as humanity’s impulse to survive has become perverted by rapaciousness and brutality.
Within the first few minutes, Max is captured by Immortan Joe (Keays-Byrne, aka Toecutter from the ’79 film), the bloated and diseased leader of an army of white-painted War Boys who, hyped-up on pseudo-religious fervour and riddled with a wasting sickness, use normal humans as living blood-bags. The boys cling to the herd mentality and are disposed to believe any heroic myth spouted by their alpha-male. In Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, gasoline was the lifeblood of post-apocalyptic society; now water is also a scarce commodity, a supply of which Immortan Joe controls, keeping the starving, rag-tag populace thirsty and in his thrall.
Women have never had it easy in the post-apocalyptic wasteland – that world inevitably tends to revert to an oppressive patriarchal structure, and the threat of male violence and sexual violation constantly hangs over them. Immortan Joe keeps large-breasted women as milking stock and also incarcerates a group of young women for sex and impregnation. However, it seems that even the supermodel-types cushioned within the leader’s harem eventually get fed-up of being treated as sex-objects and breeding stock. In his fourth Mad Max instalment, Miller allows the women to take centre stage and finally fight back – which brings us to Charlize Theron’s remarkable performance as the one-armed warrior-woman Furiosa.
Furiosa is Fury Road’s heart and soul—her escape with the young wives is not just a flight from the unwanted attentions of the domineering and repulsive Immortan Joe, but a search for a refuge from the madness and tyranny of his world. These women are hell-bent for a better place where they can feel safe and free. Miller has never shirked from projecting difficult issues into his violent and dystopian visions of the near-future. The action set pieces may be what grab the attention, but the main themes are not marginalized – indeed, Fury Road maintains the theme of personal freedom at the forefront. “You can’t own people” is a sentence often repeated, and the harsh question “Who killed the world?” is here posed by the women and aimed at the men. Some of the fundamental questions familiar from the previous movies are also reiterated: Where are we going? How do we cope when our resources become scarce? How can we live together in a civilized way?
After getting caught up in the wild vehicular action of Fury Road, I managed to resist the urge to drive back home whooping like a maniac, but I was uncomfortably struck by just how many cars there were around me – streaming along the road, parked on both sides of the street, filling the driveways, squeezed up on pavements – I certainly saw a lot more cars than I saw people. It’s a sobering thought to see just how deeply dependent we already are on oil, and one day, it will inevitably run out, and what will become of us then?
[amazon asin[uk]=B00QKS2CJI&asin[us]=B00XQ13ZSO&text=Ant-Man (2015) is available to buy from Amazon]; and if you decide to make a purchase after following this link you will have supported Attack From Planet B, so thank you. |
The 12-month prevalence of substance use and ICD-10 substance use disorders in Australian adults: findings from the National Survey of Mental Health and Well-Being.
To present the prevalence of substance use and ICD-10 substance use disorders in the adult Australian population using data from the National Survey of Mental Health and Well-Being (NSMHWB). A cross-sectional survey assessing substance use and ICD substance use disorders (harmful use and dependence). A household survey of a nationally representative sample of 10,641 Australian adults (aged 18 years or older). Trained survey interviewers administered a structured interview based on the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). In the past 12 months 6.5% of the sample had an ICD-10 alcohol use disorder (95% CI: 6.2, 6.9), and 2.2% had another drug use disorder (95% CI: 2.0, 2.4). More males than females had substance use disorders: 9.5% of males (95% CI: 8.5, 10.5) and 3.6% of females (95% CI: 3.2, 4.0) met criteria for an alcohol use disorder, and 3.2% of males (95% CI: 2.8, 3.6) and 1.3% of females (95% CI: 0.9, 1.7) met criteria for another drug use disorder within the past 12 months. The prevalence of substance use disorders decreased with increasing age: 10.5% of respondents aged 18-34 years met criteria for an alcohol use disorder and 4.8% met criteria for a drug use disorder. The rates of these disorders among those aged 55 years or older were 1.8% and 0.1%, respectively. Substance use disorders were more prevalent among the unemployed, those who had never married and those who were Australian-born. The prevalence of substance use disorders in the Australian population is comparable to that in other English-speaking countries. |
Abstract [en]
The purpose of the paper is to explore how an entrepreneur seizes opportunities in different contexts over the course of time through the developmental phases of an enterprise. The investigation is about a Chinese entrepreneur who founded a feather processing firm in 1978 after the start of the economic reform in the country. A qualitative research approach was selected to guide the exploratory nature of the study. Relevant data have been collected from news reports, articles and books written about the entrepreneur and the case company. During the early phase of the firm's development, the entrepreneur depended heavily on political connections to search for and seize opportunities. Institutional actors, such as the local government and the central government, played the role of mediators by introducing the entrepreneur to the most important actors in the market and providing resources such as loans, land, labour, etc. The foundation of the company was not the result of the foresightedness of the entrepreneur but of the Chinese central government. Thus, we refer to this entrepreneurship as state-promoted entrepreneurship. The entrepreneur's relationship with the institutional actors was represented by patronage, privilege and protection. As time progressed, experience grew and institutional policies changed towards favouring foreign trade, the entrepreneur sought opportunities independently, occasionally bypassing the important institutional actors. We refer to such a phenomenon as "State-parenting entrepreneurship", which is similar to how parents raise their children in a protective environment during the early years and subsequently allow them, over time, to move on independently.
sted, utgiver, år, opplag, sider
Reading: ACAD Conferences Ltd. , 2013. s. 401-408
Serie
Proceedings of the European Conference on Entrepreneurship and Innovation, ISSN 2049-1050 |
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LoanMart may act as the broker for the loan and may not be the direct lender. Loan proceeds are intended primarily for personal, family and household purposes. LoanMart does not offer or service student loans. California loans are made or arranged pursuant to a California Financing Law License. See State Disclosures for additional disclosures.
1Credit approval is subject to LoanMart’s credit criteria standards. Actual loan amount, term, and Annual Percentage Rate of the loan that a consumer qualifies for may vary by applicant. Minimum loan amounts vary by state. Consumers need to demonstrate ability to repay the loan.
2Based on consumers who received a loan from February 2002 to October 2018.
3Application processes could take five (5) minutes to complete. Upon completion, a conditional approval may be given pending review of documentation. Funding time is based on the time from final approval following receipt and review of all required documents and signing, prior to 5PM PST on a business day.
4To exercise the right to rescind, the consumer(s) must notify LoanMart in writing by midnight on the sixth calendar day from obtaining the loan. Within one business day from notice of rescission, the consumer(s) must return any monies received and fees paid on behalf of the consumer(s) by certified funds.
5LoanMart recommends and encourages customers to pay early and often and more in order to avoid additional finance charges.
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Q:
Get multiple/grouped sums for a vector with values separated by NA's
I have an update on my previous question:
c(123, 4525, 4365, 234, 674, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA,
24, 347, 457, 3246, 234, 5, 346, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA) # [... and so on]
Is there any way to get me the sums for each of my pack of values separated by my NA's? Both the values and the NA's separate in their length over the vector and that's where I see the problem…
Ronak Shah's answer was very helpful but there remains a problem:
I have some packs of values, which equal 0 in their sum.
But this is an important information for me!
So if I use new[new != 0] I cut them off and I have no information on which sums belong to which pack of values in the end.
A:
You could use data.table::rleid :
library(data.table)
tapply(x[!is.na(x)], rleid(is.na(x))[!is.na(x)], sum)
# 1 3 5 7 9
# 9921 4659 5289 0 0
|
using System;
using System.Reflection;
using UnityEditor.Graphing;
using UnityEngine;
using UnityEngine.UIElements;
namespace UnityEditor.ShaderGraph.Drawing.Controls
{
[Serializable]
struct ToggleData
{
public bool isOn;
public bool isEnabled;
public ToggleData(bool on, bool enabled)
{
isOn = on;
isEnabled = enabled;
}
public ToggleData(bool on)
{
isOn = on;
isEnabled = true;
}
}
[AttributeUsage(AttributeTargets.Property)]
class ToggleControlAttribute : Attribute, IControlAttribute
{
string m_Label;
public ToggleControlAttribute(string label = null)
{
m_Label = label;
}
public VisualElement InstantiateControl(AbstractMaterialNode node, PropertyInfo propertyInfo)
{
return new ToggleControlView(m_Label, node, propertyInfo);
}
}
class ToggleControlView : VisualElement, AbstractMaterialNodeModificationListener
{
AbstractMaterialNode m_Node;
PropertyInfo m_PropertyInfo;
Label m_Label;
Toggle m_Toggle;
public ToggleControlView(string label, AbstractMaterialNode node, PropertyInfo propertyInfo)
{
m_Node = node;
m_PropertyInfo = propertyInfo;
styleSheets.Add(Resources.Load<StyleSheet>("Styles/Controls/ToggleControlView"));
if (propertyInfo.PropertyType != typeof(ToggleData))
throw new ArgumentException("Property must be a Toggle.", "propertyInfo");
label = label ?? ObjectNames.NicifyVariableName(propertyInfo.Name);
var value = (ToggleData)m_PropertyInfo.GetValue(m_Node, null);
var panel = new VisualElement { name = "togglePanel" };
if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(label))
{
m_Label = new Label(label);
m_Label.SetEnabled(value.isEnabled);
panel.Add(m_Label);
}
m_Toggle = new Toggle();
m_Toggle.OnToggleChanged(OnChangeToggle);
m_Toggle.SetEnabled(value.isEnabled);
m_Toggle.value = value.isOn;
panel.Add(m_Toggle);
Add(panel);
}
public void OnNodeModified(ModificationScope scope)
{
var value = (ToggleData)m_PropertyInfo.GetValue(m_Node, null);
m_Toggle.SetEnabled(value.isEnabled);
if (m_Label != null)
m_Label.SetEnabled(value.isEnabled);
if (scope == ModificationScope.Graph)
{
this.MarkDirtyRepaint();
}
}
void OnChangeToggle(ChangeEvent<bool> evt)
{
m_Node.owner.owner.RegisterCompleteObjectUndo("Toggle Change");
var value = (ToggleData)m_PropertyInfo.GetValue(m_Node, null);
value.isOn = evt.newValue;
m_PropertyInfo.SetValue(m_Node, value, null);
this.MarkDirtyRepaint();
}
}
}
|
Marine geophysical surveys are often used for oil and gas exploration in marine environments. Marine environments may include saltwater, freshwater, brackish water, and other similar environments. Various types of signal sources and sensors may be used in different types of geophysical surveys. For example, one type of marine geophysical survey is based on the use of pressure waves. In such a survey, a vessel may tow an acoustic source (e.g., an air gun or a marine vibrator) and a plurality of streamers along which a number of pressure sensors (e.g., hydrophones) are located. Pressure waves generated by the source may then be transmitted to the Earth's crust and then reflected back and captured at the sensors. Pressure waves received during a marine seismic survey may be analyzed to locate hydrocarbon-bearing geological structures, and thus determine where deposits of oil and natural gas may be located. As another example, marine electromagnetic (EM) surveys may be conducted using EM signals transmitted by a submerged antenna and detected by EM receivers.
In a typical marine survey, the streamers on which the sensors are located are very long, typically multiple kilometers in length. Some surveys may be conducted with a single streamer, while some surveys utilize multiple streamer systems including one or more arrays of streamers. The individual streamers in such arrays are generally affected by the same forces that affect a single streamer. Equipment used to connect streamers to the towing vessel generally maintains the depth of the forward end of the streamers and maintains the forward ends of the streamers at selected lateral distances from each other as they are towed through the water.
Each streamer of the streamer array may include a tail buoy at the distal end of the streamer. Tail buoy may typically include geodetic position receiver such as a GPS receiver that may determine the geodetic position of the tail buoy. The geodetic position receiver may be in signal communication with other relevant survey equipment.
A typical streamer can extend behind the seismic vessel for several kilometers. Because of the great length of the typical streamer, the streamer may not travel entirely in a straight line (or other planned configuration) behind the towing vessel at every point along its length due to interaction of the streamer with the water and currents in the water, among other factors. As such, the streamers in the array may have a tendency to cross and tangle, resulting in operational downtime. During deployment or retrieval of the array of streamers, entanglement may be common. Generally, streamer positioning devices may be employed to prevent the entanglement of and detangle streamers. However, when the ropes or chains connecting the tail buoys become entangled, they may require manual untangling, because they are generally not equipped with such positioning device. Manually untangling the ropes or chains and the tail buoys to which they are attached can be time consuming and costly. Unless a nearby repair vessel has the capability and availability to untangle the ropes or chains and the tail buoys, the survey operation typically must be suspended so that the array of streamers and the attached ropes or chains and tail buoys can be retrieved to be untangled by the survey vessel crew.
Another instance of entanglement may arise when the array of streamers is being towed near an offshore structure or obstacle (such as ice floes). As the wind and current may push the array of streamers and the respective tail buoys into the offshore structure or the obstacle, the streamer or the array of streamers and the respective tail buoys may hook onto or cross the structure or the obstacle resulting in entanglement, and in some cases, damage to the streamers and the sensors attached to the streamers.
In addition to being a hazard to streamers and the sensors attached thereto, tail buoy entanglement can also be hazardous to the survey crew because untangling the tail buoys often requires manual operation. Particularly in deep sea survey operations, such manual operation can be dangerous and is thus highly undesirable.
Accordingly, in marine seismic, electromagnetic, and other types of surveying, the need exists for an apparatus in place of the tail buoys but without being physically attached to the trailing end(s) of the streamer or the array of streamers. The efficiency of a survey operation is likely to increase as the above mentioned entanglement and downtime may be curtailed. The efficiency may additionally increase as the quantity of the survey equipment and the complexity of operation may be reduced. Streamers without tail buoys may also reduce towing load, resulting in further cost savings of the entire survey operation. Moreover, streamers free of tail buoys may result in reduced tug noise thereby increasing survey data accuracy. Additional advantages may include less hazardous working environment for the survey crew.
This specification includes references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment.” The appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner consistent with this disclosure.
This specification may use phrase such as “based on.” As used herein, this term is used to describe one or more factors that affect a determination. This term does not foreclose additional factors that may affect a determination. That is, a determination may be solely based on those factors or based only in part on those factors. Consider the phrase “determine A based on B.” This phrase connotes that B is a factor that affects the determination of A, but does not foreclose the determination of A from also being based on C. In other instances, A may be determined based solely on B.
Various devices, units, circuits, or other components may be described or claimed as “configured to”, “usable to”, or “operable to” perform a task or tasks. In such contexts, “configured to”, “usable to” and “operable to” is each used to connote structure by indicating that the devices/units/circuits/components include structure that performs the task or tasks during an operation. As such, the device/unit/circuit/component can be said to be configured to, usable to, or usable to perform the task even when the specified device/unit/circuit/component is not currently operational (e.g., is not on or in operation). The devices/units/circuits/components used with the “configured to”, “usable to”, or “operable to” language include hardware—for example, circuits, memory storing program instructions executable to implement the operation, etc. Reciting that a device/unit/circuit/component is “configured to”, “usable to”, or “operable to” perform one or more tasks is expressly intended not to invoke 35 U.S.C. §112(f), for that device/unit/circuit/component.
While at least a portion of the explanation of the need provided herein refers to seismic surveying, it is important to recognize that the survey system here is not limited to seismic survey but rather any survey system which includes a plurality of laterally spaced-apart sensor streamers towed by a vessel. Such other types of streamers may include, without limitation, electrodes, magnetometers and temperature sensors. Accordingly, the references to seismic streamers are provided as non-limiting examples. |
Oxygen candles are well-known. Oxygen candles are devices that produce on demand a supply of oxygen by means of a chemical reaction. (The term “chemical reaction” is used herein to exclude electrolytic decomposition and other methods requiring an external source of energy.) An example of an oxygen candle is disclosed in WO 2009/030921 A2 (Molecular Products Group PLC) published 12 Mar. 2009.
A typical oxygen candle comprises a chemical core of an oxygen-containing substance, for example an alkali metal chlorate or perchlorate, in admixture with a catalyst that facilitates lower temperature decomposition of the chemical to oxygen and residual solids. The catalyst may be manganese dioxide or cobalt dioxide, for example, both of which reduce the temperature at which alkali metal chlorates decompose. The chemical core often also comprises a fuel such as iron.
A known oxygen candle is shown in FIG. 1. The oxygen candle 1 comprises a cylindrical chemical core 2 within an insulated housing 3. A first end of the oxygen candle 1 comprises an ignition apparatus 4, which is used to trigger the production of oxygen by the device. The ignition apparatus 4 may for example be a rotatable body, with a surface facing the chemical core 2 coated with a friction-ignitable substance such as phosphorus. A second end of oxygen candle 1 opposite the first end comprises an oxygen outlet 5. Within the insulated housing 3, between the oxygen outlet 5 and the chemical core 2, there is a filter 6, which contains filtration materials such as soda lime. The filter 6 is a disc-like cylinder a surface of which covers the entire inside surface of the insulated housing 3 of the second end of the oxygen candle 1. The oxygen candle 1 may also comprise a chamber (not shown in FIG. 1) to receive oxygen produced by the chemical core, to cool the oxygen before it is outputted through the oxygen outlet 5.
When a supply of oxygen is required, the ignition apparatus 4 is rotated so that the friction-ignitable substance on its coated surface is forced into contact with the surface of the chemical core 2. This causes an exothermic reaction to be generated, which initiates the chemical reaction that releases the oxygen the chemical core contains. The oxygen is initially released from the end of the chemical core 2 at the first end of the oxygen candle 1, and passes along the sides of the chemical core 2 within the insulated housing 3 along the arrows marked A, towards the oxygen outlet 5 at the opposite end of the oxygen candle 6. Before the oxygen passes out of the oxygen outlet 5 it passes through the filter 6, which removes unwanted reaction products from the oxygen supply, such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and chlorine.
It is a disadvantage of the known oxygen candle 1 that not all unwanted reaction products are removed from the oxygen supply by the filter 6. The present invention seeks to solve or mitigate this problem. Alternatively and/or additionally, the invention seeks to provide an improved chemical core and an improved oxygen generator. |
Evidence that the elevated levels of proteinase activity in the plasma of melanoma-bearing mice may be of host origin.
C57B1/6 mice bearing the B16-F1 melanoma, an invasive variant (BL6) or a highly 'metastatic' variant (B16-F10) were found to develop elevated levels (200-300% of control) of neutral proteinase activity in their plasma during the progression of the disease. The magnitude of the level of proteinase activity detected was not dependent on tumor burden. Similar elevations in activity were detected with all 3 variants when they were transplanted either subcutaneously or intraperitoneally. However, transplantation of the B16-F10 line to the anterior chamber of the eye did not induce elevated plasma proteinase activity. Animals bearing intraocular tumors developed splenomegaly and lived the same length of time as animals bearing intraperitoneal or subcutaneous tumors. The development of increased levels of activity appeared to occur equally in male and female mice and was not dependent on the presence of a spleen, which undergoes enlargement during the disease process. These various lines of evidence support the hypothesis that the elevated level of plasma proteinase activity observed in melanoma-bearing mice is regulated by the host. |
Q:
default sftp server in debian 9 stretch
Please, what is default sftp server in debian 9 stretch after clean system installation?
I wanted to configure proftd as I thought it is proftpd but I found out there is something other installed. Many thanks
A:
The default Debian 9 SFTP server is provided by OpenSSH's ssh server sshd. To disable it type sudo systemctl stop sshd && sudo systemctl disable sshd. HOWEVER if you do this you will also be disabling your SSH server. FTP and SFTP are two different protocols and should be able to exist on the same machine on separate ports.
EDIT: Jeff's comment on my answer is also a good suggestion to more specifically disable SFTP. In /etc/ssh/sshd_config disable the line Subsystem sftp /usr/lib/openssh/sftp-server by putting a #(hash sign) in front of it like so, # Subsystem sftp /usr/lib/openssh/sftp-server.
|
Sunday, August 19, 2018
Mom's Taxi #2
Lindsay, Brooklyn, Georgia, and Maddie stared at the blue feathered dinosaur that was also staring at them. Karmen was watching from inside the van.
“They did have feathers,” Maddie breathed.
“Where are we?” Lindsay asked no one. “What do we do?”
Andrew, Christine, her husband John, and Michelle, Maddie’s mom, were standing with a couple of police officers. “Lindsay is tall, about 5’11”, brown hair usually pulled into a ponytail. Wide hazel eyes. Here. I have a picture of Lindsay and the girls on my phone,” Andrew got out his phone and showed the officer the picture.
“Here,” the officer pulled a card of his shirt pocket. “Email me that picture. What car was she driving?”
“A forest green hatchback,” Andrew said. He gave the make, model, and year of Lindsay’s car. “I think I have an old insurance card in my car with the license number on it.”
“Okay. Can you get that?” the officer turned to Christine. “You dropped your daughter off at Ms. Baird’s at about 8:15?”
“Yes, I had an errand to run before the game and was going to be a few minutes late.”
“What were you doing? We need to verify that you were there without Georgia.”
Christine hesitated. She could still feel Michael on top of her and inside of her. She looked at John. They’d been having marital troubles over the last year. She had started talking to Michael after they met at the discount grocery store. Christine had done terribly at keeping their two flings secret. Their first time, her oldest daughter, Audrey, had walked in on them and now this. Maybe this was fate giving her a sign. “I was at CostCo getting a giant case of those small Sunny D bottles,” she lied.
The officer wrote that down. “Okay. And Maddie spent the night at the Bairds?”
“Yes,” Michelle answered. “Maddie had been over at Lindsay’s all day Friday and she--Maddie--called from Lindsay’s cell asking to spend the night. See?” Michelle held up her phone showing a recent call from Lindsay at 5:17 in the evening that lasted less than five minutes.
The officer made a note. Andrew was back with the old insurance card. “Mr. Baird, do you know, was Lindsay depressed or angry?”
“We went through a pretty messy divorce but it was mostly amicable. She seemed okay. The girls never mentioned anything about their mom acting differently,” Andrew explained.
“Do any of you know which route she might have taken to the soccer field?”
“She would probably take Atwood,” Michelle said.
“Which is closed at 32nd,” Christine reminded.
“So we don’t know which way she was going,” Andrew said.
“We’ll put out an APB for the vehicle and question people along James and Alexandria Streets to see if she took one of those after reaching the detour,” the officer said. “Mr. Baird, Mr. and Mrs. Hetrick, and Ms. Kubrick, can you come with me so we can get pictures of your kids and Lindsay?”
They all nodded. They separated to their own vehicles and followed the one officer back to the police station. Only Michelle wasn’t thinking the worst.
Brooklyn walked up to the dinosaur and reached out her hand to pet it. “Brooklyn, don’t touch it. You could get...oh, what’s that disease you can get from birds?” Lindsay said.
“It’s not a bird, Mom,” Brooklyn scoffed.
“It’s feathered and an ancestor of birds. Don’t touch it.”
“Shouldn’t we be finding some shelter and some food?” Maddie asked.
“Well, we have the car for shelter. There looks to be plenty of food-like stuffs in the plants but I don’t know if they are safe to eat,” Lindsay looked at the odd fruits on the fern-like plant near her.
The dinosaur made a cooing purr sound. “Aw, he loves us,” Brooklyn said.
“He probably thinks we’re food,” Karmen said. She had gotten out of the car but was still somewhat cowering behind it.
Another dinosaur popped out, angrier with darker colored feathers. Brown with a fringe of purple. It hissed and the blue dinosaur ran away. “Girls, get in the car.”
The girls and Lindsay slowly got in the car and locked the doors. The dinosaur came up to the driver’s window and hissed again. Lindsay started the car. “Can we go home?” Karmen cried.
“We’ll try, sweetie,” Lindsay threw the car into reverse and backed up to head back the way that they had come. The car raced--bouncing and flailing--down the narrow clay ruts. She couldn’t drive too fast so the dinosaur was able to keep up. Suddenly, the dinosaur paused then darted back into the trees.
“He stopped chasing us,” Maddie said.
“He went back into the trees,” Karmen said.
Lindsay slowed down and then came to a stop. She was breathing heavily. “Can someone reach back and grab me a bottle of water?”
Georgia reached back into the hatchback and began opening the case of bottled water she brought. “Why did he stop chasing us?” Brooklyn asked.
“I don’t know,” Lindsay said taking a bottle from Georgia. “I’m just glad it stopped.” She took a huge drink and then put the bottle in a cup holder. The water slightly vibrated and rippled as it sat there.
When Christine and John returned home, their oldest daughter, Audrey, was at the kitchen table seemingly waiting for them. “Mom, can I talk to you real quick?”
“Can it wait? We have to get pictures of Georgia to the police?” Christine sighed.
“Why? What happened?” Audrey asked.
“Should we tell her?” John asked.
“I guess we should. Audrey, Georgia has gone missing. I dropped her off at Ms. Baird’s and they never made it to the soccer game,” Christine said.
“What happened? Did Ms. Baird take her?”
“We don’t know. She also had Brooklyn, Karmen, and Maddie. We don’t know what happened. She just disappeared.”
Audrey nodded and looked down at her fingers between her legs.
“We’ll find her. It’ll be okay,” Christine teared up and rubbed Audrey’s arm. “What do you have to tell me?”
“Nothing. It can wait,” Audrey stood up and went to her bedroom.
“How’d she take the news?” Audrey’s friend, Amber, asked.
“I didn’t tell her. Georgia’s missing.”
“Really? What happened?”
“She was with Ms. Baird, driving to the soccer field. They never got there.”
“Do you think she killed her?” Amber asked.
“I don’t think so.”
“Well, you should tell your parents soon because if Georgia is found dead, there’ll never be a good time to tell them you’re pregnant.”
The vibrations in the water grew bigger. Pounding could be heard in the distance and smaller dinosaurs and flying dinosaurs were quickly abandoning the forest. “I feel like we’re in some Jurassic Park situation,” Lindsay said quietly. “Let’s find a place to go.”
She started the car and began driving away from the forest, following the animals. The girls in back, Maddie, Karmen, and Georgia, turned around and saw a tyrannosaurus rex standing a couple feet over the trees of the forest. It roared which both scared and thrilled the girls. |
343 Mass. 686 (1962)
180 N.E.2d 677
POWERS, INC.
vs.
THE WAYSIDE, INC. OF FALMOUTH & another.
Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, Middlesex.
October 6, 1961.
March 1, 1962.
Present: WILKINS, C.J., SPALDING, CUTTER, KIRK, & SPIEGEL, JJ.
Arthur J. Travers, for the defendants.
Louis Karp, (Arthur L. Murray with him,) for the plaintiff.
KIRK, J.
This is an appeal from a decree granting to the plaintiff Powers, Inc. (Powers), specific performance of certain provisions of a written agreement made between it and the defendant The Wayside, Inc. of Falmouth (Wayside).
We summarize the facts found in the confirmed report of the master. On December 24, 1958, Wayside conveyed to Powers by quitclaim deed certain premises in Falmouth which were operated as a summer restaurant with an alcoholic beverage license.
The purchase price was $25,000 paid in the form of (a) $8,000 in cash, (b) $3,798.77 by the assumption of the balance due on a first mortgage note held by a bank, and (c) $13,201.23 by a promissory note from Powers payable to Wayside and secured by a second mortgage on the premises. Simultaneously with the conveyance, the parties executed a written contract which incorporated by reference the deed and mortgage, recited that Wayside acknowledged that the title was defective because of the absence of a signature by a predecessor in title, and made further provisions, *688 the pertinent parts of which, as fairly condensed by the master, we set out comprehensively.[1]
Powers has made the payments on the first mortgage note to the bank. It made interest payments on the note held by Wayside through May 24, 1959, but made no payments of interest or principal thereafter on that note, because up to June 24, 1959, and thereafter Wayside had "failed to perform *689 form its obligation to remedy the title defect or file a petition for land registration in the Land Court under the terms of the contract." On August 13, 1959, Wayside, pursuant to the acceleration clause in the note, made demand on Powers for payment in full. Upon Powers's failure to comply, Wayside commenced foreclosure proceedings and a decree authorizing foreclosure was entered on March 16, 1960. The foreclosure was enjoined after the commencement of this suit on May 4, 1960.
On April 22, 1960, Powers notified Wayside that it was exercising its "option to rescind the contract" and demanded of Wayside a discharge of the mortgage, cancellation of the mortgage note, and reimbursement of all payments of principal and interest on both first and second mortgages, and of all sums expended by Powers in the acquisition of the property or for improvements made on it. Wayside refused this demand and refused a formal tender of a quitclaim deed to the premises. Thereupon followed this bill in equity against Wayside and Lima, its treasurer, who had guaranteed Wayside's obligations under the contract.
The decree entered by the judge ordered Wayside and Lima to comply with the demands of Powers for payment, enjoined the transfer of the note and mortgage, enjoined foreclosure proceedings under them, and declared the note and mortgage null and void. Provision was made for the appointment of a commissioner to carry out the terms of the decree if the defendants should not comply.
The decree cannot stand in its present terms. The interpretation of the written contract, including the option contained in it, is a question of law for the court. Shayeb v. Holland, 321 Mass. 429, 431, and cases cited. See Tri-City Concrete Co. Inc. v. A.L.A. Constr. Co., ante, 425, 427. Notwithstanding the language of the contract that under certain conditions Powers "may, at its option ... elect to rescind the [transaction]," we think that under a proper construction of the contract the parties had agreed in substance that if the named conditions continued to exist at the *690 time specified there would arise in favor of Powers an option to resell to Wayside the property interest it had received from Wayside at a price equivalent to the original purchase price paid by Powers to Wayside, plus whatever amounts, up to the time of the exercise of the option, Powers had expended in connection with the acquisition of the premises or for improvements. Viewing the option in this light, the question arises as to its duration, i.e., the time within which Powers, by exercising the option, could create an executory contract binding itself to reconvey, and Wayside to repurchase, the premises. The contract did not prescribe a specific time within which the option could be exercised. Wayside contends that a correct construction of the contract requires that Powers exercise the option not later than six months and seven days after the date of the execution of the contract. We do not agree. In that contract, Wayside agreed to remedy the title defect within six months, i.e., by June 24, 1959. It also agreed that, if by that time it had not remedied the defect, it would "immediately" file a petition in the Land Court for registration of the land. It did neither. Wayside thereby committed a breach of its contract, thus entitling Powers to pursue the ordinary remedies for such a breach. Under the terms of the contract, however, Powers's option did not arise until seven days after the six months' period. See New England Trust Co. v. Spaulding, 310 Mass. 424, 430. Therefore, acceptance of Wayside's contention as to the duration of the option would mean that the option expired at the same time that it arose. Such a contention refutes itself and we reject it.[2] See Shayeb v. Holland, 321 Mass. 429, 432.
It is our view that Powers's right to exercise the option *691 continued for a reasonable time after the expiration of the six months' and seven days' period following the date of the original contract. Starkweather v. Gleason, 221 Mass. 552, 553. See Loring v. Boston, 7 Met. 409, 412-413; Anno. 88 A.L.R. 842, 843; Restatement: Contracts, § 40 (1). "Where the evidence is in dispute and open to different inferences, the question whether an act has been done within a reasonable time after the happening of a certain event is ordinarily a question of fact, but where [as here] the facts are not in dispute the question becomes one of law." Bruns v. Jordan Marsh Co. 305 Mass. 437, 445, and cases cited. See Starkweather v. Gleason, 221 Mass. 552, 553.
What is a reasonable time depends on all the circumstances of the case. When the offer is one of sale or purchase, the subject matter of the offer is sometimes the major factor. See Starkweather v. Gleason, 221 Mass. 552, 553 (stock fluctuating in value). See also Park v. Whitney, 148 Mass. 278. Where, however, such an offer is made in the context of a contract of which it is merely one part and to whose other provisions it is inextricably bound, such other provisions may be of a significance at least equal to that of the subject matter in determining what is a reasonable time for the offer to be outstanding. We hold that in the light of the provisions of the original contract, the circumstances under which it was executed, and the nature of the property which was its subject, the exercise of the option by Powers on April 22, 1960, almost ten months after it arose, was, as a matter of law, too late and that in legal consequence the purported exercise of the option on that date created no contract binding upon either Powers or Wayside.
We reach this conclusion for the following reasons: Powers apparently desired the property for use as a summer restaurant and in fact did use it for this purpose in 1959. The expiration of the time during which Wayside was obliged to remedy the title defect or file a petition for registration in the Land Court coincided approximately with the beginning of the summer season. The option to *692 resell was to arise in seven days after June 24, 1959, if Wayside had not performed its obligation. It would seem, therefore, clearly inferable that it was the intention of the parties that Powers should be in a position to decide at the end of the stated period or shortly thereafter whether it would keep the property and operate it as a summer restaurant despite the title defect, or call off the entire transaction and recover whatever it had paid by way of purchase price and had expended for improvements in anticipation of its planned operation.
We think, furthermore, that it would be quite unreasonable to attribute to the parties the intent that, Wayside having failed to perform, Powers could use the premises to operate its business through the summer and then, several months thereafter, compel Wayside to repurchase the property at the full purchase price plus expenditures made by Powers without allowance by way of reduction of the purchase price for the value of the use and enjoyment of the property by Powers.
Accordingly, we hold that on April 22, 1960, the offer by Wayside to repurchase, embodied in the option, had expired and that in consequence Powers's attempted acceptance of it on that date created no contract. There being no contract, there can be no specific performance. It follows that the decree entered by the judge cannot stand.
We think, nevertheless, that Powers is entitled to relief on the facts found. The question presented is what form the relief is to take in the light of the pleadings and the findings. As stated at the outset of this opinion, Powers's option as described in the contract was an option to "rescind" the transaction. The use of this term is the apparent cause of some confusion in the manner in which the case has been successively pleaded, tried, argued, and disposed of. The decree is based upon a prayer for specific performance of a contract to repurchase, which, as we have already ruled, is untenable. The findings of the master seem addressed to the theory of rescission. The master made, for example, the very significant finding, that "any *693 delay by the plaintiff [Powers] in the exercise of its option to rescind the contract ... was not prejudicial to the defendant [Wayside] and there was no laches on the part of the plaintiff." This finding is not inconsistent with any other finding of the master. We, therefore, accept it as true and think that upon it we can, in view of the peculiar circumstances of the case, predicate a restitutive remedy.
The availability of the restitutive remedy stems in part from the difference in concept as to what constitutes a reasonable time in (a) cases where specific performance is sought and (b) cases where rescission is sought. In the former, (a), the rule, already discussed, holds that an offer, the duration of which is not specifically limited, endures for a reasonable time. The "reasonable time" element of this rule is in reality an ascertainment, from the circumstances, of what would be the understanding of a reasonable person in the position of the offeree as to the duration of the offer. See Loring v. Boston, 7 Met. 409, 414; Williston, Contracts (3d ed.) § 54; Restatement: Contracts, § 40 (2), esp. comment a; Corbin, Contracts, § 36, pp. 109-112. In the latter, (b), the rule has evolved in our decisions that where the sale of property is involved, "if the buyer intends to rely upon rescission he must return or offer to return the property within a reasonable time after he has gained knowledge of the facts which give him a right to rescind. Bassett v. Brown, 105 Mass. 551, 557." McNulty v. Whitney, 273 Mass. 494, 500. See Williston, Contracts (Rev. ed.) § 1526; Corbin, Contracts, § 1115, p. 515. Cf. Restatement: Contracts, § 349. The "reasonable time" element of this latter rule arises from considerations of fairness to the seller and is akin to the equitable defence of laches. Therefore, although the master's finding, referred to above, is of no significance with regard to the "reasonable time" element of the rule governing the duration of offers, it is conclusive with regard to the "reasonable time" element of the rule governing the right to rescission and restitution in the sale and purchase of property.
Nor can it be said that this restitutive remedy is in fact *694 the equivalent of specific performance which was specifically prayed for by Powers and which we have held is unavailable. For example, the remedy of specific performance, if available to Powers, would require on Powers's part only a tender of a deed to the premises. The remedy of rescission and restitution, however, requires as far as possible a full restoration of the status quo. See Bellefeuille v. Medeiros, 335 Mass. 262, 266. Such restoration here would require of Powers not merely a reconveyance of the property received but also the payment, or adjustments which would be the equivalent of payment, for the fair rental value of the premises during Powers's occupancy. See Restatement: Restitution, § 157, esp. comment d. Nor is this the only manner in which the restitutive remedy will differ from that of specific performance. We think, however, that the details of such restitutive relief can best be resolved by further hearing in the Superior Court and "[I]t seems impracticable at this time to state the applicable law more minutely." Lang v. Giraudo, 311 Mass. 132, 141. See Restatement: Restitution, §§ 156-159.
Our decisions do not preclude us from pursuing this course. Although the special prayer in the bill was for specific performance of a contract to repurchase, "the allegations of fact in the stating part of the bill, and not the special prayers, determine, upon a demurrer as well as upon appeal from a final decree granting relief, whether a case for relief is stated, for by our statute [G.L.c. 214, § 12] a prayer for general relief is in legal effect a part of every bill."[3]Bleck v. East Boston Co. 302 Mass. 127, 130, and cases cited. On the other hand, "it is well settled that no relief can be given under the general prayer for relief which is inconsistent with the specific relief prayed for in the bill." Vallis v. Rimer, 335 Mass. 528, 533, and cases cited. We think that, viewing the allegations of the bill as a whole, there is no fatal inconsistency between the specific relief prayed for (which we have denied) and the relief available on the theory of rescission which we propose to *695 grant. The special prayer is not predicated on the validity and subsistence of the original purchase and sale agreement (compare Bleck v. East Boston Co. 302 Mass. 127, 131). On the contrary, it presupposes a rescission of the original transaction.
Having in mind the foregoing considerations, we conclude that in the particular case the remedy of rescission and restitution is available procedurally, and that the facts alleged and found by the master state a case justifying such relief.
It follows that the decree must be reversed. The case is remanded to the Superior Court for further hearing on the issues presented by the remedy of rescission and restitution available to Powers. Pending further order of the court, Wayside is to be enjoined from transferring the note and mortgage held by it and from proceeding with the foreclosure.
So ordered.
NOTES
[1] "... [Powers] `has accepted the aforesaid conveyance from... [Wayside] upon the express promises and agreement made hereinafter by ... [Wayside], it being intended hereby that such express promises and agreements shall survive the delivery of such deed'; the defendant, Vasco A. Lima, `who is the owner of all the outstanding capital stock in ... (The Wayside Inc. of Falmouth) will become bound to guarantee the performance of all the obligations to be undertaken hereunder by ... (The Wayside Inc. of Falmouth); ... [Wayside] does hereby agree, at its cost, to do all things necessary to remedy the defects in title as affecting the ownership of the (real estate concerned herein)... [Wayside] further agrees that when such defects are remedied, the aforesaid title shall be marketable, legal and good and clear of record excepting a prior mortgage held by Middlesex Federal Savings and Loan Association. Time being of the essence of this agreement, ... [Wayside] agrees to remedy such aforesaid defects in six (6) months from the date hereof'; `In the event that ... [Wayside] does not remedy the defects in title in the manner and within the time provided ... [Wayside] does hereby agree to file a petition in the Land Court immediately upon the expiration of the six months period hereinbefore provided, for the registration of all the aforesaid land ...'; `In the event that ... [Wayside] fails and neglects to file the petition for land registration as aforesaid, then upon the expiration of seven (7) days following the aforesaid six month period, ... [Powers] may, at its option, ... prepare and file a petition for land registration as aforesaid ...'; `If, at the expiration of the six month period hereinabove provided, ... [Wayside] has not remedied the defects in title as aforesaid or has not within seven days thereafter filed a petition in the Land Court for Land Registration ... [Powers] may, at its option, in lieu of filing a petition for land registration as provided in paragraph 3 hereof, elect to rescind the agreement for the purchase and sale of the aforesaid land and the conveyance made subsequent thereto, and in the event of such rescission by ... [Powers]: (a) ... [Powers] shall execute and deliver a quitclaim deed covering the land which is the subject matter of this transaction to ... [Wayside] subject to the mortgage held by the Middlesex Federal Savings and Loan Association; (b) simultaneously therewith ... [Wayside] shall execute and deliver to ... [Powers] the promissory note and discharge of mortgage given by ... [Powers] to ... [Wayside] and bearing even date; (c) ... [Wayside] shall refund to ... [Powers] all sums paid to it in connection with the aforesaid purchase and sale and conveyance and shall reimburse ... [Powers] for all payments of principal and interest made by it on all mortgages affecting said real estate and for all sums expended by ... [Powers] for improvements on said real estate and any and all expenses incurred by ... [Powers] in connection with its acquisition of said real estate'; `The (defendant, Vasco A. Lima) does hereby guaranty unto ... [Powers] the performance by ... [Wayside] of all of its obligations hereunder and does hereby indemnify, exonerate and forever hold harmless ... [Powers] of and from all damages, claims and demands resulting from the aforesaid defect in title'; and `It is hereby agreed by and between the parties hereto that the obligations contained herein on the part of ... [Wayside] to be performed shall continue beyond the date of these presents and shall thus survive the delivery of the deed hereunder.'"
[2] The provision, "Time being of the essence of this agreement," adds nothing to this specific contention of Wayside. In the first place, this participial phrase must be viewed in context: "Time being of the essence of this agreement ... [Wayside] agrees to remedy such aforesaid defects in six (6) months from the date hereof." Thus read, the phrase seems clearly to apply only to Wayside's obligation to remedy the title defect and not to Powers's right to exercise the option. Secondly, even assuming that the phrase is of general application to the contract, Wayside can point to no time which would be of the essence since there is no time limit specified in the contract with regard to Powers's right to exercise the option.
[3] The bill before us sets out a general prayer for relief.
|
The invention relates to methods and apparatus for quickly selecting various degrees of electrical stimulation applied by a collar-mounted receiver-stimulator unit worn by an animal in response to remote stimulus control signals produced by a remote transmitter operated by a trainer.
For a number of years the present assignee has manufactured and marketed remote dog training devices that each include a remote control hand-held radio transmitter and a collar-mounted lightweight radio receiver and associated electronic circuitry that detects coded radio signals from the transmitter unit and then delivers electrical stimulus signals to the dog. A problem that the assignee has spent years attempting to solve is that of providing optimum stimulus levels to the dog for particular training conditions. It is known that too great an electrical stimulus applied to the animal being trained under a particular set of conditions may have a bad overall affect on the dog's emotional well-being, just as excessively intense spanking would be bad for a human child's emotional well-being. On the other hand, good dog training practice requires that the electrical shock stimulus must be sufficient to achieve the desired training objectives. The assignee's present and previously marketed animal training systems have provided a set of five plug-in intensity level adjusting resistors which can be individually plugged into the receiver unit to establish a selected level of intensity of electrical stimulation applied to the dog when the remote transmitter is actuated. The lowest level of intensity produced by one of the intensity level adjusting resistors, i.e., "level one", produces a slight tingling sensation. Levels two, three, four and five provide progressively higher levels of sensation, level five being very uncomfortable.
A problem with the above-described plug-in intensity level adjusting resistors is, of course, that once a particular level adjusting resistor is inserted, the only way of changing the amount of electrical stimulation that can be applied to the dog (by actuating a control on the remote transmitter) is by removing the present intensity level adjusting resistor from the dog's collar unit and substituting another. Unfortunately, the degree of electrical stimulation that will be most effective in training a dog is greatly dependent on the attentiveness of the dog to the trainer. In a typical training situation a fairly low level of electrical stimulation selectively applied by the trainer (by actuating the remote transmitter) will be very effective in accomplishing the desired training goals if used by a skilled trainer in accordance with good dog training practice. However, if an event occurs that greatly distracts the dog, for example if another dog appears, a cat runs by, or a male dog smells a nearby female animal in heat, the degree of electrical stimulation resulting from the previously selected intensity level adjusting resistor may be completely inadequate. In fact, the dog may not even feel the electrical stimulation that the trainer attempts to apply to the dog.
The inventors have learned that the above-described scenario has two very negative effects on the overall training of the dog. First, the trainer is unable to apply the appropriate degree of aversive stimulation that will prevent the dog from engaging in the undesired behavior, i.e., chasing the rabbit. Second, the dog, which already knows as a result of prior training that the behavior is undesired, now learns that it can get away with the undesired behavior because the trainer did not take any immediate effective deterrent action, since the dog, due to the high level of distraction, did not even feel the stimulation that the trainer actually applied. The dog therefore believes that it now is somewhat acceptable to engage in the undesired behavior. The net effect of this scenario is that a large backward step in the training of the dog has just been taken.
Although it theoretically would be possible to provide remote control switches to allow remote selection of different stimulation intensity levels by electrically "switching in" different intensity level adjusting resistors, this would add too much to the weight, size, and cost of a receiver unit which, as a practical matter, must be small, light, and inexpensive.
The assignee has attempted other approaches to achieve remote control of the degree of intensity of the stimulation applied to the dog. Various such approaches attempted by the assignee have resulted in unacceptable variation in the open circuit voltage of the output transformer, the secondary windings of which are connected to the electrodes that contact the dog's skin. Such variation in open circuit voltage is very undesirable because it can cause the intensity of the electrical stimulation as felt by the dog to vary widely according to variations in the moistness of the dog's skin, the tightness of the collar, and various movements by the dog.
One recently available device manufactured by Momentum Technology, Inc., of Cat Springs, Texas provides a remote control electronic training device that allows selection of three variable stimulus intensity levels selectable from the transmitter. However, this device has the disadvantage of reducing the output voltage to achieve lower levels of electrical stimulation when the medium or low level of electrical stimulation is selected. This results in wide, unpredictable variations in the degree of electrical stimulation felt by the dog due to inconsistent coupling of the electrical current to the dog's skin. This is particularly evident when the low level is selected, and is evident to a lesser degree when the medium level is selected.
Thus, there is a presently unmet need for an economical, reliable, practical apparatus and method for enabling the trainer to immediately provide an optimum degree of electrical stimulation to meet the needs of a training situation wherein there are rapid variations in the distraction levels to the animal. |
Q:
Unix utility "smiley" to decode emoticons: Where to get it?
I remember in the 90s, there existed a Unix command line utility named smiley that decoded emoticons. A sample use would be like this (the output is likely not the exact output the program gave):
$ smiley ':-o'
:-o surprise
I've tried to search for it, but couldn't find it. Does it still exist, and if so, where can you get it? I'd also be interested in any other information you may have about it.
A:
The smiley program was posted to the comp.sources.misc Usenet newsgroup multiple times. Here is the description from the Volume 20, Issue 73 posting:
Submitted-by: DaviD W. Sanderson
Posting-number: Volume 20, Issue 73
Archive-name: smiley/part01
Supersedes: smiley: Volume 18, Issue 82
smiley(1) is a "smiley server" I wrote for my own pleasure. Its list
of smileys is more comprehensive than any other I have seen; it
subsumes all the smiley lists I have ever seen posted to the net.
This version has more than a hundred more smileys than version 2, and
a more informative -V switch. Keep those smileys coming!
DaviD W. Sanderson (dws@cs.wisc.edu)
|
Serial pulsatility index measurements in renal grafts before, during, and after episodes of urinary obstruction.
The usefulness of pulsatility index determinations for the diagnosis of obstructive collecting system dilatation was investigated in 10 renal transplant patients whose grafts developed urinary obstruction from different causes. For this purpose we compared pulsatility index values obtained (1) before the ultrasonographic detection of obstruction or baseline study, (2) 1 day before surgical repair, and (3) within 2 weeks after surgery. In 7 of 10 obstructed grafts, the pulsatility index values were increased only mildly to moderately preoperatively. In the remaining three grafts, a mild decrease in pulsatility index was observed in spite of severe collecting system dilatation. Changes in pulsatility index were not statistically significant. Impedance measurements appeared not to be useful for diagnosing obstructive collecting system dilatation. |
ForEx
Suspect's arrest to strengthen case vs Dominguez brods
By Kathlyn dela Cruz, ABS-CBNnews.com
Posted at 12/14/2012 3:39 PM | Updated as of 12/14/2012 9:09 PM
MANILA, Philippines -- Anti-crime crusaders said on Friday that the arrest of another suspect in the killing of car dealer Venson Evangelista could help strengthen the case against alleged masterminds Roger and Raymond Dominguez.
Joel Jacinto, who was arrested in his home in Las Piñas City Thursday, admitted his involvement in the murder of Evangelista, whose burned corpse was found in Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija in January 2011.
He said he was employed by the Dominguez brothers as their driver when they met with the victim.
Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) President Dante Jimenez told radio dzMM, "With the revelation now of Jacinto, then it will strengthen lalo 'yung case against Dominguez brothers and the carjacking syndicate." |
Second Woman Added To Rape Lawsuit Against OHP Trooper
Tuesday, August 19th 2014, 6:49 pm
By: News On 6
?
?
There are new developments in the lawsuit against an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper accused of rape.The attorney has added to the suit a second woman, who says OHP Trooper Eric Roberts also sexually assaulted her. The lawsuit says Roberts pulled over her car on July 8 where the Turner and Creek Turnpikes meet and made inappropriate sexual comments to her.She texted a friend with the Trooper's tag number because she was afraid she might die when he instructed her to follow him, then get into his patrol car, the lawsuit claims. It also says he drove her to a secluded location and sexually assaulted her.The woman says she didn't report it initially because she was afraid and thought no one would believe her, the document says.After filing a complaint on Aug. 14, OHP told her they had video of the initial traffic stop from that day, she says.Roberts' attorney could not be reached for comment, but previously has said his client is not guilty of the accusations. |
<?php
/**
* Shopping Cart widget class
*
* @since 3.8
*
* @todo Check if widget_wp_shopping_cart_init function is still required?
*/
class WP_Widget_Shopping_Cart extends WP_Widget {
/**
* Widget Constuctor
*/
public function __construct() {
$widget_ops = array(
'classname' => 'widget_wpsc_shopping_cart',
'description' => __( 'Shopping Cart Widget', 'wp-e-commerce' )
);
parent::__construct( 'wpsc_shopping_cart', __( '(WPEC) Shopping Cart', 'wp-e-commerce' ), $widget_ops );
}
/**
* Widget Output
*
* @param $args (array)
* @param $instance (array) Widget values.
*
*/
public function widget( $args, $instance ) {
extract( $args );
// Create fancy collapser
$fancy_collapser = '';
if ( isset( $instance['show_sliding_cart'] ) && $instance['show_sliding_cart'] == 1 ) {
if ( isset($_SESSION['slider_state']) && is_numeric( $_SESSION['slider_state'] ) ) {
if ( $_SESSION['slider_state'] == 0 ) {
$collapser_image = 'plus.png';
} else {
$collapser_image = 'minus.png';
}
$fancy_collapser = ' <a href="#" onclick="return shopping_cart_collapser()" id="fancy_collapser_link"><img src="' . WPSC_CORE_IMAGES_URL . '/' . $collapser_image . '" title="" alt="" id="fancy_collapser" /></a>';
} else {
if ( ! wpsc_get_customer_meta( 'nzshpcart' ) ) {
$collapser_image = 'plus.png';
} else {
$collapser_image = 'minus.png';
}
$fancy_collapser = ' <a href="#" onclick="return shopping_cart_collapser()" id="fancy_collapser_link"><img src="' . WPSC_CORE_IMAGES_URL . '/' . $collapser_image . '" title="" alt="" id="fancy_collapser" /></a>';
}
}
// Start widget output
$title = apply_filters( 'widget_title', empty( $instance['title'] ) ? __( 'Shopping Cart', 'wp-e-commerce' ) : $instance['title'] );
echo $before_widget;
if ( $title )
echo $before_title . $title . $fancy_collapser . $after_title;
// Set display state
$display_state = '';
if ( ( ( isset( $_SESSION['slider_state'] ) && ( $_SESSION['slider_state'] == 0 ) ) || ( wpsc_cart_item_count() < 1 ) ) && ( get_option( 'show_sliding_cart' ) == 1 ) )
$display_state = 'style="display: none;"';
// Output start, if we are not allowed to save results ( WPSC_DONT_CACHE ) load the cart using ajax
$use_object_frame = false;
if ( WPSC_PAGE_CACHE_IN_USE ) {
echo '<div id="sliding_cart" class="shopping-cart-wrapper">';
if ( ( strstr( $_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT'], 'MSIE' ) == false ) && ( $use_object_frame == true ) ) {
?>
<object codetype="text/html" type="text/html" data="index.php?wpsc_action=cart_html_page" border="0">
<p><?php _e( 'Loading...', 'wp-e-commerce' ); ?></p>
</object>
<?php
} else {
?>
<div class="wpsc_cart_loading"><p><?php _e( 'Loading...', 'wp-e-commerce' ); ?></p></div>
<?php
}
echo '</div>';
} else {
echo '<div id="sliding_cart" class="shopping-cart-wrapper" ' . $display_state . '>';
include( wpsc_get_template_file_path( 'wpsc-cart_widget.php' ) );
echo '</div>';
}
// End widget output
echo $after_widget;
}
/**
* Update Widget
*
* @param $new_instance (array) New widget values.
* @param $old_instance (array) Old widget values.
*
* @return (array) New values.
*/
public function update( $new_instance, $old_instance ) {
$instance = $old_instance;
$instance['title'] = strip_tags( $new_instance['title'] );
$instance['show_sliding_cart'] = strip_tags( $new_instance['show_sliding_cart'] );
return $instance;
}
/**
* Widget Options Form
*
* @param $instance (array) Widget values.
*/
public function form( $instance ) {
global $wpdb;
// Defaults
$instance = wp_parse_args( (array)$instance, array(
'title' => __( 'Shopping Cart', 'wp-e-commerce' ),
'show_sliding_cart' => 0
) );
// Values
$title = esc_attr( $instance['title'] );
$show_sliding_cart = esc_attr( $instance['show_sliding_cart'] );
if( 1 == $show_sliding_cart)
$show_sliding_cart = 'checked="checked"';
else
$show_sliding_cart = '';
?>
<p>
<label for="<?php echo $this->get_field_id('title'); ?>"><?php _e( 'Title:', 'wp-e-commerce' ); ?></label>
<input class="widefat" id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id( 'title' ); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name( 'title' ); ?>" type="text" value="<?php echo $title; ?>" />
</p>
<input type='hidden' name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name( 'show_sliding_cart' ); ?>" value='0' />
<p>
<label for="<?php echo $this->get_field_id('show_sliding_cart'); ?>"><?php _e( 'Use Sliding Cart:', 'wp-e-commerce' ); ?></label>
<input id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id( 'show_sliding_cart' ); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name( 'show_sliding_cart' ); ?>" type="checkbox" value="1" <?php echo $show_sliding_cart; ?> />
</p>
<?php
}
}
add_action( 'widgets_init', create_function( '', 'return register_widget("WP_Widget_Shopping_Cart");' ) );
?>
|
Q:
Python 3.x rounding half up
I know that questions about rounding in python have been asked multiple times already, but the answers did not help me. I'm looking for a method that is rounding a float number half up and returns a float number. The method should also accept a parameter that defines the decimal place to round to. I wrote a method that implements this kind of rounding. However, I think it does not look elegant at all.
def round_half_up(number, dec_places):
s = str(number)
d = decimal.Decimal(s).quantize(
decimal.Decimal(10) ** -dec_places,
rounding=decimal.ROUND_HALF_UP)
return float(d)
I don't like it, that I have to convert float to a string (to avoid floating point inaccuracy) and then work with the decimal module.
Do you have any better solutions?
Edit: As pointed out in the answers below, the solution to my problem is not that obvious as correct rounding requires correct representation of numbers in the first place and this is not the case with float. So I would expect that the following code
def round_half_up(number, dec_places):
d = decimal.Decimal(number).quantize(
decimal.Decimal(10) ** -dec_places,
rounding=decimal.ROUND_HALF_UP)
return float(d)
(that differs from the code above just by the fact that the float number is directly converted into a decimal number and not to a string first) to return 2.18 when used like this: round_half_up(2.175, 2) But it doesn't because Decimal(2.175) will return Decimal('2.17499999999999982236431605997495353221893310546875'), the way the float number is represented by the computer.
Suprisingly, the first code returns 2.18 because the float number is converted to string first. It seems that the str() function conducts an implicit rounding to the number that was initially meant to be rounded. So there are two roundings taking place. Even though this is the result that I would expect, it is technically wrong.
A:
Rounding is surprisingly hard to do right, because you have to handle floating-point calculations very carefully. If you are looking for an elegant solution (short, easy to understand), what you have like like a good starting point. To be correct, you should replace decimal.Decimal(str(number)) with creating the decimal from the number itself, which will give you a decimal version of its exact representation:
d = Decimal(number).quantize(...)...
Decimal(str(number)) effectively rounds twice, as formatting the float into the string representation performs its own rounding. This is because str(float value) won't try to print the full decimal representation of the float, it will only print enough digits to ensure that you get the same float back if you pass those exact digits to the float constructor.
If you want to retain correct rounding, but avoid depending on the big and complex decimal module, you can certainly do it, but you'll still need some way to implement the exact arithmetics needed for correct rounding. For example, you can use fractions:
import fractions, math
def round_half_up(number, dec_places=0):
sign = math.copysign(1, number)
number_exact = abs(fractions.Fraction(number))
shifted = number_exact * 10**dec_places
shifted_trunc = int(shifted)
if shifted - shifted_trunc >= fractions.Fraction(1, 2):
result = (shifted_trunc + 1) / 10**dec_places
else:
result = shifted_trunc / 10**dec_places
return sign * float(result)
assert round_half_up(1.49) == 1
assert round_half_up(1.5) == 2
assert round_half_up(1.51) == 2
assert round_half_up(2.49) == 2
assert round_half_up(2.5) == 3
assert round_half_up(2.51) == 3
Note that the only tricky part in the above code is the precise conversion of a floating-point to a fraction, and that can be off-loaded to the as_integer_ratio() float method, which is what both decimals and fractions do internally. So if you really want to remove the dependency on fractions, you can reduce the fractional arithmetic to pure integer arithmetic; you stay within the same line count at the expense of some legibility:
def round_half_up(number, dec_places=0):
sign = math.copysign(1, number)
exact = abs(number).as_integer_ratio()
shifted = (exact[0] * 10**dec_places), exact[1]
shifted_trunc = shifted[0] // shifted[1]
difference = (shifted[0] - shifted_trunc * shifted[1]), shifted[1]
if difference[0] * 2 >= difference[1]: # difference >= 1/2
shifted_trunc += 1
return sign * (shifted_trunc / 10**dec_places)
Note that testing these functions brings to spotlight the approximations performed when creating floating-point numbers. For example, print(round_half_up(2.175, 2)) prints 2.17 because the decimal number 2.175 cannot be represented exactly in binary, so it is replaced by an approximation that happens to be slightly smaller than the 2.175 decimal. The function receives that value, finds it smaller than the actual fraction corresponding to the 2.175 decimal, and decides to round it down. This is not a quirk of the implementation; the behavior derives from properties of floating-point numbers and is also present in the round built-in of Python 3 and 2.
|
# Toast
Module Toast provides global namespace named "toast" to provide APIs for TV application.
## Supported platforms
* browser
* sectv-orsay
* sectv-tizen
* tv-webos
## Full WebIDL
```WebIDL
module Toast {
[NoInterfaceObject] interface ToastObject {
readonly attribute Toast toast;
};
Window implements ToastObject;
[NoInterfaceObject] interface Toast {
};
};
```
## APIs
### Toast `toast`
Toast provides global namespace named `toast` to provide APIs for TV application.
Every toast APIs will be appended to this namespace.
* Examples
1. accessing "toast" namespace
```js
document.addEventListener('deviceready', function () {
console.log(toast); // [object Object] will be printed.
});
```
## See others
* [toast.application](toast.application.md)
* [toast.drminfo](toast.drminfo.md)
* [toast.inputdevice](toast.inputdevice.md)
* [toast.Media](toast.Media.md)
* [toast.tvaudiocontrol](toast.tvaudiocontrol.md)
* [toast.tvchannel](toast.tvchannel.md)
* [toast.tvwindow](toast.tvwindow.md)
|
(ns afterglow.fixtures.qxf
"Functions to work with Fixture Definition Files from
the [QLC+](http://www.qlcplus.org/) open-source lighting controller
project. While these do not contain all of the information Afterglow
needs to fully control a fixture with its geometric reasoning, they
can form a good starting point and save you a lot of tedious
capability translation. You can find the available `.qxf` files
on [Github](https://github.com/mcallegari/qlcplus/tree/master/resources/fixtures)."
{:author "James Elliott"}
(:require [afterglow.web.layout] ; To set up the Selmer template path
[camel-snake-kebab.core :as csk]
[clojure.data.zip.xml :as zip-xml]
[clojure.java.io :as io]
[clojure.xml :as xml]
[clojure.zip :as zip]
[selmer.filter-parser :refer [compile-filter-body]]
[selmer.filters :as filters]
[selmer.parser :as parser]
[taoensso.timbre :as timbre]))
(defn sanitize-name
"Removes non-alphanumeric characters in a string, then turns it into
a suitable Clojure identifier."
[s]
(-> s
(clojure.string/replace #"[^a-zA-Z0-9]+" " ")
csk/->kebab-case))
(filters/add-filter! :kebab csk/->kebab-case)
(filters/add-filter! :sanitize sanitize-name)
(defn- define-color-channel
"If the supplied channel specification map is a recognizable color
channel, emit a function which defines it at the specified offset."
[specs offset fine-offset]
(when (and (= "Intensity" (:group specs)) (:color specs))
(let [color (keyword (sanitize-name (:color specs)))]
(str "(chan/color " offset " " color
(when fine-offset (str " :fine-offset " fine-offset)) ")"
(when-not (#{:red :green :blue :white} color) " ; TODO: add :hue key if you want to color mix this")))))
(defn- define-dimmer-channel
"If the supplied channel specification map seems to be a dimmer
channel, emit a function which defines it at the specified offsets."
[specs offset fine-offset]
(when (and (= "Intensity" (:group specs)) (re-find #"(?i)dimmer" (:name specs)))
(str "(chan/dimmer " offset (when fine-offset (str " :fine-offset " fine-offset)) ")")))
(defn- define-named-channel
"If the supplied channel specification map seems to be another type
we have a special name for, emit a function which defines it at the
specified offsets."
[specs offset fine-offset type-name]
(when (re-find (re-pattern (str "(?i)" type-name)) (:name specs))
(str "(chan/" type-name " " offset (when fine-offset (str " " fine-offset)) ")")))
(defn- define-pan-tilt-channel
"If the supplied channel specification map seems to be a pan or tilt
channel, emit a function which defines it at the specified offsets."
[specs offset fine-offset]
(when (#{"Pan" "Tilt"} (:group specs))
(str "(chan/" (clojure.string/lower-case (:group specs)) " " offset
(when fine-offset (str " " fine-offset)) ")")))
(defn- define-single-function-channel
"If the supplied channel specification map contains a single
function using the entire range, emit a function which defines it at
the specified offsets. If it is one of the special kinds of channels
we recognize, use the corresponding generator."
[specs offset fine-offset]
(let [caps (:capabilities specs)]
(when (and (= 1 (count caps)) (zero? (:min (first caps))) (= 255 (:max (first caps))))
(or (define-color-channel specs offset fine-offset)
(define-dimmer-channel specs offset fine-offset)
(define-pan-tilt-channel specs offset fine-offset)
(some (partial define-named-channel specs offset fine-offset) ["focus" "frost" "iris" "zoom"])
(str "(chan/fine-channel " (keyword (sanitize-name (:name specs))) " " offset
(when fine-offset (str " :fine-offset " fine-offset))
"\n :function-name \"" (:name specs)
"\"\n :var-label \"" (:label (first caps)) "\")")))))
(defn- check-capabilities
"Makes sure a capability list is sorted in increasing order and has
no gaps, adding nil sections for any unused ranges, and adding
trailing numbers to make all labels unique if needed."
[caps]
(loop [remaining (sort-by :min caps)
last-end -1
labels {}
result []]
(if (empty? remaining)
(if (< last-end 255) ; Fill in final gap
(conj result {:min (inc last-end) :max 255})
result)
(let [current (first remaining)
adjusted (if (< (inc last-end) (:min current)) ; Fill in a gap in capabilities
(conj result {:min (inc last-end) :max (dec (:min current))})
result)
label (:label current)
label-count (when label (inc (get labels (:label current) 0)))
unique (if (and label (> label-count 1))
(assoc current :label (str label " " label-count))
current)
updated-labels (if label (assoc labels label label-count) labels)]
(recur (rest remaining) (:max current) updated-labels (conj adjusted unique))))))
(defn- expand-capability
"Returns an Afterglow function specification corresponding to a
QLC+ capability range."
[cap prefix]
(str "\n" (clojure.string/join (repeat 30 " ")) (:min cap)
(if (some? (:label cap))
(str " {:type " (keyword (sanitize-name (str prefix (:label cap))))
"\n" (clojure.string/join (repeat (+ 32 (count (str (:min cap)))) " ")) ":label \"" (:label cap)
"\"\n" (clojure.string/join (repeat (+ 32 (count (str (:min cap)))) " ")) ":range :variable}")
" nil")))
(defn- define-channel
"Generates a function call which defines the specified
channel (given its specification map), at the specified offsets."
[specs offset fine-offset]
(or (define-single-function-channel specs offset fine-offset)
(str "(chan/functions " (keyword (sanitize-name (:name specs))) " " offset
(clojure.string/join (for [c (check-capabilities (:capabilities specs))]
(expand-capability c (str (:name specs) " ")))) ")")))
(defn- channel-tag
"A Selmer custom tag that generates a channel definition at a
specified offset and optional fine-offset, looking up the channel
specification by name."
[args context-map]
(let [[chan-expr] args
chan-fn (compile-filter-body chan-expr false)
[offset channel-name fine-offset] (chan-fn context-map)
found (filter #(= channel-name (:name %)) (:channels context-map))]
(case (count found)
0 (throw (IllegalStateException. (str "Could not find a channel named " channel-name)))
1 (define-channel (first found) offset fine-offset)
(throw (IllegalStateException. (str "Found more than one channel named " channel-name))))))
(parser/add-tag! :channel channel-tag)
(defn- qxf-creator->map
"Builds a map containing the creator information from a QLC+ fixture
definition."
[creator]
{:name (zip-xml/xml1-> creator :Name zip-xml/text)
:version (zip-xml/xml1-> creator :Version zip-xml/text)
:author (zip-xml/xml1-> creator :Author zip-xml/text)})
(defn- qxf-capability->map
"Builds a map containing a channel specification from a QLC+ fixture
definition."
[c]
{:min (Integer/valueOf (zip-xml/attr c :Min))
:max (Integer/valueOf (zip-xml/attr c :Max))
:label (zip-xml/text c)})
(defn- qxf-channel->map
"Builds a map containing a channel specification from a QLC+ fixture
definition."
[ch]
(let [color (zip-xml/xml1-> ch :Colour zip-xml/text)]
(merge {:name (zip-xml/attr ch :Name)
:group (zip-xml/xml1-> ch :Group zip-xml/text)
:byte (Integer/valueOf (zip-xml/attr (zip-xml/xml1-> ch :Group) :Byte))
:capabilities (mapv qxf-capability->map (zip-xml/xml-> ch :Capability))}
(when color {:color color}))))
(defn- qxf-channnel-assigment->vector
"Builds a vector containing the offset at which a channel exists in
a mode and the channel name. Offsets are one-based, to parallel
fixture manuals. In other words, the DMX address assigned to the
fixture corresponds to offset 1, the next address to offset 2, and
so on."
[a]
[(inc (Integer/parseInt (zip-xml/attr a :Number))) (zip-xml/text a)])
(defn- qxf-head->vector
"Builds a vector containing the channel offsets belonging to a
single head."
[h]
(mapv #(inc (Integer/parseInt %)) (zip-xml/xml-> h :Channel zip-xml/text)))
(defn- qxf-mark-pan-tilt
"Adds flags to a fixture or head when its channel map includes pan
or tilt channels."
[channel-specs h]
(let [groups (set (map :group (map #(get channel-specs (second %)) (:channels h))))]
(merge h
(when (groups "Pan") {:has-pan-channel true})
(when (groups "Tilt") {:has-tilt-channel true}))))
(defn- potential-pair?
"Check whether a pair of channel specs could potentially be a pair
controlling two bytes of the same value. Since QLC+ doesn't make
this explicit the way Afterglow does, be conservative."
[spec-1 spec-2]
(and
(not= spec-1 spec-2)
(not= (:byte spec-1) (:byte spec-2))
(= (:group spec-1) (:group spec-2))
(case (:group spec-1)
("Pan" "Tilt") true
"Intensity" (or (= (:color spec-1) (:color spec-2))
(and (re-find #"(?i)dimmer" (:name spec-1))
(re-find #"(?i)dimmer" (:name spec-2))))
false)))
(defn- paired-channel
"Try to identify a channel which is paired as two bytes controlling
a single value. Since QLC+ does not make this explicit the way
Afterglow does, we can't be certain, so be a bit conservative. If
we find a single potential match, return its name."
[name related-specs]
(let [specs (get related-specs name)
candidates (filter (partial potential-pair? specs) (vals related-specs))]
(when (= 1 (count candidates))
(:name (first candidates)))))
(defn- merge-fine-channels
"Try to identify any channels which are paired as two bytes
controlling a single value. QLC+ does not make this explicit, like
Afterglow does, so this is not going to be perfect. Takes the map of
all channel specifications found in the QXF file, as well as the set
which are being mapped in the current mode and perhaps head; that
narrowing of focus can hopefully reduce ambiguity."
[channel-specs channels]
(let [relevant-specs (select-keys channel-specs (map second channels))
offsets (into {} (for [[offset name] channels] [name offset]))
merged (filter identity (for [[offset name] channels]
(if-let [paired-name (paired-channel name relevant-specs)]
(let [specs (get relevant-specs name)]
(when (zero? (:byte specs))
[offset name (get offsets paired-name)]))
[offset name])))]
(vec (sort-by first merged))))
(defn- qxf-process-heads
"Extracts any head-specific channels from a QLC+ mode, given a
sequence of Head nodes and the vector of mode channel assignments,
then tries to merge any fine channels found in the resulting smaller
channel groupings."
([heads channel-map channel-specs]
;; Kick off recursive arity with an empty response vector
(qxf-process-heads heads channel-map channel-specs []))
([remaining-heads remaining-channel-map channel-specs results]
;; Recursive head processing
(if (empty? remaining-heads)
[results (merge-fine-channels channel-specs remaining-channel-map)] ; Finished, return results
;; Process the next head
(loop [head-channel-numbers (sort (qxf-head->vector (first remaining-heads)))
head-channel-result []
channels-left remaining-channel-map]
(if (empty? head-channel-numbers) ; Finished processing this head
(let [merged-channels (merge-fine-channels channel-specs head-channel-result)]
(qxf-process-heads (rest remaining-heads) channels-left channel-specs
(conj results (qxf-mark-pan-tilt channel-specs {:channels merged-channels}))))
(let [current (first head-channel-numbers)]
(recur (rest head-channel-numbers)
(conj head-channel-result [current (get channels-left current)])
(dissoc channels-left current))))))))
(defn- qxf-mode->map
"Builds a map containing a mode specification from a QLC+ fixture
definition. Currently ignores the Physical documentation."
[channel-specs m]
(let [channel-specs (into {} (for [spec channel-specs] ; Turn specs into a map for efficient searching
[(:name spec) spec]))
all-channels (mapv qxf-channnel-assigment->vector (zip-xml/xml-> m :Channel))
channel-map (into {} all-channels)
[heads other-channels] (qxf-process-heads (zip-xml/xml-> m :Head) channel-map channel-specs)]
(qxf-mark-pan-tilt channel-specs {:name (zip-xml/attr m :Name)
:channels other-channels
:heads heads})))
(defn translate-definition
"Converts a map read by [[convert-qxf]] into an Afterglow fixture
definition."
[qxf]
(parser/render-file "fixture-definition.clj.template" qxf))
(defn parse-qxf
"Read a fixture definition file in the format (.qxf) used by
[QLC+](http://www.qlcplus.org/), and create a map from which it can
conveniently be translated into an Afterglow fixture definition."
[source]
(let [doc (xml/parse source)
root (zip/xml-zip doc)
expected-xml #{"http://qlcplus.sourceforge.net/FixtureDefinition" "http://www.qlcplus.org/FixtureDefinition"}]
(when-not (= (:tag doc) :FixtureDefinition)
(throw (Exception. "Root element is not FixtureDefinition")))
(when-not (expected-xml (get-in doc [:attrs :xmlns]))
(throw (Exception. "File does not use a supported XML Namespace, expecting one of:"
(clojure.string/join ", " expected-xml))))
(let [channels (mapv qxf-channel->map (zip-xml/xml-> root :Channel))]
{:creator (qxf-creator->map (zip-xml/xml1-> root :Creator))
:manufacturer (zip-xml/text (zip-xml/xml1-> root :Manufacturer))
:model (zip-xml/text (zip-xml/xml1-> root :Model))
:type (zip-xml/text (zip-xml/xml1-> root :Type))
:channels channels
:modes (mapv (partial qxf-mode->map channels) (zip-xml/xml-> root :Mode))
:has-pan-tilt (some? (some #(#{"Pan" "Tilt"} (:group %)) channels))
:open-curly "{"})))
(defn convert-qxf
"Read a fixture definition file in the format (.qxf) used by
[QLC+](http://www.qlcplus.org/), and write a Clojure file based on
it that can be used as the starting point of an Afterglow fixture
definition. Returns an exit status and message for the user."
[path]
(let [source (io/file path)
qxf (parse-qxf source)
dest (io/file (.getParent source) (str (csk/->kebab-case (:model qxf)) ".clj"))]
(cond
(.exists dest) [1 (str "Will not replace existing file " (.getCanonicalPath dest))]
(not (.canWrite (.getParentFile dest))) [1 (str "Cannot write to " (.getCanonicalPath dest))]
:else (do
(spit dest (translate-definition qxf))
[0 (str "Translated fixture definition written to " (.getCanonicalPath dest))]))))
;; These functions were used to help analyze the contents of all QLC+ fixture definitions.
;; They are left here in case the format changes or expands in the future and they become
;; useful again, either directly, or as examples.
(def ^:private qlc-fixtures-path
"The directory in which all the QLC+ fixture definitions can be found. You will need to set this."
"/Users/jim/git/qlcplus/resources/fixtures")
(defn- qlc-fixture-definitions
"Returns a sequence of all QLC+ fixture definitions."
[]
(let [files (file-seq (clojure.java.io/file qlc-fixtures-path))]
(filter #(.endsWith (.getName %) ".qxf") files)))
(defn- qlc-fixture-channel-values
"Returns the set of distinct values found under a particular keyword
in any channel in a fixture definition."
[k f]
(reduce conj #{} (map k (:channels (parse-qxf f)))))
(defn- qlc-gather-groups
"Find all the different channel group values in the QLC fixture
definitions."
[]
(let [files (file-seq (clojure.java.io/file qlc-fixtures-path))]
(reduce clojure.set/union (map (partial qlc-fixture-channel-values :group) (qlc-fixture-definitions)))))
(defn- qlc-gather-bytes
"Find all the different channel byte values in the QLC fixture
definitions."
[]
(let [files (file-seq (clojure.java.io/file qlc-fixtures-path))]
(reduce clojure.set/union (map (partial qlc-fixture-channel-values :byte) (qlc-fixture-definitions)))))
|
#ifndef _UT_CSTL_DEQUE_H_
#define _UT_CSTL_DEQUE_H_
UT_SUIT_DECLARATION(cstl_deque)
/*
* test deque_init
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_init)
void test_deque_init__null_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_init__non_created_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_init__successfully(void** state);
/*
* test deque_init_n
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_init_n)
void test_deque_init_n__null_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_init_n__non_created_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_init_n__empty(void** state);
void test_deque_init_n__c_builtin(void** state);
void test_deque_init_n__cstr(void** stat);
void test_deque_init_n__libcstl_builtin(void** state);
void test_deque_init_n__user_define(void** state);
void test_deque_init_n__one_chunk(void** state);
void test_deque_init_n__more_than_one_chunk(void** state);
void test_deque_init_n__map_grow(void** state);
/*
* test deque_init_copy
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_init_copy)
void test_deque_init_copy__null_dest_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_init_copy__null_src_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_init_copy__non_created_dest_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_init_copy__non_inited_src_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_init_copy__not_same_type(void** state);
void test_deque_init_copy__init_copy_empty(void** state);
void test_deque_init_copy__c_builtin(void** state);
void test_deque_init_copy__cstr(void** state);
void test_deque_init_copy__libcstl_builtin(void** state);
void test_deque_init_copy__user_define(void** state);
/*
* test deque_init_copy_range
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_init_copy_range)
void test_deque_init_copy_range__null_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_init_copy_range__non_created_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_init_copy_range__invalid_range(void** state);
void test_deque_init_copy_range__not_same(void** state);
void test_deque_init_copy_range__init_copy_range_empty(void** state);
void test_deque_init_copy_range__c_builtin(void** state);
void test_deque_init_copy_range__cstr(void** state);
void test_deque_init_copy_range__libcstl_builtin(void** state);
void test_deque_init_copy_range__user_define(void** state);
void test_deque_init_copy_range__other_container_range(void** state);
void test_deque_init_copy_range__other_container_range_1(void** state);
/*
* test deque_init_copy_array
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_init_copy_array)
void test_deque_init_copy_array__null_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_init_copy_array__non_created_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_init_copy_array__null_array(void** state);
void test_deque_init_copy_array__init_copy_array_empty(void** state);
void test_deque_init_copy_array__c_builtin(void** state);
void test_deque_init_copy_array__cstr(void** state);
void test_deque_init_copy_array__libcstl_builtin(void** state);
void test_deque_init_copy_array__user_define(void** state);
void test_deque_init_copy_array__other_container_array_1(void** state);
/*
* test deque_destroy
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_destroy)
void test_deque_destroy__null_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_destroy__non_created_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_destroy__created_non_inited(void** state);
void test_deque_destroy__empty(void** state);
void test_deque_destroy__non_empty(void** state);
/*
* test deque_size
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_size)
void test_deque_size__null_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_size__non_inited_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_size__empty(void** state);
void test_deque_size__non_empty(void** state);
/*
* test deque_empty
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_empty)
void test_deque_empty__null_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_empty__non_inited_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_empty__empty(void** state);
void test_deque_empty__non_empty(void** state);
/*
* test deque_max_size
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_max_size)
void test_deque_max_size__null_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_max_size__non_inited_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_max_size__empty(void** state);
void test_deque_max_size__non_empty(void** state);
/*
* test deque_begin
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_begin)
void test_deque_begin__null_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_begin__non_inited_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_begin__empty(void** state);
void test_deque_begin__non_empty(void** state);
/*
* test deque_end
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_end)
void test_deque_end__null_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_end__non_inited_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_end__empty(void** state);
void test_deque_end__non_empty(void** state);
/*
* test deque_assign
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_assign)
void test_deque_assign__null_dest(void** state);
void test_deque_assign__null_src(void** state);
void test_deque_assign__non_inited_dest(void** state);
void test_deque_assign__non_inited_src(void** state);
void test_deque_assign__not_same_type(void** state);
void test_deque_assign__same_container(void** state);
void test_deque_assign__0_assign_0(void** state);
void test_deque_assign__0_assign_10(void** state);
void test_deque_assign__10_assign_0(void** state);
void test_deque_assign__10_assign_10_deque_equal(void** state);
void test_deque_assign__10_assign_10_deque_not_equal(void** state);
void test_deque_assign__10_assign_1000(void** state);
/*
* test deque_assign_range
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_assign_range)
void test_deque_assign_range__null_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_assign_range__non_inited(void** state);
void test_deque_assign_range__invalid_it_begin(void** state);
void test_deque_assign_range__invalid_it_end(void** state);
void test_deque_assign_range__invalid_range(void** state);
void test_deque_assign_range__invalid_range_not_same_type(void** state);
void test_deque_assign_range__range_belong_to_deque(void** state);
void test_deque_assign_range__0_assign_range_0(void** state);
void test_deque_assign_range__0_assign_range_10(void** state);
void test_deque_assign_range__10_assign_range_0(void** state);
void test_deque_assign_range__10_assign_range_10_same_elem(void** state);
void test_deque_assign_range__10_assign_range_10_not_same_elem(void** state);
void test_deque_assign_range__10_assign_range_1000(void** state);
void test_deque_assign_range__other_container_range(void** state);
void test_deque_assign_range__other_container_range1(void** state);
/*
* test deque_assign_array
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_assign_array)
void test_deque_assign_array__null_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_assign_array__non_inited(void** state);
void test_deque_assign_array__null_array(void** state);
void test_deque_assign_array__0_assign_array_0(void** state);
void test_deque_assign_array__0_assign_array_10(void** state);
void test_deque_assign_array__10_assign_array_0(void** state);
void test_deque_assign_array__10_assign_array_10_same_elem(void** state);
void test_deque_assign_array__10_assign_array_10_not_same_elem(void** state);
void test_deque_assign_array__10_assign_array_1000(void** state);
void test_deque_assign_array__other_container_array(void** state);
void test_deque_assign_array__user_define(void** state);
void test_deque_assign_array__cstr(void** state);
/*
* test deque_equal
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_equal)
void test_deque_equal__null_first(void** state);
void test_deque_equal__null_second(void** state);
void test_deque_equal__non_inited_first(void** state);
void test_deque_equal__non_inited_second(void** state);
void test_deque_equal__not_same_type(void** state);
void test_deque_equal__same_deque(void** state);
void test_deque_equal__size_first_less_than_second(void** state);
void test_deque_equal__size_first_greater_than_second(void** state);
void test_deque_equal__size_equal_0(void** state);
void test_deque_equal__size_equal_elem_first_less_than_second(void** state);
void test_deque_equal__size_equal_elem_first_greater_than_second(void** state);
void test_deque_equal__size_equal_elem_equal(void** state);
/*
* test deque_not_equal
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_not_equal)
void test_deque_not_equal__null_first(void** state);
void test_deque_not_equal__null_second(void** state);
void test_deque_not_equal__non_inited_first(void** state);
void test_deque_not_equal__non_inited_second(void** state);
void test_deque_not_equal__not_same_type(void** state);
void test_deque_not_equal__same_deque(void** state);
void test_deque_not_equal__size_first_less_than_second(void** state);
void test_deque_not_equal__size_first_greater_than_second(void** state);
void test_deque_not_equal__size_equal_0(void** state);
void test_deque_not_equal__size_equal_elem_first_less_than_second(void** state);
void test_deque_not_equal__size_equal_elem_first_greater_than_second(void** state);
void test_deque_not_equal__size_equal_elem_equal(void** state);
/*
* test deque_less
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_less)
void test_deque_less__null_first(void** state);
void test_deque_less__null_second(void** state);
void test_deque_less__non_inited_first(void** state);
void test_deque_less__non_inited_second(void** state);
void test_deque_less__not_same_type(void** state);
void test_deque_less__same_deque(void** state);
void test_deque_less__size_first_less_than_second(void** state);
void test_deque_less__size_first_greater_than_second(void** state);
void test_deque_less__size_equal_0(void** state);
void test_deque_less__size_equal_elem_first_less_than_second(void** state);
void test_deque_less__size_equal_elem_first_greater_than_second(void** state);
void test_deque_less__size_equal_elem_equal(void** state);
/*
* test deque_less_equal
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_less_equal)
void test_deque_less_equal__null_first(void** state);
void test_deque_less_equal__null_second(void** state);
void test_deque_less_equal__non_inited_first(void** state);
void test_deque_less_equal__non_inited_second(void** state);
void test_deque_less_equal__not_same_type(void** state);
void test_deque_less_equal__same_deque(void** state);
void test_deque_less_equal__size_first_less_than_second(void** state);
void test_deque_less_equal__size_first_greater_than_second(void** state);
void test_deque_less_equal__size_equal_0(void** state);
void test_deque_less_equal__size_equal_elem_first_less_than_second(void** state);
void test_deque_less_equal__size_equal_elem_first_greater_than_second(void** state);
void test_deque_less_equal__size_equal_elem_equal(void** state);
/*
* test deque_greater
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_greater)
void test_deque_greater__null_first(void** state);
void test_deque_greater__null_second(void** state);
void test_deque_greater__non_inited_first(void** state);
void test_deque_greater__non_inited_second(void** state);
void test_deque_greater__not_same_type(void** state);
void test_deque_greater__same_deque(void** state);
void test_deque_greater__size_first_less_than_second(void** state);
void test_deque_greater__size_first_greater_than_second(void** state);
void test_deque_greater__size_equal_0(void** state);
void test_deque_greater__size_equal_elem_first_less_than_second(void** state);
void test_deque_greater__size_equal_elem_first_greater_than_second(void** state);
void test_deque_greater__size_equal_elem_equal(void** state);
/*
* test deque_greater_equal
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_greater_equal)
void test_deque_greater_equal__null_first(void** state);
void test_deque_greater_equal__null_second(void** state);
void test_deque_greater_equal__non_inited_first(void** state);
void test_deque_greater_equal__non_inited_second(void** state);
void test_deque_greater_equal__not_same_type(void** state);
void test_deque_greater_equal__same_deque(void** state);
void test_deque_greater_equal__size_first_less_than_second(void** state);
void test_deque_greater_equal__size_first_greater_than_second(void** state);
void test_deque_greater_equal__size_equal_0(void** state);
void test_deque_greater_equal__size_equal_elem_first_less_than_second(void** state);
void test_deque_greater_equal__size_equal_elem_first_greater_than_second(void** state);
void test_deque_greater_equal__size_equal_elem_equal(void** state);
/*
* test deque_at
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_at)
void test_deque_at__null_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_at__non_inited_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_at__invalid_subscript_empty(void** state);
void test_deque_at__invalid_subscript_end(void** state);
void test_deque_at__invalid_subscript(void** state);
void test_deque_at__successfully(void** state);
void test_deque_at__successfully_cstr(void** state);
/*
* test deque_front
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_front)
void test_deque_front__null_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_front__non_inited_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_front__empty(void** state);
void test_deque_front__successfully(void** state);
void test_deque_front__successfully_cstr(void** state);
/*
* test deque_back
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_back)
void test_deque_back__null_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_back__non_inited_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_back__empty(void** state);
void test_deque_back__successfully(void** state);
void test_deque_back__successfully_cstr(void** state);
/*
* test deque_swap
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_swap)
void test_deque_swap__null_first(void** state);
void test_deque_swap__null_second(void** state);
void test_deque_swap__non_inited_first(void** state);
void test_deque_swap__non_inited_second(void** state);
void test_deque_swap__not_same_type(void** state);
void test_deque_swap__deque_equal(void** state);
void test_deque_swap__0_swap_10(void** state);
void test_deque_swap__10_swap_0(void** state);
void test_deque_swap__10_swap_10(void** state);
void test_deque_swap__10_swap_1000(void** state);
/*
* test deque_pop_back
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_pop_back)
void test_deque_pop_back__null_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_pop_back__non_inited_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_pop_back__empty(void** state);
void test_deque_pop_back__successfully(void** state);
/*
* test deque_pop_front
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_pop_front)
void test_deque_pop_front__null_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_pop_front__non_inited_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_pop_front__empty(void** state);
void test_deque_pop_front__successfully(void** state);
/*
* test deque_insert_range
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_insert_range)
void test_deque_insert_range__null_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_range__non_inited(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_range__invalid_position(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_range__invalid_range(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_range__invalid_range_not_same_type(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_range__invalid_range_belong_to_deque(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_range__empty_insert_0(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_range__empty_insert_10(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_range__begin_insert_0(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_range__begin_insert_10(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_range__middle_insert_0(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_range__middle_insert_10(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_range__end_insert_0(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_range__end_insert_10(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_range__other_container_range(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_range__other_container_range1(void** state);
/*
* test deque_insert_array
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_insert_array)
void test_deque_insert_array__null_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_array__non_inited(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_array__invalid_position(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_array__invalid_array(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_array__empty_insert_0(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_array__empty_insert_10(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_array__begin_insert_0(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_array__begin_insert_10(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_array__middle_insert_0(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_array__middle_insert_10(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_array__end_insert_0(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_array__end_insert_10(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_array__other_container_array(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_array__other_container_array1(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_array__cstr(void** state);
void test_deque_insert_array__user_define(void** state);
/*
* test deque_erase
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_erase)
void test_deque_erase__null_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_erase__non_inited_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_erase__invalid_pos_end(void** state);
void test_deque_erase__invalid_pos(void** state);
void test_deque_erase__successfully_begin(void** state);
void test_deque_erase__successfully_middle(void** state);
void test_deque_erase__successfully_back(void** state);
/*
* test deque_erase_range
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_erase_range)
void test_deque_erase_range__null_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_erase_range__non_inited_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_erase_range__invalid_range_not_belong_to_deque(void** state);
void test_deque_erase_range__invalid_range(void** state);
void test_deque_erase_range__successfully_empty(void** state);
void test_deque_erase_range__successfully_begin(void** state);
void test_deque_erase_range__successfully_middle(void** state);
void test_deque_erase_range__successfully_end(void** state);
void test_deque_erase_range__successfully_all(void** state);
/*
* test deque_clear
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_clear)
void test_deque_clear__null_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_clear__non_inited_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_clear__empty_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_clear__non_empty_deque_container(void** state);
/*
* test deque_resize
*/
UT_CASE_DECLARATION(deque_resize)
void test_deque_resize__null_deque_container(void** state);
void test_deque_resize__non_inited(void** state);
void test_deque_resize__successfully_0_resize_0(void** state);
void test_deque_resize__successfully_0_resize_10(void** state);
void test_deque_resize__successfully_10_resize_0(void** state);
void test_deque_resize__successfully_10_resize_10(void** state);
void test_deque_resize__successfully_10_resize_1000(void** state);
#define UT_CSTL_DEQUE_CASE\
UT_SUIT_BEGIN(cstl_deque, test_deque_init__null_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init__non_created_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init__successfully),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_init_n, test_deque_init_n__null_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_n__non_created_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_n__empty),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_n__c_builtin),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_n__cstr),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_n__libcstl_builtin),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_n__user_define),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_n__one_chunk),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_n__more_than_one_chunk),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_n__map_grow),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_init_copy, test_deque_init_copy__null_dest_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_copy__null_src_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_copy__non_created_dest_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_copy__non_inited_src_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_copy__not_same_type),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_copy__init_copy_empty),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_copy__c_builtin),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_copy__cstr),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_copy__libcstl_builtin),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_copy__user_define),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_init_copy_range, test_deque_init_copy_range__null_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_copy_range__non_created_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_copy_range__invalid_range),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_copy_range__not_same),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_copy_range__init_copy_range_empty),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_copy_range__c_builtin),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_copy_range__cstr),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_copy_range__libcstl_builtin),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_copy_range__user_define),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_copy_range__other_container_range),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_copy_range__other_container_range_1),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_init_copy_array, test_deque_init_copy_array__null_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_copy_array__non_created_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_copy_array__null_array),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_copy_array__init_copy_array_empty),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_copy_array__c_builtin),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_copy_array__cstr),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_copy_array__libcstl_builtin),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_copy_array__user_define),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_init_copy_array__other_container_array_1),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_destroy, test_deque_destroy__null_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_destroy__non_created_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_destroy__created_non_inited),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_destroy__empty),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_destroy__non_empty),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_size, test_deque_size__null_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_size__non_inited_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_size__empty),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_size__non_empty),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_empty, test_deque_empty__null_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_empty__non_inited_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_empty__empty),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_empty__non_empty),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_max_size, test_deque_max_size__null_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_max_size__non_inited_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_max_size__empty),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_max_size__non_empty),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_begin, test_deque_begin__null_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_begin__non_inited_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_begin__empty),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_begin__non_empty),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_end, test_deque_end__null_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_end__non_inited_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_end__empty),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_end__non_empty),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_assign, test_deque_assign__null_dest),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign__null_src),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign__non_inited_dest),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign__non_inited_src),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign__not_same_type),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign__same_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign__0_assign_0),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign__0_assign_10),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign__10_assign_0),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign__10_assign_10_deque_equal),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign__10_assign_10_deque_not_equal),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign__10_assign_1000),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_assign_range, test_deque_assign_range__null_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign_range__non_inited),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign_range__invalid_it_begin),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign_range__invalid_it_end),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign_range__invalid_range),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign_range__invalid_range_not_same_type),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign_range__range_belong_to_deque),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign_range__0_assign_range_0),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign_range__0_assign_range_10),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign_range__10_assign_range_0),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign_range__10_assign_range_10_same_elem),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign_range__10_assign_range_10_not_same_elem),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign_range__10_assign_range_1000),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign_range__other_container_range),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign_range__other_container_range1),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_assign_array, test_deque_assign_array__null_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign_array__non_inited),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign_array__null_array),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign_array__0_assign_array_0),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign_array__0_assign_array_10),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign_array__10_assign_array_0),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign_array__10_assign_array_10_same_elem),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign_array__10_assign_array_10_not_same_elem),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign_array__10_assign_array_1000),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign_array__other_container_array),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign_array__user_define),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_assign_array__cstr),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_equal, test_deque_equal__null_first),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_equal__null_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_equal__non_inited_first),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_equal__non_inited_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_equal__not_same_type),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_equal__same_deque),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_equal__size_first_less_than_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_equal__size_first_greater_than_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_equal__size_equal_0),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_equal__size_equal_elem_first_less_than_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_equal__size_equal_elem_first_greater_than_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_equal__size_equal_elem_equal),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_not_equal, test_deque_not_equal__null_first),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_not_equal__null_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_not_equal__non_inited_first),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_not_equal__non_inited_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_not_equal__not_same_type),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_not_equal__same_deque),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_not_equal__size_first_less_than_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_not_equal__size_first_greater_than_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_not_equal__size_equal_0),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_not_equal__size_equal_elem_first_less_than_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_not_equal__size_equal_elem_first_greater_than_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_not_equal__size_equal_elem_equal),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_less, test_deque_less__null_first),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_less__null_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_less__non_inited_first),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_less__non_inited_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_less__not_same_type),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_less__same_deque),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_less__size_first_less_than_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_less__size_first_greater_than_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_less__size_equal_0),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_less__size_equal_elem_first_less_than_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_less__size_equal_elem_first_greater_than_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_less__size_equal_elem_equal),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_less_equal, test_deque_less_equal__null_first),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_less_equal__null_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_less_equal__non_inited_first),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_less_equal__non_inited_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_less_equal__not_same_type),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_less_equal__same_deque),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_less_equal__size_first_less_than_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_less_equal__size_first_greater_than_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_less_equal__size_equal_0),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_less_equal__size_equal_elem_first_less_than_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_less_equal__size_equal_elem_first_greater_than_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_less_equal__size_equal_elem_equal),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_greater, test_deque_greater__null_first),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_greater__null_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_greater__non_inited_first),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_greater__non_inited_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_greater__not_same_type),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_greater__same_deque),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_greater__size_first_less_than_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_greater__size_first_greater_than_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_greater__size_equal_0),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_greater__size_equal_elem_first_less_than_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_greater__size_equal_elem_first_greater_than_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_greater__size_equal_elem_equal),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_greater_equal, test_deque_greater_equal__null_first),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_greater_equal__null_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_greater_equal__non_inited_first),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_greater_equal__non_inited_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_greater_equal__not_same_type),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_greater_equal__same_deque),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_greater_equal__size_first_less_than_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_greater_equal__size_first_greater_than_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_greater_equal__size_equal_0),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_greater_equal__size_equal_elem_first_less_than_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_greater_equal__size_equal_elem_first_greater_than_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_greater_equal__size_equal_elem_equal),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_at, test_deque_at__null_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_at__non_inited_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_at__invalid_subscript_empty),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_at__invalid_subscript_end),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_at__invalid_subscript),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_at__successfully),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_at__successfully_cstr),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_front, test_deque_front__null_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_front__non_inited_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_front__empty),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_front__successfully),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_front__successfully_cstr),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_back, test_deque_back__null_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_back__non_inited_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_back__empty),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_back__successfully),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_back__successfully_cstr),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_swap, test_deque_swap__null_first),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_swap__null_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_swap__non_inited_first),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_swap__non_inited_second),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_swap__not_same_type),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_swap__deque_equal),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_swap__0_swap_10),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_swap__10_swap_0),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_swap__10_swap_10),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_swap__10_swap_1000),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_pop_back, test_deque_pop_back__null_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_pop_back__non_inited_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_pop_back__empty),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_pop_back__successfully),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_pop_front, test_deque_pop_front__null_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_pop_front__non_inited_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_pop_front__empty),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_pop_front__successfully),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_insert_range, test_deque_insert_range__null_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_range__non_inited),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_range__invalid_position),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_range__invalid_range),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_range__invalid_range_not_same_type),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_range__invalid_range_belong_to_deque),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_range__empty_insert_0),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_range__empty_insert_10),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_range__begin_insert_0),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_range__begin_insert_10),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_range__middle_insert_0),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_range__middle_insert_10),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_range__end_insert_0),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_range__end_insert_10),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_range__other_container_range),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_range__other_container_range1),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_insert_array, test_deque_insert_array__null_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_array__non_inited),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_array__invalid_position),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_array__invalid_array),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_array__empty_insert_0),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_array__empty_insert_10),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_array__begin_insert_0),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_array__begin_insert_10),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_array__middle_insert_0),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_array__middle_insert_10),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_array__end_insert_0),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_array__end_insert_10),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_array__other_container_array),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_array__other_container_array1),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_array__cstr),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_insert_array__user_define),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_erase, test_deque_erase__null_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_erase__non_inited_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_erase__invalid_pos_end),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_erase__invalid_pos),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_erase__successfully_begin),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_erase__successfully_middle),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_erase__successfully_back),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_erase_range, test_deque_erase_range__null_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_erase_range__non_inited_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_erase_range__invalid_range_not_belong_to_deque),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_erase_range__invalid_range),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_erase_range__successfully_empty),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_erase_range__successfully_begin),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_erase_range__successfully_middle),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_erase_range__successfully_end),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_erase_range__successfully_all),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_clear, test_deque_clear__null_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_clear__non_inited_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_clear__empty_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_clear__non_empty_deque_container),\
UT_CASE_BEGIN(deque_resize, test_deque_resize__null_deque_container),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_resize__non_inited),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_resize__successfully_0_resize_0),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_resize__successfully_0_resize_10),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_resize__successfully_10_resize_0),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_resize__successfully_10_resize_10),\
UT_CASE(test_deque_resize__successfully_10_resize_1000)
#endif /* _UT_CSTL_DEQUE_H_ */
|
Q:
SqlCommand timeout even though in SQL Studio same query is fast
I have what I thought was a simple query that I execute from my little log-processing application. The aim of this method is to simply get the highest date value out of the log table:
private DateTime GetLastEntryDate(string serverName, string siteName)
{
DateTime dt = DateTime.MinValue;
using (var con = new SqlConnection(System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["LogParserDB"].ConnectionString))
{
con.Open();
using (var cmd = new SqlCommand("SELECT MAX(date) FROM iislogs WHERE host=@Host AND site=@Site", con))
{
cmd.CommandTimeout = 120;
cmd.Parameters.AddWithValue("Host", serverName);
cmd.Parameters.AddWithValue("Site", siteName);
var result = cmd.ExecuteScalar();
if (result != DBNull.Value)
{
dt = (DateTime)result;
}
}
}
return dt;
}
There are some indexes on the table, but I'm not sure if that's relevant, because the problem I'm getting is that when I run this code, it throws a timeout after 2 minutes on the ExecuteScalar line.
If I copy and paste that query into SSMS with the same parameters, it completes in 00:00:04, or even 00:00:00 (if I've just updated stats).
SELECT MAX(date) FROM iislogs WHERE host='servername' AND site='W3SVC1'
I have checked for blocking, and I can't see anything like that - that database is only being accessed by this one app, and it's not multi-threaded or anything like that.
Update:
Interestingly, when I run the exact query as captured by Profiler, it also takes a long time in SSMS:
exec sp_executesql N'SELECT MAX(date) FROM iislogs WHERE host=@Host AND site=@Site',N'@Host nvarchar(13),@Site nvarchar(6)',@Host=N'servername',@Site=N'W3SVC1'
The actual columns are varchar(50) and varchar(10) respectively.
A:
The query you execute in SSMS
SELECT MAX(date)
FROM iislogs
WHERE host = 'servername'
AND site = 'W3SVC1'
Is not the same as the one executed by your application.
EXEC sp_executesql
N'SELECT MAX(date) FROM iislogs WHERE host=@Host AND site=@Site',
N'@Host nvarchar(13),@Site nvarchar(6)',
@Host=N'servername',
@Site=N'W3SVC1'
The first one has varchar string literals. The second one has nvarchar parameters. Your column datatypes are in fact varchar.
nvarchar has higher datatype precedence than varchar so you are forcing an implicit cast of the column. This will render any indexes on the column useless.
Change the parameter datatypes in the application to varchar
|
FRAME WIDTH
FRAME WIDTH
extra-small: 100 - 118 mm; age 1-3 yrs*
small: 119 - 122 mm; age 4-7 yrs*
medium: 123 - 129 mm; age 8-12 yrs*
large: 130+ mm; age 13-19 yrs*
*Suggested age
Select a Lens Shape
Select a Lens Shape
A lens shape must be chosen for rimless glasses. Click the “Select a Lens Shape” link and a pop-up will open. If you wear bifocals or progressives, you can only choose from the lens shapes on the Progressive/Bifocal tab. If you wear single vision lenses, you can choose from any of the displayed lens shapes on Single Vision tab.
Lens shapes are only available in the size displayed. Keep in mind that a really wide lens will result in wide glasses. Choose a lens shape with a lens width similar to what you currently wear and not just by the shape of the lens.
FRAME SIZE
Frame Width:
129 mm
Lens Width:
49 mm
Bridge:
18 mm
Temple Length:
138 mm
Lens Height:
41 mm
Frame Weight:
19 grams
Add a touch of cosmic glam to your look with these multi-colored round glasses. Shades of midnight blue, pink and gold are accented with a hint of glitter. This is a narrow, lightweight acetate frame with an ever-so-slight cateye tilt. The temple arms feature spring hinges for a comfortable fit.
I love my Zenni's. I was skeptical that my progressive prescription would be done correctly and that the glasses would fit but what a great surprise! I took them out of the package, put them on and they were perfect! No big adjustment for the progressives. Thumbs up!!!
Thank you for your feedback.Please note that only your first vote will be counted.
Nurse Dani
Location:
Las Vegas, NV
Date of Review:
12/24/2018
Color reviewed:
Pattern
4
Love them!
Pros
StylishScratch Resistant
Cons
very light weight
Best Uses
General/DistanceReadingComputer
Describe Yourself
CasualTrendy/Stylish
Lenses
Light Weight
Love my new Zenni’s. They’re super cute and worth it for fun. I wear contacts most of the time so these are minimally used. I would probably buy a pair from eye doctor for daily use and then Zenni’s for fun, trendy glasses because they’re very light and feel somewhat flimsy. But for me, perfect!
Thank you for your feedback.Please note that only your first vote will be counted.
Lovin Libby
Location:
Brattleboro, VT
Date of Review:
9/12/2018
Color reviewed:
Pattern
5
Devastated
Pros
Accurate MagnificationHigh QualityFits WellStylishComfortable
Lens Tint
Just Right
Cons
currently out of stock
Sizing
Feels True To Size
Best Uses
OutdoorsGeneral/DistanceTravelSunglasses
Describe Yourself
unique
Lenses
Accurate PrescriptionLight WeightGlare
These glasses are magnificent! I used them for every day wear, and I was devastated when I broke them. I immediately came back to buy them again, but they are out of stock, and I am hounding this website until they are back in stock! I love the shape and color of them, and love everything about them
Thank you for your feedback.Please note that only your first vote will be counted.
Kate
Location:
Minnesota
Date of Review:
3/19/2018
Color reviewed:
Pattern
5
New favorites!
Pros
Fits WellStylishComfortable
Lens Tint
Just Right
Sizing
Feels True To Size
Best Uses
Computer
Describe Yourself
Trendy/Stylish
Lenses
Accurate Prescription
I am so in love with these. I ordered three pairs, but these are definitely my favorite. I have worn smaller frames for quite a few years now so I was a little nervous that the lenses on these were a little bigger, but they are perfect! |
Google Search
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has made several changes to his side ahead of their Premier League clash with Burnley on Saturday.
After impressing against Crystal Palace last weekend, Yaya Toure starts again for City although David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne drop to the bench.
Summer signing Ilkay Gundogan is not included in the squad, and neither is fellow summer recruit John Stones who was criticised in midweek for his display against Borussia Monchengladbach after being at fault for the German side’s goal in the 1-1 draw.
Given that Vincent Kompany suffered another injury setback last weekend, it’s a surprise to see Guardiola go with a makeshift defence, but with no suggestion that either Stones or Gundogan are injured, it’s assumed that the Spanish tactician is resting the pair.
Raheem Sterling and Nolito will provide support for Sergio Aguero up front as City look to continue to apply pressure on their Premier League title rivals.
With the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool not in action until later this weekend, Guardiola’s men have the opportunity to go clear at the top of the table and will be desperate to put a winning run together and prove their strength in depth to produce despite high-profile absentees. |
Me2AlCH2PMe2: a new, bifunctional cocatalyst for the Ni(II)-catalyzed oligomerization of PhSiH3.
The role of methylaluminoxane (MAO) in the Ni-catalyzed dehydrogenative homologation of PhSiH3 has been investigated with a view to designing new cocatalysts possessing well-defined chemical compositions and structures. These studies show that species such as the bifunctional reagent (Me2PCH2AlMe2)2, 3, should act as co-catalyst for the Si-Si bond formation reactions. Thus, it was found that the combination of (1-Me-indenyl)Ni(PPh3)Me, 2a, and 3 (Ni/Al ratio of 1:1) converts PhSiH3 to cyclic oligomers (PhSiH)n with a turnover frequency (TOF) of >500 h(-1), 50 times faster than with 2a alone. Detailed NMR studies have indicated that this acceleration is due to the formation of the intermediate (1-Me-indenyl)Ni(Me)(Me2PCH2AlMe2), 4. Coordination of the PMe2 moiety in this complex to the Ni center allows the tethered AlMe2 moiety to interact with the Ni-Me moiety in such a way that promotes fairly slow Al-Me/Ni-CD3 exchange (t(1/2) ca. 12 h) but accelerates the Si-H bond activation and Si-Si bond formation reactions. The catalysis promoted by 2a/3 proceeds even faster in the presence of NEt3 or THF (TOF > 1600 h(-1)), because these Lewis bases favor the monomeric form of 3, which in turn favors the formation of 4. On the other hand, the much more nucleophilic base quinuclidine suppresses the catalysis (TOF < 300 h(-1)) by hindering the Ni.R.Al interactions. These observations point to an emerging strategy for using bifunctional reagents such as 3 to place geometrically constrained Lewis acid moieties adjacent to metal centers, thereby activating certain metal-ligand bonds. |
Intranasal gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) for luteal-phase support following GnRHa triggering, a novel approach to avoid ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in high responders.
To study whether intranasal GnRH agonist (GnRHa) can be effectively used for luteal support in high-responder patients undergoing fresh-embryo transfer after ovulation induction with the use of GnRHa. Retrospective cohort study. Private fertility clinic. Forty-six high-responder patients were administered a GnRHa ovulation trigger to avoid ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), followed by 2 weeks of daily intranasal GnRHa (nafarelin) for luteal-phase support. No additional progesterone supplementation was administrated. Intranasal GnRHa for luteal-phase support. The primary outcome was ongoing clinical pregnancy rate. High median progesterone levels were measured at midluteal phase and on the day of the first positive pregnancy test (190 nmol/L on both measures). We obtained 24 (52.1%) ongoing clinical pregnancies. None of the patients developed OHSS. Intranasal GnRHa is effective in achieving luteal-phase support in high-responder patients triggered with GnRHa and avoiding OHSS. |
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Selected Store: Abbotsford En Français |
This invention relates to a method for fabricating a semiconductor device, and more specifically to a method for removing a poly-silicon residues around the etching pattern by graded etching of poly-silicon which acts as the electrode of the capacitor for a MOS-DRAM.
The fabricating method of the conventional MOS-DRAM is shown in FIG. 2 and will be explained below. First, a field oxide layer 2 and a capacitor dielectric (oxide) layer 3 are grown on a p-type single crystalline-silicon substrate 1 and then a poly silicon layer 4 for a first electrode is deposited as shown in FIG. 2(a). By plasma etching or RIE(Reactive Ion Etching), a restricted portion of said poly-silicon 4 is etched out as shown in FIG. 2(b), and then an oxide layer 6 is grown on the remaining portions of the poly-silicon 4 as shown in FIG. 2(c). A poly silicon layer 5 for a second electrode, which is used as a gate electrode of a MOS transistor, is deposited on the entire surface of the silicon substrate 1.
After etching restricted portions of said poly-silicon layer 5, the fabrication of MOS-DRAM is completed.
However, several problems to be solved remain in a conventional DRAM fabricating method. Since a restricted portion of the poly-silicon 4 for the first electrode of the capacitor is etched out by means of the plasma etching or RIE, using the etching pattern 11 of the poly-silicon layer for the first electrode as shown in FIG. 1, and hence the edges of the remaining part of the poly-silicon 4 have a right-angled section as shown in FIG. 2. For the isolation of the first poly electrode and the second poly electrode 5, the oxide layer 6 is grown on the poly-silicon layer 4. But the thickness of the grown oxide layer is not uniform and a recess 8 is formed on the bottom of the pattern edge as shown in FIG. 2(c).
The recess 8 is formed by the growth rate difference of the oxide layers on the surfaces between the silicon substrate 1 and the poly-silicon 4, because in the poly-silicon 4, the dopant is diffused in order to lower its resistance. The poly-silicon layer 5 for the second electrode is deposited on the entire surface of the silicon substrate 1 and by RIE method, the poly-silicon 5 is etched into the second electrodes 5' which will form the gates of the transistor. During this process, the residues 9 of the poly-silicon for the second electrode are remained in said recess 8. Since such the poly-silicon residues 9 are left in the recess around the first poly etching pattern 11 shown in FIG. 1, the second electrodes, which act as the gates of transistors, are shorted one another. Therefore, in order to prevent the poly-silicon from shorting, another pattern 12 in FIG. 1 for the removal of the residues is formed and another process step for the removal of the poly residues is necessary. |
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Monday, November 22, 2010
Potter Mania
Lack of bento this past week was due to complete Potter mania at our house :) Deathly Hallows *part1* came out on Friday so Thursday night Kidlet attended his first midnight showing! Normally I never would have let him since it was a school night, but one of my best buddies came from out of town so we had to! It was so much fun!
This bento is inspired by Potter Puppet Pals. If you haven't seen these videos you really should, they are hysterical!
Puppet!Harry is cheese and food colors and sits on a Quorn chik'n patty sandwich. On the side are checkered apple, carrots, walnuts, almonds, and dried blueberries
And here is a celebration cupcake! The Deathly Hallows symbol is fondant and food coloring marker. The cupcake is pumpkin with cream cheese icing.....soo good! I got the recipe from Shannon @ bentolunch.net. The only change I made was using pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon and of course making cupcakes :) They were delicious!
You're the third bento i see with Harry Potter! Cute! We went to watch the movie this past weekend too and it was a great movie! My family and I have predicted what part 2 will be like...we'll see if it'll surprise us! I love your cupcake with the Deadly Hallow symbol, too! |
Biological properties of N4- and N1,N8-spermidine derivatives in cultured L1210 leukemia cells.
Eleven novel spermidine (SPD) derivatives were synthesized as potential anticancer agents and evaluated for their ability to compete with [3H]SPD for cellular uptake, to inhibit cell growth, to affect polyamine biosynthesis, to suppress enzyme activity, and to substitute for SPD in supporting growth of cultured L1210 leukemia cells. The compounds included a series of N4-SPD derivatives (N4-methyl-SPD, N4-ethyl-SPD, N4-acetyl-SPD, N4-hexyl-SPD, N4-hexanoyl-SPD, N4-benzyl-SPD, and N4-benzoyl-SPD) and a series of N1,N8-SPD derivatives [N1,N8-bis(ethyl)-SPD, N1,N8-bis(acetyl)-SPD, N1,N8-bis(propyl)-SPD, and N1,N8-bis(propionyl)-SPD]. Uptake studies revealed N4-alkyl derivatives to be the most effective competitive inhibitors of [3H]SPD uptake (Ki, 26 to 43 microM) followed by N1,N8-alkyl derivatives (Ki, 71 to 115 microM), then N4-acyl derivatives (Ki, 115 to greater than 500 microM), and N1,N8-acyl derivatives (Ki, greater than 500 microM). The data indicate the relative importance of the terminal amines and of charge as determinants of cellular uptake. Of the 11 derivatives, only N4-hexyl-SPD, N1,N8-bis(ethyl)-SPD, and N1,N8-bis(propyl)-SPD demonstrated antiproliferative activity at 0.1 mM with 50%-inhibitory concentration values at 48 h of 30, 40, and 50 microM, respectively. In the case of the N1,N8-SPD derivatives, recovery from growth inhibition was enhanced considerably by exogenous SPD, suggesting involvement of polyamine depletion. At 10 to 30 microM, both N1,N8-bis(ethyl)-SPD and N1,N8-bis(propyl)-SPD (but not N4-hexyl-SPD) inhibited polyamine biosynthesis as indicated by significant reductions in polyamine pools and in biosynthetic enzyme activities. The more effective of the two, N1,N8-bis(ethyl)-SPD, depleted intracellular putrescine and SPD and reduced spermine by approximately 50% at 96 h and decreased ornithine and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase activities by 98 and 62%, respectively. Since neither derivative (at 5 mM) directly inhibited these enzymes from untreated cell extracts by significantly more than SPD itself, it is suspected that they act by regulating enzyme levels. As a measure of regulatory potential of the derivatives, ornithine decarboxylase was assayed in cells treated for 24 h and compared to the effects of 10 microM SPD which reduced the enzyme activity by 80%. None of the N4-SPD derivatives affected ornithine decarboxylase activity, while N1,N8-bis(ethyl)- and (propyl)-SPD were nearly as effective as SPD. Apparently, the central amine of the molecule is critical for regulatory function.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS) |
require File.expand_path("../lib/dotenv/version", __FILE__)
require "English"
Gem::Specification.new "dotenv-rails", Dotenv::VERSION do |gem|
gem.authors = ["Brandon Keepers"]
gem.email = ["brandon@opensoul.org"]
gem.description = gem.summary = "Autoload dotenv in Rails."
gem.homepage = "https://github.com/bkeepers/dotenv"
gem.license = "MIT"
gem.files = `git ls-files lib | grep rails`
.split($OUTPUT_RECORD_SEPARATOR) + ["README.md", "LICENSE"]
gem.add_dependency "dotenv", Dotenv::VERSION
gem.add_development_dependency "spring"
gem.add_development_dependency "railties", "~>4.0"
end
|
[The malignant hypertension syndrome: incontrovertible and questionable truths].
A total of 42 patients with malignant arterial hypertension (MAH) were examined. Of these, 32 patients had essential hypertension (26 with normal renal function and 6 with renal failure treated by programmed hemodialysis) and 10 suffered from chronic glomerulonephritis. The patients were examined for central hemodynamics, hormonal background (plasma renin activity) (PRA), plasma aldosterone and cortisol concentration. 14 patients underwent closed puncture biopsy of the kidneys. All the patients manifested high PRA associated activation of gluco- and mineralocorticoid adrenal function along with the hyperkinetic syndrome. MAH was characterized by dramatic discrepancy between the stroke and cardiac indices and specific peripheral resistance. Nephrosclerosis whose extent varied, attaining maximum in patients with associated essential hypertension and renal failure and in autopsy material, in addition to severe lesions of the renal vessels appeared to be the common feature of all morphological alterations. Plasmic impregnation and fibrinoid necrosis of the arterioles were not detectable in all the patients, being of focal character. The same alterations were identified in the patients during exacerbation of glomerulonephritis and in the absence of MAH. The data obtained point to the nonuniformity of MAH. Four clinicomorphological variants of MAH are suggested. |
3 Performance Modeling of TCP/IP in a Wide-Area Network * Eitan Altman, Jean Bolot, Philippe Nain, ** Driss Elouadghiri, *** Mohammed Erramdani ****, Patrick Brown, Denis Collange. ***** Thème 1 Réseaux et systèmes Projet Mistral Abstract: Rapport de recherche n 3142 Mars pages We examine the problem of evaluating the performance of TCP connections over wide area networks. Our approach combines experimental and analytic methods, and proceeds in three steps. First, we have used measurements taken over Renater to provide a basis for the chosen analytic model. This model turns out to be a shared bottleneck model, in which a finite buffer queue is shared by two connections, one being the reference TCP connection, and the other representing the exogenous traffic (i.e. all the other connections). This model is unlike previous models which did not explicitly consider the impact of exogenous traffic on the reference TCP connection. Second, we use fluid modeling to analyze the behavior of the reference TCP connection. We identify two modes of operation. For each mode, we derive closed-form expressions for the average throughput and delay as a function of buffering, roundtrip delay, and characteristics of exogenous traffic. Third, we use simulation to validate the model, and we find in general good correlation with the analytic results. Key-words: TCP/IP performance; Queueing theory; Fluid approximation; Simulation; Validation; Network measurements. (Résumé : tsvp) * The work in this paper was supported in part by grant 94-5B-012 from France Telecom/CNET. ** INRIA Sophia Antipolis, BP 93, 2004 Route des Luciolles, Sophia Antipolis Cedex, France. *** Université My Ismail, Dept de Math & Info, Zitoun, Meknes Marroco. **** Universite Mohammed V, Dept de Math & Info, Rabat, Marroco. ***** France Telecom - CNET, 905, rue Albert Einstein, Sophia-Antipolis Cedex, France. Unité de recherche INRIA Sophia Antipolis 2004 route des Lucioles, BP 93, SOPHIA ANTIPOLIS Cedex (France)
5 Analyse des Performances de TCP/IP 3 1 Introduction The work in this paper is a response to concerns voiced by an operator about the performance of TCP (Transport Control Protocol [24]) over wide-area networks in general, and over the French research network Renater 1 in particular. Our specific goal was to obtain analytic expressions to analyze, and predict if possible, the time required to transfer large files over Renater. This analysis in turn would be used by the network operator for dimensioning purposes ( is the current bandwidth sufficient to provide reasonable end to end performance? ) and for customer performance prediction purposes ( what kind of performance should a new customer expect given the current network configuration? ). Answering the questions above requires that one develop an understanding of TCP behavior as a function of network parameters, including both static parameters (such as buffer size or link bandwidth) and dynamic parameters (such as the dynamic aspects of the TCP control scheme or the characteristics of the traffic generated by other connections). While much is known about the behavior of TCP from observations of simulation and experimental results [23, 19, 21, 14], little is available in terms of closed-form expressions for the delay or throughput of a TCP connection in a wide area network. This is in large part because the complex dynamics of the TCP window flow control mechanism makes it difficult to analyze. Thus, much work so far has relied on experiments or simulation. Early analytical work examined simple models of a single connection in isolation over low and medium size/bandwidth networks [23], and was then extended to consider more complex but more accurate models [20], as well as connections with high bandwidth-delay products [15] and/or asymmetric characteristics [17]. In parallel, other work examined the impact of other connections on a reference TCP connection. This impact has been so far modeled as being that of an additional Bernoulli loss process [15]. Our work is closest in spirit and in approach to, and complements that of, reference [15]. We use a fluid modeling approach similar to that used there, however we explicitly model the impact of other connections on a reference TCP connection. Our general approach has proceeded in 3 steps. First, we have used measurements taken over Renater to provide a basis for the chosen analytic model. Our main result for the purpose of this paper is that the measurements can be interpreted using a shared bottleneck model. Not surprisingly, this result ties in well with that obtained in [4], which used measurements obtained over a variety of connections spanning the Internet. Second, we have considered a shared bottleneck model of a TCP connection. In this model, a reference TCP connection shares a single bottleneck node with other connections while non bottleneck nodes are modeled by fixed delays. The traffic generated by these connections is assumed to be independent from the behavior of the reference TCP connection. We refer to this traffic as exogenous traffic, and to these connections as non controlled connections (even though some of them might be TCP connections, and hence might be flow controlled connections). We model these connections as a single exogenous connection that competes with the reference TCP connection for the resources of the bottleneck node. In prac- 1 Renater is an acronym for REseau NAtional de télécommunications pour la Technologie, l Enseignement, et la Recherche. RR n 3142
6 4 E. Altman, J. Bolot, P. Nain, D. Elouadghiri, M. Erramdani, P. Brown, D. Collange tice, we model the exogenous and the reference connection using a fluid model and use it to analyze the behavior of the reference TCP connection. Fluid models have been found to be helpful in providing insights into the dynamic as well as stationary behavior of a variety of feedback control mechanisms [3, 7, 9, 26]. This is important because the dynamic behavior of the TCP flow control mechanism has an important impact on the performance of TCP connections. Third, we have used simulation to validate the fluid approximation and the analytic results obtained in step 2. The rest of the paper is organized as follows. In Section 2, we briefly describe the TCP flow control mechanism and our fluid model of it. This model turns out to have two modes of operation. We analyze these modes in Sections 3 and 4, respectively. In Section 5, we describe and analyze the simulation results obtained to validate the analytic results. Section 6 concludes the paper. 2 Modeling TCP flow control The TCP flow control scheme Flow control mechanisms regulate the flow of packets into a network to prevent network resources from becoming congested and to make sure that these resources are shared fairly between different users. This regulation is typically done using feedback information about the state (more or less congested) of the network. In TCP, the state of the network is characterized by packet losses and the regulation is done using a dynamic window scheme [11]. The specifics of the control mechanism are as follows. Packets are assigned increasing sequence numbers. The source TCP sends in each packet continuous data octets accompanied by the sequence number of the first octet. The destination TCP maintains a set of continuous sequence numbers. When it receives a packet, the destination TCP sends an acknowledgment (ack) packet indicating the value of the receive window and the next expected octet sequence number. The receive window indicates how much buffer space is available for this connection at the destination host. Its size is fixed. Data octets below the receive window have been passed on to the application. Data octets received out of sequence but within the receive window are buffered. The source TCP maintains another window called the congestion window, equal to the maximum allowed number of unacknowledged packets. The congestion window size is adjusted dynamically in response to ack reception and packet loss. A packet loss in turn is detected either with the receipt of 3 duplicate acks (i.e. consecutive acks that have the same next expected sequence number), or with the expiration of a timer. The source then is allowed to send min(receive window, congestion window) packets. The congestion window size adjustments work in cycles made up of two phases, namely the slow-start phase and the congestion-avoidance phase. The window size is initially set to 1. In the slow-start phase, INRIA
7 Analyse des Performances de TCP/IP 5 the window size is increased by one every time an ack is received. Thus, when an ack arrives at the source, two packets are generated, one for the received ack and one because the window size is increased by one. This behavior causes an exponential increase of the window size as a function of time, and the amount of data in transit over the connection increases rapidly. The slow-start phase ends when the window reaches a certain level called the slow-start threshold. At this point the congestion avoidance phase starts. The purpose of this phase is to slowly increase the load over the connection so as to adapt to and probe for the available bandwidth. This is done by increasing the current size W of the window by 1/[W] whenever a packet is acknowledged 2. Thus, the window size increases by 1 when W packets have been received, i.e. roughly every roundtrip. When a packet is lost, the slow-start threshold is set to half the size of the window, the window is then set to 1, and a new cycle begins. The control algorithm described above is referred to in the literature as TCP Tahoe. Other versions such as Reno [12] and Vegas [6] have been proposed recently. They differ from Tahoe by slightly different window adjustments and packet loss detection schemes, and we will not consider them in this paper. The shared bottleneck model We next turn to the problem of modeling and analyzing the performance of a reference Tahoe TCP connection in a wide-area network. As indicated in Section 1, we consider a shared bottleneck model. In this model, the reference TCP connection shares a finite buffer FIFO bottleneck mode with other connections. Thus, the arrival stream at the bottleneck queue is the superposition of two streams, namely the reference TCP stream and the exogenous stream, which is in turn the superposition of many streams active during the TCP connection lifetime. We assume in this section that the exogenous stream is a constant rate stream independent of the state of the network, i.e. independent of the behavior of the TCP connection under study and of the load in the bottleneck queue (we examine in Section 5 how the performance measures are impacted when the exogenous stream is a Poisson stream). We use a constant delay to model the fixed component of the round trip delay of the reference TCP packets. Refer to Figure 2. The parameters of the model are window size at time. We take. value of the slow-start threshold at time. number of packets in the queue (from the TCP and exogenous stream) at time. 2 [x] denotes the integer part of x. RR n 3142
A Comparative Analysis of TCP Tahoe, Reno, New-Reno, SACK and Vegas Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to analyze and compare the different congestion control and avoidance mechanisms which have been
ISSN: 2321-7782 (Online) Volume 1, Issue 7, December 2013 International Journal of Advance Research in Computer Science and Management Studies Research Paper Available online at: www.ijarcsms.com A Survey:
Using Fuzzy Logic Control to Provide Intelligent Traffic Management Service for High-Speed Networks ABSTRACT: In view of the fast-growing Internet traffic, this paper propose a distributed traffic management
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152 APPENDIX 1 USER LEVEL IMPLEMENTATION OF PPATPAN IN LINUX SYSTEM A1.1 INTRODUCTION PPATPAN is implemented in a test bed with five Linux system arranged in a multihop topology. The system is implemented
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5-44: omputer Networks Homework 2 Solution Assigned: September 25, 2002. Due: October 7, 2002 in class. In this homework you will test your understanding of the TP concepts taught in class including flow
17: Queue Management Mark Handley Queuing The primary purpose of a queue in an IP router is to smooth out bursty arrivals, so that the network utilization can be high. But queues add delay and cause jitter.
Random Early Detection Gateways for Congestion Avoidance Sally Floyd and Van Jacobson Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory University of California floyd@eelblgov van@eelblgov To appear in the August 1993 IEEE/ACM
Wireless Random Packet Networking, Part II: TCP/IP Over Lossy Links - TCP SACK without Congestion Control Roland Kempter The University of Alberta, June 17 th, 2004 Department of Electrical And Computer
1 First Midterm for ECE374 03/24/11 Solution!! Note: In all written assignments, please show as much of your work as you can. Even if you get a wrong answer, you can get partial credit if you show your
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TCP/IP: An overview Syed A. Rizvi TCP/IP The Internet uses TCP/IP protocol suite to establish a connection between two computers. TCP/IP suite includes two protocols (1) Transmission Control Protocol or
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Q:
jquery function not called on click event
$(function ()
{
$('#btnnext').click(function ()
{
alert("Hello after click event");
});
});
And the code for button as:
<asp:Button ID="btnnext" runat="server" CssClass="BStyle" OnClick="btnnext_Click" Text="Save" />
I have place Button control in update panel control and also have used master.. page
A:
$('#<%=btnnext.ClientID%>').click(function ()
{
alert("Hello after click event");
});
Another way would be to use OnClientClick attribute
<asp:Button ID="btnnext" runat="server" CssClass="BStyle" OnClick="btnnext_Click" OnClientClick="MyFunctionName()" Text="Save" />
<script>
function MyFunctionName(){
alert('test');
}
</script>
|
Arkansas' Ten Commandments Monument Lasted Less Than 24 Hours
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jill Zeman Bleed/AP Jill Zeman Bleed/AP
Updated at 4:15 p.m. ET
Less than a day after a monument of the Ten Commandments was installed outside the Arkansas State Capitol in Little Rock, it was destroyed when a man smashed a car into the stone.
Authorities say Michael T. Reed II drove a 2016 Dodge Dart into the 6,000-pound granite slab at about 4:47 a.m. local time on Wednesday.
"My boss called me and told me the Ten Commandments monument had been destroyed," Secretary of State and Capitol Police spokesman Chris Powell told NPR. "When I got here, it was rolled over on the sidewalk and broken into multiple pieces."
A video that appears to have been taken from inside the car was posted on the Facebook account of a Michael Reed early Wednesday; Powell told the AP that officials believe the video is authentic. It shows what looks like the Arkansas State Capitol building. A man's voice says: "Oh my goodness. Freedom!" as the car careens into the monument.
Powell said the crash into the 6-foot-tall slab was no accident.
"This was deliberate. The individual drove down there and stopped. He was videoing it on his cellphone as he accelerated into the monument," Powell said. "One of our Capitol Police officers was on patrol and witnessed it."
Reed, who police say is a 32-year-old white man from Van Buren, Ark., was arrested outside the Capitol and booked at the Pulaski County Jail. He faces preliminary charges of defacing an object of public respect, a Class C felony; criminal mischief in the first degree, a Class C felony; and trespassing on the state Capitol grounds, a misdemeanor.
Reed was arrested in 2014 for driving a car into the Ten Commandments monument at Oklahoma's state Capitol, Oklahoma County Sheriff's spokesman Mark Opgrande told The Associated Press. He was admitted to a hospital the next day for mental treatment and was not formally charged, the AP reports. In the 2014 incident, The Oklahoman reported that the U.S. Secret Service interviewed Reed and that he told agents that he has bipolar disorder and that Satan had directed him to destroy the monument.
toggle caption Pulaski County Sheriff's Office/AP
The Tulsa World reported in 2015 that Reed sent the newspaper a letter apologizing for the destruction of the Oklahoma monument. "I am so sorry that this all happening (sic) and wished I could take it all back," Reed wrote, explaining to the World that he had begun to believe the voices in his head.
Police said Wednesday that Reed was cooperative during his arrest and that, so far, there is no indication of motive.
The erection of the privately funded monument has been contentious. The Arkansas Legislature passed a law in 2015 requiring the installation of the monument on Capitol grounds. The Ten Commandments were erected Tuesday morning, and the ACLU of Arkansas has said it will sue for the monument's removal.
Meanwhile, Powell said Capitol workers are left picking up the (extremely heavy) pieces: "Our crew is in the process of cleaning all that up and carting it off. They have to get a tractor and put it on pallets and lift it up."
And the Dodge Dart was towed away, Powell said, adding, "There was minor damage, but not what you'd think, from what I hear, from knocking over a big stone monument."
Republican state Sen. Jason Rapert, who spearheaded the effort to install the Ten Commandments monument at the Capitol, says he wants to replace it, Michael Hibblen of member station KUAR reports.
"We will rebuild the monument," Rapert said. "It will be put in place and hopefully protect it from any future harm." |
Another case of password theft leaves commenters feeling hacked off
All your passwords are belong to some Russian hacker dudes
Turns out it doesn't really matter how many uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers or words about horses you have in your internet passwords, as most of them have been hacked and stolen anyway.
News this week suggested that an amazing 1.2billion email addresses and passwords have been harvested by hacking group CyberVors, which poked insecure servers with a malware botnet (and perhaps bought in more stolen data from other hackers) resulting in the biggest data collection in the history of hacks.
If true, and not the exaggerations of anti-Russian NSA plants (more on that later), it means a significant percentage of the world's population now faces the prospect of someone else knowing their login details.
So it's time to change passwords again. And seeing as they're bound to be hacked, stolen, intercepted or guessed at some point in the future, we may as well all use 88888888 or qwertyuiop to save time logging in.
1Password to rule them all
On the Independent, reader DaveW started throwing around the F-word to describe people that don't adequately protect their special words and logins online, saying: "There are 100s of programs that protect passwords while on a user's computer, along with other software designed to protect one's computer, laptop, tablet, etc. Those that don't have them are fools."
The old pre-internet saying about a chain only being as strong as its weakest link was reinterpreted in response by Bornslippy, who replied with: "Unfortunately none of them will protect you if, for example, someone hacks into your email provider and steals your password from their database."
"Nothing is 100% in life, but that's not an excuse for doing nothing," DaveW replied, transforming from furious tech guru to motivational speaker and life coach in the space of a few hours.
Tool injection
On The Register, conversation turned to SQL security matters. We scrolled past that lot.
Reader Paul Crawford had something interesting to say about why spam and password hacking is still such a massive industry, though, asking of our so-called security services: "One could well ask what NSA/GCHQ has done to protect us. They should have known of such insecurities, so are either incompetent at their jobs (unlikely), view the protection of consumers against such scams as beneath them, or have such a warped paranoid world-view that maintaining hacking capabilities is more important than actually protecting us (most likely)."
A thought-provoking idea, bettered by Anonymous Coward who responded with: "Or one could also wonder what they have already protected us from that we don't know about? Most security is behind-the-scenes. In the days when Belfast was suffering from car bombs & similar incidents, the ones that went off were the ones that slipped through the net, a much larger number were stopped before they became a real problem. Of course those ones never made the BBC News. Security is a thankless task."
Reader Marketing Hack is on the side of the conspiracy theorists, suggesting: "Unfortunately, what we have learned from the Snowden leaks is that there is a good chance that the NSA/GCHQ knew about these vulnerabilities and didn't do anything about them, because it gives them an avenue to penetrate some of these corporations/websites when they want to."
Have a crack
The sheer size of the password sample has some serious ramifications for the future of all online security, according to Ars Technica reader Bluefinger, who posted: "Having access to 1.2 billion potential passwords and password combinations means they have some serious data samples to analyse over and convert into better algorithmic approaches to password cracking."
He expanded with the chilling thought that it's going to lead to sentient hacking software able to guess our thoughts, suggesting: "It is a big enough sample size to start accounting for quirks of human memorisation/thought process, simply by virtue of having enough data to form patterns. This is the sort of thing a data scientist would love to get their hands on just to see what sort of patterns they can find."
So the future of hacking is intelligent malware that scans your MP3 collection and uses snippets of lyrics from your most-played songs until one clicks, or scans your Instagram page for beloved pet names and uses those to bust open your Gmail.
Blame Russia
Or, if you listen to VentureBeat reader Owen Brunette, the whole affair is just some fluff piece that came into being because a security firm sent out a press release. He says: "It reads as just another nonsense security story from a PR person at a security company. This one's called Hold Security. The NYT went along with it maybe because Russian things are spicy this week, or somebody somewhere in the chain was fed the story this week for more foreign policy reasons."
And independent security expert Bruce Schneier agrees, saying on his personal blog that it's largely a case of hype gone wild. Commenter Who Benefits thinks it's even simpler than that, and is nothing more than a cloaked an attack on all things Russian, saying: "This story may be a disinformation operation designed to cancel news surrounding Snowden's residency extension in Russia. It neatly steals focus from Snowden while smearing all things generally connected with Russia, hackers, and infosec professionals." |
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