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Q:
How to redirect to iphone app from facebook login
In my iphone app redirect to facebook login like facebook app when clicking a button. After login again redirect to my app.
i'm using this code
NSArray *permissions =
[NSArray arrayWithObjects:@"user_photos", @"friends_photos",@"email", nil];
[FBSession openActiveSessionWithReadPermissions:permissions
allowLoginUI:YES
completionHandler:
^(FBSession *session,
FBSessionState state, NSError *error) {
if(!error)
{
NSLog(@" hi im sucessfully lloged in");
}
}];
A:
in your you AppDelegate modify the method
- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application handleOpenURL:(NSURL *)url
{
NSString *urlString = [url absoluteString];
if ([urlString hasPrefix:@"fb://xxxxxxxxxxxx"]) {
[FBSession.activeSession handleOpenURL:url];
returnValue = YES;
}
return returnValue;
}
also
But keep in mind that this is not triggered in IOS 6.In ios 6 the following method will be triggered.
- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application
openURL:(NSURL *)url
sourceApplication:(NSString *)sourceApplication
annotation:(id)annotation {
return [FBSession.activeSession handleOpenURL:url];
}
If the state of your session changes due to login or disconnect FBsession calls the following method and you should handle your cases.
- (void)sessionStateChanged:(FBSession *)session
state:(FBSessionState)state
error:(NSError *)error {
switch (state) {
case FBSessionStateOpen: {
//update permissionsArrat
[self retrieveUSerPermissions];
if (!needstoReopenOldSession) {
//First User information
[self getUserInformation:nil];
}
NSNotification *authorizationNotification = [NSNotification notificationWithName:facebookAuthorizationNotification object:nil];
[[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] postNotification:authorizationNotification];
}
case FBSessionStateClosed: {
break;
}
case FBSessionStateClosedLoginFailed: {
[FBSession.activeSession closeAndClearTokenInformation];
break;
}
default:
break;
}
if (error) {
NSNotification *authorizationNotification = [NSNotification notificationWithName:faceBookErrorOccuredNotification object:nil];
[[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] postNotification:authorizationNotification];
}
}
|
Nike Youth Dutch S/S Home Stadium Jersey
The 2013/14 Dutch Stadium Youth Soccer Jersey is made with sweat-wicking fabric for lightweight comfort. Featuring a woven team crest and graphic details that look like the real thing, this replica home jersey proudly celebrates your favorite club.
Benefits
Dri-FIT fabric to wick sweat away and help keep you dry and comfortable
|
// Generated by CoffeeScript 1.7.1
(function() {
var clip, deselect_color_groups, g_color_group_keys, g_color_title, g_points, g_toggle_names, get_jitter, keyuped, mouseout, mouseover, point_names, points, redraw, search, search_clear, search_input, show_all_colors, sidebar, single_group, tip, toggle_names, toggle_points, transform_points,
__modulo = function(a, b) { return (a % b + +b) % b; };
plot.get_band_widths = function() {
plot.band_widths = {};
plot.band_widths.x = get_band_width(plot, "x");
plot.band_widths.y = get_band_width(plot, "y");
return plot;
};
plot.get_jitters = function() {
plot.jitters = {};
plot.jitters.x = get_jitter(plot, "x");
plot.jitters.y = get_jitter(plot, "y");
return plot;
};
get_jitter = function(plot, scale_name) {
var band_indeces, band_width, color_groups, elem, group_band_width, group_jitter_pct, jitter, jitter_pct;
band_width = plot.band_widths[scale_name];
jitter_pct = plot.jitter[scale_name];
group_jitter_pct = plot.group_jitter[scale_name] || jitter_pct;
if (plot.jitter_type[scale_name] === "grouped" && (plot.data[0].color_group != null)) {
color_groups = ((function() {
var _i, _len, _ref, _results;
_ref = plot.data;
_results = [];
for (_i = 0, _len = _ref.length; _i < _len; _i++) {
elem = _ref[_i];
_results.push(elem.color_group);
}
return _results;
})()).unique().reverse();
group_band_width = band_width / color_groups.length;
band_indeces = get_band_indeces(color_groups.length);
jitter = function(color_group) {
var color_group_index;
color_group_index = color_groups.indexOf(color_group);
return (group_band_width / 2 * jitter_pct * random()) + (group_band_width * group_jitter_pct * band_indeces[color_group_index]);
};
} else {
jitter = function() {
return band_width / 2 * jitter_pct * random();
};
}
return jitter;
};
this.get_band_width = function(plot, scale_name) {
var band_width, number_of_bands, pixels;
pixels = d3.extent(plot.scale_ranges[scale_name])[1];
number_of_bands = plot.scales[scale_name].domain().length;
band_width = pixels / number_of_bands;
return band_width;
};
this.get_band_indeces = function(n) {
var half_length, indeces, _i, _results;
half_length = Math.floor(n / 2);
if (__modulo(n, 2) === 0) {
half_length = half_length - .5;
}
indeces = (function() {
_results = [];
for (var _i = -half_length; -half_length <= half_length ? _i <= half_length : _i >= half_length; -half_length <= half_length ? _i++ : _i--){ _results.push(_i); }
return _results;
}).apply(this);
return indeces;
};
plot.get_band_widths().get_jitters();
plot.center.append("defs").append("clipPath").attr("id", "clip").append("rect").attr({
"width": plot.width + 40,
"height": plot.height
});
clip = plot.center.append("g").attr("clip-path", "url(#clip)");
if (plot.zoom) {
clip.append("rect").style({
"cursor": "move"
}).attr({
"class": "overlay",
"width": plot.width,
"height": plot.height,
"fill": "none",
"pointer-events": "all"
}).call(d3.behavior.zoom().x(plot.scales.x).y(plot.scales.y).scaleExtent([1, Infinity]).on("zoom", function() {
return redraw();
}));
redraw = function() {
plot.select(".x.axis").call(plot.axes.x);
plot.select(".y.axis").call(plot.axes.y);
return g_points.attr("transform", transform_points);
};
}
transform_points = function(d) {
return "translate(" + (plot.scales.x(d.x) + plot.jitters.x(d.color_group)) + ", " + (plot.scales.y(d.y) + plot.jitters.y(d.color_group)) + ")";
};
g_points = clip.selectAll(".point").data(plot.data).enter().append("g").attr({
"class": "point",
"transform": transform_points
});
points = g_points.append("svg:circle").attr({
"r": function(d) {
return d.radius;
},
"id": function(d, i) {
return "point-" + i;
},
"fill": function(d) {
return color_scale(d.color_group);
},
"stroke": "black",
"stroke-width": function(d, i) {
return stroke_width;
},
"opacity": function(d, i) {
return opacity;
},
"title": tooltip_content
}).on('mouseover', function(d, i) {
var point;
d3.select(this.parentNode).classed("hover", true);
point = d3.select('circle#point-' + i);
return tip.show(point.datum(), point.node());
}).on('mouseout', function(d, i) {
d3.select(this.parentNode).classed("hover", false);
return tip.hide();
});
point_names = g_points.append("text").text(function(d) {
return d.point_name;
}).attr({
"dy": ".32em",
"dx": function(d) {
return 8 + d.radius;
},
"text-anchor": "left",
"opacity": function(d, i) {
return opacity;
},
"display": "none"
}).style({
"fill": function(d) {
return color_scale(d.color_group);
},
"font-size": "22px"
}).on('mouseover', function(d, i) {
var point;
d3.select(this.parentNode).classed("hover", true);
point = d3.select('circle#point-' + i);
return tip.show(point.datum(), point.node());
}).on('mouseout', function(d, i) {
d3.select(this.parentNode).classed("hover", false);
return tip.hide();
});
tip = d3.tip().attr('class', 'd3-tip').offset([-15, 0]).html(tooltip_content);
clip.call(tip);
if (show_sidebar) {
sidebar = plot.right_region.append("g").attr("transform", "translate(60,20)");
g_toggle_names = sidebar.append("g").style("cursor", "pointer").attr("class", "hideable").attr("id", "show_names").style("font-size", "18px").on("click", function() {
return toggle_names();
});
g_toggle_names.append("circle").attr("r", 7).attr("stroke", "black").attr("stroke-width", 2).attr("fill", "white");
g_toggle_names.append("text").attr('text-anchor', 'start').attr('dy', '.32em').attr('dx', '12').text("Show names (" + plot.data.length + ")");
toggle_names = function() {
var showing_names;
showing_names = g_toggle_names.classed("show_names");
point_names.attr("display", function() {
if (showing_names) {
return "none";
} else {
return "inline";
}
});
return g_toggle_names.classed("show_names", !showing_names).select("circle").attr("fill", function() {
if (showing_names) {
return "white";
} else {
return "black";
}
});
};
if (color_scale.range().length > 1) {
g_color_title = sidebar.append("text").attr("class", "hideable").attr({
"x": -5,
"y": distance_between_show_names_and_color_groups,
"dy": ".35em"
});
g_color_title.append("tspan").style({
"font-size": "16px",
"font-weight": "bold"
}).text(plot.labels.color_title);
if (color_scale.range().length > 2) {
single_group = g_color_title.append("tspan").attr({
"fill": "#949494",
"dx": "20px"
}).style({
"font-size": "16px",
"font-weight": "bold"
}).text("Show one").on("click", function() {
return deselect_color_groups();
});
}
g_color_group_keys = sidebar.selectAll(".color_group_key").data(color_scale.domain()).enter().append("g").attr({
"transform": function(d, i) {
return "translate(0, " + (i * (5 * 2 + 15) + distance_between_show_names_and_color_groups + 30) + ")";
},
"class": "color_group_key"
}).style("cursor", "pointer");
g_color_group_keys.append("circle").attr({
"r": static_radius,
"fill": color_scale
}).on("click", function(d) {
return toggle_points(d);
});
g_color_group_keys.append("text").attr({
"x": 5 + 10,
"y": 0,
"dy": ".35em"
}).text(function(d) {
return "" + d + " (" + color_legend_counts[d] + ")";
}).on("click", function(d) {
return toggle_points(d);
});
}
}
show_all_colors = function() {
g_points.classed("hide", false);
g_color_group_keys.classed("hide", false);
return single_group.text("Show one");
};
toggle_points = function(color_groups) {
g_points.filter(function(d) {
return d.color_group === color_groups;
}).classed("hide", function() {
return !d3.select(this).classed("hide");
});
g_color_group_keys.filter(function(d) {
return d === color_groups;
}).classed("hide", function() {
return !d3.select(this).classed("hide");
});
color_groups = g_points.filter(":not(.hide)").data().map(function(d) {
return d.color_group;
}).unique();
if (color_groups.length === 0) {
return show_all_colors();
} else if (color_groups.length === 1) {
return single_group.text("Show all");
} else {
return single_group.text("Show one");
}
};
deselect_color_groups = function() {
var color_groups, visible_color_groups, visible_points;
visible_points = g_points.filter(":not(.hide)");
color_groups = visible_points.data().map(function(d) {
return d.color_group;
}).unique();
if (single_group.text() === "Show one") {
visible_color_groups = color_groups.reverse()[0];
g_points.filter(function(d) {
return d.color_group !== visible_color_groups;
}).classed("hide", true);
g_color_group_keys.filter(function(d) {
return d !== visible_color_groups;
}).classed("hide", true);
return single_group.text("Show all");
} else {
return show_all_colors();
}
};
d3.select(window).on("keydown", function() {
var all_matches;
switch (d3.event.keyCode) {
case 72:
return d3.selectAll(".hideable").classed("hidden", function(d, i) {
return !d3.select(this).classed("hidden");
});
case 78:
all_matches = d3.selectAll(".g-match text");
if (all_matches.size() === 0) {
return d3.selectAll(".point text").classed("hidden", false);
} else {
return all_matches.classed("hidden", function(d, i) {
return !d3.select(this).classed("hidden");
});
}
}
});
d3.select(".g-search").style({
"top": "" + (g_toggle_names.node().getBoundingClientRect().top + distance_between_show_names_and_color_groups / 2) + "px",
"left": "" + (g_toggle_names.node().getBoundingClientRect().left) + "px"
});
keyuped = function() {
if (d3.event.keyCode === 27) {
this.value = "";
}
return search(this.value.trim());
};
search = function(value) {
var matches, value_elements;
if (value) {
clip.classed("g-searching", true);
if (sidebar.selectAll(".color_group_key").size() > 0) {
g_color_group_keys.classed("hide", false);
g_points.classed("hide", false);
}
value_elements = value.split(/, */);
console.log("value_elements:", value_elements);
g_points.classed("g-match", function(d) {
var any_matches, element, matches, re;
if (value_elements.length > 1 || /:/.test(value_elements[0])) {
matches = value_elements.map(function(element) {
var match, property, re;
if (/:/.test(element)) {
if (element.match(/:/g).length === 2) {
property = element.replace(/:/g, "");
element = "d." + property;
if (!element) {
console.log("Invalid property.", console.dir(d));
}
match = eval(element);
return match;
}
} else {
console.log(element);
element = element.replace(/[" ]/g, "");
if (element.length) {
re = new RegExp("^" + element + "$", "i");
match = re.test(d.point_name);
console.log("perfect_match", element, match);
return match;
}
}
});
any_matches = matches.some(function(match) {
if (match) {
return true;
}
});
return any_matches;
} else {
element = value.replace(/"/g, "");
re = new RegExp("" + element, "i");
return re.test(d.point_name);
}
});
matches = d3.selectAll(".g-match");
if (matches[0].length === 1) {
mouseover(matches);
} else {
mouseout();
}
return search_clear.style("display", null);
} else {
mouseout();
clip.classed("g-searching", false);
g_points.classed("g-match", false);
return search_clear.style("display", "none");
}
};
mouseover = function(d) {
return tip.show(d.datum(), d.node());
};
mouseout = function() {
return tip.hide();
};
search_input = d3.select(".g-search input").on("keyup", function() {
if (d3.selectAll(".point")[0].length < 10000) {
keyuped.apply(this);
} else {
if (d3.event.keyCode === 13) {
keyuped.apply(this);
}
}
return d3.event.preventDefault();
}).on("keydown", function() {
return d3.event.stopPropagation();
});
search_clear = d3.select(".g-search .g-search-clear").on("click", function() {
search_input.property("value", "");
return search();
});
}).call(this);
|
using System;
using System.Security.Cryptography;
using System.Text;
using Autofac;
using NUnit.Framework;
using Orchard.Environment.Configuration;
using Orchard.Security;
using Orchard.Security.Providers;
using Orchard.Utility.Extensions;
namespace Orchard.Tests.Security {
[TestFixture]
public class DefaultEncryptionServiceTests {
private IContainer _container;
[SetUp]
public void Init() {
const string encryptionAlgorithm = "AES";
const string hashAlgorithm = "HMACSHA256";
var shellSettings = new ShellSettings {
Name = "Foo",
DataProvider = "Bar",
DataConnectionString = "Quux",
EncryptionAlgorithm = encryptionAlgorithm,
EncryptionKey = SymmetricAlgorithm.Create(encryptionAlgorithm).Key.ToHexString(),
HashAlgorithm = hashAlgorithm,
HashKey = HMAC.Create(hashAlgorithm).Key.ToHexString()
};
var builder = new ContainerBuilder();
builder.RegisterInstance(shellSettings);
builder.RegisterType<DefaultEncryptionService>().As<IEncryptionService>();
_container = builder.Build();
}
[Test]
public void CanEncodeAndDecodeData() {
var encryptionService = _container.Resolve<IEncryptionService>();
var secretData = Encoding.Unicode.GetBytes("this is secret data");
var encrypted = encryptionService.Encode(secretData);
var decrypted = encryptionService.Decode(encrypted);
Assert.That(encrypted, Is.Not.EqualTo(decrypted));
Assert.That(decrypted, Is.EqualTo(secretData));
}
[Test]
public void ShouldDetectTamperedData() {
var encryptionService = _container.Resolve<IEncryptionService>();
var secretData = Encoding.Unicode.GetBytes("this is secret data");
var encrypted = encryptionService.Encode(secretData);
try {
// tamper the data
encrypted[encrypted.Length - 1] ^= 66;
var decrypted = encryptionService.Decode(encrypted);
}
catch {
return;
}
Assert.Fail();
}
[Test]
public void SuccessiveEncodeCallsShouldNotReturnTheSameData() {
var encryptionService = _container.Resolve<IEncryptionService>();
var secretData = Encoding.Unicode.GetBytes("this is secret data");
byte[] previousEncrypted = null;
for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
var encrypted = encryptionService.Encode(secretData);
var decrypted = encryptionService.Decode(encrypted);
Assert.That(encrypted, Is.Not.EqualTo(decrypted));
Assert.That(decrypted, Is.EqualTo(secretData));
if(previousEncrypted != null) {
Assert.That(encrypted, Is.Not.EqualTo(previousEncrypted));
}
previousEncrypted = encrypted;
}
}
}
}
|
Q:
Creating Excel files in SSIS based with a predefined format
I need to create a statistical report in Excel and wondering if I can use SSIS to read data from the database (calculate the aggregated numbers) and load them into an Excel file with a specific layout. From what I can see, in SSIS 2008 R2, we don't have control on the target excel file, cell by cell, or perhaps I missed something. Is there any way to achieve it through SSIS?
Thanks for your help in advance.
A:
If your SSIS package runs with the appropriate file system permissions, you can create a template Excel file with the desired formatting and copy that file to a new one (using a file system or script task) where the data will be exported. If the sheet will contain a variable number of cells that must be formatted, you can use conditional formatting in the template and have Excel apply the format based on actual column values or a formatting flag, say in a hidden column, which could be populated from the data.
See this article for an example of using a template. This article may also be helpful; it mentions an ingenious way to update specific cells.
|
Levels and patterns of alcohol consumption using timeline follow-back, daily diaries and real-time "electronic interviews".
This study was designed to compare the Timeline Follow-Back (TLFB) to daily and real-time assessments of drinking. Our purpose was to evaluate overall correspondence and day-to-day agreement between these two methods among both problem and moderate drinkers. In Study 1, problem drinkers (n = 20) reported their alcohol consumption daily during 28 days of brief treatment. In Study 2, moderate drinkers (n = 48), recruited from the community, used a palm-top computer to record their drinking for 30 days. In both studies participants completed the TLFB covering the recording period. Participants in Study 1 reported fewer drinking days, fewer drinks per drinking day and fewer total drinks per day on the TLFB, and those in Study 2 reported fewer drinks per drinking day, fewer ounces per drinking day, fewer total drinks per day and fewer total ounces per day. The magnitude of the difference, however, was modest. There was considerable between-person variation in day-to-day correspondence of TLFB and the daily and real-time reports. Neither person characteristics (gender, education and income) nor the distributional characteristics of drinking (including average consumption, variation) predicted concordance between TLFB and real-time reports. The Timeline Follow-Back method captured overall levels of drinking quite well compared to a 28-day daily diary and a 30-day electronic interview. Vast individual differences in day-to-day correspondence suggest that the TLFB may be less useful for detecting patterns of consumption.
|
How many times have I heard people remark, "You can believe anything and be a Unitarian Universalist." Or someone might say, with no trace of irony, "I go to the Unitarian Universalist church because I don't believe in organized religion." Incredulous, I say to myself, "Gee, I try to be organized. And we do have a choir. And choir robes. And ministers. And a building."
Unitarian Universalism is a religion -- and one with a long and noble history. Why are we so often misunderstood? One problem is our public relations gaffes. All too often when Unitarian Universalists have gotten in the national news, it has been because of some P.R. blunder, like the minister who, during the worst of the AIDS epidemic, passed out free condoms during the Sunday service and spoke on the subject, "The Condom Conundrum." This was not a bad idea -- it's just not what most churches in the nation were doing on Sunday morning. Or the student minister (she never actually made it into our ministry) who had a funeral service, with communion, for her dog and invited all of the cats and dogs in her Berkeley neighborhood to the service. The AP wire photo showed a dog standing on its hind legs, its mouth open for the communion wafer, and the article stated, "The guests neither barked nor balked at receiving the host."
We are a free religious faith, and so have no creed. And as freedom is wont to do, our faith invites a certain degree of wackiness and abuse. But if that's the price of freedom, then I still choose freedom.
Our faith, of course, does have requirements. To become a Unitarian Universalist, you make no doctrinal promises, but you are required to do much more. You are required to choose your own beliefs -- you promise, that is, to use your reason and your experience and the dictates of your conscience to decide upon your own theology, and then you are asked to actually live by that theology. You are asked to take your chosen faith very seriously.
In a very real sense, all theology is autobiography, is it not? Our experience, real and vicarious, is what informs our sense of reality, our internal picture of the way the world works, what our values are. We believe what we know is true -- that is, our felt knowledge--not what we are told is true. In the final analysis, how can a person who wishes to live with integrity do other than this?
Our free faith was hard won. It has a long history, and our religious ancestors died for this freedom.
A Unitarian, King John Sigismund of Transylvania -- now known as Romania -- pronounced the first edict of religious freedom in the year 1568. I traveled to Romania several years ago and stood in the church in Torda, where that proclamation was made. This was an almost unimaginable act in an age in which people were being burned at the stake for not getting their theology just right.
Francis David, King Sigismund's spiritual advisor, was the single greatest influence on the king's theological beliefs. After Sigismund's death, David lost favor and was finally arrested for his views. I made a pilgrimage to the town of Deva and walked up a long, dusty hill to the dungeon where he was imprisoned. It was actually a deep hole in the ground into which David was lowered, and there he sickened, and died. His famous words still live with us, though. He said simply, "You need not think alike to love alike." At the center of our faith is not belief, but love.
Many others died for their faith during this period of religious persecution. The Unitarian movement came out of the left wing of the Protestant Reformation, and we were way too far to the left for both Calvin and Luther. The Unitarian scholar Servetus, who wrote On the Errors of the Trinity, was burned in effigy by the Catholics and then burned in fact by Calvin, with a copy of his book strapped to his thigh. It is said that if he had been willing to change just one word of his book -- to change "Jesus is a son of God" to "Jesus is the son of God" -- he could have saved his life.
So this is our heritage -- or at least a little taste of it. It is rich, and we can be proud of it. This is not light or easy stuff that we're a part of. But because we are a free faith, could our movement be said to have a theology? After all, our contemporary churches are populated with Christians, atheists, humanists of various stripes, Jews, Buddhists, and even Wiccans. Whoever will, may come. Nevertheless, when we look at our history and the practice of our faith, certain theological themes dominate, and so I will argue that, yes, we do have in fact a theology of sorts, a theology that has been relatively clear and consistent through time.
We must begin with the assertion that Unitarian Universalism has always emphasized freedom as a core value. It follows that human beings have a choice. We are not predestined by God before our births, to be saved or unsaved. We are not mired in original sin by the very fact of our birth and therefore have to go through a ceremony called baptism, even as babies, to cleanse ourselves of that sin. We do not have to have someone sacrifice himself by dying on a cross to save us from hell. Yes, human beings have a propensity to do evil, but we also have the propensity to do great good. We have a choice. Unitarian Universalists prefer to think of ourselves as being born into "original blessing," as theologian Matthew Fox likes to put it. (He was of course ex-communicated from the Catholic Church, for that heresy and others.)
The term "Unitarian" indicates our belief that God is One. As Church doctrine began to be codified in the fourth century, the concept of the trinity was found to be confusing for our Catholic forebears, and they disagreed with their colleagues in the church hierarchy. But when the vote was taken in 325, the Nicene Creed was adopted, and the doctrine of the trinity was established. Note that the trinity is not a Biblical concept -- it originated in the power structure of the Catholic Church. Basically, the Unitarians lost the vote.
The concept that God is One goes beyond the controversy over the trinity, however. If God is One, then the God of the Jews and the God of the Muslims and the God of the Christians is One. God is One. I remember a tragic incident that occurred during my ministry. One evening I was called to the hospital to be with the mother of a two-year-old child who was brain-dead after choking on a piece of chewing gum. The mother, a Unitarian Universalist, was estranged from the child's father, who was of another faith. Leaving the hospital, I found myself in the elevator with the father's minister, and I said to him, "Well, we can do the memorial service together." And he responded, "No, we can't. We don't worship the same God." His comment made my sadness deeper still, and the estrangement of these families seemed ever greater. What other God could he have been thinking of?
As Unitarian Universalists, we respect other religious traditions -- we don't think we have the market on the truth. I like the way my late colleague, Dr. Forrest Church of All Souls in New York, put it. He said that truth is like light shining through the windows of a great cathedral, in different colors and shapes. The light comes from the same source. But it looks different, depending upon which window it shines through. So it is with the various religious traditions of our world. In conducting worship, I regularly use readings from a wide range of sources, including Native American, ancient Chinese, the Hebrew Bible, Rumi, as well as a lot of contemporary poetry. Truth is where you find it. There is no single scripture that holds all the truth.
And there's another theological perspective that Unitarian Universalists have concerning truth: we believe in evolution -- not only evolution of life forms, but evolution of thought and evolution of moral and ethical understanding. So the truth that I embrace today may not be the truth I embrace tomorrow. Revelation is not static, but is ever unfolding. More and more will be revealed. Our part is simply to be open, and thirsty, thirsty for the truth that would be ours -- but just for the time being. Such a stance keeps us humble -- and awake. When we venture into the Mystery, we are entering the ground of the infinite with the powers of a finite mind. An awe-filled agnosticism is perhaps the better part of wisdom.
Unitarian Universalist theology is of this world, not of the next. Jesus, in fact, taught that the Realm of God is within and, contrary to most Christian practice, his teachings were centered on relationship, not salvation. Unitarian Universalists do not emphasize an afterlife. For one reason, we simply don't know anything about it. No one as yet has come back to report. But we do know about suffering and injustice on this earth, and so we try to create the Kingdom of Heaven here and now, with real people.
Back to Francis David -- our faith is focused not on what we believe, but how we love. It is a fact that people with the most fervent and orthodox beliefs have been known to engage in some of the most dastardly acts. Christopher Hitchens and other prominent non-believers take great pleasure in pointing out this discrepancy in religious faith. I would agree with Hitchens that the rise of fundamentalism in various parts of our world is one of the most frightening of contemporary social and political developments. When we place another beneath us, set apart from us, we tear out a part of our human heart, and then anything goes, for that person has become Other. For Unitarian Universalists, the question is never "What do you believe?" but rather "What kind of person have you become? What are the fruits of your living?"
The significance of love and tolerance in our faith is even more strongly a dimension of Universalism. The Universalist movement began in our country in the late 18th century, about the same time as did the Unitarian movement, both being imports from England. The American Universalist preacher Hosea Ballou told his followers that heaven and hell are not found in any kind of afterlife, but simply in the life we create on this earth. He also rejected the idea that Jesus's death on the cross saved us -- he taught that what saved us was Jesus's embodiment of love and justice. Historically, paradise for the Universalist was a place where people struggle with injustice and where they are called upon to develop wisdom and our capacity to love.
The universalism in Universalist refers to universal salvation, a very radical theological concept that emerged in an age in which revival preachers were riding through the countryside telling people that they were going to burn in hell unless they repented of their sins. I remember the time I was speaking at a conference on Buddhist-Christian dialogue, and at lunch one of the Christian presenters, a noted academic, said to me, "This doctrine of Universalism, that's a pretty silly notion, don't you think?" I was taken aback, and I said no, that actually I thought it was a step in the right direction at a time when hell and damnation sermons were giving God a bad name. And then I paused, and I said to him, "Do you believe that God loves everyone?"
"Yes," he said.
"So did God love Hitler, too?"
Reluctantly, he agreed. "Yes, I suppose so," he said.
And then I said, "And so it's not that much of a stretch, is it, to believe that a loving God could somehow in the end, reconcile all things to Himself." And we let the conversation end there.
The Unitarians and Universalists talked for many years about merging, and although their theologies were close, they were kept apart by class differences. The Unitarians tended to come from the educated, upper-middle class, and tended to be more cerebral in their worship style than the Universalists, who were mainly rural and less well educated. They decided in 1961, at last, to merge and now the faith is known as Unitarian Universalist.
In summary, we Unitarian Universalists do have a theology:
We believe that human beings should be free to choose their beliefs according to the dictates of their own conscience.
We believe in original goodness, with the understanding that sin is sometimes chosen, often because of pain or ignorance.
We believe that God is One.
We believe that revelation is ever unfolding.
We believe that the Kingdom of God is to be created here on this earth.
We believe that Jesus was a prophet of God, and that other prophets from God have risen in other faith traditions.
We believe that love is more important than doctrine.
We believe that God's mercy will reconcile all unto itself in the end.
Now this piece about God's mercy -- I confess that I don't know how that could be true. How could God's love be that encompassing, that forgiving? I can't even forgive my neighbor who consistently gets out his leaf blower while I'm trying to write a sermon. How could everyone be saved? Surely some of us should go to hell! Surely the guy with the leaf blower.
No, not one. Not one, in God's infinite mercy. And we are asked to stretch ourselves large enough to take that in. I'm not there yet. But that's the great thing about my faith. It's evolving. And so am I. May God have mercy upon my soul. And yours. So be it. Amen.
Watch the trailer to the forthcoming documentary, "Raw Faith":
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#include <linux/gfp.h>
#include <linux/highmem.h>
#include <linux/kernel.h>
#include <linux/mmdebug.h>
#include <linux/mm_types.h>
#include <linux/pagemap.h>
#include <linux/rcupdate.h>
#include <linux/smp.h>
#include <linux/swap.h>
#include <asm/pgalloc.h>
#include <asm/tlb.h>
#ifndef CONFIG_MMU_GATHER_NO_GATHER
static bool tlb_next_batch(struct mmu_gather *tlb)
{
struct mmu_gather_batch *batch;
batch = tlb->active;
if (batch->next) {
tlb->active = batch->next;
return true;
}
if (tlb->batch_count == MAX_GATHER_BATCH_COUNT)
return false;
batch = (void *)__get_free_pages(GFP_NOWAIT | __GFP_NOWARN, 0);
if (!batch)
return false;
tlb->batch_count++;
batch->next = NULL;
batch->nr = 0;
batch->max = MAX_GATHER_BATCH;
tlb->active->next = batch;
tlb->active = batch;
return true;
}
static void tlb_batch_pages_flush(struct mmu_gather *tlb)
{
struct mmu_gather_batch *batch;
for (batch = &tlb->local; batch && batch->nr; batch = batch->next) {
free_pages_and_swap_cache(batch->pages, batch->nr);
batch->nr = 0;
}
tlb->active = &tlb->local;
}
static void tlb_batch_list_free(struct mmu_gather *tlb)
{
struct mmu_gather_batch *batch, *next;
for (batch = tlb->local.next; batch; batch = next) {
next = batch->next;
free_pages((unsigned long)batch, 0);
}
tlb->local.next = NULL;
}
bool __tlb_remove_page_size(struct mmu_gather *tlb, struct page *page, int page_size)
{
struct mmu_gather_batch *batch;
VM_BUG_ON(!tlb->end);
#ifdef CONFIG_MMU_GATHER_PAGE_SIZE
VM_WARN_ON(tlb->page_size != page_size);
#endif
batch = tlb->active;
/*
* Add the page and check if we are full. If so
* force a flush.
*/
batch->pages[batch->nr++] = page;
if (batch->nr == batch->max) {
if (!tlb_next_batch(tlb))
return true;
batch = tlb->active;
}
VM_BUG_ON_PAGE(batch->nr > batch->max, page);
return false;
}
#endif /* MMU_GATHER_NO_GATHER */
#ifdef CONFIG_MMU_GATHER_TABLE_FREE
static void __tlb_remove_table_free(struct mmu_table_batch *batch)
{
int i;
for (i = 0; i < batch->nr; i++)
__tlb_remove_table(batch->tables[i]);
free_page((unsigned long)batch);
}
#ifdef CONFIG_MMU_GATHER_RCU_TABLE_FREE
/*
* Semi RCU freeing of the page directories.
*
* This is needed by some architectures to implement software pagetable walkers.
*
* gup_fast() and other software pagetable walkers do a lockless page-table
* walk and therefore needs some synchronization with the freeing of the page
* directories. The chosen means to accomplish that is by disabling IRQs over
* the walk.
*
* Architectures that use IPIs to flush TLBs will then automagically DTRT,
* since we unlink the page, flush TLBs, free the page. Since the disabling of
* IRQs delays the completion of the TLB flush we can never observe an already
* freed page.
*
* Architectures that do not have this (PPC) need to delay the freeing by some
* other means, this is that means.
*
* What we do is batch the freed directory pages (tables) and RCU free them.
* We use the sched RCU variant, as that guarantees that IRQ/preempt disabling
* holds off grace periods.
*
* However, in order to batch these pages we need to allocate storage, this
* allocation is deep inside the MM code and can thus easily fail on memory
* pressure. To guarantee progress we fall back to single table freeing, see
* the implementation of tlb_remove_table_one().
*
*/
static void tlb_remove_table_smp_sync(void *arg)
{
/* Simply deliver the interrupt */
}
static void tlb_remove_table_sync_one(void)
{
/*
* This isn't an RCU grace period and hence the page-tables cannot be
* assumed to be actually RCU-freed.
*
* It is however sufficient for software page-table walkers that rely on
* IRQ disabling.
*/
smp_call_function(tlb_remove_table_smp_sync, NULL, 1);
}
static void tlb_remove_table_rcu(struct rcu_head *head)
{
__tlb_remove_table_free(container_of(head, struct mmu_table_batch, rcu));
}
static void tlb_remove_table_free(struct mmu_table_batch *batch)
{
call_rcu(&batch->rcu, tlb_remove_table_rcu);
}
#else /* !CONFIG_MMU_GATHER_RCU_TABLE_FREE */
static void tlb_remove_table_sync_one(void) { }
static void tlb_remove_table_free(struct mmu_table_batch *batch)
{
__tlb_remove_table_free(batch);
}
#endif /* CONFIG_MMU_GATHER_RCU_TABLE_FREE */
/*
* If we want tlb_remove_table() to imply TLB invalidates.
*/
static inline void tlb_table_invalidate(struct mmu_gather *tlb)
{
if (tlb_needs_table_invalidate()) {
/*
* Invalidate page-table caches used by hardware walkers. Then
* we still need to RCU-sched wait while freeing the pages
* because software walkers can still be in-flight.
*/
tlb_flush_mmu_tlbonly(tlb);
}
}
static void tlb_remove_table_one(void *table)
{
tlb_remove_table_sync_one();
__tlb_remove_table(table);
}
static void tlb_table_flush(struct mmu_gather *tlb)
{
struct mmu_table_batch **batch = &tlb->batch;
if (*batch) {
tlb_table_invalidate(tlb);
tlb_remove_table_free(*batch);
*batch = NULL;
}
}
void tlb_remove_table(struct mmu_gather *tlb, void *table)
{
struct mmu_table_batch **batch = &tlb->batch;
if (*batch == NULL) {
*batch = (struct mmu_table_batch *)__get_free_page(GFP_NOWAIT | __GFP_NOWARN);
if (*batch == NULL) {
tlb_table_invalidate(tlb);
tlb_remove_table_one(table);
return;
}
(*batch)->nr = 0;
}
(*batch)->tables[(*batch)->nr++] = table;
if ((*batch)->nr == MAX_TABLE_BATCH)
tlb_table_flush(tlb);
}
static inline void tlb_table_init(struct mmu_gather *tlb)
{
tlb->batch = NULL;
}
#else /* !CONFIG_MMU_GATHER_TABLE_FREE */
static inline void tlb_table_flush(struct mmu_gather *tlb) { }
static inline void tlb_table_init(struct mmu_gather *tlb) { }
#endif /* CONFIG_MMU_GATHER_TABLE_FREE */
static void tlb_flush_mmu_free(struct mmu_gather *tlb)
{
tlb_table_flush(tlb);
#ifndef CONFIG_MMU_GATHER_NO_GATHER
tlb_batch_pages_flush(tlb);
#endif
}
void tlb_flush_mmu(struct mmu_gather *tlb)
{
tlb_flush_mmu_tlbonly(tlb);
tlb_flush_mmu_free(tlb);
}
/**
* tlb_gather_mmu - initialize an mmu_gather structure for page-table tear-down
* @tlb: the mmu_gather structure to initialize
* @mm: the mm_struct of the target address space
* @start: start of the region that will be removed from the page-table
* @end: end of the region that will be removed from the page-table
*
* Called to initialize an (on-stack) mmu_gather structure for page-table
* tear-down from @mm. The @start and @end are set to 0 and -1
* respectively when @mm is without users and we're going to destroy
* the full address space (exit/execve).
*/
void tlb_gather_mmu(struct mmu_gather *tlb, struct mm_struct *mm,
unsigned long start, unsigned long end)
{
tlb->mm = mm;
/* Is it from 0 to ~0? */
tlb->fullmm = !(start | (end+1));
#ifndef CONFIG_MMU_GATHER_NO_GATHER
tlb->need_flush_all = 0;
tlb->local.next = NULL;
tlb->local.nr = 0;
tlb->local.max = ARRAY_SIZE(tlb->__pages);
tlb->active = &tlb->local;
tlb->batch_count = 0;
#endif
tlb_table_init(tlb);
#ifdef CONFIG_MMU_GATHER_PAGE_SIZE
tlb->page_size = 0;
#endif
__tlb_reset_range(tlb);
inc_tlb_flush_pending(tlb->mm);
}
/**
* tlb_finish_mmu - finish an mmu_gather structure
* @tlb: the mmu_gather structure to finish
* @start: start of the region that will be removed from the page-table
* @end: end of the region that will be removed from the page-table
*
* Called at the end of the shootdown operation to free up any resources that
* were required.
*/
void tlb_finish_mmu(struct mmu_gather *tlb,
unsigned long start, unsigned long end)
{
/*
* If there are parallel threads are doing PTE changes on same range
* under non-exclusive lock (e.g., mmap_lock read-side) but defer TLB
* flush by batching, one thread may end up seeing inconsistent PTEs
* and result in having stale TLB entries. So flush TLB forcefully
* if we detect parallel PTE batching threads.
*
* However, some syscalls, e.g. munmap(), may free page tables, this
* needs force flush everything in the given range. Otherwise this
* may result in having stale TLB entries for some architectures,
* e.g. aarch64, that could specify flush what level TLB.
*/
if (mm_tlb_flush_nested(tlb->mm)) {
/*
* The aarch64 yields better performance with fullmm by
* avoiding multiple CPUs spamming TLBI messages at the
* same time.
*
* On x86 non-fullmm doesn't yield significant difference
* against fullmm.
*/
tlb->fullmm = 1;
__tlb_reset_range(tlb);
tlb->freed_tables = 1;
}
tlb_flush_mmu(tlb);
#ifndef CONFIG_MMU_GATHER_NO_GATHER
tlb_batch_list_free(tlb);
#endif
dec_tlb_flush_pending(tlb->mm);
}
|
Expression of CYP6B1 and CYP6B3 cytochrome P450 monooxygenases and furanocoumarin metabolism in different tissues of Papilio polyxenes (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae).
The CYP6B1 and CYP6B3 cytochrome P450 monooxygenases in the midgut of the black swallowtail participate in the metabolism of toxic furanocoumarins present in its host plants. In this study, biochemical analyses indicate that the fat body metabolizes significant amounts of the linear furanocoumarins bergapten and xanthotoxin after larvae feed on xanthotoxin. Northern analyses of the combined CYP6B1/3 transcript expression patterns indicate that transcripts in this P450 subfamily are induced in the midgut and fat body by xanthotoxin. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR analyses of individual CYP6B1/CYP6B3 mRNAs indicate that CYP6B1 transcripts are induced by xanthotoxin in all tissues examined and that CYP6B3 transcripts are induced in the fat body only. These results indicate that the fat body participates in the P450-mediated metabolism of excess furanocoumarins unmetabolized by the midgut. Although transcripts of both genes were detected and CYP6B1 transcripts were induced by xanthotoxin in the integument, furanocoumarin metabolism was not detected. Comparison of these P450 promoters with the promoters of alcohol dehydrogenase genes expressed in the fat bodies of several Drosophila species suggest that the xanthotoxin inducibilities of these P450 genes in fat bodies are regulated by elements other than those modulating expression of Adh genes.
|
REVEREND CLEMENTA PINCKNEY
Clementa Pinckney, 41
Clementa Pinckney, 41, was the beloved pastor of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, one of the country's oldest black churches, and had been a state legislator for 19 years.
He has been remembered as a 'giant' and a 'legend' by his peers.
Just one year after graduating from Allen University in 1995, Pinckney became, at 23, the youngest African-American elected to the South Carolina Legislature. In 2000, he was elected to the state Senate.
He earned a master's degree in public administration from the University of South Carolina in 1999 and studied at the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary.
A native of Beaufort, Pinckney began preaching at age 13 and was first appointed pastor at 18. He was named pastor of Mother Emanuel AME Church in 2010, according to the state Democratic Party.
'He had a core not many of us have,' said Sen. Vincent Sheheen, who sat beside him in Senate chambers. 'I think of the irony that the most gentle of the 46 of us — the best of the 46 of us in this chamber — is the one who lost his life.'
He is survived by his wife and two children.
REVEREND SHARONDA COLEMAN-SINGLETON
Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, 45
Reverend Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, 45, was a part-time minister at Emanuel AME Church and worked as a speech pathologist at Goose Creek High School, where she was also the girls track coach.
Principal Jimmy Huskey said she was so dedicated she was at work before 8am and typically didn't leave until 8pm.
'She had a big smile,' Huskey said. 'Her No 1 concern was always the students. She made a difference in the lives of children. She cannot be replaced here at this school.'
The mother of three had run track herself as a student at South Carolina State University, helping lead her team to a conference championship.
Also a speech therapist and ministerial staff member at the church, she was hailed as an 'excellent role model'.
'We love you, Coach Singleton,' the team wrote on its Facebook page. 'Gator Nation is where it is today because of your leadership. You have our thoughts and prayers.'
Her son, Chris Singleton, who is at college, wrote on his Twitter page after the shooting: 'Something extremely terrible has happened to my mom tonight, please pray for her and my family. Pray asap.'
On Instagram, he shared an image of his mother beside the Reverend Pinckney, and wrote: 'In this pictured are two new Angels in the sky. One of them happens to be my mommmy.
Ethel Lance, 70
'It's funny how I always told you that you went to church too much. You would laugh it off and say, "Boy you can never have too much of the Lord."'
ETHEL LANCE
Ethel Lance, 70, was a Charleston native who had been a member of the church for most of her life.
She retired after working for more than 30 years on the housekeeping staff at the city’s Gaillard Auditorium.
She had served as a sexton at the church for the last five years, helping to keep the historic building clean. She was also a lover of gospel music.
'She was a God-fearing woman,' said granddaughter Najee Washington, 23, who lived with Lance.
'She was the heart of the family, and she still is. She is a very caring, giving and loving woman. She was beautiful inside and out.'
'Granny was the heart of the family,' her grandson Jon Quil Lance told The Post and Courier.
'She's a Christian, hardworking; I could call my granny for anything. I don't have anyone else like that'.
Susie Jackson, 87
Lance had five children, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
SUSIE JACKSON
Susie Jackson, 87, was a longtime church member and sang in the choir.
She and Ethel Lance were cousins.
Jackson had recently visited her son and grandchildren in Cleveland, Ohio.
Tim Jackson told Cleveland television station WEWS that his grandmother was a loving, giving woman with a great smile.
'It’s just hard to process that my grandmother had to leave Earth this way,' he said.
'It’s real, real hard. It’s challenging because I don’t believe she deserved to go this way.'
Susie Jackson, who was fond of playing slot machines, was scheduled to go on a church-sponsored bus trip to Chicago on Sunday and was looking forward to going to the top of the Willis Tower, said Jean Jackson, an associate member of the church.
Tywanza Sanders, 26
TYWANZA SANDERS
The youngest person killed in the attack was Tywanza Sanders, who graduated from Allen University's division of business administration in Columbia last year.
'He was a quiet, well-known student who was committed to his education,' according to a statement from Allen University.
'He presented a warm and helpful spirit as he interacted with his colleagues.
'Mr. Sanders was participating in the Bible Study session at Mother Emanuel church at the time of the shooting.'
His social media pages also indicate he worked at a barber shop.
Sanders posted his last Instagram picture before the meeting last night.
'A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives,' it read, quoting Jackie Robinson.
DePayne Middleton-Doctor, 49
DEPAYNE MIDDLETON-DOCTOR
Whether she was working with college students or Charleston’s poorest residents, DePayne Middleton-Doctor wanted to be in a position to help people.
So co-workers weren’t surprised when she decided to become a minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
'She was a woman of God,' said Joel Crawford, who worked with Middleton-Doctor at Southern Wesleyan University’s campus in Charleston. 'She was strong in her faith.'
Middleton-Doctor, a 49-year-old mother of four daughters, just started her job as an enrollment counselor at the university in December, said Crawford, who worked with her as a student services coordinator.
Before that, Middleton-Doctor had been employed for several years by Charleston County, where she helped administer grants aimed at helping the county’s poorest residents with problems they couldn’t otherwise afford to fix such as repairing roofs or septic tanks, said J. Elliott Summey, chairman of the Charleston County Council. He said she left her county job in 2005.
Crawford said Middleton-Doctor often went to midweek prayer meetings at Emanuel AME Church as she worked toward becoming a minister.
Cynthia Hurd, 54
On Facebook, her sister paid tribute to her 'beautiful Songbird'.
'I will truly miss you my love,' she wrote. 'Your beautiful personality, your laughter, your smile, and your love for everyone.'
CYNTHIA HURD
Cynthia Hurd’s brother took some comfort in knowing that his sister died in the church she grew up in and loved.
Hurd, 54, was the manager of one of the busiest branches of the Charleston County library system. In her honor, the system closed all 16 of its branches Thursday, the day after her death.
She grew up in Charleston, and her mother made sure they went Emanuel AME Church on Sundays, Wednesdays and any other time it was open, said her brother Malcom Graham, a former state senator from North Carolina.
'I wasn’t surprised on a Wednesday night she was there,' Graham said Thursday.
Myra Thompson, 59
Hurd’s husband is a merchant sailor currently at sea near Saudi Arabia. Graham was trying to help him get home.
When Graham spoke to his sister last weekend, she said she couldn’t wait for her 55th birthday on Sunday, he said.
She was also looking toward retirement after 31 years of library work.
'Cynthia was a tireless servant of the community who spent her life helping residents, making sure they had every opportunity for an education and personal growth,' the library said in a statement.
'Her loss is incomprehensible, and we ask for prayers for her family, her co-workers, her church and this entire community as we come together to face this tragic loss.'
MYRA THOMPSON
Myra Thompson, 59, was also killed at the church, her daughter confirmed but would not comment further.
Daniel Simmons, 45
Thompson was the wife of Rev Anthony Thompson, Vicar of Holy Trinity REC (ACNA) Church in Charleston.
Archbishop Foley Beach wrote on Facebook: 'Please join me in praying for the Rev. Anthony Thompson, Vicar of Holy Trinity REC (ACNA Church in Charleston, his family, and their congregation, with the killing of his wife, Myra, in the Charleston shootings last night.'
Thompson's daughter is reportedly a prominent figure in Atlanta's Big Bethel AME Church.
DANIEL L SIMMONS
Daniel L Simmons, 45, a retired pastor from another church in Charleston, also died.
He attended the church every Sunday for services and Wednesdays for bible study, his daughter-in-law said.
|
How much abuse do men get in relationships with women that never gets labeled as abuse because it is standard data, just so normal that it is merely background noise that no one notices or names?
Dr. Tara Palmatier posted an article a little over a year ago that I posted to the Men’s Rights subreddit. The article listed the specific tactics a female abuser uses:
1. Keep your Mask on at All Times.
2. Damsels in Distress are Hawt!
3. Sex Bomb!
4. Rinse, Wash, Repeat and Put Him on a Long Silken Leash.
5. Let the Shit Tests Begin!
6. Escalate Shit Tests and Commence Blame Shifting and Gaslighting (Squee! Squee!).
7. The Carrot and the Whip.
8. Put the Lid on the Cookie Jar Half-Way.
9. Seal the Deal!
10. Pee on his Territory.
11. Isolate, Isolate, Isolate!
12. Crank the Dial on the FOG Machine.
13. Put the Cookie Jar Away and Only Break Out in Case of Emergency.
14. CONTROL.
15. Instill a Sense of Learned Helplessness.
16. HOOVER! Because You Suck.
Yes, this behavior is sociopathic, but that hardly means that only sociopaths engage in it. Perfectly “normal” people act like sociopaths when sociopathy is the cultural norm. In this case, the gender norms—both toxic femininity and the traditional form of masculinity that licenses it—are themselves sociopathic.
Yes, this behavior is sociopathic, but look at how romantic it is!!—how closely it follows the romance script.
When I posted the article to reddit, this comment was typical:
[+]AlexReynard 1 point2 points3 points 11 hours ago (0 children)
I’m reading this, and thinking, ‘This is the script for basically any mainstream comedy couple.’
It is. So let’s look at how closely Dr. Palmatier’s list follows traditional gender norms:
1. Keep your Mask on at All Times.—Because women are “socialized to please people.”
2. Damsels in Distress are Hawt!—Because a man’s utility is measured by his usefulness to women, and the way you activate his sense of agency is by downplaying your own and damseling for you life.
3. Sex Bomb!—Again, because women are “socialized to please people.” And besides, men are all mindless horndogs you can manipulate with your vaj, amirite?
4. Rinse, Wash, Repeat and Put Him on a Long Silken Leash.—Because men need some breaking in, and that takes time. But the “love of a good women” is all he needs to make a Real man of him, so he had better knuckle under.
5. Let the Shit Tests Begin!—Because the precious vaj is the Holy Grail (how Freudian is that?) and he damned well has to earn it. Folk tales, myths, and pre-modern literature are full of these tests. The one that comes to mind immediately is Hunting of Twrch Trwyth or the test Thingol sets Beren in the Tale of Beren and Lúthien.
What would be the female equivalent of proving yourself worthy of sex and a mate? “The path to a man’s heart is through his stomach” maybe—and how deep in the past is that? Who under 50 can even remember that saying?
6. Escalate Shit Tests and Commence Blame Shifting and Gaslighting (Squee! Squee!).—And blame shifting works because Woman is the moral guardian who judges the deeds and misdeeds of men and gets to decide who is and isn’t a Real Man, so regardless of what he thinks happened, you know better than him.
7. The Carrot and the Whip.—More of the same. This is when you start making him prove he’s better than all those other losers, those less-than-Real Men who couldn’t hang on to your high-maintenance ass.
8. Put the Lid on the Cookie Jar Half-Way.—Because now it’s time to dial back on the sex, and your perfect cover is that “nice girls” don’t really like sex that much, they just submit to men’s animal desires, which they of course are above.
9. Seal the Deal!—Because a real, mature man should want to play house with you, and if he doesn’t, well, he’s just an immature commitphobe.
10. Pee on his Territory.—Because you’re the lady of the house, right? You are in charge, even if it’s his house. Men are just beasts anyway; restrict his access to his own house until all he has left is a man cave and if you decide he has fucked up, you can send him to sleep on the couch.
11. Isolate, Isolate, Isolate!—Because it’s more romantic to need only one person in life. What, aren’t I enough for you? You woman-hating brute, don’t you love me? Don’t you care about my feelings, my needs? Fine, go on, go wherever you think you need to go …
12. Crank the Dial on the FOG Machine.—Because a real man is measured by how well he takes care of a women, you get to quit your job and feed off of him. Hell, half the time the law will consider him responsible for your upkeep and deny him the right to throw you out.
13. Put the Cookie Jar Away and Only Break Out in Case of Emergency.—Because a really “nice girl” doesn’t like sex, remember? This is when you start shaming him for beating off and looking at porn too because, after all, you have a perfect right to shame him for his filthy needs.
14. CONTROL.—Because he is really just a man-child after all, isn’t he, just a simple creature with simple needs … Didn’t Dr. Phil tell us that women understand how to do relationships better than men do by, like, a factor of ten?
15. Instill a Sense of Learned Helplessness.—So he could never really take care of himself. He needs a strong, confident woman to do all that for him, and if he balks at that, why, he is just “threatened by a strong woman.”
16. HOOVER! Because You Suck.—He may push away, but what does he really know about who is the right person for him, and who is bad …?
See how easy this is? We all grew up to think this is perfectly normal! This is how men are supposed to submit to the higher women.
And for a taste of how gendered this is and how traditional gender roles shape the terrain, here’s an example from that thread of all the social and legal support a man subjected to this kind of abuse can count on:
[–]TorontoMike
Yeah that sounded too familiar, I could not finish reading it, Moving in together she did not like my furniture so it had to go. Cutting me off from my friends and family, because she did not like them and not fighting and arguing and I wanting peace was more important than a relationship with a friend. Cutting me off financially; I was a student so was not that hard getting angry and jealous if I worked overtime or got extra work, creating drama or not telling some one called so then I was “unreliable” and did not get called for an extra shift The physical abuse was intermittent before got worse; when I was cut off from every one she did not hold back and she would destroy all my few remaining possessions. Was openly mocked by police and domestic assault help lines. Finally left with no money and a bag of my dirty laundry as my only possessions to stay at a homeless shelter and find an old boss / friend that I knew to borrow some money to take a bus to another city and live on my mother’s sofa.
How does this align with traditional gender roles? Do traditional gender roles license this in women more than in men? I think the police answered that for Toronto Mike pretty well.
dungone offers some analysis in this thread:
[–]dungone
This doesn’t apply to all women, but it does apply to feminine gender roles. At the most basic, core level, the behaviors described here are all based around the principle of sunk cost. Increasing the other party’s sunk costs, while minimizing your own, creates a power imbalance that is described in this article in one of its more extreme manifestations. But it can be really subtle, and it’s pretty much always there to some extent as long as the traditional dating script is being followed. The active person virtually always has the greater sunk costs than the passive person. And that’s virtually always the man. In fact, having the greater sunk costs means taking on the greater risks, paying for things, etc., and so by definition it puts you in the active role. And by definition, the passive role puts you in the position of trying to manipulate the active person to do your bidding. You can be really nice about it, you can be completely sincere, and you can in fact even love the man with all of your heart, but the dynamic remains, no matter how subtly. And that makes it especially hard for guys who have been through a relationship with a full-tilt manipulator to cope with even a normal, loving relationship for a long time afterwards. The active person – male hyperagency; the passive person – female hypoagency. This is how “The bottom is always in charge.”
dungone sums up:
[–]dungone
Yes, you are correct. All relationships that follow traditional gender roles do look abusive, but it’s because they really are. The main difference is that a disordered woman can turn it into a science through a dispassionate and relentless application of the female gender role. Remember, this is describing what borderline, bpd, narcissistic, or sociopathic women would do. If it hits a little too close to home with what even normal, loving women also do, then perhaps it’s a good reason to think about whether or not some of those behaviors should be considered acceptable.
Yes, this behavior is sociopathic, but that hardly means that only sociopaths engage in it. Perfectly “normal” people act like sociopaths when sociopathy is the cultural norm. In this case, the gender norms and the romance script are sociopathic.
by
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inclination angle metering apparatus for metering an inclination angle of a body of equipment with respect to a direction of gravity.
2. Related Background Art
FIG. 7 shows one example of a conventional inclination angle metering apparatus. In this apparatus, a beam of light Ls outgoing from a light source 101 is restricted in a predetermined shape (e.g., a slit- or pinhole-like shape) by a stop 102. The beam is converted to substantially collimated rays of light through a collimator lens 103 and falls on a prism 104. The beam Ls is incident at a predetermined angle of incidence (e.g., 45.degree.) on a liquid surface 106a via this prism 104. A transparent liquid 106 is sealed in a casing 107 above the prism 104. This prism 104 and the transparent liquid 106 both have substantially the same refractive index.
The beam Ls passing through the prism 104 is full-reflected by the liquid surface 106a of the liquid 106. The beam Ls reflected by the liquid surface 106a again penetrates the prism 104. The beam Ls is condensed through a condenser lens 108 on a light receiving element 109 such as a CCD line sensor or the like. A pattern of the stop 102 is formed on this light receiving element 109.
Now, let A be a condensing position on a light receiving element 109 when the equipment incorporating the abovementioned inclination angle metering apparatus is in a horizontal state. This position A is then stored. Even when the equipment is skewed, the horizontality of the liquid surface is always kept. Hence, it follows that the liquid surface is inclined (a state indicated by a broken line 106b in the Figure) to the equipment when viewed in a relative manner. Therefore, a light path of the beam reflected by a liquid surface 106b changes as indicated by a broken line Ls'. The condensing position on the light receiving element 109 shifts to a position B. This position B is detected, and the inclination angle is obtained based on a deviation from the previously stored position A.
The conventional inclination angle metering apparatus, however, presents the following drawback. If the optical system and the light receiving element which constitute this inclination angle metering apparatus are minutely shifted in placement due to vibrations and impacts or variations in temperature, etc., then even when in the horizontal state, it the condensing position on the light receiving element shifts from the position A described above. Consequently, an error is caused in the metered inclination angle. Note that in this connection, the error is also produced even when the liquid surface is relatively inclined.
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"Stückelberg interferometry" with ultracold molecules.
We report on the realization of a time-domain "Stückelberg interferometer", which is based on the internal-state structure of ultracold Feshbach molecules. Two subsequent passages through a weak avoided crossing between two different orbital angular momentum states in combination with a variable hold time lead to high-contrast population oscillations. This allows for a precise determination of the energy difference between the two molecular states. We demonstrate a high degree of control over the interferometer dynamics. The interferometric scheme provides new possibilities for precision measurements with ultracold molecules.
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Q:
Ajax fields do not work on custom page with `drupal_render`
From my module test I render the create node form on URL admin/test using the following:
function test_menu() {
return array(
'admin/test' => array(
'title' => 'test',
'access callback' => '_test_access',
'page callback' => '_test_render',
'type' => MENU_LOCAL_TASK
)
);
}
function _test_access() {
return true;
}
function _test_render() {
module_load_include('inc', 'node', 'node.pages');
$form = node_add('my_content_type');
return array(
'whatever' => array(
'#type' => 'markup',
'#markup' => drupal_render($form),
)
);
}
Form works well and can create a new node of type my_content_type. The problem is that some fields where ajax is involved give me the following error when pressing "Add Items":
Error: Call to undefined function node_form_validate() in form_execute_handlers() (line 1520 of /webapp/includes/form.inc).
The details of those fields are:
Field type: Entity Reference
Widget: View
View display type: Entity Reference View Widget
A:
Solution can be found at Embed a "node add" form in a page. You have to implement hook_menu_alter() for ajax calls.
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This is a guest post by Elizabeth Gregory, a PhD student in Aerospace Engineering at Iowa State University.
Have you ever been watching a movie/TV show or reading a book/magazine article and all of a sudden been confronted with a reminder that you (a lady) are not the target audience?
I had no television for a few years so, although I watched The Big Bang Theory when it first aired, I haven’t watched it in a long time. A few weeks ago I caught an episode and I was struck by this scene. HA HA! Women never go to comic book stores! Because they are girls! Hilarious! I always enjoyed the show because it reveled in geek culture, but this is what I hear from this scene:
Me: I like your show. Them: That’s cool and everything, but it isn’t for you. Me: It’s on TV, isn’t it for everyone? It’s not even on Cable. Them: Well yeah, but it is for geeks. Me: I’m a geek. Them: We mean guy geeks. You know, real geeks.
About a year ago, I was reading Diary by Chuck Palahniuk. The narrator of the story is a woman. In one part, she describes having a catheter as something plastic stuck in your vagina. Here is the thing. I don’t pee from my vagina and I haven’t ever heard of a women that does and I certainly don’t consider my urethra as part of my vagina. Here is my imaginary conversation with Chuck Palahniuk.
Me: Do you really think women pee from their vaginas? Him: Eeew. I don’t know what happens down there. Me: This is basic human anatomy. Him: No, it is women’s anatomy, not regular anatomy. I’m close, right? The pee definitely comes from that general location, right? Me: What I don’t understand is how you didn’t have one editor read this and point out that this is anatomically wrong. Especially since, throughout the book, you describe in great detail other parts of the human body and their function. This seems be a fact checking error. Him: I feel like most people are confused by lady parts. As previously stated, Eeew!
When I was a senior in Aerospace Engineering, we all took senior seminar. It was a 1 credit class (compared to a regular 3 credit class) in which the head of the department talked to us about interviews, jobs, life insurance, firing people, mortgages, and ethics. I remember he brought in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) code of ethics. Here is item 2.3 (emphasis mine):
The member will inform his employer or client if he is financially interested in any vendor or contractor, or in any invention, machines, or apparatus, which is involved in a project or work of his employer or client. The member will not allow such interest to affect his decision regarding services which he may be called upon to perform.
This document was approved in 1978, so it is old; but it hasn’t been changed. Here is an imaginary conversation with people who do not see that this is exclusionary.
Them: But HE is the generic pronoun, it includes women. Me: Yeah, I know, that is why when the line for the ladies room is long, I use the men’s room. You know, because the word men really means both men and women.
The message is that I am not in the club. You know “the club” Silly me for thinking that liking geeky things makes me a geek, or being a women who enjoys Chuck Palahniuk novels means that he would consider that women actually read them, or that earning 2 degrees in Engineering and paying my membership dues to AIAA means that I am a member and the code of ethics should apply to me too. I am just a girl and I see now that the sloppily painted sign on the tree house does in fact say “No Girls Allowed”
This post was submitted via the Guest posts submission page, if you are interested in guest posting on Geek Feminism please contact us through that page.
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Dr. Bronner’s, the natural soap for basically anything according to the label, is joining the fight in Oregon to legalize psilocybin in controlled settings.
According to a press release sent out Friday, David Bronner, CEO of Dr. Bronner’s, will join the initiatives chief petitioners Tom and Sheri Eckert Friday night at the Newmark Theatre in Portland at a kick-off event for the Oregon Psilocybin Service Initiative signature drive.
The Eckert’s hope their initiative will allow Oregonians to access psilocybin in a therapeutic setting to treat a range of issues from depression to anxiety to addiction.
At the event, the release said, Bronner “will announce his company’s matching contribution of $150,000 to the initiative.”
Backers of the initiative have until July 2, 2020, to get 112,020 signatures to get the measure on the November 2020 ballot.
“The Bronner family is no stranger to severe depression and anxiety,” Bronner said in the release. “We firmly believe that the integration of psilocybin therapy, to which the FDA recently granted a special ‘breakthrough designation’ is crucial to heal epidemic rates of depression, anxiety, and addiction that pharmaceutical drugs are completely inadequate for.”
Psilocybin remains an illegal Schedule 1 controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act.
-- Lizzy Acker
503-221-8052 [email protected], @lizzzyacker
Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.
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“The damage of fraud and suicide bombing is the same to the people of Afghanistan,” he said.
This is the third time Mr. Abdullah has disputed election results after running for president.
A similar dispute between Mr. Abdullah and Mr. Ghani in 2014 went to a messy stalemate that was resolved through a power-sharing agreement brokered by John Kerry, then secretary of state. That arrangement made Mr. Ghani president and Mr. Abdullah the chief executive. This time around, with American diplomacy focused on negotiating an end to the war with the Taliban, American officials and other Western allies have made clear they will not step in to mediate.
The dispute is playing out as the United States continues negotiations with the Taliban to seek an end to the long war. In the fall, just as the two sides seemed on verge of a deal that would open way for Taliban negotiations with Afghans over power sharing, the election seemed unlikely. But when president Trump called off the talks with the Taliban, the Afghan the vote went ahead.
A political crisis, or a bruising runoff if the vote goes to that, could weaken the Afghan government’s hand in any negotiations with the Taliban. An extended political crisis could also undermine military efforts against militants seeking to demonstrate that the government cannot protect its citizens.
The announcement of preliminary results came after weeks of tense discussions to find a compromise between the grievances of Mr. Abdullah’s supporters and the position of the election commission.
Among the roughly 300,000 votes Mr. Abdullah disputes are 100,000 ballots registered in the system either before or after voting hours — in some cases by weeks or months. The election commission attributes the irregularities to human error in setting the time and date of devices that recorded the votes.
Last week, as expectations grew that the election commission would announce initial results, Mr. Abdullah made a concession by calling on his supporters to allow the audit of the seven provinces they were blocking. He described it as a good will gesture to get the commission to reconsider its decision on the nearly 300,000 questionable votes. But the election commission did not budge.
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re: What keeps you up at night?(Posted by fr33manator on 1/30/13 at 1:06 am to Tom288)
quote:Childish
Not at all.
quote:Laughable even?
Not even a little bit. The mind craves purpose. Some even theorize that the brain doesn't really sleep...it just goes somewhere else. So, if you lead it somewhere, it is less apt to wander.
I often imagine myself somewhere where I can't move. In a foxhole pinned down by enemy fire. Trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building. What have you. Then I paint a picture of why i'm there. I write a story, create characters, etc.
I'm naturally a thinker. I spend all day with my mind wondering about this and that. Random shite.
The uncertainty of the future is one of my biggest fears. Whether it be relationships, family, professional success... Any time I get some down time during the day I begin thinking about my life. As soon as I start getting tired and slow down for the day and head to bed, I know I'll be laying there for a few hours just thinking about everything. Lately it's been relationships. Before that it was about my professional future. I find that over time I begin to get a very strong understanding about things that most people don't even think about, much less try to understand. Give me enough time, and I can tell you exactly why someone will do what they do. Its amazing what your brain can do when all you're doing is thinking.
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Since it launched in 2008, Nissan's GT Academy has repeatedly done something previously thought to be absurd and unrealistic: It has taken people who are really, really good at Gran Turismo and put them in the seats of actual race cars. Look at Spaniard Lucas Ordoñez, who successfully went from gamer to pro driver through the program.
A little backstory: Last year, GT Academy winner Jann Mardenborough and his partner, pro driver Alex Buncombe, came very close to winning the British GT's Pro-Am class in their Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3. That class is supposed to have non-professional "gentleman drivers" (in this case, Mardenborough) who are expected to be slower than the pros. But Mardenborough wasn't — he was on par the guys who have been doing it professionally for years. Yes, Gran Turismo can make you THAT good.
On this basis, the promoters of the British GT have denied entry to four GT Academy drivers, saying that they're essentially too good to fit into the pro driver/gentleman driver setup. Here's what GT Planet quoted series manager Benjamin Franassovici as saying:
[GT Academy] has shown itself to be a great way to source raw talent and turn that into real racing talent as we saw in British GT last year with Jann Mardenborough. However Nissan's ability to find such amazing raw talent means that we cannot accept their full season entry for British GT in 2013. Their new recruits have very little racing experience so they have to be on the lowest performance grade. Their talent, going on Jann's speed last year, doesn't reflect this lack of experience so it is not fair to put them up against our Pro/Gentleman grid, the basis of British GT3.
Bummer for those guys. But don't worry — even if they can't race in the British GT, there are other series they will be expected to compete in this year.
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1997 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships
The 1997 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships were contested June 4−7 at Billy Hayes Track at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana in order to determine the individual and team national champions of men's and women's collegiate Division I outdoor track and field events in the United States.
These were the 75th annual men's championships and the 16th annual women's championships. This was the Hoosiers' third time hosting the event (and second time hosting in Bloomington−the 1986 event was in Indianapolis) and first since 1986.
In a repeat of the previous five years' results, Arkansas and LSU topped the men's and women's team standings, respectively; it was the Razorbacks' seventh men's team title and the eleventh for the Lady Tigers (who finished just one point ahead of Texas).
This was the sixth of eight consecutive titles for Arkansas. The Lady Tigers, meanwhile, captured their eleventh consecutive title, and, ultimately, the last of the eleven straight titles they claimed between 1987 and 1997.
Team results
Note: Top 10 only
(H) = Hosts
Full results
Men's standings
Women's standings
References
Category:NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship
Category:1997 in sports in Indiana
NCAA
Category:Track and field in Indiana
Category:NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship
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Fantasy Football Running Back Categories
By Guest Writer Daniel Weiss:
Today I am bringing you the first installation in a weekly fantasy football column. Each week I will rank a different position until I finally unveil the top 200 overall players in fantasy. We are starting things off with the most valuable position in fantasy football – running back. The top ball carriers will surely fly off the board quickly in your fantasy football drafts, so don’t be the guy frantically checking the waiver wire for running back help and finding little value. Take a running back early in your draft, especially this year. As the NFL has gone to more of an air attack, productive 3 down backs have gone to the waste side. I can’t reiterate enough the importance of having productive running backs on your fantasy team.
Tier 1: Fantasy Hall of Famers
1. Adrian Peterson – “A.D.”, “A.P.”, “Purple Jesus”, it doesn’t matter what you call him. All that matters is that the best running back in the game today is back. 8 months following a gruesome ACL tear in 2012, Peterson not only returned to the Vikings starting lineup on opening day, but put together a season for the ages coming just 8 yards short of the NFL record for rushing yards in a season. Wednesday, Peterson proclaimed that he is, “pretty much 100%” following his injury 15 months ago. This is great news for fantasy owners. Even if Peterson is feeling 100% following the ACL tear, fantasy owners shouldn’t expect Peterson to top the superhuman numbers he put up last season. The loss of receiver Percy Harvin means Peterson will be keyed in on even more next season. Peterson is still the safe bet to lead the league in rushing but expecting him to break Eric Dickerson’s all time rushing yards record for a season is too lofty an expectation.
2. Arian Foster
Tier 2: Fantasy All Stars
3. Marshawn Lynch
4. Jamaal Charles – Like Peterson, Charles tore his ACL in the 2011-2012 season. Charles obviously didn’t return from to injury to have the season that Peterson had but there is still plenty for Charles’ fantasy owners to be excited about. With the acquisition of Alex Smith, the Chiefs finally have a viable option at QB to prevent defenses from overloading the box against Charles. New Head Coach Andy Reid has also historically had success with running backs from his days in Philadelphia.
5. Doug Martin
6. LeSean McCoy – 2 words is all you need to hear for why you should draft Lesean McCoy this season: Chip Kelly. That’s right, the former Oregon coach who eclipsed video game like offensive numbers is now the Head Coach of the Eagles. Reports from Eagles camp are that the Eagles will look to play fast. Spread teams out and utilize their speed. Although Bryce Brown will compete with McCoy for carries, there is plenty of work to be had in the Eagles up-tempo system.
7. Ray Rice
Tier 3: Studs
8. CJ Spiller – After being slowed by nagging injuries and unable to get carries behind Fred Jackson, Spiller finally broke out in 2012, tying Peterson for the league lead in yards per carry at 6. The elusive back should expect to carry more of the load under new Head Coach Doug Marrone. Be aware that the bigger Jackson may take away some of Spiller’s goal-line carries.
9. Trent Richardson – There are a lot of things to like about Richardson. He’s only 21 years old and had 267 carries last season. If you are looking for a young back who is the focal point of his offense, Richardson is your guy. The problem with Richardson is the poor offense surrounding him. As a result, Richardson is a risk to get banged up from time to time because of the constant pounding he takes.
10. Alfred Morris
11. Matt Forte
Tier 4: Potential Studs
12. DeMarco Murray – Murray is a high risk, high reward player. He’s got a quality offense surrounding him and he showcases an impressive combination of size and speed. The concern with Murray is that he has been slowed down by injuries, missing 9 games in the last 2 years. Murray is a guy who could make or break your fantasy season. Murray has the talent to be a top five running back and if he stays healthy he surely will. That’s still a big if.
13. Steven Jackson – Here’s a new face in a new place. The Ram’s all time leader in rushing yards should expect plenty of goal-line carries in the Falcons high powered offense. Even if Jackson loses carries here and there to scat back Jacquizz Rodgers, it will benefit Jackson to not be forced to shoulder the entire load like he did in St. Louis.
14. Maurice Jones-Drew
15. David Wilson – Used primarily as a backup, Wilson was impressive in his rookie season for the Giants, rushing for 5 yards per carry. With Ahmad Bradshaw out of the picture in what became a crowded backfield last year for the Giants, Wilson will take advantage. There is plenty to like about Wilson. He’s got a quality offense around him and has track speed. Wilson needs to stay out of Tom Coughlin’s doghouse. That means no fumbles for the second-year back. Wilson is certainly a high upside player. He probably should quit the whole celebratory flip following a touchdown routine while he’s at it.
16. Stevan Ridley
17. Montee Ball – With 32 year old Willis McGahee absent from OTA’s and expected to be released, the Bronco’s prolific passing attack is expected to lean on the shoulders of Ball who they nabbed in the 2nd round in this year’s draft. Although there will certainly be a learning curve for Ball to adapt to the NFL, running backs tend to adjust quicker than other positions. Ball could be a steal as a 2nd running back on your team.
18. Frank Gore
19. Reggie Bush – Another new face in a new place, Bush should thrive with his speed on the turf at Ford Field. Bush’s ability to catch balls out of the backfield will fit perfectly in the Lions air attack.
Tier 5: Starters
20. Chris Ivory – The former Saint finally gets his opportunity to start after primarily being a 4th string running back in New Orleans. Ivory should expect plenty of touches in the Jets offense, especially after fellow Jets running back Mike Goodson was arrested and charged with possession of drugs and an illegal weapon. Ivory could be one of the few bright spots on an otherwise brutal Jets team. Even if much of Ivory’s production will come when the Jets are being blown out, the fantasy points count the same.
21. Chris Johnson
22. Darren Sproles
23, Lamar Miller – With Reggie Bush out of town, the Dolphins running back will compete for carries with Daniel Thomas. I expect Miller to win the job.
24. Darren McFadden – Talent wise Run DMC should be a top 10 fantasy running back. The problem is this physical specimen just can’t seem to stay on the field. McFadden has never played a full season in the NFL and has only played 19 games the past 2 seasons. If you haven’t given up on McFadden’s ability to stay healthy, he could be a buy low candidate.
25. Ryan Mathews – Everything said above about McFadden can be used to describe Mathews. The former first round pick of the Chargers has been productive when healthy but has struggled to remain on the field.
26. Vick Ballard
27. Eddie Lacy
28. Bryce Brown – All Lesean McCoy owners should certainly pickup Brown as a handcuff. Brown however, may be more than just a backup running back. There will be plenty of carries to go around in the Eagles offense and Brown could still see his fair share of carries. Keep a close on the Eagles running back situation and how it develops. Head Coach Chip Kelly used a multitude of backs when he was coach of Oregon.
29. Le’Veon Bell
30. BenJarvus Green-Ellis
31. Giovani Bernard – The rookie out of North Carolina may start the season backing up BenJarvus Green-Ellis in Cincinnati, but don’t be surprised if Bernard takes over the first back duties by midseason. Bernard is a homerun threat with blazing speed. His talent level is far superior to that of Green-Ellis and I expect him to be given opportunities to produce.
Tier 6: Productive Backups and Handcuffs
32. Mark Ingram
33. Bernard Pierce
34. Jonathon Stewart
35. Mikel Leshoure
36. Isiah Pead
37. Shane Vereen
38. Rashard Mendenhall
39. Fred Jackson – The Bills are expected to start CJ Spiller over Jackson but all Spiller owners should have Jackson stowed away on their bench in case Spiller gets injured.
40. Ben Tate
41. Darryl Richardson
42. Jacquizz Rodgers
Tier 7: Backups
43. Marcel Reece
44. Robert Turbin
45. Jonathan Franklin – The Packers selected both Franklin and former Alabama running back Eddie Lacy in this year’s NFL Draft. Most assume that Lacy will get the majority of the carries in the Packers offense but don’t be surprised if Franklin and Lacy split carries. This is another situation to keep a close eye on in Training Camp and throughout the Preseason.
46. Ryan Williams
47. Jonathon Dwyer
48. Shonn Greene
49. Michael Bush
50. LaMichael James – James impressed in a limited sample size as a rookie last season. He’s another big play threat with blazing speed. The 49ers backfield is a bit crowded with Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter. Don’t forget that quarterback Colin Kaepernick will take away carries from Niners backs as well.
Check back next week, as I will be ranking the wide receivers. I will discuss sleepers and receivers who could be in for big years this coming season.
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I've Worked with Refugees for Decades. Europe's Afghan Crime Wave Is Mind-Boggling.
But we are still left with a mystery. Welfare fraud is one thing: it makes a certain kind of sense, if you have no regard for rule of law or fairness and you are lazy. But why is this current cohort of Afghans making its mark as sexual predators . . . and inept, stupid ones at that? In search of an answer, perhaps we should take a closer look at the victims. We have eliminated improper attire and an unwittingly seductive manner, but might they have any other traits in common to shed light on why they became the targets of such madness? Reviewing them, one word comes to mind: fulfillment. A Turkish exchange student, happy to be advancing her education in industrial design at a good university in Vienna. A girl in a park, enjoying the sunshine. Two friends, taking their babies for a walk. A mother, enjoying a summer stroll with her two children. A contented old lady, out with her pet. Attractive, accomplished, happy, normal people . . . an unbearable sight, perhaps, to—and here I must agree with President Trump—losers. That is what he proposed we should call terrorists, and he is right. These young men, even minus a suicide vest, are losers, which has inspired them to become social terrorists.
The young Afghan attackers are saying, yes, that they have no impulse control, that their hormones are raging, and that they hate themselves and the world—but most especially, that they will not tolerate women who are happy, confident and feeling safe in public spaces. They are saying that they have no intention of respecting law, custom, public opinion, local values or common decency, all of which they hate so much that they are ready to put their own lives, their constructive futures and their freedom on the line for the satisfaction of inflicting damage.
Established middle-class diaspora Afghans are understandably upset and embarrassed to see their nationality thus disgraced by these uncouth newcomers. And yet they are part of the problem. Many of their actions and reactions, however natural or unintended, amount to complicity. They cover up, make excuses for, advise on best ways to wriggle out of consequences, and even directly abet the deceptions, illegal acts and disgraceful manners of friends, relatives and random unknown fellow Afghans.
The reasons for this are many-layered. There is the perceived obligation to be loyal to friends and relatives and countrymen. I think there is also a certain lack of true identification with Western notions of bureaucratic and biographic fact; many, if not most, Afghans currently living in the West have some lies of necessity in their past. Whichever of them arrived first—a father, an older brother—generally had to make up a supposed family name and a birthdate on the fly, because back home, until one generation ago most people did not have a last name and birth dates were not recorded. I know respectable, law-abiding Afghan families where everyone’s birthdays are implausibly sequential—June 1, June 2, June 3 and so forth, because the family member who filled out the immigration paperwork had to make up birth dates and thought it would be easier to remember them this way.
It is also possible that this diaspora community, given the weakness of state institutions in their country of origin, the arbitrariness of its corruption-riddled administrations for centuries, and a certain lack of rootedness that comes from being dropped into someone else’s culture and way of doing things, is fine with a bit of finagling of welfare benefits. They don’t, of course, endorse rape, but here embarrassment kicks in and inspires them to make excuses. “They’re young.” “They’re confused.” “They grew up in Iran, where one learns bad behavior.” Others just disavow them altogether and want nothing to do with them. That’s regrettable, because Afghans who have already made respected lives for themselves abroad are in the best position to discipline and teach the delinquent newcomers, to know what combination of sanctions, pressures and encouragement will be effective.
Complicated problems, to be sure, but why should they concern us here in the United States, beyond mere anthropological curiosity? Well, first of all, these young men are “ours.” They grew up during the years in which we were the dominant influence and paymaster in Afghan society. Since 2001, we have spent billions on an Afghan school system that we like to cite as one of our greatest accomplishments. These young men either attended these schools, in which case the investment in their education has been worse than useless, or did not have access to a school, in which case the money must have been fraudulently diverted. We have also invested many, many millions of dollars on gender programs and rule-of-law programs to convey notions of female equality and human value, and regard for law and order. We have funded radio programs and entire TV stations devoted to this goal, launched poster campaigns and sponsored at enormous cost a large number of civil-society groups purporting to disseminate these values. And here, now, are our “graduates,” rampaging across Europe like the worst sort of feral beasts.
Secondly, the relevance to U.S. refugee policy is sadly obvious. It will require rigorous vetting indeed to weed out such deeply disturbed, degenerate young males whose willingness to be deceptive is so pronounced and whose motives are so irrational.
Which brings me to a final theory being vented in Austria: that these destructive, crazed young men are being intentionally infiltrated into western Europe to wreak havoc: to take away the freedom and security of women; change patterns of behavior; deepen the rifts between liberals, who continue to defend and find excuses, and a right wing that calls for harsh measures and violent responses; to inflict high costs and aggravation on courts and judicial systems and generally make a mess of things.
For the record, I am not convinced that there is a deliberate plan behind this, but I do agree that angry and unstable young men are susceptible to destructive paths. Those paths can lead to ideological extremism and terrorism, or to the formation of gangs and packs that attack, harm and destroy. As we have seen, presently many of their attacks are inept and easily blocked by random civilian passersby. But they will get more skillful over time, and Europe had best develop a defense against them.
What to do? The necessary measures, I think, are obvious.
Anyone convicted of a felony or any kind of sexual crime should be immediately deported, and that consequence should be made known to new arrivals as part of their initial orientation. This is the only way to stop the accelerating problem. (Doing so will, of course, require changes to European law.)
Every arriving refugee and asylum seeker must be subjected to rigorous fact-checking of their story, including validation of their asserted age by lab testing if there is any doubt. Yes, it’s troublesome and costly, but not nearly as troublesome and costly as letting the wrong people in, or putting hundreds of thousands of foreigners permanently or semipermanently on the dole with benefits they are not entitled to. And European countries must share the resultant data with each other, and identities must be linked to fingerprints, not to documents of dubious authenticity or no documents at all.
Members of the relevant diaspora communities must make very clear to the refugees that they do not approve of and will not assist them with their false claims, cheating, bad behavior or crime. They should instead emphasize by their own example, as well as by direct outreach, that a good and fulfilling life is possible in their new homes with hard work, a sincere effort to fit in and a cooperative attitude.
Finally, the Left has to do a bit of hard thinking. It’s fine to be warm, fuzzy and sentimental about strangers arriving on your shores, but let’s also spare some warm, fuzzy and sentimental thoughts for our own values, freedoms and lifestyle. Girls and women should continue to feel safe in public spaces, be able to attend festivals, wear clothing appropriate to the weather and their own liking, travel on trains, go to the park, walk their dogs and live their lives. This is a wonderful Western achievement, and one that is worth defending.
Dr. Cheryl Benard was program director of the Initiative for Middle Eastern Youth and the Alternative Strategies Initiative within the RAND Corporation’s National Security Research Division. Her publications include Civil Democratic Islam , Building Moderate Muslim Networks , The Muslim World After 9-11 , The Battle Behind the Wire - US Prisoner and Detainee Operations , and Eurojihad - Patterns of Islamist Radicalization and Terrorism in Europe . Civil Democratic Islam was one of the books found in Osama Bin Laden’s library during the raid on his compound.
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The Art of Seating
I always end up sitting in the wrong seat. When they were handing out the rulebook on how to master the art of seating, I was dossing down the back of the room. Some people are able to glide towards a seat as if they were born to do it it. I usually end up flailing.
For example, I never grasped the rule about women taking the inside seat. I was staying at a B&B once and the owner was getting a table ready for a couple who were due to come down. He was pushing the table away from the wall, because he maintained that the woman would want to sit on the inside seat, closest to the wall.
Lo and behold, the woman sat on the inside. I thought he had magical divining powers, but Husband shrugged.
‘Women always sit on the inside.’ he said.
Well, I don’t. When you take the inside seat, you’re always having to lean out to where the conversation is. And that’s not my style. I want to sit on the outside, at the beating heart of the conversation.
Seating Large Numbers
Then there’s the restaurant seat scramble. When a large group of people is going to a restaurant or pub, the most mild-mannered people become ruthless scrum-halves, in a bid to bag the prime seating, away from the table bore. I find myself paralysed. My feet won’t propel me forward, and I end up in no-man’s land. It’s possible that I’m the table bore they’re looking to avoid, but I flatter myself that this isn’t so.
People scramble for seats at restaurants. Pic from Pixabay.
Or there’s the peculiar hell inflicted on wedding guests, when the bride and groom places them at a table with an odd assortment of human beings, After a few hours at a wedding table, wading through the treacle of small talk, you start to think that a few hours in a holding cell would have been preferable.
Seating at Venues
When I go to the cinema or theatre, I’m careful to position myself at the centre of the row. If I sit at the edge, I’ll constantly have to be getting up for people. I fancy I leave enough seats on either side of me for groups to sit down. Yet these groups will insist on passing me to go to the seats on the other side, so I have to get up anyway. Leaving me to wonder what’s wrong with the seats on either side of me.
Then there’s the seating magnet at restaurants. This is the magnet that compels restaurant staff to place you and your partner a hair’s breadth away from the next table, despite the fact that the restaurant is almost deserted, and there are vast acres of space where you could eat your meal in private. Do they fear we may need to huddle together for warmth? Or do they feel the walk between tables would be too great?
We scramble for seating because we’re eager to conquer the space around us. Unfortunately, we have to share that space with other human beings, and this brings out the competitive urge in us. Hence the scramble for prime seating. I’m hoping there’s a catch-up class I can take so I can acquaint myself with that rulebook on the art of seating, so I can one day be that person who glides up to a seat as if born to it.
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Stories from Friday, July 9, 2010
Times Gone By(07/09/10)Thursday Dan Phelan was assisting his tenant on his farm west of town and was driving the mowing team when it became frightened and started to run. Mr. Phelan finding himself unable to control the frightened horses and fearful of being thrown before the sickle threw himself backward from the machine and in doing so badly wrenched his back. ...
Vet Camp comes to Cherokee County Fair(07/09/10)Do you know how to give CPR to a dog? Are you well-versed in large animal anatomy? If your answer is "no," the Cherokee County Fair will be hosting a chance to learn. The Iowa Medical Veterinary Association will be hosting a Vet Camp from 1- 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 10 as part of the Cherokee County Fair celebration...
Campaign trail leads through Cherokee(07/09/10)One of the candidates on this November Mid-term Election recently made campaign stop in Cherokee. Marty Pottebaum, Democratic candidate for the Iowa Senate, District 27 is trying to bring his experience to the Iowa State Capital. Pottebaum is a graduate from Bishop Heelan High School in Sioux City and served in the United Sates Army and then joined the Sioux City Police Department...
Supervisors appoint General Relief position(07/09/10)The Cherokee County Board of Supervisor appointed Cherokee County Community Services Director Lisa Langlitz to oversee the Cherokee County General Relief position. Sue Casey held that position previously; Casey was recently reassigned as part of the reorganization of the Iowa Department of Human Services...
Hell on wheels: 'Hell Drivers' come to the Cherokee County Fair(07/09/10)To see Dodge Avengers soaring through the air in elevated ramp jumps, rotating through 180-degree reverse spins, and teetering during two wheel driving, one must look no further than the 2010 Cherokee County Fair. Tonny Petersen's Hell Drivers will wow the crowds during their performance Friday, July 9 at 8 p.m. at the south end of the Cherokee County fairgrounds...
WITCC instructor pens surgical tech textbook(07/09/10)Several years ago at a surgical technology national conference, Western Iowa Tech Community College instructor Renee Nemitz, an Aurelia native, mentioned to a publisher that there was a need for a different approach in presenting the vast array of instruments used in procedures...
Start your engines! Go-Karts and Demo Derby highlights of Saturday at the Fair(07/09/10)Take a spin with speeding Go-Karts and watch the metal-crunching action of the Demolition Derby on Saturday, July 10 at the Cherokee County Fair. The Hot Laps Go-Kart Races will start their engines and take the turns around the 1/8-mile track at 6 p.m. on the Cherokee County Karters Speedway on the south end of the fair grounds...
King inspects Cherokee flood sites with city and county officials(07/09/10)King inspects Cherokee flood sites with city and county officials WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congressman Steve King (R-IA) issued the following statement after inspecting sites in Cherokee County that had been damaged by recent flooding. King met with officials representing both the City of Cherokee and Cherokee County to discuss local, state, and federal response to the floods...
Cash reward offered for area burglaries information(07/09/10)The Cherokee County Sheriff's Department, along with the O'Brien County and Plymouth County Sheriff's Departments, are offering a cash reward up to $2,200 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of persons involved in rural burglaries in Cherokee, O'Brien, and Plymouth counties...
Fun Run held(07/09/10)Champion runners - Wendy Slaughter of Cherokee and John Harris of Holstein were the proud winners of their respective divisions at the first annual Little Sioux Summer Festival Fun Run held on the beautiful Cherokee Mental Health Institute grounds last Saturday. Photo contributed...
Ridge View boys split games(07/09/10)HOLSTEIN - The Ridge View Raptors split two recent home baseball games played in Holstein, falling 8-3 to East Sac County, and defeating Kingsley-Pierson 12-2 in five innings. Josh Mohr got the pitching loss agaiinst East Sac County, allowing two runs on five hits and five strikeouts in five innings of work. Kyle Wessling pitched one inning and gave up one hit and struck out one, and Seth Johnson pitched one inning and posted no line...
MMC girls are perfect in July: Eagles beat Spalding 1-0 in Regional opener(07/09/10)The busy Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn softball team has won all four of its games played in July, including a thrilling 1-0 victory over Granville Spalding in Class 1A Regional Tournament first-round action Wednesday night in Cleghorn. On July 1, the Eagles smacked Le Mars Gehlen 12-1 in Le Mars in a five-inning game called early due to the 10-run mercy rule...
South O'Brien boys win two(07/09/10)The South O'Brien baseball team won two tough road games last week, beating Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn 13-4 in Marcus, and defeating Remsen-Union 11-1 in five innings in Remsen. Jarod Syndergaard got the pitching win over MMC, allowing three runs on four hits and nine strikeouts in six innings of work. Jimmy Callahan pitched one inning and gave up one hit and struck out one...
Cherokee Swim Team boasts 7 triple winners(07/09/10)HUMBOLDT -The Cherokee Swim Team competed in their 3rd conference match up of the season here on June 30. The team had a great night posting the most triple winners of the season so far at 7, though winning fewer events overall. There were 2 double winners and 10 single winners. They also won half of the relay events they competed in during the meet...
Braves split two Lakes games(07/09/10)The Cherokee Braves split their final two Lakes Conference games to wrap up the 2010 regular season, defeating Emmetsburg 7-3 in Emmetsburg Friday night, and falling 5-4 in a heartbreaker to visiting Le Mars here Tuesday night. Brock Benson was the winning pitcher for Cherokee at Emmetsburg, allowing one earned run on five hits and one walk, with four strikeouts in four innings of work. ...
Cherokee girls tumble to Le Mars(07/09/10)Visiting Le Mars exploded to a 7-0 lead in the first inning on the way to an 11-4 Lakes Conference win over the plucky Cherokee Washington High softball team that ended the regular season for both squads. Cherokee battled to answer back with two runs in the bottom of the first after consecutive singles by Megan Hummel, Sarah Ruehle, and Shanon Shaefer, followed by a two-run single by Autumn Shaefer...
Warriors win two tough road games(07/09/10)The Alta-Aurelia baseball team beat two tough opponents on the road last week, defeating Pocahontas Area/Pomeroy-Palmer 13-2 in five innings in Pocahontas Thursday night, and nicking Laurens-Marathon 6-4 in Laurens Friday night. Ben Stevens got the pitching win for the warriors against PA/P-P, allowing just two hits, walking eight, and striking out four in the 5-inning shutout...
Ridge View girls end season with win Raptors begin tourney play tonight in Galva(07/09/10)GALVA - The Ridge View softball team finished off the regular season with a 8-0 win over a very young and talented Storm Lake St. Mary's squad here last week. Picking up the win on the mound for the Raptors was senior Jaime Christensen who pitched a very nice ball game giving up 1 hit with 0 walks and had 4 strikeouts...
Cherokee Swim Team hosts first meet(07/09/10)Cherokee Swim Team hosts first meet The Cherokee Swim Team hosted its first meet of the 2010 season at the Bacon Aquatics Center on June 23 against Conference rival Rockwell City. This match-up is always a fun meet as the two teams are pretty evenly matched in numbers and speed. ...
Tales from the Quimby Library(07/09/10)Summer is my favorite (also my busiest) season at our library. Story hour, including books, crafts, and games, is so much fun. I really enjoy seeing the kids. Whether they live locally, or if they are visiting their grandparents in town, it's great having them drop by the library. Watermelon Days, family reunions, and class reunions also bring more traffic to the library. Our collection of Quimby School graduation pictures and old school yearbooks are a big draw for those visitors...
Library News(07/09/10)Library Column for July 9, 2010 I am not a morning person. Never have been, probably never will be. I can get up early if I have to thanks to a clock with a double alarm that's set an hour ahead but the snooze button takes a beating most days. My favorite time is late evening. That's when I read. There's always one more page, one more chapter to finish and many times it is past midnight when I give it up...
Bezoni/Frey Engagement(07/09/10)Mike and Pam Bezoni and Marv and the late Barb Frey, are pleased to announce the engagement and upcoming wedding of their children. Erica is a 2006 graduate of Cherokee Washington High School and is attending the WITCC in the nursing program. She is currently employed at CRMC in the Home Health Department...
To the editor: 4-H Building(07/09/10)Recently, the local 4-H club came to my business asking for a donation to build a new building at the Cherokee Fair Grounds. Although the economy is still poor and people will drive 60 miles to save $2, we still donated to help a good cause. Then we found out that the 4-H building board had gone out of county to purchase the building. Shame on all of you on the 4-H building committee!...
To the editor: Tabke Benefit Thank You(07/09/10)Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to everyone who helped, supported, and donated to the Melissa Tabke Benefit. It was so greatly appreciated to be just overwhelmed with contributions, and we are so thankful to live in such a wonderful area, where people will drop everything to lend a hand. It's a nice feeling to know that if you fall, you will land among friends and they will catch you...
Where were the flags?(07/09/10)To the Editor: Following a great Fourth of July weekend in Cherokee that included inviting weather, multiple activities for all ages, a well-attended Street Dance, and an impressive Fireworks Display, a single glaring oversight forces one to pose the question: Why were The U.S. Flags not flying over Main Street???...
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As winter approaches, many of us look for activities to enjoy while minimizing exposure to freezing cold outdoor conditions. However, a unique, new program may simplify this process by bringing live music right to your building.
The Community Music Residency is a brand new initiative designed to bring classical musicians to larger, residential buildings. The building donates rehearsal space to the musicians (ideally 8 to 10 hours per month). In return, the musicians will put on an exclusive performance for building residents.
The idea is especially great for luxury buildings with community spaces that largely go unused. By simply allowing musicians to rehearse in those spaces, the building generates a live entertainment event completely free of cost.
The exchange is certainly an original way for the community to support artists and for artists to give back to the community. Most luxury buildings offer very little in the way of live entertainment. Live music events provide a more natural opportunity to build community in amenity-rich buildings, as well as a way of connecting with local artists.
The program was started by Carol Blum, a classically trained pianist herself. “I remember how much I appreciated the opportunity to play in front of a live audience,” Blum says. “I also appreciated good, reliable rehearsal space. It occurred to me that the newer residential buildings often have underused event space and connecting musicians with buildings would be a good partnership.”
The program partners with Con Vivo Music in Jersey City and Groupmuse, an NYC-based company specializing in classical music house party-concerts.
The initiative is actively looking for more buildings interested in participating. Residents who would like to see this program in their building should send this article to their community/building manager, who can reach Carol Blum at [email protected].
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Q:
AttributeError: type object has no attribute (problem with *args?)
Note: This is not a duplicate of AttributeError: type object has no attribute.
I am trying to code a text-adventure.
class place(object):
def __init__(self):
super(place, self).__init__()
self.directions = {
"N":None,
"S":None,
"E":None,
"W":None,
"NE":None,
"NW":None,
"SE":None,
"SW":None
}
def add_directions(self, *args): #There's a problem with putting *args because it takes self as string
#I'm sure there is a more elegant way to do this
for direction in args:
for key in self.directions:
self.directions[key] = direction
print(self)
place()
place.add_directions(place, "The Dark Room")
I wish to add "The Dark Room" to the class variable "self.directions". However, whenever I do so, they give this error:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Python38-32\python.exe" "C:/Users/samue/Documents/School/Y3 2020/Computer Science/Python/TextAdventure/The Dark Asylum.py"
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:/Users/samue/Documents/School/Y3 2020/Computer Science/Python/TextAdventure/The Dark Asylum.py", line 25, in <module>
place.add_directions(place, "No")
File "C:/Users/samue/Documents/School/Y3 2020/Computer Science/Python/TextAdventure/The Dark Asylum.py", line 20, in add_directions
for key in self.directions:
AttributeError: type object 'place' has no attribute 'directions'
I know my understanding of objects are not that good, but could someone help me to assign individual directions, in string to each key in the class variable self.directions? Is it something wrong with *args in the function add_directions?
A:
place.add_directions(place, "The Dark Room")
In this line, you are referencing the class place and not an instance of the place class,
In python and other Object oriented programming languages, you first need to instantiate or initialize a class before accessing its members.
place_instance = place()
place_instance.add_directions("The Dark Room")
It is not necessary to pass the class as self as you have done, self is need to define methods, not when calling methods.
To make this code more readable, consider using an uppercase letter for place. It could be written as class Place()
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ABSTRACT Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory condition associated with gingival tissue breakdown and alveolar bone loss. No single organism has been implicated as the etiologic agent of periodontal disease, rather it is thought to be mediated by a dysbiotic oral community. Immune system dysregulation is hypothesized to be involved in driving the microbial community toward a dysbiotic state. As well, ecological succession and cell- to-cell interactions are hypothesized to play critical roles in community assembly in states of both health and disease. Molecular sequencing based methods provide exhaustive lists of organisms and genes present in a community such as that in the human oral cavity. However, these methods provide little information on how microbes are arranged in space in states of health and how the structure of complex oral microbial communities contributes to community function and disease progression. The goal of the research proposed here is to further develop a microbial imaging technology for mapping the systems level spatial structure of human oral microbial communities. Spectral imaging, combined with fluorescence in situ hybridization will be employed to map the spatial distribution of 8-15 different taxa of microbes in intact subgingival biofilms on teeth and in laboratory-grown mixed species cultures. An in vitro dental plaque microcosm model system will be developed to test the hypothesis that Fusobacterium nucleatum functions as an important bridge organism that unites early colonizing bacteria with late colonizing species. Dental plaque and saliva samples will be collected from 10 healthy volunteers after giving informed consent. Plaque samples will be used to seed microcosm cultures that will be grown in the laboratory. Oral microcosm communities will be supplemented with cultivated isolates of F. nucleatum to assay its effect on biofilm structure and complexity. This study will lay the groundwork for future controlled experiments to understand the effect that specific organisms have on the systems level spatial structure of complex oral microbial communities.
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Light in darkness
What truly is at the heart of the Islamists hatred today is no different than that which fueled Mohammed's hatred as he wrote the Quran. It is the belief and goal of a one-world, global Islamic empire run by Quranic Law whereby everyone must, in the end, convert to their fundamentalist ideology or face beheading. The hatred that fuels this theocracy dates back to Ishmael and his son-in-law Esau, and from there, compounded to form the foundations of Islamicism which is the reason why most of the world conflicts today involve Muslims.
Mohammad Ibn Abdallah was born in the year 570 AD to the Quraysh Tribe in the city of Mecca. His father died before he was born and his mother Amina died when he was 6 years old (Mohammed claimed descent from Ishmael's son Kedar). At the age of 25, Mohammed married a 40 year-old wealthy, widow named Khadijah who owned trading caravans. Traveling as a representative of Khadija's various business interests, Mohammed was exposed to many Jews and Christians and became enthralled by their theology, particularly their concept of a single deity. It was at this time he began to envision a single, united Arab state under a single 'god.'
Secular history records that in 610, by which time Mohammed had become the leader of his tribe, he was in a cave meditating and seeking to discover which of the jinni was indeed most powerful and worthy to become the tribal jinni of his family.
Jihad
As new Islamic recruits began arriving in Mecca, they were without money and resources and realizing this, Mohammed and his recruits began raiding neighboring tribal settlements and passing caravans using the booty to fund his vision of a united, Islamist empire. Caravan raiding was a practice widely practiced by Arab tribes and was used as a means to maintain a balance in power. This is where the Muslim doctrine of 'Jihad' was first instituted.
And Joseph Smith claimed to receive his revelations from the angel, Moroni. (Moron I??)
Mohammad's religion instructs his followers to spread the "faith" by war, murder, slaughter, rape, pillage, plunder, and any similar behavior. They perform human sacrifices by cutting off people's heads while shouting praises to their "god, Allah."
Their only sacrament is spreading the flesh and blood of their victims all over the world.
That suggests to me that Allah is the devil.
What truly is at the heart of the Islamists hatred today is no different than that which fueled Mohammed's hatred as he wrote the Quran. It is the belief and goal of a one-world, global Islamic empire run by Quranic Law whereby everyone must, in the end, convert to their fundamentalist ideology or face beheading. The hatred that fuels this theocracy dates back to Ishmael and his son-in-law Esau, and from there, compounded to form the foundations of Islamicism which is the reason why most of the world conflicts today involve Muslims.
Mohammad Ibn Abdallah was born in the year 570 AD to the Quraysh Tribe in the city of Mecca. His father died before he was born and his mother Amina died when he was 6 years old (Mohammed claimed descent from Ishmael's son Kedar). At the age of 25, Mohammed married a 40 year-old wealthy, widow named Khadijah who owned trading caravans. Traveling as a representative of Khadija's various business interests, Mohammed was exposed to many Jews and Christians and became enthralled by their theology, particularly their concept of a single deity. It was at this time he began to envision a single, united Arab state under a single 'god.'
Secular history records that in 610, by which time Mohammed had become the leader of his tribe, he was in a cave meditating and seeking to discover which of the jinni was indeed most powerful and worthy to become the tribal jinni of his family.
Jihad
As new Islamic recruits began arriving in Mecca, they were without money and resources and realizing this, Mohammed and his recruits began raiding neighboring tribal settlements and passing caravans using the booty to fund his vision of a united, Islamist empire. Caravan raiding was a practice widely practiced by Arab tribes and was used as a means to maintain a balance in power. This is where the Muslim doctrine of 'Jihad' was first instituted.
I don't know who would compose "the harlot church" but there is another prophet who has influenced billions of people: Karl Marx. His "gospel" is that mankind, without any god or religion (other than communism) can create an atheist, secular utopia of workers on earth. (Just as soon as we kill all the infidel property owners.)
Marxism has morphed into many forms of socialism and has infected the minds of people world wide including many Christians who are deceived by the ostensibly altruist ethics proposed by this demonic religion which makes man into god by his own effort through bloody revolution.
Amazing how allah couldn't stop the apostle Paul. I mean, mohamud comes claiming christ not crucified and the Son of God, and he was the true and last prophet.
It dont make sense. If allah is all so powerful and the gospel of christ is corrupted, why could allah not have the power to stop a single man, the apostle Paul and his message. Allah could not even stop his own creation and one single man from corrupting so he needed mohamud.
I never knew how white mohamud was reading the hadith. 'Where is the Prophet?' they asked, 'hes the white man over there' they replied. I never knew how white Mohamud was as he is described, the whiteness of his hair, the whiteness of his face, the whiteness of his arms, the whiteness of his cheeks.
I never knew Anderson Cooper was a 5th century prophet. Mohamud was so white his 9yo bride would not have needed a night light.
Where did muslims come from?, well as the hadith says 'the white man over there'. The same white man who in the islamic hadith traded two black slaves for one arab slave.
Europe Travel Experts Europe travelr is a site fully dedicated to travels within Europe. Here you will find city and country guides to European destinations, travels tips for traveling Europe and practical information about Europe as a whole as well as individual countries. Our aim is to share fun, engaging articles based on our own experiences to inspire people to explore all corners of Europe!
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Targeting interferons as a strategy for systemic sclerosis treatment.
Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease characterised by vasculopathy, uncontrolled inflammation and enhanced fibrosis which can subsequently lead to the loss of organ function or even premature death. Interferons (IFNs) are pleiotropic cytokines that are critical not only in mounting an effective immune response against viral and bacterial infections but also strongly contribute to the pathogenesis of SSc. Furthermore, elevated levels of IFNs are found in SSc patients and correlate with skin thickness and disease activity suggesting potential role of IFNs as biomarkers. In this review, we summarise existing knowledge regarding all types of IFNs and IFN-inducible genes in the pathogenesis of SSc. We then argue why IFN-blocking strategies are promising therapeutic targets in SSc and other autoimmune diseases.
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Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia as a prognostic factor in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer treated with gemcitabine.
Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (CIN) is a common side effect of chemotherapy and an important dose-limiting factor. However, an association between CIN development and longer survival was recently reported in several solid cancers. In the present study, we aimed to assess whether CIN could be a prognostic factor and clarify other prognostic factors for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 84 patients who received gemcitabine monotherapy as first-line chemotherapy for metastatic pancreatic cancer to assess whether CIN could be a prognostic factor. Potential prognostic factors of survival were examined by univariate and multivariate analyses using the log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard model, respectively. Median survival time was 170 days [95% confidence interval (CI), 147-193] in patients without CIN (grade 0), 301 days (95% CI, 152-450) in patients with grade 1-2 CIN, and 406 days (95% CI, 271-541) in patients with grade 3 CIN. The multivariate analysis revealed that a pretreatment C-reactive protein level of <0.50 mg/dL [hazard ratio (HR), 0.534; 95% CI, 0.323-0.758, P = 0.015] and grade 3 CIN (HR, 0.447; 95% CI, 0.228-0.875, P = 0.019) were independent favorable prognostic factors in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer treated with gemcitabine. Neutropenia during chemotherapy was associated with increased survival of patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. Monitoring of CIN could be used to predict treatment responsiveness.
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Introduction {#s1}
============
In recent decade, nanomaterials (NMs) have attracted much attention because of their many technologically interesting properties. Nanotech applications advance very quickly while very little has been done to measure and assess the risks of nanoparticles in biological systems and ecosystems. There is a strong debate among scientists about the benefits of nanotechnology for humans, but also on the risks to human and environmental health toward several engineered nanomaterials that have become commercial consumer products (Owen and Handy, [@B15]). It would be appropriate asking some questions about the use of NMs because it raised some concerns: could these substances be more toxic, more mobile, more persistent than their bulk materials? Could they be harmful to environment and human health when manufactured in nanosize? Which are the ways of absorption of nanoparticles and what damage they can cause in fishes?
Studies demonstrate that NPs can be released in the environment and cause harmful effects to all living organisms (Owen and Depledge, [@B14]; Scuderi et al., [@B21]). Several *in vivo* and *in vitro* studies demonstrated that the engineered nanomaterials are able experimentally to cause a wide variety of toxic effects. The toxicity depends on their chemical-physical characteristics and in particular by their chemical composition, the diameter and shape, high area/surface ratio, and the possible state of aggregation/agglomeration (Borm et al., [@B1]; Nel et al., [@B12]).
The results of *in vitro* studies showed that different types of nanomaterials are able to induce marked oxidative stress in cell cultures, as demonstrated by the intracellular levels increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS), in oxidation of organic molecules and the increased activity of antioxidant enzyme systems such as glutathione peroxidase (GSH) (Lin et al., [@B9]).
Instead, several *in vivo* studies on the toxicokinetics of different engineered nanomaterials demonstrated their ability to be absorbed through many ways and reach through the bloodstream or lymphatic system, different organs and tissues, which can lead to adverse health effects (Landsiedel et al., [@B8]).
It is known that the majority of industrial and urban waste end up in the rivers and coastal waters, because of the extremely small size of the nanoparticles. Release of nanoparticles into the sea raise new doubts that need to be studied in the next future. The potential routes of entry of nanoparticles on aquatic organisms include the direct ingestion, diffusion through the gills and skin (Handy et al., [@B7]).
Recently, *in vivo* studies performed on *Mytilus galloprovincialis*, bioindicator species used for testing exposure to xenobiotic substances, showed that titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO~2~NPs) accumulate in various target organs, especially in gills and digestive gland. The genotoxicity test carried out through Comet Assay revealed a significant dose and time dependent lesion to the DNA (Gornati et al., [@B6]). Furthermore, TEM analysis showed cellular damages supporting the evidence of an initial inflammatory response by the cells of the target organs leading to apoptosis (Gornati et al., [@B6]).
The adsorption by the intestinal structures was also demonstrated in rainbow trout (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*) after exposure to TiO~2~NPs both through food (Ramsden et al., [@B17]) and through the titanium dioxide NPs water dispersion (Federici et al., [@B5]).
In a previous study (Brundo et al., [@B3]), the non-toxicity of new synthesized engineered nanomaterials was compared with free Au and TiO~2~ nanoparticles was established by testing the effect of the material on zebrafish larvae using Zebrafish Embryo Toxicity Test (ZFET), an alternative method of animal test (OECD, [@B13]; Buccheri et al., [@B3a]; Salvaggio et al., [@B19]). The results obtained showed that neither mortality as well as sublethal effects were induced by the different nanomaterials and nanoparticles tested. Only zebrafish larvae exposed to free gold nanoparticles showed a different response to anti-metallothioneins (MTs) antibody, surely correlated to the dispersion of metal ions in aqueous solution (Brundo et al., [@B3]).
In this paper, the long term effects of AgNPs in adult specimens of zebrafish was studied. As biomarkers of exposure, we analyzed metallothioneins (MTs). They show to be involved in heavy metal ion homeostasis and detoxification (Ruttkay-Nedecky et al., [@B18]; Brundo et al., [@B3]; Pecoraro et al., [@B16]; Salvaggio et al., [@B20]). Based on their affinity to metals, in fact, these proteins are able to transport essential metals to place of need or detoxify toxic metals to protect cells. For these reasons the MTs play a key role in the maintaining of metal homeostasis (Ruttkay-Nedecky et al., [@B18]). The AgNPs concentration found in the treated animals, measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS).
Materials and methods {#s2}
=====================
The study was made possible thanks to the collaboration between the Fish Pathology and Experimental Centre of Sicily (CISS) of the Department of Veterinary Science (University of Messina) which has provided zebrafish specimens and the CNR-IMM which has produced silver nanoparticles. The use of 40 adult subjects set up for this trial was approved by the Italian Health Ministry (authorization n°1244/2015-PR).
Nanoparticles characterization
------------------------------
Synthesis of the nanoparticles is performed by the PLAL (Pulsed Laser Ablation in Liquids) method: a physical process that involves the use of nanosecond laser energy pulses on a substrate immersed in a solvent. The substrate absorbs the laser pulse releasing material which realizes nanoparticles directly in liquid. Scanning Electron Microscopy SEM (Figure [1](#F1){ref-type="fig"}) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) (not shown here) show that nanoparticles are spherical in shape and 50 nm in diameter. Nanoparticles are negatively charged having a Zeta potential of −40 mV at pH 7. Nanoparticles are stable for several days after preparation.
{#F1}
SEM images were acquired by using a Field Emission SEM (Gemini Zeiss SUPRA™25) at working distance of 5--6 mm, using an electron beam of 5 KeV and an in-lens detector. DLS and zeta potential measurements are performed with a homemade apparatus described elsewhere (Zimbone et al., [@B22]) The sample was lighted with a 660 nm diode laser by using a power of 10 mW.
Since the nanoparticles are photosensitive, they were kept in the darkness at the temperature of 4°C until use.
Silver quantification through ICP-MS analysis
---------------------------------------------
Metal silver extraction performed by microwave digestion (Milestone Ethos 1 FKV, Bergamo, Italy). AgNPs solutions sonicated for 2 h; 0.5 g of each analytical sample weighed with an analytical scale (Mettler A30) into a TFM vessel and mineralized in a microwave system with a digestion solution prepared using 7 ml of 65% nitric acid (HNO~3~) and 2 ml of 35% hydrogen peroxide (H~2~O~2~, J.T. Baker). After mineralization (Microwave power 1,500 W, temperature 200°C), the vessels were opened, the solutions transferred into flasks and ultrapure water (Millipore Merck) was added to the samples up to final volume. A standard Silver ICP (Sigma-Aldrich, Milan, Italy) and the calibration curve used with the method of the standard solution diluted to various concentrations with a range 1--100 ppb (μg/l).
Ag content carried out by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) under following conditions: Octapolo ICP-MS Agilent 7500 (Santa Clara, CA, USA) equipped with a Autosampler ASX 500;Radio frequency of 1.5 kW;Make-up gas at a flow rate of 0.24 l/min;Carrier gas at a rate of 0.88 l/min;Argon as the plasma gas with a flow rate of 15 l/min.
^45^Sc, ^89^Y, ^182^W were used as internal standard, at a concentration of 100 mg/kg.
The quantitative analysis performed using a calibration curve (R^2^ \> 0.997). The detection limit for silver was \<1 μg/kg. The SEM analysis conducted on polished graphite plates through the drying of a few drops of AgNPs mother solution after appropriate sonication.
Fish care
---------
Before starting experimentation, animals used for our studies were housed for a long time in the Fish Facility (Zeb Tech, Stand-Alone). It was provided a constant daily nutrition and natural physical/chemical conditions as photoperiod (14:10 light:dark), temperature (27°C) and pH (7,5) ensuring the highest animal welfare as it established by the World Organisation for Animal Health.
Experimental phase
------------------
We have evaluated the possible toxicity of three increasing concentration of AgNPs (8, 45, and 70 μg/l) for a period of 30 days. NPs concentrations were chosen by the CNR starting from preliminary experiments conducted on nanosystems (Scuderi et al., [@B21]; Brundo et al., [@B3]) and from literature data (Muth-Köhne et al., [@B11]). Three different solutions were prepared daily starting from stock particle solution, added to the standalone facility water and sonicated for 4 cycles. Each cycle was 15 min with 5 min of break using a probe sonicator (FALC Labsonic LBS2) with a frequency of 40 kHz under extractor fan, in order to disrupt any possible aggregates. Zebrafish were randomly selected, mixed between male and female, subdivided in 4 groups (CTRL, NPa, NPb, NPc) each one of them composed of 10 fishes and introduced in 2 l of AgNPs solution. Zebrafish were maintained in tanks equipped with aeration and fed daily. The fish behavior was evaluated visually after 0, 3, 6, and 24 h after exposure to silver nanoparticles in order to reveal a change in swimming speed, loss of balance, respiration and any possible abnormal behavior. Every day, eventual fish mortality was recorded.
Histopathology
--------------
At the end of the experimental period, adult of zebrafish have been carefully euthanized by anesthesia with a dose of 0.7 g/l tricaine methane sulfonate (MS-222) buffered. Gills, liver, gut were excised and immediately fixed in 4% formaldehyde (Bio-Optica) in PBS buffered (Phosphate Buffered Saline, Sigma Life Science) at room temperature for 24 h.
Gills were decalcified, prior to processing, with a decalcifier agent (Biodec R, Bio-Optica) for 2 h at room temperature. Histological examinations were performed according to our standard laboratory procedures. All tissues were washed three times with PBS (0.1 M, pH 7.4), gradually dehydrated in ascending alcohols series (35°, 50°, 70°, 95°, absolute ethanol) for 20 min each one and clarified in xylene for 1 h at room temperature, subsequently embedded in paraffin wax (Medite tissue wax 56--58°C). Five μm thick histological sections cut by microtome (Reichert Jung 1150 Autocut) and collected on glass slides (Menzel Gläser, Thermo Scientific). At least 10 slides of each tissue were collected. The sections were stained with Haematoxylin-Eosin (HE) (Bio-Optica) (Brundo et al., [@B2a]) and observed under optical microscope (Leica DM750) to identify potential morphological alterations. Photographs were produced using an optical microscope (Leica DMLB) equipped with a digital camera (Leica DFC500).
Immunoistochemistry
-------------------
The immunohistochemical protocol was performed on the gills, liver and intestine sections to detect MTs proteins using the indirect method of conjugation of an anti-mouse-MT 1 primary antibody (Santa Cruz Biotechnology, CA, USA) diluted 1:1,000 and TRITC-conjugated goat anti-mouse IgG secondary antibody (1:1,000, Sigma-Aldrich). The sections were dewaxed overnight in xylene, rehydrated in descending alcohols series (until tap water) and then were incubated with 1% BSA-PBS buffered in a humid chamber at 4°C for 20 min. It follows incubation with primary antibody at 4°C overnight. After rinsing with PBS, sections incubated in TRITC-conjugated secondary antibody for 1 h at 4°C in darkness. Finally, fast dehydration in increasing alcohol (70°, 80°, 95°) and mounting with antifade mounting medium containing DAPI (Vectashield, Vector Laboratories) were realized. Observations were carried out using a microscope ZEISS AXIO Observer Z1 with Apotome2 system, equipped with the ZEN PRO software.
Western blotting analysis
-------------------------
The samples were homogenized in a lysis buffer (Tris--HCl 40 mM, EDTA 25 mM, 0.2% SDS, pH 7.4). Total protein concentration was determined according to the Bradford method (Bradford, [@B2]). Thirty micro gram of protein/lane was analyzed by minigel SDS-PAGE and transferred to a nitrocellulose membrane using Transblot (Biorad). The proteins levels were measured by incubating nitrocellulose membranes overnight at 4°C with mouse monoclonal primary antibody anti-MT 1 (1:1,000, Santa Cruz Biotechnology, CA, USA). The complex protein-primary antibody was detected using a HRP-conjugated Ig-G anti-mouse secondary antibody (1:2,000, Abcam) by chemiluminescent method. Blots were scanned and quantified by a specific software (Image J).
Gene expression analysis
------------------------
RNA was extracted by Trizol reagent (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA). First strand cDNA was then synthesized with Applied Biosystem (Foster City, CA, USA) reverse transcription reagent. MT 1 mRNA expression was assessed using a fuorescence-based real-time detection method by 7900 HT Fast Real Time PCR System (Life technologies, Carlsbad, CA, USA). For each sample, the relative expression level of MT 1 mRNA (forward primer 5′-GCC AAG ACT GGA ACT TGC AAC-3′; reverse primer 5′-CGC AGC CAG AGG CAC ACT-3′; amplicon size is 130 bp) was normalized using β-actin 2 (forward primer 5′-CTT GGG TAT GGA ATC TTG CG-3′; reverse primer 5′-AGC ATT TGC GGT GGA CGA T-3′; amplicon size is 88 bp) as an invariant control. The relative mRNA expression level was calculated by the threshold cycle (Ct) value of each PCR product and normalized with that of β-actin 2 by using comparative 2^−ΔΔ^Ct method.
Statistical analysis
--------------------
Statistical analysis was made with Prism Software (Graphpad Software Inc., La Jolla, CA, USA). Data were expressed as mean or SD. Statistical analysis was carried out by two-way ANOVA test. A *p*-value of 0.05 was considered to indicate a statistically significant difference between experimental and control groups.
Results and discussion {#s3}
======================
Histological observation of tissues at the end of the experiment showed normal anatomy in the freshwater controls. Gills structure, both primary and secondary lamellae, appeared intact and well recognizable as well as chloride cells, pillar cells and mucosal ones too (Figure [2A](#F2){ref-type="fig"}). A whole intestinal lumen and well lying microvilli appeared in the gut histological sections (Figure [3](#F3){ref-type="fig"}). On the contrary, silver nanoparticles caused damage to the gills structure such as sub-epithelial edema, hyperplasia (Figures [2B,C](#F2){ref-type="fig"}), lamellar fusion (Figure [2B](#F2){ref-type="fig"}), as well as teleangectasia (Figure [2D](#F2){ref-type="fig"}). The necrosis of intestinal villi with reduction of their length was also demonstrated in the gut (Figures [3B--D](#F3){ref-type="fig"}).
{#F2}
{#F3}
No alterations have observed in liver tissue as shown in Figure [4](#F4){ref-type="fig"}. In this image, a clear distinction can be made between the male and female liver in the adult zebrafish. The female hepatocytes are very basophilic as a result of the production of vitellogenin (Menke et al., [@B10]).
{#F4}
However, dose dependent effects of nanosilver suspensions with significantly greater damage were observed at lower concentrations.
The immunohistochemical examination highlighted the presence of metallothioneins. Metallothioneins are substrates inducible proteins in the presence of metal ions and show a very high affinity toward them. Several studies support the use of MTs. Copat et al. ([@B4]) have shown that MTs are a potential biomarker for contamination in the aquatic environment metals; Brundo et al. ([@B3]) found that zebrafish embryos exposed to gold nanoparticles showed a positive response to anti-MT 1, pointing out that the metal nanoparticles can promote synthesis of inducible MTs.
The slight positivity of MTs found in the control group is a normal physiological condition because these organs represents one of the first sites of defense against xenobiotics.
Using specific antibodies anti-MT 1, it has been showed a clear expression of these proteins in the intestinal tissues AgNPs treated (Figures [5B,C](#F5){ref-type="fig"}), compared with the control group (Figure [5A](#F5){ref-type="fig"}). The same results were obtained for the liver and the gills (Figure [6](#F6){ref-type="fig"}). The WB analysis did not show any difference in the expression of MT1 in each tested concentration, but only differences tissue-dependent (Figure [7](#F7){ref-type="fig"}).
{#F5}
{#F6}
{#F7}
It was also observed a higher response at lower concentration of mt 1 mRNA expression, in all three tissue treated (Figure [8](#F8){ref-type="fig"}).
{#F8}
Results obtained through the different applied methods showed that silver nanoparticles have caused tissue damage because they were absorbed in the body.
Assuming a purely preliminary conceptual analysis, we would expect a corresponding increase of the lesions correlated to the growing nanoparticles concentration both in gill and gut tissues.
Instead, the group of zebrafish exposed to the highest concentration had a lower degree of toxicity compared to the group treated with NPs lower concentrations. These results suggested that as high is the concentration as high is the probability that the particles aggregate, and little by little their size increase, the absorption capacity of the exposed tissues may reduce. Instead, in the solution with the lower concentration of NPs, silver nanoparticles are mono-dispersed and more easily adsorbed by gills and intestine.
The ICP-MS analysis infact shows that the amount of particles absorbed in all treated samples is almost the same. Total silver concentrations found vary from a minimum of 6 mg/l in NPa group samples to 8.2 mg/l in those belong to NPc group. The rate of absorption was respectively of 76.1% (NPa), 14.5% (NPb) and 11.7% (NPc), demonstrating a greater capacity of assimilation of the particles in mono-dispersed phase (Figure [9](#F9){ref-type="fig"}).
{#F9}
For this reason, it is possible affirm that the toxicity of silver nanoparticles is related to their size and degree of dispersion rather than their concentration.
Therefore, it is necessary that the NPs solutions undergo sonication during the whole period of the trial in order to prevent the possibility of aggregation and make them more bioavailable for animals used for ecotoxicological tests.
These results suggest that AgNPs can generate different degrees of toxicity. The bioavailability of silver nanoparticles, in fact, is an important parameter of toxicity to aquatic organisms and depends on many factors such as sedimentation, aggregation and particle size.
Conclusion {#s4}
==========
It is important to consider that the design of nanoparticles comparable in size to biological molecules allow their easy incorporation into biological systems causing modification. Based upon size alone, nanoparticles can exploit the host circulatory system for transport in the body and enter, translocate, and damage living tissues by penetrating physiological barriers. In this study, we have demonstrated that silver nanoparticles dispersed in water are able to cross the mucosal barriers, producing a damage that goes to the detriment of these districts. The damn to the mucosal epithelium of the gills, and to a lesser degree to the intestinal tissue, is however reversible, because no damage of the basal membrane was ever demonstrated.
The purpose of this study was to assess the chronic effects of silver nanoparticles on aquatic organisms. Having proved that AgNPs cause damages to the tissues, we hope for this study is a useful contribution for scientific community to establish other environmental regulations. Furthermore, it would be appropriate to make further examinations for the marine waters by the authority, especially for the coastal waters, and possibly, establish new limits of the law in order to protect human health as well as animal species and the environment after further investigations on nanoparticles toxicity.
Silver nanoparticles are used in various applications; in the medical and aquaculture fields they are employed for their well-known antimicrobial abilities. In the aquaculture, the use of nanoparticles is still under study targeted mainly to water treatment depuration and defense against pathogens. Nanotechnologies can be useful to solve most of the problems in aquaculture but their use should be taken with care to avoid polluting the environment.
Author contributions {#s5}
====================
MVB, RP, and FM have carried out the planning of experiments, have elaborated the data and have drafted the manuscript; FC, GD, and CI have carried out experiments on zebrafish and hystological analysis; RP, EMS, and DT have carried out experiments of western blotting, immunohistochemical analysis and gene expression analysis; AntS and GG have revised the manuscript; AndS and AR have carried out ICP_MS analysis; MZ and GI have realized NPs and have revised the manuscript.
Conflict of interest statement
------------------------------
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
**Funding.** This work has been supported by: VII FP project Winning Applications of nanoTEchnologies for Resolutive hydropurification (WATER) funded by the European Commission (Grant 316082), Grant "Chance" 2017, University of Catania, and by the PON "Nanotecnologie e nanomateriali per i beni culturali" (TECLA), (Grant PON03PE_00214_1).
[^1]: Edited by: Rubina Sirri, Università di Bologna, Italy
[^2]: Reviewed by: Giuseppa Rita Distefano, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany; Palma Simoniello, GSI, Germany
[^3]: This article was submitted to Aquatic Physiology, a section of the journal Frontiers in Physiology
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HP-sequence design for lattice proteins--an exact enumeration study on diamond as well as square lattice.
We present an exact enumeration algorithm for identifying the native configuration--a maximally compact self-avoiding walk configuration that is also the minimum energy configuration for a given set of contact-energy schemes; the process is implicitly sequence-dependent. In particular, we show that the 25-step native configuration on a diamond lattice consists of two sheet-like structures and is the same for all the contact-energy schemes, {(-1, 0, 0); (-7, -3, 0); (-7, -3, -1); (-7, -3, 1)}; on a square lattice also, the 24-step native configuration is independent of the energy schemes considered. However, the designing sequence for the diamond lattice walk depends on the energy schemes used whereas that for the square lattice walk does not. We have calculated the temperature-dependent specific heat for these designed sequences and the four energy schemes using the exact density of states. These data show that the energy scheme (-7, -3, -1) is preferable to the other three for both diamond and square lattice because the associated sequences give rise to a sharp low-temperature peak. We have also presented data for shorter (23-, 21-, and 17-step) walks on a diamond lattice to show that this algorithm helps identify a unique minimum energy configuration by suitably taking care of the ground-state degeneracy. Interestingly, all these shorter target configurations also show sheet-like secondary structures.
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Slapton Sands
Overview
Top site for pubs
Top site for beaches
Great site for couples
A family site with seaviews and sandy and shingle beaches within walking distance.
Our Slapton Sands Club campsite has all the ingredients for the perfect family beach holiday. Located on the stunning South Devon Heritage Coast, our Slapton Sands campsite commands a quiet, rural setting. Lined by trees and flanked by rolling countryside, this is the place to sit back and enjoy the views - some pitches enjoy fabulous views over the bay.
The campsite is level and well set out with some hardstandings and plenty of grass pitches. There is a children’s play area, a parent and child room, washing up facilities and a short dog walk and the small on-site shop provides the basics.
Off-site there are plenty of coastal walks to enjoy including to Beesands and Hallsands. Slapton beach is a few minutes’ walk from the campsite. The shingle beach and clean, calm sea are ideal for families (dogs are welcome too) and water sport enthusiasts can enjoy surfing, windsurfing and canoeing.
The freshwater lagoon Slapton Ley is separated from the sea by Slapton beach and is set within a National Nature Reserve. The area is teeming with bird and wildlife. There are many walks and trails around the reserve.
To the north of Slapton Sands, the Blue Flag Award-winning Blackpool Sands awaits. Backed byevergreens and scented pines, this stretch of golden sands has a real mediterranean feel.
A bus stop a quarter of a mile from the campsite is on routes to Plymouth, Kingsbridge and Dartmouth. The latter is a wonderful medieval town with a lovely harbour, perfect for crabbing, and a castle.
WiFi
Eat Local
Farmers' markets are held weekely, Stokeley's Farm is nearby and the site shop provides essentials and local produce. The Queen's Arms and The Tower Inn are both a 5 minute walk from site and serve excellent serve food and real ales.
Reviews
Ideal for a walk to Torcross to feed the ducks and swans, one way alongside the Ley and back...
A Reeder (Club Member)stayed Oct 2014
This review is for Slapton Sands
Ideal for a walk to Torcross to feed the ducks and swans, one way alongside the Ley and back along the beach. Slapton Sands ideal for walks, relaxing and fishing or nearby Blackpool Sands ideal for families. Dartmouth worth a trip for a leisurely walk along the waterfront, we used our bus passes as the road from Slapton to Dartmouth is very narrow so saves on extra congestion.
We had a lovely relaxing week of walking.
Andrew Storey (Club Member)stayed Oct 2014
This review is for Slapton Sands
We had a lovely relaxing week of walking. Dogs loved the beach, a mixture of sand and shingle that stretches for miles!
Lots of footpaths including South West coastal path giving loads of opportunity to get out and enjoy the countryside.
Two fantastic pubs in Slapton [5 minutes walk from the site]. The Queens - friendly staff and locals, good choice of real ale and good food. The Tower Inn - again friendly atmosphere, good real ale, food more restaurant quality and slightly more expensive but excellent.
Good village shop for all those essentials.
Relaxed site wardens - helpful and friendly but not constantly cutting grass or policing the site - unusual these days!
What more could anyone ask for...........
Toilets were immaculate. Managers helpful.
Astisan (Club Member)stayed Oct 2014
This review is for Slapton Sands
Toilets were immaculate. Managers helpful. We visited 2 local pubs and recommend the Queens Arms for good food and menu. Take a torch for the short walk to the village. A very enjoyable weekend stay away from it all.
We really enjoyed our 4 nights here, actually we had only booked for 3 but decided to stay the...
Steve (Club Member)stayed Oct 2014
This review is for Slapton Sands
We really enjoyed our 4 nights here, actually we had only booked for 3 but decided to stay the extra night. Love the proximity to the beach, the amazing views, the flashing Start Point lighthouse at night, the dark skies and the proximity to 3 pretty fab pubs ... 2 in the village and the Start Bay Inn on the front at Torcross a short cycle or bit longer walk away. A great welcome and very accommodating and helpful staff ... as I say in the summary our only criticism relates to the fact that there are lots of washbasin cubicles and a good number of toilets but only 3 showers which can mean a bit of a wait in line ... apparently it's common feedback but it would be great if the area managers would take it on board and convert some of the basin cubicles to showers. Have a great stay :-)
Q and As
Q: When can I book for next year?
A: Club Members can book online from 6th November for the 2015 season. Non members can book from 8th January 2015.
Q: Do I get to choose my own pitch?
A: Wherever possible, you will be able to select your own pitch however in busy periods, the choice may be limited. Holiday Site Managers will take in to account any special requests you have made, however they cannot guarantee these requests will be met.
If you are unhappy with your pitch, the Holiday Site Manager will try to re-pitch you, where possible, on a remaining pitch of the type you have booked.
Q: I have a converted unit – will you accept me on your sites?
A: If your caravan, motorhome or trailer tent is not of a proprietory make, please send clear photographs to the Club’s UK Club Sites Department at Greenfields House, for consideration by the Sites Director.
Q: How do I pay the balance of my booking?
A: The balance of your booking is payable on arrival at site. For itinerary bookings, i.e. bookings with more than one stay, the balance for each stay will be payable on the relevant site.
Q: When can I arrive on my pitch and when must I leave?
A: Your pitch will be available after 12 noon on your arrival day and will need to be vacated by 12 noon on your final day, unless you make arrangements with the Holiday Site Manager in advance. Some sites have limited parking, so if you arrive early you may be asked to return later. Please try and arrive before 8pm. If you’re delayed, please let the site know by calling them directly.
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Healthy boiled fruit cake recipe atis fruit - ncaa football
What is she mad!? Place the mixture in a greased and floured 8' - deep cake tin. As others have commented, it only took 1 hour 10 mins at gas 3 middle shelf. Everyday Freezable Batch cooking Cheap eats Leftovers see more
Videos
Dhe Ruchi I Ep 39 - Boiled Fruit Cake Recipe I Mazhavil Manorama
National championship: Healthy boiled fruit cake recipe atis fruit
HEALTHY FRUIT BARS HEALTHY FRUITS FOR HEART
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Healthy boiled fruit cake recipe atis fruit
Classic Christmas fruit cake. Crushed pineapple boiled fruit cake. It's never too early to plan some Holiday baking with this Old English Dark Fruit Cake - a decades old recipes for a moist, rich, dark fruit cake chock full of dried fruit and crunchy pecans. I also gave one to my doctor, and he claims it's the best he's ever tasted. A Very Moist Fruit Cake - passed down from my nan. We like a lot of spice so I added 3tsps of mixed spice and also 3tbsp's of golden syrup with fantastic Christmas flavour results, might even add more next time as it was still quite mild.
TOMATO IS A FRUIT FRUITS BASKET EPISODE 1 ENGLISH DUB
No creaming, beating or soaking of fruit required! I also following comments below sprinkled flaked almonds and a tablespoon of brown sugar over the top, before putting in the oven. Christmas cake that turns out perfect every time. Fantastic recipe and has been added to my favourites, it's one that will be used year after year after year Is dried fruit good? You don't boil the cake, just the ingredients before you bake it.
Fruit infused water the most beautiful bitter fruit
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Healthy boiled fruit cake recipe atis fruit
Allow to cool on a wire rack before serving. Seasonal Spring Summer Autumn Winter see more Occasions Sunday lunch Dinner party Afternoon tea Easy entertaining see more Check after 1 hour and then every 10 mins should solve the problem. This is a Northern Ireland recipe given to me by my mum many years ago! Mum's Boiled Fruit Cake recipe.
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Introduction {#s1}
============
Posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy (PPCD) is a rare bilateral disorder transmitted as an autosomal dominant trait. Clinically PPCD is characterized by vesicles, bands and polymorphous opacities with pathology at the level of Descemet membrane and the corneal endothelium. Peripheral anterior iris adhesions, iris atrophy, pupillary ectropion and corectopia may also develop. Occasional severe visual disability results from secondary glaucoma or corneal edema [@pone.0045495-Krachmer1]--[@pone.0045495-Laganowski1]. On ultrastructural examination, corneal endothelial cells show fibroblastic and epithelial-like transformation [@pone.0045495-deFelice1]--[@pone.0045495-Jirsova1].
The genetic heterogeneity of PPCD is currently known to be represented by three loci on chromosomes 20, 1, and 10 [@pone.0045495-Heon1]--[@pone.0045495-Gwilliam1]. PPCD1 (MIM ID \#122000) is located on 20p11.21. Mutation of the visual system homeobox gene 1 (*VSX1*; MIM ID \#605020) within this locus was reported as disease-causing in a few PPCD cases [@pone.0045495-Heon2], [@pone.0045495-Valleix1]. PPCD2 (MIM ID \#609140) is caused by mutation of the alpha-2 chain of type VIII collagen gene (*COL8A2*; MIM ID \#120252) located on 1p34.3-p32.3, however only one disease-causing mutation in one family has been described to date [@pone.0045495-Biswas1]. Mutations in the zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 gene (*ZEB1*; MIM ID \#189909) mapping to chromosome 10p11.2 were identified as disease-causing in PPCD3 (MIM ID \#609141) and it has been estimated that pathogenic changes within this gene account for approximately 25% of all PPCD cases, with a range from 9%--45% depending on population studied [@pone.0045495-Krafchak1]--[@pone.0045495-Vincent1]. We have previously shown that in two Czech families PPCD is linked to the short arm of chromosome 20, flanked by the markers D20S48 and D20S139 [@pone.0045495-Gwilliam1]. Exclusion of *VSX1* from this genetic interval by a linkage study, and lack of disease-causing changes, implies that an as yet undiscovered gene is causative for PPCD1 [@pone.0045495-Gwilliam1].
Families affected by rare dominantly inherited disorders are often unrelated, however occasionally they share a chromosomal genomic region implying that the pathogenic mutation arose in a common ancestor [@pone.0045495-Sherwin1].
In this study we observed that PPCD in the Czech Republic appears to have a remarkably high prevalence. A total of 19 Czech PPCD families, including two previously linked pedigrees [@pone.0045495-Gwilliam1], were ascertained and members of 17 pedigrees were genotyped for microsatellite markers spanning a region from 20p12.1 to 20q12. We correlated the observed haplotypes with geographical origin of the eldest family member known to suffer from the disorder and demonstrate that the high prevalence of PPCD in the Czech Republic is due to a common founder.
Materials and Methods {#s2}
=====================
Patients {#s2a}
--------
The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of General University Hospital in Prague, Czech Republic and conformed to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki. All participants signed an informed consent prior to inclusion into the study.
Subjects from 19 Czech pedigrees with familial PPCD were examined between the years 1995--2010 in the Department of Ophthalmology of the First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague. Ophthalmologic assessment included visual acuity, slit lamp examination, intraocular pressure measurements and specular microscopy using Noncon ROBO Pachy SP-9000 (Konan Medical Inc, Tokyo). Diagnosis of PPCD was based on positive family history and the presence of vesicles and polymorphic opacities at the level of Descemet membrane and the corneal endothelium. Pedigrees were drawn and residency within the Czech Republic of the eldest family member known to suffer from PPCD was noted. Geographic origin of the families was plotted on a map.
Genotyping and Haplotype Analysis {#s2b}
---------------------------------
DNA was isolated from venous blood samples using the Nucleon III BACC3 genomic DNA extraction kit according to manufacturer's instructions (GE Healthcare, UK). Genotyping was performed using 11 polymorphic microsatellite markers on chromosome 20 which were fluorescently labeled and amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Ten microsatellites were commercially available: D20S98, D20S118, D20S114, D20S48, D20S605, D20S182, D20S139, D20S190, D20S106 and D20S107 (Invitrogen, Paisley, UK). A dinucleotide marker used in this study, M189K21, was reported previously [@pone.0045495-Gwilliam1]. Amplification was performed in 25 µl reaction volumes. Markers were run on an ABI 3100 and analyzed using Genescan and Genotyper software (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA).
To investigate the possibility of a common lineage, haplotypes of affected individuals were constructed based on segregation within the families, and then compared between families. In order to calculate allele frequencies and haplotype frequencies in the population, 55 unrelated Czech population matched controls (110 chromosomes) were also genotyped for each marker.
Analysis of the Disease Gene Location and Age of the Mutation {#s2c}
-------------------------------------------------------------
To infer the location of a gene responsible for PPCD1 in the population studied and to estimate the age of the mutation (i.e. the time elapsed since the appearance of the common ancestor in the population) DMLE+ (Disease Mapping using Linkage disequilibrium) version 2.3 ([www.dmle.org](http://www.dmle.org)) was used. The program DMLE+ uses Bayesian estimates of the location of a gene with a mutation affecting a discrete (disease) trait based on the observed linkage disequilibrium at multiple genetic markers. Other parameters are also estimated, such as mutation age [@pone.0045495-Reeve1], [@pone.0045495-Rannala1].
Input for this analysis was the common PPCD genotypes of affected individuals originating from the same geographic location, and the haplotypes of population matched control individuals. Prior to DMLE+2.3 analysis, haplotypes of unrelated controls were predicted using the PHASE program [@pone.0045495-Stephens1], [@pone.0045495-Marchini1]. Genetic distances of individual markers used in the analysis were taken from the Marshfield genetic map (<http://research.marshfieldclinic.org/genetics/GeneticResearch/compMaps.asp>). For markers which do not appear on this genetic map (D20S98, D20S48, M189K21, D20S139) the distance in cM was estimated empirically by interpolation using the standard curve of physical distance. Since DMLE+2.3 does not accept identical distances for more than one marker, where the position of two markers obtained from the Marshfield genetic map was identical (i.e. D20S118, D20S114, D20S605, D20S182) position was recalculated using the standard curve as above (see Supporting Information [Table S1](#pone.0045495.s001){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). The following variable values were used in the DMLE+2.3 analysis: population growth rate of 0.95. This was calculated from an estimated population size of 100,000 inhabitants 2000 years ago and current population size of 6,700,000 inhabitants living in the historic regions of Bohemia that have been historically compact. The estimated frequency of the disease in the population was set at 0.001.
Screening the *ZNF133* Gene {#s2d}
---------------------------
Two probands from families 1 and 2, previously shown to be linked to 20p11.2 [@pone.0045495-Gwilliam1], as well as one unaffected first-degree relative from family 2 were screened. Amplification was carried out in a 25 µl reaction containing 12.5 µl of ReddyMixTM PCR master mix (ABgene Limited, Epsom, UK), with 50 pmoles gene-specific primers (see Supporting Information [Table S2](#pone.0045495.s002){ref-type="supplementary-material"}) and approximately 50 ng of genomic DNA. The PCR amplicons were purified and sequenced on both strands as previously described [@pone.0045495-Liskova1]. Nucleotide sequences were compared with the published zinc finger protein 133 (*ZNF133;* MIM ID \#604075) reference sequence (NM_003434 and NM_001083330). Both coding and untranslated regions as well as intron-exon boundaries were screened.
Comparative Genomic Hybridisation {#s2e}
---------------------------------
Array comparative genomic analysis (CGH) was used to evaluate DNA copy number variation (CNV) on chromosome 20 (NimbleGen, Berlin, Germany) with a median probe spacing of 134 bp. Patient DNA from family 1, previously shown to be linked to 20p11.2 [@pone.0045495-Gwilliam1], was labeled with Cy-3 and a reference sex matched DNA sample was labeled with Cy5. Array construction, labeling, hybridisation, and normalisation were performed by NimbleGen. The data were visualised and analysed using SignalMap software (NimbleGen).
Results {#s3}
=======
Clinical ascertainment demonstrated bilateral corneal changes consistent with the diagnosis of PPCD in 113 subjects (48 males, 65 females) from 19 families. None of the PPCD families were known to be related to one another. In all families PPCD was consistent with autosomal dominant inheritance pattern, with incomplete penetrance noted for family 18 and 19 [@pone.0045495-Liskova2]. Of these, 32 patients were from two large pedigrees (families 1 and 2) previously linked to the short arm of chromosome 20 [@pone.0045495-Gwilliam1]. Families 1--14 originated from the western or southwestern part of the Czech Republic, 12 of which were from a small region of approximately 13 km radius around the town of Klatovy ([Figure 1](#pone-0045495-g001){ref-type="fig"}) with an estimated current population of 30,000 inhabitants. Out of the 19 families identified, 81 affected individuals from 17 families were genotyped, including members of the two families in which linkage analysis was previously performed [@pone.0045495-Gwilliam1]. [Table 1](#pone-0045495-t001){ref-type="table"} summarizes the number of individuals genotyped for each family, their clinical status, molecular genetic findings and geographical origin within the Czech Republic.
{#pone-0045495-g001}
10.1371/journal.pone.0045495.t001
###### Summary of posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy study families and subjects.
{#pone-0045495-t001-1}
Family Examinedaffected Genotypedaffected Genotyped unaffected Genotypedspouses Incomplete penetrance Number of affected individuals with common haplotype on 20p12.1- 20q12/core mini-haplotype Geographical origin
-------- ------------------ ------------------- ---------------------- ------------------ ----------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------
1 15 14 7 5 N 10/14 Southwest
2 16 14 6 5 N 6/14 Southwest
3 8 7 0 1 N 6/7 Southwest
4 5 5 1 0 N 2/5 Southwest
5 10 7 2 1 N 6/7 West
6 9 6 2 0 N 2/6 Southwest
7 4 4 0 0 N 3/4 Southwest
8 5 4 0 0 N 2/4 Southwest
9 3 2 0 0 N 0/2 Southwest
10 2 2 0 0 N 0/2 Southwest
11 2 1 1 0 N 0/1 Southwest
12 1 1 0 0 N 1/1 Southwest
13 6 0 0 0 N Not performed Southwest
14 2 0 0 0 N Not performed Southwest
15 16 7 1 0 N 0/0 Central
(Segregation with 20p12.1- 20q12 excluded byhaplotype analysis)
No mutation in *VSX1*, *COL8A2* or *ZEB1*
16 2 2 0 0 N 0/0 Northeast
No mutation in *VSX1*, *COL8A2* or *ZEB1*
17 3 1 0 0 N 0/0 East
No mutation in *VSX1*, *COL8A2* or *ZEB1*
18 3 3 0 1 Y *ZEB1* mutation identified North
No mutation in *VSX1* or *COL8A2*
19 1 1 0 0 Y *ZEB1* mutation identified Central
No mutation in *VSX1* or *COL8A2*
Total 113 81 20 13
Number of phenotyped and genotyped affected family members, unaffected first degree relatives and spouses included in this study. Presence of shared haplotype across 20p12.1- 20q12 spanning over 23 Mb as well as the core mini-haplotype at 20p12.1-20p11.23 in affected individuals, previous molecular genetic analysis and geographical origin within the Czech Republic of the eldest family member known to be affected is also shown.
N = No, Y = yes.
Linkage analysis for families 1 and 2 was reported in Gwilliam *et al*. [@pone.0045495-Gwilliam1]. Results of previous candidate gene screening in families 15--19 has been reported in Liskova *et al*. [@pone.0045495-Liskova2].
Analysis of genetic markers on 20p12.1- 20q12 revealed a common haplotype spanning a region of at least 23 Mb surrounding the centromere and encompassing both the short and long arm of chromosome 20. This full common haplotype was detected in 16 affected members of the two previously linked PPCD1 families (1 and 2) and also in 22 affected members from families 3--8 and 12 (see Supporting Information [Table S3](#pone.0045495.s003){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). None of the 55 population matched controls had a combination of markers that would allow for reconstruction of this full haplotype. The founder haplotype segregated with disease in families with more than one genotyped affected individual. In all 67 affected members from families 1--12 a core shared mini-haplotype was detected for D20S605, D20S182 and M189K2. The boundary of this haplotype was defined by recombinations with flanking markers D20S48 and D20S139 as less than 2.4 Mb (see Supporting Information [Table S3](#pone.0045495.s003){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). However, alleles representing this mini-haplotype were also found in 12 controls out of 55.
In families 15--19, analysis did not reveal the common shared haplotype detected in families clustered from the southwest part of the Czech Republic. In family 15, segregation of genotyped markers on 20p12.1-20q12 with PPCD was not observed suggesting they are not linked to this locus. In family 16, only two affected family members were genotyped and in families 17 and 19 only the proband was available for genotyping, thus assessment of haplotype segregation with disease could not be reliably performed (see Supporting Information [Table S3](#pone.0045495.s003){ref-type="supplementary-material"}).
Analysis of the haplotypes using DMLE+2.3 yielded an estimate that families 1--12 had a common ancestor originating between 64--133 generations ago, with maximum posterior probability at 90 generations; i.e. 1800 years assuming a 20-year generation time or 2250 years with a 25-year generation time ([Figure 2](#pone-0045495-g002){ref-type="fig"}). The mutation locator identified the potential locus harboring the ancestral disease-causing change between D20S182 and M189K21 ([Figure 3](#pone-0045495-g003){ref-type="fig"}) with 95% confidence. This interval corresponds to a physical distance of only 60 Kb which contains one known protein coding gene; *ZNF133*.
{#pone-0045495-g002}
{#pone-0045495-g003}
The *ZNF133* gene was therefore screened by direct sequencing for a mutation in probands from two Czech PPCD1 families (1 and 2), however no potential pathogenic changes in the annotated coding and untranslated regions were identified. Since a deletion or duplication of the *ZNF133* gene would not be detected by PCR amplification and sequencing, we also performed dense chromosome 20 CGH analysis (Nimblegen) to detect any CNVs in an affected individual from family 1. No microdeletions or duplications on 20p12.1-20p11.23 were detected in this patient.
Discussion {#s4}
==========
Identification of 113 affected individuals from 19 Czech PPCD families demonstrates, to the best of our knowledge, the highest reported prevalence of PPCD worldwide. Correlated to the population, at least 1 in 100,000 inhabitants in the Czech Republic are affected with PPCD. Because of the relative rarity of this disorder, a founder effect was suspected as the most likely explanation.
In this study we show that 38 affected individuals from nine families, including two previously reported families [@pone.0045495-Gwilliam1], who originate from a particular region within the Czech Republic display a common disease-associated haplotype across a region of at least 23 Mb on chromosome 20. This particular combination of marker alleles was not detected in any of the 55 ethnically matched controls (110 chromosomes) and is therefore markedly over-represented in Czech PPCD families. In addition, 29 affected individuals from 12 families display only part of the disease-associated haplotype, however corroboration of regional clustering also supports the hypothesis that they are descendants of the same ancestor. In two families (13 and 14) affected individuals were not available for genotyping, however because of their geographical origin from the same region as pedigrees 1--12 and the severity of their phenotype, it is likely that they would also share the same common ancestor. Since the information on family origin was based on the eldest member known to clearly suffer from PPCD, we could only trace ancestors back to the last century. Despite the fact that some families originated in nearby villages we were not able to link the pedigrees so they were considered as unrelated for the statistical analyses.
Affected individuals within Czech PPCD1 pedigrees were observed in all subsequent generations implying that the disorder is highly if not fully penetrant, consistent with other studies [@pone.0045495-Heon1], [@pone.0045495-Yellore1].
Although the fully shared haplotype among members of nine families comprised about 1/3 of chromosome 20 including the centromere and pericentromeric regions, we have calculated that the original mutational event did not occur recently. Since the families originate from one particular geographical area, we assume that they represent a relatively isolated population, which are known to have more extensive linkage disequilibrium than outbred populations [@pone.0045495-Nelis1]. In addition, some regions of genomes are less prone to recombination and large regions of linkage disequilibrium have been shown to occur especially around the centromere [@pone.0045495-Mahtani1], [@pone.0045495-Coop1].
The mutation age was estimated to be 1800 years assuming a 20-year generation time. It remains to be elucidated if the disease-causing variant arose in the Czech Republic and is specific for that particular geographical region or if it is an ancient mutation introduced from elsewhere. Once the PPCD1 causing gene is discovered it will be possible to further explore these hypotheses.
The minimal shared region in families 1--12 was observed between D20S48 and D20S139, which corresponds to the locus delineation by linkage analysis we described previously in Czech families [@pone.0045495-Gwilliam1]. Yellore *et al.* narrowed the proximal boundary of the PPCD1 genetic interval to D20S182 defining the critical disease physical interval to a 1.8 Mb region, under the assumption that there is no micro-heterogeneity [@pone.0045495-Yellore1]. Despite the fact that the PPCD1 locus has been refined to a relatively small interval, the disease-causing gene still remains to be identified even after next-generation sequence analysis of the entire selectively enriched chromosomal region between markers D20S48 and D20S190 [@pone.0045495-Lai1].
The strongest candidate disease gene based on our current analysis is *ZNF133* which is a transcriptional repressor containing KRAB box and zinc finger domains [@pone.0045495-Vissing1] with corneal endothelial expression (<http://www.corneanet.net/>) [@pone.0045495-Gottsch1]. Coupled with the fact that mutations in another zinc finger protein are already known to cause PPCD3 [@pone.0045495-Krafchak1] we considered *ZNF133* to be the best positional candidate in the refined PPCD1 region, however we did not detect a pathogenic change within currently annotated coding or untranslated regions of this gene. Similarly, no pathogenic variants were observed for *ZNF133* in two other studies using probands from different PPCD families linked to chromosome 20 [@pone.0045495-Lai1], [@pone.0045495-Hosseini1]. A CNV or balanced translocation was also considered, however routine karyotype examination in probands from families 1 and 2, and CGH analysis of an affected member of family 1 did not identify any gross or subtle CNVs at this locus. The lack of identification of a pathogenic mutation suggests that if *ZNF133* is disease-causing, the change might be located in regulatory sequences, as yet unidentified exons or deep within the introns of this gene.
The data presented here, taken together with previous linkage studies, candidate gene screening, targeted genomic next-generation sequencing [@pone.0045495-Heon1], [@pone.0045495-Gwilliam1], [@pone.0045495-Nelis1], [@pone.0045495-Lai1], [@pone.0045495-Hosseini1] and our CGH data excluding a CNV, it is perhaps surprising that the causative mutation/gene has not been identified. Potential for locus micro-heterogeneity may be hindering progress. In addition our current functional knowledge of candidate genes in the interval, including *ZNF133,* is very limited such that splice variants and important elements controlling transcription remain undefined. The causative mutations may lie in these uncharacterised upstream regions, exons, and introns or within as yet undiscovered genes on 20p12.1-20p11.23. Independent analysis of each family, by targeted next generation sequencing of the disease interval defined by recombinations within a single large linked family, would circumvent any assumption of locus homogeneity, and may represent the most comprehensive approach, if complemented with Sanger sequencing of gaps and gene expression studies.
Families 15--19 apparently originate from different parts of the country than families 1--14 and these families provided an excellent internal control for our analyses. None of these kindreds had the full consensus haplotype and, with the exception of the proband from family 19, they did not share the minimal core haplotype segment found in all 64 affected individuals from pedigrees 1--12. Based on these observations, it is likely that PPCD in these families is caused by a different mutation or a different gene. In support of this, disease-causing mutations in *ZEB1* were detected in families 18 and 19 [@pone.0045495-Liskova2]. No mutations in coding regions of any currently known PPCD genes were detected in families 15--17 which suggests that a novel PPCD locus may exist [@pone.0045495-Liskova2] ([Table 1](#pone-0045495-t001){ref-type="table"}).
We conclude that in the Czech population *ZEB1* changes account for approximately 4% cases, whereas a disease-causing gene at the 20p12.1-20p11.23 locus is likely to be responsible for more than 80% of all PPCD cases. A recent study by Vincent *et al*. highlights the fact that in some cohorts *ZEB1* accounts for a smaller proportion of cases than originally thought [@pone.0045495-Krafchak1]--[@pone.0045495-Vincent1].
Clinical implications of our study lie in the fact that PPCD1 seems to be more severe showing a higher percentage of secondary glaucoma and necessity for keratoplasty than PPCD3, which has a direct impact on patient counseling [@pone.0045495-Liskova3]. Our data suggests that once the PPCD1 gene is identified, it will account for the majority of PPCD in the Czech Republic thus a diagnostic test could be readily developed which would benefit this patient group.
In summary we have demonstrated that the high frequency of PPCD in the Czech Republic is attributable to a founder mutation located on 20p12.1-20p11.23. The disease gene and causative variant have yet to be identified. We anticipate that approximately 80% of PPCD in the Czech population will be attributed to the mutant allele at the locus on chromosome 20p, however it is also clear that other PPCD genes or alleles are implicated as not all families described in this study share a common founder haplotype. Consistent with this finding *ZEB1* mutations were previously identified in two families (18, 19), and lack of the PPCD1 haplotype in two families (16, 17) suggests they may not be associated with the PPCD1 locus. In family 15, the PPCD1 locus is excluded and no mutation was detected in *VSX1, COL8A2* or *ZEB1* suggesting a novel locus may exist.
Supporting Information {#s5}
======================
######
**Microsatellite markers used to construct haplotypes.** Microsatellite markers on chromosome 20 and their extrapolated genetic positions used for genotyping in the current study. Physical distances were from Ensembl release 57 and sex-averaged genetic distances were from The Marshfield Comprehensive Human Genetic Map.
(DOC)
######
Click here for additional data file.
######
**Analysis of the** ***ZNF133*** **gene.** Primers used for amplification and sequencing *ZNF133*, their melting temperature (Tm), length of each amplified fragment and variations identified in the proband from family 1 (A), proband from family 2 (B) and first degree relative from family 2 (C) are shown. Exon number corresponds to reference sequence NM_003434.
(DOC)
######
Click here for additional data file.
######
**Identification of a founder haplotype in Czech PPCD families.** Each affected individual is represented by a column, presence of the same allele as the consensus haplotype is indicated by x, and presence of the full common haplotype spanning a region of at least 23 Mb is indicated by o. All 67 affected members from Families 1--12 originating from the same geographic area within the Czech Republic shared a conserved chromosomal region between D20S48 and D20S139 (highlighted in bold). In families 15--19 originating from other parts of the Czech Republic the core haplotype segment between D20S48 and D20S139 was not shared among affected individuals. Affected members from families 13--14 were not available for genotyping.
(DOC)
######
Click here for additional data file.
The authors would like to thank the Demographic Information Centre, Prague, Czech Republic for advice on historic estimates of the Czech population number.
[^1]: **Competing Interests:**The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
[^2]: Conceived and designed the experiments: PL RG MF AJH NDE AGM TRW PD SSB. Performed the experiments: PL RG NDE AGM MF. Analyzed the data: PL RG AJH NDE TRW AGM. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: KJ SM PD SSB. Wrote the paper: PL RG AJH AJM NDE.
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//
// MacGammaController.h
// GoodNight
//
// Created by Anthony Agatiello on 12/7/16.
// Copyright © 2016 ADA Tech, LLC. All rights reserved.
//
#import <Foundation/Foundation.h>
@interface MacGammaController : NSObject
+ (void)setGammaWithRed:(CGFloat)red green:(CGFloat)green blue:(CGFloat)blue;
+ (void)setGammaWithOrangeness:(CGFloat)percentOrange;
+ (void)setInvertedColorsEnabled:(BOOL)enabled;
+ (void)resetAllAdjustments;
+ (void)toggleDarkroom;
+ (void)toggleSystemTheme;
+ (void)setWhitePoint:(CGFloat)whitePoint;
@end
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Like no other league before it, Turner Sports' ELEAGUE has made esports credible in the eyes of mainstream brands like Arby's and Snickers. On the heels of landing Snickers as ELEAGUE's "official chocolate bar," general manager Christina Alejandre spoke to Slingshot Esports’s Vince Nairn about what it's taken to get so-called "non-endemic" sponsors aboard the esports hype train.
She said the big brands aren't naive about what they need to do to be taken seriously by esports audience. "They know this community could feasibly just eat you up and spit you out," she said. "[Esports fans] have a BS detector. They will sniff it out if they think it is ... just this non-endemic brand coming in and slapping their name on it and not really kind of getting it. Arby’s didn’t want to put themselves in that situation, and none of our sponsors wanted to put themselves in that situation."
She said that though Arby's was cautious about sponsoring ELEAGUE's first season, a series of CS:GO-inspired ads featuring exploding sandwiches managed to do well enough with fans to win them over.
She recounted when the ads first aired online: "I remember ... the Twitch chat was like 'Sellout! Sellout! Sellout!'" she said. "And then they saw the commercial because that came up right after, and the commercials were catered to Counter-Strike, and then all of the sudden, you saw the Twitch chat [change]. You saw people tweeting about the Arby’s commercial. How often in stick-and-ball sports do you see people tweeting about a commercial outside of the Super Bowl?"
RELATED: ELEAGUE GM Christina Alejandre wants players to say, 'Holy s***, I made it to ELEAGUE'
ELEAGUE's market research supported their findings, showing that the ads drove an increase in likability in the target audience. Alejandre said that their success with Arby's was a big stepping stone for the league, and it helped them convince Snickers to sign on for Season 2.
"I think other non-endemic sponsors were seeing that Arby’s literally went all in, and instead of dancing around it, maybe we should go all in as well," she said. "... I think more non-endemic brands need to realize that and jump all in, because I think dipping your toe in does kind of pose that risk of you not really getting integrated."
With Snickers, ELEAGUE has created a similarly Counter-Strike-specific segment playing off the snack's "You're Not You When You're Hungry" brand positioning. The segment highlights the week's biggest misplays, which clearly wouldn't have happened if the player had a Snickers beforehand.
ELEAGUE Season 2 Group D kicks off Friday with Fnatic vs. OpTic Gaming and Team EnVyUs vs. Team Dignitas.
Sasha Erfanian is a news editor for theScore esports. Follow him on Twitter, it'll be great for his self-esteem.
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Organic wine tasting, Greece
Botanical garden at Kefalonia
Botanical Garden “Cephalonia botanica” in Greece. The landscapers’ aim was to recreate most of the island's habitats including the widespread, drought- adapted ‘phrygana’ and ‘maquis’, characteristic habitats of Mediterranean shrub land, as well as grassland and woodland. Plants already present at the site were left to flourish and were supplemented by missing species. The founders are in touch with the English seed bank “Millenium Seed Bank” to seek advice in order to create a seed bank.
Visited in the summer of 2008.
Lovely Greek landscape
Producing organic wine in Greece
Unloading grapes at the Robola wine co-operative at Keffelonia island, Greece. This cooperative produces also organic wine, even without adding sulphur. ENOAS visited this factory during the ENOAS Summer Meeting of 2008.
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// File: louvain.cpp
// -- community detection source file
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Community detection
// Based on the article "Fast unfolding of community hierarchies in large networks"
// Copyright (C) 2008 V. Blondel, J.-L. Guillaume, R. Lambiotte, E. Lefebvre
//
// And based on the article "A Generalized and Adaptive Method for Community Detection"
// Copyright (C) 2014 R. Campigotto, P. Conde Céspedes, J.-L. Guillaume
//
// This file is part of Louvain algorithm.
//
// Louvain algorithm 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 3 of the License, or
// (at your option) any later version.
//
// Louvain algorithm 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 Louvain algorithm. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Author : E. Lefebvre, adapted by J.-L. Guillaume and R. Campigotto
// Email : [email protected]
// Location : Paris, France
// Time : July 2014
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
// see readme.txt for more details
#include "louvain.h"
using namespace std;
Louvain::Louvain(int nbp, long double epsq, Quality* q) {
qual = q;
neigh_weight.resize(qual->size,-1);
neigh_pos.resize(qual->size);
neigh_last = 0;
nb_pass = nbp;
eps_impr = epsq;
}
void
Louvain::init_partition(char * filename) {
ifstream finput;
finput.open(filename,fstream::in);
// read partition
while (!finput.eof()) {
int node, comm;
finput >> node >> comm;
if (finput) {
int old_comm = qual->n2c[node];
neigh_comm(node);
qual->remove(node, old_comm, neigh_weight[old_comm]);
int i=0;
for (i=0 ; i<neigh_last ; i++) {
int best_comm = neigh_pos[i];
long double best_nblinks = neigh_weight[neigh_pos[i]];
if (best_comm==comm) {
qual->insert(node, best_comm, best_nblinks);
break;
}
}
if (i==neigh_last)
qual->insert(node, comm, 0);
}
}
finput.close();
}
void
Louvain::neigh_comm(int node) {
for (int i=0 ; i<neigh_last ; i++)
neigh_weight[neigh_pos[i]]=-1;
neigh_last = 0;
pair<vector<int>::iterator, vector<long double>::iterator> p = (qual->g).neighbors(node);
int deg = (qual->g).nb_neighbors(node);
neigh_pos[0] = qual->n2c[node];
neigh_weight[neigh_pos[0]] = 0;
neigh_last = 1;
for (int i=0 ; i<deg ; i++) {
int neigh = *(p.first+i);
int neigh_comm = qual->n2c[neigh];
long double neigh_w = ((qual->g).weights.size()==0)?1.0L:*(p.second+i);
if (neigh!=node) {
if (neigh_weight[neigh_comm]==-1) {
neigh_weight[neigh_comm] = 0.0L;
neigh_pos[neigh_last++] = neigh_comm;
}
neigh_weight[neigh_comm] += neigh_w;
}
}
}
void
Louvain::partition2graph() {
vector<int> renumber(qual->size, -1);
for (int node=0 ; node<qual->size ; node++) {
renumber[qual->n2c[node]]++;
}
int end=0;
for (int i=0 ; i< qual->size ; i++)
if (renumber[i]!=-1)
renumber[i]=end++;
for (int i=0 ; i< qual->size ; i++) {
pair<vector<int>::iterator, vector<long double>::iterator> p = (qual->g).neighbors(i);
int deg = (qual->g).nb_neighbors(i);
for (int j=0 ; j<deg ; j++) {
int neigh = *(p.first+j);
cout << renumber[qual->n2c[i]] << " " << renumber[qual->n2c[neigh]] << endl;
}
}
}
void
Louvain::display_partition() {
vector<int> renumber(qual->size, -1);
for (int node=0 ; node < qual->size ; node++) {
renumber[qual->n2c[node]]++;
}
int end=0;
for (int i=0 ; i < qual->size ; i++)
if (renumber[i]!=-1)
renumber[i] = end++;
for (int i=0 ; i < qual->size ; i++)
cout << i << " " << renumber[qual->n2c[i]] << endl;
}
Graph
Louvain::partition2graph_binary() {
// Renumber communities
vector<int> renumber(qual->size, -1);
for (int node=0 ; node < qual->size ; node++)
renumber[qual->n2c[node]]++;
int last=0;
for (int i=0 ; i < qual->size ; i++) {
if (renumber[i]!=-1)
renumber[i] = last++;
}
// Compute communities
vector<vector<int> > comm_nodes(last);
vector<int> comm_weight(last, 0);
for (int node = 0 ; node < (qual->size) ; node++) {
comm_nodes[renumber[qual->n2c[node]]].push_back(node);
comm_weight[renumber[qual->n2c[node]]] += (qual->g).nodes_w[node];
}
// Compute weighted graph
Graph g2;
int nbc = comm_nodes.size();
g2.nb_nodes = comm_nodes.size();
g2.degrees.resize(nbc);
g2.nodes_w.resize(nbc);
for (int comm=0 ; comm<nbc ; comm++) {
map<int,long double> m;
map<int,long double>::iterator it;
int size_c = comm_nodes[comm].size();
g2.assign_weight(comm, comm_weight[comm]);
for (int node=0 ; node<size_c ; node++) {
pair<vector<int>::iterator, vector<long double>::iterator> p = (qual->g).neighbors(comm_nodes[comm][node]);
int deg = (qual->g).nb_neighbors(comm_nodes[comm][node]);
for (int i=0 ; i<deg ; i++) {
int neigh = *(p.first+i);
int neigh_comm = renumber[qual->n2c[neigh]];
long double neigh_weight = ((qual->g).weights.size()==0)?1.0L:*(p.second+i);
it = m.find(neigh_comm);
if (it==m.end())
m.insert(make_pair(neigh_comm, neigh_weight));
else
it->second += neigh_weight;
}
}
g2.degrees[comm] = (comm==0)?m.size():g2.degrees[comm-1]+m.size();
g2.nb_links += m.size();
for (it = m.begin() ; it!=m.end() ; it++) {
g2.total_weight += it->second;
g2.links.push_back(it->first);
g2.weights.push_back(it->second);
}
}
return g2;
}
bool
Louvain::one_level() {
bool improvement=false ;
int nb_moves;
int nb_pass_done = 0;
long double new_qual = qual->quality();
long double cur_qual = new_qual;
vector<int> random_order(qual->size);
for (int i=0 ; i < qual->size ; i++)
random_order[i]=i;
for (int i=0 ; i < qual->size-1 ; i++) {
int rand_pos = rand()%(qual->size-i)+i;
int tmp = random_order[i];
random_order[i] = random_order[rand_pos];
random_order[rand_pos] = tmp;
}
// repeat while
// there is an improvement of quality
// or there is an improvement of quality greater than a given epsilon
// or a predefined number of pass have been done
do {
cur_qual = new_qual;
nb_moves = 0;
nb_pass_done++;
// for each node: remove the node from its community and insert it in the best community
for (int node_tmp = 0 ; node_tmp < qual->size ; node_tmp++) {
int node = random_order[node_tmp];
int node_comm = qual->n2c[node];
long double w_degree = (qual->g).weighted_degree(node);
// computation of all neighboring communities of current node
neigh_comm(node);
// remove node from its current community
qual->remove(node, node_comm, neigh_weight[node_comm]);
// compute the nearest community for node
// default choice for future insertion is the former community
int best_comm = node_comm;
long double best_nblinks = 0.0L;
long double best_increase = 0.0L;
for (int i=0 ; i<neigh_last ; i++) {
long double increase = qual->gain(node, neigh_pos[i], neigh_weight[neigh_pos[i]], w_degree);
if (increase>best_increase) {
best_comm = neigh_pos[i];
best_nblinks = neigh_weight[neigh_pos[i]];
best_increase = increase;
}
}
// insert node in the nearest community
qual->insert(node, best_comm, best_nblinks);
if (best_comm!=node_comm)
nb_moves++;
}
new_qual = qual->quality();
if (nb_moves>0)
improvement=true;
} while (nb_moves>0 && new_qual-cur_qual > eps_impr);
return improvement;
}
|
Q:
Use unique user number in Google Forms
I want to send my clients in my database an e-mail with a request to fill in a Google form to research their needs for our service in the future.
Every client has an unique ID already (for example EX0258, EA1405, EZ2815). I need a way how I can add this unique number in the spreadsheet that they will fill in. Of course, I can ask them to provide them by themselves, but this can cause mistakes in the information.
What I am looking for is a unique URL for each user that provides the Google Form Spreadsheet with that unqiue user ID. I hope you understand my question and that you can help me out with it.
A:
If you have the id ready to go from your db you can do it via Google Forms, but it seems the process cannot be automated (see https://support.google.com/docs/answer/160000?hl=en)
If you are open to a 3rd party solution, you could do this with Cloud Snippets via cloudward.com. You could just include the id as a parameter like this:
your_domain_here.com/page_name.html?unique_id=ABCD1234
The code would look something like this:
<# start form for google spreadsheet "Your Spreadsheet Name";#>
<input type="text" <# your_column_name #> value="<#[url.unique_id]#>">
<input type="text" <# your_column_name2 #>>
<# end form #>
The unique ID in the snippet above would be ABCD1234
|
London Lions reserves earned warm praise from Adam Fisher, manager of Codicote reserves, after the league leaders were made to sweat in the Herts Senior County League Reserve Division One contest at Rowley Lane.
Nick Goodman and Daryl Phillips spurned Lions’ best two chances in a first half they enjoyed the better of, in a game where Adam Joselyn was man of the match.
Fisher said: “I’m obviously delighted with the win against a very good side. Our first half performance was no way near what we all have come to expect and we were totally outplayed.”
|
Q:
Spark SQL Java GenericRowWithSchema cannot be cast to java.lang.String
I have an application that's attempting to read a group of csv from a cluster dir and write them as parquet file using Spark.
SparkSession sparkSession = createSession();
JavaRDD<Row> entityRDD = sparkSession.read()
.csv(dataCluster + "measures/measures-*.csv")
.javaRDD()
.mapPartitionsWithIndex(removeHeader, false)
.map((Function<String, Measure>) s -> {
String[] parts = s.split(COMMA);
Measure measure = new Measure();
measure.setCobDate(parts[0]);
measure.setDatabaseId(Integer.valueOf(parts[1]));
measure.setName(parts[2]);
return measure;
});
Dataset<Row> entityDataFrame = sparkSession.createDataFrame(entityRDD, Measure.class);
entityDataFrame.printSchema();
//Create parquet file here
String parquetDir = dataCluster + "measures/parquet/measures";
entityDataFrame.write().mode(SaveMode.Overwrite).parquet(parquetDir);
sparkSession.stop();
The Measure class is a simple POJO that implements Serializable. The schema is printed so there must be a problem translating the DataFrame entries to the parquet file.
Here's the error I get:
Lost task 2.0 in stage 1.0 (TID 3, redlxd00006.nomura.com, executor 1): org.apache.spark.SparkException: Task failed while writing rows
at org.apache.spark.sql.execution.datasources.FileFormatWriter$.org$apache$spark$sql$execution$datasources$FileFormatWriter$$executeTask(FileFormatWriter.scala:204)
at org.apache.spark.sql.execution.datasources.FileFormatWriter$$anonfun$write$1$$anonfun$3.apply(FileFormatWriter.scala:129)
at org.apache.spark.sql.execution.datasources.FileFormatWriter$$anonfun$write$1$$anonfun$3.apply(FileFormatWriter.scala:128)
at org.apache.spark.scheduler.ResultTask.runTask(ResultTask.scala:87)
at org.apache.spark.scheduler.Task.run(Task.scala:99)
at org.apache.spark.executor.Executor$TaskRunner.run(Executor.scala:282)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1142)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:617)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:745)
Caused by: java.lang.ClassCastException: org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.expressions.GenericRowWithSchema cannot be cast to java.lang.String
at org.apache.spark.api.java.JavaPairRDD$$anonfun$toScalaFunction$1.apply(JavaPairRDD.scala:1040)
at scala.collection.Iterator$$anon$11.next(Iterator.scala:409)
at scala.collection.Iterator$$anon$11.next(Iterator.scala:409)
at scala.collection.Iterator$$anon$11.next(Iterator.scala:409)
at org.apache.spark.sql.execution.datasources.FileFormatWriter$SingleDirectoryWriteTask.execute(FileFormatWriter.scala:244)
at org.apache.spark.sql.execution.datasources.FileFormatWriter$$anonfun$org$apache$spark$sql$execution$datasources$FileFormatWriter$$executeTask$3.apply(FileFormatWriter.scala:190)
at org.apache.spark.sql.execution.datasources.FileFormatWriter$$anonfun$org$apache$spark$sql$execution$datasources$FileFormatWriter$$executeTask$3.apply(FileFormatWriter.scala:188)
at org.apache.spark.util.Utils$.tryWithSafeFinallyAndFailureCallbacks(Utils.scala:1341)
at org.apache.spark.sql.execution.datasources.FileFormatWriter$.org$apache$spark$sql$execution$datasources$FileFormatWriter$$executeTask(FileFormatWriter.scala:193)
... 8 more
Ultimately my intention is to use Spark SQL to filter and join the data with other csvs, containing other table data, and write the entire results to parquet.
I've only found scala related questions which haven't addressed my problem. Any help is much appreciated.
csv:
cob_date, database_id, name
20181115,56459865,name1
20181115,56652865,name6
20181115,56459845,name32
20181115,15645936,name3
A:
.map((Function<String, Measure>) s -> {
Looks like here should be
.map((Function<Row, Measure>) s -> {
|
The Electric Power Board (EPB) in Chattanooga built a gigabit fiber network for residents, and other areas surrounding the city want to be able to tap into the service. These rural and suburban neighborhoods usually only have one (terrible) choice for broadband, or none at all. The problem is that the state government of Tennessee requires that the EPB only operate within the city limits. The situation is similar in Wilson, where the county also rolled out a high-speed network to offer citizens a choice in internet service provider, where previously there was none.
Today's decision means that Tennessee and North Carolina cannot prevent cities or counties from building their own networks. But more importantly, it also removes barriers from expanding those networks to neighbors. Dissenters on the commission predictably invoked state rights. And some, like Commissioner Michael O'Rielly from New York objected to the very idea of any government entity offering broadband. He opened his own dissent by saying the proposal "highlights the unprecedented lengths the commission is willing to go in undermining the free market system, federal statutes, the US constitution and common sense in order to try and dictate where, when and how broadband is provided."
Chairman Tom Wheeler, in his own remarks, said, "Some states have created thickets of red tape designed to limit competition." He reiterated the commission's mission to promote the spread of broadband and competition and said that the FCC was voting to cut away much of that red tape.
Today's vote broke along party lines, suggesting this fight is far from over. Today's ruling applies directly to only Tennessee and North Carolina. And with Republicans taking control in the House and Senate, it's entirely possible that we could see federal restrictions imposed on the FCC's ability to intervene in future dust-ups between states and municipalities over broadband. And, since 17 other states have similar restrictions enshrined in law, it's only a matter of time before this issue lands before the commission again.
|
609 N.W.2d 829 (2000)
Dennis DUBUC, Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
GREEN OAK TOWNSHIP, Defendant-Appellee.
Docket No. 114292, COA No. 191293.
Supreme Court of Michigan.
May 5, 2000.
On order of the Court, the motion for reconsideration of this Court's order of November 29, 1999, is considered, and it is DENIED because it does not appear that the order was entered erroneously. The motion for sanctions is also considered, and it is GRANTED, limited to defendant's actual expenses, including attorney fees, in answering the motion for reconsideration, pursuing the motion for sanctions, and responding to any unsuccessful challenge to the amounts claimed by defendant under this order. Defendant shall file a bill of expenses in the Livingston County Circuit Court which shall review those expenses and any challenges to them and issue an order setting the amount to be awarded in compliance with this order.
We do not retain jurisdiction.
CORRIGAN, J., concurs and states as follows:
I concur in the order granting defendant's motion for sanctions and remanding to the trial court to determine defendant's actual expenses. I write separately to encourage the trial court to consider extraordinary sanctions to deter plaintiff from continuing his vexatious tactics that have led to years of abusive litigation. It appears from the extant records that plaintiff may not have complied fully with previous orders imposing monetary sanctions.
In the past fifteen years, plaintiff has filed at least ten lawsuits: eight in circuit court, one in federal court, and one before the State Construction Commission involving the same subject matter. In 1985, plaintiff sued Green Oak Township in Livingston Circuit Court, seeking to compel issuance of a building permit for a building on which plaintiff had already begun construction. A consent judgment entered providing for issuance of a building permit and requiring plaintiff to construct the building in compliance with relevant township codes, zoning ordinances, and a revised site plan.
Because plaintiff failed to comply with building and construction codes, the township refused to issue certificates of occupancy. Plaintiff refused to vacate the building. Instead, he filed another lawsuit, seeking mandamus. Again he asserted multiple causes of action. Proceedings were stalled for nearly three years in part because plaintiff moved to disqualify the trial judge. When plaintiff's counsel failed to appear for two scheduled conferences, the trial court imposed sanctions. Plaintiff failed to pay the sanctions, resulting in dismissal.
Meanwhile, the township denied plaintiff's request for another building permit because the approved site plan had expired, the building dimensions differed from the site plan, and the work site did not conform to the site plan. Plaintiff filed yet another lawsuit seeking mandamus to compel issuance of a building permit and damages. The trial court dismissed the case, held plaintiff in contempt of court, and ordered him to vacate the buildings until they passed inspection and received certificates of occupancy.
Plaintiff then filed the instant action, once again seeking a writ of mandamus. The trial court ordered plaintiff to vacate *830 the building, and the Court of Appeals affirmed. Plaintiff next moved to disqualify the trial judge. The judge denied the order, and the chief judge denied plaintiff's appeal. Plaintiff then filed yet another motion for de novo review of the denial of disqualification, which was again denied.
While the circuit court action was abeyed during the pendency of the disqualification motion, plaintiff filed complaints against the township before the State Construction Code Commission. Those proceedings led to thorough inspections of plaintiff's buildings, revealing over one hundred violations. Plaintiff also sought relief in federal court.
When the trial and contempt hearings commenced in Livingston Circuit Court, plaintiff filed three additional motions to disqualify the trial judge and several motions to stay the proceedings, none of which succeeded. Plaintiff also used the following tactics to delay the proceedings: naming the trial judge as a witness; seeking to depose the judge; accusing the judge of criminal conduct and of conspiring with defense counsel; and threatening to file a complaint with the Judicial Tenure Commission against the judge.
The reports before us indicate that the trial and preliminary hearings consumed at least fifty-four days of court time in addition to the time spent by other judges on plaintiff's disqualification motions. More than fifty days of court time were expended in plaintiff's earlier actions in Livingston Circuit Court. Also, the State of Michigan expended more than $50,000 in processing plaintiff's appeals to the Construction Board of Appeals. An official from that board testified as follows concerning plaintiff's conduct throughout this matter:
The person or entities supervising the construction has no knowledge or expertise in what is required for code compliance and has caused this project to go on as long as it has because of misunderstandings, improper interpretation, interpretations colored by the desire of the party and we incurred much more effort than we normally would simply because the person effecting the corrections did not understand what it was that needed to be done that should have been understood by a proper professional in the design and construction of a building i.e. we inspected many items two or three times simply because it was not understood what the proper correction should be by the person directing the corrections."
Plaintiff has abused the judicial process by filing multiple frivolous lawsuits and then intentionally delaying their progress. Plaintiff's abusive tactics have drained valuable time and financial resources from the Livingston Circuit Court, Green Oak Township, and the State of Michigan. In addition to wasting taxpayers' money, plaintiff has delayed the progress of other cases in Livingston Circuit Court.
Extreme cases like this one require courts to employ sanctions designed to curtail these repeated abuses, especially where it appears that plaintiff may not have complied with past sanctions orders. The trial court here has already awarded over $180,000 in sanctions against plaintiff. The trial court should consider barring plaintiff from pursuing further litigation until any outstanding sanctions are paid. See In re Cousino, 461 Mich. 876, 603 N.W.2d 636 (1999) (directing the clerks of the trial court, Court of Appeals, and this Court not to accept any pleadings or papers from a litigant in any file regarding a certain estate until all outstanding sanctions, costs, and fees have been paid).
WEAVER, C.J., and MARILYN J. KELLY, J., concur in the statement of CORRIGAN, J.
|
Video
Flames GM talks about moves made prior to free agency
Just days before National Hockey League free-agent frenzy, Flames GM Brad Treliving spoke to media about the recent moves acquiring goalie Eddie lack from the Carolina Hurricanes and signing right-winger Kris Versteeg to a one-year contract.
|
Gene Therapy
Gene therapy is an experimental procedure that treats or prevents various diseases through the manipulation of a patient’s genes. The first genetic disease to be successfully treated with this therapy was Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (SCID). Since this milestone was achieved by a French research group in 2000, international researchers have experimented with therapies for hemophilia, colorblindness, AIDS and several cancers, including mesothelioma.
With mesothelioma clinical trials, medical researchers hope to perfect gene therapy to improve upon the limited success rates of chemotherapy and other conventional cancer treatments. But targeting and repairing faulty genes is no simple task. Although it is a promising field of ongoing research, more studies must be done before it is adopted as a safe and widely available treatment option.
Even though gene therapy is safer for healthy cells than chemotherapy, there are several side effects and potential complications associated with the treatment. Patients may experience a variety of adverse reactions if their immune systems respond negatively to the procedure. Because of these and other concerns, the FDA has not yet approved the therapy.
How Does it Work?
The goal of gene therapy is to directly repair the problems caused by defective genes. Within nearly every cell in our bodies, a structure called the nucleus protects the genetic information stored in our DNA. Certain segments of DNA are responsible for passing on important genetic information when the cell multiplies. These segments are known as genes.
When carcinogens like asbestos enter our body, they sometimes cause genetic damage, or mutations, to occur in our DNA. This damage can drastically alter the production of proteins, which cells must create and use to function normally. If a gene mutation prevents certain proteins from doing their job, cells can divide rapidly and uncontrollably, which eventually causes cancerous tumors to form.
Gene therapy prevents this process by repairing the defective genes. Alternatively, the treatment can replace faulty genes with new ones that either cure a genetic disease or improve its outcome.
To access the defective genes, doctors typically inject their patients with a modified virus. Because viruses are essentially microscopic parasites, they serve as ideal vehicles for transporting genes into our cells. Their only means of reproduction requires them to invade host cells and inject their own genetic information.
Once the modified virus enters a target cell, it replaces the faulty gene with a functioning copy, or it repairs the gene so that it produces normal proteins instead of defective ones. Non-viral methods of gene therapy are also available, such as with the use of stem cells.
Uses with Mesothelioma
Genetic researchers are currently exploring ways to safely treat mesothelioma patients with this therapy. The location of pleural mesothelioma tumors is particularly advantageous for gene therapy, as doctors can easily access the pleural membrane surrounding the lungs to deliver genes, conduct biopsies and monitor treatment results. Regardless of the mesothelioma tumor’s location, this therapy can introduce genetic material that targets cancer cells and makes them more vulnerable to chemotherapeutic drugs.
Suicide gene therapy is one of the most promising forms of this therapy for the treatment of mesothelioma. With the help of a virus, doctors introduce a protein-producing gene that converts a non-toxic drug into one that can kill cancer cells. The genetically-altered virus is administered, and after a short waiting period, the patient is given a drug that is only toxic to cancerous cells. In one clinical trial conducted at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, suicide gene therapy caused tumors to decrease in size and severity for four of the 34 patients studied.
Another type of this therapy for mesothelioma patients uses modified viruses to deliver immune system molecules called cytokines. Cytokines are proteins that control and direct our immune response. Cytokines can help the immune system mount an attack against cancer cells.
Side Effects and Potential Complications
Because gene therapy is still in its infancy, the long-term side effects of the treatment remain unknown. Though it has not yet been observed, researchers are concerned that healthy cells may also become infected by the modified viruses, which could possibly cause new diseases or cancers to develop.
Some patients may experience common symptoms of infection after treatment, such as chills, fever, nausea, vomiting and headache. These symptoms are usually temporary, subsiding within 48 hours for most patients. Controlling the symptoms of infection is important because negative immune system responses may reduce the efficacy of gene therapy and make it difficult to repeat treatments.
These issues warrant further research in order to ensure safe and effective therapies for mesothelioma patients. At this stage of development, gene therapy does not offer a permanent cure for mesothelioma, but in some trials it has demonstrated noteworthy short-term benefits.
|
Q:
Use duality to find a strong alternative
Find a necessary and sufficient condition for the linear equation Ax = b to have
no solution. (hint: Use duality to find a strong alternative to Ax = b).
A:
Solution exists iff $b$ is orthogonal to the null space of $A^{*}$. This is typically referred to as the Fundamental Theorem of Linear Algebra.
|
Q:
Do we still need DirectX SDK to develop dx application in windows10?
Most courses said that we need the directX SDK. However they are early in 2012, the age of Windows 7.
And I see that some of directX's header files and lib files has been included in windows kits (C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits). And some name has been changed (XNAmath.h to DirectXMath.h).
So I wonder if SDK is necessary?
Can I write code only with windows kits?
A:
As the person who did the work to merge the DirectX SDK into the Windows SDK, I've addressed this question many times here and elsewhere.
If you have Visual Studio 2012, 2013, or 2015 then you already have the Windows 8.x SDK which supports development for DirectX 11. With VS 2015, you can optionally install the Windows 10 SDK which is needed to develop for DirectX 12.
Visual Studio 2017 and later come with Windows 10 SDK which supports both DirectX 11 & DirectX 12 development.
The official status of the legacy DirectX SDK is addressed on Microsoft Docs.
More detail is covered in this blog post: Where is the DirectX SDK (2015 Edition)?
With the transition to the Windows SDK, some stuff was 'left behind' and I've moved a lot of that stuff to various GitHub projects. For a complete survey of what ended up where, see these blog posts:
Living without D3DX
DirectX SDK Tools Catalog
DirectX SDK Samples Catalog
DirectX SDKs of a certain age
At this point in time, there are only really two usesone use for the legacy DirectX SDK as covered in The Zombie DirectX SDK:
You are developing for Windows XP. This requires the Windows 7.1 SDK because the Windows 8.x SDK and Windows 10 SDK do not support Windows XP and this predates the merge of DirectX. With VS 2012-2017 the Windows XP toolset includes the Windows 7.1A SDK (see this post). While the basic Direct3D 9 header has been in the Windows SDK for many years, there's really no Direct3D 9 utility code anywhere except in the legacy DirectX SDK in the D3DX library.
You are wanting to use XAudio on Windows 7 which requires XAudio 2.7, which is only available in the legacy DirectX SDK. XAudio 2.8 is included with Windows 8 and Windows 10 and the headers are in the Windows 8.x SDK. See this post.. The best option is to use XAudio2Redist which provides XAudio 2.9 on Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.0, and Windows 8.1 while using the built-in OS version on Windows 10. This avoids any requirement to use the legacy DirectX SDK for audio.
Old tutorials and books for Direct3D 11 use the D3DX11 utility library and xnamath or D3DXmath. You can use the legacy DirectX SDK with the Windows 8.x SDK or Windows 10 SDK, but it's tricky due to the inverted include/lib path order. See MSDN for details. Instead, I recommend using the replacements for D3DX listed above such as the DirectX Tool Kit for DX11 and DirectXMath.
If you are using Direct3D 10.x, then you should upgrade to Direct3D 11. The API is extremely similar, Direct3D 11 is supported on a broader set of platforms and hardware, and you can use the replacements for D3DX11 to remove any lingering legacy DirectX dependency.
The main change from Windows 8.x to Windows 10 w.r.t. to DirectX development is how you get the "Developer Runtime". Instead of getting it from an SDK, you enable a Windows optional feature called "Graphics Tools". It's worth noting that there's no support for the Direct3D 9 debug device on Windows 8.0, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10. See Visual Studio 2015 and Graphics Tools for Windows 10.
|
Menu
What to Wear: Fall Floral
To make the chillier temps a bit more bearable, embrace fall’s freshest florals.
It’s clear that summer’s sweet floral prints are sticking around for fall. Key is to embrace muted hues that blend well with fall tones and are slightly heavier fabrics. I fell in love with this beautiful bell sleeved dress from For Love & Lemons from the shape to the gorgeous colors.
Please don’t start dressing in all black, at least not yet! Pick gorgeous rich colors that make you feel pretty and polished. Bell sleeves, open-toed booties and a power satchel, says it all.
So we might feel sandwiched between seasons, but it’s the perfect time to embrace some wardrobe-envy pieces.
|
Topic started by NOV (@ 202.184.134.10) on Fri Apr 10 03:44:05 EDT 1998.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.
Here is the place for us to compile records created by individuals, groups, movies, songs, etc. Everybody can pitch in and in the end, we will have a list that can be permanently displayed in the TFMP. Please remember to limit to TFM and related matters only.
For maximum no of movies by actor/md combination,
may be sivaji/MSV will take the record. But what
I meant about kamal/IR combination is, they were
unbroken for almost a decade. I dont think ever
sivaji/MSV did that.
e.hari
From: Mano (@ 137.122.109.68)
on: Mon Apr 13 21:06:37 EDT 1998
Hari,
Sivarathiri is by MV. I checked my CD too.
Oriental records has released it. That song was not included in the movie. I don't know why?
Least number of intstruments used in a song:
one song from Nammavar. I don't remember the song title.
From: Viswa (@ webgate7.mot.com)
on: Thu Apr 16 01:14:18 EDT 1998
Mano,
As someone pointed out (in some other thread), Balu Mahendra first worked with Salil Chowdhury before switching over to IR. He has stayed with him ever since ! Balu Mahendra also used L. Vaidyanathan for his tele-film "Sandhya Ragam"
From: peeps (@ )
on: Thu Mar 22 06:03:40 EST 2001
the film "ithayam" dont have any duets...
all male songs in that..except for some female chorus in "april mayile" song
all the songs in the film "ithayathay thirudathey"
was sung by mano and chitra..
From: peeps (@ )
on: Thu Mar 22 06:05:24 EST 2001
the film "ithayam" dont have any duets...
all male songs in that..except for some female chorus in "april mayile" song
all the songs in the film "ithayathay thirudathey"
was sung by mano and chitra..
From: Neels (@ 203.199.87.3)
on: Thu Mar 22 07:13:22 EST 2001
The only modern-day actor to sing close to 45 songs': Kamal.
In addition to singing for himself, he has sung for other heroes like Mohan (Oh mAne mAne mAne)and Ajeet(UllAsam).
The only situation where an interlude for one song (Kamal film) is the same as the interlude of another song (Rajni film):
The songs are:
1. 'PoongAtru pudhithAnadu' (MoondrAm piRai) and
2. 'En VAzhvilE varum anbE vA' (Thambikku Entha Ooru)
The reason is: when 'MoondrAm piRai' was remade in Hindi as 'Sadma' it was replaced by a new song, "Ae Zindagi galE lagAle", for which the 2nd interlude of 'poongAtru' was reused (the interlude shows Kamal and Sridevi listening to the sound of the train keeping their ears glued to the tracks).
This new song came out so well in Hindi that it appeared later in Rajni's film as 'En vAzhvilE varum anbe vA'!
From: eden (@ 210.214.5.192)
on: Thu Mar 22 07:14:22 EST 2001
-The film `oru thalai rAgam' had no female voice at all, even though it had 7 songs, all big hits. (vAsamilla malaridhu, idhu kuzhandhai pAdum thAlAttu, ada manmadhan rakshikkanum, koodayila karuvAdu, nAnoru rAsiyillA rAjA, en kadhai mudiyum nEramidhu, kadavuL vAzhum kovililE)
-It also had the controversy of having two MDs in posters /promos initially (Rajendran-AA Raj) but later claimed to be all TR stuff.
-Usage of 4 different male voices in the same film, all for solos, could be another feature (similar feat: Johny with 4 female voices + 1 male, all solos)
From: Trend (@ 216.68.113.227)
on: Thu Mar 22 11:37:13 EST 2001
"The only situation where an interlude for one song (Kamal film) is the same as the interlude of another song (Rajni film):
The songs are:
1. 'PoongAtru pudhithAnadu' (MoondrAm piRai) and
2. 'En VAzhvilE varum anbE vA' (Thambikku Entha Ooru)"
From: Common Man (@ 206.175.176.2)
on: Fri Mar 23 17:05:24 EST 2001
athaney parthen. When IR is praised, can Trend be far behind? Whether he can contribute constructively to the DF or not, it another matter! IR should not be in the limelight! Does it not remind one of Subramaniam Swamy?!!
I don't have any personal bitter exp. over anything.Sarcasm is fun for me.I listen to IR a lot everyday.I love his music a lot.But I have priorities and when people don't respect that I have fun.Anyway enough of me.
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childbirth
Having a child is a life-changing event. And while the day of a baby’s arrival is full of excitement and activity, the first 72 hours after birth are a critically important period in terms of your newborn’s health.
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Diploblechnum
Diploblechnum is a genus of ferns in the family Blechnaceae, subfamily Blechnoideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). The genus is accepted in a 2016 classification of the family Blechnaceae, but other sources sink it into a very broadly defined Blechnum, equivalent to the whole of the PPG I subfamily.
Species
, using the PPG I classification system, the Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World accepted the following species:
Diploblechnum acuminatum (C.T.White & Goy) Gasper & V.A.O.Dittrich
Diploblechnum diversifolium (Mett.) Gasper & V.A.O.Dittrich
Diploblechnum fraseri (A.Cunn.) De Vol
Diploblechnum lenormandii (Baker) Gasper & V.A.O.Dittrich
Diploblechnum neglectum (F.M.Bailey) Gasper & V.A.O.Dittrich
Diploblechnum rosenstockii (Copel.) Gasper & V.A.O.Dittrich
References
Category:Blechnaceae
Category:Fern genera
|
Q:
ERROR 180-322: Statement is not valid or it is used out of proper
I have searched some info about this error,but it seems none match mine,may someone familiar with this error take a look.
"Code generated by a SAS macro, or submitted with a "submit selected" operation in your editor, can leave off a semicolon inadvertently." it is still abstruse for me to explore in my code by this comment.although I got this error,the outcomes is right.may someone give any advice..thanks!
%let cnt=500;
%let dataset=fund_sellList;
%let sclj='~/task_out_szfh/fundSale/';
%let wjm='sz_fundSale_';
%macro write_dx;
options spool;
data _null_;
cur_date=put(today(),yymmdd10.);
cur_date=compress(cur_date,'-');
cnt=&cnt;
retain i;
set &dataset;
if _n_=1 then i=cnt;
if _n_<=i then do;
abs_filename=&sclj.||&wjm.||cur_date||'.dat';
abs_filename=compress(abs_filename,'');
file anyname filevar=abs_filename encoding='utf8' nobom ls=32767 DLM='|';
put cst_id @;
put '@|' @;
put cust_name @;
put '@|' ;
end;
run;
%mend write_dx;
%write_dx();
and if I am not using macro,there is no error.
data _null_;
options spool;
cur_date=put(today(),yymmdd10.);
cur_date=compress(cur_date,'-');
cnt=&cnt;
retain i;
set &dataset;
if _n_=1 then i=cnt;
if _n_<=i then do;
abs_filename=&sclj.||&wjm.||cur_date||'.dat';
abs_filename=compress(abs_filename,'');
file anyname filevar=abs_filename encoding='utf8' nobom ls=32767 DLM='|';
put cst_id @;
put '@|' @;
put cust_name @;
put '@|' ;
end;
run;
--------------------------------update----------------------------------
I add % to the keyword,but still get the same error
%macro write_dx;
options spool;
data _null_;
cur_date=put(today(),yymmdd10.);
cur_date=compress(cur_date,'-');
cnt=&cnt;
retain i;
set &dataset;
%if _n_=1 %then i=cnt;
%if _n_<=i %then %do;
abs_filename=&sclj.||&wjm.||cur_date||'.dat';
abs_filename=compress(abs_filename,'');
file anyname filevar=abs_filename encoding='utf8' nobom ls=32767 DLM='|';
put cst_id @;
put '@|' @;
put cust_name @;
put '@|' ;
%end;
run;
%mend write_dx;
%write_dx();
A:
Why did you add () to the macro call when the macro is not designed to accept any parameters? If you do that then the () are NOT processed by the macro processor and so are passed along to SAS to interpret. That is the same error message as you would get if you submitted (); by itself.
1 %macro xx ;
2 data _null_;
3 put 'Running data step in macro';
4 run;
5 %mend xx;
6 %xx();
Running data step in macro
NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):
real time 0.02 seconds
cpu time 0.00 seconds
6 %xx();
-
180
ERROR 180-322: Statement is not valid or it is used out of proper order.
7 ****;
8 ();
-
180
ERROR 180-322: Statement is not valid or it is used out of proper order.
But if you define it with 0 or more parameters.
%macro param();
generated code
%mend ;
%put |%param()|;
The macro processor will use the () and so they are not passed onto SAS to use.
|generated code|
|
On This Day in History -
September 7, 1776
The American Turtle attacks the HMS Eagle
On this day in history, September 7, 1776, the American Turtle attacks HMS Eagle in the first naval attack ever made in a submarine. The Turtle, also called the American Turtle, was designed by David Bushnell of Westbrook, Connecticut in 1775. While a student at Yale in the early 1770s, Bushnell studied the use of underwater explosives and incorporated their use into a submersible ship that could attach explosives to British ships.
Bushnell's submersible was recommended to General George Washington by Connecticut Governor Jonathan Trumbull. Washington provided some money for the sub's development, although he was skeptical. The Turtle, so named because of how it looked underwater, was 10x6x3 and had room for one man, who could propel the sub's propeller with his feet.
Replica of American Turtle
The sub had small windows in the top to let in light when it was not fully submerged, but when submerged, a naturally glowing bioluminescent piece of cork provided light! It also had a water tank for ballast to enable the sub to submerge. It was made of wood and covered with tar with steel bands for reinforcement.
Bushnell's Turtle Groton, Connecticut This cut-away replica of the Turtle is at the Submarine Force Museum & Library in Groton, Connecticut.
The Turtle was brought to Long Island Sound in the fall of 1776 for final testing with its volunteer operators. After western Long Island was taken over by the British, the Turtle was transported overland through Connecticut to New York Harbor which was still in American hands. General Washington gave permission for the Turtle's first mission on September 6. Sergeant Ezra Lee left at 11pm that night and pedaled for 2 hours toward British General William Howe's flagship, the HMS Eagle.
Early on September 7, Lee's first attempt to secure the explosives to the Eagle by boring a hole in the ship's side failed because he hit a metal plate probably used to secure the ship's rudder to the hull. When he made a second attempt, he was unable to keep the Turtle submerged and the sub floated to the surface. Realizing that he had failed and that he could be discovered, Lee gave up and headed back to safety.
British soldiers on Governor's Island saw the sub fleeing and rowed out toward it. Lee released his explosive "torpedo," hoping the soldiers would try to retrieve it. They didn't and the charge blew up in the East River, blowing plumes of water and debris sky high.
The Turtle's attack on the Eagle was the first recorded use of a submarine in naval warfare. George Washington wrote that the invention was ingenious, but contained too many variables to be controlled. The Turtle was used again in another attempt to blow up a British ship on October 5, but this one failed when the ship's watchman saw it coming. A few days later, the Turtle went down when the ship that carried it was sunk by the British off the New Jersey coast. Bushnell claimed to have recovered the Turtle, but no one is sure whatever happened to it.
Read what happened on other days in American history at our On This Day in History section here
This Week in History
Published 9/7/13
Return to top of the American Turtle attacks the HMS Eagle
Revolutionary War and Beyond Home
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FLASH: Report into Casey Kearney stabbing released
Agencies missed opportunities to help a woman with a history of mental health problems who said she was going to harm someone, before stabbing a 13-year-old girl to death in Doncaster.
Hannah Bonser was jailed for a minimum of 22 years after being found guilty of murdering Casey Kearney in Elmfield Park on Valentine's Day.
Casey was going to a sleepover at a friend's house when Bonser - a total stranger with a diagnosed personality disorder and a history of cannabis abuse - stabbed her once with a 16cm kitchen knife she had bought earlier. More to follow.
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"""
Unit tests for the Deis api app.
Run the tests with "./manage.py test api"
"""
from __future__ import unicode_literals
import json
from django.contrib.auth.models import User
from django.test import TestCase
from rest_framework.authtoken.models import Token
from api.models import Domain
class DomainTest(TestCase):
"""Tests creation of domains"""
fixtures = ['tests.json']
def setUp(self):
self.user = User.objects.get(username='autotest')
self.token = Token.objects.get(user=self.user).key
url = '/v1/apps'
response = self.client.post(url, HTTP_AUTHORIZATION='token {}'.format(self.token))
self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 201)
self.app_id = response.data['id'] # noqa
def test_response_data(self):
"""Test that the serialized response contains only relevant data."""
body = {'id': 'test'}
response = self.client.post('/v1/apps', json.dumps(body),
content_type='application/json',
HTTP_AUTHORIZATION='token {}'.format(self.token))
body = {'domain': 'test-domain.example.com'}
response = self.client.post('/v1/apps/test/domains', json.dumps(body),
content_type='application/json',
HTTP_AUTHORIZATION='token {}'.format(self.token))
for key in response.data:
self.assertIn(key, ['uuid', 'owner', 'created', 'updated', 'app', 'domain'])
expected = {
'owner': self.user.username,
'app': 'test',
'domain': 'test-domain.example.com'
}
self.assertDictContainsSubset(expected, response.data)
def test_manage_domain(self):
url = '/v1/apps/{app_id}/domains'.format(app_id=self.app_id)
test_domains = [
'test-domain.example.com',
'django.paas-sandbox',
'domain',
'not.too.loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong',
'3com.com',
'w3.example.com',
'MYDOMAIN.NET',
'autotest.127.0.0.1.xip.io',
]
for domain in test_domains:
body = {'domain': domain}
msg = "failed on \"{}\"".format(domain)
response = self.client.post(url, json.dumps(body), content_type='application/json',
HTTP_AUTHORIZATION='token {}'.format(self.token))
self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 201, msg)
url = '/v1/apps/{app_id}/domains'.format(app_id=self.app_id)
response = self.client.get(url, content_type='application/json',
HTTP_AUTHORIZATION='token {}'.format(self.token))
result = response.data['results'][0]
self.assertEqual(domain, result['domain'], msg)
url = '/v1/apps/{app_id}/domains/{hostname}'.format(hostname=domain,
app_id=self.app_id)
response = self.client.delete(url, content_type='application/json',
HTTP_AUTHORIZATION='token {}'.format(self.token))
self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 204, msg)
url = '/v1/apps/{app_id}/domains'.format(app_id=self.app_id)
response = self.client.get(url, content_type='application/json',
HTTP_AUTHORIZATION='token {}'.format(self.token))
self.assertEqual(0, response.data['count'], msg)
def test_delete_domain_does_not_remove_latest(self):
"""https://github.com/deis/deis/issues/3239"""
url = '/v1/apps/{app_id}/domains'.format(app_id=self.app_id)
test_domains = [
'test-domain.example.com',
'django.paas-sandbox',
]
for domain in test_domains:
body = {'domain': domain}
response = self.client.post(url, json.dumps(body), content_type='application/json',
HTTP_AUTHORIZATION='token {}'.format(self.token))
self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 201)
url = '/v1/apps/{app_id}/domains/{domain}'.format(domain=test_domains[0],
app_id=self.app_id)
response = self.client.delete(url, content_type='application/json',
HTTP_AUTHORIZATION='token {}'.format(self.token))
self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 204)
with self.assertRaises(Domain.DoesNotExist):
Domain.objects.get(domain=test_domains[0])
def test_delete_domain_does_not_remove_others(self):
"""https://github.com/deis/deis/issues/3475"""
self.test_delete_domain_does_not_remove_latest()
self.assertEqual(Domain.objects.all().count(), 1)
def test_manage_domain_invalid_app(self):
url = '/v1/apps/{app_id}/domains'.format(app_id="this-app-does-not-exist")
body = {'domain': 'test-domain.example.com'}
response = self.client.post(url, json.dumps(body), content_type='application/json',
HTTP_AUTHORIZATION='token {}'.format(self.token))
self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 404)
url = '/v1/apps/{app_id}/domains'.format(app_id='this-app-does-not-exist')
response = self.client.get(url, content_type='application/json',
HTTP_AUTHORIZATION='token {}'.format(self.token))
self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 404)
def test_manage_domain_invalid_domain(self):
url = '/v1/apps/{app_id}/domains'.format(app_id=self.app_id)
test_domains = [
'this_is_an.invalid.domain',
'this-is-an.invalid.1',
'django.pass--sandbox',
'domain1',
'3333.com',
'too.looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong',
]
for domain in test_domains:
msg = "failed on \"{}\"".format(domain)
body = {'domain': domain}
response = self.client.post(url, json.dumps(body), content_type='application/json',
HTTP_AUTHORIZATION='token {}'.format(self.token))
self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 400, msg)
def test_manage_domain_wildcard(self):
"""Wildcards are not allowed for now."""
url = '/v1/apps/{app_id}/domains'.format(app_id=self.app_id)
body = {'domain': '*.deis.example.com'}
response = self.client.post(url, json.dumps(body), content_type='application/json',
HTTP_AUTHORIZATION='token {}'.format(self.token))
self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 400)
def test_admin_can_add_domains_to_other_apps(self):
"""If a non-admin user creates an app, an administrator should be able to add
domains to it.
"""
user = User.objects.get(username='autotest2')
token = Token.objects.get(user=user).key
url = '/v1/apps'
response = self.client.post(url, HTTP_AUTHORIZATION='token {}'.format(token))
self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 201)
url = '/v1/apps/{}/domains'.format(self.app_id)
body = {'domain': 'example.deis.example.com'}
response = self.client.post(url, json.dumps(body), content_type='application/json',
HTTP_AUTHORIZATION='token {}'.format(self.token))
self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 201)
def test_unauthorized_user_cannot_modify_domain(self):
"""
An unauthorized user should not be able to modify other domains.
Since an unauthorized user should not know about the application at all, these
requests should return a 404.
"""
app_id = 'autotest'
url = '/v1/apps'
body = {'id': app_id}
response = self.client.post(url, json.dumps(body), content_type='application/json',
HTTP_AUTHORIZATION='token {}'.format(self.token))
unauthorized_user = User.objects.get(username='autotest2')
unauthorized_token = Token.objects.get(user=unauthorized_user).key
url = '{}/{}/domains'.format(url, app_id)
body = {'domain': 'example.com'}
response = self.client.post(url, json.dumps(body), content_type='application/json',
HTTP_AUTHORIZATION='token {}'.format(unauthorized_token))
self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 403)
|
The ‘mental load’ falls squarely on mother’s shoulders—and it’s making us very tired
My husband has approximately three things he adds to our household grocery list:
His shaving cream.
His shampoo.
Shower spray. (Don’t ask about this one. He has an obsessive thing about the glass shower door.)
That’s it.
It’s not his fault. Not really. I make note of the rest of the 8,000 things a family of four requires because it falls squarely under the duties of CEO of our household—a position I never interviewed for, yet I rose up through the ranks to find myself in, sometime between the day I got married and the day I popped out a second kid.
I stay home with the kids, which means I am the default day-to-day manager. Nevermind that I also work, it just happens to be at the kitchen table. So while I attempt to craft the next viral essay on the hilarity of momhood, I’m also trying to teach my kids how to craft a homemade paper mache pinata.
This is 100 percent what is happening right now. See?
As moms, our minds are always going. Going fast. Going in a million different directions. Going away. Going.
I tell him what time to pick up the kids and who has what practice when. Without me, there wouldn’t be dishwasher pods or garbage bags, and there certainly wouldn’t be toothpaste for brushing or new library books for bedtime stories.
This, my fellow moms, is why we are tired. Not because we don’t have help or get enough sleep—well, there is that.
But there is also the fact that mom brain is a real thing, and if you’re nodding along with me—congratulations, you, too, are suffering from it.
That endless running to-do list is called the mental load. It is heavy, and in most families, it is carried by the mom.
The notion of the mental load is beautifully captured in all its glory in this cartoon by French comic artist, Emma. Her depiction of the struggle entitled “You Should Have Asked” nails this idea that for the majority of households, women are constantly managing and keeping track of all that needs to be done.
In the cartoon, when things go haywire in the kitchen, the husband points out he was there to help. “You should’ve asked!” he says.
But, do we really have to ask?
In short, yes. So, go ahead, add “Ask for help” to your to-do list.
Susan Walzer, a sociologist at Skidmore College, published a research article in 1996, called, “Thinking About the Baby,” that confirms some truths in Emma’s cartoon. Walzer interviewed 23 couples who had recently become parents and found that women do, in fact, carry more of the mental load.
Noting that, even when their partners helped out, women are the ones who noticed what needed to be done in the first place.
At no point is this more clear than when I travel for work. Before I hop on that plane I pre-pack lunches, I buy and prepare easy dinners, I do all the laundry, I lay out clothes, I write down the schedule. I make all the plans that I won’t be a part of. When hubs travels, he just kisses us and leaves.
Simplemost provides women with cultural news and information that can impact their lives, along with ideas and tips to help make things just a little easier. Covering events, money, food, travel, fashion, home, DIY, parenting, and travel, Simplemost is focused on telling interesting stories that inform and delight readers.
While Simpson didn't explicitly state that she was naming her child Birdie, the numerous references to the name in her shower photos and IG stories have the internet convinced that she's picking the same name Busy Philips chose for her now 10-year-old daughter.
The name Birdie isn't in the top 1000 baby names according to the Social Security Administration, but It has been seeing a resurgence in recent years, according to name nerds and trend watchers.
"Birdie feels like a sassy but sweet, down-to-earth yet unusual name," Pamela Redmond Satran of Nameberry told Town and Country back in 2017. "It's also just old enough to be right on time."
Simpson's older kids are called Maxwell and Ace, which both have a vintage feel, so if Birdie really is her choice, the three old-school names make a nice sibling set.
Whether Birdie is the official name or just a cute nickname Simpson is playing around with, we get the appeal and bet she can't wait for her little one to arrive (and her feet to go back to normal!)
Mamas, if you hire a cleaning service to tackle the toddler fingerprints on your windows, or shop at the neighborhood grocery store even when the deals are better across town, don't feel guilty. A new study by the University of British Columbia and Harvard Business School shows money buys happiness if it's used to give you more time. And that, in turn could be better for the whole family.
As if we needed another reason to shop at Target, our favorite store is offering some great deals for mamas who need products for baby. Mom life can be expensive and we love any chance at saving a few bucks. If you need to stock up on baby care items, like diapers and wipes, now is the time.
Right now, if you spend $100 on select diapers, wipes, formula, you'll get a $20 gift card with pickup or Target Restock. Other purchases will get you $5 gift cards during thispromotion:
$20 gift card when you spend $100 or more on select diapers, wipes, formula, and food items using in store Order Pickup, Drive Up or Target Restock
$5 gift card when you buy 3 select beauty care items
$5 gift card when you buy 2 select household essentials items using in store Order Pickup, Drive Up or Target Restock
Alexa and Carlos PenaVega
The Spy Kids actress and mom to 2-year-old Ocean will soon have to get herself a double stroller because PenaVega and her husband Carlos are expecting again.
"Holy Moly!!! Guys!!! We are having another baby!!!!" captioned an Instagram post. "Do we wake Ocean up and tell him??!! Beyond blessed and excited to continue growing this family!!! Get ready for a whole new set of adventures!!!"
Over on Carlos' IG the proud dad made a good point: " This year we will officially be able to say we have 'kids!' Our minds are blown," he write.
Motherly provides information of a general nature and is designed for educational purposes only. This site does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Information on our advertising guidelines can be found here.
|
HOUSTON – The first mug shots of former Houston Police Department narcotics Officers Gerald Goines and Stephen Bryant were released Friday night.
The images were released hours after an announcement was made by Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg regarding alleged criminality, including two murder charges, by HPD officers in the deadly botched raid on Harding Street nearly seven months ago.
The raid claimed the lives of Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas.
Ogg had a message to the families of the victims during her lengthy news conference.
"I want to tell them how sorry we are as a city and as a county for the actions that resulted in the loss of their loved ones' lives," she said.
Channel 2 Investigates was in court Friday as Goines and Bryant went before the judge.
Following their bond hearing, Goines' attorney, Nicole DeBorde, expressed her dismay over her client being directly charged unexpectedly.
"A little disappointed and surprised that in a case that is as serious as this one, the district attorney's office did not bother to vet it with a grand jury," DeBorde said.
Hours after the charges were announced, Chief Art Acevedo held his own news conference. The chief answered a lot of questions but did not want to answer one of Channel 2's inquiries, telling reporter Sophia Beausoleil, “I'm not going to get into a debate with Mr. (Mario) Diaz you know on every little piece.”
The chief was not happy with a question regarding an exchange from last Feb. 15. During an interview, the chief said, "It's really important for the community to realize, we still had a reason to be at that home.”
Channel 2 Investigates reminded Acevedo: "Chief, you indicated you had reason to be at that home. There appears to be no reason listed in this affidavit."
Acevedo’s response was, “But remember, that affidavit is but one piece of a very comprehensive investigation."
However, on Friday, when a reporter asked about it on two occasions, Acevedo had this reaction: "I stand by that. We had probable cause to be there."
When the question of a right to be in the home was asked again, the chief said: “Tell Mario Diaz that I think it's great that he's watching and that I appreciate it, but the probable cause, let me just tell you this … if I was investigating this we would have done a search warrant based on what we knew, we would have done it right and we probably wouldn't be here today."
The chief then added a bit later: "We are a nation where the rule of law matters, so tell Mario thanks for watching. I appreciate it."
We are hoping the chief addresses the question in full in the near future.
|
Q:
Can a page raise an event that the user control can handle?
I have done this the other way many times as it makes sense (the page knows about the control as it has been added to the page and can handle the 'child' event)
Is it possible to do it the other way? I think not as the control doesn't know what page it is going to be on
The reason i ask this is that I have a modal popup on the page to ask users to login, and it is only when the user has logged in that I want my user control to go away and execute some code but I am not too sure how to tell the control this has happend?
A:
Total Friday afternoon 'my mind is fried' question, all i needed to do was have a public sub on the user control that the page could call once the login was complete!
I vote to close on account of my stupidity
|
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!--
Copyright (c) 2007, 2011, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 only, as
published by the Free Software Foundation. Oracle designates this
particular file as subject to the "Classpath" exception as provided
by Oracle in the LICENSE file that accompanied this code.
This code is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License
version 2 for more details (a copy is included in the LICENSE file that
accompanied this code).
You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License version
2 along with this work; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
Please contact Oracle, 500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065 USA
or visit www.oracle.com if you need additional information or have any
questions.
-->
<project xmlns="http://www.netbeans.org/ns/project/1">
<type>org.netbeans.modules.apisupport.project</type>
<configuration>
<data xmlns="http://www.netbeans.org/ns/nb-module-project/3">
<code-name-base>org.graalvm.visualvm.modules.extensions</code-name-base>
<suite-component/>
<module-dependencies>
<dependency>
<code-name-base>org.graalvm.visualvm.application</code-name-base>
<build-prerequisite/>
<compile-dependency/>
<run-dependency>
<release-version>2</release-version>
<specification-version>2.0</specification-version>
</run-dependency>
</dependency>
<dependency>
<code-name-base>org.graalvm.visualvm.core</code-name-base>
<build-prerequisite/>
<compile-dependency/>
<run-dependency>
<release-version>2</release-version>
<specification-version>2.0</specification-version>
</run-dependency>
</dependency>
<dependency>
<code-name-base>org.graalvm.visualvm.tools</code-name-base>
<build-prerequisite/>
<compile-dependency/>
<run-dependency>
<release-version>2</release-version>
<specification-version>2.0</specification-version>
</run-dependency>
</dependency>
<dependency>
<code-name-base>org.openide.modules</code-name-base>
<build-prerequisite/>
<compile-dependency/>
<run-dependency>
<specification-version>7.3.1</specification-version>
</run-dependency>
</dependency>
<dependency>
<code-name-base>org.openide.util.ui</code-name-base>
<build-prerequisite/>
<compile-dependency/>
<run-dependency>
<specification-version>9.8</specification-version>
</run-dependency>
</dependency>
</module-dependencies>
<public-packages/>
</data>
</configuration>
</project>
|
Mus spretus SEG/Pas mice resist virulent Yersinia pestis, under multigenic control.
Laboratory mice are well known to be highly susceptible to virulent strains of Yersinia pestis in experimental models of bubonic plague. We have found that Mus spretus-derived SEG/Pas (SEG) mice are exceptionally resistant to virulent CO92 and 6/69 wild type strains. Upon subcutaneous injection of 10(2) colony-forming units (CFU), 90% of females and 68% of males survived, compared with only an 8% survival rate for both male and female C57BL/6 mice. Furthermore, half of the SEG mice survived a challenge of up to 10(7) CFU. The time required for mortality was similar between B6 and SEG, suggesting that survival is dependent on early rather than late processes. The analysis of 322 backcross mice identified three significant quantitative trait loci (QTLs) on chromosomes 3, 4 and 6, with dominant SEG protective alleles. Each QTL increased the survival rate by approximately 20%. The three QTLs function additively, thereby accounting for 67% of the difference between the parental phenotypes. Mice heterozygous for the three QTLs were just as resistant as SEG mice to Y. pestis challenge. The SEG strain therefore offers an invaluable opportunity to unravel mechanisms and underlying genetic factors of resistance against Y. pestis infection.
|
Q:
Single where() condition causes query not to return anything
I'm fetching longitude and latitude values from a database using a home address.
The structure of each of the documents in the collection is as follows:
"Ext": string
"Lat": string
"Long": string
"Parish": string
"Postal": string
"Street": string
"Number": string
There are a handful of different where() conditions, all wrapped in if statements.
The street number where() condition always causes the query to return no matches, and all of the other where()'s find matches correctly.
I have tried:
commenting out the street number where() condition
hard coding values copied from the database
using parseInt() and toString() in the where() call to force typing
logging data about the string to the console to check typing, leading/trailing whitespace, etc.
function addressToCoords() {
// returns an array of coordinates if successful, false otherwise
const ADD = document.getElementById("address").value;
let NUM;
let STREET;
if (ADD) {
NUM = ADD.match(/^[0-9]+/)[0];
STREET = ADD.replace(/^[0-9]+\s/, "");
if (NUM === STREET) {
console.log("NUM = STREET. regex split failed");
STREET = null;
return false;
}
}
const CTY = document.getElementById('parish').value;
const POS = document.getElementById('postalCode').value.replace(/\s/, "");
let coords = [0.0, 0.0];
let query = f.addresses;
if (CTY) { console.log("CTY: ", CTY); query = query.where("Parish", "==", CTY); }
if (STREET) { console.log("STREET: ", STREET); query = query.where("Street", "==", STREET); }
if (POS) { console.log("POS: ", POS); query = query.where("Postal", "==", POS); }
// -FIXME- doesn't match
if (NUM) {
// Usual test case outputs:
// NUM: 1 string 1
console.log("NUM: ", NUM, " ", typeof(NUM), " ", NUM.length);
query = query.where("Number", "==", NUM);
}
query.limit(5)
.get()
.then(querySnapshot => {
if (!querySnapshot.empty) {
querySnapshot.docs.forEach (ele => {
console.log("doc found!: ", ele.data());
});
coords[0] = querySnapshot.docs[0].Lat;
coords[1] = querySnapshot.docs[0].Long;
} else {
console.log("no doc found!");
}
}).catch(function(error) {
console.log(error);
});
document.getElementById("Latitude").value = coords[0];
document.getElementById('Longitude').value = coords[1];
return coords;
}
Any insight is appreciated.
Edit: I'm currently also going back and forth with firebase support, and apparently my code successfully queries the example database the rep built and functions correctly.
That seems to leave some kind of issue with the database structure, but...
I'm not querying to a different collection
All documents have the same fields with the same types
The testing I've done doesn't seem to allow the possibility of a type mismatch in the query
This is probably my ignorance talking, but the problem seems pretty bizarre.
A:
Firebase support is very helpful. This answer is thanks to the support rep that figured it out.
Thanks Carlos!
So it turns out my code was correct, there was a remarkably subtle problem with my data.
I had downloaded the data in this database from another database in csv format, verified the contents with Excel, and at some point saved it. Excel, being Excel, decided that any good UTF-8 encoded csv file needs to begin with a Byte-Order-Mark.
For those who don't know (like I didn't), Byte-Order-Mark's are invisible characters (zero width) in the unicode character set. They'll show up as weird question mark symbols in some text editors, but usually just don't get displayed at all.
Some further reading.
Specifically, BOM's are used for specifying the endianness of a string of bytes so that they can be properly interpreted.
The BOM ended up being the first character in the name of the database Number field because that was the first column specified in the csv file and, counter-intuitively enough, it wasn't the value that wasn't matching, it was the field name.
There were a couple indications of this that I lacked the background to recognize:
The firestore console placing the "Number" field at the bottom of the lexicographically sorted list of fields
Number being the only field name surrounded by quotation marks in the firestore console
The solution was to either:
Update each and every entry in the collection (since the csv column name became the property name in my csv to json conversion, then the firestore field name when I uploaded),
or
Delete the collection entirely and use some kind of find and replace tool (VS Code's search did the job) to replace all of the BOM's with an empty string (simply not specifying a replacement value in VS Code search and hitting "replace all" worked).
If the data had some other problems with zero-width (or other undesirable) characters they could be filtered out with a whitelist filtering tool. Blacklisting would work in theory, but with a character set as large as unicode's it wouldn't be practical unless you were only filtering out zero-width characters.
Thanks to everyone who took a look!
|
An update to the Bitcoin Time Traveller video I made. Kinda creepy how accurate that 4 year old reddit post was.
Bitcoin reaches $10,000 in 2017 just like the August 31, 2013 post had suggested it would.
North Korean University teaches Bitcoin having experts worried.
And Former Swiss military bunker could be the first citadel?
This episode looks at bitcoin reaching $10,000 USD.
Can it continue to go higher?
What portion of the global asset market are cryptocurrencies?
2-4 Million Bitcoin are lost forever, Bitcoin to appear on the Big Bang Theory and finally wrapping up with the CHAD FAD™.
|
Sjur Loen
Sjur Loen (born 19 May 1958) is a Norwegian curler and world champion. He participated on the winning team in the demonstration event at the 1988 Winter Olympics.
International championships
Loen is two times world champion, and has received four bronze medals at the world championships. He received a bronze medal as skip at the 1976 World Junior Curling Championships, and reached the bronze final in 1977 (losing to the United States), 1978 (losing to Scotland) and 1979 (losing to Canada).
Loen has obtained one victory at the European Curling Championships, two silver medals and three bronze medals.
References
External links
Category:1958 births
Category:Living people
Category:Norwegian male curlers
Category:Olympic curlers of Norway
Category:Curlers at the 1988 Winter Olympics
Category:World curling champions
Category:European curling champions
|
X-ray devices used in the medical field contain an X-ray tube which typically includes a cathode which is heated to emit electrons, a (typically rotating) anode having a target surface facing the cathode, and a surrounding glass and/or metal frame containing an X-ray-transparent window secured by a window mount. Some emitted electrons strike the target surface at a focal point and produce X-rays, and some of the X-rays exit the frame as an X-ray beam through the X-ray-transparent window. Other emitted electrons do not produce X-rays and are backscattered when they strike the focal point on the target surface.
Many of the backscattered electrons go on to strike and heat the frame including the X-ray-transparent window and the window mount. It is known to place an electron collector between the focal point and the X-ray-transparent window to capture backscattered electrons that would otherwise strike and heat the X-ray-transparent window, wherein the electron collector has a central hole to permit passage of the X-ray beam. The heated frame is typically cooled by a liquid coolant, such as oil or water, located between the frame and a surrounding casing. The dissimilar coefficients of thermal expansion of the X-ray-transparent window and the window mount generate mechanical stresses which can cause tube failure. Additionally, high temperatures in the X-ray-transparent window itself can induce boiling of the adjoining liquid coolant. Such coolant boiling will degrade the quality of the X-ray beam which exits the frame through the X-ray-transparent window. Existing grounded metal frame tubes include those having high-cost components to mechanically join the window to the rest of the frame while reducing thermal stresses to acceptable levels. Some known tubes have enhanced cooling applied to the window region.
It is also known that the backscattered electrons can create a thermal hot spot on the frame and can burn a hole through a glass frame. Such hot spot is located on the frame apart from the X-ray-transparent window and the window mount. Reducing the power of the X-ray beam and/or increasing cooling to the thermal hot spot region are known techniques used to overcome this problem.
What is needed is an improved X-ray tube design which reduces heating of the X-ray-transparent window and the window mount from backscattered electrons.
|
// -*- tab-width: 4; Mode: C++; c-basic-offset: 4; indent-tabs-mode: nil -*-
/*
This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
(at your option) any later version.
This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
GNU General Public License for more details.
You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
*/
// Initial Code by Jon Challinger
// Modified by Paul Riseborough
#include <AP_HAL/AP_HAL.h>
#include "AP_PitchController.h"
extern const AP_HAL::HAL& hal;
const AP_Param::GroupInfo AP_PitchController::var_info[] = {
// @Param: TCONST
// @DisplayName: Pitch Time Constant
// @Description: This controls the time constant in seconds from demanded to achieved pitch angle. A value of 0.5 is a good default and will work with nearly all models. Advanced users may want to reduce this time to obtain a faster response but there is no point setting a time less than the aircraft can achieve.
// @Range: 0.4 1.0
// @Units: seconds
// @Increment: 0.1
// @User: Advanced
AP_GROUPINFO("TCONST", 0, AP_PitchController, gains.tau, 0.5f),
// @Param: P
// @DisplayName: Proportional Gain
// @Description: This is the gain from pitch angle to elevator. This gain works the same way as PTCH2SRV_P in the old PID controller and can be set to the same value.
// @Range: 0.1 3.0
// @Increment: 0.1
// @User: User
AP_GROUPINFO("P", 1, AP_PitchController, gains.P, 0.6f),
// @Param: D
// @DisplayName: Damping Gain
// @Description: This is the gain from pitch rate to elevator. This adjusts the damping of the pitch control loop. It has the same effect as PTCH2SRV_D in the old PID controller and can be set to the same value, but without the spikes in servo demands. This gain helps to reduce pitching in turbulence. Some airframes such as flying wings that have poor pitch damping can benefit from increasing this gain term. This should be increased in 0.01 increments as too high a value can lead to a high frequency pitch oscillation that could overstress the airframe.
// @Range: 0 0.1
// @Increment: 0.01
// @User: User
AP_GROUPINFO("D", 2, AP_PitchController, gains.D, 0.02f),
// @Param: I
// @DisplayName: Integrator Gain
// @Description: This is the gain applied to the integral of pitch angle. It has the same effect as PTCH2SRV_I in the old PID controller and can be set to the same value. Increasing this gain causes the controller to trim out constant offsets between demanded and measured pitch angle.
// @Range: 0 0.5
// @Increment: 0.05
// @User: User
AP_GROUPINFO("I", 3, AP_PitchController, gains.I, 0.15f),
// @Param: RMAX_UP
// @DisplayName: Pitch up max rate
// @Description: This sets the maximum nose up pitch rate that the controller will demand (degrees/sec). Setting it to zero disables the limit.
// @Range: 0 100
// @Units: degrees/second
// @Increment: 1
// @User: Advanced
AP_GROUPINFO("RMAX_UP", 4, AP_PitchController, gains.rmax, 0.0f),
// @Param: RMAX_DN
// @DisplayName: Pitch down max rate
// @Description: This sets the maximum nose down pitch rate that the controller will demand (degrees/sec). Setting it to zero disables the limit.
// @Range: 0 100
// @Units: degrees/second
// @Increment: 1
// @User: Advanced
AP_GROUPINFO("RMAX_DN", 5, AP_PitchController, _max_rate_neg, 0.0f),
// @Param: RLL
// @DisplayName: Roll compensation
// @Description: This is the gain term that is applied to the pitch rate offset calculated as required to keep the nose level during turns. The default value is 1 which will work for all models. Advanced users can use it to correct for height variation in turns. If height is lost initially in turns this can be increased in small increments of 0.05 to compensate. If height is gained initially in turns then it can be decreased.
// @Range: 0.7 1.5
// @Increment: 0.05
// @User: User
AP_GROUPINFO("RLL", 6, AP_PitchController, _roll_ff, 1.0f),
// @Param: IMAX
// @DisplayName: Integrator limit
// @Description: This limits the number of centi-degrees of elevator over which the integrator will operate. At the default setting of 3000 centi-degrees, the integrator will be limited to +- 30 degrees of servo travel. The maximum servo deflection is +- 45 degrees, so the default value represents a 2/3rd of the total control throw which is adequate for most aircraft unless they are severely out of trim or have very limited elevator control effectiveness.
// @Range: 0 4500
// @Increment: 1
// @User: Advanced
AP_GROUPINFO("IMAX", 7, AP_PitchController, gains.imax, 3000),
// @Param: FF
// @DisplayName: Feed forward Gain
// @Description: This is the gain from demanded rate to elevator output.
// @Range: 0.1 4.0
// @Increment: 0.1
// @User: User
AP_GROUPINFO("FF", 8, AP_PitchController, gains.FF, 0.0f),
AP_GROUPEND
};
/*
Function returns an equivalent elevator deflection in centi-degrees in the range from -4500 to 4500
A positive demand is up
Inputs are:
1) demanded pitch rate in degrees/second
2) control gain scaler = scaling_speed / aspeed
3) boolean which is true when stabilise mode is active
4) minimum FBW airspeed (metres/sec)
5) maximum FBW airspeed (metres/sec)
*/
int32_t AP_PitchController::_get_rate_out(float desired_rate, float scaler, bool disable_integrator, float aspeed)
{
uint32_t tnow = AP_HAL::millis();
uint32_t dt = tnow - _last_t;
if (_last_t == 0 || dt > 1000) {
dt = 0;
}
_last_t = tnow;
float delta_time = (float)dt * 0.001f;
// Get body rate vector (radians/sec)
float omega_y = _ahrs.get_gyro().y;
// Calculate the pitch rate error (deg/sec) and scale
float achieved_rate = ToDeg(omega_y);
float rate_error = (desired_rate - achieved_rate) * scaler;
// Multiply pitch rate error by _ki_rate and integrate
// Scaler is applied before integrator so that integrator state relates directly to elevator deflection
// This means elevator trim offset doesn't change as the value of scaler changes with airspeed
// Don't integrate if in stabilise mode as the integrator will wind up against the pilots inputs
if (!disable_integrator && gains.I > 0) {
float k_I = gains.I;
if (is_zero(gains.FF)) {
/*
if the user hasn't set a direct FF then assume they are
not doing sophisticated tuning. Set a minimum I value of
0.15 to ensure that the time constant for trimming in
pitch is not too long. We have had a lot of user issues
with very small I value leading to very slow pitch
trimming, which causes a lot of problems for TECS. A
value of 0.15 is still quite small, but a lot better
than what many users are running.
*/
k_I = MAX(k_I, 0.15f);
}
float ki_rate = k_I * gains.tau;
//only integrate if gain and time step are positive and airspeed above min value.
if (dt > 0 && aspeed > 0.5f*float(aparm.airspeed_min)) {
float integrator_delta = rate_error * ki_rate * delta_time * scaler;
if (_last_out < -45) {
// prevent the integrator from increasing if surface defln demand is above the upper limit
integrator_delta = MAX(integrator_delta , 0);
} else if (_last_out > 45) {
// prevent the integrator from decreasing if surface defln demand is below the lower limit
integrator_delta = MIN(integrator_delta , 0);
}
_pid_info.I += integrator_delta;
}
} else {
_pid_info.I = 0;
}
// Scale the integration limit
float intLimScaled = gains.imax * 0.01f;
// Constrain the integrator state
_pid_info.I = constrain_float(_pid_info.I, -intLimScaled, intLimScaled);
// Calculate equivalent gains so that values for K_P and K_I can be taken across from the old PID law
// No conversion is required for K_D
float eas2tas = _ahrs.get_EAS2TAS();
float kp_ff = MAX((gains.P - gains.I * gains.tau) * gains.tau - gains.D , 0) / eas2tas;
float k_ff = gains.FF / eas2tas;
// Calculate the demanded control surface deflection
// Note the scaler is applied again. We want a 1/speed scaler applied to the feed-forward
// path, but want a 1/speed^2 scaler applied to the rate error path.
// This is because acceleration scales with speed^2, but rate scales with speed.
_pid_info.P = desired_rate * kp_ff * scaler;
_pid_info.FF = desired_rate * k_ff * scaler;
_pid_info.D = rate_error * gains.D * scaler;
_last_out = _pid_info.D + _pid_info.FF + _pid_info.P;
_pid_info.desired = desired_rate;
if (autotune.running && aspeed > aparm.airspeed_min) {
// let autotune have a go at the values
// Note that we don't pass the integrator component so we get
// a better idea of how much the base PD controller
// contributed
autotune.update(desired_rate, achieved_rate, _last_out);
// set down rate to rate up when auto-tuning
_max_rate_neg.set_and_save_ifchanged(gains.rmax);
}
_last_out += _pid_info.I;
/*
when we are past the users defined roll limit for the
aircraft our priority should be to bring the aircraft back
within the roll limit. Using elevator for pitch control at
large roll angles is ineffective, and can be counter
productive as it induces earth-frame yaw which can reduce
the ability to roll. We linearly reduce elevator input when
beyond the configured roll limit, reducing to zero at 90
degrees
*/
float roll_wrapped = fabsf(_ahrs.roll_sensor);
if (roll_wrapped > 9000) {
roll_wrapped = 18000 - roll_wrapped;
}
if (roll_wrapped > aparm.roll_limit_cd + 500 && aparm.roll_limit_cd < 8500 &&
labs(_ahrs.pitch_sensor) < 7000) {
float roll_prop = (roll_wrapped - (aparm.roll_limit_cd+500)) / (float)(9000 - aparm.roll_limit_cd);
_last_out *= (1 - roll_prop);
}
// Convert to centi-degrees and constrain
return constrain_float(_last_out * 100, -4500, 4500);
}
/*
Function returns an equivalent elevator deflection in centi-degrees in the range from -4500 to 4500
A positive demand is up
Inputs are:
1) demanded pitch rate in degrees/second
2) control gain scaler = scaling_speed / aspeed
3) boolean which is true when stabilise mode is active
4) minimum FBW airspeed (metres/sec)
5) maximum FBW airspeed (metres/sec)
*/
int32_t AP_PitchController::get_rate_out(float desired_rate, float scaler)
{
float aspeed;
if (!_ahrs.airspeed_estimate(&aspeed)) {
// If no airspeed available use average of min and max
aspeed = 0.5f*(float(aparm.airspeed_min) + float(aparm.airspeed_max));
}
return _get_rate_out(desired_rate, scaler, false, aspeed);
}
/*
get the rate offset in degrees/second needed for pitch in body frame
to maintain height in a coordinated turn.
Also returns the inverted flag and the estimated airspeed in m/s for
use by the rest of the pitch controller
*/
float AP_PitchController::_get_coordination_rate_offset(float &aspeed, bool &inverted) const
{
float rate_offset;
float bank_angle = _ahrs.roll;
// limit bank angle between +- 80 deg if right way up
if (fabsf(bank_angle) < radians(90)) {
bank_angle = constrain_float(bank_angle,-radians(80),radians(80));
inverted = false;
} else {
inverted = true;
if (bank_angle > 0.0f) {
bank_angle = constrain_float(bank_angle,radians(100),radians(180));
} else {
bank_angle = constrain_float(bank_angle,-radians(180),-radians(100));
}
}
if (!_ahrs.airspeed_estimate(&aspeed)) {
// If no airspeed available use average of min and max
aspeed = 0.5f*(float(aparm.airspeed_min) + float(aparm.airspeed_max));
}
if (abs(_ahrs.pitch_sensor) > 7000) {
// don't do turn coordination handling when at very high pitch angles
rate_offset = 0;
} else {
rate_offset = cosf(_ahrs.pitch)*fabsf(ToDeg((GRAVITY_MSS / MAX((aspeed * _ahrs.get_EAS2TAS()) , float(aparm.airspeed_min))) * tanf(bank_angle) * sinf(bank_angle))) * _roll_ff;
}
if (inverted) {
rate_offset = -rate_offset;
}
return rate_offset;
}
// Function returns an equivalent elevator deflection in centi-degrees in the range from -4500 to 4500
// A positive demand is up
// Inputs are:
// 1) demanded pitch angle in centi-degrees
// 2) control gain scaler = scaling_speed / aspeed
// 3) boolean which is true when stabilise mode is active
// 4) minimum FBW airspeed (metres/sec)
// 5) maximum FBW airspeed (metres/sec)
//
int32_t AP_PitchController::get_servo_out(int32_t angle_err, float scaler, bool disable_integrator)
{
// Calculate offset to pitch rate demand required to maintain pitch angle whilst banking
// Calculate ideal turn rate from bank angle and airspeed assuming a level coordinated turn
// Pitch rate offset is the component of turn rate about the pitch axis
float aspeed;
float rate_offset;
bool inverted;
if (gains.tau < 0.1f) {
gains.tau.set(0.1f);
}
rate_offset = _get_coordination_rate_offset(aspeed, inverted);
// Calculate the desired pitch rate (deg/sec) from the angle error
float desired_rate = angle_err * 0.01f / gains.tau;
// limit the maximum pitch rate demand. Don't apply when inverted
// as the rates will be tuned when upright, and it is common that
// much higher rates are needed inverted
if (!inverted) {
if (_max_rate_neg && desired_rate < -_max_rate_neg) {
desired_rate = -_max_rate_neg;
} else if (gains.rmax && desired_rate > gains.rmax) {
desired_rate = gains.rmax;
}
}
if (inverted) {
desired_rate = -desired_rate;
}
// Apply the turn correction offset
desired_rate = desired_rate + rate_offset;
return _get_rate_out(desired_rate, scaler, disable_integrator, aspeed);
}
void AP_PitchController::reset_I()
{
_pid_info.I = 0;
}
|
Q:
How do I say that I called someone?
For example if I wanted to say "I called bob", would it be something like "私は Bob の電話を呼びました"?
That sentence feels a little awkward and I'm not sure how to properly phrase it.
A:
「電{でん}話{わ}をかけた」is one option, and「電話（を）した」is another. There's also「電話を入{い}れた」, which tends to be used in more 'functional' contexts, like if the call was made to inform/notify the other party about something or in order to confirm something. You would use each of these after starting with「ボブに」in the given example. To convert these to somewhat more polite versions, you can replace the final「～た」 with「～ました」.
A:
A way I learned to say this is ボブに電話をかけました。
The に indicates a "destination" in the same way ～に聞きました means asking ~ a question.
jisho entry
|
Q:
How do I add System.Web as a reference if I cant find it in the list of references?
I'm working on a project in C#.Net 4.0. I am trying to use HttpUtility.HtmlDecode. To do so, I added
using System.Web;
to the top of the file. However, no reference to HttpUtility could be found.
After Googling around a little bit I found that the common answer to this question was to add a reference to System.Web.dll by finding it in the list presented by right-clicking on References in the Solution Explorer and clicking "Add Reference...". Unfortunately, this was not in the list. I found System.Web.Services and System.Web.ApplicationServices, but no System.Web, and neither contained what we needed.
Any help appreciated.
A:
My crystal ball says you are using VS2010. Project + Properties, Application tab, Target framework setting. Change it from the client profile to the regular version.
System.Web is not included in the client profile, that's why you can't find it. Don't worry about the difference, the client profile is only 15% smaller than the regular version. There's very little point to it.
A:
It took me some time to find out:
Project properties
Click on the Tab Application
In the "Target Framework" drop down, be sure to select ".NET Framework 4" and not the one with the suffix "Client Profile"
for more information:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc656912.aspx
The reason you can't find the System.Web is the first sentence:
The .NET Framework 4 Client Profile is a subset of the .NET Framework 4
So, some of the functionality doesn't exists in the client profile, like System.Web.
|
/**
* UPnP PortMapper - A tool for managing port forwardings via UPnP
* Copyright (C) 2015 Christoph Pirkl <christoph at users.sourceforge.net>
*
* This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
* it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
* the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
* (at your option) any later version.
*
* This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
* but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
* MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
* GNU General Public License for more details.
*
* You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
* along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
*/
package org.chris.portmapper.router.cling;
import java.time.Duration;
import java.util.Queue;
import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentLinkedQueue;
import java.util.stream.Stream;
import org.fourthline.cling.model.meta.Device;
import org.fourthline.cling.model.meta.Service;
import org.fourthline.cling.model.types.DeviceType;
import org.fourthline.cling.model.types.ServiceType;
import org.fourthline.cling.model.types.UDADeviceType;
import org.fourthline.cling.model.types.UDAServiceType;
import org.fourthline.cling.registry.DefaultRegistryListener;
import org.fourthline.cling.registry.Registry;
import org.slf4j.Logger;
import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
public class ClingRegistryListener extends DefaultRegistryListener {
private final Logger logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(this.getClass());
public static final DeviceType IGD_DEVICE_TYPE = new UDADeviceType("InternetGatewayDevice", 1);
public static final DeviceType CONNECTION_DEVICE_TYPE = new UDADeviceType("WANConnectionDevice", 1);
public static final ServiceType IP_SERVICE_TYPE = new UDAServiceType("WANIPConnection", 1);
public static final ServiceType PPP_SERVICE_TYPE = new UDAServiceType("WANPPPConnection", 1);
private final Queue<Service<?, ?>> foundServices;
public ClingRegistryListener() {
this.foundServices = new ConcurrentLinkedQueue<>();
}
public Stream<Service<?, ?>> waitForServiceFound(final Duration maxWaitTime) {
logger.debug("Waiting for {} until routers are found", maxWaitTime);
try {
Thread.sleep(maxWaitTime.toMillis());
} catch (final InterruptedException e) {
Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
logger.warn("Interrupted when waiting for a service");
}
return foundServices.stream();
}
@Override
public void deviceAdded(final Registry registry, @SuppressWarnings("rawtypes") final Device device) {
@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
final Service<?, ?> connectionService = discoverConnectionService(device);
if (connectionService == null) {
return;
}
logger.debug("Found connection service {}", connectionService);
final boolean success = foundServices.offer(connectionService);
if (!success) {
throw new IllegalStateException("Could not add new service");
}
}
protected Service<?, ?> discoverConnectionService(@SuppressWarnings("rawtypes") final Device<?, Device, ?> device) {
if (!device.getType().equals(IGD_DEVICE_TYPE)) {
logger.info("Found service of wrong type {}, expected {}.", device.getType(), IGD_DEVICE_TYPE);
return null;
}
@SuppressWarnings("rawtypes")
final Device[] connectionDevices = device.findDevices(CONNECTION_DEVICE_TYPE);
if (connectionDevices.length == 0) {
logger.debug("IGD doesn't support '{}': {}", CONNECTION_DEVICE_TYPE, device);
return null;
}
logger.info("Found {} devices", connectionDevices.length);
return findConnectionService(connectionDevices);
}
@SuppressWarnings("rawtypes")
private Service<?, ?> findConnectionService(final Device[] connectionDevices) {
for (final Device connectionDevice : connectionDevices) {
final Service ipConnectionService = connectionDevice.findService(IP_SERVICE_TYPE);
final Service pppConnectionService = connectionDevice.findService(PPP_SERVICE_TYPE);
if (ipConnectionService != null) {
logger.info("Device {} supports ip service type: {}", connectionDevice, ipConnectionService);
return ipConnectionService;
}
if (pppConnectionService != null) {
logger.info("Device {} supports ppp service type: {}", connectionDevice, pppConnectionService);
return pppConnectionService;
}
logger.info("IGD {} doesn't support IP or PPP WAN connection service", connectionDevice);
}
logger.debug("None of the {} devices supports IP or PPP WAN connections", connectionDevices.length);
return null;
}
}
|
Das Lied vom Trompeter
Das Lied vom Trompeter is an East German film. It was released in 1964.
Cast
Horst Jonischkan: Fritz Weineck
Erik Veldre: Paul Hepner
Doris Abeßer: Käthe Mielfe
Ezard Haußmann: Georg Füllbrink
Jürgen Frohriep: Walter Ebersdorf
Traudl Kulikowsky: Lene Langner
Fred Delmare: Kleckchen
Wolfgang Greese: Karl Borsdorff
Helga Göring: Anna Weineck
Martin Elbers: Ernst Weineck
Rolf Römer: Alfons Wieland
Bruno Carstens: Gustav Merseburg
Hannjo Hasse: Pietzker
External links
Category:1964 films
Category:East German films
Category:German-language films
|
Genotoxic Maillard byproducts in current phytopharmaceutical preparations of Echinodorus grandiflorus.
Extracts of Echinodorus grandiflorus obtained from dried leaves by three different techniques were evaluated by bacterial lysogenic induction assay (Inductest) in relation to their genotoxic properties. Before being added to test cultures, extracts were sterilized either by steam sterilization or ultraviolet light. Only the extracts prepared by infusion and steam sterilized have shown genotoxic activity. The phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of the flavonoids isovitexin, isoorientin, swertisin and swertiajaponin, isolated from a genotoxic fraction. They were assayed separately and tested negative in the Inductest protocol. The development of browning color and sweet smell in extracts submitted to heat, prompted further chemical analysis in search for Maillard's reaction precursors. Several aminoacids and reducing sugars were cast in the extract. The presence of characteristic Maillard's melanoidins products was determined by spectrophotometry in the visible region and the inhibition of this reaction was observed when its characteristic inhibitor, sodium bisulfite, was added prior to heating. Remarkably, this is the first paper reporting on the appearance of such compounds in a phytomedicine preparation under a current phytopharmaceutical procedure. The genotoxic activity of such heat-prepared infusions imply in some risk of developing degenerative diseases for patients in long-term, uncontrolled use of such phytomedicines.
|
An Arizona Supreme Court justice has taken the highly unusual step of forming a campaign committee to fight a Republican and “tea party” effort to vote him off the bench.
Fliers and Web postings advocate a “no” vote on retention of Justice John Pelander because he joined in a Supreme Court decision allowing an initiative that would scrap the two-party primary system to appear on next month’s ballot.
Pelander formed a political committee through which he has spent his own money to hire a publicist. He also has named a treasurer but did not specify what the committee will do. He is not allowed to raise money.
Pelander said he formed the committee, named Retain Justice John Pelander, because he wants to combat allegations in the campaign. He said he knows of no other instance in which an Arizona Supreme Court justice has formed a political committee in a retention race in the past four decades.
“I’m concerned on two fronts,” Pelander said. “The Supreme Court ruling in this case is being mischaracterized. So, I view it not only as a personal attack on me as the only (Supreme Court) judge on the retention ballot, but also as an affront to the integrity of the court.”
In addition, Phoenix attorneys Paul Eckstein and Mark Harrison have formed an independent expenditure committee called Save Our Judges to counter the anti-Pelander campaign. Eckstein said that the committee will do a mass e-mailing and that if it raises sufficient money, it will run radio ads, as well.
The anti-Pelander fliers were distributed across the Valley. The Arizona Republic obtained campaign literature opposing various judges that was circulated in three legislative districts in the East and West Valleys.
Pelander was part of a three-judge panel that in September unanimously upheld a lower-court ruling to allow Proposition 121, the so-called top-two primary initiative, to go forward.
One of the East Valley fliers states that Pelander voted to uphold the ruling “in the face of overwhelming evidence of fraudulent signatures collected for Proposition 121.” The statement was repeated in a tea party post attributed to former state Senate President Russell Pearce. Pearce could not be reached for comment.
The circular goes on to recommend that all Arizona Court of Appeals judges on this year’s retention ballot also be voted down because they were appointed by former Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano. Some of the postings target Superior Court judges, as well, especially Napolitano appointees.
Pelander, a Republican who was appointed to the Court of Appeals by then-Gov. Fife Symington, was appointed to the Supreme Court by Gov. Jan Brewer.
“The governor has not agreed with every decision he has made, but she continues to believe he is impartial and guided by the law and Constitution in his rulings,” Benson said.
The issues in the Supreme Court ruling had to do with circulation of petitions for Prop. 121. The initiative would replace the party-primary system with one that puts all candidates on a single primary-election ballot. The top two vote-getters would then oppose each other in the November elections regardless of their party affiliations.
Opponents of the initiative sued to keep the measure off the ballot, pointing out that some of the petitions did not have requisite signatures by the petition circulator and that other circulators were unqualified because they had felony convictions. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge John Rea threw out the questioned signatures but ruled that there were still sufficient signatures to place the initiative on the ballot.
The opponents appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, saying in part that they did not have enough time to present their case. A three-judge panel that included Pelander, Chief Justice Rebecca White Berch and Vice Chief Justice Scott Bales reviewed transcripts and pleadings and upheld the lower-court decision. Bales wrote the opinion.
Earlier this month, Pelander got a call from a friend in Tucson who had come across a flier calling for Pelander’s ouster. Republican Party officials began disseminating the information with voter materials.
Karen Thomas, founder of the Sun City West and Sun City Grand Republican Women, said her GOP district chairman passed out cards for voters to take to the polls, including the information about judges.
Thomas created her own list of judges to retain and vote out, which she sent to the Republican Women organizations and legislative districts. It was republished online. Pelander’s name was prominently displayed as a judge to vote against.
Critics of the effort question its facts. The literature describes petition signatures deemed as invalid as “fraudulent.” The conservative Newsmax website reported that Pelander “supported” the controversial proposition, instead of that he had upheld the lower- court decision allowing the measure to go on the ballot.
It would take a majority of voters to vote Pelander or any other merit-selected judge out of office.
Supreme Court justices, Appeals Court judges and Superior Court judges in Maricopa, Pima and Pinal counties are appointed by the governor from a list of nominees vetted by special selection committees. Judges in other counties are elected.
If a merit-selected judge is voted out, a new judge is appointed by the governor to fill the vacancy. Only two judges have lost retention elections since merit selection began in 1974; none has lost since 1978.
This year, nine Appeals Court judges and 76 Pima and Maricopa County Superior Court judges are up for retention. Pelander is the only Supreme Court justice on the list.
Those judges are evaluated by the Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance Review and are available online. But with every election, independent lists by self-proclaimed judicial-watchdog groups, usually conservative, circulate their own evaluation lists.
Arizona is not the only state where judges are being challenged because of rulings that angered politicians. Conservative groups are lobbying against retaining an Iowa Supreme Court justice who was among a panel that allowed same-sex marriage in that state. Three Florida Supreme Court justices are being targeted in retention elections for rejecting a ballot initiative against the federal Affordable Care Act.
Some of those pushing Pelander’s removal also supported another ballot initiative this year that would give the governor more control over the merit-selection process and remove the requirement of nominating judicial candidates from both parties. Pearce sponsored the bill to put the measure on the ballot.
Some of the Arizona judges targeted for removal are nonchalant about the tea party lists.
“There have been lists in the past,” said Judge Roland Steinle of Maricopa County Superior Court. “If I wake up the day after the election and the tea party votes me out, I guess I’ll find something else to do.”
County Superior Court Judge Timothy Ryan is identified in one list as a liberal Democrat; the list refers to his 2007 battles with then-County Attorney Andrew Thomas over a law denying bail to illegal immigrants. Ryan was a Republican when he was appointed to the bench. The new list, he said, is a “cut-and-paste” from the last time he was up for retention.
Arizona Appeals Court Judge Peter Swann also is condemned in several of the campaign fliers, but he said, “The fact that I was appointed by Janet Napolitano does not illustrate my ideology.”
Swann said 99 percent of the court’s decisions are unanimous, even though the panels are made up of judges from both parties. The judges, he said, “leave their politics in the garage.”
“If the voters think our decisions are out of step, then they have a right to complain,” Swann said. “But not one of these attacks has cited a decision that they find objectionable.”
However, Thomas, of Republican Women, said Pelander should be ousted because he “was one of three judges who could have stopped that proposition from going on the ballot.”
Pelander said his campaign is aimed at protecting the justice system. “Some people think judges should be surrogates of their political agendas, and judges cannot, simply cannot, decide cases based on political factors or personal policy preferences,” he said. “The day we do that, our justice system will collapse.”
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|
Horror Headlines: Wednesday May 15th, 2013
Does a "From Dusk Till Dawn" TV series that Robert Rodriguez will be heavily involved in sound awesome to you? I know me too! What if I told you it was going to be on Univision and I was 99% sure it'll be in Spanish? I know I don't know Spanish either but I watch the channel all the time to! I love their stripper/news anchors and the project is just getting off the ground so I think we have enough time to learn the language so we're all going to be good here.
Magnolia Pictures has done gone and picked up the rights to the Israeli film "Big Bad Wolves". The film is written and directed by Aharon Keshales tracks the lives of three men caught up in a series of brutal murders. Keshales also helmed 2010's underground hit "Rabies", which apparently had a lot of really attractive woman in it but also had subtitles so I'm still not sure what to do there.
Juan Carlos Fresnadillo , the guy who directed "28 Weeks Later", has been confirmed to direct "Villain", a new film about two brothers who find themselves lost in the woods. Shia LaBeouf is also set to star in the film and he knows robots so I think we got a winner on our hands here.
Olivia Wilde and Mark Duplass are set to start in a new horror flick from Lionsgate titled "Reawakening". The film focuses on a doctor who discovers how to bring people back to life and the events that follow after he uses it on his daughter. I'm sure there's awful results but if something like this ever comes to be I think we all know that Michael Douglas will be the first one on our lists to bring back to life. Miss you man.
|
The present invention relates to a method and system for incremental database maintenance, and in particular to updating materialized views in a database.
In a data warehouse, views are computed and stored in the database to allow efficient querying and analysis of the data. These views stored at the data warehouse are known as materialized views. In order to keep the views in the data warehouse up to date, it is necessary to maintain the materialized views in response to the changes at the sources. The view can be either recomputed from scratch, or incrementally maintained by propagating the base data changes onto the view so that the view reflects the changes. Incrementally maintaining a view can be significantly cheaper than recomputing the view from scratch, especially if the size of the view is large compared to the size of the changes.
The problem of finding such changes at the views based on changes to the base relations has come to be known as the view maintenance problem and has been studied extensively. Traditional maintenance techniques propagate insertions and deletions from the base relations to the view through each of its operations. Several improved schemes have been proposed for incremental maintenance of view expressions. However, problems arise with traditional techniques and with prior improved schemes. For example, none of the previously known schemes efficiently handles the case of general view expressions involving aggregate and outerjoin operators. As another example, most of the incremental maintenance approaches compute and propagate insertions and deletions at each node in a view expression tree, which is often inefficient.
A need arises for an incremental maintenance technique which efficiently handles general view expressions involving aggregate and outerjoin operators.
The present invention is a method and system for incrementally maintaining a database having at least one materialized view based on at least one table. When changes to the table are received, a change table based on the received changes is generated. The generated change table is propagated upwards to form a higher-level change table and the materialized view is updated by applying the higher-level change table to the materialized view using a refresh operation.
In one aspect of the present invention, the change table includes a plurality of tuples representing the changes and the materialized view includes a plurality of tuples. The refresh operation has two parameters, a join condition and an update function specification. The materialized view is updated by finding all tuples in the materialized view that match the tuple in the change table, using the join condition, for each tuple in the change table and updating each found tuple in the materialized view by performing operations indicated by the update function specification.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the materialized view is an aggregated materialized view. In this embodiment, each tuple in the materialized view and in the change table includes at least one aggregated attribute and may include one or more non-aggregated attributes. Tuples in the materialized view that match the tuple in the change table are found, using the join condition, by matching the non-aggregated attribute of a tuple in the change table, if any, with the non-aggregated attribute of a tuple in the view. Each found tuple in the materialized view is updated by updating the aggregated attribute of the tuple in the view using the aggregated attribute of the tuple in the change table.
In one aspect of this embodiment, the materialized view is further updated by inserting a tuple from the change table into the materialized view, if no tuples are found in the materialized view that match the tuple from the change table, and deleting a tuple from the materialized view, if an aggregated attribute representing a count of a number of tuples in a group represented by a the tuple becomes zero.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the materialized view is an outerjoin materialized view based on a plurality of tables. In this embodiment, there is a tuple in the materialized view corresponding to each value of at least one selected attribute in any of the plurality of tables. Each tuple in the materialized view comprises at least one selected attribute and at least one other attribute. Tuples in the materialized view that match the tuple in the change table are found, using the join by matching the at least one selected attribute of a tuple in the change table with the at least one selected attribute of a tuple in the view. Each found tuple in the materialized view is updated by updating the at least one other attribute of the tuple in the view using the at least one other attribute of the tuple in the change table.
In one aspect of this embodiment, the materialized view is further updated by inserting a tuple from the change table into the materialized view, if no tuples are found in the materialized view that match the tuple from the change table and deleting a tuple from the materialized view, if a value of the at least one selected attribute of the tuple is no longer present in any table.
|
Bus Watcher
Where’s that
school bus and how fast is it going? The Mobile County Board of
Education can now know where every one of its 650 school buses is, thanks to a
GPS-based system that relies on Actsoft’s Comet Tracker software from AT&T.
Each of the district’s buses is continuously monitored for its position, speed
and whether it’s on the route’s approved roads. Position readings are sent to
the school every 30 seconds, reducing fuel costs and enhancing safety.
TrackBack URL for this entry:http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00e54faaf86b8833017d3ccbebff970c
|
Combine Windows 8 with a fast SSD and a UEFI motherboard and you have a system that could POST in two seconds and boot in seven. That's fantastic until you want to go into Windows' boot menu to fix a problem, or tell the firmware to boot off the USB key you just plugged in. The fast booting means that you have just a few hundred milliseconds to press space or F8 for the Windows boot menu—or F1, F2, F12, delete, or whatever your motherboard vendor picked this week to get into its boot device menu.
Fast-booting UEFI systems are still a rarity today (though slow-booting UEFI systems have become commonplace), but they're expected to be abundant once Windows 8 ships. Also abundant will be systems that make it impossible to hit the keyboard keys fast enough, because they won't have any keyboard keys at all; they'll be tablets. To address both of these problems, Microsoft has changed the way the boot menu works in Windows 8, as detailed in the company's latest Windows 8 blog post.
Windows 8 will do two things to help out. If you know that you want to use the menu before you even shut down (for example, to tell the system to boot off a USB key or optical media), you'll be able to elect to do so before you reboot. There will be three different ways to do this: the Settings applet has a button to reboot into the menu, you can hold down shift when rebooting from the regular shutdown menu, and there's a new option for the shutdown.exe command-line program.
Secondly, Windows 8 will be smarter about going into the menu automatically when things go wrong. Windows will already show the boot menu under certain circumstances, such as if it doesn't shut down cleanly. However, that's not perfect; Windows doesn't always know when things aren't working properly, even if it's obvious to the person sitting at the keyboard. An example Microsoft gives of such an issue is a driver problem causing the login screen to be blank; as far as the operating system is concerned, it's booted successfully and is waiting for a user to log in. It's just unusable to any human being.
Windows 8 will be better at detecting these problem scenarios, and will show the boot menu when they occur.
As for the boot menu itself, it's a new, graphical, touch-friendly affair. The menu will be substantially the same across BIOS and UEFI systems, though some options—in particular, the ability to choose to boot off alternative media—will only be available on UEFI machines.
|
Q:
Literature on FX market-maker hedging strategies
Specifically, FX market making.
I am not exactly looking for market-making strategies, but rather when once a market-maker has assumed a net position in a currency spot trading market, what are some optimal ways of hedging that position, measures of exposure, how often the hedge should be rebalanced optimizing to reduce transaction costs etc.
Any pointers to books or papers are appreciated!
A:
take a look at Giles Jewitt's "FX Derivatives Trader School". A clear, concise yet exhaustive read. Highly recommend.
|
/*
* Copyright (C) 2008 The Android Open Source Project
* All rights reserved.
*
* Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
* modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
* are met:
* * Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
* notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
* * Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
* notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in
* the documentation and/or other materials provided with the
* distribution.
*
* THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
* "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
* LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS
* FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
* COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT,
* INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING,
* BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS
* OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED
* AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY,
* OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT
* OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
* SUCH DAMAGE.
*/
#include <sys/wait.h>
#include <stddef.h>
extern "C" int __waitid(idtype_t which, id_t id, siginfo_t* info, int options, struct rusage* ru);
pid_t wait(int* status) {
return wait4(-1, status, 0, NULL);
}
pid_t wait3(int* status, int options, struct rusage* rusage) {
return wait4(-1, status, options, rusage);
}
pid_t waitpid(pid_t pid, int* status, int options) {
return wait4(pid, status, options, NULL);
}
int waitid(idtype_t which, id_t id, siginfo_t* info, int options) {
/* the system call takes an option struct rusage that we don't need */
return __waitid(which, id, info, options, NULL);
}
// TODO: remove this backward compatibility hack (for jb-mr1 strace binaries).
extern "C" pid_t __wait4(pid_t pid, int* status, int options, struct rusage* rusage) {
return wait4(pid, status, options, rusage);
}
|
beIN Sports Arabia 16 HD, SuperSport 3 Adrica, DirecTV Play Deportes, LAOLA1.TV, SuperSPort 3 Africa, OTE Sprt 3, LeTV, Now Sports 2, One Sport and some other channels will be broadcasting this match live throughout the world. People can also watch this match live from the internet as the match will also be available there.
Head to Head –
Matches Played – 8
Sevilla – 4
Eibar – 1
Tie/ Abandon – 3
Sevilla won the last match by 3-1.
Preview –
Sevilla is one of the top teams of La Liga and they are in the 12th position of the point chart at the moment. Their start to this season has been very poor and they are not looking sharp on the field either. They will be playing as the favorites despite those facts because they are the better team overall and they have good record against this particular opponent. If they play at their usual level then they should be able to get an easy win but if they can’t get out of their recent poor form then they will be having trouble inning this match.
Eibar will be playing this match as the home team and that means they will be getting home advantage along with home supporters cheering for them. That will eba big mental boost on their side and if they can keep the pressure on the opponent while keeping a positive attitude themselves then they should be able to get something out of here. If they are little lucky then they may as well win it completely.
Prediction –
We predict that Sevilla will win this match by 2-1, but this match will be very close and anything is possible.
|
Review: MS-Optical Sonnetar 50mm f1.1 for Leica M
The MS-Optical Sonnetar 50/1.1 on the Leica M8. The lens is surprisingly small for its focal length and speed.
The Sonnetar 50mm f1.1 for Leica M is the latest lens design by Mr. Miyazaki from Japan, the man who brought us the 35mm f3.5 and 28mm f4 “Perar” pancake lenses before. The Sonnetar is not a pancake, but still not large either considering its speed. Based on the classic Sonnar design by Zeiss, the Sonnetar manages to be fast and compact at the same time. As with all MS-Optical lenses, it is designed and assembled by only one person, which is why it comes in limited numbers only. I had the opportunity to take a closer look at a pre-production unit of this unique lens.
What’s awesome: The screw-in focusing lever is a joy to use and makes focusing a breeze.
What’s awful: The screw-in focusing lever can easily get lost.
What it boils down to: Super fast, reasonably small, with a classic rendering. What’s not to like?
Gear Used
Design, Ergonomics and Build Quality
50mm f1.1 Sonnetar with lens hood
The 50mm f1.1 Sonnetar, like all Miyazaki-made lenses, has a solid metal body and a hefty feel to it. Holding it in your hand, you’ll be surprised at how light it is, despite all the glass and metal that it’s made of. The focusing and aperture ring run smoothly, and overall the build quality seems to be very high.
50mm f1.1 Sonnetar prototype ‘No. 000′
The German-made 12-bladed aperture provides almost perfectly circular rendition of out-of-focus highlights (commonly referred to as ‘bokeh’). The rest of the lens’ parts are made in Japan and hand assembled by Mr Miyazaki in his workshop. This particular copy was a pre-production prototype that was slightly out of alignment — more on that later.
Probably the most ingenious feature of this lens is the built-in coma adjustment ring. What it does is to move the rearmost lens element forwards and backwards, thereby slightly altering the lens’ focal length and with that its optical properties. It can be used for two things:
to minimize coma (i.e. the rendering of halos around point-shaped light sources at wider apertures, more on Wikipedia), by adjusting the ring to the focus distance or
to fine-tune optimal focus at any given aperture (i.e. to counterbalance focus shift, which is inherent to Sonnar designs.)
More on the coma adjustment ring, how to use it and what it actually does, later in the next section.
Optical Performance
Wide open and close up, the Sonnetar provides ultra shallow depth-of-field.
The MS-Optical Sonnetar 50/1.1 is a lens that begs to be used with the aperture wide open. And after all, what else would be the reason to buy a lens this fast? It’s the perfect tool for available darkness photography, it produces super shallow depth-of-field when used wide open and close up, and its rendering of out-of-focus highlights (i.e. ‘bokeh’) at f1.1 is nothing short of spectacular. That is, spectacular if you’re a fan of the classic look of all-spherical lens designs.
Wide open bokeh. Yes, this is the good stuff!
Stopped down, the lens can get pretty sharp, as most lenses do. But really, I don’t think there’s any reason to use this lens stopped down. Unless this is your only lens … (And it’s not like there aren’t enough scenarios that require huge depth-of-field …)
Stopped down to f5.6, the lens is pretty sharp all across the frame. | Cologne, Germany
Below, you can find a comparison of the lens’ rendering at f1.1 and f5.6. Click each picture to view it in full.
Full frame comparison. Left: f1.1, right: f5.6. | Cologne, Germany
Center crop @ 100%. Left: f1.1, right: f5.6.
While being rather soft wide open, the lens still renders sharply and with a lot of detail. The rendering at f5.6 is, naturally, much more crisp and contrasty.
Bottom right corner @ 100%. Left: f1.1, right: f5.6.
While the lens doesn’t get critically sharp in the corners by f5.6 (which may be a tribute to its very compact design), it also doesn’t look all that terrible wide open, at least not compared to how it renders in the center.
I already mentioned focus shift above. As this lens is based on the classic Sonnar design developed by Zeiss in the early 20th century (see this Wikipedia article), the Sonnetar also inherits this design’s proneness to focus shift. What this means is that when the lens is stopped down, the way the incoming light hits the recording medium (sensor or film) changes in such a way that the optimal plane of sharpness is slightly offset from the point on which you originally focussed. Below, you can find a series of 100% crops of one and the same picture taken at apertures between f1.4 and f4. You will notice how the focus point moves from the front of the topmost tangerine (where I focused) behind all the way past the plate.
f1.4, focused on the front of the topmost tangerine. Optimal sharpness is exactly where I focused.
f2. Optimal sharpness now at the small black dot on the topmost tangerine, or even slightly behind it.
f2.8. Optimal sharpness now on the rear right tangerine, far behind the original focus point.
f4. Optimal sharpness now at the blanket to the right side.
Don’t let this fool you into thinking the Sonnetar was a lesser lens design. You will get exactly the same effect with, for example, a Zeiss Sonnar 50/1.5 ZM, though maybe just not as pronounced. And even fast Leica lenses like the 35mm f1.4 Summilux-M used to show focus shift, until Leica decided to introduce a floating element into the design, which helps adjust the focus point according to the focus distance.
And this is where the Sonnetar’s coma adjustment ring comes into play. Since the adjustment ring physically moves the rearmost lens element, it also moves the lens’ focal length and with that its focal point. This means that the plane of optimal sharpness can be moved forward or backward, so the lens can be fine-tuned to focus spot-on at any given aperture. There are no marks on the adjustment ring for this, so this will need some experimenting. But in theory, the adjustment ring can be used to set optimal focus to f1.1, f2, f2.8 or even further stopped down (though the more you stop down, the more depth-of-field will counterbalance the effect of the focus shift.)
The original idea behind the coma adjustment ring, though, is to reduce coma — i.e. halos around point-shaped highlights when shooting at wide apertures. For this, the adjustment ring has marks to indicate infinity, 4 meters (red dot, see picture in the section above), 2 meters and 1 meter (see section above.) Set the adjustment ring according to your focusing distance, and the lens should render the resulting image with minimal coma. In the image below you can find two 100% crops of the same image taken with the coma adjustment ring at its infinity setting and the 1 meter mark. The focusing distance was infinity.
As you can see, coma is much less pronounced when the coma adjustment ring is set to its infinity setting. I mentioned earlier on that this lens was not quite 100% up to specs being a prototype, so with a final production model the difference should be even more pronounced. Btw, these pictures were taken with a Panasonic G1. On a rangefinder camera, it would not have been possible to focus to infinity correctly in both shots, as — I mentioned this above when talking about focus shift — the plane of optimal sharpness moves when the adjustment ring is turned.
So, now that we’ve established the 50/1.1 Sonnetar’s strengths, and weaknesses, how does it fare when you actually take pictures with it? Surprisingly good, actually. I used the lens in a variety of scenarios, ranging from architectural photography over portraiture up to available light photography (i.e. in the evening or at night), and in each situation the lens delivered top notch results.
The Sonnetar for architectural photography
f4 | Düsseldorf, Germany
Being a 50mm lens, the Sonnetar has minimal or no distortion (none that I would’ve noticed, anyway). Stopped down, there is also no vignetting, and sharpness is pretty even across the frame. I stated before that I belive this lens was made to be shot wide open — but while it’s on the camera, why not stop it down and use it to take architectural pictures?
The Sonnetar for portraiture
f1.1
At f1.1, the lens renders rather softly, which is typical for all-spherical designs, and for Sonnar designs in particular. Depth of field is shallow, so you want to make sure that a) your rangefinder is properly calibrated, b) you set the adjustment ring for optimal focus wide open and c) you focused properly. When all goes well, you are rewarded with beautiful low-contrast images with gentle tones and noticeable glow. Personally, I think this works very well for portraits.
f2 on the Panasonic G1, where the Sonnetar acts like a 100mm lens.
If you want more depth-of-field, for example because you want more than just the eyes to be in focus, you can always stop the lens down, like in the picture above. Despite getting more of your subject in focus, stopping the lens down has the added benefit of resulting in sharper images, as can be observed in the 100% crop below.
The Sonnetar is pretty sharp already at f2.
All in all, the lens works very nicely for portraiture, be it on the Leica M8 (where it acts like a 67mm lens), on the Panasonic G1, on a full-frame 35mm camera like the Leica M-E, or any other mirrorless camera that it can be adapted to.
The Sonnetar for close-ups
f1.1 on the Panasonic G1.
Close-up and wide-open is where this lens shines. It may not be sharp under these conditions, but it renders beautifully and sprinkles magic dust on whatever you’re taking a picture of. Since the lens was made for M-mount rangefinder cameras, it does not focus closer than 70 cm (80 according to its own distance scale.) So, on a full-frame camera like the Leica M, you won’t get very close up. On a Micro Four Thirds body such as the Olympus OM-D E-M5 (or, in my case, the Panasonic G1), however, it acts like a 100mm lens, which means that you can get twice as close to things as you could on full-frame.
There’s that glow again, which gives pictures taken wide open and close up a dreamy look.
But even on the M8 with its larger (1.33 x crop) sensor, I was able to get reasonably close to plantlife, so as to isolate a particular part of that plant even with the lens stopped down.
f2 on the Leica M8.
Close-up photography: check.
The Sonnetar in available darkness
Available light photography, sometimes humorously labeled ‘available darkness’ photography due to the often severely light-lacking conditions under which super fast lenses are used, is the undoubtedly what this lens was made for. With its very bright initial aperture of f1.1, the Sonnetar sucks in so much light that you can get shutter speeds long enough to prevent shake-induced blur even at base ISO — which in the case of the Leica M8 is 160. Below are a couple shots taken at a fair, all at shutter speeds of 1/60th of a second and above, and ISO 160 on the Leica M8.
ISO 160, 1/250th sec.
ISO 160, 1/180th sec.
ISO 160, 1/90th sec. There really wasn’t much light left.
Even with an f1.1 aperture, though, available light photography has its limits. When trying to take pictures of my son in almost complete darkness, his face only slightly illuminated by a lantern, I had to give in. My Leica M8 with its limited high-ISO-capabilities just wasn’t up to the task. Not without risking nasty banding, anyway. The new Leica M, however, just might’ve done the job, though.
Final Thoughts
The MS-Optical Sonnetar 50/1.1 is a unique product. Directly competing with the Voigtländer Nokton 50/1.1, the Sonnetar is made for M-mount rangefinder cameras and comes in at slightly over € 1k, or US-$ 1,350 at current exchange rates as of writing this article. Unlike the similarly-priced Voigtländer, the Sonnetar does not weigh almost a ton, though. In fact, it is very small and light for a lens of its focal length and speed. This is due to the fact that the Sonnetar is based on the Zeiss Sonnar design, which is an all-spherical design that yields compact fast lenses. The Nokton, as well as the overlord of fast glass, the Leica Noctilux 50/0.95, uses a very complex design with aspheric glass, which makes it a lot larger and heavier.
The Sonnar heritage is also what makes the Sonnetar’s charm, as well as its shortcomings. While focus shift can be counteracted with the rather ingenious adjustment ring (which doubles for minimizing coma,) the lens’ rendering wide open is soft, low on contrast and with considerable glow. Stopped down, the lens gets reasonably sharp, although the corners never seemed to get as sharp as the center.
Its optical shortcomings can be used creatively, though, and this is what makes its charm. Used wide open, the lens is brilliant for portraiture, due to the gentle and dreamy way in which it draws. Its bokeh, i.e. the rendering of out-of-focus highlights, is nothing short of breathtaking when the aperture is wide open, and can make for some stunningly beautiful pictures. The same holds true when used for close-up photography of all kinds, where the lens renders in a dreamy way when used wide open. Stopped down, the lens can be used for anything that requires large depth-of-field, such as architecture or landscapes.
All in all, this is a lens that I had a very hard time to let go. In the time I had it, it delivered some of the most outstanding and beautiful pictures I have ever taken — both on the Leica M8 and the Panasonic G1. In that regard, those 109,900 Japanese Yen are money well spent. If you’re in for a fast 50 with that classic Sonnar rendering, that is.
Finally, I would like to thank Dirk Rösler from Japan Exposures who was so kind as to provide the lens for this review. You can order the lens directly via his website. As the lens is made by only one person, it appears in batches of 300 at a time. The first batch may have sold out already while you are reading this, but a second batch is said to be in the making.
Additional Pictures
Below are a couple of additional pictures for your to enjoy.
I came across this newly-wed couple and their white Bentley in Cologne, Germany. I slightly missed focus in this shot, sadly.
Another f1.1 close-up from the Panasonic G1.
Self portrait wide open.
The glow wide open and close up gives the picture a dreamy look. | Cologne, Germany
f1.1 on the Panasonic G1.
Focused at infinity, the glow is less apparent. The overall rendering is still soft and dreamy, though. f1.1 | Bonn, Germany
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INTRODUCTION {#sec1-1}
============
Charcot spinal arthropathy (CSA), also commonly known as spinal neuroarthropathy or neuropathic spinal arthropathy, is a rare progressive disorder of vertebral joint degeneration that occurs in the setting of any condition characterized by decreased afferent innervation, involving loss of deep pain and proprioceptive sensation in the vertebral column. Neuropathic arthropathy was first described by Jean-Martin Charcot in 1868.\[[@ref1]\] The first case of CSA was reported in 1884 by Kronig in a patient with tabes dorsalis secondary to tertiary syphilis.\[[@ref2]\] Historically, CSA was most commonly reported in the setting of tertiary syphilis. Nowadays, as a consequence of low incidence of syphilis due to improved antibiotic therapy, CSA presents almost exclusively in patients who have suffered traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI).\[[@ref3][@ref4][@ref5][@ref6][@ref7]\] CSA secondary to traumatic SCI occurs 17 years after injury on average.\[[@ref8]\] Less commonly, CSA may present secondary to syringomyelia, meningocele, myelomeningocele, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathies, anesthetic leprosy, congenital analgesia, Parkinson\'s disease, arachnoiditis, transverse myelitis, and others.\[[@ref8][@ref9][@ref10][@ref11][@ref12]\] In cases of CSA involving gross spinal instability and absence of medical comorbidities that would otherwise cause contraindication, surgery has become the preferred treatment modality. While posterior-only reconstruction has been indicated in mild cases with minimal bony involvement, the majority of CSA today is treated by circumferential arthrodesis. In addition to improvements in surgical technique, the application of a multimodal treatment model, including the use of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), has reduced the rates of treatment failure.\[[@ref13]\] We present a comprehensive narrative review describing the treatments for CSA, associated complications, and their prevention, with an emphasis on circumferential arthrodesis involving both an anterior and posterior-column construct.
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY/DIAGNOSTICS {#sec1-2}
===========================
While the etiology of CSA remains disputed, two theories have gained prominence. The neurotraumatic theory hypothesizes that abnormal motion and spinal instability secondary to loss of deep pain and proprioceptive sensation in the posttraumatic SCI vertebral column results in repetitive microtrauma that leads to inflammation of the subchondral bone and articular cartilage.\[[@ref9][@ref14]\] Ultimately, the chronic inflammation results in facet joint destruction, intervertebral disc degeneration, progressive deformity, and spinal instability \[[Figure 1](#F1){ref-type="fig"}\].\[[@ref13]\] Conversely, the neurovascular theory describes the onset of hypervascular regions in the subchondral bone due to underlying systemic pathologies such as diabetic neuroarthropathy or autonomic dysfunction. This leads to increased osteoclastic resorption, causing microfractures that ultimately result in facet joint destruction and gross instability.\[[@ref8]\]
{#F1}
CSA can be divided into atrophic and hypertrophic subcategories, with the atrophic form presenting predominantly with bone resorption, and the hypertrophic form presenting with extensive bone formation and osteophytosis.\[[@ref6]\]
To this day, CSA remains a difficult pathology to diagnose due to the nonspecific characteristics of its symptoms, as well as its prolonged progressive destructive nature. The thoracolumbar spine is typically the most commonly affected region.\[[@ref14]\] Bone erosion, osteophytosis, stenosis of the intervertebral space, and presence of paravertebral masses are all common to CSA but are nonspecific. Spasticity, hyperreflexia, asthenia, and leg pain may also be present.\[[@ref15]\] Loss of lower extremity spasticity is thought to be suggestive of CSA secondary to SCI.\[[@ref16]\] On average, the mean time interval between traumatic SCI/neurological impairment and diagnosis of CSA is 17.3 years,\[[@ref8]\] close to our reported mean of 15.1 years; however, we included data of CSA secondary to nontraumatic SCI. Of note, Aebli *et al*. found that CSA secondary to traumatic SCI presented roughly 14 years sooner than CSA secondary to nontraumatic SCI.\[[@ref17]\] Radiological testing may feature extensive intervertebral disc degeneration, significant erosion of the vertebral body, hypertrophic paravertebral osteophytosis with pseudotumoral appearance, and early facet destruction.\[[@ref8][@ref13][@ref17][@ref18]\] Radiographic involvement of all three columns of the spine allows for differentiation from infectious or degenerative etiologies. Computed tomography (CT) is valuable in the assessment of the severity of vertebral bone destruction and paravertebral bone formation. Magnetic resonance imaging may provide increased resolution of adjacent soft tissue.
Although of rare occurrence, CSA may present as a paravertebral pseudotumoral mass, resembling a spinal tumor.\[[@ref18]\] Care must be taken during the differential diagnosis to rule out other progressive destructive spinal pathology, spondylodiscitis, pyogenic spondylitis, metastatic spinal tumor (including both solid and hematological), osteomyelitis, discitis, and Paget\'s disease.\[[@ref9][@ref13][@ref14][@ref18][@ref19]\] The presence of gas within the disc spaces, also known as the "vacuum phenomenon," is a diagnostic criteria and can help differentiate CSA from spondylodiscitis.\[[@ref20]\] Tumors can be ruled out through specific immunohistochemistry markers. Due to the relatively nonspecific nature of its symptoms, CSA is arguably an underdiagnosed pathology.
TREATMENT {#sec1-3}
=========
Treatment options for CSA typically involve conservative monitoring, nonsurgical immobilization, or surgery.\[[@ref8]\] Assuming no contraindications, surgical management has become the ideal treatment modality for CSA, particularly if gross spinal instability is present, to avoid spinal cord compression or cauda equina syndrome. For cases in the elderly who cannot tolerate surgery, or patients with minimal neurological sequelae, it may be appropriate to pursue a conservative or nonsurgical treatment approach. In CSA cases with mild bony involvement, the surgeon may decide to use a posterior column-only construct. This approach should be considered in complete sensorimotor paraplegic patients who are not at risk of neurological aggravation.\[[@ref16]\] Otherwise, the majority of surgical procedures for CSA today comprise of a circumferential arthrodesis, involving a combined anterior-posterior vertebral column construct \[[Figure 2](#F2){ref-type="fig"}\]. Intralesional debridement before fusion is ideal\[[@ref13][@ref19]\] and has shown greatest efficacy when applied through an anterior approach.\[[@ref16]\] In wheelchair-bound patients, a neutral or slightly flexed sagittal position is ideal, as this facilitates proper bladder function.\[[@ref21]\]
{#F2}
METHODS {#sec1-4}
=======
We performed a systematic PubMed database search using the terms "Charcot spine," "CSA," "neuropathic spinal arthropathy," and "spinal neuroarthropathy". Studies between 1991 and 2017 were included in our analysis. Our study focuses on patients receiving surgical treatment for CSA; however, nonsurgical treatment is briefly discussed in our narrative review. Inclusion of CSA patient data in our quantitative analysis required a minimum report of CSA surgical treatment levels, surgical approach (posterior-only instrumentation and fusion, anterior-only instrumentation and fusion, or combined anterior-posterior instrumentation and fusion), and presence or absence of postoperative failure of the initial CSA treatment requiring surgical revision (hardware failure, presumed pseudarthrosis, new Charcot joint formation, etc.). While traumatic SCI represented the most common etiology leading to CSA, patients with development of CSA secondary to Parkinson\'s disease, congenital insensitivity to pain, and others were included in our study if they underwent surgical treatment, reported surgical approach, and presence or absence of initial CSA treatment failure. Our study analyzes the outcomes of surgical treatment for CSA regardless of the etiology of the initial SCI.
The following data points were extracted from our literature review: Patient age and sex, level of initial SCI (American Spinal Injury Association grade if reported), the number of levels fused during spine surgical treatment of the underlying condition (the "index procedure"), vertebral column level of CSA, the number of years between onset of the underlying condition and diagnosis of CSA, symptom presentation and important medical histories leading to the diagnosis of CSA, vertebral levels undergoing CSA surgical treatment, type of surgical treatment, total follow-up, and presence or absence of failure of the initial CSA treatment. All cases treated by circumferential arthrodesis were included, including single-stage and multi-staged approaches, posterior-only and combined anterior-posterior approaches, and multi-modal treatment paradigms including but not limited to the addition of BMP and four-rod instrumentation. Total follow-up was defined as the length of time in months from initial CSA surgical treatment to the last outpatient clinic follow-up \[[Table 1](#T1){ref-type="table"}\].
######
Surgical treatment of Charcot spinal arthropathy
RESULTS {#sec1-5}
=======
Twenty-seven articles from our literature search were included for data analysis \[[Table 1](#T1){ref-type="table"}\]. A total of 84 patients with 86 Charcot joints were included. Two patients presented with multiple Charcot joint involvement. The largest case series presented comprised of 23 patients.\[[@ref13]\]
The mean age at presentation was 43.2 years (range 11--74 years). Gender was reported for 71 patients, resulting in 54 males (76.1%) and 17 females (23.9%). The level of initial SCI was reported in 72 patients. T10 was the most common site of initial injury (15 patients), with T12 (11 patients) and T8 (8 patients) being the second and third most common sites of initial injury, respectively. Index procedure fusion levels were reported for 58 patients. Patients developing CSA had long initial fusion constructs spanning a mean of 8.0 vertebral levels.
Pain (53.6%), deformity/loss of sitting tolerance (47.6%), and an audible click on movement/mechanical transfer (31.0%) were the most common symptoms leading up to a diagnosis of CSA at patient presentation. Other symptoms were present as well, including 10 patients (11.9%) presenting with symptoms of autonomic dysreflexia, 8 patients (9.5%) with concomitant infection, 6 patients (7.1%) with bladder/anal/erectile dysfunction, and 4 patients (4.8%) with skin breakdown. Four patients presented with a history of congenital insensitivity to pain, 1 with congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA), and 1 with Parkinson\'s disease.
L2 was the most common vertebrae involved in a Charcot joint, with 25 of 86 Charcot joints (29.1%) involving L2. L3 and L1 were the second and third most common vertebrae involved with Charcot joints, at 27.9% and 26.7%, respectively.
The interval in years between onset of the underlying condition and CSA diagnosis was reported for 76 patients, with a mean of 15.1 years (range 1--41 years).
Of the 84 patients included in our analysis, 71 received combined anterior-posterior instrumentation and fusion, 12 received a posterior-only construct, and 1 received an anterior-only construct. Twenty-one of the 71 patients (29.6%) receiving combined treatment had failure of their initial CSA construct, which resulted in requiring revision surgery. Seven of the 12 (58.3%) patients receiving posterior-only treatment along with the patient receiving anterior-only treatment also experienced construct failure, necessitating a revision surgery.
Total follow-up time was reported for 76 patients, for a mean of 42.7 months. Ten patients were lost to follow-up.
DISCUSSION {#sec1-6}
==========
CSA today is most commonly seen in paraplegic patients who have undergone prior spine fusion surgery for traumatic SCI, with most Charcot joints appearing within the first two vertebrae distal to the caudal end of the initial fusion segment. L1-L2 and L2-L3 is the most commonly affected region, along with the thoracolumbar and lumbosacral joints. CSA has also been reported in segments rostral to the instrumentation level, although this phenomenon is rare.\[[@ref36]\] Patients most commonly present with symptoms of lower back pain, sitting imbalance, progressive spinal deformity (usually kyphosis), and an audible clicking sound on changing postures. Some studies in the literature report loss of sitting tolerance/deformity as the most common symptom of CSA;\[[@ref5][@ref17][@ref32]\] however, our data show back pain has a slightly higher rate of presentation. Diagnostic criteria for CSA must include the presence of a preexisting condition characterized by deterioration of deep pain sensation and proprioception, profuse bone resorption and osteogenesis, and histopathological evidence of nonspecific chronic inflammation, to differentiate CSA from other inflammatory and neoplastic pathology.\[[@ref18]\] Radiographically, all CSA cases present with disc and vertebral destruction.
Long-segment instrumentation spanning five or more vertebral segments create lever arms that increase risk for CSA.\[[@ref17]\] Patients developing CSA in our study present with long-segment constructs averaging 8.0 vertebral segments. Excessive biomechanical loads at the ends of the construct, specifically lateral bending and torso rotation, increase probability of CSA development. Supplementing this load by physical activities such as weightlifting may exacerbate the supraphysiological forces already experienced by the joint due to the long-segment construct.\[[@ref31]\] Iatrogenic instability triggered by laminectomy in previous spinal surgeries may also increase risk of CSA development.\[[@ref3][@ref16][@ref17]\] The majority of CSA develops within the region of instrumentation or laminectomy, or at the caudal end of the region that initially underwent operation; the exception to this being patients who undergo surgery for the cervical or upper thoracic spine.\[[@ref8]\] Morita *et al*. describe the addition of ankylosing spinal hyperostosis (ASH) to SCI as an additional risk factor for CSA development, as 7 of their 9 patients (77.8%) developed CSA at the junction between, or at the end of the ASH.\[[@ref16]\] ASH is believed to limit mobility in mobile spinal segments and exposes them to biomechanical stress.
Most of the literature recommends a combined anterior-posterior circumferential fusion to reduce hardware failure rates, and there are studies which support this notion. A case of a 23-year-old male with CIPA underwent anterior-only fusion, a choice the authors believed was sufficient unless biopsies showed active infection.\[[@ref30]\] The anterior column-only construct failed, a complication the authors believe likely could have been avoided if they used a circumferential fusion instead. The patient suffered minimal consequences as a result of his CIPA. Of note, this patient did not show elevated C-reactive protein levels (0.9 mg/dl), a finding that contradicts most of the literature regarding CSA diagnostics.\[[@ref30]\] C-reactive protein levels have been cited as a measure specific to the diagnosis of CSA.\[[@ref13]\] However, there are instances such as the Cassidy case, as well as the Aydinli case which do not test positive for elevated C-reactive protein levels.\[[@ref30][@ref36]\] In general, patients with congenital insensitivity to pain receive CSA diagnoses at a much earlier age (22.3 vs. 46.7 years in the review by Barrey *et al*.).\[[@ref8]\] Patients with congenital insensitivity to pain may be at risk for new CSA development after fusion, so continued monitoring of these patients is paramount.\[[@ref33]\]
Circumferential arthrodesis may be achieved through a single-stage or multi-staged approach. A case study by Kim *et al*. describes a circumferential arthrodesis through a single-staged posterolateral costotransversectomy approach, which was done in an attempt to avoid the morbidity typically associated with a multi-staged combination of anterior and posterior surgery.\[[@ref19]\] Suda *et al*. also suggest a single-staged circumferential arthrodesis in systemically healthy patients. However, for patients with medical comorbidities, a multi-staged circumferential arthrodesis is advised.\[[@ref3]\] While there were no postoperative complications or evidence of hardware loosening, follow-up CT imaging showed inadequate preparation of the endplates and incorrect mesh cage placement, an issue the authors attributed to limited visual capabilities from their surgical approach, and difficulties establishing boundaries between bone and disc due to the scar tissue around the Charcot joint.\[[@ref19]\] In another case report presented by David *et al*., a 44-year-old paraplegic woman with a history of multiple anterior and posterior surgeries for scoliosis, developed CSA at L3 and L4, below her prior scoliosis fusion from T4 to L2. Because of her multiple anterior surgeries for scoliosis, the authors concluded an anterior approach would produce significant risk to the vessels adjacent to the Charcot segment, due to inflammatory adhesion.\[[@ref21]\] The single-stage, posterior 3-column resection approach used by the authors provides ventral access to the affected vertebral bodies without transecting the thecal sac, through ligation of nonfunctional roots within the Charcot segment.\[[@ref21]\] By permitting direct host-to-host bony contact, the procedure eliminates the need for anterior and posterior column struts, while reducing the number of graft-host sites for the bone union. The authors believe the single-stage, posterior 3-column resection with primary shortening approach avoids the potential complications of a long anterior cage or allograft segment.\[[@ref21]\] The use of BMP, in this case, must be acknowledged, as this biological agent is known to promote union and decrease treatment failure rates.\[[@ref13]\] While these case studies suggest high fusion and low hardware failure rates for single-stage posterior approaches, the results require further investigation due to the nature of their small sample size. It is also important to consider the length of follow-up in these studies, as hardware failure as a complication of surgical treatment of CSA is usually reported within the first 24-month postoperatively.\[[@ref13]\] The majority of studies in the literature report low failure rates of surgical CSA treatment; however, these studies are typically limited by the duration of follow-up. When followed for extended periods, surgical CSA failure rates increase significantly, suggesting CSA is a progressive disorder even with successful surgical fusion.\[[@ref26]\]
The extent of instrumentation necessary to maintain stability and reduce hardware failure continues to be a controversial topic. Vertebral segments lacking instrumentation adjacent to prior fusion segments are at increased risk for developing new Charcot joints. Adjacent prior fusion levels should be incorporated into the CSA surgical levels to prevent pseudarthrosis.\[[@ref7]\] To prevent relapse of CSA, some authors have proposed extension of posterior fusion from the first sacral vertebrae to at least the first level in a sensitive area.\[[@ref27]\] Patients with construct extension to the ilium have a decreased risk of development of secondary CSA compared to patients with constructs ending in the lumbar spine.\[[@ref26][@ref29]\] Extension of instrumentation to the sacrum or ilium through a four-rod lumbopelvic construct may prevent development of new Charcot joints distal to the construct, as well as prevent hardware failure.\[[@ref13]\] Extension of fusion to the ilium is recommended in cases of lumbar CSA.\[[@ref22]\] However, the effect of the decreased lumbar spine mobility on patient function involving daily tasks must be considered. Quan and Wilde describe a case study of a 42-year-old Caucasian man presenting with complete T6 paraplegia and symptoms suggestive of autonomic dysreflexia 21 years after a traumatic SCI event. After multiple surgeries to achieve circumferential arthrodesis, the patient experienced bilateral loosening of L5 and S1 screws, resulting in revision surgery and extension of the posterior reconstruction caudally to the ilium. Ten weeks later, the patient sustained an intertrochanteric femoral neck fracture, a result likely caused by the biomechanical transfer of stress from the spinopelvic fusion to the hip joint. While spinopelvic fusion has been shown to decrease hardware failure rates across the lumbosacral junction; it also risks proximal femoral insufficiency fractures.\[[@ref25]\] It is critical to consider these risks when assessing whether to extend instrumentation to the ilium. In addition, it is also crucial to assess hip range of motion before surgery, as limited hip mobility may result in increased compensatory lumbar motion in a sitting or supine position, which can impair quality of fusion.\[[@ref4]\] Fusion to the ilium in settings of limited hip range of motion can also result in significant loss of daily activity function.\[[@ref26]\]
Autonomic dysreflexia and concurrent infection may present with CSA. Patients suffering SCI rostral to T6 are at risk of developing autonomic dysreflexia, due to interruptions of the connections between the brain and the splanchnic vascular bed.\[[@ref11][@ref23]\] It is important to note that while the majority of patients with CSA present with symptoms of spinal instability, deformity, lower back pain, and audible clicking sounds on movement, all reported cases of CSA with autonomic dysfunction emphasize the chief complaints of hypertension-induced headaches and sweating on patient presentation.\[[@ref11]\] Consistent with the theory that SCI rostral to T6 are at increased risk for the development of autonomic dysreflexia, Selmi *et al*. report two cases of CSA patients developing autonomic dysreflexia with initial SCI at C7-T1 and C5-C6.\[[@ref37]\] Lumbar spinal instability can also act as a rare trigger of autonomic dysreflexia, as demonstrated by a patient presented by Zyck *et al*. with L5-S1 instability.\[[@ref23]\] While the etiology of CSA-induced autonomic dysreflexia remain unclear, theories in the literature have proposed pressure exerted on the presacral nerve plexus and retroperitoneal viscera secondary to the CSA spinal instability as a possible mechanism.\[[@ref16]\] Routine X-rays of the urinary tract in SCI patients can aid in the initial diagnosis.\[[@ref37]\]
Infection has been identified as both a risk factor and a complication of CSA. The literature suggests paraplegic patients with recurring infections, particularly urinary tract infections, are at increased risk for development of CSA,\[[@ref38]\] as supported by a case of a 57-year-old paraplegic man presenting with CSA and history of multiple urogenital infections and methicillin-resistant *Staphylococcus aureus*.\[[@ref39]\] Infection as a complication of CSA is rare, with a rate of 9.5% (8/84) as presented in our study, and 17.4% (4/23) as reported by Jacobs *et al*.\[[@ref13]\] Infected CSA lesions while rarely reported in the literature, present a complicated scenario. Fistula formation of subcutaneous cyst in the back or hematogenous dissemination are proposed causes for infected CSA lesions.\[[@ref16]\] In their two cases presenting with infected CSA, Morita *et al*. suggest antibiotic treatment or subcutaneous fistula debridement may be insufficient once the infected CSA lesion has broken down, primarily because degeneration of all three spinal columns and severe instability would result in widespread infection and inflammation.\[[@ref16]\] While the majority of CSA instrumentation techniques involve internal fixation, Suda *et al*. have described the benefits of percutaneous external spinal fixation in the treatment of infected CSA.\[[@ref40]\]
Although the majority of CSA cases today are secondary to traumatic SCI, we believe it is important to briefly discuss some of the rarer causes and symptoms of CSA. Studies in the literature report rare cases of CSA presentation in patients with Parkinson\'s disease, although no definitive association between the two pathologies has been established.\[[@ref14]\] van Eeckhoudt *et al*. reported a case of a 65-year-old woman with a history of both type 1 diabetes mellitus and Parkinson\'s disease, but were unable to definitively conclude whether the Parkinson\'s exacerbated her CSA.\[[@ref9]\] Of note, the patients' C-reactive protein was elevated at 1.4 mg/dl (normal \<1 mg/dl), consistent with the literature on C-reactive protein as a specific diagnostic marker for CSA.\[[@ref13]\] CSA has also been reported in the setting of vascular lesion, such as spinal arteriovenous malformation.\[[@ref41]\] Bishop *et al*. describe a CSA case involving a 38-year-old male presenting with abdominal discomfort and increasing abdominal girth as a result of massive bone destruction and cystic formation with hyperemia in the retroperitoneal space.\[[@ref10]\] Regarding rare symptom presentation of CSA, Oni and Dajoyag-Mejia report a case of ascending cephalad sensory loss. While nonspecific to the diagnosis of CSA, the authors suggest cephalad sensory loss as a clinical manifestation supporting its diagnosis. Negative tests for infectious and neoplastic etiology ultimately led to the diagnosis of CSA.\[[@ref42]\] Finally, progressive deformity can be accelerated by an intrathecal baclofen catheter, increasing risk for CSA formation.\[[@ref24]\]
Conservative management may be indicated in elderly patients with medical comorbidities contraindicated to surgery. It also remains an option for early-stage CSA patients; however, because patients with complete SCI can be exposed to recurrent infection from the urinary tract or a sacral decubitus ulcer, the risk of CSA infection must be considered before choosing a modality of treatment.\[[@ref16]\] In a study by Aebli *et al*., 3 of their 7 patients treated without surgery due to increased anesthesia risk, died within 10 months, suggesting conservative management increases risk of mortality.\[[@ref17]\]
The majority of studies in the literature are limited by duration of follow-up. We suggest future studies to analyze CSA surgical outcomes after a prolonged follow-up period. Our literature review also revealed the lack of studies on the relationship between radiographic fusion and functional outcome. As it is important to consider potential functional impact when considering stabilization surgery, we suggest this as a future topic of study.
CONCLUSION {#sec1-7}
==========
CSA is predominantly a surgical disease that presents most commonly in patients with prior traumatic SCI. Circumferential arthrodesis remains the best option for surgical treatment of CSA. Since surgical intervention is associated with multiple complications including hardware construct failure, the authors recommend long constructs including sacropelvic fixation to avoid high failure rates. In addition, we advocate the use of BMP with surgical treatment to decrease failure rates.
Declaration of patient consent {#sec2-1}
------------------------------
The authors certify that they have obtained all appropriate patient consent forms. In the form the patient(s) has/have given his/her/their consent for his/her/their images and other clinical information to be reported in the journal. The patients understand that their names and initials will not be published and due efforts will be made to conceal their identity, but anonymity cannot be guaranteed.
Financial support and sponsorship {#sec2-2}
---------------------------------
Nil.
Conflicts of interest {#sec2-3}
---------------------
There are no conflicts of interest.
|
SAN JOSE, Calif. – San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski reported to U.S. Men’s National Team camp in Orlando, Fla., on Sunday as he aims to make the 23-player squad that will compete in three friendlies and two 2014 World Cup qualifiers from May 26 to June 12.
Wondolowski has been on a tear to start the 2012 MLS campaign. He became the fastest player to 10 goals in MLS history, reaching double digits in San Jose’s ninth game. The two-time league-leading goal scorer tops the Budweiser Golden Boot standings with 11 in 12 games, one ahead of New York Red Bulls striker Kenny Cooper.
“Wondo has been in terrific form for us and we’re happy to see him called up to the U.S. national team,” said Earthquakes head coach Frank Yallop. “Hopefully he’ll continue his success from our league onto the international level and put a few in the back of the net for Jurgen Klinsmann’s squad.”
Klinsmann’s camp convened on May 15 with a group of internationally-based players reporting to Orlando. Eleven more were added to the roster on Sunday. From the 27 players in camp, 23 will be selected on May 25 for a series of five matches, including CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers against Antigua & Barbuda and Guatemala (full schedule below).
After breaking through with his first national team appearance on Jan. 22, 2011 against Chile, Wondolowski has earned seven career caps for the Americans. Most recently, he participated in Klinsmann’s January 2012 camp, which culminated with matches against Venezuela on Jan. 21 and Panama on Jan. 25.
“Chris has been terrific this season and he deserves to get his chance on the international stage. Any time you get to suit up for your country, it’s a major honor,” said Earthquakes general manager John Doyle.
--
Jurgen Klinsmann on Wondo and other MLSers in Camp:
“Graham Zusi left a very strong impression in the January camp. Geoff Cameron is a guy that is really knocking at the door, with a very strong January camp but also very strong performances for Houston. You have Chris Wondolowski who is scoring and scoring. This is what he loves to do and his attitude and his spirit is just great for a team to have.”
Chris Wondolowski with U.S. Men’s National Team
Jan. 22, 2011 – vs. Chile at The Home Depot Center, started and played 60 minutes
June 4, 2011 – vs. Spain at Gillette Stadium, played 45 minutes as a sub
June 7, 2011* – vs. Canada at Ford Field, played 26 minutes as a sub
June 11, 2011* – vs. Panama at Raymond James Stadium, played 12 minutes as a sub
June 14, 2011* – vs. Guadeloupe at Livestrong Sporting Park, started and played 64 minutes
Jan. 21, 2012 – vs. Venezuela at University of Phoenix Stadium, played 28 minutes as a sub
Jan. 25, 2012 – vs. Panama at Estadio Rommel Fernandez, started and played 55 minutes
* 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup
Updated U.S. Roster by Position
GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (8): Carlos Bocanegra (Rangers), Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo), Edgar Castillo (Club Tijuana), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Alfredo Morales (Hertha Berlin), Oguchi Onyewu (Sporting Lisbon), Michael Parkhurst (Nordsjaelland)
MIDFIELDERS (9): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Chievo Verona), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04), Jose Torres (Pachuca), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
FORWARDS (7): Juan Agudelo (Chivas USA), Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), Terrence Boyd (Borussia Dortmund), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Herculez Gomez (Santos), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
U.S. Men’s National Team Schedule
^May 26 – U.S. vs. Scotland at EverBank Field (Jacksonville, Fla.), 5 p.m. PT on NBC Sports / Galavision
^May 30 – U.S. vs. Brazil at FedExField (Landover, Md.), 5 p.m. PT on ESPN2 / ESPN3 / TeleFutura
^June 3 – U.S. vs. Canada at BMO Field (Toronto, Canada), 4 p.m. PT on NBC Sports / Univision Deportes
*June 8 – U.S. vs. Antigua & Barbuda at Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Fla.), 4 p.m. PT on ESPN / ESPN3 / Galavision
*June 12 – U.S. vs. Guatemala at Estadio Mateo Flores (Guatemala City, Guatemala), 6 p.m. PT
^ International friendly
* CONCACAF World Cup qualifier
|
453 Pa. Superior Ct. 78 (1996)
682 A.2d 1314
J.A.L., Appellant,
v.
E.P.H.
Superior Court of Pennsylvania.
Argued May 23, 1996.
Filed September 19, 1996.
*81 Bernard D. Faigenbaum, Philadeiphia, for appellant.
Joni J. Berner, Philadelphia, for appellee.
Before BECK, KELLY and BROSKY, JJ.
BECK, Judge:
We are asked to decide whether appellant J.A.L., the former lesbian life partner of appellee E.P.H., has standing to petition for partial custody of the child born to E.P.H. during their relationship. We conclude that the trial court erred in denying standing to J.A.L. Therefore, we reverse and remand for consideration of appellant's petition for partial custody.
Appellant J.A.L. and appellee E.P.H. entered into a lesbian relationship in 1980 and began living together as life partners in 1982, purchasing a home together in 1988. From quite early in the relationship, E.P.H. wished to have a child. Following several years of discussion, the parties agreed that E.P.H. would be artificially inseminated to attempt to conceive *82 a child whom the parties would raise together. Together, E.P.H. and J.A.L. selected a sperm donor and made arrangements for a contract between E.P.H. and the donor whereby the donor relinquished his parental rights in any child E.P.H. might bear.
In August 1989, the insemination process began. The inseminations occurred in J.A.L.'s and E.P.H.'s home. For each insemination, the donor would produce the sperm in one room and J.A.L. would receive the sperm and take them to E.P.H. in another room, where J.A.L. would perform the insemination. This procedure was repeated several times each month until E.P.H. became pregnant in October, 1989, then resumed in 1990 after E.P.H. had a miscarriage in December, 1989. In September, 1990, E.P.H. again became pregnant. During the pregnancy, J.A.L. accompanied E.P.H. to doctor's visits and attended childbirth classes with her. E.P.H. successfully carried the child to term, and J.A.L., as well as two friends of E.P.H., was present at the birth of the child, G.H., in June, 1991. In registering the child's birth, E.P.H. gave J.A.L.'s surname as the child's middle name; E.P.H. subsequently had the child's middle name legally changed.
During E.P.H.'s pregnancy, E.P.H. and J.A.L. consulted with an attorney regarding the status of the child. The attorney prepared drafts of several documents for the parties' consideration. The first document was a Nomination of Guardian in which E.P.H. named J.A.L. as the guardian of the child in the event of E.P.H.'s death or disability. The document included the following statement:
This nomination is based on the fact that [J.A.L.] and I jointly made the decision that I should conceive and bear a child that we would then jointly raise. It is our intention that [J.A.L.] will establish from birth a loving and parental relationship with the child. Furthermore, my child will live with this adult from birth and will look to her for guidance, support and affection. It would be detrimental to my child to deprive my child of this established relationship at a time when I am unable to provide the security and care necessary to my child's healthy development.
*83 The second document prepared for the parties was an Authorization for Consent to Medical Treatment of Minor, permitting J.A.L. to consent to medical or dental treatment of the child. The attorney also prepared a Last Will and Testament for each party, providing for the other party and the child. E.P.H.'s will also included a clause appointing J.A.L. as the guardian of the child, stating:
I have specifically and purposefully named [J.A.L.] as primary guardian of my child as I intend for the bond between my partner, [J.A.L.], and my child to be of primary importance and strength. [J.A.L.] and I jointly decided that I would conceive and bear my child. We intend to raise the child together as a family. It is my belief that the continuation of the parent-child relationship between [J.A.L.] and my child will be essential to my child's well-being, and that it will be in the child's best interests to remain with [J.A.L.].
The final document prepared by the attorney was a coparenting agreement which set forth the parties' intention to raise the child together, to share the financial responsibility for the child, to make decisions about the child jointly, and for J.A.L. to become a de facto parent to the child. The agreement also provided that in the event of the parties' separation, they would share custody, continuing to make major decisions about the child jointly and splitting the financial responsibility for the child's support.
Shortly before the child's birth, the parties executed the nomination of guardian, the authorization for consent to medical treatment and the wills.[1] J.A.L. refused to execute the coparenting agreement, which the attorney advised the parties was not enforceable in Pennsylvania.
After the birth, E.P.H., J.A.L. and the child lived together in the house owned by E.P.H. and J.A.L. E.P.H. was the primary caregiver to the child, but J.A.L. assisted with all aspects of the care of the baby, particularly during the first few weeks after the birth while E.P.H. recovered from a caesarean section. J.A.L. also cared for the baby alone from *84 time to time when E.P.H. went out. During E.P.H.'s maternity leave, J.A.L. provided the primary financial support for the household, and throughout 1991 she continued to provide the majority of the household's income because E.P.H. initially returned to work only part-time.
In late 1991, serious problems developed in the relationship between E.P.H. and J.A.L., and in the spring of 1992, E.P.H. left the parties' home, taking the child with her and informing J.A.L. that she intended to raise the child as a single parent. For the first year of the separation, by agreement of the parties, J.A.L. took the child for visits twice a week, one on a weekday afternoon and the other for a full day on the weekend. During the second year of the separation, E.P.H. reduced the visits, still allowing one afternoon visit per week, but limiting the full-day weekend visits to once every two weeks. On the days of her visits, J.A.L. would pick up the child, who was then one to two years old, either from day care (for the weekday visits) or E.P.H.'s residence (for the weekend visits) and would return the child in the evening. During the visits, J.A.L. would feed the child, arrange for naps, provide toys and activities, and generally care for the child. Both parties testified that the child enjoyed and looked forward to these visits and felt an attachment to J.A.L. E.P.H. also testified that the child has similar visits and relationships with other adult "special friends."
In April, 1994, E.P.H. advised J.A.L. that she no longer wished to have any contact whatsoever with J.A.L. and that she also wished to end the visits between J.A.L. and the child. E.P.H. testified that she took this action because she felt that J.A.L. was trying to establish a parental relationship with the child and to undermine E.P.H. as parent and that this could be harmful to the child. Although J.A.L. sought to continue seeing the child, the parties were unable to come to any agreement to continue J.A.L.'s visits, and in February, 1995, J.A.L. initiated this action for partial custody.
In response to J.A.L.'s complaint for partial custody, E.P.H. filed preliminary objections challenging J.A.L.'s standing. Following a hearing at which both parties and several other *85 witnesses testified, the trial court granted the preliminary objections and dismissed the complaint for partial custody based upon J.A.L.'s lack of standing to bring such an action. This appeal followed.
In reviewing the trial court's determination, we are mindful of our proper scope and standard of review:
[t]he scope of review of an appellate court reviewing a child custody order is of the broadest type; the appellate court is not bound by the deductions or inferences made by the trial court from its findings of fact, nor must the reviewing court accept a finding that has no competent evidence to support it. However, this broad scope of review does not vest in the reviewing court the duty or the privilege of making its own independent determination. Thus, an appellate court is empowered to determine whether the trial court's incontrovertible factual findings support its factual conclusions, but it may not interfere with those conclusions unless they are unreasonable in view of the trial court's factual findings; and thus, represent a gross abuse of discretion.
McMillen v. McMillen, 529 Pa. 198, 202, 602 A.2d 845, 847 (1992) (citations omitted).
The trial court in this case determined that because J.A.L. was neither a biological nor an adoptive parent of the child, she must be viewed as a "third party" in her attempt to obtain partial custody and thus would have standing to seek custody only if she stood in loco parentis to the child. The court went on to conclude that J.A.L. did not stand in loco parentis to the child because E.P.H. never intended to grant her that status and J.A.L. understood that she was considered only to be a friend, not a parent, of the child. Accordingly, the trial court held that J.A.L. lacked standing to seek partial custody of the child. We hold that the trial court's application of the concept of standing in this custody matter was overly technical and mechanistic and that it was error to preclude J.A.L. from seeking a judicial determination of her claim for partial custody of the child.
*86 The concept of standing, an element of justiciability, is a fundamental one in our jurisprudence: no matter will be adjudicated by our courts unless it is brought by a party aggrieved in that his or her rights have been invaded or infringed by the matter complained of. William Penn Parking Garage, Inc. v. City of Pittsburgh, 464 Pa. 168, 346 A.2d 269 (1975); In re Mengel, 287 Pa.Super. 186, 429 A.2d 1162 (1981). The purpose of this rule is to ensure that cases are presented to the court by one having a genuine, and not merely a theoretical, interest in the matter. Thus the traditional test for standing is that the proponent of the action must have a direct, substantial and immediate interest in the matter at hand. William Penn Parking Garage, Inc. v. City of Pittsburgh, supra. See also Chester County Children and Youth Services v. Cunningham, 540 Pa. 258, 656 A.2d 1346 (1995) (Opinion in Support of Reversal by Montemuro, J.). It is not enough that the proponent merely share in the common interest of all citizens in ensuring obedience to our laws. Id. Issues of standing thus require us to resolve "the basically simple problem of whether or not petitioner's asserted interest is in the circumstances deserving of legal protection." K.C. Davis, Administrative Law, (1951) at 714, quoted in In re Mengel, supra at 189, 429 A.2d at 1164.
In the area of child custody, principles of standing have been applied with particular scrupulousness because they serve a dual purpose: not only to protect the interest of the court system by assuring that actions are litigated by appropriate parties, but also to prevent intrusion into the protected domain of the family by those who are merely strangers, however well-meaning. See Jackson v. Garland, 424 Pa.Super. 378, 622 A.2d 969 (1993); Commonwealth ex rel. Ebel v. King, 162 Pa.Super. 533, 58 A.2d 484 (1948). Thus in custody cases it has been held that an action may be brought only by a person having a "prima facie right to custody." E.g., Van Coutren v. Wells, 430 Pa.Super. 212, 633 A.2d 1214 (1993); Helsel v. Blair County Children and Youth Services, 359 Pa.Super. 487, 519 A.2d 456 (1986).
*87 Biological parents have a prima facie right to custody, but biological parenthood is not the only source of such a right. Cognizable rights to seek full or partial custody may also arise under statutes such as Chapter 53 of the Domestic Relations Code, 23 Pa.C.S. §§ 5311 et seq. (permitting grandparents and greatgrandparents to seek visitation or partial custody of their grandchildren or great grandchildren), or by virtue of the parties' conduct, as in cases where a third party who has stood in loco parentis has been recognized as possessing a prima facie right sufficient to grant standing to litigate questions of custody of the child for whom he or she has cared. See, e.g., Rosado v. Diaz, 425 Pa.Super. 155, 624 A.2d 193 (1993); Karner v. McMahon, 433 Pa.Super. 290, 640 A.2d 926 (1994).
It is important to recognize that in this context, the term "prima facie right to custody" means only that the party has a colorable claim to custody of the child. The existence of such a colorable claim to custody grants standing only. In other words, it allows the party to maintain an action to seek vindication of his or her claimed rights. A finding of a prima facie right sufficient to establish standing does not affect that party's evidentiary burden: in order to be granted full or partial custody, he or she must still establish that such would be in the best interest of the child under the standards applicable to third parties.
Thus the use of the term "prima facie right to custody" in a standing inquiry must be distinguished from the use of that term in the context of determining custody rights as between a parent and a non-parent. In this latter context, the natural parent's prima facie right to custody has the effect of increasing the evidentiary burden on the non-parent seeking custody. Ellerbe v. Hooks, 490 Pa. 363, 416 A.2d 512 (1980); In re Hernandez, 249 Pa.Super. 274, 376 A.2d 648 (1977). See Campbell v. Campbell, 448 Pa.Super. 640, 672 A.2d 835 (1996) (natural mother confused principles of standing with standard to be applied in deciding custody dispute); Walkenstein v. Walkenstein, 443 Pa.Super. 683, 663 A.2d 178 (1995) (same). *88 Appropriate deference to the parent's right to custody thus does not require that all third parties be denied standing, or even that standing rules be applied in an overly stringent manner; the increased burden of proof required of third parties seeking custody rights provides an additional layer of protection for the parent. See Kellogg v. Kellogg, 435 Pa.Super. 581, 586-88, 646 A.2d 1246, 1249 (1994); (third parties who establish standing by virtue of in loco parentis are not elevated to status of natural parent in determining merits of custody dispute); Commonwealth ex rel. Patricia L.F. v. Malbert J.F., 278 Pa.Super. 343, 420 A.2d 572 (1980) (same).[2]
The in loco parentis basis for standing recognizes that the need to guard the family from intrusions by third parties and to protect the rights of the natural parent must be tempered by the paramount need to protect the child's best interest. Thus, while it is presumed that a child's best interest is served by maintaining the family's privacy and autonomy, that presumption must give way where the child has established strong psychological bonds with a person who, although not a biological parent, has lived with the child and provided care, nurture, and affection, assuming in the child's eye a stature like that of a parent. Where such a relationship is shown, our courts recognize that the child's best interest requires that the third party be granted standing so as to have the opportunity to litigate fully the issue of whether that *89 relationship should be maintained even over a natural parent's objections.
Although the requirement of in loco parentis status for third parties seeking child custody rights is often stated as though it were a rigid rule, it is important to view the standard in light of the purpose of standing principles generally: to ensure that actions are brought only by those with a genuine, substantial interest. When so viewed, it is apparent that the showing necessary to establish in loco parentis status must in fact be flexible and dependent upon the particular facts of the case. Thus, while unrelated third parties are only rarely found to stand in loco parentis, step-parents, who by living in a family setting with the child of a spouse have developed a parent-like relationship with the child, have often been assumed without discussion to have standing to seek a continued relationship with the child upon the termination of the relationship between the step-parents. See, e.g., Commonwealth ex rel. Patricia L.F. v. Malbert J.F., supra (considering, but denying on the merits, step-parent's claim for custody); Auman v. Eash, 228 Pa.Super. 242, 323 A.2d 94 (1974) (same). Where the issue of a step-parent's standing has been directly addressed by this court, standing has been found to exist because the step-parents stood in loco parentis to the child or children in question. Karner v. McMahon, supra; Spells v. Spells, 250 Pa.Super. 168, 378 A.2d 879 (1977).
In addition, we have suggested that where a petitioner who is not biologically related to the child but has established a parent-like relationship with the child seeks not to supplant the natural parent, but only to maintain his relationship with the child through reasonable visitation or partial custody, his burden to establish standing is easier to meet. See Commonwealth ex rel. Patricia L.F. v. Malbert J.F., supra at 346-348, 420 A.2d at 574.
In today's society, where increased mobility, changes in social mores and increased individual freedom have created a wide spectrum of arrangements filling the role of the traditional nuclear family, flexibility in the application of *90 standing principles is required in order to adapt those principles to the interests of each particular child.[3] We do not suggest abandonment of the rule that a petitioner for custody who is not biologically related to the child in question must prove that a parent-like relationship has been forged through the parties' conduct. However, we hold that the fact that the petitioner lived with the child and the natural parent in a family setting, whether a traditional family or a nontraditional one, and developed a relationship with the child as a result of the participation and acquiescence of the natural parent must be an important factor in determining whether the petitioner has standing. Additionally, where only limited custody rights are sought, the limited nature of the intrusion into the biological family must be considered in deciding whether standing has been made out.
As the trial court in this case properly noted, appellant J.A.L. can be granted standing, if at all, only as a third party who has stood in loco parentis to E.P.H.'s child. However, the *91 trial court erred in applying that standard to the facts of this case and thus abused its discretion in denying J.A.L. standing to pursue her claim for partial custody.
The facts as found by the trial court clearly indicate that E.P.H. and J.A.L. had lived together not merely as roommates or friends, but as a nontraditional family, for many years before the birth of the child. E.P.H.'s own testimony establishes that although she had long wished to have a child, she did not do so until J.A.L. agreed, and thereafter the parties acted together to make arrangements for the artificial inseminations. The inescapable conclusion to be drawn from this evidence is that in both E.P.H.'s and J.A.L.'s minds, the child was to be a member of their nontraditional family, the child of both of them and not merely the offspring of E.P.H. as a single parent. This intention is borne out by the documents executed by the parties before the child's birth and by E.P.H.'s conduct in giving the child J.A.L.'s surname as a middle name on the birth certificate. Clearly, the parties contemplated that J.A.L. would be in a parent-like relationship with the child and took some pains to formalize that relationship to the extent legally possible.[4]
The parties' conduct after the child's birth and before their separation further establishes their efforts to create a parent-like *92 relationship between J.A.L. and the child. J.A.L. participated in caring for the child to the same extent as the primary breadwinner in many traditional families. The fact that E.P.H. was the child's primary caregiver, or that other friends also helped out with the new baby, does not diminish the fact that J.A.L. lived with the child for the first ten months of its life, acting as a parenting partner to the child's mother and creating the opportunity for bonding to occur.[5] This early contact was reinforced by visits after the parties' separation, visits which occurred with a frequency and regularity similar to that of post-separation visits by many noncustodial natural parents and thus must be considered adequate to maintain any bond previously created. The evidence at trial clearly established that J.A.L. has shown a constant, sincere interest in the child, and that the child recognizes J.A.L. as a significant person in her life.
We have no difficulty in concluding that these facts sufficiently establish a parent-like relationship between J.A.L. and the child to grant J.A.L. standing to pursue the partial custody rights she seeks. The trial court placed great emphasis on E.P.H.'s subjective thought processes, noting that E.P.H. had doubts as to whether J.A.L. really wanted the child and that upon the parties' separation, E.P.H. intended to raise the child as a single parent, with J.A.L. assuming a status of "special friend." E.P.H.'s doubts and post-separation intentions, however, are irrelevant to the question of whether the parties by their conduct created a parent-like relationship between J.A.L. and the child which is sufficient to give J.A.L. standing to seek continued contact with her. E.P.H.'s rights as the biological parent do not extend to *93 erasing a relationship between her partner and her child which she voluntarily created and actively fostered simply because after the parties' separation she regretted having done so.[6]
We hold that the evidence of record in this matter, particularly the evidence that J.A.L. and the child were co-members of a nontraditional family, is sufficient to establish that J.A.L. stood in loco parentis to the child and therefore has standing to seek partial custody. Accordingly, we remand for a full custody hearing to determine whether partial custody by J.A.L. is in the child's best interest.[7]
Order reversed. Case remanded for further proceedings consistent with this Opinion. Jurisdiction is relinquished.
NOTES
[1] These documents were revoked by E.P.H. after the parties' separation.
[2] We note that in Rowles v. Rowles, 542 Pa. 443, 668 A.2d 126 (1995), the Pennsylvania Supreme Court reexamined the appropriate standard of proof in custody disputes between a parent and a non-parent. The Opinion Announcing the Judgment of the Court sought to abandon the presumption in favor of the parent in such cases, instead treating parenthood as a significant, although not paramount, factor in determining custody. Id. at 446-48, 668 A.2d at 128. That view, however, failed to command a majority of the court, and as a result, Ellerbe, supra, which recognized the presumption, remains the law of this Commonwealth. See Mollander v. Chiodo, 450 Pa.Super. 247, 250 n. 1, 675 A.2d 753, 755 n. 1 (1996). Dictum by this court in Campbell, supra, suggesting that Rowles changed the standard of proof in such cases is not binding upon this court or the trial courts. Moreover, even if the position espoused by the lead opinion in Rowles becomes law, the more flexible standard employed in that case would still grant some special protection to the parent in custody disputes with non-parents.
[3] See generally, Katherine T. Bartlett, Rethinking Parenthood as an Exclusive Status: The Need for Legal Alternatives When the Premise of the Nuclear Family Has Failed, 70 Va.L.Rev. 879 (1984); Nancy D. Polikoff, This Child Does Have Two Mothers: Redefining Parenthood to Meet the Needs of Children in Lesbian-Mother and Other Nontraditional Families, 78 Geo.L.J. 459 (1990); Elizabeth A. Delaney, Statutory Protection of the Other Mother: Legally Recognizing the Relationship Between the Nonbiological Lesbian Parent and Her Child, 43 Hastings L.J. 177 (1991).
Courts in several of our sister states which have addressed the issue of the standing of nonbiological parents have concluded that protection of the best interest of the child may require that traditional standing concepts be adapted to fit modern social patterns. See e.g., A.C. v. C.B., 113 N.M. 581, 829 P.2d 660 (Ct.App.1992) (former lesbian partner who had entered into oral coparenting agreement had colorable claim to joint legal custody and time-sharing of partner's biological child); In re the Custody of H.S.H.-K.: Holtzman v. Knott, 193 Wis.2d 649, 533 N.W.2d 419 (1995) (although former lesbian partner does not meet requirements of visitation statute, court may determine whether visitation is in child's best interest if petitioner proves parent-like relationship and significant triggering event justifying state intervention in relationship between biological parent and child). But see Curiale v. Reagan, 222 Cal.App.3d 1597, 272 Cal.Rptr. 520 (1990) (under statutory definition of parent, nonbiological parent in same-sex relationship had no standing to seek custody/visitation of partner's biological child conceived during relationship despite co-parenting agreement).
[4] Both parties testified that adoption was not considered because the legal validity of such "second parent" adoptions had not been tested in Pennsylvania and many states hold that such adoptions cannot go forward unless the parental rights of the biological mother are terminated. See generally, Sonja Larsen, Annotation, Adoption of Child by Same-Sex Partners, 27 A.L.R. 5th 54 (1995). The parties testified that such adoptions are not now uncommon in Philadelphia. We note, however, that the appellate courts of the commonwealth still have not spoken on their validity. We do not find the failure to pursue this option as detracting in any way from the evidence of the parties' efforts to formalize the relationship between J.A.L. and the child.
Similarly, we do not find J.A.L.'s refusal to execute the draft coparenting agreement a sufficient basis upon which to defeat her claim of standing to seek partial custody. J.A.L. was advised that the agreement would not be enforceable, and her stated reason for refusing to sign the agreement was that it was worthless. Nothing in her conduct at the time the draft was presented to her or thereafter indicated that she declined to sign the agreement because she did not wish to enter into a parent-child relationship with E.P.H.'s child.
[5] The suggestion by E.P.H. that the fact that J.A.L. lived with the child for only ten months precludes her from having in loco parentis status is meritless. The ten months that J.A.L. lived in a family setting with E.P.H. and the child constituted the child's entire life to that point. See Wilson v. Wilson, 406 Pa.Super. 473, 476-78, 594 A.2d 717, 719 (1991) (foster parents were not barred from establishing in loco parentis status despite short period of time [under two years] of child's placement with them where child had been in esse for less than two years).
[6] The trial court also opined that J.A.L.'s effort to establish in loco parentis status must fail because E.P.H. did not wish her to have a parent-like status. The trial court correctly noted that a third party cannot place himself in loco parentis status in defiance of the parent's wishes and the parent/child relationship, Gradwell v. Strausser, 416 Pa.Super. 118, 610 A.2d 999 (1992). However, the record in this case clearly establishes that, at the time of the child's birth, E.P.H. wished J.A.L. to assume a parental status, and facilitated the development of a parent-child bond between J.A.L. and the baby. The only evidence of E.P.H.'s wish to prevent J.A.L. from further developing this bond relates to the period following the parties' separation. Thus J.A.L.'s relationship with the child was not created in defiance of the biological parent's rights or wishes.
[7] We emphasize once again that our determination today does not change the standard applicable to J.A.L.'s claim for partial custody as against the child's biological parent. J.A.L., although in loco parentis for standing purposes, remains a third party for purposes of evaluating her claim for partial custody. Kellogg v. Kellogg, supra.
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Tim Schenken
Timothy "Tim" Theodore Schenken (born 26 September 1943) is a former racing driver from Sydney, Australia. He participated in 36 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 16 August 1970. He achieved one career podium at the 1971 Austrian Grand Prix, and scored a total of seven championship points. He did however have two non-championship race podiums – he finished third in the 1971 BRDC International Trophy and third in the 1972 International Gold Cup.
Career
Schenken's lower formula results included winning the 1968 British Lombank Formula Three Championship, winning the 1968 Grovewood Award, winning the 1968 British Formula Ford Championship, winning the 1968 ER Hall Formula Three Trophy, winning the 1969 French Craven A Formula Three Championship, winning the 1969 Greater London Formula Three Trophy, finishing fourth in the 1971 European Formula Two Championship and finishing third in the 1972 Brazilian Formula Two International Tournament.
He had a great deal of success in Sports Cars racing for Ferrari. In 1972 he won the Buenos Aires 1000 km and Nurburgring 1000 km races, finished second in the Daytona 6hour, Sebring 12hour, Brands Hatch 1000 km and the Watkins Glen 6hour, and finished third at the Monza 1000 km and Zeltweg 1000 km races. 1973 saw him finish second at the Vallelunga 6hour and Monza 1000 km races. In 1975 and 1976 he finished second in the Nurburgring 1000 km and then in 1977 he won the Nurburgring 1000 km race for a second time. At Le Mans in 1976 he finished second in the GT Class and was 16th overall. In 1975 he was runner up in the European GT Championship and finished third in the championship in 1976.
In 1974 he co-founded Tiga Race Cars in Britain with New Zealander Howden Ganley, whose cars had great success in the Sports 2000 category, and constructed cars for a number of over formulae. He is currently employed each year as the Race Director for the Australian V8 Supercar Championship Series. He also is a director of the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport, the Clerk of the Course at the Australian Grand Prix and was the Clerk of the Course for the inaugural 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
As of the 2019 season, Schenken is one of only five Australians who have stood on the podium for a Formula One Grand Prix. The others are Grand Prix winners Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo, as well as World Champions Sir Jack Brabham and Alan Jones.
On 16 June 2016, Tim Schenken was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in the General Division as part of the Queen’s Birthday honours. He is currently the Director of Race Operations for CAMS.
He is married and has a son, Guido, and identical twin daughters, Laura and Natalie.
Career summary
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(key)
Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results
References
Category:Australian racing drivers
Category:Australian Formula One drivers
Category:European Formula Two Championship drivers
Category:Grovewood Award winners
Category:British Formula Three Championship drivers
Category:Australian Formula 2 drivers
Category:1943 births
Category:Living people
Category:24 Hours of Le Mans drivers
Category:Australian people of German descent
Category:Racing drivers from Sydney
Category:Williams Formula One drivers
Category:Brabham Formula One drivers
Category:Surtees Formula One drivers
Category:Trojan Formula One drivers
Category:Team Lotus Formula One drivers
Category:World Sportscar Championship drivers
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Duncan Hines worked as a traveling salesman for more than three decades, in a time long before franchised restaurants and hotels. He kept meticulous notes on which establishments fed him well or provided him with a good night's sleep, and wrote and self-published popular travel guides, offering readers his tasteful advice on roadside diners and hotels. Hines' published his first cookbook in 1939, and with annual updates, his guidebooks and cookbooks made him famous.
In 1947 he was approached by an entrepreneur, Roy H. Park, who wanted to put Hines' well-respected name on kitchen products from pickles to appliances. Their company, Hines-Park Foods, made both men millionaires, and the Duncan Hines brand name was sold to Procter & Gamble. Hines died in 1959, and his guidebooks were discontinued after 1962. The cookbooks are still in print, but to modern diners, Duncan Hines is just a brand of cake mix (now owned by Pinnacle Foods).
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---
abstract: 'The semilocal meta generalized gradient approximation (MGGA) for the exchange-correlation functional of Kohn-Sham (KS) density functional theory can yield accurate ground-state energies simultaneously for atoms, molecules, surfaces, and solids, due to the inclusion of kinetic energy density as an input. We study for the first time the effect and importance of the dependence of MGGA on the kinetic energy density through the dimensionless inhomogeneity parameter, $\alpha$, that characterizes the extent of orbital overlap. This leads to a simple and wholly new MGGA exchange functional, which interpolates between the single-orbital regime, where $\alpha=0$, and the slowly varying density regime, where $\alpha \approx 1$, and then extrapolates to $\alpha \to \infty$. When combined with a variant of the Perdew-Burke-Erzerhof (PBE) GGA correlation, the resulting MGGA performs equally well for atoms, molecules, surfaces, and solids.'
author:
- 'Jianwei Sun, Bing Xiao, and Adrienn Ruzsinszky'
title: ' Effect of orbital-overlap dependence in density functionals'
---
Kohn-Sham (KS) density functional theory (DFT) [@KS; @Parr_Yang] is one of the most widely used methods in condensed matter physics and quantum chemistry. In this theory, the exchange-correlation energy $E_{\rm xc}$ as a functional of the electron spin densities $n_{\uparrow}({\bf r})$ and $n_{\downarrow}({\bf r})$ must be approximated. Semilocal approximations (e.g., Refs. [@PW92; @SPS_PRB_2010; @PBE; @PBEsol; @AM05; @TPSS; @PRCCS; @ZT_JCP_2006]) of the form E\_[xc]{}\[n\_, n\_\]=d\^3r n \_[xc]{}(n\_,n\_, n\_,n\_,\_,\_) \[semi\_local\] require only a single integral over real space and so are practical even for large molecules or unit cells. In Eq. , $\nabla n_{\uparrow,\downarrow}$ are the local gradients of the spin densities, $\tau_{\uparrow,\downarrow}=\sum_k \left |\nabla \psi_{k{\uparrow,\downarrow}} \right |^2/2$ the kinetic energy densities of the occupied KS orbitals $\psi_{k\sigma}$ of spin $\sigma$, and $ \epsilon_{\rm xc}$ the approximate exchange-correlation energy per electron. All equations are in atomic units. Semilocal approximations can be reasonably accurate for the near-equilibrium and compressed ground-state properties of ‘‘ordinary’’ matter, where neither strong correlation nor long-range van der Waals interaction is important. They can also serve as a base for the computationally more-expensive fully nonlocal approximations needed to describe strongly correlated systems [@PSTS_PRA_2008] and soft matter [@DRSLL_PRL_2004].
The meta generalized gradient approximation (MGGA) is the highest semilocal rung of the so-called Jacob’s ladder in DFT [@Jacob_Ladder]. In addition to the spin densities $n_{\uparrow}$ and $n_{\downarrow}$ that are used in local spin density approximation (LSDA) [@KS; @PW92; @SPS_PRB_2010] and their gradients that are further included in generalized gradient approximation (GGA) [@PBE; @PBEsol; @AM05], MGGA includes the kinetic energy density that can be used, as in the revised Tao-Perdew-Staroverov-Scuseria (revTPSS) MGGA [@PRCCS], to distinguish the single-orbital regions from the orbital-overlap regions. However, the dependence of MGGAs on the kinetic energy density is understood much less than that on the density gradient, which MGGA inherits from GGA. Such understanding is highly demanded by the construction of not only MGGAs theirselves but also fully nonlocal approximations that are based on MGGAs. Therefore, this could be largely beneficial to expediting the shift in DFT from the dominant GGAs to the generally more accurate and computationally comparable MGGAs [@PRCCS; @SMRKP]. In this article, we will show the importance and effect of the $\tau$-dependence, leading to a new MGGA that respects a tight Lieb-Oxford bound [@LO_IJQC_1981; @OC_JCP_2006] and performs equally well for atoms, molecules, surfaces, and solids.
The semilocal exchange energy of a spin-unpolarized density can be written as: E\_x\^[sl]{}\[n\]=d\^3 r n \_x\^[unif]{}(n)F\_x(p, ). \[eq:Ex\_sl\] Here, $\epsilon_x^{\rm unif}(n)=-\frac{3}{4\pi}(\frac{9\pi}{4})^{1/3} / r_s$ is the exchange energy per particle of a uniform electron gas with $r_s=(4 \pi n /3)^{-1/3}$, $p=|\nabla n|^2/[4(3 \pi ^2)^{2/3} n ^{8/3}]=s^2$, and $\alpha=(\tau-\tau^W)/\tau^{\rm unif} \geqslant 0$. In the latter, $\tau=\sum_\sigma \tau_\sigma$, $\tau^W=\frac{1}{8}|\nabla n|^2/n$ is the von Weizs$\ddot{{\rm a}}$cker kinetic energy density, and $\tau^{\rm unif}=\frac{3}{10}(3 \pi^2)^{2/3}n^{5/3}$ is the orbital kinetic energy density of the uniform electron gas. The expression for the spin-polarized case follows from the spin-scaling relation [@PKZB]. The enhancement factors $F_x$ (which equals 1 in LSDA) of GGAs, independent of $\alpha$, are [*often*]{} made monotonically increasing with $s$ as in the standard PBE GGA [@PBE], or for a large range of $s$ [@PW91; @LG_PRA_1992; @VMT_JCP_2009], and therefore favor less compact systems than LSDA does (e.g., lowering the energy of a collection of dissociated atoms relative to that of the molecules, or lowering a surface energy, or enlarging lattice constants of solids). The revTPSS MGGA includes the extra ingredient, $\alpha$, and recovers the exact exchange energy of the ground state density of the hydrogen atom and the finiteness of the exchange potential at nuclei, where $\alpha=0$ (single-orbital regime). Then, at $\alpha \approx 1$ (slowly-varying density regime), it restores the second order gradient expansion for a wide range of density and further recovers the fourth order gradient expansion of a slowly varying density. Therefore, we believe that the revTPSS enhancement factor is accurate for small $s$ around $\alpha \approx 1$. However, in the construction of revTPSS, there is no other constraint to guide the functional approaching from $\alpha=0$ to $\alpha \approx 1$. revTPSS also has an order-of-limits problem [@PTSS_JCP_2004; @regTPSS]—the enhancement factor has different values when different sequences of the limits $s \to 0$ and $\alpha \to 0$ are taken, as shown in Fig. \[figure:Fx\_alpha\].
Here, we propose a simple exchange enhancement factor that disentangles $\alpha$ and $p$ by a means of separability assumption, F\_x\^[int]{}(p, )=F\_x\^[1]{}(p)+f()\[F\_x\^[0]{}(p)-F\_x\^[1]{}(p)\], \[eq:Fx\_MGGA\] where $F_x^{\rm 1}(p)=F_x^{\rm int}(p, \alpha=1)=1+\kappa-\kappa/(1+\mu^{\rm GE}p/\kappa)$ and $F_x^{\rm 0}(p)=F_x^{\rm int}(p, \alpha=0)=1+\kappa-\kappa/(1+(\mu^{\rm GE}p+c)/\kappa)$. $F_x^{\rm int}(p, \alpha)$ interpolates between $F_x^{\rm 0}(p)$ and $F_x^{\rm 1}(p)$ through $f(\alpha)=(1-\alpha^2)^3/(1+\alpha^3+\alpha^6)$, which is chosen to guarantee for the functional the second order gradient expansion, good exchange jellium surface energies, and the Hartree-Fock exchange energy of the 12-electron hydrogenic density ($1s^22s^22p^63s^2$) with the nuclear charge $Z=1$ [@SSPTD_PRA_2004] ($Z=1$ in the following discussions if not mentioned otherwise). See Ref. for the derivatives of $F_x^{\rm int}(p, \alpha)$ with respect to $p$ and $\alpha$ which are needed for the selfconsistent implementation. For a slowly varying density where $\alpha \approx 1$, the second term of the left hand side of Eq. \[eq:Fx\_MGGA\] is negligible and of order $\nabla^6$. $F_x^{\rm int}(p, \alpha)$ then reduces to $F_x^{\rm 1}(p)$ and recovers the second order gradient expansion with the first principle coefficient $\mu^{\rm GE}=10/81$ [@AK_PRB_1985] as in PBEsol [@PBEsol]. $c=0.28771$ and $\kappa=0.29$ are two parameters fixed by the exchange energies of the hydrogen atom [*where $\alpha=0$*]{} and the 12-electron hydrogenic density which is used to guide the functional from $\alpha=0$ to $\alpha \approx 1$. They also deliver excellent exchange energies for other hydrogenic densities (see Ref. ). No point in the (c, $\kappa$) parameter space could be found without violating the loose Lieb-Oxford bound [@LO_IJQC_1981] ([*i.e.,*]{} $\kappa \leqslant \kappa^{LO}=0.804$ [@PBE]) if we use a spin-unpolarized hydrogenic density with electron number less than 12. The obtained $\kappa=0.29$ suggests a tight Lieb-Oxford bound and leads to a very flat $F_x^{\rm 0}(p)$ as shown in Fig. \[figure:Fx\_s\]. The resulting small derivative at nuclei, $\frac{d F_x^{\rm int}(p, \alpha=0)}{d s} |_{s=0.376}=0.22$, comes close to satisfying the finiteness constraint on the exchange potential at nuclei. Compared to revTPSS, this much simpler form doesn’t have the order-of-limits problem while recovering regions of small $s$ around $\alpha \approx 1$ of revTPSS as shown in Fig. \[figure:Fx\_alpha\]. In the following discussion, we combine this exchange functional with the variant of the PBE correlation (denoted as vPBEc), where $\beta(r_s)=0.066725(1+0.1 r_s)/(1+0.1778 r_s)$ as used in revTPSS [@PRCCS]. Although the vPBEc is not one-electron self-correlation free, its error is small (about 0.006 Ha for the H atom), which is usually largely cancelled out of atomization energies involving H. It has an accurate correlation energy for a two-electron ion of nuclear charge $Z \to \infty$, which is -0.0479 [@PBE], better than -0.0510 from TPSS and -0.0527 from revTPSS in comparison with the exact value -0.0467 [@SSPTD_PRA_2004]. And it also has accurate correlation jellium surface energies [@PRCCS]. The resulting MGGA respects a tight Lieb-Oxford bound with $F_{\rm xc} \leqslant 2.137$, while the loose Lieb-Oxford bound is 2.273 [@LO_IJQC_1981; @OC_JCP_2006].
From the experience of GGAs [@PBE; @PBEsol], we know the faster an enhancement factor grows with $s$, the more preference of the functional towards less compact systems. Since the enhancement factor of the present exchange functional as shown in Fig. \[figure:Fx\_s\] is largely depressed for a large range of $s$ compared to that of revTPSS, it then seems to be a reasonable guess from the experience that the present exchange functional with the vPBEc would give too small lattice constants for solids and too high atomization energies for molecules. However, our results (given later) show a different scenario that our MGGA performs equally well for atoms, molecules, surfaces, and solids. The seeming contradiction between the preformance and Fig. \[figure:Fx\_s\] is well resolved by resorting to the $\alpha$-dependence shown in Fig. \[figure:Fx\_alpha\], which is much less understood. In previous constructions and analysis of MGGAs [@TPSS; @PRCCS; @SMRKP], it is emphasized that $\alpha$ enables MGGAs to distinguish the single-orbital regions from the orbital-overlap regions. Here, we further stress that the monotonically decreasing dependence of an enhancement factor on $\alpha$ is qualitatively equivalent to the monotonically increasing $s$-dependence, which explains the seeming contradiction and will be rationalized by the following two observations.
The first is on the changes in $s$ and $\alpha$ distributions from the 10-electron hydrogenic density ($1s^22s^22p^6$) to the 12-electron one ($1s^22s^22p^63s^2$) [@SSPTD_PRA_2004], and on the correlation between the changes. Note these two densities are spherically symmetric. Fig. \[figure:s\_alpha\_10e\_12e\] shows the $s$ and $\alpha$ distributions of these two densities. The shell structure can be easily recognized and roughly identified by $\alpha$ with $\alpha < 1$ for shell regions and $\alpha > 1$ for intershell regions. We can tolerate the confusion caused by this definition for the tail regions, where $\alpha$ could be 0 or $\gg$ 1 as shown in Fig. \[figure:s\_alpha\_10e\_12e\], since the tail regions are energetically less important. When an electron is in the intershell region, and $\alpha$ is large even where $s$ is small, the electron’s exchange hole is probably not centered close to the electron, but is spread out over the smaller inner shell and the larger outer shell. This spreading of the hole will make the exchange energy density in the intershell region less negative than it would be for a slowly-varying or uniform density. One can imagine $F_x<1$, as can happen in the present exchange functional for small $s$ and large $\alpha$ that is shown in Fig. \[figure:Fx\_alpha\].
When two $3s$ hydrogenic electrons are added to the 10-electron hydrogenic density, part of the outermost shell region ($\alpha < 1$) changes into the intershell region ($\alpha > 1$), which is associated with a decrease of $s$. Although it’s not certain that an increase of $\alpha$ is always associated with a decrease of $s$ during the formation of the intershell of an atom, it’s very likely for the intershell region between the outermost core and the valence of an atom within a solid, an important region for determining the lattice constants of solids [@HTBSL_PRB_2009; @FBPS_PRB_1998] (as will be discussed in the second observation). Then, the presumable correlation between $s$ and $\alpha$ in the intershell regions of a solid suggests that monotonically decreasing $\alpha$-dependence of an enhancement factor has the qualitatively same effect as monotonically increasing $s$-dependence does for these regions.
![The s and $\alpha$ distributions for the 10- and 12-electron hydrogenic densities. The line y=1 is plotted to help roughly identify the shell ($\alpha<1$) and intershell ($\alpha>1$) regions.[]{data-label="figure:s_alpha_10e_12e"}](s_alpha_10e_12e_2.eps){width="7cm"}
LSDA PBEsol $F_x^{\rm 0 int} $ $F_x^{\rm \star int}$ $F_x^{\rm int}$
------ ----- -------- -------- -------------------- ----------------------- -----------------
ME -0.081 -0.012 -0.079 -0.126 0.016
SL20 MAE 0.081 0.036 0.079 0.126 0.023
ME 77.4 35.9 55.1 22.0 0.6
AE6 MAE 77.4 35.9 55.1 22.6 5.5
: Error statistics of lattice constants ($\AA$) of the SL20 solids [@SMCRHKKP_PRB_2011] and atomization energies (kcal/mol) of the AE6 set [@LT_JPCA_2003]. See the text for the definitions of $F_x^{\rm 0 int}$, $F_x^{\rm \star int}$, and $F_x^{\rm int}$.
\[table:falpha\]
The second observation concerns the variations of the lattice constants of the set of 20 solids (SL20) [@SMCRHKKP_PRB_2011] and the atomization energies of the AE6 molecule set [@LT_JPCA_2003] in response to changes of the $\alpha$ dependence of the enhancement factor. In order to show the dramatic effect of the $\alpha$ dependence on the structural and thermochemichal properties and to deduce its origin, $f(\alpha)$ is compared to two variants. The first variant is $f^0(\alpha)=0$, which is independent of $\alpha$ and actually results in the PBEsol GGA but with different $\kappa$ and $\beta(r_s)$. The second one is $f^\star(\alpha)=f(\alpha)*h(\alpha)$ with $h(\alpha)=2/[e^{(\alpha-1)/\gamma}+1]-1$. $h(\alpha)$ is equal to 1 for $\alpha < 1$ and to -1 for $\alpha > 1$, respectively, if $\gamma \to 0$. Here, we choose $\gamma=0.1$ for numerical reasons. Compared to $f(\alpha)$, $f^\star(\alpha)$ flips the $\alpha$ dependence for $\alpha>1$ from monotonically decreasing to monotonically increasing, and therefore favors more the regions with $\alpha>1$. The choice of the demarcation point at $\alpha=1$ is natural in view of the first observation and because it helps to satisfy the second order gradient expansion. $f(\alpha)$ and the two variants—whose curves as functions of $\alpha$ are given in Ref. —result in three different enhancement factors, $F_x^{\rm int}$, $F_x^{\rm 0 int}$, and $F_x^{\rm \star int}$.
[p[0.51 in]{} p[0.51 in]{} p[0.51 in]{} p[0.51 in]{} p[0.51 in]{} p[0.51 in]{} ]{} &LSDA &PBE &M06L &revTPSS &present\
\[0.5ex\]\
ME &2.274 &0.219 &0.204 &0.291 &0.068\
MAE &2.274 &0.219 &0.210 &0.293 &0.111\
\
ME &77.4 &12.4 &3.2 &3.3 &0.6\
MAE &77.4 &15.5 &4.2 &5.9 &5.5\
\
ME &5.2&0.0 &-0.2 &-1.0 &0.0\
MAE &5.2&0.3 &0.4 &1.0 &0.1\
\
ME &-121.9 &-21.7 &-1.6 &-3.6 &-1.6\
MAE &121.9 &22.2 &5.2 &4.8 &8.3\
\
MRE &45.8 &-20.9 &-75.9 &-1.0 &-7.3\
MARE &45.8 &20.9 &75.9 &2.2 &8.0\
\
MRE &-0.4 &-3.1 &24.5 &2.6&-0.3\
MARE &0.4 &3.1 &24.5 &2.6 &1.6\
\
ME &-0.081 &0.051 &$0.015^a$&0.015 &0.016\
MAE &0.081 &0.059 &0.071$^a$ &0.033&0.023\
\[table:results\]
Table \[table:falpha\] shows the mean error (ME) and the mean absolute error (MAE) of the lattice constants of the SL20 set [@SMCRHKKP_PRB_2011], and the atomization energies of the AE6 set [@LT_JPCA_2003] from LSDA, PBEsol, and variants of $F_x^{\rm int}$. The alleviation, from LSDA to $F_x^{\rm 0 int}$ and then to $F_x^{\rm int}$, of the overestimation in the atomization energies and of the underestimation in the lattice constants, suggests that the built-in monotonically increasing $s$-dependence and monotonically decreasing $\alpha$-dependence in the enhancement factors reduce the preference of LSDA towards compact systems. However, from $F_x^{\rm int}$ to $F_x^{\rm \star int}$, where only the monotonicity of the $\alpha$-dependence in the range of \[1, $\infty$\] is flipped, the solids in the SL20 set are drastically shrunk to such a surprising degree that the lattice constants of $F_x^{\rm \star int}$ are significantly smaller than even those of LSDA. Since the important region in terms of determining the lattice constant of a solid for a functional has been identified [@HTBSL_PRB_2009; @FBPS_PRB_1998] to be the intershell region of the constituent atoms between the outermost core and the valence regions, the drastic shrinkage from $F_x^{\rm int}$ to $F_x^{\rm \star int}$ is a strong indication that the shell and intershell regions are associated with $\alpha < 1$ and $\alpha > 1$, respectively. Compressing a solid turns part of the outermost core and the valence regions ($\alpha < 1$) into intershell regions ($\alpha > 1$) between them, which $F_x^{\rm \star int}$ favors more than $F_x^{\rm int}$ does. The absence of the monotonically decreasing $\alpha$-dependence in $F_x^{\rm 0 int}$, leading to the shrinkage of the solids, could be compensated by enhancing the monotonically increasing dependence on $s$, as PBEsol does by using $\kappa^{LO}$. This implies a decrease of $s$ during the formation of the intershell regions and thus corroborates the [*correlation*]{} between $s$ and $\alpha$ during the formation of the intershell region observed in Fig. \[figure:s\_alpha\_10e\_12e\]. Therefore, in $F_x^{\rm int}$, both the monotonically increasing $s$-dependence and the monotonically decreasing $\alpha$-dependence have the effect of penalizing the formation of the intershell regions and enlarging the lattice constants. Similar deterioration is also found for the atomization energies of the AE6 set for $F_x^{\rm \star int}$ compared to $F_x^{\rm int}$. Unlike for solids, $F_x^{\rm \star int}$ still significantly improves the atomization energies of the AE6 set over $F_x^{\rm 0 int}$, and thus LSDA, suggesting that the $\alpha$-dependence in the range of \[0, 1\] has stronger influence in atoms and molecules than in solids. Remarkably, the monotonically decreasing $\alpha$-dependence used in $F_x^{\rm int}$ significantly improves the overestimated atomization energies of the AE6 set of $F_x^{\rm 0 int}$ to an excellent accuracy level with MAE of 5.4 kcal/mol. This implies that monotonically decreasing $\alpha$-dependence is in general able to make a functional favor less compact systems, as does monotonically increasing $s$-dependence.
Now, let’s turn to the results for atoms, molecules, surfaces, and solids, which are summarized briefly in Table \[table:results\] in terms of the ME and MAE, or their relative analogs MRE and MARE. See Ref. for full details of Table \[table:results\]. Table \[table:results\] shows that the use of the exact exchange energy of the 12-electron hydrogenic density guarantees excellent exchange energies for atoms, resulting in good atomization energies for this simple functional. In all categories shown in Table \[table:results\], the present functional outperforms the standard PBE GGA (PBE is slightly better than the present functional for the cohesive energies of the 20 SL20 solids as shown in Ref. ). Within the MGGA level, The heavily parameterized M06L [@ZT_JCP_2006] predicts excellent atomization energies and dissociation energies for the W6 set, at which it aims during the construction. However, it is significantly wrong for the jellium surface energies contributed from the exchange and correlation terms, separately or together. The too-large M06L jellium surface exchange-correlation energies imply that metal bulks are overstabilized, consistent with the too-small lattice constants of main group simple metals, e.g., Na and Al [@ZT_JCP_2008]. The present functional and revTPSS are more balanced for different categories and therefore more robust. Compared to revTPSS, the present functional is better for the SL20 solids, comparable for the jellium surface exchange-correlation energies but worse for the exchange part alone, and worse for the G3 molecules. However, the present functional predicts the most accurate dissociation energies of the W6 water clusters among the functionals, implying a good description for the hydrogen bond.
In summary, we have for the first time studied the effect and importance of the dependence of computationally-efficient semilocal MGGAs on the kinetic energy density through the dimensionless inhomogeneity parameter $\alpha$, and presented a new MGGA exchange functional that disentangles $\alpha$ from the reduced density gradient $s$ by the means of separability assumption. By varying the $\alpha-$dependence in the exchange functional, we showed that the formation of the intershell region between the outermost core and the valence of an atom within a solid is associated with an increase of $\alpha$ and a decrease of $s$, suggesting that monotonically decreasing $\alpha$-dependence of an enhancement factor is qualitatively equivalent to monotonically increasing $s$-dependence for these intershell regions. This has a significant impact on the construction of MGGAs and the MGGA-based nonlocal approximations, as exemplified by the present MGGA—which is overall comparable in performance, but quite different and much simpler in form, compared to the sophisticated revTPSS MGGA, and thus demonstrates the flexibility and the rich structure of MGGA brought by the extra ingredient of the kinetic energy density.
[**Acknowledgments**]{} JS thanks John P. Perdew, G$\acute{\rm a}$bor I. Csonka, and Stephen E. Glindmeyer for helpful discussions. JS and BX are supported by NSF under Grant No. DMR08-54769. AR acknowledges support from the NSF under NSF Cooperative Agreement No. EPS-1003897. Portions of this research were conducted with high performance computational resources provided by the Louisiana Optical Network Initiative (http://www.loni.org/).
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Chicago Teachers Reach An Agreement With Mayor Emanuel But Students Remain Underserved
This past Tuesday would have been the second time the Chicago Teachers Union went on strike since Mayor Rahm Emanuel took office in 2011 – if there were a strike.
For weeks there has been conversation and preparation for a strike in Chicago Public Schools, the largest school district in the state and third largest in the nation, however Mayor Emanuel managed to avoid the fallout at the last second and both sides reached an agreement. CPS teachers will get pay raises, pensions, and job security. Legally teachers are only allowed to strike over pay and benefits, so how do we meet the needs of students?
Out of the agreements made in the new contract that will last until June 2019, here are the ones that impact CPS students most directly:
Teachers teaching kindergarten through second grade classes with 32 or more students will receive an an in-classroom assistant, effective in the second semester of the (current) 2016-2017 school year
Possibility of subcontracting certified nurses, that will be approved through joint decisions of the CTU and the Board of Education
By the 2017-2018 school year school counselors, special educators, and related service providers will not be required to handle case management duties. The Board and CTU will be looking into ways to implement this
Limits will be specified for the workload of special educators
The Board will continue it’s commitment to restorative justice practices and receive recommendations from the Student Discipline, Truancy, and School Safety Committee
Most of these things will not be immediate, even though in a school district often described as “failing” the need urgency is certainly there. The district that teaches nearly 380,000 students, about 40% of which are African American and 45% Hispanic, could use some overhaul for the sake of student’s learning environments and not necessarily for teacher’s pockets. However, in 2011, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn with the support of Mayor Emanuel passed Senate Bill 7 making it harder for teachers to strike and preventing them from striking for anything other than teacher benefits.
Many teachers recognize though, that students in the district are facing bigger problems that won’t be solved within a teacher’s salary. Oriole Park Elementary teacher Erika Wozniak shared this in an open letter to DNAinfo:
“We watch as programs are slashed and budgets are reduced and we see first hand how this affects our students and how it affects our ability to do our jobs, to teach. We have watched as schools are closed, class sizes increase, special education budgets are slashed, and wrap around services (such as social workers, counselors, psychologists, and nurses) are stripped to the bare bone for our students. We have worked in schools that have become increasingly filthy and not allowed our students to drink from the drinking fountains because of the lead in the water. While experiencing all of this, we have also watched as money in Chicago is being spent everywhere but on our students….”
Within Mayor Emanuel’s term, he has closed 50 Chicago schools due to low performance and enrollment. This past summer it was reported that two-thirds of CPS schools faced budget cuts and declining enrollment. In this same city Mayor Emanuel is increasing funding for policing. Teachers and families have expressed valid concerns about the physical and environmental conditions of schools in the district. Yet here we are, talking about pay raises.
So, the question remains, how will The City of Chicago truly stand up and make change for it’s youth?
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Podcasts, lectures and more from Pacific Lutheran University. Located in Tacoma, Wash., PLU seeks to educate students for lives of thoughtful inquiry, service, leadership and care—for other people, for their communities and for the Earth.
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Various approaches have been suggested to address various thermal management issues (e.g., inlet air cooling, waste heat recovery) in gas turbines, gas turbine engines, internal combustion engines and other industrial processes. Such approaches include those discussed in the report entitled Experimental and Theoretical Investigations of New Power Cycles and Advanced Falling Film Heat Exchangers by the U.S. Department of Energy in conjunction with the University of New Mexico.
In this report two new thermodynamic cycles were proposed and investigated based on the second law of thermodynamics. Two computer programs were developed to find effect of important system parameters on the irreversibility distribution of all components in the cycle: (1) the first cycle was based on a combined triple (Brayton/Rankine/Rankine)/(Gas/steam/ammonia) cycle capable of producing high efficiencies; and (2) the second cycle is a combined (Brayton/Rankine)/(gas/ammonia) cycle with integrated compressor inlet air-cooling capable of producing high power and efficiency. The proposed cycles and the results obtained from the second law analyses of the cycles were published in Energy Conversion and Management and ASME proceedings (IMEC&E 2001).
Given the above, there is a need in the art for systems that are designed to address various thermal management issues for various devices (e.g., gas turbines, gas turbine engines, industrial process equipment and/or internal combustion engines). In one instance, there is a need for a system that is able to address various thermal management issues (e.g., inlet air cooling) in gas turbines, gas turbine engines, internal combustion engines and/or other industrial process equipment.
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TRANSLATION
BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY
: Central Asia Shepherd Dog (CASD) is one of the most ancient breed of dogs. They were formed as a breed from natural selection during more than four thousand years in the vast territory, which spreads nowadays from the Caspian Sea to China and from Southern Ural to Afghanistan. Its heritage is from the most ancient dogs of Tibet, Cattle Dogs from various nomad tribes’ dogs that are closely related to the Mongolian Shepherd Dog and the Tibetan Mastiff. The CASD were mainly used to protect cattle, caravans and the owner’s dwellings, and being exposed to rigid natural selection. Hard living conditions and constant struggle against predators have had influence on the shape as well as the dog’s character and it has made it strong, fearless, and taught it to save its energy. In the places of primordial habitation, the CASD were used mainly to protect herds from predators and also as guard dogs. The work with the breed started in the USSR in the 1930s.
GENERAL APPEARANCE
: The Central Asian Shepherd Dog is of harmonious build and large stature, moderately long (neither long nor short in body). Robust, muscular body, voluminous, but not with visible muscles. Sexual dimorphism is clearly defined. The males are more massive and courageous than females with more pronounced withers and a larger head. Full maturity is reached by the age of 3 years.
IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS
: The length of body only slightly exceeds the height at withers. Larger stature is desirable but proportional constitution must remain. Length of forelegs up to the elbow is 50-52 % of the height at the withers. The length of muzzle is less than 1/2 the length of head, but more than a 1/3.
BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT
: Self assured, balanced quiet, proud and independent. The dogs are very courageous and have high working capacity, endurance and a natural instinct of territory. Fearlessness towards large predators is a characteristic feature.
HEAD
: Massive and in balance with general appearance. Head shape is close to rectangular, seen from above and side.
CRANIAL REGION
: Deep in skull. The forehead is flat and the skull part is flat and long. Occiput is well defined but hardly visible, because of well developed muscles. Supraorbital ridges are moderately defined.
Stop
: Stop is moderately defined.
FACIAL REGION
:
Nose
: Large, well developed but not exceeding the general contour of the muzzle. Colour of the nose is black but in white and fawn coloured dogs the nose can be lighter.
Muzzle
: The muzzle is blunt and of moderate length, it is almost rectangular viewed from above and sides and narrowing very slightly towards the nose. Muzzle is voluminous, deep and well filled under the eyes. Bridge of muzzle is broad, straight and sometimes with a slight down face. Chin is well developed.
Lips
: Thick, upper lips tightly covering the lower lips when the mouth is closed. Full black pigmentation is preferable.
Jaws/Teeth
: The jaws are strong and broad. Teeth are large, white and close to each other, 42 in total. Incisors are set on a line. Scissors bite, pincer bite and also reversed scissors bite is accepted. Canines are set well apart. An injury to the teeth that does not affect the use of the bite is of no consequence.
Cheeks
: The Cheekbones are long and well developed, without interfering with the rectangular shape of head.
Eyes
: Medium sized, with oval form, set well apart, looking straight ahead, and moderately deep set. The colour of the eyes from dark brown to hazel. The darker colour is preferable. The eyelids are thick and preferably with lower eye lid not too loose. No visible third eyelid. Fully pigmented eyes rims are preferred. Whatever the colour of coat, eye rims should be black. Expression is confident and dignified.
Ears
: Medium sized, triangular shape, thick, low set and hanging. Lower part of ear base is level with, or slightly below the eyes. Traditional ear-cropping, in the fashion illustrated on the cover, is still practiced in country of origin and in countries where it is not prohibited by law.
NECK
: The neck is of medium length, very powerful, oval at cross-section, well muscled, and low set. Dewlap is a specific breed feature.
BODY
:
Topline
: Well proportioned and well sustained, and must keep typical topline in stance.
Withers
: Well defined, especially in males, muscular, long and high, with well defined transition to the back.
Back
: Straight, broad, well muscled, the actual length is about ½ of the length from the withers to tail set.
Loin
: Short, broad, muscled, slightly arched.
Croup
: Moderately long, broad, well muscled, slightly sloping to tail set. The height at the withers exceeds the height over rump by 1-2 cm.
Chest
: Deep, long, broad, distinctly developed, ribcage broadening towards the back. False ribs are long. Lower part of the chest is level with the elbow or slightly below. Fore chest extends slightly in front of the humerus/scapula joint.
Underline and belly
: Belly is moderately tucked up.
TAIL
: Thick at the base and set fairly high. The natural tail is carried in a sickle curve or curled in a loose ring that begins at the last third of the tail. When alert the tail rises to the line of back or slightly above. Hanging at rest. Traditional tail docking, in the fashion illustrated on the cover, is still practiced in country of origin and in countries where it is not prohibited by law. Natural tail is of equal value to a docked tail.
LIMBS
:
FOREQUARTERS
: Forelegs are straight with strong bone, seen from the front parallel and not close together. Seen from the side, the forearms are straight.
Shoulder
: Shoulder blade long, well laid back, forming an angle with the upper arm about 100°. Well muscled.
Upper Arm
: Oblique, long, and strong.
Elbow
: Correctly fitting, turning neither in nor out.
Forearm
: Straight, very strong bone, long, oval cross-section.
Pastern
: Moderate length, broad, strong, upright pasterns.
FEET
:
Forefeet
: Large, rounded, arching toes, pads are voluminous and thick; nails could be of any color.
Hind feet
: As Forefeet.
HINDQUARTERS
: Viewed from the rear straight and parallel, set a little wider than forequarters.
Thigh
: Broad, moderately long and strongly muscled.
Stifle
: Turning neither in nor out. The knee angulation is moderate.
Lower thigh
: Of almost the same length as upper thigh.
Hock joint
: Moderate angle.
Rear pastern
: Very strong of moderate length, perpendicular. No dewclaws.
GAIT / MOVEMENT
: Well balanced and elastic. Trot with free reach in the forequarters and with powerful drive from the hindquarters. Top line is steady while moving. All joints to bend without effort. The angulations in hindquarters is more distinct when moving than in standing pose.
SKIN
COAT
:
HAIR
: Abundant, straight coarse and with well developed undercoat. Hair on the head and on the front part of limbs is short and dense. Coat on withers is often longer. The guard coat can be short or slightly longer. Depending on the length of the outer coat there can be either shorter hair (3-5 cm), covering the whole body or with longer hair (7-10 cm) which forms a mane on the neck, feathers behind the ears and on the back parts of the limbs and on the tail.
COLOUR
: Any, except genetic blue and genetic brown in any combination and black mantel on tan.
SIZE
:
Height at withers
Weight
: Males Minimum 50 kgs.
Females Minimum 40 kgs.
FAULTS
: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.
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Q:
Convert array of objects to array of arrays?
Given is an json object like this:
var items = [{
title: 'sample 1',
image: 'http://www.lorempixel.com/700/600/'
}, {
title: 'sample 2',
image: 'http://www.lorempixel.com/900/1200/'
}, {
title: 'sample 3',
image: 'http://www.lorempixel.com/400/300/'
}, {
title: 'sample 4',
image: 'http://www.lorempixel.com/600/600/'
}, {
title: 'sample 5',
image: 'http://www.lorempixel.com/400/310/'
}, {
title: 'sample 6',
image: 'http://www.lorempixel.com/410/300/'
}, {
title: 'sample 7',
image: 'http://www.lorempixel.com/500/300/'
}, {
title: 'sample 8',
image: 'http://www.lorempixel.com/300/300/'
}, {
title: 'sample 9',
image: 'http://www.lorempixel.com/450/320/'
}, {
title: 'sample 10',
image: 'http://www.lorempixel.com/500/400/'
}];
I Want to get an array like this.
[['sample 1', 'http://www.lorempixel.com/700/600/'], ['sample 2', 'http://www.lorempixel.com/900/1200/'], ....]
I tried something like this:
const rows = [];
for (let i = 0; i < items.length; i++) {
const element = items[i];
rows[i] = element.title;
for (let j = i; j < items.image; j++) {
const el = response[j];
rows[j] = el.image;
}
}
I get an array containing only all images, i think because i override other values in the second loop. What should be the right way to get both values like described ?
A:
Simply pass Object.values() as callback to .map():
let data = [
{title: 'sample 1', image: 'http://www.lorempixel.com/700/600/'},
{title: 'sample 2', image: 'http://www.lorempixel.com/900/1200/'},
{title: 'sample 3', image: 'http://www.lorempixel.com/400/300/'},
{title: 'sample 4', image: 'http://www.lorempixel.com/600/600/'},
{title: 'sample 5', image: 'http://www.lorempixel.com/400/310/'}
];
let result = data.map(Object.values);
console.log(result);
.as-console-wrapper { max-height: 100% !important; top: 0; }
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Kenya Accommodation - Lodges and camps
Safari lodges and camps
Most accommodation in the bush is based around a 'site' that has a fascinating history: an old hunting camp, a scout observation point, a salt lick or a colonial retreat, always located in the most desirable spots with stunning views and excellent game-viewing. You can choose bettween tented camps, lodges and tented lodges. Tented camps are designed to be samll and intimate and can be found in a wide variety of styles, from simple to luxurious. Tents are extremely spacious, comfortable, en-suite and totally protected from outside elements. Lodges tend to be larger more structured accommodation, where designs often take on the look and feel of their surroundings.Rooms are similar to modern hotels and include all the creature comforts one would expect in the bush. Tented lodges, having all the luxuries, characteristics and functions of a bush lodge, walls have simply been replaced by reinforced canvas.
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(SoapOperaNetwork.com) — ABC’s “All My Children” sets sail this summer as they embark on more outdoor scenic location shoots at the Raquet Club in Port Washington, NY.
For the second summer in a row, the Port Washington Yacht Club located in Long Island, New York will become the real location for the on-reel Yacht Club of “All My Children’s” Pine Valley.
Susan Lucci (Erica), Cameron Mathison (Ryan), Jacob Young (JR), Brittany Allen (Marissa), Adam Mayfield (Scott), Jamie Luner (Liza), Brianne Moncrief (Colby), Ricky Paull Goldin (Jake), Chrishell Stause (Amanda), Alicia Minshew (Kendall), Thorsten Kaye (Zach), Denise Vasi (Randi), Cornelius Smith Jr. (Frankie) and JR Martinez (Brot) are among the “AMC” cast members who have made the jaunt down to the location during the past several weeks to tape. The scenes at the beautiful Port Washington location will begin airing during the week of June 22 and will continue to air throughout the summer.
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The EU has decided to increase its presence in northern Kosovo with the March 26th opening of the EU House office in Mitrovica. Attending the opening was EU facilitator for the north Italian diplomat Michael Giffoni, European Commission Liaison Office in Kosovo officer Kjartan Bjornsson and EULEX chief Yves de Kermabon.
In an exclusive interview with SETimes, de Kermabon addressed a range of issues pertinent to northern Kosovo as well as his desire to remain as EULEX chief when his current term expires in June.
SETimes: What challenges do you see in establishing the rule of law in Kosovo?
Yves de Kermabon: The work of EULEX focuses on two areas: Mentoring, Monitoring and Advising (MMA) and executive functions. Although it is not emphasised enough in the media, our MMA functions are the bulk of EULEX efforts. It aims to move Kosovo’s police, justice and customs towards sustainability, accountability, multi-ethnicity, freedom from political interference, and adherence to internationally recognised standards and European best practices. The long-term plan is to bring these institutions to a European level.
SETimes: How long will this take?
De Kermabon: That depends on the Kosovo institutions. In the first six months of our operation in Kosovo, there were more than 2,500 assessments carried out by 400 EULEX monitors. The comprehensive report showed that, compared with the Kosovo Police and Customs, the criminal justice and judiciary systems are considerably weaker in their ability to deliver justice independently.
The report made a number of key reform recommendations [in the areas of justice, police and customs] that are being implemented by local institutions and their EULEX counterparts. We consider that progress is being made. However, at the heart of EULEX’s concerns is the need to enhance public confidence by reducing the vulnerability of judges and prosecutors to pressure and corruption.
SETimes: What specific progress can you point to?
De Kermabon: EULEX has done remarkable work in its executive mandate. In our justice component, EULEX judges have passed 63 verdicts and held 516 hearings, while EULEX prosecutors are in charge of 1,073 cases.
As far as organized crime cases are concerned, the Organized Crime Section of the Special Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Kosovo has dealt with 45 cases. There are 33 organised crime cases are in pretrial stage, three in the main trial stage and three verdicts have been delivered.
Furthermore, EULEX judges have passed verdicts in six corruption related cases. We have a 24/7 presence of special police units, border police and customs officers at Gates 1 and 31, and [have] re-established a customs regime at these gates. This shows tangible improvement in revenue collection and a considerable drop in the smuggling of oil.
Although there have been improvements, there remains a lot to be done. However, in order to see greater results, EULEX and Kosovo institutions need to work together. Alone we can do nothing, together we can do a lot.
SETimes: What is the EULEX approach to establishing the rule of law in northern Kosovo?
De Kermabon: All 27 EU member states are committed to both Kosovo and Serbia’s European perspective … naturally this also includes northern Kosovo. The objectives of the EU and EULEX for the north are the same as for the whole of Kosovo — to promote good governance, socio-economic development, the strengthening of the rule of law and local initiatives, while contributing to a stable and multi-ethnic society.
The status quo is not sustainable, and therefore the EU wants to find pragmatic ways to move things forward in all these areas.
SETimes: When do you expect Albanian and Serb judges and prosecutors to return?
De Kermabon: My top priority is to get Kosovo Serb and Kosovo Albanian judges and prosecutors back to the Mitrovica District Court [for] justice to be delivered by a local, multi-ethnic and single judiciary. EULEX is working on an agreement with Pristina and Belgrade and hope a solution will be found quickly. Justice [must be] delivered by a single, multi-ethnic judiciary.
SETimes: As a neutral mission, how would you evaluate your communication with authorities in those capitals?
De Kermabon: I believe that progress can only be achieved through dialogue. Contacts on a technical level with both Pristina and Belgrade are essential to move things forward. These contacts take place at a regional level, with Skopje, Tirana and Podgorica as well.
The Kosovo government is regularly informed of these discussions. The aim of these discussions is to improve the exchange of information to fight organized crime, crossborder crime or smuggling. The discussions are done by our technical experts, who, on occasion, go to Belgrade. Our liaison officer in Belgrade, working alongside the EU high representative, is also involved in those issues.
SETimes: There have been a lot of discussions and recommendations concerning fighting corruption and organized crime in Kosovo. EULEX senior officials have also confirmed there are high-level investigations under way. When can we expect results?
De Kermabon: EULEX has never announced, and [never will announce] arrests, as this would counter the work of the prosecutors and the police investigators. All that was said was that the prosecution is working on some interesting cases. Only at the end of such investigations can a conclusion be made whether individuals will be brought before a court for a fair and public trial.
SETimes: When do you expect to restart collecting custom revenues at the northern border?
De Kermabon: The EULEX customs are present 24/7 at the gates to re-establish customs control. They do not collect taxes. Our customs officers are registering vehicles, drivers and goods, and photocopying documents. This information is shared with Kosovo and Serbian tax authorities. Since EULEX has been present at Gates 1 and 31, smuggling has been reduced by approximately 60%. This has led to an increase of 1.5m euros in revenue collected monthly at South Mitrovica Terminal. The question of revenue collection at the Gates 1 and 31 needs to be decided on a political level, and we as a technical rule of law mission cannot decide on that.
SETimes: How would you comment on the recent attacks against your cars and people in the north?
De Kermabon: This criminal act has only underlined further the necessity to continue strengthening the rule of law in northern Kosovo. The perpetrators of such acts will not succeed in refusing people access to proper rule of law. EULEX, together with the Kosovo rule of law institutions, will continue working towards giving the people what is their basic human right.
These sorts of incidents don’t serve the interest of the people in a region with a European perspective, and we ask for all parties to use their influence to prevent any such incidents in the future. Both EULEX Police and Kosovo Police are investigating the case.
SETimes: Do you see yourself continuing in your current position?
De Kermabon: I have expressed my readiness to stay on beyond June 14th. However, the tenures of heads of missions are linked to the duration of the joint actions [or council decisions]. This is a standard arrangement for all EU missions around the world. EU member states will consider this in connection with a decision from Brussels on the overall mandate extension.
CESRAN Blog
Large bombings, only days apart, in Bogota and Derry/Londonderry have put paid to any notions of a simple peace process in either country. These events show that the two very different conflicts display many of the same dynamics. Both countries have seen increasingly fragmented peace processes, with multiple non-state actors and intransient splinter groups vying…
Since the Vietnam War, officials of the United States have increasingly abused the essential democratic safeguards of accountability and an informed citizenry in apparent attempts to protect themselves from being held accountable for their actions. They use secrecy and disinformation to prevent the American people from obtaining the information they need to evaluate their government’s…
CESRAN International is pleased to announce that it has been named again amongst the world’s best think tanks. The 2018 Global Go To Think Tank Index ranked CESRAN International 141st among the World’s “Top Think Tanks in Western Europe” 76th among the World’s “Top Environment Policy Think Tanks” 152nd among the World’s “Top Foreign Policy…
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Archive for New York
There have to be clowns. Without them, we might cry a river during election years. Pinching your nose while voting brings tears to the eyes of many. So send in the clowns. Or at least– a really sharp comedy.
Some clarification as to what counts as comic. The Mitt/Newt/Rick Show and MSM’s Fist Pump 4 Obama are stale. They keep working the same lines and pratfalls. Not all old shows are dullsville. TheGovernmentReal Estate Game is hoary as hell but keeps reinventing itself. The latest twist:
Mortgage Settlement Madness!
Honk-a-dollar. As in, the 25 billion of ’em coughed up by five mega lenders via the national mortgage servicer settlement. Also called the national foreclosure settlement. The lenders who hit homeowners with funky foreclosures and hence had to cough are Citigroup, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Ally Financial Inc. Ally is the loan artist formerly known as GMAC. Why the name change? Cause “everybody needs an Ally”*.
Fun factoids about GMAC aka Ally: In 2008, the US Treasury invested $5 billion in GMAC (a sub of General Motors) from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). In 2009, they added 7.5 billion, giving the government a majority stake in GMAC. In 2010, GMAC “rebranded” itself as Ally Financial Inc. By January, 2012, TARP had 12 billion invested in GMAC/Ally.
Is Ally’s slice of the mortgage settlement being served by TARP?
If so, please notify Peter he’s being robbed to pay Paul.
The Obama administration in the form of U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder pushed the mortgage servicer settlement; 49 state attorney generals added their heft. A few balked at first. Not enough money for my state said some. Others were bugged that the settlement scotched legal actions supposedly in the hopper. (The ultimate deal doesn’t nix actions re other bads the AGs may have discovered when investigating foreclosure abuses. Future prosecutions could still take place in the future.) New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman was the scariest holdout. He was in the belly of the Wall Street beast. He was gonna get them bastids!
Compassion for struggling homeowners– and quid pro quo– eventually won over the AGs. The settlement will help homeowners avoid foreclosure via various programs (insert pratfall sound effect here) and in some cases, mortgage modifications. About 750,000 victims of foreclosure fouls will receive $2000 each. No mule though.
Not all homeowners will qualify for assistance. Selections must be made. Homeowners best get busy kissing butt on their local politicized housing scene; non profit housing helpers will be guiding the mortgage settlement dispensation.
By the time the settlement makes it to local levels, there will be less to dispense. Hands at higher levels are already helping themselves.
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) immediately skimmed $1 billion from the payout kicked in by Bank of America (BofA). Apparently BofA boffed the FHA with a boatload of bad loans. Poor FHA. Their taxpayer-backed loan portfolio is always giving them trouble. As for BofA, they must have really been macking around. Their part of the settlement is the heftiest.
State pols are also swarming the mortgage settlement, with governors and state reps claiming that since the busted housing bubble busted their budgets they deserve a piece of the pie.
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon (Democrat) wants to use almost all of his state’s $41 million cut as a budget plug. The state legislature leaders (Republican) say Yay Jay. In Pennsylvania, Dems are pushing the Republican attorney general to channel settlement funds into poverty programs. Maryland’s attorney general will give 10% of the state’s settlement cut to Governor Martin O’Malley (Democrat) and state reps “to spend as they choose”**.
Just when you think Mortgage Settlement Madness! couldn’t get any funnier, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (Republican) flaps onto the stage with a plan to use $26 million of the foreclosure rescue fund to plug his budget hole. This from the Friend-Of-All-Homeowners.
It also seems funny (as in “weird”) that state attorney generals will be dispensing money to public officials from a national settlement made by major financial institutions under threat of legal action by the very same attorney generals. The AGs’ leeway to control the cash was a crucial part of the mortgage settlement deal. Overall, the settlement is an attorney general power enhancer.
An oft asked question is why the financial crash of 2008 and the massive taxpayer bailouts that ensued didn’t lead to any prosecutions of major players. One of the answers– and there are many, none of which go down easy– may be that our state attorney generals increasingly treat financial crime in high places as a power tool and revenue source rather than something to be prosecuted.
Meanwhile, out in the lesser criminal fields, the mortgage servicer settlement is sparking new grifts. According to a press release*** by North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper, scammers in that state are already working the “landmark settlement”. (North Carolina’s banking commissioner incidentally, will be overseeing the mortgage servicer settlement.) Calling homeowners and promising I can get you a piece of the settlement but first I’ll need your bank account number…
The Government Real Estate Game has done it again. Mortgage Settlement Madness! promises to be a comedy keeper.
While down with the flu in January, I read a lot of Richard Stark. Aka Donald Westlake. A pile of volumes from Stark/Westlake’s Parker series towered on my nightstand. The adventures and misadventures of Parker, an ultra cold hearted professional thief, were the perfect antidote to fever.
The late Donald Westlake grew up in Albany, New York. When interviewed in 1995, Westlake sounded sardonic and oblique about his youth in the capital city. And while a number of books in the Parker series take place in upstate New York, Albany is never a central location*. Characters pass through it or around it. Usually in a stolen car.
InBackflash (Mysterious Press, 1998) Albany as the seat of state government is central to the plot, yet few scenes are set in the city. A complex heist and series of murders are put in motion by Hilliard Cathman, a retired fiscal planner for the state. Cathman whiles away his retiree time as a public policy consultant with a low rent office near the “huge dark stone pile of the statehouse”. He is, as Parker puts it, one of the “camp followers of state government”.
Due to his opposition to legalized gambling, Cathman is an unsuccessful camp follower. His potential clients in legislative places are eager to tap into a major new source of revenue; Cathman won’t give them his consultant stamp of approval. His objections to gambling are arguable but reasonable. But as Parker suspects, Cathman’s ego investment in being proven right has become unbalanced.
To prove his premise that gambling draws crime, Cathman recruits Parker to rob a riverboat casino that’s being allowed to ply the Hudson between Albany and Poughkeepsie as a limited-time experiment. The casino’s political backers hope the experiment proves so successful as to open the door to gambling statewide. As a fiscal planner for the state, Cathman was privy to inside info about the casino’s security arrangements, etc. He feeds the info to Parker and his crew. They successfully pull the heist.
As usual in a Parker book, there are numerous slips twixt cup and lip. Most caused by the greed and stupidity of pilot fish swarming the haul. But the wildest card in the set-up is Cathman. In a final confrontation in Cathman’s home in Delmar (an Albany suburb popular with state employees) Parker discovers just how far round the bend Cathman has gone– and that he has a self-aggrandizing plan which if allowed to play out will doom Parker.
How many times do regular citizens make the same discovery about policy planners? Parker is Everyman!
Speaking of planners with killer bees in their bonnets…
New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo is big on forging more public-private partnerships as engines of state economic development. He said so in his Executive Budget speech on January 17th. (While sick I read non-fiction fiction as well as the real stuff.)
New York is crony capitalism central. The quadruple D example? The public-private partnership of Wall Street and Washington that pumped the housing bubble and sank the economy beneath a mountain of dodgy mortgage-backed investment paper. As assistant secretary and then secretary of HUD from 1993 to 2001, Andrew Cuomo helped steer housing policy when the bubble started swelling and the paper flying. Cuomo’s HUD policies included pushing “a reform that allowed Fannie (Mae) and Freddie (Mac) to receive affordable-housing credit for buying private subprime mortgage-backed securities”**.
HUD was also the parent organization of OFHEO (Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight), the agency then charged with oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. OFHEO, under Cuomo and other HUD heads, resisted efforts to change Fannie and Freddie’s murky and ultimately disastrous public-private status.
By the time the bubble popped, Andrew Cuomo was New York State Attorney General. In 2007, Attorney General Cuomo announced that in light of the pop, he was launching an investigation into “industry-wide mortgage fraud”. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were prime targets. In a letter to Freddie Mac Cuomo implied that Fan and Fred had colluded with lenders to profit from mortgages based on inflated appraisals. In a matter of months, Cuomo’s investigation dissolved into a payout of $24 million from Fannie and Freddie. No admittance of wrongdoing required. The fraud problem was found to lay mainly with– and could be corrected at– the appraisal level.
Fannie and Freddie’s payout went to establishing the Independent Valuations Protection Institute. The institute, with board members approved by Andrew Cuomo, would monitor lenders for compliance with a new Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) authored by Cuomo. Though merely a state attorney general, Cuomo’s national clout re appraisal policy was enhanced by support for the code from OFHEO, the agency overseeing Fannie and Freddie.
In the bubble years many appraisers complained about being pressured by lenders to inflate values. Yet equally large numbers hate the reform Cuomo engineered. Some claim he had a conflict of interest when establishing HVCC.
Starting in 2004 and until becoming NY attorney general, Cuomo was chairman of the board of advisors at Appraisal Management Company (AMCO) a Cleveland-based private “independent valuations solutions company” doing business with national lenders. AMCO, a subsidiary of Worldwide Outsource Solutions Ltd., had a board full of HUD; including former HUD secretary Jack Kemp (under Bush 1) and assistant secretary William Apgar (under Clinton). Edward J. Davidson (Ed Davidson), CEO and board chairman of AMCO and Worldwide Outsource, has been a consultant for Fannie Mae.
In October, 2004, Cuomo, Kemp and Apgar told reporters at the Mortgage Bankers Association annual convention that “the integrity of the appraisal process has broken down”. American Bankerdescribed the presentation as “part admonishment of lenders, part sales pitch for a vendor”.***
In March, 2005, Cuomo, Davidson, Kemp and Apgar, in a letter on AMCO stationary, pressed OFHEO’s drirector, Armando Falcon, to have a “totally independent source” review the loans within Fannie and Freddie’s “securities field”.
In February 2006, AMCO issued a press release applauding board member Andrew Cuomo’s support for the newly formed non-profit Appraisal Advocacy Coalition. According to Inman News (a real estate publication), the coalition’s missions included protecting appraisers from “unfair competition“.
Maybe HVCC was a much needed reform. Note “was”. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act is slated to end HVCC. (Then again, it may just be whittled down. Appraisers fear that the reports of HVCC’s death are greatly exaggerated.)
Discerning the true motives of public-private players can be tough. When on the public side, they so often launch investigations and reforms that obfuscate obfuscate obfuscate. I say keep the public public and the private private. It makes the game easier to call.
When Governor Andrew Cuomo touts public-private partnerships as the path to NY economic development, a sizable majority of New Yorkers get starry eyed. Not I. It took more than the housing bubble and its bad paper and players to make me an unbeliever. Viewing New York’s public-private deal maker, the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC or ESD), in action has also been instructive…
See corruption and wishful thinking meet and marry! See billions in public money tossed at elephantine projects that come to naught! See ginormous tax breaks produce handfuls of jobs in depressed regions! And oh yeah– see small property owners get dispossessed at the behest of powerful developers. Rampent eminent domain abuse being one of the rottenest of New York’s public-private fruits.
Next up in the fruit bowl: Governor Cuomo’s plan for a massive Las Vegas style casino in New York City. Most likely at the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens. The casino would be built by the Genting Group of Malaysia. (They already run slots at Aqueduct.) To enhance the project, the state would erect “the largest convention center in the nation” nearby. And get this; the casino could put all of New York State on “an inside track to expanded gambling”.
As for Cuomo, his crony capitalism fever keeps rising. In late January, corporate campaign donors with their eyes on infrastructure prizes paid $50,000 each to sit next to Cuomo on a panel at a national Democratic Governors Association conference. The confab, which was held in Manhattan, was hosted by Governor Cuomo. No press or public allowed.
The impact of the Occupy Wall Street movement goes far beyond a traditional protest around specific issues. The ability to rapidly respond to changing situations, a horizontal rather than vertical structure and an open source approach to developing news tools and strategies will be as significant in the long term – perhaps more so. The medium is definitely the message here.
In Forbes, E. D. Kain writes about how Occupy Wall Street protesters are engaging in a roll-reversal where the surveilled are surveilling the surveillers:
If the pepper-spraying incident at UC Davis had happened before smart phones and video phones, it would have been the word of the protesters against the word of the police. If this had all happened before the internet and blogs and social media, it would have taken ages before the old media apparatus would have found the wherewithal to track down the truth and then disseminate that information.
Now the incident goes viral … Strangely, though, the police act as though these new realities don’t exist or don’t matter.
In The Atlantic, Alexis Madrigal suggests one their biggest accomplishments has been to facilitate other protests in the same way a software interface allows programmers to access and re-purpose data on the Internet:
Metastatic, the protests have an organizational coherence that’s surprising for a movement with few actual leaders and almost no official institutions. Much of that can be traced to how Occupy Wall Street has functioned in catalyzing other protests. Local organizers can choose from the menu of options modeled in Zuccotti, and adapt them for local use. Occupy Wall Street was designed to be mined and recombined, not simply copied.
This idea crystallized for me yesterday when Jonathan Glick, a long-time digital journalist, tweeted, “I think #OWS was working better as an API than a destination site anyway.”
API is an acronym for Application Programming Interface.
What an API does, in essence, is make it easy for the information a service contains to be integrated with the wider Internet. So, to make the metaphor here clear, Occupy Wall Street today can be seen like the early days of Twitter.com. Nearly everyone accessed Twitter information through clients developed by people outside the Twitter HQ. These co-developers made Twitter vastly more useful by adding their own ideas to the basic functionality of the social network. These developers don’t have to take in all of OWS data or use all of the strategies developed at OWS. Instead, they can choose the most useful information streams for their own individual applications (i.e. occupations, memes, websites, essays, policy papers).
The metaphor turns out to reveal a useful way of thinking about the components that have gone into the protest.
John Robb examines their progress from the perspective of military strategist John Boyd:
The dynamic of Boyd’s strategy is to isolate your enemy across three essential vectors (physical, mental, and moral), while at the same time improving your connectivity across those same vectors. It’s very network centric for a pre-Internet theoretician.
Physical. No isolation was achieved. The physical connections of police forces remained intact. However, these incidents provided confirmation to protesters that physical filming/imaging of the protests is valuable. Given how compelling this media is, it will radically increase the professional media’s coverage of events AND increase the number of protesters recording incidents.
Mental. These incidents will cause confusion within police forces. If leaders (Mayors and college administrators) back down or vacillate over these tactics due to media pressure, it will confuse policemen in the field. In short, it will create uncertainty and doubt over what the rules of engagement actually are. IN contrast, these media events have clarified how to turn police violence into useful tools for Occupy protesters.
Moral. This is the area of connection that was damaged the most. Most people watching these videos feel that this violence is both a) illegitimate and b) excessive.
It takes a lot to shock Hollywood. But the news that Newt Gingrich has bumped Jon Corzine as supervillain Two-Face in the next Batman is making jaws drop in Dream City. Corzine was reportedly in like Flynn; his duplicitous doings at MF Global made him Two-Face to the max. Sure, Jon had heavy competition from the powers-that-be at Penn State, but sports figures often flop on the big screen. (See OJ in assorted turkeys.) Sources close to Batman’s producers say Jon was already sitting for his Two-Face make-up when a story broke at Bloomberg about Newt Gingrich being paid $1.6 million over eight years for acting as advisor to housing bubble enabler Freddie Mac.
So what sez you, what’s Two-Face about that? Well kiddies, ever since the bubble-derived economic meltdown of 2008, Gingrich has been a humongous critic of Freddie Mac and its partner in crime (the kind that never gets prosecuted) Fannie Mae. Even saying that Massachusetts congressman Barney Frank ought to go to jail for his tight past relationship with Freddie Mac’s lobbyists.
Does this epitomize Two-Face or what? Batman’s producers did a Molly Bloom and said “yes”. Jon out, Newt in.
Prior to 2008, Newt (gotta love that name ) allegedly buzzed into the ears of Freddie Mac lobbyists, telling them how to sell the “company’s public-private structure” in a way “that would resonate with conservatives seeking to dismantle it”. Meanwhile, at the White House, top Freddie Mac lobbyist Mitchell Delk channeled Newt when pitching expanded home ownership programs to President Bush. The channeling took place during the period when Freddie and Fannie were hot to roll out ever more extreme experiments in mortgage-derived madness. (Lest we forget, Freddie and Fannie aren’t lenders; they buy and securitize mortgages, turning them into taxpayer-backed investment fodder.) According to Delk, Dubya was hip to what the political bennies “could be for Republicans and…. their relationship with Hispanics.”
Not that Dubya was all opportunism and no ideals. Remember The Ownership Society? It opened well among neocons, then nosedived into bailout land. So far, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (or is it “Mack”?) have raked in roughly $169 billion of rescue. Both say they need more. Much more. Freddie alone is seeking $1.8 billion.
Question: Should Newt Gingrich kick his Batman bux back to taxpayers? I say “yes!” His turn as Freddie Mac’s Janus landed him the way cooler role of Two-Face. He owes us big time…
Happy Halloween! Last weekend, New York Governor Andy Cuomo ordered his dog, Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings, to have state and city cops chase Occupy Albany campers out of a downtown park in the Capital City. But oops, both sets of cops (and Albany County District Attorney David Soares) balked. Lots of reasons. Some jake, some not. Among the latter, law enforcement concern (according to Soares) that a forcible removal would trigger a simpatico, bad publicity action by the riotous Kegs N’ Eggs SUNY kids up in Pine Hills, aka the Student Ghetto. As if! Beer isn’t being served by Occupy Albany. Question: is Governor Andy snarling about his lack of authority? Will he punish bad dog Jerry by withholding bacon bacon bacon? And finally– can Occupy Albany attract real folks not just the usual aged-in-wood suspects? Here’s hoping. Sincerely.
Albany, New York isn’t just the seat of a clown car state government– it’s also a college town. And college students, when boozed to the gills, can out-bozo politicians. (Well, almost.) On March 12th crowds of drunken students rioted in the Albany neighborhood known as the student ghetto. The lads and lassies, most of whom seemed to be from UAlbany (a major campus of the State University of New York aka SUNY), had prepped for the city’s St. Patrick’s Day parade with hours of bar crawls and Kegs and Eggs house parties. Eventually the breakfast bunch spewed out onto the frosty streets.
The Albany Student Press claims that the Albany police, in an effort to tamp down the annual festival of collegiate binge drinking, had rousted the house parties. Pushing participants outdoors where “frat boys and sorority chicks”* joined them in solidarity. The non-student press hasn’t mentioned any rousts. Whatever. Hundreds of students milled in the streets, wearing neon green tees and bellowing like cattle on jimsonweed. Smaller groups commenced to trash. Cars were pushed into the street and smashed. Appliances were hurled from balconies. Cans and bottles flew. Several cops were tackled. Most (though not all) in the crowd laughed to see such sport. Their cellphones captured the riot. YouTube took it viral. Suddenly, all eyes were on Albany’s student ghetto.
Albany pols and college officials freaked. Were they riled by the riot– or the nationwide publicity?
Callow binge drinkers have been stampeding in the student ghetto for years. And not just during the daze of St. Pat’s. A brief search of YouTube turns up numerous vids of students from UAlbany and the College of St. Rose (a private university adjacent to the student ghetto) making merry on many occasions. Heck– I lived on the edge of the student ghetto in 2000/2001 and can personally attest that every weekend, except for ones during breaks and vacations, was a holiday in the hood. Or should I say– a party in its mouth? The sidewalks were a mosaic of greasy pizza boxes, crushed beer cups, broken bottles, and vom. In winter the mosaic froze over, spring brought the big patty melt.
Walking through the student ghetto was an eyeball assault. Its once-beautiful two and three family homes were sinking into the sludge. Absentee landlords and young lugs living la vida transient don’t do upkeep. A virtual tour of the homes’ interiors can now be had on YouTube. Footage of semiconscious or completely zonked students being owned by their roomies is a staple on Student Ghetto, The Reality Show. If you look past the limp bodies in funny degrading poses, you can see the subdivided warrens, rats’ nest wiring, and broken windows covered with trash bags.
Code enforcement? What code enforcement?
I used to wonder if parents actually visited their kids’ digs. And what they thought if they did. After all, parents frequently pay for those digs. Some even send rent directly to the landlords. I also wondered if parents understood the intensity– and heavy underage aspect– of the student ghetto bar scene. It gave me quite a turn to see really young girls staggering out of bars blitzed blind and dumb. Particularly since the neighborhood is also a crime scene.
Muggings, assaults, and burglary shadow the student ghetto. Students are perceived as easy pickings; predators from other ghettos come to partake. In the autumn of 2008, a UAlbany senior was shot to death a few blocks from where I once lived. Drug trade? It’s like, historic. One street has an evil rep going back decades. From my window I watched deals going down on the corner of said street. The longevity of its rep made me cynical (wrongly, I’m sure) about notifying the Albany police. Instead I called the county cops and hoped for the best.
But back to Kegs and Eggs. Some 40 students were arrested. A few days after the riot YouTube footage was being used to identify more participants. Pictures taken from videos were released to the press. (Many of the alleged perps seemed in dire need of Clearasil.) Detective James Miller, official spokesman for the Albany Police Department, promised swift and certain justice.
On March 16th, a New York Daily News editorial blasted SUNY Albany for being known for “hard partying” rather than quality education. The editorial also denounced the “moms and dads” of the rioters, for contributing to a “culture you let sprout into criminal proceedings”. The next day, the first of the UAlbany students seen in the video pictures turned himself in. OMG! His father turned out to be Bob Sapio, senior executive editor of the New York Daily News. Was Dad’s face red!
Also red faced: Detective James Miller, official spokesman for the Albany Police Department. On March 18th Detective Miller (now on suspension) was arrested for allegedly driving drunk. In an official vehicle, while off duty. Miller apparently refused to take a breathalyser test. DWI cases can be more difficult to prosecute sans results from breath tests. In some cities, police officers aren’t allowed to refuse breathalysers. But Albany has its own way of doing things.
For instance, despite much local coverage of the Kegs and Eggs riot, plus related articles about housing conditions in the student ghetto, the neighborhood’s worst landlords have yet to be outed by the news media. And given the lack of code enforcement (a problem in more nabes than just the student ghetto) you’d expect some investigative reporting on who hearts who– politically speaking.
Another Albany oddity: the in-office longevity of Mayor Jerry Jennings. When Jennings ran for his first term in 1993 yes 1993 he waxed reformer about the student ghetto and vowed change. He renews those vows regularly. Particularly when public funding can be accessed via the vowing.
In April 2005, Mayor Jennings took an after dark walking tour of the student ghetto, accompanied by the late Kermit L. Hall, then president of SUNY at Albany. The town and gown twosome dialogued with students hanging in front of bars and tut-tutted over slum conditions. President Hall vowed to help rid the neighborhood of drugs, violence, and blight. Some $400,000 in government grants was set to flow through the New York State Division Of Criminal Justice into a “historic partnership”** between SUNY Albany and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in NYC– as part of the crime fighting initiative Operation Impact. The Albany police were eventually outfitted with cool tech tools via Operation Impact. Department officials say crime in Albany is being fought more successfully thanks to those tools. Folks in and around the student ghetto aren’t convinced.
Operation Impact is one of many initiatives that over the years, have been accessed by Mayor Jerry Jennings and a string of area college officials in efforts to re-imagine the student ghetto. Yet somehow, the neighborhood remains a place where impressionable young oafs and oafettes pick up the perception that civilization is far far away.
Like this:
And so it begins. Not with a bang but a brrrrrr. On January 5th, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo laid down his first State of the State address in a freezing cold auditorium at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany. The space wasn’t frigid by accident. Some like it hot, but Andy does not. According to a Cuomo minion quoted in the New York Times, walk-in refrigerators are his thing. The “meat locker”* temp at the Center drove some older legislators to wrap themselves in blankets. Which apparently are kept handily at hand in the Empire State Plaza linen closet.
Imagine the scene as seen from the podium by Andrew Cuomo! New York’s most venerable reps (some of whom have held office since the daze of Rip Van Winkle) huddled in blankets like refugees, their blue-lipped faces upturned in a mass mask of rapt attention.
None the less, the clapping for Cuomo was somewhat subdued– folks feared their fingers might shatter.
Another big chill: Cuomo’s inaugural address in the State Capital on New Year’s Day. The evening before, his office ordered that the windows of the room where Andy would speak be kept open all night. Whether or not the heat was turned off in that room, or the rest of the building, during those hours is unknown. It’s also not known if Cuomo counted how many blankets were returned by the venerable legislators after his frosty State of the State. My guess is yes– the heat was snuffed and the blankets counted. Andy has promised to cut waste and spending and protect New York taxpayers. He’s also promising to deliver “a new reality”**. Hopefully, the latter won’t include a New Ice Age.
Personally, I get nervous when pols use such godlike terms. X Governor Eliot Spitzer was big on holy pronouncements. Most famous: “Day one, everything changes.” On Spitzer’s inauguration day, New Yorkers got up bright and early. Couldn’t wait to see the sun rise in the west. Alas. No go. But not much more than a year later, everyone in the USA got to see Spitzer go down in the east.
While campaigning Andrew Cuomo took care to distance himself from Spitzer; keeping his control freak tamped down (most of the time) and vowing not to be planning any big changes for “day one”. His choice of residence as governor is in keeping with that vow. Like the last three governors before him (including Eliot Spitzer) Cuomo won’t be living full time in the Governor’s Mansion in Albany. His main digs will be downstate, where most of the state’s money lives.
Some Albanians were disappointed by Andy’s choice, seeing that he implied otherwise while campaigning. They should be heaving sighs of relief. The Mansion is an old historic building. Four years or more of open windows on winter nights would destroy it. Then there’s the havoc that the frozen water pipes and lines would wreak on the nearby sidewalk and street. Plus, if Andy were to hang in the mansion full time his significant other, Sandra Lee, might be tempted to go on a decorating binge. Anyone who’s seen her holiday “tablescapes” on the Food Channel knows what that would mean. Think pink pink pink and acres of frou-frou. The graceful old manse would wind up looking like a semi-homemade pop tart.
Back to Andy’s love of the freeze. Why is a mystery. Sure– some unkind people say his eyes have a shark-like quality. And that his political ambitions keep him circling endlessly, without sleeping. But I don’t believe for an instant that Andy is a secret Great White who needs the deep chill and wants to swallow smaller fish and rip the limbs off unlucky surfers. My guess is that the New York Times reporter had it right when she suggested Andy may like cold rooms ’cause they keep audiences alert. When I heard his State of the State on the radio my windows were shut and the heat was on. After about 10 minutes of Andy’s fifty minute speech, I was feeling sleepy very sleepy…
Like this:
If only I were Edith Piaf. But alas, I can’t say je ne regrette rien. Once upon a wasted time (circa late 1970’s and early 80’s) I hung on New York City’s downtown art/music scene. The scene never fit me, I tried to fit it. Which was one of the stupidest things I’ve ever done. My only excuse is that I was caught in a spiritual downdraft. Couldn’t see how deeply the Punk New Wave No Wave Ironic Transgressive thing wasn’t me. Its gods weren’t mine. The Velvet Underground gave good vinyl but their legend was tiresome. William Burroughs seemed shallow. Neo-Expressionism? A few pieces were sharp (albeit over-priced) but a lot looked like puke splattered on a sidewalk outside the Mudd Club .
Oh. Yeah. Those fabulous avant-garde nite spots…
Color me ashamed for ever taking pride in being approved by a doorman.
By ’83, I was outta there. Living in Hoboken, New Jersey, across the Hudson from Manhattan. In those days Hoboken felt far from NYC. An escape from hip happening hell. David Solomonoff (my future husband) and I lived in a five floor walk-up in the tallest building on our block. No telephone. Couldn’t afford it. Up there in the clouds, where no phone ever rang, we began doing Mail Art and making music cassettes as Solomonoff & Von Hoffmannstahl. The post office became our scene and we loved it. No cliques, clacks or clutter, just real deal underground art. Via snail mail we connected with artists and musicians all over the world.
Our first connect came via Jim Sauter of Borbetomagus. (Aka the “pioneers of aggressive improvised noise music”.) Jim gave us contact info for Japanese Mail Artist and musician Masami Akita. The work received from Akita was a revelation. His dense rich collages were non splatter and his music as Merzbow was full-tilt lush noise. Apres Akita, the deluge. Our correspondents eventually numbered in the hundreds. Some were creative trifectas (art, music, words) others specialized. We developed collaborative relationships (as opposed to just trading work) with many, both for Mail Art and cassette projects. We contributed numerous pieces to cassette compilations and also supplied material for other musicians to cut up and rework.
Over roughly four years, we produced five cassette “albums”: In The Mood,Swim Or Die,Great In Bed,God Is Love, and finally, The Element That Defies Description. Great In Bed was a compilation which included work by some of the people listed above. It came packaged in a black nylon stocking. (We’d bought boxes of them at a Hoboken odd lots store.) In The Element we took tracks supplied by others and reworked the material into an overarching musical structure and metaphysical theme.
The Solomonoff & Von Hoffmannstahl sound was shaped by having little money. Dirty Harry/Clint Eastwood once said “A man’s got to know his limitations.” The same goes for broke musicians. Our equipment was limited and we knew those limitations intimately. We worked them. Our apartment was our studio. Its ancient inadequate wiring meant lots of line hum. The hum would sing in shrill choruses when channeled through the frequency analyzer (aka ring modulator), a groovy 70’s effect manufactured by Electro-Harmonix. David had a made-in-Korea electric guitar and a Polytone Mini-Brute amp. Which was indeed brutish. When its spring-reverb was sproinging and its distortion was cranked the Mini-Brute turned into Godzilla doing Tokyo. We also had a vintage tube hifi amp which we played through the kind of wooden PA speakers that once hung in schoolrooms.
Our biggest (in terms of size and lineage) instrument was a 1960’s Vox Continental organ. The keyboard that carried The Doors. When momentarily flush from a freelance writing job, I’d bought the Vox for 200 bucks from The Major Thinkers, an Irish punk group. They claimed it previously belonged to Hall & Oates. The Vox was a workhorse. It had a few iffy drawbars but the randomness was a good thing; it seemed as if the Vox were actively improvising. Vox and Mini-Brute were bosom buddies.
Our other keyboards were miniature Casios. An MT-40 and VL-5. Among the earlier Casios on the market, their cheesy rhythm sections had options that allowed jump-cut transitions twixt say, samba and disco. When jacked with the line-humming frequency analyzer and/or our Doctor Q envelope filter (also made by Electro-Harmonix) samba and disco shattered into infinity. When the Casios’ batteries got weak, the shattering became even more extreme.
We also snagged rhythm from records. Most typically, ones from the 1950’s that demonstrated the exciting new audio technology of Stereo. Think demented bongos bouncing back and forth, forth and back, while Dad mixes martinis (clink clink) in the rec room. We also pulled snippets of exotic instrumentation from easy listening albums. We found countless treasures of Incredibly Strange Music and Exotica in Hoboken’s many junk shops. Prices ranged from 10 cents to a dollar. An LP had to be really special to warrant a dollar. Something like: Mario Lanza Gargles Gershwin– in Stereo.
We listened intently to the records we mined. Culling snippets of rhythm, minuscule musical phrases, and single syllables. Everything we sampled was sampled without a sampler. David was fast on the draw with our Pioneer turntable. He’d hover over a spinning platter, tone arm in hand– his other hand poised to punch the ree-cord button on our cheapie cassette deck. We had three cheapie decks. Plus a stereo amp with cheapie speakers, a good set of headphones, and a Radio Shack four channel mixer. Four tracks in, two tracks out. Layer up and do it all over again. Toss in a few guitar effect pedals (which we also used on samples and keyboards), a Roland analog micro synth/sequencer, a microphone, and me on vocals. That was our sound. Tech wise. As for the creative process–
When creating a piece we carefully assembled and structured the materials, then combined them through improvisation. We’d have a clear idea of what mood we wanted to create, how it should sound, and how the piece should generally progress. But the road was open to inspiration. Instrumentals by David and myself, together and solo, were improvised but sometimes sampled, cut-up, and recast. My vocals were fairly straight (no, no Yoko) inclining more to cocktail lounge and big band than rock. Sometimes a bit gospel. The sound of Solomonoff & Von Hoffmannstahl (in Stereo) was/is described by others with words such as Industrial, Electronic, Experimental, Sound-Collage, Noise, Art-Rock. I’ve never known how to describe it. Guess I’d just say it is what it is.
One thing I do know– we had a whole lot of fun doing it. Though being so broke was no fun. That big old railroad apartment was only heated at one end, by the kind of gas heater that even then was archaic. Up on the top floor we froze in the winter and baked in the summer. We didn’t have a stove for a year and juggled pots on a hot plate. And like I said, no phone. But hey, we always managed to scrape together enough for postage and blank cassettes. And when the no-cash blues got tough we got going. Cranking the Mini-Brute to the max and ring-modulating our cares into the international ether.
*So as to not clog this paragraph with links, I’m supplying contacts and/or background material re our cassette collaborators below. Haven’t been in touch with some of them for years. Apologies if I’ve missed more apropos links:
Sometimes a story is so local it jumps up and bites you. Such is the case with the stash of potentially explosive materials found in an apartment building in the town where I live. Say hey for Delmar, New York. It’s a mighty nice place. Delmar is a suburb of Albany. The kind of old leafy suburb extolled by folks who like old leafy suburbs. Not completely crime free, but certainly not Albany. So when a stockpile of HAZMAT materials turns up in the basement of a small tidy apartment complex in an old leafy neighborhood, eyebrows get raised. Particularly when there’s an ongoing back story…
First story first. On the afternoon of November 30th, police were summoned to the Cherry Arms apartment complex on Delaware Avenue in Delmar. A resident had spotted large amounts of what looked to be suspicious chemicals, plus some sort of weird device in the basement’s common storage area. Though a space where most people store boxes of old tchotchkes seems an odd place to keep acetone, xylene, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, butane, and gosh knows what else, there they were. Along with a commercial-grade vacuum chamber. A hefty item (some 400 pounds) that resembles a cross between an old fashioned safe and a commercial laundry extractor.
After the cops scoped the basement, the Albany County HAZMAT Team tossed it. Carefully. For safety’s sake tenants were told to vacate their apartments. Jason Sanchez, age 24, refused. He allegedly got way huffy. To the point where he had to be hauled from the scene. The bads in the basement allegedly belonged to Sanchez. A search warrant allegedly turned up more materials in his apartment. On December 1st, Jason Sanchez was charged with resisting arrest and first-degree reckless endangerment,
If stored in close proximity a number of the substances found in the Cherry Arms basement are potential explosives. Storage areas are generally full of fire food. The Cherry Arms is a multi family building. According to a tenant quoted on local ABC News 10 (Arrest made during Hazmat situation in Delmar) it contains 18 gas furnaces. (A comment posted in response to the story says there are no furnaces.) The building is closely surrounded by other residences and is catty-corner from a gas station. The convenience store right across the street is a popular hangout for students from the high school down the block.
Jason Sanchez is a grad student (computer science) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, across the Hudson River from Albany. So far, Sanchez isn’t saying what he was planning to do with the substances found in his basement and apartment. The Bethlehem police (the village of Delmar is in the township of Bethlehem) are investigating. Deputy Police Chief Timothy Beebe says Sanchez “had apparently been setting up some type of laboratory in there”*. Adding that the basement set-up didn’t seem to be intended as a home-on-the-range meth lab. Official focus seems to be on the possibility that booms were in the works.
Interesting but no doubt unrelated factoid: acetone, xylene, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, and butane (the identified substances found at the Cherry Arms) are what’s known as over-the-counter-solvents. Aka OTC Solvents. OTC Solvents can be used to process various drugs that aren’t meth. For instance, to extract THC from marijuana and produce stronger concentrates of high. Googling “OTC Solvents” brings up lots of how-to info on extraction, plus numerous warnings about handling and storing solvents.
Interesting but no doubt unrelated factoid about vacuum chambers: an 06/20/09 posting titled “Get All Your Cannabinoids” at marijuana.com sez “In laboratories when we need to remove solvents or by-products and our target compound is sensitive to heat, sometimes we use a vacuum chamber to remove solvents and byproducts..in the lab when we boil off compounds we don’t save what boils off, it gets whisked away by the vacuum pump. So the challenge is building a vacuum chamber vaporizer. How can this be designed? Does anyone have any ideas?..If this can be done we could produce true medical grade vaporizers. A vaporizer that is extremely efficient and gets all the cannabinoids.”
Speaking of cannabinoids, in late August the NY State police discovered a large scale marijuana farm operating out of a Delmar warehouse, at a Delaware Avenue address just a block or so south of the high school. The discovery was pure serendipity; the police were on the premises as part of an unrelated investigation. (The nature of which was never revealed.) Three farmers were busted. One pleaded guilty in October. When not tilling the soil, Yoeman Ray Marshall was snapping up rundown rental properties in downtown Albany. Buying dozens at open bid auctions run by Albany County.
But I digress. Back to the dangers of storing potential explosives in basements.
On December 19th, 2009, a fire destroyed a single family home at 151 Adams Place in Delmar, in a nabe within walking distance of the Cherry Arms. The fire started with an explosion in the basement caused by a collection of unidentified chemicals. As the fire tore through the house, smaller explosions went off. Neighbors were evacuated from nearby homes. The residents of 151 Adams? Jason Sanchez wasn’t at home that afternoon. But his mother was, along with his 15 year old brother.
Jason’s mother was unharmed but his brother was in the basement when the initial explosion occurred. He lost several fingers and was severely burned. A local law enforcement officer stated he may have been handling the chemicals that touched off the explosion. Jason Sanchez’s brother spent several months in the hospital. Delmar is a public spirited place and schoolmates and family friends raised more than $20,000 to help the Sanchez family get back on their feet.
In late February 2010, Jason’s mother, a volunteer firefighter and EMT with the Delmar Fire Department, won the “Keep America Running Hometown Hero” award (a program sponsored by Dunkin’ Donuts) for using her emergency response training in pulling her 15 year old son out of the basement at 151 Adams.Two police officers had completed the rescue, moving the boy out of the house.
By March, the official investigation into the fire had come to “a little bit of a standstill”**. Mother Sanchez was refusing to be interviewed by the police. She also wouldn’t let them talk to Jason’s brother. The police did claim to know what chemicals had caused the explosion– but they weren’t releasing the info ’cause the investigation was ongoing. Almost a year after the explosion and resulting fire that burned 151 Adams Place to the ground, the investigation is still ongoing. Will the stash of potential explosives found in the basement of the multi-family Cherry Arms make the on-go move faster? Possibly. Though in old leafy suburbs, time moves more gracefully…
Like this:
Ho humdrum. It’s back to political bidness in the Empire State. The gubernatorial race ended just as predicted. Andrew Cuomo finally got elected to something. (Becoming attorney general on Eliot Spitzer’s coat tails doesn’t count.) Not that beating Carl Paladino is proof of public appeal. A friend of mine in Hudson County, New Jersey suggested that Andy’s dad, former New York Governor Mario Cuomo, hired Paladino. I gave this theory serious consideration. Hudson County knows good ringers. (Point of info for folks living in Eden: political ringers are fake reform candidates who divide or reduce opposition to the machine candidate.) But as the campaign devolved, I rejected the notion. Buffalo developer Carl Paladino is definitely his own man. Albeit of an easily recognizable type. In upstate political circles, wacky little Caesars are a dime a dozen. Some are truly extreme. Remember Congressman Eric Massa?
Until resigning in March 2010, Democrat Massa repped the gerrymandered 29th district. The 29th contains a hefty chunk of primarily Democratic suburban Rochester in western New York, plus a swath of the state’s more Republican Southern Tier. (The latter incidentally, has a particularly fine collection of Caesars.)
Massa resigned under a cloud of sex scandal that reeked of abuse of power; he allegedly had a habit of harassing young male staffers verbally and physically. Coming on crude and overbearing. (Similar stories surfaced about Massa as a Lt. Commander in the Navy in the early 90s. Officers of lesser rank who shared quarters with Massa recalled waking up at night with his hands all over them– or with his junk in their face.) The scandal was a big story because Congressman Massa claimed top Democrats had targeted him for extinction, smearing him with lies damn lies. Why? Because Massa wouldn’t sign on to ObamaCare; he wanted a single-payer system. Massa later back pedaled on the claim, most spectacularly on the Glenn Beck show.
Beck had Massa on as a guest for a full hour in early March, thinking he was going to tell ALL about corrupt, arm-twisting Dems. But Massa only talked vaguely of how big money (from unnamed sources to unnamed pols) was corrupting both parties. Massa did talk at length about his “tickle fights”. Which were being seen through a glass, lewdly. His pile-on gropings of staffers were merely the horseplay of a rough mannered ex-military guy.
Every time Glenn Beck tried to pry Democrat dirt out of Massa, he dodged with tickle fight talk. Personally, I believe Massa’s appearance on Beck was the point at which Beck went round the bend. Before Massa (BM) I sometimes agreed with Beck and often found him funny. Sure, his sharp bi-partisan satire was already segueing into lectures re a vast, astonishingly competent commie conspiracy. And the Holy Prophet thing was kicking in. But after Massa (AM) Beck’s head totally ballooned.
As for X Congressman Massa, no need to fear for his future. Word is, he’s been snapped up by the TSA. (The TSA is a big contractor in the Southern Tier.) Look for him at your local airport.
Massa is an extreme example of a wacky little Caesar. (He may actually qualify as a wacky little Caligula.) But his assumption that bully fun is a perk of power, along with his tone-deaf narcissism, are typical of many players in politically airless upstate New York. Where decadence isn’t divine, just day to day mundane. It’s been bred into the region’s old boys (and girls) by hoary political machines riding high in a post-industrial landscape of shrinking population. A sizable influx of civic minded residents might shake things up, but jobs that pay middle class wages are scarce. However, there is an influx of poor folks with substance abuse problems. They’re being shipped upstate to partake of one of the few growth industries. Halfway-Houses-R-Us! As an electorate, the poor and addicted are swell for political machines. What with their being so dependent on public money and all.
Speaking of being dependent on public money– and political machines– consider what passes for economic development in Upstate New York. Being Joe Doakes with a good idea for building widgets doesn’t cut it. Just try and build a few prototypes in your garage, Joe! Red tape and taxes will be on you like Eric Massa on a staffer. Meanwhile, when Widgetom Inc, a multi-national company supposedly headquartered somewhere in the USA, announces plans to build a facility upstate, they get the red carpet treatment from local pols, development officials, and New York’s quasi-public Empire State Development Corporation (ESD). In exchange for talking job creation and revitalization, and for stroking the egos and jazzing the war chests and vacation trips of assorted little Caesars, Widgetom receives tax breaks, public utility deals, EZ loans, and exemptions from environmental and land use regulations. Plus tons of taxpayer cash in combo platters of state and federal grants.
After several years of breathless local press coverage re Widgetom and the glorious revitalized future, Widgetom will announce that due to changing economic conditions and technological developments, the future will be smaller than initially projected. Maybe delayed indefinitely. However, a few more grants might just pull the rabbit out of the hat. Pols and development officials agree to stand and deliver. So much has already gone into the hat. The future of the region is at stake. Widgetom is too big to fail!
As for Joe Doakes, if he doesn’t flee the state, he may hew his way to a small business start-up. Heck, he might even get a few bucks from the local ESD funnel. (As long as his product doesn’t compete with Widgetom.) Tip 4 Joe: get cozy with your local little Caesars. Fealty can B fun.
Getting back to New York’s gubernatorial election, though numerous other states were able to field credible reform candidates of the Tea Party variety for major offices, the Empire State put forth Carl Paladino. An ultra wacky little Caesar whose real estate ponderosa in the Buffalo area is heavily dependent on state government contracts and ESD-based tax breaks. His bully in a china shop campaign style? I am what I am said Paladino. (Him and Popeye.) A rough mannered son-of-an-immigrant guy. At least Paladino wasn’t into tickle fights. He only emailed extreme pornography (woman w. horse) and puerile racist jokes to dozens of business associates, including ones with government addresses.
That Carl Paladino passed as a populist reformer in so much of upstate is a sign of that region’s decadent political condition. On the statewide front, the election of Andrew Cuomo, after no real race, is a like-minded sign. We New Yorkers love our Caesars. Be they little or big. As for the wacky, will Andy turn? Never say never. (See Eliot Spitzer.)
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Finally adverts for the film have hit UK television. On Channel 4 there was a trailer stating book now to see the Wolverine with footage. Was on twice in one ad break! So they are now pushing with the promotion now!
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o**(-577/9)
Simplify q/q**(-2/5)*q**(-14)*q**(-1/7)*q/(q*q**(-11)) assuming q is positive.
q**(-61/35)
Simplify (i/(i/i**(-2/9)*i)*i**(2/7)*i*(i*i**0)**(-5/2))**(-1/45) assuming i is positive.
i**(307/5670)
Simplify (k**26/k**(-24))/(k**(-2/11))**(-1/5) assuming k is positive.
k**(2748/55)
Simplify (((h*h**(-1/4)/h*h)/h)/h)**(8/11)/((h*h**(-1)*h)/h)**(2/9) assuming h is positive.
h**(-10/11)
Simplify ((w**(-14/3)*w)/w)/(w*w**(-25))*(w**15)**(2/167) assuming w is positive.
w**(9776/501)
Simplify (k**(-10)*k/k**8*k*k)/((k/(k*k**(-2/5)))/(k*k**(1/6)*k*k)) assuming k is positive.
k**(-367/30)
Simplify r**(-1/9)/(r*(r**(-19)/r)/r)*r**(-1/8)/(r/(r*r**(-5)*r)) assuming r is positive.
r**(1135/72)
Simplify (o/(o**(-2/3)*o))**(21/5)*o**2/o**8 assuming o is positive.
o**(-16/5)
Simplify (((z**(1/20))**(1/4))**(-18/13))**(12/17) assuming z is positive.
z**(-27/2210)
Simplify ((o**0/(o*o**4))/((o/(o*o/(o*o**(-4))))/(o*o**(-2/3))))**(-15) assuming o is positive.
o**10
Simplify (u**(-4)/((u/(u/u**12*u))/u))/(((u*u*u**3)/u)/((u**(-3/11)*u)/u)) assuming u is positive.
u**(-201/11)
Simplify m/(m**(2/5)*m*m*m*m)*m/(m**0/m)*(m/(m/(m/(m*m**(-1)*m*m*m*m)))*m)/(m**(-12)/m) assuming m is positive.
m**(48/5)
Simplify (q/(q**(2/13)/q))**(1/3)*q**(2/61)/(q*q**14*q) assuming q is positive.
q**(-12174/793)
Simplify (v/v**(2/3))**24*(v**(1/4)*v)**(-2/49) assuming v is positive.
v**(779/98)
Simplify ((p**7*p)/p)**(4/3)*(p**1/p)**(-11) assuming p is positive.
p**(28/3)
Simplify (u**(-16/9)/u**0)**(2/21) assuming u is positive.
u**(-32/189)
Simplify (p**9*p)**(3/29)*(p*p/p**(-8/11))/(p*p**(-31/3)) assuming p is positive.
p**(12532/957)
Simplify s**(-1/10)*s**(-22)*((s**26/s)/s*s)/s**(-5) assuming s is positive.
s**(79/10)
Simplify ((d/(d**(1/5)/d))/d)**0*d*d**(1/4)*d*d**(-11)/d assuming d is positive.
d**(-39/4)
Simplify (g*g/(g/(g/(g/(g/(g*g/((g*g**(-11/2)*g)/g)))*g)))*(((g*(g/(g**(-4/3)*g))/g*g*g*g)/g)/g)/g)/(g**(1/7)*g)**(-2/13) assuming g is positive.
g**(-2179/546)
Simplify ((o*o/o**(-2/33))/((o*o/o**(3/5))/o))/((o**(-8)/o)/o**(1/4)) assuming o is positive.
o**(7201/660)
Simplify (h*h**(-2/11))**19*h**11*h**(-34) assuming h is positive.
h**(-82/11)
Simplify ((o**(-1/4))**(4/5)/(o**0*o*o*o**(-6)))**36 assuming o is positive.
o**(684/5)
Simplify (o**(1/5))**(2/67)*o**20/(o/(o/o**(6/7))) assuming o is positive.
o**(44904/2345)
Simplify (((x**(-26)/x)/((x*x**(5/3)*x)/x))**(-20/9))**(-19) assuming x is positive.
x**(-33820/27)
Simplify ((y**(-1/8)/y)**(-4/23))**(28/3) assuming y is positive.
y**(42/23)
Simplify (s/(s*s**(-2/11))*s**32)/(s*s**26*s/((s*s**(-5/7)*s*s*s*s)/s)) assuming s is positive.
s**(575/77)
Simplify v/(v**(11/3)/v)*v/(v**(3/8)/v)*(v**(2/37))**(-13) assuming v is positive.
v**(-661/888)
Simplify (g**(-2)/g**(-9))/((g*g**(-8))/g**(-30)) assuming g is positive.
g**(-16)
Simplify d/d**(1/3)*(d/(d/d**10))/d*((d*d**(3/7)*d*d)/d)/d**9 assuming d is positive.
d**(65/21)
Simplify ((y*y*y**(-17)/y*y)/y**(-2/41))/((y*y**(11/5)*y)/y**(1/17)) assuming y is positive.
y**(-66537/3485)
Simplify ((l**3*l*(l*l/((l/(l/(l/l**(-2/17))))/l))/l)**(1/73))**(23/3) assuming l is positive.
l**(1909/3723)
Simplify (x**(-1/5)/x)/x*x**(1/5)*x/x**(11/3)*x*((x/(x*x**(-9)))/x)/x assuming x is positive.
x**(10/3)
Simplify (v**11)**(-13)*v*v*v**16*v*v*v*v*v*v**36*v assuming v is positive.
v**(-83)
Simplify (s**(-11)/(s/((s/(s**17/s)*s)/s*s)))/(s*s**(-1/3))**(-8/7) assuming s is positive.
s**(-530/21)
Simplify (q**1)**(-1/5)/((q*q**16)/q**16) assuming q is positive.
q**(-6/5)
Simplify (((l/((l**(-16)/l*l)/l*l)*l)/l)/l*l)/(l*l**(-37)/l*l)*(l**(-27))**36 assuming l is positive.
l**(-919)
Simplify (((q*(q/q**(-1))/q*q)/(q**(-7/4)*q))/(q**(-2/9))**9)**(3/28) assuming q is positive.
q**(69/112)
Simplify ((x**(-5/6)/(x**(-3/8)/x))/(x**1/(x*x**13)))**(-17/2) assuming x is positive.
x**(-5525/48)
Simplify ((s**(-3/7)*s)**(-6/13))**23 assuming s is positive.
s**(-552/91)
Simplify (u**1/u)**(-21)/(((u**(2/7)/u)/u)/(u/(u*u**10*u*u))) assuming u is positive.
u**(-72/7)
Simplify ((k*k**(-16)*k)/k*k**(2/11))/((k*k**(-1/4))/(((k/((k/(k**(3/8)/k)*k)/k))/k)/k)) assuming k is positive.
k**(-1601/88)
Simplify (a/a**(2/21))/a**(-7)*(a*a*a/a**(-15)*a*a)**(-3/4) assuming a is positive.
a**(-149/21)
Simplify ((f**(-3/2))**(-14))**(10/11) assuming f is positive.
f**(210/11)
Simplify ((g/(g**(3/5)/g*g))/((g**15*g)/g*g*g))/(g**(6/11)*g*g)**(-49) assuming g is positive.
g**(5947/55)
Simplify (((b*b*(b/((b/b**(-16))/b)*b)/b)/b)/(b/(b*b*(b**(-3/14)*b)/b*b)))/(b**(5/4))**(-20) assuming b is positive.
b**(179/14)
Simplify (q/(q*q**(-3/2))*q)**(-6/17)*(q/q**(-11))/(q*q/(q/((q/(q**(-2/9)/q*q*q))/q))*q) assuming q is positive.
q**(1514/153)
Simplify ((j*j*j**(5/6)*j*j**(-5))/((j*j/(j*j*j*(j*j*j**(-6/11))/j))/(((j/j**(-2/9))/j)/j)))**23 assuming j is positive.
j**(-2231/198)
Simplify ((q**(-10)/q)/q*q**16/q)/(q**5)**(-38) assuming q is positive.
q**193
Simplify (f*f*f*f/f**(-10))/(f/f**(1/3))*f**(-2/21)*f**7 assuming f is positive.
f**(425/21)
Simplify ((p/(p/p**(-4/7)))/(p/((p**(-1/2)/p)/p)))**(2/53) assuming p is positive.
p**(-57/371)
Simplify (((v/(v/(v*v*v**6)))/(v**(-2/5)*v))/(v**2*v**(-4)*v))**44 assuming v is positive.
v**(1848/5)
Simplify l**(-5/3)/(l**(-7)*l)*l**(-8)*l/(l**(-6/17)*l) assuming l is positive.
l**(-169/51)
Simplify ((b/(b**(-1/5)/b*b))/b)**(2/15)/(b*b**14)**(-13) assuming b is positive.
b**(14627/75)
Simplify (s*s*s**(-3/5))/s**(2/41)*(s*s/(s*s*s**2/s*s)*s*s)**(10/3) assuming s is positive.
s**(277/205)
Simplify q**(-12)/q**(-2/21)*q*q**(-5)/q*q**(-12) assuming q is positive.
q**(-607/21)
Simplify ((k/k**22)/(k**16*k*k))/((k**(-16)/k*k)/k**(-3/4)) assuming k is positive.
k**(-95/4)
Simplify (y**(-15/11)/y*y**20)**(-37) assuming y is positive.
y**(-7178/11)
Simplify (m**9*m*m**(-14/9))/(m**(-14)*m**(-14)*m) assuming m is positive.
m**(319/9)
Simplify (c*c**23*c**20*c)**(-33/5) assuming c is positive.
c**(-297)
Simplify ((m**(-2/5))**38/(m*m/((m*(m/(m/m**(1/3)))/m)/m))**(-22))**39 assuming m is positive.
m**(8476/5)
Simplify b**(9/4)*b**(-12)*(b*(b/(b**(3/7)*b*b))/b)**(-28) assuming b is positive.
b**(121/4)
Simplify (v**(-1/5)/v)**(-39)/(((v*v**(3/2))/v*v)/v*v**(-7)*v) assuming v is positive.
v**(513/10)
Simplify ((y/(y*y**(-1)))**38*y/y**(-3)*y**(1/5))**(1/15) assuming y is positive.
y**(211/75)
Simplify (i**(1/2)*i**13*i)**6 assuming i is positive.
i**87
Simplify h**1*h**(-11)*h*h**12*h*(h/h**(-2))/h*h assuming h is positive.
h**7
Simplify (l*l*l**24*l*l**(14/3))/(l/(l*l**(28/9))*l/((l*l/(l*l/(l**(-3/11)/l)))/l)) assuming l is positive.
l**(3119/99)
Simplify ((t**(2/9)/t)**25*t**4*t**(1/5))**(1/6) assuming t is positive.
t**(-343/135)
Simplify (n**3)**(-9)/((n*n*n*n**(3/5))/n**(-2/9)) assuming n is positive.
n**(-1387/45)
Simplify (n**(-2/23)*n**(-6))/(n**(1/7)*n**(-11)) assuming n is positive.
n**(768/161)
Simplify (m*m**(-1/10)*m)/(m*m/m**(-15))*m**(-10)/((m*m**(-1/22))/m) assuming m is positive.
m**(-1378/55)
Simplify (z**(-14)*z)**(-10/11)/(z/(z/(z*z**(-1/3)))*z)**17 assuming z is positive.
z**(-545/33)
Simplify (l/(l**(-15)*l))/(l/(l*l/((l/l**21)/l)))*l**(3/8)*l**(-2/21) assuming l is positive.
l**(6263/168)
Simplify (t**(-4))**(-25)*(t/(t*t**(-15)))/t**(4/13) assuming t is positive.
t**(1491/13)
Simplify ((q**(-7)*q)/(q/(q/((q/q**7*q)/q)))*(q*q*q**(-2)*q*q)**(-5/6))**43 assuming q is positive.
q**(-215/3)
Simplify (x**11/x)/(x*x/((x/x**15)/x))*(x*x/(x*x/x**(-23))*x)/(x*x**10/x) assuming x is positive.
x**(-39)
Simplify (((l/(l/l**(1/8)))/(l**(-3)*l))/(l**0)**(-50))**(4/9) assuming l is positive.
l**(17/18)
Simplify (s/s**(-3/10))/s**18*((s/s**(-2/9)*s)/s)**(-21/2) assuming s is positive.
s**(-443/15)
Simplify j**(-5/9)/j*j*j*j**(1/7)*(j/(j**(2/3)*j))**41 assuming j is positive.
j**(-1685/63)
Simplify ((x**(-2/89)/x)/x*x*x*x**19*x)/(x**(-26)/(x**(-2/97)*x)) assuming x is positive.
x**(405379/8633)
Simplify ((t**(-2/5))**(-40)/(t**(-1/2)/(t*t**1)))**(18/11) assuming t is positive.
t**(333/11)
Simplify ((k/(k/k**(-21)))/k*k**25)**35 assuming k is positive.
k**105
Simplify (t/((t/(t**0/t))/t))**(-43)/((t*t*t**(2/3))/t**(5/2)) assuming t is positive.
t**(-1/6)
Simplify (u**1/u)/u*u**(-12)*u*u**(2/11)*u/u**(3/4) assuming u is positive.
u**(-509/44)
Simplify y/(y**(7/8)/y)*y**(-1/8)*y*y**(2/51)*y*
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Successful treatment of a southern Pacific rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis helleri) bite in a caracal (Caracal caracal).
A caracal (Caracal caracal) was bitten on the lower lip by a southern Pacific rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis helleri) and quickly developed progressive, severe soft tissue swelling and bruising of this site. Initial laboratory results revealed prolonged clotting times within the first hour of envenomation, followed by signs of vasculitis and anemia. The caracal was successfully treated with intravenous crystalloids, four vials of polyvalent crotalidae antivenom, and transfusions of bovine hemoglobin glutamer-200 (Oxyglobin) and fresh whole blood. The progressive soft tissue swelling and bruising halted and the coagulation parameters improved after administration of antivenom; however, the caracal continued to show neurologic dysfunction, including depression, weakness, muscle fasciculations, anisocoria, and ataxia. Administration of an additional vial of antivenom 72 hr after envenomation quickly corrected the weakness and muscle fasciculations, whereas the anisocoria and mild ataxia persisted for another 24 hr. The caracal remains clinically normal 3 yr after the envenomation.
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Kunal Ganjawala
Kunal Ganjawala (born 14 April 1972) is an Indian playback singer whose songs are mostly featured in Hindi and Kannada films. He has also sung in Marathi, Bengali and other official languages of India. Kunal began his career by singing jingles. He came to limelight in Hindi with the song "Bheege Honth Tere" from the film Murder in 2004. It was his first biggest hit. The song earned him Zee Cine Award as Best Playback Singer in 2005. He came to limelight in Kannada with the song "Neene Neene" from the film Akash in 2005.
Career
As a child, Kunal Ganjawala never thought of becoming singer. He didn't know until college that he could sing. Since then he started singing at every college festivals and won many intra- and inter-college competitions.
Ganjawala graduated from St. Peter's School, Mazagaon. Kunal wanted to be either a chartered accountant or an actor. Kunal admits that it was his parents' support which made him possible to become a singer. Kunal's sister is a Bharat Natyam exponent, while his father plays the harmonica. With his parents' support he took singing seriously and started believing that he can become a singer.
Later, Ganjawala learned music from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan under the guidance of Sudhindra Bhaumick. His first singing assignment was a Ranjit Barot-composed jingle titled Doodh Doodh for the Operation Flood advertisement. Ganjawala has said that he was taken seriously by other music directors because he was working with Barot.
Ganjawala's first break in Bollywood was Ab Ke Baras in 2002. Although the song did not mark him as a prominent singer, it earned him many offers. Thereafter he sang in many movies, such as Saathiya (2002), Indian Babu (2003), Paisa Vasool (2004), Khakee (2004), Rudraksh (2004), Dhoom (2004) and Meenaxi (2004). His breakthrough hit was "Bheege Hont", from the film Murder, which won the 2005 Zee Cine Award Best Playback Singer - Male and IIFA Best Male Playback Award.
Ganjawala entered the Kannada film industry in 2005. His very first song in Kannada, Neene Neene composed by music director R P Patnaik and written by K. Kalyan for the movie Akash, was a hit of the year. His big break in South India came in 2006 from the Kannada blockbuster film Mungaru Male. His song "Onde Ondu Sari" written by Kaviraj and composed by music director Mano Murthy became the biggest hit of the year. It created records, including for highest sales and downloads.
Popular singer Sonu Nigam who is known in South India for his hundreds of Kannada songs, recently composed a theme song for the Karnataka Bulldozer's team in the Celebrity Cricket League. With lyrics by Sowmya Raoh, this was sung by the trio of Ganjawala, Nigam and Raoh. Ganjawala has sung nearly 450 Kannada Songs thus far.
He has participated in Sa Re Ga Ma, an Indian singing talent competition on Zee TV (now Sa Re Ga Ma Pa) when it was hosted by Nigam. He was a judge on Amul Star Voice of India, another singing competition on Star TV, together with Shreya Ghoshal and Pritam.
Since then Ganjawala has worked for many music directors like Anu Malik, Anand-Milind, Nadeem-Shravan, Pritam, Himesh Reshammiya, Ismail Darbar, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Anand Raj Anand, Rajesh Roshan, Viju Shah, Aadesh Shrivastava, Roop Kumar Rathod, Daboo Malik, and Sanjeev-Darshan. Kunal recently sang for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saawariya. His numbers from the films Maashah Alaah and Pari were running top on the chart.
Other than Hindi and Kannada, he has also sung in Tamil, Marathi, Punjabi, Odia, Bengali, Telugu, Assamese and Sindhi languages.
His song "Oh my love" from Bengali language movie Amanush Jeet Gannguli and "Channa Ve Ghar aa jaa" from a Punjabi album Channa Ve by DJ Anit & Music director Santokh Singh was also a success.
In 2007, he participated in a concert tour in North America, called The Incredibles, also featuring Asha Bhosle, Nigam and Kailash Kher.
On 3 April 2010 he performed at RECSTACY, the annual cultural event of NIT DURGAPUR. On 26 November 2010 he performed at SDM UTSAV, the mega fest event of SDMCET.
In February 2018, he recorded India's first jazzy ghazal Dhatt, for the Indian recording label Indian Talkie. The song was composed by Sumit and written by Zeest and is a blend of two completely different genres, Jazz and Ghazal. The song was released on Valentine's Day 2018 to over 300 music streaming platforms, including Saavn, iTunes Spotify, Deezer, and Wynk Music. The Lyrical Making Video was released on Indian Talkie's official YouTube Channel, featuring Kunal Ganjawala and Sumit and his team.
Personal life
In 2005, he married fellow singer Gayatri Iyer. They performed the title track for STAR One's Antakshari together. He is a staunch devotee of Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
Awards and recognition
Kunal Ganjawala has received the following recognitions:
|-
| rowspan= 3 | 2005
! rowspan= 5 | Murder
| Filmfare Awards
"Best Male Playback Singer"
"RD Burman Award for New Music Talent"(For: Bheege Honth Tere)
| rowspan=5
|-
| IIFA Awards
"Best Male Playback" (For: Bheege Honth Tere)
|-
| Zee Cine Awards
"Best Playback Singer - Male"(For: Bheege Honth Tere)
|-
| rowspan= 2 | 2006
| Star Guild Awards
"Best Male Playback Singer"(For: Bheege Honth Tere)
|-
| Bollywood Movie Awards
"Bollywood Movie Award - Best Playback Singer Male"(For: Bheege Honth Tere)
|-
|}
Discography
Hindi songs
Self
Non-film songs
Kannada
Bengali
Tamil
Telugu
Marathi
Punjabi
Malayalam
Odia
Urdu
References
External links
Kunal Ganjawal's Profile at Pipl.com
Radio FM
Kunal Ganjawala launches Rajashri's Pop Album "Boondein"
"The Hindu" (February 4, 2009)
List of Kunal Ganjawala's songs
Kunal at Sa Re Ga Ma Pa|SaReGaMaPa – Live Performance
rudraksha
Category:Living people
Category:Indian male film singers
Category:Kannada playback singers
Category:Bollywood playback singers
Category:Sa Re Ga Ma Pa participants
Category:Musicians from Mumbai
Category:Elphinstone College alumni
Category:Indian Hindus
Category:1972 births
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