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Ensuring absolute purity and quality of consumer goods is a tedious and time-consuming process. Everything from the supplier selection to the packaging process must be meticulously scrutinized and evaluated. That’s why it’s so rare to find a health product manufacturer with the highest standards in product purity testing and quality control protocols, such as the Dr. Clark Store.
20 Quality and Purity Protocols
In order to ensure the herbs and products they use are totally pure and free of all potential contaminants, the Dr. Clark Store puts everything through a rigorous testing process.
cGMP manufacturing:
No flow agents:
Since the human body has to work hard to break down flow agents like magnesium stearate, these can hinder the absorption of nutrients. For this reason, the Dr. Clark Store refuses to use flow agents, even though this requires the use of more sophisticated machinery throughout the production process.
Solvent-free:
No solvents or industrial cleaning products are used in or around the herbs or other ingredients. Even the equipment and table surfaces are sanitized only with food-grade iodine, ammonia, or grain alcohol.
No ingredients you can’t pronounce:
You won’t find complicated, hard-to-pronounce chemicals on the ingredients list of any Dr. Clark product.
Chemically-pure:
Supplements are never enhanced for flow, color, stabilization, or flavor. There are no added chemicals like magnesium stearate, corn starch, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, celluose, or silicone dioxide.
Identity analyzed:
The identity and veracity of all raw materials are validated in accordance with cGMP standard operating procedures using a Syncrometer, organoleptic methods, and specialized lab equipment.
Heavy metal tested:
Ingredients are tested for all noxious heavy metals, including lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury.
Batch metal tested:
In addition to heavy metals, every grain and herb is tested pure for ferrous, non-ferrous, and stainless-steel contaminants.
Tested for microbes:
All supplements are thoroughly tested for microbial growth using BioLumix and other systems. If traces of aerobic content, E. coli, salmonella, yeast, or mold are found, the ingredients are immediately rejected.
Frozen for sanitation:
Herbs are frozen in commercial freezers prior to use to further ensure that no microbes could possibly survive.
UV treated for sanitation:
As an extra measure, ingredients are subjected to ultra-violet rays, a process which also kills off any remaining microbes.
Auxiliary biofeedback test:
Although it is not required by the FDA, Dr. Clark’s Syncrometer is used on raw materials to test for additional additives or harmful substances that could possibly exist within them. This process detects traces of bleach, benzene, isopropyl alcohol, dyes, molds, oleic acid, and other metallic substances.
No hidden ingredients:
There are no additives in Dr. Clark vitamins and minerals; they are all used in their purest form. Ingredients are never diluted or standardized with unnecessary materials like corn starch or sorbic acid, as seen in many other brands.
Compounded responsibly:
Effective amounts of each herb are used in Dr. Clark supplements, without adding tiny portions of other ingredients that are unnecessary. This helps to ensure the body receives the most benefit from each herb.
Wild crafted, organic:
Most herbs are wildcrafted or grown and harvested organically without the use of chemicals or pesticides. In the rare cases where this is not the case, we reject the herbs if they do not pass the quality control tests.
Whole herb:
No tablets:
Tablets also require processing and additives in order to retain the correct consistency and solidity. For this reason, Dr. Clark supplements are never pressed into tablet form.
Only pure capsules:
Vegetable capsules require solvents and chemical compounds in order to become stable, which is why Dr. Clark only implements pure gelatin capsules made from BSE-free hide.
Made in USA and sourced in USA:
All raw materials are bought in the United States, and Dr. Clark products are tested and made in the USA as well.
Hand crafted:
Since our supplements are carefully crafted by hand, the production process remains safer, purer, and more potent than faster mechanized methods.
Additional Information
After such a rigorous product purity testing process, it would seem that the Dr. Clark Store supplements and health supplies could be the most chemically-pure available. You can browse through some of Dr. Clark’s natural health products in the Living Clean store, or read more about Dr. Clark: | 2023-12-08T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/7505 |
1. Introduction {#sec1-microorganisms-08-01249}
===============
Mycobacteriosis is a serious disease across many animal species that has been described in the scientific literature since the 1880s. The genus *Mycobacterium* includes more than 190 species, belonging to the family Mycobacteriaceae, class Corynobacteriales, type Actinobacteria, and kingdom Bacteria \[[@B1-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. It was first proposed in 1896 \[[@B2-microorganisms-08-01249]\], to include microorganisms considered at that time to be halfway between bacteria and fungi. The non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) include all *Mycobacterium* species that do not cause tuberculosis or leprosy, thus excluding species of the *Mycobacterium tuberculosis* complex as well as *Mycobacterium leprae* \[[@B3-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. In the last few years, descriptions of diseases in aquatic invertebrates have emerged in both farmed and wild species of economic interest. The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) lists numerous diseases of crustaceans and molluscs, potentially the most important invertebrates from a commercial standpoint. On the other hand, there are still gaps of knowledge regarding pathogenic-microorganisms and their impacts on other aquatic invertebrates that inhabit the marine benthos and have some commercial importance, such as echinoderms and sponges.
Mycobacteriosis is a chronic progressive disease caused by various acid-fast bacilli (AFB) affecting numerous wild and cultured aquatic invertebrate species worldwide \[[@B4-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B5-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. These microorganisms are saprophytes that reside in both soil and fresh and salt water, where they can exist for prolonged periods; they are gradually being recognized as emerging pathogens causing opportunistic infections in humans, farmed species and wildlife \[[@B6-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. They are transmitted by ingestion, inhalation and inoculation from environmental sources, rather than from person to person \[[@B7-microorganisms-08-01249]\].
In aquatic environments, reported hosts of mycobacteria are protozoans (including amoebae), molluscs, crustaceans, cnidarians, echinoderms and sponges. The presence of mycobacteria in these species is due to the widespread distribution of mycobacteria in their habitats, in some cases overlapping with human habitats. Marine invertebrates can be infected by mycobacteria through vectors (e.g., protozoans), where they are simply harboured without causing any harm. In other cases, they can lead to mycobacterial infections \[[@B8-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. These microorganisms can be part of the animal food chain, thus playing a significant role in their transmission. There are reports of filter-feeding species ingesting mycobacteria, which then survive in the digestive tract for long periods, being protected from desiccation, ultraviolet radiation and other external conditions \[[@B9-microorganisms-08-01249]\].
Contrary to the common manifestation of mycobacteriosis in fish, where gross examination of the infected animal exhibit grayish to white granulomatous nodules in the parenchyma of various internal organs \[[@B10-microorganisms-08-01249]\], or external signs such as dermal erosions/ulcerations \[[@B11-microorganisms-08-01249]\], or cutaneous hyperplastic nodules \[[@B12-microorganisms-08-01249]\], in aquatic invertebrates, in most cases, gross examination of infected animals shows no external signs of the disease. In some cases, external manifestation may be present in the form of multiple, raised, black to brown lesions of the cuticle or internal organs \[[@B13-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B14-microorganisms-08-01249]\]; in other cases, for example, in affected Atlantic sea scallop *Placopecten magellanicus* (Gmelin, 1791), visible orange nodules are present in the animals' adductor muscle \[[@B15-microorganisms-08-01249]\].
Whether bacteria of the genus *Mycobacterium* cause primary disease in invertebrates is still under debate. In some cases, mycobacterial infections in aquatic invertebrates co-occur with other pathogens. For example, Davidovich et al. \[[@B5-microorganisms-08-01249]\], described an infection caused by two pathogenic-microorganisms in redclaw crayfish *Cherax quadricarinatus* (von Martens, 1868): *Mycobacterium gordonae* and *Cherax quadricarinatus* bacilliform virus (CqBV). Pen shells *Pinna nobilis* (Linnaeus, 1758) collected in Italy and Spain presented with co-occurrence of *Mycobacterium* sp., the parasite *Haplosporidium pinnae* and other pathogens \[[@B16-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. Moreover, Prado et al. \[[@B17-microorganisms-08-01249]\], reported a case of co-infection of *Vibrio mediterranei* and *Mycobacterium* sp. in *P. nobilis*.
2. The Immune System of Aquatic Invertebrates and Mycobacteriosis {#sec2-microorganisms-08-01249}
=================================================================
In both aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, their tegument (i.e., epidermis, shell, exoskeleton) is the first mechanical barrier to pathogenic microorganisms \[[@B18-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B19-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. However, when these mechanical hindrances are damaged, the invading pathogens gain entry into the tissue/body of the organism. The exposure to pathogenic-microorganisms forthwith stimulates the proteolytic pathways, activated by a variety of molecules (e.g., serine protease, 2-mercaptoethanol, trichloroacetic acid, bromelain, and serpin 12) that decrease or eliminate the invading microorganism \[[@B20-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B21-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. In the last few decades, the scientific literature has evidenced some remarkable differences in the repertoires of immune mechanisms in invertebrate taxa and the related inflammatory characteristics \[[@B22-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B23-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B24-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. When stimulated, pathogen-associated molecular patterns are activated and the common effector mechanisms of immune responses in all invertebrates and vertebrates, innate receptors which are known as pattern-recognition receptors. This promotes downstream signalling pathways and altered patterns of gene expression that lead to a first defence mechanism which comprises a cell-mediated response against the invading microorganism, as well as the activation of more prolonged defence immune-mechanisms \[[@B25-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. In vertebrates, as a part of the chronic inflammatory processes, cells of the immune system produce granulomas, consisting of lymphocytes and macrophages, which can potentially differentiate into morpho-functionally different cells (i.e., plasma cells and multinucleated giant cells). Invertebrates do not have this great variety of immune-cells and responses; immunocytes/haemocytes are the only inflammatory effector cells. Moreover, inflammatory responses in invertebrates are classified as infiltrative, nodular, encapsulation-type and phagocytosis, depending on the type and entity of the insult \[[@B26-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B27-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B28-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B29-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. The prophenoloxidase system plays a key role in the immune defence of cnidarians, such as corals, and arthropods, as it activates the melanin-synthesis pathway, which yields cytotoxic products and melanin deposition \[[@B30-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B31-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B32-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. The prophenoloxidase mechanism is less represented in molluscs, where accumulating transcript and genomic data are revealing gene-encoded elements for pathogen recognition and clearance \[[@B33-microorganisms-08-01249]\].
In crustaceans, Davidovich et al. \[[@B5-microorganisms-08-01249]\], reported on a mycobacterial infection in redclaw crayfish *Cherax quadricarinatus* caused by *M. gordonae*. Histopathological examination indicated that the immune system's reaction to the pathogenic-microorganism consists of melanised haemocytic aggregations (fixed phagocytes) with perivascular cuffing of the haemal spaces in the hepatopancreas and encapsulation reactions. In bivalves, Grimm et al. \[[@B15-microorganisms-08-01249]\], described a case of mycobacteriosis in Atlantic sea scallop *Placopecten magellanicus* that was characterized by inflammatory nodules; these were most commonly identified macroscopically at the adductor muscle level, but micro- and macroscopic nodules were present in other tissues of at least some infected animals. Moreover, the pen shell *Pinna nobilis* was found to display two haemocyte types, granular and hyaline, along with aggregates of brown cells filled with melanin and lipofuscin \[[@B34-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. Granular immune cells increased in number and dimension upon mycobacterial infection in an attempt to destroy the microorganism, with each granulocyte in the haemocyte phagosome filled with AFB \[[@B4-microorganisms-08-01249]\].
3. Mycobacteriosis in Molluscs {#sec3-microorganisms-08-01249}
==============================
3.1. The Phylum Mollusca {#sec3dot1-microorganisms-08-01249}
------------------------
The phylum Mollusca is the second largest (after Arthropoda) group of invertebrates. This phylum is one of the most diversified groups in the animal kingdom, which include \>50,000 species, about 30,000 of which are found in the marine environment. Molluscs live mainly in water, however, a significant number of them are also found ashore \[[@B35-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. Gastropoda is a class of molluscs which includes over 40,000 species: (a) snails with spirally coiled shells, (b) flat-shelled limpets, (c) shell-less sea slugs and (d) terrestrial snails and (e) slugs. Bivalvia is a class of freshwater and marine molluscs that have laterally compressed shape enclosed by a shell consisting of two-valve shells. \[[@B36-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. Among the bivalves, mussels, oysters, scallops and clams are the most common in aquaculture. Although the class contains a relatively small number of species, about 7500, it elicits substantial interest chiefly because many of its members are eaten by humans in substantial amounts. The size of the mollusc body ranges from several millimetres up to several metres in cephalopods \[[@B9-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. They feed on vegetables and animals \[[@B9-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. Molluscs have gained a certain relevance for humans, and are of interest for various reasons: (a) as an economically important food source, including both terrestrial and aquatic species (gastropods, bivalves, cuttlefish, octopus, and squid), (b) as agricultural pests (e.g., slugs) and (c) as intermediate hosts for different types of parasite (e.g., schistosomiasis, which is also known as snail fever or bilharzia).
3.2. The Importance of Molluscs for the Global Economy as a Food Source {#sec3dot2-microorganisms-08-01249}
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According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), global aquaculture production in 2016 included 17.1 million tonnes (USD 29.2 billion) of farmed molluscs \[[@B37-microorganisms-08-01249]\], made up mainly of marine bivalve molluscs farmed in seas, lagoons and coastal ponds. Although the quantity of marine molluscs produced by the People's Republic of China dwarfs that of all other producers, several countries in all regions rely rather heavily on mussels, oysters and, to a lesser extent, gastropods such as abalone for their aquaculture production. In 2016, at least 109 species of molluscs were farmed in different countries: cupped oysters (*Crassostrea* spp.) were the main farmed species (28% of the total), Japanese carpet shell (*Ruditapes philippinarum*) was the second-most farmed mollusc (25%), followed by farmed marine molluscs (*Mollusca* spp.) (7%), sea mussels (Mytilidae) (6%), constricted tagelus (*Sinonovacula constricta*) (5%), Pacific cupped oyster (*Crassostrea gigas*) (3%), blood cockle (*Anadara granosa*) (3%), Chilean mussel (*Mytilus chilensis*) (2%) and other mollusc species (amounting to 11%) \[[@B37-microorganisms-08-01249]\].
3.3. Mycobacteriosis in Gastropods {#sec3dot3-microorganisms-08-01249}
----------------------------------
The locomotion of molluscs in their environment may be active or passive. The environment of aquatic invertebrates harbours a rich bacterial flora and bivalves, because of their efficient filter-feeding mechanism, can ingest a variety of microorganisms. A possible route for the transmission of mycobacteria is animal surface and visceral mass \[[@B38-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. Moreover, molluscs are ectotherms and internal bacteria multiplication depends on the surrounding temperature of the environment. Descriptions of mycobacterial infections in molluscs are still scarce in the literature, with old reports on gastropods from freshwater environments; on the other hand, for bivalves, relatively recent descriptions are emerging, frequently connected to species involved in human disease. The first identification of mycobacteria in molluscs was described by Pan in 1956 \[[@B39-microorganisms-08-01249]\] ([Table 1](#microorganisms-08-01249-t001){ref-type="table"}). Microscopic observation of the freshwater gastropod *Australorbis glabratus* (synonyms: *Biomphalaria glabrata*) (Say, 1818) showed the presence of two different pathogenic-microorganisms responsible for inflammatory lesions and possibly linked to animal mortality. One of these microorganisms was AFB-like and was found in 3 out of 22 (13.6%) of the observed snails. It appeared intracellularly and as haemocyte aggregates, some of which had features resembling the leprosy bacilli (globi). In this case, the rectal ridge, kidney, gut, mantle, foot and ovotestis were affected and no necrosis was observed in the infected specimens.
A few years later, Michelson in 1961 \[[@B43-microorganisms-08-01249]\] described an experimental infection trial using a *Mycobacterium*-infected colony of two-ridge rams-horn *Helisoma anceps* (Menke, 1830); the source-infected snails had been maintained in his laboratory since 1954 ([Table 1](#microorganisms-08-01249-t001){ref-type="table"}). The history of this snail colony was not known, except that the snails had been maintained in a tropical fish aquarium for some years prior to 1954. This pathogenic-microorganism was an AFB, Gram and alcohol-fast positive, measuring 2.5--5.5 µm in length and 0.3--0.4 µm in width. The infection was grossly evident in living snails, particularly in albino strains. The early appearance of infection was linked to prominent clubbing at the tentacle tips, accompanied by localized hyper-pigmentation. Microscopically, the tips of the tentacles showed marked aplasia with large vacuolated areas of increased pigmentation. The outer epithelium, which is normally columnar in this species, appeared squamous and compressed. Loss of cilia frequently occurred. Small, spherical, refractile yellow bodies were detected in the infected tissues. Histopathology revealed that these yellow bodies were always associated with tubercle-like lesions and their presence appeared to be pathognomonic. In longstanding infections, tubercles developed on the surface epithelium with concurrent atrophy of the tentacles. In some cases, infected amoebocytes cells accumulated in small aggregates with other inflammatory characteristic cells and fibroblasts, forming tubercles. In mature tubercles, necrotic areas became evident; these became vacuolated and contained a large conglomerate of mycobacteria.
Beran et al. \[[@B44-microorganisms-08-01249]\], also reported two atypical mycobacterial agents in the ramshorn snail *Planorbarius corneus* (Linnaeus, 1758). This snail belongs to the family Planorbidae, which is distributed throughout Europe, including Turkey \[[@B51-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B52-microorganisms-08-01249]\], and it usually inhabits small transient ponds and streams. Beran et al. \[[@B44-microorganisms-08-01249]\] studied the distribution of mycobacteria in clinically healthy ornamental fish and their environment, reporting the presence of *Mycobacterium chelonae* and *Mycobacterium fortuitum* ([Table 1](#microorganisms-08-01249-t001){ref-type="table"}).
*Mycobacterium ulcerans* is known as the causative agent of Buruli ulcer, one of the most common atypical mycobacterial diseases in humans \[[@B53-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. This environmental *Mycobacterium* has been found in swamps and wetlands, the usual habitats for aquatic insects implicated in the transmission of this pathogen \[[@B45-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. The latter authors found that *M. ulcerans* has a strong tendency to form biofilms on plant surfaces and demonstrated that a few aquatic snails may harbour *M. ulcerans* after feeding on aquatic macrophytes on which *M. ulcerans* biofilm had developed. Marsollier et al. \[[@B45-microorganisms-08-01249]\], collected aquatic snails *Planorbis planorbis* (Linnaeus, 1758) and *Pomacea canaliculata* (Lamarck, 1819) in the Daloa region of Ivory Coast, an area known to be heavily affected by Buruli disease. The authors reported no detection of mycobacterial growth in the aquatic snails, which may be passive hosts. However, after eating experimentally infected snails, the salivary glands of biting naucorid water bugs were found to contain *M. ulcerans*. The authors isolated the bacterium using Löwenstein-Jensen (LJ) selective medium. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay performed on *Mycobacterium* isolates also indicated other mycobacteria: *M. gordonae* and *Mycobacterium szulgai*. In the same year, Kotlowski et al. \[[@B46-microorganisms-08-01249]\], collected environmental specimens from Buruli ulcer-endemic regions in Benin, Africa. Among the different specimens analysed, *M. ulcerans* DNA was detected in one out of six specimens of the snail *Bulinus senegalensis* (Muller, 1781) by nested-PCR assay ([Table 1](#microorganisms-08-01249-t001){ref-type="table"}).
Many aspects of the marsh snail *Biomphalaria glabrata* (Say, 1818) have been studied because of its role as an intermediate host of the trematode parasite *Schistosoma mansoni*. This snail has a wide geographical distribution and low dispersion, and it is easily collected \[[@B54-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. In 1988, following a routine screening of a laboratory-maintained colony of an albino strain of *B. glabrata*, Bean-Knudsen et al. \[[@B47-microorganisms-08-01249]\], showed the presence on one animal of yellow pedunculated masses of a few millimetres in size adjacent to the pneumostome and above the base of the tentacle. The animal showed no clinical signs other than mild behavioural weakness. Diseased and healthy specimens from the same tank were sampled for histopathological examination and stained with the routinely used haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and other stains: Brown--Hopps for Gram staining, acid--Schiff (PAS), and Ziehl--Neelsen (ZN). Microscopy showed that the inflammatory-mass was made up of numerus immune cells forming capsules and fibrous tissue, separated by mesenchymal tissue. Each of these capsules contained large numbers of phagocytic amoebocytes containing granular to rod-shaped eosinophilic material which was stained positively with PAS and ZN staining. The phagocytic cells containing AFB appeared to migrate toward and through the overlying epithelium. Brown--Hopps Gram staining revealed no other microorganisms in the organs of the affected specimens. In addition, tissues form three moribund snails, two clinically normal snails, and an abnormally cloudy egg mass were inoculated onto LJ and Middlebrook 7H10 agar. Mixed cultures containing AFB were then sub-cultured from active Middlebrook 7H10 agar cultures onto LJ medium. Microbiological examination of moribund snail, consistently resulted in isolates of a *Mycobacterium* sp. mixed in culture with several yeast forms ([Table 1](#microorganisms-08-01249-t001){ref-type="table"}).
3.4. Mycobacteriosis in Bivalves {#sec3dot4-microorganisms-08-01249}
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The eastern oyster *Crassostrea virginica* (Gmelin, 1791) is a species of true oyster native to the eastern seaboard and Gulf of Mexico coast of North America. The earliest description of NTM isolated from bivalves was done in 1975 \[[@B48-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. The authors isolated and identified numerous species from *C. virginica* collected in Alabama, USA; from nine pooled samples of eastern oysters *M. scrofulaceum*, *M. gordonae*, *M. terrae* complex, *M. parafortuitum* complex were isolated ([Table 1](#microorganisms-08-01249-t001){ref-type="table"}).
Later on, Beecham et al. \[[@B49-microorganisms-08-01249]\], reported a case of mycobacterial infection in a 66-year-old man who had been shucking oysters. He had a swollen left hand with six non-draining nodular lesions along the ulnar palm ([Table 1](#microorganisms-08-01249-t001){ref-type="table"} and Table 4). Biopsy of a palmar lesion revealed AFB, which proved to be *Mycobacterium marinum* on culture. Epidemiological investigation revealed that 6--8 weeks before the onset of symptoms, the patient had harvested and shucked one gallon of oysters *Crassostrea* sp. (Sacco, 1897) from a river inlet while on holiday in Point Comfort, Texas in the USA. A similar case was reported also in France \[[@B50-microorganisms-08-01249]\]; a 39-year-old female had an un-healing ulcer in her hand, caused by *M. marinum* ([Table 1](#microorganisms-08-01249-t001){ref-type="table"} and Table 4).
The Atlantic sea scallop *P. magellanicus* is an economically important species in offshore fisheries on the east coast of the USA. In 2016, Grimm et al. \[[@B15-microorganisms-08-01249]\], reported the presence of orange nodular masses of variable size (up to 1 cm in diameter), predominantly in the adductor muscle tissue but also in other organs of animals collected from the coastline of Massachusetts to Maryland ([Table 1](#microorganisms-08-01249-t001){ref-type="table"}). Microscopically, these nodular masses, collected from the adductor muscles were the result of a haemocytic response to a central caseous core of necrotic debris combined with some intact haemocytes. This caseous core was surrounded by several layers of round to oval haemocytes, then delineated externally by a layer of squamous appearing haemocytes. Numerous AFB and Gram-positive bacteria were present, both free and within the inner lamina of intact haemocytes surrounding the caseous cores. In most cases, the nodular masses appeared to effectively sequester the pathogenic-microorganism, but in others, they showed inflammatory of haemocytic nature, including myo-necrosis, and mild oedema. Such pathological-foci (50--300 μm) were mostly common in the sinusoids and connective tissues adjacent to the intestinal loops, gastric epithelium and style sac, and could also be detected in the Atlantic sea scallop digestive gland, kidney, gills and mantle. Sections from specimens containing nodular masses in other tissues were examined using ZN staining, showed AFB in the haemocytes. PCR of the 16S gene and the 16S--23S internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region confirmed the presence of *Mycobacterium* sp. ([Table 1](#microorganisms-08-01249-t001){ref-type="table"}).
Recently, Carella et al. \[[@B4-microorganisms-08-01249]\], described a mycobacterial infection associated with mass mortality events (MME) of the pen shell *P. nobilis* along the coast of Italy, in the Tyrrhenian Sea (part of the Mediterranean Sea) ([Table 1](#microorganisms-08-01249-t001){ref-type="table"}). At the time of collection, macroscopically, animals from the Campania region and Sicily showed difficulty closing their valves (gaping) and/or a slow response to touch. The animals also showed diffuse oedema and a retracted mantle. Histopathological examination of all specimens showed varying degrees of inflammatory lesions in the mantle and digestive tissue; depending on the pathology stage and severity, infection was mostly noted in the connective tissue encompassing the gonad and the digestive gland; less frequently, the infection was present in mantle and gills. In two of the examined specimens, necrosis of digestive tubules and gonadal follicles was observed. The inflammation was characterized by large nodular aggregates of immune cells, containing AFB. These cells were observed mainly in the connective tissue encompassing the digestive tissue, gonads, and mantle. Immune cells filled with AFB were also observed in haemolymph vessels; which created aggregate-rich zones coupled with brown cells ([Figure 1](#microorganisms-08-01249-f001){ref-type="fig"}). Moreover, inflammation of an infiltrative-type was observed around the digestive tubule, where haemocytes containing AFB were noted around the haemolymph vessels. Transmission electron microscopy was also used to assess the features of these microorganisms, which were rod-shaped with a diameter of approximately 0.5 μm and a length of 3.5 μm. PCR of infected animals confirmed that the pathogenic-microorganism was *Mycobacterium*. Blast analysis of amplified sequences from all tested animals revealed that they were grouped with *Mycobacterium sherrisii*, close to the group including *Mycobacterium shigaense*, *Mycobacterium lentiflavum* and *Mycobacterium simiae*. *Mycobacterium* was also reported in other samples from Italy. It was isolated from diseased pen shell specimens from Tuscany, Apulia and Sardinia and in samples from Catalonia in Spain \[[@B16-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. A molecular study of samples from all of the areas in Italy and Spain using the 65-kDa heat shock protein gene (*hsp65*) and ITS supported the notion that a new species of *Mycobacterium* is infecting *P. nobilis*, close to *Mycobacterium triplex* and belonging to the group of the *M. simiae* complex with *M. sherrisi* \[[@B4-microorganisms-08-01249]\] ([Table 1](#microorganisms-08-01249-t001){ref-type="table"}).
Thereafter, in Greece, two MME of *P. nobilis* were described, in the Gulf of Kalloni and on Lemnos Island \[[@B40-microorganisms-08-01249]\] ([Table 1](#microorganisms-08-01249-t001){ref-type="table"}). Specimens' histopathology showed the presence rod-shaped, acid-fast, Gram-positive bacilli filling the immune cell constituents, in all collected specimens, resulting in 100% similarity to the report by Carella et al. \[[@B4-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. *Mycobacterium* was also detected in animals maintained in captivity in the area of Girona and the Ebro Delta (Spain) \[[@B17-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B41-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. In both cases, all sequences obtained from sick animals were up to 99% similar to the 16S subunit of *Mycobacterium* sp. available in the NCBI database. The obtained sequences showed an average distance of 0.022. Blast analysis revealed that the sequences from this study grouped together with *Mycobacterium* sp. sequences previously characterized from pen shells \[[@B4-microorganisms-08-01249]\], green moray (*Gymnothorax funebris*) and spotted moray (*Gymnothorax moringa*) eels \[[@B55-microorganisms-08-01249]\], and human cases of *Mycobacterium* infections (*M. tuberculosis*, *M. florentinum*, *M. shigaense*, *M. somatepiae*, *M. sherrisii*, *M. genavense*, *M. simiae*, *M. triplex* and *M. lentiflavum*). The phylogenetic analysis showed at least two different groups of sequences in the pen shell phylogenetic tree. Moreover, in Ebro Delta, Prado et al. \[[@B17-microorganisms-08-01249]\] reported the presence of mycobacterial infection in moribund animals associated with *Vibrio mediterranei* ([Table 1](#microorganisms-08-01249-t001){ref-type="table"}).
Recently, MME of *P. nobilis* have been reported, along the Croatian bays of the Adriatic Sea (part of the Mediterranean Sea) \[[@B42-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. In this survey, the parasite *Haplosporidium pinnae* was identified by histological and molecular methods in all affected specimens, while *Mycobacterium* sp. was detected in some affected and live bivalves. According to the authors, this was the first record of these pathogenic-microorganisms affecting *P. nobilis* in the middle Adriatic Sea ([Table 1](#microorganisms-08-01249-t001){ref-type="table"}).
4. Mycobacteriosis in Crustaceans {#sec4-microorganisms-08-01249}
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4.1. Crustaceans and Their Importance for the Global Economy as a Food Source {#sec4dot1-microorganisms-08-01249}
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Crustaceans belong to the phylum Arthropoda, which is subdivided into four major groups: crustaceans, insects, myriapods, and chelicerates \[[@B56-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. Crustaceans are considered an important food source worldwide and a few species, such as shrimp, crab and lobster, have become particularly economically important, with some harvested from wild stocks and others being farmed \[[@B56-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. Crustaceans have a long evolutionary history and remarkable adaptability to different habitats; however, they are not as well studied as their terrestrial arthropod relatives; nevertheless, our knowledge of their behaviour, development physiology and diversity is growing continuously \[[@B56-microorganisms-08-01249]\].
Global aquaculture production in 2016 included 7.9 million tonnes (USD 57.1 billion) of farmed crustaceans \[[@B37-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. Marine shrimp, which dominate the production of crustaceans, are typically farmed in coastal aquaculture, and are an important source of foreign exchange earnings for a number of developing countries in Asia and Latin America \[[@B37-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. In 2016, at least 64 species of crustaceans were farmed in different countries: whiteleg shrimp (*Litopenaeus vannamei*) was the main farmed species (53% of the total), red swamp crayfish (*Procambarus clarkii*) was the second-most farmed crustacean (12%), followed by farmed species of Chinese mitten crab (*Eriocheir sinensis*) (10%), giant tiger prawn (*Penaeus monodon*) (9%), oriental river prawn (*Macrobrachium nipponense*) (3%), giant river prawn (*Macrobrachium rosenbergii*) (3%), and others (10%) \[[@B37-microorganisms-08-01249]\].
Bacterial infections of crustaceans caused by free-living bacteria may be associated with their exoskeleton \[[@B57-microorganisms-08-01249]\] or haemolymph \[[@B58-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B59-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. In other cases, intracellular bacterial infections occur within specific types of host cells \[[@B60-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B61-microorganisms-08-01249]\].
4.2. Mycobacteriosis in Crustaceans of the Class Branchiopoda {#sec4dot2-microorganisms-08-01249}
-------------------------------------------------------------
Crustacean mycobacterial infections are not common and the number of publications describing this pathology are limited. The first report of mycobacteriosis in a crustacean was associated with an atypical mycobacteriosis in humans. Mansson \[[@B62-microorganisms-08-01249]\], described the case of an aquarium-borne infection caused by *M. marinum* on the lower arm of the aquarium owner ([Table 2](#microorganisms-08-01249-t002){ref-type="table"} and Table 4). The author reported that two black tetra *Gymnocorymbus ternetzi* (Boulenger, 1895) were infected, and that the epidemiological investigations showed that the bacteria had been introduced into the aquarium with common water fleas (probably *Daphnia* sp.); the owner caught the infection while feeding his fish. Soeffing \[[@B63-microorganisms-08-01249]\] described a mycobacterial infection caused by three different NTM: *M. fortuitum*, *M. chelonae*, and *Mycobacterium flavescens*. The infections were described in *Ceriodaphnia reticulata* (Jurine, 1820), one of the members of the Daphniidae family ([Table 2](#microorganisms-08-01249-t002){ref-type="table"}).
The brine shrimp *Artemia* sp. (Leach, 1819) is an important crustacean species in aquaculture because it is highly nutritious. It is also widely used in biological studies because it is easy to culture \[[@B64-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. Beran et al. \[[@B44-microorganisms-08-01249]\], investigated the distribution of mycobacteria in clinically healthy ornamental fish and their aquarium environment. They found, among other things, one case of an unidentified *Mycobacterium* in *Artemia salina* (Linnaeus, 1758) ([Table 2](#microorganisms-08-01249-t002){ref-type="table"}). In another case, a human cutaneous *M. marinum* infection was reported by LeBlanc et al. \[[@B65-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. Their investigation of this zoonotic infection from the sea-monkey *Artemia nyos* revealed that the patient later recalled cutting her right third digit while cleaning up a broken glass bowl containing sea-monkeys that had fallen onto her kitchen floor. This event occurred approximately 1 month before the onset of her illness ([Table 2](#microorganisms-08-01249-t002){ref-type="table"} and Table 4).
4.3. Mycobacteriosis in Edible Crustaceans {#sec4dot3-microorganisms-08-01249}
------------------------------------------
Lightner and Redman \[[@B14-microorganisms-08-01249]\], also communicated a probable case of *Mycobacterium* sp. infection in whiteleg shrimp *Litopenaeus vannamei* (Boone, 1931). The pathology was detected in a commercial penaeid shrimp hatchery in Florida, USA ([Table 2](#microorganisms-08-01249-t002){ref-type="table"}). The population from which the sample came had been collected by a commercial shrimp trawler of the Pacific coast of Panama, and imported to the facility in Florida a few days prior to sampling. One of the three specimens submitted for histopathological screening had multiple grossly visible brown to black pathological-nodules of 1--2 μm in the hepatopancreas and in the tissues that had adhered to that organ during excision from the animal and during fixation and processing. H&E staining revealed that the brown to black nodules were melanised haemocyte nodules. The nodules were present in the hepatopancreas in the intertubular connective tissues and haemocoel, and in the connective tissue capsule of the hepatopancreas in the ovary and the adjacent mandibular organ. The mandibular organ lesion was the most evident. ZN staining confirmed the presence of AFB.
A few decades later, Mohney et al. \[[@B66-microorganisms-08-01249]\], described mycobacteriosis in the whiteleg shrimp (*L. vannamei*) caused by *Mycobacterium peregrinum*. In this case, multifocal, melanised nodular lesions were observed in the carapace of the cultured marine *L. vannamei*. Macroscopically, infected specimens showed nodular, black, hard-to-friable pathological-lesions, which were located in the subcuticular connective tissue, but did not penetrate into the muscular tissue. Microscopically, infected specimens had multifocal granulomatous lesions within the heart, lymphoid organ, and intertubular connective tissue of the hepatopancreas stained with H&E. Kinyoun acid-fast staining of the tissues revealed clusters of pleomorphic microorganisms that were acid-fast-positive. The bacterial agent was isolated on Middlebrook 7H11 agar and identified by a biochemical test \[[@B72-microorganisms-08-01249]\], and by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Another case of mycobacteriosis in juvenile whiteleg shrimp *L. vannamei* (formerly: *Penaeus vannamei*) caused by *M. marinum* was described \[[@B67-microorganisms-08-01249]\]; the authors reported blackish lesions on the sixth abdominal segment in 20 specimens cultured in Brazil ([Table 2](#microorganisms-08-01249-t002){ref-type="table"}).
Brock et al. \[[@B13-microorganisms-08-01249]\], described a mycobacterial infection in an adult giant freshwater prawn *Macrobrachium rosenbergii* (De Man, 1879) in the USA ([Table 2](#microorganisms-08-01249-t002){ref-type="table"}). Macroscopically, the animal showed numerous 1 to 1.5 μm, black to brown, miliary nodules in various tissues: gills, cuticle, abdomen and major organs of the gnathothorax. In this case, pathological-nodules involving the cuticle appeared to have originated from the underlying tissues. Moreover, the specimens' cuticle was a pale yellowish-green in colour. Areas of opacity were present in the abdominal striated muscle but no other gross pathological signs were noted. The pathogenic-microorganism was isolated and identified as a *Mycobacterium* sp. Microscopically, nodular lesions were mostly found in the heart, antennal gland, hepatopancreas, connective tissue of the gnathothorax, gill stem and lamellae. Some of the nodular-lesions were found in the striated muscle, hindgut submucosa and loose connective tissue of the abdomen. The haemocytic nodules were of different diameter, but typically consisted of a large core of necrotic tissue debris encapsulated by different layers of haemocytes. In all nodules examined, Gram-positive and AFB were present, but were not observed in the cytoplasm of fixed phagocytes. The origin of the mycobacterial infection remained unknown.
In 2010, a mycobacteriosis caused by *M. fortuitum* was described in freshwater red swamp crayfish *Procambarus clarkii* (Girard, 1852) from the Ibrahimiyah Canal in Egypt \[[@B68-microorganisms-08-01249]\], ([Table 2](#microorganisms-08-01249-t002){ref-type="table"}). In this case, 100 animals were examined macroscopically; necrosis of uropods and telsons, congested gills was observed in 11 animals, and 8 individuals showed haemorrhage on the tail-musculature and hepatopancreas tissue. Bacteriological examination produced 14 isolates from the hepatopancreas, which were acid-fast, non-spore-forming and non-motile bacilli to coccobacilli, and suspected of being *Mycobacterium* sp. Molecular examination confirmed that the pathogenic-microorganism was *M. fortuitum*. The authors also conducted an experimental infection and confirmed that it was reproducible. In 2014, Ahmed et al. \[[@B69-microorganisms-08-01249]\], detected a *Mycobacterium* sp. from 16.6--20.3% of fresh shrimp samples and only 3.7% of frozen shrimp samples in Iraq ([Table 2](#microorganisms-08-01249-t002){ref-type="table"}).
Recently, Davidovich et al. \[[@B5-microorganisms-08-01249]\], described a case of co-infection in redclaw crayfish *C. quadricarinatus* in a small-scale recirculating aquaculture system hatchery in Israel ([Table 2](#microorganisms-08-01249-t002){ref-type="table"}). Histopathological examination and bacterial identification confirmed an opportunistic infection caused by *M. gordonae*. Intranuclear inclusion bodies, that were recorded in the tubular epithelium cells of the hepatopancreas by histopathology, indicated co-infection with a viral agent, attributed to CqBV. Histopathology showed melanised haemocytic aggregations with perivascular cuffing of haemal spaces of the hepatopancreas and encapsulation reactions in various tissues ([Figure 2](#microorganisms-08-01249-f002){ref-type="fig"}). In some melanised aggregates, high numbers of AFB, attributed to the genus *Mycobacterium*, were observed using ZN stain. The bacterial agent was isolated using solid LJ and liquid media (mycobacteria growth indicator tube), and identified with the commercial molecular test GenoType *Mycobacterium* CM.
5. Mycobacteriosis in Cnidarians, Echinoderms and Sponges {#sec5-microorganisms-08-01249}
=========================================================
Cnidaria is a phylum which includes \>9000 aquatic invertebrates; their name derived from the presence of cnidocytes (specialized cells) which are connected to supporting cells and neurons. Organisms belonging to this phylum are: (a) corals, (b) hydras, (c) jellyfish, (d) sea anemones, (e) sea pens, (f) Portuguese man-of-war, (g) sea whips, and (h) sea fans. Cnidarians are subdivided into the Anthozoa (Hexacorallia and Octocorallia) with the peculiarity of the lack of a medusa stage, and the Medusozoa, which normally display a medusa stage in their life cycle; this group includes the classes Cubozoa, Staurozoa Hydrozoa, and Scyphozoa, \[[@B73-microorganisms-08-01249]\].
Only a single publication in the scientific literature has associated a cnidarian species with mycobacteriosis. Smith et al. \[[@B74-microorganisms-08-01249]\], reported a case of chronic cutaneous *Mycobacterium haemophilum* infection in a human acquired from a coral injury. A 61-year-old previously healthy man developed a subcutaneous nodule in his right arm after scraping a coral while swimming in Thailand, revealing a chronic dermal granuloma linked to the mycobacterial infection ([Table 3](#microorganisms-08-01249-t003){ref-type="table"} and [Table 4](#microorganisms-08-01249-t004){ref-type="table"}).
Echinoderms are benthic marine invertebrates living in communities ranging from shallow near-shore waters to the abyssal depths. The nearly 8000 extant echinoderms (from the Greek, meaning "spiny skin") share several aspects of life cycle and body plan. Five classes are defined: Crinoidea (feather stars and sea lilies), Ophiuroidea (brittle stars), Asteroidea (sea stars and sea daisies), Holothuroidea (sea cucumbers), and Echinoidea (sand dollars and sea urchins) \[[@B80-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. Existing reports on mycobacterial disease in this group are often related to human disease. A few have reported human cases of atypical mycobacterial infection caused by *M. marinum*, related to injuries from sea urchins in Spain \[[@B75-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B76-microorganisms-08-01249]\], and Japan \[[@B77-microorganisms-08-01249]\], ([Table 3](#microorganisms-08-01249-t003){ref-type="table"} and [Table 4](#microorganisms-08-01249-t004){ref-type="table"}). In another case, also resulting from a sea urchin, multiple small, raised nodules over the volar index finger and thumb extending to the palm resulted in tenosynovitis due to a penetrating injury to the hand caused by *M. chelonae* in Hawaii, USA \[[@B78-microorganisms-08-01249]\], ([Table 3](#microorganisms-08-01249-t003){ref-type="table"} and [Table 4](#microorganisms-08-01249-t004){ref-type="table"}).
People coming into contact with sea stars and sea urchins can be injured by their sharp spines or pedicellariae. Acute and chronic reactions to sea urchins have been described. Externally, the latter appear as nodular pathologic-lesions and are designated sea urchin granulomas \[[@B75-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. The main reports are mostly of the sea urchin *Paracentrotus lividus* (Lamarck, 1816), common in Mediterranean and Atlantic coastal waters. Clinical manifestations after injury by spines of the sea urchin have been reported in France and other parts of Mediterranean \[[@B81-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B82-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B83-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B84-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. Penetration of the spine into the skin is accompanied by pain, erythema and sometimes edema, which subside after a few hours.
Sponges are members of the phylum Porifera; they are sessile aquatic invertebrates which can be found in freshwater and marine environments. Adult sponges have important ecological role in the aquatic environment (e.g., as filter feeders and bioeroders) and also have economic importance since they have a significant commercial and biopharmaceutical value. Their taxonomy, phylogeny, and evolution, are difficult to reconstruct since many of these them possess only a few systematic and phylogenetic recognizable morphological characters. Moreover, some skeletal characters are prone to homoplasy and are relatively variable with changes of environmental conditions \[[@B85-microorganisms-08-01249]\].
In the last few decades, marine sponges have been studied intensively, mostly focusing on their microbiomes. However, studies on sponge diseases are still scarce, despite recent attention to associated global population declines of ecologically and commercially important sponge species. The disease epidemics pose serious long-term threats to sponge populations, in particular for the long-lived, slow-growing organisms \[[@B86-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. Few factors, such as ocean warming, overfishing, acidification, and dominant currents, have been considered relevant to the initial reports of sponge pathologies.
Marine sponges are known to harbour diverse associated bacteria in their tissues, including those of the genus *Mycobacterium*. In 1987, *Mycobacterium poriferae* was described by Padgitt and Moshier \[[@B79-microorganisms-08-01249]\], who reported its isolation from cell suspensions of the marine sponge *Halichondria bowerbanki* (Burton, 1930) \[[@B87-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B88-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. Different species of *Mycobacterium* were isolated from a sponge specimen from the Great Barrier Reef, *Amphimedon queenslandica* (Hooper and Van Soest, 2006), and characterized by sequencing the genes encoding 16S rRNA, the B-subunit of RNA polymerase (*rpoB*), and *hsp65* \[[@B88-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. These isolates had similarity values of 91.3% to the *rpoB* gene of *Mycobacterium bovis*, *Mycobacterium africanum* and *Mycobacterium parmense*, and 93.1% to the *hsp65* gene of *M. parmense*. Finally, *M. poriferae* was linked to mycobacteriosis in the snakehead fish (*Channa striata*) in Bangkok, Thailand \[[@B89-microorganisms-08-01249]\].
6. Diagnosis of Mycobacteriosis {#sec6-microorganisms-08-01249}
===============================
Aquatic invertebrate mycobacterioses range from an acute, fulminant disease eventually related to MME \[[@B4-microorganisms-08-01249]\], to the more frequently observed chronic forms characterized by low bacterial load and chronic inflammation in the host \[[@B5-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. External clinical signs of disease, if present, are non-specific; they may include multiple raised, black to brown lesions of the cuticle or internal organs \[[@B13-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B14-microorganisms-08-01249]\] or visible orange nodules in the adductor muscle as in the case of affected Atlantic sea scallop *P. magellanicus* \[[@B15-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. Behavioural changes may include lethargy or loss of animals' equilibrium \[[@B5-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B47-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. A number of strategies are used to detect and differentiate mycobacteria in aquatic invertebrate tissues, including histology, culture and molecular methods \[[@B47-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B65-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. Histology is the most traditional of these, generally with the detection of AFB using the ZN staining method or modifications thereof. Acid-fast, non-branching bacilli in infected tissue are considered indicative of *Mycobacterium* infections; however, other acid-fast microorganisms (*Nocardia* spp.) may also be present in infected tissue \[[@B90-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. Mycobacteria are typically cultured on Middlebrook 7H9 broth or 7H10 agar. Tween-20 is used as a carbon source and detergent in the former to prevent clumping. Moreover, LJ selective medium is also frequently employed for mycobacterial culture \[[@B65-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. Because many NTM infecting aquatic invertebrates are inhibited above 35 °C, and in some cases, at 30 °C, culture at a range of 22--24 °C or at the environmental temperature of the habitat of the invertebrates being studied is recommended. Some isolates are also extremely dysgonic (grow slowly) and relatively poorly on artificial medium, (e.g., *Mycobacterium shottsii*), so extended culture periods (\>60 days) should be employed for maximum sensitivity of the test. The culture of NTM from aquatic invertebrates is best performed from internal tissues using aseptic techniques. However, techniques for 'decontaminating' samples are available \[[@B5-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. Molecular methods are increasingly being used to detect *Mycobacterium* in aquatic invertebrates, including varieties of PCR, PCR/RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism), qPCR (quantitative PCR) and loop-mediated amplification (LAMP), among others \[[@B16-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B68-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. Most of these assays target the genes for 16S or 23S rRNA followed by sequencing techniques. Moreover, the *hsp65* gene encoding a 65 kDa protein is present in all species of mycobacteria and contains epitopes that are unique, as well as some that are common to various species of *Mycobacterium* \[[@B91-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B92-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. The *hsp65* gene is known to be more variable than the 16S rRNA gene; hence, it is potentially useful for the identification of genetically related species of bacteria. Furthermore, the ITS gene between the l6S and 23S rRNA genes is roughly from 270 to 360 bp, however, it varies in size among microorganisms. This gene is an appropriate target-gene for probes with which additional phylogenetic data can be accomplished \[[@B93-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. Moreover, the ITS is suitable gene for differentiating mycobacterial species and can be used to distinguish clinically relevant bacteria subspecies \[[@B94-microorganisms-08-01249]\].
7. Zoonotic Considerations {#sec7-microorganisms-08-01249}
==========================
The essential role of animals in the transmission of infectious diseases has long been recognized. Animals are known to be responsible for the maintenance of infections in nature by harbouring pathogenic-microorganisms, thereby enabling them to survive. In addition, they are actively responsible for pathogen propagation in their environment and the consequent infection of other organisms, including humans \[[@B9-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. Aquatic invertebrates' pathogenic mycobacteria all belong to the NTM, also known as atypical mycobacteria. A few species can infect humans, usually causing localized, non-healing wounds in the body extremities \[[@B70-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B75-microorganisms-08-01249]\] that may be difficult to treat because of the resistance of some isolates to antimicrobial drugs \[[@B65-microorganisms-08-01249]\] ([Table 4](#microorganisms-08-01249-t004){ref-type="table"}). Our current knowledge of mycobacteriosis due to NTM infection is based on fragmented information from different countries, suggesting that NTM infections are becoming more prevalent.
The ubiquity of aquatic invertebrate mycobacterioses coupled with the apparently low numbers of human cases suggest that, fortunately, the risk to healthy humans is moderate compared to infections caused by the *M. tuberculosis* complex as well as *M. leprae*. However, a small but significant number of persistent infections by atypical mycobacteria have been reported in humans due to trauma followed by exposure to infected surfaces, or in immunosuppressed individuals ([Table 4](#microorganisms-08-01249-t004){ref-type="table"}). These infections often require lengthy systemic antibiotic treatment and surgical debridement \[[@B78-microorganisms-08-01249]\] ([Table 4](#microorganisms-08-01249-t004){ref-type="table"}). In a clinical-pathological study, De La Torre et al. \[[@B75-microorganisms-08-01249]\], reported on ca. 50 biopsy specimens from 35 patients diagnosed as having sea urchin granuloma. Half of these patients were involved in fishing activities, and 50% of these were divers involved in the commercial harvesting of sea urchins. Later, López Zabala et al. \[[@B76-microorganisms-08-01249]\], reported a case of osteomyelitis of the first metatarsal bone after accidental puncture injury by a sea urchin in a 44-year-old female non-immunosuppressed patient presenting with a 1-month history of pain and swelling of the hallux of the left foot, requiring surgical treatment ([Table 4](#microorganisms-08-01249-t004){ref-type="table"}).
In the case of human mycobacterial infections related to crustaceans, there are few reports: (a) Mansson \[[@B62-microorganisms-08-01249]\], describing an aquarium-borne infection on the owner's lower arm; (b) LeBlanc et al. \[[@B65-microorganisms-08-01249]\], described another case of mycobacteriosis related to crustaceans in Pennsylvania, USA ([Table 4](#microorganisms-08-01249-t004){ref-type="table"}). In this case, a 43-year-old female had five nodular lesions on the right hand and forearm: one at the base of the nail of the right third digit, one in the region of the third metacarpophalangeal joint and three along the right forearm. The infection was caused by *M. marinum* while cleaning up a broken glass bowl containing sea-monkeys *Artemia nyos* that had fallen onto her kitchen floor ([Table 4](#microorganisms-08-01249-t004){ref-type="table"}); (c) another case, described by Jernigan and Farr \[[@B70-microorganisms-08-01249]\], presented lesions that revealed granulomatous inflammation caused by *M. marinum*. The patient had been pinched on the right fourth finger by a crab while fishing on the South Carolina coast, USA ([Table 4](#microorganisms-08-01249-t004){ref-type="table"}). The pathogenic-microorganism deeply penetrated the skin and the proximal fingernail bed on the dorsal aspect of the finger; (d) a few years ago, Lee et al. \[[@B71-microorganisms-08-01249]\], described a case of tenosynovitis in a 56-year-old woman with a history of puncture injury to the finger caused by a crab. In this case, the patient presented symptoms of pain, redness, and swelling in the second and fifth fingers of the right hand. One year previously, the lady had suffered from a puncture injury her hand caused by a crab; the injured finger showed swelling and redness 2 months later and she waited 10 months before seeking treatment ([Table 2](#microorganisms-08-01249-t002){ref-type="table"} and [Table 4](#microorganisms-08-01249-t004){ref-type="table"}).
8. Conclusions {#sec8-microorganisms-08-01249}
==============
Mycobacteriosis occurs in aquatic invertebrates living mostly at tropical and temperate latitudes, and has been reported in wild, cultured and ornamental species. The emergence of mycobacteriosis in different species of aquatic invertebrates in the last few years may be linked to environmental stressors. Indeed, climate changes are affecting the marine ecosystem; in particular, climate warming can increase microorganisms' development and survival rates, pathogen transmission and host susceptibility \[[@B95-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. It has been recently reported that even deep-ocean biodiversity is becoming exposed to climate-warming effects \[[@B96-microorganisms-08-01249]\].
Unlike homeotherms (i.e., mammals and birds) that regulate their internal environments, aquatic invertebrates are poikilotherms which depend on water temperature, with no ability to regulate their core body temperature. Aquatic invertebrates have to survive and adapt to environmental stresses. Temperature change may lead to changes in membrane lipid ordering and, in the case of elevated temperatures, may lead to protein unfolding and denaturation. If these alterations are not corrected rapidly, the functions, and possibly survival of the stressed organism will be at high risk \[[@B97-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. In this situation, both the pathogen and the host are physiologically tied to the environment in which they live and have an optimal temperature range for survival. In cultured aquatic invertebrates, disease outbreaks are often related to husbandry factors such as poor water quality, inadequate water temperature, high stocking density or handling \[[@B5-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B63-microorganisms-08-01249]\].
Numerous species of the genus *Mycobacterium* have been named as etiological agents of aquatic invertebrate mycobacterioses. The first description in molluscs was in 1956 by Pan \[[@B39-microorganisms-08-01249]\], describing an infection caused by an unidentified species of *Mycobacterium* in the snail *Australorbis glabratus*. Since that first description, publications describing mycobacteriosis in molluscs have accumulated ([Table 1](#microorganisms-08-01249-t001){ref-type="table"}); in the last few years, separate cases of mycobacteriosis have been described in the edible pen shell (*Pinna nobilis*) from the Mediterranean coast of Italy, Spain, Greece and Croatia \[[@B4-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B16-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B17-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B40-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B41-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B42-microorganisms-08-01249]\].
The first case of a mycobacterial infection in crustaceans was reported in a small planktonic crustacean, the common water flea (*Daphnia* sp.) from a domestic aquarium; the infectious agent in this case was *M. marinum* \[[@B62-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. Over the years, mycobacteriosis in crustaceans has been reported in both freshwater species, for example *M. gordonae* in redclaw crayfish *C. quadricarinatus* \[[@B5-microorganisms-08-01249]\], and saltwater species, for example *M. marinum*, *M. peregrinum*, and a *Mycobacterium* sp. in the edible whiteleg shrimp *L. vannamei* \[[@B14-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B63-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B65-microorganisms-08-01249]\] ([Table 2](#microorganisms-08-01249-t002){ref-type="table"}).
The mycobacterial species that is most commonly reported as a pathogen of aquatic invertebrates is *M. marinum*, which is also the most common etiological agent of fish mycobacteriosis \[[@B12-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. Despite its name, *M. marinum* infects both freshwater and marine aquatic invertebrates in tropical and temperate waters, and is the most widely reported mycobacterial pathogen of aquatic invertebrates ([Table 1](#microorganisms-08-01249-t001){ref-type="table"}, [Table 2](#microorganisms-08-01249-t002){ref-type="table"} and [Table 3](#microorganisms-08-01249-t003){ref-type="table"}).
Diagnosis of mycobacteriosis in aquatic invertebrates (as in other animal species including humans), has become more accurate due to the development of new detection methods based on new technologies, such as HPLC, as well as amplification of specific gene fragments by PCR assay followed by restriction analysis, as described for the analysis of gene regions such as *hsp65* and rRNA \[[@B98-microorganisms-08-01249]\]. Among the most important and specific approaches that is mainly applicable, is amplification of 16S rRNA followed by sequencing \[[@B1-microorganisms-08-01249]\].
Human infections caused by NTM are typically confined to cutaneous lesions in limbs, although deep tissue infections of the musculature, tendons and bones have been also reported, and systemic infections may occur on rare occasions in immunocompromised individuals. Handling infected marine species is the main source of infection for man, especially aquarists, aquafarmers, fishermen and people who work in the processing of aquatic invertebrates, and they should be cautioned about contacting potentially infected invertebrates or fomites.
N.D. and F.C. participated in the scientific literature search and elaboration. N.D., D.M., and F.C. wrote the manuscript. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
This study was financially supported by the Israeli Veterinary Services.
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
{#microorganisms-08-01249-f001}
{#microorganisms-08-01249-f002}
microorganisms-08-01249-t001_Table 1
######
Summary of molluscs' mycobacterioses, including animal species, *Mycobacterium* species, infected tissue, geographical location, and references.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Animal Species *Mycobacterium* Species Infected Tissue Geographical Location Reference
--------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pen shell (*Pinna nobilis*) *M. sherrisi* (*M. triplex*), *Mycobacterium* sp. Connective tissue surrounding the digestive gland, mantle interstitium, and kidney Italy, Spain, Greece and Croatia \[[@B4-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B16-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B17-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B40-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B41-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B42-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
Atlantic sea scallop (*Placopecten magellanicus*) *Mycobacterium* sp. Adductor muscle, digestive gland, kidney, gills and mantle Massachusetts to Maryland, USA \[[@B15-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
*Australorbis glabratus* *Mycobacterium* sp. Rectal ridge, kidney, gut, mantle, foot and gonad nr \[[@B39-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
Two-ridge rams-horn (*Helisoma anceps*) *Mycobacterium* sp. Surface epithelium, connective tissue surrounding the digestive gland, kidney, rectal ridge and foot USA \[[@B43-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
Great ramshorn (*Planorbarius corneus*)\ *M. chelonae*, *M. fortuitum* nr Czech Republic \[[@B44-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
*Planorbis planorbis*, *Pomacea canaliculata* *M. ulcerans*, *M. gordonae*, *M. szulgai* Digestive tract Daloa region of Ivory Coast \[[@B45-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
*Bulinus senegalensis* *M. ulcerans* nr Benin \[[@B46-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
Marsh snail (*Biomphalaria glabrata*) *Mycobacterium* sp. Integument, pneumostome, base of the tentacle, digestive and genital epithelia USA \[[@B47-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
Eastern oyster (*Crassostrea virginica*) *M. scrofulaceum*, *M. gordonae*, *M. terrae* complex, *M. parafortuitum* complex nr Alabama, USA \[[@B48-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
Oysters (*Crassostrea* sp.) *M. marinum* nr USA, France \[[@B49-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B50-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
nr, not reported.
microorganisms-08-01249-t002_Table 2
######
Summary of crustaceans' mycobacterioses, including animal species, *Mycobacterium* species, infected tissue, geographical location, and references.
Animal Species *Mycobacterium* Species Infected Tissue Geographical Location Reference
------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Redclaw crayfish (*Cherax quadricarinatus*) *M. gordonae* Hepatopancreas, gills, testis Israel \[[@B5-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
Giant freshwater prawn (*Macrobrachium rosenbergii*) *Mycobacterium* sp. Hepatopancreas, heart, antennal gland, loose connective tissue of the gnathothorax, gills USA \[[@B13-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
Whiteleg shrimp (*Litopenaeus vannamei*) *Mycobacterium* sp., *M. peregrinum*, *M. marinum* Mandibular organ and hepatopancreas; carapace and heart; carapace and muscle USA, Brazil \[[@B14-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B66-microorganisms-08-01249],[@B67-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
Brine shrimp (*Artemia salina*) *Mycobacterium* sp. nr Czech Republic \[[@B44-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
Common water flea (*Daphnia* sp.) *M. marinum* nr Sweden \[[@B62-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
*Ceriodaphnia reticulata* *M. fortuitum*, *M. chelonae*, *M. flavescens* nr Germany \[[@B63-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
Sea-monkey (*Artemia nyos*) *M. marinum* nr Pennsylvania, USA \[[@B65-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
Red swamp crayfish (*Procambarus clarkii*) *M. fortuitum* Hepatopancreas Ibrahimiyah Canal, Egypt \[[@B68-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
Shrimp *Mycobacterium* sp. nr Iraq \[[@B69-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
Crab *M. marinum* nr South Carolina coast, USA \[[@B70-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
Crab *M. arupense* nr Republic of Korea \[[@B71-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
nr, not reported.
microorganisms-08-01249-t003_Table 3
######
Summary of echinoderm, cnidarian and sponge mycobacterioses, including animal species, *Mycobacterium* species, infected tissue, geographical location, and references.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Animal Species *Mycobacterium* Species Infected Tissue Geographical Location Reference
------------------------------ ------------------------- ----------------- ----------------------- ------------------------------------
Coral *M. haemophilum* nr Thailand \[[@B74-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
Sea urchin (*Paracentrotus*\ *M. marinum* nr Spain \[[@B75-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
*lividus*)
Sea urchin *M. marinum* nr Spain \[[@B76-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
Sea urchin *M. marinum* nr USA \[[@B77-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
Sea urchin *M. chelonae* nr Hawaii, USA \[[@B78-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
Sponge *M. poriferae* nr USA \[[@B79-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
nr, not reported.
microorganisms-08-01249-t004_Table 4
######
Summary of human mycobacterioses related to aquatic invertebrates.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Animal Species *Mycobacterium* Species Human Injury Country Reference
------------------------------------ ------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------- ------------------------------------
Oysters (*Crassostrea* sp.) *M. marinum* A swollen left hand with six\ USA \[[@B49-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
non-draining nodular lesions along the ulnar palm.
Oysters (*Crassostrea* sp.) *M. marinum* Ulcer on the hand. France \[[@B50-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
Common water fleas (*Daphnia* sp.) *M. marinum* Aquarium-borne infection on the lower arm of the owner. Sweden \[[@B62-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
Sea-monkey (*Artemia nyos*) *M. marinum* Five nodular lesions on the right hand and forearm. One at the base of the nail of the right third digit, one in the region of the third metacarpophalangeal joint and three along the right forearm. Pennsylvania, USA \[[@B65-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
Coral *M. haemophilum* A chronic cutaneous lesion in an immunologically normal patient after a coral injury, which implicated coral. Thailand \[[@B74-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
Sea urchin (*Paracentrotus*\ *M. marinum* In a study of 50 biopsy specimens from 35 patients diagnosed as having sea urchin granuloma. Half of these patients were involved in fishing activities, and 50% of these were divers involved in commercial harvesting of sea urchins. Spain \[[@B75-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
*lividus*)
Sea urchin *M. marinum* Osteomyelitis of the first\ Spain \[[@B76-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
metatarsal bone, after accidental puncture\
injury by a sea urchin requiring surgical treatment in a non-immunosuppressed patient.
Sea urchin *M. marinum* Arthritis in the interphalangeal joint of the hallux while snorkelling in Japan. Fukuoka, Japan \[[@B77-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
Sea urchin *M. chelonae* Multiple small, raised nodules over the volar index finger and thumb extending to the palm and resulting in tenosynovitis due to penetrating injury by a sea urchin to the hand. Hawaii, USA \[[@B78-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
Crab *M. marinum* Granulomatous inflammation on the right fourth finger while fishing. South Carolina coast, USA \[[@B70-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
Crab *M. arupense* Tenosynovitis in a patient with a history of puncture injury to the finger. Republic of Korea \[[@B71-microorganisms-08-01249]\]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
nr, not reported.
| 2024-02-26T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/1271 |
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TWENTY PETITIONS proposing new laws that would, among other things, legalize recreational marijuana, expand the state’s authority to license charter schools, and protect whales from fishing nets, passed their first legal test after Attorney General Maura Healey on Wednesday certified the initiative petitions, clearing a path toward the 2016 ballot.
Healey also certified two proposed amendments to the state constitution that would impose a higher income tax on earnings over a million dollars to help fund education and transportation and another clarifying that no part of the constitution requires public funding of abortion.
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The citizen-generated constitutional amendments have a longer road to the ballot than the other petitions, requiring at least a quarter of the Legislature to back the measures in 2016 and again in the 2017-2018 session before they could possibly appear before voters in 2018.
The coalition behind last fall’s successful campaign to mandate paid, earned sick time for most workers across Massachusetts is now pushing a constitutional amendment to tax millionaires an additional 4 percent on earnings above $1 million. Though ballot questions are prohibited from allocating money to specific programs, Healey determined that the language setting aside the millionaires tax revenue for the broad categories of education and transportation passed legal muster.
In her review of the constitutionality of the proposed ballot questions, Healey knocked 10 petitions off the list, essentially taking them out of play for next year’s elections unless her decisions get challenged by proponents in the Supreme Judicial Court.
Petitions that were not certified deal with the proposed legalization of fireworks, an attempt to regulate corporate campaign contributions, the definition of a “public body,” and a planned study of radiation health and safety risks.
Reflecting discontent with their inability to pass bills through the Legislature, groups earlier this summer filed 35 separate petitions proposing 26 new laws and nine constitution amendments. The number of filings this year were the most since 1994 when 42 petitions were filed and seven eventually made it to the ballot.
The next step in the process requires proponents of the individual ballot petitions to collect by late November 65,760 valid signatures in order to refer the petition to the Legislature for consideration. The Secretary of State’s office must make the signature sheets available to petitioners no later than Sept. 16, but some groups said they expected they would available sooner.
“We’ve been given the green light to proceed, and what happens next is up to you!” wrote Agatha Bodwell, the signature drive director for the campaign to force Massachusetts to withdraw from the Common Core curriculum standards.
The Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education issued a statement expressing disappointment in Healey’s decision to certify the Common Core repeal petition, calling it a “legally dubious question” to put before voters.
“This [is] a reckless and irresponsible ballot measure that would turn back the clock on critical improvements that the majority of teachers and principals support. It would cause mass confusion in our schools, undo the hard work of thousands of Massachusetts educators and put our children far behind their peers in other states,” said Linda Noonan, the executive director of the alliance, in a statement.
Another successful petitioner – The Humane Society of the United States – cheered their clearance of the legal hurdle on the path to the 2016 ballot. The Humane Society is one of the groups behind a proposed ballot question that would outlaw the “extreme confinement” of farm animals. The measure is opposed by some farming groups who say the types of cages targeted by animal rights activists are not used in Massachusetts, and argue that the petition would drive up food prices by restricting the sale of meat and dairy products from other states where the cages might be used.
“We’re heartened to have the opportunity to begin talking with Massachusetts voters about how they can help prevent animal cruelty, promote food safety and aid family farmers by signing petitions to put this measure on next year’s ballot,” said Stephanie Harris, Massachusetts state director of The Humane Society of the United States.
Other ballot questions progressing forward include multiple proposals by competing groups to legalize recreational marijuana, Secretary of State William Galvin’s proposal to reform the state’s public records laws, petitions dealing with euthanasia of animals in shelters, a measure allowing the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to add another slots parlor in the state, and a worker’s rights petitions that would require fast food restaurants and retail stores to pay an employee one to four hours of extra pay whenever it changes that employee’s work schedule within 14 days of a scheduled work shift.
Four separate questions drafted by two different groups to legalize recreational marijuana were all certified on Wednesday, raising the specter of potentially two ballot questions regarding pot going before voters in 2016.
Jim Borghesani, a spokesman for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, said his group has not reached any agreement with Bay State Repeal, the other group with three different proposals, on combining forces.
“We’re pleased and looking forward to the signature drive and making a compelling case to the people of Massachusetts,” Borghesani said.
A group of charter school, business and education advocates also got the green light to move ahead with a petition to allow the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to authorize up to 12 new public charter schools or existing school expansions each year. While the proposed change would leave existing caps on charter school seats by district in place, the board could license charter schools in excess of the cap in certain districts if it determines the need for choice is great enough.
During an unrelated event at Boston City Hall, Mayor Martin Walsh said he was a charter school supporter and said he had discussed the issue a couple of weeks ago during a meeting with Gov. Charlie Baker.
Meet the Author Matt Murphy State House News Service
“I would much rather increase the cap through the legislative process and not through the ballot question initiative,” Walsh said, suggesting a bill crafted on Beacon Hill would be a more precise way to make sure cap increases occur in communities that need them.
Antonio Caban contributed reporting to this story.
SHARE | 2024-05-10T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/7213 |
Onions. Gorgeous, golden, sweet onions. They add their deep, rich flavor to soups, sauces, gravies and then they recede to the background, letting the vegetables, the lentils, or the meat steal the show. Just how nice is that?
But humble as they are, onions are, without a doubt, stars in their own right. I can come up with a substitute for nearly any other ingredient while cooking on the fly, but the one ingredient I will absolutely, positively, most definitely not replace in any recipe is the amazing onion. In fact, I've been known to send Desi flying to my neighbor Heather's home to borrow an onion or two during a late-night cooking session.
If you love onions as much as I do, you are going to love today's recipe, because it is, literally, an ode to the onion. And it starts with the evocative name: Tofu Paneer Do Pyaza.
Pyaaz is Hindi for onions, and Do Pyaza literally translates to "with twice the onions." Indeed, there are plenty of onions in this recipe, and they're used two different ways, once at the beginning and again at the end, creating twice the deliciousness. You start off by sauteing a puree of onions that adds an incredible, velvety richness to the gravy, and you end by adding lightly sauteed onions that contribute an extra something, that oomph, that nicely rounds out the dish without overwhelming you or your tastebuds.
Most Do Pyaza dishes you'll find at restaurants feature meat of some kind or the other, with mutton being the most common, followed by chicken. There are also versions with Paneer, and that's what I set out to recreate, but the rich, complex sauce begs for something heftier and more textured than tofu -- or paneer -- is. So for my very vegan Do Pyaza, I bumped up the heft by baking the tofu to make it chewy, and by adding meaty, textured mushrooms. You could make the dish with just one or the other and you'd still have a winner on your hands. Or you could try this with seitan or tempeh, or one of those Gardein "meats."
I used two kinds of onions for the base puree-- red onions, which are spicier than yellow or white, and shallots, with their garlicky sass. And I used yellow onions for the final flourish, because I wanted something sweeter and milder to finish off the creamy gravy.
This, served with warm rotis, made a perfect Sunday night dinner at our home. And a healthy one too, with just 143 calories in each serving. Try it, if you are, like me, a true lover of this mighty allium. You'll be crying -- with joy -- for sure.
Tofu Paneer Do Pyaza Vaishali · Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes 5 from 1 vote Print Recipe Pin Recipe Prep Time 30 mins Cook Time 40 mins Total Time 1 hr 10 mins Course Curry Cuisine Indian Servings 6 servings Calories 143 kcal Ingredients 1x 2x 3x 2 shallots, diced
1/2 large red onion, diced
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 12- oz package of extra firm tofu, drained and sliced into six pieces. Spray a baking sheet with oil, place the tofu on it in a single layer, spray on some more oil, then bake in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes or until the tofu is lightly golden brown on top and bottom. Remove and cut into small cubes, about 1/2-inch square.
1 large tomato, pureed
8 ounces of mushrooms (use cremini or button or shiitake, sliced)
1 tbsp + 1 tsp vegetable oil
2 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cayenne
2 dry red chillies, optional
2 tsp garam masala
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup cashews, soaked and pureed into a smooth paste with 1/2 cup water
Salt to taste
1/4 cup coriander leaves, chopped Instructions Blend the shallots and red onions and garlic into a smooth paste and set aside.
Blend the tomato into a puree
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a wok or kadhai or a wide saucepan.
Add the cumin seeds and, when they sputter, add the onion-garlic paste.
Saute, stirring frequently to prevent the paste from sticking, for about 10-15 minutes or until the raw flavor of the onions has dissipated and the mixture has darkened.
Add the tomato puree along with the ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, and cayenne.
Cook, stirring frequently, until most of the moisture evaporates from the tomatoes.
Add the mushrooms and tofu cubes and stir well to mix. Add 1 cup of water, Mix well.
Cook for 10 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender and the flavors have blended. Add lemon juice, garam masala, and salt to taste.
In a small saucepan, heat the remaining 1 tsp of oil. Add the yellow onions and dry red chillies, if using. Saute for a couple of minutes or until the onions just start to turn translucent.
Add the onions to the do pyaza gravy. Stir to mix.
Add the cashew cream, mix, and stir in the coriander leaves.
Serve hot with some rotis or naan. Nutrition Calories: 143 kcal Protein: 8 g Fiber: 2.3 g Tried this recipe? Let us know ! Or post a photo on Instagram and tag @HolyCowVegan
More Indian restaurant inspired dishes:
Tofu Makhani
Restaurant-Style Vegetable Biryani
Tofu Palak Paneer
**
GIVEAWAY WINNER:
In case you missed it, I announced the winner of the Idlito idli maker yesterday in this rava idli post, and it is Ambica. Ambica, please send me your mailing address at MyVeganWorld[at]gmail.com. And a big thank you to everyone who participated-- your comments about why you love Indian food made my day, and I love you all for it. 🙂 | 2023-11-03T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/9284 |
The FcγR/IgG Interaction as Target for the Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases.
FcγRs are a crucial component of the antibody response as they mediate the cellular effector functions in response to IgG-containing immune complexes (ICs). Therefore, they also play a central role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases which offers an attractive option to specifically target this class of molecules and their interaction with IgG for treatment of immune disorders. In detail, two strategies are discussed in this article. SM101, a soluble FcγR that is already in clinical development competes with the interaction of IgG with membrane FcγRs. Oppositely, SM201 recruits the inhibitory FcγRIIB for a broad down-modulation of the immune system. The presented approaches for the treatment of autoimmune diseases have the potential be more efficacious with fewer side effects than the currently used therapeutic options. | 2024-04-30T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/9442 |
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I've followed Obamacare in Rhode Island for a few... snapshot of what's happening with Obamacare's exchanges, I often look in... of the bailout provisions inserted into Obamacare, the so-called 'Three Rs' of... 34 age group, that's unlikely. Obamacare was premised on, among other things... this 18-34 age group... ...
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... of the credit presumably going to Obamacare. Here's how the Associated Press... it's also hard to argue Obamacare has been worth the costs, particularly... in light of the fact that in the end Obamacare appears to be leaving 35 million or so people uninsured with not much hope of bringing that number... ...
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... Kasich that he did not support Obamacare, as two times as many people... receive the same “minimum essential benefits” Obamacare requires for policies sold at HealthCare... have actually gained private coverage under Obamacare. Kasich Supporting Obamacare? Kasich, a Republican, says he is against Obamacare... ...
Climate Change Weekly #160
A new report by the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF) details how the late Hubert Lamb spent his career trying to convince the scientific establishment and the public that Earth’s climate was constantly, naturally, changing – climate stasis was a fairy tale.
Lamb was founding director of ...
... is this: Which justice will save Obamacare this time, John Roberts or Anthony... ruling would be extremely damaging to Obamacare, but might seem entirely consistent with... other factors.
In the absence of Obamacare’s subsidies, the penalty for not... offering insurance that fails to meet Obamacare’s... ...
... ever actually tried to do it. Obamacare actually did provide a version of... is not. Sadly, the authors of Obamacare just blew $2.5 billion in taxpayer dollars to produce the rough equivalent of All My Babies' Mamas .... ...
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... Children’s Health Insurance Program, and Obamacare—are driving 32 percent of the increase in spending over the next decade, followed closely by the Social Security program at 28 percent, and interest on the debt at 24 percent,” she said. ‘A Spending Problem’ Raising taxes to compensate for the ballooning debt would... ...
... Titled " How Not to Bungle an ObamaCare Opening ," it argues Republicans in Congress... that subsidies are only available through Obamacare exchanges established by states. This is... negotiating bipartisan “fixes” that would make Obamacare about 80 percent as bad as... some immediate relief, start to turn ObamaCare... ...
... the recent Republican proposal to replace Obamacare with tax credits and (some) deregulation of the health insurance market. He also explains what a more market-oriented reform would look like, as well as what Republicans should be telling people about health reform. ... ...
... by companies awarded many of the Obamacare contracts and failed to require those companies to be accountable for cost overruns, according to a report published on January 22 by the Office of the Inspector General for HHS. The report concludes those mistakes led to more than $400 million in unexpected costs, nearly... ...
... Upton, revealed their plan to replace Obamacare. It's too soon to call... the 'essential health benefits' mandated by Obamacare, and offers refundable tax credits for individuals and families earning up to 300 percent of the poverty level. The most interesting thing, in my view, is that it offers the refundable... ...
... Upton, revealed their plan to replace Obamacare. It's too soon to call... the 'essential health benefits' mandated by Obamacare, and offers refundable tax credits for individuals and families earning up to 300 percent of the poverty level. The most interesting thing, in my view, is that it offers the refundable... ...
ABOUT THE HEARTLAND INSTITUTE
The Heartland Institute is a national nonprofit research and education organization whose mission is to discover, develop, and promote free-market solutions to social and economic problems.
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PolicyBot is a free online database and search engine operated by The Heartland Institute. It is the fastest and easiest way to find the best work of the nation’s leading free-market think tanks and advocacy groups. It’s the perfect research tool for students, legislative staff, editors, and activists. | 2024-05-05T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/8528 |
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
package="io.slib.examplejni">
<application
android:allowBackup="true"
android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
android:label="@string/app_name"
android:roundIcon="@mipmap/ic_launcher_round"
android:supportsRtl="true"
android:theme="@style/AppTheme">
<activity
android:name=".MainActivity"
android:launchMode="singleTask"
android:configChanges="orientation|keyboardHidden|screenSize"
android:screenOrientation="portrait"
>
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN"/>
<category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER"/>
</intent-filter>
</activity>
</application>
</manifest> | 2024-02-11T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/6254 |
Workers are familiar with document processing (e.g., check processors for automatic sort) that involve creating an electronic digital image of each document as it passes an imaging station (e.g., as simplistically illustrated in FIG. 1A). In FIG. 1A there is shown a financial document sorting system having a typical document sorter 12, which in the preferred embodiment of this invention, comprises a model DP1800 sorter which is manufactured by the UNISYS Corporation of Blue Bell, Pa.
Sorter 12 contains a track 14 along which a plurality of financial documents 16 (e.g., checks) passes. Sorter 12 includes a magnetic character reader 18 and magnetic strip character controller 20, as well as a document holder 22 and a pipelined image processor (imaging station) 24.
Controller 20 is coupled to reader 18 via signals on a bus 26, to a host computer 28 by signals on a bus 30, and to the pipelined image processor 24 by signals on a bus 32. A computer 28 is coupled to an image storage module 34 by signals on a bus 36, while image storage module 34 is also coupled to the pipelined image processor 24 and to a plurality of workstations 38 via signals on a buses 40 and 42, respectively.
In operation, documents 16 sequentially pass reader 18 which reads a typical code appearing upon the usual MICR codeline strip which is normally placed upon each of the documents 16. The code read-out is then sent to computer 28 by signals on bus 30 for storage therein, and also to processor 24 by signals on bus 32. As each document 16 further proceeds, it passes imaging station 24 which creates a digital electronic image of the document, and sends this processed image data, via signals on bus 40, to image storage module 34 for storage therein. After passing station 24, each document is then sorted, by sorter 12, in the usual way (based on the contents of the MICR codeline) and is held at document holder 22.
After a typical prescribed block of such documents 16 has been sorted as aforedescribed, workstations 38, via signals on bus 42, may sequentially request document image data from storage module 34. This image data is then downloaded to a workstation 38, via signals on bus 42, along with associated magnetic code data obtained from host computer 28.
After such image data is so captured at a workstation 38, an operator may electronically enter the dollar amount (e.g., courtesy amount) on each document and electronically resolve any associated inconsistencies. Each image's dollar amount and associated corrections then form a single record which is sent to computer 28, via signals on bus 42, where it may later be accessed for use in automatically inscribing the dollar amount and corrections upon the document. Therefore, the aforementioned document sort system 10 substantially eliminates manual handling of an individual document 16, once its associated dollar amount is so verified and inscribed, to thereby increase the efficiency, speed and timeliness of the overall document sorting system 10.
Compression Stages:
Within Image Processor 24 in FIG. 1A is placed one of "n" JPEG Processing/Compression stages (24-A). Two of these JPEG Processing/Compression paths are implemented on a Histogram/Compressor printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) shown in FIG. 1C.
According to a feature hereof, Image Processor 24 of FIG. 1 is characterized by an Image Digitizer unit (D of FIG. 2) for analog to digital conversion of the captured image, a Normalizer/Scaler (N/S Set, FIG. 2) for normalization, delineation and scaling of the video image, a set of "n", parallel JPEG Processing/Compression units (J1 of FIG. 2 and 24-A of FIG. 1) for image processing/JPEG compression and a JPEG Compressed Data Buffer unit (JCDB in FIG. 2) for collection and temporary storage of compressed images from the JPEG Processing/Compression units. [Note "JPEG" refers to a compression standard by the "Joint Photographic Experts Group".]
These functions are implemented especially to meet the performance requirements of a high speed check imaging system and to minimize the cost of the system by reducing the amount of "parallel hardware" needed to compress images. A preferred Processing/Compression Stage (for JPEG) is indicated in FIG. 1C.
The JPEG compression hardware performs image processing on a 128 grey level, scaled image before executing a two-pass JPEG compression. Scaling can range from 137.5 dpi to 50 dpi in steps of 12.5 dpi. This two-pass compression is designed--according to this feature--to reduce images to a predictable "packet size" apt for use in the entire high speed check imaging system. These functions of the JPEG "P/C" (Processing/Compression) hardware, (detailed below) must be performed, here, in real time on check images as they move down a high speed Check sorter track at an approximate rate of 1800 checks per minute.
It is not possible, within the environment of present high speed check-imaging systems (detailed below), for a single JPEG "P/C" (Processing/Compression) path to process every check in real time. Therefore, one needs multiple JPEG "P/C" paths, operating in parallel, are needed. To reduce the time required for each Processing/Compression path to operate on an image (and therefore reduce the number of parallel paths needed to maintain system performance), many of the required functions of the JPEG "P/C" path have been implemented in hardware. A detailed explanation of such functions is described below.
System Environment:
A JPEG "P/C" (process/compression) path as here contemplated, will perform image processing and real time JPEG compression of normalized and scaled images of documents (e.g. checks) captured in a check sorter at an average rate of 1800 checks per minute. The diagram in FIG. 2 indicates conditions under which the JPEG "P/C" path operates and the performance required of this unit to maintain overall system performance.
FIG. 2 shows the processing of a sample of check images as they move left to right across the page, similar to the way the checks would move through the check sorter. Here, track speed of the sorter assumed to be 300 inches per second. This means that a check that is 6 inches long will take 20 ms to pass a fixed point on the sorter track; here, checks can range in length from 5.75 inches to 9 inches (19 ms to 30 ms), with gaps between checks ranging from 1.5 inches (5 ms) to several inches).
The check images are captured by a camera preferably comprised of a vertical, 1024-element CCPD array which samples 256 grey levels per pixel (8 bits) with a resolution of 200 pixels per inch. In the vertical direction, the camera can capture images up to 5.12 inches high. The 1024 element array takes a snapshot of the check every 16.66 us as it moves down the sorter track, yielding a horizontal capture resolution of 200 pixels per inch. These 1024 pixel scans (captured every 16.66 us by the CCPD array) are divided into eight 128 pixel channels (shown as CH0 through CH7 in FIG. 2, each composed of 128 pixel scans). Hardware in the Camera/Digitizer D converts each 128 pixel scan into eight serial streams of pixels, with one pixel being output approximately every 130 ns.
The N/S (Normalizer/Scaler) hardware next normalizes the pixel values from the 1024 CCPD elements and then scales the image down. The maximum resolution after scaling is 137.5 (11/16ths scaling of 200 dpi captured image) pixels per inch in both dimensions (e.g., see example shown in FIG. 2). In this example the 128 pixel scans in each channel are reduced to 88 pixels per scan. The N/S hardware "time-multiplexes" four channels' worth of data onto two, 8-bit serial outputs to the JPEG "P/C" hardware. The 88 pixels from all four "even-numbered" (total of 352 pixels per scan at 137.5 dpi) channels (0, 2, 4, 6) are time-multiplexed along one serial stream, while the pixels from the four "odd" channels (1, 3, 5 and 7) are multiplexed along a second serial stream. The two serial pixel streams operate at 50 ns/pixel (20 MHz) to guarantee that all 352 pixels per scan on each serial path can be transferred to the JPEG "P/C" hardware before the next scan is transferred.
A pair of JPEG "P/C" paths are preferably implemented on an H/C PCB (Histogram/Compressor printed circuit board, as indicated in FIG. 1C). Each process/compression path must detect the image dimensions and perform image processing on the scaled image prior to compression. Selected image processing algorithms require a grey level histogram of the entire image prior to execution. This means the entire image must be buffered (e.g., at 3-1, FIG. 3) and a histogram generated (e.g., at 3-7) before image processing can begin. Once image processing is complete, compression can begin.
The performance of the entire image system is what dictates how the JPEG Processing/Compression hardware must reduce each image to a target packet size; this is why the here-detailed JPEG compression hardware embodiment executes a 2-pass compression. The first pass uses a "standard" QM (Quantization Matrix) for JPEG compression. The results of the first pass compression, as well as the detected image dimensions, are used to pick a second QM for a second, final compression that will reduce the scaled image to the desired compressed packet size.
To maintain system performance, the JPEG Processing/Compression hardware must perform all these functions in real time which equates to generating a JPEG compression packet in 20 ms for a 6-inch check. Because a single JPEG "P/C" path cannot meet these requirements, multiple paths operating in parallel are required. The described H/C PCB was equipped with two independent JPEG "P/C" paths for this purpose (see FIGS. 3, 1C), and the system has locations for up to 8 H/C PCBs (for Front/Rear imaging). This means the system can have as many as 16 JPEG compression paths operating in parallel (e.g. two for each H/C PCB--on each side). For example, FIG. 4 indicates how up to 4 H/Cs can be used on each side (front and back) of the imaging system.
Compression, etc.:
In one type of document processor, front and rear images of a document are captured, enhanced, and compressed by two independent mechanisms. Following compression, the front and rear images are combined with additional information specific to the document (previously received from the document processor), and stored in a database, separate from the document processor, for subsequent retrieval.
A hardware/software failure can cause the electronic images in the (front and rear image) processing stages to become unsynchronized; e.g.. Typically, because one or more images are skipped on one side; or, the front and rear image bits may be synchronized with one another, but may not be synchronized with ancillary document information ("collateral document data" that is associated with the image bits). If this condition goes undetected, then the front and/or rear image bits will not be stored with the proper document record in the database.
Thus, it will be understood as useful to have a method of identifying (both set of) image bits, especially where the image data is to be reliably co-identified with collateral document data. Such "identification-bits" should be carried with the image data through the various stages of processing, so the image's identity can be maintained at each processing station, and can be transferred to a downstream processing station. Such identification-bits should be available at the point where the front and rear image data, and "collateral document data" are merged to ensure that a full, correct data set is being combined for transfer to the database. A salient object hereof is to so identify image data; especially with "sync bits" as detailed below. | 2024-06-18T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/3336 |
Rood Candy Company Building
The Rood Candy Company Building is a historic manufacturing plant of the or Rood Candy Company in Pueblo, Colorado. It was built in 1909 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
The company was founded by Aaron Rood, who was born in Windham County, Connecticut in 1845. He served in Company B, Ninety-Second Illinois Infantry, during the American Civil War. He moved to Boulder, Colorado in 1872 and to Pueblo in 1895. He helped build the Pueblo Cracker and Confectionary Company which was sold to the American Biscuit Company in 1891. He founded the Colorado Confectionery Company in the early 1900s which became the Rood Candy Company around 1910. It was one of the leading candy manufacturers in the state, operating up to the late 1930s.
There is a main building and also a second contributing building, which is a gable-roofed stable.
References
National Register of Historic Places
Colorado Historical Society
Category:Industrial buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Colorado
Category:Industrial buildings completed in 1909
Category:Buildings and structures in Pueblo, Colorado
Category:Manufacturing plants in the United States
Category:American confectionery
Category:National Register of Historic Places in Pueblo County, Colorado | 2023-12-28T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/9312 |
Q:
Rsync between two remotes
I need to execute an rsync between to remote hosts (reasons later), which is not supported by rsync (see man page). However, I think it should be possible using an ssh tunnel. I could not get it to work so far and I think I am doing something wrong. Have a look at the following snippet:
ssh -R localhost:50000:remotesource:22 user@localpc -f -N
sleep 5 #To wait for the tunnel to establish
ssh user@remotedestination rsync -e "ssh -p 50000" --progress --append-verify user@localpc:~/sourcefiles ~/destdir'
This basically hangs up during authentication of the rsync internal ssh. Just to test it, I connected to remotedestination and tried to ssh to remotesource via the tunnel and that worked! Is there anything rsync does differently which I am forgetting here?
Why do I want to do this? Despite general curiosity the thing is that remotesource is a computer from which I can only pull not push data and remotedestination has a only a shared account. Since there are frequent connection issues I wanted to write a script to restart rsync in case of an error. For this I need to authenticate via key files (no sshpass or similar installed). But I will certainly not store my private key in a shared account's home directory. Therefore, I want the authentication to happen through my local pc.
I hope somebody can point out my error, I don't see it :-) Thanks!
A:
I think you've got yourself tied in knots here!
The only time that creating a port forward to port 22 helps is when routing around a firewall. It does not help you avoid authentication. In any case, your tunnel only accepts connections from processes running on "localpc" so your rsync running on "remotedestination" can't use it.
If you don't wish to leak credentials into the shared account on "remotedestination", and interactive password entry is not possible, then things are a bit tricky. You could use keys limited by authorized_keys, but that's still not fully secure. You could use ssh -A to forward your ssh-agent connection to "remotedestination", but an eavesdropper with the same user access could also use that socket (this method is at least fairly covert, if you're not actually a spy facing real hackers).
Probably the most secure method is to initiate the transfer from "remotesource", using ssh -A agent forwarding on that side.
Alternatively, if the data isn't large or the incremental updates aren't the point, you could try scp. That can handle both remote source and destination, and will even move the data directly from source to destination directly, if it can. The downside is that it will always try to copy all the data.
| 2024-07-21T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/8076 |
Kevin Love #42 of the Minnesota Timberwolves dunks the ball against the Memphis Grizzlies on December 15, 2013 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. (credit: Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors have reopened trade talks for All-Star forward Kevin Love, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
With most of the NBA in Las Vegas for summer league games, the sides have had a chance to meet face-to-face to talk about a deal mentioned as a possibility for more than a month. The person requested anonymity because both teams are not publicly commenting on trade discussions.
Timberwolves president and coach Flip Saunders was seen talking to Warriors general manager Bob Myers at the arena on Sunday as the teams look to bridge the gap that caused discussions to stall. The Warriors have been reluctant to include shooting guard Klay Thompson in any package, which has been considered a deal-breaker for the Timberwolves.
There were no signs that the Warriors were ready to change their position on Thompson. New Warriors coach Steve Kerr is keen on pairing Thompson with Steph Curry in the backcourt that has become known as the “Splash Brothers,” even as he acknowledged earlier in the summer that he would like to add a power forward with shooting range.
There is none better at bringing that dimension than Love, a 25-year-old who plans to opt out of his contract at the end of next season and go looking for a contender. Love has not made the playoffs in the first six seasons of his career in Minnesota.
So far, the Wolves and Warriors have discussed swapping Love and veteran shooting guard Kevin Martin for David Lee, Harrison Barnes and a future draft pick. That hasn’t been enough for Saunders, who has been adamant that that 24-year-old Thompson be the main piece to come back.
The Wolves also have talked to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have LeBron James coming back home to play next season. A three-player core of James, Love and Kyrie Irving would immediately make the Cavaliers a favorite in the wide-open Eastern Conference, but Cavaliers GM David Griffin has refused to part with No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins to land Love.
The Timberwolves have demanded Wiggins be a part of the deal, which has put those discussions at a standstill.
Love and James were teammates on gold medal-winning Team USA in London in 2012 and James has long been an admirer of the super-athletic Wiggins, who has been a much-hyped prospect during his prep days in Canada and his one season at Kansas.
Saunders has said he’d have no issues keeping Love, making a couple of moves to improve a roster that finished 10th in the West last season and trying to make a playoff run to convince the face of the franchise he should stay in Minnesota.
That strategy worked for the Portland Trail Blazers with LaMarcus Aldridge, and the Wolves believe Love could change his mind if enough improvements are made. The Wolves also can pay Love about $26.5 million more than any other team with the extra year they can offer him.
(© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) | 2024-01-12T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/5055 |
# encoding: UTF-8
# This file is auto-generated from the current state of the database. Instead
# of editing this file, please use the migrations feature of Active Record to
# incrementally modify your database, and then regenerate this schema definition.
#
# Note that this schema.rb definition is the authoritative source for your
# database schema. If you need to create the application database on another
# system, you should be using db:schema:load, not running all the migrations
# from scratch. The latter is a flawed and unsustainable approach (the more migrations
# you'll amass, the slower it'll run and the greater likelihood for issues).
#
# It's strongly recommended to check this file into your version control system.
ActiveRecord::Schema.define(:version => 20120307034932) do
create_table "users", :force => true do |t|
t.string "email"
t.string "password_digest"
t.datetime "created_at", :null => false
t.datetime "updated_at", :null => false
end
end
| 2023-11-25T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/2137 |
Earlier this offseason David Ortiz announced he will retire following the 2016 season, which was music to the ears of Yankees fans everyone. Ortiz has crushed the Yankees over the years — he’s a career .306/.395/.565 hitter against New York — and no one on this side of the rivalry will miss him. He was a worthy foe, and I’m glad he’s retiring.
While speaking to reporters at the owners’ meetings yesterday, Hal Steinbrenner confirmed the Yankees will indeed honor Ortiz in some way this coming season. From Ken Davidoff:
“I am sure we’re going to do something,” Steinbrenner said. “We have not formally, minute by minute, figured out exactly what we’re going to do yet. He’s a great player, great part of that franchise. Everything you like to see in a player.”
The Red Sox will be in the Bronx for the second-to-last series of the season, a three-game set from September 27-29. That’s a Tuesday through Thursday. I assume that’s when the ceremony will take place.
Ortiz has said he doesn’t want any kind of farewell tour, but it’s not really up to him. Teams, including the Yankees, are going to honor him whether his wants it or not. The Red Sox honored both Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera when they retired a few years back, so I guess it’s only fair the Yankees honor Ortiz.
As the story goes, George Steinbrenner wanted to sign Ortiz after the Twins non-tendered him back in 2002, but Brian Cashman talked him out of it. The Yankees had the newly signed Jason Giambi at first base, plus a top first base prospect in Nick Johnson, who was an elite first base prospect at the time. Signing Ortiz meant burying or trading Johnson, which eventually happened anyway. So it goes.
Anyway, I don’t really have a problem with the Yankees honoring Ortiz. They honored Chipper Jones and Paul Konerko when they were retiring a few years back. Have a quick little pre-game ceremony and then keep him in the park during the games. No fireworks, if you know what I mean. | 2023-08-15T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/3854 |
Role of genetic factors on the effect of additional loading doses and two maintenance doses used to overcome clopidogrel hyporesponsiveness.
Additional loading doses and higher maintenance doses (MDs) have been used to overcome hyporesponsiveness of clopidogrel. We aimed to investigate whether genetic polymorphisms of two cytochromes (CYP2C19 and CYP2C9) and ABCB1 modify effect of such dose-adjustment strategy. We enrolled 118 patients undergoing elective or acute percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug eluting stent (DES). Platelet reactivity index (PRI) was measured using the vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) index and a cut-off value of ≥ 60% was defined as hyporesponsiveness. Polymorphism of two cytochromes (CYP2C19, CYP2C9) and gene ABCB1 were determined. In patients hyporesponsive to the initial LD the dose-adjustment was performed using up to 3 additional 600 mg LDs in order to achieve PRI <60%, and both 150 mg and 75 mg MD were tested at the follow-up. Patients with at least one CYP2C19*2 allele had higher baseline PRI after the initial LD (78.2 ± 13.1 vs. 65.3 ± 19.5, P=0.005). The PRI reduction with additional LD was significantly smaller in carriers of the CYP2C19*2 (25.2 ± 15.6 vs. 35.5 ± 16.8, P=0.025) and similar trend was observed with subsequent additional LDs. Both MDs were less effective in presence of CYP2C19*2. Target PRI was, however, more frequently achieved with higher MD even in presence of CYP2C19*2 (in 70.6% vs. 23.5% of hyporesponders, P=0.008). No such differences were observed for other polymorphisms. In patients hyporesponsive to a routine clopidogrel doses the potency of additional LD and higher MD of clopidogrel is compromised by presence of CYP2C19*2 allele. The dose-adjustment strategy is not affected by ABCB1 C3435T or CYP2C9 genotypes. | 2024-04-05T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/9225 |
Nev the Lab x
Nev is a gorgeous happy boy who likes the quiet life. He is fully housetrained and loves his walks. He can be a bit strong on the lead so a home used to the lab type breed would be an advantage.
He is looking for an adult only home as he trusts adults more than children and is happier with a routine and a calm household. Nev has a wag of the tail for everyone he meets and will make a loyal companion.
Nev would prefer to be the only dog in the home. Like all labs he is very food orientated and eager to please. | 2024-02-27T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/1536 |
258 F.3d 1220 (10th Cir. 2001)
LINDA J. BENNETT, Plaintiff-Appellant,v.QUARK, INC., Defendant-Appellee
No. 00-1177
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS TENTH CIRCUIT
August 3, 2001
1
Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Colorado (D.C. No. 98-N-2089) [Copyrighted Material Omitted][Copyrighted Material Omitted]
2
Nancy L. Pearl of Pearl and Associates, LLC, Denver, Colorado, and Anne Whalen Gill of Anne Whalen Gill, P.C., Greenwood Village, Colorado, for Plaintiff-Appellant.
3
Lynn D. Feiger and Joan M. Bechtold of Feiger, Collison & Bechtold, LLC, Denver, Colorado, for Defendant-Appellee.
4
Before HENRY and MURPHY, Circuit Judges, and VANBEBBER, Senior District Judge.*
5
VANBEBBER, Senior District Judge.
6
Plaintiff Linda J. Bennett filed this action against defendant Quark, Inc. alleging unlawful discrimination in violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, 29 U.S.C. 621-34 (ADEA). She alleges that defendant failed to promote her on two separate occasions and constructively discharged her because of her age. The district court granted summary judgment in favor of defendant on all claims. Plaintiff appeals. We exercise jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 1291, and affirm the district court's decision.1
I. Standard for Review
7
We review the district court's grant of summary judgment de novo, applying the same legal standard as the court below. See Bullington v. United Air Lines, Inc., 186 F.3d 1301, 1313 (10th Cir. 1999) (citation omitted). Summary judgment is appropriate if the evidence presented by the parties demonstrates "that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law." Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c). A "genuine" issue of fact exists if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could resolve the issue either way. See Adler v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 144 F.3d 664, 670 (10th Cir. 1998) (citing Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248 (1986)). An issue of fact is "material" if it is essential to the proper disposition of the claim. See id. (citing same). The court must consider the record, and all reasonable inferences therefrom, in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion. See id.
8
The party moving for summary judgment bears the initial burden of demonstrating the absence of a genuine issue of material fact. See id. at 670-71 (citing Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322-23 (1986)). If the moving party will not bear the burden of persuasion at trial, that party "may make its prima facie demonstration simply by pointing out to the court a lack of evidence for the nonmovant on an essential element of the nonmovant's claim." Id. at 671 (citing Celotex, 477 U.S. at 325). Once the moving party has properly supported its motion for summary judgment, the burden shifts to the nonmoving party to go beyond the pleadings and set forth specific facts from which a reasonable jury could find in favor of the nonmoving party. See id.
II. Factual Background
9
In January of 1993, plaintiff began working for defendant as a human resources assistant. At that time, she was forty-one years of age. Her initial duties focused on both employee benefits and training. By late 1996, however, her duties focused primarily on benefits, and defendant changed her job title to benefits specialist.
10
On September 1, 1996, defendant promoted an employee named Audrey Stepp to the position of payroll supervisor/human resources generalist. Plaintiff asked Ms. Stepp if she had received a promotion. Ms. Stepp responded that, while her title had changed, she had not received a promotion.
11
In August of 1996, defendant posted a job opening for the position of human resources trainer. Plaintiff asked her manager, Cheryl Smith, whether this position would be a promotion for her. Ms. Smith informed plaintiff that the position would not constitute a promotion, but would be a lateral move. Plaintiff did not submit an application for the position. On January 27, 1997, approximately five months after the position was first posted, defendant promoted an employee named Leslie Green to the position. Ms. Green had submitted a formal application for the position.
12
In June or July of 1997, plaintiff discussed what she perceived to be pay inequities with Diane Witonsky, the Director of Human Resources. Ms. Witonsky informed plaintiff that Ms. Stepp's transition to payroll supervisor/human resources generalist had been a promotion. Ms. Witonsky also informed plaintiff that the position of human resources trainer (awarded to Ms. Green) would have constituted a promotion for plaintiff.
13
A short time later, defendant directed plaintiff to stop reporting to manager Cheryl Smith and instead to report to Ms. Stepp, a lower-level supervisor. This was particularly discouraging for plaintiff, because plaintiff considered Ms. Stepp to be a younger employee who was promoted above her.
14
Plaintiff resigned from her employment with defendant on August 11, 1997. She filed a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on November 10, 1997. After obtaining the right to sue, plaintiff filed a petition for relief in Colorado state court. Defendant removed the case to the United States District Court for the District of Colorado.
15
Plaintiff alleged that defendant failed to promote her to payroll supervisor/human resources generalist (awarded to Ms. Stepp) and/or human resources trainer (awarded to Ms. Green) on account of her age in violation of the ADEA. Plaintiff also alleged that defendant eventually made her working conditions so intolerable that she was forced to resign.
16
Defendant moved for summary judgment on all of plaintiff's claims. The district court granted the motion, holding that (1) plaintiff had failed to timely exhaust her administrative remedies with respect to the Stepp promotion, (2) plaintiff had failed to establish a prima facie case regarding the Green promotion, and (3) plaintiff had failed to set forth sufficient facts from which a reasonable jury could conclude that she was constructively discharged.
III. Discussion
A. Failure to Promote
1. Stepp Promotion
17
Plaintiff contends that the district court erred in concluding that she had failed to timely exhaust her administrative remedies regarding the Stepp promotion. The district court granted summary judgment in favor of defendant because plaintiff had failed to file a charge of discrimination with the EEOC within 300 days of the Stepp promotion. To bring a valid claim under the ADEA, a plaintiff must file a charge of discrimination with the EEOC within 300 days of the underlying discriminatory act. See 29 U.S.C. 626(d).2 Plaintiff acknowledges that she did not file a charge of discrimination within 300 days of the Stepp promotion. She argues, however, that her charge, dated November 10, 1997, was nonetheless timely because (1) the 300-day limitations period was subject to equitable tolling until June or July of 1997 and (2) the Stepp promotion was part of a continuing violation that lasted until June or July of 1997.
18
a. Equitable Tolling
19
Plaintiff argues that summary judgment was inappropriate because the 300-day limitations period was subject to equitable tolling until June or July of 1997--the time at which she first learned that Ms. Stepp's transition to the position of payroll supervisor/human resources generalist was in fact a promotion.
20
Under proper circumstances, "[t]he timely filing of a discriminatory charge may be equitably tolled." Purrington v. Univ. of Utah, 996 F.2d 1025, 1030 (10th Cir. 1993) (citing Irwin v. Veterans Admin., 498 U.S. 89, 94-95 (1990)). This court summarized the requirements for equitable tolling of the ADEA time limits in Hulsey v. Kmart, Inc., 43 F.3d 555 (10th Cir. 1994). There, we stated:
21
It is well settled that equitable tolling of the ADEA is appropriate only where the circumstances of the case rise to the level of active deception where a plaintiff has been lulled into inaction by her past employer, state or federal agencies, or the courts. When such deception is alleged on the part of an employer, [the] limitations period will not be tolled unless an employee's failure to timely file results from either a deliberate design by the employer or actions that the employer should unmistakably have understood would cause the employee to delay filing [her] charge.
22
Id. at 557 (citations, internal ellipses and quotation marks omitted). The decision whether to equitably toll the limitations period rests within the sound discretion of the district court. See Purrington, 996 F.2d at 1030 (citing EEOC v. Gen. Lines, Inc., 865 F.2d 1555, 1558 (10th Cir. 1989) (citing McKinney v. Gannett Co., 817 F.2d 659, 670 (10th Cir. 1987))). Absent an abuse of discretion, the district court's decision will not be disturbed on appeal. See id. (citing same).
23
Plaintiff has failed to allege any facts or circumstances that would warrant tolling of the 300-day limitations period in this case. Plaintiff admits that Ms. Stepp's title changed to payroll supervisor/human resources trainer in September of 1996. She alleges, however, that Ms. Stepp informed her that her transition to payroll supervisor/human resources trainer was simply a title change, and not a promotion. She further alleges that she did not learn the truth about Ms. Stepp's transitionthat it was in fact a promotion--until June or July of 1997. Assuming these allegations are true, tolling of the 300-day limitations period is inappropriate.
24
To warrant tolling, the circumstances must rise to the level of active deception. See Hulsey, 43 F.3d at 557. Where deception by a plaintiff's employer is alleged, the evidence must show that the plaintiff's failure to timely file a charge resulted from either (1) a deliberate design by the employer or (2) actions that the employer should have unmistakably understood would cause the plaintiff to delay filing a charge. See id. Here, plaintiff does not allege that Ms. Stepp was acting on behalf of defendant at the time she provided plaintiff with inaccurate information about her position. Neither does plaintiff allege that defendant was aware that Ms. Stepp had provided her with the inaccurate information. Under these circumstances, we cannot conclude that the district court abused its discretion in refusing to toll the 300-day limitations period.3
25
b. Continuing Violation
26
Plaintiff contends that summary judgment was inappropriate because the Stepp promotion was part of a continuing violation that lasted until June or July of 1997. The continuing violation doctrine permits a plaintiff to challenge incidents that occur outside of a statutory limitations period, providing the incidents sufficiently relate to incidents that occur within the limitations period and thereby constitute part of a "continuing pattern of discrimination." See Bullington, 186 F.3d at 1310 (quoting Martin v. Nannie & The Newborns, Inc., 3 F.3d 1410, 1415 (10th Cir. 1993)). A plaintiff may establish a continuing violation by showing either that (1) a series of related acts was taken against her, with one or more of those acts occurring within the limitations period, or (2) the defendant maintained a company-wide policy of discrimination both before and during the limitations period. See Purrington, 996 F.2d at 1028.
27
Plaintiff first argues that the continuing violation doctrine is applicable to this case because the Stepp promotion was part of a "series of related acts" including the Green promotion. We disagree.
28
To determine whether related acts constitute a continuing violation, the court considers: (1) the subject matter of the acts--whether the violations constitute the same type of discrimination; (2) the frequency of the acts; and (3) the permanence of the acts--whether the nature of the violations should trigger an employee's awareness of the need to assert her rights and whether the consequences of an act would continue even in the absence of a continuing intent to discriminate. See Bullington, 186 F.3d at 1310 (citing Martin, 3 F.3d at 1415). Related acts do not constitute a continuing violation unless they "rise to the level of a 'dogged pattern' of discrimination as distinguished from 'isolated and sporadic outbreaks.'" Purrington, 996 F.2d at 1028 (quoting Bruno v. W. Elec. Co., 829 F.2d 957, 961 (10th Cir. 1987)).
29
The district court properly concluded that the third factor--the permanence of the act--was fatal to plaintiff's claim. "[I]f an event or series of events should have alerted a reasonable person to act to assert his or her rights at the time of the violation, the victim cannot later rely on the continuing violation doctrine to overcome the statutory requirement of filing a charge . . . with respect to that event or series of events." Martin, 3 F.3d at 1415 n.6 (citing Bell v. Chesapeake & Ohio Ry. Co., 929 F.2d 220, 223-25 (6th Cir. 1991)). Plaintiff's being passed over for the Stepp promotion is the sort of event that should have alerted plaintiff to act to assert her rights or, at the very least, put plaintiff on inquiry notice that she may have been the victim of discrimination. "[A] continuing violation claim will likely fail if the plaintiff knew, or through the exercise of reasonable diligence would have known, she was being discriminated against at the time the earlier events occurred." Bullington, 186 F.3d at 1311 (citing Martin, 3 F.3d at 1415 n.6). The circumstances of this case make it clear that, had plaintiff exercised due diligence in inquiring about Ms. Stepp's transition, she would have known that Ms. Stepp was promoted, and thus that she may have been the victim of discrimination. Because plaintiff was, at the very least, put on inquiry notice immediately following Ms. Stepp's transition to payroll supervisor/human resources trainer, "she had a duty to assert her rights at that time and she cannot rely on a continuing violation theory to avoid the statutory time bar." Id.
30
Plaintiff next argues that the continuing violation doctrine is applicable to this case because defendant maintained a company-wide policy of discrimination both before and during the limitations period. Plaintiff did not raise this argument as an objection or response to defendant's motion for summary judgment and, for this reason, we will not consider it now on appeal. "We will not consider an appellant's new legal theory on appeal, even if it 'falls under the same general category as an argument presented at trial.'" Jantzen, 188 F.3d at 1257 (quoting Bancamerica Commercial Corp., 100 F.3d at 798).
2. Green Promotion
31
Plaintiff contends that the district court erred in concluding that she had failed to establish a prima facie case of discrimination with respect to the Green promotion. The district court granted summary judgment because plaintiff failed to establish that she had applied for the position to which Ms. Green was promoted.
32
To establish a prima facie case for failure to promote, plaintiff must show, among other things, that she applied for--or at least sought--the position at issue. See Whalen v. Unit Rig, Inc., 974 F.2d 1248, 1251-52 (10th Cir. 1992). While the "law does not require that a plaintiff formally apply for the job in question," the law does require "that the employer be on specific notice that the plaintiff seeks employment or, where informal hiring procedures are used, that the plaintiff be in the group of people who might reasonably be interested in the particular job." Id. (citing Grant v. Bethlehem Steel, 635 F.2d 1007, 1017 (2d Cir. 1980); Carmichael v. Birmingham Saw Works, 738 F.2d 1126, 1133 (11th Cir. 1984)).
33
In this case, the uncontroverted evidence shows that defendant used a formal hiring procedure to fill the position of human resources trainer: defendant posted a job opening for the position and, approximately five months later, awarded the position to Ms. Green, an employee who had submitted a formal application. The uncontroverted evidence also shows that plaintiff failed to submit a formal application for the position.
34
Plaintiff argues that her failure to submit an application is not fatal to her claim because defendant was on specific notice that she was seeking the position. In support, she points to a conversation that she had with her manager in which she inquired about whether the human resources trainer position would constitute a promotion for her. Such evidence is insufficient to show that defendant was on specific notice that plaintiff was seeking the trainer position. While the evidence may indicate that plaintiff had some vague interest in the position, it does not indicate that plaintiff was seeking the position.4
35
Plaintiff argues in the alternative that her failure to apply for the position is excused by the "futile gesture" doctrine. The futile gesture doctrine permits a plaintiff who has failed to apply for a position to establish a prima facie case by demonstrating that "'[s]he would have applied but for accurate knowledge of an employer's discrimination and that [s]he would have been discriminatorily rejected had [s]he actually applied.'" Brown v. McLean, 159 F.3d 898, 902 (4th Cir. 1998) (quoting Pinchback v. Armistead Homes Corp., 907 F.2d 1447, 1451 (4th Cir. 1990)); see Int'l Bhd. of Teamsters v. United States, 431 U.S. 324 (1977) (permitting minority plaintiffs to establish Title VII prima facie case for failure to hire where plaintiffs demonstrated that submitting an application under defendant's existing policies would have been futile). Assuming without deciding that this court would apply the futile gesture doctrine to the circumstances of this case, we determine that plaintiff has failed to demonstrate that submitting an application would have been a futile gesture. Plaintiff's only argument in support of applying the doctrine is that she inquired of her manager about the position and was told it would not constitute a promotion for her. Such evidence simply does not demonstrate that plaintiff would have applied for the position but for her accurate knowledge of defendant's discrimination, nor that defendant would have discriminatorily rejected plaintiff had she actually applied.
36
Plaintiff failed to establish a prima facie case of discrimination because she failed to show that she applied for the human resources trainer position. The district court did not err in granting summary judgment.
B. Constructive Discharge
37
Plaintiff contends that the district court erred in granting summary judgment on her constructive discharge claim. The district court determined that no reasonable jury could conclude from the evidence that defendant subjected plaintiff to working conditions so intolerable that she was forced to resign.
38
To prevail on her claim for constructive discharge, plaintiff must establish that, because of her age, defendant subjected her to working conditions so intolerable that a reasonable person would feel compelled to resign. See James v. Sears, Roebuck & Co., Inc., 21 F.3d 989, 992 (10th Cir. 1994) (citation omitted). A finding of constructive discharge may be based in part on a discriminatory act such as a failure to promote for discriminatory reasons. See Premratananont v. S. Suburban Park & Recreation Dist., No. 97-1090, 1998 WL 211543, at *2 (10th Cir. Apr. 30, 1998) (citing Irving v. Dubuque Packing Co., 689 F.2d 170, 171-72 (10th Cir. 1982)). However, a finding of constructive discharge may not be based solely on a discriminatory act; "'there must also be aggravating factors that make staying on the job intolerable.'" Id. (quoting James, 21 F.3d at 992).
39
In support of her constructive discharge claim, plaintiff offers evidence of the Stepp and Green promotions, plus evidence of "her demotion consisting of reporting to a supervisor rather than a manager" and a "pervasive age bias in the work place." Opening Brief of Plaintiff at 20. Plaintiff's evidence, however, falls short of establishing a claim for constructive discharge.
40
Foremost, plaintiff's evidence fails to establish that plaintiff suffered any kind of demotion. While "[a] perceived demotion or reassignment to a job with lower status or lower pay may . . . constitute aggravating factors that would justify [a] finding of constructive discharge," see James, 21 F.3d at 993, a "'reassignment is not a demotion unless the employee can show that [she] receives less pay, has less responsibility, or is required to utilize a lesser degree of skill than [her] previous assignment,'" id. (quoting Hooks v. Diamond Crystal Specialty Foods, Inc., 997 F.2d 793, 799 (10th Cir. 1993)). Plaintiff presents no evidence indicating that she received less pay, was given any less responsibility, or was required to use any lesser amount of skill as a result of having to report to a supervisor instead of a manager.
41
In addition, plaintiff's evidence fails to establish that a "pervasive age bias" existed in the workplace. Plaintiff presents evidence indicating that Fred Ebrahimi, Chief Executive Officer of defendant, told an employee named Megan McCulloch on various occasions that: (1) the average age at Quark, Inc. is thirty-three and that should be used as a selling point in recruiting new personnel; (2) Quark, Inc. does not want people around for a long time; and (3) young blood is good. Plaintiff also presents evidence indicating that she sat in meetings where defendant's personnel made statements such as "the median age is [thirty-two], we need to gear our 401(k) plan towards those employees" and "[Quark Inc.'s] image is one of youth." Plaintiff presents no evidence, however, that Mr. Ebrahimi's statements had any effect on her or her working conditions. In fact, plaintiff's evidence indicates that plaintiff was not even aware of Mr. Ebrahimi's comments until discovery took place in this case. As the district court stated, "The conclusion that pervasive age bias existed at [Quark, Inc.] cannot be said to follow from the facts that [Quark, Inc.] was aware of the average age of its personnel and desired to tailor its benefits package to its workforce." Bennett v. Quark, Inc., No. 98-N-2089, at 21 (D. Colo. Mar. 30, 2000). To the extent any of the above statements were inappropriate, we conclude that they were isolated incidents, insufficient to show the existence of a pervasive age bias in defendant's workplace.5
42
Plaintiff attempts to supplement her argument with a statistical analysis performed by Berkeley Miller, Ph.D. Plaintiff did not present this evidence in support of her claim for constructive discharge to the district court, and we refuse to consider it now on appeal. See Jantzen, 188 F.3d at 1257 (citation omitted).
43
We conclude that plaintiff failed to set forth sufficient facts from which a reasonable jury could conclude she was constructively discharged. The district court did not err in granting summary judgment.
IV. Conclusion
44
The district court did not err in granting defendant's motion for summary judgment. We AFFIRM.
NOTES:
*
The Honorable G. Thomas VanBebber, Senior District Judge, United States District Court for the District of Kansas, sitting by designation.
1
After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel has determined unanimously to honor the parties' request for a decision on the briefs without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(f). The case is therefore submitted without oral argument.
2
Plaintiff filed her charge of discrimination with the Colorado Civil Rights Division, an agency of the state of Colorado. The 300-day limitations period applies to "deferral states," like Colorado, in which the EEOC defers to the enforcement efforts of a state agency empowered to undertake employment discrimination investigations. See Bullington, 186 F.3d at 1310 n.2 (citing 42 U.S.C. 2000e-5). Otherwise, the limitations period is 180 days. See id. (citing same).
3
Plaintiff argues in the alternative that the 300-day limitations period should be equitably tolled because defendant lulled her into inaction by failing to advertise the position internally to its employees. Because plaintiff failed to raise this argument to the district court, we refuse to consider it now on appeal. "We will not consider an appellant's new legal theory on appeal, even if it 'falls under the same general category as an argument presented at trial.'" Jantzen v. Hawkins, 188 F.3d 1247, 1257 (10th Cir. 1999) (quoting Bancamerica Commercial Corp. v. Mosher Steel of Kan., Inc., 100 F.3d 792, 798 (10th Cir.), amended on other grounds, 103 F.3d 80 (10th Cir. 1996)).
4
Plaintiff makes several arguments regarding why she is a member of the group of people who might reasonably have been interested in the human resources position. Because defendant used formal hiring procedures to fill the human resources trainer position, we find the arguments irrelevant. It is only "where informal hiring procedures are used [that a plaintiff may establish a prima facie case by showing that she is] in the group of people who might reasonably be interested in the particular job." Whalen, 974 F.2d at 1251-52 (citing Grant, 635 F.2d at 1017; Carmichael, 738 F.2d at 1133).
5
Plaintiff states in her opening brief that she presents evidence of a "pervasive age bias including harassment by the [C]hief [E]xecutive [O]fficer." Opening Brief of Plaintiff at 20 (emphasis added). We assume that plaintiff is referring to her "inherent fear" of Mr. Ebrahimi while working for defendant. Plaintiff admits that this fear was not as a result of something "that [Mr. Ebrahimi] had specifically done to [her], though it was more of an inherent fear [she] developed not knowing why he had called [her] into his office and stated that [she] had been accused of being mean to new employees." Plaintiff's Colorado Civil Rights Division Charge, No. 320980175, Attached Affidavit, at 2 (Nov. 10, 1997). Because there is no indication that Mr. Ebrahimi treated plaintiff unfairly because of her age, we do not consider this as evidence that a pervasive age bias existed in the workplace.
| 2024-07-07T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/7131 |
An approach to pediatric perioperative care. Parent-present induction.
Allowing a parent to be present for the induction of mask anesthesia may minimize the stressors of separation experienced by pediatric patients undergoing a surgical procedure. A parent-present anesthesia induction program has been implemented at Children's Hospital in Boston in response to issues which have been voiced by parents and staff members, regarding separation and emotional trauma. Patient and parent selection are important variables to a successful program. Preparation of the parent for parent-present anesthesia induction is evaluated by an ongoing quality improvement survey. | 2024-05-22T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/9316 |
class SetCorrectDefaultContentTypes < ActiveRecord::Migration[4.2]
def change
change_column_default :replies, :content_type, 'html'
end
end
| 2024-04-08T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/4895 |
Maternal iodine status and neonatal thyroid-stimulating hormone concentration: a community survey in Songkhla, southern Thailand.
To determine iodine intake and urinary iodine excretion (UIE) in a group of pregnant Thai women and the concentration of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in their neonates. A prospective cohort study. Three districts of Songkhla, southern Thailand. Two hundred and thirty-six pregnant women. A quarter of the participants lacked knowledge of iodine and the prevention of iodine deficiency, although 70 % used iodized salt. Those who did not use iodized salt stated that they had no knowledge about iodine (57 %) and no iodized salt was sold in their village (36 %). The median iodine intake in the three districts was 205-240 microg/d, with 53-74 % of pregnant women having iodine intake <250 microg/d. The median UIE in the three districts was 51-106 microg/l, with 24-35 % having UIE < 50 microg/l. The mean neonatal TSH was 2.40 (sd 1.56) mU/l, with 8.9 % of neonates having TSH > 5 mU/l. The studied women and their fetuses were at risk of mild iodine deficiency. About a quarter of the participants lacked knowledge of the importance of iodine. Education regarding the importance of iodine supplements and the promotion of iodized salt should be added to national health-care policies in order to prevent iodine-deficiency disorders, diseases that are subclinical but have long-term sequelae. | 2023-09-30T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/1336 |
PENTAGON: After years of cuts and cancelled programs, tanks and other armored vehicles are beginning a comeback. In contrast to other investments in the 2016 budget request released today, the ground vehicle increases have so much congressional backing — and involve such relatively small amounts — that they’re actually likely to happen.
Four tracked vehicle programs and one wheeled vehicle enjoy significant ramp-ups in the 2016 request:
$368 million for upgrades to the M1 Abrams tank, up 50 percent from $237 million in fiscal 2015.
from $237 million in fiscal 2015. $225 million for upgrades to the M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle (a hybrid of tank and troop carrier), up 65 percent from $136 million in ’15.
from $136 million in ’15. $230 million to begin detailed design of the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV), a turretless support variant of the Bradley, up 150 percent from $92 million.
from $92 million. $152 million to further refine the upgraded M109 Paladin howitzer — known blandly as Paladin Integrated Management or PIM — which rebuilds the vehicle with Bradley automotive components (notice a pattern?), up 90 percent from $80 million. (Note that’s R&D funds; actual procurement funding for PIM remains steady at $274 million for 30 vehicles).
from $80 million. (Note that’s R&D funds; actual procurement funding for PIM remains steady at $274 million for 30 vehicles). $308 million to buy 450 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTV), which replace the all-too-vulnerable Humvee, up 86 percent from $165 million.
The M1 is built by General Dynamics in Lima, Ohio, at a plant Congress has been worried will close for lack of work. Legislators have repeatedly added money to M1 procurement to keep Lima running, so they’ll welcome this increase from the Army. Then, in 2017, Lima will get started on the long-awaited Engineering Change Proposal 1, a major package of M1 upgrades, and the anxiety about the factory should be over.
The M2, and its siblings PIM and AMPV, are built by BAE Systems in York, Pa., another blue-collar manufacturing facility with congressional support. BAE just won the AMPV contract (effectively by default) late last year, which means that program is really starting to step up. With the Vietnam-era M113 simply not viable in combat — it was not even allowed off-base in Iraq — a replacement is long overdue.
Finally, no one’s sure who will build the JLTV or where. The Pentagon will choose among three finalists this year: AM General, maker of the Humvee; Lockheed Martin; and Oshkosh. Whoever builds it, however, given that the uparmored Humvee not uparmored enough for current threats, JLTV is another survivability priority like AMPV. | 2024-02-16T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/5880 |
Q:
Forward-scattering for a single impurity in an infinite system
I'm slightly confused with the following situation:
Suppose you have an electron in a tight-binding model, and let's say we are in one dimension with $N$ lattice sites.
Add to this a single impurity at a specific site $i$.
The pure system is translationally invariant and has as eigenfunctions the plain waves. As a consequence, the probability to find the (free) electron on the impurity site should scale as $1/N$ and I'd imagine that the full forward-scattering Green function for the problem has some form
$$G(k,\omega) = G_0(k,\omega) + \frac{1}{N} T(k,\omega) G_0(k,\omega)^2$$
where $T(k,\omega)$ would be some function independent of $N$.
As a consequence, in the limit of an infinite system $N \rightarrow \infty$ I would expect to not see the impurity effect at all as a consequence of that $1/N$ factor.
However, if I imagine that the impurity is a temperature effect (an example would be a flipped local spin in a ferromagnetic ground state, or an excited phonon) then the impurity could occur on any of the $N$ sites of the system. If I confine myself to very low temperatures where I assume that the entire system contains at most one impurity, the temperature averaged propagator would then look like
$$G_T(k,\omega) = 1/Z \times \left[ \left\langle \phi_0 | \hat G(k,\omega) |\phi_0 \right\rangle + \sum_i e^{-\beta E_I} \left\langle i | \hat G(k,\omega + E_I) | i \right\rangle \right]$$
where $|\phi_0\rangle$ is the free system's ground state and $| i \rangle$ is the state with an impurity at site $i$ and $E_I$ is the energy cost of the impurity.
$Z$ is the partition function and in our simple example just gives $1 + Ne^{-\beta E_I}$.
If that's all correct, then the finite temperature Green's function should just be
$$G(T,k,\omega) = \frac{G_0(k,\omega) + Ne^{-\beta E_I} \left( G_0 + G_0^2 1/N T_{kk}(\omega)\right)}{1 + Ne^{-\beta E_I}}$$
which can be simplified to
$$G_0(k,\omega) + \frac{e^{-\beta E_I} G_0^2 T_{kk}}{1 + Ne^{-\beta E_I}}$$
What confuses me here is that if we let $N$ go to infinity, the impurity term will again vanish at small temperature and thus seems to play no role at all in determining the Green function or the spectral function, but clearly that cannot be correct, since we know that impurities can, for example, lead to bound states.
Am I missing something really obvious here?
EDIT:
With your answers so far, let me just add what I think I could do right now.
At low temperature, I'd assume a low density of thermally excited impurities, so I will do an expansion to first order in that density. The partition function is
$$Z = (1 + e^{-\beta E_I})^N = \sum_{n}^N \begin{pmatrix}N\\n\end{pmatrix} e^{-\beta n E_I}.$$
The numerator for $\langle G \rangle$ becomes approximately, only accounting for interactions with one impurity at a time, justified by the low density:
$$\sum_n e^{-\beta n E_I} \begin{pmatrix}N \\ n \end{pmatrix} \left[ G_0(\omega) + n T(\omega) G_0^2(\omega)\right]$$
Now the $G_0$ don't depend on anything we're summing over, so we can pull them out of the sum and obtain
$$\langle G \rangle = G_0 + \langle n \rangle T G_0^2$$
where I omit the momentum and frequency arguments because they're the same everywhere anyway.
I like this answer, it makes intuitive sense: The extra term due to impurity scattering is, to first order, linear in the expected number of thermally excited impurities. I understand that this gets the physics of disordered systems wrong since it can't account for interference due to multi-impurity-scattering and thus for example won't ever see Anderson localization. But just to get started on this, I think it's at least the correct way to start thinking about things.
A:
You are working a finite number of impurities and expecting an answer in the thermodynamic limit. This should be clear if you do your calculation at a fixed density of impurities, and resum the infinite series, taking the leading term at each power of the impurity density. This will give you a correction to the self-energy.
Alternatively, as you suggest, you could do the Born approximation for a single impurity. Note that to get anything non-trivial you need to work to second order in the scattering potential. You would then need to multiply this by the density of impurities, (or maybe something like the mean free time between scatterings, don't know off the top of my head) to get the appropriate correction to the self energy.
Also note that the second Born approximation knows about only a fragment of the behavior we expect from an electron in a disordered system. It know only that the momentum becomes randomized by repeated scattering. It does not know anything about even simple things like diffusion. To get that you need to look at other diagrams in the perturbation theory.
| 2024-01-04T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/8242 |
Coda video series
Season 1
A Father’s Fight for Justice Four Years on From MH17
Hans de Borst lost his only daughter when Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down by a Russian missile over eastern Ukraine on 17 July, 2014. Russia has denied involvement and refused to cooperate with the Dutch-led international investigation, while putting out a stream of disinformation and conspiracy theories. De Borst helped install this memorial bench near the Russian embassy in The Hague, inscribed with these words: “Waiting for responsibility and full clarity. In loving memory of all 298 passengers and crew of Malaysia Airlines MH17, July 17th 2014.” | 2023-09-09T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/7668 |
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Changed the deduction manner of withdrawal fee to be deducted from the balance | 2023-08-18T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/4432 |
**Abstract**
Central post-stroke pain (CPSP) is one of the most under-recognized consequences of cerebral stroke. However, the development of an effective treatment strategy is urgent because at present, effective therapeutic strategies are minimal. High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) has become the focus of experimental and clinical cerebral stroke research. HMGB1 and the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE, one of the receptors of HMGB1) have recently been shown to be critical in the modulation of nociceptive transduction following peripheral neuropathy. The aim of this study was to determine the interactions between CPSP and HMGB1/RAGE signaling. Male ddY mice were subjected to 30 min of bilateral carotid artery occlusion (BCAO). The development of hind paw mechanical allodynia was measured after BCAO using the von Frey test. Neuronal damage was estimated by histological analysis on day 3 after BCAO. BCAO-induced mechanical allodynia was significantly decreased by the intravenous and intrathecal administration of anti-HMGB1 monoclonal antibody. The expression levels of the HMGB1 protein in the spinal cord and the sciatic nerve were significantly increased on day 3 after BCAO, although no effects of BCAO were noted on RAGE protein expression. The BCAO-induced increase of phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) was canceled by the administration of anti-HMGB1 monoclonal antibody. In addition, BCAO-induced mechanical allodynia was significantly decreased by intrathecal administration of U0126, an inhibitor of ERK. The results showed that BCAO-induced mechanical allodynia can be regulated by the activation of HMGB1/RAGE signaling.
| 2023-12-13T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/3977 |
1. Field
The following description relates to an apparatus and method for aiding imaging diagnosis.
2. Description of Related Art
Doctors may diagnose diseases with the aid of imaging diagnosis by using an ultrasound probe to analyze a consecutive sequence of medical images acquired in real time or a previously acquired sequence of Two-Dimensional (2D) or Three-Dimensional (3D) medical images.
A Computer-Aided Diagnosis (CAD) system may analyze a single image to extract suspected malignant regions, and may mark the extracted regions by using a cross, box, tumor segmentation, or other similar patterns. In the case of using the CAD system to analyze a sequence of medical images, doctors may be visually confused when analyzing the sequence of medical images since the CAD system may diagnose benignancy or malignancy and may mark suspected regions for each image frame. Further, a false alarm of the CAD system may disrupt doctors' diagnoses.
Accordingly, there is provided a CAD system that may aid in imaging diagnosis with minimal confusion to the doctor. | 2024-03-20T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/6075 |
The Ten Essential Public Health Services describe the public health activities that should be undertaken in all communities and were developed as a companion to the three core public health functions.
In their 1988 report, The Future of Public Health, the Institutes of Medicine (IOM) defined the three core functions of governmental public health as assessment, policy development, and assurance. The Core Public Health Functions Steering Committee developed the framework for the Essential Services in 1994. This steering committee included representatives from US Public Health Service agencies and other major public health organizations. The Essential Services provide a working definition of public health and a guiding framework for the responsibilities of local public health systems.
Monitor health status to identify and solve community health problems.
Diagnose and investigate health problems and health hazards in the community.
Inform, educate, and empower people about health issues.
Mobilize community partnerships and action to identify and solve health problems.
Develop policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts.
Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety.
Link people to needed personal health services and assure the provision of health care when otherwise unavailable. | 2024-02-27T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/7269 |
Following the unveiling of the sign at TIO Stadium by Catholic Care NT and the Chief Minister Adam Giles, the TIO NTFL Match between Waratah and Buffaloes at TIO Stadium on Saturday night will be for the ‘No More Cup,’ continuing to promote the anti-domestic violence message.
AFL legend Michael Long and AFLNT Board Member and St Mary’s champion Ted Liddy take to the road Wednesday for an important series of stakeholder meetings and community consultations in the football heartlands of Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs.
Alice Springs will host AFL Indigenous Round match in 2014 with Melbourne taking on Port Adelaide at TIO Traeger Park on 31st May and AFL Grand Finalist Fremantle lining up against the Demons on July 5 at TIO Stadium in Darwin.
A second FREE "club field umpires practical course" will be conducted on WEDNESDAY 6th of NOVEMBER - 5.30pm start at TIO No 2 Oval. This will be the practical session first followed by watching the 2013 Laws DVD and talking about NTFL match paperwork.
Cultural liaison for the Michael Long Learning and Leadership Centre and avid support of AFLNT's program in Galiwin'ku Gurrumul Yunipingu unveils the Gurrumul Yunupingu Foundation to assist indigenous youth to achieve success.
ALICE Springs will host its first AFL match for premiership points in 2014. It will be one of two games held in the Northern Territory in next year's home and away season with the other to be played at Darwin's TIO Stadium.
AFL Northern Territory Indigenous Ambassador and AFL legend Michael Long will today sign an agreement which will see Charles Darwin University become an Official Education Partner of the Michael Long Learning and Leadership Centre (MLLLC). | 2024-02-13T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/9429 |
Q:
Out Of Memory Exception : Add a range
The code below returns an OutOfMemoryException when importing the database, I need to import 40000 different concepts, my computer can hold that many, however I think there is some limit into how many can be added at once.
What I want to do is make it so that it adds a 1000 at a time saves changes then repeats this process until it has gone through the entire database...
How would one go about this?
public static void writeOutConcepts(List<Gnome.Data.Concept> concepts, HttpResponseBase Response)
{
var ctx = new GnomeContext();
Response.Write("Writing out concepts: \n");
Response.Flush();
try
{
ctx.Concepts.AddRange(concepts);
}
catch (Exception error)
{
Response.Write(error.Message);
Response.Write(error.StackTrace);
Response.Flush();
throw;
}
Response.Write("Writing of Concepts complete\n\n");
ctx.SaveChanges();
}
A:
I'm not sure, what impact will be using transaction but you could try this:
using (var transaction = ctx.Database.BeginTransaction())
{
int i = 0;
foreach(var concept in concepts)
{
ctx.Concepts.Add(concept);
i++;
if (i >= 1000)
{
i = 0;
ctx.SaveChanges();
}
}
ctx.SaveChanges()
transaction.Commit();
}
| 2023-11-11T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/2295 |
Astronaut Chris Hadfield Questions Feasibility of Mars One Mission
Canadian Space Agency astronaut Chris Hadfield has questioned whether the controversial Mars One project will ever be completed. The mission - funded by making a reality TV show around the trip - hopes to send four volunteers on a one-way trip to the Red Planet to establish “a permanent human settlement on Mars” by 2025.
Hadfield, a seasoned space traveller who has served as commander of the International Space Station, told Medium: “I really counsel every single one of the people who is interested in Mars One, whenever they ask me about it, to start asking the hard questions now.”
“I want to know: How does a space suit on Mars work? Show me how it is pressurized, and how it is cooled. What’s the glove design? None of that stuff can be bought off the rack. It does not exist. You can’t just go to SpaceMart and buy those things.”
“It’s not a race, it’s not an entertainment event,” the astronaut continued. “We didn’t explore the world to entertain other people. We did it as a natural extension of human curiosity and matching capability. And that’s what will continue to drive us.”
Mars One is a Dutch, not-for-profit organisation, set up by entrepreneur Bas Lansdorp in 2012. The aim of the project is to take humanity to Mars and create a permanent base there. In June this year the company announced they had partnered with Endemol, the production company behind Big Brother, who will “exclusively follow the selection and training of the world’s first one-way astronauts to Mars”.
The application process was launched in April 2013 and saw over 200,000 people apply by sending a short video message about why they wanted to go to Mars which were then made available on the Mars One website.
Mars One has estimated that the project will cost $6 billion, tens of billions less than NASA’s cost projection for a similar mission. However, so far Mars One has raised just 0.01% of this from donations and has yet to procure a network buyer for the planned reality TV show.
Hadfield is not the first person to doubt the probability of the success of the project. Earlier this year, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) conducted analysis of Mars One’s plans. An MIT professor then announced that although, "We're not saying, black and white, Mars One is infeasible… We do think it's not really feasible under the assumptions they've made. We're pointing to technologies that could be helpful to invest in with high priority, to move them along the feasibility path.”
However, despite the apparent dubious nature of the trip, over 200,000 people from 140 countries applied to take part and in November a press release on the Mars One website announced that they had whittled this number down to just 663.
Newsweek spoke to Melissa Ede, a transgender taxi driver from Hull, England, who was one of the final 23 people from the UK who were chosen in the first selection process and has now been informed that she is through to the next round.
Ede agreed to speak to Newsweek, but explained that due to new confidentiality rules which were sent in the same email that informed her she was through to the next round, she was not able to say too much about the project.
“We’ve been sent a load of revision material to revise on. It’s all about them seeing how we learn and store the information. If successful we’ll need to train to be a doctor, a dentist, how to grow food, how to repair equipment - we need to be totally self-sufficient.” The final 40 candidates will reportedly train for seven years, with the first setting off in 2023 and then four more sent up every two years after that.
Explaining her reasoning for wanting to partake in what the volunteers have been told is a one-way mission, Ede said: “I’ve applied to be on Big Brother before. I want to create more awareness about transgender and I know this was a way to do it because it would be a reality TV show. But as I got deeper and deeper into the project I realised there were other reasons to do it too.”
She continued: “I can make history. One of my childhood dreams was to be in history books alongside people like Joan of Arc.”
The taxi driver was not worried that experts have voiced concerns about Mars One. “When something is groundbreaking and new, people will knock it down. Maybe that’s why myself and the other candidates are different - we see the possibility to do it.”
Ede said that so far she hasn’t met a representative of Mars One in person, and that her next interview for the programme would be via Skype. She also had to organise a full medical and send the results to Mars One. She was required to pay for this.
Another potential problem for the mission is the fact that Elon Musk’s SpaceX, a space transport services company who supply spacecraft and vehicles are listed on the suppliers page of the Mars One website, have no ongoing contracts with the company and have denied involvement.
Mars One did not immediately respond to Newsweek’s request for comment.
NASA are to launch the Orion ‘Mars ship’, an unmanned spacecraft this week, although it’s Thursday test flight was delayed. Some reports indicate the launch is the first step into NASA’s first Mars mission which is planned for about 2030. | 2023-11-17T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/7369 |
Background {#Sec1}
==========
Depletion of fossil resources, as well as the negative environmental impact of fuel production and use, have led to a search for technologies that can generate renewable and environmentally safe alternatives. Therefore, the development of biomass-derived oil produced for energy and green chemistry purposes has become increasingly important. Biomass oil and its biodegradable by-products hold great promise for the replacement of products of fossil origin \[[@CR1]\]. They are increasingly found in ordinary consumer goods or industrial products \[[@CR2]\]. For example, fatty acids of high interest for green chemistry include medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), i.e. fatty acids with 6 to 14 carbons. MCFAs, due to their lathering and low-viscosity properties, are widely used in detergents and lubricants \[[@CR3]\]. After esterification with alcohol, MCFAs can be used as emulsifiers for food and cosmetics. MCFA triacylglycerols are employed as solvents for flavors, surface treatment of food products and as readily digestible fat in high-energy diets. MCFAs are also valuable precursors for biodiesel because fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) with medium-chain length improve fuel quality \[[@CR4], [@CR5]\].
The major source of MCFAs is coconut or palm kernel oil \[[@CR3]\]. MCFA production has been investigated using reverse-engineering approaches in oleaginous plants and heterologous expression of thioesterases in plants \[[@CR1], [@CR6]\]. In contrast, there are few reports in the literature on MCFA production by microorganisms. However, recently there has been renewed interest in this field due to the search for new tools to produce bio-based chemicals and an increasing interest in the antimicrobial activity of MCFAs. Wild-type and mutant algae have been described as good cell systems for C10:0 to C16:0 fatty acid synthesis \[[@CR7]\]. Recent efforts have also been devoted to produce MCFAs using bacterial genetic and metabolic engineering \[[@CR8], [@CR9]\]. Likewise, *Yarrowia lipolytica*, a yeast that has extracellular lipase activity, is also used in the hydrolysis of coconut fat for enrichment in C8:0 to C12:0 fatty acids (FAs) \[[@CR10]\]. MCFA biosynthesis and content in yeasts have recently been carefully documented for species belonging to the genus *Saccharomyces* that ferment sugars into alcohol. These fatty acids are intermediates in the biosynthetic pathways of volatile aromas (MCFA ethyl esters). Low-temperature fermentation (10--15 °C) and anaerobic conditions have been selected for white and rosé wine production to better develop taste and aroma. Under these conditions, cells show increased synthesis of MCFAs and triacylglycerols (TAGs) \[[@CR11], [@CR12]\]. These studies and more recent lipidome analyses on *S. cerevisiae* grown at various temperatures have shown that the MCFA content is very low (less than 10 *%*) and varies among *Saccharomyces* species \[[@CR13], [@CR14]\]. MCFAs are typically mentioned as minor fatty acids and are not detected or not shown on lipid profiles and factors controlling the homeostasis of MCFA in yeasts are currently poorly documented \[[@CR15], [@CR16]\]. Although improving MCFA production using metabolic and genetic engineering in *S. cerevisiae* is an emerging research topic \[[@CR17]\], the development of yeasts for optimal MCFA production requires identifying the underlying metabolic pathways.
Yeasts are involved in many areas of biotechnology \[[@CR18]\]. Modern taxonomy combined with comparative genomics have identified more than 1,000 yeast species \[[@CR19], [@CR20]\], although less than 100 species are used for biotechnology purposes \[[@CR18]\]. Saccharomycotina yeasts form a discrete monophyletic group in the phylum Ascomycota \[[@CR21]\]. Despite their monophyletic character, these yeasts are very diverse from a phenotypic and morphological point of view, having evolved over the last 250--900 million years \[[@CR22]\]. Unique among the Saccharomycotina, the Saccharomycetaceae share an ancestor that underwent duplication of its genome, the so-called whole-genome duplication (WGD), followed rapidly by a massive loss of genes \[[@CR23]\], leading to extant species with higher numbers of chromosomes than other Saccharomycotina yeast species, albeit with similar gene content. Saccharomycotina oleaginous yeasts have been studied extensively with regard to massive oil production for biofuels or chemical feedstock \[[@CR24]--[@CR27]\]. Recent studies indicate that oil content can also be significantly increased in non-oleaginous yeasts such as *S. cerevisiae* \[[@CR28]--[@CR30]\]. *S. cerevisiae* thus appears to be an attractive and promising platform for microbial oil production for industrial applications \[[@CR31]\]. Other Saccharomycotina yeasts may also have similar potential, but they remain to be identified and characterized.
In this study, we explored the MCFA content and production in Saccharomycotina yeasts. First, we describe the MCFA content in *S. cerevisiae* BY 4741 grown in various conditions and discovered two genes, *LOA1* and *TGL3*, involved in MCFA homeostasis in cells. Second, we compare 16 Saccharomycotina yeast species and show that they have contrasting FA profiles that follow a phylogenetic pattern. In particular, using dedicated procedures for lipid extraction, we show for the first time that MCFAs are found only in post-WGD species.
Methods {#Sec2}
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Yeast strains and growth conditions {#Sec3}
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The yeast strains used in this study are from CIRM-Levures (<http://www6.inra.fr/cirm/Levures>) and Euroscarf (<http://web.uni-frankfurt.de/fb15/mikro/euroscarf/>) (see Table [1](#Tab1){ref-type="table"}). Cells were routinely grown in complete medium (YP) containing 1 % (w/v) yeast extract, 2 % (w/v) peptone and 2 % (w/v) glucose. They were also grown in synthetic medium containing 0.67 % (w/v) yeast nitrogen base without amino acids and ammonium sulfate (YNB), with high nitrogen content (high-N YNB) supplemented with 5 g.L^−1^ ammonium sulfate and 0.2 % (w/v) casamino acids, 20 mg.L^−1^ uracil and 2 % (w/v) glucose, or with low nitrogen content (low-N YNB) supplemented with 0.5 g.L^−1^ ammonium sulfate, 0.2 % (w/v) casamino acids, 20 mg.L^−1^ uracil and 4 % (w/v) glucose.. All cells (except for the time course study) were grown up to the stationary phase for 48 h at 23 °C or 24 h at 28 °C at an agitation rate of 200 rpm. For the time-course study on *S. cerevisiae* and *S. uvarum*, sampled time points were selected to ensure that cells were in the early exponential phase, late exponential phase or early stationary phase, according to growth curves (see Additional file [1](#MOESM1){ref-type="media"}: Figure S1C and D).Table 1Strains used in this studySpeciesCLIB numberOther nameGenotypeOrigin*Saccharomyces cerevisiae*BY 4741 (WT)*MATa, his3Δ, leu2Δ, met15 Δ, ura3Δ*Euroscarf*Saccharomyces cerevisiae*BY 4741 *tgl3*Δ*YMR313C::natNT2, MATa, his3Δ, leu2Δ, met15Δ, ura3Δ*This study*Saccharomyces cerevisiae*BY 4741 *loa1*Δ*YPR139C::natNT2, MATa, his3Δ, leu2Δ, met15Δ, ura3Δ*This study*Saccharomyces cerevisiae*CLIB 338S288c*MATalpha, mal, gal2, CUP1*CIRM-Levures*Saccharomyces paradoxus*CLIB 228^T^CBS 432^T^CIRM-Levures*Saccharomyces uvarum*CLIB 251^T^CBS 395^T^CIRM-Levures*Saccharomyces arboricolus*CLIB 1319^T^CBS 10644^T^CIRM-Levures*Kazachstania exigua*CLIB 179^T^CBS 379^T^CIRM-Levures*Naumovozyma castellii*CLIB 159^T^CBS 4309^T^CIRM-Levures*Candida glabrata*CLIB 298^T^CBS 138^T^CIRM-Levures*Vanderwaltozyma polyspora*CLIB 392^T^CBS 2163^T^CIRM-Levures*Zygosaccharomyces rouxii*CLIB 491^T^CBS 732^T^CIRM-Levures*Kluyveromyces lactis*CLIB 640CIRM-Levures*Debaryomyces hansenii*CLIB 197^T^CBS 767^T^CIRM-Levures*Millerozyma farinosa*CLIB 492CBS 7064CIRM-Levures*Pichia guilliermondii*CLIB 734CIRM-Levures*Blastobotrys adeninivorans*CLIB 1468CBS 8244CIRM-Levures*Geotrichum candidum*CLIB 918CIRM-Levures*Yarrowia lipolytica*CLIB 122*MATb, his1Δ, leu2Δ270, ura3Δ302, xpr2Δ322*CIRM-LevuresT: type strain
Mutant strain construction {#Sec4}
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Gene disruptions were performed by inserting heterologous DNA in genomic locations using a simple polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based strategy as described in Janke et al. \[[@CR32]\].
Growth test {#Sec5}
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Cells were grown overnight in 5 mL of YP + 2 % glucose medium and were spotted on plates containing agar YP + 2 % glucose medium. Plates were incubated 24 h at 28 °C or 48 h at 23 °C. The first drop contained around 500 cells and each subsequent drop was diluted six-fold compared to the prior drop.
Lipid extraction {#Sec6}
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Cells (corresponding to 50 mg dry weight (dw)) were collected by centrifugation, washed with water, disrupted with a One Shot Cell Disrupter (Constant System LDT) and freeze-dried for 72 h. They were then processed according to Folch et al. \[[@CR33]\]. Briefly, 2.5 mL of chloroform:methanol (2:1, v/v) was added to the pellet and the cells were disrupted by vortexing 5 min using glass beads (0.45 mm). After 1 h incubation with shaking, the extract was centrifuged 5 min at 500 × g and the supernatant was recovered in a new tube. The extraction was repeated twice. The supernatants were pooled and mixed with 2.5 mL of 0.9 % NaCl. The organic (lower) phase was collected after centrifugation at 500 × g for 5 min and washed once with 1.5 mL of chloroform:methanol:water (3:48:47, v/v/v) \[[@CR34]\]. The organic solvents were evaporated under stream of N~2~ and lipids were solubilized in 1 mL of chloroform:methanol (2:1, v/v) or hexane:diethyl ether:acetic acid (80:20:1, v/v/v).
Lipid fractionation {#Sec7}
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To fractionate lipids, 500 μL of lipids solubilized in MIX1 (hexane:diethyl ether:acetic acid, 80:20:1, v/v/v) were loaded on a cyanopropylsilyl solid-phase extraction column (Grace) previously equilibrated with 10 mL of MIX1. The column was washed first with 5 mL of MIX1 to recover the nonpolar lipids and then the polar lipids were eluted using 5 mL of MIX2 (chloroform:methanol:water, 40:10:1, v/v/v). The organic solvents contained in each fraction were evaporated under stream of N~2~. Samples were then processed for gas chromatography (GC) as described below.
Lipid analysis {#Sec8}
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Lipids (20 μL) solubilized in chloroform:methanol (2:1, v/v) were separated by thin layer chromatography (TLC) on high-performance TLC silica-coated aluminum plates (Merck) using two mobile phases successively, petroleum ether:diethyl ether:acetic acid (10:10:0.4, v/v/v) and petroleum ether:diethyl ether (49:1, v/v) until the solvent front reached about 15 cm and 1 cm from the top of the plate, respectively \[[@CR35], [@CR36]\]. Lipid classes were visualized using the MnCl~2~ charring method: silica plates were incubated for 1 min in a solution containing 120 mL of methanol, 120 mL of water, 0.8 g of MnCl~2~ and 8 mL of sulfuric acid and then heated in an oven at 100 °C until dark lipid spots appeared. Lipid identification was based upon migration obtained for lipid standards (mix of phospholipids, sterols, triacylglycerols and sterols esters at 4 μg.μL^−1^ each, Sigma-Aldrich). Lipid staining was recorded using the LAS-3000 imaging system and MultiGauge software from Fujifilm.
Fatty acid quantification using gas chromatography {#Sec9}
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Fatty acid quantifications were performed on two types of samples: freeze-dried cells or dried lipids obtained after extraction and fractionation (see relevant sections above). Cells (corresponding to 20 mg dw) were collected by centrifugation, washed with water and freeze-dried for 72 h. The pellet was disrupted by vortexing in the presence of 0.45 mm glass beads and 2 mL of 2.5 % (v/v) sulfuric acid in methanol. Heptadecanoic acid (Sigma-Aldrich) was added (100 μg for each sample) as an internal standard for quantification. Alternatively, dried lipid fractions were treated with 2 mL of 2.5 % (v/v) sulfuric acid in methanol without an internal standard. All the samples were heated for 90 min at 80 °C. FAMEs were extracted by adding 3 mL of water, 1 mL of hexane, followed by vigorous shaking and centrifugation at 1000 × g for 10 min. Samples of the organic upper phase were separated using GC with a 7890A chromatograph (Agilent) with a Factor Four VF-23 ms 30 mm × 0.25 mm capillary column (Agilent). The carrier gas was helium at an inlet pressure of 1 mL⋅min^−1^. The column temperature program started at 40 °C for 1 min, ramping to 120 °C at 40 °C⋅min^−1^, holding 1 min at 120 °C, ramping to 210 °C at 3 °C⋅min^−1^ and holding 10 min at 210 °C. Identification of FAME peaks was based upon retention times obtained for standards (Sigma-Aldrich). Quantification was performed by flame ionization detection (FID) at 270 °C. The total amount of fatty acids was calculated from the ratio between the sum of FAME peak areas and the heptadecanoic acid methyl ester peak area.
Identification of LPLAT sequences and phylogenetic analysis {#Sec10}
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Lysophospholipid acyltransferase (LPLAT) gene family members were extracted from various databases (NCBI, Génolevures) using the Blastp program or from Scannel *et al.* \[[@CR37]\]. *S. cerevisiae* protein sequences from the Saccharomyces Genome Database (SGD) were used as bait (Additional file [5](#MOESM5){ref-type="media"}: Table S2)*. Geotrichum candidum* gene sequences were obtained from the complete genome sequence (Morel et al., in preparation). Sequence alignments were generated using MUSCLE ver. 3.7 implemented in phylogeny.fr, using default parameters \[[@CR38]\] or MAFFT ver. 7 (<http://mafft.cbrc.jp/alignment/server/>), using blosom62 matrix and default parameters and were manually adjusted with GeneDoc (<http://www.nrbsc.org/gfx/genedoc/>). Phylogenetic trees were reconstructed with the PhyML program implemented in phylogeny.fr, using default parameters \[[@CR38]\] or the Maximum Likelihood program \[[@CR39]\] implemented in MEGA6 \[[@CR40]\]. Phylogenetic trees were visualized using NJPlot \[[@CR41]\]. Multiple Sequence Alignment raw data were available in Additional files [2](#MOESM2){ref-type="media"} and [3](#MOESM3){ref-type="media"}.
Results {#Sec11}
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Effect of culture conditions on MCFA content in *S. cerevisiae* {#Sec12}
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To obtain more information on the MCFA content in *S. cerevisiae*, we performed total fatty acid analysis on cells grown in complete (YP) or synthetic (YNB) media (high or low nitrogen) and at 23 °C for 48 h or at 28 °C for 24 h. The high-N and low-N synthetic media were designed so that the stationary phase was reached after total consumption of glucose or nitrogen, respectively. Two culture temperatures were tested because lower culture temperatures are known to increase MCFA content in yeast. We chose 23 °C as the minimal testing temperature due to the impaired growth phenotype of some strains used in the study when culture conditions are not favorable (see Additional file [1](#MOESM1){ref-type="media"}: Figure S1A and B for growth curve details). For GC analysis, FAMEs were obtained by direct transmethylation on freeze-dried samples followed by hexane extraction. We chose this protocol to maximize the recovery of MCFAs because it does not include total lipid extraction using the Folch method before transmethylation and there is no concentration of FAMEs after transmethylation. We confirmed that concentration steps using drying procedures after transmethylation lead to a total (for C8:0 FAME) or a partial loss (\>50 % for C10:0, \> 20 % for C12:0 FAME) of volatile medium-chain FAMEs. We measured total FA and the relative amount of MCFAs for all tested culture conditions (Additional file [4](#MOESM4){ref-type="media"}: Table S1). Temperature influenced FA content with a significant increase (+22 % for YP) at 23 °C (Table [2](#Tab2){ref-type="table"}). For cultures grown at 28 °C, there was 16 % and 25 % increase in FA content in cells grown in high-N and low-N synthetic media, respectively, compared with cells grown in YP medium. At 23 °C, the nature of the medium did not significantly change the FA content. We did not observe any significant changes due to nitrogen content in the WT strain. Regarding MCFAs, culture conditions did not have a strong effect on the relative amount of C8:0 to C14:0 FA (Fig. [1A](#Fig1){ref-type="fig"}). C8:0 FAs were observed only in cells grown on synthetic media. Furthermore, when cultures were grown at 28 °C, the high-N and low-N synthetic media were significantly (p \< 0.01) more favorable for cell MCFA content than the complete (YP) medium.Table 2Total fatty acid content in the wild-type (WT), *tgl3*Δ and *loa1*Δ strains grown in various conditionsStrainMediaTemperature (°C)Fatty acid (μg FAME.mg^−1^ dw)Relative to WT28 °C vs 23 °CRelative to YP 28 °CRelative to YP 23 °CHigh N vs low NWTYP2354.92 ± 4.62+22 %\*WTYP2845.05 ± 1.87WTHigh-N YNB2356.13 ± 6.03+7 %+2 %WTHigh-N YNB2852.38 ± 5.29+16 %\*WTLow-N YNB2362.19 ± 2.16+10 %\*+13 %+11 %WTLow-N YNB2856.39 ± 2.73+25 %\*\*\*+8 %*tgl3*ΔYP2369.65 ± 4.19+27 %\*+27 %\*\*\**tgl3*ΔYP2854.70 ± 1.22+21 %\*\**tgl3*ΔHigh-N YNB2371.59 ± 10.01+27 %+24 %+3 %*tgl3*ΔHigh-N YNB2857.71 ± 6.4+10 %+5 %*tgl3*ΔLow-N YNB2377.54 ± 2.17+25 %\*\*\*+10 %\*\*\*+11 %\*\*+8 %*tgl3*ΔLow-N YNB2870.13 ± 1.94+25 %\*\*+28 %\*\*\*+22 %\**loa1*ΔYP2360.73 ± 1.73+10 %+23 %\*\*\**loa1*ΔYP2849.21 ± 0.63+9 %\**loa1*ΔHigh-N YNB2352.81 ± 7.86−6 %nd−13 %\**loa1*ΔHigh-N YNB28ndnd*loa1*ΔLow-N YNB2370.56 ± 4.06+13 %\*+27 %\*\*\*+16 %\*+34 %\*\**loa1*ΔLow-N YNB2855.44 ± 4.73−2 %+11 %\*ndData are expressed as the mean ± SE (n = 3). Significant differences according to Student's *t*-test\*\*\*P \< 0.001\*\*P \< 0.01\*P \< 0.05Fig. 1Relative MCFA content in wild-type *S. cerevisiae*. Relative amount of MCFAs (C8:0 to C14:0) in BY 4741 grown at 23 °C or 28 °C in complete medium (YP) or synthetic media (YNB) with high or low nitrogen was determined using gas chromatography (**A**). Lipids from cells grown at 23 °C in YP medium were extracted using the Folch method. Polar and nonpolar lipids were then separated using solid-phase extraction. Total lipids and polar and nonpolar fractions were analyzed using thin layer chromatography (**B**) and gas chromatography (**C**). FAME, fatty acid methyl ester; SE, sterol ester; TAG, triacylglycerol; S, sterol; PL, phospholipids. Significant difference according to Student's *t*-test, \*\*\*P \< 0.001, \*\*P \< 0.01, \*P \< 0.05
MCFAs are more abundant in neutral lipids than in phospholipids in *S. cerevisiae* {#Sec13}
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We then investigated the nature of the lipids containing MCFAs. To do so, we extracted and fractionated the lipids from cells grown at 23 °C in complete media. We obtained two fractions containing polar lipids, mainly phospholipids (PLs) and nonpolar lipids, sterols (Ss), sterol esters (SEs) and TAGs (Fig. [1B](#Fig1){ref-type="fig"}). Then, we analyzed the FA composition of each fraction using GC after transmethylation of dried lipid samples. We compared the amount of MCFAs detected using direct transmethylation with that obtained after lipid extraction. Quantification revealed fewer (p \< 0.01) MCFAs when extracted using the Folch method than when detected by direct transmethylation: 3.5 % compared to 6.7 %, respectively (Figs. [1A and C](#Fig1){ref-type="fig"}). This difference may be due to a loss of MCFAs esterified on molecules other than lipids or a loss of some lipids that are difficult to extract using the chloroform:methanol procedure. These results confirm that extraction procedures greatly affect MCFA recovery as discussed above. Comparison of MCFA content in the polar and nonpolar fractions revealed that the FA composition was different in the two fractions with a higher proportion of MCFAs in nonpolar lipids (3.5 % vs. 1.9 %) corresponding to FAs from SEs and TAGs (Fig. [1C](#Fig1){ref-type="fig"}). All MCFA species (from C10:0 to C14:0 FAs) were significantly affected.
*loa1*Δ and *tgl3*Δ, strains deficient in lipid droplet proteins over-accumulate fatty acids at low temperature and under nitrogen starvation {#Sec14}
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In cells, neutral lipids (TAGs and/or SEs) are stored in organelles called lipid droplets (LDs) \[[@CR42]--[@CR45]\]. The neutral lipids are enclosed in a monolayer of phospholipids. LDS contain a number of proteins that vary considerably with species \[[@CR15], [@CR16], [@CR46]\]. We investigated the role of some of these LD-associated proteins on LD dynamics and MCFA content in cells. We thus analyzed the total FA content in *S. cerevisiae* mutant cells grown in various conditions. We focused on two mutant strains, *tgl3*Δ and *loa1*Δ because Tgl3p and Loa1p are enzymes involved in lipid modification. Tgl3p is the major TAG lipase in *S. cerevisiae* \[[@CR47]\] and has also been described as a lysophosphatidylethanolamine acyltransferase \[[@CR48]\]. Loa1p is also an acyltransferase, but has lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase activity \[[@CR16]\]. GC analysis revealed that the *tgl3*Δ mutant over-accumulates FA in most of the culture conditions tested (Table [2](#Tab2){ref-type="table"} and Additional file [1](#MOESM1){ref-type="media"}: Figure S1 for growth curves). Significant differences (around a 25 % increase in total FAs) compared to the WT strain were observed for cells grown in YP and in low-N YNB at 23 °C and 28 °C. Low temperature and nitrogen deficiency positively influenced total FA content. We performed the same analysis on the *loa1*Δ mutant, but there was a growth defect for this strain on all media, as illustrated in Fig. [2A](#Fig2){ref-type="fig"}. This growth defect did not provide sufficient biological material for GC analysis for *loa1*Δ mutants grown in liquid high-N YNB medium at 28 °C. For cultures grown in high-N YNB medium at 23 °C, FA analysis revealed that this medium was not favorable for lipid accumulation, because there was a decrease in FA content compared with cultures performed in YP (−13 %) or low-N YNB (−34 %) at 23 °C. Nevertheless, total FA content increased (around +10 %) in the *loa1*Δ mutant grown in YP at 28 °C and in low-N YNB at 23 °C (Table [2](#Tab2){ref-type="table"}). In the *loa1*Δ mutant, as for the *tgl3*Δ mutant, low temperature was more favorable for FA accumulation (+23 % in YP and + 27 % in low-N YNB) than high temperature.Fig. 2Relative MCFA content in mutant *tgl3*Δ and *loa1*Δ strains. Growth tests on solid YP medium at 23 °C and 28 °C were performed on *loa1*Δ cells (**A**). Relative amount of MCFAs (C8:0 to C14:0) in the wild-type (WT), *tgl3*Δ and *loa1*Δ grown at 23 °C or 28 °C in complete medium (YP) was determined using gas chromatography (**B**). Lipids from wild-type (WT) and mutant cells grown at 23 °C in YP medium were extracted using the Folch method. Polar and nonpolar lipids were then separated using solid-phase extraction. Total lipids and polar and nonpolar fractions were analyzed using gas chromatography (**C**). FAME, fatty acid methyl ester. Significant difference according to Student's *t*-test, \*\*\*P \< 0.001
Neutral lipid MCFA content is higher in *loa1*Δ and *tgl3*Δ mutants {#Sec15}
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We then investigated the MCFA content of the mutant strains. For the *tgl3*Δ and *loa1*Δ strains, there was a significant increase in MCFA content and we detected some C8:0 FAs in cells grown in YP medium (Fig. [2B](#Fig2){ref-type="fig"}), with a maximum of 0.15 % for *loa1*Δ grown at 23 °C. At 23 °C, the MCFA content was 6.7 %, 11.6 % and 12.6 % in the WT, the *tgl3*Δ mutant and the *loa1*Δ mutant, respectively. At 28 °C, MCFA content was 5.1 %, 7.7 % and 11.2 % in the WT, the *tgl3*Δ mutant and the *loa1*Δ mutant, respectively. There were also significant differences in the *tgl3*Δ mutant grown in high-N YNB medium at 28 °C and for the *loa1*Δ mutant grown in low-N YNB at 23 °C compared to the WT (data not shown). Analysis of polar and nonpolar lipids extracted from cells grown in YP at 23 °C revealed that the relative amount of MCFAs increased in both lipid fractions in the mutants. There was a greater increase in the relative amount of MCFAs in the nonpolar lipid fraction than in the polar fraction, with a 2-fold and 3.5-fold increase in *tgl3*Δ and *loa1*Δ cells, respectively (Fig. [2C](#Fig2){ref-type="fig"}).
Lipid-containing MCFAs are only present in post-WGD yeasts {#Sec16}
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Given the interest in single cell oil, numerous yeasts have been studied for their lipid content and their capacity to grow on lipid substrates. FA profiles have been published for some of these yeasts of biotechnological interest such as *Y. lipolytica* \[[@CR49]\], *Komagataella pastoris* (also cited as *Pichia pastoris*) \[[@CR50]\] or *Kluyveromyces lactis* \[[@CR51]\]. In these species, FA profiles varied considerably with variable amounts of PUFA, C18:2 for *Y. lipolytica*, C18:2 and C18:3 for *K. pastoris* or *K. lactis*. However, no MCFAs have been described in these yeasts. To explore the FA content/production diversity of yeasts in detail, we obtained the FA profile for 16 species spanning the Saccharomycotina subphylum. The analysis included post-WGD species, protoploid species and species belonging to the so-called CTG clade and the Dipodascaceae family (Fig. [3](#Fig3){ref-type="fig"}). Cultures were performed in YP at 28 °C for 24 h because these conditions were favorable (equivalent growth curves) for all the species considered and gave us sufficient biological material for subsequent analyses. Quantification revealed contrasting FA contents even within a given clade, such as the protoploid species (Table [3](#Tab3){ref-type="table"}). The lowest FA content was found in *Debaryomyces hansenii* (34.10 ± 0.47 μg FAME.mg^−1^ dw) and the highest FA content was found in *Saccharomyces paradoxus* (93.21 ± 2.14 μg FAME.mg^−1^ dw) (Table [3](#Tab3){ref-type="table"}). We also considered the FA profiles in these strains and the proportion of MCFAs and PUFAs varied dramatically according to clade (Fig. [4](#Fig4){ref-type="fig"}). All the post-WGD strains contained MCFAs and were devoid of PUFAs. In contrast, the other Saccharomycotina species had PUFAs, but no MCFAs. The three Dipodascaceae species analyzed did not have C18:3 FAs. Profiles were more complex for the CTG and protoploid yeasts. In the same clade, we observed strains containing either C18:2 and C18:3 or only C18:2. We considered in detail the amount of MCFAs in these strains and observed high variability, between 0.5 % total FA in *Candida glabrata* and 9.2 % in *Saccharomyces uvarum*. The proportion of each FA species varied among the yeast species with a high C8:0 + C10:0 content in *S. uvarum* and a high C12:0 + C14:0 content in *Vanderwaltozyma polyspora* (Fig. [5](#Fig5){ref-type="fig"}). We compared the MCFA content in the polar and nonpolar fractions for *S. uvarum* and *V. polyspora*. The analysis revealed different FA compositions in the two fractions with a significantly (p \< 0.001) higher proportion of MCFAs in nonpolar lipids for these two species. In particular, C8:0 FAs were present in nonpolar lipids and not in polar lipids for *S. uvarum* (Fig. [6A](#Fig6){ref-type="fig"}). Similarly, C10:0 FAs were only observable in nonpolar lipids in *V. polyspora* (Fig. [6B](#Fig6){ref-type="fig"}).Fig. 3Relative phylogenetic positions of the analyzed species. The schematized phylogenetic tree indicates the evolutionary relationships of the species analyzed in this study. It was derived from Dujon \[[@CR64]\] and additional studies (Serge Casaregola, unpublished). The clades to which species belong are indicatedTable 3Total fatty acid content in the tested strainsSpeciesPhylogenetic positionFatty acid content (μg FAME.mg^−1^ d.w.)*Saccharomyces cerevisiae*Post-WGD58.27 ± 5.53*Saccharomyces paradoxus*Post-WGD93.21 ± 2.14*Saccharomyces uvarum*Post-WGD45.53 ± 1.10*Saccharomyces arboricolus*Post-WGD74.45 ± 1.91*Kazachstania exigua*Post-WGD63.53 ± 5.92*Naumovozyma castellii*Post-WGD62.64 ± 2.76*Candida glabrata*Post-WGD46.41 ± 1.37*Vanderwaltozyma polyspora*Post-WGD74.91 ± 3.82*Zygosaccharomyces rouxii*Protoploid37.26 ± 0.37*Kluyveromyces lactis*Protoploid68.04 ± 1.02*Debaryomyces hansenii*CTG34.10 ± 0.47*Millerozyma farinosa*CTG63.17 ± 2.04*Pichia guilliermondii*CTG45.35 ± 2.22*Blastobotrys adeninivorans*Dipodascaceae50.12 ± 0.43*Geotrichum candidum*Dipodascaceae46.80 ± 0.96*Yarrowia lipolytica*Dipodascaceae39.16 ± 0.96FAME, fatty acid methyl ester; WGD, whole genome duplicationFig. 4Relative amount of total fatty acids in 16 Saccharomycotina yeasts. Cells were grown at 28 °C in complete medium (YP). Complete fatty acid profiles were determined using gas chromatography after direct transmethylation on freeze-dried cellsFig. 5Relative MCFA content in Saccharomycotina yeasts. Relative amount of MCFAs (C8:0 to C14:0) in cells grown at 28 °C in complete medium (YP) was determined using gas chromatographyFig. 6Relative MCFA content in polar and nonpolar lipids extracted from *Saccharomyces uvarum* and *Vanderwaltozyma polyspora.* Lipids from *S. uvarum* (**A**) and *V. polyspora* (**B**) cells grown at 28 °C in complete medium were extracted using Folch method. Polar and nonpolar lipids were then separated using solid-phase extraction. Total lipids and polar and nonpolar fractions were analyzed using gas chromatography. FAME, fatty acid methyl ester. Significant differences between polar and nonpolar fractions according to Student's *t*-test, \*\*\*P \< 0.001
Then, we investigated MCFA content with regard to culture conditions. We selected *S. cerevisiae* and *S. uvarum* grown in YP medium at 23 °C and 28 °C for a time-course study. Cells were harvested at three time points corresponding to the mid-exponential phase, the late exponential phase and the early stationary phase (See Additional file [1](#MOESM1){ref-type="media"}: Figure S1 for growth curves). The FA analysis revealed that the MCFA content was sensitive to temperature and growth phase with a maximum content for cells grown at 23 °C and sampled at the early exponential phase (Fig. [7](#Fig7){ref-type="fig"}). For *S. cerevisiae* grown at 28 °C, C8:0 FAs were only produced by cells during the early exponential phase (Fig. [7A](#Fig7){ref-type="fig"}). There was no decrease in C8:0 and C10:0 FA during growth in *S. uvarum* grown at 28 °C (Fig. [7B](#Fig7){ref-type="fig"}).Fig. 7Time course study of relative MCFA content in *Saccharomyces cerevisiae* and *Saccharomyces uvarum* grown in YP medium at 23 °C and 28 °C. Relative amount of MCFAs (C8:0 to C14:0) in *S. cerevisiae* (**A**) and *S. uvarum* (**B**) grown 15 h, 24 h and 48 h at 23 °C or 9 h, 16 h and 24 h at 28 °C in complete medium (YP) was determined using gas chromatography. FAME, fatty acid methyl ester
Comparative genomics of LPLATs in Saccharomycotina {#Sec17}
--------------------------------------------------
Given the high variability in lipid profiles among species and the impact of the deletion of the acyltransferase gene *LOA1* on MCFA content in *S. cerevisiae*, we investigated the Saccharomycotina phylogeny of the lysophospholipid acylytransferase (LPLATs) genes, such as *LOA1*, which are key enzymes in lipid metabolism. We therefore used a comparative genomics approach; known *S. cerevisiae* LPLAT genes *SCT1* (*YBL011W*)*, GPT2* (*YKR067W*)*, CST26* (*YBR042C*)*, YDR018C, SLC1* (*YDL052C*)*, DGA1* (*YOR245C*)*, TAZ1* (*YPR140W*)*, LOA1* (*YPR139C*) and *MUM3* (*YOR298W)* were used as bait in Blastp searches to retrieve orthologous sequences from available genomes. We considered a total of 26 species to include most of the major Saccharomycotina lineages. The accession numbers of the selected sequences are listed in Additional file [5](#MOESM5){ref-type="media"}: Table S2. Phylogenetic analysis of the LPLAT family revealed high conservation of these genes with the presence of orthologous genes in most of the species considered (Additional file [6](#MOESM6){ref-type="media"}: Figure S2; Additional file [7](#MOESM7){ref-type="media"}: Figure S3; Additional file [8](#MOESM8){ref-type="media"}: Figure S4; Additional file [9](#MOESM9){ref-type="media"}: Figure S5; Additional file [10](#MOESM10){ref-type="media"}: Figure S6; Additional file [11](#MOESM11){ref-type="media"}: Figure S7; Additional file [12](#MOESM12){ref-type="media"}: Figure S8, Additional file [3](#MOESM3){ref-type="media"}). We observed a variable number of orthologs in the species studied according to the gene considered (Additional file [5](#MOESM5){ref-type="media"}: Table S2). As expected for *Candida albicans*, two orthologs were found given that all the isolates of this species are naturally diploid heterozygotes. Likewise, in *Millerozyma farinosa*, two orthologs for each screened *S. cerevisiae* gene were always found due to the hybrid nature of its genome \[[@CR52]\]. However, the *GPT2* orthologs were missing in this strain (see below). We observed a few cases of duplicated genes such as *CST26* in *Naumovozyma castelli* and *Vanderwaltozyma polyspora* as well as *SLC1* in *V. polyspora*. These duplications are very likely the remains of the WGD known to have been followed by independent gene loss \[[@CR53]\]. For the other species, most of the genes analyzed were single-copy genes. Some species have also lost genes; two cases were observed: *S. arboricolus* with four genes missing out of the nine genes tested and *Ogatea polymorpha* with two genes missing. More specifically, *M. farinosa* strain CLIB 492 did not carry any *GPT2* orthologs. The presence of two *SCT1* genes in this hybrid strain may compensate for the loss of *GTP2*. On the other hand, *S. arboricolus* carried a *GPT2* gene, but no *SCT1* gene. Interestingly, YDR018C was only present in *Saccharomyces*, except *S. arboricolus*, suggesting that this gene was conserved only in *Saccharomyces* during evolution, while the ortholog was lost in all the other species tested. Finally, *GPT2* and *MUM3* were not present in any species of the family Dipodascaceae or in basal fungal species.
Our phylogenetic analysis uncovered an ancestral duplication that gave rise to the *SCT1* and *GPT2* gene families in the Saccharomycotina subphylum (Fig. [8](#Fig8){ref-type="fig"}). This duplication did not include the species of the family Dipodascaceae (*Yarrowia lipolytica* and *Geotrichum candidum*), nor any of the basal fungal genomes tested such as *Schizosaccharomyces pombe*, *Neurospora crassa*, *Aspergillus fumigatus* and *Cryptococcus neoformans* (Table 4, Fig. [8](#Fig8){ref-type="fig"} and Additional file [6](#MOESM6){ref-type="media"}: Figure S2). The tree in Fig. [8](#Fig8){ref-type="fig"} also indicates accelerated evolution of the *GPT2* gene family compared with the *SCT1* gene family. For example, the average branch length of the *GPT2* genes was 49.8 % longer than that of the *SCT1* genes with values of 0.99 and 0.66 substitutions per site, respectively. Original behavior was observed for *MUM3* because the gene was absent in the Dipodascaceae family and other analyzed Ascomycota, suggesting that it may have been acquired recently, after the divergence of the Dipodascaceae from the rest of the Saccharomycotina phylum. Despite the variable distribution of the genes analyzed here, the observed differences in FA production in all the species examined, especially MCFA, was not correlated with the presence/absence of any of the examined genes. Although there is a clear difference between pre- and post-WGD species in terms of FA production, gene content did not reflect this difference. Among the *Saccharomyces* species analyzed, only the genome of *S. arboricolus* has lost genes of interest. These include *SCT1*, *CST26*, *YDR018C* and *MUM3*. However, there was no obvious difference in FA production when *S. arboricolus* was compared with the other species of the genus *Saccharomyces* or the other post-WGD species. In particular, the lack of *SCT1* did not result in a differential production of any FAs. This suggests that there is gene compensation in the species that lack these genes such as *S. arboricolus*, or that have only two copies of the same gene, such as *M. farinosa* for *SCT1.*Fig. 8Phylogenetic analysis of the homologs of the *SCT1* and *GPT2* genes in various species. The evolutionary history was inferred by using the maximum-likelihood method based on the Whelan and Goldman model. The tree with the highest log likelihood (−25184.6904) is shown. The percentage of trees in which the same taxa shared a given node is indicated; only values over 50 % are shown. A discrete Gamma distribution was used to model evolutionary rate differences among sites (5 categories (+G, parameter = 1.6929)). The analysis involved 45 amino acid sequences. All positions containing gaps and missing data were eliminated. There were a total of 516 positions in the final dataset. Evolutionary analyses were conducted in MEGA6 (Additional file [2](#MOESM2){ref-type="media"}). The basidiomycete *Cryptococccus neoformans* sequence XP_569487 was used as an outgroup. Scale bar, 20 per 100 substitutions per site. The *SCT1* and *GPT2* gene families are boxed. WGD species are indicated. The two species with only one gene copy are indicated by an arrow. Note that *Zygosaccharomyces rouxii* is a non-WGD species, but phylogenetic position derived from single gene analysis may be inaccurate for some species
Discussion {#Sec18}
==========
In this study, we investigated the MCFA content in various yeast species. To date, this class of lipids has been little studied because these FAs are minor in *S. cerevisiae* and absent from oleaginous yeasts commonly used for tailored lipid production. Furthermore, MCFAs have probably been disregarded because they can be lost during extraction due to their high volatility. For these reasons, it is important to design procedures that avoid evaporation during extraction and that use splitless injection during GC analysis. However, due to their value as substitutes for petroleum derivatives, MCFAs and their production in yeasts is an emerging research topic \[[@CR4]\]. Efficient lipid extraction procedures have therefore been developed and it is now possible to explore the MCFA content in *S. cerevisiae* and other Saccharomycotina species.
Testing various culture conditions on FA profiles, we demonstrated that MCFAs preferentially accumulate in WT and mutant *S. cerevisiae* when cells are grown on high-N synthetic media. In most cases, low temperature (23 °C) had a positive effect on MCFA content (Additional file [4](#MOESM4){ref-type="media"}: Table S1) due to higher total FA content (Table [2](#Tab2){ref-type="table"}), as confirmed for *S. uvarum*. Furthermore, MCFAs preferentially accumulated during the early exponential growth phase for two post-WGD species. Until recently, applied biotechnology and metabolic engineering has focused on improving lipid accumulation in cells. However, new lipidome approaches show that culture conditions greatly influence lipid production and FA composition \[[@CR14]\], although FA chain length has not been carefully investigated. Our results confirmed these observations and showed that culture conditions influence MCFA content; investigating culture conditions is thus an important factor for the targeted production of desired fatty acids.
We also screened *S. cerevisiae* mutant cells with defects in proteins associated with LDs. Two of the analyzed mutants, *loa1*Δ and *tgl3*Δ, showed a modified FA profile and an increase in MCFA content. The absence of these lipid metabolism enzymes in LDs affects the FA profiles in lipids, polar (mostly PLs) or nonpolar (mostly TAGs and SEs). Accumulation of MCFAs has been observed in *loa1*Δ cells \[[@CR16]\], although they were not explicitly mentioned \[[@CR47]\]. In addition, there is a reported increase in saturated C14:0 and C16:0 FAs in TAG fractions from *tgl3*Δ cells, although shorter MCFAs were not analyzed \[[@CR47]\]. Here, for the first time, we explored MCFA content in mutants with defective lipid droplets and altered lipid metabolism. Our observations indicate that genetic engineering on endogenous genes can be performed in *S. cerevisiae* to increase MCFA production. Recent studies have employed heterologous expression of mammal, plant, oleaginous yeast or bacteria enzymes in *S. cerevisiae* \[[@CR17], [@CR54]\]. The combination of two approaches, endogenous gene modifications and heterologous expression of pertinent enzymes, thus appears to be a promising approach for developing MCFA production in *S. cerevisiae*.
Another way to improve the production of MCFA in yeast is to screen other Saccharomycotina species, some of which may be naturally rich in MCFAs. Our FA profiling on Saccharomycotina yeast revealed that (i) MCFAs only accumulate in post-WGD species and (ii) MCFA content and profile vary greatly among the species analyzed. In addition, PUFA content varied greatly among the Saccharomycotina species. The presence of PUFAs is negatively correlated with the presence of MCFAs. Thus, as observed for MCFAs, research on PUFAs in Saccharomycotina species holds great promise for lipid biotechnology. This is the main focus of another study in progress.
The mechanisms behind this high FA diversity remain to be elucidated, because we could not observe in our gene gain/loss analysis any correlation between gene distribution and FA production. Nevertheless, most of our observations appeared to be associated with the WGD event. WGD is known to have affected many aspects of yeast cell life, including neo-functionalization of duplicated genes and major changes in overall transcription \[[@CR55]--[@CR60]\]. We therefore suggest two potential sources of this variability. First, given the high gene copy conservation in lipid metabolism enzymes among Saccharomycotina yeasts, as revealed in our genomic study, phenotypic variability may be due to the differential regulation of FA metabolism at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional level, due to WGD. For example, *S. arboricolus* showed similar FA production compared with the other Saccharomycotina species despite the fact that its genome lacks four genes, including *SCT1.* Second, MCFAs are specific to post-WGD species, indicating that the WGD may have affected lipid metabolism genes and their functions. The function of some homologs may have evolved within some Saccharomycotina species. For example, Are1p and Are2p acyltransferases \[[@CR61]\] and TAG lipases play different roles in *Y. lipolytica* compared to their homologs in other yeast species. In *Y. lipolytica*, the main TAG lipase activity is carried out by YlTgl4p and not byYlTgl3p, the homolog of the main *S. cerevisiae* TAG lipase \[[@CR62]\]. In addition, *YDR018c*, encoding a LPLAT family enzyme, is only present in *Saccharomyces* species. Interestingly, all lipid enzyme classes contain genes that have been duplicated during the WGD and some may potentially have some lipid metabolism functions specific to post-WGD species. It is possible to extend screening to find new strains with relevant MCFA profiles. For example, *S. uvarum* and *S. bayanus* appear to have high MFCA content. Our FA analysis revealed that *S. uvarum* contains 9.2 % MCFAs when grown at 28 °C. Furthermore, one study shows that *S. bayanus* produces up to 36 % MCFAs when grown on white must at 13 °C \[[@CR63]\]. Thus, there is a relationship between phenotype and the ecological and geographical origin of strains, in particular for lipid and FA composition. Numerous strains and natural interspecific *Saccharomyces* hybrids isolated from low temperature fermentation or from cold regions are available in yeast collections. FA profiling of these strains after cultivation at favorable temperatures (10--15 °C) can potentially lead to the discovery of specific high-performance cells or FA enzymes useful for MCFA production for biotechnology purposes.
Conclusions {#Sec19}
===========
In this study, we explored the MCFA content and production in Saccharomycotina yeasts with regard to the few reports in the literature on MCFA production by microorganisms despite their biotechnological interest. First, MCFA content in *S. cerevisiae* varies according to culture conditions and to lipid class. MCFAs are more abundant in neutral lipids than in phospholipids. Using genetic screening, we identified two genes, *LOA1* and *TGL3*, involved in MCFA homeostasis. These results demonstrate that yeast engineering holds promise as an approach for developing MCFA production in *S. cerevisiae*. Second, FA profiling in 16 Saccharomycotina species showed that they have contrasting phenotypes that follow a phylogenetic pattern. We demonstrated that lipid-containing MCFAs are only present in post-WGD yeasts and revealed that Saccharomycotina yeasts are promising biological resources for biotechnology.
Availability of supporting data {#Sec20}
-------------------------------
The data sets supporting the results of this article are included within the article and its Additional files [2](#MOESM2){ref-type="media"} and [3](#MOESM3){ref-type="media"}, Additional file [1](#MOESM1){ref-type="media"}: Figure S1; Additional file [6](#MOESM6){ref-type="media"}: Figure S2; Additional file [7](#MOESM7){ref-type="media"}: Figure S3; Additional file [8](#MOESM8){ref-type="media"}: Figure S4; Additional file [9](#MOESM9){ref-type="media"}: Figure S5; Additional file [10](#MOESM10){ref-type="media"}: Figure S6; Additional file [11](#MOESM11){ref-type="media"}: Figure S7; Additional file [12](#MOESM12){ref-type="media"}: Figure S8 and Additional file [4](#MOESM4){ref-type="media"}: Table S1; Additional file [5](#MOESM5){ref-type="media"}: Table S2.
Additional files
================
{#Sec21}
######
Growth curves of strains used in this study. Growth curves of *Saccharomyces cerevisiae* BY4741 WT, *loa1Δ* and *tgl3Δ* cells grown in YP, high- or low-N YNB at 23 °C (A) and 28 °C (B) and *S. cerevisiae* S288C and *Saccharomyces uvarum* grown in YP at 23 °C (C) and 28 °C (D).
######
**MEGA6 multiple sequence alignment of the proteins encoded by the** ***SCT1*** **and** ***GPT2*** **gene family used for Figure** [8](#Fig8){ref-type="fig"} **tree.**
######
**MAFFT multiple sequence alignments of all the proteins studied.**
######
Fatty acid content in the wild-type (WT), *tgl3*Δ and *loa1*Δ strains grown in various conditions. FAME, fatty acid methyl ester.
######
Accession numbers of LPLAT genes in 26 yeast species. Accession numbers as assigned in the Saccharomyces Genome Database (SGD)^1^, Scannel *et al.* \[[@CR37]\]^2^ , the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)^3^, the Génolevures Database^4^, the Candida GenomeDatabase (CGD)^5^ or the Online Resource for Community Annotation of Eukaryotes (ORCAE)^6^.
######
Multiple sequence alignment of the proteins encoded by the *SCT1* and *GPT2* gene family. Multiple sequence alignments of the proteins encoded by the LPLAT genes. Sequence alignment was generated using MAFFT ver. 7 and visualized using Jalview 2 \[[@CR65]\]. Each residue in the alignment was assigned a color (ClustalX Color Scheme) if the amino acid profile of the alignment at that position meets some minimum criteria specific for the residue type (for details, see <http://www.jalview.org/help/html/colourSchemes/clustal.html>).
######
Multiple sequence alignments of the proteins encoded by *CST26 and YDR018c* gene family. Multiple sequence alignments of the proteins encoded by the LPLAT genes. Sequence alignment was generated using MAFFT ver. 7 and visualized using Jalview 2 \[[@CR65]\]. Each residue in the alignment was assigned a color (ClustalX Color Scheme) if the amino acid profile of the alignment at that position meets some minimum criteria specific for the residue type (for details, see <http://www.jalview.org/help/html/colourSchemes/clustal.html>).
######
Multiple sequence alignments of the proteins encoded by *SLC1* genes. Multiple sequence alignments of the proteins encoded by the LPLAT genes. Sequence alignment was generated using MAFFT ver. 7 and visualized using Jalview 2 \[[@CR65]\]. Each residue in the alignment was assigned a color (ClustalX Color Scheme) if the amino acid profile of the alignment at that position meets some minimum criteria specific for the residue type (for details, see <http://www.jalview.org/help/html/colourSchemes/clustal.html>).
######
Multiple sequence alignments of the proteins encoded by *DGA1* genes. Multiple sequence alignments of the proteins encoded by the LPLAT genes. Sequence alignment was generated using MAFFT ver. 7 and visualized using Jalview 2 \[[@CR65]\]. Each residue in the alignment was assigned a color (ClustalX Color Scheme) if the amino acid profile of the alignment at that position meets some minimum criteria specific for the residue type (for details, see <http://www.jalview.org/help/html/colourSchemes/clustal.html>).
######
Multiple sequence alignments of the proteins encoded by *TAZ1* genes. Multiple sequence alignments of the proteins encoded by the LPLAT genes. Sequence alignment was generated using MAFFT ver. 7 and visualized using Jalview 2 \[[@CR65]\]. Each residue in the alignment was assigned a color (ClustalX Color Scheme) if the amino acid profile of the alignment at that position meets some minimum criteria specific for the residue type (for details, see <http://www.jalview.org/help/html/colourSchemes/clustal.html>).
######
Multiple sequence alignments of the proteins encoded by *LOA1* genes. Multiple sequence alignments of the proteins encoded by the LPLAT genes. Sequence alignment was generated using MAFFT ver. 7 and visualized using Jalview 2 \[[@CR65]\]. Each residue in the alignment was assigned a color (ClustalX Color Scheme) if the amino acid profile of the alignment at that position meets some minimum criteria specific for the residue type (for details, see <http://www.jalview.org/help/html/colourSchemes/clustal.html>).
######
Multiple sequence alignments of the proteins encoded by *MUM3* genes. Multiple sequence alignments of the proteins encoded by the LPLAT genes. Sequence alignment was generated using MAFFT ver. 7 and visualized using Jalview 2 \[[@CR65]\]. Each residue in the alignment was assigned a color (ClustalX Color Scheme) if the amino acid profile of the alignment at that position meets some minimum criteria specific for the residue type (for details, see <http://www.jalview.org/help/html/colourSchemes/clustal.html>).
DAG
: Diacylglycerol
FA
: Fatty acid
FAME
: Fatty acid methyl ester
FID
: Flame ionization detection
GC
: Gas chromatography
LD
: Lipid droplet
LPLAT
: Lysophospholipid acylytransferase
MCFA
: Medium-chain fatty acid
PUFA
: Polyunsaturated fatty acid
SE
: Sterol ester
TLC
: Thin layer chromatography
WGD
: Whole genome duplication
**Competing interests**
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
**Authors' contributions**
MF, MC, SEG, TC, NJ, SC conceived and designed the experiments. MF, MC, MP, BC, SMO, NJ, SC performed the experiments. MF, MC, SC analyzed the data. MP, BC, SMO, SEG, NJ contributed to reagents/materials/analysis tools. MF, TC, NJ, SC wrote the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
This work was supported by the French National Research Agency with a grant from the *Programme National de Recherche sur les Bioénergies* (PNRB, ANR-07-BIOE-0008, Lipicaero). M. Pouteaux was funded through this program. This work was supported by an "Action Incitative" MICA-CEPIA INRA. We thank C. Engel-Gautier for editorial assistance.
| 2023-11-18T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/9999 |
Friday, 29 April 2016
We can't say we weren't warned. There were signs everywhere and at least one local told us to lock the car even if we were standing next to it. 'They will open the doors and steal your food'. We have been the victims of car break-ins twice in recent years and it was not an experience we wished to repeat.
David, however, just sometimes won't take advice - and he was hungry. He opened the boot of our car to retrieve a couple of bread rolls from his backpack. Within seconds the thief had leapt from the bushes and dashed toward us. David threw the rolls back into the boot, slammed the lid closed and retreated, leaving me trapped in the front seat with the thief staring malevolently down at me from the roof of the car parked beside us. It was as if he was daring me to be foolish enough to open the door.
The thief was one of the infamous Cape of Good Hope baboons. They are large, agile and predatory. One sniff of food and they pounce. Fortunately, once the bread roll was out of sight, he soon lost interest and I was able to make my escape. However, on our short walk across the car park we saw a half a dozen more sinister looking simians hanging around searching for victims.
The Cape Point baboon sitting on the roof of the car next to us.
Marauding baboons notwithstanding, and truth be told the whole baboon episode was a lot of fun, our drive around the Cape of Good Hope was a great day's excursion from Cape Town.
The Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point
The Cape of Good Hope has a reputation as the southern most tip of Africa. It isn't! That honour belongs to the far lesser know Cape Agulhas about 200 kms to the east, but it is the Cape of Good Hope which has gone down in history and legend. This was where Portugese sailors fought the elements to open up a direct trade route to the Far East in the 15th Century, and where the Flying Dutchman refused to turn back in the face of a terrible gale, dooming his ship to sail on forever never making port or knowing peace.
A five minute trip on the Flying Dutchman Funicular took us up to Cape Point, Lighthouse where 11,642 km from Sydney, according to the sign, we stood in wind so strong it almost knocked us over. Cape Point may not quite be the southern tip of Africa but looking out across the sheer vertical cliffs it was easy to imagine that it was.
Cape Point Lighthouse - as it turned out the lighthouse was built so high up that it was often shrouded in fog. Today it has been decommissioned in favour of a modern lighthouse much further down the cliff.
Home
The sheer cliffs at Cape Point. You can just make out the modern lighthouse in the centre right of the photo.
Just in case you are wondering, David finally got to eat his bread roll. Ten minutes by car from Cape Point we stopped at another car park leading to a sign marking the actual Cape of Good Hope, as opposed to Cape Point where all the facilities are. This time there were no baboons, no lighthouses and no funiculars, just a few curious ostriches by the side of the road.
The Cape of Good Hope - the language on the right is Afrikaans
A cape ostrich.
African Penguins
Of all the animals I expected to see in South Africa, penguins was about last on the list. I thought South Africa was much closer to the northern hemisphere than it is - geography was never my strong subject. David says, and he is usually right on these things, not only is South Africa firmly anchored in the southern hemisphere but Cape Town is on the same latitude as Sydney. If Sydney can have penguins then South Africa can too. We found them at Boulders Beach, Simon's Town on the way back from the Cape and less than an hour by car from the centre of Cape Town.
Unlike our shy little Fairy Penguins in Australia, African Penguins are unafraid of being out in the daylight. A small entrance fee gave us access to a boardwalk which wound through the sand dunes above their rookery and out to the beach where dozens of them stood enjoying the sunshine.
An African Penguin at Boulders Beach
We saw lots of baby animals in South Africa. This baby penguin was the first.
In the north-west of the Cape of Good Hope Peninsula we found Chapman's Peak Drive, The road is about 15 kilometres long and runs along the cliff-edge creating one of the world's great coastal drives. As a scenic route it rivals the best parts of Victoria's Great Ocean Road.
If you do a round trip of the Cape from Cape Town, Chapman's Peak Drive will either be at the beginning of your route or at the end. South Africans drive on the left (mostly - the road accident statistics are frightening) so if you want to position your car for the best view save it to the end of the day and drive from south to north. We drove it from north to south and found that we were still able to pull in at the scenic viewpoints notwithstanding that they were all on the ocean side.
There is a small toll - under US$3.00, at the time of writing, - and the road is occasionally closed as a result of rock falls so it is worth checking the website to ensure it is open before you set out.
Hout Bay, looking back from Chapman's Peak Drive
Hugging the cliff on Chapman's Peak Drive
Three of the Twelve Apostles on the drive
The topic of next week's post will be Stellenbosch and the beautiful Cape Winelands. Keep an eye out for it next Friday/Saturday.
This looks like an amazing place, full of beautiful sights. And I never thought about penguins in Africa - I had no idea they'd live there!Won't you please come share your photos at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2016/04/worlds-best-meatloaf-recipe-wordful.html? I'd love to have you join us each week!
Thanks Sue. I will be back to sharing with you this week. I had to cut down on a few things while we were on the road. South Africa is wonderful but it had slow and patchy internet almost everywhere we went.
I think Sth Africa is a very under-rated destination both here and in the US. We only met two other Australian couples while we were there and both of them had a family or work connection to Africa. I can't remember meeting any Americans at all. We did meet lots of Europeans though - Dutch, which was hardly surprising, Germans and British.
Being distracted by cuteness is a real hazard in Africa. At one of the game parks we visited we were told that the monkeys had figured out how to open the zippers on the tents. Tourists were waking up in the night finding they were sharing their rooms - lol.
I do not know what to comment about because the post got more and more impressive. But, I loved those penguins of the beach. They are so cute! Monkeys are mischievous, right? I experienced them in Costa Rica. People will leave their things unattended at the beach and they would stop by a check all the belongings (making a mess). They would take every food item encountered.
What an amazing place, Lyn. You really made me want to go visit South Africa. I've never seen African penguins before. They are so cute! Those baboons can be very mean and mischievous. I'd be very reluctant to approach them.
We are totally in love with Cape Town and the whole region of the Cape Peninsula. There are such stunning views and great weather mostly. The baboons are a nuisance - but who was first anyway ...? #TheWeeklyPostcard
I wonder if those Cape of Good Hope baboons are related to the Rock of Gibraltar Barbary Apes. They sure seem to have the same modus operandi! I loved reading your post and reminiscing about South Africa!
Lyn, that is a fabulous drive and I would love to do it myself. What a trip you've had! Not to detract from the beauty of the landscape of course, but seeing those animals so close-up would be the highlight for me.
David and I had completely different hopes for Sth Africa. He was in it for the scenery and I went for the animals and we both came home happy. If you are interested in animals, we went to a couple of game parks and they were just fantastic. The blog posts are scheduled in the next few weeks.
Hout Bay is beautiful. The penguins are really cute too. Cape of Good Hope baboons--- not so much! OK, he was kind of cute and you were very fortunate to get a picture of him. I can't believe how aggressive he was in going after a bun! As someone else previously mentioned, those baboons reminded me too right away of Gibraltar. But they weren't aggressive!
To be fair - we were warned and there were lots of signs. David's empty stomach just got the better of him. Had he not produced food I don't think the baboon would have come out of the bushes. It was kind of fun though.
We did this exact tour a few years ago. I'm reading and smiling and thinking, OMG, we did that, we did that, we did that too! We only saw the baboons in the distance - we listened to our tour guide - LOL! Couldn't believe how much the penguins sound like jackasses. SA is such a beautiful country. Your post brought back some lovely memories. Thank you!
Oh, those sneaky baboons! Glad you were able to have fun with the whole experience. What amazing wildlife and natural beauty in South Africa. Interesting about Cape Agulhas being the southern most point --- didn't know that. Hope to get there someday. Thanks for the inspiration.
Wow, I never would have thought there'd be penguins, either! It would really be something to be able to say you've stood on the Cape of Good Hope as you did. Love the baboon photo. I'm sure he would have given you a good fight had you been unaware.
Lyn I literally squealed out loud at this post. The baboon story is fabulous unto itself. When you got to the penguins and your image of the crowd of them....well be still my beating heart. That would be a dream come true for me. Your shy little fellows in Australia definitely left me wanting more. I have serious South Africa wanderlust on my mind now!
This brought back fun memories of when my sister and I went to the Cape of Good Hope. A baboon ran over to a man bringing out some takeaway food from the cafe at the park. He snatched the man's bag of food and ran up and sat beside a sign saying that baboons will steal your food and he sat and ate it there. It gave me a great photo opp but probably wasn't so enjoyable for the man who most likely had to go buy his lunch for a second time!
Wow what a terrific post Lyn.... I have never seen African Penguins, very cool. I had a nice chuckle over your hubby's encounter with your thief. Glad you got to stop down the road for a snack. :-D I am really enjoying your posts Lyn, and am so thrilled to have you as a part of the Life Thru the Lens community. | 2024-06-27T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/7051 |
Q:
About Timezone. From one to another timezone
If i use
<?php
date_default_timezone_set('Asia/Dhaka');
?>
as default timezone to a page of my website.
And if I echo this on this page:
echo date_default_timezone_get()." ".date('Y-m-d H:i:s').
A user from America/Los_Angeles will find the date?
A:
There is nothing built-in to PHP that can detect the client's time zone. Instead, you'll need to detect the user's time zone in JavaScript. You can then send that string to the server, and pass it into PHP's various time zone functions.
| 2023-11-12T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/5067 |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a 3D camera and imaging method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The anticipated uptake of 3D televisions in the home can be expected to create a market in 3D cameras for domestic use (e.g. still and video cameras and camcorders), in much the same way that HD televisions have created a market for HD cameras.
Broadcast and cinema quality 3D camera systems are very expensive, and rely on sophisticated (and heavy) optics to achieve their 3D effects; consequently this technology is not easily scalable down to the domestic camera market.
Therefore it is desirable to develop a 3D camera that provides normal camera functions, such as a zoom function, whilst being economically and practically feasible.
The present invention seeks to address or mitigate the above problem. | 2023-09-30T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/4754 |
import 'mocha';
import { given } from 'mocha-testdata';
import { Duration } from '../../src/model';
import { expect } from '../expect';
/** @test {Duration} */
describe('Duration', () => {
describe('represents a duration of time that', () => {
given<Duration, number>(
[ Duration.ofMilliseconds(1), 1 ],
[ Duration.ofSeconds(1), 1 * 1000 ],
[ Duration.ofMinutes(1), 60 * 1 * 1000 ],
[ Duration.ofHours(1), 60 * 60 * 1 * 1000 ],
[ Duration.ofDays(1), 24 * 60 * 60 * 1 * 1000 ],
[ Duration.ofYears(1), 365 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1 * 1000 ],
).
it('can be easily converted to milliseconds', (duration: Duration, expectedMilliseconds: number) => {
expect(duration.inMilliseconds()).to.equal(expectedMilliseconds);
});
given<Duration, string>(
[ Duration.ofMilliseconds(100), '100ms' ],
[ Duration.ofMilliseconds(2200), '2s 200ms' ],
[ Duration.ofMilliseconds(132000), '2m 12s' ],
[ Duration.ofMilliseconds(7921000), '2h 12m 1s' ],
[ Duration.ofMilliseconds(190080000), '2d 4h 48m' ],
).
it('can be presented in a human-friendly format', (duration: Duration, expected: string) => {
expect(duration.toString()).to.equal(expected);
});
});
describe('when performing computations', () => {
const
oneMinute = Duration.ofMinutes(1),
tenSeconds = Duration.ofSeconds(10);
it('allows for durations to be added', () => {
expect(oneMinute.plus(tenSeconds)).to.equal(Duration.ofSeconds(70));
});
});
});
| 2023-11-30T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/1350 |
Abstract
Goldfish are ideal vertebrates for the study of regeneration within the peripheral and the central olfactory system. The present behavioural investigations studied the effects of bilateral lesions on the animals' ability to qualitatively discriminate two amino acids (107-6M) and their performance in two more difficult tasks: (i) rewarded amino acid applied in a lower concentration, and (ii) rewarded stimulus contaminated. A 50 and 85% reduction of the olfactory epithelium resulted in no recordable behavioural deficit. After axotomy of olfactory nerves and lateral olfactory tractotomy, fishes were anosmic for seven to ten days. Following replacement of sensory cells in the epithelium, and after regeneration of olfactory tract fibres a full functional recovery, i.e. a highly specific regeneration, was recorded. After three surgical modifications of the olfactory bulbs' position, (i) crossing olfactory tracts and bulbs, (ii) crossing tracts and turning bulbs, and (iii) turning bulbs upside down, a full functional recovery was recorded for amino-acid discrimination in a similar concentration. A permanent, and similar slight deficit was, however, found during application of different concentrations, and of contaminated stimuli when medial lateral halves of the bulb were in ‘incorrect’ position (i) and (iii), or olfactory bulbs were positioned in the vicinity of the contralateral epithelium (i) and (ii). | 2023-10-31T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/8568 |
Welcome back,
today we’re looking at
magic tricks going NOT
the way they’re supposed to.
I understand everyone has to start somewhere, but
I don’t think running into the fridge is meant
to be the climax of this trick.
Let’s look at a similar one.
The kids cheese it.
Dad forgets to tell him to leave the door open,
which is an integral mechanical feature of the trick.
Up goes the magic blankey,
oh yeah right on the brain!
He falls dramatically,
his clothes are wet,
his head hurts.
“YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT THE DOOR!?”
shouts a soggy, sad fucken Dad.
This is the classic
“How To Remake Your Chain Sawed in Half Friend”
Trick.
Cue the smoke—Too much smoke!
Screw this,
the Top Half Guy grows legs
and cheeses it.
The Magician mumbles “a gentle whiff of smoke.
Not fucken Fireworks.
I wanted a gentle whiff.
Why are all me mates bloody amateurs.”
Be very careful
copying the magic tricks by that legend
Zack King.
You can’t jump through windows,
they bloody smash
if ya don’t know how to use
Adobe After Effects.
It’s nothing to celebrate.
You can’t create vortexes
out of thin air.
You can’t eat a company’s donut sign.
That’s not a cake,
don’t cut fucken glass!
I know ya wanna save people with magic,
but it’s not real,
if they’re gonna get hit by a truck
that’s on them.
Shit, sorry for lecturing you about the obvious.
I mean, stick to classic tricks
like Sword Swallowing.
This bloke is deep throating the piss out of that blade.
Not having a gag reflex
is the real abracadabra shit.
Yeah.
He’s nailed it.
Get ready for Act 3, The Prestige.
Ah no it’s a fake sword.
It’s a retractable toy.
His deep throat skills are a scam.
The crowd claps, but I dunno,
I feel let down by this one the most.
Oi. Being a sheila in the magic industry is fucked.
No, don’t immediately say
“what about men?”
BAM, stabbed and dropped.
Don’t sign up to be a magician’s assistant ladies.
You get put in containers.
And bloody cylindrical gift boxes.
And this fucken custom-made coffin thing.
You get fondled after being chopped in half.
Chains,
if you’re into it that’s fine,
but yeah nah yeah,
just letting ya know about chains.
More containers.
They get set on fire.
Here’s a spike.
Yep, feel that.
It’s real.
Super sharp.
I’ll bung it in a bag.
Yeah, gimme ya hand.
I’m gonna slam it on the bag.
It was at this moment everyone wished
that they could go back in time
and prevent a spike
going through her hand.
Fuck this ladies, fuck this.
Even for Scarlett Johansson,
the enjoyment was an illusion,
she was chewed up and spat out
by these egotistical, deceptive fucken cowboys.
Shit, I’m reality on a tangent again.
Sorry, everyone.
Let’s get back to happy magic.
Ta-da!
Happy magic!
Here’s a dog that wants a biscuit.
The owner’s like “oh dear it vanished.”
The dog replies “I don’t care about games ya wankers.
I saw the treat.
It exists.
Come on.
Give it to me.
Please.
I’m so hungry.
I’ll shake your hand.
Yeah just get a fresh one from the bag.
Thank you.
Happy magic is my jam.”
This one is at my skill level.
I like magic tricks that are quick
and easy to learn.
Bloody Mum is mesmerised.
She’s thinking “wowee,
my daughter is the next
David Copperfield.
Hopefully she doesn’t become an assistant.
Yeah nah, she’s gonna be running her own shows
on Las Vegas boulevard.”
Overall, escaping reality is fun,
but don’t escape it too much,
cause that just all gets
pretty unhealthy.
| 2024-06-21T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/1123 |
Campaigners have welcomed a new documentary containing claims of sexual abuse by Michael Jackson as an opportunity to challenge the leniency shown towards celebrities in cases of child sex abuse.
Leaving Neverland, which aired at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday amid protests from angry fans of the singer, contains the testimonies of Wade Robson and James Safechuck who claim they were molested by the singer.
Both Mr Robson and Mr Safechuck, who were regularly pictured accompanying Mr Jackson on public outings in the 1990s, claim they were befriended by the star before being sexually abused by him.
In the documentary, Mr Robson claims he first met the singer as a prize for winning a local dance contest. He was later invited to stay at Neverland with his family before spending five days alone with Jackson at the ranch.
In a story containing many parallels, Mr Safechuck tells how he met Mr Jackson when he appeared alongside him in a Pepsi advert at the age of eight, before accompanying the singer on tour where he shared a hotel room with him. | 2023-11-28T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/4433 |
In 2019, researchers plan to spray particles into the stratosphere to test the geoengineering method of dimming the sun.
The controversial subject of geoengineering or weather modification – which was popularized, and oversimplified with the term “chemtrails” – is once again stepping from the shadows and into the light of public scrutiny. And it may soon be a reality as scientists plan first-ever experiment to spray particles in the sky to dim the sun.
What was once a conspiracy theory is now the subject of congressional debate, peer-reviewed studies, and now a Harvard experiment. Harvard scientists will attempt to replicate the climate-cooling effect of volcanic eruptions with a world-first solar geoengineering experiment set for early 2019.
What was once a conspiracy theory will soon be a reality, in only months.
Known as the Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment (SCoPEx), the experiment will spray calcium carbonate particles high above the earth to mimic the effects of volcanic ash blocking out the sun to produce a cooling effect.
The experiment was announced in Nature magazine last month, who was one of few outlets to look into this unprecedented step toward geoengineering the planet:
“If all goes as planned, the Harvard team will be the first in the world to move solar geoengineering out of the lab and into the stratosphere, with a project called the Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment (SCoPEx). The first phase — a US$3-million test involving two flights of a steerable balloon 20 kilometres above the southwest United States — could launch as early as the first half of 2019. Once in place, the experiment would release small plumes of calcium carbonate, each of around 100 grams, roughly equivalent to the amount found in an average bottle of off-the-shelf antacid. The balloon would then turn around to observe how the particles disperse.”
Naturally, the experiment is concerning to many people, including environmental groups, who, according to Nature, who say such efforts are a dangerous distraction from addressing the only permanent solution to climate change: reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.
The idea of injecting particles into the atmosphere to cool the earth also seems outright futile considering what scientists are trying to mimic—volcanic eruptions. If we look at the second largest eruption of the 20th century, Mount Pinatubo, which erupted in the Philippines in 1991, it injected 20 million tons of sulfur dioxide aerosols into the stratosphere. Scientists from the USGS estimated that this 20 million tons only lowered the temperature of the planet by about 1°F (0.5°C) and this only lasted a year because the particles eventually fell to back to Earth.
The Harvard team, led by scientists Frank Keutsch and David Keith, has been working on the SCoPEx project for several years but they haven’t always been in total agreement. In fact, as nature reports, Keutsch—who is not a climate scientist—previously thought the idea to be “totally insane.” But he’s since changed his mind. As Nature reports:
“When he saw Keith talk about the SCoPEx idea at a conference after starting at Harvard in 2015, he says his initial reaction was that the idea was “totally insane”. Then he decided it was time to engage. “I asked myself, an atmospheric chemist, what can I do?” He joined forces with Keith and Anderson, and has since taken the lead on the experimental work.”
Adding to the questionable nature of this experiment is the fact that it is largely funded by none other than Microsoft co-founder, Bill Gates. Gates is no stranger to controversial experiments as he’s publicly funded many of them including one that would implant devices into babies to automatically give them vaccines.
While the Harvard team’s experiment may sound like something out of a dystopian science fiction movie, the reality is that it has long been on the table of governments and think tanks from around the world. In fact, just last month, a new study published in Environmental Research Letters, talked about doing the exact same thing—geoengineering and planes spraying particulates into the atmosphere to curb global warming.
What’s more, that study echoed the sentiments of then-CIA director John Brennan when he addressed the Council on Foreign Relations in 2016, detailing a similar process of spraying chemical particulates in the atmosphere to cool the planet.
At the meeting, Brennan addressed instability and transnational threats to global security at a meeting with the Council on Foreign Relations. During his long-winded talk of threats to US interests and how the largely CIA-created ISIL threat is impacting the world, Brennan brought up the topic of geoengineering:
“Another example is the array of technologies—often referred to collectively as geoengineering—that potentially could help reverse the warming effects of global climate change. One that has gained my personal attention is stratospheric aerosol injection, or SAI, a method of seeding the stratosphere with particles that can help reflect the sun’s heat, in much the same way that volcanic eruptions do.”
Brennan went on to echo the calls from some scientists who have called for aerial spraying:
“An SAI program could limit global temperature increases, reducing some risks associated with higher temperatures and providing the world economy additional time to transition from fossil fuels. The process is also relatively inexpensive—the National Research Council estimates that a fully deployed SAI program would cost about $10 billion yearly.”
The extent at which Brennan talked about stratospheric aerosol injection shows that he and the CIA have likely been considering this for some time [. . .]
21 thoughts on “In 2019, Scientists Funded by Bill Gates to Spray Particles Into the Sky in First Experiment to Dim the Sun”
what gives them the right? effects the whole planet. what gives them the right?
i trust them not at all. dim the sun. sounds like something a super-villain might want to do.
wont that require a massive fleet of new aircraft capable of operating in the stratosphere? how much is that going to cost? us military is already greatest contributor to anthropogenic global warming. wont this just increase the carbon footprint? not to mention the unintentional consequences, which are likely not all that unintentional.
Nomad, if these people aren’t stopped, I’m pretty certain that the US military will be paying for it if they’re doing doing so already. People have been complaining about chemtrails for years and the mysterious illnesses they seem to cause. I’m sure the Pentagon is only interested in the military utilizations – like inflicting drought on your enemies. I don’t think they give a damn about climate change.
If Bill Gates has anything to do with it than that makes it suspect from the gitgo. I don’t know why those people in Africa haven’t thrown that deviant out. Bill Gates acts as though the whole world is his to experiment with and the amount of money that he is using for this insane project could have gone to house hundreds of thousands of homeless people and feed the hungry. That shit (geoengineering)they want to do with $10 billion yearly is a joke and not a very funny one at that!
And I am equally as tired as nomad is of having no say in what gets sprayed on my ass! This is madness!
i notice that evidence of earlier weather experiments are being scrubbed from the internet. chemtrailsplanet.net has been removed. videos scrubbed but luckily i captured one or two articles you might find interesting.https://aislec.wordpress.com/2016/01/27/strange-rainfall-documented-loaded-with-biological-toxins/
” On August 7, 1994, in Oakville, Washington at 3am, rain began to fall, blanketing a 20 square mile area. Though that is common in the area, residents began to note that it was not water but a strange, gelatinous substance they had never seen before. “
” it was not water but a strange, gelatinous substance they had never seen before.”
I’ve seen it….in my own kitchen sink! When I lived in Minnesota, I wondered why there was something that resembled ‘gel’ in my sink. The ‘water’ actually turned to ‘gel’. I called the water inspectors and threw sixteen fits. They came out and tested the water and then a few weeks later, called me and said that the water had a wee bit of bacteria in it, tasted nasty and smelled bad, but it was okay for me to drink. I cussed those assholes out to no end and told them to send their mama over here to use it! That is when I did research on ‘bottled water’ and thankfully found some great water since I contacted the company and received a report from them as to the situation as it pertains to their water.
Nomad, they’ve already begun to do this shit we are only just now hearing about. This is why people are dropping dead in droves from shit that was never heard of half a century ago. And this is why I go on and on about ‘pasty-assed parasites’ because it is whites who are responsible for doing this mess. If we were still living like ALL indigenous peoples lived, we would not be dealing with the mess we are dealing with, but whites came along and decided that how the indigenous populations lived was the most fucked up way of living and turned around and literally fucked everything up and now they claim to be fixing what they’ve fucked up???!!! That is beyond ridiculous!
It might not help, but I refuse to be led gently and compliantly to an early demise brought on by deviant snakes that don’t give a damn about the suffering they are inflicting. What am I suppose to do? Thank them in a kindly manner for killing me? That’ll never happen!
Chemtrails are nothing compared to Gates nuclear plans. They have been using sulfuric acid droplet above the stratosphere for years by now. Old hat.
Nuclear is suicide worse than climate change and the changes are here. 80 percent of the insects gone. Something the matter with bill gates
Thanks for commenting, jtermaine. As for planetary omnicide, it seems to be a tossup what will get us first – nuclear radiation, microwave radiation, toxic pesticides and other chemicals or chem trails. | 2023-09-18T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/1826 |
TODAY IN BUSINESS
Published: June 28, 2006
KPMG RULING In a case involving KPMG, a federal judge ruled that a tactic used by prosecutors to crack down on corporate corruption violated the constitutional rights of employees, a decision that may change the way the government pursues white-collar cases. [Page C1.]
ANGER OVER UNIVISION OUTCOME A consortium of private equity firms won an auction for Univision with a $12.3 billion bid, prompting a rival suitor, Grupo Televisa of Mexico, to contend that it had been deliberately shunned in favor of a lesser bid. What Televisa plans to do next is unclear, but inside the company the anger is boiling. [C1.]
DOCTORS AND CHARITIES Around the country, doctors in private practice have set up tax-exempt charities into which drug companies and medical device makers are, with little fanfare, pouring donations -- money that adds up to millions of dollars a year. And some medical experts see that as a big problem. [A1.]
ZERO PERCENT FROM G.M. General Motors will offer zero percent financing on most 2006 models over the Independence Day weekend. [C6.]
NEW WELFARE RULES The Bush administration plans to issue rules that will require states to move much larger numbers of poor people from welfare to work. [A14.]
NO HARVARD DONATION Lawrence J. Ellison, chief executive of the Oracle Corporation and one of the world's wealthiest people, has decided not to donate $115 million to Harvard as he announced he would last year, the company confirmed. [C5.]
PRESSURE ON JAPAN BANK Toshihiko Fukui, the governor of the Bank of Japan, is under mounting pressure to resign after revealing that he invested in a stock fund run by an executive who was later indicted for insider trading. The scandal has threatened the reputation of the bank. [C3.]
GAME MAKER'S WOES The video game publisher Take-Two Interactive, which surprised investors by disclosing it had received criminal grand jury subpoenas inquiring into a range of its business practices, has shown signs since early this year that it continues to struggle with problems that have plagued it since 2001. [C7.]
NORTEL PLANS TO CUT JOBS As part of a continuing struggle to restore its financial health, Nortel Networks, the Canadian telecommunications equipment and software company, announced that it would cut a net 1,100 jobs while creating 800 jobs, mainly at new, lower cost-facilities in Mexico and Turkey. [C6.]
CO-OP PRICE DISCLOSURE The prices paid for co-op apartments in New York City could be made public for the first time under a bill passed last week by the state Legislature. [B1.]
UNIONIZING CHILD CARE WORKERS The New York Legislature is poised to override Gov. George E. Pataki's veto and give 52,000 home child-care providers, now independent contractors, the right to organize. [B1.]
HONDA PLANT IN INDIANA Indiana has apparently emerged as the winner in the race to land Honda's newest plant in North America. [C6.]
MINICAR FOR THE U.S. DaimlerChrysler, which shelved an earlier plan to bring its Smart minicar brand to the United States, plans to announce that it will introduce the tiny two-seat vehicle to the American market early in 2008, according to executives at the company. Dieter Zetsche, left, the chief executive of DaimlerChrysler, had considered selling the Smart brand before settling for yet another overhaul last March. [C1.]
NETWORK AD FORECAST Advance advertising sales for the fall television season are likely to be down for a second year in a row, reflecting the impact of new media outlets. Stuart Elliott: Advertising. [C5.]
ONLINE
PLANNING TO COOL EARTH Futuristic ways to fight global warming, including sunshades in space, are being considered. A report is at nytimes.com/science.
ONLINE: DEALBOOK A report on mergers and acquisitions, up-to-the-minute news on Wall Street and a look at the behind-the-scenes maneuvering is at nytimes.com/dealbook.
Business Briefing
Articles on these developments are at nytimes.com/business.
VERISIGN, CNET NETWORKS and Cyberonics joined the ranks of companies prosecutors are investigating for stock option grants. (BLOOMBERG NEWS)
SECURITIES REGULATORS said that Morgan Stanley & Company Inc. had agreed to pay $10 million to settle charges of inadequate procedures to prevent the misuse of insider information. (REUTERS)
INTEL SAID IT WOULD SELL its division that makes processors for hand-held gadgets to the Marvell Technology Group for $600 million in cash. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
NBC IS TEAMING with YouTube, a popular video Web site, to promote its new shows. (BLOOMBERG NEWS)
Photo
Graph tracks the daily closing price of Univision shares for the week. | 2023-11-16T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/9264 |
Conservative candidate George Stoakley suspended over tweets Published duration 26 April 2018
image copyright . image caption George Stoakley has been asked to comment about the tweets
An aspiring Conservative councillor has been suspended after apparently making offensive comments on Twitter.
Among tweets allegedly composed by George Stoakley, 23, who is standing for election in Cambridgeshire, was one saying that he was "sweating like a Jew in an attic".
In another, Aids was likened to "weaponised semen". Mr Stoakley's tweets have since been made private.
A Tory spokesperson said he had been suspended and an inquiry was under way.
Mr Stoakley was chosen by the Conservative Party to stand for election in the Fen Ditton and Fulbourn ward in the south-east of the county.
image copyright Twitter
image copyright Twitter
On Thursday his party confirmed Mr Stoakley was suspended, pending an investigation.
The deadline for withdrawing has already passed, and so, despite the suspension, electoral law means his name and party will still appear on ballot papers for the South Cambridgeshire District Council elections.
The BBC has asked Mr Stoakley to comment about the tweets, which appeared on the social media site in 2013.
image copyright Twitter
Other candidates standing for election in Fen Ditton and Fulbourn are:
Frances Amrani - Labour and Co-operative
Tim Andrews - Labour
Steve Bradshaw - Green
Graham Cone - Conservative
Claire Daunton - Liberal Democrat
Oliver Fisher - Green
Mark Lunn - Liberal Democrat
Cathie Rae - Labour
Rob Turner - Conservative | 2023-12-24T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/7658 |
About Dan W Connor
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The Nationwide Insurance: Daniel W Connor in Cumming, GA provides the following products. To learn more about each insurance product, click on the links below.
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Don't let confusing terminology keep you from driving with quality insurance. If you have questions about your protection, then Daniel W Connor is here to help. At Daniel W Connor, we work with Nationwide to provide you with personalized automobile insurance solutions. No matter where you are in life, we will make sure you get the coverage that is right for you.
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Getting married, having kids and sending them off to college are all exciting milestones. As your life changes, so do your insurance needs. You might have concerns about securing your family’s future when you are no longer around. You might also have some financial concerns about how they will manage any debts that you leave behind.
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If you are ready to learn coverage options, contact one of our agents at (770) 343-9300 to discuss them over the phone. You can also make an appointment or visit our office at 1255 Peachtree Pkwy,Cumming,GA,30041 to meet in person. Our agent will be more than happy to evaluate your circumstances to help you get the right solution.
LAW-0240AO (05/18)
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The Daniel W Connor also offers products in AL, GA, NC, SC. Please call for information on products in those states. | 2023-10-22T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/8527 |
JKAS History
JKAS was launched in 1968 to provide a peer-reviewed scientific journal to the Korean community of astronomers. As there were only a few professional astronomers in Korea back then, JKAS initially published one issue per year, with each issue containing a handful of papers written either in Korean or English. The first-ever JKAS paper was written by Chou & Kitamura and discussed the photometric orbit of the eclipsing binary DI Pegasi.
Over time, the Korean astronomy community grew, and so did the number of papers. In 1986, JKAS became English-only, with Korean language papers spun off to the Publications of the Korean Astronomical Society (PKAS). Around 2004/2005, the astronomical societies of Korea, Japan, China, and India discussed a merger of their national astronomy journals, including JKAS, into a unified Asian journal; eventually, this proposal was rejected.
In the past decade, efforts were made to make JKAS fit for the 21st century. In 2009, JKAS was added to the ISI/Thomson Reuters Science Citation Index Expanded database and received an impact factor, thus – at last – joining the family of globally recognized quality scientific journals. Nowadays, JKAS receives about 40 to 50 papers per year out of which 20 to 30 are accepted and published. | 2024-04-20T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/2948 |
Q:
Store data into MySQL table from dynamically added text boxes
I am currently working on a guides system for a website I'm creating which allows a registered user to create a guide with "steps". Each "step" is generated by simple JQuery and the text box is replaced by the summernote WYSIWYG editor.
I am looking for how to best store each "step" in one column of my database table.
DATABASE TABLE
id | category | title | description | guide | author | stamp
The guide column will be where the content from each text box is added.
FORM SECTION
<div class="form-group">
<p class="text-center">
<label for="article">Article Content:</label>
<div class="field_wrapper">
<div>
<textarea name="field_name[]" class="form-control summer"></textarea>
<a href="javascript:void(0);" class="add_button" title="Add field">+ Add Step</a>
</div>
</div>
<script>
$(document).ready(function() {
var maxField = 20;
var x = 1;
var addButton = $('.add_button');
var wrapper = $('.field_wrapper');
var fieldHTML = '<div><textarea name="field_name[]" class="form-control summer"></textarea><a href="javascript:void(0);" class="remove_button" title="Remove field">- Remove Step</a></div>';
$(addButton).click(function(){
$(document).ready(function() {
$('.summer').summernote({
placeholder: 'Step ' + x
});
});
if(x < maxField){
x++;
$(wrapper).append(fieldHTML);
}
});
$(wrapper).on('click', '.remove_button', function(e){
e.preventDefault();
$(this).parent('div').remove();
x--;
});
});
$(document).ready(function() {
$('.summer').summernote({
placeholder: 'Step 1'
});
});
</script>
</p>
</div>
I know I can grab all the submitted data by:
$fieldvals = $_REQUEST['field_name'];
foreach($fieldvals as $value){
// DO STUFF HERE
}
What would I use to actually place each step in "guide"?
Would I do something similar to:
$input[] = $value
$data = implode(',', $input)
INSERT INTO .....
I wouldn't be able to use a comma for the implode though, correct, as if one of the steps includes a comma, it would mess it up?
UPDATE
I received the following JSON output from a suggestion below. Not sure how to get this into the "guide" column?
["TEST STEP 1<\/p>",
"TEST STEP 2<\/p>",
"TEST STEP 3<\/p>"]
A:
Ello mate.
I think you should use json_encode($array) and json_decode($json, $true_or_false) instead implode($glue, $arr) and explode($delimiter, $str), the commas wouldn't mess the things up, as well as unicode characters, arrays or booleans.
//Example
$values =
[
'something' => 'something, something, something else',
'something_else' => 'something else',
'double_quotes' => 'something with double quotes "¿que pasa wey?"',
'chingadera' => "something with ' as apostrophe",
'coisa' => 'acentuação em ação na missão',
'taiwan' => '台灣',
'capital' =>
[
'brazil' =>
[
'pt_BR' => 'Brasília',
'zh_TW' => 'You dont know, neither do I'
],
'taiwan' =>
[
'zh_TW' => '台北',
'en_GB' => 'Taipei',
'pt_BR' => 'Taipé'
]
],
'bool' => true
];
$json = json_encode($values);
echo $json;
And now you got:
/*I've pretty printed the JSON for better readability, it will be an one line string*/
{
"something": "something, something, something else",
"something_else": "something else",
"double_quotes": "something with double quotes \"\u00bfque pasa wey?\"",
"chingadera": "something with ' as apostrophe",
"coisa": "acentua\u00e7\u00e3o em a\u00e7\u00e3o na miss\u00e3o",
"taiwan": "\u53f0\u7063",
"capital": {
"brazil": {
"pt_BR": "Bras\u00edlia",
"zh_TW": "You dont know, neither do I"
},
"taiwan": {
"zh_TW": "\u53f0\u5317",
"en_GB": "Taipei",
"pt_BR": "Taip\u00e9"
}
},
"bool": true
}
You can insert this string into your DB column.
Now its time to decode it
/*JSON to array
Pass true as the second arg on json_decode($json, $bool)*/
$array = json_decode($json, true); //you must pass true as the second arg
echo $array['chingadera']; //'something with \' as apostrophe'
echo $array['taiwan']; //'台灣'
echo $array['capital']['brazil']['pt_BR']; //'Brasília'
/*JSON to STDClass Object
Don't pass anything as the second arg*/
$object = json_decode($json);
echo $object->double_quotes; //'something with double quotes "¿que pasa wey?"'
echo $object->capital->taiwan->zh_TW; //'台北'
echo $object->bool; //1
You can pretty print your JSONS here
Make sure that your 'guide' column will support a good amount of characters
| 2024-07-14T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/1618 |
846 F.2d 1054
9 Employee Benefits Ca 2282
Loran W. ROBBINS, et al., Plaintiffs-Appellees,v.ADMIRAL MERCHANTS MOTOR FREIGHT, INC., Defendant-Appellant.
No. 87-1637.
United States Court of Appeals,Seventh Circuit.
Argued Nov. 2, 1987.Decided May 4, 1988.
Carl L. Taylor, Kirkland & Ellis, Washington, D.C., for defendant-appellant.
Karen I. Ward, Central States Law Dept., Chicago, Ill., Carol Connor Flowe, Pension Benefit Guar. Corp., Washington, D.C., for plaintiffs-appellees.
Before CUMMINGS, CUDAHY and KANNE, Circuit Judges.
KANNE, Circuit Judge.
1
The defendant, Admiral Merchants Motor Freight, Inc. ("Admiral") appeals the district court's grant of summary judgment in favor of the plaintiffs, the trustees of the Central States, Southeast and Southwest Areas Pension Fund ("Fund"). The Fund, a multiemployer pension fund as described in 29 U.S.C. Sec. 1002 (37)(A), brought this suit, pursuant to the Multiemployer Pension Plan Adjustment Act of 1980 ("MPPAA"), 29 U.S.C. Secs. 1381-1461, to collect withdrawal liability payments.1 On appeal, Admiral contends that P.L. 98-369, Sec. 558(a)(1), 29 U.S.C. Sec. 1381 note, which absolves employers of MPPAA liability if they ceased plan contributions before September 26, 1980, divested the district court of jurisdiction. Admiral claims that it withdrew from the plan before September 26, 1980. The Fund, however, places Admiral's withdrawal date on or about January 30, 1982.
2
We affirm the district court since Congress clearly intended all withdrawal liability disputes, including withdrawal date disputes, to be arbitrated. The consequence for failure to initiate arbitration is the immediate obligation to pay the sum demanded by the plan sponsor.
I.
3
A brief overview of the MPPAA's mechanics is necessary. Congress enacted the MPPAA to cure a recurring problem that arose when an employer ceased making payments to a pension plan fund. Specifically, when an employer ceased making payments, the plan would be left with vested pension obligations which were only partially funded. See, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. v. R.A. Gray & Co., 467 U.S. 717, 104 S.Ct. 2709, 81 L.Ed.2d 601 (1984); Flying Tiger Line v. Teamsters Pension Trust, 830 F.2d 1241 (3rd Cir.1987); I.A.M. Nat'l Pension Fund v. Clinton Engines Corp., 825 F.2d 415, 416 (D.C.Cir.1987); Warner-Lambert Co. v. United Retail & Wholesale Employees, 791 F.2d 283, 284 (3rd Cir.1986).
4
The MPPAA provides that an employer who withdraws from a pension plan covered by its provisions becomes liable for a fixed amount designed to cover the employees' share of the vested, but unfunded, benefits.
5
Robbins v. B and B Lines, 830 F.2d 648, 649 (7th Cir.1987).
6
29 U.S.C. Sec. 1401(a)(1) mandates the procedure to be employed when resolving disputes arising under the MPPAA. In pertinent part, it reads:
7
Any dispute between an employer and the plan sponsor of a multiemployer plan concerning a determination made under sections 4201 through 4219 [29 U.S.C. Secs. 1381-1399] shall be resolved through arbitration.
8
Failure to initiate arbitration has a simple result--the amount demanded by the pension plan sponsor becomes due and owing. 29 U.S.C. Sec. 1401(b)(1) provides:
9
If no arbitration proceeding has been initiated pursuant to subsection (a), the amounts demanded by the plan sponsor under section 4219(b)(1) [29 U.S.C. Sec. 1399(b)(1) ] shall be due and owing on the schedule set forth by the plan sponsor. The plan sponsor may bring an action in a State or Federal court of competent jurisdiction for collection.
10
Courts interpreting Sec. 1401(a)(1) have been consistent in their conclusions. "Any dispute over withdrawal liability as determined under the enumerated statutory provisions shall be arbitrated." Clinton Engines, 825 F.2d at 417; Teamsters Pension Trust Fund v. Allyn Transportation Co., 832 F.2d 502, 504 (9th Cir.1987); Robbins v. B and B Lines, 830 F.2d 648, 649 (7th Cir.1987). The arbitration requirement is not viewed as a jurisdictional prerequisite but rather as an administrative remedy exhaustion requirement. Clinton Engines, 825 F.2d at 417; I.A.M. v. Stockton TRI Industries, 727 F.2d 1204, 1207 (D.C.Cir.1984). " 'Arbitrate first' is indeed a rule Congress stated unequivocally." Grand Union Co. v. Food Employers Labor Relations Association, 808 F.2d 66, 70 (D.C.Cir.1987); Clinton Engines, 825 F.2d at 417.
11
The resounding message is that arbitration is the preferred method for resolving pension plan disputes and that failure to arbitrate will have adverse consequences. With this in mind, we now address the parties' arguments.
II.
12
The crux of Admiral's appeal is that Admiral is not subject to the jurisdiction of the MPPAA's arbitration requirements since P.L. 98-369, Sec. 558(a)(1), 29 U.S.C. Sec. 1381 note2 relieves an employer of withdrawal liability if the employer withdrew from the plan before September 26, 1980. Admiral claims to be such an employer. Thus, Admiral argues that the district court was without subject matter jurisdiction to order withdrawal liability payments. Further, Admiral argues, the withdrawal date dispute represents an issue of material fact (material to the issue of jurisdiction). Both of these arguments assume that a withdrawal date dispute is sufficient to remove a subsequent collection suit from the district court's subject matter jurisdiction. However, we hold today that this assumption is incorrect.3
13
Judge Norgle correctly concluded that Admiral's arguments went to the merits of the dispute and not to the court's jurisdiction over the matter.4 The court ruled that "the date of withdrawal issue has nothing to do with the subject matter jurisdiction of federal courts."
14
Admiral's contentions are a mere smokescreen. Very simply, Sec. 1401(a)(1) requires arbitration of any dispute regarding a determination made under Secs. 1381-1399.5 Admiral disputes the Fund's determination of its withdrawal date, claiming that P.L. 98-369, Sec. 558(a)(1) Sec. 1381 note operates to void its withdrawal liability because it withdrew prior to September 26, 1980. Admiral disputes the Fund's determination under P.L. 98-369, Sec. 558(a)(1), Sec. 1381 note thus, placing it squarely within the arbitration requirements of Sec. 1401(a)(1). This dispute should have been arbitrated. Accord, Allyn Transportation, 832 F.2d at 505-506; Clinton Engines, 825 F.2d at 419; Marvin Hayes Lines v. Central States, 814 F.2d 297, 300 (6th Cir.1987); Warner-Lambert, 791 F.2d at 287; Woodward Sand Co. v. Western Conf. of Teamsters, 789 F.2d 691, 695-96 (9th Cir.1986). Admiral failed to initiate arbitration. Section 1401(b)(1) mandates that where arbitration was not initiated under subsection (a), the amounts demanded by the Fund become due and owing on the schedule set forth by the Fund. B and B Lines, 830 F.2d at 649.
15
The result is harsh but Admiral cannot claim to have been unaware of the ramification of its failure to comply with the statute. "In short, arbitration reigns supreme under the MPPAA. And the consequences of failing to arbitrate pursuant to section 1401(a)(1), 29 U.S.C. Sec. 1401(a)(1), '[a]ny dispute concerning a determination made under sections 1381 through 1399' are clearly enunciated by the statute." Clinton Engines, 825 F.2d at 422. In order to ensure the stability of pension funds, Congress enacted a "pay now, dispute later" scheme. Robbins v. Pepsi-Cola Metropolitan Bottling Co., 800 F.2d 641, 642 (7th Cir.1986). Accord, Flying Tiger, 830 F.2d at 1244.
III.
16
The district court was correct in treating Admiral's argument as one on the merits and not as a jurisdictional argument. The dispute over the withdrawal date was clearly subject to the MPPAA's mandatory arbitration provisions. Admiral failed to comply with this requirement and must now literally pay the price. Accordingly, the district court's judgment is AFFIRMED.
1
The MPPAA amended the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 ("ERISA"), 29 U.S.C. Secs. 1001-1368
2
P.L. 98-369, Sec. 558(a)(1), 29 U.S.C. Sec. 1381 note reads:
(a) In general. (1) Liability. Any withdrawal liability incurred by an employer pursuant to part 1 of subtitle E of title IV of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. Sec. 1381 et seq.) as a result of the complete or partial withdrawal of such employer from a multiemployer plan before September 26, 1980, shall be void.
3
"Sham" withdrawal date arguments are not a valid defense to a subsequent collection suit since this allegation "begs the question whether there was, in fact, a permanent cessation on that date." Warner-Lambert, 791 F.2d at 287
4
Judge Norgle adopted the report and recommendation of Magistrate W. Thomas Rosemond, Jr. on the plaintiff's motion for summary judgment
5
It should be noted that Admiral's briefs submitted in this case fail to make reference to Sec. 1401(a)(1)
| 2023-12-02T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/5468 |
/*
Copyright 2015 The Kubernetes Authors All rights reserved.
Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
You may obtain a copy of the License at
http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
limitations under the License.
*/
package apiserver
import (
"net/http"
)
// Offers additional functionality over ServeMux, for ex: supports listing registered paths.
type MuxHelper struct {
Mux Mux
RegisteredPaths []string
}
func (m *MuxHelper) Handle(path string, handler http.Handler) {
m.RegisteredPaths = append(m.RegisteredPaths, path)
m.Mux.Handle(path, handler)
}
func (m *MuxHelper) HandleFunc(path string, handler func(http.ResponseWriter, *http.Request)) {
m.RegisteredPaths = append(m.RegisteredPaths, path)
m.Mux.HandleFunc(path, handler)
}
| 2023-09-04T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/1275 |
Why Bar Hopping Beats Medication For Social Anxiety Symptoms
OK, might be I proceeded to go a little too a lot to be able concept, but provide just a next to go into detail and you will probably fully grasp. A psychologist who is skilled in intellectual conduct remedy as soon as gave a spiel through which she detailed the most powerful methods for beating societal panic. Particularly she identified are nevertheless among the declare-of-the-skill strategies for struggling sociable anxiousness symptoms. She learned particularly though examining together with some specialists on social anxiousness in Great Britain.
Just about the most efficient methods that was utilised necessitates the re-direction of emotional focus from oneself to people around you. Right here what previously worked around in the uk. The panic experts would lightly coach their socially anxious homework players before sending them to a pub. The study inquired the analysis subjects to speak to a few people in the pub while recognizing certain qualities of the people they talked to.
So, one example is, anyone might be informed that they may need to remember that the color of eyes of the individual we were holding conversing with along with the amount of strengthOrexhaustion the person revealed of their deal with and the entire body language. We can also need to give you a thorough outline of your other half is hair do about causing the club and coverage to they.
Why performed this work? How much does it do? Plainly gone to the technological info on the emotional factors concerned, this post would grow to be relatively boring before you got towards conclude. Therefore I minimize on to the chase preferably. You didn look for this Internet content to acquire learn more of internal ideas and neurological composition associated with sociable panic. You’ve always wondered where to start and how to practice it. And so the basic reply about why this operates is usually that the exploration themes minds were chaotic focusing on and examining anyone these were speaking to inside the tavern, which foliage a lesser amount of thought living space for self analysis and associated do-it-yourself-consciousness that raises panic.
In other words, your brain can only hold its center on so many issues at the same time, considering crowd out your emotional functions that underlie the usual fast escalation of public stress and anxiety worries throughout a discussion that has a unknown person, the stress is a much smaller opposing forces you must handle. Plus the finest point about this style of moving remedy is it may get the eyes off the floor and on the peer of the other, which increases an optimistic interconnection and reduces the stress and anxiety you come to feel so when they get connected to somebody (with the exposure result).
The reason stop-stress medicinal drugs can’t contest with the effectiveness of this kind of technique is the fact that anti-anxiety medication affects mental performance over a world wide level as opposed to a trouble-particular levels. We are able to numb your brain stress and anxiety reaction by disturbing the fight or flight effect using a try out-blocker medication. Or, we are able to numb serotonin levels by having a lot more GABA natural chemical through the use of among the list of minor tranquilizers. These methods get some worth, even so the result resembles employing a sledgehammer to penetrate your doorway as a substitute of your dwelling critical.
The strategy I explained in this article is among several that was disclosed through the thorough subconscious analysis on the amount works and what doesn help increasing sociable nervousness warning signs. So, in case you are some of the most people that has been the unlucky sorry victim with the societal nervousness pitfall, remember to put on quit with hoping a medication or two. Deal with the stress and anxiety with everything else you got. Continue reading, understanding, and implementing new practices and you’ll get over cultural nervousness and too much shyness. | 2024-02-25T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/9335 |
Q:
Using Global Variables
I know this question has been asked a million times because I have done some research and have found many threads on this. I have tried to use the answers in those threads but I am having a bit of trouble.
I am looking to set a few variables that I can use across all of my activities.
I created a GlobalVariables.java class which looks like the following (the value in there is just for testing purposes as of now):
import android.app.Application;
public class GlobalVariables extends Application {
int holeAmount;
public int getHoles(){
return holeAmount;
}
public void setHoles(String s){
holeAmount = 30;
}
}
in my main activity where everything is happening I have the following:
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.main);
GlobalVariables global = ((GlobalVariables)getApplicationContext());
int totalHoles = global.getHoles();
and on the "GlobalVariables global = ..." line I am getting the following error:
Multiple markers at this line
- GlobalVariables cannot be resolved
to a type
- GlobalVariables cannot be resolved
to a type
I tried to follow the instructions here but clearly I am doing something incorrectly. > How to declare global variables in Android?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
SECOND ATTEMPT:
EasyPar.java (Errors @ EasyParHelperActivity)
package com.movi.easypar;
import java.text.DateFormat;
import java.util.Date;
import android.app.Activity;
import android.app.AlertDialog;
import android.content.DialogInterface;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.database.Cursor;
import android.graphics.PixelFormat;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.Menu;
import android.view.MenuInflater;
import android.view.MenuItem;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.View.OnClickListener;
import android.view.Window;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.ScrollView;
import android.widget.TextView;
import android.widget.Toast;
public class EasyPar extends Activity implements OnClickListener {
@Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.main);
(initialize all my buttons and textviews)
}
public void someMethod() {
EasyParHelperActivity.helper.setHoles(30);
int holes = EasyParHelperActivity.helper.getHoles();
}
(the rest of my button functions, etc.)
EasyParHelperActivity (No Errors)
package com.movi.easypar;
import android.app.Application;
public class EasyParHelperActivity extends Application {
public static EasyParHelper helper = new EasyParHelper();
}
EasyParHelper.java (No Errors)
package com.movi.easypar;
public class EasyParHelper {
private int holeAmount = 0;
public int getHoles() {
return holeAmount;
}
public void setHoles(int holes) {
holeAmount = holes;
}
}
All i want is for the user to be able to click a button "18" or "9" on the first screen, and for the application to be able to use that value other times throughout whatever it does. So I need to set it in screen 1, and in screen 2 i need to retrieve that value.
A:
Create a 'helper' class as follows...
package com.my.application
public class MyAppHelper {
private int holeAmount = 0;
public int getHoles() {
return holeAmount;
}
public void setHoles(int holes) {
holeAmount = holes;
}
}
Then for your Application class do the following...
package com.my.application
public class MyApplication extends Application {
public static MyAppHelper helper = new MyAppHelper();
}
To get access to the get/set methods in the helper you can simply call...
package com.my.application
public class MyActivity extends Activity {
// Normal onCreate(...) etc here
public void someMethod() {
MyApplication.helper.setHoles(30);
int holes = MyApplication.helper.getHoles();
}
}
| 2024-06-19T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/6275 |
Albany Prize winner honored with Nobel
For 2nd time this week, honoree a dual winner, this time in chemistry
Staff and wire reports
Published
10:07 pm EDT, Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Dr. Robert Lefkowitz, right, of Duke University, arrives at his office at Duke to congratulations on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012, the day Lefkowitz heard he had won the 2012 Nobel Prize in chemistry. Lefkowitz and Brian Kobilka of Stanford University School of Medicine won the Nobel Prize in chemistry Wednesday for studies of protein receptors that let body cells sense and respond to outside signals like danger or the flavor of food. Such studies are key for developing better drugs. (AP Photo//Ted Richardson) less
Dr. Robert Lefkowitz, right, of Duke University, arrives at his office at Duke to congratulations on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012, the day Lefkowitz heard he had won the 2012 Nobel Prize in chemistry. Lefkowitz and ... more
Photo: Ted Richardson
Photo: Ted Richardson
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Dr. Robert Lefkowitz, right, of Duke University, arrives at his office at Duke to congratulations on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012, the day Lefkowitz heard he had won the 2012 Nobel Prize in chemistry. Lefkowitz and Brian Kobilka of Stanford University School of Medicine won the Nobel Prize in chemistry Wednesday for studies of protein receptors that let body cells sense and respond to outside signals like danger or the flavor of food. Such studies are key for developing better drugs. (AP Photo//Ted Richardson) less
Dr. Robert Lefkowitz, right, of Duke University, arrives at his office at Duke to congratulations on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012, the day Lefkowitz heard he had won the 2012 Nobel Prize in chemistry. Lefkowitz and ... more
Photo: Ted Richardson
Albany Prize winner honored with Nobel
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STOCKHOLM — For the second time this week, an Albany Prize winner was honored with a Nobel Prize. On Wednesday, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences named Brian Kobilka and Dr. Robert Lefkowitz, who received the Albany Prize in 2007, the winners of the Nobel Prize in chemistry for their studies of protein receptors that let body cells sense and respond to outside signals like danger or the flavor of food.
The prize committee said the pair made groundbreaking discoveries, mainly in the 1980s, on an important family of receptors known as G-protein-coupled receptors. About half of all medications act on these receptors, including beta blockers and antihistamines, so learning about them will help scientists create better drugs.
Earlier this week, stem-cell pioneer Dr. Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University in Japan was named one of two winners of this year's Nobel Prize in medicine. Yamanaka won the Albany Prize last year.
The $500,000 Albany Prize is the largest award in medicine and science in the United States. In total, 21 researchers have been recipients of the award since its inception in 2001.
"We are proud to be among those who have honored Dr. Lefkowitz for his transformational work, and we join in celebrating his well-deserved honors," said James J. Barba, president and CEO of Albany Medical Center and chairman of the Albany Prize National Selection Committee. "His work has had profound impact on the development of new medications for so many people."
The human body has about 1,000 kinds of the protein receptors discovered by Lefkowitz and Kobilka. The structures sit on the surface of cells and allow the body to respond to a wide variety of chemical signals, like adrenaline. Some receptors are in the nose, tongue and eyes, and let us sense smells, tastes and light.
"They work as a gateway to the cell," Lefkowitz told a news conference in Stockholm by phone. "As a result they are crucial ... to regulate almost every known physiological process with humans."
Lefkowitz said he was fast asleep when the Nobel committee called, but he didn't hear it because he was wearing earplugs. So his wife picked up the phone.
"She said, 'There's a call here for you from Stockholm,' " Lefkowitz told The Associated Press. "I knew they ain't calling to find out what the weather is like in Durham today."
He said he didn't have an "inkling" that he was being considered. "Initially, I expected I'd have this huge burst of excitement. But I didn't. I was comfortably numb," Lefkowitz said.
Kobilka said he found out about 2:30 a.m., after the Nobel committee called his home twice. He said he didn't get to the phone the first time, but that when he picked up the second time, he spoke to five members of the committee.
"They passed the phone around and congratulated me," Kobilka told AP. "I guess they do that so you actually believe them. When one person calls you, it can be a joke, but when five people with convincing Swedish accents call you, then it isn't a joke."
He said he would put his half of the 8 million kronor ($1.2 million) award toward retirement or "pass it on to my kids."
The academy said it was long a mystery how cells interact with their environment and adapt to new situations, such as when they react to adrenaline by increasing blood pressure and making the heart beat faster.
Scientists suspected that cell surfaces had some type of receptor for hormones.
Using radioactivity, Lefkowitz managed to unveil receptors including the receptor for adrenaline, and started to understand how it works. Kobilka and his team realized that there is a whole family of receptors that look alike — a family that is now called G-protein-coupled receptors.
In 2011, Kobilka achieved another breakthrough when his team captured an image of the receptor for adrenaline at the moment when it is activated by a hormone and sends a signal into the cell. The academy called the image "a molecular masterpiece."
"They both have made great contributions to our understanding of health and disease," Shakhashiri said. "This is going to help us a great deal to develop new pharmaceuticals, new medicines for combating disease."
Drugs such as beta blockers, antihistamines and various psychiatric medicines have been around for some time, but before Lefkowitz and Kobilka's discoveries, their impact on the human body wasn't fully understood, said Sven Lidin, chairman of the prize committee. | 2023-09-11T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/5389 |
Q:
Add row and column name to square grid feature in ArcGIS
I have a square grid feature class of 250 x 250 tiles. This will serve as a tile index for a a project. They currently have no identifying attributes other than a unique ID. I need to add a field to rename them by their row and column, e.g. "R001_C001" or something.
Is there a way to do this easily? I'm okay with python.
A:
Assuming that your grid is regular you can do this without any programming as a multi-stage attribute field calculation process.
Create X and Y columns and populate them with the coordinates of the centroid of each polygon cell.
Calculate the coordinate offset from the first column for X and first row for Y (remember that we're dealing with centroids here (i.e. not the actual origin of the grid), but you can get the coordinate by manually querying the appropriate cell's attributes. You can store this as another pair of fields, you just need to decide whether you want your rows and columns to start upper left or lower left and adjust the calculation of offset accordingly.
Divide the offsets by your cell size (be careful of floating point issues (I'd probably convert to integer probably when I calculate the offsets). You could do this in one go with 2 and save adding too many fields.
And that's it! You now should have two fields one with your column number and one with your row number. You could create another field and concatenate the two fields as a string in the form you quote in your question but you can also use the two fields as an ID.
If you want, you can now delete the temporary fields you calculated as intermediary steps. This will save data bloat.
A:
based on the fact that the tiles created by fishnet are ordered, here is a quick solution (without using the coordinates) and directly using a single line field calculator.
'C' + str((!OID!-1)/number_of_columns).rjust(3, '0') + '_R' + str((!OID!-1)%number_of_columns).rjust(3, '0')
note : in my case, OID starts at 1 (gdb). In your case, number_of_columns is obviously 250.
| 2024-03-20T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/4336 |
I am in receipt of a copy of your letter of May 13, 2014, addressed to John F. Estill, Mason County Attorney. That letter is reproduced on this page.
While I cannot answer for Mr. Estill (he answers very well for himself), for the Mason County Fiscal Court, the Planning and Zoning Commission or the citizens of Mason County – either in favor of or opposed to wind energy in our area – I can speak for myself.
I find the tone of your letter to be contentious and condescending.
I congratulate NextEra on its success in the wind energy field and appreciate your sharing with us the leadership role NextEra has played in the spread of clean energy generation.
The fact that NextEra has spent the better part of four years and considerable resources analyzing the possibility of a wind energy project in Mason County is evidence of your commitment to researching carefully and with due diligence the viability of such a project.
I hope you understand our community has been on a similar journey: studying, investigating and weighing the consequences such a project would have on our economy, our infrastructure and our quality of life.
While you can reduce your calculations to a profit and loss spreadsheet, our determinations involve much more of the human element.
I also appreciate your forecasts of the dollars and jobs that may have come to Mason County had your project been realized. Those jobs and those tax dollars are desperately needed in our area, and certainly would have been a consideration had our community been given an opportunity to fully discuss the pros and cons of wind energy.
Where you lose me, is in your attack on HB 291, legislation regulating the wind energy industry in the Commonwealth, and your subsequent jabs at “certain public officials” who “conceived, encouraged and sponsored” the legislation. Although you named no names, I am going to assume that your reference was to State Representative Mike Denham, some members of the Mason County Fiscal Court and perhaps members of the Maysville-Mason County Joint Planning Commission.
You attribute their support of HB 291 to pressure from “a very vocal group opposed to wind-generated power in the County.”
You may be correct. Indeed, Rep. Denham and members of the Mason County Fiscal Court reacted to the concerns of their constituents. They listened to folks who had signed leases for turbines on their property and support wind energy development here, and they listened to neighbors who would have turbine generators near their homes and farms.
Simply put: that is their job.
As to the various requirements in HB 291 – including requirements that you disclose certain facts about your project in a public hearing early in the process – the bill was fully vetted in committee and in both houses of the General Assembly. The bill passed on a vote of 38-0 in the Senate and 90-0 in the House. The fact that our esteemed representatives in Frankfort can hardly agree on the time of day would suggest that a slam dunk in both houses reflects a clear intention of our Commonwealth to regulate the wind energy industry in Kentucky.
If you believe the legislation was unfair or overly restrictive, we assume you had an opportunity to say so prior to these lopsided votes.
In fact, there was virtually no law in the state of Kentucky which covered wind turbine construction prior to HB 291, and such projects could not be controlled at the local level. We understand the concept of commercially sensitive and proprietary information on this and other projects, and we understand NextEra’s desire to maintain a certain amount of secrecy. But when companies such as NextEra and Duke Energy come into an area and begin signing landowners to lease contracts and bind those landowners to secrecy clauses, you set the stage for Sunshine Laws such as HB 291 that require public hearings and demand certain information be shared.
Two separate projects in Mason and Fleming Counties have pitted neighbor against neighbor and have challenged all of us to consider the property rights of an individual versus the rights of neighbors to be safe and secure in their homes and to maintain their quality of life in the face of a changing world.
That argument is fundamental to the concept of planning and zoning, and to the ability of a community to set parameters on the acceptable ways an area develops.
Those neighbors – many of them friends for generations – will move past this controversy. Heated rhetoric on both sides will cool, and friendships will be patched.
As to the Planning and Zoning Commission, you may be getting ahead of yourself in predicting what that body of distinguished Mason Countians may or may not have done.
I’ve been at this game a good long time and find such predictions are difficult to make at best and often embarrassing in hindsight.
Like the P&Z commission, this newspaper had not taken a stand on the NextEra project or on the Duke Energy project. We were content to listen carefully to arguments on both sides, gather information and wait for a time when an informed and carefully considered opinion could be offered to our readers.
As it stands, there is no project (at least no project of which we are aware) currently under active consideration in the area.
We appreciate your statement that a reconsideration of the provisions of HB 291, and a more pro-wind stance on the part of officials in Mason County could cause you to revisit your decision to cancel the project.
As in any relationship, there is a get to know one-another stage. Perhaps, like many couples, the more we have learned about each other, the less interested we have become in forming a more permanent bond.
Wind energy development may be right for mountaintops in West Virginia or the windswept plains of the upper Midwest. That does not mean it is right in every location.
This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.
The copyright of this article is owned by the author or publisher indicated. Its availability here constitutes a "fair use" as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law as well as in similar "fair dealing" exceptions of the copyright laws of other nations, as part of National Wind Watch's noncommercial effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information. For more information, click here. Send takedown inquiry or request to excerpt to query/wind-watch.org. Send general inquiries and comments to query/wind-watch.org. | 2023-08-25T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/6815 |
299 U.S. 393 (1937)
W.P. BROWN & SONS LUMBER CO. ET AL.
v.
LOUISVILLE & NASHVILLE RAILROAD CO. ET AL.
No. 100.
Supreme Court of United States.
Argued December 8, 1936.
Decided January 4, 1937.
CERTIORARI TO THE CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT.
*394 Mr. J.V. Norman for petitioners.
Mr. Elmer A. Smith, with whom Mr. J. Blakey Helm was on the brief, for respondents.
MR. JUSTICE BRANDEIS delivered the opinion of the Court.
W.P. Brown & Sons Lumber Co. and other shippers brought in the Interstate Commerce Commission a complaint under § 16 of the Interstate Commerce Act, seeking reparation for alleged overcharges on shipments of lumber and other forest products taking lumber rates. They were awarded damages in the proceedings known as Wausau Southern Lumber Co. v. Alabama Great Southern R. Co., 142 I.C.C. 521; 182 I.C.C. 731. The Louisville & Nashville Railroad and some other carriers refused to comply with the order. Then this suit was brought in the federal court for western Kentucky to recover the amounts awarded against them. The case was heard on demurrers to the amended petition and to certain paragraphs of the amended answer. The demurrer to the petition was sustained, and that to the answer overruled, on the ground that the award was founded upon an erroneous construction of the so-called "Jones" or "Combination Rule" in the tariffs. The parties declining to plead further, judgment was entered dismissing the petition, 7 F. Supp. 593. *395 That judgment was affirmed by the Circuit Court of Appeals, 82 F. (2d) 94. We granted certiorari because of conflict with the decision of the Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia in Baltimore & Ohio R. Co. v. Domestic Hardwoods, Inc., 62 App. D.C. 142; 65 F. (2d) 488.
The shipments involved were from points in the South and Southwest to points North. For such shipments there have long been commonly available over connecting lines more than one, and often many, through routes from each point of origin to destination. The Interstate Commerce Act does not require that the rates on all routes shall be the same. Nor does it require that there be on each route a joint through rate. Sometimes, none of the tariffs for the several available routes specifies a joint through rate. Where no joint rate is specified, the tariffs for the through routes commonly provide that the through rate shall be the sum of the local rates of the several carriers contributing to the movement.[1] In 1918, the Director General of Railroads made, by General Order No. 28, a percentage increase of lumber rates in southern territory, limited to 5 cents per 100 pounds. Thus, a joint through rate could not be increased more than 5 cents. But when the lumber moved on a combination through rate, the 5-cent limit was applied to each factor in the combination. The result was that on combination through routes the increase was often doubled, or tripled. To avoid such a result, the so-called "Jones" *396 or "Combination Rule" was devised in February, 1919. Ever since, it has been commonly incorporated in tariffs.[2]
The question for decision is whether the "Combination Rule" applies to the shipments here involved. If it does not, there is no cause of action. If it does, the award was correct. The rule provides:
"Where no published through rates are in effect from point of origin to destination on lumber . . ., carloads, and two or more commodity rate factors . . . are used in arriving at the through rate for a continuous rail shipment thereof, such through rate will be arrived at in the following manner: . . ." [Then follows a formula.]
When applied to the combination rate specified in the tariff, the formula effects a reduction thereof. While the combination rate itself is ordinarily, if not always, higher than the joint through rate, the effect of applying to it the Combination Rule would not necessarily produce equality in rates on the several routes. It might make the combination through rate lower than the published joint through rate. This is true as to many of the shipments here involved. The amended answer gave an example: Laurel, Mississippi, is a typical lumber shipping point; and Columbus, Ohio, a typical destination. The published through joint rate from Laurel to Columbus, applying via each of the several originating carriers at that point, was 43 cents per 100 pounds. A combination *397 rate for the movement over other routes, unaffected by the Combination Rule, was 43 1/2 cents. If the combination rate were subjected to the Combination Rule, the rate over the combination route would be 40 1/2 cents. Thus the combination rate would be much less than the published joint through rate.
Each of these shipments here involved might have been made over a route for which a joint through rate from point of origin to destination had been published. Instead, the shipment was made over a route for which the rate specified in the tariff was a combination rate. In some instances the route had been designated by the shipper.[3] The carriers exacted the full combination rate. The shippers made reclamation, on the ground that the Combination Rule applies in every case where no joint through rate has been published over the route selected for the movement. The Commission sustained the shippers' claim.
First. The rule declares that the prescribed formula is to be applied "where no published through rates are in effect from point of origin to destination." The language used is not technical. The meaning of the words is clear. There is no ambiguity. The construction of these railroad tariffs presents, therefore, a question of law, not differing in character from those presented when the construction of any other document is in dispute. Great Northern Ry. Co. v. Merchants Elevator Co., 259 U.S. 285, 291. As, in each instance, there was available some through route from point of origin to destination for *398 which joint through rates had been published, the rule, by its terms, has no application. We so hold despite the construction given to the rule by the Commission.
Second. The shippers contend that the construction given to the rule by the Commission is conclusive, because preliminary resort to the Commission was necessary. Texas & Pacific Ry. Co. v. American Tie & Timber Co., 234 U.S. 138; Loomis v. Lehigh Valley R. Co., 240 U.S. 43; Northern Pacific Ry. Co. v. Solum, 247 U.S. 477. They argue that such preliminary resort was necessary, since the interpretation and application of the rule involved (a) the exercise of sound administrative discretion as to technical and intricate matters of tariff application and the relation of tariffs one to another; (b) the reasonableness of a practice of routing as between higher and lower-rated routes, and (c) uniformity in the application of rates, which is the paramount purpose of the Interstate Commerce Act. But the argument is not sound. To determine whether the rule was applicable to the several shipments does not call for, or indeed permit, the consideration of any of these matters. The simple question for decision, as to each shipment, is whether there existed "published through rates" "in effect from point of origin to destination." The determination of that question requires ordinarily merely the examination of the tariffs.[4] The enquiry would, in all respects, be like that commonly made by courts when called upon to construe and apply any other document. This is not a case like Standard Oil Co. (Indiana) v. United States, 283 U.S. 235, 238, 239, where there was required "consideration of matters of fact and the application of expert knowledge for the ascertainment of the technical meaning of the words and a correct *399 appreciation of a variety of incidents affecting their use." Here, the shippers might have brought their action at law without resort to the Commission.
Third. The shippers urge that the carriers are estopped from contesting the interpretation given by the Commission to the Combination Rule, because in Cancellation Rule for Constructing Combination Rates on Lumber, 81 I.C.C. 745, decided by Division 3 in August, 1923, and affirmed on reargument before the full Commission December 2, 1924, in 93 I.C.C. 614, the carriers vainly sought to have the rule modified so as to overcome the construction given by the Commission. The denial of their application left them remediless by administrative action; but that action in no way prejudiced their right to insist in the courts upon the construction of the rule for which they had contended.
Fourth. The shippers urge that the interpretation given by the Commission should be followed by the Court, because it embodies the settled administrative construction acquiesced in by carriers and shippers. It is true that the Commission has repeatedly declared its adherence to the construction for which the shippers contend. Many carriers acquiesced in that construction, in part possibly, because they preferred to take the lesser amount rather than risk losing the traffic. But the cases cited show that other carriers protested vigorously; and their protests have been persistent.[5]
*400 Fifth. The shippers urge, in support of the Commission's construction, that if application of the Combination Rule is denied, many existing routes, although remaining legally open, will be commercially closed, (compare Virginian Ry. Co. v. United States, 272 U.S. 658, 661), because the combination rates, if not reduced by the Combination Rule would be prohibitively high. Such considerations have no place here, where the sole question for decision is whether there exists a joint through rate over some route between the point of origin and destination. If the route to which alone the joint through rate applies is deemed inadequate, there is ample power in the Commission to establish by proceedings under Paragraph 3 of § 15 of the Act other through routes with joint rates.[6] Likewise, if the rates on the combination routes are deemed excessive, or discriminatory, there is ample power in the Commission, under other provisions of the Act, to reduce the rates.
Affirmed.
MR. JUSTICE STONE took no part in the consideration or decision of this case.
NOTES
[1] Section 6, (1) of the Interstate Commerce Act provides: "If no joint rate over the through route has been established, the several [connecting] carriers in such through route shall file, print, and keep open to public inspection as aforesaid, the separately established rates, fares, and charges applied to the through transportation." Concerning through rates, see St. Louis Southwestern Ry. Co. v. United States, 245 U.S. 136, 139, 140, note 2.
[2] B.T. Jones' Tariff 228, I.C.C.U.S. 1, § 4. In Wausau-Southern Lumber Co. v. Alabama Great Southern R. Co., 142 I.C.C. 521, 524, the Commission states: "The combination rule was originally published by the director general about seven months after the issuance of General Order No. 28, as an emergency tariff provision to avoid a double increase on certain commodities moving on combination rates, the separate factors of which had been increased by specific amounts. Shortly after the general increase of 1920 the rule was amended substantially to reflect the increases then authorized. It was subsequently further amended to reflect the general reduction of 1922, and is still in effect."
[3] In some instances the claim rests upon a charge of misrouting. That is, the route not having been designated by the shipper, it was the duty of the initial carrier to select the route over which the rate was lowest. Compare Northern Pacific Ry. Co. v. Solum, 247 U.S. 477, 482. The carrier did not fail in that duty unless the Combination Rule applied. That is, there was no misrouting if the Commission's construction was erroneous.
[4] Compare Hohenberg v. Louisville & Nashville R. Co., 46 F. (2d) 952, 955; Wheelock v. Walsh Fire Clay Products Co., 60 F. (2d) 415, 418; Hygrade Food Products Corp. v. Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific R. Co., 85 F. (2d) 113, 116.
[5] Compare Cancellation Rule for Constructing Combination Rates on Lumber, 81 I.C.C. 745; 93 I.C.C. 614; McGowin-Foshee Lumber Co. v. A., F. & G. Ry. Co., 95 I.C.C. 451; Moore-Marshall Lumber Co. v. New Orleans & Northeastern R. Co., 112 I.C.C. 33; M.H. Gunther & Co. v. Louisville & Nashville R. Co., 112 I.C.C. 387; Milne Lumber Co. v. New York Central R. Co., 152 I.C.C. 65; Held v. Cleveland, C., C. & St. L. Ry. Co., 161 I.C.C. 413; Edward Eiler Lumber Co. v. Missouri Pacific R. Co., 161 I.C.C. 415; Domestic Hardwoods, Inc. v. Baltimore & Ohio R. Co., 168 I.C.C. 753; Brabston v. Louisville & Nashville R. Co., 176 I.C.C. 421.
[6] The rule had little application until 1920 when large rate increases were authorized by Ex parte 74, 58 I.C.C. 220.
| 2024-03-16T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/3630 |
Nephron sparing surgery in a tertiary care center in Nepal--an initial experience.
Malignant renal mass accounts for 2 to 3% of all malignant diseases in adults. Radical surgery used to be the treatment of choice with high propensity to develop chronic kidney disease in the compromised contralateral kidney. Currently, nephron sparing surgery is considered to be the standard of care with equivalent oncological outcome. This was a retrospective chart review of patients with renal mass less than seven cm in size who had open nephron sparing surgery from July 2012 to Sep 2013 at Tribhuvan university teaching hospital, Nepal. Latest follow up either from record or over telephone was documented. Eight patients (mean age 45 years, male: female ratio1:1.6) underwent nephron sparing surgery over the specified period. Mean size of tumor was 4.75 cm. Mean ischemia time was 16.37 min. Histopathological diagnosis was benign in two and renal cell carcinoma in six patients. Nephron sparing surgery is safe in low stage renal tumors. It also prevents unnecessary nephrectomy in benign lesions and prevents negative sequelae of long term chronic renal impairment in remaining contralateral kidney. | 2023-09-09T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/1635 |
"""
多重继承
- 菱形继承(钻石继承)
- C3算法(替代DFS的算法)
Version: 0.1
Author: 骆昊
Date: 2018-03-12
"""
class A(object):
def foo(self):
print('foo of A')
class B(A):
pass
class C(A):
def foo(self):
print('foo fo C')
class D(B, C):
pass
class E(D):
def foo(self):
print('foo in E')
super().foo()
super(B, self).foo()
super(C, self).foo()
if __name__ == '__main__':
d = D()
d.foo()
e = E()
e.foo()
| 2024-06-23T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/6959 |
Q:
Non-uniform circular motion, computing the angle
There is an object moving in circle, with this law:
$$ \alpha = -k^2 \theta $$
With $ \alpha = \frac{ d \omega }{dt} $, and $ \omega= \frac{d \theta}{dt} $, $\theta$ = angle, $k$ positive constant.
I need to compute $ \theta $ in function of time. My attempt:
$$ \frac{d^2 \theta}{dt^2} = -k \theta $$
$$ \frac{d^2 \theta}{\theta} = -k^2 dt^2 $$
$$ \int_{\theta_0}^{\theta} {\frac{d^2 \theta}{\theta}} = - \int{k^2 dt^2} $$
$$ \ln\Big(\frac{\theta}{\theta_0}\Big) d\theta = -k^2 t \cdot dt$$
So I try to get the solution computing:
$$ \int_{\theta_0}^{\theta} \ln\Big(\frac{\theta}{\theta_0}\Big) d\theta = -\int k^2 t \cdot dt $$
But it's wrong, the solution is $\theta = \theta_0 \sin \big( kt + \phi \big) $.
A:
The equation is a second-order linear differential equation; in standard form,
$$\frac{\mathrm{d}^2 \theta(t)}{\mathrm{d}t^2} + k^2\theta = 0$$
For the case of constant coefficients, one must simply propose the ansatz $\theta(t)=e^{Rt}$, where $R$ is a constant. Plugging into the differential equation yields,
$$e^{Rt}(R^2+k^2) = 0$$
This is only the case when $R^2+k^2=0$, which has solutions $R=\pm i k$. Using Euler's formula, we can express the two solutions of the differential equation as,
$$\theta_1 = \cos(kt) + i\sin(kt), \, \, \, \, \theta_2 = \cos(kt) - i\sin(kt)$$
However, recall the superposition principle applies to this differential equation, and hence any linear combination of these solutions is also a solution. We construct the following new solutions:
$$\Theta_1 = \frac{1}{2}(\theta_1 + \theta_2) = \cos(kt)$$
$$\Theta_2 = \frac{1}{2i}(\theta_1-\theta_2) = \sin(kt)$$
We can once again combine these solutions, and introduce two arbitrary constants (determined by initial conditions) to propose the general solution,
$$\theta(t) = c_1 \cos(kt) + c_2\sin(kt)$$
The equation is well-known, and that of a classical harmonic oscillator. Any calculus text should offer a treatment of a second-order ODE with constant coefficients. See http://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/ for free online calculus resources. The free course http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/mathematics/18-03-differential-equations-spring-2010/ also offers a thorough introduction to differential equations.
| 2024-01-27T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/7588 |
Production and secretion of human interleukin 6 into the periplasm of Escherichia coli: efficient processing of N-terminal variants of hIL6 by the E. coli signal peptidase.
We have developed a system for expressing human interleukin 6 into the periplasmic space of Escherichia coli. The method is based on the expression of the hIL6 gene under the control of the regulatory signals of plasmid pINIII-OMPA3, i.e., lpp-lac promoter and the E. coli OMPA ribosome binding site and leader sequence. Since microheterogeneity is known to occur in the amino end of the cytokine, we tested different 'natural' versions of the protein, and we found that the secretion process was only efficient when the N-terminal amino acid was not proline. In flask experiments this procedure yields about 8-10 mg of biologically active hIL6 per liter. | 2024-01-03T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/8256 |
USE [CSETWeb]
GO
/****** Object: StoredProcedure [dbo].[GetAreasData] Script Date: 11/14/2018 3:57:31 PM ******/
SET ANSI_NULLS ON
GO
SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER ON
GO
-- =============================================
-- Author: hansbk
-- Create date: 7/9/2018
-- Description: Areas for next
-- =============================================
CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[GetAreasData]
@Assessment_Id int,
@applicationMode varchar(100) = null
AS
BEGIN
SET NOCOUNT ON;
if((@applicationMode is null) or (@applicationMode = ''))
exec dbo.GetApplicationModeDefault @Assessment_Id, @ApplicationMode output
if(@Assessment_Id is null)
begin
declare @ghq varchar(150)
set @ghq = 'Access Control'
select [Assessment_id]=0,Question_Group_Heading=@ghq, AreasPercent= 0.200000000, Assessment_Date=GETDATE()
union
select [Assessment_id]=0,Question_Group_Heading='Account Management',AreasPercent= 0.200000000, Assessment_Date=GETDATE()
end
if(@ApplicationMode = 'Questions Based')
begin
select [Assessment_Id],[question_group_heading], answer_text,count(answer_text) ac into #TempStats2 from Answer_Questions join
(SELECT q.[Question_Id],h.[Question_Group_Heading],[Universal_Sal_Level],s.[Set_Name]
FROM NEW_QUESTION q
join NEW_QUESTION_SETS s on q.Question_Id=s.Question_Id
join vQuestion_Headings h on q.Heading_Pair_Id=h.heading_pair_Id
join (select distinct [Set_Name] from available_standards where selected = 1 and Assessment_Id=@Assessment_Id) a on s.Set_Name=a.Set_Name) main
on answer_questions.question_or_requirement_id = main.Question_Id
group by [assessment_id],[question_group_heading],[Answer_Text]
--YesCount + AlternateCount, TotalCount - NaCount
select b.[assessment_id], b.question_group_heading, i.Assessment_Date,
(isnull(cast(ynalt as decimal),0)/cast(total as decimal))*100 as AreasPercent from(
select question_group_heading, sum(ac) as ynalt from #TempStats2
where answer_text in ('Y','A') and Assessment_Id = @Assessment_Id
group by question_group_heading) a right join
(select question_group_heading, sum(ac) as total from #TempStats2
where answer_text not in ('NA') and Assessment_Id = @Assessment_Id
group by question_group_heading) b on a.Question_Group_Heading = b.question_group_heading
join INFORMATION i on b.assessment_id = i.id
end
else --- this is either framework or requirement
begin
select [question_group_heading], answer_text,count(answer_text) ac into #TempStats from Answer_Requirements join
(SELECT q.[Requirement_Id],[Question_Group_Heading],s.[Set_Name]
FROM NEW_REQUIREMENT q join REQUIREMENT_SETS s on q.Requirement_Id=s.Requirement_Id
join QUESTION_GROUP_HEADING qgh on q.Question_Group_Heading_Id = qgh.Question_Group_Heading_Id
join (select distinct [Set_Name] from available_standards where selected = 1) a on s.Set_Name=a.Set_Name) main on answer_Requirements.question_or_requirement_id = main.requirement_id
where answer_requirements.assessment_id = @Assessment_Id
group by [question_group_heading],[Answer_Text]
--YesCount + AlternateCount, TotalCount - NaCount
select b.question_group_heading,i.Assessment_Date,
(isnull(cast(ynalt as decimal),0)/cast(total as decimal))*100 as AreasPercent from(
select question_group_heading, sum(ac) as ynalt from #Tempstats
where answer_text in ('Y','A') and assessment_id = @Assessment_Id
group by question_group_heading) a right join
(select question_group_heading, sum(ac) as total from #TempStats
where answer_text not in ('NA')
group by question_group_heading) b on a.Question_Group_Heading = b.question_group_heading
join INFORMATION i on b.assessment_Id = i.Id
end
END
GO
| 2023-09-10T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/8468 |
Q:
Cannot initiate active class to a particular li of the main nav
<ul id="mainMenu" class="main-nav">
<li class="nav-menu-dropdown-company active"><a class="company- btn" href="/company">Company</a>
<li><a href="/features">Features</a></li>
<li><a href="/try-now.php#demorequestform">Pricing</a></li>
<li><a href="/contact-us">Contact</a></li>
</ul>
$current_url = $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'];
<script type="text/javascript">
$(document).ready(function(){
currentPageLink = '<?=$current_url?>';
$(".main-nav li").each(function(){
var listLink = $(this).children('a').attr("href");
$(this).removeClass('active');
if(currentPageLink == listLink){
$(this).addClass('active');
}
})
});
Just need to figure out how to append the class active to the the pricing page. Rest of the links stays active when clicked but pricing does no.tHave looked thru nearly every answer on Stack, but could not find answer to my problem. Thanks in advance.
A:
$(document).ready(function(){
var path = "/"+location.pathname;
path = "/"+'try-now.php#demorequestform'; // this shall be deleted later !
$('a').each(function(index, element) {
console.log($(element).attr("href"));
console.log(path);
if($(element).attr("href") == path)
{
$(element).parent().addClass("active");
}else{
$(element).parent().removeClass("active");
}
});
});
<style>
.active {
color:red;
background:green;
}
</style>
<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/2.1.1/jquery.min.js"></script>
<ul id="mainMenu" class="main-nav">
<li class="nav-menu-dropdown-company active"><a class="company- btn" href="/company">Company</a>
<li><a href="/features">Features</a></li>
<li><a href="/try-now.php#demorequestform">Pricing</a></li>
<li><a href="/contact-us">Contact</a></li>
</ul>
i think this will be you solution as for path for test I make it contact run time path is correct above just delete path ="/contact-us"
Update : Add Parent to element to make li the final target
try to print in console the pathname
var path = "/"+location.pathname;
consloe.log(path);
to understand what is the problem
still you can catch #demorequestform
if(window.location.hash.substr(1); =="demorequestform" ) {
// make li active
} else {
// Fragment doesn't exist
}
| 2023-12-10T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/9419 |
The T had warned that fewer trips and longer commutes would be the new normal until at least Labor Day, as repairs are made to the bungalows that house equipment to remotely control signals and switches were damaged when the third car of a Red Line train went off the tracks June 11 at an above-ground stop near the JFK/UMass station. | 2023-10-12T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/4075 |
The role of MHC and non-MHC antigens in the rejection of intracerebral allogeneic neural grafts.
Embryonic DA retinal allografts that have survived for prolonged periods after having been transplanted into the brains of neonatal BN rats can be induced to reject following peripheral sensitization with a DA skin graft. The results show that histocompatibility antigens play the major role in the rejection of grafts placed in the CNS and that a disparity between the retinal and skin grafts for MHC antigens induces a more severe rejection response than does a non-MHC antigen disparity. | 2023-09-16T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/5432 |
KDs are designed/developed/inspired/mused/auto-suggested/indigested to make folks think; an especially uncommon experience among Democrats, Republicans, and jingoistic mainline denominationalists who continue to discourage dissent with their ever-threatening thought police.
Pages
Saturday, August 28, 2010
We'll get behind the insult to the one true God of the Hebrew Bible and New Testament with a wink to the Asheroth Pole planned to be planted next to Ground Zero as soon as Muslims get behind building a Christian chapel in spitting distance of those holy pebbles in Mecca.
Parenthetically, are you as fascinated as moi to hear mostly mainliners so ready to help plant the pole as they malign Christians who still look up, stand up, speak up, and act up for the God of the Hebrew Bible and New Testament who ain't no Persian sun god with a prophet whose personal example is barbaric at best?
Back to the pole and chapel, the deal will never happen because Islam isn't exactly an irenic paradigm of cooperation, coexistence, and fraternity.
Psst.
I didn't mention sorority; because, psst, you know the place of women in mosqueland.
@#$%
While studying in Germany as Nixon was about to be shown the door - We can only hope history repeats itself! - Dr. Wolfgang Lowe put me in a better place after I'd acted like an especially obnoxious egghead, "Unfortunately, Herr Kopp, we are not all omniscient."
The sarcasm stung to save.
Anyway, I'll never forget trying to suck up to him for better grades; quoting Marx extensively because he was one of those Christian-Marxists that have dominated the weltanschauung of the World Council of Churches for so long.
Salting again, he snapped, "Listen, Herr Kopp, I know you are a Christian who plans to be a pastor; so if you don't stop trying to ingratiate yourself with me by parroting what you don't believe, I will never know when to believe you and I can't trust anyone who pretends to be who they're not."
Now - and this is especially for you so-called Christians who spend more time criticizing Christians than... - go back to the third sentence of the preceding section.
@#$%
Heartland Presbytery comes to mind.
I served a wonderful church in that presbytery until my ego caught up with me and I resumed the climb to the top of the ecclesiastical ladder of success to discover it was leaning against the wrong building as preface to a much-deserved crash and burn.
Well, you've probably heard that their second biggest church - probably biggest when it comes to, uh, real members who know who He really is and act like it - has cut the cord and left our stinking denomination for another stinking denomination.
As Gump says, "It happens."
And as expected, the Gestapo, uh, the standing administrative commission of Heartless, as it's known by its former and continuing evangelical members, has threatened to seize assets, properties, and remove ordinations.
Parenthetically, a former member of the presbytery who fled to another franchise, confided, "Bob, they visited our session and said, 'We don't care what you believe. Just send the per capita to us and do what you want.'"
Writing about this particular chapter in the presbytery's increasingly sad history, a KCMO lawyer wrote, "For Heartland, the organization is the focus. They could care less about Biblical peace, unity, and purity. Heartland keeps throwing grenades at people who just want the church to be the church as our constitution still states. That's why some have already left and others will follow..."
Using Heartland as an example of Pharisaical yeast, a denominational executive confessed, "Our denomination is making it very difficult for folks to focus only on Christ and Him crucified. There are so many side issues. There are so many non-essentials of the faith. We keep majoring in the minors. I'm tired, too. I understand why pastors and churches don't want to fight anymore and just leave. We are in deep kimchee."
A former member of the church: "I think there was always an under-current of feeling that we'd have to leave sooner or later. It motivated them to not get too deeply into debt...and try to structure finances and properties in a way that would prevent seizure by the presbytery. Only time will tell...CPC has always knew it was swimming against the tide; especially after they called that snake to be...CPC was increasingly threatened, harassed, and hindered by him and his cohorts. I support their move."
Now everybody gather around the campfire to sing, "We are one in the..."
@#$%
The longest serving pastor of that church was a very close covenant brother who went home to Jesus not too long ago.
He shared my reasons for remaining faithfully (scroll down to last two editions).
Speaking of yeast (go back to the 8th sentence of the preceding section), I'll never forget sitting in that presbytery's Nominating Committee and suggesting my friend be, uh, nominated for moderator of the presbytery.
The EP went ballistic; challenging (euphemism) my friend's loyalty to the franchise.
Parenthetically, he never ever once encouraged/enabled anyone who wanted to split from the franchise and remained loyal to Jesus within the franchise until he went home to Jesus.
I asked for a recess to talk to my, uh, self-anointed bishop in the backroom (his office).
Pointing to a blue coffee cup sporting the new seal of the franchise, he started, "See that cup. That's me. I'm true blue for the PCUSA."
I responded, "I thought our first loyalty is supposed to be to Jesus."
He cast a cold stare at me.
I continued, "Here's the deal. I'm going back into that meeting and nominating Ted. If you succeed in poop-canning him, I will make a minority report to the presbytery, nominate him, and tell everybody what you said about him."
Ted was nominated and elected moderator; and served with distinction punctuated by passion for Biblical peace, unity, and purity as upheld by our constitution.
The EP hated me from that moment on, black-balled me on a few occasions, and planted the seeds or spread the yeast that established the dysfunction, dissonance, and defiance of Biblical Christianity as upheld by our constitution that has built the presbytery's renown over recent years.
@#$%
I've said it before and I'll say it again because some folks don't get it.
While I sympathize with folks who separate to be faithful, I believe it is faithful to remain for reasons previously stated - Scroll down! - and to pray and labor to reconcile through Jesus even with folks - gulp and gasp - like the EP who hated Ted and especially me and made the church's exit inevitable.
I may be wrong but I sense a parallel with Beck's trip to DC this weekend.
He wants to "restore honor" to America according to previously treasured principles taken from the Hebrew Bible and New Testament.
Cool.
Yeah, there will be some real nuts cracking around him; just like the nuts who will be cracking around Al down the street.
So what?
At least both are trying to sting America and stir it up before it's too late and it, like the mainline denominations, goes down the crapper.
Of course, while millions assemble with Beck, the MSM will probably dedicate its newsreporting to the five people from PETA who are gathering in Beloit, Wisconsin to boycott Alpo.
Geez.
Again, in his retort to a mainliner who criticized his methods of evangelism, Moody said, "I prefer the way I do it to the way you don't do it."
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Echo: "What good fellowship we enjoyed as we walked together to the house of God."
Distances seemed narrowed by common concerns, confessions, and credentials; yet not even Christ's holy communion could cure the inevitable chasm.
What never commenced cannot be undone.
Echo: "It is not an enemy who taunts me. I could bear that. It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me. I could have hidden from them. Instead, it is you, my equal, my companion and close friend."
It bothers me.
I mourn.
Echo: "How I weep for you, my brother...Oh, how much I loved you! And your love for me was deep, deeper than the love of women!"
It bothers You; mocking the intentions sealed by Your blood.
Sacramentally meant to unite has been tainted by divide; and faith's integrity and witness fall together.
Echo: "I am praying not only for these disciples. but also for all who will ever believe in Me because of their testimony. My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as You and I are one, Father - that just as You are in Me and I am in You, so they will be in us, and the world will believe You sent Me."
Images in the mirror confuse; re-imagining You for us and us for You.
Judgments must be reserved for...
Echo: "Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged."
Thank You, Lord, for being the friend who never denies, rejects, or runs away from us.
You love in spite of and not because of; overlooking what we damn in others.
Echo: "I command you to love each other in the same way that I love you. And here is how to measure it. The greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends. You are my friends if you obey Me."
We seemed so alike; starting so long ago and ending so abruptly.
We were friends; or so I thought.
@#$%
@#$%
Separation, segregation, sectarianism, and schism do not honor Him.
They testify to the dedication's insult in The Master Christian: "Dedicated to all who quarrel in the name of Christ!"
Some who pretend friendship with Him and His from the pseudo-security of their ecclesiastical ghettoes - for clubs must yield to Kingdom - forget their defiance; prompting an observation - the 7th reason for why I stay in while praying not of the mainline (scroll down to the 8/20 edition) - of those who separate unfaithfully or remain unfaithfully: "They did not understand the interrogatives of membership/ordination demanding declaratives or lied because it was the convenient thing to do at the time to get in or changed their minds and lack the integrity to demit."
Some people go through life wearing masks to conceal who they aren't.
@#$%
@#$%
BBPBHO comes to mind.
Surely, by now, all but the comatose know he is not a patriot, Christian, Muslim, or...
He has no principles to perceive; leading with two feet planted firmly in the air and saying nothing about everything eloquently.
His constant campaign is election for an agenda scarcely revealed.
I think of an ecclesiastical bureaucrat who was described thusly: "He is not conservative. He is not liberal. He doesn't believe anything."
I'm also reminded of a funny told by the last great president of my alma mater: "He said, 'I don't know who I am or what I believe or where I'm going.' A friend comforted, 'Don't worry! Mainline denominations are going through the same thing.'"
Given what we've seen for too long over such a short period of time, I hope he has no clue.
Friday, August 20, 2010
I like working in my church study on Friday afternoons because the other offices are closed, the doors are locked, and I can pray, read, write, and other stuff interrupted every thirty seconds or so on the other days.
Today, somebody left one of the doors unlocked - not an uncommon occurrence as I'm prone to note: "Hey, if you need a key to our church, just ask the next person who walks by on the street!" - and a salesman found his way to me.
Finally, he asked, "Is that your Harley in the parking lot? I'm shocked that a pastor would have one; especially at your age!"
I responded, "Well, the hearse that I drive most of the week is in for repairs and the church board votes next month on firing me because I believe people who hate the Yankees are socialists and my wife thinks I'm really Peter Pan and..."
Parenthetically, I'm reminded of a Christian author who reads KD and sells more books than even Ricky and Joel, though he hasn't bitten on my hints for him to help get my book on biker culture as metaphor/challenge to the church in print, who reviewed moi thusly: "Like the tone! One of my friends, a name you would recognize, says he's been urged to put on his business card: 'Bible Scholar and Professional Smart Ass!'"
O.K., I get it.
Anyway, it got me to thinking about mainliners again...like, uh, me.
Why do I remain in the mainline when it's gone to the sideline of American religious culture?
Besides, that guy's inane question/comment only mirrors the inane stuff dominating the dockets of most mainline churches; or as I said to a group of believers studying Psalms over coffee on Thursday morning, "Geez! Rome is burning to the ground and churches are still fretting about _____ (fill in the blank with your favorite incidental keeping churches from what's important)!"
Why do I stay in a mainline denomination that's as relevant as old #4 to the Packers?
@#$%
Here's why:
1. Hans Evans. He was pastor for many years of the Coatesville Presbyterian Church in, uh, Coatesville, Pennsylvania; and just before dying back in the late 70s, he said to me, "I know you're discouraged and even embarrassed by our denomination's direction. But remember two things. The difference between coal and diamonds is pressure. And if you've ever wanted to be a missionary, stay in our denomination. It's the best mission field open to us today."
2. Why leave one stinking denomination for another stinking denomination? It's true. None of 'em are perfect. As soon as you get closer to another one, you can start smelling the... Anyone who denies that doesn't need acid to trip. That's why I say, "I know our stink! I don't feel like smelling somebody else's. And because I know our stink, I know who needs the deodorant!"
3. Leaving the denomination is kinda like saying, "Go to hell!" Yeah, that's where it's headed; but as Paul told Timothy, "God wants everybody to be saved!" It's a John 3:16-17 thing. If people who love Jesus as attested in Holy Scripture and upheld by our constitution exit from their increasingly apostate mainline churches, the sheep will be increasingly defenseless against the...
4. Personally, I feel a debt to mine. It introduced me to Jesus, paid for my education, and stuck with me when I stunk more than I stink now.
5. We're supposed to be salt and light! People who abandon the mainliners forget Bonhoeffer's insight: "To follow Jesus, Luther had to leave the monastery and go out into the world!" Mainline denominations are as worldly as they come! Go back to #1.
6. John 17. Read it! Live it! It was His last prayer. He really meant it. Jesus doesn't give up on anyone. He doesn't run away from anyone. He'd just die to keep loving us. And as you recall - O.K., if you're a mainliner, you don't because it's in the Bible! - loving Jesus is loving like Jesus and loving like Jesus is, uh, dang, crap, gulp, unconditional.
7. I don't really have a 7th reason; but ever since reading the Bible, 6 just seems to carry so much baggage that...
@#$%
It's Friday afternoon.
Finally, the salesman left - unconvinced that I can't write checks, buy, sell, or even...
Now I have time to think about, uh, a really important thing.
Why did I play so well with my favorite Special Olympics golf champion this morning?
Was it because I'm still savoring that really, really, really awesome spiritual adventure a few weeks ago (scroll down to the 8/16 edition for more on that)?
Was it because I've gone back to my old equipment that always worked so well but was shelved because I, uh, bought into that lie that you can buy a better game?
Was it because my favorite Special Olympics golf champion brings out the best in me on the course because he's not as...?
Not sure.
But I think there's a connection between all of this and why I really can't/won't leave/abandon/forsake...
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
We beg mercy for America and the remnant who still look up, stand up, speak up, and act up for You as personified in Jesus and prescribed in the Hebrew Bible and New Testament; asking Your forgiveness betrayed on the cross for national leaders who forget there are no gods before You and You will not be mocked by an Asheroth Pole on sacred soil.
Your Word is clear, convicting, and conclusive.
The healing of America requires returning to You as one nation under You through Jesus in whose Name we pray.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Part of hyper-Calvinism's obsession with total depravity is knowing there's an instinct in too many folks who almost gush with glee when bad things happen to others.
Those deep and dark places that most folks loathe to admit account for people who prefer professional daredevils to crash rather than conquer.
There's that demonic oppression that makes too many folks feel good about the bad that happens to others.
Or that may...
@#$%
While bikers know the greatest threats to their safety are cagers and posers who trailer their ponies to rallies and cut 'em off with gusto almost equal to the cagers, lots of folks still living in la-la land think it's the ride rather than idiots behind four-or-more wheeled cages that pose peril.
I thought about that on 8/8 as I was about to mount my mule for Sturgis.
It was raining...hard.
Parenthetically, I'm an original member of Rainmakers MC; thusly named because it rains sometime whenever we ride!
Anyway, a friend warned, "Don't you think God is maybe telling you not to go?"
Another friend cautioned, "I know you wear a helmet when it rains; but you better wear one throughout the trip or something bad could happen to you!"
We went.
I didn't.
Freedom is being who God made you to be as opposed to what others want you to be to satisfy their control needs; noting being free from/through/for God will never inhibit another's freedom to be who God made them to be because no one is any more nor any less important to Him than...
Or something like that.
@#$%
@#$%
Everything is incidental to the ride...even the sites/sights.
While everyone's ride is unique to her/him, mine is dominated by intimacy with God; moving into the apostle's urging of ceaseless prayer.
And that's not just when we're riding in the rain or navigating those switchbacks in Custer State Park!
Personally/prejudicially, I don't get those who trailer 'em to the rally; which was reinforced by a perky babe on a big hog who covered her luggage in canvas with bold lettering: "Nice Trailer Pussy!"
Of course, hanging around the church for so long has prepared me for posers of all kinds.
Christianity is about Jesus; unless you're posing.
Riding to freedom is not about trailering; unless you're posing.
@#$%
It's gonna take a while to unpack this one.
Overwhelmed by the authentic patriotism and community complementing the sites/sights, it was still the ride that mattered most.
I was asked if I plan to go...
I like John Eldredge's response (Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul): "In the heart of every man is a desperate desire for a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue...Now - is Jesus more like Mother Teresa or William Wallace?...If you're a Pharisee, one of those self-appointed doctrine police...watch out! On more than one occasion, Jesus 'picks a fight' with those notorious hypocrites...And when Christ returns, He is at the head of a dreadful company, mounted on a white horse, with a double-edged sword...Now that sounds a lot more like William Wallace than...After living in a cage, a lion no longer believes it is a lion...and a man no longer believes he is a man...Braveheart has it, 'All men die, few men ever really live!'...You cannot teach a boy to use his strength by stripping him of it...If you want a safer, quieter animal, there's an easy solution: castrate him...The history of a man's relationship with God is the story of how God calls him out, takes him on a journey..."
Yes!
I plan to go again and again and...because it's part of my manhood.
And I plan to guide others on the journey because that's what real men do for others to help 'em move from posing to authenticity.
Again, Eldredge: "I hope you're getting the picture by now. If a man does not find those things for which his heart is made, if he is never even invited to live for them from his deep heart, he will look for them in some other way...And so a man's heart, driven into the darker regions of the soul, denied the very things he most deeply desires, comes out in darker places."
That's why the authentic biker culture urges, "Ride to Freedom!"
For when you're riding to freedom as He designed, you're moving farther and farther and farther away from chains and...
Thursday, August 5, 2010
He won't speak to the Boy Scouts but makes time to get down with the babes on The View.
A politico in DC explained it/him to me: "It's the mid-terms and time to prepare for his campaign that never ends. He's just appealing to his base. He knows he appeals more to folks who watch The View than hang around Scouts."
Getting back to hanging around, the General Manager of Woodstock Harley-Davidson was on the radio version of KD live at 5 on 8/3 via www.bnnsradio.com.
Parenthetically, you can still hear the interview by clicking on www.bnnsradio.com, then clicking on KOPP DISCLOSURE, and then clicking on the show for 8/3.
Uh, parenthetically, uh, again, you won't want to miss next week's edition when the station's founder and manager turns the table on KD and gets him to fess up on everything from ministerial role-modeling to why mainline denominations are goin' down the crapper quicker than poop through a goose. Uh, redundantly, just go to www.bnnsradio.com next Tuesday (8/10) at 5:00 p.m.
Getting back to Woodstock, I asked Doug a question after an observation (go to the show for the exact wording via www.bnnsradio.com), "I've written a book on biker culture as metaphor and challenge to the church called I Just Wanna Ride (FTW) which is gonna make a lot of money for some publisher sooner or later; and I've always been overwhelmed by the fraternity/unity of bikers that overcomes their color, class, and culture distinctions. I mean the biker culture seems to overcome the kinds of segregations, separations, and sectarianisms that make the church look so hypocritical/silly/unconvincing. I mean you see bikers wearing Weejuns and button-downed Brooks Brothers shirts hanging out with 1%ers and some really funky folks. How do you explain that?"
He said, "They have a common bond in..."
Ouch.
Psst.
Isn't Jesus supposed to...?
@#$%
Got lots of mail about the last edition (scroll down to 7/27).
It seems folks are really excited/threatened by the "emerging" church; reminding me of my favorite nuns in Maryland who like to say, "If you're right, you don't need to argue. If you're wrong, you can't afford to."
While mainliners are like sentences ending in prepositions compared to emergings, a few comments were fun/faithful/insightful/inciteful.
A pastor in NJ who just found out that leaving one stinking denomination for another stinking denomination is as illogical as trying to be rational with the irrational: "Whether it's an emerging new thing or an old beast ready for transformation, the Book of Acts illustrates six principles for faithful churches: (1) Spirit-driven-truth-centered worship rather than obsessing about form or style; (2) Mentoring relationships; (3) Mission in the immediate community - one hour per day per member to make a real difference in the community; (4) 25% off the top of Sunday's offering for mission and sharing space with other Christians even if their forms or styles offend you as long as Jesus is Lord and the Bible is the manual; (5) Ditch elections for church officers and just appoint spiritual leaders who love Jesus and His truth; and (6) Discipline and stop enabling, couching, and protecting the wolves in the church."
A PR guy in California who worked for the last leader in the White House (RR): "Face it. Most pastors are music-stupid. They do not get it. Ear tickling with emerging music is pandering to the lowest common denominator. Rigid adherence to old hymns sung in a dead manner is fighting yesterday's music war. Try a little common sense! It's the content not form, stupid!"
A PCUSA seminarian in Pittsburgh: "The Christian Church in America is living in a confusing time...thrashing about in search of some way to avoid the throes of death that's approaching...Some say give up Biblical standards and embrace the culture...Some say adopt successful business practices...I prefer Jesus: 'I look to my Father in heaven and do what He does'...Churches that impact lives are churches that model Jesus."
An emerging church pastor in Illinois: "All we care about is life change. Identity not behavior modification. Religion cares about behavior modification. Emergents care about new identity cause we know behavior is birthed from identity...Let's break out of the cage! Look into the mirror and be honest!...All of us are becoming! All of us are moving from darkness to light!...Emergents are not afraid to embrace the raw truth of life. We are not looking for safe and sanitized Jesus. We desire the raw and dangerous journey of following the Lion of Judah wherever He leads!"
Another emerging church pastor in Illinois: "I love Eminem's journey. Check out this video...[next video in this edition]...It depicts the journey from darkness to light. Yeah, some old denominationalists who care more about their fake proprieties, sensitivities, and such will be offended by the language - which is another reason why you guys don't reach younger folks anymore - but don't miss the message because of your mental masturbations."
Whoa.
@#$%
@#$%
After passing the coach's test for Special Olympics, which included a pledge not to date Special Olympians, I caddied and coached for my favorite Special Olympian in a state sectional qualifier on Monday just outside of Chicago.
The whole scene reminded me of cultures like the one mentioned above that do such a better job than too many churches of reflecting the love of Jesus to invite, welcome, include, and love unconditionally.
My guy came in 3rd.
As we approached the last two holes, I said, "Billy, if we par out, we can do this."
He said, "Pastor Bob, it's O.K. There are more important things than winning."
Yep.
@#$%
I'm heading to Sturgis after the 3rd service on Sunday with three of our elders and a few, uh, hundred thousand whatevers.
I'll see good, bad, ugly, and a culture that overcomes segregations, separations, and sectarianisms a lot better than...
Just like I saw with Billy on Monday.
Just like Billy taught me as we approached the last two holes.
Do you ever wonder who's really challenged?
Do you ever wonder if Jesus would feel more comfortable at a...than a...?
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Trying to define an "emerging" church is like trying to define particular churches in mainline denominations; though Jim Belcher's Deep Church: A Third Way Beyond Emerging and Traditional is a good start.
They're all over the ideological/ecclesiastical/spiritual/theological spectrum; but have one thing in common: "My generation was not satisfied with how church was presently done...traditional and pragmatic churches have gotten it all wrong. These churches are no longer effective in reaching the culture...they don't create the kind of authentic community that attracts someone in this post-Christian environment."
Simply, a church is emerging to replace a church that ain't working anymore anyhow for anyone if it ever did.
Or something like that.
@#$%
It's the truth.
The old mainliners and newer sideliners are doing an awful job of reaching the proverbial lost and discipling the recently/continually found.
They're dying; primarily because they long for the way things never were or maybe were but are no more.
The gospel hasn't changed.
Praise the Lord!
The gospel's relevancy never changes.
Jesus saves!
He enables confident living in the assurance of eternal life.
Outstanding!
But the traditional/pragmatic/denominational packaging just doesn't attract much attention except from those who need more fiber.
With "traditional" liturgies punctuated by hymnbooks published in the 50s and "contemporary" services singing songs written over three decades ago, the absence of 20/30 somethings isn't shocking.
That's just the tip of the outhouse.
Younger folks want to be Christian and do Christianity more than have meetings about it.
The preceding may sound superficial; but it's a start in understanding why a new church is emerging.
@#$%
Let me put it another way.
Moody was criticized by a mainliner for how he did evangelism.
He responded: "I prefer the way I do it to the way you don't do it."
@#$%
Let me put it another way.
Except for a special friend who buys books for me to read as led by Him, I'm frustrated by folks/family who buy books for me to read because they've read 'em and think I've got all the time in the...
My wife bought John Kasich's Stand for Something: The Battle for America's Soul for me while on vacation.
If you have to ask why I placed it ahead of the other ten books that I brought along, I'll know you ain't married or just got divorced.
Anyway, he wrote, "If you see something happening that sets you off, rise up and do something about it...We can't change the world by relying on anybody else...It's on us. Remember, everyone is a shepherd to someone...Do the right thing. Leave this place a little better because you were here...If lighthouses moved with those shifting seas, think of the trouble they would cause for sailors navigating their ships in the middle of a foggy night...A lighthouse. The values we've learned...They don't move."
@#$%
Let me put it another way.
George McGovern just turned 88; and celebrated by taking his first parachute jump from a plane over the Kennedy Space Center.
When asked why he would do something so dangerous at his age, he explained, "Old guys don't want to be put on the shelf...It's no more dangerous than driving on the Interstate."
@#$%
Let me put it another way.
Duisburg, Germany hosted a music festival on 7/24/10 to celebrate love and peace.
18 people were killed and another 80 were injured after a deadly crush in an entry tunnel to the event with only one way in and out.
Apparently, authorities would not open other avenues/doors/exits for relieving the congestion.
@#$%
Let me put it another way.
It looks like a mosque is gonna be built near the site of the 9/11/01 mass murder by...
Please spare me of the rationalizing platitudes.
Two words come to mind for why another site is preferable: common sense.
@#$%
Getting back to my friend who is an emerging church pastor, I asked which way he leans when it comes to theology.
He snapped, "Dude, I'm just trying to follow Jesus as He appears in the Bible."
It brought to mind an old friend who commented on my franchise's recent obsession with human sexuality.
He said, "It's not about sexuality. It's about the place of the Bible as authority or suggestion."
That's the difference between mainliners, sideliners, and emergings.
Mainliners and sideliners spend so much time reading about Jesus from sources other than the Bible not to mention confusing Him with their mirror reflections that they...
Emergings, more than less no matter what the mainline/sideline critics pretend/spew to make themselves feel better about their increasing irrelevance juxtaposed to the increasing relevancy of emergings to more than 20/30 somethings, just open the Bible and...
@#$%
Back to Kasich, "I don't know about you, but I'm troubled by a lot of what I see and hear in America's heartland...some new scandal...Government officials on the take...Public school teachers on the prowl. Professional athletes on the juice. Organized religion on the decline. Traditional nuclear families on the wane..."
Oswald Chambers: "There is never anything abstract in the Bible, it is always vivid and real...Intellectual darkness comes through ignorance; spiritual darkness comes because of something I do not intend to obey."
My first, uh, meeting after vacation was with my friend who is an emerging church pastor.
I said, "We must model Someone better."
He said, "Go on!"
I said, "Obviously, our world, country, and traditional church of all flavors and franchises aren't working anymore. It's time to stop compromising on the Jesus of Holy Scripture and accommodating people who think Christianity is some navel-gazing religion."
He said, "I'm with ya, man!"
I said, "We don't need a different way to do church. We need to be the Church as personified by Jesus and prescribed in the Bible."
He said, "Right on, brother!"
I said, "If Christians don't offer something/Someone better than what's being offered by the world, country, and church, there's no hope for any of us."
He said, "Won't argue with that!"
I said, "We must model Someone better."
He said, "Cool! Let's do it!"
I said, "I'll bring it up at our next church board meeting."
He shook his head; and I understood why a church is emerging to replace...
@#$%
I'm not going anywhere.
I'm staying where I am because I love the people entrusted to me as His undershepherd.
And I love 'em enough to join hands/hearts with that emerging church pastor to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth as personified in Jesus and prescribed in Holy Scripture.
I love 'em enough to say what we've been doing ain't working anymore anyhow for anyone if it ever did.
I love 'em enough to be rejected in saying so.
I have decided to...
We must model Someone better!
For God's sake!
And for the sake of those who need Someone so much better than what we've been... | 2023-12-04T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/8730 |
Scanning probe devices, such as the atomic force microscope (“AFM”) have proven to be excellent tools for imaging a wide range of materials such as metals, semiconductors, minerals, polymers, and biomaterials. In an AFM, forces are measured by means of a cantilever that deflects when forces act on it. The deflection of the cantilever is sensed by a detection system, commonly by focusing an incident beam as a spot onto the cantilever and directing the reflected beam onto a segmented detector. Specialized AFMs called “force pullers” have been built for the purpose of pulling on molecules to determine the structure and dynamics of those molecules.
Since its introduction, the AFM and its cantilever sensor have become increasingly more advanced, measuring decreasingly smaller forces and utilizing decreasingly smaller cantilevers. This has introduced problems relating to the sensitivity of the instrument. There is a need to provide greater sensitivity to accommodate the smaller cantilevers and smaller forces that scientific investigators need to either measure samples or manipulate them. Similar detection techniques are also used to monitor the motion of the optical probes used in near-field scanning optical microscopes, scanning ion-conductance microscopes, and a variety of other scanning probe microscopes. The growing field of nanotechnology also provides ample motivation for the precision measurement of the position and/or motion of a wide variety of objects down to the nanometer scale and below.
The development of new small cantilevers with resonance frequencies two orders of magnitude higher than conventional cantilevers make the detection mechanism and the cantilever response much faster than necessary for conventional AFM systems. The speed of AFMs depends on the response time of the detection mechanism (cantilever and readout), the actuator (scanner), the feedback electronics and the piezo driver electronics. These components together form a feedback loop in which the performance of the overall system is affected by phase delays and resonances in any of these components. As the resonance frequencies of new, small cantilevers reach frequencies around 280 kHz even for a soft cantilever (0.006 N/m) in liquid, the new mechanical bandwidth is set by the scanner, and by the mechanical superstructure. Therefore, to further improve the capabilities of the AFM, special attention has to be given to the mechanical design of the scan and detection unit.
One of the main speed determining factors in an AFM system is the scanner, which is generally made with piezo crystals as the actuating components. In many commercially available systems piezo tubes are used to generate the displacement in x, y and z directions. The active part of the scanner consists of a tube made out of piezoelectric material segmented into different sections. Tube scanners use the principle of mechanical amplification to transform the small expansion of the piezos to a larger scan range. Scan ranges of commercial scanners can range from 0.6 μm to 100 μm. This principle reduces the need for large capacitance piezos and reduces the requirements on the amplifier. However, it also results in a weak mechanical structure and therefore a low mechanical resonance frequency (˜800 Hz). This is one of the primary speed limits of commercial tube scanners.
Another disadvantage of all kinds of piezos is their nonlinearity in operation. Piezos exhibit a large position hysteresis, up to 30%, with respect to the activating voltage. Piezos are also unstable in their position over time, changing its expansion even with a constant actuation voltage. These nonlinearities are a severe problem for the use of piezos as scanners for AFM as they distort the image, resulting in image drift and making it hard to find the same spot on the sample after zooming in. The hysteresis has to be accounted for either by a mathematical model to correct the actuation voltage or by controlling the actual piezo position in a closed loop feedback. Some commercial scanners model the piezo behavior, and changes in the actuating voltage are made by the controlling software. This approach has several disadvantages: scanner parameters have to be measured for each individual scanner, with up to thirty parameters needed to model the piezo sufficiently; the behavior of the piezo is dependent on the DC offset, scan range and scan frequency; and position creep is unaccounted for by the modeling.For the user of the AFM this results in: image warping (images are expanded in some directions and compressed in others); change of image center when zooming in or out; and image drift incorrectly measured sizes of the objects.However, this approach does not need any sensors and all the modeling can be done by the software and the digital signal processor.
The following references relate to the background of this invention: (1) C. F. Quate, et al., Atomic Force Microscope, Phys. Rev. Lett. 56 (1986) 930; (2) D. Rugar, et al. Atomic Force Microscopy, Phys. Today 43 (10) (1990) 23; (3) Atomic resolution with the atomic force microscope on conductors and nonconductors, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 6 (1988) 271; (4) G. Schitter, et al., Robust 2DOF-control of a piezoelectric tube scanner for high speed atomic force microscopy, Proceedings of the American Control Conference, Denver, Colo., Jun. 4-6, 2003, pp. 3720; (5) D. A. Walters, et al., Short Cantilevers for Atomic Force Microscopy, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 67 (1996) 3583; (6) M. B. Viani, et al., Small cantilevers for force spectroscopy of single molecules, J. Appl. Phys. 86 (4) (1999) 2258; (7) T. Ando, A high-speed atomic force microscope for studying biological macromolecules, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 98 (22) (2001) 12468; (8) Humphris, A D L, Hobbs, J K and Miles, M J, Ultrahigh-speed scanning near field optical microscopy capable of over 100 frames per second, Apl. Phys. Let. 2003, 83:6-8; (9) J. B. Thompson, et al., Assessing the quality of scanning probe microscope designs, Nanotechnology 12 (2001) 394; (10) T. E. Schaffer, et al., Characterization and optimization of the detection sensitivity of an atomic force microscope for small cantilevers, Journal of Applied Physics, (84), (No. 9) (2001), 4661; (11) T. E. Schaffer, et al., An atomic force microscope using small cantilevers, SPIE—The International Society for Optical Engineering, (3009) (1997) 48; (12) T. E. Schaffer, et al, Studies of vibrating atomic force microscope cantilevers in liquid, Journal of Applied Physics, (80) (No. 7) (1996) 3622. See also the following U.S. patents: U.S. Pat. No. 5,825,020—Atomic force microscope for generating a small incident beam spot, U.S. Pat. No. RE034489-Atomic force microscope with optional replaceable fluid cell, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,274—High resolution atomic force microscope. The foregoing publications and patents are all incorporated herein by reference. | 2023-10-13T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/6153 |
Google is reportedly developing wireless networks for sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia that would combine a technology well established for such purposes (TV White Spaces) with one that's a bit more exotic—balloons that transmit wireless signals.
The Wall Street Journal broke the story, reporting "the Internet search giant has worked on making special balloons or blimps, known as high-altitude platforms, to transmit signals to an area of hundreds of square miles." As we noted a week ago, Google reportedly "wants to connect people outside of major cities in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia through a combination of frequencies used for television broadcasting, special balloons or blimps transmitting on non-TV broadcast frequencies, and potentially through satellite transmissions."
Google itself is already delivering wireless Internet access to South Africa and other areas with TV White Spaces technology, so it makes sense to expand that effort. Satellite Internet is another technology well-suited to serve rural areas without strong wired Internet connections (despite latency problems).
So what about balloons? Is that for real or just another rumor based on unnamed sources that will never see the light of day? Google declined to say anything, noting to Ars that "we don't comment on rumor or speculation."
Speculation can be fun, though. Let's assume the Journal report is correct and try to figure out whether the scant details we have make any sense. Wireless consultant and engineer Steven Crowley told Ars that using balloons to distribute wireless Internet is certainly a possibility.
In fact, balloons are already used for various types of wireless communication. Some two decades ago, Crowley consulted for the US government, which was using balloon-based technology to transmit anti-Castro propaganda to Cuba through a US government-financed TV station called TV Marti.
After considering options such as flying an aircraft back and forth over the water or transmitting from a barge in international waters, the station went with an aerostat, a balloon tethered to the ground by a 10,000-foot cable, Crowley said.
"They'd feed up video and power on this cable and transmit to Cuba when the weather was good, which was most of the time," Crowley said. "At times they had to bring it down when weather was bad. I think that's true with all these systems. If you have inclement weather, depending on the design, you're going to have the wind blowing on the line or blowing on the balloon."
Balloon-based communications are often used today by the US military. A company called Space Data makes balloon-based repeater platforms for the US Air Force that "extend the range of standard-issue military two-way radios from 10 miles to over 400 miles." The balloons weigh 12 pounds or less and are designed for rapid deployment. Unlike the aerostat Crowley mentioned, this one isn't attached to the ground via a cable.
"Space Data’s military FM repeater technology is based on the simple concept of lifting wireless transceivers into the stratosphere (between 65,000 and 100,000 ft) using weather balloons technology," the company says. With transmit power of up to three watts and using frequencies of 225-375MHz, the technology can provide voice and data service to an area with a diameter of 400 miles. The balloon is controlled from a portable ground station. It can be tracked via GPS and has vent and ballast systems to control its altitude.
Balloon-based communications similarly are provided to the US Army for "encrypted communications for troops in the field." Beyond the military, a company called Oceus Networks was working with the Federal Communications Commission last year to demonstrate feasibility of high altitude balloons at "near-space altitude" to carry LTE signals to public safety responders in disaster areas. Oceus Network is also working with the Army to test LTE communications from tethered balloons much closer to Earth, just 650 meters from the ground.
Similar proposed models involve balloons tethered to the ground by a fiber optic cable connected to a base station.
From high altitudes, serving users from tens of miles away
For Google, Crowley thinks the most likely scenario is a cellular deployment using standard cellular frequencies and 3GPP2 specifications (rather than 4G) to take advantage of economies of scale from the wide deployment of older, cheaper handsets. "It depends on what the model is for handsets and devices, and getting these out to people," he said. "As LTE grows the device cost goes down and it becomes more practical to deploy."
With balloons rather than cellular towers, Crowley believes it would be more like a TV model where the transmitter can serve users 30 to 50 miles way. "From a high balloon, you're going to reach a little further beyond the Earth's curvature," he said.
The problem here would be more on the upload side rather than the download side. "You can receive a signal OK from that," he said. "The limit would be the uplink going back, how much power do you have from a small device going back and can you reach that? It's way up in the air. That helps. You get gain when you raise the height of the base station antenna, that makes it easier for the handset to reach."
Such a scenario would likely focus on delivering the most essential services, such as text messages, e-mail, and voice. "Even voice can be compressed to a very low level," Crowley said. "I don't think they're envisioning streaming Netflix or movies."
If balloons were used to distribute wireless signals, it would probably work best as a complement to other technologies, which is what it sounds like Google is envisioning with satellite and White Spaces networks. Google could provide both cellular connectivity and Wi-Fi-like systems. Wireless expert Peter Rysavy of Rysavy Research noted that he "can't comment on the feasibility of balloons," but told Ars that from an architecture standpoint "it makes sense for some scenarios to have base stations that have larger coverage areas than terrestrial systems, but smaller than satellite systems."
"The benefit I see is providing data service over a large coverage area, greater than you could with a White Space network," Rysavy continued. "The downside is that with such a large coverage area, you can’t offer that much bandwidth to each subscriber. For that reason, I don’t see it as that useful in the US except for rural areas."
Back in 1996, Wired wrote about how Sky Station International was planning to connect 80 percent of the world's population by 2004 from balloons 15 miles above the ground. Obviously, it didn't happen.
Crowley notes that while commercial wireless networks involving balloons have been considered in the US, when bean counters analyze the numbers the proposals tend to die. Even though you might need just one balloon where previously 10 cell towers were required, Crowley said companies doing the financial analyses have "reached the conclusion that for the US market at least, it's not practical."
Google may have motivations beyond finances, though. The company certainly does lots of charitable work. It has been working on improving connectivity in the US with Google Fiber and bringing the Internet to underserved populations overseas through White Spaces networks. So balloon-based networks might be an extension of Google's longstanding goal of bringing the Internet to as many people as possible, and it might help boost Android usage to boot.
As Crowley said, "maybe Google has another model for supporting this." | 2024-05-11T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/3498 |
Clinical transplantation of ex vivo expanded autologous limbal epithelial cells using a culture medium with human serum as single supplement: a retrospective case series.
Presently, our clinic is the only centre in Scandinavia that offers patients with corneal surface pathology including limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) transplantation of ex vivo expanded limbal epithelial cells (LECs). We here present clinical data of the first nine patients with LSCD who were transplanted with autologous LECs expanded in medium completely free of any animal-derived products and non-human/recombinant growth factors (including Cholera Toxin), and with autologous human serum as the only growth supplement. We conducted a noncomparative retrospective study of patients with LSCD at our centre between 2009 and 2011. The diagnosis was based on history and clinical signs. A biopsy was taken from healthy limbus, and the epithelium was expanded on amniotic membrane (AM) in medium containing autologous serum and subsequently transplanted to the affected eye. Successful outcome was defined as relief of pain and photophobia and/or improved best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and/or reestablishment of a stable corneal epithelium and regression of corneal vascularization. Five of the nine transplanted patients (55.6%) had an improvement in either subjective symptoms or objective findings (11- to 28-month follow-up). Our clinical study shows that patients with LSCD can be treated successfully with transplantation of LECs expanded ex vivo in a medium with autologous serum as the only growth supplement. The use of this novel culture system, which is devoid of animal-derived products and non-human/recombinant growth factors (including Cholera Toxin), reduces the risks of inter-species disease transmission and host immune responses to xenogenic proteins, both obvious advantages for the patient. | 2024-06-28T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/6296 |
Q:
Size of function in MSVC
Possible Duplicate:
Is there any way to get the size of a c function?
I need to determine the byte size of a c function at runtime. I am working with MSVC and I can use any technique that this compiler offers.
I know this question has been asked a lot, but I could only find people saying "no, its not possible". Still, maybe I have overseen a solution. If this is the case please point me.
A:
In general, it generates code the sane way, in the order in which functions appear in the source code. So the size is the address of the next function minus the address of the function.
There are however several ways in which that won't work out well. First is the incremental link option, you'll get a value of 5. Which is the size of a jmp instruction that jumps to the actual function. These jumps are what allow the linker to replace code without completely re-linking the image, it simply appends code and patches the jump address.
And there's the optimizer of course. You can't meaningfully talk about a function size anymore when it gets inlined. You'll need __declspec(noinline).
Can be done, test the heck out of it and thoroughly comment the code so nobody will insert a function some day. And if you are doing this to move code, be sure to remember that the compiler doesn't generate position-independent code and cannot patch relocations on that code.
A:
I think this should be possible. A little bit of how you proceed will depend on how accurate a result you need. If some possible inaccuracy is acceptable, my first choice would be SymEnumSymbols. You supply a call-back function that gets called for each symbol fitting the filter you specify. Your callback function will be given the name and a calculated (guessed) size for each symbol. When you get to the right symbol, you've got the size it guesses/calculates for your function (though beware: it can also say the size is 0, so you'll probably have to do some testing to get a good idea of how well it's likely to work for what you want).
A little testing indicates that this seems to be fairly accurate in the case of functions (I was a bit worried that this might be a case where it would return 0). Note that you do normally want to build with debug information to use this (exporting the function(s) you care about might be sufficient though).
Another possibility (though probably more complex) would be to use #pragma code_seg to put that function you care about in a section by itself with a unique section name, then walk the PE file to find that size of that section.
| 2024-05-14T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/4129 |
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We're not around right now. But you can send us an email and we'll get back to you, asap. | 2023-11-13T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/7784 |
How Green Is Your Landlord ?
Convincing landlords to invest in energy savings – when tenants reap the benefits – is difficult
by James Robinson
Wellington street images by Anna Lamotte
New Zealand is not a country known for its imposing cityscapes. Looking back over the Wellington skyline from Oriental Bay at night would probably seem quaint to those more intimately familiar with a city on the scale of Manhattan or Hong Kong. Globally, cities account for 75 percent of energy use, and about 80 percent of emissions. This figure sits below 50 percent in New Zealand.
New Zealand has an unusually high level of emissions from agriculture for a developed country, at half our total. As the heat goes on for emissions reductions, the buck starts with agriculture in New Zealand. New Zealand’s commercial real estate accounts for only nine percent of New Zealand’s energy use (compared to the United States of America, which uses 35 percent of its energy in commercial real estate). Stated like this, you can see that from a political standpoint in New Zealand, there are much bigger fish to fry.
Context, however, is vital.
To view the sector as a singular pie, you miss the sheer enormity of what you are breaking into decimals. The energy consumption of the commercial real estate sector in New Zealand could power over 1.1 million households. It is the equivalent to over 80 percent of our domestic power use. This energy could power the whole of Nelson, forty times over. We’re talking about 50,000 buildings and 48 million square metres of floor space.
This nine percent of our total energy use is still a remarkably big piece of pie.
Poking around inside this community, you can talk to people in the State Insurance Tower, where the archaic air-conditioner leaves one either freezing or sweating. Or look up at the Majestic Centre on your way home at 9pm to see all the lights still on – and chat with workers who suffer through futile audits of their wasteful water and energy use, only for nothing to ever change.
Even in a smaller corner of the market, there is room for massive improvement. 10 percent savings are attainable just by changing behavior, 20-30 percent savings are attainable with only moderate investment in improved infrastructure – with easily attainable collective nationwide gains of 300 million dollars. It seems like some easy work, with a nice payday at the end of it.
Take a walk down Willis St at 5.30pm. You are in the heart of the business community. As workers spill down from the city’s concrete towers, it is a spectacle to look up, and look around, at what has been constructed around us – even in what is a quite modest city on the modern scale. If climate-change is a destructive symbol of the darker elements of human ambition, then cities are a calling card for modern capabilities; the triumph of naked expectation over the realities of bare necessity.
In New Zealand our cities may not be driving our carbon footprint to increasingly higher levels – but on a more conceptual level, the two feel tied.
The Majestic Centre is a 20 year-old building. It is one of the few defining buildings of the Wellington skyline, built in another time. Older buildings are not (yet) officially part of the Green Star rating system; although Jason Happy, commercial buildings manager for the Kiwi Income Property Trust (KIPT) who manages the Majestic Centre, is one of a number of people banding together to start a pilot program to develop a rating system for older buildings.
The Majestic Centre sports consistently updated electronic management systems, but the core equipment is the same as it has always been. “We are consistently investing capital to improve the way we operate. Electronic systems have a finite life. We roll out new systems all the time.” Happy says.
Main plant systems often have to be tended to. Happy points to a situation in the Unisys building in Wellington, when a replacement chiller lead to a fifty percent energy saving, but there’s a limit to what can be done. You’re dealing with a fixed envelope – and when you go past new electronics and new insulation, the improvements become quite capital intensive.
It is tough to know exactly how these older buildings stack up against newer, five Green Star structures such as the Meridian Building, which comes complete with solar panels, captures rain water, traps or deflects sunlight to help regulate the building’s temperature, and recycles much of its waste. Valued at $107 million dollars, the Majestic Centre is a major piece of real estate, and has major clients such as Ernst & Young, Opus and IBM. It is the archetype for the typical building in this sector.
The greening of the CBD will hinge on the retro-fitting of middle aged structures such as the Majestic, not in showpieces of the new technology such as the Meridian building. Yet little is known directly about its explicit efficiency. Happy is open and transparent about his company, and his thoughts on the environment – but he is not obligated to supply hard data on the building’s energy use.
Not that there is rotting neglect, or any apparent subterfuge. There is simply nothing revelatory to add to what you’d imagine a building like the Majestic’s footprint would be. It really is just hundreds of workers piling into buildings and running appliances and turning on lights all day. People like Jason Happy are the ones that need to take action to realize this building’s share of that possible 300 million dollars in savings. Yet while EECA ( the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) considers energy savings in the 20-30 percent range are easily attainable, KIPT is currently shooting for a mere 5 percent efficiency savings across the board, in their portfolio.
Alistair Hines, from EECA, states emphatically that 20-30 percent is an easy, attainable figure. And he and Happy come into conflict on the options available. Hines insists that the technology needed to execute savings is simple, right under our nose and makes economic sense. Happy is quick to point out that he doesn’t “feel that there is a lot new under the sun.”
The way Hines puts it, it all seems so simple. The first ten percent comes from simple behavioral changes in the office. Good habits amongst employees, using energy efficient appliances and turning lights off. The next twenty percent comes from targeted electronics (making sure that massive rooms of lights aren’t attached to just one switch) sensible air-conditioning systems, and improved insulation. Past thirty percent you can be limited by the structure you’re dealing with. But thirty percent itself seems a worthy cause, and one that definitely does not rely on drastic measures.
Jason Happy is satisfied with the quality of the buildings under his care. He says that his company operates “Grade A” landmark towers, and they are always intending to set their offices apart. Happy is wary of being taken in by the “New Car mentality; the basic mechanics can be very similar. You get taken in by the new electronics, when the core mechanics can be the same.”
The struggle to improve the energy efficiency of older premises leads back to the same issues every-time. The incentive is low. Energy is relatively inexpensive, and it equates to about one percent of an office’s running costs, paling in comparison to the human costs of keeping a business going. And the benefits are diluted. Happy estimates that maybe through (probably expensive) investment, he could only bring around five dollars a square metre in energy savings to his tenants. Even if a retrofit of an existing block led to a 5-star rating on the new Green Star ratings system, the savings in energy costs are estimated at less than eight dollars a square metre.
Hines tells me that we’re “talking about big savings from straight forward technology. It makes great business sense.” And Happy readily concedes that when added together the gains are large. Essentially, it is a corporate version of that same issue that tackling climate change always faces. How do you convince somebody to act for the collective – rather than individual – gain?
Happy and Hines concur that the solution hinges on information and education driving the market. Alistair Hines states that the availability of information about energy use will allow for informed decisions. Thus creating a situation where energy efficiency becomes a way to attract clients and sell space – and can be a bargaining chip in negotiating with a tenant, or committing to a longer lease with a landlord.
Creating premises that are appealing to his tenants is central to what Jason Happy is trying to do, and he says that there has been a push to meet a perceived greening of demand. “These requirements are not always articulated consistently by tenants. We’ve interpreted, anticipated this demand. The Green Star system has been a rallying umbrella. People have started asking for specifics, and they’re keeping well informed. Ratings systems drive market behaviour. Increase the worth of the issue, allow for differentiation, and a potential increase in information for tenants.” Happy says.
But there’s an even larger snag, due to an inherent split incentive in the situation. The landlord pays, but the client gains. “The resource base is on the landlord’s side, but we can’t access those savings that tenants have,” Happy says. “We can influence central services, we can bring savings of about 10 percent or so to us. But when improving on-floor services, the benefits do not accrue to the landlord.”
This is a pressing dilemma. Globally, it has ground many movements to begin greening the existing stock of buildings to a halt. This has included a recent push from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, for all 22,000 office-buildings to undergo energy audits and mandatory upgrades. In the USA, President Barack Obama set aside 2.8 billion dollars to prioritise retrofitting. In those countries where reducing the carbon footprint of the CBD is the most pressing concern in getting immediate emission reductions ( and thereby getting an upper hand in the carbon battle) the fact that landlords and tenants have different incentives is fast turning into a massive dis-incentive.
It can even introduce a secondary dilemma. In some cases, landlords can’t get financing for the upgrades, because they can’t illustrate to a bank where the gains in this investment in energy saving technology will come back to them.
Such systemic market problems are difficult to solve. No one denies that the problem exists, but few direct solutions are proffered up. It is much the same sort of luxury afforded to our country by the focus on the farming sector, as we look to attain our own conservational goals.
Hines and Happy were cagey to endorse – or even judge – a system where a building with a higher green rating would cost more to rent, in compensation for the lower power bills. But Happy is aware that “a scheme where benefit accrued to the landlord in some way would help underpin a market for retrofitting.” Green Party MP Jeanette Fitzsimons endorses this view, stating that landlords and tenants will probably need to start sharing the costs of this work. Fitzsimons also says that we need to set clearer, tougher building standards so we do not have to face this issue again.
This all seems very counter-intuitive. The market is supposedly driving the need for greener, more efficient office spaces through more informed and educated consumers. But these market forces are acknowledged to be extremely weak at key points. They work slowly. Ultimately, the market alone can’t provide for greener office spaces. Even the weak market forces that do exist are hard to capitalise on – since the very nature of the rental agreement is actually spinning the wheels of the situation backwards.
This landlord/tenant divergence of interest is a genuine head scratcher. “It is hard to change the split incentive. It is inherent in the structure of the market,” says Ralph Chapman, from the NZ Sustainability Council. Chapman is deadly serious when talking about the need for energy improvement. In every area, even in the nine percent that commercial buildings take up, and even in the two-tenths of a percent of global emissions that New Zealand represents, we have to cut back. “Any use of energy is a problem, I guess.” Chapman says.
“Carbon emissions are almost a runaway train. If governments don’t act, if we don’t all act, the overall impact will be extremely damaging.” Chapman says. And he’s right. It is far from a new sentiment – the reality of what needs to be done about emissions is challenging at best, and catastrophic, at worst.
“Every sector adds up, all cuts add up. The world can get to where it wants to be. But there’s a huge incentive to free ride, even though attaining these savings isn’t that costly.”
We all have to pitch in. Chapman concludes. And his all hands on deck rhetoric is the perfect antidote to the notion that smaller areas of the problem don’t count as much. It all counts.
With commercial real estate, you come back to the basic dilemma that you’ve heard before. It is hard to get individual companies, as it is individual people, to be socially responsible when no one is looking, and when the benefit of a single action is small. The monetary incentive to them is low, the market forces weak.
Even if and when a landlord has seen the light, and the greater good….how do you then convince them to pay for a change that they won’t benefit from ?
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Data cannot be shared publicly because of confidentiality under Swedish law. Data are available from the SWENOTECA group and from Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare (contact via [www.socialstyrelsen.se](http://www.socialstyrelsen.se) & [www.swenoteca.org](http://www.swenoteca.org)) for researchers who meet the criteria for access to confidential data.
Introduction {#sec007}
============
Children fathered by men treated for cancer might be at higher risk for congenital malformations (CMs) due to the mutagenic effects of irradiation and cytotoxic drugs. Adverse effects of oncological treatments on germ cells have been described in animal \[[@pmed.1002816.ref001],[@pmed.1002816.ref002]\] and human studies \[[@pmed.1002816.ref003]--[@pmed.1002816.ref005]\]. Furthermore, a Danish--Swedish population-based study has shown that children conceived after a father's cancer diagnosis have a slight increase in prevalence of severe CM \[[@pmed.1002816.ref006]\]. A possible pathway for the increased malformations risk might be detrimental genetic alterations of germline DNA by oncological treatment, resulting in more frequent CMs in children conceived after paternal oncological treatment.
There are indications that the excess risk of CMs for children born to fathers with cancer might be due to the malignancy per se rather than to the anticancer treatment. A Swedish population-based register study including 2.1 million children investigated the CM risk for children conceived prior to and after paternal cancer diagnosis and found those two groups to have an increased risk of malformations of about the same magnitude \[[@pmed.1002816.ref007]\]. This study, when stratifying by cancer type, specifically showed that testicular cancer is one of the malignancies associated with increased CM risk in children conceived prior to paternal cancer diagnosis.
Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in young men, and approximately 97% of testicular cancers are derived from germ cells, so-called testicular germ-cell cancer (TGCC). TGCC has a 15-year survival of about 95% \[[@pmed.1002816.ref008]\], and most patients will father children before or after the diagnosis. Among those TGCC patients who are childless at the time of cancer diagnosis, 77% express a wish for future fatherhood, despite some having anxieties about the potential detrimental health effects of cancer therapy on the health of their offspring \[[@pmed.1002816.ref009]\].
Previous studies have lacked treatment data, making estimation of the possible additional effects of specific cancer therapies impossible. Opportunely, the Swedish Norwegian Testicular Cancer Group (SWENOTECA) registry includes treatment data on nonseminoma patients treated since 1995 and seminoma patients since 2000 for all Swedish and Norwegian TGCC patients. The main aim of this study was, by linking Swedish national registries to SWENOTECA, to investigate whether anti-neoplastic therapy implies any additional malformation risk in children fathered by men treated for TGCC. The secondary aim was to investigate whether TCGG per se is associated with risk of CM.
Methods {#sec008}
=======
Study design and data sources {#sec009}
-----------------------------
The cohort was defined as all newborns born alive and registered in the Swedish Medical Birth Register 1994--2014 (*n* = 2,108,569). Data from the Swedish Total Population Register and the Swedish Multigenerational Register allowed identification of their parents. Every individual in the cohort was given a unique serial number linked to their Swedish Personal Identity Number. These identification numbers were sent to the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare, which supplied excerpts from national registries. To maintain anonymity, the Personal Identity Numbers were redacted by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare. Children with missing paternal serial numbers (*n* = 19,970) and twins and other multiples (*n* = 60,602) were excluded. After these exclusions, 2,027,997 singletons, 1,167,665 fathers, and 1,166,462 mothers remained in the cohort ([Fig 1](#pmed.1002816.g001){ref-type="fig"}).
{#pmed.1002816.g001}
Perinatal and parental attributes for all children were obtained from Swedish Medical Birth Register, the Swedish National Quality Register for Assisted Reproduction, and the Swedish Register of Education. Paternal TGCC diagnoses and treatment data were retrieved from the Swedish part of SWENOTECA, which holds information on clinical stage, treatment, and follow-up for up to 10 years after diagnosis for nonseminoma patients since 1995 and seminoma patients since 2000. All Swedish cancer centers report to the SWENOTECA database, which is then cross-checked with the Swedish Cancer Registry every third month through the personal national registration numbers assigned to each resident in Sweden at birth or permanent residency. The completeness of the Swedish Cancer Registry is almost 100% \[[@pmed.1002816.ref010]\]. The analysis plan is presented in [S1 Text](#pmed.1002816.s011){ref-type="supplementary-material"}. The regional ethical boards of Lund and Stockholm approved this study (No: 2015/670 and 2016/2562-31/2).
CMs {#sec010}
---
The classification of CM according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes has been described previously \[[@pmed.1002816.ref007]\]. Abridgedly, the definitions used for all congenital abnormalities were ICD-9-SE 740--759 and ICD-10-SE Q00-Q99. Major malformations were classified following the coding guide of European Surveillance of Congenital Anomalies.
Groups according to paternal oncological treatment {#sec011}
--------------------------------------------------
The grouping of the children was according to whether the child was conceived prior to or after the father's TGCC diagnosis by using the gestational length for the child to estimate conception date. Both the children conceived prior to and after paternal TGCC diagnosis were subgrouped according to the fathers' oncological treatment regimen into the following groups: chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery only (surveillance). Chemotherapy regimens and number of cycles were defined according to the SWENOTECA cancer care protocols. Any dose of radiotherapy was counted as exposure.
Statistical analyses {#sec012}
--------------------
Risk estimates for congenital malformations were evaluated using a multivariable binary logistic regression model, yielding odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The model was adjusted for the following covariates: maternal age at childbirth (continuous), paternal age at offspring birth (continuous), maternal body mass index (BMI) (categorical: \<20, ≥20 to \<25, ≥25 to \<30, ≥30 to \<35, ≥35 kg/m^2^), and self-reported maternal smoking at first prenatal visit (categorical: nonsmoker, 1--9 cigarettes per day, ≥10 cigarettes per day). These covariates were chosen because they have been previously shown to affect birth outcomes \[[@pmed.1002816.ref011]--[@pmed.1002816.ref013]\].
Multiple imputation by fully conditional specification was used to handle cases with missing data, creating 5 imputed data sets. All the variables and outcomes in the regression models were used as predictors to impute missing values for maternal weight, height, age at childbirth, and maternal smoking during pregnancy. For children born to fathers with TGCC and missing gestational length (*n* = 5), the median value (280 days) of the cohort was used. Other covariates and outcomes in the model did not have missing data.
Analyses investigating the effect of paternal anti-TGCC treatment were performed to ensure comparability between groups. The type of oncological treatment given relates to the subtype of TGCC. Therefore, in order to adjust for the potential effect of aggressiveness of the paternal disease, children born to fathers who would, after the child's conception, be treated with chemotherapy acted as the reference for children conceived after the father was exposed to chemotherapy. Similarly, the children born to fathers who would, after the offspring's conception, receive radiation were the reference for the children born after radiation.
Because detrimental effects of chemotherapy on the offspring of treated patients might only be apparent at high treatment doses, a subanalysis was conducted in which the children were stratified according to the number of cycles of chemotherapy (1--2; 3--4; 5+) given to the father and if the children were conceived before or after paternal diagnosis.
The children to fathers were split into two groups according to whether they were conceived before (reference group) or after the fathers' TGCC diagnosis. These two groups were compared to see whether the children conceived after diagnosis had an increased risk of malformations due to any form of treatment.
It has been previously reported that children born to fathers with TGCC have an increased risk of birth defects, even when the child is conceived prior to paternal oncological treatment \[[@pmed.1002816.ref007]\]. Therefore, all the children to fathers with TGCC were compared to the children of fathers without TGCC (reference) to evaluate whether there was a difference in risk for congenital malformations. Separate sensitivity analyses excluded children conceived by assisted reproduction techniques (ARTs) and children conceived to fathers with a cancer diagnosis other than TGCC.
All statistical analyses were performed by the first author using SPSS version 25 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY, USA). Statistical analyses were two-sided. Risk estimates were pooled from multiple imputed values, with *p* \< 0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results {#sec013}
=======
Study population {#sec014}
----------------
Overall, 2,027,997 children were included in the study cohort ([Fig 1](#pmed.1002816.g001){ref-type="fig"}). Of the total number included, 4,207 (0.2%) had fathers diagnosed with TGCC. Of these, 2,770 (65.8%) were conceived prior to and 1,437 (34.2%) were conceived after the TGCC diagnosis. The distribution of children according to time of paternal TGCC diagnosis showing other parental characteristics and birth outcomes is presented in [Table 1](#pmed.1002816.t001){ref-type="table"}.
10.1371/journal.pmed.1002816.t001
###### The distribution of children according to paternal TGCC diagnosis with parental characteristics and birth outcomes.
{#pmed.1002816.t001g}
*Characteristic* No paternal TGCC Conceived prior to paternal TGCC diagnosis Conceived after paternal TGCC diagnosis
---------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------
Total no. of children 2,023,790 2,770 1,437
***Parental characteristics***
Maternal age at offspring birth, years, mean (SD) 29.9 (5.1) 29.0 (4.9) 31.1 (4.6)
Maternal BMI at early pregnancy, kg/m^2^, mean (SD) 24.4 (4.4) 24.2 (4.2) 24.5 (4.6)
Paternal age at offspring birth, years, mean (SD) 32.8 (6.2) 30.9 (4.9) 33.8 (4.8)
Nonsmoking mothers early in pregnancy, no. (%) 1,826,916 (90.3) 2,466.6 (89.0) 1,372 (95.5)
Mothers smoking 1--9 cigarettes per day, no. (%) 139,791.2 (6.9) 210.8 (7.6) 47.2 (3.3)
Mothers smoking more than 10 cigarettes per day, no. (%) 57,082.8 (2.8) 92.6 (3.3) 17.8 (1.2)
***Mode of conception***
Assisted 42,521 (2.1) 71 (2.6) 201 (14.0)
***Birth characteristics***
*Sex*, *no*. *(%)*
Male 1,040,460 (51.4)[\*](#t001fn002){ref-type="table-fn"} 1,428 (51.6) 723 (50.3)
Female 983,324 (48.6)[\*](#t001fn002){ref-type="table-fn"} 1,342 (48.4) 714 (49.7)
***CMs***
All congenital abnormalities, no. (%) 69,920 (3.5) 125 (4.5) 59 (4.1)
Major congenital abnormalities, no. (%) 43,714 (2.2) 80 (2.9) 42 (2.9)
Values are pooled over 5 imputed data sets.
\*Excluding 6 children for whom sex was missing.
**Abbreviations:** BMI, body mass index; CM, congenital malformation; no., number; SD, standard deviation; TGCC, testicular germ-cell cancer.
The most common treatment was chemotherapy, and the largest group of children were those fathered by men treated with chemotherapy (total *n* = 2,533, 60.2%, [Table 2](#pmed.1002816.t002){ref-type="table"}). The distribution of fathers according to treatment modality and intensity is given in [Table 3](#pmed.1002816.t003){ref-type="table"}.
10.1371/journal.pmed.1002816.t002
###### Parental and perinatal characteristics for groupings based on when conception occurred in relation to paternal treatment regimen.
{#pmed.1002816.t002g}
*Characteristic* *Paternal treatment regimen*
----------------------------------------- ------------------------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ -----------
Total no. of children 947 393 1,639 894 203 157
*Mode of conception*
Assisted 29 (3.1) 39 (9.9) 40 (2.4) 139 (15.5) 4 (2.0) 26 (16.6)
***Birth characteristics***
*Sex*, *no*. *(%)*
Male 504 (53.2) 196 (49.9) 838 (51.1) 444 (49.7) 98 (48.3) 86 (54.8)
Female 443 (46.8) 197 (50.1) 801 (48.9) 450 (50.3) 105 (51.7) 71 (45.2)
CMs
All congenital abnormalities, no. (%) 45 (4.8) 18 (4.6) 75 (4.6) 37 (4.1) 6 (3.0) 5 (3.2)
Major congenital abnormalities, no. (%) 27 (2.9) 11 (2.8) 50 (3.1) 28 (3.1) 4 (2.0) 4 (2.5)
There were 19 children conceived to fathers prior to treatment with both chemotherapy and radiotherapy; among them, one had a major malformation. Similarly, 7 children were conceived after both treatment modalities, with one major malformation among them. **Abbreviations:** CM, congenital malformation; no., number.
10.1371/journal.pmed.1002816.t003
###### Distribution of fathers according to cancer and oncological treatment.
{#pmed.1002816.t003g}
*Paternal TGCC* Seminoma[\*](#t003fn001){ref-type="table-fn"} Nonseminoma[^†^](#t003fn002){ref-type="table-fn"} All TGCC
---------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- ------------
Total no. of fathers (%) 1,308 (55.0) 1,072 (45.0) 2,380
Age at diagnosis, years, mean (SD) 37.3 (6.9) 31.9 (7.2) 34.9 (7.5)
***Treatment modality***
Surgery only, no. of fathers (%) 477 (61.8) 295 (38.2) 772
Age at diagnosis, years, mean (SD) 37.8 (6.9) 33.0 (7.9) 35.9 (7.7)
***Chemotherapy***[^‡^](#t003fn003){ref-type="table-fn"}
No. of fathers (%) 638 (45.2) 774 (54.4) 1,412
Age at diagnosis, years, mean (SD) 37.8 (6.9) 31.4 (6.8) 34.3 (7.6)
*Chemotherapy cycles*, *no*. *of fathers (%)*
1--2 484 (56.3) 376 (43.7) 860
3--4 142 (29.2) 345 (70.8) 487
5+ 1 (2.2) 44 (97.8) 45
Missing data 11 (55.0) 9 (45.0) 20
**Radiotherapy**[^§^](#t003fn004){ref-type="table-fn"}
No. of fathers (%) 180 (98.9) 2 (1.1) 182
Age at diagnosis, years, mean (SD) 34.5 (5.8) 31.8 (4.2) 34.5 (5.8)
**Chemotherapy and radiotherapy**
No. of fathers (%) 13 (92.9) 1 (7.1) 14
Average age at diagnosis, years (SD) 36.6 (8.9) 45.0 (-) 37.2 (8.8)
\*Excluding patients also having nonseminoma (patients with mixed TGCC, seminoma and nonseminoma, are included in the nonseminoma group because they receive similar treatments under SWENOTECA cancer care protocols).
†Including patients also having seminoma.
‡Excluding patients also receiving radiotherapy.
§Excluding patients also receiving chemotherapy
**Abbreviations:** no., number; SD, standard deviation; SWENOTECA, the Swedish Norwegian Testicular Cancer Group; TGCC, testicular germ-cell cancer.
CMs in relation to paternal TGCC treatment {#sec015}
------------------------------------------
When comparing the children conceived after particular anti-TGCC treatment regimen with the children conceived prior to the same regimen, there was no statistically significant increased risk after radiotherapy (all malformations: OR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.25--4.12, *p* = 0.98, 3.2% versus 3.0%; major malformations: OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 0.27--7.05, *p* = 0.70, 2.5% versus 2.0%) or following chemotherapy (all malformations: OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.54--1.25, *p* = 0.37, 4.1% versus 4.6%; major malformations: OR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.62--1.65, *p* = 0.97, 3.1% versus 3.1%).
The frequency of CMs according to the number of chemotherapy cycles the father was treated with is given in [S1 Table](#pmed.1002816.s002){ref-type="supplementary-material"}. Although this analysis has low statistical power, in 5 of 6 subcategories, the OR of malformation risk was below 1 for the post-treatment children as compared to the prediagnosis group.
The children conceived after paternal TGCC diagnosis, as compared to those conceived before paternal TGCC, showed no risk difference either for all or for major malformations (OR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.63--1.22, *p* = 0.43, 4.1% versus 4.5% and OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.69--1.53, *p* = 0.88, 2.9% versus 2.9%, respectively).
CMs in children of TGCC men {#sec016}
---------------------------
Children to fathers with TGCC had a statistically significantly increased risk for both all and major CMs as compared to children born to fathers without TGCC (OR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.19--1.38, *p* = 0.001, 4.4% versus 3.5% and OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.24--1.49, *p* \< 0.001, 2.9% versus 2.2%, respectively; [Fig 2](#pmed.1002816.g002){ref-type="fig"}).
{#pmed.1002816.g002}
In the sensitivity analyses excluding children conceived by assisted reproduction, we found negligible differences in risk estimates (all malformations: OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.16--1.36, *p* = 0.004, 4.3% versus 3.4%; major malformations: OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.25--1.51, *p* \< 0.001, 2.9% versus 2.1%). Excluding the children of fathers with non-TGCC cancer from the reference group did not change the risk estimates (OR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.19--1.38, *p* = 0.001, 4.4% versus 3.5% and OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.24--1.49, *p* \< 0.001, 2.9% versus 2.2%).
Discussion {#sec017}
==========
In this study, we found that children of fathers with TGCC had an approximately 30% increased malformation risk as compared to children of fathers without TGCC. This modest increase applied to more severe forms of malformations, as well. However, when comparing children conceived after radio- or chemotherapy to those conceived prior to these potentially mutagenic treatments, there was no increased risk associated with either treatment. While very few in numbers, the same was true even for children conceived after more extensive paternal chemotherapy regimens. Altogether, our results indicate that although children born to fathers with TGCC have a significantly increased risk of all and major CMs, it is unlikely to be due to the effects of radio- or chemotherapy.
In 2011, we published a Danish--Swedish register study lacking information on paternal oncological treatment in which we observed that children born after paternal cancer diagnosis had a slight increase in CM rate \[[@pmed.1002816.ref006]\]. This study indicated that the increase could be due to factors unrelated to cancer therapy because higher rates were also observed in children fathered by men with malignancies usually treated with surgery only. Supporting this thesis, our recent study showed that children conceived prior to a paternal cancer diagnosis, and therefore before treatment, were also more prone to have CM \[[@pmed.1002816.ref007]\]. Few studies have addressed the issue of teratogenic risk following paternal oncological treatment, and none of the studies found an increased risk of CM \[[@pmed.1002816.ref014]--[@pmed.1002816.ref017]\]. Those studies, however, were not powered to detect small risk increases, such as those observed in this study. Parental exposure of mice to radiation and chemicals causes a variety of adverse effects (e.g., tumors, CMs, and embryonic deaths) in the progeny \[[@pmed.1002816.ref018]\]. Direct exposure to ionizing radiation has been shown to increase the risk of childhood leukemia; however, paternal exposure has not been shown to affect the health of the offspring \[[@pmed.1002816.ref019]\].
The association between the germ-cell--derived TGCC and CM risk in children is quite puzzling. In 2001, Skakkebaek and colleagues suggested that congenital genitourinary malformations, TGCC, and male infertility are caused by a common factor present during fetal life, being different manifestations of so-called testicular dysgenesis syndrome (TDS) \[[@pmed.1002816.ref020]\]. According to the TDS hypothesis, the vast majority of testis tumors are derived from malignantly transformed precancerous germ-cell neoplasm in situ (GCNIS) cells, which in turn originate from mitotically arrested fetal gonocytes \[[@pmed.1002816.ref021]\]. Although speculative, TDS could be the underlying syndrome linking paternal TGCC and offspring CMs. Because TDS is believed to be caused by a combination of environmental exposure and genetic factors in early fetal development, the same exposures/factors might lead to suboptimal development in the whole testes. Alternatively, the presence of GCNIS cells could itself be the cause of the increased risk of offspring malformations. It is unlikely that GCNIS cells undergo spermatogonial differentiation because of the genetic and morphological changes they exhibit. Instead, GCNIS cells, which occupy the same niche as germ cells, might influence the surrounding spermatogonal development through changes to the sensitive microenvironment within the seminiferous tubules. Indeed, infertility does often precede TGCC \[[@pmed.1002816.ref022]\], and pretreatment TGCC patients have elevated levels of sperm DNA damage (higher DNA fragmentation index) \[[@pmed.1002816.ref023]\], possibly due to perturbations of the physiologically unique meiotic DNA repair pathway occurring in spermatogonia. Conversely, infertility and sperm DNA damage has been observed preceding other types of malignancies as well. Therefore, other mechanisms might also be operating, aligning with our previous study showing that children conceived to men with other cancers, such as neurological malignancies, also had an increased risk of CM \[[@pmed.1002816.ref007]\].
Increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROSs) have also been suggested as a possible factor in pathogenesis of different malignancies. ROSs were shown to cause postmeiotic oxidative sperm DNA damage during a phase of germ-cell development when sperms lack DNA repair machinery \[[@pmed.1002816.ref024]\]. Increased rates of these paternally derived DNA lesions, like single- and double-stranded breaks, have been shown to detrimentally affect embryonic development, rates of miscarriage, and pregnancy \[[@pmed.1002816.ref025]\] and can ultimately lead to offspring with chromosomal aberrations \[[@pmed.1002816.ref026]\]. Supporting this mechanism, our previous study indicated a 40% increase in chromosomal malformations among children born before paternal cancer \[[@pmed.1002816.ref007]\].
Large genomic studies have shown that around 80% of de novo mutations occurring in the human population are derived from the paternal germline \[[@pmed.1002816.ref027]\]. These de novo mutations among the offspring have been linked to CMs, schizophrenia, and autism \[[@pmed.1002816.ref028]--[@pmed.1002816.ref030]\]. Genomic studies have shown that the rate of de novo mutations that are passed on to offspring differs by more than 2-fold between fathers \[[@pmed.1002816.ref027]\]. This indicates that some men experience more mutations in their germ cells and conceivably also in their somatic cells, possibly due to a systemic insufficiency of DNA repair. This genomic instability might itself predispose to malignancies.
Large genome-wide association studies have identified a multitude of risk loci associated with TGCC susceptibility. Interestingly, several of the loci identified support the TDS hypothesis with developmental arrest of fetal gonocytes because the loci are involved in transcriptional dysregulation. However, the same study suggests a multifactorial pathway might be at play because some risk loci were involved in defective microtubule function, which can lead to chromosomal instability \[[@pmed.1002816.ref031]\].
Our findings have some potential clinical implications. First of all, although we find somewhat increased risk of CM in children fathered by men with TGCC, this increase is rather modest, and this reassuring information can be passed on to patients. Furthermore, our data do not seem to support the general assumption of increased risk of malformations in offspring of men treated with chemotherapy. Taken altogether, our results indicate that there is no cause for concern for men having undergone TGCC treatment regarding the health of their offspring. However, with 14% of the children born after TGCC treatment being conceived by ARTs, presumably due to high levels of infertility after gonadotoxic treatments, pretreatment sperm cryopreservation is still indicated since no tools for reliable prediction of post-treatment recovery of spermatogenesis are available.
The strength of this study is the utilization of large register data, which made it possible to estimate malformation risk in children conceived prior to as well as after TGCC diagnoses. Through linking the national registries with SWENOTECA, we had access to complete and detailed treatment data.
This study also had several limitations. Data on seminoma patients are lacking for the period 1995--2000. However, misclassification due to inclusion of children of those men in the control group should rather lead to diminishing the difference in malformation risk between TGCC offspring and the non-TGCC offspring. Furthermore, despite the use of national registries, the number of children with malformations fathered by men who received radiotherapy or very intensive chemotherapy treatment was still rather low. Therefore, the results for these subgroups should be taken with some caution. Another limitation is the lack of data regarding children born after insemination with cryopreserved or donor sperm. This was mitigated through the sensitivity analysis in which children born after assisted reproduction were excluded, which showed the same result.
To summarize, in this study comprising more than 2 million children, we found a slightly increased risk of CMs in children fathered by men diagnosed with TGCC. The magnitude of the risk was similar in those conceived prior to as well as post-paternal--cancer therapy, indicating no additional risk increase caused by radio- or chemotherapy.
Supporting information {#sec018}
======================
###### STROBE, strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology.
(DOCX)
######
Click here for additional data file.
###### Frequency and risk estimates for all and major congenital malformations for children stratified according to the number of chemotherapy cycles the father has been treated with.
(DOCX)
######
Click here for additional data file.
###### Crude and adjusted risk estimates for all and major congenital malformations.
(DOCX)
######
Click here for additional data file.
###### Pooled risk estimates for all variables in the model comparing children conceived after paternal radiotherapy to children conceived before paternal radiotherapy.
(DOCX)
######
Click here for additional data file.
###### Pooled risk estimates for all variables in the model comparing children conceived after paternal chemotherapy to children conceived before paternal chemotherapy.
(DOCX)
######
Click here for additional data file.
###### Pooled risk estimates for all variables in the model comparing children conceived after paternal TGCC diagnosis as compared to those conceived before paternal TGCC. TGCC, testicular germ-cell cancer.
(DOCX)
######
Click here for additional data file.
###### Pooled risk estimates for all variables in the model comparing children conceived to fathers with TGCC as compared to those children born to fathers without TGCC. TGCC, testicular germ-cell cancer.
(DOCX)
######
Click here for additional data file.
###### Pooled risk estimates for all variables in the model comparing children conceived to fathers with TGCC as compared to those children born to fathers without TGCC, while excluding all children conceived through assisted reproductive techniques. TGCC, testicular germ-cell cancer.
(DOCX)
######
Click here for additional data file.
###### Pooled risk estimates for all variables in the model comparing children conceived to fathers with TGCC as compared to those children born to fathers without TGCC, while excluding all children to fathers that have any cancer other than TGCC. TGCC, testicular germ-cell cancer.
(DOCX)
######
Click here for additional data file.
###### Missing and imputed values in the original and the 5 imputed data sets.
(DOCX)
######
Click here for additional data file.
###### Analysis plan.
(DOCX)
######
Click here for additional data file.
###### Research protocol A.
(DOCX)
######
Click here for additional data file.
###### Research protocol B.
(DOCX)
######
Click here for additional data file.
ART
: assisted reproductive technique
BMI
: body mass index
CI
: confidence interval
CM
: congenital malformation
GCNIS
: germ-cell neoplasm in situ
ICD
: International Classification of Diseases
OR
: odds ratio
ROS
: reactive oxygen species
SD
: standard deviation
SWENOTECA
: the Swedish Norwegian Testicular Cancer Group
TDS
: testicular dysgenesis syndrome
TGCC
: testicular germ-cell cancer
[^1]: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
| 2024-02-11T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/6617 |
Anaesthesia priorities for Australian and New Zealand medical school curricula: a Delphi consensus of academic anaesthetists.
The role of anaesthetists has expanded and evolved to include critical care, perioperative and pain medicine and general clinical skills, as well as operating theatre-based clinical anaesthesia. Across Australia and New Zealand, these topics are taught to varying degrees, however no uniform curriculum or standardisation exists between universities. In this study, we used a Delphi technique to develop consensus-based priorities to guide medical educators when reviewing and implementing student anaesthesia curricula. A range of appropriate content has been defined, as well as details relating to duration, timing, teaching environment, faculty, feedback and assessment methods. Future enquiry to assess the efficacy of future and current teaching practices is needed to facilitate continued improvement. | 2023-10-26T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/6105 |
An extract of Salvia (sage) with anticholinesterase properties improves memory and attention in healthy older volunteers.
Species of Salvia (sage) have a long-standing reputation in European medical herbalism, including for memory enhancement. In recent controlled trials, administration of sage extracts with established cholinergic properties improved cognitive function in young adults. This randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, balanced, five-period crossover study investigated the acute effects on cognitive performance of a standardised extract of Salvia officinalis in older adults. Twenty volunteers (>65 years of age, mean = 72.95) received four active doses of extract (167, 333, 666 and 1332 mg) and a placebo with a 7-day wash-out period between visits. Assessment involved completion of the Cognitive Drug Research computerised assessment battery. On study days, treatments were administered immediately following a baseline assessment with further assessment at 1, 2.5, 4 and 6 h post treatment. Compared with the placebo condition (which exhibited the characteristic performance decline over the day), the 333-mg dose was associated with significant enhancement of secondary memory performance at all testing times. The same measure benefited to a lesser extent from other doses. There also were significant improvements to accuracy of attention following the 333-mg dose. In vitro analysis confirmed cholinesterase inhibiting properties for the extract. The overall pattern of results is consistent with a dose-related benefit to processes involved in efficient stimulus processing and/or memory consolidation rather than retrieval or working memory efficiency. These findings extend those of the memory-enhancing effects of Salvia extracts in younger populations and warrant further investigation in larger series, in other populations and with different dosing regimes. | 2023-12-16T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/6907 |
---
abstract: 'For three points ${\mathbf{u}}$, ${\mathbf{v}}$ and ${\mathbf{w}}$ in the $n$-dimensional space $\F_q^n$ over the finite field $\F_q$ of $q$ elements we give a natural interpretation of an acute angle triangle defined by this points. We obtain an upper bound on the size of a set $\cZ$ such that all triples of distinct points ${\mathbf{u}}, {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}} \in \cZ$ define acute angle triangles. A similar question in the real space $\cR^n$ dates back to P. Erd[ő]{}s and has been studied by several authors.'
author:
- |
\
[Department of Computing]{}\
[Macquarie University]{}\
[Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia]{}\
[igor@ics.mq.edu.au]{}
title: On Point Sets in Vector Spaces over Finite Fields That Determine Only Acute Angle Triangles
---
== =
\[theorem\][Lemma]{} \[theorem\][Claim]{} \[theorem\][Corollary]{} \[theorem\][Proposition]{} \[theorem\][Open Question]{}
Ł Ø[[O]{}]{}\
${\left(}
\def$[)]{} \#1[\#1]{} \#1[\#1]{}
#### 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification: {#mathematics-subject-classification .unnumbered}
11T30, 52C10
Introduction
============
Recent remarkable results of Bourgain, Katz and Tao [@BKT] on the sum-product problem in finite fields have stimulated a series of studies of finite field analogues of classical combinatorial and discrete geometry problems, see [@BouGar; @CHIKR; @Dvir; @Gar; @HaIo; @HIKR; @HaIoSo; @IosKoh; @IosRud; @IoShXi; @IosSen; @KatzShen; @Shen; @Vinh1; @Vinh2; @Vinh3; @Vinh4] and references therein.
Here we extend the scope of such problems and consider the question about the largest cardinality of a set of points in the $n$-dimensional space over a finite field such that every triples of distinct points of this set defines an acute angle triangle. We note that a similar question in the Euclidean space $\cR^n$ dates back to P. Erd[ő]{}s and has been studied by several authors, see [@AckBen-Zw].
Certainly the notion of an acute triangle (or angle) is not immediately obvious in vector spaces over finite fields. Here we use the “rational” interpretation of trigonometry invented by Wildberger [@Wild] to extend this notion to finite fields.
To motivate our definition, we note that in the triangle defined by three distinct vectors ${\mathbf{u}}, {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}} \in \R^n$, the vertex at ${\mathbf{u}}$ has an acute angle if and only if $$\|{\mathbf{u}}-{\mathbf{v}}\|^2 + \|{\mathbf{u}}-{\mathbf{w}}\|^2 -
\|{\mathbf{v}}-{\mathbf{w}}\|^2 > 0,$$ where $\|{\mathbf{x}}\|$ is the Euclidean norm of ${\mathbf{x}} \in \R^n$.
We now identify positive elements of a finite field $\F_q$ of $q$ elements with quadratic residues in $\F_q$ and say that in the triangle defined by three distinct vectors $${\mathbf{u}} = (u_1, \ldots, u_n),\ {\mathbf{v}}=(v_1, \ldots, v_n), \
{\mathbf{w}}=(w_1, \ldots, w_n) \in \F_q^n$$ that the vertex at ${\mathbf{u}}$ has an acute angle if any only if $$\Delta({\mathbf{u}}, {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}}) =
\sum_{i=1}^n \((u_i-v_i)^2 + (u_i-w_i)^2-(v_i-w_i)^2\)$$ is a quadratic residue in $\F_q$.
Since in the field of even characteristic we always have $\Delta({\mathbf{u}}, {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}}) = 0$, this definition makes sense only if $q$ is odd.
We also remark that $$\label{eq:D expand}
\begin{split}
\Delta({\mathbf{u}}, {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}}) &
= 2 \sum_{i=1}^n \(u_i^2 - u_i v_i - u_i w_i + v_iw_i\) =
\\
& = 2 \({\mathbf{u}} \cdot {\mathbf{u}} - {\mathbf{u}} \cdot {\mathbf{v}} -{\mathbf{u}}\cdot {\mathbf{w}}+{\mathbf{v}}\cdot{\mathbf{w}}\)= 2({\mathbf{u}}- {\mathbf{v}})\cdot({\mathbf{u}}- {\mathbf{w}}),
\end{split}$$ where ${\mathbf{a}}\cdot {\mathbf{b}}$ denotes the inner product of ${\mathbf{a}}, {\mathbf{b}} \in \F_q^n$. Thus, if $q$ is odd then $\Delta({\mathbf{u}}, {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}}) = 0$ if an only if $({\mathbf{u}}- {\mathbf{v}})\cdot({\mathbf{u}}- {\mathbf{w}}) = 0$, which correspond to the orthogonality at ${\mathbf{u}}$ and thus to the Pythagoras theorem.
Let $N(n,q)$ be the largest possible cardinality of a set $\cZ \subseteq \F_q$ such that all triples of distinct points ${\mathbf{u}}, {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}} \in \cZ$ define acute angle triangles.
We remark that [@HaIo Theorem 1.1] immediately implies that $$\label{eq:N gen}
N(n,q) = O(q^{(n+1)/2}),$$ where the implied constant depends only on $n$. In general, we do not know how to improve this bound. However for $n=2$ we obtain a stronger estimate.
\[thm: Main\] For a sufficiently large odd $q$, $$N(2,q) \le 2 q^{4/3}.$$
Additive Character Sums
=======================
Let $\Psi$ be the set of all additive characters of $\F_q$ and let $\Psi^*\subset \Psi$ be the set of all nonprincipal characters, see [@IwKow Section 11.1] for basic properties of additive characters. In particular, we also recall the identity $$\label{eq:ident}
\sum_{\psi \in \Psi} \psi(z) =
\left\{ \begin{array}{ll}
q,& \quad \text{if}\ z=0,\\
0,& \quad \text{otherwise},
\end{array} \right.$$ see [@IwKow Section 11.1].
For an additive character $\psi \in \Psi$ and $\alpha \in \F_q$, we define the Gauss sum $$G_\psi(\alpha) = \sum_{z \in \F_q} \psi(\alpha z^2) = \sum_{z \in \F_q} \chi(z)\psi(\alpha z)
\chi(\alpha) \sum_{z \in \F_q} \chi(z)\psi( z) = \chi(\alpha)G_\psi(1),$$ where $\chi$ is the quadratic character in $\F_q$ (which exists since $q$ is odd), and recall that $$\label{eq:Gauss}
|G_\psi| = q^{1/2},$$ for $\psi \in \Psi^*$ and $\alpha \in \F_q^*$, see [@IwKow Proposition 11.5].
Finally, given a set $\cZ \subseteq \F_q^n$, we define the triple character sum $$S_\psi(\cZ) = \sum_{{\mathbf{u}}, {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}}\in \cZ}
\psi \(\Delta({\mathbf{u}}, {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}})\).$$ Although we use our result on $S_\psi(\cZ)$ only in the case of $n=2$, here we present it in full generality as it may have some other applications.
\[lem: S sum\] For any $\psi \in \Psi^*$ and a set $\cZ \subseteq \F_q^n$, we have $$|S_\psi(\cZ)|^2\le \# \cZ q^n
\sum_{\substack{{\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}}, {\mathbf{x}}, {\mathbf{y}}\in \cZ\\
{\mathbf{v}} +{\mathbf{w}}= {\mathbf{x}}+{\mathbf{y}}}}
\psi\(2\({\mathbf{v}}\cdot{\mathbf{w}}-{\mathbf{x}}\cdot {\mathbf{y}}\)\).$$
We have $$|S_\psi(\cZ)| \le \sum_{{\mathbf{u}}\in \cZ}
\left| \sum_{ {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}}\in \cZ}
\psi \(\Delta({\mathbf{u}}, {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}})\)\right|.$$ Hence, recalling , we derive $$|S_\psi(\cZ)| \le \sum_{{\mathbf{u}}\in \cZ}
\left| \sum_{ {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}}\in \cZ}
\psi \(-2 \({\mathbf{u}} \cdot \({\mathbf{v}} +{\mathbf{w}}\)-{\mathbf{v}}\cdot{\mathbf{w}}\)\)\right|.$$ Note that since $\psi(-z) = \overline{\psi(z)}$, we can replace $-2$ with $2$. By the Cauchy inequality $$\begin{aligned}
\lefteqn{
|S_\psi(\cZ)|^2 \le \#\cZ \sum_{{\mathbf{u}}\in \cZ}
\left| \sum_{ {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}}\in \cZ}
\psi \(2 \({\mathbf{u}} \cdot \({\mathbf{v}} +{\mathbf{w}}\)-{\mathbf{v}}\cdot{\mathbf{w}}\)\)\right|^2}\\
& & \qquad \le \#\cZ \sum_{{\mathbf{u}}\in \F_q^n}
\left| \sum_{ {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}}\in \cZ}
\psi \(2 \({\mathbf{u}} \cdot \({\mathbf{v}} +{\mathbf{w}}\)-{\mathbf{v}}\cdot{\mathbf{w}}\)\)\right|^2\\
& & \qquad = \#\cZ \sum_{{\mathbf{u}}\in \F_q^n}
\sum_{ {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}}, {\mathbf{x}}, {\mathbf{y}}\in \cZ}
\psi \(2 \({\mathbf{u}} \cdot \({\mathbf{v}} +{\mathbf{w}}- {\mathbf{x}} - {\mathbf{y}}\)
-{\mathbf{v}}\cdot{\mathbf{w}}+ {\mathbf{x}}\cdot {\mathbf{y}}\)\)\\
& & \qquad = \#\cZ
\sum_{ {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}}, {\mathbf{x}}, {\mathbf{y}}\in \cZ}
\psi \(2 \( {\mathbf{x}}\cdot {\mathbf{y}}-{\mathbf{v}}\cdot{\mathbf{w}}\)\)
\sum_{{\mathbf{u}}\in \F_q^n}
\psi \(2 {\mathbf{u}} \cdot \({\mathbf{v}} +{\mathbf{w}}- {\mathbf{x}} - {\mathbf{y}}\)\).\end{aligned}$$ Finally, changing the order of summation, and replacing $2 {\mathbf{u}}$ with ${\mathbf{u}}$, we obtain $$|S_\psi(\cZ)|^2 \le \cZ
\sum_{ {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}}, {\mathbf{x}}, {\mathbf{y}}\in \cZ}
\psi \(2 \( {\mathbf{x}}\cdot {\mathbf{y}}-{\mathbf{v}}\cdot{\mathbf{w}}\)\)
\sum_{{\mathbf{u}}\in \F_q^n}
\psi \({\mathbf{u}} \cdot \({\mathbf{v}} +{\mathbf{w}}- {\mathbf{x}} - {\mathbf{y}}\)\).$$
By the orthogonality property of additive characters , we see that the inner sum vanishes if and only if $${\mathbf{v}} +{\mathbf{w}}- {\mathbf{x}} - {\mathbf{y}} = 0$$ in which case it equals $q^n$. Now renaming the variables $({\mathbf{v}},{\mathbf{w}}) \leftrightarrow ({\mathbf{x}},{\mathbf{y}})$, we conclude the proof.
Proof of Theorem \[thm: Main\]
==============================
Assume that for set $\cZ \subseteq \F_q^2$ all triples of distinct vectors ${\mathbf{u}}, {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}} \in \cZ$ define acute angle triangles. Fix an arbitrary quadratic non-residue $\alpha\in \F_q$. Then we see that the equation $$\Delta({\mathbf{u}}, {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}}) = \alpha z^2, \qquad
{\mathbf{u}}, {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}} \in \cZ, \ z \in \F_q,$$ has at most $$\label{eq:T upper}
T \le \(\# \cZ\)^2$$ solutions (which come only from the triples ${\mathbf{u}}, {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}} \in \cZ$ with $\Delta({\mathbf{u}}, {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}})=0$, that is, when ${\mathbf{u}} = {\mathbf{v}}$ or ${\mathbf{u}} = {\mathbf{w}}$).
On the other hand, from the orthogonality property of characters , we obtain $$T = \sum_{{\mathbf{u}}, {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}} \in \cZ} \
\sum_{z \in \F_q} \frac{1}{q} \sum_{\psi \in \Psi}
\psi\(\Delta({\mathbf{u}}, {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}}) - \alpha z^2\)
= \frac{1}{q} \sum_{\psi \in \Psi} G_\psi(-\alpha)S_\psi(\cZ).$$ The term corresponding to the principal character $\psi = \psi_0$ is equal to $\(\# \cZ\)^3$. Thus, recalling , we obtain $$\label{eq:T prelim}
\left|T - \(\# \cZ\)^3\right| \le q^{-1/2} R ,$$ where $$R = \sum_{\psi \in \Psi^*} |S_\psi(\cZ)|.$$ Now, by the Cauchy inequality $$R^2 = q \sum_{\psi \in \Psi^*} |S_\psi(\cZ)|^2.$$ Thus using Lemma \[lem: S sum\] and then exteding the summation to all $\psi \in \Psi$, we deduce $$R^2 \le \# \cZ q^3
\sum_{\psi \in \Psi } \sum_{\substack{{\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}}, {\mathbf{x}}, {\mathbf{y}}\in \cZ\\
{\mathbf{v}} +{\mathbf{w}}= {\mathbf{x}}+{\mathbf{y}}}}
\psi\(2\({\mathbf{v}}\cdot{\mathbf{w}}-{\mathbf{x}}\cdot {\mathbf{y}}\)\).$$ Changing the order of summation and using again, we obtain $$\label{eq:R and W}
R^2 = \# \cZ q^3
\sum_{\substack{{\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}}, {\mathbf{x}}, {\mathbf{y}}\in \cZ\\
{\mathbf{v}} +{\mathbf{w}}= {\mathbf{x}}+{\mathbf{y}}}} \sum_{\psi \in \Psi }
\psi\(2\({\mathbf{v}}\cdot{\mathbf{w}}-{\mathbf{x}}\cdot {\mathbf{y}}\)\) =\# \cZ q^4 W,$$ where $W$ is the number of solutions to the system of equations $${\mathbf{v}} +{\mathbf{w}}= {\mathbf{x}}+{\mathbf{y}} \mand {\mathbf{v}}\cdot{\mathbf{w}}={\mathbf{x}}\cdot {\mathbf{y}}$$ in ${\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}}, {\mathbf{x}}, {\mathbf{y}}\in \cZ$, which is the same as the number of solutions to the equation $${\mathbf{v}}\cdot{\mathbf{w}} = {\mathbf{x}}\cdot\({\mathbf{v}} +{\mathbf{w}}- {\mathbf{x}}\)$$ in ${\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}}, {\mathbf{x}}\in \cZ$. Clearly, when ${\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}}$ and one component of ${\mathbf{x}}$ are fixed, we obtain a nontrivial quadratic equation over $\F_q$ for the other component of ${\mathbf{x}}$. Therefore $$W \le 2 \(\# \cZ\)^2 q.$$ Substituting in , we obtain $$R^2 \le 2 \(\# \cZ\)^3 q^5.$$ In turn, inserting this estimate in yields $$\label{eq:T asymp}
\left|T - \(\# \cZ\)^3\right| \le \sqrt{2} \(\# \cZ\)^{3/2} q^2.$$ If $\# \cZ< 2 q^{4/3}$ then there is nothing to proof. Otherwise, $$\sqrt{2} \(\# \cZ\)^{3/2} q^2 \le \frac{1}{2} \(\# \cZ\)^3$$ thus, by we obtain $$T \ge \frac{1}{2} \(\# \cZ\)^3$$ which contradicts to , provided that $q$ is large enough.
Remarks
=======
Unfortunately the method of this paper, although works for any $n$, leads to a bound which is that same as for $n =3$ and is even weaker than for $n \ge 4$.
Furthermore, using the bound $$|S_\psi(\cZ)| \le \(\# \cZ\)^{2} q^{n/2}$$ (which is immediate from Lemma \[lem: S sum\]) in the argument of the proof of Theorem \[thm: Main\] one can recover the bound , but it does not seem to give anything stronger that this.
An alternative way to estimating $N(n,q)$ is via bounds of quadratic character sums $$T_\chi(\cZ) = \sum_{{\mathbf{u}}, {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}}\in \cZ}
\chi \(\Delta({\mathbf{u}}, {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}})\).$$ Using the same approach (via Cauchy inequality and extending summation over ${\mathbf{u}}\in \cZ$ to the full space $\F_q^n$) as in the proof of Lemma \[lem: S sum\], we obtain $$|T_\chi(\cZ)|^2 = \# \cZ \sum_{ {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}}, {\mathbf{x}}, {\mathbf{y}}\in \cZ}
\sum_{{\mathbf{u}}\in \F_q^n}
\chi \(\Delta({\mathbf{u}}, {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}}) \Delta({\mathbf{u}}, {\mathbf{x}}, {\mathbf{y}})\).$$ It is natural to conjecture that the inner sums admits a square root estimate and thus is $O(q^{n/2})$ unless $({\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}})$ is a permutation of $({\mathbf{x}}, {\mathbf{y}})$. One can derive that $N(n,q) = O(q^{n/2})$ from such a hypothetical bound. Unfortunately the highest form of the polynomial $$F_{ {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}}, {\mathbf{x}}, {\mathbf{y}}} ({\mathbf{U}}) =
\Delta({\mathbf{U}}, {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}}) \Delta({\mathbf{U}}, {\mathbf{x}}, {\mathbf{y}})
\in \F[{\mathbf{U}}]$$ is singular, so known analogues of the Deligne bound for multivariate character sums, see [@Katz; @Per], do not apply.
We recall that in $\R^n$, the largest number of vectors such that each three of them define an acute angle triangle is bounded by a function of $n$, see [@AckBen-Zw]. Although our bounds seem to be much higher that the true order of magnitude of $N(n,q)$, we observe that $\limsup_{p\to \infty} N(n,p) = \infty$. Indeed, by the result of Graham and Ringrose [@GrRi], there is an absolute constant $C > 0$ such that for infinitely many primes $p$ all nonnegative integers $z \le C \log p \log \log \log p$ are quadratic residues modulo $p$. Thus, for each such $p$ and an appropriate constant $c$, for the set $\cZ \subseteq \F_p$ formed by vectors with conponents in the interval $[1, c\sqrt{\log p \log \log \log p}]$ we have $$1 \le \Delta({\mathbf{u}}, {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}}) \le C \log p \log \log \log p$$ for any pairwise distinct ${\mathbf{u}}, {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}} \in \cZ$ and thus $\Delta({\mathbf{u}}, {\mathbf{v}}, {\mathbf{w}})$ is a quadratic residue. This implies $$\limsup_{p\to \infty} \frac{N(n,p)}{\(\log p \log \log \log p\)^{n/2}} > 0.$$
Acknowledgements {#acknowledgements .unnumbered}
================
The authors is grateful to Norman Wildberger for his suggestion of an $\F_q$-interpretation of acute angle triangles, which has been used here.
The authors would also like to thank Nick Katz for a useful discussion of some issues related to possible estimates of the quadratic character sums $T_\chi(\cZ)$.
During the preparation of this paper, the author was supported in part by ARC grant DP0556431.
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| 2024-02-10T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/9606 |
Q:
real time messaging
in my company there are more than 100 vehicles. And each vehicle has Windows Mobile device which is connected to internet over 3G.
My task is to write an application to be able to communicate with these vehicles real-time. Server and client side.
Here is the list that i have to take care.
Minimum bandwith use. (Socket? TCP or UDP???)
Connection is losing while on the move. Messages should be delivered succesfully.
Is there any protocol or server application suitable for these requirements?
Regards
Baro
A:
Just use HTTP, the overhead from HTTP headers isn't going to break the bandwidth bank.
The clients can just poll the server for the latest message. If the latest message has an ID difference greater than 1 from the last message the client has on record then the client can request the specific message ID it's missing directly (could be missing from a dropped client connection etc). A generic HTTP handler (ashx) or web service (asmx) is really all you need.
| 2024-02-22T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/2999 |
Activity Clubs
Middle School students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of elective extracurricular activity clubs that develop their passions and hone their skills. Student activity clubs coordinate environmental cleanups, sing in Chorus, design mobile apps, sponsor diversity-related events and much more. The clubs allow students to gain leadership experience and have fun while working together. Explore our activity clubs below.
Our campus chapter of Amnesty International works to promote and defend the human rights of people all the over world. Open to grades 6 through 9, the group meets once a week to write letters on behalf of people who are prisoners of conscience. It also works to raise funds to support the organization's worldwide humanitarian efforts. Our combined efforts have resulted in the release of prisoners, the preservation of life and the reunification of families.
The Applied Sciences Club focuses on computers and the software that makes them work. Students explore the basics of computer programming, including making Mac programs and iOS apps, with additional topics based on club members’ interests. The club is open to grades 7 through 9, and no prior experience with programming is necessary.
The Foote School Chorus is a singing ensemble for students in grades 6 through 9. Everyone is welcome, regardless of experience level. The Chorus fosters school spirit and a sense of community by making music together and singing a wide variety of genres and styles. The Chorus performs at major assemblies throughout the year.
The Community Council is an open organization for students in grades 6 through 9. The student-run council partners with the faculty and administration on a variety of initiatives. In addition, the group plans and executes activities for the Middle School and larger school community.
Drama gives seventh and eighth graders the opportunity to be part of a full-length play as actors, crew members, light and sound-board operators or production stage managers. Participants improve their acting skills and have fun being part of a major production in Foote’s black box theater. Recent productions have included The Mousetrap, Treasure Island and one-act plays by Chekhov, A.A. Milne, Moliere and Lucille Fletcher.
Environmental Action Group raises awareness about environmental challenges and how the school community can work toward solving them. The group sponsors a range of activities—from the Dark Day of Enlightenment and movie afternoons to neighborhood cleanups and school recycling initiatives—developing students' advocacy and leadership skills. EAG is responsible for leading the annual Earth Day Assembly and selecting a recipient for Foote’s Environmental Stewardship Award.
F-STAND spreads the message of the importance of being kind and inclusive and treating others with respect. The group is open to grades 7 through 9, and its goal is twofold: to help spread a positive message throughout the school to make Foote an even better place; and to encourage everyone in our community to grow in their understanding of differences of sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, religion, gender, socioeconomic situation, ability and family structure. F-STAND helps students and faculty to become more aware through initiatives in the Lower and Middle Schools that promote inclusivity. The group meets weekly to discuss topics such as stereotypes, prejudice, and identity, as well as current events and school issues. Club members are invited to apply to attend the Student Diversity Leadership Conference in their ninth grade year. All students are encouraged to attend the CAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference in April.
Footenotes is the school’s literary magazine and welcomes students in grades 6 through 9 who enjoy sharing and promoting student poetry, prose and artwork. Members of the Footenotes editorial staff review literary submissions from all grades. They read, discuss and select pieces of publication, and put together the magazine for publication in the spring. Footenotes has existed as a student-run publication at Foote School since 1931.
Foote Steps, the school’s yearbook, is created by a hardworking group of eighth and ninth graders. Working in small teams that take responsibility for particular sections: sports, activities, faculty, etc. Students take photos and use a desktop publishing program to design pages that create a representation of our school year.
The Foote School Jazz-Rock Ensemble is a truly creative "fusion" group. The band consists of instrumentalists and singers in grades 6 through 9 who love to make music and perform at school gatherings. Rehearsals involve improvisation and student input, resulting in encouraging collaborations that are energizing and fun.
Students in MathCounts work together to solve challenging math problems and prepare for competition with schools around Connecticut. The club offers students in grades 6 through 8 a fun way to enrich math skills and learn new methods of problem solving. Each December, there is a school MathCounts competition, and the top 10 finishers are selected to compete in a regional championship at Yale. From there, high performing students can go on to state and national finals. In the past two years, Foote has finished first and second in the state MathCounts competition.
In Model Congress, students in grades 7 through 9 learn to argue more effectively, learn about formal debate structure, and research and draft bills for consideration at the Packer Collegiate School’s Model Congress Summit in New York City in May. Through this activity, students learn about the formation of U.S. law, develop a greater understanding of causes they believe in, and begin to feel more empowered as emerging citizens. Students experience stimulating interactions and form friendships with other Model Congress participants from the metropolitan New York area.
Orchestra is open to students in grades 4 through 9 who play a string, woodwind, or brass instrument. Orchestra learns and prepares music for a variety of school performances throughout the year. The director is professional violinist Yaira Matyakubova, a faculty member at Music Haven and member of the Haven String Quartet.
SPI is the school’s student-run newspaper. SPI members hone interviewing, writing and storytelling skills while producing editorials, interviews, surveys, sports columns, videogame reviews, photography, cartoons, recipes and puzzles. SPI is published several times each semester for the school community.
Faculty Advisors: Ozler Kayaarasi, Lara Anderson
Each spring, students in Model Congress join peers from New York and Connecticut at Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn to debate model legislation. Foote students consistently win accolades for their debate skills and forward-looking legislation. | 2024-05-20T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/7600 |
Friday, April 6, 2018
Happy April! This month is particularly (and I mean insanely,
outrageously, horribly) busy for us as multiple client projects come due
and we also are working on a preview build of Lifeless Moon to submit
for PAX West in August. The dust will clear a little in May, but until
then we're just trying to stay sane.
Here's a quick look at the
astronaut notebook we're building for Lifeless Moon. This notebook will
contain log entries, documents, mission objectives, and scientific notes
based on your discoveries.
The notebook is being modeled after the actual Apollo mission "cuff
checklists" used on the moon. We're even using the exact font used in
the original:
We've also been working on a new jetpack mechanic. Lifeless Planet's
jetpack was...unique, and we were never 100% happy with it. In Lifeless
Moon, the jetpack you'll find has a more traditional "jetpack" feel. It
also allows more control in platforming without providing access to the
entire gameplay area. That last point is important because we feel like
something is lost in regards to story if you can simply jetpack up and
over any obstacle. In Lifeless Planet we addressed this by only enabling
"boost" from fuel canisters in certain areas. This felt a bit forced at
times, so we're hopeful the revised jetpack for Lifeless Moon will be a
big improvement all around.
Short update this time, but have to get back to work. Next month we'll have more progress to show with some new screens!
Thursday, March 1, 2018
Well, March 1st so time for another update, I guess! Goodness, despite
my best intentions, it seems we can't seem to get an update out more
than once a month so far. We'll keep working on that...
Preview Build
Our beta tester backers
have been reviewing the first preview build the last couple of weeks
here. If you're a beta tester and haven't reviewed the build, do it
soon! We'll end access to the preview Friday next week. Thank you to
everyone who's provided feedback. It's truly very helpful!
Project Status
Yesterday
was a big day: I played the game on Vive, then Oculus and then non-VR
with keyboard/mouse and gamepad and they all worked great (mostly!). We
still have work to do on the core code, but this is a big step to being
able to make this game playable in both VR and non-VR. I've handed the
project off to Jazon to work his magic and finish converting the legacy
JavaScript code to C#.
We here at Stage 2 central are turning now
to building out the environments and puzzles for the rest of the game.
We're focusing on the first half of the game and we may make that
available sooner than later (but still for one price for everybody--none
of that episodic, DLC nonsense). As usual, these things take longer to
develop than we hope, so if we can get it to you sooner this way, we
will...more on that later.
Still Hiring
We're still looking to add a Unity programmer, so if you or someone you know is interested in joining the team, check it out: http://stage2studios.com/jobs/
And
that's it for now. I'm SUPER excited about what we're going to be
working on in March... Much of the work up to now wasn't very visual so
it was harder to show WIP. That will change going forward, so look for
more updates soon.
Thursday, February 1, 2018
February 1st. How did that happen?! As usual, the time is flying by, but that's life in the fast lane, I guess. Thankfully, we have made some good headway since the last update.
Multiple Game Modes
Work on the back-end continues. We're trying to make this game playable (and fun) in VR and also without VR. One thing we discovered is that the "epic/cinematic" camera mode we're using in VR also looks really cool without VR. And we also learned that some people still get dizzy even with slow camera movements. So, we've decided to offer multiple camera modes in both VR and non-VR modes. This has meant a lot of time to make the game code aware of what the heck it's dealing with (VR headset? Monitor? Game controller? VR touch controller? Keyboard and mouse?...) There are a ton of moving parts, but this stuff has to be dealt with up-front or we'll have a huge mess on our hands later.
One cool thing we landed on was a cursor design for when in non-VR mode so you know what objects are interactive. We didn't want a cross-hair style reticle, and then we realized (Logan's suggestion iirc) we could use the Lifeless Moon logo. Notice how it changes when you roll over an interactive object:
Visual Effects Work
It's always hard to show progress without some sense of mild spoilers. Without too much discussion here, let me say we are working on some interesting visual effects for the game. They're proving challenging, but that's because we're doing something new and I'm excited at how this will pan out. Here's an early test render of one of the animated models we're working on:
Thanks as always for your support and especially for your patience! We're stretched thin most days but rest assured we're working hard to bring this project to life.
Friday, January 5, 2018
Happy New Year from Lifeless Moon!
Well as usually happens, I can't believe it's been so long since the last update. Definitely overdue. The truth is, work is progressing, but slowly. The holidays got in the way of course, but the biggest issue is client work. Our largest client has been keeping us extra busy the last two months. We have to take the work to pay the bills, but it cuts into dev time.
So at long last we've decided to hire an additional programmer. Without another team member we're just not going to be able to pick up the pace. Thankfully, we have the capacity to hire. And since you guys are our strongest supporters, we wanted to let you be the first to know about this opportunity. If you or a friend have experience with Unity game programming, please reach out and let's talk! We'll be very selective and careful with this hire, but that's why we're coming to you: we want somebody on the team who believes in the Stage 2 mission of creating awesome science-themed apps and games. Please check out the link if you are interested: http://stage2studios.com/jobs/
Progress Update
We're in the process of re-working the code so A.) the character control is more refined and B.) the code is all moved over from javascript (aka UnityScript) to C#. Lifeless Planet was built entirely (almost) with javascript and we've since learned there are a great many shortcomings with that language. It's really a kind of Franken-code, borrowing a bit from javascript, but other parts from C# and generally just being a pain to write clean and reliable code.
In addition to the programming side of things, Logan continues to make good headway on the art side. He's got a lot more 3D models built for the world and I'm excited to add the interaction that will bring them to life.
We've also made some good headway on puzzle design and also the full game "walk-through" doc that we're using to set up the pacing and refine the story and flow of the game.
I promise we won't wait so long for the next update and we'll share a peek at what's coming.
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
This is an exciting day for fans of Lifeless Planet and science fiction. Be one of the first to see the announce trailer for our next indie adventure! We're still early in development, but we couldn't wait to share what we're working on. Play the video above, check out these screenshots below, learn more about the game, sign up for updates, and watch this site for future announcements. | 2024-06-10T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/9835 |
Conventionally, in an observation trip regarding an installation for a factory, or the like, observers observe an actual installation or facility, or observe a prepared panel or video. On the other hand, for example, Patent Document 1 proposes a system to overlay-display element information corresponding to the site on an actual site image imaged by a portable terminal or the like, according to the movement of an observer.
In dangerous worksite areas, e.g., at a factory or a construction site, the dangerous area is indicated with a visual warning such as paint, a sign or other posted warning. Since indications of these dangerous spots (dangerous spot indications) are stationery, in general, indications and signs are posted throughout the range where there may be a danger.
There may be cases where a dangerous area is always dangerous, and there may be cases where it is dangerous only during a particular period of time. For example, crane operation site in a factory, the area below a hanging load becomes a dangerous spot only when the crane is in operation. | 2024-06-01T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/5937 |
To PET or not to PET? That is the question. Staging in anal cancer.
Anal cancer is a rare tumour accounting for ∼2% of all colorectal cancers between 1997 and 2000 in the UK. Staging is still dominated by DRE (digital rectal examination), computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) imaging. The role of PET as a definitive modality is still emerging and there are relatively few adequate studies in the literature. We looked at patients treated radically for anal cancer at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre (UK) between 2009 and 2010. Eighty-eight patients underwent treatment according to data-based coding records of which 46 had positron emission tomography (PET)/CT scans. Notes were unavailable for three patients. We compared staging following conventional modalities (DRE, MRI and CT) and PET/CT scans for these 43 patients. In 18 patients, the PET/CT stage differed from MRI. PET/CT altered the stage in 42% of patients but changes in subsequent management were not implemented. Our data show that PET/CT does alter staging in a significant number of cases although it did not lead to change in management under the current guidelines. Furthermore, there is agreement that PET/CT shows greater sensitivity for detection of lymph nodes and our study has demonstrated a distinct trend towards upstaging of anal cancer with PET/CT. | 2023-12-25T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/6767 |
Reduction of cellular damage induced by cerebral ischemia in rats.
A model of incomplete cerebral ischemia involving bilateral ligation of the common carotid arteries in rats, was used to examine the potential of a Chinese herbal preparation and of nifedipine to reduce cell damage following cerebral ischemia. The herbal preparation contained ginsengosides and extracts of Panax notoginseng, Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort., Carthamus tinctorius L. and Salvia militorrhiza Bge. Histological evidence of cell damage and the formation of peroxidation products were both reduced in rats pretreated with the herbal preparation or with nifedipine. It has been suggested that the free radical reaction is involved in tissue damage, particularly in the pathological neurocyte injury of cerebral ischemia. The results show that in this model of incomplete cerebral ischemia, the degree of lipid peroxidation can be lowered by the pretreatment with Chinese herbs containing ginsengosides or with nifedipine. These drugs maybe beneficial in the treatment of cerebral ischemia in humans. | 2024-01-22T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/1630 |
Step one: fully stir the paint with stirring rod before start. If there is bubble in it, wait about ten minutes and the bubble will disappear.
Step two: put paint in the printing tool
Step three: place the printing tool in the wall corner; press the mould tightly on the wall; scrape paint on the wall with scraper blade
Step four: after the pattern of mould is applied on the wall, remove the excessive paint on the mould; lift the mould in direction perpendicular to wall
Step five: make sure the pattern is scattered on the wall uniformly
Step six: use soft mould to print pattern when the wall area is not enough in longitudinal and horizontal direction.
Inspection method of liquid wallpaper
After liquid wallpaper applied on the wall, home owner needs to check the quality of wallpaper. On one side, quality checking can find the mistake made during wallpaper pasting and fix it timely to prolong its service life; on the other hand, the most important function of liquid wallpaper is decoration, quality checking can guarantee the decoration effect of liquid wallpaper.
1 There is no blister, bulging, crack, warping, wrinkle and blotchy on the painted wall surface. The wall surface is smooth when watch from wall side. The wallpaper connected tightly with picture molding, veneer board and skirting line.
2 The pattern at the joint is identical and connected properly. The pattern at the joint is integrated and no seam found when observing from 1.5m distance.
3 The edges and corners are clear after painting. There is front lighting in internal corner and no joint seam at external corner.
Maintenance tips for liquid wallpaper
Daily cleaning tip: When the wall is stained, do not scrape the stain with sharp tools without dust proof finishing coat. Wipe the stain slightly with limited amount of clean water. Remove the dust on wall with duster at fixed time.
When the wall is damaged, do not repair it with other painting. Professional can make it as fresh as new. Read wallpaper maintenance tips here. | 2023-12-18T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/8509 |
By NewsGram Staff Writer
A five-year-old boy has unearthed what scientists believe to be a 100-million-year-old dinosaur, behind a local shopping complex in Texas.
The rare fossil was found last year by Wylie Brys while digging with his father Tim Brys to find remnants of marine life which were underwater during the Jurassic Period.
The discovery took place on a patch of land behind a shopping centre in Mansfield last September.
Tim Brys, a worker at Dallas Zoo said, “He (Wylie) walked up ahead of me and found a piece of bone. It was a pretty good size and I knew I had something interesting.”
Scientists from the Southern Methodist University (SMU) helped extract the fossil and believe it could be the land-dwelling pony-sized creature, Nodosaur.
According to reports from Dallas News, the fossils have been placed in burlap and plaster to create a protective shell around the bones.
They will be transmitted to SMU for further cleaning where scientists will try to assemble the bones and study the fossil. | 2024-06-20T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/1996 |
The present disclosure is directed to cyclic alkene derivatives stabilized with one or more stabilizer compounds to reduce or eliminate residue formation upon evaporation of such compositions, and methods for use of such compositions to form dielectric films.
The semiconductor industry requires numerous types of thin and thick films to prepare semiconductor devices, many of which are based on silicon. The elemental composition of these films is typically some combination of silicon and carbon with various combinations of oxygen, hydrogen, and fluorine. Relevant patents are: U.S. Pat. No. 6,914,335, Andideh et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,846,515, Vrtis et al. A frequently used process is chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and there are numerous variations of this process.
In a typical chemical vapor deposition process, a silicon containing compound is introduced into a deposition chamber containing a substrate to be coated. The silicon containing compound is then chemically or physically altered (i.e., reacted with another component, or subjected to application of an energy source such as radiation, heat (thermal CVD), or plasma (PECVD), etc.) to deposit a film on the substrate. Deposited films containing only silicon and oxygen (i.e., silicon oxide) have a dielectric constant of approximately 4 in the absence of pores, while films that also contain carbon (i.e., carbon doped silicon oxide) and/or pores often have dielectric constants lower than 4. Films with a dielectric constant below about 2.7 are preferred for newer semiconductor devices. A relevant patent is: U.S. Pat. No. 6,583,048, Vincent et al.
The properties of a layer deposited on a substrate, such as dielectric constant, film hardness and refractive index, are influenced by changing the composition of the chemistry that is fed into the film deposition tool and the process employed. The film properties can be tuned by changing the identity of the silicon containing compound by using a different flow gas, by using one or more different reactive gases, or by using post-deposition anneal techniques. Another means to affect the layer properties is to use a combination of silicon containing compounds or to combine a silicon containing compound(s) with one or more additive compounds. These techniques can be employed to alter the chemical composition of the film to adjust the film to the desired properties. Relevant patents are: U.S. Pat Nos. 6,633,076, 6,2176,58, 6,159,871, 6,479,110 and 6,756,323.
An alternative method of use for the additive compound is to employ compounds whose fragments or atoms are only temporarily resident in the film. The film can be post-treated to drive the fragments or atoms out of the film using radiation or a combination of radiation and reactive gases, such as oxygen, to create voids in the resulting film. This approach affects the properties (e.g. dielectric constant) of the deposited film. The compounds employed in this manner are described as porogens.
Typical porogens used in this type of approach are predominately composed of carbon and hydrogen. Relevant patents are: U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,846,515 and 6,756,323.
High volume semiconductor manufacturing places stringent demands on the equipment and on the purity and stability of the chemistries that flow through the equipment. Even trace amounts of some contaminants can degrade the properties of a deposited film. A chemical that is sent through chemical lines and a vaporizer means is expected to transport and vaporize cleanly and leave behind little or no residue during extended use. The longer a piece of equipment can operate between scheduled or unscheduled maintenance periods (such as, to clean out chemical lines or a vaporizer means that is fouled or clogged with polymeric residue), the more productive the tool is, making it more cost-effective. A deposition tool that must be shut down often for cleaning and maintenance is not as appealing to semiconductor manufacturing customers. Thus, continuous, long term operation of equipment is desirable. Vaporizer means can include several types of vaporization apparatuses, including, but not limited to, heated vaporizers (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,604,492, 5,882,416, 5,835,678, and references therein), bubbler ampoules (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,979,545, 5,279,338, 5,551,309, 5,607,002, 5,992,830 and references therein), flash evaporators (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,536,323 and references therein) and misting apparatuses (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,451,260, 5,372,754, 6,383,555, and references therein).
These purity and stability requirements are often difficult to achieve. Many materials may oxidize, polymerize or rearrange to some degree. Even small amounts of such byproducts may be undesirable for many semiconductor applications.
1,3,5,7-Tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane (TMCTS) is a representative silicon containing compound which can be employed to produce low k dielectric films and is an example of the difficulty in maintaining stability. Initial work to establish reliable manufacturing processes was hampered by the product gelling at different points in the deposition process, including the chemical lines, vapor delivery lines, and within the deposition chamber. This indicated that the stability of pure TMCTS was not sufficient, and a variety of additives were studied. It was found that stabilizers were highly effective to stabilize TMCTS against exposure to air, specifically oxygen, for extended periods of time at ambient or elevated temperatures. When stabilizer-stabilized TMCTS is used now in semiconductor manufacturing, processes are more stable, and gel formation in a deposition tool is reduced significantly. A relevant patent is Teff et al. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0127070. | 2024-06-25T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/8016 |
Q:
Multiple values for a powershell alais
I want to create an alias that will display my home directory and all of it's sub-directories.
The alias that I can create is-
new-alias -name myd -value get-childitem
But I need to display both the home directory and sub directories using one command. Can I assign multiple values for an alias?
A:
You should create a function and do that:
function myd {Get-ChildItem -Recurse }
Then alias that if you wish:
New-Alias -Name myname -Value myd
You can directly call the "myd" also.
| 2024-06-18T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/7224 |
Q:
Finding the point at which a line and plane intersect
I was wondering if someone would be able to help me with this question:
"Your friend asks you to help perform some design checks on a stadium's floodlights. He gives you a sketch of the proposed layout using a vector coordinate system where the third coordinate, z, represents the vertical direction.
The seating will be fixed to a planar concrete deck supporting structure with corners at A = (25,10,0), B = (-15,20,0), C= (-12,34,8) and D = (28,24,8). The floodlight is positioned 20m in the air at position F = (-35,0,20) and its spotlight is pointing in the direction u = (2,2,-1)
Your maths lecturer has been invited the attend the opening ceremony as a guest of honour and as such has been allocated a seat at the point directly in the middle of the seating deck at point Q.
a) Find the position vector of point P, the place on the seating deck at which the floodlight is exactly pointing"
I'm not really sure how to go about this question. I have found the equation of the line in which the spotlight is pointing:
r = (-35,0,20) + µ(2,2,-1)
However, I am not really sure how to find the equation of the plane and then how to find where the line and plane intersect
EDIT:
Okay I have managed to do most of it but am struggling with the last part
So far I have got:
AB = (-40,10,0) and DA = (-3,-14,-8)
This then gives me the equation of the plane as:
(25,10,0)+s(-40,10,0)+t(-3,-14,-8)
I then made this equal my line equation to get three equations:
1) 25-40s-3t = -35+2μ
2) 10+10s-14t = 2μ
3) 8t = 20-μ
However I'm now confused as to how to solve these
A:
The equation of a plane is given by $\mathbf r(s,t) = \mathbf r_0 + s\mathbf v_1 + t\mathbf v_2$, where $\mathbf r_0$ is a vector pointing to one point on the plane, and $\mathbf v_1$ and $\mathbf v_2$ are two noncollinear vectors parallel to the plane. This problem technically describes a planar segment as opposed to a plane -- but that just means that $s$ and $t$ are restricted to some subsets of the reals.
You have $4$ points in your plane: $A$, $B$, $C$, $D$. You can thus find vectors parallel to your plane by taking differences of these vectors. In particular, one vector parallel to your plane will be $\mathbf v = \vec{AB} = \vec{OA} - \vec{OB}$.
Now can you figure out how to find $\mathbf r_0$, $\mathbf v_1$, and $\mathbf v_2$?
Once you have equations for your plane and your line, finding the intersection is as simple as setting the two equations equal to each other and solving for $s$ and $t$ or $\mu$. Then plug those back into their respective equations to get $(x,y,z)$.
| 2023-12-25T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/5670 |
El Suelo Vuelos 10/5
Another home run from L'Atelier cigar company. Made by the Garcia family and blended by Tatuaje's Pete Johnson, this cigar is stunningly consumer price conscious, yet offers a premium cigar experience far greater than its price tag. This smoke includes a habano oscuro wrapper, broadleaf binder, and pure Nicaraguan long leaf and some broadleaf fillers to give a blend that is true to everything Pete Johnson puts out. Don't overlook this outstanding smoke - there's room in the budget for El Suelo.
Another home run from L'Atelier cigar company. Made by the Garcia family and blended by Tatuaje's Pete Johnson, this cigar is stunningly consumer price conscious, yet offers a premium cigar experience far greater than its price tag. This smoke includes a habano oscuro wrapper, broadleaf binder, and pure Nicaraguan long leaf and some broadleaf fillers to give a blend that is true to everything Pete Johnson puts out. Don't overlook this outstanding smoke - there's room in the budget for El Suelo.
El Suelo Vuelos 10/5
Another home run from L'Atelier cigar company. Made by the Garcia family and blended by Tatuaje's Pete Johnson, this cigar is stunningly consumer price conscious, yet offers a premium cigar experience far greater than its price tag. This smoke includes a habano oscuro wrapper, broadleaf binder, and pure Nicaraguan long leaf and some broadleaf fillers to give a blend that is true to everything Pete Johnson puts out. Don't overlook this outstanding smoke - there's room in the budget for El Suelo.
Famous Smoke is a secure retailer of the finest cigars online at the web's best prices. Please note that Famous Smoke Shop does not sell tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21 (or the minimum age in your local jurisdiction, whichever is higher). Note also that it is unlawful to even attempt to purchase cigars below the minimum age. If you are not of legal age, please do not enter our site. For more information on how we verify age click here. | 2024-07-31T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/8311 |
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Blogging at WAP Today!
"Having flown the earth for 300 million years, dragonflies symbolize our ability to overcome times of hardship. Sighting a dragonfly is meant to remind us to take time to reconnect with our own strength, courage and happiness."
2 comments:
Hi Stacey, thanks for sharing your birthday card with us on the blog! It brought tears to my eyes. I have been depressed the last few days. I had a stressful week, a death in the family, craziness at work, and then my 40th birthday today.
You know how much I love dragonflies, and the words really inspired me! | 2023-11-12T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/4789 |
[Living donor kidney transplant: the role of the nephrologist].
Living donor kidney transplant is the best available treatment for chronic kidney disease. The nephrologist plays a key role in activating and promoting this program. The ''historical'' mistrust surrounding it is easily overcome by the current knowledge of the benefits and safety of this type of transplant. The complexity of its organization could from now on be the only constraint on its more widespread use. Only a well-trained nephrologist and the activation of an efficient predialysis program will be able to overcome this obstacle and to make this transplant modality available to an ever increasing number of patients. | 2023-12-05T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/1783 |
dan's pixel character shop
orders that may be completed someday when I get some employees for this shop: another OC and ncro's requestmy orders completed: baseball, endersmash's OC and a pineapple.-RULES-the pixel character has to be simple unless someone else is doing it because I don't do shading and complicated thingsI will put the character in a project with the link to it in my replyto be an employee you have to make 1 thing for me and you can join if I deem it acceptableremember to copy and paste my lenipedeAND NO NONSENSE (cept lenipedes)-EMPLOYEES-@DanTheScratchCrafter (owner) | 2023-10-05T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/9061 |
In major news for Chinese coffee lovers, Starbucks Coffee Company is set to open its new Starbucks Reserve Roastery tomorrow, December 6th, in Shanghai. Marketed as the first fully immersive coffee experience in Asia, the Roastery is already rounding out to be Starbucks’ most ambitious project ever. Major attractions of the new 2,700 square-meter espresso wonderland include a two-story copper cask, three different coffee bars, an integrated augmented reality (AR) experience, and a 3D printed tea bar.
While Starbucks may no longer hold the monopoly it once did over the American coffee market, the international cafe chain is doing remarkably well in China, where it first set up shop in 1999. Now, nearly 20 years later, China is Starbucks’ fastest growing market, with a new store opening every 15 hours.
As executive chairman Howard Schultz notes, Starbucks’ success in China presents an unparalleled opportunity for the global consumer brand. “The affinity we have built with our partners (employees) and customers over the past 18 years in China is special,” says Schultz, who notes that the metropolitan hub and consumer gateway Shanghai is the perfect location for the new premium store. With the Reserve Roastery, Schultz says, “We’ve created a space that both recognizes and celebrates our 46-year history of coffee leadership and retail innovation with China’s rich, diverse culture.”
That celebration goes well beyond the glitz of the new experiential marketing site. As part of the Reserve Roastery’s grand opening, The Starbucks Foundation and Starbucks China have announced their plan to donate $20 million USD (RMB 132 million) over the next five years to drive social impact in communities across China. The charitable donation is part of the Starbucks Foundation’s ongoing commitment to contribute meaningful and enduring social impact through poverty alleviation. “Strengthening partner-driven and locally-relevant community engagement” are just some of the buzzwords floating around the new initiative, which will see the introduction of Yunnan Reserve coffee, grown in Pu’er, exclusively at the Shanghai Reserve Roastery.
But let’s get back to the specs. When customers enter the massive new Roastery building, which measures up at 2,700 square-meters (30,000 square-feet), they’ll be greeted by a two-story copper cask adorned with over a thousand hand-engraved Chinese stamps, collectively narrating the story of Starbucks coffee. Three wooden coffee bars stretching up to 27 meters (88 feet) long and handcrafted by Chinese artisans will serve as the stage for hundreds of baristas and six brewing methods: ModBar Pour Over, Chemex, Coffee Press, Siphon, Espresso and the proprietary Clover-brewed coffee. Customers will be able to watch green beans being roasted and sent through copper “symphony” pipes, where they’ll end up either in silos at the Roaster’s coffee bars or in the in-house distribution line for packaging.
Next up is the 3D printed Teavana Bar, which Starbucks is calling an entirely modern tea experience specifically designed for Chinese customers. Using fine tea ingredients, the bar’s “tea curators” will handcraft new brews through Starbucks’ classic tea mixology, as well as using more surprising processes such as nitrogen and tea. The tea bar itself is quite the marvel, as the only tea bar 3D printed from recycled materials, boasting a light jade colour with dark shadows to represent tea stains formed over time in a teapot.
Throughout the Reserve Roastery, customers will also be able to point their mobile devices at key features to unlock an immersive AR experience. Available on the custom-designed Roastery digital web app platform and Alibaba’s Taobao app, the AR platform will incorporate a digital menu and share details of the coffee bars and brewing methods, in addition to other online and offline experiences. Each step of the way, customers unlock virtual badges that, at the end, can be redeemed for the Roaster’s custom social media filter.
All in all, the multi-sensory experience should certainly be a force to be reckoned with. Located strategically at 789 Nanjing Road W. on one of the busiest shopping streets in the world, the new Starbucks Reserve Roastery is set to make a serious impact, both in China and beyond. Check it out for yourself starting December 6th. | 2024-05-23T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/8836 |
Who is Going to Direct the ‘He-Man’ Movie?
Sony recently admitted they need franchises as they're plotting to pump out a new 'Spider-Man' movie every year. It seems another possible franchise for the studio is a big screen adaptation of 'Masters of the Universe,' and now that Jon M. Chu is off the project, they've narrowed their list to three filmmakers who could bring us the adventures of Prince Adam and his alter ego He-Man.
The Wrap is reporting that Mike Cahill, Chris McKay and Harald Zwart are the three directors who are most likely to get the gig. Zwart is the most successful of the three as he has been working in the studio system for a while (and mostly for Sony) with films like 'The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones' and 'The Karate Kid' remake. He comes across as the safest choice.
Less safe would be Mike Cahill, who has made two films that have premiered at Sundance: 2011's 'Another Earth' and this year's 'I Origins.' He seems like an outside-the-box choice, and it would be odd for him to go from indie auteur to a tentpole filmmaker on a franchise like this (though he wouldn't be the first), but perhaps he's passionate about the project. The Wrap suggests that the studio is most hot for Chris McKay, who has been a director on 'Robot Chicken' and recently edited 'The LEGO Movie.' He's the one most likely to bring a comic touch to the proceedings, but it's hard to know what approach the studio is going for as Terry Rossio (recently of 'The Lone Ranger' but is best known for his work on the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' films) wrote the current draft. The good news for whoever gets it: The bar was set low by the 1987 film version. | 2023-11-01T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/8730 |
The tight-rope walk of using historical settings in games, and the enemies that exist inside those settings, is a tricky one. One Joystiq writer, while watching game play from Call of Duty: World at War, was unable to continue viewing the game because of his feelings about the racial makeup of the enemy.
The writer describes his experience viewing the game as such: "It made me think about my grandmother, who as a little girl was shipped with her family from their farm in California to an internment camp in Arizona. It made me think of her brother and brothers-in-law who were drafted into the United States military and fought, with pride, in the war in Europe. It reminded me of the shame I felt as a child when teased. An inheritance of lingering hatred." He then says he won't view any more from the game, or play it. That's a very personal thing based on someone's life experiences, and I have no problem with it.
Then I read this, and my draw dropped. "I have a very personal problem with demonizing the Japanese. I don't feel that way about the Nazis. I draw a disconnect between Nazis and Germans as large as the divide between 'alien' and human. The Nazis have been transformed into monsters, which does not need to be justified in my gaming," he wrote.
That's an amazing sentence, and made me really think about how often the German people have been used as the bad guys in games. The Nazi party was just that, a political party. Saying there is a huge gulf between the German people and the Nazi characters would would be like saying it's okay to kill Republicans in a game, but you have issues with Americans being the bad guys. These two groups were never mutually exclusive, although they're also not interchangeable.
The Nazis weren't monsters, they were people who did terrible things. The party was huge, participation was nearly compulsory, and people tend to forget that not every German serving in the army worked in the camps. They were people, and they were not unique; studies show that more people than you think would be more than willing to kill if they were told it was okay by someone in authority. As with most noteworthy instances of history being made, it was normal people in extraordinary circumstances; there was nothing inherently evil about the way many German soldiers served. Unfortunately, the German people are now always portrayed as monsters, killers, empty-eyed targets in game after game. My son goes to a German language school, and it's not a rare thing for someone to crack a joke about World War II when they hear him speak the language.
We shudder at Nazi iconography because of the images we carry with us of the Holocaust and persecution from that time period, but even that reaction is limited and simplified. Germans and Catholics were sent to the camps too, remember. As were homosexuals and Romani.
The issue of creating bad guys in video games is an important one, and it's sad that conversations about World War II, the issues of responsibility and duty, and even the nature of evil get lost because we're all so comfortable turning the very human people who fought on both sides of that war into either heroes or villains. The one-note portrayal of German people isn't okay just because in your mind they're alien, and having a gut reaction when you see a people you more readily identify with act monstrously should give you more of an understanding that just because someone doesn't look like you, doesn't mean that they are any less human, or that they don't deserve to be placed in the proper place, within the proper context, of history. | 2023-11-18T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/3270 |
Witness the now-legendary CNN chyron — that’s the line of headline text gracing the bottom of the screen during every news story — which has taken to reminding viewers, often in cheeky parentheticals, what exactly one should think. Here’s a doozy from February: “WH: TRUMP HAS BEEN TOUGHER ON RUSSIA IN ONE YEAR THAN OBAMA WAS IN EIGHT (NO, HE HASN’T).” On Thursday, in response to a rather fluffy White House–sponsored “Sports and Fitness Day,” CNN got weirdly ponderous: “TRUMP AND FITNESS: AN EXERCISE IN HYPOCRISY?” During my brief yet torturous airport restaurant foray, the network’s chyron read something like — and please forgive my paraphrasing, but I was desperately trying to ignore the TV blaring over my head — “TRUMP FALSELY SLAMS ‘SPYING’ DURING HIS CAMPAIGN (ISN’T HE CRAZY? IT WAS AN ‘INFORMANT,’ NOT A SPY!).” | 2024-06-18T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/6768 |
import logging
import sys
from django.conf import settings
from django.core.management.base import BaseCommand
from django.utils.module_loading import autodiscover_modules
from huey.consumer import Consumer
from huey.consumer_options import ConsumerConfig
from huey.consumer_options import OptionParserHandler
logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
class Command(BaseCommand):
"""
Queue consumer. Example usage::
To start the consumer (note you must export the settings module):
django-admin.py run_huey
"""
help = "Run the queue consumer"
_type_map = {'int': int, 'float': float}
def add_arguments(self, parser):
option_handler = OptionParserHandler()
groups = (
option_handler.get_logging_options(),
option_handler.get_worker_options(),
option_handler.get_scheduler_options(),
)
for option_list in groups:
for short, full, kwargs in option_list:
if short == '-v':
full = '--huey-verbose'
short = '-V'
if 'type' in kwargs:
kwargs['type'] = self._type_map[kwargs['type']]
kwargs.setdefault('default', None)
parser.add_argument(full, short, **kwargs)
parser.add_argument('-A', '--disable-autoload', action='store_true',
dest='disable_autoload',
help='Do not autoload "tasks.py"')
def handle(self, *args, **options):
from huey.contrib.djhuey import HUEY
# Python 3.8+ on MacOS uses an incompatible multiprocess model. In this
# case we must explicitly configure mp to use fork().
if sys.version_info >= (3, 8) and sys.platform == 'darwin':
import multiprocessing
multiprocessing.set_start_method('fork')
consumer_options = {}
try:
if isinstance(settings.HUEY, dict):
consumer_options.update(settings.HUEY.get('consumer', {}))
except AttributeError:
pass
for key, value in options.items():
if value is not None:
consumer_options[key] = value
consumer_options.setdefault('verbose',
consumer_options.pop('huey_verbose', None))
if not options.get('disable_autoload'):
autodiscover_modules("tasks")
logger = logging.getLogger('huey')
config = ConsumerConfig(**consumer_options)
config.validate()
# Only configure the "huey" logger if it has no handlers. For example,
# some users may configure the huey logger via the Django global
# logging config. This prevents duplicating log messages:
if not logger.handlers:
config.setup_logger(logger)
consumer = Consumer(HUEY, **config.values)
consumer.run()
| 2024-05-16T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/9527 |
WSJ: A Very Gloomy Picture Of Larry Page's Short Tenure As Google CEO - chugger
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903352704576536521984562128.html
Challenges have piled up for Mr. Page since he assumed his post in April. They include a broad U.S. antitrust probe of the company's practices; the settlement of a long-running criminal investigation into Google's advertising business; and shifting industry forces that led him to make a deal to buy mobile-device maker Motorola Mobility Holdings..
======
m0th87
In his short tenure, he's shipped Google+, coordinated the redesign of several
Google properties and reorganized the entire company [1].
Even if he wasn't focused on these long-term projects, it would be foolish to
judge him this early on. This piece speaks more about the cynicism of WSJ than
of Page & Google.
1:
[http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/04/exclusive...](http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/04/exclusive-
google-ceo-larry-page-completes-major-reorganization-of-internet-search-
giant.html)
~~~
chugger
I absolutely agree with you but unfortunately, none of those you mentioned are
currently creating "value" for shareholders, which is what these short-sighted
Wall Street analysts are looking for.
In fact, two things that "destroyed" value (at least in the short term)
happened under Larry's watch. 1) 12.5 Billion acquisition of Motorola 2) $500
Million settlement with the DOJ.
Read my other comment below for more details.
------
mindstab
Ha they dropped 9.1% compared to the market's 8.4%? So the only dropped 0.7%
below market average. That's really not so much. Sounds like they are trying
to make it seem larger by phrasing it that way. The whole article seems a
little sensational. A lot of this stuff doesn't have so much to do with him.
~~~
ramanujan
This whole article is quite silly. It puts a negative spin on his tenure as
CEO by downplaying the single most important fact: under Page, Google+
actually shipped, and was actually good! Gundotra and Horowitz led the
operation, true, but it's hard to believe Larry Page wasn't heavily involved
with that.
All the rest is short term ephemera. 9.1% vs. 8.4% is, as you note, nothing.
The Motorala deal is for the patents, and they'll probably spin off the
hardware end after the deal closes. Expensive but well within Google's budget.
As for the $500 million payment, the federal government is suing every company
it's not bailing out. Nowadays some sort of federal shakedown is just a cost
of doing business in the US, unfortunately. Heck, some guy even recently tried
to get Dropbox in trouble with the FTC. You get big enough and you're just a
target for all kinds of this stuff.
In his short tenure, Page cleaned house, fired tons of nonperforming "VP
Bizdev" types, and catalyzed nothing short of an engineering renaissance at
Google. Google+ in particular is tremendous for internal company morale and
has stemmed the tide of defections to FB. Page knows what's important, but
Amir Efrati, the author of this Journal piece, clearly does not.
~~~
ansy
I think the jury is still out on the Motorola deal. That is a lot of money
just for patents. Even for Google's checkbook. And if Google intends to spin
off the hardware business expect it to take an even bigger loss on its
investment.
If Google+ stemmed defections to Facebook that is a good thing. But hopefully
a lot more is in store than what Google+ delivered. It was not nearly enough
to undo Facebook's market dominance.
Eric might have found another solution to the Motorola merger if he was
heading the company. But who knows if it would have been better. He already
passed on both Palm and Sun. Together they would still have been much less
than Motorola and probably twice as useful.
~~~
joebadmo
From a blog post[1] I wrote:
_Nortel: $4.5B / 6,000 patents = $750k per patent.
MMI: ($12.5B - $5.5B (cash and assets)) / 14,300 patents = $489,510.49 per
patent.
Plus 6,700 patents pending.
Plus a hardware company._
It was a lot of money. But it looks like a pretty good deal against the market
rate, if the Nortel deal was any indication.
Schmidt is still executive chairman.
[1]: [http://blog.byjoemoon.com/post/9026076073/google-motorola-
an...](http://blog.byjoemoon.com/post/9026076073/google-motorola-and-patents)
------
smoody
If you don't subscribe to WSJ (like me), then you can pull the full article by
clicking on it from a google search results page:
[http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8...](http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=For+Google+CEO+Larry+Page%2C+a+Difficult+Premiere+Role)
~~~
andrewljohnson
Doesn't work for me... probably have cookies?
~~~
nickgeiger
I deleted all WSJ cookies then clicked the link from the Google search results
and it worked.
------
jbooth
So, apparently the order went out, and with typical news corp subtlety the WSJ
is going after Google. Last week the piece with them and Apple, now this.
So who wants to speculate on motivations: Murdoch business interest? Or a
sense that Google and Obama are friends?
------
saturdaysaint
It's always been easy to point out a few Google products that essentially own
their category and a few more that are dying quietly on the vine. What would
really worry me is if that culture of calculated gambles goes away.
------
yuvipanda
That didn't sound gloomy to me at all. Quite the opposite, in fact.
------
abbott
sensationalist (headline, article, author, etc.).
| 2024-01-25T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/7986 |
Q:
How to paint background of part of shape in SVG file?
I have a shape I'm doing in my application. This is the shape:
I'm trying to paint only part of it (the white squares). What is the best approach to it? I thought about drawing every square individually then fill the background of them one by one as I need.
Is there a way to take the SVG file of the whole shape and then background fill just a part of it?
A:
You would need some way of defining which area you want to fill so you may as well fill the area for the path itself.
In the SVG markup you would do this by identifying the path for you 'white squares' and adding fill="white" it will look something like this:
<path d="M10 10 H 90 V 90 H 10 Z" fill="white"/>
| 2024-01-04T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/6451 |
Phil Arvia: Butkus 'born to coach'
Monday
Jul 30, 2007 at 12:01 AMJul 30, 2007 at 2:08 AM
Ron Turner claims he knew years ago Luke Butkus would one day be a coach, having seen the potential back at Illinois, where the current Bears offensive coordinator recruited the young giant out of Bloom High School to play center for the Fighting Illini.
Phil Arvia
Ron Turner claims he knew years ago Luke Butkus would one day be a coach, having seen the potential back at Illinois, where the current Bears offensive coordinator recruited the young giant out of Bloom High School to play center for the Fighting Illini.
He didn’t learn until this year at least one other member of the Bears organization has known of Butkus’ teaching bent for quite some time, as well.
“When I hired Luke, Olin (Kreutz) made the statement, ‘Hey, when Luke was here, he was an undrafted free agent trying to make the team, and he’s trying to coach me. I’m like, ‘Hey, what are you doing?’ ” Turner said.
What would have been a natural reaction — when Butkus was in camp with the Bears in 2002, Kreutz was coming off his first Pro Bowl start — went unconfirmed by Kreutz. Asked about the tale, Kreutz smiled broadly and referred all questions to Butkus, who was hired in February to be the Bears’ assistant offensive line coach.
That would be unlikely, judging by the general stammering and mildly flushed face Butkus developed upon the launching of this topic.
“I, I — you know. I don’t know if I want to answer this, because if I do answer it, there’ll be some repercussions,” Butkus said.
Apparently, there were some repercussions for the rookie Butkus, which coach Butkus referred to only after succumbing to the pressure of repeated questioning. It seems the Bears were running a drill, and Butkus had a suggestion as to how Kreutz might want to go about it.
“I just so happened to say, ‘You could try it like this,’ or ‘You could try it this way,’ rather than the way he was accustomed to doing it,” Butkus said. “And it just, at that particular moment, Olin wasn’t really having that.
“The way he puts it is I was telling him, ‘Do this.’ I think maybe I was just offering some advice. I don’t know why. But ... I was just so nervous as a rookie and I wanted to do everything right, I guess it just kind of slipped out.”
Butkus would slip out of Bears camp a few weeks later, cut. He latched on with San Diego’s practice squad, where he spent the 2002 season, before playing two seasons in NFL Europe. His playing days ended in the Houston Texans’ training camp in 2004.
Turner, for one, was surprised.
“I think Luke had the ability to play at this level, in the right situation,” Turner said. “But he’s taken all the things that made him a good player, and they’re making him a good coach. He was a very good player, a very smart player, and very sound, technique-wise.”
After two seasons as a graduate assistant at Oregon, Butkus leaped at an offer to reunite with his Illinois mentors, Turner and offensive line coach Harry Hiestand, when former Bears O-line assistant Harold Goodwin went to the Steelers.
“An opportunity is all I’ve ever wanted as a player or a coach — it just so happens this opportunity came in my favorite place,” Butkus said. “I had a great experience out in Oregon — great coaches, people and players — but it’s amazing to work for your home team, the team I grew up watching — and there’s obviously some family ties.”
Well, yes. Dick Butkus, Luke’s uncle, was perhaps the greatest of all the Bears’ great linebackers. But Turner and Hiestand are like family, as well.
“Sometimes I still think they’re looking at me as that 17-year-old kid coming from Steger,” Butkus said.
“But at the same time, they’re bringing me along, they’re teaching me — and not just the playing aspects, but the way to approach things, the way to handle your time as a coach, how to prepare and work. There’s a lot of different things besides just teaching me the X’s and O’s.”
It’s all part of the job Butkus knew he might someday take.
“I wanted to play 10 years, like everyone, but it didn’t work out,” Butkus said. “I always knew that if it didn’t work out, hopefully I could do the coaching aspect of it.
“I’ve had my first taste of it, and it’s great. I love it.”
It shows, even to the members of the Bears line who are older than their new 28-year-old instructor.
“You can learn from anybody (regardless of age),” Kreutz, 30, said. “Luke’s a great guy. He’s a hard worker and he was a technique guy even when he played, so he knows a lot about the position.”
“He’s going to be a great coach,” John Tait, 32, said. “Some people are just kind of born to coach. They can’t help but give pointers and things like that.”
For his part, Butkus says he really isn’t instructing too much.
“I’m learning more from them than I’m teaching,” he said. “What I’m doing is helping those guys prepare, any way I can, to win.”
And he’s preparing for a new career path.
“Five or 10 years from now, I want to still be coaching,” he said. “Whether it’s as a coordinator or a head coach, college or pros, I don’t know.
“Right now, though, I just want to do this job the best I can.”
Phil Arvia can be reached at parvia@dailysouthtown.com or
(708) 633-5949. Read his blog at http://blogs.dailysouthtown.com/arvia. | 2023-08-15T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/4463 |
package samples;
import java.util.List;
import javaxfake.annotation.Generated;
import net.karneim.pojobuilder.GwtIncompatible;
@Generated("PojoBuilder")
public class OrderBuilder
implements Builder<Order>, Cloneable {
protected OrderBuilder self;
protected Recipient value$recipient$samples$Recipient;
protected boolean isSet$recipient$samples$Recipient;
protected Builder<? extends Recipient> builder$recipient$samples$Recipient;
protected List<Item> value$items$java$util$List;
protected boolean isSet$items$java$util$List;
protected Builder<? extends List<Item>> builder$items$java$util$List;
/**
* Creates a new {@link OrderBuilder}.
*/
public OrderBuilder() {
self = (OrderBuilder)this;
}
/**
* Sets the default value for the {@link Order#recipient} property.
*
* @param value the default value
* @return this builder
*/
public OrderBuilder withRecipient(Recipient value) {
this.value$recipient$samples$Recipient = value;
this.isSet$recipient$samples$Recipient = true;
return self;
}
/**
* Sets the default builder for the {@link Order#recipient} property.
*
* @param builder the default builder
* @return this builder
*/
public OrderBuilder withRecipient(Builder<? extends Recipient> builder) {
this.builder$recipient$samples$Recipient = builder;
this.isSet$recipient$samples$Recipient = false;
return self;
}
/**
* Sets the default value for the {@link Order#items} property.
*
* @param value the default value
* @return this builder
*/
public OrderBuilder withItems(List<Item> value) {
this.value$items$java$util$List = value;
this.isSet$items$java$util$List = true;
return self;
}
/**
* Sets the default builder for the {@link Order#items} property.
*
* @param builder the default builder
* @return this builder
*/
public OrderBuilder withItems(Builder<? extends List<Item>> builder) {
this.builder$items$java$util$List = builder;
this.isSet$items$java$util$List = false;
return self;
}
/**
* Returns a clone of this builder.
*
* @return the clone
*/
@Override
@GwtIncompatible
public Object clone() {
try {
OrderBuilder result = (OrderBuilder)super.clone();
result.self = result;
return result;
} catch (CloneNotSupportedException e) {
throw new InternalError(e.getMessage());
}
}
/**
* Returns a clone of this builder.
*
* @return the clone
*/
@GwtIncompatible
public OrderBuilder but() {
return (OrderBuilder)clone();
}
/**
* Creates a new {@link Order} based on this builder's settings.
*
* @return the created Order
*/
@Override
public Order build() {
try {
Order result = new Order();
if (isSet$recipient$samples$Recipient) {
result.recipient = value$recipient$samples$Recipient;
} else if (builder$recipient$samples$Recipient != null) {
result.recipient = builder$recipient$samples$Recipient.build();
}
if (isSet$items$java$util$List) {
result.items = value$items$java$util$List;
} else if (builder$items$java$util$List != null) {
result.items = builder$items$java$util$List.build();
}
return result;
} catch (RuntimeException ex) {
throw ex;
} catch (Exception ex) {
throw new RuntimeException(ex);
}
}
}
| 2024-04-29T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/5687 |
Traumatic bitemporal hemianopsia: case report.
Bitemporal hemianopsia due to trauma to the optic chiasm is uncommon following head injury. In the patient described, a hemianopic field defect was seen 12 days after frontal basilar skull fracture. We feel the cause is intrachiasmatic contusion, edema, and hemorrhage. Serial ophthalmologic examinations and possibly use of steroids are recommended. | 2023-10-11T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/5269 |
Affiliate links may have been used in this post. To read our full disclosure, click here.
Congratulations to our winner: Karen Delaney
Instant Pots are all the rage right now in the foodie world. Everyone is buying them or putting them on their wishlists! Why? Well, let me tell you.
The Instant Pot it an amazing machine that can cook anything in record time. Bone broth? No problem – forget the 24 hours in the crockpot… you can make the most amazing gelatinous bone broth in just 2 hours! That means, you can cook a roasted chicken for dinner, toss the carcass in the Instant Pot with some veggies and BAM – bone broth in 120 minutes!
You can make a spaghetti squash in 8 minutes, BBQ Pulled Chicken in 25 minutes, AIP “Chocolate” Cake in 18 minutes, mouth-watering Swedish Meatballs in 35 minutes, and even make yogurt. I use it to make coconut milk yogurt – YUM!
If you are on the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) like we are, then you know how tiring it can be to mix it up when it comes to cooking. It is easy to get stuck in a rut and eat the same things over and over…..and over. That is one of the reasons I am super excited about The Paleo AIP Instant Pot Cookbook. That, and Jen is a contributing author and the recipes are AMAZING!
Would you like to get your hands on The Paleo AIP Instant Pot Cookbook? Enter to win a copy for yourself! If you do not want to wait, you can grab your copy now!
To celebrate the launch of The Paleo AIP Instant Pot Cookbook, we are giving away an INSTANT POT!! Scroll down to enter!
The Paleo AIP Instant Pot Cookbook contains 141 Autoimmune Protocol Compliant recipes that will help you to simplify your time in the kitchen! Did you know you can make CAKE in the Instant Pot? Me neither!
Inside The Paleo AIP Instant Pot Cookbook you will find:
Autoimmune Protocol at-a-glance
Instant Pot tips & facts
Over 140 recipes for: broths, sauces, vegetables, meat, poultry, seafood, offal, and dessert – as well as special diet modifications and resources.
The Paleo AIP Instant Pot Cookbook is a compilation of 37 bloggers/recipe developers who have used the AIP to improve their own health. Over half the recipes can easily be modified for Low-FODMAP, GAPS/SCD, and Coconut-Free Diets. (Charts are included at the back of the cookbook.)
The Paleo AIP Instant Pot Cookbook brings delicious, hassle-free, one-pot, healthy, 100% AIP recipes to your table, making healing from autoimmune disease as easy as pressing a button! –Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, Ph.D., New York Times bestselling author of The Paleo Approach
We have some preview recipes for you so you can get an idea of the awesomeness you will find in this beauty!
Click the links below to view the full recipe!
Are you ready to enter to win an INSTANT POT? I thought so!
[giveaway id=3539] | 2023-12-30T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/7250 |
Ion beam implanters are widely used in the process of doping workpieces. An ion beam implanter generates an ion beam comprised of desired species of positively charged ions. The ion beam impinges upon an exposed surface of a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer, substrate or flat panel, thereby “doping” or implanting the workpiece surface with desired ions. Some ion implanters utilize serial implantation wherein a single wafer workpiece is positioned on a support in an implantation chamber and implanted. The implantation occurs one workpiece at a time. The support is oriented such that the workpiece is in front of the ion beam and is scanned to implant a desired dosage of ions. When the implantation is complete, the workpiece is removed from the support and another workpiece is positioned on the support for implantation.
In recent years, the trend in the semiconductor industry has been to use increasingly larger wafer workpieces, for example, 300 mm. diameter wafers. The ability to implant large wafer workpieces or other workpieces such as flat panels serially has become very desirable. One way to implant a workpiece serially is to move it within an evacuated process or implantation chamber in front of a scanned or broad ion beam. U.S. Pat. No. 6,710,360 B2 to Ferrara, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, discloses a workpiece support structure that provides: a rotation member rotatably affixed to process chamber for changing an implantation angle of the workpiece with respect to the ion beam within the process chamber and a translation member movably coupled to the rotation member and supporting the workpiece for linear movement along a path of travel. The translation member moves the workpiece along a direction of movement such that, for any desired implantation angle, a distance traversed by ion beam within the implantation chamber before striking the implantation surface of the workpiece is substantially constant.
One issue with regard to the translation member is that of contamination. If the translation member is housed within or is in fluid communication with the evacuated implantation chamber, dopant and photoresist material dislodged from a workpiece during implantation tend to coat the translation member components causing early failure of the translation member. Of even greater importance are particulates which may be deposited on the workpiece being implanted. If the translation member and associate harnessing are within the implantation chamber or are in fluid communication with the implantation chamber, particulates emitted by these components during linear movement of the translation member may be deposited on the workpiece thereby contaminating it. Since even minute amounts of particulate matter on a workpiece may cause a workpiece to be rejected, workpiece contamination is of paramount importance.
What is desired is a workpiece support structure that effectively isolates the translation member from the implantation chamber evacuated interior region. | 2023-11-10T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/9438 |
Guam EPA files civil suit against Taitano property owners
Todu Y Nilala T Tano Man Uno ā¢ All Living Things Are One
Guam EPA files civil suit against Taitano property owners
The Guam Environmental Protection Agency (Guam EPA) and the Guam Attorney General’s Office today announced the government has filed a civil suit against Joseph S. Taitano and Rosalind Carmen C. Taitano in the Superior Court of Guam.
The suit alleges the defendants own and operate an illegal dump in Yigo. The case states the defendants received money for allowing household waste, tires, metallic waste, junk vehicles and other debris to be disposed of on their property illegally.
“Given the extreme damage to the environment, cost to the government and overall negligent actions of the defendants, we are pursuing civil litigation to help bring the case to a successful close. Typically our Agency takes action through the Notice of Violation and Order of Compliance method. In this situation, we determined the government needed to take additional steps to rectify the situation,” said Guam EPA Administrator Eric M. Palacios. “To our knowledge, this is the first civil lawsuit filed on behalf of the government for damages outlined in Guam’s environmental law.”
“It is our duty not only to protect our people, but also to protect our environment. People need to take pride in where they live and take notice of their surroundings so we can preserve our precious natural resources including land, water, and air, for future generations,” stated Attorney General Leonardo M. Rapadas.
The suit asks the Superior Court to order that the defendants pay no less than $250,000 in damages, pay $3,630,000 in penalties per defendant, pay for clean up costs to remove waste from the site or cap the waste, pay for landfill closure and post-closure requirements that meet federal requirements, pay for a groundwater monitoring plan, drill well boring holes and conduct water testing of the aquifer for two years and pay for any remediation of any pollution of the aquifer.
The complaint states that the defendants have injured public health and the environment by “unlawful storage, burning, disposal and/or receipt of waste.” The complaint also states that the defendants actions resulted in the “receipt of invasive species, odors, fires, smoke and noxious fumes…potentialy damaging Guam’s sole source aquifer through toxic leachate.”
As evidence of the impact to public health and the environment, the suit cites the deep-seated fires at the site in 2009 on June 6, June 29, July 17, July 21, Aug. 15, Sept. 21 and January and May 2010. The fire in 2010 was so bad that the Governor issued an Executive Order declaring a state of emergency. The Government of Guam spent approximately $250,000 responding to the fire that year.
A Scheduling Conference is set for Friday, Aug. 17.
The complaint in the civil case was filed in May. The Attorney General’s office served Mr. Taitano with the complaint yesterday morning.
For more information about the case, contact Tammy Jo Anderson Taft at 475-1646/988-7582 or TammyJoAnderson.Taft@epa.guam.gov. | 2024-07-31T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/1981 |
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fresh partisan divisions flared on Sunday on the next steps for the U.S. Congress in dealing with the coronavirus crisis, with the top House of Representatives Republican casting doubt on the need for more economic stimulus legislation while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signaled she plans to move forward with it.
U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) speaks to the media after a meeting in the office of House U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to wrap up work on coronavirus economic aid legislation, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Washington, U.S., March 22, 2020. REUTERS/Mary F. Calvert
President Donald Trump on Friday signed into law a $2.2 trillion aid package - the largest on record - to address the economic downturn inflicted by the coronavirus pandemic after the Democratic-led House and Republican-led Senate put aside partisan differences to pass it nearly unanimously.
It was the third legislative package approved by lawmakers to address the mounting crisis.
Trump on Sunday left open the possibility that he would support a fourth relief bill, telling reporters he was prepared to do “whatever’s necessary” to save lives and bring back the economy.
But House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy was more cautious in comments that aired earlier in the day.
“I’m not sure we need a fourth package,” McCarthy told the Fox News program “Sunday Morning Futures,” noting he wants to see the first three packages take effect first.
Pelosi, the top Democrat in Congress, told CNN’s “State of the Union” program that the three bills already signed into law were merely a “down payment.”
“We have to do more,” Pelosi said, adding that the existing bills do not provide enough because “every single day, the need grows.”
“We have to pass another bill that goes to meeting the need more substantially than we have. We have other issues that we have to deal with in the bill in terms of personal protective equipment and OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) rules that protect workers,” Pelosi said.
“We have to do more on family medical leave. We have to be able to make people who get tested also have their visit to the doctor covered,” Pelosi added.
‘MORE SUPPORT’
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said on Sunday he expects the stimulus package signed by Trump on Friday will provide economic relief overall for about 10 weeks. Mnuchin said his main focus now is on carrying out its provisions to get money to Americans as soon as possible.
“We also have the (coronavirus) task force and the medical professionals making recommendations to the president about when they think the economy will be re-opened, and if for whatever reason this takes longer than we think, we will go back to Congress and get more support for the American economy,” Mnuchin said on the CBS program “Face the Nation.”
“But I hope that’s not needed,” Mnuchin added.
McCarthy’s comments illustrated the continuing tensions between the two parties in Congress, raising questions about just how quickly they could come together to pass a fourth legislative package.
“What concerns me is when I listen to Nancy Pelosi talk about a fourth package now. It’s because she did not get in the things she really wanted,” McCarthy said, mentioning election law and environmental policy changes and funding for women’s healthcare and abortion provider Planned Parenthood as initiatives he accused Pelosi of wanting to pursue.
The latest rescue package included a $500 billion fund to help hard-hit industries and a comparable amount for direct payments of up to $3,000 apiece to millions of U.S. families. It also provided $350 billion for small-business loans, $250 billion for expanded unemployment aid and at least $100 billion for hospitals and related health systems.
Republican Senator Rick Scott criticized the latest round of stimulus legislation even though he voted for it, saying it will hurt economic recovery because “we’ve created incentive for somebody to stay home rather than go to work because they make more money being at home.”
Governors in numerous states have closed non-essential businesses and taken other steps to try to slow the spread of the pathogen. | 2023-11-11T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/3074 |
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| 2024-02-26T01:26:19.665474 | https://example.com/article/5430 |
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