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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to subterranean formation treatments and, more specifically, to hydraulic fracturing treatments for subterranean formations. In particular, this invention relates to use of relatively lightweight and/or substantially neutrally buoyant particles as proppant material in hydraulic fracturing treatments.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hydraulic fracturing is a common stimulation technique used to enhance production of fluids from subterranean formations. In a typical hydraulic fracturing treatment, fracturing treatment fluid containing a solid proppant material is injected into the formation at a pressure sufficiently high enough to cause the formation or enlargement of fractures in the reservoir. During a typical fracturing treatment, proppant material is deposited in a fracture, where it remains after the treatment is completed. After deposition, the proppant material serves to hold the fracture open, thereby enhancing the ability of fluids to migrate from the formation to the well bore through the fracture. Because fractured well productivity depends on the ability of a fracture to conduct fluids from a formation to a wellbore, fracture conductivity is an important parameter in determining the degree of success of a hydraulic fracturing treatment.
Hydraulic fracturing treatments commonly employ proppant materials that are placed downhole with a gelled carrier fluid (e.g., aqueous-based fluid such as gelled brine). Gelling agents for proppant carrier fluids may provide a source of proppant pack and/or formation damage, and settling of proppant may interfere with proper placement downhole. Formulation of gelled carrier fluids usually requires equipment and mixing steps designed for this purpose.
In the disclosed method, the application of relatively lightweight and/or substantially neutrally buoyant particulate material as a fracture proppant particulate advantageously may provide for substantially improved overall system performance in hydraulic fracturing applications. By xe2x80x9crelatively lightweightxe2x80x9d it is meant that a particulate has a density that is substantially less than a conventional proppant particulate material employed in hydraulic fracturing operations, e.g., sand or having a density similar to these materials. By xe2x80x9csubstantially neutrally buoyantxe2x80x9d, it is meant that a particulate has a density sufficiently close to the density of a selected ungelled or weakly gelled carrier fluid (e.g., ungelled or weakly gelled completion brine, other aqueous-based fluid, or other suitable fluid) to allow pumping and satisfactory placement of the proppant particulate using the selected ungelled or weakly gelled carrier fluid. For example, urethane resin-coated ground walnut hulls having a specific gravity of from about 1.25 to about 1.35 grams/cubic centimeter may be employed as a substantially neutrally buoyant proppant particulate in completion brine having a density of about 1.2. It will be understood that these values are exemplary only. As used herein, a xe2x80x9cweakly gelledxe2x80x9d carrier fluid is a carrier fluid having minimum sufficient polymer, viscosifier or friction reducer to achieve friction reduction when pumped down hole (e.g., when pumped down tubing, work string, casing, coiled tubing, drill pipe, etc.), and/or may be characterized as having a polymer or viscosifier concentration of from greater than about 0 pounds of polymer per thousand gallons of base fluid to about 10 pounds of polymer per thousand gallons of base fluid, and/or as having a viscosity of from about 1 to about 10 centipoises. An ungelled carrier fluid may be characterized as containing about 0 pounds per thousand gallons of polymer per thousand gallons of base fluid.
Advantageously, in one embodiment use of substantially neutral buoyant particulate material may eliminate the need for gellation of carrier fluid, thus eliminating a source of potential proppant pack and/or formation damage. Furthermore, a relatively lightweight particulate material may be easier to place within a targeted zone due to lessened settling constraints. Elimination of the need to formulate a complex suspension gel may mean a reduction in tubing friction pressures, particularly in coiled tubing and in the amount of onlocation mixing equipment and/or mixing time requirements, as well as reduced costs. Furthermore, when treated to have sufficient strength (e.g., by substantially filling the permeable porosity of a porous particle with resin or hardener), the disclosed relatively lightweight proppant particles may be employed to simplify hydraulic fracturing treatments performed through coil tubing, by greatly reducing fluid suspension property requirements. Downhole, a much reduced propensity to settle (as compared to proppant particulates) may be achieved. In this regard, the disclosed substantially neutral buoyancy proppant material may be advantageously employed in any deviated well having an angle of deviation of between about 0 degree and about 90 degrees with respect to the vertical. However, in one embodiment, the disclosed particulate material may be advantageously employed in horizontal wells, or in deviated wells having an angle with respect to the vertical of between about 30 degrees and about 90 degrees, alternatively between about 75 degrees and about 90 degrees. Thus, use of the disclosed relatively lightweight and/or substantially neutrally buoyant particulate materials disclosed herein may be employed to achieve surprising and unexpected improvements in fracturing methodology, including reduction in proppant pack and/or formation damage, and enhancement of well productivity.
In another embodiment, protective and/or hardening coatings, such as resins described elsewhere herein may be selected to modify or customize the specific gravity of a selected base particulate proppant material, e.g., ground walnut hulls, etc. Modification of particulate specific gravity (i.e., to have a greater or lesser specific gravity) may be advantageously employed, for example, to provide proppant particulates of customized specific gravity for use as a substantially neutrally buoyant particulate with a variety of different weight or specific gravity carrier fluids. In yet another embodiment, protective and/or hardening-type coatings may be optionally curable to facilitate proppant pack consolidation after placement. In this regard, curable resins are know to those of skill in the art, and with benefit of this disclosure may be selected to fit particular applications accordingly.
The disclosed relatively lightweight and/or substantially neutrally buoyant particulate proppant materials may be employed with carrier fluids that are gelled, non-gelled, or that have a reduced or lighter gelling requirement as compared to carrier fluids employed with conventional fracture treatment methods. In one embodiment employing one or more of the disclosed substantially neutrally buoyant particulate materials and a brine carrier fluid, mixing equipment need only include such equipment that is capable of (a) mixing the brine (dissolving soluble salts), and (b) homogeneously dispersing in the substantially neutrally buoyant particulate material.
In one embodiment, a substantially neutrally buoyant particulate proppant material may be advantageously pre-suspended and stored in a storage fluid (e.g. brine of near or substantially equal density), and then pumped or placed downhole as is, or diluted on the fly.
In one respect, disclosed is a hydraulic fracturing method for a well penetrating a subterranean formation, including introducing a relatively lightweight and/or substantially neutral density particulate proppant material into the well. Individual particles of the particulate material optionally may have a shape with a maximum length-based aspect ratio of equal to or less than about 5. Individual particles may also be optionally coated with protective materials such as resins and/or hardeners, for example, xe2x80x9c2ACxe2x80x9d phenol formaldehyde hardener from BORDEN CHEMICAL. Examples of suitable relatively lightweight and/or substantially neutrally buoyant materials for use in aqueous based carrier fluids include, but are not limited to, ground or crushed nut shells, ground or crushed seed shells, ground or crushed fruit pits, processed wood, or a mixture thereof. Optional protective coatings for coating at least a portion of individual particles of such relatively lightweight and/or substantially neutrally buoyant materials include, but are not limited to at least one of phenol formaldehyde resin, melamine formaldehyde resin, urethane resin, or a mixture thereof. Other optional coating compositions known in the art to be useful as hardeners for such materials (e.g., coating materials that function or serve to increase the elastic modulus of the material) may be also employed in conjunction or as an alternative to protective coatings, and may be placed underneath or on top of one or more protective coatings. It will be understood by those of skill in the art that such protective and/or hardening coatings may be used in any combination suitable for imparting desired characteristics to a relatively lightweight and/or substantially neutrally buoyant particulate proppant material, including in two or more multiple layers. In this regard successive layers of protective coatings, successive layers of hardening coatings, alternating layers of hardening and protective coatings, etc. are possible. Mixtures of protective and hardening coating materials may also be possible.
In another respect, disclosed is a relatively lightweight and/or substantially neutrally buoyant fracture proppant material for use in a hydraulic fracturing treatment that is a ground or crushed walnut shell material that is coated with a resin to substantially protect and water proof the shell. Such a material may have a specific gravity of from about 1.25 to about 1.35, and a bulk density of about 0.67. In one exemplary case, size of such a material may be about 12/20 US mesh size. In another exemplary case, sizes may range from about 4 mesh to about 100 mesh. Advantageously, in some embodiments, such ground walnut shells may serve to attract fines and formation particles by their resinous nature. In one embodiment for the manufacture of such particles for proppant applications, an optional hardener may be applied to a ground walnut shell material first followed by a urethane coating as described elsewhere herein that may vary in amount as desired. For example, such a coating material may be present in an amount of from about 1% to about 20%, alternatively from about 10% to about 20% by weight of total weight of individual particles. Alternatively, such a coating material may be present in an amount of from about 2% to about 12% by weight of total weight of individual particles. Amount of resin may depend, for example, on price and application. In this regard, particulates may be first sprayed or otherwise coated with a hardener, and a coating may be applied to be about 12% by weight of total weight of the particle.
In one embodiment, the disclosed relatively lightweight particulate proppant material may be introduced or pumped into a well as neutrally buoyant particles in, for example, a saturated sodium chloride solution carrier fluid or a carrier fluid that is any other completion or workover brine known in the art, for example, having a specific gravity of from about 1 to about 1.5, alternatively from about 1.2 to about 1.5, further alternatively about 1.2, thus eliminating the need for damaging polymer or fluid loss material. In one embodiment, such a material may be employed as proppant material at temperatures up to about 150xc2x0 F., and pressures up to about 1500 psi. However, these ranges of temperature and closure stress are exemplary only, it being understood that the disclosed materials may be employed as proppant materials at temperatures greater than about 150xc2x0 F. and/or at closure stresses greater than about 1500 psi, it also being understood with benefit of this disclosure that core and/or layer material/s may be selected by those of skill in the art to meet and withstand anticipated downhole conditions of a given application.
Advantageously, in one embodiment the low specific gravity of the relatively lightweight proppant material may be taken advantage of to result in a larger width for the same loading (i.e., pound per square foot of proppant) to give much larger total volume and increased width for the same mass. Alternatively, this characteristic allows for smaller volumes of proppant material to be pumped while still achieving an equivalent width.
In yet another respect, disclosed is a method of fracturing a subterranean formation, including: injecting a particulate material into the subterranean formation at a pressure above the fracturing pressure of the formation; wherein at least a portion of the individual particles of the particulate material each include a first material selected from at least one of ground or crushed nut shells, ground or crushed seed shells, ground or crushed fruit pits, processed wood, or a mixture thereof; and wherein at least a portion of the individual particles of the particulate material each includes a core component of the first material at least partially surrounded by at least one layer component of second material, the second material including a protective or hardening coating.
In yet another respect, disclosed is a method of fracturing a subterranean formation, including: introducing a particulate material suspended in a carrier fluid into the subterranean formation at a pressure above a fracturing pressure of the subterranean formation. In this method, at least a portion of the individual particles of the particulate material may be substantially neutrally buoyant in the carrier fluid and may include: a core component of a first material selected from at least one of ground or crushed nut shells, ground or crushed seed shells, ground or crushed fruit pits, processed wood, or a mixture thereof; and at least one layer component of second material surrounding the core component, the second material including a protective or hardening coating. | 2023-08-31T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/4037 |
#include "MapList.h"
#include "dirlist.h"
#include "FileList.h"
#include "GameValues.h"
#include "linfunc.h"
#include "map.h"
#include <cstdio>
#include <cstdlib>
#include <cstring>
#include <ctype.h>
#include <iostream>
#include <stdexcept>
#ifdef _XBOX
#include <xtl.h>
#endif
#ifdef _WIN32
#ifndef _XBOX
#define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
#include <windows.h>
#endif
#endif
#if defined(__APPLE__)
#include <sys/stat.h>
#endif
using std::cout;
using std::endl;
using std::string;
extern int32_t g_iVersion[];
extern CMap* g_map;
extern FiltersList* filterslist;
extern CGameValues game_values;
MapListNode::MapListNode(std::string fullName)
{
pfFilters = new bool[NUM_AUTO_FILTERS + filterslist->GetCount()];
for (short iFilter = 0; iFilter < filterslist->GetCount() + NUM_AUTO_FILTERS; iFilter++)
pfFilters[iFilter] = false;
fInCurrentFilterSet = true;
filename = fullName;
iIndex = 0;
fReadFromCache = false;
iShortNameLength = strlen(stripCreatorAndDotMap(fullName).c_str());
fValid = true;
}
MapListNode::~MapListNode()
{
delete [] pfFilters;
}
///////////// MapList ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
MapList::MapList(bool fWorldEditor)
{
strcpy(szUnknownMapString, "-");
DirectoryListing d(convertPath("maps/"), ".map");
std::string curname;
while (d(curname)) {
MapListNode * node = new MapListNode(d.fullName(curname));
maps.insert(std::make_pair(stripCreatorAndDotMap(curname), node));
}
#ifdef _DEBUG
DirectoryListing debugMapDir(convertPath("maps/test/"), ".map");
while (debugMapDir(curname)) {
MapListNode * node = new MapListNode(debugMapDir.fullName(curname));
maps.insert(std::make_pair(stripCreatorAndDotMap(curname), node));
}
DirectoryListing specialDebugMapDir(convertPath("maps/special/"), ".map");
while (specialDebugMapDir(curname)) {
MapListNode * node = new MapListNode(specialDebugMapDir.fullName(curname));
maps.insert(std::make_pair(stripCreatorAndDotMap(curname), node));
}
#endif
//If this is for the world editor, load all the world maps into the map viewer UI control
if (fWorldEditor) {
//Load in the "tour only" maps directory
DirectoryListing tourMapDir(convertPath("maps/tour/"), ".map");
while (tourMapDir(curname)) {
MapListNode * node = new MapListNode(tourMapDir.fullName(curname));
maps.insert(std::make_pair(stripCreatorAndDotMap(curname), node));
}
SimpleDirectoryList worldeditormapdirs(convertPath("worlds/"));
short iEditorDirCount = worldeditormapdirs.GetCount();
for (short iDir = 0; iDir < iEditorDirCount; iDir++) {
const char * szName = worldeditormapdirs.current_name();
DirectoryListing worldMapDir(std::string(szName) + std::string("/"), ".map");
while (worldMapDir(curname)) {
MapListNode * node = new MapListNode(worldMapDir.fullName(curname));
maps.insert(std::make_pair(stripCreatorAndDotMap(curname), node));
}
worldeditormapdirs.next();
}
#ifndef _DEBUG
DirectoryListing specialEditorMapDir(convertPath("maps/special/"), ".map");
while (specialEditorMapDir(curname)) {
MapListNode * node = new MapListNode(specialEditorMapDir.fullName(curname));
maps.insert(std::make_pair(stripCreatorAndDotMap(curname), node));
}
#endif
}
//TODO: add proper test via size
if (maps.empty()) {
printf("ERROR: Empty map directory!\n");
throw std::runtime_error("ERROR: Empty map directory!");
}
current = maps.begin();
short iIndex = 0;
while (current != maps.end()) {
(*current).second->iIndex = iIndex++;
current++;
}
current = maps.begin();
savedcurrent = current;
outercurrent = current;
iFilteredMapCount = maps.size();
mlnFilteredMaps = new std::multimap<std::string, MapListNode*>::iterator[maps.size()];
mlnMaps = new std::multimap<std::string, MapListNode*>::iterator[maps.size()];
//Load in the "tour only" maps directory
DirectoryListing tourMapDir(convertPath("maps/tour/"), ".map");
while (tourMapDir(curname)) {
MapListNode * node = new MapListNode(tourMapDir.fullName(curname));
worldmaps.insert(std::make_pair(stripCreatorAndDotMap(curname), node));
}
//Read all world map directories and load them into the world/tour only list
SimpleDirectoryList worldmapdirs(convertPath("worlds/"));
short iDirCount = worldmapdirs.GetCount();
for (short iDir = 0; iDir < iDirCount; iDir++) {
const char * szName = worldmapdirs.current_name();
DirectoryListing worldMapDir(std::string(szName) + std::string("/"), ".map");
while (worldMapDir(curname)) {
MapListNode * node = new MapListNode(worldMapDir.fullName(curname));
worldmaps.insert(std::make_pair(stripCreatorAndDotMap(curname), node));
}
worldmapdirs.next();
}
DirectoryListing specialMapDir(convertPath("maps/special/"), ".map");
while (specialMapDir(curname)) {
MapListNode * node = new MapListNode(specialMapDir.fullName(curname));
worldmaps.insert(std::make_pair(stripCreatorAndDotMap(curname), node));
}
}
MapList::~MapList()
{
//Delete all map list nodes
std::multimap<std::string, MapListNode*>::iterator iterateAll = maps.begin(), lim = maps.end();
while (iterateAll != lim) {
delete (iterateAll->second);
iterateAll++;
}
maps.clear();
//Delete all world map list nodes
iterateAll = worldmaps.begin();
lim = worldmaps.end();
while (iterateAll != lim) {
delete (iterateAll->second);
iterateAll++;
}
worldmaps.clear();
delete [] mlnFilteredMaps;
delete [] mlnMaps;
}
//Called by level editor to load world maps into the map list
void MapList::addWorldMaps()
{
SimpleDirectoryList worldmapdirs(convertPath("worlds/"));
short iDirCount = worldmapdirs.GetCount();
for (short iDir = 0; iDir < iDirCount; iDir++) {
const char * szName = worldmapdirs.current_name();
DirectoryListing worldMapDir(std::string(szName) + std::string("/"), ".map");
DirectoryListing specialDebugMapDir(convertPath("maps/special/"), ".map");
std::string curname;
while (worldMapDir(curname)) {
MapListNode * node = new MapListNode(worldMapDir.fullName(curname));
maps.insert(std::make_pair(stripCreatorAndDotMap(curname), node));
}
worldmapdirs.next();
}
}
void MapList::add(const char * name)
{
std::string fullName = convertPath("maps/") + name;
MapListNode * node = new MapListNode(fullName);
maps.insert(std::make_pair(stripCreatorAndDotMap(name), node));
}
bool MapList::find(const char * name)
{
bool fFound = false;
std::multimap<std::string, MapListNode*>::iterator oldCurrent = current;
do {
next(false); //sets us to the beginning if we hit the end -> loop through the maps
if (strstr((*current).second->filename.c_str(), name)) //compare names after
fFound = true;
} while (current != oldCurrent && !fFound);
return fFound;
}
bool MapList::findexact(const char * name, bool fWorld)
{
char * szLookForName = new char[strlen(name) + 1];
strcpy(szLookForName, name);
inPlaceLowerCase(szLookForName);
bool fFound = false;
//If we're looking for a world, then search the world maps first
//if the world map isn't found, then search the regular map list
if (fWorld) {
std::multimap<std::string, MapListNode*>::iterator iterateAll = worldmaps.begin(), lim = worldmaps.end();
while (iterateAll != lim && !fFound) {
char * szCurrentName = new char[iterateAll->first.length() + 1];
strcpy(szCurrentName, iterateAll->first.c_str());
inPlaceLowerCase(szCurrentName);
if (!strcmp(szCurrentName, szLookForName)) {
fFound = true;
outercurrent = iterateAll;
}
delete[] szCurrentName;
iterateAll++;
}
if (fFound) {
delete[] szLookForName;
return true;
}
}
std::multimap<std::string, MapListNode*>::iterator oldCurrent = current;
fFound = false;
do {
next(false); //sets us to the beginning if we hit the end -> loop through the maps
char * szCurrentName = new char[current->first.length() + 1];
strcpy(szCurrentName, current->first.c_str());
inPlaceLowerCase(szCurrentName);
if (!strcmp(szCurrentName, szLookForName))
fFound = true;
delete[] szCurrentName;
} while (current != oldCurrent && !fFound);
delete[] szLookForName;
return fFound;
}
//Returns true if the map needs to be reloaded
bool MapList::FindFilteredMap()
{
if ((*current).second->fInCurrentFilterSet)
return false;
next(true);
return true;
}
//Searches for a map that starts with this single character
bool MapList::startswith(char letter)
{
//Captialize the letter becuase all maps have first letter in caps
if (letter >= 'a' && letter <= 'z')
letter -= 32;
std::multimap<std::string, MapListNode*>::iterator oldCurrent = current;
do {
next(true); //sets us to the beginning if we hit the end -> loop through the maps
if (currentShortmapname()[0] == letter)
return true;
} while (current != oldCurrent);
return false;
}
//Searches for maps that start with this entire string
bool MapList::startswith(std::string match)
{
int iMatchLen = strlen(match.c_str());
std::multimap<std::string, MapListNode*>::iterator oldCurrent = current;
do {
next(true); //sets us to the beginning if we hit the end -> loop through the maps
const char * szMapName = currentShortmapname();
const int iMapNameLen = currentShortMapNameLen();
if (iMatchLen > iMapNameLen)
continue;
for (short iIndex = 0; iIndex < iMatchLen && iIndex < iMapNameLen; iIndex++) {
if (tolower(szMapName[iIndex]) == tolower(match[iIndex]))
continue;
goto TRYNEXTMAP;
}
//gets here if we matched
return true;
//Label that we break to if we don't match (it'd be nice if we had labeled continues in c++)
TRYNEXTMAP:
continue;
} while (current != oldCurrent);
return false;
}
void MapList::prev(bool fUseFilters)
{
if (fUseFilters) {
std::multimap<std::string, MapListNode*>::iterator oldCurrent = current;
do {
prev(false);
if ((*current).second->fInCurrentFilterSet)
return;
} while (current != oldCurrent);
} else {
if (current == maps.begin()) //we are at the first element
current = --maps.end(); //continue from end
else
--current;
outercurrent = current;
}
return;
}
void MapList::next(bool fUseFilters)
{
if (fUseFilters) {
std::multimap<std::string, MapListNode*>::iterator oldCurrent = current;
do {
next(false);
if ((*current).second->fInCurrentFilterSet)
return;
} while (current != oldCurrent);
} else {
if (current == --maps.end()) //we are at the last valid element
current = maps.begin(); //continue from start
else
++current;
outercurrent = current;
}
return;
}
void MapList::random(bool fUseFilters)
{
int iShuffle = 0;
if (fUseFilters) {
if (iFilteredMapCount < 2)
return;
iShuffle = RANDOM_INT(iFilteredMapCount - 1);
} else {
iShuffle = RANDOM_INT(maps.size() - 1);
}
for (int i = 0; i <= iShuffle; i++)
next(fUseFilters);
}
const char* MapList::randomFilename()
{
std::multimap<std::string, MapListNode*>::iterator rnd = maps.begin();
short iRand = RANDOM_INT(maps.size());
for (short iMap = 0; iMap < iRand; iMap++)
rnd++;
return (*rnd).second->filename.c_str();
}
void MapList::WriteFilters()
{
//Save user defined filters back to files
if (game_values.fNeedWriteFilters) {
game_values.fNeedWriteFilters = false;
for (short iFilter = 0; iFilter < filterslist->GetCount(); iFilter++) {
FILE * fp = fopen(filterslist->GetIndex(iFilter), "w");
if (!fp)
continue;
fprintf(fp, "#Version\n");
fprintf(fp, "%d.%d.%d.%d\n\n", g_iVersion[0], g_iVersion[1], g_iVersion[2], g_iVersion[3]);
fprintf(fp, "#Icon\n");
fprintf(fp, "%d\n\n", game_values.piFilterIcons[iFilter + NUM_AUTO_FILTERS]);
fprintf(fp, "#Maps\n");
std::multimap<std::string, MapListNode*>::iterator itr = maps.begin(), lim = maps.end();
while (itr != lim) {
if ((*itr).second->pfFilters[iFilter + NUM_AUTO_FILTERS])
fprintf(fp, "%s\n", (*itr).first.c_str());
itr++;
}
fclose(fp);
#if defined(__APPLE__)
chmod(filterslist->GetIndex(iFilter), S_IRWXU | S_IRWXG | S_IROTH);
#endif
}
}
}
void MapList::ReadFilters()
{
char buffer[256];
//Get auto filters from maps
current = maps.begin();
//Used cached summary before trying to read the actual map file (to speed up load time)
FILE * mfp = fopen(convertPath("maps/cache/mapsummary.txt").c_str(), "r");
if (mfp) {
while (fgets(buffer, 256, mfp)) {
char * pszMapName = strtok(buffer, ",\n");
MapListNode * node = maps.find(pszMapName)->second;
if (maps.find(pszMapName) != maps.end()) {
bool fErrorReading = false;
for (short iFilter = 0; iFilter < NUM_AUTO_FILTERS; iFilter++) {
char * psz = strtok(NULL, ",\n");
if (psz) {
node->pfFilters[iFilter] = strcmp(psz, "0") != 0;
} else {
fErrorReading = true;
break;
}
}
if (!fErrorReading)
node->fReadFromCache = true;
}
}
fclose(mfp);
}
while (current != maps.end()) {
if (!current->second->fReadFromCache) {
MapListNode * mln = current->second;
g_map->loadMap(mln->filename, read_type_summary);
memcpy(mln->pfFilters, g_map->fAutoFilter, sizeof(bool) * NUM_AUTO_FILTERS);
}
current++;
}
current = maps.begin();
//Get user defined filters from files in filters directory
for (short iFilter = 0; iFilter < filterslist->GetCount(); iFilter++) {
FILE * ffp = fopen(filterslist->GetIndex(iFilter), "r");
if (!ffp)
continue;
short iVersion[4] = {0, 0, 0, 0};
short iReadState = 0;
while (fgets(buffer, 256, ffp)) {
if (buffer[0] == '#' || buffer[0] == '\n' || buffer[0] == '\r' || buffer[0] == ' ' || buffer[0] == '\t')
continue;
if (0 == iReadState) {
char * psz = strtok(buffer, ".\n");
if (psz)
iVersion[0] = atoi(psz);
psz = strtok(NULL, ".\n");
if (psz)
iVersion[1] = atoi(psz);
psz = strtok(NULL, ".\n");
if (psz)
iVersion[2] = atoi(psz);
psz = strtok(NULL, ".\n");
if (psz)
iVersion[3] = atoi(psz);
iReadState = 1;
continue;
} else if (1 == iReadState) {
game_values.piFilterIcons[iFilter + NUM_AUTO_FILTERS] = atoi(buffer);
iReadState = 2;
continue;
} else {
char * pszMap = strtok(buffer, "\r\n");
//If that map is found
if (findexact(pszMap, false))
(*current).second->pfFilters[iFilter + NUM_AUTO_FILTERS] = true;
}
}
fclose(ffp);
}
//Reset the current back to the beginning after setting up the filters for each map
current = maps.begin();
outercurrent = current;
}
//Forces all the maps to reload the auto filters from the live map files (flush the cache)
void MapList::ReloadMapAutoFilters()
{
std::multimap<std::string, MapListNode*>::iterator itr = maps.begin(), lim = maps.end();
while (itr != lim) {
MapListNode * mln = itr->second;
g_map->loadMap(mln->filename, read_type_summary);
memcpy(mln->pfFilters, g_map->fAutoFilter, sizeof(bool) * NUM_AUTO_FILTERS);
itr++;
}
}
void MapList::WriteMapSummaryCache()
{
FILE * fp = fopen(convertPath("maps/cache/mapsummary.txt").c_str(), "w");
if (!fp)
return;
std::multimap<std::string, MapListNode*>::iterator itr = maps.begin(), lim = maps.end();
while (itr != lim) {
fprintf(fp, "%s", itr->first.c_str());
for (short iFilter = 0; iFilter < NUM_AUTO_FILTERS; iFilter++)
fprintf(fp, ",%d", itr->second->pfFilters[iFilter]);
fprintf(fp, "\n");
itr++;
}
fclose(fp);
#if defined(__APPLE__)
chmod(convertPath("maps/cache/mapsummary.txt").c_str(), S_IRWXU | S_IRWXG | S_IROTH);
#endif
}
//Applies the currently selected filters to the entire map set
//After this call, when flipping through maps, only the matched maps
//will show up in the map field or in the thumbnail browser
void MapList::ApplyFilters(bool * pfFilters)
{
std::multimap<std::string, MapListNode*>::iterator itr = maps.begin(), lim = maps.end();
iFilteredMapCount = 0;
short iTotalCount = 0;
while (itr != lim) {
bool fMatched = true;
for (short iFilter = 0; iFilter < NUM_AUTO_FILTERS + filterslist->GetCount(); iFilter++) {
if (pfFilters[iFilter]) {
if (!(*itr).second->pfFilters[iFilter]) {
fMatched = false;
break;
}
}
}
(*itr).second->fInCurrentFilterSet = fMatched;
if (fMatched) {
(*itr).second->iFilteredIndex = iFilteredMapCount;
mlnFilteredMaps[iFilteredMapCount] = itr;
iFilteredMapCount++;
}
mlnMaps[iTotalCount++] = itr;
itr++;
}
game_values.fFiltersOn = false;
for (short iFilter = 0; iFilter < NUM_AUTO_FILTERS + filterslist->GetCount(); iFilter++) {
if (pfFilters[iFilter]) {
game_values.fFiltersOn = true;
break;
}
}
FindFilteredMap();
}
bool MapList::MapInFilteredSet()
{
return (*current).second->fInCurrentFilterSet;
}
std::multimap<std::string, MapListNode*>::iterator MapList::GetIteratorAt(unsigned short iIndex, bool fUseFilters)
{
if (fUseFilters) {
if (iIndex >= iFilteredMapCount)
return maps.end();
return mlnFilteredMaps[iIndex];
} else {
if (iIndex >= maps.size())
return maps.end();
return mlnMaps[iIndex];
}
}
const char * MapList::GetUnknownMapName()
{
return szUnknownMapString;
}
| 2023-12-30T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/8595 |
Effect of polymorphisms of IL-1β and TNF-α genes on CpG island hyper methylation (CIHM) in the nonneoplastic gastric mucosa.
CpG island hyper methylation (CIHM) is one of the major events in gastric carcinogenesis. To evaluate the influence of host genetic factors in CIHM related carcinogenesis, we investigated the association between common polymorphisms in IL-1β and TNF-α genes, with CIHM status in the nonneoplastic gastric mucosa. Polymorphisms in the IL-1β gene (-31T>C and -511C>T) and the TNF-α gene (-857C>T) were genotyped in 385 cancer-free subjects. CIHM of four candidate genes: p16 (INK4a), p14 (ARF), E-cadherin (CDH1), and death-associated protein kinase (DAP-kinase), were determined by methylation-specific-polymerase chain reaction (MSP). CIHM high was defined as two or more CpG islands methylated. CIHM of all four genes and CIHM high were significantly associated with Helicobacter pylori infection status. In over all, significant marginal association was found between IL-1β-511 TT genotype and reduced susceptibility to CIHM of DAP-kinase (adjusted OR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.29-0.78) and CIHM high (adjusted OR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.32-0.86). This association was more enhanced in subjects 65 yr or younger age. We also found positive association between TNF-α-857T carrier and increased susceptibility to CIHM of CDH (adjusted OR = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.01-3.16), and CIHM high (adjusted OR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.04-3.33) in the same generation. The mean number of CIHM was lower in subjects with IL-1β-511TT genotype, while the mean number was higher in subjects with TNF-α-857 T carrier especially in subjects 65 yr and younger patients. IL-1β-511 TT genotype is associated with reduced susceptibility to CIHM especially in younger generation. Furthermore, the TNF-α-857T carrier is associated with increased susceptibility of CIHM in the same generation. | 2024-03-11T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/3468 |
Q:
FileReader readyState is stuck at 1 when loading a file in Chrome
I am using FileReader in my web app to read a user-selected local file, and when I readAsText() the readyState should change to '2' once completed. Here is the code I have:
var fr = new FileReader(); // readyState is 0
var filetoload = $("#foo")[0].files[0];
fr.readAsText(filetoload); // readyState should be 2!!
var xml = fr.result;
localStorage.setItem('foo', xml);
Now in Firefox, this all works fine and the xml gets written to the localStorage just fine. If I do this Chrome in the console at a resting state (assuming there is a file specified in the #foo input) then it works as well. BUT if I run this normally from the script tag in my .jsp file, readyState = 1 (!) after line 3 above. AND, if I put a breakpoint on line 3, then try to readAsText() from the console, it sets readyState = 1 as well.
What does Chrome need to fully read the file during execution? What am I doing wrong? The fact that it works in Firefox and Chrome only during a resting state in the console leads me to believe there is something more that Chrome needs to allow this or something. Any insight is appreciated, thanks.
A:
I was able to find an answer from this post. Since reading the file happens asynchronously, I guess I needed to handle accordingly. Below is what worked for me. (jsonCall() is just an internal function we have that basically calls $.ajax) I hope this helps someone in the future.
$(document).ready(function(){
$('#foo').on('click', function(e){
readFile($("[name='filelocation']")[0].files[0], function(e) {
// use e.target.result in callback...
var data = { "xml" : e.target.result };
jsonCall("myservlet", data, function() {
window.open(url, "_blank", "height=800,width=1200");
})
});
});
});
function readFile(file, onLoadCallback)
{
var fr = new FileReader();
fr.onload = onLoadCallback;
fr.readAsText(file);
}
| 2024-01-18T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/1424 |
Turning Alzheimer’s Fuzzy Signals Into High Definition
Scientists at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute have discovered how the predominant class of Alzheimer’s pharmaceuticals might sharpen the brain’s performance.
One factor even more important than the size of a television screen is the quality of the signal it displays. Having a life-sized projection of Harry Potter dodging a Bludger in a Quidditch match is of little use if the details are lost to pixilation.
The importance of transmitting clear signals, however, is not relegated to the airwaves. The same creed applies to the electrical impulses navigating a human brain. Now, new research has shown that one of the few drugs approved for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease helps patients by clearing up the signals coming in from the outside world.
The discovery was made by a team of researchers led by Rosalyn Moran, an assistant professor at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute. Her study indicates that cholinesterase inhibitors — a class of drugs that stop the breakdown of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine — allow signals to enter the brain with more precision and less background noise.
New research has shown that one of the few drugs approved for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease helps patients by clearing up the signals coming in from the outside world.
“Increasing the levels of acetylcholine appears to turn your fuzzy, old analog TV signal into a shiny, new, high-definition one,” said Moran, who holds an appointment as an assistant professor in the Virginia Tech College of Engineering. “And the drug does this in the sensory cortices. These are the workhorses of the brain, the gatekeepers, not the more sophisticated processing regions — such as the prefrontal cortex — where one may have expected the drugs to have their most prominent effect.”
Alzheimer’s disease affects more than 35 million people worldwide — a number expected to double every 20 years, leading to more than 115 million cases by 2050. Of the five pharmaceuticals approved to treat the disease by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, four are cholinesterase inhibitors. Although it is clear that the drugs increase the amount of acetylcholine in the brain, why this improves Alzheimer’s symptoms has been unknown. If scientists understood the mechanisms and pathways responsible for improvement, they might be able to tailor better drugs to combat the disease, which costs more than $200 billion annually in the United States alone.
In the new study, Moran recruited 13 healthy young adults and gave them doses of galantamine, one of the cholinesterase inhibitors commonly prescribed to Alzheimer’s patients. Two electroencephalographs were taken — one with the drugs and one without — as the participants listened to a series of modulating tones while focusing on a simple concentration task.
The researchers were looking for differences in neural activity between the two drug states in response to surprising changes in the sound patterns that the participants were hearing.
The scientists compared the results with computer models built on a Bayesian brain theory, known as the Free Energy Principle, which is a leading theory that describes the basic rules of neuronal communication and explains the creation of complex networks.
The theory hypothesizes that neurons seek to reduce uncertainty, which can be modeled and calculated using free energy molecular dynamics. Connecting tens of thousands of neurons behaving in this manner produces the probability machine that we call a brain.
Moran and her colleagues compiled 10 computer simulations based on the different effects that the drugs could have on the brain. The model that best fit the results revealed that the low-level wheels of the brain early on in the neural networking process were the ones benefitting from the drugs and creating clearer, more precise signals.
“When people take these drugs you can imagine the brain bathed in them,” Moran said. “But what we found is that the drugs don’t have broad-stroke impacts on brain activity. Instead, they are working very specifically at the cortex’s entry points, gating the signals coming into the network in the first place.”
Notes about this neuropharmacology and Alzheimer’s disease research
The study appears in Wednesday’s (May 8) issue of The Journal of Neuroscience in the article, “Free Energy, Precision and Learning: The Role of Cholinergic Neuromodulation.” | 2024-03-22T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/9108 |
"So here's what's happened on Glee." "Finn got Kurt to try out for the football team... but sometimes it seems like maybe Kurt's got a crush on him." "It's enough to want to give up women altogether. [Chuckles]" "Will's old crush April joined the Glee Club... but she was drunk all the time so Will kicked her out." "Also, Sue convinced Kurt and Mercedes that they should join the Cheerios... which Will was none too happy about." "And that's what you missed on Glee." "##[Marching Band Drums]" "Ladies, what we have here is a grade-A dilemma." "Mercedes, your vocal cords have had more fantastic runs than a Kenyan track team... but that look simply will not do." "At first I thought it was a subtle homage to yours truly... but now I fear it's some sort of ironic comment." "Ms. Sylvester, I'm just not comfortable in those Cheerios skirts." "They don't fit me right." "Mercedes, you shouldn't feel embarrassed about your body." "Embarrassed?" "No, no." "I'm worried about showing too much skin and causing a sex riot." "[Both Laughing]" "How do you two not have a show on Bravo?" "Here's the skinny." "Splits magazine, after much campaigning by one Sue Sylvester... has named me cheerleading coach of the last 2,000 years." "In seven days reporter Tracy Pendergrass will arrive on campus... and my new star singer will have lost 10 pounds... and be in a gender-appropriate cheerleading uniform... or she is off the team." " Ten pounds?" "Are you serious?" " You could lose a few too, kiddo." "You got hips like a pear." "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to put in a call to the Ohio secretary of state... notifying them I will no longer be carrying photo I.D." "You know why?" "People should know who I am." " [School Bell Rings]" " Sue!" "We need to talk." "The auditorium is padlocked!" "Well, that's curious." "Did you check the sign-up sheet?" " What sign-up sheet?" " Why, the one I keep right here in my waistband, William." "Let's see." "Yeah, I've got the entire week booked solid." "Got a big magazine feature coming up... and it's a little chilly for my girls to be practicing outdoors." "Yeah?" "Well, let's see what Figgins has to say about this." "Oh, I'm sure Figgins will just mumble something nervously and then pretend to take a call." "I happen to be blackmailing him." "Um, all right, I have one final announcement before we all leave." " We can't use the auditorium for the next week." " But that's garbage." "How are we supposed to practice for regionals without the auditorium?" "The Cheerios need it to practice in." "There's nothing I can do." " I recommend a sit-in." " I recommend we torch the place." "No." "Look, we've all faced adversity before and come out stronger on the other end." "I'm gonna check out a few off-site locations for us to use just for the week." "I promise I'll find us a new home." "[School Bell Rings]" "[All Murmuring, Chattering]" "Oh, Finn!" "I wanted your opinion on this." "It's a swatch board." "I'm redecorating my bedroom." "Kind of going for a hunting lodge meets Tom Ford's place in Bel Air." "I was hoping you could help me out with the hunting lodge part." "I live in a closet." "There's cowboy wallpaper on the walls." "Oh." "But I guess that one's nice." "Toile?" "I always pegged you as a chinoisserie type." " Mercedes." " This is healthy." "Chicken breast and a salad, dressing on the side." "You have a week to lose 10 pounds." "It's like having to lose one of my butt cheeks." "Look at what I'm eating." "Peeled celery." "And for breakfast I had Splenda." "Look, Mercedes, now that we're cheerleaders, we're finally part of the in crowd." "We have a place at the table." "We don't have to beg underneath for scraps of attention." "[Sighs] Don't screw it upl" "I'm pretty sure my cat's been reading my diary." "Hey, guys." "Can I ask you something?" "How do you manage to stay so skinny?" "The Sue Sylvester Master Cleanse." "Water, maple syrup for glucose, lemon for acid... cayenne pepper- irritate the bowels... and a dash of ipecac- a vomiting agent." "I haven't had a solid meal since 1987." "Sometimes I add a teaspoon of sand." " That can't be healthy." " Who cares?" "You can either feel terrible and look great... or get kicked off the team when that reporter gets here." "Why are you so upset?" "It's not your bed." "Don't you have any feelings about it?" "It's your and Dad's honeymoon set." "I was conceived in that bed." "You were conceived on a pinball machine." "Well..." "I think that's everything." " You mentioned something about the recliner?" " Oh!" "Yeah." "It doesn't look like much, but the parts all work." "Ooh, my wife would love this." "Sciatica." "Mom!" "No!" "It's not for sale." "This is Dad's chair." "This is the only picture of the two of us." "It's the only picture there will ever be of the two of us... and he's sitting in this chair." "It's a chair, honey." "It's not him." "What's going on with you?" "Selling all our old stuff, you got new clothes, a new haircut..." " I'm seeing someone, Finn." " Uh..." "I think I'm in love." "Who is it?" "Do I know him?" "It's your friend Kurt's father, Burt Hummel." "##[Disco]" "Hey, I'd like to talk to someone about renting out this space." "[Woman] Okay, fellas, grab a gall" "Or grab another fella if that's the way the good Lord made yal" "'Cause it's a couples skatel" "No way." " ##[Continues]" " Well, as I live and breathe!" "Will Schuester?" "I just had a sex dream about you!" "Oh, isn't he smokin'?" "April, please, stop speaking into the mic!" "Wait, I smell somethin'." " What?" " I smell a duet comin' on!" ""Fire!" Springsteen!" "Hit it!" "##[Guitar Intro]" "##[Guitar Intro]" "What is going on here?" "You own this place?" "# I'm riding in your car #" "#You turn on the radio #" "#You're pullin' me close #" "# I just say no #" "# I say I don't like it #" "# But you know I'm a liar #" "# 'Cause when we kiss #" "# Ooh #" "# Fire #" "# Late at night #" "# Ooh, you're takin' me home #" "#You say you wanna stay #" "# I wanna stay #" "# I say I wanna be alone #" "# I say I don't love you #" "# But you know I'm a liar #" "# 'Cause when we kiss #" "# Ooh #" "# Fire #" "# Romeo and Juliet #" "# Samson and Delilah #" "# Oh, baby, you can bet #" "#A love they couldn't deny #" "# My words they say split #" "# Yeah #" "#But my words may lie #" "# May lie #" "# 'Cause when we kiss #" "# Ooh #" "# Fire ##" "April, what happened?" "April, what happened?" "Last time I saw you you were getting cleaned up, headed off to Branson." "I know!" "It's crazy, right?" "I was so jazzed about sobering up and starting a new life..." "I had to stop at a bar to get a drink just to calm down!" "And I hung out at that bar for a few months or so." "One day an old codger, about 75, 80, came in and asked to buy me a drink." "Get this" " Buddy Leibowitz." " Of Leibowitz Strip Malls?" " I'm his new mistress." "April, I really thought you were serious about getting sober." "Oh, don't look so disappointed, Will." "Who are we kidding', really?" "I'm nothing but a washed-up dreamer." "It's all I'll ever be." "Besides, I've finally realized my lifelong ambition... of being a mistress to an incredibly wealthy strip mall tycoon... and the owner-operator of a cabaret roller rink!" "Um, listen, about that..." "Well, the Glee Club kinda needs some rehearsal space." " Sue's commandeered the auditorium." " You kiddin'?" "Bring 'em here." " Really?" "That would be amazing!" " Yeah!" "And I promise, it's only temporary." "You're the best." "Listen, I gotta run." "I've got an appointment to show my apartment." " What's this now?" " Yeah." "So I need to rent out my apartment and find a smaller place to live." "Uh, because I'm" " I'm getting a divorce." " [Shouts] Divorce?" " [Nervous Chuckle]" "So you're free to date?" "And by "date," I mean sleep with people." "And by "sleep with," I mean have sex with people." "People like me!" "Kiddin'." "Not really." "But listen to this." "You're looking for a sublettor, I'm looking for a place to stay." "One catch- I'm full-time fancy now, Will." "I'm gonna want to check the place out." "I'm gonna wanna check the "fong schwang" or the "fing fong"... whatever they call it." "Tell you what." "I'm gonna go get myself a bikini wax and I'm gonna see you tomorrow." "[Slurping]" "[Woman] #Future's open wide #" " [School Bell Rings]" " I lost two pounds, Coach." "Well, Becky, you are assimilating beautifully." "Instead of being different and an outcast... you're just like every other teenage girl in America... sadly obsessed with vanity." "Before you know it you'll be leaving baggies of upchuck in your parents'linen closet." " Congrats." "I'm proud of you, kid." " Thanks, Coach." "You betcha." "Next!" "Hey, you're still in your track uniform." "Yep, and I'm ready for my midweek weigh-in." " I've been eating very well and walking everywhere and" " Well, climb aboard." "Let's see how many "libbies" you lost." "Well, look at that, Mercedes." "You gained two pounds." " What?" "That's impossible!" " Look, I'm gonna break it down for you." "You have four days to lose the weight, get yourself in a uniform, or you're out." " What am I gonna do?" " Well, you might try dropping the attitude." "I'm sure there's a pound or two in that." "You know, with the Cheerios we have only one lesson, and it's a very simple lesson." "You do whatever it takes." " [School Bell Rings]" " Next!" "Kurt!" "Hey!" "What the hell's going on with our parents?" "When did they even meet each other?" "Parent-teacher conference night, about a month ago." "I always accompany my father to those conferences to act as translator." "How do you know this is not organic?" "Because you can see the logo." "It's encrusted in the cookie." " [Kurt] Fate brought them together." " Dadl" "Meet Carole Hudson." "Ms. Hudson, my father, Burt Hummel." "You both have dead spouses." "Maybe you should talk." "I was just saying to a friend that acid wash should make a comeback." "Oh." "Really?" "And who said it ever left?" " [Kurt] It was an instant connection." " [Laughs] Yeah!" " That's impossible." " Nothing is impossible when it comes to love." "Haven't you noticed anything different about your mom?" "New clothes, new makeup, a haircut that doesn't look like it was styled by the Amish." "Who do you think "Pretty Woman"-ed her up?" " Has she started selling the furniture yet?" " Yeah, yeah." "She got rid of her old bedroom set and she tried to sell my dad's chair, but I stopped her." " How do you even know that?" " People our parents' age don't wait around for love to bloom." "They know what they want." "You and I will be roommates, with Mom and Dad cohabitating upstairs by midterms." " No way." " Give in to the inevitable, Finn." "I want us to decide how to redecorate our room together." "That's why I asked you about the swatches." "And don't sweat that old chair." "I have a lovely chaise picked out." "Look, screw y-your swatches and your-your "chez."" " Chaise." " Whatever!" "I like my house, I'm not moving, and she's not selling that damn chair!" " [School Bell Rings]" " A roller rink?" "Weren't those outlawed in, like, 1981 for being totally lame?" "Come on, guys." "Where's your sense of adventure?" "The space is great and April is giving it to us to practice in for free." "Mr. Schue?" "If I may?" "The New Directions is clearly a club with a dearth of direction." "Rachel and Jesse refuse to accept that all of us would rather die... before we allow them to become the next Beyoncé and Jay-Z... and Finn's mother's romance with my father... is sending him into a wholly unnecessary tailspin of despair." "What we all need right now... is to explore the idea of a sense of place... and how if we find that place within... we will get that happy ending." "Brad, B-flat." "## [Introduction]" "#A chair is still a chair #" "#Even when there's no one sitting there #" "[Mouths Words] Are you gay?" "#But a chair is not a house #" "#And a house is not a home #" "#When there's no one there #" "# To hold you tight #" "#And no one there #" "#You can kiss #" "# Good night #" "#A room is still a room #" "#Even when there's nothing there #" "# But gloom #" "#But a room is not a house #" "#And a house is not a home #" "#When the two of us #" "#Are far apart #" "#And one of us #" "# Has a broken #" "#Heart #" "# Now and then #" "# I call your name #" "#And suddenly your face #" "#Appears #" "# But it's just a crazy game #" "#And when it ends #" "#It ends #" "# In tears #" "#So, darlin'#" "# Have a heart #" "# Don't let one mistake keep us apart #" "#Well, I'm not meant to live alone #" "# Turn this house into a home #" "#When I climb the stair #" "#And turn the key #" "# Oh, please be there #" "# Still in love #" "#With me ##" "[School Bell Rings]" "[Knocking]" " Hiya, hot stuff." " Hey, April." "Uh, come in." "What's with the duffel bag?" "Can't have an overnighter without an overnight bag." " Overnight?" " Baby, I'm an artist." "I don't go by brains, I go by feel." "I need to settle into the energy of the place, get to know the ghosts." " Won't Buddy miss you?" " He's out of town." "Something about buying a new kidney or lung." "Look, April, I'm really not comfortable with any of this." "I'm not looking for a hook-up." "I just sleep better with someone inside the house." "Guess I've been just feeling a little lonely, you know." "Yeah, I know." " Just one night?" " [Sighs]" "Oh, look, do you want to sublet this place quick or not?" "Okay, fine." "But you get the couch." "And no funny business." " ## [Humming] - [Will] Um... the bathroom is right around the corner." "Sometimes you just need a little Burt." " Take whatever you want from the refrigerator-April. - ##[Lush Pop]" "The liquor cabinet is off limits." "Oh, no worries." "Brought my own." "Good night, April." "Good night, Will." "# One less #" "# Bell to answer #" "# One less #" "# Egg to fry #" "# One less man #" "#To pick up after #" "# I should be happy #" "# But all I do #" "#Is cry #" "# Cry, cry #" "# No more laughter #" "#Though I should be happy #" "# Oh, why #" "# Did she go #" "#I only know that since he left #" "# My life's so empty #" " # Ohh-ohh # - # Though I try to forget it #" "#Just can't be done #" "# Each time the doorbell rings #" "# I still run #" "[Together] # I don't know how in the world #" "[Solo] #To stop thinking #" " #About him # - # I should be happy #" "# 'Cause I still love him so #" "#I end each day #" " # The way I start out # - # I start #" " #And end each day cryin'# - # Cryin' my heart out #" "# One less #" "#Bell to answer #" "# One less #" "#Egg to fry #" " # One less man # - # One less man #" "#To pick up after #" "# No more laughter #" "[Together] # No more love #" "# Since he #" " # Went away # - # Since she #" "#Went away #" "# Since he #" "#Went away #" "# Ooh-ah-ooh #" "#A chair is still a chair #" "# Even when there's no one sitting there #" "#Well, I'm not meant to live alone #" "#Turn this house into a home #" "#When I climb the stair #" "#And turn the key #" "# Oh, please be there #" "# Still #" "# In love #" " #With me # - #One less #" "# Bell to answer #" "# Each time the doorbell rings #" "# I still run #" "# One less #" "# Egg to fry #" " # One less man # - # One less man #" "#To pick up after #" " #No more # - # No more laughter #" "[Together] # No more love #" "# Since he #" " #Went away # - # Since she #" " #Went away # - # Since he #" "#Went away #" "[Together] #All I #" "# Do #" "# Is #" "# Cry ##" "Good night, Will." "Good night, April." "A toast." "Tonight is a momentous occasion." "It marks the first real communion between the Hummel and the Hudson clans." "I imagine that when the Bouviers and the Kennedys first broke bread... there was a similar sense of joy and urgency." "So let me raise my Shirley Temple to our new little family." " We're not a family." " Finn." "It's cool." "You're right." "Your mom and I are just enjoying each other's company right now." "Let's just enjoy dinner." "I mean, I'm buyin', right?" "[Chuckles]" "[Chuckles]" " You playing basketball now?" " Yeah." " But I actually kinda like football better." " I didn't know that." " Sounds crazy, but I miss getting hit." " Pure boyish insanity." "No, it isn't." "I totally get that." "I used to love the feeling of getting my clock cleaned and then popping right up." " Kinda reminded me ofbeing alive." " Oh, yeah." "Why hasn't anyone commented on the new jeans I got Carole?" " Oh, come on." " Notice that the waistband falls well below the belly button." " A welcome change." " [Burt] Sure, Kurt." "Hey, you know, I sell tires to one of the assistant coaches from the Browns." " I can probably get you tickets, if you want to go." " That'd be awesome." " I've never been to an N.F. L. Game live before." " Well, no problem." "Wow." " For a place called Breadstix, these really suck." " [Both Laughing]" "[Burt] It's really just stale bread, isn't it?" "[Carole] Yeah" " Hey." "You finally choose one?" " No." "They're all wrong." "Well, they all look like gray to me." "Maybe if they were different colored sports uniforms, you'd work harder to tell them apart." "I knew it." "I knew when I started in on the football with Finn, you'd take it personal." "How could I not, Dad?" "When was the last time you were that engaged in a conversation with me?" "I'm sorry." "I don't know what you want here." "What I want is for you to appreciate how hard it is for me to watch you bond... with the son that you've obviously always wanted." "Oh, suddenly I'm not the guy who sat through Riverdance three years in a row?" "Look, Kurt, I love you... and I am sympathetic to all of your stuff." "But come on, buddy, we got a deal here, right?" "I don't try to change you, you don't try to change me." "You are my son, and a little guy talk with some other kid isn't gonna change that." "Guy talk?" "I'm a guy." "Come on." "You know what I mean." "Maybe I was wrong." "Maybe it is too soon for you to start getting serious with someone." "Your mom's been dead eight years." "You know that." "Why'd you fix me up with Carole?" "Wasn't it to make me happy?" "'Cause that's what you told me." "Can you go now?" "I'm a half an hour behind on my moisturizing routine and I need to get up early." "Do you want half of my peppermint patty?" "No." "I don't put junk in my body." "Why are you doing this?" "We like you no matter how you look." "And those shake diets are really unhealthy." "They also don't really work." "As soon as you go off them, you gain back the weight you lost." "You know what?" "I don't want to hear it!" "You have no idea how much I'm sacrificing to be a Cheerio, to look fantastic... to finally fit in at this school." "We were just trying to look out for you." "We just want you to be healthy." "Stop getting all up in my face, telling me what I can and cannot do." "And I'm really hungry, so stop trying to get me to eat you!" "Hold up." "Did she just say she wanted to eat us?" "The point is that Fanny Brice is the most iconic role..." "Aw, damn." " [Hissing]" " Hmm." "Your blood pressure's low." "Maybe that's why you fainted." "Your mom will be here soon." "I'll go and get you some ginger ale." "Thanks." "I'm not hungry." "Yes, you are." "You're starving." "I know." "I've been there." "Did all the other kids start looking like food right before you fainted?" "Yeah." "How'd you know?" "Been there." "Eat the granola bar." "Why are you being so nice to me?" "I can't remember the last time you said two words to me that weren't "you" and "suck."" "'Cause I was you- scared." "Hating myself for eating a cookie." "But I got over it." "Yeah, of course you did, Miss Pretty Blonde With the White Girl Ass." "When you start eating for somebody else... so that they can grow and be healthy... your relationship to food changes." "What I realized is that if I'm so willing to eat right to take care of this baby... why am I not willing to do it for myself?" "You are so lucky." "You've always been at home in your body." "Don't let Ms. Sylvester take that away from you." "I'm so embarrassed." "This isn't me." "How did I become this person?" "You are beautiful." "You know that." "I'm gonna stay here with you until your mom comes, okay?" " [Woman] #Home sweet home # - [Chattering, Laughing]" "# Tonight's the night #" " I don't think this is gonna work out." " ##[Continues]" "So, I'm thinking about closing up early." "Want to order a pizza, maybe snuggle up, pop in a movie?" "I don't think we should make a habit of spending the night together." "All we did was sleep." "No." "Allyou did was sleep." "I was up all night with you kicking me." "Sorry." "Them's the night terrors." "Look, I'm in the middle of a divorce, and you..." "Are you really where you want to be?" "I mean, being somebody's mistress?" "Don't you think you deserve a little bit more than that?" "You can be the life of the party every night and drink till you can't see straight... but you're always going to feel empty inside until you really find a home." "#I'm on my way #" " But, listen, if you need a place to stay tonight" " No." "You're right." "You're right." "I am worth more than that." "Tonight, I'm gonna go over to Buddy's... and I'm gonna tell him we're through." "If he still had the powers of speech, I'm sure he'd be thankful." "You know, RinkyDinks loses $8,000 a night." "Turns out, roller rinks... not so profitable." "[Chuckles]" "You always give me the right advice, Mr. Schuester." "See you around." "[Clicks]" "[Sighs]" "[School Bell Rings]" "Finn, we need to talk." "We have to break up our parents immediately." "I screwed up." "I feel like the guy who set up Liza and David Gest." "It hurt you, didn't it?" "When I was talking sports with your dad and stuff." " I could tell that you were" " Left out?" "Invisible?" "Yeah." "I don't like that my mom's forgetting about my dad." "It's up to me to keep his memory alive." "And I don't want to move in with you." "No offense." "None taken." "So we put an end to them." " Agreed?" " Agreed." "What are you doing?" "I'm going to flush Dad's ashes down the toilet." "Have you lost your mind?" "What?" "I'm just doing the same thing you're doing to him." "What's the point of keeping his remains if you're just gonna dump them out like an ashtray?" "Fine." " What are you doing?" " What you want." "What we've been doing for the last 15 years-pretending." "Come on, Finn, let's sit and watch TV as a family." " [TV:" "Clicks On]" " Lookl A basketball game." "Yourdadwould'velikedthat ." " What do you think, Christopher?" " Mom, you're being crazy." "And you're being selfish." "I like Burt." "L-l..." "I haven't felt this way about a guy since your dad died." "At least not one who felt it back." "This family works." "I don't want it to get screwed up!" "This family manages." "We get by." "You just don't know any differently because you think what we have is normal." "I do this with him every night." "I take the urn to bed with me, and I talk to him about my day." "Sixteen years..." "I've been asking him for advice and... and waiting to hear his laugh... and for him to tell me that he loves me." "And he never does." "And he never will." "I won't do it." "I'm not moving." "I'm not ready." "And he wouldn't want you to do this if I wasn't ready." "You didn't know him, Finn." "Sweetheart, I love you so much." "We don't need any more memories or ghosts." "We need a family, a home." "[Chattering]" "Well, with a name like Tracy, I assumed you were a lady." "Quite a turnout for a pep rally." "On assembly days, I arrange for the rest of the school to be fumigated... leaving the gymnasium the only place with breathable air." "Come on." "That was clever." "You might want to start writing down my little bon mots." "I'm gonna be dropping some beauties on you." "You know, this is just a freelance job." "I was short-listed for the Pulitzer last year... for my Newsweek piece on high school athletes going pro." "So my cover story isn't a fluff piece?" "Nope." "Hard-hitting investigation." "[Cheering]" "Feast your ears on this smokin' intro." "In a few seconds." "So important to build the tension." "What is she doing?" " [Microphone Feedback]" " Hey, guys." "I'm Mercedes Jones." "[Exhales] So most of you know..." "Cheerios is about perfection and winning..." "looking hot and being popular." "Still building the tension." "[Feedback]" "Well, I think that it should be about something different." "How many of you at this school feel fat?" "How many of you feel like maybe you're not worth very much?" "Or you're ugly, or you have too many pimples and not enough friends?" "Well, I felt all those things about myself at one time or another." "Hell, I felt most of those things about myself today." "And that just ain't right." "And we've got something to say about it." "And if you like what we have to say... come down here and sing it with us." "##[Pop Ballad]" "## [Vocalizing]" "#Yeah #" "# Every day #" "# Is so wonderful #" "#And suddenly #" "# It's hard to breathe #" "# Now and then #" "# I get insecure #" "#From all the pain #" "# I'm so ashamed #" "# I am beautiful #" "# No matter what they say #" "#Words can't bring me down #" "# I am beautiful #" "# In every single way #" "#Yes, words can't bring me down #" "# Oh, no #" "# So don't you bring me down today #" " # No matter what we do # - # No matter what we do #" " # No matter what we say # - # No matter what we say #" " #We're the song that's out of tune # - #Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah #" "#Yeah #" " #And everywhere we go # - #And everywhere we go #" "#The sun will always always shine #" "# The sun will always, always #" "# Shine #" "# 'Cause we are beautiful #" "# No matter what they say #" "# Yes, words won't bring us down #" "#Oh, no #" " ## [Vocalizing] - # We are beautiful #" "# In every single way #" "# Yes, words can't bring us down #" "# Ohh-ohh-ohh #" "# So don't you bring me down today #" "#Ohh-oh-ohh #" "#Ohh-ohh #" "# Don't you bring me down today #" "#Hey-ey-ey #" "#Yeah #" "#Oh #" "# Don't you bring me down #" "#Today ##" "[All Cheering]" "We can finish this interview in your office tomorrow." "Thank you." "I was wrong." " [School Bell Rings]" " Mr. Pendergrass, let me explain." "Just have a seat." "Oh." "Not used to taking orders in my own office." "Sue, when I met you I instantly disliked you." "You're bossy, insulting, and the fact that twice you called me Rerun... makes me think you're a little racist." "I came here to write a piece that would expose you as a coward and a cheat." " I could not have been more wrong." " Beg your pardon?" "You got every shape and size Cheerio up there singing about empowerment and inclusion... telling everyone it's okay to be exactly the person you are." "You're a visionary, and I think redefining cheerleading." "Bravo." "Well, thank you, uh, Mr. Pendergrass." "I can't say I'm surprised." "Um, you know, I work so hard to get my girls feeling good about themselves... because it's what's inside that counts." "It's an honor, Coach." "When this hits the stands, it could mean big things for you." "[School Bell Rings]" " What are you doing here?" "Did you already move in?" " No, your mom invited me." " She thought you and I could have a man-to-man." " Good, 'cause I got a lot to say." "I don't, so let me go first." "You're pissed." "I get it." "Your dad is a hero... not only to the world for what he did in Desert Storm... but he's a hero to you." "No way I can fill his shoes." "It's just, you know- I love your mom." "She's like this angel that came down to wake me up after all these years... and I swear to you I will never hurt her." "I will always take care of her." "I can't be your dad, but I will be her hero... for as long as she'll take me." "All right, I've said my piece." "What do you want to say?" "Just wanted to know if you wanted to watch a game." "Sure." "Hold up." "You can sit here if you want." " [TV:" "Clicks On] - [Crowd Cheering]" "You know, I hate Duke like I hate the Nazis." " [Can Top Pops] - [Sighs] Tell me about it." "This team, every year, they recruit these guys and... they don't know that the, uh, entire college... is basically built on tobacco [School Bell Rings]" " I don't know what to say." "Just say congratulations." "I took your advice." "I went home, I told Buddy that if he wanted to keep me around... he had to ditch the old lady and give yours truly the top job." "And then he died." "[Laughs]" "One of his eyes went all funny and he had a stroke right in front of me." " Geez, April, are you okay?" " Okay?" "I'm rich!" "The ol' battle-ax was afraid I'd go to the Lima Times..." " so she shut me up to the tune of $2 million." " What?" "So I'm sobering up and I'm heading to the Broadway, Will." "I haven't had a drink in 45 minutes." "I'm going to take my hush money... and I'm going to mount the first-ever all-white production of The Wiz." " Okay. [Chuckles]" " And I've got you to thank." " Did you tell him yet?" " Tell me what?" " That I bought y'all the auditorium." " [Applause, Cheering]" "What?" "I wrote ol' Figgins a check this morning." "It's now called the April Rhodes Civic Pavilion." "L" " I don't know what to say." "We've got that covered." "We've got that covered." "##[Ballad]" "#When I think of home #" "# I think of a place #" "#Where there's #" "# Love overflowing #" "#I wish I was home #" "#I wish I was back there #" "#With the things I've been knowing #" "#Wind that makes the tall grass #" "# Bend into leaning #" "# Suddenly the raindrops that fall #" "# Have a meaning #" "# Sprinklin' #" "#The scene #" "# Makes it all #" "# Clean #" "# Maybe there's a chance #" "# For me to go back #" "# Now that I #" "# Have some direction #" "#It sure would be nice to be back home #" "#Where there's love #" "#And affection #" "# Then just maybe I can convince time #" "#To slow up #" "#Giving me enough time #" "#In my life to grow up #" "# Time, be my friend #" " #Let me start again # - # Let me start #" "#Again #" "# Living here #" " # In this brand-new world # - # Brand-new world #" " # Might be a fantasy # - # Fantasy #" "# Oh, oh, oh, oh #" "# But it taught me to love #" "# So it's real, real, real to me #" "#And I've learned #" "#We must look look inside our hearts #" "#To find #" " #Yeah, a world full of love # - #World full of love #" "# Like yours, like mine #" "# Like home #" "# Home #" "##[Vocalizing]" "##[Harmonic Vocalizing]" "##[Ends]" "ENGLISH" " US" " SDH" | 2023-08-30T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/1605 |
370 F.Supp.2d 1226 (2005)
Judith G. JANIS and Jonathan N. Janis, as Co-Personal Representatives for the Estate of Thomas J. Janis Plaintiffs,
v.
PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA, INC., a foreign corporation; Defendants.
Sonia Zoraida Contreras Vargas, as Personal Representative for the Estate of Luis Alcides Cruz, Plaintiffs,
v.
Pratt & Whitney Canada, Inc., a foreign corporation;.
No. 604CV184ORL18DAB, No. 604CV1359ORL18KRS.
United States District Court, M.D. Florida, Orlando Division.
June 1, 2005.
*1227 Newton Patrick Porter, Tony Korvick, Porter & Korvick, P.A., Miami, FL, for Plaintiffs.
J. Thompson Thornton, Mark David Bohm, Thornton, Davis & Fein, Miami, FL, Russell K. Dickson, Jr., Fisher, Rushmer, Werrenrath, Dickson, Talley & Dunlap, P.A., Michael T. Haire, Fisher, Rushmer, Werrenrath, Orlando, FL, for Defendants.
ORDER
SHARP, Senior District Judge.
THIS CAUSE comes before the Court on motions for summary judgment by Defendant Pratt & Whitney Canada, Corp. ("Pratt & Whitney") in consolidated Case *1228 No. 04-cv-184 (Doc. 64, filed April 19, 2005) and Case No. 04-cv-1359 (Doc. 36, filed April 19, 2005).[1] to which Plaintiffs Judith G. Janis and Jonathan N. Janis, as personal representatives for the estate of Thomas J. Janis, and Sonia Zoraida Contreras Vargas, as personal representative for the estate of Luis Alcides Cruz. (collectively, "Plaintiffs") have jointly responded in opposition (Case No. 04-cv-184, Docs. 75-79, filed May 7, 2005).
I. BACKGROUND
Thomas Janis ("Janis"), a retired Army pilot, flew civilian surveillance and reconnaissance missions in Colombia. Janis's aircraft was equipped with a Pratt & Whitney PT6 turbine engine. On a February 13, 2002 flight, the aircraft's turbine engine allegedly stopped running because the compressor turbine blades fractured due to "creep." a metallurgical aging process. Janis piloted the plane to a crash landing on a mountainous ridgeline near Florencia, Colombia. Luis Alcides Cruz ("Cruz"), a Colombian military advisor, was a passenger on the plane and suffered a broken pelvis in the accident. Although Janis and Cruz both survived the crash, they were shot and killed near the crash site by members of the Colombian rebel group, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). (Doc. 75, Ex. 18.) Plaintiffs bring causes of action against the engine manufacturer. Pratt & Whitney, for negligence and strict liability.
II. DISCUSSION
A. Summary Judgment
A court will grant summary judgment if "the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law." Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c): see e.g., Stachel v. City of Cape Canaveral, 51 F.Supp.2d 1326, 1329 (M.D.Fla.1999). Material facts are those that may affect the outcome of the case under the applicable substantive law. Disputed issues of material fact preclude the entry of summary judgment, but factual disputes that are irrelevant or unnecessary do not. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986).
The moving party bears the initial burden of proving that no genuine issue of material fact exists. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 324-25, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). In determining whether the moving party has satisfied its burden, the Court considers all inferences drawn from the underlying facts in a light most favorable to the party opposing the motion and resolves all reasonable doubts against the moving party. Matsushita Elec. Ind. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587-88, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986). The moving party may rely solely on his pleadings to satisfy its burden. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 323-24, 106 S.Ct. 2548. A non-moving party bearing the burden of proof. however, must go beyond the pleadings and submit affidavits, depositions, answers to interrogatories or admissions that designate specific facts indicating there is a genuine issue for trial. Id. at 324, 106 S.Ct. 2548. If the evidence offered by the non-moving party is merely colorable, or is not significantly probative, the Court may grant summary judgment. Anderson, 477 U.S. at 249-50, 106 S.Ct. 2505. Similarly, summary judgment is mandated against a party who fails to prove an essential element of its case. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548.
*1229 B. Negligence
Federal courts sitting in diversity apply the substantive law of the forum state. Erie R. Co. v. Tompkins, 304 U.S. 64, 78, 58 S.Ct. 817, 82 L.Ed. 1188 (1938); Esfeld v. Costa Crociere, S.P.A., 289 F.3d 1300, 1306 (11th Cir.2002). Under Florida law, a plaintiff must prove four elements to prevail on a negligence claim: (1) the defendant owes a legal duty to the plaintiff: (2) the defendant breached that duty: (3) defendant's breach legally caused an injury to plaintiff; and (4) damages resulted from the injury. Sexton v. U.S., 132 F.Supp.2d 967, 974 (M.D.Fla.2000): Clampitt v. D.J. Spencer Sales, 786 So.2d 570, 573 (Fla.2001). The element of "legal cause" consists of cause-in-fact and proximate cause. Id. The parties in the instant case do not currently dispute breach, cause-in-fact, or damages. Pratt & Whitney does strenuously contest whether, under Florida law, it owed a duty to the decedents and if so, whether the breach of that duty was the proximate cause of their death.
The question posed by the unique facts of the case whether an airplane engine manufacturer may be liable for criminal conduct occurring at the site of an alleged product failure is a matter of first impression under Florida law. Two other state courts confronting a similar issue have declined to impose liability on the product manufacturer on proximate cause grounds, finding that the criminal conduct constituted an efficient intervening cause. See Stahlecker v. Ford Motor Co., 266 Neb. 601, 667 N.W.2d 244 (2003) (affirming demurrer in favor of car manufacturer where plaintiff was abducted, raped, and murdered after being stranded on the road following a tire malfunction): Kleen v. Homak Mfg. Co., Inc., 321 Ill.App.3d 639, 255 Ill.Dec. 246, 749 N.E.2d 26 (1st DCA 2001) (affirming dismissal of action against manufacturer and retailer of firearm safe where child broke into allegedly defective safe, stole gun, and committed suicide).
1. Duty vs. Proximate Cause
The Florida Supreme Court has noted that although questions pertaining to the existence of duty and proximate cause both entail a "foreseeability" analysis, they are to be analyzed separately. McCain v. Fla. Power Corp., 593 So.2d 500, 502 (Fla.1992). As cogently explained by the Florida Supreme Court in McCain:
The duty element of negligence focuses on whether the defendant's conduct foreseeably created a broader "zone of risk" that poses a general threat of harm to others. The proximate causation element, on the other hand, is concerned with whether and to what extent the defendant's conduct foreseeably and substantially caused the specific injury that actually occurred. In other words, the former is a minimal threshold legal requirement for opening the courthouse doors, whereas the latter is part of the much more specific factual requirement that must be proved to win the case once the courthouse doors are open. As is obvious, a defendant might be under a legal duty of care to a specific plaintiff. but still not be liable for negligence because proximate causation cannot be proven. Id. at 502-03 (citations omitted).
With these differences in mind, the Court proceeds to the question of whether Pratt & Whitney's conduct "foreseeably created a broader `zone of risk' that poses a general threat of harm to others."
2. Duty
Duty is a matter of law that is to be determined by the Court. Id. at 502. A legal duty may arise from legislation, case law, or the general facts of the case. Id. at 503 n. 2. It is well-established that a product manufacturer has "a duty to exercise *1230 reasonable care so that their products in the marketplace will not harm persons or property." Cintron v. Osmose Wood Preserving, Inc., 681 So.2d 859, 861-62 (Fla. 5th DCA 1996). An engine malfunction in an airborne plane necessarily involves a greater risk of harm than other product defects, and as noted by the court in McCain, the defendant's duty increases as the plaintiff's risk increases:
While it is true that power companies are not insurers, they nevertheless must shoulder a greater-than-usual duty of care in proportion to the greater-than-usual zone of risk associated with the business enterprise they have undertaken. Electricity has unquestioned power to kill or maim. This is the precise reason the duty imposed upon power companies is a heavy one, because the risk defines the duty. Thus, if there is any general and foreseeable risk of injury through the transmission of electricity, the courts are not free to relieve the power company of this duty. McCain, 593 So.2d at 504 (citations omitted).
Similarly, a malfunctioning airplane engine has a high probability of killing numerous people or placing them in perilous situations should a landing fortuitously occur: they may be subjected to inhospitable terrain, open sea, unfavorable climate conditions, or dangerous animals or persons. A death caused-in-fact by a mid-air engine malfunction, as is allegedly the case here, surely falls into the "broader zone of risk." To the extent there is an issue about the propriety of imposing liability for the "specific injury that actually occurred." this issue is properly addressed under principles of proximate cause. See McCain, 593 So.2d at 502; Moffat v. U.S. Foundry & Mfg. Corp., 551 So.2d 592, 593 (Fla. 2d DCA 1989) (where child on bicycle was trying to avoid grate in road and was hit by passing car, court found "[t]he fact that the grate did not actively cause the child's injuries may ultimately prove significant in determining the issue of causation. Nevertheless, we perceive no reason to limit the duty owed in negligence or strict liability by an active/passive distinction which has not proven to be a manageable distinction in the past.").
Defendant relies on well-established precedent stating that parties have no legal duty to prevent the misconduct of third persons, unless there is a "special relation" between the defendant and the third party or the defendant and the victim. See Aguila v. Hilton, Inc., 878 So.2d 392, 399 (Fla. 1st DCA 2004) (citing Restatement (Second) of Torts § 315 (1965)). Plaintiffs do not argue that Pratt & Whitney had a special relation to the third party Colombian hostile forces necessitating a duty to control them.[2] Rather, the issue is whether Pratt & Whitney had a special relation to Janis and Cruz. Florida courts have recognized special relationships in a variety of contexts: employer-employee, landlord-tenant, landowner-invitee. and school-minor. See Gross v. Family Serv. Agency, Inc., 716 So.2d 337, 338-39 (Fla. 4th DCA 1998) (footnotes omitted). The recognized special relationships continue to evolve. See id. (extending "special relation" duty to university-adult student). In fact, the Third District Court of Appeals extended the special relationship doctrine to rental agency-customer, holding that a defendant car rental company had a duty to warn the plaintiff tourist of foreseeable criminal conduct directed at tourists in rental cars, in light of the defendant's "superior knowledge" of possible *1231 criminal conduct. See Shurben v. Dollar Rent-A-Car, 676 So.2d 467, 468 (Fla. 3d DCA 1996); K.M. ex rel. D.M. v. Publix Super Markets, Inc., 895 So.2d 1114, 1118 (Fla. 4th DCA 2005) (clarifying that Shurben recognized a rental agency-customer "special relation"). As the Restatement itself notes, the special relations "are not intended to be exclusive, and are not necessarily the only ones in which a duty of affirmative action for the aid or protection of another may be found." Restatement (Second) of Torts § 314A cmt. (1965).
In the absence of any controlling Florida precedent, the Court finds that Pratt & Whitney, as an airplane engine manufacturer, owed the instant decedents a duty of care to prevent the general harm of injury and death occurring at the site of an unplanned landing allegedly caused by a defective engine.[3] To the extent Florida courts find a defendant's knowledge of dangerous conditions relevant, as in Shurben, there is an issue of fact as to the extent of Pratt & Whitney's knowledge, which is discussed in detail below.
3. Proximate Cause
Under Florida law, the question of foreseeability must be left to the fact-finder to resolve where reasonable persons could differ as to "whether the specific injury was genuinely foreseeable or merely an improbable freak." McCain, 593 So.2d at 504 (emphasis in original). On the other hand, a trial court has discretion to remove the issue from the jury if, "`after the event and looking back from the harm to the actor's negligent conduct, it appears to the court highly extraordinary that [the conduct] should have brought about the harm.'" Id. (quoting Restatement (Second) of Torts § 435(2) (1965)). The Florida Supreme Court has expressly condoned deciding such cases as a matter of law on a motion for summary judgment when there is an active and efficient intervening cause upon which reasonable people cannot differ. Dep't of Transp. v. Anglin, 502 So.2d 896, 899 (Fla.1987).
As mentioned above, at least two state supreme courts have found that where a product defect provides the occasion for a third party's criminal behavior, the intervening criminal act prohibits a finding of proximate cause. Stahlecker, 667 N.W.2d at 256: Kleen, 255 Ill.Dec. 246, 749 N.E.2d at 31. In its reasoning in Stahlecker, the Nebraska Supreme Court stated:
Assuming the truth of these allegations,[4] the most that can be inferred is that Ford and Firestone had general knowledge *1232 that criminal assaults can occur at the scene of a vehicular product failure. However, it is generally known that violent crime can and does occur in a variety of settings, including the relative safety of a victim's home. The facts alleged do not present the type of knowledge concerning a specific individual's criminal propensity, or right of control over premises known to have been the scene of prior criminal activity, upon which we have recognized a tort duty to protect another from criminal acts. Stahlecker, 667 N.W.2d at 257.
In the instant case, however, plaintiffs have introduced evidence from which a reasonable inference may be made that Pratt & Whitney had knowledge of a possible criminal attack by Colombian hostile forces: A previous engine in Janis's plane failed on June 11, 2001, resulting in his first unplanned landing. During the inspection of this engine, Ronnie Powers, owner of the company leasing the plane to Air Quest, Inc., Janis's employers, informed a Pratt & Whitney representative. Paul Crosby, that missions were being flown over hostile territory in Colombia. (Powers Aff. ¶ 4.) Richard Pere, owner of Air Quest. Inc., also states that he discussed these facts with Crosby at the inspection. (Pere Aff. ¶ 7.) When the replacement engine went in for inspection, Powers told another Pratt & Whitney representative. Andre Spits, that the plane was performing surveillance missions over hostile areas in Colombia. (Id. at ¶ 6, 667 N.W.2d 244.) Finally, in a letter to Janis. Tom Childrey. President of Air Quest, Inc., stated that "PWC has no volunteers as of this morning to travel to Colombia, they are working thru their facility in Brazil." (Doc. 75, Ex. 7.) Plaintiffs contend that this last comment shows Pratt & Whitney's avoidance of dangerous conditions in Colombia, and that all the evidence, taken together, establishes a factual question as to whether Pratt & Whitney had knowledge with respect to the possibility of criminal attack by the Colombian hostile forces.
This evidence falls in the continuum of Florida cases finding that the defendant had adequate knowledge of previous instances of criminal activity and those that found the third party's criminal conduct was an aberration for which a defendant could not be held liable.[5] The Court accordingly *1233 finds that reasonable minds could differ as to whether the specific injuries sustained by Janis and Cruz were genuinely foreseeable or merely an improbable freak occurrence. See Vining v. Avis Rent-A-Car Sys., Inc., 354 So.2d 54 (Fla.1977) (finding that complaint presented jury question about whether car rental agency leaving keys in ignition of its car in high-crime area was proximate cause of damage resulting from collision between thief and plaintiffs). Defendant's motion for summary judgment on Plaintiffs' negligence claim is therefore denied.
C. Products Liability
To sustain an action for products liability under Florida law, a plaintiff must prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that: (1) a product: (2) produced by a manufacturer; (3) was defective or created an unreasonably dangerous condition: (4) that proximately caused; (5) injury. Edward M. Chadbourne, Inc. v. Vaughn, 491 So.2d 551, 553 (Fla.1986). Because there is a jury question regarding proximate cause, for the reasons discussed above, the Court denies Defendant's motion for summary judgment on Plaintiffs' products liability claim.
III. CONCLUSION
The Court finds that the undisputed facts and the reasonable inferences drawn therefrom establish genuine issues of material fact that would justify bringing this lawsuit to trial. Based on the foregoing discussion and upon careful consideration of the record and all relevant law, it is ORDERED and ADJUDGED as follows:
(1) Defendant Pratt & Whitney's motion for summary judgment in Case No. 04-cv-184 (Doc. 64) is DENIED.
(2) Defendant Pratt & Whitney's motion for summary judgment in Case No. 04-cv-1359 (Doc. 36) is DENIED.
NOTES
[1] The latter motion adopts all arguments and authorities set forth in the motion for summary judgment in Case No. 04-cv-184.
[2] A duty to control a third person's conduct is commonly found between parents and children, masters and servants, and possessors of land or chattels and licensees. K.M. ex rel. D.M. v. Publix Super Markets, Inc., 895 So.2d 1114, 1117 (Fla. 4th DCA 2005); see also Restatement (Second) of Torts §§ 316-318 (1965).
[3] Cf. Stahlecker, 266 Neb. 601, 667 N.W.2d 244. In this case addressing an analogous situation, the Nebraska Supreme Court appeared to find that the product manufacturer had a general duty to the plaintiff. Id. at 253. In its proximate cause analysis, however, the court found that the parties did not have the requisite special relationship and that the criminal conduct constituted an efficient, intervening cause. Id. at 256-57. As discussed later in this opinion, this finding was at least partially based on defendant's lack of specific knowledge regarding criminal activity which is contested here as discussed below and on the "active/passive" distinction that Florida courts have apparently abandoned, as noted above. See Moffat, 551 So.2d at 593.
The other court to confront a similar issue specifically stated that it was only addressing proximate cause, not the other elements of negligence. See Kleen, 255 Ill.Dec. 246, 749 N.E.2d at 29.
[4] The Stahlecker plaintiffs alleged that: Ford and Firestone knew or should have known of "the potential for similar dangerous situations arising as a result of a breakdown of a Ford Explorer and/or its tires resulting in danger to its consumers and users from criminal activity, adverse weather conditions, inability to communicate with others or any combination thereof." They also alleged that Ford and Firestone had or should have had "knowledge, to include statistical information, regarding the likelihood of criminal conduct and/or sexual assault against auto and tire industry consumers as a result of unexpected auto and/or tire failures in general." Stahlecker, 667 N.W.2d at 257.
[5] See Orlando Executive Park, Inc. v. Robbins, 433 So.2d 491 (Fla.1983), receded from on other grounds, Mobil Oil Corp. v. Bransford, 648 So.2d 119 (Fla.1995) (evidence that management had knowledge of numerous episodes of criminal activity occurring during immediately preceding six-month period, and that situation required presence of security guards, supported jury verdict holding motel owner liable for attack upon guest by unidentified man); Drake v. Sun Bank and Trust Co. of St. Petersburg, 400 So.2d 569, 570 (Fla.App.1981) (finding wife of murdered bank customer had stated a cause of action by alleging that bank was in a high crime area and provided less protection than other banks, that similar crimes occurred on or near the facilities, and that bank should have had knowledge of the chance of an assault against a customer on their property); cf. Roberts v. Shop & Go. Inc., 502 So.2d 915, 917 (Fla. 2d DCA 1986) (declining to find liability for vendor that sold customer gasoline in a pail that customer used to douse customers and set them on fire because acts were wholly unforeseeable and constituted an efficient intervening cause as a matter of law); Barnes v. Gulf Power Co., 517 So.2d 717, 718 (Fla. 1st DCA 1987) (finding criminal attack on telephone repairmen was efficient intervening cause, where Gulf Power was allegedly negligent in maintaining its electrical lines and in misrepresenting that it would send out repairmen to repair the lines, thereby delaying the telephone repair job until after darkness fell).
| 2023-10-14T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/1626 |
Highlights {#Sec1}
==========
The overall prevalence of MIH in Japan was 19.8%.MIH occurred more frequently in southwestern areas than in northeastern areas of Japan.The prevalence of MIH decreased with increasing age.
Background {#Sec2}
==========
Enamel hypomineralization can lead to caries development, occlusion abnormality, and esthetic issues; thus, it is an important problem in pediatric dentistry \[[@CR1]\]. Molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) is defined as the hypomineralization of systemic origin of one or more of the four permanent first molars and is frequently associated with affected incisors \[[@CR2]\]. MIH often occurs in children worldwide. Large variations in MIH prevalence have been reported. Most MIH prevalence studies have been conducted in European countries, and MIH prevalence rates between 3.6 and 25.0% were reported \[[@CR3]--[@CR5]\]. The only study of MIH prevalence in Japan included 2121 elementary school children in Chiba, a suburb in Tokyo \[[@CR6]\]. However, the examination of MIH prevalence throughout Japan has not been investigated.
Etiologies of MIH include systemic conditions at around the time of birth. Reports have suggested many possible causes during childhood such as asthma, pneumonia, respiratory infections, otitis media, tonsillitis, and chicken pox, and early use of amoxicillin and dioxins in mother's milk \[[@CR7]\]. However, the exact etiology of MIH remains unclear. Because MIH is associated with a systemic disturbance that occurs during the development of the permanent first molars and incisors, one leading hypothesis is that MIH is influenced by environmental factors during enamel development of these teeth.
Clinical management of MIH is difficult due to the rapid development of dental caries, limited cooperation of children, and repeated breakdown of restorations \[[@CR8]\]. Moreover, MIH often occurs in areas with low caries prevalence \[[@CR9]\]. Therefore, it is essential to recognize the existing state of MIH throughout Japan. The purpose of this study was to clarify the MIH prevalence rates and to consider the potential regional differences throughout Japan.
Material and methods {#Sec3}
====================
Study design {#Sec4}
------------
The Japanese Society of Pediatric Dentistry requested the cooperation of 460 private dental clinics or university hospitals, which specialize in pediatric dentistry, at district prefecture facilities throughout Japan.
The subjects consisted of about 5000 Japanese children aged 7--9 years across Japan. The study aimed to include approximately 1/3000 of the child population in each prefecture of Japan. Subjects were randomly selected in each clinic or university hospital.
Finally, informed consent was obtained from 4985 children or the children's guardians. Inclusion criteria included children aged 7--9 years with no systemic disease history and four fully erupted permanent first molars. We selected the age group of 7--9 years as all four first permanent molars and incisors would have erupted in the oral cavity of children at this age, and children older than 9 years have a higher risk of caries development. Exclusion criteria were children with enamel hypoplasia or amelogenesis imperfecta and under orthodontic treatment at the assessment. This study was carried out between October 2015 and February 2016.
MIH prevalence rates throughout Japan were investigated by evaluating eight regions by the jurisdiction of the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare based on 47 prefectures. A child's residence was defined as the mother's residence during pregnancy. The eight areas classified according to each prefecture are as follows:i.Hokkaido (Hokkaido prefecture)ii.Tohoku (Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata, and Fukushima prefectures)iii.Kanto Shin-Etsu (Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Niigata, Yamanashi, and Nagano prefectures)iv.Tokai Hokuriku (Toyama, Ishikawa, Gifu, Shizuoka, Aichi, and Mie prefectures)v.Kinki (Fukui, Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara, and Wakayama prefectures)vi.Chugoku (Tottori, Shimane, Okayama, Hiroshima, and Yamaguchi prefectures)vii.Shikoku (Tokushima, Kagawa, Ehime, and Kochi prefectures)viii.Kyushu (Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, Kagoshima, and Okinawa prefectures).
For calibration, the criteria index with 35 clinical photographs was prepared. The record chart guided by the criteria index was used in this study. The examiners in each area received lectures on how to use the criteria index. MIH was evaluated using criteria based on the 2003 European Academy of Pediatric Dentistry guidelines \[[@CR10]\], with some modification. Briefly, tooth discoloration of a child with MIH was graded according to the color shade as white opacity, yellow/brown opacity, or dark brown opacity (Fig. [1](#Fig1){ref-type="fig"}). Tooth surface defects were categorized as none, enamel defect, or dentin defect (Fig. [2](#Fig2){ref-type="fig"}). The localization of demarcated opacities and enamel breakdown were recorded on a standard cord form using a guided record chart.Fig. 1Tooth discoloration in a child with MIH was graded according to the color shade as follows: **a** white opacity, **b** yellow/brown opacity, and **c** dark brown opacityFig. 2Tooth surface defects were categorized as follows: **a** none, **b** enamel defect, and **c** dentin defect
Statistical analyses {#Sec5}
--------------------
The chi-square test was used to evaluate the differences in MIH prevalence rates between age groups, sex, and regions. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate whether regional differences in MIH prevalence exist. Age and sex were simultaneously entered in the multivariate model because age and sex are known to be determinants of MIH \[[@CR1]\] and may be potential confounders for the association between regions and MIH. This analysis was set up to calculate the age- and sex-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of age, sex, and regions for MIH, and their 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs). The multivariate models were examined using the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test \[[@CR11]\]. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 20.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). *p* values \< 0.05 were considered statistically significant.
Results {#Sec6}
=======
Approximately 84.3% (388/460) of private dental clinics or university hospitals throughout Japan agreed to cooperate with the study. A total of 4985 children were invited to participate. Of these, 489 children had incomplete data. Thus, 4496 (90.2%) children were included in the analyses. There was no significant difference according to sex (boys---2216, 49.3%; girls---2280, 50.7%). The overall prevalence of MIH in Japan was 19.8% (892/4496). Tooth surface defects were found in 8.1% (366/4496) of subjects. A summary of subjects' characteristics is shown in Table [1](#Tab1){ref-type="table"}.Table 1Distribution of MIH in areas throughout Japan and age- or sex-specific prevalence of MIHNumber of subjectsPercentNumber of subjects with MIHPrevalence (%)^§^*χ*^2^ testOdds ratio^a^(95% confidence interval)Region Hokkaido2355.23314.01 (13.97--14.06)\< 0.0011.00 Tohoku3167.03711.69 (11.65--11.72)0.81 (0.49--1.34) Kanto Shin-Etsu156134.728918.48 (18.46--18.50)1.40 (0.95--2.07) Tokai Hokuriku60113.411619.26 (19.23--19.29)1.48 (0.97--2.24) Kinki80217.817922.27 (22.25--22.30)1.77 (1.18--2.65) Chugoku2625.85219.81 (19.76--19.86)1.54 (0.95--2.48) Shikoku1533.44328.05 (27.98--28.12)2.43 (1.46--4.04) Kyushu56612.614325.21 (25.20--25.23)2.07 (1.37--3.13)Age (years) 7153334.134122.2\< 0.011.40 (1.16--1.68) 8163136.332419.91.21 (1.00--1.46) 9133229.622717.01.00Sex Male221649.342819.30.381.00 Female228050.746420.41.07 (0.92--1.24)Total449689219.8Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test, 0.11^a^Odds ratios were adjusted for sex and age^§^Prevalence by region was adjusted for sex and age
The distribution of MIH in the eight classified areas throughout Japan is shown in Table [1](#Tab1){ref-type="table"} and Fig. [3](#Fig3){ref-type="fig"}. The MIH prevalence rates were 14.0% in Hokkaido, 11.7% in Tohoku, 18.5% in Kanto Shin-Etsu, 19.3% in Tokai Hokuriku, 22.3% in Kinki, 19.8% in Chugoku, 28.1% in Shikoku, and 25.3% in Kyushu. MIH exhibited low prevalence in northeastern areas and high prevalence in southwestern areas of Japan (Fig. [3](#Fig3){ref-type="fig"}). MIH prevalence rates throughout Japan showed a similar tendency in the multivariate logistic regression analysis. The adjusted ORs for MIH with Hokkaido as the reference group were significantly high in Kinki (OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.18--2.65), Shikoku (OR 2.43, 95% CI 1.46--4.04), and Kyushu (OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.29--3.20). Furthermore, MIH frequency significantly decreased with increasing age---22.2% in 7-year-olds, 19.9% in 8-year-olds, and 17.0% in 9-year-olds (*p* \< 0.001). No significant sex difference in MIH prevalence was demonstrated (boys 19.3%, girls 20.4%).Fig. 3MIH prevalence rates throughout Japan. MIH exhibited low prevalence in northeastern areas and high prevalence in southwestern areas of Japan
Discussion {#Sec7}
==========
This study clarified the prevalence of MIH among children aged 7--9 years and showed regional differences in MIH prevalence throughout Japan.
The overall prevalence of MIH in this study was 19.8%, which is similar to the rates reported in Sweden (18.4%) \[[@CR12]\], Iraq (18.6%) \[[@CR13]\], Finland (19.3%) \[[@CR14]\], and Brazil (19.9%) \[[@CR15]\]. This similarity in MIH prevalence suggests that MIH is a common clinical finding among children worldwide. The loss of enamel from permanent teeth in children is a frequent occurrence. MIH is associated with many dental problems, such as hypersensitivity, esthetics, and rapid dental caries progression \[[@CR16]\]. Therefore, clinical management of MIH is essential in the field of pediatric dentistry.
MIH was more prevalent among participants in southwestern areas (Kinki, Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu) than those in northeastern areas (Hokkaido and Tohoku) of Japan. These regional differences could generate hypotheses for the analysis of the etiology of MIH in Japan. Many potential causes of MIH have been proposed, such as prematurity, viral or bacterial infections, respiratory diseases, asthma, and frequent episodes of fever in early childhood or mothers who experienced problems during pregnancy \[[@CR7], [@CR17]\]. However, these possible causes do not explain the regional differences in Japan. One potential explanation may be serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations in children or their mothers. Osteoporosis also occurs more frequently in southwestern areas than northeastern areas of Japan \[[@CR18]\]. Patients with osteoporosis have low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations \[[@CR19]\]. Increases in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations are significantly associated with a lower odds ratio of having MIH. Furthermore, higher serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels are related to a lower number of caries-affected permanent teeth \[[@CR20]\]. Endogenous vitamin D3 is synthesized in the skin through exposure to ultraviolet B radiation from sunlight, and exogenous vitamin D3 is obtained from dietary sources including fatty fish, fish liver oil, egg yolks, and mushrooms \[[@CR21], [@CR22]\]. Vitamin D obtained from diet or ultraviolet B radiation undergoes hydroxylation in the liver, producing 25-hydroxyvitamin D, which is the active form of vitamin D \[[@CR23]\]. Thus, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations may vary according to the differences in eating habits, daylight hours, and outside time by area \[[@CR24]\]. Japan is a very long country from the northeast to southwest direction. Since the daylight hours are longer and ultraviolet B radiation is greater in the southwestern part than the northeastern part of Japan, the prevalence of MIH may depend on the factors other than endogenous vitamin D3. Yaegashi et al. suggest that vitamin D intake, mainly from fish and fish products, is much higher in eastern areas of Hokkaido and Tohoku than in western areas of Japan. Thus, vitamin D intake itself, more than day length, might explain the lower incidence of hip fracture by osteoporosis \[[@CR25]\]. Nutrient intake from fish might explain the regional differences we observed in the prevalence of MIH in Japan.
In this study, the prevalence of MIH decreased with increasing age. Hypomineralized teeth are prone to dental caries over time \[[@CR26]\]. Although enamel hypomineralization would be masked by dental caries, the possibility of annual increases in MIH prevalence rates cannot be denied.
Our study has limitations. First, this study is not true random sampling. MIH has a difficult differential diagnosis from early caries, enamel hypoplasia after trauma, or amelogenesis imperfecta. Therefore, a dedicated specialist would be required to examine over 370 local clinics throughout Japan. Second, we did not evaluate socioeconomic conditions. However, almost all prefectures in Japan guarantee medical expenses for children. Since poverty rates, working poor rates, and child poverty rates in Kansai (and further west) and Tohoku (and further north) tend to be high \[[@CR27]\], random sampling from each area (community-based design) would be ideal for the study. However, such a study is not feasible when considering the necessity of cooperation from local communities/schools throughout Japan. Therefore, we selected a clinic-/hospital-based study design. True MIH may be slightly lower than this study, but MIH is found by the dentist of the clinic. It is thought that this study reflects the actual situation.
Conclusions {#Sec8}
===========
The overall prevalence of MIH in Japan was 19.8%. Regional differences in MIH prevalence rates were observed throughout Japan, with MIH occurring more frequently in southwestern areas than northeastern areas. To our knowledge, this is the first MIH study carried out in several regions throughout Japan.
MIH
: Molar incisor hypomineralization
The authors thank the Pediatric Dentistry Specialist (Japanese Society of Pediatric Dentistry) who extensively contributed to the launching of this study.
Funding {#FPar1}
=======
This study was supported by a Grant-in-Aid from the Japanese Dental Science Federation (JDSF-DSP1-2017-109-1).
Availability of data and materials {#FPar2}
==================================
Please contact the author for data requests.
MaS interpreted the data and was the major contributor in the writing of the manuscript. YA, MY, and MiS contributed to the data analysis. All authors participated in the study design and data collection. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
Ethics approval and consent to participate {#FPar3}
==========================================
The study was approved by the research ethics committee of the Health Sciences University of Hokkaido (reference number 2015-012), and all children or the children's guardians provided written informed consent in accordance with the revised Declaration of Helsinki. In other university hospitals, permission to conduct the study was obtained from the respective deans.
Consent for publication {#FPar4}
=======================
Not applicable
Competing interests {#FPar5}
===================
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Publisher's Note {#FPar6}
================
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
| 2023-08-30T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/6875 |
Obama’s interview with David Gregory was an unusual Sunday-show foray. | Pete Souza Obama targets GOP inaction on cliff
President Barack Obama used a rare appearance on a Sunday talk show one day before the nation hits the fiscal cliff to pin the blame on Republicans who “have had trouble saying yes.”
With the prospects of a bipartisan agreement uncertain, Obama used the high-profile setting of NBC’s “Meet the Press” to make his closing argument in the debate.
On a day of drama and uncertainty in Washington, he said he’s negotiated in good faith, moved more than halfway to reach a grand bargain and angered Democrats with his concessions. But he said Republicans still refuse to strike a deal with him and hike rates on the richest taxpayers.
“They say that their biggest priority is making sure that we deal with the deficit in a serious way, but the way they’re behaving is that their only priority is making sure that tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans are protected,” Obama said. “That seems to be their only overriding, unifying theme.”
In response House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said it was the president who “has never been able to get to ‘yes.’”
“Americans elected President Obama to lead, not cast blame,” Boehner said in a statement. “The president’s comments today are ironic, as a recurring theme of our negotiations was his unwillingness to agree to anything that would require him to stand up to his own party.”
Obama’s interview was an unusual foray into the world of Sunday shows — the last time he appeared on “Meet the Press” was at the height of the health care debate — and showed how keenly aware the White House is of the potential fallout if the nation goes over the cliff and the importance of keeping voters on its side.
The president even loosely quoted Abraham Lincoln, who once said that government rests on popular opinion. Obama made the point while talking about gun control, but it could just as easily apply to his strategy on the fiscal cliff.
“One of the things that you learn, having now been in this office for four years, is the old adage of Abraham Lincoln’s,” he said. “That with public opinion, there’s nothing you can’t do, and without public opinion, there’s very little you can get done in this town.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) predicted that Obama would will get a “political victory” on the fiscal cliff — if not immediately, then later.
“Hats off to the president,” Graham said on “Fox News Sunday.” “He stood his ground. He’s going to get tax rate increases.”
Graham also said Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told him on Saturday night that an attempt to pause the sequester will not be part of any deal.
Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that he spoke Sunday morning with senators working on a deal to avert the fiscal cliff, and they have yet to reach an agreement.
“We’re trying to line up a Rubik’s Cube right now, and we’re not there yet,” Barrasso said. “We’re meeting later today. This is going to continue, I think, on until tomorrow.”
( Also on POLITICO: The logic of House GOP intransigence)
If Senate leaders fail to strike a compromise that can pass Congress, the White House will gamble on its backup strategy — that enough Republican lawmakers will consider it political suicide to prevent a vote on Obama’s plan to extend tax cuts on income up to $250,000. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is expected to call up the bill Monday, only hours before the deadline.
“Republicans will have to decide if they’re going to block it, which will mean that middle-class taxes do go up,” Obama said. “I don’t think they would want to do that politically, but they may end up doing it.”
Obama occupies the stronger position. Polls show that most voters won’t blame him. If tax rates rise on all Americans, whatever Congress does in the new year will be considered a tax cut, opening a path for agreement with Republicans. That means Obama is likely to get what he wants on tax rates regardless of what happens before the deadline.
( Also on POLITICO: Silver lining: Delay in hitting debt limit)
Obama signaled in the interview that he would wait until the next Congress convenes later in the week to reopen the debate. Much would be left unresolved: unemployment benefits for 2 million Americans, rate hikes on investment income and inherited estates, business tax credits, across-the-board budget cuts known as the sequester, a rate cut for doctors who serve Medicare beneficiaries and the alternative minimum tax that hits middle-class families.
“If all else fails, if Republicans do in fact decide to block it so that taxes on middle-class families do in fact go up on January 1st, then we’ll come back with a new Congress on January 4th, and the first bill that will be introduced on the floor will be to cut taxes on middle-class families,” Obama said. “And I don’t think the average person’s going to say, ‘Gosh, you know, that’s a really partisan agenda on the part of either the president or Democrats in Congress.’ I think people will say, ‘That makes sense, because that’s what the economy needs right now.’”
As long as the matter is resolved in the next few days or even the next week or two, most taxpayers may not know the difference.
But gridlock still comes at a significant cost for the president.
Even if Congress manages to approve a narrow deal on Monday, Obama’s inability to reach a grand bargain that addresses taxes, spending and the debt limit means the economy may continue to limp along while he contends with a series of new fiscal cliffs over the next few months.
Obama already has said he won’t let Republicans use the need to extend the country’s borrowing limit by February as leverage for more budget cuts. But the GOP will still try — on both the debt limit and the expiration of government funding in March.
So rather than focus on his second term priorities, such as immigration reform and gun control, Obama will be fighting the same battles that bogged down the past two years of his presidency. Obama has a narrow window to force action on immigration, a notoriously divisive issue, before memories of the 2012 election fade.
The same holds true with guns, which jumped to the top tier of the president’s to-do list following the slaying of 20 young children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
“I’d like to get it done in the first year,” Obama said in the interview. “I will put forward a very specific proposal based on the recommendations that Joe Biden’s task force is putting together as we speak. And so, this is not something that I will be putting off.”
But most of Obama’s appearance on the Sunday show was about pre-spinning failure on the fiscal cliff. He’s been doing it for weeks, well aware of how he and his advisers failed to wage a vigorous enough public campaign during the 2011 debt limit showdown and suffered for it.
His appearance in the White House briefing room Friday was as much about laying blame as laying out his case for a bipartisan solution. If Washington pushes American taxpayers over the cliff, Obama wants them to think he had little to do with it.
He chastised members of Congress like they were his children, complaining that they always wait to do things at the last minute on everything and that they’re trying everybody’s patience.
Obama delivered a similar scolding message Sunday.
“So one way or another, we’ll get through this,” he said. “Do I wish that things were more orderly in Washington and rational, and people listened to the best arguments and compromised and operated in a more thoughtful and organized fashion? Absolutely. But when you look at history, that’s been the exception rather than the norm.” | 2024-01-21T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/5886 |
FILE - In this Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2014, file photo, a pedestrian walks past a sign for Aetna Inc., at the company headquarters in Hartford, Conn. While Republicans rewrite the Affordable Care Act in Washington, the immediate future of the law has grown hazier with the nation's third-largest health insurer Aetna saying that it will completely divorce itself from state-based insurance exchanges. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)
FILE - In this Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2014, file photo, a pedestrian walks past a sign for Aetna Inc., at the company headquarters in Hartford, Conn. While Republicans rewrite the Affordable Care Act in Washington, the immediate future of the law has grown hazier with the nation's third-largest health insurer Aetna saying that it will completely divorce itself from state-based insurance exchanges. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)
While Republicans rewrite the Affordable Care Act in Washington, the future of the current law has grown hazier with the nation’s third-largest health insurer completely divorcing itself from state-based insurance markets.
Aetna said late Wednesday that it won’t sell individual coverage next year in its two remaining states — Nebraska and Delaware — after projecting a $200 million loss this year. It had already dropped Iowa and Virginia for next year. The insurer once sold the coverage in 15 states, but slashed that to four after losing about $450 million in 2016.
ADVERTISEMENT
The government-backed marketplaces are a pillar of the Obama-era federal law because they allow millions of people to buy health insurance with help from income-based tax credits. But insurers like Humana, and now Aetna, have been fleeing that market, and the remaining coverage options are growing thin. Other companies like the Blue Cross-Blue Shield insurer Anthem say they are wary of returning without a guarantee that the government will provide cost-sharing subsidies that reduce expenses like co-payments. Those are separate from the tax credits that help pay premiums.
The White House has assured lawmakers it will continue paying the subsidies, but it has offered no long-term guarantee.
About 12 million people bought coverage for this year on the exchanges, and every market had at least one insurer offering coverage. But a growing number were down to one.
Companies are in the middle of figuring out their prices and coverage plans for next year, and insurance experts expect some holes to develop in those marketplaces.
“All it takes is one insurance company to exit, and that can create panic for other insurers and they pull out too,” said Cynthia Cox, a health insurance expert for the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation, which studies health care. “Insurers don’t want to be the last one holding the bag.”
The federal law prevents insurers from rejecting patients based on their health, so if competitors pull out, the last insurer may be left covering all the high-cost patients in that market.
Metropolitan or highly populated areas are still expected to draw several insurers. But rural areas may not be attractive to insurers looking to cut losses. They generally have a smaller, older population.
Ultimately, insurers with the most common brand in health insurance, Blue Cross-Blue Shield, will decide the fate of the marketplaces. Many of those plans specialize in individual insurance and have a long-standing presence in their markets. They also are the only remaining option on exchanges in nearly a third of the nation’s more than 3,100 counties. | 2023-12-27T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/1549 |
# Tests UAA/Credhub integration with BOSH
- type: replace
path: /variables?/-
value:
name: useless_cred
type: password
| 2024-02-11T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/3936 |
The Rolex brand, both in domestic and foreign, adults and children, do not understand that watch and understand the watch, all have a deep impression, which is household name. The Submariner series is the Rolex’s masterpiece, including the Green Rolex Submariner and Black Rolex Submariner. Today, I will bring you the evaluation between this VR factory replica Green Rolex Submariner and the original. VR factory replica Green Rolex Submarine fake watch is known as the strongest replica, let us look forward to whether it is deserved. First look at the original date.
In the domestic market, the N factory replica Green Rolex Submariner is well known by most people. Due to the accumulation of long-term experience and the improvement of technology, the color of the bezel is very close to the original, but there still have a little gap. Because it is very difficult to imitate the color of the bezel. First, the cost is high. Second, the process is difficult, and the color is difficult to grasp. It has always been one of the problems. The color of this watch is too recognizable, and the previous version is only achieve a high degree of similarity.
The size of the chamfer and the curvature of the case are exactly the same as the original, and the height of the crown is also consistent with the original.
The contrast between the original and VR factory
From the view of the same angle, the same line of sight, the radiation of the dial and the texture of the bezel is the same as the original. Moreover, the reflective effect of the steel color is also consistent with the original.
The radian of ring, the color are exactly the same as the original.
Under the premise of the same light, the color of the replica and the original are exactly the same.
Watch fans are eager for a better Green Rolex Submariner, this kind of voice has already been detected by the market, so there are factories to work hard and produce new Green Rolex Submariner. So, the protagonist of this article was born—VR factory Green Rolex Submariner. The above picture is the advertising picture given by the manufacture, but the below picture is the practicality picture. Let us take a look at the evaluation. GEN stands for genuine and REP stands for VR factory.
The color of the bezel of the VR factory Green Rolex Submariner
I believe that many people will take a look at the bezel first when they get the Green Submariner. From the first sight of getting the real thing, I was deeply attracted by this green, and I was convinced by the continually enterprising spirit of the VR factory. Do not say anything else, just the color of the bezel, is not the color we have been pursuing. Its bezel is not as black as the N factory V7 version with 2826 movement, and is not as white as the 3135 movement version.
Its green is handle in place, which has a feeling of the original. In fact, the color of the bezel is hard to describe. The gloss of the reflection is not so strong, it is not so transparent, and it has a hint of milky white. If I am going to find a similarly colored object in my life, I feel like the green of emerald. This kind of green is emerald green, which is very deep, and the gross is very good, but it is not so crystal clear, many people are fascinated by this green.
Through the comparison of the above picture, the reflective effect and color contrast of all angles are the same, it is worthy of being the strongest replica Green Rolex Submariner.
The scale of the bezel is perfectly handled, including its scale font size is the same as the original. The scale of the knife edge is slightly inclined inward, which is also the same as the original method, which is very three-dimensional. The most important thing is the night pearl on the bezel, the slight uplift, just in the middle, is to create a better visual effect. But many factories are not in the middle, there is no sense of three-dimensional. The contrast between the two pieces is exactly the same. The workmanship is really great. In the case of good readability, it doesn’t look awkward. The color of the inner luminous pearl is also very good.
The contrast of the dial
The green color of the dial is also very good, the deep green, and the emerald of the bezel are more layered. Different angles can reflect different luster, pleasing to the eye. Under the transparent sapphire glass, we can see that whether it is the printing of the font or the size of the logo, it is consistent with the original, which is commendable. The small bezel inside the dial is also polished and made very delicate. Classic wide and large three-hand design, the hour hand is Mercedes-Benz hand.
Both the scale and the hand have a fill of luminous light for better reading time at night or in diving. The scale includes the 12 o’clock inverted triangle and the original size is the same, but the scale of the filler color is not the same. The original is a little milky white while the AR is white. Maybe the light is different when shooting, so you need’t tangle this. 3 o’clock is a very practical calendar window with a fisheye zoom function, which is more convenient for underwater use. Since a blue film was coated in the calendar window, everyone saw the effect of anti-blue light. The background color of the calendar is white, and the black font prints neatly and without roughness.
Look at the side, the thickness of the case is very close to the original. Use the screw-in crown for the better waterproof and it is the necessary skills for the diving watch. The small crown size is great. Compare the mouth of the outer bezel from the side, from the number, depth, angle of the knife edge, you can enlarge the picture to compare, no problem.
The contrast between the two techniques gives a great contrast
The back outer ring adopts circular drawing, and the bottom cover adopts straight wire drawing. The contrast between the two techniques gives a great contrast, the drawing is very delicate. And the texture can only reflect if the workmanship is very delicate. At present, the VR factory only matches the Seagull 2836 movement.
The crown on the buckle, the length of the VR factory is slightly long than original. The oyster strap and the double-insurance buckle is no difference, and the buckle has a fine-tuning function.
The original is the old version Green Submariner, so the inside of the buckle is still frosted. After 2016, the Submariner is changed to the laser white surface, and the VR is the light white surface.
The blue luminous light is still very strong. After all, the luminous fills with C3+luminous power from Switzerland. Regarding the problem of the replica luminous. First of all, the premise of luminous is that the need to receive light means that it can illuminate on the dial with a flashlight. Or take a few minutes of exposure to the sun, so that the luminous will present. The original is also the same. | 2024-05-13T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/8190 |
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Ex cathedra
Yesterday I made a decision that is bound to please several large groups of people on campus while displeasing one or two people within my department, and this morning I was fretting over the possible fallout, but one of my fellow department chairs reassured me: "Do what you have to do! You're the chair!"
He's right, of course: I'm the chair. But when the complaints start coming in, I need something more substantive to say than "I'm the chair! Get over it!" For one thing, I don't want to sound like an unreasonable parent ("Because I'm the mom, that's why!"), and for another, the decision solves a particularly sticky scheduling problem (therefore allowing a large group of seniors to graduate on time) by shifting one of my courses to an adjunct, therefore freeing me from teaching freshman composition next semester. To an outside observer unfamiliar with the behind-the-scenes struggles that led to this decision, it could look as if I'm just trying to get out of teaching a class everyone in my department teaches. It looks as if I'm abusing the chair's powers for my own benefit, and that's a message I don't want to send, particularly if it's accompanied by "Because I'm the chair and I said so!"
I'll just have to face it: while this decision looks really good from most angles, from one particular angle it looks selfish. But there was no possible solution for this problem that would have made everyone happy, so I guess I'll have to settle for minimizing the number of unhappy people. I can do that. After all, I'm the chair. | 2023-11-08T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/2270 |
Portfolio
Still not sure? Check out the recent Projects.
Brad Lowery Band Logo
Brad Lowery Band needed a logo designed for their band. They had a release coming up for their first ep so the timeline was tight. The band asked for something toned down and vintage, but with a modern edge to it. They wanted a text based design without any imagery. The final design covered all the required specifications and the band loved the design. It was also used for t-shirts, the ep and many other marketing needs. | 2024-01-13T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/4104 |
The Symfony2 Content Management Framework (CMF) project is organized by the Symfony
community and has several sponsoring companies and prominent open source leaders
implementing the philosophy of the decoupled CMS. | 2023-11-20T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/3779 |
After 19 years in the Royal Marines, Lee Barrett certainly knows how to whip the boys into shape.
But what about the girls? Well, he's about to find out.
The Colour Sergeant, 38, currently based at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines in Lympstone, Devon, has swapped blokey banter for babes in bikinis, landing a job that will make him the envy of men all over Britain: training the contestants entering the Miss Galaxy Universe UK beauty and fitness competition.
Royal Marine Lee Barrett surrounded by the Miss Galaxy Universe UK contestants he is helping to train using his rigorous marine drills
Barrett, who juggles rigorous military
training and duties with the girls, said: 'I've been used to working in a
all-male environment so this is certainly a turn-up for the books'
And the six-time medal-winning recruit - who has served on the front line in Iraq, as well as in Kosovo and Northern Ireland - is using his tough marine training to do it.
Barrett, who juggles rigorous military training and duties with his girls, said: 'I've been used to working in a all-male environment so this is certainly a turn-up for the books.'
Share this article
His tough training includes gruelling four-hour stints of sprints, press ups and sit ups in the gym.
Colour Sergeant Lee Barrett, left, with friend and former Royal Marine Paul Hunt at Remembrance Day on November 2011 in Huntingdon, England
The Colour Sergeant, 38, currently based at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines in Lympstone, Devon, has
swapped blokey banter for babes in bikinis, landing a job that will
make him the envy of men all over Britain: training contestants entering
the Miss Galaxy Universe UK beauty and fitness competition
He and his colleagues have also given
the girls a taste of the real Royal Marine training - putting them
through their paces with leopard crawls and tough beach runs.
He got involved with Miss Galaxy
Universe after a chance meeting with contest organiser Sarah Donohue -
who he recognised as a former pin-up in Soldier Magazine.
Lee, who is dating a former Miss
Galaxy Universe contestant, said: 'I get a bit of stick from the lads at
the barracks. A lot of them are very jealous'
After hearing about his credentials, Sarah signed Lee up to help with training. Lee, who is dating a former Miss
Galaxy Universe contestant, said: 'I get a bit of stick from the lads at
the barracks. A lot of them are very jealous.
'Funnily enough, I'm never short of a volunteer or two from the regiment to help me out with training.
He added: 'It's fantastic working with
the girls. They're really tough cookies and really do well during the
exercises. I call them my little Tonka toys because they're unbreakable.
'It's nice to be in the presence of such strong women - and it's nice to be surrounded by pretty faces for a change.'
Lee Barrett on the front line with Lima Company 42 Commando at the Rumaila oil fields on April 2003 in Rumaila, Iraq
Barrett says he isn't going to be easy on the girls, pictured here training at a gym in Canary Wharf, London, but is going to get them working as hard as marines do
Color Sergeant Lee Barrett with contestants from the Miss Galaxy Universe competition on October 2012 in Alban Arena | 2024-01-15T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/2708 |
Barbie Foot: Soccer Table for Females
French designer Chloe Ruchon, with her creation Barbie Foot, gave the manly game of football a decidedly feminine touch. She replaced the foos men with the iconic Barbie doll.
The “Barbie Foot” gathers two opposed universes in one object. On one side, it is Barbie’s pink, frilly world. On another side, a brutal and male world of table-soccer, the one we traditionally call Baby-Foot.
Barbie became a symbol of ideal femininity, with exacerbated body proportions and the entire landscape of fantasies that surround this cliché. Baby-foot mostly suggests bars and beers. The movements and sounds involved in the game are loud and rather violent. By bringing the two worlds together, Barbie-foot wishes to stimulate thoughts about different mentalities and the pre-digested everyday codes we commonly face.
The Barbie Foot, was made in collaboration with Mattel and foosball manufacturer Baby-foot Bonzini. It was showcased in the DMY Berlin Design Festival 2009. Each table is priced at 10,000 euros! | 2024-04-06T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/9953 |
Pharmacologic treatment of rhinitis.
Major improvements in the quality of recent pharmacologic studies of rhinitis are evident. In many of the studies, the criteria for patient selection are being more carefully described and patients with allergic rhinitis, nonallergic rhinitis with eosinophilia, and vasomotor rhinitis are no longer grouped together. In most studies, efficacy is still being ascertained by subjective symptom scores, although in some of the challenge studies, investigators are making noble attempts to quantitate symptoms objectively, eg, amount of secretions, sneezing, and even itching of the nares. Although nasal congestion is only one symptom of chronic rhinitis, the various methods of measuring nasal resistance by rhinometry are increasingly well described and standardized. General concepts that are emerging from the vast literature on pharmacologic treatment of rhinitis are as follows: 1) The much-maligned H1 receptor antagonists may actually be more useful than previously thought, once further information about how to use them optimally is available. Interesting new antihistamines are being developed. Further investigations of allied drugs such as the tricyclic antidepressants (doxepin) are definitely in order. 2) alpha-adrenergic agonists definitely have short-term usefulness but side effects from this class of drugs have, if anything, been underestimated. Exploration of the use of beta-adrenergic agonists and anti-cholinergics in the treatment of chronic rhinitis has begun. 3) Disodium cromoglycate is not universally effective in chronic rhinitis, perhaps in part because compliance with a prophylactic drug requiring insufflation four or six times daily may not be high. The degree of response and the percentage of patients having an excellent response to the drug is lower than for the new corticosteroids. 4) Topical corticosteroids administered intranasally are clearly the most effective medications for treatment of chronic rhinitis. Further study of the benefit versus the long-term risk of these drugs is mandatory, but their remarkable efficacy and safety in the treatment of chronic rhinitis is undisputed. Some comparisons between the four major groups of drugs are now being made, and further attempts to define the relative roles and the interactions of drugs used in the pharmacologic treatment of rhinitis are definitely needed. | 2023-12-06T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/8539 |
Experience with colorectal carcinoma metastatic to the liver.
The predilection of colorectal cancer metastases for the liver is probably the result of several factors, including the blood supply, the "homing" characteristics of the tumor cells, and the state of the liver. Five-year survival rates after hepatic resection for colorectal cancer metastases range from 20 to 40 per cent, and some other patients obtain palliative benefit. The authors discuss the three presentations of liver metastases, operative techniques, and prognostic factors. | 2024-06-05T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/3272 |
Q:
flex using curly braces in XML attributes value
I would like to set up a DataGrid with hard coded XML dataProvider.
One of my attributes value needs to be set to "{*}" which I know is interferring with data binding.
Hence, I tried to replace curly braces with their HTML equivalent but Flex is still processing {*} as data
<s:ArrayList>
<fx:Object dataField1="Field1" dataField2="Field2" dataField3="{*}"></fx:Object>
</s:ArrayList>
What is the proper way to use curly braces in attributes text?
A:
You can use way mentioned by RIAstar:
<fx:Object id="abc1" field1="\{*\}"/>\
Or you can use real binding to make it treat anything inside it as a code, and then pass simple string without escaping { and } inside it:
<fx:Object id="abc" field1="{'{*}'}"/>
You can also use binding to a function that returns something if you need to set field to something more complex.
| 2024-01-24T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/6688 |
Q:
How to add tooltips to dat.gui
Has anybody found a way to add tooltips to the dat.gui entries?
It seems there is no class assigned to them so how can I select them?
A:
You will need to add this capability to dat.GUI yourself. Here are some guidelines and an example solution.
Entries are represented with classes that are inherited from the Controller class. Each controller has a private member __li, that represents its <li> element in the gui. You can extend the Controller prototype and add a title function, that will add, update or remove the __li's title attribute.
Here is the snippet:
/* dat.GUI copies the prototype of superclass Controller to all other controllers, so it is not enough to add it only to
the super class as the reference is not maintained */
var eachController = function(fnc) {
for (var controllerName in dat.controllers) {
if (dat.controllers.hasOwnProperty(controllerName)) {
fnc(dat.controllers[controllerName]);
}
}
}
var setTitle = function(v) {
// __li is the root dom element of each controller
if (v) {
this.__li.setAttribute('title', v);
} else {
this.__li.removeAttribute('title')
}
return this;
};
eachController(function(controller) {
if (!controller.prototype.hasOwnProperty('title')) {
controller.prototype.title = setTitle;
}
});
// demo
var Dummy = function() {
this.foo = 12
};
Dummy.prototype.bar = function() {
console.log('1');
};
var gui = new dat.GUI();
var d = new Dummy();
gui.add(d, 'foo').name('Foo').title('Foo\'s title');
gui.add(d, 'bar', 1, 13, 1).name('Bar').title('Bar\'s title');
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head lang="en">
<meta charset="UTF-8">
</head>
<body>
<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/dat-gui/0.5/dat.gui.min.js"></script>
</body>
</html>
| 2023-09-29T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/8252 |
###
### DO NOT MODIFY THIS FILE. THIS FILE HAS BEEN AUTOGENERATED
###
FROM mongo:4.2.0-rc7
CMD ["mongod", "--nojournal"]
| 2023-12-26T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/3023 |
Malignant lymphoma in western Ethiopia.
To identify the pattern of malignant lymphoma in western Ethiopia and compare it with similar studies conducted in the region. A retrospective study. A search was made for all histopathologic diagnosis of malignant lymphoma from the files of the department for the years 1988-1999. The pathologic diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease was grouped according to Rye's classification and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma according to the working formulation for clinical usage classification. The results were tabulated and analysed. The department of pathology of Gondar College of Medical Sciences; the only unit which provides histopathologic services for the region, that includes Amhara and Tigrai region. All lymphoma cases diagnosed at the department were included. A total of 83 cases of lymphoma were diagnosed over a period of 11 years (1988-1999). Their age ranged from four years to 79 years. Twenty one (25.3%) had Hodgkin's diseases, 61(73.5%) non Hodgkin's lymphomas and one (1.2%) unspecified lymphoma. The commonest type of Hodgkin's disease were lymphocyte predominant (38%) and mixed cellularity (33.3%). Nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's disease was diagnosed in only one case. The commonest type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was high-grade lymphoma (41.0%) followed by low grade lymphoma (32.8%). Burkitt's lymphoma was diagnosed in four cases. The frequency of Hodgkin's disease was high in the first and second decades while non-Hodgkin's lymphoma showed high frequency in the fifth decade. This study has shown many similarities in proportion of lymphomas and age and sex distribution of cases. The identified minor differences such as frequencies of histologic patterns of Hodgkin's disease and paucity of Burkitt's lymphoma deserve explanation and invites prospective studies. | 2023-09-24T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/7526 |
Q:
Faster way to extract all matches in column matches from list of strings
Scenario
I have a list of around 225k phrases like
nameslist = ['foo corp', 'baz.indus3ies', 'biz-inc 2011 (and 2017)',
...]
I also have a pd.DataFrame column, where each entry contains up to several thousand string chracters like
"words some gibberesh, some coptic lettering baz.indus3ies and biz-inc 2011 (and 2017) blah blah blah. CRASD#$%ONSDF some words and some not words
a;lkjfisdij
some new paras without punction
yougettheidea"
Goal
I am trying to write a new column that shows all the exact phrase matches from each entry of paragraphs
I tried
nameslist = list(supnames['Glb Supp Name'].str.lower())
safenames = [re.escape(name) for name in nameslist]
names_re = re.compile("|".join(safenames))
names_re = re.compile("|".join(safenames), re.MULTILINE | re.I) # tried this too
df['matches'] = df['ocr_text'].apply(lambda x: re.findall(names_re, x))
which might work, but it's been running for a few hours and only using around 40% mem and 40% cpu, so it isn't very efficient
NOTE I've since completed several interations of this. all are pretty slow and most fail to match phrases, instead only matching the examples where the "phrase" is a single word.
I also tried
bigtest = df['ocr_text'].str.extract(names_re)
which seems more pandorable, but I get the following traceback:
ValueError: pattern contains no capture groups
However, I don't want to expand my df to 225k columns. So I know this isn't quite what I want.
Is there a faster way to do what I am doing?
Is there a way to ensure my multi-word phrases consistently get matched
Not a Duplicate
This is not a duplicate of the other question. I am not trying to match words from sentences. I am trying to match a list of 20k pages of text for any matches in a 225k list of phrases, not words.
The top-voted answer on that question, under Theory states "If your sentences aren't humongous strings, it's probably feasible to process many more than 50 per second."
Well, my sentences are humongous strings. My question is different.
A:
You can try:
nameslist = ['foo corp', 'baz.indus3ies', 'biz-inc 2011 (and 2017).pdfs']
names = set(nameslist)
s = 'some random word baz.indus3ies foo corp bla'
print([i for i in names if i in s])
#your example
df['matches'] = df['ocr_text'].apply(lambda x: [i for i in names if i in x])
I included an example of how it works. Converting your list to a set will be beneficial for lookup times, then see if any of the items in the set appears in your column string. The results will be a list of items that match the names set.
| 2023-10-06T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/9935 |
"While the state can't divorce a same-sex couple in a technical sense, they are divorcing them in actuality — and without even a court hearing."
Down on the first floor of the City-County Building, a handful of same-sex couples celebrated Valentine's Day by trying to obtain a county marriage license — a public protest of Pennsylvania's refusal to recognize gay marriage. But a somewhat different drama was playing out six floors above, far from reporters' microphones.
There, in the courtroom of Common Pleas Judge Robert J. Colville, Brad Ankney was suddenly presented with a surprising possibility: His employer might — might —provide health benefits to Ankney's same-sex partner ... if they obtained a marriage license somewhere else.
That scenario arose in a lawsuit Ankney filed last August against his employer, the Allegheny Intermediate Unit. Like many employers, the educational-support agency offers health benefits to employees' spouses. But as his lawsuit argues, "Because Ankney [is] not eligible to be married in Pennsylvania, Ankney cannot avail himself of many of the benefits of his employment."
But in oral arguments before Colville, AIU attorney Anthony Sanchez observed that "Marriage is not an impossibility in this country anymore." For a couple to obtain benefits, he observed, AIU's policy only "specifies [they must be] married" — not married in Pennsylvania.
Both Maryland and New York recognize same-sex marriage, and are within driving distance. After the hearing, Ankney said he'd consider getting an out-of-state license if AIU would recognize it. Still, the Somerset County native said, "I'm a resident of Pennsylvania, and I'd prefer to get a Pennsylvania marriage license."
It's also unclear whether Sanchez was offering a solution to the impasse, or merely prolonging it. Sanchez contended that since Ankney didn't have an out-of-state marriage license, the issue was "not a live controversy," and thus not a question Colville could rule on. When approached after the hearing, Sanchez declined comment.
Ankney and his partner are not the only Pennsylvania couple facing such uncertainty. Even when such couples cross state lines to get married, once back on Pennsylvania soil, they find themselves on uncertain legal ground. State law does not recognize same-sex marriage for residents, even if their employers do.
As Levana Layendecker, a spokesperson for LGBT advocacy group Equality PA puts it, "There are so many couples in limbo."
Ankney's attorneys, the ACLU's Sara Rose and the Women's Law Project's Sue Frietsche, say the Feb. 14 hearing was the first time the AIU suggested it might recognize an out-of-state license. That made it a notable development in a hearing which, for the most part, rehashed arguments previously spelled out in written briefs.
Ankney contends the AIU's policy violates both Allegheny County's 2009 anti-discrimination ordinance, and the state's anti-discrimination law. Although the state law doesn't address LGBT discrimination, Frietsche told Colville the policy amounts to sex discrimination too: "If Mr. Ankney were a woman instead of a man, he could qualify for benefits by marrying his partner."
Colville seemed dubious. AIU's policy "is not based on gender alone," he said: If it were discriminatory, "The discriminatory act would not occur but for the fact that there was sexual-orientation discrimination."
As for the county ordinance, Sanchez noted that the county's Human Relations Commission itself had rejected Ankney's claim in a brief letter. (The letter's author, Assistant County Solicitor Robert Bogoyn, told City Paper last year that Ankney was "in kind of a catch-22," since the state is denying the marriage license the AIU requires.)
Rose countered that the commission hadn't even held a hearing, and that its memo offered little in the way of legal reasoning. "The commission's decision should not be [given] any deference by this court," she said.
Rose was also wary of the suggestion that Ankney cross state lines: "We'd still have an argument that this would be a burden that falls only on LGBT employees," she said after the hearing. Had Ankney been in an opposite-sex relationship, after all, he could have obtained a marriage license just by hopping on an elevator.
Even with a license, Ankney's rights off the job would still be in doubt.
Under Pennsylvania's Defense of Marriage law, same-sex marriages consecrated elsewhere are rendered "void." One month after Ankney filed his suit, in fact, that provision became the target of another lawsuit.
Cara Palladino and Isabella Barker were married in Massachusetts in 2005, only to have that marriage effectively annulled when they moved to the Philadelphia area. The two have sued in federal court, arguing that Pennsylvania is violating the U.S. Constitution's "full faith and credit" clause, which requires each state to grant legitimacy to official acts carried out by every other.
"While the state can't divorce a same-sex couple in a technical sense, they are divorcing them in actuality — and without even a court hearing," says Malcolm Lazin, executive director of Equality Forum. The Philadelphia-based LGBT-rights group is coordinating the Palladino lawsuit because, Lazin says, state law determines everything from hospital-visitation rights to "who can pick up a child from school." And with an out-of-state marriage license, securing those rights requires "separate legal documents that you wouldn't need if you were an opposite-sex couple."
Lazin says his advice to Ankney would be "get married now" — in hopes of securing his rights as soon as possible. For the next several years, at least, "The U.S. Supreme Court will be reluctant to tell Alabama and Pennsylvania who to marry," Lazin surmises. By contrast, it will act more quickly on a case like Palladino's, because "if states don't recognize each other's judgment, the whole federal system falls apart."
Even then, an initial ruling in Palladino's case won't come until late spring or early summer. There is no timetable for Colville to issue a ruling in Ankney's case. | 2024-07-18T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/2302 |
This invention relates generally to nut and washer assemblies for mounting wheels on the axles of motor vehicles. More particularly, the nut and washer assembly of this invention is structured to better centrally locate the wheel to the axle of the spindle or hub of the wheel.
Some wheel fastening systems utilize nut and washer assemblies that provide certain advantages over simpler one-piece designs. Since these assemblies cost considerably more than the one piece designs, they tend to be used as a last resort to address joint design or assembly issues. In this invention, a decorative cap on the wheel nut is used to hold the washer or “wheel seat engaging component” to the wheel nut. This eliminates the need for an extra operation to assemble the washer to the nut thereby bringing the cost of the assembly closer to the costs for one-piece structures.
This invention provides an integral washer and nut/cap assembly that will provide more uniform clamp load on the wheel for the applied torque.
The integral washer and nut/cap assembly can be made in several forms. All of the assemblies depicting a flat interface between the threaded nut component and the washer component will better centrally locate the wheel to the axis of the spindle and/or hub as well as provide more uniform clamp load on the wheel for the applied torque. All of the assemblies utilizing a flat interface between the threaded nut component and the washer component will provide both of these benefits. In addition, all washers with a flat bottom surface that mates to the wheel will also provide both benefits regardless of the nut-washer interface.
It is generally known in the industry that a nut and washer can provide better control of mating surface friction in a threaded fastener joint. The consequence is more predictable clamp load on the wheel for the torque applied to the wheel nuts. Commercial benefits such as reduced production costs, exist for the method depicted holding the nut and washer together as an assembly. In this invention, the periphery of the ornamental cap is crimped to hold the nut and washer together. The material of choice is steel for the nut and washer, but other materials with satisfactory physical properties relating to frictional and strength qualities can be used.
Further features, advantages and innovations will be apparent from the following drawings when taken in connection with the specification and the appended claims.
With reference to the drawing, the wheel/nut and washer assembly of this invention, indicated generally at 10 in FIGS. 1 and 2, comprises a steel body 12 having a longitudinal axis 14 and an axial aperture 16. The body 12 has ends 18 and 20 with a conical surface 22 at the inner end 18 and wrench flats 24 at the outer end 20. A washer 21 made of steel and having an upper end surface 23 of annular shape to lie flat against the conical surface 22. The washer end surface 23 is conical and both surfaces 22 and 23 are smooth surfaces to enhance the ability of the steel body 12 and the steel washer 21 to move relative to each other.
The assembly 10 is shown in FIG. 1 in a position clamping the motor vehicle wheel 26, only a portion of which is shown, against a conventional axle plate 28 secured to the axle in a motor vehicle (not shown). The wheel 26 is provided with a wheel nut seat surface 36 which is of conical shape corresponding to the shape of the conical surface 37 on the wheel end of the washer 21.
The wheel 26 is clamped against the plate 28 by a number of wheel nut/washer assemblies 10 on bolts carried by the axle plate 28, one of which is shown at 30 in FIG. 1. The wheel 26 has a number of openings 34, only one of which is shown in FIG. 1, which are telescoped over the bolts 30. Each opening 34 has a conical nut seat 36 which corresponds in shape to a conical surface 37 on the inner end 33 of the washer 21. The wheel nut/washer assemblies 10 are threaded on bolts 30 to a position in which the conical washer surfaces 37 seat on the seats 36.
A torque force is applied to the wrench flats 24 so as to induce a clamping force on the wheel 26 at the seat surface 36 by the conical surface 37 on each of the washers 21. This invention, will, therefore, provide an integral washer and nut cap assembly that will provide for more uniform clamp loads on the wheel for a given applied torque.
It is to be noted that an ornamental cap 40 extends downwardly on the body 12 and at its lower end the cap is crimped or deformed to function as a clamp 43 (FIG. 1a) because it is bent around an annular protrusion 41 to thereby retain the upper end of the washer 21 in close position to the lower end of the body 12. The cap member 40 is telescoped over said nut/body assembly in axially alignment with the body 12. The crimped portion 43 of said cap member encircles the washer and supports the washer 21 on the body 12. The crimped section 43 acts like an annular clamp having spaced apart jaws 44 (FIG. 1a) limiting movement of the washer 21 in an axial direction away from said body 12. It can be seen that in this invention, the well known decorative cap is made to form a double function, namely, is used to hold the washer on the wheel nut, along with its decorating function.
A small gap or space 60 is provided between the washer and the clamp 43. This gap is critical to the free rotation and lateral movement of the washer 21.
FIGS. 3-8, inclusive, illustrate other embodiments of this invention. The embodiment 10a shown in FIG. 3. is identical to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 except for the configuration of the nut 12 and the washer 21. Accordingly, each of the embodiments has like elements and surfaces in the embodiment 10 and are therefore designated like parts with like numerals with a letter suffix assigned each embodiment.
In FIG. 3 the embodiment 10a has the mating surfaces 22a and 23a as flat instead of conical as in the nut and washer assembly 10 in FIGS. 1 and 2.
In the embodiment 10b shown in FIG. 4, the washer 21d is configured so that the inner end surface 42b is flat and parallel to the surface 23b. This embodiment is used on a wheel with a complementary flat mating surface.
In the embodiment 10c shown in FIG. 5, the components are identical to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 except that the mating surfaces 22c and 23c are conical instead of flat.
FIG. 6, depicts another embodiment 10d which has an inner component 12d like the nut body 12 shown FIGS. 1 and 2. A washer 21d or “wheel seat engaging component” in the external cap 40 that provides the means by which the nut 12d and the washer 21d are held together with a crimp in the cap 40 to form the clamp 43. The embodiment shown in FIG. 6 has the same components but the faces 22d and 23d on the nut 12d and the washer 21d that are in face-to-face contact are spherical.
The embodiment 10e shown in FIG. 7 is identical to embodiment 10d except that the wheel seat engaging surface 42d is flat.
Turning now to the embodiment 10f shown in FIG. 8. It consists of a bolt 50 having a head 52 and a decorative cap 40 along with a washer 21. The under side of the head consists of a flat surface 54. In turn, the washer has a flat surface 23 which is in face-to-face engagement with the surface 54 on the bolt. The crimp 43 in the cap 40 acts to hold the flat surfaces 23 and 24 in face to face engagement.
From the above disclosure it is evident that this invention provides wheel nuts and washer assemblies 10, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e and 10f which can be effectively used to attach wheels so that a maximum torque can be applied to the wheel nuts, resulting in a consistent clamp load to hold the wheels on the motor vehicle and with certain alignment because the nuts and washers can move with the respect to each other. The same advantages are seen when the cap 40 holds the washer 21 on the bolt 50. | 2024-02-08T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/4856 |
Polysaccharides from extracts of Antrodia camphorata mycelia and fruiting bodies modulate inflammatory mediator expression in mice with polymicrobial sepsis.
Antrodia camphorata (AC) is a traditional Chinese medicine, and the polysaccharides contained within AC (AC-PSs) are reported to possess various biological functions. This study extracted AC-PSs from mycelia and fruiting bodies and evaluated their influences on inflammatory mediator expressions in septic mice. There were one normal control (NC) and three experimental groups. The normal control group underwent a sham operation, whereas the experimental groups underwent cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) to induce sepsis. Mice in the experimental groups were further divided into saline, mycelia, and fruiting body treatment groups. Saline or AC-PSs were injected intraperitoneally twice at 0.5 and 1 h after CLP and the mice were sacrificed at 6 or 16 h after sepsis for further analysis. Compared with the normal control group, interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-10, and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 levels in plasma and/or peritoneal lavage fluid in the septic mice dramatically increased after CLP. The increased levels of these inflammatory mediators in the two AC-PS-treated groups had decreased by 16 h after CLP. Messenger RNA expressions of tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-6, and IL-10 in the splenocytes were lower in the 2 AC-PS-treated groups than in the saline group. Consistent with the results, lung nuclear factor-κB expressions decreased and less severe interstitial inflammation was observed in the histologic finding after CLP in mice that had received AC-PSs. The fruiting body group had higher white blood cell counts and lower IL-6 levels in the peritoneal lavage fluid 6 h after CLP, whereas the interferon-γ level was higher 16 h after CLP than in the saline group. These alterations were not found in mice injected with the mycelia extract. The administration of AC-PSs from mycelia or fruiting bodies decreased the inflammatory mediator expressions at the location of injury and in the circulation, especially in the late stage of sepsis. AC-PSs from fruiting bodies seemed to be more effective in decreasing the inflammatory response than those from mycelia. These findings suggest that AC-PSs from mycelia and fruiting bodies have potential protective effects against polymicrobial sepsis. | 2024-01-12T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/3124 |
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
# Define your item pipelines here
#
# Don't forget to add your pipeline to the ITEM_PIPELINES setting
# See: http://doc.scrapy.org/en/latest/topics/item-pipeline.html
from scrapy.pipelines.images import ImagesPipeline
from scrapy.exceptions import DropItem
import os.path
import logging
import scrapy
from scraper.settings import IMAGES_STORE
class ScraperPipeline(object):
def process_item(self, item, spider):
return item
class CraigslistValidationPipeline(object):
def process_item(self, item, spider):
if item == {}:
raise DropItem('parse error')
else:
return item
class CraigslistImagesPipeline(ImagesPipeline):
def get_media_requests(self, item, info):
for i, image_url in enumerate(item['image_urls']):
meta = {'filename': '%s/%s_%d.jpg' % (item['category'], item['post_id'], i)}
yield scrapy.Request(image_url, meta=meta)
def file_path(self, request, response=None, info=None):
filename = request.meta['filename']
return filename
def item_completed(self, results, item, info):
for i, result in enumerate([x for ok, x in results if ok]):
path = result['path'] # path is relative to IMAGES_STORE
item['images'].append(path)
return item
| 2024-04-25T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/9960 |
Enjoy the great views to the Lyngen Alps
Rental House at the seaside of Lyngenfjorden in Djupvik, Troms
Enjoy the midnight sun or northern lights, skiing, summit, hiking or simply relax on the shoreline along Lyngenfjorden. The accommodation is in two levels with a total of 7 sleeps, large garden and wonderful views of the bay and the majestic Lyngen Alps from both the living room and kitchen. There is a dining table w / chairs for 7, big livingroom with enterance to the large terrace.You can relax in the bathtub and have a fantastic view throug a large skylight and enjoy the Northern Lights or the Midnight Sun.
Or do your Online reservation here
We will confirm your reservation via email.
Your Name
Email
Phone number
Date
Note
The House
1.floor: Hallway, living room and kitchen. 2nd floor: 3 bedrooms and 1 newly renovated bathroom. 2 bedrooms with double beds, and 1 room with a single bed. There is 2 additional extra sleeping in the living room. | 2024-06-20T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/3159 |
Q:
Division over different select count queries in Hive
I have two tables and want to find the percentage of different records between them.
TableA(item int,value string)
TableB(item int,value string)
I wrote this query that works perfectly with MYSQL
SELECT 100*
(SELECT COUNT(*)
FROM TableA A,
TableB B
WHERE A.item=B.item
AND A.value!=B.value
)
/
(SELECT COUNT(*)
FROM TableA A
)
;
But for a similar scenario in HIVE, this query doesn't work and fails with NoViableAltException
How can I do these divisions of counts in HIVE?
A:
You can get the values in two sub queries, and then calculate in the outer query:
select
100 * different / total
from
(select
count(*) as different
from
a, b
where
a.id = b.id and a.value <> b.value) t1,
(select
count(*) as total
from
a) t2
| 2024-03-17T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/9599 |
Q:
HTML5 video size changes when loading another source
I have a video on the website using the <video> tag.
I want to smoothly change the video source without the video appearing to glitch out for short amount of time.
Here's what I mean: http://i.imgur.com/VD4FTpp.gif
As you can see the video loses width/height during loading of a new source, I've put that red border to show the effect.
Code that can recreate the issue:
<html>
<head>
<script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.1.1.min.js"></script>
</head>
<video preload="metadata" autoplay poster="data:image/gif,AAAA" class="preview-video" id="video" style="border: 5px red solid;">
<source src="http://www.w3schools.com/html/mov_bbb.mp4" type="video/mp4" id="videoSource">
Your browser does not support the video tag.
</video>
<br />
<br />
<button id="loadOther">Next Video</button>
<script>
$("#loadOther").click(function() {
$("#videoSource").attr("src", "http://www.w3schools.com/html/mov_bbb.mp4");
$("#video")[0].load();
});
</script>
</html>
A:
If all you want is really to avoid the width/height to return to defaults (300 x 150) when the next video is loading, you just have to set your <video>'s widthand height properties to the ones of the loaded video (videoWidth and videoHeight are the real values of the media, not the ones of the element).
// fix the element's width and height properties to the current video ones
$("#video").on('loadedmetadata', function() {
this.width = this.videoWidth;
this.height = this.videoHeight;
});
$("#loadOther").click(function() {
$("#videoSource").attr("src", "http://www.w3schools.com/html/mov_bbb.mp4");
$("#video")[0].load();
});
<script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.1.1.min.js"></script>
<video preload="metadata" autoplay poster="data:image/gif,AAAA" class="preview-video" id="video" style="border: 5px red solid;">
<source src="http://www.w3schools.com/html/mov_bbb.mp4" type="video/mp4" id="videoSource">
Your browser does not support the video tag.
</video>
<br />
<br />
<button id="loadOther">Next Video</button>
However, this code will also change the width height of the element if the next loaded media doesn't have the same size as the previous one. To avoid it, just use .one() or remove the event listener once it has fired.
| 2024-06-16T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/3838 |
// Copyright (c) ppy Pty Ltd <contact@ppy.sh>. Licensed under the MIT Licence.
// See the LICENCE file in the repository root for full licence text.
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.IO;
using System.Linq;
using System.Threading;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using osu.Framework.Configuration;
using osu.Framework.Input;
using osu.Framework.Input.Handlers;
using osu.Framework.Input.Handlers.Joystick;
using osu.Framework.Input.Handlers.Keyboard;
using osu.Framework.Input.Handlers.Midi;
using osu.Framework.Input.Handlers.Mouse;
using osuTK;
namespace osu.Framework.Platform
{
public abstract class DesktopGameHost : GameHost
{
private TcpIpcProvider ipcProvider;
private readonly bool bindIPCPort;
private Thread ipcThread;
internal bool UseSdl { get; }
protected DesktopGameHost(string gameName = @"", bool bindIPCPort = false, ToolkitOptions toolkitOptions = default, bool portableInstallation = false, bool useSdl = false)
: base(gameName, toolkitOptions)
{
this.bindIPCPort = bindIPCPort;
IsPortableInstallation = portableInstallation;
UseSdl = useSdl;
}
protected sealed override Storage GetDefaultGameStorage()
{
if (IsPortableInstallation || File.Exists(Path.Combine(RuntimeInfo.StartupDirectory, FrameworkConfigManager.FILENAME)))
return GetStorage(RuntimeInfo.StartupDirectory);
return base.GetDefaultGameStorage();
}
public sealed override Storage GetStorage(string path) => new DesktopStorage(path, this);
protected override void SetupForRun()
{
if (bindIPCPort)
startIPC();
base.SetupForRun();
}
protected override void SetupToolkit()
{
if (!UseSdl)
base.SetupToolkit();
}
private void startIPC()
{
Debug.Assert(ipcProvider == null);
ipcProvider = new TcpIpcProvider();
IsPrimaryInstance = ipcProvider.Bind();
if (IsPrimaryInstance)
{
ipcProvider.MessageReceived += OnMessageReceived;
ipcThread = new Thread(() => ipcProvider.StartAsync().Wait())
{
Name = "IPC",
IsBackground = true
};
ipcThread.Start();
}
}
public bool IsPortableInstallation { get; }
public override void OpenFileExternally(string filename) => openUsingShellExecute(filename);
public override void OpenUrlExternally(string url) => openUsingShellExecute(url);
private void openUsingShellExecute(string path) => Process.Start(new ProcessStartInfo
{
FileName = path,
UseShellExecute = true //see https://github.com/dotnet/corefx/issues/10361
});
public override ITextInputSource GetTextInput() => Window == null ? null : new GameWindowTextInput(Window);
protected override IEnumerable<InputHandler> CreateAvailableInputHandlers()
{
switch (Window)
{
case GameWindow _:
var defaultEnabled = new InputHandler[]
{
new OsuTKMouseHandler(),
new OsuTKKeyboardHandler(),
new OsuTKJoystickHandler(),
new MidiInputHandler(),
};
var defaultDisabled = new InputHandler[]
{
new OsuTKRawMouseHandler(),
};
foreach (var h in defaultDisabled)
h.Enabled.Value = false;
return defaultEnabled.Concat(defaultDisabled);
default:
return new InputHandler[]
{
new KeyboardHandler(),
new MouseHandler(),
};
}
}
public override Task SendMessageAsync(IpcMessage message) => ipcProvider.SendMessageAsync(message);
protected override void Dispose(bool isDisposing)
{
ipcProvider?.Dispose();
ipcThread?.Join(50);
base.Dispose(isDisposing);
}
}
}
| 2024-04-21T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/4451 |
2 + -1. What is the closest to 1/2 in r, q, -0.5?
-0.5
Let o = -51 - -41. Which is the closest to o? (a) -5 (b) -3 (c) 0.1
a
Let n = 2.4 - 1.4. What is the closest to -1 in n, 0.1, -1?
-1
Suppose -4*x - 2 - 2 = 0. Let h be 1/1*(-2 - x). Which is the closest to 0.1? (a) h (b) -0.3 (c) -2
b
Let n = 0.1 - 0. Let k = -41/141 + -2/47. Let t = -55/4 - -503/36. What is the closest to k in n, -0.2, t?
-0.2
Let p = 111 + -113.45. Let t = -0.05 + p. Let x = -0.5 + t. What is the closest to -1/4 in x, 0.4, -0.4?
-0.4
Let v(t) = t - 9. Let x be v(8). Let d = -0.45 + 0.5. What is the closest to x in 1, 0.4, d?
d
Let r = -4/27 - -13/27. Let v = 1 + -0.8. Let z = -86 - -948/11. Which is the closest to r? (a) 4 (b) z (c) v
c
Let l = -18 + 19. What is the closest to l in 2/25, 2, 1?
1
Let n = -0.1 - -0.2. Let b = -0.06 - 4.94. Let w = -6 - b. What is the closest to n in w, -5, 0.5?
0.5
Let m be 3*(16/(-6) + 2). Let q = 4 - 5. Suppose -3*k = 2*k - 5. Which is the closest to m? (a) q (b) 0 (c) k
a
Let t be -1 - (-2 - 8/(-9)). Let i be (8/48)/((-4)/8). Which is the closest to -2/3? (a) i (b) -3 (c) t
a
Let h be ((-6)/(-56))/(2/8). Let m = 16 - 14. Let j = -0.06 + 0.16. Which is the nearest to j? (a) m (b) -0.3 (c) h
c
Let m(d) = -3*d - 3. Let i be m(-1). Suppose -2*g - 3 = g. Which is the nearest to 1? (a) g (b) -4/9 (c) i
c
Let d = 54 + -55. Which is the nearest to 0.4? (a) d (b) 4 (c) -2/5
c
Let k = -11 + 10.5. Which is the nearest to -1? (a) -5 (b) k (c) 0
b
Suppose -46*y = -51*y + 15. What is the closest to 0.1 in y, 0, -6?
0
Let u(s) = s**3 - 5*s**2 - 6*s + 8. Let k be u(6). Let g(r) = -r**2 + 7*r + 11. Let v be g(k). Let w = -1.2 - 3.8. What is the closest to 0 in w, v, -4?
v
Let j be 2 - 18/15 - 1. Let p = -2 + 4/3. Let g = 4 - 6. Which is the nearest to p? (a) g (b) 1 (c) j
c
Let b be (0 - 2)/2 - -1. Let q = -0.04 - 1.96. Let d be (-1 - (-4)/6)/1. What is the closest to b in 0, d, q?
0
Let r be -3 - (28 - (2 - -1)). Let j be 6/(-27) - r/45. What is the nearest to 1 in 2/7, j, -0.2?
j
Let i be (-14)/(-49) - (-149)/(-7). Let h be ((-12)/50)/(i/70). Which is the closest to 0? (a) h (b) 1/3 (c) 1/2
b
Let c(n) = -n**3 - 5*n**2 + 7*n + 5. Let b be c(-6). Let s be 96/44 - (b - -3). What is the nearest to s in 0.5, 2, -4?
0.5
Let f = -46/3 + 776/51. What is the closest to -0.2 in 0.2, f, -0.2?
-0.2
Let h(t) = -6 - t - 1 + 2. Let v be h(-4). Let z be ((-2)/v)/2 + 1. Which is the closest to -0.2? (a) -4 (b) z (c) -0.4
c
Let f = -1 + -2. Let q = -1 - -1.05. Let p = -0.25 - q. Which is the closest to p? (a) 0.3 (b) f (c) -1/4
c
Let g = 1.016 + -0.016. Which is the closest to -1? (a) -0.1 (b) g (c) -0.4
c
Suppose 0 = j - 5 + 4. Let r = -8 + 10. Let t be -3 + (-2)/8 + 3. What is the nearest to j in t, r, -1/3?
r
Let c = -2.9 + 2.9. What is the nearest to c in -1/6, -0.5, -5?
-1/6
Let w = -2/287 - -877/2296. Which is the nearest to 0? (a) 0.5 (b) -1/3 (c) w
b
Let z = -13.4 - -17.4. Which is the nearest to 2/5? (a) -1 (b) z (c) -1/2
c
Let f be 6/2 - (-10)/(-4). Which is the closest to -1? (a) f (b) 2 (c) 3/7
c
Let d = 0.015 - 0.115. What is the closest to d in 15, -1/4, 2?
-1/4
Let p = 127 - 1649/13. Suppose 3*z + 3 = 2*z. Which is the closest to -0.2? (a) -2/15 (b) z (c) p
a
Let v = 48 + -48. What is the closest to 0.2 in -0.1, 7, v?
v
Let t = 708/5 - 142. Suppose -3*m - 18 = 6*m. Which is the closest to -1? (a) t (b) m (c) -0.5
c
Let j = 310 + -5268/17. Which is the closest to -2? (a) -5 (b) j (c) -4
c
Let h = -11.1 - -11. What is the closest to h in 1/9, -2, -0.3?
-0.3
Let m(z) = z**2 - 7*z + 8. Let q be m(6). Let s = -22 + 20. Let u = q - s. Which is the nearest to -0.1? (a) 3 (b) u (c) -1
c
Let k = 38 + -38. What is the closest to 0.1 in 1/3, 0.3, k?
k
Suppose 0 = -2*g + 10 - 6. What is the nearest to -2 in 5, g, 0?
0
Let w = -0.9 - -3.9. Let i = 75 - 223/3. What is the nearest to -1 in 2, i, w?
i
Let n = 0.5 + -3.55. Let x = n - -0.05. Let a be (((-8)/20)/2)/1. What is the closest to -1 in x, a, -5?
a
Let g = 1.2 - 2.2. Which is the nearest to -1? (a) -0.02 (b) g (c) -0.5
b
Let q(p) = -p**3 - 7*p**2 + 2 + 5*p - 4 + 3*p**2 - 3. Let l be q(-5). What is the nearest to 2/5 in -0.4, l, 1/4?
1/4
Let q be (2 - 2)/(3 + -5). Which is the nearest to q? (a) -0.1 (b) 0.02 (c) 0.2
b
Let q = 1.958 + 0.042. What is the nearest to -0.3 in q, 4, 0.4?
0.4
Let y be 0 + (-4)/(-2) + 3. Suppose -16 = -2*v - y*s, 2*s = 2*v - s. What is the nearest to -2 in -2/9, 1, v?
-2/9
Let g = -2 + 1.95. Let s = g + 0.35. Let z(r) = 2*r**3 + 16*r**2 - 4. Let x be z(-8). Which is the closest to -1/3? (a) 3 (b) x (c) s
c
Let h = -6.9 + 7. Let g = -0.3 - h. Suppose 5*v + 5*y = 20, 8*v - y = 3*v + 8. What is the nearest to v in 0, 0.1, g?
0.1
Let u = 7 + -7.3. Let z = u + 0.1. Let y = 7/30 - -4/15. What is the nearest to y in -4, 4, z?
z
Let y = 0.071 - -0.029. What is the closest to -0.1 in 2/3, y, -7?
y
Let k = -115 - -112.96. Let p = k - -0.04. Let g = 9 - 6. Which is the nearest to -0.1? (a) 2 (b) g (c) p
c
Let k = -18/17 + 160/119. What is the closest to 1/2 in -1/5, k, -3?
k
Let l = -2.3 - 1.7. Which is the closest to -2/3? (a) -0.3 (b) l (c) -1
c
Let y = -1.8 - -0.6. Let o = -1 - y. Which is the nearest to 0? (a) o (b) -1/7 (c) -2
b
Let y = 5.6 - 5. Let h = -1.1 + y. Let r = 0.4 + h. Which is the nearest to r? (a) -4/7 (b) -2 (c) -0.1
c
Let u = 0.028 + -3.078. Let x = u + 3. Let l = -0.35 - x. Which is the closest to 0? (a) l (b) 0.5 (c) -4
a
Let b be (-5)/(-6)*20/50. Let d(o) = -o**3 + 8*o**2 + 9*o + 5. Suppose 2*y + 3*y - 45 = 0. Let h be d(y). What is the nearest to 1 in b, -4/3, h?
b
Let u = 1.1 + -5.1. Let z = 49 - 95/2. What is the nearest to -1 in 0, z, u?
0
Let a = -116 - -115.1. Suppose -24 = -o - 3*o + 4*x, 4*o + 21 = -5*x. What is the closest to o in 3, -0.4, a?
-0.4
Let g = 566/7 + -81. Let n = 0.3 - 0.4. What is the nearest to n in g, -0.3, 3?
g
Let y = 2 - 2. Let p = y - 3. Let g = 0 + -0.5. What is the closest to 0.1 in -1/8, g, p?
-1/8
Let f = 41/10 - 18/5. Suppose 3 - 12 = g + 5*z, -3*g + z + 5 = 0. Let m be (1*-3)/(g + -2). Which is the nearest to 0.1? (a) -0.1 (b) f (c) m
a
Let f be 1 + 1 + -1 - 3. Which is the nearest to 6? (a) -0.1 (b) 0.1 (c) f
b
Let w = -217/9 + 24. Let x be -1*(3 + (-69)/21). Which is the closest to x? (a) 0.4 (b) w (c) -0.1
a
Let t = 11/8 - -1/8. Let z = -2/265 - 104/265. Which is the closest to z? (a) -0.1 (b) t (c) 1
a
Let p(g) = -g - 6. Let q be p(-4). Let f = -1.1 + 1. Which is the closest to 2/7? (a) f (b) q (c) 2
a
Let f = -29/3 - -25/3. Suppose 4*k = 6*k - 4. What is the nearest to 0.1 in k, f, 3?
f
Let o = 19 - 28. Let k be ((-3)/5)/(o/(-6)). What is the nearest to 0 in -5, -3, k?
k
Let i = -0.92 + 0.82. What is the nearest to i in -1, 0.04, -1/6?
-1/6
Let y = 21 - 22. What is the closest to -0.1 in -1/9, y, 0?
-1/9
Let x = -66 - -331/5. Let y = -2 - 3. Let g = y + 4. What is the closest to 2/5 in x, -5, g?
x
Let r = 0.1 + 0. Let m = 49 + -48.7. Which is the closest to -0.1? (a) 2 (b) r (c) m
b
Let m = -0.2 - 0. Let i(r) = r**2 + 4*r + 7. Let j be i(-3). Which is the closest to -0.1? (a) 1 (b) m (c) j
b
Let z = 269 + -2961/11. Let f = 2636/153 + -154/9. What is the closest to z in 0.4, -3/5, f?
f
Let d = 0.61 + -0.41. Let w = -0.2 - -0.1. What is the nearest to w in -1, 5, d?
d
Let g = 0.1 - 0. Let t = -0.28 - 0.02. Let i = t - -5.3. Which is the nearest to 0.1? (a) i (b) -5 (c) g
c
Let k = -229139/618 - -2225/6. Let o = k + -272/1133. What is the nearest to 0.1 in 0, o, 3?
0
Let d = -0.193 + 4.193. What is the nearest to 4 in d, -5, 3?
d
Let l = 41.9 + -44. Let t = -2 - l. Which is the nearest to t? (a) 4 (b) -0.2 (c) -1
b
Let u = -9.57 + 0.97. Let s = -10 - u. Let h = -1 - s. What is the closest to 0 in h, -3/2, -0.5?
h
Let r = -0.305 - -0.105. What is the nearest to 2/7 in 1/11, -0.3, r?
1/11
Let f = -33 - -32. Which is the closest to 1? (a) -5 (b) f (c) 1
c
Let u be (-4)/18 - 38/(-90). Let n = -18 + 20. Let x be 1/n*(-6 - -4). What is the closest to x in u, -3, 3?
u
Let a be 5/15 - (-4)/42. What is the nearest to 2/9 in a, 4, -0.5?
a
Let g be (-1)/10*1*-2. Let d = -60.9 - -61. Which is the nearest to d? (a) g (b) -0.3 (c) | 2024-06-27T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/8425 |
/*
Copyright 2020 The Seldon Team.
Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
You may obtain a copy of the License at
http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
limitations under the License.
*/
package controllers
import (
"context"
. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo"
. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/extensions/table"
. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
machinelearningv1 "github.com/seldonio/seldon-core/operator/apis/machinelearning.seldon.io/v1"
"github.com/seldonio/seldon-core/operator/constants"
appsv1 "k8s.io/api/apps/v1"
v1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/rand"
"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/fake"
ctrl "sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime"
"testing"
"time"
)
func createTestSDepWithExplainer() *machinelearningv1.SeldonDeployment {
var modelType = machinelearningv1.MODEL
key := types.NamespacedName{
Name: "dep",
Namespace: "default",
}
return &machinelearningv1.SeldonDeployment{
ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
Name: key.Name,
Namespace: key.Namespace,
},
Spec: machinelearningv1.SeldonDeploymentSpec{
Name: "mydep",
Predictors: []machinelearningv1.PredictorSpec{
{
Name: "p1",
ComponentSpecs: []*machinelearningv1.SeldonPodSpec{
{
Spec: v1.PodSpec{
Containers: []v1.Container{
{
Image: "seldonio/mock_classifier:1.0",
Name: "classifier",
},
},
},
},
},
Graph: machinelearningv1.PredictiveUnit{
Name: "classifier",
Type: &modelType,
},
Explainer: &machinelearningv1.Explainer{
Type: machinelearningv1.AlibiAnchorsTabularExplainer,
},
},
},
},
}
}
func TestExplainerImageRelated(t *testing.T) {
g := NewGomegaWithT(t)
scheme = createScheme()
client := fake.NewSimpleClientset()
_, err := client.CoreV1().ConfigMaps(ControllerNamespace).Create(context.TODO(), configMap, metav1.CreateOptions{})
g.Expect(err).To(BeNil())
ei := NewExplainerInitializer(context.TODO(), client)
sdep := createTestSDepWithExplainer()
svcName := "s"
c := components{
serviceDetails: map[string]*machinelearningv1.ServiceStatus{
svcName: &machinelearningv1.ServiceStatus{
HttpEndpoint: "a.svc.local",
},
},
}
envExplainerImage = "explainer:123"
ei.createExplainer(sdep, &sdep.Spec.Predictors[0], &c, svcName, nil, ctrl.Log)
g.Expect(len(c.deployments)).To(Equal(1))
g.Expect(c.deployments[0].Spec.Template.Spec.Containers[0].Image).To(Equal(envExplainerImage))
}
var _ = Describe("createExplainer", func() {
var r *SeldonDeploymentReconciler
var mlDep *machinelearningv1.SeldonDeployment
var p *machinelearningv1.PredictorSpec
var c *components
var pSvcName string
BeforeEach(func() {
p = &machinelearningv1.PredictorSpec{
Name: "main",
}
mlDep = &machinelearningv1.SeldonDeployment{
ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
Name: "my-model",
},
Spec: machinelearningv1.SeldonDeploymentSpec{
Predictors: []machinelearningv1.PredictorSpec{*p},
},
}
c = &components{}
pSvcName = machinelearningv1.GetPredictorKey(mlDep, p)
r = &SeldonDeploymentReconciler{
Client: k8sManager.GetClient(),
ClientSet: clientset,
Log: ctrl.Log.WithName("controllers").WithName("SeldonDeployment"),
Scheme: k8sManager.GetScheme(),
Recorder: k8sManager.GetEventRecorderFor(constants.ControllerName),
}
})
DescribeTable(
"Empty explainers should not create any component",
func(explainer *machinelearningv1.Explainer) {
scheme = createScheme()
client := fake.NewSimpleClientset()
_, err := client.CoreV1().ConfigMaps(ControllerNamespace).Create(context.TODO(), configMap, metav1.CreateOptions{})
Expect(err).To(BeNil())
p.Explainer = explainer
ei := NewExplainerInitializer(context.TODO(), client)
err = ei.createExplainer(mlDep, p, c, pSvcName, nil, r.Log)
Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
Expect(c.deployments).To(BeEmpty())
},
Entry("nil", nil),
Entry("empty type", &machinelearningv1.Explainer{}),
)
})
var _ = Describe("Create a Seldon Deployment with explainer", func() {
const timeout = time.Second * 30
const interval = time.Second * 1
namespaceName := rand.String(10)
By("Creating a resource")
It("should create a resource with defaults", func() {
Expect(k8sClient).NotTo(BeNil())
var modelType = machinelearningv1.MODEL
key := types.NamespacedName{
Name: "dep",
Namespace: namespaceName,
}
instance := &machinelearningv1.SeldonDeployment{
ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
Name: key.Name,
Namespace: key.Namespace,
},
Spec: machinelearningv1.SeldonDeploymentSpec{
Name: "mydep",
Predictors: []machinelearningv1.PredictorSpec{
{
Name: "p1",
ComponentSpecs: []*machinelearningv1.SeldonPodSpec{
{
Spec: v1.PodSpec{
Containers: []v1.Container{
{
Image: "seldonio/mock_classifier:1.0",
Name: "classifier",
},
},
},
},
},
Graph: machinelearningv1.PredictiveUnit{
Name: "classifier",
Type: &modelType,
},
Explainer: &machinelearningv1.Explainer{
Type: machinelearningv1.AlibiAnchorsTabularExplainer,
},
},
},
},
}
//Create namespace
namespace := &v1.Namespace{
ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
Name: namespaceName,
},
}
Expect(k8sClient.Create(context.Background(), namespace)).Should(Succeed())
// Run Defaulter
instance.Default()
envUseExecutor = "true"
envDefaultUser = "2"
Expect(k8sClient.Create(context.Background(), instance)).Should(Succeed())
//time.Sleep(time.Second * 5)
fetched := &machinelearningv1.SeldonDeployment{}
Eventually(func() error {
err := k8sClient.Get(context.Background(), key, fetched)
return err
}, timeout, interval).Should(BeNil())
Expect(fetched.Name).Should(Equal("dep"))
// Check deployment created
depKey := types.NamespacedName{
Name: machinelearningv1.GetDeploymentName(instance, instance.Spec.Predictors[0], instance.Spec.Predictors[0].ComponentSpecs[0], 0),
Namespace: namespaceName,
}
depFetched := &appsv1.Deployment{}
Eventually(func() error {
err := k8sClient.Get(context.Background(), depKey, depFetched)
return err
}, timeout, interval).Should(BeNil())
Expect(len(depFetched.Spec.Template.Spec.Containers)).Should(Equal(2))
Expect(*depFetched.Spec.Replicas).To(Equal(int32(1)))
Expect(*depFetched.Spec.Template.Spec.SecurityContext.RunAsUser).To(Equal(int64(2)))
//Check explainer deployment
depKey = types.NamespacedName{
Name: machinelearningv1.GetExplainerDeploymentName(instance.Name, &instance.Spec.Predictors[0]),
Namespace: namespaceName,
}
depFetched = &appsv1.Deployment{}
Eventually(func() error {
err := k8sClient.Get(context.Background(), depKey, depFetched)
return err
}, timeout, interval).Should(BeNil())
Expect(len(depFetched.Spec.Template.Spec.Containers)).Should(Equal(1))
Expect(*depFetched.Spec.Replicas).To(Equal(int32(1)))
Expect(*depFetched.Spec.Template.Spec.SecurityContext.RunAsUser).To(Equal(int64(2)))
Expect(depFetched.Spec.Template.Spec.Containers[0].Image).To(Equal("seldonio/alibiexplainer:1.2.0"))
//Check svc created
svcKey := types.NamespacedName{
Name: machinelearningv1.GetContainerServiceName("dep", instance.Spec.Predictors[0], &instance.Spec.Predictors[0].ComponentSpecs[0].Spec.Containers[0]),
Namespace: namespaceName,
}
svcFetched := &v1.Service{}
Eventually(func() error {
err := k8sClient.Get(context.Background(), svcKey, svcFetched)
return err
}, timeout, interval).Should(BeNil())
// Check events created
serviceCreatedEvents := 0
deploymentsCreatedEvents := 0
evts, err := clientset.CoreV1().Events(namespaceName).Search(scheme, fetched)
Expect(err).To(BeNil())
for _, evt := range evts.Items {
if evt.Reason == constants.EventsCreateService {
serviceCreatedEvents = serviceCreatedEvents + 1
} else if evt.Reason == constants.EventsCreateDeployment {
deploymentsCreatedEvents = deploymentsCreatedEvents + 1
}
}
Expect(serviceCreatedEvents).To(Equal(3))
Expect(deploymentsCreatedEvents).To(Equal(2))
Expect(k8sClient.Delete(context.Background(), instance)).Should(Succeed())
})
})
| 2024-07-10T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/6143 |
Q:
Gitlab-CI Selenium::WebDriver::Error::WebDriverError: unable to connect to chromedriver 127.0.0.1:9515
I was able to setup my Selenium::Driver to use :headless_chrome and run my tests perfectly in my local machine but when I push to gitlab, my CI fails and raises a Selenium::WebDriver::Error: unable to connect to chromedriver 127.0.0.1:9515. I spent all night looking for solutions to different forums but to no avail.
In my spec/rails_helper.rb, I put the following codeblock inside the Rspec configuration:
config.include Devise::Test::ControllerHelpers, type: :controller
config.include Devise::Test::ControllerHelpers, type: :view
config.include Devise::Test::IntegrationHelpers, type: :feature
options = Selenium::WebDriver::Chrome::Options.new
options.add_preference(:download, prompt_for_download: false, default_directory: '/tmp/downloads')
options.add_preference(:browser, set_download_behavior: { behavior: 'allow' })
Capybara.register_driver :chrome do |app|
Capybara::Selenium::Driver.new(app, browser: :chrome, options: options)
end
Capybara.register_driver :headless_chrome do |app|
options.add_argument('--headless')
options.add_argument('--disable-gpu')
options.add_argument('--window-size=1280,800')
options.add_argument('--no-sandbox')
Capybara::Selenium::Driver.new(app, browser: :chrome, options: options)
end
Capybara.javascript_driver = :headless_chrome
At this point, my tests are running just fine locally. Next is I set-up my gitlab-ci.yml file by following this tutorial. The tutorial was great except on the part that my system_test fails because of the said chromedriver error. After trying out a lot of things, I am now very lost and don't know what to do to make it work.
Here are the necessary files from the tutorial that I followed.
Dockerfile
FROM ruby:2.6.0
RUN curl -sS https://dl.yarnpkg.com/debian/pubkey.gpg | apt-key add -
RUN curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_8.x | bash -
RUN echo "deb https://dl.yarnpkg.com/debian/ stable main" | tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/yarn.list
RUN apt-get update -qqy && apt-get install -qqyy yarn nodejs postgresql postgresql-contrib libpq-dev cmake
RUN rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
`.gitlab-ci.yml
image: "registry.gitlab.com/catch-all/catch-all-app:latest"
variables:
LC_ALL: C.UTF-8
LANG: en_US.UTF-8
LANGUAGE: en_US.UTF-8
RAILS_ENV: "test"
POSTGRES_DB: test_db
POSTGRES_USER: runner
POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ""
# cache gems and node_modules for next usage
.default-cache: &default-cache
cache:
untracked: true
key: my-project-key-5.2
paths:
- node_modules/
- vendor/
- public/
build:
<<: *default-cache
services:
- postgres:latest
stage: build
script:
- ruby -v
- node -v
- yarn --version
- which ruby
- gem install bundler --no-document
- bundle install --jobs $(nproc) "${FLAGS[@]}" --path=vendor
- yarn install
- cp config/database.yml.gitlab config/database.yml
- RAILS_ENV=test bundle exec rake db:create db:schema:load
- RAILS_ENV=test bundle exec rails assets:precompile
integration_test:
<<: *default-cache
stage: test
services:
- postgres:latest
- redis:alpine
script:
- gem install bundler --no-document
- bundle install --jobs $(nproc) "${FLAGS[@]}" --path=vendor
- cp config/database.yml.gitlab config/database.yml
- bundle install --jobs $(nproc) "${FLAGS[@]}" --path=vendor
- RAILS_ENV=test bundle exec rake db:create db:schema:load
- RAILS_ENV=test bundle exec rails assets:precompile
- bundle exec rspec spec/controllers
- bundle exec rspec spec/helpers
- bundle exec rspec spec/models
- bundle exec rspec spec/policies
system_test:
<<: *default-cache
stage: test
services:
- postgres:latest
- redis:alpine
- selenium/standalone-chrome:latest
script:
- gem install bundler --no-document
- bundle install --jobs $(nproc) "${FLAGS[@]}" --path=vendor
- cp config/database.yml.gitlab config/database.yml
- export selenium_remote_url="http://selenium__standalone-chrome:4444/wd/hub/"
- bundle install --jobs $(nproc) "${FLAGS[@]}" --path=vendor
- RAILS_ENV=test bundle exec rake db:create db:schema:load
- RAILS_ENV=test bundle exec rails assets:precompile
- bundle exec rspec spec/features
artifacts:
when: on_failure
paths:
- tmp/screenshots/
rubocop:
<<: *default-cache
stage: test
script:
- gem install bundle --no-document
- bundle install --jobs $(nproc) "${FLAGS[@]}" --path=vendor
- bundle exec rubocop
config/environments/test.rb
# Raises error for missing translations
# config.action_view.raise_on_missing_translations = true
net = Socket.ip_address_list.detect(&:ipv4_private?)
ip = net.nil? ? 'localhost' : net.ip_address
config.domain = ip
config.action_mailer.default_url_options = { host: config.domain }
Capybara.server_port = 8200
Capybara.server_host = ip
test/application_system_test_case.rb
# frozen_string_literal: true
require 'test_helper'
require 'socket'
def prepare_options
driver_options = {
desired_capabilities: {
chromeOptions: {
args: %w[headless disable-gpu disable-dev-shm-usage] # preserve memory & cpu consumption
}
}
}
driver_options[:url] = ENV['selenium_remote_url'] if ENV['selenium_remote_url']
driver_options
end
class ApplicationSystemTestCase < ActionDispatch::SystemTestCase
driven_by :selenium, using: :chrome, screen_size: [1400, 1400]
end
Thanks and hoping that anyone can lead me to the right solution. :)
A:
I was able to resolve my issue by adding the installation for the latest version of chrome and chrome-driver in my Dockerfile. This was achieved by adding the following lines:
# Latest Google Chrome installation package
RUN wget -q -O - https://dl-ssl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub | apt-key add - \
&& sh -c 'echo "deb http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome.list'
# Latest Ubuntu Firefox, Google Chrome, XVFB and JRE installs
RUN apt-get update -qqy \
&& apt-get -qqy install \
xvfb \
google-chrome-stable
# Clean clears out the local repository of retrieved package files. Run apt-get clean from time to time to free up disk space.
RUN apt-get clean \
&& rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
# 1. Step to fixing the error for Node.js native addon build tool (node-gyp)
# https://github.com/nodejs/node-gyp/issues/454
# https://github.com/npm/npm/issues/2952
RUN rm -fr /root/tmp
# Jasmine and protractor global install
# 2. Step to fixing the error for Node.js native addon build tool (node-gyp)
# https://github.com/nodejs/node-gyp/issues/454
RUN npm install --unsafe-perm --save-exact -g protractor@5.0.0 \
# Get the latest Google Chrome driver
&& npm update \
# Get the latest WebDriver Manager
&& webdriver-manager update
| 2023-11-02T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/2079 |
Q:
Second line of paragraphs indented in source, TeXShop 4.12 OSX
After updating to the latest version of TeXShop, every paragraph in my source displays with the second and subsequent lines indented. This is true for new and old documents. How do I disable this behavior?
A:
From the “Changes” file, available from the Help menu:
There are additional features of TeXShop 4.08 that are not related to Mojave:
[...]
Gary Gray requested that TeXShop start paragraphs flush with the left margin, but indent remaining paragraph lines. TeXShop 4.08 has this feature. Some users are in the habit of inserting line feeds when their source lines approach the right margin; they will not notice any difference. Other users type several lines of source text between line feeds. The resulting "paragraphs" will now be visible for easier scanning.
This feature is controlled by two new preference settings, available under the Edit Tab. The first sets the indent of the initial paragraph line. By default this is set to 0.0. The second sets the indent of the remaining paragraph lines. By default this is set to 30.0.
| 2024-02-29T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/2404 |
Q:
Akka FSM in Java
Following the Akka FSM documentation Im implementing the given sample. First of all I get that the state machine is running in a initialisation block. But how does one pass any variables/configuration using Props ? I cannot find any documentation or examples around this.
A:
The initialization block is just convenience to run something on construction so you can implement the whole init logic in a "normal" constructor taking parameters.
| 2023-09-27T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/9576 |
BURDEN OF KNOWLEDGE: Tracking Prenatal Health; In New Tests for Fetal Defects, Agonizing Choices for Parents
Lying in the darkened doctor's office, Kate Hoffman stared at the image of the 11-week-old fetus inside her on the ultrasound screen, a tiny ghost with a big head. It would have been so sweet, Ms. Hoffman said, if something had not been so clearly wrong.
Ms. Hoffman's first three children had been healthy, and she was sure this one would be, too. She was not planning to have the amniocentesis procedure often used to test for fetal health problems, preferring to avoid even the slightest risk that the insertion of a needle into her uterus would cause her to miscarry.
But when her doctor told her there was a new way to assess the chance of certain abnormalities with no risk of miscarriage -- a blood test and special sonogram -- she happily made an appointment.
The result, signaling that the child had a high chance of having Down syndrome, thrust Ms. Hoffman and her husband into a growing group of prospective parents who have learned far more about the health of their fetus than was possible even three years ago.
Fetal genetic tests are now routinely used to diagnose diseases as well known as cystic fibrosis and as obscure as fragile X, a form of mental retardation. High-resolution sonograms can detect life-threatening defects like brain cysts as well as treatable conditions like a small hole in the heart or a cleft palate sooner and more reliably than previous generations of the technology. And the risk of Down syndrome, one of the most common birth defects, can be assessed in the first trimester rather than waiting for a second-trimester blood test or amniocentesis.
Most couples say they are both profoundly grateful for the new information and hugely burdened by the choices it forces them to make. The availability of tests earlier in pregnancy mean that if they opt for an abortion it can be safer and less public.
But first they must decide: What defect, if any, is reason enough to end a pregnancy that was very much wanted? Shortened limbs that could be partly treated with growth hormones? What about a life expectancy of only a few months? What about 30 years? Or a 20 percent chance of mental retardation?
Striving to be neutral, doctors and genetic counselors flood patients with scientific data, leaving them alone for the hard conversations about the ethics of abortion, and how having a child with a particular disease or disability would affect them and their families. There are few traditions to turn to, and rarely anyone around who has confronted a similar dilemma.
Against the backdrop of a bitter national divide on abortion, couples are devising their own very private scales for weighing whether to continue their pregnancies. Often, political or religious beliefs end up being put aside, trumped by personal feelings. And even many of those who have no doubts about their decision to terminate say the grief is lasting.
''It was never even anything I had considered until I had the bad results,'' said Ms. Hoffman, who ended her pregnancy last year after a follow-up test confirmed that her child, if it survived, would have Down syndrome. ''It was the hardest decision I ever had to make.''
She and her husband, Drew, of Marblehead, Mass., decided that the quality of the child's life, and that of the rest of their family, would be too severely compromised. ''I don't look at it as though I had an abortion, even though that is technically what it is,'' she added. ''There's a difference. I wanted this baby.''
Whatever they choose, couples find themselves exposed to judgments from all sides. Several of those interviewed asked that personal details be withheld because they had let friends and family believe that their abortion was a miscarriage. Others say they have been surprised that even conservative parents, who never faced such decisions themselves, have counseled them to abort rather than face too hard a life.
Activists for the rights of the disabled say that a kind of grass-roots eugenics is evolving that will ultimately lead to greater intolerance of disabilities and less money for cures or treatments. And even some doctors who perform abortions are uncomfortable as some patients choose to quietly abort fetuses with relatively minor defects.
No one tracks the number of abortions performed for medical reasons, but obstetricians say several factors are most likely contributing to a growth in their frequency, including broader availability of new screening technologies and more pregnancies among women over 35, who are at greater risk of carrying a fetus with chromosomal abnormalities.
About a dozen tests for genetic mutations that could cause diseases or disabilities in a child are now regularly offered to pregnant women and their partners, depending on their ethnicity and conditions that run in their families.
More than 450 conditions, including deafness, dwarfism and skin disease, can be diagnosed by testing fetal cells, with more than 100 tests added in the last year alone. African-Americans are widely screened for sickle-cell anemia, and a panel that now includes nine tests for diseases common to Ashkenazi Jews has virtually eliminated the birth of children in the United States with Tay-Sachs, a fatal early childhood genetic disorder.
Next month, the Baylor College of Medicine plans to introduce a pilot program with perhaps the largest panel of prenatal tests ever offered. For $2,000, a pregnant woman will be able to have her fetus tested for some 50 conditions that cause mental retardation.
Quest Diagnostics, a leading provider of medical tests, said prenatal and genetic mutation tests were one of the fastest-growing parts of its business.
''People are going to the doctor and saying, 'I don't want to have a handicapped child, what can you do for me?''' said Charles Strom, medical director of Quest's genetic testing center.
A Couple's Choice
The new screening tests provide reassuring news for the vast majority of pregnant women. But Amy D., a preschool teacher in Livingston, N.J., who terminated a pregnancy after finding out the child would have cystic fibrosis, remembers falling to her knees in the schoolyard when her genetic counselor called her with the test results.
She and her husband did not know what cystic fibrosis was and had no known family history of the disease, which causes progressive lung failure and carries an average life expectancy of 35 years. But in the fall of 2001, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommended that a blood test for the gene mutations that cause the disease be offered in all pregnancies when either the man or woman is Caucasian.
Amy D. screened positive as a carrier in August 2002, shortly after she found out she was pregnant with her first child. When her husband also turned out to be a carrier, there was a one-in-four chance that their fetus would have the disease. An amniocentesis showed that it would. Having watched her husband shrink from scenes of suffering, whether in movies or during his own father's illness, she said she knew her marriage would not survive having a severely ill child. ''My life would have been caring for my child, which would have been fine if she would be O.K.,'' said Amy D., who asked that her last name be withheld for fear that anti-abortion activists would harass her. ''But she wasn't going to be O.K.''
After months of depression, she said she is thrilled to be adopting an infant boy from Asia. Still, when she watches the 20-something woman with cystic fibrosis on MTV's ''Real World'' dating and getting body piercings, Amy D. says she cannot help wondering if her daughter, who would have been named Sydney Frances, would have been like that -- at least for a while.
With the number of American couples being tested to determine if they carry cystic fibrosis soaring from a few thousand in 2000 to several hundred thousand last year, more people are tackling similar decisions. Sometimes, the gene tests can even distinguish between a mutation that causes a mild form of cystic fibrosis and one that is more severe.
Kaiser Permanente, a large managed health care organization, said that when both members of a couple among its patients in Northern California tested positive, 80 percent opted for the follow-up test of their fetus. Of those whose fetus was affected, 95 percent terminated the pregnancy.
''It's a crummy disease, the treatments are far from what we would like, and we have a reliable test,'' said Dr. David R. Witt, director of Kaiser's Northern California prenatal screening program. ''Based on the response, people are grateful they had an opportunity to take advantage of it.''
A Slippery Slope
The wider range and earlier timing of prenatal tests are raising concern among some bioethicists and advocates for disability rights who argue that the medical establishment is sending a message to patients that the goal is to guard against the birth of children with disabilities.
''By putting them out there as something everyone must do, the profession communicates that these are conditions that everyone must avoid,'' said Adrienne Asch, a bioethicist at Wellesley College. ''And the earlier you can get it done the more you can get away with because you never have to tell anybody.''
Some doctors, too, say they are troubled by what sometimes seems like a slippery slope from prenatal science to eugenics. The problem, though, is where to draw the line.
Dr. Jonathan Lanzkowsky, an obstetrician affiliated with Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, described one woman who had been born with an extra finger, which was surgically removed when she was a child. Her children have a 50-50 chance of inheriting the condition, but she is determined not to let that happen. Detecting the extra digit through early ultrasounds, she has terminated two pregnancies so far, despite doctors' efforts to persuade her to do otherwise, Dr. Lanzkowsky said.
Other doctors said that they had seen couples terminate pregnancies for poor vision, whose effect they had witnessed on a family member, or a cleft palate, which they worried would affect the quality of their child's life.
In an extreme case, Dr. Mark Engelbert, an obstetrician and gynecologist on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, said he had performed an abortion for a woman who had three girls and wanted a boy.
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''She was much more comfortable with it than I was,'' Dr. Engelbert said. ''I told her if it was a new patient I wouldn't have done it. But my feeling as a physician was that I've accepted the responsibility of being her health care provider. She's not doing anything illegal, and it's not for me to decide.''
Perhaps the hardest cases for both doctors and patients come when technology provides enough information to raise concerns about the health of a fetus but not enough to make a conclusive diagnosis. When Tom Horan and his wife learned in April that their fetus's legs were bowed and shortened, they were told that the condition could be healed through braces, growth hormones and surgical procedures in childhood.
But before they decided what to do, a closer examination by a specialist with a 3-D ultrasound machine revealed other deformities: the left arm was missing below the elbow, and the right hand was only partially developed. Moreover, sometimes such features are a sign of a neurological impairment, the doctors told them, but in this case it was impossible to tell.
''Our main concern was the quality of life that the child would have growing up with such extensive limb deformities, even in the absence of cognitive problems,'' Mr. Horan said. He and his wife, who have three other children, were reared Roman Catholic and had never considered terminating a pregnancy. Yet even his father, Mr. Horan said, who had long been opposed to abortion, supported their decision to end the pregnancy.
''Confronted with this question and knowing what we knew, it changed his mind,'' Mr. Horan said. ''It's not just a question of right and wrong; it introduces all sorts of other questions that one has to consider, whether it is the survivability of the child, quality of life of parents, quality of life of siblings, social needs. And it becomes much more real when you're confronted with an actual situation.''
After the termination, an examination showed that if he survived, Mr. Horan's son would have had an extremely rare condition, Cornelia de Lange syndrome. He would have been severely mentally and physically disabled.
The news was a relief to Mr. Horan, who said he felt sadness and grief, but no regrets about the decision. But before the diagnosis, he said, he felt guilt and uncertainty. At 21 weeks, the fetus was not viable when his wife underwent induced labor and delivery but survived briefly.
''Our son lived for three hours, and I spent almost all that time holding him,'' Mr. Horan said. ''I worried that I had decided to rob him of his life simply based on limb deformities. I wondered about the ethical implications of taking a life simply on that basis. What did that say about me?''
Contradicting Beliefs
That is just one of many questions that couples ask themselves as they confront the ethics of whether to abort a fetus with disabilities. But because it is such a charged subject, many are loath to discuss it with others. They say there is often no outlet for their grief.
''I cannot turn on the computer any day without getting an e-mail from someone who needs help,'' said the woman who runs A Heartbreaking Choice, an Internet support group for people who have terminated pregnancies because of their fetus's health. ''But nobody's talking about it. Certainly not here in southeastern Virginia,'' where anti-abortion groups are so vocal.
A nurse practitioner in New Jersey said her parents, in-laws and best friends all believed she had a miscarriage. In reality, after having an amniocentesis because she was 39, she discovered that the male fetus had two X chromosomes in addition to a Y chromosome. Men with the condition, Klinefelter's syndrome, have little body hair and feminine features. Some lead normal lives, but others have learning difficulties and virtually all are sterile.
''We didn't want to put ourselves in the position to be judged, because it was difficult enough as it was,'' she said, though she said she wished she had told her family about the diagnosis. ''I was thinking about Klinefelter's constantly, but I couldn't mention it to anyone.''
Dr. John Larsen, chairman of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at George Washington University Medical Center, said the sense of taboo was amplified by how often people's choices contradict their previously held beliefs.
''People will come into my office in tears and say they've been against abortion their whole lives,'' he said, ''but they'll make an exception for themselves.''
Parents of children with Down syndrome, Dr. Larsen said, also come to him for a test called chorionic villus sampling, or C.V.S. Similar to an amniocentesis, the procedure is less widely used because it carries a slightly higher risk of miscarriage, but it can be performed as early as nine weeks -- for many women, well before their pregnancies are apparent.
''They want it kept a secret,'' Dr. Larsen added. ''They don't want their friends in the Down Syndrome Society to know that they got tested and would abort or did abort if it was positive. They'll say, 'I love my child with special needs, but I can't handle two.'''
Some parents are trying to avoid both abortion and disease by opting for in-vitro fertilization, even if they do not need it to conceive. A new procedure can test embryos in the petri dish for chromosomal abnormalities or a genetic condition known to run in a family.
That is how Sara and Benjamin Porush of Chicago came to have their 21-month-old triplets. After their first son was born with familial dysautonomia, which causes difficulty breathing and swallowing and a shortened life, the couple, who are Orthodox Jews, had 16 embryos tested for the disease, 9 of which had the gene mutations for it. Ms. Porush was implanted with three of the others.
But some couples who terminate pregnancies for fetal health conditions say no one has a right to judge them. A child psychologist in Atlanta who terminated a Down syndrome fetus earlier this year said she was outraged by people who told her, ''If you have to have a perfect baby, you shouldn't be a parent.''
''I was like, 'What!?''' said the psychologist, who is 35. ''I've always been pro-choice, but now I'm pro-choice with a vengeance. Don't tell me I have to have a baby with Down syndrome just because you say so.''
And Cristy Hollin of Gladwyne, Pa., is unapologetic about having invasive procedures to test fetal cells early in the two pregnancies that followed the diagnosis of her first son's condition as fragile X mental retardation. Neither fetus tested positive for the condition, but if they had, she said, she and her husband had planned to have an abortion.
''You love your child,'' said Ms. Hollin, who was told that the best she could ever hope for her fragile X son, who is now 11, was that he could one day read well enough to take a bus on his own. ''But the fact is it's really, really hard. When we went to have our other kids we said we'd be fools not to know everything we can.''
Factors in Decisions
Doctors and genetic counselors say the new reproductive decisions hinge on a complex equation that includes patients' perception of disabilities, their financial situation, their ethical beliefs and their desire for a baby.
A recent study of the first-trimester screen for Down syndrome found that only 6 percent of women in Utah who tested positive for a high risk of having a fetus with the condition went on to find out definitively with an amniocentesis, said Dr. Mary D'Alton, chairwoman of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University Medical Center, who led the study. By contrast, at Mount Sinai in Manhattan, more than 90 percent chose to have the follow-up test.
Age can also play a role. A 44-year-old woman with her first pregnancy may look differently at an imperfection than a 23-year-old who has two children, said Dr. Ilan E. Timor, director of the ultrasound division of the obstetrics and gynecology department at New York University Hospital.
''I have seen patients with relatively minor anomalies as far as I'm concerned who don't care and terminate the pregnancy,'' Dr. Timor said. ''Then you see the other end of it, patients that have pretty major anomalies and don't want to terminate. Every patient has a dilemma that is measured by personal needs.''
When Dondakay DeMaria, 27, and her husband, Andrew, of Campbell, Calif., who work at the same Silicon Valley technology company, both tested positive as cystic fibrosis carriers, Ms. DeMaria was sure she wanted to have an amniocentesis, and perhaps terminate the pregnancy. But after much soul-searching, the couple, who describe themselves as pro-choice, decided not to take the risk of miscarrying in order to find out the status of their fetus.
''There's a lot of kids born into the world that have severe problems and that doesn't stop them from having a life or having a lot of love to give,'' said Mr. DeMaria, citing his adult cousin with Down syndrome as an example. ''If my aunt and uncle would have terminated that pregnancy we would never have known Suzie.''
Some critics of the new culture of prenatal testing argue that it is causing needless anxiety for the vast majority of couples whose babies will be perfectly healthy. But some women say the new tests actually make them less anxious. Ms. Hoffman, who terminated her pregnancy last year after the first-trimester screening test alerted her to the risk of Down syndrome, is now pregnant again. She was sure she would have an amniocentesis this time, despite her fears of miscarriage. But when she went for her screening the doctor said her risk of an abnormality had fallen from one in 43 to one in 351, odds that were good enough for her.
''It took me a long time before I was ready to risk getting pregnant again,'' Ms. Hoffman said. ''And that time period couldn't have gone fast enough before I could have my test.''
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A version of this article appears in print on June 20, 2004, on Page 1001001 of the National edition with the headline: BURDEN OF KNOWLEDGE: Tracking Prenatal Health; In New Tests for Fetal Defects, Agonizing Choices for Parents. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe | 2023-11-09T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/3467 |
0 = -4*d + 4*v + 1896, -4*v = d + 2*d - 1457. Is d a prime number?
True
Let v = 516 - -115. Is v composite?
False
Let o(f) = 5*f**2 + f**3 + 2 - 5 - f - 7*f + 3*f. Suppose -25 = -0*x + 5*x. Is o(x) composite?
True
Let z = -1 + 1. Suppose 4*b + 35 - 159 = z. Is b prime?
True
Let h = -440 + 993. Is h prime?
False
Let z be ((-4)/10)/((-6)/30). Suppose z*a - 182 = o, -2*o = -0*o. Suppose -3*h = 4*m - a, -4*h = -2*m - 201 + 43. Is h composite?
False
Let s be (2 - 6/2)*2. Is 3*(1604/12 - s) prime?
False
Let h be 24/(-9)*(-18)/(-8). Let t = 0 + -12. Let p = h - t. Is p a composite number?
True
Suppose -533 = -3*p + 352. Is p a prime number?
False
Let a(w) = -w**3 + 8*w - 2*w**2 + 3*w**2 + 10*w**2 + 5 + 2*w**3. Is a(-9) a prime number?
False
Suppose -2*h - 2*v + 2 = -3*h, -h - 5*v - 37 = 0. Suppose 4*p - 27 = 157. Let y = p - h. Is y composite?
True
Let c(w) be the third derivative of -11*w**4/8 - 5*w**3/6 + 9*w**2. Is c(-4) a composite number?
False
Let y be (-4)/(-10) + (-39)/(-15). Let a = y - 0. Suppose 0 = -a*d + 171 + 942. Is d a prime number?
False
Let s(c) = 5*c**2 + c. Let q be s(-1). Let u = q - 0. Suppose -2*a + 4*a = -u*d + 136, 2 = a. Is d a prime number?
False
Suppose 1578 = y - 2*y. Is (-3 + 2)/(6/y) a composite number?
False
Let a(l) = -112*l - 1. Suppose -5*x + 7 = -18. Suppose 3 = -4*n - x. Is a(n) a prime number?
True
Let t(y) = 111*y + 5. Is t(8) a prime number?
False
Suppose -3 = -2*y + 3. Suppose -4*g + y = -1. Is (0 + g/(-2))*-226 composite?
False
Suppose 5*z = 3*h - 4*h + 1271, -3*z + 767 = 5*h. Is z a prime number?
False
Let a(f) = f**2 + f - 5. Is a(6) a prime number?
True
Let b(r) be the second derivative of r**6/120 - r**5/60 - r**4/6 + r. Let g(w) be the third derivative of b(w). Is g(2) a composite number?
True
Let w = 11 + -8. Suppose -7 = -w*h + 5. Suppose -h*t = -t - 195. Is t prime?
False
Let p(h) = -1041*h**3 - h**2 - 2*h - 1. Is p(-1) a composite number?
True
Let h(c) = 2*c**2 + 2*c + 7. Let y be h(5). Let b = -8 + y. Is b prime?
True
Is (0 + 2 + -3)*-79 prime?
True
Let g(p) = -83*p + 30. Is g(-11) a composite number?
True
Let a(f) = 4*f**3 + 2 + 8*f**2 - 3*f**3 + 6*f - 1. Is a(-6) a composite number?
False
Suppose 0 = 4*o - 0*o - 28. Suppose -m + 39 = -o. Suppose 5*r + x = 294, 2*x - 5*x = -r + m. Is r a composite number?
True
Suppose -y = 4*y + 5. Let m be (-2 + 3 + -6)*y. Suppose -33 = -m*u + 2*u. Is u a prime number?
True
Let n = 11 + -2. Suppose 2*a + 12 = 4*a. Is n/6*332/a a prime number?
True
Let p = -34 - -186. Let r = p - 67. Is r composite?
True
Suppose 4*y = 3*t - 9 - 1, 2*t = -2*y + 2. Suppose t*i = 4*x - 5*x + 75, 2*i + 423 = 5*x. Is x a prime number?
True
Suppose 4*p + 4 = 5*o, -3*p + p = 2. Suppose o = 2*k - k - 89. Is k composite?
False
Let t = 457 - 308. Is t composite?
False
Is (-1)/3 + (-11704)/(-57) prime?
False
Suppose -q + 369 = -0*q - m, -5*m - 361 = -q. Is q composite?
True
Let v be (3 + -1)*(-2 - -1). Is (18 - v) + (-3 - -2) composite?
False
Suppose 2 = t, -l + t + 356 = -0*l. Is l a composite number?
True
Let p(l) = -488*l + 17. Is p(-2) a composite number?
True
Suppose 0*i = 2*i. Let y be i - -2 - (-1 + 1). Suppose -4*g + 4*l = y*l - 150, 129 = 3*g + 4*l. Is g a prime number?
False
Suppose 3 = 4*h - o - 8, 4*o - 40 = -5*h. Suppose -x + h*x = 9. Suppose 0*w + 15 = i + x*w, -i + w = -15. Is i prime?
False
Let g = -3 + -1. Let a be 1/4 - 7/g. Let v(c) = 4*c**2 + 2*c - 1. Is v(a) a composite number?
False
Let x(h) = h**2 + 4*h + 6. Let s be x(-9). Suppose b - 49 - s = 0. Suppose 0 = -5*t + 210 + b. Is t composite?
True
Suppose p + 74 = m, -3*m - 207 = 3*p - m. Let d = -115 - p. Let t = d + 81. Is t a prime number?
True
Let c(l) = -2*l. Let n be c(-6). Let d be 3*(0 - n/(-2)). Let b = d + -11. Is b prime?
True
Let g be ((-16)/10)/((-3)/15). Suppose b - 17 = -3. Let m = b - g. Is m prime?
False
Let r = -5 + 9. Suppose -r*b - l = -516, 0 = -b - l + 115 + 14. Is b composite?
True
Suppose -z = -4*p - 217, p - 520 = -3*z + 144. Is z prime?
False
Let g(t) = 11*t**3 + 13*t**2 + 5*t + 2. Let l(b) = -5*b**3 - 7*b**2 - 2*b - 1. Let h(c) = -4*g(c) - 9*l(c). Is h(-7) prime?
True
Suppose 0 = -5*g + 1946 + 1829. Is g composite?
True
Is (-749)/(-14) - 1/2 composite?
False
Let s = 2012 - 821. Is s a prime number?
False
Let m be 62/6 - (-6)/9. Let o be (-1 - 0)*(-3 - m). Is 6/(-21) + 368/o a prime number?
False
Let c(d) = -7*d - 5. Let l(n) = n**3 + 6*n**2 + 6*n - 1. Suppose 0 = -3*a - 10 - 5. Let j be l(a). Is c(j) a prime number?
True
Let r be 1449/15 - 4/(-10). Let u = r + -30. Is u a prime number?
True
Let c(b) = -b**3 - 4*b - 3. Let q be c(-4). Let g = q + -44. Is g a composite number?
True
Let b(k) be the second derivative of k**4/12 + k**3 - k**2 + 2*k. Is b(7) a composite number?
False
Let v(p) = 6*p - 13. Let r be (-3)/4 - (-47)/4. Is v(r) prime?
True
Let f(v) = -16*v**3 + 4*v**2 + 4*v - 5. Is f(-4) composite?
True
Let c(z) = -311*z + 1. Is c(-2) a composite number?
True
Let d = 4 + -2. Is (13 + -6)*4/d a composite number?
True
Let p(t) = t**3 + t**2 + 42. Let i be ((-6)/4 - -2)*0. Let b be p(i). Let a = 169 - b. Is a a prime number?
True
Let p(b) = -276*b. Let z be p(1). Suppose -5*j - 11 + 1 = 0. Is (1/j)/(6/z) composite?
False
Suppose 51*t - 6 = 49*t. Is t a prime number?
True
Let s(f) be the third derivative of -23*f**4/24 + 2*f**3/3 - 3*f**2. Is s(-5) a prime number?
False
Suppose 5*l = 4*f + 1975, 0*f + 1940 = 5*l + 3*f. Let t = l - 176. Is t composite?
True
Let f = -4 - -2. Is (f/3)/((-14)/399) composite?
False
Let v = 289 + 1404. Is v a composite number?
False
Let u = -19 - -31. Suppose u = -2*c - w, 3*w = -0*c + 3*c. Is (-1605)/(-12) - (-3)/c composite?
True
Let f(h) = -111*h - 4. Let d(r) = -r**2 - 2*r. Let v be d(-3). Is f(v) a prime number?
False
Suppose -21 = 3*y - 6*y. Let b = y - 4. Is 1/(-3) + 22/b composite?
False
Let g(w) = 3*w**2 - 2*w - 6. Let b be g(-4). Suppose -4*l = l - b. Let y = 47 - l. Is y prime?
True
Is (-2)/((-4)/(-678))*-1 composite?
True
Let t be ((-2)/6)/((-3)/198). Let n = 97 + t. Is n a composite number?
True
Suppose m + 5 = 6*m. Let h be m/5 + (-11)/5. Is (-1)/(3/474*h) a composite number?
False
Let h be -1 - (0 - 4) - 4. Let q(c) = -178*c - 1. Is q(h) a prime number?
False
Let t = 16 + -32. Is 346/8 + 4/t prime?
True
Suppose 4*k - 660 = 4520. Suppose -4*p + 5*j = -7*p + 769, k = 5*p + 5*j. Is p composite?
False
Suppose 2*p = 4*i - 730, -p + 432 = 5*i - 498. Is i prime?
False
Let v(p) = 8*p + 3. Suppose y = -2*y - 5*z + 43, -2*z - 14 = -4*y. Is v(y) composite?
True
Suppose -11 - 14 = -l. Is l a composite number?
True
Let f = 47 + -29. Suppose 7 = 5*j + 42. Let o = f + j. Is o a composite number?
False
Let p(v) be the second derivative of v**5/20 + v**3/6 + 13*v**2/2 + 3*v. Let j(x) = x**2. Let h be j(0). Is p(h) composite?
False
Let q(w) = 3*w + w**3 + 2*w**3 - 6 - 4*w**3 + 2*w**2 - 7*w**2. Let c be q(-5). Let a = c + 36. Is a a composite number?
True
Is 336 - ((-6)/8 + 6/(-24)) a composite number?
False
Let y be 6*(-2 + 14/6). Suppose -y*n = -3*k + 205, 6*n - n + 64 = k. Is k composite?
True
Let d be ((-1)/2)/((-2)/(-8)). Let t be ((-6)/8)/(d/8). Suppose -y = -i - 11, -2 = -i + t*i. Is y a composite number?
True
Let k(v) = -2*v - v**3 - 2 + 12*v**2 - 8*v + 2*v. Is k(11) a composite number?
False
Let x = -753 + 1432. Is x a composite number?
True
Let m = 211 + -53. Let v = 232 - m. Let s = 120 - v. Is s a prime number?
False
Suppose 5*j - 4*j = -3. Let c(y) be the third derivative of y**5/15 + y**4/8 - y**3/3 - y**2. Is c(j) a prime number?
False
Let m(a) = -9*a**3 - 15*a**2 - 3*a + 1. Is m(-7) composite?
True
Suppose 98 = 6*f - 4*f. Is f prime?
False
Let p(f) = 2*f - 2. Let d be p(6). Suppose -5*a - k + d = -0*k, 2*a = 3*k - 13. Suppose 11 - a = g. Is g a prime number?
False
Let t(u) = u**3 + 6*u**2 + u + 8. Let m be t(-6). Suppose 5*j - z - 1325 = 0, -202 = -4*j + m*z + 858. Is j a composite number?
True
Let v(g) = -g**2 - 8*g - 3. Let w be v(-7). Suppose 4*k + w*h = 1216, 3*h + 357 + 880 = 4*k. Is k a prime number?
True
Let v be -1*3/(-2)*-264. Let k = v - -581. Is k a composite number?
True
Let j(t) be the third derivative of -t**5/60 + 3*t**4/8 - 5*t**3/6 + t**2. Let r be j(6). Suppose 2*x - r = x. Is x a composite number?
False
Let v(j) = -j**3 + 13*j**2 - | 2023-10-23T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/3710 |
Quote allmylovingdays: Since Brady is leaving....it seems only right that they would bring back Philip as CEO or if not this would be a great chance to see more Justin take over......
I agree they need Philip back which will bring back Chloe and the baby and Brady and Chloe can be back together and Phillip and Melanie will work through they're problems... And with Chloe coming back, not only will she be saving Brady heart break from that two faced Madison when all her secrets come out, but she will have to run into Quinn on a regular basis again and maybe have to see Marlena to over come her hooker days! Which ofcourse has all potential for Kate to out her for being a hooker before she left.. OR Chloe and Phillip will get revenge on Kate for hiring Quinn to force her into being one!
Anyway, I think that it is ridiculous that Victor is making Madison CEO! She can't even run her cosmetic business or hire someone to take Sami's place, never mind run Titan! What is he thinking??? I wonder if she destroy's Titan on purpose with this mystery man coming into town to mess with her, maybe he forces her to do something to Titan which ofcourse will end her relationship with Brady!
TA,I mentioned in another thread that this is the perfect time to bring Philip back,the sooner the better!!.. We need true Kiriakis's at Titan!...Don't want to see Jonas in charge,at Titan to make him feel a career change might help him!!No pity for Daniel...Your right at the very least have Justin take over until Philip comes back!!
Quote allmylovingdays: Since Brady is leaving....it seems only right that they would bring back Philip as CEO or if not this would be a great chance to see more Justin take over......
I agree. Plus Philip could start a relationship with Gabby which would anger her brother that his sister is dating a Kiriakas. Whether he returns or not, Madison should not be CEO. Philip could run the company from Chicago. The writers are really trying hard to pimp Madison and I still don't like her. She has proven to be too incompetent and immature to run a major corporation.
Victor is crazy!! He offered the job of CEO OF Titan to Madison!! Victor has been away form the office to long she can't do anything on her own!!Maybe this is part of her plan,it's just been stepped up thanks to Old man Victor!!AAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Quote allmylovingdays: Since Brady is leaving....it seems only right that they would bring back Philip as CEO or if not this would be a great chance to see more Justin take over......
I agree. Plus Philip could start a relationship with Gabby which would anger her brother that his sister is dating a Kiriakas. Whether he returns or not, Madison should not be CEO. Philip could run the company from Chicago. The writers are really trying hard to pimp Madison and I still don't like her. She has proven to be too incompetent and immature to run a major corporation.
Or Justin's son, Sonny's brother, Alexander Neil Kiriakis, Alex Kiriakis, or Zander Kiriakis if he is called that now or they can call him Lex Kiriakis like Lex Luthor and with Alex back in town he can run Titan | 2024-06-08T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/3858 |
Story highlights
Donald Trump gave a speech outlining his plans to fix the Veterans Affairs department
He also criticized Hillary Clinton during his speech in Virginia
Virginia Beach, Virginia (CNN)Donald Trump laid out his plans Monday to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs and root out fraud and wrongdoing within the scandal-plagued agency, in a speech also peppered with barbs aimed at Hillary Clinton.
The presumptive Republican nominee promised a "full investigation" into the agency's scandals that came to light two years ago and laid out several reforms to improve veterans' services, including establishing a 24-hour White House hotline to address veterans' complaints about the VA and giving all veterans access to private medical care on the government's dime.
"I will instruct my staff that if a valid complaint is not addressed, that the issue be brought directly to me," Trump said. "And I will pick up the phone and fix it myself if I have to."
But Trump spoke about more than policy proposals as he read prepared remarks Monday in this city that is home to several military bases. He also addressed last week's attack on Dallas police officers and sought to draw a contrast between himself and Clinton.
"I am the law and order candidate," Trump saidd Monday. "Crooked Hillary Clinton is the secretary of the status quo and wherever Hillary Clinton goes, corruption and scandal will follow. Just look at her life."
Read More
The Justice Department, following an FBI recommendation, declined to press criminal charges against Clinton for use of a private email server while leading the State Department.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a former federal prosecutor who is being vetted to potentially become Trump's running mate, made the case against Clinton in brief remarks before Trump's speech and boosted trump as "a president who once again will put law and order" as a top priority.
Before making a similar case himself, Trump opened his remarks Monday by offering his full backing to law enforcement in the wake of the Dallas shooting that killed five police officers.
He lamented the "ongoing catastrophe of crime" in inner cities and argued police officers face similar "harassment" of the nature U.S. soldiers returning from the Vietnam War faced.
Picking up on the theme that Clinton is part of a "rigged system," Trump also knocked Clinton as out of touch for comments she made last fall in which she said the VA problems have "not been as widespread as it has been made out to be."
"The disconnect in America is deep. There are two Americas. The ruling class and the groups it favors and then everyone else," Trump said.
For his part, Trump laid out what he called a "10-step plan" to reform the VA, which included a number of accountability measures already enacted by Congress and signed by Obama.
But Trump also promised to go beyond some existing measures, vowing that he would extend access to private health care to all veterans, not just those who live more than 40 miles away from a VA center or who can't get an appointment within 30 days. Trump first promised last fall that he would allow veterans to use their veterans' ID card to access private health care, but did not lay out specific parameters as he did Monday. | 2024-05-10T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/8996 |
Will you be my new mummy? Orphan gorilla gets to grips with her new keeper after being adopted by British zoo
They were worried she might have trouble fitting into the family.
But as these tender pictures show, Kera the gorilla already considers herself perfectly at home.
Have I told you lately that I love you? Kera gives keeper Emily Pugh a ferry hug
Cuddling up to her keepers, having a quiet chat or clinging on for a piggyback ride, she looks like she has known them all her life.
But the four-year-old western lowland gorilla is the new girl on the block, arriving at Bristol Zoo Gardens only two weeks ago.
Girl talk: Kera and keeper Mel Gage have a chat
Bonding, despite her keepers' fears, hasn't been a problem. She loves everybody she meets, both human and gorilla.
A rather shaky start to life certainly hasn't affected her sunny nature.
Making friends: Kera settles in to her new surroundings
Born at Barcelona Zoo, Kera, a twin, was rejected by her mother.
She was sent to Wilhelma Zoo in Stuttgart, Germany, where she has spent the past four years in a gorilla nursery, being reared by humans.
Making time to smell the roses (or rather leaves)
But her keepers there decided she needed a chance to interact with adult gorillas. So Bristol Zoo came to the rescue.
Keeper Emily Pugh, 22, said Kera was already settling in well with the zoo's other gorillas.
She ain't heavy: A piggyback ride
'She's beautiful. She's such a sweet and friendly girl. It's so nice that she's finally found a home,' she said.
'I don't think it will take long for her to integrate into the group - the others are fascinated with her already.'
A shoulder to lean on: Kera cuddles up close
Kera will share the zoo's Gorilla Island with Jock, a 34st silverback, adult females Romina and Salome, and babies Komale and Namoki.
Although they have already shown great interest in Kera, staff will keep her separate from her new family until they are sure she is totally accepted by the group.
Hand-reared: Keira was rejected by her mother and brought up in a special gorilla orphanage in Stuttgart
The zoo is hoping that Kera will grow up to boost its breeding programme with babies of her own. | 2023-09-07T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/8588 |
Cattle and sheep which are being exported live from Ireland to the Middle East are being slaughtered in shocking conditions in “clear breach of EU laws”, Irish farmers have been warned.
Graphic videos of slaughterhouse practices, filmed over an eight month period ending in February, have been shown to farming organisations including the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) as live cattle exports to Turkey resume.
The Irish Farmers’Association (IFA) and the ICSA have been working with cattle exporters and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) to reopen trade with Turkey which has been closed for several years.
It is believed deals amounting to at least 40,000 cattle have been agreed. Deals worth 100,000 cattle are already in place with Egypt.
Gabriel Paun, a biologist and EU Director of animal welfare organisation Animals International was in Ireland last week to raise farmer awareness of conditions in the transport and slaughter of animals.
Videos and pictures, copies of which have been obtained by The Irish Times, show clear breaches of EU regulations in the transport and slaughter of animals wearing EU ear tags. Animals International listed Ireland, France and Poland, among other EU countries as being the origin of these tags.
Extremely graphic in their content, the videos show animals hoisted by one hind leg, spinning on a chain as a man with a knife makes several slashes at their necks with an knife.
Other images show an animals being stabbed in the eyes, having leg tendons cut while others have their heads and necks restrained by devices covered in the blood from earlier killings.
In some videos the animals are encased in a machine which rotates them upside down.
Animals International makes the point that the methods of killing is not Halal which, it says, requires that the animals do not suffer and which allows for animals to be stunned before being killed.
Animals slaughtered according to Halal have their throats cuts upon utterance of an Islamic prayer.
Some of the videos show animals being unloaded from ships after sea journeys of almost two weeks, covered in faeces, and packed into open topped lorries en route to the slaughterhouses.
The videos depict the treatment of exported animals in Palestine, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Egypt and Turkey.
Animals International has provided the EU institutions with copies of its findings and MEPs from the European Parliament’s Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals have initiated a procedure for a formal inquiry. A spokeswoman said the videos showed “clear breaches of EU laws”.
A 2015 European Court of Justice decision ruled that any transport provided taking livestock from the EU to a third country must ensure that animal care met EU standards. The country of origin is responsible for this, said Mr Paun. He added there was clear evidence in the videos that there was poor enforcement of this law.
Mr Paun said conditions in the slaughterhouses met neither Halal meat, not EU standards . He said he believed countries of origin would be better served if meat was exported having already been slaughtered. “Why not keep the added value in Ireland?” he asked.
Both the IFA and the ICSA said Ireland had the highest animal welfare and shipping standards, which were overseen by DAFM veterinary services.
A spokesman for the ICSA said the the photographs presented by Animals International “show well fed animals coming off the ship which is consistent with what we know of Department oversight on nutrition and veterinary care”.
He said ICSA has advised Animals International to engage with Turkish authorities to establish how they maximise animal welfare and ensure best practice in their slaughtering facilities.
The spokesman added export trade was vital to Irish farmers to ensure competition for the Irish livestock sector rather than being completely dependent on a number of large scale meat plants which have a long record of paying beef farmers the lowest price possible.
“Turkey is a valuable market for Irish livestock. There are no markets for animals that are not in top class condition on arrival,” he said.
In a statement, the Department of Agriculture said loading of cattle was supervised by its officials and the animals were inspected and certified for health status and fitness to travel before being loaded.
“Cattle on board a livestock ship departing from Ireland are typically bedded and penned in conditions very similar to cattle in any feed lot or cattle shed. | 2023-10-21T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/4149 |
As we work to bring even more value to our audience, we’ve made important changes for those who receive Ad Age with our compliments. As of November 15, 2016 we will no longer be offering full digital access to AdAge.com. However, we will continue to send you our industry-leading print issues focused on providing you with what you need to know to succeed.
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P&G, PARAMOUNT IN EURO TV DEAL;SHOWS DONE WITH BERTELSMANN UNIT MAY REACH U.S.
Procter & Gamble Co. has teamed with the Paramount Television Group and Bertelsmann's UFA TV division to produce original shows for Europe that, if successful, could be sold to the U.S. market.
The deal, worth an estimated $60 million, calls for the production of high-quality series to be shown initially via Germany.
Paramount is looking for other advertisers that don't compete with P&G to join the deal, said two insiders with knowledge of the plans.
TOP EURO STATION
In Germany, the programs would likely be aired on RTL Television, Europe's most popular TV station and most successful in terms of ad revenue. It's possible P&G/Paramount will look for additional broadcasters to team with in other European countries, one of the insiders said.
The P&G/Paramount/UFA deal is similar to a pact P&G and Paramount have in the U.S. for domestic programming. In that deal, NBC has the right of first refusal for any shows P&G and Paramount develop. No other advertisers have joined in that deal.
VIACOM'S SEPARATE DEAL
The European deal is curious in that Paramount parent Viacom just signed a 10-year pact with Bertelsmann rival Kirsch Group that gives Kirsch the TV rights to a number of past and future Paramount products. And Bertelsmann itself just announced that UFA was merging with Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de Telediffusion, better known as CLT, in a deal valued at $3.5 billion.
Bertelsmann and CLT co-own the RTL channel in Germany, and CLT co-owns RTL outlets throughout Europe. So the P&G/Paramount/UFA-produced programs could be distributed on a pan-European basis on RTL.
"It's that kind of media world now," said one media executive. "The relationships are many and complex." | 2023-12-07T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/8720 |
41 cars are on the entry list for the British GT’s annual trip to continental Europe, with five guest cars adding to the already huge full-season selection of GT3 and GT4 machinery.
15 GT3 cars and 26 GT4s will head to the Ardennes for the two-hour race that could have huge implications on the title battles.
In GT3 Aston Martin factory driver Darren Turner makes his first British GT start since September last year. He will race debutants Tony Quinn and M2 Competition in its Vantage GT3.
Elsewhere there is one notable absentee from the entry list: clashing Le Mans Cup commitments have forced Beechdean AMR to skip Spa. Its Aston will race in Barcelona on the European Le Mans Series support bill, and return to British GT action at Brands Hatch.
GT4’s entry is huge, with 26 cars, the same record number it had at Silverstone earlier this year. And there are some notable race-by-race entries bolstering the category.
Swedish squad Alfab Racing has entered a McLaren 570S for Erik Behrens and Daniel Ros. The same combination currently competes in GT4 Scandinavia, while the team also has recent experience of racing in the GT4 European Series.
And three race-by-race competitors also make their final appearances of the season: ERC Sport’s Peter Belshaw and Maximilian Buhk, Balfe’s Am/Am McLaren shared by Mia Flewitt and Stewart Proctor; and Track Focused’s KTM driven by father and son duo Alexander and Ross McEwan.
There are driver changes too. Three-time World Touring Car champion Andy Priaulx is joining six-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy aboard Multimatic Motorsports’ #19 Ford Mustang. The same car and Am driver won the Pro/Am class with Billy Johnson last time out.
Of the full-season entries, Brent Millage teams up with Dino Zamparelli in GT Marques’ Porsche and HHC’s Luke Williams is joined by Ginetta GT5 Challenge front-runner Ruben Del Sarte.
The title fights will heat up at Spa. A big points’ haul at Spa would give current GT3 leaders Adam Balon and Phil Keen (Barwell Motorsport) plus GT4 leaders Seb Priaulx and Scott Maxwell (Multimatic Motorsports) a chance to wrap up their respective championships with a round to spare at Brands Hatch next month.
The British GT race is set for Sunday at 12:30 local time.
ENTRY LIST >> | 2023-11-21T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/8487 |
# Copyright (C) 2010-2015 Cuckoo Foundation.
# This file is part of Cuckoo Sandbox - http://www.cuckoosandbox.org
# See the file 'docs/LICENSE' for copying permission.
import sys
import time
from django.conf import settings
from django.http import HttpResponse
from django.shortcuts import render
from django.views.decorators.http import require_safe
from django.contrib.auth.decorators import login_required
sys.path.append(settings.CUCKOO_PATH)
from lib.cuckoo.core.database import Database, TASK_PENDING, TASK_RUNNING
from lib.cuckoo.core.database import TASK_COMPLETED, TASK_RECOVERED
from lib.cuckoo.core.database import TASK_REPORTED, TASK_FAILED_ANALYSIS
from lib.cuckoo.core.database import TASK_FAILED_PROCESSING, TASK_FAILED_REPORTING
# Conditional decorator for web authentication
class conditional_login_required(object):
def __init__(self, dec, condition):
self.decorator = dec
self.condition = condition
def __call__(self, func):
if not self.condition:
return func
return self.decorator(func)
@require_safe
@conditional_login_required(login_required, settings.WEB_AUTHENTICATION)
def index(request):
db = Database()
report = dict(
total_samples=db.count_samples(),
total_tasks=db.count_tasks(),
states_count={},
estimate_hour=None,
estimate_day=None
)
states = (
TASK_PENDING,
TASK_RUNNING,
TASK_COMPLETED,
TASK_RECOVERED,
TASK_REPORTED,
TASK_FAILED_ANALYSIS,
TASK_FAILED_PROCESSING,
TASK_FAILED_REPORTING
)
for state in states:
report["states_count"][state] = db.count_tasks(state)
# For the following stats we're only interested in completed tasks.
tasks = db.count_tasks(status=TASK_COMPLETED)
tasks += db.count_tasks(status=TASK_REPORTED)
if tasks:
# Get the time when the first task started and last one ended.
started, completed = db.minmax_tasks()
# It has happened that for unknown reasons completed and started were
# equal in which case an exception is thrown, avoid this.
if started and completed and int(completed - started):
hourly = 60 * 60 * tasks / (completed - started)
else:
hourly = 0
report["estimate_hour"] = int(hourly)
report["estimate_day"] = int(24 * hourly)
return render(request, "dashboard/index.html",
{"report" : report})
| 2024-05-11T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/4828 |
The 10 Best Comals
This wiki has been updated 3 times since it was first published in November of 2018. The comal — also known as a budare — is a smooth, flat or concave griddle with origins dating back to the ancient Aztecs. Made of metal or earthenware, it's ideal for cooking flatbreads, searing meats, and toasting nuts or seeds. Use one of these versatile pans to prepare authentic Mexican tortillas, try your hand at making tostones, or throw together a batch of empanadas or quesadillas.
When users buy our independently chosen editorial
picks,
we may earn commissions to
help fund the Wiki.
Skip to the best comal on Amazon.
This wiki has been updated 3 times since it was first published in November of 2018. The comal — also known as a budare — is a smooth, flat or concave griddle with origins dating back to the ancient Aztecs. Made of metal or earthenware, it's ideal for cooking flatbreads, searing meats, and toasting nuts or seeds. Use one of these versatile pans to prepare authentic Mexican tortillas, try your hand at making tostones, or throw together a batch of empanadas or quesadillas.
When users buy our independently chosen editorial
picks,
we may earn commissions to
help fund the Wiki.
Skip to the best comal on Amazon.
10. Columbian Home Mexican Origins
REVIEW
DETAILS
SPECS
The Columbian Home Mexican Origins features a flat-bottomed, beveled-edge design to keep batters and bits of food from escaping. It also has a contoured handle with a hole for hanging on a pot rack or wall hook, so you can have it right at hand when it's time to cook.
9. Victoria Cast Iron
REVIEW
DETAILS
SPECS
Available in assorted sizes and shapes to suit a variety of cooking styles and needs, the Victoria Cast Iron can be used with virtually any heat source, whether it's to prepare authentic carne asada, overindulge in huevos rancheros, or just warm up a few tortillas.
8. Cuisinart Chef's Classic
REVIEW
DETAILS
SPECS
The Cuisinart Chef's Classic features a hard-anodized exterior that's dense, nonporous and highly wear resistant. Oven-safe for temperatures of up to 500° Fahrenheit, it has a titanium-reinforced cooking surface with a tapered rim to keep the good stuff where it belongs.
7. GauchoGrillX Budare Curado
REVIEW
DETAILS
SPECS
Hand seasoned with organic coconut and flaxseed oil, the GauchoGrillX Budare Curado is made from a polished aluminum alloy that's lighter than cast iron, making it a handy alternative to heavier cookware when it comes to flipping, tossing and swirling the pan's contents.
6. Lodge Round Griddle
REVIEW
DETAILS
SPECS
Whether you're making stacks of pancakes, frying eggs and bacon, preparing fancy crepes, or whipping up a quick batch of tostadas, you'll find the Lodge Round Griddle to be one of the most useful tools you can have in your kitchen.
5. MDS Cuisine Convex
REVIEW
DETAILS
SPECS
For tacos de Suadero and other dishes traditionally prepared on a special griddle with a domed center, you need a bola-type pan like the MDS Cuisine Convex. Fabricated from durable stainless steel, it works just as well on an outdoor grill as it does on the stovetop.
4. Home-Complete Skillet
REVIEW
DETAILS
SPECS
You don't have to spend a fortune on fancy cookware to enjoy the pleasures of traditional cast-iron cooking. The Home-Complete Skillet costs less than other options and comes preseasoned with vegetable oil for a nonstick finish that just gets better every time you use it.
3. Ancient Cookware Mexican Clay
REVIEW
DETAILS
SPECS
Ideal for toasting tortillas, roasting vegetables for fajitas and serving up platefuls of savory taco fillings, the Ancient Cookware Mexican Clay can be used directly over the flames or on a gas or electric range, providing up to 19 inches of cooking surface.
2. Concord Frying Bowl
REVIEW
DETAILS
SPECS
Fabricated from heavy-gauge stainless steel with a brushed finish and sturdy, riveted handles, the Concord Frying Bowl offers ample room to prepare classic street food and delicious homestyle fare in portions to feed a small army of hungry diners.
1. Lodge Round Baking Pan
REVIEW
DETAILS
SPECS
Exceptional durability, heat retention and the versatility to go from campfire to oven to stovetop make the Lodge Round Baking Pan the kind of cookware that's used at almost every meal and lovingly passed down from one generation to another.
Editor's Notes
November 16, 2018:
Considered a variety of contemporary and traditional options suitable for preparing authentic ethnic cuisine, with flat, convex or concave surfaces, with offerings in several different sizes and materials.
Related Wikis
An itinerant wordsmith with a broad constellation of interests, Lydia Chipman has turned iconoclasm into a livelihood of sorts. Bearing the scars and stripes of an uncommon diversity of experience -- with the notable exceptions of joining a religious order or becoming an artist -- she still can’t resist the temptation to learn something new. Lydia holds a master of arts in English from Georgia Southern University, and a bachelor of arts cum laude in integrative studies from Clayton College. Her expertise is in the areas of robotics, electronics, toys, and outdoors and computer equipment.
Thanks for reading the fine print. About the Wiki: We don't accept sponsorships,
free goods, samples, promotional products, or other benefits from any of the product brands featured on this page, except
in cases where those brands are manufactured by the retailer to which we are linking.
For our full ranking methodology, please read about us, linked below. The Wiki is a participant in associate programs
from Amazon, Walmart, Ebay, Target, and others, and may earn advertising fees
when you use our links to these websites. These fees will not increase your purchase price,
which will be the same as any direct visitor to the merchant’s website.
If you believe that your product should be included
in this review, you may contact us, but we cannot guarantee a response, even if you send us flowers. | 2024-04-01T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/1159 |
Cherriots payroll tax measure soundly rejected
Salem voters rejected a proposal to expand the Cherriots bus service via a payroll tax, sending it to defeat by a double-digit margin.
Dan Clem, Salem Area Chamber of Commerce CEO, expressed gratitude to voters for rejecting the proposed tax.
“We want to thank everyone who voted to protect small businesses… the results validate the position that future support of Cherriots’ needs should come from a different source than a payroll tax,” Clem said.
Allan Pollock, Cherriots general manager, had a different point of view.
“This sucks,” Pollock said.
The ballot measure proposed an employer payroll tax at 0.21 percent of total payroll on businesses in the Salem-Keizer Transit service area. The tax would have raised $5 million in revenue to enact a slew of changes for Cherriots riders:
Restoring the Student Bus Pass Program, which allowed middle and high school students to ride the bus for free during the school year. The program, funded by a state grant, was eliminated by the state in 2011.
Provide bus service on holidays except Thanksgiving, New Year’s and Christmas, and extend bus service operating evening hours.
The re-establishment of weekend bus service.
Cherriots board member Jerry Thompson called the campaign — led by the chamber — “dirty.” Thompson was at a loss for what the next steps would be for transit service in the Salem-Keizer area.
“We’re going to be like this until we come up with the money, I guess,” Thompson said.
Pollock’s thoughts were less with the campaign and more with Cherriots riders.
“My real disappointment is for the people who ride Cherriots. What’s their future? How do we give them hope?” Pollock said.
Election Results
Measure 24-388
Salem Area Mass Transit District. Adopts employer payroll and self-employment tax of 0.21% beginning 2017.
68 of 75 precincts: 90.66%
Yes
14,241 41.29%
No
20,247 58.71%
Measure 24-389
Keizer Fire District. General Obligation Bond for $6,220,000.
62 of 69 precincts: 89.86%
Yes
3,768 63.76%
No
2,142 36.24%
Measure 24-387
City of Mt. Angel. Annexation of 20 acres into the Mt. Angel city limits.
62 of 69 precincts: 89.86%
Yes
238 51.85%
No
221 48.15%
Measure 22-136
Mill City Rural Fire Protection District. Five Year Local Option Levy for Operations.
62 of 69 precincts: 89.86%
Yes
37 77.08%
No
11 22.92% | 2023-12-08T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/5566 |
/*
* Copyright Camunda Services GmbH and/or licensed to Camunda Services GmbH under
* one or more contributor license agreements. See the NOTICE file distributed
* with this work for additional information regarding copyright ownership.
* Licensed under the Zeebe Community License 1.0. You may not use this file
* except in compliance with the Zeebe Community License 1.0.
*/
package io.zeebe.dispatcher;
import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
import org.junit.Test;
public final class AtomicPositionTest {
private final AtomicPosition atomicPosition = new AtomicPosition();
@Test
public void shouldGetDefaultPosition() {
// given
// when
final long defaultValue = atomicPosition.get();
// then
assertThat(defaultValue).isEqualTo(0);
}
@Test
public void shouldSetAndGetPosition() {
// given
// when
atomicPosition.set(1);
// then
assertThat(atomicPosition.get()).isEqualTo(1);
}
@Test
public void shouldProposeMaxOrderedPositionIfNoPositionWasSet() {
// given
// when
final boolean success = atomicPosition.proposeMaxOrdered(1);
// then
assertThat(success).isTrue();
assertThat(atomicPosition.get()).isEqualTo(1);
}
@Test
public void shouldProposeMaxOrderedPosition() {
// given
atomicPosition.set(1);
// when
final boolean success = atomicPosition.proposeMaxOrdered(2);
// then
assertThat(success).isTrue();
assertThat(atomicPosition.get()).isEqualTo(2);
}
@Test
public void shouldNotProposeMaxOrderedPosition() {
// given
atomicPosition.set(2);
// when
final boolean success = atomicPosition.proposeMaxOrdered(1);
// then
assertThat(success).isFalse();
assertThat(atomicPosition.get()).isEqualTo(2);
}
@Test
public void shouldResetPosition() {
// given
atomicPosition.set(2);
// when
atomicPosition.reset();
// then
assertThat(atomicPosition.get()).isEqualTo(-1);
}
}
| 2024-06-28T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/2508 |
Environment
AEM 6.x
Cause
1. One possible cause is that the bundle has no exports or imports or any code in it. This is known to cause the issue.
2. The custom bundle could be exporting system level java packages that are already exported and used by some core AEM, Apache Felix or Sling bundle
Resolution
Empty OSGi Bundle
If you are deploying an empty bundle then stop doing so. It is not valid to do so unless it is a fragment bundle containing resources.
System Level Export
If you are exporting some library that is used by the system (AEM, Sling, Apache Felix, Oak, etc.), then modify your custom bundle to embed the library using the maven-bundle-plugin <Embed-Dependency> tag. You can choose whether or not to add the library to the <Export-Package> tag. You will still be able to access the library within the code in the bundle but it wouldn't be exported to all other bundles. | 2024-03-15T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/5761 |
It's sad isn't it. To change your on-line name you need to make a new profile, with the same set of buttons etc. For those who switch/are in clans (with rankings!) might be a big problem. But hey if they really thought about clans they would have included proper server administration
[/rant]
Yes i'm afraid so. The savegame folder has .profile files but theres only a bit of unreadable gibberish in it. Might just change the .profile name, but don't know where the buttons etc are stored | 2024-07-10T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/3802 |
Walking through the woods was rather calming, the light from the moon radiating through the brances and leaves. Lucifer walked on as he approached a up coming building, a mansion, he could already hear the commotion coming from it. "Ha...teenagers..." he grumbled, listening to the music and drunken mess as he pulled out a phone "Here I am, going to work this early in the morning" he shoved the phone back into his pocket, grabbing his mask from his coat and strapping it on, "And they're partying away...whatever happened to the need for sleep." Lucifer tore down the back wall of the fence surrounding the building and approached. A tingling sensation in his head, and a message from Nimue caused him to groan "Really now...now I gotta worry about not hurting two seperate people. I'm asking for a raise. But, it's nice to have Magnus back...I'm sure Nimue is thrilled as well" He trailed his hand across the outside of the building red sparks warping about his hand, as he paused, "Well now...mission start: time to see what the next gen of heroes are like".
In a flash of red, sparks rippled through the walls of the left side of the building, the material of the building splintering and breaking down along with any structures they were holding up, Lucifer casually walked through the collapsing wall as the left hand of the mansion began to collapse on itself. Wood splintered and brick broke down as the building shook. Climbing his way up the debris, he approached the mass of students as he looked down at them from atop some rubble
"...We've had a number of noise complaints in the area. I think it's a little too early for this crap..." He scanned the area and students spotting Nimue's new favorite and Magnus' new cousin, he flicked his wrist, blue sparks erupting around the area as debris was flung at the group, any student too drunk or not worth his time being slammed with debris.
Naro wrote:Cross pressed a button on the side of the desk which triggered a red light above the door. A few minutes later an old man came through that very same door “open a gate for Magnus, to the coordinates he wants” pointing at Magnus then glancing over to Elizabeth once again to see if she came back from wherever she went. The old man simply nodded and headed over to the young man, after getting the coordinates a blue portal opened then the man left. Cross found him looking at his puzzle, there was one piece left to put but he just stared at it. He knew that it belonged there but his mind was somewhere else, without thinking he glanced at Elizabeth who had now returned. He watched her hesitantly grab it and try it on her fingers but Cross’ fingers were obviously bigger than hers. He held on to that ring for years, but it was fine if his daughter had it, she must be happy for the first time in while Cross is around. She even put the last piece where it belonged, cross wanted to smile but couldn’t at the same time. She’ll get sad if she didn’t see a smile, the growl was a perfect escape goat. Cross stood up and walked out the room without saying a word, a few minutes later he came back with a bag she must recognize because of the red Chinese letters in it. He placed the bag next to her and sat down again.
Derekjay2000 wrote:Walking through the woods was rather calming, the light from the moon radiating through the brances and leaves. Lucifer walked on as he approached a up coming building, a mansion, he could already hear the commotion coming from it. "Ha...teenagers..." he grumbled, listening to the music and drunken mess as he pulled out a phone "Here I am, going to work this early in the morning" he shoved the phone back into his pocket, grabbing his mask from his coat and strapping it on, "And they're partying away...whatever happened to the need for sleep." Lucifer tore down the back wall of the fence surrounding the building and approached. A tingling sensation in his head, and a message from Nimue caused him to groan "Really now...now I gotta worry about not hurting two seperate people. I'm asking for a raise. But, it's nice to have Magnus back...I'm sure Nimue is thrilled as well" He trailed his hand across the outside of the building red sparks warping about his hand, as he paused, "Well now...mission start: time to see what the next gen of heroes are like".
In a flash of red, sparks rippled through the walls of the left side of the building, the material of the building splintering and breaking down along with any structures they were holding up, Lucifer casually walked through the collapsing wall as the left hand of the mansion began to collapse on itself. Wood splintered and brick broke down as the building shook. Climbing his way up the debris, he approached the mass of students as he looked down at them from atop some rubble
"...We've had a number of noise complaints in the area. I think it's a little too early for this crap..." He scanned the area and students spotting Nimue's new favorite and Magnus' new cousin, he flicked his wrist, blue sparks erupting around the area as debris was flung at the group, any student too drunk or not worth his time being slammed with debris.
"I'll be going now and I'll likely stay at the school tonight," he said simply as before walking through the blue portal. Appeared from behind a tree less than a mile away from the school he began the short trek to the front entrance as if he were still just a student returning from a long night of partying. If Nimue had joined the mission he would've requested the portal be setup inside the school, but now that wasn't necessary. He walked across campus and he quickly found himself in his dorm room looking around at the stuff he had accrued during his short visit at the Academy. He hadn't brought anything with him but he had a variety of mementos, none of which really mattered now. "I should probably get rid of this stuff before I leave, but first..." He punched the nearest wall socket and shattered the outer casing. Reaching inside he ripped several wires out along with the socket itself, exposing the electrical line inside the wall. Magnus touched his hand to both sides of the exposed main and a few moments later the power was out in the dorm building. At this time of the night it was unlikely to be noticed, as most people would have their lights off and be asleep. The purpose however was to disable the security cameras that were connected to the dorm building's power line. So inside and a certain area around the building would no longer be visible to the security system.
Opening the window of his room, he climbed out and onto the roof of the now completely dark building. Once there he deftly and silently jumped to the roof of the greenhouse, then to the roof of the gym, then to the pillars of the southern diving pavilion before finally dropping down on top of the offices. Stopping as he approached the security building, he could sense two entities nearby in what he believed to be Maxwell's office. That's where he'd gone when he first came to the school. It was then that he'd changed Maxwell's memory to accept the application forms. He'd also gotten a little bit of info at that time. Through the walls he couldn't accurately pinpoint who belonged to the first heartbeat but Epsilon's overactive electrical profile was easy enough. On the premise that because it was Maxwell's office and the only person Epsilon would willingly talk to was also Maxwell, he used induction to figure that Maxwell was the other entity there. He wasn't sure why they'd be there at that time of the night, Maxwell had been away for meetings for awhile so maybe he'd just gotten back. Magnus decided that waiting and seeing what would happen would be better, he would have a number of opportunities to complete this mission tonight after all. That would become especially true once Lucifer began his attack, which considering how much time had passed since he'd regained his memories had probably just started. He laid back on the roof of the security building, ironically out of view from the security cameras.
Silver sighed and began to turn away from Shion and the others feeling annoyed at getting ignored until he saw some random guy destroy half of the building and watched as he casually walked up the ruins like nothing. The ice hero blinked in shock hearing what this man said as Silver muttered softly "Really? sounds kinda villainous for a police guy coming for noise complaints..." but before he could remark to the man's comment he saw massive amount of blue sparks erupting around the area as debris was flung at Silver and the others, Silver raised his hand and summons up a wall of ice stopping small parts of the debris as he motioned his hand in a swipe as more spikes of ice formed from the ground launching right at the villain known as Lucifer who attacked the students. He then crouched and summoned a lance made out of ice as he chucked it right at the villain hoping to get him off guard with the many ice attacking him all at once.
Last edited by Shadow Uchiha on Sat Jul 14, 2018 5:02 pm; edited 1 time in total
After wandering around the school kein walks back towards his home. As night came around he decides to walk around town as he nears the forest he hears a sound on the wind. Following the sounds that traveled on the wind in his sights lay some debri and a house with a hole in it he decides to stay where he is and watch as he sees some guy walk in as he crouches down and watches the scene unfold he listens to the voices inside the house. He heard some guy say sounds kinda villainous to be a police officer as he was listening he moves slightly closer in with a smirk on his face as he thinks ' something exciting happening right after my move .' he chuckles and says "nice" as he wished he brought something to munch on.
Nimue didn’t bother saying anything as her father left the room, instead she remained focused on the news. Her expression twisting to something sour as they covered the attack on the mall from a few weeks prior. Though she was a member of SIN, the title had been given to her loosely. Truthfully she didn’t agree with so much bloodshed and violence, however that was just the way of humanity. Had they been capable of turning to peace as a species, they would’ve done so long ago. Instead they always pushed each other to further and further extremes, in the names of justice and progression. Despite their morals, the strongest faults of humanity laid within their hypocrisy and greed. She saw this in her father and his group, however desired a family too much to abandoned him. While she’d never be like him, she hoped to always be with him. Even if he’d abandoned her, and a part of her truly hated him, she loved him. How could she not? He was her father.Turning her head to face the door as it swung open once more, Nimue’s expression soften as Cross returned with a bag in hand. A bag adorning the scarlet Chinese lettering of her favorite restaurant. The very same she’d shoved off the table in their last fight. She’d told him she would be back in a week. Meaning she was more than seven days late... And he’d boughten her more. She wondered if the food was a week old, or if he’d been going everyday in anticipation of her arrival. Each seemed equally as likely coming from her father. However after a few moments she shook the thought aside. It didn’t matter. Nimue relaxed her stiff posture ever so slightly as she accepted the bag, before opening the white container inside. Mandarin chicken and noodles... Her favorite. She picked up her chopsticks before beginning to eat in silence. A warming sense of calmness washing over her as the dull hunger in the pit of her stomach began to settle. For everything she could say against her father, she was grateful for the roof over her head and food he provided. Though he also gave her an ‘allowance’, she wasn’t sure what to spend it on besides food, water, shelter, and clothing... All which he took care of. So she simply stored it away for when she needed it again. Outside of her past, she had it pretty good for the first time in a long time since moving back in with her father. Pausing a moment as her gaze met Cross’, Nimue hesitantly whispered one simple word to him before returning to her food. “...Sorry.”
Sora pleasant bliss of holding a stomach long enough to succumb to a sugar coma found the sudden shaking of the mansion pretty concerning. Before Sora held a chance to act on this information. The refrigerator underneath suddenly fell forward causing Sora to fly across from the wall into the center island of a table chest first. Sora’s lungs burst forth with fire feeling the rips to follow suit slowly adding to the torment. The student’s head slowly lifts up to feel the full blunt of nearly a floor from above collapse on top pinning this fleshy shell under several pounds of wood. As Lucifer met the others with fire a soft glow emanated from the pile. In a flash, a black lion seems to fade into existence passing through the obstruction without a hint of resistance. The lion appear to be at least three hundred pounds by the size with a golden mane shining about its head. Letting out a roar, the lion charges Lucifer using every ounce of feline like grace weaving through the rubble closing fast.
The sudden blast of fire nearly shredded Shion to ashes nearly hitting the small feline actually catching the end of the kittens tail on fire. Letting out a terrified screech, Shion dove under the couch to hide for the moment of wreckage falling down on top of it. With a low growl, Shion slips out from under shining a bright blue hue charging Lucifer tiny at first, but Shion takes a leap in the air bursting in bright blue fire falling out much larger than before. Matching Sora’s own size, this lion resembled the familiar white coat of before lacking the same mane. Shion charged seeming to take up the opposite flank Sora is taking looking to hit Lucifer on his right side.
Naro wrote:Miri seemed to be the most interesting chick in school, how come he never met her before? He wouldn’t mind having a few drinks with her in the very near future “Nice to meet you Miri, I’m really digging the outfit by the way. And yes I’m a student! Though i went pro not too long ago, I’m 175 rank in the nation! But i still have to continue my education” Their conversation was cut short though, thanks to a silver hair boy everyone knew. Varen was always to some shinanigans, Justin simply let out a small chuckle and nodded “of course, we’re heroes after all” Justin said taking another sip of his drink.
Oran began dancing a bit with Divinity getting back into the partying mood, he held her by the waist and moving side to side enjoying the mood. It was already 1 Am so the party wasn’t gonna last much longer, people were probably gonna start falling asleep soon. Looking around the room as he heard a familiar voice calling for him... who could’ve it be? His eyes were wide open when he saw his grandmother calling for him... now he was dead. Good thing it wasn’t his grandfather... but his grandma was still gonna kill him. She really liked this house too... “grandma! What are you d-doing h-h-here?” He said nervously while rubbing the back of his head.
Justin was chilling waiting for Miri to come back like she said, he poured some more whiskey into his glass and took another sip but immediately choked on it when he spotted Oran’s grandma.
Errant Singularity wrote:Looking up from his spot, Varen let a grin escape him as he spotted Justin. "Hey man, Yvy didn't kill ya too hard right?" He laughed a little, watching Miri go off to save his life, likely with chips and a brownie. Hearing a somewhat familiar voice, he sat up and stared around the party to spot a tall, elderly woman walking through. Gramwell was here. He didn't know what would happen, would she shut it down? Or would she grab a bottle herself and start boogying? Both were equally likely when Gramma Maxwell was involved.
Flopping off the table onto the floor, he brushed himself off and stood by Justin, slapping him on the back a little. "Didn't know you went up a rank man, movin up in the world! What'd you do, save a kitten from a fire? People love heroes that stop for kittens." He laughed at his own joke, before stumbling a little. Someone had bumped into him, making him slip and knock Justins drink out of his hand, now tumbling out. "Noooo-" Every spilt drop was an immense waste.
Derekjay2000 wrote:Walking through the woods was rather calming, the light from the moon radiating through the brances and leaves. Lucifer walked on as he approached a up coming building, a mansion, he could already hear the commotion coming from it. "Ha...teenagers..." he grumbled, listening to the music and drunken mess as he pulled out a phone "Here I am, going to work this early in the morning" he shoved the phone back into his pocket, grabbing his mask from his coat and strapping it on, "And they're partying away...whatever happened to the need for sleep." Lucifer tore down the back wall of the fence surrounding the building and approached. A tingling sensation in his head, and a message from Nimue caused him to groan "Really now...now I gotta worry about not hurting two seperate people. I'm asking for a raise. But, it's nice to have Magnus back...I'm sure Nimue is thrilled as well" He trailed his hand across the outside of the building red sparks warping about his hand, as he paused, "Well now...mission start: time to see what the next gen of heroes are like".
In a flash of red, sparks rippled through the walls of the left side of the building, the material of the building splintering and breaking down along with any structures they were holding up, Lucifer casually walked through the collapsing wall as the left hand of the mansion began to collapse on itself. Wood splintered and brick broke down as the building shook. Climbing his way up the debris, he approached the mass of students as he looked down at them from atop some rubble
"...We've had a number of noise complaints in the area. I think it's a little too early for this crap..." He scanned the area and students spotting Nimue's new favorite and Magnus' new cousin, he flicked his wrist, blue sparks erupting around the area as debris was flung at the group, any student too drunk or not worth his time being slammed with debris.
Moira Maxwell's eyes locked onto her grandson as soon as he appeared in her peripheral. He danced with Divinity, a girl Moira had yet to develop an opinion of. Maxwell often reminded her that as long as the girl made Oran happy it didn't matter. He seemed to think Moira disproved of the couple, which wasn't true. She was just observing. Family was the most important thing to Moira, she was protective of her grandson. This girl just as much a potential threat as she was potentially family. Thus a paradox.
Oran seemed cornered, his nervous tick kicking in. She maneuvered through the crowd to him, her form ascending to the ceiling, looming over the partygoers and their dionysian like madness. Her shade form's wings outstretched, leering down at Divinity and Oran. "ORAN-" A scolding of a lifetime upon her lips, then a light caw seemed to echo in her ear.
A warning.
"GET DOWN."
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Moira's form flings itself forward in the blast, the shadowy being absorbing some of the debris as Lucifer makes his entrance. It looms over him now, ominous intent pouring fear into him. Her wings span spreads to shield the drunken mass of students. A cold rage ignited in her, one of her home's a supposed safe haven, under attack. Surely this was no coincidence.
"Call your grandfather." She hisses, directed at Oran, but she never takes her piercing gaze off the man before her. She wracks her brain for memory, a file or an off handed encounter. The lines in her face deepened as she drew a blank on the man's identity.
"I encourage you to leave now young man, or surrender yourself to me. Lest your blood will soak the earth here and serve as a foundation for my new home." She threatened, eyes gleaming red with blood lust. In her age she had grown more docile, but as the threat rose she could feel an energy, a tenacity she lived every moment of her youth with.
With her abilities she poured her focus into the visage of fear, working to paralyze the attacker and allow for the students to make a get away.
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Miri caught her breath in the hallway Moira had left her in. The room had begun to spin and she'd leaned against the wall, she cracked open the bag of salt and vinegar chips and crunched away nervously.
What would your dear mother say?
Marilyn David would have A LOT to say about her daughter's behavior. But that's not what Miri was nervous about.
Ezekiel David would have one scathing sentence to say. Just imagining his neutral face of disappointment made tears welled in her eyes. She blamed them on the liquor and crammed another fistful of chips into her mouth.
The thought crossed her mind, what if they decided to take her out of school? Panic rose in her throat like bile, but she wasn't given time to consider the possibility.
Her moment of emo solitude was interrupted by a cacophonous shaking from the direction of the party. She swallowed nervously, surely it was Granny Maxwell, raining her wrath upon her grandson. But screams and panicked shouts followed. Madame Maxwell wouldn't put people in danger. Miri stood on shaky legs and rushed down the hall. Some students ran past her, looking for the exit. She bit her lip.
Reaching the kitchen she peered cautiously around the corner, there was Madame Maxwell, roiling in rage and looming over a stranger. Miri pulled her focus to the earth, bending it to her, she wouldn't hesitate again to help defend her peers. But her hand only grazed the fine hardwood floors, the foundation of the house holding firm against her.
Varen could feel it, the one mistake in his plan to sober himself with his aura. It didn't remove the alcohol from his body, just the effects temporarily. He was slowly succumbing to drunkedness once more. Miri seemed to be not coming back now, and he felt something odd. Like a rumbling, or grinding feeling. Turning around from where he was by Justin, all he could say was "Oh." As Lucifer tore down the wing of the house, he wasn't sure how to respond. Well, he certainly looked evil, but he couldn't be certain yet. But when he threw stuff at the students, he was certain he was at least a little bad. Maybe just a roughhouser.
But then, Gramwell took offense with the man. He was definitely evil. Oily indigo light formed around him as he shot at one of the Lucifers, this one turned out to be a mirror on the other side of the room. Turning around to shoot the proper one, but a brick obstructed his view before bonking into his head. Flumping over onto the table, he watched as two kitties charged after Lucifer, not sure where they came from. He felt the odd need to pet them, but before that he had to get a board off his chest and some bricks off his legs.
Adriella panicked, seeing what was happening in one of the other rooms through a window. Crawling to the safety of a corner, she tried to seem unassuming. Two students ran by her, and one fell down, making a rather unheroic mess in his outfit. Running over to the opposing corner, which quickly decomposed, revealing the villain. Grabbing a nearby end table, she pulled it over herself, trying to conceal her body from him. She hoped he hadn't seen her.
As kein watched a little of what he could see and heard as much as he wanted from where he was . He rose up from the ground and wrapped the wind around him as he stepped forward and rose off the ground . slowly moving closer to the building as he was hovering in the air he looked around for a place to land finally noticing a spot close by he lands . as he watches the battle continue he notices that some of the people here where around his age .
Sighing softly as Oran ignored her ring comment and grabbed her by the hips, Divinity reluctantly began to sway in rhythm with him. Following his lead as they danced to the blaring music in the kitchen. After a few minutes she couldn’t help but smile, then laugh. He wasn’t ready to take about that yet, so she’d let it go. For now. Wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him closer, Divinity giggled brightly as he finally loosened up. It seemed for the first time that night Oran was having fun. “I love you so much.” She whispered softly into his ear, before reaching into her back pocket with one hand as she felt her phone vibrate. As she pulled it up to read her text message, the young woman was surprised to find there was only one word included. Grandma? Miri was definitely drunk, but even knowing that Divinity couldn’t piece together what she meant... Up until the answer was standing right in front of her. Her complexion flushed pale, as her mouth seemed to dry out. They were busted. Big time. Not knowing how to react as she moved closer, Divinity held onto Oran tightly before flinching as a loud crash suddenly surrounded them. Before she could process what was happening, half their home had fallen over. Completely destroyed. In a moment of panic Divinity felt her throat close up, slowly finding it harder and harder to breathe. Why if students had wandered over to that side of the house? Heroes in training or not, would they be alright? Had their powers been enough to get them out in time? Then another worry plagued her. The scrapbook. Oran has just given it to her, and it already meant so much... While their bedroom hadn’t been on that side of the house, she was worried that if she didn’t go to get it immediately she’d lose it forever in the mysterious mans next strike. However she also couldn’t abandon everyone over a keepsake...Granny Maxwell’s warning to get down shook Divinity back into action, immediately pulling her collapsible star from her purse and extended it. “Everyone get out!” She prompted, the slightly hint of terror appearing in her shaking lips. Not again. She wasn’t ready to hand anymore losses. Nodding in agreement as Granny Maxwell prompted Oran to call his grandpa, the young woman waited to see what Oran would want to do from there. Hopefully everyone would make it back to the school quickly. Even if they were sober and well rested, which they weren’t, they were still not experienced enough to deal with full blown villains. The mall was proof enough of that. They’d need the teachers or Maxwell to help Granny while they escaped. She just hoped they’d be able to buy that kind of time.
“Why are you apologizing child?” Cross shook his head while putting the finished puzzle back in the box, very carefully so it wouldn’t fall apart. After putting it away he came back to sit next Nimue who had began eating the food he brought. Everyday since she had her little meltdown and left he went out to buy her food Incase she came back. That plate was fresh from a few minutes ago “Enjoy it, i do not know when i will be able to bring you food like this again. Lucifer probably started his mission already” cross stood up from his seat but glanced down at his daughter. He hand reached out to her but stopped before he could touch her head “... i can’t explain... you would not understand, this is not how i am...” he said quietly. Quickly taking his hand back he headed over to the room with all the SIN scientists.
Oran was ready to get the scolding of his life, this was completely his fault. He should’ve thought about the possibility of his grandma showing up like this. Oran might have a strong super power, but he was powerless when it came to his grandmother. He could at least defend himself with his grandfather, roam put his head down and closed his eyes ready to be yelled out. A giant explosion came busting the houses left side in half. Oran couldn’t hear anything by a constant ring. Everything was in slow motion, he kept glancing around trying to get a hold of himself.
He shook his head and slapped himself a few times, being him back to normal. Another attack? We’re they mentally ready for that? He glanced over to his freaked out girlfriend, that gave him the answer. They weren’t. Even one of students attacked the villain he knew they weren’t ready, luckily his grandmother was here. Along with Justin, but they were right they would need more pro heroes. Oran began helping people get out of the house before it collapsed “Divinity wait outside!” He said then pulled out his phone and immediately called his grandfather.
Maxwell had to speak with Alistair as soon as possible. A SIN attack was imminent. Both Maxwell and Epsilon were patiently waiting for the number 2 hero to show up when a loud noise grabbed maxwells attention. He glanced over to the window and saw some house collapsing. It took him a moment to realize it was one of his houses, the one his grandson, Oran was staying at. His eyes widen as he stood up. His phone began ringing, it was ringing. He picked it up and it was Oran, after hearing the situation maxwell looked over to Epsilon “i need your assistance” he said.
Justin was about to sneak out without Oran’s grandmother seeing him. Though his plans were ruined by the wall falling down, Justin immediately stood in front of a group of people. His power made all the debri miss them. He let out a small sigh as a student decided to attack the villain, attacking without knowing your opponents power was a bad idea.
Iskios wrote:"I'll be going now and I'll likely stay at the school tonight," he said simply as before walking through the blue portal. Appeared from behind a tree less than a mile away from the school he began the short trek to the front entrance as if he were still just a student returning from a long night of partying. If Nimue had joined the mission he would've requested the portal be setup inside the school, but now that wasn't necessary. He walked across campus and he quickly found himself in his dorm room looking around at the stuff he had accrued during his short visit at the Academy. He hadn't brought anything with him but he had a variety of mementos, none of which really mattered now. "I should probably get rid of this stuff before I leave, but first..." He punched the nearest wall socket and shattered the outer casing. Reaching inside he ripped several wires out along with the socket itself, exposing the electrical line inside the wall. Magnus touched his hand to both sides of the exposed main and a few moments later the power was out in the dorm building. At this time of the night it was unlikely to be noticed, as most people would have their lights off and be asleep. The purpose however was to disable the security cameras that were connected to the dorm building's power line. So inside and a certain area around the building would no longer be visible to the security system.
Opening the window of his room, he climbed out and onto the roof of the now completely dark building. Once there he deftly and silently jumped to the roof of the greenhouse, then to the roof of the gym, then to the pillars of the southern diving pavilion before finally dropping down on top of the offices. Stopping as he approached the security building, he could sense two entities nearby in what he believed to be Maxwell's office. That's where he'd gone when he first came to the school. It was then that he'd changed Maxwell's memory to accept the application forms. He'd also gotten a little bit of info at that time. Through the walls he couldn't accurately pinpoint who belonged to the first heartbeat but Epsilon's overactive electrical profile was easy enough. On the premise that because it was Maxwell's office and the only person Epsilon would willingly talk to was also Maxwell, he used induction to figure that Maxwell was the other entity there. He wasn't sure why they'd be there at that time of the night, Maxwell had been away for meetings for awhile so maybe he'd just gotten back. Magnus decided that waiting and seeing what would happen would be better, he would have a number of opportunities to complete this mission tonight after all. That would become especially true once Lucifer began his attack, which considering how much time had passed since he'd regained his memories had probably just started. He laid back on the roof of the security building, ironically out of view from the security cameras.
Zion awoke, his eyelids refusing to open further than halfway. During his slumber in the Academy's infirmary, his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, so the rays of light shining down from the ceiling fixtures were not the most welcome of sights. He sat up gently and pulled the sheets off of his body, exposing stitches and bruising on his torso. Some gaps in his memory remained, so he didn't recall quite how he ended up in the hospital. "Oh, lordy..." he muttered, as he felt the pain resonate across his upper body. He walked bristly over to a table across the room, and grabbed a roll of gauze bandages, wrapping them around the scarring around his ribcage.
Zion felt the pockets of his pants, ecstatic to discover that he still had his phone on him. Checking the notifications, a slight frown spread across his face. He was greeted with a slew of notifications, all raving about a party going on in a mansion not too far from the Academy's campus. 'I mean, it's not like I even would have gone to it anyway,' he reminded himself, although he still was a bit envious that everyone was having fun without him. Begrudgingly, he exited the hospital, giving a slight nod of gratitude toward the nurse who usually tended to the students.
Strolling around campus, he wracked his brain trying to remember how he ended up in the hospital. Maybe a scuffle with one of the other students?
"No, that's ridiculous," he assured himself, no student at the Academy was capable of sending him all the way to the medical wing. But then... what did?
His train of thought was halted, however, as his gaze shifted quickly to the dorm room, about fifty yards away from him. Every light in the building had just gone out, replacing the warm cover of golden illumination with an eerie darkness. More than just his intuition, he felt every plant, every grain of grass around him speaking of warnings, of danger. He brushed most of this off simply as nighttime-jitters, but decided he should probably check it out anyway. But, just as he took his first step, he noticed a silhouette emerge from the window of one of the rooms. Even obscured by the blackness of the night, it was unmistakable, it was the new kid: Magnus.
"Magnus..." he whispered quietly, the name triggering something in his memory. Magnus had something to do with why Zion was hospitalized. He doubted it had been yet another fight between them, so it wasn't him directly, but he was certain that he could find answers from the boy. However, he didn't have the luxury to think it over, as Magnus had already made his way to the roof, and was heading toward the other end of the building. Without a second thought, Zion took off in Magnus's direction, tailing him from ground-level, keeping a steady eye on him as he followed behind. Eventually, Magnus stopped, and descended to the rooftop of the offices, swiftly leaping to the top of the security building, after which he lost sight of his classmate. Zion sighed in annoyance, aware that he was breaking curfew, and doing so right by the cove where Epsilon resided. The entire place was lined with security cameras too, a fact that Zion had become well accustomed to during his time at the Academy. Still far enough away to where he would not be captured by the angle of the cameras, he lifted his arm up, with his palm facing the direction of the building. A thin mist emerged around him, wrapping around the Southern part of campus. Nothing too obvious and completely harmless, but enough that it would quickly cloud the lenses of the cameras, enough so that Zion would be indistinguishable on the feed. Inclement weather was no rarity in the region, so it was not likely to arouse much suspicion from Epsilon, and whoever else may have been keeping an eye on the feed. As quietly as he could manage, he scaled the wall of the building, and climbed onto the ceiling, catching a glimpse of Magnus laying on the rooftop. He made his way toward the boy, making no attempt anymore at being stealthy, as his presence was most likely noticed by now by his classmate.
"Hey, Magnus, what brought you all the way over here so late at night? Laying the ground for a senior prank this early in the year, huh?" he inquired jokingly, the whole mystique of this night had made him forget his reason for tracking him down in the first place: to figure out what had landed him in the hospital. Still, he figured he may as well try and make sense of the situation at hand and ask questions about the past later.
Naro wrote:Oran was ready to get the scolding of his life, this was completely his fault. He should’ve thought about the possibility of his grandma showing up like this. Oran might have a strong super power, but he was powerless when it came to his grandmother. He could at least defend himself with his grandfather, roam put his head down and closed his eyes ready to be yelled out. A giant explosion came busting the houses left side in half. Oran couldn’t hear anything by a constant ring. Everything was in slow motion, he kept glancing around trying to get a hold of himself.
He shook his head and slapped himself a few times, being him back to normal. Another attack? We’re they mentally ready for that? He glanced over to his freaked out girlfriend, that gave him the answer. They weren’t. Even one of students attacked the villain he knew they weren’t ready, luckily his grandmother was here. Along with Justin, but they were right they would need more pro heroes. Oran began helping people get out of the house before it collapsed “Divinity wait outside!” He said then pulled out his phone and immediately called his grandfather.
Maxwell had to speak with Alistair as soon as possible. A SIN attack was imminent. Both Maxwell and Epsilon were patiently waiting for the number 2 hero to show up when a loud noise grabbed maxwells attention. He glanced over to the window and saw some house collapsing. It took him a moment to realize it was one of his houses, the one his grandson, Oran was staying at. His eyes widen as he stood up. His phone began ringing, it was ringing. He picked it up and it was Oran, after hearing the situation maxwell looked over to Epsilon “i need your assistance” he said.
Justin was about to sneak out without Oran’s grandmother seeing him. Though his plans were ruined by the wall falling down, Justin immediately stood in front of a group of people. His power made all the debri miss them. He let out a small sigh as a student decided to attack the villain, attacking without knowing your opponents power was a bad idea.
Masyar wrote:Zion awoke, his eyelids refusing to open further than halfway. During his slumber in the Academy's infirmary, his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, so the rays of light shining down from the ceiling fixtures were not the most welcome of sights. He sat up gently and pulled the sheets off of his body, exposing stitches and bruising on his torso. Some gaps in his memory remained, so he didn't recall quite how he ended up in the hospital. "Oh, lordy..." he muttered, as he felt the pain resonate across his upper body. He walked bristly over to a table across the room, and grabbed a roll of gauze bandages, wrapping them around the scarring around his ribcage.
Zion felt the pockets of his pants, ecstatic to discover that he still had his phone on him. Checking the notifications, a slight frown spread across his face. He was greeted with a slew of notifications, all raving about a party going on in a mansion not too far from the Academy's campus. 'I mean, it's not like I even would have gone to it anyway,' he reminded himself, although he still was a bit envious that everyone was having fun without him. Begrudgingly, he exited the hospital, giving a slight nod of gratitude toward the nurse who usually tended to the students.
Strolling around campus, he wracked his brain trying to remember how he ended up in the hospital. Maybe a scuffle with one of the other students?
"No, that's ridiculous," he assured himself, no student at the Academy was capable of sending him all the way to the medical wing. But then... what did?
His train of thought was halted, however, as his gaze shifted quickly to the dorm room, about fifty yards away from him. Every light in the building had just gone out, replacing the warm cover of golden illumination with an eerie darkness. More than just his intuition, he felt every plant, every grain of grass around him speaking of warnings, of danger. He brushed most of this off simply as nighttime-jitters, but decided he should probably check it out anyway. But, just as he took his first step, he noticed a silhouette emerge from the window of one of the rooms. Even obscured by the blackness of the night, it was unmistakable, it was the new kid: Magnus.
"Magnus..." he whispered quietly, the name triggering something in his memory. Magnus had something to do with why Zion was hospitalized. He doubted it had been yet another fight between them, so it wasn't him directly, but he was certain that he could find answers from the boy. However, he didn't have the luxury to think it over, as Magnus had already made his way to the roof, and was heading toward the other end of the building. Without a second thought, Zion took off in Magnus's direction, tailing him from ground-level, keeping a steady eye on him as he followed behind. Eventually, Magnus stopped, and descended to the rooftop of the offices, swiftly leaping to the top of the security building, after which he lost sight of his classmate. Zion sighed in annoyance, aware that he was breaking curfew, and doing so right by the cove where Epsilon resided. The entire place was lined with security cameras too, a fact that Zion had become well accustomed to during his time at the Academy. Still far enough away to where he would not be captured by the angle of the cameras, he lifted his arm up, with his palm facing the direction of the building. A thin mist emerged around him, wrapping around the Southern part of campus. Nothing too obvious and completely harmless, but enough that it would quickly cloud the lenses of the cameras, enough so that Zion would be indistinguishable on the feed. Inclement weather was no rarity in the region, so it was not likely to arouse much suspicion from Epsilon, and whoever else may have been keeping an eye on the feed. As quietly as he could manage, he scaled the wall of the building, and climbed onto the ceiling, catching a glimpse of Magnus laying on the rooftop. He made his way toward the boy, making no attempt anymore at being stealthy, as his presence was most likely noticed by now by his classmate.
"Hey, Magnus, what brought you all the way over here so late at night? Laying the ground for a senior prank this early in the year, huh?" he inquired jokingly, the whole mystique of this night had made him forget his reason for tracking him down in the first place: to figure out what had landed him in the hospital. Still, he figured he may as well try and make sense of the situation at hand and ask questions about the past later.
The sound of the explosion could be heard from this distance, but only barely. Lucifer's mission had indeed started, and his electromagnetic sense let him know that Maxwell and Epsilon were starting to move as well. The opportunity was about to present itself but suddenly another factor came into play. Zion had seen him apparently and tailed him to his current location. Magnus sat up as the boy spoke to him. He smiled, not as part of an act but because he just couldn't believe his luck. Maybe that ranked #175 hero, Justin had rubbed some of his luck power off on him after all.
He responded calmly and deliberately, with a different tone than he had taken in any previous conversation with a hero student. "A senior prank? No, nothing that innocent. I just came back from the party actually, were you still in the hospital? Doom really gave you a beating for you to be there for that long. It's a shame you've missed so much of the party, it was crazy. Seemed like it was about to get even crazier too before I left. I'm still a bit drunk, but let's forget that for now." He cocked his head slightly for a moment before continuing, "You know, Zion De’Soloman, I researched you awhile back. Well I've researched many people here, a bit of a habit on being overly prepared if you will, but you stood out me. Well maybe it'd be more appropriate to say what happened with your mother caught my attention. How sad it was to read about, but for you... for you it must be infuriating." Magnus' phone began to beep with texts from their classmates. He glanced at the screen for a moment before silencing his phone.
Sighing at the interruption, he pulled himself to his feet and dusted himself off. Magnus looked back at Zion and a cold air filled the conversation's atmosphere, "I dug a little deeper and found something very disturbing with the circumstances of Sophia's death. It just might be the answer you're looking for. I'll tell you what I know but it might require a heavy price. But judging from those texts it looks like the party got a little too crazy. It seems like right now would be a bad time to tell you about your mother, how about 7 in the morning on the roof of the boy's dorm tomorrow, rather that'd be today. Of course don't let anyone know you met me here, this is a personal conversation. Oh and a word of advice. Don't die tonight, it'd make getting to our meeting a bit tough. I'll be waiting, don't disappoint me."
Crashing face first into a roof, Serenity slid her glider frame together and used her braid to deposit it through her window. Shrieking a little as old, moldy leaves clung to her chest, she nearly fell to the ground below, catching herself with a pair of braids on a pole. Crouching on the edge of the roof, she tilted her head in confusion as all the power turned off in the building below. Did a breaker blow? She hadn't plugged in her capacitor so she doubted that, it was the only thing she could think of to drain the power that fast.
Looking down, she spotted someone pop out of a dorm window, probably a robber. They seemed to be coming from Magnus' room, probably stealing the lil stone he'd gotten a couple months back. It wasn't too expensive, but still it was shiny. She'd tried taking some off Clare, she had a lot in her room, as well as attempting to swipe jewelry off Divinity, but the first had simply sliced her braids, and the seconds jewelry box had been moved the night she went to steal it. It was like she could tell it was coming or something.
But this guy didn't have any bags or a gun or a ski mask, he didn't look like a robber really. Slipping an item from her room, a pair of binoculars made with old rifle scopes taped together, she tried to focus on him despite one eye being twice as zoomed in as the other, and one lens blue instead of clear. Yep, that confirmed it. It was dark, she couldn't see. Deciding just to arm her traps and move on, she slid down the walls like spider on a web, using eight braids to hold herself up. Slipping into her room, she hugged up to her machete and got ready to doze off after sticking a chair under her door handle.
A set of hairs snuck out, winding into predetermined spots around the facility, arming homemade traps she'd designed since the attacks on the student body began. She couldn't let people attack them, even if they all did suck nobody was killing them but her. As the hairs snipped themselves free once they were in place, she ran a mental check list in her head- Twenty bottles of home made hot sauce set to drop on peoples head, ten landmines made out of fire crackers, three mini swinging log traps, and one crossbow, aimed right at the broom closet Epsilon never used. But one day, he'd have to. And on that day she'd have revenge for when he bumped into her, forcing her to drop a tray of cupcakes. She'd never forgive him.
Lucifer scanned over the aftermath of his attack, he grinned behind his mask as he noted students retaliating. "Good, I expect nothing less from the next generation" his body tensed up as a crushing bloodlust washed over him. Lucifer's eyes widened as he spotted an old woman, "Moria Maxwell!?" Lucifer's body trembled uncomfortably, 'Damn, this will be an issue...' he quickly assessed the situation as a couple of students attacked "Alright, I need to seperate them..."
"Come on then, Show me the strength of your wills!!" sparks erupted from his body as he glared at Moria 'Lucky for me...I don't need to move to use my power!' Wood splintered as he sank into the rubble of the second floor, blue sparks rippled across the ground in front of Granny Maxwell, a wall of wood erupting in front of her. Obscured from view, Lucifer felt control return, Silver's ice was dissambled on contact "Creation type, Ice based..." he noted. Flames from Shion were attacking him from the left and right. Blue sparks erupted from Lucifer's hands, the ice that had been destroyed previously erupted around Lucifer directly in the lions paths. "Emitter Type, Fire based" Lucifer destroyed the rubble beneath him, getting away from the possible fire. Dropping down to ground level he continued his assault, "Anyone who won't fight better leave! I don't wanna kill anyone unwilling to fight. The ground began to split apart, as material from the house erupted as pillars, and spikes, cutting off sections of the house as walls and barriers from seperating students. But most importantly, blocking off Moria from the students, "I hope you all live up to the reputation. We'd figure that attack during the forest would be enough. But you all managed to stop Old Doom, and repel that fool, Derek, twice." He gave a challenging glare as sparks erupted from his body "I look forward to seeing if you can stop us again!"
"Sho, all ya do is move stusss huh?" Varen missed his fists when he attempted to bump them together, instead knocking out two students by him who'd lined up to fight. "Boving!" Glowing crimson red, he smashed himself through the hardwood and concrete wall that erupted beside him, punching through the following like it was water. Upon hearing the rest of the villains comments, it confirmed to Varen that something more was behind the attacks. An organization. Probably a bunch of losers with nothing but time on their hands if they were targeting kids. Serenity probably knew them, he'd just ask her about it after beating this guy.
Thumping into a fellow student and knocking them both over, Varen danced with joy as he stole a sandwich from the girl, tossing her out the nearby window and deactivating his aura. Leaning against the wall, he began to tear into the snack, his green aura shimmering into existence as an off-lime coloured slick of light. As he finished the last bites of the meal, he ran off to the now exposed hallway. The bathroom.
After a few moments borrowing his friends facilities, he walked out, deactivating his aura. This time he'd done it right, all the alcohol gone from his system and the drunkenness and hangover period ended in a minute. He slapped his face with some cold water and used a mini-comb to mess up his hair, now ready for what needed to be done. "Aight, where is the lil sh-Woah who's that?" He called over, hearing someone approach.
Silver only just gasped in horror seeing what this Lucifer person can do as now the students are separated by his...power? but he scowled remembering him shiver before he did this attack on the house...but what as the ice hero just shook his head not wanting to get too distracted if he gets distracted then people will die.
Silver narrows his icy blue eyes staring down Lucifer as he noticed the blue lightning and rubs his chin staring at it getting....curious as he threw his ice spear right at Lucifer to test something as he stamps on the floor and creates a massive chunk of ice crashing towards Lucifer to see if what he thought was right about this villain's power but this could backfire and end up killing himself. Silver darts his eyes around everyone else hoping that they would be safe since this will get more ugly and dangerous more so than with that Doom or Derek person as he felt his body shiver from Lucifer's threat level.
"My assistance? With what?" Epsilon inquired. Maxwell seemed distraught, so it was obviously a major issue. Perhaps another villain attack, he figured. "Whatever it may be, I assure you that I will do my best to remedy the situation. Just point me in that direction, Sir."
It didn't take long for Alistair to arrive at the school, which seemed empty. Perhaps the students were on a trip or holiday. He stepped out of his car and began to walk through school grounds. He held up his phone, which showed a image of a map of the school. He wasnt sure where Maxwell's office was without. However, he quickened his pace when he heard what seemed to be an explosion. At first, his thoughts instantly went to Derek, who had escaped the other day. But surely he hadnt been able to recover just yet. He quickly swung open the Principals door. "Whats going on?!" He shouted, noticing Maxwell and a robot in the office.
Maxwell simply nodded in response to epsilon, he would need all the help he can get. All these pasts attacks didn’t make much sense... why were they attacking the students? Just before maxwell and epsilon took off the number 2 hero showed up “there’s a villains attacking one of my homes. I’m glad the number 2 is here, I’m not sure where the number 1 is at the moment. I’ll find a way to get in contact. For now let’s move! Follow me!” He said storming off the room.
The house wasn’t too far away from the school so they were able to reach the street pretty quickly, the house was torn apart. That didn’t look like any of the powers he’s seen before “we must be careful. The civilians are our priority, we must keep them safe.” He said as a bunch of the student ran past them in fear.
Naro wrote:Oran was ready to get the scolding of his life, this was completely his fault. He should’ve thought about the possibility of his grandma showing up like this. Oran might have a strong super power, but he was powerless when it came to his grandmother. He could at least defend himself with his grandfather, roam put his head down and closed his eyes ready to be yelled out. A giant explosion came busting the houses left side in half. Oran couldn’t hear anything by a constant ring. Everything was in slow motion, he kept glancing around trying to get a hold of himself.
He shook his head and slapped himself a few times, being him back to normal. Another attack? We’re they mentally ready for that? He glanced over to his freaked out girlfriend, that gave him the answer. They weren’t. Even one of students attacked the villain he knew they weren’t ready, luckily his grandmother was here. Along with Justin, but they were right they would need more pro heroes. Oran began helping people get out of the house before it collapsed “Divinity wait outside!” He said then pulled out his phone and immediately called his grandfather.
Maxwell had to speak with Alistair as soon as possible. A SIN attack was imminent. Both Maxwell and Epsilon were patiently waiting for the number 2 hero to show up when a loud noise grabbed maxwells attention. He glanced over to the window and saw some house collapsing. It took him a moment to realize it was one of his houses, the one his grandson, Oran was staying at. His eyes widen as he stood up. His phone began ringing, it was ringing. He picked it up and it was Oran, after hearing the situation maxwell looked over to Epsilon “i need your assistance” he said.
Justin was about to sneak out without Oran’s grandmother seeing him. Though his plans were ruined by the wall falling down, Justin immediately stood in front of a group of people. His power made all the debri miss them. He let out a small sigh as a student decided to attack the villain, attacking without knowing your opponents power was a bad idea.
Masyar wrote:Zion awoke, his eyelids refusing to open further than halfway. During his slumber in the Academy's infirmary, his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, so the rays of light shining down from the ceiling fixtures were not the most welcome of sights. He sat up gently and pulled the sheets off of his body, exposing stitches and bruising on his torso. Some gaps in his memory remained, so he didn't recall quite how he ended up in the hospital. "Oh, lordy..." he muttered, as he felt the pain resonate across his upper body. He walked bristly over to a table across the room, and grabbed a roll of gauze bandages, wrapping them around the scarring around his ribcage.
Zion felt the pockets of his pants, ecstatic to discover that he still had his phone on him. Checking the notifications, a slight frown spread across his face. He was greeted with a slew of notifications, all raving about a party going on in a mansion not too far from the Academy's campus. 'I mean, it's not like I even would have gone to it anyway,' he reminded himself, although he still was a bit envious that everyone was having fun without him. Begrudgingly, he exited the hospital, giving a slight nod of gratitude toward the nurse who usually tended to the students.
Strolling around campus, he wracked his brain trying to remember how he ended up in the hospital. Maybe a scuffle with one of the other students?
"No, that's ridiculous," he assured himself, no student at the Academy was capable of sending him all the way to the medical wing. But then... what did?
His train of thought was halted, however, as his gaze shifted quickly to the dorm room, about fifty yards away from him. Every light in the building had just gone out, replacing the warm cover of golden illumination with an eerie darkness. More than just his intuition, he felt every plant, every grain of grass around him speaking of warnings, of danger. He brushed most of this off simply as nighttime-jitters, but decided he should probably check it out anyway. But, just as he took his first step, he noticed a silhouette emerge from the window of one of the rooms. Even obscured by the blackness of the night, it was unmistakable, it was the new kid: Magnus.
"Magnus..." he whispered quietly, the name triggering something in his memory. Magnus had something to do with why Zion was hospitalized. He doubted it had been yet another fight between them, so it wasn't him directly, but he was certain that he could find answers from the boy. However, he didn't have the luxury to think it over, as Magnus had already made his way to the roof, and was heading toward the other end of the building. Without a second thought, Zion took off in Magnus's direction, tailing him from ground-level, keeping a steady eye on him as he followed behind. Eventually, Magnus stopped, and descended to the rooftop of the offices, swiftly leaping to the top of the security building, after which he lost sight of his classmate. Zion sighed in annoyance, aware that he was breaking curfew, and doing so right by the cove where Epsilon resided. The entire place was lined with security cameras too, a fact that Zion had become well accustomed to during his time at the Academy. Still far enough away to where he would not be captured by the angle of the cameras, he lifted his arm up, with his palm facing the direction of the building. A thin mist emerged around him, wrapping around the Southern part of campus. Nothing too obvious and completely harmless, but enough that it would quickly cloud the lenses of the cameras, enough so that Zion would be indistinguishable on the feed. Inclement weather was no rarity in the region, so it was not likely to arouse much suspicion from Epsilon, and whoever else may have been keeping an eye on the feed. As quietly as he could manage, he scaled the wall of the building, and climbed onto the ceiling, catching a glimpse of Magnus laying on the rooftop. He made his way toward the boy, making no attempt anymore at being stealthy, as his presence was most likely noticed by now by his classmate.
"Hey, Magnus, what brought you all the way over here so late at night? Laying the ground for a senior prank this early in the year, huh?" he inquired jokingly, the whole mystique of this night had made him forget his reason for tracking him down in the first place: to figure out what had landed him in the hospital. Still, he figured he may as well try and make sense of the situation at hand and ask questions about the past later.
The sound of the explosion could be heard from this distance, but only barely. Lucifer's mission had indeed started, and his electromagnetic sense let him know that Maxwell and Epsilon were starting to move as well. The opportunity was about to present itself but suddenly another factor came into play. Zion had seen him apparently and tailed him to his current location. Magnus sat up as the boy spoke to him. He smiled, not as part of an act but because he just couldn't believe his luck. Maybe that ranked #175 hero, Justin had rubbed some of his luck power off on him after all.
He responded calmly and deliberately, with a different tone than he had taken in any previous conversation with a hero student. "A senior prank? No, nothing that innocent. I just came back from the party actually, were you still in the hospital? Doom really gave you a beating for you to be there for that long. It's a shame you've missed so much of the party, it was crazy. Seemed like it was about to get even crazier too before I left. I'm still a bit drunk, but let's forget that for now." He cocked his head slightly for a moment before continuing, "You know, Zion De’Soloman, I researched you awhile back. Well I've researched many people here, a bit of a habit on being overly prepared if you will, but you stood out me. Well maybe it'd be more appropriate to say what happened with your mother caught my attention. How sad it was to read about, but for you... for you it must be infuriating." Magnus' phone began to beep with texts from their classmates. He glanced at the screen for a moment before silencing his phone.
Sighing at the interruption, he pulled himself to his feet and dusted himself off. Magnus looked back at Zion and a cold air filled the conversation's atmosphere, "I dug a little deeper and found something very disturbing with the circumstances of Sophia's death. It just might be the answer you're looking for. I'll tell you what I know but it might require a heavy price. But judging from those texts it looks like the party got a little too crazy. It seems like right now would be a bad time to tell you about your mother, how about 7 in the morning on the roof of the boy's dorm tomorrow, rather that'd be today. Of course don't let anyone know you met me here, this is a personal conversation. Oh and a word of advice. Don't die tonight, it'd make getting to our meeting a bit tough. I'll be waiting, don't disappoint me."
Zion's smile disappeared as Magnus began to reply. Something must have changed, this was not the same Magnus that he had talked with and fought before, the entire atmosphere around him felt starkly, harrowingly different. 'It's probably just the alcohol speaking,' he assured himself, but as his classmate continued to speak, Zion grew less sure that it was simply intoxication that had changed the boy's mannerisms. His eyes widened as his mother was mentioned by Magnus, but before he could register what had been said, both of their phones began to explode into a series of buzzes and notification tones. He took his phone out of his pocket and glanced down at the screen, expecting to find a slew of drunk texts and the usual feed of messages and pictures that came with a Knights Academy party. Instead, he was greeted by panicked pleas, warnings to all students from both partygoers and local authorities about a destructive clash enveloping the very location that the other students had been partying at.
He took a step forward, intent on heading toward the mansion to see what was going on for himself, but stopped dead in his tracks upon the uttering of his mother's name. Anger, confusion, sadness, and desperation all began to bubble up inside him, mixing into a concoction of emotions that threatened to overflow and altogether overcome his greater inhibition. However, something inside of him, buried somewhere within his scattered memory of yesterday told him to hold himself back and truly consider the circumstances that lay in front of him before acting on impulse. He clenched his fists tightly and spoke through gritted teeth, frustrated by the mock and levity of Magnus's parting statement. "I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that your blunt arrogance is because of the liquor, but just know that this conversation is not over," he replied sternly. "I'll see you at 7, and for both of our sake, this better not be some stupid joke."
He glanced to his right to see Epsilon and Maxwell in the direction of what he assumed was the mansion in which the party was being held. Zion looked back over his shoulder for a moment before leaping off the roof of the security building, tailing Epsilon and Maxwell closely. There was no mistaking it, something HAD changed, and as far as he could tell, it was not for the better.
Arriving at the path that led to the mansion soon after the other two landed, he ran quickly to the side of the pair.
"Principal Maxwell, what's going on?" he asked, as a couple of students bumped and pushed past him. "I saw the news and I came as soon as I saw you guys leave," he explained, immediately regretting mentioning that he had seen the two leave the offices. Then again, Zion breaking curfew was probably the least of the old man's concerns right now.
Errant Singularity wrote:Varen could feel it, the one mistake in his plan to sober himself with his aura. It didn't remove the alcohol from his body, just the effects temporarily. He was slowly succumbing to drunkedness once more. Miri seemed to be not coming back now, and he felt something odd. Like a rumbling, or grinding feeling. Turning around from where he was by Justin, all he could say was "Oh." As Lucifer tore down the wing of the house, he wasn't sure how to respond. Well, he certainly looked evil, but he couldn't be certain yet. But when he threw stuff at the students, he was certain he was at least a little bad. Maybe just a roughhouser.
But then, Gramwell took offense with the man. He was definitely evil. Oily indigo light formed around him as he shot at one of the Lucifers, this one turned out to be a mirror on the other side of the room. Turning around to shoot the proper one, but a brick obstructed his view before bonking into his head. Flumping over onto the table, he watched as two kitties charged after Lucifer, not sure where they came from. He felt the odd need to pet them, but before that he had to get a board off his chest and some bricks off his legs.
Adriella panicked, seeing what was happening in one of the other rooms through a window. Crawling to the safety of a corner, she tried to seem unassuming. Two students ran by her, and one fell down, making a rather unheroic mess in his outfit. Running over to the opposing corner, which quickly decomposed, revealing the villain. Grabbing a nearby end table, she pulled it over herself, trying to conceal her body from him. She hoped he hadn't seen her.
Colio Tonies wrote:As kein watched a little of what he could see and heard as much as he wanted from where he was . He rose up from the ground and wrapped the wind around him as he stepped forward and rose off the ground . slowly moving closer to the building as he was hovering in the air he looked around for a place to land finally noticing a spot close by he lands . as he watches the battle continue he notices that some of the people here where around his age .
DannyGirl~ wrote:Sighing softly as Oran ignored her ring comment and grabbed her by the hips, Divinity reluctantly began to sway in rhythm with him. Following his lead as they danced to the blaring music in the kitchen. After a few minutes she couldn’t help but smile, then laugh. He wasn’t ready to take about that yet, so she’d let it go. For now. Wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him closer, Divinity giggled brightly as he finally loosened up. It seemed for the first time that night Oran was having fun. “I love you so much.” She whispered softly into his ear, before reaching into her back pocket with one hand as she felt her phone vibrate. As she pulled it up to read her text message, the young woman was surprised to find there was only one word included. Grandma? Miri was definitely drunk, but even knowing that Divinity couldn’t piece together what she meant... Up until the answer was standing right in front of her. Her complexion flushed pale, as her mouth seemed to dry out. They were busted. Big time. Not knowing how to react as she moved closer, Divinity held onto Oran tightly before flinching as a loud crash suddenly surrounded them. Before she could process what was happening, half their home had fallen over. Completely destroyed. In a moment of panic Divinity felt her throat close up, slowly finding it harder and harder to breathe. Why if students had wandered over to that side of the house? Heroes in training or not, would they be alright? Had their powers been enough to get them out in time? Then another worry plagued her. The scrapbook. Oran has just given it to her, and it already meant so much... While their bedroom hadn’t been on that side of the house, she was worried that if she didn’t go to get it immediately she’d lose it forever in the mysterious mans next strike. However she also couldn’t abandon everyone over a keepsake...Granny Maxwell’s warning to get down shook Divinity back into action, immediately pulling her collapsible star from her purse and extended it. “Everyone get out!” She prompted, the slightly hint of terror appearing in her shaking lips. Not again. She wasn’t ready to hand anymore losses. Nodding in agreement as Granny Maxwell prompted Oran to call his grandpa, the young woman waited to see what Oran would want to do from there. Hopefully everyone would make it back to the school quickly. Even if they were sober and well rested, which they weren’t, they were still not experienced enough to deal with full blown villains. The mall was proof enough of that. They’d need the teachers or Maxwell to help Granny while they escaped. She just hoped they’d be able to buy that kind of time.
Naro wrote:Oran was ready to get the scolding of his life, this was completely his fault. He should’ve thought about the possibility of his grandma showing up like this. Oran might have a strong super power, but he was powerless when it came to his grandmother. He could at least defend himself with his grandfather, roam put his head down and closed his eyes ready to be yelled out. A giant explosion came busting the houses left side in half. Oran couldn’t hear anything by a constant ring. Everything was in slow motion, he kept glancing around trying to get a hold of himself.
He shook his head and slapped himself a few times, being him back to normal. Another attack? We’re they mentally ready for that? He glanced over to his freaked out girlfriend, that gave him the answer. They weren’t. Even one of students attacked the villain he knew they weren’t ready, luckily his grandmother was here. Along with Justin, but they were right they would need more pro heroes. Oran began helping people get out of the house before it collapsed “Divinity wait outside!” He said then pulled out his phone and immediately called his grandfather.
Maxwell had to speak with Alistair as soon as possible. A SIN attack was imminent. Both Maxwell and Epsilon were patiently waiting for the number 2 hero to show up when a loud noise grabbed maxwells attention. He glanced over to the window and saw some house collapsing. It took him a moment to realize it was one of his houses, the one his grandson, Oran was staying at. His eyes widen as he stood up. His phone began ringing, it was ringing. He picked it up and it was Oran, after hearing the situation maxwell looked over to Epsilon “i need your assistance” he said.
Justin was about to sneak out without Oran’s grandmother seeing him. Though his plans were ruined by the wall falling down, Justin immediately stood in front of a group of people. His power made all the debri miss them. He let out a small sigh as a student decided to attack the villain, attacking without knowing your opponents power was a bad idea.
Derekjay2000 wrote:Lucifer scanned over the aftermath of his attack, he grinned behind his mask as he noted students retaliating. "Good, I expect nothing less from the next generation" his body tensed up as a crushing bloodlust washed over him. Lucifer's eyes widened as he spotted an old woman, "Moria Maxwell!?" Lucifer's body trembled uncomfortably, 'Damn, this will be an issue...' he quickly assessed the situation as a couple of students attacked "Alright, I need to seperate them..."
"Come on then, Show me the strength of your wills!!" sparks erupted from his body as he glared at Moria 'Lucky for me...I don't need to move to use my power!' Wood splintered as he sank into the rubble of the second floor, blue sparks rippled across the ground in front of Granny Maxwell, a wall of wood erupting in front of her. Obscured from view, Lucifer felt control return, Silver's ice was dissambled on contact "Creation type, Ice based..." he noted. Flames from Shion were attacking him from the left and right. Blue sparks erupted from Lucifer's hands, the ice that had been destroyed previously erupted around Lucifer directly in the lions paths. "Emitter Type, Fire based" Lucifer destroyed the rubble beneath him, getting away from the possible fire. Dropping down to ground level he continued his assault, "Anyone who won't fight better leave! I don't wanna kill anyone unwilling to fight. The ground began to split apart, as material from the house erupted as pillars, and spikes, cutting off sections of the house as walls and barriers from seperating students. But most importantly, blocking off Moria from the students, "I hope you all live up to the reputation. We'd figure that attack during the forest would be enough. But you all managed to stop Old Doom, and repel that fool, Derek, twice." He gave a challenging glare as sparks erupted from his body "I look forward to seeing if you can stop us again!"
Errant Singularity wrote:"Sho, all ya do is move stusss huh?" Varen missed his fists when he attempted to bump them together, instead knocking out two students by him who'd lined up to fight. "Boving!" Glowing crimson red, he smashed himself through the hardwood and concrete wall that erupted beside him, punching through the following like it was water. Upon hearing the rest of the villains comments, it confirmed to Varen that something more was behind the attacks. An organization. Probably a bunch of losers with nothing but time on their hands if they were targeting kids. Serenity probably knew them, he'd just ask her about it after beating this guy.
Thumping into a fellow student and knocking them both over, Varen danced with joy as he stole a sandwich from the girl, tossing her out the nearby window and deactivating his aura. Leaning against the wall, he began to tear into the snack, his green aura shimmering into existence as an off-lime coloured slick of light. As he finished the last bites of the meal, he ran off to the now exposed hallway. The bathroom.
After a few moments borrowing his friends facilities, he walked out, deactivating his aura. This time he'd done it right, all the alcohol gone from his system and the drunkenness and hangover period ended in a minute. He slapped his face with some cold water and used a mini-comb to mess up his hair, now ready for what needed to be done. "Aight, where is the lil sh-Woah who's that?" He called over, hearing someone approach.
Shadow Uchiha wrote:Silver only just gasped in horror seeing what this Lucifer person can do as now the students are separated by his...power? but he scowled remembering him shiver before he did this attack on the house...but what as the ice hero just shook his head not wanting to get too distracted if he gets distracted then people will die.
Silver narrows his icy blue eyes staring down Lucifer as he noticed the blue lightning and rubs his chin staring at it getting....curious as he threw his ice spear right at Lucifer to test something as he stamps on the floor and creates a massive chunk of ice crashing towards Lucifer to see if what he thought was right about this villain's power but this could backfire and end up killing himself. Silver darts his eyes around everyone else hoping that they would be safe since this will get more ugly and dangerous more so than with that Doom or Derek person as he felt his body shiver from Lucifer's threat level.
Moira scowled behind the shade of her shadow form. The piercing red eyes of the wraith followed suit, miming her expression ominously. The shadows seeped around the edges of the wall, reaching for Lucifer but Moira grit her teeth and bid him back.
"When oh when did I loose my authority..." She mused, her lips pursed. "My grandson throws these boisterous parties and doesn't invite his dear gran..." She pouted falsely. She took steps towards Lucifer with every word despite the wall between them. When she reached it she placed her palm upon it mournfully. "Now a strange youth has the indecency to disregard my so polite warning... I never used to give warnings you know." The shade above her faded nodding in agreement as it went, sinking into her shadow. But as it did her neatly tied back gray hair began to writh in it's braided bun. It flashed a vibrant orange, then a pitch black as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Her gait changed, from meandering to purposeful. Her nose stretched forward, her eyes flashing a menacing red as her darkn hair began to consume her skin. Her dress seemed to fuse with her body as the harpy form consumed her.
A shriek that froze enemies in fear curdled from her hideous form. She threw up her arms, black and feathered, her wingspan stretching twenty feet. A few beats and she was airborne, up and around the wall. She lunged at Lucifer, the hem of her robes lifted to show her feet now grueling talons ready for blood.
---------------------------------------------------
Miri panicked in the throng of people fleeing from the attacker. She bit her lip as she saw her classmates along side Madame Maxwell, doing their best. She struggled to know if she would be less helpful with all the alcohol in her system, especially in such an inclosed space. She could seriously hurt someone if she stumbled or if the villain hit her.
But before she could even get involved she needed something to fuel her transformation. The kitchen was blocked off and she was all turned around, there were too many people to tell which way was out and which way was in. And no potted plants in sight. She eyed a small succulent on the counter, that wouldn't do.
She scrambled through the crowd to get a better look from behind the kitchen counter. Cursing silently under her breath at her own indecisiveness, her hands gripping the granite counter tops until her knuckles were white.
Wait.
Granite.
She ran her fingers over the smooth counter top. Dirt and mud may be her preffered medium but hard stone wasn't impossible. Especially if this was Madame Maxwell's bougee taste.
"Sorry Madame." Miri whispered. She spread her arms wide and laid her torso face down on the countertop.
A moment of nothing, she almost seemed just passed out from drinking. But the counter began to bow, the hard stone liqufying and Miri fought for focus with her intoxicated brain. The dark stone adhered to her, clinging to her arms torso in plates. There wasn't enough for a full transformation but it was something.
Looking like a tiny football player Miri lept into the fray, searching for an opening to strike.
Last edited by Sammich on Mon Sep 03, 2018 6:00 pm; edited 1 time in total
As Granny Maxwell transformed a shiver shot down Divinity’s spine. After the battle was over she’d have to answer to HER for the party. She wasn’t sure what scared her more. The thought of Granny losing against the destructive villain who’d demolished the house she’d been living in part time, or the scowling that would follow her victory. One thing was certain, however. Her future grandmother in law was the most terrifying person she’d ever seen. Finally snapping her attention back to Oran she the old woman charged, the blonde slowly shook her head. No. He couldn’t-! Reaching out as he ordered her to leave before disappearing into the panicked crowd of students, the young woman immediately began to shake. “Oran!” Screaming in protest as he left her, she knew it’d likely never reach him amongst the masses of their loud peers. She didn’t want to be alone. Especially when she couldn’t be sure of Oran’s safety. Still, she had to set her own feelings aside. There were people who needed her. Summoning her wings, Divinity flew throughout the house in a frenzy. Searching through the rubble of Oran’s once beautiful home, she dug out and healed anyone she could find. Thoroughly examining the area before heading back to the other half to help the remaining students get out of the building safely. She was drunk, and sleep deprived, but she could manage that much. Right now there too priority should be evacuation. So naturally she began to panic as some of her classmates attempted to laugh into battle. No, they weren’t ready for this kind of combat! None of them! Especially not in their current states. She knew deep down they were all still hurting from the mall attack. “Everyone leave!” Repeating desperately as they continued on, Divinity simply shook her head before continuing to herd the crowds. She didn’t have time to argue. Hopefully they knew what they were doing. That went double for Oran. She refused to lose him. Not now, not ever.
Errant Singularity wrote:Crashing face first into a roof, Serenity slid her glider frame together and used her braid to deposit it through her window. Shrieking a little as old, moldy leaves clung to her chest, she nearly fell to the ground below, catching herself with a pair of braids on a pole. Crouching on the edge of the roof, she tilted her head in confusion as all the power turned off in the building below. Did a breaker blow? She hadn't plugged in her capacitor so she doubted that, it was the only thing she could think of to drain the power that fast.
Looking down, she spotted someone pop out of a dorm window, probably a robber. They seemed to be coming from Magnus' room, probably stealing the lil stone he'd gotten a couple months back. It wasn't too expensive, but still it was shiny. She'd tried taking some off Clare, she had a lot in her room, as well as attempting to swipe jewelry off Divinity, but the first had simply sliced her braids, and the seconds jewelry box had been moved the night she went to steal it. It was like she could tell it was coming or something.
But this guy didn't have any bags or a gun or a ski mask, he didn't look like a robber really. Slipping an item from her room, a pair of binoculars made with old rifle scopes taped together, she tried to focus on him despite one eye being twice as zoomed in as the other, and one lens blue instead of clear. Yep, that confirmed it. It was dark, she couldn't see. Deciding just to arm her traps and move on, she slid down the walls like spider on a web, using eight braids to hold herself up. Slipping into her room, she hugged up to her machete and got ready to doze off after sticking a chair under her door handle.
A set of hairs snuck out, winding into predetermined spots around the facility, arming homemade traps she'd designed since the attacks on the student body began. She couldn't let people attack them, even if they all did suck nobody was killing them but her. As the hairs snipped themselves free once they were in place, she ran a mental check list in her head- Twenty bottles of home made hot sauce set to drop on peoples head, ten landmines made out of fire crackers, three mini swinging log traps, and one crossbow, aimed right at the broom closet Epsilon never used. But one day, he'd have to. And on that day she'd have revenge for when he bumped into her, forcing her to drop a tray of cupcakes. She'd never forgive him.
Masyar wrote:Zion's smile disappeared as Magnus began to reply. Something must have changed, this was not the same Magnus that he had talked with and fought before, the entire atmosphere around him felt starkly, harrowingly different. 'It's probably just the alcohol speaking,' he assured himself, but as his classmate continued to speak, Zion grew less sure that it was simply intoxication that had changed the boy's mannerisms. His eyes widened as his mother was mentioned by Magnus, but before he could register what had been said, both of their phones began to explode into a series of buzzes and notification tones. He took his phone out of his pocket and glanced down at the screen, expecting to find a slew of drunk texts and the usual feed of messages and pictures that came with a Knights Academy party. Instead, he was greeted by panicked pleas, warnings to all students from both partygoers and local authorities about a destructive clash enveloping the very location that the other students had been partying at.
He took a step forward, intent on heading toward the mansion to see what was going on for himself, but stopped dead in his tracks upon the uttering of his mother's name. Anger, confusion, sadness, and desperation all began to bubble up inside him, mixing into a concoction of emotions that threatened to overflow and altogether overcome his greater inhibition. However, something inside of him, buried somewhere within his scattered memory of yesterday told him to hold himself back and truly consider the circumstances that lay in front of him before acting on impulse. He clenched his fists tightly and spoke through gritted teeth, frustrated by the mock and levity of Magnus's parting statement. "I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that your blunt arrogance is because of the liquor, but just know that this conversation is not over," he replied sternly. "I'll see you at 7, and for both of our sake, this better not be some stupid joke."
He glanced to his right to see Epsilon and Maxwell in the direction of what he assumed was the mansion in which the party was being held. Zion looked back over his shoulder for a moment before leaping off the roof of the security building, tailing Epsilon and Maxwell closely. There was no mistaking it, something HAD changed, and as far as he could tell, it was not for the better.
Arriving at the path that led to the mansion soon after the other two landed, he ran quickly to the side of the pair.
"Principal Maxwell, what's going on?" he asked, as a couple of students bumped and pushed past him. "I saw the news and I came as soon as I saw you guys leave," he explained, immediately regretting mentioning that he had seen the two leave the offices. Then again, Zion breaking curfew was probably the least of the old man's concerns right now.
Magnus didn't bother responding any further, the boy would certainly not forget. In general Magnus didn't speak like he had with Zion just then. His attitude was far more serious and professional. But it was a deliberate adjustment, with his memory power greatly helping his acting skills, and his speech had its intended effect. However that step was optional and the far more important one came now as Maxwell and the robot left with Zion and the number 2 hero, Alistair, who had just arrived.
"Looks like it's time to get started," he stated to no one as he hopped down to the ground floor, zapping security cameras that would have otherwise spotted him. As he came down though his foot caught the trigger of a trap set by a certain crazy, usually blue-haired girl. As the hot sauce bottle began to tip a chain shot out and immediately stabilized it but not before some of its contents poured out. Magnus managed to block a majority of it with his hand but a bit got in one of his eyes. Being the villain he was he had been trained to manage pain and his experiences had exposed him to quite a bit of it, but he'd admit that the burning sensation of hot sauce in his eye wasn't on his list of favored experiences and this specific concoction seemed especially potent. Stifling the already rare curse word, he refrained from making any sound out loud as he rubbed the toxic substance out of his eye with his clean hand. He wiped the rest of the hot sauce off on the nearby grass. Seeing a few blue strands of hair near the trap came as no surprise to Magnus; Serenity was the only one who would put together something so ridiculous. First her snooping around outside the room he and Nimue had been in and now this. She was truly too nosy. Magnus figured he'd have to remove a few of her memories of this night if he wanted to avoid potential problems.
Letting the incident go for now he put his hand close to the wall of the security building. Chains appeared and with a swift strike had made a fist-sized hole in the bricks and wooden structure, exposing the insulation and wires running through the wall. Sticking his hand in he felt around until he found a set of wires not normally found in walls because these had been installed separately. Knights Academy was an old school and had been renovated several times over the years as the technology progressed. The security system was no exception and it had to be fit in already cramped walls that weren't originally intended for it. Thus, Magnus only had to yank the wire in his hand and the camera facing the door was cut off from its power source. Walking up to the door which, also having been updated recently, was fitted with an electronic lock and keypad. A few moments and several sparks of electricity later the puzzle had been cracked and Magnus walked through the now open door. Making his way into the security terminal room that was also filled with monitors he sat down in front of the computer. The main servers were elsewhere in the school but were accessible through the terminal in front of him. He needed to take an even more direct approach though. There were several stacks of connection splitting modules on racks in the room where the cameras were wired into. Magnus sliced one of the wires and split the rubber casing so the copper filaments were exposed and separated. It'd be through the security camera's previous connection that he'd gain access to the terminal. A couple of minutes later and the terminal was open to him. Magnus quickly went to work searching through the security system's structure, viewing the connections, security layout, what rooms had which cameras, etc. Eventually he came across what he was looking for and a feed popped up on the screens. Magnus stretched and got up from the chair, evidently satisfied with the discovery.
The next several minutes consisted of Magnus causing a critical failure to the security system, both software and hardware based failures. After wiping the servers from the terminal he zapped the terminal before trashing it with his chains. He sliced every wire and piece of hardware connected to the system within reach. The room quickly became a mess of metal, electronic components, and the walls with the wiring inside weren't spared either. Leaving the room he made sure to turn off the lights. He left the building through the same door he had come in through but before returning to his dorm room he made rounds through the school and triggered 8 more hot sauce traps from far away, as an extra precaution. After making his way to his room he decided to take a shower before going to sleep. 10 minutes later and feeling refreshed Magnus had lain down in his bed, staring at the ceiling. Lucifer was currently facing off against the hero students and probably some heroes by this point and Magnus could hear the distant sound of the fight as it was carried by the wind. He was positive it'd be a good night's rest for himself and a few others.
Eyes widening as a stone-clad Miri ran past him, Varen did a tiny hop in the spot while pumping his fist up a little. "Eeeeyes!" He couldn't help it, even in such a grim setting, that spectacle split his face open with a grin. He tried to follow suit, but, despite his calm demeanor, he couldn't take a step towards Lucifer. First, he needed to know something. Turning in the opposite direction of the battle, he illuminated the hall in sky blue and flew off the ground, being careful to duck under light fixtures and door frames that still stood.
Skimming over heads, he finally found the person he was looking for. As he turned upwards, deactivating the aura and clinging to a nearby wall, he spoke up. "The greatest warriors fight with gentle hands. Or, something like that." Waving to Divinity, he nodded slowly as she mended a boys shattered shoulder before sending him on his way. "Hey, Divles, I know this is a tough time, I can tell what's wrong... You're worked up, it's that sight seeing of yours. This might be grim, but, I'm asking as a friend." Keeping his voice steady as a shaking hand stretched out for her, palm open and waiting for her answer, he continued. "I need you to envision, just for a moment, an image of when I exit this world, and give that to me. No details, just my face... Divinity, please." | 2024-02-10T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/9689 |
A typical X-ray imaging system comprises an X-ray source and an X-ray detector. X-rays emitted from the X-ray source can impinge on the X-ray detector and provide an X-ray image of an object or subject that is placed between the X-ray source and the detector. In one type of X-ray imaging system, a fluoroscopic imaging system, the X-ray detector is often an image intensifier or a flat panel digital detector.
Fluoroscopic imaging systems can be either fixed or mobile. For instance, fixed fluoroscopic imaging systems often include a gantry that is secured to a floor, wall, or ceiling. Additionally, mobile fluoroscopic imaging systems are movable so that they can be used in a variety of clinical environments, such as radiology and surgery departments of a medical facility. The mobile fluoroscopic imaging systems may include a C-arm, G-arm, O-arm, L-arm, or another imaging arm or gantry assembly. A mobile fluoroscopic imaging system may also be configured as a mini C-arm.
The C-arm assembly of a fluoroscopic imaging system moves relative to the subject in order to acquire images from multiple angles and can be manually repositioned to generate images from different angles. In some configurations, the C-arms are connected to one end of a movable arm so the C-arm can often be raised and lowered, be moved from side to side, and/or be rotated about one or more axes of rotation. Accordingly, the C-arms can be moved and reoriented to allow X-ray images to be taken from several different positions and angles and of one or more portions of a patient, without requiring the patient to be frequently repositioned. In situations where a sterile field is required, such as in surgery, sterile drape systems are often used to cover the C-arm to maintain the sterile field when it is needed. | 2024-02-11T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/8189 |
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Patrick Kaufusi set to join Storm
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North Queensland Cowboys prop Patrick Kaufusi is set to join the Melbourne Storm in 2018.
Storm coach Craig Bellamy announced the signing news at a press conference on Friday morning. Kaufusi will join older brothers Felise and Antonio to play for the Melbourne Storm.
"Felise's younger brother has agreed to terms to come down here next year," Bellamy said.
"Basically we've had the three of them – Antonio was here when I first started.
"Felise has been wonderful for us this year – hopefully Patrick can have the same impact."
Felise has enjoyed a breakout year in 2017, playing in 23 games and regularly playing 80 minutes in the second-row. The oldest of the brothers, Antonio, played for Australia, Tonga and Queensland as well as 78 games for the Storm.
Auckland-born, Queensland-raised Patrick has played 22 games for the Cowboys and has played two Tests for Tonga after making his NRL debut in 2015. He has also featured in junior representative football, turning out for Queensland under-20s.
The prop was ruled out for the 2017 season after injuring his foot playing for Tonga against Fiji. He's since undergone surgery.
Bellamy said Kaufusi would help fill the gap with North Queensland-bound Jordan McLean and Tohu Harris (Warriors) who leave the club next year.
"[Patrick] and Jordan are swapping clubs and he is going to be a real big loss.
"Certainly Tohu – he hasn’t played much footy this year with injuries but gee, the games he has played he's had a real impact. He's a real footy player. He doesn’t rely solely or a whole heap on his physical attributes.
"He's a smart footy player and knows how to get around the ground."
Wingers re-sign with StormStorm v Raiders: Schick PreviewTop eight watch: Who can finish where?Smith the greatest of his generationStorm looking to build into finals | 2024-01-15T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/8752 |
Q:
Can you mark seam with bmesh?
I'm writing a script to make UV lighting maps for unreal... I got my script to spit out all the bmesh edge indexes but I can't figure out the best way to mark these as seams. (this is my first time using bmesh and I'm still having trouble understanding exactly how to use it)
A:
BMesh edges have a seam property.
You can:
import bpy
import bmesh
mesh = bpy.context.object.data
bm = bmesh.new()
bm.from_mesh(mesh)
bm.edges.ensure_lookup_table()
bm.edges[0].seam = True
bm.to_mesh(mesh)
| 2024-04-14T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/5356 |
JAVMANewsSubsection
Thyroid hormones in food sicken dogs
Posted April 26, 2017
At least three dogs developed hyperthyroidism after eating food containing active thyroid hormones, prompting two recalls March 17.
In a March 27 letter to veterinarians, Food and Drug Administration officials said the dogs, which live in separate homes, had unusual clinical signs including increased thirst, increased urination, restlessness, and weight loss. Thyroid panel results were most consistent with an external hormone source, and the dogs’ clinical signs improved over three to four weeks with a change in diet.
Product tests revealed thyroid hormone and excess iodine were present in unopened cans from the same product lines fed to the dogs, likely because the foods contained thyroid gland tissue, agency information states.
The sickened dogs are a 4-year-old Shetland Sheepdog, an 8-year-old Tibetan Terrier, and a 15-year-old Labrador Retriever.
One recall affects one lot of Blue Buffalo Company’s Blue Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe Red Meat Dinner Wet Food for Adult Dogs; cans from that lot will have a UPC of 840243101153 and a best-sold-by date of June 7, 2019. The other recall affects WellPet’s Wellness 95% Beef Topper for Dogs in 13.2-ounce cans with best by dates of Feb. 2, 2019, Aug. 29, 2019, and Aug. 30, 2019.
The agency letter indicates the unique illnesses in these dogs “reinforce the importance of practitioners getting a detailed dietary history, including the type and amount of food as well as frequency of consumption.” Veterinarians who suspect a dog has such an external source of hyperthyroidism may want to run a full thyroid panel “including T3, free T3, T4, free T4, TSH, thyroid autoantibodies, and iodine,” the letter states. | 2024-05-24T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/2802 |
Stack-based buffer overflow in the clntudp_call function in sunrpc/clnt_udp.c in the GNU C Library (aka glibc or libc6) allows remote servers to cause a denial of service (crash) or possibly unspecified other impact via a flood of crafted ICMP and UDP packets.
Stack-based buffer overflow in the getaddrinfo function in sysdeps/posix/getaddrinfo.c in the GNU C Library (aka glibc or libc6) allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via vectors involving hostent conversion. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2013-4458.
Apache CloudStack 4.5.x before 4.5.2.1, 4.6.x before 4.6.2.1, 4.7.x before 4.7.1.1, and 4.8.x before 4.8.0.1, when SAML-based authentication is enabled and used, allow remote attackers to bypass authentication and access the user interface via vectors related to the SAML plugin. | 2024-05-01T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/6256 |
Air flow-assisted ionization imaging mass spectrometry method for easy whole-body molecular imaging under ambient conditions.
Whole-body molecular imaging is able to directly map spatial distribution of molecules and monitor its biotransformation in intact biological tissue sections. Imaging mass spectrometry (IMS), a label-free molecular imaging method, can be used to image multiple molecules in a single measurement with high specificity. Herein, a novel easy-to-implement, whole-body IMS method was developed with air flow-assisted ionization in a desorption electrospray ionization mode. The developed IMS method can effectively image molecules in a large whole-body section in open air without sample pretreatment, such as chemical labeling, section division, or matrix deposition. Moreover, the signal levels were improved, and the spatial assignment errors were eliminated; thus, high-quality whole-body images were obtained. With this novel IMS method, in situ mapping analysis of molecules was performed in adult rat sections with picomolar sensitivity under ambient conditions, and the dynamic information of molecule distribution and its biotransformation was provided to uncover molecular events at the whole-animal level. A global view of the differential distribution of an anticancer agent and its metabolites was simultaneously acquired in whole-body rat and model mouse bearing neuroglioma along the administration time. The obtained drug distribution provided rich information for identifying the targeted organs and predicting possible tumor spectrum, pharmacological activity, and potential toxicity of drug candidates. | 2023-12-02T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/7248 |
COZY Carrollton- 4 bd, LG backyard, SWEET!
COZY Carrollton- 4 bd, LG backyard, SWEET!
Great check-in experience · 100% of recent guests gave this home’s check-in process a 5-star rating.
Great location · 100% of recent guests gave this home’s location a 5-star rating.
Sparkling clean · 2 recent guests have said that this home was sparkling clean.
We are 1hr North of St. Louis,Mo., & 5.5hr South of Chicago,IL. You can rent the entire home with room to move around! Kitchen, Living room, Dining room, bath, 4 bedrooms(3bds unless you ask), laundry in unit, less than 1 block from shops downtown and historic district. LG backyard, 1 car garage. Updated & COZY!Local restaurants, shops, entertainment, library, etc.
Amenities
Air conditioning
Dryer
Essentials
Heating
Laptop friendly workspace
TV
Sleeping arrangements
Bedroom 1
1 queen bed
Bedroom 2
1 air mattress
Bedroom 3
1 single bed
House Rules
No smoking
Check-in time is 9AM - 8PM
Check out by 2PM
Self check-in with keypad
5 Reviews
Accuracy
Communication
Cleanliness
Location
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Value
Correna
May 2018
A nice little place for a quick stay!
Robert
April 2018
Very nice place. Clean and the owner adds nice little amenities. Would recommend.
Robert
March 2018
Nice, cozy, quiet, stayed there while I was working out of town for a month was perfect.
Megan
February 2018
Cozy is the perfect description for this unique gem! My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our weekend together here. And being able to bring the pups added that extra “home-y” touch! Loved the pastries and fruit for breakfast (that she even replenished during the stay). I would hi…
Madi
February 2018
This was an awesome place to stay with a great value! M.S. was an awesome host with great communication and I would recommend staying here.
Hosted by M.S.
Joined in May 2013
6 Reviews
Verified
I like to travel to cozy places in small towns with honest, friendly people that I can get to know. Bike rides thru small towns enjoying the views.
American was built on these things!
I believe in helping people and in giving folks privacy.
So when you stay at my place, you ge…
M.S. supports the Living Wage Pledge
People who clean this host’s listing are paid a living wage.Learn more
Languages:English
Response rate:100%
Response time:within an hour
Always communicate through Airbnb · To protect your payment, never transfer money or communicate outside of the Airbnb website or app. | 2023-11-18T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/8377 |
474 A.2d 827 (1984)
Bernard TOTZ, Petitioner,
v.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA RENTAL HOUSING COMMISSION, et al., Respondents.
No. 83-125.
District of Columbia Court of Appeals.
Argued December 19, 1983.
Decided April 9, 1984.
Bernard Totz, pro se.
Richard B. Nettler, Asst. Corp. Counsel, Washington, D.C., with whom Judith W. Rogers, Corp. Counsel, Washington, D.C., at the time the brief was filed, and Charles L. Reischel, Deputy Corp. Counsel, Washington, D.C., were on brief, for respondent District of Columbia Rental Housing Comm.
Richard Halberstein, Washington, D.C., entered an appearance for respondents Tenants of 529 G Street, S.E.
Before KERN, FERREN and TERRY, Associate Judges.
*828 TERRY, Associate Judge:
Nearly four years ago, we held that D.C. Code § 45-1655(a) (1978 Supp.), part of the Rental Accommodations Act of 1975 (repealed 1978),[1] required the District of Columbia Rental Accommodations Commission, predecessor to the Rental Housing Commission, to impose treble damages against petitioner for the entire amount by which the rents he charged his tenants exceeded the applicable rent ceilings. Totz v. District of Columbia Rental Accommodations Commission, 412 A.2d 44, 46 (D.C. 1980). In light of our holdings that treble damages were mandated for the entire period in question,[2]id. at 46 n. 1, and that petitioner could not set off against those refunds judgments he had obtained against some of the tenants before the Commission's order, id. at 47, we remanded his case to the Commission for a recalculation of the refunds owed to the tenants.
After the Rent Administrator recalculated the refunds, petitioner appealed again to the Commission, as did his tenants. However, he failed to appear at the hearing on the appeal; accordingly, on August 25, 1982, the Commission dismissed his appeal, apparently for lack of prosecution.[3] Nearly a month later, on September 24, petitioner moved for reconsideration of the dismissal. The Commission denied the motion on January 19, 1983, and on February 2 petitioner filed in this court a petition for review of that denial. Because we lack jurisdiction to review either the denial of the motion for reconsideration or the dismissal of petitioner's appeal, we must dismiss his petition.
We have consistently held that we do not have jurisdiction to hear appeals from denials of motions for reconsideration of final orders in civil and criminal cases. E.g., In re Alexander, 428 A.2d 812 (D.C. 1981) (criminal), cert. denied, 454 U.S. 1149, 102 S.Ct. 1014, 71 L.Ed.2d 303 (1982); United States v. Jones, 423 A.2d 193, 195 (D.C.1980) (criminal); 901 Corp. v. A. Sandler Co., 254 A.2d 411 (D.C.1969) (civil); see Coleman v. Lee Washington Hauling Co., 388 A.2d 44, 45 (D.C.1978). We now hold that our power is similarly limited as to appeals from such denials by administrative agencies. Of course, if we have jurisdiction to hear an appeal from the final order itself, we will treat the purported appeal from the denial of reconsideration as having been taken from that underlying order. See, e.g., Reichman v. Franklin Simon Corp., 392 A.2d 9, 11 n. 3 (D.C. 1978); Coleman v. Lee Washington Hauling Co., supra, 388 A.2d at 45; Diatz v. Washington Technical School, 73 A.2d 227, 228 (D.C.1950), aff'd sub nom. Sobel v. Diatz, 88 U.S.App.D.C. 329, 189 F.2d 26 (1951). The question for us to decide here, then, is whether we have jurisdiction to hear an appeal from the Commission's dismissal of petitioner's administrative appeal. We conclude that we do not.
Our rules provide that a party may obtain review of an agency decision "by filing with the Clerk of this Court a petition for review within fifteen days from the date of having been given formal notice of the order or decision sought to be reviewed. . . ." *829 D.C.App.R. 15(b).[4] Petitioner did not do this. Section 203(e)(1)(C) of the Commission's rules states that service of notice may be effected "[b]y mail, on deposit with the United States Postal Service properly stamped and addressed. . . ." Thus the period in which petitioner could petition this court for review began to run when he was given notice of the Commission's order of August 25, 1982, dismissing his appeal. Johnson v. District of Columbia Department of Employment Services, 473 A.2d 398 (D.C.1984). That period had long since expired by February 1983, when he filed his petition for review.[5]
The time limit for filing a petition for review of agency actions is mandatory and jurisdictional. Conner v. District of Columbia Bureau of Motor Vehicle Services, 442 A.2d 957, 958 (D.C.1982); see Valentine v. Real Estate Commission, 163 A.2d 554, 555-556 (D.C.1960) (construing the predecessor of the present Rule 15(b)). Once the time prescribed by the rule has passed, we are without power to hear the case. We therefore have no choice but to dismiss the instant petition for review.
Petition dismissed.
NOTES
[1] The Rental Accommodations Act of 1975, D.C.Law 1-33, 22 D.C.Reg. 2490, D.C.Code §§ 45-1631 through 45-1674 (1978 Supp.), was repealed and superseded by the Rental Housing Act of 1977, D.C.Law 2-54, 24 D.C.Reg. 5334 (1978), D.C.Code §§ 45-1681 through 45-1699.27 (1980 Supp.). The 1977 Act expired in 1981 and was succeeded by the Rental Housing Act of 1980, D.C.Law 3-131, 28 D.C.Reg. 326 (1981), as amended, D.C.Code §§ 45-1501 through 45-1597 (1981 & 1983 Supp.).
[2] Unlike the 1975 Act, both the Rental Housing Act of 1977 and the Rental Housing Act of 1980, supra note 1, make the imposition of treble damages discretionary. See Rental Housing Act of 1977, § 901(a), 24 D.C.Reg. at 5410; Rental Housing Act of 1980, § 901(a), D.C.Code § 45-1591(a) (1981).
[3] On September 7, 1982, the Commission affirmed the Rent Administrator's recalculation, rejecting the tenants' contention that refunds should be ordered also for overcharges imposed after September 4, 1977, the date of the Rent Administrator's initial decision.
[4] Another rule, D.C.App.R. 26(c), gives three additional days if the order or decision is served on the party by mail. The time begins to run from the date of mailing, not the date of decision. See Poyner v. Police & Firemen's Retirement & Relief Board, 456 A.2d 1249, 1251 (D.C. 1983).
[5] D.C.App.R. 15(c) states that the time for filing a petition for review is tolled by the filing of a motion "pursuant to the rules of the agency" for reconsideration of the agency's decision. The rules of the Rental Housing Commission do not provide for motions for reconsideration. But even if they did, the time for appeal would not have been tolled because petitioner's motion for reconsideration was filed after the time for filing a petition for review in this court had expired. The motion for reconsideration, regardless of its other deficiencies, came too late to save petitioner's right of appellate review in this court. See In re Alexander, supra, 428 A.2d at 814-815 & n. 2; United States v. Jones, supra, 423 A.2d at 196 n. 4.
| 2023-08-11T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/5846 |
Pneumococcal sepsis with false-negative blood cultures.
Most physicians recognize the false-positive blood cultures (generally due to contamination) are common. Bacteria such as pneumococci, however, may rapidly die in broth cultures, and viable bacteria may not be identified. Several patients were observed with pneumococcal infections that had false-negative blood cultures 24 hours after inoculation. Hemolysis and methemoglobin formation in the bottle suggested bacterial growth within 12 hours after incubation, and blind subcultures at that time yielded pneumococci. Pneumococcal antigen could be detected in the blood culture bottles using counter-immunoelectrophoresis, even though subculture at 24 hours yielded no growth. Physicians and laboratory personnel should be aware that false-negative blood cultures may occur, particularly with certain bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, and that the blood culture bottles should be observed visually for the presence of brown sediment or hemolysis. | 2024-04-07T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/7716 |
[Mortality and morbidity after complete surgical removal of 162 intracranial arteriovenous malformations (author's transl)].
A series of 162 arteriovenous malformations (A.V.M.) surgically removed is reported. All patients had a post operative control angiogram showing that the lesion had been totally excised. Supra and infra tentorial A.V.M. are included in the series as well as conscious and comatous patients. The overall mortality has been 11.1% and the mortality in conscious patients has been 6.9%. Mortality is higher when the volume of A.V.M. is over 60 cm3 and when a rupture has occurred. The influence of the operation on epileptic seizures, motor, speech or visual fields deficits has been reviewed in 109 patients who answered to the survey. Morbidity has been higher in patients with a cerebral heamorrhage, therefore the authors advise to operate these patients before the rupture when, for instance, seizures represents the only clinical picture. C.A.T. scan in these epileptic patients is a remarkable investigation to track down A.V.M. | 2024-06-30T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/7557 |
Genetic variability among Schistosoma japonicum isolates from different endemic regions in China revealed by sequences of three mitochondrial DNA genes.
The present study examined sequence variation in three mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) regions, namely cytochrome c oxidase subunit 3 (cox3), NADH dehydrogenase subunits 4 and 5 (nad4 and nad5), among Schistosoma japonicum isolates from different endemic regions in China, and their phylogenetic relationships were re-constructed. A portion of the cox3 gene (pcox3), a portion of the nad4 and nad5 genes (pnad4 and pnad5) were amplified separately from individual trematodes by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the amplicons were subjected to direct sequencing. In the mountainous areas, sequence variations between parasites from Yunnan and those from Sichuan were 0.3% for pcox3, 0.0-0.1% for pnad4, and 0.0-0.2% for pnad5. In the lake/marshland areas, sequence variations between male and female parasites among different geographical locations were 0.0-0.3% for pcox3, 0.0-0.7% for pnad4, and 0.0-1.6% for pnad5. Sequence variations between S. japonicum from mountainous areas and those from lake/marshland areas were 0.0-0.5% for pcox3, 0.0-0.7% for pnad4, and 0.0-1.6% for pnad5. Phylogenetic analyses based on the combined sequences of pcox3, pnad4 and pnad5 revealed that S. japonicum isolates from mountainous areas (Yunnan and Sichuan provinces) clustered together. For isolates from the lake/marshland areas, isolates from Anhui and Jiangsu provinces clustered together and was sister to samples from Jiangxi province, while isolates from Hubei and Zhejiang province clustered together. However, isolates from different geographical locations in Hunan province were in different clades. These findings demonstrated the usefulness and attributes of the three mtDNA sequences for population genetic studies of S. japonicum, and have implications for studying population biology, molecular epidemiology, and genetic structure of S. japonicum, as well as for the effective control of schistosomiasis. | 2023-11-07T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/3473 |
Gifts & Guest Fashion...It's Stuff We Love
I always adore all our Stuff We Love finds, but today's I'm particularly fond of: we have a cute collection of greeting cards for the ones you love, gorgeous jewellery from an Irish jewellery boutique, and wedding guest dresses you'll want to wear (even if you're not invited to any weddings.) Fall in love and start your ordering below...
Little Low
Despite the huge range of greeting card companies out there when you go to find the perfect card it can be still tricky. Little Low have covered just about every occasion with their charming cards - from wedding congrats and confessions of love to simple thank yous and creative be my bridesmaid cards. Many of these are so adorable you'll want to frame them and keep them for yourself. (I know I do.)
Halo Jewellery
We often feature pretty cool jewellery brands but they are, just as often, based in America or Oz. Today's find is based locally in Dublin and stocks a dainty range of contemporary jewellery. Ranging from plain silver and gold to colourful gemstone pieces Halo Jewellery stocks a pretty range which would make for a perfect bridesmaid gift, flowergirl gift or simply a little treat for yourself.
Chi Chi London
A long term favourite of ours for wedding guest outfits and even bridesmaid dresses Chi Chi London stocks a huge range of pretty party dresses. Chi Chi London dresses and separates come in a range of flattering hues and floral patterns with gorgeous Bardot necklines and flared skirts. Suitable for all shapes and sizes Chi Chi London gowns come in petite and plus size sizes and are all very affordable too. Ideal for those summer weddings or fancy soirées. | 2023-11-13T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/2773 |
/**
* Copyright (c) 2008 Andrew Wilson <nuance@users.sourceforge.net>.
*
* This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
* modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
* License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
* version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
*
* This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
* but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
* MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU
* Lesser General Public License for more details.
*
* You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
* License along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software
* Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
*
* Created 09-Aug-2008 16:02:49
*/
package pcgen.core.term;
import java.util.Collection;
import pcgen.cdom.content.CNAbility;
import pcgen.cdom.enumeration.Nature;
import pcgen.core.AbilityCategory;
import pcgen.core.PlayerCharacter;
public class PCCountAbilitiesNatureNormalTermEvaluator extends BasePCCountAbilitiesNatureTermEvaluator
implements TermEvaluator
{
public PCCountAbilitiesNatureNormalTermEvaluator(String originalText, AbilityCategory abCat, boolean visible,
boolean hidden)
{
this.originalText = originalText;
this.abCat = abCat;
this.visible = visible;
this.hidden = hidden;
}
@Override
Collection<CNAbility> getAbilities(PlayerCharacter pc)
{
return pc.getCNAbilities(abCat, Nature.NORMAL);
}
@Override
public boolean isSourceDependant()
{
return false;
}
public boolean isStatic()
{
return false;
}
}
| 2023-12-23T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/7814 |
#26Neighborhood popularity:
Building Mix
Legal Disclosure: Neighborhood descriptions and data are created exclusively by Naked Apartments without contributions or approval from the agents listed on this page.
You don't need a degree in Finance or Accounting to realize this is the deal of the month! True 560 sq ft 1 bedroom in the Financial District with a TERRACE, full-time doorman, and laundry in the building! Don't eat too much turkey for Thanksgiving and snooze on this one! | 2024-03-28T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/5767 |
Q:
'Companion Planting' Logic Puzzle - Is there an elegant solution?
Problem: You're a vegetable gardener planning to plant out seedlings in a new garden bed, however your farmer's almanac has outlined a system of rules about what plants can and cannot be placed next to each other. Your job is to map out a garden bed/s that will provide the most benefits to the plants within.
Each Plant has 5 classes of companion plant associated with them, ranging from mutually beneficial plantings to stunting or being stunted by neighbour Plants.
For example, the rules for planting Carrots state;
i) Mutually beneficial to Tomatoes and Leeks..
ii ) Receives Benefits from Onions and Rosemary.
iii) Provides benefits to Peas and Radishes.
iv) Has growth stunted by Dill and Coriander.
v) Stunts growth of Parsnip.
While Tomatoes state:
i ) Mutually beneficial to Carrots and Asparagus.
ii ) Receives benefits from Basil and Mint.
iii ) Provides Benefit to Gooseberries and Coriander.
iv ) Is stunted by Leeks, Onions, Fennel and Cabbage.
v) Stunts growth of Corn.
---
Each plant has a 'sphere of influence' that encompasses all plants with 2 spaces of it - Left, Right, Up, Down, Diagonally - so benefits or detriments affect those plants within those spaces. A plant does not have any effect on itself.
Graphically; o is the Primary plant, all x's around that plant are influenced by that plant's companion rules, all _'s are unaffected.
__________________
| _ | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ |
| _ | x | x | x | x | x | _ |
| _ | x | x | x | x | x | _ |
| _ | x | x | o | x | x | _ |
| _ | x | x | x | x | x | _ |
| _ | x | x | x | x | x | _ |
| _ | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ |
Plants can be planted in rows, columns or clusters. There is a limit of 10 rows and 100 columns per plant bed. There are 50 sets of plants with associated rules (as per Carrots and Tomatoes above). No limit to number of Plant Beds. You are required to lay out the maximum number of types of plants with the highest benefit scores (i.e - not just alternating rows of Carrots and Tomatoes and ignoring everything else).
So that's the basics of the rules. This is obviously not a complete problem for solving - I'm not looking for a 'solution' as such, for that you'd need to know all 50 plants and rules etc. What I'm looking for is more of a theory or problem solving logic that will help me create a 'map' of these plants. While I know it's possible to brute-force an answer through 'seating chart mayhem', I'd like to believe there's a more elegant mathematical/logical solution, I'm guessing something kinda like a venn diagram meets a weighted decision matrix - but... cleaner.
Full disclosure; This is not a homework question or logic puzzle. I'm actually looking to begin Organic Market Gardening myself, but after years of working in marketing all of the useful high school and college maths that works for problems like these has been replaced by analytics formulae, acquisition rates and social network models. I had to reach down into the depths of my mind just to bring up SOHCAHTOA so I could build an angled garden frame.
What I'm saying is, Any and All help is appreciated before I start cutting up pictures of plants and adding little score discs of 2+, 1+, 0, -1, -2 on a grid while constantly consulting rules that occasionally almost contradict each other.
Thank you all immensely in advance.
A:
I think the answer is probably no.
Here's a much simpler but related problem. You have just two kinds of plants, carrots and tomatoes, on a square grid. Each cell in the grid either prefers carrots (you score +1 for planting carrots there, -1 for planting tomatoes) or prefers tomatoes (other way around). Each adjacent pair of cells either prefers to have the same kind of plants (score +1 if same, -1 if different) or prefers to have different kinds (other way around). Your goal is to maximize your score. The end.
Well, this is the problem of "finding a ground state of a 2d Ising spin glass with an external field" and it's NP-hard, meaning that (1) no efficient way to solve it is known and (2) if you found an efficient way to solve it, that would enable you also to solve a huge variety of other problems for which no efficient solution is known. (Here "efficient" has a technical meaning, namely that for some $d$ the time it takes to find the solution for a problem instance of size $n$ grows no faster than $n^d$.)
The problem becomes efficiently soluble if we take away the per-cell preference between carrots and tomatoes (leaving only the "interactions") -- but becomes hard again if we now, as in your problem, allow closer-than-nearest-neighbour interactions, even if it's just "next-but-one neighbour".
This doesn't prove that your problem is hard, because there are still plenty of differences between your problem and this one. But it's suggestive.
Rather than cutting up pictures of plants, I would suggest doing this on a computer, which can try things out much faster than you can. The simplest thing would be to make it try lots of random configurations and choose whichever one does best. Next simplest would be: after picking a random configuration, repeatedly try making small simple changes (e.g., change just one plant, or maybe swap a neighbouring pair) until you can't find any that make things better. Next simplest (which might actually be simpler, because there might be software out there that already does lots of the work) would be something like simulated annealing.
| 2023-08-11T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/5772 |
If there is a more relevant or powerful passage in American law, I am not aware of it. Relevant because it expressed a universal concept -- free trade in ideas -- that 125 years after the Constitution was ratified still had not yet taken hold in our democracy. Powerful because it went beyond legal precepts to a fundamental fact of human existence: We all make mistakes. We all have good opinions and bad ones. None of us are right all the time. All of us at one point or another have to respect what someone else says. And life is an experiment from the moment we wake in the morning until the moment we lay our heads down at night.
It's a passage written 94 years ago that both explains and preserves our op-ed pages and the Internet, talk-radio shows, and blogs, in the brilliant blending of two American institutions that were not always destined to go together: the free market and free speech. It's a passage that both acknowledges human weakness and strives to master it, that recognizes the roiling diversity of American thought and seeks to make something clear and profound from it. From United States Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes in his dissent in Abrams v. United States:
Persecution
for the expression of opinions seems to me perfectly logical. If you have no
doubt of your premises or your power, and want a certain result with all your
heart, you naturally express your wishes in law, and sweep away all opposition.
To allow opposition by speech seems to indicate that you think the speech impotent,
as when a man says that he has squared the circle, or that you do not care
wholeheartedly for the result, or that you doubt either your power or your
premises.
But
when men have realized that time has upset many fighting faiths, they may come
to believe even more than they believe the very foundations of their own
conduct that the ultimate good desired is better reached by free trade in ideas
-- that the best test of truth is the power of the thought to get itself
accepted in the competition of the market, and that truth is the only ground
upon which their wishes safely can be carried out.
That,
at any rate, is the theory of our Constitution. It is an experiment, as all
life is an experiment. Every year, if not every day, we have to wager our salvation
upon some prophecy based upon imperfect knowledge. While that experiment is
part of our system, I think that we should be eternally vigilant against
attempts to check the expression of opinions that we loathe and believe to be
fraught with death, unless they so imminently threaten immediate interference
with the lawful and pressing purposes of the law that an immediate check is
required to save the country.
Of course, the story of free speech in America neither begins nor ends with Abrams. But it is a clear pivot point. In that 1919 case, a dispute decided one year minus one day after the end of the first "war to end all wars," the United States Supreme Court sustained the convictions of five Russian-born men who were prosecuted under the Espionage Act of 1917, as it had been amended by the Sedition Act of 1918, for "provoking and encouraging" resistance to the government's war efforts (and its hostile maneuvers toward Russia) through a series of pamphlets.
Such prosecutions would be unthinkable today, not because modern officials embrace criticism more bravely than their predecessors but because we have come as a nation and as a people to acknowledge that the First Amendment's protections are (and ought to be) especially stout when it comes to dissent about the public workings of government. And that nearly universal acknowledgment, which has survived America's four major wars since World War I and guides the way we both conduct business and handle our own personal affairs, was born in Justice Holmes' dissent.
Just in time for your August beach reading, Thomas Healy, a former federal appeals court law clerk and reporter for The Baltimore Sun, has written an excellent book about how Justice Holmes, perhaps the most famous and influential justice of all time, came to write this passage -- and came around, at last, to a rousing defense of the First Amendment. Titled The Great Dissent: How Oliver Wendell Holmes Changed His Mind-- and Changed the History of Free Speech in America, the book is a fascinating glimpse into an art that seems lost in law and politics today: the art of changing one's mind.
In meticulous detail, Healy tells us how the great jurist, who had staunchly upheld criminal convictions in free speech cases just monthsbefore, changed his mind in Abrams. He changed it because of an intense lobbying effort by his political friends and fellow judges. He changed it because he had been reading the work of legal and political philosophers in Europe, both living and dead. He changed it because he came gradually to realize how broadly the Justice Department was relying upon federal statutes to punish even that dissent which was obviously unlikely to undermine the government's ability to function.
Healy begins his book with an anecdote about a visit Justice Holmes received at home from three of his fellow justices, after he had distributed his dissent in Abrams but before he would publicly announce it. What transpired in that meeting isn't just "a remarkable piece of constitutional history," as Healy puts it, but remarkable for what it suggests about the way the Supreme Court does (or does not) operate today. Can you imagine Justices Scalia, Thomas and Alito visiting Justice Anthony Kennedy in this fashion? I cannot. From Healy's book, on the 1919 Court's initial reaction to Holmes' words:
No one else on the Court wrote like this. Only Holmes could translate the law into such stirring, unforgettable language. Yet even by his high standards this was unusually fine, and his colleagues worried about the effect it might have. Although the war had ended a year earlier, the country was still in a fragile state. There had been race riots that summer, labor strikes that fall. A bomb had exploded on the attorney general's doorstep-- the opening strike, the papers warned, in a grand Bolshevik plot. A dissent like this, from a figure as venerable as Holmes, might weaken the country's resolve and give comfort to the enemy.
The nation's security was at stake, the justices told Holmes. As an old soldier, he should close ranks and set aside his personal views. They even appealed to [Holmes' wife] Fanny, who nodded her head in agreement. The tone of their plea was friendly, even affectionate, and Holmes listened thoughtfully. He had always respected the institution of the Court and more than once had suppressed his own beliefs for the sake of unanimity. But this time he felt a duty to speak his mind. He told his colleagues he regretted he could not join them, and they left without pressing him further.
Three days later, Holmes read his dissent in Abrams v. United States from the bench. As expected, it caused a sensation. Conservatives denounced it as dangerous and extreme. Progressives hailed it as a monument to liberty. And the future of free speech was forever changed.
There have been other instances where a justice changed his mind in a case of profound constitutional import. As Harvard Law School professor Laurence Tribe reminded me this week, Justice Potter Stewart shifted on the issue of reproductive autonomy from dissent in Griswold v. Connecticut in 1965 to the majority in Roe v. Wadein 1973. Justice William J. Brennan shifted on obscenity standards from Roth v. United States in 1957 to Paris Adult Theatre v. Slaton in 1973. Justice Harry Blackmun belatedly changed his mind about the constitutionality of the death penalty. Then there was Justice Owen Roberts' "switch in time" in West Coast Hotel v. Parrish in 1937. None come close to Holmes' "fighting faith" passage.
Judges, and politicians, are too often criticized for changing their minds. Are you not smarter today than you were 10 years ago? Twenty years ago? Have not life's many "experiments" given you wisdom that you did not previously have? The genius of Justice Holmes' dissent in Abrams wasn't just its eloquence it was "meta-ness." He was changing his mind about the need, the value, the glory, the benefit, of changing one's mind and of accepting the changing of other people's minds. Healy has written a magnificent book about a magnificent moment in American legal history -- and in the life of a magnificent man who was smart enough to understand just how wrong people can be. | 2023-09-16T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/7835 |
Different cross-reactivity of human and rodent sera to Tula virus and Puumala virus.
Tula virus (TULV) and Puumala virus (PUUV) are hantaviruses carried by the bank vole (Myodes glareolus) and European common vole (Microtus arvalis), respectively. PUUV is a causative agent of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), while TULV is thought to be apathogenic to humans. The N-terminal regions of the N proteins from TULV and PUUV were expressed and applied as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) antigens. Colonized Japanese grass voles (Microtus montebelli) and BALB/c mice were used for experimental inoculation of the vole-borne hantaviruses TULV and PUUV. Voles and mice showed significant antibody production toward both viruses, but these antisera showed little cross-reactivity between TULV and PUUV in the immunofluorescence antibody assay and ELISA. In contrast, sera from patients with HFRS caused by PUUV exhibited high cross-reactivity against the TULV antigen, and sera from a natural rodent reservoir showed moderate cross-reactivity against the heterologous antigen, indicating that the antigenic cross-reactivity between TULV and PUUV differs in sera from rodents and humans. | 2024-03-30T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/8183 |
Q:
How do I use ImageDownloadService to update button in Codenameone?
I am trying to use a url as a source for the icon of a button like this
Image placeholder = Image.createImage(Constants.IMAGE_PLACEHOLDER);
propertyValue = jsonData.get("propertyValue").toString();
propertyName = jsonData.get("propertyName").toString();
ImageDownloadService.createImageToStorage(propertyValue,
bImg,
propertyValue,
placeholder,
ConnectionRequest.PRIORITY_HIGH);
bImg is a button, propertyValue contains the image url. Only the placeholder gets displayed and the button icon never changes. I also don't see any GET on the URL from the network monitor.
I am sure I am doing something wrong but I don't know what.
A:
I have fixed this. The issue is that I was using the url as the cacheId. Now, I extract the filename from the url and use it as the cacheId and everything works.
| 2024-06-01T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/9679 |
797 F.Supp. 1452 (1992)
Jason NORRIS, a minor by next friends, Carolyn Norris and Gerald Norris, and Carolyn Norris and Gerald Norris, Plaintiffs,
v.
The BOARD OF EDUCATION OF GREENWOOD COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION, et al., Defendants.
No. IP 90-1340-C.
United States District Court, S.D. Indiana, Indianapolis Division.
May 1, 1992.
*1453 *1454 *1455 *1456 Michael S. Reed, Indianapolis, Ind., for plaintiffs.
Donald S. Smith, Riley Bennett & Egloff, Indianapolis, Ind., for defendants.
MEMORANDUM ENTRY DISCUSSING ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANTS' MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT, ENTERING JUDGMENT IN FAVOR OF DEFENDANTS ON COUNTS I THROUGH V, AND DISMISSING COUNTS VI THROUGH XIV
TINDER, District Judge.
Plaintiffs' Amended Complaint contains fourteen Counts stating claims for monetary *1457 damages for alleged wrongdoing by various combinations of the named Defendants. Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment challenged the viability of each count. For the reasons discussed below, this Court will enter judgment in favor of Defendants on Counts I, II, III, IV and V. Counts VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XIII and XIV fail to state claims upon which relief can be granted and must be dismissed. Count XII must be dismissed because it states a claim over which this Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction. Defendants Clark Pleasant School Corporation's Motion for Summary Judgment will be denied as moot.
BACKGROUND
Plaintiffs' Amended Complaint names the following persons and entities as Defendants: Greenwood Community School Corporation ("GCSC"), Johnson County Special Services Cooperative ("JCSSC"), Dr. Donald Strobel ("Strobel") (Superintendent of GCSC), Dr. Roger Brenton ("Brenton") (Asst. Superintendent of GCSC), Elbert Martin ("Martin") (Director of JCSSC), Sue Rice ("Rice") (Asst. Dir. of JCSSC), Roger Kinsey ("Kinsey") (Principal of Southwest Elementary School), Theresa Mandery ("Mandery") (teacher at Southwest Elementary School), Paul Velez ("Velez") (Principal of Greenwood Middle School), Mary Boand ("Boand") (teacher at Greenwood Middle School), Donna Anders ("Anders") (teacher at Greenwood Middle School), Linda Begley ("Begley") (Guidance Chairperson at Greenwood Middle School), Kenneth Nierman ("Nierman") (Asst. Principal of Greenwood Middle School), Judy Shockley ("Shockley") (Asst. Dir. of Johnson County Special Education), Angela Hornsby ("Hornsby") (teacher's aide for Southwest Elementary School), Stephanie Westcott ("Westcott") (School Psychologist for Special Services for Johnson County), Mattie Alger ("Alger") (aide for Southwest Elementary School), Clark Pleasant School Corporation ("CPSC"), Franklin Community School Corporation ("FCSC"), Edinburg School Corporation ("ESC"), Ninehav Hinsley Jackson School Corporation ("NHJSC") and Center Grove Community School Corporation ("CGCSC").
Plaintiff Jason Norris ("Jason") is an emotionally handicapped minor; Carolyn and Gerald Norris (collectively "Norris'") are Jason's legal guardians. Jason attended classes at some of the Defendant school corporations and had direct or indirect contact with the natural persons named as Defendants. The Facts section of the Amended Complaint alleges that Defendants moved Jason between different programs and schools in a failed attempt to satisfy the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ("IDEA" or "the Act"), 20 U.S.C.A. §§ 1401 et seq. (West 1988 & Supp.1992).[1] Jason was diagnosed as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Believing that the schools were not adequately or lawfully taking care of Jason's educational needs, the Norris' filed a request with the Indiana Department of Education, Division of Special Education; the request sought review of Jason's individual education plan ("IEP") and requested that a Hearing Officer review Jason's recent suspensions.
The type of hearing requested by the Norris' is called an Indiana Rule S-1 Hearing ("S-1 Hearing"), because it is provided by Rule S-1, which is located at 511 Ind.Admin.Code tit. 7-1, et seq. Plaintiffs allege that Defendants filed an Indiana Rule S-5 Application ("Rule S-5") in retaliation for Plaintiffs' request for the S-1 Hearing. Rule S-5 provides the procedures by which a minor is removed from his or her home and placed in a residential or institutional psychiatric facility. 511 Ind.Admin.Code tit. 7-5, et seq. Without Plaintiffs' knowledge or consent, four persons convened a Local Coordinating Committee ("LCC") to proceed with the Rule S-5 application; the LCC voted to submit a Rule S-5 application to the Indiana Department of Education.
*1458 The Rule S-1 hearing was held before a Hearing Officer, who determined that Jason was not a candidate for a residential or institutional placement. The Hearing Officer issued findings and a decision, which required the schools to change Jason's IEP to conform to the IDEA. Plaintiffs allege that Defendants made a "systematic effort to circumvent" that order. At the beginning of the 1989-90 academic year, Plaintiffs placed Jason in a hospital and then enrolled him in Indiana Public School # 31 two days later.
Plaintiffs' allegations and claims arise from the battle waged between the parties regarding Jason's education. Plaintiffs allege that Defendants failed to provide Jason Norris with the type of education required by State and federal law and by specific orders of the Hearing Officer. Plaintiffs also claim that Defendants improperly attempted to remove Jason from his guardians and attempted to force Jason from the school system. These acts were allegedly done in retaliation for Plaintiffs' lawful attempts to force Defendants to provide a proper education. Finally, Plaintiffs allege that Defendants violated State and federal law by communicating confidential information to other administrators and other students.
In resolving Defendants' Motion, the Court has examined the evidence submitted by the parties, which includes affidavits by John C. Ehrmann, Carolyn Norris, Gerald Norris, Betty Firth, Sue Rice and Paul Velez.
DISCUSSION
Defendants' challenges to Plaintiffs' Amended Complaint may be broken down into discrete sections. The subsections below discuss and determine the legal status of each claim stated in the Amended Complaint.
COUNT I STATE LAW TORT OF MALICIOUS PROSECUTION
Count I alleges that GCSC, JCSSC, Strobel, Brenton, Martin, Rice, Hornsby, Kinsey, Mandery, ESC, NHJSC, CPSC, FCSC and CGCSC are liable for committing the Indiana common law intentional tort of malicious prosecution. Plaintiffs allege that Defendants are liable under this tort theory because Defendants unlawfully initiated a Rule S-5 proceeding to remove Jason from the home of his grandparents in bad faith retaliation for Plaintiffs' request for a Rule S-1 hearing. (Pls.' Am. Compl., Count I ¶¶ 2, 5.)[2]
A claim of malicious prosecution requires proof of four elements: (1) that the defendant instituted or caused to be instituted a prosecution against the plaintiff; (2) defendant acted with malice in doing so; (3) prosecution was instituted without probable cause; and (4) the prosecution terminated in plaintiff's favor. Strutz v. McNagny, 558 N.E.2d 1103, 1106 (Ind.Ct.App.1990) (trans. denied); Lazarus Dept. Store v. Sutherlin, 544 N.E.2d 513, 519 (Ind.Ct.App.1989); F.W. Woolworth Co. v. Anderson, 471 N.E.2d 1249 (Ind.Ct. App.1984) (trans. denied). Defendants argued that even if Plaintiffs have stated a proper claim for this tort, the Defendants enjoy statutory immunity from liability for this kind of tortious conduct. As state governmental entities and state governmental employees, the Defendants are covered by sovereign immunity except for liability allowed expressly by statute. Indiana allows liability for some kinds of torts, but has expressly excluded liability for the tort of malicious prosecution. Ind. Code Ann. § 34-4-16.5-3(5) (Burns Supp. 1991) ("Tort Claims Act"). The Torts Claims Act provides that:
A governmental entity or an employee acting within the scope of his [or her] employment is not liable if a loss results from:
....
*1459 (5) The initiation of a judicial or administrative proceeding;
Id. This statute applies plainly to make the school corporation Defendants immune from liability for initiating a Rule S-5 administrative proceeding.
Plaintiffs argued that the Defendants ought not to enjoy immunity because Defendants brought the S-5 proceeding in bad faith. Bad faith, in the form of malice, is the very element of the malicious prosecution tort that makes the conduct wrongful. Board of Comm'rs of Hendricks County v. King, 481 N.E.2d 1327, 1331 (Ind.Ct.App.1985). Because the primary tort arising from initiating legal proceedings necessarily includes the element of bad faith, the presence of bad faith cannot remove the conduct from the very protection the Tort Claims Act envisioned. Jacobs v. City of Columbus, 454 N.E.2d 1253, 1261 (Ind.Ct.App.1983). The tortious conduct alleged in Count I is within the scope of immunity provided by Ind.Code Ann. § 34-4-16.5-3(5).
Vainly attempting to get around the Tort Claims Act, Plaintiffs argued that the natural person Defendants' acts were outside scope of their employment because the S-5 proceeding was not lawful and because they initiated the proceeding in bad faith.[3] This argument is incorrect; the employees' acts were well within the scope of their employment. The acts constituting the alleged malicious prosecution were referring Jason's case to the LCC and initiating the subsequent S-5 proceeding. The statute creating and governing LCCs makes plain that a school corporation has the privilege and duty of referring cases to the LCC. Ind.Code Ann. §§ 31-6-14-3(2) to XX-X-XX-X (Burns 1987). Thus, Indiana statutes provide specifically that school corporations, through their employees, may initiate LCC proceedings.
Plaintiffs seem to believe that because they have alleged that Defendants initiated the S-5 proceeding for retaliatory purposes, that the Defendants were acting outside the scope of their employment. This argument misconstrues the common law definition of "scope of employment." The scope of employment doctrine refers to a relationship between an employer and employee; that is, the employee's conduct is placed against the "template" created by the specific employer-employee relationship to determine whether the conduct was actuated by a purpose to serve the employer. Sharp v. Egler, 658 F.2d 480 (7th Cir.1981). Simply, an employee acts within the scope of employment if the employee acts with the intention of serving the employer's interests. Gomez v. Adams, 462 N.E.2d 212 (Ind.Ct.App.1984). Even if the ultimate purpose of the Defendants acts was not entirely savory, the Defendant employees initiated the LCC proceedings directly to further the interests of their employers.
School corporations, charged with a statutory responsibility regarding S-5 proceedings, must reasonably expect that their employees will initiate such proceedings; thus, although a school corporation would not necessarily approve of every S-5 proceeding, the employees' actions initiating them is within the "scope" of their employment. See Carrell v. City of Portage, 609 F.Supp. 314, 317 (N.D.Ind.1985) (citing Foster v. Pearcy, 270 Ind. 533, 387 N.E.2d 446, 449 (1979), cert. denied, 445 U.S. 960, 100 S.Ct. 1646, 64 L.Ed.2d 235 (1980)). The scope of employment tests, which usually encompass a very wide range of employee activity, are not to be altered in this instance merely because Plaintiffs are making the unusual claim that the employers *1460 are not responsible for the employees' tortious conduct. The conduct of all Defendants falls within the scope of the Tort Claims Act language providing immunity for malicious prosecution.
Defendants are entitled to judgment in their favor on Count I of Plaintiffs' Amended Complaint because the Indiana Tort Claims Act precludes liability for the claim of malicious prosecution.
COUNT II ABUSE OF PROCESS
Count II claims that GCSC, JCSSC, Strobel, Brenton, Martin, Rice, Hornsby, Kinsey and Mandery are liable for the Indiana common law intentional tort of abuse of process. This tort requires a finding that a defendant misused the judicial process for an end other than that for which it was designed. Voors v. National Women's Health Org., 611 F.Supp. 203 (D.C.Ind.1985); Archem, Inc. v. Simo, 549 N.E.2d 1054 (Ind.Ct.App.1990) (trans. denied). Abuse of process does not require a finding that a criminal proceeding terminated in favor of the plaintiff; instead, it requires a finding that the defendant used the power of the court other than for the purposes for which it is available. Dorrell v. State, 83 Ind. 357 (1882); Central Nat'l Bank of Greencastle v. Shoup, 501 N.E.2d 1090 (Ind.Ct.App.1986). A plaintiff must show that the ulterior motive and use of judicial process would not be proper in normal prosecution of a case. Shoup, 501 N.E.2d 1090.
Plaintiffs claimed that "certain proceedings were instituted and pursued by [Defendants] ... wherein said defendants sought to remove said plaintiff, Jason Norris[,] from the home of plaintiffs Gerald and Carolyn Norris for purposes of placement in a residential or institutional psychiatric facility...." (Pls.' Am.Compl. Count II ¶ 2.) Plaintiffs claimed that Defendants instituted this "John Doe" S-5 proceeding with the LCC without consent or notice, without the required current educational, medical, psychological testing and in bad faith for the "collateral purpose" of retaliation. (Id. ¶¶ 3-5.)
As with the mirror claim for malicious prosecution stated in Count I, this claim is subject to a summary judgment on the determinative basis of Defendants' Tort Claims Act affirmative defense. Although it appears that Plaintiffs have alleged a proper claim for abuse of process, the immunity from liability provided by Ind.Code § 34-4-16.5-3(5) applies to this claim also.[4] The inescapable thrust of this claim is that Defendants initiated an S-5 proceeding for a wrongful purpose; the other factual allegations are immaterial. The Tort Claims Act immunity applies with equal force of logic to claims for malicious prosecution and abuse of process. Defendants are entitled to judgment in their favor on Count II of Plaintiffs' Amended Complaint because the Indiana Tort Claims Act precludes liability for the claim alleged.
COUNT III ABUSE OF PROCESS; CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS
Plaintiffs claim that Defendants GCSC, JCSSC, Strobel, Brenton, Martin, Rice, Shockley, Velez, Boand, Anders and Begley committed the tort of abuse of process by maliciously seeking to institute criminal assault proceedings against Jason. Jason allegedly physically assaulted his instructors and fellow students on more than one occasion; Defendants attempted to raise criminal charges, but the prosecutor's office exercised its discretion not to pursue the charges. The act of bringing a charge before a prosecutor plainly falls within the immunity provided by the Tort Claims Act. King, 481 N.E.2d at 1330. Defendants are entitled to judgment in their favor on Count III of Plaintiffs' Amended Complaint because the Indiana Tort Claims Act precludes liability for the claim alleged.
COUNT IV INTENTIONAL INFLICTION OF EMOTIONAL DISTRESS
This Count claims that Defendants GCSC, JCSSC, Strobel, Brenton, Kinsey, *1461 Mandery, Hornsby, Alger, Westcott, Martin, Rice, Shockley, Velez, Boand, Anders and Begley committed the Indiana common law tort of intentional infliction of emotional distress against the Plaintiffs. Plaintiffs allege that Defendants engaged in a long-term pattern and course of conduct with the intent of inflicting emotional distress; this alleged pattern includes the following acts:
1. Conspired to obtain confidential documents
2. Denied Jason educational services
3. Sought to obtain medical information without consent
4. Convened LCC for "John Doe" Rule S-5 proceeding
5. Submitted a Rule S-5 application containing stale and out of date information
6. Exerted undue influence on Jason to turn him against his grandparents
7. Circumvented Hearing Officer's Order
8. Discriminated against Jason by improper use of isolation and time out
9. Failed to follow behavior modification plan
10. Sought to have criminal charges filed against Jason for assaulting classmates
(Am.Compl., Count IV ¶¶ 4(a)-4(1) (paraphrased).)
Defendants incorrectly asserted the absolute position that Indiana law does not provide a cause of action for intentional infliction not connected with a physical impact. (Defs.' Reply Br. at 6-7.) Indiana law recognizes that the tort includes intentionally tortious conduct invading a legal right by its very nature likely to produce an emotional reaction. Cullison v. Medley, 570 N.E.2d 27 (Ind.1991) (adopting rule of Restatement (Second) of Torts § 46 (1965)); Charlie Stuart Oldsmobile, Inc. v. Smith, 357 N.E.2d 247, 254 (Ind.Ct.App.1976).
To support this kind of claim, a plaintiff must prove that "(1) there is a tort which invades a legal right of the plaintiff; (2) which is likely to provoke an emotional disturbance or trauma; and (3) the defendant's conduct is willful, callous, or malicious." Moffett v. Gene B. Glick Co., Inc., 621 F.Supp. 244, 285 (N.D.Ind.1985); see also Olsson v. A.O. Smith Harvestore Prod., Inc., 656 F.Supp. 644, 647 (S.D.Ind. 1987); Charlie Stuart Oldsmobile, 357 N.E.2d at 254. Plainly, intentional infliction of emotional distress requires a "host" intentional tort; that is, the defendant must commit a recognized intentional tort against a plaintiff in such a manner that the offense would likely cause emotional distress. Rogers v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., 557 N.E.2d 1045, 1056 (Ind.Ct.App. 1990).
Plaintiffs allegations of intentional wrongdoing fall into two categories, each requiring separate analysis. The first category of alleged wrongdoing involves Defendants' acts constituting malicious prosecution and abuse of process acts relating to initiating S-5 and criminal proceedings. The second category of alleged wrongful conduct contains all other acts not connected with initiating those proceedings.
Although the tort of malicious prosecution provides the kind of invasion that could support an intentional infliction of emotional distress claim, Lazarus Dept. Store, 544 N.E.2d at 516, such a claim is barred by the Tort Claims Act. Ind.Code Ann. § 34-4-16.5-3(5). Immunity provided by Tort Claims Act does not apply to specific torts but rather applies to specific conduct and logically to any liability that may arise from that conduct. Therefore, the conduct associated with initiating the Rule S-5 or criminal proceedings cannot form the basis for a viable intentional infliction of emotional distress claim. Defendants are immune from all tort liability arising from those kinds of acts. Therefore, this kind of alleged tortious conduct cannot make the Defendants liable under a theory of intentional infliction of emotional distress.
For different reasons, the second category of conduct also fails to support Plaintiffs' claim. Plaintiffs fail to allege other conduct that constitutes an intentional tort recognized in the State of Indiana; *1462 even if Plaintiffs have alleged facts sufficient to constitute some kind of tortious conduct, the conduct alleged does not constitute "an invasion of a right which by its very nature is likely to provide an emotional disturbance." Although many of Plaintiffs' allegations involve purported violations of statutory procedures or other unsavory conduct, these allegations fail to state recognized intentional torts. For example, allegations that Defendants circumvented the Hearing Officer's Order, held private conversations with Jason to turn him against his guardians, discriminated regarding discipline and solicited other parents for letters do not support any intentional tort claim. It is axiomatic that if there is no underlying intentional tort, then there can be no claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress. Rogers, 557 N.E.2d at 1056.
In sum, although Indiana law recognizes a claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress, the facts alleged by Plaintiffs either do not support such a claim or support a claim barred by the Tort Claims Act. Defendants are entitled to judgment in their favor on Count IV of Plaintiffs' Amended Complaint.
COUNT V DEFAMATION
Count V claims that Defendants Strobel, Brenton, Martin, Rice, Shockley, Velez, Boand, Anders, Mandery, Hornsby and Kinsey committed the Indiana common law intentional tort of defamation. Plaintiffs alleged that Defendants "communicated confidential information regarding [Jason] and his educational program and behavior to non-school personnel" and that these communications defamed Jason and damaged his reputation in the community. Apparently, this breach of confidentiality includes the allegation that Defendants informed teachers and students at Southwest Elementary that Jason had been hospitalized in a psychiatric unit. (Pls.' Am.Compl. ¶ 50.) Plaintiffs claim further that Defendants' alleged communications violated federal law. Plaintiffs have failed to state a claim under federal law and have failed to provide the necessary factual support for a claim under Indiana common law.
A disclosure of confidential information does not create a private cause of action for damages under federal law. Plaintiffs claim incorrectly that 20 U.S.C. § 1232g and 34 C.F.R. §§ 99.1 et seq. provide the legal basis for their claim. That statute does not provide a private cause of action. Girardier v. Webster College, 563 F.2d 1267, 77 (8th Cir.1977); Daniel B. v. Wisconsin Dept. of Public Instruction, 581 F.Supp. 585, 592 (E.D.Wis.1984), aff'd, 776 F.2d 1051 (7th Cir.1985), cert. denied, 475 U.S. 1083, 106 S.Ct. 1462, 89 L.Ed.2d 719 (1986); Price v. Young, 580 F.Supp. 1, 2 (E.D.Ark.1983). Any claim Plaintiffs have attempted to state under federal law must be dismissed.
Plaintiffs' state law defamation claim meets an equally determinative fate. Plaintiffs' two-paragraph response argument, interrogatory answers and affidavits fail to create an issue of fact whether Defendants defamed any of the Plaintiffs. Plaintiffs' interrogatory answers regarding this claim are disturbingly vague (Pls.' Interrog. Answers 19, 20, 21); affidavits submitted by Plaintiffs Carolyn and Gerald Norris in response to the summary judgment state merely that "Jason's day to day affairs regarding school became common knowledge throughout the Greenwood community due to defendant's [sic] improper discussions with non-school personnel." (Carolyn Norris Aff. ¶ 19; Gerald Norris Aff. ¶ 19.) Plaintiffs do not seem to understand that a summary judgment challenge requires them to state "specific facts" supporting their claim; a re-hash of general allegations about purported defamatory information does not state such facts. Fed. R.Civ.P. 56(c).
A claim requires specific facts from witnesses/affiants qualified to state them based upon personal knowledge, not third-party supposition about what might have transpired. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(e). Plaintiffs' other submission completely fails to support a claim of defamation. An affidavit from Ms. Betty Firth stated that
I was informed by Mr. Velez that Jason Norris was being removed or had been *1463 removed from the school and that he would not need the letter which had been requested.
....
[Mr.] Velez made statements to me and my son concerning Jason that were both derogatory and untrue. I am also aware of other statements made by school personnel to myself and to my Terry concerning Jason that were untrue and derogatory, particularly a statement made by Terry's teacher to the effect that Jason "went crazy, probably on drugs and that he was in the hospital."
(Firth Aff. ¶¶ 5, 7.) The first sentence does not support the fact that Defendants made a defamatory statement; it merely recites a "true" fact. A person cannot be liable for defamation if the alleged statement is true. Ind.Code Ann. § 34-1-5-2 (Burns 1986); Bone v. City of Lafayette, Ind., 919 F.2d 64 (7th Cir.1990); Near East Side Comm. Org. v. Hair, 555 N.E.2d 1324, 1330 (Ind.Ct.App.1990); Elliot v. Roach, 409 N.E.2d 661, 681 (Ind.Ct.App.1980). The second sentence provides an unspecific, unsupported conclusion insufficient to support a claim. The third sentence is similarly conclusory and otherwise fails to state a fact based upon personal knowledge; a belief about a statement made to third party does not state a fact based on personal knowledge.
Thus, Plaintiffs have failed to produce specific facts supporting a statement whose falsity is further supported by other specific facts. When a summary judgment motion is opposed by allegations and not facts, the motion must succeed. Defendants are entitled to judgment in their favor on Count V of Plaintiffs' Amended Complaint.
COUNT VI EDUCATIONAL MALPRACTICE
Count VI claims that Defendants GCSC, JCSSC, Strobel, Brenton, Martin, Rice, Shockley, Velez, Kinsey, Mandery, Boand, Anders, Alger, Westcott and Nierman committed the Indiana common law tort of educational malpractice. Plaintiffs allege the Defendants breached their legal duty to provide Jason a "free appropriate public education" and thereby caused him harm, injury and deprived him of academic progress. Plaintiffs admit that no Indiana court has recognized the cause of action stated in this Count. (Pls.' Br.Resp. at 8.) In fact, no published Indiana appellate decision has even discussed the possibility of establishing this cause of action. This federal court must follow established Indiana law or predict what the Indiana Supreme Court would do were it to address an unsettled area. Creating a tort of this nature involves a policy decision this Court is not able to make. Count VI must be dismissed because it fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted under Indiana law.
COUNT VII COMMUNICATION OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
Count VII claims Defendants GCSC, JCSSC, Strobel, Brenton, Martin, Rice, Shockley, Mandery, Hornsby, Anders, Boand, Velez, Kinsey and Nierman violated Plaintiffs' "right to privacy and confidentiality by certain acts." Plaintiffs allege the following acts violated their rights in a manner providing a cause of action to recover money damages:
1. Defendants communicated certain confidential information about Jason's educational records, psychological records and medical records to individuals not employees, agents or representatives of the school corporations;
2. Defendant Rice used an out-dated consent form to receive confidential information from Dr. George McAfee, who treated Jason;
3. Defendants communicated confidential information to the LCC under a "John Doe" submission;
4. Defendants communicated the records and information to the Indiana State Department of Education; and,
5. Defendant Velez communicated confidential information to other parents.
(Pls.' Am.Compl. Count VII, ¶ 2(a)-(e) (paraphrased).)
Defendants' initial argument seeking to dismiss this Count overestimates the burden on a party stating a claim in a *1464 pleading. Rule 8 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure makes plain that a party need only allege facts giving notice of the occurrence allegedly creating liability; a party need not state legal theories in its pleading. Fed.R.Civ.P. 8. Defendants' Interrogatory 30 does not provide a basis for Defendants' mistaken position that Plaintiffs limited their legal theories for relief to the answer provided to that interrogatory. The correct question is whether Count VII states a cause of action under any legal theory; if so, then the question is whether the colorable claim(s) is sufficiently supported to survive a summary judgment.
Plaintiffs have asserted two legal theories supporting their claim for damages because the Defendants "did violate the plaintiff's right to privacy and confidentiality." First, Plaintiffs claim Count VII states a § 1983 claim for damages; that is, a damage claim arising from a violation of federal law. Second, Plaintiffs claim that Defendants' conduct constitutes the Indiana common law intentional tort of invasion of privacy.
Defendants argued that Count VII does not state a sufficient § 1983 claim because the Count does not say "this is a § 1983 claim." A complaint need not state specifically that a particular claim arises under "42 U.S.C. § 1983." These "magic words" are not required to state a valid § 1983 claim; the substance of the allegations provides notice that the claim arises under the federal Constitution. As the Supreme Court stated:
By the plain terms of § 1983, two and only two allegations are required in order to state a cause of action under that statute. First, the plaintiff must allege that some person has deprived him of a federal right. Second, he must allege that the person who has deprived him of that right acted under color of state or territorial law.
Gomez v. Toledo, 446 U.S. 635, 640, 100 S.Ct. 1920, 64 L.Ed.2d 572 (1980). Thus, the question is whether the procedurally-proper § 1983 claim alleges a proper substantive claim actionable under that procedural law.
Section 1983 does not define substantive injuries but rather provides a remedy for injuries defined by other federal laws. In essence, § 1983 was designed to open federal courts to private citizens to provide them a remedy from State actions that deprived the citizens of rights guaranteed by federal law. Mitchum v. Foster, 407 U.S. 225, 238-39, 92 S.Ct. 2151, 2159-60, 32 L.Ed.2d 705 (1972). The statute provides that
Every person who, under color of [state law], subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States ... to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress.
42 U.S.C.A. § 1983 (West 1981). Plaintiffs properly allege that the Defendants' acts were intentional and were performed in bad faith. Daniels v. Williams, 474 U.S. 327, 330-31, 106 S.Ct. 662, 664-65, 88 L.Ed.2d 662 (1986). Thus, Count VII properly states a cause of action if the allegations could possibly support the claim that Defendants deprived Plaintiffs of a "right" provided by federal statutes or the federal Constitution.
Plaintiffs allege that Defendants violated Plaintiffs' "right to privacy and confidentiality." (Pls.' Am.Compl., Count VII ¶ 2.) This alleged federal "right" could have as its source federal statutes or the United States Constitution. Maine v. Thiboutot, 448 U.S. 1, 100 S.Ct. 2502, 65 L.Ed.2d 555 (1980); Pennhurst State Sch. & Hosp. v. Halderman, 451 U.S. 1, 101 S.Ct. 1531, 67 L.Ed.2d 694 (1981); see also Wright v. City of Roanoke Redev. & Hous. Auth., 479 U.S. 418, 107 S.Ct. 766, 93 L.Ed.2d 781 (1987). Defendants attempted to ferret out Plaintiffs' legal theories with Defendants' Interrogatory Number 31. Plaintiffs replied that the federal statute providing the right of privacy and confidentiality of which Defendants deprived them was the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ("FERPA"), 20 U.S.C.A. § 1232g (West 1990) and connected federal regulations, 34 C.F.R. § 99.1 et seq. (1990). Plaintiffs *1465 (mis)cited Griswold v. Connecticut, 381 U.S. 479, 85 S.Ct. 1678, 14 L.Ed.2d 510 (1965), as their legal "theory" that Defendants' alleged conduct violated a right guaranteed by the Constitution.
The statutory basis alleged for Plaintiffs' claim is insufficient to support a § 1983 action for damages. The FERPA does not provide a private right of action. Tarka v. Franklin, 891 F.2d 102 (5th Cir. 1989), cert. denied, 494 U.S. 1080, 110 S.Ct. 1809, 108 L.Ed.2d 940 (1990); Klein Indep. Sch. Dist. v. Mattox, 830 F.2d 576, 579 (5th Cir.1987), cert. denied, 485 U.S. 1008, 108 S.Ct. 1473, 99 L.Ed.2d 702 (1988); Fay v. South Colonie Cent. Sch. Dist., 802 F.2d 21 (2nd Cir.1986); Girardier, 563 F.2d 1267. The FERPA provides expressly that the Secretary of Education is responsible for enforcing the provisions and protections of FERPA; Section 1983 does not create a private right of action for damages where the federal statute provides an exclusive administrative enforcement mechanism. Halderman, 451 U.S. 1, 101 S.Ct. 1531; Smith v. Robinson, 468 U.S. 992, 104 S.Ct. 3457, 82 L.Ed.2d 746 (1984); Klein Indep. Sch. Dist., 830 F.2d at 580; Fay, 802 F.2d at 33.
Note well the distinction between an interest in "confidentiality" and a privacy interest. As discussed by the Seventh Circuit in Pesce v. J. Sterling Morton High Sch., Dist. 201, 830 F.2d 789, 796-97 (7th Cir.1987), whether information is "confidential" or not is determined by statutory and common law. In contrast, whether capture or disclosure of information violates one's right to privacy is a matter of Constitutional law requiring a distinct analysis. See also Whalen v. Roe, 429 U.S. 589, 600, 97 S.Ct. 869, 876, 51 L.Ed.2d 64 (1977).
The next question is whether Count VII alleges properly that Defendants deprived Plaintiffs of a right guaranteed by the United States Constitution. Does the Constitution itself guarantee a "right of privacy" in a student's educational records? If so, is a person "deprived" of such a right by the conduct in which Defendants allegedly engaged?
Although the extent of the interest is not entirely clear, an individual has a constitutionally protected interest in avoiding disclosure of some personal matters. Whalen, 429 U.S. at 599, 97 S.Ct. at 876; United States v. Westinghouse Elec. Corp., 638 F.2d 570, 577 (3rd Cir.1980); see generally 1 Sheldon H. Nahmod, CIVIL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES LITIGATION, § 3.18 at 225 (1991). This interest may extend to a student's interest in his records; if it does, then the interest must be balanced against the government's interest in disclosure to determine whether the student has been "deprived" of a right. Detroit Edison Co. v. NLRB, 440 U.S. 301, 313-17, 99 S.Ct. 1123, 1130-32, 59 L.Ed.2d 333 (1979); Westinghouse, 638 F.2d at 578-79. Some cases dealt directly with the issue whether information in certain records may be disclosed for certain purposes. See e.g., Westinghouse, 638 F.2d at 578-79; Detroit Edison, 440 U.S. at 313, 99 S.Ct. at 1130. These cases make plain that the purpose and extent of disclosure are critical factors balanced against the individual's legitimate privacy expectation (if any). For example, even very personal information may be disclosed for a limited purpose if that purpose is of superior importance. See Schail by Kross v. Tippecanoe County School Corp., 864 F.2d 1309, 1322 n. 19 (7th Cir.1988) (inter-departmental disclosure of confidential medical information permissible because of limited use).
Count VII alleges that Defendants communicated confidential information from Jason's records to non-school corporation personnel. (Pls.' Am.Compl., Count VII ¶ 2(a), (c) & (d).) The Norris affidavits bear out that these disclosures were to the LCC regarding the S-5 hearing and to the Indiana Department of Education regarding the same. While the communications likely involved information over which Jason had a legitimate privacy interest, that interest was outweighed by the use of the information. Although the information was communicated to non-school personnel, it was within the State educational system as provided by State law. A student does not have a legitimate expectation that information *1466 potentially related to his educational needs will not be available within the educational system. Regardless whether the Defendants had a proper motive in bringing the S-5 proceeding, their communication of information from Jason's records was not so broad as to violate his right to privacy.
Count VII alleges further that Defendant Rice improperly used a release form to obtain psychological information from Jason's psychologist, Dr. George McAfee. Defendants denied this allegation. Neither party submitted evidence in support of or opposition to the factual sufficiency of this allegation. The constitutional right of privacy as elusive and amorphous as it is does not protect against the wrong alleged. As described in Whalen, the Constitution prohibits the disclosure of information over which one has a legitimate privacy interest. The methods used to obtain information are limited by the fourth amendment directly. Although obtaining psychological records allegedly under false pretenses could be prohibited by State or federal laws, that conduct does not deprive a person of a right guaranteed by the Constitution.
Plaintiffs contend that Defendant Velez "communicated confidential information regarding the education of Jason Norris to parents of other children in Jason Norris' class...." Affidavits from Defendant Velez and Betty Firth do not support a § 1983 claim that Defendants deprived Plaintiffs of their right to privacy. Ms. Firth states merely that Defendant Velez made statements that were "both derogatory and untrue"; her affidavit does not even support the minimally sufficient element that the information came from Jason's records. The Constitution does not prohibit disclosure of information learned during the ordinary course of instruction; if prohibited at all, it is a matter of state law (see below).
Defendants argue that Plaintiffs' State law claim demands a summary judgment because three of the four incidents occurred more than 180 days prior to the date Plaintiffs filed their tort claims notice, November 9, 1989. This is correct. The only alleged incident not subject to this affirmative defense is that Defendant Velez "communicated confidential information regarding the education of [Jason] to parents of other children in [Jason's] class...." As discussed in regard to Count IV, Ms. Firth's affidavit is the only viable source of facts supporting the allegation of invasion of privacy. Ms. Firth's affidavit states no specific facts supporting Plaintiffs' claims; in contrast, Defendants' submitted an affidavit from Mr. Velez stating that he discussed no confidential information with Ms. Firth. (Velez Aff. ¶ 5.) Because Plaintiffs failed to state specific facts supporting a reasonable finding that Defendants committed the alleged tort within the limitations period, Plaintiffs cannot recover under this theory.
Count VII will be dismissed.
COUNTS VIII THROUGH XIV
These seven counts state essentially the same factual allegations. Each count states a different cause of action (each purportedly predicated on a distinct legal basis) arising from the facts alleged. In short, Plaintiffs allege three factual events in support of these claims: (1) Defendants convened the LCC without providing notice or opportunity for a hearing as required by the IDEA; (2) Defendants submitted confidential, out-of-date information to the LCC and others; and, (3) Defendants instituted a Rule S-5 proceeding to retaliate against Plaintiffs for requesting a Rule S-1 hearing.
These factual allegations state causes of action that may be placed into three different general categories. These categories are described as follows:
(1) Defendants' conduct violated the IDEA because Jason's educational plan was not in substantive compliance with IDEA;
(2) Defendants' conduct violated the United States Constitution because Defendants failed to follow procedures required by IDEA;
(3) Defendants' conduct towards Plaintiffs constituted an independent violation of *1467 rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution.
Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment argued that Counts VII through XIV, each of which states one or more of the types of claims listed above, should be dismissed on jurisdictional grounds. Defendants argue that Plaintiffs failed to exhaust their administrative remedies prior to filing this district court action seeking the relief requested in Counts VII through XIV. (Defs.' Br. Support Mot.Summ.J. at 20-25.) Defendants' overly-blunt argument attempts to roll over Plaintiffs' claims by ignoring half of the allegations and misconstruing others. Defendants seem to misunderstand that for a claim to be barred for failure to exhaust administrative remedies, the claim must actually state a cause of action seeking a remedy that could be obtained through the administrative process. If a count states a claim independent from any relief available under an administrative process, then it is irrelevant whether the plaintiff "exhausted" any administrative remedy. One cannot exhaust that which does not exist.
Category One: Claim Directly Under the IDEA (Count XII)
Count XII of Plaintiffs' Amended Complaint states a claim that is not actionable unless and until a statutorily-provided review process has been completed. This claim is based on substantive and procedural rights created by federal statute, 20 U.S.C.A. §§ 1401 et seq. (West 1990 & Supp.1992). A federal district court's jurisdiction over such claims is derived solely from § 1415(e)(1) & (2). Those sections require a plaintiff to seek the administrative review described by § 1415(b)(2) & (c), if applicable, prior to seeking review in a federal district court. Honig v. Doe, 484 U.S. 305, 312, 108 S.Ct. 592, 598, 98 L.Ed.2d 686 (1988); Doe v. Alabama State Dept. of Educ., 915 F.2d 651, 659 (11th Cir.1990); Cox v. Jenkins, 878 F.2d 414, 418 (D.C.Cir. 1989); Christopher W. v. Portsmouth Sch. Comm., 877 F.2d 1089, 1093 (1st Cir.1989); Mrs. W. v. Tirozzi, 832 F.2d 748, 756 (2nd Cir.1987); Riley v. Ambach, 668 F.2d 635, 640 (2d Cir.1981). Thus, to bring a district court action seeking redress for an alleged violation of a substantive or procedural right created by the IDEA, the plaintiff must prove that the administrative review provided by § 1415(b)(2) & (c) is no longer available to provide relief.
The type of review required by § 1415(b)(2) & (c) is available in Indiana by way of a Rule S-1 hearing (511 Ind.Admin.Code tit. 7-1-3(g)) and/or an appeal to the Board of Special Education Appeals ("BSEA") (Id. at 7-1-3(h)). Defendants argued that Plaintiffs failed to satisfy § 1415(e)(2) because Plaintiffs failed to use either of these options to seek further review of Jason's situation. Plaintiffs responded that there was no logic in further "review" because a previous Rule S-1 hearing resulted in findings and a decision favored by Plaintiffs. Plaintiffs admit they were not "aggrieved" by the Hearing Officer's findings and decision; in fact, they desired to have that order enforced.
The administrative review process prescribed by § 1415(b)(2) & (c) applies when a party is "aggrieved" by a decision of a hearing officer. A party "aggrieved" by a presumably adverse decision must then "appeal" that decision to the BSEA. If a party is aggrieved by the hearing officer's findings and decision, then the party cannot bring a federal district court action until the party has appealed to the BSEA. However, if a student is not "aggrieved" by a hearing officer's "findings and decision," but merely desired to have the resulting order enforced, does the student meet the jurisdictional requirements of § 1415(e)(2)?
This question discloses that there is more to jurisdiction than merely "exhausting" administrative remedies. The parties in this matter repeat the phrase "failure to exhaust administrative remedies" apparently without looking at the law applicable to this case. That phrase captures only one facet of jurisdiction; this Court's jurisdiction over IDEA matters is controlled strictly by § 1415(e) not by any single phrase. A hearing officer determines whether a student is receiving a "free appropriate *1468 public education." Section 1415(e)(1) provides that a hearing officer's decision will be final, except that it may be appealed to the BSEA. The party bringing the appeal need not have been aggrieved by the hearing officer's findings and decision. Any other type of review or action requires that some party be "aggrieved" by the hearing officer's findings and decision. Regardless whether the party is "aggrieved" or merely bringing an "appeal," the party must next seek review from the BSEA. This level of review cannot be side-stepped. This Court has jurisdiction only if a party is "aggrieved" by a decision of the BSEA any other situation requires further administrative review.
Plaintiffs incorrectly argue that they were in a "catch-22" situation because they were not "aggrieved" by any order but rather faced a school district unwilling to abide by a valid order. This is incorrect; an adequate remedy was plainly available. When a school district ignores a valid final order, the proper remedy is enforcement of that order. That remedy is available through the administrative process created by Indiana law, which allows private individuals to bring a complaint to the Division of Special Education that a public agency is taking action contrary to free appropriate public education. 511 Ind.Admin.Code tit. 7-1-7 (1988). The investigator's finding is binding on the public agency and may be appealed to the Commission on General Education; failure to comply with the finding may result in loss of State and federal funding. Id.
Plainly, a complaint that a school ignored a hearing officer's order may be remedied through the administrative process. Plaintiffs failed to seek this type of required remedy. If Plaintiffs did not receive a favorable response from the investigator, then they were required to appeal to the Commission on General Education. If Plaintiffs were "aggrieved" by the Commission's decision (for example, by a "finding" that the school district had properly implemented the order), then Plaintiffs would meet the requirement provided by § 1415(e)(2) and could bring a federal suit to force the school to comply with the IDEA.
Seemingly accepting the obvious conclusion that further administrative review was available when they filed this action, Plaintiffs argue they were excused from exhausting those avenues of potential relief. Citing Tirozzi, 832 F.2d at 750, Plaintiffs argue that exhaustion of administrative remedies is not required where it would be "futile, inadequate or impractical." (Pls.' Br.Opp'n Summ. J. at 21-22.) Plaintiffs' arguments addressing this issue patently disclose that Plaintiffs simply refused to seek out their available curative remedies. Instead, Plaintiffs had seemingly resolved that Defendants were not going to comply and thus Plaintiffs desired to make the Defendants pay for that act. The IDEA does not provide a mechanism to punish a school district through a monetary penalty imposed by a federal district court. When the administrative review process is used properly, an offending school district will either comply or lose valuable State and federal funding.
Plaintiffs failed to seek enforcement through an investigator and therefore cannot claim that exhausting the administrative review process would be "futile." Cox v. Jenkins, 878 F.2d 414 (D.C.Cir.1989) (noncompliance with order must be addressed through administrative process). A party seeking redress available under the IDEA bears the burden of showing why the party should be excused from exhausting all administrative review avenues available to achieve the desired remedy. Id. at 419. There is absolutely no evidence that further review by an agency entirely distinct from the Defendants would not provide an appropriate remedy.
Plaintiffs argue also that the monetary damages sought by Count XII are available under the IDEA and that by requesting this type of relief they were not required to exhaust their administrative remedies. (Pls.' Br.Opp'n Summ. J. at 24.) Plaintiffs seem to contend that because the "relief" of damages is not available through the administrative process, that they may proceed directly to a district *1469 court if that is the remedy they would prefer. This argument represents a profound misunderstanding of § 1415(e)(2) and Anderson v. Thompson, 658 F.2d 1205, 1213 (7th Cir.1981). The Anderson court held that § 1415(e)(2), which provides that a court "shall grant such relief as the court determines is appropriate," allows a district court to award limited damages when "appropriate." Such damages are not for general inconvenience and are not exemplary, but rather are limited to the cost of the alternative educational services purchased at the parents' expense. Anderson, 658 F.2d at 1214.
However, these damages are available only if the plaintiff meets the jurisdictional requirements of § 1415(e)(2). Before a district court may consider whether monetary damages are available, the plaintiff must have sought the review and relief available (compliance) through the administrative process. If that process fails, and the plaintiff can prove the elements set forth in Anderson, then and only then may a district court award these limited damages. Plainly, a plaintiff cannot avoid the jurisdictional requirements merely by requesting a form of relief available from the district court only.
In sum, any action claiming a violation of the IDEA or seeking to enforce a right created by the IDEA must be preceded by a complete exhaustion of the scheme of administrative review created by the Act. The IDEA required Plaintiffs to seek available, curative administrative remedies from the State of Indiana; Plaintiffs failed to do so without justifiable excuse and therefor failed to satisfy the jurisdictional requirements imposed plainly by the IDEA. Count XII must be dismissed for a lack of jurisdiction.
Category Two: Constitutional Due Process Claim for Failure to Follow Procedures Required By the IDEA
Plaintiffs claim that Defendants' failure to follow the hearing procedures required by the IDEA violates the Constitution and provides Plaintiffs with a cause of action for damages through the Civil Rights Act of 1871, 18 U.S.C. § 1983. This kind of claim demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of the Constitutional right to due process of law. That right is created and defined by the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution and is neither defined nor authoritatively interpreted by procedures established by federal statutes.
Even though a hearing may be called a "due process" hearing by a statute or regulation, it does not necessarily mean that failure to follow the procedures set for that hearing (or even failing to have a hearing) will violate the fourteenth amendment.[5] The procedural rights conferred by the Constitution are sui generis and are completely independent of any rights created by federal statute. Cleveland Bd. of Educ. v. Loudermill, 470 U.S. 532, 534, 105 S.Ct. 1487, 1489, 84 L.Ed.2d 494 (1985) (although "entitlements" may be conferred by local law, "due process" is defined by the Constitution). A "right" to a particular hearing process conferred by the IDEA is not founded in the Constitution and therefore cannot be enforced or remedied through a claim based upon an entirely distinct constitutional right. A defendant can violate the Constitution only by violating a right created by the Constitution itself. See generally 2 Ronald D. Rotunda, et al., CONSTITUTIONAL LAW § 17.5 at 237 (1985).
To the extent that Counts VII through XII state a "constitutional" claim dependent upon a violation of the IDEA, these claims must be dismissed.
Category Three: Direct Violations of United States Constitution
Given the foregoing, there is but a single jurisdictional avenue available to Plaintiffs. *1470 To state an actionable § 1983 claim, Plaintiffs must allege that Defendants violated a constitutionally protected liberty interest that is, an interest arising solely under the Constitution. Austin v. Brown Local School Dist., 746 F.2d 1161, 1164 (6th Cir.1984). The Supreme Court has stated that "maintenance of an independent due process challenge to state procures would not be inconsistent with the [IDEA's] comprehensive scheme." Smith v. Robinson, 468 U.S. at 1014 n. 17, 104 S.Ct. at 3469 n. 17. A § 1983 claim based upon the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment is distinct from any right or interest created by the IDEA. Therefore, the Plaintiffs must allege and prove all of the elements required for a "standard" violation of that amendment. Plaintiffs claim that Defendants' conduct deprived Plaintiffs of the their "right of privacy," their "due process rights" and their "First Amendment rights." These claims are addressed serially below.
Right of Privacy
Whether Defendants' conduct deprived Plaintiffs of their right to privacy has been discussed thoroughly in section VII above. Counts VII and IX state § 1983 claims alleging a violation of this constitutional right. For the reasons stated in section VII, these claims must be dismissed for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.
Fourteenth Amendment Due Process
Counts VIII, XI, XIII and XIV each claim (with varying degrees of obscurity) that Defendants' alleged conduct deprived Plaintiffs of their due process rights. Before due process can become an applicable concept, a life, liberty, or property interest must be identified. See generally 1 Sheldon H. Nahmod, CIVIL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES LITIGATION, § 3.08 at 167 (1991). To be deprived of a due process right, one must be deprived of a liberty or property interest without the proper degree of legal process due for that deprivation. The issue here is whether Defendants' alleged conduct could possibly support a claim that Defendants deprived Plaintiffs of this constitutional right.
Plaintiffs claim that Defendants convened a LCC without observing proper statutory procedures, submitted confidential information to the LCC improperly and initiated a Rule S-5 hearing in retaliation for Plaintiffs' request for a Rule S-1 hearing. None of these allegations can support a claim that Plaintiffs were "deprived" of a liberty or property interest; at the most, these allegations assert that Defendants attempted to deprive Plaintiffs of certain interests. The fourteenth amendment is not a general "policing" provision through which federal courts assure that State agencies follow their own procedures and act with honorable intentions. A plaintiff is not "deprived" of a liberty or property interest when a State agency merely initiates a residential placement proceeding, even with the worst intentions. Even assuming that guardians have a constitutionally-protected interest in retaining control over their wards, a guardian is not "deprived" of that right unless the ward is actually removed without sufficient process.
Counts VIII, XI, XIII and XIV must be dismissed to the extent they claim violations of the Plaintiffs' due process rights; their allegations fail to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.
First Amendment
Asserting yet another legal basis for a claim based upon the same factual allegations, Plaintiffs argue that Defendants' conduct regarding the LCC and Rule S-5 proceedings deprived Plaintiffs of their first amendment rights. It is plain that convening a LCC "in reckless disregard of plaintiff's rights to due process" does not state a violation of the first amendment. Similarly, submitting records to the LCC "in reckless disregard of plaintiff's rights to due process" also does not state a violation of the first amendment. Plaintiffs allege further that Defendants convened the LCC and submitting the records for the purpose of retaliating against Plaintiffs for the "exercise of their rights to due process under federal and state law."
Does the first amendment prohibit state officials from convening "retaliatory" LCC *1471 proceedings in response to a student's request for a Rule S-1 hearing?[6] A request for a Rule S-1 hearing is a private act performed pursuant to State law and is not an exercise of "free speech"; Plaintiffs fail to state a colorable claim on that clause of the first amendment.
Plaintiffs' allegation may be based on the petition clause of the first amendment, which provides that "Congress shall make no law ... abridging ... the right of the people ... to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." U.S. Const. amend I. Plaintiffs may be asserting the theory that requesting a Rule S-1 hearing is an exercise of Plaintiffs' first amendment right to petition the government for redress. If the LCC proceeding were intended to deter Plaintiffs' from exercising that right, then the argument concludes that such conduct would be an impermissible burden on Plaintiffs' first amendment rights.
A properly-pleaded count may state a § 1983 claim for damages if a person acting under color of State law deprives another of his first amendment right to petition the government. The fourteenth amendment incorporates the first amendment's right to petition clause and thereby requires the States to abide by that constitutional standard. Hague v. CIO, 307 U.S. 496, 59 S.Ct. 954, 83 L.Ed. 1423 (1939) (fourteenth amendment incorporates right to petition); Monroe v. Pape, 365 U.S. 167, 81 S.Ct. 473, 5 L.Ed.2d 492 (1961) (§ 1983 provides cause of action against State actors for violations of fourteenth amendment). The petition clause must be read together with the free speech clause; the right to petition overlaps and is an assurance of a particular freedom of expression. McDonald v. Smith, 472 U.S. 479, 105 S.Ct. 2787, 86 L.Ed.2d 384 (1985). The right to petition is subject to the same constitutional analysis as the right to free speech. Wayte v. United States, 470 U.S. 598, 105 S.Ct. 1524, 84 L.Ed.2d 547 (1985).
Thus, as with the distinction between statutorily-required procedures and constitutionally-required due process, there is a distinction between a statutorily-provided petition process and a constitutionally-required petition process. Merely deterring a person from petitioning a State entity for a hearing does not necessarily raise a constitutional issue. A plaintiff must prove that there are free speech concerns in addition to the act of petitioning the State for redress. Day v. South Park Indep. Sch. Dist., 768 F.2d 696, 701 (5th Cir.1985), cert. denied, 474 U.S. 1101, 106 S.Ct. 883, 88 L.Ed.2d 918 (1986). The petition must present a matter of public concern and not merely a private dispute between the parties. Id. at 701 n. 17. A request for a hearing on a matter of private concern is not protected by the petition clause or any other first amendment right. Rankin v. McPherson, 483 U.S. 378, 384, 107 S.Ct. 2891, 2896, 97 L.Ed.2d 315 (1987); Griffin v. Thomas, 929 F.2d 1210, 1215 (7th Cir.1991); Gray v. Lacke, 885 F.2d 399, 410 (7th Cir.1989), cert. denied, 494 U.S. 1029, 110 S.Ct. 1476, 108 L.Ed.2d 613 (1990); Belk v. Town of Minocqua, 858 F.2d 1258 (7th Cir.1988); Phares v. Gustafsson, 856 F.2d 1003 (7th Cir.1988); Day, 768 F.2d at 703; Vukadinovich v. Bartels, 853 F.2d 1387, 1390 (7th Cir.1988).[7]
A court must examine whether a petition touched upon a matter of public *1472 concern by looking at content, form and context of the petition. Connick v. Myers, 461 U.S. 138, 147-48, 103 S.Ct. 1684, 1690-91, 75 L.Ed.2d 708 (1983); Gray, 885 F.2d at 410; Hesse v. Board of Educ., 848 F.2d 748, 751 (7th Cir.1988), cert. denied, 489 U.S. 1015, 109 S.Ct. 1128, 103 L.Ed.2d 190 (1989). There are no firm standards by which the law can judge all first amendment deprivation cases; rather, the general principles cited above must be applied to the facts of each case. Gray, 885 F.2d at 410; Knapp v. Whitaker, 757 F.2d 827, 840 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, 474 U.S. 803, 106 S.Ct. 36, 88 L.Ed.2d 29 (1985).
Plaintiffs allege that Defendants' conduct deprived them by attempting to deter Plaintiffs from filing for a Rule S-1 hearing. Plaintiffs' request for a hearing was an attempt to resolve a problem between Plaintiffs and Defendants only. This is similar to the "petition" alleged in Gray, where the plaintiff/employee complained to her supervisor in an attempt to stop sexual harassment against the plaintiff. The Seventh Circuit held that the communication related solely to the resolution of a personal problem. 885 F.2d at 411. Similarly, in Griffin, the plaintiff's complaint about her teaching assignments state an unprotected private concern. 929 F.2d at 1215. In this matter, although Plaintiffs sought to redress a wrong against Jason Norris, their petition was solely of private concern Plaintiffs were not petitioning to change a law, but merely to have it applied in their particular case.
In sum, Plaintiffs have failed to state a colorable claim arising under the first amendment. Thus, Counts X, XIII and XIV must be dismissed to the extent they claim violations of the first amendment.
CONCLUSION
Each of Plaintiffs' claims is either legally or factually insufficient to provide relief. Although some of Plaintiffs' allegations may have stated colorable claims, relief for those claims was foreclosed by jurisdictional grounds or trumped by affirmative defenses. An Order accompanying this Entry will dismiss Counts VI through XIV and direct the Clerk to enter Judgment in favor of the Defendants on Counts I through V.
NOTES
[1] This Act was called the "Education of the Handicapped Act" prior to its amendment in 1990. See Pub.L. 101-476, § 901(a)(1).
[2] In support of their malicious prosecution claim, Plaintiffs also alleged that Defendants submitted confidential information to the LCC without Plaintiffs' consent. (Id. ¶ 4.) Unveiling the "kitchen sink" style of pleading manifest in the remainder of the Amended Complaint, Plaintiffs add just about any allegation of conduct that disturbed them, whether or not it is connected to the legal theory at issue.
[3] Note that the school corporation Defendants cannot be liable for this tort regardless whether the employees were acting within the scope of their employment. If the employees were acting within the scope of their employment a situation to which the principle of respondeat superior applies then the Tort Claims Act provides immunity for the school corporation Defendants. If the employees' actions were outside the scope of their employment, then the bridge of liability created by respondeat superior would be absent and the school corporations could not be liable for the employees' acts. Shelby v. Truck & Bus Group Div. of GMC, 533 N.E.2d 1296, 1298 (Ind.Ct.App.1989); Gomez v. Adams, 462 N.E.2d 212, 222-23 (Ind.Ct.App. 1984). In either of the two possible situations, the school corporation Defendants would not be liable for this type of tortious conduct.
[4] No published decision regarding the Indiana Tort Claims Act has addressed directly whether abuse of process liability falls within the Act's umbrella of immunity.
[5] There should be no mystery that § 1983 provides a cause of action for two distinct types of deprivations. First, that section provides a cause of action against State actors if they deprive a person of a right created by a federal statute. Maine v. Thiboutot, 448 U.S. 1, 100 S.Ct. 2502, 65 L.Ed.2d 555 (1980). Second, § 1983 provides a cause of action against State actors if they deprive a person of a right created by the United States Constitution.
[6] Note that this allegation is categorically different from a situation where a public employee is fired or discriminated against in retaliation for exercising his or her right to free speech or worship. See e.g., Rutan v. Republican Party of Illinois, 497 U.S. 62, 110 S.Ct. 2729, 111 L.Ed.2d 52 (1990); Pickering v. Board of Educ., 391 U.S. 563, 88 S.Ct. 1731, 20 L.Ed.2d 811 (1968); Johnston v. Koppes, 850 F.2d 594 (9th Cir.1988). In those cases, a person's termination is directly linked to a fundamental exercise of free speech; there is no question that the speech is protected and that the employer's conduct would deter the exercise of that protected speech.
[7] This is distinguishable from a person's associational rights, which do not require that the person's associational activity relate to a matter of public concern. Shneider v. Indiana River Comm. Coll. Found., 875 F.2d 1537 (11th Cir. 1989). However, associations for commercial gain are not entitled to first amendment protection. Rothner v. City of Chicago, 725 F.Supp. 945 (N.D.Ill.1989), aff'd, 929 F.2d 297 (7th Cir. 1991).
| 2023-11-14T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/3446 |
First-Day-of-School Smoothies
This was actually a post I wrote for Babycenter two years ago on our first day of school. It’s too funny not to share. I wonder how today’s picture will compare? It’s about 6am here and I’m enjoying the quiet before the chaos of this year begins. To another year…they’re starting to go so quickly.
___________________________
Our first day of school is off to an interesting start. Behold:
One day we’ll laugh about this, right?
Carter is…elated. He has dubbed himself King of (Pre) Kindergarten. His loyal subjects will adore him, he’s sure.
Kate is a wreck. If you read my post yesterday, it’s no surprise that she’s tied up in knots with nerves. She cried on our walk to school. I cried on our walk to school. We both cried as we hugged good-bye. Some example I am.
(Also, I may or may not have snuck back up during the school assembly to give her a hug.)
In any case, the only thing anyone could be happy about this morning was our First-Day-of-School Smoothies. During the school year, these make a regular appearance in the breakfast roation because they’re quick, easy, filling, nutritious and — drum roll — everyone in the house likes them. (That’s a major feat around here.)
It’s not a rocket science recipe, but it’s really easy and good so I thought I’d share.
Place protein powder and juice in a blender and shake to dissolve powder slightly. Add berries, banana and yogurt. (At this point, I usually refrigerate overnight so the berries thaw and we get their natural juices, but you don't have to. If you don't, you may need to add more liquid.) Blend until smooth.
Trackbacks
[…] from our normal morning smoothies. (That’s actually a nice way of saying my kids are sick of our standard fruit smoothies every single morning.) I’d seen a version of this smoothie on Pinterest, but didn’t like […]
Meet Sugar Mama
Lindsay cooks from her Home on the Range in Kansas. She's won over $100K in recipe contests, but still struggles to please her picky taste-testers, ages 12, 9 and 4. She posts her kid-tested, hubby-approved recipes right here. | 2023-12-25T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/6723 |
Be our Valentine Contest Winners
Conspiring mothers, a protective waiter, and a distracting
three year old were just three catalysts to finding love, submitted by
Pique
Newsmagazine
readers. And those loves won
some pretty cool gifts for sharing their stories as part of our three-week
online Be Our Valentine contest.
We asked readers to write in and tell us about the first day
they met their loves and received 200 entries in response. Pique publisher’s
assistant Aimee Larivee culled through submissions, reading many aloud to
production staff groans, guffaws and cheers. Because of the difficulty in
choosing from the quantity and variety of offerings, four honourable mentions
were also chosen.
And the winners are:
1. Rob Schertzer, 45, from Vancouver, who doesn’t mind
admitting their mothers brought he and wife Laura together. Schertzer recalled
how their mothers connected while leaving synagogue after Yom Kippur. His now
mother-in-law asked his mother if he was single. “My mother sadly said, ‘No,
he’s divorced.’ Without missing a beat, her mom said, ‘Oh good, ready to start
again!’” Rob and Laura have been married for 13 years and have two children.
The couple wins a one-night stay at the Edgewater Lodge, a $150
gift certificate for Rimrock restaurant, a $100 gift basket from Rocky Mountain
Chocolate Factory and two weeks unlimited doggy day care from Whistler’s Dog’s
Paw.
“I invited you in for tea. You accepted. I didn’t even have a
tea pot.”
For her cryptic but telling submission, Fawcett wins one night
at Adara Hotel, a $150 gift certificate for Ric’s Grill and a $100 certificate
from Keir Fine Jewellery.
3. An underage Sheila Banks badgered a waiter to serve her a
beer. He refused but asked her out for a date. “Thirty five years later we are
still married and I still don’t drink beer,” Banks said. The couple will enjoy
one night at the Crystal Lodge, a $100 gift certificate from the Cinnamon Bear
Bar & Grille and $290 infrared sauna package for two from Aqua del Sol.
4. In praise of puppy love: Whistler resident Adam Protter’s
story about meeting his future wife at the pediatrician’s office when he was
four. Throwing a screaming fit in anticipation of a blood test his future
wife’s aplomb calmed the situation.
“A little girl, three years old, with golden, curly hair walked
up and started singing to me. When I stopped crying she patted me on the cheek
and told me not to be afraid. All I could do was stare in stunned amazement. We
still have the beautiful dish Dr. Cole sent as a wedding gift 20 years later.” | 2024-07-01T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/3614 |
/*
* Tencent is pleased to support the open source community by making TKEStack
* available.
*
* Copyright (C) 2012-2019 Tencent. All Rights Reserved.
*
* Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may not use
* this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of the
* License at
*
* https://opensource.org/licenses/Apache-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 OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License for the
* specific language governing permissions and limitations under the License.
*/
package storage
import (
corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
genericregistry "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/registry/generic"
"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/registry/rest"
platforminternalclient "tkestack.io/tke/api/client/clientset/internalversion/typed/platform/internalversion"
"tkestack.io/tke/pkg/platform/proxy"
)
// Storage includes storage for resources.
type Storage struct {
ServiceAccount *REST
}
// REST implements pkg/api/rest.StandardStorage.
type REST struct {
*proxy.Store
}
// NewStorage returns a Storage object that will work against resources.
func NewStorage(_ genericregistry.RESTOptionsGetter, platformClient platforminternalclient.PlatformInterface) *Storage {
serviceAccountStore := &proxy.Store{
NewFunc: func() runtime.Object { return &corev1.ServiceAccount{} },
NewListFunc: func() runtime.Object { return &corev1.ServiceAccountList{} },
Namespaced: true,
PlatformClient: platformClient,
}
return &Storage{
ServiceAccount: &REST{serviceAccountStore},
}
}
// Implement ShortNamesProvider
var _ rest.ShortNamesProvider = &REST{}
// ShortNames implements the ShortNamesProvider interface. Returns a list of short names for a resource.
func (r *REST) ShortNames() []string {
return []string{"sa"}
}
| 2024-01-14T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/8872 |
Philosophy Of Medicine
“My goal is to provide the best of foot care for our region, from diabetic foot care to complex foot surgeries. My goal for every patient is to find the cause of pain and prevent it from happening. Preventative medicine is a strong and important part of my practice.” | 2023-12-20T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/9204 |
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END
| 2023-10-17T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/8201 |
Meghana Raj Stills and Images Collection
Meghana Raj started her acting career in 2009 through the Tamil film krishanleelai, directed by selvan . She was introduced into film industry by k. balachander. Even before the release of that film, she acted in a Telugu film bendu apparao R.M.P, which is her only Telugu film released till date. She played the role of a teacher in this comedy entertainer, starring along with Allari Naresh and Kamna Jethmalani which was released in October 2009 and marked to be a big hit in the screen She is now acting in the female lead role in the Kannada film Punda, a remake of the 2007 Tamil film Polladhavan.In this gallery we present Meghana Raj Stills and Images collection sourced exclusively from her photo shoots and movie locations. Watch and share 9+ stills and images of actress Meghana Raj. | 2024-04-13T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/2008 |
Acclimatization of newborn rats and guinea pigs to 3000 to 5000 m simulated altitudes.
Two species of newborn rodents (guinea pigs and rats) were acclimatized to simulated altitudes of 3000 to 6000 m during 2 to 8 weeks after birth. Body weight increase was significantly retarded in both species at altitudes of 5000 m and higher. Heart weight relative to body weight increased by 50% at 3000 m and 300% at 5000 m (after 7 weeks) in rats but was only 17% increased even at 5000 (6 weeks) in guinea pigs. Relative lung weights increased by 40% at 3000 m in rats and 5000 m in guinea pigs; at 5000 m rats showed a 130% increase. Hb-concentration increase (20%) was not significantly different in rats at 3000 m and 5000 m, respectively, in guinea pigs it was below 10% at 3000 m and around 40% at 5000 m. Half saturation pressures of blood (P50) increased in rats significantly compared to controls but not in guinea pigs. The results suggest that relative maturity and high blood oxygen affinity in newborn guinea pigs favor high altitude acclimatization. Immaturity of newborn rats, their low blood oxygen affinity and immature enzyme patterns are considered as reasons for the smaller resistance against high altitude stress compared to guinea pigs. | 2024-04-10T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/4930 |
Be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn the power of Man. | 2023-09-14T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/4224 |
Over 450 services work with IFTTT, and you can build with all of them. It’s your API playground. Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, BMW, Slack, Fitbit, Telegram — even Domino’s pizza! In the past, you could only build Applets that worked with services you actually owned and had connected. As a Maker, you’ll have access to everything.
Additional text has been truncated due to copyright reasons. Things without URLs and private things don't get truncated. | 2023-10-09T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/3729 |
Q:
Knitting an HTML file wont publish the inference command
I am currently doing a R course and I struggle with knitting an HTML file.
All the code works fine within RStudio. The file also knits properly, however it wont plot an output for the last command, when I run the inference. I added the code.
Any input is much appreciated.
Thanks
Markus
Firstly, we filter for the religions and the year of interest:
```{r filter}
gss2012 = gss %>%
filter(year =="2012")
gssCatPro2012 = gss2012 %>%
filter(relig=="Catholic" | relig=="Protestant")
```
Now we create a first histogram of both religions to get a first idea of the distributions:
{r plot both rel}
ggplot(data=gssCatPro2012, aes(x=childs))+geom_histogram()
Calculate ratio and represent in pie chart:
{r ratio}
gssCatPro2012 %>%
summarise(Catholicratio = sum(relig =="Catholic")/n())
percent <- c(32.64,67.36)
lbls <- c("Catholics", "Protestants")
pct <- round(percent/sum(percent)*100)
lbls <- paste(lbls, pct)
lbls <- paste(lbls,"%", sep="")
pie(percent, labels=lbls, col=rainbow(length(lbls)), main="Pie chart Catholics/Protestants")
Split data between religions:
{r split}
gssCat2012 = gssCatPro2012 %>%
filter(relig=="Catholic")
gssPro2012 = gssCatPro2012 %>%
filter(relig=="Protestant")
Plot first distribution of Catholics, then Protestants:
{r plot per religion}
ggplot(data=gssCat2012, aes(x=childs))+geom_histogram()
ggplot(data=gssPro2012, aes(x=childs))+geom_histogram()
Check if any NAs to clean:
{r NA}
anyNA(gssCatPro2012$childs)
completeFun <- function(data, desiredCols) {
completeVec <- complete.cases(data[, desiredCols])
return(data[completeVec, ])
}
gssCatPro2012=completeFun(gssCatPro2012,"childs")
anyNA(gssCatPro2012$childs)
Calculate means for both religions:
{r metrics}
gssCatPro2012 %>%
group_by(relig) %>%
summarise(mean_kids=mean(childs), med_kids=median(childs), sd_kids=sd(childs),n=n())
Inference
We are going to create a new variable in order to overwrite the content of the old variable relig:
{create new variable}
gssCatPro2012new <- gssCatPro2012 %>%
mutate(relignew = ifelse(relig == "Catholic", "Catholic", "Protestant"))
Now, we can run the inference function and see whether we can reject the 0 Hypothesis or not:
{hypothesis test}
inference(y = childs, x = relignew, data = gssCatPro2012new, statistic = "mean", type = "ht", null = 0, alternative = "twosided", method = "theoretical")
A:
Modify the chunk names to use underscores instead of spaces and make sure each chunk begins with a leading "r".
For example:
{r create_new_variable}
instead of:
{create new variable}
| 2024-07-30T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/7763 |
The fire has forced thousands to evacuate and left hundreds of buildings destroyed. It is part of a state-wide emergency in California after a second fire continues to blaze in Los Angeles. | 2023-08-27T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/8981 |
1. Introduction {#sec1-cells-09-00519}
===============
Molecular diagnostics are growing immensely due in part to the Precision Medicine Initiative ([www.whitehouse.gov/precision-medicine](www.whitehouse.gov/precision-medicine)), which seeks to match appropriate therapies to the molecular characteristics of a patient's disease. Unfortunately, the majority of molecular diagnostic tests are expensive, involve slow turnaround times from centralized laboratories, and require highly specialized equipment with seasoned technicians to carry out the assay. In addition, acquisition of the molecular biomarkers requires a solid tissue or bone marrow biopsy, which can be an invasive procedure, especially for anatomically inaccessible organs. For example, bone marrow biopsies are typically required to monitor leukemia or multiple myeloma status, which not only complicates sample acquisition but limits the frequency of testing.
Liquid biopsies are generating a significant amount of interest in the medical community owing to the minimally invasive nature of acquiring biomarkers and the fact that they can enable precision decisions on managing a variety of diseases \[[@B1-cells-09-00519],[@B2-cells-09-00519]\]. Liquid biopsy markers include but are not limited to circulating tumor cells (CTCs), cell-free DNA (cfDNA), and extracellular vesicles (EVs). As an example of the utility of liquid biopsy analysis for some blood cancers, we have shown that circulating plasma cells (CPCs) can be used to stage patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma \[[@B3-cells-09-00519]\]. Circulating leukemia cells (CLCs) can be used to determine relapse from minimum residual disease (MRD) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) \[[@B4-cells-09-00519]\], all of which typically require a highly painful and invasive bone marrow biopsy. The challenge with using CLCs or CPCs is that their abundance in blood is lower than what is found in the bone marrow, requiring highly sensitive assays to analyze their molecular content following enrichment to remove interfering white and red blood cells.
A cytogenetic method called fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH), which was discovered in the early 1980s \[[@B5-cells-09-00519]\], can be used to detect chromosomal modifications \[[@B6-cells-09-00519],[@B7-cells-09-00519],[@B8-cells-09-00519]\]. FISH identifies abnormalities in chromosomes using fluorescent DNA probes that hybridize to a specific gene region. When properly hybridized to its complementary sequence, FISH allows for the visualization of chromosomal aberrations, such as deletions, fusions, balanced translocations, etc. \[[@B9-cells-09-00519]\]. For example, cytogenetic abnormalities are found in most cases of multiple myeloma, in which IGH translocations initiate events associated with tumorigenesis and disease progression \[[@B10-cells-09-00519]\]. The progression of multiple myeloma was discovered in clinical studies where investigators found frequent chromosomal aberrations, such as 13q14 deletions (del13q14), 1q21 gains (amp1q21), and monosomy 13 and 17p13 deletions (del17p13) \[[@B10-cells-09-00519],[@B11-cells-09-00519]\]. B-type acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), which is a common childhood malignancy, is prognosed by BCR/ABL \[t(9;22)\], MLL \[t(4;1)\], and TEL/AML1 \[t12;21\] \[[@B12-cells-09-00519]\] aberrations.
While FISH assays are widely used in clinical settings, the workflow requires labor-intensive and time-consuming protocols. Conventional slide-based methods for FISH utilize workflows that necessitate the need for highly trained professionals and relatively high volumes of costly FISH probes; the full assay may require 2-3 days of processing. Therefore, it is critical to develop alternative methods and platforms to undertake FISH that address the aforementioned limitations \[[@B9-cells-09-00519],[@B13-cells-09-00519]\].
Microfluidic FISH assays can address many of the limitations associated with slide-based FISH, such as providing process automation and reducing reagent requirements and processing time \[[@B9-cells-09-00519]\]. Even though there are microfluidic assays that have been developed over the past years for genetic techniques, such as PCR and DNA microarrays, less effort has been devoted toward realizing the implementation of FISH assays using microfluidic devices \[[@B14-cells-09-00519],[@B15-cells-09-00519],[@B16-cells-09-00519]\]. A summary of microfluidic devices for performing FISH are summarized in [Table S1](#app1-cells-09-00519){ref-type="app"} along with their operational characteristics.
The first microfluidic for FISH was developed by Sieben and coworkers in 2007 \[[@B17-cells-09-00519]\]. The study demonstrated the ability to detect a FISH signal with 10-fold higher throughput and 1/10th reagent consumption compared to slide-based FISH. Modification of the microfluidic substrate to achieve cell adherence is a common protocol to allow for processing the cells and imaging. Therefore, in this report, TiO~2~-modified glass slides were used for cell adherence to identify FISH signals, with the PDMS fluidic network used to introduce FISH reagents to the target cells. The PDMS was removed from the TiO~2~-modified glass slide, and imaging was undertaken using a 100× objective \[[@B18-cells-09-00519]\]. Liu et al. \[[@B19-cells-09-00519]\] performed FISH on centromere-sized cell arrays modified with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) or polyethylene glycol (PEG)-coated glass slides with overnight hybridization. Wang et al. \[[@B20-cells-09-00519]\] introduced an APTES-coated glass slide with a PDMS microfluidic for stretching chromosomal DNA from a single cell to perform FISH. In a recent study, a microfluidic consisting of a Pyrex-Si stack was generated and used for FISH to provide breast cancer prognosis \[[@B21-cells-09-00519],[@B22-cells-09-00519],[@B23-cells-09-00519],[@B24-cells-09-00519]\]. This report reduced FISH reagent consumption by 70% and hybridization time to 2 h.
Mayer et al. \[[@B24-cells-09-00519]\] used a microfluidic device to investigate HER2 amplification and immunohistochemistry of breast cancer patients. In a further extension of this study, the authors reported short incubation microfluidic-assisted FISH \[[@B23-cells-09-00519]\]. The researchers were able to reduce FISH hybridization time to 15 min for cell lines and 35 min for human tissue slides. Microfluidic channels etched into a glass slide, called FISHing lines, allowed the processing of 10 samples on a glass slide with 0.2 µL of FISH probe. MRD screening using the BCR/ABL fusion gene for chronic myeloid leukemia was performed by Mughal et al. \[[@B25-cells-09-00519]\].
Researchers have also reported using plastics to make the microfluidic for FISH to reduce the fabrication cost. Kwasny et al. \[[@B26-cells-09-00519]\] described the use of cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) devices sealed with glass or COC cover plates that were surface modified to allow for stretching chromosomes. Perez-Torella and coworkers reported a COC chamber, which was capable of delivering FISH reagents to cells \[[@B27-cells-09-00519]\]. The chamber was modified with 2-hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) to allow for cell adherence to the chamber walls. Micro-FISH devices fabricated with CO~2~ laser ablation in a plastic were reported, which resulted in a 20-fold reduction in the sample volume \[[@B28-cells-09-00519]\].
Our group has developed a highly sensitive microfluidic for rare cell isolation. The isolated cells were immunostained directly within the selection chip, released into a 96-well plate, and visualized/enumerated using fluorescence microscopy. In addition, following cell selection and release from the isolation chip, the cells could be subjected to FISH using conventional slide-based approaches \[[@B3-cells-09-00519],[@B4-cells-09-00519]\]. Unfortunately, the workflow required extensive manual handling of cells.
To address the workflow challenge, we developed a microfluidic device named "microtrap" for both immunophenotyping and FISH analysis of biological cells enriched from clinical samples, which we report herein. Cells isolated on the isolation chip could be transferred to the microtrap device for immunophenotyping and/or FISH in an automated fashion with reduced processing time.
The microtrap device consisted of an array of 80,000 containment pores generated by cross-channels (2--4 µm in width and depth) connecting a network of interleaving fluidic channels. Unique to this device is that it was fabricated with containment pores or microtraps that arrayed single cells in a 2-D format and within a common imaging plane. The device does not rely on modification of the surface to retain cells; rather, it physically entraps the cells. Additionally, imaging of the cells in the microtrap device on different z-planes demonstrated better spatial resolution of the hybridization probes to designate the detection of a genetic abnormality. This feature cannot be achieved in Flow-FISH analysis \[[@B29-cells-09-00519],[@B30-cells-09-00519]\]. The microtrap device provided reduced processing time (18 → 3 h) and lower amounts of FISH probes compared to slide-based processing. The microtrap device integration to a cell selection microfluidic allowed for automated cell processing as well as minimized the amount of operator handling of the enriched cells, simplifying the workflow and reducing cell loss.
We demonstrate the utility of the device for the processing of non-adherent cells, such as CPCs and CLCs, with the device being able to perform immunophenotyping and FISH from liquid biopsy markers. In addition, we demonstrate that we can affinity-enrich B-ALL CLCs from a pediatric patient blood sample using a cell enrichment microfluidic decorated with anti-CD19 antibodies and perform FISH and immunophenotyping on the enriched cells using the device reported herein.
2. Materials and Methods {#sec2-cells-09-00519}
========================
2.1. Design and Fabrication of the Microtrap Device {#sec2dot1-cells-09-00519}
---------------------------------------------------
The design of the microtrap device is shown in [Figure 1](#cells-09-00519-f001){ref-type="fig"}. There are two basic renditions, with each differing in terms of the number of microtraps the device possessed. Design 1---single bed with 7200 microtraps; and Design 2---8-bed device with 80,000 microtraps. The microtrap size could vary depending on the width and depth of the cross-channels and was as small as 4 µm (width) × 2 µm (depth) to accommodate the containment of smaller cells, such as CPCs and CLCs (6--16 µm in diameter), compared to the larger-sized CTCs \[[@B31-cells-09-00519]\]. The 8-bed device (shown in [Figure 1](#cells-09-00519-f001){ref-type="fig"}A,B) consisted of a significantly increased number of microtraps as compared to our previous design due to the high numbers of cells that are enriched for leukemia and multiple myeloma diseases compared to CTCs' affinity enriched from epithelial cancers \[[@B3-cells-09-00519],[@B4-cells-09-00519],[@B31-cells-09-00519]\].
The lithography and fabrication steps of both devices are discussed in detail in the [Supplementary Materials](#app1-cells-09-00519){ref-type="app"}. The architecture of the single bed device (2-step lithography to create two levels) consisted of two independent networks of interleaving channels that were 60 × 40 µm^2^ (W × D) and interconnected using an array of cross-channels orthogonally placed in between the interleaving channels (see [Figure S1](#app1-cells-09-00519){ref-type="app"}). The volume of this device was \~1 µL. For the 8-bed device, 3-level lithography was used to allow generation of a deep layer for the distribution channels, interleaving channels, and cross-channels (see [Figure S2](#app1-cells-09-00519){ref-type="app"}). Profilometry scans of the 8-bed chip showed the 3 levels for the SU-8 relief ([Figure 1](#cells-09-00519-f001){ref-type="fig"}B). [Figure 1](#cells-09-00519-f001){ref-type="fig"}C shows an SEM of the lithographically patterned 2-level SU-8 relief of a single bed device, with a magnified section showing the replica PDMS device with interleaving channels (30 μm) and shallow cross-channels (2--4 μm). In the 8-bed device, the 3 rd lithography layer was used to fabricate a deeper distribution channel network to distribute fluid to all 8 beds equally \[[@B32-cells-09-00519]\]. The distribution channels of the 8-bed device were 400 x 150 µm (W × D). The internal volume of this device, including all fluidic channels, was \~10 µL.
The fluidic operation of the device is shown in [Figure 1](#cells-09-00519-f001){ref-type="fig"}D,E, where the flow from the interleaving channel input flows across (90° angle) the interconnecting cross-channels and then to the output channels of the interleaving network. The cross-channel, when a cover plate was bonded to the chip substrate, generated a microtrap structure where cells were contained but still allowed fluid to flow through it.
The optimal device design was chosen from testing 14 different designs for which we determined the containment efficiency of CPCs and CLCs. The 14 devices with different pore widths (4, 6, and 8 μm) and different depths (2 and 4 μm) were evaluated in terms of their ability to trap CPCs and CLCs (data not shown). The schematic in [Figure 1](#cells-09-00519-f001){ref-type="fig"}D shows how the cells were contained at the entrance of the microtraps and high magnification imaging of the trapped cell as shown in [Figure 1](#cells-09-00519-f001){ref-type="fig"}E.
An SU-8 relief was used to prepare PDMS trapping devices that were bonded to glass cover plates to allow for high resolution fluorescence imaging. Reservoirs were formed in the PDMS device using a sharp biopsy puncture. PDMS devices and glass cover plates (No.1 coverslips with a thickness of 0.13--0.16 mm) were cleaned with IPA, then washed with water, and air dried. We used thin glass coverslips to facilitate the use of high NA objectives to accommodate their short working distances and high magnification necessary for FISH. PDMS devices were bonded to the glass coverslips by treating the surfaces with O~2~ plasma (50 W for 1 min). After plasma treatment, slight pressure was applied starting from one edge to the other to avoid the trapping of air bubbles. Peak tubing was sealed with epoxy glue to the reservoirs and a syringe pump was used to provide continuous fluid flow through the device.
2.2. Sample loading {#sec2dot2-cells-09-00519}
-------------------
The microtrap device was flooded with a continuous flow of 25 μL/min of PBS buffer (pH 7.4, 100 mM) followed by flowing 0.5% BSA/PBS solution through the device using a PHD2000 syringe pump (Harvard Apparatus, Holliston, MA, USA). Forty μL/min flow rates were used to remove air bubbles from the device. Once the device was fully wetted with the 0.5% BSA/PBS solution, cells were introduced into the device for either immunophenotyping or FISH at a volume flow rate of 10 μL/min.
2.3. On-Chip immunostaining {#sec2dot3-cells-09-00519}
---------------------------
For immunostaining, live cells (RPMI-8226 or SUP-B15) were loaded as described above onto the microtrap device. After loading target cells onto the device, 2% paraformaldehyde (PFA) was injected at 10 μL/min for 2 min and allowed to incubate for 15 min. After incubation, the device was washed with PBS buffer for 5 min. Fixed cells were then treated with human Fc blocker (IgG1) for 15 min to block any Fc receptors on the cell surface followed by incubation with monoclonal antibodies for 30 min. For RPMI-8226 cells, anti-CD138 FITC (MI15, 5.0 μg/mL), anti-CD56-PE (MEM-188 clone, 20 μg/mL), and anti-CD38-APC (HIT2 clone, 2.5 μg/mL) monoclonal antibodies were used. Cells were then washed with PBS and permeabilized with 0.1% Triton X-100 for 5 min followed by counter staining with DAPI for 2 min.
2.4. Sample Preparation for FISH {#sec2dot4-cells-09-00519}
--------------------------------
RPMI-8226 cells were cultured as a model CPC cell line for multiple myeloma and similarly, a SUP-B15 cell line was cultured as a model CLC for B-ALL (see [Supplementary Materials](#app1-cells-09-00519){ref-type="app"} for more information). Once the cells were removed from the culture media, they were washed with 1× PBS twice. Following the wash, the cells were re-suspended in 0.075 M KCl hypotonic solution plus 100 µL of Colcemid to swell the cells. Colcemid helps the chromosomes to stretch, thus enhancing the clarity and the resolution of the fluorescent probes used for FISH. Cells were fixed using Carnoy's fixative (methanol: glacial acetic acid = 3:1 (*v*/*v*)). Carnoy's solution is a light fixative (no crosslinking) as opposed to 2% PFA. During fixation, Carnoy's fixative was added dropwise to the cells and mixed with gentle agitation. The solution was then centrifuged at 1200 rpm for 10 min. This step was repeated 3 times and the fixed cells were stored at −20 °C until being used for experiments.
2.5. On-Chip FISH {#sec2dot5-cells-09-00519}
-----------------
Before using fixed cell samples prepared as described above, they were mixed with fresh Carnoy's solution, and introduced into the microtrap device at 10 μL/min. In the case of live cell samples, cells were fixed on-chip before processing for FISH. Once the live cells were injected and contained at the microtraps in the device, 0.056 M KCl hypotonic solution was injected and cells were incubated for 10 min. After KCl treatment, cells were fixed by injecting Carnoy's fixative and incubated for 30 min, replacing the solution with fresh Carnoy's every 10 min. Then, all of the Carnoy's solution was removed by washing with PBS.
Next, the chip was washed with 2X SSC for 2 min at room temperature followed by a series of ethanol washes (70%, 85%, and 100% EtOH) injected for 1--2 min each and dried with 100% EtOH for 5 min. After the EtOH wash, the chip was dried completely by heating and evaporating all of the EtOH. One μL and 10 μL of 5× diluted FISH probe mix was introduced into the single and 8-bed device, respectively, while applying light vacuum to the outlet tubing. Once the device was filled with FISH probes, the inlet and outlet were sealed with rubber cement. The chip was heated to 75 °C for 5 min and incubated in a hybridization oven (Bambino II™ Hybridization Oven) (Boekel Scientific, Feasterville, PA, USA) for 2 h at 37 °C. Afterwards, the rubber cement was removed, and the chip was kept at 72 °C (±1 °C) while washing for 2 min with 0.4X SSC (pH 7.0). The temperature of this step is critical as it will remove the remaining free probes and keep hybridized ones associated to the target DNA to improve imaging of the FISH signal. Next, the device was washed with 2 × SSC + 0.05%, and Tween-20 (pH 7.0) for 1 min at room temperature. Finally, the device was washed with EtOH for 5 min and dried completely before applying 2 μL of 4-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI II) for nuclear staining. After these steps, the chip could be stored at 4 °C until imaging.
2.6. Imaging On-chip and Image Processing {#sec2dot6-cells-09-00519}
-----------------------------------------
All imaging was performed using a Keyence BZ-X710 microscope (Keyence Cooperation of America, Itasca, IL, USA) equipped with BZ-X filters; DAPI (Ex: 360/40 nm, Em: 460/50 nm, dichroic mirror wavelength (DMW): 400 nm), GFP (Ex: 470/40, Em: 525/50 nm, DMW: 495 nm), TRITC (Ex: 545/25 nm, Em: 605/70 nm, DMW: 565 nm), and Cy5 (Ex: 620/60 nm, Em: 700/75 nm, DMW: 660 nm). The microscope was equipped with a Nikon objectives (Nikon Instruments, Melville, NY, USA) CFI Plan Apo 4× (λ 4×, NA 0.20 WD 20.00 mm), 10× (λ 10×, NA 0.45 WD 4.00 mm), 20× (λ 20×, NA 0.75 WD 1.00 mm), 40× (λ 40×, NA 0.95 WD 0.21 mm), and 60× (Apo VC 60× NA 1.40 NA WD 0.13 mm) objectives. For immunophenotyping, exposure times of 50 ms for DAPI, 500 ms for FITC, and 1500 ms for TRITC/Cy3 and Cy5/APC were used at 10×, 20×, and 40× magnification. All images for FISH experiments were acquired in high-resolution mode. Cell nuclei were imaged with the 60× objective using DAPI (blue) filters (200 ms) and the FISH signals were acquired using FITC/GFP (green, 1500 ms) and (Cy5/APC)/Cy3 (red, 2500/3000 ms) channels. Due to the cell's 3-D profile while they were contained at the microtrap inlets, it was necessary to do imaging across the *z*-axis. For the imaging of slides, we used Δz = 2 μm for 5 different planes while for on-chip FISH imaging, cells were imaged at 10 different planes along the *z*-axis with Δz = 1 μm. All images were processed using BZ-X Analyzer (Keyence Cooperation) and FIJI software (NIH) \[[@B33-cells-09-00519]\].
2.7. Patient Sample Processing for FISH {#sec2dot7-cells-09-00519}
---------------------------------------
CLCs from B-ALL patients were captured using the CTC isolation device described in our earlier publications (see [Supplementary Materials](#app1-cells-09-00519){ref-type="app"} for more information), which was also used for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and multiple myeloma work \[[@B3-cells-09-00519],[@B4-cells-09-00519]\]. Healthy donor blood sample was obtained from the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) IRB-approved Biospecimen Repository Core Facility. Blood samples from a patient diagnosed with B-ALL was collected according to an approved Children's Mercy Hospital Institutional Review Board procedure. Written informed consent was obtained from the patient included in the study before enrollment. Peripheral blood samples (5 mL) were drawn by venipuncture into Vacuette^®^ K3EDTA (Greiner Bio-one, Monroe, NC, USA) tubes. Following affinity enrichment using the microfluidic enrichment chip, cells were released from the capture device's surface using USER enzyme that cleaved a single-stranded bifunctional linker containing a uracil residue \[[@B34-cells-09-00519]\]. The released cells were collected into a microfuge tube and centrifuged to prepare for immunophenotyping or FISH. For FISH, once the cells were spun down, supernatant was removed and pre-heated (37 °C) in 0.056 M KCl and incubated for 10 min. The mixture was centrifuged again and after removing the supernatant, ice-cold Carnoy's fixative (if fixation was done before introduction to the microtrap device) was added to the cells and centrifuged again. This step was repeated 3 more times and cells were stored in Carnoy's fixative at 20 °C until further use. CLCs were spun down and resuspended in fresh Carnoy's solution before use. These samples were infused into the microtrap device and processed according to the on-chip FISH procedure as described above.
3. Results {#sec3-cells-09-00519}
==========
3.1. Microtrap Device for Immunophenotyping and Cytogenetic Analysis {#sec3dot1-cells-09-00519}
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The large number of traps in the microtrap device needed to be contained for analysis of CLCs' and CPCs' affinity selected from a blood sample (see [Table 1](#cells-09-00519-t001){ref-type="table"}). Contrary to CTCs, which use, for example, EpCAM as the enrichment antigen, the number of non-diseased cells selected by antibodies targeting leukemic associated and multiple myeloma antigens is high because non-diseased cells can also express the enrichment antigen (i.e., CD19, CD34, CD117, CD33, or CD138). Following CLC or CPC affinity selection and release from the selection chips \[[@B3-cells-09-00519]\], cells were trapped without surface modifications at containment pores of the microtrap device, which were arranged in a 2-D format to make it easier for imaging single cells. This simplified imaging was compared to cells stochastically arranged on glass slides or wells possessing the appropriate surface chemistry. In addition, we will show that we can interface the microtrap device for immunophenotyping and FISH of CLCs and CPCs to a device used for their enrichment from the blood of patients.
Considering the size of the CLCs and CPCs with an average diameter of 6--16 µm, we used 4 × 2 µm^2^ microtraps to maximize the containment efficiency of CLCs and CPCs. [Table 1](#cells-09-00519-t001){ref-type="table"} shows the number of CLCs for both AML and B-ALL as well as CPCs enriched using the appropriate marker(s). The numbers of CTCs enriched from different epithelial cancers (i.e., pancreatic, breast, prostate, colorectal, and ovarian) is shown as well in [Table 1](#cells-09-00519-t001){ref-type="table"}. Not only are the number of aberrant cells enriched higher for the leukemia and multiple myeloma diseases compared to epithelial cancers, but the number of non-diseased cells enriched is higher as well compared to epithelial cancers due to the fact that non-diseased blood cells can carry the same antigens as CLCs and CPCs, whereas for CTCs the blood cells do not express EpCAM. Due to the higher number of cells anticipated for the leukemic and multiple myeloma diseases, we had to build devices with high numbers of microtraps.
3.2. Microfluidic Containment Device Operation {#sec3dot2-cells-09-00519}
----------------------------------------------
The microtrap device (both single and 8-bed devices) used two independent networks of interleaving channels that were interconnected using smaller cross-channels positioned orthogonally to the interleaving channels. The cross-channel, when sealed with a cover plate, generated a pore structure whose dimensions were determined by the size of the cross-channels ([Figure 2](#cells-09-00519-f002){ref-type="fig"}A) and allowed fluid flow between the input and output interleaving channels. During operation, CPCs/CLCs are released from the isolation chip and directed to the microtrap device, where they become physically trapped with the efficiency of trapping dependent on the size of the microtrap with respect to the cell of interest. Trapped cells could then be immunophenotyped or subjected to FISH followed by imaging with a fluorescence microscope to read out the appropriate signals. Microtrap beds were connected in parallel to provide sufficient numbers of equally accessible pores to retain a large number of cells (see [Table 1](#cells-09-00519-t001){ref-type="table"}). If the eight beds were connected in series, a majority, if not all, of the cells would be retained within the first bed, generating cell pileup and crowding, thus making imaging difficult. Conversely, placing the beds in parallel (see [Figure 1](#cells-09-00519-f001){ref-type="fig"}A) allowed access to all beds from a common input, and thus, dispersed the cells with equal probability at the 80,000 containment pores associated with the 8-bed device.
Even though earlier studies from our group showed that live cells with a cell diameter of \~16 µm (CTCs) were successfully contained by microtraps with dimensions of 8 × 4 µm^2^ \[[@B31-cells-09-00519]\], the current study required containment of smaller cells and cell numbers that were higher (see [Table 1](#cells-09-00519-t001){ref-type="table"}). RPMI-8226 cells (multiple myeloma model) have a size range of 6--16 µm with an average diameter of \~13 µm whereas SUP-B15 cells (B-ALL model cell line) have an average size of \~10 µm with a size range of 8--12 µm. Thus, when devices with microtraps of 8 × 4 µm^2^ (width × depth) were used, we observed that the containment efficiency was \<50% (data not shown). However, devices with microtraps of 4 × 2 µm^2^ produced a containment efficiency \>90% for these cells ([Figures S1 and S3B](#app1-cells-09-00519){ref-type="app"}).
3.3. Device Design and COMSOL Simulations {#sec3dot3-cells-09-00519}
-----------------------------------------
Finite element analysis (COMSOL) was performed on the microtrap device to deduce the projected linear velocity through the fluidic network and the corresponding shear rates to help determine the containment efficiency of the microfluidic device to physically trap live cells without damaging them. Laminar flow was validated across the entire device for the following flow rates: 1, 3, 5, and 10 μL/min with an aqueous fluid ([Figure S3](#app1-cells-09-00519){ref-type="app"}). The rationale behind choosing these flow rates was to test the optimal flow rate for effective containment of live cells without damage but having sufficient pressure to fill the device without generating air bubbles. The cells used for our studies were human cancer cell lines having a diffusion coefficient of 5 × 10^−14^ m^2^/s \[[@B36-cells-09-00519]\].
The flow within the microtrap device was driven hydrodynamically, hence, a parabolic flow profile existed with higher velocity in the center of each individual channel as compared to the channel walls (no-slip condition; see [Figure 2](#cells-09-00519-f002){ref-type="fig"}B) \[[@B37-cells-09-00519]\]. [Figure 2](#cells-09-00519-f002){ref-type="fig"}A shows a CAD drawing of the device with 4-µm-wide microtraps and a depth of 2 µm. This device was found to provide 90% containment efficiency for unfixed RPMI-8226 cells as shown in [Figure S3A](#app1-cells-09-00519){ref-type="app"}. For larger epithelial cells (i.e., SKBR3), the containment efficiency was 96%. Cells were evenly distributed throughout the microtrap device as well ([Figure 3](#cells-09-00519-f003){ref-type="fig"}; [Figure 4](#cells-09-00519-f004){ref-type="fig"}). In the experiments evaluating trapping efficiency, the cells were DAPI stained and counted using a microscope to verify the number of cells captured. Cells that were not retained were collected at the outlet of the microtrap device into a flat-bottomed plate and enumerated and inspected for damage. The containment efficiency was determined from the ratio of cells in the microtrap to the total number of cells introduced (i.e., cells trapped and cells passing through the microtrap device).
The average velocity at the inlet and outlet interleaving channels toward the input end of the device was 2.5 m/s and in the interleaving channels in the center of the device it was 1.5 m/s at a volumetric flow rate of 10 µL/min. Even at these relatively high velocities, the flow was still laminar (see [Figure S3B,C](#app1-cells-09-00519){ref-type="app"}). Accounting for differences in the velocity between the interleaving and cross channels, the average velocity was calculated for the cross-channels at different sections of the device at a 10 µL/min volume flow rate and is plotted in [Figure 2](#cells-09-00519-f002){ref-type="fig"}C.
The average linear velocity in the cross-channels was 0.02 m/s at the 10 µL/min volumetric flow rate. To measure the pressure drop across the device, the relative pressure at the outlet was defined in absolute terms (*p~A~ = p + p~ref~*, where *p~A~* is the absolute pressure, *p* is the relative pressure, and *p~ref~* is the reference pressure, which was set to 1 atm (101 kPa) \[[@B3-cells-09-00519]\]. A gradual drop in pressure across the length of the device was noted, with this drop being \~14 kPa (16 and 2 kPa at the inlet and outlet, respectively, at 10 µL/min). The calculated shear rates at different volumetric flow rates were used to determine the shear stress in the microtrap device \[[@B38-cells-09-00519]\]. According to Newton's law, shear stress is the shear rate times the viscosity: where T is the dynamic viscosity (T for water is 8.90 × 10^−3^ dynes\*s/cm^2^ at 25 °C).
We calculated the average shear stress on the cells experienced in the microtrap device through the entire device at different flow rates. At a flowrate of 1 µL/min, the shear rate calculated was 6042 s^−1^, which corresponds to a shear stress of 54 dynes/cm^2^ and is 10 times higher at 10 µL/min ([Table 2](#cells-09-00519-t002){ref-type="table"}). Moreover, higher shear rates were observed in the inlet and outlet of the device, where cells have potentially the highest probability of being damaged when flowing near the wall of the device as opposed to the center of the channel or the center area of the device where lower shear stress is observed ([Figure 2](#cells-09-00519-f002){ref-type="fig"}D,E). Shear rate distributions across a section of the device can be found in [Figure S3D,E.](#app1-cells-09-00519){ref-type="app"}
The shear stress experienced by cells in physiological conditions as they travel through capillaries and arterioles ranges between 40 and 55 dynes/cm^2^ \[[@B39-cells-09-00519],[@B40-cells-09-00519],[@B41-cells-09-00519],[@B42-cells-09-00519]\]. Interestingly, even though the shear stress at a flow rate of 10 μL/min was 10 times higher than the average shear stress of cells traveling through arterioles, we did not observe obvious damage of RPMI-8226 or SUP-B15 cells when contained at the entrance of any microtrap within the device. Cells tolerate transiently high shear stress of \~3000 dyn/cm^2^ or higher \[[@B43-cells-09-00519],[@B44-cells-09-00519]\]. In our microtrap device, the average transit time of the cell traveling through the chip is 210 ms if it is not retained by the microtrap and only 1 min when cells are retained within the microtrap device. Because the cells experience high shear stress briefly, they remain intact during the transport in high shear stress environments \[[@B45-cells-09-00519]\].
As a control for on-chip immunophenotyping using the microtrap device, we performed immunophenotyping on a slide (see [Figures S4 and S5](#app1-cells-09-00519){ref-type="app"}) to compare with our on-chip results. RPMI-8226 cells were labeled with FITC-anti-CD138 antibodies and APC-anti-CD38 antibodies. RPMI-8226 cells express these markers \[[@B3-cells-09-00519],[@B46-cells-09-00519],[@B47-cells-09-00519]\]. See [Figures S4 and S5](#app1-cells-09-00519){ref-type="app"} for the flow cytometry results for RPMI-8226 and on-slide immunophenotyping data, respectively.
[Figure 3](#cells-09-00519-f003){ref-type="fig"}A shows DAPI-stained cells positioned at the microtraps in the single bed device. Here, we injected live cells followed by introduction of a fixative (2% PFA) to demonstrate the ability to fix cells on-chip. It was evident that our device could contain live cells without damaging their integrity. Trapped cells were stained with anti-CD138-FITC and anti-CD38-APC human antibodies ([Figure 3](#cells-09-00519-f003){ref-type="fig"}B,C, respectively). [Figure 3](#cells-09-00519-f003){ref-type="fig"}D,E show the composite images of the cell nucleus (DAPI channel) with the corresponding FITC and APC fluorescence emission signals.
Imaging of retained cells in the device for immunophenotyping was rapid. The microtrap device could be imaged at 20× magnification for all three colors (DAPI 50 ms, FITC 500 ms and APC 1500 ms) in \<2 min. An advantage of using the microtrap device is the fact that single cells are positioned at the micropore entrance in a 2--D format, making them easy to locate. For immunophenotyping using the 8-bed device, \>98% of cells were imaged in one plane without requiring z-stacking using a 20× microscope objective.
3.4. Microchip Processing and Imaging of a Large Number of Single Cells {#sec3dot4-cells-09-00519}
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Results for isolating CTCs, CLCs, and CPCs are summarized in [Table 1](#cells-09-00519-t001){ref-type="table"}, and show a high number of cells enriched from 1 mL of a patient blood sample using the sinusoidal microfluidic enrichment chip when analyzing CPCs and CLCs due to the fact that the enrichment antibody also selects non-diseased cells as opposed to CTCs, where the enriched fraction possesses only a few non-diseased cells. As such, thousands of cells may be required to be analyzed via immunophenotyping or FISH \[[@B3-cells-09-00519]\] to identify cancer cells (i.e., CLCs and CPCs). To facilitate the analysis of a vast number of cells, we designed the microtrap device with eight beds capable of entrapping enriched cells, subject them to staining, and present them in a 2-D array format for microscopic evaluation.
The 8-bed microtrap device possessed 80,000 containment pores patterned in PDMS from SU-8 reliefs. Three-level reliefs (i.e., three different heights of microstructures; see [Supplementary Materials](#app1-cells-09-00519){ref-type="app"} for fabrication description) were required to reduce the pressure in the chip and achieve well-balanced flow through the entire fluidic network ([Figure 1](#cells-09-00519-f001){ref-type="fig"} and [Figure 3](#cells-09-00519-f003){ref-type="fig"}). Because CLCs and CPCs have a diameter ranging from 6--16 µm (see [Table 1](#cells-09-00519-t001){ref-type="table"}), to ensure maximum containment efficiency by the microtraps, we used 4 × 2 µm^2^ cross-sections for the containment microtraps (see [Figure S3A](#app1-cells-09-00519){ref-type="app"}). Fluorescence microscope images of cells contained at the microtraps and immunostained are presented in [Figure 4](#cells-09-00519-f004){ref-type="fig"}.
[Figure 4](#cells-09-00519-f004){ref-type="fig"}A shows a brightfield image of a single bed in the 8-bed device. Merged images of cells aligned at micropore entrances were imaged with DAPI (50 ms acquisition time) and anti-CD38-APC antibodies (1500 ms acquisition time) to identify CD38 on the RPMI-8226 cell surfaces; see [Figure 4](#cells-09-00519-f004){ref-type="fig"}B. [Figure 4](#cells-09-00519-f004){ref-type="fig"}C shows a single bed device containing DAPI-stained cells. DAPI-stained cells in two consecutive beds from the 8-bed device are imaged and presented in [Figure 4](#cells-09-00519-f004){ref-type="fig"}D. As can be seen from [Figure 4](#cells-09-00519-f004){ref-type="fig"}C,D, the contained cells are fairly well distributed throughout the microtrap 2-D array in spite of the decrease in the linear velocity seen down the length of the interleaving input channels (see [Figure 2](#cells-09-00519-f002){ref-type="fig"}B). We noticed no loss of cell integrity at the microtraps even in the region of the input/output ends of the microtrap array where the shear stress was high ([Figure 3](#cells-09-00519-f003){ref-type="fig"}D). Finally, when the flow was stopped, the cells remained at their trapped location.
3.5. On-Chip FISH {#sec3dot5-cells-09-00519}
-----------------
The microtrap device can be used for immunophenotyping and cytogenetic analysis, such as FISH. FISH determines aberrations in a metaphase chromosome or chromosomes buried in interphase nuclei from a fixed cytogenetic sample. The procedure for FISH processing on-chip is detailed in the materials and methods section as well as the [Supplementary Materials](#app1-cells-09-00519){ref-type="app"}. FISH experiments were carried out on RPMI-8226 and SUP-B15 cells with Cytocell FISH probes. The conventional workflow using microscope slides for FISH is a tedious and time-consuming process (see [Figure S6](#app1-cells-09-00519){ref-type="app"}), which requires 2--3 days including overnight hybridization of FISH probes. [Figure 5](#cells-09-00519-f005){ref-type="fig"} shows a step-by-step workflow for the on-chip FISH procedure, which required \~4 h of processing time and 2 µL of stock FISH probes for the 8-bed microtrap device, producing a 5-fold reduction in FISH probe volume compared to the slide-based FISH assay.
[Figure 6](#cells-09-00519-f006){ref-type="fig"}A (i--iv) shows FISH signals from RPMI 8226-cells processed on-chip. FISH signals present in both the red and green channels of the fluorescence microscope in all of the cells were seen except for the image shown in [Figure 6](#cells-09-00519-f006){ref-type="fig"}A (ii), where only one green signal was present due to deletion of the target gene region. In some of the cells, only one set (1 red and 1 green) of signal was present. One reason for losing some FISH signals is that the cells possess a 3-D structure ([Figure 1](#cells-09-00519-f001){ref-type="fig"}E) even after entrapment at the microtrap and the fact that a high numerical aperture (NA) microscope was used with a short focal length; the images shown in [Figure 6](#cells-09-00519-f006){ref-type="fig"}A were processed using only a single imaging plane (*z*-axis). This issue was addressed by using z-stacking of the imaging planes over a range equal to the average cell diameter.
[Figure 6](#cells-09-00519-f006){ref-type="fig"}B shows a set of SUP-B15 cells processed using the microtrap chip for the TEL/AML1 FISH probes imaged in one image plane (i.e., no z-stacking). For TEL/AML1, probe TEL (ETV6---Erythroblastosis Variant Gene 6 translocation, ETS) refers to a region in chromosome 12 p-arm (12p13.2), and AML1 (or RUNX1---Runt-Related Transcription Factor 1) refers to the region in the q-arm of chromosome 21 (21q22.12). In a normal cell, there should be two red and two green signals and in a diseased cell, two yellow fusion signals are expected due to translocation of the TEL and AML1 genes. All of the images ([Figure 6](#cells-09-00519-f006){ref-type="fig"}B) showed distinct red and green signals, with no clear indication of a yellow fusion signal to identify any cell as positive for the t(12;21) translocation.
[Figure 6](#cells-09-00519-f006){ref-type="fig"}C,D shows two examples of SUP-B15 cells processed with BCR/ABL1 FISH probes for Ph t(9;22) (q34.12; q11.23) imaged with z-stacking (1-µm increments along the *z*-axis over \~15 µm). Ph t(9;22) (q34.12; q11.23) consists of two gene regions, with one from chromosome 9 corresponding to ABL1 gene (red labeled) and the other for the BCR (breakpoint cluster region) gene in chromosome 22 (green labeled). In a cell without a chromosomal fusion aberration, there are two green and two red signals. If there are yellow fusion signals detected, the cell can be identified as Ph(+). Imaging of 1-µm z-planes over a 15-µm range covered the entire cell as noted in [Figure 6](#cells-09-00519-f006){ref-type="fig"}C,D. Those images showed two or more signals present within the cells entrapped by the microtrap device. [Figure 6](#cells-09-00519-f006){ref-type="fig"}C shows two distinct red and green signals (confirmation as a cell not possessing the fusion product) and [Figure 6](#cells-09-00519-f006){ref-type="fig"}D shows one yellow fusion signal (second signal not visible or merged with the first one) and one red and green signal, confirming it as a B-ALL cell that is Ph(+).
3.6. Measurement of MRD Status in Pediatric B-ALL Patients Using CLCs {#sec3dot6-cells-09-00519}
---------------------------------------------------------------------
CLCs and normal B-cells were affinity selected from a patient's peripheral blood with anti-human CD19 antibodies attached to the surface of a CLC enrichment (sinusoidal) microchip via a single-stranded oligonucleotide cleavable linker containing a dU residue \[[@B34-cells-09-00519]\]. Blood was collected from a pediatric patient (1--18 years) diagnosed with B-ALL undergoing induction and consolidation chemotherapy. Released cells following enrichment were immunophenotyped to distinguish CLCs from normal B-cells using the microtrap device; cells that demonstrated the expression of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) in the nucleus were classified as CLCs. Additionally, the staining cocktail contained CD19/CD34/CD10 fluorescently labeled monoclonal antibodies to provide additional phenotypic data ([Figure 7](#cells-09-00519-f007){ref-type="fig"}A).
We analyzed the blood of a pediatric B-ALL patient to determine MRD status during chemotherapy on days 8, 15, 22, 29, 57, and 85 ([Figure 7](#cells-09-00519-f007){ref-type="fig"}B--D). The clinical specificity was determined based on a threshold value established from the analysis of healthy donors as negative controls (average CD19 expressing cells was 68 cells/mL of peripheral blood). Grounded on that, we classified this patient as MRD(−) upon completion of induction and consolidation therapy on day 85. In this particular patient, on day 85, we observed a new phenotypic population of cells ([Figure 7](#cells-09-00519-f007){ref-type="fig"}D) not observed during the first two analyses, which were secured on days 8 and 15 during induction therapy. Cells with the CD19(+)/TdT(+)/CD34(+)/CD10(+) phenotype began to appear in the blood on day 22. Although leukemic cell phenotype changes are common in B-ALL due to the effects of steroids as part of chemotherapy (i.e., loss of CD34), it is likely that the aforementioned cells represent normal immature lymphoid precursors whose morphology and immunophenotype are similar to the CLCs found in B-ALL. MRD status of this patient was determined to be positive only once, which was on day 29 of treatment when the level of enriched cells classified as CLCs (361 cells/mL) were above the threshold value.
To confirm the chromosomal status of the CD19-expressing cells on day 29 of treatment, we tested the enriched cells for chromosomal aberrations via FISH. [Figure 8](#cells-09-00519-f008){ref-type="fig"} shows a stitched image of cells contained on the microtrap device from a B-ALL patient. The sample was processed using TEL/AML1 FISH probes, which were able to identify the t(12;21) translocation. The TEL/AML1 fusion FISH probes identifies the most common rearrangements in childhood B-ALL, which is seen in around 17% of patients \[[@B48-cells-09-00519]\]. [Figure 8](#cells-09-00519-f008){ref-type="fig"}a shows a single cell with two green FISH signals and [Figure 8](#cells-09-00519-f008){ref-type="fig"}b shows two green FISH signals, with one signal showing a yellow signal (see arrow). [Figure 8](#cells-09-00519-f008){ref-type="fig"}c shows a single cell with discrete red, green, and yellow signals. There was no visible evidence of a second yellow signal for confirmation of both t(12;21) translocations. [Figure 8](#cells-09-00519-f008){ref-type="fig"}d shows a cell with the same observation of one red, one green, and one yellow signal, which were closely packed together. In [Figure 8](#cells-09-00519-f008){ref-type="fig"}e, there are two green and one red signal visible. [Figure 8](#cells-09-00519-f008){ref-type="fig"}a,b,e shows a lack of a red signal from the TEL gene. It has been observed that in B-ALL patients, there is the possibility for deletion of one TEL allele \[[@B49-cells-09-00519],[@B50-cells-09-00519],[@B51-cells-09-00519]\].
4. Discussion {#sec4-cells-09-00519}
=============
FISH testing constitutes important and independent prognostic factors and is considered obligatory for analyzing patient outcome \[[@B52-cells-09-00519]\]. Of the current \~117 human genetic tests approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, 18 of these are FISH-based assays and most are directed toward hematological diseases, such as AML, multiple myeloma, and ALL.
AML arises from mutations occurring in progenitor cells of the myeloid lineage, which results in the inability of these cells to differentiate into functional blood cells. AML is the most common adult leukemia, with \>21,000 new cases in the US in 2018, with a 5-year survival rate of 25%. The primary cause of death for AML patients is due to disease relapse \[[@B53-cells-09-00519]\]. The WHO currently categorizes patients into four groups \[[@B54-cells-09-00519]\]. For example, one category is patients with recurrent genetic abnormalities, which can consist of seven different chromosomal aberrations (typically balanced translocations or inversions, inv). Some of these aberrations are t(8;21)(q22;q22) associated with the *RUNX1*/*RUNX1T1* genes in chromosome 8, inv(16)(p13.1q22)/t(16;16)(p13.1;q22) occurring in the *CBFB*/*MYH11* genes of chromosome 16, and inv(3)(q21q26)/t(3;3)(q21;q26) of the *RPN1*/*EVI1* genes in chromosome 3. While AML MRD is typically managed using bone marrow biopsies, we have shown that CLCs can be used to determine recurrence from MRD in AML. The CLCs were enriched from blood samples using three sinusoidal microfluidic devices, with each one targeting a specific AML-associated antigen, CD117, CD34, and CD33 \[[@B54-cells-09-00519]\].
Multiple myeloma is associated with the abnormal expansion of terminally differentiated B clonal plasma cells in the bone marrow that produces an abnormal monoclonal paraprotein \[[@B55-cells-09-00519],[@B56-cells-09-00519]\]. Multiple myeloma has three clinically defined stages: (i) MGUS (monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance), which is the asymptomatic stage; (ii) SMM (smoldering multiple myeloma) an intermediate phase; and (iii) the symptomatic stage referred to as active multiple myeloma \[[@B57-cells-09-00519]\]. In most cases, bone marrow biopsies are used to manage multiple myeloma. However, we and others have shown that CPCs can be used to manage this disease, which used a minimally invasive liquid biopsy \[[@B3-cells-09-00519],[@B4-cells-09-00519],[@B31-cells-09-00519]\]. In our study, we used a microfluidic device containing an array of sinusoidal microchannels with anti-CD138 monoclonal antibodies used to enrich CPCs from multiple myeloma patients \[[@B3-cells-09-00519]\]. It has been reported that in 16--50% of all multiple myeloma cases, chromosome 13q aberrations are present \[[@B58-cells-09-00519],[@B59-cells-09-00519]\]. More than 90% of reported cases show the chromosomal aberration specifically in the 13q14 region \[[@B60-cells-09-00519]\]. We were able to perform FISH in the CPCs to detect the presence of chromosome 13q deletions using a slide-based FISH method (see [Figures S6 and S7](#app1-cells-09-00519){ref-type="app"}).
The FISH probes used for the RPMI-8226 cells, a model of multiple myeloma, identifies the DLEU region of chromosome 13 covering the 13q14 gene and used a red (APC channel) fluorescent probe. The control gene, 13qter located at the end of chromosome 13, was labeled with a green fluorescent probe (FITC channel). In a normal cell, there are two green signals and two red signals. However, due to the polyploidy nature in some cells, there may be multiple chromosomes (\>2). In CPCs, it is expected that one or both DLEU regions (DLEU1 and DLEU2) may be deleted \[[@B61-cells-09-00519]\].
[Figure 3](#cells-09-00519-f003){ref-type="fig"} and [Figure 6](#cells-09-00519-f006){ref-type="fig"} show immunophenotyping and FISH processing of RPMI-8226 cells using our microtrap device. As expected, the data seen in [Figures S4 and S5 in the Supplementary Materials](#app1-cells-09-00519){ref-type="app"} and our previous studies \[[@B3-cells-09-00519]\] confirmed the expression of CD138 and CD38 proteins for RPMI-8226 cells. We detected the presence of chromosome 13 as a green FISH signal corresponding to the 13qter gene (100 kb), which was present in all images, as shown in [Figure 6](#cells-09-00519-f006){ref-type="fig"}A. [Figure 6](#cells-09-00519-f006){ref-type="fig"}A (i) and (ii) shows deletion of the red signal corresponding to gene regions covering DLEU1, DLEU2, D13S319, D13S272, and RH47934 (156 kb) as expected for the RPMI-8226 cell line, as well. Most of the RPMI-8226 cells contained both red and green signals ([Figure S7](#app1-cells-09-00519){ref-type="app"} in [Supplementary Materials](#app1-cells-09-00519){ref-type="app"}) lacking deletion, which is consistent with the karyotype data for this cell line.
B-ALL is the most common cancer diagnosed in children, representing \~30% of cancer diagnoses \[[@B62-cells-09-00519]\]. Despite significant improvements in the overall survival of children with B-ALL, there is a group of patients that experience relapse and ultimately die from their disease \[[@B63-cells-09-00519]\]. In fact, the likelihood of relapse is 80% for patients who have MRD at the end of induction therapy, indicative of active disease \[[@B64-cells-09-00519]\]. Monitoring of MRD, therefore, is considered a powerful predictor of outcome in B-ALL.
Cytogenetic abnormalities detected at diagnosis or generated during chemotherapy constitute important prognostic factors \[[@B52-cells-09-00519]\]. In B-ALL patients, 25--30% of patients have hyperdiploidy, 25% have t(12;21), 3--5% have t(9;22), 10% have MLL translocations, and 2% have iAMP21 chromosomal abnormalities. Once an aberration is detected, it can aid in the determination of the treatment regimen \[[@B65-cells-09-00519],[@B66-cells-09-00519]\]. As another example, the detection of specific chromosome aberrations, such as t(9;22)(q34;q11.2) for *BCR-ABL1*, which results in the formation of the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome, or t(12;21) aberrations of TEL/AML1 gene translocations are used to assign B-ALL patients to specific targeted therapies \[[@B67-cells-09-00519]\].
For the SUP-B15 cell line, which is a model for B-ALL \[[@B68-cells-09-00519]\], there are a few targeted gene variations that are typically evaluated using FISH \[[@B50-cells-09-00519],[@B69-cells-09-00519],[@B70-cells-09-00519]\]. MLL break-apart probes are used to detect the breakage of the MLL gene, which is frequently found in infant B-ALL \[[@B71-cells-09-00519],[@B72-cells-09-00519],[@B73-cells-09-00519]\]. BCR/ABL1 probes are used to detect the formation of the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome produced by the fusion of two genes from chromosome 9 and 22, which is one the most important prognostic indicators for several hematological disorders, including B-ALL (see [Figures S7, S8, and S9](#app1-cells-09-00519){ref-type="app"} for on-slide FISH analysis for some of these chromosomal abnormalities) \[[@B74-cells-09-00519],[@B75-cells-09-00519],[@B76-cells-09-00519]\].
In this study, the SUP-B15 cells were tested for TEL/AML1 translocations and BCR/ABL1 (Ph chromosome) using the microtrap device for FISH. For the SUP-B15 cell line, it is expected to see two distinct red and two green signals with the TEL/AML1 FISH probes. The TEL (ETV6) gene region marked in red corresponds to the 12p13.2 in chromosome 12 covering 168 kb of D12S1898 region and the green marker covers AML1 (RUNX1) in chromosome 21q22.12, a 167 kb gene region, including the CLIC6 gene \[[@B50-cells-09-00519]\]. On-chip FISH results ([Figure 6](#cells-09-00519-f006){ref-type="fig"}B) showed distinct red and green signals corresponding to the presence of chromosome 12 and 21. Lack of a yellow signal confirmed t(12;21)(p13.2;q22.12) translocations were not present in the SUP-B15 cell line, which agrees with the karyotype as noted in the literature. The Philadelphia chromosome results from translocations of the ABL1 gene (9q34.11-q34.12, red) in chromosome 9 and the BCR gene (22q11.22-q11.23, green) in chromosome 22. The BCR probe region covers the GNAZ and RAB36 genes in a 169 kb region plus 148 kb region in telemetric BCR. The ABL1 probe covers a 346 kb region in the middle of the FUBP3 gene. As for the karyotype data of SUP-B15, we expected to see \>90% of cells possessing the Ph chromosome (yellow fusion signal present). No yellow signal would be considered a cell with no Ph chromosome.
[Figure 6](#cells-09-00519-f006){ref-type="fig"}C showed that SUP-B15 cells processed on-chip with BCR/ABL1 genes expressed two distinct red and green signals. This confirmed that there was no Ph chromosome present while in [Figure 6](#cells-09-00519-f006){ref-type="fig"}D it showed the presence of one yellow fusion signal, confirming Ph(+) in that cell. In [Figure 6](#cells-09-00519-f006){ref-type="fig"}D, we did not identify the fusion signal in this cell. However, the patient sample processed for FISH on-chip showed improved FISH signals as seen in [Figure 8](#cells-09-00519-f008){ref-type="fig"}.
The microtrap FISH assay resulted in an SNR of 59 for the green signal, and 68 for the red signal. In the case of the slide-based assays, the SNR for the green and red signals were 64 and 63, respectively (see [Figure S9](#app1-cells-09-00519){ref-type="app"}), indicating that the ability to detect single molecules associated with the fluorescent reporter attached to each FISH probe was clearly visible using the microtrap device. The challenge is that in the FISH experiments, we used a high numerical objective with a small focal distance and as seen in [Figure 1](#cells-09-00519-f001){ref-type="fig"}E, z-stacking was necessary to cover the genetic material housed within the nucleus. This may have been the reason that some signals were missed. This can be obviated by using a high numerical objective with a larger focal distance to better cover the entire nuclear region when the cells are located at the pore entrance.
Most FISH-based assays are predicated on the use of bone marrow, which is enriched in diseased cells compared to blood. For example, in the case of multiple myeloma, CPCs in peripheral blood are reported to be \>100-fold lower than in bone marrow \[[@B77-cells-09-00519],[@B78-cells-09-00519]\]. If disease relapse and chromosomal defects could be detected from peripheral blood, painful bone marrow biopsies could be avoided, and physicians could obtain information in near real time and potentially implement changes in treatment to affect better outcomes for patients with hematological diseases.
To obviate the need for a bone marrow biopsy, we used a liquid biopsy secured from a B-ALL patient using an affinity microfluidic chip and performed immunophenotyping and FISH on those enriched cells using our microtrap device. Similar to our previous work on the isolation of leukemic cells from blood of patients diagnosed with AML, a sinusoidal microfluidic chip with positive affinity selection was used \[[@B3-cells-09-00519],[@B4-cells-09-00519]\], but in this case the affinity selection used a different antibody (anti-CD19 monoclonal antibodies) to enrich B-cells. While the enrichment of the CLCs and CPCs in our previous work was accomplished using a microfluidic chip, the downstream analysis was done off-chip, including immunophenotyping and FISH. Standard FISH workflow demands highly trained and experienced personnel (see [Figure S6](#app1-cells-09-00519){ref-type="app"}), making it difficult to implement in clinical laboratories not possessing the specialized facilities and trained personnel. Additionally, blood cells collected from a bone marrow biopsy are used for cytogenetic analysis, requiring an invasive procedure \[[@B64-cells-09-00519]\].
Using our microfluidic assay, a blood sample was subjected to affinity enrichment with high efficiency in terms of recovery and purity, and thus, the entire leukocyte population of peripheral blood did not require cytogenetic interrogation. The only cell population interrogated was those that expressed the target antigen, which in the case of B-ALL was CD19-expressing cells. Additionally, enriched cells were distributed in an array-like format as determined by the position of the microtraps of the microtrap device (see [Figure 4](#cells-09-00519-f004){ref-type="fig"}C,D), which made them easier to image as opposed to stochastically distributed on a properly functionalized surface to induce cell adhesion to the surface. In addition, the 8-bed version of the microtrap device possessed 80,000 pores for retaining cells. While the data displayed in [Table 1](#cells-09-00519-t001){ref-type="table"} show the total number of cells affinity selected (aberrant and non-aberrant) were 5314 for AML, 2840 for ALL, and 7775 for multiple myeloma, these numbers were based on a per mL sample volume. In some cases, it may be necessary to use larger input volumes, such as 10 mL, to search for rare CLCs and CPCs to find cells in the correct phase to elicit proper FISH signals. In these cases, the full advantage of the large dynamic range of the 8-bed device can be realized.
To reduce the workflow for FISH, microfluidics has been suggested by several groups, with the processing time reduced from several days using conventional slide-based FISH to several hours using FISH-on-chip platforms \[[@B14-cells-09-00519],[@B26-cells-09-00519],[@B27-cells-09-00519],[@B28-cells-09-00519]\]. In addition, microfluidics has also resulted in a reduction in the use of expensive FISH probes. However, the reported platforms (see [Table S1](#app1-cells-09-00519){ref-type="app"}) required the use of special surface coatings to allow for cells to adhere to the surface of the device. Because of the stochastic nature of the attachment to the surface of the chip, this can create cell aggregates that made it difficult to image single cells under high magnification to determine the chromosomal status of the cells. Our device obviated the need of surface coatings and ordered the cells in a 2-D format to reduce device preparation steps and simplify single cell imaging, respectively. The microfluidic was comprised of an array of microtraps that were easily formed via a replication step in PDMS from a relief prepared by lithography. The relief also possessed the fluidic network.
We showed in this work that the microtrap device could be coupled to a rare cell enrichment chip to allow processing of circulating cells, such as CPCs or CLCs, with the ability to perform immunophenotyping and FISH of the enriched cells directly from blood samples. Moreover, experiments showed that our microtrap device was capable of containing live cells with \>90% efficiency with sufficient traps to process CLCs and CPCs enriched from blood. The microtrap device was operated at a 10 µL/min volume flow rate to facilitate proper filling of the device without air bubbles. At this flow rate, even though cells experienced \~570 dynes/cm^2^ shear stress, no obvious cell damage was observed for cells contained by the microtraps. Cell physical survival was attributed to the cell membrane's ability to handle relatively high shear stress for a brief time.
Using our 8-bed device with 80,000 microtraps, we could process thousands of cells for molecular profiling following enrichment. FISH results were achieved in \<4 h by reducing the hybridization time from overnight to 2 h. Also, automated imaging was demonstrated for phenotyping in 2 min and FISH imaging in \< 5 min, reducing the workflow for FISH compared to conventional slide-based assays, which requires 2--3 days of processing time, most of which is done manually. The FISH-on-chip provides full process automation.
When the cells were physically retained at the microtraps, they did possess a 3-D structure, requiring z-stacking to cover all of the FISH probes present inside the cell nucleus. Unlike immunophenotyping, where it was possible to use a single focusing plane because a lower magnification and associated longer focal length was required, FISH required the use of a high numerical aperture objective with a smaller focal length to capture high resolution images along several focal planes to image all of the FISH probes present in the cell nucleus. Even though z-stacking was necessary for FISH imaging, it was possible to automate this process. We set a common upper and lower threshold point in the device and selected the points where the cells were present at the arrayed microtraps and proceeded with automated imaging with pre-set exposure times for different filters (DAPI 200 ms, FITC 1500 ms, Cy3/Cy5 2500 ms). Processing of the captured images using BZ-X Analyzer and FIJI is detailed in the [Supplementary Materials](#app1-cells-09-00519){ref-type="app"}.
As opposed to our previous version of this device, which possessed larger microtraps \[[@B31-cells-09-00519]\], this device was designed to accommodate smaller CLCs and CPCs and the higher number of cells to analyze (see [Table 1](#cells-09-00519-t001){ref-type="table"}). For example, the CLCs (i.e., B-ALL cells) are smaller than CTCs and, as such, required the use of a smaller containment pore (4 × 2 µm^2^ compared to 8 × 6 µm^2^ in our previous report) \[[@B31-cells-09-00519]\]. Because the affinity selection process for CLCs and CPCs results in the enrichment of a much larger number of cells due to the fact that the even non-diseased cells express the capture antigen, a larger number of containment pores were required (80,000 herein compared to 5000 in our previous device) \[[@B31-cells-09-00519]\]. In addition, our previous report only performed immunophenotyping and did not carry out FISH on the chip, as was demonstrated here.
In the current rendition, the microtrap device was made from PDMS by casting it against a relief. However, the same device architecture can be made from a thermoplastic, such as cyclic olefin copolymer (COC), which has some decisive advantages compared to PDMS \[[@B79-cells-09-00519]\]. For example, because COC is a thermoplastic, it can be injection molded to allow production of devices at high rates and at significantly lower chip cost compared to PDMS \[[@B79-cells-09-00519]\]. In fact, the entire device can be injection molded in a single cycle, with the only requirement being cover plate bonding as a finishing step. Also, COC has excellent optical properties that allow for high sensitivity imaging using the spectral range typically employed for FISH \[[@B27-cells-09-00519]\]. COC can be UV/O~3~ activated to change its wettability to allow efficient filling with aqueous solutions without creating air bubbles and does not show the typical rapid hydrophobic recovery as seen with PDMS \[[@B80-cells-09-00519]\]. This will allow for the generation of a low-cost disposable appropriate for in vitro diagnostics. When the microtrap device is physically integrated to the cell enrichment device via a fluidic motherboard, fully automated processing of liquid biopsy samples can be envisioned to enable clinical use.
5. Conclusions {#sec5-cells-09-00519}
==============
The ability of our microtrap device was demonstrated using CPCs and CLCs for immunophenotyping and FISH analyses of relatively small cells (D~avg~ \~12 µm) and in high numbers. The same device could be used to identify expression patterns of proteins and detect targeted chromosomal aberrations in single cells. Using the 8-bed device with 80,000 containment microtraps, we could process thousands of live or fixed cells enriched using a cell isolation microchip. FISH results were achieved in \<4 h by primarily reducing the hybridization time from overnight to 2 h, and lowering the volume of the FISH probes required for analysis. The microtrap device was used for automated imaging for phenotypic identification of cells in 2 min and for FISH in \<5 min for all fluorescence channels without the need to scan a relatively large area. Moreover, we were able to enrich B-cells from an ALL patient and process those cells to identify chromosomal aberrations. In future work, the use of a thermoplastic, such as COC, instead of PDMS will be undertaken to produce a low-cost, disposable device appropriate for use in clinical applications.
The authors also acknowledge the KU Nanofabrication Facility, and the University of Kansas Cancer Center's Biospecimen Repository Core (NCI: P30-CA168524) for sample collection. We thank Lindsey Roe for help in editing the manuscript.
The following are available online at <https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/9/2/519/s1>, Table S1. Summary of FISH-based microfluidic technologies. Figure S1: metrology of microtrap device, Figure S2: fabrication steps for 8-bed microtrap device, Figure S3: COMSOL simulations of microtrap device, Figure S4: flow cytometry results of RPMI-8226 cells, Figure S5: immunophenotyping of RPMI-8226 cells, Figure S6: chart of FISH workflow using slide-based method, Figure S7: slide-based FISH results for RPMI-8226 cells, Figure S8: slide-based FISH results for SUP-B15 cells, Figure S9: slide-based FISH results for SUB-B15 cells.
######
Click here for additional data file.
Conceptualization, K.A., M.L.H., M.A.W., S.A.S.; methodology, K.A., A.K.G., M.L.H., M.A.W., S.A.S.; formal analysis, K.A., M.A.W., S.A.S.; investigation, K.M.W.-R., S.V., N.L., K.D., M.H., J.J., S.M., M.L.H., M.A.W.; writing---original draft preparation, K.M.W.-R., S.V.; writing---review and editing, K.A., M.A.W., S.A.S.; supervision, M.A.W., S.A.S.; project administration, K.A., S.A.S.; funding acquisition, S.A.S., M.A.W. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
The authors thank the NIH for financial support of this work via NIBIB: P41-EB020594; NIGMS: P20- GM130423; and NCI: P30-CA168524. The authors also acknowledge financial support from the Midwest Cancer Alliance, NCI: R44-CA224848, and R33-CA235597.
S.A.S. and M.L.H. hold equity shares in BioFluidica, Inc., a company that holds commercialization rights to the cell isolation technology described herein. M.A.W declares COI as a spouse of a BioFluidica, Inc. employee.
{#cells-09-00519-f001}
{ref-type="app"} (see [Supplementary Materials](#app1-cells-09-00519){ref-type="app"}). (**C**) Bar graph representing the mean velocities expressed in m/s observed for the cross-channels at different sections of the device and at a 10 μL/min volume flow rate. The sections labeled here correspond to the sections of the device simulated in (**B**). (**D**) Simulated shear rate at three different sections of the device, inlet, middle, and outlet sections. (**E**) Bar graphs representing the mean shear rates across the cross-channels at different sections of the device at a volume flow rate of 10 μL/min. The sections of the device listed here correspond to those sections shown in (**D**).](cells-09-00519-g002){#cells-09-00519-f002}
{#cells-09-00519-f003}
{#cells-09-00519-f004}
{#cells-09-00519-f005}
{#cells-09-00519-f006}
{#cells-09-00519-f007}
{#cells-09-00519-f008}
cells-09-00519-t001_Table 1
######
Number of CLCs and CPCs compared to CTCs detected in cancer patients.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cancer Cells\ Target Cells\ Non-Aberrant Cells\ Cell Diameter\ Reference
(Antigen Used for Selection) (mL^−1^) (mL^−1^) (µm)
------------------------------ --------------- --------------------- ---------------- ---------------------------
CLCs\ 11--2684 10--2450 11--16 \[[@B4-cells-09-00519]\]
(AML, CD33, CD34, CD117)
CLCs (B-ALL, CD19) 40--840 400--2050 6--12 this work
CPCs (CD138) 10--5900 43--1875 12--16 \[[@B3-cells-09-00519]\]
CTCs in epithelial tumors\ 1--800 3--10 10--23 \[[@B35-cells-09-00519]\]
(EpCAM)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: The references used here were taken from a single type of cell selection chip (sinusoidal device) so that comparisons could be made as to the numbers of the CLCs, CPCs, and CTCs secured from liquid biopsies.
cells-09-00519-t002_Table 2
######
Average shear rate and calculated shear stress on cells at each microtrap for the flow rates listed.
Flow Rate (μL/min) Shear Rate (1/s) Shear Stress (dynes/cm^2^)
-------------------- ------------------ ----------------------------
1 6042 53.8
3 18,206 162.0
5 30,454 271.0
10 63,750 567.4
| 2024-01-19T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/1389 |
Q:
xtrabackup only performs a full back up if is executed with super user privileges
According to this link, I executed this command to backup my database:
xtrabackup --backup --databases='database' --target-dir=/home/user/backups --datadir=/var/lib/mysql/
But I get the following error:
160520 02:00:54 version_check Done.
160520 02:00:54 Connecting to MySQL server host: localhost, user: root, password: set, port: 0, socket: /var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock
Using server version 5.5.44-MariaDB
xtrabackup version 2.4.2 based on MySQL server 5.7.11 Linux (x86_64) (revision id: 8e86a84)
xtrabackup: uses posix_fadvise().
xtrabackup: cd to /var/lib/mysql/
xtrabackup: open files limit requested 0, set to 1024
xtrabackup: using the following InnoDB configuration:
xtrabackup: innodb_data_home_dir = .
xtrabackup: innodb_data_file_path = ibdata1:10M:autoextend
xtrabackup: innodb_log_group_home_dir = .
xtrabackup: innodb_log_files_in_group = 2
xtrabackup: innodb_log_file_size = 5242880
InnoDB: Number of pools: 1
InnoDB: Operating system error number 13 in a file operation.
InnoDB: The error means mysqld does not have the access rights to the directory.
I solved it by running the same command with sudo, the problem is that the backup directory gets created as root so my user doesn't have access to that directory so I always have to change the ownership recursively for that directory so I can be able to read it. This method isn't pretty efficient to me.
Is there any other alternative to do this?
Do I always have to
execute this command with sudo?
A:
The xtrabackup tool runs as the user invoking it and that user must be able to read the database files which are normally owned by mysql:mysql and mode 660.
An easy fix is usually to add the user to the mysql group, for example:
useradd -G mysql yves
Then logout and re-open the session, it should work.
| 2023-09-19T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/6999 |
Monthly Archives: November 2013
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The Nugget: 1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: My Comment: The last verse (2 Peter 3:18) gave the command to grow in grace. This verse tells how to … Continue reading →
The Nugget: 2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. My Comment: I take this verse as a commandment. We … Continue reading →
The Nugget: 1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also … Continue reading →
The Nugget: 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. My Comment: The key to have the new life in Christ is … Continue reading →
The Nugget: 2Co 5:15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. My Comment: This verse is the first on my list … Continue reading → | 2024-02-29T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/6451 |
If the Mets can't get a good deal for Beltran, they might as well just keep him and see what happens for the Wild Card chase. While it might not make sense for other teams to give up top prospects for a rental, it might make less sense for the Mets to give him up for nothing. If anything, if the Mets can improve their pitching (especially starting), they could conceivably make a run at the Wild Card. That makes the return of Santana this season all the more interesting and relevant. | 2024-06-25T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/5676 |
A novel immunosensor based on immobilization of hepatitis B surface antibody on platinum electrode modified colloidal gold and polyvinyl butyral as matrices via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.
Hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) was immobilized to the surface of platinum electrode modified with colloidal gold and polyvinyl butyral (PVB) as matrices to detect hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The electrochemical measurements of cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy showed that K(4)[Fe(CN)(6)]/K(3)[Fe(CN)(6)] reactions on the platinum electrode surface were blocked due to the procedures of self-assembly of HBsAb-Au-PVB. The binding of a specific HBsAb to HBsAg recognition layer could be detected by measurements of the impedance change. A new strategy was introduced for improving the sensitivity of impedance measurements via the large specific surface area and high surface free energy of Au nanoparticles and the encapsulated effect of polyvinyl butyral. The results showed that this strategy caused dramatic improvement of the detection sensitivity of HBsAg and had good linear response to detect HBsAg in the range of 20-160 ng.ml(-1) with a detection limit of 7.8 ng.ml(-1). Moreover, the studied immunosensor exhibited high sensitivity and long-term stability. | 2024-07-19T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/5204 |
312 F.2d 105
STOCK RESTAURANT, INC., Petitioner,v.Ivan C. McLEOD, Regional Director of the Second Region ofthe National Labor Relations Board, and theNational Labor Relations Board, Respondents.
No. 27894.
United States Court of Appeals Second Circuit.
Argued Nov. 26, 1962.Decided Jan. 21, 1963.
Thomas A. Bolan and John F. Lang, of Saxe, Bacon & O'Shea, New York City, for petitioner.
Stuart Rothman, Gen. Counsel, Dominick L. Manoli, Associate Gen. Counsel, Marcel Mallet-Prevost, Asst. Gen. Counsel, and James C. Paras and Stephen B. Goldberg, Attys., National Labor Relations Board, Washington, D.C., for respondents.
Before CLARK and MOORE, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM.
1
Petitioner, Stork Restaurant, Inc., brings its petition for a writ of mandamus directingIvan C. McLeod, Regional Director of the Second Region of the National Labor Relations Board (referred to as the Board), and the Board to enforce an order of the Board. The petition is premised upon preceedings before the Board which culminated in a cease-and-desist and-desist order dated February 20, 1961, and reaffirmed by a supplemental decision and order dated February 20, 1962. On march 288 1962, the Board filed with this Court its petition to compel enforcement but since that time has taken no further steps in this court. The present proceeding is designed to enable petitioner, the complainant, to secure the relief to which it claims to be entitled under the Board's order. In its petition, petitioner alleges that 'since said order was handed down Locals 89 and 1 have continued to picket the Stock Club without change in their manner or method of picketing.' The Board did not answer or deny this allegation. However, in a memorandum entitled 'opposition of the National Labor Relations Board of Petition for Writ of Mandamus,' the Board states with reference to the filing of its March 288 1962 petition for enforcement: 'Thereafter, however, compliance discussions were resumed. As a result of these discussions, the Unions subsequently expressed a willingness to comply with the Board's order. * * * It was unnecessary to require a cessation of the picketing for the Board determined, following an investigation, that the picketing, as then conducted, did not violate Section 8(b)(7)(C) of the Act. In brief, this investigation revealed that the present picketing does not have either a recognitional or organizational objective but rather is informational in character, i.e., beyond the ambit of Section 8(b)(7).'
2
Thus there would appear to be a considerable discrepancy in the facts as asserted by petitioner and the Board. The petitioner claims that the present picketing is unlawful; the Board claims that it is lawful. Surely this issue should be capable of resolution once the facts are fully developed. Despite petitioner's reluctance to press its claims of noncompliance Before the Board and, as it argues, 'to start the whole process over again,' the Act and the court decisions pertinent to the subject vest the Board with exclusive jurisdiction. Even without the Act or decisions, there would be a sound ground for the denial of mandamus. The writ orders someone to do something-- in this case, the Board to enforce its order. But such a command might well be too inflexible and quite inconsistent with the exercise of the powers vested in the Board. Labor situations a money judgment by a deputy marshal statement with which petitioner, feeling aggrieved as it does in its present predicament, will heartily disagree. Enforcement of an order in the labor field is quite different from the execution of a money judgment by a deputy marshal or sheriff. The many different interpretations of sections of the Act given by various courts attest to the difficulty of stating hard and fast rules with certainty. This court, therefore, should not tell the Board how it should act, or whether it should act, in this particular situation. On the other hand, the Board by its petition did initiate proceedings to secure enforcement, and there is no reason to assume that the Board, entrusted with the duty to prevent unfair labor practices, will not carry out that responsibility either by proceeding without delay or by showing such a change in the situation as would call for some modification of its original order.
3
Petition denied.
| 2024-02-19T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/1243 |
Q:
Referencing 3 variables using a for loop and i
Is it possible to have three predefined variables:
int randomNum1 = 5;
int randomNum2 = 4;
int randomNum3 = 3;
and then call these variables by using a for loop as such:
for(int i = 1; i < 4; i++){
switch(randomNumi){
...
}
Where each time the for loop runs it calls each of the randomNum variables?
A:
Try defining array:
int randomNum[] = {5, 4, 3};
for(int i = 0; i < randomNum.length; i++){
switch(randomNum[i]){
case:......
}
}
| 2023-10-12T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/7230 |
Q:
Test with Moq if a method of external library is called
For a project I'm using the CompositeContainer class of the MEF framework. Now I'd like to make a unit test (with moq) that verifies if the ComposeParts (which is an extension method in AttributedModelServices) method is called.
Just mocking it with moq doesn't work because the method is not virtual. I found some ways to do this but all of them makes me change the CompositeContainer class, which I cannot do.
Is there a way in moq to test if a non virtual method of an external 3rd party library is called?
Thanks in advance for your reply.
example code:
public void Load(string path, CompositionContainer container)
{
container.ComposeParts(this);
}
Here container is from the MEF library and ComposeParts an extension method in the System.ComponentModel.Composition namespace:
//
// Summary:
// Creates composable parts from an array of attributed objects and composes
// them in the specified composition container.
//
// Parameters:
// container:
// The composition container to perform composition in.
//
// attributedParts:
// An array of attributed objects to compose.
public static void ComposeParts(this CompositionContainer container, params object[] attributedParts);
A:
I don't believe that it's possible to verify directly that a third party library method was called with Moq, but you can check the side effects of calling the method. Since you are using MEF to retrieve your implementations at runtime I would test that your types were loaded correctly. So if you have something like this:
public interface IInterfaceToCompose
{
string MethodToCreate();
}
[Export(typeof(IInterfaceToCompose))]
public class ConcreteImplementation1 : IInterfaceToCompose
{
public string MethodToCreate()
{
return "Implementation 1";
}
}
[Export(typeof(IInterfaceToCompose))]
public class ConcreteImplementation2 : IInterfaceToCompose
{
public string MethodToCreate()
{
return "Implementation 2";
}
}
You could then write a test that looks something like this:
[ImportMany(typeof(IInterfaceToCompose))]
public IInterfaceToCompose ComposedItems { get; set; }
[Test]
public void WhenComposingTheComposedItems_ShouldLoadExportedTypes()
{
Load("testPath", YourContainer);
Assert.AreEqual(2, ComposedItems.Count());
}
What you really want to test (IMO) is that you created your composed classes correctly and that they can all be loaded by the MEF CompositionContainer.
A good second test would be to do an initial load, add a dll with a third implementer, and ensure that the final count is 3 (does your system dynamically load new modules). This will catch errors such as forgetting to attribute the new implementations with the Export attribute and also make sure that your classes are correctly picking up changes as they occur.
| 2024-07-24T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/9049 |
Socioeconomic influences at different life stages on health in Guangzhou, China.
In long-term developed countries socioeconomic position across the life course is positively associated with health. We examined these associations in a developing country with a history of efforts to reorganize the social hierarchy. Taking a life course perspective, we used multi-variable logistic regression to assess the association of socioeconomic disadvantage at four life stages (measured by parental possessions, education, longest-held occupation and current household income) with self-rated health, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and metabolic syndrome in 20,086 Chinese adults aged ≥50 years from the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study (2005-2008). Model comparisons were used to determine whether the number of exposures to disadvantage (accumulation of risk) was more important than the life stage of exposure (critical periods). Socioeconomic disadvantage across the life course was associated with poor self-rated health, COPD and, in women only, with metabolic syndrome. Adjusting for adult health-related behavior (smoking, alcohol use and physical exercise) altered these associations very little. Associations between socioeconomic disadvantage and health in this Southern Chinese population were broadly similar to those found in Western countries in terms of the accumulation of disadvantage across the life course. However, longest-held occupation was not independently associated with adult health and socioeconomic disadvantage was not associated with metabolic syndrome in men. This suggests that the mechanisms linking socioeconomic position to health in China may be different from those in Western populations and may require context-specific policy interventions. | 2023-10-14T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/8894 |
Estimating historical occupational exposure to airborne hexavalent chromium in a chromate production plant: 1940--1972.
This article presents a retrospective exposure assessment for 493 workers who were occupationally exposed to airborne hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), at a Painesville, Ohio, chromate production plant from 1940-1972. Exposure estimates were reconstructed using a job-exposure matrix approach that related job titles with area monitoring data from 21 industrial hygiene surveys conducted from 1943 to 1971. No personal monitoring data were collected. Specifically, airborne Cr(VI) concentration profiles for 22 areas of the plant, termed job-exposure group (JEG) areas, were constructed for three distinct time periods (1940-1949, 1950-1964, and 1965-1972), with cut points based on known major plant and process changes. Average airborne Cr(VI) concentrations were the highest for the bridge crane operators (5.5 mg/m3) prior to 1965, although only four cohort members held this job title. Airborne concentrations for the rest of the production areas of the plant ranged from 1.9 mg/m3 for packers in the 1940s to 0.012 mg/m3 for ore mill operators after 1964. For nearly all JEG areas, exposures decreased over time, particularly after 1964. For example, average airborne concentrations in production areas of the plant decreased from 0.72 mg/m3 in the 1940s to 0.27 mg/m3 from 1950 to 1964, and the average was 0.039 mg/m3 after 1964. Former workers were interviewed to determine activity patterns in the plant by job title. This information was combined with Cr(VI) monitoring data to calculate cumulative occupational exposure for each worker. Cumulative exposures ranged from 0.003 to 23 (mg/m3) x years. The highest monthly 8-hour average exposure concentration for each worker ranged from 0.003 to 4.1 mg/m3. These exposure estimates have been combined with mortality data for this cohort to assess the lung cancer risk associated with inhaled Cr(VI), and a positive dose-response relationship was observed for increases in lung cancer mortality with measures of cumulative exposure and highest monthly exposure. | 2023-08-17T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/1205 |
Celebrity Photo Galleries
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Some school officials in South Florida are taking no chances over the next 48 hours as rumors of possible shootings and other violence have taken hold with Friday being the one week anniversary of the deadly Connecticut school shootings.
There have been no confirmed threats against schools by local police. However, in the wake of last Friday’s shootings in Connecticut, all possibilities are being taken seriously.
In Davie, Western High School took the step of banning backpacks for the rest of the week. The ban came after rumors of a shooting planned for the school on Friday began to percolate amongst the student body.
According to Davie Police, they do not know who may have made the threat and are looking into whether the threat metastasized from social media. Davie Police did say that if anyone has any information about a possible threat locally that they will come forward and tell police.
Davie Police said they have increased their presence at the school and “are prepared to respond to any incident which may occur.”
Police in Davie also said there’s a possibility that there are no threats against Western High School in Davie, and instead were meant for another school with a similar name in Ohio named Western Hills where there was a shooting last week.
Officially, Broward County Public Schools released the following statement Wednesday about the threats of violence:
Broward District School Police report there have been rumors of violence circulating through social media in several Broward County public schools. In every case, no substantive information has been found to give credibility to any of these threats. District Police are taking all threats very seriously and, in collaboration with local law enforcement, continue to be vigilant.
In Miami-Dade County, Miami-Dade Public Schools have also sent out an email to principals saying they support not allowing book bags over the next few days. However, the decision is left up to each principal to make a call about book bags.
Miami-Dade County schools said the possibility of no book bags had nothing to do with the shootings or any threats, but school officials instead don’t want students to have shaving cream and other things students may bring with them to school for any mischief on the last day before a break.
Other than that, Miami-Dade Public Schools said they are not doing anything different over the next few days at schools across the county. | 2023-11-14T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/8548 |
Nanotechnologies exist in the realm of billionths of a meter, with tolerances that push the limits of manufacturing, so it can be hard to imagine a factory that can turn out such products on a commercial scale.
And yet, the United States has created the right environment for nanomanufacturing to succeed here with its strong foundation in basic research and development, a skilled workforce and private and public investment support.
Graphene--tiny sheets of carbon only one atom thick--materialized as a concept from research laboratories in the 1980s, but researchers only isolated the sheets as a unique two-dimensional material in 2004. Recently, graphene has emerged as a nanotechnology prized for its ability to conduct electricity and its exceptional durability and strength.
According to researchers at Vorbeck, the company's Vor-ink™ graphene-based conductive ink for electronics was first introduced at the Printed Electronics Europe 2009 tradeshow and was directly marketed and sold to customers there--making it one of the first (if not the first) graphene products to go to market.
Vor-inkis a type of conductive ink that allows circuits to be drawn or printed on a variety of substrate materials including paper, paperboard and polymer films. When compared to traditional industrial standards, it is a more economical way to lay down the modern printed circuit boards that are common in today's computer-enabled world.
Now, Vorbeck has announced plans for a second graphene factory in Pocomoke City, on Maryland's Eastern Shore, and they are expanding capacity at their existing Jessup production plant.
In January, Vorbeck demonstrated its technology at the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nev., as part of the Eureka Park Tech Zone. Read more in the press release from NSF and see a video from AOL.
Vorbeck manufactures graphene using a process originally developed by researchers at Princeton University. The company's graphene-enabled products range from electrically conductive paints to high-performance batteries to high-security packaging for expensive retail items, and their unique conductive ink is used in high-volume printed electronics applications.
According to the "Handbook of Nanoscience, Engineering and Technology," the market for all nanomaterials has been booming, reaching about $300 billion worldwide by 2010--$110 billion in the United States alone. Of the more than 1,000 nanotechnologies manufactured worldwide in 2010, more than half were produced in the United States.
Vorbeck is adding to that growth with graphene products developed in part with the support of Phase I and Phase II National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants, U.S. Army SBIR contracts (contract 1 and contract 2), and private investment.
In order to support increased customer demand, Vorbeck accelerated scale-up plans, recently expanding Vor-ink™ capacity to over 40 tons per year by adding new real estate and production equipment to the company's Jessup, Md., facility.
For more on the NSF SBIR program, see NSF's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program webpage.
For more on federally funded research in Maryland, visit Research.gov. | 2024-06-23T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/5094 |
Lilium henryi
Lilium henryi (), sometimes called Tiger Lily or Henry's lily, is a native lily of the mountains of central China (Provinces of Guizhou, Hubei, Jiangxi). The flowers are orange, spotted black, and unscented. The petals are recurving (bent backwards), and eventually resemble those of the more widespread Turk's-cap lily (though not when young).
Cultivation
Typically it grows to about 1.5 m high in the wild, but vigorous cultivated plants can reach up to 2.5 m. It is likely to bend towards the light, and hence may need staking. It is useful as a garden ornamental plant for its long lasting flowers, its textured petals, and it is more tolerant than most lilies of lime in the soil. Henry's lily is easy to propagate from bulb scales.
It was introduced into cultivation in Europe by Augustine Henry, and was named after him.
Toxicity
Cats
Cats are extremely sensitive to lily toxicity and ingestion is often fatal; households and gardens which are visited by cats are strongly advised against keeping this plant or placing dried flowers where a cat may brush against them and become dusted with pollen which they then consume while cleaning. Suspected cases require urgent veterinary attention. Rapid treatment with activated charcoal and/or induced vomiting can reduce the amount of toxin absorbed (this is time-sensitive so in some cases vets may advise doing it at home), and large amounts of fluid by IV can reduce damage to kidneys to increase the chances of survival.
References
External links
Pacific Bulb Society, Asiatic Section D-K photos of several species including Lilium henryi
The Lily Garden
Dave's Garden Plant Files
henryi
Category:Endemic flora of China
Category:Garden plants
Category:Plants described in 1888 | 2023-12-08T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/3161 |
Introduction {#Sec1}
============
Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) shows various clinical manifestations. The revised criteria^[@CR1]^ include the core-features of fluctuating cognitive function, recurrent visual hallucinations, spontaneous parkinsonism and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder. Variations in the clinical picture of DLB can be attributed to the various degrees of Lewy body pathology and coexisting Alzheimer disease (AD) pathology that are found at autopsy^[@CR2]--[@CR4]^.
Some neuroimaging features of DLB have been proposed to enhance diagnostic accuracy. Occipital hypometabolism on ^18^F-FDG-PET images is a useful biomarker that can discriminate DLB from AD^[@CR5]--[@CR8]^ and it is listed as a supportive biomarker in the revised criteria^[@CR1]^. Hypometabolism in the occipital cortex is accompanied by cholinergic dysfunction^[@CR9],[@CR10]^ and white matter disruption^[@CR11]^ that have been attributed to underlying cortical-subcortical Lewy body pathology^[@CR11]--[@CR15]^.
The cingulate island sign (CIS) on FDG-PET and brain perfusion SPECT has recently been proposed as a neuroimaging feature of DLB^[@CR16],[@CR17]^. The term refers to sparing of the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) relative to the precuneus plus cuneus (PpC). This sign is highly specific for an accurate diagnosis of DLB^[@CR16],[@CR17]^ and was described as a supportive biomarker in the revised criteria^[@CR1]^. However, precise behavior of CIS, which is needed for CIS-based diagnosis, has not been fully understood.
Previous linear analysis did not uncover the association between the CIS and general cognition assessed by Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)^[@CR18]^ and Mattis Dementia Rating Scale^[@CR19]^. As the CIS have been reported mostly in patients with mild DLB^[@CR16]--[@CR19]^, its presence in patients with more advanced DLB and whether it temporally changes remain unknown.
The CIS is reportedly influenced by AD-type neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) pathology^[@CR19]^ and we reinforced the notion by showing relationship between CIS and medial temporal lobe (MTL) atrophy^[@CR18]^. We therefore postulated that CIS would disappear as DLB progresses, because the AD-type NFT pathology increases over time^[@CR20]--[@CR22]^. To examine the hypothesis, we prospectively followed-up CIS in patients with prodromal and mild DLB for two years using brain perfusion SPECT.
Results {#Sec2}
=======
The CIS temporally changed {#Sec3}
--------------------------
To determine temporal changes in the CIS, 24 patients with mild DLB and 7 others with prodromal DLB underwent twice of N-isopropyl-p-\[^123^I\] iodoamphetamine (^123^I-IMP) brain perfusion SPECT at an interval of two years. The 22 persons with normal cognition were assessed with^123^I-IMP-SPECT once. The CIS was evaluated by CIS ratio that was derived by the division of the IMP accumulation in the PCC with that in the PpC. Figure [1](#Fig1){ref-type="fig"} shows temporal changes of CIS in 4 patients with DLB. Prodromal and mild DLB progressed to mild DLB and mild to moderate DLB during the two-year follow-up, respectively. The MMSE scores were significantly lower in patients with DLB than with persons with normal cognition (Table [1](#Tab1){ref-type="table"}) and decreased in all patients with DLB during the two-year follow-up. The CIS ratios of patients with mild DLB were significantly decreased at the time of the 2nd assessment (Fig. [2](#Fig2){ref-type="fig"}; paired *t*-test: *t* = 6.525, df = 23, *p* = 0.001). The CIS ratio significantly increased in 7 patients with prodromal DLB (paired *t*-test: *t* = −3.625, df = 6, *p* = 0.011). All DLB patients except 2 prodromal DLB patients showed abnormal striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) density at 1st assessment with DAT-SPECT. The DAT density in the 2 patients became abnormal at the 2nd DAT-SPECT after two years.Figure 1Temporal changes in CIS ratios in 3D brain perfusion images from 4 patients. Values below each brain image are CIS ratios. (**a**) Male patient with mild DLB aged 75 years with higher initial CIS ratio. The 2nd SPECT evaluation shows that CIS has become unclear, but CIS ratio remains over 1.00. MMSE scores at 1st and 2nd SPECT were 22 and 19, respectively. (**b**) Male patient with mild DLB aged 74 years with higher initial CIS ratio that became unclear two years later, although it remained over 1.00. MMSE scores at 1st and 2nd SPECT were 22 and 20, respectively. (**c**) Male patient with mild DLB aged 78 years with lower 1st CIS ratio. MMSE scores at 1st and 2nd SPECT were 23 and 18, respectively. (**d**) Female patient aged 76 years with prodromal DLB. At 1st SPECT, CIS was unclear but became obvious at 2nd SPECT. MMSE scores at 1st and 2nd SPECT were 25 and 21, respectively. Table 1Demographic features of patients with DLB.1st CIS ratioDLBnormaltotalprodromalmildhigherlowerNumber (n)317121222Male/Female17/145/26/66/612/10Age (years)73.9 ± 3.774.4 ± 3.373.7 ± 3.873.7 ± 4.274.1 ± 1.6Educational (years)14.3 ± 2.215.1 ± 2.314.7 ± 2.113.8 ± 2.313.9 ± 2.4Disease duration (months)8.0 ± 4.83.4 ± 1.9^†^9.1 ± 4.39.6 ± 5.0NA1st MMSE score22.9 ± 1.9^\*^25.3 ± 0.5^†^22.7 ± 1.021.9 ± 1.929.4 ± 0.52nd MMSE score18.6 ± 2.5^\*^20.6 ± 1.5^†^19.5 ± 1.7^†^16.7 ± 2.0NADAT binding2.36 ± 1.032.82 ± 1.322.10 ± 0.672.34 ± 1.08NA1st CIS ratio1.17 ± 0.14^\*^1.09 ± 0.071.29 ± 0.06^†^1.11 ± 0.091.08 ± 0.252nd CIS ratio1.06 ± 0.171.18 ± 0.05^†^1.17 ± 0.07^†^0.90 ± 0.10NA1st MTL atrophy1.37 ± 0.55^\*^0.83 ± 0.22^†^1.16 ± 0.32^†^1.89 ± 0.400.51 ± 0.332nd MTL atrophy1.55 ± 0.68^\*^0.89 ± 0.24^†^1.25 ± 0.36^†^2.24 ± 0.46NAMean ± SD; NA, not assessed; Disease duration, duration between onset of symptoms and 1st assessment; MTL atrophy, evaluated by VSRAD score; ^\*^ *p* \< 0.05, significant difference compared with normal group by two sample *t*-test; ^†^ *p* \< 0.05, significant difference compared with mild DLB with lower initial CIS ratio by Tukey-Kramer multiple comparison test. Figure 2Changes in CIS ratio between 1st and 2nd SPECT assessment. The CIS ratios significantly decreased in patients with mild DLB during two years of follow-up (*blue*; paired *t*-test: *t* = 6.525, df = 23, *p* \< 0.001), but significantly increased among seven patients with prodromal DLB (*green*; paired *t*-test: *t* = −3.625, df = 6, *p* = 0.011).
Prognosis for cognitive decline in mild DLB with a higher and a lower initial CIS ratio {#Sec4}
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We assigned the patients with mild DLB into groups according to whether they had higher or lower CIS ratios at the initial SPECT assessment. We found a more obvious temporal decrease in the MMSE in the group with a lower, than a higher initial CIS ratio (Fig. [3a](#Fig3){ref-type="fig"}). MMSE scores in both groups significantly decreased by paired *t*-test (group with higher initial CIS ratio: *t* = 6.44, df = 11, *p* \< 0.001; group with lower initial CIS ratio: *t* = 7.16, df = 11, *p* \< 0.001). The repeated measures analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with age and years of education as potential confounding covariates confirmed a significant group effect \[*F* (1, 20) = 5.601, *p* = 0.028\].Figure 3Changes in MMSE scores and MTL atrophy in mild DLB. (**a**) Changes in MMSE scores. During two years of follow-up, MMSE scores decreased more in group with lower, than higher initial CIS ratio. The repeated measures ANCOVA with age and years of education as potential confounding covariates confirmed a significant group effect \[*F* (1, 20) = 5.601, *p* = 0.028\]. (**b**) Changes in MTL atrophy. The repeated measures ANCOVA with age and years of education as potential confounding covariates revealed the group effect on change in MTL atrophy \[*F* (1, 20) = 14.439, *p* = 0.001\]. Thus, MTL atrophy in the group with lower CIS ratio progressed more than that with higher CIS ratio during two-year follow-up.
Decrease in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) during two years in mild DLB patients with higher and lower initial CIS ratios was analysed with SPM12 and is demonstrated in Fig. [4](#Fig4){ref-type="fig"}. The rCBF decrease in PCC was more evident in mild DLB patients with lower initial CIS ratios than in those with higher CIS ratios. It was supported by the finding that the rCBF ratio in the PCC ROI was more significantly reduced in mild DLB patients with lower initial CIS ratios than in higher initial CIS ratios by repeated measures ANCOVA with age and years of education as potential confounding covariates \[*F* (1, 20) = 8.068, *p* = 0.01\].Figure 4Decrease in rCBF during two years in mild DLB with higher and lower initial CIS ratios. Brain regions in which rCBF decreased during two years in mild DLB patients were analyzed with SPM12 (**a**) mild DLB patients with higher initial CIS ratios; (**b**) those with lower initial CIS ratios (*p* = 0.001, uncorrected). The rCBF decrease in PCC was more evident in mild DLB patients with lower initial CIS ratios than in those with higher CIS ratios. It was proved by ROI analysis with repeated measures ANCOVA with age and years of education as potential confounding covariates \[*F* (1, 20) = 8.068, *p* = 0.01\].
Having a higher and a lower initial CIS ratio in mild DLB was associated with 3.1 ± 1.3 and 5.0 ± 1.9 points reduction in MMSE scores during two-year follow-up, respectively. We have selected initial MMSE score, initial MTL atrophy score and years of education as variates for multiple regression analysis to predict CIS change. It revealed that initial MMSE score and initial MTL atrophy score significantly influenced temporal changes in the CIS ratio (Table [2](#Tab2){ref-type="table"}).Table 2Associations with the change in CIS ratio by multiple regression analysis.BSE*βtp*1st MMSE0.0280.0120.3862.4030.0231st MTL atrophy−0.0800.033−0.254−2.3920.024Education0.0130.0080.2541.5340.137Target variable: change in CIS ratio**;** *R* ^2^ = 0.688, adjusted *R* ^2^ = 0.653, *F*(3, 27) = 19.825, *p* \< 0.001; All of the age, gender, years of education, 1st MMSE score, 1st MTL atrophy score and DAT density were examined by forward-backward selection and above three variables were selected as a model with maximum adjusted *R* ^2^; B, partial regression coefficient; SE, standard error; *β*, standardized partial regression coefficient.
During two-year follow-up, Voxel-Based Specific Regional Analysis System for Alzheimer's Disease (VSRAD)-scores for MTL atrophy significantly increased in both groups by paired *t*-test (group with higher initial CIS ratio: *t* = −2.50, df = 11, *p* = 0.029; group with lower initial CIS ratio: *t* = −7.06, df = 11, *p* \< 0.001; Fig. [3b](#Fig3){ref-type="fig"}). The repeated measures ANCOVA with age and years of education as potential confounding covariates revealed the group effect on change in MTL atrophy \[*F* (1, 20) = 14.439, *p* = 0.001\]. Thus, MTL atrophy in the group with lower CIS ratio progressed more than that with higher CIS ratio during two-year follow-up.
The relationship between CIS ratios and MMSE scores was an inverted U-shape {#Sec5}
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The regression curve estimated by Curve Fitting Toolbox on MATLAB showed an inverted U-shaped relationship between the CIS ratio and MMSE (Fig. [5](#Fig5){ref-type="fig"}). The CIS ratio peaked at an MMSE score of 22.1 on the estimated curve \[f(x) = 1.006 + 0.1133cos (0.3293x) + 0.1748sin (0.3293x): *R* ^2^ = 0.5333, DFE = 58, adjusted *R* ^2^ = 0.5091\]. Broken lines in Fig. [5](#Fig5){ref-type="fig"} denote 95% prediction interval. The estimated curve of rCBF ratio differed between the PpC and PCC (Fig. [6](#Fig6){ref-type="fig"}). That is, the rCBF ratio in PpC began to decrease at the earlier stages of DLB and that in PCC decreased later.Figure 5Inverted U-shaped relationship between MMSE scores and CIS ratios at 1st and 2nd SPECT evaluations. The regression curve estimated by Curve Fitting Toolbox on MATLAB showed an inverted U-shaped relationship between the CIS ratio and MMSE. The CIS ratio peaked at an MMSE score of 22.1 on the estimated curve (solid line) \[f(x) = 1.006 + 0.1133cos(0.3293x) + 0.1748sin(0.3293x): *R* ^2^ = 0.5333, DFE = 58, adjusted *R* ^2^ = 0.5091\]. The upper and lower broken lines represent 95% prediction bounds. Figure 6MMSE scores and rCBFratio in PpC and PCC. The estimated curve for PCC (*green*) is \[f(x) = −0.7978 − 2.026 × 10^7^(1 − cos(−1.696 × 10^−5^x)) − 9205 sin(−1.696 × 10^−5^x): *R* ^2^ = 0.5963, DFE = 58, adjusted *R* ^2^ = 0.5754\]. The curve for PpC (*blue*) is \[f(x) = 1.4323 + 2.867 × 10^6^(1 − cos(3.897 × 10^−5^x)) − 1670sin(3.897 × 10^−5^x): *R* ^2^ = 0.3920, DFE = 58, adjusted *R* ^2^ = 0.3605\]. Curves for PpC and PCC start to decrease early and later, respectively, during DLB progression. Note that PCC curve is convex upward and PpC curve is convex downward.
Discussion {#Sec6}
==========
The present study found that the CIS ratio decreased as mild DLB progressed, but increased in patients with prodromal DLB during two-year follow-up. Our hypothesis that CIS disappears as DLB progresses was demonstrated. It would be attributed to AD-type NFT pathology increasing over time. MTL shrinkage over time would support the view. The relationship between the CIS ratio and the MMSE score, which decreased in all patients with DLB during follow-up, was inverted U-shaped. The CIS ratio peaked at an MMSE score of 22.1 on the regression curve and diminished as MMSE decreased. Decreases in MMSE scores and MTL volumes were more obvious among mild DLB patients with lower initial CIS ratios than higher initial CIS ratios. Thus, the CIS changed over time and was most obvious in the vicinity of an MMSE score of 22. The finding of a lower CIS ratio in mild DLB predicts the progression of cognitive decline.
The inverted U-shaped relationship between CIS ratio and MMSE scores might have caused the failure of linear analysis of previous studies. The results of our previous linear correlation analysis showed that the CIS ratio in mild DLB did not correlate with MMSE scores^[@CR18]^. The CIS ratio was not reported to correlate with the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale, either^[@CR19]^. The inverted U-shape was constructed with CIS ratios that increased or decreased as MMSE decreased during two-year follow-up (Figs [2](#Fig2){ref-type="fig"}, [3](#Fig3){ref-type="fig"} and [4](#Fig4){ref-type="fig"}). The temporal changes in the CIS ratio with disease progression should be taken into consideration when basing a differential diagnosis on CIS. The CIS seems to be able to discriminate DLB from AD more effectively than only occipital hypometabolism or hypoperfusion^[@CR16],[@CR17]^. Certainly positive CIS may predict probable DLB. However, our study indicates that advanced or prodromal DLB may not show obvious CIS. Before the CIS can be used as a biomarker to distinguish DLB from AD, the longitudinal behavior of the CIS in DLB should be defined.
The formation of the inverted U-shape of CIS ratio, which derived from dividing the rCBF ratio in the PCC by that in the PpC, can be explained by difference in temporal change between the rCBF ratio in the PCC and that in the PpC. Figure [6](#Fig6){ref-type="fig"} shows different regression curves for the rCBF ratio in the PpC and PCC. Both rCBF ratio in PCC and PpC were relatively high at the prodromal stage. The rCBF ratio in the PpC began to decrease in the PpC earlier than that in the PCC, and both gradually changed as MMSE scores decreased, which rendered the CIS more obvious in mild DLB. When MMSE decreased to fewer than 20, the regression curves of rCBF ratio in PCC and PpC again became closer. Thus, the relationship between the CIS ratios and MMSE scores became an inverted U-shape. Furthermore, the pathological features of DLB is constructed with a mixture of Lewy body and AD-type NFT pathology and the pathological basis of hypoperfusion in the PCC and PpC were AD-type NFT and Lewy body pathologies, respectively^[@CR23],[@CR24]^. Therefore, the difference in regression rCBF ratio curves between PpC and PCC was attributed to differences in how Lewy body- and AD-pathologies progress. The variability of CIS is considered to be based on these pathological differences.
Concomitant AD-type NFT pathology will account for our finding indicating more rapid cognitive decline in a lower, than a higher initial CIS ratio in mild DLB. As the CIS has been reported to be influenced AD pathology^[@CR18],[@CR19]^, we grouped the patients with mild DLB according to whether progression differed based on higher or lower initial CIS ratios that reflect lower and higher degrees of AD pathology, respectively. As most patients with DLB also have various degrees of concomitant AD pathology, pure DLB is relatively uncommon^[@CR25]^. Any patients with pure DLB in the present study were likely to have higher CIS ratios. Previous studies have shown a worse prognosis of DLB with AD pathology than pure DLB, e.g. more rapid cognitive decline^[@CR26],[@CR27]^, worse response to acetylcholinesterase inhibitor^[@CR28]^ and lower survival rates^[@CR29],[@CR30]^. The reported annual reduction in MMSE scores of patients with AD is 3.7 points^[@CR31]^. Having a higher and a lower initial CIS ratio was associated with annual reductions of 1.5 and 2.5 points, respectively. Thus, cognitive decline in patients with DLB who had a lower initial CIS ratio more similarly progressed to patients with AD. The finding was consistent with previous report that presence of abundant AD-type NFT pathology in addition to Lewy body pathology made the clinical profile more resemble AD rather than DLB^[@CR32]^. In line with above discussion, the finding of a lower CIS ratio in mild DLB predicts the progression of cognitive decline.
CIS is not specific to DLB, although it is commonly observed in mild DLB cases. Posterior cortical atrophy also shows CIS^[@CR33]^ in spite of abundant AD-type NFT pathology. The assertion that higher Braak NFT stage leads to smaller CIS ratio^[@CR19]^ is correct in DLB cases, but is not applied to posterior cortical atrophy. The NFT distribution of posterior cortical atrophy often shows relative sparing of the hippocampus. We have previously demonstrated that the CIS in DLB was associated with MTL atrophy^[@CR18]^. Therefore, CIS is considered to reflect sparing of posterior limbic circuitry and it is worth keeping in mind that CIS cannot be a reliable sign for Lewy body pathology.
We have successfully delineated CIS with ^123^I-IMP SPECT. The appearance of the CIS on FDG-PET was initially described as being specific to DLB and it has been considered as a useful hallmark, especially of pure DLB^[@CR16],[@CR18],[@CR19]^. The CIS ratio on ^99m^Tc-ethyl cysteinate dimer (ECD) perfusion SPECT can also discriminate DLB from AD^[@CR17]^, although spatial resolution of PET is superior to SPECT. This seems natural, because both the glucose metabolism and CBF reflect brain function^[@CR34]^. Furthermore, ^123^I-IMP has a higher first-pass extraction than other brain perfusion SPECT tracers such as HMPAO and ECD^[@CR35],[@CR36]^ and it can show contrast particularly at the high range of CBF such as PCC and PpC where the CIS produced. Therefore, ^123^I-IMP seems suitable for detecting small changes in CIS, although the image quality afforded by ^99m^Tc-HMPAO or ^99m^Tc-ECD is superior because higher doses of ^99m^Tc can be administered.
This study has several limitations. Firstly, the diagnosis of DLB was not confirmed at autopsy. However, all patients with DLB in this study had probable DLB based on strict international workshop DLB criteria^[@CR37]^ and showed decreased DAT density on DAT-SPECT. As for patients with prodromal DLB, all of them developed mild DLB and were also confirmed decreased DAT density during two-year follow up. Secondly, this study proceeded at a single clinic, and thus the sample of patients was not large. Further study with larger size would be required.
Conclusion {#Sec7}
==========
The CIS on IMP-SPECT changed over time and was the most obvious in the vicinity of an MMSE score of 22 in patients with DLB. Having its peak seemed a distinctive feature of CIS, as most biomarkers became more obvious as disease progressed. A lower CIS ratio in mild DLB was associated with a worse prognosis for cognitive decline, presumably due to concomitant AD pathology that increases over time.
Methods {#Sec8}
=======
Patients {#Sec9}
--------
The present study included 24 patients with mild DLB were selected at Fukujuji Hospital, Tokyo between 2011 and 2014 by following criteria: 1) over 65 of age; 2) diagnosed with probable DLB according to the DLB consensus criteria^[@CR1]^; 3) the diagnosis of mild DLB was based on the McKeith criterion for probable DLB, namely, at least two core symptoms^[@CR1]^; 4) having 1 of clinical dementia rating scale score; 5) abnormal finding on DAT-SPECT. Seven other patients who were diagnosed with prodromal DLB^[@CR38]^ were also enrolled at Fukujuji Hospital, Tokyo between 2011 and 2014 by following criteria: 1) over 65 of age; 2) prodromal DLB was defined as mild cognitive impairment according to the Petersen criteria^[@CR39]^, with preserved independence assessed using the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living and meeting the McKeith criteria for probable DLB except for the presence of dementia^[@CR1]^; 3) having 0.5 of clinical dementia rating scale score; 4) developed mild DLB during two-year follow-up; 5) abnormal finding on DAT-SPECT during two-year follow-up. We also included 22 persons with normal cognition. Cognitive function was assessed using the MMSE. The patients with DLB were assessed twice by ^123^I-IMP-SPECT and MRI at an interval of two years. The persons with normal cognition underwent ^123^I-IMP once. Cerebral vascular disease and other neurodegenerative diseases were ruled out by MRI. This study followed the clinical study guidelines of Fukujuji hospital, which conformed to the Helsinki Declaration. All procedures were approved by the hospital Ethical Review Board. We provided patients and their families with detailed information, and written informed consent was obtained from all participants.
Brain perfusion SPECT imaging {#Sec10}
-----------------------------
Patients resting with their closed eyes and their ears unplugged were assessed twice at an interval of two years using ^123^I-IMP and an E-CAM gamma camera (Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation, Otawara, Japan) with fan beam collimators. Starting from 15 min after an intravenous infusion of 167MBq of ^123^I-IMP, SPECT images were acquired in a 128 × 128 matrix with a slice thickness of 1.95 mm (1 pixel) over a period of 30--40 min. The images were reconstructed by filtered back projection using a Butterworth filter, attenuation was corrected using the Chang method (attenuation coefficient = 0.1 cm^−1^) and scatter was corrected using a triple energy window as described^[@CR40]^.
VSRAD analysis {#Sec11}
--------------
All patients were assessed with 1.5 T MRI scanner (Magnetom Aera; Siemens, Erlangen, Germany). Three-dimensional volumetric acquisition of a T1-weighted gradient echo sequence was used to produce a gapless series of thin sagittal sections using a magnetization preparation rapid acquisition (repetition time 1700 ms, echo time 4.0 ms, flip angle 15°, acquisition matrix 256 × 256, 1.3 mm slice thickness). The VSRAD analysis was performed as described by Matsuda *et al*.^[@CR41]^ and evaluates the atrophy of MTL that involved the entire region of the entorhinal cortex, hippocampus and amygdala. The degree of atrophy is expressed as VSRAD score (Z score) relative to a normal database bundled with VSRAD advance software (Eisai, Tokyo, Japan) that comprises 80 healthy volunteers (37 men and 43 women; age, 54--86 year).
Image analysis {#Sec12}
--------------
Three-dimensional stereotactic surface projections created using Neurological Statistical Image Analysis Software developed by Minoshima *et al*. were applied to the ^123^I-IMP SPECT images to generate 3D CBF images and Z-score maps^[@CR42]^. We applied region of interest (ROI) analysis to measure rCBF in the PCC, precuneus and cuneus using stereotaxic extraction estimation version 2.1 software (Nihon Medi-Physics Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan)^[@CR43]^. The mean rCBF in each segment was automatically measured after segmentation based on anatomical classification of the standard brain. We selected segments of the PCC (Brodmann 23 and 31), precuneus and cuneus (Supplementary Fig. [1](#MOESM1){ref-type="media"}). The mean value in the bilateral PCC ROI was divided by the mean value in the bilateral PpC ROI to derive CIS ratios from IMP-SPECT images. The rCBF in the PCC and PpC was divided by the mean brain CBF to derive rCBF ratio. The ^123^I-IMP SPECT images were spatially normalized using SPM12 (Wellcome Department of Cognitive Neurology, London, UK) and rCBF change between 1st and 2nd SPECT images was assessed with paired *t*-test.
Statistical analysis {#Sec13}
--------------------
Temporal changes in CIS ratio, MMSE scores and MTL volumes during two-year follow-up in each group were evaluated by paired *t*-test. Changes in MMSE scores and MTL volumes were also compared between patients with mild DLB and higher and lower initial CIS ratios using a repeated measures ANCOVA. Moreover, data from all patients were assessed using multiple regression analysis to predict change in CIS ratio based on selected explanatory variables. The candidates for the variables were age, gender, years of education, 1st MMSE at 1st SPECT, 1st MTL atrophy and DAT density. We applied forward-backward stepwise procedure for variable selection to find a model with maximum adjusted *R* ^2^. All statistical tests were two-sided, and data were statistically analyzed using SPSS (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) except curve fitting. The curve estimation was performed with Curve Fitting Toolbox on MATLAB (MathWorks Inc., MA, USA).
Electronic supplementary material
=================================
{#Sec14}
Supplementary Figure 1
**Electronic supplementary material**
**Supplementary information** accompanies this paper at 10.1038/s41598-017-15263-2.
**Publisher\'s note:** Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
The authors would like to thank the technical staff at the Department of Nuclear Medicine at Fukujuji hospital, especially Makoto Fukasawa, Hiroya Inoue, and Youichi Akiyama, for invaluable technical assistance.
T.I. contributed to conceptualization, patient recruitment, investigation, project administration and the initial draft manuscript preparation. T.I. and R.I. analysed the data and produced figures. M.K. advised the project and revised the manuscript. All the authors discussed the project and have read and approved the final manuscripts.
Competing Interests {#FPar1}
===================
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
| 2023-12-10T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/7992 |
No, I can’t quite believe it either. With a little coercion by my very thrifty friend Sarah, we booked a weekend away at (sssshhhhh, don’t say it too loud) Pontins at Camber Sands. It was a KGB Deal for only £39 for 3 nights, which considering we’d paid £40 for 2 nights of camping the weekend before, was what I’d call a bloody bargain.
Camber Sandsational
In the lead up to our trip, Sarah got all ‘Hi de hi’ about it all, but being the Aussie immigrant that I am, her suggestions that I get myself ready for the ‘lovely legs’ competition were a bit missed on me.
In the end, my husband Doug couldn’t make it, as he was too busy at work, so Gammon, Chips and I headed off on our own little adventure.
Gammon and Chips on Camber Sands beach
I wasn’t surprised at all to read that the first Pontins was opened in 1946 on the site of a former US World War 2 army base at Brean Sands in Somerset. This is exactly what the accommodation feels like – army barracks. You stay in small ‘chalets’ that include a kitchen, bathroom, living room with pull out sofa bed and small bedroom with two single beds. Chalets – ha ha – pull the other one! Next they’ll be calling for the Bluecoats to perform at the Old Vic.
Gammon in the ‘chalet’
OK, so it was a bit rough around the edges, and actually if I’m honest, a little depressing. Secret Cinema could take the Pontins branding down and sell tickets to it as a ‘Council Estate’, culminating in a screening of a Ken Loach film. Apart from the bubblegum blue reception building, it’s all pretty much sepia toned already.
General condition aside, I’m of the firm belief that you can have a brilliant time pretty much anywhere if you’re with a great bunch of people. We embraced the chaviness and went with the flow.
Gammon scootering around the quad
Despite the new company slogan ‘Pontins – born February 2011’, the place still seems stuck in the 1960s, but thankfully, so too are the bar prices. Pints are £1.90 at Happy Hour, which lasts from 5-7pm, and thank god the carpet throughout the complex looks like an oil painting of Rainbow Bright with a migraine, because that way you have no way of knowing what’s been disgorged onto it as a result of the megacheap booze.
In reality it’s probably likely to be the hundreds of hyperactive children pepped-up on Fruit Shoots, hot dogs and Slush Puppies, watching the evening Bluecoat act, that add to the general carpet stickiness. Never have I seen so many eyes popping out of the heads of pre-pubescent boys, as they gawked at a stage full of ladies in frilly knickers and suspender belts doing a dance to a Lady Gaga medley that makes John Sergeant’s sack of potatoes look positively delicate. God knows what the 5-year old girls make of it all – I dread to think.
Chips in the chalet bath – I hear Duck Egg Blue is making a comeback
Gammon and Chips will both be too young to remember any of it, and I’m kind of glad they are the age they are, because if they were just that little bit older, Pontins would have been a totally different experience for us. Although a whole weekend’s stay is only about the same price as a family excursion to the cinema, Pontins’ business model is obviously based around the old ‘keep entry prices low and they can $pend $pend $pend while there’ adage. Parents everywhere were batting away herds of excitable kids with five pound notes in exchange for a few minutes of peace and quiet, before said progeny returns to show off their new (inevitably broken) epilepsy-inducing glow-in-the-dark flashing laser wand and ask for another fiver for a bag of Toothfairy-welcoming bright pink candy floss.
Pirate ship play park
Instead, my two enjoyed the various outdoor play parks, the indoor swimming pool, and gave Captain Croc’s Adventureland indoor play centre a good dust down (it was quite clear that no one else had). Thankfully they didn’t get too attached to Captain Croc and his Crew, as otherwise I would have had to fork out £5 each for a Character Breakfast in order for them to meet their bulbous-headed idols.
Craptain Croc’s Adventureland
So…taking all of the above into consideration, you want to know whether we had fun? Well, the answer is: ‘yes’! Did the kids have fun? Bloody hell yes! Would I recommend it? As an alternative to camping, yes – it’s a good location, close to Hastings and 1066 country, and it’s a great beach.
I would suggest going there with a big bunch of similar-minded friends, all up for a laugh and all with realistic expectations of what it’s going to be like (checking out the ginger-haired dragon lady on Watchdog should help you out here… and no, I’m not talking about Anne Robinson).
Pack buckets, spades, kites and windbreaks for the (sandy) beach. For your room, pack toilet paper, linen, enough cutlery and crockery to form a set (minus the two bowls, one plate, one cup, two glasses and 2.5 sets of cutlery that will already be there) and a saucepan (unless you need more iron in your diet anyway). Clotheswise, pack wetsuits for the beach (and pool), and slippers for the floor. Oh yes, and don’t forget to pack the most important thing of all – a suitcase full of irony.
Personally I would never dream of getting my OH there, he likes comfy beds and somewhere nice to relax on holiday, plus the chalets are so old, the dirt is ingrained in the carpets so I’m not sure I’d want N running around in there – I think family holidays are out.
However, I used to go on several dance weekenders a year where all you needed was a bed to sleep on and a kitchen to make food in. For those – where you were there to socialise with the other 1000 dancers there and spend all the time dancing, it was brilliant – and super cheap for a whole weekend.
Irony is definitely needed. One of the highlights for our girls group was seeing how much electricity you could get off one meter card!
Thanks for commenting Emma! Yes, I actually think it was probably for the best that my hubby couldn’t make it. And my kids were more intent on adding to the ingrained dirt of those carpets than being concerned about it, so it actually suited us for a cheap and nasty weekend away. But I wouldn’t do it as a proper family holiday.
I’ve heard lots of people talk about those All Tomorrows Parties weekenders and I think it would be a perfect location for those. Sounds fun. Oh, to be young, single and childless again! 😉
This is hilarious Maddie…you’re a woman after my own heart. Not sure you’d EVER catch me at Pontins, even with a great bunch of friends lol! I’m glad you managed to ignore the ‘chaviness’ and knuckle down to some good old fashioned fun. The kids seems to love any kind of holiday don’t they and at least it’s cheap! | 2023-11-18T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/3362 |
Portuguese oil company Galp Energia cut its spending target for the next five years by around 20 percent and trimmed its output growth forecast, but slightly increased its earnings growth forecast after delivering a better-than-expected 2016 result.
Galp, which is still largely a refiner, has stakes in various large oil fields off Brazil’s coast and has been pumping up its oil and gas production. It said it expects working interest production to grow at a rate of 15-20 percent a year until 2021, down form 25-30 percent under its previous plan until 2020.
But earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) should grow at a rate of around 20 percent a year until 2021, up from the previous forecast of 15 percent.
In a capital markets day presentation on Tuesday, Galp estimated annual average capital expenditure until 2021 at between 0.8 billion and 1 billion euros. | 2024-02-16T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/7771 |
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Topic Review (Newest First)
04-14-2012 05:23 PM
discusonly
Quote:
Originally Posted by discusonly
Oh don't go there. I had a person who called me from Indiana 5 times yesterday about the car. Wanted me to hold the car for him.. now he said he is leaving this afternoon and drive to NJ and wanted me to hold the car for him.
What's your address? I am going to have him come meet me at your address. .LOL
I don't know.. About 10 years ago when I listed my car for sale. A guy called me from Arkansas and asked me my closes airport. They were at the airport a few hours later that day and asked me to pick them up. I got there and they were on flip flop without any luggage but had the cash. I refused the cash and told them they needed to convert it to a certifield check. They had to get a hotel room and waited until the next day cause the bank was closed. Completed the sale at at AAA and they drove the car home. That was one of my craziest encounter with selling someone online.
Wow. the guy actually showed up. Car sold!
04-14-2012 04:04 AM
kjnguy3nn
yikes. haha I thought I was helping locals out, guess not instead got u all wild up about people on cls
04-13-2012 07:38 PM
Fishies_in_Philly
That is very true. Currently, i have my eye on a pair of 36" t5ho fixtures for $100. Of course when i get there, they will be t5NO......silly peoples....lol
04-13-2012 07:28 PM
GitMoe
I called a guy about a boat on CL earlier today. Can be a disaster dealing with people on there but when it works out it's usually a great deal on whatever you're trying to buy.
04-13-2012 04:58 PM
Fishies_in_Philly
Wow, that's nuts! A dealership i used to work for sold cars on the net also. We sold one to a guy in memphis. The owner talked the lot guy into driving it to memphis then catch a flight back. Well, the dumbassed lot guy forgot to take his coke out of his ciggarette pack and ended up spending a week in a memphis jail for possession. Lol ok, i know it's not a craigslist story, but i always get a chuckle out of it....lol
04-13-2012 04:44 PM
discusonly
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fishies_in_Philly
Oh well, take that one off the list. What were we saying about flaky people on cl? Lol
Oh don't go there. I had a person who called me from Indiana 5 times yesterday about the car. Wanted me to hold the car for him.. now he said he is leaving this afternoon and drive to NJ and wanted me to hold the car for him.
What's your address? I am going to have him come meet me at your address. .LOL
I don't know.. About 10 years ago when I listed my car for sale. A guy called me from Arkansas and asked me my closes airport. They were at the airport a few hours later that day and asked me to pick them up. I got there and they were on flip flop without any luggage but had the cash. I refused the cash and told them they needed to convert it to a certifield check. They had to get a hotel room and waited until the next day cause the bank was closed. Completed the sale at at AAA and they drove the car home. That was one of my craziest encounter with selling someone online.
04-13-2012 04:19 PM
Fishies_in_Philly
Oh well, take that one off the list. What were we saying about flaky people on cl? Lol
04-13-2012 04:06 PM
discusonly
Hmm.. the listing changed with location.
Look like a 90gal instead of a 125gal and not sure if it will hold water.
04-13-2012 04:03 PM
discusonly
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fishies_in_Philly
Let me know if you need help moving it van.
I'll let you know but no respond from the person. Not a problem getting it from the city to my house. I'll probably need help getting it down to the basement (done it by myself in the pass but not a good idea now that I think about it).
I really wish the person would get back to me cause I would use it just for holding water (don't care about chip or scratch) and I have a place for it already. | 2023-09-17T01:27:17.568517 | https://example.com/article/3173 |
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