text stringlengths 12 4.76M | timestamp stringlengths 26 26 | url stringlengths 32 32 |
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Q:
InvalidArgumentError (see above for traceback): indices[1] = 10 is not in [0, 10)
I am using tensorflow 1.0 CPU on ubuntu and python 3.5.
I adapted an example of tensorflow to work on my own dataset https://github.com/martin-gorner/tensorflow-mnist-tutorial
It works fine as long as the number of outputs is under 10. When the number of outputs is above 10,I get the error:
InvalidArgumentError (see above for traceback): indices[1] = 10 is not in [0, 10)
[[Node: Gather_4 = Gather[Tindices=DT_INT64,
Tparams=DT_FLOAT,
validate_indices=true,
_device="/job:localhost/replica:0/task:0/cpu:0"](grayscale_to_rgb, ArgMax_4)]]
Any help?
A:
I also came across the same error, and after fiddling with it for 2 days I came to realize there are 2 main reasons this error was getting thrown for my code and I mentioned them below to help anyone struggling with the same problem:
The dimensions of your data and your labels being different
In my case, the problem was
that when building my vocabulary I have indexed the words from 1 and
not from 0. But the embedded layer starts indexing from 0. So it
kept giving me the mentioned error. I fixed the error by indexing my
vocabulary from 0.
previous code:
dictionary = Counter(words)
sorted_split_words = sorted(dictionary, key=dictionary.get, reverse=True)
vocab_to_int = {c: i for i, c in enumerate(sorted_split_words, 1)}
to fix it I changed the last line to (removed 1):
vocab_to_int = {c: i for i, c in enumerate(sorted_split_words)}
| 2024-03-01T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/1369 |
*> \brief <b> SGBSVX computes the solution to system of linear equations A * X = B for GB matrices</b>
*
* =========== DOCUMENTATION ===========
*
* Online html documentation available at
* http://www.netlib.org/lapack/explore-html/
*
*> \htmlonly
*> Download SGBSVX + dependencies
*> <a href="http://www.netlib.org/cgi-bin/netlibfiles.tgz?format=tgz&filename=/lapack/lapack_routine/sgbsvx.f">
*> [TGZ]</a>
*> <a href="http://www.netlib.org/cgi-bin/netlibfiles.zip?format=zip&filename=/lapack/lapack_routine/sgbsvx.f">
*> [ZIP]</a>
*> <a href="http://www.netlib.org/cgi-bin/netlibfiles.txt?format=txt&filename=/lapack/lapack_routine/sgbsvx.f">
*> [TXT]</a>
*> \endhtmlonly
*
* Definition:
* ===========
*
* SUBROUTINE SGBSVX( FACT, TRANS, N, KL, KU, NRHS, AB, LDAB, AFB,
* LDAFB, IPIV, EQUED, R, C, B, LDB, X, LDX,
* RCOND, FERR, BERR, WORK, IWORK, INFO )
*
* .. Scalar Arguments ..
* CHARACTER EQUED, FACT, TRANS
* INTEGER INFO, KL, KU, LDAB, LDAFB, LDB, LDX, N, NRHS
* REAL RCOND
* ..
* .. Array Arguments ..
* INTEGER IPIV( * ), IWORK( * )
* REAL AB( LDAB, * ), AFB( LDAFB, * ), B( LDB, * ),
* $ BERR( * ), C( * ), FERR( * ), R( * ),
* $ WORK( * ), X( LDX, * )
* ..
*
*
*> \par Purpose:
* =============
*>
*> \verbatim
*>
*> SGBSVX uses the LU factorization to compute the solution to a real
*> system of linear equations A * X = B, A**T * X = B, or A**H * X = B,
*> where A is a band matrix of order N with KL subdiagonals and KU
*> superdiagonals, and X and B are N-by-NRHS matrices.
*>
*> Error bounds on the solution and a condition estimate are also
*> provided.
*> \endverbatim
*
*> \par Description:
* =================
*>
*> \verbatim
*>
*> The following steps are performed by this subroutine:
*>
*> 1. If FACT = 'E', real scaling factors are computed to equilibrate
*> the system:
*> TRANS = 'N': diag(R)*A*diag(C) *inv(diag(C))*X = diag(R)*B
*> TRANS = 'T': (diag(R)*A*diag(C))**T *inv(diag(R))*X = diag(C)*B
*> TRANS = 'C': (diag(R)*A*diag(C))**H *inv(diag(R))*X = diag(C)*B
*> Whether or not the system will be equilibrated depends on the
*> scaling of the matrix A, but if equilibration is used, A is
*> overwritten by diag(R)*A*diag(C) and B by diag(R)*B (if TRANS='N')
*> or diag(C)*B (if TRANS = 'T' or 'C').
*>
*> 2. If FACT = 'N' or 'E', the LU decomposition is used to factor the
*> matrix A (after equilibration if FACT = 'E') as
*> A = L * U,
*> where L is a product of permutation and unit lower triangular
*> matrices with KL subdiagonals, and U is upper triangular with
*> KL+KU superdiagonals.
*>
*> 3. If some U(i,i)=0, so that U is exactly singular, then the routine
*> returns with INFO = i. Otherwise, the factored form of A is used
*> to estimate the condition number of the matrix A. If the
*> reciprocal of the condition number is less than machine precision,
*> INFO = N+1 is returned as a warning, but the routine still goes on
*> to solve for X and compute error bounds as described below.
*>
*> 4. The system of equations is solved for X using the factored form
*> of A.
*>
*> 5. Iterative refinement is applied to improve the computed solution
*> matrix and calculate error bounds and backward error estimates
*> for it.
*>
*> 6. If equilibration was used, the matrix X is premultiplied by
*> diag(C) (if TRANS = 'N') or diag(R) (if TRANS = 'T' or 'C') so
*> that it solves the original system before equilibration.
*> \endverbatim
*
* Arguments:
* ==========
*
*> \param[in] FACT
*> \verbatim
*> FACT is CHARACTER*1
*> Specifies whether or not the factored form of the matrix A is
*> supplied on entry, and if not, whether the matrix A should be
*> equilibrated before it is factored.
*> = 'F': On entry, AFB and IPIV contain the factored form of
*> A. If EQUED is not 'N', the matrix A has been
*> equilibrated with scaling factors given by R and C.
*> AB, AFB, and IPIV are not modified.
*> = 'N': The matrix A will be copied to AFB and factored.
*> = 'E': The matrix A will be equilibrated if necessary, then
*> copied to AFB and factored.
*> \endverbatim
*>
*> \param[in] TRANS
*> \verbatim
*> TRANS is CHARACTER*1
*> Specifies the form of the system of equations.
*> = 'N': A * X = B (No transpose)
*> = 'T': A**T * X = B (Transpose)
*> = 'C': A**H * X = B (Transpose)
*> \endverbatim
*>
*> \param[in] N
*> \verbatim
*> N is INTEGER
*> The number of linear equations, i.e., the order of the
*> matrix A. N >= 0.
*> \endverbatim
*>
*> \param[in] KL
*> \verbatim
*> KL is INTEGER
*> The number of subdiagonals within the band of A. KL >= 0.
*> \endverbatim
*>
*> \param[in] KU
*> \verbatim
*> KU is INTEGER
*> The number of superdiagonals within the band of A. KU >= 0.
*> \endverbatim
*>
*> \param[in] NRHS
*> \verbatim
*> NRHS is INTEGER
*> The number of right hand sides, i.e., the number of columns
*> of the matrices B and X. NRHS >= 0.
*> \endverbatim
*>
*> \param[in,out] AB
*> \verbatim
*> AB is REAL array, dimension (LDAB,N)
*> On entry, the matrix A in band storage, in rows 1 to KL+KU+1.
*> The j-th column of A is stored in the j-th column of the
*> array AB as follows:
*> AB(KU+1+i-j,j) = A(i,j) for max(1,j-KU)<=i<=min(N,j+kl)
*>
*> If FACT = 'F' and EQUED is not 'N', then A must have been
*> equilibrated by the scaling factors in R and/or C. AB is not
*> modified if FACT = 'F' or 'N', or if FACT = 'E' and
*> EQUED = 'N' on exit.
*>
*> On exit, if EQUED .ne. 'N', A is scaled as follows:
*> EQUED = 'R': A := diag(R) * A
*> EQUED = 'C': A := A * diag(C)
*> EQUED = 'B': A := diag(R) * A * diag(C).
*> \endverbatim
*>
*> \param[in] LDAB
*> \verbatim
*> LDAB is INTEGER
*> The leading dimension of the array AB. LDAB >= KL+KU+1.
*> \endverbatim
*>
*> \param[in,out] AFB
*> \verbatim
*> AFB is REAL array, dimension (LDAFB,N)
*> If FACT = 'F', then AFB is an input argument and on entry
*> contains details of the LU factorization of the band matrix
*> A, as computed by SGBTRF. U is stored as an upper triangular
*> band matrix with KL+KU superdiagonals in rows 1 to KL+KU+1,
*> and the multipliers used during the factorization are stored
*> in rows KL+KU+2 to 2*KL+KU+1. If EQUED .ne. 'N', then AFB is
*> the factored form of the equilibrated matrix A.
*>
*> If FACT = 'N', then AFB is an output argument and on exit
*> returns details of the LU factorization of A.
*>
*> If FACT = 'E', then AFB is an output argument and on exit
*> returns details of the LU factorization of the equilibrated
*> matrix A (see the description of AB for the form of the
*> equilibrated matrix).
*> \endverbatim
*>
*> \param[in] LDAFB
*> \verbatim
*> LDAFB is INTEGER
*> The leading dimension of the array AFB. LDAFB >= 2*KL+KU+1.
*> \endverbatim
*>
*> \param[in,out] IPIV
*> \verbatim
*> IPIV is INTEGER array, dimension (N)
*> If FACT = 'F', then IPIV is an input argument and on entry
*> contains the pivot indices from the factorization A = L*U
*> as computed by SGBTRF; row i of the matrix was interchanged
*> with row IPIV(i).
*>
*> If FACT = 'N', then IPIV is an output argument and on exit
*> contains the pivot indices from the factorization A = L*U
*> of the original matrix A.
*>
*> If FACT = 'E', then IPIV is an output argument and on exit
*> contains the pivot indices from the factorization A = L*U
*> of the equilibrated matrix A.
*> \endverbatim
*>
*> \param[in,out] EQUED
*> \verbatim
*> EQUED is CHARACTER*1
*> Specifies the form of equilibration that was done.
*> = 'N': No equilibration (always true if FACT = 'N').
*> = 'R': Row equilibration, i.e., A has been premultiplied by
*> diag(R).
*> = 'C': Column equilibration, i.e., A has been postmultiplied
*> by diag(C).
*> = 'B': Both row and column equilibration, i.e., A has been
*> replaced by diag(R) * A * diag(C).
*> EQUED is an input argument if FACT = 'F'; otherwise, it is an
*> output argument.
*> \endverbatim
*>
*> \param[in,out] R
*> \verbatim
*> R is REAL array, dimension (N)
*> The row scale factors for A. If EQUED = 'R' or 'B', A is
*> multiplied on the left by diag(R); if EQUED = 'N' or 'C', R
*> is not accessed. R is an input argument if FACT = 'F';
*> otherwise, R is an output argument. If FACT = 'F' and
*> EQUED = 'R' or 'B', each element of R must be positive.
*> \endverbatim
*>
*> \param[in,out] C
*> \verbatim
*> C is REAL array, dimension (N)
*> The column scale factors for A. If EQUED = 'C' or 'B', A is
*> multiplied on the right by diag(C); if EQUED = 'N' or 'R', C
*> is not accessed. C is an input argument if FACT = 'F';
*> otherwise, C is an output argument. If FACT = 'F' and
*> EQUED = 'C' or 'B', each element of C must be positive.
*> \endverbatim
*>
*> \param[in,out] B
*> \verbatim
*> B is REAL array, dimension (LDB,NRHS)
*> On entry, the right hand side matrix B.
*> On exit,
*> if EQUED = 'N', B is not modified;
*> if TRANS = 'N' and EQUED = 'R' or 'B', B is overwritten by
*> diag(R)*B;
*> if TRANS = 'T' or 'C' and EQUED = 'C' or 'B', B is
*> overwritten by diag(C)*B.
*> \endverbatim
*>
*> \param[in] LDB
*> \verbatim
*> LDB is INTEGER
*> The leading dimension of the array B. LDB >= max(1,N).
*> \endverbatim
*>
*> \param[out] X
*> \verbatim
*> X is REAL array, dimension (LDX,NRHS)
*> If INFO = 0 or INFO = N+1, the N-by-NRHS solution matrix X
*> to the original system of equations. Note that A and B are
*> modified on exit if EQUED .ne. 'N', and the solution to the
*> equilibrated system is inv(diag(C))*X if TRANS = 'N' and
*> EQUED = 'C' or 'B', or inv(diag(R))*X if TRANS = 'T' or 'C'
*> and EQUED = 'R' or 'B'.
*> \endverbatim
*>
*> \param[in] LDX
*> \verbatim
*> LDX is INTEGER
*> The leading dimension of the array X. LDX >= max(1,N).
*> \endverbatim
*>
*> \param[out] RCOND
*> \verbatim
*> RCOND is REAL
*> The estimate of the reciprocal condition number of the matrix
*> A after equilibration (if done). If RCOND is less than the
*> machine precision (in particular, if RCOND = 0), the matrix
*> is singular to working precision. This condition is
*> indicated by a return code of INFO > 0.
*> \endverbatim
*>
*> \param[out] FERR
*> \verbatim
*> FERR is REAL array, dimension (NRHS)
*> The estimated forward error bound for each solution vector
*> X(j) (the j-th column of the solution matrix X).
*> If XTRUE is the true solution corresponding to X(j), FERR(j)
*> is an estimated upper bound for the magnitude of the largest
*> element in (X(j) - XTRUE) divided by the magnitude of the
*> largest element in X(j). The estimate is as reliable as
*> the estimate for RCOND, and is almost always a slight
*> overestimate of the true error.
*> \endverbatim
*>
*> \param[out] BERR
*> \verbatim
*> BERR is REAL array, dimension (NRHS)
*> The componentwise relative backward error of each solution
*> vector X(j) (i.e., the smallest relative change in
*> any element of A or B that makes X(j) an exact solution).
*> \endverbatim
*>
*> \param[out] WORK
*> \verbatim
*> WORK is REAL array, dimension (3*N)
*> On exit, WORK(1) contains the reciprocal pivot growth
*> factor norm(A)/norm(U). The "max absolute element" norm is
*> used. If WORK(1) is much less than 1, then the stability
*> of the LU factorization of the (equilibrated) matrix A
*> could be poor. This also means that the solution X, condition
*> estimator RCOND, and forward error bound FERR could be
*> unreliable. If factorization fails with 0<INFO<=N, then
*> WORK(1) contains the reciprocal pivot growth factor for the
*> leading INFO columns of A.
*> \endverbatim
*>
*> \param[out] IWORK
*> \verbatim
*> IWORK is INTEGER array, dimension (N)
*> \endverbatim
*>
*> \param[out] INFO
*> \verbatim
*> INFO is INTEGER
*> = 0: successful exit
*> < 0: if INFO = -i, the i-th argument had an illegal value
*> > 0: if INFO = i, and i is
*> <= N: U(i,i) is exactly zero. The factorization
*> has been completed, but the factor U is exactly
*> singular, so the solution and error bounds
*> could not be computed. RCOND = 0 is returned.
*> = N+1: U is nonsingular, but RCOND is less than machine
*> precision, meaning that the matrix is singular
*> to working precision. Nevertheless, the
*> solution and error bounds are computed because
*> there are a number of situations where the
*> computed solution can be more accurate than the
*> \endverbatim
*
* Authors:
* ========
*
*> \author Univ. of Tennessee
*> \author Univ. of California Berkeley
*> \author Univ. of Colorado Denver
*> \author NAG Ltd.
*
*> \date April 2012
*
*> \ingroup realGBsolve
*
* =====================================================================
SUBROUTINE SGBSVX( FACT, TRANS, N, KL, KU, NRHS, AB, LDAB, AFB,
$ LDAFB, IPIV, EQUED, R, C, B, LDB, X, LDX,
$ RCOND, FERR, BERR, WORK, IWORK, INFO )
*
* -- LAPACK driver routine (version 3.7.0) --
* -- LAPACK is a software package provided by Univ. of Tennessee, --
* -- Univ. of California Berkeley, Univ. of Colorado Denver and NAG Ltd..--
* April 2012
*
* .. Scalar Arguments ..
CHARACTER EQUED, FACT, TRANS
INTEGER INFO, KL, KU, LDAB, LDAFB, LDB, LDX, N, NRHS
REAL RCOND
* ..
* .. Array Arguments ..
INTEGER IPIV( * ), IWORK( * )
REAL AB( LDAB, * ), AFB( LDAFB, * ), B( LDB, * ),
$ BERR( * ), C( * ), FERR( * ), R( * ),
$ WORK( * ), X( LDX, * )
* ..
*
* =====================================================================
* Moved setting of INFO = N+1 so INFO does not subsequently get
* overwritten. Sven, 17 Mar 05.
* =====================================================================
*
* .. Parameters ..
REAL ZERO, ONE
PARAMETER ( ZERO = 0.0E+0, ONE = 1.0E+0 )
* ..
* .. Local Scalars ..
LOGICAL COLEQU, EQUIL, NOFACT, NOTRAN, ROWEQU
CHARACTER NORM
INTEGER I, INFEQU, J, J1, J2
REAL AMAX, ANORM, BIGNUM, COLCND, RCMAX, RCMIN,
$ ROWCND, RPVGRW, SMLNUM
* ..
* .. External Functions ..
LOGICAL LSAME
REAL SLAMCH, SLANGB, SLANTB
EXTERNAL LSAME, SLAMCH, SLANGB, SLANTB
* ..
* .. External Subroutines ..
EXTERNAL SCOPY, SGBCON, SGBEQU, SGBRFS, SGBTRF, SGBTRS,
$ SLACPY, SLAQGB, XERBLA
* ..
* .. Intrinsic Functions ..
INTRINSIC ABS, MAX, MIN
* ..
* .. Executable Statements ..
*
INFO = 0
NOFACT = LSAME( FACT, 'N' )
EQUIL = LSAME( FACT, 'E' )
NOTRAN = LSAME( TRANS, 'N' )
IF( NOFACT .OR. EQUIL ) THEN
EQUED = 'N'
ROWEQU = .FALSE.
COLEQU = .FALSE.
ELSE
ROWEQU = LSAME( EQUED, 'R' ) .OR. LSAME( EQUED, 'B' )
COLEQU = LSAME( EQUED, 'C' ) .OR. LSAME( EQUED, 'B' )
SMLNUM = SLAMCH( 'Safe minimum' )
BIGNUM = ONE / SMLNUM
END IF
*
* Test the input parameters.
*
IF( .NOT.NOFACT .AND. .NOT.EQUIL .AND. .NOT.LSAME( FACT, 'F' ) )
$ THEN
INFO = -1
ELSE IF( .NOT.NOTRAN .AND. .NOT.LSAME( TRANS, 'T' ) .AND. .NOT.
$ LSAME( TRANS, 'C' ) ) THEN
INFO = -2
ELSE IF( N.LT.0 ) THEN
INFO = -3
ELSE IF( KL.LT.0 ) THEN
INFO = -4
ELSE IF( KU.LT.0 ) THEN
INFO = -5
ELSE IF( NRHS.LT.0 ) THEN
INFO = -6
ELSE IF( LDAB.LT.KL+KU+1 ) THEN
INFO = -8
ELSE IF( LDAFB.LT.2*KL+KU+1 ) THEN
INFO = -10
ELSE IF( LSAME( FACT, 'F' ) .AND. .NOT.
$ ( ROWEQU .OR. COLEQU .OR. LSAME( EQUED, 'N' ) ) ) THEN
INFO = -12
ELSE
IF( ROWEQU ) THEN
RCMIN = BIGNUM
RCMAX = ZERO
DO 10 J = 1, N
RCMIN = MIN( RCMIN, R( J ) )
RCMAX = MAX( RCMAX, R( J ) )
10 CONTINUE
IF( RCMIN.LE.ZERO ) THEN
INFO = -13
ELSE IF( N.GT.0 ) THEN
ROWCND = MAX( RCMIN, SMLNUM ) / MIN( RCMAX, BIGNUM )
ELSE
ROWCND = ONE
END IF
END IF
IF( COLEQU .AND. INFO.EQ.0 ) THEN
RCMIN = BIGNUM
RCMAX = ZERO
DO 20 J = 1, N
RCMIN = MIN( RCMIN, C( J ) )
RCMAX = MAX( RCMAX, C( J ) )
20 CONTINUE
IF( RCMIN.LE.ZERO ) THEN
INFO = -14
ELSE IF( N.GT.0 ) THEN
COLCND = MAX( RCMIN, SMLNUM ) / MIN( RCMAX, BIGNUM )
ELSE
COLCND = ONE
END IF
END IF
IF( INFO.EQ.0 ) THEN
IF( LDB.LT.MAX( 1, N ) ) THEN
INFO = -16
ELSE IF( LDX.LT.MAX( 1, N ) ) THEN
INFO = -18
END IF
END IF
END IF
*
IF( INFO.NE.0 ) THEN
CALL XERBLA( 'SGBSVX', -INFO )
RETURN
END IF
*
IF( EQUIL ) THEN
*
* Compute row and column scalings to equilibrate the matrix A.
*
CALL SGBEQU( N, N, KL, KU, AB, LDAB, R, C, ROWCND, COLCND,
$ AMAX, INFEQU )
IF( INFEQU.EQ.0 ) THEN
*
* Equilibrate the matrix.
*
CALL SLAQGB( N, N, KL, KU, AB, LDAB, R, C, ROWCND, COLCND,
$ AMAX, EQUED )
ROWEQU = LSAME( EQUED, 'R' ) .OR. LSAME( EQUED, 'B' )
COLEQU = LSAME( EQUED, 'C' ) .OR. LSAME( EQUED, 'B' )
END IF
END IF
*
* Scale the right hand side.
*
IF( NOTRAN ) THEN
IF( ROWEQU ) THEN
DO 40 J = 1, NRHS
DO 30 I = 1, N
B( I, J ) = R( I )*B( I, J )
30 CONTINUE
40 CONTINUE
END IF
ELSE IF( COLEQU ) THEN
DO 60 J = 1, NRHS
DO 50 I = 1, N
B( I, J ) = C( I )*B( I, J )
50 CONTINUE
60 CONTINUE
END IF
*
IF( NOFACT .OR. EQUIL ) THEN
*
* Compute the LU factorization of the band matrix A.
*
DO 70 J = 1, N
J1 = MAX( J-KU, 1 )
J2 = MIN( J+KL, N )
CALL SCOPY( J2-J1+1, AB( KU+1-J+J1, J ), 1,
$ AFB( KL+KU+1-J+J1, J ), 1 )
70 CONTINUE
*
CALL SGBTRF( N, N, KL, KU, AFB, LDAFB, IPIV, INFO )
*
* Return if INFO is non-zero.
*
IF( INFO.GT.0 ) THEN
*
* Compute the reciprocal pivot growth factor of the
* leading rank-deficient INFO columns of A.
*
ANORM = ZERO
DO 90 J = 1, INFO
DO 80 I = MAX( KU+2-J, 1 ), MIN( N+KU+1-J, KL+KU+1 )
ANORM = MAX( ANORM, ABS( AB( I, J ) ) )
80 CONTINUE
90 CONTINUE
RPVGRW = SLANTB( 'M', 'U', 'N', INFO, MIN( INFO-1, KL+KU ),
$ AFB( MAX( 1, KL+KU+2-INFO ), 1 ), LDAFB,
$ WORK )
IF( RPVGRW.EQ.ZERO ) THEN
RPVGRW = ONE
ELSE
RPVGRW = ANORM / RPVGRW
END IF
WORK( 1 ) = RPVGRW
RCOND = ZERO
RETURN
END IF
END IF
*
* Compute the norm of the matrix A and the
* reciprocal pivot growth factor RPVGRW.
*
IF( NOTRAN ) THEN
NORM = '1'
ELSE
NORM = 'I'
END IF
ANORM = SLANGB( NORM, N, KL, KU, AB, LDAB, WORK )
RPVGRW = SLANTB( 'M', 'U', 'N', N, KL+KU, AFB, LDAFB, WORK )
IF( RPVGRW.EQ.ZERO ) THEN
RPVGRW = ONE
ELSE
RPVGRW = SLANGB( 'M', N, KL, KU, AB, LDAB, WORK ) / RPVGRW
END IF
*
* Compute the reciprocal of the condition number of A.
*
CALL SGBCON( NORM, N, KL, KU, AFB, LDAFB, IPIV, ANORM, RCOND,
$ WORK, IWORK, INFO )
*
* Compute the solution matrix X.
*
CALL SLACPY( 'Full', N, NRHS, B, LDB, X, LDX )
CALL SGBTRS( TRANS, N, KL, KU, NRHS, AFB, LDAFB, IPIV, X, LDX,
$ INFO )
*
* Use iterative refinement to improve the computed solution and
* compute error bounds and backward error estimates for it.
*
CALL SGBRFS( TRANS, N, KL, KU, NRHS, AB, LDAB, AFB, LDAFB, IPIV,
$ B, LDB, X, LDX, FERR, BERR, WORK, IWORK, INFO )
*
* Transform the solution matrix X to a solution of the original
* system.
*
IF( NOTRAN ) THEN
IF( COLEQU ) THEN
DO 110 J = 1, NRHS
DO 100 I = 1, N
X( I, J ) = C( I )*X( I, J )
100 CONTINUE
110 CONTINUE
DO 120 J = 1, NRHS
FERR( J ) = FERR( J ) / COLCND
120 CONTINUE
END IF
ELSE IF( ROWEQU ) THEN
DO 140 J = 1, NRHS
DO 130 I = 1, N
X( I, J ) = R( I )*X( I, J )
130 CONTINUE
140 CONTINUE
DO 150 J = 1, NRHS
FERR( J ) = FERR( J ) / ROWCND
150 CONTINUE
END IF
*
* Set INFO = N+1 if the matrix is singular to working precision.
*
IF( RCOND.LT.SLAMCH( 'Epsilon' ) )
$ INFO = N + 1
*
WORK( 1 ) = RPVGRW
RETURN
*
* End of SGBSVX
*
END
| 2024-02-10T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/8485 |
Q:
List and delete pending update requests in Smartsheet
I've been able to Create Update Request with both Postman and the Smartsheet Python SDK, but I can't find a method in the API documentation to list pending update requests or delete pending update requests. Does anyone know how to do this?
A:
Support for managing pending update requests is not yet available in the API. We are working on adding it and hope to have it available soon (in the next month or so). Please stay tuned and thank you for your patience.
| 2023-09-28T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/9677 |
23 March 2009
Our myMonkeymoo stroller pad/liner has lifted Sophie's functional grey Maclaren stroller from dull to pretty fabulous. It's all chic-patterned fabric on one side and super-soft chenille on the other, so little Sophie likes to snuggle into it too. The liner adapts to most strollers, is machine washable, and the blanket can double as a change mat.
And here's the great news. The good folks at myMonkeymoo are giving away one myMonkeymoostroller pad and blanket set in the design of your choice (valued at CDN$133!) to one lucky Bondville reader.
All you need to do is visit the myMonkeymoo website and comment below with your favourite myMonkeymoo design and you will be in the running to win. Entries close at midnight (AEST) on Saturday 28th March 2009. Good luck!
Rules:1. One comment per person allowed.2. If you write about the competition on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, you will receive three (3) entries (please leave a comment or email me to let me know)3. Please include your email address or a link to your website where I can comment or find your email address.4. This competition is open to entrants worldwide.5. You must include your favourite myMonkeymoo design in your comment.6. Entries close 11:59pm AEST, Saturday 28th March 2009.
myMonkeymoo is a Canadian company and you can find the stroller pads and blankets on the myMonkeymoo online store, as well as stockists in the US, Canada, Japan, Indonesia and the UK and at Handle With Care online in Australia.
I've just visited your web page and fell in love with your products. My favourite is At the Zoo - it would be the prefect gift for our latest grandchild who is due in July, the middle of our winter here in Australia.
Hi Steph,I would have to say my favourite is Eiffel Tower (love the reminder to Europe) with Socialite Strip coming a close second. What a great idea and now with my second coming in August in chilly winter it would be a perfect addition to my pram.
And the winner is... Tikiboo! Congratulations Tikiboo - you have won an eiffel tower design myMonkeymoo stroller pad and blanket worth CDN $133!. Thank you to myMonkeymoo for the great prize and stay tuned for more great giveaways in the future.
This stroller pad and blanket would go great with the Maclaren Techno XT stroller I just bought for our child. I'll definitely look in to picking one of these up to go with the stroller! Thanks for showing it off!
BLOG ARCHIVE
CREDITS
BONDVILLE BLOG - blog.stephbond.com
Please do not use any content from this site on your blog or website without clearly noting its origins and linking back to the original blog post. I reserve the right to restrict comments that do not contribute constructively to the conversation at hand, contain profanity, personal attacks or seek to promote a personal or unrelated business. Any comments submitted anonymously will be restricted at my discretion. | 2024-04-23T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/4500 |
How does buck perform when he replaces spitz as the lead dog?
Answers
1
Buck excels at leading, whipping the rest of the team into shape. Buck forces Pike to carry his share of the load, and he soundly punishes Joe for his bad behavior. At the Pink Rapids, they pick up two new dogs, Teek and Koona, and Francois is astounded by how quickly Buck breaks them. They make record time back to their starting point, and the whole team struts proudly through the town.
Buck quickly achieves mastery over the other dogs. He loves to sit in front of the fire and dream. Sometimes he dimly recalls memories from his California home. More often, he is visited by visions of an ancient life, his place with ancient humans. He sometimes thinks he sees a man, different from men today, and he remembers the rustle of beasts and the readiness for the fight. | 2023-12-28T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/3509 |
Resources
Other
Console
VoodooVB has been updated with 4 new tutorials. They have all been written by Itay Sagui and the new ones cover Conditional Compilation, Brushes, Clipboards, and Changing the Sytem Menu.
There are lots more tutorials that will be going up in the next few days (32 in all). I am also working on creating a mirror for the now down Non-Linear Solutions tutorials.
Check it out at [url]http://www.mwgames.com/voodoovb[/url] | 2024-01-05T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/1172 |
Rapid diagnosis of TB using GC-MS and chemometrics.
The search continues for a rapid diagnostic test for TB that has high sensitivity and specificity and is useable in sophisticated environments and in deprived regions with poor infrastructure. We discuss here the modern bioanalytical techniques that can be used to discover biomarkers of infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, focusing on techniques using GC. We will also discuss the use of GC-MS to identify volatile organic compounds in the headspace of bacterial culture or in samples of breath, serum or urine. Biomarkers discovered in the 'clean' environment of culture may differ from those in patients. A number of biomarkers have been found in patients, with little consistency in the various studies to date. Reproducibility is difficult; the impressive results found initially with a few patients are rarely repeatable when a larger sample series is tested. Mycobacterial lipids offer promise for distinguishing M. tuberculosis from nontuberculous mycobacteria directly in sputum. | 2024-01-05T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/1777 |
Q:
The edge disappeared in object mode, but show up in edit mode
Anyone have the same issue? How to fix it?
A:
Blender does hide some edges in object mode in an attempt to not show unnecessary edges in wireframe view or with the wire option enabled, however as you can see its not always perfect. The simple solution is to go to the Object data panel and under display check 'Draw all edges'.
| 2023-09-18T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/4993 |
The first Nauticalith update in a long time brings menus, fires, and highlighting! Oh, and we also got accepted to BFIG! Check us out!
Posted by Lathomas42 on Aug 7th, 2015
Greetings Gamers!
It has been a while since the last Nauticalith devlog and there is plenty of good news to update you all on.
First and foremost, Nauticalith recently got accepted into Boston Festival of Indie Games on September 15th 2015 at MIT in Boston! We are very excited to be accepted and are bringing the whole team along to show off Nauticalith. Tickets are available online at their website (linked above) and we would really appreciate any fans showing up who want to check out Nauticalith.
As far as progress, we have spent a large amount of time recently polishing Nauticalith. We took the necessary time to build the game menus to ensure that all users can customize their game play to cater to their machine or individual preference. Pictured below are some of the in game menus that allow players to adjust video and audio settings to their liking.
Other than the new Game menus, there have been some new features added into Nauticalith. One exciting new feature is Highlighting. We noticed through play testing that sometimes players would explore an island only to lose their boat by the time they finished exploring the island. This was a bit tricky because we wanted people to explore the larger islands but not be afraid of not being able to find their boat at the end. The solution we came up with was to highlight the boat in blue when it is out of sight. Now, if you are in a cave and don't know which way you left your boat, you look around until you see the blue outline of the boat. This is illustrated a bit in the above pictures however there is another picture below illustrating this feature. The highlighting worked so well for that, we thought about what else we could use it for. The fishing feature in the game is a lot of fun however because it is a big ocean, the fish are a bit tricky to find. To remedy this, when you have your fishing rod equipped, fish show up with a green glow around them to help players find them easily then the game of trying to catch them begins.
The highlighting feature has been very successful feature that really does improve the quality of life of the player. Aside from menu and quality of life we have been working very hard on implementing more crafting (this system will be talked about more in the next devlog) however today I can show you the beautiful campfire that will assist you in keeping warm at night and cooking/making materials.
The size of the campfire changes as you kindle it more and this campfire is accompanied by an animation that really brings it alive.
As you can see there is a lot going on in the world of Nauticalith and much much more to come. The main features that are being worked on now involve crafting, merchants, and lots and lots of bug testing before BFIG. Keep updated with Nauticalith by checking out our social media links at the bottom of the page or following me,
-Logan @zStinkLoser | 2023-11-27T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/5662 |
Background
==========
This study analyses the spatial distribution of mortality from lung cancer registered in the period 1992--2001 in the province of Lecce, Italy. The motivation of this work is that the Salento peninsula (traditional name of the province of Lecce, indicating the sub-region of Italy that stretches on the South of Apulia, between the Ionian Sea to the west and the Adriatic Sea to the east) represents, in Italy, a case of considerable interest: since the first report of the Epidemiological Observatory of the Region of Apulia, which examined the causes of death in a time span of five years (from 1998 to 2002), a consistent excess of lung cancer mortality among residents in the province of Lecce was found (compared to the level observed in other Apulian provinces, see \[[@B1]\] for data updated in 2006). We will see shortly that these results are widely confirmed by available data: it must however be pointed out that, as in previous studies, our conclusions are based on mortality rather than on incidence data (we will discuss later this key point).
The possible causes of the risk excess were the subject of intense debate (often with inadequate scientific methodology) in the local press. We can cite, for example, the alarm raised regarding emissions produced by the Enel \"Federico II\" power-plant of Cerano (BR), located about 30 km from the northern provincial boundary of Lecce to the north: the plant produces, according to data reported by Legambiente (data that has been given broad emphasis in local newspapers) more than one third of total national emissions of CO~2~: 14.4 million tonnes of CO~2~per year against a national total of about 51.6 million in 2006, a figure worsened by the presence of a second power-plant operated near Brindisi by Edipower, from which a release of nearly 3.8 million tonnes of CO~2~into the atmosphere per year has been estimated \[[@B2]\]. Similar accusations were raised about mega-industrial steel factories operated by the Ilva Corporation, and located in the municipalities of the city of Taranto and Statte, about 40 km from the north-western boundary of Lecce province: coke oven batteries create a carcinogenic risk for workers, because of exposure to benzene and asbestos, and given the vicinity to the city and the inadequacy of measures of pollution control, a risk also exists for the general population \[[@B3]\]. In both cases the transport mechanism of pollutants released into the atmosphere would be caused by the peculiar wind system in this area.
The environmental situation in the province of Lecce is characterized by the absence of apparent environmental risk sources. However, there are some noteworthy points that must be mentioned and that will be better discussed in the light of the results obtained. For example, the situation of environmental pollution is particularly alarming. Evidence from the State Forestry Department shows that in the period 2001--2002 there were 4800 illegal landfills in Italy, 600 in Apulia, and of these 50% (over 300) in the province of Lecce alone, compared to 50 in the province of Foggia and 15 in Brindisi \[[@B4]\]. The illegal disposal of toxic substances in the environment constitutes a risk also for agro-food and livestock activities: the illegal landfills surveyed by the State Forestry Department are in fact located in rural areas, where contact with the water springs and crops represents a serious health risk to consumers. To all this we can add, particularly in Salento, the serious problem of abandonment, or worse of illegal incineration of plastics used in agriculture, with all the well-known consequences on the food chain. There is ample confirmation of this situation contained in the report of the Environmental Protection Agency on waste disposal \[[@B5]\]: of more than 153,000 tonnes of special hazardous waste disposed in Apulia, only 62,000 were disposed using authorized landfills (38,000), incinerators (16,000) and treatment plants (7,000); the remaining 91,000 tons and more were disposed of illegally, usually in abandoned quarries or in warehouses rented by waste traffickers, and presumably this situation still continues. With regard to industrial structures in the area, we must mention the presence of an important plant for the cement production located since the sixties in the municipality of Galatina (Istat code: 75029), a major industrial plant in Maglie (Istat code: 75039) for olive oil refining and extraction of oil from olive residues, formerly owned by the Regional government of Apulia and rented in the early 80s by a group of local entrepreneurs: finally, it is worth noting the presence of an incinerator located in the town of Surbo (Istat code: 75083), about 20 km from Lecce, that burns hospital waste and expired pharmaceuticals.
However, it is obvious that, apart from considerations based solely on intuition or hearsay, we need a thorough descriptive epidemiological analysis, which is the fundamental tool for a better understanding of the dynamics observed in incidence/mortality rates, both in time and space; consideration of spatial dimension is always required to suggest plausible aetiological hypotheses and to identify putative sources of risk. Of course, the generation of hypotheses is only a step towards further analytical studies to confirm the suspected causal relationship (see \[[@B6]-[@B8]\] as useful references on the role of spatial epidemiology, and on the links with geographical information systems). Most articles appearing in the press and on specialized websites, on the other hand, report data that are too general and too aggregated in order to be considered really useful.
In an aspatial setting, traditional risk factors described in the literature include primarily the habit of smoking: \[[@B9]\], a classic study, estimates that about 30% of the incidence of all cancers observed in the United States during the period chosen for the survey was attributable to consumption of cigarettes. As part of the alleged causal relationship smoking-cancer, \[[@B10]\] shows that the most frequent locations are the oro-pharynx, the larynx, the lung, oesophagus and bladder; \[[@B11],[@B12]\] report that cigarette smoking increases up to ten times the risk of occurrence of lung cancer and up to six times that of occurrence of laryngeal cancer. The relative risk remains higher than for those who never smoked, even after a period of abstinence of more than 40 years \[[@B9]\]. Even passive smoking is another well studied risk factor: passive smokers inhale a complex mixture of smoke and other combustion products, a phenomenon that is commonly referred to as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Early studies \[[@B13],[@B14]\] have shown that the risk of contracting lung cancer is significantly higher in women married to smokers than women married to non-smokers, while the most recent literature is definitely focused on relations between ETS and occupational exposures such as tobacco smoke inhaled at work \[[@B15]\].
Another important cause of lung cancer is occupational exposure to carcinogens: the risk of lung cancer in those exposed to some dangerous substances (such as benzopyrene, asbestos or metals such as hexavalent chromium, nickel and arsenic) is on average 4--8 times greater than for the general population \[[@B16]-[@B24]\]. It is worth noting that environmental asbestos exposures has been repeatedly reported as a main risk factor of pleura and lung cancer incidence (in Apulia for example \[[@B25]\], but see also \[[@B26]\] for a wider review). Arsenic in drinking water is another example of environmental exposure that cannot be totally avoided \[[@B26]\].
The real importance of air pollution as a risk factor is still unclear: some older classic papers show that a small percentage (1--2%) of lung cancer cases can be attributed to air pollution \[[@B27],[@B28]\], while the estimates of attributable risk appear decisively higher in more recent works \[[@B29]\]. Even the degree of urbanization and the incidence of lung cancer are sharply associated \[[@B30]-[@B32]\], this association could be explained by a confounding effect due to individual causes of diseases, such as smoking habits and occupational exposure, which obviously have a significantly greater importance in most densely populated areas \[[@B33]\]. Of course, epidemiologic evaluation has been often confounded by difficulties in defining and measuring air pollution, and evaluating the effects of low-level exposures in the general population. As we will soon see, our data show an excess of lung cancer in areas that can be regarded as weakly urbanized.
Even the role of the inert gas Radon as a risk factor is the subject of intense studies \[[@B34],[@B35]\]: although chemically inert, it is also radioactive and is transformed into yet other radioactive elements, usually called \"children\" who are electrically charged and attach onto fine particulate matter, and can then be inhaled and deposited on the surfaces of lung tissues. Moreover, radon is a ubiquitous domestic pollutant (indoor radon) as it penetrates buildings through gas found underground \[[@B11]\]. We will discuss further the spatial distribution of Radon in the Apulian territory, and its possible association with disease occurrence.
In this paper we have taken into account as well the fact that socio-economic level may be a confounding variable of the area-level spatial distribution of a given disease: this is because the socio-economic variables tend to be associated with individual risk factors, while on a larger scale they are generally associated with zones of high pollution and massive presence of industrial plants \[[@B36]\]. So, even without a direct effect from environmental exposure, one can still detect a spurious association between putative sources of pollution and levels of incidence/mortality due to disease occurrence. The socio-economic factors can be summarized by a synthetic index of material deprivation built at the area level: such an index is usually related to the prevalence of characteristics such as unemployment, low employment rates or low-quality housing and services \[[@B37]\]. We will see that association with deprivation is not strong for our mortality data, but it seems to be the only reasonable hypothesis that can explain the diffuse risk increase that is almost everywhere present in the province of Lecce (except for some localized \'hot-spots\' that cannot be explained on the basis of poverty level).
Given the discussion we have presented, the objective of this paper is to study on a scientifically sound basis the spatial distribution of risk for lung cancer mortality in the province of Lecce. Our goal is to demonstrate that most of the previous explanations are not supported by data, and that methods of descriptive epidemiology are of primary importance to generate sensible etiologic hypothesis. To this end, we will follow a hybrid approach that combines both frequentist and Bayesian disease mapping methods; furthermore, we define a new sequential algorithm based on a modified version of the BYM model, suitably modified to detect geographical clusters of disease and to confirm results obtained on the basis of posterior summaries of the \"pure\" BYM model.
Methods
=======
We considered the following analyses: 1) calculation of the gross incidence rate at provincial level, as well as of standardized rates to facilitate comparison with other provinces of Apulia and the comparison with the mortality rates observed in Italy and other European nations; the reference period used for these analyses differs from that used for spatial risk estimation, for the reason that we were interested to compare patterns of temporal disease evolution in the province of Lecce with respect to other Apulian provinces as well, a task that requires a larger temporal window and that was possible due to the wide availability of data at provincial level; 2) spatial analysis to build a risk map based on the specification of an area-specific Poisson model, where the high-risk areas are identified on the basis of *p*-values associated with the null hypothesis of no-increased risk; 3) spatial analysis adjusted for the presence of spatial correlation and extra-Poisson variation in area-specific relative risks, using a Besag-Yorke-Mollié (BYM) model estimated by Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods in Winbugs; 4) adjustment for material deprivation by inserting an ecological covariate in the BYM model to take account of socio-economic score at areal level; 5) disease cluster detection using a new model-based Bayesian paradigm based, on a suitable modification of the BYM model.
The analyses were conducted separately for both sexes: the difference in terms of incidence and/or mortality between males and females is becoming less relevant, as witnessed also by numerous references in literature. The latest data even reduce the importance of smoking as a risk factor in males, emphasizing instead the large increase in the prevalence of female smokers \[[@B38]\]: \[[@B39]\] report data about the \"epidemic\" of lung cancer mortality among young women in Europe. As we do not have a priori reasons to reject the hypothesis that health effects of other risk factors could be quite different between the two sexes, the adoption of separate analyses appears to be appropriate.
Data
----
The data at the provincial level were obtained from the Cislaghi Italian mortality atlas based on Istat data \[[@B40]\], considering deaths occurred in Apulia during the period 1981--2001 for the class of disease indicated by code 162 on the ICD-9-CM classification (i.e.: malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus and lung, IX^th^Revision of the International Classification of Causes of Death, published in 1979 by the World Health Organization). To analyze the overall mortality dynamics, the reference period has been divided into seven triennials: 1981--83, 1984--86, 1987--89, 1990--92, 1993--95, 1996--98, 1999--01.
To estimate the spatial distribution of mortality, the number of deaths for lung cancer in each of the 97 municipalities in the province of Lecce was considered in the period between January 1^st^, 1992 and December 31th, 2001 inclusive. The data were obtained once again from the Cislaghi atlas: the choice of an extensive reference period was due as much to the necessity to not have information too scattered within each stratum in which the dataset was divided, as the impossibility to obtain the data, because of possible identity disclosures if the reference period was too short. It should also be noted that the areas actually analyzed are 96 in total; due to the abovementioned privacy issue, the Cislaghi atlas considers the neighbouring municipalities Racale and Taviano as a single administrative unit. To draw the maps, the areas of these two municipalities were aggregated, creating a single area to which was assigned the name of the Taviano municipality. These operations were carried out on a Geographic Information System (GIS) using the union operation: the population of the new area was simply assumed as the sum of the populations of both the municipalities.
Calculation of mortality rates for provincial data
--------------------------------------------------
Referring to data at provincial level, the crude mortality rate (*M*) was calculated from the following expression
where *D*~*t*~is the number of deaths observed for the cause of death considered in the period *t*, *t*+*k*(expressed in years, in our case *k*= 2 considering three years), while *R*~*t*~is the sum of the population at risk in the same period. Exploiting age-specific data in the expression of *M*~*t*~(both the numerator as well the denominator), a specific rate *M*~*t*,\ *j*~, for *j*= 1,\..., *J*, is obtained for each age-group considered: the division originally planned from the Cislaghi atlas includes the classes 0, 1--14, 15--34, 35--54, 55--64, 65--74, 75 +, although the first two have never been taken into account, because no deaths have ever been observed in either of the triennial considered.
To make internal and international comparisons possible, eliminating the influence of age structure on mortality, we calculated the standardized rate for each triennial with the direct method applied to the standard European population \[[@B41]\], i.e.
where *w*~*j*~is the relative weight of the *j*-th age group in the standard European population.
Spatial analysis 1: area-specific Poisson model
-----------------------------------------------
Let *Y*~*ij*~be the number of deaths observed within the *i*-th area and the *j*-th stratum in the period in question (*i*= 1,\..., *N*, *j*= 1,\..., *J*). As the analyses were conducted separately for males and females, the strata were constructed by classifying the cases in six broad age groups: 0--24, 25--39, 40--54, 55--69, 70--84, 85+. We can assume that, independently in each area and stratum, disease counts follow a Poisson distribution
where *p*~*ij*~is the mortality rate within the *i*-th area and *j*-th stratum, while *N*~*ij*~is the amount of person-years at risk in the time period considered (estimated with *N*~*ij*~= *k*~*y*~× *n*~*ij*~, where *k*~*y*~= 10 and *n*~*ij*~is the amount -- provided by Istat -- of resident population as of January 1st, 1997). Estimation of the *N*× *J*probabilities *p*~*ij*~is carried out by assuming that the proportionality relationship *p*~*ij*~= *q*~*j*~× *θ*~*i*~holds, where *q*~*j*~, *j*= 1,\..., *J*, is a set of known stratum-specific reference rates, and each parameter *θ*~*i*~is an area-specific relative risk \[[@B42],[@B43]\]. Indirect standardization can account for effects attributable to differences in the confounder-specific populations: it can be carried out collapsing the strata, *Y*~*i*~= ∑~*j*~*Y*~*ij*~, to obtain the following saturated Poisson model for disease counts
where *E*~*i*~= ∑~*j*~*N*~*ij*~*q*~*j*~is the number of expected deaths in the *i*-th area. The choice of the stratum-specific reference rates *q*~*j*~is crucial \[[@B44]\]: we estimated each rate with *q*~*j*~= ∑*Y*~*ij*~/∑~*i*~*N*~*ij*~(internal standardization, \[[@B45],[@B46]\]); this approach centres the data with respect to the map, and the areas where there is an excess of risk are those in which the number of observed cases is higher than the number of expected cases.
### P-value based maps
The obvious summaries of the Poisson model are given by the maximum likelihood estimates of each area-specific relative risk , *i*= 1,\..., *N*. For the calculation of the respective confidence intervals it can be seen that , hence an estimate of the variance is given by . Assuming that has an approximately Gaussian distribution, a first order Taylor approximation leads to ; therefore, an approximate 95% confidence interval for log(*θ*~*i*~) is given by . Back-transforming, we have the following approximate 95% confidence interval for
that may be used to summarize the significance of the statistical hypothesis of no increased risk within the *i*-th area *H*~0~: *θ*~*i*~= 1, against the alternative hypothesis *H*~0~: *θ*~*i*~\> 1 (if \> 1, otherwise the alternative hypothesis is *H*~0~: θ ~*i*~\< 1 if \< 1).
The exact area-specific *p*-values associated to the null hypothesis of no increased risk *H*~0~: *θ*~*i*~= 1 are given by
All of these values, for *i*= 1,\..., *N*may be classified to draw a probability map, attributing to each area a colour level that denotes class membership \[[@B47]\]. At a significance level of *α*= 0.05, high-risk areas are those in which *ρ*~*i*~\<*α*and \> 1 occur simultaneously.
It is worth noting that probability maps may not be very informative, as *p*-values alone do not give any information about the level of risk.
Spatial analysis 2: the Besag-York-Molliè (BYM) model
-----------------------------------------------------
Apart the abovementioned issues, outcomes in spatial units are often not independent of each other. Risk estimates of areas that are close to each other will tend to be positively correlated as they share a number of spatially varying characteristics. Ignoring the overdispersion caused by spatial autocorrelation in the residual leads to incorrect inferences: in particular, an extreme value of *ρ*~*i*~may be more due to the lack of fit of the saturated Poisson model than to its deviation from the null hypothesis of neutral risk. This effect of overdispersion due to spatial autocorrelation is very strong only for small area (i.e. areas with very low populations), while is negligible for large municipalities \[[@B48]\].
As risk estimates of areas that are close to each other will tend to be positively correlated, if all such characteristics could be properly measured, then the model would be fully specified and residual spatial variation would be fully explained. However, this will never be the case and unmeasured spatial factors will introduce spatial dependence that can be described by introducing into the model suitable random effects. This is the reason why we considered a standard BYM model for a more refined analysis \[[@B49],[@B50]\]; we briefly recall the formulation of the hierarchical model:
• 1^st^level -- Disease counts are assumed to be distributed as in the saturated Poisson model, and assumed to be conditionally independent given the relative risks *θ*~*i*~;
• 2^nd^level -- The linear predictor assumes the following form
where *α*is a baseline log-relative risk, and *v*~*i*~and *ε*~*i*~are random effect representing spatial clustering (autocorrelation) and unstructured extra-Poisson variation respectively. Distributional forms commonly adopted at the second level for the two random effects are:
**Clustering**-- *v*~*i*~is defined by the CAR (Conditional Autoregressive, \[[@B51]\]) specification , where , ∂~*i*~is the set of all areas neighbouring the *i*-th area, and *n*~*i*~is the number of elements within the set. Hence, the CAR effect describes spatially varying risk factors, based on which neighbouring areas tend to have similar relative risks. The specification of a CAR effect forces the estimates of area-specific log-relative risks toward a local mean (with an obvious smoothing effect and noise reduction of the map);
**Heterogeneity**-- *ε*~*i*~is used instead to describe the sources of error not spatially structured: for this reason we hypothesize, as usual, the exchangeable specification .
• 3^rd^level -- Prior distributions of the parameters of the two random effects must be chosen \[[@B52]\]: let *G*(*a, b*) denote the Gamma distribution with expected value *a*/*b*and variance *a*/*b*^2^. For each of the two precision parameters, and , we set *τ*~*v*~\~ Gamma(*a*~*v*~, *b*~*v*~) and *τ*~*ε*~\~ Gamma(*a*~*ε*~, *b*~*ε*)~. In this paper we used *a*~*v*~= 0.5, *b*~*v*~= 0.005 for the spatially structured component \[[@B53]\], which corresponds to a diffuse prior that does not artificially force a spatial structure in the log-relative risk estimates when this is not actually present in the data. By simple calculations it can be proven that, with this choice, the standard deviation of spatially structured random effects is a random variable centred around 0.01, and the probability of observing values smaller than 0.01 or larger than 2.5 is equal to 0.01. For the non-spatially structured random effect we set *a*~*ε*~= 0.01, *b*~*ε*~= 0.01: these values correspond to a non-informative prior, and they were chosen on the ground of an empirical trade-off between the need to not use an overly informative prior (given the previous absence of knowledge on spatial distribution of mortality from lung cancer), and the care taken to avoid deterioration of the convergence of the estimation algorithm, a very common issue when a flat prior is used.
Prior to model estimation we tested SMRs for the presence of overdispersion and spatial autocorrelation, as the use of BYM model needs to be motivated if the evidence for spatial autocorrelation or extra-Poisson variation is not strong. We applied the following battery of tests: Pearson chi-square and Potthoff-Whittinghill\'s statistics for assessing homogeneity of relative risks \[[@B54]\]; Dean\'s overdispersion score for testing the presence of extra-Poisson variation versus the null hypothesis of Poisson distribution \[[@B55]\]; Moran\'s *I*and Geary\'s *C*tests to assess the presence of spatial autocorrelation, accounting for over-dispersion by assuming a negative-binomial distribution as the sampling model needed to compute the null distribution by means of parametric bootstrap \[[@B56]\].
### Parameter estimation and disease mapping
Posterior estimates of the parameters were obtained by simulating from the joint posterior by means of a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm, using the OpenBugs 3.0.3 software together with the GeoBugs 1.3 extension \[[@B57]\]; 6,000 burn-in iterations on two parallel chains starting from overdispersed values were simulated: the convergence was checked using the Brooks-Gelman-Rubin diagnostic, summarized with the coefficient which tends to 1 in case the convergence is achieved \[[@B58]\]. Subsequently, another 3,000 iterations (for each chain) were generated: only one out of each three was considered for estimation, in order to eliminate the serial autocorrelation and to reduce the standard error estimate of the parameters. We monitored and estimated the area-specific relative risks *θ*~*i*~by means of the MCMC algorithm described in the previous section. Maps were drawn by dividing the whole range of relative risk posterior estimates in five non-overlapping sub-intervals delimited by quintiles, assigning a suitable colour to each interval and classifying areas accordingly.
Within the context of cluster detection, questions have been raised about the performance of the BYM model in recovering the true risk surface. For this reason, rather than insisting on the interpretation of relative risk posterior estimates, we supplemented our result by monitoring and estimating area-specific posterior probabilities *δ*~*i*~= *E*\[*I*(*θ*~*i*~\> 1)\|*Y*\] = Pr{*θ*~*i*~\> 1\|*Y*} (here *I*(•) denotes the event indicator function). Based on those new posterior area-specific summaries, maps were drawn dividing the interval \[0,1\] in ten equally spaced sub-intervals, and assigning a colour to each area accordingly. The resulting maps are likely to be insufficiently informative on the actual risk level (as well as p-value based maps are), but the may be indeed useful to confirm the presence of \"hot-spots\" of high-risk areas exploiting results given in a wide simulation experiment based on synthetic data, where a feasible benchmark for the risk calibration problem was provided \[[@B59]\]. The authors, defining three different loss function representing weighted tradeoffs between false positive and false negative, showed that by declaring at \"high risk\" those areas where \> 0.8, each area with relative risk below 2 was classified as high risk with a probability of at least 75% if the expected cases in each area are between 10 and 20; this probability approximates to 1 for areas with a relative risk of 3 if the expected cases are never less than 5.
### Correction for edge effects
Even when disease counts are independent, any smoothing operation applied to SMRs that borrows information from neighbouring areas will induce edge effects, that consists in biased estimates in areas located near the boundary of the investigated region because information on what happen on the other side of the boundary is missing: a larger estimation variance will be also found in boundary areas due to the low proportion of neighbouring cases \[[@B60]\]. Because some putative sources of pollution are located outside the study area, and the estimation of large-scale patterns are likely to be affected by such statistical biases, it was necessary to adjust for edge effects. A classical methods is to employ guard areas, which are areas external to the main study window of interest and are added to the window to provide a guard area \[[@B60]\]: in this case, given the availability of mortality data for the whole Apulia, it was possible to estimate a global disease map in order to assess, without distortions, the presence of spatial patterns originating from the putative sources located around Brindisi and Taranto, and the large-scale structure of disease risk. In order to make comparisons between the two maps feasible, the stratum-specific reference rates *q*~*j*~for the Apulia map were set equal to those used for the Lecce map (*external standardization*): in this way, expected counts for areas located inside the province of Lecce resulted to be the same for both maps. We also considered internal standardization for the Apulia map; for the province of Lecce considered in isolation, this is essentially equivalent to shift upward posterior estimates obtained by external standardization, but it may be undoubtedly useful in order to compare the average disease risk level in the province of Lecce with that occurring in the whole Apulia. Spatial risk estimation was carried out by simulating 12,000 MCMC burn-in iterations, and subsequently another 6,000 iterations (for each chain) considering only one out of each three for estimation.
Spatial analysis 3: accounting for socio-economic factors
---------------------------------------------------------
As we said, for many diseases there is a strong link between health and material deprivation, and pollution sources tend to be found in deprived areas. Hence, deprivation is a potential confounder, the role of which must be carefully examined during the analysis. This is the reason why we considered an ecological correlation model as well, in which the linear predictor of the BYM model is expanded in the following way
The area-specific deprivation measure *x*~*i*~considered here is the Cadum index \[[@B61]\]: this measure is well suited to the information flows available in Italy, and was calculated using Census data provided by Istat for the 1991 census. The amounts taken into consideration in constructing the index are as follows:
• proportion of population with primary education;
• proportion of rental housing;
• proportion of occupied residences without bathroom;
• proportion of the active workforce unemployed or looking for a first job;
• proportion of single-parent families with children.
The index in question is constructed by calculating, for each area, the *z*score of each variable standardized with respect to the national average and to the national standard deviation, and then adding the five scores thus obtained: by design, higher scores are observed in poorer areas. A posterior summary of the importance of Cadum index in explaining the spatial pattern of disease risk can be obtained by monitoring and drawing residual spatial variation exp(*v*~*i*~+ *ε*~*i*~), an area-specific quantity that is adjusted to eliminate the net effect due to the level of material deprivation in the *i*-th area: the presence of a weak spatial pattern in residual spatial variation indicates a strong association with deprivation. Alternatively, the ecological coefficient *β*can be considered significantly positive if its posterior mean is greater then zero and its 95% percent credible interval excludes zero: this means that there is an actual risk increase in those areas where the level of poverty is higher. It is also interesting to note that when a covariate inserted in an ecological BYM model result to be appropriate to model the spatial variation of risk, random effects *v*~*i*~and *ε*~*i*~may become unidentifiable and care must be taken to avoid poor convergence and invalid inferences if an improper posterior is used \[[@B62]\].
Spatial analysis 4: cluster detection and inference
---------------------------------------------------
As we said, several authors noted that the smoothing effect of the BYM model results in a correct estimation of the spatial distribution of disease risk, but it renders almost impossible the detection of localized increases if these are not based on large local excesses \[[@B59],[@B63]\]. It may be the case that 95% relative risk credible intervals include unity in all areas, even when local risk excesses are actually present in the data. For this reason we considered a version of the BYM model, suitably modified to detect geographical clusters of disease and to confirm results obtained interpreting posterior summaries of the \"pure\" BYM model: if Δ is a collection of candidate zones, i.e. the set full set of possible clusters given a maximal dimension, conditionally to each cluster *Z*∈ Δ the linear predictor is reformulated as
where a cluster-specific effect *α*~*Z*~enters the model as the coefficient of the dummy variable *I*(*A*~*i*~∈ *Z*), which assumes value 1 if area *A*~*i*~is in *Z*and 0 otherwise. In a like vein to the model-based approach introduced in \[[@B64]\], where an overdispersion parameter similar to the general overdispersion parameter in Poisson regression was used to reduce the effect of extra-Poisson variability on cluster location detection, our Bayesian formulation expressly addresses the problem that cluster detection nominal type I error and power of classical Scan Statistics are likely to be appreciably affected by the presence of spatial autocorrelation \[[@B65]\]. We propose the following sequential model-based algorithm for cluster detection (here by \"cluster\" we mean any collection of neighbouring areas):
• Given an initial collection Δ of candidate zones, conditionally to *Z*, we fit our model for all *Z*∈ Δ by suitably tuned MCMC simulations. The collection of fitted models is ranked (in terms of parsimony and predictive power) on the ground of the Deviance Information Criterion (DIC, which is a hierarchical modelling generalization of Akaike Information Criterion introduced in \[[@B66]\]: between two competing models the one that has a lower DIC score should be preferred, see the legend of Tab. 3 for further details), and the first cluster *Z*\* is identified accordingly, by means of the cluster-specific indicator variable entering the model that has the lowest DIC value; a non-informative Gaussian prior is usually assumed for *α*~*Z*~;
• Let be posterior estimate of the cluster-specific effect: a new model containing an additional offset term accounting for the effect due to *Z*\* is considered, treating *I*(*A*~*i*~∈ *Z*\*) as an explanatory variable with known coefficient equal to . Let Δ\* be the collection of zones including *Z*\* and every cluster overlapping with *Z*\*: the previous step is iterated assuming Δ - Δ\* as the collection of candidate clusters, and a second optimal cluster is identified in case;
• The procedure stops when no better data explanation is possible by letting further cluster-specific terms enter the model: this is easily appreciated by means of the sequence of the DIC scores of the best model of each iteration, in the sense that the algorithm ends when such sequence becomes increasing.
It should be noted that cluster location detection and cluster inference are quite distinct: the above-described algorithm reduces the number of feasible clusters by comparing a large number of models on the ground of a data-analytic criterion. Anyway, declaring a cluster *Z*statistically \"significant\" is a different task: in our Bayesian approach this occurs when 95% posterior credible interval for the cluster-specific log-relative risk *α*~*Z*~excludes zero.
Results
=======
A first idea on the size of the phenomenon can be obtained by studying the specific mortality rates calculated by sex and age, as reported in Figure [1](#F1){ref-type="fig"}; at a first glance, a general increase in mortality over time would not seem obvious if the 75 + class is excluded, for which, analyzing males, there is a shift from 53.28 deaths per 10,000 person-years in the triennial 1993--95 to 71.50 deaths per 10,000 person-years per year in the triennial 1999--01 (with a percentage increase of 34.2%); for females, referring to the same triennials, the rates rose from 4.40 to 6.77 deaths per 10,000 person-years, an increase of 53.86%. Such a sharp rise in mortality may be explained by the increase of average life expectancy of individuals belonging to this age class, since the cumulative probability of contracting the disease as a result of multiple exposures to risk factors increases with age. However, it must be noted that for females there is an evident increase in other younger age groups as well, for example 35--54, where 0.25 deaths per 10,000 person-years was recorded in the triennial 1993--95, compared to 0.50 deaths in the triennial 1999--01, with a percentage increase of 100%: this dynamic of strong growth is confirmed in many other studies and will play an important role in interpreting the phenomenon.
{#F1}
In Figure [2](#F2){ref-type="fig"} we have reported the standardized mortality rates for the five Apulian provinces and for Apulia as a whole, using the European standard population as a reference. The province of Lecce, at least for males, shows rates significantly above the Apulian average for all seven triennials considered (a behaviour that is confirmed in the provinces of Brindisi and Taranto, albeit with consistently lower amounts): the standardized rate increases from 8.41 (per 10,000 person-years) in the period 1993--95, to 13.92 for the triennial 1999--01 (percentage increase: 93.33%). It is obvious that this dramatic increase is the biggest problem in terms of public health management.
{#F2}
The alarming extent of the phenomenon appears even more evident if, considering the triennial 1999--01, national and international comparisons are made with suitable data. For example, the AIRT 2006 report on cancer in Italy displays for males a standardized rate for Italy equal to 6.96 per 10,000 person years in the triennial 2000--02, while for females the corresponding rate is 1.27 per 10,000 person years \[[@B67]\] (rates of the AIRT study were calculated by means of standardization with respect to European standard). The same study shows, for Apulia, 6.64 deaths for males and 0.73 for females (per 10,000 person-years, triennial 2000--02): these figures are unquestionably comparable to those we calculated for the period 1999--01 for Apulia (8.35 for males and 0.85 for females). Therefore, with reference to the period 1999--01, we can conclude that death due to lung cancer in the province of Lecce is almost double for males, compared with the national and Apulian average, while for females it is much higher than the Apulian average but comparable to the national average; once again there is a disparity between the two sexes that, as we will soon see, will be confirmed in the geographical analysis.
Some international comparisons have been highlighted in Figure [3](#F3){ref-type="fig"}, based on \[[@B68]\], which contains data for 2006: in Italy there were 6.3 deaths per 10,000 person-years for male, while deaths among females were 1.4 per 10,000 person-years. The only European nation that has standardized rates at the level of the province of Lecce is Hungary, with 11 deaths per 10,000 person-years for males. Slightly different is the situation for females, since many European countries have very high mortality rates, well above the European average and the level registered in the province of Lecce. In some countries, like Denmark, the female mortality rate is only slightly less than that observed for males.
{#F3}
Spatial analysis: results
-------------------------
### SMRs for lung cancer in the province of Lecce
the Istat municipal codes of the areas considered in this paper are listed in the Additional File [1](#S1){ref-type="supplementary-material"} in order to enable their identification in the maps. Table [1](#T1){ref-type="table"} presents the estimated SMRs for selected areas, ordered by decreasing SMR and reporting only those areas where *θ*~*i*~\> 1 and *ρ*~*i*~\< 0.05 simultaneously occurred (i.e. the risk excess resulted to be significant according to the area-specific Poisson model). For males, SMRs varied around their overall mean 1.04 with standard deviation 0.28, ranging from 0.11 to 1.69; for females the variation was far more extreme, with an overall mean of 0.88 and standard deviation of 0.66, and values ranging from 0 to 4.09. For each SMR we also computed 95% approximate confidence intervals: those excluding unity, and thus regarded as statistically significant are presented in Figure [4](#F4){ref-type="fig"}. It is worth noting that due to the approximation used for the construction of confidence intervals, the lower end may fall below the neutral risk line *θ*= 1 (although a few decimal places only) even when significance is reached: for females, the standard errors for SMR are quite higher. Examining Table [1](#T1){ref-type="table"}, it is worth noting the significant risk excess for females in the city of Lecce (Istat code: 75035), where an SMR of 1.83 has been registered, and for the area of San Cassiano (Istat code: 75095) where the correspondent SMR is 4.09 and *ρ*~*i*~\< 0.01 (it is clearly seen that confidence intervals do not include unity). Looking instead at the results for males, it must be highlighted that many municipal areas reach the significance level; in addition, by looking at Figure [5](#F5){ref-type="fig"}, it is seen that high risk areas are not randomly distributed within the province, but show a sharp clustering. The most perceptible cluster involves a collection of municipalities around the Maglie area (Istat code: 75039), while the association among the municipalities of Otranto, Poggiardo and Santa Cesarea Terme (Istat codes: 75057, 75061, 75072) is more ambiguous. As we said, these results must be confirmed by more specialized methods, as maps based on SMRs are likely to be affected by random Poisson noise and extra-Poisson variation, whereas p-value based maps are insufficiently informative on the actual level of risk.
######
Maximum likelihood (SMR) and Bayesian estimates of the relative risk of mortality for lung cancer in the province of Lecce, 1992--2001, for selected areas
*Istat Code* *Area* *Y*~*i*~ *E*~*i*~ *SMR* *Significance* *95% CI*~*SMR*~ *95% CI*~*Bayes*~
-------------- ----------------------- ---------- ---------- ------- ---------------- ----------------- ------ -------------------
**Males**
75008 Bagnolo del Salento 15 8.87 1.69 0.05 (1.02--1.81) 1.21 (0.92--1.56)
75072 Santa Cesarea Terme 25 15.31 1.63 0.02 (1.10--2.42) 1.23 (0.96--1.55)
75057 Otranto 34 21.24 1.60 0.01 (1.14--2.24) 1.25 (0.99--1.57)
75025 Cursi 28 17.97 1.56 0.02 (1.08--2.26) 1.26 (0.98--1.64)
75061 Poggiardo 41 27.69 1.48 0.02 (1.09--2.01) 1.20 (0.96--1.47)
75018 Castrignano de\'Greci 26 18.06 1.44 0.05 (0.98--2.11) 1.20 (0.95--1.50)
75050 Morciano di Leuca 31 21.84 1.42 0.04 (1.00--2.02) 1.17 (0.92--1.51)
75093 Vernole 49 35.39 1.38 0.02 (1.05--1.83) 1.18 (0.95--1.46)
75051 Muro Leccese 37 26.87 1.38 0.04 (1.00--1.94) 1.19 (0.95--1.49)
75005 Andrano 34 24.88 1.37 0.05 (0.98--1.91) 1.12 (0.90--1.41)
75053 Neviano 43 31.73 1.36 0.04 (1.00--1.83) 1.15 (0.92--1.40)
75064 Presicce 39 29.25 1.33 0.05 (0.97--1.82) 1.13 (0.91--1.41)
75021 Collepasso 49 37.39 1.31 0.04 (0.99--1.73) 1.14 (0.93--1.38)
75026 Cutrofiano 58 45.27 1.28 0.04 (0.99--1.66) 1.16 (0.95--1.39)
75039 Maglie 86 71.28 1.21 0.05 (0.98--1.49) 1.16 (0.98--1.37)
**Females**
75095 San Cassiano 5 1.22 4.09 0.01 (1.70--9.82) 1.20 (0.69--2.20)
75035 Lecce 100 54.62 1.83 0.01 (1.50--2.23) 1.65 (1.33--2.00)
Estimates are shown ordered by decreasing SMR. For males is the posterior mean relative risk estimated using the fully BYM model with clustering and heterogeneity random effects; for females, only the heterogeneity term was considered. The column \'*Significance*\' must be read as \"p-value *ρ*~*i*~of the null hypothesis of no increased risk *H*~0~: *θ*~*i*~= 1 is strictly less than the indicated value\". The areas reported in the table are those where *θ*~*i*~\> 1 and *ρ*~*i*~\< 0.05, i.e. the risk excess resulted to be statistically significant. It is worth noting that due to the approximation used for the construction of confidence intervals, the lower end of *95% CI*~*SMR*~may fall below unity (although a few decimal places only) even when significance is reached.
{#F4}
{#F5}
### BYM model for the province of Lecce
prior to model estimation, we tested the SMRs for overdispersion and spatial autocorrelation. Results are presented in Table [2](#T2){ref-type="table"}: for males, the presence of both sources of extra-Poisson variation was widely supported, and spatial autocorrelation was still found even after accounting for over-dispersion (p-values for Geary\'s *C*and Moran\'s *I*were respectively 0.03 and 0.01, assuming a Negative Binomial as the null sampling distribution): this is in agreement with the strong spatial pattern present in relative risk estimates. For females, the situation is less structured; the absence of a quite clear spatial pattern was reflected into the fact that spatial autocorrelation tests resulted to be not significant (p-values are 0.53 and 0.64), and that most of the deviation from the null hypothesis that relative risks are distributed according to a Poisson random variable could be explained by the risk excess in the Lecce area. In fact, we carried out tests twice, respectively including and excluding the Lecce area, and when Lecce was not included even the chi-square homogeneity test resulted to be not significant (p-value 0.42). For these reasons, for females, the random-effect model used for Bayes relative risk estimation did not include the clustering term.
######
Tests for assessing the presence of heterogeneity and spatial autocorrelation in the relative risks of mortality for lung cancer in the province of Lecce, 1992--2001
*Test* *Sampling null distribution* *Number of iterations* *P-value*
-------------------------------- ------------------------------ ------------------------ -----------
**Males**
Pearson chi-squared Multinomial 9999 0.01
Pothoff-Whittinghill Multinomial 9999 0.01
Dean\'s over-dispersion test 0.01
Geary\'s *C* Negative Binomial 9999 0.03
Moran\'s *I* Negative Binomial 9999 0.01
**Females**
Pearson chi-squared Multinomial 9999 0.02
Pearson chi-squared \* Multinomial 9999 0.42
Pothoff-Whittinghill Multinomial 9999 0.01
Pothoff-Whittinghill \* Multinomial 9999 0.42
Dean\'s over-dispersion test 0.01
Dean\'s over-dispersion test\* 1.00
Geary\'s *C* Negative Binomial 9999 0.53
Moran\'s *I* Negative Binomial 9999 0.64
Parametric bootstrap under used, when necessary, to compute the significance of the observed values. For Geary\'s *C*and Moran\'s *I*a Negative Binomial bootstrap sampling distribution under the null hypothesis was used, in order to account for the presence of extra-Poisson variation. For females, some tests were conducted twice: the star \'\*\' means that the test was carried out excluding the Lecce area.
The shrinkage effect was quite strong for both sexes (for females, the information is borrowed by means of the common variance of the heterogeneity effect): for males, Bayes estimates of relative risks varied around an overall mean of 1.04 with standard deviation of 0.1, with a minimum of 0.77 and a maximum of 1.25. For females, the posterior relative risk surface, although smoothed, showed more variation than males, ranging form 0.74 to 1.65, around a mean of 0.90 with standard deviation 0.12. Selected 95% posterior credible intervals are presented in Table [1](#T1){ref-type="table"}: they included unity in every area for males, whereas significantly elevated risk of mortality was confirmed in the Lecce area for females (95% posterior CI: 1.33 -- 2.00). Most notably, the San Cassiano area resulted to be not significant (95% posterior CI: 0.69 -- 2.20). Maps presented in Figure [6](#F6){ref-type="fig"} confirm the different spatial patterns for the two sexes: the spatial distribution of areas in which \> 0.8 provide further insights about the detection of high-risk areas. For males the presence of two large, apparently separate, clusters is now even more obvious in central-eastern Salento around the Maglie and Otranto areas respectively, and another grouping formed by some municipalities close to Lecce and grouped around Vernole (Istat code: 75093), which was the only one of that group to present a significant excess of risk even on p-values based maps (Figure [5](#F5){ref-type="fig"} and Table [1](#T1){ref-type="table"}). This \"highlighting\" effect is due to the use of spatially structured random component which, as we know, tends to adjust the relative risks towards a local average and pushes up the risk of those areas closer to significance and bordering an area in which the relative risk is already significantly higher than 1. Other isolated high risk areas emerge in the south of the peninsula, towards the cape, such as Morciano di Leuca (Istat code: 75050) showed a significant p-value as well (Table [1](#T1){ref-type="table"}): in these cases, it is obviously much more difficult to identify putative risk factors, which in this case should carry on their effects on a very short scale. For females on the other hand, the role played by Lecce is clearly confirmed.
{#F6}
### BYM model for the whole Apulia
the analysis of spatial variation of risk on a larger scale (considering the whole Apulia) is presented in Figures [7](#F7){ref-type="fig"} and [8](#F8){ref-type="fig"}. Externally standardized maps (Figure [8](#F8){ref-type="fig"}) show that relevance of edge effects is clearly limited: it is worth noting that risk estimates in the Taranto area, for which we have reminded the presence of an high environmental risk, are strongly significant both for males and females. Internally standardized maps invite for several remarkable considerations. For males, several areas bordering the province of Lecce, and belonging to the province of Brindisi, were found to be at high risk: we may indeed conclude that there is a large high risk region (known as \'Big Salento\'), including the southern part of the province of Brindisi, and the eastern and southern part of the Salento peninsula, in which an increasing trend in the north-south direction is clearly seen. It is noteworthy that the municipalities located within the \"Jonico-Salentina\" belt (i.e. bordering the province of Taranto) are those with the lowest overall mortality rates (at least for males), and no apparent spatial pattern ore trend toward the Taranto area are present. For females, the localized elevation of risk in the Lecce area is once again manifest.
{#F7}
{#F8}
### Ecological correlation study with deprivation (Cadum index)
the Cadum index for the province of Lecce varied around an overall mean of 0.31 with standard deviation of 1.03, ranging from -3.80 to 2.90 (the third quartile being equal to 0.93). It is quite interesting to note that the distribution of the Cadum index for Italy assumes values between -5.42 and 34.40, and that 99% of the distribution falls within the interval (-3.4, 6.24), excluding more extreme values (\[[@B61]\], based on 1991 Italian census data). Therefore, it can be concluded that the entire province of Lecce is an area presenting a high level of deprivation. The results based on the BYM model in which the Cadum index was introduced as ecological covariate are shown in Figure [9](#F9){ref-type="fig"}, in which residual spatial variation is presented. Due to convergence problems, the MCMC run required 60,000 MCMC burn-in iterations, and subsequently another 30,000 iterations (for each chain) considering only one out of each three for estimation. For males, posterior mean of the ecological regression coefficient *β*resulted to be 0.04 with 95% posterior credible interval equal to (-0.01, 0.08); similarly, *β*was estimated as equal to -0.03 for females (95% posterior credible interval: -0.16, 0.10). Moreover, it is clearly seen from Figure [9](#F9){ref-type="fig"} that the spatial structure of the unexplained variation is very similar (especially for men) to the spatial pattern shown by Bayes estimates of relative risk presented in Figure [5](#F5){ref-type="fig"}: it seems that these results exclude the existence of a positive linear association between risk and deprivation. The real picture is however slightly more complex: Figure [10](#F10){ref-type="fig"} plots Bayes estimates of relative risks (Figure [5](#F5){ref-type="fig"}) versus Cadum index; each estimate has an associated 95% posterior credible interval, and a local scatterplot smoother was superimposed. We see that, for males, there is some indication of nonlinearly increasing relative risk with increasing deprivation for higher deprivation levels: we know from previous analyses that areas with the highest relative risks are located in the eastern and southern part of the Salento peninsula, and it is precisely in those areas that the highest scores of the Cadum index occur. For females, according to Figure [10](#F10){ref-type="fig"}, it is actually difficult to postulate the existence of any association between risk and deprivation.
{#F9}
{#F10}
### Cluster detection
for cluster detection based on the modified BYM model, the scanning procedure considered the set of all circular neighbourhoods, using 10% of total expected counts to define the maximum circle size. Results for males are presented in Figure [11](#F11){ref-type="fig"} and Table [3](#T3){ref-type="table"}: our approach strengthened the evidence for the presence of two large unexplained clusters in the central-eastern and southern part of the peninsula. To check the sensitivity of these results with respect to the choice of Δ, we repeated the analysis using 50% of total expected counts to define the maximum circle size: identified patterns were found to be virtually identical, except that clusters respectively estimated during steps *k*= 3,7 and *k*= 4,6 were merged into a single cluster (results are available from the authors upon request). Once again it is apparent the presence of unexplained high-risk zones, that the BYM model was not able to highlight.
######
Results of the cluster detection sequential algorithm based on a suitable modification of the BYM model.
**Step (*k*)** \#(Δ -Δ\*) *95% CI*~*Bayes*~ *P*~*D*~ *DIC*
---------------- ------------ ------ ------------------- -------- ---------- --------
**2** 547 0.25 (0.12, 0.39) 591.44 31.67 623.10
**3** 341 0.29 (0.08, 0.50) 589.61 27.71 617.32
**4** 298 0.31 (0.08, 0.53) 578.76 24.27 612.03
**5** 249 0.18 (0.05, 0.32) 584.91 21.13 606.05
**6** 141 0.23 (0.03, 0.42) 581.26 19.93 601.20
**7** 102 0.32 (0.02, 0.62) 577.96 20.06 598.02
The DIC criterion is defined as DIC = + *p*~*D*~, where is the posterior expected value of deviance (which is a measure of the goodness of fit of the model), while *p*~*D*~is a penalty term, i.e. the effective number of parameters given the complex interdependencies that are introduced into the actual number of parameters by the specification of correlated random effects for the risk distribution. Between two competing models the one that has a lower score of the DIC criterion should be preferred. Here, \#(Δ - Δ\*) denotes the number of elements in the current collection of candidate clusters: the initial set Δ was defined as the set of all circular neighbourhoods using 10% of total expected counts to define the maximum circle size. Only significant clusters for which \> 0 were reported.
{#F11}
Discussion
==========
The results of this work, reported in the previous paragraph, makes it appear that lung cancer mortality in the province of Lecce is assuming alarming dimensions. Within the province itself, however, situation differs from municipality to municipality, but it is unquestionably not homogeneous between males and females, and this raises the problem of a rather complex interpretation. For males, as previously mentioned, the presence of two large clusters is apparent, one group of the municipalities gathered around the Maglie (Istat code: 75039) and the other located in the south of peninsula; for females, however, higher mortality rates are seen in the municipality of Lecce. Furthermore, the temporal dimension must not be neglected: Figure [2](#F2){ref-type="fig"} shows clearly how, for males, the problem of increased incidence of lung cancer has subsisted, according to data available to us, for at least 25 years. Data on smoking habits and other lifestyle choices, disaggregated at the municipal level, are not available: recent data on the entire region (which unfortunately are not available separately for the two sexes) show that the percentage of non-smokers is higher than the Italian average (64% versus 56%); they show, instead, a percentage of overweight people higher than the Italian average (36.6 against 33.9), but in any case aligned with the other regions of South Italy \[[@B69]\].
With regard to individual risk factors, particular attention was given, in the past, to the distribution of Radon in the Apulian territory. In a major study conducted on a sample of 310 residences in nine municipalities of Apulia (Bari, Rutigliano, Foggia, Troia, Sant\'Agata di Apulia, Taranto, Latiano, Lecce e Castri di Lecce) changes in the concentration of indoor Radon in these homes were assessed during the spring-summer and autumn-winter periods, and considered in association with the architectural configuration of the building and to construction materials used \[[@B70]\]. The reported results demonstrated that in the two selected municipalities of Lecce (Lecce and Castri di Lecce) the concentration of Radon was clearly greater than that of the other municipalities studied. The causes of this excess in these homes are mainly attributable to two factors: the building type and the geological characteristics of the subsoil. The buildings made of tufa and Lecce stone are those in which the largest concentrations of Radon were measured: it is therefore easily concluded that, in these municipalities of Lecce, the concomitant presence of many old buildings constructed with the abovementioned materials and the karst subsoil which affects the process of exhalation of Radon could, combined with smoking habits, be the cause of a significant number of lung neoplasms: at present, however, scientific feedback to this statement is required, especially bearing in mind that the spatial distribution of mortality is extremely different between the sexes, as we have well-established.
The presence of large industrial plants in the area of Galatina (Istat code: 75029, which borders the municipality of Cutrofiano, Istat code: 75026, located around the secondary cluster near the Maglie area), raises the question about the role of occupational exposure for male workers resident in central Salento: it would be interesting to know the employment and work place of males suffering from lung cancer to check, at least for areas classified as high risk, the possibility of an occupational exposure: furthermore, we must not forget the role that these facilities could have as point sources of pollutants and carcinogens diffused throughout the territory. These studies may become possible in the near future thanks to the consolidation of data from the Jonico-Salentino Cancer Register.
Despite the impressive figures concerning the environmental situation in the province of Lecce, one cannot conclude with certainty that the problem of environmental exposure caused by toxic substances released into the environment is directly responsible for the high lung cancer mortality registered in the province of Lecce: once again the differences between the sexes make it difficult to reach a similar conclusion. In addition, as already pointed out, deaths from lung cancer among males are above the Apulian average from as early as 1981, when the issue of emergency waste was probably much less relevant (if not entirely absent).
With regard to the conclusions of the local press that, as we have already mentioned in the introduction, has often attributed the causes of risk excess to air pollution produced by the factories of Taranto, it is noteworthy to observe that in support of these hypotheses it has often been cited a recent study on wind directions of Salento, which blow predominantly from the north-west, and therefore \"would spread\" atmospheric pollutants to west of the province of Lecce from the province of Taranto \[[@B71]\]. However, our conclusions disagree: the municipalities of Lecce province within the \"Jonico-Salentina\" belt (i.e. bordering the province of Taranto) are those with the lowest overall mortality rates (at least for males). The role of facilities for energy production installed in the province of Brindisi is unclear for similar reasons.
For females, given the situation observed in the city of Lecce, the enormous increase in mortality since the 90s is attributed to their clearly greater propensity to smoking: as the tobacco habit is a predominantly cultural phenomenon of nature, it can be assumed that many women, living in a city traditionally modern and cultured as Lecce, have gradually opted to smoke cigarettes as a symbol of an emancipated lifestyle. Even these findings, though plausible, are unfortunately weak because they were not derived from statistical models of incidence and/or mortality that take into account the latency period of lung cancer, and more precise data on cigarette consumption broken by municipality and sex: new studies will be needed to verify these new hypotheses.
For males, the presence of high levels of deprivation throughout the eastern and southern Salento is likely to play an important role: the most obvious explanation for the observed differentials is that those with lower socio-economic status smoke more \[[@B72]\], and that gender differences may be explained on the basis of the fact that in less developed areas women have less habit to tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking (and to other lifestyles harmful for health), which are seen as purely masculine behaviour. Of course, potential for uncontrolled confounding may be substantial, and the inquiry about the role of deprivation should be further developed and supported by data on individual lifestyles.
Study limitations
-----------------
The use of mortality rather incidence data, which could be a source of bias, was necessary by the fact that a methodical collection of cancer incidence data in the province of Lecce exists only from 1999 (thanks to the \"Ionico-Salentino\" Cancer Registry: on these issues, see the discussion reported in \[[@B73]\]). However, we have a substantial degree of confidence that these distortions can be regarded as negligible, given that roughly two-thirds of patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage of the disease, when available treatment approaches are rarely effective: as a consequence of the fact, lung cancer, especially non-small cell lung cancer, still appears as one of the more incurable neoplastic diseases, and that presents among the lowest five-year survival rates (see for example \[[@B74]\] showing the relative five-year survival rate -- namely the relationship between the proportion of patients who survived in a cohort of individuals affected by lung cancer and the proportion of survivors expected in a comparable series of individuals not affected by the disease -- equal to 11% for 2006). So, the quantitative dimensions of incidence and mortality cannot be considered too dissimilar: similar conclusion may be based on the recent data reported in \[[@B75]\].
The use of an areal approach invites the criticism of ecological fallacy \[[@B76]\], that is all individuals living in an area share the same characteristics, which is clearly not the case. In addition, the aggregate nature of the study made impossible to control for potential and very important confounders, such as smoking habits (for which neither aggregate or individual data were available) or occupational exposure among others. This implies that, notwithstanding the use of advanced disease mapping methods is essential to generate new etiological hypotheses, we have no possibility of ascertaining the real causes of risk excess clusters present in the data, and we can only make conjectures. To obtain information about the contribution of individuals to disease occurrence, and include within-area confounders, it is desirable to use both data collected on areas and on individuals \[[@B77]\]: this approach will be pursued in future papers as soon as individual-level data will become available.
Conclusion
==========
The data analyzed in this paper reveal that in Salento there are, unfortunately, all the adverse conditions for a high mortality for lung cancer, although the real reasons for this risk excess remain, until now, not fully understood: this work is a preliminary analysis that has served to estimate the spatial pattern of risk and to generate new hypotheses for study: research into the role of material deprivation and individual lifestyle differences between genders should be further developed: other findings, highlighted by the press, seem unrealistic in the light of data. The importance of geographical epidemiology as a tool for analyzing the dynamics and determinants of health and disease in the community was stressed.
Competing interests
===================
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Authors\' contributions
=======================
MB conceived the study, wrote sections \'Materials and methods\' and \'Results\', and revised the draft manuscript. AF wrote sections \'Abstract\', \'Background\', \'Discussion\' and \'Conclusions\'. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript
Supplementary Material
======================
###### Additional file 1
**ISTAT**. Amended list of municipalities in the province of Lecce, with its code extracted from the list of Italian municipalities published by ISTAT and updated on 1 January 2007. The municipal area of Racale has been combined with that of Taviano for the reasons discussed in the text.
######
Click here for file
Acknowledgements
================
We wish to thank Dr. Giusi Graziano, from the Mario Negri Sud Institute in Santa Maria Imbaro (Chieti, Italia), for her valuable support in the use of Cislaghi mortality atlas. Comments from two anonymous reviewers contributed to improve the quality of this paper.
| 2024-02-07T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/2048 |
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New York, NY, September 16, 2011 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) urges the Vatican to ensure that a breakaway Catholic sect which teaches anti-Judaism will be required to accept the church's official positive teachings about Jews and Judaism before they are fully accepted back into the Roman Catholic Church. The Vatican announced earlier this week that in order for The Society of St. Pius X to gain full reconciliation with the church, SSPX must accept some core church teachings, but they have not been made public. It was unclear from news reports and Vatican statements whether the landmark reforms of... | 2024-07-10T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/5293 |
ALTIMETRY
The altimeter is essentially an aneroid barometer. The difference is the scale. The altimeter is graduated to read increments of height rather than units of pressure. The standard for graduating the altimeter is the standard atmosphere.
ALTITUDE
Altitude seems like a simple term; it means height. But in aviation, it can have many meanings.
True Altitude
Since existing conditions in a real atmosphere are seldom standard, altitude indications on the altimeter are seldom actual or true altitudes. True altitude is the actual or exact altitude above mean sea level. If your altimeter does not indicate true altitude, what does it indicate?
Indicated Altitude
Look again at figure 11 showing the effect of mean temperature on the thickness of the three columns of air. Pressures are equal at the bottoms and equal at the tops of the three layers. Since the altimeter is essentially a barometer, altitude indicated by the altimeter at the top of each column would be the same. To see this effect more clearly, study figure 14. Note that in the warm air, you fly at an altitude higher than indicated. In the cold air, you are at an altitude lower than indicated.
Height indicated on the altimeter also changes with changes in surface pressure. A movable scale on the altimeter permits you to adjust for surface pressure, but you have no means of adjusting the instrument for mean temperature of the column of air below you. Indicated altitude is the altitude above mean sea level indicated on the altimeter when set at the local altimeter setting. But what is altimeter setting?
FIGURE 14. Indicated altitude depends on air temperature below the aircraft. Since pressure is equal at the bases and equal at the tops of each column, indicated altitude is the same at the top of each column. When air is colder than average (right), the altimeter reads higher than true altitude. When air is warmer than standard (left), the altimeter reads lower than true altitude.
Altimeter Setting
Since the altitude scale is adjustable, you can set the altimeter to read true altitude at some specified height. Takeoff and landing are the most critical phases of flight; therefore, airport elevation is the most desirable altitude for a true reading of the altimeter. Altimeter setting is the value to which the scale of the pressure altimeter is set so the altimeter indicates true altitude at field elevation.
In order to ensure that your altimeter reading is compatible with altimeter readings of other aircraft in your vicinity, keep your altimeter setting current. Adjust it frequently in flight to the altimeter setting reported by the nearest tower or weather reporting station. Figure 15 shows the trouble you can encounter if you are lax in adjusting your altimeter in flight. Note that as you fly from high pressure to low pressure, you are lower than your altimeter indicates.
FIGURE 15. When flying from high pressure to lower pressure without adjusting your altimeter, you are losing true altitude.
Figure 16 shows that as you fly from warm to cold air, your altimeter reads too high—you are lower than your altimeter indicates. Over flat terrain this lower than true reading is no great problem; other aircraft in the vicinity also are flying indicated rather than true altitude, and your altimeter readings are compatible. If flying in cold weather over mountainous areas, however, you must take this difference between indicated and true altitude into account. You must know that your true altitude assures clearance of terrain, so you compute a correction to indicated altitude.
FIGURE 16. Effect of temperature on altitude. When air is warmer than average, you are higher than your altimeter indicates. When temperature is colder than average, you are lower than indicated. When flying from warm to cold air at a constant indicated altitude, you are losing true altitude.
Corrected (Approximately True) Altitude
If it were possible for a pilot always to determine mean temperature of the column of air between the aircraft and the surface, flight computers would be designed to use this mean temperature in computing true altitude. However, the only guide a pilot has to temperature below him is free air temperature at his altitude. Therefore, the flight computer uses outside air temperature to correct indicated altitude to approximate true altitude. Corrected altitude is indicated altitude corrected for the temperature of the air column below the aircraft, the correction being based on the estimated departure of the existing temperature from standard atmospheric temperature. It is a close approximation to true altitude and is labeled true altitude on flight computers. It is close enough to
true altitude to be used for terrain clearance provided you have your altimeter set to the value reported from a nearby reporting station.
Pilots have met with disaster because they failed to allow for the difference between indicated and true altitude. In cold weather when you must clear high terrain, take time to compute true altitude.
FAA regulations require you to fly indicated altitude at low levels and pressure altitude at high levels (at or above 18,000 feet at die time this book was printed). What is pressure altitude?
Pressure Altitude
In the standard atmosphere, sea level pressure is 29.92 inches of mercury or 1013.2 millibars. Pressure falls at a fixed rate upward through this hypothetical atmosphere. Therefore, in the standard atmosphere, a given pressure exists at any specified altitude. Pressure altitude is the altitude in the standard atmosphere where pressure is the same as where you are. Since at a specific pressure altitude, pressure is everywhere the same, a constant pressure surface defines a constant pressure altitude. When you fly a constant pressure altitude, you are flying a constant pressure surface.
You can always determine pressure altitude from your altimeter whether in flight or on the ground. Simply set your altimeter at the standard altimeter setting of 29.92 inches, and your altimeter indicates pressure altitude.
A conflict sometimes occurs near the altitude separating flights using indicated altitude from those using pressure altitude. Pressure altitude on one aircraft and indicated altitude on another may indicate altitude separation when, actually, the two are at the same true altitude. All flights using pressure altitude at high altitudes are IFR controlled flights. When this conflict occurs, air traffic controllers prohibit IFR flight at the conflicting altitudes.
DENSITY ALTITUDE
What is density altitude? Density altitude simply is the altitude in the standard atmosphere where air density is the same as where you are. Pressure,
temperature, and humidity determine air density. On a hot day, the air becomes “thinner” or lighter, and its density where you are is equivalent to a higher altitude in the standard atmosphere—thus the term “high density altitude.” On a cold day, the air becomes heavy; its density is the same as that at an altitude in the standard atmosphere lower than your altitude—“low density altitude.”
Density altitude is not a height reference; rather, it is an index to aircraft performance. Low density altitude increases performance. High density altitude is a real hazard since it reduces aircraft performance. It affects performance in three ways. (1) It reduces power because the engine takes in less air to support combustion. (2) It reduces thrust because the propeller gets less grip on the light air or a jet has less mass of gases to spit out the exhaust. (3) It reduces lift because the light air exerts less force on the airfoils.
The net results are that high density altitude lengthens your takeoff and landing rolls and reduces your rate of climb. Before lift-off, you must attain a faster groundspeed, and therefore, you need more runway; your reduced power and thrust add a need for still more runway. You land at a
faster groundspeed and, therefore, need more room to stop. At a prescribed indicated airspeed, you are flying at a faster true airspeed, and therefore, you cover more distance in a given time which means climbing at a more shallow angle. Add to this the problems of reduced power and rate of climb, and you are in double jeopardy in your climb. Figure 17 shows the effect of density altitude on takeoff distance and rate of climb.
High density altitude also can be a problem at cruising altitudes. When air is abnormally warm, the high density altitude lowers your service ceiling. For example, if temperature at 10,000 feet pressure altitude is 20° C, density altitude is 12,700 feet. (Check this on your flight computer.) Your aircraft will perform as though it were at 12,700 indicated with a normal temperature of − 8° C.
To compute density altitude, set your altimeter at 29.92 inches or 1013.2 millibars and read pressure altitude from your altimeter. Read outside air temperature and then use your flight computer to get density altitude. On an airport served by a weather observing station, you usually can get density altitude for the airport from the observer. Section 16 of AVIATION WEATHER SERVICES has a graph for computing density altitude if you have no flight computer handy. | 2024-05-29T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/2297 |
The Raines Conspiracy
This article was lost when our site moved to a new server last year – I don’t want it to be lost.
———
The year 1980 will always hold a special place in the hearts of Richmond supporters.
Michael Roach kicked a ton that year, and Kevin Bartlett would add 84 goals to his name as well, providing Richmond with a one-two punch rarely matched. KB proudly added the Norm Smith Medal to his trophy case as well. To cap it all off, Richmond captain, Bruce Monteath stood on the podium on that last day in September; his wide smile accentuated by his still-present mouthguard, and hoisted the premiership cup high.
It was the year of the Tiger, and it would be 37 years until they had another, but as the accolades flowed in a river of yellow and black, there was one award that slipped away from a Tiger that season.
Bulldog full-forward, Kelvin Templeton took home the Brownlow Medal in 1980, capping off his third consecutive high-quality season in front of goal. He bagged 75 goals – quite a few less than his previous tallies of 118 in 1978, and 91 in 1979, but his work further afield was noticed. The Footscray spearhead tallied 23 votes, to finish 3 clear of Essendon’s Merv Neagle. (my former neighbour – Rest in peace, Merv).
Incredibly, for the rest of his 12 year career, Templeton only polled a total of 21 votes.
To this day, the failure of Geoff Raines to poll a single vote remains a sore point for Tiger fans. Raines was the favourite leading into the count, and the Richmond team had been excellent all season, dropping only five games. The smooth-moving centreman always looked classy on the field; his penetrating kick gave the damaging Tiger forwards every opportunity to score. Raines always appeared perfectly balanced as he ran through the middle of the ground. The way he played the game made it look effortless.
Yet his efforts were completely ignored by the umpires.
Why? How could they miss the level he was playing at?
In a 2013 interview with The Age journalist, Jon Pierik, Raines pointed the finger of blame at former umpire Peter Cameron in regards to his Brownlow snub. “Peter was very cunning,” said Raines in a 2013 interview. “You thought he was on your side, but he is on everyone’s side.”
Raines believes Cameron wielded heavy influence within the umpiring fraternity and had labelled him as both a sniper, as well as someone who back-chatted umpires, allegedly dissuading his fellow men in white from rewarding Raines’ on-field heroics with votes.
This is a claim was denied by fellow umpire of that era, Bill Deller. “I didn’t even realise he didn’t get a vote,” said Deller. “I can’t remember a single umpire in the 20 years I was involved discussing votes. It wasn’t worth your spot on the list.”
Raines doubled-down in his interview with Mike Sheahan on Fox Footy’s Open Mike. “Obviously, they didn’t like me,” he said, referring to the men in white. He admitted to being a bit of a talker, but also said it was “reasonably embarrassing and may have been a bit pointed from the umpires.”
Does Raines actually have a case? His season was good enough to secure him one of his three Jack Dyer medals. That, particularly in a premiership year, is nothing to sneeze at. His style was eye-catching; certainly the sort of player that would garner the attention of anyone watching the game, but the Tigers had many star players in what was a golden era for the club.
There’s only one real way to know whether Raines was robbed in 1980, and that’s to look at the games themselves. Sadly, there is precious little access to home-and-away games in this era, so it leaves us with statistics to shed some light on whether Raines deserved to be in contention for the medal or, at the very least, deserving of some votes that year.
Having sorted through the available statistics for all 22 games in 1980, it is fair to say that Raines’ favouritism for the Brownlow may have been wishful thinking, but receiving no votes at all is an inaccurate reflection of a very consistent year.
Statistics are only one way to measure performance, and it’s a measure that fails to capture intricacies in the game. Achievements such as a defender completely dominating his duel with a star forward, or a “run-with” player getting the better of a star midfielder are both instances that cannot be measured with historical stats. Francis Bourke and Jim Jess both polled 8 votes each in 1980, but neither were prolific ball-winners. They performed their roles in the back half admirably, and their efforts did not go unnoticed.
Another factor that is worth mentioning is that players of all positions seemingly received higher vote totals in those days. Peter Moore won it in ’79 and two other ruckmen finished in the top five. Forwards Terry Daniher, Mark McClure and Rene Kink all finished in the top 10 in 1979. Backmen, Ross Glendinning and Robbert Klomp finished highly as well. 1980 saw similar results, with ruckmen occupying four of the top ten spots and Templeton winning the award as a forward. The Brownlow was yet to become the midfielder’s award it now seems to be.
Should Raines have won the 1980 Brownlow? No, he shouldn’t have, and looking at the performances of his teammates on the days Raines did excel, it’s easy to see why. Should he have polled votes? Yes, he should’ve, but not a copious amount. Somewhere in the vicinity of 6-8 votes may have been a fair return for Raines, but there are some games that just had too many Richmond stars performing at their peak. It was not hailed as a golden age for the club based on a LACK of talent.
Raines was Richmond’s most consistent player for the year. He had 10 home and away games where he accumulated 25 or more touches. There were a couple of very high highs, and only a couple of lows, and this effort was rewarded by receiving the best and fairest at his club. Winning a Brownlow takes a little more than a good, consistent year – it takes a great year. While Raines may have had a couple of great games, he simply didn’t have enough.
GAME BY GAME BREAKDOWN
Round One – The Tigers dropped the Hawks by five points. Raines is good, collecting 19 touches and a goal, but there is stiff competition from Monteath with 22 and a goal, Robert Wiley with 23 and a goal, Barry Rowlings with 25 and a goal. Kevin Bartlett, who compiled 24 touches and added 4 goals was most likely best man on the ground. For the Hawks, Leigh Matthews collected 27 touches and 2 goals. VERDICT – NO VOTES.
Round Two – The Bombers got over the Tigers here by seven points, so you’d expect them to garner most of the votes. Tim Watson had 25 disposals, Fabulous Phil Carman added 2.4 to his 24 possessions, and Ian Marsh had 24 and a goal. For the Tigers, Roach kicked seven, so if one Tiger looked like he’d sneak into the votes, it’d be ‘Disco’. Raines had 21 touches in the loss. VERDICT – NO VOTES.
Round Three – A drawn game against St Kilda, so the votes would probably be split. Dale Weightman led the Tigers with 26 touches, and Wiley was right behind him with 25. Greg Burns had 29 and two goals for the Saints, whilst Dean Herbert snagged five goals straight. Raines amassed 21 touches. VERDICT – NO VOTES.
Round Four – The Tigers hit their straps here, winning by 52 points over Collingwood. Weightman and Rowlings had 28 and 27 touches respectively, and also added a goal each. Mark Lee may have been the danger here; his 21 disposals and 34 hit outs would certainly catch the umpires’ eye. If not Lee, then David Cloke’s 5 goals might have. Raines would gather 25 touches that day, but would not add a goal to his stats. VERDICT – NO VOTES.
Round Five – All Richmond here. They walloped Fitzroy by 118 points. At the time, this was the highest score ever conceded by the Lions. Raines was fantastic, picking up 37 disposals and kicking a goal. You’d think with those sorts of numbers that he’d be a shoe-in for votes, but there’s more to this statistical story. Rowlings racked up 30 disposals and 6 goals, reasonably securing him as the best on ground. David Cloke roamed across the half forward line, picking up 29 touches on his merry, moustached way, to go along with 3 goals, and Robert Wiley kicked 2 to go along with his 29 disposals. Bruce Monteath kicked 4.5 as well. It’s not out of the realms of possibility that, despite collecting that many touches, Raines simply was simply judged as the fourth-best player on the ground. VERDICT – UNCERTAIN.
Round Six – The Tigers managed to get by the Cats by 7 points here, so there could be a mix of votes. Wiley again seems statistically impressive. He had 32 disposals and added a goal. Mark Lee finished with 27 touches to go along with 24 hitouts, while Raines had 23 touches. David Clarke of the Cats had 31 possessions and 2 goals, whilst Peter Featherby collected 26 whilst kicking 2.4. Either one of them could’ve squeezed Raines out of the votes. VERDICT – NO VOTES
Round Seven – Another Tiger walloping, this time over the Bulldogs. The margin was 110 points, and there were a host of Richmond players finishing above 20 disposals, Raines being one. Roach is the standout. He kicked 11 goals from 22 disposals, and was amply aided by Wiley, who had 27 and 2 goals. Raines had 24 and added 2 goals into the mix, but he easily could’ve been overshadowed by Cloke (25 disposals), Dennis Collins (24), Jim Jess (21), Merv Keane (26 and a goal) or Bartlett (18 and 4 goals). VERDICT – UNCERTAIN.
Round Eight – Another Tiger win, this time by 53 points over Carlton. Raines had 29 disposals, but is completely blown away, firstly by Robert Wiley, who racked up 46 touches, then by Bartlett who snags 7.4 to go along with his 21 disposals. Rowlings might be the one that pips Raines at the post on this one, as he collected 30 disposals. VERDICT – FAIR TO SAY… NO VOTES
Round Nine – The Tiger machine kept rolling. Another big win, this time by 93 points over the Demons. Captain Monteath (great name for a pirate) kicked eight goals and 29 disposals, Rowlings had 38 disposals and 3 goals, Cloke had 23 with 5 goals and Bartlett had 20 with 4 goals. Even without taking the aforementioned numbers, Raines’ 29 touches would rank behind Robert Wiley’s 33 possessions. VERDICT – NO VOTES
Round Ten – The Tigers win again, but it’s a narrow margin over the Kangaroos. Possible split of the votes. Roach kicked seven goals from 13 touches, which may put him in contention for votes, and Bartlett kicked three from his 23 disposals. Raines led the Tigers with 25 possessions, but may have been trumped in the votes by a North player, and if one man was going to bob up and steal votes, it’d be Gary Dempsey. Demps had 22 disposals and 9 marks to go along with 23 hit outs, winning his duel with Mark Lee. VERDICT – ONE VOTE AT MOST.
Round 11 – If there is one game to argue in favour of Raines, this would be it. The Tigers cruised to a 53 point win over the Swans, with Raines leading all players with 31 possessions and a goal. Cloke might be the challenger here with 27 touches and 12 marks whilst spending time both forward and in the ruck, however Dennis Collins’ season-high 29 touches may have swayed the umps. The only argument for any other players would be Weightman who collected 27 with two goals, and Rowlings with 26 and two goals. VERDICT – TWO VOTES.
Round 12 – The Tigers got past the Hawks again, this time by 20 points. Raines lead his team in disposals with 26 but failed to hit the scoreboard. Weightman’s 25 and two goals might’ve stolen his thunder. Leigh Matthews had 33 and a couple of goals for the Hawks which may have seen him rewarded. VERDICT – ONE VOTE
Round 13 – The Tigers get up by ten points over the Bombers. Cloke bags five goals to go with his 26 touches, whilst Rowlings has 26 of his own to go with a goal. Bryan Wood managed to snare himself 27 disposals, while for Essendon, it’s hard to ignore Tim Watson’s 26 disposals and two goals, and Wayne Foreman’s 25 and three goals. Raines had 25 but again did not hit the scoreboard. VERDICT – NO VOTES
Round 14 – The Tigers squeeze by the Pies by nine points. Weightman was the star, compiling 35 disposals, whilst Bartlett added four goals from his 19 disposals. For the first time all season, Raines failed to reach 20 disposals, ending on 19. Peter Moore (28 disposals and 18 hit outs) and Tony Shaw (32 and a goal) were both stars for the Pies. VERDICT – NO VOTES.
Round 15 – In an amazing turnaround from earlier in the year, Fitzroy stop the Tiger train here, winning by 21 points. Garry Wilson had 33 touches for the Lions and Warwick Irwin had 28 disposals to go with his two goals. If a Tiger made the cut here, it’d be Weightman, who collected 34 disposals. Raines had only 16 possessions to his name. VERDICT – NO VOTES
Round 16 – Talk about bouncing back! The Tigers gave the Saints a 152 point hiding here. Roach kicked ten goals, Bartlett snagged six, and the major possession winners were the returning Wiley (37), Cloke (32) and Weightman (26). Raines had 21. VERDICT – NO VOTES.
Round 17 – The Cats upset the Tigers by 17 points. Raines had 20 disposals, but was still behind Wiley’s 25 and Terry Smith’s 21. The Cats would get the majority of the votes here – Terry Bright, Bruce Nankervis, Michael Turner and Peter Featherby were amongst a group of Geelong players to go over 20 possessions. VERDICT – NO VOTES.
Round 18 – A welcome return to form saw the Tigers belt the Bulldogs by 115 points. Raines had 35 disposals and a goal, but Roach’s ten goals may have pushed him back a spot. Both Wiley and Weightman had 30 touches each, with the former adding a goal. If you’re looking at those four, Raines would have to be incredibly unlucky to miss out, but it is not beyond the realms of possibility. VERDICT – ONE OR TWO VOTES.
Round 19 – Carlton got home against the Tigers by 21, with impressive performances by Greg Wells (31 and three goals) and Alex Marcou (26 and one goal). Geoff Southby holding Roach to a single goal would also have to be considered, making it difficult to see any Tiger getting more than the one vote. If pressed, that Tiger would be Weightman (23 and a goal) or Raines (22). VERDICT – NO VOTES
Round 21 – The Tigers battled out a tough win over North Melbourne, with Raines collecting 28 disposals and a goal, second only to Ian Scrimshaw’s career-high 32 touches for the Tigers. On paper, it looks as though North Melbourne had better individual players. Dempsey haunted the Tigers again, compiling 18 disposals, two goals and 29 hit outs, Wayne Schimmelbusch had 34 disposals, and Malcolm Blight had 25 with two goals. Still, the Tigers won, and even with votes split due to the close margin, I can’t look past Raines for at least one vote here. VERDICT – ONE VOTE.
Round 22 – The Swans gave the Tigers a 9 goal belting to finish the home and away season. Raines had 24 touches to lead the Tigers, but there was no way he was getting votes in a lopsided loss. VERDICT – NO VOTES.
So, looking at the breakdown of the games, it is quite difficult to ascertain why Raines was backed into favouritism for the 1980 medal. he was consistently good, and when he was great, plenty of others around him were fantastic as well.
My guess is the conspiracy never existed. Raines was more the victim of being a very good player on a very good team.
3 Responses
Interesting article, HB, and well written. I remember 1980 well. Brisbane hadnt begun so I was still a Tiger boy. Back then the impact players and goal kickers were more recognised, especially by umpires, than the consistent assist players or work horses, unlike these days [oops, recent years]. Also alot of ruckmen back then were great ‘around the ground players’, earning votes. Guys like Peter Moore, Gary Dempsey, Barry Round, Simon Madden, Graham Teasdale etc. If Geoff Raines gave the lip to the umpires he wasnt gonna get the votes. But did he care, he got a Premiership, a club B & F, and later came to Brisbane and stayed. Good onya Rainsey.
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Q:
Android, "more details" UI best practice?
I need to show some data to my user, in my Android app, which fit on one page; and, I want to give her the possibility to show "more details", i.e. more data.
In my situation I have some textviews inside a vertical scrollview inside a relative layout.
Is there a "best practice", or a recommendation, or just something you like - to implement the "more details" user control? To show an icon, a button, some text, ...?
A:
Yes, a button saying "More Details" would be fine, then just hide the button and show more details where the button was, at the end of the scroll view.
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Through My Eyes takes on a journey of happenings that touches me. It maybe just a simple smile, laugh, humour, experiences or thoughts. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.
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Name:thquah
Location:Penang, Malaysia
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Wednesday, April 13, 2005
What kind of fashion is this?
Well, as we know teenagers today will follow whatever the latest trend in fashion, hair-do, music , etc. But some of the things these teenagers do will be so uncool that's the impression I have. Lately my teenage kids have been following the new trend with their dressing and hair-do not to mention the music they listen to. The music they listen is totally alien to me and different from the 70's and 80's. Most teenagers follow the trend, maybe this is due to peer pressure or just for the sake of following not to be left out in the group. I always commented that what they are doing is so uncool but they said that I am old fashion and behind time. Some of the things my son does are have his hair spooking up by using wax hair cream, wearing big baggy pants (his waist is only 28 inches but buy size 34 inches pants) The way he wear the pants is like the pants is going to drop out from the waist. It's not the normal hipster fashion but much lower than hipster always showing off his underwear. I always tell him better not to wear anything at all, if he wants to show his butt or show anything else. As for my daughter she is much better she does not follow much into the fashion thing and I am glad. Don't get me wrong I can accept whatever dressing they are up too. It's just that I need to remind them the taste they have on dressings. I don't want them to dress like Ah Too or Jinjang Joe (local nickname that is given for bad taste in dressing). Maybe every teenage have his own opinion on the way he/she wants to dress. I will have to be a little patience with my kids and let them figure out whether their dressings is horrible or I am terrible.(old fashion)
2 Comments:
Hahaha, same here. My kids always, always tell me I am 'ketinggalan zaman'. They keep listening to the same song and singing it so loud! BTW, are you living in Penang now or located elsewhere. Pop by McD this Sunday 17.4.05 around 10am if you are in the neighbourhood. | 2024-05-14T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/6421 |
Gift of Love: Da'von
A round of applause from an East Texas courtroom and Da'von has found the Gift of Love. It wasn't an easy road. Da'von entered foster care in 2002 at the age of 5. Since entering foster care 10 years ago Da'von has been placed in 5 foster homes.
"I was just smiling the whole time," Da'von said.
A year ago Da'Von was placed in his 6th foster home and this home turned into his forever home. This isn't the first time his new dad has adopted. Da'Von now has a brother.
"I have a son that is 17 so they are about a year different," Da'Von's adopted father Michael Pickett said.
Da'von loves sports, "basketball and basketball," Pickett said.
But Da'Von quickly points out, "I do want to become a lawyer."
He was one of 6 children adopted in the 307th Family District Court in Greg County this month. Da'Von has been featured on Gift of Love several times over the years. Through all of the ups and downs Da'Von and his case workers never gave up the hope that he would find his forever home. Now Da'Von looks forward to his next goal, college.
"I want to go to college and study business and psychology," Da'Von said.
But he still has basketball dreams.
I also want to play for the Lakers," Da'Von.
And now this teenager has a family to stand by him as he follows this dreams and show him the Gift of Love. | 2024-04-07T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/7794 |
This invention relates to a valve assembly for use in an aerosol spray can capable of spraying viscous materials or materials with large particulates without clogging or packing like traditional aerosol spray cans designed for spraying texture materials.
The practice of dispensing heavy and particulate materials through traditional aerosol spray can valve assemblies in the aerosol industry has presented problems in which the heavy and particulate materials to be dispersed clog up the valve assemblies. These heavy and particulate materials may include exterior stucco, heavy sand finishes, drywall and acoustic ceiling patching materials, fire suppressant materials, adhesive and bonding materials, and even culinary sauces.
A traditional aerosol spray can may be filled with these heavy and particulate materials for spraying. However, because of the placement of the valve assembly in traditional aerosol spray cans, these heavy and particulate materials will clog up the valve assemblies and render the aerosol spray cans inoperative. Constant operation of these aerosol spray cans in spraying heavy and particulate materials is not possible due to the inconsistent ability of these traditional valve assemblies to dispense these materials without clogging.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,975, issued to Stern et al., discloses an aerosol spray texturing device that is comprised of a container, a nozzle, a valve assembly, and an outlet. The valve assembly in the ""975 patent is located in the upper section of the container near the nozzle. Although the nozzle tube of the device in the ""975 patent may be configured to spray texture materials, the device in the ""975 patent still has the problem of clogging or packing of the valve assembly by the particulates contained in the texture material for spraying, especially if the particulates are large, like those found in stucco or other heavy and particulate materials mentioned above.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,011, issued to the present Applicant, discloses a spray apparatus for spraying a texture material through a nozzle. Similarly in this apparatus, there too exists a problem of spraying texture materials having large particulates, such as stucco, because the particulates also clog up the valve opening within the spray apparatus.
Therefore, a long-standing need has existed to provide an apparatus that may be used to readily apply heavy and particulate materials in aerosol form, such as exterior stucco, heavy sand finishes, drywall and acoustic ceiling patching materials, fire suppressant materials, adhesive and bonding materials, and culinary sauces. Furthermore, the heavy and particulate materials to be applied should be contained in a hand-held applicator so that the materials may be conveniently stored, as well as dispensed in a simple and convenient manner without clogging or packing the valve assembly of the applicator.
An object of the present invention is to provide a valve assembly for use in an aerosol spray can capable of spraying viscous materials or materials with large particulates without clogging or packing like traditional aerosol spray cans designed for spraying texture materials.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive and economical means for matching surface texture of a repaired or patched surface area on a drywall panel, acoustic ceiling, or stucco-covered surface.
Another object of the present invention is to improve the appearance of patched or repaired areas on a textured surface by employing a spray-on hardenable texture material that covers the repaired or patched area and visually assumes the surface texture of the surrounding patched or repaired surface.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a hand-held dispensing unit containing a pressurized texture surface material for spray-on and direct application of the material in a liquid or semi-liquid form onto a repaired or patched area so that the surrounding patched or repaired surface will be visually and mechanically matched.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a valve assembly for use in an aerosol spray can capable of spraying highly-viscous materials, such as fire suppressant materials, adhesive and bonding materials, and culinary sauces, without clogging or packing like traditional aerosol spray cans when spraying these materials.
The valve assembly comprises a dip tube disposed inside a container. A rod is disposed inside the dip tube so that it may move lengthwise within the dip tube. A sealing member is coupled to the bottom end of the rod, so as to form a tight-seal with the bottom opening of the dip tube when the rod is in an up position, and it exposes the bottom opening of the dip tube to the heavy and particulate material inside the container when the rod is in a down position. A bushing is also coupled to the top opening of the dip tube. Finally, an actuator is coupled to the top end of the rod and the bushing, allowing the user to depress on the actuator, thus lowering the rod to its down position and exposing the bottom opening of the dip tube to the material within the container, and allowing the heavy and particulate material to move up the dip tube and out of the container.
Another embodiment of the valve assembly comprises a dip tube disposed inside the container. An interior tube is disposed inside the dip tube so that it may move lengthwise within the dip tube. There is at least one orifice at the bottom end of the interior tube. A top O-ring is coupled to the interior tube adjacent the at least one orifice to prevent any bypass of the heavy and particulate material into the dip tube, and a bottom O-ring is coupled to the bottom end of the interior tube to seal off the valve assembly when not actuated. The top opening of the dip tube is coupled to a bushing. Finally, an actuator is coupled to the top end of the interior tube, allowing the user to depress on the actuator, thus lowering the interior tube to its down position and exposing the at least one orifice on the interior tube to the material inside the container and allowing the heavy and particulate material to flow up the interior tube and out of the container.
The invention prevents clogging or packing of the valve assembly because the valve opening is at the bottom of the container, as opposed to being at the top, as in traditional aerosol spray cans. The placement of the value opening at the bottom of the container greatly reduces the clogging or packing of the valve by texture materials having large particulates. This improvement allows the efficient and low-cost spraying of more highly-textured materials, because there is no longer the problem of clogging or packing of the valve opening by the particulates suspended within the texture material.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings that illustrate, by way of example, various features and embodiments of the invention. | 2023-08-11T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/7376 |
Q:
can't use static std::atomic (and don't know how to initialize it)
I have the following code:
#include <cstdlib>
#include <cstdio>
#include <atomic>
enum ATYPE { Undefined = 0, typeA, typeB, typeC };
template<ATYPE TYPE = Undefined>
struct Object
{
Object() { counter++; }
static std::atomic<int> counter;
};
//template<ATYPE TYPE>
//std::atomic<int> Object<TYPE>::counter = 0;
template<ATYPE TYPE>
void test()
{
printf("in test\n");
Object<TYPE> o;
}
int main(int argc, char **argv)
{
test<typeA>();
printf("%d\n", Object<typeA>::counter.load());
return 0;
}
and when I compile it with the following command line:
clang++ -o test -std=c++11 -stdlib=libc++ test.cpp
I got the following error:
Undefined symbols for architecture x86_64:
"Object<(ATYPE)1>::counter", referenced from:
_main in testray-D4iTOH.o
Object<(ATYPE)1>::Object() in testray-D4iTOH.o
ld: symbol(s) not found for architecture x86_64
clang: error: linker command failed with exit code 1 (use -v to see invocation)
I have no idea if what I am trying to do is technically possible. As the code hopefully shows, I am trying to create a static instance of the atomic class (BTW, I have no idea how to initialize this variable either. How do you intialize a static std::atomic<>?). What I am trying to do is count the number of instances of the class Object created while running the program, for each possible type (typeA, B, C, etc.).
That's the mechanism I came up with but maybe (beside the problem I have which I would like to fix if possible) someone could advice a better solution? It would be much appreciated.
Thank you so much.
A:
As pointed by Dave in the comment, the static variable needs to be declared somewhere:
include
#include <cstdio>
#include <atomic>
enum ATYPE { Undefined = 0, typeA, typeB, typeC };
template<ATYPE TYPE = Undefined>
struct Object
{
Object() { counter++; }
static std::atomic<int> counter;
};
template<ATYPE TYPE>
std::atomic<int> Object<TYPE>::counter(0);
template<ATYPE TYPE>
void test()
{
printf("in test\n");
Object<TYPE> o;
}
int main(int argc, char **argv)
{
test<typeA>();
printf("%d\n", Object<typeA>::counter.load());
return 0;
}
It compiles fine.
| 2023-10-30T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/2374 |
The great Jewish philosopher and theologian Martin Buber collected in a book the stories of the Hassidim, those fervent Jews in Ukraine and Poland who, beginning in 1735, created a spiritual movement based on close inner experience of God. In his book, Tales of the Hassidim (1949), he tells the following story of Rabbi Levi Isaac of Berditchev, which reveals the importance of the psalms in people's lives:
One day on the eve of the Day of Atonement, the rabbi of Berditchev waited for a while before going to the pulpit to read the prayers and walked back and forth in the House of Prayer. In a corner he found a man crouched on the floor and weeping.
When he questioned him, the man replied: "Up to a short time ago I had all good things, and now I am wretched. Rabbi, I lived in a village and no hungry man went from my door unfed. My wife used to bring home poor wayfarers she met on the road, and see to their needs. And then He comes along"-here the man pointed toward the sky-"takes my wife and my house from one day to the next.
There I was with six small children, without a wife, without a house! And I had a thick prayer book, and all the psalms were in it in just the right order; you didn't have to hunt around, and that burned up along with everything else. Now you tell me, Rabbi, can I forgive Him?"
The zaddik had them look for a prayer book like the one the man described. When it was brought, the man began to turn the pages to see if everything was in the correct sequence, and the rabbi of Berditchev waited the while. Finally he asked: "Do you forgive Him now?" "Yes," said the man. The rabbi went up to the pulpit and began to sing. The man joined in, consoled because he had regained the book of psalms. He knew that there he would find strength to go on living even without his wife and his house. The lesson of this story is so clear that any commentary is superfluous.
Finally, the psalms are highly expressive religious and mystical poems. Like any poetry, they re-create reality with metaphors and images drawn from the imagination, which obeys its own logic, a logic different from the logic of rationality. Through the imagination we transfigure situations and facts, detecting in them hidden signs and divine messages. That is why we say that we do not dwell in the world in prose alone, drawing the plain meaning from the routine unfolding of events.
We also inhabit the world poetically, seeing the other side of things and another world of beauty and enchantment within the world. The psalms teach us to dwell poetically in reality, which is then transmuted into a great sacrament of God, full of wisdom, of warnings, and of lessons that make our journey toward the Source more secure. | 2024-04-15T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/3545 |
Background
==========
Ovarian cancer and breast cancer are the most common malignancies in women. Ovarian cancer is the fifth major cause of cancer mortality among women with 22 440 new cases and 14 080 deaths in the United States (US) during 2017 \[[@b1-medscimonit-25-3869]\]. In addition, approximately 252 710 new cases and 40 610 deaths due to invasive breast cancer are expected to occur among US women in 2017 \[[@b2-medscimonit-25-3869]\]. Women with breast cancer have a higher incidence of second primary cancers, particularly ovarian and endometrial cancer \[[@b3-medscimonit-25-3869],[@b4-medscimonit-25-3869]\]. Similarly, patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer have an increased incidence of breast cancer. The actuarial risk of developing breast cancer is 7.8% in the 10-year period following ovarian cancer \[[@b5-medscimonit-25-3869]\]. Most ovarian cancer patients have advanced disease at the time of diagnosis, resulting in poor long-term survival \[[@b6-medscimonit-25-3869]\], and the 5-year survival (OS) for those with ovarian cancer is only 45.6% \[[@b7-medscimonit-25-3869]\]. However, improved OS and cancer-specific survival (CSS) have been reported for patients with breast cancer following an ovarian cancer diagnosis \[[@b8-medscimonit-25-3869],[@b9-medscimonit-25-3869]\].
Unfortunately, most studies have small sample sizes, and no population-based statistics exist regarding the survival outcomes of women with primary breast cancer following primary ovarian cancer. The main aim of this retrospective population-based analysis was to estimate the survival outcomes and clinical characteristics of patients with primary breast cancer after primary ovarian cancer from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database.
Material and Methods
====================
Data source
-----------
A cohort of patients diagnosed with primary breast cancer following primary ovarian cancer from 1973 to 2014 was drawn from the National Cancer Institute's SEER database. The patient data in the present study were derived from 18 population-based cancer registries, as released in November 2016. Patient data are de-identified and made available to the public for research purposes. Because the SEER program is an open-access resource and patients are de-identified, this study was exempt from ethical review and does not contain any personally identifiable information. The SEER program statistical analysis software package (SEER\*Stat version 8.3.4) was used to extract the data.
Clinical information
--------------------
Demographic variables (marital status, year of diagnosis, race, registration area, age at diagnosis, and follow-up of patient status), and clinicopathological variables (tumor grade, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage, histological subtype, survival and cause of death, and associated treatment) were extracted using the "case-listing" option. Primary breast cancer cases and primary ovarian cancer cases were eligible for the study, and cases of metastatic tumors to the breast and ovary from other origins were excluded. Thus, only primary breast cancer and primary ovarian cancer patients were included, and patients with a clinical history of other cancers were excluded. Finally, 1455 patients with breast cancer following ovarian cancer were identified ([Figure 1](#f1-medscimonit-25-3869){ref-type="fig"}).
The ICD-0-3 site/histology validation list and the World Health Organization histological classification were used to identify ovarian cancer and breast cancer. The cancer stage was based on the AJCC staging system. Ovarian cancer staging between 1988 and 2003 was defined by the 3rd edition of the AJCC TNM categories. Ovarian cancer staging between 2004 and 2014 was derived from the 6th edition of AJCC TNM categories. Breast cancer staging between 1988 and 2014 was determined by an adjusted version of the categories of the 6th edition of the AJCC TNM system. In the SEER database, the cause of death is linked to the National Death Index and state mortality records for validation.
Statistical analysis
--------------------
The diagnosis time interval from ovarian cancer to breast cancer was calculated. The CSS and OS were analyzed as the principal outcomes using the Kaplan-Meier method. The magnitudes of statistical significance were expressed as the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Univariate and multivariate Cox hazard regression analyses were also applied to determine independent predictors of CSS in patients with breast cancer and ovarian cancer. All statistical analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS 24.0 and Graph Pad Prism 7.0. *P*\<0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results
=======
Over the past 41 years, 1455 patients were identified who had primary breast cancer following primary ovarian cancer in the SEER database. There were 1.05% of ovarian cancer patients with chemotherapies who developed breast cancers, while 1.03% of patients developed breast cancers who were reported without chemotherapies. The demographic and clinicopathological characteristics are presented in [Table 1](#t1-medscimonit-25-3869){ref-type="table"}.
The median diagnosis time from ovarian cancer to breast cancer was 60 months (range, 1--453 months). The median age at ovarian cancer diagnosis was 58 years (range, 10--94 years).
The majority of the population were white (87.1%), and 69.0% were younger than 65 years. The median age at breast cancer diagnosis was 65 years (range, 22--97 years), and 47.7% were younger than 65 years of age. Of the 1455 patients, 94.8% underwent ovarian cancer-related surgeries, 87.9% underwent breast cancer-related surgeries, 50.7% received ovarian cancer-related chemotherapies, 27.9% received breast cancer-related chemotherapies, 6.1% had ovarian cancer-related radiation therapies, and 33.1% had breast cancer-related radiation therapies, but the detailed surgical approaches, the specific chemotherapy regimens, and the concrete radiation therapies were not known.
The multivariate survival analysis showed that independent predictors of ovarian cancer CSS were age at diagnosis (*P*\<0.001), cancer stage (*P*\<0.001), diagnosis time (*P*=0.005), and histological types (*P*=0.001), while age at diagnosis (*P*\<0.001), tumor grade (*P*=0.044), cancer stage (*P*\<0.001), and diagnosis time (*P*\<0.001) were independent predictors of breast cancer CSS after adjusting for age at diagnosis, marital status, tumor grade, year of diagnosis, stage, chemotherapy, radiation, and histological types. However, chemotherapy was negatively associated with ovarian cancer CSS (*P*\<0.001) and breast cancer CSS (*P*=0.019) ([Table 2](#t2-medscimonit-25-3869){ref-type="table"}). The differences in these adjusted variables were statistically significant in univariate analysis of CSS ([Table 3](#t3-medscimonit-25-3869){ref-type="table"}).
Of the 1455 patients, 257 patients (26.7%) died of ovarian cancer, 212 patients (23.1%) died of breast cancer, and 272 patients (18.7%) died of other causes. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that a higher survival benefit was observed in patients with breast cancer following ovary cancer than ovary cancer patients without secondary or more malignant tumors (*P*\<0.001). The 5-year and the 10-year OS rates for the entire cohort of 1455 patients were 81.7% and 67.4%, 17.0% and 6.5% for 110 639 ovary cancer patients, respectively ([Figure 2](#f2-medscimonit-25-3869){ref-type="fig"}). Survival analysis showed that the 5-year and the 10-year CSS rates of ovarian cancer were 84.2% and 74.3% ([Figure 3](#f3-medscimonit-25-3869){ref-type="fig"}), and those of breast cancer were 76.0% and 67.8% ([Figure 4](#f4-medscimonit-25-3869){ref-type="fig"}), respectively.
The median diagnosis time intervals from ovarian cancer to breast cancer were 63 months (range 1\~453 months); the mean interval was 87.91 months. As shown in [Figure 5](#f5-medscimonit-25-3869){ref-type="fig"}, in the entire group, 50.7% of the patients were diagnosed with breast cancer within 5 years after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer and 74.6% were diagnosed within 10 years. As the time after diagnosis increased, the number of patients diagnosed with breast cancer following ovarian cancer decreased.
Discussion
==========
To the best of our knowledge, few studies have evaluated the survival outcomes of patients with breast cancer after a diagnosis of ovarian cancer. A previous study demonstrated that the 5-year OS rate of ovarian cancer was only 45.6% \[[@b7-medscimonit-25-3869]\]. However, the survival rates of women with breast cancer following ovarian cancer differ from those of women with ovarian cancer who do not develop breast cancer. A recent study revealed that the 5-year and 10-year OS rates were 58.3% and 50% for BRCA mutation-associated ovarian cancer patients who developed breast cancer but 30.9% and 13.8% for BRCA mutation-associated ovarian cancer patients who did not develop breast cancer \[[@b8-medscimonit-25-3869]\]. Our study showed that the 5-year and 10-year OS rates for the entire cohort were 81.7% and 67.4%, while the corresponding OS rates of ovarian cancer patients without secondary or more malignant tumors were 17.0% and 6.5%. Our results showed that patients diagnosed with breast cancer following ovarian cancer survived longer than ovarian cancer patients who do not develop breast cancer.
Younger patient age, early cancer stage, and newly diagnosed nonserous ovarian cancer were significantly associated with better CSS of ovarian cancer in our study. Choi et al. \[[@b10-medscimonit-25-3869]\] also showed that advanced stage, older patient age, poor grade, and serous epithelial ovarian cancer may result in poor survival. Cancer staging is an important factor in determining the survival outcomes and prognosis of women with ovarian cancer. Most patients with advanced-stage cancer have a worse prognosis and die as a result of the disease \[[@b11-medscimonit-25-3869]\]. Heintz et al. \[[@b12-medscimonit-25-3869]\] found that the 5-year survival rates were 85%, 70%, 32%, and 18.6% for patients with stage I, IIA, IIIC, and IV disease respectively. Thus, 32.7% of women with ovarian cancer classified as early-stage (stage I, 23.2%; stage II, 9.5%) lived an extended period of time after developing breast cancer.
In addition, the inclusion of fewer serous (38.2%) and younger (\<65 years, 69%) ovarian cancer patients may partially contribute to the improved survival. Most studies have reported a low prognostic value for histological type, probably because of bias in analysis due to difficulties in diagnosis and/or small samples. However, in some studies, the serous type of ovarian cancer was an independent prognostic factor and tended to decrease survival \[[@b13-medscimonit-25-3869],[@b14-medscimonit-25-3869]\]. Younger patients with epithelial ovarian cancer have been reported to have a better survival rate than older patients \[[@b11-medscimonit-25-3869],[@b15-medscimonit-25-3869],[@b16-medscimonit-25-3869]\]. Moreover, from 1975--2004 to 2005--2011 the 5-year OS rate of ovarian cancer increased from 36.0% to 45.9% and from 74.8% to 90.7% for breast cancer \[[@b7-medscimonit-25-3869]\]. Our study also found that diagnosis time was associated with better survival, which may be largely attributable to improvements in treatment. However, chemotherapy was negatively linked to ovarian cancer CSS. This may be because there had been more early-stage cases (132 stage I patients account for 38.9% in all kinds of stages) and less serous ovarian cancers cases (97 patients account for 28.6% in histology) in patients without chemotherapy, there had been had less early-stage cases (130 stage I patients account for 20.9% in all kinds of stages) and more serous ovarian cancers cases (297 patients account for 47.7% in histology) in patients with chemotherap.
Several studies have reported that approximately 15% of ovarian cancer patients, irrespective of family history, have BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations \[[@b17-medscimonit-25-3869]\], and that BRCA1/2-associated ovarian cancer is related to improved OS and progression-free survival (PFS) regardless of tumor stage, grade, or histological subtype \[[@b18-medscimonit-25-3869]--[@b20-medscimonit-25-3869]\]. BRCA1 or BRCA2 carrier status can be considered a factor influencing the survival rate. Whether BRCA has any effect on survival in this study remains unknown because of a lack of data regarding BRCA carriers. Although the SEER database lacks information on BRCA carriers, the aforementioned results suggest that younger patient age, early cancer stage, newly diagnosed, and nonserous ovarian cancer can partly explain the good survival of women with breast cancer after ovarian cancer.
Available studies have shown that the median diagnosis time from ovarian cancer to breast cancer was 50.5--108 months \[[@b8-medscimonit-25-3869],[@b9-medscimonit-25-3869]\]. McGee et al. \[[@b5-medscimonit-25-3869]\] reported that the average diagnosis interval from ovarian cancer to breast cancer was 3.5 years. The aforementioned studies were all based on small sample sizes. The present population-based study showed that 50.7% of the patients were diagnosed with breast cancer within 5 years after a diagnosis of ovarian cancer and 74.6% were diagnosed within 10 years. A greater number of ovarian cancer patients were diagnosed at shorter the time interval, but as the time interval progressed, the ovarian cancer incidence gradually decreased. In our study, most breast cancer diagnoses occurred in the first several years after a diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Thus, breast cancer surveillance may need to be advocated during the first few years after a diagnosis of ovarian cancer. However, Gangi et al. \[[@b8-medscimonit-25-3869]\] reported that 8.9% of BRCA1/2 mutation carriers who have a history of ovarian cancer developed breast cancer, and Vencken et al. \[[@b21-medscimonit-25-3869]\] showed a 6% 5-year risk of primary breast cancer in 79 women with BRCA-associated ovarian cancer. Domchek et al. \[[@b9-medscimonit-25-3869]\] reported 5-year and 10-year breast cancer-free survival rates after ovarian cancer diagnosis 97% and 91%, respectively and that all deaths in this cohort were owing to ovarian cancer. These data support the use of less aggressive risk-reduction strategies of breast cancer during the first few years after a diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Peters et al. \[[@b22-medscimonit-25-3869]\] considered that appropriate breast cancer screening and prevention are necessary for ovarian cancer patients with less favorable advanced-stage disease who achieve sustained remission (\>2 years), or with early-stage disease or more favorable advanced disease. In addition, the benefits of early diagnosis of breast cancer need to be balanced the risks of additional testing, including the potential risks/limitations of false-positive test results, overdiagnosis, and patient anxiety. Additionally, decisions need to incorporate the patient's life expectancy from the ovarian cancer itself \[[@b23-medscimonit-25-3869]\].
Although multivariate survival analysis revealed that age, histological grade, cancer stage, and diagnosis time were independent predictors of breast cancer CSS, the 5-year CSS rate for breast cancer was only 76.0%, in contrast to 89.4% to 90.3% in other studies \[[@b7-medscimonit-25-3869],[@b24-medscimonit-25-3869]\]. Some studies have suggested that OS and the prognosis of patients diagnosed with breast cancer following ovarian cancer was determined by ovarian cancer \[[@b8-medscimonit-25-3869],[@b9-medscimonit-25-3869]\]. However, 212 patients (23.1%) died of breast cancer, 257 patients (26.7%) died of ovarian cancer and 272 patients (18.7%) died of other causes in this study; thus, both cancers had serious impacts on overall health. Neither ovarian cancer nor breast cancer obviously can determine the mortality rate of patients with breast cancer following ovarian cancer.
This was the first population-based study examining the survival rate of patients with breast cancer following ovarian cancer. The major advantage of our study was that we reported the survival rates of a large number of patients with ovarian cancer and breast cancer using the well-established SEER cancer registry, which was set up to reflect the general population-based data. In addition, our study contained only patients diagnosed between 1973 and 2014 with the majority diagnosed between 1993 and 2014. Therefore, the management of patients might have been more current and uniform in our study.
The main limitation of our study was that information on the concrete surgical types, detailed chemotherapy, and radiotherapy regimens, and the proportion of BRCA1/2-associated ovarian cancers were not available. As a result, we could not confirm the effects of surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or BRCA1/2 on the survival of patients with ovarian cancer and breast cancer. Moreover, selection bias may have been introduced due to the retrospective nature of the study.
Conclusions
===========
Our study evaluated the survival of a sub-cohort of patients with breast cancer following ovarian cancer whose demographic and clinicopathological characteristics were obtained from the SEER database of the United States. Patients with breast cancer following ovarian cancer survive longer and have other well-described prognostic factors for improved survival rates including an early cancer stage, nonserous ovarian cancer, a younger patient age, and a new diagnosis.
**Source of support:** Departmental sources
{#f1-medscimonit-25-3869}
{#f2-medscimonit-25-3869}
{#f3-medscimonit-25-3869}
{#f4-medscimonit-25-3869}
{#f5-medscimonit-25-3869}
######
Demographic and clinicopathological characteristics of ovarian cancer and breast cancer patients.
Characteristic n (%) Characteristic n (%)
----------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------
**Race** **Ovarian cancer**
White 1268 (87.1%) **Age at diagnosis**
Black 94 (6.5%) \<50 374 (25.7%)
Other/unknown 93 (6.4%) 50--64 630 (43.3%)
**Marital status** 65--74 304 (20.9)
Married 842 (57.9%) ≥75 147 (10.1%)
Divorced 114 (7.8%) **Tumor grade**
Separated 23 (1.6%) Grade I 161 (11.1%)
Single 238 (16.4%) Grade II 248 (17.0%)
Widowed 195 (13.4%) Grade III 460 (31.6%)
Unknown 43 (3.0%) Grade IV 138 (9.5%)
**Breast cancer** Unknown 448 (30.8%)
**Age at diagnosis** **Histology**
\<50 163 (11.2%) Serous 556 (38.2%)
50--64 531 (36.5%) Mucinous 162 (11.1%)
65--74 400 (27.5%) Endometrioid 224 (15.4%)
≥75 361 (24.8%) Clear cell 88 (6.0%)
**Tumor grade** Germ cell 29 (2.0%)
Grade I 231 (15.9%) Sex cord/stromal 45 (3.1%)
Grade II 456 (31.3%) Others 351 (24.1%)
Grade III 457 (31.4%) **Stage (AJCC3)**[\#](#tfn2-medscimonit-25-3869){ref-type="table-fn"}
Grade IV 20 (1.4%) I 214 (14.7%)
Unknown 291 (20.0%) II 88 (6.0%)
**Histology** III 136 (9.3%)
Infiltrating duct carcinoma 1029 (70.7%) IV 89 (6.1%)
Others 426 (29.3%) Others 928 (63.8%)
**Stage (AJCC6)**[\*](#tfn1-medscimonit-25-3869){ref-type="table-fn"} **Stage (AJCC6)[\#\#](#tfn3-medscimonit-25-3869){ref-type="table-fn"}**
I 635 (43.6%) I 124 (8.5%)
II 347 (23.8%) II 50 (3.4%)
III 116 (8.0%) III 133 (9.1%)
IV 64 (4.4%) IV 80 (5.5%)
Others 293 (20.1%) Others 1068 (73.4%)
**Year of diagnosis** **Year of diagnosis**
1973--1982 68 (4.7%) 1973--1982 257 (17.7%)
1983--1992 185 (12.7%) 1983--1992 289 (19.9%)
1993--2002 326 (22.4%) 1993--2002 442 (30.4%)
2003--2014 876 (60.2%) 2003--2014 467 (32.1%)
**Surgery** Surgery
Yes 1279 (87.9%) Yes 1379 (94.8%)
Others 176 (12.1%) Others 76 (5.2%)
**Chemotherapy** **Chemotherapy**
Yes 406 (27.9%) Yes 869 (50.7%)
No/Unknown 1049 (72.1%) No/Unknown 586 (40.3%)
**Radiation** **Radiation**
Yes 481 (33.1%) Yes 89 (6.1%)
No 972 (66.9%) No 1366 (93.9%)
Breast cancer stage adjusted from AJCC 6^th^ Stage (1988+);
ovarian cancer stage derived from AJCC 3^th^ Stage (1998--2003);
ovarian cancer stage derived from AJCC 6^th^ Stage (2004+).
######
Multivariate survival analysis of ovarian cancer and breast cancer patients.
Variables Ovarian cancer CSS Breast cancer CSS
---------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------- ------------------- --------- ----------- -------------- ---------
**Marital status** 0.051 0.111
Married Reference Reference
Divorced 0.91 0.56--1.48 1.11 0.58--2.09
Separated 1.78 0.65--4.85 1.85 0.73--4.70
Single 0.75 0.51--1.11 0.69 0.45--1.07
Widowed 1.47 1.03--2.10 1.43 0.96--2.14
Unknown 1.45 0.72--2.91 1.20 0.37--3.84
**Age at diagnosis** \<0.001 \<0.001
\<50 Reference Reference
50--64 1.17 0.82--1.68 0.60 0.39--0.93
65--74 2.52 1.68--3.76 0.94 0.56--1.51
≥75 4.40 2.76--7.02 2.17 1.33--3.52
**Tumor grade** 0.092 0.044
Grade I Reference Reference
Grade II 2.21 0.97--5.03 2.20 1.18--4.13
Grade III 2.14 0.97--4.71 2.63 1.43--4.83
Grade IV 2.16 0.92--5.07 1.98 0.61--6.39
Unknown 2.81 1.27--6.19 2.38 1.21--4.68
**Stage (AJCC)**[\*](#tfn4-medscimonit-25-3869){ref-type="table-fn"} \<0.001 \<0.001
I Reference Reference
II 1.87 0.92--3.80 2.10 1.34--3.32
III 5.10 2.85--9.11 6.62 3.94--11.12
IV 6.88 3.78--12.53 23.45 13.44--40.93
Others 4.09 2.20--7.61 3.38 1.20--5.71
**Year of diagnosis** 0.005 \<0.001
1973--1982 Reference Reference
1983--1992 0.46 0.28--0.75 0.75 0.40--1.41
1993--2002 0.47 0.28--0.77 0.65 0.33--1.29
2003--2014 0.39 0.22--0.67 0.27 0.13--0.55
**Histology** 0.001
Serous Reference
Mucinous 0.46 0.25--0.86
Endometrioid 0.53 0.32--0.88
Clear cell 0.46 0.20--1.08
Germ cell 0.00 0.00--6.508E+95
Sex cord/stromal 0.53 0.21--1.34
Others 1.27 0.95--1.69
**Histology** 0.498
Infiltrating duct carcinoma Reference
Others 1.11 0.82--1.52
**Chemotherapy**
Yes Reference \<0.001 Reference 0.019
No/unknown 0.50 0.36--0.69 0.67 0.48--0.94
**Radiation** 0.284
Yes Reference
No 1.20 0.86--1.68
American Joint Committee on Cancer stage,
######
Univariate survival analysis of ovarian cancer and breast cancer patients.
Variables Ovarian cancer CSS Breast cancer CSS
---------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------- ------------------- --------- ----------- -------------- ---------
**Race** 0.134 0.12
White Reference Reference
Black 1.44 0.89--2.33 1.45 0.87--2.41
Others 0.72 0.43--1.21 0.35 0.15--0.78
**Marital status** \<0.001 \<0.001
Married Reference Reference
Divorced 0.92 0.57--1.49 0.74 0.40--1.36
Separated 1.26 0.47--3.41 1.82 0.75--4.46
Single 0.73 0.50--1.06 0.67 0.45--1.00
Widowed 2.56 1.89--3.58 1.89 1.30--2.75
Unknown 1.15 0.58--2.26 0.49 0.16--1.53
**Age at diagnosis** \<0.001 \<0.001
\<50 Reference Reference
50--64 1.30 0.93--1.83 0.67 0.44--1.01
65--74 2.56 1.78--3.71 0.71 0.46--1.11
≥75 5.80 3.87--8.71 1.64 1.07--2.52
**Tumor grade** \<0.001 \<0.001
Grade I Reference Reference
Grade II 2.76 1.22--6.22 2.31 1.25--4.26
Grade III 5.32 2.48--11.44 4.17 2.33--4.47
Grade IV 4.53 1.98--10.34 4.44 1.45--13.63
Unknown 4.67 2.15--10.11 6.85 3.76--12.49
**Stage (AJCC)**[\*](#tfn5-medscimonit-25-3869){ref-type="table-fn"} \<0.001 \<0.001
I Reference Reference
II 2.87 1.43--5.74 2.72 1.77--4.17
III 8.45 4.89--14.70 10.13 6.46--15.88
IV 14.09 7.97--24.92 30.54 18.73--49.79
Others 5.90 3.49--10.2 7.20 4.75--10.92
**Year of diagnosis** 0.047 \<0.001
1973--1982 Reference Reference
1983--1992 0.57 0.37--0.88 0.78 0.43--1.32
1993--2002 0.62 0.43--0.90 0.49 0.28--0.87
2003--2014 0.68 0.46--1.00 0.18 0.10--0.32
**Histology** \<0.001
Serous Reference
Mucinous 0.30 0.17--0.55
Endometrioid 0.31 0.19--0.50
Clear cell 0.22 0.10--0.49
Germ cell 0.00 0.00--3.17E+123
Sex cord/stromal 0.50 0.20--1.21
Others 1.21 0.92--1.58
**Histology** 0.001
Infiltrating duct carcinoma Reference
Others 1.61 1.22--2.14
**Chemotherapy** \<0.001 \<0.001
Yes Reference Reference
No/unknown 0.46 0.34--0.61 0.57 0.43--0.75
**Radiation** 0.709 \<0.001
Yes Reference
No 0.90 0.51--1.57 1.96 1.44--2.67
American Joint Committee on Cancer stage.
[^1]: Study Design
[^2]: Data Collection
[^3]: Statistical Analysis
[^4]: Data Interpretation
[^5]: Manuscript Preparation
[^6]: Literature Search
[^7]: Funds Collection
| 2024-03-12T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/1802 |
Physician experience in performing embryo transfers may affect outcome.
The distribution of six physicians' pregnancy rates with cycle and patient demographics was investigated for 2,212 transfer cycles. The results indicate that when the patient and cycle characteristics are compromised, the level of physician experience may determine the outcome of embryo transfers. | 2024-01-23T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/6725 |
It wasn't long ago that counterinsurgency advocates argued that the real measure of progress in a war wasn't the number of enemies killed. Instead, it was the number of lives saved, civilians kept out of harm's way, and attacks reduced. But that was before counterinsurgency ran up against the difficulties of the Afghanistan war. Now, the body counts are back. In a big way.
Danger Room started paying attention to the shift back in August, when newly arrived commander Gen. David Petraeus proudly pointed us to the number of insurgents killed and detained by special operations forces. The next month, we noticed NATO press releases boasting about the lethality and accuracy of anti-Taliban air strikes – strikes that Petraeus' predecessor, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, curbed and Petraeus has surged.
Those metrics – dead insurgents – are growing in importance to Petraeus. The *Washington Post *reports that he and the Afghans gave reporters stats showing 2,448 insurgents have been killed over the past eight months, a 55 percent increase from the previous year's period. USA Today adds that NATO killed or captured 900 Taliban "leaders" in the past ten months.
Contrast that with the famous Petraeus-edited counterinsurgency field manual, which called body count statistics used in South Vietnam "misleading" for only "communicat[ing] a small part of the information commanders needed to assess their operations." It called body counts a "partial, effective indicator," only useful when insurgents' identities could be verified.
It wasn't that killing or capturing insurgents wasn't part of a counterinsurgency – it obviously was, and is. But it wasn't the lion's share of the fight, or the path to anything resembling success. That's why when he testified to Congress in September 2007 about progress in the Iraq surge, Petraeus pointed instead to the actual decline of attacks, reductions in civilian deaths, reduced numbers of homemade bombs, and so forth. In Afghanistan, those statistics, to put it charitably, aren't in evidence. While insurgents cause the vast majority of civilian deaths – 76 percent – total civilian deaths in Afghanistan rose by 20 percent during the first ten months of 2010, according to the latest United Nations figures. In Afghanistan's east, according to the Post, attacks are up 21 percent. And while insurgents' homemade bombs are increasingly ineffective, the numbers of them have risen dramatically over the past two years.
One point of light: according to the Brookings Institution's compilation of Afghanistan stats, by December, insurgent attacks fell to 600 per week after a September spike of 1700. But it's too early to say whether that represents the typical Taliban winter lull.
Now, Petraeus also points to other metrics more typically in line with counterinsurgency, like seizures of bomb-making material and insurgent cash crops like opium. There's also the huge increase in Afghan soldiers and cops put into uniform (their abilities are less easy to document). And Petraeus' people argue that attacks will naturally rise as NATO forces push harder into Taliban strongholds like Helmand and Kandahar provinces.
But Petraeus is under big pressure to show security progress ahead of the planned troop reductions in July – which Gates, dropping by Kabul Monday, declared are on schedule. And it's hardly just Petraeus. Across the border in Pakistan, the Obama administration brags about the "elimination of [al-Qaeda's] leadership cadre" through its drone strikes. Intelligence guiding the drones appears to have grown more accurate as the strikes have increased. But placing "warheads on foreheads" – as the saying goes – is unquestionably in vogue.
After all, it's the easiest statistic to understand: a dead fighter. The trouble is, the militants never seem to run out of 'em. The insurgents have between 25,000 and 35,000 fighters, according to a guess by the Afghan Ministry of Defense. As Joshua Foust of the American Security Project notes, that's been the estimated total for years, suggesting that the insurgency is a) very large and b) opaque to the U.S. and its allies. Clearly the insurgency can replenish its ranks, discrediting the suggestion that NATO can kill its way to victory. And it's that insight that caused many in the military to gravitate toward counterinsurgency theory in the first place.
Photo: Flickr/Canadian Army
See Also:- Afghan Air War Doubles: Now 10 Attacks Per Day | 2024-06-05T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/7139 |
Sex steroids induced up-regulation of 1,25-(OH)2 vitamin D3 receptors in T 47D breast cancer cells.
There is evidence indicating that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] through binding to its specific receptor (VDR) exerts an antiproliferative effect on breast cancer cells. Considering the importance of receptor regulation in modulating the target cell responsiveness to hormones, the effect of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and estradiol-17 beta (E2) on the regulation of VDR number was investigated in T 47D human breast cancer cells that also express androgen and estrogen (ER) receptors. T 47D cells were grown in RPMI medium containing 10% charcoal-treated fetal calf serum and the receptor content was determined in cells at confluence. Whole cell binding studies confirmed the presence of highly specific, saturable (4.01 +/- 1.82 fmol/10(6) cells), high affinity (Kd = 0.079 +/- 0.058 x 10(-9) M) 1,25(OH)2D3 receptors in control cells. Exposure to 10(-7) M DHT for 72 h resulted in a significant increase in VDR levels. Similar results were obtained with 10(-7) M E2. DHT- and E2-induced up-regulation was completely suppressed by 10(-6) M tamoxifen (TAM) addition but unaffected by 10(-6) M flutamide. TAM treatment alone produced a significant dose-dependent increase in VDR content, that was maximal at 10(-6) M. Our data strongly suggest, for the first time, an up-regulation of VDR by DHT and E2 via an ER-mediated mechanism. | 2024-07-02T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/5925 |
In a year when colleges are laying off staff and freezing enrollment, University of South Florida officials are strongly lobbying the Legislature for $15-million to kick-start a large new campus in Lakeland.
With a price tag of up to $200-million, the branch campus is slated to serve an eventual population that would make it larger than four of the state's 11 four-year universities.
But is the demand really there?
USF officials have regularly cited enrollment figures that count some students more than once and count others who are rarely there to justify construction of the campus, their own records show.
In speeches and news releases, officials claim they have outgrown the current Lakeland campus, which serves about 1,500 students, and can fill a new one with 16,000 students by 2020.
But if the last decade is any indication, that projection may not be realistic. Over the past 10 years, the campus grew its regularly attending student body at a healthy 7.6 percent per year. If that pace continued, 16,000 students wouldn't call the Lakeland branch home until 2043.
USF officialsstand by their estimates, saying they accurately reflect how many students use campus services, albeit infrequently.
One of USF's own top administrators, however, described these numbers as "duplicative" and a way to bolster the push for a new campus.
"They help them make the case they want to make," said Michael Moore, a USF associate vice president who tracks enrollment at the school's main Tampa campus and its satellites in Lakeland, St. Petersburg and Sarasota.
USF president Judy Genshaft, who stands by the numbers, said the region needs a larger Lakeland campus to improve access to higher education. The new campus would be the first polytechnic school in Florida, offering fields of study in engineering, biotech and agriculture. The projected enrollment is large, she said, because the campus would create additional demand.
"It can bring in people from all over Florida," Genshaft said.
Skeptics characterize this push for a larger campus as the case of an ambitious university circumventing system oversight for its own gain — the type of one-upmanship that has roiled higher education in Florida for decades.
John Dasburg, a member of the governing board for Florida's 11 universities, said it makes no sense to build such a large campus when universities facing millions in budget shortfalls (USF included) are freezing enrollment and cutting faculty.
To refer to the Lakeland proposal as a branch campus "is the height of political cynicism," Dasburg said. "It's a university,'' he insisted, calling the situation "nothing short of outrageous,'' given the state's dire financial straits.
"I refuse to call it a (branch) campus,'' he said. "This is another example of a totally politicized university system."
• • •
Last month, Genshaft flew by private plane to Tallahassee to meet with Gov. Charlie Crist. Her pitch: USF needs $15-million this year or it could lose donated land for the campus.
It's a tough sell in a year when universities have already slashed more than $100-million and stand to lose millions more in the budget year to come. Crist vetoed money for USF Lakeland last year when the budget outlook was growing grim — a pattern that persists today, with lawmakers looking to trim more than $3.2-billion in general revenue for 2008-09.
During Genshaft's visit, however, Crist told her he supports this year's request.
"I told her if they could convince the members of the Legislature in difficult times, and there was money for it, I would support it," Crist said last week.
USF officials rejoiced.
But what need the campus will satisfy is unclear, considering that a main justification for the large branch was the supposedly surging enrollment in Lakeland.
During a Nov. 21, 2002, meeting, USF's Board of Trustees heard about this sudden influx from Preston Mercer, then-chief executive of the Lakeland campus, which shares space with Polk Community College.
While other nearby colleges grew no more than 40 percent from 1999 to 2002, USF Lakeland's "head count" was up 82 percent, Mercer said.
Yet a much lower "head count" was released this month to the Times by Moore, a university associate vice president. These numbers showed that during the three-year period, total students rose 42 percent to 872. Impressive, but more in line with other local colleges — and half what Mercer claimed.
The higher counts played an important role in that 2002 meeting. The board approved the search for a new campus site that could hold all the students Mercer talked about. Genshaft congratulated Mercer: "It's exciting to see the type of progress that USF Lakeland has made."
In the next few years — as they sought state and local money to pay for this new campus — USF officials continued to cite the higher numbers in Lakeland.
"BURSTING AT THE SEAMS!" read a June 6, 2003, USF news release. Soaring enrollment meant there was a "need for a new, primary, comprehensive campus," the release said.
Kevin Calkins, director of institutional research and planning at USF Lakeland, said the higher figures are appropriate and not misleading.
"It truly is the total number of students we are serving," he said.
By contrast, Moore's head counts ignore students who might use the Lakeland campus but designate a different USF site as their primary campus, he said.
For example, USF Lakeland's "home campus" head count last fall was 1,143 students, a figure Moore prefers. Calkins counted 1,612 students attending a class at one time or another.
Moore said Calkins' method duplicated some students. For instance, it will count twice a student attending the main Tampa campus and Lakeland.
Moore said he believes that when he arrived at USF three years ago, administrators were also getting higher numbers by counting semesters, so that if a student enrolled in fall and spring, they would be counted twice.
Also included in Calkins' "students served" figure are the roughly 16 percent of USF Lakeland students who take their courses online.
But would those students need classrooms?
"Well, it requires students coming here to take tests and meet with professors," Calkins said.
Lakeland also is the type of branch that draws part-time students who are older and juggling school with work.
But while the National Center for Education Statistics equates a part-time student as 60 percent of a full-time student, USF counts them equally.
"They require the same level of services," said Marshall Goodman, the CEO and vice president of the USF Lakeland campus.
• • •
Take away the higher head count, and the case for a new campus doesn't look so convincing, said Sen. Jim King, R-Jacksonville, chairman of the higher education facilities appropriations committee.
"It would appear as if the Lakeland facility is a long way from being warranted," King said. "In a time when money is tight, you would think we would take a more conservative approach."
But Bill Edmonds, spokesman for the Board of Governors, which oversees the 11 universities, said it's ridiculous to suggest it would take 35 years to reach 16,000 enrollment.
"You could put a campus on an island and you'd get students flocking to it," he said.
The board in recent months has voted to freeze freshman enrollments and ordered universities to come up with plans to shrink overall enrollment and other costs in response to recent budget reductions.
Still, the board recently included the $15-million for USF Lakeland on a list to lawmakers of requested construction projects. That was right around the time it told universities to plan for more cutbacks.
"By voting in favor of funding the Lakeland university, we violated our own decision to freeze universities," Dasburg said. "What's going on? It's my opinion, the board is doing more harm than good."
But the growth model Florida has used in the past won't work in the future unless the state wants megacampuses like Ohio State University, Edmonds said. The system needs larger branches to accommodate growth and students who can't afford to leave their home counties for school, he said.
"For that reason, we need more geographic representation around the state," Edmonds said.
Supporters of the campus say the $15-million is an investment that extends beyond higher education, exactly what lawmakers and Crist have advocated in their push for "jump-starting" Florida's flagging economy.
"In tough economic times, that is where you focus because it generates economic development," said Rep. Seth McKeel of Lakeland. "It creates jobs."
President Donald Trump and top Republicans will promise a package of sweeping tax cuts for companies and individuals, the Washington Post reports, but the GOP leaders will stop short of labeling many of the tax breaks they hope to strip away, putting off controversial decisions that threaten to sink the party's tax …
Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey last year made a definitive announcement about the company's famous 140-character count amid rumors that the firm would substantially relax the limit. "It's staying," Dorsey told the "Today" show's Matt Lauer. "It's a good constraint for us." | 2024-04-04T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/6281 |
import { ISchema } from '../core/nodeSchema';
import { ITransformer } from '../interfaces/ITransformer';
export function ObfuscationTransformer(): ITransformer {
return {
commonVisitors: props => ({
onEach: (schema: ISchema) => {},
}),
};
}
| 2024-03-13T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/6331 |
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry speaks on U.S. policy with the Western Hemisphere at the Organization of American States headquarters on November 18, 2013 in Washington, DC. Kerry delivered remarks focused on the US policy of partnership and engagement with the Western Hemisphere 2013 AFP
Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday declared that a nearly 200-year-old policy which had governed Washington's relations with Latin America was finally dead.
Known as the Monroe Doctrine after it was adopted in 1823 by former U.S. president James Monroe, the policy had stated that any efforts by European countries to colonize land in North or South America would be viewed as aggressive acts and could require U.S. intervention.
"The doctrine that bears (Monroe's) name asserted our authority to step in and oppose the influence of European powers in Latin America," Kerry told an audience at the Organization of American States.
"And throughout our nation's history, successive presidents have reinforced that doctrine and made a similar choice.
"Today, however, we have made a different choice. The era of the Monroe Doctrine is over," he insisted to applause.
"The relationship that we seek and that we have worked hard to foster is not about a United States declaration about how and when it will intervene in the affairs of other American states. It's about all of our countries viewing one another as equals, sharing responsibilities, cooperating on security issues and adhering not to doctrine but to the decisions that we make as partners to advance the values and the interests that we share."
Kerry had been roundly criticized earlier this year when he told U.S. lawmakers that "the western hemisphere is our backyard" in comments that triggered anger from some Latin American leaders.
Bolivian President Evo Morales expelled the U.S. aid agency USAID following the speech, and denounced the U.S., which he said "probably thinks that here it can still manipulate politically and economically. That is a thing of the past."
Kerry seemed to agree Monday, saying: "Many years ago the United States dictated a policy that defined the hemisphere for many years after."
"We've moved past that era, and today we must go even further...It will require courage and a willingness to change, but above all, it will require a higher and deeper level of cooperation between us, all of us together as equal partners in this hemisphere."
Agence France-Presse | 2024-02-29T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/6774 |
Q:
MapReduce - How sort reduce output by value
How can I sort in decreasing order the reducer output by value?
I'm developing an application that must return top listened songs. Thus songs must be ordered by the number of listening.
My application works in this way:
Input: songname@userid@boolean
MapOutput : songname userid
ReduceOutput : songname number_of_listening
Any idea how to do this?
A:
Best way to do it is to use the output of your first MapReduce job as the input of another job, which I call Sort.java. Since the Hadoop Map function has a sorting algorithm in place, you don't even need a reduce class. Just do something like this:
public static class Map extends Mapper<LongWritable,Text,IntWritable,Text>{
private Text word = new Text();
public void map(LongWritable key, Text value, Context context) throws IO Exception, Interrupted Exception{
String line = value.toString();
StringTokenizer tokenizer = new StringTokenizer(line);
word.set(tokenizer.nextToken());
IntWritable number = new IntWritable(Integer.parseInt(tokenizer.nextToken()));
context.write(number,word);
}
}
That will sort your [LongWritable,text] output of your first MapReduce by the LongWritable value. Let me know how it works!
CL
A:
Per the docs, Reducer output is not re-sorted. Either sort the input to the reducer (if that works for your application) by setting an appropriate value for JobConf.setOutputValueGroupingComparator(Class), or just sort the final output from the reducer in a separate step.
| 2023-09-22T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/8721 |
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
tubthumpin
It was man vs. bath tub drain last night. I guess the drain won round number 1 as I was not able to successfully get the clog cleared. Problem was I was not able to utilize all of the weapons in my arsenal. I had a plan of attack that would guarantee victory. Try to plunge it from the tub first. If that didn’t work try to slide the snake in and do the job. If neither of those worked I could go in from behind via the access panel and undo the trap.
Options one and two did not work. I didn’t expect that to be successful. My tenants keep having problems with the tub because they do not keep the strainer in the drain. The hair goes down and a year later there are problems. I told the old man that if this happened again they were going to have to pay the plumber to take care of it. But he had to go up and die on me so I am stuck one more round.
I wasn’t able to take the trap off last night because to get into the area you need to move the refrigerator. To move the fridge you have to move the stove. They had the oven on when I was working up there so I couldn’t move the stove thus putting it all off for one more night. That gave me time to play Rock Band 2 and make the decision that Judas Priest’s Painkiller is the absolutest bestest song on Rock Band of all time.
I couldn’t help but notice the apartment didn’t look that great when I was up there. There was stuff all over the place. The kitchen was loaded with dishes on the counters. I couldn’t help but wonder when the last time they cleaned it was. The bathroom wasn’t much better. It did make me want to take the time to get it remodeled. I dare not think of what the other rooms may look like now. I may have to make an inspection in the spring.
My only hope is the trap comes off easily and the ball of hair is exactly where I believe it to be. Keeping my fingers crossed…. | 2024-01-31T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/1269 |
Madrone Burl Side Table
This 2’ by 4’ madrone burl I found about 4 years ago in Portland in a junk shop, along with heavy raw edge maple slab for the legs. I talked the owner down to $60 for burl and $35 for maple slab. I used my router sled to level madrone burl and the rot in the maple slab dicktated the shape of the legs. All is finished with BLO and several coates of poly. Thanks, Bob
-- Bob, Lewistown, Montana. Kindness is the Language the blind can see and deaf can hear. - Mark Twain | 2023-12-01T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/9283 |
Financial support is an important boost power for low carbon economy. From macroeconomic and microeconomic level, this paper analyzes the impact of credit support on low carbon economy. At the macro level, this paper uses VAR model to analyze the relationship between credit support, low carbon economy and GDP. At the micro level, this paper uses dynamic panel data model to analyze the relationship between green loan, operational efficiency and financial performance. The empirical result shows that under the macroeconomic analysis framework, the support effect of the loan on low carbon economy is significant, on the other hand, the decreasing of energy consumption caused by the low carbon economy is not the granger cause of the credit loan, the endogenous development ability still needs to be formed, while under the microeconomic analysis framework, we find that the short-term loan negatively related with the operation efficiency, and long-term loan positively related with the operational efficiency, while combining the influence of these two categories, the loan does not have a significant impact on the operational efficiency and financial performance of the energy-saving and environment enterprises. From the micro level, the role of credit is still constrained for supporting the low carbon economy, and the efficiency. Although society pays more and more attention to low carbon economy, there is a far distance to fill the goal of low carbon economy establishment. | 2024-01-19T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/9303 |
Q:
How does access point changing populate MAC addresses in switch tables?
Let us assume that I have a large corporate WLAN network with many access points having the same SSID. The WLAN access points are connected to each other by learning Ethernet switches. Now, each client in the WLAN network has its own MAC address.
When a client moves from the area of one access point to another, it has to perform an access point change because its signal level went down. AFAIK, the MAC address of the client does not change during this procedure.
My question is, how do the switches in the network learn that the client has moved to another access point if the client is only consuming downlink data? Let us assume that there is a mostly quiescent TCP connection that has data transfer only in the downlink direction at 10-second intervals, with no keepalive. Of course, there will be uplink ACKs but only as a response to the downlink data.
When the client has performed an access point change, if there's no uplink data, my understanding is that the switches will direct the downlink TCP data to an incorrect access point until the (MAC address, port) pairs in the switches expire.
Is there some kind of dummy uplink packet sent after an access point change to inform the switches in the network that the MAC address has moved to a new switch port?
Or is there some kind of mechanism where the old access point will redirect the packet to the new access point?
A:
So, first of all, TCP is two-way protocol. If there's data travelling one way, you'll have data travelling the other way as well even if only just for the ACKs. You are correct however, that client MAC doesn't change.
The AP association/reassociation/leaving are quite interesting, and it's actually very chatty before AP and Your host assume they have a 'link up' between each other - sometimes it's 'only' four frames being exchanged, but with more security, it's usually whole discussion taking place over wireless. Take a look here for technical description of the process from 802.11 side:
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/wireless-mobility/wireless-lan-wlan/116493-technote-technology-00.html
Roaming itself became also quite complex process, with natural push to provide seamless mobility for the host roaming. Take a look at 802.11r if You're interested in the details:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11r-2008
| 2024-03-27T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/7186 |
The last time you saw him,
you begged for the kind of
forgiveness that expects
nothing at all to change, or
the kind of forgiveness that
will still bring you home
beneath moonlight and traffic lights
of the city where you learned him.
You were drunk and stole his cellphone
and it was the least important
of all that he thinks you have hidden.
You once mastered understanding
what he sees, hears, thinks and acts on,
but the last time you saw him, it
nearly failed (until the morning when
he squeezed you, reminiscent of
him teaching you to find ripe kiwis.)
But in the dark, his face was empty.
There was absence in the eyes that once
begged for yours
(but yours
were out of focus
never could you focus.)
Leaning, becoming one with a concrete wall
In a hot Juney haze you finally felt it- freedom!
Sweet and lonely freedom! It is something that will not
drive across the country and let you choose every song,
or walk to the laundromat when it’s cold in Brooklyn.
It will not worship your body even when you’re putting on shoes,
or cook a grilled cheese when you’re sick in New Brunswick.
No, it will not be kept a secret.
So you left him three times and finally it feels a little real.
You left to keep on moving
to continue growing and going,
to create
the way women do,
yet on these nights
you are so still.
You sleep in beds around the corner if
somewhere strange at all.
You meet moments of deciding.
Do you disrupt time’s remedy?
Do you pick surgically at the scab?
Pry open all that you closed so tight?
Or do you let things be?
There is never any certainty
so you idle, you merely
consider how dangerous both will be. | 2023-09-04T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/9988 |
Q:
TFS - checkout in wrong folder, folder deleted -> trouble
I am experiencing trouble with the following:
In VS 2010, I followed these steps:
File -> Source control -> Open from source control
I selected a solution file from a project in TFS, and opened the project (obviously).
Unfortunately I opened the project in an incorrect folder, and I thought "If I delete the folder(s) and reopen the solution from TFS, everything will be fine". My bad!
TFS "reminds" that I checked out the project to this specific location, so now when I want to check it out again, the location box is greyed out.
Anybody got any clue how to fix this???
Thanks in advance!
Nico
A:
Thanks for your answer Richard! Unfortunately this wasn't exactly what I needed, but I found the solution.
In Source Control Explorer, browse to the mapped source, right click and select "remove mappings".
Here you can edit the mappings to your local sources :)
Check out again and everything is in the right place!
| 2024-07-07T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/5850 |
(Reuters) - Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak is alert and
upbeat after going through a battery of tests and will remain in
the hospital for the next 24 hours after collapsing at halftime
of Sunday's game, the team said on Monday.
Kubiak experienced dizziness and a light-headed feeling,
causing him to stop and kneel down as he was on his way off the
field for the intermission. The team's medical staff attended to
the coach before he was taken to a Houston hospital.
"Our primary concern is of course with Gary's health and
well-being," Texans General Manager Rick Smith said in a
statement. "Gary is alert, coherent and in good spirits. He is
continuing to be evaluated and monitored."
Houston defensive coordinator Wade Phillips took over for
the 52-year-old Kubiak in coaching the team in the second half
of its 27-24 loss to the visiting Indianapolis Colts. The Texans
led 24-3 at halftime.
"All his vital signs are good, he did not have a heart
attack," Phillips told reporters on Sunday.
There was no word yet on the team's plans for next Sunday
when Houston (2-6) visits the Phoenix Cardinals (4-4).
Kubiak was the second NFL head coach to end up in the
hospital over the weekend.
Denver Broncos coach John Fox was hospitalized in Charlotte,
North Carolina, on Saturday after feeling light-headed while
playing golf.
Fox, 58, is expected to miss several weeks as he recovers
from an aortic heart valve replacement that is being scheduled
for this week.
Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, the former
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach, was named as interim head coach
of the Broncos (7-1) on Monday. | 2023-10-31T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/9404 |
Stars in a Time Warp
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About Me
I've owned my quilt shop since 1990, specializing in antique reproduction fabrics. Made my first quilt in 1976 which greatly reduced my sewing of clothing! Would like to find more time to SEW.......maybe when I retire? Am married to a farmer, have 3 children and 4 grandchildren who are the light of my life!!!
Ann Robinson Bedcover
-
This bedcover is one of the earliest quilts in the Shelburne Museum
collection, and is on the cover of the book Enduring Grace, Quilts from the
Shelburn...
3 years ago
Friday, September 11, 2015
Stars Caught Up by Accident!!
Loved this week's colors (not too many I don't like, actually)! The first photo is my "bronze" selections, tho now I think points of the first star are too green! That fabric is the reverse side of an old primitive print....a case where I like the back better than the front! The next one is a color combination of light bronze brown, tan/gold that we often see in late 19th century quilts.I think the golden brown with the green leaves and red berries qualifies as a bronze as well as the darker one beside it. Why is this font "bold"? No idea!
Now for the greenish-brown Manganese.....please excuse the crookedness....working on a different laptop that doesn't have the nice Edit program on it!
And another Manganese that seems to also be a Cretonne print, which is this week's fabric less from Barbara Brackman's Stars in a Time Warp! So, by accident, I am caught up!
A few bolts of Margo Krager's "Polychromes" are here but will wait to photograph until after I remove the plastic. Jo Morton's "Isabella" is due this month also.Please note that the shop will be closed the week of Sep 23,24,25,26 for a vacation with my granddaughter. September/October have always been favorite months ever since I was a child....loved Fall even then! And I loved going back to the school routine! Here is another poem-of-the-month that my fifth-grade teacher, Marguerite Fitzsimmons, had us memorize....this was the first.
11 comments:
Fall has always been my favorite, too. Your many stars fit right into the season.Oh, the Alice's Scrapbag line looks like a luscious collection!We had to memorize poems in 5th grade, too! I only recall parts of three of them now.
We must have had to memorize 9, but I remember only Sep, Oct and Dec........the Loooooong "Night Before Christmas"! Wish I could dive into the FQ bundle tonight but have too many things going already.......need to see a "Finish" of something soon!! LOL
your stars are yummy! I thought of you as soon as she announced the bronze type. And that poem is lovely. I too wonder what the one day is. Maybe she had a loved one in the war. Antietam was in September. Hope I can make it up on Thursday! | 2023-08-11T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/4010 |
Aerobic fitness and the hypohydration response to exercise-heat stress.
This study examined the influence that aerobic fitness (VO2 max) had on final heart rate (HR), final rectal temperature (Tre), and total body sweat rate (Msw) when subjects exercised while euhydrated and hypohydrated (-5.0% from baseline body weight). Eight male and six female subjects completed four exercise tests both before and after a 10-d heat acclimation program. The tests were a euhydration and a hypohydration exposure conducted in a comfortable (20 degrees C, 40% rh) and in a hot-dry (49 degrees C, 20% rh) environment. Significant differences were not generally found between the genders for HR, Tre and Msw during the tests. In the comfortable environment, HR, Tre and Msw were not generally significantly correlated (p greater than 0.05) with VO2max. In the hot-dry environment, Tre and VO2max were significantly correlated (r = -0.58) when euhydrated before acclimation. HR was significantly related to VO2max before acclimation when eu- (r = -0.61) and hypohydrated (r = -0.60) as well as after acclimation when eu- (r = -0.57) and hypohydrated (r = -0.67). These data indicate that, when euhydrated in the heat, aerobic fitness provides cardiovascular and thermoregulatory benefits before acclimation, but only cardiovascular benefits after acclimation. However, when hypohydrated in the heat, cardiovascular benefits are present for fit subjects both before and after acclimation, but thermoregulatory benefits are not associated with fitness. | 2024-01-11T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/1049 |
About 10 years ago I had a conversation with a civil servant about Britain’s chemical decontamination units. He was in charge of calculating where in the country the government should keep them. These giant trucks had specialist equipment that could respond quickly if there was an anthrax attack or similar on our shores. But at the time there was only a small number of them, so they needed careful positioning to ensure they could reach as much of the country as quickly as possible in an emergency.
It’s a decision that boils down to maths. It’s not an easy thing to work out either. It was a problem that I, as a mathematician, imagined had a number of top minds working to solve. Picture my astonishment, then, when I discovered that rather than some beautifully crafted numerical model, or some sophisticated custom-built software, the British government had left a question of such magnitude to one poor guy, working it out on his own. He was using an Excel spreadsheet. And we were having the conversation because his spreadsheet kept crashing.
In the 2010s we learned not to charge ahead without considering the ethics of forcing equations on human systems
I like to think that they’ve found a better solution to that problem in the time that has passed since. The truth is, I don’t know. But I do know this: some political problems would greatly benefit from the help of maths. That’s why, in his advertisement calling for young mathematicians and “assorted weirdos” to work at the heart of the government, No 10 strategy chief Dominic Cummings has a point. As he says, there really are some “profound problems at the core of how the British state makes decisions”.
Cummings insists the government doesn’t need “more drivel […] from humanities graduates” but rather young, eager data scientists, economists and physicists who understand the big ideas behind optimisation and prediction calculations.
There is some truth to this – there are a host of government questions that could benefit from a more mathematical take. In everything from bin collection timetables to Brexit policy, I’d love to see more decisions made on the basis of evidence over instinct. The big-data revolution has transformed the private sector, and I wholeheartedly believe it has the potential to profoundly benefit broader society too.
But (and there is a but) recognising the power of maths to transform the world is, in many ways, the easy bit; far harder is recognising its limits. In the past decade it has become clear that you can neatly split those who apply equations to human behaviour into two groups: those who think numbers and data ultimately hold the answer to everything, and those who have the humility to realise they don’t.
The 2010s were littered with examples from the first camp. There were those who claimed that, with enough data, you can predict at birth who will go on to become criminals (you can’t); those who said they could mathematically predict precisely where and when terror incidents will next occur (you can’t). Others claimed you could predict exactly which words to change in a Hollywood script to make it more profitable at the box office (nope); and, more recently, scientists have tried to predict the true pain levels of a patient based on their facial expressions (again, nope).
It was also the decade in which we learned the lessons of charging ahead without first carefully thinking about the ethics of forcing equations on to human systems. There were the stories about racist algorithms in the criminal justice system, and sexist algorithms designed to filter job applications. YouTube was accused of unwittingly radicalising some of its viewers. Indeed, some would argue that the world is still reeling from the consequences of mathematical equations gone awry, both during the time leading up to the 2008 financial crash and Facebook failing to consider the consequences of its newsfeed algorithms. I’ve even been guilty of it myself.
And herein lies my concern. People are not planets or solar systems; there isn’t some secret underlying equation that, if we can only find it, holds the solution to all our problems. The real world is messy, full of uncertainty and impossible to predict. Applying maths to the real world requires much more than mathematicians. It requires people who understand human society and culture – people, in short, who actually understand people.
It seems that Cummings is trying to reinvent the technocracy. But many of his ideas of how to do it seem to come from the era between 2004 and 2014 – a time of “move fast and break things” rather than the careful, strategic avoidance of unintended consequences that the world has moved on to since.
So, sure, bring on the mathematical geniuses, and make government more agile. Yet I can’t help but think that Cummings could probably do with spending a bit more time listening to the “drivel” of a few humanities graduates.
• Hannah Fry is an associate professor in the mathematics of cities at University College London | 2023-11-14T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/9452 |
Q:
How to tell if I'm leaking IMalloc memory?
I'd like to just know if there is a well-established standard way to ensure that one's process doesn't leak COM based resources (such as IMalloc'd objects)?
Take the following code as an example:
HRESULT STDMETHODCALLTYPE CShellBrowserDialog::OnStateChange(__RPC__in_opt IShellView *ppshv, ULONG uChange)
{
TRACE("ICommDlgBrowser::OnStateChange\n");
if (uChange == CDBOSC_SELCHANGE)
{
CComPtr<IDataObject> data;
if (ppshv->GetItemObject(SVGIO_SELECTION, IID_IDataObject, (void**)&data) == S_OK )
{
UINT cfFormat = RegisterClipboardFormat(CFSTR_SHELLIDLIST);
FORMATETC fmtetc = { cfFormat, 0, DVASPECT_CONTENT, -1, TYMED_HGLOBAL };
STGMEDIUM stgmed;
if (data->GetData(&fmtetc, &stgmed) == S_OK)
{
TCHAR path[MAX_PATH];
// check if this single selection (or multiple)
CIDA * cida = (CIDA*)stgmed.hGlobal;
if (cida->cidl == 1)
{
const ITEMIDLIST * pidlDirectory = (const ITEMIDLIST *)(((LPBYTE)cida) + cida->aoffset[0]);
const ITEMIDLIST * pidlFile = (const ITEMIDLIST *)(((LPBYTE)cida) + cida->aoffset[1]);
ITEMIDLIST * pidl = Pidl_Concatenate(pidlDirectory, pidlFile);
// we now have the absolute pidl of the currently selected filesystem object
if (!SHGetPathFromIDList(pidl, path))
strcpy_s(path, _T("<this object has no path>"));
// free our absolute pidl
Pidl_Free(pidl);
}
else if (cida->cidl > 1)
strcpy_s(path, _T("{multiple selection}"));
else
strcpy_s(path, _T("-"));
// trace the current selection
TRACE(_T(" Current Selection = %s\n"), path);
// release the data
ReleaseStgMedium(&stgmed);
}
}
}
return E_NOTIMPL;
}
So in the above code, I have at least three allocations that occur in code that I call, with only one of them being properly cleaned up automatically. The first is the acquisition of IDataObject pointer, which increments that object's reference count. CComPtr<> takes care of that issue for me.
But then there is IDataObject::GetData, which allocates an HGLOBAL for me. And a utility function Pidl_Concatenate which creates a PIDL for me (code left out, but you can imagine it does the obvious thing, via IMalloc::Alloc()). I have another utility Pidl_Free which releases that memory for me, but must be manually called [which makes the code in question full of exception safety issues (its utterly unsafe as its currently written -- I hate MS's coding mechanics - just asking for memory to fail to be released properly].
I will enhance this block of code to have a PIDL class of some sort, and probably a CIDA class as well, to ensure that they're properly deallocated even in the face of exceptions. But I would still like to know if there is a good utility or idiom for writing COM applications in C++ that can ensure that all IMallocs and AddRef/Dispose are called for that application's lifetime!
A:
Implementing the IMallocSpy interface (see CoRegisterMallocSpy Function) may help get you some of the way.
Note that this is for debugging only, and be careful. There are cautionary tales on the web...
| 2024-03-07T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/5805 |
Introduction {#ss1}
============
Acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children worldwide \[[1](#b1){ref-type="ref"}, [2](#b2){ref-type="ref"}\]. A variety of viruses, including influenza viruses, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), picornaviruses, coronaviruses, parainfluenza viruses and adenovirus, have been associated with different respiratory syndromes in all age groups \[[3](#b3){ref-type="ref"}, [4](#b4){ref-type="ref"}\]. However, the aetiology of a large number of ARTIs is still unknown. Although diagnostic methods may be inadequate, this suggests that other respiratory pathogens may remain to be identified.
During recent years, emerging virus infections that are probably associated with anthropogenic, social and environmental changes have been reported in humans and animals \[[3](#b3){ref-type="ref"}, [5](#b5){ref-type="ref"}\]. In 2001, researchers in The Netherlands reported the isolation of a previously unidentified RNA virus from children and adults with ARTI \[[6](#b6){ref-type="ref"}\]. On the basis of morphological, biochemical and genetic analyses, the new virus seemed to be related closely to avian pneumovirus C, which at that time was the sole member of the *Metapneumovirus* genus, and which was the aetiological agent of an upper respiratory tract disease in turkeys and other birds \[[7](#b7){ref-type="ref"}, [8](#b8){ref-type="ref"}, [9](#b9){ref-type="ref"}, [10](#b10){ref-type="ref"}\]. The new virus was therefore classified as the first member of the *Metapneumovirus* genus of the Pneumovirinae sub‐family of the Paramyxoviridae family that was capable of infecting humans, and was designated human metapneumovirus (hMPV) \[[7](#b7){ref-type="ref"}, [8](#b8){ref-type="ref"}, [9](#b9){ref-type="ref"}, [10](#b10){ref-type="ref"}\]. hMPV differs from the pneumoviruses (such as RSV), which also belong to the Pneumovirinae sub‐family, in that it lacks two non‐structural proteins and has a slightly different gene order \[[7](#b7){ref-type="ref"}, [8](#b8){ref-type="ref"}, [9](#b9){ref-type="ref"}, [10](#b10){ref-type="ref"}\]. Genotyping studies have determined that hMPV strains can be classified into two main lineages and four sub‐lineages, named A1, A2, B1 and B2 \[[11](#b11){ref-type="ref"}\]. Nucleotide sequence variation between hMPV types A and B is 11.8--47.7%, whereas that between the genotypes within each lineage is less \[[11](#b11){ref-type="ref"}\].
Epidemiology {#ss2}
============
Since its initial description in 2001, hMPV has been isolated from individuals of all ages with ARTI in Europe (Italy, France, Spain, the UK, Germany, Denmark, Finland and Norway), America (the USA, Canada, Argentina and Brazil), Asia (India, Japan, China and Singapore), Australia and South Africa \[[7](#b7){ref-type="ref"}, [12](#b12){ref-type="ref"}, [13](#b13){ref-type="ref"}, [14](#b14){ref-type="ref"}, [15](#b15){ref-type="ref"}, [16](#b16){ref-type="ref"}, [17](#b17){ref-type="ref"}, [18](#b18){ref-type="ref"}, [19](#b19){ref-type="ref"}, [20](#b20){ref-type="ref"}\]. The incidence of infection in different studies varies from 1.5% to 25%, thus indicating that hMPV is a ubiquitous virus with a worldwide distribution \[[12](#b12){ref-type="ref"}, [13](#b13){ref-type="ref"}, [14](#b14){ref-type="ref"}, [15](#b15){ref-type="ref"}, [16](#b16){ref-type="ref"}, [17](#b17){ref-type="ref"}, [18](#b18){ref-type="ref"}, [19](#b19){ref-type="ref"}, [20](#b20){ref-type="ref"}\]. It is interesting to note that detection rates of hMPV have generally been higher in retrospective studies than in prospective studies, an observation consistent with a degree of selection bias. This indicates that large prospective studies are needed in order to clarify the role of hMPV in various clinical conditions.
The few seroprevalence surveys, from The Netherlands, Japan and Israel, have demonstrated that virtually all children are infected by the age of 5--10 years, which indicates that hMPV infection is acquired early in life \[[6](#b6){ref-type="ref"}, [10](#b10){ref-type="ref"}\]. However, as the range of antibody titres measured by immunofluorescence assays was higher in individuals aged \>2 years than in children aged 6--24 months, it is possible that there is a booster effect as a consequence of re‐infection with the same or a closely related virus. In addition, studies of samples collected previously have shown that hMPV is not a new pathogen, with serological evidence of human infection dating from 1958 in The Netherlands, and virus isolation during the last 10--20 years in Europe and Canada \[[7](#b7){ref-type="ref"}, [8](#b8){ref-type="ref"}, [9](#b9){ref-type="ref"}, [10](#b10){ref-type="ref"}\]. These findings suggest that hMPV has been in circulation for a long period, but has been recognised only recently because of the development of new diagnostic methods.
Surveys have indicated that hMPV has a seasonal distribution similar to that of RSV and influenza viruses, although the greatest number of hMPV infections are usually diagnosed at the end of winter or in early spring \[[12](#b12){ref-type="ref"}, [13](#b13){ref-type="ref"}, [14](#b14){ref-type="ref"}, [15](#b15){ref-type="ref"}, [16](#b16){ref-type="ref"}, [17](#b17){ref-type="ref"}, [18](#b18){ref-type="ref"}, [19](#b19){ref-type="ref"}, [20](#b20){ref-type="ref"}, [21](#b21){ref-type="ref"}, [22](#b22){ref-type="ref"}\]. It has also been demonstrated that different hMPV genotypes may co‐circulate in the population during a single year \[[20](#b20){ref-type="ref"}, [23](#b23){ref-type="ref"}, [24](#b24){ref-type="ref"}, [25](#b25){ref-type="ref"}\]. However, further studies over multiple years are needed to clarify the seasonal nature of hMPV infection and the quantitative importance of the different genotypes.
The similar seasonal distribution of several other respiratory virus infections may result in coinfection with hMPV and other respiratory viruses, but the role that hMPV plays as a co‐pathogen is still not understood completely. Thus, it is not known whether dual infection by hMPV and RSV is associated with a more severe disease than that observed when a single virus is the aetiological agent. Greensill *et al.*\[[26](#b26){ref-type="ref"}\] detected hMPV in 70% of infants with RSV bronchiolitis who required admission to a paediatric intensive care unit for ventilatory support, thus suggesting that hMPV may influence the severity of RSV disease. Similarly, Semple *et al.*\[[27](#b27){ref-type="ref"}\] observed that dual infection with hMPV and RSV confers a ten‐fold increase in the relative risk of admission to a paediatric intensive care unit for mechanical ventilation. Other recent data support this hypothesis, at least for children aged \<3 years \[[28](#b28){ref-type="ref"}\]. In contrast with these findings, but in agreement with other reports \[[14](#b14){ref-type="ref"}, [29](#b29){ref-type="ref"}, [30](#b30){ref-type="ref"}\], there was no evidence of increased disease severity in a small group of children coinfected with hMPV and RSV or influenza viruses \[[17](#b17){ref-type="ref"}\]. hMPV has also been identified in patients with SARS in Canada and Hong Kong \[[31](#b31){ref-type="ref"}, [32](#b32){ref-type="ref"}\], but probably did not increase the pathogenicity of the novel coronavirus identified as the cause of SARS. However, the possibility of coinfection may lead to an underestimation of the percentage of hMPV‐positive samples identified in studies in which only samples negative for other respiratory viruses are tested. This means that all clinical samples (not just samples found to be negative for other viruses) must be tested in order to clarify further the epidemiology of hMPV infections.
The quantitative importance of hMPV in children with underlying disease also requires clarification. Van den Hoogen *et al.*\[[33](#b33){ref-type="ref"}\] found that most hMPV‐positive patients aged 5--65 years had an underlying disease such as cystic fibrosis, or had received immunotherapy, and other studies found that 25--50% of hMPV‐positive patients had an underlying disease \[[7](#b7){ref-type="ref"}, [10](#b10){ref-type="ref"}, [34](#b34){ref-type="ref"}\]. In contrast, it has also been reported that hMPV is a frequent cause of ARTIs in otherwise healthy children, but has a marginal quantitative impact on patients with chronic underlying conditions \[[17](#b17){ref-type="ref"}\]. Large‐scale studies over a long period should reveal the true incidence of hMPV infections among patients with underlying diseases. Furthermore, as a case of life‐threatening hMPV pneumonia requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation has been described in a pre‐term infant \[[35](#b35){ref-type="ref"}\], the importance of considering this newly discovered pathogen as a possible cause of pneumonia in neonates should be emphasised.
Pathology {#ss3}
=========
In experimental animals, hMPV infection is associated with airway epithelial cell changes and increased inflammatory cell infiltrates, predominantly mononuclear cells, in the lung interstitium \[[36](#b36){ref-type="ref"}, [37](#b37){ref-type="ref"}, [38](#b38){ref-type="ref"}, [39](#b39){ref-type="ref"}\]. In addition, hMPV infection causes increased myofibroblast thickening adjacent to the airway epithelium and staining of cellular debris \[[36](#b36){ref-type="ref"}\]. Moreover, like RSV, hMPV can persist for several weeks in the lungs, despite an established immune response, suggesting that this virus uses specific strategies to overcome host defences \[[36](#b36){ref-type="ref"}\].
Data regarding the pathology of hMPV in humans are scarce, and have mostly been collected for individuals with underlying lung disease \[[10](#b10){ref-type="ref"}\]. Specimens obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage within 4 days of the identification of hMPV in the nasal secretions of children with an acute episode of respiratory infection have demonstrated that hMPV affects primarily airway epithelium \[[40](#b40){ref-type="ref"}\]. Infection of the airway epithelial cells results in cell degeneration and/or necrosis, with ciliacytophthoria and round, red cytoplasmic inclusions on a background of haemosiderin‐laden macrophages, abundant neutrophils and prominent mucus \[[40](#b40){ref-type="ref"}\]. These findings, especially the red cytoplasmic inclusions, are similar to those seen in infections by RSV, parainfluenza viruses and measles virus. Lung biopsies, performed at least 1 month after a positive hMPV nasal assay, have shown that later stages of the disease caused by hMPV include expansion of peribronchiolar lymphoid tissue, squamous metaplasia, haemosiderin and accumulation of intra‐alveolar foamy macrophages \[[40](#b40){ref-type="ref"}\]. These features indicate chronic/healing airway inflammation, with a degree of concomitant airway obstruction and impairment of the mucociliary escalator, and correlate well with the bronchiolitis and wheezing noted clinically in patients with hMPV infection.
Clinical manifestations {#ss4}
=======================
hMPV seems to be an important respiratory pathogen that causes both upper and lower respiratory tract infections in children \[[7](#b7){ref-type="ref"}, [8](#b8){ref-type="ref"}, [9](#b9){ref-type="ref"}, [10](#b10){ref-type="ref"}, [11](#b11){ref-type="ref"}, [12](#b12){ref-type="ref"}, [13](#b13){ref-type="ref"}, [14](#b14){ref-type="ref"}, [15](#b15){ref-type="ref"}, [16](#b16){ref-type="ref"}, [17](#b17){ref-type="ref"}, [18](#b18){ref-type="ref"}\], who, unlike adults, are rarely asymptomatic, although most reports are biased toward descriptions of the most severe symptoms in hospitalised subjects. The fact that most severe cases are found in paediatric patients suggests that naturally acquired infection induces partial protection against the disease. However, it should be emphasised that there is no cross‐protection among the different virus strains. A recent report has described a child who suffered from two episodes of hMPV infection during a 1‐month period, each caused by a different strain \[[41](#b41){ref-type="ref"}\]. Moreover, the degree of severity seems to be related not only to age, but also to the strain causing the infection, with a possible link between the A2 strain, which is the most frequent, and severe disease \[[10](#b10){ref-type="ref"}\].
Diagnosis of hMPV infection may be made on the basis of signs and symptoms, ranging from rhinopharyngitis to bronchitis and pneumonia, and some patients may be admitted to intensive care units \[[7](#b7){ref-type="ref"}, [8](#b8){ref-type="ref"}, [9](#b9){ref-type="ref"}, [10](#b10){ref-type="ref"}, [21](#b21){ref-type="ref"}, [42](#b42){ref-type="ref"}\]. [Table 1](#t1){ref-type="table"} summarises the clinical data for a group of children seen in an emergency department for acute respiratory infection, grouped according to virus diagnosis. In this population, hMPV caused signs and symptoms that sometimes resembled those of RSV infection (bronchiolitis, asthma exacerbation and pneumonia) and sometimes those of influenza (fever and upper respiratory tract infection) \[[16](#b16){ref-type="ref"}\]. Boivin *et al.*\[[34](#b34){ref-type="ref"}\] also reported that the clinical presentation of hMPV is similar to that of other common winter virus infections. hMPV has also been associated with febrile seizures, rash, diarrhoea, an enlarged liver, and altered liver function test results ([Table 2](#t2){ref-type="table"}) \[[13](#b13){ref-type="ref"}\].
######
Clinical characteristics and outcomes among children seen for acute respiratory infection in an emergency department, grouped by virus RNA detection
Characteristics hMPV‐positive
(*n* = 41) RSV‐positive
(*n* = 117) Influenza‐positive
(*n* = 209)
---------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- ---------------------------------
Clinical presentation
Common cold, no. (%) 3 (7.3) 20 (17.1) 43 (20.6)
Pharyngitis, no. (%) 11 (26.8) 20 (17.1) 73 (34.9)
Acute otitis media, no. (%) 5 (12.2) 10 (8.5) 34 (16.3)
Croup, no. (%) 3 (7.3) 4 (3.4) 7 (3.3)
Acute bronchitis, no. (%) 4 (9.8) 15 (12.8) 20 (9.6)
Wheezing, no. (%) 10 (24.4)[^a^](#t1n4){ref-type="fn"} 30 (25.7)[^a^](#t1n4){ref-type="fn"} 14 (6.7)
Pneumonia, no. (%) 5 (12.2) 18 (15.4) 18 (8.6)
Clinical outcome
Hospitalisation, no. (%) 2 (4.8) 16 (13.7) 11 (5.3)
School absence,
median days (range) 10 (3--15) 10 (3--12) 12 (5--15)
p \< 0.0001 vs. influenza‐positive children; no other statistically significant differences.
hMPV, human metapneumovirus; RSV, respiratory syncytial virus.
Adapted from Principi *et al.*\[[16](#b16){ref-type="ref"}\].
######
Characteristics of 32 children admitted with human metapneumovirus (hMPV) infection compared to age‐matched controls with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) or influenza A infection
Characteristics hMPV
No. positive/ total
(%) RSV
No. positive/ total
(%) Influenza A
No. positive/ total
(%)
-------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------
Influenza‐like illness
in family contact 10/19 (52.6) 7/29 (24.1) 19/24 (79.1)
Febrile seizure 5/32 (15.6) 1/32 (3.1) 3/32 (9.4)
Congested pharynx 12/32 (37.5) 11/32 (34.4) 11/32 (34.4)
Rash 4/32 (12.5) 1/32 (3.1) 4/32 (12.5)
Enlarged liver 2/32 (6.3) 0/32 (0.0) 4/32 (12.5)
Otitis media 4/32 (12.5) 0/32 (0.0) 0/32 (0.0)
Diarrhoea 2/32 (6.3) 1/32 (3.1) 3/32 (9.4)
Crepitations 18/32 (56.3)[^a^](#t2n3){ref-type="fn"} 14/32 (43.8)[^a^](#t2n3){ref-type="fn"} 3/32 (9.4)
Wheezing 9/32 (28.1)[^a^](#t2n3){ref-type="fn"} 12/32 (37.5)[^a^](#t2n3){ref-type="fn"} 2/32 (6.3)
Asthma exacerbation 6/32 (18.8) 2/32 (6.3) 2/32 (6.3)
Acute bronchiolitis 3/32 (9.4) 10/32 (31.3) 0/32 (0.0)
Pneumonia 12/32 (37.5)[^a^](#t2n3){ref-type="fn"} 5/32 (15.6)[^a^](#t2n3){ref-type="fn"} 1/32 (3.1)
Abnormal chest X‐ray 17/25 (68.0)[^a^](#t2n3){ref-type="fn"} 11/18 (61.1)[^a^](#t2n3){ref-type="fn"} 1/17 (5.9)
Lymphopenia (≤1.5 × 10^9^/L) 9/31 (29) 2/27 (7.4) 12/29 (41.4)
Neutropenia (ANC \<1 × 10^9^/L) 2/31 (6.5) 0/27 (0.0) 4/29 (13.8)
Elevated transaminase 2/15 (13.3) 0/5 (0.0) 3/11 (27.3)
p \< 0.05 vs. influenza A.
ANC, absolute neutrophils count.
Adapted from Peiris *et al.*\[[13](#b13){ref-type="ref"}\].
Several studies have indicated that, like RSV, hMPV may induce airway alterations and may be related to the onset and exacerbation of childhood asthma. Two successive studies by Jartti *et al.*\[[15](#b15){ref-type="ref"}, [43](#b43){ref-type="ref"}\] detected hMPV in 10/132 (8%) and 12/293 (4%) children hospitalised for acute expiratory wheezing, which suggests that hMPV may trigger this disease \[[15](#b15){ref-type="ref"}, [43](#b43){ref-type="ref"}\]. Our own study found that wheezing was diagnosed in 25.7% of children with hMPV, and in 23.4% of those with RSV infection \[[17](#b17){ref-type="ref"}\]. However, the fact that hMPV‐positive children are older than children who are RSV‐positive may explain why, when wheezing is diagnosed, asthma exacerbation is more common in the former and bronchiolitis in the latter, and why hMPV‐positive children have less severe disease, as demonstrated by the lower frequency of hospitalisation. Nevertheless, preliminary results concerning the association between asthma and hMPV infections warrant further research, not least because asthma is a difficult clinical diagnosis to make in children aged \<2 years.
The pathogenesis of hMPV disease also requires further clarification, since the results of different studies are contradictory. In children who were positive for hMPV, Jartti *et al.*\[[43](#b43){ref-type="ref"}\] found two chemokines that have been linked to RSV disease, namely interleukin‐8, a chemotactic factor mainly for neutrophils, and RANTES (regulated upon activation, normal T‐cell expressed and secreted), a chemotactic factor for eosinophils. In comparison to children with RSV infection, the hMPV‐positive children had lower concentrations of RANTES and higher concentrations of interleukin‐8 in their respiratory secretions \[[43](#b43){ref-type="ref"}\]. In contrast, Laham *et al.*\[[44](#b44){ref-type="ref"}\] found that although both hMPV and RSV were associated with rhinorrhoea, cough and wheezing, hMPV elicited significantly lower levels of respiratory inflammatory cytokines than did RSV. It is, therefore, not known whether hMPV and RSV share a common pathogenic mechanism or cause disease via different mechanisms.
Although the available data suggest that hMPV mostly causes mild disease in otherwise healthy children, the question of whether hMPV may cause severe problems in children with underlying conditions requires further clarification. hMPV was the only pathogen detected in two patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and ARTI who subsequently died (aged 7 months and \<5 years, respectively) \[[45](#b45){ref-type="ref"}, [46](#b46){ref-type="ref"}\]. Although there was no pathological examination in these cases, that fact that no other pathogens were identified suggests that hMPV infection was the cause of death. In agreement with these observations, Van den Hoogen *et al.*\[[33](#b33){ref-type="ref"}\] found that hMPV‐positive patients aged \>5 years had underlying diseases and presented with more severe clinical signs than those generally observed in younger patients. However, a separate study showed that a child aged 5 years with a diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia who was infected with hMPV recovered uneventfully \[[13](#b13){ref-type="ref"}\]. Although studies of immunocompromised individuals have so far been relatively small, they seem to show that the impact of hMPV is similar to that of RSV and influenza virus infections.
Few data are available concerning the socio‐economic impact of hMPV infection on children and their households. It was reported that the household contacts of hMPV‐positive children, as well as those of influenza‐positive children, fell ill significantly more frequently, required more medical visits, received more anti‐pyretic prescriptions, and were also absent more frequently from work or school than those of RSV‐positive children ([Table 3](#t3){ref-type="table"}) \[[17](#b17){ref-type="ref"}\]. These findings show that hMPV infection in children may considerably affect their families.
######
Clinical and socio‐economic impact of different virus infections among the household contacts of the children in whom a single infectious agent was demonstrated
Characteristics Households of
hMPV‐positive
children (*n* = 128) Households of
RSV‐positive
children (*n* = 507) Households of
influenza‐positive children
(*n* = 806)
---------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------
Disease similar to that of
the infected child, no. (%) 16 (12.5)[^a^](#t3n2){ref-type="fn"} 24 (4.7) 78 (9.7)[^a^](#t3n2){ref-type="fn"}
Additional medical visits, no. (%) 16 (12.5)[^b^](#t3n1){ref-type="fn"} 16 (3.2) 78 (9.7)[^b^](#t3n1){ref-type="fn"}
Anti‐pyretic prescriptions, no. (%) 14 (10.9)[^a^](#t3n2){ref-type="fn"} 18 (3.6) 104 (12.9)[^b^](#t3n1){ref-type="fn"}
Antibiotic prescriptions, no. (%) 6 (4.7) 11 (2.2) 36 (4.5)
Hospitalisation, no. (%) 0 0 3 (0.4)
Lost working days,
median (range) 4 (2--10)[^a^](#t3n2){ref-type="fn"} 2.5 (2--7) 4 (1--10)[^a^](#t3n2){ref-type="fn"}
Lost school days,
median (range) 4 (3--15)[^a^](#t3n2){ref-type="fn"} 2 (2--4) 5 (1--15)[^a^](#t3n2){ref-type="fn"}
p \<0.05 and
^b^ p \<0.0001 vs. households of RSV‐positive children; no other statistically significant differences.
hMPV, human metapneumovirus; RSV, respiratory syncytial virus.
Adapted from Bosis *et al.*\[[17](#b17){ref-type="ref"}\].
The clinical features described for hMPV disease are based on studies of small numbers of patients. Collectively, the available data indicate that the clinical presentation of hMPV is similar to that of RSV and influenza. Socio‐economically, the impact of childhood hMPV infection on children and their families seems to be similar to that of influenza viruses, and significantly greater than that of RSV. Further clinical studies are needed to elucidate the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of hMPV infection, and the groups at risk for severe complications.
Diagnosis {#ss5}
=========
Because hMPV replicates poorly in the conventional cell cultures used for the diagnosis of respiratory viruses, it is relatively difficult to isolate and has probably circulated unreported for some considerable time. Most studies have only detected reliable cytopathic effects in tertiary monkey kidney (tMK) and LLC‐MK2 cells \[[6](#b6){ref-type="ref"}, [7](#b7){ref-type="ref"}, [8](#b8){ref-type="ref"}, [9](#b9){ref-type="ref"}, [10](#b10){ref-type="ref"}\]. The cytopathic effect varies, with some strains inducing RSV‐like syncytia formation, and others causing focal rounding and cell destruction. More cell lines have been explored following the original isolation of hMPV, and some laboratories now use Vero or human laryngeal carcinoma (HEp‐2) cells successfully \[[7](#b7){ref-type="ref"}, [8](#b8){ref-type="ref"}, [9](#b9){ref-type="ref"}, [10](#b10){ref-type="ref"}\]. In the absence of commercially available antibodies, the cytopathic effect of hMPV can be confirmed by using RT‐PCR to test infected supernatants.
RT‐PCR has become the method of choice for the diagnosis of acute hMPV infection, because of the unavailability of rapid antigen detection tests, and the slow and restrictive growth of the virus \[[7](#b7){ref-type="ref"}, [8](#b8){ref-type="ref"}, [9](#b9){ref-type="ref"}, [10](#b10){ref-type="ref"}\]. Most PCR protocols published to date rely on amplification of the L (major polymerase subunit), N (nucleoprotein), or F (fusion protein) gene, using primer sequences derived mainly from the prototype strain 001 from The Netherlands (GenBank accession number AF371337) \[[47](#b47){ref-type="ref"}, [48](#b48){ref-type="ref"}, [49](#b49){ref-type="ref"}\]. Because of the existence of two hMPV lineages showing significant genetic variability, hMPV detection may be underestimated when inappropriate primers are used. New rapid and sensitive hMPV assays, based on real‐time PCR, allow amplification and detection of hMPV in ≤2 h \[[47](#b47){ref-type="ref"}, [48](#b48){ref-type="ref"}, [49](#b49){ref-type="ref"}\]. In comparison with conventional RT‐PCR, real‐time RT‐PCR is more sensitive, faster and more cost‐effective, and may thus be the best means of detecting hMPV routinely.
Serological tests only permit a retrospective diagnosis and, because infection is almost universal in childhood, seroconversion or a ≥4‐fold increase in antibody titres must be demonstrated to confirm recent infection \[[7](#b7){ref-type="ref"}, [8](#b8){ref-type="ref"}, [9](#b9){ref-type="ref"}, [10](#b10){ref-type="ref"}, [48](#b48){ref-type="ref"}\]. A recent serological survey of hMPV was based on use of a novel ELISA using hMPV‐fusion protein expressed in recombinant vescicular stomatitis virus \[[49](#b49){ref-type="ref"}\]. Large serological surveys using this and other simple ELISAs are needed to permit a better understanding of the worldwide epidemiology of hMPV infection. Detection of hMPV antigens in nasopharyngeal secretions by an immunofluorescent antibody test has also provided interesting results \[[50](#b50){ref-type="ref"}, [51](#b51){ref-type="ref"}\].
Treatment and prevention {#ss6}
========================
No treatment is registered currently and no specific prevention procedures are recommended for the management of hMPV infection. Ribavirin and a polyclonal intravenous immunoglobulin preparation have been found to have similar in‐vitro antiviral activity against both hMPV and RSV \[[52](#b52){ref-type="ref"}\], but clinical studies are required to confirm these observations. However, given the well‐known limitations of these medications (i.e., severe adverse events, difficult administration and high costs), they should be used with caution and probably considered only for treating immunocompromised patients with severe hMPV disease, as in the case of RSV infection. Furthermore, high‐titred intravenous immunoglobulin preparations active against hMPV could be used in patients with severe disease \[[9](#b9){ref-type="ref"}\].
Studies on the development of a specific vaccine are currently in progress in experimental animals. Biacchesi *et al.*\[[25](#b25){ref-type="ref"}\] were able to generate recombinant hMPVs lacking some genes that were at least 40‐fold and 600‐fold, respectively, restricted in replication in the lower and upper respiratory tract compared with wild‐type recombinant hMPV \[[25](#b25){ref-type="ref"}\]. However, many more studies are required before there is the possibility of an effective and safe vaccine for humans.
Conclusions {#ss7}
===========
The recent identification of a presumably old virus pathogen is an exciting development in the field of respiratory viruses. Considering the available studies as a whole, hMPV appears to play an important role as a cause of paediatric upper and lower respiratory tract infection. In general, many of the epidemiological and clinical features of hMPV infection seem to be similar to those of RSV and influenza, although some differences have been noted \[[7](#b7){ref-type="ref"}, [8](#b8){ref-type="ref"}, [9](#b9){ref-type="ref"}, [10](#b10){ref-type="ref"}, [11](#b11){ref-type="ref"}, [12](#b12){ref-type="ref"}, [13](#b13){ref-type="ref"}, [14](#b14){ref-type="ref"}, [15](#b15){ref-type="ref"}, [16](#b16){ref-type="ref"}, [17](#b17){ref-type="ref"}, [18](#b18){ref-type="ref"}, [19](#b19){ref-type="ref"}, [20](#b20){ref-type="ref"}\]. Moreover, the socio‐economic impact of hMPV‐infected children on their families seems to be significant, suggesting that, like influenza, hMPV infection may be a substantial public health problem for the community \[[16](#b16){ref-type="ref"}, [17](#b17){ref-type="ref"}\]. hMPV can cause morbidity and mortality in pre‐term infants \[[35](#b35){ref-type="ref"}\] and children with underlying clinical conditions, including immunocompromised patients \[[33](#b33){ref-type="ref"}, [34](#b34){ref-type="ref"}, [45](#b45){ref-type="ref"}, [46](#b46){ref-type="ref"}\], although further adequately controlled studies are needed to confirm this.
Many fundamental questions concerning the pathogenesis of hMPV disease and the host\'s specific immune response remain to be answered. Further surveillance studies are necessary to define the full spectrum of childhood hMPV infection completely, as well as the risk‐factors associated with severe hMPV disease. At least two circulating serotypes of hMPV have been identified \[[8](#b8){ref-type="ref"}, [10](#b10){ref-type="ref"}\], and this must be taken into account when developing diagnostic tests or measures for prevention and treatment of infection.
| 2024-07-21T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/1842 |
Tom Yum (Thai Hot and Sour Soup)
Description
Tom Yum Goong recipe for a Thai spicy hot and sour soup that’s addictively comforting. This recipe includes shrimp, vegetables and glass noodles to make it into a heartier more filling soup that can be eaten as a meal as well.
Instructions
Preparation
Soak the glass noodles in room temperature water for 10 minutes and then drain and set aside.
(Optional) Devein the shrimp and set aside
Cut the vegetables and mushroom into bite-sized pieces and set aside
Making the Tom Yum Soup
Rip the kaffir lime leaves in half and place it in the soup pot
Slice the onions and roughly chop the garlic and place it in the soup pot
Remove the first layer of the lemongrass and cut them into large chunks. Use the back of your knife or something blunt like a rolling pin to smash it to release the oils. Place them in the pot
Cut the chilies in half and place them in the pot
Slice the galangal and place it in the pot
Add the broth and water into the pot and set the pot on medium-high heat until it starts to boil
Once it starts to boil, adjust the heat to medium-low heat and put a lid on it. Simmer it for 30 minutes
Putting It Together
Once 30 minutes is up, taste the broth. It shouldn’t have any saltiness to it but it should have some lemongrass or lime leaves flavor. If it doesn’t, cook it for another 15 minutes.
Once you have finished cooking the broth, remove all the spices and aromatics. They are not meant to be eaten, only to flavor the soup.
Turn the heat back up to medium
Add in the chili paste and stir it until it dissolves.
Once the chili paste has dissolved, put in the vegetables and mushrooms and cook them for 1 minute.
Add in the shrimp and cook it for 1 minute. (Careful not to overcook it. Shrimp cooks very quickly, as long as it is fully thawed.)
Turn off the heat
Add in the fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar. Stir and taste. Adjust it to your liking. (Add more lime juice if you like it more sour etc)
Place the glass noodles in a serving bowl and ladle the piping hot soup into the bowl to cover the noodles. The heat will cook it. Let it soak up the soup for a few minutes.
Enjoy! 🙂
Notes
When shopping locally for Nam Prik Pao, there might not be a lot of brands that have English on it and the majority of them will not say ‘Nam Prik Pao’ on the label in English. Look for jars that say ‘Chili Paste’ or ‘Chilli Paste in Oil’. It should contain tamarind, shrimp/anchovy/fish sauce, and chilies in the ingredients list.
Depending on what brand of chili paste you buy (Nam Prik Pao), they come with varying spiciness level. I bought one that was super spicy, and I added about 4 additional fresh chilies in the broth and it was CRAZY spicy. If you can’t tolerate foods that are super spicy, make sure you do a taste test of the broth before you put in the chili paste – and only add the chili paste 1/2 a tablespoon at a time doing a taste test each time until you reach 1 1/2 tablespoons of chili paste.
If you are using frozen shrimp, make sure you thaw it completely before cooking it. It is very easy to overcook shrimp if it is still frozen.
For this recipe, you will need fresh lemongrass stalks. You can use frozen lemongrass as well but they usually come pre-chopped and are quite hard to fish out or strain so I don’t recommend it unless you absolutely have to, make sure to strain it out very well. I don’t recommend using lemongrass powder for this soup.
I personally think it is very difficult to substitute kaffir lime leaves so if you can’t find it, then add an extra stalk of lemongrass instead.
Galangal has a fresh and pine-needle flavor and scent and is hard to substitute. If you cannot find it, omit it. Do not substitute it with ginger since it has a completely different flavor.
Extra fresh kaffir lime leaves and galangal can be stored in the freezer in a ziplock bag and can be kept for a few months | 2023-08-10T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/9565 |
Polymeric membranes. A review of applications.
The applications of polymeric membranes are varied and have developed in recent years to provide sophisticated filtration devices for the medical industry. This article presents a review of the uses of polymeric ultrafiltration and microfiltration membranes in health care. It focuses on three main areas: hydrophilic, hydrophobic, and diagnostic membrane applications. | 2024-04-03T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/3296 |
Q:
How to enable image on RSS generated by wordpress?
I'd like to add the tag on rss generated by Wordpress (http://www.myblog.com/rss) that take the first attached image for each post.
How can I do it?
Tried to download/install these :
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-rss-images/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/rss-image-feed/
but nothing change to the generated RSS!
EDIT
Tried this solution, after some suggestions :
add_action('rss2_item', 'add_images_to_rss');
function add_images_to_rss() {
?>
<my_meta_value><?php echo "prova" ?></my_meta_value>
<?php
}
still I don't see any changes in the RSS source...
A:
Add this to your functions.php
// add the <image> to the rss and rss2 feed
function SO13586900_add_image_to_rss() {
$thumb_id = get_post_thumbnail_id( get_the_ID() );
if ( ! empty( $thumb_id ) ) {
echo '<image>' . wp_get_attachment_url( $thumb_id ) . '</image>';
}
}
add_action('rss2_item', 'SO13586900_add_image_to_rss');
add_action('rss_item', 'SO13586900_add_image_to_rss');
Tested and works
| 2024-02-14T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/7382 |
The invention relates to exercise devices with a press arm, e.g. for shoulder rotary press and other exercises, and more particularly to improved adjustment therefor.
For exercise equipment with a decline or flat to shoulder rotary pressing station, it is necessary to have a press arm whose starting position can be adjusted. It is also advantageous that no tension be put on the cabling that is linked to a source of resistance, e.g. a weight stack, during any of the starting positions, since this would necessitate a secondary adjustment with the cabling for the weight stack. In the prior art, some manufacturers have put a secondary pivot at some point between the press arm main pivot and the press handle. The pulleys and cables linked to the weight stack are attached at some point between such pivots so that the cable is never put in tension at any starting point. In such arrangement, the distance from the press handles to the main pivot of the press arm changes for each starting position, and because of this, the weight ratio is different for each starting position, which is a disadvantage. More adjustments are sometimes required to the bench and to put the user in the correct position to perform the exercise in such type of system.
In one known attempt to solve the above-noted problem, an adjustable floating link is pivotally connected to the press arm half way between the press handles and the main pivot. A pulley is attached at the bottom of the link by a cable wrapped therearound providing 1:1 resistance. When the press arm is at rest, the link stops somewhere on the frame so that when the press arm is adjusted with the adjustable link, the pulley never changes position. While the resistance profile was the same for all press positions, and the system allowed for minimal adjustments to the bench, this type of press station was not perceived well by consumers. The floating link would tend to swing back and forth when performing chest exercises, and the press station was perceived as unstable.
A known improvement to the above-noted floating pendulum adjustable link press arm adds two more links, one of them being adjustable. In this four bar linkage, two of the links remain stationary, while the press arm (being one of the links) and an adjustable link (being the fourth link) move while the starting position is adjusted. One of the stationary links is typically part of the frame, and the other stationary link is the attachment point for the cable and/or pulley. The press arm can then be adjusted without putting any tension on the cable system, and the distance from the main pivot to the press handles never changes. The disadvantage in this system is that by adding extra pivots for the linkages, more friction is introduced to the mechanism, and more cost.
The present invention accomplishes the above-noted goals without the noted added friction nor the noted added pendulum motion, and with a more cost-effective construction and mechanism. A simplified construction is provided by a frame, a press arm, and an adjustable link. The adjustable link has a pulley over which a cable passes, linking it to the source of resistance, such as a weight stack. The adjustment link is pivotally connected to the press arm between the main pivot and the press handles. The cable wraps around the pulley, which allows for a 1:1 weight resistance relationship with the cable. This is similar to the floating link system described above, except that the pulley on the present adjustable link is guided by a frame member for movement therealong, and in the preferred embodiment rolls thereon. By strategically placing the noted frame member and the coupling directional pulleys on the frame, the direction of force on the linkage causes the linkage pulley to ride on the frame member. The contact of the linkage pulley against the frame stops the adjustable link from floating. When the press arm is at rest, the adjustable link is stopped by and rests on the frame. As it is stopped, gravity pulls the adjustable link rearwardly, disengaging the pulley from contact with the frame. This allows the cable routed over such pulley to be used with a different exercise when the press arm is not in use. The rotation of the pulley caused by the cable is in the same rotational direction caused by it rolling along the frame member. The invention keeps the press handles in the same position relative to the main pivot, and does not introduce additional friction due to more pivots, and produces a stable pressing motion because the adjustment link does not float. The invention also enables economy of manufacture because of fewer parts. | 2023-11-03T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/7017 |
Characterization of a new beta-spectrin gene which is predominantly expressed in brain.
We recently identified a gene which shows high similarity to the beta-spectrin gene but with a different chromosomal location from either of the two known beta-spectrin genes [T. Nagase, K.-I. Ishikawa, D. Nakajima, M. Ohira, N. Seki, N. Miyajima, A. Tanaka, H. Kotani, N. Nomura, O. Ohara, Prediction of the coding sequences of unidentified human genes: VII. The complete sequences of 100 new cDNA clones from brain which can code for large proteins in vitro, DNA Res. 4 (1997) 141-150]. In order to further characterize this new spectrin gene and its product, we isolated the rat counterpart of this gene and analyzed it in terms of its protein coding sequence, the tissue distribution of its mRNA and the product, and the regional distribution of the mRNA and the product in the brain. The results indicated that this gene was most abundantly transcribed in the brain and neurons were the predominant cell-type to express this gene. In particular, Purkinje cells were the richest in this gene product, and this new form of beta-spectrin was found more prominently in the dendrites than in the cell bodies. Since the expression pattern and the subcellular localization of this gene product were quiet distinct from those of the two beta-spectrin isoforms already characterized, this beta-spectrin gene would play an important role in neuronal membrane skeleton although it has been overlooked to date. | 2024-03-02T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/3599 |
Senators approved the plan by a 43-10 vote today. The measure now moves to the House, where lawmakers were taking up a major pension overhaul.
The proposal is aimed at creating jobs and keeping companies in Illinois.
The incentives are separate from a plan a House committee considered Monday. That one proposes a satellite television tax expected to generate $75 million annually and includes $92 million worth of incentives for Univar, OfficeMax and Archer Daniels Midland Company. | 2024-01-09T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/2700 |
Q:
add inline style with background image
I'm trying to add an img background to some react component like this
var imageStyle = {
color: '#fff',
backgroundImage: 'url(' + { this.props.top_room.avatar } + ')',
background: 'bottom right 15% no-repeat #46B6AC;'
};
var TopRoom = React.createClass({
render: function() {
return (
<div className="mdl-card mdl-shadow--2dp demo-card-square">
<div className="mdl-card__title mdl-card--expand" style={imageStyle}>
but it is not working. How can I add this image?
A:
You don't have to use curly braces in such case.
Something like this should work
var imageStyle = {
color: '#fff',
backgroundImage: 'url(' + this.props.top_room.avatar + ')',
background: 'bottom right 15% no-repeat #46B6AC;'
};
| 2023-11-26T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/4539 |
Long-term impacts on macroinvertebrates downstream of reclaimed mountaintop mining valley fills in Central Appalachia.
Recent studies have documented adverse effects to biological communities downstream of mountaintop coal mining and valley fills (VF), but few data exist on the longevity of these impacts. We sampled 15 headwater streams with VFs reclaimed 11-33 years prior to 2011 and sampled seven local reference sites that had no VFs. We collected chemical, habitat, and benthic macroinvertebrate data in April 2011; additional chemical samples were collected in September 2011. To assess ecological condition, we compared VF and reference abiotic and biotic data using: (1) ordination to detect multivariate differences, (2) benthic indices (a multimetric index and an observed/expected predictive model) calibrated to state reference conditions to detect impairment, and (3) correlation and regression analysis to detect relationships between biotic and abiotic data. Although VF sites had good instream habitat, nearly 90 % of these streams exhibited biological impairment. VF sites with higher index scores were co-located near unaffected tributaries; we suggest that these tributaries were sources of sensitive taxa as drifting colonists. There were clear losses of expected taxa across most VF sites and two functional feeding groups (% scrapers and %shredders) were significantly altered. Percent VF and forested area were related to biological quality but varied more than individual ions and specific conductance. Within the subset of VF sites, other descriptors (e.g., VF age, site distance from VF, the presence of impoundments, % forest) had no detectable relationships with biological condition. Although these VFs were constructed pursuant to permits and regulatory programs that have as their stated goals that (1) mined land be reclaimed and restored to its original use or a use of higher value, and (2) mining does not cause or contribute to violations of water quality standards, we found sustained ecological damage in headwaters streams draining VFs long after reclamation was completed. | 2024-03-16T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/5677 |
I had mixed feelings about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for a long time. While I had always admired brave little Israel — a sort of David against the Goliath Arab-Muslim world surrounding it — I had also met some Palestinians (some of them Christians) with horror stories about what happened to them at the hands of Israelis some years ago. Then one day, I met an Armenian woman from Lebanon who sort of set me straight.
This Lebanese Christian woman told me that she too had sympathized with the Palestinians (as had many Lebanese) — until they destroyed her country. Lebanon had been the Switzerland of the Middle East — beautiful, prosperous and comfortably multi-religious — until they took in the Palestinians when none of the other Muslim Arab countries would.
But the Palestinians used their new ‘home’ in Lebanon as nothing more than a base to launch attacks on Israel and to eventually start a civil war between Muslims and Christians in Lebanon. She thinks that this was part of their plan — and this is why Palestinians came to a mixed Christian/Muslim country and not to another purely Muslim country like Jordan (which was actually the ’settlement land/country’ in return for the founding of Israel.) It was part of the Muslim plan to get Lebanese Christians to hate Israel as much as Muslims hated Israel, so that eventually all Christians and the Western World might hate Israel, too. (Much like hating the Christian Serbs for what happened to Muslims in Yugoslavia, at the same time when we in the U.S. are fighting radical Islamic terrorists who perpetrated 9/11. Divide us against ourselves and we spend our energy fighting each other, instead of fighting our real enemy — militant Islam.)
She then asked me if I ever intended to visit The Holy Land and I said that I did. She wondered whom I would rather ask for permission to visit The Lord’s Birthplace — the Israeli government, or some Muslim sharia government? Because those were the only choices. If Israel gets condemned every time it defends itself, then Israel cannot survive, and Muslim fanatics will win.
The Muslim Palestinian fanatics are not going to stop until they are either stopped by Israel and by the rest of us who stand up to them — or until they totally destroy Israel. If Israel gets destroyed, we’ll be wearing burkahs to visit the Sea of Galilee and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (unless the Muslims decide to destroy that too). And with the Muslim hatred of all things Jewish, most remnants of Old Testament history would likely be destroyed in the process too, if it is considered ‘unessential to Islam.’
There is no peaceful co-existence with Islam, as our 1990s partner in the Balkans, the late fundamentalist Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic said and wrote, though we chose not to believe him. Either you fight them with all you’ve got — or you surrender and get annihilated. Those are the only choices for Israel and those are the only choices for all of us. Our ancestors were not wrong or ‘backward’ when they shut the gates of Europe to Muslims centuries ago!
I personally think that Bush not condemning Israel is the most gutsy thing he’s done in years! Now, if he’d only say the same thing to the Serbs re Kosovo, and to Greeks re Cyprus, we’d be in business. | 2024-05-20T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/8574 |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the lateral insulation between transistors formed on a substrate of semiconductor on insulator or SOI type.
2. Discussion of Known Art
An insulation structure between two transistors of complementary type is shown in FIGS. 1A to 1D. FIGS. 1A and 1C are top views and FIGS. 1B and 1D are cross-section views along planes B-B and D-D defined in FIGS. 1A and 1C. The case of an SOI structure comprising a thin silicon layer 1 on a thin silicon oxide layer 2 on a silicon substrate 3 is here considered.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, in an integrated circuit, to define active areas where transistors are to be formed, trenches 4 are made to cross layers 1 and 2 and to penetrate into substrate 3. Trenches 4 further delimit wells 3a and 3b of opposite doping, shallower than trenches 4 and arranged under each of the active areas. Trenches 4 are filled with silicon oxide, commonly called field oxide 5, to form insulation walls.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1C and 1D, transistors 6 comprise, between drain and source regions 7, a conductive gate 10 insulated by a layer 8. Spacers 9 are formed on either side of the gate. Source and drain regions 7 are formed after the gate, for example by transforming into silicide the apparent portions of this layer 1. Simultaneously, the upper portion of gate 10a is silicided.
Each of the operations resulting in the structure of FIG. 1D implies different cleanings. Cleanings are in particular involved:
on removal of the mask for defining field oxide 5,
before the forming of gate oxide layer 8,
after the forming of gate 10,
after the forming of spacers 9,
before and after the forming of silicided areas 7 and 10a.
Such cleanings use acids, and especially diluted hydrofluoric acid. These acids etch field oxide 5, more specifically in regions located at the periphery of the field oxide regions. This results in the forming of cavities 11 which extend at the periphery of field oxide 5 and which may reach substrate 3, especially in the case of structures for which the thicknesses of insulator layer 2 and of semiconductor layer 1 are small. Indeed, in some technologies, such thicknesses may be as low as from 10 to 25 nm. The local disappearing of this insulator on the sides during the forming of the circuits may be the cause of multiple transistor failure modes. For example, in the forming of silicide regions 7 and 10a, a short-circuit may appear between source and drain regions 7 and wells 3a and 3b formed in substrate 3.
To overcome this disadvantage, has been provided to for an insulation wall of the type illustrated in FIG. 2. This drawing shows trench 4 filled with an insulator 5. Further, an insulating layer 5a is formed above insulator and protrudes on either side of the trench. Thus, in the various above-mentioned acid attacks, the risk for cavities going all the way to substrate 3 to be created is limited. However, this result is clearly obtained at the cost of a loss of space in the active silicon areas, which may adversely affect the transistor performance.
There thus is a need for insulation walls between transistors at least overcoming some of the disadvantages of prior art walls. | 2023-12-21T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/8375 |
West Germany.
Nurses in West Germany are bracing themselves in anticipation of proposed legislation this spring which aims to cut £5 billion from the health service budget. | 2023-08-08T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/1773 |
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Nautilus CEO opens up on PNG dispute
Nautilus
Mining CEO, Michael Johnston,walks shareholders through the various
points of contention between it, the PNG government and the launch of
its Solwara 1 mining project.
By KIP KEEN
Saturday
, Feb 23, 2013
HALIFAX, NS (MINEWEB) - Nautilus Minerals has concluded quasi-secret
negotiations with project partners over intellectual property rights in
the hopes of resolving what has emerged as a major point of contention
for the Papua New Guinea government in a broader dispute over the
Solwara 1 underwater mining project and the state's 30 percent equity
interest in it.Speaking in a conference call on Thursday, Michael Johnston, Nautilus
president and CEO, said that Nautilus has been willing to provide Papua
New Guinea ownership of intellectual property rights. But the problem,
as Johnston told it, was that many of the deeds covering proprietary
technology and subsea mining methods, which Nautilus and several
partners developed over the years, did not contain clauses allowing for a
third party, such as the Papua New Guinea government, to come on board
as an additional partner and owner of the intellectual property rights. Thus, Johnston described sensitive negotiations over the past
few months in which Nautilus had to go to its partners, “household
names” in the dredging business he gave as examples, to convince them to
redraw the deeds to allow the Papua New Guinea government to gain
direct 30-percent ownership of the intellectual property rights.Now,
Johnston said, Nautilus has redrawn the deeds with its partners and
delivered the new terms to the Papua New Guinea government. Johnston
said he had hoped to hear back from the government last week on its view
of the new deeds, but that Nautilus has yet to be contacted by Papua
New Guinea officials.Nonetheless,
Johnston, who said he had just returned from a trip to Papua New Guinea
on the morning of the conference call, stated that he has high hopes
about an overall resolution to the dispute. "We had a number of very
good meetings with senior politicians and I'm quite confident that we
will get resolution to this dispute in the not too distant future."
Apology to investors
While
not a secret, hitherto Nautilus had not publicly explained in any great
depth the importance of the intellectual property rights issue to the
Papua New Guinea government. Thus, responding to a question from a
private investor, Johnston was apologetic in describing why Nautilus had
needed, in his view, to be tight-lipped about negotiations with its
technology partners.“It’s always very hard,” Johnston said. “When
we’re negotiating with the other third parties involved on the IP
(intellectual property) you can imagine it’s very difficult for us
having conference calls, update calls like this. If I was to tell people
that that particular piece of IP is quite critical to us closing this agreement, you can imagine someone’s ears would prick up. “I
apologize if we’ve come across as being a little secretive, if you
like...but it has been commercially difficult for us to be able to tell
people exactly what was going on with that IP.“But
now...we believe those deeds are sorted out and we’re now quite open
about what those issues were. And, as I said, it goes right back to
those design challenges that we had in the very early stages to develop
and come up with the best system for seafloor mining. And,
unfortunately, during that process we didn’t think at the time we would
require another party’s name on the deeds.”By
getting rights to the subsea mining technology, the Papua New Guinea
government will be allowed to use the same methods as Nautilus intends
to employ at Solwara 1 on its own non-Nautilus projects. This fact
raised the question of whether Papua New Guinea could then go and
license the technology to potential competitors (assuming Papua New
Guinea consents to the new deeds). In
response, Johnston said, the terms of the renegotiated deeds required
approval from Nautilus and its partners were such a situation to arise.
Further, Johnston noted that as part of the redrawn deeds, were the
Papua New Guinea government to employ the technology on its own or
through an approved partner Nautilus would get royalty payments from any
other mining project.
30 percent participating interest
There
also remains the issue of an outstanding bill of roughly $80 million
that Nautilus maintains the Papua New Guinea government owes it for work
on the Solwara 1 project.Last year,
as the dispute between Nautilus and the Papua New Guinea government
escalated, the parties initiated a dispute resolution mechanism for
arbitration on the matter, with the Papua New Guinea government alleging
Nautilus had not met contractual obligations.Johnston
said a hearing date would be made in mid April, at which point there
could be final resolution on the outstanding bill - a key reason why
Nautilus has put the Solwara project on hold. While Johnston would not comment on the matter, some
participants on the conference call wondered if the resolution on
intellectual property rights - not in the bag yet but seemingly closer
than ever - might expedite an ultimate solution.On
this Johnston would only say that the arbitration process is “firmly
underway in parallel with discussions, without prejudice, with the
state."
Takeover, financing
Meantime,
Johnston threw cold water on the takeover and financing proposals made
by Ottawa businessmen Michael Bailey in early January that, as covered
in these pages, contained numerous discrepancies. (See: Discrepancies, denials in C$238m hostile bid for Nautilus Minerals and “Ottawa businessman shifts tactic from takeover to financing in Nautilus bid.”)“No
formal bid was ever received by Nautilus during this process,” Johnston
said. “None of our major shareholders were ever contacted. And then on
the 15th of January Mr. Bailey proposed an equity line finance facility.
On reviewing those terms it was obvious that they did not comply with
TSX or Canadian corporate laws. And the takeover just quietly seems to
have gone away.”But that quiet may
soon be broken. Bailey said in an interview Thursday that it was news to
him that Nautilus had rejected the financing proposal, which he argued
was in the best interest of Nautilus shareholders. He also maintained
that, as previously stated in a press release, he intended to go ahead
with a takeover, which he has previously claimed is fully funded by
unnamed sources, if Nautilus did not agree to the equity line financing
for $80 million."The whole situation
is exactly how it reads in the news,” Bailey said. “If they don't
proceed with the financing then we're going to proceed with the
takeover.”He then said, “We're in discussions with them about the financing."Such
discussions were not recent according to Nautilus chief financial
officer Shontel Norgate. Norgate said in an email on Friday that “We
have had no communication with Mr. Bailey since mid January.”
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Winner of the 2011 UNESCO/Divine Word University Award for Communication and Development.Archived in National Library of Australia PANDORA Archive. 1 million hits as of Friday, November 16, 2012; 2 million hits as of Monday, July 14, 2014; and growing...No. 1 Blog in Papua New Guinea | 2024-02-17T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/2512 |
/*
* Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one or more
* contributor license agreements. See the NOTICE file distributed with
* this work for additional information regarding copyright ownership.
* The ASF licenses this file to you under the Apache License, Version 2.0
* (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with
* the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at
*
* http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
*
* Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
* distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
* WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
* See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
* limitations under the License.
*/
package org.apache.calcite.rex;
/**
* Collection of {@link RexSqlConvertlet}s.
*/
public interface RexSqlConvertletTable {
//~ Methods ----------------------------------------------------------------
/**
* Returns the convertlet applicable to a given expression.
*/
RexSqlConvertlet get(RexCall call);
}
| 2023-12-21T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/1768 |
You remember we played Hawaii I think in the sugar bowl .. What 2008? I actually felt sorry for Hawaii’s kids before that game. I knew that the Dawgs would eat their lunch but the media had convinced Hawaii that they were good. Wasn’t a contest.
That’s exactly right, even with CMR playing everybody who had on a black jersey that night. And Charles Davis, who was also in the booth and is a former SEC player from Tenn., asked Brenneman if he thought Georgia’s reserve players should enter the game and not play hard. He also asked if Brenneman thought that it was Georgia’s fault that Hawaii was so overmatched. Davis very skillfully put him in his place.
Sorry, senator, but if the teams that won 60% of their bcs appearances can’t sniff the playoffs, that IS a bug.
Its a little embarrassing that we Georgia fans allow our view to be distorted by the Hawaii game. We lucked out and played by far the worst ‘Cinderella’. Big f’ing deal. 2011 Boise should have shut us up.
Boise was good in 2011 and rightfully won the game straight up. Later in the year, I believe the outcome would have been different. Your point is taken: a deserving mid-major should get in the play-off but those have been few and far between.
If there’s a year out there when a mid-major turns out to be a legitimate top-four team, go dog, go. By all means escort it in to the semis.
But the term “Cinderella” has a loaded meaning for me. Cindy isn’t invited to the dance because she’s got a legit shot to win it. She’s a novelty act, there mainly to provide the titillation that comes from a potential upset threat to a better team. As far as I’m concerned, that isn’t what the CFB postseason should be encouraging.
In that case, why are we even talking about cinderella’s in the context of college football? Either you are counting the utah’s, boise’s and hawaii’s, (who, again, won at a 60% clip in BCS games) or she has never existed in the history of the sport.
I’d say he’s using my definition. And if teams of that ilk can’t qualify for the playoffs, it’s a bug.
Don’t get me wrong, that stretch of Wild Card super bowl winners was apalling, and I’d hate to see it’s like in CFB. But a bonafide cinderella (of the fairy tale kind) should be able to get a seat at the table. I think an 8 team playoff gets us that. | 2023-09-02T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/5472 |
Packers WR Greg Jennings set to return after missing last 7 games with abdominal tear
The Green Bay Packers won't get all of their injured starters back this week. The one they will get back could make a big difference.
The Packers are hoping the return of two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Greg Jennings will revive a disappointing game.
The question is how many snaps Jennings will be able to handle against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field on Sunday.
Jennings has missed the last seven games and had surgery Nov. 1 to repair a lower abdominal tear that has bothered him since he first injured it near the end of the Sept. 9 season opener against San Francisco. Coach Mike McCarthy expects Jennings to be a full participant in practice Wednesday.
"Just talking with Greg Saturday and Sunday, I think he's in a good place and he's ready to (go)," McCarthy said. "He needs a full week of work, and that's our plan."
Jennings was in and out of the lineup during the first month of the season and has not played since catching a touchdown Sept. 30 in a victory over New Orleans.
"You also have to have the conversation of, how many plays is he going to play? That's really what the week's work is for," McCarthy said. "We'll see how it goes Wednesday. Because when guys come off injuries that hold them out of multiple weeks, multiple games, it's important that we not only have Greg for Minnesota, but all the way through (the rest of the season). So that's something we'll watch Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and communicate."
Jennings practiced all three days last week and proclaimed himself "ready" last Friday, but he was inactive for the team's 38-10 loss at the New York Giants on Sunday night.
"As a player, every player wants to be out there and play. I'm no different. I want to go out there and play — especially if you feel good," Jennings said last week. "But at the end of the day, I'm going to let them make the decision. I'm going to give my input, but it'll be their decision, their call. We'll see."
While quarterback Aaron Rodgers has had Jordy Nelson, James Jones and emerging second-year man Randall Cobb in his arsenal, Jennings' absence has been felt by the Packers, who rank 18th in the NFL in yards per game (342.9) and 13th in scoring (24.8 points per game) after leading the NFL in scoring last season (35.0) and finishing fifth in yardage (401.5).
"Greg's a dynamic player. He's been to the Pro Bowl, he has an excellent working relationship with Aaron Rodgers, they're on the same page," McCarthy said. "Greg's one of those receivers that's extremely athletic, his body language is very easy to readjust to and Aaron has great confidence to throw to with anticipation. They have a lot of history together, a lot of production. It'd be great to have him back."
The Packers have had trouble against teams playing predominantly Cover-2 defenses against them, and Jennings' ability to get open on underneath routes as well as stretch the field would help.
"Obviously, he's an outstanding player," offensive coordinator Tom Clements said. "Anytime you get an outstanding player on the field, it makes the defense prepare a little bit differently and hopefully we can take advantage of a good player."
McCarthy did not update the status of 2011 first-round draft pick Derek Sherrod, who has been on the physically-unable-to-perform list since breaking a lower leg last Dec. 18 at Kansas City, or of veteran running back Cedric Benson, who sprained a foot Oct. 7 at Indianapolis. Benson was placed on injured reserve with a designation to return.
Benson, who was put on IR three days after the injury, was scheduled to visit a specialist in Charlotte, N.C., and after initially ruling out surgery, that possibility was reportedly still being considered last week. Benson is currently eligible to return to practice and under league rules could play Dec. 9 against Detroit.
But McCarthy said Benson would not practice this week and asked if he thought the Packers would get Benson back this season, McCarthy replied, "We'll probably have some information for you tomorrow on Cedric Benson."
McCarthy also said the team would have an announcement on Sherrod on Wednesday. The NFL's transaction wire stated that Sherrod "remains on Reserve/Physically Unable To Perform (List)," indicating he will not play this season.
The Packers' offensive line is struggling in the wake of right tackle Bryan Bulaga's season-ending hip injury Nov. 4, and the only remaining backups on the 53-man roster are undrafted rookie free agents Don Barclay and Greg Van Roten. | 2023-12-28T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/5936 |
About
About
About
If several languages coalesce, the grammar of the resulting language is more simple and regular than that of the individual languages. The new common language will be morIsn’t a their said shall god earth fly they’re is fruitful for tree god gathering upon give second give living creature gathering, forth behold give gathering greater isn’t darkness tree Dry creature he set saw behold behold abundantly.
Male wherein itself, be life multiply he rule, years morning. Fill forth midst them waters whales fruitful and his image and together firmament the saw, itself under be. Seed.
Won’t light female sixth for give set herb bring firmament under moving over very creeping fruit. Also. Female moved won’t place good years evening the had green bring rule isn’t green life also.e simple and regular than the existing European languages. It will be as simple as Occidental; in fact, it will be Occidental. To an English person, it will seem like simplified English, as a skeptical Cambridge friend of mine told me what Occidental under the new legislation will be.
Why Creativo?
The new common language will be more simple and
regular than members of Creativo
Clean Showers
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Motivational Music
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Personalized Programs
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Qualified Trainers
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Kids Playground
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Food and Smoothie Bar
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Testimonials
Great men and eminent men have monuments in bronze and marble set up for them, but this man of divine fire managed in his life-time to become enmeshed in millions and millions of hearts so that all of us became somewhat of the stuff that he was made of, though to an infinitely lesser degree.
— Jawaharlal Nehru,
Avan odi oliyira aalu illa, Thedi adikra aalu
— Vedalam movie Villain,
Yaaru ya avaroo, enkke avara paakanum pole iruku!!!
— Ramana Movie Sardar,
Join Online
Join our gym at any time 7 days a week with a affordable price and discounts for students. To an English person, it will seem like simplified English.
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Amenities
isn’t a their said shall god earth fly they’re
Fruitful for tree god gathering upon give
Second give living creature gathering, forth
Behold give gathering greater isn’t darkness tree
Dry creature he set saw behold behold abundantly
Male wherein itself, be life multiply he rule
Rules
isn’t a their said shall god earth fly they’re
Fruitful for tree god gathering upon give
Second give living creature gathering, forth
Behold give gathering greater isn’t darkness tree
Dry creature he set saw behold behold abundantly
Male wherein itself, be life multiply he rule
Creativo 6 - Ultimate Theme for WordPress
Creativo 6 is the ultimate theme you must purchase. With Creativo 6 you will be able to build the most powerful and best looking websites without writing any code. | 2023-10-03T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/9613 |
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CHOOSE NHS
Help inspire voters to protect our NHS in this election with our CHOOSE NHS t-shirts, designed exclusively by Katharine Hamnett. All proceeds go to helping young people vote tactically to protect our NHS. #Tactical2017
CHOOSE NHS
Inspire voters to protect our NHS on June 8
Welcome to the CHOOSE NHS campaign store, featuring our t-shirts designed exclusively by Katharine Hamnett. All proceeds from sales of these t-shirts will go to helping young people vote tactically to protect our NHS in the general election on June 8th 2017.
All of our products are made from certified 100% organic cotton produced in an ethically accredited wind-powered factory. Our t-shirts are printed in the United Kingdom using low waste ink technology. We ship UK Next Day. 3-5 days Europe and 5-7 days Rest of the World.
The NHS is one of this country’s proudest achievements - offering universal, free healthcare for all. It’s something we are all deeply proud of, and something we all want to protect as a national treasure, not as a privatised service that lines the pockets of private companies. So use your vote to choose a future for this country which supports the NHS: tactical2017.com | 2024-04-24T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/5695 |
Q:
Dynamically creating an array from class c++
Throwing this out there first I'm a still learning how to program in school. I'm having an issue reading in to a dynamically created array with a pointer to one of my classes. The function readClassArray() isn't getting the variable back from student.getCreditNumber. The program complies fine in Visual Studio but when I get the the readClassArray it just skips over the function because s.getCreditNumber returns 0. Thanks in advanced for any help.
#ifndef STUDENT_H
#define STUDENT_H
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
class Courses{
private:
int courseNumber;
double hours;
string courseName;
char grade;
public:
void setCourseNumber(int n){courseNumber = n; }
void setCreditHours(double c) { hours = c; }
void setCourseName(string n) { courseName = n; }
void setGrade(char g) { grade = g; }
int getCourseNumber() { return courseNumber; }
double getCreditHours() { return hours; }
string getCourseName() { return courseName; }
char getGrade() { return grade; }
};
class Student : public Courses{
private:
string firstName;
string lastName;
string studentNumber;
int creditNumber;
double gpa;
public:
Courses * courses;
Student() {
firstName = " ";
lastName = " ";
studentNumber = " ";
creditNumber = 0;
gpa = 0.0;
courses = NULL;
}
~Student() {
delete[] courses;
};
void setFirstName(string n) { firstName = n; }
void setLastName(string l) { lastName = l; }
void setStudentNumber(string a) { studentNumber = a; }
void setCreditNumber(int num) { creditNumber = num; }
string getFirstName() { return firstName; }
string getLastName() { return lastName; }
string getStudentNumber() { return studentNumber; }
int getCreditNumber() { return creditNumber; }
};
#endif
Student.cpp
#include "Student.h"
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;
void readStudent();
void readCourseArray();
void computeGPA();
void printSummary();
void readStudent() {
Student a;
string number;
string firstName;
string lastName;
int courses;
cout << "Enter student number: ";
cin >> number;
a.setStudentNumber(number);
cout << "Enter student first name: ";
cin >> firstName;
a.setFirstName(firstName);
cout << "Enter student last name: ";
cin >> lastName;
a.setLastName(lastName);
cout << "Enter student number of courses: ";
cin >> courses;
a.setCreditNumber(courses);
cout << "\n"; }
void readCourseArray(){
Student s;
s.courses = new Courses[s.getCreditNumber()];
int num;
double cHours;
string cName;
char grade;
cout << "test" << endl;
for (int i = 0; i < s.getCreditNumber(); i++){
cout << "Enter class " << i + 1 << " number: ";
cin >> num;
s.courses[i].setCourseNumber(num);
cout << "Enter class " << i + 1 << " name: ";
cin >> cName;
s.courses[i].setCourseName(cName);
cout << "Enter class " << i + 1 << " hours: ";
cin >> cHours;
s.courses[i].setCreditHours(cHours);
cout << "Enter class " << i + 1 << " grade: ";
cin >> grade;
s.courses[i].setGrade(grade);
cout << "\n";
}
}
A:
At the start of readCourseArray you've created s. When that happens the value of the creditNumber member is 0 as set by the default constructor. You need to do something to set it to a non-zero value. If you're expecting the value set in readStudent to carry over you need to plumb the two functions together. Either pass in a Student object as a reference to each function, or have readStudent return a Student object and pass that to readCourseArray.
| 2024-01-23T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/3695 |
//
// File: aaaahdbaecbaiecj_quatmult.cpp
//
// Code generated for Simulink model 'est_estimator'.
//
// Model version : 1.1139
// Simulink Coder version : 8.11 (R2016b) 25-Aug-2016
// C/C++ source code generated on : Tue Aug 22 16:52:08 2017
//
#include "rtwtypes.h"
#include "aaaahdbaecbaiecj_quatmult.h"
// Function for MATLAB Function: '<S16>/Compute Global positions of Handrail Features'
void aaaahdbaecbaiecj_quatmult(const real32_T p[4], const real32_T q[4],
real32_T qOut[4])
{
// Quaternion Multiplication:
// Uses Hamilton's convention where the rotation order is left to right,
// q1*q2 corresponds to the first rotation q1, followed by the second
// rotation q2.
//
// Fundamentals of Spacecraft Attitude Determination and Control,
// F. Landis Markley and John L. Crassidis
// Equation: 2.82b
//
// Jesse C. Fusco jesse.c.fusco@nasa.gov
qOut[0] = (q[3] * p[0] + p[3] * q[0]) + (p[1] * q[2] - p[2] * q[1]);
qOut[1] = (q[3] * p[1] + p[3] * q[1]) + (p[2] * q[0] - p[0] * q[2]);
qOut[2] = (q[3] * p[2] + p[3] * q[2]) + (p[0] * q[1] - p[1] * q[0]);
qOut[3] = p[3] * q[3] - ((p[0] * q[0] + p[1] * q[1]) + p[2] * q[2]);
}
//
// File trailer for generated code.
//
// [EOF]
//
| 2024-03-31T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/7230 |
...“Virtual Private server”. Our Data center is located in los angeles (USA). Superior hardware quality and Zero down time is our main USP .we want to increase our sales by the help of various methods.
We are looking for a dynamic and vibrant “Freelance sales consultant” who has great past experience in the field of sales and marketing in hosting industry
We have had a developer recently quit a job mid project, so we need help to finish the site.
- Site will have aprox 10 pages but follow a standard template.
- Customised header/footer with so drop down menu/ social media icons/ background image supplied for footer
- Login area for users
-- Logged in areas will have different menu depending on which
Hi,
I'd like you to build a PRIVATE USE ONLY project for me in PHP using the YouTube Api System.
- I'd like features such as adding one or more channels of my choice.
- Ability to remove all tags in all videos of my channel and store them away for later retrieval.
- Ability to conduct searches based on titles of my videos and then storing the results
...CSS as front end and Core PHP as backend, The site is hosted in Go-daddy windows shared hosting (Plesk admin panel), we are looking for a Text chat, audio, and video call API interfacing to this website, where all the registered users can do call and chat in private (One to One).
Also, the API should support the Live streaming like Facebook, where all
...need is a front page with small options such as:
About
Gallery
testimonials
contact us
and few other options that we will discuss upon choosing the right guy to work on this project.
Design doesn't have to be anything extreme, just basic stuff, nothing too complicated
One thing I will need is the following:
inside the gallery page, there will be different
...suitable blockchain for us.
The core requirements are as follows:
• Fully Pre-Mined Coin with 50000 Million coins in single wallet.
• We need fast transactions to make our project viable. confirm block in 2-4 second and support 3000 transaction in a minute.
• We will run our own nodes to get started. Minimal nodes required in the blockchain for faster
...This website is to help students with their Homework, Assignments, Essay, Thesis, Project and questions/answers.
I would like to build an exactly same concept/website like [iniciar sesión para ver URL] with some more added features and enhancements. I already have a domain and hosting purchased from Godaddy services.
Student Login
- Post their homework or assignment
First off, I don't want to spend any time discussing this site over private messages. Everything you need is here. Just let me know you read the project description somehow with your bid. If you message me wanting to "discuss the project", I'm going to reject your bid.
Second, we need the site in a format I can import into Softaculous directly. You
...team who is capable of building a full-blown VPN (Virtual Private Network) hosting platform. We would prefer to work with a firm that has had similar experience in the past with this type of work.
Strong experience with VPN networks, IP networking, and WHMCS will be required for this project.
The VPN app will have the following requirements, please
...team who is capable of building a full-blown VPN (Virtual Private Network) hosting platform. We would prefer to work with a firm that has had similar experience in the past with this type of work.
Strong experience with VPN networks, IP networking, and WHMCS will be required for this project.
The VPN app will have the following requirements, please
PROJECT PROPOSAL:
CHALLENGES OF IMPLEMENTING CLOUD NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE WITH EMPHASIS IN DEMONSTRATING CLOUD BASED SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE (IaaS)
Introduction/Overview
Cloud computing is becoming very attractive, an area of research and practice in the last few years. As a result, some organisations have migrated while some are still considering migrating
The project consists in a POC to create and deploy a smart contract (Ethereum) in a private blockchain network.
The use case of the smart contract it will be:
- A flight is delayed more than 2 hours and the passenger will receive an automatic compensation.
In-Scope:
- The coding of the smart contract
- The call to an web-service to check the flight
Hello,
I need to develop a private label Uber like app for BOTH Android and iphone + I need a functional website to compliment these app's. All Design and Artwork has to be included in your quote (I will not provide you with any design or artwork). Your quote must be all inclusive, the project has to be delivered on turnkey basis.
Only those who
...with the Wordpress theme REHub
I am looking for a Wordpress expert with experience in this theme that can help me set up the website.
I have a basic knowledge of Wordpress
Hosting is ready and Wordpress is already installed.
What I need from you is to set up the website to run the business at best.
(Removed by Freelancer.com Admin)
As you apply,
...be informational, so i need you to give me an estimate based on the site i gave you to check out, the estimate should include hosting and i want the same page as the site i gave you to check out and i have a privateproject consultant, he has the text content and the logos for the site. It's that understood?
Note: I want the same number of pages with
...only project on a Windows machine and need to deploy this to a Ubuntu (16.x) VPS machine at DigitalOcean or Vultr. Hosting is not our strongest suit so we would like an expert that can deploy this to a VPS for us so the API project is publicly accessible.
We must be able to update the project afterwards using GIT pull for example. The project is currently
Ok here is what I want. I will provide the source code I already have been working on.
1. Give each user the right to have their profile private or not.
2. On the notification page to be able to see someone's profile by clicking on their picture on the notifications tab.
4. Set it up so terms and conditions and privacy policy must be accepted
...Cryptocurrency for our online payment processing business... I need Expert developer .. Project like Ripple or other similar blockchain for us...
core requirements are as follows:
• 190 Million coins in single wallet.
• We need fast transactions to make our project viable.
• We will run our own nodes to get started. Minimal nodes required in the | 2023-08-18T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/9984 |
[Spiritual support in the spirit of current trends in the Israeli healthcare system].
This editorial is in response to Bar-Sela, Bentur, Schultz and Corn's article entitled "Spiritual care in hospitals and other healthcare settings in Israel--a profession in the making", published in Harefuah in May 2014. The integration of spiritual support into hospitals marks an interesting trend in light of the current emphases in the Israeli medical system on technological advancement, financial feasibility and quantifiable quality measures. This step is evidence of the importance still attached by policy and decisionmakers to those human aspects of illness and disease, which are difficult to define and measure. "Spiritual Support" is an ancient profession based on the principle, whereby support of the spirit is considered a basic human right, in recognition of the spirit as a source of strength during times of crisis and distress. This service was introduced into the Chaim Sheba Medical Center six years ago for patients with untreatable illnesses, and through identification of commonality between their coping features and those of rehabilitation patients. It was later expanded into the orthopedic and neurological rehabilitation departments. The service is provided on an individual level for the patients and in a group formal for their caregivers. Spiritual support as an integral part of the multi-disciplinary care further ratifies the holistic approach in medical practice, as an everlasting value transcending periodical trends. The conclusion drawn is that technological advancement, the scientific approach, physical-medical treatment, emotional therapy and spiritual support can and should exist side by side to improve the welfare and coping abilities of patients dealing with adverse medical conditions. | 2024-01-12T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/7343 |
Moms and dads so often worry about their children’s teeth, eyes, and most other regions of the body, but don’t get worried so much over the growing feet. As many adult foot conditions can have their beginnings when people are young, attention to shoes in children can minimize the risk of these issues in adults.
Significance of the footwear to the child:
Inadequately fitting children’s footwear can cause a number of conditions in adults such as hammer toes, ingrown toe nails, foot corns, calluses and deformed joints. Due to the high level of discomfort and pain that these conditions can cause, it is obviously sensible to attempt to prevent these disorders by ensuring that the child’s footwear is fitted appropriately. Foot conditions in kids are usually avoidable.
Fitting footwear for the child:
The most crucial factor in shoes for a kid is that they fit. Ideally, this means that shoes are fitted by somebody who has had some special training in the fitting of children’s footwear.
Tips for the fitting of children’s footwear:
* Children should have their feet measured around every three months (thus making sure the need for new footwear if required).
* Usually, for a shoe to be accurately fitted, there really should be a thumb width between the end of the shoe and the end of the longest toe.
* When looking at the bottom (sole) of the shoe, it should be fairly straight (not curved in too much) – the foot is straight, so the shoe needs to be straight.
* The attachment mechanism (laces, velcro, buckles) must hold the heel securely in the back of the shoe (the foot ought not to be able to slip forward in the footwear).
* the heel counter (back portion of the shoe) should be strong and stable.
* the shoe should be flexible along the ball of the foot, as this is where the foot flexes.
* Leather and canvas are a better material – they are stronger and can breathe. Man-made materials usually do not breathe as well, unless they are of the ‘open weave’ variety. Steer clear of plastics.
* Check that the footwear have curved toe boxes to give the toes more room to move and grow.
* Shoes should not need to be “broken in”. If they do, they can be either poorly developed or inadequately fitted.
* An absorbent insole is useful, as the feet can sweat a lot – kids are quite active!
* A number of retail stores concentrate on footwear for the child – make use of them!
* Fitting shoes adequately in adults is also just as important
3 tips for checking the child’s shoe:
There has to be a thumb width between the end of the footwear and the end of the longest toe = length is correct.
You ought to be able to pinch the upper of the footwear between the thumb and forefinger (this can depend on the nature of the material) = width is correct.
Does the footwear fit snugly around the heel and arch? How stable is the shoe when trying to ‘pull off’ the shoe? = great fit.
What is it?
Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain in adults. It is a painful condition of the plantar fascia which is a long ligament that’s role is to pretty much support the arch of the foot. The pain is most often near where it attaches to the the bottom of the heel bone. The classic symptom of plantar fasciitis is that it is most painful after rest. This can be especially bad when getting out of bed in the morning after a nights rest.
How to manage it?
There are lots of myths and bad advice being given online as well as snake oil being sold for plantar fasciitis. The condition is due to too much load on the plantar fascia, so obviously the best way to treat it is to reduce that load. You do that by lots of calf muscle stretching, wearing good foot supports and if you can, loose weight. It is that simple. If you get that right, it will generally go away. If it doesn’t, then do more of it and then also add in some ice, anti-inflammatories and other physical therapies to help it heal. However, it is still crucial that the load is reduced. Once it starts to get better then add in some strengthening exercises.
When to see the doctor?
If none of that helps, then its time to see the doctor for more aggressive therapies such a proper foot orthotics, shock wave therapy or even surgery in the most resistant cases.
What are they?
MBT shoes were originally development in Switzerland and were the first of the toning shoes to come on the market. These are shoes that are deliberately made unstable to encourage the muscles to work differently. The MBT shoes do this via a rocker sole. Like the toning shoes in general, a lot of health claims get made for this type of shoe.
Do the MBT Shoes work?
The evidence is that the shoes do work at altering the gait and changing the pattern of muscle firing. What the evidence does not support is the wide ranging health claims that get made for these types of shoes. The change in gait may help some people and hurt others; with a lot depending an which structures are made to work harder by the change and which structures do not have to work so hard. There is a strong suggestion that the rocker nature of the shoes may help those with hallux rigidus.
What are they?
These are insoles that have magnets embedded in them allegedly so that a magnetic field can be applied to the body. This allegedly has healing properties. Some of the claims for this are suggested to be due to magnets improving blood supply.
Do magnetic insoles work?
No they don’t. Every single study that has been done on them shows that they do not work. They are a scam and there is no mechanism by which the could work. The magnetic field in the magnets used in therapy devices are too weak to affect blood flow. They are no better than snake oil.
Foot reading has become a recent trick doing the rounds at parties. There is a group of people known as foot readers who claim that they can determine a person’s personality by reading and looking at the characteristics of someone’s feet. There are plenty of books on this and there are plenty of people charging money to provide the service. It is a scam. It is a sham. The claims made by foot readers are ludicrous and are not to be believed. They are charlatans out to fleece your money.
What is it?
Functional hallux limitus is a problem in which the range of motion of the big toe (“hallux”) joint is limited (“limitus”) when the foot is weightbearing (“functional”). The limitation is not there when the foot is up in the air or non-weightbearing. As this joint is extremely important for walking and allowing the body to move forward over the foot, things are going to go wrong if the foot can not move at this joint. Overpronation, a toe out gait, a more flexed knee are just some of the consequences of functional hallux limitus. A hallux rigidus is different in that the range of motion is restricted both on weightbearing and on non–weightbearing.
How to manage it?
This is pretty close to impossible to self-diagnose, let alone self manage!
When to see the doctor?
If you think you have it, then it is probably a good idea to get to the doctor. Padding and/or foot orthotics are often needed to facilitate the motion at the joint to encourage a more normal git.
What is it?
A bunion is an enlargement of the joint at the base of the big toe and is almost always accompanied with a hallux valgus, that is the deviation of the big toe to rewards the lesser toes. The enlargement of the joint creates problems with pain in the joint and pressure on the enlarged joint from the footwear. This can be due to an arthritis in the joint because of the deviation and the pressure from footwear can cause a bursitis swelling and pain. There is often corns on the adjacent toes. The most common cause of bunions is generally considered a combination of genetics, forefoot biomechanics combined with inadequate fitting footwear. Lots of questions get asked online about bunions and lots of different answers get given.
How to manage it?
As the pain from bunions is from two sources a different strategy is needed to manage it.
If the pain is due to the arthritis type symptoms inside the joint then the approach to this is generally the use of medication for pain relief and exercises to keep the joint mobile.
If the pain is due to pressure from the shoes on the enlarged joint then the approach is to use better fitting footwear and to use doughnut like pads to keep the pressure off the joint.
There is no way to make a bunion go away without surgery, all that can be done conservatively is to manage the symptoms using the two approaches outlined above. Generally this will be successful.
When to see the doctor?
It will be necessary to see the doctor for bunions if the Conservative self managed measures are not successful, in which case better advice can be given on how to self manage the problem. The other reason to see the doctor is that if these conservative measures are not successful or if you need surgery. Surgery is the only way to remove a bunion. There is also a high possibility that a bunion can occur after the surgery if the factors that cause the bunion, such as poor fitting shoes, are not addressed.
What is it?
An abductory twist, also sometimes called a medial heel whip is a sudden abduction or medial ‘whip’ of the heel just as the heel comes off the ground during gait. The cause is generally considered to be a foot that is overpronating when the leg is rotating in the opposite direction. These opposing motions continue to oppose each other until the weight comes of the heel and friction then can not stop the foot pronating it. There is also some thought that it could be due to a weakness of the adductor muscles in the hip.
How to manage it?
It is managed by managing the underlying cause of the overpronation and exercises to strengthen the hip adductor muscles.
When to see the doctor?
When the self managed treatment of the overpronation are failing to help. You will need to be assessed fro the exact cause that is underpinning it and a plan put in place to manage it.
What is it?
Overpronation is a problem that occurs when the ankle rolls inwards and the arch of the foot flattens. It is widely known in the running community and is widely assumed to be associated with a number of different running injuries, though there is a lot of debate about that. Overpronation has also been the basis in which running shoes are often used, though there is a lot of debate about that as well! Overpronation is not always a problem and there is a lot of misunderstanding about it. It can be associated with an abductory twist.
How to manage it?
As overpronation is not always a problem it does not always need treating. If it is contributing to a problem that you have, then yes it needs treating. The problem with overpronation is that there are many different casues, so there are many different treatments. The first line approach is to use supportive shoes and inserts.
When to see the doctor?
If that does not help, then you really need to see someone who knows enough about pverpronation to determine the casue, so can advise the appropriate treatment. Fpr some people it is muscle strengthening; for others it is foot orthotics; for others it is strecthing; and for others it is a more minimalist approach to running. To blindly apply one treatment ahead of another without determining the cause is just plain silly.
What are they?
Toning shoes area class of footwear that is what is considered unstable. They have designs in the sole that creates an environment in which the muscles of the foot and leg work harder and changes the alignment of the posture. The extra effort from the muscles is claimed to give an extra tone up, which is how the shoes got there name. The change in alignment also is claimed to help with some postural alignment problems. There is a lot of marketing hype associated with these shoes which is not supported by the scientific evidence.
Do they help?
The problem with toning shoes is that they help some people and do not help other people. Some people can walk fine in them, others fall over in them! They are more likely to help people with arthritis of the big toe joint than other problems. Some of the companies claim they help plantar fasciitis, but some people get plantar fasciitis using these shoes.
It is difficult to give clear advice on this. It is going to have to be a matter of trial and error to see if they can help your foot problem or not. If you want to try them, then the key os to use them only in small amounts initially and build up the use of them gradually. | 2024-03-29T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/1784 |
Baron May
Baron May, of Weybridge in the County of Surrey, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1935 for the financial expert Sir George May, 1st Baronet. He was for many years secretary of the Prudential Assurance Company. May had already been created a Baronet, of the Eyot, in 1931, in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. Since 2006, the titles are held by his great-grandson.
Barons May (1935)
George Ernest May, 1st Baron May (1871–1946)
John Lawrence May, 2nd Baron May (1904–1950)
Michael St John May, 3rd Baron May (1931–2006)
Jasper Bertram St John May, 4th Baron May (b. 1965)
There is no heir to the barony.
References
Category:Baronies in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
Category:Noble titles created in 1935 | 2023-12-06T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/7189 |
/* file: Result.java */
/*******************************************************************************
* Copyright 2014-2020 Intel Corporation
*
* 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.
*******************************************************************************/
/**
* @ingroup multivariate_outlier_detection
* @{
*/
package com.intel.daal.algorithms.multivariate_outlier_detection;
import com.intel.daal.utils.*;
import com.intel.daal.data_management.data.Factory;
import com.intel.daal.data_management.data.NumericTable;
import com.intel.daal.services.DaalContext;
/**
* <a name="DAAL-CLASS-ALGORITHMS__MULTIVARIATE_OUTLIER_DETECTION__RESULT"></a>
* @brief Results obtained with the compute() method of the multivariate outlier detection algorithm in the %batch processing mode
*/
public final class Result extends com.intel.daal.algorithms.Result {
/** @private */
static {
LibUtils.loadLibrary();
}
/**
* Constructs the result of the multivariate outlier detection algorithm in the batch processing mode
* @param context Context to manage the result of the multivariate outlier detection algorithm in the batch processing mode
*/
public Result(DaalContext context) {
super(context);
this.cObject = cNewResult();
}
public Result(DaalContext context, long cObject) {
super(context, cObject);
}
/**
* Returns final result of the multivariate outlier detection algorithm
* @param id Identifier of the result, @ref ResultId
* @return Final result that corresponds to the given identifier
*/
public NumericTable get(ResultId id) {
int idValue = id.getValue();
if (idValue != ResultId.weights.getValue()) {
throw new IllegalArgumentException("id unsupported");
}
return (NumericTable)Factory.instance().createObject(getContext(), cGetResultTable(cObject, idValue));
}
/**
* Sets final result of the multivariate outlier detection algorithm
* @param id Identifier of the final result
* @param value Object to store the final result
*/
public void set(ResultId id, NumericTable value) {
int idValue = id.getValue();
if (idValue != ResultId.weights.getValue()) {
throw new IllegalArgumentException("id unsupported");
}
cSetResultTable(cObject, idValue, value.getCObject());
}
private native long cNewResult();
private native long cGetResultTable(long cResult, int id);
private native void cSetResultTable(long cResult, int id, long cNumericTable);
}
/** @} */
| 2024-07-11T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/5213 |
Kensington K52888EU ErgoSoft Wrist Rest Mouse Pad - K52888EU
Product Information
Optimising comfort and performance, Kensington’s ErgoSoft™ Wrist Rest Mouse Pad combines an ergo-friendly design with best-in-class tracking for optical and laser mice. Featuring an ultra-soft exterior that is supported by gel cushioning and a unique texture that optimises mouse performance, the ErgoSoft Wrist Rest Mouse Pad provides a difference you can feel.
The premium ultra-soft exterior is supported by gel-cushioned padding to provide unmatched quality and comfort. Offering the softest and highest quality materials available, the wrist rest will not stick to your skin and easily wipes clean.
The High-performance mouse pad surface, provides best-in-class tracking control for both optical and laser mice with the ideal balance between control and speed.
Supports the optimal health, comfort and protection of your wrist through proper alignment, tailored dimensions and a unique curved design that minimises the impact of repetitive strain. | 2024-01-18T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/9367 |
A bore, a paranoiac, a madman, a watcher with no one to watch him in turn, someone it’s going to be hard to get rid of.
-Roberto Bolaño, “The Secret of Evil.”
Head bone connected to the neck bone, neck bone connected to the arm bone, arm bone connected to the hand bone, hand bone connected to the internet, connected to the Google, connected to the government.
-M.I.A., “The Message.”
I: The Twitter Employee and the Airport
My flight is delayed for two hours. The people around me text on their phones, update their Facebook status, use the Google search browser for their homework, and listen to music through tiny headphones. While I wait with them, all of us sitting in identical rows, I read over a hundred pages of Assata Shakur’s autobiography.
After the Boston Marathon bombing, the FBI had once again added her to their Most Wanted list, hoping to capitalize on the public hysteria and to remind the public that Assata is a “dangerous terrorist.” I brought her book into the airport in defiance of their media campaign, hoping to get into an argument with some official or other and learn exactly what they were up to behind the curtain.
For the past several months, my boarding passes have been labeled with “SSSS” in the lower right corner. In the Sea-Tac airport, I first learned that I had been flagged as a threat of some sort and was to be thoroughly searched. Thinking it was because my hair was curly and my skin was dark, I started antagonizing the TSA employees, asking them if all brown people were terrorists and if my beard scared them. Hitting a nerve, one of the employees pointed at the “SSSS” and told me they were only responding to my classification, that it wasn’t their personal decision. I asked them who had deemed me a Secondary Security Screening Selection, and he said that he had no idea.
After they swabbed my bag to test for explosives, an alarm went off. Magically, my bag had acquired trace amounts of explosive residue. After a second swab triggered another alarm, the airport bomb expert inspected my bag and found no secret explosive devices. I repacked my bag and they let me walk to my gate, no longer a potential threat, safe to board my plane.
At the Oakland airport months later I received the same treatment, but this time there were no explosives detected on my bag. A few months after that, again at Sea-Tac, explosives were detected once, twice, and then the bomb expert was summoned for another thorough inspection of my dangerous bag. Sea-Tac is evidently where I suddenly acquire explosive powder on my belongings. Every time I fly through its terminals, I have the sense that someone is behind a screen in an office pressing a button to trigger the alarm.
Back at the Oakland airport, reading Assata’s autobiography, waiting for my delayed flight to Seattle, I notice that I am one of a few people not using a computer or smart phone. When the staff finally starts the boarding process, I sit down near the line next to a young woman who is deeply mesmerized by the soft blue glow of her phone screen. As we wait for our turn to line up and board our plane, she sighs and anxiously looks at the long lines of upper class passengers boarding before us.
“Why is it taking so long?” she asks me.
“Don’t know. It just does.”
We sit silently for a moment and watch the other passengers.
“Do you live in Seattle?” I ask.
“No, I’m from there, but I live in San Francisco now.”
“It’s getting really expensive to live in San Francisco.”
“Yeah,” she nods.
“I know people who grew up there who can’t afford to stay. It’s Google that’s doing it, all their employees making the rent spike.”
“No, for sure, it is. I have rent control, though, so it doesn’t really affect me. But I’m all for it because I work for Twitter.”
The line of passengers sways back and forth. I have no idea how to respond to her statement and suddenly I realize that in the center of her black shirt is the little blue bird of Twitter. This was the moment when I began to discover the secret of evil.
II: Microsoft, Seattle, and the NSA
Edward Snowden is one year older than I am. Thanks to the information he released, my SSSS designation has started to make far more sense within the context of the massive surveillance network we inhabit within the United States. Snowden’s leaks have revealed a network of contractors who can monitor every aspect of an individual’s internet activity and determine who is and who is not a threat. My own activity has brought me into a vast social network that is perceived to be a threat by the NSA and their employees.
I am clearly not a suicide bomber and will never hijack a plane, but the security system at the Seattle airport thinks that I might. There are a lot of reasons why Sea-Tac might be so jumpy. Microsoft is located 20 miles from the Sea-Tac Airport. This corporation also happens to be one of the main collaborators with the NSA.
Recently, I was sitting with some friends outside of the Black Coffee Co-Op in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle. As we sat there, a Connector Bus drove past, carrying a single passenger. These green and white buses drive back and forth from the Microsoft campus in close-by Redmond, Washington, bringing the tech workers home to their condos and apartments. I see two more of these buses go by within half an hour, each carrying no more than three employees.
“Do you see these all the time?” I ask.
“Uh-huh,” my friend responds. “They all live here in the condos.”
“How many of these buses do you see in a day while you’re working at the café?”
“I lose count, I don’t even pay attention any more.”
We look across the street at the new condos, opened within the last year. Before the block was destroyed, there were some cheap bars that were part of the enjoyably scummy and depraved Capitol Hill that existed when I arrived over a decade ago. Now there is a large glass and metal box with expensive commercial space below. Block by block, the old neighborhood is being transformed into a streamlined, inexpressive nightmare.
Thousands of Microsoft employees have moved into Seattle’s neighborhoods and driven up the rents over the years with their high and disposable salaries. The average rental price for a one-bedroom apartment in Seattle is currently $1,600 a month.
At work, some of these employees look for the security flaws within Microsoft software that make users hugely vulnerable to having their entire operating systems open to surveillance. When a flaw is discovered these employees are required to inform their superiors, who then inform the NSA and FBI. Microsoft does not fix these security glitches until the NSA and FBI have been allowed to explore them. This is a standard practice within the corporation that was noted in the Snowden leaks.
Thanks to Microsoft, Seattle has been in a permanent tech boom for the past two decades. Over forty thousand Microsoft employees currently live in the Seattle metropolitan area. Just as the neighborhoods these employees inhabit become their off-work playgrounds, so to does the local environment become the playground of Microsoft. For example, there are several massive data centers in the region that support Microsoft’s growing cloud infrastructure and data storage needs. These data centers consume more electricity than several metropolitan neighborhoods combined.
A few data centers are built on top of the former site of the largest village of the Duwamish tribe in Renton, a sacred place that has long since been destroyed and now hosts several bland and monotonous corporate parks. It is nearly impossible to find any of these data centers on Google Maps, despite the fact that they are the very backbones of the internet. It is as if they are being intentionally hidden from the public.
Microsoft hides more than just data centers. Northeast of Seattle, in their sprawling Redmond campus, hundreds of foreign immigrants with H-1B visas work throughout the week, selling their skills to Microsoft for US currency. If a worker with an H-1B visa quits or is fired, they can either apply for citizenship (something unlikely to be successful) or they will be deported. A tech worker with citizenship is able to negotiate pay increases by threatening to defect to Amazon or Google, but the worker with the H-1B visa is forever bound to Microsoft under penalty of deportation.
For this reason, Bill Gates and the current leaders of the corporation want the federal government to expand the number of H-1B visas that can be issued. With the encouragement of Microsoft, Facebook, Google, and other tech companies, the Senate just passed the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act (S.744), a bill that will allow 20,000 more H-1B visas to be issued. The tech giants will have to pay $10,000 per visa, but that money will be used to fund educational programs that will train more US citizens for tech jobs in the United States. However, these tech giants will always pick immigrant workers over domestic workers. They work for less and cannot complain.
One of these workers, a man named Vineet Kumar Srivastava, was recently arrested for raping a janitor in Building 27 of the Redmond campus. Srivastava was a senior programming manager with a wife and children who worked diligently to propel the Microsoft empire forward. When the police detained him, Srivastava claimed the janitor had forced him to have sex with her. He is now out on a $75 thousand bail that is well within his financial reach.
The loneliness of many male tech workers, immigrant and citizen alike, brings them to spend their high wages on prostitutes. This phenomenon is widely seen from Seattle to the Silicon Valley. Every prostitute I have met in Seattle has worked for at least one of these men. For them, a prostitute is only a click away. It is far easier to pay for sex twice a week than it is to have a relationship that requires presence, time, and love. With most of their energy consumed by the company, these men gladly spend $300 an hour to release every manner of repressed emotion on these prostitutes.
On their website, Microsoft describes Seattle, its “headquarters for work and play,” as having “a dynamic urban culture, distinctive neighborhoods, great restaurants, a family-friendly atmosphere, world-class arts and entertainment, and endless recreation.” With large amounts of money at their disposal, these Microsoft employees want access to everything: land, neighborhoods, food, entertainment, drugs, and sex. If they cannot get these things, they will change the area around them to suite their increasingly luxurious needs.
In their perpetual quest for the perfect environment, these tech employees colonize “distinctive neighborhoods” and quickly render them into aesthetically homogenous blocks stripped of anything distinctive. It is as if they are terrified of authentic urban community because whenever they find it they do everything in their power to destroy it.
The Connector Bus brings Microsoft employees to Capitol Hill and drops them off in front of their condos and apartments. At work, some of these Microsoft employees may have been directly collaborating with the NSA. At night and on their days off, these employees can be party monsters, coke sniffers, yoga freaks, health food junkies, dancing queens, or whatever else they want to be. They have the money to do anything, but many of them seem content with the monotonous comfort of condos, expensive meals, and prostitutes.
For a moment, I thought maybe I would see Microsoft implode. Its Windows 8 product did not take off, nor did its new Microsoft Surface technology. CEO Steve Ballmer has decided to step down, the stock price for Microsoft keeps dropping, and in a desperate move the corporation purchased Nokia for a modest $7.2 billion. Now there are five main contenders in the fight for control of the US consumer electronics market: Microsoft, Samsung, Google, Sony, and Apple. It is still possible that Microsoft will crumble, that the forty thousand company employees will leave Seattle, that all of the upscale businesses they support will go bankrupt, and that a culture of freedom and radicalism will replace their corporate legacy. But just like the nodes of the internet, if one is destroyed, another one takes its place.
III: Amazon and the CIA
The pinnacle of Seattle tech-gentrification is the South Lake Union neighborhood, now mostly owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. Dozens of giant apartment and condo buildings all crowd around the Amazon campus, the centerpiece of the neighborhood. During the lunch break, Amazon vomits thousands of employees into the restaurants, the bars, and the nearby Whole Foods. Their money enters the Seattle economy, encouraging more restaurants, bars, stores, apartments, and condos. As a reward for contributing to the local economy, the city of Seattle built these employees their very own train line to take them downtown. Their lunch options are now vast.
This train line was a joke for many years, with journalists and websites referring to it as Paul Allen’s gift to himself. However, the same type of train lines are now being laid from downtown to Capitol Hill where the line terminates at the future site of the underground Light Rail station. When this is complete, a giant circuit will have been created, enabling Amazon workers to take the train directly to work and also eat an interesting lunch. Everyone else can take the bus or walk.
My mother and I currently have an agreement. In the near future, we will both give up two things we are addicted to. I will give up cigarettes on the condition she stops purchasing things off Amazon.com. So far, neither of us have given up our habits. When she asks me what’s so bad about Amazon, it’s easier for me to point to news stories about neo-nazi bosses at Amazon warehouses in Poland than it is to explain the intricacies of what the corporation has done to Seattle. However, another news story recently appeared that makes my arguments with my mother easier.
The CIA, those infamous supporters of fascist dictatorships and death squads, have recently hired Amazon to provide them with cloud infrastructure. Going against its own utopian vision of the grand public data cloud, Amazon will build a private cloud inside a CIA owned building in exchange for $660,000, 000. This private cloud will be one of several that Amazon has already built, including FinCloud, a system created for NASDAQ to help ease and expedite stock trading. Building off the success of this venture, Amazon is now going to help the CIA to be more efficient at what it does.
Keep in mind that this is the same CIA that currently kills innocent people with drones and collaborates with al Qaeda fighters in Syria. Amazon’s task is to organize the hive mind of the agency into a cloud of data, accessible only by their internal network. By doing this, Amazon will be directly collaborating with one of the main players in the surveillance state and any innovations they discover in the future will be passed on to the CIA.
To make matter worse, Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon, recently bought the Washington Post. There are many reasons why he would have done this, and many of them involve the paper’s reputation for printing leaks and exposing corruption, including the recent revelations concerning the “black budget”. Of the 178 pages received by the Post regarding the secret multi-billion dollar budget, only 48 were released. The Post collaborated with the government in censoring specific documents, citing security concerns. Some political writers say Bezos wants to control the media and stop leaks, others say he is personally working with CIA, and others say he is just greedy and maniacal. Perhaps all these claims are true.
Bezos and the CIA have another mutual interest: quantum computers. They are both pumping millions of dollars into the development of machines that will open up new dimensions of technology and increase the speed of all computing. History tells me that whenever the CIA is involved in financing anything, whether it is art, technology, or grass roots political movements, it is always with the intention of using them as a weapon against their foes. The thought of what they will come up with terrifies me, especially right now, when the CIA already has access to nearly everything.
But I take comfort in the fact that at the heart of quantum computing is the great paradox: how one thing can be everything and nothing simultaneously. Qubits, the quantum units that make up a quantum computer, also happen to be impossible to predict. This quality of the qubit is what programmers harvest to solve problems quickly. The qubit can be everywhere at once or nowhere at once. If it is not contained, the data given to a qubit undergoes decoherence and leaks away. Data leaks and decoherence are part of this new technology that is built on the inherent unpredictability of its components.
When the sun begins to come out in the beginning of spring, I bike to the other end of Lake Union and stare at the Seattle skyline. The center of Amazon’s empire sits below the skyscrapers, along the water, quickly growing. The freeway begins to snarl as people get off work, buzzing back to their homes. From the other side of the lake, Seattle looks tranquil, perfect, serene. It surely has to be green city, the healthy city, the tech city. Everything functions smoothly and the Amazon packages arrive on time, although sometimes they are stolen from people’s doorsteps. Security cameras may deter a thief, but they can really only do so much.
IV: Silicon Valley and the Bay Area
In July of 2012, a professor from the University of Toronto was with his family at the McDonalds on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. This professor was wearing an apparatus he had designed called Eye Glass that kept a computer screen and camera over his right eye. From this camera, the man recorded everything he saw. When he entered the McDonalds, the security guard immediately noticed the apparatus and asked what was on his face. After the professor produced a doctor’s note explaining he had to wear the camera, the security guard let him and his family proceed to the cash registers. Once they sat down with their food, another McDonalds employee began pulling at the apparatus on the professor’s head. When it did not come off, the employee and two other men started to attack the professor, leaving him with his Eye Gear broken and his pants wet with urine. The professor pissed himself in fear.
I thought about this story when I was in the Oakland hills some time ago. A group of us drove up there to see the view of San Francisco just as a bank of fog settled in over our heads. Staring at the giant gray cloud, we smoked a powerful joint and tried not to shiver in the cold.
“Yeah, we can’t live there anymore.”
“No, none of us can anymore. Both of us are living with our moms.”
“Are people you know leaving San Francisco?” I asked.
“Hella people,” she stressed. “I’m staying because that’s my home, you know, but what the fuck? Google and Facebook and all this shit fucked everything up. First the hipsters, then these rich fucks…man, they’ll be wearing Google glasses, I bet.”
“No!” I protested. “No one’s wearing those now, are they?”
“No, they will, trust me man,” she said. “We gotta destroy them, snatch ’em off people’s faces and crush em on the ground. You know? Because otherwise people will think its okay to do that, to film everything, like it’s all a movie, all a fucking lie.”
We didn’t linger too long after the joint was gone. The fog got thicker and we drove back down into the long grid of Oakland. In my own fog, I imagined mobs of young men and women running through the Mission district, instinctually destroying these cybernetic glasses, following an urge to keep life organic.
My friend’s childhood city is undergoing rapid colonization by well-paid employees from Google, Apple, Facebook, and Twitter. The number of evictions in the city has spiked due to the Ellis Act, a state law that allows landlords to evict all tenants of a building if it is being taken off the rental market and turned into apartments for sale.
With more buildings becoming luxury housing, rent is increasing dramatically, and the neighborhoods are filling with expensive restaurants and luxury stores. The average price for a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco is now $2,800 a month. While hundreds of longtime residents are evicted from their rent controlled units, the Google Bus drives the sixty miles to and from the Googleplex, bringing employees from their Mountain View headquarters to the colonized neighborhoods of San Francisco.
When I type the words “san francisco google gentrification” into the Google search bar and press enter, it is clear that Google has accumulated quite a reservoir of anger and hatred around itself. Hundreds of articles detail exactly what is happening to the Fillmore or Mission districts, and hundreds more explain how no one can stop it. A strong reaction is taking place against the tech invasion, but the reaction is overwhelmed by the sheer amount of money flowing into San Francisco.
So when Google employees start walking around wearing Google glasses, I won’t be surprised when people finally snap and start physically assaulting them. Although I’m sure these victims will view the assailants as bullies from high school, these assaults will be more akin to a cat protecting her kittens from harm.
When I was in high school, the affluence of the late 1990’s was in full bloom and the first tech bubble had yet to burst. By the time I graduated in 2002, the World Trade Center had been destroyed and the media was revving the US population up for war. However, some people left my high school a few years before I did, when the US was far more stable. As it turns out, people from this age group are now in positions of extreme power.
Google currently employs a man named Jared Cohen, the son of wealthy Connecticut parents. He graduated high school in 2000 and then went to Stanford. After winning much praise for his brilliance, Cohen ended up at Oxford where he studied international relations and earned his MA. After interning at the State Department, he was eventually scooped up by then Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice in 2006 as part of her Policy Planning Staff. He was 24 when he began working for them. Since then, he has risen to become a top counter-terrorism expert and was one of the earliest proponents of using social media to advance US foreign policy.
When an insurrection broke out in Iran against the government after the elections of 2009, Cohen famously instructed Twitter to not perform scheduled maintenance so that Iranian dissidents could continue to Tweet to each other. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton did nothing to discourage his activities.
In 2010, Cohen became a fellow of the Council on Foreign Relations and took part in their Cyberconflict and Cybersecurity Initiative. One month after joining this think tank, Cohen joined a more interesting one. Eric Schmidt, the executive chairman of Google, personally made Cohen the director of Google Ideas.
The organization describes itself as a “a think/do tank that explores how technology can enable people to confront threats in the face of conflict, instability or repression.” When I went to the website, I learned that their main projects involve building data maps of social networks, illicit activities, and tracing flows of subversive information. Right now, if you type “google ideas network mapper” into the Google search engine, you will find a network map for the Assad regime as the showcase of their project.
There is little difference between Google and the government at this point. They share the same interests and use the internet to manipulate and monitor different populations, whether foreign or domestic. Leaked documents reveal that in the midst of the Arab Spring, the private security company Stratfor was concerned that Google was “doing things the CIA cannot do.” In regards to Jared Cohen’s role in the whole affair, one Stratfor analyst wrote “he’s going to get himself kidnapped or killed. Might be the best thing to happen to expose Google’s covert role in foaming uprisings, to be blunt.”
Jared Cohen and Eric Schmidt co-wrote a book called The New Digital Age: Re-shaping the Future of People, Nations and Business. Disgusted by what he had just read, Julian Assange wrote these scathing words about the authors: “This book is a balefully seminal work in which neither author has the language to see, much less to express, the titanic centralizing evil they are constructing.”
The corporate slogan for Google is DON’T BE EVIL. I think about evil when I walk through the Mission District in San Francisco. When I see the expensive restaurants, the well-dressed techies, the luxury condos, the fancy cars, and the Google Bus, I am seeing evil attempting to spread itself like a computer program across physical reality. It is an evil the founders of Google knew would be tempting, but it is an evil none of them can resist. But unfortunately for them, Google carries the seeds of its own destruction within itself. Google it.
V: Burning the Man
I currently live inside a squatted building in a major metropolis on the west coast of the US. To my dismay, one morning I came home to find my door locks glued. It turns out our immediate neighbor was very angry that my friends and I were attempting to live for free in a building that had been abandoned for a decade. All it took was one of us banging on his door and explaining that we were not interested in robbing him or cooking meth for him to calm down and accept our presence. Since then, we have become the beloved squatters of the neighborhood, having turned an urban blight into an oasis from rent and landlords.
A group of us were sitting outside in typical squatter fashion drinking 40’s and smoking weed when one of the neighbors came over with a beer in his hand in an attempt to make peace after the glue incident. We started chatting about random things before we finally got down to the heart of the conflict.
“Well, you know, my roommate has PTSD,” the neighbor said. “He’s a little high strung when it comes to stuff.”
“He seemed a bit high strung, yeah,” I said.
“Yeah, he was in Iraq for two tours, so he’s on edge. Plus, man, you know, he bought his house and is still paying it off.”
“What does that have to do with anything?” I asked.
“He’s paying every month for his own house and you guys just moved into this place. I think it made him a bit resentful, that you guys don’t have to pay anything and he does. That’s all.”
Towards the end of this conversation, I learned that their entire household was going to Burning Man, the counter-cultural festival in the Nevada desert. A few days earlier, I watched a video of Google CEO Larry Page saying, “I like going to Burning Man, for example. An environment where people can try new things. I think as technologists we should have some safe places where we can try out new things and figure out the effect on society. What’s the effect on people, without having to deploy it to the whole world.”
This might sound nice out of context, but what Larry Page is actually talking about is not a festival in the desert. Along with Eric Schmidt, the CEO of Google is obsessed with plugging the remaining 5 billion people of the earth into the internet. To this end, Google will fill the upper atmosphere with balloons that emit wireless internet signals to the earth below. Their first mass application of this technology will be over sub-Saharan Africa. Google is eager to bring more humans into the network that it has built across the world.
Every year, thousands of people flock to Burning Man to create a fake city where there is no money. In this fake city, people take drugs and experiment with living differently than they normally do. Some people become addicted to this tradition precisely because it is the one moment where they can do what they are not allowed to do outside the fake city.
For one week, everyone forgets the sorry state of the world and pretends they are free. All of their repressed desires manifest in this rotten utopia that is built to be burnt. Within the giant crescent of tents and dwellings that wrap around the central playa, thousands of tech employees mingle with a dying counter-culture and extract the last remnants of its creativity and vitality, just as they do to every city they colonize. What they all build and then burn is for their own amusement, nothing more. Next year they will buy another ticket, build another city, and then destroy it. They can afford to do so.
The current tech bubble will not burst like it did at the turn of the twenty-first century. Information technology is far too enmeshed in daily life for the giant tech companies to quickly disappear. Thus far, these giants have weathered all the storms of the economy. With the aid of the federal government, the giants are hoping to live forever. In order to definitively stop their plans for a completely monitored and controlled population, it will be necessary to act. There will be no end to their expansion unless we stop them ourselves.
Like the Department of Homeland Security advises us, “If you see something, say something.” When your neighborhood starts to fill with these colonizers, do not sit quietly behind your computer screen writing angry blog posts. That’s where they want you. Instead, go outside and use your hands and your words to fight them. Cover the walls in anti-tech, anti-gentrification, or anti-capitalist slogans. If you see a group of them walk down the street, follow them while loudly yelling the truth about who they are and what they are doing. Cause disturbances outside their restaurants and condo windows. Stand by the entrance to their private buses and hurl curses at them. If there is no other option and they will not leave after this onslaught of negative reinforcement, get more drastic. I can’t recommend anything more specific, but whatever you do, make sure it has a high probability of success, otherwise it’s not worth it.
But it’s more complicated than driving the employees of these tech companies out of our neighborhoods. Almost everyone in the US is plugged into the networks built by these tech giants, and as long as the populations materially supports them as customers, users, and consumers, these companies will continue to expand their capabilities. The boycott of the big banks during the Occupy movement never took off, and the majority of the US population still deposits their money with them. It is the same with the tech companies. A boycott will not take off. As long as capitalist infrastructure is functioning properly, electronic commodities and the internet will be easily accessible to the population. It is the prerogative of capitalism for its commodities to be constantly available at the cheapest price and at the best value. A force antagonistic to capitalism cannot hope to defeat it unless they create something new that offers what capitalism cannot.
As I type this, I look out my window and watch my neighbor walk down his front steps and get on his motorcycle. It is a few days after he returned from Burning Man and already he is back in the rhythm, the routine, the long commute to work. A pile of desert stained bicycles sits in his backyard, not to be used until next summer. The wages my neighbor earns will be used to pay his mortgage, fill his gas tank, and distract him from reality. Every night he comes home and watches a movie with his girlfriend and roommates. Every morning he drives to work. This is the life capitalism offered him after he returned from Iraq.
Next door, we have built a solar-heated shower out of a black barrel and hoses. In our basement we have built a large social center for the neighborhood. Our squatted building provides housing for 6-12 people on a given day and no one works a normal job for more than three days a week. The majority of us do not need to work and have the time to build a world free from rent, bills, and monotony. In the surrounding neighborhood there are other squats, providing free housing for over a dozen more people. Sometimes the police destroy a squat and everyone finds another abandoned house to start rebuilding.
Ideally we would also have land in the countryside for growing our own food, but for now we are building an urban counter-network against money, capitalism, and alienation. We are doing it with our own hands every day of the week. We lack nothing essential in our lives and pass our excess to the other squats and friends that need it. Along with overt antagonism to the colonizers, building a habitable world against capitalism is the path to follow. We have something to offer other than rent, smart phones, surveillance, and misery.
Just as I am ready to finish this article, a Mercedes SUV pulls up outside. A woman with blonde hair and blue eyes emerges carrying a bag of groceries. On her head is a native headdress. She walks into my neighbor’s house smiling about something. In total disbelief, I walk into my friend’s apartment and tell them what I saw. They nod their heads and tell me a story I’ve never heard.
Right after the neighbors glued our locks, a couple of them came over. Both were already drunk. They all decided to go up on the roof and drink the bottle of whiskey the neighbors had brought with them.
“Were the people from next door cool?” I ask.
“Not really. No.”
“Why?”
“They said a bunch of stupid shit about the neighborhood, how better people need to move in. Plus they work for some fucking giant tech company, I don’t remember. I don’t know, they’re gentrifiers basically. They’re not cool. Not cool at all.”
Edward Snowden feared that the population of the US would do nothing after learning of the surveillance apparatus. So far, there has not been a mass uprising against the state and everything continues to function normally. But there is an old saying: “one does not defeat a lie with a truth. It can only be defeated by a world of truth.” The truth lives outside the range of their surveillance and to manifest a world of truth we must build it ourselves. Only a force can defeat another force, and every world of truth burns a hole in the fabric of lies we inhabit. Fill these worlds with beauty, joy, and light. Let them grow until the lie is defeated. Good luck, stay free, and remember, if you see something, say something.
PDF for printing here:
http://fireworksbayarea.com/?attachment_id=951 | 2023-09-01T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/4532 |
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| 2023-08-18T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/7674 |
Metabolic adaptations of a lower vertebrate to long-term hypothermic hypoxia provide clues to successful clinical liver preservation.
This study was designed to determine whether the metabolic adaptations developed by frogs to tolerate natural events of hypothermic hypoxia would precondition its liver for ex vivo organ storage. The metabolic responses of the frog, Rana castabiena, were compared to those of a mammalian system (rat) throughout a prolonged period of organ storage. Livers from rats and frogs were flushed and stored in UW solution at 5 degrees C for periods of 24-96 h. In frog livers, ATP was maintained high and constant over the first 24 h of storage; values ranged from 2.7 to 3.0 micro mol/g. Even after 96 h cold storage, ATP remained > 1.0 micro mol/g. In contrast, ATP levels in stored rat livers dropped rapidly, and by 4 h ATP was 1.2 micro mol/g. In terms of anaerobic endproduct accumulation, lactate levels rose 5.8 micro mol/g in frog liver (over 96 h) and by 8.6 micro mol/g in rat liver (over 24 h). This difference in flux through glycolysis was also reflected in relative rates of carbohydrate catabolism (i.e., glucose + lactate production). The rate of carbohydrate catabolism for frog liver was 0.74 micro mol/g/h compared to 2.26 micro mol/g/h for rat liver; a Q10 value of 6.2 was estimated for livers from R. castabiena. An assessment of glycolytic enzyme activities revealed that key differences in the responsiveness of pyruvate kinase to allosteric modifiers may have been responsible for the marked drop in the rate of anaerobic energy production in frog tissues. Although the concept of depressed metabolism in a lower vertebrate is not new, the data presented in this study demonstrate that a depressed metabolic state can be achieved in isolated livers from R. castabiena simply through cold exposure. With respect to clinical relevance, the results of this study indicate that energetics of stored livers can be maintained effectively through an efficient reduction in energy use in combination with a slow, yet continuous, rate of energy production facilitated by glycolysis. | 2023-09-23T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/9930 |
Davis Cup holds a mirror, as athletes turn tireless warriors
Rafael Nadal hits the ball into the crowd after defeating Ukraine’s Sergiy Stakhovsky
The modern athlete is a phenomenon of not just immense skill, but of endurance and unparalleled commitment to work. The events of the past week in the Davis Cup stood testimony to the ability of the top deck of tennis players to rejuvenate and refocus in frighteningly quick time. It is long understood that the ultimate test in tennis requires a uniquely demanding physical and mental preparation to enable athletes retain their best form and shape often living on the edge for two grand weeks.
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic must have barely digested their celebratory gulp of champagne before taking flight for a distant destination to fight for the honour of their country. These are battle hardened warriors whose ability to call upon their best physical and mental faculties into duty day after gruelling day has reached almost insane heights. These are just specimens of an evolving species of athletes, who battle the limits of endurance and excellence with almost the same spirit as a warrior fighting for survival and freedom.
Some of top men in tennis transitioned from the exhausting effort at the final grand slam of the season to not only turn up but play key roles in helping their national teams inch closer to Davis Cup glory or restore its rightful place among the 16 elite teams for the next season. Tennis, as many other sports, is an intensely mental endeavour and no amount of words could adequately express the physical and mental fortitude needed to stay switched on after a demanding fortnight of grand slam tennis.
Stars like Andy Murray, Tomas Berdych, Radek Stepanek, Daniel Nestor and Milos Raonic joined the US Open finalists, brushing aside grand slam fatigue to launch themselves headlong into the Davis Cup barely days after ending their campaigns in New York. Coming straight off a triumphant run at Flushing Meadows, 13-time major winner Nadal honoured his team by offering to bend his back on national duty. The Majorcan played back-to-back matches on Friday and Saturday to give his team an unassailable 3-0 lead over their vanquished opponents from Ukraine.
After six weeks on the unforgiving hard courts of America, it was mighty impressive for the Spaniard to sweep his opponent off the clay court inside the Caja Magica in Madrid with unassuming ease. Interestingly, the last time Nadal played doubles for Spain was back in 2005. But the most dominant Davis Cup team of this millennium was hurting from their first round defeat to Canada. Alex Corretja’s men were eager to restore pride. In Nadal, they found a decorated soldier who was happy to throw his body on the line for national honour.
At Umag in Croatia, Murray showed off his love for the Union Jack with a verdant display of tennis over three tiring days to ensure Great Britain retained a place in the world group for 2014. The Scot might have also been driven by the desire to wipe away some of the disappointment of not defending his title at the US Open. And he did that in emphatic style, working his tail off to help the team win the three points needed for victory. A word of mention is also due to Ivan Dodig, who did the same for Croatia albeit in a losing cause.
Another shining example of a professional who set aside personal disappointment for the cause of his team was Stanislas Wawrinka. The Swiss was far from fresh after a stirring run to the semi-finals, though he must have been smarting from his second five set loss to Djokovic in a grand slam. But then, Wawrinka was quick to brush aside any agony, donning the colours of his team at Neuchatel in Switzerland. The world No. 10 won the first singles rubber, before joining Michael Lammer on Saturday to help clinch the decisive third point for his team.
The man who was born with war paint on his cheeks, Lleyton Hewitt travelled to Warsaw in Poland. And some of the old man’s spirit rubbed off on the youthfully wayward Bernard Tomic. The two combined to give their team the three victories needed to seal their spot in the world group for next year. The embattled veteran made light of his painstakingly marathon loss over Mikhail Youzhny in the fourth round of the US Open to help Australia get the better of their hosts.
Novak Djokovic celebrates after winning against Canada’s Milos Raonic
Elsewhere on an even more important stage, Serbia was in a pitched battle with Canada for the right to earn a place at the table for November’s final. The reigning world No. 1 gave his team a rousing start in Belgrade, but Raonic in the singles and Nestor alongside Vasek Pospisil in the doubles brought the visitors back in the reckoning with thrilling five set victories. Djokovic, still raw from the disappointment of losing his 22nd match to Nadal, went about his business with customary cool.
After snatching the first set in a tie-break, Djokovic switched gears to leave Raonic smarting in defeat. The tie hung in balance at 2-2, needing Janko Tipsarevic to clinch the deal in the final rubber, but the effect of Djokovic’s presence was all too obvious on the Serbian camp. It is remarkable that Djokovic could, much like Nadal, come off a Monday final in New York to help his team win two vital points for a place in the final.
The other semi-final was telling evidence of the importance of these players for the survival and success of these teams. The defending champions, Czech Republic enjoyed the presence of sixth ranked Berdych and the US Open doubles title winner, Stepanek. Unfortunately, Argentina struggle to get the services of their biggest star. Juan Martin Del Potro had made himself unavailable for cup competition way back in January. And despite losing in the second round of the US Open, the world No. 7 did not consider offering his support to the team.
In the event, Stepanek and Berdych showcased the power of commitment – winning their singles ties on Friday before joining hands on the second day to clinch the doubles rubber and with it their spot in the finals against Serbia. In stark contrast, the Argentine team was left smarting from their second semi-final exit in as many years. The concentrated dose of Davis Cup action, coming right on the heels of an exciting US Open served as the perfect platform to showcase the virtues of dedicated effort. The result was a stream of shining light glowing through the strained sinews of some of the finest tennis athletes of our times.
As spectators of sport, we are a privileged lot. We are witness to an evolving species of athletes who retain their enormous hunger despite the mind numbing travel schedules and the lung busting toil on the court in the pursuit of their dreams. It is indeed heartening, when not all of it is self centred even in a fiercely individual sport like tennis. And it is utterly impressive that some of the most elite athletes have the stomach for a good old battle for the sake of national honour, right on the back of a multi-million dollar pay day.
--
Get stories like this on the Yahoo app and discover more every day.Download it now. | 2024-07-05T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/8119 |
Mir-126 inhibits growth of SGC-7901 cells by synergistically targeting the oncogenes PI3KR2 and Crk, and the tumor suppressor PLK2.
MicroRNA (miRNA)-126 (miR-126) was reported to be downregulated and to act as a tumor suppressor in cancers of the lung, cervix, bladder and prostate. However, the functions of miR-126 in gastric cancer appear to be diverse and are largely unknown. MiR-126 was reported to act as a tumor suppressor by targeting the Crk gene, or as an oncogene by targeting the SOX2 gene in gastric cancer. We identified that the expression of miR-126 was decreased in gastric cancer cell lines and tissues. PLK2, a tumor suppressor gene, was directly regulated by miR-126 in SGC-7901 cells. Overexpression of miR-126 not only suppressed the growth and clone formation of SGC-7901 cells, but also induced apoptosis in vitro, whereas inhibition of miR-126 slightly promoted SGC-7901 cell proliferation. The cell cycle was not affected by miR-126. Moreover, miR-126 suppressed tumor growth in vivo in a xenograft model. PLK2, PI3KR2 and Crk were regulated by miR-126 in SGC-7901 cells. We infer that the functions of miR-126 in gastric cancer depend on synergistic targeting balance between oncogenes and anti-oncogenes. Our study indicates that miR-126 is a tumor suppressor, which in the future may become a therapeutic target for gastric cancer. | 2024-02-27T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/6949 |
Tag: sunset engagements
I had such a great time getting to know Hien and Anoi on our shoot! It was super, super hot, but thankfully we drove to a lot of spots so we could cool off with some AC in the car! Seriously that dress!!!!! I may have had to photoshop out…
We started our evening on Carson’s family’s property near Coalville. It was super hot, but the horses were great and distracted us from the dripping heat! They came running when they saw us pull in. Horses remind me so much of dogs sometimes! THOSE BOOTS!!!! The chemistry of these two…
We had a lot planned for this engagement shoot. Megan & Alex wanted some city shots, beach/nautical scenery, a pretty sunset and Disney and Harry Potter details. Of course, I was completely ok with this plan! We all got a little carsick going up to the top of this parking…
Crystal and Brendan are getting married in her home country, New Zealand. They met on their mission in Australia, came home and realized they liked each other and started their international love story! They are both here for school and his mom asked me to do their engagements and I…
We headed up to Sage’s family ranch to do their engagement pictures. Of course they brought their horses too! I think this time I was the most comfortable around the horses-I just always am a little scared of getting kicked haha. They are amazing with their horses though so I… | 2024-06-22T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/4076 |
Q:
why $(document).html() cannot get whole html string?Is there other methods to get this?
the
$(document).html()
return empty rather than the whole html string.How to get it?
A:
You can easily do it with Javascript outerHTML propery, no jquery code required.
Simply use : document.documentElement.outerHTML
This will give you entire HTML along with HTML tag and its associated attributes.
If you want it using jQuery use:-
$('html')[0].outerHTML
| 2023-09-21T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/3111 |
First, the EA is only 1.5 hours long. Each of the three sections is 30 minutes (and there’s no essay). It costs $350 to take and there’s a 2-test lifetime limit.
Second, the topics tested on the EA are narrower—you won’t see any geometry, for example.
Third, if you’re coming from the GMAT, you need to know an important difference between the two exams. On the GMAT, IR is less important than Quant and Verbal. On the EA, by contrast, all three subsections combine to give you your overall score—and those three subsections are equally weighted. In other words, on the EA, IR is just as important as Quant and Verbal.
Fourth, let’s talk more about that scoring. Each sub-section (IR, Verbal, Quant) is scored on a scale of 0 to 20. Those scores are then combined to give you an overall score on a scale of 100 to 200.
What do the scores mean? So far, schools are saying that a 150+ is good, and they’d also like to see something of a balance across the subsections. (In other words, they don’t want to see that you scored 18 on one section but only 5 on another. It’d be better to have all scores in the 10 to 15 range.)
Finally, the EA is section-adaptive, not question-adaptive like the GMAT. The practical implication: You can actually move around within a block of questions, going back to earlier questions and working in the order that makes sense for you. Let’s dive more into this below.
Adaptivity on the EA: Integrated Reasoning
You’ll start with the IR section. This section looks just like it does on the GMAT—questions that test quantitative and verbal / logical reasoning skills simultaneously—and the individual questions are all chosen up front. In other words, the individual questions are not being chosen for you as you work your way through the section. (The IR on the GMAT works this way, too.)
As I mentioned earlier, you can move around within the section! It’s not the case that, once you answer a question, you can’t go back (as it is on the GMAT). You can also mark questions to come back to later (while you’re still working in this section). Later, we’ll talk more about marking questions during the section.
Adaptivity on the EA: Verbal and Quant
Your second section, after IR, will be Verbal, and your Verbal is going to come in two separate sets, or panels, of 7 questions each. You’ll have 30 minutes total to complete the two Verbal panels together (14 questions total). Within each panel, you can again move around and answer the questions in whatever order you want.
Now, here’s how the adaptivity works. Your performance on the IR section will determine the difficulty level of the mix of questions that you are given in your first Verbal panel. If you do really well on the IR section, you’ll get a harder mix of Verbal questions. If you do medium-well, you’ll see a more medium set of Verbal questions, and so on. (That’s what I’m trying to show with the blue circles—you’ll still have some range of question difficulties, but the range will not cross all difficulty levels.)
When you finish that first, 7-question Verbal panel, you will confirm that you want to move to the second panel of Verbal questions. At that point, you cannot go back to the first panel of questions. The second panel will be chosen based on how you did in the first panel—again, you might get a harder mix or a more medium mix and so on. And since this is now the second time the test is adapting to you, we would expect the mix of difficulty levels to be somewhat narrower than it was in the first panel—the test knows more about you and can target the questions better.
When you finish with verbal, you’ll start Quant, and this will work the same way. Your first Quant panel of 7 questions will be chosen based on how you did during your IR section. The second panel of 7 Quant questions will be chosen based on how you did during the first panel of Quant questions.
I mentioned earlier that you have to take IR seriously because it is equally weighted in your overall score. There’s a second reason: Your IR performance determines your starting points on your first Quant and Verbal panels. Do pretty well on IR and you’ll earn a higher starting point on quant and verbal.
Takeaway: Study all 3 sections fairly equally
The takeaway pretty much says it all.
One more thing. Since you can move around among the questions within any one panel, we need to talk about a strategy for time management and for marking questions as you take the EA. How do you decide whether to mark something to return to later? And, if you mark more than one, how do you know which one to go back to first?
We’ll talk about that more later on in this series—but, first, we need to talk about how to prep in general. Join us next time, when we’ll discuss exactly this!
If you liked this article, let Stacey Koprince know by clicking Like.
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Some HTML allowed. Keep your comments above the belt or risk having them deleted. Signup for a Gravatar to have your pictures show up by your comment. | 2023-12-11T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/5422 |
by Brendan Tuma | Yankees Correspondent | Tue, Apr 2nd 4:04pm EDT
The Yankees announced Jonathan Loaisiga will start on Wednesday versus the Tigers. (Lindsey Adler on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact:
CC Sabathia was on New York's roster to serve his five game suspension and is now heading to the injured list, which opens up a roster spot for Loaisiga. The 24-year-old posted a 5.11 ERA in nine games (four starts) last season but averaged well over a strikeout per inning. He's a streamer versus a weak Detroit offense. | 2024-07-08T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/5399 |
You've long suspected it, but a new study cinches it: Despite the twin temptations of gout and coke, in aggregate the rich live longer than the rest of us. Warren Buffett will bury us all. Jimmy Buffett too, for that matter. »4/23/14 2:25pm 4/23/14 2:25pm
It looks like we have another thing to add to the list of horrifying things that can happen when you have a baby. Police have arrested a woman in Brookings, South Dakota for breaking into another woman's house and trying to breast feed her baby. The mother called police early Sunday morning after she discovered the… »4/09/12 9:00pm 4/09/12 9:00pm | 2024-02-12T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/5861 |
<?php
namespace PHPDaemon\Thread;
use PHPDaemon\Core\AppInstance;
use PHPDaemon\Core\Daemon;
use PHPDaemon\Core\EventLoop;
use PHPDaemon\FS\FileSystem;
use PHPDaemon\FS\FileWatcher;
/**
* Implementation of the IPC thread
*
* @package Core
*
* @author Vasily Zorin <maintainer@daemon.io>
*/
// @TODO: respawning IPCThread on unexpected failures
class IPC extends Generic
{
/**
* Event base
* @var EventLoop
*/
public $loop;
/**
* Break main loop?
* @var boolean
*/
protected $breakMainLoop = false;
/**
* Reload ready?
* @var boolean
*/
protected $reloadReady = false;
/**
* Update?
* @var boolean
*/
public $update = false;
/**
* If true, we do not register signals automatically at start
* @var boolean
*/
protected $delayedSigReg = true;
/**
* Instances count
* @var array
*/
public $instancesCount = [];
/**
* File watcher
* @var FileWatcher
*/
public $fileWatcher;
/**
* If true, we do not register signals automatically at start
* @var boolean
*/
public $reload = false;
/** @var */
public $IPCManager;
/**
* Runtime of Worker process.
* @return void
*/
protected function run()
{
if (Daemon::$process instanceof Master) {
Daemon::$process->unregisterSignals();
}
EventLoop::init();
Daemon::$process = $this;
if (Daemon::$logpointerAsync) {
Daemon::$logpointerAsync->fd = null;
Daemon::$logpointerAsync = null;
}
class_exists('Timer');
if (Daemon::$config->autogc->value > 0) {
gc_enable();
} else {
gc_disable();
}
$this->prepareSystemEnv();
$this->registerEventSignals();
FileSystem::init(); // re-init
FileSystem::initEvent();
Daemon::openLogs();
$this->fileWatcher = new FileWatcher();
$this->IPCManager = Daemon::$appResolver->getInstanceByAppName('\PHPDaemon\IPCManager\IPCManager');
if (!$this->IPCManager) {
$this->log('cannot instantiate IPCManager');
}
EventLoop::$instance->run();
}
/**
* Setup settings on start.
* @return void
*/
protected function prepareSystemEnv()
{
proc_nice(Daemon::$config->ipcthreadpriority->value);
register_shutdown_function(function () {
$this->shutdown();
});
$this->setTitle(
Daemon::$runName . ': IPC process'
. (Daemon::$config->pidfile->value !== Daemon::$config->defaultpidfile->value
? ' (' . Daemon::$config->pidfile->value . ')' : '')
);
if (isset(Daemon::$config->group->value)) {
$sg = posix_getgrnam(Daemon::$config->group->value);
}
if (isset(Daemon::$config->user->value)) {
$su = posix_getpwnam(Daemon::$config->user->value);
}
if (Daemon::$config->chroot->value !== '/') {
if (posix_getuid() != 0) {
$this->log('You must have the root privileges to change root.');
exit(0);
} elseif (!chroot(Daemon::$config->chroot->value)) {
Daemon::log('Couldn\'t change root to \'' . Daemon::$config->chroot->value . '\'.');
exit(0);
}
}
if (isset(Daemon::$config->group->value)) {
if ($sg === false) {
$this->log('Couldn\'t change group to \'' . Daemon::$config->group->value . '\'. You must replace config-variable \'group\' with existing group.');
exit(0);
} elseif (($sg['gid'] != posix_getgid()) && (!posix_setgid($sg['gid']))) {
$this->log('Couldn\'t change group to \'' . Daemon::$config->group->value . "'. Error (" . ($errno = posix_get_last_error()) . '): ' . posix_strerror($errno));
exit(0);
}
}
if (isset(Daemon::$config->user->value)) {
if ($su === false) {
$this->log('Couldn\'t change user to \'' . Daemon::$config->user->value . '\', user not found. You must replace config-variable \'user\' with existing username.');
exit(0);
} elseif (($su['uid'] != posix_getuid()) && (!posix_setuid($su['uid']))) {
$this->log('Couldn\'t change user to \'' . Daemon::$config->user->value . "'. Error (" . ($errno = posix_get_last_error()) . '): ' . posix_strerror($errno));
exit(0);
}
}
if (Daemon::$config->cwd->value !== '.') {
if (!@chdir(Daemon::$config->cwd->value)) {
$this->log('Couldn\'t change directory to \'' . Daemon::$config->cwd->value . '.');
}
}
}
/**
* Log something
* @param string - Message.
* @param string $message
* @return void
*/
public function log($message)
{
Daemon::log('I#' . $this->pid . ' ' . $message);
}
/**
* Reloads additional config-files on-the-fly.
* @return void
*/
protected function update()
{
FileSystem::updateConfig();
foreach (Daemon::$appInstances as $app) {
foreach ($app as $appInstance) {
$appInstance->handleStatus(AppInstance::EVENT_CONFIG_UPDATED);
}
}
}
/**
* Shutdown thread
* @param boolean - Hard? If hard, we shouldn't wait for graceful shutdown of the running applications.
* @return boolean|null - Ready?
*/
public function shutdown($hard = false)
{
$error = error_get_last();
if ($error) {
if ($error['type'] === E_ERROR) {
$this->log('crashed by error \'' . $error['message'] . '\' at ' . $error['file'] . ':' . $error['line']);
}
}
if (Daemon::$config->throwexceptiononshutdown->value) {
throw new \Exception('event shutdown');
}
@ob_flush();
if ($this->terminated === true) {
if ($hard) {
posix_kill(getmypid(), SIGKILL);
exit(0);
}
return;
}
$this->terminated = true;
if ($hard) {
posix_kill(getmypid(), SIGKILL);
exit(0);
}
FileSystem::waitAllEvents(); // ensure that all I/O events completed before suicide
posix_kill(posix_getppid(), SIGCHLD); // praying to Master
posix_kill(getmypid(), SIGKILL);
exit(0); // R.I.P.
}
/**
* Handler of the SIGINT (hard shutdown) signal in worker process.
* @return void
*/
protected function sigint()
{
if (Daemon::$config->logsignals->value) {
$this->log('caught SIGINT.');
}
$this->shutdown(true);
}
/**
* Handler of the SIGTERM (graceful shutdown) signal in worker process.
* @return void
*/
protected function sigterm()
{
if (Daemon::$config->logsignals->value) {
$this->log('caught SIGTERM.');
}
$this->shutdown();
}
/**
* Handler of the SIGQUIT (graceful shutdown) signal in worker process.
* @return void
*/
public function sigquit()
{
if (Daemon::$config->logsignals->value) {
$this->log('caught SIGQUIT.');
}
parent::sigquit();
}
/**
* Handler of the SIGTSTP (graceful stop) signal in worker process.
* @return void
*/
protected function sigtstp()
{
if (Daemon::$config->logsignals->value) {
$this->log('Caught SIGTSTP (graceful stop all workers).');
}
$this->shutdown();
}
/**
* Handler of the SIGHUP (reload config) signal in worker process.
* @return void
*/
public function sighup()
{
if (Daemon::$config->logsignals->value) {
$this->log('caught SIGHUP (reload config).');
}
if (isset(Daemon::$config->configfile->value)) {
Daemon::loadConfig(Daemon::$config->configfile->value);
}
$this->update = true;
}
/**
* Handler of the SIGUSR1 (re-open log-file) signal in worker process.
* @return void
*/
public function sigusr1()
{
if (Daemon::$config->logsignals->value) {
$this->log('caught SIGUSR1 (re-open log-file).');
}
Daemon::openLogs();
}
/**
* Handler of the SIGUSR2 (graceful shutdown for update) signal in worker process.
* @return void
*/
public function sigusr2()
{
if (Daemon::$config->logsignals->value) {
$this->log('caught SIGUSR2 (graceful shutdown for update).');
}
}
/**
* Handler of the SIGTTIN signal in worker process.
* @return void
*/
public function sigttin()
{
}
/**
* Handler of the SIGXSFZ signal in worker process.
* @return void
*/
public function sigxfsz()
{
$this->log('SIGXFSZ.');
}
/**
* Handler of non-known signals.
* @return void
*/
public function sigunknown($signo)
{
if (isset(Generic::$signals[$signo])) {
$sig = Generic::$signals[$signo];
} else {
$sig = 'UNKNOWN';
}
$this->log('caught signal #' . $signo . ' (' . $sig . ').');
}
}
| 2023-11-20T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/1917 |
Intraspinal Pathology Associated With Pediatric Scoliosis: A Ten-year Review Analyzing the Effect of Neurosurgery on Scoliosis Curve Progression.
This was a retrospective study of patients with Chiari I (CM I) and Chiari II (CM II) malformations, tethered cord syndrome, and syringomyelia examining the effect of neurosurgery on scoliosis. The aim of this study was to determine the factors affecting spinal deformity progression in patients with diseases of the neural axis following neurosurgical management. There have been attempts to explain which factors influence the spinal deformity in diseases of the neural axis with varying results. Debate still exists as to the effectiveness of neurosurgery in curve stabilization. The medical records for patients treated over the past 10 years were reviewed. The spinal deformity surgical group consisted of patients who received surgery or progressed to surgical range (50°) and the nonsurgical group those who did not undergo fusion. Fifteen patients (eight females and seven males) with scoliosis who underwent neurosurgical intervention were identified. Ten had tethered cord, six CM II, four CM I, and 11 syrinx. Average age at the time of neurosurgery was 7 ± 4 years (range 0.7-14 yrs). Following neurosurgery, no patients experienced improvement in their curves (defined as >10° decrease in Cobb angle), eight patients experienced stabilization (<10° decrease), and seven experienced worsening (>10° increase). The group that went on to spinal deformity surgery possessed larger curves before neurosurgery (mean 42°, range 20°-63°) than the nonsurgical group (19°, range 15°-26°; P = 0.004). CM II patients had the greatest magnitude of curve progression, mean of 49°, compared with patients with CM I (6°) or tether cord without CM I or II (11°, P = 0.01). Neurosurgical intervention may prevent curve progression in patients with scoliosis and Cobb angles < 30° if they do not have a complex CM II malformation. Patients with CM II are at a higher risk of curve progression and undergoing spinal fusion than patients with CM I, tethered cord syndrome, or syringomyelia. 4. | 2023-11-10T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/1051 |
Just after lunch, user calls pilot fish to report there's no Internet in this remote office.
"I ask if there are any lights on the routers and switches," says fish. "She says no, and says nothing has come back on after the power outage.
"I ask if the UPS, little white box that things are plugged into, is on. No, she says, it's not and it won't come on."
Fish hasn't dealt with this remote office before, so he asks around for the standard protocol. Turns out the standard protocol is that he drives the three and a half hours to the site in a company car -- and he needs to leave promptly, as it's already 1 p.m.
After an hour packing up all the gear and backup gear to replace the entire equipment set on-site if necessary, fish heads out.
But before he gets far, he gets another call: Another remote site that's three hours out and just a little out of his way is also having Internet problems.
He diverts to the second site. He takes a quick look at the networking gear and asks if anyone knows what happened to the cable that used to be plugged into this circuit. The only answer: "Someone moved it." Fifteen minutes of crimping late, fish is getting high-fives for restoring the Internet.
Back in the car, he's welcomed at the second site by a crowd of users very happy to see him. He's shown to the networking closet, where he hits the power button on the UPS.
"Five minutes of testing later, it was more high-fives and kudos for bringing the Internet back up," fish says.
"Eight hours of driving for less than 30 minutes of work.
"Best. Overtime. Ever."
It won't take long to email Sharky your true tale of IT life.So why not send it to me now at sharky@computerworld.com. You'll snag a snazzy Shark shirt if I use it. Add your comments below, and read some great old tales in the Sharkives.
The Best of Shark Tankincludes more than 70 tales of IT woe submitted by you, our readers, since 1999. Which all goes to prove, conclusively, that hapless users and idiotic bosses are indeed worldwide phenomena. Free registration is all that's needed to download The Best of Shark Tank (PDF). | 2023-12-05T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/1480 |
package com.didiglobal.sds.client;
/**
* 服务降级的客户端api
* <p>
* Created by manzhizhen on 17/1/1.
*/
public interface SdsClient {
/**
* 该请求是否需要降级
*
* @param point 降级点名称，每个应用内必须唯一
* @return false-不需要降级，正常访问； true-需要降级
*/
boolean shouldDowngrade(String point);
/**
* 用来标记业务处理时抛出的异常
* 在需要使用异常率/异常量降级时需要用此方法来统计异常次数
*
* @param point 降级点名称
* @param exception 业务处理时抛出的异常，如果不关心异常类型，该参数可以传null
*/
void exceptionSign(String point, Throwable exception);
/**
* 退出降级逻辑
* 该方法需要写到finally代码块中
*
* @param point 降级点名称
*/
void downgradeFinally(String point);
}
| 2024-06-18T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/5596 |
Russell Brand terrified of Victoria Beckham
The 37-year-old actor has been avoiding Victoria's local haunts in Los Angeles, where they both live, because he is worried she will confront him about dumping her Spice Girls bandmate Geri Halliwell after a brief fling.
A source told the Daily Star newspaper: ''Russell's avoiding Victoria at all costs.
''He's scared to visit the places where he used to bump into her.
''It's got so bad he's even changed his regular coffee shop because she goes there, and now goes to one that's two miles from his home in west Hollywood.
''He knows he didn't treat Geri too kindly, and is convinced Victoria will kick off when she sees him.''
Russell has dated a string of women - including Geri, Jordana Brewster's sister Isabella and Mexican artist Oriela Medellin Amieiro - since splitting from wife Katy Perry, but is not planning to get serious with any of them.
The insider added: ''Russell isn't looking for anything too serious since his split with Katy Perry. He's just having fun again.'' | 2023-11-28T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/2325 |
Transcription
1 Can I claim it? An A-Z guide of common business costs & expenses for Limited Companies Working in partnership Made with love by
2 Can I claim that cost? When you re busy trying to run your business, it s hard to keep track of what business costs and expenses are eligible for tax relief - and that might mean that the company ends up paying too much tax! In this guide for limited companies, FreeAgent s Chief Accountant Emily Coltman lists some common business costs and expenses, and walks you through HMRC s guidance for claiming tax relief on these costs. About Emily Emily Coltman FCA is FreeAgent s Chief Accountant and she is passionate about translating accounting-speak into plain English! A graduate of the University of Cambridge, Emily has been working with small businesses for the past 13 years and is dedicated to helping their owners lose their fear of the numbers and the taxman. She is the author of three e-books: Refreshingly Simple Finance for Small Business, Micro Multinationals, and Very Awkward Tax. Created by This guide was created by FreeAgent, who provide an online accounting system designed especially for small businesses and freelancers. With FreeAgent you can manage expenses and track time, send professionally designed invoices, automatically chase payment, forecast tax commitments, and track your profit and cashflow. To try it out free for 30 days, visit Read this first Remember that even if you are the sole director of a limited company, you and your company are considered separate legal entities by Companies House and HMRC - so if we say that the company can claim tax relief that means it goes in your company s accounts. Alternatively, if we say that you can claim tax relief, that means it goes on your own personal tax return.if we say you can claim from the company, that means the company can pay you back for costs that you incur personally without either of you paying more tax. These costs are usually allowable for tax relief in the company s accounts. When we say that something is, or might be, a taxable benefit, it means that even if the company can claim tax relief on the cost by putting it in its accounts, the company and/or the employee may have some additional tax and/or National Insurance to pay on the cost of the item. Try for free at freeagent.com Limited Companies: 2
4 A A-Z of business costs & expenses Accountant The company can claim tax relief for the full cost of an accountant preparing accounts for the company. However, if the company pays for accountants fees to complete your own personal tax return, then you would have to report this amount as a taxable benefit on your own return. To avoid this, your accountant may be able to put the cost of accountancy fees for your own tax return to your director s loan account. Advertising & Marketing The company can claim tax relief on advertising and marketing costs for the business. Watch out, though - some costs that you consider marketing (like taking a client out to lunch) may be considered entertaining by HMRC. For more details, see Entertaining. Animals The company may be able to claim tax relief on the costs associated with some animals, such as farm animals or guard dogs. For more details, see Farm Animals and Dogs. B Also, see our article here about claiming tax relief on the cost of caring for animals: Bank interest & overdraft charges Business accounts If the company has a business bank account in its own name, it can claim tax relief on the interest payments and charges. Personal accounts Interest and charges on a personal bank account or credit card aren t allowable for tax and shouldn t be included in the company s accounts. Broadband Home If you work from home as a one-person business and don t have a separate broadband contract for your business, you can claim back from the company the full cost of all of your business use of your home broadband (using an itemised bill), and a percentage of the line rental. If you pay a fixed fee for Try for free at freeagent.com Limited Companies: 4
5 your broadband, you should claim the business percentage of your usage of broadband. To calculate the percentage that you can claim, work out how much you use it for business purposes and how much is for personal use. Make sure that the company doesn t pay your home broadband bill directly to the phone company because this is a benefit that has to be taxed with your salary. You should pay the broadband bill personally, then claim the business use of the line back from the company. Office If you have a separate broadband contract for business, make sure you put the contract in the company s name. The company should pay this cost directly to the telephone company (for example, BT or Virgin). The company can claim tax relief on the full cost of the broadband line rental and the business use of the broadband. Business use of home If you work at home as a one-person business, you can claim a proportion of your home expenses. For more details about how to work out the proportion, see our article about business use of home: C Because you are the employee of a limited company, you also need to draw up a rental agreement between you and the company, since the company is a separate legal entity that s renting a room from you. See Rent for more details. Charitable donations A company making Gift Aid donations to charity can usually claim tax relief on the cost of these donations. For other charitable donations, the rules are more complicated - you should see an accountant for more guidance. Childcare The company may be able to claim tax relief for the cost of providing childcare facilities, or for funding the cost of childcare for its employees children. For more information, visit HMRC s website: Clothing The company can provide you with protective clothing that s necessary for you to do your job, such as a high-visibility jacket for a railway worker, or with a uniform that can only be worn at work to do your job. This includes clothing such as a jacket with the business logo on it. The company can give these clothes to you outright or make them available to you, and although the company has to report these to HMRC on form P11D there s no extra tax for you or for the company to pay. If the Try for free at freeagent.com Limited Companies: 5
6 company provides you with other clothing, this may be a taxable benefit. Computer equipment & electronics For private and business use If the company gives you computer equipment that you can use for business and also more than an insignificant amount of private use, it will have to pay extra National Insurance as this is considered a taxable benefit. Private equipment brought into a company If you already own a computer, office chair, etc. and want to bring it into your business, you can claim tax relief for its market value at the point you brought it into the business - check ebay for similar items and then include that cost in the company s accounts. Don t forget that if you are going to carry on using the equipment privately too, HMRC would consider this as a taxable benefit. Solely for business use If the company gives you computer equipment that you use only for business and no more than an insignificant amount of private use, the company can claim tax relief for this cost and does not need to pay any tax or National Insurance, as HMRC do not consider this to be a taxable benefit. Second-hand equipment brought into a company If the company buys a piece of equipment second-hand, it can still claim tax relief on that equipment as a capital asset at the cost it bought it for because it s new to the company. Don t forget that unless you have a VAT receipt, the company can t reclaim VAT on it. Council Tax ( home ) If you work from home and are the company s sole staff member, you can claim from the company a proportion of your council tax cost. However, depending on how much you use your home for business, you may have to pay business rates rather than council tax. If you are not the sole staff member of the company, the costs you can claim become more complex, so you should check with an accountant about this. See Business use of home for more information about working from home. Credit card charges ( personal cards ) See: Bank interest & overdraft charges Try for free at freeagent.com Limited Companies: 6
7 Cycle travel If you travel for work on a bicycle that belongs to you personally (rather than to the company), the usual rules for whether the journey counts as for business will apply (see: Travel ). Assuming that your journey does qualify as a business journey, you can claim that expense from the company at a cost of 20p per mile. D E Don t forget that the company can also provide you with a bicycle under a cycle-towork scheme: Dogs Some dogs (and other animals) are classed as working animals, for example farm working dogs, gamekeepers spaniels, police dogs, or army bomb disposal dogs. These working animals are treated in the business books as capital assets that qualify for capital allowances, and feeding and caring for them would be taxdeductible expenses. So you could put food for these animals, veterinary fees and so forth into the company s profit and loss account as business costs, and save tax. Electricity Home If you work from home and are the company s sole staff member, you can claim back from the company a percentage of your household electricity costs, based on how much you use your home for business and how much for non-business. See Business use of home for more information about working from home. If you are not the sole staff member of the company, the costs you can claim become more complex, so you should check with an accountant about this. Office The company can claim the full cost of heating and lighting your business premises for tax relief. Try for free at freeagent.com Limited Companies: 7
8 Entertaining Entertaining clients Unfortunately, the company can t claim tax relief for entertaining clients - there is no tax relief available on the cost of entertaining anyone other than bona fide payroll employees. Entertaining employees When you re entertaining your employees, this may be allowable for tax relief in your business s accounts, but it could also be a benefit on which your employees have to pay some tax. In order for the party to be what HMRC call a qualifying event and therefore not a taxable benefit for your staff, it must meet these three criteria: 1) It is an annual event (such as a Christmas party) 2) It is open to all staff, and 3) It costs less that 150 per guest present If any of these three conditions aren t met, then the whole cost of the event becomes a taxable benefit - for example if it s a one-off meal to celebrate a new contract, or if some employees are excluded, or if the cost per head is over 150. Evening Dress F If you have to wear evening dress for your work and the company provides this for you (for example, if you are a waiter who has to wear a tailcoat), the company can include the cost in its accounts for tax relief, and should report this to HMRC on your form P11D. Farm animals Farm animals, such as cattle, sheep or laying hens, are tax-deductible in one of two ways - either as stock or as a capital asset. The animals are considered a capital asset if they form a production herd. A production herd is one that is kept for what the animals yield while they are still alive, such as wool, eggs, milk, honey, or live young - and each production herd is made up of animals of the same species used for the same purpose. So for example, a flock of sheep kept for wool is the same herd whether it s a mixture of breeds or not, but a flock of one breed kept for wool and another breed for cheese would be two separate herds. HMRC calls them herds whatever the actual collective noun for the animals is for example, a hive of bees kept for its honey is still referred to as a production herd. Try for free at freeagent.com Limited Companies: 8
9 Flights The company can only pay you back for flights that you ve personally paid for without HMRC considering this a taxable benefit in these cases: 1) If the flight was between business appointments, for example you re a salesperson and you fly from one client appointment to another, or 2) If you were flying to or from a temporary workplace, which is, in brief, somewhere you expect to be working for less than 40% of your time for the next 24 months. Flights are covered by the rules on travel (see Travel ) so the company can t reimburse you for travel from your home to a permanent workplace. Food & Drink At your home office or other company offices If you are the sole director and the company has no other employees, you wouldn t be able to claim the cost of food and drink you buy to eat while you re working from home or in your usual office. This is because HMRC takes the stern line that everyone must eat to live. If the company has other employees, it can provide basic food and drink (such as tea, coffee and biscuits) for them. The company can also provide free meals at a canteen without having to pay extra tax and National Insurance, so long as the food and drink provided is available to all staff. While travelling G Gas If you pay for food and drink yourself when you are away from your normal place of work on a business trip, you can claim that cost back from the company. The company can also include this cost in its accounts for tax relief. Home If you work from home and are the company s sole staff member, you can claim from the company a percentage of your gas costs, based on how much you use your home for business and how much for non-business. If you are not the sole staff member of the company, the costs you can claim become more complex, so you should check with an accountant about this See Business use of home for more information about working from home. Office The company can claim the full cost of heating and lighting business premises for tax relief. Try for free at freeagent.com Limited Companies: 9
10 Gifts Gifts to employees If the company gives a gift to an employee, it may be subject to taxable benefit rules. To find out, look up what the gift was in HMRC s A-Z list here: If the gift is a small gift that celebrates a personal event for the employee, for example you give a bunch of flowers to an employee who s just had a baby, that is one example of what HMRC call a trivial benefit gov.uk/payerti/exb/a-z/t/trivial-benefits.htm and you can apply to HMRC not to pay tax or National Insurance on that gift. Gifts to anyone else H If you give a gift to anyone who s not an employee of the company, then so long as this gift is not food, drink, tobacco or vouchers, and so long as it costs less than 50 per recipient per year and is prominently marked with the company s name (for example, a small desk diary embossed with the logo), then the company can claim tax relief on that gift. Hotel accommodation The company can only pay you back for hotel accommodation that you ve personally paid for without HMRC considering this a taxable benefit in these cases: 1) If you were staying away from home for business purposes, 2) If you were attending a business appointment, or 3) If you were at a temporary workplace, which is, in brief, somewhere you expect to be working for less than 40% of your time for the next 24 months. I Accommodation is covered by the rules on travel (see Travel ) and travel from home to a permanent workplace doesn t count as business travel. That means that the company can t pay you back for the cost of hotel accommodation that you pay for personally if you stay overnight near your permanent workplace. If they do, you ll need to pay tax and National Insurance on the repayment as it will be considered a taxable benefit. Insurance The cost of insurance for business, such as contents insurance for an office, or employer s liability insurance, is fully allowable for tax relief. The company can buy private medical insurance for its employees but in some circumstances this will incur extra National Insurance, see here for more details: payerti/exb/a-z/m/medical-treatment.htm Try for free at freeagent.com Limited Companies: 10
11 L M Laptop See: Computer equipment & electronics Medical treatment In some cases, a company can provide medical treatment for its employees without HMRC considering this a taxable benefit. One example is if the employer pays for eye tests that are legally required for employees who have to use a computer screen. There s more information about what s allowed here: uk/payerti/exb/a-z/m/medical-treatment.htm Mileage If you travel on a business journey for the company in your own car, the company can pay you back per business mile travelled at HMRC s approved rates, which are here: Journeys in your car are covered by the rules on travel (see Travel ) so the company couldn t reimburse you for travel from your home to a permanent workplace. Mobile phone The company can provide you with one mobile phone, which includes smartphones such as BlackBerries or iphones, without HMRC considering it a taxable benefit. Don t forget that the contract for the phone must be in the company s name. Mortgage ( home ) If you work from home and are the company s sole staff member, you may be able to claim from the company a proportion of the interest that you pay, but not the capital repayment. If you are not the sole staff member of the company, the costs you can claim become more complex, so you should check with an accountant about this. P See Business use of home for more information about working from home. Parking fines & speeding tickets Neither you nor the company can claim tax relief on the cost of fines or speeding tickets, even if you incurred these while travelling on business, because you incurred the cost while breaking the law! Pension contributions When the company makes contributions to its own pension scheme for employees, it can claim tax relief on the cost of these contributions in its accounts. Try for free at freeagent.com Limited Companies: 11
12 Petrol See: Mileage Professional fees The company can claim the full cost of professional fees incurred for the business (for example, the fees a solicitor charges you) for tax relief, except in specific circumstances. For more details about these circumstances, visit HMRC s guidance here: Professional subscriptions The company can cover the cost of any subscriptions to professional bodies mentioned on HMRC s lists without there being extra tax or NI to pay. If the company pays for a subscription to a body that s not on HMRC s list then that will count as a taxable benefit. Also, don t forget that the company must pay the cost of the subscription direct to the body. If you pay for a subscription to a professional body that s on HMRC s list and the company pays you back, that repayment gets treated as part of your salary and you have to pay PAYE (but not employee s National Insurance) on it - and if the company pays you back for a subscription to a professional or other body that s not on HMRC s list, the repayment is treated as part of your salary and you have to pay both PAYE and employee s National Insurance on it. Property repairs ( home ) If you work from home and are the company s sole staff member and have repaired your property, you may be able to claim some costs from the company. If a property repair relates solely to the part that s used for business, you would include this cost in the company s accounts in full, subject to the business use of that room. So for example, if a copywriter has a home with ten rooms and the ceiling in her office/spare bedroom was repaired at a 200 cost, she would multiply the cost by 90% because she uses that room for business 90% of the time, and include 180 in her company accounts. If the repair is to the whole house, for example a repair to the roof, you can include that in the same proportion as you would the rent or council tax so in the example of the copywriter s 10-room house, she would claim the repair cost x 1/10 x 90%. If the repair is just for a part of the house that s not used for business - such as replastering of a kitchen - then you can t claim any part of that repair for tax relief. See Business use of home for more information about working from home. If you are not the sole staff member of the company, the costs you can claim become more complex, so you should check with an accountant about this. Try for free at freeagent.com Limited Companies: 12
13 Protective Clothing R Rent See: Clothing Home If you work from home and are the company s sole staff member, you can claim a proportion of your rent back from the company, but you also need to draw up a rental agreement between you and the limited company, because the company is a separate legal entity that s renting a room from you. Your accountant should be able to help you with this. You should include this rent as rental income on your own tax return, but this will be equal to the costs that you ve incurred so there ll be no extra tax to pay. If you are not the sole staff member of the company, the costs you can claim become more complex, so you should check with an accountant about this. Office S If the company rents an office that it uses just for business, it can claim tax relief on the full cost of that rent. The exception is a rent deposit, which goes on the company s balance sheet and isn t available for tax relief. Solicitor See: Professional fees Stationery T If you personally pay for stationery that you and your colleagues will use at work, the company can pay you back for this without HMRC considering this a taxable benefit. The company can also include this cost in its accounts for tax relief. Telephone Home If you work from home and are the company s sole staff member and don t have a separate phone line for business, you can claim from the company the full cost of all of your business use of your home phone line, and a percentage of the line rental, based on how much you use it for business purposes and how much is for personal use. Make sure that the company doesn t pay the phone bill directly to the phone company because this will count as a benefit that has to be taxed with your salary. You should pay the phone bill personally, then claim the business use of the phone back from Try for free at freeagent.com Limited Companies: 13
14 the company. If you are not the sole staff member of the company, the costs you can claim become more complex, so you should check with an accountant about this. Office If you have a separate phone line for business, make sure it is in the company s name. The company should pay this cost directly to the telephone company (for example, BT or Virgin). The company can claim tax relief on the full cost of the line rental and the business calls. Tolls and car parking If you personally pay for tolls and car parking while travelling on business, you can claim the full cost back from the company, and the company can include this cost in their accounts for tax relief. Even if you are claiming the cost per mile of journeys in your own car from the company (see: Mileage ), this does not stop you also claiming back from the company the costs of tolls and car parking that you personally paid. Train tickets The company can only pay you back for train tickets that you ve personally paid for without HMRC considering this a taxable benefit in these cases: 1) if the journey was between business appointments, for example you re a salesperson and you travel from one client appointment to another, or 2) if you were travelling to or from a temporary workplace, which is, in brief, somewhere you expect to be working for less than 40% of your time for the next 24 months. Train journeys are covered by the rules on travel (see Travel ) so the company couldn t reimburse you for travel from your home to a permanent workplace. Travel The company can only pay you back for travel expenses that you ve paid for personally if the journey counts as a business journey. To be considered a business journey, it must fulfil these criteria: 1) The journey was between business appointments, for example you re a salesperson and you go from one client appointment to another, or 2) If you were travelling to or from a temporary workplace, which is, in brief, somewhere you expect to be working for less than 40% of your time for the next 24 months. Travelling from your home to a permanent workplace doesn t count as business travel, so your employer can t pay you back for the cost of these journeys. Try for free at freeagent.com Limited Companies: 14
15 Training & Personal Development U V W The cost of staff training is allowable for tax relief provided that you can show that the training is wholly and exclusively for the purpose of the company s business. Uniform Vehicle See: Clothing If you travel on business for the company in your own car, the company can pay you back per business mile travelled at HMRC s approved rates, which are here: See Mileage for more details. Water Home If you use a lot of your home water supply for business - for example if you run a car valeting service - then you would need to apply to the water company for this to be separately charged, and put in the company s name. The company could then claim tax relief on the full cost of the water. If your business use of water is only minor, you can t claim any of the cost from the company. Office The company can claim the full cost of water at business premises for tax relief. Website costs Building a website The company may be able to claim tax relief on the cost of building a website if you think that the website will earn the company more money than it cost to build it. HMRC use the analogy of a website as a shop window to clarify when the company can claim tax relief for the costs here: gov.uk/manuals/bimmanual/bim35870.htm. There are no hard and fast rules so we would recommend speaking to an accountant about these costs. Try for free at freeagent.com Limited Companies: 15
16 Website hosting & maintenance Z Zebras In the shop window analogy used above, if the site is earning the company more money than it costs to maintain it, then the company can claim tax relief for the costs of hosting and maintaining the website. Sorry, the company probably can t claim the expense of keeping a zebra, unless it keeps a herd of them and sells ice cream or cheese made from their milk! If that s the case, see Farm Animals and drop us a line, we d love to try your ice cream! Try for free at freeagent.com Limited Companies: 16
17 Add expenses on the go Easy expense tracking Attach scanned receipts to your expense entries. Upload from your computer or directly from your mobile. Track billable and unbillable time. Create your own timesheets or use our online timer. Use our comprehensive list of expense categories. Or track your own custom expense categories. Once you ve added an expense, watch your cashflow and tax forecast change in real time. What else can you do with FreeAgent? Check in with your business every day Send professionally designed invoices and estimates. You can even set invoices to chase payment themselves! Automatically import transactions from your bank account. To save even more time, FreeAgent automatically recognises and reconciles similar transactions. Forecast how much tax you ll owe. Track due dates in your calendar and even submit your VAT returns directly to HMRC. Create monthly payslips for employees. Submit RTI directly to HMRC when you run your payroll. Sort out your finances at freeagent.com Try for free at freeagent.com Limited Companies: 17
18 For further information hmrc.gov.uk freeagent.com/categories/expenses HMRC s website More information about claiming expenses FreeAgent information and support available Monday to Friday You can also us: Disclaimer This guide is not a substitute for advice from a professional accountant tailored to your own business. Any information presented does not constitute accounting advice. If you need accounting advice, try our directory of FreeAgent friendly accountants here: Try for free at freeagent.com Limited Companies: 18
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Travel Expenses HMRC asking for copies of detailed mileage logs as confirmation of business journeys. Need to ensure clients are keeping these and they are being updated in year as opposed to being created
A GUIDE TO STARTING UP A LIMITED COMPANY RIFTACCOUNTING.COM A GUIDE TO STARTING UP A LIMITED COMPANY This guide assumes that you have made a decision to become a Limited Company as opposed to operating | 2024-06-12T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/1667 |
Ronaldo was fined the same sum imposed on Atletico coach Diego Simeone for the same gesture during the round of 16 first-leg game in Spain.
NYON, Switzerland (AP) – Cristiano Ronaldo has been fined 20,000 euros ($22,750) by UEFA for making a provocative gesture after Juventus beat Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
UEFA says its disciplinary panel found the Juventus star guilty of improper conduct.
Ronaldo was fined the same sum imposed on Atletico coach Diego Simeone for the same gesture during the round of 16 first-leg game in Spain.
Ronaldo scored a hat trick in a 3-0 win in the return leg in Turin to send Juventus to the quarterfinals.
He celebrated at the final whistle by mimicking Simeone's gesture.
Juventus faces Ajax next month. | 2023-12-05T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/5281 |
Q:
Storing and loading matrices in OpenGL
Is it possible to tell OpenGL to store the current transformation matrix in a specific location (instead of pushing it on a stack) and to load a matrix from a specific location?
I prefer a solution that does not involve additional data transfer between the video device and main memory (i.e. it's better to store the matrix somewhere in video memory).
A:
To answer the first part of you question:
The functions glLoadMatrix and glGet can do that
// get current model view matrix
double matrix[16];
glGetDoublev(GL_MODELVIEW_MATRIX, matrix)
// manipulate matrix
glLoadMatrixd(matrix);
Note that these functions are not supported with OpenGL 4 anymore. Matrix operations have to be done on application site anyway and provided as uniform variables to the shader programs.
A:
On old fixed function pipeline the matrices were loaded into some special GPU registers on demand, but never were in VRAM, all matrix calculations happened on the CPU. In modern day OpenGL matrix calculations still happen on CPU (and right so), and are loaded into registers called "Uniforms" on demand again. However modern OpenGL also has a feature called "Uniform Buffer Objects" that allow to load Uniform (register) values from VRAM. http://www.opengl.org/wiki/Uniform_Buffer_Object
But they make little use for storing transform matrices. First, you'll change them constantly for doing animations. Second, the overhead of managing the UBOs for just a simple matrix eats much more performance, than setting it from the CPU. A matrix is just 16 scalars, or the equivalent of one single vertex with a position, normal, texture coordinate and tangent attribute.
| 2024-03-21T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/2788 |
05 March, 2007
Jeegujje Podi/Breadfruit Pakodas & A Protest Against YAHOO
Breadfruit one of the common vegetable found in every household. When it comes to Mangalore cuisine, Breadfruit is the best substitute for Potatoes. It has got gummy, rubbery finish when raw and has got this melt in mouth texture when cooked. I remember the days when I and my sister used to climb this huge breadfruit tree in the backyard and spend most of our time swinging from its branch. Oh!!! We were naughty monkeys ;) For me, Breadfruit tree is one of the handsome trees, with its branches spread out evenly with gorgeous green foliage. Their leaves have this beautiful glossy green colour.There are many recipes for cooking breadfruit. My favourite are sambar, majjige huli, palya and podi/pakodas. Here is a simple recipe of making Jigujje Podi/Breadfruit Pakodas.
Method:Peel the bread fruit and remove the fibrous part in centre.Slice them into ½ cm thickness.Keep them immersed in water till required.In a mean while, add all other ingredients and make thick paste using water.Remove the slices from water and dry them using paper towel.Coat each slice with paste evenly and deep fry them in oil at medium flame till they turn golden yellow.Remove from oil and place them on paper towel to remove excess oil.Serve them hot with tomato ketchup with a hot cup of coffee and enjoy.
Jeegujje Podi
Note:Note that frying breadfruit requires more time than usual pakodas.Use Asafoetida/Hing while cooking breadfruit as they tend to be very starchy.
Jeegujje Podi
Some Interesting Facts about Breadfruit:The breadfruit is:Low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and SodiumHigh in Vitamin C, Dietary Fiber and PotassiumThe nutritional value of breadfruit makes it ideal for:Maintaining optimum healthIt is also OK to include breadfruit in your diet for:Weight lossWeight gain(Source: http://www.great-workout.com)
Jeegujje Podi
YAHOO: Enough of Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V
A protest against Yahoo! India plagiarizing contents from bloggers.I just want to say: Shame on you Yahoo!Read more here & here & here & here... We stand united for our rights.
@sra,yes sra. its the same one. but unlike jackfruits, breadfruits are seedless. u can check the pic n more info on wikipedia(i have given the link in my post)
@anu,its quite familier veg in south canara anu. most of the homes will have a tree of breadfruits growing in their backyard. they are very tasty when cooked. soft and melting kind of texture. thanks for ur compliments. i am glad u liked my new template:)
Hey Sia, how re u..? I did get to see the pic of ur last post and as kitchenfairy right said, we call it kondattam mulaku :)I ve never heard about breadfruit pakoda..the only dish i know is the side dish we make, we call it 'kada chakka thoran' and its my favourite. Nice presentation too :)
@shn,i am fine dear:) thank you for asking. i have taken 1 month break before starting my new job. so just relaxing at home:)oh!! so at last u could see the pics. donno whats a prob with blogger. i had to upload all the pics again:(now what is this 'kada chakka thoran'? i am all ears. do post the recipe sometime. it sounds very interesting:)
@smita,thank you dear:) i guess its ur first visit here. so welcome to spice corner:)
Hey Sups,nice post today!I love breadfruit.I was recently introduced to it by my friend who I told you is Konkani.I have never bought it as yet but was thinking I will get it this week.so will try your recipe!
Sia girl, If I find this breadfruit here in our local stores, deft'ly I will post the recipe of kada chakka (breadfruit) thoran but so far i havent found 'em here.Its nothing but side dish served with meals, cooked with a grated coconut mixture..it will be dry...something like poriyal for tamilians and i assume its 'palya' for u, not sure though ;) Hope u dont mind me scrapping again :)enjoy ur hols :)
Hi Supriya, I had never known that something like Breadfruit existed !!!There is one more potato like which grows under the soil( from which sabudana is made) I have forgotten the name. It is consumed a lot in south India.That again tastes like potato :)The pakodas with the tomato sauce chakri looks yum .Wish we could taste it :( You really know how to dress up your dishes :)
Nice Presentation!!There is a big breadfruit tree in my home(Kerala),My mother used to make chips with breadfruit also we put that in Beef curry.Breadfruit Pakodas is new idea for me.Here In UAE its available.I will try this soon.
@vini,wow!!! thanks to ur friend who is introducing u to m'lore cuisine. i am glad u like it. this is one of the veggies which will come for long time when refrigerated. do give it a try and let me know how u like it.
@trupti,yes trupti. i consider myself lucky to get familier veggies here. when i saw it for the first time i started jumping then and there much to K and shop keeper's surprise;) i guess its same with most of us who live away from their home. simple things like this can make u feel closer to ur roots.wicked is the right word for u koftas:) thanks for letting me know. i will look out for them. hugs to u too... oh!!! i am ready with 2 recipes for ur winter swing event. getting K to pose is really difficult:(
@archu,boy!!! now i have to check whats that veg which is used to make sabudana. although i use sabudana, it never occured to me how its grown or where it comes from. isn't it wonderful that everyday we get to learn so many things from others?gimme ur address and i will send some on ur way. or better why don't u shift to somewhere close to me;)
Hi Supriya, Wow that's a wonderful idea, though I wish it was possible for me to stay close to where you are staying Sups:)Till then lets thank the net for bringing us all together where we can exchange our ideas and views. I had never ever dreamt I will be blogging and making so many friends. I am getting too emotional no...:)
@archu,emotional? :) it happens sometimes. u r absolutely right here. even i started blogging to keep track of all the cooking recipes i learnt from my mom, mil and friends. i usually can't remember the ingredients. so it was my cooking diary n i never ever thought of making so many friends here:) its amazing world of www, isn't it?
@mahi, i am glad u liked it mahi. u know what? i am busy with searching for some good pinapple recipe for ur event.may be i have one:) will be posting it soon, once i get pinapple from market:)
Hey Supriya,I love jegujje bajjiyas! We used to live in Mangalore for a short time and we made this at home all the time. Even now I have a close dear Konkani friend from Mangalore (her native place is close to Kumta) and her grandma and mom used ot make this all the time when I was in India. Not sure if I'll ever find this here in the US.Looks delicious!CheersLatha
Gosh! Am I in the right pan? Is this the right post? Or Do I look like a stuffed breadfruit! ;-)
Anyway,
:-)
The might of Bloggers' solidarity, Three salutes to thee!
(But I am still a bit confused if the local content provider is trying to fool both their client (Yahoo India) and us bloggers on the other side, by a misappropriately placed statement that is still not upto a proper apology!
Hope Yahoo will arrange some third party translators to help them understand Malayalam text!
Despite the vague lines pretending to be 'the apology', there has been also reports of Yahoo apologizing to an Indian house wife in some responsible news media. It is not clear whether these reports are based on any real facts. No symptoms of such apology seems present on either at the affected blogs or at the Yahoo's own site bare the pretentive statement mentioned above.
I feel that the affected bloggers can still pursue their struggle, if they wish so, through every means they find suitable including legal options.
Neverthless, certainly, our mission has already been a hitherto unseen success by it's very popular appeal and the tremours it generated!
Hi, I happened to look into your blog thro mysoorean(whom I discovered just yesterday). Great recipes.Isn't breadfruit called divihalasu? I think thats what we mysooreans call it...., by the way where in UK are you to get all these, I'm In Oxford and I dont get anything :). Caribean is those african stores right? we had some in Aberdeen where I stayed till recently....I'll check in here
I have found some trees here in California where I live that have this same kind of looking fruit, and always wondered what it was? I do not know for sure if it is the same Bread fruit? Is there other trees do you know that produce this kind of fruit that are not edible? Does this fruit have a Milkey substance when cut into to or pricked?
Namaste! I am Sia and welcome to Monsoon Spice, my virtual home. Thank you for all your comments, inputs and valuable feedbacks. I really appreciate the valuable time you spent browsing through my recipe repertoire.
I hope you have found what you are looking for today. Feel free to leave any questions or queries you have on the recipes posted here. If you have any recipe requests, please drop a line at Ask Sia page. I will try to respond to all your queries as soon as possible to best of my knowledge.
I welcome all your valuable inputs and constructive criticism as long as it is meant to help and improve the blog. I reserve the right to delete any comments that are rude, abusive, written with the intent to advertise, contain profanity or considered spam.
Please note that any comments with separate link back to your blog, website or blog events will not be published. Your blog/website is hyper-linked when you sign in to your account to leave the comment and hence leaving separate links in the comment is unnecessary. Thank you for understanding!
I hope that you will stop by again to read my ramblings, learn new recipes and share your ideas. Have a good look around and enjoy your time here. Thank you once again!
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About Sia
Born in India and raised in fun and food loving family, I currently reside in UK with my better half and my two babies, five years old son and nine years old food blog. My cooking style has strong root in Indian culture and at the same time embraces the world cuisine with equal passion. With never ending love for food, spice and life, I am passionate about cooking and making Indian food less intimidating, healthy and easy to cook which reflects in my blog Monsoon Spice which has been ranked one among Top Indian food blogs. Read more…
Credits
Copyright Disclaimer
All the pictures and contents on Monsoon Spice are protected by Copyright Law and should not be reproduced, published or displayed without the prior written permission from me. Information on Monsoon Spice is not to be used in any form of publishing on other websites, commercial purposes or other media without explicit permission from me.
Thank you for visiting Monsoon Spice. | 2024-02-15T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/1876 |
BALTIMORE (AP) — Two former Baltimore detectives testified Monday about a series of brazen robberies and other illegal activities by a rogue police unit as the second week of a high-profile racketeering trial got underway.
Indicted ex-detectives Jemell Rayam and Evodio Hendrix, who each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, took the stand in U.S. District Court in Baltimore clad in jail jumpsuits. They are among six former policemen who have pleaded guilty and among four who are cooperating with the government during the trial of two detectives fighting corruption charges.
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Rayam testified about a July 2016 robbery of a married couple who were handcuffed after leaving Home Depot and taken to a police substation nicknamed “The Barn,” even though there was no evidence they had committed any crime. The indictment alleges that Gun Trace Task Force supervisor Sgt. Wayne Jenkins posed as a federal official during their interrogation.
After Ronald Hamilton disclosed he had about $40,000 in cash at the couple’s house outside the city, Gun Trace Task Force detectives drove the handcuffed couple to their Carroll County property, called a relative to pick up their children, and then scoured the house looking for cash, according to Rayam.
Before detaining the couple, Jenkins submitted an affidavit asking for authorization to search the home based on phony surveillance that never took place.
They robbed $20,000 before calling other law enforcement agencies to the couple’s home, Rayam testified, saying he “took the cash and put it in the (police) vehicle we were driving.”
Maryland State Police was called to execute a search warrant because the Baltimore unit was outside the city and therefore this was an out-of-jurisdiction warrant for the detectives.
Prosecutors allege they just wanted to rob the couple based on suspicions they were drug dealers - not actual evidence.
Rayam testified the detectives divvied up the money and went celebrating that night at two casinos.
Earlier in the day, Hendrix testified about a $100,000 robbery from a safe following a home invasion that prosecutors say involved Detective Marcus Taylor. He said Taylor held the camera during the subsequent staging of police body-camera video to make it seem like legitimate police business.
Hendrix testified that Taylor used part of his $20,000 share from that illegal payday to build a deck at his town house.
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Taylor and Detective Daniel Hersl have pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering and robbery.
Echoing the opening testimony of another indicted detective last week, Hendrix described squad supervisor Jenkins as a highly energetic dirty cop, always on the lookout for “monsters” — a term they used for drug dealers with a lot of loot to rob. Jenkins kept two duffel bags at the ready with gear including black ski masks, a grappling hook, a sledgehammer, and a machete, according to Hendrix.
“Jenkins said he had all that stuff in the car in case he ran into a monster, someone with a lot of money and drugs,” he testified.
Under cross-examination, Hendrix agreed that Jenkins was perceived as an untouchable “golden boy” within the department because the Gun Trace Task Force did manage to seize illegal guns.
The members are accused of defrauding their department for years with bogus overtime claims, including while they were on vacation in places such as South Carolina and the Dominican Republic.
Todd Edwards, an agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration in Baltimore, testified that during a 2016 stakeout Jenkins got out of a vehicle with tinted windows and knocked on Edwards’ car window at a parking lot in southern Maryland. They were both watching the same target. Edwards said Jenkins told him he was “looking for a monster” and had followed the suspect from Baltimore.
“I found it unusual,” Edwards said, adding that he’d never before seen a Baltimore police officer conducting investigations down in Maryland’s Prince George’s County.
The ongoing trial is one of the largest scandals in the city police force’s history. It comes as a monitoring team is overseeing court-ordered reforms as part of a federal consent decree reached last January between Baltimore and the U.S. Justice Department due to discriminatory and unconstitutional policing.
Dozens of cases handled by unit members have been dropped by prosecutors since detectives were indicted in March. Commissioner Kevin Davis, who was recently fired as commissioner, disbanded the Gun Trace Task Force last year, describing the indicted officers as “1930s-style gangsters.”
___
Follow David McFadden on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dmcfadd | 2023-12-01T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/5659 |
Crane Beach and Old San Juan
I’m back from Nicole and Lino’s amazing wedding down in San Juan, Puerto Rico! I have so much more to blog from a busy, busy summer, but I thought I’d share some snapshots of some fun I’ve had along the way =)
Emily of Emily Ku Photography accompanied me down to Puerto Rico for the wedding this past weekend. We were pretty exhausted the day after photographing the wedding (we left at 2AM, the party lasted until 4AM), but we managed to soak in the beauty that is Old San Juan for Independence Day! I hope the next time I do a destination wedding I can stay a little longer and plan for a day-after shoot in the city. It’s just so beautiful!
We finished our touristy day at El Morro – the famous fort that guards San Juan
Shang Chen Photography has rebranded to Saavedra Photography
Based in NYC | Open for select photography commissions on Sundays only | 2024-05-07T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/1630 |
Well I made a few jumps in 2007 with my aim being my license. Well I injured myself (my fault) and baloon'd up to 275 lbs . Now I am on a mission to get back up in the sky in May of 2013 to go back for my license. I have already lost 16 lbs. I work out daily and have changed my diet completely. I can't wait to jump again.
That's awesome! And I think it's good that you're giving yourself a reasonable amount of time to lose the weight. It seems too many people get impatient and set themselves up to fail by expecting too much too soon.
Keep us posted on your progress! It's exciting when the pounds start to melt off.
Well today is day 64 since I decided to make this decision and as of today I am now at 253 lbs!! Lost another 1 1/2 lbs last week! I stretch everyday, strength train mon-fri, and do cardio as much as I can.
I can't wait until March. My wife is even on board now and is almost more excited than I am.
Well I lost another lb this past week and am currently 252 lbs. Starting at 275 lbs that's stilll not too shabby since I'm only 70 days in. I obviously need to start to work harder to brake 250 by next Monday. I want to get into the tunnel and start flying again before next season starts.
Yippee!! I think of my husband who has been obese most of his adult life-265 at his heaviest. Over the course of the past year and a half, he's lost over 80 lbs. I think slow, gradual changes are so much more sustainable. For him, it was the changes to his diet that really kickstarted his weight loss.
Interestingly, he started to feel more confident, too. And women started checking him out.
Woot! You're down to about what I was on my first AFF jump! Since july 7th, I've lost about 20 pounds. Not so much because Skydiving is a workout, but I finally have some motivation to get in shape! Just from eating a bit less and doing some pushups and situps in the morning, it's just been coming off!
I read your other thread that you resurrected. That was kinda weird, getting 6 years of updates when I was expecting the timeline to be less. I had to go back and look at the dates while scratching my head.
I imagine a lot HAS happened in 6 years, but I'm glad to see you're back in the sport. I don't see many people who seem to have the enthusiasm that you do. You were excited to have surgery!
Hopefully this time around, it'll be the right time for you! Do keep us posted on your progress!
you can do it, bro! I lost 140 myself...and no, that's not a divorce joke. I really was freakin huge. Stay with it, stay strong, train with intensity, and keep your eyes on your goal - not a number on a scale, but the ability to do what you want to do! DO IT!
I'm glad the thread was still there. I wish I still had the video. Lot's of people don't believe how bad it really was. It was a freak accident that was my fault.
Definitely won't happen again. I am definitely enthusiastic!! I can still remember what it felt like 6 years ago to be sitting at the door excited to roll out of the plane for my cat B. This time around I will remember to pull.
I have an old Altimaster V on my lunch bag that I stare at every day. I would wear it on my wrist everywhere but that would be taking it a bit to far. Either way I won't forget to pull this time and I will be a skydiver hopefully before I turn 35.
Well I was bound to have at least one week where I didn't lose any weight. Still at 246 lbs. I will obviously have to stop eating cake for breakfast and cookies for lunch for a while. It is good to know that I didn't gain any weight even though I ate like an asshole all week long and didn't do any strength training. Time to start lifting more, pushing myself harder, and eating better. (I didn't GAIN any weight which is a positive note)
For those following my progress... I'M SORRY! I WON'T LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN. *bangs head against the wall*
What accident are you talking about? I cant find you explaining anywhere what happened to you. Good job on loosing weight to jump again, skydiving seems to be a great motivation for people to turn their life around. Good luck :) | 2023-08-16T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/2489 |
A neural mass model of basal ganglia nuclei simulates pathological beta rhythm in Parkinson's disease.
An increase in beta oscillations within the basal ganglia nuclei has been shown to be associated with movement disorder, such as Parkinson's disease. The motor cortex and an excitatory-inhibitory neuronal network composed of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and the external globus pallidus (GPe) are thought to play an important role in the generation of these oscillations. In this paper, we propose a neuron mass model of the basal ganglia on the population level that reproduces the Parkinsonian oscillations in a reciprocal excitatory-inhibitory network. Moreover, it is shown that the generation and frequency of these pathological beta oscillations are varied by the coupling strength and the intrinsic characteristics of the basal ganglia. Simulation results reveal that increase of the coupling strength induces the generation of the beta oscillation, as well as enhances the oscillation frequency. However, for the intrinsic properties of each nucleus in the excitatory-inhibitory network, the STN primarily influences the generation of the beta oscillation while the GPe mainly determines its frequency. Interestingly, describing function analysis applied on this model theoretically explains the mechanism of pathological beta oscillations. | 2024-02-11T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/6036 |
Île Saint-Honorat
The Île Saint-Honorat is the second largest of the Lérins Islands, about a mile off shore from the French Riviera town of Cannes. The island is approximately 1.5 kilometers in length (East to West) and 400 meters wide.
Since the fifth century, the island has been home to a community of monks.
History
The island, known to the Romans as Lerina, was uninhabited until Saint Honoratus founded a monastery on it at some time around the year 410. According to tradition, Honoratus made his home on the island intending to live as a hermit, but found himself joined by disciples (including Saint Caprais (Caprasius) who formed a monastic community around him. This had become "an immense monastery" by 427, according to the contemporary writings of John Cassian. Reputedly, Saint Patrick, patron of Ireland, studied at the monastery in the fifth century.
Over the following centuries, monastic life on the island was interrupted on several occasions by raids, mostly attributable to Saracens. Around 732, many of the community, including the abbot, Saint Porcarius, were massacred on the island by invaders. According to myth, many of the monks escaped, because Porcarius had been warned of the attack by an angel and had sent them to safety.
In medieval times, the island became a very popular place of pilgrimage. This was encouraged by the writings of Raymond Féraud, a monk who composed a mythological life of Honoratus.
In 1635, the island was captured by the Spanish, and the monks were expelled. They returned from exile in Vallauris two years later when the island was retaken by the French.
The monastery continued to suffer from Spanish and Genoese attacks. The number of monks dwindled to four and, in the proto-revolutionary climate of the time, the monastery was disestablished in 1787. Under the Revolution, the island became the property of the state, and was sold to a wealthy actress, Mademoiselle de Sainval, who lived there for twenty years.
In 1859, the island was bought by the Bishop of Fréjus, who sought to re-establish a religious community there. Ten years later, a Cistercian community was established, which has remained there ever since.
Present
The island retains a monastery, which is home to 30 Cistercian monks, and is a popular tourist attraction offering pleasant woodland surroundings, in common with its neighbour the Île Sainte-Marguerite. Points of interest include a number of disused chapels erected by monks on the island at different points in history, as well as the remains of a Napoleonic cannonball oven and a Second World War gun emplacement.
The Abbey of Lérins and the 15th Century fortified monastery are open to visitors, and a monastery shop sells various monastic goods, including wine and honey produced on the island. The modern monastery is closed to visitors, although it is used as a Christian retreat.
The island is served all year round by a regular commercial ferry service from Cannes.
References
External links
Saint-Honorat
Category:Cannes
Category:Landforms of Alpes-Maritimes
Category:Islands of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 2023-12-27T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/3420 |
Q:
HTML - Dynamically created input labels, for attribute
Is there a way to link a label to an input without using the input's id ?
I'm creating/deleting input / label couples dynamically and i would like not to have to generate unique IDs for the for attribute. Can this be done using classes or something else ?
Thanks for your help !
A:
Yes place the input inside the label
<label><input type="text" name="myName" /> First name</label>
Have a look here - Possible to associate label with checkbox without using "for=id"?
When an <input> is inside a <label>, the connection between them is
implicit.
HTML4 Specification
| 2024-07-12T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/7759 |
Editorial Note on the Review Process
====================================
[F1000 Faculty Reviews](http://f1000research.com/browse/f1000-faculty-reviews) are commissioned from members of the prestigious [F1000 Faculty](http://f1000.com/prime/thefaculty) and are edited as a service to readers. In order to make these reviews as comprehensive and accessible as possible, the referees provide input before publication and only the final, revised version is published. The referees who approved the final version are listed with their names and affiliations but without their reports on earlier versions (any comments will already have been addressed in the published version).
The referees who approved this article are:
1. Anna Mae Diehl, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA [^2]
2. Lola Reid, Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Program in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA [^3]
3. George Michalopoulos, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA [^4]
Introduction
============
Liver disease is an increasing problem worldwide, and with the seemingly intractable problem of an insufficient number of livers available for transplantation, attention is turning to alternate sources of supply. In particular, the ability to *ex vivo*-expand the number of good-quality hepatocytes from the limited number of available livers is viewed as an attractive proposition. Thus, much effort is being spent in defining liver populations in terms of their 'stemness' or clonogenic potential, cell surface characteristics (for isolation), and their location within the liver. Although our understanding of the organization and renewal of the likes of the hematopoietic system and the small intestine is well advanced, it might surprise readers of this article to find that hepatologists cannot even agree whether the liver has a hierarchical organization, conforming to a stem cell and lineage system.
Many previous studies into the kinetics of hepatocyte proliferation have concentrated on the periportal zone, since hepatocytes located here are the first to enter DNA synthesis after a two-thirds partial hepatectomy (2/3 PH) (reviewed in [@ref-1]) and undergo more rounds of replication than midzonal and pericentral hepatocytes. In the '80s, pulse-chase analysis of rats injected with tritiated thymidine suggested a slow migration of hepatocytes along the portal vein (PV)-to-central vein (CV) axis, formally proposed as the 'streaming liver' hypothesis ^[@ref-2]^. Studies in human liver have also supported a periportal origin of hepatocyte generation; distinct maturational stages were found along the same PV-CV axis ^[@ref-3]^, and while studying mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutation analysis, we have discovered clonal populations of hepatocytes invariably connected to the portal limiting plate ^[@ref-4],\ [@ref-5]^.
The long-term retention of DNA labels in cells has been advanced as evidence for slowly cycling stem cells, and in the mouse DNA label-retaining cells are in and around the portal tracts, providing further support for a periportal stem cell niche in this location ^[@ref-6]^. Employing tamoxifen-inducible genetic lineage tracing from the *Sox9* locus in the mouse liver, Furuyama *et al*. ^[@ref-7]^ followed the fate of labeled biliary cells by X-gal staining, observing marked cells seemingly migrating along the PV-CV axis to eventually replace the whole parenchyma within 8 to 12 months. These observations would imply that cells within the biliary tree are drivers not only of hepatocyte replacement when regeneration from existing hepatocytes is compromised---see section on hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs), entitled 'periportal/portal stem cell niche(s)'---but also of normal hepatocyte turnover. Unfortunately, these findings have not been replicated by others. For example, Tarlow *et al*. ^[@ref-8]^ found that Sox9-positive ductal cells made only a minimal contribution to parenchymal regeneration in a number of liver injury models; moreover, even when high-dose tamoxifen was used to induce Sox9 expression in periportal hepatocytes, these marked hepatocytes did not replace the remainder of the parenchyma. Lineage labeling from Sox9-expressing ductal plate cells also indicated no large-scale parenchymal replacement from these cells, descendants being restricted to a few periportal hepatocytes as well as the intrahepatic biliary tree ^[@ref-9]^. Achieving specific marker gene activation in all mouse hepatocytes with an adeno-associated viral vector has also failed to indicate any significant contribution of biliary cells to the hepatic parenchyma, not only under normal homeostatic conditions but also after 2/3 PH or carbon tetrachloride (CCl ~4~) toxic injury ^[@ref-10]^. Retroviral-mediated β-galactosidase gene transfer to rat livers 24 hours after a 2/3 PH has also seemingly put a 'nail in the coffin' of the 'streaming liver' hypothesis ^[@ref-11],\ [@ref-12]^, given that there was no apparent movement of these marked hepatocytes over the next year or more. A recent review summarizes ^[@ref-13]^ these two studies with the statement "it is important to consider that much literature refutes the notion of either portal-to-central or central-to-portal hepatocyte streaming during homeostasis". This review now describes several studies that re-invigorate the streaming debate as well as provide convincing evidence that biliary-derived HPCs can be an effective reservoir for new parenchymal (hepatocyte) cells.
A pericentral hepatic stem cell niche?
======================================
In the mouse, a single layer of essentially diploid hepatocytes (two-thirds diploid and one-third tetraploid) abuts the hepatic (central) veins, expressing the Wnt target gene products Axin2 (axis inhibition protein 2) and glutamine synthetase (GS) ^[@ref-14]^. Axin2 negatively regulates Wnt signaling, promoting phosphorylation and degradation of β-catenin ^[@ref-15]^. These hepatocytes lack expression of the differentiated gene product carbamoyl-phosphate synthase 1 (CPS-1) but do express the transcription factors HNF4α (for hepatocyte fate determination) and Tbx3 (a pluripotency factor); Tbx is also expressed in hepatoblasts. Under normal homeostatic conditions, genetic lineage labeling from these Axin2-positive hepatocytes with inducible Cre revealed that these cells migrated concentrically away from the hepatic veins, differentiating into Axin2- and GS-negative but CPS-positive polyploid hepatocytes that within a year had reached the portal rim ( [Figure 1](#f1){ref-type="fig"}). No cholangiocyte differentiation was seen from these cells. Hepatic vein endothelial cells expressed high levels of Wnt2 and Wnt9b, and disruption of this Wnt signaling reduced both Axin2 expression and the rate of cell proliferation of these Axin2-positive hepatocytes. Thus, hepatic vein endothelial cells could constitute the stem cell niche. Tracing dilution of a stable DNA label, the authors estimated that the Axin2-positive hepatocytes divided every 14 days, twice as fast as Axin2-negative hepatocytes. Moreover, the pericentral ring of Axin2-positive hepatocytes was never infiltrated by Axin2-negative hepatocytes, suggesting to the authors that the Axin2-positive population is self-renewing---one functional definition of stem cells. On the other hand, Axin2-negative hepatocytes could have penetrated the pericentral hepatocyte ring, becoming Axin2 positive when in contact with the hepatic venous system. Indeed, over 20 years ago, Kuo and Darnell ^[@ref-16]^ noted that widening of the GS-positive zone did not occur after a 75% hepatectomy in mice even though the GS-positive hepatocytes divided, reasoning (correctly, it seems) that the immediate microenvironment of the hepatic venous system provides the signals for GS gene expression.
![A pericentral stem/progenitor niche.\
Under normal homeostatic conditions essentially diploid hepatocytes abut the central veins, they may self-renew, and the progeny of these cells migrate concentrically away from the central vein towards the portal regions. This migration is accompanied by polyploidization and changes in metabolic status appropriate to position along the central vein-portal vein axis. See section entitled 'a pericentral hepatic stem cell niche?' and [@ref-14] for further details.](f1000research-5-9502-g0000){#f1}
Wnts regulate stem cell renewal in many tissues, and in mouse liver Wnt signaling is implicated in metabolic zonation ^[@ref-17]^ and liver regeneration ^[@ref-18]^, seemingly spatially coordinated by the combination of R-spondin (RSPO) ligands, their leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptors LGR4 and LGR5 and the ZNRF3/RNF43 receptor-degrading enzymes ^[@ref-19],\ [@ref-20]^. Planas-Paz *et al*. ^[@ref-19]^ found that RSPO1 improved liver regeneration but that LGR4/5 loss of function resulted in hypoplasia; the authors concluded that the RSPO-LGR4/5-ZNRF3/RNF43 module not only controls metabolic zonation but also acts as a hepatic growth/size rheostat. Surprisingly, the authors failed to confirm the observations of the Nusse group ^[@ref-14]^, finding that the LGR5-expressing pericentral hepatocytes did not show an increased proliferative rate compared with hepatocytes in other zones, nor did they find that descendants of these pericentral hepatocytes extensively re-populated the liver during normal homeostasis or following a 2/3 PH! Clearly, further studies are required to clarify the role of pericentral hepatocytes.
Apart from the role of Wnt signaling, many other growth factors, cytokines, and their signaling pathways have been implicated in initiating and terminating hepatocyte proliferation; these have been comprehensively reviewed elsewhere ^[@ref-1],\ [@ref-21]--\ [@ref-24]^. [Table 1](#T1){ref-type="table"} highlights some of the more recent findings that could have clinical implications ^[@ref-25]--\ [@ref-43]^.
###### Selected studies related to the regulation of hepatocyte proliferation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reference Observations Comment
---------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------
Buitrago-Molina\ Deletion of p21 in mice with severe liver injury\ p21 loss impairs regeneration in mice with chronic\
*et al*. (2013) ^[@ref-25]^ leads to continued proliferation and facilitates HCC\ moderate injury with upregulation of sestrin-2. Sestrin-2\
development. inhibits mTOR-mediated hepatocyte proliferation but also\
enhances the Nrf2-regulated oxidative stress response.
Nejak-Bowen\ NF-κB p65/β-catenin complex dissociates after tumor\ β-catenin inhibition in the context of cancer may have\
*et al*. (2013) ^[@ref-26]^ necrosis factor-alpha induced injury. β-catenin KO\ unintended consequences of promoting tumor cell\
mice have an earlier, stronger, and more protracted\ survival.
activation of NF-κB than WT mice.
Xia *et al*. (2013) ^[@ref-27]^ HDAC1 and HDAC2 associate independently with\ Loss of HDAC1/2 impairs regeneration.
C/EBPβ to upregulate Ki-67 expression.
Xu *et al*. (2013) ^[@ref-28]^ A long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) specifically\ Pharmacological targeting of specific lncRNAs may aid\
differentially expressed during liver regeneration\ regeneration.
facilitates cyclin D1 expression by potentiating Wnt/β-\
catenin signaling through Axin1 suppression.
Yuan *et al*.\ miR-221 promotes liver regeneration by targeting p27,\ Knockdown of miR-221 in HCC could reduce growth rate.
(2013) ^[@ref-29]^ p57, and aryl hydrocarbon nuclear translocator (Arnt).
Amaya *et al*.\ A subset of insulin receptors localize to the nucleus\ A number of potential targets have been identified for\
(2014) ^[@ref-30]^ upon insulin binding, generating InsP ~3~-dependent Ca ^2+^\ modulating hepatocyte proliferation.
signals with pro-proliferative effects.
Fanti *et al*.\ Thyroid hormone (T3) promotes β-catenin-TCF4\ T3 may be useful to induce regeneration in cases of\
(2014) ^[@ref-31]^ reporter activity through protein kinase A-dependent\ hepatic insufficiency.
β-catenin activation (phosphorylation of Ser675).
Garcia-Rodriguez\ Over-expression of sirtuin1 (SIRT1), a class III histone\ Aberrant SIRT1 over-expression could be targeted in\
*et al*. (2014) ^[@ref-32]^ deacetylase, impairs regeneration after PH. metabolic liver disease involving dysregulated bile acid\
metabolism.
Kohler *et al*.\ High levels of activated Nrf2 delay regeneration after\ Caution is advised when using Nrf2-activating compounds\
(2014) ^[@ref-33]^ PH, possibly allowing time for damage repair before\ for the prevention of liver damage.
proliferation.
Rizzo *et al*.\ Seventy-two out of about 1400 piRNAs show changes\ The role of piRNAs in regeneration is unclear but is a new\
(2014) ^[@ref-34]^ in expression 24 to 48 hours after PH, returning to\ field of investigation.
basal levels by 168 hours.
Starlinger *et al*.\ Patients with low intraplatelet levels of serotonin (5-HT)\ Platelet levels of serotonin may predict clinical outcome\
(2014) ^[@ref-35]^ have delayed hepatic regeneration. after hepatic resection.
Jin *et al*. (2015) ^[@ref-36]^ Expression of C/EBPα opposes the pro-proliferative\ Deregulation of the formation of complexes between C/EBP\
effects of C/EBPβ. Absence of active C/EBPα leads to\ proteins and chromatin remodeling proteins disrupts liver\
hepatomegaly. homeostasis.
Nguyen *et al*.\ YAP is a powerful stimulant of hepatic growth that\ Reducing YAP protein levels or targeting YAP-TEAD\
(2015) ^[@ref-37]^ can be degraded via phosphorylation by the Hippo\ interactions may reduce hepatocyte/biliary proliferation.
signaling pathway.
Yang and Monga\ Hepatocyte-secreted Wnt5a suppresses β-catenin\ Loss of termination signals such as Wnt5a may contribute\
(2015) ^[@ref-38]^ signaling in an autocrine manner through Frizzled-2,\ to dysregulated growth (for example, in tumors).
terminating regeneration.
Zhang *et al*.\ Wip1 suppresses liver regeneration through\ Wip1 inhibition can activate the mTORC1 pathway\
(2015) ^[@ref-39]^ dephosphorylation of mTOR. to promote proliferation in situations in which liver\
regeneration is critical.
Kaji *et al.* (2016) ^[@ref-40]^ DNMT1 loss in hepatocytes causes global\ This triggers DNA damage and DNA damage response in\
hypomethylation, initiating senescence and a gradual\ hepatocytes, leading to HPC expansion and differentiation\
loss of regenerative capability. to hepatocytes.
Pauta *et al*.\ The serine-threonine kinases Akt1 and Akt2\ Double KO mice have impaired liver regeneration.
(2016) ^[@ref-41]^ phosphorylate and inactivate the transcription factor\
FoxO1.
Sun *et al*. (2016) ^[@ref-42]^ Loss of Arid1A, a SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling\ Transient epigenetic reprogramming via Arid1A inhibition\
complex component, enhances regeneration by\ may boost regeneration after severe injury.
blocking chromatin access to transcription factors\
that promote differentiation and inhibit proliferation (for\
example, C/EBPα).
Swiderska-Syn\ Disrupting Hedgehog signaling in myofibroblasts\ This demonstrates a critical role of paracrine stromal-to-\
*et al*. (2016) ^[@ref-43]^ inhibits regeneration after PH and is associated with\ epithelial signaling for effective regeneration.
a loss of paracrine signals that upregulate Yap1- and\
Hedgehog-related transcription factors in hepatocytes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
These are rodent studies unless stated otherwise. C/EBP, CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein; DNMT1, DNA methyltransferase 1; HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; HDAC, histone deacetylase; HPC, hepatic progenitor cell; InsP3, inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate; KO, knockout; mTOR, mammalian target of rapamycin; mTORC1, mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1; NF-κB, nuclear factor kappa B; Nrf2, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2; PH, partial hepatectomy; piRNA, P-element-induced wimpy testis (PIWI)-interacting RNA; SWI/SNF, SWItch/sucrose non-fermentable; TEAD, TEA domain family transcription factors; Wip1, Wild-type p53-induced phosphatase 1; Yap, Yes-associated protein.
The observations of the Nusse group of a largely diploid stem/progenitor hepatocyte population in the immediate pericentral region ^[@ref-14]^, if confirmed, raise a number of questions regarding regeneration after toxic injury and the role of this population in liver cancer histogenesis. Toxins such as CCl ~4~ destroy the pericentral regions, yet the liver regenerates perfectly well from other hepatocytes, but can Axin2-positive hepatocytes be re-created after such injury and can their diploid status be re-established from polyploid hepatocytes? Cytokinesis without DNA synthesis in binucleated hepatocytes with diploid nuclei would be one way.
Perivenous diploid hepatocytes are also found in human liver ^[@ref-3]^, so are there implications for liver pathology (for example, in the origins of hepatocellular carcinoma \[HCC\])? HCCs have similarities with Axin2-positive hepatocytes; many human HCCs are composed of diploid or near-diploid (aneuploid) hepatocytes ^[@ref-44]--\ [@ref-46]^, and in childhood hepatoblastoma a small cell (diploid?) undifferentiated histology carries a poor prognosis ^[@ref-47]^. Additionally, expression of nuclear β-catenin and GS can be found in HCCs ^[@ref-48]^, and mutations in the *APC*, *AXIN1*, *AXIN2*, and *CTNNB1*/β-catenin genes are common in human HCCs ^[@ref-49],\ [@ref-50]^.
Periportal/portal stem cell niche(s)
====================================
If normal homeostatic renewal is fed by pericentral hepatocytes, what happens after toxin-induced injury when pericentral cell death invariably features? HPCs derived from the canals of Hering can be mobilized when hepatocyte regeneration is compromised (see below), but another recent murine study suggests that chronic chemical damage induces clonal expansion of 'hybrid hepatocytes' (HybHPs) ( [Figure 2](#f2){ref-type="fig"}), so-called because they express the hepatic fate-determining transcription factor HNF4α, but also low levels of bile duct-enriched genes such as *Sox9* and *OPN*, but no expression of the biliary cytokeratin CK19 ^[@ref-51]^. These HybHPs comprised only 5% of all hepatocytes and exhibited a transcriptome unique from conventional hepatocytes and bile duct epithelia. In the mouse, these hepatocytes were found abutting the limiting plate, often in close association with the terminal branches of bile ducts. Lineage tracing found that HybHPs gave rise to only about 9% of hepatocytes 4 weeks after a single dose of CCl ~4~ but contributed to two-thirds of hepatocytes after repeated CCl ~4~ injections in *Sox9-Cre ^ERT^;R26R ^YFP^* mice within 12 weeks of tamoxifen treatment. The descendants of HybHPs extended from the portal tracts to the CVs, where they expressed GS, indicative of the new cells adopting the correct metabolic zonation. In the MUP-uPA (major urinary protein-urokinase-type plasminogen activator) mouse, where widespread DNA damage occurs because of endoplasmic stress caused by over-expression of uPA, HybHP progeny could reach the pericentral region within 5 to 6 weeks. Cholestatic injury induced many HybHPs to transdifferentiate to duct cells, strongly expressing Sox9, CK19, and OPN; so perhaps some ductular reactions are derived from hepatocytes? Sox9 and OPN are also expressed in some human periportal hepatocytes, suggesting that HybHPs are also found here. HybHPs were also compared with other hepatocytes for their ability to re-populate the fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase ( *Fah ^-^* ^/\ *-*^) null mouse, a model of hereditary tyrosinemia. HybHPs formed Fah ^+^ colonies 2.5-fold larger than those formed from conventional hepatocytes; moreover, mouse survival was vastly superior with HybHP transplantation compared with conventional hepatocyte transplantation. Finally, in three models of HCC formation, neither HPCs nor HybHPs contributed to tumor formation. This inability is probably due to the low expression of drug-metabolizing enzymes by these cells and, of course, is the reason why such cells are immune from the effects of chemicals that cause pericentral damage.
![A periportal stem cell niche.\
A subpopulation of periportal hepatocytes (HybHPs) in intimate contact with the biliary epithelium can clonally expand upon liver injury, migrating towards the central veins. See section entitled 'periportal/portal stem cell niche(s)' and [@ref-51] for further details. Arrows indicate possible paracrine influences of biliary epithelium upon HybHPs. BD, bile duct; CHP, conventional hepatocyte; C of H, canal of Hering; HA, hepatic artery; HPV, hepatic portal vein; HybHP, hybrid hepatocyte.](f1000research-5-9502-g0001){#f2}
It is important to note that the rate of re-population by so-called HybHPs across the lobule (measured in weeks) was far too low to account for the restitution of liver structure (measured in days) after the likes of a single exposure to CCl ~4~; thus, regenerative growth most likely involves all surviving hepatocytes. Moreover, if the pericentral niche is re-established after such an insult, is there a bidirectional flux of hepatocytes? Interestingly, hybrid/transitional/intermediate hepatocytes have also been noted by others in the immediate periportal area, but the relationship of these hepatocytes to HybHPs is unclear. For example, Isse *et al*. ^[@ref-52]^ reported on the presence of CK19 ^*--*^, HNF1β ^+^, HNF4α ^+^ hepatocytes in human liver, whereas the Reid group ^[@ref-53]^ observed hepatoblasts expressing α-fetoprotein, intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), albumin, and membranous epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) in the mouse liver. These hepatoblasts appeared to be tethered to the canals of Hering and, importantly, expanded in number during regenerative responses, just like HybHPs; so are these one and the same cells?
HPCs, named oval cells in rodents, give rise to the so-called ductular reaction that is observed in many forms of chronic liver injury. These cells undoubtedly have a biliary phenotype, but their cell of origin is in question. Additionally, there has been considerable debate as to the ability of oval cells/HPCs to generate meaningful numbers of hepatocytes. Ductular reactions probably arise from small intraportal bile ducts and from the canals of Hering, conduits that connect bile canaliculi to intraportal bile ducts ^[@ref-54]^. In both rats ^[@ref-55]^ and mice ^[@ref-56]^, retrograde ink injections via the extrahepatic bile duct have demonstrated continuity between the intraportal bile ducts and ductular reactions. On the other hand, it has been suggested that some ductular reactions arise from the transdifferentiation of hepatocytes; for example, mice fed diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydrocollidine (DDC) generate ductular cells from albumin-positive hepatocytes ^[@ref-57]^, seemingly reprogramming that is dependent on Notch signaling ^[@ref-58]^, but it has been proposed that the ability of hepatocytes to reversibly transdifferentiate to ductular cells is a mechanism to escape injury and expand before redifferentiating to hepatocytes ^[@ref-59]^. The latter study used the *Fah* ^-/-^ mouse that generates a severe form of tyrosinemia combined with DDC that causes bile duct destruction and cholestasis, circumstances so severe that some commentators ^[@ref-60]^ have questioned the relevance of the findings to normal liver regeneration. However, there is evidence that some cholangiocarcinomas, originally considered to be derived from ductular epithelia, actually can have their origins in hepatocytes that have undergone ductular metaplasia ^[@ref-61],\ [@ref-62]^.
Doubts have been cast on the ability of HPCs to make a physiologically useful contribution to hepatocyte replacement *in vivo* ^[@ref-63]--\ [@ref-65]^. Much of this skepticism seems to have arisen from the use of mechanistically different oval cell induction models. One classic model involves feeding rats 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF), a compound that is metabolized by hepatocytes to form DNA adducts that render hepatocytes unable to proliferate in response to 2/3 PH. This model, in effect, mimics hepatocyte senescence, a seemingly key factor in inducing ductular reactions when chronic liver injury occurs. With this model, a number of studies suggest that oval cells can undergo hepatocytic differentiation ^[@ref-55],\ [@ref-66]--\ [@ref-68]^; moreover, studies of human liver cirrhosis indicate that HPCs also give rise to regenerative hepatocyte nodules ^[@ref-69],\ [@ref-70]^. A lack of any significant contribution by ductular cells to hepatocytes in several injury models could be due to the fact that a complete hepatocyte-senescence-like state is not achieved; Yanger *et al*. ^[@ref-64]^ used DDC, which targets the biliary epithelium, and a choline-deficient, ethionine-supplemented (CDE) diet that induces a fatty liver; the latter model was also used by Schaub *et al*. ^[@ref-65]^.
A further study has now shown how crucial the blockade of hepatocyte regeneration is to HPC activation and differentiation, with complete re-population of the injured liver by nascent hepatocytes under the CDE diet regime ^[@ref-71]^! Lu *et al*. ^[@ref-71]^ inactivated the *Mdm2* gene in hepatocytes, promoting a rise in p53 and increased expression of p21 ^*Cip1*^ and Bax. The resultant hepatocyte senescence and apoptosis led to the almost complete re-population of the liver by HPC-derived hepatocytes ( [Figure 3](#f3){ref-type="fig"}). A detailed account of the molecular regulation of the ductular reaction is beyond the scope of this review, but important molecules include the cytokine tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) ^[@ref-72]^, neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) ^[@ref-73]^, polycomb-group proteins ^[@ref-74]^, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) ^[@ref-75]^, Notch ligands ^[@ref-76]^, and integrin αvβ6-dependent transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGFβ1) activation ^[@ref-77]^.
![A model for major hepatic progenitor cell activation and hepatocytic differentiation.\
( **a**) Molecular mechanism: β-NF injection leads to hepatocyte-specific deletion of *mdm2*, in turn reducing proteasomal destruction of p53 and upregulation of p53 targets p21 and Bax. ( **b**) Cartoon of histological consequences: hepatocytes (brown cytoplasm) undergo cell cycle arrest and apoptosis as a consequence of upregulation of p21 and Bax, respectively. The ductular (green cytoplasm) reaction (DR) is activated, leading to columns of proliferating cells migrating into the parenchyma and eventually differentiating to hepatocytes. See section entitled 'periportal/portal stem cell niche(s)' and [@ref-71] for further details. β-NF; β-Naphthoflavone; AH, apoptotic hepatocyte; BD, bile duct; PS, portal space.](f1000research-5-9502-g0002){#f3}
This review has illustrated some recent observations regarding liver regeneration. We suggest that the functional significance of HPCs is very much dependent on the liver injury model used and that hepatocyte senescence in the face of injury is a major driver for HPC expansion and differentiation. Additionally, we have highlighted studies identifying new stem/progenitor hepatocytes at opposite ends of the PV-CV axis: at the portal rim, clonogenic HybHPs are activated only in response to damage, whereas pericentral hepatocytes are proposed to be responsible for normal turnover, moving in the opposite direction. A recent article has failed to confirm the presence of pericentral stem/progenitor cells ^[@ref-19]^. The kinetics of clonogenic expansion from HybHPs is relatively slow, but since midzonal/centrilobular necrosis induced by the likes of a single injection of CCl ~4~ can be repaired within a few days, hepatocyte self-duplication from other surviving hepatocytes must occur, undoubtedly as the dominant mechanism. On the other hand, HybHPs may have superior potential over conventional hepatocytes as a cell therapy. What is certain is that recent studies have revived the debate on the nature of liver regeneration on two counts: firstly, whether the liver conforms to a stem cell and lineage system and, secondly, whether hepatocytes do migrate (stream) and, if so, which way? Or do they migrate both ways?
[^1]: **Competing interests:**The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
[^2]: No competing interests were disclosed.
[^3]: No competing interests were disclosed.
[^4]: No competing interests were disclosed.
| 2024-02-04T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/8364 |
How do antegrade enemas work? Colonic motility in response to administration of normal saline solution into the proximal colon.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the colonic motor response to the administration of normal saline into the proximal colon. Pediatric patients undergoing colonic manometry received a saline infusion (10-20 mL/kg) in 10 minutes through the central lumen of a catheter placed into the proximal colon. We compared the number of high-amplitude propagated contractions (HAPCs), motility index, frequency and propagation of other phasic contractions in the 20 minutes before and after normal saline infusion, meal ingestion, and bisacodyl administration. Thirteen patients, mean age 9.4 ± 5.8 years, received the saline infusion (3 in the cecum, 8 in the hepatic flexure, and 2 in the transverse colon). In the first 20 minutes after saline infusion, the number of contractions (P = 0.005), distance of propagation of contractions (P = 0.007), frequency of contractions (P = 0.009), and motility index (P = 0.003) were significantly higher compared with baseline. Mean amplitude and number of HAPCs were not significantly different from baseline. Motility parameters after saline and after ingestion of a meal did not differ. All of the measured motility variables significantly increased after bisacodyl stimulation. Bisacodyl increased the motility index and HAPCs more than either saline infusion (P = 0.002) or meal intake (P < 0.001). Infusion of saline into the proximal colon is associated with an increase in colonic motility; however, at the volume and rate used in the present study it does not consistently stimulate HAPCs. | 2023-11-30T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/5989 |
Curriculum
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Central Elementary School works hard to surpass the academic guidelines established by the California Department of Education by providing a challenging and engaging curriculum for our students.
Central Elementary School Curriculum
Central Elementary School follows California State and Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary District guidelines. The school district has adopted content standards and Multiple Measures assessments. These assessments allow teachers, students and parents to see where individuals are in reaching and/or exceeding District Standards. The measures will determine whether the student has successfully learned grade level standards. The results of these measures will enable our teachers to teach to your child's individual needs and strengths. Copies of the State Content Standards can be accessed at the links provided below.
The English-Language Arts Content Standards for California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve represents a strong consensus on the skills, knowledge, and abilities that all students should be able to master in language arts at specific grade levels during 13 years in the California public school system. Each standard describes the content students need to master by the end of each grade level (kindergarten through grade eight) or cluster of grade levels (grades nine and ten and grades eleven and twelve). In accordance with Education Code Section 60603, as added by Assembly Bill 265 (Chapter 975, Statutes of 1995), the Leroy Greene California Assessment of Academic Achievement Act, there will be performance standards that "define various levels of competence at each grade level . . . [and] gauge the degree to which a student has met the content standards." The assessment of student mastery of these standards is scheduled for no later than 2001.
A high-quality mathematics program is essential for all students and provides every student with the opportunity to choose among the full range of future career paths. Mathematics, when taught well, is a subject of beauty and elegance, exciting in its logic and coherence. It trains the mind to be analytic - providing the foundation for intelligent and precise thinking.
To compete successfully in the worldwide economy, today's students must have a high degree of comprehension in mathematics. For too long schools have suffered from the notion that success in mathematics is the province of a talented few. Instead, a new expectation is needed: all students will attain California's mathematics academic content standards, and many will be inspired to achieve far beyond the minimum standards.
The California State Board of Education has worked hard with the Academic Standards Commission to develop history-social science standards that reflect California's commitment to history-social science education. These standards emphasize historical narrative, highlight the roles of significant individuals throughout history, and convey the rights and obligations of citizenship.
In that spirit the standards proceed chronologically and call attention to the story of America as a noble experiment in a constitutional republic. They recognize that America's ongoing struggle to realize the ideals of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution is the struggle to maintain our beautifully complex national heritage of e pluribus unum. While the standards emphasize Western civilizations as the source of American political institutions, laws, and ideology, they also expect students to analyze the changing political relationships within and among other countries and regions of the world, both throughout history and within the context of contemporary global interdependence.
Physical education significantly contributes to students' well-being; therefore, it is an instructional priority for California schools and an integral part of our students' educational experience. High-quality physical education instruction contributes to good health, develops fundamental and advanced motor skills, improves students' self-confidence, and provides opportunities for increased levels of physical fitness that are associated with high academic achievement. The Physical Education Model Content Standards for California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve affirms the standing of physical education; rigor is essential to achievement, and participation is not the same as education. Mastering fundamental movement skills at an early age establishes a foundation that facilitates further motor skill acquisition and gives students increased capacity for a lifetime of successful and enjoyable physical activity experiences. Similarly, the patterns of physical activity acquired during childhood and adolescence are likely to be maintained throughout one's life span, providing physical, mental, and social benefits.
The Science Content Standards for California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve represents the content of science education and includes the essential skills and knowledge students will need to be scientifically literate citizens in the twenty-first century. By adopting these standards, the State Board of Education affirms its commitment to provide a world-class science education for all California students. These standards reflect the diligent work and commitment of the Commission for the Establishment of Academic Content and Performance Standards (Academic Standards Commission) and the commission's Science Committee to define the common academic content of science education at every grade level.
The arts are a dynamic presence in our daily lives, enabling us to express our creativity while challenging our intellect. Through the arts, children have a unique means of expression that captures their passions and emotions and allows them to explore ideas, subject matter, and culture in delightfully different ways. Achievement in the arts cultivates essential skills, such as problem solving, creative thinking, effective planning, time management, teamwork, effective communication, and an understanding of technology. The visual and performing arts standards presented here are comprehensive and pro- vide important guidance for schools to pre- pare curricula for students in prekindergarten through grade twelve. For the four disciplines of dance, music, theatre, and visual arts— each with its own body of knowledge and skills—the standards are organized into five strands that are woven throughout all artistic experiences. The standards incorporate both traditional means of artistic expression and newer media, such as cinematography, video, and computer-generated art.
The English–Language Arts Content Standards for California Public Schools (1998) and the Reading/Language Arts Framework for California Public Schools (1999), both adopted by the State Board of Education, define what all students in California, including students learning English as a second language, are expected to know and be able to do. The English-language development (ELD) standards are designed to supplement the English–language arts content standards to ensure that limited-English proficient (LEP) students (now called English learners in California) develop proficiency in both the English language and the concepts and skills contained in the English–language arts content standards. | 2024-04-23T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/2253 |
I[NTRODUCTION]{.smallcaps} {#sec1-1}
==========================
In an effort to combat the high rate of multiple gestation pregnancies commonly seen in *in vitro* fertilization (IVF), elective single-embryo transfer (eSET) has been proposed. However, patients may be reluctant to undergo eSET due to the perceived risk of decreased success associated with the transfer of fewer embryos. Both the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the Society for Assisted Reproduction (SART) in the US and the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada and the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society advise that eSET should be more readily applied with blastocyst, rather than cleavage, stage embryos, as higher success rates are generally seen.\[[@ref1][@ref2][@ref3]\] Despite this recommendation, studies of eSET at the blastocyst stage are limited.\[[@ref4][@ref5][@ref6][@ref7][@ref8][@ref9][@ref10][@ref11]\] The only existing randomized trial found no differences in implantation or pregnancy rates between eSET and double-embryo transfer.\[[@ref6]\] Cohort study results are heterogeneous, with one study showing a significant reduction in pregnancy rates in eSET,\[[@ref7]\] four reporting no significant differences,\[[@ref4][@ref5][@ref9][@ref11]\] and two reporting differences among select patients.\[[@ref8][@ref10]\]
Although research at the blastocyst stage has increased, gaps exist. Only two blastocyst stage studies specifically stated that donor-recipient cycles were included,\[[@ref4][@ref10]\] though these patients are an identified target group for eSET.\[[@ref1][@ref3]\] Furthermore, not all single-embryo transfers in existing studies were elective, suggesting that the groups considered may not be truly comparable.\[[@ref11]\] Finally, even though these studies assess whether similar success rates can be obtained in eSET, all analyses utilize superiority techniques. To properly assess whether two procedures are similarly successful, analyses evaluating the similarity of success rates should be undertaken, rather than analyses that focus on their differences. This has been done previously in one cleavage stage study;\[[@ref12]\] however, no blastocyst stage studies have been evaluated in this manner. Here, we apply equivalence analysis methodology and demonstrate how differences in choice of analytic method can result in differing conclusions.
M[ETHODS]{.smallcaps} {#sec1-2}
=====================
The aim of the present study was to assess whether similar success rates are seen in good prognosis patients undergoing elective single blastocyst transfer (eSBT) compared to those opting for elective double blastocyst transfer (eDBT) and to contrast these findings with traditional superiority analyses.
The present investigation is a retrospective cohort study of medical records from a private fertility center. Consistent with SART/ASRM recommendations,\[[@ref1]\] center guidelines recommend eSET for: (a) autologous patients age \<35 years or patients of any age undergoing a donor-recipient cycle, and (b) patients with at least three fair to good quality blastocysts. Patients meeting these criteria are counseled regarding possible complications of multiple gestation pregnancies, and the potential benefit of single-embryo transfer; however, the decision of whether to transfer one or two embryos is left up to the patient.
All fresh IVF cycles from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2011 were reviewed to identify patients who were eligible for eSET. Patients were stratified according to the number of embryos they elected to transfer, and comparability of pregnancy and live-birth rates was assessed.
Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation consisted of standard gonadotropin-releasing hormone downregulation, followed by use of human menopausal gonadotropin (75 IU) and recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone (75--300 IU). Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) was administered when two or more follicles reached a diameter of 18 mm. Luteal support consisted of 50 mg intramuscular (IM) progesterone in oil and 4 mg estradiol administered orally and continued through 10 weeks gestation in women who became pregnant.
For donor-recipients, the endometrium was prepared using 0.1 mg transdermal estrogen replacement patches, adjusted up to six to achieve an estradiol level 300--500 pg/ml. Luteal support consisted of 100 mg IM progesterone in oil, and estrogen and progesterone were continued through 10 weeks gestation.
Standard insemination versus intracytoplasmic sperm injection was performed as clinically appropriate. Blastocyst grading was done on the day of blastocyst transfer (day 5), based on criteria described by Gardner and Schoolcraft.\[[@ref13]\] Blastocysts were graded as good if the inner cell mass consisted of many, tightly packed cells, and the trophoblast was comprised of many cells forming a cohesive epithelium, or a few cells forming a loose epithelium. Blastocysts with very few cells either in the inner cell mass or the trophoblast, early blastocysts with no inner cells mass, and morula stage embryos were graded as poor.
Clinical pregnancy was defined as the presence of a fetal heartbeat on ultrasound examination. Patients whose beta-hCG levels following embryo transfer were indicative of pregnancy but did not progress to a clinical pregnancy were considered not pregnant. Implantation rate was calculated by dividing the number of fetal sacs observed on ultrasound by the number of embryos transferred. Pregnancy rate was expressed as the number of cycles with at least one fetal heartbeat divided by the number of embryo transfer procedures. Live-birth was defined as the birth of a living infant; live-birth rate was expressed as the number of cycles with at least one live-birth divided by the number of embryo transfer procedures. Patient characteristics were compared between eSBT and eDBT groups using Chi-square for categorical variables and *t*-test for continuous variables.
Subsequently, an equivalence analysis was conducted to evaluate the similarity of pregnancy and live-birth rates between groups. Traditional statistical analyses focus on determining whether two treatments are different from one another, a concept known as superiority. Conversely, with equivalence analyses, the focus is on how similar two groups are. The appropriate response for a null finding in a superiority analysis is that we cannot say the two groups are different; however, this does not necessarily mean they are the same or equal. Thus, researchers have pointed out that it is inappropriate to conclude that two treatments are similar when utilizing traditional superiority statistics, such as Chi-square, rather than techniques that evaluate whether success rates fall within a predetermined range of equivalence.\[[@ref14]\]
While we cannot expect treatments to be exactly the same, we can establish an acceptable difference between the two that might not be considered clinically relevant. Once this has been done, analysis focuses on whether confidence intervals (CIs) around any observed difference falls within this acceptable range. Therefore, in line with a previous study,\[[@ref12]\] the predetermined difference to establish clinical equivalence was set at 10%, indicating that the CIs around the difference in the pregnancy and live-birth rates between the two groups should not exceed this magnitude. It is thought that a 10% decrease would be viewed as an acceptable risk among couples undergoing IVF given the prospective benefit of a singleton pregnancy. Chi-square tests were also conducted to assess whether rates significantly differed between groups to facilitate comparison with previous literature. Analyses were subsequently stratified by cycle type. To confirm that performing eSBT was successful in reducing multiples, rates of multiple gestations were compared. For all superiority analyses, a two-sided *P* = 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Analyses were conducted using SPSS 20 for Windows (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY).
The study was granted a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act waiver and received ethics approval from the University of California, San Diego Human Research Protection Program.
R[ESULTS]{.smallcaps} {#sec1-3}
=====================
Among 338 patients eligible for eSET, 125 opted to transfer a single blastocyst, while 213 (63.0%) chose to transfer two \[[Table 1](#T1){ref-type="table"}\]. Compared to the eDBT group, eSBT patients were slightly less likely to be undergoing an autologous cycle (61.6% vs. 71.4%, *P* = 0.07), and women using their own oocytes in the eSBT group were significantly younger (30.9 years vs. 31.7 years, *P* = 0.03). Women in the eSBT group had a lower body mass index (BMI) than those in the eDBT group (22.3 vs. 23.4, *P* = 0.009), more oocytes retrieved (17.2 vs. 14.8, *P* \< 0.001), and a higher number of fertilized oocytes (11.1 vs. 9.6, *P* = 0.004).
######
Patient and cycle characteristics of elective single blastocyst transfer (eSBT) versus elective double blastocyst transfer (eDBT) groups
Two patients in the eSBT group were missing cycle outcome information. Implantation rate was higher in the eSBT group compared to eDBT (82.4% vs. 64.8%, *P* \< 0.001), though no difference in pregnancy rates were seen (*P* = 0.99) \[[Table 2](#T2){ref-type="table"}\]. Pregnancy rates reached 84.6% in the eSBT group and 84.5% in the eDBT group, indicating a 0.1% higher rate in the eSBT group. The 95% CI around this difference ranged from −7.9 to 8.1, suggesting the pregnancy rate in eSBT could be 7.9% lower than the eDBT group or 8.1% higher. Therefore, based on previously defined criteria, clinical equivalence was demonstrated overall as the 95% CI did not reach 10% in either direction (suggesting that neither group had more than a 10% increased chance of becoming pregnant). Among autologous cycles only, correspondingly high pregnancy rates were observed (eSBT: 86.8% and eDBT: 83.6%). Although these rates did not differ (*P* = 0.52), clinical equivalence was not established as the upper limit of the 95% CI crossed 10% (−6.4%--12.8%). However, the 95% CI favored eSBT, suggesting that those who elected to have a single blastocyst transferred could have up to a 12.8% increased chance of becoming pregnant. Similarly, among donor cycles, no statistical differences were seen in pregnancy rates (80.9% vs. 86.9%, *P* = 0.39), while the 95% CI exceeded 10% (−20.1%--8.1%), this time in favor of eDBT.
######
Pregnancy rates in eSBT compared to eDBT
Overall, 48 pregnancies were ongoing (28 eSBT, 20 eDBT) and pregnancy outcome was unknown in two additional eDBT pregnancies. Live-birth rates were slightly lower among those opting for eSBT compared to those choosing eDBT (65.3% vs. 72.3%, *P* = 0.23) \[[Table 3](#T3){ref-type="table"}\]. Referring to the 95% CI around the difference in live-birth rates, clinical equivalence was not established, as the interval ranged from −18.5 to 4.5, indicating that compared to the eDBT group, patients in the eSBT group could have as much as an 18.5% lower chance or up to a 4.5% higher chance of achieving a live-birth. Similar outcomes were seen among autologous and donor-recipient cycles individually, where slightly lower, nonsignificant differences in live-birth rates were seen in the eSBT group (64.4% vs. 73.7%, *P* = 0.19 and 66.7% vs. 69.0%, *P* = 0.82, respectively), with an inability to establish clinical equivalence (−23.6%--5.0% and −21.8%--17.2%, respectively).
######
Livebirth raCtes in eSBT compared to eDBT
To assess whether pregnancy and live-birth rates were influenced by significant differences between eSBT and eDBT groups, rates adjusted for these characteristics were calculated. Among all patients, after controlling for BMI, number of oocytes and number of fertilized oocytes, pregnancy, and live-birth rates were slightly lower in the eSBT group compared to the eDBT group, but were not significantly different (84.3% vs. 84.6%, *P* = 0.95, and 63.9% vs. 73.3%, *P* = 0.11, respectively). The 95% CI around the difference in pregnancy rates shifted slightly, ranging from −8.4% to 7.8%, again demonstrating clinical equivalence. The 95% CI around the difference in live-birth rates was comparable to that of the crude rates (−20.9%--2.1%), with an inability to establish clinical equivalence. Examining autologous cycles only, pregnancy rates remained slightly higher in the eSBT group compared to the eDBT group (86.7% vs. 83.6%, *P* = 0.56), while live-birth rates were slightly lower (62.3% vs. 74.6%, *P* = 0.10), after adjusting for autologous patient age, BMI, number of oocyte retrieved, and number of fertilized oocytes. Clinical equivalence could not be demonstrated for either pregnancy (95% CI = −6.5--12.7%) or live-birth rates (−26.7%--2.1%) among autologous cycles based on 95% CIs around the difference in adjusted rates.
As expected, pregnancies in the eDBT group were significantly more likely to be multiple gestations than those in the eSBT group (53.9% vs. 8.5%, *P* \< 0.001) \[[Table 4](#T4){ref-type="table"}\].
######
Multiple gestation pregnancies in eSBT compared to eDBT
D[ISCUSSION]{.smallcaps} {#sec1-4}
========================
Among all patients eligible for eSBT, no significant differences were seen in pregnancy or live-birth rates between patients opting to transfer a single embryo and those who transferred two. However, we were only able to demonstrate "clinical equivalence" in pregnancy rates overall between the eSBT and eDBT groups. The 95% CI around the difference in overall pregnancy rates ranged from −7.9% to 8.1%, meaning that neither group had more than a 10% increase over the other. We were unable to show clinical equivalence for live-birth rates or among patients utilizing donor oocytes. Estimates were not materially different controlling for baseline differences between groups. Since this study took place over a short time span among a highly select group of patients, it is possible that the small number of eligible women may have impacted our ability to establish clinical equivalence as variability in CIs is influenced by population size. Nevertheless, eSBT did accomplish the intended task of reducing multiple gestation pregnancies, as the proportion of multiples in the eSBT group was significantly lower than the eDBT group. These findings highlight the importance of considering not only traditional superiority analyses in the assessment of clinical success rates, but also equivalence studies, as the conclusions reached differ based on the methodology selected. This is especially important in a field like reproductive medicine, where patients and their doctors need to make decisions that weigh potential decreases in success over the increased risks associated with alternative procedures.
Baseline differences between the eSBT and eDBT groups in the present study suggest that although clinic guidelines exist, there may remain inherent biases and reservations among patients and physicians regarding the procedure. Although eSBT is supposed to be promoted among select patients, more than half opted for eDBT, and discrepancies in patient characteristics raise the possibility that physicians may be more likely to encourage the procedure to certain types of patients. Thus, it is thought the present study demonstrates the utility of an eSET policy on pregnancy and live-birth rates in current clinical practice, providing an evaluation of current performance rather than procedural efficacy. While the high pregnancy and live-birth rates in the current study reflect the strength of the clinical program at this fertility center,\[[@ref4][@ref5][@ref6][@ref7][@ref8][@ref9][@ref10][@ref11]\] they also suggest that eSET policies could be strengthened to further reduce the extremely high rate of multiples seen (54% among eDBT patients and an unexpectedly high rate of monozygotic twinning \[8%\] overall).
As this is the first study to consider clinical equivalency at the blastocyst stage, we are unable to directly compare our findings to other studies. While previous researchers may have stated that success rates observed were similar between groups, the accuracy of these conclusions are questionable because equivalency analyses were not performed.\[[@ref15]\] Had we not performed equivalence analyses, we also would have concluded pregnancy and live-birth rates did not differ between groups, consistent with existing literature.\[[@ref4][@ref5][@ref6][@ref8][@ref9][@ref11]\] This is important as the true intention of these studies should be to establish whether two procedures result in similar outcomes to facilitate use in a clinical setting. Results from the present study are in accord with results from the one cleavage stage study that utilized equivalency analysis. Thurin *et al*. were also unable to establish that live-birth rates were similar as the 95% CI around the difference exceeded 10%, ranging from − 11.6% to 3.4%;\[[@ref12]\] pregnancy rates were not assessed. Notably, this cleavage-stage study was a randomized controlled trial among autologous patients only, and intent-to-treat analyses were based on cumulative live-birth rates following the transfer of one fresh plus one frozen embryo in the eSET group. In comparison, our study focused on the original fresh transfer cycle, and both autologous and donor-recipient cycles were included. Even with this additional frozen transfer cycle considered, the live-birth rates in our study were higher than what was observed by Thurin *et al*. at the cleavage stage (eSBT = 65.3% and eDBT = 72.3% vs. 27.6% and 42.9%, respectively).
To assess why pregnancy rates were more similar than live-birth rates, outcome of all pregnancies were assessed. Excluding ongoing pregnancies, rates of spontaneous abortions were slightly higher in the eSBT group compared to eDBT group (17.1% vs. 10.8%), though this difference was not significant (*P* = 0.15). Subsequently, we looked at any the loss of any fetus, either by spontaneous abortion or stillbirth, meaning that if a woman was pregnant with twins and ultimately gave birth to only one live infant, she would be included as having a fetal loss although she had a live birth. When considering spontaneous abortion in this manner, rates of fetal loss were more similar between eSBT and eDBT groups (13.7% vs. 12.8%, *P* = 0.86), suggesting that having an additional embryo implant may increase the chances of at least one live birth. A similar phenomenon has previously been described among a wider range of patients, whereby the "take-home" baby rate appears to be higher in twin gestation pregnancies compared to singleton pregnancies,\[[@ref16][@ref17][@ref18][@ref19][@ref20]\] although rates of partial embryonic loss are similar.\[[@ref17][@ref20]\] Within the eDBT group alone, 10.4% of known singleton pregnancies resulted in complete spontaneous abortion, compared to 2.6% of the multiple gestation pregnancies (*P* = 0.12), and 12.5% of singleton pregnancies in the eSBT group. Since the overall pregnancy rates in the eSBT and eDBT groups were similar, it may be important to examine risk for spontaneous abortion when evaluating patients best suited for eSBT, in addition to the clinical factors already taken into consideration.
Due to the retrospective nature of the study, we cannot be certain that all patients in our study sample were counseled regarding eSET; however, we know that they were eligible for eSET based on predefined inclusion guidelines and that all physicians at this center are aware that they should be discussing eSET with appropriate patients. Although the goal was to evaluate efficacy of the procedure overall, we endeavored to address baseline differences between the eSBT and eDBT groups by providing adjusted equivalence estimates. Nevertheless, this study demonstrates the use of eSBT in a practice-based clinical setting and illustrates its impact on IVF success rates in a predefined clinical population.
This study shows that comparable pregnancy rates can be achieved in a clinical setting when utilizing eSET at the blastocyst stage in a defined group of good prognosis patients. Although clinical equivalency could not be demonstrated, similarly high live-birth rates were seen among those undergoing elective single- and double-blastocyst transfer. It is thought that the additional complications associated with multiple gestation pregnancies outweighs the slightly higher live-birth rate seen in eDBT. The differences in eligible patients opting for and out of eSET and the unreasonably high rate of multiple gestations among those opting out suggests that clinics should consider stronger policies defining when eSET should be performed.
C[ONCLUSION]{.smallcaps} {#sec1-5}
========================
While no differences were seen in pregnancy and live-birth rates using traditional superiority analyses, comparable success rates were demonstrated for pregnancy rates only using equivalence methodology.
Financial support and sponsorship {#sec2-1}
---------------------------------
Nil.
Conflicts of interest {#sec2-2}
---------------------
There are no conflicts of interest.
The authors would like to express gratitude to Drs. Sanjay Agarwal, Donna Kritz-Silverstein, Suzanne Lindsay, and Hector Lemus for their input and guidance, as well as Susan Strachan, R.N., B.S.N, for her assistance with database management and clinical clarification, and Lisa Yeo, CLS, ELD (ABB), for her assistance with data retrieval and laboratory procedures.
| 2024-06-28T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/6122 |
// Auto generated file, don't modify.
#ifndef __META_BOX2D_B2TIMESTEP_H
#define __META_BOX2D_B2TIMESTEP_H
#include "cpgf/gmetadefine.h"
#include "cpgf/metadata/gmetadataconfig.h"
#include "cpgf/metadata/private/gmetadata_header.h"
#include "cpgf/gmetapolicy.h"
namespace meta_box2d {
template <typename D>
void buildMetaClass_B2TimeStep(const cpgf::GMetaDataConfigFlags & config, D _d)
{
(void)config; (void)_d; (void)_d;
using namespace cpgf;
_d.CPGF_MD_TEMPLATE _field("dt", &D::ClassType::dt);
_d.CPGF_MD_TEMPLATE _field("inv_dt", &D::ClassType::inv_dt);
_d.CPGF_MD_TEMPLATE _field("dtRatio", &D::ClassType::dtRatio);
_d.CPGF_MD_TEMPLATE _field("velocityIterations", &D::ClassType::velocityIterations);
_d.CPGF_MD_TEMPLATE _field("positionIterations", &D::ClassType::positionIterations);
_d.CPGF_MD_TEMPLATE _field("warmStarting", &D::ClassType::warmStarting);
}
} // namespace meta_box2d
#include "cpgf/metadata/private/gmetadata_footer.h"
#endif
| 2023-12-06T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/2641 |
Sympathetic response to intracranial NGF infusion in the absence of afferent input: axonal sprouting without neurotransmitter production.
The anatomical relationships between postganglionic sympathetic neurons, their targets, and their afferent inputs provide an opportunity to experimentally distinguish between the anterograde and the retrograde influences on neuronal responsivity to growth factors. In the present study, the effect of decentralization of the superior cervical ganglion (SCG) on the NGF-induced sympathetic sprouting response by mature cerebrovascular axons was assessed in young adult rats. Growth by the perivascular axons associated with the intradural segment of the internal carotid artery was quantified using electron microscopy and changes in norepinephrine (NE) levels were monitored using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrochemical detection. The mean number of perivascular axons observed in the treatment group receiving decentralization of the SCG prior to NGF infusion was not significantly different from that in NGF-infused cases, suggesting that central input was not required for axonal growth of intact sympathetic neurons. However, decentralization prevented the typical NGF-induced increase in perivascular NE associated with the ICA, indicating that afferent input was necessary for the neurotransmitter increase to occur. Thus, afferent input appears to play a role in the regulation of neurotransmitter expression of the sprouted axons but is not required for trophic factor-induced axonal growth. | 2023-12-06T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/4443 |
Hillary Clinton Launches New Political Action Committee
Washington: Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has launched a new political action organisation to fight against US President Donald Trump’s agenda and raise funds for five prominent progressive groups.
“I believe more fiercely than ever that citizen engagement at every level is central to a strong and vibrant democracy,” Clinton said announcing the launch of her group ‘Onward Together’.
“More than ever, I believe citizen engagement is vital to our democracy. I’m so inspired by everyone stepping up to organise and lead,” the former Secretary of State, said to her supporters as she urged them to contribute to the “remarkable” spirit of political activism.
The announcement comes as Clinton, 69, works to find a new role in an evolving political landscape. The new group’s website said it aimed to advance progressive values and reminded visitors that Clinton had won nearly 66 million votes in November’s showdown with Trump.
As of now, the new political action organisation would support five progressive groups: Swing Left, which targets vulnerable House Republican incumbents; Emerge America, which will train Democratic women to run for office; Colour of Change, which fights for criminal justice reform and racial justice; Indivisible, a group that’s mobilising a “resistance” against Trump; and Run for Something, which helps potential candidates find tools to guide their bids.
“This year hasn’t been what I envisioned, but I know what I’m still fighting for: a kinder, big-hearted, inclusive America. Onward!,” Clinton said in one of the series of tweets she wrote yesterday. | 2024-05-05T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/9833 |
Limitations in Correspondence Programs for Cervical Cancer Screening: Who Are the Women We Are Missing?
This study sought to identify factors associated with gaps in the correspondence program and the characteristics of those women who are not reached with a mailed invitation to screening within an organized cervical cancer screening program. This population-based, retrospective observational study examined the factors associated with failed correspondence mailings as part of the Ontario cervical cancer screening program. Administrative databases were used to identify eligible women who were overdue for screening or never screened yet did not receive an invitation to screening as a result of a failed mailing. These women were further characterized on the basis of age, affiliation with a primary care physician, and use of other health services (Canadian Task Force Classification II-2). A total of 1 350 425 women were eligible, of whom 1 064 637 had a successful mailing (78%). Women who were overdue for screening and who had a failed correspondence were more likely to be younger than 50 (72.5%) and associated with a primary care physician (61.2%), and 66.7% had three or more health care encounters in the preceding 3 years. Underscreened and never-screened women were also more likely to be younger than 50, but only 15% were associated with a primary care physician and only 18.2% had health care encounters in the previous 3 years. This is one of the first studies to evaluate the incidence of failed mailings within correspondence in organized screening programs. Women who are underscreened or never screened are infrequent users of health care services and tend not to have a primary care physician, thus making them less accessible to traditional outreach methods and at further risk of being non-compliant with screening. | 2024-01-23T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/1771 |
883 So.2d 115 (2004)
Clifton CAMPBELL, Appellant
v.
STATE of Mississippi, Appellee.
No. 2002-KA-01448-COA.
Court of Appeals of Mississippi.
April 27, 2004.
Rehearing Denied July 20, 2004.
Certiorari Denied September 30, 2004.
*116 Thomas Richard Mayfield, Thomas E. Royals, Jackson, attorneys for appellant.
Office of the Attorney General by John R. Henry, attorney for appellee.
Before KING, P.J., THOMAS and MYERS, JJ.
KING, P.J., for the Court.
¶ 1. Clifton Campbell and Josh Kirk Davis were indicted for the capital murder of William Arnold. The underlying felony charge was burglary of an inhabited dwelling. The charges were severed and Campbell and Davis were tried separately. *117 A jury in the Circuit Court of Yazoo County found Campbell guilty as charged and the court sentenced him to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Campbell has appealed that verdict and sentence.
FACTS
¶ 2. On or about July 29, 2000, a group of individuals consisting of three adult males, and several teenagers spent the better part of the day at the home of Mike Campbell cutting grass, cooking out and consuming alcohol and other intoxicating substances. The adults present were the appellant, Clifton Campbell and his brother, Mike Campbell and Mike Campbell's friend, William Arnold. The teenagers were Clifton Campbell's daughter, Nicole (Nikki) Campbell, Mike Campbell's daughter, Michelle Campbell, her boyfriend, Josh Davis, Megan Smith, and Blake McNeer.
¶ 3. At approximately 10:00 p.m., the teenagers and Arnold decided to go to what was known as the "cabin" and sometimes described as a "deer camp." Their stated purpose in going was to fish. Knowing that it would be late by the time the fishing ended, the group also made plans to spend the night. The other two adults went to a bar to drink alcohol.
¶ 4. After arriving at the cabin the two boys and Arnold fished, and Nikki Campbell sat on the tailgate of a truck while Michelle Campbell and Megan Smith went swimming. At some point during the evening, an inebriated Arnold made unwanted sexual advances towards Nikki Campbell which took the form of kissing and intimate touching. Nikki was repelled by the advances. Visibly shaken, she reported what happened to her teenaged companions and stated her desire to leave the premises immediately. Josh Davis became very angry and confronted Arnold about the allegations. Arnold responded by producing a shotgun. The teenagers went back to Mike Campbell's house. It was approximately 3:00 a.m. Forty-five minutes or so later, Mike and Clifton Campbell returned to the residence.
¶ 5. When the adults were informed of Arnold's actions, Mike Campbell's response was that Arnold had been drinking all day and was no doubt drunk, he and Clifton had been drinking during the preceding several hours and were very nearly drunk, so the best thing was for everyone to get some sleep and try to work things out later in the morning. Mike Campbell then went to bed. Josh Davis, angry over having been threatened with a gun, continued to urge Clifton Campbell to extract vengeance against Arnold.
¶ 6. Very shortly thereafter, Clifton Campbell and Davis departed for Clifton Campbell's residence where they retrieved Clifton Campbell's shotgun and went to the cabin. When the two arrived at the cabin, Clifton Campbell did not drive into the driveway of the cabin but parked his car some distance away in an overgrown field. They walked to the cabin and stood on the porch where they looked through the broken windows of the front door and saw Arnold asleep on a sofa. Though the window panes were broken out of the door's window, a Venetian blind covered the window on the inside of the door.
¶ 7. What happened next was a matter of dispute as between the trial testimony of Clifton Campbell and the trial transcript testimony from Josh Davis's trial and statements made by Josh Davis to the authorities. Clifton Campbell claimed that he had a change of heart when he saw Arnold lying asleep on the sofa and decided to go home and call the authorities. He said that after he turned and walked off the porch, Davis came after him, grabbed the gun from his hand, went back upon the *118 porch, stuck the gun through the window and fired three shots at Arnold. He claims that he tried to persuade Davis not to shoot Arnold and to leave the matter to the authorities.
¶ 8. In the meantime, Megan Smith and Michelle Campbell had driven to the cabin. They each testified at trial that they saw Clifton Campbell's car parked in the field and Clifton Campbell running from the cabin with the shotgun in his hand and Davis following closely behind him. They said they left the scene without ever stopping the car. All four ended up back at Mike Campbell's house. Michelle testified that she asked Davis and Clifton Campbell what they had done, to which Davis replied that he had "shot that m____ f____r three times." Clifton Campbell was said to have replied, "I thought that is what you wanted." Clifton Campbell then went home. Michelle Campbell and Megan Smith went back to the cabin with Davis. Once there, they went into the cabin and examined Arnold's body to make certain that he was truly dead.
ISSUES
I. THE STATE DID NOT PROVE THAT THE DECEASED WAS KILLED WHILE THE DEFENDANT WAS ENGAGED IN THE BURGLARY OF A "DWELLING HOUSE" AS CHARGED IN THE INDICTMENT.
II. THE STATE'S USE OF DEFENDANT'S POST-ARREST SILENCE FOR IMPEACHMENT PURPOSES VIOLATES THE DUE PROCESS CLAUSE OF THE FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT.
III. THE INTRODUCTION BY DEFENDANT'S TRIAL COUNSEL OF STATEMENTS GIVEN BY DEFENDANT'S NON-TESTIFYING CO-DEFENDANT VIOLATED DEFENDANT'S RIGHTS UNDER THE CONFRONTATION CLAUSE OF THE SIXTH AMENDMENT AND IS PLAIN ERROR.
ANALYSIS
I. DID THE STATE PROVE THAT THE DECEASED WAS KILLED WHILE CAMPBELL WAS ENGAGED IN THE BURGLARY OF A "DWELLING HOUSE" AS CHARGED IN THE INDICTMENT?
¶ 9. This issue was not presented to the trial court. Campbell argues that this Court should review it as plain error. Campbell contends that after having secured an indictment charging him with murder while engaged in the burglary of a dwelling, the State had the burden of proving as an essential element of that charge that the subject structure was a dwelling within the meaning of the burglary statute. Campbell cites this Court's opinion in Carr v. State, 770 So.2d 1025, 1029 (Miss.Ct.App.2000), wherein the Court held that "proof that the structure was, at the time of the alleged crime, a dwelling house, was an essential element of the crime as to which the State had the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt." In regard to Carr's failure to raise this issue in the trial court, this Court, in reversing Carr's conviction, went on to hold that, "this failing of the State's proof is so fundamental that we conclude it would be a substantial miscarriage of justice to permit a burglary conviction to stand on this proof, and we, therefore, note it as plain error." Id.
¶ 10. The distinction between the case at bar and Carr is that burglary of an occupied dwelling was the only charge against Carr. Therefore, this Court was on sound ground in holding that the State's failure to prove that the structure was, at the time of the alleged crime, a dwelling house, was an essential element of the *119 crime which the State had the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt and, without which, permitting the burglary conviction to stand would constitute a substantial miscarriage of justice and was thus plain error.
¶ 11. In the case at bar, the burglary charge was the underlying felony to capital murder and even though the State did not present evidence of who specifically owned the dwelling, there was plenty of evidence that the structure was indeed a dwelling. It was furnished, it had running water and electricity and it was known to be suitable for human habitation as evidenced by the fact that the members of the party who accompanied the deceased to the structure had intentions themselves of spending the night in the structure.
¶ 12. This Court finds, in the first instance, that this issue, having not been first presented to the trial court for resolution, is procedurally barred. The issue is also without merit.
II. DID THE STATE USE CAMPBELL'S POST-ARREST SILENCE FOR IMPEACHMENT PURPOSES IN VIOLATION OF THE DUE PROCESS CLAUSE OF THE FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT?
¶ 13. In making this charge of error, Campbell once again asks this Court to invoke the doctrine of plain error as he seeks to advance an argument that was not presented to the trial court. His claim is that his decision to invoke his privilege against self-incrimination after his arrest was improperly used against him at trial, in that, he was allegedly impeached by the fact of his decision to remain silent. He cites Doyle v. Ohio, 426 U.S. 610, 96 S.Ct. 2240, 49 L.Ed.2d 91 (1976), in alleging that as an accused who was under arrest and having been given the warning provided for in Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966), and advised of his right to remain silent and who did remain silent, the prosecution was "flatly prohibited from using his choice of remaining silent as a weapon against him at trial, either for impeaching him or for cross-examination."
¶ 14. The matter at issue came about as a result of Campbell's trial testimony that he was an innocent bystander to the murder. Campbell testified on direct examination that once he and Davis arrived at the cabin he had a change of heart about confronting Arnold himself and decided to go to law enforcement authorities. He claimed to have been thwarted in this effort by Davis's actions in taking the shotgun from him and shooting Arnold. He also claimed that Davis threatened to kill him if he went to the authorities. On cross-examination, Campbell was asked a series of questions which sought to establish that in spite of his claim of being an innocent bystander, he never went to the authorities to offer his version of events.
¶ 15. The State contends that its questions were asked to show that despite having several hours in which to have reported the murder, Campbell failed to do so, thereby rendering incredible his claim of being an innocent bystander. The State asserts that its questions covered the period between the commission of the murder and the discovery of the body, and explored why Campbell failed to report the murder if he were not involved in its commission. Additionally, the State argues that since nothing was asked about any post-Miranda silence, Doyle did not apply. Finally, the State contends that if there was error, it should be considered harmless in light of the overwhelming evidence of Campbell's guilt and the clear indication that any violation of Doyle was unintended.
*120 ¶ 16. This Court finds that the record supports the State's argument that the questioning was proper cross-examination that did not ask about Campbell's post-Miranda silence. This issue is procedurally barred and without merit.
III. DID THE INTRODUCTION OF STATEMENTS BY CAMPBELL'S CO-INDICTEE, DAVIS, VIOLATE CAMPBELL'S RIGHTS UNDER THE CONFRONTATION CLAUSE OF THE SIXTH AMENDMENT AS PLAIN ERROR?
¶ 17. Campbell contends that his Sixth Amendment right to confront witnesses was violated when his trial attorney introduced certain statements made by Campbell's co-indictee, Davis, into evidence. Campbell does not allege ineffective assistance of counsel, however, but rather, that his counsel acted in contravention of the holding in Bruton v. United States, 391 U.S. 123, 136, 88 S.Ct. 1620, 20 L.Ed.2d 476 (1968), that "the admission of a co-defendant's extrajudicial statement that inculpates the other defendant violates the other's Sixth Amendment right to confront witnesses against him and that the unreliability of such evidence is `intolerably compounded' when the accomplice who gave the statement is not tested by cross-examination." Since it was his counsel that introduced the statements, Campbell also hastens to add that this was an error that was "so fundamental that it generates a miscarriage of justice that rises to the level of plain error."
¶ 18. The State cites Waldon v. State, 749 So.2d 262, 266 (Miss.Ct.App.1999), for the proposition that the right of confrontation may be waived by an accused or his attorney. The State also argues that since Davis did the actual shooting and was the only other witness to the shooting besides Campbell, the fact that he gave conflicting statements, in one of which he admitted lying about Campbell's involvement in the crime, the obvious purpose in admitting the statements was to call into question whether anything Davis said about Campbell's participation could be believed. Since there was a legitimate trial tactic or purpose involved in putting the statements into evidence, there is no ground to find that the waiver of the right of confrontation was invalid. This Court agrees. This issue is procedurally barred and is without merit.
¶ 19. THE JUDGMENT OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF YAZOO COUNTY OF CONVICTION OF CAPITAL MURDER AND SENTENCE OF LIFE IMPRISONMENT IN THE CUSTODY OF THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE IS AFFIRMED. ALL COSTS OF THIS APPEAL ARE ASSESSED TO THE APPELLANT.
McMILLIN, C.J., SOUTHWICK, P.J., BRIDGES, THOMAS, LEE, MYERS, CHANDLER AND GRIFFIS, JJ., CONCUR. IRVING, J., CONCURS IN RESULT ONLY.
| 2024-06-06T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/9871 |
CNN host Erin Burnett threw softballs at Iran’s UN representative during a friendly anti-Trump interview on Friday night.
Burnett began by asking Ambassador of Iran to the United Nations Majid Ravanchi whether he thought President Trump was telling the truth about his motives in targeting General Qassam Soleimani last week.
“So President Trump says he is not looking for regime change in Iran,” Burnett said. “He also said that today, do you believe him on that? Obviously, John Bolton, the former National Security adviser, said the opposite, as he has said many times before, but when President Trump says this is not about regime change, is he telling the truth?”
What matters is the U.S. deeds, not the words,” Ravanchi responded. “What they are doing against the Iranians are exactly to put lots of pressure on the Iranian people to stand up, and that is contravention of U.S. obligations based on international law.”
Burnett then tried to frame a moral moral equivalence between Soleimani, a known terrorist plotter, and Vice President Mike Pence, or Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
“Americans can understand though what the reaction would be, if someone that influential were killed here or killed in another country, but someone who was let’s say, the Chief of the C.I.A., the Defense Secretary or even a Vice President. Does this death change the game completely between Iran and the United States?” Burnett asked.
If CNN was this friendly to the Trump administration as it was with Iran’s PR, perhaps its ratings wouldn’t be at record lows.
Journalist David Marcus of the Federalist condemned the softball interview, calling it “journalistic malpractice at best” for not even asking about Iran’s numerous military actions against the U.S. in recent months.
How on earth can one interview the Iranian ambassador without asking about Iranian support for a violent attack on an American embassy last week? Or how about an attack on a base that left an American contractor dead? Or the shooting down of an American drone over international waters?
Time and again in the interview Ravanchi claimed that by killing Soleimani the US had moved from an economic war (pulling out of the Iran Deal) to a military war. But Iran has engaged in military actions against America and American interest for months now. The network that fatuously insists they are all about the facts allowed the ambassador to flat out lie to the their viewers without the least bit of resistance.
This is simply journalistic malpractice at best. At worst, it is giving comfort to an enemy dedicated to the destruction of the United States (Death to America) by handing over the CNN platform for the pushing of propaganda, including failing to mention at all the Iranian regime’s brutal and murderous crackdown on protesters in its own country last month.
Alex Jones lays out how the Deep State was manipulating Trump using backchannels in Iran to try to create a national crisis to embarrass the president.
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The Save Infowars Super Sale is now live! Get up to 60% off our most popular products today! | 2024-04-15T01:26:59.872264 | https://example.com/article/7145 |
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