text stringlengths 8 5.77M |
|---|
Q:
Event propagation and ajax post
I have the following code:
<div id="parentDiv">
<a href="someurl"> ... </a>
</div>
HTML inside the div comes from the external source and I don't know it's structure and can't control it.
I need to post some data when this link has been clicked. So I added an onclick event handler on the div element, hoping event will propagate, and posted data with jQuery ajax function.
This worked fine in all browsers but Safari - it doesn't return any errors, calls the callback function but doesn't reach the server for some reason. I write to database every time I get a request. Tried to manually load the post url in browser - works fine and record in db is created. Also tried FF and Chrome - works as expected.
When put an alert into callback function it's being called but in Safari data = null.
$('#parentDiv').delegate( 'a', 'click', function()
{
$.post('posturl',
{ param1: 'test'},
function(data)
{
alert('data = '+data);
},
"json"
);
});
Is it correct to expect AJAX working in this situation at all? And is there a better solution to this problem?
Thank you!
A:
This sounds like you need to combine delegate with the asynchronous AJAX. Note that this is almost never a good thing -- the only real exception is when you want to do an AJAX request immediately before leaving a page.
Your code might look something like this:
$('#parentDiv').delegate( 'a', 'click', function()
$.ajax({
type: 'POST',
url: 'posturl',
{ param1: 'test'},
dataType: 'json',
async: false
});
});
This waits for the POST request to finish before continuing to follow the link. Note that this is superior to using location = url in a success callback as this solution allows normal browser action like middle-clicking to be followed as normal.
|
Talkback: Growing sweet peas
Gwen, really sorry to read of your son's illness. Your comment has certainly made me think about my own problems & put them into perspective.
You are right, in times of trouble the garden is indeed a good friend. You don't have to talk to it or explain yourself to it; you can take out anger & frustration in it & it will never hold it against you; you can find moments of peace in it & cry in it without anyone asking questions.
Will most certainly say a prayer for you & your son.
Gardeners' World Web User
28 Jun 2011 19:33
I have just had the pleasure of seeing sweet peas in great variety grown splendidly in Hidcote Manor. There were annual ones grown through hazel wigwams, one colour to each wigwam and all placed with backdrops to show them to their best advantage. "Cupani" was there scenting the pathway andthere were perennial and bush varieties as well. They really were stars in the garden and then, in the afternoon, the roses were the stars at Kiftsgate Gardens,although that was where I was able to buy a packet of L.niger with a view to having black sweet peas in my black Olympic ring next year.
Gwen, I too have found solace in the garden. Best wishes to you and your boy.
Gardeners' World Web User
29 Jun 2011 12:07
I have just found out that Lathyrus niger has purple flowers - the black part is the colour of the leaves when they die! But we should all be growing it as it is a rare native plant. I shall grow my seeds and plant them in my spinney. iIt is extinct in many parts of the UK and such a pretty plant. Chiltern seeds sell the seeds as well as Kiftsgate Court.
Gardeners' World Web User
21 Aug 2011 18:44
I have grown sweet pea quite sucessfully
but i do not know enough about them they have pods on them now i don't know if you can eat them or not?
Gardeners' World Web User
I have always enjoyed gardening , but now it has become a place where i can go think about nothing , be free from worrys and have some me time . My only son of 21 has got cancer and the garden has become a close friend that gives support without saying anything. |
Q:
Cannot add new Given/When/Then, getting error `SyntaxError: Invalid regular expression: missing /`
I had configured cucumber + protractor, and I firstly was splitting stepDefinitions into different files like this:
When I created new features files, and started running, cucumber/protractor did not recognized these new steps I was adding to the other files. So I decided to move all the new steps into the same file.
But when I run, although they are well written (checked and compared thousands of times) I getting this error:
[launcher] Error: /Users/brunosoko/Documents/Dev/Personal/test2/features/step_definitions/homepage/homepage.js:30
this.When(/^I select an image
or video$/, function (done) {
^
SyntaxError: Invalid regular expression: missing /
at exports.runInThisContext (vm.js:73:16)
at Module._compile (module.js:443:25)
at Object.Module._extensions..js (module.js:478:10)
at Module.load (module.js:355:32)
at Function.Module._load (module.js:310:12)
at Module.require (module.js:365:17)
at require (module.js:384:17)
at /Users/brunosoko/Documents/Dev/Personal/test2/node_modules/cucumber/lib/cucumber/cli/support_code_loader.js:63:29
at Array.forEach (native)
at Object.wrapper (/Users/brunosoko/Documents/Dev/Personal/olapic-test2/node_modules/cucumber/lib/cucumber/cli/support_code_loader.js:62:15)
I've the following versions running of protractor and cucumber:
"devDependencies": {
"chai": "*",
"chai-as-promised": "^5.1.0",
"cucumber": "~0.6.0",
"protractor": "1.4.0",
"protractor-cucumber-junit": "latest",
"protractor-html-screenshot-reporter": "^0.0.21",
"selenium-webdriver": "2.47.0" },
These are my stepDefinition:
```
/*Given*/
this.Given(/^I am at the homepage$/, function (done) {
browser.get('').then(function(){
CarouselPage.clickOutSidePopUp();
done();
});
});
this.Given(/^I can see that images and videos are present on the widget$/
, function (done) {
expect(CarouselPage.checkMediaSource()).to.eventually.be.true;
done();
});
this.When(/^I select an image
or video$/, function (done) {
CarouselPage.getMedia(1).click();
done();
});
/*Then*/
this.Then(/^I see that Carousel Widget is correctly displayed$/, function(done){
expect(CarouselPage.carouselContainer.isPresent()).to.eventually.be.true;
done();
});
this.Then(/^I see the viewer modal
$/, function(done){
expect(ViewerModal.viewerContainer.isPresent()).to.eventually.be.true;
done();
});
this.Then(/^I see the Gallery widget
$/, function(done){
expect(CarouselPage.carouselContainer.isPresent()).to.eventually.be.true;
done();
}); ```
So, what am I doing wrong? Do I need to clear some cache? is this a bug with the versions I am using?
Thanks!
NOTE:
What also called my attention is that if I even comment the whole step, I see this on the console
./node_modules/protractor/bin/protractor conf.js
util.puts: Use console.log instead
Starting selenium standalone server...
util.puts: Use console.log instead
Selenium standalone server started at http://192.168.0.101:58696/wd/hub
[launcher] Error: /Users/brunosoko/Documents/Dev/Personal/test2/features/step_definitions/homepage/stepsDefinitions.js:24
//this.When(/^I select an image
or video$/, function (done) {
^^^^^^
SyntaxError: Unexpected identifier
at exports.runInThisContext (vm.js:73:16)
at Module._compile (module.js:443:25)
at Object.Module._extensions..js (module.js:478:10)
at Module.load (module.js:355:32)
at Function.Module._load (module.js:310:12)
at Module.require (module.js:365:17)
at require (module.js:384:17)
at /Users/brunosoko/Documents/Dev/Personal/test2/node_modules/cucumber/lib/cucumber/cli/support_code_loader.js:63:29
at Array.forEach (native)
at Object.wrapper (/Users/brunosoko/Documents/Dev/Personal/test2/node_modules/cucumber/lib/cucumber/cli/support_code_loader.js:62:15)
EDIT 2:
Here's my conf.js file, in case you see I'm doing wrong something here as well
exports.config = {
specs: [
'features/*.feature'
],
baseUrl: "http://www.page.com",
multiCapabilities: [
{
'browserName': 'chrome'
}
],
framework: 'cucumber',
//seleniumAddress: 'http://localhost:4444/wd/hub',
cucumberOpts: {
require: 'features/step_definitions/**/*.js',
format: 'pretty'
},
resultJsonOutputFile: 'report.json',
onPrepare: function () {
browser.driver.manage().window().maximize();
browser.ignoreSynchronization = true;
browser.manage().timeouts().implicitlyWait(20000);
browser.getCapabilities().then(function (cap) {
browserName = cap.caps_.browserName;
});
}
};
A:
That first character after image is a unicode line separator. Delete that and node will be able to parse the regular expression.
|
Western Canada Marine Response Corporation says three spill response boats will be delayed from entering service because there is no money available to crew and provision them due to delays surrounding the Trans Mountain pipeline project. CHRIS BUSH/The News Bulletin
Spill response vessels unloaded in Nanaimo
Spill response vessels designed for heavy weather won’t enter into service yet due to funding delays
Three coastal spill response boats unloaded in Nanaimo are becalmed by funding delays.
Western Canada Marine Response Corporation received a shipment of three spill response boats Wednesday, but delays in starting the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion will keep the boats from entering service.
The three nearly identical 300-tonne craft, christened Strait Sentinel, Coastal Sentinel and Gulf Sentinel, were built and sea-trialled in Singapore by ASL Shipyards and were hoisted from the deck and hold of the MV Happy Dynamic cargo ship at the Port of Nanaimo’s Assembly Wharf this week.
WCMRC refers to the craft as coastal response vessels, a new class of spill response vessel for the company, designed to work in heavier seas by Vancouver-based naval architecture and marine engineering company, Robert Allan Ltd.
“These are coastal response vessels and they are purpose-built boats for the West Coast,” said Michael Lowry, WCMSRC spokesman. “We wanted a boat that could handle the rougher weather out there … These aren’t fast boats. They’ll go about 10 knots, but they’ll get there in any kind of weather.”
But the boats won’t enter into service at their bases in Nanaimo, Beecher Bay near Sooke and Ucluelet, but will be laid up in Nanaimo.
Lowry said construction of the craft was started to coincide with construction of Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, which was halted in 2018.
“To meet the initial deadline, at the least the initial deadline, we had to begin the builds and those builds continued even after the announcement came out,” Lowry said. “Actually the boats had already been completed when the announcement came out, so we’ve received delivery, but unfortunately we can‘t bring them into service at the moment because there’s no funding. The funding for those vessels was going to come from the Trans Mountain project … so we’re not bringing them into the fleet. There’s no funds to hire a crew for them to operate them.”
Instead, WCMSRC will put them into a “warm layup” state in which the craft will be stored in Nanaimo and their engines and other systems run occasionally to keep them operational. They will also have to be provisioned and outfitted with the equipment needed to perform their tasks.
“There’ll be a lot of work on them in the next little while,” Lowry said. “They need to be recommissioned to be brought back up to an operating state after the voyage. They need to be outfitted with equipment … so there will be activity on those boats for sure.” |
As generally known, hats provide many benefits to the wearer, including shade to protect the user's head from the direct rays of the sun. Such shade reduces glare to the wearer's eyes, protects certain areas of the wearer's body from sunburn, may reduce the effects of heat to the wearer, etc. In other instances, the hat may protect the wearer from rain, sleet, snow, and other precipitation, and/or may provide protection from the cold, wind, etc.
While the sun's rays to some degree are blocked from the wearer's head, radiant energy is absorbed by the hat and is generally conducted through the crown of the hat into the interior cavity of the hat, thereby heating the wearer's head. In conjunction with such heat being absorbed, heat generated by the wearer's body radiates outwardly from the head, which can be somewhat trapped by the crown portion of the hat and retained in close proximity to the wearer's head. Therefore, the wearer is sometimes faced with the dichotomy of wearing a hat to protect from certain conditions, such as rain, wind, glare, sunburns, etc., only to result in an increased body temperatures to the wearer due to the heat absorbed and retained by the crown.
Several conventional hats have been provided with ventilating holes through the top and/or side walls of the crown for accessing the interior cavity, or the crown was constructed out of mesh to reduce this buildup of heat. Unfortunately, such efforts have had limited success in eliminating the problem of heat buildup within the interior of hats, while creating further problems such as diminishing the ability to protect the wearer from other conditions, such as rain, wind, etc. |
Monitoring of mercury pollution in Tanzania: relation between head hair mercury and health.
Through 1996 into 1997, a spot investigation on mercury contamination was conducted three times in Tanzania, especially around the Lake Victoria. A total of 150 goldminers, 103 fishermen and their families, and 19 residents of Mwanza City volunteered for the current study. A high total mercury level of 48.3 ppm (near to 50 ppm, a critical level of Minamata disease) and over in the head hair was observed in six goldminers (highest value, 953 ppm), four fishermen and their families (highest value, 416 ppm), and four Mwanza people (highest value, 474 ppm). With the exception of these 14 subjects, however, each mean total mercury level was well within the normal range (below 10 ppm). Out of the goldminers examined, 14 cases were diagnosed as a mild form of inorganic-mercury poisoning according to their clinical symptoms (such as polyneuropathy mercurialis, neuroasthemia, or tremor mercurialis) and the low ratio of methylmercury to total mercury, whereas neither inorganic-mercury poisoning nor methylmercury poisoning (Minamata disease) was noted in the fishermen and their families or in the Mwanza people. In addition, some subjects who showed a high total mercury level made habitual use of toilet soap containing much mercury. The findings obtained suggest that the mercury pollution in Tanzania is not very serious, however, it should be observed continuously. |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laminated quarter-wave plate or a circularly polarizing plate adapted to compensation for birefringence, a liquid-crystal display device using the same and a method for producing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a wave plate capable of providing a retardation of a quarter wavelength in a wide wavelength range of visible light, there is known a laminated quarter-wave plate in which a quarter-wave plate and a half-wave plate produced by uniaxial stretching are laminated on each other so that directions of in-plane slow axes of these plates intersect each other. For example, the laminated quarter-wave plate is widely used for the purpose of anti-reflection of a liquid-crystal display device (hereinafter referred to as “LCD”).
A TFT (Thin Film Transfer) drive type twisted nematic (TN) LCD is widely used in a notebook type personal computer, a monitor, etc. The TN-LCD has a disadvantage in that the viewing angle thereof is narrow. A VA- or IPS-LCD capable of providing a wide viewing angle have been developed and begun to be popularized for monitor use. The VA- or ISP-LCD, however, needs backlight electric power because the VA- or ISP-LCD is lower in luminance than the TN-LCD. Moreover, the VA- or ISP-LCD has been not applied to a notebook type personal computer requiring low electric power consumption.
On the other hand, it is known that frontal luminance of a multi-domain VA-LCD is improved when the laminated quarter-wave plate is disposed in one interlayer between a liquid-crystal cell and a polarizer while a laminated quarter-wave plate capable of providing circularly polarized light of reverse rotation is disposed in another interlayer. In this method, it is however difficult to obtain a wide viewing angle. This problem can be solved by the related art when a negative uniaxial phase retarder produced by biaxial stretching and a polarizer are laminated on each other. There is, however, a disadvantage in that the resulting film is made thick because a large number of plates must be laminated as well as production efficiency is made low because a large number of laminating steps is required. |
Q:
Tips on debugging Maven dependency issues
We use Maven in the large corporate IT shop I work. The dependency hierarchy seems to become unmanageable very quickly even if I just need to add one new dependency. On small changes to the code base I find I spend more time debugging Maven problems then the actual code. I am looking for some direction on how to
more quickly debug the issues
How to design new software to avoid the tangled web of circular dependencies, putting exclusions in pom.xml, etc....
Thanks!
A:
I would recommend that you use the eclipse maven plugin (m2e) - it has an excellent graphical dependency viewer that should enable you to track down dependency conflicts quickly. It actually provides two views - a tree view and a "hierarchy" view. I prefer the hierarchy view since it lets you search and filter transitive dependencies and highlights conflicts.
|
Q:
PartialView to create a select box: How to Html.Encode Output?
I have this partial view:
@model Dictionary<int, string>
<select style="height: 17px;">
<option value=''></option>
@foreach (KeyValuePair<int, string> value in Model)
{
<option value='@Html.Encode(value.Key.ToString())'>
@Html.Encode(value.Value)
</option>
}
</select>
Works fine, but if there are e.g. German umlauts in the value it is displayed wrong:
So instead of ö there is ö.
If I use @value.Value instead of @Html.Encode(value.Value) it works but I want to Html.Encode the values from a database because of security reasons.
A:
You don't need to manually Html.Encode because Razor secure by this manner. This means that Razor HTML encodes every string what you write to the output with the @ sing.
So you can just safely write @value.Value.
By the way the effect what you are seeing is the case of the double encoding because you first encode for text with Html.Encode and then Razor encodes the already encoded text for the second time when you write it out with @Html.Encode(value.Value).
|
ALTER TABLE `zt_entry` ADD `calledTime` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL DEFAULT '0' AFTER `createdDate`;
ALTER TABLE `zt_story` CHANGE `toBug` `toBug` mediumint(8) unsigned NOT NULL AFTER `closedReason`;
UPDATE `zt_story` SET `stage` = 'closed' WHERE `status` = 'closed';
ALTER TABLE `zt_story` ADD `stagedBy` char(30) COLLATE 'utf8_general_ci' NOT NULL AFTER `stage`;
ALTER TABLE `zt_storystage` ADD `stagedBy` char(30) COLLATE 'utf8_general_ci' NOT NULL;
|
Measurement of d-amphetamine-induced effects on the binding of dopamine D-2/D-3 receptor radioligand, 18F-fallypride in extrastriatal brain regions in non-human primates using PET.
The ability to measure amphetamine-induced dopamine release in extrastriatal brain regions in the non-human primates was evaluated by using the dopamine D-2/D-3 receptor radioligand, (18)F-fallypride. These regions included the thalamus, amygdala, pituitary, temporal cortex and frontal cortex as well as putamen, caudate and ventral striatum. The positron emission tomography (PET) studies involved control studies, which extended to 3 h, and the amphetamine-challenge studies, which involved administration of d-amphetamine (approx. 0.5-1 mg/kg, i.v.). PET data analysis employed the distribution volume ratio method (DVR) in which the cerebellum was used as a reference region. Our results show a substantial decrease in the binding potential of (18)F-fallypride in extrastriatal regions: thalamus (-20%), amygdala (-39%) and pituitary (-14%). Putamen, caudate and ventral striatum also exhibited significant decreases (-20%). The decrease in (18)F-fallypride binding in the extrastriatal regions points to the importance of dopaminergic neurotransmission in these brain regions. Furthermore, our findings support the use of (18)F-fallypride to measure extrastriatal dopamine release. |
Q:
Find all rational real numbers $x$ for which $\log_2(x^2 - 4x - 1)$ is a whole number.
Find all rational real numbers $x$ for which $\log_2(x^2 - 4x - 1)$ is a whole number.
The results are supposed to be: $x_1 = 5$, $x_2 = -1$, $x_3 = 17/4$, $x_4= -1/4$.
A:
Put $y = x- 2 \implies x^2-4x-1 = 2^m \implies (x-2)^2 = 2^m+5\implies y^2 = 2^m+5$. This shows $y$ must be an integer since $2^m+5$ is an integer. If $m$ is odd, say $m = 2k+1\implies (y-1)(y+1) = 2(4^k+2)= 4(2^{2k-1}+1)$. Thus $y$ is odd. So put $y = 2r+1\implies 4r(r+1) = 4(2^{2k-1}+1)\implies r(r+1) = 2^{2k-1}+1$. This equation has no integer solution since the left side is even while the right side is odd. Thus $m$ must be even, then put $m = 2s\implies (y-2^s)(y+2^s) = 5$. I am sure you can take it from here...
|
Q:
how to get indices of a tensor values based on a column condition in tensorflow
I have a tensor like this:
sim_topics = [[0.65 0. 0. 0. 0.42 0. 0. 0.51 0. 0.34 0.]
[0. 0.51 0. 0. 0.52 0. 0. 0. 0.53 0.42 0.]
[0. 0.32 0. 0.50 0.34 0. 0. 0.39 0.32 0.52 0.]
[0. 0.23 0.37 0. 0. 0.37 0.37 0. 0.47 0.39 0.3 ]]
I want to get indices in this tensor based on a tensor condition:
masked_t = [True False True False True True False True False True False]
So the output should be like this:
[[0.65 0. 0. 0. 0.42 0. 0. 0.51 0. 0.34 0.]
[0. 0. 0. 0. 0.52 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.42 0.]
[0. 0. 0. 0. 0.34 0. 0. 0.39 0. 0.52 0.]
[0. 0. 0.37 0. 0. 0.37 0. 0. 0. 0.39 0.]]
So the condition is working on the columns of the initial tensor. Actually I need the indices of the elements which they are True in the maske_t.
So the indices should be:
[[0, 0],
[1,0],
[2, 0],
[3,0],
[0,2],
[1,2],
[2,2],
[3,2],
....]]
Actually this approach works when Im doing row wise, but here I want to select specific columns based on a condition so it raise s incompatibility error:
out = tf.cast(tf.zeros(shape=tf.shape(sim_topics), dtype=tf.float64), tf.float64)
indices = tf.where(tf.where(masked_t, out, sim_topics))
A:
You can directly obtain your required tensor like this:
result = tf.multiply(sim_topics, tf.cast(masked_t, dtype=tf.float64))
Let the broadcasting do the work for masked_t to be same size as sim_topics
|
Is your home under attack?
Most of us have no idea what goes in to protecting your home from termites. Pest control is a very competitive business. You can find dozens of companies that will quote you a cheap price for termite and bug protection. Cheap seems great, until you discover their treatment didn't work, and the cheap company's warranty is no good. Allgood's prices are fair, but their guaranteed protection is priceless. Consumer Investigator Dale Cardwell, president of TRUSTDale.com, trusts Allgood Pest Solutions to eliminate your pests, protect your home and family, and deliver it all for an honest price. Click HERE to receive your exclusive Allgood Pest Solutions/TD Deal of $150.00 off your termite treatment! Plus, you get the TD/Allgood Make It Right Guarantee!
TRUSTDale Tip of the Day: *Don't Let Winter Pests Cozy Up to Your Home
Humans aren't the only creatures seeking warmth and shelter during winter's harsh temperatures and snow. Many pests make their way indoors in search of food and nesting spots, according to the National Pest Management Association.
Mice, one of the most common winter pests, can enter homes through openings as small as the size of a dime. Once inside, mice are capable of chewing through walls, electrical wires and baseboards and breed at alarming rates - producing as many as a dozen babies every three weeks.
"A few simple maintenance measures can go a long way in keeping unwanted winter visitors out of homes this winter," advised Missy Henriksen, vice president of public affairs for the NPMA. "If your home has experienced any sort of damage from storms or just regular wear and tear, now is the time to take stock and make the necessary repairs."
Seal cracks and holes on the outside of the home, including areas where utilities and pipes enter the structure, using caulk and/or steel wool.
Screen vents and openings to chimneys.
Keep attics, basements and crawl spaces well ventilated and dry.
Replace loose mortar and weather-stripping around the basement foundation and windows.
Eliminate all moisture sites, including leaking pipes and clogged drains. |
Flint Water Crisis Caused By Interrupted Corrosion Control: Investigating "Ground Zero" Home.
Flint, Michigan switched to the Flint River as a temporary drinking water source without implementing corrosion control in April 2014. Ten months later, water samples collected from a Flint residence revealed progressively rising water lead levels (104, 397, and 707 μg/L) coinciding with increasing water discoloration. An intensive follow-up monitoring event at this home investigated patterns of lead release by flow rate-all water samples contained lead above 15 μg/L and several exceeded hazardous waste levels (>5000 μg/L). Forensic evaluation of exhumed service line pipes compared to water contamination "fingerprint" analysis of trace elements, revealed that the immediate cause of the high water lead levels was the destabilization of lead-bearing corrosion rust layers that accumulated over decades on a galvanized iron pipe downstream of a lead pipe. After analysis of blood lead data revealed spiking lead in blood of Flint children in September 2015, a state of emergency was declared and public health interventions (distribution of filters and bottled water) likely averted an even worse exposure event due to rising water lead levels. |
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure of a chamber for a combustion engine.
(2) Description of Related Art
As shown in FIG. 9, conventional internal combustion engine 200 includes a cylinder head 203, a piston 201 and a chamber 205 which is formed from a bottom surface 204 of cylinder head 203 and a top surface 202 of the piston 201.
In the engine 200, squish areas 206 and 207, which are narrow spaces formed between the piston top surface 202 and a bottom edge 205A of the chamber 205, are made when the piston 201 is in Top Dead Center (TDC).
Accordingly, in the engine 200, it is possible to generate squish currents (see arrow “SF” in FIG. 9), which are air currents individually spurted out from the squish spaces 206 and 207 to the center of chamber 205 when the piston 201 comes up from Bottom Dead Center (BDC) to TDC. Further, in FIG. 9, each of ‘h206’ and ‘h207’ indicates the height of squish spaces 206, 207, respectively.
Besides, as shown in FIG. 10, a valve recess 210 is formed on the top surface 202 of the piston 201 so that intake valves and exhaust valves (not shown in FIGS. 9 and 10) do not hit against the top surface 202 partly because a Variable Valve Timing (VVT) mechanism (not shown in FIGS. 9 and 10) is equipped with the engine 200.
In other words, a valve stroke of the intake and/or the exhaust valve in an engine having the VVT mechanism is longer when the piston 201 is at TDC as compared to an engine without the mechanism. Accordingly the valve recess 210 is formed on the piston top surface 202 to avoid the valves hitting against the piston 201.
For example, a laid-open publication Japanese Utility Model (Kokoku) HEI 7-36107 discloses techniques related with the valve recess.
However, as shown in FIG. 10, it is necessary to move a top ring groove 208B, down (toward a piston pin 211 shown in FIG. 9) in which a piston ring (top ring) is fitted, when a valve recess is formed as deeply as the valve recess 210 shown in FIG. 10 because it is necessary to keep a thickness between the valve recess 210 and the top ring groove 208B as indicated ‘h205’ in FIG. 10.
Accordingly, it is impossible to avoid increasing the height of a top and 209, which is formed around the side surface of the piston 201 and is formed between the top ring groove 208B and the top surface 202, to keep necessary distance between the top ring groove 208B and the top surface 202.
In FIG. 10, an imaginary top ring groove 208A, formed when the valve recess 210 is not formed on the top surface 202, is shown by a dashed line.
Further, ‘h209A’ shows the height of the top land 209 when the valve recess 210 is not formed on the top surface 202. Alternatively, ‘h209B’ shows the height of the top land 209 when the valve recess 210 is formed on the top surface 202.
In other words, FIG. 10 shows that it is impossible to avoid increasing the top land's height due to forming the valve recess 210 by comparing between the height h209A and h209B.
However, increasing the volume of a quenching area which is a space between the top land 209 and a cylinder liner (not shown in FIGS. 9 and 10) is inevitable, if the height of the top land 209 is increased. Namely, flames from combustion in the chamber 205 cannot spread into the quenching area, and thus quality of the exhaust gas emitted from the engine 200 gets worse due to increasing amounts of HC (Hydro Carbons as unburned fuel).
In order to avoid worsening of the quality of exhaust gas, the location of the top surface 202 may be lowered toward the piston pin 211, i.e., the height h211 between the top surface 202 and the center C.sub.201 of the piston pin 211 is reduced.
But, it is also inevitable to increase the heights h206 and h207 of the squish areas 206 and 207. Accordingly, the fuel consumption becomes bad due to difficulties in generating adequate squish currents SF. |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of processor-based imaging, and, more particularly, to optimizing image operations in registration applications using GPUs.
2. Description of the Related Art
Medical imaging has become a vital component for numerous medical applications, ranging from diagnostics and planning to consummation and evaluation of surgical and radiotherapeutical procedures. A vast number of imaging modalities are currently used, including two-dimensional modalities (e.g., x-ray, angiography and ultrasound (“US”)) and three-dimensional modalities (e.g., computed tomography (“CT”), magnetic resonance tomography (“MRT”) and positron emission tomography (“PET”)).
Medical professionals often acquire more than one image of a patient at different points of time and/or by means of different imaging modalities. The variety of images often provide complementary information. Thus, it is generally desirable to merge the data from the various images. This is known as data fusion. Data fusion may provide the physician with more information than if the physician analyzed each image by itself. Further, data fusion may exploit the available data to a maximum degree, thereby reducing the overall number of images needed to be acquired and potentially lowering operating costs for a medical provider and inconveniences (e.g., exposure to radiation) for a patient. The first step of data fusion is typically registration, which refers to the process of bringing different images into spatial alignment.
Digital medical images, especially three-dimensional volumetric data, can easily reach hundreds of megabytes in size (say 500 slices of 512×512 images with 16-bit pixels equals 260 MB). Therefore, the registration of digital medical images can be computationally quite expensive. |
Optic disk swelling and abducens palsies associated with OKT3.
Orthoclone OKT3 is a monoclonal murine IgG immunoglobulin used to treat acute cellular rejection of allografted organs. Aseptic meningitis and meningoencephalopathy are known adverse side effects from the drug. OKT3 caused additional ophthalmologic and neurologic complications in an 18-year-old woman who was treated for transplanted kidney graft rejection. Papilledema and bilateral abduction deficits developed. Results of magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance angiography were unremarkable. Lumbar puncture disclosed increased intracranial pressure and sterile meningeal inflammation. Most of the symptoms resolved by one week after discontinuation of OKT3. Ophthalmologists and neurologists should be aware that optic disk swelling and abducens palsies can be associated with OKT3 when used in the treatment of transplanted kidney graft rejection. |
Low calcium-phosphate intakes modulate the low-protein diet-related effect on peak bone mass acquisition: a hormonal and bone strength determinants study in female growing rats.
Peak bone mass acquisition is influenced by environmental factors including dietary intake. A low-protein diet delays body and skeletal growth in association with a reduction in serum IGF-1 whereas serum FGF21 is increased by selective amino acid deprivation. Calcium (Ca) and phosphorous (P) are also key nutrients for skeletal health, and inadequate intakes reduce bone mass accrual in association with calciotropic hormone modulation. Besides, the effect of calcium supplementation on bone mass in prepubertal children appears to be influenced by protein intake. To further explore the interaction of dietary protein and Ca-P intake on bone growth, 1-month-old female rats were fed with an isocaloric 10%, 7.5%, or 5% casein diet containing normal or low Ca-P for an 8-week period (6 groups). Changes in tibia geometry, mineral content, microarchitecture, strength, and intrinsic bone quality were analyzed. At the hormonal level, serum IGF-1, fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), PTH, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (calcitriol), and FGF23 were investigated as well as the Ghr hepatic gene expression. In normal dietary Ca-P conditions, bone mineral content, trabecular and cortical bone volume, and bone strength were lower in the 5% casein group in association with a decrease in serum IGF-1 and an increase in FGF21 levels. Unexpectedly, the low-Ca-P diet attenuated the 5% casein diet-related reduction of serum IGF-1 and Ghr hepatic gene expression, as well as the low-protein diet-induced decrease in bone mass and strength. However, this was associated with lower cortical bone material level properties. The low-Ca-P diet increased serum calcitriol but decreased FGF23 levels. Calcitriol levels positively correlated with Ghr hepatic mRNA levels. These results suggest that hormonal modulation in response to a low-Ca-P diet may modify the low-protein diet-induced effect on Ghr hepatic mRNA levels and consequently the impact of low protein intakes on IGF-1 circulating levels and skeletal growth. |
Lighting fixtures adapted for operation in outdoor environments are commonly used to illuminate optical fibers. These systems mounted above ground, employ exterior shields to protect the internal components from rain and water splashed from adjacent pools or ponds. The optical fibers may be positioned in decorative arrays around a pool or pond, and also illuminate the pool. Often, a color wheel is interposed between the light source and the inlet ends of the optical fibers to enhance the visual effects with colored light from the fibers. Cooling air is drawn into the housing, circulated around the inlet ends of the optical fibers and the light source, and then channeled from the fixture under a pressure differential established by a fan positioned along the cooling path of air flowing through the fixture.
Various attempts have been made to configure these lighting fixtures with a low profile above the ground, and to prevent the internal light source from leaking (spurious) light from the light box to the adjacent area. However, such above-ground fixtures are vulnerable to collision with people and moving equipment such as carts and bicycles, and to associated damage from such collisions. They are also vulnerable to intrusion by wildlife such as insects or rodents that may disturb sensitive components, or to dirt and dust that accumulates over time on the optics to reduce their light output.
Another approach is to channel the spurious light into a translucent globe and so make the light box visible. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,353, entitled "Weather-Protected Lighting Apparatus and Method." This approach, however, draws attention to the light source and away from the dramatic and aesthetically pleasing fiberoptic pool-lighting display.
It would be desirable to provide a lighting fixture with fiber connections that could be buried beneath the surface of the ground. This would require the lighting fixture to be completely sealed. This, in turn, would require the lighting fixture to be efficient enough to deliver ample illumination at a sufficiently low power to avoid the need for external cooling air. |
At least three Hizbollah fighters have died in recent days in northwest Syria supporting a recent Telegraph report that Iranian and Shia troops were directing military operations in Idlib.
Hizbollah, the Iran-backed militia based in Lebanon, announced the “martyrdom” of three different Lebanese men while carrying out their “religious duties.”
It has been reported that two of the fighters were killed and the third suffered a heart attack during an ambush carried out by Jabhat al-Nusra. Hizbollah is just one of the many Iranian-backed proxies fighting alongside Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, as he continues his bid to regain control in the country’s northwest.
Idlib, a province of 3.5 million people living under the control of jihadist groups, is being attacked daily by Syrian and Russian air and ground strikes. The latest was on Sunday as the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported nine civilian deaths in the northwest as a result of “Syrian and Russian airstrikes.” The Telegraph revealed on Jan. 26 that Qassem Solemaini, the assassinated leader of the Quds Force, had sent militias to fight in Idlib before he was killed last month.
On Jan. 24, Hizbollah said a field commander was killed in Aleppo and his funeral took place in south Lebanon. The Quds Force, Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s intelligence force and extraterritorial military, and their Fatemiyon Brigades, were brought in to prop up the Syrian army as it entered what some say is the last major bastion of rebels.
The recordings leaked to The Telegraph revealed how Iranian soldiers and Afghan mercenaries were directing military operations in Idlib, despite a previous commitment at peace talks not to do so.
The latest Hizbollah announcements present further proof that Iran is directly taking part in the military operations via militias and proxies.
Lebanon-based The Daily Star newspaper reported on Saturday cited a Hizbollah source in Beirut as saying that three fighters. Two fighters were killed and the third allegedly suffered a heart attack, but in the same ambush that killed the other two, according to the source. |
Tag Archives: cheap Smith jersey replica
After giving up nfljerseysupply cc coupon code 233 yards and 13 first downs against the Giants in four quarters, they allowed 246 yards and 17 cheap Reebok Linval Joseph jersey first downs in cheap stitched football jerseys the first half Sunday. The cheap David Johnson jersey Broncos cheap Smith jersey replica converted on cheap sewn […] |
Estruturas de Dados: Listas
===========================
1. [Estruturas Lineares](Estruturas_Lineares.md) ([PDF](Estruturas_Lineares.pdf))
1. [Estruturas Não-Lineares](Estruturas_Nao_Lineares.md) ([PDF](Estruturas_Nao_Lineares.pdf))
1. Grafos e _Union-Find_ ([PDF](Grafos_e_Union_Find.pdf))
1. _Segment Tree_ e _Fenwick Tree_ ([PDF](Segment_Tree_BIT_Tree.pdf))
|
Regulation of postnatal growth of motor end plates in rat soleus muscle.
The question of whether or not postnatal growth in the length of end-plate acetylcholinesterase plaques in rat soleus muscle is controlled by the nerve or by the muscle was studied. When muscles with intact innervation were tenotomized in young rats, the muscles failed to grow in length and diameter and the end-plate esterase plaques remained short when the animals attained adulthood. When muscles in young rats were denervated the fibers also failed to grow in diameter and end-plate esterase plaques failed to attain the length of control plaques in normal innervated muscle. We conclude that growth of postnatal muscle fiber is an important determinant of end plate and motor terminal growth. |
Pressure effects on a spin-crossover monomeric compound [Fe(pmea)(SCN)(2)] (pmea = bis[(2-pyridyl)methyl]-2-(2-pyridyl)ethylamine).
Spin-crossover (SCO) compounds are a sort of bistable material whose electronic and magnetic properties can be tuned by external physical stimuli, such as heat, light, and pressure. The title SCO compound [Fe(pmea)(NCS)(2)] (1; pmea = bis[(2-pyridyl)methyl]-2-(2-pyridyl)ethylamine) undergoes spin transition in such a way that it is an ideal candidate to investigate pressure effects on the SCO behavior. First, the spin transition is complete and abrupt so that the pressure-dependent spin transition should be remarkable. Second, the T(1/2) value under ambient pressure is 184 K, which guarantees that the SCO temperature under various pressures does not exceed that restrained by high-pressure devices. The magnetic data of compound 1 under different external pressures were analyzed through a known method, as reported by Gutlich, which gave an interaction parameter Gamma of 264(5) cm(-1) and a volume change DeltaV degrees (HL) of 32(3) A(3) molecule(-1) [HL represents a high-spin (HS) <--> low-spin (LS) transition], respectively. Meanwhile, the calculated entropy change DeltaS degrees (HL)(T) at 1 bar is 59.79 J mol(-1) K(-1), which is a typical value that drives the spin transition from a LS to HS state. The pressure effects on the SCO behavior of compound 1 reported here may provide information for a deep understanding of the correlation between pressure and spin transition. |
Epidemic spreading[@b1][@b2][@b3][@b4][@b5][@b6] and information diffusion[@b7][@b8][@b9][@b10] are two fundamental types of dynamical processes on complex networks. While traditionally these processes have been studied independently, in real-world situations there is always coupling or interaction between them. For example, whether large-scale outbreak of a disease can actually occur depends on the spread of information about the disease. In particular, when the disease begins to spread initially, individuals can become aware of the occurrence of the disease in their neighborhoods and consequently take preventive measures to protect themselves. As a result, the extent of the disease spreading can be significantly reduced[@b11][@b12][@b13]. A recent example is the wide spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in China in 2003, where many people took simple but effective preventive measures (e.g., by wearing face masks or staying at home) after becoming aware of the disease, even before it has reached their neighborhoods[@b14]. To understand how information spreading can mitigate epidemic outbreaks, and more broadly, the interplay between the two types of spreading dynamics has led to a new direction of research in complex network science[@b15].
A pioneering step in this direction was taken by Funk *et al.*, who presented an epidemiological model that takes into account the spread of awareness about the disease[@b16][@b17]. Due to information diffusion, in a well-mixed population, the size of the epidemic outbreak can be reduced markedly. However, the epidemic threshold can be enhanced only when the awareness is sufficiently strong so as to modify the key parameters associated with the spreading dynamics such as the infection and recovery rates. A reasonable setting to investigate the complicated interplay between epidemic spreading and information diffusion is to assume two interacting network layers of of identical set of nodes, one for each type of spreading dynamics. Due to the difference in the epidemic and information spreading processes, the connection patterns in the two layers can in general be quite distinct. For the special case where the two-layer overlay networks are highly correlated in the sense that they have completely overlapping links and high clustering coefficient, a locally spreading awareness triggered by the disease spreading can raise the threshold even when the parameters in the epidemic spreading dynamics remain unchanged[@b16][@b17]. The situation where the two processes spread successively on overlay networks was studied with the finding that the outbreak of information diffusion can constrain the epidemic spreading process[@b18]. An analytical approach was developed to provide insights into the symmetric interplay between the two types of spreading dynamics on layered networks[@b19]. A model of competing epidemic spreading over completely overlapping networks was also proposed and investigated, revealing a coexistence regime in which both types of spreading can infect a substantial fraction of the network[@b20].
While the effect of information diffusion (or awareness) on epidemic spreading has attracted much recent interest[@b21][@b22][@b23][@b24][@b25][@b26][@b27][@b28], many outstanding issues remain. In this paper we address the following three issues. The first concerns the network structures that support the two types of spreading dynamics, which were assumed to be identical in some existing works. However, in reality, the two networks can differ significantly in their structures. For example, in a modern society, information is often transmitted through electronic communication networks such as telephones[@b29] and the Internet[@b30], but disease spreading usually takes place on a physical contact network[@b31]. The whole complex system should then be modeled as a double-layer coupled network (overlay network or multiplex network)[@b32][@b33][@b34][@b35][@b36], where each layer has a distinct internal structure and the interplay between between the two layers has diverse characteristics, such as inter-similarity[@b37], multiple support dependence[@b38], and inter degree-degree correlation[@b39], etc. The second issue is that the effects of one type of spreading dynamics on another are typically asymmetric[@b21], requiring a modification of the symmetric assumption used in a recent work[@b19]. For example, the spread of a disease can result in elevated crisis awareness and thus facilitate the spread of the information about the disease[@b17], but the spread of the information promotes more people to take preventive measures and consequently suppresses the epidemic spreading[@b26]. The third issue concerns the timing of the two types of spreading dynamics because they usually occur simultaneously on their respective layers and affect each other dynamically during the same time period[@b19].
Existing works treating the above three issues separately showed that each can have some significant effect on the epidemic and information spreading dynamics[@b16][@b19][@b40]. However, a unified framework encompassing the sophisticated consequences of all three issues is lacking. The purpose of this paper is to develop an asymmetrically interacting spreading-dynamics model to integrate the three issues so as to gain deep understanding into the intricate interplay between the epidemic and information spreading dynamics. When all three issues are taken into account simultaneously, we find that an epidemic outbreak on the contact layer can induce an outbreak on the communication layer, and information spreading can effectively raise the epidemic threshold, making the contact layer more resistant to disease spreading. When inter-layer correlation exists, the information threshold remains unchanged but the epidemic threshold can be enhanced, making the contact layer more resilient to epidemic outbreak. These results are established through analytic theory with extensive numerical support.
Results
=======
In order to present our main results, we describe our two-layer network model and the dynamical process on each layer. We first treat the case where the double-layer networks are uncorrelated. We then incorporate layer-to-layer correlation in our analysis.
Model of communication-contact double-layer network
---------------------------------------------------
Communication-contact coupled layered networks are one class of multiplex networks[@b41]. In such a network, an individual (a node) not only connects with his/her friends on a physical contact layer (subnetwork), but also communicates with them through the (electronic) communication layer. The structures of the two layers can in general be quite different. For example, an indoor-type of individual has few friends in the real world but may have many friends in the cyber space, leading to a much higher degree in the communication layer than in the physical-contact layer. Generally, the degree-to-degree correlation between the two layers cannot be assumed to be strong.
Our correlated network model of communication-contact layers is constructed, as follows. Two subnetworks *A* and *B* with the same node set are first generated independently, where *A* and *B* denote the communication and contact layers, respectively. Each layer possesses a distinct internal structure, as characterized by measures such as the mean degree and degree distribution. Then each node of layer *A* is matched one-to-one with that of layer *B* according to certain rules.
In an uncorrelated double-layer network, the degree distribution of one layer is completely independent of the distributions of other layer. For example, a hub node with a large number of neighbors in one layer is not necessarily a hub node in the other layer. In contrast, in a correlated double-layer network, the degree distributions of the two layers are strongly dependent upon each other. In a perfectly correlated double-layer network, hub nodes in one layer must simultaneously be hub nodes in the other layer. Quantitatively, the Spearman rank correlation coefficient[@b39][@b42] *m~s~*, where *m~s~* ∈ \[−1, 1\] (see definition in **Methods**), can be used to characterize the degree correlation between the two layers. For *m~s~* \> 0, the greater the correlation coefficient, the larger degree a pair of counterpart nodes can have. For *m~s~* \< 0, as \|*m~s~*\| is decreased, a node of larger degree in one layer is matched with a node of smaller degree in the other layer.
Asymmetrically interacting spreading dynamics
---------------------------------------------
The dynamical processes of disease and information spreading are typically asymmetrically coupled with each other. The dynamics component in our model can be described, as follows. In the communication layer (layer *A*), the classic susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) epidemiological model[@b43] is used to describe the dissemination of information about the disease. In the SIR model, each node can be in one of the three states: (1) susceptible state (*S*) in which the individual has not received any information about the disease, (2) informed state(*I*), where the individual is aware of disease and is capable of transmitting the information to other individuals in the same layer, and (3) refractory state (*R*), in which the individual has received the information but is not willing to pass it on to other nodes. At each time step, the information can propagate from every informed node to all its neighboring nodes. If a neighbor is in the susceptible state, it will be informed with probability *β~A~*. At the same time, each informed node can enter the recovering phase with probability *µ~A~*. Once an informed node is recovered, it will remain in this state for all subsequent time. A node in layer *A* will get the information about the disease once its counterpart node in layer *B* is infected. As a result, dissemination of the information over layer *A* is facilitated by disease transmission on layer *B*.
The spreading dynamics in layer *B* can be described by the SIRV model[@b26], in which a fourth sate, the state of vaccination (*V*), is introduced. Mathematically, the SIR component of the spreading dynamics is identical to the dynamics on layer *A* except for different infection and recovery rates, denoted by *β~B~* and *µ~B~*, respectively. If a node in layer *B* is in the susceptible state but its counterpart node in layer *A* is in the infected state, the node in layer *B* will be vaccinated with probability *p*. Disease transmission in the contact layer can thus be suppressed by dissemination of information in the communication layer. The two spreading processes and their dynamical interplay are illustrated schematically in [Fig. 1](#f1){ref-type="fig"}. Without loss of generality, we set *µ~A~* = *µ~B~* = 1.
Theory of spreading dynamics in uncorrelated double-layer networks
------------------------------------------------------------------
Two key quantities in the dynamics of spreading are the outbreak threshold and the fraction of infected nodes in the final steady state. We develop a theory to predict these quantities for both information and epidemic spreading in the double-layer network. In particular, we adopt the heterogeneous mean-field theory[@b44] to uncorrelated double-layer networks.
Let *P~A~*(*k~A~*) and *P~B~*(*k~B~*) be the degree distributions of layers *A* and *B*, with mean degree 〈*k~A~*〉 and 〈*k~B~*〉, respectively. We assume that the subnetworks associated with both layers are random with no degree correlation. The time evolution of the epidemic spreading is described by the variables , , and , which are the densities of the susceptible, informed, and recovered nodes of degree *k~A~* in layer *A* at time *t*, respectively. Similarly, , , , and respectively denote the susceptible, infected, recovered, and vaccinated densities of nodes of degree *k~B~* in layer *B* at time *t*.
The mean-field rate equations of the information spreading in layer *A* are The mean-field rate equations of epidemic spreading in layer *B* are given by where Θ*~A~*(*t*) (Θ*~B~*(*t*)) is the probability that a neighboring node in layer A (layer B) is in the informed (infected) state (See **Methods** for details).
From Eqs. (1)--(7), the density associated with each distinct state in layer *A* or *B* is given by where *h* ∈ {*A*, *B*}, *X* ∈ {*S*, *I*, *R*, *V*}, and *k~h~*~,*max*~ denotes the largest degree of layer *h*. The final densities of the whole system can be obtained by taking the limit *t* → ∞.
Due to the complicated interaction between the disease and information spreading processes, it is not feasible to derive the exact threshold values. We resort to a linear approximation method to get the outbreak threshold of information spreading in layer *A* (see [Supporting Information](#s1){ref-type="supplementary-material"} for details) as where denote the outbreak threshold of information spreading in layer *A* when it is isolated from layer *B*, and that of epidemic spreading in layer *B* when the coupling between the two layers is absent, respectively.
[Equation (9)](#m9){ref-type="disp-formula"} has embedded within it two distinct physical mechanisms for information outbreak. The first is the intrinsic information spreading process on the isolated layer *A* without the impact of the spreading dynamics from layer *B*. For *β~B~* \> *β~Bu~*, the outbreak of epidemic will make a large number of nodes in layer *A* "infected" with the information, even if on layer *A*, the information itself cannot spread through the population efficiently. In this case, the information outbreak has little effect on the epidemic spreading in layer *B* because very few nodes in this layer are vaccinated. We thus have *β~Bc~* ≈ *β~Bu~* for *β~A~* ≤ *β~Au~*.
However, for *β~A~* \> *β~Au~*, epidemic spreading in layer *B* is restrained by information spread, as the informed nodes in layer *A* tend to make their counterpart nodes in layer *B* vaccinated. Once a node is in the vaccination state, it will no longer be infected. In a general sense, vaccination can be regarded as a type of "disease," as every node in layer *B* can be in one of the two states: infected or vaccinated. Epidemic spreading and vaccination can thus be viewed as a pair of competing "diseases" spreading in layer *B*[@b20]. As pointed out by Karrer and Newman[@b20], in the limit of large network size *N*, the two competing diseases can be treated as if they were in fact spreading non-concurrently, one after the other.
Initially, both epidemic and vaccination spreading processes exhibit exponential growth (see [Supporting Information](#s1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). We can thus obtain the ratio of their growth rates as For *θ* \> 1, the epidemic disease spreads faster than the vaccination. In this case, the vaccination spread is insignificant and can be neglected. For *θ* \< 1, information spreads much faster than the disease, in accordance with the situation in a modern society. Given that the vaccination and epidemic processes can be treated successively and separately, the epidemic outbreak threshold can be derived by a bond percolation analysis[@b20][@b45] (see details in [Supporting Information](#s1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). We obtain where *S~A~* is the density of the informed population, which can be obtained by solving Eqs. (S18) and (S19) in [Supporting Information](#s1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}. For *θ* \< 1, we see from Eq. (11) that the threshold for epidemic outbreak can be enhanced by the following factors: strong heterogeneity in the communication layer, large information-transmission rate, and large vaccination rate.
Simulation results for uncorrelated networks
--------------------------------------------
We use the standard configuration model to generate networks with power-law degree distributions[@b46][@b47][@b48] for the communication subnetwork (layer A). The contact subnetwork in layer *B* is of the Erdős and Rényi (ER) type[@b49]. We use the notation SF-ER to denote the double-layer network. The sizes of both layers are set to be *N~A~* = *N~B~* = 2 × 10^4^ and their average degrees are 〈*k~A~*〉 = 〈*k~B~*〉 = 8. The degree distribution of the communication layer is with the coefficient and the maximum degree . We focus on the case of *γ~A~* = 3.0 here in the main text (the results for other values of the exponent, e.g., *γ~A~* = 2.7 and 3.5, are similar, which are presented in [Supporting Information](#s1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). The degree distribution of the contact layer is . To initiate an epidemic spreading process, a node in layer *B* is randomly infected and its counterpart node in layer *A* is thus in the informed state, too. We implement the updating process with parallel dynamics, which is widely used in statistical physics[@b50] (see Sec. S3A in [Supporting Information](#s1){ref-type="supplementary-material"} for more details). The spreading dynamics terminates when all infected nodes in both layers are recovered, and the final densities *R~A~*, *R~B~*, and *V~B~* are then recorded.
For epidemiological models \[e.g., the susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS) and SIR\] on networks with a power-law degree distribution, the finite-size scaling method may not be effective to determine the critical point of epidemic dynamics[@b51][@b52], because the outbreak threshold depends on network size and it goes to zero in the thermodynamic limit[@b43][@b53]. Therefore, we employ the *susceptibility measure*[@b52] *χ* to numerically determine the size-dependent outbreak threshold: where *N* is network size (*N* = *N~A~* = *N~B~*), and *r* denotes the final outbreak ratio such as the final densities *R~A~* and *R~B~* of the recovered nodes in layers *A* and *B*, respectively. We use 2 × 10^3^ independent dynamic realizations on a fixed double-layer network to calculate the average value of *χ* for the communication layer for each value of *β~A~*. As shown in [Fig. 2(a)](#f2){ref-type="fig"}, *χ* exhibits a maximum value at *β~Ac~*, which is the threshold value of the information spreading process. The simulations are further implemented using 30 different two-layer network realizations to obtain the average value of *β~Ac~*. The identical simulation setting is used for all subsequent numerical results, unless otherwise specified. [Figure 2(b)](#f2){ref-type="fig"} shows the information threshold *β~Ac~* as a function of the disease-transmission rate *β~B~*. Note that the statistical errors are not visible here (same for similar figures in the paper), as they are typically vanishingly small. We see that the behavior of the information threshold can be classified into two classes, as predicted by Eq. (9). In particular, for *β~B~* ≤ *β~Bu~* = 1/〈*k~B~*〉 = 0.125, the disease transmission on layer *B* has little impact on the information threshold on layer *A*, as we have . For *β~B~* \> *β~Bu~*, the outbreak of epidemic on layer *B* leads to *β~Ac~* = 0.0. Comparison of the information thresholds for different vaccination rates shows that the value of the vaccination probability *p* has essentially no effect on *β~Ac~*.
[Figure 3](#f3){ref-type="fig"} shows the effect of the information-transmission rate *β~A~* and the vaccination rate *p* on the epidemic threshold *β~Bc~*. From [Fig. 3(a)](#f3){ref-type="fig"}, we see that the value of *β~Bc~* is not influenced by *β~A~* for *β~A~* ≤ *β~Au~* ≈ 0.06, whereas *β~Bc~* increases with *β~A~*. For *p* = 0.5, the analytical results from Eq. (11) are consistent with the simulated results. However, deviations occur for larger values of *p*, e.g., *p* = 0.9, because the effect of information spreading is over-emphasized in cases where the two types of spreading dynamics are treated successively but not simultaneously. The gap between the theoretical and simulated thresholds diminishes as the network size is increased, validating applicability of the analysis method that, strictly speaking, holds only in the thermodynamic limit[@b20] (see details in [Supporting Information](#s1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). Note that a giant residual cluster does not exist in layer *B* for *p* = 0.9 and *β~A~* ≥ 0.49, ruling out epidemic outbreak. The phase diagram indicating the possible existence of a giant residual cluster \[Eq. (S20) in [Supporting Information](#s1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}\] is shown in the inset of [Fig. 3(a)](#f3){ref-type="fig"}, where in phase II, there is no such cluster. In [Fig. 3(b)](#f3){ref-type="fig"}, a large value of *p* causes *β~Bc~* to increase for *β~A~* \> *β~Au~*. We observe that, similar to [Fig. 3(a)](#f3){ref-type="fig"}, for relatively large values of *p*, say *p* ≥ 0.8, the analytical prediction deviates from the numerical results. The effects of network size *N*, exponent *γ~A~* and SF-SF network structure on the information and epidemic thresholds are discussed in detail in [Supporting Information](#s1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}.
The final dynamical state of the double-layer spreading system is shown in [Fig. 4](#f4){ref-type="fig"}. From [Fig. 4(a)](#f4){ref-type="fig"}, we see that the final recovered density *R~A~* for information increases with *β~A~* and *β~B~* rapidly for *β~A~* ≤ *β~Au~* and *β~B~* ≤ *β~Bu~*. [Figure 4(b)](#f4){ref-type="fig"} reveals that the recovered density *R~B~* for disease decreases with *β~A~*. We see that a large value of *β~A~* can prevent the outbreak of epidemic for small values of *β~B~*, as *R~B~* → 0 for *β~B~* = 0.2 and *β~A~* ≥ 0.5 (the red solid line). From [Fig. 4(c)](#f4){ref-type="fig"}, we see that, with the increase in *β~A~*, more nodes in layer *B* are vaccinated. It is interesting to note that the vaccinated density *V~B~* exhibits a maximum value if *β~A~* is not large. [Figure 4](#f4){ref-type="fig"} shows that the maximum value of *V~B~* is about 0.32, which occurs at *β~B~* ≈ 0.20, for *β~A~* = 0.2. Combining with [Fig. 3(a)](#f3){ref-type="fig"}, we find that the corresponding point of the maximum value *β~B~* ≈ 0.20 is close to *β~Bc~* ≈ 0.16 for *p* = 0.5. This is because the transmission of disease has the opposite effects on the vaccinations. For *β~B~* ≤ *β~Bc~*, the newly infected nodes in layer *B* will facilitate information spreading in layer *A*, resulting in more vaccinated nodes. For *β~B~* \> *β~Bc~*, the epidemic spreading will make a large number of nodes infected, reducing the number of nodes that are potentially to be vaccinated. For relatively large values of *β~A~*, information tends to spread much faster than the disease for *β~B~* ≤ *β~Bc~*, e.g., *θ* ≈ 0.21 for *β~A~* = 0.5, *p* = 0.5, *β~Bc~* ≈ 0.22, and *θ* ≈ 0.12 for *β~A~* = 0.9, *p* = 0.5, and *β~Bc~* ≈ 0.23. In this case, the effect of disease transmission on information spreading is negligible. The densities of the final dynamical states for SF-SF networks are also shown in [Supporting Information](#s1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}, and we observe similar behaviors.
Spreading dynamics on correlated double-layer networks
------------------------------------------------------
In realistic multiplex networks certain degree of inter-layer correlations is expected to exist[@b35]. For example, in social networks, positive inter-layer correlation is more common than negative correlation[@b54][@b55]. That is, an "important" individual with a large number of links in one network layer (e.g., representing one type of social relations) tends to have many links in other types of network layers that reflect different kinds of social relations. Recent works have shown that inter-layer correlation can have a large impact on the percolation properties of multiplex networks[@b37][@b39]. Here, we investigate how the correlation between the communication and contact layers affects the information and disease spreading dynamics. To be concrete, we focus on the effects of positive correlation on the two types of spreading dynamics. It is necessary to construct a two-layer correlated network with adjustable degree of inter-layer correlation. This can be accomplished by first generating a two-layer network with the maximal positive correlation, where each layer has the same structure as uncorrelated networks. Then, *Nq* pairs of counterpart nodes, in which *q* is the rematching probability, are rematched randomly, leading to a two-layer network with weaker inter-layer correlation. The inter-layer correlation after rematching is given by (see **Methods**) which is consistent with the numerical results \[e.g., see inset of [Fig. 5(a)](#f5){ref-type="fig"} below\]. For SF-ER networks with fixed correlation coefficient, the mean-field rate equations of the double-layer system cannot be written down because the concrete expressions of the conditional probabilities *P*(*k~B~*\|*k~A~*) and *P*(*k~A~*\|*k~B~*) are no longer available.
We investigate how the rematching probability *q* affects the outbreak thresholds in both the communication and epidemic layers. As shown in [Fig. 5](#f5){ref-type="fig"}, we compare the case of *q* = 0.8 with that of *q* = 0.0. From [Fig. 5(a)](#f5){ref-type="fig"}, we see that *q* has little impact on the outbreak threshold *β~Ac~* of the communication layer \[with further support in [Fig. 6(a)](#f6){ref-type="fig"}, and analytic explanation using ER-ER correlated layered networks in [Supporting Information](#s1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}\]. We also see that the value of *β~Ac~* for ER-ER layered networks with the same mean degree is greater because of the homogeneity in the degree distribution of layer *A*. [Figures 5(b)](#f5){ref-type="fig"} and [6(b)](#f6){ref-type="fig"} show that *β~Bc~* decreases with *q* or, equivalently, *β~Bc~* increases with *m~s~*. This is because stronger inter-layer correlation can increase the probability for nodes with large degrees in layer *B* to be vaccinated, thus effectively preventing the outbreak of epidemic \[see also Eqs. (S38)--(S41) in [Supporting Information](#s1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}\]. [Figure 7](#f7){ref-type="fig"} shows the final densities of different populations, providing the consistent result that, with the increase (decrease) of *q* (*m~s~*), the final densities *R~A~* and *R~B~* increase but the density *V~B~* decreases. For SF-SF networks, we obtain similar results (shown in [Supporting Information](#s1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}).
Discussion
==========
To summarize, we have proposed an asymmetrically interacting, double-layer network model to elucidate the interplay between information diffusion and epidemic spreading, where the former occurs on one layer (the communication layer) and the latter on the counterpart layer. A mean-field based analysis and extensive computations reveal an intricate interdependence of two basic quantities characterizing the spreading dynamics on both layers: the outbreak thresholds and the final fractions of infected nodes. In particular, on the communication layer, the outbreak of the information about the disease can be triggered not only by its own spreading dynamics but also by the the epidemic outbreak on the counter-layer. In addition, high disease and information-transmission rates can enhance markedly the final density of the informed or refractory population. On the layer of physical contact, the epidemic threshold can be increased but only if information itself spreads through the communication layer at a high rate. The information spreading can greatly reduce the final refractory density for the disease through vaccination. While a rapid spread of information will prompt more nodes in the contact layer to consider immunization, the authenticity of the information source must be verified before administrating large-scale vaccination.
We have also studied the effect of inter-layer correlation on the spreading dynamics, with the finding that stronger correlation has no apparent effect on the information threshold, but it can suppress the epidemic spreading through timely immunization of large-degree nodes[@b56]. These results indicate that it is possible to effectively mitigate epidemic spreading through information diffusion, e.g., by informing the high-centrality hubs about the disease.
The challenges of studying the intricate interplay between social and biological contagions in human populations are generating interesting science[@b57]. In this work, we study asymmetrically interacting information-disease dynamics theoretically and computationally, with implications to behavior-disease coupled systems and articulation of potential epidemic-control strategies. Our results would stimulate further works in the more realistic situation of asymmetric interactions.
During the final writing of this paper, we noted one preprint posted online studying the dynamical interplay between awareness and epidemic spreading in multiplex networks[@b58]. In that work, the two competing infectious strains are described by two SIS processes. The authors find that the epidemic threshold depends on the topological structure of the multiplex network and the interrelation with the awareness process by using a Markov-chain approach. Our work thus provides further understanding and insights into spreading dynamics on multi-layer coupled networks.
Methods
=======
Mean-Field theory for the uncorrelated double-layer networks
------------------------------------------------------------
To derive the mean-field rate equations for the density variables, we consider the probabilities that node *A~i~* in layer *A* and node *B~i~* in layer *B* become infected during the small time interval \[*t*, *t* + *dt*\]. On the communication layer, a susceptible node *A~i~* of degree *k~A~* can obtain the information in two ways: from its neighbors in the same layer and from its counterpart node in layer *B*. For the first route, the probability that node *A~i~* receives information from one of its neighbors is *k~A~β~A~*Θ*~A~*(*t*)*dt*, where Θ*~A~*(*t*) is the probability that a neighboring node is in the informed state[@b59] and is given by where . To model the second scenario, we note that, due to the asymmetric coupling between the two layers, a node in layer *A* being susceptible requires that its counterpart node in layer *B* be susceptible, too. A node in the communication layer will get the information about the disease once its counterpart node in layer *B* is infected, which occurs with the probability , where *P*(*k~B~*\|*k~A~*) denotes the conditional probability that a node of degree *k~A~* in layer *A* is linked to a node of degree *k~B~* in layer *B*, and *k~B~β*~B~Θ*~B~*(*t*)*dt* is the probability for a counterpart node of degree *k~B~* to become infected in the time interval \[*t*, *t* + *dt*\]. If the subnetworks in both layers are not correlated, we have *P*(*k~B~*\|*k~A~*) = *P~B~*(*k~B~*). The mean-field rate equations of the information spreading in layer *A* are Eqs. (1)--(3).
On layer *B*, a susceptible node *B~i~* of degree *k~B~* may become infected or vaccinated in the time interval \[*t*, *t* + *dt*\]. This can occur in two ways. Firstly, it may be infected by a neighboring node in the same layer with the probability *k~B~β~B~*Θ*~B~*(*t*)*dt*, where Θ*~B~*(*t*) is the probability that a neighbor is in the infected state and is given by where . Secondly, if its counterpart node in layer *A* has already received the information from one of its neighbors, it will be vaccinated with probability *p*. The probability for a node in layer *B* to be vaccinated, taking into account the interaction between the two layers, is , where *P*(*k~A~*\|*k~B~*) denotes the conditional probability that a node of degree *k~B~* in layer *B* is linked to a node of degree *k~A~* in layer *A*, and is the informed probability for the counterpart node of degree *k~A~* in the susceptible state \[*P*(*k~A~*\|*k~B~*) = *P~A~*(*k~A~*) for *m~s~* = 0\]. The mean-field rate equations of epidemic spreading in layer *B* are Eqs. (4) -- (7). We note that the second term on the right side of Eq. (4) does not contain the variable because a node in layer *B* must be in the susceptible state if its counterpart node in layer *A* is in the susceptible state.
Spearman rank correlation coefficient
-------------------------------------
The correlation between the layers can be quantified by the Spearman rank correlation coefficient[@b39][@b42] defined as where *N* is network size and Δ*~i~* denotes the difference between node *i*\'s degrees in the two layers. When a node in layer *A* is matched with a random node in layer *B*, *m~s~* is approximately zero in the thermodynamic limit. In this case, the double-layer network is uncorrelated[@b39][@b42]. When every node has the same rank of degree in both layers, we have *m~s~* ≈ 1. In this case, there is a maximally positive inter-layer correlation where, for example, the hub node with the highest degree in layer *A* is matched with the largest hub in layer *B*, and the same holds for the nodes with the smallest degree. In the case of maximally negative correlation, the largest hub in one layer is matched with a node having the minimal degree in the other layer, so we have *m~s~* ≈ −1.
In a double-layer network with the maximally positive correlation, any pair of nodes having the same rank of degree in the respective layers are matched, i.e., Δ*~i~* = 0 for any pair of nodes *A~i~* and *B~i~*. We thus have *m~s~* = 1, according to Eq. (16). After random rematching, a pair of nodes have Δ*~i~* = 0 with probability 1 − *q* and a random difference with probability *q*. [Equation (16)](#m16){ref-type="disp-formula"} can then be rewritten as When all nodes are randomly rematched, the layers in the network are completely uncorrelated, i.e., *m~s~* ≈ 0. In this case, we have Submitting Eq. (18) into Eq. (17), the inter-layer correlation after rematching is given by
Author Contributions
====================
W.W., M.T. and Y.C.L. devised the research project. W.W. and H.Y. performed numerical simulations. W.W., M.T., Y.H.D. and Y.C.L. analyzed the results. W.W., M.T., Y.H.D., Y.C.L. and G.W.L. wrote the paper.
Supplementary Material {#s1}
======================
###### Supplementary Information
Supporting Information
M.T. would like to thank Prof. Pakming Hui for stimulating discussions. This work was partially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11105025) and China Postdoctoral Science Special Foundation (Grant No. 2012T50711). Y. Do was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (NRF-2013R1A1A2010067). Y.C.L. was supported by AFOSR under Grant No. FA9550-10-1-0083. G.W. Lee was supported by the Korea Meteorological Administration Research and Development Program under Grant CATER 2012-2072.
{#f1}
{#f2}
{ref-type="supplementary-material"}\] in phase I. In (b), the red solid line (*β~A~* = 0.05) corresponds to *β~Bc~* = *β~Bu~*, and the green dashed line (*β~A~* = 0.20) is the analytical prediction from Eq. (11).](srep05097-f3){#f3}
{#f4}
{ref-type="supplementary-material"}), respectively. The inset shows the inter-layer correlation *m~s~* as a function of rematching probability *q*. (b) *β~Bc~* versus *β~A~* on SF-ER networks with *q* = 0.0 (red squares) and *q* = 0.8 (green circles), and ER-ER networks with *q* = 0.0 (blue up triangles) and *q* = 0.8 (orange down triangles). Blue solid (*q* = 0.0) and orange dashed (*q* = 0.8) lines are the analytical predictions for ER-ER networks from Eqs. (S38) -- (S41) in [Supporting Information](#s1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}.](srep05097-f5){#f5}
{ref-type="supplementary-material"}, respectively. (b) *β~Bc~* versus *q* on SF-ER (red squares) and ER-ER networks (green circles) for *β~A~* = 0.2 and *p* = 0.5. Green solid line is analytical prediction for ER-ER networks from Eqs. (S38) -- (S41) in [Supporting Information](#s1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}.](srep05097-f6){#f6}
{ref-type="supplementary-material"}. The parameter setting is *β~A~* = 0.2, *β~B~* = 0.4 and *p* = 0.5.](srep05097-f7){#f7}
|
/*
* Copyright (c) 2010, Gerard Lledó Vives, gerard.lledo@gmail.com
*
* This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
* it under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 as
* published by the Free Software Foundation. See README and COPYING for
* more details.
*/
#include <sys/types.h>
#include <sys/stat.h>
#include <string.h>
#include "inode.h"
#include "logging.h"
int op_getattr(const char *path, struct stat *stbuf)
{
struct ext4_inode inode;
int ret = 0;
DEBUG("getattr(%s)", path);
memset(stbuf, 0, sizeof(struct stat));
ret = inode_get_by_path(path, &inode);
if (ret < 0) {
return ret;
}
DEBUG("getattr done");
stbuf->st_mode = inode.i_mode & ~0222;
stbuf->st_nlink = inode.i_links_count;
stbuf->st_size = inode_get_size(&inode);
stbuf->st_blocks = inode.i_blocks_lo;
stbuf->st_uid = inode.i_uid;
stbuf->st_gid = inode.i_gid;
stbuf->st_atime = inode.i_atime;
stbuf->st_mtime = inode.i_mtime;
stbuf->st_ctime = inode.i_ctime;
return 0;
}
|
Archives
BJP Government Performance Analysis: Administration & Governance
This is my 2nd article in the series of articles which analyse the work of Modi government starting from 2014 till present date. This one is about administration and governance. Unlike the first one on defence, it is not that binary and there are quite a few gray areas and is subject to opinions as much it is to facts. For example, I like how NGOs have been brought under tougher checks and a lot of such organisations have been forced to shut shop. But quite a few people view it as unfair. Additionally, there is an overlap between governance issues and various others like economy, foreign policy etc. In this article, focus will will be on the work done or changes in way of working of central government ministries and departments. Some of these will be mentioned in next article which will be about economy issues.
1. Steps for leaner, responsive and more efficient government.
This is the most obvious, yet hardest things to do for any regime. All the decisions made by the politically elected government are implemented by officials who usually see multiple such governments come and go through their service. It is next to impossible to fire or even penalise them for even gross incompetence. Any reform in their way of working is extremely hard and takes years of sustained effort. Political and ideological differences even among ministers also play their part. Then there are politicians who have a mutually beneficial nexus with such officials even when they are out of power. Some of the first steps taken by Modi regime was to break this nexus and it seems to have succeeded partially. But there is still a long way to go.
GOOD
Squatters from govt properties removed
1. Officials working for central government have been forced to work much harder, so much so that many now view these prestigious jobs as punishment postings. Many non-performing officers have been disciplined and even sacked, a first. 1* 2* 29* 68* 112* 118* 132*
2. Even serving ministers have been forced to adopt austerity measures. Some examples are no new vehicles, reduced travel expenses 11*13* 71* 125*
3. Influence of foreign interests, corporates and their lobbyists has been severely curtailed. Many “powerful” people who had a lot of influence in various ministries and govt departments now don’t have insider knowledge or influence over decision making. 26* 63* 75*
4. Many politicians squatting on government properties have been forced to vacate them. List of more than 1500 such squatters includes many former ministers, MLAs, MPs and many so called artists, inetellectuals who have been staying in govt allotted properties long after their time was over. Even BJP run state governments have evacuated have evacuated former CMs and MLAs. 61* 65* 104* 108* 109* 113*
5. Business of paid for postings and transfers in many central govt departments has been severely curtailed. 7* 105*
6. Many useless posts have been abolished and major departments downsized and streamlined. Often posts like this were used to accommodate officials in high paying post-retirement postings.4* 117*
7. There is much greater communication between government and people. Many ministers and even PM office interact with common citizens on Twitter among other platforms. 124* 119*
8. Options opened for direct entry of domain experts in to government departments. 133* 134* 135*
9. Various measures taken to improve business climate like curtailment of harassment by various inspectors, passing of bankruptcy law, steps to improve ease of doing business among many others. It resulted in India making a record jump in ease of doing business index in 2017 and broke in to top 100 for first time. 3* 10* 12* 23* 46* 59* 66* 72* 154* 155* 156* 158* 159* 160*
10. A very large number of old, archaic laws removed. Latest one under consideration (July 2018) in Supreme Court is article 377, removal of which will lead to decriminalisation of homo-sexuality. 1159 such redundant laws removed in just 2 years. 42* 163* 164* 165*
BAD
1. Attempts to clean up bureaucracy and red tape need more will. In 4 years, there have not been many deep reforms in functioning of most govt departments, as far as corruption and delays are concerned. Then there have been some seemingly counter-productive measures like the one which makes it harder to investigate a govt servant.
2. For most part, BJP ruled states have not shown enough initiative and willingness for reforms as was expected of them.
SCORE: 6.5/10
There are some measures like removing squatters from palatial govt properties, attempted reforms in beuraucracy
2.Corruption and black money.
Recovering black money was one of the major poll promises of BJP and they have made fairly good progress on some fronts while it lacks on others.. As it happened, cleanups also unearthed huge scams in bank loans in which UPA regime gave away loans to numerous people who never meant to pay those back. This has proven to be one of the biggest scams in history and many big industrialists and UPA politicians including former Finance Minister Chidambaram have been implicated. Many of them have ran away from India to escape persecution. Apart from that, even after their best efforts, all the opposition parties and their followers have been unable to find a single corruption charge against Modi regime till date.
Action against corruption and black money
Demonetisation, however controversial it may be, has enabled recovery of untaxed income worth thousands of crores which would have never happened except for drastic measure like this. Implementation of GST was not perfect, but it has led to streamlined taxation process with reduced leakage, This link contains list of some income tax raids done immediately after demonetisation. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRovmVA_9x7NoyJHFLFZ7pA1Mi7gUYB6_OuGHgQA0pFLc9qQ1xTGMClqpGrudmZJ7YrBcg1n-VguZBi/pubhtml?gid=1658058173&single=true
GOOD
1. Huge scam in banking sector in which loans worth thousands of crores were given away without proper checks under influence of UPA ministers unearthed. Number of industrialists, bank officials and politicians are implicated. Many of these industrialists are being forced to give back that money. Legal actions being taken against others, some of which have fled India and some politicians and their associates. Banks starting to show gains after sustained recovery efforts. 120* 131* 136* 137* 138* 139* 140* 141* 158*
2. Many politicians jailed or under investigation for various corruption issues including former CMs and central ministers. 130* 142* 143* 144* 149* 150*
3. Many dubious NGOs, many of which have shady backgrounds have been forced to shut shop or forced to reduce their operations. Among the benign ones, many of such organisations were front for money laundering and payment of lackeys. Others were foreign sponsored fronts for mass scale conversions of Indics, anti-India propaganda and terrorism. 5* 9* 21* 91* 115* 126* 127* 145*
4. A large quantity of black money from foreign bank accounts successfully recovered. Treaties signed with Switzerland (among other countries) under which Swiss will share details of Indians owning bank accounts in Swiss banks. 103* 122* 128* 129* 146* 148*
5. Large increase in number of people paying income tax after rules like Aadhar verification, demonetisation, GST. Huge amounts of money recovered in income tax raids. Properties of gangsters targeted. Lakhs of shell companies closed down. 101* 121* 123* 128* 129* 147* 151* 152* 153* 161*
6. Stronger laws passed against corruption and tax evasion. Top level corruption reduces significantly. 33* 75* 93* 101* 102*
BAD
1. Modi regime perhaps underestimated how difficult the recovery of black money from foreign accounts will be. Although a huge sum of money has been recovered, the whole process will take a lot longer and most likely will fall short of hype during election campaign.
2. A number of bank loan defaulters managed to evade authorities and escape to foreign countries. If they had been arrested earlier, then loan recovery would have been a lot more easier and faster.
3. Implementation of GST was not up to par. Numerous issues still exist which will take atleast a few months to be sorted out.
4. Although I personally support demonetisation, it was not as well planned as it should have been. Very large number of people faced inconveniences for quite long time due to shortage of currency. Strangely, number of currency notes in circulation has reached back previous levels.
5. Even if corruption at top levels has been reduced, grassroot corruption still seems to be as bad as it was earlier. Problem of citizens dealing directly with govt departments have not eased much.
SCORE: 6.5/10
The actual score would have been a 6. Extra half point is due to clean image of almost every minister and no scams yet. Opposition parties have tried their best to make up scams like the one for Rafale planes, but their attempts have been laughably stupid.
3. Programs for citizens.
Reforms in electricity
This regime seems to have better reach out programs for general public which are meant to make their lives and interaction with government machinery easier and fruitful. In addition to big steps like Jan Dhan bank accounts, Mudra Yojna, free LPG for poor, there have been number of measures implemented to make government departments more responsive and approachable. Some of these points have overlap with economy and infrastructure issues, but they are mentioned here because they affect lives of citizens directly. and profoundly.. Some of these will be explained in detail in later posts.
GOOD
1. Red tape cut across various government departments. Steps like digital locker, self-attestation of documents and a few others meant to reduce paperwork, unnecessary delays and corruption implemented. 47* 62* 66* 67* 72* 107*
2. Jan Dhan Yojna brings banking to the poorest and enables direct transfer of funds for subsidies and other welfare programs. This is one of the best measures in quite a long time meant for direct benefit of the poor. Reduces delays and corruption. 167* 168* 169* 170* 171* 172* 173* 175*
3. Passport issue and re-issue process made much easier and faster. 110* 166*
4. More platforms for feedback about government departments and policies created. Emphasis on transparency in governance and grievance redressal mechanisms. 79* 124* 116* 119*
5. Steps taken to solve some employee issues related to Provident Fund, pensions and others. Lot more reforms still needed. 6* 18*
6. Swachh Bharat Mission despite problems is showing some results. 85% of population now has access to toilets, compared to around 40% at start of program. According to WHO, 3 lakhs deaths caused by diarrhea were averted between 2014 and 2019. A lot of public places like railway stations are much cleaner. 175 * 176* 177* 178* 179*
Source https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/img/63791557/Master.jpg
7. Ujwala Yojana, a scheme meant to eradicate use of polluting fuels like wood, coal, dung for cooking proves to be a good success. 5 crore new connections allotted ahead of target. 180* 181* 182* 183*
8. While many countries struggle with it, India implements strong net neutrality rules. 184* 185*
9. Multiple steps taken to improve conditions for farmers. Extra impetus on reducing malnutrition and increasing availability of nutritional food to citizens through various schemes. 186*, 187*, 188*, 189* 205* 206*
10. Excellent work so far by power ministry bringing even the remotest places in India on electricity grid. A number of villages which had remained outside the grid now have electricity. Additionally, electricity production and distribution is much better. India has a power surplus and is 3rd largest electricity producer in world. Most of issues still remaining are more often than not due to inefficient and corrupt state electricity corporations. Cheap LED bulbs help in reducing power consumption. 190*, 191* 192* 193* 194* 195* 196* 197* 198* 199* 200* 201* 202*
11. Much needed push for solar power with huge new solar power plants coming up. 203* 204*
12. Pace of road construction across the country has picked up substantially and it has been the highest till now. Many remote regions have new connectivity and existing highways in most regions have been upgraded, 207* to 232* 26 links
BAD
1. Inspite of all the schemes and subsidies, Indian agricultural sector suffers from various issues which will need a lot more work and better implementations. There has been no obvious solution of issues arising due to small size of land holdings, mimimum support prices and bureaucratic red tape.
2. Swach Bharat mission has been partially successful at best.
3. Implementation of digital measures meant to reduce red tape have had limited effect till now. Many people and govt departments remain unaware and disinterested in these changes.
SCORE: 7/10
If it was just the intention of projects mentioned here, this would be a full 10. But meaningful implementation of many of these projects is hampered by numerous factors like inefficient, corrupt bureaucracy, infinitely stupid and large population as well as mediocre planning. Some of these projects are longterm and the effects will be visible only after a certain amount of time.
FINAL SCORE: 6.6/10
If compared with UPA regime, this one is miles ahead in almost everything. But this is not a good enough standard to improve upon. There have been some good efforts from top, but on ground implementation has been good in only a few. Some of the long standing issues like reforms in bureaucracy, agriculture and a few other fields which will take more than just good intent and announcement of schemes. |
Day: December 22, 2014
It was 10 years today that a car bomb took out a gun truck that had several Peoria-area Marines in it. They were severely injured, some permanently. The incident forever changed the lives of dozens of people and lead to the death of a man whom I grew to be friends with, Tyler Ziegel. I didn’t know many of these guys prior to the bombing so I would never call myself a close friend. I grew to know some of them and befriended their platoon leader, Master Gunnery Sgt. Ron Richards who is a helluva guy (and a terrific football coach, btw). He wrote on his Facebook page a tremendous recount of what he remembers and wants others to as well. With his permission, here it is, uncut, verbatim and without any more comment.
I will never forget December 22nd, 2004.
I remember joking around the with Marines on that truck that afternoon in Al Qiam. I remember seeing the Marines off. I also remember getting called into the CoC that night. I remember standing in that Iraqi building hearing the news that there were 7 Marines on a truck that got hit. Somehow I knew it was my truck while denying it could be possible. I told the LtCol, “There were 3 belt fed weapons on that truck”, like machine guns can ward off evil. Under the circumstances it was an odd thing to say.
In a flash forward of time I was in the Shock Trauma Platoon tents. And wounded Marines of Engineer Company C were there. I remember finding Schertz next to the tent door in one tent. Schertz was groggy and wrapped in a blanket. He told me he was cold. He recounted jumping from a burning truck and his leg hurt. Janssen was lying on the bed in that tent. He was in a lot of pain, a crazy amount of pain.
Carey was sitting there. He was fully cognizant and was like a bard with a tale to tell. His hands were burnt and his ear was bleeding. There was fire, an arch of fire, ammo on fire, fuel on fire, and people on fire. After all he’d been through he wanted me to pass on to the Marines that they should not wear Gortex on missions because it was highly flammable. He had used his bare hands to try to put out flames on Ziegel before dragging Ziegel out of a burning truck full of high explosives and his primary concern was making sure the Marines on future missions were safe. Where do we find such men?
In another tent there was a Marine I didn’t recognized. Maybe my conscious mind didn’t let me recognize him. He had no dog tags. He whispered to the nurse, “I’m Tyler” when asked. Later I fetched Sergeant Martin and he recognized the guitar tattoo on his shoulder. It was Tyler Ziegel. I found Constable and he gave me a thumbs up, but didn’t speak. I think that was the last time I saw him.
I wandered back into a third tent to find Dickson laying laid open with two doctors working on him. I hadn’t showered in a week. I was concerned about being in there, but the doctors assured me that there wasn’t anything on me that wasn’t already in him. They had a medical doctor stand by Dickson all night to monitor his vitals.
The truck was attacked too far south to reach Al Qiam by radio and too far North to reach ASP Wolf. The satellite phone assigned to each convoy was to fill the voids between radio coverages. It was dead. There was a delay in getting the medevac to attack site because they had to drive within radio coverage in order to call it in. The convoy commander that failed his fellow Marines is likely weeping this day.
That night the quick reaction force went out to secure the truck and the weapons. They went out with many full Mark 19 ammo cans and came back with many empty. They described to me melted M16 barrels, scattered parts of the attacker, and the scorched remains of a truck.
The next day the doctors of the Shock Trauma Platoon were in disbelieve when I told them that Ziegel and Dickson were still alive. They were quite certain that Dickson would not survive the transport and they didn’t have much hope for Ziegel past the coming weeks.
Corporal McGreeby had called home to and I had to NJP him only to later become a character witness for the Marine I was charging with disobedience of a lawful order. I told the command, “McGreeby is silly and ignorant, but he’s got guts and guts is enough.” McGreeby had volunteered to be on the first truck on the next mission. The First Sergeant nearly choked trying to keep from laughing at my character description during the proceedings. McGreeby was a good Marine that made a mistake.
While the wounded were recovering, the platoon was concerned and anxious for news. I would call the platoon together to give updates on the medical status. I usually hid my tears behind my sunglasses as I spoke. I don’t claim to love all of the wounded to the depth of a father’s love, but there is love. The platoon, in the face of a repeat attack, carried on. They never gave up the mission. First platoon offered to take over; no way, it was our mission to finish. There was fear I’m sure, but no apprehension. We carried on with route clearance and other missions as well. All members of the platoon should be proud. The company should be proud. The Marine Corps should be proud.
Sergeant Huskins shared with me deep concern and remorse about that day. Sgt Huskins didn’t set off that bomb or do anything wrong that day and his genuine distress for his Marines is telling of the character of the man. I believe he would have willfully traded places with those Marines. His sincere feelings for the men in that truck should not go unmentioned.
Sergeant Martin likely has no idea of the profound stabilizing influence he had on the platoon. I sometimes looked to him to reinforce my strength or sometimes my façade of strength. Sergeant Cooper, God love him, just kept working. He provided the focus, the mission. Always pressing forward with a new engineering feat.
I wrote up Corporal Carey for a Bronze Star. Yep, Bronze Star with a V for Valor. It was downgraded significantly and I was indignant. I argued and fought and fussed. I was told that if I kept pressing the issue that I would be charged with insubordination. Charge sheets on the platoon commander would not be doing the platoon any favors. The disservice stood. To level set my expectations, after OIF-1 the Company Commander told me that he could give me a medal or my 2nd in command, but not both. I told him, “don’t award me if you cannot award him, he’s earned it just as much as me. Write up my 2nd in command.”
I do not want to forget December 22nd, 2004. It was a day of tragedy, but it should not be forgotten. The wounded persevered the healing process to outlive the attack. May God bless them and their families. The Marines in the platoon pressed on to complete the mission. All should be honored with remembrance. |
The resurgence of xenophobic, authoritarian right-wing populist movements in Europe threatens to undermine civil and liberal values. The emergence of these movements can be traced to the resilience of authoritarian traditions and ideologies, new forms of ethno-nationalism and the lack of a consistent strategy to democratize the European Union. An additional factor is the real or perceived fear of social disadvantage experienced by too many people in too many countries under conditions of economic globalization and neoliberalism. This paper examines the responses of mainstream political parties to the threat posed by far-right populist movements to the liberal order in Europe. It focuses on Germany, Austria, Italy and France.
Racist violence has been widespread in unified Germany since the early 1990s. Over the last 10 years, around 100 people (foreigners, homeless people and leftist activists) were killed, 10,000 were physically attacked and, especially in eastern Germany, 'zones of fear' were established, in which it was dangerous for foreigners to live.
This violence is one expression of the activities of a right-wing extremist movement and an everyday culture of folkish ethnocentrism, especially embraced by young males between 12 and 18 years of age. This movement was instigated by the first attacks on asylum-seekers after unification-in Hoyerswerda in 1991 and Rostock-Lichtenhagen in 1992. Asylum-seekers, Roma and Vietnamese 'guestworkers' fled these locations. |
FILED
NOT FOR PUBLICATION FEB 22 2012
MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT
GEORGE HUFF; LENDARD MORRIS; No. 10-56344
LORRAINE SORIANO; RICHARD
SINGLETARY; RANDALL BAKER; D.C. No. 2:10-cv-02911-DMG-RC
JAMES BUTTS; RICHARD IRVING;
ANNETTE YOUNG; JOSE DE ANDA,
Jr., MEMORANDUM*
Plaintiffs - Appellants,
v.
CITY OF LOS ANGELES,
Defendant - Appellee.
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Central District of California
Dolly M. Gee, District Judge, Presiding
Submitted February 17, 2012**
Pasadena, California
Before: PREGERSON, HAWKINS, and BEA, Circuit Judges.
*
This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent
except as provided by 9th Cir. R. 36-3.
**
The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision
without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2).
On July 1, 2010, George Huff, Lendard Morris, Lorraine Soriano, Richard
Singletary, Randall Baker, James Butts, Richard Irving, Annette Young, and Jose
de Anda, Jr. (“Appellants”) filed their Second Amended Complaint (“SAC”) in
district court alleging that the City of Los Angeles (“the City”) had violated 29
U.S.C. §§ 207(a) and 207(o) of the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) by failing
to compensate them for integral and indispensable activities performed before or
after regular work shifts: namely, donning and doffing their uniforms and safety
equipment at work. The City moved to dismiss Appellants’ SAC, without leave to
amend, on the ground that it failed to cure the defects of the First Amended
Complaint, and, therefore, failed to state a claim under this court’s decision in
Bamonte v. City of Mesa, 598 F.3d 1217 (9th Cir. 2010). We affirm.
The district court did not err in dismissing Appellants’ claims under Fed. R.
Civ. P. 12(b)(6). A dismissal for failure to state a claim pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6)
is reviewed de novo. “While a complaint attacked by a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to
dismiss does not need detailed factual allegations . . . a plaintiff's obligation to
provide the grounds of his entitle[ment] to relief requires more than labels and
conclusions.” Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007) (internal
citation and quotation marks omitted).
2
In their SAC, Appellants did not state whether the donning and doffing of
their uniforms and safety equipment at work was required by “law, rule, their
employer, or the nature of their work.” Without such elucidation, Appellants’
claims bear a striking, if not matching, resemblance to the claims brought by the
police officers in Bamonte, where we found that, under the FLSA and the Portal-
to-Portal Act, the City of Mesa need not compensate its police officers for the
donning and doffing of their uniforms and safety gear at home.1 To survive the
City’s Motion to Dismiss, it was vital for Appellants to plead facts which
distinguish their conduct from that which was found not to be compensable in
Bamonte. For instance, Appellants did not allege in their SAC why more security
guards did not use the locker room provided by the City at the John Ferraro
Building or how their uniforms and safety gear differed in function and utility from
those found by the court in Bamonte not to be integral and indispensable. It is not
this court’s responsibility to ruminate why Appellants did not take advantage of the
1
As dictated by the terms of their employment, Appellants are required to
don and doff the following work uniform and safety equipment: utility belt (also
known as a Sam Browne belt), black boots, body armor, baton, baton holster,
chemical agent (pepper spray), chemical agent holder, handcuffs, two-way radio,
Nextel phone, name tag, and security badge. The Appellants in Bamonte were
required to don and doff the following: “trousers, a shirt, a nametag, a clip-on or
velcro tie, specified footwear, a badge, a duty belt, a service weapon, a holster,
handcuffs, chemical spray, a baton, and a portable radio. The wearing of body
armor [was] optional . . . .” Bamonte, 598 F.3d at 1220.
3
district court’s leave to amend its First Amended Complaint. Because the SAC
fails to differentiate Appellants’ claims from those in Bamonte, the district court
did not err in dismissing these claims without leave to amend.
Nor did the district court abuse its discretion in denying Appellants further
leave to amend. In its Order granting the City’s Motion to Dismiss, the district
court stated:
Given that Plaintiffs were previously granted leave to amend in light of
the Ninth Circuit’s recent Bamonte decision and have since failed to
allege facts sufficient to state a claim for relief, the court finds that
granting Plaintiffs leave to amend yet again would be futile.
The district court gave Appellants notice that it was essential to distinguish
their claims from those that were found to be unpersuasive in Bamonte. Instead of
doing so, Appellants merely amended three paragraphs that included facts that are
virtually indistinguishable from those in Bamonte. Thus, the district court did not
abuse its discretion in denying Appellants leave to amend after it dismissed their
SAC.
In sum, Appellants fail to plead sufficient facts to distinguish their claims
from those which were found not to be compensable under Bamonte. The district
court properly granted the City’s Motion to Dismiss and did not abuse its
4
discretion in denying Appellants leave to amend their claims. The judgment of the
district court is AFFIRMED.2
2
On appeal, Appellants contend that this court erred in deciding Bamonte.
While Appellants may be displeased that Bamonte precludes them from advancing
their claims against the City,“[a]bsent exceptional circumstances, [the Ninth
Circuit] will not consider arguments raised for the first time on appeal.” Alohacare
v. Hawaii Dep’t Human Servs., 572 F.3d 740, 744 (9th Cir. 2009). No such
circumstances exist here. Appellants have therefore waived any challenge
regarding whether Bamonte was correctly decided. Furthermore, even if
Appellants had not waived the opportunity to raise the question whether Bamonte
was properly decided, we could not entertain such a challenge. A three-judge
panel may not overrule a prior decision of the court. Miller v. Gammie, 335 F.3d
889, 899 (9th Cir. 2003).
5
|
Disease-causing effects of environmental chemicals.
Both toxicologic studies and studies in environmental chemistry are important in assessing the potential adverse health effects of human exposures to hazardous environmental agents. This article discusses the toxic effects of chemical concentration at the target organ or site and how the concentration is related to the level of external exposure. |
/// <reference path="../test-types.ts"/>
import * as _ from 'lodash';
import assert = require('assert');
import server = require('../utils/server');
import utils = require('../utils/utils');
import { buildSite } from '../utils/site-builder';
import { TyE2eTestBrowser } from '../utils/pages-for';
import settings = require('../utils/settings');
import logAndDie = require('../utils/log-and-die');
import c = require('../test-constants');
let owen: Member;
let owensBrowser: TyE2eTestBrowser;
let maria: Member;
let mariasBrowser: TyE2eTestBrowser;
let michael: Member;
let site: IdAddress;
let forum: EmptyTestForum;
let tocipUrl: string;
const mentionOwen = '@owen_owner';
const mentionOwen001 = mentionOwen + ' 001';
const mentionOwen002 = mentionOwen + ' 002';
const mentionOwen003 = mentionOwen + ' 003';
const mentionOwen004 = mentionOwen + ' 004';
const mentionOwen005 = mentionOwen + ' 005';
const mentionOwen006 = mentionOwen + ' 006';
const mentionMichael = '@michael';
const mentionMichael002 = mentionMichael + ' 002';
const mentionMichael003 = mentionMichael + ' 003';
const mentionMichael004 = mentionMichael + ' 004';
const mentionMichael005 = mentionMichael + ' 005';
const mentionMichael006 = mentionMichael + ' 006';
describe("notfs-snooze-talk TyT782RKTL36R", () => {
it("initialize people, import site", () => {
const richBrowserA = new TyE2eTestBrowser(browserA);
const richBrowserB = new TyE2eTestBrowser(browserB);
const builder = buildSite();
forum = builder.addEmptyForum({
title: "Snooze Notfs Forum",
members: undefined, // default = everyone
});
owen = forum.members.owen;
owensBrowser = richBrowserA;
maria = forum.members.maria;
mariasBrowser = richBrowserB;
michael = forum.members.michael;
// Disable reviews, so notfs get generated directly.
// 2nd snooze spec, with review tasks enabled? TESTS_MISSING TyT04KSTH257
builder.settings({ numFirstPostsToReview: 0, numFirstPostsToApprove: 0 });
assert(builder.getSite() === forum.siteData);
site = server.importSiteData(forum.siteData);
});
it("Maria logs in", () => {
mariasBrowser.go2(site.origin + '/');
mariasBrowser.complex.loginWithPasswordViaTopbar(maria);
});
it("... creates a topic, @mentions Owen", () => {
mariasBrowser.complex.createAndSaveTopic({
title: "Attention!", body: "Attention please " + mentionOwen001 });
tocipUrl = mariasBrowser.getUrl();
});
it("Owen gets notified", () => {
server.waitUntilLastEmailMatches(
site.id, owen.emailAddress, mentionOwen001);
});
it("Owen logs in", () => {
owensBrowser.go2(site.origin);
owensBrowser.complex.loginWithPasswordViaTopbar(owen);
});
// ----- Snooze works directly after snoozing
it("Owen snoozes notifications 4 hours, the default", () => {
owensBrowser.complex.snoozeNotifications({ hours: 4 });
});
it("Maria mentions first Owen, then Michael", () => {
mariasBrowser.complex.replyToOrigPost(mentionOwen002);
mariasBrowser.complex.replyToOrigPost(mentionMichael002);
});
it("Michael gets notified", () => {
server.waitUntilLastEmailMatches(
site.id, michael.emailAddress, mentionMichael002);
});
it("But not Owen — he's snoozed email notifications", () => {
// Any notf to Owen ought to have arrived before the one to Michael,
// since Owen was mentioned first.
// But no new notf should have been sent — instead, Owen's old email notf
// should be the most recent one, that is, 001 but not 002.
server.assertLastEmailMatches(
site.id, owen.emailAddress, mentionOwen001, browserA);
});
it("Owen's browser shows two unread @mention notfs from Maria though", () => {
owensBrowser.refresh();
owensBrowser.topbar.waitForNumDirectNotfs(2);
});
// ----- Snooze works just before snooze period ends
it("Almost four hours passes, snooze almost ended", () => {
const minutes = 60 + 60 + 60 + 30;
owensBrowser.playTimeSeconds(minutes * 60);
server.playTimeMinutes(minutes);
});
it("Maria mentions first Owen, then Michael — again", () => {
mariasBrowser.complex.replyToOrigPost(mentionOwen003);
mariasBrowser.complex.replyToOrigPost(mentionMichael003);
});
it("Michael gets notified, again", () => {
server.waitUntilLastEmailMatches(
site.id, michael.emailAddress, mentionMichael003);
});
it("But not Owen", () => {
server.assertLastEmailMatches(
site.id, owen.emailAddress, mentionOwen001, browserA); // not 003
});
// ----- Notifs back when snooze ends
it("More than four hours passes. Snooze ends", () => {
owensBrowser.playTimeSeconds(35 * 60);
server.playTimeMinutes(35); // in total 4 hours + 2 minutes
});
it("Maria mentions first Owen, then Michael — *what* is so important?", () => {
mariasBrowser.complex.replyToOrigPost(mentionOwen004);
mariasBrowser.complex.replyToOrigPost(mentionMichael004);
});
it("Michael gets notified, this time too", () => {
server.waitUntilLastEmailMatches(
site.id, michael.emailAddress, mentionMichael004);
});
it("... and Owen — he's snoozing no more!", () => {
server.assertLastEmailMatches(
site.id, owen.emailAddress, mentionOwen004, browserA);
});
// ----- Snooze stops when manually un-snoozing
it("Owen quickly snoozes notifications, until tomorrow", () => {
// Needs to refresh (remove) the snooze icon, otherwise snoozeNotifications()
// fails a ttt assertion.
// — Fine, gets refreshed because of Maria @mentioning Owen which bumps
// Owen's unread notfs counter, and the snooze icon.
owensBrowser.complex.snoozeNotifications({ toWhen: 'TomorrowMorning9am' });
});
it("Maria mentions first Owen, then Michael", () => {
mariasBrowser.complex.replyToOrigPost(mentionOwen005);
mariasBrowser.complex.replyToOrigPost(mentionMichael005);
});
it("Michael gets notified", () => {
server.waitUntilLastEmailMatches(
site.id, michael.emailAddress, mentionMichael005);
});
it("But not Owen", () => {
server.assertLastEmailMatches(
site.id, owen.emailAddress, mentionOwen004, browserA); // not 005
});
it("Owen is sleeping, but his cat steps on the keyboard, and " +
"un-snoozes notifications, unintentionally", () => {
owensBrowser.complex.unsnoozeNotifications();
});
it("The cat falls asleep on the keyboard", () => {
// Noop
});
it("Maria mentions first Owen, then Michael — the 6th time now", () => {
mariasBrowser.complex.replyToOrigPost(mentionOwen006);
mariasBrowser.complex.replyToOrigPost(mentionMichael006);
});
it("Michael gets notified, as usual", () => {
server.waitUntilLastEmailMatches(
site.id, michael.emailAddress, mentionMichael006);
});
it("... and Owen and the cat", () => {
server.assertLastEmailMatches(
site.id, owen.emailAddress, mentionOwen006, browserA);
});
});
|
Stick It Magnet 3 Month Calendar Pads - Round w/ Bottom
Calendars & Planners
colors:
WHITE
0.8900 — 1.3500
Give clients something where they can see your brand every day with this Stick It calendar pad! It's a round item with a bottom strip magnet and an economical 13-month calendar that's stapled for extra durability. This is made of white flexible magnetized material with approximately 0.02" thickness. Orders received on June 1st or after will receive the following year's calendar unless specified. Imprint this with your company name or logo in brilliant full color for an amazing promotion!
Decoration Methods
Digital Print
Production Time
5-10 working days after artwork approval
Packaging
Bulk
Pricing & Options
Customize your product based on the available color options and decorating methods. If you need more information, simply add this product to the Wish List and we will get back to you with answers.
choose color
choose decoration method
Digital Print
Digital Print
Ready to customize?
Product inquiry
Thank you for inquiring about this great product. If you are interested in only this item, simply fill out the fields below. However, if you are interested in finding out more about a variety of products, simply add all of your favorite products to the “Wish List” and inquire with one simple click. In any case we will get back to you very shortly.
Office Address
Connect
Send to a friend
Your first name
Your last name
Email from
Email to
Message
Cookie Notice
This site uses cookies to assist with navigation and your ability to use features of the site such as wishlists and shopping cart, by continuing to use this website, you agree to our use of cookies. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy. |
KHARTOUM - Abdul Wahab Ahmed is one of hundreds of workers at a brick factory in the el-Giraif neighbourhood of Khartoum, the Sudanese capital.
But Sudan’s dire economic situation has left even those in regular employment struggling to survive, the 45-year-old father of three children told Middle East Eye.
“Some of them can’t afford to send their kids to school. Some only eat one meal a day,” he says.
Now, with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir announcing harsh austerity measures and his second major government reshuffle in the space of four months, Ahmed says he only expects life to get tougher.
“These political changes have nothing to do with us. Since the beginning of the year things have got worse and life has really become impossible because the price of everything is rocketing in the local markets.”
The “new economic strategy” announced by Bashir on Monday included cutting federal and state-level government spending by 34 percent, reducing the number of government ministries from 31 to 21, reducing the size of the presidential council and restructuring state-level government.
Mohamed Osman Kibir was appointed vice-president in this week's reshuffle (AFP
Bashir also pledged to tackle corruption and reform the national economy, promising more subsidies for the poorest, increased productivity and revenues, and finance for agricultural schemes.
In a televised address he admitted that the country’s dire economic circumstances had forced him to take action.
“I would like to thank all our people for their deep understanding of the tough economic situation that we face that has protected us from social unrest or chaos,” he said.
“Today we launch this new national initiative to stabilise and reform our economy through cutting expenses, fighting corruption, increasing productivity, supporting developmental projects and creating an environment conducive for local and foreign investment.”
Bashir’s new cabinet was his fourth major reshuffle since the last general elections in 2015. As part of it, former electricity and water minister Moutaz Mousa Abdallah was promoted to prime minister, replacing Bakri Hassan Saleh, who retained the post of first vice-president.
Other changes, announced on Thursday, included the appointments of Ahmed Bilal Othman as interior minister and Abdullah Hamduk as finance minister.
Also promoted was Mohamed Osman Kibir, the governor of North Darfur state, who replaced Hassabo Abdul Rahman as vice-president.
Opposition plans protests
But the changes were dismissed as meaningless by Sudan Call, the country’s main opposition alliance, which said that Bashir was simply rotating through leaders of the ruling National Congress Party.
In a statement on Tuesday, it also vowed to take to the streets in opposition to Bashir’s near-30-year rule.
“This move is just an artificial and worthless show by the regime that will never solve the bad living conditions of our people,” the statement said.
“This rotation of the government positions between the NCP leaders is miserable and we are planning to organise wide protests to bring down the regime and stop the hunger of our people.”
Sudan has been enduring miserable economic conditions in recent months despite hopes last year that the lifting of US sanctions in place since 1997 would boost the country’s fortunes.
Long queues for bread, fuel, cooking gas and at ATMs have been a common sight in Khartoum and other states since the beginning of the year, while the country has also seen sporadic protests over rising living costs.
One factor has been the lifting of subsidies on many basic commodities including fuel and bread to comply with International Monetary Fund (IMF) recommendations for reviving an economy that has been reeling since the secession of South Sudan in 2011 and the loss of most of Sudan’s oil fields.
Sudan has also devalued its currency twice this year, with inflation reaching 64 percent in July, compared with 25 percent in December 2017.
Bashir 'buying time'
And with Bashir backed by his party to stand for a third elected term in the next presidential vote in 2020, despite a constitutional two-term limit, some say their patience with the man who has led the country since seizing power in an army coup in 1989 is now wearing thin.
“President Bashir only wants to buy time in order to reach the next elections safely without any discontent or social tension caused by the suffering of the people,” Mustafa Abdul Azim, a security guard in Khartoum, told MEE.
But others welcomed the cuts to the size of the government, and warned Bashir’s opponents against actions that would destabilise the country.
“If you look at other countries in the region, we are doing better and we are at least a stable country,” Ala Eldin Ali, a taxi driver, told MEE.
“We need to be patient and see what the results of the current measures are. We have been calling for long time for cuts to government expenditure in conjunction with the subsidies cuts and now the government has responded positively to us as citizens.”
'It’s a move on the right direction, proving government is serious this time about overcoming the economic crisis'
- Mohamed Alnair, economist
Sudanese economic analysts are also divided over Bashir’s reform package.
Mohamed Alnair, an economist with posts at several Sudanese universities, told MEE: “It’s a move in the right direction, proving government is serious this time about overcoming the economic crisis.”
But he added: “These measures still need other complementary steps such as cutting the number of members of parliament, stopping the war [in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, where Sudanese government forces are involved in ongoing conflicts with rebel groups] and reducing defence and security spending, among many other measures.”
Radical overhaul
But Hamid al-Tijani, an economist at the American University in Cairo, called for a more radical and comprehensive overhaul of Sudan’s economy with a focus on increasing productivity.
He called on the government to revive stalled large-scale development projects such as the Gezira scheme, a near-century-old project once backed by the World Bank to use water from the Blue Nile to irrigate agricultural land in Gezira state, as well as for investment in the transport sector.
He also said the government needed to do more to convince the international community to drop about $50bn in external debts owed by Sudan, and said that expected benefits from the lifting of US sanctions had not yet materialised.
But Tijani told MEE the roots of Sudan’s economic problems were largely political, and that Bashir’s continuing rule was now the main obstacle to solving them.
Bashir has been nominated to stand for re-election in 2020 despite Sudan's two-term limit (AFP)
“All these political changes and government moves are connected and centralised around the re-nomination of Bashir for a third term, so these reforms will remain inactive,” he said.
Bashir’s re-nomination last month by the ruling party came despite a two-term limit imposed by Sudan’s current constitution. Bashir won huge majorities in elections in 2010 and 2015 but both votes were marred by low turnout, a boycott by opposition parties and criticism by international monitors.
“There is widespread rejection of Bashir’s renomination among the opposition as well as among some factions inside the ruling party itself. That is why Bashir needs to strengthen the inner circle around him to land safely in 2020 despite the mounting crisis,” said Tijani.
'Fighting the Fat Cats'
Bashir’s government has however displayed some seriousness in pursuing an anti-corruption campaign launched a few months ago under the slogan “Fighting the Fat Cats”.
On Wednesday, the state security court sentenced Abdel-Ghaffar al-Shareef, a former head of the political security department at the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), to seven years in prison on charges of corruption, money laundering and misuse of power.
The Sudanese Media Centre (SMC), which is close to the Sudanese security services, also announced the arrests of seven people including bankers and businessmen for alleged money-laundering crimes.
But Alnair called on the government to form an anti-corruption commission to implement the campaign more transparently and to ensure that due process was followed.
Tijani downplayed the arrests, saying: “It’s part of the internal conflict within the ruling party over the candidacy of Bashir.” |
Gamescom opens up next week, the biggest game-related expo and trade show in Europe. The doors open to trade visitors on 5th August but the public crowds arrive on 9th August, with hundreds of thousands of gamers arriving in Cologne for the event.
Nintendo of Europe is a strong supporter of Gamescom, and has a treat in store for Wii U gamers this year. It's been confirmed that Xenoblade Chronicles X will be playable in Europe for the first time, giving attendees an early look at the December release.
The localised version of Monolith Soft's RPG hasn't been playable for the Western public before now, only appearing on Treehouse broadcasts during E3 in June.
Are you going to Gamescom, and will you be queuing to give this a spin? |
<?php
/**
* /admin/debug-log/index.php
*
* This file is part of DomainMOD, an open source domain and internet asset manager.
* Copyright (c) 2010-2020 Greg Chetcuti <greg@chetcuti.com>
*
* Project: http://domainmod.org Author: http://chetcuti.com
*
* DomainMOD is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public
* License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later
* version.
*
* DomainMOD is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied
* warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.
*
* You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with DomainMOD. If not, see
* http://www.gnu.org/licenses/.
*
*/
?>
<?php
require_once __DIR__ . '/../../_includes/start-session.inc.php';
require_once __DIR__ . '/../../_includes/init.inc.php';
require_once DIR_INC . '/config.inc.php';
require_once DIR_INC . '/software.inc.php';
require_once DIR_ROOT . '/vendor/autoload.php';
$deeb = DomainMOD\Database::getInstance();
$system = new DomainMOD\System();
$log = new DomainMOD\Log('/admin/debug-log/index.php');
$layout = new DomainMOD\Layout();
$time = new DomainMOD\Time();
require_once DIR_INC . '/head.inc.php';
require_once DIR_INC . '/debug.inc.php';
require_once DIR_INC . '/settings/admin-debug-log-main.inc.php';
$system->authCheck();
$system->checkAdminUser($_SESSION['s_is_admin']);
$pdo = $deeb->cnxx;
$export_data = (int) $_GET['export_data'];
$result = $pdo->query("
SELECT id, user_id, area, `level`, message, extra, url, insert_time
FROM log
ORDER BY insert_time DESC, id DESC")->fetchAll();
if ($export_data === 1) {
$export = new DomainMOD\Export();
$export_file = $export->openFile('debug_log', strtotime($time->stamp()));
$row_contents = array($page_title);
$export->writeRow($export_file, $row_contents);
$export->writeBlankRow($export_file);
$row_contents = array(
'ID',
'User ID',
'Area',
'Level',
'Message',
'Extra',
'URL',
'Inserted'
);
$export->writeRow($export_file, $row_contents);
if (!$result) {
$log_message = 'Unable to retrieve debugging data';
$log->critical($log_message);
} else {
foreach ($result as $row) {
$row_contents = array(
$row->id,
$row->user_id,
$row->area,
$row->level,
$row->message,
$row->extra,
$row->url,
$row->insert_time
);
$export->writeRow($export_file, $row_contents);
}
}
$export->closeFile($export_file);
}
?>
<?php require_once DIR_INC . '/doctype.inc.php'; ?>
<html>
<head>
<title><?php echo $layout->pageTitle($page_title); ?></title>
<?php require_once DIR_INC . '/layout/head-tags.inc.php'; ?>
</head>
<body class="hold-transition skin-red sidebar-mini">
<?php
require_once DIR_INC . '/layout/header.inc.php';
if (!$result) {
echo "The Debug Log is empty";
if (DEBUG_MODE != '1') { ?>
<BR><BR>Debugging can be enabled in <a href="<?php echo WEB_ROOT; ?>/admin/settings/">Settings</a>.<?php
}
} else { ?>
<a href="../maintenance/clear-log.php"><?php echo $layout->showButton('button', 'Clear Debug Log'); ?></a>
<a href="index.php?export_data=1"><?php echo $layout->showButton('button', 'Export'); ?></a><BR><BR>
<table id="<?php echo $slug; ?>" class="<?php echo $datatable_class; ?>">
<thead>
<tr>
<th width="20px"></th>
<th class="all">ID</th>
<th class="none">User ID</th>
<th class="all">Area</th>
<th class="all">Level</th>
<th class="all">Message</th>
<th>Extra</th>
<th class="none">URL</th>
<th>Insert Time</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody><?php
foreach ($result as $row) { ?>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>
<?php echo $row->id; ?>
</td>
<td>
<?php echo $row->user_id; ?>
</td>
<td>
<?php echo $row->area; ?>
</td>
<td>
<?php echo $row->level; ?>
</td>
<td>
<?php echo $row->message; ?>
</td>
<td>
<?php echo $row->extra; ?>
</td>
<td>
<?php echo $row->url; ?>
</td>
<td>
<?php echo $time->toUserTimezone($row->insert_time); ?>
</td>
</tr><?php
} ?>
</tbody>
</table><?php
} ?>
<BR>
<?php require_once DIR_INC . '/layout/footer.inc.php'; ?>
</body>
</html>
|
615 F.2d 1356
Faustv.Watkins
No. 79-8366
United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
2/7/80
1
W.D.N.C.
CPC DENIED--DISMISSED
|
Authorities in Oregon are investigating how a hog farmer was eaten by his animals.
The remains of Terry Vance Garner, 70, were found in his hog enclosure Wednesday, according to local news reports Monday.
The farmer had gone to feed the hogs, some weighing as much as 700 pounds, about 7:30 a.m., according to a report from CNN affiliate KMTR. After Garner was not seen for several hours, a family member went to check on him and found his dentures in the hog pen. Other remains were found, but the hogs had eaten most of the farmer, according to the report.
The sheriff's department is looking into the death.
"Due to the unusual circumstances, the Sheriff's Office is investigating to determine if foul play may have resulted in the death of Mr. Garner," Coos County District Attorney Paul Frasier told CNN affiliate KVAL.
“For all we know, it was a horrific accident, but it’s so doggone weird that we have to look at all possibilities,” the Eugene Register-Guard quoted Frasier as saying.
Garner could have suffered a heart attack and fallen in the pen, or the hogs could have knocked him off his feet and then eaten him, Frasier told the newspaper.
The state of the remains made determining a cause of death difficult, according to the news reports. They had been sent to the University of Oregon and examined by a forensic anthropologist, the report said.
The farmer's brother, Michael Garner, told the Register-Guard that one of the sows had bitten the farmer last year after he accidentally stepped on a piglet.
“He said he was going to kill it, but when I asked him about it later, he said he had changed his mind,” Garner said.
Garner told the Register-Guard his brother was a Vietnam veteran who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. The farm was "a life-saver," he said.
“Those animals were his life,” Garner told the Register-Guard. |
Q:
How to create timepicker dorp down with military time values?
I'm trying to create dropdown that has option to pick the time from 7 am all the way up to 5pm with 15min increment. Before I explain my problem I want to let you know that I can not use JQuery in this case. I created Start time HTML:
<select name="stime" id="stime">
<option value="">Pick the start time</option>
</select>
and here is my javascript:
$(function() {
for(var i=0700; i<= 1700; i+=15){
$('#stime').append('<option value="'+i+'">'+i+' </option>')
}
});
This code give me weird numbers in my drop down. I would like ideally if I can have military time for my value in drop down, but to show in drop down time with columns like 7:00 or 14:00. If anyone can help me with this problem please let me know. Thanks in advance.
A:
They are not weird numbers, they are octal numbers. If you put a 0 as the first number you are telling that the number is an octal number, so the equivalent for with base 10 numbers would be
for(var i=448; i<= 1700; i+=15)
since 700 in octal is 448 in base 10.
|
Aoulad Fares D, Schalekamp‐Timmermans S, Nawrot TS, Steegers‐Theunissen RPM. Preconception telomere length as a novel maternal biomarker to assess the risk of spina bifida in the offspring. Birth Defects Research. 2020;112:645--651. 10.1002/bdr2.1682 32359029
**Funding information** The Bo Hjelt Foundation for Spina Bifida in memory of Madeleine Hjelt.
1. INTRODUCTION {#bdr21682-sec-0005}
===============
Neural tube defects (NTDs) are severe birth defects involving the central nervous system. They arise from incomplete closure of the neural tube during the first weeks of embryogenesis. Worldwide birth prevalence is approximately one in 1,000 births (Mitchell et al., [2004](#bdr21682-bib-0026){ref-type="ref"}).
NTDs have an enormous impact not only on the affected child, parents and family, but also on society because of high societal and health care costs for life long medical treatment and support.
One of the most common type of NTDs in humans is spina bifida. Spina bifida is a complex disease caused by a combination of genetic and periconception maternal environmental factors that can induce excessive oxidative stress and inflammation (Groenen et al., [2003](#bdr21682-bib-0014){ref-type="ref"}). Maternal obesity, inositol deficiency, poor nutrition and lifestyle, hyperhomocysteinemia, and the use of antifolates are modifiable environmental factors that are involved in the pathogenesis of spina bifida (Carmichael, Rasmussen, & Shaw, [2010](#bdr21682-bib-0007){ref-type="ref"}; Groenen et al., [2003](#bdr21682-bib-0014){ref-type="ref"}; Mitchell et al., [2004](#bdr21682-bib-0026){ref-type="ref"}; Steegers‐Theunissen, Boers, Trijbels, & Eskes, [1991](#bdr21682-bib-0036){ref-type="ref"}; Vajda & Eadie, [2005](#bdr21682-bib-0039){ref-type="ref"}; Vujkovic et al., [2009](#bdr21682-bib-0043){ref-type="ref"}). Maternal folate status has been proven to be of great importance in the pathogenesis of NTDs. Folate, an anti‐oxidant in natural form, is an important substrate of the one carbon metabolism and thereby essential for processes such as lipid, protein, DNA synthesis and repair, but also for DNA methylation. Prior environmental factors have in common that they can impair the oxidative pathway, resulting in excessive oxidative stress.
Embryogenesis in very early pregnancy is sensitive to excessive oxidative stressors of which a mild to moderate increased plasma homocysteine concentration is a sensitive marker (Steegers‐Theunissen, Twigt, Pestinger, & Sinclair, [2013](#bdr21682-bib-0037){ref-type="ref"}), including the development and folding of the neural tube. Therefore, the identification of a stable marker of the preconception oxidative stress status in women is of major importance in the prediction and prevention of the future risk of NTD in the offspring.
There is an increasing interest in aging during reproduction (Herrmann, Pusceddu, Marz, & Herrmann, [2018](#bdr21682-bib-0017){ref-type="ref"}). A number of molecular markers for biological aging have been identified, including telomere length (TL). Telomeres are nucleoprotein structures that cap the end of chromosomes and thereby protect it from degradation. Excessive telomere shortening is an index of senescence, causes genomic instability and is associated with a higher risk of age‐related diseases, like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Furthermore, TL shortening is associated with exposure to environmental and lifestyle factors that can induce oxidative stress and inflammation (Sahin et al., [2011](#bdr21682-bib-0032){ref-type="ref"}). Embryonic mice deficient in the telomerase gene show shorter TL and failure of closure of the neural tube as the main defect, suggesting that this developmental process is among the most sensitive to telomere loss and chromosomal instability (Herrera, Samper, & Blasco, [1999](#bdr21682-bib-0016){ref-type="ref"}).
We hypothesize that preconception TL shortening in woman, due to chronic excessive exposure to oxidative stressors, such as poor nutrition and lifestyle, is associated with an increased risk of spina bifida in the offspring. Regarding to this hypothesis, we reviewed the current evidence (Figure [1](#bdr21682-fig-0001){ref-type="fig"}).
{#bdr21682-fig-0001}
2. METHODS {#bdr21682-sec-0006}
==========
2.1. Aging {#bdr21682-sec-0007}
----------
Aging is a complex physiological process reactive to health conditions, environmental factors, behavior, and genetic background. Even though biological aging is universal and unavoidable the process does not occur in a uniform way. Known the complexity of the biological aging process, there is no single and simple measure of an individual\'s aging process.
The aging process can be split in to two distinct types of aging: chronological aging and biological aging. In which, the aging process of chronological aging is defined by age calculated in years and occurs at a constant rate for each individual. Biological age describes the functional status of the body relative to its chronological age and occurs at a different rate for each individual. The rate of aging is an interplay between underlying mechanisms involving damaging processes and the action of defense and repair mechanisms (Martens, [2018](#bdr21682-bib-0023){ref-type="ref"}).
Multiple markers for prediction of biological age and the rate of aging have been reported. Blood pressure, fasting glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C), intima media thickness, and number of nephrons appear to be among those. Blood biomarkers are increasingly used to predict an individual\'s biological age independent of its calendar age (Herrmann et al., [2018](#bdr21682-bib-0017){ref-type="ref"}).
One of the key aspects of aging is genomic instability. Low folate status and a mild to moderate hyperhomocysteinemia can impair cell multiplication, DNA synthesis and programming due to changes of the epigenome, which can result in genomic instability (Steegers‐Theunissen et al., [2013](#bdr21682-bib-0037){ref-type="ref"}). Other hallmarks of aging that causes damage to cellular function include, inter alia, epigenetic alterations, deregulated nutrient sensing, mitochondrial dysfunction, and attrition of telomeres. Telomeres represent the protective end caps of chromosomes that are of critical importance for genomic integrity and stability. Over the course of each cell division, TL shortens. TL has been proposed as a biomarker for biological age, its association with age is confirmed in large population‐based studies (Martens, [2018](#bdr21682-bib-0023){ref-type="ref"}).
2.2. Telomeres and telomerase {#bdr21682-sec-0008}
-----------------------------
Human telomeres span several kilobase (kb) tandem repeated TTAGG sequences with a 3′G‐rich single stranded overhang. Telomeres prevent unwanted recombination and degradation of chromosomal ends. In addition, loss of coding DNA is prevented during DNA replication (Herrmann et al., [2018](#bdr21682-bib-0017){ref-type="ref"}).
In humans, TL shortens in somatic cells with age due to the increased amounts of cellular divisions. TL is maintained by the cellular ribonucleoprotein enzyme telomerase. Telomerase adds telomeric repeat sequences to the end of chromosomes and is mostly active in germ, stem and immortal cells, and mainly repressed in somatic cells (Blackburn, Epel, & Lin, [2015](#bdr21682-bib-0004){ref-type="ref"}).
DNA binding proteins are able to bind with telomeres to form the shelterin‐complex. The proteins of the shelterin‐complex are involved in the control of telomere length by regulating the access of telomerase to the G‐strand overhang and by protecting it from degradation. In addition, end‐to‐end fusions of chromosomes are prevented (Blackburn et al., [2015](#bdr21682-bib-0004){ref-type="ref"}; Martens, [2018](#bdr21682-bib-0023){ref-type="ref"}). Telomerase inhibition is influenced by the amount of shelterin complexes on telomeres (Martens, [2018](#bdr21682-bib-0023){ref-type="ref"}).
Most of the large population‐based studies is focused on leukocyte TLs. It has been shown that leukocyte TL is highly correlated with TL of other somatic tissues from the same individual such as muscle, fat, skin, and synovial tissue. This indicates that a clear intra‐individual synchronization in TL exists in adults (Daniali et al., [2013](#bdr21682-bib-0009){ref-type="ref"}).
2.3. Oxidative stress, inflammation, and telomere length {#bdr21682-sec-0009}
--------------------------------------------------------
The intricacy of TL translates in a high inter‐individual variability, when comparing same‐aged people (Muezzinler, Zaineddin, & Brenner, [2013](#bdr21682-bib-0028){ref-type="ref"}). Both external and internal factors can interact with telomeres and may influence TL through life. Predominantly, external and internal factors that increase the oxidative stress or inflammatory status of an individual have been associated with shortening of TL. Von Zglinicki, Saretzki, Docke, and Lotze ([1995](#bdr21682-bib-0042){ref-type="ref"}) were the first to show experimentally in 1995, that cultivating human fibroblasts under hypoxia conditions (represented as a state of oxidative stress) indeed shortened telomeres. Another study showed that the G‐rich parts of the telomere sequence (TTAGGG) in human fibroblasts are highly sensitive for DNA damage induced by oxidative stress conditions (Kawanishi & Oikawa, [2004](#bdr21682-bib-0019){ref-type="ref"}). Additionally, an experimental study showed that mice models of chronic inflammation induces telomere dysfunction due to increased oxidative stress (Jurk et al., [2014](#bdr21682-bib-0018){ref-type="ref"}).
TL shortening has been associated with tobacco smoke exposure (Valdes et al., [2005](#bdr21682-bib-0040){ref-type="ref"}), obesity (Valdes et al., [2005](#bdr21682-bib-0040){ref-type="ref"}), life stress (Epel et al., [2004](#bdr21682-bib-0011){ref-type="ref"}), physical inactivity (Arsenis, You, Ogawa, Tinsley, & Zuo, [2017](#bdr21682-bib-0001){ref-type="ref"}), and exposure to air pollution (Pieters et al., [2016](#bdr21682-bib-0030){ref-type="ref"}). Recent findings showed that newborn TL sets adult TL (Bijnens et al., [2017](#bdr21682-bib-0003){ref-type="ref"}) and shorter TL (Martens et al., [2017](#bdr21682-bib-0024){ref-type="ref"}) in newborns is associated with prenatal pregnancy body mass index (BMI) (Martens, Plusquin, Gyselaers, De Vivo, & Nawrot, [2016](#bdr21682-bib-0025){ref-type="ref"}), prenatal exposure to air pollution and folic acid status (Louis‐Jacques et al., [2016](#bdr21682-bib-0022){ref-type="ref"}). Paul et al. ([2015](#bdr21682-bib-0029){ref-type="ref"}) showed that folate status influences TL by affecting DNA integrity through DNA methylation.
Mechanisms by which TL may be influenced by these factors are mostly explained by the direct or indirect effects of these factors on the oxidative and inflammatory status of humans.
Similarly, cellular aging is affected by mental stress through oxidative stress and telomerase activity. Highly stressed women are characterized by lower telomerase activity and higher oxidative stress compared to women with a low stress level (Epel et al., [2004](#bdr21682-bib-0011){ref-type="ref"}). In addition, regular physical activity has been associated with decreased levels of oxidative stress and inflammation (Epel et al., [2004](#bdr21682-bib-0011){ref-type="ref"}).
This gives emphasis to the vulnerability of telomeres for oxidative stress and inflammation, as described previously.
2.4. Telomere length and age‐related diseases {#bdr21682-sec-0010}
---------------------------------------------
Short telomeres and telomere dysfunction, independently of age have been linked to numerous age‐related diseases. All these diseases are characterized by an accelerated rate of telomere shortening.
Large population based studies identify that subjects with shorter telomeres were characterized by a significantly higher hazard ratio for all‐cause mortality compared to those with longer TL (Mons et al., [2017](#bdr21682-bib-0027){ref-type="ref"}).
There is evidence that reduced TL is associated with elevated risk for future age‐related disease, including: cardiovascular disease (Haycock et al., [2014](#bdr21682-bib-0015){ref-type="ref"}), atherosclerosis (Fitzpatrick et al., [2007](#bdr21682-bib-0012){ref-type="ref"}), myocardial infarction (Fitzpatrick et al., [2007](#bdr21682-bib-0012){ref-type="ref"}), type 2 diabetes mellitus (Willeit et al., [2014](#bdr21682-bib-0044){ref-type="ref"}), and Alzheimer\'s disease (Zhan et al., [2015](#bdr21682-bib-0045){ref-type="ref"}). To conclude large population‐based study results propose that TL potentially may be predictive of lifespan and longevity independent of age (Martens, [2018](#bdr21682-bib-0023){ref-type="ref"}). Upon the observational findings, experimental evidence revealed that late‐generation telomerase knock‐out mice (Terc‐KO) with critically short telomeres exhibited an aging phenotype associated with p53 activation, suppression of master regulators of mitochondrial biology, ventricular dilation, myocardial thinning, cardiac dysfunction, and sudden death (Sahin et al., [2011](#bdr21682-bib-0032){ref-type="ref"}). Therefore, TL might not just be a marker of the aging process but might play a fundamental biological role within the core axis of aging.
3. DISCUSSION {#bdr21682-sec-0011}
=============
TL shortening is associated with variations in folate status, exposure to environmental and lifestyle factors that can induce oxidative stress and inflammation. Of great interest is that these conditions in women are also associated with a significantly increased risk of having a child with spina bifida. These environmental factors have in common that they can generate excessive amounts of reactive oxidative radicals resulting in excessive chronic oxidative stress. Interestingly, a large meta‐analysis found a high and very consistent heritability estimate for TL, with stronger effects from maternal to offspring (Broer et al., [2013](#bdr21682-bib-0005){ref-type="ref"}). Thereby, embryogenesis in very early pregnancy is very sensitive to excessive oxidative stress, including the development and folding of the neural tube.
Herrera et al. ([1999](#bdr21682-bib-0016){ref-type="ref"}) showed that mice deficient in the telomerase gene show defects in the closure of the neural tube. The frequency of NTD in mouse deficient in the telomerase gene suggests a role for TL and telomere loss from chromosome ends. Cells, derived from embryos that lack mouse telomerase RNA and that are telomerase‐deficient, of mice that fail to close the neural tube have significantly shorter TL than mice of the same embryos but with a closed neural tube. Furthermore, an increased apoptosis and decreased viability was shown in cells derived from NTD affected embryos. This association between a decreased TL and NTD strongly suggests that the neural tube closure defect may be a consequence of telomere shortening to a critical length.
During embryonic development telomerase is highly active, directly after birth it is down‐regulated. Remarkably, the highest levels of human telomerase RNA in human embryos are detected at the central nervous system, specifically in the primitive neurepithelial cells of the neural tube.
The main defect detected in these embryos is the closure of the neural tube, suggesting that the neural tube formation is among the processes most sensitive to TL shortening during development. Perchance due to the massive proliferation that occurs during early development for the formation of the central nervous system. Foregoing implies an important role for TL during the neural tube formation and explains the occurrence of the phenotype (Herrera et al., [1999](#bdr21682-bib-0016){ref-type="ref"}).
Several nutritional factors like vitamins, minerals, and other bioactive dietary components are able to directly or indirectly influence TL through several mechanisms. Recent studies have shown consistent associations between TL and the availability of B and D vitamins, serum folate, and its metabolites. Anti‐oxidant activity, DNA methylation, and prevention of DNA damage are the most important mechanisms through which these nutritional factors slow down telomere attrition. In summary, a healthy lifestyle with a diet rich in fruits and vegetables combined with exercise, lower BMI and no smoking is associated with longer telomeres (Arsenis et al., [2017](#bdr21682-bib-0001){ref-type="ref"}; Epel et al., [2004](#bdr21682-bib-0011){ref-type="ref"}; Valdes et al., [2005](#bdr21682-bib-0040){ref-type="ref"}) In this line, whereas high homocysteine levels increases oxidative stress, an association was found between high levels of homocysteine and shortening of telomeres in the presence of systemic inflammation (Pusceddu et al., [in press](#bdr21682-bib-0031){ref-type="ref"}; Shin & Baik, [2016](#bdr21682-bib-0033){ref-type="ref"}).
The hypothetic role of telomeres length in NTDs pathogenesis is illustrated by the example of the epidemiological and biological evidence of the association between mild to moderate maternal hyperhomocysteinemia and the increased risk of spina bifida offspring (Groenen et al., [2003](#bdr21682-bib-0014){ref-type="ref"}; Steegers‐Theunissen et al., [1991](#bdr21682-bib-0036){ref-type="ref"}).
Plasma homocysteine is an intermediate of 1‐C metabolism and a sensitive biomarker of oxidative stress. Mild to moderate hyperhomocysteinemia is associated with impairment of biological processes involved in cell proliferation, programming, and apoptosis. Hyperhomocysteinemia induces global and gene specific hypomethylation, impairs the synthesis of proteins, lipids and DNA, reduces DNA repair, and increases the production of reactive oxidative species (Steegers‐Theunissen et al., [2013](#bdr21682-bib-0037){ref-type="ref"}). From this evidence we hypothesize that mild to moderate hyperhomocysteinemia is involved in the pathophysiology of NTD by reducing the synthesis or increasing the damage of the DNA of the telomeres and or by impairment of the programming due to global or gene specific hypomethylation of telomerase. This hypothesis is supported by Cecchini et al. ([2019](#bdr21682-bib-0008){ref-type="ref"}) reporting that homocysteine in the developing spinal cord causes changes in cell proliferation, adhesion, induces apoptosis and that it alters arrangement of the spinal cord layers. Li et al. ([2019](#bdr21682-bib-0020){ref-type="ref"}) showed that homocysteine induces changes in gene and protein expression of astrocytes of the neural tissue. In addition, intracellular folate deficiency underlying mild to moderate hyperhomocysteinemia, shortens TL and damages telomeric DNA. (Bull et al., [2014](#bdr21682-bib-0006){ref-type="ref"}; Li et al., [2019](#bdr21682-bib-0020){ref-type="ref"}).
Finally, other associations between TL and obstetric outcomes have been reported. Telomerase activity is decreased or absent in placentas of fetal growth restricted newborns (Fragkiadaki et al., [2016](#bdr21682-bib-0013){ref-type="ref"}). Similarly, TL shortening has been reported in combination with an increased formation of telomere aggregates in trophoblastic cells from pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia (Sukenik‐Halevy et al., [2016](#bdr21682-bib-0038){ref-type="ref"}).
Evidence of advanced maternal age and NTD occurrence in offspring is limited. A meta‐analysis, however, showed an increased risk of having an offspring with NTDs for mothers 40 years of age or older, with the strongest effect for spina bifida (Vieira & Castillo Taucher, [2005](#bdr21682-bib-0041){ref-type="ref"}). These findings are similar with other studies that show a higher NTD in offspring prevalence among mothers in older age groups (Au, Ashley‐Koch, & Northrup, [2010](#bdr21682-bib-0002){ref-type="ref"}; Eggink & Steegers‐Theunissen, [2020](#bdr21682-bib-0010){ref-type="ref"}; Li et al., [2006](#bdr21682-bib-0021){ref-type="ref"}; Sipek et al., [2002](#bdr21682-bib-0035){ref-type="ref"}; Zheng et al., [2007](#bdr21682-bib-0046){ref-type="ref"}). Notable is that there is also evidence for mothers between 14 and 20 years old having a higher risk for a child with spina bifida. An explanation for this could be the fact that most age‐associated shortening occurs during rapid somatic expansions, as occurs from birth through puberty (Sidorov, Kimura, Yashin, & Aviv, [2009](#bdr21682-bib-0034){ref-type="ref"}). Together with earlier discussed neural tube formation being among the most sensitive processes to TL shortening during development.
We hypothesize that preconceptional maternal exposure to environmental risk factors accelerates the aging process, which can be measured by TL, and thereby her underlying risk of NTD offspring. Alternatively, it might be that women with an increased NTD risk already exhibit a more advanced biological age before the onset of pregnancy compared to women of identical calendar age.
Investigating TL in the woman as a marker of chronic oxidative stress, induced by variation in folate supply, poor nutrition, obesity, and other environmental exposures, could serve as a novel preconception biomarker in the future. By this means the risk of spina bifida offspring may be assessed and modified by a more personalized preconception treatment, for example, folic acid supplement use, dietary pattern, lifestyle, and so forth.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST {#bdr21682-sec-0012}
====================
The authors report no conflict of interest.
AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS {#bdr21682-sec-0013}
====================
R. S. T. initiated the hypothesis and D. A. reviewed the review data and wrote the first version of the article. S. S., R. S. T., and T. N. contributed to the design of the paper, cowriting of the article, revisions, and gave input at all stages of the study. All authors have approved the final version of the manuscript.
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT {#bdr21682-sec-0015}
===========================
In this manuscript no 'Expects Data' or 'Mandates Data' is used, therefore the data availability statement is not applicable.
|
Bitcoin Futures Will No Longer Be Traded On CBOE
This entry was posted by cryptonews on June 10, 2019 at 5:10 pm
Coinspeaker
Bitcoin Futures Will No Longer Be Traded On CBOE
CBOE stops trading Bitcoin futures starting from June 19, while CME has recently enjoyed a record high volume of 33,700 contracts for cryptocurrency derivatives.
Bitcoin Futures Will No Longer Be Traded On CBOE |
The invention relates to hand-held product dispensers having pressurized delivery.
Various products have been conveniently dispensed in a pressurized form from a hand-held container such as a spray can. Typically a push button on top of the can is depressed to actuate a valve that provides an open path from the material in the container to a spray nozzle on the push button that directs the pressurized material in a direction that is perpendicular to the push button direction. This push button type of mechanism is often used for antiperspirant, deodorant and shaving cream dispensers.
Alternatively, some valves are actuated by providing a tilt (sideways push) action to an elongated tubular nozzle that directs the product along the axis of the can. Such valves are often employed in whipped cream dispensers.
In one aspect, the invention features, in general, a hand-held pressurized product dispenser that includes a container with a hand-engageable body portion, a valve mechanism at the top of the container that is movable with respect to the container to cause pressurized discharge of the product, and a valve actuation lever that is connected to the valve mechanism and extends along the container body. With this arrangement, a larger displacement of the end of the lever causes a controlled, relatively smaller displacement of the valve mechanism, permitting adjustable, xe2x80x9cthrottledxe2x80x9d delivery of the product.
In another aspect, the invention features, in general, a hand-held pressurized product dispenser that includes a container with a hand-engageable body portion, a valve mechanism at the top of the container, and a valve actuation lever that extends along the container body. The product dispenser also includes a product delivery member that is attached to the top of container and has a product holding structure that is positioned with respect to the valve mechanism to receive product and to hold the product in position for application.
Preferred embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the following features. The product holding structure can take a variety of forms to assist in applying product. For example, it can have a generally flat upper surface or an arcuate surface. The product holding structure can be a porous structure having pores that receive the product. The product holding structure can be an elastomeric applicator. The product holding structure can be a sintered structure. The product holding structure can have a textured surface. The product holding structure can have a grid surface.
In another aspect, the invention features, in general, a hand-held pressurized product dispenser that includes a container with a hand-engageable body portion, a valve mechanism at the top of the container, and a valve actuation member that has a hand-engageable portion that extends along the container body. The valve mechanism is movable away from the container to discharge the product, and the valve actuating member is connected to move the valve mechanism away from the container as the hand-engageable portion is moved toward the body portion of the container.
In another aspect, the invention features, in general, a hand-held pressurized product dispenser that includes a container with a hand-engageable body portion, a valve mechanism at the top of the container, and a valve actuation member that is made of plastic and has a hand-engageable portion that extends along the container body and is pivotally connected with respect to the container via a living hinge.
In another aspect, the invention features, in general, a hand-held pressurized product dispenser that includes a container with a hand-engageable body portion, a valve mechanism at the top of the container, and a valve actuation member that has a hand-engageable portion that extends along the container body. The valve actuation member has a pivot end that is pivotally connected with respect to the container and also has a valve engaging portion that engages the valve mechanism and is located between the pivot end and the hand-engageable portion. Alternatively the pivot can be located between the valve engaging portion and the hand-engageable portion.
In another aspect, the invention features, in general, a hand-held pressurized product dispenser that includes a container with a hand-engageable body portion, a valve mechanism at the top of the container, and a valve actuation member that has a hand-engageable portion that extends along the container body. The hand-engageable portion of the valve actuation member has a first cam member that faces the container, and the container carries a second cam member that faces the first cam member. The first and second cam members are oriented such that, as the hand-engageable portion is moved toward the container, interaction of the first and second cam surfaces causes the valve actuating member to move downward to actuate the valve mechanism.
In another aspect, the invention features, in general, a hand-held pressurized product dispenser that includes a container with a hand-engageable body portion, a valve mechanism at the top of the container, and a valve actuation member that has a hand-engageable portion that extends along the container body. The container carries a movable stop member that faces the hand-engageable portion so as to limit travel of the hand-engageable portion toward the container. The stop member has different portions that are selectively movable into position facing the hand-engageable portion so as to adjust movement of the valve actuating member.
The dispensers can be used to dispense various products such as a shaving aid, an antiperspirant, a deodorant, a body spray, after shave lotion, hair spray, a liquid, a semi-solid, a gel, a cream or a powder. The container can be an aerosol container, a container having a product bag inside a pressurized chamber, or another type of container providing pressurized delivery of product.
Embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the following advantages. The throttling permitted by the actuation lever allows the user to employ different types of sprays ranging from a fine mist to a hard spray. The side location of the actuation lever promotes accuracy in directing the product. The consumer has more control over product application and has the ability to personalize the application experience. The side location of the actuation lever also improves ergonomics. With the product holding structure on the container top, the user need not apply certain products to his or her hands prior to applying the products to the skin or hair. |
Q:
Meaning of 난 in 해가지고난후
I just encountered the phrase:
해가지고난후
In which I interpreted as After the sun sets.
해가지다 means sunset, and 후 means after. I also understand that the connecting particle 고 is like "and" in English. My question is that what is the purpose of 난 in the sentence? I know it is a shortened 나는 meaning "I" but what does it mean in the phrase?
A:
-고 나다 (and also -고 난) are function words there. You can disassemble 해가 지고 난 후 as follows:
해: a noun meaning "the sun"
가: a subject marker attached to 체언 that ends without 받침
지다 (stem: 지): a verb meaning "(for the star, planet, or moon) to set"
-고: a connective ending attached to the main verb and required by the following (auxiliary) verb
나다 in -고 나다 (stem: 나): an auxiliary verb used when the subject having completed the action of the preceding statement
-ㄴ: an ending of a word that makes the preceding statement function as an adnominal and indicates an event or action having occurred in the past
후: a noun meaning "a later time"
Thus, the verb 나다 requires another verb before it in a specific construction with the ending -고. You should keep in mind that a lot of verbs require certain grammatical constructions and have multiple meanings.
|
Americanizing the Bundesliga Experience
The United States has proved difficult for soccer to break into. While Major League Soccer continues to see growth, it still trails the U.S. market’s four biggest sports: hockey, basketball, baseball, and football. Yet MLS attendance grew by 104 percent between 2008 and 2017, a greater increase than for any of the top four sports leagues, which highlights the untapped potential of soccer in the U.S. This, along with the success of current American players in Germany, such as Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, John Anthony Brooks, and Josh Sargent—five players who are leading the USMNT in qualification for the 2022 World Cup—presents a great opportunity for the Bundesliga to grow the ... |
"REPORTER: (ON TV) After successful visits to Jordan and Egypt," "President Meyer's Middle East peace tour continues with her trip to Israel." "You lose your job, you're radioactive for a while." "That's just how it works." "Yes, I am taking care of myself, Mother." "No, I didn't send her a get-well card 'cause you don't get a get-well card when you have plastic surgery." "I've got to go." "'Cause I'm..." "I'm going for a run." "Okay, bye." "...I've extended my stay in Israel for another day, so I may need to borrow some toothpaste." "(BOTH LAUGH)" "(TURNS TV OFF)" "(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)" "President Meyer has ended her 10-day world tour with a surprise visit to Iran." "Her historic meeting could signal an end to decades of mistrust." "See that tour?" "I set that up." "MAN:" "See that shelf?" "I made that." "REPORTER:" "It's believed President Meyer may also secure the release of detained American reporter Leon West." "MIKE:" "This trip is like a miracle." "Where's the woman who changed world politics?" " She's taking a piss." " She's freshening up." "I'm so tired, I could sleep a horse." "Or whatever that word thing is." "Wait, Ben, is this Ambien?" "How many of these have you taken?" "Look, I need to sleep." "I got all jacked up on licorice last night and I was belly dancing till dawn." " Is it time to get Leon yet?" " Oh, checking." "Imagine being detained for two weeks just 'cause you're a journalist and a shithead." "Yeah." "It's a good job we had nothing to do with his being detained." " Yeah, wouldn't that be terrible?" " Mmm-hmm." "Wait, did we have something to do with... (SINGING) Oh, yeah, oh, yeah, you better cheer" "For the president of the year" " Yeah!" "(LAUGHING)" " Hey, you know what you are?" " What?" " You're an amazing man." " Thank you." " And you know what amazing men get?" " What?" " Two-day weekend." " This weekend?" " Yeah." "l'm going to the cottage with Wendy!" "(BOTH LAUGHING)" "(CELL PHONE CHIMES)" "Oh, uh, they're detaining Leon for one more hour." "Oh, God." "I have to wait here another hour before we can fly out?" "You have to get a photo with Leon West, ma'am." "Yeah." "It's the one and only time anyone's ever gonna say that." "Let's use the hour then, okay?" "Let's cure diabetes or learn Italian." "Why don't you take a nap?" "Are you kidding?" "I'm never gonna sleep again." "I gotta run around like a Labrador or a guy on fire or something like that." "Iran." "Iran!" "Isn't that amazing?" "I've got to go to the bathroom again." "I'll be right back." " GARY:" "Wow, she's excited." " She's fucking nuts." "Uh, how are the folks on the press plane?" "Sober." "They got the shakes so bad, I think I see the plane rattling." "Well, you've got to tell them we got to stay another hour." "An hour?" "These guys could be drinking jet fuel." "(MIKE LAUGHS)" " Whoa, out of my way!" "It was a false alarm." "I don't know why." "Hey, ma'am, why don't I give you a shoulder massage or something?" " It'll kind of help you unwind, defocus." " SELINA:" "No!" "I don't want to defocus." "I'm all focus." "I could, like, bang a nail into that wall with my gaze." "Do you know what I mean?" "You having fun?" " Yes." " Are you having fun?" " So much fun." " What kind of wood is this table?" " I don't know." "Let me check." " I think it's ash." " GARY:" "Uh-huh." "l'm gonna redo my kitchen." "Hey, ma'am, you think you want to think about this right now?" "Yeah, sure." "I mean, we've got time." " We've got an hour." " Do we?" "Okay." "I'm gonna get all new cabinets." "And I want to match this except I don't like these knots." "BILL:" "Now that the President's tour has been extended by a day, the Vice President will be picking up part of the President's schedule starting with the Rainbow Jersey event supporting all sexualities in sports with NBA star Freddy Wallace." "Yes?" "How do you respond to Senator O'Brien's comment..." "That the American people need a president, not a Meyertollah?" "It's a cheap pun, so absolutely expect..." " That finishing sentences thing is..." " Irritating?" "Very." "But sometimes necessary when people are being slow or dull." " Yes?" " When's Mike back?" "Hilarious." "Well done." " No people skills." "Like a robot." " Hmm." "REPORTER: ...on the background of the detained US journalist Leon West?" "(INDISTINCT CHATTER)" "Guys." "Guys." "Sorry about the delay." "Turns out the Iranians need everything in triplicate." "Maybe that's 'cause they invented numbers, huh?" " How's Leon doing?" " He's fine." "They're releasing him any minute." "Let's face it, he's probably gonna get a book deal out of this." "See that?" "Catlike reflexes." "Oh, and, uh, maybe don't start drinking..." " MAN:" "Heads up!" "...till you're up in the air, out of courtesy to our host nation." " MAN 2:" "Catch!" " MAN 3:" "Just open the bar!" "(JOURNALISTS LAUGHING)" " Great chatting." "Wow, Freddy Wallace." "Hall of Famer." "Mr. Gay NBA." "In my family, basketball is a religion." "Also Catholicism." "That's actually the main one." "Oh, hey, guys." "Can you get Freddy's autograph?" "It's for my friend's son." " Who should he make it out to?" " Sue Wilson." "He's named after me." " Oh." " Is this the speech?" " Yes, sir." " Any snags?" " No, all good." "Sir, Freddy Wallace may use the term LGBT." "I remember it this way." ""L" is for ladies who play tennis," ""G" is for guys who do other guys," ""B" is for bisexual..." "I couldn't think of one to go for that." " And -ls for tucking it in or tacking it on. (LAUGHS)" "It's transgender, actually." "Thanks for killing my joke and then mutilating it." "Well, as my grandfather never said," ""Let's go be inclusive."" "Have you seen Kent's polling?" "I could not be more likable if I had given both of my kidneys to some sick kid." "(LAUGHS)" " God Almighty!" "Gary, I want some champagne." " Mmm-hmm." " Ma'am, we're in a teetotal-atarian state." "Look at these numbers." "I keep staring at them." "I'm gonna make this, like, a screensaver." "Wonder how you do that." "The Rainbow Jersey shows that there's no place for discrimination either on or off the court." "And I'm proud to have the President..." " Sorry, the Vice President..." "(CHUCKLES) ...on my team." " Sparkling water." " Thank you." "I put the champagne in the water bottles." "You don't have to explain." "I can tell what you did." " Yeah." " SELINA:" "Oh, look at Doyle." " Did he have his teeth capped?" " BEN:" "Oh, my God." " The last surviving Golden Girl." "(LAUGHS)" "Almost put him in the penalty box for that, but, uh, that's hockey, so... (LAUGHS)" "I'm gonna say a little something." "Wasn't this originally written for POTUS?" "A speech is a speech." "Phonemes connecting to produce meanings." "Sports can bring us together, help end homophobia." "When I was a boy, it was my gay friends who taught me how to be tolerant and how to be true to yourself and how to dance to Madonna." " GARY:" "Madonna?" " SELINA:" "What?" "(BEN SNICKERS)" " Was I supposed to say that?" "You know, back in college, my girlfriends would..." "Boyfriends..." "My friends..." "Perhaps it did need some reworking." "Thank you so much for your assistance, Abbas." "They're bringing the journalist out." " Is he a friend of yours?" " Leon?" "Oh, God, no." "He is the asshole of an asshole's asshole." "I feel bad for the guys who had to guard him." " Mike." " Leon." "A face I never thought I'd want to kiss." " I still don't." " Nice hotel?" "Yeah, I'll have something to say about it on TripAdvisor." ""Worst minibar ever." (LAUGHS)" " Amongst other things, yeah." "Oh, this is Abbas, our liaison." " Leon West." " Apologies, Mr. West." "Both countries had to deny the visit, but now we confirm." "Wait, both countries?" "Uh, his English isn't very good." "LEON:" "It sounded fine to me." "And you, sir, get to fly home on Air Force One." " Whoa." " Yeah." "I'm shallow enough for that to be exciting." "Did you know it can survive a nuclear blast?" " Yeah." " Yeah." "Not that you guys are planning one." "I..." "Ignore me." "I don't know why I said that." "His English isn't very good." "(LAUGHS) Well, let's get you going." "The President has a big-ass Scotch on the rocks for you." " Yeah." " Which is iced tea." "It's iced tea." " Thank you, Abbas." " Mike." "Thank you." " Safe trip." " Safe stay." "So let's celebrate all things "L" and GBT." "Huh?" "Though these days we use the more inclusive LGBTQ." "We do!" "Um..." "And I respect all people's rights to be a" "Or rather just" " Yeah." " Just" "Sounds like he's learning a sex alphabet." "I've seen a salmon in a grizzly's mouth look less panicky than that." "Everybody knows that "Q" means questioning." "(LAUGHING)" "Ironically, the straight guy is very stiff around the gay guy." "(STIFLED LAUGH)" "Our polling said that he was widely perceived as quite wooden." "AMY:" "Why were you polling him?" "I was polling him against other potential running mates." " AMY:" "Just move!" "l'm not a backwards walker, Amy." "The President promised Doyle he'd be on the ticket and she wouldn't poll other possible running mates." "No one told me that." "Yet again, the left hand has no idea what the right hand is doing and the freakish middle hand is punching rne repeatedly in the tits." "Well, that was an education." "(GROANS)" "I mean, what I really want to do is get into lobbying." "But it's only been, like, six weeks and three days, so I'm not sweating it." "Oh, hold on." "I got another call." "Sidney, hey!" "It's so funny." "I was literally just commenting to a friend about lobb..." "Yeah, you're right, that's not interesting." "Yes, I would love to come in." "DAN:" "So this is PKM." "This place is huge." "SIDNEY:" "Yep." "Wait till you see the dolphinarium." "It's right near the Latin Quarter." "And he's got the red-light district." "God, this place is so awesome." "I kind of feel like hitting on it." "Well, there's women here you can do that to if you wanted." " Inoficed." " So, Dan, here's my pitch." "I can make you so rich, you could pay Bill Gates to give you a lap dance." "(CHUCKLES)" " Let me hear your pitch." " Ah, well, I'm smart, well-connected..." " Uh-huh." "And fired." "Yeah, don't forget fired." " Fired up..." " Oh, okay." "...to put my contacts to work for your clients." "Well, that's music to my wallet." "But are you ready to take a dump on Mike McLintock's doorstep?" "Like an initiation kind of thing?" "No, I mean, can you take on clients who are best served by you shitting on the Meyer agenda?" "Oh, uh, well, let me think about that." " Yeah." "Yeah." " Great. (LAUGHS)" "We'll get to that doorstep thing later, though." "DAN:" "Yeah, I'll still do that." "I'm into it." "MIKE:" "Ma'am, may I present the hero of the hour along with yourself." "Welcome aboard Air Force One." " Thank you, ma'am." " Oh, gosh." "Oh." "Okay, are we still doing it?" "(CAMERA CLICKING)" "Okay." "Great, yeah." " He needs deodorant." " Uh-huh." "Well, I am so happy to see you, Leon." "We really did work tirelessly for your release." "Well, thank you, Madam President." "I haven't slept very much." "Well, I'm sure food is the last thing on your mind." "I know it's the last thing on my mind." " I wonder if you're hungry, though." " Yes, I am." "Because I'll tell you something, the adrenaline on this Mideast trip has just kept me from eating anything." "Did you just say you do want something to eat?" " Yes, thank you." " You do?" " Oh, is that food?" " No." "It's a..." "It's deodorant." "Huh." "Uh..." "All right." "Uh, what would you like to eat?" "Anything that's not chickpeas." "(BOTH LAUGH)" "Hey!" "Why are those lovely long legs walking away from me?" "Probably means you." "Yeah, it's okay." "I got..." "I got this." "TEDDY:" "I am not in the blame game, but that rainbow-colored clusterfuck in there was entirely your fault." "Whoa, okay, no." "Kent Davison polled other candidates for Veep." "What the fuck?" "Did you just throw Kent into the blender to save your own ass?" "Not fully into the blender." "Maybe just a little bit." "Just the toe, 'cause..." "That is the Jonah I've been trying to wake up since the day you got here." "And Kent Davison is a disloyal fucking prick." "I fucking hate Kent." "I want to wipe that neutral expression off his face." " Here's how we're gonna do it." " Okay." "We're gonna leak that the VP is dissatisfied and that he's thinking of walking." "We're gonna force POTUS to back Doyle." "I will not let you down." "All right, so what kind of media contacts do you have?" " Liz Kerrigan." " Liz?" " Liz." " How hard can you work this Liz?" "Oh, my God." "I can ride her hard, hang her up wet." "I like what I'm seeing, all right?" " Show me more." " Thank you, I will." " Give 'em both barrels." " Oh!" "Fucking nightmare." "SELINA:" "It's just been such a magical time." "And I wish I could have visited every country in the whole world." "You know?" "Even New Zealand." "People are now comparing me to Nixon, I heard, right?" " They didn't mean your looks." " No, no, no, I don't mean that." "But, I mean, I'll take the comparison." "So where would you like to begin?" "Well, I don't really know what's happened lately because I've been locked in a hotel room without access to the outside world." "Of course." "You know what we need to do?" "We need to get Leon some of the press clippings." "I think he'd like to see some of those." " Should I check on his food first?" " Yes." " No, no, get him the press clippings." " GARY:" "Yeah." "First of all, the talks in Israel went so well that I was delayed a day getting here." "And then the talks here were just amazing." "So, just to clarify, you were delayed by a day." " Yeah." " My release was delayed by a day." "Mmm-hmm." "Mmm-hmm." "Here's those press clippings." "Um, what I would like you to do is check on Leon's food." "'Cause I know you're hungry." " Yeah." " Ben, wake up." " Gary, why are you giving me all that Ambien?" " Mike." "Mike." "It's Mike." " Mike." "Mike." "MIKE:" "We got a problem with the Vice President." "Okay, um, hang..." "I'll be right back." " I don't know what this is all about." " Sure." " What's going on?" " Ma'am, Liz Kerrigan is running a story that Doyle is unhappy." "Should I go and see if there's any chatter about this on the press plane?" "Christ, it's that data fuck." "No." "I don't know." "Yes." "Let's just go with I don't know." "Okay, please nobody look, but Leon's watching." "SELINA:" "Okay, so just go in there and distract him." "Give him a handjob if you have to, just get it done, okay?" "(CLEARS THROAT)" "(CHUCKLING) Wow, two weeks detained." "That is hard." " I was in a hotel, so it wasn't that bad." " No." "Leon is starting to think that his release was delayed by a day because my arrival here was delayed by a day." "He's gonna figure out that we didn't okay his release till now and then he'll write something bad about that." " That could be bad." " Yeah." " That is bad." " It is bad." "And Leon wanting to say it's bad is really bad." "It's worse." "Okay, look, in seven seconds, you come in there, Ben, you grab me by the hair and you drag me out, okay?" " Are you listening?" "Okay." " Yeah." "We got to find out where this Doyle story is coming from." "I'll check out the press plane." "You must be very tired." "Would you like to put a pin in this for a moment?" "Some people might think that the American government detaining an American journalist so that you can have a photo op might look bad." "Can you see that?" " Leon, I respect you so much as a journalist." " LEON:" "Thank you." "And when Ben and I were first, uh, discussing the peace talks," "I said to Ben, I said, "Ben." "Ben," "Ma'am, State Department." " Oh, this I've got to take." "Excuse me." "Hello?" " LEON:" "Never stops, does it?" " Leon, you need to rest." " Mmm-hmm." "I just had one second of sleep and I feel great." "Okay, maybe the guys in the press plane would like me to go over there and tell them about the US government imprisoning a guy in Iran." "Go get Mike from the press plane." " Fucking idiots." " SELINA:" "Yeah." "We've got to hold him hostage here." "Do you understand?" "We've got to take off now." "Mike and Gary are off the plane." "We have a pilot on the plane, right?" "Okay, so let's go." "We've got to go." "Leon, you've got to sit down." "I'm a bad flier and I might need somebody to hold me." "Are you seriously detaining me again?" "Am I being rendered?" "No, you're being friendered." "So just please accept our compulsory hospitality." "Oh, Jesus, that suit." "My gosh, you look like a middle-school teacher." "Okay, that's Erica." "She's gonna take you out and buy you some real suits." "Not these government-issued rags you're wearing." "She's not exactly government-issue herself, is she?" " Yeah." "Hey, don't even look at her." " Oh." "I'm kidding." "Or am I?" "Huh?" "No, seriously, I'm just fucking with you, Dan." "(BOTH LAUGH)" "So listen, tonight we're gonna put you on TV as a political commentator." " Yes!" " Yeah?" "Finally, something good to watch on the idiot box." "We've just started lobbying for glace cherries, so mention glacé cherries." "Well, how do I work in glacé cherries into a political roundtable?" "You'll figure it out." "Listen, you give me glace cherries, and I'll give you a bed of money with pussy on the nightstand." "Maybe Erica." "But not her." " No." " But maybe." "(LAUGHS) We'll just let that hang." " Yeah, yeah." "I know." " Stay on your toes, buddy." "It's gonna be like that the entire time you're here." "Hey, thaws Air Force One." "Oh, my God." "What the hell is happening?" " Why are they leaving us?" " Are we at war?" " Is it here?" "Sweet Jesus." " No, it can't be. lt can't be." " Oh, sweet Jesus." " Stop saying Jesus." "Stop it!" "LEON:" "This is how I see it." "I say the US is planning a secret trip." "The Iranians ask you to confirm the secret trip." "You say there's no secret trip because it's a secret." "They think I'm James Bond and detain me." "Leon, you're no fucking James Bond." "Journalism is storytelling." "You tell your story about your bravery, your integrity, and how we rescued you and gave you warm nuts." "The Iranians detained me because of you." "That's my story." "They detained me an extra day because of you." "That's my other story." "Now, you want to be rescued or not, you ungrateful shit?" "My release was delayed because the President wanted to grab the headlines for freeing an American, an American she deliberately did not de-detain." "Jonah, either get Leon's mom to the air base or buy yourself a very convincing wig." " Where's Kent?" " I don't know." "Maybe he's bitten off his tracking device." "He should be here by now." "This is not okay." " Mike." " Break out the yellow ribbon, Sue." " We are stranded in Iran." "l'm really scared, Sue." "Man up, Gary." "Or at least lady down a bit." "Gary and Mike have been left behind in Iran." "Wonderful." "It's Black Hawk Down with Laurel and Hardy." "Amy, if anyone asks, no one's been left behind in Iran." "There you are." "Where have you been?" "I grew a small beard here." "Bill, of my various walking paces, I selected moderate-to-fast." "The press are saying that the VP is unhappy with the President." " That doesn't make me happy." " Because of the secret polling?" "Or because he's heard that someone has hacked the data of dead children?" "Or a third reason which is even worse than those?" "We've got to get inside Doyle's head, find out what he knows." " Get out." " No, come in." "You get out." "(PHONE RINGING)" "Mike, why exactly are you calling me?" " What do we do, Sue?" " There's a back-up plane." "Find the back-up plane." "MIKE:" "Come on!" "GARY:" "Oh, my God." "Where is it?" " MIKE:" "I don't know!" " GARY:" "Oh, shit!" " MIKE:" "Pardonne." "Pardonne." " GARY:" "That's French!" "Ooh, am I in the wrong place?" " Is this QVC?" " Amy." "Hear you're lobbying with Sidney Purcell now." "The man whose dream vacation is hunting the street kids of Rio on a human safari." "Not lobbying." "No, that'd be illegal." "I'm a consultant." "And I gotta say," "I like the guy a hell of a lot more ever since he told me how rich I'm gonna be." "Sorry you got fired." "You were almost good at your job, which really made you stand out." "Right back at you." "Can't be this nice to each other on air, you know." "Oh, I know." "May the best man win." " And that'll be me." " Which will be me." "Mike!" "Mike!" "I found the back-up plane." "Come on." "Thank God." "MIKE:" "I've never had strong feelings for a plane, but right now I would cheat on Wendy with that thing." "Jonah, we need to talk." "We are just in the car with Leon West's mother." "Do you need anything, ma'am?" "No, I'm good." "Thank you." "Great." "Jonah, I know something's happening at the VP's office." "Oh." "Okay, you do." "BILL:" "I need you to tell me what's going on." "And, uh, do I have to tell you that right now?" "Yes, you do." "You know, I was thinking we could stop for a coffee." "Uh, Teddy's been touching me." "RICHARD:" "Or tea." "Uh..." "Just processing that." "Wait, Mr. Davison?" "Shit, am I on speakerphone?" "(SCOFFS) Sorry, Jonah, what happened exactly?" "Um..." "Well, he, uh..." "He..." "He cupped my testicles." "On another occasion, he, uh, patted or tapped on my testicles." "And then on another occasion, he, uh, held my testicles for a significantly long time." "Guess what." "I just got engaged." "Are you fucking kidding me?" "Catherine's there, too?" "Hi, Jonah." "Jason proposed and I said yes." "Well, shit, congratulations." " Marriage is good." "lt's a fine institution." "Don't tell my mom." "I want to surprise her." "Jonah, is there anything else you want to tell us?" "I don't know." "ls there anybody else in the room?" "Just myself and Bill again." " And I'm here taking notes." " Sue's there!" "Fuck!" "Okay, well, no." "There's nothing else that I have to say." "I'm pretty sure that I'm the only one that Teddy's been touching, okay?" " Thanks, guys." "Great talk." "(BEEPS)" "Okay, we got nothing out of that but a funny story." "GARY"." "Plane's broken." "We can't take off." "They said it's gonna be a week until they get the part." "Jesus Christ, the Chinese can 3-D print a hundred houses in that time." "Fuck!" "Why isn't there a back-up plane for the back-up plane, Mike?" "We need to get on the press plane." "The press hates us, especially you." " They can't stand you." " We have booze, Gary." "And they have a crippling dependency." " GARY:" "What, is this gonna work?" "ln a dry country, the man with all the booze holds the cards." "(KNOCK ON DOOR)" " Yeah?" " Ma'am, you actually do have a phone call." " Oh." "lt's Kent and Bill on speaker." "Hey. guys, what's up?" "Ma'am, we're worried that Doyle knows about the polling." " What polling?" " Kent." "I thought it might be useful to see how Doyle is performing as Veep." "I specifically promised Doyle that I would not do that, Kent." "I apologize." "But it did throw up some very interesting results." "But I will run those by you at a less angry time." "We have what we think is a very smart plan of action." "It's brilliant." " Quite brilliant." "We tell Doyle that your campaign used stolen data to target bereaved parents." "Why in the name of pixelated fuck would you do that?" "My God!" "And can you please use code when we're talking about this?" "Use the word, I don't know, "cupcake" instead of "data."" "And use "happy" instead of "bereaved," or something." "It binds him to us. infects him." "And elements of his office were CC'd on e-mails mentioning the breach." "Exactly." "He will be as involved as the rest of us in targeting happy parents after stealing cupcakes about their dead children." "(SCOFFS) Fine." "Inject him with the happy cupcake virus, all right?" "I hope he swells up and dies." "That's not code, by the way." "Wow." "Ben, why don't I know what's going on here?" "I don't know." "I'm supposed to have my finger on the button." "But for all I know, it's been rewired and I'm just operating some sort of light in a closet somewhere." "And what are we gonna do about Leon?" "I'm gonna treat him like my own brother..." "(CLEARS THROAT) ...who I had murdered back in '86." "The President is charming the Middle East." "But apparently her own VP is unhappy with her?" "Not true." "And we're discussing rumors?" "ls this a news channel or a dorm room?" "You could say, uh, that the President's Iran visit puts a delicious glace cherry on the cake of Selina Meyer's tour." "Well, welcome back from the wasteland." "Here's to us." "To a job well done on your part." " You were great." " Yeah, I know." "You know, we could still be great." "We could?" "Oh, yeah." "Can I ask you something?" "Uh-oh." "Am I that transparent?" "Really?" "Oh, Dan, you kind of are." "Well, Amy," "I would love it if you would give me access to the White House." "Ch." "What?" "You think I was gonna ask you something else?" " No." " Okay." "(CELL PHONE RINGING)" " Yeah'?" " SUE:" "Amy, bad news." "Ericsson told Doyle that the campaign used dead kids' data to target recently bereaved parents." "God, that is some elaborate self-sabotage right there." "That is Cirque du Soleil suicide bombing." "Go back in time and stop that from happening." " You okay?" " I feel like I'm on a life-support machine and they keep pulling the plug to charge their phones." " Tequila?" " Yeah." " My God, this is so scary." " Quiet down, Gary." " GARY:" "It's just really scary." " Hurry up and be quiet..." " GARY: (GASPS) Oh, my God." " Oh, you're kidding." " GARY:" "Jesus." "Oh, my God." " Pick them up!" "MIKE:" "I don't want to go to jail over here." "We've got about 10 seconds to drink everything and then eat the bottles." "(KNOCK ON DOOR)" "You wanted to see me, ma'am?" "Oh, did I wake you up?" "Uh, no." "Come in." "Come in, come in." "You don't look good, man." "You look like the cabin depressurized and you fell into a coma or something." " No, I'm..." "I'm fine." " Sit." "Sit." "BEN: (GROANS) So..." "What's up, ma'am?" "I'm not in control, Ben." "I'm really not." " Well, we have pilots for that." " You know what I mean." "Leon, Kent's polling, dead kids baked in the cupcakes." "So all of this has confirmed for me that I made the right decision when I decided to bring in somebody else." "That's great." "More minds the merrier." " Uh-huh." " That's a saying, I think." "No, I don't think it is." "Her name is Karen Collins." "Okay?" "You might remember her from my old lawyering days." " No." " I mean, seriously, Ben, she's everything that I'm missing." "She's smart, she's capable, she's organized." "She sounds like the, um, complete package." "Oh, no, no." "But, I mean, you know, don't misunderstand me." "Because, I mean, obviously I so respect you, Ben, and I think you're incredibly capable." "And I also think that you... (SNORING)" "Ben?" "I need to see the President for a debrief and a pre-brief." "Back off, Cary Grant, okay?" "Vice President is first up." " No..." " I need to tell my mom that I got engaged." " Oh, also I got engaged." " Yeah, so did I." " To her." "That's obvious." " AMY:" "Hmm." "Okay, congrats." "And, uh..." "Listen, listen up." "The first thing that's gonna happen once the President lands" "is a debrief and then we're..." "(lNDISTINCT CHATTER)" "Why does it feel like nobody is listening to me?" "This is tough for you, huh?" "Looks like someone needs to learn some management skills." "I'm sorry, who the fuck are you?" "Oh, I'm Karen Collins, the President's new senior advisor." "My specialty..." "Common sense." "I need to talk to my mom." "Oh, my God, Catherine, look at you." "Do you remember me?" "Of course." "Yeah." "I really need to talk to my mom." "Oh, let's handle it, then." "Dive in." "Let's dive in." "Um..." "So I obviously knew about this Karen." "Were you told?" "Senior advisor, yes." " Oh, sure." "Of course." " Yeah." " Amy, hey." " Yeah, what?" "Um, we have Leon West's mom, and she just looks, um..." "Just very terrible." "I..." "Talk to this..." "Talk to Karen." "Um, her specialty is common sense." "That's right." "Good memory." " I'm Jonah Ryan." " Pleasure to meet you." "I'm Karen." "Sue, if anybody asks for me." "I've gone outside to scream into the night." "Okay." "Have one for me, too." "SELINA:" "Did you rest?" " I slept like a drugged log." " Good." "How do I look?" "Very tired." "You know, Gary usually sugarcoats that." "Tired?" "God." "Did my eye just twitch?" "No." "Hey, Catherine, about earlier." " The molesting." " What?" "Hmm?" "Wait, what?" "Hey, look." "There's your mom." "This isn't just about me." "This is about the strength of these two beautiful people." "I am most humbled to have played my small part in human history." "MIKE:" "I'm not gonna make it to the cottage, Wendy." "I'm in Iran." "Turns out you can't buy a boarding pass with tiny bottles of Jack Daniel's." " BEN:" "Wow, that was great." " SELINA:" "Wasn't it?" " A lot of people need to talk to you." " Okay, that's fine." " Mom." " Catherine!" " We're engaged." " No, you're not." " Yes, we are." " But we are." "I'm 48." "Put your hand down." " Well, it's nice to have you back, ma'am." " Yeah." " And so..." " SELINA:" "Karen!" "I'm here." "l'm gonna give you a hug." "All right." "Great to see you." " L'm so glad to see you." "(BOTH LAUGH)" " You guys met?" " Yes." " Great." "Great." " Besties." "Let's get off the tarmac." "MIKE:" "I'm not snacking." "I'm on my diet." "It's a celery stick." "All right, it's a cookie." "I've had dates every day." "You know dates are a dessert?" |
Columbia with SCMA Board member Dr. Ropp,
SCMA lobbyist, SCAFP lobbyist, and SCAPA lobbyist to discuss a joint statement
regarding SCAPA’s commitment to the
Physician lead team and advancement of the PA practice act.
September 7, 2012: Newsletter emailed to membership.
September 13, 2012: Upstate Area Dinner Meeting
September 19, 2012: Lowcountry Area Dinner Meeting
September 26, 2012: Pee Dee Area Dinner Meeting
September 26-29, 2012: SCAPA President and President Elect
in Washington DC for AAPA CORE Conference
April 30, 2013: Senate 3rd read of S 448 and then
the bill was sent over the House.
April 30, 2013: House 1st read of S 448.
May 1, 2013: Newsletter emailed to membership.
May 2, 2013: House 2nd read of S 448.
May 3, 2013: House 3rd read of S 448.
May 14, 2013: Pee Dee Area Dinner Meeting
May 21, 2013: Governor Nikki Haley signed Senate bill 448
into law!
May 22, 2013: Lowcountry Area Dinner Meeting
May 23, 2013: Legislative Breakfast - We Presented
Senator Leatherman with a plaque in appreciation for all his efforts helping PA
reimbursement for first assisting in the OR for Blue Cross Blue Shield
patients and was named Legislator of the Year.
June 18, 2013: SCAPA President spoke during the Introduction to PA
class to the new MUSC PA class of 2015 regarding
professional organizations, their importance, and why they should be involved
as a student and a PA. Discussed SCAPA,
AAPA, and NCCPA.
June 19, 2013: Lowcountry Area Dinner Meeting
June 21, 2013: Newsletter emailed to membership.
June 25, 2013: Midlands Area Dinner Meeting
Roberta Alsworth
Past President 2008-2009
I served as SCAPA president from 2008-2009. During my term, we
initiated the campaign for Physician Assistant reimbursement for
surgical first assist from Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina. We
reevaluated the SCAPA CME conference location and visited several other
sites before making a decision to move the conference to its current
location at Wild Dunes Resort in the Isle of Palms. It was an honor to
serve as president but it was my great pleasure to meet and work with
such a dedicated team of PAs from all across South Carolina.
Ellie Rogers
Past President 2007-2008
I was Past President of SCAPA July 01, 2007-June 30,
2008. I joined SCAPA as a student in
2000, and when I became a certified P.A. in 2002, I was nominated for the
position of Secretary. I stayed there
for a couple of years, learning how the organization worked and developing a
role for myself. I was convinced to run
for Vice President, and in that role, one of my duties was to manage the SCAPA
annual election. That was the first year
we actually had two nominees for each position.
I became President Elect and decided that I wanted to get back to the
membership of SCAPA – what do the members want and what can we do to help them
in daily practice.
During my tenure, two great things happened. One was the Public Education Committee
offered three presentations of "What Is A PA” throughout the state, which was
very well received. I still get calls
from those presentations, and I know many practices who attended and now
employee a P.A.
The other accomplishment was the decision to move
forward with our pursuit of SC BC/BS payment for PA services in the OR. SCAPA had been reviewing the situation, but
it was during my Presidency that we really decided to start the real
battle. Sean Irvin led the way, and we
worked closely with AAPA and hired Pat Jackson as a consultant. SCAPA leadership involved the members in the
fight to support not only the cause but to develop a grass roots movement. The reigns were handed over to Victor Gomez,
who led us to the final victory.
I said two great things happened, but a lot of
inroads were made. We started a
relationship with SCMA, who now has PAs on some of its committees and supports our recent legislation for improved
practice law. Joe Wehner started working
on the SCAPA website – one of the smartest things I ever did was to recruit
him. SCAPA made the decision to move
its annual CME to Wild Dunes, which has been very well attended, and the change
was a good one despite much resistance. We renewed our contract with Ted Riley, who
has been instrumental in moving the practice law forward. We created the Finance Committee to develop a better checks and balances within the
organization.
What does SCAPA mean to me? Working with SCAPA made me a better
person. I learned to listen more and communicate
better. I learned how to bite my tongue
more, although those who know me realize that it cannot be completely
stopped! SCAPA
supports the PAs of SC and makes this
state a better place to practice in. The
battles ahead will not be simple, but nothing worthwhile ever is. However, together we can and do make a
difference – for patients, physicians,
fellow PAs and ourselves.
After my Presidency, I became less active in
SCAPA. I believe that good leaders
mentor new leaders. While input from the
old and wise (really means gray with lots of war stories) is valuable, we need
to move on and let the new generation take over. I am
very proud of SCAPA’s leadership – past and present – and commend you on your
dedication.
The Mission of the South Carolina Academy of Physician Assistants is to promote quality, cost effective, and accessible healthcare through the professional and clinical development of physician assistants in the state of South Carolina. |
Q:
$a,b\in\mathbb R^2$, is it ok to define $[a,b]$ to be the segment connecting $a$ and $b$?
How to denote higher dimensional segments?
For example, $a,b\in\mathbb R^2$, it is not necessarily that $a\leq b$. Is it ok to denote $[a,b]$ as the segment connecting $a$ and $b$?
A:
As long as you say that that's what you mean the first time you use it, then it's completely fine. It doesn't conflict with other common notation, and it's somewhat similar to the meaning we are used to.
|
The role of autologous bone marrow transplantation in the treatment of solid tumors.
Until effective new agents can be developed, increasing dose intensity may be the best way to improve therapy for patients who fail conventional treatment. Alkylating agents, including radiation, are likely candidates for use in dose-intensive combinations. Past phase I clinical trials of single agents have redefined the maximum tolerated doses when marrow transplantation attenuates the myelosuppression. High-dose combinations of more than two agents are only possible with significant dose reductions from single-agent maximum tolerated doses. Multiple courses of therapy might permit the use of more than two agents without dose reduction. A multidrug and/or multicourse approach will probably be needed to effect curative therapy. |
Reaction: Late penalties ruin Crew's effort in LA
Through the first 80 minutes of Thursday's match against the LA Galaxy, Crew goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum was riding his best performance of the 2013 season and in line for the victory following Bernardo Anor's 78th minute tally. But referee Sorin Stoica would make two controversial penalty calls in the final minutes to reverse the Black & Gold's fortunes as Robbie Keane would bury both attempts from the spot to lift the Galaxy to victory.
The first penalty call came when Gruenebaum left his line to smother Jose Villareal's run into the box. Villareal took a heavy touch to knock the ball out of Gruenebaum's reach and went down with when making contact with the Crew 'keeper in the 85th minute. Sealing the Crew's fate, the second penalty was whistled in the first minute of second-half stoppage time when Keane went down in the box following a brush with Anor.
The two penalties erased a standout performance from Gruenebaum and the Columbus backline, which featured the centerback tandem of Chad Marshall and Danny O'Rourke for the first time in 2013.
"We were leaking goals, so obviously we tried to put some guys in different positions," Head Coach Robert Warzycha said after the match. "I think today, they stood up and they played very well. Obviously in the end we gave up two penalties, but I think the defense was tremendous.
"Luck is not on our side, to be honest with you. We have to work harder."
Moving forward, it will surely be an exhausting three days for Warzycha's side as it will fly back to Columbus on Friday and train on Saturday before hosting the Portland Timbers on Sunday (TICKETS). The Timbers are unbeaten in 15 matches, while the Crew will hope to break a three-game losing streak. |
#!/usr/bin/env bash
#
# Copyright © 2014 Jesse 'Jeaye' Wilkerson
# See licensing in LICENSE file, or at:
# http://www.opensource.org/licenses/MIT
#
# File: do_generate
# Author: Jesse 'Jeaye' Wilkerson
# XXX: Do not call this script directly: use `make generate`
set -o nounset
function check_existence
{
printf "Checking for $1... "
which $1 > /dev/null 2>&1
exists=$?
if [ "$exists" -eq "0" ];
then
echo "found" 1>&2
else
echo "not found; make sure it's in PATH" 1>&2
echo "Error: manual generation will not work"
exit 1
fi
}
check_existence "elinks"
check_existence "gzip"
echo "Generating from $reference to $tmp_man"
echo " Removing previous files"
rm -f $tmp_man/*.3
echo " Parsing documentation on $threads threads"
find $reference -print0 | xargs -0 -n 1 -P $threads -I % \
./bin/stdman -d $tmp_man % > /dev/null 2>&1
echo " Removing unwanted pages"
for file in $(find $tmp_man -name '*.3' | grep -v "std::") ; do
rm -f $file;
done
echo " Creating links for common typedefs"
./do_link $tmp_man
echo "Done generating"
|
559 F.Supp. 1379 (1983)
Re: Linda JONES
v.
ORANGE HOUSING AUTHORITY, et al.
Civ. A. No. 82-4111.
United States District Court, D. New Jersey.
April 5, 1983.
*1380 Nancy Goldhill, Essex-Newark Legal Services, Newark, N.J., for plaintiff.
Joseph C. Cassini, III, West Orange, N.J., for defendants Orange Housing Authority and Gerard Lardiere.
Abraham Gnessin, pro se defendant and on behalf of defendant L & A Properties.
OPINION
STERN, District Judge.
Plaintiff Linda Jones moves for the award of attorneys' fees pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1988. The motion will be granted as to defendants Abraham Gnessin and L & A Properties and denied as to defendants Orange Housing Authority and Gerard Lardiere.
FACTS
Since December 1, 1981, plaintiff Linda Jones has resided in an apartment leased to her by defendant L & A Properties and defendant Abraham Gnessin. She alleges that from December 1, 1981 to November 30, 1982, she held her tenancy pursuant to an Existing Housing Program Lease under Section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937, 42 U.S.C. § 1437f. Under this arrangement, according to plaintiff, she paid $109.57 of the apartment's total monthly rent of $318.57 to defendants L & A Properties and Gnessin. Defendant Orange Housing Authority ("OHA"), with funds obtained pursuant to an annual contributions contract between it and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development ("HUD"), provided the other $209.00 per month.
Plaintiff alleges that on October 5, 1982, defendant Gnessin signed an inspection report approving plaintiff's apartment for continued participation in the Section 8 program. She alleges that on October 7, defendant Gnessin signed an agreement with her stating that she and defendant Gnessin requested defendant Orange Housing Authority to approve renewal of the lease for an additional twelve month period. Plaintiff states, however, that on October 19, 1982 she sent a written complaint to defendant Gnessin regarding a lack of heat in her apartment, with a copy to the Orange Housing Code Enforcement Office, and that defendant Gnessin informed her eight days later that he would not renew her lease under the Section 8 program. On December 7, 1982, defendant Gnessin served plaintiff with a notice to quit, requiring her to *1381 move from the apartment by January 31, 1983. The notice stated that plaintiff could rent the apartment as a month-to-month tenant by paying $340.87 per month in rent. Plaintiff states that her monthly income is $639.00 per month, and that she cannot afford this amount.
On December 7, 1982, plaintiff filed this action contending that the termination of her lease under the Section 8 program without good cause violated the United States Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1437f, and the New Jersey Anti-Eviction Law, N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.3; that the termination of the lease following her complaints about the lack of heat in her apartment violated the New Jersey Anti-Reprisal Law, N.J.S.A. § 2A:42-10.10; that the termination violated plaintiff's due process and First Amendment rights; and that the termination constituted a breach of contract. Plaintiff sought class certification, an injunction requiring defendants to renew plaintiff's Section 8 lease, and a declaration that defendants terminated plaintiff's lease without good cause and that such termination is unlawful. Plaintiff also sought costs, including attorneys' fees. On the same day, plaintiff moved for a temporary restraining order enjoining the defendants from taking steps to evict plaintiff and ordering defendant OHA to continue making rent subsidy payments to defendant Gnessin pending the outcome of the action. After reviewing the complaint and supporting papers, along with an affidavit by plaintiff's attorney that both defendants had received actual notice of the application, the Court entered the temporary restraining order, providing that defendants could move to dissolve the restraint on one day's notice to all parties, and set the matter down for a preliminary injunction hearing on December 13, 1982.
On the return date of the preliminary injunction hearing, defendant Gnessin appeared pro se and defendant OHA appeared through counsel. Defendant OHA did not oppose the relief sought; defendant Gnessin, however, while not contesting any of the allegations set forth in the complaint, stated that he would not renew the lease.[1] Defendant Gnessin was advised to retain counsel, and the matter was adjourned. On December 22, 1982, prior to the adjourned return date of the preliminary injunction hearing, the Court received a copy of a letter from defendant Gnessin to the OHA, dated December 21, 1982, in which defendant Gnessin stated that he would sign a new lease under the Section 8 program on behalf of plaintiff. Plaintiff's attorney, Nancy Goldhill, Esquire of Essex-Newark Legal Services, was provided with a copy of the letter, and states that the matter was not discussed with her before this action was taken. Aff. of Nancy Goldhill, ¶ 2. Plaintiff's attorney subsequently notified the Court that plaintiff considered the matter settled, and on January 6, 1983, the Court entered an order dismissing the action due to settlement.
On January 18, 1983, plaintiff moved to amend the judgment dismissing the case in order to file an application for attorneys' fees.[2] On February 4, 1983, plaintiff moved for the award of attorneys' fees in the amount of $3,120.00, this figure representing a total of 48 hours spent at $65 per hour.
Defendant Gnessin responded to the motion to amend the judgment by stating that the award of fees to plaintiff would be "wrong" and "unjust" since he had settled the matter by signing the lease, even though he felt it was "not the right thing to do," solely because he "did not want to be responsible for any attorney fees for myself, whether I won or lost, or attorney fees for the plaintiff if I lost." Aff. of Abraham *1382 Gnessin, ¶¶ 3-4. Defendant Gnessin states that had he "any idea that I would have been liable for any money by settling the case, I would have made other arrangements." Id., ¶ 3. Defendant Gnessin states that he consulted an attorney about the matter, but decided not to obtain counsel because the cost of hiring an attorney was "so prohibitive compared to the matter involved." Id., ¶ 2.
Plaintiff's attorney responded to defendant Gnessin's affidavit by stating that she had made numerous attempts to resolve the matter with defendant Gnessin before the filing of the complaint, but that defendant Gnessin "was adamant in his refusal to sign a lease and in a very cavalier manner stated that I would have to sue him and he would see me in court." Aff. of Nancy Goldhill, ¶¶ 4-5. Plaintiff's counsel notes that attorneys' fees were requested in the complaint, states that there was no discussion of attorneys' fees prior to the entry of the dismissal of the action, and states that defendant Gnessin rejected her offer to enter into a formal settlement agreement. Id., ¶¶ 3, 7-8. On February 28, 1983, defendant Gnessin submitted a letter in opposition to the award of fees which does not contradict any of the statements made by plaintiff's counsel. Instead, defendant Gnessin argues that any award of counsel fees to plaintiff would constitute the unwarranted assessment of punitive damages against him, since plaintiff was represented by a legal services organization and therefore did not incur any legal fees in the matter. Defendant Gnessin also states that the matter could have been resolved in state court rather than federal court.
Defendant OHA, through its counsel, Joseph C. Cassini, III, Esquire, has responded to the motion for counsel fees by asserting that its position throughout the litigation has been the same as that of the plaintiff: that there was no good cause for defendant Gnessin's refusal to sign a new lease agreement with the plaintiff, and that the lease should be renewed. The OHA's counsel states that he "strongly urged" defendant Gnessin to renew the lease and that he "advised him of the repercussion that would result if he did not do so," but that defendant Gnessin remained "adamant" in his refusal to renew the lease. The OHA also states that it is a federally funded body with limited resources, and that an award of attorneys' fees would place an undue burden on OHA given its budgetary constraints.
DISCUSSION
In pertinent part, 42 U.S.C. § 1988 provides that
In any action or proceeding to enforce a provision of sections 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985 and 1986 of this title, title IX of Public Law 92-318, or title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the court, in its discretion, may allow the prevailing party, other than the United States, a reasonable attorney's fee as part of the costs.
It is clear that plaintiff is a "prevailing party" as those words are used in § 1988. In Maher v. Gagne, 448 U.S. 122, 132, 100 S.Ct. 2570, 2576, 65 L.Ed.2d 653 (1980), the Court found that Congress intended to award fees pursuant to § 1988 in cases "in which both a statutory and substantial constitutional claim are settled favorably to the plaintiff without adjudication." Plaintiff's constitutional claim that the termination of her Section 8 lease without good cause violated her due process rights is clearly a substantial one, as similar claims have recently been upheld by two circuit courts of appeals. Jeffries v. Georgia Residential Finance Authority, 678 F.2d 919 (11th Cir.1982), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 103 S.Ct. 302, 74 L.Ed.2d 283 (1982); Swann v. Gastonia Housing Authority, 675 F.2d 1342 (4th Cir.1982). Nor is there any doubt that the matter was "settled favorably" to plaintiff: after prevailing on her application for a temporary restraining order and after receiving a strong indication from the Court that she would prevail on her motion for a preliminary injunction, plaintiff received the primary relief sought in the complaint a renewal of her lease under the Section 8 program.
*1383 While the language of § 1988 indicates that the award of attorneys' fees to the prevailing party is within the Court's discretion, it is clear that this discretion is narrowly circumscribed. Attorneys' fees must be awarded to the prevailing party unless "special circumstances" render the award of fees unjust, Staten v. Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh, 638 F.2d 599 (3d Cir.1980), and cases in which such special circumstances have been found "have been few and very limited." Love v. Mayor of Cheyenne, 620 F.2d 235, 237 (10th Cir.1980).[3] The factors set forth by defendant Gnessin do not constitute the requisite special circumstances. First, it is of no moment that plaintiff has been represented in this litigation by a legal services office. In the consideration and passage of the legislation now codified as 42 U.S.C. § 1988, Congress specifically endorsed decisions allowing fees to public interest groups. New York Gaslight Club, Inc. v. Carey, 447 U.S. 54, 70 n. 9, 100 S.Ct. 2024, 2034 n. 9, 64 L.Ed.2d 723 (1980). In holding that a legal services organization was entitled to the award of fees under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, 29 U.S.C. § 626(b), the Third Circuit stated:
As a general matter, awards of attorneys' fees where otherwise authorized are not obviated by the fact that individual plaintiffs are not obligated to compensate their counsel. The presence of an attorney-client relationship suffices to entitle prevailing litigants to receive fee awards ....
The statutory policies underlying the award of fees justify such shifting without regard to whether the individual plaintiff initially assumed the financial burdens of representation.... The award of fees to legal aid offices and other groups furnishing pro bono publico representation promotes the enforcement of the underlying statutes as much as an award to privately retained counsel. Legal services organizations often must ration their limited financial and manpower resources. Allowing them to recover fees enhances their capabilities to assist in the enforcement of congressionally favored individual rights. [Citations omitted]. Moreover, assessing fees against defendants in all circumstances may deter wrongdoing in the first place.
Rodriguez v. Taylor, 569 F.2d 1231, 1245 (3d Cir.1977), cert. denied, 436 U.S. 913, 98 S.Ct. 2254, 56 L.Ed.2d 414 (1978). Thus, defendant Gnessin's argument that fees should not be awarded because plaintiff was represented by a legal services office is clearly untenable.
Defendant Gnessin also claims that an award of fees would be unjust because he promptly settled this action in order to avoid the payment of large legal fees. This argument is completely without merit. Defendant Gnessin does not dispute the assertions by both plaintiff and the OHA that he adamantly rejected numerous offers of settlement both before and during the course of the litigation. Having forced substantial legal expenditures by plaintiff's attorney in order to vindicate plaintiff's legal rights, defendant Gnessin cannot avoid his responsibility to pay for these services merely because he has decided to dispose of the litigation as cheaply as possible. Consumers Union v. Virginia State Bar, 688 F.2d 218, 222 (4th Cir.1982), cert. denied, 51 U.S.L.W. 3902 (June 20, 1983) (No. 82-1300) (where defendant takes steps to eliminate the effects of a violation only after a lawsuit is filed, the policy of § 1988 precludes recognizing such a response as a "special circumstance" barring the award of fees). Were we to adopt defendant Gnessin's argument, a defendant would be free to violate the law, and then, in the event that plaintiff incurs substantial legal expenses and obtains a clear indication that *1384 the defendant will lose, merely change his conduct without incurring any cost. Such a result is clearly at odds with the purpose of § 1988.
Defendant Gnessin also claims that he would not have settled the action had he known that the settlement could result in liability for attorneys' fees. Nothing done in connection with this case, however, in any way indicates that plaintiff has relinquished her right to seek attorneys' fees as a prevailing party. Defendant Gnessin concedes that the matter of attorneys' fees was not discussed before the Court dismissed the action as settled; indeed, had plaintiff's attorney initiated any such discussion, she would have been acting improperly. See Prandini v. National Tea Co., 557 F.2d 1015, 1021 (3d Cir.1977) (discussion and negotiation of appropriate compensation for attorneys should not begin until after settlement of the liability aspect of a case). While defendant Gnessin may have been misinformed by the attorney he originally consulted as to the effect of his signing of the lease on the award of attorneys' fees, this misunderstanding cannot operate to deprive plaintiff of her right to the recovery of attorneys' fees in light of defendant's unilateral action providing plaintiff with the primary benefit sought in the litigation after receiving a clear indication from the Court that he would be ordered to do so. Cf. Aho v. Clark, 608 F.2d 365 (9th Cir.1979) (formal, negotiated settlement agreement contains no reference to an award of fees; motion for fees filed four months after settlement entered; court cannot conclude that the benefits obtained resulted from the filing of the suit).[4]
The situation with respect to defendant OHA is quite different. It is clear that where the injury of which plaintiff complains is one that a defendant did not create and is powerless to prevent, and where that defendant in fact makes unsuccessful efforts to redress that injury, special circumstances exist which make the award of fees against that defendant unjust. Chastang v. Flynn & Ehrich, 541 F.2d 1040, 1045 (4th Cir.1976). Defendant OHA's statements that it has never opposed the relief sought by the plaintiff, and in fact repeatedly urged defendant Gnessin to provide that relief, are uncontradicted. In these circumstances, an award of fees against the OHA is clearly inappropriate.
Accordingly, plaintiff's motion for an award of attorneys' fees is granted as to defendant Gnessin and denied as to defendant OHA.
While the Court has determined that it must award attorneys' fees against defendant Gnessin, it still retains substantial discretion in determining the amount of attorneys' fees to be awarded. In making this determination, it will consider all relevant factors, including any information as to the financial hardship that an award of fees will place on defendant Gnessin and any objections that defendant Gnessin may have to the number of hours set forth or the hourly rate sought in plaintiff's fee petition. Any submission that defendant Gnessin may wish to make concerning the amount of the fee award should be filed with the Court within 20 days from the filing of this opinion. Plaintiff will have seven days from that date to file any responsive papers. The Court will then determine the amount of the fee award.
NOTES
[1] At one point during the hearing, defendant Gnessin suggested that he would not renew the lease even in the face of a court order requiring him to do so. Tr. of Proceedings, Dec. 13, 1982 at 3-4.
[2] Plaintiff's motion to amend the judgment was untimely. Rule 59(e), Fed.R.Civ.P. However, the failure to move for an award of attorneys' fees pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1988 within ten days of the entry of the judgment does not deprive the Court of the power to consider the matter. White v. New Hampshire Department of Employment Security, 455 U.S. 445, 102 S.Ct. 1162, 71 L.Ed.2d 325 (1982).
[3] In Zarcone v. Perry, 581 F.2d 1039, 1044 (2d Cir.1978), cert. denied 439 U.S. 1072, 99 S.Ct. 843, 59 L.Ed.2d 38 (1979), the Second Circuit articulated a different test in situations in which "a plaintiff sues for damages and the prospects of success are sufficiently bright to attract competent private counsel on a contingent fee basis." We need not decide whether or not the Zarcone rationale is sound, since plaintiff has not sought money damages in this case.
[4] Defendant Gnessin has appeared in this action pro se. His affidavit indicates that his failure to obtain counsel was not dictated by a financial inability to retain a lawyer, but instead reflected a business judgment that this case was not worth the expense of hiring an attorney. See supra at 1381-1382. In light of this, defendant Gnessin cannot rely on his pro se status to defeat plaintiff's motion for fees. The Court has found no case in which the defendant's pro se status has been considered to be a special circumstance justifying the denial of fees. See Sek v. Bethlehem Steel Corp., 463 F.Supp. 144 (E.D.Pa.1979) (attorneys' fees assessed against unsuccessful pro se plaintiff in Title VII suit).
|
Evergreen Game Design: Aspects that Keep Call of Duty Popular
Call of Duty, as far as I can remember, has never lost steam when it came to sales, activity and community interaction. Aside from some scrutiny, the franchise has been successful with many perks. There are multiple modes for single player, multi player and co-op. With each game mode sporting a fairly decent amount of content to play through. Even through community shifts due to each new release many of the older game’s online communities tend to keep active, though this is normally dependent on region. The games sell extremely well, and the budget only seems to go up for each release which allows for the developers to add bigger and important changes each year. Which can include a higher animation budget, new gameplay mechanics with each mode and big name actors being used for character voices.
“Infinite Warfare” – whilst Battlefield goes back into WW1, Call of Duty this time goes way ahead into the future even further than Black Ops III’s setting
Leaving an Imprint with a Straightforward Campaign
One thing that about the games that works really well are the stories, both the single player modes and Zombie co-op modes. These modes offer a small amount of gameplay compared to most single-player games on the market, but that is also part of the appeal. They include elaborately scripted set pieces, with familiar big name voice and film actors and large budgets put toward animation and motion capture. It’s easy to digest for the average player, it’s ‘jump in and play’ style of gameplay is one reason this franchise keeps selling every year. Campaigns are heavily guided through set pieces most of the time, and a lot of people like this because it has a cinematic value that incorporates wave-based enemy encounters. It ends up being mindless and shameless fun at times. Co-op through the Zombie modes has also improved over the releases. Back in World at War, Zombies was a fun little add on that caught on like wildfire and has since been ranked as the best part of Call of Duty. In later releases, Activision has added in more elaborate stories and level design. Even well-known voices into the mix such as Jeff Goldblum, Ron Perlman, and Heather Graham as seen in Black Ops III.
Call of Duty has had its fair share of memorable story moments. Players who are familiar with the modern warfare era of titles will easily recall such missions as the Chernobyl sniper missions in MW1, The “No Russian” airport sequence from MW2 and the ‘Cliffhanger’ level also from MW2. These sections of Call of Duty have a perfect meld of wave combat, scripted sequences and cinematic set piece value that will stick with the player even after the first play
Call of Duty may also still grasp a large audience due to it’s shift in how serious it takes itself, earlier titles are based and more heavily inspired by real events. Newer titles are less so, opting for more modern settings and more extreme stories.
“Cliffhanger” – shot from Modern Warfare 2
Jump in, Play and Repeat
Multiplayer is the most popular aspect of Call of Duty. It involves quick, fun and modular matches with minimal downtime. Even if you die, you’re right back in the action in a matter of seconds after viewing a kill cam which you can also skip. You can switch classes instantly and things feel fresh again, especially if you’re losing and are able to win a match with a comeback. Multiplayer rewards you for doing basically everything. Achievements, kill streaks, experience bonuses, stat-based rewards. The game bombards you with rewards at the beginning. They become a bit more scarce later on, but it’s fine because at that point you’re hooked and are willing to put more time to further level up and progress through the remaining unlocks and content.
There is a decent amount of chance involved in the game, but it benefits the size of the player pool because it excites novices and keeps them playing. Veterans players may find this to be an issue although there are alternate modes of play like Hardcore to mix things around enough for people with more experience. Call of Duty simplifies a lot of features from other shooters and just focuses on the meat of all first person shooters, aka murder death kill.For example, for many players finding health-packs can be tedious, so Call of Duty uses regenerating health. The use of health packs, dodging other players shots, and focusing on realism can add to the learning curve. A steep learning curve tends to be bad in the long run, because it scares away new players. This can heavily affect a games online longevity. By simplifying these game mechanics, Call of Duty reduces the learning curve and makes the game more accessible to more players.
“Gulag” – shot from Modern Warfare 2
A sense of Achievement, and Enough Content
The inclusion of fun gameplay elements and story content that is in your face and always flowing is important in keeping an audience hooked to a game’s content. Whilst this is important it’s also important to give something that is constantly changing to the player—in Call of Duty you are unlocking new things for simple daily progression. These unlocks should not be simple milestones though; they need to make the player feel like they have accomplished something. An example of this could be, instead of “Completing Level 5” it could be “Complete Level 5 by only killing with Headshots.” This involves completion mixed in with skill and an unlock to this could be a rare or cosmetic item.
Developers can even look at the Accolade system in Call of Duty single player as an example of things to add to single player to give the player something more than just a start to finish experience and entice some aspect of replay-ability. Call of Duty won’t be dying off anytime soon, it has a steady worldwide player count and steady sales and with new games there are higher expectations. Infinity Ward with Infinite Warfare has stated they want to bring gameplay back to what was fun in earlier titles, so it is clear that they have had an eye on the public’s reception of the franchise. |
The legal process and choosing a solicitor
If you use an independent solicitor from our panel, then we pay your costs, these are well known, long established firms of solicitors based in Liverpool who we have confidence in progressing the transaction quickly.
We offer this because a slow acting, less property experienced solicitor will delay any sale. Our panel solicitors are not connected to us and won’t affect the quality of work you receive in any way as the solicitor acts for you solely and in your interests and in according to all the usual rules of the law society.
On completion, we’ll provide you the funds, and you pay the solicitor directly, this solicitor will be a different firm of solicitors to ours and, and will be an entirely separate firm with no connection to our solicitors, they will be acting in your best interests, not ours. Whoever you choose, your solicitor will need to have full professional indemnity insurance, have a minimum of two partners working at their firm, and be a licensed conveyance solicitor with no disciplinary proceedings or any legal action against them.
The service you receive from a solicitor makes a huge difference to the speed of the transaction and the experience generally between buyer and seller |
AWP Rental Market valuation to surpass 21 billion euro mark by 2024
United Rentals, Inc’s recent acquisition of Neff Corporation has sent out waves of anticipation across the rapidly expanding AWP rental market. The latest deal is reported to have been concluded at a striking USD 1.3 billion and was primarily funded via freshly issued unsecured debt. Apparently, this take over is in line with the US based company’s expansion strategy which aims to enhance its earthmoving capabilities in the crucial growth terrains of the global AWP rental industry.
Meanwhile, it has to be noted that acquiring minor and upcoming firms has emerged as one of the chief business augmentation strategies that is being adopted by prominent players in the AWP rental market lately. This change can be attributed to the rising tendency of renowned access platform makers to offer a wide range of services and equipment by leveraging the technologies developed by new entrants in the AWP rental industry. Boasting of a massive application base comprising transportation & logistics, construction, government, and telecommunication, evolving a consumer-centric approach has been the focal point of AWP rental market participants.
How innovative products have been providing a renewed boost to the overall AWP rental industry
Owing to the massive increase in residential and commercial construction projects across the globe, major AWP rental market players have been focusing on launching advanced access platforms. Moreover, the enormous rise in infrastructural investments in the public sector has compelled industry participants to manufacture value-added and customized products. Enlisted below are a few instances of the launch of ground breaking products in AWP rental industry:
The leading UK-headquartered aerial based platforms manufacturer, Snorkel has recently showcased its unique A46JRT boom lift at the International Construction and Utility Equipment Exposition show in the US. Apparently, the latest boom lift comes with a special package of features which are specifically designed for the utility sector. Furthermore, the new boom lift is equipped with a 2kW AC generator, a Kubota V1505 diesel engine, Snorkel Guard secondary guarding system, a 5 feet aluminum platform with a swing gate, and two grounding loops.
Regarded as a global leader in AWP rental industry, GMG Inc. has been reported to roll out numerous high-grade boom and scissor lifts this year. The first among them would be the 1330-ED micro scissor lift that would weigh only 1,892 pounds but is said to offer the spaciousness of a slide-out extension deck, all-electric drive, and a strong platform capacity of 530 pounds. Needless to say, the soon-to-be-launched micro scissor lift appears to have been manufactured with the objective of aligning with the evolving requirements of the construction sector.
With extensive maintenance and repair activities revamping existing transformers & power cables, street lights, fire stations, and other associated infrastructure, North America is projected to heavily influence growth prospects of AWP rental industry. Speaking of which, the firms offering rental equipment in this region have been mandated by regulatory authorities to strictly adhere to human safety concerns. This has, in consequence, fueled the AWP rental market share expansion across the nations in the North American region.
Concurrently, various emerging economies world over have been allocating massive budgetary proceeds to construct mega-infrastructure projects including visionary smart cities, magnificent airports, and other industrial complexes. Subsequently, the successful execution of these gigantic projects rests upon numerous business verticals, of which AWP rental market is undoubtedly among the most crucial ones.
Moreover, the increasing number of fatal injuries across hazardous business domains has compelled government authorities to mandate utilization of these equipment, which would further boost the growth potential of AWP rental industry in the ensuing years. In fact, as per a research report by Global Market Insights, Inc., AWP rental market is forecast to exceed an impressive valuation of USD 24 billion by 2024.
About Author
Rahul Varpe
Rahul Varpe currently writes for AlgosOnline. A communication Engineering graduate by education, Rahul started his journey in as a freelancer writer along with regular jobs. Rahul has a prior experience in writing as well as marketing of services and products online. ... |
Commentary
Internal Strife Menaces Mexico's Agenda
February 04, 2001|F. ANDY MESSING JR. and LEONARDO HERNANDEZ | Retired Army Special Forces Maj. F. Andy Messing Jr., executive director of the National Defense Council Foundation, has advised President Bush on defense and foreign affairs. Leonardo Hernandez, a Mexican citizen, is a visiting fellow to the foundation
The latest political changes in Mexico have brought hope to many Mexicans that their country is moving away from corruption and toward a cleaner democratic system. However, to fulfill these expectations, President Vicente Fox must deal with Mexico's complex internal security issues.
On this score, the Zapatista rebel movement in Chiapas, known as the EZLN, is receiving most of the attention, but the guerrilla activity in the southwest states of Oaxaca and Guerrero is as complicated and more dangerous. Each of the rebel groups in its own way also affects the economic and physical security of the United States.
Oaxaca is a state full of contrasts. It has large cultural and linguistic resources that make tourism one of its main attractions. Yet more than half its houses are without sewage facilities and a third are without clean water. Drug trafficking, highway assaults and large quantities of illegal weapons in the hands of unsavory people also plague this area.
In 1996, the Popular Revolutionary Army, or EPR, attacked the towns of Tlaxiaco and Santa Cruz Huatulco in Oaxaca, signaling an upsurge in that regional conflict. Since its start, the EPR has killed 36 people, according to official sources, although the EPR claims almost three times that number of deaths. Recently, to show that it means business, the EPR sent the body of a soldier in pieces to a military installation.
A splinter unit of the EPR, known by it Spanish acronym, FARP, last December commandeered the central square of the town of Nazareno Etla, 15 miles from the city of Oaxaca. FARP rebels caused this disruption without being challenged by the local authorities, then quickly dissipated into the countryside. This act of defiance happened just before the scheduled arrival of President Fox in a nearby Oaxaca city.
In the state of Guerrero, known for the tourist city of Acapulco, the same abysmal economic conditions exist as in Oaxaca. Compounding that, insurgent activities that date back to the 1970s, when many guerrilla suspects were arrested without warrants and sometimes tortured or killed, foment turmoil to this day.
Despite the rebels groups' acts of militancy, President Fox has demonstrated a farsighted approach to re-integrate them into Mexico's political mainstream. On the day he assumed office, he ordered the military to back away from certain contested zones in Chiapas. The next day, he announced an amnesty for the EPR for various criminal acts going back to the 1970s. Later, Fox released rebel prisoners, proposed an Indian-rights bill to Congress and evacuated combat units in certain areas.
The EPR responded by refusing to demobilize or turn over its weapons and demanding that the new government offer more realistic and concrete peace proposals on how they will be re-integrated into Mexico's socioeconomic and political structure. Still, the EPR's leaders conceded that Fox's overtures could create positive conditions to get a solution.
On the Chiapas' front, the EZLN's Subcommander Marcos is reported to have said that the time may have come to reorganize his combat movement to be more like a political force.
In mid-January, Roman Catholic Bishop Felipe Arizmendi, who supports the predominantly Indian rebels in Chiapas, said the rebels groups "would get more sympathy and support from Mexicans" if they would disarm. The rebels may find that a peaceful gesture would be the better way to influence their political future.
To foster peace, Fox's government must commit to immediate and meaningful reform and development in the affected regions. He could be helped in this effort if President Bush, who is scheduled to make his first presidential visit to Mexico on Feb. 16, could direct U.S. agencies and encourage nongovernmental groups and Mexican-based U.S. businesses to offer increased economic and educational aid. Such aid could help further reduce turmoil and violence while also demonstrating American sincerity. Parenthetically, now may not be the time to assist them in military and police training, absent a cogent plan to help them increase their professionalism.
Timely assistance by the U.S. could thwart a possible flare-up that certainly would lead to increased numbers of refugees heading north. It could also prevent the rekindling of the cascading regional civil wars of the 1980s. The Mexicans may choose to reject some or all of our assistance, but it would put meat on the bones of U.S. rhetoric about "improving relations with our neighbor."
The new Mexican government is extending an open hand of negotiation and help to the rebel groups. However, faced with intransigence, Fox could turn to the military and the police to regain control. The U.S. must do all it can to help Mexico get through this mutually important transition. |
/*-
* Copyright (c) 1992, 1993
* The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
*
* This code is derived from software contributed to Berkeley by
* Ralph Campbell and Rick Macklem.
*
* Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
* modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
* are met:
* 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
* notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
* 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
* notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
* documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
* 3. All advertising materials mentioning features or use of this software
* must display the following acknowledgement:
* This product includes software developed by the University of
* California, Berkeley and its contributors.
* 4. Neither the name of the University nor the names of its contributors
* may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software
* without specific prior written permission.
*
* THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE REGENTS AND CONTRIBUTORS ``AS IS'' AND
* ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
* IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
* ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE REGENTS OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE
* FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
* DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS
* OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION)
* HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT
* LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY
* OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
* SUCH DAMAGE.
*
* @(#)cpu.h 8.5 (Berkeley) 5/17/95
*/
#ifndef _CPU_H_
#define _CPU_H_
#include <machine/machConst.h>
/*
* Exported definitions unique to MIPS cpu support.
*/
/*
* definitions of cpu-dependent requirements
* referenced in generic code
*/
#define COPY_SIGCODE /* copy sigcode above user stack in exec */
#define cpu_exec(p) (p->p_md.md_ss_addr = 0) /* init single step */
#define cpu_wait(p) /* nothing */
#define cpu_setstack(p, ap) (p)->p_md.md_regs[SP] = ap
#define cpu_set_init_frame(p, fp) /* nothing */
#define BACKTRACE(p) /* not implemented */
/*
* Arguments to hardclock and gatherstats encapsulate the previous
* machine state in an opaque clockframe.
*/
struct clockframe {
int pc; /* program counter at time of interrupt */
int sr; /* status register at time of interrupt */
};
#define CLKF_USERMODE(framep) ((framep)->sr & MACH_Status_UM)
#define CLKF_BASEPRI(framep) (((framep)->sr & \
(MACH_Status_IPL_MASK | MACH_Status_IE)) == MACH_Status_IE)
#define CLKF_PC(framep) ((framep)->pc)
#define CLKF_INTR(framep) (0)
/*
* Preempt the current process if in interrupt from user mode,
* or after the current trap/syscall if in system mode.
*/
#define need_resched() { want_resched = 1; aston(); }
/*
* Give a profiling tick to the current process when the user profiling
* buffer pages are invalid. On MIPS, request an ast to send us
* through trap, marking the proc as needing a profiling tick.
*/
#define need_proftick(p) { (p)->p_flag |= P_OWEUPC; aston(); }
/*
* Notify the current process (p) that it has a signal pending,
* process as soon as possible.
*/
#define signotify(p) aston()
#define aston() (astpending = 1)
int astpending; /* need to trap before returning to user mode */
int want_resched; /* resched() was called */
/*
* CPU identification, from PRID register.
*/
union cpuprid {
int cpuprid;
struct {
#if BYTE_ORDER == BIG_ENDIAN
u_int pad1:16; /* reserved */
u_int cp_imp:8; /* implementation identifier */
u_int cp_majrev:4; /* major revision identifier */
u_int cp_minrev:4; /* minor revision identifier */
#else
u_int cp_minrev:4; /* minor revision identifier */
u_int cp_majrev:4; /* major revision identifier */
u_int cp_imp:8; /* implementation identifier */
u_int pad1:16; /* reserved */
#endif
} cpu;
};
/*
* CTL_MACHDEP definitions.
*/
#define CPU_CONSDEV 1 /* dev_t: console terminal device */
#define CPU_NLIST 2 /* int: address of kernel symbol */
#define CPU_WIFI_SCAN 3 /* int: start scanning for Wi-Fi networks */
#define CPU_MAXID 4 /* number of valid machdep ids */
#define CTL_MACHDEP_NAMES { \
{ 0, 0 }, \
{ "console_device", CTLTYPE_STRUCT }, \
{ "nlist", CTLTYPE_STRUCT }, \
{ "wifi_scan", CTLTYPE_INT }, \
}
#ifdef KERNEL
union cpuprid cpu;
union cpuprid fpu;
u_int machDataCacheSize;
u_int machInstCacheSize;
struct intrcnt {
u_int clock;
u_int softclock;
u_int softnet;
u_int uart1;
u_int uart2;
u_int uart3;
u_int uart4;
u_int uart5;
u_int uart6;
u_int ether;
} intrcnt;
struct user;
struct proc;
void dumpconf __P((void));
void configure __P((void));
void mips_flush_icache __P((unsigned addr, unsigned len));
void switch_exit __P((void));
int savectx __P((struct user *));
int copykstack __P((struct user *));
int cpu_singlestep __P((struct proc *));
/*
* Enable all interrupts.
* Return previous value of interrupt mask.
* Status.IE = 1
* Status.IPL = 0
*/
static __inline int
spl0()
{
int prev = mips_di(); /* read Status and disable interrupts */
int status = prev | MACH_Status_IE; /* set Status.IE bit */
mips_clear_bits(status, 10, 9); /* clear Status.IPL field */
mtc0_Status(status); /* write Status: enable all interrupts */
return prev & (MACH_Status_IPL_MASK | MACH_Status_IE);
}
/*
* Disable all interrupts.
* Return previous value of interrupt mask.
* Status.IE = 0
* Status.IPL = unchanged
*/
static __inline int
splhigh()
{
int status = mips_di(); /* read Status and disable interrupts */
return status & (MACH_Status_IPL_MASK | MACH_Status_IE);
}
/*
* Set interrupt level 1...6.
* Return previous value of interrupt mask.
* Status.IE = unchanged
* Status.IPL = 1...6
*/
#define __splN__(n) \
int status = mips_di(); /* read Status and disable interrupts */ \
int prev = status; \
mips_ins(status, n, 10, 9); /* set Status.IPL field */ \
mtc0_Status(status); /* write Status */ \
return prev & (MACH_Status_IPL_MASK | MACH_Status_IE)
static __inline int spl1() { __splN__(1); }
static __inline int spl2() { __splN__(2); }
static __inline int spl3() { __splN__(3); }
static __inline int spl4() { __splN__(4); }
static __inline int spl5() { __splN__(5); }
static __inline int spl6() { __splN__(6); }
/*
* Restore saved interrupt mask.
* Status.IE = restored
* Status.IPL = restored
*/
static __inline void
splx(x)
int x;
{
int status = mips_di(); /* read Status and disable interrupts */
/* Use XOR to save one instruction. */
status |= MACH_Status_IPL_MASK | MACH_Status_IE;
x ^= MACH_Status_IPL_MASK | MACH_Status_IE;
mtc0_Status(status ^ x);
}
#define splsoftclock() spl1() /* low-priority clock processing */
#define splnet() spl2() /* network protocol processing */
#define splbio() spl3() /* disk controllers */
#define splimp() spl4() /* network device controllers */
#define spltty() spl5() /* uarts and terminal multiplexers */
#define splclock() spl6() /* high-priority clock processing */
#define splstatclock() splhigh() /* blocks all interrupt activity */
/*
* Set/clear software interrupt routines.
*/
static __inline void
setsoftclock()
{
int status = mips_di(); /* read Status and disable interrupts */
int cause = mfc0_Cause(); /* read Cause */
cause |= MACH_Cause_IP0; /* set Cause.IP0 bit */
mtc0_Cause(cause); /* write Cause */
mtc0_Status(status); /* restore Status, re-enable interrrupts */
}
static __inline void
clearsoftclock()
{
int status = mips_di(); /* read Status and disable interrupts */
int cause = mfc0_Cause(); /* read Cause */
cause &= ~MACH_Cause_IP0; /* clear Cause.IP0 bit */
mtc0_Cause(cause); /* write Cause */
mtc0_Status(status); /* restore Status, re-enable interrrupts */
}
static __inline void
setsoftnet()
{
int status = mips_di(); /* read Status and disable interrupts */
int cause = mfc0_Cause(); /* read Cause */
cause |= MACH_Cause_IP1; /* set Cause.IP1 bit */
mtc0_Cause(cause); /* write Cause */
mtc0_Status(status); /* restore Status, re-enable interrrupts */
}
static __inline void
clearsoftnet()
{
int status = mips_di(); /* read Status and disable interrupts */
int cause = mfc0_Cause(); /* read Cause */
cause &= ~MACH_Cause_IP1; /* clear Cause.IP1 bit */
mtc0_Cause(cause); /* write Cause */
mtc0_Status(status); /* restore Status, re-enable interrrupts */
}
/*
* Spin loop for a given number of microseconds.
*/
void udelay(unsigned);
#endif
#endif /* _CPU_H_ */
|
The cast of 'Mad Men' and moderator Brian Williams attend The Paley Center for Media presentation of 'Mad Men' Season Six at The Paley Center for Media in New York City.
Taylor Hill/Getty Images
There’s no doubt that Mad Men fans are the show’s toughest critics, so when NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams opened last night’s “Mad-ness Returns to the Paley Center” Q&A, he didn’t hesitate to grill series creator Matthew Weiner on a glaring mistake from this past Sunday’s episode. The notoriously fastidious Weiner was made to eat crow when Williams pointed out that Joan Harris’ seemingly throwaway line about making a reservation at Le Cirque was an anachronism – Mad Men is currently set in 1968, and the famed New York restaurant didn’t open until 1974. Williams, ever the newsman and previously established Mad Men fanboy, even produced a copy of the day’s New York Post, which featured an article on the error.Weiner took the slip-up in stride, doing what any self-respecting showrunner would do, which was to pass the buck. He immediately put the blame on actress Christina Hendricks, who was conveniently not present for the panel: “She was ad-libbing,” Weiner joked.
Weiner, along with cast members Jon Hamm, John Slattery, Vincent Kartheiser, January Jones, Jessica Paré and Kiernan Shipka, sat down with Williams for an hour-and-15-minute conversation at the Paley Center for Media in New York about the Emmy Award-winning AMC drama that, even in its sixth season, continues to dominate the TV-culture zeitgeist. There was no rest for the weary though, as the cast only completed shooting this past Thursday. Williams gave his employer, NBC, plenty of free publicity throughout the evening, making faux-nervous comments like “I’m petrified I’m going to Farley this” at the start of the panel (he didn’t), and confirming with Weiner that a mention of an “Old Spanish” cocktail on Sunday night’s Mad Men was indeed a “tip of the hat” to now-departed series 30 Rock. While Williams did his best to steer his questions evenly toward all members of the panel, there was no denying the bromance that has developed between him and series star Hamm over the years, no doubt thanks to the actor’s regular presence at 30 Rockefeller Center (home to Saturday Night Live, Williams’ day job – he made it to the Paley Center “on foot” less than 15 minutes after finishing his Nightly broadcast and the setting for last year’s 30 Rock live episode, in which the two traded off playing David Brinkley). A running gag was Williams ribbing Hamm over his Don Draper-esque Mercedes-Benz commercials. Williams: “It really doesn’t seem like much work.” “At least I stand when I do my work,” responded Hamm, referencing Williams’ “desk job.” But Williams didn’t save all of his dry humor for Hamm. When he asked Paré how much denial Megan is in over her marriage, she began by answering that her character is “an optimist,” but Williams quickly interrupted with his follow-up: “Does Megan have a sense of smell [when Don walks in early in the morning from one of his trysts with Sylvia Rosen]?”
Related
One character whose affair score card is starting to creep up to Draper numbers, however, is Pete Campbell. Kartheiser spoke with Rolling Stone prior to the start of the panel about how Pete still hasn’t quite mastered the art of infidelity: “He’s not as good at cheating close to home as Don Draper is, that’s true. He didn’t account for [Cos Cob neighbor Brenda’s] obsessive quality. Pete Campbell gets it where he can get it – I don’t think he’s too picky. He doesn’t have the same kind of pull that Don Draper has, and he feels blessed if he can get any at all.”
Mad Men was touched upon at several points during the evening, with Williams asking “Who do we thank – or blame – for ‘Zou Bisou Bisou’?” as well as commending Weiner for the use of a Serge Gainsbourg song in this week’s episode. Paré, whose rendition of the aforementioned yé-yé earworm was released on iTunes last year to mass acclaim, talked with RS about her desire to do more singing, but suggested it’s the struggling music business that’s more of a roadblock: “The industry is just rolling in it these days, they’re throwing money at me left and right,” she quipped. Weiner, who also stopped to chat with RS, said that if he had to pick one song that encapsulated the mood of 1968, it would be “Big Brother and the Holding Company, ‘Piece of My Heart.’ It’s soulful, it’s done by a white person [laughs] – it’s a co-option of a kind – it’s druggy, it’s sexual, it’s personal.” He also hinted at why he selected 1968 as the time frame for this season: “It was, as far as I can tell, the worst year in American history since 1863, and maybe 2013 – we’ll see. Hopefully not!”
Even though we’ve only just begun to watch the sixth season, the shadow of the seventh and final batch of Mad Men episodes is beginning to creep up on not only the audience, but the cast and Weiner as well. Williams asked Weiner, who has already stated he knows how the series will end, if anyone else does at this stage. Weiner answered his wife, The Sopranos creator David Chase and “a couple of writers” are in on the secret. Like his own fans, Weiner admitted to being in a bit of denial over the not-yet-written denouement: “Giving this up is going to be hard – I don’t expect it to ever happen again in my life. It’s not a sacrifice, but I don’t want to think about it. It’s like everything mortal, it’s best dealt with by ignoring it.” |
Green Room
Guest post: The failure of an anti-fracking fantasy
My good friends Phelim McAleer and his wife Ann McIlhenny are documentary filmmakers whose last project, Frack Nation, tackled the media myths, misconceptions, and misplaced activism surrounding the practice of hydraulic fracturing in the extraction of natural gas. Phelim wrote a guest post regarding a recent development in a legal case that had been sealed, one that anti-fracking activists cited as proof of the harm fracking does. When a court ordered the case unsealed, though, the files told a much different story — one that the media suddenly lost interest in telling.
What happened to the media?
Phelim McAleer
It’s a case of “be careful for what you wish for” for anti-fracking activists and the journalists who support–sorry, I mean “chronicle”–their cause.
For these journalists and activists there has been no better story about the evils of fracking than the Hallowich family in Washington County Pennsylvania. Mrs Hallowich told news outlets from across the world how her family’s health was destroyed by fracking activity near their home. She claimed her family and in particular her children were suffering devastating healy impacts caused by fracking and said her children could some day have cancer as a result.
This narrative was only strengthened when it emerged that the Hallowiches had settled a legal battle with an oil and gas company and received a financial settlement. And if any further proof was needed the settlement was covered by a non-disclosure clause–which the journalists and anti-fracking activists took as evidence of wrongdoing and then the cover up of the wrongdoing
But let’s not forget that journalists, when they want to be, can be enterprising. So they worked out that the agreement covered minors–who of course have to be protected from corporations and, in the eyes of the law, sometimes even their parents. So they petitioned a court to release the details of the agreement because the court and not the parents were allowed to decide what was right for the children.
Cue: much excitement from journalists; they had managed to destroy the veil of secrecy around a fracking lawsuit. Letters were being written to the Pulitzer committee. “Thank you” speeches were being composed.
Then the hundreds of pages of documents were released.
Cue: pretty much complete silence. There were no detailed exposes; there were no sensational headlines or serialized articles. And there was a very big reason for the silence.
And far from a family suddenly overwhelmed by a growing gas industry, it’s clear from the court documents that the Hallowiches bought into the gas boom. They bought land and built a house in the middle of an active gas field. And how do we know they knew about the gas boom? Well because they were–and still are–receiving royalty checks from a gas company.
In short the documents revealed that they received a substantial settlement even though they admitted, under oath, that neither they nor their children had suffered any medical ill-effects from fracking.
But apart from a few small local newspapers none of the “respectable,” no doubt heavily qualified journalism school graduates, have rushed to correct the record. They were happy, in graphic detail, to cover the allegations, but in what seems to be a complete inversion of journalism, they go silent when the science comes in.
This seems to be a pattern in modern journalism. A good allegation makes for a great story. One feature of all these examples of “journalism by allegation” is the apparent lack of curiosity by the journalists.
In my documentary, FrackNation, we interviewed the Sautner family in Dimock, PA. They had given dozens of interviews and in all of them claimed their water contained three types of uranium–“two of them weapons grade.” Not one journalist ever asked for the science behind these claims. It was a story that was too good to check.
The publicity surrounding Dimock, PA is one of the main reasons that fracking is now banned in New York–even though test after test by the PA state scientists and the EPA have revealed that there is no contamination in the water. But these results–overturning a key allegation of anti-fracking activists–have received very little media coverage.
It is the same with the Hallowiches. When the evidence proved their allegations wrong, the media just refused to publish the science and moved on to the next exciting allegation. And in the meantime families who know no better are frightened of fracking, worrying if their family’s health will suffer. Journalists owe it to these families to follow the story of the Hallowiches to the very end and publish the science that shows their water is clean and their family is healthy.
So far they have failed to do so, and they wonder why no one is reading newspapers anymore.
Excellent work, Mr McAleer. You and your wife are doing great work, and you do it well. (I was equally impressed with your efforts on ddt.) You are some of the few people who are bringing the fight directly to the statists; we really need to get you two on more tv sets here!
So, the Hallowiches receive royalty checks from a gas company, do they? Were I the disbursement official , those checks would be printed on used crapper paper … and “cc’d” to Ma-a-a-a-a-t Da-a-a-monnn.
Basically, the released documents show that EVERY SINGLE ALLEGATION brought by the Hallowichs was false, and they swore to such in court. In fact in EVERY case everywhere where people have alleged harm from Fracking, once actual impartial scientists are able to test the claims, they find them false. (Flaming water, unranium in the water, poisoned land, dying crops, sick animals, etc. etc. etc.) The anti-fracking hysteria is just that. Baseless, pointless hysteria and much ado about nothing.
If you hate Fracking and think it’s the next great catasrophe, you are either ignorant, stupid, or complicit in (and possibly making money from) the FUD being spread around about Fracking. No honest and intelligent person can look at the SCIENCE here and conclude that fracking is anything but a huge boon to America and the communities where it takes place. |
1. Field
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method of measuring a distance using structured light, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method of measuring a distance using structured light, in which an input image is binarized, and then an image having connected pixels in the binarized image is identified, and noise is removed using the length ratio of the major axis to the minor axis of the image having connected pixels in the binarized image and the mean of pixel values, thereby improving the accuracy of distance measurement.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to travel around or perform a job in a place on which preliminary information is insufficient, a mobile robot, such as a cleaning robot or a guide robot, needs to have an ability to autonomously plan a path, detect an obstacle, and avoid collision. To achieve this, an ability to measure a distance to an obstacle, which can be used in order to estimate a position, is essential. Also, an ability to measure a distance to an obstacle is necessary in an intrusion sensing system using an image comparison method.
To measure such distances, a variety of methods using a visual sensor, an ultrasound sensor, or a contact sensor have been used. Among these methods, a method using structured light and a camera is very effective, because the method requires less computation and can be used in a place where a change in brightness is small.
According to this method, as illustrated in FIG. 1A, light is irradiated to an obstacle 30 using an active light source 10, such as a laser, and the image of the reflected light is obtained using a sensor 20, such as a camera. Then, using the image coordinates of the camera 20, the scanning angle of the image at that time, and the distance between the camera 20 and the laser beam emission position, the distance between the position of laser emission and the obstacle 30 where the laser light is reflected can be calculated from the obtained image according to a triangular method using angle θ.
Referring to FIG. 1A, the distance d between the light source 10 and the camera sensor 20 is referred to as a baseline. As this distance increases, the resolution becomes worse. When the height of a robot is limited as is that of a cleaning robot, the baseline distance is short in many cases. In such cases, the range resolution at a distant position becomes worse.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a range resolution with respect to a distance when the length of a baseline according to a conventional technology is short (for example, 8 cm).
FIG. 2 shows a resolution with respect to a length when the baseline is 8 cm, the vertical pixel of a camera is 480, and the vertical lens angle is 60°, and it can be seen that with increasing distance, the resolution becomes worse. In this case, a peak detection method can be used.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the distribution of pixel values of pixels arranged along a predetermined vertical line of a camera image. As illustrated in FIG. 3, assuming that the positions and pixel values of points a, b, and c are known and the brightness distribution of an image formed by the pixels arranged along the vertical line forms a parabola, the position of the peak point can be identified using a parabolic interpolation method. The distance to an obstacle can be identified by applying the triangular method described above to the position of the peak point.
However, in actual practice, it is quite difficult to accurately identify the positions of points a, b, and c due to a serious noise caused by reflection of sunrays or other illuminations and laser light. |
Freakingly Yummilicious Diverse Dill Sauce Recipes for Salmon
Dill sauce is one of the most delicious toppings to serve with all types of cooked salmon. To know more about dill sauce along with its recipes, read the upcoming Tastessence article.
Girija Shinde
Last Updated: Mar 8, 2018
Dill is an aromatic herb which is used in various side dishes and for preparing pickles and sauces. The aroma and the unique taste of the herb make it a popular choice as a topping for salmon. Dill sauce recipes for salmon vary from region to region. For example, some prefer a plain but creamy dill sauce whereas some like to add different kinds of herbs and veggies to it. Let's have a look at some diverse recipes for preparing this sauce.
Dill Sauce for Grilled Salmon
Ingredients
Salmon steaks (1" thick), 6 (10 oz. each)
Large cucumber, 1 (seeded, grated, and well-drained)
Sour cream, ¾ cup
Lemon juice, 2 tbsp.
Chives (chopped), 1 tsp.
Dill, 1 tsp.
Salt, ¼ tsp.
Paprika, ⅛ tsp.
Process
Firstly, grill the salmon for about 5 minutes on each side and set aside.
Now, take a large bowl and add all the above ingredients in it and mix well.
Your dill sauce for grilled salmon is done!
Serve this dill sauce along with green pepper and tomato sauce.
Lemon Dill Sauce for Salmon Fillets
Ingredients
Salmon fillets, 4 (5 ounce)
Shallot (minced), 1
Milk, ½ cup
Heavy cream, ½ cup
Butter (divided), 10 tbsp.
White wine (divided), 5 tbsp.
Fresh lemon juice (divided), 5 tbsp.
White wine vinegar, 1 tbsp.
Dried thyme, 1 tsp.
Parsley, 1 tsp.
Dried dill weed, ¾ tsp.
Lemon pepper, ¾ tsp.
Dill weed, ½ tsp.
Salt and white pepper to taste
Process
Place the salmon in a shallow dish and pour the lemon juice on it.
Apply the juice thoroughly to the fish and season with lemon pepper and weed.
Cover and let it stand for at least 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and sauté the shallot for about 2 minutes until tender.
Add in ¼ cup wine, lemon juice, and vinegar.
Simmer until reduced by half and then add milk along with the cream.
Season with white pepper, dill, thyme, parsley, and salt and cook further until thickened.
When thickened to a desired consistency, whisk in only ¼ cup butter and set aside.
Now, melt the remaining butter in a skillet over medium heat.
Cook the salmon, skin side up, for about 1 - 2 minutes in the melted butter and set aside.
Add the remaining wine to the skillet along with the cream sauce.
Again, place the salmon on the skillet and cook for about 8 minutes.
Serve hot with the sauce!
Mustard Dill Sauce for Baked Salmon
Ingredients
Salmon fillets (center cut) with skin, 1½ lb.
Sour cream, 1 cup
Chopped fresh dill, ⅓ cup
Finely chopped onions, 3 tbsp.
Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp.
Minced garlic, 2 tsp.
Salt and pepper
Process
Take a small bowl and whisk fresh dill, sour cram, onions, and Dijon mustard in it.
Season with pepper and salt to taste and blend well.
Let it stand for at least 1 hour at room temperature.
Meanwhile, grease a baking sheet and place the salmon on it (skin side down).
Season with salt, pepper, and garlic and also spread ⅓ cup of sauce on it.
Bake for about 20 minutes at 400ºF.
Serve with the remaining sauce.
You can try any of the above-given recipes as per your preference. You can also make some changes in these recipes; however, do follow the basic recipe. |
Case: 12-30918 Document: 00512683312 Page: 1 Date Filed: 07/01/2014
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT United States Court of Appeals
Fifth Circuit
FILED
July 1, 2014
No. 12-30918
Lyle W. Cayce
Clerk
REYMOND MEADAA; HARRY HAWTHORNE; JOSE MATHEW; DINESH
SHAW; NAVTEJ RANGI; NAJA HOLDINGS, L.L.C.; HULENCI, L.L.C.,
Plaintiffs–Appellees,
v.
K.A.P. ENTERPRISES, L.L.C.; ARUN K. KARSAN; VERSHA PATEL
KARSAN; SAINATH, L.L.C.,
Defendants–Appellants.
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Western District of Louisiana
Before OWEN, SOUTHWICK, and GRAVES, Circuit Judges.
PRISCILLA R. OWEN, Circuit Judge:
In this interlocutory appeal, Arun K. Karsan, Versha Patel Karsan,
K.A.P. Enterprises, L.L.C., and SaiNath, L.L.C. (defendants) appeal the
district court’s grant of partial summary judgment in favor of seven investors.
Defendants challenge both the district court’s conclusion that there was a
failure of consideration because the investors did not receive the agreed upon
consideration in return for their investment and the district court’s order
holding all of the defendants jointly and solidarily liable. We affirm in part
and vacate in part.
Case: 12-30918 Document: 00512683312 Page: 2 Date Filed: 07/01/2014
No. 12-30918
I
Dr. Arun K. Karsan and Versha Patel Karsan (the Karsans) formed
K.A.P. Enterprises, L.L.C. (K.A.P.), as a holding company for their personal
investments. Five months later, K.A.P. executed a letter of intent to purchase
the Louisiana Hotel and Convention Center (the hotel) out of bankruptcy. To
finance the purchase, K.A.P. obtained a $6.7 million loan from Red River Bank
(the Bank), which the Karsans personally guaranteed. The loan agreement
required K.A.P. to raise an additional $2.75 million to renovate the hotel.
The Karsans thereafter invited some of Dr. Karsan’s medical colleagues,
including the plaintiffs (the investors), 1 to an investment presentation on
November 22, 2006 at Copeland’s restaurant. The presentation, titled
“Louisiana Hotel & Convention Center,” described the hotel and the Karsans’
plans for its renovation. Additionally, it offered the investors two different
investment options: a “private debt” offering and an “equity” offering. The
latter permitted investors to become “Share Certificate Holder[s]” and
“Participate in [the] Profits or Dividends” for $125,000 per share. The
presentation, however, did not identify the entity from which shares were
being offered. Nor did the presentation mention K.A.P. or discuss what entity
owned or would own the hotel.
About a week after the presentation, Mrs. Karsan formed SaiNath,
L.L.C. (SaiNath), and designated Dr. Karsan and herself as the company’s
members and managers. Shortly thereafter, each of the investors signed a
“Letter of Interest,” agreeing to purchase “share units” of SaiNath for
“$125,000 per share unit.” Although the letters of interest did not say that
SaiNath was to own the hotel, the words “(Louisiana convention center and
1 Not all of the individuals who invested in the hotel have filed suit. For the sake of
brevity, however, we refer to the plaintiff investors as “the investors.”
2
Case: 12-30918 Document: 00512683312 Page: 3 Date Filed: 07/01/2014
No. 12-30918
hotel)” appeared at the top of the page in large font, immediately below the
“Letter of Interest” title. Additionally, the letter stated that “[t]he date of this
confidential private offering memorandum began on 11/22/2006 during a
presentation of the business at the Copeland’s Restaurant in Alexandria, LA.”
Collectively, the investors purchased 28 equity shares for $3.5 million. It is
undisputed that the Karsans and each of the investors intended for SaiNath to
own the hotel.
The investors’ funds ultimately were deposited into a bank account in
SaiNath’s name. The money was used to renovate the hotel and pay down
K.A.P.’s loan from the Bank. Title to the hotel, however, has not been
transferred to SaiNath. Instead, for accounting purposes at least, SaiNath has
paid “rent” to K.A.P. in exchange for the hotel’s revenues. Additionally, the
Karsans remain the sole record members and managers of SaiNath.
Nonetheless, the Karsans have treated the investors as members of SaiNath
when preparing both tax and financial documents.
Almost three years after SaiNath was formed, the investors filed suit
against the Karsans, K.A.P., and SaiNath. In their complaint, the investors
alleged various causes of action against K.A.P. and the Karsans, including
breach of contract and violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. They
did not assert any causes of action against SaiNath, except to demand a formal
accounting pursuant to Louisiana corporate law. The district court initially
granted a motion for partial summary judgment filed by the investors (the May
2010 order), holding all of the defendants liable for breach of contract and
ordering them to return the $3.5 million paid by the investors. Subsequently,
however, the district court granted in part a motion by K.A.P. and the Karsans
to alter or amend the judgment (the August 2010 order). The court reaffirmed
its holding that there had been a breach of contract but determined that its
3
Case: 12-30918 Document: 00512683312 Page: 4 Date Filed: 07/01/2014
No. 12-30918
decision to hold the Karsans personally liable “rest[ed] upon unclear grounds”
because there was “at least some argument that the Karsans, as members of
Sainath, may have been operating under . . . the ‘corporate veil.’” The court
therefore withdrew its grant of partial summary judgment and ordered
supplemental briefing on the issue of which defendants should be held liable.
In their supplemental brief, the Karsans and K.A.P. included an affidavit
by Kurt Oestriecher. Finding some of Oestriecher’s conclusions not based on
personal knowledge, the district court granted the investors’ motion to strike
the affidavit (the September 2011 order). After further consideration, the
district court issued a supplemental ruling holding each of the defendants
liable for the return of the $3.5 million (the December 2011 order). The court
held that SaiNath was obligated to return the money it had received because
there had been a failure of consideration. The court found K.A.P. liable on the
ground of unjust enrichment and that the Karsans were liable “through a
piercing of the [corporate] veil of SaiNath.” After the court denied defendants’
motion to alter or amend the judgment (the March 2012 order), it certified the
December 2011 judgment pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 54(b).
This appeal followed.
II
Prior to examining the merits of the parties’ dispute, we must determine
the scope of our jurisdiction. 2 In their notice of appeal, defendants state that
they are appealing five orders: (a) the May 2010 order initially granting partial
summary judgment; (b) the August 2010 order granting in part and denying in
part the Karsans’ and K.A.P.’s motion to alter or amend; (c) the September
2011 order granting plaintiffs’ motion to strike the affidavit of Kurt
Oestriecher; (d) the December 2011 order reinstating partial summary
2 Martin v. Halliburton, 618 F.3d 476, 481 (5th Cir. 2010).
4
Case: 12-30918 Document: 00512683312 Page: 5 Date Filed: 07/01/2014
No. 12-30918
judgment in favor of plaintiffs and holding defendants jointly and solidarily
liable; and (e) the March 2012 order denying defendants’ motions to alter the
December 2011 order. The district court, however, did not certify all of these
judgments in its Rule 54(b) order. It listed only the December 2011 order in
the certification. In light of this discrepancy, plaintiffs have moved this court
to dismiss defendants’ appeal of the other four orders for lack of jurisdiction.
Plaintiffs argue that this court lacks jurisdiction to review the four
orders because “Rule 54(b) only grants an appellate court jurisdiction to review
final judgments that are explicitly designated as such under the Rule.” This is
a misstatement of the law. “A proper Rule 54(b) judgment is a final judgment
for all purposes on the adjudicated claims.” 3 When such a judgment is
appealed, therefore, “all interlocutory orders of the district court leading up to
the judgment merge into the final judgment and become appealable at that
time.” 4 On appeals from Rule 54(b) judgments, this court has reviewed
discovery and other interlocutory orders that underlie those judgments. 5
Three of the four non-certified orders listed in defendants’ notice of appeal (all
but the March 2012 order) are non-final orders that led up to the December
3 10 JAMES WM. MOORE ET AL., MOORE’S FEDERAL PRACTICE—CIVIL § 54.28[3][c] (3d
ed. 2014) (citation omitted); see also Smith v. Mine Safety Appliances Co., 691 F.2d 724, 725
(5th Cir. 1982) (“For purposes of appealability, a judgment entered pursuant to [Rule 54(b)]
is a final judgment . . . .”).
4 10 JAMES WM. MOORE ET AL., MOORE’S FEDERAL PRACTICE—CIVIL § 54.28[3][c] (3d
ed. 2014) (citation omitted); see also Dickinson v. Auto Ctr. Mfg. Co., 733 F.2d 1092, 1102 (5th
Cir. 1983) (“Under the final judgment appealability rule, a party may obtain review of
prejudicial adverse interlocutory rulings upon his appeal from adverse final judgment, at
which time the interlocutory rulings (nonreviewable until then) are regarded as merged into
the final judgment terminating the action.”).
5 See, e.g., Am. Family Life Assurance Co. of Columbus v. Biles, 714 F.3d 887, 893-94
(5th Cir. 2013) (reviewing on appeal of Rule 54(b) judgment the district court’s order limiting
discovery).
5
Case: 12-30918 Document: 00512683312 Page: 6 Date Filed: 07/01/2014
No. 12-30918
2011 judgment and merge into it. We therefore have jurisdiction to review
those decisions.
The March 2012 order, however, came after the December 2011 order.
The parties have not pointed to a case from this circuit that addresses whether
courts of appeals possess jurisdiction to review a denial of a Rule 59 motion to
alter or amend a certified judgment, and our independent research has not
revealed any. At least one of our sister circuits, however, has considered the
issue and concluded that such judgments are subject to review. 6 Such a
conclusion is eminently sensible. An order affirming a prior judgment is just
as much an integral part of that judgment as the evidentiary rulings that
paved the way to the judgment. Furthermore, it would be a needless waste of
judicial resources to require the parties to return to the district court to certify
the same essential judgment and then appeal it anew. 7 We therefore conclude
that we possess jurisdiction to review all of the orders listed in defendants’
notice of appeal.
III
Turning to the merits, we review “a grant of summary judgment de novo,
applying the same standards as the district court.” 8 Under those standards,
summary judgment is appropriate if “the movant shows that there is no
genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment
6 See Stephenson v. Calpine Conifers II, Ltd., 652 F.2d 808, 811 (9th Cir. 1981) (holding
that it had jurisdiction to review denial of motions under Rules 59 and 60 that were filed and
denied after the entry of judgment under Rule 54(b)), overruled on other grounds, Puchall v.
Houghton, Cluck, Coughlin & Riley (In re Wash. Pub. Power Supply Sys. Sec. Litig.), 823 F.2d
1349 (9th Cir. 1987).
7 Cf. FED. R. APP. P. 4(a)(4)(A)(iv) (providing that the time to file a notice of appeal
does not begin to run until the court disposes of a Rule 59 motion).
8 EEOC v. Agro Distrib., LLC, 555 F.3d 462, 469 (5th Cir. 2009).
6
Case: 12-30918 Document: 00512683312 Page: 7 Date Filed: 07/01/2014
No. 12-30918
as a matter of law.” 9 “On review of a grant of summary judgment, all facts and
inferences must be construed in the light most favorable to the non-movant,”
in this case the defendants. 10
We review a district court’s exclusion of evidence submitted in a
summary judgment proceeding for abuse of discretion. 11 “Resolution of
preliminary factual questions concerning the admissibility of evidence are
reviewed for clear error.” 12 A district court’s decision not to amend or alter a
judgment under Rule 59(e) is also reviewed for abuse of discretion. 13
IV
We first consider the district court’s order striking the affidavit of Kurt
Oestriecher. K.A.P. and the Karsans attached the affidavit to their
supplemental brief concerning which defendants should be held liable for the
return of the $3.5 million. In the affidavit, Oestriecher, a certified public
accountant, reached various conclusions regarding SaiNath’s financial and
accounting history and the financial transactions between the company and
both the Karsans and K.A.P. He concluded, for instance, that “the transactions
of SaiNath have not resulted in any direct advantage to the Karsans to the
detriment of the Plaintiffs as members of SaiNath” and that SaiNath had been
treated from an accounting standpoint as separate and distinct from both the
Karsans and K.A.P. Oestriecher attested that these conclusions were based on
“personal knowledge, information and belief” and that he had reviewed
9 FED. R. CIV. P. 56(a).
10 Kirschbaum v. Reliant Energy, Inc., 526 F.3d 243, 248 (5th Cir. 2008).
11 R.R. Mgmt. Co. v. CFS La. Midstream Co., 428 F.3d 214, 217 (5th Cir. 2005).
12 Id.
13 Morris v. PLIVA, Inc., 713 F.3d 774, 776 (5th Cir. 2013).
7
Case: 12-30918 Document: 00512683312 Page: 8 Date Filed: 07/01/2014
No. 12-30918
K.A.P.’s tax returns as well as SaiNath’s bank statements, general ledgers, and
tax returns.
Notwithstanding Oestriecher’s attestations, the district court found that
the affidavit failed to meet the personal knowledge requirement of Federal
Rule of Civil Procedure 56. The court reasoned that the documents Oestriecher
reviewed could not provide him with personal knowledge of a number of the
conclusions in the affidavit. K.A.P.’s tax returns and SaiNath’s financial
documents could not allow Oestriecher to know that SaiNath’s transactions
failed to confer a benefit on the Karsans or harm the investors, or that there
had been no commingling of assets. As a result, the court concluded, the
“affidavit lack[ed] the factual basis necessary for Mr. Oestriecher to reach a
number of his conclusions.” K.A.P. and the Karsans argue that this ruling was
erroneous because, as a certified public accountant, Oestriecher could have
determined whether there was a commingling of funds and the extent to which
benefits and detriments were conferred simply by consulting the documents he
examined.
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(c)(4) provides that an affidavit “used
to support or oppose a motion” for summary judgment “must be made on
personal knowledge.” 14 We have repeatedly held that an affidavit does not
meet this requirement simply because the affiant states that her conclusions
are based on personal knowledge. Rather, the affiant must provide the district
court with sufficient information to allow the latter to conclude that the
affiant’s assertions are indeed based on such knowledge. 15
14 FED. R. CIV. P. 56(c)(4).
15 See, e.g., United States v. $92,203.00 in U.S. Currency, 537 F.3d 504, 507-08 (5th
Cir. 2008); Askanase v. Fatjo, 130 F.3d 657, 673 (5th Cir. 1997).
8
Case: 12-30918 Document: 00512683312 Page: 9 Date Filed: 07/01/2014
No. 12-30918
The district court did not commit clear error in finding that Oestriecher
lacked personal knowledge of the conclusions he was asserting. It is by no
means clear how a certified public accountant can obtain personal knowledge
of the effects of the actions of one entity on other parties without reviewing the
latter’s financial documents. If Oestriecher was able to gain such knowledge
about the Karsans and the investors merely by consulting SaiNath’s financial
statements and K.A.P.’s tax returns, it was incumbent upon him to explain
how he acquired such knowledge. In the absence of that explanation, we
cannot form “the definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been
committed.” 16 Accordingly, we conclude that the district court did not abuse
its discretion in striking Oestriecher’s affidavit.
V
We next consider whether the district court erred in granting plaintiffs’
motion for partial summary judgment. The district court concluded that there
had been a failure of consideration as a matter of law because “(1) the transfer
of the Convention Center to Sainath was the paramount purpose of forming
the company, purchasing membership units in it, and maintaining its
existence; and (2) the Convention Center was never transferred to Sainath.”
The investors did not receive what they were entitled to receive under the
contract, which was equity interests in an entity that owned and operated the
hotel. Under Louisiana Civil Code article 2485, a buyer may seek dissolution
of a sale when the seller fails to deliver the thing sold. 17 The district court
accordingly held that plaintiffs were entitled to dissolve the sale and to a
return of their $3.5 million investment.
16 Anderson v. City of Bessemer City, N.C., 470 U.S. 564, 573 (1985).
17 LA. CIV. CODE ANN. art. 2485 (2013).
9
Case: 12-30918 Document: 00512683312 Page: 10 Date Filed: 07/01/2014
No. 12-30918
Defendants offer a number of arguments as to why the district court’s
conclusion was erroneous. First, K.A.P. and the Karsans contend that the
district court failed to apply Louisiana Civil Code article 2456. That provision
states that “[o]wnership is transferred between the parties as soon as there is
agreement on the thing and the price is fixed, even though the thing sold is not
yet delivered nor the price paid.” 18 Defendants argue that since the parties
agreed that the investors would pay $125,000 per share of an entity owning
the hotel, “the District Court should have concluded that the sale had been
perfected between the parties to the sale even though the thing sold had not yet
been delivered (i.e. moving record title ownership of the Convention Center
into SaiNath).”
We disagree. Although article 2456 provides for the transfer of
ownership at the moment of agreement, it does not purport to limit a buyer’s
rights in the event the seller fails to deliver the item sold, including a buyer’s
right under article 2485 to seek dissolution. 19 Louisiana courts have never
given the provision such a construction. Further, even if article 2456 negated
a buyer’s rights under article 2485, it would not have the effect of transferring
the hotel from K.A.P. to SaiNath or directly to the investors because the parties
never agreed upon the terms of such a transfer. The investors had no
agreement with K.A.P. Nor did SaiNath. SaiNath could not require K.A.P. to
transfer ownership of the hotel. The Karsans, who were the sole members of
K.A.P., desired SaiNath to assume K.A.P.’s mortgage from the Bank, but the
investors opposed this plan. The “price” of transferring ownership of the hotel
from K.A.P. to SaiNath was not “fixed” within the meaning of article 2456.
18 Id. art. 2456.
19 Id.
10
Case: 12-30918 Document: 00512683312 Page: 11 Date Filed: 07/01/2014
No. 12-30918
K.A.P. and the Karsans argue that, irrespective of who technically owns
the hotel, there was no breach of contract because “Plaintiffs derived exactly
the same benefit and are in exactly the same position as they would have been
had record title been transferred into the name of SaiNath.” This is so, they
claim, because the Karsans have provided plaintiffs with financial documents
reflecting their proportional ownership of SaiNath and the revenue identified
in these documents “was being generated by the operation of the Convention
Center by SaiNath.” As a result, the failure to transfer the hotel was not a
breach of the contract. This contention is also unavailing.
Louisiana Civil Code article 2475 provides that a seller’s duty is “to
deliver the thing sold.” 20 Throughout the litigation, the parties have
consistently agreed that the “thing[s] sold” were equity interests in an entity
that would own and operate the hotel. Ample evidence in the record supports
this conclusion. During her deposition, Mrs. Karsan stated that the contract
was for the sale of interests in a company that was to “own and operate the
convention center.” In the answer filed by the Karsans and K.A.P., they
likewise noted that “the plaintiffs . . . were invited to become members of a new
limited liability company that would own the hotel.” The parties also agree
that SaiNath does not own the hotel. That the Karsans prepared financial
statements showing SaiNath as being in the same position as if it did own the
hotel is irrelevant. The plaintiffs did not agree to be owners of a company that
rented the hotel without a binding legal agreement and subject to the whims
of K.A.P. Similarly, it is not sufficient that SaiNath operates the hotel because
the contract requires that the company own and operate the facility. As the
district court reasoned, even if the defendants’ treatment of the plaintiffs as
20 Id. art. 2475; see also Derbonne v. Burton, 189 So. 473, 474 (La. Ct. App. 1939) (“[I]f
the seller fails to deliver the thing sold at the time agreed upon, the buyer may demand a
cancellation of the sale . . . .”).
11
Case: 12-30918 Document: 00512683312 Page: 12 Date Filed: 07/01/2014
No. 12-30918
members of SaiNath made them members of the company, the investors would
still not have received the benefit of the bargain, which was ownership of a
company that owned and operated the hotel.
SaiNath also asserts that there was no breach of contract, but for
different reasons. It contends that the contract was simply for the sale of
equity interests in SaiNath and that the investors have received such
interests. 21 That SaiNath does not own the hotel is a matter that should be
resolved through a different cause of action, such as a suit under the Exchange
Act or an action for misrepresentation, SaiNath maintains. SaiNath further
argues that, if there was a breach of contract, the plaintiffs are not entitled to
recovery because their failure to sign the Operating Agreement and their
initiation of the instant litigation constituted bad faith and/or negligence.
However, these contentions have not been properly preserved for appeal
because they were not raised in the district court. 22 The Karsans and K.A.P.
assert these same arguments for the first time in their reply brief, which, as
appellants, they may not do. 23
Over the course of three years of litigation, SaiNath did not assert that
the contract was simply for the sale of equity interests in SaiNath. Instead, it
21 Although one can construe SaiNath’s opening brief as making this argument, it is
by no means clear that this was the party’s intended contention. For elsewhere in the brief
SaiNath concedes that the contract was for the sale of a company that owned the hotel. Only
in their reply brief and at oral argument did SaiNath clearly contend that there was no
breach of contract because the contract consisted only of the sale of interests in a company
and the plaintiffs received those interests. For this reason alone, the argument is waived.
See Steering Comm. v. Wash. Grp. Int’l, Inc. (In re Katrina Canal Breaches Litig.), 620 F.3d
455, 459 n.3 (5th Cir. 2010) (holding that arguments not raised in the opening brief are
waived).
22Bayou Liberty Ass’n, Inc. v. U.S. Army Corps of Eng’rs, 217 F.3d 393, 398 (5th Cir.
2000) (“We do not consider issues raised for the first time on appeal except in extraordinary
instances when such consideration is required to avoid a miscarriage of justice . . . .”).
23 Katrina Canal Breaches Litig., 620 F.3d at 459 n.3.
12
Case: 12-30918 Document: 00512683312 Page: 13 Date Filed: 07/01/2014
No. 12-30918
and its member-managers consistently took the position that the contract was
for the sale of interests in an entity that owned and operated the hotel. Even
in its reply brief in this court, SaiNath states that “a thorough review of the
sale documents and pro forma reveals that intent of the sale was to convey
equity units in a company that owned and operated a hotel.” Similarly, neither
SaiNath nor any of the other defendants ever averred that plaintiffs were
barred from recovery as a result of bad faith or negligence. 24
SaiNath contends that it did not waive any arguments by failing to raise
them before the trial court because “Plaintiffs’ complaint and motion for
summary judgment names SaiNath as a ‘nominal’ and ‘derivative’ defendant.”
SaiNath argues that it “had no reason to assert affirmative defenses until the
trial court issued its judgment in equity against SaiNath.” This assertion lacks
support in the record. Although the investors did not initially seek damages
from SaiNath, the district court explicitly informed the parties that it was
considering holding SaiNath liable for return of the $3.5 million investment.
The court specifically asked that the parties brief “whether one or both of the
corporate defendants [i.e., K.A.P. and SaiNath] may or should also be liable
individually, jointly, or in solido, for the refund mandated by the Court’s
judgment.” This is thus not an “extraordinary instance[]” in which this court’s
refusal to consider an issue first raised on appeal will result in “a miscarriage
24 SaiNath asserts that the Karsans and K.A.P. placed the issue of bad faith before
the district court. The record does not support this contention. In their reply brief in support
of their motion to dismiss pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1), K.A.P. and
the Karsans contended that “Plaintiffs Thwarted The Transfer Of The Hotel And Convention
Center From KAP To SaiNath.” This point was not made in order to assert that plaintiffs
were barred from recovery as a consequence of Louisiana contract law. Instead, it was made
simply to show that the matter belonged in state court because the investors did not have a
claim under the Exchange Act. At no point over the course of the litigation did any defendant
contend that plaintiffs were precluded from recovering for breach of contract as a result of
plaintiffs’ bad faith or negligence.
13
Case: 12-30918 Document: 00512683312 Page: 14 Date Filed: 07/01/2014
No. 12-30918
of justice.” 25 We do not address the arguments raised for the first time on
appeal.
VI
Lastly, we consider whether the district court erred in holding all of the
defendants liable for the return of the $3.5 million. In reaching this conclusion,
the district court analyzed each defendant’s liability separately. The court held
that SaiNath was obligated to return the money it had received because there
had been a failure of consideration and that K.A.P. was liable for the return of
the funds because it had been unjustly enriched by the receipt of plaintiffs’
funds. The district court imposed liability upon the Karsans “through a
piercing of the veil.”
The district court did not err in finding SaiNath liable. The investors
paid SaiNath substantial amounts to become members of SaiNath with the
understanding that SaiNath would obtain ownership of the hotel. All of the
invested funds were deposited into SaiNath’s account. The district court did
not err in finding that there was a failure of consideration in this transaction
because SaiNath never obtained ownership of the hotel.
Nor did the district court err in holding K.A.P. liable under a theory of
unjust enrichment. Although K.A.P. argues that the investors have other
remedies available at law against SaiNath and the Karsans, that is irrelevant.
The focus is whether the investors have an adequate remedy at law against
K.A.P. The investors have no contract or other agreement with K.A.P. No
representations were made by K.A.P. to the investors. The investors were not
informed of the existence of K.A.P. when the investment was structured. The
$3.5 million paid by the investors to SaiNath was directed to K.A.P. without
the investors’ knowledge or consent. Those funds were used by K.A.P. to
25 Bayou Liberty Ass’n, Inc., 217 F.3d at 398.
14
Case: 12-30918 Document: 00512683312 Page: 15 Date Filed: 07/01/2014
No. 12-30918
improve property it owned and to pay down K.A.P.’s debt to the Bank. The
investors received nothing in return, other than perhaps certain tax benefits.
The district court did not err in holding that under Louisiana law, including
article 2298, 26 K.A.P. was unjustly enriched at the expense of the investors
and should be required to return the investment proceeds that SaiNath
directed to K.A.P.
The district court held that the Karsans were liable “through a piercing
of the veil.” Since the district court’s decision, the Supreme Court of Louisiana
has issued a decision in Ogea v. Merritt 27 that considers the extent of the
limitation of liability afforded a member of a limited liability company. The
Louisiana court has authoritatively construed Louisiana Revised Statutes
§ 12:1320. The district court did not have the benefit of this decision when it
analyzed “piercing of the veil.” We remand for the district court to consider, in
the first instance, the application of the Louisiana court’s analysis to the facts
of the present case. In so doing, we do not, of course, limit the district court to
a theory of liability based on piercing the corporate veil in determining if the
Karsans are individually liable to the investors.
* * *
We affirm the district court’s partial summary judgment as to SaiNath
and K.A.P. We vacate and remand as to the Karsans in their individual
capacities for further proceedings.
26 LA. CIV. CODE. ANN. art. 2298 (2013).
27 2013-1085 (La. 12/10/13); 130 So. 3d 888.
15
|
Insanity Wolf
hi, my name is jack. i once knew this kid in school named piggy who wouldn't shut the heck up
so i rolled a big ass rock off a cliff onto his head
these captions aren't guaranteed to be correct |
[Coronary angiography and hemodynamic parameters in patients recovered from a myocardial infarction].
The hemodynamic findings of a group of 112 patients with a prior history of myocardial infarction have been reviewed. The patients have been classified in three subgroups: anterior (48 cases), posterior (43 cases), and biventricular electrical infarction (21 cases). There was only one female in the 112 cases. There was a good correlation between the electrical region of infarction and ventricular asynergy localized to the same territory (76.65, and 90 %, respectively), as well as significant involvement of the corresponding coronary artery (89.88 and 100 %, respectively). A high percentage of patients with significant lesions of the coronary artery opposite the infarction was found (48 % in anterior necrosis, and 76 % in posterior lesions). In five cases the coronary vessels had no abnormalities. Ejection fraction and postangiography end diastolic pressure were the parameters of ventricular function most constantly altered. From this study it appears particularly relevant that there is a low incidence of women: there exists a good correlation between the infarct, the zone of asynergy, and the affected coronary; the number of affected coronaries increases with age; there are significant lesions in the opposite coronary, and there is a greater alteration of ventricular function in patients with biventricular infarction, followed by patients with anterior infarction. |
Monday, November 17, 2008
I don't want to get into too much detail, but being this is my personal online journal, I had to write something down today that has been weighing down on my heart.I was out of town over the weekend, a short but much needed get away. I came home Sunday afternoon only to discover that one of my dear friends had packed up all her belongings and moved away. Not a trace was left of her...not a forwarding address, not a working phone number, not even a good email address. I have been worried about this friend for some time now and have always felt as if I should do more to make things better for her. I guess even though we may have the best intentions to help a loved one (a friend or family member) we may not fully understand what it is they need help with.I guess the part of this whole thing that breaks my heart the most is I NEVER thought SHE would leave without at the very least saying goodbye.I have played in my head over and over, WAS IT SOMETHING I SAID OR DID? but I truly cannot come up with anything. I almost feel like I wish it was something I said or did because then it might make some sense to me.I picked up the kids from their Uncle's house and headed to the store...the kids and I shopped for birthday gifts for her two children-because they both had recent birthdays and hadn't yet had a party to celebrate. I found the last 2 seasons of FRIENDS and bought them with excitement because this was something my friend and I would do in the evenings together and we were about to finish the series. Only to discover that she is GONE.
Now I am worried....worried for what she is going through. Worried about the state of mind she must be in, to leave without a call/a text or a short note to say Goodbye....to say, she had to leave. To say she'd call me to let me know when she arrives safely.
I WORRY.
I wish I could stop feeling responsible for this whole situation. I feel in my heart that I did what I could do to help a friend in need. She had a lot on her plate. Single mother, finding her career path, a dead beat husband/father of her children, financial struggles, self esteem issues. No matter what her struggles are/were, she was such a beautiful person inside and out to me and those who got to know her and I will miss her always. I can only hope and pray that she is okay and that she will find her way back home...wherever that may be.Please pray for my friend...her name I will not mention, but please pray for her and her kids.Thank you!
2
comments:
I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. Please don't feel as if YOU have done something wrong. It sounds like your friend has a lot on her plate and might be completely overwhelmed and trying to "escape". I hope you hear from her soon!
I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. Please know that you did NOTHING wrong. Some people just need space. I hope you hear from her soon and that she is doing ok. I will say a prayer for her and her children :(
About Me
MY NAME IS LAURA. I AM A SINGLE MOTHER OF TWO BEAUTIFUL KIDS. THE "BOY" IS 13 YRS. OLD AND THE "GIRL" IS 10. THEY ARE THE SWEETEST KIDS I KNOW AND I LOVE THEM TO DEATH. I LIVE IN HOUSTON, TX AND WORK DOWNTOWN! I HAVE LIVED IN HOUSTON FOR 6 YEARS NOW, HARD TO BELIEVE. BEFORE LIVING HERE I LIVED IN HAMPTON ROADS AREA, VA, ROUND ROCK, TX AND COLORADO SPRINGS, CO. I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN PUEBLO, COLORADO. I HAVE BEEN VERY LUCKY TO TRAVEL THROUGHOUT MOST OF THE US AND I LOOK FORWARD TO EXPANDING MY VENTURES OUTSIDE THE USA, WHICH I JUST DID (7/30-8/5/2008). GINA AND I WENT TO JAMAICA! OUR NEXT TRIP IS LOOKING LIKE MEXICO! THEN ON TO EUROPE. I LOVE TO TRAVEL. (Updated 11/24/08) |
[Evaluation of the program for preventive measures and health promotion for adults in a health service area].
To evaluate the Preventive Measures and Health Promotion Programme (PMHPP), in order to find its spread of influence and to identify consequent problems, with the aim of putting in place measures to improve effectiveness. Observational, crossover and retrospective study, using random distribution. Primary Care teams (PCT) of Health Area 11, Madrid. Ten clinical records from each general practitioner/nurse case-load of the 24 PCT in the Area: 1470 clinical records in all. Clinical auditing carried out in October 1992. Prevalences obtained were: 19.3 +/- 1.03 for AHT, 34.4 +/- 1.24 for tobacco dependency, 17 +/- 0.84 for Hypercholesterolaemia and 20.7 +/- 1.02 for obesity-overweight. All the percentages were higher for patients who attended for the last time in 1992 (p < 0.001), except those concerning breast and cervical cancer screening. 1. The prevalences obtained from the FR.CV. are close to those theoretically expected. 2. Measures aimed at A.T., tobacco and alcohol were correctly carried out for more than 75% of the patients and were applied to over 50% of the relevant population. 3. Anti-tetanus and anti-rubella vaccinations and breast cancer screening were correctly performed only in just over 25% of cases. 4. Correct compliance with the majority of the measures was higher among users who attended for the last time after the Programme's introduction. |
A new book on remarkable achievement has just been released, and interestingly, Richard Branson wrote the foreword. In it, he says “that across Africa, the spirit of entrepreneurship is very much alive, leaving me constantly amazed by the incredible energy and determination and innovation coming from entrepreneurs across the continent”.
Acknowledging Pliny The Elder’s Latin statement : ex Africa semper aliquid novi, (out of Africa there is always something new), the Nigerian born author, Moki Miqura identifies sixteen dynamic and outstandingly daring African men, who’ve built sustainable enterprises which can be benchmarked alongside the best in the world. The author tells us that these men have worked ingeniously within the context of the historical, economic and political climates of their respective countries; manoeuvred their way through hostile business environments, antagonistic governments, repressive systems, personal poverty and even a lack of education, to be counted among some of the world’s most formidable giants of business.
One of these sixteen achievers is South Africa’s Richard Maponya, who against all odds and obstacles presented by the apartheid government, is today one of the most celebrated and respected entrepreneurs in South Africa. Maponya succeeded in achieving many firsts in South Africa. He was the first person to open a dairy shop and milk delivery service in Soweto. He also brought the township its first grocery store which grew into a lucrative chain of eight Soweto-based discount supermarkets, making him (at one time) the single largest employer in Soweto.
In 2007 Richard’s long-lived dream finally came true when he opened Maponya Mall, the country’s first mega-mall to be built in a township. His simple statement on his latest achievement is “Sowetans deserve the best”, and in his recent acquisition of Shemagh (by Malhub out of the Northern Guest mare Dress Code) at November’s Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Sale, we’d like to think that Richard Maponya, in his own right, deserves the best. Well done, Michael Azzie, for bringing this struggle icon back into the game.
We concluded our last episode on the “Mating Game” with the betrayal of a confidence, or put another way, with something of a presumption: declaring Lady Chryss O’ Reilly a kindred spirit. Truth is, the O’ Reilly’s don’t only have their breeding philosophies in common with us; they also share a deep-seated attachment to South Africa. Outside of Ireland, they have more homes here than anywhere else.
But for the best evidence of the value of what we had to say of our reliance on stockmanship as the optimal tool in the design of a mating, you need only look at the National Breeder’s Log, where Summerhill’s boldest pursuer is Lionel Cohen. A revered horseman if ever there was one, he’s another with something in common with the odd one among us: his computer illiteracy! Lionel’s Odessa Stud is nothing if it isn’t driven by a consummate professional, whose best advertisements most times have been bred the less conventional way, with stock of lesser commercial fashion.
In a world in which numbers are fundamental to championships, you might be forgiven for thinking the breeding of racehorses has become something of a production line, and while this is obviously true in many parts of the world, at Summerhill we still pride ourselves on the fact that with us, it remains an art. Talking of art, we quickly realised in our business model, that this was another pillar on which we could separate ourselves, by adopting a course that was off most radar screens. In episode two, “Defining The Job”, we spoke of the need to employ specialists in every division, and that most times in the horse breeding world, agriculture is a rather neglected area of activity.
It’s one thing getting the mating right, it’s another altogether sustaining the pregnancy in the healthiest and most productive circumstances, and then, post-delivery, providing an environment in which the foal is able to achieve its full genetic potential.
Our observations of the way things were being done on horse farms in most parts of the world (including here at home,) led us to the conclusion that, for the most part, this was an area where we could separate ourselves from the field. The first thing was to employ the best agriculturalist our money could buy, but in the process we needed to find someone who was still fresh and open to new ideas, unburdened by the baggage that so often besets a conservative community, when it comes to change.
The reason was, we were about to embark on an altogether untravelled road, and what we were about to do was in the nature of a revolution, certainly in the horse business.
Many of our lessons came by trial and error (we’ve paid the school fees!), but the one thing we’d learnt in our time at Summerhill, was that repeating mistakes was a costly business. So our powers of observation grew sharper each time we entered a cul-de-sac of no return, and in the fullness of time, not only did nature begin to reveal herself to us in all her glory, but the folly in trying to beat her became abundantly evident.
The end of World War II heralded the fertilizer revolution, coinciding with the development of serious tractor power. The new convention involved ploughing on a broad scale, and the application of fertilizers brought about a multiplying of yields on a scale hitherto unknown. Let’s not forget, the fertilizer business was born out of the explosives industry, which had to find a means of redeploying its products with the ending of hostilities. Agriculture provided the perfect place. What nobody told us, was that the regular pulverising of soils and its constant doctoring with synthetic stimulants was not a sustainable practice. Inevitably, we found our soils were beginning to resist the rigours of ploughing, and like a drug addict, they were drawing in ever-growing quantities of fertilizer, just to uphold the yields of years gone by.
And so we discovered what nature could do for us. We resorted to recycling our bedding through a composting plant, balancing of our soils through natural minerals and trace elements, and restoring the original integrity of the soil. No longer the impermeable, hard-baked crust that took a ripper to break it at the onset of the planting season; no more the outrageous quantities (at what cost?) of fertilizer, and countless applications of insecticides and herbicides. No, here we were, returning to our beginnings with composts, limes, rock phosphates, nitrogenous legumes, natural worm remedies and a “No’” sign across anything pretending to look like a toxic spray.
Cattle were introduced almost twenty years ago to combat the parasites that pervade the horse world, to pick up the ticks and convert the straw bedding into their own form of compost. The natural world is finely balanced by the variety in its multitude of species, and in the interplay between cattle and horses, there is something resembling the wildebeest and the zebra in the wilds. No wonder nature works.
If you’d come to Summerhill with a penotrometer six or seven years into this programme, and thrust it into a typical soil crust in winter, it might have gone, at best, some four inches down. Today, since the tilth or crumble of the soil has reverted to what nature originally intended, in many cases, the penotrometer will sink to the handle, almost a metre into the ground. Imagine the implications.
The earthworms are back, the dung beetles are peddling their trade, and instead of rushing away across its surface, water percolates down into what was once a parched earth, enhancing its retention and in its interaction with the new lungs of the soil, it promotes the existence of micro organisms. A new-found religion, it has to be said, and what a difference it’s made to life on the farm.
There are those that believe we must be sleeping with fairies at Summerhill, and that what we’re up to, boarders on what some regard as eccentric. If doing things differently means being eccentric, so be it. Truth is, eccentricity has always abounded where strength of character has abounded; the concentration of eccentricity in society has generally been proportional to the concentration of genius, mental vigour and moral courage. That so few dare to be eccentric these days, marks the chief danger of our time. But that suits us, because our “eccentricity” is obviously what sets us apart.
A recent estimate of the birthweights of foals at Summerhill reveals an average increase of between 5-6 kgs over those of less than a decade ago, while the incidence of loss through conventional disease has been stringently curtailed. The levels of natural immunity in our horse population, has been considerably enhanced, with one exception.
Two years ago we encountered the first occurrence of salmonella at Summerhill. Those who know it, will tell you it’s lethal. Yet, for all the wonders of modern medicine, and despite the application of the fanciest of drugs and the most stringent of bio-security measures to control the disease, it was only a resort to a natural remedy that restored us to normality.
Salmonella is a bacterial disease, and in a naïve environment (one which has never previously known it,) it is apt to spread like wildfire. Our horses and our environment had never before been challenged. Do what you want with all the antibiotics, washes, rinses, power hoses, movement curtailments, none of these on their own or in their collective might, are entirely effective in the eye of such a storm. In the end, we found our solace in a natural antidote.
Again it was about restoring the balance, and we sought the assistance of “good” bacteria to counter the effects of the “bad”. Almost instantly, we noticed the turnaround. To our knowledge, this was a ground-breaking “world first”, never before employed in our discipline, yet it was all so simple, and made so much sense. Thank you, eccentricity!
Of course, there have been other issues of influence in Summerhill’s four consecutive Breeders’ Championships, and each of them accounts for an increment of little more than 5-10% in terms of improvement. This though, was the beginning of an agricultural revolution for us, where our understanding of and our alliance with nature, prevailed over the previous revolution. Seeing it at work, and knowing its benefits, has been as satisfying as anything we’ve done here.
The 2009 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale countdown has begun and BloodStock South Africa will be more than hopeful that the local market remains strong enough to weather a global economic crisis as deep and dire as the Great Depression.
In stark contrast to earlier yearling sales held in the Southern Hemisphere, where double-digit declines have been the order of the day, results at the GrandWest Yearling Sale proved more than encouraging, with the average showing an increase 9% on last year’s total.
That said, BloodStock South Africa has catalogued the cream of the 2007 foal crop, a total of 596 yearlings, which will go through the TBA sales ring at Germiston from April 3 to 6.
The decision to do away with the contentious ‘green pages’, the so-called Select Session, has been welcomed by consignors and trainers alike. Many felt that the green pages set up a false market at the start of the sale, with major buyers not returning or ignoring the non-select yearlings, and the general feeling has been that buyers will now stay for the duration of the sale. The concept of a select sale has also outlived its purpose, as witnessed in the US, where Keeneland’s July sale was abolished when many of the major vendors opted to send their better yearlings to the marathon September Sale. Likewise, major English auction house Tattersalls has done away with its select Highflyer Sale.
International buying support contributed heavily to 2008’s record-breaking sale. Barry Irwin of international racing outfit Team Valor described it as “the best value thoroughbred sale in the world. You would pay roughly twice the price for any foal at sales elsewhere in the world.”
Once again, a high percentage of the yearlings on offer boast international bloodlines, added to which there is a fine cross-section of international proven stallions represented at this year’s sale, all of which should appeal to the most discerning international buyer.
Over the past twelve months, the sale has received a fillip thanks to the exploits of a slew of graduates, ten of which won at Gr.1 level and were purchased as yearlings from as little as R25,000 for Gold Cup hero Desert Links (in 2005), Gypsy’s Warning (R170,000 in 2007), Russian Sage (R450,000 in 2006), Urabamba (R475,000 in 2006), Buy And Sell (R300,000 in 2005), Rudra (R375,000 in 2006), Kings Gambit (R600,000 in 2006), Wendywood (R800,000 in 2006), On Her Toes (R800,000 in 2007) to R1.8million for Warm White Night (2007).
The once proud country of Zimbabwe took another tragic step this weekend, with the passing of the newly-installed Prime Minster, Morgan Tsvangirai’s wife following a head-on collision. There’s all sorts of speculation in the press as to whether this was contrived or pure accident, and that debate, no doubt, will rage for some time yet.
Meanwhile, we had the pleasure of a visit from an ex-Zimbabwean in the form of legendary bloodstocker, Robin Bruss and his wife, Jane, this weekend, and Robin told us he won a race in Zimbabwe last weekend worth Z$50 trillion to the winner. As the cash is almost worthless, owners are allowed to trade the prize money for petrol coupons, which Robin is unlikely to be able to use in the foreseeable future. Talk about racing for the love of the game. Hats off to the Zimbos – they’d race in hell if they had to!
He gave us a Z$10 trillion note, which he tells us would scarcely buy us a newspaper today, notwithstanding the fact they’ve already taken 12 zeros off the amount already. Ironically, the note is adorned with two of Africa’s most sacred emblems, one the rocks of the Matopos Hills (which enchanted Cecil John Rhodes to the point that he insisted on being buried there,) and the ruins of Great Zimbabwe, a poignant reminder of an earlier phenomenal civilization. Alongside the picture of Great Zimbabwe is an almost tragic depiction of the Reserve Bank of that country, a fine edifice by any modern standards, yet one which has presided over a currency which has quite the worst history of any currency anywhere.
Session 1 at the 2009 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale concluded with a 42 per cent retreat in gross. While that figure sounds disastrous, it must be remembered that last year’s figures broke records, so comparisons in this year of global economic downturn are always going to be severe, writes Darryl Sherer for Australia & New Zealand Bloodstock News.
413 yearlings were sold over three days for a gross of $23.05 million (down 42%) at an average of $55,815 (down 34%) and a median of $45,000 (down 31%). Inglis Bloodstock believes that private sales will continue to boost the final clearance figure of 73% over the next few days.
“The breadth of the buying bench was a feature of this sale, with buyers coming from all over Australia and internationally from major centres like Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa,” said Mark Webster, Inglis Managing Director.
The highest priced lot yesterday was $280,000 for a colt by More Than Ready (USA) out of Illuminar, consigned by John Cornish’s Torryburn Stud, knocked down to Inglis as agent. Tuesday’s Redoute’s Choice-Celtic Reign colt, which sold for $365,000, remained the sale topping lot.
For long periods it seemed as if buyers were in control and, even allowing for a sparsely populated auditorium, when an attractive colt entered the ring there was competition. While it would be easy to focus on the declines, it is important to note that 60 lots - essentially 10 per cent of the catalogue - sold for $100,000 or more while 25 topped $150,000.
“All of the same buyers from previous years were here, but it’s clear they have reduced budgets under the current economic conditions and nobody is immune from what is happening in the world at the moment,” said Mark Webster at the sale‘s end. “The results for this sale are consistent with other sales from Australia and New Zealand this year.
“Post sale, vendors are accepting this re-adjustment phase and the fact that buyers can now be more selective about how much they are willing to spend. All horses passed over the last three days will still be available for private sale for the next 30 days and I am sure we will see many more horses traded in that period.”
Following on from their strong support of the Classic Sale, Patinack Farm were the leading buyers during Premier 1, finishing with 17 yearlings for a total spend of $1.5 million.
Tony Santic’s Makybe had some well-presented horses and they sold accordingly, ensuring Makybe topped the vendors by gross with 15 selling for $1.425 million. Yallambee Stud (19 for $1.3 million), Blue Gum Farm (15 for $1.147 million) and Three Bridges Thoroughbreds (11 for $1.06 million) also exceeded the $1 million mark during the sale.
Ultra Thoroughbreds were the leading vendor by average (for 3 or more sold), with eight yearlings selling at an average of $102,812. South Australia’s Mill ParkStud sold six at $102,500. Elvstroem was the leading sire by aggregate, with 27 selling for $1.243 million, while Vinery Stud’sMore Than Ready was the leading sire by average with three selling at $163,333.
A consistent talking point amongst breeders and buyers this week is stallion fees. With the 2009 rosters about to be announced, it would seem unfeasible for more than a handful of stallions to entertain a fee increase. As one prominent breeder told Australia & New Zealand Bloodstock News, “If the average is down 30 per cent then service fees should come down by 30 per cent - although I doubt it will happen.”
Megan RomeynBucking the international financial chaos that has dominated world markets over the past week, the 2009 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale has once again proved that thoroughbred investments are viable financial commodities in these uncertain times.
Day one of the sale ended with Champion sire Encosta de Lago proving to be the top seller as his colt out of the unraced Acquisito (Zeditave), a half-sister to the Stakes winning Make Me A Miracle, fetched the top price of $170,000 for Blue Gum Farm.
As expected Exceed And Excel set the best sire’s average with three yearlings returning an average of $120,000. There was considerable interest in his offspring, and the recent victory Reward For Effort in the Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr.1) certainly helped his cause. Another stallion who has attracted good interest is Commands, whose yearlings have averaged $85,417.
Day two yielded a new sale topper with the hammer finally dropping at $365,000 for a Redoute’s Choice colt boasting an impeccable pedigree. The colt is out of Celtic Reign (Woodman), a half sister to tripple Melbourne Cup winner and two time Australian Horse Of The Year Makybe Diva.
Meanwhile the boss and Kerry have been kept busy vetting the vast number of lots on offer with a few astute purchases, I’m sure. We will keep you updated as the information trickles in.
Raging bushfires in Australia, icy conditions in Europe and the financial melt-down all add up to a lot of tough stuff, yet if you were sitting here and weren’t reading the papers or watching TV, you’d be wondering what all the fuss was about.
We’ve just completed a record Ready To Run Sale, the local economy is still growing, albeit it slowly, our cricketers are on fire, and the Cape Yearling Sale was up almost 10% on average, very much against the international trend. While the chill wind is obviously still going to blow, it seems as if South Africa is sitting a little prettier than most. There are those who might lament the Rand’s 30% depreciation in October, but for exporters and our foreign customers, its music to the ears.
Besides,Imbongi and Art Of Warhaveboth ran crackers, the latter victorious by 8,5 lengths on Thursday in Dubai. You never know, but we’re always cogniscent that the Dubai Duty Free (& others) are worth US$5 million each!
So what’s up at the ranch? We’re in the process of weaning one of the best crops of foals we’ve seen, at the same time attending to their micro-chipping (for id purposes). It’s business plan and budget time too, and with our broad management structure, we have every divisional head beavering away at their plans for the year and their departmental sums.
Land preparation for the autumn and winter pastures has just started, and we’re a month into the preparation of a terrific bunch of yearlings for the Emperors Palace National Yearling Sales.
Interestingly, we’ve sold a number of horses in training and mares off the farm in recent weeks, and there’s been good international interest from Hong Kong, Pakistan (of all places) and Mauritius, alongside solid domestic demand. It seems people are still buying racehorses (either for the revenue or the “fun” dividend) in preference to motor cars, because that segment of the economy has really gone quiet. I should add, the horses are making their money, so there’ve been no giveaways.
Hartford House is “pumping” at the moment, and there’s hardly place at the inn on a weekend well into May, so this is the “early warning” system reminding our friends that the July weekend, our Stallion Day and the KZN Broodmare sale (Thursday 2-8 July) are likely to be swallowed up very soon. I would recommend, if you’re keen to attend the races, Stallion Day, or the Broodmare and Yearling sale that you book soon.
This note comes, as always, with our best wishes from everyone at Summerhill.
I guess it would be sensible to start at the beginning. The point at which champions are conceived, if not yet in the womb, then at least at the table. This is when all the benefits of individuality and specialisation are finally pooled for the greater good of our purpose.
Let me explain. There are those in the breeding business who believe that mating “the best to the best, and hoping for the best” is the most productive way of churning out champions. While there is merit in this argument, champions are never “churned” out, and in our view it leaves too much to chance, when practised as a single criterion for success.
Others resort to matching their mares for the best commercial outcome, betting the “farm” as it were, on the most fashionable stallion of the moment, proven or otherwise, and looking forward to their day in the sales ring as the sole judge of the worth of their endeavours. While this may bring short-term gains, it’s most times at the expense of long-term prosperity.
Yet others are committed faithfuls of the computer system, where some programmers have made a fortune persuading people that a champion can be generated through the rituals connected with software. To our knowledge though, without the benefit of knowing the animals concerned, their idiosyncrasies and their needs, no computer has ever consistently produced a good horse anywhere as regularly as a good stockman. As Bob Hope once said, “computers have enabled people to make more mistakes faster than any other invention, with the exception of tequila and hand guns”.
Our experience tells us there is no substitute for the eye and the experience of a good stockman, his wisdom honed over years of observation and interaction with horses. Indispensible to us is the collection of all the evidence, from the thoughts of your stallion man, the broodmare and foalcare manager, the yearling sales division and the Ready To Run team, listening to trainers and jockeys who’ve been associated with your horses where the action is beyond the rehearsal stage. All of these things influence our collective thinking.
But unless in your interpretation of what you have at hand, you can marshall the right instincts to best exploit the information and then back it up with best practice standards of husbandry, you still cast yourself adrift on the waters of chance. We like to think that we control 90% of the process at least, and the ability to do that is enhanced by the fact that our decisions are unfettered by concerns of what the result will fetch in the sales ring.
Every fan of the turf knows The Star, the Cape Argus, the Mercury, the Daily News, the Saturday Independent and the Sunday Tribune, but not everyone knows these titles belong to 1955 British Lions legend, Sir Tony O’ Reilly. Even fewer know his wife Chryss, and especially that she’s one of Europe’s outstanding breeders. Just this last year, her Castlemartin Stud in Ireland and her Haras de la Louviere in France between them produced 16 Stakes winners, among them the Gr.1 stars Nahood and Equiano. Lady O’ Reilly tells us that in their mating decisions, “we tend to favour proven stallions for our younger mares, but I would say that among semi-commercial breeders we do the least commercial matings, because our first consideration is to breed a racehorse”. We have a kindred spirit, it seems, in Her Ladyship.
Despite optimism by South Africa’s privately held business sector dropping by more than half from +75% last year to just +35% for 2009, the country has risen up the ranks to become the sixth most optimistic country in the world, according to Grant Thornton’s 2009 International Business Report (IBR), released last week.
In contrast, the report paints a much bleaker picture of the global economy, with optimism among privately held businesses around the world plummeting by 56% in the past 12 months. This contributed to the Grant Thornton IBR international optimism/pessimism barometer recording a negative balance of -16% compared to +40% in 2008 – the first time in the survey’s seven-year history that pessimists have outweighed optimists about the outlook for their economy.
At the +35% optimism level, South Africa moved up from last year’s ninth position among the 36 countries surveyed in the IBR. India (83%) emerged as the world’s most optimistic country this year, followed by Botswana (81%), the Philippines (65%), Brazil (50%) and Armenia (46%).
According to Grant Thornton, in South Africa, “there was an overwhelming consensus that falling consumer demand and the shortage of business credit were the biggest threats to privately held businesses” going into this year. Gauteng (at +40%) and KwaZulu-Natal’s hubs of Durban and Pietermaritzburg (at +39%) emerged as the most optimistic regions in the country, with the Eastern Cape (at +17%) being the least optimistic. Cape Town came in at an optimism level of +33%..
Leonard Brehm National Chairman of Grant Thornton in South Africa said “Their macro-view of the global economic situation explains the overall slump in optimism. While privately held businesses worldwide are preparing for a prolonged and painful downturn real opportunities exist, especially in South Africa”, said Leonard Brehm National Chairman of Grant Thornton in South Africa
Economist Dennis Dykes said “South Africa has been relatively shielded by a healthy banking system as well as the fixed investment boom ahead of the Fifa 2010 World Cup. In addition, the 2010 event should continue to soften the effects of the global crisis, and lower interest rates and oil prices should help a modest recovery in the second half of the year,” said Dykes.
“Surprisingly satisfying” was the billing at the end of the Premier session of Australia’s big sale in Queensland, Magic Millions.
Salient features:Top price of Aus $2million for a son of Encosta de Lago.Clearance rate of 80%, an excellent result given the economic climate.An average of Aus $131,632 (against Aus $157,321 a year ago), down approximately 16 -17%.
Managing Director David Chester expressed himself as “pleasantly surprised”, while Australia’s biggest man in advertising, John Singleton, was effusive in his reflections.
“It’s the only economic indicator that’s got me bluffed. No one would’ve picked that, not one of us believed that would have happened. It’s gone against the trend of the stock market, the inflation rate, the unemployment figures, the sales of Europe and Kentucky. It’s an amazing result”.
Writing in the TDN this week, the world’s no.1 stallion commentator, Bill Oppenheim, touched on racing’s hottest topic: the trench warfare between the two superpowers, Coolmore and Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley. Bill’s story deals with the most recent recruits to their and the so-called “neutral” stallion operator’s line-up, and how they’ve located them strategically. This is serious stuff :
When you look at these 42 top-of-the-crop sire prospects as a whole, three things stand out. First, the rise of the Maktoum family as a force in the stallion market; they stand 16 of the 42 stallions on that list, divided equally: eight in Kentucky, eight in Europe. Second, we can see how Coolmore is sticking with the programme that got them there: very selective, the highest possible quality only, and mostly by their own, in-house, absolute top-drawer sires. Whereas Darley, in the last four sire crops, leads Coolmore in North America in top-of-the-crop prospects eight to two, in Europe it is only eight to seven. Darley’s biggest growth spurt was in Kentucky, in 2008 retirements.
The third notable point is that, with Coolmore based in Ireland and the Maktoums (Darley plus Shadwell) operating from Dalham Hall and the Nunnery in England, and from Kildangan and Derrinstown in Ireland, there has been very little left over for the “neutral” stallion farms in Europe, especially in England. Of the 17 top-of-the-crop “neutral” stallions we’ve identified, 15 stand in Kentucky, where there is clearly still much more diversity of choice. Only two stand in Ireland, Azamour at the Aga Khan’s Gilltown Stud, and Lawman at Ballylinch. None stand in England. Though that is the case, I must emphasize, only with the most expensive stallions. Some of the most successful sires among the 242 we’ve listed are sure to be among the 200 now standing for less than “top-of-the-crop” stud fees, but it is notable that the top commercial prospects from these crops in Europe are stationed exclusively in Ireland, or on Maktoum farms in England.
Adena Springs has topped the list ofleading individual breeders in North America in 2008, for the sixth consecutive year.
Congratulations must go to Frank and Andy Stronach and the Champion Adena Springs Team.
The Thoroughbred Daily News reports that according to figuresreleased by The Jockey Club InformationSystems, Inc. on Tuesday, Adena Springs bred the winners of 603races from 3,671 starts. Stonerside Stable, which bredthe winners of 98 races from 518 starts for earnings of$7,433,027 to is second on the list. Adena Springs alsoheads the breeders’ list which includes partnership,with Stonerside second on that list as well. Completingthe list of top 10 individual breeders (with earnings):
In bringing to a close yesterday’s blog, we proclaimed an historic event in the commencement of the foundations for the new Al Maktoum School Of Excellence. While today is of routine significance, it nonetheless marks the beginning of another chapter of importance in the lives of a new generation of horses. The 30-odd lots selected for the Emperors Palace National Yearling Sales was brought in today for the commencement of their education, and we guess this lot face one of the great acid tests of all time when its economic prospects are bound to be tested in an international climate which has red lights flashing for the luxury goods sector.
Their location for the next ten weeks will be the Final Call Yearling Preparation yard, named after Gaynor Rupert’s great foundation mare, and reclad in its stone finish in commeration of the 80th birthday of Erica Bennet Goss, two Novembers ago.
No doubt, whatever the financial limitations of the credit squeeze, the Final Call yard will witness the visit of many an aspirant horseman between now and the departure of this lot for Germiston in the closing weeks of March.
Among the early entries is a daughter of America’s hottest young stallion, Street Cry, now boasting an incredible nine Grade One winners from his first three North American crops. Eight of these are from his first two crops, while his third crop has already yielded another as a juvenile in 2008. Down Under, where Street Cry got off to a rather belated start by their standards, he now has two Grade One performers from his first classic crop, including what is arguably the best three-year-old in Australia at the moment, Caulfield Guineas (Gr.1) hero, Whobegotyou.
This fellow’s another example of why there’s occasional folly in over-emphasizing the value of pedigree alone in your yearling selections (or for that matter, in your broodmare acquisitions). It’s the composition of these things, and their combination with the physicals and athleticism of the animal that counts, and the fact that Whobegotyou was offered at as modest a reserve as $25000 as a yearling (which he failed to reach, and he was subsequently sold for $17500) is testimony to this belief. There was hardly a Black type horse in sight in his female line, besides his Listed placed first dam.
The Summerhill draft is sure to be the subject of some intrigue, if only for the fact that it includes the only daughter of Street Cry on offer in South Africa this year.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be recounting the issues that influenced Summerhill’s ascent to the National Breeder’s Championship, and what roles they contributed to the process. Some background might be of value here.
While horses have been in the blood of most of us ever since we can remember, the realities of running a commercial stud farm were so far removed from any other business experience we’d known, our venture into stud farming was like entering kindergarten for the first time. It was 1979, and a chance visit to Summerhill to see a yearling filly we’d just purchased at the National Sales was at the root of it. It was tough in those days to make a living out of horse breeding, partly because there was just not enough money in the game, and partly because very few people had any understanding of what it took to turn the breeding of racehorses into a successful business model.
Summerhill was a victim of both of these things, and was losing money, and I was asked to intervene, at both a legal level and with ideas on a turnaround strategy. The first part was easy, the second was a venture into the unknown. It was obvious it needed fresh money, a capital injection of substantial proportions, yet that on its own would be frittered away without a sustainable plan to reinvent the business. That Summerhill exists today as a thriving business tells us we found something on which to found a viable business, but that was for the short-term.
We’ve been here 30 years now (precisely, this year) and for 12-15 of them, we laboured along in the hope that one day we’d see the “big hit”. Not long after we opened the “new” gates, we struck gold, with the advent of the great stallion Northern Guest, but once he’d come and gone, we were floundering for the next bright idea. This is quite typical of so many horse farms, where reliance on the belief that the elusive needle in a haystack might just turn up for you one day, seems to epitomise business models. Rich people might achieve this by simply going out and buying the genetic giant which turns the whole show around, but even then, it’s still a lottery.
To say that after 15 years, we were disenchanted with our results is putting it at its lowest level, and while we were still eking out a modest living, the results were not what we intended when we set out. So we started to examine the models around us, and those of the more successful farms abroad. Our own results were sluggish, and we were looking for ways to extract ourselves from the malaise of ordinary returns and results. What we found was interesting. Most farms were run by a horseman, which is perhaps not so strange, because banks are run by bankers, legal practices by lawyers etc, and whether they were owner-run or horseman-managed (whilst owned by someone with other interests), the structural models were pretty much the same.
In the agricultural context, this is also not so strange, because cattle farms are usually run by a stockman, crop farms by croppers etc, but there is one strong distinguishing feature between the horse farm and most other agricultural activities. This rests with the market, and the customer base it serves. In just about every other farming endeavour, the product goes to a mass consumer population, while the thoroughbred is an item of luxury, it belongs in an extraordinarily sophisticated environment, and appeals to a relatively narrow group.
Besides, like no other business, horse breeding is riddled with myths and old wives’ tales, concocted over the decades by people whose achievements would appear less of a spectacle were it not for their aggrandisement in the eyes of people who’d know no better.
Reality is, ours is a fairly straightforward endeavour, simplified by the truths that flow from a closer understanding of the ways of Mother Nature.
The skills sets needed for the management of a successful commercial racehorse farming business are so far removed from those of a normal breeding operation, as to be of an entirely different species. While they may include some of the same, there are a number of broadly diverse dimensions to the skills needed for horse farming, and for which you need to search for these in earnest. We did.
Andrew Caulfield writes in the Thoroughbred Daily News that to say it is going to be fascinating to see how the Thoroughbred industry responds to the spreading recession sounds a bit too gleeful, when experience has taught us that there are going to be casualties, both human and equine, as production is cut back. But experience has also taught us that the industry will be fitter and leaner, and consequently healthier, when the economy inevitably starts to rally.
The question is how best to survive until that happens - hopefully not too far into the future. Although it may be stating the obvious, breeders are going to have to ensure they obtain the best value for money or biggest bang for their buck, to use a more colorful expression.
One area worthy of consideration - especially for the owner/breeder - is whether the hot new stallion is as safe a bet as a less fashionable stallion with a proven track record. The stallions I am thinking of in the latter category are those which have reached veteran status (aged more than 20). Because of their age - and what could be termed the boredom factor - these stallions are rarely as busy as they were in their heyday, when they achieved so much that they earned a lifelong place in the industry.
It’s been a helluva year for Summerhill. New records at the races, new benchmarks for the trade, and a brand new Breeder’s Championship, for the fourth consecutive year. You’d think we’d be quite pleased with ourselves, and we’d be kidding if we didn’t admit to feeling a bit lucky.
Yet this is the time to give credit where credit is due. As a business, we‘re more dependent on people than most. Mainly because we started with nothing, and without relationships, we’d have ended with nothing. We owe everything to the people around us. Our customers, those that keep their horses with us, and those that support our sales.Our suppliers, our advisers, our bankers. Our trainers, our jockeys, our agents.Those that promote our sport in the media, and the fellows that lay on the show. The fans inthe stands, and the punters at the rail. To our colleagues, the breeders, who kept us at our game,and played it the way it should be. Thank you. We re proud to call you our friends.
And then finally, to our own team, and the horses they’ve raised. You’ve set new standards in the way things are done. Encore for your dedication, your integrity and your decency, and as much as anything, your ingenuity. You’re the reason we get up in the mornings.
Anything we ever achieve at Summerhillis always the product of many people’s contributions, and in this case, as we’ve so often said before, we must start by remembering that we work with one of the best teams in the world. Besides the expertise of those who’ve had the opportunity to work abroad at the management level, there are those among our Zulus, from the people who clean the stables all the way to the upper echelons of those who make the place tick, that have had their hands in this scrum. It’s an appropriate time then, to remember we’re privileged to work with the Zulus here, some of the most gifted stockmen in the world. Their contribution has been immense.
There were many who might’ve felt we were overly optimistic. But overcoming adversity is not new to our countrymen. We’ve had to deal with major crises in the past, and we know what it takes.
While the outcome of the Sale exceeded our expectations, it was just another great case of South Africa at work. People looking forward, knowing that next year is next year, that there’ll still be Julys, Mets and Summer Cups to be won.
People with vision, with guts and a love of our game. Like few others anywhere.
Racing people appreciating good horses, fine horsemanship and relishing the challenge. For the lion’s share of the spoils at next year’s “Emperors Cup”. For a million and a half.
So from the Number One Farm in South Africa to the Number One Nation on Earth, Thank You.
In the life of any racehorse breeding establishment, the judging of a farm’s stock by independent experts is always a signal event. Wednesday was such a day.
Every producer has a different approach to the way he raises his horses, and it’s a well-documented fact that at Summerhill, more than most, Mother Nature plays a primary role. While some have been preparing their horses for this event for several months now, our way is to leave them out in our “organic” environment for as long as possible, avoiding the stress of incarceration and human intervention, and asking the elements and the wonderful world we live in, to continue their good work in shaping the futures of our horses.
While the old saying that there are “different strokes for different folks” was never more appropriate than it is in the horse business, the reality is the way we do it works for Summerhill, manifesting itself as patently as anyone could hope for in four consecutive Breeders’ Championships. That’s not to say that we’re right and everyone else is wrong; it’s simply that, in the model we follow, it seems to be the best way to proceed.
Every new crop of youngsters brings new challenges, and whenever there are the progeny of new stallions, there is new excitement. That said, we usually deal with the first stock of a debutant stallion on the basis of entering just a few of them for the showcase National Sales, preferring to keep a good number back for the Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run, where we can work closely with them, and understand their individual idiosyncrasies. This way we get to know how they respond to the making- and-breaking process, how quickly they learn, how they handle the rigours of exercise and being ridden, what their temperaments are like, what sort of actions they have, how durable they are and whether the mating which has produced that particular individual, is worth pursuing in future. The Ready To Run has been a great instrument in advancing Summerhill’s cause over the years, and has been a grand educational lesson for all of us.
We’ve often proclaimed the virtues of South Africa’s horsemen, and we point to the achievements of our jockeys, trainers and breeders on the international circuit as evidence of this. In Hong Kong, where the pursuit of the jockeys’ title is something every self-respecting rider in the world will take on at some point in his career, the Jockeys’ Championship has been in South African hands for seventeen of the past eighteen seasons (think Basil Marcus, Dougie White, Felix Coetzee, Robbie Fradd and Bartie Leisher), while the likes of trainers Mike de Kock and Herman Brown in Dubai, Patrick Shaw in Singapore and David Ferraris and Tony Millard in Hong Kong have illustrated the validity of this statement time and again. Of course, often enough they’re doing it with South African-bred horses, and that says something about the establishments that produced them.
We’re no less blessed in the quality of the intellectuals that bestride our game, and in the judges that are sent to the farms to cast their eyes over our yearlings. John Kramer, who’s been around since Methusalah, is as astute as anyone we know, with a far-sighted vision which is right nine times out of ten, when it comes to his expectations of what a horse will look like down the road. His assistant is the celebrated ex trainer, Tobie Spies, who in his day as an active conditioner of racehorses, was as hard-working a man as we knew at the sales.
There wasn’t a horse in the catalogue Tobie wouldn’t look at every sale he attended, and then he’d short-list his favourites and make sure, when the hammer fell in his favour, that it represented good value. Twice in the first four runnings of the old Bloodline Million, he managed to pull the needles out of the proverbial haystack.
The judges were more than complimentary about the draft in general, and they warmed particularly to the first progeny of Solskjaerand Cataloochee, each of whom claimed two of the top horses in the draft on points. In fact, the bulk of their horses earned “8’s” and above, and you couldn’t get off to a better start with a first crop sire than that. All three of the Hobb Alwahtans entered scored well, too, and so we’ll be looking to a good sale from these “freshmen”.
Besides a liberal sprinkling from our stalwarts, Kahaland Muhtafal in the line-up, we have a quality entry from some of the world’s best young stallions in Street Cry,Johannesburg,Shamardal and the old war horse, Royal Academy. Four of these are fillies from some exceptional families, and are bound to be on the list of anyone with a “collectors” taste for a good horse and a bit of serious pedigree, especially in these risk-averse times when downside seems to count so much.
The Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award Of Merit is awarded to the person or persons who, in the opinion of the special 20-strong Cartier Jury, has/have done most for European racing and/or breeding either over their lifetime or within the past 12 months.
The list of past winners of the Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award of Merit is as follows; Niarchos Family, Peter Willett, Henry Cecil, David and Patricia Thompson, Lord Oaksey, Prince Khalid Abdullah, John Magnier, His Highness the Aga Khan, Peter Walwyn, the Head Family, Sir Peter O’Sullevan, Frankie Dettori, John Dunlop, the Marquess of Hartington, Francois Boutin, Lester Piggott and Henri Chalhoub.
Sheikh Mohammed’s contribution to racing and breeding has been enormous. His interest in the sport started in England over 40 years ago and it has grown and developed into a worldwide empire.
He may be known on the global stage as Dubai’s leader as well as prime minister and vice-president of the United Arab Emirates, but in the racing world Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is simply the sport’s biggest investor and benefactor.
Nobody in racing history has ever owned horses on the scale of Sheikh Mohammed and his equine empire is the culmination of an interest spanning more than 40 years.
While attending the Bell School of Languages in Cambridge, England, the 17-year-old Sheikh Mohammed and his brother Sheikh Hamdan went racing for the first time when watching the Noel Murless-trained Royal Palace win the 1967 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket.
A decade later he had his first success as an owner when Hatta, a 6,200 guineas yearling trained by John Dunlop and ridden by Ron Hutchinson, won a first prize of £968.60 in the Bevendean Maiden Stakes at Brighton on June 20, 1977. The filly went on to give Sheikh Mohammed a first Group success the following month when taking the Group Three Molecomb Stakes on the opening day of Glorious Goodwood.
It was the beginning of a passion for racing, first in Britain and soon globally, that burns even more greatly over 30 years later. He was brought up with horses. Descended from one of the most notable tribes in Arabia, Bani Yas, horses have been part of his life since childhood.
Bedouin culture and traditions are central to his heritage. The desert is a challenging, often harsh, environment so the ability to live in harmony with nature is vital to the people of the region. As a boy, Sheikh Mohammed learned to read the desert sands, to identify a single camel’s footprint in a herd of hundreds, and to understand the rhythm of nature, to be at one with the creatures of the desert.
Apart from tracking and catching scorpions and snakes, taming and training falcons and saluki dogs, it was horses that took up most of the young Sheikh’s time. He would share his breakfast with his horse on his way to school. Riding in his first horse race aged 12, he was drawn to difficult horses and earned a reputation for mastering impossibly wild horses, considered un-trainable by others.
Hatta may have been an inexpensive yearling purchase by Lt-Col Dick Warden, Sheikh Mohammed’s first bloodstock advisor, but the family were soon making their mark on a much bigger sale. At the 1979 Tattersalls Houghton Sale, trainer Tom Jones set a European record price of 625,000 guineas when buying the Lyphard colt Ghadeer for Sheikh Hamdan.
The Maktoum brothers also made a big impact on the other side of the Atlantic, regularly making headlines at the famous Keeneland July Sales of the early 1980s with Shareef Dancer, bought for $3.3 million by Sheikh Mohammed in 1981, winning the Irish Derby for the owner’s eldest brother Sheikh Maktoum Al Maktoum.
Sheikh Mohammed was keen to become involved in breeding and in 1981 bought first Aston Upthorpe Stud in Oxfordshire and then Dalham Hall Stud outside Newmarket, where Shareef Dancer retired at the end of his racing days. He also purchase Woodpark and Kildangan Studs in Ireland, after taking the advice of his long-term advisor, the late Michael Osborne.
The Sheikh’s maroon and white silks soon became a famous site on European racecourses, yielding success at the very highest level. Awaasif, a $325,0000 sales purchase, brought him a first Group One victory in the 1982 Yorkshire Oaks and three years later his home–bred Oh So Sharp won the fillies’ Triple Crown (the 1,000 Guineas, Oaks and St Leger).
He enjoyed a great run of success in the Oaks at Epsom, via Unite (1987), Diminuendo (1988), who went on to take the Yorkshire Oaks, and Intrepidity (1993). Unite also landed the Irish Oaks in which Diminuendo dead-heated with Sheikh Mohammed’s Italian Oaks heroine Melodist.
Musical Bliss won another 1,000 Guineas in 1989 while there was also a 2,000 Guineas success in 1995 with Pennekamp, winner of the previous year’s Dewhurst Stakes. Meanwhile, Moonax (1994) and Shantou (1996) scored in the St Leger at Doncaster.
There were many other star performers during a golden era in the 1980s and 1990s including Pebbles, who won the 1985 Breeders’ Cup Turf, Coral-Eclipse and Champion Stakes after being bought by the Sheikh, Indian Skimmer (1987 French Oaks and Prix Saint-Alary, 1988 English and Irish Champion Stakes), Sonic Lady (1986 Irish 1,000 Guineas, Coronation Stakes, Sussex Stakes and Prix Moulin), Ajdal (1986 Dewhurst Stakes, 1987 July Cup, Nunthorpe Stakes and Haydock Sprint Cup), Soviet Star (1987 French 2,000 Guineas, Sussex Stakes and Prix de la Foret, 1988 July Cup and Prix Moulin), Sure Blade (1986 St James’s Palace Stakes and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes) and Sadeem (1988 and 1989 Gold Cup).
But the 1990s also marked the start of a new phenomenon, Godolphin. Just as Sheikh Mohammed’sDarley breeding operation remembered one of the three founding thoroughbred stallions, Darley Arabian, so did his family’s fledgling new international racing stable, the Godolphin Arabian.
Simon Crisford, who assisted the Sheikh’s then racing manager Anthony Stroud, was drafted in 1992 to manage the small initial team who would winter in Dubai before returning to Newmarket in the spring. Hilal Ibrahim had a short spell training the horses but it has been Saeed bin Suroor who has overseen most of the success.
Balanchine brought Godolphin a first Classic success in the 1994 Oaks while a year later bin Suroor trained the unbeaten Lammtarra to win the Derby for Sheikh Mohammed’s nephew Saeed Maktoum Al Maktoum.
Dubai Millennium, who traced 25 generations back to Darley Arabian, became Sheikh Mohammed’s favourite horse when winning nine of his 10 starts, including the 1999 Prix Jacques Le Marois and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, and most famously the 2000 Dubai World Cup, the richest race on the planet created by Sheikh Mohammed at the Nad Al Sheba racecourse in his home country.
There have been a total of 145 Group or Grade One successes in 12 countries worldwide for Godolphin via such luminaries as Daylami, Fantastic Light, Street Cry, Sulamani, Dubawi, Swain, Sakhee, Doyen, Kayf Tara, Bachir, Halling, Dubai Destination, Ramontiand All The Good, who recently gave the stable a first top-level Australian success in the Caulfield Cup.
Alongside Godolphin, Sheikh Mohammed has built up his Darley stallion and breeding operation to be the largest on the planet. There are over 50 stallions worldwide based at Jonabell Farm in Kentucky, studs in Australia and Japan as well as the longer-standing British and Irish outfits still centred around Dalham Hall and Kildangan.
As well as standing home-grown stallions, Darley have invested heavily to get the best young prospects from elsewhere, among them New Approach, who won this year’s Derby in the colours of Sheikh Mohammed’s wife Princess Haya, 2007 Epsom hero Authorized, Teofilo, Manduro, Shirocco as well as many star names in the US and Japan.
Sheikh Mohammed’s purchase this year of US-based Stonerside Stables included ownership of Raven’s Pass (in whom he already had a share), winner of last month’s Breeders’ Cup Classic for Princess Haya, and Midshipman, who captured the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and has headed to Dubai ahead of a tilt at the 2009 Kentucky Derby.
As well as providing employment, both directly and indirectly, for thousands in the horse business worldwide, Sheikh Mohammed’s contribution to racing stretches far beyond his own equine interests.
The Dubai World Cup continues to be the richest race in the world while next year the futuristic Meydan racecourse will be unveiled in Sheikh Mohammed’s home country to take Middle-Eastern racing to a new level.
Both Darley and Dubai-based companies such as Emirates Airlines and Dubai Duty Free sponsor a string of major races globally including the Melbourne Cup, Irish Derby, Irish Oaks, Champion Stakes, Dewhurst Stakes, Yorkshire Oaks and July Cup.
Sheikh Mohammed has made many philanthropic contributions, including the donation of £10 million to four charities following the sale of the Racing Post last year, the sponsorship of the stud and stable staff awards in Britain and the creation of the Darley Flying Start which helps young people gain a grounding in the industry on a two-year course. |
August 16th, 2014
When the Police Can Brick Your Phone
“Tyranny. Pure and simple. If it is software, somebody will find a way to hack it. If it is hardware, ‘old’ smartphones will be worth their weight in platinum.”
My friend Ross from Toronto made this comment with a link he posted on Facebook to The Free Thought Project’s article on a new about-to-be law in California. The law mandates a kill switch on all new smartphones, allowing the owner of a stolen phone to disable it until it’s recovered. The bill, CA SB 962, now only needs the expected signature of governor Jerry Brown to become law. In July, a similar law went into effect in Minnesota.
On the surface, a law with the purpose of protecting expensive smartphones from theft might seem to be a no-brainer good thing. Just render the device inoperable, while activating a homing program to locate it. Presto! In no time at all the phone is back in the hands of its rightful owner and made operable again. Supporters also hope the kill switch becomes a deterrent that greatly reduces the number of phone thefts.
Which brings me to Ross’s comment on Facebook. He’s right, of course – or mostly so. Software will be hacked within a day of release, but that’s not what’s important. The meat of his comment is found in a single word, punctuated with a period.
“Tyranny.”
This law is mainly a hoax and will only marginally protect John Q. Public’s phones. Mainly what it does is mandate a door installed on each and every new smartphone that can be used by the police as a tool to quell dissent.
If the owner can disable a phone with nothing but access to a computer or another mobile device, so can Google, Samsung, Microsoft, Nokia or Apple. Google and Apple have already demonstrated their ability to remove software from all devices using their respective operating systems. If the designers of a phone’s operating system can brick a phone, guess who else can do the same? Everybody from the NSA to your friendly neighborhood police force, that’s who. At most, all they’ll need is a convincing argument that they’re acting in the interest of “public safety.”
Before rushing to the conclusion that I’m merely paranoid, consider that in January Prison Planet reported that Google took this Orwellian step:
“Google has filed a patent for identifying when a ‘mob’ event takes place by detecting when a number of cellphone videos or photos are taken at one particular location with the intention of forwarding such information to law enforcement authorities. “’When there are at least a given number of video clips with similar time stamps and geolocation stamps uploaded to a repository, it is inferred that an event of interest has likely occurred, and a notification signal is transmitted (e.g., to a law enforcement agency, to a news organization, to a publisher of a periodical, to a public blog, etc.),’ states US Patent #20140025755.”
That’s not all. In 2012, Infowars reported that Apple had been granted a patent for a system allowing for the disabling of cameras on all iPhones within a specified location:
“Obviously, the way this will be applied will depend on what is determined to be a ‘sensitive area’ by the relevant authorities. “To put it bluntly, the powers that be could control what you can and cannot document on your wireless devices according to their own whims.”
Let’s say that the police in Ross’s hometown of Toronto had access to these systems in 2010 during the G-20 summit, when massive police misbehavior was brought to the world’s attention via YouTube. That would have given Toronto’s finest the capability to remotely disable all cell phones, including cameras, within precisely pinpointed areas of the city. Not only would that have greatly hampered protesters ability to organize on-the-fly, it would have shut down the YouTube connection which eventually made the police somewhat publicly accountable.
Or imagine the “Arab spring” protests in Cairo. Those protests would likely have ended quickly, with much bloodshed, had Egyptian President Mubarak had such power at his fingertips.
Unfortunately, it’s not only mobile devices that are under threat. In June, ZDNet said that Intel is working on a RFID-based system that would offer similar control over desktops and laptops:
“The chip giant is working on something call the Wireless Credential Exchange (WCE) with a number of partners. Its chips would communicate with Impinj’s Monza RFID chips to allow remote monitoring of devices via Burnside Digital’s IPTrak software. The result would be that these devices could be controlled to activate only when they reach their approved destination or within a specified location. If they don’t reach their destination or leave the approved area, they could be disabled.”
In this age of militarized police forces, anyone who thinks the police will hesitate to use such capabilities to quell dissent and to hide their illegal behavior is in denial about political reality. The kill switch will not protect a phone from thieves much, if at all, but it will help governments work in darkness.
Ross is right about software, which can be easily thwarted. Workarounds will be posted about as quick as a finger snap after the California law takes effect. Even a hardware implementation will offer little hardship for thieves, as the law requires that disabled phones must be able to be reactivated if and when they are recovered. This would mean some kind of accessible switch, most likely activated by software or firmware.
A kill switch might also give rise to a new type of mobile theft from the black hats. I suspect we’ll soon be reading news of phones going dead except for a message on the screen offering to return control of the device for a payment.
The police, no doubt, will advise against making that payment.
Related |
Q:
Template specialization for a range of values
I wish to write a template structure foo such that foo<N>::value_type is the nearest sized integer (rounding up) to N. For example foo<32>::value_type => uint32_t, foo<33>::value_type => uint64_t and foo<72>::value_type => uint64_t.
To do this I need an elegant means of providing partial specializations of foo for a range of values, e.g, 1 <= N <= 8 to return uint8_t and so on and so fourth. Is there a means of accomplishing this without having to specialise everything from 0 to 64.
A:
template<size_t N> struct select { typedef uint64_t result; };
template<> struct select<0> { typedef uint8_t result; };
template<> struct select<1> { typedef uint16_t result; };
template<> struct select<2> { typedef uint32_t result; };
template<size_t N>
struct foo
{
enum{D = (N > 32 ? 3 : (N > 16 ? 2 : (N > 8 ? 1 : 0)))};
typedef typename select<D>::result value_type;
value_type value;
};
In c++11 you can use std::conditional:
typedef
typename std::conditional<(N > 32), uint64_t,
typename std::conditional<(N > 16), uint32_t,
typename std::conditional<(N > 8), uint16_t, uint8_t>
::type>::type>::type value_type;
You can decide which one is less readable.
A:
@hansmaad answer is a nice answer, but I would prefer to use (guess what?!) Boost:
boost::uint_t<N>::least // N: bits
The smallest, built-in, unsigned integral type with at least N bits.
The parameter should be a positive number. A compile-time error
results if the parameter is larger than the number of bits in the
largest integer type.
|
Intraprostatic androgens and androgen-regulated gene expression persist after testosterone suppression: therapeutic implications for castration-resistant prostate cancer.
Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) remains the primary treatment for advanced prostate cancer. The efficacy of ADT has not been rigorously evaluated by demonstrating suppression of prostatic androgen activity at the target tissue and molecular level. We determined the efficacy and consistency of medical castration in suppressing prostatic androgen levels and androgen-regulated gene expression. Androgen levels and androgen-regulated gene expression (by microarray profiling, quantitative reverse transcription-PCR, and immunohistochemistry) were measured in prostate samples from a clinical trial of short-term castration (1 month) using the gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist, Acyline, versus placebo in healthy men. To assess the effects of long-term ADT, gene expression measurements were evaluated at baseline and after 3, 6, and 9 months of neoadjuvant ADT in prostatectomy samples from men with localized prostate cancer. Medical castration reduced tissue androgens by 75% and reduced the expression of several androgen-regulated genes (NDRG1, FKBP5, and TMPRSS2). However, many androgen-responsive genes, including the androgen receptor (AR) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA), were not suppressed after short-term castration or after 9 months of neoadjuvant ADT. Significant heterogeneity in PSA and AR protein expression was observed in prostate cancer samples at each time point of ADT. Medical castration based on serum testosterone levels cannot be equated with androgen ablation in the prostate microenvironment. Standard androgen deprivation does not consistently suppress androgen-dependent gene expression. Suboptimal suppression of tumoral androgen activity may lead to adaptive cellular changes allowing prostate cancer cell survival in a low androgen environment. Optimal clinical efficacy will require testing of novel approaches targeting complete suppression of systemic and intracrine contributions to the prostatic androgen microenvironment. |
Abstract
Background
Caring for individuals with schizophrenia can create distress for caregivers which can, in turn, have a harmful impact on patient progress. There could be a better understanding of the connections between caregivers’ representations of schizophrenia and coping styles. This study aims at exploring those connections.
Methods
This correlational descriptive study was conducted with 92 caregivers of individuals suffering from schizophrenia. The participants completed three questionnaires translated and validated in French: (a) a socio-demographic questionnaire, (b) the Illness Perception Questionnaire for Schizophrenia and (c) the Family Coping Questionnaire.
Results
Our results show that illness representations are slightly correlated with coping styles. More specifically, emotional representations are correlated to an emotion-focused coping style centred on coercion, avoidance and resignation.
Conclusion
Our results are coherent with the Commonsense Model of Self-Regulation of Health and Illness and should enable to develop new interventions for caregivers.
Keywords
CaregiversRepresentations of schizophreniaCopingNursing care
Background
Problem statement
Between 30% and 91% of individuals with schizophrenia live in a family setting [1–3]. The decreased length of stay in hospital and restrictions on involuntary treatments mean that family-based caregivers provide an important support during periods of psychological instability. This support implies that caregivers rely on a variety of strategies to confront the consequences resulting from the psychological instability of the schizophrenia patient.
Burden, distress, illness representations and coping strategies
The literature indicates that there are interactions between the different concepts of family burden, distress, illness representations, the expressed emotion (EE) and coping strategies. It has been demonstrated that caregivers’ representations of negative consequences of the illness for the patient are positively correlated with their objective burden, while representations of the negative consequences of schizophrenia for the caregiver are positively correlated to a subjective burden [4, 5]. The caregivers’ subjective burden is also associated with negative emotional responses to the illness [5]. Also, caregivers having an elevated and hostile type of EE usually consider the patient responsible for the causes of illness [6, 7]. Furthermore, in comparison with caregivers having a low EE, those having a high, critical-type EE tend to underestimate their possibilities of controlling problems themselves and perceive the illness as unlikely to be controlled by treatment as well as attribute more negative consequences of the illness for the patient and themselves [4].
Distress experienced by caregivers is also correlated with illness representations such as the following: (1) illness outbreaks are chronic, (2) the feeling that treatment does not help control the illness, (3) the perception that the patient can have greater personal control over the illness, (4) the perception that the illness brings about negative consequences for the patient and (5) that the illness brings about negative consequences for the caregiver and (6) representations that the illness elicits painful emotions such as anxiety and fear [4, 5, 8].
Coping strategies by caregivers of patients with schizophrenia have been explored by several authors who mainly based their observations using models or frameworks derived from Lazarus and Folkman’s theory of stress coping [9–12]. A review of the literature showed that there are strategies that are more or less efficient for confronting stress. More specifically for caregivers, strategies like coercion, avoidance and resignation are associated with suffering and patient relapse [13, 14].
Birchwood and Cochrane [14] explored coping strategies used by caregivers of schizophrenia patients. Their results detail eight essential coping categories: coercion, avoidance, ignorance/acceptance, constructive, resignation, reassurance, disorganization and collusion. They also showed that coercion is the first predictor in patient relapses. As concerns specificities of different coping styles, Magliano et al. [15] conducted a study which explored coping strategies in relation to physical and somatic symptoms of caregivers as well as the association between these two variables. The Family Coping Questionnaire (FCQ) was used [10]. Their results indicated that emotion-focused coping (coercion, avoidance and resignation) is positively correlated with participant anxiety and depression [15]. In another study, Knudson and Coyle came up with a procedure which incited certain caregivers to modify their coping strategies [11]. In their qualitative study, the caregivers of individuals with schizophrenia were invited to describe their coping strategy. At the onset of the illness, the caregivers tended to use a problem-focused coping strategy. However, if the symptoms became persistent, they progressively opted for emotion-focused strategies, which enabled them to attain a position of acceptance and, ultimately, of well-being. Nevertheless, the conceptualization of emotion-focused coping done according to factor analysis in the study of Magliano et al. only included strategies such as resignation, avoidance and coercion [10]. Acceptance of the illness has seldom been studied and could be a potential functional human response in some instances.
Magliano et al. reported that the high level of burden is associated with a reduction in social interests, a reduction of social support network as well as a resignation and an avoidance of contact with the family member suffering from schizophrenia. It also appears that in the absence of any specific intervention with these caregivers, this result can remain unchanged for as long as a year [15]. Specific to the subjective burden, it appears that emotional and cognitive reactions are associated with the use of coping strategies that are specifically emotional, such as avoidance and isolation [16, 17]. These strategies have been identified as being linked to an increase in caregiver distress [18]. Increased distress can result in a deterioration of the family atmosphere through elevated EE levels [12]. These elements lead to a further increase in burden [19].
Theoretical framework
In terms of theory, in the 1960s, Leventhal and his colleagues developed the Commonsense Model of Self-Regulation of Health and Illness (SRM) [20]. The results from their initial research indicated that modifying the personal representations of health and the development of an action plan were the two determining factors for the creation of health-promoting actions. Their conclusions led to the development of a series of other studies meant to define the different characteristics of health and illness representations. According to the model, representations are cognitive and emotional constructions of a health problem. The SRM includes eight concepts or dimensions: (1) internal and external stimuli, (2) treatment system, (3) representation of the illness and the treatment, (4) coping procedures, (5) evaluation of the cognitive treatment of the information, (6) emotional representation, (7) coping responses and (8) evaluation of the emotional treatment of the information.
Coping involves procedures which enable an individual to collect information and control the problem, as well as different responses such as distraction or relaxation. Coping can be described as having two primary functions. The first is centred on problem solving and the second on the immediate regulation of the emotion elicited by the problem. According to the SRM, the choice of a coping strategy used by caregivers is associated with the kind of representation of the illness that the caregiver has developed. In this way, the caregiver’s explicative model seems to have an influence on their choice of coping strategy. This choice can then, in turn, lighten or increase caregiver burden [17]. Effectively, negative representations of the illness can lead to the use of unsuitable coping strategies [21, 22].
Goal of the study
The goal of this study was to explore the associations between illness representations and three forms of coping styles—(1) problem-focused coping, (2) emotion-focused coping and (3) social support-focused coping—for caregivers of individuals with schizophrenia.
Methods
Design and recruitment
This correlational descriptive study was conducted with 92 caregivers of individuals with schizophrenia. Participants were members of French-speaking social support organizations, were recruited using a convenience sampling strategy and met the following criteria: (1) being 18 years or older, (2) living in Switzerland or France, (3) being able to speak French, (4) acting as carer for a family member or close friend who suffers from schizophrenia and (5) having had at least a 1-h contact with this person in the last month. As the first step of the recruiting strategy, social support organizations were met at the time of meeting with members in order to provide a complete presentation of the study. Then, the members who were present received an envelope containing an informed consent sheet, an information letter and the necessary questionnaires, as well as a pre-addressed and pre-stamped envelope for the return of all completed documents.
A second recruiting strategy was conducted using an electronic survey. The presidents of the social support organizations sent to all members of their respective groups the survey link leading to a dedicated website that included the same documentation as the paper version.
Instruments
Participants filled out three self-administered forms: (a) a socio-demographic questionnaire, (b) the Illness Perception Questionnaire for Schizophrenia: Relatives’ version and (c) the Family Coping Questionnaire. Authorization to translate these questionnaires into French using independent backward translation was granted by the authors.
The socio-demographic questionnaire
According to the literature, the most significant socio-demographic variables which influence illness representations and coping strategies are the following: (1) caregiver gender [23], (2) caregiver age, (3) caregiver education level [13], (4) the length of contact with the patient [19, 24], (5) professional and social support [25, 26] such as involvement in a Profamille program [27], (6) the nature of their connection with the patient [28], (7) the length of the illness [29], (8) whether the caregiver lives with the patient or not [30], (9) age of the patient, (10) patient gender and (11) the patient’s professional support. With the further goal of comparing our results with other studies already reported in the literature, we collected data on the number of people living in a household and the civil status of the caregivers.
The Illness Perception Questionnaire for Schizophrenia: Relatives’ version
Illness representations were measured using a self-administered questionnaire entitled ‘Illness Perception Questionnaire for Schizophrenia: Relatives’ version (IPQS: Relatives)’ [5]. It involves 13 sub-scales (150 items): identity, timeline (acute/chronic), timeline (cyclic), negative consequences for the individual, negative consequences for the caregiver, personal control (feeling of powerlessness—patient), personal control (feeling of powerlessness—caregiver), personal blame (patient responsibility), personal blame (caregiver responsibility), therapeutic control, mental health problem coherence, emotional representations and causes. For the current study, the identity and the causes of the illness were not considered. The responses provided by the caregivers regarding their perceptions of the illness were measured using a 5-level Likert scale: 0 = do not agree at all, 1 = do not agree, 2 = more or less agree = 3 = agree and 4 = completely agree. Results show a dimensional reliability situated between α = 0.63 and α = 0.83 [5].
The Family Coping Questionnaire
Coping styles were measured using a self-administered questionnaire entitled ‘Family Coping Questionnaire (FCQ)’. The version of the FCQ, used in this study, included 27 items measuring seven dimensions (information gathering, positive communication, social involvement, coercion, avoidance, resignation, the patient’s social involvement). A factor analysis enabled the authors to identify three main factors. Looking at these three factors and at the conceptual definition of coping, it is clear that the seven dimensions can be regrouped into three coping modes: (1) problem-focused coping (the patient’s social involvement, positive communication and information gathering are positively correlated with each other and negatively with avoidance, (2) emotion-focused coping (coercion, avoidance and resignation are positively correlated) and (3) social support-focused coping (social involvement is associated with avoidance) [10]. Our study catalogued these strategies. Caregiver responses to different situations were measured using a 5-level Likert scale: 1 = never, 2 = rarely, 3 = sometimes, 4 = very often and 5 = not applicable. Its validity was demonstrated during the BIOMED 1 study, conducted in five European countries [15]. Results showed a dimensional reliability between α = 0.68 and α = 0.83 [13].
Data analysis
Data were treated using the computing program ‘IBM SPSS Statistics® version 20’. Descriptive statistics were used to describe socio-demographic characteristics. To test associations between illness representations and coping styles, bivariate correlational analyses were used. The p value threshold used was set to <0.05.
Ethical considerations
All participants were required to sign an informed consent form for the paper version of the survey or confirm their consent in order to access the electronic version of the survey. The research protocol received full authorization by the Canton of Vaud’s Ethics Committee for human-based research.
Results and discussion
While Table 1 presents the socio-demographic characteristics of participants, Table 2 presents the main characteristics of the individuals with schizophrenia cared for. As showed, the final sample involved 92 middle-aged individuals (mean age = 56 years, standard deviation (SD) = 12.6) including 68% of women. Most participants were married or lived in a household as a married couple (70.3%). The majority of respondents were either mothers or fathers (66.3%) of the individual with schizophrenia. All participants had completed some level of education; vocational school, apprenticeship and university-level education were the most often cited. Most participants reported that they lived with one or several other individuals. Most of them (62%) participated to the Profamille program, a psycho-educational program for family members and friends of individuals with schizophrenia [31]. Among the 92 participants, 37 (40.2%) reported that they lived with the schizophrenia patient.
Table 1
Socio-demographic characteristics of participants
Characteristics
Value
Age, N = 92 (mean score (SD))
56.43 (12.61)
Number of people in household, N = 92 (mean score (SD))
2.88 (1.49)
Sex (N (%))
92 (100)
Female
63 (68.5)
Male
29 (31.5)
Status (N (%))
91 (100)
Single
9 (9.9)
Married
64 (70.3)
Widowed
8 (8.8)
Separated/divorced
10 (11.0)
Relationship type (N (%))
92 (100)
Mother/father
61 (66.3)
Daughter/son
10 (10.9)
Sister/brother
8 (8.7)
Other parent
4 (4.3)
Wife/husband
6 (6.5)
Friend
0
Neighbour
0
Colleague/school friend
0
Others
3 (2.8)
Completed education level (N (%))
92 (100)
Compulsory education
4 (4.3)
Apprenticeship
17 (18.5)
Maturity, high school
18 (19.6)
School profession
31 (34.8)
University
21 (22.8)
Number of people in household (N (%))
91 (100)
1
8 (8.8)
2
36 (39.6)
3
22 (24.2)
4
7 (7.7)
5
10 (11.0)
6
4 (4.4)
7
2 (2.2)
Profamille psycho-educational program (N (%))
92 (100)
Yes
57 (62.0)
No
20 (21.7)
Under way
15 (16.3)
Table 2
Characteristics of individuals with schizophrenia
Characteristics
Value
Duration of illness, years (mean score (SD))
15.05 (9.67)
Age (mean score (SD))
33.77 (11.56)
Number of therapist (mean score (SD))
1.97 (1.15)
Sex (N (%))
92 (100)
Female
21 (22.8)
Male
71 (77.2)
Living under the same roof (N (%))
92 (100)
Yes
37 (40.2)
No
55 (59.8)
Community services used (more than one service) (N (%))
92 (100)
Psychiatrist
81 (88.0)
General practitioner
32 (34.8)
Nurse
31 (33.7)
Psychologist
12 (13.0)
Social worker
19 (20.7)
Occupational therapist
6 (6.5)
Sheltered workshop
31 (33.7)
Day centre
16 (17.4)
As concerns the individual with schizophrenia, results show that the duration of the illness is long (mean = 15.1 years, SD = 9.7). The mean age of the individual with schizophrenia taken care for by the participants of this study was 34 years and 77.2% were male. Individuals with schizophrenia call upon community services in a variety of ways. In 88% of all cases, a psychiatrist was involved in patient follow-up. In 34.8% of all cases, a general medical practitioner was involved in patient follow-up. In our sample, 33.7% of the schizophrenia patients received nursing care. Also, a significant number (33.7%) of the individuals with schizophrenia in our sample were involved in sheltered workshops. Other community services were also used at more than 10% (social worker, 20.7%; psychologist, 13%; day centre, 17.4%).
Results presented in Table 3 show that caregivers have a great conception of the illness as being chronic and as having recurring symptoms per cycle. They have a strong perception that the illness brings about negative consequences for the individual with schizophrenia. While at the same time, they perceive fewer negative consequences for themselves caused by the patient’s illness. They have a feeling of control over the illness and that the patient can also have control. They do not think that the patient is responsible for his or her illness. They do not see themselves as responsible for the appearance of the illness. Treatment is perceived as helpful for better controlling the illness. For these caregivers, the illness has meaning and coherence. They more or less agree that the illness brings about negative emotions like sorrow or anxiety, measured here under the category of emotional representations. Participants in this study mostly used problem-focused and social support-focused coping styles. Emotion-focused coping was used less compared to the two other styles (median = 15, min to max = 7.00–28.00).
Table 3
Mean and median scores for IPQS-relatives sub-scales and coping styles
Number of items
Mean score (SD)
Median score (min to max)
IPQS-relatives sub-scale
Timeline (acute/chronic)
6
3.27 (0.56)
3.33 (1.83–4.00)
Timeline (cyclical)
4
3.01 (0.62)
3.00 (1.00–4.00)
Negative consequences (caregiver)
9
1.46 (0.61)
1.44 (0.11–3.22)
Negative consequences (patient)
11
2.90 (0.54)
3.00 (1.36–4.00)
Personal control (caregiver helplessness)
4
2.34 (0.82)
2.25 (0.25–4.00)
Personal control (patient helplessness)
4
2.57 (0.78)
2.50 (0.25–4.00)
Personal blame (caregiver responsibility)
3
0.94 (0.70)
1.00 (0.00–2.67)
Personal blame (patient responsibility)
3
0.76 (0.75)
0.67 (0.00–3.33)
Treatment control
5
2.50 (0.70)
2.60 (0.20–4.00)
Coherence
5
1.05 (0.72)
1.00 (0.00–2.60)
Emotional representation
9
1.90 (0.72)
1.89 (0.22–3.78)
Coping styles
Problem-focused coping
11
30.71 (7.28)
32.00 (7.00–43.00)
Emotion-focused coping
10
15.60 (4.40)
15.00 (7.00–28.00)
Social support-focused coping
8
22.33 (3.77)
23.00 (8.00–28.00)
Correlations between illness representations and coping styles are presented in Table 4. It can be seen that all the statistically significant correlations are somewhat low ranging from r = 0.23 to r = 0.41. The statistically significant correlations are the following:
1.
Representations that the illness brings about negative consequences for the caregiver have a moderate positive correlation with problem-focused coping (r = 0.31, p = 0.006) and emotion-focused coping (r = 0.35, p = 0.002). There was also a slight negative correlation between these representations and social support-focused coping (r = −0.29, p = 0.012).
2.
Representations that the illness brings about negative consequences for the patient have a slight positive correlation with emotion-focused coping (r = 0.23, p = 0.037).
3.
The presence of a feeling of control by the caregiver is moderately positively correlated with problem-focused coping (r = 0.31, p = 0.006).
4.
Representations that the caregiver might be responsible for the onset of the illness have a moderate positive correlation with emotion-focused coping (r = 0.34, p = 0.001).
5.
Representations that the patient is responsible for the onset of the illness have a slight positive correlation with emotion-focused coping (r = 0.25, p = 0.020).
6.
Representations that treatment helps to control the illness have a slight positive correlation with problem-focused coping (r = 0.23, p = 0.040).
7.
A lack of meaning attributed to the illness has a moderate positive correlation with emotion-focused coping (r = 0.31, p = 0.005).
It is timely to note that this study is the first known to use French-validated tools to measure correlations between representations of schizophrenia and coping styles within a caregiver sample. For most variables, our results align with several other studies in this field [8, 9, 13, 15, 32]. Nevertheless, the caregivers in this study were less likely to have the perception that the patient was at fault or that they themselves were responsible for the onset of the illness than compared to the results published by Lobban and collaborators [5]. Our results also show that emotion-focused coping is moderately correlated with (1) negative consequences for the caregivers, (2) the feeling of being at fault, (3) the feeling that the mental health problem is not coherent and (4) the overall score of the emotional representation scale. Problem-focused coping is itself moderately correlated with (1) the perception of negative consequences for caregivers and (2) the feeling of control. Social support-focused coping has a moderate negative correlation with the overall scores of the emotional representation scale. The other correlations are non-significant or less than 0.30 with a slight scaling effect [33].
The SRM predicts that illness representations influence coping procedures and that emotional representations influence coping responses. These different factors also influence each other. More specifically, when a health threat occurs, it is handled by the processing system, the second concept of SRM. This system consists of two types of threat management: (1) the representations of illness and treatment and (2) the emotional representations. Both types can influence each other. Each type of threat management includes three steps to process information: representation (illness and treatment), coping procedures and evaluation. Regarding the first type of threat management, the first stage of data processing is the development of a representation of the disease and the treatment. This concept determines the goals and coping procedures to achieve them [34]. Coping procedures are the second stage of information processing. They are a wide range of cognitive and behavioural measures undertaken in response to the cognitive representation, such as problem-focused coping [22, 34]. The third step of information processing is the evaluation of the cognitive treatment of information. Regarding the second type of threat management, the first step of information processing is the formation of an emotional representation [22]. Based on this emotional representation, goals are set and coping responses are determined to achieve them. Coping responses are the second step of information processing. They are a wide range of strategies focused on managing emotions that are applied in response to the emotional representation. The last step of information processing for this second type is the evaluation of the emotional treatment of the information. The results of the evaluation step produce a feedback at the preceding steps.
Our results are quite coherent with this predictive model, especially for emotion-focused coping and the score of emotional representations, consequences for the caregiver and the feeling of being at fault. Consequences for the patient and the feeling of control are associated with problem-focused coping. The fact that the consequences for the caregiver are associated as much with problem-focused coping as with emotion-focused coping underscores the presence of interactions between the emotional and cognitive variables.
A study similar to ours [8] did not establish a positive correlation between the representations of the illness that bring about negative consequences for the caregiver and problem-focused coping. It is important to note that these authors did not conceptualize coping as we did, and therefore, comparing our results is a limited exercise. However, the abovementioned correlation leads one to think that the Profamille psycho-educational program followed by a significant portion of our participants had an impact on this coping style without actually modifying the representations of the illness as conceived by the participants.
Our sample pool was particular in that it was composed of individuals belonging to family-type assistance programs and that most of the participants had followed some kind of psycho-educational program. On average, our participants had been caring for their patient for 15 years. This could explain the weak level of reliance on emotion-focused coping. Nevertheless, the correlations observed suggest that the SRM model is still valid over time.
In terms of intervention, the psycho-educational programs available for the caregivers tend to focus on knowledge acquisition of the illness and treatment and positive communication skills training to reduce stress within the family. Our data suggest that it would be of interest to take better into account the emotional representations of the illness. In everyday practice, first-line health care professionals have to care for caregivers’ painful emotions such as anger, guilt, sadness and fear. However, the required skills to help caregivers to better manage their painful emotions are difficult to define precisely. The development and evaluation of the best professional strategies to help caregivers to better manage their painful emotions appear to be an interesting line of research for the future. Refining the best professionals’ skills to help caregivers to deal with negative emotions may influence more directly emotional representations and coping skills in caregivers.
Given the scarcity of studies to compare to, further studies could be useful to better identify coping styles that improve emotional regulation without negative consequences for the patient, like acceptance or changing value systems. In this way, a holistic understanding of care, as suggested by several authors [35, 36], could be further promoted. Thus, interventions could be focused on the development of alternatives to less effective or even painful strategies like resignation, coercion and avoidance. Furthermore, the tools used to measure emotion-focused coping tend to highlight more negative emotional coping methods like coercion, avoidance or resignation. It is important to develop a measuring instrument that also takes into account the positive strategies focused on emotion.
Limitations of the study
This was the first study using the IPQS: Relatives and the FCQ in French. Participant recruitment took place within the context of social support organizations according to a convenience sampling method. Therefore, our results could be cautiously generalized to other programs having a similar context to ours, in terms of culture and health care systems.
Conclusion
In the empirical literature, as well as in the Commonsense Model of Self-Regulation of Health and Illness, problem-focused and social support-focused coping styles are recognized as efficient for decreasing caregiver loads and increasing a patient’s chances of better coping with schizophrenia. The results of this study also show that illness representations influence the choice of coping styles. The coping style approach is useful to develop further targeted and feasible interventions. Further studies in this field should focus on the evaluation of interventions based on illness representations in order to prevent the use of unsuitable coping styles. Also, it will be necessary to identify this phenomenon in a caregiver population of individuals who are not involved into any mutual support group in order to adapt appropriate care and support procedures.
Competing interests
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Authors’ contributions
SR, DM and JF contributed to the conception and design of the study. SR contributed to the acquisition of data. SR and JF performed the statistical analysis and drafted the first manuscript. NVP and CB critically reviewed and revised the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Authors’ Affiliations
(1)
Community Psychiatry Service, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Centre of Vaud, Site de Cery, Switzerland
(2)
School of Nursing Sciences, La Source, University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland, Lausanne, Switzerland
Lobban F, Barrowclough C, Jones S: Does expressed emotion need to be understood within a more systemic framework? An examination of discrepancies in appraisals between patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and their relatives. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. 2006, 41 (1): 50-55. 10.1007/s00127-005-0993-z.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Moller-Leimkuhler AM: Burden of relatives and predictors of burden. Baseline results from the Munich 5-year-follow-up study on relatives of first hospitalized patients with schizophrenia or depression. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience. 2005, 255 (4): 223-231. 10.1007/s00406-004-0550-x.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Copyright
This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
Q:
AFNetworking Response Error only for specific URL
Im trying to get response from using GeoNames API. and here my Code
NSMutableDictionary * parameters = [[NSMutableDictionary alloc]initWithDictionary:params];
NSURL *baseURL = [NSURL URLWithString:@"http://api.geonames.org/findNearbyPostalCodesJSON"];
AFHTTPSessionManager * manager = [[AFHTTPSessionManager alloc] initWithBaseURL:baseURL];
manager.responseSerializer = [AFJSONResponseSerializer serializer];
[manager POST:@"" parameters:parameters success:^(NSURLSessionDataTask * _Nonnull task, id _Nonnull responseObject) {
[delegate didReceiveNearByLocationResponse:responseObject];
} failure:^(NSURLSessionDataTask * _Nullable task, NSError * _Nonnull error) {
NSLog(@"%@",error);
}];
Im getting following error.
Domain=com.alamofire.error.serialization.response Code=-1011 "Request failed: forbidden (403)" UserInfo={NSUnderlyingError=0x7ff013d840f0 {Error Domain=com.alamofire.error.serialization.response Code=-1016 "Request failed: unacceptable content-type: text/html" UserInfo={com.alamofire.serialization.response.error.response=<NSHTTPURLResponse: 0x7ff013d07440> { URL: http://api.geonames.org/findNearbyPostalCodesJSON/ }
i tried with hurl.it to check whether response coming or not. and its coming fine.
Surprise is im using same above code for various other requests with only changing URL and those are working fine.
UPDATED
And previously it worked for the following code. and i did some code quality adjustment and transferred the code to above. then got the problem
AFHTTPRequestOperationManager *manager = [AFHTTPRequestOperationManager manager];
NSDictionary *params = @{@"lat": lat,
@"lng": lon,
@"username" : @"testing"
};
[manager POST:@"http://api.geonames.org/findNearbyPostalCodesJSON" parameters:params success:^(AFHTTPRequestOperation *operation, id responseObject) {
}
A:
I found the solution. i even upgraded the AFNetworking to 3.0 from 2.X
and Code Changed like below. Special Changes GET
AFHTTPSessionManager *manager = [[AFHTTPSessionManager alloc]initWithSessionConfiguration:[NSURLSessionConfiguration defaultSessionConfiguration]];
manager.requestSerializer = [AFJSONRequestSerializer serializer];
[manager GET:@"http://api.geonames.org/findNearbyPostalCodesJSON" parameters:params progress:nil success:^(NSURLSessionDataTask * _Nonnull task, id _Nullable responseObject) {
NSLog(@"success!");
[delegate didReceiveNearByLocationResponse:responseObject];
} failure:^(NSURLSessionDataTask * _Nullable task, NSError * _Nonnull error) {
NSLog(@"error: %@", error);
}];
|
/**
* This demonstrates how the Java volatile type qualifier can be used
* to enable two threads to alternate printing "ping" and "pong."
* Additional information about this technique appears at URL
* https://dzone.com/articles/java-volatile-keyword-0.
*/
public class ex31 {
/**
* Sleep for {@code milliseconds}.
*/
private static void sleep(int milliseconds) {
try {
Thread.sleep(milliseconds);
} catch (InterruptedException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
/**
* Print out parameter {@code s} prefixed with thread info.
*/
private static void print(String s) {
System.out.println(Thread.currentThread()
+ ": "
+ s);
}
/**
* Demonstrates how the Java volatile type qualifier can
* be used to coordinate behavior between two threads that
* alternatve printing "ping" and "pong".
*/
static class PingPongTest {
/**
* The volatile value that's shared between threads.
*/
private volatile int mVal = 0;
/**
* Max number of iterations.
*/
private int sMAX_ITERATIONS = 5;
/**
* Create/start two threads that alternate printing
* "ping" and "pong".
*/
public void playPingPong() {
// Create a new thread "pong" thread whose
// runnable lambda listens for changes to mVal;
new Thread(() -> {
for (int lv = mVal; lv < sMAX_ITERATIONS; )
// Only do the body of the if statement when
// lv changes.
if (lv != mVal) {
print("pong(" + mVal + ")");
// Read lv from volatile mVal.
lv = mVal;
}
}).start();
// Create a new "ping" thread whose runnable lambda
// changes the value of mVal on each loop iteration.
new Thread(() -> {
for (int lv = mVal; mVal < sMAX_ITERATIONS; ) {
print("ping(" + ++lv + ")");
// Set volatile mVal to next value of lv.
mVal = lv;
sleep(500);
}
}).start();
}
}
/**
* The Java execution environment requires a static main() entry
* point method to run the app.
*/
public static void main(String[] args) {
// Run the test program.
new PingPongTest().playPingPong();
}
}
|
<Type Name="OutputVector" FullName="GLib.OutputVector">
<TypeSignature Language="C#" Value="public struct OutputVector : IEquatable<GLib.OutputVector>" />
<TypeSignature Language="ILAsm" Value=".class public sequential ansi sealed beforefieldinit OutputVector extends System.ValueType implements class System.IEquatable`1<valuetype GLib.OutputVector>" />
<AssemblyInfo>
<AssemblyName>gio-sharp</AssemblyName>
</AssemblyInfo>
<Base>
<BaseTypeName>System.ValueType</BaseTypeName>
</Base>
<Interfaces>
<Interface>
<InterfaceName>System.IEquatable<GLib.OutputVector></InterfaceName>
</Interface>
</Interfaces>
<Docs>
<summary>To be added.</summary>
<remarks>To be added.</remarks>
<since version="Gtk# 3.0" />
</Docs>
<Members>
<Member MemberName="Equals">
<MemberSignature Language="C#" Value="public bool Equals (GLib.OutputVector other);" />
<MemberSignature Language="ILAsm" Value=".method public hidebysig newslot virtual instance bool Equals(valuetype GLib.OutputVector other) cil managed" />
<MemberType>Method</MemberType>
<ReturnValue>
<ReturnType>System.Boolean</ReturnType>
</ReturnValue>
<Parameters>
<Parameter Name="other" Type="GLib.OutputVector" />
</Parameters>
<Docs>
<param name="other">To be added.</param>
<summary>To be added.</summary>
<returns>To be added.</returns>
<remarks>To be added.</remarks>
<since version="Gtk# 3.0" />
</Docs>
</Member>
<Member MemberName="Equals">
<MemberSignature Language="C#" Value="public override bool Equals (object other);" />
<MemberSignature Language="ILAsm" Value=".method public hidebysig virtual instance bool Equals(object other) cil managed" />
<MemberType>Method</MemberType>
<ReturnValue>
<ReturnType>System.Boolean</ReturnType>
</ReturnValue>
<Parameters>
<Parameter Name="other" Type="System.Object" />
</Parameters>
<Docs>
<param name="other">To be added.</param>
<summary>To be added.</summary>
<returns>To be added.</returns>
<remarks>To be added.</remarks>
<since version="Gtk# 3.0" />
</Docs>
</Member>
<Member MemberName="GetHashCode">
<MemberSignature Language="C#" Value="public override int GetHashCode ();" />
<MemberSignature Language="ILAsm" Value=".method public hidebysig virtual instance int32 GetHashCode() cil managed" />
<MemberType>Method</MemberType>
<ReturnValue>
<ReturnType>System.Int32</ReturnType>
</ReturnValue>
<Parameters />
<Docs>
<summary>To be added.</summary>
<returns>To be added.</returns>
<remarks>To be added.</remarks>
<since version="Gtk# 3.0" />
</Docs>
</Member>
<Member MemberName="New">
<MemberSignature Language="C#" Value="public static GLib.OutputVector New (IntPtr raw);" />
<MemberSignature Language="ILAsm" Value=".method public static hidebysig valuetype GLib.OutputVector New(native int raw) cil managed" />
<MemberType>Method</MemberType>
<ReturnValue>
<ReturnType>GLib.OutputVector</ReturnType>
</ReturnValue>
<Parameters>
<Parameter Name="raw" Type="System.IntPtr" />
</Parameters>
<Docs>
<param name="raw">To be added.</param>
<summary>To be added.</summary>
<returns>To be added.</returns>
<remarks>To be added.</remarks>
<since version="Gtk# 3.0" />
</Docs>
</Member>
<Member MemberName="Size">
<MemberSignature Language="C#" Value="public ulong Size { get; set; }" />
<MemberSignature Language="ILAsm" Value=".property instance unsigned int64 Size" />
<MemberType>Property</MemberType>
<ReturnValue>
<ReturnType>System.UInt64</ReturnType>
</ReturnValue>
<Docs>
<summary>To be added.</summary>
<value>To be added.</value>
<remarks>To be added.</remarks>
<since version="Gtk# 3.0" />
</Docs>
</Member>
<Member MemberName="Zero">
<MemberSignature Language="C#" Value="public static GLib.OutputVector Zero;" />
<MemberSignature Language="ILAsm" Value=".field public static valuetype GLib.OutputVector Zero" />
<MemberType>Field</MemberType>
<ReturnValue>
<ReturnType>GLib.OutputVector</ReturnType>
</ReturnValue>
<Docs>
<summary>To be added.</summary>
<remarks>To be added.</remarks>
<since version="Gtk# 3.0" />
</Docs>
</Member>
</Members>
</Type>
|
Along with Super Bowl’s, passing records, and chicken parm, Peyton Manning has been heavily associated with Papa John’s. Serving as a spokesman and eventually a franchise owner of more than 30 establishments in the Denver area.
That is, until recently.
Two days before Papa John’s and the NFL mutually decided to end their partnership, Peyton Manning ended his role as a franchise owner with the former official pizza sponsor of the NFL, by selling his 31 Denver area franchises.
However, Manning will still appear as a spokesman for Papa John’s. In a statement to Denver’s Fox 31, Papa John’s spokesman Peter Collins said, “Peyton remains an official Papa John’s spokesperson and brand ambassador as part of his long-term agreement with the brand.”
According to Fox News, “The news comes amid a tumultuous year for the Kentucky-based pizza chain. In January, Papa John’s founder and CEO John Schnatter stepped down after criticizing the NFL, saying that national anthem protests by some players had hurt TV ratings and thus hurt pizza sales, the Denver Post reported.
“Schnatter later apologized for his remarks.
“Two days after Manning’s sell-off, Papa John’s competitor Pizza Hut became the NFL’s official pizza sponsor.”
Manning purchased the Denver area franchises when he came to the Broncos in 2012. The future Hall of Famer played four seasons in Denver and won a Super Bowl before retiring in 2016.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn |
from django.conf import settings
from django.db import models
from django.db.models.query import QuerySet
from django.utils.encoding import smart_str
from adminactions.compat import get_all_field_names, get_field_by_name
def get_ignored_fields(model, setting_var_name):
"""
returns list of ignored fields which must not be modified
"""
ignored_setting = getattr(settings, setting_var_name, {})
ignored_app = ignored_setting.get(model._meta.app_label, {})
if ignored_app:
ignored_fields = ignored_app.get(model._meta.model_name, [])
else:
ignored_fields = []
return ignored_fields
def clone_instance(instance, fieldnames=None):
"""
returns a copy of the passed instance.
.. warning: All fields are copied, even primary key
:param instance: :py:class:`django.db.models.Model` instance
:return: :py:class:`django.db.models.Model` instance
"""
if fieldnames is None:
fieldnames = [fld.name for fld in instance._meta.fields]
new_kwargs = dict([(name, getattr(instance, name)) for name in fieldnames])
return instance.__class__(**new_kwargs)
# def get_copy_of_instance(instance):
# return instance.__class__.objects.get(pk=instance.pk)
def get_attr(obj, attr, default=None):
"""Recursive get object's attribute. May use dot notation.
>>> class C(object): pass
>>> a = C()
>>> a.b = C()
>>> a.b.c = 4
>>> get_attr(a, 'b.c')
4
>>> get_attr(a, 'b.c.y', None)
>>> get_attr(a, 'b.c.y', 1)
1
"""
if '.' not in attr:
ret = getattr(obj, attr, default)
else:
L = attr.split('.')
ret = get_attr(getattr(obj, L[0], default), '.'.join(L[1:]), default)
if isinstance(ret, BaseException):
raise ret
return ret
def getattr_or_item(obj, name):
"""
works indifferently on dict or objects, retrieving the
'name' attribute or item
:param obj: dict or object
:param name: attribute or item name
:return:
>>> from django.contrib.auth.models import Permission
>>> p = Permission(name='perm')
>>> d ={'one': 1, 'two': 2}
>>> getattr_or_item(d, 'one')
1
>>> print(getattr_or_item(p, 'name'))
perm
>>> getattr_or_item(dict, "!!!")
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
AttributeError: type object has no attribute/item '!!!'
"""
try:
ret = get_attr(obj, name, AttributeError())
except AttributeError:
try:
ret = obj[name]
except (KeyError, TypeError):
raise AttributeError("%s object has no attribute/item '%s'" % (obj.__class__.__name__, name))
return ret
def get_field_value(obj, field, usedisplay=True, raw_callable=False):
"""
returns the field value or field representation if get_FIELD_display exists
:param obj: :class:`django.db.models.Model` instance
:param field: :class:`django.db.models.Field` instance or ``basestring`` fieldname
:param usedisplay: boolean if True return the get_FIELD_display() result
:return: field value
>>> from django.contrib.auth.models import Permission
>>> p = Permission(name='perm')
>>> get_field_value(p, 'name') == 'perm'
True
>>> get_field_value(p, None)
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
ValueError: Invalid value for parameter `field`: Should be a field name or a Field instance
"""
if isinstance(field, str):
fieldname = field
elif isinstance(field, models.Field):
fieldname = field.name
else:
raise ValueError('Invalid value for parameter `field`: Should be a field name or a Field instance')
if usedisplay and hasattr(obj, 'get_%s_display' % fieldname):
value = getattr(obj, 'get_%s_display' % fieldname)()
else:
value = getattr_or_item(obj, fieldname)
if hasattr(value, 'all'):
value = ';'.join(smart_str(obj) for obj in value.all())
if not raw_callable and callable(value):
value = value()
if isinstance(value, models.Model):
return smart_str(value)
# if isinstance(obj, Model):
# field = get_field_by_path(obj, fieldname)
# if isinstance(field, ForeignKey):
# return unicode(value)
if isinstance(value, str):
value = smart_str(value)
return value
def get_field_by_path(model, field_path):
"""
get a Model class or instance and a path to a attribute, returns the field object
:param model: :class:`django.db.models.Model`
:param field_path: string path to the field
:return: :class:`django.db.models.Field`
>>> from django.contrib.auth.models import Permission
>>> p = Permission(name='perm')
>>> get_field_by_path(Permission, 'content_type').name
'content_type'
>>> p = Permission(name='perm')
>>> get_field_by_path(p, 'content_type.app_label').name
'app_label'
"""
parts = field_path.split('.')
target = parts[0]
if target in get_all_field_names(model):
field_object, model, direct, m2m = get_field_by_name(model, target)
if isinstance(field_object, models.fields.related.ForeignKey):
if parts[1:]:
return get_field_by_path(field_object.related_model, '.'.join(parts[1:]))
else:
return field_object
else:
return field_object
return None
def get_verbose_name(model_or_queryset, field):
"""
returns the value of the ``verbose_name`` of a field
typically used in the templates where you can have a dynamic queryset
:param model_or_queryset: target object
:type model_or_queryset: :class:`django.db.models.Model`, :class:`django.db.query.Queryset`
:param field: field to get the verbose name
:type field: :class:`django.db.models.Field`, basestring
:return: translated field verbose name
:rtype: unicode
Valid uses:
>>> from django.contrib.auth.models import User, Permission
>>> user = User()
>>> p = Permission()
>>> get_verbose_name(user, 'username') == 'username'
True
>>> get_verbose_name(User, 'username') == 'username'
True
>>> get_verbose_name(User.objects.all(), 'username') == 'username'
True
>>> get_verbose_name(User.objects, 'username') == 'username'
True
>>> get_verbose_name(User.objects, user._meta.fields[0]) == 'ID'
True
>>> get_verbose_name(p, 'content_type.model') == 'python model class name'
True
"""
if isinstance(model_or_queryset, models.Manager):
model = model_or_queryset.model
elif isinstance(model_or_queryset, QuerySet):
model = model_or_queryset.model
elif isinstance(model_or_queryset, models.Model):
model = model_or_queryset
elif type(model_or_queryset) is models.base.ModelBase:
model = model_or_queryset
else:
raise ValueError('`get_verbose_name` expects Manager, Queryset or Model as first parameter (got %s)' % type(
model_or_queryset))
if isinstance(field, str):
field = get_field_by_path(model, field)
elif isinstance(field, models.Field):
field = field
else:
raise ValueError('`get_verbose_name` field_path must be string or Field class')
return field.verbose_name
def flatten(iterable):
"""
flatten(sequence) -> list
Returns a single, flat list which contains all elements retrieved
from the sequence and all recursively contained sub-sequences
(iterables).
:param sequence: any object that implements iterable protocol (see: :ref:`typeiter`)
:return: list
Examples:
>>> from adminactions.utils import flatten
>>> [1, 2, [3,4], (5,6)]
[1, 2, [3, 4], (5, 6)]
>>> flatten([[[1,2,3], (42,None)], [4,5], [6], 7, (8,9,10)])
[1, 2, 3, 42, None, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]"""
result = list()
for el in iterable:
if hasattr(el, "__iter__") and not isinstance(el, str):
result.extend(flatten(el))
else:
result.append(el)
return list(result)
|
Salman Khan miffed with CCL organisers
Salman Khan is angry with organisers of the Celebrity Cricket League after it emerged that he was not provided enough security during a cricket match he attended in Hyderabad.
A source told ZEE News, a group of bikers followed the 47-year old’s car from the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium to his hotel. The source also revealed that the bikers, who were supposedly his fans, even banged on the sides of his car to get Khan۪s attention, as they chased him.
The source added that the actor was furious at the tournament organizers and the police department for their carelessness towards his safety. The source further said that the superstar was not only worried about his safety but also feared that there could have been a major accident. |
Structure and function of human leukemia and AIDS viruses.
Gene expression directed by the long terminal repeats of human T-lymphotropic viruses is activated in trans by factors present in virus-infected cells. Trans-activation probably plays a major role in stimulating virus production and may also mediate some of the effects of viral infection on the host cell. |
Q:
jQuery: How to set the index of the current open div in jQuery UI accordion?
I'm trying to get a jQuery UI Accordion, with initially all divs collapsed.
The doc says
// getter
var active = $('#div0').accordion('option', 'active');
// setter
$('#div0').accordion('option', 'active', -1);
Neither of these was working in v1.7.2. The getter always returned null, and the setter had no effect.
I found this bug: http://dev.jqueryui.com/ticket/4576 , which included a fix for the getter.
But the setter still doesn't work.
Anyone have a fix for the setter?
A:
I'm not sure how to set arbitrary indexes as open, but...
I can create a create an accordion with nothing open, via:
$(document).ready(function() {
$('#div0').accordion({collapsible:true, active:false});
});
|
UK Big Bank NatWest to Leverage Syndicated Blockchain Loans
UK High Street Bank NatWest has announced that it plans to leverage DLT for the syndicated loans market within the next month.
Blockchain technology will be employed as a cost-effective way of streamlining communication between lenders in the loan market, according to the major retail and commercial bank.
Although syndicated loans around the world are worth 3.5 trillion pounds, NatWest has claimed that the process needs to be more efficient, suggesting that current practices are “inefficient, costly to operate and heavily reliant on manual processes.”
R3 has diversified its business lately and also works in a number of sectors outside of financial services. CEO David E. Rutter explained that the company’s open source blockchain platform Corda is the right one for this type of solution which needs a high degree of transparency:
“The syndicated lending industry relies on costly, manually-intensive processes, making it ripe for innovation with blockchain technology. Fusion LenderComm, powered by Corda, has been proven to address these issues.” Further adding, “We are investing in cutting-edge technologies and working with our suppliers and partners to deliver first class customer service and efficiency to a market that has not changed significantly in the last 20 years.”
From Fusion’s perspective, the whole process while now be far more efficient. Fusion VP Grant Jones expressed his assurance that the blockchain based solution would be able to clearly log lender-specific information on the blockchain and a make all relevant information available to lenders at the click of a mouse.
The United Kingdom has been somewhat a pioneer in the blockchain regulation space, with the Bank of England making significant strides having recently completed a DLT Proof-of-Concept. The UK is being touted as a nation with the capacity to lead the blockchain industry, which was a conclusion of a 960-page analysis from DAG Global, Deep Knowledge Analytics and the Big Innovation Center.
About us
Follow us
Welcome to BitcoinNews.com, we use cookies to gather and analyse information on site demographic, performance and usage. By Clicking "I agree” or by clicking into any content on this site, you agree to our privacy notice and allow cookies to be placed. Find out more. |
Crosswalk.com aims to offer the most compelling biblically-based content to Christians on their walk with Jesus. Crosswalk.com is your online destination for all areas of Christian Living – faith, family, fun, and community. Each category is further divided into areas important to you and your Christian faith including Bible study, daily devotions, marriage, parenting, movie reviews, music, news, and more.
Competition in Ministry
Jennifer Maggio
Jennifer Maggio is considered a leading authority on single parents and womens issues. She is an award-winning author and speaker who draws from her own experiences through abuse, homelessness, and teen pregnancy to inspire audiences everywhere. She is founder of The Life of a Single Mom Ministries and writes for dozens of publications. She has been featured with hundreds of media outlets, including The 700 Club, Daystar Television, Moody Radio, Focus on the Family, and many more. For more information, visit thelifeofasinglemom.com.
2013Sep 24
Comments
There is absolutely no competition in the Kingdom of God. Run your race. Do what God has called you to do. Am I saying there can never be a friendly competition among church friends? Of course not. But If you are concerned with becoming “the next big thing” in the Christian world, check your heart.
Are you running your nonprofit, because you want to change lives or so that others may know what you are doing? Are you hosting that Bible study in hopes that you will one day be the biggest at your church or so that others may know Christ more intimately? Do you sing just a little louder than everyone else from the choir loft to praise your King or in hopes that someone may discover you as the next big talent at your church?
“…..whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31b
Jesus says in Matthew 6:1-2 to be careful not to do good deeds publicly for the admiration of others, for that may be all the reward you will ever get! Do it because you want to see the Kingdom of Heaven grow. Do it to serve others. Do it because the Lord prompted you.
Do you get jealous when the church or ministry across town has an event that happens to catch the eye of the local newspaper? Or do you rejoice that God is using them in such a way?
Do you find yourself critiquing another church, pastor, or ministry that has a similar ministry as yours?
Do you feel genuine excitement when God elevates another church or ministry for His purposes? Or do you secretly struggle with jealousy?
It doesn’t matter if no one ever sees how much trash you have picked up after services, how many hours you have worked on that message, or how many women you have prayed with at coffee shops. The Lord saw. He sees you working to bring others unto Himself. He sees your genuine compassion.
May I challenge you to rest in knowing that your place – your role – in the Kingdom is significant. The one who happens to be on stage sharing the Word (whether to 50 or 5,000) is not more significant than the one wiping babies’ noses in the nursery. They each have their role. And…..the event, Bible study, or ministry doesn’t run as smoothly, if we each don’t step into our role and utilize the gifts God has given to us.
“Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. ” Romans 12:4-5
Understand that churches, ministries, nonprofits, and Bible studies are healthy when they produce “fruit.” Sometimes that is indicated through numbers and sometimes not.
Finally, I would urge you to be very careful about gaging someone else’s motivations. It is much easier to criticize, judge, and point fingers at another church, ministry, or Bible study than to encourage and glean knowledge from them.
Jennifer Maggio is an award-winning author and speaker who has a passion to see the body of Christ live life in total freedom. She is founder of The Life of a Single Mom Ministries and Overwhelmed: The Single Moms Magazine. She has been featured in hundreds of media venues. For more information, visit http://www.jennifermaggio.com. |
Q:
Hibernate thread-safe idempotent upsert without constraint exception handling?
I have some code that performs an UPSERT, also known as a Merge. I want to clean-up this code, specifically, I want to move away from exception handling, and reduce overall verbosity and sheer complexity of the code for such a simple operation. The requirement is to insert each item unless it already exists:
public void batchInsert(IncomingItem[] items) {
try(Session session = sessionFactory.openSession()) {
batchInsert(session, items);
}
catch(PersistenceException e) {
if(e.getCause() instanceof ConstraintViolationException) {
logger.warn("attempting to recover from constraint violation");
DateTimeFormatter dbFormat = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss.SSS");
items = Arrays.stream(items).filter(item -> {
int n = db.queryForObject("select count(*) from rets where source = ? and systemid = ? and updtdate = ?::timestamp",
Integer.class,
item.getSource().name(), item.getSystemID(),
dbFormat.format(item.getUpdtDateObj()));
if(n != 0) {
logger.warn("REMOVED DUPLICATE: " +
item.getSource() + " " + item.getSystemID() + " " + item.getUpdtDate());
return false;
}
else {
return true; // keep
}
}).toArray(IncomingItem[]::new);
try(Session session = sessionFactory.openSession()) {
batchInsert(session, items);
}
}
}
}
An initial search of SO is unsatisfactory:
Hibernate Idempotent Update - conceptually similar but much simpler scenario with no regard for multi-threading or multi-processing.
Can Hibernate work with MySQL's "ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE" syntax? much better, removes the race condition by pushing atomicity to the database using @SQLInsert annotation; unfortunately, this solution is too error-prone to use on wider tables, and maintenance-intensive in evolving applications.
How to mimic upsert behavior using Hibernate? very similar to the above question, with a similar answer
Hibernate + "ON DUPLICATE KEY" logic same as above, answer mentions merge() which is ok when single-threaded
Bulk insert or update with Hibernate? similar question but the chosen answer is off-the-rails, using stored procedures
Best way to prevent unique constraint violations with JPA again very naive, single-thread-oriented question and answers
In the question How to do ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE in Spring Data JPA? which was marked as a duplicate, I noticed this intriguing comment:
That was a dead-end as I really don't understand the comment, despite it sounding like a clever solution, and mention of "actual same SQL statement".
Another promising approach is this: Hibernate and Spring modify query Before Submitting to DB
ON CONFLICT DO NOTHING / ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE
Both of the major open-source databases support a mechanism to push idempotency down to the database. The examples below use the PostgreSQL syntax, but can be easily adapted for MySQL.
By following the ideas in Hibernate and Spring modify query Before Submitting to DB, Hooking into Hibernate's query generation, and How I can configure StatementInspector in Hibernate?, I implemented:
import org.hibernate.resource.jdbc.spi.StatementInspector;
@SuppressWarnings("serial")
public class IdempotentInspector implements StatementInspector {
@Override
public String inspect(String sql) {
if(sql.startsWith("insert into rets")) {
sql += " ON CONFLICT DO NOTHING";
}
return sql;
}
}
with property
<prop key="hibernate.session_factory.statement_inspector">com.myapp.IdempotentInspector</prop>
Unfortunately this leads to the following error when a duplicate is encountered:
Caused by:
org.springframework.orm.hibernate5.HibernateOptimisticLockingFailureException:
Batch update returned unexpected row count from update [0]; actual row
count: 0; expected: 1; nested exception is
org.hibernate.StaleStateException: Batch update returned unexpected
row count from update [0]; actual row count: 0; expected: 1
Which makes sense, if you think about what's going on under the covers: the ON CONFLICT DO NOTHING causes zero rows to be inserted, but one insert is expected.
Is there a solution that enables thread-safe exception-free concurrent idempotent inserts and doesn't require manually defining the entire SQL insert statement to be executed by Hibernate?
For what it's worth, I feel that the approaches that push the dupcheck down to the database are the path to a proper solution.
CLARIFICATION
The IncomingItem objects consumed by the batchInsert method originate from a system where records are immutable. Under this special condition the ON CONFLICT DO NOTHING behaves the same as an UPSERT, notwithstanding possible loss of the Nth update.
A:
Short answer - Hibernate does not support it out of the box (as confirmed by a Hibernate guru in this blog post). Probably you could make it work to some extent in some scenarios with the mechanisms you already described, but just using native queries directly looks the most straightforward approach to me for this purpose.
Longer answer would be that it would be hard to support it considering all the aspects of Hibernate I guess, e.g.:
What to do with instances for which duplicates are found, as they are supposed to become managed after persisting? Merge them into persistence context?
What to do with associations that have already been persisted, which cascade operations to apply on them (persist/merge/something_new; or is it too late at that point to make that decision)?
Do the databases return enough info from upsert operations to cover all use cases (skipped rows; generated keys for not-skipped in batch insert modes, etc).
What about @Audit-ed entities, are they created or updated, if updated what has changed?
Or versioning and optimistic locking (by the definition you actually want exception in that case)?
Even if Hibernate supported it in some way, I'm not sure I'd be using that feature if there were too many caveats to watch out and take into consideration.
So, the rule of thumb I follow is:
For simple scenarios (which are most of the time): persist + retry. Retries in case of specific errors (by exception type or similar) can be globally configured with AOP-like approaches (annotations, custom interceptors and similar) depending on which frameworks you use in your project and it is a good practice anyway especially in distributed environments.
For complex scenarios and performance intensive operations (especially when it comes to batching, very complex queries and alike): Native queries to maximize utilization of specific database features.
|
Pet of the Week - Dawn
Posted by Franki Williams479sc on January 23, 2018
Beautiful Dawn is in search of a loving new home! Dawn, a ten year old Doberman and Vizsla mix is full of life and wonder and while she may be considered a senior you would never know it by her peppy personality and high activity level.
Dawn was originally brought to the Humane Society of Ventura County after being rescued in the field by our Humane Officers.Officers were responding to a tip about an older dog who was in poor health and living in unsanitary conditions. Dawn's previous owners agreed with the Officers that she would do best in the hands of the Humane Society and she was signed over to the shelter in order to recuperate and find a loving forever home.
With the proper care Dawn quickly began to make improvements and has recovered nicely from a case of Lick Granuloma, a skin order commonly found in dogs. Dawn is always in good spirits, in fact you would hardly know Dawn is ten years old with her high energy level and up-beat personality. While we have limited information on her background, Dawn has a lovely character with plenty of affection to give. As with all animals rescued in the field, Dawn's adoption will be overseen by our Humane Officers to make sure she finds the perfect new home that can meet her needs.
Included with every dog adoption will be the first DHPP shot of the series, a rabies vaccine, a wellness check good for up to three days from participating veterinarians, implanting an identification microchip (registration extra), spay or neuter surgery, if necessary, as well as a collar, ID tag, and a leash.
For dog adoptions, a yard check will be performed prior to adoption. In addition to adequate fencing and shelter, those wishing to adopt a pet must provide either proof of ownership of the residence or a rental agreement for that address indicating that pets are allowed. |
4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards
The 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army formed in 1922. It served in the Second World War. However following the reduction of forces at the end of the Cold War and proposals contained in the Options for Change paper, the regiment was amalgamated with the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards, to form the new Royal Dragoon Guards in 1992.
History
Formation
The regiment was formed in India, as the 4th/7th Dragoon Guards, in 1922 by the amalgamation of the 4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards and 7th (Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards; it gained the distinction Royal in 1936. The regiment returned to the United Kingdom in 1929, was mechanised in 1938, and transferred to the Royal Armoured Corps in 1939 prior to the outbreak of the Second World War.
Second World War
In 1939, equipped with Vickers Mk.VI light tanks, it deployed to France with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), as the reconnaissance regiment of the 2nd Infantry Division under I Corps. It participated in the Battle of France, fighting in northern France and Belgium, and evacuated from Dunkirk in Operation Dynamo. The personnel of the regiment landed in England on 3 June 1940, having abandoned their vehicles.
After re-equipping with Beaverette armoured cars, the regiment was posted to the 1st Armoured Reconnaissance Brigade and then, in December 1940, to the 27th Armoured Brigade, part of 9th Armoured Division, equipped with Covenanter tanks. At this time, a small group of personnel was detached to form the cadre of a new regiment, the 22nd Dragoons. In 1943, the regiment joined 79th Armoured Division, equipping with amphibious Valentine tanks, and later re-equipping with M4 Sherman DD tanks.
Under command of the 8th Armoured Brigade, the regiment landed on King Green, Gold Beach, at 07:20 on 6 June 1944 as part of the D-Day landings, supporting the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division. The regiment later participated in the Battle for the Falaise Gap, and as part of the armoured forces in Operation Market Garden - the regiment pushing as far as Driel, on the south bank of the Rhine a couple of miles from Arnhem. Among other notable achievements, it was the first armoured unit to cross the Seine.
Post-war
The regiment ended the war in Bremerhaven, and a year later was deployed to Palestine for a tour of duty lasting from 1946-1948. The regiment was then deployed to Libya in June 1948, rotated back to England in November 1952, and then to Lumsden Barracks in Fallingbostel in June 1954 as part of 7th Armoured Division. The regiment returned to England in October 1959 and then went to York Barracks in Munster in August 1962 from where it deployed a squadron to Aden in August 1965. It was posted to Lisanelly Barracks in Omagh in September 1966 from where it sent a squadron to Cyprus in December 1967. It was sent to Athlone Barracks in Sennelager in March 1969, and after returning to the UK in June 1973, went back to Lumsden Barracks in Fallingbostel in October 1976. It returned to the UK again in March 1981 and was then posted to Hobart Barracks in Detmold in April 1983.
Amalgamation
Following the reduction of forces at the end of the Cold War and proposals contained in the Options for Change paper, the regiment was amalgamated with the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards, to form the new Royal Dragoon Guards in 1992.
Regimental museum
The regimental collection is held in the York Army Museum at the Tower Street drill hall in York.
Colonels-in-Chief
1922–: HRH Princess Louise, Princess Royal, CI
1977–: Hon. Maj-Gen. HRH Katharine, Duchess of Kent, GCVO
Regimental Colonels
Colonels of the regiment were:
4th/7th Dragoon Guards
1922–1930 (4th): Lt-Gen. Sir Edward Cecil Bethune, KCB, CVO (ex 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards)
1922–1928 (7th): Maj-Gen. Sir Henry Peter Ewart, Bt., GCVO, KCB (ex 7th Dragoon Guards)
1930–1940: Maj-Gen. Arthur Solly-Flood, CB, CMG, DSO
4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards (1935)
1940–1948: Lt-Gen. Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart, VC, KBE, CB, CMG, DSO
1948–1958: Maj-Gen. John Aldam Aizlewood, MC
1958–1963: Col. Ronald Altham Moulton-Barrett, OBE
1963–1973: Maj-Gen. James Arthur d'Avigdor-Goldsmid, CB, OBE, MC, MP
1973–1979: Maj-Gen. Ian Gordon Gill, CB, OBE, MC
1979–1983: Lt-Gen. Sir Rollo Pain, KCB, MC
1983–1989: Gen. Sir Robert Ford, GCB, CBE
1989–1992: Brig. Robert John Baddeley, ADC
1992: Regiment amalgamated with 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards to form The Royal Dragoon Guards
References
Category:Cavalry regiments of the British Army
Category:Regiments of Yorkshire
Category:Military units and formations established in 1922
Royal Dragoon Guards 004 007 |
I've seen more anime then you! ;p
No but really I have seen a whole lot; lots and lots and lots…Tell me how much you've seen first so i can one up you lol.
I've been heavily into anime since the early 90's; before the big Moe factor boom! There are so many great Animes out there with out Eng. dubs that really deserve recognition. Most of the anime series I've finished are only 11-13 episodes long but, surprise-ingly enough those are the best ones in terms of story pacing and animation quality.
Umm... what else? I like loli's. Loli and Moe are NOT the same thing! Just putting that out there cuz people can confuse the two.
And I basically started this account on here for one purpose only: To watch the official subs for Hyperdimension Neptunia.
And maybe we can convince Funimation to release an English dub for the series out on DVD using the same voice cast from the games- You gotta admit, that's one stellar all star line up that they got put together! How awesome would it be if this could actually happen? Help me start a petition or something...
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. See details.I accept |
Out of the blue, Ben asked me a question: “Dad, why does the King of Hearts have a knife behind his head?” I didn’t know, but I live in the 21st Century when there are virtually no mysteries left. The story of why the King of Hearts has a knife behind his head is a wonderful example of how we forget things…
As the new Congress takes its seats, the arguments and debates begin again. It’s clear to me that there are very few Congress members, Left or Right, who actually understand or care about the whys and how’s the Constitution was created the way it was. I am starting to wonder if the entropic effects of our society have worn down the past to the point where we no longer know truths which were, once upon a time, self-evident?
For example, a Congressman from Tennessee – a State well versed in the ideas of liberty and history – has introduced the annual “Let’s get rid of the Electoral College” amendment. His spokesman said that the Electoral College was supposed to “prevent someone like Donald Trump” from being elected. Why does it never occur to these people that the Electoral College did exactly what it was intended to do – prevent the likes of Hillary Clinton from becoming President? |
1 RS Analysis Detects randomly scattered LSB embedding in grayscale and colour images by inspecting the differences in the number of regular and singular groups for the LSB and ’shifted’ LSB plane.
2 Chi-square attack Statistical analysis of pairs of values (PoV’s) exchanged during LSB embedding.
3 Sample Pair Analysis Based on a finite state machine whose states are selected multisets of sample pairs called trace multisets.
4 Difference histogram analysis Statistical attack on an image’s histogram, measuring the correlation between the least significant and all other bit planes.
5 Primary Sets Based on a statistical identity related to certain sets of pixels in an image. |
SF Supervisor Aaron Peskin named to California Coastal Commission
Supervisor Aaron Peskin, during a Board of Supervisors meeting at City Hall, on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016 in San Francisco, Calif. Supervisor Aaron Peskin, during a Board of Supervisors meeting at City Hall, on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016 in San Francisco, Calif. Photo: Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close SF Supervisor Aaron Peskin named to California Coastal Commission 1 / 1 Back to Gallery
San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who has worked for environmental nonprofit groups for three decades, was appointed Thursday to the California Coastal Commission, an agency racked by dissension over the past year after the firing of its executive director.
Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León appointed Peskin to fill the commission seat representing the North Coast and Central Coast, which was vacated by former Marin County Supervisor Steve Kinsey, who retired.
The commission, widely considered one of the most powerful and effective coastal-protection agencies in the country, was created by voter initiative in 1972 to regulate development and protect the coastline.
“I am honored, delighted and excited,” Peskin said. “Our coast is under a tremendous amount of pressure. There are a whole slew of issues related to sea-level rise and I look forward to being at the cutting edge on all those matters.”
The naming of Peskin comes less than a month after commissioners chose Jack Ainsworth, a staffer on the commission for 29 years, as the executive director. That announcement, on Feb. 10, came exactly one year after his predecessor, Charles Lester, was ousted, causing an outcry among environmentalists and others who accused the agency of selling out to developers and Malibu millionaires.
Lester’s opponents on the board cited poor outreach to minority communities and a lack of diversity on the 163-member staff as reasons for his dismissal. Since firing Lester, the commission board has come under fire for meeting with lobbyists before making important decisions.
Peskin’s appointment was supported by the the Sierra Club, the Board of Supervisors and state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco. Wiener said Thursday that the two had not always been on the same side of local issues, but he praised Peskin for his hard work, attention to detail and passion for environmental protection.
“Supervisor Peskin has always been a strong environmentalist, and I’m confident he will be a staunch defender of our coastline as a member of the Coastal Commission,” Wiener said. “It’s as important as ever to have strong, engaged coastal commissioners who can keep the commission on track.”
Peskin served on the Trust for Public Land in the 1980s and was western regional director of the American Land Conservancy from 1990 to 1993. He is currently president of Great Basin Land & Water, a small nonprofit organization focused on protecting water quality in the Truckee River. He is also a member of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, a state planning and regulatory agency.
Peskin said he will resign his position on the board of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District so he can dedicate more time to the Coastal Commission, which he acknowledged is in the midst of “some tumult.” He will represent an area that includes Marin, San Francisco and Sonoma counties.
“I feel like I am coming in at exactly the right time after the dust has settled,” he said. “The commission is now in the forefront of everybody’s mind, and my job is to create relationships with the other members and staff. My background as a lifelong environmentalist is abundantly clear.”
The Coastal Commission is charged with carrying out environmentally sustainable planning and science-based regulation of development along the coast. It has 12 voting members and three nonvoting members who are appointed by the governor, the Senate Rules Committee and the speaker of the Assembly.
Peskin will receive $50 for the monthly meetings and $12.50 for every hour, up to eight, that he needs to prepare for meetings.
Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite |
/****************************************************************************
Copyright (c) 2008-2010 Ricardo Quesada
Copyright (c) 2009 Valentin Milea
Copyright (c) 2010-2012 cocos2d-x.org
Copyright (c) 2011 Zynga Inc.
CopyRight (c) 2013-2014 Chukong Technologies Inc.
http://www.cocos2d-x.org
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
THE SOFTWARE.
****************************************************************************/
#ifndef __ACTION_CCACTION_MANAGER_H__
#define __ACTION_CCACTION_MANAGER_H__
#include "2d/CCAction.h"
#include "base/CCVector.h"
#include "base/CCRef.h"
NS_CC_BEGIN
class Action;
struct _hashElement;
/**
* @addtogroup actions
* @{
*/
/** @class ActionManager
@brief ActionManager is a singleton that manages all the actions.
Normally you won't need to use this singleton directly. 99% of the cases you will use the Node interface,
which uses this singleton.
But there are some cases where you might need to use this singleton.
Examples:
- When you want to run an action where the target is different from a Node.
- When you want to pause / resume the actions.
@since v0.8
*/
class CC_DLL ActionManager : public Ref
{
public:
/**
* @js ctor
*/
ActionManager(void);
/**
* @js NA
* @lua NA
*/
~ActionManager(void);
// actions
/** Adds an action with a target.
If the target is already present, then the action will be added to the existing target.
If the target is not present, a new instance of this target will be created either paused or not, and the action will be added to the newly created target.
When the target is paused, the queued actions won't be 'ticked'.
*
* @param action A certain action.
* @param target The target which need to be added an action.
* @param paused Is the target paused or not.
*/
void addAction(Action *action, Node *target, bool paused);
/** Removes all actions from all the targets.
*/
void removeAllActions();
/** Removes all actions from a certain target.
All the actions that belongs to the target will be removed.
*
* @param target A certain target.
*/
void removeAllActionsFromTarget(Node *target);
/** Removes an action given an action reference.
*
* @param action A certain target.
*/
void removeAction(Action *action);
/** Removes an action given its tag and the target.
*
* @param tag The action's tag.
* @param target A certain target.
*/
void removeActionByTag(int tag, Node *target);
/** Removes all actions given its tag and the target.
*
* @param tag The actions' tag.
* @param target A certain target.
* @js NA
*/
void removeAllActionsByTag(int tag, Node *target);
/** Removes all actions matching at least one bit in flags and the target.
*
* @param flags The flag field to match the actions' flags based on bitwise AND.
* @param target A certain target.
* @js NA
*/
void removeActionsByFlags(unsigned int flags, Node *target);
/** Gets an action given its tag an a target.
*
* @param tag The action's tag.
* @param target A certain target.
* @return The Action the with the given tag.
*/
Action* getActionByTag(int tag, const Node *target) const;
/** Returns the numbers of actions that are running in a certain target.
* Composable actions are counted as 1 action. Example:
* - If you are running 1 Sequence of 7 actions, it will return 1.
* - If you are running 7 Sequences of 2 actions, it will return 7.
*
* @param target A certain target.
* @return The numbers of actions that are running in a certain target.
* @js NA
*/
ssize_t getNumberOfRunningActionsInTarget(const Node *target) const;
/** @deprecated Use getNumberOfRunningActionsInTarget() instead.
*/
CC_DEPRECATED_ATTRIBUTE inline ssize_t numberOfRunningActionsInTarget(Node *target) const { return getNumberOfRunningActionsInTarget(target); }
/** Pauses the target: all running actions and newly added actions will be paused.
*
* @param target A certain target.
*/
void pauseTarget(Node *target);
/** Resumes the target. All queued actions will be resumed.
*
* @param target A certain target.
*/
void resumeTarget(Node *target);
/** Pauses all running actions, returning a list of targets whose actions were paused.
*
* @return A list of targets whose actions were paused.
*/
Vector<Node*> pauseAllRunningActions();
/** Resume a set of targets (convenience function to reverse a pauseAllRunningActions call).
*
* @param targetsToResume A set of targets need to be resumed.
*/
void resumeTargets(const Vector<Node*>& targetsToResume);
/** Main loop of ActionManager.
* @param dt In seconds.
*/
void update(float dt);
protected:
// declared in ActionManager.m
void removeActionAtIndex(ssize_t index, struct _hashElement *element);
void deleteHashElement(struct _hashElement *element);
void actionAllocWithHashElement(struct _hashElement *element);
protected:
struct _hashElement *_targets;
struct _hashElement *_currentTarget;
bool _currentTargetSalvaged;
};
// end of actions group
/// @}
NS_CC_END
#endif // __ACTION_CCACTION_MANAGER_H__
|
Federal and state contracting seminar to be held at BHSU
The South Dakota Center for Enterprise Opportunity and Black Hills State University will host a business seminar, Federal and State Contracting 101: “Grow Your Company,” Tuesday, Nov. 9, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the BHSU Student Union, Jacket Legacy Room.
Federal and state contracting offers great opportunities for small business to increase their business volume. The Federal Government is the world’s largest buyer of goods and services, with purchases totaling more than $425 billion per year and the state of South Dakota purchases $1.2 billion annually.
The government especially encourages small businesses to bid on contracts for some of these needs. In fact, federal agencies are required to establish contracting goals, with at least 23 percent of all government buying targeted to small firms; 5 percent is mandated for women owned businesses.
Take advantage of this opportunity to learn from federal and state procurement officers the do’s and don’ts of contracting with federal or state agencies. Learn what opportunities may be available as a prime or sub contractor. Representatives from the SBA, Procurement Technical Assistance Center, Ellsworth Air Force Base, the State of SD Procurement Office and others will be in attendance.
Located in Woodburn Hall on the BHSU campus in Spearfish, the SD CEO was established to provide management and business assistance, training, and counseling for entrepreneurs. It is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. SBA, and is part of a network of more than 110 centers nationwide established through the SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership. While services are available to all those interested in entrepreneurship, there is a special emphasis on women, women veterans, Native Americans, socially and/or economically disadvantaged, and youth entrepreneurs.
The SD CEO is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). This seminar is co-sponsored by Dakota Rising, an organization designed to spur South Dakota’s rural economy.
For more information contact visit www.BHSU.edu/sdceo or call Melissa Hampton, program assistant, at (605) 642-6435.
BHSU News Archive:
BHSU In the News
Black Hills State University faculty, staff, and students are transforming lives and making headlines with their achievements. See what BHSU is in the news for lately. Email CampusCurrents@bhsu.edu or call 605.642.6215 to share your news item. |
using MapOverlay;
using MapOverlay.UWP;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using Windows.Devices.Geolocation;
using Windows.UI;
using Windows.UI.Xaml.Controls.Maps;
using Xamarin.Forms.Maps;
using Xamarin.Forms.Maps.UWP;
using Xamarin.Forms.Platform.UWP;
[assembly: ExportRenderer(typeof(CustomMap), typeof(CustomMapRenderer))]
namespace MapOverlay.UWP
{
public class CustomMapRenderer : MapRenderer
{
protected override void OnElementChanged(ElementChangedEventArgs<Map> e)
{
base.OnElementChanged(e);
if (e.OldElement != null)
{
// Unsubscribe
}
if (e.NewElement != null)
{
var formsMap = (CustomMap)e.NewElement;
var nativeMap = Control as MapControl;
var coordinates = new List<BasicGeoposition>();
foreach (var position in formsMap.ShapeCoordinates)
{
coordinates.Add(new BasicGeoposition() { Latitude = position.Latitude, Longitude = position.Longitude });
}
var polygon = new MapPolygon();
polygon.FillColor = Windows.UI.Color.FromArgb(128, 255, 0, 0);
polygon.StrokeColor = Windows.UI.Color.FromArgb(128, 0, 0, 255);
polygon.StrokeThickness = 5;
polygon.Path = new Geopath(coordinates);
nativeMap.MapElements.Add(polygon);
}
}
}
}
|
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to devices for making soap bubbles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Children are fascinated with the production of soap bubbles. For this reason, numerous types of bubble toy machines have been developed. Perhaps the oldest and simplest is the wire or plastic frame which is dipped into bubble making liquid, such as liquid dish washing soap, and bubbles are then blown from the wire. In recent years, more elaborate toys have been developed using the same basic theory. These toys are designed for the user to blow on part of the apparatus to produce bubbles. The disadvantage with this technique is that the user must place their mouth on or about the apparatus. This is a problem, particularly when there are many users operating the apparatus, thus promoting the spread of germs among children. There have been toys developed over the years which do not necessitate the user operating the apparatus by blowing on it. However, most of these devices are complex and therefore expensive to produce. Most of these devices produce bubbles by blowing air through bubble solution.
Representative of the genre is U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,682. The patent is a bubble toy operated by manually blowing through an opening in the center of the toy. The air is blown through a cap on the end of the toy. This cap is emerged in the bubble solution, and as the air enters the cap, soap bubbles are formed.
Another bubble toy is represented by U.S. Pat. No. 4,044,496. This toy is activated by rotating a gear crank, which turns a propeller. This toy is not designed to submerge into water and bubble solution, but rather the solution is introduced into a resevoir within the toy itself.
Another bubble toy is represented by U.S. Pat. No. 3,708,909. This toy utilizes a disk with apertures. However, this toy is operated by pneumatic force rather than manual operation.
The prior art does not show a safe bubble producing toy that can be used successfully by a child in a bathtub or other clear or soapy water area, that is unique in the manner of bubble production, and that is capable of reusing the bubble solution. In addition, the prior art does not show a bubble producing toy that utilizes water, air and bubble solution as opposed to only air and bubble solution. |
Often times in literature it's a symbol of power or strength, passion and lust that's kindled deep beneath our skin. As children, we're told not to touch it's flames in the fear of getting burned, and I hear Rita's voice warning Cody not to get too close to it, like she did on that one oddly too-chilly-for-Miami night. Yet the older we become, the more that fire, hatred, surfaces. We're not shielded from the enmity that is everyday life, and we watch the flames dance around us, engulfing those who might stand in our way, or in the way of those we love. They remind me of the flames I plan on seeing in Hell...if there really is one. And I can't figure that out yet. Harrison needs me, my sister. I forgive her for shooting me. I know the feeling of being under a stressful moment. When I open my eyes, the darkness slips away.
Mr. Morgan? I don't recognize the voice; instead I'm trying to focus on figuring out where I am. Then I realize that the voice is just a figment of my fucked up mind. The ground is cold and rocky, but I can feel the blood boiling beneath my skin. Wind; I can feel it. It goes, silently, like a card pyramid blown by a gentle breeze. At least I'm alive.
My vision is blurry, but not like the way I feel when my dark passenger's driving; to be honest, I feel delusional. The Miami sun strikes down on me. I'm outside of the church. My bullet wound has been, more or less, bandaged up. Deb, I think. She's no doctor, but she's always been able to figure things out. Where is she now? I never wanted to hurt her. Actually, I never wanted to hurt anyone, – unless those who deserved it, and even then I only sought to wound their flesh, not to shatter their hearts like I know I've shattered hers. She's the last person in the world I want to look at me in fear or contempt – and yet I know I haven't given anyone else scars as deep as the ones that I've carved into her soul. I've left little wounds and bruises on her body, mainly from all the times I lied to her. This is the biggest wound of all. I haven't made anyone else bleed like she will bleed for me – because she is the only person in this world who loves me, the only person who trusts me unconditionally…until now.
And so I feel fire when I see her come into my blurred vision. From hatred, desire, instinct, I'm not sure. She squats down and lays her hand over the bandage.
"Ow, Deb," I respond, knowing all too well that my sister has always been a bit of a brute.
"Pressure will stop the bleeding." Her tone is flat and makes the hair on my neck stand on end, but not from fear. It's not fear that tightens around my throat like a vice; it's not fear, the feeling that's slicing through my chest from the inside. I can't recognize the feeling; I can't tell why suddenly air has abandoned my lungs, why even breathing hurts so much. I just know that the dead look in her eyes is tearing me apart. She gently pulls off the gauze and wraps a new piece around it.
"I forgive you…" It's a stupid thing to say. Every word I say is true, but it doesn't matter. I've killed her all the same.
"Hmm," she gives that weird, crooked smile of hers, not meeting my eyes, "well, I don't."
Before I know it, she's pulling me up, and I'm once again overcome by an excruciating pain in my abdomen.
"Jeez, Deb, take it easy, will ya?"
"Fuck you, Dexter," she says, and there's a sudden spark in her eyes that allows me breathe again. "Get in the fucking trunk!"
What? Trunk? I notice that the back trunk on Deb's car has been cleared out.
"Uhh-''
"Now, Dexter!" she interrupts me. I do as I'm told. I could have put up a fight, could have made one last struggle for survival. But, I know that that would involve hurting her again, and I can't bring myself to do that.
She is lounging against the side of the car, her arms folded over her chest, her eyes fixed upon the dying sun in the horizon. She doesn't turn to look at me when I get up and walk closer. Her face still looks like a marble statue, but I think that I can distinguish a glimpse of feeling underneath the darkness in her gaze. She blurts out the most random question; "Did Dad know?" She's talking about Harry knowing about my darkness. I could lie to her. I could even go so far as to pretend I don't know anything she's talking about and avoid her future suffering, but I have been pretending for my entire life, and now it comes crashing down on me...on both of us.
"Yes, he did."
Her expression – or lack of thereof – doesn't change. I swallow, and I should say something else, try to explain – no words seem to be coming to my lips, though, and so I remain in silence. She seems to have forgotten the whole thing with the trunk.
"Did...did Rudy know as well?"
Brian, my brother. Deb doesn't need to know all the details; that I used to look up to him, that he tried to get me to kill her, but I saved her instead and killed him. I killed him...for her. She can't know...not yet. I closee my eyes, then open them again. No matter how much time comes to pass, Brian will always be a sore subject for me – for both of us.
"He did."
She nods, almost imperceptibly, and bites her lip. I stare at her, taking in her stony face, her green eyes. She doesn't look like my little sister anymore. And yet, the look on her face is not entirely unfamiliar. "Thanks for not letting me bleed to death..." I try, attempting to change the subject, though I know all too well that this "subject" isn't going anywhere.
"But you knew." The moment the words escape my lips, I know they are true even though the thought has never crossed my mind before. She knew. I don't know for how long, I don't know to what extent, but a part of her has known what I am for a long time, a part of her must have accepted it to some level or she would have acted before this. She turns her head and looks directly into my eyes for the first time. There's pain in there, and something inside me clenches at the sight of it. But there's also resolution.
"Get in the car, Dexter. You're driving now."
The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been posted. |
Three-dimensional ultrastructural changes of acellular glomerular basement membrane in various types of human glomerulonephritis.
Using a cellular digestion technique combined with scanning electron microscopy, we examined the three-dimensional ultrastructural changes of the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) in various types of human glomerulonephritis (GN). Gaps of the GBM, which were not found by routine transmission electron microscopy, were observed in a patient with IgA nephropathy manifesting microscopic hematuria. The dense material of the GBM in dense deposit disease (DDD) was not affected by this cellular digestion technique, while the deposits in other immune complex diseases were almost removed. Thus the dense material in DDD differs in composition from the immune complex deposits in other GN. In membranous GN and lupus nephritis, the morphological changes of the urinary surface of the GBM varied from pinhole to craters and reticula, according to the severity of the disease stage. This technique is useful for examining ultrastructural changes of the GBM in various human GN. |
Woof! The idiot’s guide to owning a dog
I’ve been flirting with the idea of getting a family dog for a while but am absolutely clueless when it comes to pets – up until now I’ve only just about managed to look after my three rabid children, let alone any extra household creatures. But April is National Pet Month so it seems a timely moment to investigate the realities of acquiring a four-legged friend. (I’ve heard rumours that they don’t answer back and you don’t have to take them to swimming lessons – where do I sign up?) I spoke to The Doggy Hotel & Bakery‘s Emily Cooper, a Stokenchurch-based ‘doggy au pair’ (that’s how she describes her job title) to get the low-down on all things canine. And, voila, here’s Emily’s foolproof guide for novice dog owners. Woof!
Finding The One
Renee Zellweger and faithful friend
If you’ve got your heart set on a certain breed, you must do your research to find out whether it’ll fit into your lifestyle – The Kennel Club website has a comprehensive run-down of different dogs, their temperaments, potential health issues (some breeds are healthier than others) and their needs. Alternatively, think hard about what your lifestyle is like and then find a breed that’ll work for you. Things to consider include: how much space you have in your house and garden, how much free time you have (some breeds are needier than others), whether you prefer a brief stroll or an epic walk (different dogs have different energy levels but all dogs will need walking at least once a day). If you’re very active and like long country walks, maybe a Hungarian Vizsla would be good. If you have a family, a Cavalier King Charles can make a good first time dog – they’re laid-back and love people. Another one that’s good for busy families is the Greyhound. People tend to overlook this breed and assume they need walking loads (so you find lots of them in rescue centres), but actually they’re happy to curl up on the sofa. They’re docile, low maintenance and very loving. Ditto a Labrador Retriever – they’re fantastic with children and naturally obedient.
Where do you even get a dog from? (And where to avoid)
Kennel Club-registered breeders are expensive – you’ll pay roughly £450 up to £2500 for a pedigree dog – but you get peace of mind. You’ll get proof of bloodline, so you’ll know if there are any possibly genetic health issues (warning: might mean lots of vet visits) or behaviour issues. Plus the vaccinations, micro-chipping in case they get lost and worming will be done for you. Then there are dog rescue centres – try local ones at Stokenchurch, Binfield or Old Windsor. If you get a one from here, they’ll help you find a lovely dog that suits you, you’re giving a dog a second chance and you’re freeing up a space for another dog that needs help. Rescues tend to ask for a donation of around £100 to £250. The downside is you won’t know the dog’s history. Please please please don’t go to a puppy farm or pet shop. The dogs are often kept in poor conditions and can be unwell. Steer clear.
How much is that doggy in the window? Probably more than you think…
A gratuitous shot of a naked Tom Hardy. You’re welcome!
You need to be clear about how much it’s going to cost before you commit – it’s not just a matter of buying the dog and then a few tins of food. Can you afford to keep a dog in the long term? It’s worth bearing in mind that a small dog costs less than a bigger 0ne – vets often charge according to weight and of course smaller ones eat less. A good breeder will do a puppy’s first vaccine, but a few weeks later they’ll need another – these cost around £40. Then there’s regular worming and flea treatments. Insurance is a really good idea but, as always with insurance, make sure you read the small print and understand exactly what level of vet’s fees the policy covers. And if you work a lot or go away a lot, you’ll need to factor in the cost of doggy daycare and/or walkers.
Education is important
You really need to do puppy training – not doing so is like not bothering to send your children to school. Dogs need boundaries and to learn basic commands. And it’s important that all your family attends, including the kids – it’ll mean you’ll all be on the same wavelengths regarding discipline so the dog won’t get confused. Most puppy training courses last 4-6 weeks and you start after their first vaccination at around 9-12 weeks of age. You can ask your vet for advice on good local puppy training.
All the gear and no idea? The doggy accessories lowdown
Bedding is key – make sure you buy something that isn’t easily destroyed by a teething puppy. Obviously you need food and water bowls and a lead but something that people can overlook is buying something to transport them in the car – you can get a dog guard or a harness that attaches to a seatbelt. Make sure you have something for when you first pick up your dog to bring them home. Have a look at Fetch – it’s an online pet store that’s part of Ocado, so they do home delivery. I also like Viovet for dog food, bedding and other accessories.
The key question
The key question – how much do you fancy Ryan Gosling right now? Sorry, I mean, before you commit, ask yourself: am I ready to have a dog now? It’s a massive commitment and a tie. They live for around 16 years – think about the future and whether you are willing to look after it for that long. When you first get it, it’s a good idea to have some time at home – so that could mean a week or two off work – to bond with it and get it used to your home and routine. Otherwise you could end up with an anxious dog on our hands. You need to be willing to potentially put up with sleepless nights when it’s a puppy and clearing up mess when it’s learning to go to the toilet outside. It’s not a decision to be taken lightly And if you want some further reading while you ponder, I’d recommend The Perfect Puppy by Gwen Bailey. Good luck!
tagged in
1 comment on “Woof! The idiot’s guide to owning a dog”
Janice Bowles April 16, 2017
Me too! I’ve been wanting a dog since I was a child (and that was a looong time ago!) They make wonderful companions and enrich your life beyond measure but it really isn’t a decision to be taken lightly… hence I haven’t got one yet! (I spontaneously contacted a cockapoo breeder this morning so it’s getting closer).
I enjoyed reading this guide… and whilst Ryan Gosling does look good, I kind of fancy his hairy companion more! Sorry Ryan, but I’m too old for you anyway! |
As It Happened: BJP to hold rallies in favor of land bill
Written By kom nampultig on Sabtu, 04 April 2015 | 08.20
BJP's national executive meeting has begun in Bengaluru today. Among the key issues, BJP plans to make the land bill a people's issue and fight the perception "created by the opposition" that it is 'anti-farmer'.
01:23 PM
BJP to hold nationwide rallies in support of land bill, 1st rally to be held in Ranchi on May 6 |
Dog shot with BB's on road to recovery
A dog who was shot with BB's between 80 and 100 times has a new owner and is now on the road to recovery.
http://archive.freep.com/VideoNetwork/2477492377001/Dog-shot-with-BB-s-on-road-to-recoveryrtmp://cp81303.edgefcs.net/ondemand/&mp4:brightcove/35121342001/35121342001_2477700815001_BB-dog-MC.mp4http://archive.freep.com/VideoNetwork/2477492377001/Dog-shot-with-BB-s-on-road-to-recoveryhttp://bcdownload.gannett.edgesuite.net/wcsh/35121342001/35121342001_2477713877001_th-51ba31efe4b0bed351800279-86366009001.jpgDog shot with BB's on road to recoveryA dog who was shot with BB's between 80 and 100 times has a new owner and is now on the road to recovery.161lincoln county animal shelterbb'sedgecombladyblack labwcshNewshomepagecarouselapp_main01:38 |
BDEPEND=dev-util/netsurf-buildsystem virtual/pkgconfig test? ( dev-lang/perl )
DEFINED_PHASES=compile install prepare test
DEPEND=dev-libs/libparserutils:= test? ( dev-libs/json-c )
DESCRIPTION=HTML5 compliant parsing library, written in C
EAPI=7
HOMEPAGE=https://www.netsurf-browser.org/projects/hubbub/
IUSE=doc test
KEYWORDS=amd64 arm arm64 ~ppc ~ppc64 x86 ~m68k-mint
LICENSE=MIT
RDEPEND=dev-libs/libparserutils:=
RESTRICT=!test? ( test )
SLOT=0/0.3.6
SRC_URI=https://download.netsurf-browser.org/libs/releases/libhubbub-0.3.6-src.tar.gz
_eclasses_=edos2unix 33e347e171066657f91f8b0c72ec8773 eutils 2d5b3f4b315094768576b6799e4f926e flag-o-matic 09a8beb8e6a8e02dc1e1bd83ac353741 l10n 8cdd85e169b835d518bc2fd59f780d8e multilib 98584e405e2b0264d37e8f728327fed1 toolchain-funcs 605c126bed8d87e4378d5ff1645330cb wrapper 4251d4c84c25f59094fd557e0063a974
_md5_=a0959301ecc4c73298bf6e612eaae530
|
Multiple model predictive control for optimal drug administration of mixed immunotherapy and chemotherapy of tumours.
Mixed immunotherapy and chemotherapy of tumours is one of the most efficient ways to improve cancer treatment strategies. However, it is important to 'design' an effective treatment programme which can optimize the ways of combining immunotherapy and chemotherapy to diminish their imminent side effects. Control engineering techniques could be used for this. The method of multiple model predictive controller (MMPC) is applied to the modified Stepanova model to induce the best combination of drugs scheduling under a better health criteria profile. The proposed MMPC is a feedback scheme that can perform global optimization for both tumour volume and immune competent cell density by performing multiple constraints. Although current studies usually assume that immunotherapy has no side effect, this paper presents a new method of mixed drug administration by employing MMPC, which implements several constraints for chemotherapy and immunotherapy by considering both drug toxicity and autoimmune. With designed controller we need maximum 57% and 28% of full dosage of drugs for chemotherapy and immunotherapy in some instances, respectively. Therefore, through the proposed controller less dosage of drugs are needed, which contribute to suitable results with a perceptible reduction in medicine side effects. It is observed that in the presence of MMPC, the amount of required drugs is minimized, while the tumour volume is reduced. The efficiency of the presented method has been illustrated through simulations, as the system from an initial condition in the malignant region of the state space (macroscopic tumour volume) transfers into the benign region (microscopic tumour volume) in which the immune system can control tumour growth. |
Doug Martin believes in the power of positive thinking. He also believes in Texas.
Martin was tabbed the interim coach at New Mexico State on Feb. 1 before officially being named the head coach on Feb. 4. He replaced DeWayne Walker, who resigned Jan. 22 after going 10-40 in four seasons to take a position with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Regarded as one of the best developers of quarterbacks, Martin has increased the offensive output at each place he has been in his career -- including his last stop at New Mexico State in 2011.
He said a new focus on the field and in recruiting can change the fortunes of a program that has been toward the bottom of the college football totem pole for more than 40 years.
"The last time I was here, everyone talked about what we didn't have and I think we improved dramatically," Martin said. "The kids need someone to believe in them and to coach them up.
"I think we have kids here who can succeed, but we will need to go and get more players."
That is where his philosophy is dramatically different than his predecessor's.
Martin is going to dive headlong into the Texas market. It will be a marked change in focus from the time under Walker.
"We were having four coaches recruit in California and only two in Texas. I think that needs to be flipped," Martin said. "Coach Walker had a lot of ties in California from his time at UCLA, but we are going to be a major presence in Texas.
"I think the football in that state is the best in the country, and I know for a fact that there are kids in Texas who didn't get recruited who could come and play for us right now."
The three highest-ranked high school recruits who signed with New Mexico State in the class of 2013 were from Texas.
Martin said his approach to filling the field with Texas players will transform the results on the scoreboard.
"Dallas-Fort Worth has been good for us, as has Houston," he said. "We have to make a real effort to go into El Paso and get the best players from there, too.
"I think that starting to make this an option for players from Texas will elevate the program."
Following a season that ended with an 11-game losing streak, there are few places to go but up. Since 1978, no head coach of New Mexico State has ended his tenure with a record better than 20 games below .500.
Those facts are staring at Martin, but he is not going to allow either to be a scarlet letter.
"Last year was what it was," Martin said. "Our history is what it is, and we can either let that define us or we can start to change things.
"I think there is an opportunity here to make things better, or I wouldn't have accepted the position."
Martin thinks that an opportunity also lies within the state borders.
Since the class of 2002 -- when Rivals.com began tracking signing classes -- New Mexico has never produced a double-digit class of prospects. The state topped out with nine in 2011 and 2006, and it has totaled just 62 players signing in the 12 classes.
Of those 62 prospects, 10 have signed with New Mexico State.
That fact stands out as a major issue to Martin.
"It is a real problem," he said. "There has been a major disconnect between the people and the city of Las Cruces and this football program.
"I don't know why that is, but I would venture to guess that as a program we have not done a good job of spending time with players here and coaches here. There needs to be a comfort level with the administration, the staff, the city and the local community. We have to make that happen."
Outside of Albuquerque, Las Cruces is the best area in the state for talent. According to Martin, developing a way to get kids into the program will fix damaged relationships.
Part of his plan is creating a more comprehensive walk-on program to bring raw players into the fold.
"There are a lot of unfinished products right here in this state," Martin said. "The level of player is improving, and the level of coaching is improving. We need to get those kids in here and see if we can mold them and finish the job. Getting local players to give us a chance and start building a community tie will help us move forward."
The first player to give New Mexico State a chance in 2014 is Rio Rancho (N.M.) High linebacker Travis Parnell, who committed at the end of February. He is the fourth player from the school to commit to New Mexico State since 2004.
David Howes is the head coach at Rio Rancho. He said it is great that Martin is sticking to the rhetoric of giving New Mexico players a chance to stay home.
"We are excited that they are starting to recruit New Mexico talent, committing to high character and investing in the future of our local kids," Howes said.
For Martin, it is the first step on a long journey.
"It has to be a two-way street and not just lip service," he said. "For New Mexico State to get better, we will need to stay true to our word and go after these kids and then the coaches will start sending them our way.
"We have to remain positive and steadfast, and positive things will start to happen." |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.